2014 Beauty Favorites: Eyes

Hey Pretties! Hope your week is going well! Only one week until CHRISTMAS!!!!!! Can you tell I have been excited all month long? :)

This next post is my favorite eye products from 2014. The majority of these products I have been using for the whole year and have consistently stayed my favorite all year long. I have loved them for a while now and I wouldn't be surprised if they made my favorites next year as well! We will have to see :)

PALETTES:

Every palette that I own, I adore. I love eyeshadow palettes and prefer them over single shadows. I just like how I have everything in one spot and knowing I have several shades that will go well together. Even though I could list all of my palettes as my favorites, these would have to be my top three. And if you are looking for any last minute Christmas gifts for a sister, friend, cousin etc... these palettes would be great for anyone!

• Chocolate Bar Palette by Too Faced - This is my all time, number one, nothing can beat it palette! I absolutely LOVE this palette! It is the perfect palette as it has shadows that are matte, shimmery, sparkly, neutral, bold... it just has everything you need! The shadows blend amazingly and are so easy to work with. The colors are gorgeous and the palette smells like a cup of hot chocolate. YUMMM! And I am like a little kid in a candy store this past week since the new Semi-Sweet palette came out! Girl, you already know I ordered it and I can't wait to get it!!!

Chocolate Bar Palette by Too Faced

• Naked 3 by Urban Decay - I love this palette because it is so feminine and girly. It is gorgeous! I love all the pinky, rosy colors! You can do something light and flirty or you can do something more sultry and sexy. I just think this is the ultimate palette for a girly-girl! Urban Decay's shadows are amazing quality. The shadows are so blendable and have so much pigmentation. If you love makeup, this is a must-have!

Naked 3 by Urban Decay

• Pro Palette by Lorac - I love the Pro Palette because it has as many matte shadows as it does shimmery/sparkly shadows. In most palettes, there are only usually 2 or 3 matte shadows. This palette has 8! I usually always use a matte shadow for my crease/transition color so I like that with this palette, I have more matte shadows to choose from. The Pro Palette has an amazing range of shadow choices and the shadows feel so silky and smooth. This is a great staple palette to have in your collection!

Pro Palette by Lorac

PRIMERS:

I think that there are a lot primers out there that work great. A lot of them do their typical job of what they are supposed to do - prevent creasing, help the longevity of the shadow and make the pigment pop. But these are the two that I constantly use and think that they are the best!

• Shadow Insurance in Candlelight by Too Faced - I have used this primer for several years now and it has become a staple for me. I do own the regular Shadow Insurance version but I prefer the Candlelight one. I like that it creates a really soft shimmer (the original version has no shimmer). It is so subtle and pretty and I think it really helps the shadows stand out a little bit more - almost in a glow-like way! This is the primer that sold me on eyeshadow primers. I never knew how amazing your eyeshadow could look with a primer - no creasing, lasts so much longer and the colors look so much more pigmented! This is definitely my go-to for higher end primers and I absolutely love it! 

• Eyelid Primer by e.l.f. - I discovered this primer a few months ago. Not only is it a great primer but the most amazing part about it is that it is only $1! Yes, only ONE DOLLAR!!! Go ahead and splurge on something you have been wanting and pick this up for next to nothing! And don't let the cheap price fool you! It works great and I am constantly going back and forth between this one and my Too Faced one. I notice it works just as good as my higher end primer and I am still amazed how cheap it is for such a great product!

Eyelid Primer by e.l.f.
Shadow Insurance in Candlelight by Too Faced

MASCARA:

If you have been following me for a while, you know it is hard for me to find a mascara that I truly love. Over the past several months of blogging, I have sampled some mascaras that have started to impress me. I have narrowed down my "likes" into the top two that I am truly loving and I think these are the best out there!

• Le Volume de Chanel by CHANEL - This has been my most favorite mascara I have tried all year. It makes my lashes look truly amazing! I have really short, stubby, fine lashes and this mascara makes me look like I have long, voluminous lashes! The formula isn't messy and it is super black! It only takes a few swipes and my lashes are looking so long and voluminous! It really is amazing! For a luxury brand, I feel like the $30 price tag for this mascara is definitely worth it! This sample has lasted me quite a while and I am most definitely going to purchase a full size when I run out! 

• Hypnose Drama by Lancome - Although Le Volume De Chanel has been my favorite mascara this year, Hypnose Drama is my second favorite. I just got this sample probably about a month ago but I have been really loving it. Like the CHANEL mascara, this is not messy at all. I absolutely hate thick, clumpy mascaras! I feel like it doesn't give me as much volume as Le Volume de Chanel but it definitely is comparable on the length I get with this mascara. I just like how clean this formula is and I like using this to apply a good base coat when wearing false lashes. It helps them blend easily into to the false lashes as they won't be clumpy. I am happy to have finally found some great mascaras that are working for me :)

Le Volume De Chanel by CHANEL
Hypnose Drama by Lancome

EYELINER:

90% of the time, I am wearing gel liner. I only use this same gel liner and rarely ever wear any other type of liner. I do not care for liquid eyeliner whatsoever. And if I by chance happen to wear anything other than my beloved gel liner, it will be the pencil eyeliner I mention below. And the best part is: they are both drugstore items!!

• Eye Studio Gel Liner in Blackest Black by Maybelline - When I started to experiment with gel liners, I was a little intimidated. But I quickly learned that applying gel liner is actually much easier than I thought! Once you practice a few times, you will get the hang of it easily! After trying out gel liners, I said goodbye to liquid! What I love about this gel liner from Maybelline is that it is so creamy and so pigmented. It just glides right on and makes your shadows POP! This liner stays put and I never have to worry about it smudging or feeling like it needs to be touched up. I love this gel liner and will forever continue to repurchase it!

• Silkissime Eyeliner in Black by L'Oreal - If I don't feel like taking the time do to gel liner, I will just quickly pop this liner on. It glides on so easily and effortlessly and that is what I love about it! But it is also so pigmented as well... and I love that even more! It will be just as bold as my gel liner and it will never smudge or wear away. I know that it is going to stay put and won't fade away throughout long day. This is the best pencil liner I have tried from the drugstore and if you use pencil liners, you should check this one out!

Silkissime Eyeliner by L'Oreal
Eye Studio Gel Liner by Maybelline

LASHES:

These are the two lash products I swear by. I haven't found anything better than these two, nor do I want to! They are awesome products and both so affordable!

• Sweet Romance by House of Lashes - If I ever could dream up a pair of perfect lashes, these would be it. I love these lashes and they are the only ones that I wear! I don't like wearing lashes that are too over the top. I don't want people to look at me and think "Those are the most obvious fake lashes I have ever seen in my life!" These lashes are perfect because they are SO natural looking but add just like right amount of length and volume. I get asked "What do you use to make your lashes look like that?" and girls are amazed when I tell them they are false lashes. They tell me they look so natural and that is exactly what I am going for! If you love false, natural-looking lashes you must try these out. And if you are a girl who is just getting into false lashes, I HIGHLY recommend these! It is amazing what a little bit of extra OOMPH to your lashes can do to make your eyes look even more amazing!

• Lash Grip Eyelash Adhesive by Ardell - I mentioned a while back that I have a love-hate relationship with this eyelash glue. It works AMAZING but it smells AWFUL! I never have to worry about my false lashes coming undone with this lash glue. They will make the lashes stay in place all day long with no worries about the corners coming off. But the smell of the glue is atrocious! It legit smells like manure mixed in chemicals. I know, I'm sorry that's disgusting. But it is so bad! I tried finding another glue but it did not work whatsoever. I have decided to just bear the smell when it comes out of the tube and once it dries you can't even smell it. If you can handle a couple of minutes of a very unpleasant smell, the result of not having to worry about lashes falling off is well worth it :o) 

Lash Grip by Ardell
Sweet Romance lashes by House of Lashes

BROWS:

• Brow Wiz by Anastasia Beverly Hills - I LOVE BROWS! This is the one and only brow product I use. And in my humble opinion, nothing out there is better than the Brow Wiz! There are so many color/shade choices offered for the Brow Wiz (I use "Taupe/formerly Ash Blonde") and the extra fine tip is perfect for filling in every sparse spot in your brows. Having shaped, filled in brows is SO important! It really defines your face and brings everything together when doing your makeup. If you don't fill in your brows, I suggest just giving it a try! What is awesome about the Brow Wiz is that it gives you perfect brows, yet it is so natural looking! I never filled in my brows before using this product and once I tried it out, I was hooked! It is amazing what having great brows can do for you!

Brow Wiz by Anastasia Beverly Hills

OK... That was a long post! :o)  Hope you got some good ideas and recommendations if you are in the market for some new eye products!

Have a wonderful weekend, loves!

xoxo Kayla

Friday Five: 11/28/14

Happy Friday, babes! Hope you all had a fantastic Turkey Day! How many of you burned off those extra calories by Black Friday Shopping?? I have to give it to you if you did. Even if I were home in the States, you wouldn't see me anywhere near any stores today! I tried going one year for about 30 minutes and I couldn't handle the intense craziness of some people! So if you can handle being around all those crazy shoppers, you are more woman than me ;)

Let's get on to my favorites of the week!:

1. In the Light palette by Stila
     You might have seen me post on Instagram that we received a care package from Tyler's mom this past week. It was so exciting! Having a box full of little goodies from home seriously makes my heart so happy! We receieved food items that we can't get over here, Christmas items and little, fun presents. When Sephora was having their friends and family sale in the States, I placed a small order and knew I would be receiving it in this package. This palette was one of the items I purchased and couldn't wait to get my hands on it! I have been wanting to get it for months and so happy to finally have it! It is such a pretty palette and I have been using it every day since receiving it! The infamous "Kitten" shadow is the most gorgeous shimmery silvery-pink. The shadows blend so easily and effortlessly. And I typically prefer gel eyeliners, but I am really liking this blackish-brown eyeliner pencil that came with it! 

In the Light palette by Stila

In the Light palette by Stila

2. Audacious Lipstick in Anita by NARS
     This is the other item I purchased from the F&F sale. I had to see what all the hype was about! Everyone has been raving about the Audacious Lipsticks from NARS so I had to get one. And with the steep price tag of $32, I felt a little bit better about purchasing it at a 20% discount. I chose "Anita" because it looked like that perfect "Kylie Jenner" lip color. I really hate to refer to it as that because I am a little sick of hearing about it! But it is that perfect dusty rose color that everyone is crazy about! And the pigmentation in this lipstick is out of this world! The swatch below is only one quick swipe! It lasts so long and looks like I just applied it even after wearing it for hours! It is super creamy and the formula in general is just incredible. I knew I was going to love this lipstick even before receiving it so I then ordered two more during the VIB sale - I'm not even ashamed to admit it ;) So I have "Raquel" (a nude) and "Olivia" (a red) waiting for me to be sent from my mom in our next care package! (The makeup addiction is real, girls!)

Audacious Lipstick in Anita by NARS

Swatch of Anita by NARS

3. Hypnose Drama mascara by Lancome
     I have some points built up on my Sephora account so I decided to trade in 100 of them for this sample of mascara. I have never tried out a Lancome mascara but have been wanting to because I have heard great things. I really have been loving this mascara because the formula is perfect! It is not thick and clumpy and messy, it just coats your lashes perfectly! I have rather short, fine lashes and this mascara makes them look so long! I am so impressed! I can't wait to keep using this!

Hypnose Drama by Lancome

4. Scandaleyes waterproof eyeliner in Nude by Rimmel
     I think nude eyeliner is great for the waterline to really open up your eyes. But I honestly rarely ever do it. I have extremely watery eyes and can never find anything that will stay put, even if it is waterproof. I purchased this eyeliner this summer and used it a few times but haven't used it in several months. I decided to use it a few days ago thinking that even if it only lasted an hour, it would be no big deal. I went about my day and didn't even really pay attention to see how it was holding up and when I went to wash my face at night, I could still see it there! It was a little worn away but definitely still noticeable! I was amazed. Clearly I wasn't paying any type of attention to it the other times I wore it this past summer! If you have watery eyes, you need to check this out! I am telling you, my eyes water like a fountain! I rarely even ever wear winged eyeliner because my watery eyes will just wash it away! It's a little sad, but I have some positive hope with this little guy - if it works for me, I think it would work for anyone!

Scandaleyes eyeliner by Rimmel

5. Pro Longwear concealer by MAC (in NC15)
     If I want to go the whole nine yards with my makeup, I am, without a doubt, using this concealer. This concealer doesn't crease, doesn't wear away and just blends and melts into your skin perfectly. I chose NC15 because it is much lighter than my skin so it really creates an amazing highlighting effect. I have had this bottle since around March and I still have a good amount left! Now I am not using it every day, but I am using it frequently! A little bit of product goes a long way so it is definitely worth the $20! If you haven't checked out this concealer, you really need to!!

Pro Longwear concealer by MAC

On a side note: For December, I will only be doing one post a week. December is always a busy month with the holidays and even though I only blog twice a week, I want to have a little extra time to do some Christmas shopping, skype with family and friends, and spend more time with my husband when he has a little time off. But my weekly posts are probably going to be a little bit longer as I am going to share my 2014 Favorites! Each week I will do a different category - eyes, lips, etc - so stay tuned to find out what my absolute, holy grail items are from this year! I can't believe a new year is just around the corner! Time goes way too fast!

Have a lovely weekend!

xoxo Kayla


Find the products I mentioned here:

In the Light palette

Anita Audacious Lipstick

Hypnose Drama mascara

Scandaleyes eyeliner

Pro Longwear concealer

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: 8/15/14

Happy Friday <3

You know the drill..... Here are my faves this week :)

(ps.. they are all eye products this week!)

1. Better Than Sex Mascara by Too Faced
     I have been using this mascara every day! I love how my lashes have been looking when using this. It gives my lashes length and volume and I don't notice any clumping or flaking away throughout the day. I also love the packaging. It feels so glamorous! It is so sleek and the tube is heavier than most mascara tubes and it makes me feel like I have a luxurious treasure :) I am super picky about mascaras... I can never find any that I think look good so I find it to be a personal victory for myself that I have a mascara in my top five :) 

2. Smoky Cream Liner in Must Have (Waterproof) by Sephora
     I got this gel liner a while back in an eyeliner set from Sephora. This was actually the first gel liner I ever tried and I still love it! At first I was a little intimidated applying a gel liner but it glides on sooo easily! It is super creamy and it doesn't get hard and break up during the day at all. "Must Have" is a black color and it is SUPER black.. very pigmented! I have been using it all week because I have been wanting a bolder liner every day and this literally only takes a few seconds to apply and I am good to go! This is a great product from the Sephora line and I am very impressed with it!

3. The Nudes Palette by Maybelline
     I just posted a review on this palette in my last post. Check it out to find out my thoughts on it! And those are all of the reasons why I have been loving this palette this week! :)

4. Behind the Scenes Eye Primer by Lorac
     This is a great eye primer in my opinion! It works so well for me as it helps keep my eye makeup just as fresh looking as when I applied it. It helps keep the color vibrant and helps the shadows to be long wearing. With some eye primers, I have noticed that some of it will settle in certain areas and be almost a cakey-like consistency which then makes the shadows look cakey. I have never experienced that with this eye primer and know that I can always count on it giving a great base for my eyeshadow.

5. Infallible Eye Shadow in Iced Latte by L'Oreal
     I had to get this pigment because in one day I saw two reviews on it and I was sold! I watched Jaclyn Hill use it in one of her videos and then I was reading one of my favorite blogs "Make Me Up Mia" and Mia had done a review on a few of these Infallible Eye Shadows. "Iced Latte" was one of them and I was able to see the color up close and see how pretty it was! I was obsessed and needed it immediately after reading her review! I went out that day and got it and I have been absolutely loving it! I have been using this color mostly on the lid and I need to go out and get more! It is so easy to work with and I apply it with either a brush or my finger. You barely need any product and you are set for the day! 

And there you have it! You could get a whole eye look out of these products :)

Have a fabulous weekend, dolls!

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