Avon for Project Runway

I am a total Project Runway fanatic, AND a makeup junkie so you can only imagine how excited I was when Avon sent me some of the products being used on this season of Project Runway! Avon is the makeup being used this season, and I am loving seeing little snippets of what the makeup artists do for each model (I wish they would show more!) I checked out the Avon website, and found a great section with behind the scenes info from the makeup this season, with head makeup artist Hector Simancas - check that out HERE.

Anyways, the sweet people at Avon sent me a gorgeous eight-color palette called Smoky Nights, swatched below, which has a really great variety of colors, perfect for making all sorts of different looks! The pigment is awesome, and stays put all day!

They also sent a super gorgeous eye liner in the color Sugar Plum, which is a gorgeous deep purple (perfect for my hazel eyes) with just the tiniest bit of shimmer. It also has crazy good pigment!

They also sent a two-color palette, called Warm Cashmere with two really great neutrals. A beautiful lipstick called Tender Kiss, which is a great everyday color. The perfect nude, with just a touch of pink. And finally their lengthening mascara in black.

Here I am with eye shadows from the Smoky Nights palette, the Sugar Plum liner, lengthening mascara and Tender Kiss lipstick. 

Do you use Avon? My grandma sold it when I was little, so up until now my only experience with the company was mini-sized hand creams, and chapsticks with calendars on them :) This makeup wears beautifully all day, and after a quick look at the website I am SUPER impressed with the prices, and will definitely be checking out some more of their items.

Current Beauty Obsessions....and a FAIL!

The best beauty products I've tried in a loooooong while!

First up is the mascara that everyone keeps asking me about....literally, I've been asked if I'm wearing false lashes or have extensions when I'm wearing Maybelline's "The Falsies Push Up Angel" mascara. Seriously, what is up with these long names? One of my most popular blog posts is my MASCARA SMACKDOWN, so it's known that I love me some Maybelline mascara. I believe this is one of their newest formulas, and I can't recommend it enough!

Evan Healy Wild Carrot Eye Balm. This brand is brand new to me, but I've been using this EVERYTHING balm since I got it from Whole Foods a few weeks ago. It is super rich and super hydrating, and great for anywhere you're feeling dry. I use a small dab under each eye (remember to gently pat things on your under eye area, never rub as you could cause skin damage.) I put it on at night, and let it really soak in. I also love it on my cuticles.

Trade Joe's coffee body scrub. Oh my goodness, this stuff is heavenly! It has a great texture to really exfoliate and give you THE smoothest skin! It smells like freshly ground coffee, with the slightest hint of coconut. It is the bomb dot com! Only downside is it makes a bit of a mess in your shower, but that's not the product's fault, now is it? Try it - it's only five bucks and soooooooo good!

BECCA Soft Light Blurring Powder. This is a really beautiful, finely-milled setting powder that has the *tiniest* bit of shimmer. It sets your makeup all day, and that tiny bit of shimmer adds a really pretty radiance. The powder alone is $38, bt if you buy it HERE it's less than $35 for the powder, and the brush!

Infallible Foundations by L'Oreal. Holy crap, you guys. L'Oreal got it so, SO right with both their Glow-Pro and Pro Matte formulas. Both wear beautifully all day, without creasing. My suggestion to you is to look at these swatches (GLOW PRO SWATCHES // PRO MATTE SWATCHES) and then order two you think might work for you, and send the other back. For reference I'm a 204 (or 104 in the matte) I kept the 103 in the matte, because it works when I add just a touch of bronzer. They've got a pretty decent range of colors, and even my olive-skinned mom has found a great shade. I find them to be about $5 cheaper on Amazon than any drugstore, and if you send one back no one is going to hastle you ;)

L'Oreal Colour Riche lipstick in EVERBLOOM. Run to amazon to grab this right now, because there's a $1 coupon, making it under five bucks! I like this lipstick line because it is super hydrating, and has great staying power. This is the perfect corally-rose color, and is so flattering!

And for my beauty FAIL. Ugh. I don't know if I got a bad batch, or what but I absolutely hated the new eye primers by Physician's Formula. Someone on my Instagram was raving about how much she loved them, so naturally I had to try. They were so bad for me. I used them the way I use my normal primer, and I swear this stuff made my eye makeup crease and flake worse than it ever has, even without primer. Not worth it.

Beauty items I'd like to try: CC Cream by It, Confidence in an Eye Cream (also by IT) and BECCA First Light Primer. What are some things you are wanting to try?? And what are YOUR current beauty obsessions?!

Current Beauty Obsessions - October 2016

 So I know I haven't done a Current Beauty Obsessions post for a while, and it's with good reason. Nothing has stood out until now. I only ever want to recommend products I use and truly love, and didn't want to slap out a post with products that were just ok. I hope you love my Current Beauty Obsessions as much as I do, and understand the reasoning behind there not being one the last two months.

Without further adieu:

I have tried *so* many different foundations, and I always, always come back to Bare Minerals. All of their different formulas and variations are gentle on my skin, don't look caked on, and give nice, buildable coverage. I am currently loving their newest foundation, the Bare Pro pressed powder foundation. (I'm color #12 - Warm Natural for reference.) The foundation is truly buildable, and looks great on. I definitely prefer using it with the Core Coverage Brush, and my latest favorite primer is (also Bare Minerals) Prep Step, with SPF 50. It feels like absolutely nothing, but gives your makeup incredible staying power, and I'm loving the built-in sun protection.

Pumpkin Pie lip sugar by Bambu Earth. WOWZA - you guys!!! This is a really gentle exfoliator that packs a punch. You rub a pea-sized amount all over your lips to slough off the dead skin, and wipe (or lick!) off. It truly tastes like pumpkin pie, and gets your lips perfectly ready for lipstick. I like to use it a few nights a week before bed, and then put coconut oil on my lips, so they can soak in the hydration over night. I have heard so many great things about Bambu Earth (they're an eco-friendly company, and their products are free of all the nasties!) and their dry shampoo is next on my wishlist.

I'm Not Really A Waitress by OPI from the Infnite Shine line. A month or two back OPI released thirty of it's most iconic shades into their Infinite Shine line, and I was beyond thrilled when they added one of my very favorite colors ever, I'm Not Really A Waitress. The color is gorgeous, and it lasts a week + without chips. Can't be beat!

Jergens Wet Skin Moisturizer. This might be the coolest product I've tried in a while. You might be thinking this is just a humble, little moisturizer, but it is so much more. You put it on in the shower, while you're still wet. You then dry yourself off as usual, but the moisture is locked in all day long. My skin is on the dryer side, and sometimes (especially right after I shave my legs) my skin will start to feel dry and itchy until I can put on some lotion, but this completely eliminates that problem, and the moisture in my skin lasts longer. It's really impressive! I've used the Monoi Oil scent, and the Cherry Almond and the cherry almond wins in my book. Definitely give this bad boy a try!

Tarteist mascara by Tarte. I've blogged about mascara before, and for the longest time was a strictly drugstore mascara chick. But then I got this mascara as a free gift with purchase, and it is incredible!! It is the darkest, black I've ever seen and gives my lashes great volume and length. I love it. Not sure if I'll buy a new tube when this one runs out, or stick to my drugstore ways, but for now I am obsessed!

What are some of YOUR current beauty obsessionss?? Please let me know!

Current Beauty Obsessions - June 2016

Summer is finally officially here - yay!!! My beauty routine definitely becomes more streamlined and minimal during the hot months, and here are the products I just cannot live without.

1. Bronze Goddess Soleil perfume by Estee Lauder. Sorry to do this to you guys, but this particular version is long gone. Every year Estee Lauder comes out with a new Bronze Goddess perfume and this year's is still pretty incredible. Perfect when you want a scent, but nothing overpowering. It reminds me of the beach!

2. Hawaiian Tropic silk hydration spf 30 for face, This is moisturizing, but light and doesn't clog my pores. It also has a really great smell. I use it in addition to my regular face moisturizer.

3. Sun Bum SPF 50 for body. I'm a total sunscreen junkie. This is my absolute favorite for the body - it goes on nicely without a weird sunscreen feel. It's a bit pricier than typical drugstore sunscreens, but worth every penny in my opinion.

4.  Derma-E purifying daily scrub. This is gentle enough to be used everyday, but I use it about every other day. It's made with marine algae and activated charcoal, and is a super gentle scrub that leaves my face feeling smooth and clean after being in the heat.

5. Bare Minerals Sheer Sun Bronzer and brush. You guys, I'm obsessed!! Sometimes I'll use this in place of any foundation at all, other times I will use it on top of my foundation. (Still loving the one I told you guys about last month!) It gives me an incredibly natural sun kissed glow and I can't recommend it enough!

6. I am new to Glossier, but after hearing countless raves I went ahead and ordered some of their cult classic Balm dot Calms. They are worth the hype. It's a multi-purpose skin salve that I especially love using on my lips, and the coconut is my favorite. (Although rose is a close second!) You can use this link for 20% off of your first purchase.

Those are the things I can't live without right now. What about you??

Current Beauty Obsessions - April 2016

I am a product junkie. Have been for as long as I can remember, and I don't see that changing anytime soon. Here are the beauty products that have stood out for me this month:

Biore Baking Soda Pore Cleanser. This stuff is a winner! I have combination skin, and haven't had much luck finding a cleanser that didn't make my skin feel tight from over-cleaning, or one that didn't leave me feeling greasy. This cleanser is one of the very best I've ever tried, and for right around six bucks you can't beat it!

Strivectin Multi-Action Restorative Cream. It's a mouthful to say, and it's on the pricey side, but it is amazing!! It doesn't clog my pores, but it's heavy enough to keep me hydrated all night (I use it as my night cream.) I've been using it for several months now, and have noticed visible improvement in the overall texture of my skin, the little fine lines (especially on my forehead) and my skin is brighter overall! (I also use THIS at night with it, which I know helps as well.) This is the only product I can remember scraping the bottom of, and then instantly going out to buy another.

The Amy Nadine eye shadow palette. I love this one sooooo much!! It has the perfect nude, the perfect gold, the perfect coppery rose gold, and the perfect deep plum. You can create so many looks with this gorgeous palette. They're all highly pigmented, but have a gorgeously soft (but not flaky) texture. I can't recommend it enough!

Burt's Bees lipstick in Nile Nude. EEP!! It is so pretty and so moisturizing! I bought this on a whim at Target one day (story of my life....) and I now officially want all of the Burt's Bees lippies. It's a sheer formula, but still has a great color payoff, and is super moisturizing. I'm in love.

What are YOUR current beauty favorites?? Please let me know! My birthday is in a couple of weeks, and I need to add some fun things to my wishlist ;)

Current Beauty Obsessions - March 2016

My beauty favorites for March 2016, just in the nick of time. I bought very few new products this month - not much was grabbing my attention, but I do have some favorites that I've been using for a little while to share!

1. My S'Well bottle. You're probably like - a water bottle?! How is that a beauty product? Well it is, and it isn't. HERE is a great, little infographic on why drinking water is so darn important, and how it helps with beauty too ;) I got myself and Tony S'Well bottles for Christmas, and the fact that they keep your water cold (like super cold) for 24 hours is awesome (although I try to drink and refill it several times a day) but the fact that they're just so pretty is what really sold me! I have the one below, and Tony has the blonde wood. There are tons more that I want!! If you're local you can also find a huge selection of S'Well bottles at Prim. 

2. Clinique Pep-Start eye cream. This is a pretty recent purchase, and when I run out you'd better believe I will be buying another! This eye cream is jam packed with peptides and provides instant hydration, and helps to de-puff and makes my dark circles look WAY better. I only use this in the daytime (I use another at night) and it really does help me to look more awake. I'm a big fan!

3. Garnier Waterproof Micellar Cleansing Water. I am so in love with micellar waters! I used to use the Bioderma micellar water, which I could only get from a friend who went to Canada often (it's now sold on Amazon too!) but these newer versions are much easier to get, being sold in every drugstore, and (of course) Amazon, and come in at a much more budget-friendly price. These super charged waters get off every trace of makeup, without stripping the skin. I use a cotton round and pour the micellar water over it, then lightly rub all over my face at night before I do the rest of my skincare. I also swipe some over my face first thing in the morning, before putting on my sunscreen and moisturizer. Give this a try if you haven't yet!

4. Maybelline Contour Kit in medium/deep. This is probably my favorite item of this month's beauty obsessions, and I use it all the time. I have a light to light/medium skin, but I went with the medium/deep contour kit because I loved the blush color so much! They have a light/medium that would probably suit my skintone beter (especially the bronzer), but the colors are forgiving and very blendable so the darker one works too. I am not a HUGE fan of the whole contour craze, but do like giving myself a light contour and highlight sometimes. I mainly use the blush in this palette, and would buy it again for the blush alone. This kit (right around ten bucks) is a great value - just know going in that the little brush that comes with it is useless. I gave it to my girls to play with.

 Here are some swatches in different lights:

5.  And finally, my Aveda lipgloss in Pearl Rose. I worked for Aveda years ago, and still absolutely adore their products! I snapped up a new gloss a few weeks back, and find myself using it all the time alone, and on top of other colors. It's the prettiest glossy rose color, with a golden undertone and tiny golden flecks. So pretty!

Those are MY current beauty obsessions, what are yours? Let me know in the comments, I would love to check them out!

Spring Beauty Swaps

Hey friends! I originally wrote this post as a contribution for the online magazine, District of She but wanted to share it with all of you too! <3

As with fashion, beauty looks have trends that vary from season to season. With Puxatawny Phil predicting an early Spring this year, I say why not start swapping out some of your Winter beauty essentials now?

While winter is all about matte skin, a perfectly contoured face, a bold lip, and black liner, I think Spring is the perfect time to freshen up your look with some sweet, softer colors and textures.

Swap your matte foundation for a hydrating tinted moisturizer. I am loving the tinted moisturizer/gel hybrid Complexion Rescue foundation by Bare Minerals. It gives a beautiful coverage, that's buildable. It completely evens out your skin while still letting your skin tone show through.

I love a bold cat eye, but when the spring comes I love the look of a soft peach shadow all over the lids. It's flattering on all skin tones, and looks fresh and ladylike. There are a bunch of great peachy eye shadows out there, but my favorites are ABC Gum (matte) and Freelove (shimmery) both by Urban Decay. If you want to pair it with an eye liner, I love a deep purple, smudged slightly. Don't be scared by the combination of purple + peach. The two are so gorgeous together, especially if you do a gently smudged liner. One of the best options out there is Prunella by MAC.

It seems like contouring is everywhere, and here to stay. While I think a well done contour can look great I just don't think it's for everyday. For Spring I love a soft wash of color on the cheeks. Hourglass makes some incredible options! Their blushes use special soft lighting effects to give you a beautiful finish. Incandescent Electra is one of my favorites.

A bold lip is gorgeous, especially in the Winter. For the Spring though I loooooove a glossy wash of color with a hint of shimmer! For an everyday warm peachy color, with a hint of shimmer I adore Burt's Bees Sunny Day lip gloss, and for a bolder (but still sheer) wash of color you can't go wrong with Hibiscus by Jouer. Both are incredibly moisturizing, and surprisingly long lasting.

Do you swap out beauty products seasonally? Let us know!