Beauty Haul 2016

So I thought since traditionally it has taken me quite a bit of time to post something I would share some of the pretty beauty bits that I have picked up. Some a little while ago, some much more recently (as in this afternoon kind of recently). The Sephora VIB sale just started today. It will be going on until the 13th and then it there will be 10% off available to Beauty Insiders. GO GET YOUR SHOPPING ON! 

So anyways lets get into the haul!.. 

I want to start off with the bits I have gotten from the drugstore because I really love them its like finding a real hidden gem. The first I wanted to mention is the Loreal Paris Brow Stylist Definer. I think that this aside from the NYX Micro Brow is the BEST dupe out there for the Anastasia Brow Wiz Pencil. The Loreal one I am liking even better than the Micro Brow because its a little bit more pigmented and less scratchy. The spoolie at the end is also very nice as well. I highly recommend this if you were thinking about the Anastasia Brow Wiz because this is only $8.00!! (BARGIN!) and the two are so incredibly similar. 

The next item from the drugstore I am really kind of obsessed with. The Physicians Formula Butter Bronzer is gorgeous. The packaging is adorable and the formulation is soo unbelievably creamy. Sometimes even when I am not putting on makeup I will open this up just to touch it because it is that buttery and smooth. Its a very subtle color that is mistake proof, very good for natural makeup. It adds a little bit of warmth to the skin. Also, I need to mention that this smells SO GOOD! Like pina colada coconut bliss (if you don't love scented makeup I would steer clear of this product because it is pretty strong in the compact), but I love this product so much. Two thumbs up. 

Next up I have a new primer to play with. It is the Sephora Collection Beauty Amplifier Afterglow Primer I just got this so I have not had much chance to play around with it yet but when I swatched it on my hand it looked very pretty and luminous which was what I was after because I have been in a summery makeup mood lately and I want all that glow. So, if I end up really loving this I am sure it will land itself in a favorites post. 

Next I have two Too Faced Products that I have purchased recently. I have been wanting one of their Love Flush Blushes for forever and a half and I finally decided to pick one up. The one I got is in the shade "I Will Always Love You" (which is great because that is a lyric to one of my all time favorite songs. I will leave you to guess what that is...If you can we are best friends), but aside from the name and the ADORABLE Polly Pocketesque + Bunny PACKAGING I loved the color of this shade which is a beautiful peach shade which I thought was perfect for spring and summer time. 

Too Faced always has the cutest packaging which goes the same with this next exciting purchase The Peanut Butter Jelly Palette I finally got my hands on it. I wanted to pick it up in store and every time I checked my local Ulta it was sold completely out until this afternoon! I saw only one left and practically leaped for it. I am a sucker for warm shades in a palette and this palette has them galore plus some fun purple shades which I don't use often but now that I have this palette I definitely want to try them because they are beautiful. The pigmentation is really wonderful in this palette and the palette itself is very lightweight and slim which makes it really perfect for travel. Also, again this smells wonderfully of cocoa and peanut butter I am so happy to finally own this palette! 

Speaking of palettes I also wanted to show my support for youtuber MannyMUA who brought out his own palette in collaboration with MakeupGeek. It was very difficult to get a hold of which is kind of why I wanted to showcase it here at least once in this haul (it might still be available but I am not sure). I really love this palette a lot. Especially that deep red shade called "Mars" which is RIDICULOUSLY PIGMENTED it's insane! you barely you have to touch it with a brush to get that intense pigmentation. I love to support the creators I watch when they come out with products that capture my interest and this palette is no exception. Congrats to MannyMUA (if you are not subscribed to him already I highly suggest you do so) and may he continue to bless us with more beautiful work just like this palette. 

Only three more to go! I recently got to visit the Sephora in Boston, MA in the Prudential Center and it was literally breathtaking! It was so huge with tons of brands I had only seen online it was amazing. Makeup Nirvana~ I saw that they had the full line of Anastasia Beverley Hills which got me very excited. I of course wanted to try one of their famed liquid lipsticks I chose Pure Hollywood which is one of their lighter nudes. I am really liking this formula a lot. Its not too drying at all which is the winning ticket in my book when it comes to liquid lipsticks and it does not crumble or anything. Very pleased with that one as I am with Anastasia's gloss formula. If you know me personally and my makeup preferences you would know I am not big on gloss at ALL. I hate that sticky feeling and since I have long hair it can spell disaster. However, this gloss that I picked up in the shade Tara really impressed me. Its not a extremely sticky gloss it gives that shiny look which I am starting to like now, also smells like vanilla cake. These glosses are very pigmented, the color I have here is a warm terra-cotta brown which I think is very pretty. I think the price of their glosses is also very agreeable at $16, not bad.. not bad at all. Really, really liking that one lately. 

Lastly, I picked up some new brush cleaner. Again, from Sephora Collection. I used up the Solid Brush cleanser from the Beauty Blender brand and I was going to pick up another when I saw this little one that was only $8 and decided I would try it out and see how it compared. I will let you know how that fares soon in the future. 

And there is my little haul. I feel as though there was a strong theme of scented makeup in this haul. What can I say I am being lead with my nose this year when it comes to cosmetics. Be sure to take advantage of the sale while its still going on! 15% off your entire purchase! I hope that you enjoyed this post! Let me know in the comments below if you did and if you have made any fun beauty purchases lately! 
See you all (hopefully!) really soon! I have been busy getting prepared for my older sister's wedding happening later on this month! Craziness!! 

Hope you all are having a great week (happy shopping!) 

-A 

H A U L// Mini MAC Haul

The other day I was feeling really cruddy. I thought I was going to get a job that I had been waiting on but there was another set-back so I am stuck waiting around again. I was so bummed and instead of resorting to eating my feelings I resorted to good o'l retail therapy from M.A.C cosmetics. 
My shopping habits never "look" too out of hand because I don't buy loads all at one time. Its all a facade I tell you! (lies, lies, sitting on a throne of lies!) I am just shopping all the time so I end up collecting a lot but in very small doses. #feelingspendy

MAC Fix + Setting Spray

Firstly, I wanted to get my hands on MAC's  Fix+ setting spray. When I was first interested in makeup, MAC cosmetics was a big deal. It was the only high-end brand I really knew. Their Fix + spray had been something I had wanted to try since then. Now, many years later I have it and I have really been getting on with it. The mist is very fine and gives my skin a nice dewy finish whilst helping to set my makeup. What I really like using it for though is spraying a eye-shadow brush and spreading a wash of color on my eyes. Giving your eyeshadow look a gleaming finish.

MAC Eyeshadow -- Amber Lights 

I was craving some MAC eyeshadows baby. Aw yeah! I am starting that collection baby! I don't see this shade often in other blogger's MAC hauls but I am a sucker for golden eyeshadow. It makes my blue eyes pop! I am sure most of you are aware of MAC's beautiful eyeshadow pigmentation but I will just reiterate that I just barely have to touch the shadow with my brush to get what I need. 

MAC Eyeshadow-- Antiqued 

The other shade I picked up is Antiqued, a deep bronze shade that I think works wonders up in the crease that adds dimension to a eye look. Like above mentioned I only need one *tap* and I am good to go! Plus, being a lover of all things antique I felt this shade needed to be in my beauty arsenal. 

MAC 217 Blending Brush

In the beauty and blogging world there should be a giant book filled with "essential" beauty products every beauty enthusiast should have in their arsenal. I swear it would be massive and also it would probably have this brush listed in there as well. Everyone needs a honest to good blending brush for your eyeshadow. This brush has has fine, densely packed fibers that create a oval shape and it is so soft and nice. It has really changed how my eyeshadow looks because I am able to BLEND baby BLEND! 

And that just about wraps it up for today's post. I hope you all doing well. I am about to leave on my big adventure to California soon! It's very exciting. Though the not so exciting aspect of that is packing....which is where I am at currently. Trying to organize a "What's in my Travel Makeup Bag" or a "Travel essentials post" for you all. We'll just have to see if that gets done in all this craziness. 

I hope all of you are doing well, leave me comments below! Tell me what your favorite MAC products are? I am curious to know! 

I will see you all next time! 

Find me on Twitter & Instagram 

@AllegraShortill 

@morbidcupcakes 

                          - A  

T U E S // Beauty Buys #2

Hello my dears! It's a dreary Tuesday afternoon. I am sitting in the corner of a bookstore cafe, blogging. Truly living the dream here! 

That being said I think there is something appealing about working away from home for a little bit. There are even studies done that indicate that people work best with the subtle hustle and bustle of cafe in the background. 

If you perchance don't constantly inhabit cafes there is a website called: Coffitivity that provides you the background noise for you to get your work done~ pretty neat huh? too bad it can't give you a real coffee to go along with that. 

Anyhow! Lets get back into the beauty talk!

I bought this stuff last week but never got around to write a post about them until now. I had also planned to combine this beauty haul along with a fashion one but ultimately decided against it. I have a hard time figuring out how I want to share fashion hauls at the moment. I would like to save my pennies and get a real camera, (though my new phone camera is freaking amazing) and a tripod so that way I can take good looking outfit pictures. Hopefully that day will come soon~ for now I will just work with what I got. If any of you guys have ideas of how to display better fashion hauls let me know. 

Hourglass Ambient Light Blush--Diffused Heat

  I have been waiting for weeks and weeks for this particular shade to come back into stock at my local Sephora.In fact pretty much all shades of this product were sold out for what seemed like forever. But I finally got my hands on it and I really like it so far. 

I couldn't decide on what shade I wanted for  the longest time. After humming and hawing I got Diffused Heat, a slightly more dramatic shade of poppy red. I think it looks really beautiful in the pan and on the skin especially when you sheer it out, providing you with a pleasant flush. X

DryBar Detox Dry Shampoo 

Just one of those products at the register that caught my eye and lead me to an un-calculated purchase (why does that always happen?!)I love a good dry shampoo and this product does not disappoint. It feels super cool on the scalp and hair and smells amazing. I have dark hair, so it does leave that cast if you hold too close, easily remedied if you hold it far away. I am planning on bringing this cute little mini with me on my trip to Cali. I think it will be perfect at keeping my hair feeling refreshed and actually kind of cool. ( Since my black hair + hot sun do not mix well together)  X

Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil -- Red Sq.

A shade I recently set my sights on since I felt that most of the red lip colors I owned tended to be on the cooler side and I was longing for a warmer shade for the summer time. I was a little timid not knowing how such a bright red would look on me but after giving this pencil a try I am hooked on it! 

  

( My newest profile picture for most of my social media features the Red Sq. Lip Pencil. It's soooo pretty!) 

 I often mix this with my NARS Satin Lip Pencil in the shade Majella ( a dark and rich red) by  placing it in the inner center of my lips for more definition. X

Alongside Red Sq. I finally picked up the sharpener. So ridiculously affordable at $6! and its perfect for sharpening these products. X

That is all I have to show today! I hope all of you are having a wonderful week! 

Come and network with me on Twitter & Instagram!

@AllegraShortill + morbidcupcakes

Also you can also follow me on Pinterest! -- X

See you all next time! 

- A 

T H U R S// Beauty Buys #1

Hello my dears, it's Thursday. My last day of the spring semester. I can now breathe a sigh of relief! Its been a trying school year. Somehow all the turmoil feels worth it when  summer arrives and the sun kisses your tired skin. 

In my last post I mentioned I was really liking a mini sample of Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation. I decided to bite the bullet and grab it. I do require a bit more coverage than this base provides but it's nothing a good concealer can't fix. I will probably write up a full post on it soon but the consensus is that I really enjoy it.

My other beauty buy recently is a creamy lip stain from the Sephora brand. In the shade -- Always Red. I was turned onto this because of lovely blogger, Amelia Liana of LianaBeauty.com

read her review in her lip product addict tag FT. Essiebutton X

When I saw her wear this I thought it was really pretty. She then added that this product had really, REALLY great staying power. Claiming that she could eat a burger and the lipstick would still be perfectly intact. 

By then I was sold because red lipstick is so difficult to keep on the lips. After giving it a test run I would agree with Amelia's assessment. It stayed on my lips for the larger portion of the day and lasted through a meal of homemade stir-fry! (yum!)

This shade of red is bright and on the warmer side which makes it great for summer. The other plus about this product is that its really affordable! at $13 

Find it here X

This week is looking pretty great so far. I have some other products from The Body Shop that I picked up and need to be reviewed. Is there anything that you guys want me to talk about? or a product you think I would like? I would love some feedback! 

I hope you are all doing well! I will see you soon. Catch up with me on Twitter or Instagram!

Find Me!

Twitter : @AllegraShortill

Instagram: morbidcupcakes 

Bloglovin: TheBatsandRabbits

- A 

Show and Tell: Collective Haul! VIB Sephora Sale! + More

Hello my dears, its been a little bit hasn't it. Life has been pretty busy lately its been a challenge to get back into the gear. However, I think its safe to say that we have made it into spring!

( whoo hoo!!!)

I have been quite the shopping bug recently, hoarding things left in right. With the current VIB Sephora 15% sale going on I kicked my heels in glee. Because I had just landed VIB status about a week before the sale started. I spent quite a while eyeing up products and contemplating. I only managed to pick up three things but before the sale is over I might go in for one more hit. However, I was pretty chuffed with what I did pick up and I am exited to show and tell you about what I got.

Let's get started!

---Naked Three Palette

After being one in many desiring to own this palette. The latest edition to the Urban Decay Naked Palette's I decided to bite the bullet and grab it while I could get it at a reduced price since it is so hefty at $52 normal price. It was between this or the Lorac Pro Palette ( that is regrettably not sold at my Sephora or online at this time..) So I came home with this in my little Sephora bag and I am really happy with it. Out of all three of the Naked palettes, this was the one that intrigued me most with its beautiful romantic rose gold themed eyeshadow tones. I am sure all of you have seen this and talked about to death so I won't go on. But it was probably the most exciting purchase I made. 

---Sephora Lip Stain in the shade Red Essence

I am not sure which blogger spoke of it but I am positive I picked this up due to a bloggers influence. ( Like that is of any surprise.)Though when I was swatching these new lip stains from Sephora I was pretty impressed with the color payoff and how it feels on the lips. I picked the shade Red Essence but I am always on the quest for nice very deep red shades. It's almost my comfort zone to wear red. An odd observation you might find with this lip stain is its scent. It reminds me of a pool, its not too offensive, just odd. But not to worry! the scent does not linger.  

--- Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm 

Actually when I was in the store searching of what I wanted I spent the majority of my time browsing through skincare. With my skin embarrassingly bad as it is I have been wanting to try out anything I can ( with proper research) that might work for me. With that in mind I decided to pick this cleansing balm up by Clinque seeing as it was affordable and I have been wanting to jump onto the balm train. After trying it out a couple times I am not sure how I feel about it. It is supposed to take all of your makeup off while not over-drying the skin. But even after I have cleansed and wiped my face multiple times with a hot cloth I still find lots of makeup residue on my face which I find kind of annoying. Perhaps I should have gone with the Ren Rosa Cleansing Balm instead. If you guys have any tips on using this cleansing balm let me know!  

--- * Free Sephora Makeup Bag 

 Not much to say here but with my purchases I also received a free makeup bag. Pretty cute right?

--- It's A Ten Miracle Shine Spray

After my little trip I also stopped at Target for something and also ended up coming out with this hair product because my hair stylist usually uses this on me as a finishing touch. It smells amazing and unlike other shine sprays I have used it does not make my hair look greasy, nor does it feel heavy. I like it so far! 

On a completely separate shopping trip I picked up two clothing items, a nail varnish and a little travel perfume set from NEST fragrances.

--- High-Waist Black Skater Skirt - Forever 21

Was in desperate need for another black skater skirt. Its a big staple in my wardrobe and due to some weight loss recently my trusty one from H&M is getting a little big. The skirt I picked up from F21 was really affordable no more than 12.50 and came in a couple different colors. I have already worn it to death. It's just one of those things.

--- Navy Striped Bodysuit- Forever 21

I was browsing around Pinterest and I kept seeing a picture of a girl wearing a low back navy striped body suit with some shorts and a boater hat. I thought it was so cute and I knew I had seen similar bodysuits at F21 so when I went besides the skater skirt hunt I also sought after a striped bodysuit and in no time I was able to locate one. I REALLY love this clothing piece. Although it makes going to the restroom a larger hassle than necessary... I love the way this piece showcases my collar bones and my petite shoulders. Super cute! 

--- Nails Inc. Gel Effect Porechester Sq. 

Yet another thing on my never ending "want to buy" list was this polish. A beautiful neutral color that is a "greige" ( grey/beige) with a hint of purple. After application this nail polish has lasted longer than any other nail polish I applied by myself and that is a testament because it seems no matter what I do whenever I paint my nails the same day I manage to warp them or chip them WITHOUT FAIL. So this polish is definitely exceeding my standards. 

--- NEST Fragrance Midnight Fleur Mini Set 

Want the big bottle of this perfume because the scent is just amazing but was too chicken to spend that much so I got this little mini set. The hand cream is very nice and just as good smelling as the perfume. I wish the scent of the perfume lasted longer on my skin though! It seems to fade away with time which is sad but I will still enjoy using it and smelling it... a lot! 

   --- Hand Lettering Ledger by Mary Kate McDevitt 

A bit of a random thing to haul but it was recent purchase that I am really in love with. I saw this after a college trip to the Portland Art Museum in the gift shop. Even though I live so close to Portland and have gone to the museum often I have never really realized the cool stuff they offer at the giftshop! This book caught my eye because I want to get into more illustrative works and such and really wanted to learn some hand lettering techniques because its so cool and really beautiful! I hope that maybe I can incorporate some of my designs into the blog at some point! Wouldn't that be cool! 

'

I apologize again for getting so behind! I guess all and all it harms me in the end. Its a constant kick in the butt to stay on top of everything! I hope I can kick myself into gear. I hardly can get a handle on Twitter either. It's all a big learning lesson right! Just gotta enjoy the journey because that is how you get somewhere. 

- A 

Show and Tell : Collective Haul

  

Whenever I see or watch a haul, my mind harks back to elementary school when we had show and tell. I think that was one of my favorite activities besides story time. I think we all like sharing a part of ourselves with others. The things we buy have reasoning behind them and are catered to our likes and personality. So, I see hauls as a very interesting and positive sharing experience. 

The weather gave us a nice, warm reprieve from snow storms this past weekend.

( aka : opportunity to get outside and also shop around!)

The first batch of things I got are shown in the picture above.

Boater Hat --- Forever 21

"Hipstery Glasses"--- Claires

Tokyo Milk Dark: La Vie La Mort Eau Du Parfaum --- Sephora

It's been a while since I have picked up accessories for myself 

I am pretty sure those glasses have changed my life! 

( I kid! I kid..)

I just really loved how they look on me. No matter how "hipstery" they look I just feel so good and cute in them. They are plastic lenses so they do get dirty quickly but I just never want to take them off my face!

Not soon after, a trip was made to Bath and Body Works where I took advantage of their famous two for $22 deal. 

Raspberry Peach Macaron

&

Renew and Refresh 

( Just two more beautiful smelling beauties to add to my ever growing candle collection.) 

      And lastly, I got two fashion bits!
        These are new stretches for my wardrobe and I love             the two pieces together and separate.
         
    ( Also the burlap bunny garland is also new~ -- Target) 
      
    Navy Polka Dot Cropped Top --- Forever 21
 Grey Striped Button Up ---Target


The end of February is near. 
I can feel some spring like energy underneath the ground and in the air. Birds chirping, warmer winds and a bit more blue sky than normal.
Its all rather exciting!
Hurry up spring! 

I hope you are all doing well.
Have you made any recent and exciting purchases lately?
Let me know in the comments! I would love to hear from you.


-A

  

A Little Retail Therapy

Recently, I have picked up a little of the shopping bug. It doesn't help that all the retail shops have been having great sales. The picture above does not even capture everything I have been collecting these past three weeks. Mostly,I have been making back and forth trips to Sephora. Eager, to try out new things in the beauty world so I can come back here and report back my thoughts.

I have also had pretty good luck with fashion. H&M and Forever 21 have been treating me well with pretty florals, cream colored blouses and those fancy pointed shoes.





( scores at H&M! a cream blouse and a suspender skirt!)

We all need an excuse to go shopping right?
Besides the sales enticing me I also have had quite a stressful transition back to college as always.
It is always a uphill battle for me and has given me quite a lot of stress and tension.
Coping with a learning disability is no easy walk in the park, lemme tell you that.
There has been a lot of things in my life thrown into question.
Should I be doing what I planned to do with my college degree? Or do I have to try something else?
Now, I am going through my irrational fear stage in this "crisis"
" What will I think of myself? if I make this choice?" " Is this the right decision for me?"
" What is going to happen after all this?" 
" Which destination will I reach if I pick either or?"

It's all up in the air and I am stuck on the ground.
 There is nothing I can do instantly to make everything seem all better.
I have to go through this painful cycle of; pain, self doubt, anxiety, coping/acceptance, revelation/peace of mind. 
Though, at least I always have things I am working towards.
Including this blog. What I feel most passionate about right now.

I know I am not alone when it comes to self doubt in college.
Let me know your journey's and thoughts in the comments. I would really love to hear from you.

Also, I wanna hear any of your recent beauty or fashion purchases! Are they a favorite product of yours? Something new? I wanna know!

See you all soon!

- A