Swag from Tarte 30% Off Sale Event

-Tarte Rainforest After Dark Palette ($38, Sephora)  

-Amazonian Clay 12-Hr Blushes in Exposed and Buff ($26, Sephora)

Exposed (left) & Buff (right)

Exposed (left) & Buff (right)

Mini Haul

Hubbles and I were in Indy for some appointments, and after, we decided to hit up the Fashion Mall in order to shop and peruse without the weekend traffic! It was fabulous!! Right now in store, JCrew is having an Extra 50% off sale items (online it’s only 40%). Naturally I took about 75 things into the  fitting rooms, only to find that nothing was looking right. Don’t you just hate those days? But of course I couldn’t walk away empty handed, so being the perpetual accessories girl, I snagged 2 pairs of earrings, $8 and $10. I mean come on, who could say no? And also their signature Panama hat but with a gorgeous neon orange contrast ribbon ($22!). Perfect summer staple!

Next, Ulta. Had to stop here so Hubbles could stock up on his favorite Crew shampoo. I also decided to give the new bareMinerals 5in1 cream eyeshadows a whirl. I picked up the shade ‘Blushing Pink’ -- stay tuned for a review! And of course, at checkout, they had the Too Faced Better Than Sex mascara set, which included a travel size for free. And I fell for it. 

Finally, Nordstrom Rack. My spirit animal. And of course, with an empty store and multitudes of time, I just could NOT find anything. Here and there I’d see maybes that were quickly vetoed by Hubbles. He scored major in the shoes and activewear departments, sadly, I came away empty handed...until the checkout. I’m seeing a pattern here! In those plastic bowls, I spotted Stila Smudge Crayons in Pink Violet and Antique. Now, at Sephora they retail for $22. I picked mine up for $3.30 and $7.97. Well, clearly they came home with me! Sidenote: do check your cosmetics at The Rack...I find many packages have been broken into and touched. People, they have testers for a reason! 

Not too bad for an impromptu trip! Stay tuned for reviews etc on these items...

Stay beautiful!

- M

A Mini Collective Haul

Nars Eyeshadow Duo in Charade ($35, Sephora)

Bare Minerals Ready 8.0 Power Neutrals Palette ($40, Sephora)

Garnier BB Cream Miracle Skin Perfector ($9.09, Kroger), MUFE HD Foundation ($42, Sephora),  Maybelline Dream Wonder Fluid Touch Foundation ($9.99, Target)

Bite Beauty Luminous Creme Lipstick Duo in Musk/Lychee ($12, Sephora)

Sephora Smoky Cream Liner in Bewitch Me and Statue Bronze ($5 ea, Sephora)

Korres Lip Butter in Quince/Coing ($7.99 sale, Sephora)

Rimmel Lash Accelerator Mascara ($7.99 Target)

Ulta Haul...

I caved. Yep. It happened. I made a special trip to a Chicago area Ulta to pick up the It Cosmetics Naturally Pretty palette.

And thank goodness, because it is my new obsession. It is an all matte palette with a transforming shade that gives each color a 'pearl' finish. This has become my new spring/summer palette as the orange and purple hues are so 'now'. Highly, highly recommend running to your local Ulta and grabbing this ASAP! 

I also picked up some single eyshadows from L'Oreal's Infallible line. Holy moly, they are gorgeous. Especially the silvery-purple! And with those, I picked up Maybelline's Summer 2014 Color Tattoos. They are both beautiful iridescent, duo-chromey blue shades. However one leans more green and the other more purple/silver. Amazing bases for summer!

And I could not walk past those new Corset Lashes from Ardell! 

NYX was on B1G1 1/2 Off. I will give it to Ulta for this, they always have amazing sales consistently on their drugstore products. Not so much the higher end. I've been wanting to try NYX's new Butter Lipsticks. So I picked up a nude in Fun Size -- which is quickly becoming my new favorite nude lip. If you're fair with pinkish undertones, this is perfect for you! And to snag that 50% off, I picked up their new Infinite Shadow Pencil in Sweet Pink. I thought it would be a great base for the Naked 3 palette!

And finally, of course at checkout (where they leave the tempting items--basically a beauty store's version of a candy aisle) I was ensnared by a Benefit mini set which included their Dandelion blush (which I've been meaning to try for ages) and mini of my favorite, their Porefessional primer. So onto the counter it went!

So of course, I went in for the It Cosmetics Naturally Pretty Palette and walked out with much more. Isn't that always how it goes?

Sephora VIB 15% Off Haul

So much for that no-buy, right? But in my defense, Sephora rarely has sales...so when the makeup/skincare gods bless you with a gift, you don't refuse it! I did have restraint, however. So here are the few things I picked up...

Stila In The Light Palette

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Ethereal Glow

Bare Minerals Ready Eyeshadow 4.0 in The Truth

Sephora Eyeshadows in Berlin Underground (matte) and Roof top party (glitter)
Makeup Forever Aqua Cream in 02

L-R: MUFE Aqua Cream, Berlin Underground, Roof top party

Dr. Jart+ Water Fuse BB Beauty Balm

I'm Officially on a No Buy For Awhile

Well, this weekend we drove an hour to get to Trader Joe's (basically our fav grocer) to stock up on must have items (like turkey bacon and frozen fish). Of course, we stopped at the mall and Nordstrom Rack. Because, why not, right? 

JCrew was having their Extra 40% Off Sale, and being a Saturday, the store was PACKED. Which, to be honest, gives me terrible anxiety because the majority of people do not have public courtesy or space respecting abilities. So, I ended up leaving with 2 pairs of earrings (in the black boxes), a necklace and a super cute/cozy tee. All 4 items after discount were under $30. Hubbles picked up a very cute...I mean, very cool...l/s baseball tee.

At Anthro, after several sideways glances from Hubbles and shamelessly putting items on hold I almost knew I wouldn't be back for, I walked out with another pair of earrings. Because Lord forbid I ever have naked lobes!

Of course I had to stop into Sephora. Where, funnily enough, I was complimented on my hot pink ballet flats 3 times in less than 5 minutes. I go into super sensory overload when I walk into a Sephora and have to stop myself from spending copious amounts of time at every display. Luckily, I went in with a plan and picked up another Ambient Lighting Blush in Dim Infusion as well as another Ambient Lighting Powder in Luminous Light. I am in love the Ambient Powders from Hourglass and am so happy to add these to my collection.

I had a return at Macys and made a bee line for the MAC counter as I had my sights on the MSF (Mineralized Skin Finish) in Soft and Gentle. Sadly, they were out. But my new favorite sales associate (who is probably the most fabulous person I have ever met) suggested the pigment in 'Naked' as a substitute. She said it 'was her jam' and lo and behold, a swatch on my hand sold me. This is going to be a gorgeous highlight! Or eyeshadow!

Nordstrom Rack was more of a success for Hubbles. He walked out with a new pair of Joe's, some workout clothes and socks. I stumbled upon the Stila Artist Essentials Set (part of their 2013 holiday collection) for a mere $36 (if I remember correctly). Such a steal! As well as a basic slvls black blouse -- because you can never have enough of those, right?

A stop in TJ Maxx, and I spotted a NYX lip gloss trio. I love their mega shine glosses, and mine in Beige is definitely on it's last legs. This trio not only has the ever popular Beige (that's not really a beige color at all) as well as 2 other colors (Sugar Pie and Nude Peach) for only $7.99. One normally retails for around $5. Such a steal, and they smell a-mazing...like cherries. 

Sephora Birthday Haul

Another birthday came and went and so I decided to spoil myself at one of my favorite places…Sephora! Let's look at the loot!

NYX has come to CVS

Last night, Hubbles and I ran into our local CVS to make a return. Little did I know that within a few days of being there, they added NYX cosmetics! I'm a fan of NYX and immediately knew it was going to be a longer than normal visit. Sadly, their selection from the pretty broad range is rather small. But I did pick up a couple of things…

-- NYX Rouge Cream Blush in CB11 Boho Chic -- super creamy! Almost a lipgloss consistency. Color payoff is quite nice. With a stippling brush it would be ideal for dryer skin. Great for the warmer months as well.

-- NYX Wonder Pencil in WP01 Light -- I've seen this product on blogs and Youtube for a few months. The idea is that this can used as an eye brightener (on the water line), as a spot concealer and as a reverse lip liner (line outside the lips to keep color from bleeding or feathering). Excited to give this one a go!

-- NYX Slide On, Glide on, Stay On & Definitely A Turn On Water Proof Extreme Shine Eyeliner -- Now that is a name! Geesh! Anywho, upon swatching, this wasn't as dark as I would like it to be. But luckily I wouldn't say this is 'extreme shine'. I like to use these types of creamy eye pencils to tight line, and staying power is key! This one could be a good one. I tried smudging it almost immediately after swatching, and it was almost totally set. Good sign!

Divergent Cosmetics - Divergent Multi-Piece Collector's Kit by Sephora

I was finally able to get my hands on it! After being sold out twice on the Sephora website, I ended up (weirdly) finding it in the Sephora of my local JCP. It is the only Sephora within 100 miles to have it in stock. Super shocking! I am kicking myself for not ordering it when it was released early for the VIB and VIB Rouge members! Oh well, lesson learned. Funnily enough, the girls at Sephora said I am the only one who has come in looking for the kit -- one didn't even know they had it! Clearly word has not reached smaller town Midwest, America!

So let's get to the good stuff!

This kit is a limited edition kit exclusive to Sephora. It includes 3 eyeshadow palettes, a cheek palette (with 2 blushes, a bronzer and a highlighter), 4 mini lip glosses and a dual ended brush. Here is how it is described:

"Each of the three eye shadow palettes contains four coordinating High Pigment Eye Shadows plus one High Gloss Transforming Eye Shadow to draw immediate attention to the eyes. The High Gloss Transforming Eye Shadows impart a shimmery, diamond-like reflection that is transparent when applied dry and translucent when applied wet. Mix and match the shades to achieve a unique look every time. The kit also includes a cheek palette with two Long-Wear Blushes, Shimmering Bronzer, and Radiant Glow Illuminator. Four High Shine Lip Glosses round out each faction’s look. Use the double-ended eye and cheek brush and the included Get-the-look cards to choose your faction and proclaim your loyalty."  -Sephora

I am seriously impressed with the quality of this kit. The looks are pretty much endless and I am super curious to try the 'transformer' shades as a topper. I will say, the bronzer looks like it is too dark for me, but hey, we'll find other uses for it (hello, crease color!).

The Photos

Weekend Mini Haul

A Little Weekend/Early Week Haul

This Weekend's Haul

Well, after seeing photos from Maybelline's Spring 2014 Collection, I made a point to head out to get my hands on some of it -- mainly the limited edition Color Tattoos. So here's my loot -- 

 Product 1 - Physicians Formula Nude Wear Blush in Natural

The packaging is just adorable. And swirled together, the 4 colors create a beautiful milky baby pink. Perfect for a subtle spring flush!

Product 2 - L'Oreal Colour Riche Le Gloss in Baby Blossom #151

 Again, it's a milky baby/peachy pink. I love this formula of gloss because it's very pigmented and feels comfortable on the lips. I have a feeling this will be the perfect 'topper' gloss for a lot of lip colors.

Product 3 - L'Oreal Visible Lift Color Lift Blushes in #703 Pink Lift/Rose & #702 Peach Gold Lift

Holy moly. Head straight to your Target and pick one of these blushes up before they are gone! My Target had these on clearance. Originally $12, marked down to $4. I've never tried this particular line of blushers from L'Oreal so the clearance price was obviously an incentive. When we got into the car, I broke these out immediately to swatch. Good Lordy, these are so soft and pigmented. I am in love. And the best news yet is that there is a potential dupe for a particularly idolized blush! Stay tuned…

Product 4 - Maybelline Dare To Go Nude Spring 2014 Lipstick in #975 Ravishing Rose 

Wait for it, I know you'll be shocked. Another milky baby pink color! But seriously, this color will be fabulous for spring and the formula is smooth. Although I will say, make sure your lips are decently moisturized before applying because this will cling to any dry parts of your lips. And the smell…let's just say it takes me back to ceramics studio in college…throwing clay on the wheel. And for some reason, I find it appealing. Who knows, but do make note that it does have a stronger scent.

Product 5 - Maybelline Dare to Go Nude Spring 2014 Color Tattoos in #90 Nude Compliment, #100 Caramel Cool and #95 Sleep & Spice

I was most excited for these products. I'm a big fan of the Maybelline Color Tattoos in general and when I saw that this collection was a nudes collection…oh boy, it was like the Ravens winning the Super Bowl all over again. Well, maybe not that exciting, but you get it. The colors I chose were great everyday colors for me (I picked up 3 of the 6). Mine are definitely the mid range colors. The other 3 consist of 2 light beiges and a very dark charcoal. As usual, these swatch beautifully and are very creamy. I prefer the texture of these more than the MAC Paint Pots for this reason. And the staying power is insane, especially for the darker colors (obviously).

Swatched

After trying to wipe them off

Note: The Maybelline products were found at CVS, the rest are from Target. My Target did not have the Spring 2014 collection on the shelves yet.

Bonus: I picked up this Lilly Pulitzer iPad case at TJ Max for $10!