Current Makeup Favorites for Summer

Hello Beautiful Ones!

It is officially summer here in Nebraska! The heat has arrived (I'm happily sitting inside my air-conditioned house with a glass of iced green tea as I write this)! Even though I do occasionally complain about the heat, I have to say that I would definitely choose this over freezing cold and snow (controversial opinions... I know). I guess I'm just a summer-time kind of girl! If I could wear flip-flops all year round I would be one happy lady! Oh well... I guess I just have to enjoy it while I've got it!

In the spirit of embracing everything summer, I've pulled out three of the makeup products that have become my current summer staples:

Smashbox Limitless 15 Hour Wear Cream Shadow in Topaz- $20.00

I picked up this cream shadow in Macy's a few months ago and I have been loving it ever since! The formula is really smooth and creamy. I bought the color Topaz, which is a light and shimmery golden color. I put this over my trusty Urban Decay eyeshadow primer and it stays on really well. This is a summer staple for me because it's easy, all I have to do is swipe a little on my lids with my fingers and I'm good to go!

e.l.f Essentials Shimmering Facial Whip in Lilac Petal- $1.00 (Yes, you read that right!)

I picked this up on a whim at the grocery store the other day, and I've been pleasantly surprised with how much I actually love this! The color I grabbed is Lilac Petal which is a very light and shimmery nude/pink. This is beautiful on the apples of your cheeks when you just want a little extra glow. Again this is very easy, no brushes required!

Maybelline Baby Lips Moisturizing Lip Balm in Peppermint- $3.99

I'm sure you have all heard about Baby Lips by now, but I don't think I'll ever stop talking about these! I absolutely LIVE in this clear peppermint flavored one. This lip balm is extremely moisturizing and has a nice faint peppermint smell. It's also perfect for the summer because it has SPF 15. Even our lips need sun protection!

Thanks for taking a break from the heat with me. Let me know if there are any summertime makeup favorites that you absolutely can't live without. Hope you can all stay cool!

XO- Brittney

P.S. Let's have a Twitter Party! :)

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A Step into the World of Beauty Oil

Hello Beautiful Ones!

I'm sure most of you have heard all about the amazing beauty oils out there that can do wonders for your hair and skin, but if you're anything like me you might be a little nervous to try them. As a girl who is extremely prone to breakouts (you can check out this post for my acne tips) I was very reluctant to put "oil" on my face. So the other day when I was in Sephora I decided to try a small travel sized bottle of Josie Maran's 100% Pure Argan Oil Light.

After just the first use I was instantly kicking myself for not trying this sooner! I picked up the light formula, because I wanted something not as heavy that I could use on my face. The weight is perfect! I use this oil underneath my makeup as a moisturizer and it works perfectly. I'm prone to dry and flaky skin with the topical cream I use for my acne, so I was pleasantly surprised to find that this oil makes my skin nice and soft (without leaving an "oily" feel)!

But wait that's not all... (this isn't an infomercial, I swear) I've also used this oil on my dry feet and toes, and my frizzy summer hair with great results! As I've said before I love products that can serve multiple purposes and this little beauty certainly nails that criteria right on the head. And lastly but not least, the smell is really nice. I already know I'm going to be using this ALL summer!

Let me know in the comments what your thoughts are on the oil craze and if there are any particular beauty oil products you're in love with!

XO- Brittney

P.S. Come hang out with me on Twitter!

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The Art of Being a Grown-up

Hello Beautiful Ones!

I'm currently dealing with the hard reality that I am now a grown-up! Wait... when did that happen?! This last weekend I graduated from college (I'm officially the brand new owner of a very expensive diploma!), and now I have to figure out what I'm going to do with my life. That's easy, right?! It feels like I just blinked and then all of a sudden I'm expected to make grown-up decisions.

Here is my obligatory graduation picture:

I recently ran across a quote on Pinterest that really struck me: "it takes courage to grow up and become who you really are" -E. E. Cummings. I think the reason why this quote was so striking to me was because I've realized lately that I don't really know what being a grown-up means. The first thing that comes to mind when I hear the word grown-up is... boring. I know, I know there are plenty of grown-ups out there that are anything but boring. But, I think in a way that is sort of the stereotype. In our society it is assumed that you should have as much fun as you can during your college years, because after that you'll be stuck with the boring and mundane task of being a grown-up.

What I love about this E. E. Cummings quote is that it reminds me that I get to decide what being a grown-up means to me. Of course, as the quote suggests being the kind of grown-up I want to be is not going to be easy. The world is going to want to label me and put me into a neat little box, it will take courage to break out of the mold and be the kind of grown-up that makes me happy. That's really the goal I want to reach: to find my "happy."

I feel so lucky that I have been blessed with an amazing support system of people in my life who support my decision to find my "happy." And to be honest, I'm still trying to figure out what exactly that "happy" is! I know that being a grown-up isn't always going to be a picnic, but I'm going to do my best to make it sparkle! :)

I know this post was pretty heavy on the life today, but come back later this week for an Argan Oil review (spoiler alert: I'm obsessed).

XO- Brittney

P.S. You can find me on Twitter!

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How to: Handle Acne

Hello Beautiful Ones!

Ok... so this post is not going to be glamorous, but somebody's gotta do it! Today I'm talking about acne. I've been dealing with acne my whole life. I had it especially bad in high school and college, and I just kept thinking that I would eventually grow out of it. Unfortunately that wasn't the case and I finally made an appointment with a dermatologist who prescribed me an antibiotic and topical cream. The prescriptions have been helping immensely, but I still have the occasional breakouts to deal with (like the one I'm having right now, just in time for my graduation :/ ). So I thought I would share with you guys two products that I turn to when I'm fighting those pesky red spots!

Face Wash

During my years of acne struggle I went through just about every over-the-counter acne face wash that was ever made (that's only a slight over-exaggeration). When I went to the dermatologist they prescribed me a face wash that contained benzoyl peroxide, but soon after that the benzoyl peroxide washes became available over-the-counter. So now I can just get it from my local drugstore, and so can you! The one I use is Clean & Clear's Advantage 3-in-1 Exfoliating Cleanser. I love this because it gently exfoliates my skin, cleans off the dirt and makeup, AND it handles acne. My superhero! :)

Makeup Primer

I know what you're thinking... "what does makeup primer have to do with acne?" Actually, it can be very helpful! On the days when I'm dealing with a lot of breakouts I use Clinique's Superprimer Color Corrects for Redness. Clinique has a whole line of Superprimers for different skin issues like redness, discolorations, and dullness. On normal days when I'm not dealing with a lot of acne I usually use the Universal Superprimer. What I love about the redness primer is that it helps to combat the red so you don't have to cake on so much makeup to cover it up. Less makeup and concealer looks much more natural. This stuff just makes my life easier. Period. I also really like the consistency of this product, it's thick and creamy and it goes on smooth. The price tag for this is a little hefty at $27 a tube, but it lasts a long time and I would suggest keeping your eye out online and at department stores for Clinique bonus days so you can get free samples with your purchase! Who doesn't love free?!

I hope you found these product reviews helpful! Just remember that at the end of the day true beauty comes from within! :)

XO- Brittney

P.S. Come hang out with me on Twitter!

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Beauty on a Budget: e.l.f. Products Review

Hello Beautiful Ones!

I don't know about you, but I enjoy a good bargain! Of course when it comes to makeup the drugstore stuff can be completely hit or miss. So I thought I would start this Beauty on a Budget series to try and give you some tips on what I think is a great deal at the drugstore! Let me know what you think!

I mentioned in my last post that I recently took a trip to Target and went a little crazy in the e.l.f. section of the makeup department. My intention was to go to Target to buy food that would help me get through my week of finals... but do you ever just find yourself itching to buy new makeup?! I decided that the safest thing for me to do would be to try some new e.l.f. products since they are in general so crazy affordable (I could feel less guilty that way). Plus the universe must have been on my side because the Target I go to usually doesn't have their e.l.f. products very well stocked, but on the day I went the shelves were completely full! You can't argue with destiny right?! I've spent the week so far trying these four products out, so let's get on with the review!

Matte Lip Color

I sort of picked this product up on a whim. To be honest the packaging drew me in right away because it's so sleek! Don't get me wrong I love a good gloss, but matte is all the rage right now and I wanted to give it a try. I was also needing a nice nude lip color so I picked up the shade natural. I've been wearing this for a few days and I really love it! The color is a really light pink, but it looks pretty nude when it's on my lips. The texture is very smooth and creamy. Here is  a swatch of the color:

Bottom line: This is a winner and definitely worth the money ($2)! I want to try it in more shades!

All Over Color Stick

The next thing that caught my eye was the All Over Color Stick. The package says that this is a 3-in-1 color stick for eyes, lips, and face. I love products that can serve as more than one function. Who doesn't love to multi-task right?! I was trying to decide between the two shades: Pink Lemonade and Persimmon, but then I realized that they were only $1 each, so why not get both?! I'm really glad I decided to do that because they're both great! Pink Lemonade is a really pretty rose gold color. I've been using this mostly on my cheeks. The only slight negative about this shade is that the color is very saturated. A little bit of this product goes a long way. I would suggest putting the product on your fingers and then rubbing it in, so you have a little more control over where the color goes. The shade Persimmon is also lovely! This is a very light shimmery color that works as a perfect highlighter. I've also used this on my eyelids for the days when I just want a little bit of shimmer, but not too much color. You can see the colors swatched in the picture below (Pink Lemonade on the left, Persimmon on the right). 

Bottom line: Both of these shades are extremely pretty, and you could certainly find many different uses for both of them. Totally worth the $1 price tag!

Lip Exfoliator

I've been eying this baby on Pinterest (this link is a shameless plug for my Pinterest profile) for a while now, but it was always out of stock whenever I looked for it. I'm pretty sure that when I saw it on the shelf I snapped it up as quick as I could! The first thing I noticed when I opened the cap was the heavenly smell. I'm not joking you guys... this stuff smells amazing! It is very similar to the Bath & Body Work's Warm Vanilla Sugar scent. Aside from the great smell, this product is also practical. It's like a body buffer for your lips! I've been using this before bed and I really like it. I can already tell this is going to be a winter staple for me! 

Bottom line: Get one of these, the hype is real people! 

All in all I was really happy with the products I tried. I've owned a few e.l.f. products in the past, but I would definitely like to try more. I love that their products are affordable, but also good quality. Isn't that the dream?! I hope you enjoyed this product review... if there are any e.l.f. products that you think I should check out please let me know in the comments! 

XO- Brittney

P.S. I would love to see your beautiful faces (in a non-creepy way) on Twitter!

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All the Feels...

Hello beautiful ones!! I want to start off by saying that I know I've been M.I.A. I'm really sorry about that! I'm going to warn you right now that this post is going to get a little sappy!  Recently my life has been a combination of running around trying to get things in order for my impending college graduation and then just generally being in a really weird place every time I think about said graduation. Don't get me wrong... it's not that I don't want to graduate, I just don't really know what's next for me. I think we can all agree that the unknown is scary. My friends and I have made a pact to not talk about the things that are freaking us out like graduation, jobs, life, etc. That's rational right?! If these last few weeks, no scratch that, last few years have taught me anything it's that the important thing is not so much to know where you're going but to enjoy your journey as you go. I know that sounds incredibly lame but I did warn you this was going to get sappy didn't I?!

In the spirit of enjoying the journey and to prove to you that my life hasn't been all panic attacks and anxiety lately I'm going to share with you a little bit about a recent trip I took to Chicago. This was a super fast lightning speed trip, but it was exactly what I needed. I was fortunate enough to be able to go to the Midwestern Psychological Association's Annual conference to present my senior research project. The conference was held in Chicago's Palmer House Hilton hotel (which is gorgeous by the way). Here is a photo of the hotel's lobby which doesn't even begin to do it justice:

My friend Hannah and I only got mildly lost on our way from the subway station (or the El for you Chicago locals) to the hotel. But we found it eventually! :) We didn't have a lot of time for actual sight seeing, but we did manage to squeeze in some authentic Chicago-style pizza! Mostly our time was spent attending the different sessions offered at the conference. This conference was great because it put me in contact with a large group of people who were genuinely excited about the work they were doing. It really is inspiring to see people who have a passion for their jobs. 

I think I really needed this trip to help me remember that it's alright if I don't have my whole life planned out I just need to remember to follow my passions, because I know that if I do that at the end of the day I'll be happy. Sorry for getting all sentimental and philosophical on you guys! I promise I'll return to the sparkles soon! I recently took a trip to Target and went a little nuts at the E.L.F. display, so expect a review on those products later this week! 

XO- Brittney

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