Clinique Acne Solutions Liquid Makeup

Again- bad photo! About 1 week and counting until I am in the nyc apartment and can keep more regular hours!

I have to say, I am sort of a foundation snob. I don't use full coverage foundation ever, but I do cover problem areas for redness when necessary (think chin, around the nose, and certain parts of the forehead). I am typically a Bobbi Brown girl, but this stuff has me interested. The texture is very smooth and thin and therefore blends flawlessly- no streaks or clumps! The test color happened to be my exact perfect shade which surprised me. It was called Fresh Natural. I am always for a product that has salicylic acid in it because why clog your pores with goopy makeup all day when you can cover them with a little sal acid? If I'm going to wash my face with the stuff I certainly have no problem using it as cover up.

Because I don't actually use all over foundation (call me up when I'm 30 and ask me again) I don't know if this product would be a great use of my money, but the great texture and application mixed with the fabulous shade match has me thinking...

Urban Decay Pocket Rocket in Doug

I am horrified. This was the stickiest gloss I have ever tried. The second I brushed it on my lips I quickly wiped it off with a warm wash cloth. There is absolutely nothing else to say about this gloss. Unless UD totally changes their gloss formula I will never purchase a pocket rocket. Two thumbs down. This is unfortunate because the packaging is rather clever and fairly cute. There is just nothing that I detest more in a gloss that pure stickiness, especially with a long walk to work where my hair sticks to my lips with the slightest hint of messy gloss.

Boo.

The Sephora Delux Brush Set

Sorry for the crappy photo! Once I am in my NYC apartment I won't have to commute home and it will actually be light out when I leave the house/come back home so my pictures will get much better...promise!

Can you believe that this was just 39 dollars?! It comes with a blush brush, foundation brush, and a double sided eyeshadow brush/eyeshadow smudge brush, double sided eyebrow/eyeliner brush, and double sided lip brush. The bristles were so incredibly soft, but are cruelty-free (not real animal hair). I can tell that the brush handles are nice quality wood and they are even labeled so that you know exactly what to use each brush for if you weren't sure.

This was such a deal and I can tell that these will last me a really long time if I care for them properly. Check out my blog on brush care for details!

Michael Kors Very Hollywood

Remember my Sephora.com haul from a few days ago? Well it came! The rosebud salve in a tube was just as good as I imagined it to be and the BadGal is just a replacement so I thought I'd talk about some of my samples. I like that you can get these small samples because it's nice to try before you buy! In this case, it was successful. I really liked how this perfume smells! It's very soft, floraly, and powdery. It feels very girly and pretty. I would wear it to work because it is so subtle.

I am in the market for a new perfume, but my LaVanilla is my daytime and this certainly does not scream sexy/night time to me, so while I do really like it, I don't think I'll purchase a bottle.

To Dye or not to Dye

I've had the same dark brown hair for my entire life and from time to time I get bored of it and think about dying it, but then I always convince myself not to. There are so many reasons! My hair is so dark would a dye really make a difference? Will it damage my already-dry hair? Will the maintenance be too much? Won't I have to go to the salon ten times more then I already do? Won't all of those salon trips cost a lot? What if the color looks bad and I hate it? What color would I even try to dye my dark hair?

I have questions...do you have answers? For all those hair dyers out there: Help!

MIA

Where have I been? Pretty MIA. Last week was crazy and this weekend I was in Cape Cod visiting friends from school/attending a graduation party! Lots of fun, but now it's back to work.

I did manage to order some things from Sephora.com (oopsies) but I got some great deals!!

Here's what I bought:

An entire (good quality) brush set for 39 dollars!!

Rosebud Salve in a tube (see my post on this)

Benefit BadGal Lash (Also see my post on this)

And for spending just over 50 dollars I got free shipping. Normally you get three free samples when you order online, but their special deal right now is that you get 5 free samples plus a free travel makeup bag! How could I resist?

My sample choices: Michael Kors Very Hollywood Eau de Parfum, Urban Decay Pocket Rocket Lip Gloss in Doug, Too Faced Caribbean In A Compact - Sun Bunny, Clinique Acne Solutions Liquid Makeup, Bvlgari Eau Parfumee Green Tea Refreshing Towel.

That's 9 things for about 52 dollars and no shipping charge! I highly recommend that everyone pop over to sephora.com while the deals still last.

Sunscreens I Love

I hope you all had a good holiday weekend! I enjoyed the extra day, but it was hot hot hot and it's only getting hotter. The whole ten day forecast where half the days are 100 degrees is not really my idea of fun. This does, however, lead me to the topic of this post!

I am super serious about sunscreen, but I haven't always been. In fact, I used to lay outside as much as possible during the summer time with hardly any sunscreen at all, but I'm older and wiser and now I use sunscreen religiously! If you've read my blog at all you know that I am intense about skincare. I have a very strict regime that I follow to the T and I am very careful about what I put on my face and body. My skin can be temperamental, but when I treat it right it treats me right!

I have tried many sunscreens in the past and have come to find that these two (one for body and one for face) are the all time best!

Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Body Mist Sunblock with helioplex and SPF 30 is my go-to for body block. I love that it is really light and doesn't feel greasy, it has a soft/clean scent and it protects like no other! The mist makes for a seriously easy application and it never leaves me streaky. I don't miss a single spot when I use this guy.

For face I only use Coppertone Oil Free Sunscreen Lotion Faces (fragrance free). It is hypoallergenic, it won't clog your pores, and it's oil free. It is also SPF 30 and I also love the non-greasy formula. It bends right in and I never break out from using it.

Perfection.