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

Sephora VIB Sale

If you are a Beauty Insider member with Sephora, you may know that the VIB Rouge sale is currently taking place. Sephora offers a few select sales each year [Friends + Family and Beauty Insider], usually offering up to 15% off all merchandise. I logged into my Sephora account and saw that starting April 3rd, [this Thursday] VIB members will be able to get 15% off too! 

We all know that Sephora is my weakness. I like to think of it as my comfort zone. Maybe it's because I live less than a mile away from one? However, I love stopping in every few weeks and checking out all the new products.

And because I love it SO much, I especially love when they run a sale. Every little bit helps, right?

As of late, I'm totally thinking ahead to makeup for the summer. I picture myself rocking an orange lip, paired with intensely bronzed cheeks. [Think date night!] Here are the items I have on my wish list and will definitely be considering when the sale begins:

NARS eyeshadow base || Lancome Lip Lover || Sephora Z Palette || 

NARS The Multiple || Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer || Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick 

If you qualify for VIB status, use the code "VIBTICKET" from April 3-April 11 to receive 15% off.

Enjoy the sale!

XO, Carrie

Post-Acne Marks

Hello again ladies! I hope you all have been enjoying this beautiful week...at least here in Iowa it has been! So nice to finally see some sunshine and feel that change in the air in the morning. 

Today I want to share with you, what I think is, an outstanding product; a product that has truly helped my skin and has made noticeable changes. What I'm talking about is the Murad Rapid Age Spot and Pigment Lightening Serum..long title, I know. 

I discovered this at Sephora and took a sample of it home a couple months back. While the sample was too small to notice any changes, I did some research online and read reviews on Makeup Alley about this serum. So when the sample ran out completely, I took the plunge and purchased it. 

At night, after I have cleansed and toned my face, I apply a thin layer to my "targeted area". For me, this is my chin. Hormonal breakouts are my #1 problem [next to oil/pores]. Some might consider me lucky to get acne in only one concentrated area, but I still see it as troublesome. Because it always leaves behind a little a lot of evidence. By that I mean, scars or post-acne marks. To me, a scar is when it changes the texture too (like an indentation). My skin is fair enough that even after the raised bump has gone away, the purplish mark sticks around forever, definitely over-staying its welcome. 

So I wear this to bed, followed by my normal moisturizer. I also like to put this around my temples and down onto the tops of my cheeks where I have some sun spots and freckles. 

I've had it for a month and have used about an 1/8 of the bottle.

Ok, so here is a shot of what my chin looks like now after using it for a month. I wish I would have taken a before photo. But I assure you my purple marks have lightened into a more reddish shade, and definitely are starting to fade [much faster] than normal. Not to mention, some of these little marks have been there for half of a year. So any progress is fine with me!

If you are struggling with post acne marks, age sports, hyper pigmentation, etc, I would definitely recommend you try this out!

Want to check out it out for yourself? Find it here!

How to Choose Skincare Products

These two steps are key. Knowing your skin type (which isn't too hard to figure out) and what concerns you want to focus on will make it easier to find products suitable for you. [Different products & treatments are typically made specific for target concerns and particular skin types, so buy them appropriately.]

Sephora is a great resource for narrowing down what products you should consider and maybe give a go. Everything is well organized, and they even offer a little Skin IQ quiz that will assist you in making choices. 

BUT you are not confined to only high end skincare! The drug store is filled with great products as well. Use the guide from Sephora to find out the active ingredients in items you think might work for you, and then hunt similar products down in the drug store! (I did this for acne spot treatments that contain salicylic acid.)

For a standard skincare regime, I would recommend these steps for morning & night, regardless of skin type:

1: Cleanse

2: Exfoliate (3 x weekly)*

3. Tone/ Treatments

4: Mask (at night 2 x weekly)

5: Moisturize (with SPF in the morning)

*Clarisonics can be used daily and don't have to fall under "exfoliate". If you use a Clairsonic daily, you can use a different scrub 3 x weekly following cleansing.

--Extra Info--

Just because a product works great for your friend or your favorite beauty guru, doesn't mean it will work for you. However, just because you don't see immediate results doesn't mean the product doesn't work. Give the products a couples weeks before discontinuing use. 

Be kind to your skin! First and foremost, wash your face before bed every night. Even if you are feeling lazy or you get home late and want to go right to bed, at least gently use a makeup remover wipe or a hot wash cloth. It takes 30 seconds of effort and is better than sleeping on a full face of makeup. Secondly, let your skin breathe! Don't be afraid to have at least one no-makeup day each week. And third, drink lots of H2O. Hydration nation, ladies! ;)

I hope this was helpful! Look for more skincare posts soon!

via Sephora