Dior Addict Lip Glow

I've rediscovered the Dior Addict Lip Glow by Dior after a few months of sitting at the bottom of my lipstick pile. It looks like a sheer balm but the formula is super cool because it uses color reviver technology reacting to the chemistry in your lips to create a unique shade for everyone's lips. Basically it's supposed to enhance the natural color of your lips. I love the packaging. It's super feminine and a great addiction to carry around in your bag. (Have I mentioned the amazing packaging??)

As you can see it looks like a sheer balm but after a few swipes it gives me light dewy pink lips! It's pretty moisturizing and I love how it adds pink glow to your lips. It is a little on a pricey side... I purchased mine last year during the Sephora Friends & Family sale. Not sure if I will repurchase again but I love using it while I have it!

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August Birchbox

I was a little disappointed with this month's birchbox samples. I think I get more excited when I get makeup bits and the majority of this month's samples were all skincare. The only real makeup thing here is the BB Cream. I also think it's a bit weird when they include things like a tea bag. But ok.

On the left in the MIYU pouch, I got a de-stress mi beauty essence spray which says it's a fusion between a facial mist and a serum to help calm down irritated complexions. I do love facial sprays so I am excited to try this out but not that excited to try the tea bag it came with. Next are the Whish deodorant swipes (???) i guess I'll have to try this out to talk about it. I guess it's for when you're on the go, such as after the gym or something. Another Whish Body product included this month was the Whish exfoliating body wash. This will be good for travel. I am going away again this weekend so I will bring this with me.

Next is the Dr Jart Premium BB Cream with SPF 45 which I already have been using and love because not that many BB creams have such high SPF. I love almost all the Dr Jart BB creams (I love the Dr Jart Waterfuse BB cream. It's super light and natural looking!) And finally I got samples of the OC8 Professional Mattifying Gel (8 hour matte finish) which I just read about in Refinery29 and am excited to try! I definitely suffer from oily t-zone so hopefully this will keep my face looking fresh all day!

Are you guys subscribed to Birchbox??

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ysl creme de blush in powdery rose

i have been wanting the ysl creme de blush in powdery rose for a long time and i finally got my hands on it. i usually go for a more peachy pink for blushes so i thought it was about time for a true pink blush. there is something very romantic about this blush and i really love using it. (and i'm a bit obsessed with the packaging too)

it's a lot creamier and softer than most of the creme blushes i have tried and it still blends into the skin very smoothly giving you a very natural looking flush. it feels very lightweight on your cheeks and has great staying power. it is a bit on the pricey side especially since you don't get a whole lot of product, but i think it's nice every once in awhile to treat to yourself! and there's so many more pretty shades in this line that i want to try as well!

i ordered mine at nordstrom.com because they currently have a spend $100 in ysl products and recieve a free gift!
ysl creme de blush in powdery rose, Nordstrom $38 

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NEW Perfume: Diptyque Philosykos

This purchase was a pleasant surprise. Over the weekend I stopped by the Diptyque counter just because I love smelling every candle and I love looking at their packaging and displays. I have a couple candles and I love turning them into little storage units for my makeup brushes. I'm not a big perfume kinda girl as I've mentioned before so I was really surprised I walked out of the store picking up the Diptyque Philosykos fragrance. It smells like nothing I had ever really smelled before! It's their #1 selling perfume and I can tell why. Philosykos, meaning 'friend of a fig tree' is a very warm milky fig and woody scent that smells so grown up and not overpowering at all. It's not super feminine just very fresh and natural. I have become obsessed over night and it's a scent that can be worn year round.

I am a sucker for good packaging and needless to say I fell in love with the packaging and I love the detailed inky illustration on the back of the bottle. I love everything about this perfume. I picked up the 100ml so I will be loving Philosykos for a long time. And even better, the sales associate was so nice he even threw in a couple other sample scents, body lotions and a mini candle! <3

Bath & Body Works Haul

Last last weekend I made a little trip into Bath & Body Works and picked up a few things. First I picked up a few hand soaps (not pictured - already sitting at my sinks) because they're my favorite and they always have so many new different scents to try. B&BW had such great promotions going on I also picked up a few body lotions and a really manly smelling candle.

First I noticed the packaging has all been redesigned. It has been awhile since I've gone into a Bath & Body Works but I thought the packaging was super cute! My favorite is the Wild Peach Poppies bottle and I can't wait to use it. I love keeping the small lotions at my desk at work because my hands always get really dry. They're great for carrying around in your bag and for travel as well.

Have you been in to Bath & Body Works lately?

review: cetaphil uva/uvb defense spf 50 facial moisturizer

overall i wasn't very impressed with this product. i wanted to try the cetaphil moisturizer because liv tyler raved about it on her post on intothegloss and instead of picking up the cetaphil cream pot that she recommended i decided to go with the high spf moisturizer for summer. it's just a little too thick and it does leaves a shiny white film over the face - looks especially bad because i'm quite tan so the white doesn't blend in that great. i love that it's spf 50 just not that great for sitting under makeup. i'll have to leave this for beach days when i don't wear any makeup and i'm not too concerned about super glowly/borerline oily greasy skin. next time cetaphil cream pot... i'll purchase you some day.

july birchbox!

i love opening my monthly birchboxes! i am loving what i got for july's box.

here is a closeup of everything i got.

Benefit it's potent! eye cream

I was really excited to get this eye cream. i love trying new eye creams and this sample was really cute. it claims to fade dark under eye circles and preserve the elasticity of the delicate under eye area while protecting skin from free radicals. 

Number 4 Lumiere dhiver Super Comb Prep & Protect

this is a leave-in conditioner for hair with instant detangling! my favorite kind of hair product! i love this mini size and will be bringing this on my next trip. i hate lugging around my big bottles or hair product so this is great. this product always says its color protecting, anti-aging and gives hair extra UV protection. can't wait to try it! 

ddf acne control treatment

i am pretty loyal to my la roche-posay effacer duo and origins super spot remover, but i am always game to try new acne treatments. i still do get the occasional spot and this product says it's fights current acne and helps control and prevent future acne. sound good to me!

theBalm cosmetics, InStain Long-Wearing Powder Staining Blush

The packaging is super cute. It's got a magnetic closure and the blush looks like a cute little magazine!I got the shade Swiss Dot (Peach) which is perfect for me. this new blush gives the long-wearing staining blush effect in a powder formula. I'm excited to try it because I am obsessed with blush at the moment. I only wish the sample wasn't so small… it's really teeny tiny.

Birchbox Bobby Pins

Somehow I like collecting bobby pins even though i rarely ever use them. These are really cute and will sit on my shelf now with my other bobby pins.

Yes to Tomatoes

Some times you're just lazy at night and you want to hop into bed ASAP. Having a stash of facial wipes can feel like a life saver and super useful when you're traveling too. Yes To Tomatoes is the first of the Yes To products I have tried. I picked up the Yes to Tomatoes Blemish Clearing Facial Towelettes because it says CLEAR SKIN. Who doesn't want that! I'm not too sure about the blemish clearing part since I haven't really had any spots but I guess that means it's preventing!

The towelettes have a completely different texture compared to all the other facial wipes i have tried. It feels more compact and not as wet but still gets the job done - gets all my makeup off. I do usually use a special heavy duty eye makeup remover for my waterproof mascara first and then the facial wipes. It doesn't feel harsh and has an interesting scent but it doesn't bother me. Overall I'm happy with using them and might purchase a few other Yes to products to try out!

Samoan Sand

One of my favorites nude nail polishes is OPI Samoan Sand. I have always been on the hunt to find the perfect nude for my skin tone and here it is! I love this polish when my skin is a bit paler but it's seriously like the perfect nude. It's not too pink and not too yellow. It's a really neutral flesh tone that looks incredibly chic and sophisticated. It's a "my nails but better" kinda shade. Only downside is it does take me about 3 coats to get a more opaque coat so it is quite a sheer polish. I have heard people compare this with Essie, Topless and Barefoot so I'm interested in trying that out as well! (I used to wear Essie Jazz or Essie Sand Tropez but they are much more grey.)

stila countless color pigments in lyric

I first saw the Stila Countless Color Pigments in Sephora awhile back and I was always drawn to the packaging because they're super bright and fun. I would always walk past them but I just didn't know how to wear them because they're crazy colors! While I was on holiday this past weekend I saw they were on sale at Nordstrom Rack so I picked up the shade lyric. it's in this beautiful neon coral/orange packaging and it's bright pink! it's a pink I wouldn't normally pick up so I thought it would be fun to give it a go. Regularly priced at $22, these pigments were only $8.97 at the Rack.

How cool and pretty! I smile every time I look at it because it's so bright and happy. I've swatched it on my ring finger in the picture. It was very pigmented when I applied it to my checked and a bit frosty. Lyric is described as a light pink/lavender/peach shade.

These pigments come in ten crazy bright shades and you can use them on your cheeks or your eyes. I think it would be hard to use the individual colors so i just dip my blush brush and swirl it all around. Some of the other shades have a more dramatic color difference. And the packaging reminds me of a moon (i love moons!).

I'm not sure you're able to see the subtle flush of pink on my cheeks but I don't really like noticeable blush. I blended out the pink quite a lot but its still a lot more girly than I normally go for. And excuse the glasses today. I just got my second pair of Warby Parker glasses and I was just really excited to wear them today!

Laura Mercier Foundation Primer - Radiance

I haven't been wearing primers all throughout the winter and spring but now that the weather has reached the 90s it's become a staple in my routine. I've heard a lot of people rave about the Laura Mercier primers and I am really into fresh glowy skin right now so I picked up the radiance foundation primer.

I was surprised at first that the primer is tinted but it complelty blends into your skin. It has a nice subtle shimmer and goes on smoothly over your face. I have been using this everyday since I've bought it and I even though its subtle I think it has been making my makeup last longer while keeping my makeup looking fresh.

Here I'm only wearing the Laura Mercier radiance primer and nothing else. 

Are you guys wearing primers for the summer?

Clinique Chubby Stick Intense: 06 Roomiest Rose

I've fallen in love with a new lip product. Surprise surprise...

After hearing Lisa Eldridge and Tanya Burr rave about the chubby stick intense in Heftiest Hibiscus I was sold on trying it. While I didn't really like that shade on my complexion, it didn't stop me from trying a few other shades and then finally picking 06 Roomiest Rose. Since my face has gotten much darker, and my lips are naturally a darker shade as well, this nice everyday rosy plumy color is the perfect match and just the type of shade I have been looking for. I have a feeling I will be wearing this all throughout July...

The chubby stick intense is similar to the regular chubby sticks. I have one other color from the regular range and I love wearing that as well, but the color payoff for these intense chubby sticks are fantastic.  The regular ones are more sheer where as these can be very bright. Heftiest Hibiscus really surprised me when I tried it on because the color looked like I was wearing a creamy lipstick! I really enjoy using this on the lips. They're super super creamy and moisturizing and make your lips look full.

As you can see it's a beautiful warm rosy color and I'm so happy I have this in my life now. The end.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Review: Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate

As one of kiehl's top ten products, the kiehl's midnight recovery concentrate has quite a reputation. i purchased this about a year ago and i have been using it a couple times a week at night. i used it more frequently during the winter months and now i've decided to only use it about once a week at night.

it's a lightweight overnight repair treatment. i love anything that works on your skin while you sleep so i was very curious to see immediate results. unfortunately i think it took quite a long time for me to notice any results. at first i even was disappointed because i thought it was breaking me out, but now a year later, i definitely notice that in the morning when i look in the mirror, my skin looks extremely hydrated and feels very soft. i usually only use 2 drops and i like to smooth and then pat it into my face and neck.   after it settles into your skin it doesn't really feel oily at all. i still tend to stay away from putting too much on my forehead in case it is too heavy and will cause any blemishes. and when i use this product, i don't use my normal moisturizer otherwise it would be too much.

i also hear it helps reduce fine lines and smooth wrinkles but that review will be for another day (maybe in  twenty years).

overall i think it's a great face oil to try out if you're interested in getting into oils. it's a good value for the money because it lasts a very long time. i've already had it for a year and it's going strong!

Review: Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette

I contemplated awhile before getting the Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette. The bloggers I follow have much lighter skin tones than me and I just wasn't sure it would suite my skin tone. I swatched it many times in store before purchasing it and I'm so happy I did. The palette has 5 matte eyeshadows and 1 shimmery highlight. I have seriously used this palette almost every day. I love mixing Naked2 (taupe) and Faint (warm dusty brown) into my eye crease area. It creates a nice subtle depth to the eyes. It's such a versitile palette and so compact and great for travel. I love the big mirror and I highly recommend you go out and get this right now!

Here are the eyeshadows swatched on my hand from left to right as pictured. 

1. Venus 

2. Foxy

3. W.O.S. (Walk of Shame)

4. Naked2

5. Faint

6. Crave

As you can see Naked2 almost blends into my skin tone. My hands are a little darker than my face but you get the idea. I always mix this with Faint to create a nice midcolor for my crease. These are highly pigmented eyeshadows so a little goes a long way. These swatches are obviously straight from the pan without any blending - they blend to be much lighter if you want them to be!

bite size skincare

I am going away this friday for the weekend. Travelling is super awesome because it means I can use my sample size products! Above are all the skincare products I'm planning to bring for the trip. And besides the Caudalie beauty elixir, everything has either been a sample from a Sephora order or some sort of gift with purchase! This looks like quite a lot of products to bring but I always end up not bringing enough products and feeling bad for my skin so this time I'm prepared.

Origins GinZing eye cream
Dr. Brandt glow - ruby crystal retinol hydracreme
Kiehl's Lip Balm #1
Olay shine minimizing cleanser
Ojon damage reverse
Caudalie Beauty Elixir
Clinique Even Better Skin tone correcting lotion
Lancome Bi-Facil eye makeup remover
Ole Henriksen Invigorating Night Gel

(makeup bag pictured was a gift from a friend from the alexa chung for madewell collection)

Lipstick Queen - Discovery Kit

Lipstick Queen lipsticks are one of my favorite lipsticks! I only recently discovered them but it was seriously love at first application. They just feel really luxe and beautiful and they're super sheer and easy to wear. They're like highly tinted lip balms because they're so moisturizing. And the packaging is like from a different era. It's really unique and I really appreciate it.

I picked up the Discovery Kit. This includes 3 lipsticks: (L-R) Medieval, Saint Nude, Trance. I originally only wanted to try Medieval because of Maria Duenas Jacobs' interview on Into the Gloss. I'm so glad I did and now I want more and more. 

Medieval is a sheer deep red that is super easy to wear. 

Saint Nude is a little heavier but still sheer. It is a very mature shade and I feel very grown up wearing it. It's a little darker than my lips and has a lot more brown than any lipstick I've ever worn. 

Trance is a beautiful sheer blue based lipstick that feels the youngest and the lipstick I have worn the most out of the three. I read on Barneys that the lipstick is inspired by Mohammad Ali's Rumble in the Jungle quote, "Float like a butterfly and sting like a bee." 

I'm addicted now... I want to pick up Lipstick Queen's Perfect Wave next!

this week what i brought to work

i like to carry small crossbody bags because i hate the weight of anything larger - therefore i have limited space in my bag! i like to bring one product with a mirror so i will always have a mirror handy and then a ton of lip products. i hate having dry lips and at the moment, i'm having a revlon moment.

here's what's in my bag!

1. topshop creme blush, head over heels
2. revlon lip butter, tutti frutti
3. revlon just bitten kissable balm stain, honey
4. revlon colorburst lip gloss, peony

have a great weekend everyone! *sorry this was a fuzzy iphone photo!

matte is better

summer made quite a dramatic entrance this past weekend. luckily i purchased this right in time. i've heard a lot of great things about this product and i really wanted to try it for myself. I got Jouer Matte Moisture Mint in the shade Nude. i still wear a SPF underneath but this stuff seriously does give you a matte finish without feeling dry at all. i don't even really need to powder my face after. amazing. (i still powder just to set my concealer)

as we welcome summer i'm going to try and cut back on products. i really hate getting foundation all over my sunglasses. and i hate having to worry about panda eyes.