9/8/14

Cranberry Fall Makeup Look

I never thought I would be saying this, but I am ready for fall. This past weekend gave us a glimpse of that crisp air we all know & love come autumn. And I'm ready for more of it! Along with cooler temps, football tailgating, and cardigans, I am all over fall inspired make up looks. Think cranberry, burgundy, gold...colors that scream this turn of seasons. So today I am sharing with you an eye look that is perfect for a special event in the upcoming months. With berry eyes, cheeks, and lips, this look has it all. Enjoy!


Start with primed eyes. Sweep a neutral transition color all over the lid. This will help with blending the darker shadows we use next. 


Using the shade 'Garnet' from the Lorac Pro palette, pack the color all over the lid.
Add 'Deep Purple' into the outer corner.
Blend through the crease with a mix of 'Espresso' and 'Sable'.
Apply a touch of 'Lt. Bronze' to the inner corner.


Apply a thin wing to the top of the lash line with your favorite liquid eyeliner.
Apply your favorite mascara.
Fill in brows as needed.


After perfecting your complexion with your favorite foundation & concealers, apply a berry-toned blush. I used Gentle by MAC. I skipped contouring & went straight to a bold cheek. 
Apply a cranberry colored lipstick. I chose Amorous by MAC. 



The completed look.


A close up of the essentials for this look.



Products used:



What makeup looks are you excited to try this fall?

Thanks for reading! XO, Carrie

First Impression: Lash Domination

Today I am bringing you my initial thoughts on the Bare Minerals Lash Domination mascara. To be honest, I wasn't expecting to like this product. Prior to receiving a deluxe sized sample, I hadn't heard anything about this particular mascara. When I first opened the tube, I noticed the formula was very wet, similar to the Buxom Lash mascara that people went crazy over years back. But what intrigued me was the unique twisted-spindle brush. I decided to throw it in my basket of samples and things to try, hoping it would "dry up" a bit before I gave it a fair chance. When I opened it up again after a week or two, I decided to give it a go. I will admit, I was very, very impressed! Think volume that of Covergirl Lash Blash + drama of Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill + separation of Loreal Telescopic! This product claims to be a "do-it-all mascara for larger-than-life lashes". Here is my experience with one coat on clean lashes:


I love that this mascara can be built up for extra flare without severe clumping. I choose feather-y lashes over clumpy lashes any day. One of the perks of this mascara is that it doesn't have too hefty of a price point. You can purchase this at Ulta or Sephora for $18. I will for sure be picking up this full-size mascara! [This week only @ Ulta, get Bare Minerals mascaras 50% off as it is part of the 21 Days of Beauty event.]


Here is a close up of the unique wand!


Have you checked out this new mascara? If so, what are your thoughts? If not, what mascara would you recommend to me?


Thanks for reading! XO, Carrie


9/4/14

Back on Track



The week has finally arrived. I am officially on my new journey that I have been anticipating for the last year. I can honestly say that even after the first three days, I still have no idea what to expect. While I want to be challenged and have unpredictable things thrown my way, I can't help but feel a sense of anxiety creep up on me. 

My whole life, I've always had a vision for myself. I have a faint picture in my mind of how I want my life to be & what I long for my future to hold. But of course, the path to getting there is what's fuzzy. It seems as if each week, I am thrown a new curveball that challenges my thinking towards my future. You're probably thinking, yes Carrie, this is normal!

But this semester, in the midst of clinical rotations & a hefty classroom workload, I am striving to "stay on track". In the past, typically once a semester, I find myself at a breaking point, for various reasons. Whether it is due to stress, lack of seeing girl friends, out of balance with eating healthy/working out, etc I found a way to let the pressure & emotions break me down. I know that these pressures are somewhat inevitable to avoid, so my goal is stay on track this semester & do a better job of remembering to do the things that I love. We can't let a portion of our life dictate another portion. I think it is important to find a balance between everything we have going on but still be looking forward to our goals. 

Are you like me and are often frazzled by the amount of things you love to do but can't always find the time to do them? If so, let me know how you manage to stay on track!


XO, Carrie

9/2/14

August Non-Beauty Favorites

Hello September! I trust you all had a fabulous Labor Day and took advantage of your day off! If you saw my post about a week ago, I got a head start and posted my beauty favorites from the month of August. At the end of each month, I love sharing the products that I reached for all month long...because this is a beauty blog. However, I like to mix it up sometimes. So today, I thought it would be fun to share with you all the things I have been loving the past month that are non-beauty related. {Yes, I do buy & enjoy other things besides makeup... ;)} Here we go!


How adorable are these little bow-tied paper clips?! I saw the idea on Instagram & had to pick up some ribbon for myself. I made a whole bunch & have been putting them to use all around the house. These will especially come in handy for school!



One of my bad habits is buying organization type items. Including journals, notebooks, pens, pencils, you get the point. Luckily, being a student, I get more practical use out of these items than you might think. Anyway, this Myndology notebook is a fave. The pages are crispy & incredibly durable compared to the average Mead notebook. You can also buy refills when you've used up all of the pages. I love to use this notebook for list making! To accompany this notebook, I have been obsessed with the Sharpie stylo pens. They are exactly like the original Sharpie pens {that don't bleed}, but with a more comfortable-to-hold style. 



Fall of Giants by Ken Follett. That is all I really need to say. Excellent book. If you are a history buff, I recommend checking this out! I'm now on to the second book in the trilogy. 



Voluspa Santiago Huckleberry candle. A forever favorite. Nearly 3 years ago, I picked up this scent at Anthropolgie & completely fell in love. I have now gone through 3 of the larger jars & am nearly half gone with this adorable mini jar. {They last over 100 hours...no joke.} 



I received this Hot Tools curling iron as a Christmas gift this past year & it quickly became a staple for me. It is 1 1/4" in size and has the beautiful rainbow barrel. This curling iron gives me the loose curls that I love!



For the duration of the Summer I carried a small cream envelope clutch simply out of sheer convenience. I like the idea of carrying little to nothing in the summer...because who wants to lug around extra weight when it's hot out? Not me. But because Fall is nearly here, I knew it was time for a great Fall transition bag. {I already have a black bag I love for the Winter months!} I saw this Fossil handbag a couple months ago in the store and kept it in my mind as an option. I then scoured the internet for some other options and kept going back to this Sydney Satchel. When I got an email from Fossil with a discount code, I knew it was meant to be. This bag is perfect! 



All Spring I was on the hunt for the perfect ring to wear on my middle finger. To me, there is only a certain kind of ring that looks good on the middle finger. I didn't think I wanted any color in it, but after a little inspiration from my dear friend Leah, my opinion was swayed. So after searching high and low, I found this beaut at a department store. Of course I wanted real silver {no one likes tarnishing} and the precious stone makes it a touch more special. Hello new obsession! 



What are these favorites worth if I don't include a little something for those with a sweet tooth? ;) I personally am not huge into sweets/chocolate/etc. My eyes are big for chips, crackers, that sort of thing. However, there is nothing wrong with keeping a few sweet things around the house...just in case. This chocolate bar with hazelnuts is divine. Keep this in your fridge and break off a square when you deserve it! I find this particular brand at Whole Foods. 



So that's it! I hope you enjoyed a little break from the beauty-related madness! What random products have you been crushing on this past month? 


Thanks for reading! XO, Carrie