Black Friday Haul!!

I know, I know, it's been forever since I've been on- over a full week since I've posted! I was out of town last weekend and after I got back, I spent a lot of time with family, and just tried to get back into the swing of things. However, I have decided that this year I'm going to attempt (key word there being attempt) blogmas, so hopefully you guys will be hearing from me quite often!

There have been some amazing sales these last few days for Black Friday, so I thought I'd post a haul for you guys showing you what I picked up in store! (There will be another post about what I bought online, I can assure you, I've been very bad.)

On to the haul!

Sephora

1. Nest Rollerball Trio- I think this might be sold out online at Sephora! Typically they offer $10 deals on products, so this year I only bought one thing and it was this rollerball trio. All of these scents smell incredible, they're all quite sweet and a little sensual too, which is new for me. I really like them though, they smell a bit more grown up which is nice!

Lush

1. Butterbear Bath Bomb- I'm pretty sure Lush wasn't doing anything special for Black Friday, I just like shopping there LOL. This little cutie smells phenomenal and I'm excited to use him!

2. Melting Snowman Bath Melt- I'll be honest, I've already used this bath melt haha! It was lovely in the bath, it smelled like cinnamon chai, but I wasn't fond of the way it smelled on my skin after I got out of the bath, so I won't be repurchasing, which is a shame, look how cute he is!

Forever 21

1. Sweater- I'm so proud of myself for only buying one thing! Forever 21 was offering 50% off all their sale items, so I got this sweater for $6, I believe! I like that the back is longer than the front, and I think the sleeves add a nice touch that makes this sweater much more interesting than just the basic black.

American Eagle

1. Vegan Leather High Rise Jeggings- The ONE thing I vowed to myself I would pick up this Black Friday was a pair of leather pants... and after absolute hours of searching I FINALLY found a pair!! These jeggings are so comfortable and I love that they're high rise... I just absolutely love them, I think they're such an upgrade on the liquid leggings (not that I'm hating, I LOVE my leather look leggings). American Eagle was offering 40% off storewide, which unfortunately they aren't doing online, but check back tomorrow if you're interested, they may be doing a deal for Cyber Monday!

Here are the two pieces combined!

Urban Outfitters

1. Lace dress- First of all, never again. Never again will I try to go to Urban on Black Friday. I waited in line for an hour and a half!!! The worst part was (well, the worst part was that they were only doing 50% off sale, which is a sale they have quite often) that I knew exactly what dress I wanted and in what size, and yet I still had to wait so long to get it. Lesson learned. But I really do love this dress, and when I tried it on on the Wednesday before Black Friday, the one I tried on did not have a slip, so I was very happy when I discovered the one I bought DID have a slip!

Was this dress worth the wait? What do you guys think?

Charlotte Russe

1) Tights- I really wanted a pair of sheer tights, which are so hard to find as opaque are in style. These ones are still semi-opaque, so I may still look into getting more sheer ones in the near future. Their deal was buy one get one 50% off, but I wasn't particularly interested in buying two.

Typo

1. Water bottle- A basic necessity! I believe Typo and Cotton On were both 40% off storewide. I love that this one has the stag on it :)

Ulta

1. Curling wand- I wasn't terribly impressed with Ulta's deals this year- but they were offering this curling wand for $15 and I had a $3.50 off coupon, so I got a good deal! I've tried curling irons and straighteners to no avail, so I'm hoping that a wand will do the trick for my supremely straight hair!

Target

1. The Notebook- If you can brave Target the day of Black Friday, you can get some awesome deals on movies!! I got this one for $4, and you can bet I went home and had a good cryfest.

2. Pitch Perfect- Also for $4. I'm so excited for Pitch Perfect 2!!!!!

And that was it, that was all of the things I bought (in store). What did you guys get for Black Friday? Let me know!!!

Stay beautiful!!

- Whit

What's in my Travel Makeup Bag?

Hey guys! It is now just over 24 hours until I leave for Philadelphia, which means I'm now seriously starting to think about packing my makeup bag. I always try to leave this until the last minute, because otherwise I end up packing items I'm still using in my daily routine, and then I'm forced to find alternatives to the products I'm loving at 7 am, and no one wants that. Here's a look into what I'll be bringing with me!

I will be taking my makeup bag with me in my carry on, which is the Coach Weekender Tote that has a detachable makeup purse.

1) L'Oreal Paris Magic Skin Beautifier BB Cream in the shade Medium ($10.95)- I decided to go with a BB cream because I felt that it would cover all the bases (light coverage, hydration, etc) and because BB cream is a very no fuss kind of product, which I find is very useful when you're traveling!

2) Skyn Iceland Glacial Cleansing Cloths ($15 for a pack of 30)- I received a mini pack of these in my Ipsy bag last month and have since been saving them specifically for this trip! Facial wipes are really nice when you're traveling because they're quick and easy in terms of removing makeup but also can keep you feeling fresh if you're coming off a plane!

3) Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in the color 001 Tranparent ($4.99)- Probably the best drugstore powder in existence. I have the color transparent because I didn't want a powder that was going to give me any real coverage, I really just wanted one to control shine and this one is hands down the best!

4) Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Bronzer ($30)- When I'm traveling, I really only want to have to bring one bronzer- so I'm looking for one that will be good for contouring as well as bronzing. This bronzer is definitely one of my all time faves (can you tell?) and I think it's one of the few bronzers out there that can effectively cover both bases!

5) NYX Bronze Smokey Look Kit ($12)- I did talk about this product (and the Skyn Iceland Cleansing Cloths) in my October Ipsy bag reveal so I won't go on too much about it now, but this is just a very cute mini palette with 9 different bronze/ neutral tone shades and it's all very portable and nice for travel!!

6) L'Oreal Voluminous Butterfly Mascara ($8.49)- Mine is in the waterproof version! I like bringing waterproof mascaras when I'm traveling, I feel they're longer lasting and I can touch my eyes when I have them on, haha! I quite like that the brush gets wider as you get toward the end, it really grabs the outer lashes and pulls them out, giving you that butterfly effect that's advertised. So pretty!  

7) Benefit Gimme Brow in the shade Medium/ Deep ($22)- My holy grail eyebrow product, I don't think I'm physically capable of leaving my home without it!

8) NYC Classic Brow/Liner pencil in the shade Jet Black ($0.99)- Yes, you read that right, this pencil is 99 cents!!! You can get a pack of two from the drugstore for about $1.50. I really like these pencils, they're so easy to work with and come in a variety of colors. A definite steal if you ask me!!

9) CoverGirl Cheekers Blush in the shade True Plum ($4.49)- I actually completely forgot I owned this blush until I found it today in my collection. But hey, it's a gorgeous color and traveling can be a great time to try out new products, so I thought I'd go ahead and throw it in my bag!

10) bareMinerals Marvelous Moxie Lipstick in the shade Get Ready ($18)- This is just the loveliest lipstick, the color is supernatural. It's one of those your-lips-but-better kind of products. I wanted to bring a lip color I could wear everyday without hassle, and the consistency of this one is super creamy and I think it's just a super product! 

And that's it! That is all the makeup I will be bringing with me! Are any of you guys going anywhere for Thanksgiving? Let me know in the comments!

Stay beautiful! :)

- Whit

November Ipsy Bag Review!!!

The thing that I probably love most about the Ipsy bag is that without fail, every month, I get new makeup in the mail. In the long run, it saves me so much time (and money!) because I don't end up going to the drugstore and hauling to curb my cravings. And with every bag you review the products you get, so they end up becoming more and more customized to your preferences; and let me tell you, this month's bag was phenomenal!!! Ipsy got it exactly right for me and I'm really excited to share with you guys what I got! If you are at all interested in checking out Ipsy, I'll have a link down below!

1) Be a Bombshell Cosmetics Eye Base in the Color Submissive ($14)- I was really stoked to receive this in my bag this month seeing as my Maybelline Bad to the Bronze cream shadow has been much loved in the last month and a half! This product is a base though- so although the website describes it as an "intense creamy bronze with gold shimmer" I definitely thought it wasn't intense, and it actually went on pretty sheer. But it makes for a beautiful base, and definitely an effective one as well- today I wore it with one of the colors from the Maybelline Nudes palette (which doesn't give the best color payoff) and was astonished at how vibrant and long wearing my eyeshadow was!!

2) Be Delectable by cake beauty Strawberries & Cream Mini Hand Cream ($5.50)- This is a good, thick hand cream, and I really like that. I love having mini hand creams that can fit right in my purse! This hand cream is very fragrant though, and has that classic strawberries and cream hard candy kind of scent, so it can to be a little too much for me after awhile. But I like having this by my bed side, because it's really nourishing and when I'm asleep the scent doesn't both me one bit!

3) GlamGlow PowerMud Dual Cleanse Treatment (deluze size~ $20.7, full size = $69)- Half of me doesn't even believe that math I just did, because that is one HELL of a value!! This product could not have come for me at a better time- I've been all kinds of stressed out and have started breaking out in these horrible, angry red splotches and bumps. Used this mask the day I got it, and I've got to say it really cleared up the bumps, and left my skin feeling very clean! It did only last a few days, but I think that has more to do with my personal life and less to do with the product. I'll keep you guys posted though on how I get on with this!

4) J. Cat Wonder Lip Paint in the color Mad Splatter ($4.99)- They didn't have this shade online for some reason, so I've linked to the other shade Ipsy offered. First of all, I LOVE the Alice in Wonderland names for the different shades, it's too cute!! I haven't tried this out yet but it looks very similar to the Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar, so hopefully this turns out to be a great dupe! 

5) Starlooks Gem Eye Pencil in the shade Ultra Orchid ($17)- I had no idea I needed a deep purple eyeliner until this one showed up in my life. There's just something about the idea of rocking a royal purple on my waterline that gets me all kinds of fired up! I was slightly put off by the fact it is a pencil eyeliner (which was in the name Whitney, come on now), but I mean that in the sense that it's closer to a graphite than a kohl in consistency... does that make sense? Maybe I'm just spoiled by the Urban Decay glide-on-pencils. High hopes for this product, for sure!

 I really thought Ipsy knocked it out of the park this time! The value of this bag was also awesome, 3/5 products were full size, and two were deluxe. The estimated value of my bag this month was $62.19... which is INSANE since I paid $10 for it! It's always awesome when Ipsy features higher end brands like glamglow, it just drives up the value. Anyways, I really am impressed with my bag this month, and if any of you guys are ipsters, I'd love to know what you guys thought of your bags! Let me know!

And here's a link if you'd like to check out Ipsy!

Stay beautiful!!

- Whit

Travel Essentials!!!

I know that as we get closer to the holidays, some of you may be starting to think about going home for the holidays maybe, or planning a trip during your break from school. I figured that since I was packing anyway for my trip to Philadelphia (less than a week to go now!!) I would show you guys some of the things I like to travel with, and maybe give you guys some ideas :)

I like using my Coach Nylon Weekender Tote (which I got from Buffalo Exchange- you'll be surprised what you can find thrifting!) for travel because it is super durable and just a great size for a carry on- and also comes with an attachable makeup pouch as well which saves me room in my luggage! Now on to the exciting part- what goes in!

Beanie- Beanies are amazing to have on planes, not only because they can keep your head warm, but also because if you fall asleep on the plane, you can use it to cover your bedhead when you get off!! I really like this maroon one because my mom physically knitted it for me as a gift :)

Scarf- Kind of the same concept as a beanie in terms of warmth and comfort, and definitely not necessary if you're flying somewhere warm, but since I'm flying into the snow and I'm coming from southern California, I'm not opposed to another layer getting off the plane. I got this plaid one from Forever 21 and unfolded, it's large enough to act as a mini-blanket/throw as well!

Socks- One of the most under-rated necessities ever!!! If you're wearing slip-ons to get through security (which I'd definitely recommend!) socks in your bag will be a godsend on the air conditioned plane. I got these from Happy Socks!

Hand cream- High altitudes and extreme air-conditioning can be super-drying- so I like having a thicker hand cream to keep my hands moisturized! This one is from the be Delactable line from cakebeauty- the scent is strawberries and cream and it smells just like strawberry yogurt :)

Lip balm- Again, got to keep those chapped lips at bay!! I'll be bringing the Nivea lip butter in Raspberry Rose kiss, which is one of my all time favorites :)

Toner Water- This one might be a little unconventional, but I like to bring toner water because 1) it helps revitalize your face after a long flight, and 2) it can help to wake you up if you have a layover as well :) I got this one from Lush (Breath of Fresh Air) and the cool thing about Lush products is that most of their products are available in travel size!

Book-  Sometimes you can be stuck in an airport for absolute ages- like if your flight is delayed. It's always nice to have something on hand to read and keep yourself occupied! I'll be starting One Plus One by Jojo Meyes, which has gotten really stellar reviews, so I'm excited!

Candy/ Snacks- Self- explanatory, airport food can be ridiculously overpriced! I always like to have candy because I need the sugar boost.

Headphones- Let's be real- no one was going to go on a trip without these, am I right?

Sorry for the longer post, I always like to be sure I've got everything I need for a flight!! What are some of your travel essentials? Let me know :)

Stay beautiful!!

- Whit

Briogeo Brand Review!!!

So, following my love affair with the Don't Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Mask by Briogeo, I was left needing to try more products from the range. Thankfully, Briogeo was kind enough to send me a few samples from their range to test out, and honestly? Guys, I know it's pretty sudden, but I think I'm in love.

What I liked most about these hair care products is that they're all natural, with everything I was sent having been made with at least 90% naturally derived ingredients. All of the products smell lovely; and really left my hair feeling really clean. The morning after my hair just looked so shiny and healthy, I mean these products had stripped my hair of buildup I didn't even know I had! 

The Be Gentle, Be Kind Green Tea Shampoo is recommended for those with fine, normal, or oily hair, and this was easily my favorite product of the bunch. It smells super fresh and citrus-y, and although I'm not a morning-shower type of person, I think if I was this would be a god-send in the morning! But by far, my favorite thing about this shampoo is the consistency. It's quite runny, almost more like a serum, which at first I was a bit weary about, but it really sinks into the hair and scalp easily, and lathers up really nicely to boot! 

I also tried out the Be Gentle, Be Kind Avocado Quinoa co-wash, which was also very lovely and smelled a bit warmer and almost like coconut (and I looked up the ingredients, and by coconut I definitely meant shea butter!). The consistency is more like a traditional shampoo. I didn't get on as well with this; which makes sense, as it's recommended for those with thicker hair. It is also recommended for those with color-treated hair though, and I am noticing a shine in my ombre today I'm really liking!  

The last product I tried was the Blossom & Bloom Ginseng + Biotin Volumizing Conditioner, which had a similar scent to the co-wash. It was a lovely conditioner, and felt really nice in the hair and on the scalp. Coming out of the shower I found my hair was super easy to work with even without a detangler (even though I did use one regardless, more out of emotional dependence than anything else.)

All in all, I think this brand is just a gem and I will definitely be picking up some of their products in the near future! If you're interested in also trying out some of their products, they're now available at Sephora. Have you tried anything from Briogeo? What did you think? Let me know!

Working the no-makeup look for you guys on the left!!

Stay beautiful!!!

- Whit

While the samples were sent to me for review, all thoughts and opinions stated in this blog post are my own.

Veteran's Day Weekend Haul!

I went to the mall with my mother today for some bonding, and as you may have experienced, when you're out with your mom you kind of stop by stores you wouldn't necessarily go into by yourself. A lot of stores were having some type of special or sale today, and I ended up picking up quite a few things, which was nice, as I really wasn't expecting to find anything. There's some makeup-y bits and some fashion-y bits and some lifestyle bits, we're really pulling all the stops out today!!

Makeup

1) Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat Foundation in the shade Beige 50- I wanted to save the best for last but I LITERALLY could NOT contain my excitement!!!! When I first started getting into makeup, this foundation was my holy grail product that I vowed to someday own, but every time I saw it in shop, I couldn't justify putting down almost $60 on a foundation. But today I finally splurged and picked it up (in part because it is quickly becoming unavailable) and it's so beautiful! Part of me just wants to stare at it forever and leave in untouched. I did pick it up a shade lighter than I had wanted (because my shade was sold out everywhere, even online!) but that should be alright as we get into the colder months, because even here in California my tan still fades.

2) The Body Shop Tea Tree Skin Clearing Facial Wash- I actually picked this item up in Ulta, because I had a coupon. Tea Tree oil is one of my all time favorite ingredients for skin products (does that make sense?) as it has a skin clearing effect, but also I think really tones and just purifies this skin. And while I'm still not very acne-prone, I have had some redness and even a few spots (just bumps, not even real spots) and I'm hoping this product helps take care of that.

Fashion

1) Nine West backpack- So I popped into Marshall's today with my cousin (while we were waiting on our mothers) and was just kind of looking around as I don't stop there frequently, and instantly fell in love with this bag. I had been thinking for a long time of picking up a little black backpack that I could use for day trips (because really, it can be a hassle to carry around a purse). I knew instantly I had to have it, and I'm just so happy about this purchase because I really feel like I got a great deal on it ($89 reduced to $24!!)! Additionally, I realized today you can find Ole Henrikson products in Marshalls for mad discounts, so yes, I will definitely be back. 

2) JCPenny's Frozen tank top- Okay, I LOVED Frozen. I'll admit it!! I was one of those people still singing "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?" in the middle of August. And I thought that this was just the most precious little tank top ever! On top of that, I'm planning on going to Disneyland in December for my birthday, so really, I just thought, what the heck, I'll bite the bullet and put down $12 for this little cutie. And my mom had a coupon, so really there was just no way I was leaving without it.   

3) Arizona Metallic Oxfords- I recently saw a very similar pair of brogues in Topshop, that had the same silver/metallic kind of material, and just thought they looked really cool. However, I wasn't too sure how much wear I'd get out of them, so I decided to pass them up. Imagine my surprise then, when I saw this pair on clearance at JcPennny's! I felt that I could definitely justify taking a bit of a risk and stepping out of my comfort zone with these, as they weren't too expensive ($25). I'm gonna be honest guys, I really love these, I just think they're probably the coolest pair of shoes I now own, and although I'm not really about the shoelaces that came with them, it's a pretty easy fix :)

4) Style&Co t-shirt dress- My mom and I also popped into Macy's (which is her favorite store) and I saw this dress and just had to have it. It was also on special (originally $49, on sale for $21) and I just thought it was a perfect dress for the holidays. The material is quite thick too so it should be nice when it starts to get "cold". The picture isn't particularly good but the sequined portion is actually a light gold, and there are two pockets on the front which I thought was just a cute touch. The shape is pretty simple, but it just looks very classic and lovely on. 

Books

1) #GIRLBOSS by Sophia Amoruso- I mentioned that I had ordered this book in my last post, so I won't bore you guys with the banality (that's a GRE word for you!) of me discussing it again. Just know I've very excited to read this book, and I hope that I find it as inspiring and brilliant as everyone else has!

2) Mistakes Were Made (but not by me) by Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson- I won't lie to you guys, I did order this book for my cognitive neuroscience class, but it actually sounds really interesting! It's about self-deception and why people are reluctant to admit when they've made mistakes or bad decisions. I'll definitely let you guys know if I think it's a good read!

Lifestyle

1) Santa Claus mug- Alright, call me a Christmas baby (I literally am a Christmas baby) but when I saw this mug for $5 at Michael's, I HAD to have it. Isn't it the cutest thing you've ever seen? It's literally a mason jar with Santa Claus on the front!! The only downside is it won't hold hot drinks, but that just means this Christmas I'll be drinking frozen hot chocolate and iced eggnog lattes :)

 My god, that was a lot of things! I hope you guys are having a great weekend and if you're off for Veteran's day, I hope you enjoy that as well. If you picked up anything interesting recently be sure to let me know in the comments, I'd love to know!!

Stay beautiful!

- Whit