So May was most definitely the month of makeup for me. I don't know what it was - maybe (finally) having a predictable schedule coupled with discovering some pretty great items, but a lot of my favorites this month are things that are actually quite new to me. Though I will say, on the lipgloss front - I've rekindled some old flames. I've been a gloss and bronzer hoarder this month and the looks I've put together lately definitely show that!

Eyes - 

- Wet N Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow Single in Brule: Everyone talks about this, but I didn't think I needed a single matte, beige shadow since they'res almost always one included in most eyeshadow palettes. I was wrong. I needed this. You need this. Everyone needs this. I'll be doing a separate review for this because it literally warrants one.

- L'Oreal Voluminous Butterfly Mascara: I fell in LOVE with this recently. I've had it for a short time already, but I feel like it's one of those mascaras that work better after you have it open for a couple weeks. This makes my lashes look phenomenal - I really like the way it makes them look more wispy and separated. Literally, there are no clumps whatsoever.

- L'Oreal Voluminous Miss Manga Mascara: Did I buy this for the packaging? Absolutely. I am SO IN LOVE with the way this makes my lashes look - it gives me great volume without clumpiness and does not transfer whatsoever. 

- Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner in Demolition: I wasn't completely enamored with this when I got it as part of a set with Zero (surprise - I can't get away from that darn liner) and Rockstar (which I wanted for like ever!). It is a matte finish liner so it doesn't perform as well on the waterline as I needed, but this is great for smokey looks!

Lips...make a cup of tea - we're gonna be here a while...

- Revlon Lip Butter in Wild Watermelon: I'm not entirely sure how long I had this in my collection before I started really appreciating it, but I've really been reaching for this a whole lot this month and it's not a far stretch to say that this has become my "summer red". It's glossy and bright enough to be a more casual red for the daytime (I wore this was to a 9am doctor's appointment...it's fair game to say I'm a morning person now...) but has great pigmentation.

- Maybelline Color Elixirs in Luminous Lilac and Luxe in Lilac: I reviewed these earlier this week and if you can still get your hands on these, do it! I love the formula of the Color Elixir range and I just keep collecting them more and more.

- Maybelline Color Sensational High Shine Gloss in Mirrored Mauve: This is one of my favorite gloss textures in the drugstore (or in general, for that matter) but I'm finding that they're not sold everywhere they used to be. I'm really hoping that they're not getting phased out, but I may or may not have all but a few already. By the way, if I have any Florida readers (Woo!), I've seen these at Publix for as low as $6 and change.

- Maybelline Color Whisper in Lust for Blush: Last Maybelline today, I swear! I've recently rediscovered this one and I feel like I under appreciated the Color Whisper formula. I find it incredibly comfortable to wear and this shade works with nearly everything...not to mention I don't look totally crazy wearing this at 6am with little more than blush/bronzer and mascara.

- Milani Brilliant Shine Lipgloss in Bare Secret: Everyone was raving about this gloss formula and I'm happy to say, I've jumped on the bandwagon. They'res something about the texture that just really, really works. I also really appreciate this shade because it's a darker take on a nude gloss so it doesn't pull to warm on my skin.

- NYX Butter Glosses in Tiramisu and Eclair: I'm trying to lose weight and I swear, sometimes wearing one of these is close enough to eating something that would tank my diet. I don't know how they made them smell so good, but I am impressed! Scent aside, I really like this formula, and the fact that the lighter shades don't sink into lip lines. I may or may not be hoarding these as well...

Cheeks - 

- Maybelline Master Hi-Light Bronzer in Light Bronze: 9 times out of 10, I wear bronzer in lieu of blush rather than to actually make myself appear more tan. I just really like the look of it - its just something I'm into lately. That being said; I love this formula and texture and Maybelline needs more colors in the range.

- Wet N Wild Color Icon Blush in Pearlescent Pink: Again, everyone said I needed it and I didn't think I needed it. Update - I needed it. This has a lovely texture, is an easy color to wear and amazing color payoff.

- Physicians Formula Sexy Booster Sexy Glow Blush in Natural: I've been loving me some Physicians Formula as of late - I caught a BOGO at Target earlier this month and now all I want is for Physicians Formula to go on sale again. I love this blush - it's super pigmented but has a natural looking sheen and smells (yes, smells) amazing.

Skin - 

- La Mer The Oil Absorbing Lotion: It very much bears mention that this is a sample size that I received a voucher for in a magazine. If I become extremely famous or win 3 consecutive lotteries, I'd consider purchasing a full size of this, but $240 for a moisturizer that doesn't really mattify my skin that much is wayyyyy to steep. What I like about this is the way it feels on my skin - I can get the luxury to this, because my skin eats this stuff up. It feels incredible. It even smells expensive. Let's just say, I'm using this sparingly. 

- Kat Von D Lock It Tattoo Concealer: I've had a decent skin month, but when I did get happen to get spots, they were stark contrasts from the rest of my skin. This stuff covers anything. The cool thing about it though, is that it's so incredibly easy to blend and really doesn't cake up.

Nails - 

- Out The Door Fast Dry Top Coat: Team Out The Door for LIFE. I love this so much more than Seche Vite - the texture is so much thinner but still dries quickly and leaves a high gloss and I feel like my polish stays on for a bit longer which is nearly impossible for my nails. LOVE.

- CoverGirl Outlast Glosstini in Rogue Red: This is so worth the three coats to reach opacity. Trust me. I love the dimension to this - and the fact it's on clearance at CVS right now!

Brushes - 

- ELF Studio Flawless Concealer Brush: This guy is besties with my Kat Von D concealer. It's like I photoshopped my blemishes off of my face in real life...

- SOHO Pro Contour Blush Brush: This has been my bronzer brush of choice this month; I feel like it distributes the perfect amount of product without going overboard and blends in the process.

Fragrance - 

- Victoria's Secret Very Sexy Now 2014: If you ever want to know what a grown up, sexy, tropical fragrance smells like; it's this. This has Coconut, Quince and Gardenia and is literally unlike anything else I have in my collection.

May has been...Positive. For the most part. I'm definitely feeling my work schedule - I enjoy working early mornings and having the rest of the day to, as I put it, "be a person". I feel like the consistency has done me good; I feel happy and healthy. Other than that, not much else has changed this month. I guess no news is good news? Maybe!

What were you guys loving this month?

November Favorites!

It's here - my all time favorite time of the year! Between Christmas and my birthday and all the festivities, I simply just LOVE December!

If I'm going to be 100% transparent, I will say that November was a pretty good month for me. I've made some decisions in my life that have made me much happier and I'm feeling much better. Coincidentially, I've been wearing more makeup because I've actually wanted to put effort into..well, anything, so I'm glad to be back.

As the year is starting to round up and the weather is getting a bit cooler and drier, this is what I've  been loving.

Tools - 

- Forever 21 "Rad" Makeup Bag: My sister bought this for me when I saw it because it perfectly goes with the name of this blog. Its so cute, easy to clean and a pretty good size. I hold all of my daily skincare items in this one.

- EcoTools Custom Coverage Buffing Brush: This is my FAVORITE brush for powder foundation as of late. It is literally bluntly flat across the top and is a somewhat small brush, but I like to use it to tap powder foundation onto my face to minimize pores and then swirl to buff out.

- ELF Blush Brush: I never really reached for this a whole lot until recently, but I really like the precision that the smaller taper of this brush provides.

Eyes - 

- MAC Haux: This is a shade that I simply just haven't used a whole lot since I bought it, but I did a lot of looks with the next shadow that I will mention all over the lid and this in the crease and it was perfectly polished.

- MAC Phloof!: I originally bought this because my MAC palette was severely lacking a highlight shade, but I've been more often than not wearing this all over the lid or in the inner third of the lid. Its super pigmented, especially for such a light shade and I love it.

- Urban Decay Naked and Buck: I've jumped on the bandwagon of using these two shades through my brows. I use Buck to shape and lengthen and Naked to kind of blend everything together and make it look more natural.

- LORAC 3D Liquid Lustre Set: I reviewed these the other day, but I've been all about some sparkle lately, and these were surprisingly easy to work with. 

- Maybelline Color Tattoo in Barely Branded - I put off buying this for so long because I had a limited edition shade from a couple seasons ago called Barely Beige that is very similar. I gave in and got this one with a CVS coupon because its a bit pinker than Barely Beige...though Maybelline needs to stop recycling these names! Woah!

- Maybelline Illegal Lengths Waterproof Mascara: I have a love hate relationship with this mascara to say the least. It is a pain in the butt to remove and I think I can attribute that to the fact that I accidentally bought the waterproof - but I will say, I love the brush.

Lips -

- Rimmel Stay Glossy 3D Lip Gloss in Popcorn For Two: MAC had a Cremesheen Glass in the holiday collection that was a nude with a green shift to it, but this one has a much more pronounced shift. Not to mention, the texture of this gloss is wonderful!

- Holiday Chapstick in Gingerbread: Its been a while since I've used Chapstick, and I have no idea why! This one tastes great and festive and makes my lips feel great.

- Walgreens EOS Dupe in Sugar Cookie: This balm has a yummy, strong, caramel-y taste and in all honesty, I like the texture of this better than the real EOS balms. It has much more slip to it.

 - MAC Blankety: This was supposed to be in my favorites for last month, but I misplaced it. I found it in the depths of my lip gloss drawer - what the heck? - but I've been wearing this shade over and over. Its a perfect My Lips But Better brownish nude for my skin and I love it.

 - NARS Train Bleu: I did it...I finally got it. Just look at it. I. Am. In. Love.

Face - 

- Victoria's Secret Baked Mineral Blush in Surrender: This was the first blush I ever wore on a regular basis, and it gives me unrealistically high expectations for mineral blushes. It is incredibly finely milled and silky and MAC Mineralized Blushes have nothing on this baby.

- MAC Studio Fix Powder Foundation in NC15: This has been a godsend this month. I've been wearing it alone with primer for a quick face, or with a light hand and a duo fiber brush as a setting powder (DON'T WHINE at me about using this as a setting powder, I know its not.)

Fragrance: 

- The Body Shop Honeymania Body Butter: I've been wanting this for some time, so I'm glad I finally picked it up. Needless to say, I've made a dent already.

- Victoria's Secret Angel Dream: I love this fragrance. Its got a tart-ness to it that I just love on my skin.

I'm really excited about this month, in all honesty. I'm ready for holiday makeup and candles and birthday festivities. I just LOVE DECEMBER!

ELF 12 Piece Nail Collection for Holiday 2013 - Swatches and First Impressions.

I'm alive - I swear. Its been a heck of a couple weeks here. I've got a whole lot to blog about too! The problem is simply getting more than 5 minutes at a computer...

Last year, my mother gave me the ELF Holiday Nail Collection for Christmas, so when I saw this year's version at Walgreens today...I basically had to. Great value and great shades.

I was able to swatch all of them out for you all and I'll include my thoughts on each shade in order.

The packaging of these was the same as last year - minus two shades. There were 14 in last year's collection.

The color story of this years kit was a bit different as well. The tops are all white - versus black - and it's overall a bit rosier than last years taupe feel.

Starting in the lower left and going clockwise these are:

- Wedding Bells: This shade is a very fair pinky nude. It took three coats to even out patchiness.

- Desert Haze: This is my favorite kind of nude shade. Its definitely a cooler toned nude with gray tones. This was two coats and this shade is permanently available.

- Nude: A very rosy nude. Reminds me a lot of Expresso by Sally Hansen. This one was 2 coats and is available in the permanent range.

- Prissy Chrissy: If you mixed a nude with a light orange, this would be the shade you get. It looks very warm against my skin. It took 3 coats for full opacity and is available permanently.

- Blush: Rose gold - Basically everybody's favorite this fall! Its not quite as powerful as other rose gold polishes in my collection and took about three coats to build up completely. 

- Gold Star: This shade is a repeat from last year's collection, but I find this one much easier to work with. Far less thick and has a better distribution of glitters. The swatch shows three coats and the shade is also available in the permanent line. 

- Smokin' Hot: A bright, reddish fuchsia and was good in two coats. This is also available permanently.

- Raspberry Sorbet: This is more of a true fuchsia with cooler tones. Two coats, no trouble and available permanently. 

- Purple Pleaser: Probably one of my favorite shades of the bunch. Its a deep berry shade that reminds me of like eight different lipsticks that I own - so expect some matching lips and tips! This almost didn't need a second coat, but I included one for good measure. 

- Sea Escape: This is another repeat from last year. Its a really dark blackened blue base with teal shimmer in it and is actually really pretty. This took two coats to hit opacity and is a permanently available shade.

- Purple Dream: I have a theory that a shiny topcoat will bring out the duo-chrome to this shade quite a bit. Its a medium purple with a pinkish shift to it and looks really pretty in the bottle too! Also a permanent shade.

- Gina Girl: This shade is a purple-y jelly base with purple and silver glitters. The varying sizes of the glitters make this one very fun. This is a permanently available shade.

I picked this up on a whim, and I'm not all to upset that I did so. I love how many neutrals are available in this kit and I'll definitely be getting some use out of them - Though, that Purple Pleaser, man. GORGEOUS. 

October Favorites!

I don't know if it was Halloween, but I'm SO incredibly late with my favorites this month. I apologize - I guess the end of the month snuck up on me and when you couple that with not taking photos for this post until the first couple days of the month (not to mention working a 16 hour day yesterday..) it makes for me being tardy to the party. Sorry guys!

I decided to be Ursula the Sea Witch from The Little Mermaid this year for Halloween. The look was so much fun and I used so much makeup! I had so much fun with the look!

Partway because of the Halloween season I've been having a whole lot of fun with my makeup as of late - so, as you will see, I came across a lot of favorites this month!

Eyes:

I've been playing with different products this month, so most of these are actually fairly new!

- Darling Girl Eyeshadow in Bad Ash: Since it was October, I was playing with Halloween themed looks. I love this shade because its a "pumpkin" color while being fairly less orange. I reviewed this here.

- L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow in Amber Rush: This is a well loved shadow in the blogging community, but I've literally just picked it up. Its a rosier neutral and thus perfect for fall.

- ELF Makeup Lock and Seal: I am FLYING through this stuff. I've used this a whole lot this month with both pressed and loose products and it works like a dream. It definitely highly foils the product and extends the wear. Its bulletproof - so I obviously used it for my Halloween look.

- ELF The Evil Queen 2013 Set Eyeshadow Palette: I'm CRAZY about Snow White, so I had to have this just because it was Snow White themed. All 6 of these eyeshadows are soft, buttery and pigmented and I was very impressed!

- L'Oreal Voluminous Butterfly Mascara: I jumped on the bandwagon for this one - short story is: The wand rules.

- L'Oreal Voluminous Mascara: I wore this in a simple Instagram photo and was asked if I was wearing falsies. Enough said.

- Milani Shadow Eyez in Sand Dunes: I apologize, because this was limited edition, but I've been using the heck out of this. Its a darker champagne shade, but since it has microglitter in it, it makes for a nice twist.

Lips:

- MAC Up The Amp: Its a little brighter than what I've been drawn to, but it works with the warmer Florida weather we've been having. I've reviewed this here.

- MAC Diva: This is one of my favorite MAC lipsticks - and I love this time of year because I can wear it all the time. My favorite part - it stays on all day! I've reviewed this here. 

- Benefit UltraPlush Lipgloss in Sugarbomb: My sister isn't much of a gloss person, so when she got this for free, she passed it onto me. Its a mini size. This feels great on the lips and lasts a lot longer than the average gloss without being sticky!

Face -

- Revlon Colorstay for Combo to Oily Skin: I don't know if my skin is in better shape, or I've just tailored my application to the texture of this foundation, but it's been looking great on my skin lately!

Cheeks - 

- MAC Pink Cult: The gray tones in this make it stay super cool toned on my skin, so I keep reaching for it!

- Darling Girl Spectral Shift in Razzles: This really is a unique shade to wear on the cheeks, but the sheerness and the warmer shift really work with it. I wore this a whole bunch this month.

Nails -  

- Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Gold Roses: I've jumped on the Rose Gold nail trend and this shade is perfect. I LOVE this polish.

Fragrance - 

- Coach Poppy: My mom surprised me with this earlier this month. I. Am. In. LOVE. This is floral without being too floral and I just can't explain it. I can't stop wearing this.

Brushes - 

- Ecotools Sheer Finish Kabuki Brush - I've been using this for anything from setting powder, to light diffusing powder, to super pigmented blush. Its an all in one brush and I love it.

- Ecotools Blush Brush - I like the dome to the top of this brush. It places and blends perfectly!

I'm already super stoked for November - I'm trying not to skip Thanksgiving alltogether, but Christmastime is already tempting me! What were you guys loving this month?

My Picks for Fall - Lipstick!

I debated as to when I would post this one; on one hand I wanted it to be the big hurrah of the series because lipstick is my favorite thing in the universe, but on the other hand I wanted to make sure that I got this posted in good time for the majority of fall - so this happened. I had to, I have no restraint.

And as a bonus, the weather is feeling kind of fall-y this week. I mean, its still awful hot, but the humidity isn't quite as crazy as it has been of late and we're not getting those afternoon Florida thunderstorms quite as much as we do in the depths of summer. Although, it may just be my wishful thinking.

I intentionally broke up this post into two categories because I hoard dark lipsticks and I have some phenomenal ones that have been discontinued or limited edition, so the first group are readily available and the second group are "honorable mentions" that you need if you find them discounted or in a blog sale or a CCO or something of the like.

Enough with my ramblings, here's some lipstick!

Okay, yeah. I'm obsessed.

The top row, from left to right is; 

- Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie - This was my intro to "dark lips". Its a great way to deepen your natural lipcolor for fall, but without being dramatic.

- Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey - As with the prior, it isn't a statement lip, but it darkens things up just a bit. I've reviewed this here.

- ELF Matte Lipstick in Tea Rose - I love mauves and this is a darker, cool mauve. If I'm wearing  lighter, paler mauves in the summer, then I'm moving onto something like this in the fall and winter.

- L'Oreal Colour Riche La Laque in Laquer-ized - I just reviewed this yesterday. Its bright, but the color saturation and cool tone to it is perfect on my skin for fall.

- Smash Cosmetics Lipstick in Pale Mauve - This is a touch more purple than ELF Tea Rose and that's right up my alley!

- Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in Vintage Pink - I probably purchased this one for the name, but its a cooler toned berry shade that I really like against my skin.

- CoverGirl Lip Perfection Lipstick in Divine - This is a less purple and intense version of MAC Heroine. The way it interacts with the natural color of the lips is very nice.

- MAC Up The Amp - If you are new to purple toned lipsticks, but really like the look of them, try this. It wears very comfortably and is quite wearable. I've reviewed this here.

- NYX Round Lipstick in Lala - This shade is a quite dark take on mauve and it, in turn is a really unique shade.

And the bottom row, from left to right, is; 

- MAC Rebel - Does this surprise anyone? No? Duh.

- NARS Afghan Red - I really love this shade because its a red, but its not super intense and it makes it really easy to wear. I've reviewed this here.

- NYX Round Lipstick in Snow White - Another lipstick that I purchased for the name, but I LOVE that this shade is a cool toned red that somehow has a touch of brown to it, so it sets itself apart from the rest of my collection.

- MAC Diva - This is my favorite dark red, and I hesitated putting this in the Fall picks because I'll probably wear this a lot this winter, but whatever - you'll probably see it then too. I've reviewed this here.

- Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Moss Lipstick in 04 - This shade is holding me off until I can get my hands on NARS Train Bleu. Its a blackened purple with some brown in it and I love it so incredibly much.

And onto the honorable mentions..I had to...

From left to right these are;

- MAC Mattene in Nocturnal Instincts - I wore the heck out of this last winter, and spring, and...well you get the point. Its a mauve shade thats kind of a paler mauve, but has a touch of warmth to it that makes it more wearable and if they ever repromote it, I'll probably buy like three..

- Revlon Violet Frenzy - I'm not sure if this is discontinued completely, but it's no longer listed on the website. I'd sweep it up if I were you. Its a semi sheer take on a dark, purple toned berry and I love it.

- MAC Heroine - Again, is anyone surprised. This needs to be part of the permanent range. If you've been living under a rock, Heroine is a darkened matte violet shade. I've reviewed this here.

- MAC Strong Woman - Definitely an under-appreciated shade from the MAC camp. This is slightly redder than Heroine, and for that reason, a bit more wearable across the board.

- MAC Boyfriend Stealer - I'm glad I picked this shade up. This collection was a springtime-ish collection, so I'm glad to finally get to have it in my normal rotation. I've reviewed this here.

- Maybelline Midnight Plum - This is still available in most drugstores, if  yours hasn't already sold out. Go NOW! Its a super dark plummy purple and I can't wait to rock it.

Can we tell this is my favorite color family? Maybe. Stay tuned for the rest of this series, coming soon!

May Favorites!

I've been keeping a running tab all month of the things I've been loving, just to make sure that I didn't forget anything in the moment! This month has definitely been a transition for me; I started a new job late last month, so May was filled with a lot of learning and adjusting. Makeup wise, A lot of super colorful products crossed my desk - specifically eyeshadows - so its been a product-testing-pallooza here! While many of these products I've decided to feature this week are new gems, there are some old faves that I rediscovered as well. Take a look!

Eyes:

The two shades across the top are;

- Urban Decay Laced - A matte taupey-pinky-beigey shade that I've used with nearly every single look I've put together this month. Literally a fantastic eyeshadow. Reviewed here.

- Darling Girl Ladyhawke - Probably the prettiest duo-chrome shade I've ever tried. I just can't stop playing with it and it applies like a dream. Reviewed here.

 And the two pencils are; 

- Milani Naturally Chic Shadow Eyez 12 Hour Wear Eyeshadow in Almond Cream - Milani finally delved into mattes with their Limited Edition Shadow Eyez for this summer and I couldn't be happier. This makes a wonderful base for almost anything. Reviewed here.

- NARS Larger Than Life Long Wear Eyeliner in Barrow Street - So different than any liner that I've pretty much ever owned and has a flawless formula. Reviewed here.

Lips:

From left to right these are;

- L'Oreal Colour Riche Lipcolor in Fairest Nude - Probably the perfect My Lips But Better shade for me. Are you surprised? Because I am. Reviewed here. 

- L'Oreal Colour Riche LeGloss in Short Shorts - Wearable take on lavender lips and felt great to wear. Reviewed here. 

- Milani 3D Glitzy Glamour Gloss in Fashion Diva - Its violet with a ton of glitter. Need I say more?

- Victoria's Secret Beauty Rush Sunset Kiss Lipgloss in Coconut Escape - A bronze gloss that doesn't make me look odd and it smells like heaven.

- Milani Crystal Gloss in Summer Baby - Said to be a dupe for MAC Nymphette, this is the perfect golden pink for summer. Reviewed here.

- The Body Ship Lip Butter in Shea - I'm dangerously low on my other day to day lip balm (the Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment that we all got from Sephora for our birthdays. Great but super pricey!), so I decided to give this a try. So far I'm loving both the consistency and the fragrance!

Face:

Left to right, we have;

- Darling Girl Soft Focus Blush in Yes, Virginia! - Is anyone surprised? Not really. I am head over heels for this blush. Reviewed here. 

- MAC Blush in Pink Cult - My only CCO find this month (shocker - but probably because I was on a budget!) Its probably one of the most wearable pinks against my skin that I've run into. Sadly, it has been discontinued.

Nails:

On the left then to the right we have;

- China Glaze Awakening - I ran into this shade at Sally Beauty Supply and I couldn't pass it up. Its incredibly unique and I had nothing in my collection that was even close to it. Applies like a dream.

- Essie Turquoise and Caicos - I see why this shade has such a cult following. I had no problems with application and enjoyed the waves of compliments this shade brought me.

Fragrance;

I'm super excited about these two;

- Lucky Brand Lucky You EDT - You see that little pink bottle on the left? I had a very unsuccessful and emotional trip to Marshalls (I was trying to buy pants...enough said) and I spotted this out of the corner of my eye. Day = made. This was one of my two signature fragrances in high school (the other being Burberry Brit, which I'm still hoarding) and I couldn't pass it up, especially since both the EDT and Lotion were only $15 together! Lucky You is a mix of Water Hyacinth, Star Jasmine and Sandalwood and it still smells as great as the day little 14 year old me opened it as a gift from my parents on Christmas Morning. LOVE.

- Bath and Body Works Beautiful Day - I'm trying not to bust out into a U2 song here, and its taking a whole lot of restraint. I purchased the deluxe sample size when the brand was teasing this fragrance before it was released, but I didn't expect to fall in love - mostly because I'm not too fond of fragrances with apple notes against my skin. Turns out, I actually love this. Beautiful Day is a mix of sun kissed apple, wild daisies and white peach that just makes me happy when I smell it. 

- Bath and Body Works PocketBac in Sicilian Lemon - It counts as fragrance, right? I may or may not be sanitizing my hands too much so I have an excuse to smell this one. Its bright and lemony and citrusy without smelling like lemon pledge. Woo!

Hair and Body:

- OLD SCHOOL HERBAL ESSENCES! - I chose the Shine Collection which has chamomile, aloe vera and passion flower extracts. Due to the nostalgia of it, I literally had to partake when I saw these popping up on the shelves in Central Florida. Turns out, I loved it for a reason - My hair looks and feels great and smells wonderful. My mother has also followed suit and purchased some for herself. Love it!

- Caress Scarlet Blossom Body Wash - I saw this a couple months back, but decided to wait for a coupon. This stuff smells luxurious - Patchouli (love) and Red Lychee - and its going fast because I can't stop using it.

Tools:

Top to bottom are:

- Ulta Professional Synthetic Eyeshadow Brush - With all of the cream shadows I've been testing this month, this has been perfect. It applies a perfect base - which is how I usually use cream shadows and is big enough so I can place it all over the lid rather than in increments. I purchased this as part of a set - which is why the bristles are seafoam green, but it is available separately.

- ELF Small Stipple Brush - Definitely a new take on my concealer, which now is less prone to looking crepey and a bit more airbrushed.

- Clinique Foundation Brush - I used to hate this brush, but it now has a place in my stash. Its a bit bigger and much softer than most of my foundation brushes. I use this to stripe foundation across the areas I wish to apply and then stipple the foundation in with a separate brush. Who knew there would come a day where I'd not only use this brush on a regular basis, but feature it in a favorites post??

Phew! There was a lot to love this month! What have you guys been loving during the month of May? 

Top 5 Picks for Summer - Blush

My favorite blushes are usually pale pastels that most people usually hold of on until springtime - For me, on the other hand, you'd have to pry MAC Full of Joy, Illamasqua Katie and Darling Girl Yes, Virginia out of my cold dead hands before I rotate them to the back of my stash when the seasons change.

For summer, however I try my hardest to loosen my grip and wear something a bit more bright and bold. C'mon, I'm so fair skinned that this is the only time of year where I can really pack up some punchy blush without looking like I'm going out on a tropical getaway. ( I mean I live in Florida, but once you live here for 15 plus years even 65 degrees feels cold to you!)

I scoured my stash of blushes and narrowed it down to 5 that my cheeks will be seeing a whole lot of this summer!

From left to right the top row is;

- Tarte Fantastic - This was part of last year's Fantastic Foursome Four Piece Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush Enthusiast Set. It is a bright, candy pink with strong blue tones to it and I absolutely adore it against my skin. I'm also quite a fan of Tarte's Amazonian Clay blushes.

- ELF Studio Blush in Pink Passion - Probably the brightest blush in my collection, Pink Passion is a hot, candy pink with a matte finish and pigmentation out the wazoo. 

- NARS Orgasm - Yeah, yeah. Groundbreaking choice, huh? It's there for a reason; The big O is a perfect summer shade that will look good on anyone. The golden peachy pink warms up anyone!

- Tarte Magic - Also was in the same set as Fantastic, Magic a pretty true coral - I'm not 100% sure how this is as flattering as it is on my skin, but I'll totally run with it!

And across the bottom because I ran out of room is;

- Boots No.7 Natural Blush Cheek Colour in Coral Flush  - A gutsy pink coral with incredible strength of pigment. This was a forgotten favorite of mine.

As the weather gets warmer, my makeup gets brighter - And I am totally okay with that.

What blushes are you loving for summer? Let me know!

Stay tuned for my other picks for summer, coming soon!

St. Patrick's Day FOTD and Mani!

Happy St. Paddys day! I had a ton of fun with my look for the day, so I was more than excited to share a FOTD and Mani!

I used the Urban Decay Naked Palette, Maybelline Seashore Frost Quad, Milani Liquid Eye Liner in Green, L'Oreal Infallible Shadow in Golden Emerald, Illamasqua Powder Blush in Katie and NARS Albatross for this look.

Excuse the brows, they need a decent threading. UD Virgin is on the browbone, with UD Naked as a allover base and UD Buck in the crease. L'Oreal Golden Emerald is all over the lid and the blackened emerald shade from the Maybelline Seashore Frost's Quad is layered over Milani Liquid eye on the waterline and just under the lower lash line. Festive, but super wearable and very easy!

On my nails I have two coats of Essie Mojito Madness with two coats of ELF Gold Star. 

Enjoy your St. Patrick's day and be safe!