laid back sunday face, nails, & outfit

I didn't have much on my plate today - I'm going to the NKOTBSB concert on Friday (so excited!), so I asked to have my days off split this week. I wanted to take it easy, so I skipped my usual mall crawl - can't afford it anyways! - and instead just stopped into Target for a minute (more on that below) and then to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II. 

I've read and loved all the HP books, and love all the movies as well (I own all of them so far, and you better believe I'll be buying this one, too!). I don't want to spoil anything for those who haven't seen it yet and plan to, but I will say that it definitely lived up to my high expectations. I'm sad to see it end, but glad that it ended so beautifully. I hope it KILLS at the box office! ;)

FACE: 

Origins Vitazing (moisturizer)

Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation (S1)

Dior Aurora bronzer

MAC Warmth of Coral mineralized blush + Stereo Rose MSF

TheBalm Mary Lou-Manizer

EYES: 

UDPP in Sin

NARS Dogon e/s duo + a little of the darkest shade in the Chanel Prelude quad in the crease

MAC Sand & Sun e/s

LORAC Front of the Line Pro

MAC Lord It Up pearlglide liner + UD 24/7 liner in Lucky

UD 24/7 shadow pencil in Sin (inner corners)

MAC Lingering brow pencil

Maybelline The Falsies Flared + MUFE Smoky Lash mascaras

LIPS: 

NARS Bolero velvet matte lip pencil + YSL Rouge Volupte Perle #107

Thank you to J  @ Lil Lady's Life for her review of the Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation that pushed me to give it a try. It's such a nice foundation! I've only worn it twice, but so far so good! It has a lovely finish and shade 1 is a perfect match for me. I love my enabling friends!

NAILS: 

Revlon Craving Coral

the fan club...

TOP: Dorothy Perkins (I twisted and clipped the side with a hair clip!)

SHORTS: Target

SANDALS: Miss Trish for Target

WATCH: Michael Kors

EARRINGS (that you can't see...): Aldo

BAG: Target

....and I was in a Target fitting room when I took this. Gee, you think I might like Target or something?

On a side note, I used Lancome's Flash Bronzer for Legs (on my legs, arms, and chest - yes, I know it's intended for legs, and I broke the rules!) for the second time.  After a nightmare experience with the Kate Somerville towelettes (blotchiest mess EVER), I'm soooo happy at how evenly this applies! It does have that self-tanner scent, but I honestly don't mind it, especially if it gives such nice results!  I only have a sample tube of this product, but I'm definitely going to be adding it to the wishlist.

I tried on this dress while I was there - love it! 

I was proud of myself, though - I went to Target for one thing - and that's all I left with! The one thing? A box of L'Oreal Superior Preference Les Blondissismes LB01 - my all-time favorite shade of blonde.  I'm just tired of the dark hair - I'm a blonde at heart, what can I say. ;)  I'm also going in for a haircut on Tuesday. I haven't had one since December and it's outta control!

I'll let you know how it goes...

Thanks for reading! See you girls soon!

xoxo,

<3 Jess

would you guess these are from forever21??

After I saw Norma from BombbDotCom show these in a haul post, I had to check them out for myself. $2.80 YSL Rouge Pur Couture dupes at Forever21? Too good too be true, right? Well, they're definitely *not* YSL dupes, but they're not too shabby either.

I picked up (from left to right) Light Pink, Rose, and Pink. I didn't pick up Red, but that's the fourth shade in the range, if you're interested. Sidenote: they were really creative with the names, huh? ;) 

And here they are, swatched in the same order:

Light Pink and Rose are pretty similar, with Light Pink having more of a white/cool tone, and Rose being more neutral. Pink, while it might be scary in the tube, is actually not scary bright at all.

Light Pink

Rose

Pink

All three shades have a cocoa butter scent, and actually feel a bit thick like cocoa butter as well - I'm guessing it's a main ingredient. The packaging is cheap, of course - it appears to be sprayed plastic (the interior of the case is not gold) and I had to peel the label stickers off the outer packaging and apply them to the tubes so I could keep the shades straight, which was irritating. 

Overall, I think each of these is surprisingly nice for the price, and while they're not up to par with my favorite high-end lipsticks, I'd still recommend checking them out. They're the best thing I've tried from Forever21's Love & Beauty range thus far. 

All three of these lipsticks combined were a whopping grand total of $8.40 plus tax. 

Of course, I did pick up two other things while I was there...

Leopard print wood heart necklace ($4.80) and grape-scented nail polish remover pads (32 for $1.50, I believe). As you can see, Mouse approves of the necklace. ;) I used the nail polish remover pads today to take off Chanel Graphite, and while I liked the scent, I didn't like that they felt greasy and I needed to use one pad per nail. I also had to wash my hands afterwards because of the greasiness that was left behind. I like the idea of these for traveling, though.

**UPDATE: I thought it might be helpful to post a link to the lipsticks on the forever21.com website - Sorry I didn't think to do this earlier!**

Thanks for reading!

xoxo,

<3 Jess

face of the day: bright liner, lots of NARS, and YSL lippie

FACE: NARS Sheer Glow (Mont Blanc), Dior Aurora, NYX Grinding Blush in Georgia Peach + NARS Turks & Caicos, YSL Metallic Colorama highlighter

EYES: NARS Nepal + Lola Lola e/s, MAC Nudge shadestick (browbone, inner corners, lower lashline), MUFE Aqua Liner #4, Maybelline The Falsies Flared mascara

LIPS: YSL Rouge Volupte Perle #107 Beige Impetueux (how the heck do you pronounce that?)

Ever get the feeling someone is watching you....?

Thanks for reading!

xoxo,

<3 Jess

ysl rouge volupte perle for fall 2011 (i'm in love)

Usually I don't do this, but I am so enamored with these that they warranted their own post...

107 Beige Impetueux (definitely going to butcher that name!) and 110 Orange Incandescent

107 & 110 swatched;

 bottom row is Guerlain Nahema and YSL Volupte Sheer Candy #06 Luscious Cherry for comparison

in different lighting - can you spot gold flecks?

the stain left behind after removing 110 - I actually love this!

...it also left a stain on my hand - that baby is PIGMENTED!

I am so happy to report that, in my opinion, these are NOTHING like the previously released Rouge Volupte Perle shades (which I hated, to be honest!). They are wicked pigmented and apply beautifully - not at all gritty . The packaging of the original shades was a gold with white around the logo - I am so pleased they changed it to look more like the Rouge Volupte packaging (minus the mirror). Much nicer looking. I wore the red shade half the day yesterday and the pink/nude shade today, and they are really a dream! They are as opaque and glossy as the Rouge Voluptes (which the same DELICIOUS scent/taste), but none of the slip. They can be applied straight from the tube, and I found they lasted pretty well, too - especially 110, which even when faded into a stain looks amazing!

There is a lilac/pink shade that I also fell in love with, but I had to limit myself - these babies don't come cheap unfortunately.  However, if you're a lipstick lover like I am, I'd say they're worth the splurge.  Total must-have status, in my opinion!

I did look at the rest of the collection, too, and it was all really lovely. The eyeshadow palette and the deep green single eyeshadow are right up my alley, and when swatched were very pigmented and smooth. I wasn't too interested in the nail polishes or the blush shades, which just seemed too similar to shades I already own.

You can read more about the collection and see the promotional images here.

two FOTDS + more kitty pics, of course!

Hello lovely ladies! I've had a great week and I hope you have too. :) I thought I'd share two looks I did this week, and as usual, annoy you with kitty pictures, too. Enjoy!

FACE: Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua (B10), Dior Aurora, MAC Something Special Cremeblend Blush, NYX HD Grinding Blush in Georgia Peach, Dior Amber Diamond

EYES: Chanel Prelude quad, Smashbox liner pen, Sephora Jumbo Liner in Beige (inner corners), Chanel Rose Platine liner mixed w/MAC Lord It Up pearlglide liner, MAC Lingering brow pencil, Fairydrops Scandal Queen + Lancome Hypnose Drama mascara

LIPS: YSL Rouge Volupte #30 Faubourg Peach

NAILS: Chanel Graphite

The next look is from Friday - it was taken before going into work, hence the "Victorian" garb. I was on day two of using my MAC Studio Sculpt sample, which I surprisingly really liked. I also felt like, as often as I wear YSL Rouge Pur Couture #6 in real life, I barely use it at all in my FOTDs. I wear it pretty much everyday for work, and usually I only take FOTD pics on my days off, when I want to wear something else, so...yeah. Enough rambling, here's the face. 

FACE: MAC Studio Sculpt foundation (NW20), Dior Aurora, MAC Warmth of Coral mineralize blush, The Balm Mary Lou-Manizer

EYES: Chanel Prelude quad, LORAC Front of the Line Pro, Chanel Rose Platine liner, MAC Lingering brow pencil, Maybelline The Falsies Flared mascara + MUFE Smoky Lash

LIPS: YSL Rouge Pur Couture #6 Rose Bergamese

 

And before I go, as promised, more of the little loves of my life, Sammy & Mouse. 

Sammy, mid-meow, in his favorite naptime spot - on top of a tall shelf of baskets... (sorry so dark, it was nighttime and flash photography makes kitties scary!)

Mouse loves sleeping on my MOUSEpad - how perfect is that? ;) (That's my fave Blythe doll behind him, if you're wondering, and a pic of me & my little bro.)

Mouse sleeping like a weirdo.

This one's my all-time fave. <3 (the boxes are blocking the infamous hole under the cabinets that Sammy climbed into!)

 

Going for a ride in my ugly work shoes (glad somebody likes them!)

Thanks for reading!

xoxo,

<3 Jess

my top 10 beauty products tag

Thanks to the lovely J at Lil Lady's Life for tagging me to do this! I had a really tough time deciding on just 10 (I was veeeery tempted to cheat!), but I actually did it. ;) In reality, what I love most about makeup is the variety and the different looks you can create everyday... but if forced to choose only 10 things to take with me if I were going to be stranded on a (very glamorous) desert island, here's what I'd choose. ;) I didn't include brushes, but I'd sneak those in, too...

Chanel Mystic Eyes eyeshadow quad 

I love this quad for the multitude of looks you can create with just four shadows, and each shadow is very good quality. I like the use the bottom right shade on the lid, with the top left in the crease, the pink shade as a highlight, and a little of the bottom left shade in the inner corner of the lid for depth. I love the Urban Decay Naked palette as well, but I chose the Chanel because I don't love the packaging of the Naked palette, and some of the shadows have glitter fallout, which is one of my pet peeves!

TheBalm Mary Lou-Manizer

At the moment, this is my favorite highlighter.  Not only do I love it as a cheek highlight, but for the browbone as well. My other faves are Dior Amber Diamond and YSL Metallic Colorama, but I've talked about both of those so much already, and this one doesn't get enough love! Besides, as I mentioned in my June Favorites post - I actually squealed when I swatched this in the store! Not many products have pulled that initial reaction out of me.

NARS Douceur blush

Don't get me wrong, I am all about peach blush, but I chose this NARS gem because it looks beautiful paired with a smokey eye. It's a dusty rose/brown that looks really natural on my fair skin. Blush is one of my biggest weaknesses, so if I could choose a few more, they'd probably be Illamasqua Tremble (a peachy pink that looks amazing paired with Dior Aurora bronzer), MAC Instant Chic (another peachy pink that runs more peach), and, um, all the cream blushes I own? ;) 

Dior Aurora bronzer

I know this is a big statement for me, but this could be my favorite new product that's been released in the past year (YSL Rouge Pur Couture came out in 2010 - they'd be my fave for that year!). It's just the perfect bronzer shade for me. It really does make my skin look glow-y, and not at all muddy or fake. I can't sing this beauty's praises enough. Put it this way - my mom tried mine and loved it so much, she bought one of her own the next day. :) I'd call this a must-have for fair-skinned ladies, and I've seen it look gorgeous on medium skintones as well.

YSL Touche Eclat in Luminous Radiance

This is my favorite undereye brightener. I don't have really dark circles, and I hate the cakey feel of concealer under my eyes, so this is perfect for me. I love, love, love the packaging - the clicking pen feel is so chic and simple to use. Though this is not a heavy duty concealer, I really can see the difference when I forget to use it. I also like using this as a lip eraser before applying lip products. It's a pricey product, but for me it's absolutely worth it. I'm on my third tube. >_<

MAC Lingering brow pencil

Another product that I've purchased over and over again and can't stand to be without for even one day. This is my favorite eyebrow product ever. No look is complete without filling in my brows with this. The only thing I hate about it is that it's a twist-up pencil, and I don't know it's time to repurchase until I can't twist it up anymore, and at that point I can't even get one more use out of it.  I try to have a back-up on hand for that reason. 

LORAC Front of the Line Pro liquid liner pen

As anyone who knows me can tell you, I love a cat eye flick. I do one pretty much every day. I've tried many a liquid liner, but this one is my fave that I've tried - a glossy black that's foolproof and doesn't budge.

Lancome Hypnose Drama mascara

My HG mascara (and I've tried LOADS of 'em!). Nothing gives volume and length like this baby. I can't wait to try the new Hypnose Doll Eyes mascara that Lancome is releasing soon. ;) My other fave mascaras: YSL Mascara Singulier and FairyDrops Scandal Queen.

MAC Glamour Check eyeshadow

This is sadly a limited edition shade - boo, MAC! I've used this shadow so many times that I'm just completely shocked I haven't hit pan on it yet. It looks perfect in the crease paired with pretty much anything, and I also like it on the lid with Black Tied in the crease for a smokey eye. I'd have a fit if I lost this!

YSL Rouge Pur Couture #6 Rose Bergamese

This is my favorite lipstick of all time. Lipstick is my favorite beauty product, and I definitely own too many, but if I had to choose only one to use everyday, it'd have to be this one. It goes with every look, is work-appropriate, and is the PERFECT consistency - creamy and never cakes or dries out my lips. It's also long-lasting and tastes/smells amazing, and BONUS: the case can be used as a mirror to make reapplying a cinch. I'm on my third tube of this baby, and I rarely finish a lipstick tube!

And there you have it, my top 10 beauty products. Oh, man,  I completely forgot about foundation - UGH! I'd probably choose either Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua or NARS Sheer Glow. There ya go.So, top 11 then? ;)

As usual, I had help with this post...

I think I can guess Sammy's favorite brand.... He has good taste for a kitty!

I tag anyone who'd like to do this - no pressure! :)

Thanks for reading!

xoxo,

<3 Jess

june favorites :) happy fourth of july!

Hello ladies! I hope you're all having a great fourth of July. :) I haven't done a favorites post in a long time, but I just had to do one for June -I love the change of seasons and the bright makeup shades that summer brings. 

Dior Diorskin Healthy Glow Summer Powder in Aurora

It was love at first sight with this baby, and that love hasn't stopped since, it's only grown. This is the perfect bronzer for my skintone - it's natural and gives my skin a nice glow. It's impossible for me to overdo it with this one (and I have a bad habit of overdoing cheek products, so that's saying something!). I apply this on my cheeks, forehead, down the nose, and on the chin. It's also eliminated my need for pressed powder, as I find it sets my makeup just enough. But just in case, I've been setting my makeup with Evian facial mist and carrying blotting papers with me, but I barely ever use them. It may sound crazy, but I think I like the look of oily skin - as long as it's not to the point of makeup dripping down your face, of course!

MAC Amber Lights eyeshadow

I wore this on the lid paired with Glamour Check in the crease and Sand & Sun under the brows maaaany times this past month. Such a gorgeous bronze.  It's a semi-recent addition to my collection of MAC shadows, and it's already one of my favorites.

TheBalm Mary Lou-Manizer

When I first swatched this, I think I squealed. This is the highlight shade of my dreams. I've worn it ever day since on my cheekbones, and often under my brows, too. It's knocked Dior Amber Diamond and YSL Metallic Colorama to the curb. It doesn't fade at all through even the hottest of days. It's amazing!

Stila Convertible Color in Petunia

I got this spontaneously at J.Crew when I saw it in the clearance bins for $4.99. They usually retail for $20-something, and it looked nice enough, so buy I did, and I'm so glad! It's the first cream blush product that I really love on both cheeks and lips. I have Stila's Gerbera, too, but that one is a drier consistency, and is a little difficult to work with as a lip color. Petunia is really creamy and lovely, though. 

Illamasqua cream blush in Rude 

I wear cream blushes to death in the summer. I have semi-oily skin (and I live in hot and sticky Florida!), but I just can't resist those magical little containers that hold the key to dewy cheeks. This one is an all-time fave. It's such a nice coral, and it holds up really well in the heat. I just have to be careful not to overdo it, because this baby is pigmented!

swatched in the same order - Aurora is very natural-looking on my skin as you can (hardly) see from the swatch!

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua

This has been my go-to foundation so far this summer. Don't get me wrong, I still loooove my Clinique Moisture Surge Tinted Moisturizer, but I just find this to be a better shade match for me, and though I usually disliked fragrance in foundation (it has a tendency to cause breakouts), I love the scent of this one! So far, no problems to speak of in terms of breakouts either. This is one foundation that I think is definitely worth the hype.

Boscia BB Cream

When I'm in a light-coverage mood, this BB cream is great. It doesn't have a strong sunscreen scent, and while it does have light coverage, I think it's better coverage than I get from my other BB cream, the Dr. Jart+ Water Fuse Balm (which also has the strong sunscreen scent). I like the sleek packaging, too, and the expiration date printed on the packaging (either on the box or the bottle... I'd get up to check, but there's a kitty in my lap!). Some reviews I've read spoke of sparkle, but I don't see it. I actually like this best mixed with an illuminator, like Tarte's Smooth Operator Illuminating Serum or Illamasqua Gleam Cream. 

Pureology Thermal Antifade Complex Super Smooth Relaxing Serum

This was a hand-me-down from Mom, who'd recently picked up a similar product by Aveda and found she wasn't using it that much since.  I'm ever so grateful, because I LOVE this stuff! I love me some Moroccanoil, but it contains silicones, which are no good for your hair (or my face, which my hair often touches!), and this is a great alternative with less damaging ingredients.  I put a small amount (it has a pretty foolproof pump dispenser) in my hand and run it through my hair prior to blow-drying. It leaves my hair super soft and silky.

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua (B10), Boscia BB Cream

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua (B10), Boscia BB Cream - the Boscia looks much darker, but it somehow manages to blend nicely into my skin!

after blending

Pureology relaxing serum (just to give an idea of the texture - it's definitely a serum texture, not sticky)

FairyDrops Scandal Queen mascara  

I love this mascara best as a base, followed w/a coat of Lancome Hypnose Drama or MUFE Smoky Lash. I looove the formula, and it really holds a curl and lengthens, it's just not as black as I like - and that's where the Lancome or MUFE comes in. ;)

Sephora Jumbo Liner in Beige

I love this as a waterline liner and inner corner highlight. I've used it pretty much daily since I got it. It doesn't budge after applying, and it doesn't irritate my eyes. Think I actually prefer this over the Urban Decay Sin shadow pencil!

YSL Volupte Sheer Candy in #2 Dewy Papaya

I love everything about this gloss balm. It goes with everything, and is not too bright to wear to work. It's also very moisturizing, smells FAB, and, well, it's YSL - isn't that reason enough? It is for me! ;)

Guerlain Rouge Automatique #143 Nahema

This has been my days-off lipstick shade of choice this past month. It looks nice in the tube and all (and the tube! so cool!), but when swatched and applied on the lips, it is WOW. I also find it surprisingly versatile. It has nice lasting power as well, and doesn't dry out my lips. And it tastes/smells good, too!

swatched in the same order (left out the mascara, obviously)

Alright, that's all for June! What were your faves? Let me know in the comments, or link me to your blogpost if you'd like! :)

Oh, and of course before I go I have to give credit where it's due...

Sammy is my official photography assistant and was very "helpful" in the making of this post. Ahem. ;)

Thanks for reading!

xoxo,

<3 Jess