Chelsea's November Beauty Favorites + Pictures

November favorites time! I skipped October because, in all honesty, I didn't wear makeup often enough to establish any new favorites. But since it's the Christmas season, I've been enjoying getting glammed up on quite a few occasions. Here are just some of the products I've been reaching for on a regular basis.

I've been really loving my Lorac Pro Palette 2, the wide range of colors are not only beautiful but extremely versatile too. The matte colors are especially fantastic for crease work.

This concealer though! This is the "Glamoflauge" heavy duty concealer from Hard Candy and it seriously does not play around! This is the fullest of full coverage concealer I have ever used and it's the only one I've come across that's actually pale enough for me. The only negative thing I have to say about this is that you definitely need to set it with powder because it doesn't completely set on the skin.

I got this Skone Tattooed liquid eyeliner in one of my ipsy glambags, I can't remember which month. This is a SUPER black and very matte felt tipped eyeliner and I've been mainly using this to tightline the inner rim of my upper lashline. I have found that it's the only liner that doesn't transfer and smudge all over the place, and for that, I love it.

These little Caviar Sticks by Laura Mercier in Rosegold and Cocoa are perfection, so creamy, blendable, and stay put all day! I use these on their own and as bases under powder shadows. These two came in a limited edition set of four mini Caviar Sticks but all the colors are available for purchase in full size.

My go-to lippie as of late has been Syrup by MAC, I really really love this lipstick. It's a pretty sheertoned mauve that looks so nice on the lips. It's kind of one of those my lips but better shades.

This mascara makes me want to cry because it's freaking amazing but the full size is $30! What?! This is the Mascara Volume Effect Faux Cils by Yves Saint Laurent and it is SO voluminizing and lengthening too, which those two things can be hard in the same mascara. I'm hoping this is the never ending mini tube of mascara!

 I don't use brow pencils very often but when I want a bolder look, I've been using this pencil by Rimmel in Dark Brown. I really like this particular color because it's quite warm so it works well with my red hair color. If you have cooler toned hair, you may want to find something that's a little more ashy.

So I finally jumped on the MAC Soft and Gentle bandwagon and I'm so happy I did. This is such a gorgeous highlighter, oh my goodness. If you love that highshine look on your cheekbones, get this Mineralize Skin Finish but use a light hand because a little bit goes a long way!

My last favorite is more of a skin care favorite. This is the Hemp Hand Protector from The Body Shop and it has been saving my dry hands as the weather has gotten cooler. This is such a cool product because it's more like a salve in the aspect that doesn't leave a greasy feeling behind after you use it. I've also notice that it stays on my hands even after couple hand washes.


What are some of your favorite cold/cool weather beauty products?
Chelsea

Chelsea's September Makeup Favorites + photos!

 Holy moly, September flew by! I know everyone's saying it but it's true! I'm personally really happy October is here though. I just love fall and all of the lovely things it brings. With a new season arriving that means I've been grabbing products with different finishes and color tones (hello plums and berries!) than the ones I tend to use in the summer. Enough chit chat though, here's a closer look at some of the beauty products that were big players in my makeup routine last month!

For foundation I found myself reaching for the Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-hour Full Coverage Foundation. I don't use this every day because it is full coverage but I use it when I know I need something on my face that's going to need to last for a while and this gets the job done really well.

I finally hopped on the MAC Pro Longwear Concealer bandwagon around the end of August and I'm really happy I did! This concealer does not play around, talk about full coverage! I use this mainly under my eyes and occasionally on the high points of my face. I don't pair this with the Tarte foundation though because I find I would be too much coverage for the full the face.

I've kind of challenged myself to use other mascaras other than my precious Covergirl Clump Crusher, through that time I've rediscovered how much I like Benefit's "They're Real!" mascara. It's long wearing without being waterproof and the volume it provides my lashes is just ridiculously good!

Next is the Maybelline Master Shape brow pencil. I really like this particular brow pencil because it's not heavily pigmented so I don't have to worry about being light-handed when applying it to my brows. A bonus is the waxy texture it has, I find I don't need to set my brows with a gel when I use this pencil.

Another product from Maybelline is one of their Color Whisper's in the color Berry Ready. LOVE this color! Like the name says, it's a lovely berry color that just looks so nice pared with a barely there makeup on the face.

Let's talk about one of my favorite makeup products, blush! I've been loving these two beauties this fall. This first one is an oldie but a goodie. TheBalm's Cabana Boy blush is a must have in the fall and winter for me because it's such a beautiful light plum shade with a pretty sheen. And of course the packaging is beyond cute! :)

This next one is a pretty new addition to my blush collection and so far I've been enjoying it a lot. This is one of the Maybelline Dream Bouncy blushes in the color Plum Wine. I like to wear this on its own or sometimes I like to top it with the Cabana Boy blush for a really long wearing combo.

For highlight I've been reaching for Lightscapade Mineralized Skin Finish from MAC. It suits my skin tone really well and adds the right amount of glow to my cheekbones.

Lastly but most certainly not least, I have really really enjoyed using the Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette this past month. This product is totally worth the hype surrounding it. Total must have!

What are some products that you've been loving lately? Any fall must haves?

Xoxo, 

Chelsea

Marissa's September Beauty Favorites + Pictures!

Here we are, in a new month already! As I look back on the month of September, I noticed a few makeup products snuck into my everyday (or almost everyday) use. I love fall makeup colors- berries, coppers, and warm browns are colors that stick out in my mind. 

My favorite palette of this last month definitely is the Lorac Pro palette 2. The colors are perfect for enhancing my eye color. The pigmentation is ultra smooth too! 

What also goes well with the Lorac palette, is my Maybelline master drama Chromatic eye pencil in Plum Persuasion. Super creamy and the color is on point! 

Speaking of creamy, I picked up a new cream shadow from Ulta's own makeup line to see how they work in comparison to Maybelline's Color Tattoo's. The color I chose was in Bronzed. These set and don't budge! 

Favorite mascara is the Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes! Mascara. I've used this mascara in the last before and remembered that I liked it, so I'm happy to be reunited again.

Not a makeup favorite, but definitely a beauty favorite, is my Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream. I put this on every night before I go to bed and it does wonders softening any cracks I get! Especially since I crossfit and use chalk a lot, this does a good job of healing my dry cuticles. Did I mention it smells delish???

New favorite- MAC lipstick in the color Dark Side (and becuase I'm a bimbo, I forgot to take actually pictures of the product, but I have a swatch). This will definitely be my fall lip staple if I'm not using Rebel lipstick from MAC. Dark and creamy berry. 

Lastly, I keep picking up the same blush from my Muji drawer and it's bareMinerals blush in Beauty. It's more on the rosy side, which works perfectly with my skin tone. 

That wraps up my September favorites and I  hope everyone has a wonderful October! Watch this space for Halloween looks that Chelsea and I are going to do. 

Xoxo,

Marissa

Weekly Post: Something That I Love

Hey everyone! 

I have recently decided to commit to writing every Friday on something that I love. It could be an item, a hobby, or a beauty item that I'm obsessed with. So make sure you tune back each Friday to see what is on my favorite list for the week! 

This week...

I made my first EVER purchase at Anthropologie on this past Saturday. I know, I know! What took me so long you ask? Excuses I suppose. The whole a store was having 15% off when you sign up for an Anthropologie membership. The membership was free, so I was like, "of course I'll do it!" What I found was so cute (and the last one in the store), that I immediately picked it up and went right to the register to buy it. Say hello to my new jewelry dish! 

I was so excited to put it to use that I forgot all about the barcode sticker on it. Whoops! ;) Thank you to my friend, Lindsey, who invited me and my sister along on her little shopping trip! 

Have a good weekend everyone! 

xoxo,

Marissa

P.S. Got anything that you are using constantly that makes you happy? 

Kendra - Rustic Winter Bridal Session

I worked with Kendra for some time a few years ago. Without a doubt she was one of my all time favorite coworkers. She has one of the kindest hearts I've had the privilege of meeting. So as soon as she got engaged I messaged her on Facebook and told her I would love to do her makeup for her wedding. I was beyond happy that she chose me.

On a very cold December 7th 2013, the morning of her bridal session, Kendra came over to my house and I did the makeup that you see in these photos. Kendra told me that she had booked an amazing photographer for her portraits and wedding but I had no idea what to expect. I was in for such a huge surprise because a few days later Kendra emailed me the pictures and I was BLOWN AWAY. I had never seen such gorgeous photos before. Anthony from Tailored Filter is absolutely exquisite at what he does. I was more than honored to have my work photographed by him. If you have any sort of special occasion coming up that you want to make a permanent memory of, please, don't 
hesitate to contact him.

Xoxo,
Chelsea



Photography by www.tailoredfilter.com
Copyright Tailored Filter. All rights reserved.

EXTREME MAKEOVER: Makeup Vanity Edition

Okay, okay! I am really bad about putting back my makeup and makeup brushes after I'm done with them. So on Monday I decided, "it's the beginning of the week Marissa, it's time to get organized!" This led me to going on a cleaning spree and I am EXTREMELY pleased with the outcome! 

Before (really embarrassing):

See???? Gosh I feel like a terrible makeup owner! I wasn't even using my Muji drawer set. I love that thing! But, I worked hard and got everything spick and span. 

After (drum roll please!):

So pleased! I am thinking about rearranging my brushes and lipsticks because of being right handed, but honestly, it hasn't slowed me down in the mornings so far, so my brushes may stay put. 

I got my lipstick holder on amazon. It's acrylic and tiered so I can see all of my lipsticks that I'm encouraging myself to use this season. Would you like to see a blogpost on my favorite fall lip products? That will be my next post. I organized my Muji drawer like this: 

Drawer 1. Face product essentials

Drawer 2. Eye products (individual eyeshadows, mascaras, brow products and eyeliners)

3. More eyeliners and cream eyeshadows!

What are some of your favorite ways to keep yourself organized? 

Xoxo,

Marissa 

Review: September 2014 ipsy Glam Bag + pictures!

Getting my ipsy Glam Bag in the mail has recently become my favorite time of each month. Whenever I get an email from them saying "your glam bag has shipped" I get so excited! If you haven't heard of ipsy, they're a monthly beauty subscription company that, for only $10 a month, sends out 4-5 beauty products in a themed makeup bag. The products range from mostly sample size to the occasional full size product, or in the case of this particular bag, mostly full size and one sample size.

This month's theme is "Street Style", hence the studded metallic bag and the overall color palette of the goodies as a whole. Let's talk about those goodies now, shall we?

The first product that caught my eye was this gorgeous full size nail polish from Pacifica in the color "Red Red Wine" rightly named if I say so myself! This is my first product from the brand but I've only heard good things. I haven't had the chance to try this one out on my nails yet but I can tell you that it is extremely pigmented, which makes me very happy! I can tell I'm going to enjoy using this color in the upcoming cooler months. Also the bottle is super pretty!

This next product I was beyond ecstatic to receive in my bag and it's the only product I've used so far. This is the dual ended C476 synthetic crease/shadow brush from Crown Brush. The bristles on this bad boy are beyond soft, oh my goodness. The "shadow" end of the brush is awesome because it can be used for packing on color but because it's so fluffy it blends out color so well. The "crease" end of the brush is actually more of a pencil brush size, which is perfect because I've been wanting to add another pencil brush to my ever growing collection of brushes. This end works just as wonderful as the other, if not more. Total love. Here are some closer images.  

Next is a lipstick in the color "cabernet" from Hikari, a brand that I'm not familiar with. Swatched on my hand it seems to have a decent creamy formula and the color is actually not too far off the nail polish from Pacifica. I'll wait to judge it until I've worn it on my lips.

I also received a hair mask in my bag, which came in perfect timing because I've been wanting to try a new hair mask. This one is by a brand called Briogeo and this is their "Don't Despair Repair!" deep conditioning mask. I think the name is cute and catchy and the product itself smells lovely. It claims to increase hair elasticity to prevent breakage and promotes healthy shine. I look forward to trying this.

The last product in my glam bag is a full sized shadow from NYX in the color "Bling Bling-Bling". I love NYX Cosmetics but I was disappointed to receive this color, main reason being, silver is one of the only colors I can't pull off on my eyes. The quality of the shadow itself was just alright too. It's soft to the touch and my finger was able to pick up a good amount of product but when I swatched it on the back of my hand it didn't transfer well and it wasn't entirely pigmented.

This was only my fourth bag from ipsy and I've been really enjoying them lately. It's great to be introduced to new products and to receive some products that may already be old favorites of mine! I'm going to start uploading regular ipsy reviews every time I get them in the mail, so be sure to keep an eye out!

Chelsea