Ulta Eye Crayons

I don't usually go for store brand products, but recently I've noticed that a lot of beauty bloggers and you tubers find some really good buys among these beauty store brands. So at a recent trip to Ulta, I myself found some pretty decent eye crayons from the Ulta brand.

    Swatches (L to R) dark chocolate, rich, gold coast & black plum

I swatched tons of these before I decided on the four colors that I think I'll get the most use out of. They come in 16 different buttery soft colors. Similar to Nyx jumbo pencils and Clinique chubby sticks, but much softer in my opinion and a lot easier to blend. The opposite end has a soft sponge tip great for smudging on the lower lash line for the perfect smokey eye. I also love rubbing these on my upper lash line and with my finger working the color out onto the lid. And because they are super soft, they're easy to blend on the eyelid and lower lash line. They sell for only $8, but I got them for half off on one of their weekend sales. I'm so glad I didn't pass these up and excited to see what other store brand products I can get my hands on. If you have any that you love, please leave a comment down below telling me your favorites!

XOXO

Jess

Milani Bella Eyes Collection

Milani recently launched a beautiful collection of eyeshadows which they called 'bella'. The collection includes 30 stunning eyeshadows that are meant to have a gel powder consistency which means rich color payoff and no fall out. They range from different finishes like satin matte, shimmer and iridescent metallic. As is in my nature, I went for the neutral shades to suit my everyday makeup, but all of the shades in this collection are absolutely gorgeous. They are all vibrant colors with a gorgeous texture.

(From L to R)

Bella Sand| Bella Charcoal| Bella Ivory

(From L to R)

Bella Espresso| Bella Emerald| Bella Bronze

Which color is your favorite?

Bare Minerals| The Glass Beach Palette

On a recent trip to Bare Minerals I decided to use a gift card I received on my birthday that I was saving for a "rainy day" purchase. As soon as I laid my eyes on this beauty I knew this was going to be that special birthday purchase. It is "The Glass Beach Palette" a beautiful special edition palette with gorgeous aqua blue mirror-like packaging. Not just for it's beautiful packaging, but for the lovely colors inside as well.

These four gorgeous colors stood out to me as the perfect colors for Autumn/Fall makeup. They're all matte shades starting with Pacific Sands, a nice pale neutral shade for highlighting the brow. Sea Glass, a pretty pale sea foam green. Golden Coast (as the name suggests) a beautiful gold color. And finally Tide Pool a lovely dark (almost black) coffee brown shade that I love wearing on my crease.

This has definitely been my most reached for palette of the season so far. I just love the way all the colors compliment each other. And they're all great for everyday wear!

Leave a comment below & let me know what you think!

DIY Gel Nails at Home

If you're addicted to all things nails like me, then you may have noticed the growing trend for gel manicures. Gel manicures are super popular at nail salons and now you can even purchase a kit for an at home gel manicure. However, those kits retail for upwards of $50 and that doesn't include $15 gel nail polishes. So I searched high and low for a product that would give me gel nails without having to buy a kit. I went to Sally Beauty Supply and found this gel coat by Gelous

I applied two coats of this gel base on my nails allowing each coat to dry. Then I applied two coats of my nail polish. 

I finished off the look with my Sally Hansen 'no chip' Top Coat! (my absolute favorite top coat)

I think this gel base coat is perfect for an at home gel manicure. It works with any nail polish and NO UV light needed!! It's a super inexpensive way to get gel nails at home.

Leave me a comment below and let me know what you think!

Jessica

E.L.F. HD Blush

Hi lovelies!! As I love cream blush for the summer to give my skin a little glow, I recently purchased these new e.l.f. studio HD blushes. A creamy blush that can also be used as a highlight. I love the pretty packaging and the pump makes it easy to get a little on the back of your hand for blending....a little goes a long way.

(Superstar & Headliner)

(Blended out)

These are just 2 of the 5 different shades...I definitely plan to purchase a few more!

XOXO

New York Botanical Garden

 

 

About a month ago I visited the beautiful New York Botanical Garden. It was an oasis full of beautiful perennial gardens like the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden in the photo above. A beautifully designed landscape filled with over 600 varieties of roses was absolutely breathtaking. We also visited the azalea garden, the native plant garden, the forest, the conservatory & so many other gorgeous areas of the NYBG. They have tours all day which make it easy to visit all the different exhibits and the tour guides go through all the history of the NYBG. I highly recommend it as a relaxing "day at the museum" if you love the outdoors. They offer so many stunning varieties throughout the year...you almost have to go every season. 

Bare Minerals Bare Skin Foundation

Bare Minerals has become one of my favorite makeup brands over the last year. Their mineral based products are a delight to my slightly sensitive skin. However, during the winter months (when my skin is a little drier than normal) I longed for a liquid foundation that would give me a nice fresh face of makeup, but Bare Minerals didn't have one. So when I heard that they were launching their first liquid foundation May 1st I made sure to be the first in line to purchase one.

The foundation is a brightening serum foundation that looks natural & flawless on the skin. The formula is super light weight with buildable coverage. It's free from silicones, oil, parabens & fragrance (which of course my skin adores). They sell 20 different color variations so choosing the right color match is simple. I've used a little powder on my face just to make it slightly more matte as it is summer and my skin tends to get a little shiny, but I don't think that will be necessary in the colder months. 

Let me know what you guys think? Have you purchased this foundation?

XOXO

Jessica