Clinique Haul

Little haul from Clinique today!

Left to Right: Chubby Stick in Woppin' Watermelon, Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel for Combination to Combination Oily Skin, Free Gift- cosmetic bag with 7 free gifts! (Listed below)

Today, I stopped into the Clinique counter at Dillard's to find a daytime moisturizer that would work well with my oily skin.  The girl at the counter was so helpful in finding one for me, too.  I settled on the Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel for combination oily to oily skin. 

Next, I made my way to the display of Chubby Sticks.  The pinks looked so pretty for spring that I picked one of those up as well: #06, Woppin' Watermelon.  It's a lovely, glossy light pink that also moisturizes as a balm. 

Right now, Clinique has a promotion that when you spend $27, you get a free 7 piece gift in an adorable cosmetic bag!  Here's what I got:

Left to Right: Different Nail Enamel for Sensitive Skin in Sugared Grapefruit, Even Better Makeup in Ivory, Different Lipstick in Sugared Grapefruit, Lasg Doubling Mascara in Black, Dramatically Different Moisturing Lotion+ in Very Dry to Combination Dry, Take The Day Off Makeup Remover. 

I think the makeup bag it came with is the cutest.  It's roomy enough to fit your daily cosmetics, or even enough to throw in your weekend bag.  Overall, pretty excited for these purchases.  Can't really go wrong with all natural cosmetics for sensitive skin!

xxoo,

Alexis 

Spring Beauty Favorites

There are so many beauty and skincare products I've been loving so far for Spring!  Pops of pink and shimmering orchids have been my go-to as the weather warms up; I can't get enough!

I've grabbed a bunch of my favorite beauty products and photographed them outside, because the weather was just too gorgeous to resist!

So here you go, my 2014 Spring Beauty Favorites.

Top Row:  elf blush in Pink Passion, Lorac TANtalizer Highlighter & Matte Bronzer Duo, Ralph Lauren Polo for Women Big Pony #2.

Bottom Row: Formula 10.0.6 Pores Be Pure Skin Clarifying Mud Mask, Tarte Airbrush Finish Bamboo Blush Brush, Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser, Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation in #53, Light Beige.

Left to Right: MAC Cremesheen lipstick in Creme Cup, Rimmel London Lasting Finish Kate Moss Lipstick in 109, Maybelline Color Whisper in #40, Orange Attitude, Revlon Super Lustrous Gloss in #230, Sugar Violet, Nivea Lip Butter in Raspberry Rose' Kiss.

Top Row: Urban Decay Naked3 Palette.

Bottom Row: Benefit Posie Tint, Maybelline Color Tattoos in Bad to the Bronze and Pomegranate Pink, Benefit High Beam Highlighter.

*NOTE: these reviews have gotten a bit lengthy, so feel free to skip to the products that interest you most!

xxoo,

Alexis 

Swatches and Reviews:

Pores Be Pure Skin-Clarifying Mud Mask: 

I adore this mask!  It's perfect for oily skin like mine.  Just a quarter-sized dab all over the face for fifteen minutes does the trick!  It gets rid of so many blackheads on my nose and chin, tightens my skin, and minimizes my pores. I can even feel the mask warming and tingling as I wear it.  It's also got a sweet, strawberry scent that's pleasant while you've got it on.  Glowing, lovely skin all around!  $5.99, Ulta

Tarte Airbrush Finish Bamboo Blush Brush:

There's a mouthful.  This brush is absolutely insane.  I found it on Amazon a while back, and it was on sale for only $12 at the time.  I'd been wanting to purchase a high end brush, but I just didn't want to splurge!  But I must say... what a miracle this little baby was.  Its bamboo handle is strong and sleek, and the golden detail is gorgeous.  It's made from natural, cruelty-free materials (Tarte is VERY big on that, and it's one of my favorite things about the brand!) and feels like silk on my skin.  It holds product very well, and is incredibly easy to apply and blend my blush with.  I can't seem to find it at Sephora or tarte.com anymore, but a similar brush, the Bamboo Foundation blush can be found online!  $32, Sephora.

Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser:

Maybelline's lovechild of the massively popular Baby Lips line and a new "pore erasing" skin primer.  It's slick and blendable, and reminds me of Smashbox's Photo Finish Light Primer, which is one of my favorite skin primers.  It has a bit of a silicone feel to it, and glides onto the skin.  I recommend washing your face and ridding it of oil before you apply this primer, though, if you have oily skin.  But I must say, this is a great dupe of the Smashbox primer!  Minimizes my pores, helps my foundation go on more easily, keeps it all in place!  Great new product from Maybelline.  $6.99, Ulta. 

Lorac TANtalizer Highlighter & Matte Bronzer Duo:

This was originally a last-minute pickup at the Ulta checkout counter for me.  The Lorac bronzer duo comes in a full size and a mini for the makeup bag, which is the one I grabbed a few months ago.  I'm not a massive fan of shimmery bronzers for everyday wear, so this matte one was perfect for me!  Just a dab of this blended along the hollows of my cheeks and along my jawline and temples gives me a healthy sun-kissed glow.  The shimmering highighter looks great brushed along cheekbones, and it really brightens up the face.  Great go-to bronzing kit!  $12, Ulta.

Ralph Lauren Polo for Women Big Pony #2:

My favorite springtime scent!  Big Pony has a soft, fruity scent that's fun, light and easy to wear.  I've worn this for nearly three years and it hasn't failed me yet!  $56 for 1.7 oz, Sephora.

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation in #53, Light Beige.

This is a product I've heard about for ages from YouTube beauty vloggers, most notably Estee' EssieButton (one of my favorite favorite favorite vloggers, click the link and check her out!) who talks about her love of this foundation in so many videos! (<<<click click)  But this foundation feels like heaven on the skin.  No, really.  It's the greatest formulation I've ever come across.  It's hydrating, but doesn't make my skin oilier.  It just gives me a soft, subtle glow.  Though, the shades are a bit yellow toned, so if you have more pink undertones to your skin, I recommend trying before you buy.  The package claims 16 hour wear, and I find with a primer and a setting powder, mine really does last a long time.  It is made with fruit extracts as well, which gives a refreshing touch to the skin.  All in all, a gorgeous, foundation!  Though, I have yet to find a store that sells the Bourjois brand in the States.  I purchased mine from Asos online, but if anyone knows of a retailer in the US, leave a comment please!  $18.80, Asos.

elf Blush in Pink Passion:
This is just such a lovely blush.  A pretty pop of pink, well pigmented, and a lovely highlight on the cheeks.  And such a bargain!  I live for well-made drugstore products.  I have three shades of elf blushes, but Pink Passion is such a favorite, especially for the Spring!  $3, Target (in store), elf.com

Top to Bottom: Nivea Lip Butter in Raspberry Rose' Kiss, Revlon Super Lustrous Lip Gloss in Sugar Violet, Maybelline Color Whispers in Orange Attitude, Rimmel London Kate Moss Lasting Finish Lipstick in 109, MAC Cremesheen Lipstick in Creme Cup.

Lipsticks:

These five lip products all have different finishes, and are perfect for any occasion.

I love using the Nivea Lip Butter at night to wake up with softer lips, or whenever they're feeling a bit chapped, I pop this on and get a light pink shine and a lot of moisture. $2.99, Ulta.

The Revlon Super Lustrous in Sugar Violet is a shimmering light violet color.  It's a bit of vivacious purple to go on top of a bright purple lipstick, or if you choose to tone it down and wear it alone, it's a pop of shimmer and sparkle.  $7.99, Ulta.

Maybelline Color Whispers are the best Spring and Summer lipsticks in my opinion.  They go on soft like a balm and leave a pretty wash of color on the lips without being sticky or overbearing.  Orange Attitude is a soft orange, more like a coral, and goes on weightlessly.  A great Spring shade!  $4.74, Target.

The Kate Moss line of lipsticks from Rimmel London were very high on my wish list for a long time, and I can definitely say they were worth the hype!  I bought two shades, but the one shown here is a gorgeous bright orange, shade 109.  It has a matte finish, but isn't drying on the lips.  Goes great with the Color Whispers over it for a soft glossy finish as well!  $5.49, Ulta.

I've done a blog post before on my MAC lipstick collection, and this gem was featured!  MAC's Creme Cup is a gorgeous pink-nude, soft and creamy with a subtle shine, it's the perfect color for everyday wear. $16, maccosmetics.com

Urban Decay Naked3 Eyeshadow Palette:

Boy, oh boy this is the greatest.  And I do not say that lightly.  This palette is my holy grail eyeshadow palette.  Pinks and golds and silvers and everything in between, the rose gold themed Naked palette caused a craze when it was released last November, and when I got mine, I just hugged it.  Really.  I hugged it.  It's so incredibly beautiful inside and out, with such wonderful color payoff.  I'm probably going to do a blog post/tutorial on it very soon!  $52, Ulta.

Benefit High Beam and Posietint:

Such an adorable highlighter and cheek stain.  Benefit's High Beam is a pearly, soft cream highlighter that's great for adding a bit of brightness to cheekbones and browbones, anywhere you want a little shimmer.  Paired with Posietint, a poppy pink lip and cheek stain, it's just the right amount of brightness.  Posietint on the lips makes for a gorgeous stain that really will stay all day.  $13 mini set, Ulta.

Maybelline Color Tattoos Cream Eyeshadows in Bad to the Bronze, left, and Pomegranate Pink, right.  (BTTB, top swatch, PP, bottom swatch) :

I've begun to love cream eyeshadows lately!  They're smooth, easy to apply, and have massive staying power.  When I'm in a rush, I just apply a bit of the eyeshadow on my lids and blend it out, and I've got a gorgeous pop of color that brightens my eyes.  It also works wonders as a base for eyeshadows in the Naked3 palette.  These gold and pink colors are fantastic on their own, or blended with other eyeshadows.  All in all, a great buy.  $6.99, Ulta.

I hope you enjoyed my Spring Beauty Favorites!  Just a little compilation of things to doll up with in the warmer weather.  

xxoo,

Alexis

Photo Credits, Valley of the Dolls:

Do Not Shrink Yourself

"It is so important to state your feelings of inconvenience as a woman. 
We are instructed to tailor ourselves and our discomfort - constantly told that we are ‘whining’ and ‘nagging’ and ‘complaining too much.’ 
That kind of silence is horribly violent, that kind of insistence upon uniformly nodding in agreement to your own despair, and smiling emptily so no man is ever uncomfortable around us.
Male-entitlement dictates a woman’s silence. 
If we could see the mimetic model of the erasure of a woman’s voice, it would be an incredibly bloody sight."
-Mehreen Kasana, A Woman of War.


The world we live in is decidedly male-dominated.  In the patriarchal society we grow up in, it is instilled in young girls from day one, some way or another, that you must make yourself smaller to accommodate, to make space for men.

If a man catcalls you on the street, you are not to shout at him-- that is rude.  Smile politely, he complimented you after all, didn't he?  The whoops and hollers from strange, intimidating men on the street mean that you're an attractive woman.  You should enjoy hearing "nice legs, sweetheart" and any other witty remark that comes from a man too cowardly to get your attention any other way than a whistle on the street.

Boys don't like smart girls.  Don't show off, you can't put a boy to shame with your higher intellect, your better skills.  That would crush his fragile ego, wouldn't it?  Then boys will never like you!

Smush yourself into your seat to make way for the man that barrels by you on the train without excusing himself.  You were probably in his way after all.  He must be very busy.  You should apologize.

Right?

This is the way it's supposed to be.  As a woman,  you apologize for taking up too much space.

Brilliant feminist and novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie addressed this topic in a TED talk in April of 2013.  You may recognize this excerpt, which was sampled on Beyoncé's song, ***Flawless:

"We teach girls to shrink themselves, to make themselves smaller. We say to girls,'You can have ambition, but not too much. You should aim to be successful, but not too successful, otherwise you will threaten the man.'"

And this is the way it has been.  Any ambition or intelligence or passion you have ought to be toned down so the man is not threatened or scared away.

But this is utterly and completely untrue.  

As a woman, you have every advantage within yourself.  Women are strong, both mentally, emotionally, and physically, despite what misogynists may have to say.  As both a woman and a human being, you have a brilliant mind.  Do not let anyone take that from you.  Do not diminish yourself.  Do not hide, do not suppress, do not settle.

You are an enigma.  You are a paradox.  You can be anything and everything you've ever desired.  You can be passionate, you can be brilliant, you can be strong, because you are all those things.

Strong women change the world.

Do not let anyone dictate how you carry yourself.  Do not let strangers harass you in the streets.  Do not let anyone force you to do something you do not want to do.  Do not let anyone make you feel like you are anything less than an inferno.

You are bright, you are dangerous, you are awe-inspiring.

Women are not a force to be reckoned with.  Women are not fragile.  Women can destroy, women can create, women can have anything in this world in the palm of their hand if they so choose.

So let your feelings of inconvenience be known.  Make this world a better place for you to live in, and do not let anyone make you believe that this world is not yours for the taking.

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Below:  "Valley of the Dolls", a collage of diverse, beautiful, strong women I created for a project. 

Be empowered.

Photo credits (x)

ootd

Just a quick outfit of the day post!  Heading off to work this morning in something a bit warm and cozy to brave the chilly fog!

Sweater-- Topshop chunky knit sweater, $80 (sale for $25)

Skirt-- Rolla Coaster, found at TJ Maxx

Tights-- Target

Flats-- Vintage

Makeup Of The Day:

Primer-- Maybelline Baby Skin

Concealer-- Maybelline Fit Me Concealer, Shade Fair

Foundation-- Bourjois Healthy Mix, Shade Light Beige
Powder-- MAC Studio Fix Foundation and Powder, Shade NC-20

Highlighter-- elf Shimmering Facial Whip, Shade Lavender Whip

Bronzer/Blush-- elf Contouring Blush and Bronzer Duo in St. Lucia

Eyeliner-- elf Liquid Eyeliner, Shade Black

Mascara-- Benefit They're Real!

Lipstick-- MAC Heroine

Lip Gloss-- Revlon Super Lustrous, Shade Sugar Violet

*If you'd like a tutorial on this makeup look, leave a comment below! :)

High End Dupes

Walking through the high end displays at Sephora and Ulta is one of my favorite things to do when shopping.  I'm always drawn in by Benefit and Nars and MAC, and every once in a while I'll bring myself to splurge on something pretty.  (My favorite mascara is Benefit's They're Real!, and it's got to be my favorite high end purchase to this day!)

But let's be real, we can't always spend $30, $40, or $50+ on makeup and skincare.  Whether you want to find a drugstore product that works just as well as the high end brand, or you're one of those who likes to try before you buy, there are the classic drugstore dupes!

I've compiled three of my favorite dupes for high end products, all great quality and a great, quick buy if you've got a couple of bucks to spare!

Benefit's High Beam vs. elf's Shimmering Facial Whip (shade- 'lavender whip')

Left: elf Shimmering Facial Whip in Lavender Whip ($1, Target)
Right: Benefit High Beam mini [not for indiv. sale] Full Size ($26, Ulta, Sephora)

Both products are shimmering cream highlighters for your cheekbones, browbones, lips, etc.

Top: elf Shimmering Facial Whip
Bottom: Benefit High Beam

Before being blended, the elf facial whip is a touch more pink than High Beam, although it gives the same shimmer.

Top: elf Shimmering Facial Whip
Bottom: Benefit High Beam

Once blended, the difference between the two is much more subtle.  elf's has a soft, pinky sheen to it, whereas Benefit's is a paler cream shade.  A great highlighter dupe!

MAC's Diva vs. Wet 'n Wild's Dark Wine

Left: MAC Diva ($16, maccosmetics.com, MAC Counters)
Right: Wet 'n Wild Dark Wine ($1.89, Walgreens, Target, Walmart)

Both lipsticks are deep burgundy wine shades.

Top: Wet 'n Wild Dark Wine

Bottom: MAC Diva 

Wet 'n Wild's shade is a bit more glossy than matte, but if you're one who wants to try out a dark shade of lipstick before splurging, this is the one for you!

elf's Contouring Blush & Bronzer in St. Lucia vs. NARS Duo in Orgasm & Laguna

elf Blush & Bronzer in St. Lucia ($3, Target)

elf Blush & Bronzer in St. Lucia

NARS Duo in Orgasm and Laguna, ($41, Sephora)

*NOTE: I do not personally own the NARS duo, but have used it before.  Swatches above via peaceloveandglitter.com.

The elf duo is a touch more peachy than NARS's, but if you are searching for a blush/bronzer combo to test out the waters before breaking the bank, I recommend this dupe!

There are hundreds of dupes for all your favorite high end products on the market, and I am a huge advocate of the try-before-you-buy ideal!  Hope some of these swatches help you in the search for the perfect palette.

My MAC Lipstick Collection

Since the first time I laid eyes on a MAC lipstick, I've been hooked.  The sleek packaging, the ever-growing selection of shades and finishes, the pretty warm vanilla scent-- it all draws me in!  With over 150 shades and ten finishes (retro matte, matte, satin, amplified, amplified creme, cremesheen, cremesheen pearl, lustre, frost, and glaze)* that flatter nearly every skin tone, it really isn't hard to see why MAC is a favorite of beauty darlings and makeup artists alike.

*An extensive explanation of the finishes here!

My first MAC lipstick purchase was just under a year ago when Rihanna released her first line with the company, the wildly popular RiRi-Hearts-Mac Summer collection.  It featured three shades of lipsticks, a cool blue-toned matte red, RiRi Woo (a cult favorite, and my first lipstick purchase!), a dirty berry, Heaux, and a playful lavender, RiRi Boy.  It sold out in record time and became so popular that MAC has done a series of two more RiRi Woo launches, both in Fall and Winter 2013.  I managed to snag RiRi Woo the afternoon it went on sale online, and after three grueling days of waiting, finally received my new treat in the mail.  With one glance of Rihanna's signature printed with a flourish on the side of the incredibly matte lipstick itself, I knew I was absolutely hooked on this brand.

MAC's packaging, presentation, and quality have made me come back over and over again, resulting in a collection of 11 different lipstick shades from the brand.  (Let's not do the math on eleven lipsticks at $16 a piece... Yikes.)

But without further ado, I present to you my extensive MAC lipstick collection, along with wrist and lip swatches!  Enjoy!

For reference:  My skin tone is a MAC "NC-20", Cover Girl "Buff Beige", Bourjois "Light Beige".

I've gone in order from my nudes and pinks, all the way to the brighter colors like the reds and plums.

First up: Nudes and Pinks!

Top Row:  Honeylove (Matte), Creme Cup (Cremesheen)
Bottom Row: Please Me (Matte), Candy Yum-Yum (Matte)

Honeylove is a warm, peachy-toned nude matte, and I find it personally to be my perfect nude!
Creme Cup, another cult favorite, is a very wearable pink-toned nude.  It's got a lovely sheen to it and is the perfect pair with a dark, smoky eye.
Please Me is a soft blue-toned pink.  Perfect with a gloss or on its own as a matte color.
Candy Yum-Yum is the truest of all Barbie pinks!  A bright neon punch of color, it's perfect with a simple cateye, and is so fun for going out.  I always get compliments on this baby!

Next in line: Reds!

Top Row: Relentlessly Red (Retro Matte), RiRi Woo (Retro Matte)
Bottom Row: Prepare for Pleasure (Cremesheen), Viva Glam Rihanna (Frost)

*NOTE: (I apologize for the lighting in these pictures!  It was difficult to capture the true color in these, but the wrist swatches below help to differentiate!)

Relentlessly Red is a true retro matte, meaning it is the most matte formulation MAC makes!  It has a lovely shine free finish, and is a pink-toned red, lighter than the others.
RiRi Woo is my absolute favorite, go-to red!  It is a perfect retro matte, blue-toned red, and the blue tones make your teeth look even whiter, a definite plus!  My absolute favorite.
Prepare for Pleasure was from MAC's Divine Night holiday 2013 collection, and has gorgeous gold packaging (shown below).  It is a soft, shiny cremesheen formulated magenta-red.  Soft, glossy, and lovely!
Viva Glam Rihanna is my latest purchase!  Its frosted formula gives it a slight shimmer with small golden flecks in the blue-red lipstick.  Also, every cent from the Viva Glam collection lipsticks goes to helping men, women, and children everywhere with AIDS.  Wonderful colors for a wonderful cause!

And, finally:  The Purples!

Top Row: Heroine (Matte), Rebel (Satin)
Bottom Row: Diva (Matte), Full Collection in Packaging

*NOTE: (Again, apologies for the lighting and swatch quality!  Better color payoff in wrist swatches below!)

Heroine was just recently re-released by MAC after its enormous popularity in a past collection, and it is new to me as well!  It is a matte, true purple.  A definite attention-getter!  This color looks phenomenal on women with dark skin tones!
Rebel is a satiny, creamy plum.  My first dark lipstick purchase as well!  It goes on like a dream, and looks even better with a plum liner underneath.  I use Rimmel's Ravishing, but MAC's Nightmoth liner is also a perfect match!
Diva, the classic, killer burgundy-wine matte is a fantastic Autumn-Winter shade. (Or wear it in the Summer or Spring, who needs rules to wear lipstick?)  Paired with strong brows and a confident attitude, no one can go wrong with Diva.

Wrist Swatches!

L to R:  Honeylove, Creme Cup, Please Me, Candy Yum-Yum, Relentlessly Red, RiRi Woo, Prepare for Pleasure, Viva Glam Rihanna, Heroine, Rebel, Diva.

(Here's that pretty gold packaging I told you about!)

So for anyone looking for a high quality lipstick with great color payoff, or if you're just looking for a way to treat yourself, MAC is definitely the route I choose to go!

*NOTE:  All lipsticks were applied without lipliner, these are swatches just how they appear in the tube.

Self-Love

It's like the whole world is against you, isn't it? 

Everywhere you go, anything you do-- nothing but petty, venom-soaked criticism.  Snickers and mutters from those you hardly even know.  Yet the primal need to fit in is there.  It burns in the tiniest pit of your stomach.  Humans ache for acceptance, for love.  And don't we all know the easiest means of this is b l e n d i n g  i n ?  Stretching yourself thin so as to not make a sound, to not disturb the peace.

Ladies aren't supposed to do that.  That's not for you, sweetie.  Be a bit softer.  

But why?  Why must you fit in?  Where in the world does it spell out the consequences for being different?  

Different is memorable.  Different changes the world.

Uniqueness.  Confidence.  Courage.  Shock-Value.  All under the best of intentions, these are the qualities that shake the foundation we live on.

Silence the critics.  Cause an eruption.  Be an earthquake.  Rattle the ground you walk on, and love every second of it.

Put on that bright lipstick, wear those boots, color your hair, cut your hair, shave your hair, make your outer self reflect the unique beauty that shines from the inside.

Be an inferno.  Light up a room.  You are not a candle.  You are an explosion.  You make people stare in awe.  You are your own temple, treat yourself as such.

And anyone who doesn't believe so?  Well.  Let them learn for themselves.

Love yourself, even when it's hard, and I swear it will be the best thing you'll ever do.