Spring Haul

Helloooo!!

I'm finally back today

I have a little haul for you

The promise of spring always gets me excited to go shopping

I picked some new things up over the past few weeks and I want to share them with you all

 H&M:

 Kohl's:

[I was quite shocked]

Nike Outlet:

[Woo!!]

Sorry it's slightly out of focus

 Ulta:

 Revlon Photoready BB Cream, Revlon Just Bitten balm stain, Butter London nail polish in Teddy Girl

 Bath & Body Works: 

Two of my favorite scents

If you haven't smelled Market Peach yet, GO DO IT!

It smells phenomenal

And Mahogany Teakwood smells exactly like Abercrombie

I have picked up a few more things recently and I'm willing to share if you guys like these kind of posts :)

Thanks so much for reading! Have a lovely day & I'll talk to you soon
XO Kara

Review :: Maybelline Color Whisper

Hello loves

I have another review for you today

I'm a sucker for lip products

I feel like I can never have enough

Especially at the drugstore

The other day at Ulta I saw a display for the new 

Maybelline Color Whisper lipsticks

The packaging really caught my eye--

Colorful and sleek

These are very reminiscent of the ever loved Revlon Lip Butters

They range from shiny nudes to deeper berry colors

20 in total

I practiced a lot of self control and only bought one

I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about them so I didn't want to be stuck with a bunch of lipsticks I don't like

I chose the color Who Wore It Red-er

As I said before, I love the packaging of these

It's sleek, yet bold

They're also quite thin and light

The consistency is very smooth

It's marketed as color pigments in a gel form

They glide on the lips very well, actually maybe a little too well

With products like this, you don't want to think about lip liner

I had to be very careful when applying this because it's so slick its very easy to get some onto your face

With that being said, these are also very pigmented

They are quite shiny as well

To be honest, I wasn't thrilled with the color I chose

I feel like on the lips it looks much more pink than in the tube

I was hoping for a truer red

Overall--

They have a nice color selection

Packaging is great

Consistency is very smooth

Quite comparable to the Revlor Lip Butters, but I'd say that these are smoother

With that being said, I think I prefer the Lip Butters

If you try these out, I'd love to hear your thoughts!!

Thanks so much for reading

XO Kara

Current Makeup

Hi friends!

Today I want to share with you some makeup that I have been loving lately

These products have really stood out to me, and I find myself constantly reaching for them

In winter, my skin looks quite dull, I think this is the case with most people

The products I'm going to share with you have really helped bring life back to my skin

Face--

 Rimmel Stay Matte powder:

I use this just through my T-Zone to prevent my skin from looking shiny

NYC Bronzer in Sunny:

This bronzer is great for the winter months

It's fairly light, so it doesn't look too orange on paler skin

It's completely matte, so it's great for contouring

The best part, it's only about $4

NARS blush in Sin:

This has quickly become one of my favorite blushes

It's one of those colors that is just perfect with almost any look

It's a gorgeous berry color with gold shimmer

The berry color adds richness to the skin, and the gold shimmer helps warm up your complexion 

Benefit's High Beam:

This liquid highlighter adds the perfect amount of luminosity to the skin that we're often lacking in the winter months

I use it practically every day

Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch concealer:

I've talked about this product before

It's a great under eye concealer that is very brightening

Eyes--

Chanel eyeshadow quad in Mystic Eyes:

I have been using this quad almost every day since I bought it almost a month ago

The colors are perfect for every day wear

The matte pink color is great all over the lid with the light bronze in the crease, the dark brown along the lower lash line and the silver on the inner corners

Absolutely worth every penny

Josie Maran Argan Mascara:

This mascara has a larger wand than I typically like, but it's growing on me

I like the formula of this mascara, it's not too wet

It leaves your lashes very full and soft

Lips--

BareMinerals lipgloss in Trail Blazer:

This lipgloss is a really nice peachy nude color that looks great over lipstick or on its own

The formula has good staying power and it isn't sticky

It also tingles a little bit when you apply it

These have been my favorite beauty products lately

I'd love to hear what yours are!!

Thanks so much for reading

XO Kara

Review :: Maybelline Fit Me

Hey friends!

How's life?

Are you keeping to your resolutions?

I've been doing pretty well with mine :)

I'm really enjoying journaling every day

Today I have a review for you

As winter is in full swing, I have lost most of my tan

Sad day

My foundations are a bit too dark for me now, and I decided to try a new drugstore foundation, rather than buy a high end one

I heard good things about the Maybelline Fit Me foundation so I gave it a shot

My first impression wasn't particularly great, but after several uses I have really grown to like it

This has become my every day foundation

It is a true liquid foundation, not too heavy and not too light

It gives nice coverage, and I think it's pretty buildable

I like the finish it leaves on my skin

It's not at all cakey, even when powder is applied

It's not quite as dewy and Nars Sheer Glow, but it still looks fresh on the skin

[taken with flash]

I have normal to dry skin

I'm not sure how this foundation would work on oily skin, but it's not extremely dewy as I just said, so I think it would work on a variety of skin types

I have only applied this foundation with a flat foundation brush [Sigma F60]

This has worked perfect for me, so I haven't tried any other methods

They have a nice color range, I believe there are 18 in total

Since I am so incredibly pale at the current moment, I think I bought the shade second from the lightest

This is unacceptable, I need to start tanning, pronto

This is how it leaves my skin with no concealer or powder

Overall, I definitely recommend this foundation

I don't really have anything to complain about!

And for around $6 it's definitely a bargain

Thanks for reading!

XO Kara

Makeup Essentials

Happy Friday!!

How is everyone doing? Any exciting plans for the weekend?

I did a little bit of shopping and got some tops for fall. I think I found some good versatile pieces. Next I'm on the hunt for some bottoms, maybe a couple pairs of flats and also some heeled booties. I can do a haul if you'd like?

BUT the most exciting purchase I made

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I GOT THE REBECCA MINKOFF BAG!!

I have had such a rough time finding a bag for fall and was about to give up when I saw the perfect Michael Kors bag at Marshall's. It was a great price, tan leather, had a crossbody strap and was structured; everything I wanted. As I decided I was going to get it, I thought I would take one look to see if the Rebecca Minkoff bag was still there and it was... FOR $100 CHEAPER.

I'm clearly a little excited. But I'm just so so unbelievably happy.

Yay!

Anyway, I thought I would show you guys what I think are some essential makeup items. The products I have listed are what are perfect for me, but the items themselves are what I think are essentials, if that makes sense.

The perfect moisturizer 

My favorite: Aveeno Ultra-Calming Moisturizer.

Definitely one with SPF is a must. For me, I like this one because it reduces redness and doesn't leave my skin feeling greasy.

The perfect foundation

My favorite: Chanel Vitalumiére Aqua

Find one that matches your skin tone perfectly, and read reviews to see if it will work well with your skin type. If you have oily skin, look for a mattifying foundation. I have normal to dry skin and this foundation is my absolute favorite. It's light to medium coverage but leaves a flawless finish.

The perfect under eye concealer

My favorite: Maybelline Dream Lumi Concealer

To make your face really glow, look for a lighter shade and one that is supposed to brighten. Even if you're not wearing much makeup, you can look a lot more put together if your under eye area looks bright.

The perfect brow powder

My favorite: Elf Eyebrow Kit

I think the best way to fill in brows is with a powder. Pencils almost always look too harsh. Make sure you buy a powder that is slightly lighter than your brows to keep the look natural. Use a small angle brush and small strokes to gently fill them in.

The perfect champagne eyeshadow

My favorite: Sephora Eyeshadow in Exciting Safari

This is the most useful eyeshadow color anyone can buy. No matter what your skin tone is, a champagne color will look lovely. You can wear it on it's own for a light wash of color, throw a brown in the crease for a daytime smokey look, or add any other color. It's just a great staple color to have.

The perfect eyeliner

My favorites: Bobbi Brown Gel Liner, Elf Liquid Liner, Drugstore Pencil Liner.

This one you have a choice with, my favorite changes depending on what kind of mood I'm in. It's really just what you're most comfortable with. As far as color goes I prefer black, but maybe for your skin tone you prefer brown.

The perfect blush

My favorite: Mac Lip & Cheek Color in Have A Lovely Day!

I prefer a cream blush to a powder one, at least for summer, but that's up to you. The key here is to find one that compliments your skin tone and can be worn many different ways. This one gives me a nice flush without taking away from my other makeup.

The perfect "your lips, but better" lipstick and gloss combination

My favorites: Mac Lipstick in Modesty and Revlon Gloss in Sunbaked

This one is definitely essential. You can wear either just the lipstick or the gloss or combine them. You can wear it just for running errands, with a simple eye look or a very dramatic one. Definitely a must have.

The perfect red lipstick

My favorite: Chanel Gabrielle

This is probably the most difficult product to find. You need to know if a more pink tone or a more blue tone red would look good on you. Do you want it bright or more dark, matte or glossy. I'm still searching for the perfect red, I think this one is a bit too bright for me, but it's good for now. Finding the perfect red lip definitely takes trial and error.

So that's it! All of my essential makeup items.

I hope you guys enjoyed and I'll talk to you soon!!

XO Kara

Sigma Brush Review

Hello beautiful readers
I bought a Sigma brush set a couple weeks ago and I have been absolutely loving it. I figured I'd do a review of my honest opinions! Overall, I am so happy with this set. I have always heard great things about Sigma brushes; that they are affordable and great quality. Before I bought this I had just been using some random Eco Tools, Bare Minerals, and Elf brushes.

THIS is the set I bought

This was the best pick for me because it gives you all the essential brushes you need, obviously, and has a nice mix of natural and synthetic brushes.

They are also great quality; really nice bristles and nice, wooden handles.

Since Sigma brushes are pretty affordable, it's easy to just add individual brushes as you find a need for them.

If you plan on ordering from them, Google "Sigma brush coupons" and you're bound to find some. I ended up finding a 10% off coupon code and I got a free eyeshadow with my order.

I hope this review helps you guys who are looking for your first set, or maybe just a new one!


E05 Eyeliner brush [synthetic] 

To be honest, I haven't used this brush that much yet. It has nice dense bristles, and is good for getting a very thin, clean line with gel liner. I plan on getting more use out of this.

E30 Pencil [natural]

This brush is great for applying shadows to the lower lash line. I almost always do this before applying eyeliner to my water line. I have only tried it with powder shadows, but I'm sure it would work with cream shadows as well. Make sure you spot clean this brush if you do use cream shadows though since the hairs are natural and will absorb product.


E40 Tapered Blending [natural]

 Personally this brush is too big for me to apply shadow to my crease, although I do LOVE it for blending out harsh lines. After I use the crease brush from the Naked2 pallet to apply shadow, I'll go back in with this brush to apply my brow bone highlight and blend.

E55 Eye Shader

This brush is very short and dense, allowing you to really pack on color. I prefer to use this brush when I am applying more than one color to my lid so that I can be more precise.


E60 Large Shader [natural]

This brush is also dense like the E55, but the hairs are longer, giving you more surface area to pick up shadows. This is perfect for me when I'm only applying one color as a wash to the lid.


E65 Small Angle [synthetic] 

 Not only is this thin, stiff, brush great for using gel liner, I love using it to apply shadow as eyeliner to the upper lash line. It still gives you the precision, but without the harshness of liner.

E70 Medium Angled Shading [natural] 

 I usually prefer shadow really blending into my crease, rather than a harsh line. I also don't like it to get sloppy, so after I apply shadow with a crease brush, I'll go back in with a little more color with this brush to get some more definition. You can also create a nice outer V on your lid with this brush.


F30 Large Powder [natural] 

This brush is great for applying a light powder to set foundation. It is very soft, and not very dense, so you can cover your face very easily. I wouldn't recommend this brush for bronzer or blush though since it is so large.


F40 Large Angled Contour [natural]

This brush has made contouring so much easier for me. It picks up product well and fits perfectly into the hollow of your cheek. 

F50 Duo Fibre [natural and synthetic blend]

 This brush isn't very dense, so you can't really stipple with it, but if you really work it in circles to buff in foundation it gives you a great finish. I usually like to apply my foundation with the F60, then apply my concealer, and go back in with this brush to make sure the concealer is all blended in. I  know you can apply tinted moisturizer just with your fingers, but I personally really like to use this brush to work it in and get good coverage.

F60 Flat Foundation [synthetic]

This is a good size brush to really get good coverage with your foundation. I pick up product from my hand and dot it around the center of my face and blend it outwards. It's pretty dense so you can really get around the angles of your face.


F70 Concealer [synthetic] 

 This brush has changed my whole opinion about my Mac Studio Sculpt Concealer. Before I thought it was a little too stick and didn't provide great coverage when I applied it with my fingers. Since using this brush I love it. It applies the product well so you get a lot of coverage and you can really blend it into the skin.

Of course you want to take good care of your brushes, so I recommend spot cleaning them every other day. I just use Mac Brush Cleanser on a paper towel and gently swipe them back and forth until they're clean. You want to do this often so the product doesn't build up and then you have to use more force to get them clean which will ruin them faster. A key part to making them last longer is laying them flat to dry. You don't want to stand them upright because the moisture will seep down and will ultimately loosen the metal from the wood and will made the brush head fall off. I also think deep cleaning them every one or two weeks is a good idea. People recommend using baby shampoo, but I think Lush shower gels work well. I don't know if that's bad. If any of you think so let me know please! I figure Lush uses all natural products so it couldn't hurt. But I might be totally wrong.

I hope this helped some of you!!

Thanks for reading

XO Kara