Favorite Beauty Products: December 2012

Best in Bow: July 2012 Products

I could go through a massive detailed description of the beauty products I'm loving... but instead, I'm dumping out the contents of my makeup bag and showing you exactly what I'm using at this very moment in time. I wouldn't be using them if they weren't products I didn't love, right?!

For July, I'm loving bronzed skin, strong brows, long black lashes, a la Kim Kardashian:

Simple, summery, and nearly natural... just better!

Random Inspiration: Pucci for Guerlain

 

 "A beautiful summer is a summer when the warm sunlight blends with the scents of the Mediterranean, leaves, flowers, the sea… waves crashing onto the rocks." -Laudomia Pucci

I'm truly a Spanish girl at heart... living "la vida bonita" on sunny days and balmy nights, going on barefoot walks with a sunkissed tan. For me, it's all about the simple life - the good life - surrounded by loved ones, sitting in the grass, getting ice cream, lounging on the boat. While I adore my boots and jeans uniform in cold weather, there's something so freeing about throwing on a breezy sundress and a pair of nude sandals. I love it. It's me.

While black, nude, and white are usually my staples, I love to wear vibrant colors once it hits May. Neon yellow, pink and corals have been my go-to colors lately, brightening up my wardrobe and my mood. Which brings me to Pucci's new Terra Azzurra beauty collection for Guerlain... those colors!

Terra Azzura Star Powder - $76 - contains 4 shades: light pink, fuchsia pink, sunny coral and bronze terracotta with a soft pearly formula - all in a black lacquered wooden case and Pucci patterned pouch.

Source: beautycrazed (http://s.tt/193EV)

 I plan on picking up the Terra Azzura Star Powder, which features a motif inspired by the iconic Pucci archival print, "Winter Capri." The mix of pale pink, fuschia, coral, and terracotta hues combine to make a gorgeous bronzer/blush duo. It's the perfect complimentary product for my summertime mantra: less is more! A little bronzer, a pink lip, and some mascara, and this girl is good to go! Shouldn't everything in life be so simple?

 

light pink, fuchsia pink, sunny coral and bronze terracotta with a soft pearly formula - all in a black lacquered wooden case and Pucci patterned pouch.

Source: beautycrazed (http://s.tt/193EV)

Celebrity Beauty Inspiration

While I love fashion, part of the reason I've always loved magazines so much is just the sheer fact that I can get beauty/hair inspiration. These are the specific looks I've been inspired by lately, although Kim Kardashian and Penelope Cruz have been examples that I've looked to for the past few years.

It's Music Monday, so here's an old favorite by Maroon Five that I still love.

Sunday morning, rain is falling
Steal some covers, share some skin
Clouds are shrouding us in moments unforgettable
You twist to fit the mold that I am in

Have a great Monday, dolls.

xx

Miss Representation

I'm in a rush right now, getting ready for the day. It's Saturday, so I'm spending a little more time primping (something I enjoy and find almost therapeutic)... but then I turned on OWN, and stumbled upon Miss Representation. This documentary hits close to home, as I heat up my $23 eyelash curler with my blowdryer (haha) and think of the next product I'm going to review on my beauty blog.

Beauty is a form of empowerment in the media and in our society, but it also comes at a cost. Beauty is fun for me, and I see it as an art... a means of self-expression. But at the same time, I know that there are some fatal flaws in an industry that is expected to gross $59 billion in 2012. There are side effects to this mentality, some of which I have experienced firsthand (particularly when I was younger). I'm all for doing things to make yourself feel better- inside and out- but there's also a definite pressure to perpetuate a standard I've created for myself. 

I know that kindness, strength, love- fundamental, core principles- are what truly matter. Those things will leave a lasting legacy of beauty over glossy lips, great hair, or perfect skin. But at the same time, these are things that I still pursue. There's nothing wrong with that, but I know I won't ever want my future children to feel that they need these to be beautiful. That just being is enough... to love wholeheartedly, to make a difference in the life of another person, to experience pure joy from simplicity. That is is possible to radiate beauty, both inside and out, and kick some major ass.

And maybe, just maybe, I should take a lesson from myself.

xx

Beauty with a Bow: Essentials

When I graduated from college in May, I had a feeling that my life was about to change dramatically... I just didn't fully realize how drastic the transition would be. Working full time in an advertising agency (with a long commute), my free time is now more precious than ever. Here are a few products that  help me make the most out of my time.

 

iPad 2: I received my iPad as a graduation present, with my signature "Love, live life, proceed, progress" mantra engraved on the back. It seemed like a novelty gift, but this thing is now invaluable to my daily life. I plug it into my car's AUX jack to provide a soundtrack for my commutes, check email and shop online during my lunch breaks, and read my girly magazines with the swipe of a fingertip.

Fieldcrest Luxury Down Pillows: Sleep is more precious than ever, particularly because I'm getting less of it than I used to. I'd probably laugh at myself if I read this post 6 months ago, but I swear... good pillows are essential to my grown-up life. Fieldcrest Luxury's pillows are perfect. Paired with the softest sheets, duvet, and featherbed I could find, I've created a little sanctuary that even Sleeping Beauty would be jealous of. ;)

Urban Decay 24/7 Liquid Eyeliner: I've always loved Urban Decay's pencil version of this liner, but the liquid version has been a godsend during long days. It's deeply pigmented, lasts ALL day, and is so precise. Don't be intimidated by the tiny applicator- you'll master it after a few tries.

Oribe Apres Beach Wave & Shine Spray: I discovered Oribe during my last trip to my stylist, and to be totally honest, I was a little disgusted with how much I paid for three products. After the very first use, though, I got it. Oribe is amazingggg (and smells just as incredible). This spray can be used in a myriad of ways: as a shine spray, wave texturizer, finishing product. Unlike salty wave sprays that can leave your hair feeling parched (Bumble and Bumble, anyone?), Oribe leaves your hair lustrous and soft.

Model in a Bottle Setting Spray: I just started using this two weeks ago, but I'm already a believer. Model in a Bottle lives up to its hype, keeping your makeup in place all day. The scent overwhelmingly reeks of alcohol, but I'll deal with it if it means fewer touch-ups.

Clinique's Superbalm lip gloss in Currant: This is a balm, gloss, and lip color in one tube. I use my lip stain and NARS Tiber lip gloss on a daily basis, but I grab Superbalm on those mornings that I want to keep my beauty routine simple. The rosy color is gorgeous and clings on your lips for several hours.

Remington's Pearl Clampless Iron: After having my hair curled with a $200 clampless iron at Henri Bendel on Fifth Ave, I became a true believer in these new irons. As soon as my plane landed, I drove to Target and bought this iron, a $30 alternative that works just as well. While my hair is wavy, it never used to hold a curl. I can curl my hair with this iron before bed, and wake up with springy Kardashian curls that will last an entire day. It's saved me SO much time, and my hair looks better than ever.

xx

Pochahontas Tutorial: Halloween 2011

xx

Summertime and the Living is Easy

I've always been one to "stop and smell the roses," but I think I've only become more attune to beauty as I've gotten older. I feel like I'm continually gushing about one thing or another (sorry about that, guys), but I feel like I'm finally enjoying life. Summertime and the living is EASY.

When I first started this blog, it was a place where I wanted to write about beauty... Fekkai hair products, NARS' bronzer, my favorite Chanel lip gloss, my latest Vuitton purchase. Superficial beauty. And while it's absolutely clear that I'm still very much into those things, I feel like my life has taken me in a new direction where I'm finding so much more beauty in things that matter.

An afternoon with my aunt and grandma... Basking in the sun by the pool... Feeling happily exhausted after a great run... Appreciating the grandeur of the Colorado mountains with my best friend... Having dinner with someone that makes me smile... Going to the farmer's market with an old friend... Realizing that I'm a hell of a lot stronger than I ever imagined.

It's great to have nice stuff to look at. I enjoy pretty things as much as the next woman (if not more). But at the end of the day, pretty things are just that: things. They don't make a person who they are. I guess that's what I want to convey with this blog. There is so much beauty in this world, but it's only there if you have your eyes open to it. I don't want to look back on my life in fifty years and wonder what exactly I did with my life. I want to say I lived this life with my entire heart and soul, truly living in the moment of every experience. Life isn't always beautiful (trust me on that one), but there is so much beauty to be taken from every experience.

xx

June Favorites Haul

YSL Friends & Family Sale

Just a little heads up...

 

YSL is having a 20% off Friends and Family sale through the 26th. Just enter promotion code "FRIENDS" at check out and you're all set! Definitely snatch this one up if you've been eying a YSL product recently, as the brand rarely goes on sale. (The Touche Éclat illuminator is everything you've heard it is, FYI).

You're welcome. ;)

xx

(Image source: yslbeautyus.com)

How unbelievably beautiful....

The Mountain from Terje Sorgjerd on Vimeo.

Ever stop and wonder how incredibly lucky we are? Just to exist... to live... to breathe.  Every single day that we are given is a little present in itself. Sure, life can be difficult... brutal, sometimes. Hell, today was a depressing day for me. But the fact that I'm even here to experience this little thing called life is amazing.