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

Five Blushes for Fall

Hi loves!

Yay!!! It is September and in my eyes, that means it is officially FALL! I absolutely love fall and it is my favorite time of the year!

I thought that I would kick off the season by recommending five great blushes for fall. I would like to say though, that I am a firm believer that you can use any makeup product at any time of the year and it will look incredible no matter what month it is! These are just five blushes that range from drugstore to high end that I think will look especially great this fall!

1. Breath of Plum by MAC

     This is the one I am most excited about for fall! I am obsessed with plum and berry colored products as of late! This is not typical of me as I usually never wear anything like that, but I just am falling in love with these colors and happy to add something new my collection! I saw Breath of Plum and I was a little intimidated at first because I thought was going to be a deep, dark color. But after swatching it, I realized it was not what I was expecting it to be and it turned out to be a beautiful light plum color. It is a sheertone blush that has a matte finish and it gives a pretty, subtle color to the cheeks. It does not look harsh whatsoever and it is going to be absolutely perfect for fall! ($22)

Breath of Plum by MAC

Breath of Plum by MAC

2. Pinched by NYX
     This blush has gotten a lot of love! ;) I have used it many times already and I will definitely continue to use it throughout the fall. Part of the reason why I use it so much is because it is the perfect size to travel with and I am always bringing it with me when I need a blush. Pinched is reddish-pink color with a little bit of a gold shimmer. I like that since it is more on the red side, it gives the perfect rosy color for the cheeks which is obviously great for fall! The quality of the NYX blushes are incredible. Awesome pigmentation for a drugstore blush and so affordable ($4.99!).

Pinched by NYX

Pinched by NYX

 
3. Maybelline Master Hi-Light in Mauve
     I just picked up this blush and I can't wait to start using it! It is GORGEOUS! This is by far the most versatile of these five as you are able to create different shades of this blush depending on which area of the mosaic pattern you use. In the swatch picture below, the bottom swatch is using more of the darker colors, the middle is using the lighter colors, and the top swatch is mixing all of the colors together. I love that you are able to choose what look you want! This blush has a lot of shimmer and shine and is called a "hi-lighting blush", so you wouldn't even have to worry about using a highlighter when including this is your makeup look! The plum and berry colors in this blush just scream FALL! ($7.99)

Maybelline Master Hi-Light in Mauve

Maybelline Master Hi-Light in Mauve
Bottom: Darker Colors
Middle: Lighter Colors
Top: All Colors

4. Clinique Cheek Pop in Plum Pop
     I love this blush because of the pigmentation. Plus the packaging is just so darn cute :) This is a great blush for girls who like to stick with pink blushes. Although it is called Plum Pop, it is completely pink and far from being plum. What is nice about this blush is that although it is super pigmented, it is easy to use a light hand for a lighter application or it is can be easily built up without it looking too overpowering. It does have the slightest hint of shimmer in it but you have to be looking pretty hard to see it. Such a pretty, truly pink blush! ($21)

Clinique Cheek Pop in Plum Pop

Clinique Cheek Pop in Plum Pop
Bottom: One Swatch
Top: Two Swatches

5. Orgasm by NARS
     Despite the slightly inappropriate name, this is a stunning blush! :) It is a staple blush in many beauty gurus collections. It is a gorgeous peachy-pink color with a golden shimmer. It is the perfect blush for a chilly fall day because it will add the most amazing warm glow to your cheeks! You could also choose to bypass wearing a highlighter with this blush because of how it gives off that gorgeous, natural glow on it's own. Even though it is a little on the pricey side ($30), it is so worth it! It truly is one of the prettiest blushes I have seen and I think many would agree!

Orgasm by NARS

Orgasm by NARS

I am such a sucker for blushes and I don't even know why out of all the makeup products, that blush is what I am obsessed with! I just can't help it! So with that, please let me know any great blushes that you recommend! I will most definitely check them out :)

xoxo Kayla