Ulta Purchases

If you read my last post on the It Cosmetics Naturally Pretty Vol. 1 palette, you may have seen me mention that Ulta is offering 20% off your entire purchase. I believe this is for all Club members (with some exceptions??) Check your inbox for the email! :) Even though I had just made a few good purchases at Sephora from the VIB sale, I thought I better take advantage of the discount at Ulta and pick up some things that are sold there too.

Here's what came home with me...

New love... In tube form.

It's a 10 Miracle Deep Conditioner with Keratin

Fekkai Brilliant Glossing styling creme 

St. Tropez Bronzing Lotion for the face

Peter Thomas Roth FirmX Peeling Gel

In the past, I once tried the It's a 10 leave-in treatment. I loved it. However, I went through the bottle so fast and couldn't justify buying the large [& pricey] bottle. After trying out new products over time, I had forgotten about it. A few weeks ago, when I purchased the It Cosmetics palette, they gifted me a free small bottle of the leave in treatment I once loved a few years ago. How exciting! So I have been using that after I shower. I recently had also finished up my hair mask I'd been using and was on the hunt for a new one. So after some searching around, I thought it would only make sense to try the deep conditioner that accompanied it. 

This Fekkai styling creme was a complete impulse buy. I wasn't necessarily looking for another hair product, but after reading the back label that listed the benefits and enjoying the scent, I couldn't resist. It has really good ingredients too, which I love! 

When I made my VIB purchases at Sephora, I got a sample of the St. Tropez face tanner. I must admit, I have kind of been on a self-tan kick. I banned myself from tanning beds, [because let's be honest, it's awful for you] but still love looking bronzed. And because it might be a while until I get some natural color, I am all about rubbing my tan on. I personally don't like applying the St. Tropez mousse [my fave] to my face. The lotion for your face however, is great! It's essentially like a moisturizer that gives you some glow. Don't worry, it won't clog your pores. When my sample ran out, I knew I wanted to pick this up. I will be using it all summer long! :)

Last, but not least, I picked up this craaaazy peel. Thanks to Ivy at Wake Up For Makeup for recommending this product! I have been all about peels lately too. I think they are great for dull and textured skin [especially after a breakout]. When you rub this on your clean, dry skin, you can see the dead skin cells ball up and come off your face right before your eyes. If you are in the market for a new peel, I would give this a go! 

Have you tried any of these products?


Happy Thursday! :)

Naturally Pretty

Hello! It's already Wednesday! This week seems to be going crazy fast. I've been swamped with studying for quizzes, handing in papers, and preparing for my finals that are in 2 weeks. I keep wondering how that is possible??

Today I am bringing you my thoughts on the It Cosmetics Naturally Pretty Palette. I have had this palette for a couple of weeks now and it's all that I have been reaching for.

Take a look...

I can't say I am a fan of the nude foam packaging. My seems to already show some wear. 

Here is the description on the back of the palette.

Size comparison to the Urban Decay Naked3 palette

A first peak inside to the beautiful shadows...

Close up of the 8 shadows on the left half

Close up of the 7 shadows on the right half

Another shot of the gorgeous shadows inside the palette. 

If I had to sum this palette up in just a few words, I'd say, "They nailed it!" I have fallen in love with this pretty matte palette. I knew this palette would be up my alley, because I really had been wanting to incorporate more matte shades into my looks. For everyday, shimmer & frosted shades aren't always the look I'm going for. And in my palettes that do have a few matte shades, I most likely hit pan on them a long time ago. However, these aren't chalky, flakey matte shades. They are velvety and rich. They apply beautifully and have minimal to no fall out. Have I sold you yet? 

What else is great is that the shade range is unlike any other palette. I wouldn't consider it rose, taupe, gold, any of that. It's perfect because it hits all of those categories. I am convinced you can create just about any look with this palette. Major selling point in my book.

Last but not least, it includes a shade called "Transforming Pearl" (bottom right), that you can mix with or apply over top any shade in the palette to create a more pearlescent sheen. How cool, right? I have been wearing these shadows nearly every day since I purchased it. I see myself wearing this all spring and summer long.  I could go on and on, but I'll spare you!

This can be purchased at Ulta (20% off entire purchase for club members!) as well as QVC (on sale now!) If you have held out on any of the Naked palettes because it wasn't exactly what you were looking for, I recommend you check this palette out. 

As always, thanks for reading!

Spring Picks

Paper to Petal: a fun, little whimsical book teaching paper flower crafts by hand // Bubble Cocktail Glasses: perfect for champagne, bringing sparkle to any occasion [i'm thinking my upcoming birthday might need these!] // Elephant Phyla Hook: a quirky little hook to hang a pretty scarf or statement necklace // Pacifica Malibu Lemon Lotion Wipes: get moisture in seconds when and wherever you need // Milano Dot Fedora: get some shade on a perfect, sunny day at the lake // Kate Spade Gayla Sunnies: fun, oversized, tortoise shades are a must this Spring // Frank Coffee Scrub: caffeine & essential oils will target cellulite, stretch marks, and eczema, as well as smooth and exfoliate your skin  

I hope you all are having a great week!

XO, Carrie

Freshen Up

Making time for the gym is hard. It messes up your shower schedule, makes for more laundry, and if the only time you have is in between appointments or classes, the last thing you want to do is sweat. But, if that's the time that works best for you, here are some quick tips to freshen up post-workout, keeping you feeling clean and put together the remainder of the day. 

1. Wipes. These aren't just for babies! Keeping a package of cleansing wipes in your gym bag is great if you are opting out of a quick rinse in the shower. Wipe away your sweat [and makeup] so you don't have to worry about it later. 
2. Dry shampoo. This is quite possibly the best beauty invention. A quick spray absorbs oils from your hair so you aren't left with that oily hair we all despise. 
3. Headbands. Not sure what to do with your hair after a workout? Throw on a headband for an easy, put together look. 
4. Fresh breath. Carry a toothbrush or breath mints in your gym bag. This will help you feel even more freshened up and the mint will help cool your body temperature. 
5. Cute workout gear. Depending on where you are going after the gym, wear cute gym clothes that can easily transition from sweat to street. Let's be honest, cute gym clothes are also a motivator to go to the gym in the first place, right?

I would include deodorant and body spray, but that's a given. ;)

What else do you carry in your gym bag?

XO, Carrie

All About Brows

In the past, I have posted about my favorite brow products and have basically confessed my obsession with eyebrows. They're one of those things that I notice right away on people. I truly believe they better frame your face and pull just about any makeup look together. Whether you have 'barely there' blonde brows or super black brows, you can benefit from using the correct brow products. I don't even remember when I started filling in and gelling my brows... but I'm glad I started. 

Here are some of my favorite brows...

See what I mean about framing the face? 

So today I am breaking down the steps I take to get that sculpted brow we all know and love. Here are the products you will need:

double ended spooly/flat definer brush

Anastasia Dip Brow Pomade [this is the essential product to really shaping your brows]

concealer [use one the same shade as your skin]

clear [or tinted] brow gel

tweezers

small beauty scissors

This is a great diagram to consider if you have a lot of hairs to pluck 

OR don't have much to follow when filling them in. 

Step one: comb your brows into their best shape. [trim long hairs if you need to.]

Step two: dip small brush into pomade, getting the smallest amount onto your brush. this stuff is super pigmented so it's better to start with a little and build it up as needed.

Step three: starting at the bottom, use small stroking motions to apply the product, following the natural shape of your brow.

Step four: focus the darkest shading at the tail of the brow, this will look the most natural

Step five: flick the brush upwards to fill in the rest of the hairs [you can trace along the top as well, however, this really darkens the look and isn't necessary for every day.]

Step six: run through your brows with the spooly again to diffuse and blend the color you just applied.

Step seven: set brows with a clear [or tinted] brow gel.

Step eight: pluck any stray hairs that fall outside the filled in shape you just created. [doing this after will prevent over plucking.]

step nine: using a concealer in the same shade as your skin [or slightly lighter if you want to highlight], run a small concealer brush under the bottom of your brow to sculpt and intensify the shape of your brow. this also helps clean up any smudging or mistakes you may have made.

And that's it! You now have perfectly shaped & sculpted brows. I believe the trick is to follow the shape of how your brows naturally grow. People tend to get scared thinking about filling in their brows and end up skipping this step, because they think it means drawing on scary, dark brows that don't fit your face. When done correctly, filled in brows are the key to a pulled together makeup look!

What products do you use to get your perfect brows?

via here, here, & here

White Denim

While I kind of am a stickler on the "no jeans before memorial day/after labor day rule", this season I feel like breaking it. Now that the snow has melted, I am feeling the urge to fold up my dark wash skinnies and trade them in for my bright whites. I personally love how polished white denim can look [when fitted properly]. I already have one great pair I love, but I would like another pair that has some distressing. 

Here's the look I'm wanting to put into my closet!

Blouse || Jeans || Shoes || Necklace

images via