August Beauty Favorites

It's that time of the month again! Can you believe yet another month has come and gone?! It seems unreal to me that summer is on its way out & fall activities are sneaking upon us. Come Tuesday of next week, I officially start the ultrasound program & I couldn't be more excited. This week has been filled with orientations & preparations for next week. Also with back-to-school season comes football games, tailgating, and of course, fall fashion. I can't wait!

Today I wanted to share with you all the beauty products that I have been loving this month. Because of all the wedding related festivities & shall we say....'photo opportunities' that I encountered this month, I really geared my daily makeup routine towards products that left my skin looking flawless with full coverage & of course, great longevity (as opposed to last month when I went the minimalist route).

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Dim Light: I dust this powder all over my face to set my foundation. It leaves the most natural finish without adding that "powdered" look.

Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation: I love using this foundation when my skin has been clear. The formula is so smooth and weightless & has that natural matte finish that I love so much. 

Yes to Carrots Nourishing Wipes: I love this brand & have tried almost all of the different makeup remover wipes. The 'carrots' line is great for gentle cleansing & moisturizing.

Avene Thermal Spring Water: This French product came in one of my Ipsy bags & I use it daily to set my makeup and refresh throughout the day. 

MAC blush in Gentle

Bare Minerals Marvelous Moxie gloss in Dare Devil

Revlon ColorStay Moisture Stain in Parisian Passion

Serious obsession with berry/plum tones right now. They will transition perfectly into fall!

Orly polish in Prelude to a Kiss: I was happy to discover this light pink/nude polish. I love neutrals & find this color to pair perfect with any look. 

Urban Decay Perversion mascara: I received this sample of mascara in my monthly Ipsy bag & I will definitely be buying the full size when I finish up the ones I am currently using. It adds tons of volume to my lashes & doesn't clump. 

What beauty products were front runners for you this month? 

Thanks for reading! XOXO, Carrie

5 Things By Fall

I'm a bit of a list-maker. I constantly am jotting things down in my Notes app on my phone & always keep running lists of things I want/need to do. Not only to do I make lists for makeup to check out  when I make it to the mall and for groceries to pick up later in the week, but I also like to make lists of "fun" things to do... almost like a bucket list (with short term goals, that is). It's fun to constantly be setting goals for myself, because it results in a great feeling of satisfaction & accomplishment. Here's my current list:

Take a walk in a [new] neighborhood

Try a new & unique recipe from my pin board

Rock a bold lip in a color I think I'm scared to wear

Finish that book I've been meaning to tackle

Clean/organize a different part of my apartment each day for one week

Are you a list-maker? What things are on your fun list?

XO, Carrie

Hot & New

If you are like me, your Instagram is flooded with beauty gurus & fabulous bloggers. One of the major perks of being an Instagram junkie, is that it keeps me in the "know". I'm convinced that 90% of the things I find out about [social-wise] are conceived from Instagram. What's also great about this is that it allows me to find out about amazing products very early on! As I scour my news feed & YouTube subscriptions, I am always making note of the things I would love to check out when I head to the mall. Here are the hot new things I am currently drooling over.

As a fan of the original Naked palette and its preceding "sisters" if you will, over the years I have become a sucker for Urban Decay products. However, when the first version of the Naked Basics was launched, I really had no interest. The colors seemed [blah] to me. So naturally, I passed on picking it up. But, when I heard they were launching a second edition, I will admit I was excited. Now that the colors have been revealed & it is officially on sale, I can attest that I will definitely be getting my hands on this baby. It's the same slim little [travel sized] packaged palette, but contains matte, taupe neutrals. [Urban Decay Naked2 Basics]

YSL.. oohhh, my eyes cringe at the price tag. But this is a product I am very interested in getting a sample of. After seeing one of my fave beauty babes, Brianna Stanko, raving about this foundation, my attention was sparked. This long-wearing, featherweight, matte finish foundation sounds perfect for an oily skinned gal like me. [YSL Fusion Ink Foundation]

Can we say gorgeous? This unique disk-shaped, multi-use palette is one of kind. I've seen this in person and am over the moon for the blush color in the center and the beautiful purple tone shadows. It's limited edition, so if you would like it for yourself, be sure to grab it while you can! [Tarte Rainforest After Dark Eye & Cheek Palette]

To this day, I have not found the perfect primer for me. While I have purchased a few and don't dislike them, I am not completely sold. I have trouble figuring out what I should be targeting... my oil, my pores, my redness, etc. From what I have read, this new primer from Tarte looks great. Think pore diminishing, line filling, skin smoothing & firming. [Tarte Timeless Smoothing Primer]

I'm cheating a bit on this one. I got a sample of this in July ipsy Glam Bag. For a couple weeks, it kind of went unnoticed. Until one day I was cleaning and opened it for the first time. I have been using it ever since and am really impressed. It claims to be [10-in-1]... but I always find that to be a bit gimmicky. I like this mascara because it lengthens and volumizes without clumps. I will definitely be picking the full size version up when I use up the ones I am currently trying. [Bare Minerals Lash Domination Volumizing Mascara]

Those are the 5 hot & new things I have my eyes on! Have you scooped up any of these products? If so, let me know what you think!

I hope you all are having a great week & a fabulous month of August! :)

XO, Carrie