Monday, November 28, 2011

Got a Pimple? No Problem!

Nothing can ruin your day quite like a pimple can. So, as a teenage girl, I have searched long and hard for the perfect quick pimple fix. It seems that I have tried everything- from the classic homemade remedy, applying a dab of toothpaste, to more legitimate ointments, such as Azelex. But nothing ever did the trick. Until now



One dab of Kate Sommerville EradiKate Acne Treatment and my pimple completely disappeared!  I have been a long time fan of her skin care products, particularly her Daily Gentle Wash. And she has yet to let me down.

I applied a dot on each of my pimples before I went to bed. I must admit that it stung a little at first application, but that just meant it was working! I actually felt the pimples drying up. When I woke up the next morning all of my pimples were completely gone! By far the best disappearing act I've ever seen. This product is now my holy grail! 

The only downside to her wonderful product is the price. This remedy is pretty expensive. But most definitely worth it! Just be sure not to mix the ointment with the sanitizer- they deactivate each other.

Some of my other Kate Sommerville products?
-Daily Gentle Wash: smells sooo good with hints of lavendar, makes my face feel oh so clean!
-ExfoliKate Gentle Exfoliating Treatment: I originally was a fan of the original ExfoliKate, which completely cleaned up my skin and was a great weekly exfoliator, but it's pretty harsh. the gentle exfoliating treatment is much gentler on the skin and won't dry you out during the winter!
-Purify Clarifying Cleanser: leaves my face feeling sooo clean. perfect for the morning because the minty scent completely wakes you up and makes your face tingle!

Hope that helps!

disclaimer: All of the thoughts and opinions are completely my own... I bought all of the products myself- but if Kate Sommerville did want to endorse us that would be amazinggg hahahaha. ;-) 

Friday, November 25, 2011

Thanksgiving Haul!!!

So I during the break my aunt asked me to take my cousin to sephora to get her some makeup for Bar/Batmivahs, so of course while I was there I had to pick up a couple things for myself........

The Products!
 MAC: Carbon Eyeshadow
 I had been hearing about this product for a while, and I love lining my upper lid whenever i wear eyeshadow.  I wanted to get a eyeshadow specifically for lining my eye's so i thought Carbon would be the perfect shade.(P.S. this was not purchased at Sephora)

Urban Decay: Pore Perfecting Complexion Primer Potion
 I knew going into Sephora that i wanted a new face primer,  because for me, my Laura Mercier oil free face primer made me breakout.  So what really closed the deal with me on the Urban Decay Primer was the fact that it was "Pore Perfecting".

smashbox: Radiance
 I honestly had no need for more blush, or purposely intended in getting a new blush.  Seeing as that i am a blush addict I saw how gorgeous this color looked and just simply had to buy it.  It is bright so you will need to use it in moderation and maybe spend an extra minute blending it.

Benefit: Dandelion(blush) & That Gal "Brightening Face Primer"
 So I got these two products for free because I used my points to get a 500 perk gift.  I was super excited because it came with a blush, and that day in the tore i had been deciding between buying Benefits "That Gal" face primer, and the Urban Decay "Pore Perfecting" face primer.  So getting it with my points was like getting the best of both worlds!

Urban Decay: "Revolver"(silver) "Sabbath"(blue) "Eldorado"
I wanted some more variety in my eyeliner collection so I headed over to the Urban Decay section to check some things out.  The first two things I got were Urban Decays 24/7 water proof liquid eyeliners.  I had been deciding between whether or not to get the silver liner, and the gold liquid liner so i decided to get the gold (Eldorado) in pencil form.

 Fresh: Soy Face Cleanser
So since winter is starting it's time for me to switch facial cleansers.  I need a new facial cleanser because of how dry and cold the air is, which for me means needing a more gentle hydrating facial cleanser.  So I would normally turn to my bliss Fabulous Foaming Face Wash but I wanted to try something new.  So while standing in line viewing the to go size products I picked up this face wash.
xoxo Jbush

Fall/Thanksgiving Tutorial

This look is a warm neutral reddish look perfect for Thanksgiving and fall. Ofcourse these eyeshadows can be substituted in with any colors in your collection but I hoped this helped!
For the eyes, I started off by priming my lids with Benefit's "Stay Don't Stray" eyeshadow primer, and then as a base and to warm up my lids I applied Sephora's mousse blush in "Beige Pudique." This is a mousse blush, but I like to apply it when im doing a warmer look because it adds a peachy shimmer to my lids. I applied it on my lids with my finger and blended it into the crease so there was no harsh color. 
 Next, I applied MAC's "Woodwinked," eyeshadow all over my lid with an Ecotools flat shader brush. Any gold/bronze shimmery color will work- some good dupes are "Golden Bronze" by Milani, and "Cafe Ole," by Ulta.
 Then I blended MAC's "Haux" eyeshadow into my crease with a Lancome crease brush, but any crease brush you have will work. "Haux"is a dark brownish gray with plum undertones however it shows up a lot redder when applied onto the eye then it does in the pot. To add more definition, I blended Clinique's "Coffee Shop" eyeshadow into the outer V and blended it into my crease but any chocolate brown will work.
 As a highlight, I used my finger to apply Two Faced "Satin Sheets" in my inner corner and "In the Buff" on my brow bone with a fluffy brush to blend out the other shadows in my crease. Any light shimmery color with peach undertones will work, and as far as the brow bone shades can vary from person to person, but any matte shadow thats a couple shades lighter than your skin color is always a good choice.
For eyeliner, I lined my top lid with Urban Decay's 24/7 liner in "Zero" (black pencil liner) and I lined the outer corner of my bottom lash line and waterline with "Whiskey" (rich brown pencil liner.) I applied a generous coat of Maybelline Falsies mascara to finish off the eyes.

As far as lips and cheeks go, I went back to the Sephora "Beige Pudique" mousse blush and applied it to my cheeks with an angled blush brush. You have many options for lips but I like to go a little bolder if I'm going to a thanksgiving dinner or something like that. Because I was wearing this to dinner, I applied my Benefit "Benetint," which is just a red stain, and Wet 'n' Wild MegaSlicks Lip Gloss in #568 Bronze Berry to add a glossy finish. 
Hope you all had a good Thanksgiving!
xoxo


Thursday, November 24, 2011

Berries


I love winter. The cold weather just makes me excited. And one of my favorite parts of winter definitely has to be the warm and rich colors that always seem to make an appearance-- whether they are on clothing or other mediums (face, nails, etc.). 

After reading through countless magazines and looking at the photos from the fall and winter collections, I was inspired to experiment with these berry colors in a place I wasn't used to, my lips. I have always been about berry colored nails, dark purple is my go to color. I had never really been about a berry lip. I already have quite large and colorful lips, so I was concerned that "vamp-ing" it up would look totally overdone on me. But yesterday when I was at my friend's house, Benefit's Bena-tint caught my eye. I started dabbing it onto my lips and cheeks and I was amazed with the outcome. It created a lovely berry wash. It inspired me to pick up a berry lipstick from the drugstore and go home and play with it. 

Heres what I found...... 

First I stained my lips with the cheap but effective Wet n' Wild Lipstick I picked up, in color 918 D (about $3)-- I don't go to enough fancy dinners or holiday parties to invest in a dark lipstick. I did by rubbing the lipstick on the back of my hand, "swatching it" to all of you beauty gals, and then taking my fingers and patting it onto my lips. This is a great way to apply lipstick because it really enables you to pack on as much as you desire. Then I took my index and middle fingers and lightly took some of the lipstick from the back of my hand and dabbed up my cheek-- continuing my obsession with berry tones. It gave me a great flush. I also think that you could skip this step and throw on a light dusting of a bronzer, like my favorite Laguna. When I got to the eyes, I had trouble making a decision on what to do, though I knew that I wanted to use stronger eyeliner than I am used two. I tested out two looks that both looked stellar. 
For both I started off with a very neutral lid. I used "Shell" by Bobbi Brown to create a blank canvas. If you wanted to, you could also use a shimmery champagne color instead. You could also add a bright color to the inner corner to open up your eyes a bit. For the first look I used liquid liner and to thicken up my lash line and create a subtle wing. I used my NYX Studio Liquid Liner, but I would also recommend the Revlon ColorStay Liquid Eye Pen if you feel more comfortable using a felt-tip liner. I then curled my lashed and applied my favorite mascara of the moment, Maybelline Lots of Lashes. I thought that this look was great-- clean and sophisticated. Perfect for any holiday party. For the second look, I used my MAC 266 liner brush and an old dark grey/black eye shadow that I had lying around my house. I pressed the color onto my lash line starting at the middle of my eye. I did a little "cat flick" on my outer corner, and then used a big blending brush to soften the whole thing up. I once again used my trusty Maybelline mascara. To me,  this look is a little bit more 'sultry' and would be great for a date or something along those lines.  

Hope to see you guys rockin' this look sometime this winter. 
Have a great Thanksgiving
xx

Some inspiration:
Diana Argon looks absolutely stunning here with liner and berry lip color. It looks like her lipstick was applied as a lipstick and not as a lip stain, but that is what makes this look glamorous enough for the red carpet. 

P.S. I mentioned that I have an obsession with berry nail polished as well. Some of my favorites are William Tell Me About OPI (OPI), Manicurist of Seville (OPI), and Winter Wine (Milani). Keep in mind these are just some that I own, you can pretty much find a berry nail polish anywhere you look. 



Sunday, November 20, 2011

OPI Winter Top 5 Nail Polishes

      So since it getting to be that time of year, I thought I would do a post about my favorite nail polishes for this winter, from my favorite nail polish brand OPI.  Winter nail polishes in general tend to be darker shades.  Sometimes to give my nails an extra wintery feel I'll use my Matte About you by Essie, in the place of my top coat to dull the shimmer of the nail polish.

 My Top 5

'OPI INK'.  It's going on a deep shimmery purple, you could get away with only applying  1 coat, and still get its full depth in color.

'Here Today... Aragon Tomorrow'.  I never really thought i would i want to paint my nails green, but seeing as that my school colors are green and white i decided it might come in  handy one day.  However since I've bought i've fallen in love with it a little bit.  It has kind of a matte finish to it, however the only downside is that you need to do a minimum of 2 coats, and maybe more for it to come out right on your nails.

'Yoga-Ta Get This Blue'.  I like this color because you can use it in summer or in winter.   It's a gorgeous royal blue with a light blue shimmer that is to die for.  Two coats is all you'll need to be ready to go no matter the season.
'Lucerne-Tainly look marvelous'.  I'd like to start off saying i have no idea what the name of this nail polish means.  however what is most important is that I am IN LOVE with this color, it is a must have.  It is PERFECT for winter, I recomend at least 2 coats, and maybe 3 for a deep rich dark silver shimmer.  As you can see this metallic grey has a lot of shimmer to it, which is why I'm kind of in love with it.  Not only does this color just look perfect when your wearing it but the shimmer makes it the perfect nail polish to wear to party's or other event in winter.  I've been wearing it this past week and have not been able to stop looking at my fingers since I put it on.  <3 <3 <3


 'Road House Blue'.  This color is just perfect for winter.  It goes on VERY dark, and looks kind of matte.  It's a deep purpley-blue color, and you can be done after just 1 coat.  I like it because I never, and really do not black nail polish, but this color is like the next best thing for me.
xoxo,
Jbush

question: what are your favorite winter nail polishes?

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Eau de Parfum: J'adore!


I am a sucker for warm, fruity scents- the more vanilla the better! I lovee a hint of jasmine too. For whatever reason scents just calm me and are instantly uplifting. Mmmmm.
So here are my current favorites:

Petite Cherie by Annick Goutal: This is my absolute favorite. I am honestly obsessed with this perfume- not to mention the bottling itself is so beautiful! It's really fruity smelling  (w/hints of pear, peach, musky rose, fresh cut grass, vanilla). I love this scent!

Bellini- St. Barth Calypso: smells like the beach- yummm. I usually prefer to wear this in the summer though- it's really light. The high tones are apple, pineapple, grapefruit, and orange; heart notes are white peach, coconut, frangipani, cassis, freesia, jasmine, orange flower. If that even means anything to you guys haha.

Colette by Tocca: So for my mom's birthday I got her a Tocca candle in Colette, and I'm absolutely OBSESSED with it- I couldn't stop smelling it! My mom, sick of me stealing her bday gift, went out and got the perfume version of the scent. And it happens to smell just as good- albeit a little more vanilla-y than the candle itself. The scent is very sweet and smells most strong of vanilla. Yum.

Viva la Juicy by Juicy Couture: I actually just picked up this perfume yesterday and cannot stop spraying it everywhere. Smells AMAZING! I'm thinking this will be my winter scent. The website describes it as "top notes of wild berries and juicy mandarin gently tempered with honeysuckle, gardenia, and jasmine. Underlying it all are warm tones of amber, caramel, vanilla, sandalwood, and praline"- whatever the combination of scents is, the outcome happens to be delicious smelling.

Let us know in the comments below what your favorite perfumes are? Anything we should try out?

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

High Beam And Posie Tint!!

                   Benefit: high beam and posie tint
                                            
  These two products are both Amazing, and when used together the results are awesome.  I Apply the high beam as my highlighter and put it high on my cheeks, and then use the posie tint on the apples of my cheeks.  The trick to using the posie tint is to make sure you rub it it in RIGHT after you apply it to your cheeks, otherwise it will not blend correctly.  You can also blend the posie tint farther back below your cheek bones if you please, or in the place of wherever you would normally apply your blush. 

XoXo,
Jbush










Going Out

So the best part of my week is always when I'm going out. But it's not why you may think.
I love going out because it means I FINALLY get to get all prettied up! It's the best. Getting ready is usually even more fun than going out itself- is that sad?

So here is my usual going-out beauty routine!
I don't really love how foundation feels on my face so if I need to brighten up my face or just a little bit of coverage, I turn to my fave Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer in Nude. It rocks- kinda makes my face glow! Then I put on the awesome high beam as a highlighter- except recently I've been OBSESSED with my Bobby Brown Shimmer Brick- it's SO GORGEOUS!! I actually use that as both a highlight and for eye shadow. It's the bomb.com. (and our girl Jackie actually gave it to me as a bday gift- SHES THE BEST). Then I contour a bit with my Bobby Brown Bronzer. And I lovee my Benefit Sugarbomb blush. So cute.




Now for the eyes:

So I usually line my upper lash line with my chanel eye kohl in either black or this really pretty midnight sparkly blue! Then for mascara I lovee my stila mascara except I probably should get rid of it as it's getting old and dry :(. And to keep my eyebrows in place I use quick brow! So easy. and then time for my favorite product in the world: Too Faced Natural Eye palette (but only after I prime my eyes with Urban Decay Primer potion of course!!). I don't use any of the set looks- I usually just mix and match with whatever colors I'm feeling. I LOVEEE honey pot- it's definitely my favorite. and silk teddy is really bright and goes on really nicely. If I could only have one eye shadow palette for my entire life, it would definitely be this. And that's about it!
xo, Samantha

question: what is your going out routine?