Tried and True

I've tried a lot of products over the years, and have found myself repeatedly coming back to my holy grail items. I thought it would be fun to switch things up from a styled look today to showcase what items I have been re-stocking.

Essie Gel Top Coat - I paint my nails each week, and nothing is more frustrating then when they chip a day or two later. Essie's Gel Top Coat not only sets my nails faster, but they last days longer than with a regular top coat.

MAC Studio Fix Foundation - I don't know why I ever strayed away from this holy grail makeup item, but I did and the prodigal son (errr daughter) returned sometime last year. I love how it provides a flawless canvas for the rest of my makeup without feeling like makeup. 

EOS Lip Balm - these cute little eggs are found everywhere. My purse, my bedside table, my desk at work, my makeup vanity, etc... 

Drybar Lemon Detangler Brush - I was on the hunt for a brush that would detangle my hair without breaking it. Enter Drybar who can do no wrong! I mean they invented the salon where you get a blowout for an event, and serve champs. Always winning!

Maybelline Falsies Mascara - I've tried every other brand at Target and at Sephora, and swear by Falsies even over the super pricey brands. 

Urban Decay Primer Potion - I have yet to find another eyelid primer that will hold a candle to UD. If you have, and it'll save me some pennies let me know your secrets! 

NARS Creamy Concealer - Thank you Biana for introducing me to this product! It's the best concealer for those hereditary under eye dark circles that never go away no matter how much sleep I get. 

E.L.F. Shadow Brush - Who says you need to pay more than $1 for a good eyeshadow brush? As much as I love my MAC and Sephora brushes, this little guy is in constant rotation. And yes, it truly is only $1! 

Garnier Micellar Water - my favorite makeup remover. It's easy after a late night or at the end of a long day to feel fresh faced again. 

Clarisonic Mia - I scooped one of these gadgets up back in 2011, and she's still going strong! My face always feel so much more clean after a long day in lieu of washing it with just a cleanser and water. It gets deep down to remove dirt, oil, and makeup. Well worth the price and then some! 

What are some of your health and beauty items that you find yourself coming back to?

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beauty Clarisonic DryBar Essie MAC Maybelline Urban Decay

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There's a Chill in the Air

Happy Friday! All of the excitement of the holiday season may be over, but I'm still having fun trying out Maybelline's new Big Shot Mascara and Master Precise Curvy Liquid Liner.

Mascara and Eyeliner - Maybelline

The weather is supposed to cool off this weekend, so I'm excited to break out my new scarf that H got for me from Nordstrom. I love the neutral colors, and it's super soft!

BP. Plaid Square Scarf {similar}

Speaking of the cooler weather, I'll be living in this Jack by BB Dakota moto jacket to stay warm. I'm obsessed with the cognac color and how cozy it is. I also love how it goes great with jeans and my winter whites.

Moto Jacket - Jack by BB Dakota {30% off + Free Shipping}

I'm also looking forward to breaking open my first bottle of Skinny Girl since being pregnant. I usually enjoy the Skinny Girl cocktails by the pool all summer, but this past year I had to stick to La Croix sparkling waters which are also delish by the way! The Sparkling Margarita is my favorite since it combines my two favorites together - a low cal margarita and bubbles.

I received some new Essie colors in my stocking that I can't wait to try out. I'm leaning towards painting my nail with Ready to Boa from their winter collection. Such a fun color for the next week!

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Linking up today with Rebecca for That Friday Blog Hop, April for 5 on Friday, Tif for High Five for Friday, Lauren for Fab Favorites, and Amanda for Friday Favorites. Hop on over and join us! Happy Friday!

BB Dakota beauty BP. Essie fashion Influenster Maybelline Nordstrom Skinny Girl Cocktails

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It's the little things....

One of my favorite things on Christmas morning is coming downstairs to see the stockings full of fun goodies hanging by the fireplace.

Rollerball - "Live Colorfully" by Kate Spade | Mascara - Maybelline | Lipstick - Burt's Bees | Bath Bomb - LUSH | Nail Polish - "Party on a Platform" by Essie | Candle - Bath and Body Works | Baked Highlighter - E.L.F.

I'm always so excited to see what fun treats are inside my stocking on Christmas morning, and both my mom (yes she still sends me a Christmas stocking with our gifts - isn't she fabulous?) and my husband are great at finding the perfect items to wrap in "Santa paper" aside from holiday candy. 

Rollerballs are a great stocking stuffer, since they're a lower price point than the full perfume bottle and can be kept in your purse for an on the go re-fresh. No surprise here, that I love Kate Spade's Live Colorfully. It even looks festive!

A bold lip is always a good idea, especially around the holidays. I can't get enough of Burt's Bees' new lipsticks which can be found at Target or Macys for only $9 each. The best part is they are 100% natural and provide 8 hours of moisture in the winter dry air.

I have a makeup drawer full of beautiful highlighters, but you can't beat the price of E.L.F.'s baked highlighter that you can pick up at Target. It's so shimmery and beautiful, and surprisingly pigmented for a long lasting affect. While in the makeup aisle at Target or Ulta, you can also pick up my drugstore holy grail mascara. Other than Benefit's They're Real! this is hands down my favorite mascara, as it provides the best length, volume, and long lasting power. 

Bath and Body Works has the most amazing 3-wick candles, and their holiday scents have me saying "Yankee Candle who?" Only found during the holiday season, Champagne Toast will bring you right through NYE with hints of glittering champagne, wild berries, and tangerine zest. 

Essie nail polishes and LUSH bath bombs are the perfect pampering gifts for an at home spa night. Light your Champagne Toast candle, and pour yourself a glass of wine or the whole bottle and relax. 

And who doesn't like the gift of coffee? Daily Starbucks runs are not cheap, but it is fun to treat yourself especially with all their delicious holiday drinks. A gift card peeking out of the top of your stocking is a nice finishing touch.

What are some of your favorite small treats found in your stocking on Christmas morning?

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Linking up today with Rebecca for That Friday Blog Hop, April for 5 on Friday, Tif for High Five for Friday, Lauren for Fab Favorites, and Amanda for Friday Favorites. Hop on over and join us! Happy Friday!

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If you don't already link up with the girls for H54F, hop on over and link up with Tif, Katie, or Della. I'm honored that they reached out to me to be this week's featured blogger. A fun Friday link up filled with some awesome ladies to check into each week.

Bath & Body Works beauty Burt's Bees Christmas e.l.f. Essie Kate Spade LUSH Maybelline Starbucks

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The Fun Stuff - Stocking Stuffers

One of my favorite things I look forward to on Christmas morning are the stocking stuffers. They're fun to buy, fun to wrap in "Santa paper" (red tissue paper), and they're fun to open.

DryBar Escape Plan Travel Set - All of my favorite DryBar products in a travel size set | Philosophy Purity Ornament - a festive spin on a great cleanser | Kate Spade Live Colorfully Rollerball | LUSH Luxury Lush Pud Bath Bomb - perfect for Christmas Eve | LUSH Snowcake Soap | Lindt Chocolates | Essie Nail Polish | Burt's Bees Chapstick | Maybelline Falsies | Bath and Body Works Be Joyful Lotion | Starbucks Gift Card

What are some of your favorite stocking stuffers?

Bath & Body Works DryBar Essie LUSH Maybelline Starbucks

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Every Day Makeup Routine

It's been a while since I shared my every day makeup routine, and since it evolves over the years I thought I'd share what I use on a daily basis.

If I'm running out to go shopping or getting ready for work in the morning, my basic routine is applying primer before using NARS concealer to my dark under eye circles and any other problem spots (thanks adult acne!). I then apply foundation which I'm happy to say I recently switched back to MAC's Studio Fix in NC40 and blend in the concealer. Next, I apply NARS blush in Deep Throat, and add some skin perfector across my cheekbones to brighten up my look before completing my look with my eyes.

For my eyes, I go without eyeliner during the week and just use mascara and some of Benefit's Eye Bright in the inner corners to help me look more awake. If I use eyeshadow, I am usually reaching for one of my Naked Palettes (2 and 3 are my favorite). I finish off the look with some light gloss and head out the door.

Some days, I go bare minimum with some hydrating primer, concealer, foundation, mascara, and blush.

The addition of shimmer skin perfector, eyeshadow, eye bright, and gloss are to just top off the look when I'm not in a rush or have meetings set up for the day.

What is your go-to daily look?

beauty Becca Benefit MAC Maybelline NARS Sephora Too Faced Urban Decay

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Memorial Day Beach Weekend

I couldn't be more excited for the upcoming long weekend and unofficial kick off to summer. That extra day makes such a big difference, and it makes way for a fun weekend getaway. I'm looking forward to hitting the beach, and hopefully some boat time as well while taking in the sites of the beautiful blue water. My weekend will consist of bathing suit wear and fun in the water by day, and grilling and s'mores by night.

Summer weekend getaway essentials:

Scallop Bikini - Target
Sunscreen - always practice safe sun!
BB Cream - ain't nobody got time for full makeup at the beach, and bonus points for this one containing SPF
Sunnies - for the beach and the boat
Fun tees to wear over bathing suit - Kerri wore the cutest tee to my pool party last weekend that said "Beach Please". Perfect bathing suit cover-up!
Beach hat - further sun protection for your face and neck
Beach Spray - to stay smelling fresh in the heat. This one even has soothing aloe in it!
TB Beach Towel - cute accessory for the beach
bkr Glass Water Bottle - Neiman Marcus (I'm starting to drink out of glass bottles instead of plastic due to the toxins).
SkinnyGirl Margarita Minis - perfect for the beach
Striped Weekender Bag - Target

What are some of your holiday weekend essentials?

Maybelline Michael Kors Skinny Girl Margarita Target Tory Burch

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Battle of the New Primers

I have been on the hunt for a good primer especially with the hottest and most humid months of the year fastly approaching. I've used Benefit's POREfessional and Stay Flawless in the past, and while both worked nicely, neither gave me the all day coverage I was looking for. I would say the Stay Flawless worked better than the POREfessional, but no where near the 15 hours they claim for it to work. I'd say more like 4-5 hours before I'm reaching for the oil blotting papers.

After a recommendation from the fabulous Deborah, I purchased the Too Faced Hangover Replenishing Face Primer during Sephora's Spring VIB Sale. I must say this primer is fabulous for illuminating my skin and hydration, however I still find myself reaching for oil blotting papers by lunchtime. It definitely works better than other primers I've tried in the past few years, but I still haven't found "the one". 

I've also tried Maybelline's Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser recently when I picked it up from Target *of course*. I will say it's definitely not a primer, and unfortunately I didn't see a difference in it minimizing my pores at all. I was hoping that it would compare to Benefit's POREfessional, and it definitely fell short. So much for wishing for a cheaper dupe.

I will say that it was great in smoothing out my skin before applying primer and then my regular makeup. But it just felt like an unnecessary extra step in my skin care routine, and I was disappointed that it did nothing to minimize my pores or control oil. 

What primers have you tried out lately? Any fails or total wins?

beauty Maybelline primer Too Faced

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A Great Mascara is a Girl's Best Friend

Just like every other woman, my mascara collection is rather large. Every time I think I'd like to try out a new one I always come back to my tried and true favorites.

My favorites lately have been Maybelline's Falsies and Make Up For Ever for every day, and Benefit's They're Real! for a more dramatic look on the weekends. But hands down my 2 favorites are and probably always will be Maybelline's Falsies and Benefit's They're Real! These two mascaras give my lashes the most volume and length that I have not been able to obtain with any other mascara.

Combining one of my 2 favorite mascaras with Tarte's MultiplEYE primer gives me an even more dramatic effect, and I no longer feel the need to apply false lashes for big events. 

What's your favorite mascara? Is it a drug store brand or a pricier designer brand?

Benefit Maybelline Sephora Target tarte

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The Great Concealer Debate

Concealer Comparison by greenfashionistablog

I have been cursed blessed with hereditary dark circles under my eyes, and no matter how much sleep I get they're always there. For years, I just lived with piling on extra foundation under my eyes (hello ghostly eyes in pictures with a flash!), and then I discovered Benefit's Erase Paste at Sephora. Finally a product that could cover up my dark circles and match my skin tone. All I do is take my concealer brush and dab a tiny bit under my eyes and tap it on lightly instead of rubbing it in which creates great coverage. Afterwards, I brush a little powder over it and it blends right in.

Recently, everyone keeps raving about Maybelline's Age Rewind concealer, and I was looking to try it since it appeared to have a less "cakey" consistency to it, plus it's about $20 cheaper than Erase Paste. However, I was pretty disappointed with it. It doesn't provide nearly as much coverage as the Erase Paste or last all day. I was surprised since so many people seem to love it, and I am a loyal user of their Falsies mascara and Baby Lips products.

Erase Paste may be $26 for a little jar, but that little jar lasts me longer than a year plus it works better than any other product I've tried.

What's your concealer of choice?

beauty Benefit Maybelline

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