Sephora VIB Holiday Sale Mini Haul!

 For those of you that may not know, Sephora is having their 20% off Holiday Sale from today through November 12! I decided to take full advantage of the savings and picked up a few items I had been eyeing for some time (but never wanted to shell out the cash for).

 First up, are the hair care products. I have been on the hunt for a soft styling cream that will give my hair smooth, soft definition on days when I air dry it. I am really trying to be better about giving my hair a break from all the heating tools I use! Bumble and bumble Curl Conscious Defining Creme is one of the highest rated hair creams on the Sephora website and promises to "support soft, fine curls that tend to droop- keeps them shapely and resilient without crunchiness". So far, all I know is this cream smells fantastic! I can't wait to see how my wavy, unruly hair reacts to this. Another hair product I have wanted to try for years but just never got around to purchasing is the Bumble and bumble Brilliantine which claims to "give hair polish and a sort of languid, slept-in, sexy look with separation and extra sheen." Sounds like a winner to me! In any case, I will report back to you how my hair gets on with these two!

Lastly, I was in need of a new concealer and seeing as how much I am still loving my tarte Smooth Operator Tinted Moisturizer, I wanted to try out one of their concealers. The tarte Smooth Operator Amazonian Clay Waterproof Concealer is meant to be long lasting, easily blendable, and boasts beneficial natural ingredients. I'm hoping I love this as much as my other tarte products! 

Please let me know if you are planning on picking anything up at the Sephora VIB Sale! I still have 4 more days to do a bit more damage...

Lots of Love,

Louise

MAC Eyeshadow Collection & Favorite Combinations

My devotion to makeup brands is a fickle one. For weeks I will live for anything from NARS before switching to Benefit or tarte Cosmetics. But recently my un-dying love belongs to MAC Cosmetics. Something about the formula and colors of their eyeshadows, blushes and bronzers have really been tickling my fancy. So, it seemed only appropriate to share with you all the shadows I have been enjoying lately. 

I realize my MAC eyeshadow collection is a humble one when compared to those of many beauty bloggers, and as you can see it is made up entirely of neutrals (not terribly exciting). But as a neutral-lover, these are all colors I use and love on a regular basis. Also, keep reading for a breakdown of my favorite looks to create with these shadows!

 Nylon + All That Glitters + Wedge + Black Tied = Everyday Peachy-Bronze Eye

Without fail a few days of the week (especially during Summer) this is my go-to combination. I dust All That Glitters, one of my all-time favorite MAC eyeshadows, across the lid and add a small amount of Wedge in the outer corner, blended slightly into the crease with a MAC 217. For soft, smokey definition, I  line my upper lash line with Black Tied using a MAC 266 slightly dampened with Urban Decay's All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray. To finish the look off, I apply Nylon to my inner corners for a wide-awake effect. For those of you who watch Tanya Burr (pixi2woo) on youtube, you may recognize this combination from one of her videos, which is where I originally got the inspiration.

Nylon + Naked Lunch + Sable + Black Tied = Soft Plum Perfection

When I am not wearing my Peachy-Bronze Eye look (above) I generally opt for a soft, plum-toned eye combination. For ladies with green or hazel eyes, this is one you must try out! The contrast of golden plum tones in Sable make green eyes glow beautifully. I simply apply MAC's Naked Lunch to the first half of my eye lid with a MAC 239, then flip the brush over and use the opposite side to apply Sable to the outer half of my eye lid. Using my MAC 217 I gently blur the line between the two shadows to create a soft haze of color. I also apply a small amount of Sable to the lower lash line. MAC Nylon and Black Tied are used in the same way as the previous look.

Nylon + Sable + Quarry + Black Tied = A Flirty Night- Out Look

On the rare occasion that I do feel like a smokey eye, I like to pair Sable with Quarry. This look is easily created by taking my daytime Soft Plum look from above,  and adding more drama and definition to the outer V and crease with Quarry eyeshadow, blended with a MAC 217. A touch more Black Tied to the lash line finishes off the look.

What are you favorite MAC Eyeshadow combinations?

Lots of Love,

Louise

Instagram: louise_carolin / hellocotton / Bloglovin / twitter / facebook

Nail Fall's Jewel-Toned Mani Trend with Essie Go Overboard

Ever since I saw the promo pictures for the new Andy Warhol collection from NARS, I knew I had to get my mitts on the gorgeous dark teal cream nail polish named Superstar. I generally go for vampy red nails in the fall, but I felt teal would be low-commitment way to test the waters of jewel-toned Fall nails. So off to my nearest Sephora I ran, only to be disappointed when I arrived and discovered they were sold out. Not a big deal I thought. So the next day I went to the other Sephora a town over. Sold out as well. Ok, I'll order it from Sephora online. Nope, "not in stock" it said on the website above the color. Thinking my love affair with this dark teal cream nail polish was fated to never happen, I gave in and figured if it ever came back in stock I would pick it up.

This was all until this past weekend when I was perusing the ails of my local Target (needed to pick up another Maybelline Dream Lumi concealer) and came across this little gem. Essie's Go Overboard nail polish, in my humble opinion, is a pretty near dupe for the gorgeous NARS Superstar. I honestly was shocked by how similar it looked on my nails compared to photos I have seen of the NARS version online. So ladies, if you are makeup obsessed like me and were saddened to have missed out on Superstar, pick up Go Overboard! Not only is the color almost identical, but it is half the price! And as always, the formula and wear of the polish is tried and true Essie quality. 

It makes me so happy to look down at my fingers and see this color. Depending on the lighting it sometimes can appear more navy or deep jewel-toned teal. Go Overboard is a fun color, but it is still subdued and appropriate enough to wear to the office. Also, it gives a little flair to my standard Fall wardrobe of cozy knits, black leggings and boots. Hope you enjoy!

P.S. I love it when you follow me xx

Instagram: louise_carolin / hellocotton / Bloglovin / twitter / facebook

My Everyday Fall Face: A Minimal Makeup Look

I have a confession to make. I have a bit of a beauty girl crush on the adorable beauty blogger/ youtube guru Vivianna of Vivianna Does Makeup fame. Not only does she seem like such a sweet and genuine girl, but her makeup is spot on! I love that she concentrates more on great skincare and minimal yet effective makeup. So, lately I have been feeling particularly inspired by the lovely Ms. Vivianna and have been embracing a more minimal makeup routine on myself as well. And I have to say I am really enjoying the look!

HG Tinted Moisturizer: Tarte Smooth Operator Amazonian Clay Tinted Moisturizer

Hello Lovelies! Hope you all are having a great start to the month (hard to believe it is September already)! Today I want to talk to you all about a product that I have spent many a mall trip searching for: the ideal tinted moisturizer. Well, I can say with confidence that that search is finally over for me thanks to the tarte Smooth Operator Amazonian Clay Tinted Moisturizer. After using this beautiful product for the past few weeks, I cannot imagine my morning routine without it, and have been gushing about it to just about anyone who will listen!

Dr. Weil for Origins Mega-Mushroom Skin Relief Soothing Face Cream

 

Hello Lovelies! Today I want to talk to you about a miracle (at least for me) face product that I have been using for the past few weeks, Dr. Weil for Origins Mega-Mushroom Skin Relief Soothing Face Cream. I originally heard about this cream from watching Tanya Burr, one of my favorite makeup artist and beauty gurus on Youtube. 

This face cream has been a god-send for my overly reactive skin.  I can't even recall how many skin care products, foundations, primers and even bronzers that I have had to return this past year because my skin developed a bad reaction or broke out from them. Using this product as my night cream has helped my skin feel more comfortable, balanced, and hydrated than I can remember it feeling in a long time. If you have sensitive or reactive skin, or if you are just looking for a wonderful night cream, Dr. Weil Mega-Mushroom Skin Relief Soothing Cream just might be the ideal addition to your skin care routine.

July Empties

 

Hello Lovelies! It has been too long! As I mentioned before, I decided to talk a little break from the blogging world to focus my full attention on my new job. My plan seems to have worked out though because I absolutely love it! However, I have missed writing and interacting with you all, so I am so happy to be back!

Last month, I decided to put myself on a cosmetics spending ban. The amount of money I had been spending on makeup and cosmetics recently had really gotten out of control and I honestly own more products than any one girl could ever go through. I'm still allowing myself to purchase things when I run out such as skincare or concealers and foundation etc. But, I have to say I have actually found quite a sense of accomplishment building my little collection of empties! Nice to know my money didn't go to waste for once!