Winter Makeup Shades: Berry

I’ve never really changed my makeup for the season, but this year I was inspired by a certain Indian actress who pulls off winter shades so perfectly I couldn’t help but want to try them out on my own half-Indian skin.

Obviously my inspiration was Mindy Kaling…

Can I just be her?

I’ve seen her sport the above lip color on her show, The Mindy Project, and I absolutely LOVED the look of it against her dark skin. Now, I’m definitely not as dark as her, but I think the color can be pulled off an any shade if done correctly! In fact, Elyse said she found a berry color she loves for her skin tone, too! So it’s definitely a trend for everyone.

If you’ve been reading the blog for a while, you may know that I’m obsessed with Sephora Color Lip Last so that was my obvious go-to. Since I’m so comfortable with the brand and product, it made trying such a bold color much less scary, because I knew I liked the way it looked and felt on my lips.

sporting berry lips & my fav new scarf from Zara!

Mine is a little more subtle, especially with the lighting in this picture, but it is a much deeper red than I’m used to and I’m definitely pleased with the way it looks on! It’s perfect for a night out, or even a day at the office if you keep the rest of your look basic.

After determining I loved the berry lip look, I branched out and purchased a berry blush and, no surprise, I love that too! The only thing I don’t like about it is that it’s a cream blush. I have a much harder time putting this stuff on, and definitely prefer powder. The one pictured below is part of the Sephora Collection.

What are your favorite makeup tones & tips for winter?

xO – S

Living Proof Hair Serum

GUYS. I finally found it! The product that ACTUALLY TAMES MY THICK, CURLY HAIR!!! This is not a drill. Go out and buy Living Proof Hair Serum right now.

(Please excuse the selfies in the post…but I felt that I couldn’t really illustrate how great it works without pictures!)

Having naturally curly/wavy hair is a blessing and a curse. Sure, it’s pretty and can easily be straightened if I want a change, but it is also so thick and sometimes out of control that I don’t even know what to do with it! And the frizz – it’s like nothing else you’ve ever seen!  I have tried everything from hairspray and expensive shampoo to debating more drastic measures like chopping or thinning it out. Thankfully, one of my good friends, Sophia, recently discovered Living Proof Hair Serum at Sephora and swore by it. I was hesitant, but she was convinced so I figured I’d give it a try. The name would be total overkill if it weren’t SO. COMPLETELY. TRUE.

Here are some pictures to prove it:

so shiny!

limited frizz and perfect waves!

It’s also really low maintenance – just pump some out and work through damp or even dry hair and alas! The perfectly tame, shiny, beachy waves all year around! Living proof is an absolute God send for me and I’m so glad I didn’t go the extreme route with a cut! It’s a little pricey – coming in at $29.99 a bottle – but it’ll last a long time and it’s definitely worth it if you’re like me and just can’t seem to control the frizz any other way! I’ve already been told by multiple coworkers that my hair looks particularly good lately and I have no doubt this is why!

What are some of your favorite hair products?

xO – S

Shopping for Summer

Soooo…I’m guilty…I went shopping AGAIN this weekend. There’s just something about strolling through downtown DC shops (or Pentagon City Mall) on a Sunday afternoon that is just so relaxing. I’m still in that summer denial phase, where I have almost NO clothes for the season….so I’m slowly but surely trying to fix that situation as summer inches closer and closer. Here are my latest finds to help me prepare for the sweltering DC heat (and some makeup that just makes me feel better in general :))

1. Subtle Snakeskin Sandals- Ann Taylor Loft

My general MO in the summer is to buy a couple sets of sandals and just wear them out until the end of the season and rinse and repeat for the next year. Because they get worn out so easily I’m always trying to find a pair that are relatively cheap, but will also be cute and match a large majority of my clothes. These snakeskin sandals from Ann Taylor Loft are my first sandal purchase this season and I am SO excited about them! They’re super cute, go with everything, and did I mention they are SNAKE SKIN ahhh! Trekking the hot streets of DC won’t be so bad with these by my side….or…um..on my feet!

2. Yellow Tanktop – Banana Republic

I’ve had my heart set on this tanktop since I first laid eyes on it about a month ago. I waited and waited for a sale or coupon, and finally it came. With a 50% off Banana Republic coupon in hand, I headed to the store to finally pick up this gorgeous summer top. It’s the prefect color for my skintone and is really light and airy so I won’t get super sweaty and gross in it. Also, it can be dressed up or down, depending on how you style it. I can’t wait to wear it around to brunches, bars, and wherever else the wind takes me this summer!

3. Sephora Collection Colorful Blush in Coral Crush – Sephora

My cousin informed me that the makeup you’re placing directly on your face (i.e. foundation, blush, etc.) is the most important as far as quality goes…which makes sense when you think about it. So I returned once again to my new favorite place – Sephora and went directly for the “Sephora Collection” brand – which isn’t too expensive, but is still great quality (only $14 a pop!). I decided to try out the coral color for something a little different and natural for summer and I am LOVING it so far! Of course I’ll keep a classic pink blush around for most occasions, but this coral is great for switching things up every once in a while, and goes great with my tan!

With these great pick-ups I am A LITTLE more excited for summer, though I’m still dreading that humidity! What great deals have you come across this season?

-S

Sephora Color Lip Last

Now that I’m an expert on grown-up makeup, I feel like I’m totally qualified to start doling out advice and tips (hah!). I’ve been told that I am not taking proper advantage of my dark skin tone because I don’t experiment with crazy lip color. Actually, I don’t experiment with lip color at all. I pretty much just stay neutral – it takes a lot for me to even break out the chap-stick.  But the reason I never wear lip color is because it smudges, comes off as soon as you eat, and I haven’t been able to find a product I like that provides color and moisturizes. It just hasn’t been worth all the fuss in my book…until now.

TA-DA! My new favorite thing in the world: Sephora Color Lip Last. I’ve been trying out several different products over the past few months, and this, BY FAR, is my favorite! It’s not quite as rough as lipstick, but also not the commitment of a lip stain…it’s more of a lip…cream. Either way, it is awesome. It comes in 25+ colors and is only $12 a pop! I started off with just the bright red, but I love it so much that I’ve already expanded my collection to include a neutral pink/nude, bright fuchsia, and coral. Next on my list is light pink – perfect for springtime! It stays on all day, and even through meals (though i do have to reapply a little sometimes). I absolutely love it for daily use – it adds a little pop without being crazy. It’s a little smudgey, but that’s only because the color is built to last long, so just be careful when applying!

Here are the shades from left to right in the picture above: 
Pure Red
Coral Calling
Royal Raspberry
Natural Pink

Coral Calling, Pure Red, Natural Pink, Royal Raspberry

Royal Raspbery, Coral Calling, Natural Pink, Pure Red

Overall, A+ from Sephora (shocker!) – this may be my favorite product yet! What are your favorite lip products and colors for spring?

xO -S

Weekend Steals Under $30!

I made an impromptu decision to drive home to Pottstown, PA this weekend to visit my mom and best friend from high school who just got engaged and bought a house (CRAZY, right?!). While I was there I stopped by the Philadelphia Premium Outlets because I know there are always such great deals, and I’ve been needing my discount designer fix since I’ve yet to find outlets close enough to DC.

I ended up scoring pretty big and got 3 different, classic, and versatile items – each for under $30! Here’s what I found:

First and foremost, I’m OBSESSED with J. Crew button-downs…so obviously I had to update my wardrobe with a couple from the spring collection. I love everything that J. Crew makes, but I find it hard to shell out $80 for a blouse…so I was really excited to be at the outlet, where everything was much more reasonably priced. I stared at all the colors and patterns for a while before finally deciding that nothing said ‘fun’and ‘spring’ like pink. The shirts are so comfortable and versatile that I’ll have no problem pairing it with a cute skirt for work and switching seemlessly into classic jeans and Sperrys for dinner after! After all was said and done, and I got my 50% + 15% student discount (sorry I’m not sorry that I still use that…), the shirt was only $30!

J. Crew Perfect Button-down – $30

Next up was continuing my search for ‘statement jewelry.’ I’ll openly admit that I don’t quite understand this trend, nor do I believe I can pull it off. But I did want to give it a try, so I thought I’d start small with this classic piece from Ann Taylor…which may not even qualify as statement at all. But it’s adorable and will match almost anything. And it was 40% off…so I just had to have it!

Ann Taylor Necklace – $20

Last step was finding a neutral-pink lip color. I recently fallen in love with the idea of lip stain, so I returned once again to Sephora and asked an associate to help me pick out a pink matte lip stain. After telling me I had “fair” skin (um, never heard that one before…), she directed me to the ‘Makeup Forever’ brand. It was a little more expensive than I had hoped, but I decided to splurge cause I had done so well the rest of the weekend. I couldn’t wait til the morning so I tried it on last night and it is PERFECT. The color is exactly what I had imagined and lasted the entire rest of the night – even through dinner! It’s a little more subtle than my other lip colors, so it’s nice for spring and perfect for work.

Makeup Forever Lip Stain – $24

The best part about all of these items is that they are classic and versatile – I can already think of a hundred different ways to wear each of them, which is great for keeping things fresh all season.  And they were all under $30!  All-in-all a very successful weekend!

What are you most looking forward to wearing this spring?

xO -S

Shianne Discovers Grown-up Makeup

I’m generally a ‘don’t fix what’s not broken’ kind of girl, and I’m very lucky to have fairly good skin, so my makeup regime has always consisted of just the basics – drugstore mascara and eyeliner. But having a job that keeps you out of the house for 11+ hours a day starts to wear you out physically. I found that even by lunch my makeup was starting to smudge and I looked incredibly tired and worn, even if I wasn’t  This was frustrating me and making me feel extremely unprofessional…but I didn’t know how to fix it. I thought I just needed more sleep, but when that didn’t work, I decided I needed to take more significant action to reduce the seemingly relentless bags under my eyes.

My search for a solution brought me to Sephora, where Elyse and a couple employees helped me talk through my concerns and identify the products that would be right for me. I finally settled on a Sephora-brand brush-stick concealer and foundation powder by Bare Minerals and I’m obsessed with the results. The concealer/foundation combo is actually dual purpose – it brightens my eyes, but it also protects from my other makeup smudging throughout the day!

Newbies

I’ve also been using Urban Decay roll-on eyeliner and Smashbox mascara from Sephora, and both have been great as well. Especially the eyeliner, I cannot get over how long it lasts!

 

The products are relatively expensive, but in my opinion, they’re totally worth it. Not only does the makeup last long ON me, but you also don’t need to cake it on, so it’ll last longer in general – I don’t anticipate having to replenish my beauty supply stock but once every 6 months, if that.  It’s just one of those things where I didn’t want to spend the money upfront, but when I finally caved, it turned out to be a much better deal….it’s amazing what my adult life has taught me. I’m so done with dried-up, drug-store brands that last 2 months total and 20 minutes on my face.

big girl makeup bag!

The only catch is, once you start using makeup, you also have to start a more vigorous face cleansing system. I picked up some Neutrogena face cleansing wipes as well as face wash, recommended by Elyse, and they’ve been working really well! It may sounds like now that I’ve added all these steps that my morning routine would have increased like crazy, but it only adds about 5-7 minutes when all is said and done.

 

Let us know what your favorite beauty products and tricks are!

-S