Loving Lately #1

Have monthly favorites been outdated? I hardly see any on my dash when the end of the month rolls around these day! I've always been a fan of reading them but never writing them. I always felt too much pressure to 'love' certain products every month and my versions of those posts were always so lame. I still want to share products I've been loving during longer periods of time so I've created this "loving lately" series. I know, super original title, amiright? Instead of doing it monthly, I'll be doing it sporadically when I feel like I have a bunch of stuff I love that I must, must, must share. Hurr we go!

• Bath & Body Works Fine Fragrance Mist in Carried Away | Carried Away is my favorite scent from Bath & Body Works. When I worked there it was the only scent I was really good at selling and I wanted you to go home with at least the shower gel. In an attempt to ration the last bit of my One Direction perfume, I've started reaching for my large collection of fragrance mists. Of course, I reached for this one first with it's delicious notes of raspberries, bergamot, jasmine, and vanilla. MMM, MMM! Just wish the staying power was longer :/
• Benefit's gimmeBrow | I wasn't totally in love with this when I got it because I was bitter about practically being forced to buy it, but now my feelings have changed. Brows still aren't a part of my daily make up routine but on occasion I do enjoy sprucing up my brows to make them look less fuzzy wuzzy and give them more shape. It's especially great for work when I wan to look put together, but not to over the top. I don't know, I can't describe it (which is really helpful for you guys, isn't it? haha) but I do love this stuff!
• Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer | This concealer has been the only concealer I've used since I bought it! I love the coverage and brightness of all the Wake Me Up products from Rimmel. I've raved on and on about them for quite some time and still to this day I won't use anything else. I'm actually running low on it, but may refrain from buying another just to use up the rest of the concealers that are lost in the "forgotten".
• Candy Cane flavored Chap Stick | MMM, MMM! You can't go wrong with peppermint and candy cane flavored things during any time of the year honestly. It's equal parts minty and equal parts sweet which makes for a tasty combination! This crazy cold weather has just been the worst to my lips, so I'm glad this guy not only tastes delicious, but keeps my lips nice and moisturized for hours!
• NARS Narsissist Eyeshadow Palette | I've saved the best for last! I know reviews on this palette from NARS have been mixed, but just know that I LOVE it. It's all I've been using and reaching for as of late to create eyeshadow looks. My thoughts on it are coming really, really soon, I promise, along with crazy model shots of it (LOL) and swatches! It's all set up in my drafts, but school is making it rather hard to write up the dang thing! Long story short; I LOVE IT. MONEY WELL SPENT!

What have YOU been "loving lately" Har har ;)

Mini Target Haul

The color scheme of this haul was not planned to be festively peppermint-y, in fact, it wasn't planned at all. It just so happened that the items I picked up matched the white and red of the target bag, which in turn, made you think of candy canes. If you've noticed, I haven't gone shopping for make up products in a very long time. I've been trying to be good with my money but I think I went into withdrawal and needed to buy at least something beauty related. So off I went to my most favorite place in the world (after Disney World ... and Chipotle ... and, well you get the idea) Target! 

I will normally run fast past the beauty aisle but this I lingered in the hopes that I'd find the one thing I knew I'd want to get if it was in stock and that was the NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk. You had to see the NYX stand for yourself because it was absolutely raided. It's always completely raided of every single product so I was so surprised to see it! Milk is a Jumbo Pencil that is most frequently talked about and it's shimmering counter part in Cottage Cheese was just not cutting it! Beyond happy to finally have a solid white base for all my future brightly colored make up looks. After snatching up the Jumbo Pencil my eyes wandered south towards the lip products. I saw the Soft Matte Lip Creams and for some reason my first thought was "GET ONE" So being the obedient little beauty addict that I am I grabbed the brightest color there in Addis Ababa- strange name, great color.

After perusing the NYX section, I felt like I had cured over my withdrawal and was ready to go to the cashiers to make these babies mine, but my friend was no where to be seen, which left me lingering in the beauty section for just 60 seconds longer and that's all I needed to get my mitts on the Rimmel Kate Moss Lipstick in 109 and convince myself that I needed it. I'd been eyeing that lipstick for the longest time and just wanted to check out the Kate Moss range in general. Something in me finally cracked and I caved to its powers. The last thing in this mini haul, which has turned into a shopping saga, was actually the first thing I picked up on the way to the beauty department and that was the candy cane flavored trio pack of Chapstick. I'd seen it sitting by the cashiers before and don't know why I didn't pick it up then because it's the first thing I cracked open and they are amazing! I love anything peppermint, so these were waaaaaay up my alley. I even shared the candy cane joy with one of my co workers because let's be serious, I would've lost one of these any way. Chapstick has a funny way of going missing, haha!

So there's my mini haul from my little trip to Target. Moral of this haul: Don't leave Jessica unattended in the beauty department because her wallet will get hurt and feel it in the morning!

What are some of your most recent beauty purchases?

Rimmel | Wake Me Up Concealer

It takes something as little as starting classes again or a new job to make your not so friendly purple/blue under eye circles reappear. Mine aren't the worst, but if I don't cover it up it won't matter how beautifully I applied my makeup - they'll distract me like no other. I love sleeping and feeling rested so I don't really love looking like I haven't slept in weeks. I've tried a few concealers before but I think the under eyes are tricky because they're a sensitive area that's also prone to creasing. My Benefit Erase Paste is lovely but creases under the eyes sometimes and my MAC Studio Finish concealer is a bit to drying to try and pat underneath my eyes. So what's a gal to do? In comes Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer. You may have seen my rave review of the Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation (found here) so when I saw the concealer at a Shopper's on my trip to Canada, I just couldn't resist! I'm so glad I was a bit impulsive because I LOOOOVE this stuff! It's unlike any concealer I've yet to try because it comes in a tube instead of a pot with a doe foot applicator. It makes it easy to lightly swipe under your eyes and dab at little red areas. I would say the coverage is medium and it's positively weightless. It covers the blue-ish tint under my eyes and instantly makes my eyes look brighter and myself look more awake. The texture is a creamy liquid that feels really nice under the eyes and blends with some light dabs of the finger. It does need setting with some powder but after that you're honestly set for the day. I can't remember how much I paid for this product because I bought it in Canada, but it's $9.77 on ASOS.com, which I think makes it affordable for how amazing this stuff is! I really can't fault it, although, like the foundation it does contain micro shimmers in it but you can't see it on the skin and only remember it's there when you stare at the tube. I highly recommend this stuff if you want your eyes to look brighter and more awake even when you haven't had a full 8 hours! This is holy grail status for me, for surely!

What's your holy grail concealer?

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An Apocalyptic Miss | Rimmel Apocalips in Big Bang

Hello wonderful mermaids! Before I start this post I'd just like to say huuuuuuge thank you to you lovely lot of readers and watchers! I have reached over 500 followers on this blog, as well as over 500 YouTube subscribers. I really appreciate all the comments you leave on my posts and videos - they honestly make my day. So I just wanted to say a big, big thanks and hope you all continue to enjoy my blog/video!

Right, now onto the review. You know, there's something so fascinating about reading a review of product that sounds fabulous and has the added bonus of being a product that you just can't get where you live! Sure you've lusted after other products, but not like you lust over this one. You absolutely can't get it, so it automatically becomes 10x more lusted after. That product to me was Rimmel's Apocalips, which was so kindly sent to me by Melissa from Melissa Knows Best. She sneakily snuck this at the bottom of the box she sent me a month ago. It seemed that every UK blogger was on a mission to collect them all, they were that fantastic! I think you can now get them in the US at certain drusgtores but the name is different. The packaging is stunning and sleek. I love the way the cap looks as thought it was a carved space age rock. You can see the color of the particular lip lacquer at the bottom of the tube which is ever so convenient. Us beauty bloggers have tubs upon tubs of lippies so anything that helps us differentiate the color is a great big plus! The color Melissa sent me was Big Bang which is the epitome of classic blue-based reds. I was absolutely thrilled because I can never have enough red lips! I can't wait until the Fall/Winter so I can start wearing them again more often. I felt like a 50s glamour doll when I put this one on. The applicator is your typical doe-foot applicator and it's got a little well inside that collects some of the product so you're not constantly dipping back into the tube, I suppose. The pigmentation is insanely opaque and the finish is a lovely-gloss finish that is equally gorgeous and moisturizing. I loved it all until I discovered that it never. stops. being glossy.

It's such a shame that there are so many things to love about this product and just one aspect kills it all for me. The lip lacquer slips and slides even hours after I've applied it. I can't touch, tap, or even think about my lips because if I do it just smudges onto my hand, fingers, or even moves off my lips and onto the sides of my face. It's such a gorgeous colors and it pains me that it never 'sets'. There's no way I can comfortably wear this out without being super conscious of wether or not it's migrated or if I've accidentally smeared it. I keep scrolling to the swatch on my lips and then just glaring at the tube. It was SO perfect, SO PERFECT, until I realized there's no way I could wear it without also wearing it as blush, bronzer and eyeshadow (hope you got what I meant). It's such a shame as there was so much going for the product but the fact that it never stays put makes it an apocalyptic miss for me.

What are your thoughts on this Apoliptic sensation?

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Wake Me Up, Before You Go Go | Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation

Don't leave me hanging on like a yo-yo! Now I'm just jamming out to this song in my head and can't remember what I wanted to say about this foundation, oh well *keeps dancing* 

Hello everyone! Happy hump day! Is the week over yet? Not quite, but I'm back today to talk about my favorite foundation of the moment which is Rimmel's Wake Me Up foundation. I have wanted this foundation ever since I heard that it makes your face look more awake (the Wake Me Up part, I presume), is great for dry skin tones and it had itty, bitty, super-duper, micro shimmers to really add some glow to your face. HA, I'm reading the label right now and it says "Anti-fatigue effect + Radiant Glow", so there you go! I was so ecstatic when my good friend Melissa had sent it to me! Having it in my hands felt totally unreal, haha! 

Let me start off with the packaging! It's in a rectangular glass bottle that has some weight to it which makes it feel a lot more expensive than it is, haha. The cap is a bright orange which for some reason makes me so happy when I see it, maybe because I think of orange juice? When you lift the cap off the bottle is the best part. IT COMES WITH A PUMP! *angels descend* I love, absolutely love, when liquid or creamy foundation come with a pump! It means less mess and you're not wasting a ton of product! One pump gives you just the right amount of foundation you'd need to cover your face. Also, I need to mention how much I love the raised glass writing on the side of the bottle that says 'Rimmel London'. Why is it so appealing to me?!

The consistency is a creamy-liquid - it doesn't run. I heard that there were shimmers in it ("light-reflecting" whatchamacallits) and didn't see them when I first looked, which made me upset. I wanted to sparkle like Edward Cullen, dang it, but they are there! If you hold the bottle up at the right angle in the right light you'll see little strips of sheen. I managed to get a picture to show you guys! As you can  see, it's super subtle so don't let that put you off because it doesn't end up translating like 'Edward Cullen' face at all. Even up close I couldn't really see any of the shimmers. I apply this foundation with my Beauty Blender or sometimes with my Real Techniques Expert Face Brush. Both work really well to blend the foundation into the skin without leaving it looking dry or cakey.

Rimmel's Wake Me Up has a medium to a build-able full coverage. It evens out my skin tone, gets rid of the redness around my nose, cheeks, and forehead without looking like a cakey mess. It's not heavy and doesn't just sit on top of your skin. Wake Me Up has a dewey finish - your face looks brighter and glows in just the right places. I'd def. recommend this foundation to ladies with drier skin types as it didn't cling to any dry patches of skin, and left me with a well-nourished looking face. I'm already dreading finishing this foundation because it's not available in the States, which is honestly it's only downfall!

I was just informed that it's available on ASOS with free shipping! So I lied, this foundation is perfect, haha! Linked right here - > ASOS

So how much do YOU love this foundation? Haha, just kidding, but what do you think?

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Collective Mini Haul | LUSH & Drugstore

Does anyone else do this? You tell yourself not to spend money on bits and pieces you know you don't need (in my case cosmetics!) and you stick with it for a while. Then you find yourself buying one bit here, a bob there, and a piece here; you didn't buy them all in one go so it makes it okay! Or does it, because this sort of mentality has resulted in this baby haul!? These are things that if I bought in one go I'd feel super guilty buying but having bought them spaced out on separate occasions makes me sort of justify it? Does anyone else find themselves ever doing this? Okay, I know, I know get on with the haul! 

Here we have a collective haul, a small one, but still loads to share! I picked up these products in the last two weeks and thought I'd share them with you! I am going to be doing a review on each of these items so look out for those sometime soon!

• Maybelline Color Sensational Vivids in Vivid Rose & Shocking Coral ($7.49) | I saw these lipsticks on someone's blog, I can't remember whose, and I was literally (okay, not literally) blown away by the brightness of these lipsticks! I think there are 8 or 10 colors in the whole range and they all just POP! I'm a girl who shy's away from the neutral and nude lippies so I was all over these. I ran to maybe 10 different drugstores before I found one that had the colors I wanted. I was going to pick up a third color but managed to have (some) restraint. 
• LUSH Cosmetics The Brightside Bubble Bar ($8.95) | LUSH is the best. I had fallen out of lust with them for a while but I think I'm swinging right back to loving them. When I saw their Easter collection had come out I knew I would have to pop in and touch everything, haha! I told myself to just get one thing because I still have loads of bath products from their Holiday collection. The Brightside bubble bar smells AMAZING and the colors are just WOW! It instantly caught my eye and seeing as how it was a "big" bubble bar, I knew it was the one item I had to have! (I dug through all of them until I found the biggest chunk! woops)
• Nivea Lip Butter in Vanilla & Macadamia Kiss ($4.29) | Okay, bloggers. I heard your raves and caved. Fingers crossed this'll be a nice one! Although I've heard the scent alone makes bloggers go ga-ga! :)
• Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder in Translucent ($6.19) | You may recall me raving about wanting the NARS Light Reflecting Powder here. Welp, my MAC MSF Natural ran out before I  got a chance to get my coupon and but said NARS powder. I've always wanted to try the Stay Matte powder and don't want to spend money on a high end powder just yet so it's a win-win! Really excited to try it out as I've heard great things!

What have you hauled recently?

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