June 2012 Favorites!

Hi guys!

I can't believe another month has flown by! It's so weird! It's finally starting to feel like summer, which is wild because it's been summer since the beginning of June! 

Anyway, here are my June Favorites!

NARS Sheer Glow Foundation, Smashbox Photo Ready Oil Free Foundation Primer, Benefit Ista-Brow in Medium & gel, Sigma powder, large angle contour, and foundation brush, Royal and Langnickel foundation brush, and Naked Pallet

Naked 2  Pallet, MAC Dainty Blush, Lancome Rouge in Love Lipstick in #322, MAC Angel lipstick, OCC Lip tar in Trollop & the other name smudged off, and my Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Lipstains in Sweetheart Valentine, Smitten, and Lovesick

xxx,

Ashley

Book Review: Caucasia by Danny Senna

Hi guys!

Towards the end of the school year, my english teacher gave me a reading challenge. These books weren't the type of books that I'd normally read*, they were books that would, potentially, change my view on certain things. So, since it was summer, I decided to start this reading challenge. The title that stood out to me the most was a book called Caucasia. 

It wasn't the cover that drew me in, it was the reviews of the book. Adult books don't typically give summaries on the back of their books, so they either give reviews, like this one did, or a tidbit about the author. As you can see on the cover, two well known sources gave a quick review of the book, saying:
"Hauntingly and deeply intelligent" - The New York Times
"...impressive beauty and power"- Newsweek
Why wouldn't I want to read something hauntingly and deeply intelligent? Or something that had impressive beauty and power? So this book was an instant buy.

It's about two sisters, Birdie and Cole, who look nothing alike. And by nothing, I mean they look like they could each be from a different race. Birdie looks more white, and Cole looks more black. When their parents split up, we watch Birdie grow up and see, through her eyes, all of the "racial crap" that people had to deal with.
That summary sucks, but this book was amazing. It didn't take long for me to get into it, it was beautifully written, the plot was always interesting, and it had a happy ending. Who doesn't love happy endings?
But, the best part of the book was that it made me look at race in a completely different way. I've always known that people were more than just white or black, but through this book I've learned to look at peoples souls instead of their covers.
It's hard to explain the impact that this book had on me while reading it, but it's a definite view-changer.

All in all: If you want a good read, pick this up asap.


xxx,
Ashley

*Mind you, I don't read the typical books that teenage girls read nowadays. I read authors like John Green, JK Rowling, and books from every genre. The books I read always teach me something. They always make me think and I always take something away from them. 

My Favorite: Pink NailPolishes!

Hi Ladies!

Today, I'm going to share with you my favorite pink nail polishes (as of now!)

Let's start with the "bright" pinks

In order of appearance: 

ChinaGlaze "Flip Flop Fantasy"

Zoya's "Ali"

Essie's "Peach Daquri" 

Zoya's "Elodie"

Orly's "It's not me It's you"

These colors are definitely for the more daring girl, or for the girl who isn't a fan of wearing bright clothing. These colors all go opaque in 2 coats, and are definitely eye catchers. Make sure you do touch ups when the colors chip otherwise it'll look sloppy. Chipped nail polish doesn't look good on anyone.

And, now onto the lighter pinks.

These pinks are great for French manicures, or for just a feminine wash of color. Pink compliments all skintones and is work, and school, appropriate. 

 Essie's "Ballet Slippers" and "Mademoiselle" 

JulieG for Jessies Girl in "Birthday Suit"

Sally Hansen Smooth and Perfect in "04 Satin"

Rimmel French Manicure Pro in "French Rose"

These pinks are great for French manicures, or for just a feminine wash of color. Pink compliments all skintones and is work, and school, appropriate. Some are sheerer than others, but they'll all be noticeable in 2 coats, and opaque / built up in 3-4 coats.

All of these colors are brilliant, definitely pick up some of them next time you're in Ulta or CVS or where ever you buy nail polish! 

xxx,

Ashley

Benefit "Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Brightening Makeup" Review!

Hello Ladies,

Last review of the night, then I'm all caught up with reviewing-ness! Yay!

Okay, 2 weeks back I went to Sephora to buy some Benefit eyebrow stuff (keep checking back for that, review coming eventually), and the lovely lady gave me a sample of the Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Brightening Makeup. It's quite a generous sample, so I've had enough product to wear it 3 times. 

But, before I get into the actual review, this product retails for $34 and can be found at Sephora or the Benefit website. There are 9 colors, which is a good selection for a new foundation. 

However, these colors are EXTREMELY yellow/orange. I don't think I've ever met a person with this much yellow in their skin. 

Bobbi Brown foundations are pretty well known for working well with skin that has yellow undertones, but this foundation has even more yellow than the Bobbi Brown foundations! Wowza!

The actual product itself is, at first glance, nice. It glides on the skin easily and has a light coverage, so it covers up the redness in your skin nicely. Be warned, the coverage fades away the longer you wear it. And, this product does not settle into your skin. It literally sits on your skin all day, so if you rest your hand on your cheek, you'll come away with your foundation sitting on your hand! yucky! Even without a primer, it still slides off your skin. The only thing good about this foundation is the brand, because Benefit is awesome. This foundation is just, well, I think I've said enough.

All in all: this foundation stinks. 

xxx,

Ashley

My newest MAC Blush!

Hi Ladies,

Second to last review of the night! I've had a lot to fill you guys in on!

Anyway, 3 weeks ago I picked up this MAC blush in "Dainty" for $23. It's a pinky blush with minimal shimmers in it, but the shimmers don't transfer noticeably onto the face. This blush gives a nice rosy flush to your cheeks, but it's buildable enough that it could be used for "stage makeup" (meaning you can put a hell of a lot on and it'll still look decent). 

This blush is everything I wanted NARS "Orgasm" to be, but unfortunately the crudely named blush has way  too much shimmer and I can't make it work for my skintone*. 

This blush is a really good "basic" blush, because pink is a universally flattering color and most skintones can wear this. Yes, MAC has raised their price $1, but you get what you pay for, amount and quality wise.

There's a lot of blush in this container, and I doubt I'll be hitting pan anytime soon. 

I bet there are some drugstore dupes for this blush, as it is such a common color, but I don't own a blush like this. 

All in all: Great blush, probably wont repurchase for the sake of experimenting. However, see if you can find a drugstore dupe before you purchase.

xxx,

Ashley

* I don't actually own NARS Orgasm, but I have tried it in Sephora.

Recent Sephora Buys: NARS Sheer Glow foundation & Smashbox Photo Finish Oil Free Foundation Primer

Hi Ladies,

If you didn't know this already from my videos, I pretty much adore michele1218. She's one of the 3 YouTubers I call my role model. A few days ago, she posted a video about what you should get at Sephora if you're just starting to dip into the higher end makeup products.While she didn't mention the primer (that was missglamorazzi, another role model of mine), she did mention the foundation. She said that, out of all of the high end foundations, this was her favorite. Obviously, I took note of that and went to pick it up the next day. 

I originally got the color Punjab, which was so not the right color for me. I have no idea what the heck the Sephora person was thinking! That color is around an NC30-35 in Mac coloring, while I'm around an NC15 (well, lighter than an NC20. I haven't exactly tested the NC15 yet). So, I went back and exchanged Punjab for Deauville, which matches me perfectly. 

Before I started using this foundation, I was using Chanel Vitalumier Aqua, which retails for $50 compared to the $44 of the NARS. The Chanel foundation gave good coverage, but I still saw my broken capillaries peaking through, which I wasn't too fond of. But, with the NARS foundation, it covers all of my acne scars and broken capillaries while still letting my natural "skin" show through. You do have to powder this foundation, but I never get "too" shiny. Mind you, I have combination to oily skin, so the sheer glow still works perfectly for me. However, if you have really oily skin, opt for the sheer matte version. 

This foundation truly does make you look like you're glowing from within, not glowing with oil. Yech!

Now, the Smashbox primer was recommended by Ingrid (or missglamorazzi) a few videos back. While she has much oiler skin than I do, the fact that it works really well for her, regardless of the difference in skin types, made me want to pick it up ASAP. 

This primer retails for $38 at Sephora. It's an oil free, silicone based primer that comes out a "dirty white", but rubs in clear. 

I've been using the Laura Mercier Oil Free Foundation Primer (retailing for $30 at Sephora and Laura Mercier counters) for a few months now, and it wasn't doing anything for me. When it got too hot, my makeup was slipping and sliding all over my face. When it was a regular day, my foundation faded off long before it should have. With the Smashbox primer, my foundation goes on smoother and lasts longer. Even in heat! 

While this primer is $8 more than the Laura Mercier one, it's a definite staple in my makeup collection and I now can't be without it.

I've definitely found my Holy Grail foundation & primer! Well, for now anyway :)

All in all: They're 100% worth the splurge. If the base of your makeup is a big priority, get these ASAP! If you'd rather splurge on lipstick, there are good drugstore alternatives. 

xxx,

Ashley

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Lipstains: Review & Swatches!

Hi Ladies!

I've recently picked up some of the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Lipstains from CVS. Everyone on YouTube has been going absolutely bonkers over these bad boys, so I thought I'd jump the bandwagon and see what the hype is all about. There are 8-10 lip colors in the collection, ranging from pinks to nudes. I picked up 4, in the colors 25 Sweetheart Valentine, 40 Rendezvous, 20 Lovesick, and 30 Smitten, as shown in order of appearance in the swatch down below.. 

These 4 colors are the ones that I would find myself wearing the most, and the ones that I originally thought would be a bit more daring. In the container, they all look to be extremely pigmented. While that is true, they all come out a lot sheerer than intended when you swatch or wear them. 

If I had to separate the colors into "Daytime" or "NightTime" colors, I would say that 25 Sweetheart Valentine and 40 Rendezvous are more young, playful, "daytime" colors, while 20 Lovesick and 30 Smitten are more mature, a bit darker, and more appropriate for night time.

These colors go on like lipgloss, are as pigmented as lipstick, and last as long as a lipstain. Talk about a triple threat!

These colors retail for $9.99 a pop, compared to Mac Lipsticks which are $14.50.

These lipstains are purse and travel friendly, and the caps don't randomly come off in your bag which is always nice. 

However, the colors that are in this collection are similar to the regular Revlon Lipsticks and Lipbutters, so pick your colors wisely. 

                                 I swatched them all a bit more heavily so you could see the "true" color.

All in all: These are a definite steal. If you're looking for a nice flush of color, these are great. And, if you're looking for something a bit brighter, these are perfect for that as well! 

They can be found where ever Revlon is sold.

xxx,

Ashley

Maybelline "The Falsies" Mascara

Hi Ladies,

Today I tried "The Falsies" mascara for the first time, so I thought I would share my thoughts with you!

First of all, the formula is a good midway between wet and dry. My lashes don't normally respond well to super wet formulas, and I didn't get any flaking all day. So that's a good sign! 

Second, the brush reminds me a bit of the Benefit "They're Real" mascara, minus the torture ball. The wand isn't made out of harsh plastic that's rough against the lashes, but at the same time it isn't droopy or too soft either. The wand is reminiscent of an eyelash comb, but the little thingies aren't that long. It separated, lengthened, and defined my eyelashes with no clumping. 

So far, so good.

The one downfall of this mascara is that, by the end of the day, there was a bit of smudging under the eyes. Mind you, this could be because I'm sick, but still. I also didn't get the waterproof version so that could be a contributing factor. However, the smudging was minor and could be easily wiped away with a tissue/paper towel. 

This product retails for around $8 at your local drugstore/Ulta

All in all: A great drugstore mascara. Not my holy grail, but definitely one I'll consider repurchasing.

xxx,

Ashley

May Favorites 2012!

It's that time of the month again...

MAY FAVORITES!

From Left to right:

NARS Eyeshadow Duo's in Charade and Kula Lumpur ($33, Sephora & here), Clinique Sunblocks ($19-21, Sephora & here), Bath and Body Works Candle in Eucalyptus Mint ($20, bathandbodyworks.com), Bobbi Brown Bronzer ($35, Sephora & here), EcoTools bronzing brush (Ulta/Walgreens), Bare Minerals Matte Powder ($28, Sephora), Sephora Precision Foundation Brush (Sephora), Revlon Base and Top Coats ($8-10, drugstores), Jessica Simpson sandals ($29.99, Marshalls), Phone Case ($12, Local store), NARS lipgloss in Wonder ($24, Sephora and here)

Front: 

Bobbi Brown Longwear Gel Eyeliners in Cobalt and Espresso Ink ($22 each, Sephora & here), and Bobbi Brown Longwear Cream Eyeshadow in Nude Beach ($24, Sephora & here)

NARS Eyeshadow Duo's in Charade and Kula Lumpur Swatches!

Bobbi Brown Longwear Gel Eyeliners in Cobalt and Espresso Ink, Bobbi Brown Longwear Cream Eyeshadow in Nude Beach, and NARS lipgloss in Wonder

To see my May Favorites video, check out my YouTube Channel!

xxx,

Ashley