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: 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! 7/11/14

Yay! It's Friday!

I love when beauty lovers post their weekly favorites. Sometimes, we are just overloaded with reviews and opinions on new products that we forget about the oldies, but goodies! And weekly favorites can be a perfect mixture of both new and older products! I love seeing products that aren't always brand new because I either am reminded to use them from my own collection or I find out information on products that I want to buy and try! And if they are in someone's favorites, they are most likely going to be great products that I will like as well!

Each week I will let you know what five products I have been loving. So here we go!!

1. Pixi Flawless Beauty Primer

     I got this in my Ipsy bag a few months ago and I honestly kind of forgot about it! I didn't initially try it when I got it and just threw it in with my other primers. I decided to try it out a couple weeks ago and I have been using it every day this week! I love that when I put it on my face, it is illuminating and gives me a a soft glow. It is super moisturizing and gives the perfect base for my foundation. The luminosity is not overpowering at all and makes my skin look like it has a natural, dewy glow!

2. Victoria's Secret Sparkling Citrus Hand and Body Cream in Tangerine and Passion Flower

    I got this lotion at the semi-annual sale for only $3.75! I usually never buy different scented lotions...I am not a big lotion hoarder and I typically just use Jergens! But I saw this, thought it smelled good, and how can you go wrong spending four bucks on a lotion?! I am absolutely loving it. The scent is heavenly! It smells so light and refreshing! The lotion is extremely rich and leaves my skin feeling so soft and hydrated! It is infused with avocado, almond oils, and honey. How luxurious :)  I hope this is in their permanent collection because I need to get more in my life!

3. Too Faced Sweethearts Blush in Candy Glow

     If you follow me on Instagram (@beautyandbasketball) you will have seen that I recently purchased this blush. I have had my eye on it for so long and I love Too Faced products so I don't know what took me so long to get my hands on one! I have been using it every day this week and I am loving it! I like this blush because it creates this really soft, pink glow when you mix all the colors together.  I also love that with these blushes, you can use just one of the three shades in the blush or mix them all together. You can truly create your own individualized color!

4. L'Oreal Collection Privee Lipstick in Jennifer's Nude

     Every time I go to Target, I look for this collection of lipsticks! Nude Lipsticks are my absolute favorite! I have been wanting to get one of these for a couple months now but Target never had them! I was at Walmart one day, and what do you know, there they were! I decided that the J.Lo one looked like the one I would probably most likely use. I hate that you can't swatch drugstore products ! When I got home I tried it on immediately to see how it looked. I was kind of in shock at how much I instantly liked the lipstick! It is such a beautiful color! It has to be the prettiest pinky-nude lipstick I have ever tried from the drugstore. The formula is super creamy and the color is perfect for day or night!

5. Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil

     This oil is truly amazing! I have been putting it on every night after I wash my face this week and the next morning, my face feels so soft and looks so brightened! You can also use it on your hair and nails, but I just have been loving it so much for my face! I have acne prone skin and I really believe this helps! If I have a little breakout, the next morning it will look significantly better after putting this on! It also has anti-aging properties and is the most hydrating product I have tried! This little bottle has so many wonderful things going for it! If you are interested in trying it, the smallest bottle is only $16! A few drops of the oil go a long way so it does last quite a while! I highly recommend!

Let me know if you have any favorites this week! I love having excuses to try new products :)

xoxo Kayla

ps.... Please forgive me. I know my pictures are not great quality! I am hoping to invest in a nice camera soon :) I just want to snap a few pictures so you all have at least a reference of what I am talking about!