Empties #1 (Skincare progress!!)

Long before I even knew what blogging was, I was a skincare fanatic. Growing up, I went to the dermatologist early on as my mother struggled with her skin; we attempted to combat heredity! However, as with most people, my skin fought back with vengeance...alas my skincare obsession has been going strong for over a decade now! I've long accepted that I will never go through all my eyeshadows and blushes, but every six months or so I tackle yet another moisturizer lying about...

Acne.org Treatment - This is actually my second tube of Dan Kern's 2.5% benzoyl peroxide treatment gel. One word: effective. If you struggle with acne, please check out his site here if you've never seen it before. This guy knows his stuff! I went on his "regime" program 2 years ago when my skin was going through cystic acne (hell) and it really balanced my skin out. Nowadays I use his gel more for spot treatment, in conjunction with BHAs and AHAs. A repurchase every year sans doubt!

Neutrogena Naturals Purifying Facial Cleanser - I tried this cleanser out in hopes of trying something paraben-free, as opposed to my old standby, Cetaphil. I've always had decent luck with Neutrogena products, and this was no different. It is slightly drying, but suitable for my skin in summer. Only downside is the bottle only contains 6 fl oz (177ml) so this only lasted me two months. To compare, I buy Cetaphil from Costco in a pack of two massive 20 fl oz bottles that last me almost a whole year. Yeah...Still, this cleanser is available at drugstores for about 8 dollars so you can't go wrong. It also totes 90% naturally-derived ingredients. I'd buy it again, but word of caution: "natural" products don't agree with all skins.

Up & Up Eye Makeup Remover - I bought this from Target awhile back since I was at my boyfriend's and needed to get my darn waterproof mascara off my eyes! This did the trick, but I prefer oils...coconut, jojoba, even olive oil. I think I will do a post on oil makeup removing soon. Still, if you do use waterproof eye products, this does work but the bottle lasted me a mere month.

Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Stress Control 3-in-1 Hydrating Acne Treatment - Whoa that is an unnecessarily long product name, eh? Another Neutrogena product, sensing a trend? This is basically a 2% salicylic acid gel (or BHA), and a very good one at that! I read on Paula's Choice (another amazing skincare site; imagine if she and acne.org's Dan met...) that this is one of the only effective drugstore BHAs on the market because it has the correct pH balance. I think benzoyl peroxide does the trick better for me but I like to use this beneath my daytime moisturizer since it is so light and dries quickly. It's a great drugstore acne treatment, but I think I'm going to try Paula's Choice BHA liquid next. Hers lacks the fragrance and blue dye in this product (WHY there is fragrance and dye in most skincare, I will never understand). 

La Roche-Posay Effaclar H Moisturizer - When I was living in France with my first host family in Toulouse back in 2008 (has it been that long?? trop triste!), my host mom worked in a pharmacie so she used to give me various skincare products and samples. I think that's when my fascination with skincare/makeup began...Anyway she passed me along this moisturizer and I never tried it...found it in the back of my drawer a few months ago and WOW...this stuff is amazing. It says it's a "compensating soothing moisturizer" for "oily skin made fragile by over-drying skincare." I probably never tried it as I have more dry-combination skin but I used this at night when I would get my monthly breakout (the best time) and it perfectly moisturized my skin and even seemed to calm the breakout! I'm already on the hunt online for another tube of this...it's pricey at about $20 for 1.35 fl oz (40ml) but seeing as I cut this one open to get everything out...I need this back in my life pronto.

CVS 70% Isopropyl Rubbing Alcohol - If you've made it this far, here we have plain old rubbing alcohol. Why did I include this? Because this is what I use to clean all my synthetic brushes! I learned this method from Gossmakeupartist, who you all probably know and love; his videos are so concise and full of great tips like this. He uses a 99% solution to clean all his brushes as it kills all the bacteria. This is obviously imperative if you are a makeup artist, but if you are anal like me about breakouts from dirty brushes then this should work a treat! I use 70% because my friend who works in a hospital says it's the best ratio for the germs to be killed throughly. I just pour a small amount in a bowl and swirl my brush in it and then wipe it on a dish towel. Let it be noted that I only do this to my synthetic brushes. I have tried with my natural haired ones and it dried them out terribly. With use every few days, I go through a bottle every three months, give or take.

That's all the empties I've got for now! Hopefully I'll be good and there will be some makeup bits in here next time...never say never, right? Do you have any "empties" lying around? x

Laura Mercier Mineral Powder Review

Wearing the foundation in question

If someone would have told me a year ago my first foundation review would be on a mineral one, I would have never believed them. I used Bare Minerals all throughout high school, until I discovered liquid foundation and haven't looked back since. That is, until I tried the famous Laura Mercier Mineral powder this past spring.

My hands are pretty tan..weird. Ignore that liner swatch :)

As per Laura Mercier, this mineral powder is described as a "finely milled powder composed of natural elements with 15 active amino acids." I don't know much about the science behind the amino acids (they are supposed to clear the skin of toxins apparently), however I can say that this powder is certainly finely milled and incredibly soft to the touch. It has a silky texture that I think surpasses its mineral competitors like Bare Minerals. It has not broken me out either, and I have acne-prone/sensitive skin. It also boasts SPF 15, which isn't bad but I always wear a sunscreen beneath my base makeup no matter which one I'm wearing.

The thing I love the most about this powder is its neutral undertone. I have it in the shade Real Sand, and I am approximately a NW/NC 25 in the summer. While I could probably do with the next darker shade (I purchased this in March), I find that it is very forgiving and blends beautifully. The neutral undertone means it could work for a myriad of skintones in my opinion; I often struggle to find foundations that aren't too yellow or pink for me. This conceals my redness/blemishes and I can build it up to medium coverage easily. For reference, I use the Real Techniques Buffing Brush to apply this.

Overall, I really love this powder. The biggest drawback is its lasting power on my skin. By itself, I find it only lasts about 6-7 hours before it begins to wear off and look cakey in areas like around my nose. That said, a lighter application is best and while you may be able to build it up to medium-full coverage, I've found it looks way too cakey that way. It looks nice dusted over a liquid foundation too.

Final Verdict

Pros: neutral undertone, buildable to medium coverage, looks natural

Cons: only lasts 6-7 hours, can look cakey if trying to achieve higher coverage

I hope this review was helpful to anyone interested in trying out this mineral powder! It contains 0.34 oz of product and retails for $35 at Sephora and department stores. It isn't cheap so I suggest trying to get a sample if you want to try it out. 

Hope you're all enjoying your summer!

xx

Rainy Day = Little in the Way of Productivity..

Say hello to my sick-and-tired-of-rain face...very attractive. It's been pouring nearly all day here in the good ol Northeast so I decided to just do a little update post. The lighting is too poor to post any reviews! I think 90% of my Photobooth pics are of my smirking self...mm embarrassing indeed.

-Today I'm wearing a rose gold choker from H&M, as pictured above. I've really been into this metal trend in 2012...I also own the plain silver H&M one that is more rounded than this one (great description Linds). Choker/collar style necklaces are so versatile...I just throw one on and my neutral outfits end up looking like I put more effort in than I actually did (ie. none).

-Yesterday my best friend who was studying abroad in Manchester got home! It was great to catch up and hear about her travels. She kindly brought me back some British things, including a No. 7 product and one of those Keep Calm posters...that phrase has been heavily overused on this side of the Atlantic (every bar tour t-shirt: Keep Calm & Party On) but I can now say I have a bonafide British one.

-Lastly, I have been applying for internships like a mad woman the past few weeks. Never in my life would I think I'd be vying so heavily for an unpaid job...! Due to an insane workload this past semester, I didn't have a ton of time to apply to many, so I am struggling now but hopefully something will turn up! If not I have some options for the fall & then there's next summer but I hope it doesn't come down to that. If you're like me and looking for editorial/PR/publishing internships in the US, I'll list some sites below that have aided my search. As for me, the search continues on...what I'd give to be a trust fund baby...

http://www.ed2010.com/

http://www.mediabistro.com/

http://journalismjobs.com/

That's it for now! Tomorrow night I'm going to see Radiohead with my boyfriend (so.damn.excited) so I'm going to coerce ask him to snap some OOTN pics for moi...we'll see how that goes.

x Linds

Nail of the Day: OPI's Just Spotted the Lizard

Today I decided to share "Just Spotted the Lizard" from OPI's The Amazing Spiderman collection. This polish has been making the blogging rounds ever since the collection launched, and I am certainly not regretting picking up this multi-dimensional shade.

Outdoors, 2 coats

In bright daylight, you can pick up on the olive green, teal duochrome going on that makes this polish so interesting to look at. My camera does not do it justice!

Indoors, Natural Light, 2 coats

As you can maybe tell, this polish can be quite the chameleon in different lights. Application was slightly streaky, but I found Seche Vite topcoat (long time favorite) to sort that out! Apparently it's a dead-on dupe for Chanel Peridot too! I'm not too fussed over high-end nail polish, but I can see why so many people raved about Peridot now. 

Did you pick up any shades from the Spiderman collection? x

Lust List #1

I thought I'd start a mega original series depicting current things/trends I'm lusting after...the Internet really takes window shopping to a whole new level. What a great world we live in.

1. Red-Orange nail polish.

Enter Essie Geranium, pictured below. I've been told that Fifth Avenue is another great shade. I've seen both next to each other in person and could not tell the difference though. Either way, I went through a good 19 years hating red nail polish, but after discovering reddy-orange shades, I've become a satisfied convert. Oh, and I'm 20.

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2. These Zara heels every fashion blogger seems to own. 

Ok, if I am being perfectly honest with myself, I am lusting after nearly all of Zara's stock at the moment. I largely blame the British YouTubers I watch (see: Vivianna) for showcasing their amazing finds this season! Seriously though, Zara has impressed me in 2012. Fast international shipping too! Always a plus. Being on the taller end of the spectrum (I'm 5ft7), I can't see myself actually wearing these, however one day I will grow up and embrace my stature dans talons!

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3. Floral blouses (this one is from HM). 

Loving these types of shirts for summer! Which is quite strange because I definitely lean towards more of a neutral, even utilitarian style overall...hmm describing your own style is not easy. I plan on doing OOTD's on here, so hopefully pictures will speak louder! Let's hope I am good and don't show my typical black on grey, grey on black self.

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4. Above Knuckle Rings. 

Trend-wise, I'm late on this one but I've been eyeing these silver rings from Fashionology for almost a year now! Need to bite the bullet and order a couple, even though I think they're slightly overpriced. The quality seems lovely however; my dozens of tarnished Forever 21 rings are hanging their heads in shame tsk tsk.

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That's all for now! Let me know if you enjoy the Lust List concept...I'd love to hear what you're lusting after at the moment x

xx Linds

Back with a Small Collective Makeup Haul!

Long time, no post! I'm starting a bad blogger habit, aren't I? Although I may not have any readership to refer to, I am mad at myself for being a procrastinator! I thought I would blog about a few makeup bits I've picked up over the past few weeks.

First up is the smallest MAC haul anyone has probably ever blogged about...I am the type of shopper where I buy things here and there.

L: MAC Warm Soul Mineralize Blush  R: MAC Espresso

My favorite blush by MAC, probably of all time, is Melba. A matte peachy-pink, I love Melba because it doesn't impart any unwanted shimmer or emphasis my pores. Blushes that add that type of dimension to the face are amongst my favorites. However, I have tried out some lovely shimmery blushes this year, and have been wanting Warm Soul mineralize blush for what seems like forever. I have to give it to this blush...it imparts a "glow" that looks especially beautiful when I have a bit of a tan.

I also picked up Espresso, a matte medium brown (so thrilling). Currently am trying to fill the gaps in my neutral palette...this is a must-have that I was missing.

Complimentary awkward swatches

Thanks to G. over at Nouveau Cheap, I was pleased to hear that CVS was having a big clearance makeup sale. Today I popped in to check it out, and came out with three items, all 50% off! Not too shabby indeed.

Top: Maybelline Age Rewind Protector Finishing Powder in Nude
Bottom: L'Oreal HIP Studio Secrets Color Chrome Eyeliners in Black Shock & Violet

Biggest makeup complaint: overly long product names. See above. Do they really need to crame that much marketing onto one thin pencil?

Advertising aside, these eyeliners are creamy and quite pigmented, the black more so than the purple but both still great. They also set quickly on me, which is a must because I mostly use eyeliner to line my upper waterline and/or line my lid.

The powder I picked up because A) It was 50% off...duh B) MakeupbyTiffanyD recently raved about this powder in her Drugstore Favorites video C) Tiffany's advice = the unofficial makeup gospel...I'm a fan. I picked this up in Nude, the second lightest shade available. I am around NW20-25 for reference! It may take me some time to try this out as I have been having a love affair with my Laura Mercier Mineral Powder...maybe I will take us public with a review? Bonne idee je pense.

C'est fini! Short, sweet, yet rambley. I have clearly have blogging skills. Hope everyone is enjoying summer so far!

xx Linds

Spring Retail Therapy

Checking in with a second post here! Not exactly on a roll but in my defense, finals are (finally) over....

This is how exams make me feel immediately after.

So what does a newly liberated student do with the unusual free time? Shop of course!

I basically wear variations of black and grey (black and grey, grey and black, etc.) so I decided to get in the spring spirit and pick up some colorful wardrobe items.

This pairing looks very Katy Perry..

One of the first things I wanted to find was a good pair of high waisted shorts. You'd think this would be easy to find, but not always the case. These from Urban Outfitters were a great bright blue, high waisted, and long enough to not make me look like I'm "working". Yes please. I threw in my new H&M bikini in the shot because...it's rose gold. And gorgeous. Somehow it made it into all my shots..

More BDG denim! And the bikini bottom for an artsy touch.

 Now these pants are the spring/summer brights I was referencing above. I don't know what it is about this orange-y, persimmon shade, but I love it and think it will look even better with a tan perhaps. Not to mention, these jeans are lightweight, high waisted (sensing a trend?) and the softest I've ever felt...highly recommend.

Attack of the rose gold trend!

And here it is (again)...the piece de resistance of my haul. H&M has always been on my good list, but this year they are bringing out some really chic swimsuits. From the rose gold hardware to the triangles; I will be rocking this all summer no doubt. I threw in a rose gold bangle I found there for only $5.95 for good measure ;)

Everyone likes a basic striped tee, right? This one has a shirttail hem (shorter in front, longer in back).

Lastly we have FLATFORMS! I finally scouted them out at my H&M after toying with ordering a pair off Asos for months...until they were sold out, of course. I don't know what it is about them that I like...they are very comfortable and a very manageable heel (about 2.5 inches). 

I also picked up an Essie polish in Cute as a Button. The photo is making it look very orange, but in reality it's more of a peachy pink with some red in it. Goes quite nicely with the bright trend me thinks :)

Well that's all for now, let me know your latest spring buys!

xx

Lindsay