As the months get warmer, I have been relocating my bb creams because I'm the type of girl who doesn't love wearing a full coverage foundation when it's 70 and muggy out. Even though Chicago is still struggling to stay consistent with it's beautiful spring weather, rain and cool temps become an issue when it comes to doing my makeup. I have always loved bb creams and how versatile and great they can be for pretty much any skin type. All bb creams have some sort of spf, which is great during this time. I have been through a good number of bb creams in my life and have found some that I really enjoy using.
Bobbi Brown BB Cream Spf 35- I was recently gratefully and generously given this from a good friend of mine who didn't really use makeup. I have tried it already a few times and I am really impressed by it. This is my second Bobbi Brown product that I have used (besides the color corrector concealer) and I am really happy about the way it applied and lasted on my skin. It has a very sheer finish and feels very hydrating while also mattifying and fresh. This is probably my new favorite foundation (besides the Nars tinted moisturizer which I love dearly). I just find this one to be a step down in coverage from the Nars one, so I didn't want to include it in this post because I think it's more of a full coverage tinted moisturizer.
Rimmel London BB Cream Spf 25- I think this bb cream really takes the cake. No, it doesn't cake on your face. I think this one is just as great as the Bobbi Brown one. What I noticed is that it is more mattifying than the Bobbi Brown one or the Laura Mercier one. If you are looking for a super inexpensive option, I would recommend this one. It has more of a natural finish and is really great if you don't want to look like you have any makeup on.
Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer Spf 20- I bought this tinted moisturizer last year because I heard so many great things about it. They were right! I would compare this more to the Rimmel one because of its sheer coverage. It isn't as matte because it is a moisturizer, however, the right about of powder will make it last all day. I use all of these interchangeably, but when I really want to have a more glowy skin look and when my skin is actually cooperating, I like to use this one.
My love for bb creams seems to not end and I don't think it ever will. I love how there's so much in one product that can do so many great things for my skin. Especially during the warmer months, these can be lifesavers because they don't leave your skin feeling sticky and gross. What are your favorite bb creams?
As some of you may know, my senior prom was this past weekend. It was a magical night and I am so happy that I got to spend it all with my best friends. It was on Saturday, April 22nd, and my high school got the chance to have it at the Museum of Science and Industry downtown Chicago and then we had post prom held on the Odyssey yacht afterwards for more food and dancing while we floated under the stars around Navy Pier.
I really enjoyed it. I went stag and did not regret going without a date. I made so many more memories with all of my closest friends and didn't have to do any awkward grinding (ew). I ended up purchasing my beautiful dress from a place called Camille La Vie. It was a boutique in a mall farther away from me, but I kid you not, this was the FIRST dress I tried on. I tried on about three more dresses and knew right away that I loved the classic design and look of the first dress. It honestly made the shopping experience a lot easier for me, plus I went in like December which is early, but I also didn't want to have to worry about it.
My friend Julia and I bought each other amazing corsages from a local florist just to get with the theme. My accent color was red, which I thought really stood out with the black and champagne. At prom, we had an amazing time going through the exhibits and they also had a mirror maze at the museum which was really fun. I had a ball dancing in a big group dance circle and just eating all of the pork buns they had :) It was truly a great time. Now onto the pictures with my family and friends, please!
Here is me and my younger sister, Emily. She is so much more taller than I am! My older sister, Melissa, was not able to make it because of college, but she was in my thoughts.
I actually ended up having Emily do my hair and help curl it. I also did my makeup because I thought that I was pretty skilled to do it all! However, I did make sure to have my nails done, so I wouldn't have to deal with it later on. I had a simple accessory ear cuff that I love. I bought this awhile back in some jewlery store and besides the excruciating soreness that you deal with after the excessive pinching, it adds a touch of glam and sparkle to my look.
I also ended up wearing gladiators that I bought from Target awhile back, as well. I didn't feel the need to trudge in heels for 10 hours and barely enjoy prom because of it. Cheap sandals are the way to go, folks.
I truly had a great time with all of my friends. Prom was unforgettable to say the least. It did feel like homecoming and some other dances, but I think that the venue of it being in a museum made it so much more special. Our high school had an okay dj, but who really cares when you're with all your friends just having fun? My senior year has been rapidly passing by and I am so excited to see what comes next. In about a month I will be graduating, and as crazy and scary as that sounds, I will be off to college and bring you all along with me for the ride. Until then, what are some memorable things that happened at your prom? If you haven't been yet, what are you looking forward to? Mine was definitely the pork buns ;)
Happy late Easter for those of you who celebrate it and also I hope everyone has been having a nice spring. My family and I went to Richmond, Virginia to visit my older sister who is there for an internship and also my very close family friends, or "cousins", just moved out there, as well. It was forecasted to be mid 80s all Easter weekend which was AMAZING. It was in the 70s in Chicago, but no it's back to 50 and I have no idea why Chicago has terrible lake weather. I got to wear shorts every single day and I think I even got tan for prom which is also this upcoming Saturday. I wanted to share one outfit that I wore because I loved it so much.
I ended up wearing my Topshop Aviators, Target cactus tee, American Eagle shorts, Birkenstocks, and all paired with my Kate Spade Spencer Court crossbody bag that I love. I felt so light and springy in this outfit and loved the way the denim went with the cactus print.
Pictured above is my younger sister (left), close friend (right), and I posing at Thomas Jefferson's Monticello or basically his entire "mini mountain" of land. We explored the property or "TJ's" home as my friend and sister would say. We did a lot of touring around Virginia and we also got to visit the University of Virginia because that's where my friend's brother goes to college and it was very nice touring the campus and seeing all of the colonial architecture that it had to offer. We spent most of Easter weekend outside and enjoying each other's company; relaxing in between feasts by snacking on abundant ham and Easter candy.
I am always so amazed by the history that can be explored along the east coast and I love visiting everytime I go (even if it feels like a school field trip sometimes with all of the history lessons). It's amazing to see how much has changed since our founding fathers created this country and I'm glad I got to explore more parts of it. I hope everyone had a happy Easter weekend and is enjoying the nice spring weather! What were your Easter plans?
Skincare has especially been a big and important part of my daily routine over these past few months. I've been travelling and also prom is just a few days away! I need the best skin and the softest skin and Clinique has allowed my skin to recover and has immensely repaired my dry and cracked skin. Over the past couple of weeks, my skin has suffered from major dry patches. I don't have normally dry skin, but I wonder if it's from the season changing or what not. One of my best friends gave me these two products to try out and I have never tried Clinique's products before.
I just wanted to say that my skin type is normally acne prone and oily. It has only started to become dry. I wonder if it's because I haven't been moisturizing that much and these two products have made the biggest impacts. I have the Clinique Turnaround Revitalizing Serum and the Clinique All About Eyes cream.
This serum has claimed to be for all skin types; oily, combo, dry, acne prone, sensitive and normal (for all of you lucky ducks out there). It helps to renew your skin and to also aid dryness and "dullness", which I don't really understand what that means, but I'm going with it. It's oil and scent free which I love in serums. It actually isn't very thin and liquidy like many other serums are. It comes in a very convenient pump and almost feels like a very light moisturizer. I only need one and a half pumps and it covers my entire face and neck. I love using this after I shower at night and in the morning after cleansing. I have noticed that my dry patches have cleared and my skin has visibly looked healthier and clear of oil.
I have always enjoyed eye creams and gels because nothing feels better than putting a cooling eye gel on after a long day of school and activities. It's so refreshing to wake up and apply a nice cream under my eyes. This cream is so lightweight and has really minimized my puffiness under my eyes and helps with my laugh lines.
I'll dab a pea sized amount with my ring finger under both of my eyes and instantly feel like I have brightened and revitalized my face. It's just a great product and I think everyone should have a great eye cream that works for them and sometimes, for skincare, I think it's good to invest in a more expensive and high quality product that'll actually treat your skin type.
I have gone through many different brands before Clinique and I have to say, Clinique knows what they're doing. I have rather sensitive and hormonal skin; Clinique has been really good to me! I know these products aren't cheap and I am thankful for my best friend who was so incredibly generous to give me these to use. What's your favorite skincare product?
So, this weekend, my family and I are headed off to Virginia to go visit my sister and my close family friends. The last time I was on a place I think was when I went to San Francisco last spring. If you don't know me, then I will tell you that packing is probably one of my favorite things to do when travelling. I love picking out things to wear and trying to consolidate things I may or may not need. Now that more makeup brands are carrying travel friendly makeup and beauty products, travelling with these amenities (or necessities) has become so much easier and convenient.
I thought that I would share what I am bringing on my trip. It's also Easter weekend, so I thought it was a little important to bring at least some blush and lip gloss along. I also love to see what types of things people bring and leave behind when they go on trips.
The first thing that I think is necessary to have on a trip is a tinted moisturizer of some kind. I love the Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer because it is light and is great for sunny trips because of its spf 20. They have a ton of shades and I love how matte it actually is. I love to pair it with this mini Nars Concealer which is very full coverage and creamy. It's blendable and great to bring along for touch ups. Under my eyes I love using the Smashbox Undereye Primer to make sure that my concealer stays all day!
To top off my face makeup, I have been using this great Bare Minerals Powder that mattifies my look and keeps everything in place. I have also been trying out this mini Tarte Cheek Stain in Sheer Berry and it surprisingly is easy to blend and gives great pigment. I love the mini size, too.
I have been exploring color correctors and I knew that peach was great for minimizing redness under the eyes and my friend happened to give me this Bobbi Brown Color Corrector which I have really been loving. It kind of acts like a concealer, but evens out my skin.
I also have this mini Makeup Forever Lipgloss in Sweet Pink that's great to soften up a look and add some shine to your lips.
My good friend Ellaby also gave me this Clinique Compact that is also very great to take travelling. It has a taupey-cream shade and a coffee brown eye shadow shades and a great travel sized blush that I can use if I don't feel like using the Tarte one. I haven't ever tried out Clinique makeup before, but I love the pigmentation of it so far. I like to bring along my very tiny Benefit Stay Don't Stray Eye Shadow Primer that I love and got in a Christmas makeup set that Benefit had a while ago.
To finish off the simple eye look, I use the mini Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara which I have fallen in love with recently. It was an impulse buy in the travel section of Sephora, but man is it a great mascara. I would compare this to the Maybelline Lash Sensational, but I love how much length and volume it gives in comparison.
I leave for my trip very early this morning and I am so excited to just get away for this weekend! I don't normally go on trips like these right during school, but it's nice to just take a break every now and then. What's your must-have beauty travel essential?
I have been getting into highlighters recently and thought that I would share the few (yes, few) that I have. I'm always a sucker for glow, especially when it's a J-Lo glow. My highlighter collection is clearly small and needs some more additions, but I don't often use them as much as blush or bronzer and I have been very impressed and content with these three.
Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector full size $38- I had to include this mini rose gold highlighter because it's such a great product. I haven't ever used Becca before, but I get the hype of all of her products. I wouldn't normally use this on my cheeks as much, but it is a beautiful eye shadow and adds a pop of shimmer and color to any summer or spring look. I don't know if you can buy this mini separately because I got it in a Sephora Favorites set.
Soap & Glory Glow All Out $15- I really love this highlighting powder in the winter because it is more of a frosty and "moonlit" type of highlighter. It's subtle, but can be flattering on many people. I think this would be a great powder to use to brighten up the face by lightly dusting it on after foundation. It gives off a very natural shine.
Essence Pure Nude Highlighter $4.49- I have to say, this highlighter takes the cake and really impressed me. This golden highlight really gives off the J-Lo glow vibe. It's very opaque and a little amount goes a very long way. I love the way this looks in the summer and I am obsessed with it's versatility because you can also use it as an eyeshadow like the Becca one. For the price and the quality, it's well worth it. I haven't tried many of Essence's products, but this by far, is one of the best drugstore highlighters.
Whether you are looking for the J-Lo glow or not, these highlighters do a bomb job at achieving it either way. I have slowly been acclimating to all of the highlighting nonsense and really adore the way highlighting can transform any look. There are some great expensive and inexpensive quality products that are amazing and no one should feel like they have to spend their paycheck on it. My worth it buy was probably the Essence highlighter because of how pigmented and creamy the formula is and how great the price is.
What highlighters have you been loving?
It's usually not normal for me to purchase spring shoes early on in the season, but there have been a couple pairs that have really caught my eye over the past few months. I love shoes, and my obsession keeps on growing and growing. I've read the articles, seen the posts, watched the lookbooks, I've made my decision on only two pairs of shoes that I really wanted for this season. I purchased these Chanel-like, American Eagle Espadrille Flats and these Arizona Soft Footbed Birkenstocks as my splurges for this season.
I knew that I wanted a flat type shoe to wear during the spring and summer; one that would be cute enough to wear with a dress and casual enough to wear with shorts or capris. I love the look of espadrilles right now on all of the fashion bloggers and what not, so I was like "what the heck", and bought a nicer and less expensive pair to put to the test. After a couple wears and trotting around my house with them, they broke in nicely to my rather wide sized feet. I think they would fit perfectly on more narrower sized feet, but wearing socks with them every now and then inside can get the job done. They have another pair in black, but I loved the look of this nudey-taupe color.
The quality and thickness of the sole and base of the shoe is really nice and sturdy. It's not cheaply made and you can tell by just feeling it. I love how you can tie and zipper the shoe up so you don't have to constantly tie it all the time. I have never felt "squished" in these. I have never worn close toed, cut out flats before.
Then I finally gave in and had to buy a pair of Birks. I have been trying to convince myself that they are the ugliest shoes ever, but they're so comfortable and practical shoes to wear during this time of year. I caught onto the bandwagon and saved up my money for these. I love how I can adjust them and the arch helps with my wide feet.
I like the copper hardware on these and they are incredibly soft. At first, they gave me a little rug burn because they were brand new, but now I have also broken them in and love them so much. It's unfortunate that Chicago is still 40 degrees out! I am so ready to pair these with sundresses and rompers.
What spring shoes do you plan on wearing this season?
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