Tuesday, July 26, 2011

My Summer Essentials! (Skin, Makeup, Hair and Accessories)

Hey Everyone!

Despite it's halfway through the summer, I've had a few requests to do a summer essentials post. I've read several summer must-haves and summer essentials posts and I absolutely love reading them! I had trouble narrowing down my list, so I decided I'd break it up into sections and post it all.

(Just about every item is click-able, for more information on the product)

Skin & Haircare Essentials: Pumice (for feet), Leave-in Conditioner, Shine Serum, Dry Shampoo, Body Moisturizer, Facial Self Tanner, Body Self Tanner, Body Makeup, Heavy-duty Deodorant, BHA/Salicylic Acid for face, Body Illuminizer, Sun Screen, Body Brush.  

 I normally don't have dry feet, but once summer hits, my heels become extremely dry. To keep my feet soft during sandal-wearing months, I always use a Pumice Bar in the shower to rid my feet of dry, excess skin.
During the summer, my hair craves moisture. To keep my hair from drying out, I like using a leave in conditioner a few days a week. I recently purchased this Aussie one, and it's great and affordable!
 I love using Silk Infusion before I blow dry or heat style my hair. It really makes my hair more manageable, soft and shiny. It doesn't weigh my hair down or make it greasy. Shiny hair is definitely a must have for any season.
Dry Shampoo is an awesome product to have handy during the summer for quick hair touch ups. It's an instant refresher and will soak up any excess oil in your hair. Turning your head upside down and working it into the roots can also give you quick volume. This particular dry shampoo is my favorite of all time. I've tried every one on the market, and this one lasts the longest without clogging, doesn't give a white/powdery cast to the hair, doesn't cause flakes or build-up, etc. I just checked the Sephora website, and I'm a little horrified right now that this product is no longer available, and is possibly discontinued.
 These little pads are a great way to keep your skin clean. Whenever I feel like my face has gotten oily, I make sure to clean my face with a Stridex pad. The salicylic acid will deep clean your pores and prevent future breakouts. Not only are these important in the summer time when my skin is a little more oily, but they are important all year round!
 A good moisturizer is vital to keep your skin looking radiant and feeling silky. I really like using Hempz body lotion. It makes my skin feel incredibly smooth and it smells amazing - sort of like bananas? :)

READ MORE TO CONTINUE READING MY LIST!

Monday, July 25, 2011

NOTD: MAC Hangin' Loose Nail Lacquer (Surf Baby Collection) w/ Leopard Print!

Three (3) Coats of MAC Hangin' Loose Nail Lacquer and One (1) Coat of Seche Vite Top Coat

MAC Hangin Loose Nail Lacquer

MAC Hangin' Loose Nail Lacquer is a neutral pink beige cream with very tiny white sparkles that seem to only be noticeable in bright lighting. This polish is from MAC's recent Surf, Baby! Collection and is still available on the MAC website (here). I'm not sure if I can justify paying $15 for a nail polish, so I'm really happy I got a chance to try this through a swap.

I really like the formula of this polish. It's not thick, not too thin, very creamy and dries fairly quick. It is a little on the sheer side and applies a little streaky with the first two coats, but I applied a heavier third coat and everything evened out very well. I actually love this polish and I think it's the perfect nude. I'll be wearing this much more often!

For the leopard print, I first applied dots of OPI You Don't Know Jacques Nail Polish (grayed brown) all over my nail (around 5-6 dots in total). Then, I took a toothpick and used a generic black nail polish and outlined the brown spots. I also made a few extra black dots. Then I used a silver glitter nail art pen and added small lines of glitter to each spot.


What's your favorite nude polish?

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Love this bright lip combo!

Wet n Wild 511B Nouveau Pink (First mentioned in my haul post here)
NYX Round Lipgloss in Doll Pink (Mentioned in my '09 NYX post here)

I love bright lipsticks, but the truth is... they make me nervous. For whatever the reason may be, bright lipsticks are out of my comfort zone. I do admire a good bright lipstick when I see one, maybe even purchase it, but it will just end up collecting dust in my lipstick drawer.

There are some days where I'll feel like being a little more adventurous with my lip color, and I'll toss on MAC Vegas Volt, MAC Morange, NYX Louisiana or OCC Divine Lip Tar without much thought. In the past month or so, Wet n Wild Nouveau Pink has pretty much replaced all of those other brights I like to wear - who woulda thought at 99 cents? It's such a flattering shade that really brightens up my face (and I'm pretty sure it makes my teeth appear whiter). It's really pretty on it's own, but I like pairing it with NYX Round Lipgloss in Doll Pink. It takes it up a notch. 

If you're terrified of brights (or red) like me, I recommend experimenting with the inexpensive brands before investing in a high end lipstick you may only wear once a year. Wet n Wild has great options for a low price. If you like the color, force yourself to wear it! Don't look in the mirror every 15 minutes while you're out, forget that you're wearing it. If you can get through a full day of wearing it before putting on something else neutral, you've passed the test! I bet you'll get some compliments too while you're out. Try it more often!


What is your favorite bright lipstick?

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Swap Haul! Nars, MAC and Bobbi Brown.

Hey Everyone,

If you didn't know by now, I'm a complete swap-a-holic. I love swapping and browsing blog sales for great deals and hard to find items. It's a great way to try new products when you're on a budget. If you don't know what swapping is, click here to view Makeupalley's Swap FAQ page.

(Sorry, MAC Hottest Pink Glitter Vial is hiding behind the Nars Multiple)

NARS South Beach Multiple (Mini)
NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Bolero
Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Cream Eyeshadow in Stone
MAC Viva Glam Gaga 2 Lipstick
MAC Black Tied Eyeshadow
MAC Hangin' Loose Nail Lacquer
MAC Hottest Pink Glitter Vial
MAC Jardin Aires Pigment Vial

READ MORE FOR ADDITIONAL PHOTOS!