January 2014 Favorites!

Hey everyone! I'm here today to show you what I have been loving this past month! There are some old favorites as well as some new ones! Let's get started!

1. I've been straightening my hair more often and I knew I needed to get some type of heat protectant. I came across the Eva NYC Hungry Hair Oil Treatment at Ulta and decided to give it a try since it was on sale for $7. I tried it the next day and I instantly fell in love! Even though I have short but thick hair, I really only need 2-3 drops of it to lightly coat my hair. This will last you forever! It smells really nice and my hair stays frizz-free throughout the day. If you need a new hair protectant of some sort, I highly recommend this hair treatment! I would repurchase this, even at the full price of $15.

2. I've tried a lot of BB Creams and the only one I really enjoy using is the Physicians Formula Super BB All-in-1 Beauty Balm Cream. If you're looking for a BB Cream that gives almost a full coverage look, then this one is for you! It has a really thick consistency but it's so easy to blend out. I actually prefer using my fingers to apply it because of its almost mousse texture. It has a slight satin finish so I do have to put powder over it. Overall, I think it's a great BB Cream to try out!

3. I have really oily eyelids so I need an eye primer that will make my eyeshadows last longer and be more vibrant. I got a sample of the NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base a couple months ago and now I'm almost finished with it because I love it that much! If you have oily lids, you need this in your life! It comes out white but it becomes clear once you blend it out with your fingers. The only thing I don't like about this product is the cost, $24. I only buy it when Sephora has their 20% sale. Highly recommend if you can afford it!

4. I think I have a new HG drugstore mascara! It's the Maybelline Volum' Express The Rocket Mascara! I love my Maybelline The Colossal mascara but the length that The Rocket mascara gave my puny little lashes was incredible! This mascara gives me amazing volume and amazing length! There are no flakes whatsoever and it lasts for a really long time! I've had quite a success with Maybelline mascaras and this mascara is no exception. Absolutely love it!

5. These cute little spheres are great! They're the EOS lip balms. I actually didn't care for these when I first tried them out. However, the more I used them, the more I began to like them! Now I have so many of them all around my house! They are great basic lip balms and have a really cute packaging! I'll admit, I was intrigued by their packaging when I first saw them. Who isn't?! Totally recommend these lip balms!

6. I have been wanting to try out a new night cream and came across the Avalon Organics Vitamin C Renewal Cream. I saw that Allison (amarixe on Youtube) mentioned it in a couple videos and thought I should give it a try. The scent is truly great! It smells like fresh oranges, not some artificial crap. I put this on at night and my skin feels fresh, radiant and amazing the next day! I've also noticed that my dark spots have become less noticeable after using this cream for a week. Love this cream and now I'm interested in their other products too!

What were your favorites for the month of January? Leave me a comment below!

Until next time!

xo, Kathleen

FOTD: First Week of School!

Hello everyone! If you read my last post, you'll know that I started school this week! My classes will definitely be difficult but what college class isn't? My makeup this week can be described in one word: simple. I used a BB cream to even out my skin tone, under eye concealer, powder, light pink blush, mascara, liquid eyeliner and a light pink lipstick. Below is a list of everything I used.

1. Urban Decay De-Slick Setting Spray (before foundation and after all my makeup)

2. Physician's Formula Super BB Cream in Light/Medium

3. Neutrogena Healthy Skin Pressed Powder in Light/Medium

4. Physician's Formula Happy Booster Blush in Natural

5. Jordana Best Lash Extreme mascara

6. L'Oreal Lineur Intense Liquid Eyeliner in Carbon Black

7. Rimmel Match Perfection Concealer in 345 Light

8. L'Oreal Colour Riche Caresse in Sunset Angora 

I just realized that almost every product I used is drugstore, which is good for us college students! Until next time!

xo, Kathleen

Collective Haul! Sephora, Rite Aid + Blog Sale Items!

Hey guys! It's been waaaay too long since I've last posted a blog post here, (about a month!) and I truly missed blogging! There's really no excuse for not being on here as much. So much has happened this last month and I do plan on making a July Favorites as well so stay tuned for that! For now, I have a haul to show you guys! I did some online shopping at Sephora, bought a couple of things from Rite Aid and I even purchased some items off a blog sale! It was my first time buying things from a blog/using Paypal and I was so anxious about it! Thankfully, everything went well! Let's get onto the haul shall we?

I got an email saying I was 64 points away from being a VIB at Sephora so I figured why not buy a few things. I bought a Sephora Collection Contour Eye Pencil 12HR Wear in the color 09 Girls Night Out. I've heard so many good things about this pencil and I can't wait to try it! I also bought another Laura Mercier Caviar Eye Stick in Amethyst. I have four of these already and I absolutely love them! They're perfect by themselves or as a base for your eyeshadows. Totally recommend these! For the deluxe sample, I chose the Clarins Body Lift Cellulite Control cream. I just wanted to try this out, see if my cellulite firms up lol! Lastly, the product I was so happy to have another one of, is the Urban Decay De-Slick Makeup Setting Spray. This is a holy grail for my oily skin. I recently ran out of this and I was so bummed. I'm so glad I have another bottle!

I went to Rite Aid looking for a new foundation to try. All the ones I own are starting to get a little funky or it no longer matches my face. I noticed the Covergirl Clean Whipped Creme display and they seriously only had four different shades to choose from. It was practically empty! Good thing I found an unopened bottle of my shade, 340. I then realized Covergirl was on sale buy one get one 50% off so I decided to check out another one of their foundations: the Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 Makeup. I got the color 842. I've heard good things about both of these foundations so I can't wait to try them out!

I'm super excited about these products the most! I bought these items off a blog sale a few weeks ago and I'm so happy I did! I would totally recommend checking out www.muablogsales.wordpress.com! They have a list of my blog sales going on! I bought a Benefit blush in Bella Bamba, bareMinerals Ready Eyeshadow 8.0 in The Finer Things, Sleek Ultra Matts V2 palette, MAC Watch Me Simmer lipstick and MAC Viva Glam Cyndi Lipglass! Can't wait to play with these beauties!

What were your recent purchases? Until next time!

xo, Kathleen

March Favorites 2013!

Hey everyone! Hope you all had a great April Fool's Day! I didn't do a joke but my mom totally fooled my dad saying she crashed the car! He was furious haha! Let's see what were my favorites this month!



1. Aveeno Continuous Protection Sunblock Lotion for Face SPF 30 - I like to take good care of my skin and I've been reading online how we should wear sunscreen everyday. I've had this for a good while now but only used it for really hot days. Now I use this everyday and I love it! It absorbs right into my skin and doesn't create more oil on my face. It's good under makeup too! A+ on this product!

2. Rite Aid Tugaboos Baby Oil - I can't believe I haven't tried this before until now! I've been wanting to try MAC Cleanse Off Oil since I've heard that it works great at removing eye makeup. So I've been doing some research and came across a review about baby oil on Makeup Alley. People were raving about this being a good eye makeup remover so I tried it and I love it! I use my Shiseido Facial Cotton with it and it removes my eye makeup like a breeze! I definitely suggest that you all try this stuff!

3. Fresh Soy Face Cleanser - I got this in a small kit alongside a mini Supernova mascara (it's okay). NikkiRothBeauty on YouTube raves about this product so I had to try this out! I don't know if it removes makeup well since I use a different cleanser for that but it's great at cleaning my face! My skin has never looked better before using this product! You only need a small amount. The only thing I don't like about it is that it smells weird. Other than that I love it!

4. Olay Fresh Effects Va-Va-Vivid! Powered Contour Cleansing System - I won't talk to much about this product since I do have a review of it here. The only thing I love about this product is the brush that it comes with. It helps deep clean my pores and my face feels super clean. I hate the cleanser that it comes with. It broke me out like crazy! Definitely check out the brush!

5. L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow in Bronzed Taupe - I am in love with this eyeshadow! This works great over another favorite this month, Maybelline Color Tattoo in Rich Mahogany. The both paired together makes a great daytime/nighttime bronze smoky eye! The Color Tattoo didn't crease on my super oily lids and they're both insanely pigmented! This is basically my everyday eye look! Unfortunately, Rich Mahogany was limited edition last year but you can use Bad to the Bronze for a similar look. Love these products!

6. bareMinerals SPF 20 Correcting Concealer - I saw this at Sephora last month and bought it on a total whim. I swatched it in store and I loved how creamy it felt on my skin. The next day I used this by itself with no setting powder and I was surprised at how long it lasted! With setting powder it lasts even longer! I'm in the shade Medium 1. This is probably one of my new favorite undereye concealer!

Those were my favorites for the month of March! What were your favorites?! Leave a comment below or tweet me!

Until next time!
xo, Kathleen

February Favorites 2013!

Hey everyone! These are the products that I have been loving this past month! Mostly makeup but I do have some random favorites, both pictured and not. Let's get right into it!


I've been loving my Neutrogena Healthy Skin Pressed Powder. I'm in the shade Light to Medium. It's perfect for setting my foundation! It leaves a demi-matte finish which is great for my oily skin. This can also work as a powder foundation because it does have a medium coverage. I'm very pleased with this product!

The blush I've been wearing almost every single day in February is Wet n Wild blush in Heather Silk. It's a matte berry color with a pink undertone to it. I love this blush! It's a perfect pop of color for the cheeks. Most people would say that it's more of a winter shade but I can wear this all year long. It's affordable ($2.99), very pigmented and lasts all day long!

I have tried many new mascaras this past month and the one that I really enjoy using is the Revlon Lash Fantasy Total Definition Waterproof Mascara. HOWEVER, the only part I like about this mascara is the primer side, not the actually mascara. The mascara would smudge all over my undereye area after an hour of application. Definite fail. The primer on the other hand, made my lashes look long and thick. I've used the primer with other mascaras and it gave my lashes length and volume. I wouldn't repurchase this though because of the mascara.

If I could only own one liquid eyeliner for the rest of my life, I would have to go with Physicians Formula Eye Booster 2-in-1 Lash Boosting Eyeliner + Serum. This is seriously the best liquid eyeliner I've ever used. What I love about this eyeliner is that it has a thin brush tip which I prefer than felt tips. The tip helps to make your eyeliner super thin or thick. It lasts all day on my eyes and it's the darkest black eyeliner out there. I would definitely repurchase this!

The next three products are all lip products which include Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Polish in Dolly, Korres lipstick in 45 Coral, and Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Rose Velvet. I've included some swatches below.


From left to right: Korres lipstick in Coral, Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Rose Velvet, Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Polish in Dolly.

I've been wearing the Revlon lipstick with the Buxom lipgloss for work and I love it! It's a perfect work lip combo! The Korres lipstick is perfect for Spring/Summer.

My Visine for Contacts eye drops have been a total life saver for me! My eyes have been really dry this past month and I decided to try some eye drops for my contacts. My eyes feel so fresh and clear after using these eye drops! Love them!

As for not pictured here, I've been loving Fall Out Boy's new single "My Songs Know What You Did In the Dark (Light Em Up). They are my favorite band ever and I'm so happy that they're back from the hiatus. It sucks that I didn't get tickets for their L.A. concert :(

So that wraps up my February favorites! What where your favorites this month? Until next time!

xo, Kathleen

Collective Sephora Haul!

Hey everyone! I mentioned in a previous blog post that I would show you what I have recently purchased at Sephora. If you didn't know, Sephora is basically my favorite beauty store. I love going in there every couple of weeks to see if there's anything new. I must say, my bank account is starting to dwindle because of my recent purchases. I can't help it! Anyways, let's get on with the haul!

On my first trip there, I headed straight to the NARS section. I'm starting to think that NARS is becoming my favorite high end brand. Once I got there, I noticed that they had a new set called And God Created The Woman Set ($59). It comes with an eyeshadow palette that has six neutral shades, a travel sized eye shader brush, and a travel sized Pro-Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base. I love wearing neutral colors so I knew I had to get this! I also got the Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil in Mexican Rose ($25), which is a beautiful hot pink color. It's almost spring and I'm starting to wear my hot pink and coral lip products! I think I'll do a blog post on my favorite spring lip products once spring starts!

Two weeks later, I went back to Sephora. I can't help that there's a mall within walking distance from my college! This time I bought skincare products. Lately, I've been very into taking care of my skin. For those wondering, I have combination-oily skin and I tend to breakout around my cheeks and chin. I was wandering around the skincare section when I came across Origins Skincare Must Haves set ($55). It comes with 0.5 oz Plantscription™ Anti-Aging Serum, 0.17 oz GinZing™ Refreshing Eye Cream, 1 oz Checks and Balances™ Frothy Face Wash, 1 oz Modern Friction™ Nature's Gentle Dermabrasion and 1.7 oz VitaZing™ SPF 15 Energy-Boosting Moisturizer. I like trying out new things and my current skincare routine just isn't cutting it for me. I also saw the Shiseido Facial Cotton ($9.50). I've been using standard makeup wipes from many brands, drugstore and high end, to remove my eye makeup but they don't do a good job at removing my mascara. I bought these so that I could try it with MAC's Cleanse Off Oil. Can't wait to use these! So I got in line to make my purchases when I saw those bins that are right next to the registers. Of course I had to see what was inside and saw the Fresh Eyes Lash-Loving Duo ($10). This was an impulse buy. It comes with a 0.68 oz Soy Face Cleanser and a 0.07 oz Supernova Mascara in Black. I've heard good things about their Soy Face Cleanser so I'm happy to try it out one day.

And that concludes my collective haul! So many new goodies to play with! See you guys next time!

xo, Kathleen

Ulta Haul!

Good evening everyone! Today was incredibly exciting for me! Why?! Because I went inside an Ulta for the first time ever! I was shocked at how much stuff they had! The closest one near me is 30 minutes away. I wish there was one in my hometown! Let's get on with the goodies!


I have never tried any NYX products, ever! So I decided to try out a couple of things. I got two eyeshadow trios that were on clearance and a cream blush in Boho Chic. Can't wait to use these!


I'm so excited about these brushes! I've heard nothing but good things about the Real Technique brushes! I got their powder brush, stippling brush and eyeliner brush. Super excited about these!


Last but not least, the one product that made my jaw drop to the floor when I saw it: the Urban Decay I ♥ NYC Books of Shadows III palette! I couldn't believe my eyes! I've never tried any UD eyeshadows so I'm really excited about this palette! Plus, $39 is a steal

I had an amazing time at Ulta! I need to go there more often!

Until next time,
Kathleen

FOTD: My 5 Min. Makeup

Good morning everyone! I'm sorry I haven't been blogging as much. I've been sick for the past two weeks and I'm feeling so much better now! Today I thought I'd show you my 5 minute makeup routine. I don't like wearing too much makeup when I'm sick but I still want to look alive ha!


From L to R:
- Almay Smart Shade Smart Balance Makeup in Medium
- Maybelline The Colossal mascara
- Neutrogena Healthy Skin Pressed Powder in Light/Medium
- Clinique Blushing Blush Powdered Blush in Sunset Glow

Hope you're all having a great day!

xo, Kathleen

FOTD: Thanksgiving Edition

Hi everyone! Hope you're all having a great Thanksgiving with friends and family! For those not celebrating, I hope you're having a great day! Here's my FOTD.


From L to R: Urban Decay De-Slick Setting Spray, Maybelline Superstay Foundation in Nude, Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Eye Colour in Plum, Too Faced Shadow Insurance, Korres Face Primer, MAC Select Moisturecover Concealer in NW35, Maybelline The Colossal mascara, Lancome Dual Finish Versatile Powder Makeup in Buff II, Inglot eyeshadows (sorry I forgot the numbers!), Wet n Wild blush in Heather Silk, Revlon Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie

Sephora VIB Sale Haul!

Hey everyone! I received my Sephora purchase today in the mail and thought I'd show you what I bought during their VIB sale! I didn't buy much this year because I'm saving up for a new laptop. Anyway, let's get to the haul!


From left to right: Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Eye Colours in Jungle and Plum, Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Polish in Betty, MUFE Mat Velvet+ foundation in 45

If you would like to see swatches or reviews on any of these products, let me know! :)

Until next time!

xo, Kathleen

Mini Drugstore Haul!

Hey beauties! So I recently picked up some products at Rite-Aid and thought I'd show you a few things. Surprisingly, I only got one makeup item but Sephora's VIB 20% off sale is super tempting! Let's get on with the haul!



I believe this product is new since I found it in its own display. It's the Aveeno Clear Complexion Foaming Cleanser. I've been having a lot of breakouts lately on my chin and neck area and I have tried EVERYTHING! Nothing seems to work so I'm soooo glad I found this. I really hope this works out!



I believe this brand is fairly new too. It's the Formula 10.0.6 Seriously Shine Free Mattifying Oil-Free Moisturizer. Wow, that's a mouthful! Anyway, I'm currently using the Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisture moisturizer and that thing sucks! It's the opposite of oil-free! I just wanted to try out a new moisturizer.



Next up is the Formula 10.0.6 Deep Down Detox Ultra-Cleansing Mud Mask. I've never tried a mask before before and I was intrigued by it. Well, their packaging also intrigued me. I'm a sucker for packaging.



A hair product I got was the Nexxus Pro-Mend Split End Binding Curl Defining Crème Gel. I just had to buy products with the longest names ever! Anyway, I've always wanted to try Nexxus products but they're so expensive. Good thing I found this for 75% off! I can't wait to use it!



I also got an Essie nail polish in the color Bahama Mama. This is ny first Essie nail polish and I hear soooo many people talking about this specific color! It's a darkened plum/maroon color that is perfect for fall! I CANNOT wait until I put this on my nails



Last but certainly not least, the only makeup product I bought was the Luscious Lips Glossy Lip Balm Collection. I love wearing lip balm and I have way too many but I was drawn towards this set. They look too cute to even use!

I can't wait to use all of these things, especially the nail polish and lip balms! Hope you're all having a great Saturday!

xo, Kathleen

October Birchbox 2012!

I got my box about a week ago but I still wanted to write a post about it. I've been watching videos on YouTube and many were disappointed with this month's box. I'm actually really excited about it because I got something that I've been DYING to try!



I love this box! The first thing I noticed when I opened it was a Beauty Blender. Yes, a Beauty Blender! I was literally in shock when I saw this! I cannot wait to use it for my foundation! I also got a sample of theBalm's Mary-Lou Manizer. I have the full size of it and it is the best highlighter ever! It gives such a pretty glow to your face without looking like an oilslick. Love! I also got a Luna Bar in Chocolate Raspberry, a sample of Supergoop City Sunscreen Serum and Lucy B Roll On perfumes. I love this month's box! Tell me below what you guys got! In the meantime, I'll see you later!

xo, Kathleen

September Favorites!

Hello everyone! A bit late but I'm here to show you my beauty favorites for this month! This month I rediscovered some favorite products of mine. Now onto the products!

My first favorite is the Ecotools Bronzer Brush. I actually use it for my liquid foundation. It blends my foundation really well and leaves my skin looking flawless. The bristles are very dense and super soft. I don't get why it's called a bronzer brush since it's too big to use. Nonetheless, it's a superb brush for foundation!

This a definite rediscovered love of mine. It's L'Oreal's Voluminous Full Definition mascara. I first started using it in February of last year and ever since then I've been loving it! It leaves my lashes very long and volumized, something not a lot of mascaras do these days. The formula is not too wet and not too dry, which works wonders for my puny little lashes. Even MakeupByTiffanyD on Youtube loves it! I definitely recommend this mascara!

I just recently got this nail polish but I already love it! It's JulieG713's new nail polish line, Julie, in the color Metallic Heels. This is honestly the best nail polish I have ever tried! The color is opaque in just one coat! Metallic Heels is a metallic gold color that is perfect to wear in the fall! I love the color range in her collection and I can't wait to try out more colors from her line!

Next, are the L'Oreal Colour Caresse lipsticks. I own two but my favorite is the one pictured above, Silky Java. I'm a sucker for rosy nude colors so I was immediately drawn towards this color. These remind me of the Revlon Lip Butters except these glide on smoothly. The darker colors are definitely more pigmented the lighter ones. They don't wear too long on me but I don't care because I love the color! It's a perfect fall shade too!

This product has been a total lifesaver for me recently! It's the Urban Decay De-Slick Setting Spray. I live in Southern California (specifically in Orange County) and the weather has been really hot! Where's the fall weather?! Anyway, this truly helps my foundation last a long time! I can't believe I haven't used this product until recently! It's a great product that anyone with oily skin has to try out! Highly recommend!

Last but not least, I have been loving the Black Amethyst scent from Bath and Body Works. I have the lotion and the spray. This scent came out last year and of course, Bath and Body Works just had to discontinue it. good thing I have back ups of both! This is scent that you either love it or hate it. It has a very strong floral scent that almost leans to the masculine side. When I layer them together, it smells like fall to me. It's probably my signature scent. Why did you have to discontinue it Bath and Body Works?!

Those were my favorites for the month of September! What were your favorites? Leave a comment down below and tell me! Hope you're all having a nice day!

 

September Birchbox 2012

Hey all! I was going to post this a week ago but I was so caught up with school and work. I know some people didn't enjoy this month's box, but I like it. Not the best, but there are some products I've been wanting to try. Here's what I got!

As always, Birchboxes come in their signature brown little box. I like to keep them and use them various things like storing my makeup or jewelry.

Each month, Birchbox has a theme and the products inside correspond with the theme. The theme for this month was the Birchbox September issue. They have a magazine? Huh, I didn't know that!

The first thing I saw was this little gift certificate for Madewell. I've never heard of this site so I can't wait to see what kind of things they carry!

Next, I saw this little booklet about fall trends to try. I don't know if this is their magazine or not, but I think it's very helpful to those who want to try fall trends. Red and berry lips, here I come!

I'm pretty sure you get a little perfume sample in every box and this month I got Kate Spade's Twirl. I really like the scent, very floral and sophisticated. It's a perfect fall scent!

This was the product I was super excited about! It's Benefit's The Porefessional primer. I've tried so many different kinds of face primers and I've heard Benefit's is really good. Can't wait to try it!

Next thing I got in my box was a Color Club nail polish in the color Insta-this! It's a royal blue color with a creme finish. I've heard it looks a lot like the Sally Hansen nail polish called Pacific Blue. 

When I saw this, I was like, "Why did I get a piece of ribbon?" Sometimes the things Birchbox puts in the boxes are kind of weird. I later found out it's a hair tie. I just gave it to my little sister since I personally have no use for it.

I also received a sample of Nexxus Pro Mend shampoo, conditioner, and treatment. Honestly, I never use these samples. My bathroom drawers are full of little shampoo samples. They do come in handy whenever I'm traveling. In the meantime, my bathroom drawer will become the home for them.

Last (and maybe least), I got a zipper bag. Yes, you all heard right, a zipper bag. What the heck?! This is probably the most random things I got in a Birchbox. It says that you can store your makeup in it but I'm more likely to use it as a sandwich bag. So random!

That's what I got in this month's Birchbox! There were some hits and misses but I do like that you get a variety of samples. Tell me what you guys got in you box! Did you like it? See you guys later! :)