Fresh's Umbrian Clay Mattifying Serum

Every once in a while, or quite frequently, a product comes along that I just cannot get off my mind... You know, the item that just keeps popping into your thoughts throughout the day, and you know your obessiveness will not end until you just purchase the gosh-darn thing already... Yeah, that's happening right now.

February Favorites

My very first "Favorites" post!!!  I'm super excited to share with you guys my most loved and most used products from this past month!  I really like reading the monthly favorites posts...maybe it's because it has become habit to expect them.  Expectation = anticipation...?  Anyway, before I go off on a random tangent...
I wanted to add in some other non-beauty, "life" favorites just to add a little more personal flair to this post.  Other than being a beauty/fashion addict (junkie sounded too harsh...it's true, but you know), I do like other things like reading, listening to music, etc, etc - and I thought it would be really fun to share some of those things with you as well.

FOTD: Driver's License Edition (Tips for a Good Photo)

It's that special time again!  Four years have passed and it's time for me to make the trip to the DMV, stand in line, wait for 30+ minutes, and then finally stand in front of a blank blue wall - under extremely unflattering florescent lighting - to take a picture that will be with me for the next 1,460 days (approximately).  I've had one good ID photo taken my first year at college, and try as I might, apparently I cannot copy it over and over to use on all my other IDs just because I think it's the most flattering.  This year I am determined to take a semi-decent picture.  I'm not looking for miracles or anything, just a good picture that doesn't make me cringe every time I pull out my license.  That's not asking too much, right?

In order to help me accomplish this mission I've compiled a list of tips for taking a good ID photo:

A Brief Commentary: Tweezerman Eye Lash Curler

I went to Ulta yesterday and along with some other things bought a new eyelash curler.  That's not really anything to write home about, but... I just wanted to say thank you to Tweezerman for finally realizing that having extra pads is awesome but really really annoying when you have no where to put them! They just settle into random nooks and crannies in my makeup drawers, and then are never found again (or found after a frustrating 5 minutes of me swearing I just saw them!  Where are they?!).  Thank you for the forethought and rationale to include three extra pads in a very handy little vial.  Kudos to Tweezerman! :)

Three extra pads in a handy..vial (?).  Someone at Tweezerman had their coffee when they decided to add this!

Also, in case anyone is wondering, I really like the Tweezerman eyelash curlers.  I know that most people are taken with the Shu Uemura curlers and they are also fabulous, but I like the curve (or lack thereof) of the Tweezerman curlers better.  They fit my flatter, monolidded eye shape way better than other curlers I've tried.  I personally never go anywhere without curling my lashes so I may have a more passionate stance on the importance of the right eyelash curler than some, but if you're not totally satisfied with the one you're currently using I definitely recommend trying the Tweezerman ones out.  Plus they're only $12.50 at Ulta...which, following the rules of rounding numbers, is only like $10 (haha!).

The curve of the Tweezerman eyelash curlers - not nearly as deep as most other curlers out there.

Okayyy...just a short one today!  I just started a new work schedule and have been trying to acclimate myself to it - BUT I have a bunch of reviews, FOTDs, and OOTDs coming up super soon...as well as my very first Favorites (which I've gotten really excited about doing - like dorky excited about).  Can't wait to share all of it with you guys!  Hope you're all  having an awesome day!!  xoxo

S.O.S. - Spazzed Out Skin

Disclaimer: This post is based solely on my own, unique experience.  I am in no way trying to discourage anyone from trying the products mentioned.  I actually really liked all of the products and am very disappointed that they did not work for me.  I have not heard of anyone else (friends, colleagues, other bloggers, etc) who has had a similar reaction...apparently I'm just super special :) I also apologize for my super scary makeup-less photos - which should have had a disclaimer unto themselves.

Let me start off by saying that I am very lucky when it comes to my skin.  I've never had a serious problem with acne, and yeah I can develop an oil slick down the middle of my face but nothing a little powder and some blotting papers can't handle.  The two issues that I have had with my skin have been poor skin texture (enlarged, clogged pores on my nose and cheeks), and sensitivity.

My issues with skin texture have largely been resolved since I reassessed and changed my skincare routine (a full post is coming soon!), and I was feeling as if my skin sensitivity had gotten a lot better too.  I must have gotten overly confident because my skin decided to knock me back down a couple pegs by developing an allergic reaction to the Revlon Nearly Naked Foundation!  The only other times a reaction of this nature has happened was in the summer when I used the L'Oreal Magic BB Cream, a couple years ago when I used Covergirl True Blend Foundation.  With all of these products I wore them once for a full day with no problems whatsoever, but the next time I used them I developed this reaction by the end of the day.  It's such a wonderful surprise to wash your face and then look in the mirror to see yourself covered in little itchy red bumps all over your forehead, eyelids, around your mouth, and even underneath your eyebrows!  I really hope my sarcasm is painfully evident here.

Revlon Nail Art: Neon in High Voltage

I have a penchant for obnoxiously bright nail polish.  You know, the kind of bright that burns your eyes if you look at it too long and leaves fluorescent trails of color when you move your hands because the color has been burned into your retinas - that kind of bright.  I don't know what it is, I just love "highlighter" colored nail polish, evidenced by the fact that my two other favorite colors are Orly's Passion Fruit and Sinful Color's Innocent.  I think neon colors are the unexpected, bright-ass pop of color that shows you don't take yourself too seriously - you know, cool but not too cool for school cool.  So when I saw the Revlon Nail Art Neon display I just had to check it out!  I picked out the color High Voltage - a bright neon orange. I actually really like the color, but I'm not sure about the product as a whole.

Monolid Madness #1: Nanette Lepore NYFW Inspired

I was really excited to see so many (I guess it was more like a handful, but still) Asian models at New York Fashion Week this year!  It's really awesome to see beautiful monolidded ladies rocking some high fashion looks - plus it makes it way easier to re-create the looks I like (a nice bonus!).

I was really inspired by this picture from the Nanette Lepore show:

 I love the colors and the somewhat haphazard application.  It looks like they both just grabbed a brush and threw on some eyeshadow...and just happen to look edgy and cool when they finish, because it's always that easy, right?  I wish!

The look itself is fairly easy to do and I think it compliments a monolid eye shape nicely.  Here's how I re-created this look.