Shop My Stash & What's In My Makeup Bag

Hi guys, it's been awhile again. Instead of boring you all with excuses (sigh), let's jump right to it, shall we?

I think doing a perusal of my makeup collection is quite a good thing. Pretty much everyone I know knows that I to be one of those people who gets stuck in a rut with their makeup and sticks with the same thing all the time - same eye look with the same eyeliner, same foundation and blush, day in, day out. I'm boring! I'm aware. That's why doing a nice shop my stash cannot be a better thing. This is what I chose.

I really hope Santa brings me a better camera for Christmas... Or at least a better photo background.

When I was going through my huge jumbo makeup bag (I posted a little bit about it here), I wasn't necessarily looking for anything in particular? I just felt like I was in a bit of a rut product-wise and wanted to see what I could find. 

The first things were my very dirty Mac palettes, divided into shimmery shades (All That Glitters, Gleam, Satin Taupe, and Vanilla) and matte shades (Carbon, Omega, Wedge, and Bamboo). I put these together over the summer last year, starting with one or two shades at a time. Honestly, they were my pride and joy, and I can't believe I ever stopped using them - even if All That Glitters hit pan forever ago. That's the shade I've been revisiting the most since pulling them out but once I finish up my eyebrow pencil (more on that later) I may try Omega again for my brows. 

Then I found a blush I've mentioned on this blog numerous times, the Elf Studio Blush in Mellow Mauve. Perfect shimmery fall shade, blah blah blah, you've heard this all from me before. Whatever, I've totally fallen in love with it all over again.

The name suckered me in when it came to purchasing the Tarte Lights, Camera, Splashes mascara over the summer, but I used it rarely back then, only when I was going swimming. However I've since learned that curling my lashes is actually really important? It helps them not hit into my glasses, surprisingly, and a waterproof mascara can help the lash hold a curl. So when I pulled this bad boy out, I thought I'd give it a try for that sort of thing. We'll see how I like it.

Urban Decay products are no stranger to my blog, and the 24/7 Eye Pencils are kind of a big deal. I don't know about the 24/7 claim, but they do last a long time, and the one I have in Whiskey definitely had to make it's way out of storage. It's an essential matte brown liner that's perfect for drama-free eyes.

Finally, a foundation. I've been on a desperate attempt to finish up all my foundations before I buy a new one, and let me tell you something: It's impossible. Apparently my foundation collection is never ending! This Covergirl 3-in-1 didn't get much use when I first bought it, but as I've finished up two more, this needs to get used up. It goes a little orangey on me but I like the coverage and the lasting power. Let's see if I can use it up without getting totally sick of it. 

Now, just because I found a bunch of new products doesn't mean I could part with some of my faves! Take the L'Oreal Voluminous Butterfly Mascara - easily my favorite mascara this year, even though I bought it in, like, September. 

My Clinique Quickliner for Eyes Intense in Intense Ebony, though, has been around all year and has basically replaced any other black liner (pencil, liquid, or gel) for me and therefore can't be left in the cold. 

The Brow Architect brow pencil by Tarte is one I'm not loving or hating, particularly, but I want to use it up so I can try something new - I have my eye on the Lancome brow pencil next. 

For eye shadow bases nothing will ever replace my Mac Paint Pot in Painterly, which to be fair I totally stole from the girlfriend. It's just that good, as it's a natural, matte base that looks good on it's own and with any shadow over the top. 

To round everything out I have my Mary-Lou Manizer by The Balm, the best highlighter I've ever tried. Super shimmery, super gorgeous, the loveliest shade of champagne... It checks off all the boxes for me. I can't find anything better on the market and it won't be leaving my side any time soon.

So that wraps up what's in my makeup bag right now, whether it's an old favorite or a rediscovery! Let me know in the comments what you're loving right now or something from your stash you'd like to grab once again.

As always, thanks for reading and I love you very much!

x Kristin

Instagram Round Up week #1

  

back to school shopping - amazing local soft serve - getting organized!!!

  

mini insta-haul from target! - besties getting ready for work - froyo fridays with the gf

  

niall lover at gilette stadium - 1d ready! - cool kicks

Hey guys! This is a new feature I'm going to try out where I show you what I've been up to via Instagram. I thought it might be fun to give you a glimpse into my week and see what I'm doing when I'm not blogging. Clearly this week was very busy - Caitlin and I saw One Direction last night!!! Ahh!!! 

Let me know what you guys think of this new feature in the comments below. :)

As always, thanks for reading and I love you very much!

x Kristin

Literally The Best Foundation Ever

I have a hard time with foundation. My skin is oilier so most just slide off my face, and I'm incredibly fair but neutral so finding a shade that isn't too pink is near impossible. However - I got super, super, SUPER lucky.

Caitlin bought this Tarte set from QVC around Christmas, because they always have some of the best sets, especially for Tarte. She got a whole bunch of stuff including this foundation, but found the shade to be way too light for her. Enter: the palest person most people know (that's me).

This foundation is pretty much a perfect match for my skin. It does lean a little yellow on me, but it's not enough that you can actually tell unless you look very, very closely at my hairline (where I'm palest). The coverage is stunning, the staying power is a full shift plus (the packaging boasts twelve hours and I'd say it's pretty close to that), and it doesn't clog my pores and make me break out. It has a natural-matte finish so on someone like me who leans oily I don't look disgusting though I do have to touch up a little around hour six with a mattifying powder (just for my sanity).

It's literally a perfect foundation for me.

Here's where it gets a little tricky, though. My shade is called Fair, which, if you look at the Tarte website, doesn't exist. The shades on the Tarte website as well as in stores like Ulta, Sephora, and Macy's are the updated shades - the line was expanded from seven shades to sixteen not too long ago, but QVC didn't get the update. Therefore, if you want to get a package deal from QVC (they have a great one with the foundation brush and foundation), you might have trouble with your shade. In the new shades, mine is called Fair Sand.

The cool thing about the website, too, is that it tells you which undertones each word stands for, like Sand means yellow undertones, hence the slight yellowness to my foundation. It also helps you find your shade if you're not into going to stores to buy your cosmetics.

I am absolutely in love with this foundation and will be quick to pick up a replacement when I run out!!!

Any other awesome foundations out there I should try?

As always, thanks for reading and I love you very much!

x Kristin

Top Five Favorite Summer Lipsticks

Happy National Lipstick Day!

Yes, it's a real thing. It's a beautiful thing, honestly, as lipstick is my absolute favorite makeup product. (You don't want to see my collection - it's a beast.) So I figured that today, in honor of this glorious, glorious day, I would share my top five favorite summer lipsticks with you all.

I will say this much: I prefer a bright lip year round. That means when summer rolls around I'm totally in my element. 

First up I have a product I've featured on this blog before, the Clinique Chubby Stick Intense Moisturizing Balm, this one in the shade Plushest Punch. This is a true pink lip balm/lipstick and has easily become my signature color not only for the summer but for my LIFE. I'm obsessed with the color - I think it works perfectly for my skin tone and suits any makeup look while looking bright but not too bright. It's also super moisturizing. Next I have two MAC lipsticks in Impassioned, a bright fuschia-coral shade, and Tart and Trendy, an amazing orange which was unfortunately limited edition last summer. Boo, I know, but MAC has a ton of other orange shades that I love (next on my list is Tangerine Dream) and at the heart of it, I just love orange for summer. It's so sunshiney and wonderful!

My next pick is technically a lip balm, but it's a tinted lip balm! And one I featured on my blog quite a bit last summer so you know it's true love. The Maybelline Baby Lips Electro Lip Balm in Strike a Rose is stunning for a quick splash of moisture and color. Last up is a lipstick by The Body Shop. It's a Colour Crush Lipstick in the shade 325 Darlin Blush which is actually quite a bit different from the rest. Darlin Blush is more of a natural tone (not nearly as bright as the rest of my picks) but has some shimmer to it to make it fun for summer.

From top to bottom: Clinique Chubby Stick Intense in Plushest Punch, MAC Lipstick in Impassioned, MAC Lipstick in Tart and Trendy, Maybelline Baby Lips Electro in Strike a Rose, and The Body Shop Colour Crush Lipstick in 325 Darlin Blush.

That wraps up my National Lipstick Day summer lipsticks post! Now I'm probably going to put one of these bad boys on and really celebrate the day. Let me know which shade is your favorite and what your favorite summer lipstick is down in the comments below.

As always, thanks for reading and I love you very much!

x Kristin