Friday, November 28, 2014

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!

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Dupes/Alternatives: Lip Products




Hello Ladies!!

Today I wanted to do a post on some dupes/alternatives for higher end lip products! I was going through my lipsticks, lipglosses etc. and I was realizing that I have some affordable lip products that are SO SIMILAR to my higher end lip products! I thought this post would be great for anyone who is looking to save some money yet still basically getting the same look of a higher end lippie! Here are some great dupes/alternativies that I found in my own collection:




Nearly Nude by e.l.f. - $3 (matte lip color) vs Myth by MAC - $16 (satin lipstick)
     Both of these have a really peachy undertone. Nearly Nude is a matte and Myth is a Satin formula but honestly, they are both so creamy that they come off as similar finishes. Nearly Nude is slightly darker than Myth, but only slightly!


Top: Myth by MAC
Bottom: Nearly Nude by e.l.f.



Myth, Nearly Nude


Honeyed by Covergirl - $5.99 (lip perfection lipstick) vs Creme Cup by MAC - $16 (cremesheen lipstick)
     Creme Cup is more of a true pink and Honeyed is slightly lighter. But the formula of the two are so similar and they look almost identical on the lips! They are both very creamy! Creme Cup is my all time favorite pink and I think Honeyed is a great dupe for it!


Top: Creme Cup by MAC
Bottom: Honeyed by Covergirl
Honeyed, Creme Cup



#708 Pure Red by Kiko - $6.25 (luminous chrome lipstick) vs F-Bomb by Urban Decay - $22 (revolution lipstick)
     These two look exactly the same! The formula, the finish, the color... everything is so close to being identical! Even though I absolutely love F-Bomb, I love that I am able to get a much cheaper dupe from Kiko!


Top: F-Bomb by Urban Decay
Bottom: #708 Pure Red by Kiko
#708 Pure Red, F-Bomb



Honey Nectar by Pixi - $8 (shea butter lip balm) vs Peachy Nude Sinner by Lipstick Queen - $22 (opaque lipstick)
     These two are basically the same color but Peachy Nude is just more pigmented. Honey Nectar is a balm and I think it gives amazing payoff for a balm! If you like this nude color, go for the Pixi one and the color can be built up! Plus, it is going to be great for winter and hydrate your lips!


Top: Peachy Nude Sinner by Lipstick Queen
Bottom: Honey Nectar by Pixi
Honey Nectar, Peachy Nude Sinner


Apple Strudel by NYX - $4.99 (butter gloss) vs Mally Melon by Mally - $20 (high shine liquid lipstick)
     I posted on Instagram that we recieved a care package from home in the US. My family included my Birchbox from last month and it had this liquid lipstick from Mally in it. I saw it was valued at $20 and was excited to get something so great in my Birchbox! Plus, I have zero products from Mally so I was excited to try something out! But as I was testing it, I quickly realized it looked like one of my NYX Butter Glosses: Apple Strudel. Apple Strudel is more pinky but since they both give off a kind of neon pink/orange shade, they look really similar. And even though the Mally lippie is a liquid lipstick, the NYX butter gloss is equally as pigmented. If you are interested in the Mally liquid lipsticks, I would recommend trying out a different shade and if you like this shade - get Apple Strudel and save some $$$!


Top: Mally Melon by Mally
Bottom: Apple Strudel by NYX


Mally Melon, Apple Strudel



Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, everyone!! Have a blessed time with family and friends!

xoxo Kayla






Friday, November 21, 2014

Friday Five: 11/21/14


Happy Friday, loves! 


Here are the faves from this week:



1. Bioderma Cleansing Water

     You might have seen me post on my Instagram that I grabbed this a few weeks ago. I was so excited to get it because I had heard so many positive things about it. And now that I have given it a fair enough amount of time to test it out, I can say that I absolutely love it! It is definitely worth the hype! This stuff removes any and all makeup! It is perfect for stubborn eye makeup as it removes EVERYTHING. It is even helpful to remove swatches easily, quickly and cleanly when I am taking pictures for my blog. I love how lightweight it feels and doesn't have an oily feel to it. It really does just feel like water on your face! It is paraben-free, fragrance-free, hypoallergenic and perfect for sensitive skin. This stuff is amazing!


Bioderma


2. F-Bomb Lipstick by Urban Decay

      First of all, I need to get more of these Revolution Lipsticks from Urban Decay. After using F-Bomb this week, I was reminded how amazing the formula is! It is so creamy, hydrating and pigmented and I just love it every time I wear it! And F-Bomb is that perfect, classic red. I always tell myself I am going to purchase a couple more but I end up putting it off and I don't know why! I think for how amazing the formula is and what other higher end lines sell their lipsticks at, $22 is an awesome price for these lipsticks. I am going to add a new Revolution Lipstick to my Christmas list tonight ;)


F-Bomb by Urban Decay

Swatch of F-Bomb (natural light)


3. Bellisima blush by Kat Von D

     My Insta friend, Rachel (@rachmcph), posted that she got this blush and it reminded me that I hadn't used mine in a while! And I don't know why because I LOVE this blush! So thank you, Rachel, for reminding me to use it because it is all I have been wearing this week :) It is an absolutely GORGEOUS peachy-coral blush and it is SO pigmented! You hardly need any product on your brush! It is also probably one of the most long-lasting blushes that I own. I am going to add another Kat Von D blush to my Christmas list as well :D (Rachel also has a blog... Click here to check it out!)


Bellisima by Kat Von D

Swatch of Bellisima (natural light)


4. and. 5. Naked 3 palette by Urban Decay and Chocolate Bar Palette by Too Faced

     I am combining the two of these because I have been loving using both of them at the same time to create different eye looks. There are so many shadows that compliment one another from the two palettes. Too Faced and Urban Decay are my favorite when it comes to eye shadows so I am having fun combining the two palettes! "Salted Caramel" from the Chocolate Bar palette is my go-to transition shade and I think "Limit" from the Naked 3 is such a beautiful color! I am also loving "Creme Brulee" from the Chocolate Bar palette - the PRETTIEST bronzy-gold!


Naked 3 palette by Urban Decay

Chocolate Bar Palette by Too Faced


Have a great Thanksgiving week! Can't wait to eat more than I probably should ;)


xoxo Kayla


Find the products I mentioned here:

Bioderma Cleansing Water

F-Bomb by Urban Decay

Bellisima by Kat Von D

Naked 3 by Urban Decay

Chocolate Bar Palette by Too Faced