The first time I used NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation––which, by the way, is a mouthful––was when it first came out a couple of years ago. At the time, I had incredibly dry skin that no amount of moisturizer could fix. I went through foundation after foundation, trying to find a formula that wouldn't emphasize my dry patches and would cover my rosacea.

At that time, this foundation was a hard pass. It not only emphasized my dry skin, it also left me looking like I had a ton of product on my face. It just sat on my skin, didn't blend well, and didn't cover my redness as well as I had hoped. One of the claims about this foundation was that you only needed one drop––or pump––to cover your entire face. That wasn't true for me then and it still isn't true for me now.

My skin is currently more on the combination or oily end of the spectrum. My go-to foundation is the Too Faced Born This Way formula, but because I've been breaking out so much lately I decided to try out some new formulas to see if my favorite foundation had betrayed me. I picked up the NARS foundation again and gave it a go. I was pleasantly surprised with the results.

It still took three pumps to cover my face, but it did mask the redness from both my rosacea and my breakouts. It looked a little too matte on my skin, despite claiming a natural finish, and made my cheeks––where is covered my redness––look a little ashy. It also emphasized texture on my skin. For instance, an allergic reaction had caused tiny little bumps to appear all over my face. While my Too Faced foundation made them appear smoother, the NARS foundation made them obvious. Same for my breakouts.

I will admit that other people I asked couldn't really tell a different in the appearance of my skin when I wore this foundation. But I could, and it left me feeling really self-conscious and uncomfortable. f you do try it out, make sure to apply it with a damp Beauty Blender as this foundation is prone to streak marks.

Bottom line, I'm still not a fan of this foundation––especially not for $48.

Is it hot where you are? It's been pretty warm here all summer, with temperatures staying in the 90º range since mid-July. And the West Virginia humidity has always been the stuff of nightmares. Just walking outside for a minute can make a person start to sweat, and don't even get me started on my outdoor workouts.

One good thing has come out of this uncomfortable weather: I have perfected my sweat-proof makeup routine. And I didn't even do it on purpose. I'm pretty insecure about my skin–rosacea and acne will do that to you–and I always wear face makeup when I work out. I'm also an avid Snapchatter and selfie-taker, so of course I take the occasional snapshot of myself post-workout.

Last month, after a particularly grueling workout in 93º weather, I took a couple of pictures and realized my makeup had not budged. Not a bit. Underneath my makeup, I was sure I looked like a human tomato, but no one would have been able to tell that. My mom, who was my workout partner that day, even noticed. I was amazed.

So I'm sharing my routine with you.

I start out by applying the elf Face Primer with my fingers, patting it into place where my pores are particularly noticeable. Then I take one pump of the Too Faced Born This Way foundation and apply it with a Real Techniques buffing brush, pressing the product onto areas that need a bit more coverage. If I need a little extra coverage, like when my acne is flaring up, I will use another half of a pump on the areas that need it. I finish with MAC Studio Fix powder foundation, using a fluffy brush to press the powder on.

When I'm going somewhere after my workout, I will add some contour using the Kat Von D Shade & Light palette and line my eyes with the Flower Forever Wear eyeliner. Sometimes I will use MAC Fix+ to set the look, but it does just as well without it.

You want proof? Take a look.


This picture was taken at 1:29 PM on a 90º day. I had applied my makeup that morning at 7 AM. That is six and a half hours of wear during which I worked out, went shopping, and worked out again.

I also have a cheaper version of this look that I will be talking about soon, so stay tuned.

How do you make your makeup last all day in the heat? Let me know in the comments!

Not all makeup brands are created equal. And I'm not just talking about the quality of their products.

Recently I watched Amanda Faye's updated makeup routine video, where she talked about making the transition to cruelty-free beauty items. I'm currently trying to be more conscious about what I consume, both internally and externally, and her video made me realize that I have no idea what goes into the making of the products I use. It has inspired me to slowly transition my own beauty routine to be more animal-friendly, as well, and it's really not as difficult as you might think!

My first step was going through the beauty products I use on a daily basis. I use a mixture of drugstore and high-end products and I found that most of my high-end makeup was cruelty-free... I wasn't so lucky with my drugstore favorites, however. Rimmel, whose eyeliners and mascaras are always in my favorites posts, unfortunately had to go. So does my Maybelline Brow Drama kit but, full disclosure, I am using these products until they run out so that I am not being wasteful.

Luckily, my must haves such as the Too Faced Born This Way foundation and Urban Decay Naked concealer get to stay in my routine, as do my Real Techniques and ELF brushes. But my favorite powders, both by MAC, will eventually have to go.

While it would seem that the easiest way to go cruelty-free would be to buy high-end, it's not foolproof. According to CrueltyFreeKitty.com, brands such as Benefit, Bobbi Brown and Make Up For Ever do test on animals. And, surprisingly, there are a number of drugstore brands that do not test on animals, such as Milani, ELF and Wet N Wild. Some brands are cruelty-free such but are owned by companies who are not, such as NYX. This is where doing your research and using your own judgement are important.

Sometimes, though, we're ready to start making the switch but don't have time to do a lot of hardcore research. That's why I created this little cheat sheet for you, with some of my favorite cruelty-free brands from high-end to drugstore.

I have dry skin, so I am always looking for a way to make my skin look healthy and glowy by any means necessary. I've highlighted, I've strobed, I've all-over glowed and I've contoured to make those glowier bits stand out even more. But now a new trend has emerged and, boy, is it a doozy. It's called chroming and it basically requires you to use a metallic or frosted lipstick in place of a highlighter.

No, really. That's pretty much it.

If you read Pixiwoo's post on the subject, you'll realize that even though the chroming trend is interesting... It is also a bit silly. I mean, it's so rare to wear these shades as an actual lipstick anymore so it is genius of cosmetics companies like MAC to market those shades in a new way. One of the main selling points of chroming is that the product will do double duty as a lipstick and a highlighter. But, because it is so rare to wear these shades as a lipstick, will it really pull double duty in your handbag? (Answer: hopefully not.)

If you do wear these shades on your lips, I can see how this trend would be useful. Alternatively, if you are trying to save space in your makeup bag, this may be something for you to try as well. My main concern lies in the fact that this is a product make for your lips and not your skin. And while higher end products may be able to perform well on the cheeks without doing any harm to your skin, some lipsticks may clog your pores and lead to breakouts-- or worse. Also, in doing research for this post, I've found that many people have trouble blending the product and getting rid of harsh lines. There are multiple woes, here.

If you already have some of these shades, test them out. Literally, test them before applying to a large area of your face to make sure they won't cause a reaction. You may find a new use for some of your least used shades. But if you don't already own a shade like that-- a light frosty or metallic color-- I wouldn't rush out to buy one. Highlighting with a cream highlighter will give you similar, if not identical, results.

I, personally, will be giving the chroming trend a pass. What about you?

Sometimes drugstores come out with amazing and affordable dupes for pricier high-end products. I've had my eye on the Clarins Instant Light Lip Comfort Oil for quite some time, but it's not very easy to get in my area and as a rule I don't buy just one product online-- unless it's at Sephora where I get free two-day shipping as a VIB Rouge member. (Yes, I spent that much money in a year. Judge me all you want.) So you can imagine my excitement when I heard about the new Milani Moisture Lock Lip Treatments, which seemed to be a pretty convincing dupe at first glance.

Besides the packaging differences-- the Clarins tube is square where this one is round-- the most obvious difference between the two products is the selection. Clarins has two options: Honey and Raspberry. Milani has eight different lip oils to choose from, each with a different blend of oils to help treat specific problems.

You can choose from Moisturizing Almond Coco, Healing Lemon Honey, Rejuvenating Peach Mango, Conditioning Grapeseed, Repairing Primrose, Revitalizing Grapefruit, Protecting Pomegranate, and Nourishing Raspberry.

I picked up the lemon honey shade, hoping it would be the closest match to the Clarins product. The first thing I noticed about it was how big the applicator is; it's size definitely diminishes the amount of product that is actually in the tube and, in my opinion, it picks up too much product.


I have seen reviews of other shades-- such as Bailey B.'s YouTube review-- and the consensus seems to be that these lip oils don't really have shades, only different oil combinations. There may be a slight difference in color when applied to the lips, but not enough that you would need to buy multiple shades. Many of the reviews I've seen also say that the different shades also seem to work similarly; again, I don't think you would need to buy multiple shades depending on the state of your lips.

The thing that surprised me about this product was that it didn't really feel like an oil. It had more of a gel-like consistency, a little thick and goopy. And I think that consistency sort of kept it from sinking into my lips. It felt like it just sat on top of my lips. That may be why I felt like it did nothing for my lips-- it basically acted as a gloss for me. But it didn't make my lips worse, either, which I have heard some reviews say.

Overall, it's not a bad buy if you're looking for a gloss that may nourish your lips at the same time. But, because I've heard so many good things about the Clarins lip oil, I don't think this qualifies as a dupe.

Have you tried the Milani Moisture Lock Lip Treatment? What did you think?

In last month's Target Beauty Box I received a sample of Laneige's BB Cushion Foundation. While cushion foundations have been a big hit overseas for quite some time, they have only recently started to hit the shelves here in America-- especially in the drugstores. Laneige was among the first to bring the trend to the drugstore (though the prices are anything but) and I was pretty excited to give this one a try.


The samples were small but provided enough product for one good application-- in fact, there may have been enough product for multiple applications, but the packaging of the samples only allowed for one as there was no way to close it up and prevent the cushion from drying out. There are four shades: light, medium, medium dark and dark, but only the first three were provided in the sample. I tried out the lightest shade because I'm hella pale and white enough that I use words like hella unironically. A mini version of their antimicrobial puff was also provided:


But, seriously, it was just a little bigger than a quarter. A perfect fit for the samples, but not such a great fit for an entire face. I did try using it but it made applying very difficult so I switched to my Beauty Blender real fast. The regular size of this puff would work well enough, I suppose, but it wouldn't be my preferred method of application.

And here is my before, during and after:


As you can see from the before picture, not only do I have rosacea to contend with, but I've also been dealing with some massive breakouts. Yeah, for nearly the first time in my life, at 26. Fun.

One layer did do a surprisingly good job of evening out my skin tone and reducing the redness of my blemishes. I would say it falls between a light and a medium coverage, but it didn't build very well. I tried a second layer and it looked exactly the same as before. Also, the foundation has a very strong scent. It isn't a bad scent but it aggravated my rosacea-- definitely not the calming effect the foundation claims to have on skin. So it made my skin even more red, which also made it harder to cover. The final photo is my full face of makeup-- finished off with some Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer ad the Kat Von D Shade & Light palette.

I would give this foundation an average C. If you don't have sensitive skin or blemishes, this will do a great job of evening out your skin tone. But if you do suffer from redness or acne, this will not cover it. And if you are not a fan of scented foundation, you will probably want to skip this one. At a $34 price point, it's certainly not cheap, so keep that in mind as well.

Have you tried this foundation? What are your thoughts? Do you like the cushion foundation trend?

Whew! After a week of being snowed in, I've finally been out of the house. You would think that being snowed in would give me that push to get shit done. What it actually made me do was sleep and eat more than any human being should.

But it also gave me the time to get some reading done, which was great since I have recently joined a bookclub. For January we read The Screwtape Letters, which is a Christian satire by C.S. Lewis. It was very well-written (of course) and I would recommend it to anyone, whether they are a Christian or not, because the writing was so good and it is near genius that Lewis created such an interesting world through only the letters of one character. Also, it has some bits in it that are relatable to humanity as a whole. It will make you think, and that is what a good book should do from time to time. There is also an audiobook version narrated by John Cleese-- if you find it hard to read, he will help.

It's 60 degrees today, but we still have half a foot of snow on the ground.

Like I was saying, I've finally made it out of the house. On Friday, Candice and I had a meeting with a potential client and spent the afternoon getting things ready for our bookclub meeting. Our friend Rose made the most delicious brownies I've ever eaten. Saturday was a shopping day. I picked up a Bowie album and the new Rolling Stone magazine with him on the cover and bought a few things from Ulta.

I went in to pick up the new cushion foundations from Physician's Formula and L'Oreal. They didn't have them... So naturally I bought things I didn't need anyway. To be fair, I've been eyeing the two Maybelline lipsticks since I saw them in a HeyClaire video.

This week is shaping up to be a busy one. I'm going to have to find that motivation from deep within, but with weather currently in the 60s, I might be able to manage.

How has your week been? East Coasters, have you dug out from the snowstorm yet?

Drugstore makeup tends to get a bad rap. While we are all usually excited for the spring and fall product releases, they don't often make our favorites list. But drugstore makeup has come a long way since I first started wearing it all the way back in 7th grade. Some drugstore finds are even staples of my everyday makeup routine-- and I'm always on the search for the perfect drugstore foundation. Don't get me wrong, I still love my high end beauty products, but here are a few from the drugstore that have reached Holy Grail status in my life.

1. ELF Eyeshadow Palettes. A few years ago, ELF eyeshadows would not have made my list. They were chalky and barely pigmented and definitely not worth even the few dollars they cost. But that has changed big time. The last few palettes I have bought from ELF have been creamy, pigmented, and blendable. Plus the color selection is great, with a nice mix of neutrals and jewel toned shades as well as a few bright pops of color. And you can't beat the price: most of their larger palettes run between $5-$15.

2. Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer & Stay Matte Foundation. Having dry skin, I don't usually reach for the Stay Matte foundation. But when I look back at pictures from when I do wear it, I think damn! It makes my skin look so smooth and flawless, I could cry tears of joy. The Wake Me Up concealer is part of my everyday routine. I use it under my eyes and on blemishes and dark spots. It brightens and highlights the under eye area but covers my spots without bringing unwanted attention to them. It's really disappointing Rimmel never released the Wake Me Up foundation in the States, because then I might have found my perfectly priced foundation match.

3. Rimmel Scandaleyes Eyeshadow Pencil. This is one of those trends that hit high-end stores first and was then duped in the drugstores. And these Rimmel pencils are right up there with the ones by Urban Decay and Sephora, for a much cheaper cost. There isn't as wide of a color selection, but they do have a variety of shades from bold blue to a neutral taupe to a glimmering gold.

4. NYX Lip Products. Well, NYX anything if I'm being honest. NYX is pretty much the MAC of the drugstore makeup world. They do a little bit of everything and they do it well. From eyeshadows to face primers to blushes to (especially) their lip products, you could buy every makeup staple from this line and look flawless. (In fact, I need to try out more of their face products and soon.) See swatches from NYX's High Voltage lipstick range here.

5. Maybelline Brow Drama Pro Palette. Again, this is one of those trends that hit stores like Sephora before appearing in the drugstores. But I would actually say this product is better than some of the higher-end alternatives. The packaging is cute and sleek, and the product itself is fantastic. It's another one of my daily staples-- and you can read my full review of it here.

What are some of your favorite drugstore finds? Any dupes you want to share?

Forgive the quality of these images... And my eyebrows. Eek.

I'll be honest. This was the year I fell out of love with makeup. Makeup just wasn't bringing anything new to the table and skincare was lookin' all fine and clean and pretty... I just had to switch it up. Same with my hair care; it was like my side chick or something. I'd forget about her for a while but when I remembered to go back to her, she'd treat me well. Now, I'm totally against the idea of side chicks in real life, but when it comes to beauty I think it's acceptable.

So that explains why the makeup products I loved in 2015 were mostly old favorites or new versions of old favorites. My MUFE Ultra HD foundation has been my trusted friend for most of the year, always covering my red cheeks but leaving my skin looking natural. My Hourglass Ambient Lighting blushes give my face a little bit of color and glow while not making me look like a clown. Rimmel's Smoke N' Shine eyeliner and my Smashbox Full Exposure mascara really help me define my eyes-- and they both stay put most of the day without any smudging or raccoon eyes going on.

My tried and true favorite brushes are amazing and affordable: Real Techniques and ELF. I was already a fan of Real Technique's powder brushes-- the fluffy orange one pictured is great for setting makeup or applying powder foundation-- but I recently received some of their eye brushes and they are all honestly perfect for what they do. My two favorites are the base shadow and smudge brushes; the smudge brush helps me put some color below my lower lash line without it going too low. As for the ELF brushes, always go for the black-handled Studio line! They are soft, they don't shed, and they are usually only $3 or $6. My most used are the powder brush (which is great for foundation and patting in large areas of concealer), the blush brush, and the contour brush.

Some of the little odds and ends I've love are my Nails Inc. Gel Effects nail polishes. They make your nails feel strong and they last a decently long time. Plus they just have some really gorgeous colors. My Jo Malone Wood Sage & Sea Salt perfume might by my absolute, 100% total favorite of the year, though. It's just this perfect earthy, woodsy, natural smell that I never get tired of-- which is good, because it's a little pricey.

My hair care side chicks this year have been Moroccan Oil and Bumble and Bumble's Don't Blow It creme. I use the Moroccan Oil when I want to tame frizz and have a sleeker, smoother look, and the Don't Blow It creme when I want to show off my natural waves. Sometimes I even get a little naughty and use both, but that does tend to leave me looking a little oily by the end of the day.

Last but not least are my skincare loves. I still love all of the products I featured in my skincare routine post from a few months back. But the stars of that regime were definitely Sunday Riley's Good Genes and Luna Night Oil. My skin had looked more brilliant and glowy than ever before when I was using these two nightly. Unfortunately, I ran out of Luna a while back and haven't been able to push myself into actually purchasing it-- the $105 price tag is a little scary.

And for those nights when I'm so tired I don't think I'll be able to make it through my skincare regime, I use-- wait for it-- Walmart brand makeup remover wipes. I have tried so many types of makeup wipes, from Simple to Neutrogena to Say Yes To..., and these are by far the best. The packaging is great, with a locking lid to keep your wipes from drying out, and boy are they saturated with product. They aren't too harsh on my skin and don't have much of a smell to them. Plus you can get, like, two packages of thirty or so (if not more) for less than six bucks.

What beauty products were you loving in 2015? Were there any surprising products you tried?

Can you tell I'm really excited for fall? I feel like that is all I've been posting about lately... because, really, it's pretty much all I've been posting about lately. And one of the things I love most about autumn is the makeup. Yeah, sure, you can wear any bit of makeup year-round, but there are some colors that just scream autumn.

That's why I made up this fall-inspired wishlist, because there is nothing quite like buying new makeup for a new season. Although, yes, I would probably use most of these products year round...

First up are some Burberry items. I have wanted to try out their Fresh Glow foundation for ages, but it wasn't sold anywhere near me. Now that Sephora appears to be selling the makeup range, I might eventually have to indulge. But while I was looking at the foundation I also saw this gorgeous military green nail polish called Khaki Green and two lipsticks: Kisses in Oxblood and Lip Mist in Nude Peach. Obviously Oxblood is a near-perfect shade for fall, but Nude Peach would be an amazing nude color for when you want to go a bit smokier on the eyes.

Speaking of eyes, two of the items I'd love to have in my possession this fall are eye palettes. Because I totally don't have enough of those, right? The first one is the Zoeva Cocoa Blend palette, which has some amazing rusty orange, gold and reddish shades paired with some creamy and smokey colors. The Charlotte Tilbury palette is similar but smaller; it has the same reddy tones that would be perfect for fall and that rusty orange/gold/reddish shade in the bottom left? Ugh. So pretty.

I already have a set of Zoeva brushes, but these are just so pretty I had to add them to my list. The Kat Von D Shade & Light palette goes on the list because I've been wanting it for months and my local Sephora never has it in stock. Yes, I know, I could just buy it online... but it's easier to make somewhat expensive purchases in person. Otherwise I just stare at my cart at get anxious.

And last, but not least, is this Ciate nail polish. It's from the Olivia Palermo range and is in the color Napa Valley. I can picture it on my nails now...

So that's what I'd like to get my hands on this autumn. What makeup bits would you like to try out for this season? Let me know!

Whether you do it as a hobby or to make a living, blogging can be hard work. We get burnt out or our lives just get so busy, the idea of sitting down to write a post is exhausting. An editorial calendar or a featured guest post can alleviate some of that exhaustion, but sometimes what you really need is inspiration. If you're a beauty blogger in need of some quick inspiration, here are ten ideas that can be used year-round.

1. Your Daily Face. What makeup did you use today? Recreate the look or show your readers the products you used.

2. Seasonal Makeup Favorites. Makeup changes with the seasons. What products do you love to use in winter, spring, summer and fall?

3. Your Skincare Routine. For most of us, this is constantly changing. What are your skincare staples right now?

4. Empties. What products have you used up recently? From makeup to skincare to hygiene, anything goes.

5. Favorite Drugstore Products. Do you have a Wet N Wild palette that you love to use constantly? A hidden gem of a foundation? Tell all about it!

6. Favorite High End Products. Tell your readers about your favorite pricey products and why they are worth the hype.

7. A Product You Are Currently Loving. What did you buy recently that has absolutely blown you away?

8. Your Makeup Story. How did you get into makeup? Why did you get into makeup?

9. Embarrassing Beauty Blunders. We've all been there.

10. Your Makeup Storage. One of my favorite types of posts.

What do you do when you've run out of inspiration? Any other post ideas you think would be helpful?

Every so often I think about canceling my ipsy bag subscription... and every time they send me a bag like this that makes me want to stay. While I'm not a huge fan of the bag, I was pretty excited about everything inside of it.

This month was all about facing fashion. I have no idea what that actually means, but if this is what it gets me then I am all for it. My favorite trinket out of this bag is the Trust Fund Beauty nail polish in Elegantly Wasted, which is a pretty lavender color. The first coat is decently opaque on it's own-- you may not even need to apply a second! The packaging is absolutely gorgeous, but the best part is that the brand is vegan and cruelty-free. Who could say no to that?

The NYX eyeshadow trio was also a nice treat. I love NYX like Ron Burgundy loves scotch. It's such good quality for a great price, and they are always coming out with trendy and unique products. This trio isn't so unique, but it will be great for creating a nice autumn eye look. I was also really looking forward to the J. Cat Beauty eyeliner in bronze... until I swatched it. It is so dry it almost hurt to apply it to the back of my hand. But when I went to wipe it away, it did not budge, so maybe it's a little give and take.

The other two items included a moisture mask from Eau Thermale Avene and a mascara from City Color. Keep scrolling for more pictures of this month's bag!





Do you have an tipsy subscription? What was your favorite product this month? (P.S. If you don't have a subscription but are interested, go here. It's only $10 a month... so, like, not awful.)

The drugstore is stepping up it's brow game.

Maybelline released the Brow Drama Sculpting Brow Mascara a while back, and I was immediately a fan. The brush is similar to some high-end brow mascaras I have seen, and it works wonders at making every brow hair noticeable. It also has enough color payoff to make them look a little fuller and more polished. And if you're like me and have crazy brows that like to move throughout the day, this stuff keeps them in place.

I love this stuff so much, I bought it in two different colors. I use Deep Brown when I'm not using any other brow products to keep my brows in place and to polish them up a little. Soft Brown is good for when I'm using brow powder or a pencil. On top of a darker powder or pencil, Soft Brown makes my browns look polished and perfect but still natural. This product also comes in Blonde, Auburn and Clear.

There are a couple of cons to this product, though. One is just how well it keeps those brows in place. It's a good thing for a while, but when it comes to taking off your makeup at night it can be a pain. The Sephora cleansing water that I use does the trick though: one swipe across your brows and this stuff is gone. The other con is that sometimes I does flake away occasionally. I don't always experience this, though, so it may be on days where I use too much of the product.

Recently I was at my local Target when I saw that Maybelline had added another product to their Brow Drama range: a powder palette! Because I had been getting a little lazy with my brows-- gel and done, if that-- I decided to try it out and get my brows looking good again. This palette has three different products: a setting wax, a brow powder, and a highlighting powder. I don't use the setting wax very often, but it's still a useful product to have in the palette, especially if you don't use a brow mascara. I got the color Soft Brown, which is an ashy medium brown. It also comes in Deep Brown, Auburn and Blonde.

Keep scrolling for more pictures and a before and after!

Top: Before / Bottom: After (Excuse the horrible selfie quality!)

I love hauls. They always inspire me to try something new or, at the very least, lust after something new. Also I can be a very nosy person, so I love to see what people are buying and trying. That's why I thought I would share with you the things I purchased this weekend on a naughty little excursion to Ulta and Sephora. Ready to dive in?

My first stop was Ulta. I stopped in to buy the NYX Avant Pop! Shadow palette in Nouveau Chic-- seriously, go check it out at your local Ulta because it is gorgeous-- but I have so many eyeshadow palettes lying around I decided to nix that purchase.

Ha, get it? NYX/nix? Anyway...

What I did end up purchasing were three lip products. The first was the Maybelline Colorblur matte lip pencil in Fast & Fuchsia. They had one left at my local target and it was opened up and smushed into the lid. Public service announcement: Don't do that. Just don't. It's rude. But Ulta came to my rescue and had this pretty bright pink color that is perfect for summer. I also got two NYX Soft Matte lip creams in Antwerp and Buenos Aires. Antwerp is a yellow-toned pink that what I would consider a bright neutral; it's a natural pink color that is a bright, but not too bright. Buenos Aires is a light coral color that picked up because it looked like a recent Anastasia liquid lipstick release.

And then I went to Sephora because my birthday is in two weeks and I wanted my gift. Also, I wanted to pick up the new Make Up For Ever UltraHD foundation. The regular HD foundation has been my go-to for years-- seriously, it is the only high-end foundation I have ever repurchased-- and I'm pretty disappointed they discontinued it. We'll see if this foundation lives up to its predecessor or if I'll be on the hunt for a new holy grail base.

I also picked up a couple of hair products from Bumble and Bumble because I have been outrageously lazy with my hair this summer. I wanted to find something that would let me continue this lazy streak but also look like I had tried at least a little bit. I have totally found it. The Don't Blow It (H)Air Styler is amazing and gave me beachy waves overnight with no frizz. The Surf Infusion spray is a sea salt spray that claims it will give me soft and shiny beach waves. I bought it for the mornings I can't be sussed to wash my hair but-- again-- still want to look like I tried a little. Hopefully it work as well as Don't Blow It did.

Of course, the NARS lip pencils I received for my birthday aren't bad. A wearable pink and a sophisticated red-- exactly what I needed to celebrate turning 26. (Wait, that's how old I am? Wow.)

What recent purchases have you made? Were they worth it?

It lasts all day-- and longer if you forget to remove your makeup one night and sleep in it! Oops... The only cons are some minor clumping and the fiber fall down, but those are issues I think each newbie will have to play around with to perfect. I don't necessarily think it is the fault of the mascara itself, just my lack of experience with using it. But it really opens up the eyes and is dark and gorgeous.

Interested in trying it out? You can here.

This month's ipsy bag was all about love. That's good, because I actually loved all of the products I received. The bag might even make its way into my purse to hold my copious amount of lip products.

Speaking of lip products, Cargo has done a pretty awesome job with this mini lipgloss in Anguilla. The color is similar to MAC's Hue: a soft, pale pink that doesn't leave you looking lifeless. The texture is great, too. Not to slippery but not sticky at all. And it has a wonderful scent that I can't quite describe-- it's just good. It goes really well with the MODEL CO. blush in Peach Bellini. This shade actually reminds me of NARS Orgasm. It's a lovely peach with a hint of gold shimmer that is sure to give you a nice flush and a glow at the same time.

The Luxie Beauty large angled face brush will be great to apply the blush with-- or to contour with. It is super soft. You could even use it to apply the 'tini beauty eyeshadow in Pearl Fizz as a highlight. It has a pearly golden sheen that is perfect for the eyes or the cheekbones.

The last product is the Composition No. 1 Perfume Oil. It has a nice, fresh, citrus-fruity scent that is really getting me in the mood for spring. And the sample is the perfect size the throw in your handbag for those times when you are out and need to freshen up.

Below are swatches of the lipgloss, blush and eyeshadow. It's always a good idea to take your own skin tone into account when looking at swatches, but I think the blush and eyeshadow will be a good fit for everyone.