Weekend Spa Day

I apologize for my lack of a Five Friday Favorites post; my cold got the best of me and in between that and Kyle coming to pick my up and bring me back to Daytona things just got a little crazy. Yesterday he worked, and since I was still feeling under the weather I just spent the day relaxing at home. I ended up having a little impromptu spa day with a couple last-minute packages I had sent to his house.

I recently made an order from Everyday Minerals to try their foundation (when I went to order my normal stuff in preparation for my study abroad they were out of my color, requiring me to look elsewhere!). They have a cool system where you can order free foundation samples, the 7 Piece Custom Sample Kit, to help you try and find the right color! Since I needed foundation badly, I went ahead and took a chance with my color, but also ordered some sample shades just to see what it was like. It was really fun to experiment with them all yesterday, and thankfully the shade I ordered is in fact the correct one! I also ordered their 3 Piece Custom Kit, which allows you to get a little discount on any three items. Overall, my whole experience with my order was a lot of fun! I love how natural their products are, and that they are made right here in the USA. 

You can see all the free samples I got to try... So fun!

The other part of my spa day was painting my nails with one of the polishes from this month's Lillian Eve Duo Box. I am just so in love with Lillian Eve! Last week I painted my nails with a non-Lillian Eve polish and.... let's just say I won't be using it again. Nothing compares to the quality of Lillian Eve's vegan polishes, and I love supporting yet another American grown company. This months theme was Champagne & Peonies, and I love both colors that came in the box, Bit of Bubbly and Maid of Honor. I decided to try Maid of Honor first, and I'm in love with this purple-pink shade! It's perfect for spring. 

So that as my fun little spa day yesterday while I tried to rest and recover from the cold I'm still harboring. I'm hoping I get better ASAP, because I will be heading to Italy very soon to start my study abroad. Although I guess I'd rather be sick here than be sick there...

Happy Monday!

--Caroline

Spring Launches

One of the things I love about spring are the new spring styles that hit stores... the colors, the patterns, and the textures all seem so fresh and new after the winter season. Today, I'm sharing some springtime launches that you are going to love!

Shop Ruche

I am always referencing the cute clothes from ShopRuche.com in my posts, and their new Spring Lookbook "Capture the Moment" launched yesterday without disappoint. Some of my favorite picks?

Midi Dress / Handbag / Blue Blouse / Olive Pants / Knit Cardigan / Platform Heels

Lillian Eve

Ever since I came across Lillian Eve through a daily deals website, I've been hooked. I was waiting for their new spring colors to come out, and yesterday the Just Breathe Collection launched and I am so in love with every single color!! Without a doubt I am ordering Nothing But Nude and Bliss! Make sure to check out their other polishes, including their Hologram Collection and my other favorite color, Ballet Slipper.

What are you excited to add to your spring wardrobe? Do you like to bring the spring spirit out via clothes or via nails/makeup?

--Caroline

Skin & Beauty Peace Part 3: Makeup Favorites

You've heard about my previous skin problems and then I shared my skin regimen yesterday, so today I'm sharing my new favorite makeup products! After my long pink-eye incident (viral pink is not fun at all, I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy!) my eyes were still feeling quite irritated, even with brand new infection-free products. For Christmas, I had asked for a makeup palette from a company called 100% Pure, and thankfully I got my wish! That was just the beginning of what I feel will be a long relationship with this company and their amazing, all natural products.

My daily makeup routine (in order of use)...

100% Pure Fruit Pigmented Brightening Concealer in White Peach: This is probably the thickest concealer I have ever used, but it goes on nice and smooth! What I've been doing is putting a blob on my finger, then using my pinky to disperse it to my face. On days when I feel a spot needs a little more coverage, it's easy to build up coverage through layering. This baby is crease free and long lasting--my makeup still looks flawless by the end of the day. (Shop it here--each color has it's own listing)

100% Pure Fruit Pigmented Healthy Skin Foundation Powder in White Peach: Before trying this natural foundation I had tried one from Juice Beauty and was not a fan (it didn't blend at all, and left a flaky look on my skin.) So I was nervous to see how this 100% Pure one would wear and I am so impressed! It blends right in, has great coverage, and lasts all day! I got lucky and ordered the right color, which is hard for me to find sometimes (I am light-skinned but not pale, and my undertones are more peach than pink) so I'm glad the White Peach color works. In addition, it makes my skin feel so soft and healthy, quite a different feeling than most makeups provide. Winner! (Shop it here--each color has it's own listing)

Tarte Airbrush Finish Bamboo Foundation Brush (Shop it here)

100% Pure Fruit Pigmented Pretty Naked Palette: My Christmas gift! These shadows have not bothered my now-sensitive eyes one bit, and I am so thankful for that. The coloring is great, perfect for everyday wear, but I will say I wish they had a longer wear ability. However, I have always had oily eyelids, so eyeshadows have never really been long wearing for me anyway. But, they aren't irritating and there is always the ability to re-apply so I'm happy regardless! Also, I started using the blush in this palette before my other one was completely out... and I might not go back! The color is great, the coverage is nice, and it gives a great natural glow. My next step is to order some extra eyeshadows, but I've been pretty happy with the versatility of this palette so it's not an urgent matter.(Shop it here)

EcoTools Bamboo Blush Brush (Shop it here)

Sephora Collection Shadow Brush: I can't find this exact one but this is very similar! (Shop it here)

100% Pure Fruit Pigmented Mascara in Black Tea: Words cannot express how much I love this mascara!!!! 1) It's all natural and does not irritate my eyes like other mascaras were. 2) It's long wearing, and while it's not waterproof it stays on well. 3) It smells like fruit! 4) Wearing this has actually made my eyelashes stronger and longer... LIKE WHAT?! Never turning back. If you buy one thing from this post make it be this mascara! Your eyelashes will thank you for saying so long to chemically mascaras! (Shop it here)

Those are my favorite new makeup products, and I know they will be favorites for awhile! My next mission is trying some 100% Pure eyeliners, switching out my lip glass/lipstick collection to all natural products, and going through my nail polish collection and switching over to Lillian Eve and other vegan polishes. You see, Berlioz is a fan of me using all-natural products also!

"These are great all-natural products, Mom! Can I play with this eco-friendly brush now?!"

I'm so happy that my long search for a new skin regimen and all-natural skin & beauty products is over! I love the way my skin feels now; putting good ingredients on your face and supplementing that with professional treatments and treating your body well are definitely the solution I was in search of. And now, I can say farewell to all these other products... (Don't worry, I'll be recycling what I can!)

 I hope you all enjoyed this Skin & Beauty Peace series. It's been a long time coming and I'm so glad I could finally share these amazing products with you this week. Have you considered trying all natural products? Do you currently use some that you love? I'd love to hear about it in the comments!

Have a great Thursday, my beautiful readers!

--Caroline

*This is not a sponsored post. The views expressed here are 100% mine, and no compensation has been received. I'm simply a blogger wanting to share my experiences with my readers :)

And the Winner is...

Even though having pink eye wasn't fun, I had been wanting to try some new mascaras. So when I went to Ulta to get new makeup I was excited to try out the travel size versions of a couple of Benefit Mascaras: A Little Bit BADgal Lash Mascara and They're Real! Beyond Mascara. 

To properly compare the two, I put one kind on each eye, and kept it that way all day to see how the mascaras held up. The results? Read on...

They're Real

This mascara went on like butter. Clump free upon application, the brush style perfectly separated each lash, extending them out and up. As the day went on, my lashes still seemed as perky as they were when I applied the mascara in the morning. Definitely my pick if you want long, lengthened lashes!

BADgal Lash

I could tell a difference between the two immediately (see pictures). This mascara seemed to give the allusion of more volume at the base, but did not have the same lift the other mascara had. By midday, I noticed my lashes on this eye weren't as perky, and by evening they had totally flopped. 

I'll be keeping both (I mean, I did pay for them!) but for everyday wear I'll make use of the BADgal, and on those days when I really want my eyes to stand out, I'll reach for They're Real. 

Do you ever compare two products side by side like this? What mascara do you use and love?

--Caroline

P.S. I know I said I'd be doing more Monday "Welcome Home" posts, and I promise I will! 

This is not a sponsored post, and the opinions here are totally my own. I have no affiliation with Ulta or Benefit, just simply a consumer wanting to share my experiences with you. 

Lipstick Lineup

I've mentioned a couple times here on the blog about me acquiring an unfortunate case of viral pink eye. It's led to weeks of not wearing eye makeup, for fear of spreading it and making it worse. I've got all new mascaras and eyeliners to try out once I'm in the clear (probably another two weeks--I want to be safe!), but in the mean time I've been testing out rocking a bold lip. This has of course led to recent lipstick purchases, because I have previously not been a lipstick person, and only lipgloss on occasion. It's been fun to try something new! Today, I'm sharing what lipsticks I've purchased, and what I think about them.

1. Maybelline Color Sensational in Blushing Beige I went out on a limb here and tried nude lipstick... Not sure how I feel about it for a day-to-day look, because this color matched almost my skin tone almost perfectly. A little too costume in my book, but I know many celebrities pull the nude lip look off like nobody's business. Not a fan of the wear, it definitely feels like an inexpensive lipstick. Shop it here.

2. Covergirl Queen Collection in Burgendelicious Love the name! I was drawn to the deep tone of this lipstick, something I was not familiar with at all. While I have to say it wasn't too vampire-like, I wasn't a fan of the wear. It took several coats to get it a nice dark, even color, and then I don't feel like it lasted as long as it could have. Check out the outfit I paired with it here, and shop it here.

3. Pixi Shea Butter Lip Balm in Coral Crush Intrigued by the idea of a more orangey-lip, I picked up this baby off the shelf at Target. It's not too intense of an orange, so I feel like it's acceptable for day-to-day use. As far as texture goes... this balm is soooooo soft and makes your lips feel smooth. I kept rubbing them together, so not sure on the longevity of the color but it is a balm, not a lipstick, so that's to be expected. Shop it here.

4. Sonia Kashuk Satin Luxe Lip Color in Parisian Pink This is a great go-to pink color! I love the slight coral tone (this looks better with my skin tone than a true baby pink), and the coverage was great--one coat and done. I felt like the quality was definitely here, and worth the slight increased price. Fairly long wear, smooth on the lips, and has an SPF of 16. Keeper! Shop it here. 

5. Loreal Paris Colour Riche in Ruby Flame A good red, a little more pink than I was hoping for but it is still a red. Good coverage, nice feel on the lips, and a great staple to have in your lipstick wardrobe. Barely left a mark on the wine glass I'm enjoying while writing this post! Shop it here.

Are you a lipstick wearer? What brands and colors do you prefer? 

Do you ever push yourself to try something new when it comes to fashion, hair, or makeup?

--Caroline

*This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are my own. The intent of this post is to share with my readers my opinions on recent purchases. *