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

2014 Beauty Favorites: Lips

Hello, Christmas Beauties :)

For this next installment of my 2014 Beauty Favorites, I decided I would list my top ten favorite lip products. When I was going through my lipsticks and glosses, I realized a lot of what I have are just different shades/colors from the same collections/formulas. So most of what I list below, I most likely have other colors from the same collection! I also noticed that most of my "higher end" lipsticks are from MAC. (I have four of them listed below!) So my goal for 2015 is to branch out a little bit more and get different lipsticks from different brands and collections! But for now, here are my favorites from 2014 in no particular order!

• Creme Cup by MAC - First I should start off by saying, you are going to see a lot of pink/nudes listed! If you have followed by blog for a while, this will be no surprise to you. I absolutely LOVE pinky-nude lipsticks so several will be listed :) Anyways... In my opinion, Creme Cup is the prettiest pink lipstick of them all! It is the perfect girly, baby pink lipstick and I think every girl needs one of those in their collection! I just love how feminine and soft it looks and I never get tired of it!

Creme Cup by MAC

Creme Cup by MAC

Creme Cup by MAC

• Creme Brulee by NYX - NYX Butter Glosses are some of the best glosses I have ever tried. They are not sticky at all and they are all so pretty! They look great alone or wearing them over a lipstick. I love all of my Butter Glosses and honestly, anyone of them could have made the list! I just chose Creme Brulee because it is the one I tend to reach for more often. These glosses are truly great and so cheap!

Creme Brulee by NYX

Creme Brulee by NYX

• F-Bomb by Urban Decay - I have mentioned this lipstick several times over the past month or two. So I am sorry you have to hear about it again but you know I love it and had to include it on my list of favorites! I absolutely LOVE this red lipstick! I used to hate red lipstick until I tried this one out. I danced from the ages of about 5 to 21 and every recital or competition, we were slathering our lips in layers of red lipstick and I hated it! So I had just always been a little turned off by red lipstick! But I tried this about a year ago and I have been hooked ever since. The formula is so CREAMY and PIGMENTED! It is a classic red and if you are like how I was and not really interested in red lipstick - give it another try. It is amazing what a good red lip can do for your confidence!

F-Bomb by Urban Decay

F-Bomb by Urban Decay

• Anita by NARS - There is something about the formula from the Audacious Lipsticks by NARS that makes your lips look AMAZING! I don't know how it works, but whenever I apply this lipstick, my lips look so plump and full! It is incredible! It amazes me every time! Not to mention, the pigmentation in the formula is out of this world! It is SO opaque and lasts forever! Of course I like Anita because it is pink, but it is more of a darker pink and I really like that about it. In my opinion, it looks really similar to that "Kylie Jenner Lip" color. I can't get enough of this lipstick and have Raquel and Olivia sitting under Christmas tree right now :) (Is it bad I know most of my presents? ;) Whoops!)

Anita by NARS

Anita by NARS

Anita by NARS
(The lighting in the room I took this picture in was a little weird & makes the color look a little lighter)

• Natural by e.l.f. - I love these Matte Lip Colors from e.l.f. For how cheap they are (only $3!) the quality is out of this world. They are creamy and gorgeously pigmented. I think it is one of the prettiest matte lipsticks I own. Every time I apply it, I realize how much I love it. It is also so easy to apply as it in a stick form. It takes no time at all to quickly line and fill in your lips with this product. I am so impressed by e.l.f.'s products and would definitely recommend them to anyone!

Natural by e.l.f.

Natural by e.l.f.

• Honeylove by MAC - I always get compliments when I wear this lipstick so it must have just been made for me ;) Just Kidding ;) I think this lipstick really compliments my skin tone. This lipstick is a matte nude with a peachy undertone - so I think it looks good against my light skin with yellow undertones. I do think this would look amazing on anyone though! MAC's lipsticks are so universal for any skintone and they have so much variety!

Honeylove by MAC

Honeylove by MAC

Honeylove by MAC

• Butter Cream by Gerard Cosmetics - These lighted lipglosses are amazing from Gerard Cosmetics. Not only is the packaging a knock out - has a little mirror on the side, lights on the wand to help you see better, and just overall looks so pretty and luxurious - but the formula in these glosses are amazing. They are so pigmented, extremely creamy and not sticky. I love Butter Cream because it is such a gorgeous pink gloss! It looks beautiful worn alone or amazing on top of a pink or nude lipstick. And Jaclyn Hill created it and who doesn't love her!? I only own three of these lipglosses from Gerard Cosmetics and it is on my list of "Things to get" to get more of them! 

Butter Cream by Gerard Cosmetics

Butter Cream by Gerard Cosmetics

• Ruby Woo by MAC - Ruby Woo is probably one of the most difficult lipsticks to work with, but once you get the perfect application, it is STUNNING! It is a matte lipstick and has a SUPER dry formula and takes a little patience when applying it. Also, you have to make sure to exfoliate your lips before applying this lipstick because no matter how much or how little your lips are dry/chapped or have dead skin, it is going to show big time with this lipstick! Even though this lipstick is a little difficult, it is totally worth it! It is a BEAUTIFUL, classic red and and makes you look so glamorous!

Ruby Woo by MAC

Ruby Woo by MAC

Ruby Woo by MAC

• Creme D'Nude by MAC - This is the PERFECT nude lipstick! It has no type of peach or orange or pink undertones... Just straight up nude! I absolutely adore it! And even though it is nude, it doesn't wash you out. It is a cremesheen lipstick from MAC so it is really creamy and I think this specific lipstick makes your lips look so full. This is one of the more popular nude lipsticks from MAC and I definitely recommend trying it out!

Creme D'Nude by MAC

Creme D'Nude by MAC

• Divine Wine by Maybelline - OK, I have only owned this lipstick for about a week but I am SO IN LOVE with it that I had to include it! When Maybelline came out with the Creamy Matte Line in the fall I grabbed a nude one (Nude Embrace) and loved the formula. I saw a swatch online of Divine Wine and instantly wanted it - it looked so prettty! But every time I went to the store, it was sold out. I never ended up getting my hands on it before I left for France so I was a little disappointed about it! But I knew my mother would be sending out a package with Christmas gifts this month, so I asked her if she could look the next time she was at Target to see if they might have this lipstick to send out. Luckily they did and I finally have it now! It is absolutely GORGEOUS! I have been trying to find the perfect deep, dark red for over a month now. But every time I go to Sephora and try to swatch different dark red lipsticks, everything I found had a berry undertone to it. I strictly just wanted a deep red. I can't get over how pretty this color is! The formula from this line is incredible - it is matte yet SO creamy! I am going to wear this bad boy out over the holidays :)

Divine Wine by Maybelline

Divine Wine by Maybelline

Divine Wine by Maybelline

Have a very Merry Christmas everyone! Have a blessed holiday with your loved ones!

xoxo Kayla

2014 Beauty Favorites: Face - Part 2

Hi Beauties!

Hope you are all enjoying the holiday season! I am soaking it up... It will be over before we know it!

This week I am bringing you Part 2 of my Face Favorites (read Part 1 here). Today, I will let you know what my favorite bronzers, highlighters and blushes are! These are all amazing products and you can not go wrong with any of these! 

BRONZER:

I prefer bronzers that are matte. I don't even think I own any bronzers with shimmer or glitter in them. A matte bronzer is going to be the most ideal for contouring and most natural-looking for bronzing up the skin and adding some color.

• Chocolate Soleil by Too Faced - This has been my go-to bronzer for contouring. It is the PERFECT golden bronze color and looks incredible when contouring. I got this little version in a set a while back, and I will most definitely be purchasing a full size when I run out of this one. Even though it gives you a perfect contour, it is so natural looking - nothing too over the top! You will feel like your face looks perfectly defined when using this bronzer for contouring and I think this should be a staple in every beauty lover's makeup collection!

Chocolate Soleil by Too Faced

• Bahama Mama by The Balm - I also like this bronzer for contouring and use it for when I want a REALLY defined look. It has a bit of an orange undertone to it and comes off a deeper bronze than Chocolate Soleil, so I use it when I am wanting that really chisled look. Plus, I just love the packaging of this bronzer. It is so cute!! I love The Balm's packaging on their products! 

Bahama Mama by The Balm

• Sol de Rio by Sephora (Limited Edition) - I wasn't going to include this because it is limited edition and no longer available. But I couldn't leave it out because I use it almost every time I do my makeup! I like to use Bahama Mama and Chocolate Soleil for contouring, but I like Sol de Rio for just bronzing up my skin. It is a very subtle bronzer so I love using it on my neck and chest especially to add just a little bit of color - especially during these winter months when I haven't been out in the sun in ages! It is a HUGE bronzer (almost the size of my hand) and you get so much product. Keep your eyes out to see if Sephora comes out with something like this again for the spring/summer because it was only $22 for such a large, amazing bronzer!

Sol de Rio by Sephora

Bottom: Sol de Rio by Sephora
Middle: Chocolate Soleil by Too Faced
Top: Bahama Mama by The Balm

HIGHLIGHTER: 

Each of these highlighters are so different from one another yet they are all equally beautiful. I think these highlighters would look gorgeous on any skintone!

• Pinktastic by e.l.f. - I love, love, LOVE this highlighter! It looks so beautiful and it is only $3!! I have raved about this highlighter a couple of times before and truly think it is a hidden gem! You must run out to Target to get it! Even though it is labeled as a blush, it definitely is not. And even though it swatches more on the pink side, when you lightly apply it the tops of your cheekbones, it just gives off this beautiful pinky-champagne highlighter. It's amazing girls! PLEASE do yourself a favor and get it in your life :)

Pinktastic by e.l.f.

• Mary- Lou Manizer by The Balm - I adore this highlighter as well. It is a stunning golden-champagne highlight and I am always going back and forth between this one and Pinktastic as my favorite. Mary-Lou Manizer gives more of a "glow" where Pinktastic is more of a "sheen". (If that makes sense!?) Mary-Lou Manzier is always going to be a classic in my eyes!

Mary-Lou Manizer by The Balm

• Champagne by Anastasia Beverly Hills - Even though Pinktastic and Mary-Lou Manizer are my favorites, if I am wanting more of a subtle highlight I always reach for Champagne. I got this highlighter in my Anastasia Beverly Hills Custom Contour Palette (you can read my review on the palette here).  It is a silvery-champagne highlight that is super natural. If you are just getting into highlighters or prefer something very light and subtle, this is a perfect one for you! I use this on days where I am wearing light makeup and just want to add a glowy finish to my look. 

Champagne by Anastasia Beverly Hills

Bottom: Champagne by Anastasia Beverly Hills
Middle: Pinktastic by e.l.f.
Top: Mary-Lou Manizer by The Balm

BLUSH:

Ahhh, blush. I don't even know how I chose only three. I love blush! I could list five.. ten... favorites! But I picked these three because they are the ones I am reaching for the most and am always bringing with me when I travel because I know I will like them with any look on any day! 

• Belissima by Kat Von D - This is my most pigmented blush and blush that lasts the longest. I know when wearing this that is will not wear away whatsoever. It will be just as vibrant as when I put it on after eight hours of wearing it. Not to mention, this color is so gorgeous! I just love corally-peachy blushes and this is the perfect shade! I highly recommend checking out this beautiful blush!

Belissima by Kat Von D

• Melba by MAC - This is the BEST peachy, matte blush ever! It is such a classic blush from MAC and my favorite MAC blush. I think this blush would be perfect for any girl, any skin tone. I always recommend this blush when girls ask which MAC blush they should get! 

Melba by MAC

• Rosy Outlook by MAC - This is another amazing blush from MAC. It is a Pro LongWear blush so it is little bit more expensive than the regular powder blushes. I am always reminded how much I love this blush when I use it. It is such a pretty, light pink that looks SO natural. It gives you that perfect rosy look! If you like pink blushes, you MUST try this one out!

Rosy Outlook by MAC

Bottom: Belissima by Kat Von D
Middle: Melba by MAC
Top: Rosy Outlook by MAC

See you all next week with some more of my 2014 favorites!

xoxo Kayla

2014 Beauty Favorites: Face - Part 1

Happy December, loves! I absolutely love Christmas and it truly is the most wonderful time of the year :) I love everything about the Christmas spirit and only wish it could last longer!

I mentioned in my last post that I would only be doing one post a week in December. I also said that I would be sharing my 2014 Beauty Favorites with a different category each week. This week: FACE! Since there are so many sub-categories that apply to the face, I am going to be doing Part 1 - Foundations, Concealers, Powders and Brushes - this week. Next week I will do Part 2 - Blushes, Bronzers and Highlighters! 

I have a ton of favorites in each sub-category, but I am going to try my best to pick my top 3 for each. (I don't know how I am only going to pick 3 blushes - my obsession!) 

I want to share all of these favorites with you because they are all AMAZING PRODUCTS! If I had to downsize my collection, these would be my top picks that I would want to save because I don't know what I would do without them! If you are on the hunt for something new, you will be able to find out what my recommendations would be for everything makeup-related over the next few weeks!

FOUNDATION:

     If you have been following my blog for a while, you have seen me mention that I have been struggling with acne for about a year (you can read my story here). Thankfully, I haven't had a breakout in well over a month and I am so, so grateful! These foundations are amazing at covering acne as they provide medium-full coverage. But as I am continuing to have clearer skin, I am still loving them as I can apply a more sheer, lighter application! So whether you have acne-prone skin or normal skin, I am sure you will love these foundations as well.

• Double Wear Foundation by Estee Lauder - This is the best foundation of life and I absolutely love it. It is seriously amazing! It provides the best coverage! It is so flawless and lasts all day long. For real, it will not smudge or wear away for 12+ hours! I also think the price tag of $37 is amazing compared to how many higher end foundation can cost you $60+. You are getting a great deal for a high quality foundation. I always recommend this foundation to girls. If you have never tried it, go to Sephora or Estee Lauder counter and ask for a sample. You will be hooked as well!

Double Wear Foundation by Estee Lauder

• HD Foundation by Make Up For Ever - This is a close second for me. It also provides a flawless finish and lasts all day as well. This is slightly less full coverage than the Double Wear - this is more medium coverage. This foundation is specifically created with film and camera in mind. This is a foundation that will look flawless if you are going to have an event where you will be taking lots of pictures!

HD Foundation by Make Up For Ever

• ColorStay Foundation by Revlon - If you are looking for something more affordable but still have a foundation that will last and look great, this is it! This is the foundation that I wear on an average day. Since my other foundations are more expensive, I hate wasting them on days where I am just going to be running to the store or getting groceries. But I still think that this foundation provides a flawless finish just like my other two favorites. The only con I have with it is that it does not last nearly as long as the others. I would say it will definitely last you a good 6-8 hours before it starts to break up in places (at least that is what I have experienced and definitely not the "24 hours" it claims). But for a drugstore foundation, this is a true winner and it is by far the best drugstore foundation I have tried!

ColorStay Foundation by Revlon

CONCEALER:

     These three are the only concealers I own and continue to repurchase. I have tried others in the past, but nothing works as great as these! 

• Pro LongWear by MAC - I mentioned in my last post that this is the concealer that I wear when I want to do a full on makeup look. It doesn't crease on me and creates the most perfect highlighting and concealing effect (since I use a lighter color than my skin tone). It blends so easily into the skin and it always blows me away at how perfect it looks. I just love this concealer!

Pro LongWear by MAC

• Age Rewind by Maybelline - I also adore this concealer. It is so affordable and it also creates an amazing highlighting effect when using a lighter shade. I think the MAC concealer creates a little bit more of a brightening effect, but this still does a great job at highlighting and concealing. I also don't notice any creasing when wearing this concealer and have gone through countless tubes of this bad boy!

Age Rewind by Maybelline

• Boo-Boo Cover-Up - This has been such a little blessing to me! Now that I am getting over acne, I have a lot of discoloration, spots, scars etc. This concealer blows me away at how incredible it is. It covers up any scarring that I have so effortlessly. The product is a little bit on the thicker side but it blends out to perfectly to cover any flaws. It never looks cakey and I can't even tell where it begins and ends on my skin when it is blended out. After applying it in my problematic areas, you can't even tell I ever had blemishes! It also has ingredients in it to lighten your scarring and heal. It is truly amazing and if you have any scarring or flaws you want to cover up, I HIGHLY recommend trying this out! 

Boo-Boo Cover-Up

POWDER:

     I have been using these powders consistently for several months now. I haven't tried any new ones recently because I have been so happy with these!

• Banana by Anastasia Beverly Hills - OH the infamous Banana! I had to try the hype out and I am loving it. I use this to set my under eye concealer and it works like a charm. I am impressed with the formulas of the concealers that I use, but I am always setting it with Banana and feel like it really just gives you an extra hand at the longevity of under eye concealer. 

Banana by Anastasia Beverly Hills

• Light Reflecting Pressed Powder in Translucent Crystal by NARS - I love how this powder feels so light when applying it. It barely feels like you are putting anything on your face. It is so sheer and you will never feel cakey with this powder! It is super silky and sets my makeup perfectly. It is mattifying yet creates a soft, luminious glow. SO pretty! This is definitely my go-to setting powder (as you can see below how much use it has gotten!) and I absolutely love it!

Light Reflecting Pressed Powder by NARS

• Mineral Veil by Bare Minerals - I also like to use the Mineral Veil to set my makeup. I just tend to reach for my NARS powder because it is pressed and the Mineral Veil is loose powder. It tends to get messy and I am finding myself some days not even wanting to deal with it. I do still think it is a wonderful powder to set your makeup. It just melts into you skin and creates a luminious glow as well. I wouldn't say the NARS one is any better, I just use this one on days when I have more patience :)

Mineral Veil by Bare Minerals

BRUSHES/SPONGES:

     I know I cant complete a full makeup look with only these three brushes, but these are the top three that I would recommend spending the money on and investing in. There are a lot of affordable brushes that work amazing, but in my eyes, nothing compares to these three and totally worth every penny.

• Beauty Blender - This obviously isn't a brush but it is something that I think any girl interested in beauty and makeup needs! The pointed side is perfect for blending out concealer and the bottom is great for foundation. It can be used wet or dry and gives you a flawless finish. I definitely recommend spending the extra $15 on the Beauty Blender over the Real Techniques sponge. In my personal experience, the Real Techniques sponge did not compare to the Beauty Blender!

Beauty Blender

• F80 Flat Top Kabuki by Sigma - Although I think the Beauty Blender is great for foundation, the F80 is ten times better! This brush is going to make your foundation look perfect and flawless. You don't have to worry about looking cakey or having any streaks with this brush! When I heard all the great reviews about it, I thought it was too good to be true. But it truly is that amazing! If you want to look flawless, you need this brush in your life!

F80 Flat Kabuki by Sigma

• E40 Blending Brush by Sigma - I just love this brush. I love doing my eye makeup and I honestly think part of it is because of this little guy! It is so perfect for blending out colors in your crease. In my opinion, crease work is what gives so much depth and definition to the eye. This brush disperses the shadow evenly and beautifully. I know that I will never have any harsh lines when using this brush because it just blends out the shadows so easily. You must try out the F80 and E40 from Sigma, ladies!

E25 Blending by Sigma

You might be thinking "What about primers?" Honestly, I don't remember the last time I bought a full size primer. Probably well over a year ago! I have just been using samples ever since. The reason I haven't purchased a full size primer in so long and not including any in my favorites is because I really don't have any. I will use some that I "like", but I haven't found a face primer that has truly blown me a way. I just use samples that I get and it does the job. Maybe next year I will found that I can't live without :)

Have a wonderful weekend and I will be back next week with Part 2!

xoxo Kayla