Weekend Moodboard

Hello & happy Saturday lovelies! What a gorgeous weekend we are having thus far- I'm loving the warmth in the air :) Today's quick post is to share my current "moodboard". These are things I am currently loving and being inspired by. 

Beautiful vibrant red poppies occupy a mint vase just perfectly.

Homemade fruit-cicles are on my list of things to try this spring & summer. Fill popsicle molds with your favorite fresh fruits and a favorite juice. I'm thinking I'll try coconut water. Freeze and enjoy! 

Blue suede heels have been on my radar for what seems like 6 months. While I fell for an SJP pair, they are simply of out of my price range. Finding the perfect [affordable] option is tough, but here is a great pair that I'm loving and will probably make their way into my closet. 

Jessica Simpson 

These spring nail and toe polish combos have me ready to bare my toes. I'm especially loving the coral/teal combo!

It Cosmetics launched a new palette [Naturally Pretty Vol. 1] that the YT world is going crazy over. Check out Tiffany's thoughts here. They swatch beautifully, and I can see myself using this all spring and summer. Versatile palettes are great for travel, which is great for me, as I plan to spend the majority of my summer at our lake house. 

As the warmer weather is on the horizon, I am itching to get outside and be active. I love my gym, but there is something about a nice run in the fresh air. [I have a 5K coming up in a couple weeks!] Another thing I am looking forward to is finding some great stairs in town to run. It's no LA climb, but I think it will work ;)

What are you all up to this weekend? Tonight my good friend Laura is hosting a murder mystery party... Sin City theme! 30+ people are on the guest list and the casted guest list sounds hilarious. Burke and I were given the roles of the Senator and Senator's socialite wife.  I've got bold lashes and red lips planned. Its bound to be a fun night! This is the reason I won't be attending the Iowa Blogger coffee date tomorrow :( Hope to see some of you there next month though!

Follow me on Instagram [@carrieberschman] for more fun pictures!

XO- Carrie

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! :)

Flawless Foundation Favorites

Today I am bringing you what I think is the most absolute, flawless foundation and application method. For those of you that have been following me for a while now, you will know that the Make Up For Ever Mat Velvet+ foundation is kinda my HG (holy grail) foundation since I am very oily, and it is very matte. However, in the summer, I think it is okay to look a little more dewey and natural. I really love the Loreal True Match Lumi, but it can be a little hard to work with a times because it is "luminous". So I set out to find the perfect foundation that I could wear on days I want to look more flawless, than matte. Hopefully that makes sense. Little did I know, the foundation I'd been looking for was right in front of me. While I was in San Francisco last March, I took home a very generous sample of the Dior Forever Flawless foundation. I fell in love. But what I didn't fall in love with was the price tag. Time passed and I forgot about the amazing foundation I had once tried. Upon cleaning a couple weeks back, I found the sample container, used the foundation that day, and had a light bulb moment that this was the foundation I had been searching for. Ok, so maybe this is a little dramatic sounding... BUT I promise you, this stuff is like gold...or cocaine...how ever you want to look at it ;) I find it funny that I had set out to find a "flawless" foundation and flawless is in the product name of this one. That must mean it's meant to be. Can you pick up that I'm obsessed...? Good. 

Now, on to the application. I almost always use my Sigma F80 flat top kabuki brush for foundation. It's the best brush I've found, and I love it for the Dior as well. However, a few months back, I picked up an original Beauty Blender. Let me tell you, these two go together like peanut butter and jelly. No joke. The formula of the "flawless" foundation combined with a damp applicator creates the most beautiful, almost airbrushed look. The best thing about both of these products is that while the Beauty Blender applies a very sheer amount, the foundation is build-able to your desired coverage.

If you have been looking for the perfect natural foundation, I would recommend you this! And yes, I realize Dior is a little on the pricer side, but if you get color matched and find the perfect shade for yourself, you will be pleased to see that this product will last you a very long time. The bottle is 1.0 fl oz, contains SPF 25 and has a pump, which is always nice! 

(I am shade 032 Rosy Beige (warm medium beige/ for medium complexions with pink undertones) in the DiorSkin Forever Flawless foundation.)

Do you have a secret application method for getting a flawless look?

XO, Carrie

What I'm Reading + Bloglovin'

image via Stephanie Sterjovski

Once again, a week has gone by since my last post. Because of the holiday falling in the middle of the week, I decided to take a good portion of the week off, away from school and "real life" and spend it at our lake home. I had SO much fun with friends and family and was sad to head back home. But now that it is Sunday, I am recuperating from all the sun I got, and I finally have time to put my feet up and chat with all of you!

In the last couple of weeks, I've had several friends ask me which blogs I read and how I find out about them. So I thought today's post would be a great chance to give you a list of my "daily reads" and how I keep track of remembering them all. 

First and foremost, if you are a blog reader like myself, the app (or website) Bloglovin' is a must! I simply downloaded the app on my iPhone, searched for the blogs I love, and in a snap of a finger, they are saved to your list and new posts show up for you to read when they're available! How easy is that? 

Besides my beloved TiffanyD, whom I found on YouTube, I have discovered the rest of these blogs either from other fellow bloggers or on Instagram.

Moving on, these are the blogs and websites I follow and love...

MakeupByTiffanyD

Freutcake

Honey We're Home

*A Thoughtful Place

*Stephanie Sterjovski

Pearls and Lace

Beautygirl24

Lilly's Style

The Everygirl

Hey Gorgeous

Style Me Pretty

Perfectly Coutured

Possessionista

Lauren Conrad

Emily Maynard

* indicates my newest obsessions ;)

Alright, so this list is pretty long. But I truly do follow all of them and ready them weekly! So I encourage you to click on each of them and check them out. They just might turn out to be your favorite as well. Each and every blog I have come across and thrown into my mental favorites list is so unique in its own way and delivers its own purpose. However, I do have a trending theme in the blogs I love...think fashion, beauty, design & lifestyle. 

The world of blogs and bloggers continues to grow and I love making new discoveries! What are your favorite blogs to follow? I'd love to know!

XO, Carrie

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