Ipsy Roundup!! (May+June)

Hey guys! I hope you're all doing well. I missed last month's Ipsy bag, so I thought I would just throw it in with this month's. Better late than never, right? :) Lately, I've been really impressed with the quality of the Ipsy bags- I've started seeing more higher-end products and well-known brands being sampled in them, and that's been super exciting.

We'll go ahead and start with this month's first.

OOTD #9

 dress // Charlotte Russe

purse // forever 21

Hey guys! I hope you're having an amazing day! As we move into the summer, I've been much more into wearing lighter shades- whites in particular. I saw this shirt dress in Charlotte Russe and thought it was such a good staple. Paired with a white bag it's a perfect casual summer outfit, or you can throw a cardigan over it and dress it up a bit.

I'm especially in love with this little white purse as well- I love the structured shape of it and I think I'm going to get a lot of use out of it. 

Stay beautiful!

- Whitney

(Belated) May Favorites!!!

Hello all!! I've barely had a chance to post these last few months- I've been so busy! The good news is, I have some very exciting prospects as we move into July, so hopefully I'll be able to fill you in on those soon!! In the meantime, I figured I might as well still do my May favorites- better late than never, right? In the summer I do tend to get very lazy with my makeup routine, so I've almost been using just these five products exclusively.

Drugstore Haul!! :)

Hi guys! Feels like I haven't posted in forever. My internet has been awful all week, it like cuts in and out, so hopefully I can get through this post! I went out recently and bought a couple new things, which was amazing, because typically I only buy new products out of necessity. I'm really excited to show them all to you today, let me know in the comments if you've tried any of them!

1) Briogeo Rosarco Oil ($24)- I thought I would go ahead and just start with the one non-drugstore item (the only one, I promise!). Recently, I've felt like my hair has been really dry and damaged, which is a problem I tend to have when I work out a lot, for some reason. I originally went into Sephora with the intention of getting the Don't Despair, Repair Deep Conditioning Mask from this brand, which I've tried before and really enjoyed, but I was interested by the concept of an oil, and thought it would be a nice change of pace to try something new. I've only used it once so far and I haven't seen a massive difference, but the problem isn't getting any worse either, so I'll let you guys know how I get on with it!

2) e.l.f. Baked Eyeshadow Palette in the color California ($10)- I saw someone raving about the Maybelline baked eyeshadows recently and had really been interested in trying them, but when I got to the drugstore they unfortunately didn't have any in stock. I've never owned a baked eyeshadow, blush, or baked anything before, so that was really a bummer. Just as I was leaving I walked by this palette- and fell in love. Not only are all the shades gorgeous, but the palette itself is called California, which I absolutely could not resist. Now that I've had some time to play with it, I find that I really hate the packaging, it sits in kind of a plastic box that just feels clunky and cheap. The shadows themselves are gorgeous and all extremely wearable, but the pigmentation is pretty bad- you can see from the swatches that the colors didn't really come out, and I applied them wet and really tried to build them up. Still, over a primer and applied wet they look really nice. You get what you pay for I suppose, and 10 baked eyeshadows for $10 is a steal!

They're so shimmery! The last swatch is the Maybelline Color Tattoo.

3) Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoo Leather Cream Shadow in the shade Chocolate Suede ($5.99)- I had heard really awesome things about these leather finish Color Tattoo shadows, and since I love all of the other Color Tattoos I have, I had to pick one up. I chose the shade Chocolate Suede because I felt like I wanted to try something different in the summer from the usual gold tones. I'm very very excited to give this a go, I feel like brand new cream eyeshadows are one of the simplest joys of life.

 4) Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser in the shade Light ($8.99)- This is definitely a hugely popular concealer, I think everyone and their mother swears by it. I've yet to give it a try, but I am expecting huge things just because of the hype. I wasn't too impressed with the Maybelline Fit Me Concealer, and I'm really hoping this one is much better. I'll keep you all posted for sure!

 5) NYX Tame and Frame Tinted Brow Pomade in the shade Black ($6.99)- I had been thinking about picking up the Anastasia Brow Pomade, or even the one the MAC Fluidline brow gel, but I was a little hesitant to purchase them because I was afraid my brows would look awful, or painted on, and that I really wasn't going to get a whole lot of use out of either of them. I had my brow routine sorted, so I was a little afraid to fix something that didn't seem broken. But this NYX one definitely seemed like an affordable alternative, and I am so glad I picked it up. I tried it out today since I was in a rush, and oh my god! If you like strong brows, you should really try this out. And it's so easy to use, you can literally put as little or as much as you want precisely where you want it. Definitely a convert.

6) L'OREAL Infallible Pro-Matte 24 Hour Foundation ($14.99)- I'm a huge fan of L'Oreal foundations. Their True Match Lumi (which is a dupe for the YSL Touche Eclat) and their Magic Nude Liquid Powder (which is a dupe for the Giorgio Armani Maestro Foundation) are among some of my favorite foundations of all time. I figured when summer does finally hit and it starts to really warm up in San Diego, I wanted to stay away from my dewy foundations and try something matte, so this just seemed perfect. If it does last 24 hours, that would be an added bonus, since the worst thing in the summer is sweating all your makeup off!!

Alright guys, that is all of the products I picked up! If you've tried any of them be sure to let me know how you liked them :)

Until next time, stay beautiful!
- Whitney
(instagram)(bloglovin)

April Faves :)

It's gonna be May!! Or, rather, it already is. Can you believe that it's already May? I feel like just yesterday it was February. This past April, I was very into pink makeup, which is something I didn't fully realize until I had all of my favorites juxtaposed, haha. Ironic, because as you've seen if you're following me on instagram (and if you aren't, you can here!)  all I've been wearing are shades of black, white, and various denim pieces. I guess the color in my life was coming from my beauty routine :)

1) NYX Butter Lipstick in the shade BLS01 Razzle Fiesta ($5.99)- This month, I've got two lip favorites! The first is one of the NYX Butter Lipsticks. The shade Razzle Fiesta is an electric pink which I would normally never be brave enough to wear, but I find that if you put on a very VERY thin layer and blend it out with your fingers, you get a lovely muted pink that's perfect for spring. This lipstick has a matte finish which can leave your lips feeling a bit dry, but that's easily fixed with a clear gloss or lip balm!

2) Royal Apothic Kissed Tintie Lip Butter ($14)- My second favorite is a lip butter from Royal Apothic. I keep this one in my car, and use it when I've forgotten to put on lipstick (more common than it should be) or my lipstick has started to fade. It's a gorgeous hot pink, but it's also really, really sheer so you really only get the slightest hint of color, which makes it look super natural. The packaging is also adorable, and it's small enough and sturdy enough that it's really handy to throw in your purse or car :)

3) Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoo Metal Eyeshadow in Inked in Pink ($6.99)- The Maybelline Color Tatoo Eyeshadows are some of my all time favorites, because they're so easy to work with. They can work as an eyeshadow base or be worn all on their own, and they wear super well. The color selection is amazing as well. This shade is a very pearly, pale pink, which is a nice departure from the nude and natural shades I usually wear, but also not so different that I feel out of my comfort zone. If you have the Naked 3 Palette, I think this would look amazing under many of the shades :)

4) Hikari Cosmetics blush in the shade Tango ($15)- I just received this blush in my April Ipsy bag (post here!) and it's quickly become one of my favorites. Despite looking shockingly pink in the pan, it blends out really nicely and just looks perfectly rosy on the cheeks, like you'd want this time of year :) These types of blushes are a weakness of mine, because they're so exciting to look at in the pan, and then look lovely on the skin as well. 

5) Loreal Telescopic Shocking Extensions Mascara ($4.99)- My last product  this month is not pink, surprisingly! I mentioned this product in my recent five product face post, so I won't go on too much about it. I've just found that the thin brush gives very long, fluttery lashes, which are just gorgeous for everyday. :)

Here are some swatches of my many pink products!  From left to right, the Apothic Lip Butter, NYX Butter Lipstick in Razzle Fiesta, Maybelline Color Tattoo in Inked in Pink, and then lastly the Hikari blush in Tango.

6) Reign- It's been a while since I've included a non-beauty favorite, but I felt this show really deserved a mention. It's a show about Mary, Queen of Scots, set in 16th century France. What I love most about this show are the female characters- while on the surface the men seem to be ruling (kings, lords, barons, etc) it's really the female characters who are calling the shots, as they use their charm, intellect, and sexuality to get ahead and make political power plays. And if nothing else, the fashion on this show is amazing- in particular, I love every single dress Lady Kenna has ever worn. 

So that's it for my April favorites!! And also thanks to everyone who participated in my giveaway, I was blown away by the participation and lovely comments, it was way more successful than I could have ever imagined. Congratulations to Craftelle for winning :) I will definitely be doing more giveaways in the future, so stay tuned! And be sure to let me know what your favorites were last month- I love trying new products.

Till next time, stay beautiful!

- Whitney

Monochrome OOTD!

dungarees// missguided

shirt // H&M

shoes // Keds

bag // Urban Expressions (Nordstrom Rack)

Hey guys! I just wanted to share my ootd with you guys real quick today- if you follow me on instagram (which you can do here!) you may have seen these overalls (shorteralls?) before. I saw them featured in a youtube video by makeupbymandy, and I KNEW I had to have them! I love the minimalist color scheme, and I think the vertical stripes make my entire body seem slimmer. 

I decided to keep the entire outfit very clean for the spring by just pairing it with a basic white v-neck and white sneakers. I thought sticking to monochromes would really make my bag pop! I really love the cobalt color, I think this bag is so fun when paired with these kinds of minimalist outfits, and I think I'm going to be rocking it all throughout the summer!

There's just a little over a day to enter my giveaway if you haven't!! I'm giving away a Naked Basics Palette, a Maybelline Brow Drama, and a L'Oreal highlighter!! Original post is here, but you can enter below!  

Stay beautiful!!

- Whitney

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Five Product Face + Giveaway!!

Hello all! I hope you're all enjoying your weekend so far! Lately, I've been finding it harder and harder to get out of bed in the morning... which leaves me less time to do my makeup before running out the door. As such, I've got my five product face down to pat. I thought today I'd share what products I've been using with you guys, just in case any of you have found yourself in the same situation (and we're getting to the end of the semester here, so I definitely wouldn't blame you).

1)  L'Oreal Paris Magic Lumi Highlighter in the shade Medium ($12.94)- On days where I'm pressed for time, I don't typically bother with primer or foundation, or really any kind of base at all. I prefer to just slap on a thick layer of this concealer all over my under eye area, and then just blend it in with my fingers. It's super brightening, which helps me to look more awake, and it doubles as a highlighter, so I like to dab a bit on the tops of my cheekbones as well!

2) Tarte Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Airbrush Foundation in the shade Medium-Neutral ($36)- I know I said I don't really bother with foundation, so I feel the need to clarify- while this is considered a "foundation" I don't really use it as one. While you do get more coverage out of this product then you would out of a typical powder (which is precisely why I use it on these rushed mornings) I still don't feel like you get the full coverage you would if you used a liquid foundation. I think instead you get a very light, natural coverage that wears really well throughout the day. It really gives that no makeup finish, which is what I like when I'm going very simple everywhere else on my face. The packaging is also really cool, there's a mesh cover over the product, and you kind of press your brush into the netting to get it onto your brush.

3) Too Faced Soleil Matte Bronzer in the shade Chocolate ($30)- Okay, I definitely went through all of my favorites posts on my blog and I'm AMAZED that this product hasn't been talked about yet. This is easily one of my favorite products of all time. As you can see, it's EXTREMELY well loved, and has lasted me so long, that the packaging of this product has actually been entirely redone. Anyways, even on days where I'm trying to jump out the door, contouring is still one of the most important aspects of my routine, so I just like to take this product in the hollows of my cheeks, up by my temples, and a bit under my chin. And it smells like chocolate, which of course makes me love it even more :)

4) Loreal Telescopic Shocking Extensions Mascara ($4.99)- This is a new addition to my mascara collection, but it's quickly becoming one of my favorites. It really gives you long, fluttery eyelashes. I think if you were going for really large, like, va-va-voom lashes for a night out, this mascara wouldn't really be for you, but for everday wear it's really lovely. I think it's the brush that makes it so good- it's got a super thin, synthetic brush with tiny little bristles all over, which really separate and lengthen each individual lash. 

5)  Neutrogena Nourishing Eye Quad in the shade 140 Sea Shell (discontinued)- This particular quad has been discontinued as far as I can tell, but as far as eyebrow shades, there's an extremely similar one in the Maybelline Nudes palette. Depending on how much time I have, I may or may not do my full brow routine, just because my eyebrows are so important to me (that routine can be found here!) but if I don't have time, then I tend to just fill in my brows with the darkest brown in this palette and then run out the door. 

And that's my makeup routine, sorted! I don't typically put on a certain lip product, I'll just opt for whatever chapstick I've got in whatever purse I'm carrying. I hope you guys enjoyed this post! I'd love to hear what products you reach for when you're pressed for time, be sure to let me know in the comments!!

There are a few days left to enter my giveaway, where I'm giving away the L'Oreal highlighter mentioned in this post, as well as a Maybelline Brow Drama Eyebrow gel and a Naked Basics Palette!! The original post can be found here, but you can also enter below. 

Bye guys! Stay Beautiful!
- Whitney a Rafflecopter giveaway

Nail Colors for Spring!!!

Hi guys!! I hope you're all having a lovely day. :) Here in San Diego we've definitely been experiencing some of that May gray (a few days early though!!). In light of that, I thought I'd share a few of my favorite spring nail polishes to brighten things up a bit.

Painting my nails is definitely one of my favorite things to do when I've got a quiet minute to myself. I love to turn on a  few youtube videos and light a candle, and the whole process is just super calming and relaxing. I'm by no means an expert, but I guess I just feel a bit like when my nails look put together, my life is a bit more put together!

In the spring, I tend to go for more light pastels and nude tones. Another really popular trend is very bright, fun colors, but I tend to save those more for summer, when the sun is out :) Here are five nail polishes I've been loving lately!

1) L'Oreal Paris Colour Riche Nail Polish in the shade 330 Smell the Roses ($4.79)- This is a matte dusty rose kind of shade that I think would be really flattering on a lot of skin tones. I find that it lasts pretty well and doesn't chip. I have it on my nails currently, it's been about 4 days and I'm just starting to see a bit of wear, which isn't bad considering I'm the worst at taking care of my manicures. Like honestly, I'm the kind of person to paint my nails and then eat a bag of chips. It's awful.

2) Revlon Parfumerie Scented Nail Enamel in the shade 60 African Tea Rose ($3.77)- Many of you said on my Ipsy haul that you really liked the shade of the Julie G nail polish I received (post here!) and I've got to say, that shade and this shade are EXACT dupes of each other. They're both really gorgeous hot barbie pink shades, but I do tend to prefer the Revlon once because the formula is a bit thicker, and on top of that, it leaves your fingernails smelling like roses!

3) Probelle Nail Lacquer in the shade Into the Blue ($6)- The thing that I love most about this polish is that it's so unique. I don't think I've ever seen a sky blue shade like this in stores before. If you have, be sure to let me know in the comments! It has a really lovely, creamy texture and goes on like a dream. I also received this product in an Ipsy bag, back in January!

4) Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in the shade 409 Good to Grape ($6.49)- This polish is probably the oldest one in this favorites collection, and it's one that I always go back to this time of year. Purple is my favorite color, and often times purple shades are too dark to wear this time of year. Alternatively, they end up being too pale, and you really lose that cool tone. I really love this polish because it's just a perfect, true, pastel purple.

5) Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in the shade 310 Almost Almond ($6.49)- Another Sally Hansen polish! I really love her Complete Salon Manicure line, the brushes are just so perfectly shaped.You can cover almost your entire nail with one swipe. This shade is a slightly shimmery nude tone, where you can barely tell you have nail polish on. I like to do 3 coats so that it's completely opaque. It's just a little something different this time of year, but it still looks very classy on the nails! 

This post ended up being much chattier than I anticipated! I hope you've all enjoyed it though. Be sure to let me know in the comments what some of your favorite nail colors are :)

There's just one last week to enter my giveaway!! I'm giving away a Naked Basics Palette, a Maybelline Brow Drama, and a L'Oreal highlighter!! Original post is here, but you can enter below!  

Stay beautiful y'all!
- Whitney a Rafflecopter giveaway

April Ipsy Review!!!

Hello everyone!! I'm back today with a review of my most recent Ipsy glambag. Ipsy is my all time favorite beauty subscription hands down. You get 5 customized products each month for an incredibly reasonable $10! It's an amazing way to boost your makeup collection and discover new brands you haven't heard of before. And you get a cute little makeup bag to boot! 

1) Klorane Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk ($19.50 for a full size)- Dry shampoo is one of those products that I don't use too regularly, but would probably die if I didn't have in my arsenal. I think it's really unique that this one contains oat milk, and with the drought going on in California, I think that this could be a really great product to use between hair washes!

2) theBalm Cosetics Nude Dude Eyeshadow Single in the Shade Flirty ($36 for full palette)- I think it's really awesome that all Ipsy subscribers received a single eyeshadow from the new theBalm palette! It's a really great way to try out a new brand without investing in the full palette, and theBalm is definitely a brand I've been wanting to check out. At first glance, I wasn't too excited about this color, as I thought it was just going to be another gold tone to add to my collection, but I was so wrong. Once swatched, I realized it's lowkey purple- it looks to be a purple/taupe with gold shimmer. It's gorgeous! Very similar to Urban Decay's Dark Horse, but a bit lighter. I think I'm going to get a lot of wear out of it.

3) JulieG Nails CORE Collection Nail Polish in the shade Damsel ($3.99)- Ipsy describes this shade as a "mid-tone pink creme" and that sounds about right. It's a very bright, rosy tone which will be perfect for spring! It reminds me of tulips and I love that.

4) MICA Beauty Eye Primer ($44.95 for a full size)- A full size is double the size that I was sent, which was already so large I will probably never finish it, which is insane. That gives this one product a value of $22. It's nice to have received a matte nude eye shadow primer, especially since I know in the summer I tend to like to stick to mattes and get away from the shimmery shadows!

Hikari Cosmetics blush in the shade Tango ($15)- This is such a pink blush!!! It's almost intimidating to look at it in the packaging, but that was also how I felt about my City Color blush and now it's one of my favorites. And this one isn't quite as scary as that one. Just from swatching it seems like you get a lot of pigmentation, so hopefully I like this one! I've received quite a few blushes from Ipsy recently and haven't been too wowed yet.

And that was it! I feel like this month I got really excellent value in my Ipsy bag- between the blush and the eyeshadow primer alone the bag value was almost 4x what I paid! I honestly just forgot to take a picture of my dry shampoo, and I apologize for that haha! Do you think beauty subscriptions are good value? Let me know in the comments!

Also, don't forget I'm giving away a Naked Basics Palette, a Maybelline Brow Drama, and a L'Oreal highlighter!! Original post is here, but you can enter below!  

Stay beautiful y'all!!

- Whitney

a Rafflecopter giveaway