Friday Favorite #4: Clinique Superprimer- Color Corrects Redness

Hello Beautiful Ones!

FRIDAY IS HERE! Don't you think all caps is appropriate? Today I'm sharing another one of my absolute favorite products with you all. I know I've talked about this one before, but it's so loved that I felt it deserved its own post. It's the Clinique Superprimer- Color Corrects Redness.

This is one of my absolute favorite primers. Primer is so important because it helps your makeup go on much more smoothly so you don't have to use so much of it. This one is especially helpful if you are dealing with any red patches or blemishes. Sometimes I use this on just the areas that need it (like on a patch of breakouts) or I smooth it all over my face.

One of my absolute favorite things about this primer is the texture. This might just be me but I like my makeup primer to have a little bit of a thicker texture, not smooth like lotion. It's very creamy, but not too heavy. It comes out of the tube yellow, but blends into your skin easily.

Clinique has a whole line of these Superprimers for many different skin issues, but I just particularly like this one. It's come in handy so many times whether I'm trying to cover up blemishes, sunburns, or just random red patches. Putting this primer under my foundation means that I don't have to cake on the concealer.

The price tag on this one is a little hefty at $27 a tube, but it does last quite a long time. Also, I suggest keeping your eye out for Clinique bonus time at department stores and on Clinique's website because you can get a whole set of samples that can really come in handy for traveling. Who doesn't love free samples?

Let me know if you've tried this primer!

XO- Brittney

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Beauty on a Budget: Not Your Mother's Hair Products

Hello Beautiful Ones!

Who's doesn't appreciate a good bargain? That's not even a question is it? My naturally curly hair can be quite the handful so I'm always thrilled when I can find affordable products at the drugstore that will effectively calm my curls. Lately I've been completely obsessed with a bunch of Not Your Mother's hair care products so I thought I'd do a brand highlight.

Way to Grow Long & Strong Shampoo and Conditioner
Let's face it, good hair needs to start with great shampoo. Personally I like to rotate my shampoos and conditioners so that I'm not using the same one every time. This shampoo and conditioner is really good for strengthening your hair. My curly hair needs a shampoo and conditioner that adds a lot of extra moisture and this one does the trick.

Clean Freak Refreshing Dry Shampoo
This one is definitely a holy grail product for me. Dry shampoo is great for a curly haired girl because washing your curly hair too often can wash out the natural oils that make your curls look great. The problem is that great curls are cute, but greasy roots are not. It's hard to find a good dry shampoo and this one is amazing. It blends in easily and doesn't leave that icky white residue in your hair. It also adds volume and refreshes your roots. Total love!

Kinky Moves Curl Defining Hair Cream
Curl cream is another one of those products that is hard to get right. I want my curl cream to have a little bit of hold, but not so strong that it makes my hair crunchy. This one fits the bill. It's lovely because it makes my hair so soft and smoothes frizz.

She's a Tease Volumizing Hairspray
Again, I'm a little picky about my hairspray. I don't use it often, but when I do I want it to have a little bit of hold without making my hair hard or crunchy. This one is great! It helps add a little volume too.

My overall take is that this is a really great drugstore brand with a pretty small price tag especially when you consider how great the products are. Also, did I forget to mention that everything smells amazing?! And I know it has nothing to do with the actual usefulness of the products, but I just love the product names and the packaging. So cute!

Have you used anything in the Not Your Mother's hair care line?

XO- Brittney

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Back-To-School Beauty: Bright Eyes

Hello Beautiful Ones!

It's that time of the year again when a lot of people are heading back to school (while some of us are still trying to figure out how to be a grown-up). But whether you're dragging from an all night study session or you just stayed up too late on the internet (I wouldn't know anything about that), I'm going to give you all some tips on how to make your eyes look bright and fresh even if you didn't get quite enough beauty sleep. 

Here's my toolkit: 

You can choose the brands and shades you like best for yourself but you're going to want to grab three things for bright eyes:

1. Concealer
2. Under Eye Brightener
3. White Eye Shadow (a shadow stick is the most convenient)

You'll to want to start with your concealer. Choose one that will go on smoothly and won't crease under your eyes during the day. Lately I've really been enjoying the Sephora Collection 8 Hour Wear Perfect Cover Concealer in shade 13 Light Pink Porcelain. This shade is slightly lighter than my foundation which I think adds to the brightening effect. I just smooth it over the dark circles under my eyes and then go over it with my foundation.

After I've finished the rest of my eye makeup I add my under eye brightener over the concealer and foundation. I love the Smashbox Photo Op Under Eye Brightener. Just dab a couple dots under your eye and then gently blend it in with a brush or your finger. It will just add a touch of glow that will make you look sunshine-y and awake.

Lastly I like to add a little touch of white eyeshadow to the inner corner of my eyes. This is tried and true makeup trick that will work every time. You can use just about any white eyeshadow that you want. I really like using a shadow stick because it is so easy to just grab it quickly and dab it on my eyes or throw it in my makeup bag. I've been using the NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in the Shade 608 Cottage Cheese. This is a really pretty shimmery silver/white. Here's a color swatch:

That's it! Just three easy steps and you'll be bright eyed and fresh just ready to take on the day (well at least you'll look like it)! I hope all of you who are gearing up to hit the books again have a very sparkly new school year!

XO- Brittney

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Fab or Flop?: Josie Maran Black Oil Mascara

Hello Beautiful Ones!

Time for another Fab or Flop?! When I recently bought some new things from Sephora (shocker) I got a deluxe sample of the new Josie Maran Black Oil Mascara. I've been wearing it for the last few weeks so I thought I would give you guys my verdict.

First of all, let's just take a minute to appreciate the packaging. It's so pretty and different from what you normally get from mascara bottles. Like I said this was a deluxe sample so it's not quite as big as the normal full sized one. The next thing I noticed about this was the brush. It's pretty funky looking. I'm not usually a big fan of crazy mascara brushes but this one has won me over. Here's a close-up picture of the brush:

This mascara is a very black color which I love. It goes on really smoothly, especially with the brush. It even makes coating your lower lashline easy. I would definitely buy this in the full sized version. 

So Fab or Flop? This one is a definite Fab. If you're in the market for a new mascara I would seriously consider checking this one out! Let me know if you've tried it.

XO- Brittney

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Monday Musings: The Art of Asking for Help

Hello Beautiful Ones!

It's Monday once again (oh weekends, why must you go so quickly?). As you might know I'm still trying to figure out exactly what this blog is going to be. So I thought I would try something a little different. Today I'm going to take a break from the sparkles to share some things that have been on my mind lately (this is basically going to be a mini therapy session for me, I'm going to owe all of you a lot of money for your time).

As a recent college graduate I've found myself back at home living with my parents and working part-time until I can find a more permanent position. Some days I feel like I'm stuck in the plot of a cheesy sit-com. But as I've been engaging in the tortuous process of job hunting these last few months I've had to learn a very important lesson: how to ask for help.

I know what you're probably thinking: "ummm how hard is asking for help, didn't we all learn that as toddlers?" Well you're right, we've been taught at a very young age that you should ask for help if you need it. But if my last four years of college have taught me anything about myself it's that I value being self-sufficient very much. I get great satisfaction out of being able to solve my own problems and taking care of my own needs. Don't get me wrong, being an independent woman is a great asset. However, sometimes you just need to ask for help.

Before we all go too crazy let's start with baby steps (maybe I'm the only one hyperventilating right now). You can start out by simply accepting help. I know, what a concept! As I've been job hunting I've had friends and acquaintances alike offering to reach out to their contacts to see if they can help me find a job. I've found this a little overwhelming. I mean, as someone who prides herself on solving her own problems it's pretty humbling to have someone say "I think you're a good person so I'm going to use a little of my time and resources to help you out." Whoa. This whole process has reminded me that there are so many good people out there in this world and I'm so grateful for that.

Now on to the actual art of asking for help. My advice is to take it one step at a time. Maybe just tell someone you trust whatever your predicament is and see if they have any advice for you. It's ok if you're not up to outright asking for help. I've been working on this step myself. And to be honest with you the first one was the hardest, but it's gotten easier.

I'm still job hunting and working on the art of asking for help. It's stressful but I'm trying to just take it one day at a time. Maybe this helped you or maybe you just got a scary glimpse of the inner workings of my mind. The bottom line is: when you truly need help the important people in your life are going to be there for you when you ask for their help. Thanks for indulging my ramblings, and don't worry the sparkles will resume soon!

XO- Brittney

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July Favorites!

Hello Beautiful Ones!

Another month and another post full of the things I'm loving lately. The summer months are very quickly flying by (we're already 6 days into August and I honestly don't even know how that happened). There will be leaves falling and football games being played before we know it (please don't leave me summer sun!). Fortunately for me, there's still a little summer left! Now let's get to the favorites:

Makeup & Beauty

Clinique Blush Brush- $29

This brush has been a long time favorite of mine. I love that it is so big and fluffy. I use it for both blush and powder foundation. Although, it is well used it has still held up well. I also just love the sleek love of the clear handle (even though that has nothing to do with the usefulness).

Revlon Colorstay Moisture Stain in London Posh- $10

Can I just start by saying that the packaging on this one is stunning. Seriously, can we all just take a minute to enjoy the chic-ness? I love the sleek square bottle that fits easily in my purse and the applicator that makes touch-ups easy even if you don't have a mirror handy. Now on to the actual product: I love a good gloss, but especially one that will stay on my lips for more than a few minutes. This one is longwearing and super moisturizing, just as advertised. Also, it's not too sticky. A definite must have! I picked up the shade London Posh, which is kind of a peachy nude. Here is a color swatch:

Maybelline Define-A-Brow in Medium Brown- $6

I am always looking for a good brow pencil, especially from the drugstore because I'm all about the bargain! Lately I've really been enjoying this one from Maybelline. I like that it's long wearing, I can put it on in the morning and then not worry about it all day. I also love that the pencil itself is very small and thin so you can get into those little fine places on your brow. My only complaint would be that I don't find the little plastic comb on the end of the wand all that helpful, but it's not a big deal I just use another brow brush. At the end of the day it's totally worth the price! 

Milani Baked Bronzer in 04 Glow- $9

I'm going to be honest with you, I feel like I'm still trying to get the hang of bronzer. But I've been using this one lately to add a little extra glow and some very simple contouring. As you can see in the picture it comes with a cute little brush that fits in the compact under the bronzer which is handy for traveling but when I'm at home I usually use a Kabuki brush to apply it. Here's a color swatch:

e.l.f. Essentials All Over Color Stick in Persimmon- $1

I know I've talked about this one before, but I just can't get enough of it. This is a small little stick of color that can be applied all over your face, eyes, and lips. I've used this on my eyelids for a pretty shimmer on light makeup days, but lately I've been using it on my face daily as a highlighter. It's just a really pretty light shimmer that can be used for basic contouring. Here's the color swatch:

ULTA Baked Eyeshadow in Natural Beauty- $8

I picked up this baked eyeshadow at ULTA a few months ago because it was on sale and since then I've gotten a lot of use out of it. I really love wearing this with a little liner and mascara on my lighter makeup days for a really natural and pretty look. I sweep the lighter color all over my lid and then use the darker side for the outer corner of my eye and the crease. It wears really well all day long. Here's a swatch of the colors:

Benefit They're Real Mascara Travel Size- $8

I've said this before, but I just love buying mascara in travel sizes because mascara goes bad so quickly all you really need is a small one and that way you can save yourself some cash. This one just goes on really easily with very few clumps and really opens up my eyes. As you can see I've used this one so much the writing has started to rub off the bottle (the ultimate sign of a beloved product). This is a must-have!

Clinique Superprimer Face Primer in Color Corrects for Redness- $27

Again, I know I've talked about this one before but it's still one of my all time favorite products. I use this all the time when I'm dealing with any kind of redness whether it's from breakouts, a sunburn, or just irritated skin. Smoothing this over your problem areas before you put on your foundation will make the redness easier to cover up. You can use it as an all over face primer or just on the red spots. Definite lifesaver! 

Music & T.V.

This month I thought I'd throw in a few bonus favorites for you guys! So here are the things I couldn't stop listening to and watching this month:

Music

My taste in music is a little all over the board. This month I'm all about boys with smart lyrics. There are two new albums that I haven't stopped playing this month. 

1. In the Lonely Hour by Sam Smith
2. X (Multiply) by Ed Sheeran

 Seriously, both of those albums just make me feel so many feelings.

There's also a single that I can't stop playing. It's a country song, but even if you don't like country I think you should seriously give it a try because the lyrics are brilliant. It's A Guy Walks Into a Bar by Tyler Farr. I was just hooked after hearing the first 30 seconds.

T.V.

This month I've been all about an old summer T.V. favorite and a brand new guilty pleasure. Actually these are both guilty pleasures (whoops)!

The first is my all time summer fave: Big Brother. I know it's ridiculous, but that's what I love about it. If you aren't familiar with Big Brother it's a reality show that drops strangers into a house for an entire summer to compete for a half million dollars, oh and every single thing they do is recorded by cameras. You can guarantee that they all lose their minds and brilliant drama ensues.

My new guilty pleasure is Reckless. This is a law drama set in North Carolina. And it's chock full of soapy goodness and relationship drama. I'm all over this one. In my opinion good summer time dramas are hard to come by, but this one is pretty darn good.

Sorry this post got so long! Lots of lovely July things to talk about. I hope you all had a fantastic July. I can't wait to see what August has in store for all of us. Let me know what you all have been loving this last month.

XO- Brittney

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