LOTD

It's a boots, pearls, and sweater kind o' day!

I got this Lauren Conrad sweater from Kohl's taking advantage of the after-Christmas sales. I got it for $26 when it was retailed at $54. I love the color! It's name is "Harbor Grey" but it's a pale robin's egg blue. They also had a blush colored one I debated about getting. I may decide to go back! :) I got my boots from Macy's. Love them!

LOTD: Balm Jovi Palette

Caitlyn's Corner gave me these for a Christmas gift:

Today I finally got a chance to use them! The concealer worked great. I'll definitely do a review about it once I've used it more. I used UD Primer Potion and then pat Third Eye Blinded on my lids as a base. Next, I used Alice Copper in the outer half of my lid and brought the color into my crease. I then used Too Faced's Silk Teddy as a highlight and Too Faced's Cherry Cola over the Alice Copper to make it more bold. Here's the look:

I finished the look using the Balm's blush in Pop Pop Don't You Want Me? over my Maybelline Bouncy Blush. For lip gloss I used Neutrogena MoistureShine gloss in Wine.

I'm looking forward to creating more looks soon! Merry Christmas!!

LOTD: NAKED 3 Palette

This is my LOTD. I think it's a nice and simple everyday look!

I used UD Primer Potion, then Burnout on my lids, Mugshot in the outer third of my eyes and then pat Darkside over Mugshot. I used Strange as a highlight and wanted something shimmery so I put Too Faced's Silk Teddy over it. I think that’s my only complaint about this palette—I like shimmery highlights, so I usually have to use one from one of the other palettes.

Give this look a try and let me know of any looks you may have come up with for this palette! Have a great day!

Empties

Sorry this is so late! I decided I would do these each month, but Dec. 1st was chaotic with finals and I am just now getting around to getting things in order again. Don't hold your breath for a New Years Day post either!

Here's what I've emptied over the last month or so:

These Paul Mitchell shampoo and conditioning treatments are amazing! They are sulfate-free and have a wonderful smell. I loved the way my hair would smell and feel after I would get it cut, so I had my hairdresser purchase some for me to use at home. I bought this around this time last year and I can't quite remember how much it costs for the set, but I want to say it was around $50. I only used it once a week to stretch it. As much as I love it, I won't be repurchasing this for a while because of the frightening price tag!

Neutrogena Deep Clean Facial Moisturizer is something I've used for years. I frequently buy the Equate brand and can tell a slight difference, but not enough to always buy the more expensive brand.

Gillette Satin Care Shave Gel in Lavendar Kiss. This is another product I've been using for years and don't mind paying a little more for the quality. It leaves my skin so soft and I am able to get a really close shave, which is so important to me.

bareMinerals Purely Nourishing Moisturizer in Normal to Dry. I don't know how long I've been using this because I haven't looked back! I mostly use this in areas that get especially dry like my under eye area and around my nose. It's so lightweight that it doesn't feel greasy or heavy.

Reach Total Care Floss is something I got from the dentist the last time I went and I thought it was weird at first, but I liked it after I got used to the stretchiness. It's available at Walgreen's so if they don't offer it to me again when I go in February, I'll be sure to pick it up!

These were definitely random empties, but I think that's part of the fun! Comment below if you have used any of these products and what your experiences have been with them! And as always, thanks for reading!

LOTD: NAKED 3 Palette

This look really makes my blue eyes pop! I used Primer Potion, pat a combo of Trick and Buzz and Dust in the inner one-third corner of my eyes, and then packed Factory in the crease and on the outer two-thirds of my eyes. This was a base for making the outer portion of my eyes pretty dark. I then put Darkside over Factory and then put Blackheart over that. I love Blackheart! It really helps create a soft smokey look. I finished by using Sin from the original NAKED palette as a highlight.

Thanks for reading!

LOTD: NAKED 3 Palette

I first used Primer Potion, then packed Liar on my lids, bringing it into my crease slightly. I then used Blackheart in my crease and Strange as my highlight. Super easy, everyday look.

Thanks for reading!

LOTD: NAKED 3 Palette

I got this in the mail:

And heard this was coming out during the time the coupon could be used:

So, Caitlyn's Corner and I made a special trip to get ours!

And, I love it!!! Today I got to use it and this is the look I came up with:

First, I applied Urban Decay Primer Potion all over my lids and then pat Mugshot from my lashes to crease. Then I put Buzz and Dust over it in the inner one-third of my eye. Next, I used Sin (from the original NAKED palette) as a highlight in my tear duct region and below my brows. To intensify the look, I took a creas brush and applied Darkside in my crease and then took a flat shadow brush and pat Blackheart from the outer corner of my lids in slightly. This made a small V of packed color. Lastly, I took a clean, fluffy crease brush and blended my highlight and crease colors. I finished the look with mascara, eyeliner, and lip gloss.

Winterizing My Body

I wanted to share what I do to "winterize" myself/what I do to survive winter. I think it's really important to change up routines and products as the seasons change. This would also be the case if you moved or traveled to a different climate. Listening to your body is so important. I am one who doesn't change products much, as I have been using the same body washes, shampoos, lotions, etc. for years, but I do have a few tips for this transitional period.

1. I notice that my skin gets dry in the summer after a lot of exposure to the sun, but winter brings on a whole new meaning of dry skin for me. What has been helping is putting Vaseline on my lips and under my eyes at night before bed. The skin under my eyes is super wrinkly and is prone to drying out quickly. In an attempt to prolong the inevitable, I try to keep that area moisturized well in general, but winter really does a toll on my skin. I also put a thick cream or lotion on my hands before going to bed as well because it's the longest time my skin won't be put through the ringer of being washed or sanitized. It just helps me to get ahead in the constant battle of moisturizing vs. drying. I also have bad allergies, so I will also put some Vaseline around my nose so it doesn't get chapped from blowing my nose. Vaseline carries a wonderful Cocoa Butter body lotion that I love and I just apply a little more than I would normally.
2. My hair. Oh, my hair. There are no words for my hair sometimes! Mostly, I focus on growing healthy hair and I do that by nourishing my scalp. I am constantly using random shampoos that I love, but have added Equate brand dandruff shampoo to my regular shampoo regimen. I lather my hair with my shampoo and before I rinse it, I take a dime size amount of the dandruff shampoo and rub it into my scalp. This technique really helps! In the past I have found myself blow drying my hair more when it's cold to avoid forming icicles from my hair follicles. Another tip is to turn the water heat down when rinsing your hair. I tend to use the shower as a way to warm up, so it can get quite hot. If I leave it hot when I wash my hair it dries my scalp out beyond repair. You can turn it back up after, I promise! This winter I have put my hair up in messy buns more than I have in the past and have used my blow dryer, straightener, and curling irons on my hair less, which has helped a great deal as well.
3. I'm fair skinned anyways, but I am super fair during the winter! I have been using the Olay CC Cream in Fair to Light, but I have recently accepted the fact that it's too dark now. I started mixing it in my hand with my bareMinerals Skin Rever Upper and apply the mixture to my face and neck like I normally would the CC Cream. Even though I'm using the same amount of each product, the Rever Upper really thins it out and it goes on a lot more smoothly. I have also changed my bareMinerals foundation from Medium to Fairly Medium. I have also stopped using my Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Bronzer on a daily basis. Sometimes I'll just lightly brush it all over to give myself some added warmth.

So, those are my tips! Thanks for reading! And stay warm!!

LOTD: Hunter Green

My makeup mess today:

I specifically wanted to try out this product:

This is what my eyes liked like with just LORAC Lt. Bronze on the lid and Urban Decay Loaded (from the Smoked palette) in the outer corner and crease:

Now with Sephora's Color Cube in Emerald over Loaded: 

Finished look:

I'll do a full review on this color cube once I see how it holds up through the day, but so far I'm impressed! This will be a great holiday look!