Buying Guide: 24 Products for the Beauty Obsessed

THE TRUTH

I can't hardly begin to tell you how many times I have been asked what my all time favorite       is when it comes to beauty products. "What item of makeup could you never live without?" Unfortunately, there is never one magical, gleaming answer that will leave any given person feeling satisfied, as if they have been lead on to some big secret. Honestly, no product is "one size fits all" or a product that would be "holy grail" for each and every single one of us. So today I am here to give you advice for purchasing makeup & forming an appropriate makeup collection suitable to YOU!

This list breaks down the 24 things I think all beauty obsessed gals should be able to find in their makeup bag. These things will allow you to create any given makeup look, any day of the week, at any hour without carrying a 20 lb. trunk of supplies. This guide is to help budget and help decipher what is essential and what is not. 

THE LIST 

1. Moisturizer- suitable to your skins needs
2. Foundation- liquid or powder- with a finish and coverage that you enjoy on a day to day basis
3. Powder- translucent to set all of your foundation and concealer
4. Under eye concealer- in a shade or two lighter than your skin to brighten and color correct
5. Blemish concealer- in a shade that matches your skin to cover acne marks and discoloration
6. Bronzer- a matte powder that can double as an all-over bronzer and a contour shade
7. Blush- in a wearable, everyday shade (i.e. NARS Madly)
8. Eyebrow pencil- a shade or two lighter than your eyebrow hairs
9. Eyeshadow primer- somethings your shadow can stick to
10. Versatile eyeshadow palette- a shade range that can give you any look, day & night
11. Eyeliner- liquid or pencil- black or brown
12. Mascara- buildable, volumizing formula in black or brown black
13. Chapstick or lip conditioner- essential for locking in moisture
14. Lipstick- for whatever mood you are feeling
15. Lip gloss- a shade that looks good with any look
16. Foundation brush or sponge- for an even, flawless application 
17. Powder brush- large and fluffy to lightly and evenly distribute product
18. Bronzer brush- medium sized and somewhat dense to sweep color onto key places of the face
19. Blush brush- angled and soft to give your cheeks a flush of color
20. Eyeshadow brush(es)- you choose how many you need for each function
21. Tweezer- you never know when you might want to get rid of a stray hair
22. Small scissors- this will come in handy for than you know
23. Spooly- for combing out brows and lashes
24. Eyelash curler (optional)- curling your lashes help to open your eyes

BUYING TIPS

TIP #1: Every time you watch a YT video or skim a magazine and see something you might be interested in, type it down in your phone. Over time, your list will grow, often times, leading to duplicates of things you might like to try. If you continually see you want to try a coral lip and a golden highlighter, those are the perfect things for you to eventually purchase. This will help prevent you from purchasing too many products you might not need in your collection. (For those who aren't beauty hoarders anyway.) 

TIP #2: Go with your gut! I once was on the hunt for the perfect rose lipstick. There was a perfect shade by NARS that put a smile on my face when I applied it. But, I opted to seek a cheaper alternative and came home with, what I thought was a dupe, from the drugstore for about $7. I soon found it wasn't what I wanted and went on the hunt for other dupes. After several purchases, I realized I had already spend as much as the perfect option from NARS would have cost me. Lesson learned. 

TIP #3: If you have a large collection of makeup, learn to rotate the products you are using frequently. This will help you to use up more product and also help you preserve those coveted items you have, rather than using them up right away. It can be fun to save certain items for "special occasions"!


XO, Carrie

picture via pinterest

Beauty Organization

From past posts, you may know that I have a little desk that I store my makeup on [and in]. Over the course of the last few months, I really have been trying to better organize my stash collection, allowing me to be able to see what I all have and use it all regularly. [I'm such a visual person!] But, its tough. I'm on a college girl budget, working literally one time a month (womp, womp), so large, fancy organizers are not in my foreseeable future. Instead, I like to find other items to put to use. 

I found this clear plastic office drawer organizer at TJ Maxx for $7.99 and it fits my small desk drawer perfectly. Beforehand, I wasn't utilizing this drawer for makeup storage. It was mostly filled with receipts, post its, and other clutter... Now it houses my most used blushes, eyeshadow duos, brow products and various tools & brushes.

Moving into the bathroom, I found this little mirrored tray at Target for $9.99 (temporary markdown) and it is now the new home for my 5 little pretty friends. While they looked fine without the tray, I love the touch of glam this tray adds as well as making the perfumes look and feel "grouped". If that makes sense? 

Next up are these two little wooden crates I found at TJ Maxx for $5.99 each. Beforehand, I was using a wicker basket to hold all of these items collectively, and lets just say it was always a hot mess after getting ready. So I moved the wicker basket to house lotions, self tanner, nail polish remover and my back stock of shampoo, body wash, etc. under the sink.

One basket holds all my skincare products and the other holds my hair products. Again, because I am such a visual person, this really helps me see all the items I have and helps me use them all more frequently. So these baskets have been great!

Here is a better look at how things are currently organized, with my new containers. I personally don't like that this is starting to look like the leaning tower of beauty hoarders paradise...but my bathroom is exceptionally tiny [literally no counter space], and I'm working with what I got.

The 'over-the-toilet thing' (what the heck is this called?) is from Target.
Acrylic q-tip and cotton pad holders are from Amazon-- so cheap and handy!
Mirror is from Target.


What makes great organization pieces for you?
If you have any tips/tricks for me, please let me know! :)


Find me on Twitter & Instagram: @carrieberschman

Spring Shopping

Hello again my fabulous friends! Spring is nearly here, and I'm beyond ready to bare my arms [mostly because I've been toning them] and pack up my boots for storage! It's safe to say I have Spring fever. Like a really bad case of it...and luckily the last week has allowed me to shed a few layers!

With all of that said, I have been doing some cleaning around my apartment [took a bunch of stuff from my closet to the Goodwill sale @ Younkers-- where do you like to take your gently used items?] and thus I have another reason to believe I need to shop. ;) 

I definitely don't shop for too many trendy, flashy items. When it comes to everyday, I am all about dressing fashionably basic. Each season, I like to incorporate some new pieces that reflect this. But mostly, I was on the hunt for some more casual tees. Here is what I found on a recent little venture out to the mall. 

These red flats came from Target and were on sale for $11.98.

These laser cut flats came from Gap. [Did you see my trend post? I was clearly on point!] 

PLEASE notice the price tag and gasp in amazement.

I can't hardly type this without feeling silly...but they were also an additional 30% off. WUT?

My bestie over at A Hammer & Heels recently posted a picture on instagram of her new neon yellow flats and I was immediately obsessed, so when I saw these, I knew they had to be mine.

Just a cute little elephant tee from Target :)

These two basic tops came from Gap as well. The fit is perfect & most importantly, they were 40% off!

Here is a better view on the model:

I also, for some reason, thought I needed another Lulu jacket. 

I am in love with it.

SHOP:

Target flats || Gap flats- good option here || Target elephant tee- similar here and here || Gap tees || Lululemon jacket- options here 

Happy Wednesday! 

Who will cheering for in the NCAA tournament that kicks off this week? I'm rooting for my home team, ISU, all the way! :)

Stripes for Spring

I recently saw on The Glitter Guide a post on stripes and all the ways you can wear them for spring. I am a stripe lover. My closet contains lots of stripes and neutrals. So hearing that stripes are in (aren't they always?) made me want to do some hunting on my own for all the ways you can incorporate stripes into your wardrobe this spring...and always! 

Take a look at what I came up with!

IN A SKIRT:

ON A DRESS:

AS A JACKET OR BLAZER:

IN A SCARF:

ON YOUR SHOES:

Now that you have seen the inspiration, check out what I've found in stores NOW! 

[With a few exceptions, everything is under $50.]

Skirts: ASOS, Boohoo

Dresses: Forever 21, ASOS

Jackets: Macy's, Target (love this!), Amazon

Scarves: ModCloth, Etsy

Shoes: ModCloth, Gap, Nordstrom

How will you be wearing stripes this Spring?

XO, Carrie

images via pinterest

Fabulous Flats

As of late, I am obsessing over colored and printed flats. Mostly because I am itching for spring, but also because I find them to be my favorite style of shoe. Not only are they comfortable and functional, but they also can be worn dressy or casual. For most of my [style-aware] portion of life, I have never been one hot after funky and trendy shoes. But after wearing my few favorites to pieces complete destruction, I decided it probably wouldn't hurt to add a few more pairs into my rotation.

Red & purple// Banana Republic (similar here)

Navy studded// Target (similar here and here)

Olive camo// Banana Republic (similar here & here) 

I have to mention, I got all of these flats on MEGA sale. I didn't pay over $20 for any of these! 

Now all thats left is some warmer weather, please! ;)

Hope you all are having a great week.

XO, Carrie

Beauty Bits: When to Save $$$

When it comes to skincare and beauty products, there are definitely categories you should head right to the drugstore for. The drugstore is FILLED with great options waiting to be discovered. Just because it's less costly and not in fancy gold plated packaging doesn't mean it doesn't contain great ingredients. These are four products that I always pick up at the drugstore and will continue to purchase again and again. 

What are your drugstore go-tos? 

XO, Carrie

Spotlight: Laser Cut

My Inspiration

My Finds

I'm a fan of Pinterest. It's a great source for inspiration, and I love that it helps me make some "fashion risks" I might not normally take. Another great thing about Pinterest is that it offers up knowledge for what trends are hot & happening. I've found myself loving the look of laser cut details.  I ventured over to Sole Society and noticed they are on board with the trend too. 

Booties [here], Shoulder Bag [here], Sandals [here], Oversized Ring [here], Tassel Necklace [here]

What trends for this coming Spring are you loving? 

XO, Carrie

images via pinterest & sole society

Worth the Hype

Across blogs, YouTube videos, beauty stores, and magazines, we often tend to see the same products that everyone seems to have or want. But the real question we can't answer without purchasing the products and bringing them home is IF they are worth the hype. Well today, I am bringing you my personal opinions on a few "hyped up" products that I, myself own and will be letting you know if I think they are worth purchasing. 

Urban Decay Naked 1 & 2

Do I recommend it? Yes.

Why? I love these palettes. They are very versatile and great for traveling. That being said, I don't think you really need both, so pick one. They have their differences, but I think you could get away with just owning one or the other. I'm not going to go into too much detail with these because I have an entire blog post dedicated to these palettes. You can read it here. :)

Clarisonic 

Do I recommend it? Yes.

Why? To put it into terms, the Clarisonic is like an electric tooth brush for your face. The sonic vibrations give you a deeper clean than you ever could manually do with your hands or a wash cloth. It cleans deep into your skin, bringing all your toxins to the surface. I know many people claim that the Clarisonic breaks them out, but if you give it a chance to fully deep clean your skin for a few weeks, I think you will be amazed with the results. My skin is LOVING it. 

Beauty Blender

Do I recommend it? Maybe.

Why? While the Beauty Blender is a great new tool for applying makeup, I can't say that I would choose it exclusively over my Sigma foundation brush. If you like applying makeup with sponges, this is definitely something I would recommend. Don't purchase a knock off either, pay the $19 and get this brand. It is far better than the el cheapo ones from Ulta and Target. 

NARS Orgasm Blush

Do I recommend it? For the money, no.

Why? Don't get me wrong, I love NARS Orgasm and have repurchased it in the past. However, I think you can buy a lot more with your $34. If you love Orgasm, but don't want to foot the bill, check out NYX Pinched blush. It is a very close dupe, and runs for about $6 at Ulta!

CHI Silk Infusion

Do I recommend it? Yes.

Why? This might be the only hair product that I have ever owned that I've used and noticed a difference in my hair. And that says a lot. I used to be hair product junkie, but never found myself repurchasing any of the things I thought I HAD to have. It makes my hair so silky and strong feeling. I always apply it to damp hair and sometimes again when I am done styling. While this oil is a bit on the pricey side, this will last you wayyyyyyy longer than you think it will. I feel like I've had mine so long it might go bad on me. 

Do you own any "hyped up" products that are worth purchasing? 

I hope you all have had a great Monday! :)

Goodbye Dark Circles!

MAC: Macy's // MAC: Macy's // MAYBELLINE: Target // BOBBI BROWN: Nordstrom // COVERGIRL: Target

Even on days that I am just hanging around the house or running a few errands, I still like to wear a little concealer under my eyes to keep things looking fresh and bright. Whether you have the dreaded dark circles from a late night studying or a fun night out with the girls, we all need a little something to not let our tiredness show. With a lot of recent experimenting, I have really grown to love under eye products, as they really can change the look of our awake-ness. I personally like to CORRECT and then CONCEAL. On days I look extra tired, I like to add a pink-toned brightener. Correctors are typically yellow-toned and when applied, will help neutralize the darkness. A skin toned concealer over top is necessary to blend in and better match your under eye to the rest of your face. 

MAC Prolongwear Concealer- I use shade NC20. NC shades have yellow undertones, which is the opposite of my NW shade foundation. This stuff is great. Its long wearing, full coverage, and a little goes a long way. 

MAC Prep+Prime Highlighter- I use Radiant Rose. This pink toned highlighter is great for layering over your normal concealer when you want a little more of a brightened look. It can also be worn alone for a natural and glowing look, as it is a sheerer product.

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser- This does the same trick as the Prep+Prime, with a bit creamier formula. Great drug store alternative!

Bobbi Brown Concealer Kit- This duo is everything that you need! It comes with the pale yellow corrector and your choice shade of concealer. The formula is thick but doesn't settle into fine lines, which is a big plus. 

Covergirl & Olay Simply Ageless Corrector- This yellow toned corrector is high end quality. When applied directly under the eye and in the inner corner, your dark circles are neutralized  and will stay that way all day. 

***When using under eye correctors and concealers, it is important to remember that less is more. Over using and caking on the products will age you very quickly. To blend all of these products in, I use either my ring finger or the Sigma F86. 

What are your favorite products for the under eye area? Do you have any tricks to share?

XO, Carrie