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 

New In// Beauty Haul

There is this thing about being slightly addicted to beauty products. You always crave something new. I have accumulated a couple of new products here and there and thought I would share quickly what new beauty products have come into my life.


Charlotte Tillbury Bronze & Glow 
The cream of the crop for this haul is the famed Filmstar Bronze and Glow contour kit from Charlotte Tillbury. This is probably the prettiest packaging of makeup I have ever owned, even my dad was enamored by its beauty. The contouring shade is only a tad on the warm side but is nonetheless wonderful at carving and defining those cheekbones! Especially when used with the brush I will mention in this post.
The highlight shade is not as intense as the Becca Shimmering Perfectors but still looks absolutely beautiful on the skin. This palette is not cheap in the slightest but very worth the investment in my book. 

Too Faced Replenishing Hangover Primer

I was in the market to try an new primer. With harsh winter conditions still plaguing the environment here in New England my skin has been looking horrifically dry. I was hearing a bit about the Too Faced Hangover Primer from some of my favorite bloggers and from the sounds of it I thought that this primer would be right up my street. This primer is formulated with coconut water, probiotics and skin revivers that hydrate, brighten, soothe & smooth for dewy and healthy looking skin. I have only used this twice and it certainly feels light on the skin and it doesn't seem to clog up my pores however, I don't notice it helping my foundation apply on any more seamlessly and might even make my foundation slip around a little bit more. I am still testing this guy out. I will be sure to let you all know whether it works out or not. 


Real Techniques Bold Metals Flat Contour Brush 
The latest release from the brand Real Techniques is a luxurious one, The Bold Metals collection has a total of seven brushes that are all crafted with the makeup artist in mind. I picked up the #301 Flat Contour Brush. The bristles of this brush are very dense but soft. Which makes contouring a dream! The handle is also weighted so that it never rolls off your desk when you put it down. Since contouring is all the rage right now I highly recommend you pick up this brush, makes the job so much easier. 

MAC Lipstick "Twig" 
I am still on a little MAC kick at the moment and I am also still on a nude lip kick as well. I still find this highly unusual behavior for me but at the same time I am enjoying the change. After picking up "Velvet Teddy" and falling in love with it I desired its slightly deeper cousin "Twig". I love this color. Still natural and easy to wear on the lips but a little more dramatic with its deeper hue. 

Boscia Exfoliating Peel Gel 

I have never been a huge fan of exfoliants. I have had bad luck with them in the past, specifically physical exfoliants. My skin feels raw and very irritated upon using them. However, I know that exfoliating the skin is an important step to ones skincare routine so I decided to try out Boscia's new Exfoliating Peel Gel. It supposed to be a hybrid of a chemical and physical exfoliant. The physical gel part helps to remove the outer layers of dead skin while the chemical penetrates deeper for the in depth exfoliation. I tried this for the first time a couple days ago and I was unsure how I felt about it. It left a scaly residue on one part of my face that I couldn't seem to get off with a washcloth. This was strange, but I am willing to give this product the benefit of the doubt for another couple rounds. It can be difficult to tell with skincare. I hope it turns out to be a hit. If not, I will let you know of that as well. 

I didn't go too crazy with my beauty purchases, ( even though I very well could have. There have been so many new releases recently. That Sephora trip was quite an over stimulative one)! Has there been anything you guys have picked up recently that excites you? Let me know down in the comments! 
I hope your having a great week! We are still getting hit with relentless storms up in the northeast! Stay warm everyone! 

See you soon!!

- A