FIVE FALL ESSENTIALS

Hi everyone! Today's post is going to feature five of my fall beauty and fashion essentials (wow, that's a mouthful!) So if you're ready, let's get right into it! :)

1. a festive fall lip: As I mentioned previously, I'm always on the lookout for fall lip colors that suit me. Fall is the time to bring out the deeper colors like cranberry, oxblood, and in this case, purple! I'm wearing (and currently loving) the Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in Shameless. I must admit, and I might be a bit biased now because I'm head over heels with the Nyx Soft Matte Lip Cream, the formula leaves something to be desired. I love the color that this balm achieves but it tends to smudge quite a bit and it is a pain to put on.

2. plaid flannel: I know this is going to sound a bit strange, but I'm almost positive that I've never actually worn my flannel as a shirt. Lately, I've been obsessed with tying my flannel around my waist! I love the way that it can "grunge" up pretty much any outfit. I mean don't get me wrong, flannels are great as shirts too ;)

3. a dark fall nail: I've said before that I usually stick to neutral colors when it comes to painting my nails because my skills are sub par to say the least. However, when fall rolls around I tend to be more adventurous and attempt to find and use some darker colors. I recently picked up the Revlon Parfumerie Nail Polish in Autumn Spice (isn't the name itself just delightful?) and I really love it! This picture definitely does not do it justice. You probably can't tell, but it's a nice shimmery coppery color! I like the brush that it comes with, however it doesn't smell like autumn spice in the least. Although, it might smell better than normal nail polish...maybe. 

4. scarves: Are you starting to see a pattern? Yes, I'm quite in love with plaid. And this scarf is not exception! In the fall, I tend to wear a scarf almost every day because they keep me warm (especially this one, it's like wearing a blanket around your neck!) and they can spruce up any outfit!

5. boots: Boots are by far my favorite kind of foot wear. Technically, combat boots are my all-time favorite but my black pair that I wore to death in England are in pretty rough shape and I am desperately in need of a new pair! (I've been eyeing the Steve Madden Troopas but I'm still trying to rationalize the price in my mind...) I've been loving these brown ankle booties recently though, they are so easy to slip on! I love boots because they add so much character to my outfits. If I want to add a bit of edge, I put on my combat boots. If I'm feeling more chic, I'll slip on my ankle booties.

If you're doing some shopping for your own fall essentials, you should check out raise.com! In addition to being able to sell your unused gift cards for cash, you can buy gift cards for awesome places like Starbucks, Victoria's Secret, and Nordstrom at discounted rates! Hope you enjoyed this post :)

www.raise.com/buy-gift-cards

www.raise.com/sell-gift-cards

until next time,

MY MAKEUP COLLECTION 2014

Hi everyone! I'm back today to show you my humble makeup collection! It's not as big as other collections that I've seen (due to lack of funding heheh), but I'm happy to say that it's mine! I would say I'm more of a minimalist when it comes to makeup (owning and wearing) as I prefer a natural look most days. However, there are occasions where I do go all out and create a more glamorous look! Let's take a peek at my collection! :) Disclaimer: Please excuse the terrible lighting in my pictures, sadly my house lacks an abundance of natural light :(

First things first, I keep my makeup in this simple five drawer organizer! I used to stash it all in a big makeup bag but I got sick of always having to dig around for ages trying to find what I needed. I have my own way of organizing my makeup, even though it might be a bit strange ;)

On top of my organizer, I keep my palettes! Of course, I have my Lorac Pro To Go, aka my one true love <3 Such a great everyday palette, and I definitely use it on a daily basis! Forgive me, but I have no clue what the name of my Urban Decay palette is as I got it quite a while ago! It's my "crazier" palette as it has some pretty bold colors in it! Oh, and I have my Naked palette that I forgot to include but I detest the packaging (the first one had that awful furry packaging *shudders*) and I've had it for a few years so it's not in the best shape!

I just realized that Toasted and Smog are both in the Naked One palette! :O

The first drawer of my organizer consists of my two BB creams (Maybelline Dream and Revlon Photoready), Revlon Photoready primer, Girl Meets Pearl highlighter by Benefit, UD Eyeshadow Primer Potion, and Covergirl Ready, Set, Gorgeous foundation. Not really sure what the organization strategy is for this drawer, but it works for me! I'm currently loving the Dream BB cream, it's light and has great coverage :)

The second drawer makes slightly more sense, as it holds my blushes and powders! I have the Tarte Amazonian Clay Airbrush Foundation (I was an idiot and thought I could get away without buying the special brush it comes with, so unfortunately I haven't gotten much use out of this product yet!), some kind of Covergirl setting powder that clearly has come to its end, a Physician's Formula blush that I absolutely love, my holy grail Neutrogena Shine Control Powder, and my lovely Coralista blush.

Third drawer: lip products! I have way too many and to be quite honest I don't wear half of them. I've acquired a few lip glosses but I don't wear them because I don't like the stickiness :( (I must say though, the philosophy Raspberry Sorbet lipgloss smells like heaven) I do like the Nyx Butter Glosses though, and I have Creme Brulee :)

I may not wear lip gloss, but I adore the Revlon balm stains! I have three normal ones, and I just recently bought a pretty plum matte one that I can't wait to try!

And in the same drawer (weird, I know), we have my concealers! I love my Maybelline Instant Age Rewind for my under eyes, and my Fit Me for everywhere else :)

The fourth drawer of my organizer makes the most sense, as it holds all of my eye products! So mascara (Maybelline Pumped Up Colossal, L'Oreal Butterfly, Great Lash Lots of Lashes, and a few samples), brows (Gimme Brow, holla), and eyeliner (mostly UD).

And in the fifth and final drawer are my Benefit minis! They are from the Primping With the Stars kit that I bought from Sephora. I have a mini Stay Don't Stray primer, Some Kinda Gorgeous foundation, Girl Meets Pearl highlighter (I loved it so much I bought the full size which you saw earlier), Benetint, and the Porefessional primer.

Well, that's my entire makeup collection! Comment down below and let me know if you use any of these products! Is your makeup collection bigger or smaller than mine? What are your dream products that you wish you had in your collection? I want to know!

until next time,

MY GO-TO QUICKIE MAKEUP LOOK

Hi everyone! I thought today I would share with you the makeup products that I've been using on the days I have class and don't have loads of time to do a full look! Since I'm a commuter (I live at home...ah the beauty of my own bathroom and bed) and I live 30 minutes away from campus, I have to wake up at 6 a.m. (oh the horror!) in order to get to my 8 a.m. class on time! (Thankfully it's yoga, so I'm kind of okay with it) So, here are the products that help me achieve a simple, flawless look when I'm short on time! :)

Step One: BB cream! I've become a huge fan ever since I tried the Revlon Photoready BB Cream. Let me just say that it's been true love ever since ;) I recently purchased the Maybelline Dream Pure BB Cream and I am really liking it so far :) I was drawn to the fact that it has salicylic acid in it, as I'm always looking for products that actually help my skin. Usually I just apply this with my fingers, but sometimes I'll use a brush.

Step Two: Concealer! I use Maybelline Instant Age Rewind for Dark Circles under my eyes and the Maybelline Fit Me concealer on blemishes. I've been using both of these for quite a while now! The coverage is perfect for me.

Step Three: Brows! I love a bold brow, and Benefit's Gimme Brow helps me achieve that. It's a tinted brow gel, which darkens them and also keeps them in place! Also, I use a little bit of the shade Mink from my Lorac Pro To-Go palette on a small angled brush to fill in any spots that need a little more color.

Step Four: Eye shadow! This step is occasional though. (i.e. when i have a bit of extra time, so almost never on a school day) But when I do apply eye shadow, my go-to palette is my Lorac Pro To-Go. I'll swipe some Cafe on my lid first, and then Pearl as an inner corner highlight to brighten up eye area! Simple, simple, simple :)

Step Five: Powder! Throughout the school day, my t-zone tends to get oily so this Neutrogena Shine Control Powder is my savior. I just apply it all over my face with a fluffy brush and I'm good to go! I've hit pan on this one, so I bought a new one the other day.

can you tell i love this stuff? ;)

Step Six: Mascara! Even if I don't have time to put on mascara, I will always curl my lashes! It makes my eyes look so much more awake! (which, believe me, i need that early in the morning) My new favorite mascara is the Maybelline Pumped Up Colossal Volume Express, it's the only mascara that I've found (like, ever) that gives me crazy volume and keeps a curl all day long! I'm more and more impressed with it every time I use it :)

the wand is giant!

Step Seven: Blush! I have a few that I love but this Physician's Formula blush is natural and flattering. (Sometimes I'll use the blush in the Lorac palette also!)

Step Eight: Set! I've been using Urban Decay setting sprays for years now, as I always went to their counter to get my makeup done for dances and special occasions! I live by their setting sprays because they always do an amazing job keeping my makeup in place. I'm all for drugstore makeup (i'm kind of a cheapo) but I will always spend the extra money for Urban Decay setting spray! I use the De-Slick kind, which controls oil. It's perfect for school days when I do yoga in the morning and run around all day!

Voila! There you have my go-to products for a simple, fast makeup look! Let me know down below if you've tried any of these products and what your favorite products are for a quickie look! :)

until next time,