California OOTD – Day 1 Pt. 1 ♥

One of my many dreams growing up has always been to visit California & eventually live there. I was finally able to make that happen last week! It was the most amazing trip I have taken in a while but one week was just not enough time. We (my boyfriend & I) stayed from Monday -Sat, so not really a full week (more like 4 days since we got in late and left early) But we got so much done! I decided to take advantage of the amazing weather and backgrounds to take OOTD pictures for you guys! The weather there was in the 60’s/70s but at night it got really chilly (and if you know me, I’m always cold!)  which is why this post will contain two parts. I actually changed my outfit at night so that will be in my next OOTD post.

This first Outfit I wore on Tuesday, which was the first day we actually got to explore beautiful California. We were staying in Long Beach, so we decided to explore this area first. We ended up driving to a nearby beach which was a little deserted but beautiful nonetheless.

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I decided to wear my Maxi dress because it was comfortable enough to walk around and stroll through the beach with, but also it covered my legs so that I wouldn’t freeze to death. okay, yes I’m exaggerating just a little bit, it wasn’t that cold, but being near the water deff. makes things a little more windy and chilly so this outfit was perfect.

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Although you can’t see it in these pictures, for makeup, I wanted to go with a bold look because my outfit was so simple. Also, I haven’t been wearing much makeup lately because of work so it was fun playing with colors! We all know my favorite lipstick of all time is this purple one from Revlon so it was a must for the first day in my dream state.

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Outfit Details:

1) Maxi Dress (Cotton OnSimilar)
2) Jean Vest (JCPenneySimilar)
3) Sandals ( had these forever, can’t remember from where 😦 )

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Makeup Details:

1) Foundation ( Makeup Forever HD Foundation)
2) Eyeshadow ( Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette)
3) Eyebrows ( Anastasia Beverly Hills Dip Brow Pomade & Brow Wiz)
4) Blush ( Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Memorable)
5) Contour ( Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit)
6) Bronzer ( NYX Matte Bronzer)
7) Lipstick ( Revlon Colorstay Matte Lip Balm in Shameless)

Mini Haul – Sephora & M.A.C ♥

Clearly I have a shopping problem or more like a makeup addiction. I’m going on vacation to California in a few days and realized I was running out of a few things, and in desperate need of other things, so I decided to take a quick trip to Sephora. This “quick” trip resulted in two trips to Sephora and one trip to M.A.C within a few days! I know, I know. Don’t judge me.

On my first trip to Sephora, I ended up getting strictly skincare products because I was seriously in desperate need of them. I don’t think I’ve ever actually splurged on good quality skincare products and honestly my skin as been paying for it. My face has been super dry lately and my pores have been horrendous, I just felt like it was in desperate need of some TLC.

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On my second trip to Sephora, I went for one thing and one thing only. I was on the hunt for a new foundation and although it was difficult to keep my eyes from wandering, I remained focused and completed my task. haha.

of course, I did a great job on my second trip to Sephora but that did not stop me from entering M.A.C which happened to be right next to it. Now we all know M.A.C is probably every makeup lover’s weakness, so it is dangerous territory. I ran out of my concealer so I had to go in for more and of course I had to pick up a few other goodies while I was there. My bank account probably hates me right now but it was totally worth it!

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Anyway, now that I’ve bored you with my rant I will show you what I got! (I know this is what you’ve been waiting for)

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1. Philosophy Take a Deep Breath Oil Free Energizing Oxygen Gel Cream Moisturizer- Now that is a mouthful to say! I picked this moisturizer specifically because Casey (itsbl0ndie) from youtube uses it and raves about it so much. Gel moisturizers absorb quicker and easier into the skin so I figured it was good for someone with combination-dry skin. I have started using it and so far so good.

2. Josie Maran Pure Argan Milk Intensive Hydrating Treatment- I think the name speaks for itself. I’ve probably said this a thousand times but my skin has been going from oily to dry to oily, so it’s been really difficult to determine exactly what skin type I have. I decided to get this because I generally have dehydrated dry skin which causes fine lines and wrinkles and that my friends is a huge NO. Not okay.

3. GlamGlow Youthmud Tinglexfoliate Treatment- I think the world is raving about these products right now therefore it was a must try. I love face masks in general and well, since everyone has been loving this brand so much i decided to get the sample version of it to see what all the hype is about! I will deff. let you guys know how I feel about it once I try it!

4. Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil Light –  I’ve used this product before and loved it. I had gotten a sample in my birch box a while back and I did enjoy it, so I decided to repurchase it but this time in the light version. The regular one can be a bit heavy but I find that this version is lightweight and deff. sinks into the skin quicker.

5. Philosophy Hope In A Jar Night- I’ve never actually used a night cream per say. I barely even wash my face before bed (I know, I know. That’s terrible!) but, my skin has really been in need of some extra love. I’m trying to stick to a strict skincare regimen so I figured if I bought a night time cream then it would give me a reason to wash my face at night. Let’s hope that idea works! (Fingers crossed!)

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1. M.A.C Retro Matte Lipstick ( Relentlessly Red ) – One of my biggest addictions when it comes to M.A.C is their lipsticks. I truly believe that if anything, M.A.C has the best eyeshadows and lipsticks! I don’t own many because there isn’t a M.A.C store close to where I live, but when I do get to go there I try my best to pick up at least one! This color caught my eye because for one, I love anything red or bright or bold. It’s more of a watermelon red color, it applies super matter and I can’t wait to use it!

2. M.A.C Prolongwear Concealer (NW35) – I needed a new concealer. This is my holy grail concealer, I haven’t found anything as amazing as this. This color is the exact match to my actual skin color, I picked it up for days where I’m wearing natural looking makeup.

3. Makeup Forever HD Foundation- I’ve heard friends and Youtubers rave about this product forever now and I still have yet to try it. Once I like something it’s kind of hard for me to venture off, but since I ran out of pretty much all of my favorite foundations I decided to try something new. When I swatted it, it felt a little thick but I guess we shall see. I have high hopes for this foundation so I’m hoping it lives up to its hype and to my expectations.

4. M.A.C Prolongwear Concealer (NW30)- Although I usually always get this concealer in the shade NW35, I decided to also get one shade lighter so that I can use it as a highlight as well! ( Everyone loves the Kim.K highlight effect right? right.)

5. M.A.C Viva Glam Rihanna- I’m not a huge Rihanna fan per say, but when I heard she had a new Viva Glam lipstick I had to check it out! This lipstick is so creamy and the color is so beautiful, I can already tell it’s going to be one of my favorite reds.

Those are all of my recent purchases. Let’s hope I can stay put until IMATS so that I can get lots of goodies there! I swear this is a real addiction but I love it! What have been some of your recent purchases?

xo, Jess ♥

Urban Decay Naked Skin Ultra Definition Loose Finishing Powder : Review ♥

Setting my foundation is one of the most important steps for me in my makeup routine. Although I have combination-dry skin, I tend to see a little oil seeping through when I don’t set my foundation. I have been using the Bare Minerals Matte Foundation Powder to set my foundation since I can remember, and I did not plan on parting ways with it anytime soon until I found my new love. I’m extremely picky when it comes to my foundations and my setting powders because let’s be real, the last thing I want to do is look like cake face (and you shouldn’t either). When I saw this powder it was like the angels from heaven were singing to me. Seriously, if you haven’t had a chance to feel this foundation, get in your car, drive to Ulta right now, and try this out.

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Let’s begin by talking about the packaging. I mean how cute is this little guy? Urban Decay always has cute/edgy packaging, and we all know I’m a sucker for anything cute so it was a must have! It is a clear little bottle with a metal top. When you open the top of it there are a few holes where the product comes out of. The only downfall of this packaging is that there is no stopper for the holes, if you wanted to travel with this product it would probably get super messy! The Bare Minerals Matte Foundation has a little twist cap where you can twist it so the plastic covers the holes (Genius!).

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The texture of this powder is simply amazing, for a lack of a better word. Seriously guys, it literally dissolves into your skin. When you first touch it, it has a velvet/soft feel to it and then before you know it, as you rub it in to your skin it just disappears.  It is extremely lightweight but is medium/full coverage and it is definitely buildable as well. Although it is a matte finish powder there is still a little dewiness to it, it gives off a subtle sense of luminosity to the skin which for me is Perfect!

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Promise: “Blur flaws, set makeup, and cut shine with this weightless formula that feels amazingly silky on the skin. Designed to be virtually invisible, Urban Decay’s high-tech, light-reflecting formula fools the eye with optical blurring, seemingly airbrushing away imperfections and creating a soft-focus effect that looks professionally retouched. This creamy, buildable, jet-milled formula applies beautifully, never looks chalky or cakey, and won’t settle into fine lines.” – Sephora.com

Ingredients: Silica, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Isoceteth-10, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Sorbic Acid, Ascorbyl Palmitate. [+/- (All Shades May Contain): CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide),  CI 77491/77492/77499 (Iron Oxides), CI77742 (Manganese Violet), CI 77007 (Ultramarines), CI 77163 (Bismuth Oxychloride)].

Where Can You Purchase? Urbandecay,com, Sephora.com, Ulta,com

Overall Thoughts: Overall, I truly believe that if you try this powder you will instantly fall in love with it! It really does blur flaws, sets makeup, and cuts shine instantly. It is extremely weightless which is amazing because you can wear it over any foundation without it becoming cakey or looking too fake! It really does, looks and feels like what Urban Decay claims. I recommend this 100%, it has become one of my holy grail items!

xo, Jess ♥

Lips of The Moment ♥ Pink-ish Nude

Out of all the makeup products a girl could ever have, I must say that lip products are by far my favorite. There is something about expressing yourself through your lip color that just gets me. I can’t get enough. I’m that person that would walk around wearing green lipstick without a care in the world. Because of this, I have decided to do a new little series on my blog  called LOTM (lips.of.the.moment). I tend to go through phases where I will wear the same combination of lip products for a week straight, sometimes even a whole month straight! So I decided to show you guys what my favorite lip combo of the moment is!

There are many times where I take a picture and post it on Instagram or any other social network, and everyone wants to know what lipstick I’m wearing. Instead of responding to a million people with the same answer, everyone can now see my favorite lip combos right here 🙂 I hope you guys enjoy these type of posts, I have fun making them! (and of course, its another excuse to try new lip combo’s andddd buy new lip products. hehehehe 😉 )

For today’s L.O.T.M post I want to show you my go-to everyday lip combo, as of recent. It is a pink-ish/nude combination that I have been loving so much to the point that I have not put it down since I discovered it!

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I haven’t been wearing much makeup recently since I have been super busy and haven’t had time to get glam. This pink/nude lip is so natural and perfect for everyday! I actually wasn’t impressed with the Too Faced lippy at first but after a few more tries we have become inseparable. This has literally been my go-to lip product for the past month, and I’m obsessed with it. I deff. want to try more of these Too Faced Lipsticks!

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PRODUCTS USED:
♥ Sonia Kashuk Lip Definer { Nude 01 }
♥ Too Faced Lip Injection Color Bomb { Bee Sting }
♥ Urban Decay Naked Ultra Nourishing Lip Gloss { Walk of Shame }

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What is your favorite lip of the moment?

xo, Jess ♥