Friday Five: 10/17/14

Happy Friday!!!

Let's get into my favorites this week!

1. Bahama Mama bronzer by The Balm
     About a month ago, I took advantage of the sale HauteLook was having on The Balm cosmetics. Everything was 50% off! It does take a while to ship, but it is worth it for the great sales HauteLook offers! I absolutely love the Mary Lou Manizer highlighter and wanted to get a backup. But this is also the only product that I owned from The Balm and I have been wanting to get others. So this was the perfect time to try out a couple more products from The Balm and get a great deal! Pretty much every YouTube girl I see has Bahama Mama as a staple bronzer in their collection so I figured if they love it, hopefully I will too! And yes, it is a great bronzer. It actually has quickly become a favorite bronzer for me! It looks much darker in the pan that what it comes off as. It a matte bronzer and is a perfect golden tan. It doesn't have any orange or gray undertones so it just gives you a beautiful, bronze glow. If you are light-medium complected, this will be is perfect for contouring or just using it to bronze up your face.

Bahama Mama by The Balm

Bahama Mama by The Balm

Bahama Mama swatch in natural light

2. Frat Boy blush by The Balm
      This is the other product I got with my HauteLook order. And can we just take a minute to talk about how CUTE The Balm's packaging is!? I love how they spend time on every product to give it a unique name and corresponding packaging. It is so cute and sassy! If you have been following me, you know that I am obsessed with blush so of course I had to get one from The Balm's sale! I honestly didn't know which one I should choose so I just picked Frat Boy at random. And OMG! I love it! It is so pretty and I don't have anything quite like it in my collection. It is a matte, pinky/coral blush but it has this pretty melon tone to it and I am obsessed with it. I can't get enough of how beautiful the melon undertone is and have been wearing it all week! I need to get more products from The Balm in the near future!

Frat Boy by The Balm

Frat Boy by The Balm

Frat Boy swatch in natural light

3. Instant Age Rewind concealer by Maybelline (in Fair)
     This is nothing new for me. I just have been reaching for it every day this week over my other favorite (MAC Pro Longwear) concealer. I use my concealer for highlighting under my eyes and center of my face - bridge of nose, forehead and chin. The reason I have been reaching for this concealer this week is because Age Rewind is just so convenient. It has the sponge applicator to just apply directly to your face rather than pumping out product on your finger and trying to apply it evenly to your face (like you have to do with MAC Pro Longwear). The sponge applicator on Age Rewind makes it disperse so easily and evenly and quickly. Some girls argue that it is not hygienic to use the applicator over and over again on your face and that you should pump it out on your finger first. But let's get real... I don't worry about that and don't notice any negative effects! And I still love my MAC concealer, but sometimes convenience wins :)

Instant Age Rewind by Maybelline

4. Naked 2 palette by Urban Decay
     I forgot how amazing the Naked 2 palette is. I get so used to using the same palettes over and over that my Naked 2 palette has been neglected for literally months. I used it earlier this week and haven't put it down since. I thought to myself "Why am I not using this more often?!" Urban Decay shadows are just so beautifully pigmented and they apply so easily and blend so effortlessly. The Naked 2 is coming back into my life at the perfect time as it is a GORGEOUS palette for fall/winter. The perfect cool-toned, neutral palette that gives you so many options to create fall/winter looks! I am so excited all over again for the Naked 2 and this is definitely a palette you need in your collection if you don't have it!

Naked 2 by Urban Decay

Naked 2 by Urban Decay
so, so pretty :)

5. Bombshell Forever body mist by Victoria's Secret
     I have this fragrance in a travel size and I am thinking I will need to buy the full size! I have been loving this fragrance lately and love that I am able to throw it in my purse to bring with me when I am on the go. Bombshell Forever has notes of boysenberry, lavender flower and pamplewood. I like how so many of Victoria's Secret's fragrances smell so glamorous and this definitely does not disappoint. It is still fresh and fruity like what I typically like in my fragrances, but I like that with this one I feel more glam when I am wearing it. It also is fairly long wearing for a body mist and I only apply more of it when I am just feeling like I need a little freshening up. It is perfect for day and night wear and I can't seem to get enough of it!

Bombshell Forever by Victoria's Secret

What are some of your favorites this week? Have a wonderful weekend!

xoxo Kayla


Find the products I mentioned here:

Bahama Mama by The Balm

Frat Boy by The Balm

Instant Age Rewind by Maybelline

Naked 2 by Urban Decay

Bombshell Forever by Victoria's Secret

Friday Five: 10/3/14

Happy Friday, dolls!

Hope you all have a fabulous weekend ahead of you! My cousin is getting married so I am super excited to celebrate this weekend! An October wedding is going to be beautiful :)

My favorites this week are:

1. Flora by Gucci in Gorgeous Gardenia
     My husband got me this perfume for Christmas last year and I was OBSESSED with it. I wore it every single day for a good five months (and it still looks like I am just barely making a dent into it!). When we got back to the States for the summer, I decided that I needed to switch it up a bit and wear some of my other fragrances that I left behind at home. I just came back to Gorgeous Gardenia this week and I am obsessed with it again. When I smell it, it makes me so happy and makes me think of Italy because that is where I wore it... funny how scents make you think of certain things! I love really feminine, fruity, flowery scents and this is the perfect mixture of all those characteristics. The Flora line by Gucci offers a few different scents (Glamorous Magnolia, Gracious Tuberose, Eau Fraiche, Eau de Parfum), so there are different options to appeal to your personal preference! Check them out... I am sure you will find one you like :)

Flora by Gucci (Gorgeous Gardenia)

2. Pink Cult blush by MAC
     You know me and my blushes! Just addicted to them! And I am in love with this blush! I don't really have any cool-toned blushes and when I saw this I was so excited for it and I had to add it to my collection! It is described by MAC as a "midtone dirty neutral pink". To me, it looks like the perfect mixture of pink and plum and it looks so, so perfect for Fall! It is a matte blush and looks very natural on the cheeks. I have already worn it several times since getting it last week and I can't wait to continue wearing it throughout the Fall and Winter!

Pink Cult by MAC

3. Pores No More by Dr. Brandt
     I got this in a Birchbox or Ipsy bag several months ago... I don't even remember when! It's not that I wasn't excited to try it, I just was using other primers in my collection. I have been really noticing my darn pores lately, and needed something to help disguise them. I have been putting this on before doing my foundation and it has really helped to eliminate the look of my pores. It also is a great mattifying primer and it I don't notice any wearing away of my makeup when wearing this primer. I have been liking it more and more as I have continued to use it and it just might be a full-size purchase in the future!

Pores No More by Dr. Brandt

4. Fit Me Foundation Stick by Maybelline in Toffee Caramel
     This foundation is way too dark for me! But I do not use it as a foundation. I love using it as a cream base for contouring! I personally love using a cream before going in with a powder bronzer because it really creates a great base and helps the longevity of the contour. I also feel like it gives my contour a more defined look. I just use a few swipes of it where I want to contour, blend it out with my Beauty Blender, and then go over it with my bronzer! It is so simple but I feel like the extra step of using the cream really makes a huge difference!

Fit Me Foundation Stick in Toffee Caramel by Maybelline

Swatch of Toffee Caramel

5. Perversion mascara by Urban Decay
     What is going on!? I found another mascara that has impressed me?! If you keep up with my blog, you know that it is really hard for me to find a mascara that I truly like. I got this sample of Perversion in my Ipsy bag last month and have been trying it out over the last several weeks. The reason it has taken a little while to get into my Friday Five is because I really wanted to use it for a while to see if I would continue to like it. There have been several times when I try out a new mascara, think I am going to really love it, and then I end up thinking it just really isn't all that great. But Perversion has continued to impress me! It does an awesome job at lengthening and volumizing and the formula is very clean - not messy at all! I am very happy this mascara made it past my picky ways :)

Perversion by Urban Decay

Have a great weekend!

xoxo Kayla


Find the products I mentioned here:

Flora by Gucci in Gorgeous Gardenia

Pink Cult by Mac

Pores No More by Dr. Brandt

Fit Me Foundation Stick by Maybelline

Perversion by Urban Decay

Friday Five: 9/19/14

Is it really Friday again??

I try to post a couple times a week, but this week I didn't get around to it. I got caught up trying to solve the problem of my computer not allowing me to access my photos. After several days of trying to figure it out myself, I finally called tech support. It took about a half hour for the guy to figure out what the problem was but everything is finally fixed and I can finally post photos again on my blog :) I have some ideas for some reviews coming up that I am excited to share with you so be on the lookout for that!

OK enough rambling.... Makeup Time :)

1. Chocolate Bar palette by Too Faced
     This is my forever favorite eyeshadow palette. I think I do a pretty good job of trying to mix up my palettes and use them all equally, but nothing will ever be as good as the Chocolate Bar palette in my eyes! I have let my love for this palette get to me this week and haven't been giving any of my other palettes any love. This palette is just so gorgeous and the looks you can create with all of the shadows are endless. It truly the ultimate palette... You have matte shadows, shimmer shadows, shadows that range from neutral to deep plum/maroon, amazing pigmentation, lasts forever and it smells like CHOCOLATE! I would HIGHLY recommend adding this palette to your collection! You just can't go wrong with it and it would look amazing on any skin tone or eye color!

Chocolate Bar palette by Too Faced
mine isn't so pretty any more after tons of use!

Chocolate Bar palette by Too Faced

2. F80 Flat Kabuki by Sigma
     Sigma. I love you. Your brushes are incredible! I could really ramble on about several of their brushes, but this one is my favorite. For quite some time, I was using a Beauty Blender (which I still absolutely love and use for concealer) to apply my foundation. Then I got the F80 and started kind of alternating between the two. But for a while now, I only want to apply my foundation with the F80 by Sigma. It TRULY makes my foundation look flawless. It just makes my foundation melt into my skin and it looks so stunning. The brush is SO soft and SUPER dense and makes applying foundation so easy. You really will be amazed by the results if you have never used this brush. Your foundation will never look streaky or cakey when using this. If you want a perfect foundation application, you need this brush in your life!

F80 Flat Kabuki by Sigma

3. Le Volume De Chanel by CHANEL
     I got a sample of this mascara when I ordered the Chance Eau Tendre Moisture Mist by CHANEL. I don't know what it is, but it is SO hard for me to be impressed by a mascara. I find mascaras that I "like" and will use, but I can honestly say there is not one mascara that I "love". It is kind of disappointing! But I think I might see some hope! I really have been enjoying this mascara and think I will actually purchase a full size! It does a great job at giving my lashes length and volume and I like that the formula is not messy and doesn't get all over the place like some mascaras do. I am pretty excited and hope that as I continue to use it, it will become my go-to mascara. I want to have a mascara I can't live without! ;) And plus... for a luxury brand, this mascara is absolutely comparable in price to other mascaras! I feel like I am getting a steal at $30 for CHANEL when other mascaras like Benefit, Too Faced or Lancome range from $23-$32.

Le Volume De Chanel by CHANEL

4. Bronzer by Sephora in Los Cabos
      This the very first bronzer I ever tried several years ago and I have continued to repurchase it over and over again. It is just a really great everyday bronzer for my lighter skin tone. It is matte and very long wearing. I have been using Benefit's Hoola bronzer quite frequently lately and the reason I have been liking it so much is because I realized it is so similar to what I have been using for years! I decided to swatch the two one day and they look almost exactly the same! Los Cabos really is a dupe for Hoola! Hoola is just the tiniest bit darker when first applied, but Los Cabos can definitely be built up! If you have been interested in trying out Hoola ($28) but aren't wanting to spend that much, save some money and purchase Los Cabos ($17)! You really can't even tell a difference! (Will show swatches below)

Los Cabos by Sephora

Los Cabos by Sephora

Bottom: Los Cabos (one swatch)
Top: Hoola (one swatch)

5. Luster Matte Long-Wear Lip Color by Sephora in Mulberry
     Two words: HOLY. PIGMENTATION. I have been wanting to grab one of these Lustre Matte Lip Colors for a while now, but never could decide which one to get. I finally decided to grab Mulberry while at Sephora last weekend since it seemed like a good Fall color. And I must say that the formula of these Lip Color's blows me away! It is kind of a mixture between a lipstick and a lip stain and this has got to be one of the most pigmented lip products I own. And it really is long-wearing... It is super creamy, hydradting and this little baby is not going anywhere once you put it on your lips! If you are looking for an affordable lip product that is going to last all day or night long, you must check these out! They have a great selection from nudes to deep colors and I think I need to pick up a couple more!

Luster Matte Long-Wear Lip Color by Sephora

Mulberry
isn't that insane?! .. sooo pretty!

Have a great weekend, Gorgeous Girls!

xoxo Kayla


Chocolate Bar palette by Too Faced

F80 Flat Kabuki by Sigma

Le Volume De Chanel by CHANEL

Los Cabos bronzer by Sephora

Luster Matte Long-Wear Lip Color in Mulberry by Sephora

Friday Five: 9/12/14

Happy Friday and Happy Weekend, pretties!! :)

I have been trying to get this post up all day but my computer is not letting me access my photos :( I am sorry! I don't know what the deal is. So for this post, instead of having pictures of everything, I am just going to link each product to their corresponding websites after my thoughts. Hopefully I can figure out what the deal is before my next post!!

Anyways....I am so excited once again to share the products I have been loving this week! These past couple of weeks I have been loving some amazing products and I can't wait to share five more awesome items with you!

1. Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in Taupe/Ash Blonde
     To be honest, this is something that is a favorite every week. I use it every single day and it is, without a doubt, a holy grail product. I am OBSESSED with brows. The bolder and thicker, the better in my eyes! I wish I had Sofia Vergara's brows (as I posted on Insta recently) but unfortunately, my brows are not as amazing. I still do love my brows and the Anastasia Brow Wiz is the perfect tool to help me enhance them to make them look natural, perfectly shaped and filled. The Brow Wiz is just pure amazingness and might just be one of the best makeup products ever invented. FOR REAL. I love how fine the pencil is and lets you get in between all of your brow hairs to fill it in so your brows look perfect and uniform throughout. It doesn't wear away and I never have to worry about re-filling them in throughout the day. This product has definitely changed my brow game and I could not live without it! If you haven't checked it out, you need to ASAP!

Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz

2. Sweet Romance lashes by House of Lashes
     These are also something I use weekly and a holy grail product. (I just felt like including a couple HG products this week, because hey.. they really are "Friday Five's"!) I am again, OBSESSED, with these lashes and they are the loves of my life. One of my first blog posts was on these lashes and I stated that I loved them so much because they are so natural looking. I am not one to wear big, bold lashes and love that no one can tell that these are false. They really do look real and I feel like my makeup is "naked" without them. Even though they are completely natural looking, they give you that extra little "oomph" and makes your eyes look so pretty! They are also so affordable ($9!) and such great quality that I can use them several times before needing to toss them. I just can't say enough great things about these lashes!

Sweet Romance lashes by House of Lashes


3. Lorac Pro To Go Eye/Cheek palette
     I picked this up not too long after I had gotten The Nudes eyeshadow palette by Maybelline. I loved how convenient it was to travel with The Nudes palette because it is smaller and makes it easy to toss in a small makeup bag. What's awesome about the Lorac Pro To Go is that it not only has eyeshadows, but blushes and a bronzer as well! This palette has 6 eyeshadows, 2 blushes, and 1 bronzer. It is so great how they made this palette so compact and made it the ultimate travel palette by including all of the shadows, blushes and bronzer in one! This palette includes so many things that I need to travel with creating less clutter in my bag because I don't need a separate bronzer, a separate blush, and a separate eyeshadow palatte. And I don't only just use it for something easy to travel with! Everything is so beautiful and pigmented and I reach for it at home over my larger palettes! Which is exactly what I have been doing this week :)

Lorac Pro To Go Eye/Cheek palette

4. Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner in Blackest Black
     I have heard really good things about this eyeliner and decided I needed to check it out for myself. I prefer gel eyeliners over pencil or liquid and this gel liner definitely did not disappoint me. The formula of this eyeliner is awesome. It is super creamy and just glides right on. It stays in place all day and doesn't smudge or smear. And it really is a "blackest black". It is super pigmented and I never feel the need to add more to make it look darker. I know that I will keep re-purchasing this. I love when I find drugstore items that I will use on a regular basis. Just because something is drugstore and not high end doesn't mean it isn't an amazing product!

Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner


5. Chance Eau Tendre Sheer Moisture Mist by CHANEL
     O! M! G!!!!!! I discovered CHANEL's Chance Eau Tendre a couple of months ago and fell absolute, head over heels, in love with it! It is definitely competing with my favorite scent Daisy by Marc Jacobs as my number one perfume. I was just randomly smelling different perfumes at Macy's one day and came across this one and I was blown away by it. (And I am definitely not a perfume junkie!) It is a fruity, feminine, absolutely gorgeous scent. I was so tempted to purchase it but wasn't ready to spend the $90 on it. Then last week, I was doing some online shopping and I don't even know how, but I ended up on CHANEL's website... Funny how that happens :) I saw that they offered more of like a body spray in this moisture mist that I did not see in the store. As soon as I saw it was half the price of the perfume, I felt that gave me reason to finally buy it :) After I purchased it, I already knew this would be in my Friday Five this week! I anxiously awaited for its arrival and have been using it every day since I received it. I just can't get enough! If you're looking for a new perfume, I would HIGHLY recommend checking this one out!!!

Chance Eau Tendre Sheer Moisture Mist by CHANEL

HAVE A FABULOUS WEEKEND!


xoxo Kayla

Friday Five: 8/29/14

Happy Friday!!

And let's just get into The Five!

1. Very Sexy Travel Fragrance Mist by Victoria's Secret
     I love this body spray because it is the perfect scent for summer and with it being travel size, I just keep it in my purse! It is such a warm scent and it is described as having notes of vanilla orchid, clementine and blackberry. It reminds me of a warm summer night and I have not only been loving it this week, but all summer as well! It hasn't left my purse in three months! I love the travel mists from VS because they are always running them on sale for $10, they are so easy to tote around and last forever! I got mine last summer (hence the old packaging) and I still have a ton left!

Very Sexy by Victoria's Secret

2. Hydrating Macadamia Oil Shampoo and Conditioner by OGX (Formerly known as Organix)
     I am just loving this shampoo and conditioner! I picked it up last week and my hair feels and looks so much healthier since using it! I felt like my hair was getting super dry and brittle from the summer and this has really helped to re-hydrate my hair. After only about 5 or 6 washes of using these, my hair doesn't feel or look as dried out and is much softer! I can't wait to keep using it!

Hydrating Macadamia Oil Shampoo and Conditioner by OGX

3. Revlon Colorburst Balm Stain in Smitten
     If you read my last review, this is the one that got me hooked on the Colorburst collection! Check it out and see why I have been loving it and the other ones I picked up. It's a rough life being a beauty addict :)

Revlon Colorburst in Smitten

4. Bare Minerals Prime Time
     I have been wanting to try out more Bare Minerals products and I got this primer in a small travel/trial set. I tested this out on my hand at Ulta a while back and I absolutely loved how it felt. It feels so silky, smooth and hydrating. At the time though, I needed to use up some other primers before I purchased a new one so I kept this in mind. A couple of weeks ago, I was standing in the checkout line in Sephora and saw they had a travel set of this and the Bare Minerals Mineral Veil for only $15. I thought that this was a great way to test out the products. This primer does not disappoint and I will most likely purchase a full size when I run out of this one. It really helps the longevity of my foundation and I love knowing that it doesn't have any harsh/bad ingredients in it!

Prime Time by Bare Minerals

5. Bare Minerals Mineral Veil
     So I have been loving this too from the set! I have also had my eye on this so it worked out perfect that they were packaged together. At first, I wished that the Mineral Veil was larger because I didn't think it would last me long, but a little goes a long way! I know this will last me quite a while. And I can honestly say I have found my new finishing powder. This stuff is amazing! It really locks everything in and also feels so silky smooth. It doesn't look cakey at all and just melts into the skin giving you a flawless look. I am falling more and more in love with Bare Minerals products and need to try out more! Any recommendations??

Mineral Veil by Bare Minerals

Have a wonderful holiday weekend, beauties!

xoxo Kayla

Friday Five! 7/18/14

Hi everyone!

Sorry I haven't posted since my last Friday Five! I had an extremely busy week. But I also have some exciting news! I purchased a new camera! I have also been busy with testing it out and trying to figure out how to take good pictures! I am so excited that I can start posting higher quality photos on my blog for you all!

I hope you all had a great week and are looking forward to an even better weekend! Here are the products I have been loving for this week's Friday Five!

1. Daisy by Marc Jacobs

     This is my ALL TIME, HOLY GRAIL, FOREVER FAVORITE perfume! We all know it takes forever to get through a bottle of perfume, and I am on my second one! I really do try to switch up my perfumes but this week I have just been reaching for my baby every day. I love Daisy because it is such a feminine, girly scent. It is so light and refreshing and that is what I look for in a perfume. It is a perfect mixture of fruity and floral. This perfume is perfect for the summer time but I wear it year round because I love it that much! Check out Sephora's website for the description and maybe even add it to your cart too ;)

2. Mary-Lou Manizer by The Balm

      This is my current favorite highlighter! It is sooooo pretty! It gives your skin such a beautiful glow. I like that with this product, you can see it immediately when you apply it. I don't like highlighters that take forever for the color pay-off to show by building it up. It has the perfect amount of shimmer in it and I feel comfortable using it on the tops of my cheeks, bridge of my nose, and my forehead without feeling like I look like a disco ball! It is so natural looking and I can't get enough of it!

3. Batiste Dry Shampoo 

     Ok. I ran out of this dry shampoo about a month ago. I couldn't find it anywhere so I ended up buying a different brand. After getting a different bottle, I realized how much I loved this dry shampoo. The other brand was absolutely awful and did nothing for me. I missed not having Batiste and I am so glad to have it back in my life! I even got a back-up so I don't have to be without it again :) My hair tends to get a little greasy-looking on days that I don't wash it and I absolutely LOVE this dry shampoo because it immediately takes any greasiness away and makes it look so fresh - like I just showered. The cherry on top for me is that it gives you volume and texture too! It is an incredible product! I use this version of the Batiste dry shampoo for my blonde hair but I know they also make a version with a hint of color for those of you who have darker hair. I love that they have catered to different hair colors so that it can work for everyone!

4. L'Oreal Voluminous Miss Manga Mascara

     I have to admit: I bought this mascara about a month ago because everyone was raving about it. I also have to admit: I HATED it when I first got it! I tried it out and it was not adhering to my eyelashes and getting all over my eyelids and underneath my eyes. It was a mess and I couldn't understand why everyone loved it. I threw it in with the rest of my mascaras and forgot about it until this week. I decided to give it one more try on Monday morning. And again I admit: I have been wearing it every day this week! I think since I let it sit for a while it maybe dried out a little bit or something? I don't know but the consistency is so much better now. It is not a wet mess and I love how it makes my eyelashes look longer and fuller now. If you had the same experience, give it another try after a few weeks!

5. MAC Cremesheen Glass in Just Superb

     I am in love with this color! As I have stated before, I love nude lips and it is basically what I wear 90% of the time. This lipglass goes perfect with any nude lipstick you could ever possibly wear. For real! It is the most perfect, beautiful light pink. It is super sheer so it doesn't take away from the color of your lipstick. I have put it over about 4 different lipsticks this week and it just amps up each one to make the color stand out even more! If you are looking for your next lipglass from MAC, add this one to your list!

xoxo Kayla