Top 10 Drugstore Makeup Products

Hi Friends!

I posted a video on YouTube on my current favorites from the drugstore! Please click on the link below to check it out :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgNbbP3pDTo

xo Kayla

My Foundation Routine + Cream Contouring and Highlighting

Good Morning, Beauties!

As I am continuing to make YouTube videos, I have decided it is what I want to focus my time on at the moment. I didn't realize all the work that goes into filming and editing videos! I want to continue to grow and post high quality videos so I want to focus my time on YouTube so I can achieve that!

That doesn't mean I am deleting my blog or anything. I will still continue to post my videos on here and write a little post about it. For now, instead of writing in depth posts, I will just be taking my ideas to video form via YouTube!

Here is my most recent video. I share with you my foundation routine + cream contouring and highlighting. I hope this is helpful for you and you learn a new tip or two!

xoxo, Kayla

Beauty Favorites: March 2015

Happy April, pretties!

Here are my favorites from the month of March! Check out what awesome products I have been loving!

xoxo, Kayla

Spring Makeup Tutorial

Happy Wednesday, loves!

I have another tutorial for you! It is a Spring Makeup Tutorial and I love how it turned out! It has a lot of light pinks and just looks so fresh and bright! Please check it out!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FN9Iq48nd68

xoxo, Kayla

Brown Smokey Eye Tutorial

Happy Monday, Beauties!

I posted another tutorial on YouTube this past weekend! 

I created a look using the original Chocolate Bar palette by Too Faced (My favorite palette of all!). It is a Brown Smokey Eye and I think it is super wearable for either day or night. It has a pretty pop of bronze/gold and I just love how it turned out! I hope you like it too!

Watch here!:

xoxo, Kayla

Virtual Domination Cheek Palette by NARS

HI FRIENDS! I AM BACK!!

I know I haven't been posting as much as lately. I was back home in the States and I didn't spend one minute blogging (minus the small update I did in my last post). At first, I felt a little guilty about it and thought that I should have put some effort into my blog, but I realized that the break was good and I am happy I spent every minute that I could with my family and friends. But I am back in France now and am ready to go with several blog ideas as well as getting more YouTube videos up! Stay tuned :)

I wanted to do a post on the NARS Virtual Domination Cheek Palette. I got this for Christmas and I have pretty much known since my first couple of uses that I wanted to do a blog post on it. The reason why I knew I wanted to blog about it: There was SO much buzz about it before the holidays when it was released and everyone was raving about it.... but honestly, I am not as impressed. (SORRY if you love this palette!)

Do I think that this is an absolutely terrible palette? No. I still use it but I am just not as excited for it as I thought I would be after hearing everyone rave about it.

I thought that since this palette is Limited Edition, that NARS was just going to offer for the holidays. But it is still available so I thought that I would give you my thoughts on it in case any of you are considering purchasing it.

Virtual Domination Cheek Palette by NARS

Virtual Domination Cheek Palette by NARS

This palette retails for $65 and you are getting one highlighter, one bronzer and three blushes. The blushes you are getting are: Deep Throat, Sex Fantasy and Final Cut. Each blush is .15oz which is slightly smaller than a normal, full size NARS blush of .16oz. The highlighter: Miss Liberty. Again it is .15oz vs. the normal size of .16oz. And the bronzer is the ever-so-famous Laguna. In this palette, you are actually getting .35oz of Laguna vs the normal .28oz. So the value of this palette is amazing and that is the main reason I purchased it. (One blush/highlighter retails for $30 and Laguna retails for $39) But I wish I would have actually played around with the palette and swatched it before purchasing it from the Sephora website. 

Virtual Domination Cheek Palette by NARS

Highlighter: Miss Liberty - My first issue with the palette is the highlighter. Miss Liberty is just straight up glitter and sparkle. It doesn't even really give off a pretty sheen underneath the sparkle as a pretty base - it basically just looks like you took some glitter and smeared it on your face. I could tell immediately by looking at it in the palette that it was way too sparkly for me. But I decided I would give it a try anyways. And this is how I really know it was bad: My husband made a comment about how glittery it was. He knows NOTHING about makeup and he even noticed how bad it was. That was the first and last time I will wear Miss Liberty.

Blushes: Deep Throat, Sex Fantasy, Final Cut - The blushes for me are just so-so. I could take them or leave them. I don't think they are ugly or anything but I am a blush fanatic and these blushes just do not wow me. These blushes are something that I force myself to wear from time to time rather than being something I am excited about wearing. I think they are pretty but nothing overly gorgeous (I take my blushes very seriously, girls!). Deep Throat is probably the one I like best out of the blushes. It is a pretty corally-pink blush. It reminds me a lot of Orgasm by NARS as it is similar in color and has a shimmer to it as well. Sex Fantasy is a cool toned pinky-lavender. It is matte and I do feel like I have to kind of build up the pigmentation. Final Cut is a peachy-orange and is matte. I like peachy-corally blushes but this might be too much on the orange side for me and have to use a little bit of a lighter hand when applying.

Bronzer: Laguna - The bronzer is what saves this palette for me. This is a very popular bronzer from NARS and I had never tried it before purchasing this palette and I was not let down. I think it is a gorgeous bronzer. It does have a slight shimmer/sheen and I typically prefer matte bronzers, but I actually really don't mind the sheen in Laguna. It doesn't give an overwhelming shimmer off whatsoever when applied. It just gives you the perfect sun-kissed glow. I am happy that Laguna has the most product in this palette as it will definitely be the one that I will use the most.

Swatches in Natural Light

Swatches with camera flash
(You can see the sparkle better in Miss Liberty in this picture)

I think the quality of this palette definitely meets the high quality of any typical NARS product. And I really do love NARS products in general! I think I just would have rather invested my money in buying a bronzer and a blush separately. I think I would have gotten more use out of buying Laguna and then finding a blush that I was absolutely in love with. I know it would be less product than what I am getting in the palette, but at least then I know I would be constantly using the separate bronzer and blush instead of letting the palette sit there without days/weeks of use like I have been. 

I know that a lot of girls really love this palette so if you are considering getting it, you might love it as well! I just wanted to give my honest opinion on it in case you are like me and would rather invest your money in a couple of products that you know you will get more use out of. 

Hope this helps!

XOXO Kayla

Update!

WOW, guys! I have not been doing a very good job at keeping up with my blog! 

I am sorry I have been missing! But if you follow me on Instagram, you would have seen me post that I am back in the USA! I am back for a few weeks and I will do my best to keep as active as I can -- but I am going to take advantage of every minute that I am home! Once I am back in France, I am going to get back on schedule!

Also, If you haven't already seen, I have finally joined YouTube! I posted my first video before I came back to the States. It has been a huge goal of mine to start a beauty channel and I am so excited to post more videos! As of right now, I am still planning on keeping up with my blog. I am going to try to alternate doing videos on YouTube and blog posts here. I will keep you updated what my new schedule will be like!

Until then, here is my first YouTube tutorial. It is using the Naked 2 palette and it has been my go-to look for several weeks now! I just love how it looks and goes with anything! I hope you enjoy :)

                                      

xoxo Kayla

Friday Five: 1/16/15

Hi Beauties!

Happy Friday! Hope you all had a terrific week! Since December was dedicated to letting you know what my favorite products were from 2014, I haven't done one of my typical Friday Five posts since November! So here is my first Friday Five since then! This week I have been loving: 

1. Rouge Volupte Lipstick in #3 Beige Ultimate by YSL
     I posted on my Instagram earlier this week that I had picked up this lipstick. I was so excited to finally get a YSL lipstick. I have never owned one and have been wanting to pick one up for a very long time but I always seem to find something else I would rather spend $35 on! But I knew January would be the perfect time to get one because in Europe, January is their huge sale season. I mean EVERYTHING is on sale! Sephora rarely runs sales in the States but here, you can find SO MANY things on sale! I knew they would have luxury products included in the sale so I specifically went to Sephora to finally get my coveted YSL lipstick. Luckily, they had a shade that I liked - a beautiful rosy-mauve color :) It feels AMAZING on the lips! I even let out a little "OOH wow!" when I first applied it. It is SO hydrating and creamy. It ended up being 22.75 Euros which is around $27. Although its not the biggest savings, who doesn't like saving a little money on makeup?! I am hoping to pick up a few more treasures as January goes on and the prices drop even lower :)

Rouge Volupte Lipstick by YSL

Rouge Volupte Lipstick in #3 Beige Ultimate by YSL

2. Hydration Lock by Chapstick
     My lips have been way too dry lately! Darn you winter! I asked my mom to pick this up for me to throw in the package she mailed out for Christmas. I saw Shannon from shaaanxo use this on YouTube. I figured since I needed some new Chapstick anyways, I would try this new product out. I was intrigued by the dual ended Chapstick and these lips needed some major help so I figured this would be a good thing to try out. I absolutely love it! It feels even more moisturizing and hydrating than regular Chapstick. It has a Moisturizing end which claims to "smooth and reduce fine lines" and a Renewing end which claims to "condition and instantly soften lips". I am not sure if you are supposed to use a specific end first, but I just use which ever end I take the cap off first! It all ends up getting mixed together anyway! This is exactly what my lips need this winter and makes my lips super hydrated.

Hydration Lock by Chapstick

3. Sonic System Purifying Cleansing Brush by Clinique
     I did a review on this cleansing brush on my last post. Click here to read my thoughts on it and you will see why it made it into my Friday Five! :)

Sonic System Purifying Cleansing Brush by Clinique

4. Everything Nice Palette by Too Faced
     If you didn't already know, I am a Too Faced Junkie! I love their holiday palettes that they come out with every year. I wished I could have gotten all of the holiday items they released this season but I had to be reasonable and just choose one. I decided on the Everything Nice palette because it had exactly everything I wanted. I loved that it had a couple of blushes, one of my favorite bronzers (Chocolate Soliel), a highlighter and mascara. Not to mention the beautiful shadows. The main reason I got this was because of the last row of shadows. I don't own any bold, bright shadows. This palette has gorgeous neutral shadows and so when I saw that there was also a row of really bold shadows, it couldn't have gotten any more perfect! These are some of the prettiest shadows I have in my collection. I am just totally in love with this palette!

Everything Nice Palette by Too Faced

Everything Nice Palette by Too Faced

5. TIME tank by Time Los Angeles
     I had been wanting to pick up something from Time Los Angeles for a while. It is a clothing line for makeup addicts - how perfect!! I asked for this tank top as a Christmas present and it was sent out to me from our family in our Christmas care packages. I absolutely love it! They have the CUTEST stuff and it is all makeup related! It is also super affordable! I need more clothing from this line! I posted the picture below on Instagram and Time Los Angeles featured me on their Instagram! If you love makeup, you need to head on over to their website now!

Have a fabulous weekend!

xoxo Kayla

Find the products I mentioned here:

Rouge Volupte Lipstick by YSL

Hydration Lock by Chapstick

Sonic System Purifying Cleansing Brush by Clinque

Everything Nice Palette by Too Faced - No longer available

TIME tank by Time Los Angeles

Clinique Sonic System Purifying Cleansing Brush

Happy Wednesday, pretties!

I wanted to let you lovely ladies know my thoughts on the Clinique Sonic System Purifying Cleansing Brush. I got this brush as a Christmas present and after using it for the past three weeks, I have to share with you my opinion on it!

I actually didn't even ask for this brush as a gift nor had I been considering purchasing a cleansing brush. My mother is the one who gave it to me. She really loves Clinique's skincare line and has had this brush for several months now. When she first got it, she told me how amazed she was by it and how much she loved it. She was telling me how smooth her skin was and how her makeup applied and looked so much better. She told me that I should get one but I was honestly not that interested. I was a little skeptical because I had heard mixed reviews about using cleansing brushes with acne-prone/sensitive skin. Although the brushes are supposed to improve your skin, I had heard girls saying that it irritated their skin and caused more breakouts. I was still dealing with some pretty bad acne when my mom first mentioned I should try one and after hearing that it can irritate your skin, I didn't even want to mess with that and cause more acne and irritation!

I have had pretty clear skin for a solid couple of months now so when I opened this gift, I was willing to give it a try. If it started to irritate my skin, I would just discontinue using it. But I can honestly say after just one use, I was completely sold on it! I was BLOWN AWAY at how soft my skin felt after just one use! My skin looked fresher and brighter and it has gradually gotten even better each day after these past few weeks! My makeup is applying better and my skin just looks more healthy and rejuvenated. I have had no irritation or breakouts whatsoever. If the results are this great after just a few weeks, I can't wait to see how great my skin will look in the coming months!

Do I wish I would have tried it out months ago when my mom suggested it? Yes and no. In a way, I wish I could have seen if this would have helped my acne if I added it to my skincare routine then. But then again, if it had irritated and broke out my skin even more, I would not have been happy!

If you are in the same boat I was in and considering buying a cleansing brush but are worried about it irritating your skin, you are just going to have to make a judgement call on if you want to try it out or not. I honestly have no idea how my skin would have reacted to it when I had active acne. But I can tell you that this brush is SO gentle. The brush is so soft and not harsh on the skin. On top of acne-prone skin, my skin is also sensitive. Like I said, since using this my skin has not gotten irritated or had any acne breakouts. The directions suggest that you should start using it for 30 seconds and work up to 1 minute. When you push the button to turn it on, it will turn off automatically after 30 seconds. The very first time I used it, I felt like 30 seconds was not long enough so I did it for the full minute. I have been doing it for one minute since the very start and my skin has handled it just fine.

I can't compare this to the Clarisonic because I have never used it. But I think that Clinique's brush is a winner. I don't feel the urge to compare it because I am completely satisfied with the Clinique brush. It is also cheaper than Clarisonic's brushes. Clinique's is $89 and depending on which Clarisonic brush you get, they range anywhere from $99-$249. Clinique recommends replacing the brush head every three months and the replacements are $26. Clarisonic's are similar and are $27-$30 for the replacement heads. Although I am sure Clarisonic's brushes work great, I would highly recommend looking into the Clinique brush!

I am extremely happy with this brush and it has earned a permanent spot in my skincare routine. I am loving how great my skin is looking after just a short amount of time. I will be sure to keep you updated as time goes on! I am thankful my mom just decided to buy me one even though I had been skeptical about it. I guess it's true... Your mother really does know best :)

xoxo Kayla

Friday Five: 1/9/15

HAPPY NEW YEAR, BEAUTIES!!!

I have been a little MIA for a while. Its been almost two and a half weeks since I last posted! I wasn't expecting to take a break for that long but I got super busy with Christmas, basketball games and a trip to Paris that blogging just didn't fit into the schedule! So for this Friday Five, I will do something a little different. If you are just checking out my blog for the first time, I usually post my five favorite products from the week on Friday's. But today, I will do my favorite moments from the past couple of weeks to update you guys! :)

1. Christmas
     Christmas is always one of the toughest times to be away from family. I miss being able to spend that time with family and friends but am thankful that my husband and I are at least able to spend it together! And thank goodness for technology! We are blessed that we are able to Skype with our families thousands of miles away. It is truly amazing that we are able to just click a couple of buttons and we are able to see and talk to our family! That makes being away from them just a little bit easier! Between Skyping with family, eating way too much and watching every Christmas movie we could think of - Tyler and I had a great little Christmas!

2. New Makeup
     I was blessed to receive some new makeup items as Christmas gifts. And of course getting new makeup is a highlight from the past couple of weeks :) I got a a couple of the NARS Audacious Lipsticks, the Too Faced Everything Nice palette, a Stila palette, and a great new product to add to my skincare routine: a cleansing brush. Spoiler Alert: You will most likely be hearing more about all of these products in the near future :)

3. Basketball Games
     Tyler's team usually plays once a week but they had two games right in a row after Christmas. Luckily they were both at home so he didn't have to travel for them. One of the games was against the number one team in the league and we beat them! It was an amazing game. The arena sold out and Tyler played awesome. It was definitely a highlight of the past couple of weeks.

After the big win!

4. New Years
      We rang in New Years in Paris! We talked about going to the Eiffel Tower and being there at midnight, but we decided that although that would be a really cool story to say we were there, we would rather just get dinner and a bottle of champagne. We didn't want to deal with all the crowds! I guess we are just getting old and having a relaxing dinner and grabbing some champagne is more up our alley :) I am so excited for 2015 and can't wait to see what it brings!

5. Paris 
     Our trip to Paris was unforgettable. Truly one of the best things Tyler and I have ever done together in the seven years that we have been together. Paris is a beautiful city with so much to see. And it truly is the City of Love! It is so romantic and we had an amazing time there! If you ever have the chance to go, you must! It is an experience you will never forget! (It is so sad what is going on in Paris right now. We left right before it happened and are keeping Paris and France in our prayers!)

Being a tourist at The Louvre

Eiffel Tower Selfie!

Eiffel Tower by night

The Louvre

HUGE upside down Christmas Tree in Galeries Lafayette... STUNNING!

Paris was lovely!

I will get back to my normal blogging schedule next week! Have a wonderful weekend, loves!

xoxo Kayla