Mini L'oreal Haul and Initial Thoughts

Hello everyone! Today was such a gloomy day. I wanted to just lay on the couch with Baby Boy and cuddle on this gray, wet, yucky day. Then, after watching a few (or more) youtube beauty videos I decided to run out to the grocery store and drugstore for a few things for dinner and to shamelessly check out the makeup aisles.

I surprised myself by picking up two L'oreal products! I was surprised because I would say that I have been more attracted to Revlon and Maybelline products lately. I also sometimes feel that L'oreal is over priced, but I could not pass these products up!

I picked up one of the new L'oreal Colour Caresse by Colour Riche lipsticks in Sunset Angora ($9.99) and a L'oreal Infallible 24 HR Eyeshadow in Iced Latte ($7.95).

First, I will talk a little about the eyeshadow. Like I said, it is in Iced Latte. It is a GORGEOUS champagne color. Yes, I have about a million champagne colors. Thats why I had been checking out this shadow everytime I came to the drugstore for months before I convinced myself it was worth it. It is different than any other shadow I have. It is the most pigmented eyeshadow I have found. One swipe and you get a shimmer, metallic, almost wet looking color pay off. The L'oreal website claims that these Infallible eyeshadows should have "intense, maximized color" and "luxurious powder-cream texture". These are just my initial impressions, so I cannot speak for the "24 hour" claim, but the pigmentation and texture alone makes this eyeshadow well worth it.

**Please excuse any not so perfect pictures. I attempted these while holding a sleeping boy that did not want to be put down :)

Onto the lipstick!

These lipsticks are supposed to be much more glossy than their other Colour Riche products. L'oreal tells us it is formulated with their "Lightfeel System to deliver a feather-light finish without being sticky or heavy." I have to say that the commercial I have been seeing on tv sold me on this. I tried the lipstick on the moment I got into the car after buying it and it definitely feels amazing on! I have a feeling my boyfriend wouldn't mind kissing me with this lipstick on. ;) The lightweight formula makes it look much more natural, light and glossy on the lips. That being said, I have a feeling it will affect the lasting power. But, I don't mind because I'd much rather have a lipstick that feels so amazing on the lips! The shade is called Sunset Angora and its a beautiful pink that is more on the coral side. It is probably my ideal color. I love it! SO glad I picked this shade.

I don't really have time for a proper ending to this post because I have a fussy boy that just woke up from his too short nap. Overall, I love these products so far!

Until next time!

MAC Pro Longwear Eyeshadow in Carefree

Highlighting products and light champaign eyeshadows are two of my favorite things, so when I find a product that can give me both of these I get pretttyyy excited about it. I recently picked up MAC's Pro Longwear Eyeshadow in Carefree from the Cosmetics Company Outlet nearby. Pro Longwear Eyeshadows have 3.4 grams and cost $21 as opposed to MAC's normal eyeshadows that have just 1.5 grams and cost $15.

The MAC website describes the Pro Longwear Eyeshadows as: "A unique longwearing Eye Shadow with a silky, creamy texture formulated for maximum colour impact. Easily blendable and buildable; lids are visibly smooth no matter how intense the application. Lasts 8 hours."

Honestly, I do not notice much of a difference with the lasting power as opposed to other products, but I do always wear it with a primer or base and it does last well. As for the texture, I definitely think this product stands out in that arena. MAC's use of the adjectives: silky, creamy, and blendable is spot on. It goes on very nicely.

MAC says that Carefree is a pale white gold. I also agree with this description. After I bought this product I quickly realized it reminds me of Mary-Lou Manizer from the Balm. I would say it is almost an exact dupe. They both come off fairly white in the pan, but have this beautiful golden sheen. And I say "sheen" because there is no obvious shimmer. It is such a gorgeous subtle gold and that is what makes this product so amazing. I do have to say that Mary-Lou Manizer may be a little bit more gold than Carefree.

When I wear Carefree as an eyeshadow, I do sometimes wear it all over the lid as a quick, easy way to brighten up my eyes, but my favorite way to wear this on my eyes is to put MAC's Paint Pot in Soft Ochre all over my lids and add Carefree as a highlight in the inner corner and right under my brow bone. Perfection! Haha...

I do wear Carefree more often as a face highlight. It is my new favorite...and that says a lot as highlighters are one of my makeup obsessions along with blushes. I use it with the MAC 188 Small Duo Fibre Face Brush and this combo is perfect. I place it right on my cheek bones and sometimes down my nose. It creates the perfect, indescribable sheen. You will just have to test it out yourself!

I am totally feeling highlighters. I am debating doing a full overview of my highlighter collection. :) Would this interest anyone? I would want to read about yours!

My 10 Most Worn Beauty Products

1. Most worn lipstick/ lipgloss:

Sad, that I have a "beauty" blog and cannot list any real, actual lipstick OR gloss right here. Back in college I would probably have said for lipgloss... MAC Lusterglass in Love Nectar or Nars Chihuahua and for lipstick, MAC Viva Glam Gaga and Cyndi, but now I have to say that my boyfriend (and baby who would rather me cuddle with him than put on makeup) would prefer me to wear pretty lip balms... my current fav is Maybelline Baby Lips in Pink Punch or Cherry Me.

2. Most worn eyeliner:

Hmmm... I have worn pencil liner for the longest and even before I got into makeup I wore the CoverGirl Perfect Point Plus Eyeliner in Black Onyx. Although I try out others now (and wear a good amount of gel and liquid liner), I still wear this consistently!

3. Most worn nailpolish:

OPI's Lincoln Park At Midnight was something I wore pretty consistently for years before I expanded my nailpolish collection. Nowadays, one of my most often worn polishes is MAC Soiree. This was limited edition, but it is a gorgeous rose gold, so get it if you can! I must add that Essie is my favorite nail polish brand overall.

4. Most worn eyeshadow:

I wear MAC Paint Pots as eyeshadows most often. Soft Ochre and Bare Study are my favorites. Soft Ochre matches my undertones better than the pinkier Painterly. As for actual eyeshadow, CoverGirl Eye Enhancers in Shimmering Sands has been a favorite for years and is still not only in my collection, but currently in my everyday makeup bag!

5. Most worn concealer:

Definitely, Benefit Erase Paste. I mostly conceal under the eyes to brighten and that one is awesome, although I have been finding drugstore alternatives to brighten under there lately.

6. Most worn foundation:

I cannot decide on one. I mostly use tinted moisturizers... I love the Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer, but will settle for the Cover Girl CG Smoothers one. Currently, I am exploring BB Creams.

7. Most worn (finishing) powder:

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural. I am sad that this is "MAC heavy" as I would definitely not say that it is my favorite brand, but I do love the light coverage and finish that the MSF Natural gives my skin.

8. Most worn blush:

Okay, this is so hard because blush is my absolute FAV. I guess I will have to give a top three most worn: NARS Luster, MAC Peaches, and Benefit Coralista. All must haves.

9. Most worn bronzer:

I guess I would have to go with Nars Laguna bronzer. Although, I am going for matte and cheaper bronzers nowadays.

10. Most worn mascara:

CoverGirl LashBlast Volume in black. Funny, how I mentioned so much MAC and do not think it is my favorite higher end brand and CoverGirl is also the only drugstore brand mentioned, yet I would say that Revlon is my favorite drugstore brand. Well! Guess I like CoverGirl more than I thought... or at least they have my holy grail products... good to know!


Off to bed to go read The Lucky One. I am SUCH a slow reader, so I need to read more often because I do enjoy it! Later, my loves :)

My Current Playlist

I won't ramble on forever... this is simply the songs that I am loving at the moment that I wanted to share!


Wind - Zac Brown Band - This is my favorite! So country and I love it.
Somebody That I Used To Know - Gotye featuring Kimbra - Kind of a weird one and that's why I like it!
Pontoon - Little Big Town - So fun for summer.
Blown Away - Carrie Underwood - Intense but awesome song.
You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go - Miley Cyrus featuring Johnzo West - This song does her voice justice.


And finally... the song I am obsessed with at the moment. You HAVE to watch the video and you HAVE to watch this version. Well... I think so at least. Right now my boyfriend who is in the Army National Guard is gone for two weeks (I should feel lucky it's just two weeks, I know), I cannot talk to him and I have our month old baby here with me. No pity party, but this music video just hits home and is inspiring and touching either way! Makes me cry every time! So check it out... In My Blood - Black Stone Cherry.

Current Skincare Routine: Back to the Basics.

Skincare has been on my mind a lot lately... being a busy mommy with a serious live-in boyfriend who is used to my make-up free face, I have decided to go back to the basics. Yes, I still love makeup, but as I rarely wear much for the two men (my boyfriend and baby boy) who can actually tolerate, and might even like, to see me first thing in the morning, I might as well make sure I have great skin! Skincare really is important. Taking care of your skin is the number one thing you can do to look and feel great about yourself. Plus, at the wise old age of 22 I have really been thinking about the benefits I will see in the long run from taking care of my skin now.

When I was younger, I had more acne. My skin wasn't terrible, but it was far from perfect. My acne wasn't constant, but I would get breakouts. I used Proactive for a long time and really think it works! Now, my skin is much better. I would call it combination, normal to oily. That being said, if I use something too strong on my skin, it will get dry. Also, as years have passed, my skin has become more and more sensitive... or should I say, allergic. I do not breakout with acne from products, but I do get sort of allergic reactions. Lately, I have been using whatever face wash we had laying around the house, if any. I had also gotten lazy. And by lazy I mean busy with a baby. But about a month ago, I decided that was about to change!

After having an allergic reaction to the ever popular (and probably awesome for those with non-sensitve/ allergic skin) Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash pink grapefruit foaming scrub, I decided to, once again, go back to the basics. Back to what I knew worked for me and what I knew I could stick with.

So, alas, here are the steps I take morning and night in my skincare routine:

1. Remove makeup using Yes to Cucumbers Makeup Removing Face Wipes. This step is typically only done at night on days that I wore makeup. I have to admit, while I do always use makeup removing wipes, I am not loyal to this brand. Yes, I do like it and think it works perfectly fine. That being said, I think the same of other face wipes and typically buy whatever is on sale.

2. Wash face with Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser for Normal to Oily Skin. This is really what I meant by "back to the basics." After my stint with Proactive during my teens, I became loyal to this face wash. It is gentle and perfect for those who do not have a major issue with acne as long as their face stays clean and oil free. It is a great face wash and I have used it for years. It simply does the job.

3. Use Clean and Clear Deep Cleaning Toner for Sensitive Skin with large cotton pads or rounds. This one has salicylic acid, is oil free, and is still good for sensitive skin. Toner is supposed to help unclog pores and remove leftover yuckiness! I think it's an important step to treat whatever breakouts I do have. I feel that without this I really would breakout much more.

4. Moisturize my face (and neck!) with Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturizer with SPF 15 for all skin types. This was new to my skincare regime. I chose this moisturizer because I trusted the Cetaphil brand and needed a moisturizer with SPF. I have to admit, I do not use additional sunscreen on a daily basis, but I do make sure my moisturizer has some SPF in it. Previously, I had been using a Clinique moisturizer and I really do think I like how the Cetaphil moisturizer makes my skin feel better than the Clinique moisturizer! While, I do not have very dry skin, moisturizer makes my skin feel so much better and I think it will be beneficial to my skin in the long run.

5. Steps 1-4 I do both morning and night but, here is where my skincare routine differs from morning to night. This is also the place where my skincare routine gets a little less drugstore and little more expensive. In the morning, I use Origins GinZing on my eye area. I use this in the morning because it is supposed to brighten and de-puff tired eyes. I do not see a drastic difference yet, but I do like the eye cream! At night, I use Clinique All About Eyes Rich as an eye cream. This eye cream is said to "diminish the look of circles, shadows, puffs. Intensely moisturizes." It definitely moisturizes! As for the rest, only time will tell.


I must add that the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser is on my skincare "wish list". I watch beauty videos on YouTube and lately, I have been OBSESSED with beauty gurus from England. Yes...partially because of their amazing accents. But, almost every one of them talk about this cleanser! I just wish it were cheaper and easier to access here in the US of A. I might have to cave and order it online, we will see. But, while I was exploring the Liz Earle website, they talked about their skincare philosophy. It was simply, "cleanse, tone, moisturize." I instantly decided that would also be my skincare philosophy to live by and that is why you now see the skincare routine I have gone on about above.

So far, this routine is working fabulously for me. Let me know what works for your skin, because I am always looking for new things to try now that I am on this skincare "kick".