Some Beauty Picks For Autumn

Every year I become enraptured by the beauty of autumn. The swirling colorful leaves, the smells, the textures all around. There is a mood that autumn brings that is purely reflective. Nature makes us stop to look at it. How brilliant it can present itself before it all takes a rest for the winter. I love it all. 

Today, I thought I would share some of the beauty essentials I have used and loved so far this season. 

First of all I have a new foundation in rotation for the fall and winter months; The Too Faced Born This Way Foundation. A full review will be coming very soon! Stay tuned for that however, since it is in a favorites post I am sure you can guess that I like it quite a bit. 
 I have not been able to put down this MAC blush in the shade Ambering Rose. I used it in the last bit of summer as well, but this blush's time to shine is definitely in the fall/winter. It is this beautiful burnished rosy brown shade that just looks beautiful for this season. Moving on to eyeshadows I really had to narrow it down because not only do I love eyeshadow, I am a fiend for warm colors that really look great for this time of year. I am talking warm chocolate browns, burnished reds and coppers, brilliant and bright gold..etc. Two palettes that I have to share with you today is the good ol' Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette and the Morphe 35O palette. The Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette is a really great classic that is chalk full of neutral, gorgeous shades with some fun shades thrown in there too that really make for a great fall look. Plus it smells heavenly! The other palette I wanted to mention has been immensely popular on the beauty community. And for good reason. For someone who loves warm shades this palette is absolute perfection, the colors are really pigmented and smooth and its also pretty affordable ( when it is available again). Morphe is a wonderfully affordable brand and if this palette is calling your name I would follow them on their social media because they do update when this palette comes back in stock. The other shadows I wanted to mention come from Makeup Geek Cosmetics, this is SUCH a lovely brand and if you haven't checked out their shadows I would highly encourage you to do so. All the shadows I have to mention today are from their foiled collection which are all a unique metallic finish. The first shade I have to share is probably my most favorite and it is called Magic Act and it is the most beautiful, bright white gold shade. This shade looks great in the inner corners of the eyes and as a center color as well. The next shade is called Untamed. I was drawn to it originally because the color reminded me of a jack o lanterns glowing smile. Its described as a bright coppery orange. I think this shade is really great for the fall time because of its warmth and orangey glow. The last shade I have to mention is Flamethrower which is a bright warm copper shade which I have loved throwing into the outer corner of the eyes to spice things up. 
The last product I have to mention for the eyes is a eyeliner pencil from NYX cosmetics, the Slide On Glide On Stay On And Definitely A Turn On Eye Pencil in Golden Bronze that name is sure a mouthful isn't it? but this pencil is a beauty. Stays on the waterline brilliantly and has vivid color. If you have blue eyes especially  you NEED to try out this color in Golden Bronze its beautiful! 
Next, lets move on to two lip favorites, the first being another NYX product. Their recently released Liquid Suede liquid lipsticks have a beautiful range of colors ( even a prussian gray color!) and the formula of these are great. They last a really long time and don't dry out the lips too much. I have the color Sandstorm to share with you which is the ever so popular browny nude color that I can't stay away from no matter what the season. I know not everyone is a fan of this kind of color but it is quite pretty. And the very last product I have to share is a lipstick from Maybelline in their Color Sensational Creamy Matte range. The color Divine Wine is perfect for the fall and also the winter. A true deepened dark vampy red that feels pretty comfortable on the lips and won't break the bank. The Maybelleine Matte range is definitely one to check out if you are into matte lipsticks and want something affordable. 

And thats it! a little variety of favorites that I have been enjoying this fall and will continue to enjoy throughout the winter season. I hope you enjoyed! Let me know of any of your autumn/winter beauty picks down in the comments below I would love to read them. Hope you all are having a great week so far! See you next time! 
- A 

Caught In The Nude! // Nude Lipstick Collection + Lip Swatches!

Hello everyone! 
So, last time during my makeup haul we chatted about my little obsession with nude lipsticks... Today, I will be showcasing my little (growing) collection of the nude lipsticks I have and I will also be showing you lip swatches so you can see what they look like. Forgive me if the lip swatches are not perfect, this was my first attempt at doing this, however it was pretty fun. I hope you all enjoy it. 

MAC Velvet Teddy

This guy is the nude lip color that started it all. While down on vacation I came across an official MAC store and was very drawn to this particular shade. It was so uncharacteristic of me, I pretty much exclusively wore reds and dark colored lipstick up until that point. I wanted something a little less maintenance than a red, something different for myself. I went for it and for the past four months I have been exploring the glorious land of nude lipstick. It all started with this gem. Not too dark and not too pale, I feel it can look beautiful on many different skin tones. The finish is matte but its not too horribly drying as some other MAC lipsticks can be. Its the perfect everyday shade - no fuss! 





Too Faced Melted Lipstick "Melted Chihuahua" 

In my last post I shared with you this liquid lipstick from Too Faced which I got from the recent Sephora sale. The name of this product is very odd ( I still haven't gotten over that..) but the actual "contents" are great. Its a very pretty color, feels very comfortable on the lips, ( not too drying or too greasy) and wears for a long time. 

NYX High Voltage Lipstick "Stone"

A winner from the drugstore is the recent NYX High Voltage Lipstick collection. Lots of shades with great color saturation. I kept seeing this unique color being rocked by babes and goddesses of instagram and felt the need to own this shade and see if I could rock it myself. The shade "Stone" is an odd sort of taupe, cool toned color. I often enjoy mixing this color in with some of my other nudes to add more dimension. But the swatch down below is the color just on its own. 

Bite Buttercream Lipstick " Moka"

This is a more recent release from Bite Beauty. All of the shades in this range are in a very neutral color range, the packaging is so sleek and the cap is magnetic, ( which seems to be catching on in the beauty world, I like it! Its very satisfying.) The other thing that sets apart this lipsticks than others is that the lipstick bullet is hand-cut and they are all flat. The claims described on the box say that by cutting off that tipped waxy layer you get more moisture and color payoff from the lipstick. The con of that concept however is that it can make this lipstick a little bit tricky to apply. More often than not I will dab the color on with my fingers instead of applying straight from the bullet. ( Out of all the swatches this one was the messiest and I had to clean it up with some concealer). Other than that the color is beautiful and the deepest neutral in this collection. 

MAC Creme In Your Coffee 
 My most recent nude lipstick purchase is MAC's Creme in Your Coffee. Just the name of that lipstick was enough to suck me in, it sounds so aesthetically pleasing. This lipstick is one of MAC's creamsheen formulas which means it provides a little bit more gloss and a little bit more moisture during wear. As far as color goes I think its a happy cousin to Twig but a little less mauve. 

MAC Twig 

Back to when I was in that MAC store on vacation I was also in debate about the shade "Twig". A slightly darker nude with a little more of a mauve tone. It was gorgeous, I was in love with it. But, only walked away with Velvet Teddy at the end of the day. Until, a month later when I went to my local counter and took the plunge. I guess I had to make sure that this "nude lipstick" phase of mine was going to last...( and oh it did! now I own six...)  

- Bonus image of my ridiculous face removing lipstick


What are your favorite neutral/nude lipsticks? Let me know in the comments below! 

See you all soon! I hope you all are having a great week! 
- A 

New In// Collective Beauty Haul

Hey guys, I know its been ages since I updated last. Got caught way behind on things and then simply ran out of steam for a little bit. Now its time to play catch up. How are you guys? I missed you! I hope all is going well. I think I can say spring has officially sprung here in New England ( I hope I can say that now, this winter has gone on for much too long). The flowers have started blooming, the snow has all but disappeared and the weather is just starting to really warm up. All and all its a rather large mood uplifter. 

Along with the arrival of spring, this means the arrival new beauty launches and new makeup to play with, ( which is also a large mood uplifter ;) at least in my book). I have been collecting a "few" things, some during the recent Sephora VIB Rouge sale and other bits here and there which I have picked up and have been loving. So I wanted to share with you a collective beauty haul of all the exciting makeup bits I have picked up recently

Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Water 
I have been hearing a lot of buzz surrounding this "fancy water"aka The Smashbox Primer Water. So I decided to give it a go, It feels very nice and refreshing on the skin and has a very light rose scent, I have not noticed anything life changing when it comes to this product so far, but I will keep you updated. 

NYX Prismatic Eyeshadow "Girl Talk"
As I was perusing around Ulta one day I came across these new prismatic shadows from NYX, when I gave them a swatch I knew one had to come home with me. They were all so soft and very pigmented. The shade I picked up is "Girl Talk" which is a very bright shimmery champagne pink shade. It looks gorgeous when popped into inner corner.

Benefit Roller Lash 
Another hyped up product I was eager to try was Benefits new "Roller Lash" mascara. I have heard very polarized opinions on this mascara. Some people hated it while others considered it holy grail. I do like the packaging with the rubberized cap and the formula itself does add quite a bit of length and curl. Like Benefits "They're Real" however, this product is quite difficult to get off the eyes. Make sure you have a makeup remover strong enough to get this guy off. 

The Body Shop Honey Bronzer
Its starting to warm up which means time to warm up that complexion! Fellow fair skinned girls should take a look at this excellent bronzer from The Body Shop. The color range I find is great for those who find themselves in the "very light" skin category. This bronzer is matte and very build-able  If you have never tried out a bronzer before and are a little intimidated ( Like me around this time last year). I would give this one a try. It's wonderful ( plus that cute honeycomb packaging?! come onnn!)  

NYX High Voltage Lipstick "Stone" 
Right after I had done my damage at the VIB sale I thought I was satiated for a while in the makeup department ( oh no...I was quite wrong). I passed into Ulta a couple days later and picked this up along with a concealer I had run clear out of. NYX has been kind of killing it with its newer releases including these High Voltage Lipsticks which come in a large range of colors and offer amazing pigmentation. Its also shocking to me how NYX has such great products for really affordable prices. These lipsticks run up to around 5 dollars and yet provide such a high quality offering. I picked up the color "Stone", this sort of color has been quite popular at the moment in the beauty world- this pale taupe nude kind of color which is unique and pairs well when mixed with other nudes. 

MAC Lipstick "Creme In Your Coffee"
Someone has to make an intervention with me and nude lipsticks, its getting a little out of hand. Especially when it comes to MAC lipsticks. I saw a swatch of this color on Instagram and had to go check it out in person. First of all I will admit that the name suckered me in a little, "Creme In Your Coffee" it sounded so  appealing. The color I find is very similar to MAC's "Twig" but a little more nude and the finish is a lot more creamy and not as drying. Out of the three MAC nudes that I own I find that this one is the most "moisturizing". I also like pairing this color with the High Voltage lipstick I just mentioned. It looks awesome. 

Too Faced Melted Lipstick "Melted Chihuahua"
No comment, I know, its another "mauve, pinky nude"... I have always wanted to try out these Melted Lipsticks from Too Faced. I would swatch them in store all the time and I really liked the pigmentation, the colors and the little sponge applicator. During the sale I committed to taking one home with me and I chose "Melted Chihuahua" which, I have to mention, out of all the other shade names..( which are all cute and accurate sounding like "melted sugar" or "melted coral") they decided that this really pretty color would be called Melted Chihuahua.... I find that pretty disturbing and hilarious but in any event. The formula of these liquid lipsticks is awesome, long wearing and not drying. ( *two thumbs up*) 

The Bodyshop All In One Cheek Colour "Cherryade"
I new little cheek addition has entered into my collection. The Bodyshop's All In One Blush in the shade "Cherryade", not only a cute name but also a very cute color popped onto the cheeks. 


Bite Buttercream Lipstick "Moka"
The newest release from Bite are these marvelously creamy, hand-cut lipsticks. These lipsticks also have quite chic packaging with magnetic closure and everything. All the shades in this range run quite neutral and feel wonderful on the lips. This one I picked up last month but I thought I would throw it in here. I got the shade "Moka" which is a very deep neutral color. 

Kat Von D Shade & Light Eye Palette 
Lastly, the cherry on top is the newest palette from Kat Von D. Following up her bestselling Shade & Light Contour Face palette. Kat Von D released this all matte eye "contour" palette. Now, I am not one to get excited about mattes ( I am like a magpie..I like shiny things!) I did not expect myself to want this palette at all....until I got to swatch it. I stared at the swatches on my hand all the way home from work. They were so soft and pigmented, the shade range was full of great transition colors. I justified owning it and now I am a very proud owner of this palette. I think its bloody amazing! I have been able to create so many looks with it, plus set the ground work for any shimmery shadows I want to put on top. Matte eyeshadows may not be that exciting, but I think the formula of these sure are something to talk about! ( Plus, I mean warm neutrals can't get enough of em..) 

I am super excited to play around with these new products. Let me know if you want any of these products talked about more in depth. What new products have you been loving? Let me know in the comments below!
Again I hope you all are having a great week and I will be seeing you soon!

- A