My Summer Lipstick!

Hello Beautiful Ones!

It's a sunny 81 degrees here today (do I start every post with a weather report? Sorry)! I'm all about summer even when it's unbearably hot. I'll take my sunshine any day! I don't typically wear a lot of lipstick on the daily, I'm usually more of a stain or gloss girl. But something about the warm weather makes me want to rock a bold lip, so today I'm going to share with you the lipstick I'm planning on living in this summer: Maybelline Color Sensational Lip Color in Carnation Cabernet (970).

Let's start with the packaging: this is the look maybelline has for nearly all of its lipsticks. It's very streamlined and functional. No complaints!

This sort of pink fuchsia color is one that I find myself gravitating towards quite a bit. The color payoff on this lipstick is great as you can see from the swatch below. That was only one swipe, you could easily layer it on if you want to pack even more of a punch:

Possibly the most important thing to me is longevity. If I'm going to go through the trouble of applying lipstick I would appreciate it if it doesn't rub off five minutes later. I was pleasantly surprised at how well this one stayed on, especially for a drugstore lipstick. I applied it over a nude lip liner and it easily stayed on for an entire afternoon of shopping (it even survived an iced coffee!). It applied easily and smoothly. 

This shade is limited edition for spring, so if you want it you will definitely want to run out and grab one right away. I found it on sale at Target (all hail Target!). Regular price $5.59.

What's your summer lip color this year? Let me know!

XO-Brittney 

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Friday Favorite: Josie Maran Bear Naked Nail Wipes

Hello Beautiful Ones!

It's been forever since I have written a Friday Favorite post! I literally have no excuse, but I promise this is a good one. I love painting my nails (understatement of the year). What I don't love is having to take my polish off: trying to soak a cotton ball in smelly acetone without spilling it on everything you own, it's a mess. So today we're talking about my new favorite thing: the Josie Maran Bear Naked Nail Wipes.

It's no secret that I'm a big fan of argan oil and dare I say it, nobody does argan oil quite like Josie Maran. I received this as a (beauty insider) free sample from Sephora so I didn't really have any expectations, I was just excited to give them a shot. What's really great about these is that there is no acetone AND they're moisturizing. I used to remove my polish and then rub argan oil on my nails to strengthen and soften them before I reapplied my polish. These wipes do all of that in one step.

Another plus? The smell is great! Seriously, say goodbye to polish removers that smell like chemicals. These grapefruit ones have a great citrusy smell. Not to mention they are super portable in their little plastic tub (easily small enough to fit in a purse, backpack, or carry-on). You can get the small container (20 wipes) for $9 or the larger container (40 wipes) for $16 at Sephora. I can use only one wipe to remove polish from both my hands so they last quite a long time. (Super Bonus: Josie Maran donates a portion of every sale to the Polar Bear SOS Initiative).

Bottom line: these are awesome!

XO- Brittney

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Benefit Majorette Booster Blush Review & Swatch

Hello Beautiful Ones!

Today is a bright sunshine-y day and I find myself feeling extremely happy despite the fact that it's Monday. There might also be a few new things in my makeup bag that are adding to the pep in my step. What is it about new makeup that makes getting ready in the morning so much better?!

One of the new things I'm absolutely crazy about is the Benefit Majorette Booster Blush. Confession: I was totally a band nerd in high school. Double confession: I didn't even really like playing the clarinet, but all of my friends were in band so I think it was mostly a social decision. My point is that I made a lot of really great memories during high school marching band so this product name and packaging are making me feel a little nostalgic!

Benefit defines Majorette as a "cream-to-powder booster blush." I'm a complete cream blush junkie so I was excited about this one right away. The first thing I noticed about the product was the gorgeous packaging. The whole concept is that Majorette will "pep up" your makeup routine (hence the super cute marching band theme). The lid of the package opens up to reveal the blush and a mirror in the lid. 

It was so hard to wait to dig into this until I had a chance to get the pictures taken (serious will power took place). I had to get pictures of how beautiful it looks when you first open it! Once I started actually playing with the product I noticed that it is extremely creamy and glides on well. Once you apply it to your face it starts to take on more of a powder texture. I just applied it with my fingers and then buffed it out with a kabuki brush.

Benefit says that you can use Majorette on its own or layered under another blush. I know that a lot of people are a little nervous about the peachy pink color, but I have to tell you that it's extremely flattering. I did try layering one of my favorite pink powder blushes over this and I still liked it. Majorette just gave it a little extra boost. Here is the majorette color swatch:

Just as a little extra bonus this product smells amazing! I know what you're thinking: what does scent have to do with the performance of the blush? The answer is absolutely nothing, but the fresh citrus scent does serve as a nice pick-me-up in the morning!

So far I've been happy with the lasting power of this product. I typically have great luck with cream blushes and this one is no exception. My initial verdict on this product is that I am in love! You can pick up Benefit's Majorette for $28 (I feel it's worth the price tag!).

Let me know if you've tried this one yet and what you think!

XO- Brittney

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