What's In My Bag | Miami Edition

I took a short 5 day trip down to Miami with some friends over the weekend. I packed light and kept these essentials on me:

Proenza Schouler PS1 Chain Wallet
When I travel I like to travel light. I hate lugging around things I don't need and I kept it down to these essentials that would have to fit inside this bag.

Rohto Cooling Eye drops
You never know when you might have some dry/red/contact eye crisis. I carry eye drops on me at all time.

Nyx Butter Gloss in Creme Brulee
I've heard a lot of good things about the Nyx Butter Glosses and I had to try it out for myself. These glosses are super buttery and easy to apply. Not sticky at all. Overall I really like them and wore this a lot during vacation.

Mints
I like to take mints from restaurants and keep them in my bag :)

Dr. Jart Water Fuse BB Cream
I'm under the sun all day on vacation so its important to keep a great lightweight BB cream on hand. This one has SPF 25 and since its water based I feel my skin just drinks up the nutrients.

Miu Miu Card Case (Similiar)
I don't like to carry my entire wallet on vacation. A little card case is perfect for all my essentials.

Chanel Les Beiges
This doubles as a powder and mirror in one. I always like to carry around a mirror just in case and this one comes with a handy little half moon brush to also keep oil and shine at bay.

Can I go back on vacation now?

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January 2014 Beauty Favorites

Time for my January Favorites!

I've been using the same products all month long. I am almost done with my Lush Tea Tree Toner Water and I'm still loving it to the last drop. Lush has 2 other toners I might want to try but this one has worked really well for my skin since it targets oily and spotty skin. To go along with that, the Bioderma Sebium Pore Refiner has to be another one of my favorites this month. I mentioned it's awesomeness in my last post so check that out!

Onto makeup - I love cream eyeshadows and my favorite this past month to wear is the Kiko Long Lasting Stick Eyeshadow in #6. Super creamy and easy to apply and they stay on all day. Love the easiness and quality of this. For blush I have been going back to my powder blushes this month. Mainly I have been reaching for the MAC Peaches blush. I love peachy pink blushes and this is a beautiful shade for slightly darker skin tones. An eyeliner I have been using a lot of this month is the Marc Jacobs Highliner Gel Crayon in Blacquer. It's soft like a good eye pencil should. It's super black and super waterproof and it also feels like a gel eyeliner! It's kind of amazing and you don't have to sharpen the pencil because you can just twist up for more product. This is a really exciting product if you ask me. Finally I have been wearing my Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua foundation a lot this month. This is an old favorite but this month I have really enjoyed the water based light formula and it's been a really great color match for me this month. I wear the shade B30.

Happy Monday! Thanks for reading :)

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e.l.f. Brush for Cheeks

I finally came to realize that using a brush with cream blush needed to happen. (woah brush for cream blush is incredibly hard to say) I love the ease and effortless feel of applying cream blush with my fingers, but most days I think I just wished I had the option to apply it more evenly and smoothly with a brush. I picked up the e.l.f. studio small stipple brush this week and so far it has been the best decision I have made all week. The brushes (and there are a lot of choose from) are only $3. I repeat. $3!! You cannot beat that price. I decided to go with the small stipple brush because it still gives me good control over which areas of the cheek I want the blush to go and the stipple brushes don't pick up too much product so you can go in with a light hand as well. Overall I am super happy. The brush is super soft and I just still can't get over the $3 price. Stippling brushes are amazing at giving you that air brushed effect to your skin and you can use this brush for foundation, concealer, powder or cream blush - pretty much whatever your heart desires. My blush now looks so natural and well blended. Thank you e.l.f.!

Go pick up some e.l.f. brushes. Now.

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My First Glossybox

You all know how much I love getting my Birchbox packages each month in the mail. This month I decided to treat myself to something a little more special - a Glossybox! The glossyboxes are double the price of the Birchboxes. They're $21/month or you can do longer subscriptions that over are slightly cheaper. You receive 5 beauty products delivered to your doorstep!  The packaging for Glossybox feels much more luxe and it was very exciting opening it up, but I am a little disappointed in the products I got.

This month's theme is holiday romance. Dramatic eyes and lips.

Here is what I got:

Mastey Color Protecting Leave-In Oil Treatment
I always use a leave-in treatment for my hair after I get out of the shower so this one will be great for travel! Contains a special combination of argan oil, olive oil and grape seed extract.

The Aloe Source Jojoba Radiance Cleansing Polish
This sounds like a nice makeup remover/face wash/exfoliator in one.

Nicka K New York Professional Eyeshadow Brush
This seems like a great angled eyeshadow brush and I don't have an angled brush yet! It will be great to apply eyeshadow in the crease.

Jelly Pong Pong 2-in-1 Eyeliner and Shadow
This brand's name is hilarious. This a color I wouldn't normally get for myself and I"m a little unsure how it will look but I love a good eyeshadow pencil.

Emite Makeup Micronized Eye Shadow in Dams
This will be a great eyeshadow for an intense smokey eye. The packaging is nice and the formula is oil-free. Will be good to use with the Nicka K eyeshadow Brush!

Here's a closeup of all the products.

Have you guys tried Glossybox? Do you guys like it?



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Nude Skincare Miracle Mask

Need a midweek pick-me-up mask? I have been using the Nude Skincare Miracle Mask for when my skin is feeling a little tired and dull. The mask contains glycolic acid with exfoliating rice beads to help reduce the appearance of pores and instantly refresh your face to reveal brighter and smoothing skin. I did not expect it to feel the way it does the first time I applied this because it feels more like an exfoliater instead of a mask. After realizing this way you're getting the best of both worlds I have realized this is genius!

Take a small amount on your hands and gently massage the mask into the skin for 1 minute and then leave it on for about 5-10 minutes before rinsing it off. You are left with super soft radiant skin! A very easy and quick mid-week mask. I'm dealing with a little but of irritated skin (I think I've gotten an allergic reaction from one of my night creams...) so this mask is something I'm looking forward to using. And I really want to try more products from the Nude Skincare line. They're super nice and I know the ingredients are good!


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November Birchbox

This month's Birchbox took a wild adventure to get to me. Somehow my doorman was not around while the postman delivered the mail and without a slip I had to go track it down. I got the package about a week late but at least I finally got it!

First off, I'm not a fan of when Birchbox adds food to the boxes... even if it is chocolate. They called this one a Lifestyle Extra - the Chuao Assorted Chocopod chocolate... Like I said, not really excited about it.

Now, onto the more exciting beauty bits!

Tocca Crema da Mano in Cleopatra
Hand cream is my best friend in Winter so I can never have enough hand cream. This one is loaded with natural oils with grapefruit and cucumber in the ingredients.

Color Club Nail Polish in Top Shelf
This looks like a nice Christmas/Holiday nail polish shade. This nail polish is from the Cocktail Hour Collection which I think is a very fitting color for the range. I'm excited to wear this for possible New Years.

Chella Ivory Lace Highlighter Pencil
I don't own a Highlighter pencil so I'm excited to try this one. I love makeup in pencil or crayon form because it makes applying and packing super easy! This one seems very versatile. You can us it on your brow bones, cheekbones, inner corner of your eyes or even along the lip line to make your lipstick stand out.

Vasanti Cosmetics BrightenUp! Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator
I was a bit dissapointed when I saw this because I had already received this sample in a previous Birchbox! I was a bit shocked, but I do like using this exfoliating face wash. It's very strong and people say it mimics the effects of microdermabrasion.

Thanks for reading! Please subscribe!

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Everyday Makeup Look Youtube Video

I recently got a new camera and thought i would film a video and test out the quality! I think it's pretty good! (so so much better than my other two videos...)

The video is a makeup look I pretty much do every single day for work. Hope you guys enjoy! Please leave me comments and subscribe :)

x cynthia

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Empties #4

Another Empties post!

It was satisfying tossing a few items during the move to simplify my bathroom medicine cabinet. Although I might have to repurchase some of these products because they were really that good.

REN Glycol Lactic Radiance Renewal Mask
I mentioned this mask in one of my early early posts. In my opinion this is seriously one of the easiest and most effective masks out there. Its a goopy fruity mask that never dries so you just slather it all over your face, wait about 10-20 minutes and then wash off with warm water. I love how smooth, really clean and radiant your skin looks after. It really feels like it take off a layer of dead skin. I will be repurchasing this soon.

Le Labo Santal 26 Vintage Candle
I purchased this candle as a present for my boyfriend and we have finally finished using it. It was a bit too masculine for me, but he really enjoyed it so that made me happy. Online the description says it's a gentle, smokey and leathery scent… you can see why girls aren't really drawn to it. I love the packaging though and Le Labo has some wonderful perfumes I want to try.

Boots Botanics Rosewater Toning Spritz
I definitely enjoyed using this toner a lot. I love spray toners because they are just so easy feel refreshing. They wake me up in the morning. This was a nice simple organic rosewater toner that I could possibly repurchase.

Revlon Lash Potion Mascara
Goodbye to my summer 2013 mascara. I seriously wore this almost every single day. I will say I got tired of using it by the end of the summer and very tired of removing stubborn waterproof mascara. I may suffer from super straight lashes but I don't want to suffer every night anymore removing the product it too.

Amore Pacific Time Response Skin Renewal Creme
This was such a luxurious moisturizer that I really loved using. Read my full review here.

Now that I've used up some products, that means I get to go shopping right?

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Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Daily Face Peel Review

I am a huge fan of at home treatments and this caught my eye awhile ago because the reviews for the Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Daily Face Peels on Sephora are amazing. I have always had acne prone skin and while my skin has already drastically improved over the past 2 years, I still have quite a bit of scarring and overall I'm not completely satisfied with the texture of my skin.

First off, although it says Daily Peel, I still think it's too strong to use daily. The first few times I tried the peel my skin tingled/burned a little and was a little irritated. After a few more times using this my skin adjusted but then I started getting little red bumps around my cheek area. I decided to cool off on the product and not to use it so frequently. I use this now about once a week and it no longer irritates my skin.

First open the moist towellete from the Step 1 package. It's just a plain sheet that's a little awkward to hold, but you rub that on your face in circular motions until the towellet becomes dry. Then you wait 2 mintues before using the treatment in Step 2. Same instructions - apply to face and neck until dry. You do not wash this product off afterwards and I recommend only using this at night before bedtime. Your skin will be highly sensitive and should not be exposed to sunlight.

While I do think this product helped minimize breakouts and possibly reduced pore size, I'm not sure it helped with evening skin tone and reducing dark spots. It was not super noticeable for me, but when I wake up in the morning my skin does look very clean, tight and fresh.

I like the packaging. I think it's great for traveling and while I did enjoy using the 30 day supply I do not think I will be repurchasing it because of the price.


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Sample Sizes That Won Me Over

Everyone has a collection of sample size products laying around in a drawer and yes they are great for travel but sometimes the samples sizes can be wonderful and you need to run out and purchase the real thing before they run out! These 4 products have really made an amazing impression on me and I will explain why.

1. Origins GinZing Energy-Boosting Moisturizer
I didn't think much about this when I got a sample size of this moisturizer but Oh My it smells so fantastic and because of the scent I looked forward to applying this every morning and night. It contains Panax Ginseng and Coffee Bean to instantly wake up your skin and give it a healthy, vibrant glow.

2. Dr. Lipp Original Nipple Balm for Lip
Ok this has got the strangest name, but I've heard Essiebutton mention this a long time ago and I was super excited to get it in my Birchbox this month. It's very similar to the Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream minus the funky smell and color. It's super moisturizing! And it has a slightly sticky texture that I'm kind of into.

3. Essie nail polish in Clam Bake
People seem to notice when I wear this nail polish because I have gotten some great compliments when I'm wearing it. It's a bright bright orange-red nail polish color that is fantastic for summer and I'm really digging orange-red right now.

4. YSL Babydoll mascara
I am obsessed with this mascara. It's my go-to mascara for days when I don't want to wear a waterproof formula. I didn't expect to like this so much when I first saw the brush, but it just gives amazing length and volume without clumping! I highly recommend this!

Any samples you guys are testing out that you have fallen in love with?

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Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Esprit

I mentioned I picked up the Chanel Rouge Coco Shine Hydrating Sheer Lipshine in Esprit in my New Makeup Bits post a few days ago but I thought this beautiful lipstick needed it's own mention. I am obsessed! I think I need at least 3 more shades immediately. It's the first that I have tried and even though it is a little pricey it feels great to treat yourself to something luxe every once in a while. I love when lipsticks are easy and this is super easy to throw on and feel beautiful. The formula is super light weight yet still moisturizing. I have swatched a few shades in the range and I think some are more sheer than others. This particular color can be buildable but with just one swipe you also have beautiful glossy berry lips.

Did I mention I'm in love with this lipstick yet??

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September Birchbox

Wanted to share with you what I received in this month's Birchbox! Seems like I have posting a lot about Birchbox recently but I still wanted to show you what they sent me this month.

From top left to bottom right:
Paula's Choice RESIST BHA 9 for Stubborn Imperfections
This is a night time treatment with 9% salicylic acid to address spots, blackheads and wrinkles. I wish the sample was bigger but I'm excited to test this out.

Ruffian Nail Lacquer in Hedge Fund
I love getting Nail Polishes in my Birchbox but I was not very excited about the color. Originally I thought it was good because it's a shade I would never buy myself but after putting in on it confirmed my gut feeling that I just didn't like the shade. The brush was a bit fanned out as well and not that smooth to apply. I'm just personally not really into the whole metallic nail trend.

Serge Normant Meta Luxe Hair Spray
I rarely use hair spray but I have heard good things about this one and I love that it's a mini size I can bring with me during travels. It claims to keep your hair smooth and frizz-free while also protecting your hair from UV rays. Excited to try and I like the packaging!

Costal Scents Eye Shadow
On first glance this looks pretty sad... I wish the packaging were nicer but the colors do look nice. These four complementary coppery brown shades can be easily worn day or night and I am excited to try them.

Dr. Lipp Original Nipple Balm for Lips
I was super excited to get this as a sample. Only because I have heard Essiebutton talk about this before and if you can get over the weird name, it's freaking fantastic! I have already tested this out and it reminds me of Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream minus the weird scent and color and its not as sticky. It's very moisturizing! I will continue to use it to see how I like it.

Overall it was a pretty good Birchbox month. Especially since I went to Birchbox local this past weekend. If you haven't ready about that I will like that here.

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NARS event with Intothegloss hosted by Emily Weiss

This weekend I stopped by the NARS store in the West Village to meet Emily Weiss from Intothegloss and her lovely team who were also there. I LOVE reading Intothegloss so it was so exciting to meet Emily. It was really nice chatting with her and seeing the new launch of the Radiant Cream Compact Foundation. Emily didn't need to say much about the new foundation because I was already sold and got color matched immediately. She was already wearing it on her face and looked beautiful. The NARS team was so nice and I picked up the shade Santa Fe. If you're familiar with NARS sheer glow foundation the shades use the same names. I love that since this foundation comes in a compact case, you can carry it around with you and do touchups easily with no mess! The foundation comes with a sponge but I just like to use my fingers to apply it to areas where I need coverage.

You buy the compact foundations separately to the case which you only purchase once. Then when you run out of the foundation you can continue to just buy the refills. For the event, guests got a gift with purchase and I received a little blush in Super Orgasm. So cute!

From the NARS website:
New NARS Radiant Cream Compact Foundation brilliantly evens skin with a lightweight, luminous finish. Combining the supple feel of a cream foundation with the sleek ease of a portable compact, the Advanced Emulsion Technology formula may be applied wet or dry for artistic versatility. Blending seamlessly with weightless medium buildable coverage, skin feels soft and comfortable with moisture levels boosted by 80% after 12 hours, helping to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and enhancing skin's radiance.

Love NARS!
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Birchbox Local

Yesterday I stopped by the Birchbox local popup shop in Chelsea Market in NYC. It's open until Monday if you want to go check it out. I started subscribing to Birchbox in June this year and I have been loving what they do. You pay $10/month to get a present full of makeup samples shipped to you every month! Good size samples! I really look forward to seeing what new products arrive.

For the popup, you can go online to rsvp for a hair, makeup or nail service or just go to the store to sign up. For $15 you get to pick 5 products from a good selection of beauty products to fill up your own little Birchbox box. Above is a picture of part of the samples wall. Go stop by! It was really fun!

The 5 products I picked up were:
1. beautyblender
2. DDF Protective Eye Cream
3. Mally Beauty Age Rebel Waterproof Shadow Stick
4. Origins Modern Friction Nature's Gentle Dermabrasion
5. Pur Minerals Dirty Girl Detoxifying Mudd Masque

And if you want to see what I have received these past few months, I've linked my Birchbox posts below:

June Birchbox!
July Birchbox!
August Birchbox!

I just received my September Birchbox this past week as well so I will be writing a post on that soon!
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Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Color

Talk about beauty perfection. I feel like a real grown up carrying this around in my bag. I love the light biege on black packaging and of course Chanel packaging always gets me. It feels very ladylike and elegant (obsessed). I have the shade No 30.

Inside the compact is a half moon brush and mirror which is super handy if you want to throw it in your bag for any touchups throughout the day. In the morning I use it as a setting powder for my concealer and down my t-zone. Then as the day goes on, I can easily get an oily t-zone again so it's nice having a powder like this to come to the rescue. It's very sheer and almost unnoticeable because the powder seems to be so finely milled. I really hate when you can tell a girl has a lot of powder on her face, so this gets rid of my shine and leaves a super natural finish.

There are many uses for the Chanel Les Bieges Healthy Glow Sheer Powders. You can use it to set your makeup, powder your face or even use a darker shade to contour or bronze up your makeup look.

From Chanel:
Enhance, brighten, bronze and beyond with LES BEIGES Healthy Glow Sheer Colour SPF 15. Seven effortless shades of this versatile powder let you create a custom glow for any season, any occasion. The sheer, lightweight colour can be worn alone or over foundation for natural radiance each day.

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Empties #3

Another round of Empties! Here are a few products I have just finished using!

1. Origins Zero Oil Pore Purifying Toner
This lasted me a pretty long time and I really did enjoy using it morning and night after I washed my face. It didn't sting my face at all and I think it did help control the oil on my face.

2. C.O. Bigelow Lemon Body Lotion
I'm not a huge fan of the lemon scent (I love lemon hand washes but was sad the lotion is not the same) but the consistency was good.

3. Sephora Fleur de Coton body wash
I did not like this smell either. It really smelled like baby powder which was really odd in the shower. It got the job done I just really didn't like the way it smelled.

4. Clinique Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector
I enjoyed using this a lot but I ran out really quick! I'm not sure I saw a huge difference but I do think my skin feels over all pretty even toned.

5. Dr. Brandt Glow Ruby Crystal Retinol Hydracrème
I have used this before and this was my second sample size bottle. The sample size is a pretty good decent amount that lasts you almost an entire month! I definitely enjoy using this product at night after I tone and would like to try it again.

6. Anastasia Brow Wiz in Brunette
I want to go out and purchase this again immediately but I've been holding back and using a different combo this month for my brows (MAC eyeshadow in Brun with Anastasia Brow Gel)

What products have you just finished and need to repurchase again?

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Essie Smokin' Hot

The other night I was at the US Open and it got really chilly! I still cannot believe it's already September and basically Fall. I love the transition from summer to fall because the nail polishes, lip colors and clothes get darker and I love layering clothes so I'm very excited for the transition to Fall.

A nail polish I know I will be wearing this fall is Essie Smokin' Hot. It's a deep eggplant purpley color that looks very elegant and chic on the nails. I use two coats and seche vite top coat. What color are you excited to wear?

And here were our seats at the US Open! Serena Williams playing on the right!

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The Face Shop Volcanic Clay Blackhead Aloe Nose Strip

I usually don't use nose strips because I'm afraid they're a little too rough on the skin, but once in awhile I think it's nice to remove white and black heads with something stronger (plus my boyfriend loves seeing the instant result of nose strips and it's kind of fun to do together). before I have only tried the bier nose strips which I think are really effective but a little pricey. when I found the Volcanic Clay Nose Strip by The Face Shop, a korean brand, it was only $1 each so i was curious to see the difference!

Here is what the nose strip looked like. I did a little research online and there are different types of these nose strips. The one I'm using is Aloe based. I saw there are other ones such as Charcoal and the nose strip is black (now I want to try that). Overall it was super easy to use. Wet your nose and strip and then wait for it to dry. I personally love taking them off super slow and then oohing and ahhing over the white and blackheads that come off. Your nose looks really shiny and feels incredibly smooth after. I think I will repurchase again!

Here's the description:
The Face Shop Volcanic Clay Blackhead Aloe Nose Strip, formally known as the Blackhead EX Pore Strip, is your go-to product for removing close to 100% of the white and blackheads. The product contains New Zealand Volcanic Clay and has strong blackhead and oily secretion absorption properties. Supported with pore minimizing ingredients, the Volcanic Clay Blackhead Aloe Nose Strip will leave your skin feeling tight and smooth.

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August Beauty Favorites 2013

I have a few stand out products this month but overall I have been using a lot of the same makeup from last month as well. Also, it's September already??

And I've tried something a little bit new. I recorded a youtube video... (!!!) I'm still trying to figure out if it's my kinda thing or not but I just thought what the heck why not. So please watch, comment, like and subscribe! Would mean so much!



Products mentioned:
MAC Modesty lipstick
Dior Hydra Life BB Creme
MAC paint pot in Groundwork
Diptyque Philosykos
OPI nail polish in Koala Berry
Bioderma

What have your favorites been this month? And what do you guys think of the video. Yay?

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Blue lines

For a subtle change in my every day makeup look, I've been wearing blue eyeliner instead of the usual black. I've been using the Smashbox Jet Set Waterproof eye liner in Deep Navy. I apply it with a Real Techniques Fine liner brush and while I used to think it would be really hard it's actually super easy to apply and get a nice defined line. Especially since I have such dark brown eyes, it's nice sometimes to have a little surprise in your eyeliner or mascara color to play up your eyes.

I topped it off with Urban Decay Big Fatty mascara which seriously gives you insanely full lashes. The wand is huge and can get a little messy but your lashes look fat. I don't wear this often because I usually go for waterproof formulas but for days when I know I don't want to be removing that waterproof mascara later in the night... this is the better option.

What do you think? Do you guys like wearing different color eye liners?

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