Best of Beauty 2013

Best in Beauty 2013 

As we get ready to say goodbye to 2013, I thought it would be fun to do a best in beauty round-up. All items below are my best beauty products from this year. Most of them I have used the whole year (in some cases i have used them for years - hello Revlon ColorStay!) and all products were purchased with my own money or gift-cards given to me by family for various occasions throughout the year. I think this would be a fun series we could do all year long, maybe call them "the Melissa's" or the "Melly's"?? Thoughts??

What are you 2013 faves?

Best Primer, Foundation, Concealer and Powder: Rimmel Fix & Perfect Primer, Cover Girl Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 Foundation, Revlon ColorStay (for dry skin), Cover Girl & Olay under eye concealer and Maybelline Shine Free Powder.

Best Bronzer, Blush and Highlighters: Sonia Kashuk Undetectable Creme Bronzer, The Balm Bahama Mama Bronzer, Benefit Cosmetics blush box in Rockateur, The Balm blush in Hot Mama!, The Balm Mary Loumanizer and the Dior highlighter in Amber Diamonds.

Best Eye Shadow Palette, Eyeliner, and Mascara: Lorac Pro Palette, Rimmel ScandalEyes eyeliner and the Maybelline Line Stiletto liquid liner. Best mascara is Benefit They're Real! and (not pictured) Maybelline's The Rocket.

Best Lipstick: Revlon Super Lusterous lipstick and their lip butters. (pictured: Black Cherry, Pearl and Red Velvet)

Best Lip Pencil: I don't use lip pencils :/ So I cheated a bit and did lip crayons instead! Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain (various colors this one just happened to be on top) and the mark. Color Me In crayon in Wine Bar.

Best Lip Gloss: Revlon lipglosses in Bordeaux and Rose Pearl, NYX lip butter gloss in Eclair, mark. Juice Gems in Papaya and OCD Cosmetics Lip Tar in Black Metal Dhalia. 

Skin Care Series: Treatments

Okay so in my original post in this series, I forgot a couple of products. My bad. But I've added them in and posted pictures here :-)

So. Okay, let's get started. This post is the third in my skin care series.

As you can see in the picture above I use several additional products to treat specific things for my skin. This is a longer post, but these treatments and serums are really the meat and potatoes of skin care, so grab some coffee/tea and settle in.

So in the order I would put these on my face I use the Murad Rapid Age Spot and Pigment Lightening Serum (it's the small pump bottle with the white top in the above picture). I use this on two acne scars on my cheek. I had two zits a year ago on my cheek and because I am so fair skinned the scars are like little beacons of light drawing all of your attention to my cheek (at least that's how I think they look). And so I got this small bottle as a deluxe sample from Sephora and have been using it to fade those spots. It seems to be working, but not fast enough for me.

If I have a zit I use one the two products next to the Murad bottle. The little dropper bottle is something I got from a spa and I have no clue what it is but when I put it on zits they go away and then I'm happy. I also use this mark. get treatment zit cream for the little pus bastards that sometimes show up on my face. Unfortunately this product is discontinued, but it really does work.

I also use the Michael Todd True Organics Pumpkin Mask once every couple of weeks to restore moisture in my face. I love using this because a) it smells like pumpkin which is delish, and b) it looks like someone smeared baby food all over my face and the look on my boyfriend's face when he sees me wearing it is priceless. It also seems to work and makes my skin pretty. I got this is an ipsy bag a few months back.

And finally I use the e.l.f. Lip Exfoliator a few times a week to get rid of all the dead skin on my lips. It smells like vanilla and is a little moisturizing so it doesn't totally dry out my lips. And it's $3.

Skin Care Series: Eye Cream

The second post in my skin care series.

And now moving on to eye cream, I am now using two. In my first post my routine only shows one eye cream, and now it's after Christmas and I am using two. Because that's how I roll. And my mom bought me a new eye cream, and I added it into my routine. So there.

The first one I use is the Mary Kay Timewise Firming Eye Cream. About 8 or so years ago I used to be a Mary Kay rep and I used this all the time. Then I hated it and quit and eventually stopped using the products. But I there are a few products they make that I love and this is one of them. It targets lines, wrinkles and darkness and it is amaze-balls.

The other eye cream that I have used for about a year now is the Benefit It's Potent! Eye Cream. This really targets darkness under the eyes and I am telling you it really works! Don't get it in your eye or it will burn, but under your eyes its fantastic.

Both of these eye creams are very moisturizing, and work great under makeup.

Skin Care Series: Olay Total Effects Nourishing Cream Cleanser

This is my skin care routine. Yep all that stuff goes on my face every morning and night. I am a strong believer in good skin care and that taking care of your skin is the best beauty investment you can make. After all, the best makeup in the world won't do a thing if it's applied to a crappy canvas.

So I thought I would share with you, through a series of posts, what I do to keep my skin in top form.

Let me start by saying a few things:

• This is not a sponsored post. All of these products were paid for with my hard earned dollars and all of the opinions (as always) are my honest to goodness feelings about these products.
• I am 32 and I have dry skin. I get the occasional hormonal zit here and there but mostly I am fortunate to be zit free. 
• I am trying to be as proactive as humanly possible regarding anti-aging, without breaking the bank and spending too much time in the bathroom.
• These are the products that work for me. I'm not saying, nor am I guaranteeing these will work for you. BUT if we have similar skin types and concerns, maybe give them a try.

With that out of the way. Let's get started.

I wash my face every morning and night with a creamy cleanser. I find that foaming and gel cleansers are just too drying for my skin. I have tried Cetaphil, Purity and a couple of others formulated for sensitive skin, but they don't work for me. But this amazing cleanser is my holy grail. It is the Olay Total Effect Nourishing Cream Cleanser. It fights 7 signs of aging and gently cleanses my skin and removes makeup without over drying and stripping my face of the oils it needs to keep it together. I have been using this for over 5 years now and any time I try something different I can tell a big difference. My skin is red, dry, flaky and gross. Then I go back to this and within one wash it's all good in the hood.

There is a slight smell but it's not perfumey (which I think is totally inappropriate for any skin care product). And once I wipe this off with a wash rag the smell is gone.

Sometimes I use a makeup remover wipe if I had on a crap ton of makeup that day or some weird long wearing weirdness happening on my face but 99.99% of the time this is the cleanser I use.

Next in the series is serums, treatments and eye cream. Tell me in the comments below what your favorite cleanser is!

Loreal Youth Code Texture Perfector - Review

This could be my new holy grail skin care product. Seriously I really am that obsessed. This is the new L'oreal Youth Code Texture Perfector. It is about $20 at most local Target/Walmart type stores and I know you can get coupons online and in the paper. This is a serum you put on after cleansing in the AM & PM, and it supposed to perfect the overall appearance of your face (smaller pores, gets rid of wrinkles, and gives you softer skin), this also contains 2% LR2412, which is supposed to be a powerful skin care ingredient that will whip your skin into shape. [Side note: Lancome's new serum - made by the same peeps - contains 4% LR2412 and is twice the price]. 

Why do I like it? It doesn't stink - there is a smell but it's not strong enough to last forever, it has improved the appearance of my skin in terms of brightness and pores AND it doesn't irritate my skin (which most L'oreal products do). I feel like I am doing something good for my skin and I am pleased with the results. The price isn't terrible either.

FYI - there is also a day/night cream version of this and I have not tried that.

Do you use a serum? Have you tried this one? Tell me in the comments below.

Fall and Winter Skin Saver! E.L.F. Daily Moisture Stick

 I recently purchased this Daily Moisture Stick from E.L.F. I didn't have super high hopes but I have to say I was very pleasantly surprised.

I used to use a similar product from mark., but that was discontinued a few years abck and I have been looking for something similar to replace that. And I found it!

 This is just a great little item to have on hand at your desk, in your purse, in the bathroom or wherever. I have been using this on dry patches by my mouth and nose this last week and it has really made a difference. Winter is coming in Minnesota and that means dry skin is coming too.
But this bad boy is going to knock dry winter skin on its a$$. This is only $6 at Target and is totally worth it. Like I said I just apply with my finger tips to dry spots on my face and let it soak in. The texture is balm like, it feels cooling to the skin but not tingly and it does not have a smell. It does say on the packaging that it is "Enriched with antioxidants and anti-aging ingredients Grape, Cocoa, Shea, Avocado, Macadamia, Aloe and Chamonile." How much of each of those things, I don't know. But I that it was interesting. And it makes me feel better about using it.

Sorry for the crappy pics, my camera just didn't want to focus. Not sure what the deal is there.

Tell me in the comments if you have used this product and if you like it!

Fall Fashion from JustFab - BOOTS!

There are so many things I love about fall. The leaves changing, bonfires, the smells of apple and cinnamon, football and pumpkin spiced lattes at Starbucks. But one of my all time favorite things about fall is boots. I love boots. Tall boots, heeled boots, flat boots and everything in between.

In the last year or two I have discovered the amazing deals you can find at JustFab. JustFab is a monthly subscription service that allows you to skip or cancel at any time, but you have the opportunity to purchase amazing (and incredibly affordable for the quality) stylish shoes, denim, handbags and accessories. I will admit there are a few things I have purchased that I returned because I didn't like the quality or fit, and I really wish they had a wider selection of heels in a more wearable length, but I digress.  

The one thing I love about JustFab is that all of their boots (with the exception of the new Luxe line) are $39.95. These are high quality, stylish boots for $40! You can't even find that at Target these days. I paid twice as much for a pair of Steve Madden boots and those have fallen apart on me a couple of times. 

I have several pairs of heels and sandals from JustFab that I love, but I have a couple of new faves for fall that I wanted to share with you today. If you feel so inclined, you can sign up for JustFab here.

Mattie (black)

These are soooooo comfy! And I love that I can wear them for work and look supes professional OR with skinnies and a sweater on the weekend. Low-mid heel and no zipper, just slide on and off. Love.

Trinity (black)

Okay, if you are looking for some high fashion, super trendy fall boots, get these. No seriously, get these. The mix of faux suede and faux leather is sooooo hot right now and the pointy toe too, OMG. I love these with dresses and tights. I also love to wear these with my leather mini skirt, oh so chic! These are mostly comfy too, but I strongly suggest some sort of insert for the balls of your feet as the heel on this is fairly steep. But for work or a night out these are fab-u-lous. 

Margaux (black)

Another stylish bootie option that is great for work. Also would recommend the insert for these too. Again I love these with dresses/skirts and tights. I think they would be adorbs with skinnies but haven't tried that yet. This style also mixes materials with faux leather and suede.

Where have I been?!?! AND Fall Beauty Faves

Hello lovely blog readers!

Some of you may have been wondering where I've been and some of you maybe don't care. Either way, a very long story short is that I moved. It was quick and dirty, but it's all done and we are all settling in nicely to our new country home :-)

Now let's hope that a new home means a new routine with more regularly scheduled blog posts! One can always hope right?!?

So today's post is going to be all about Fall Beauty. I love Fall. Fall and Spring are my two most favorite seasons. I am not a hot weather person and being in Minnesota I really don't want to think about winter right now.

Traditionally, this is the time of year that deeper, darker and richer tones start to show up and I love that. But let me pause and tell you that if you are a lover of neons and pastels and you want to rock that all the way into next summer, you go right on ahead and do that. I am a firm believer that fashion and beauty should be a reflection of you, not what other people say you should do.

For me though, I love the darker, and more vampy colors that come out for Fall. Especially in the beauty department. So below are some of the things that I am totally obsessed with. I apologize in advance for the craptastical lighting, but the new house has a lot of "natural" lighting so it's just weird.

A few of my faves! Most are from the drug store too :) 

I am absolutely obsessed with the deeper colors in this palette! Especially the garnet and deep purple shades. This is the Lorac Pro Palette.

I am also totally into orange. Like fall leaves or a fall sunset or a bonfire after a football game. I LOVE this palette from the Wet n Wild Fergie Collection in Desert Festival. I picked this up at Walgreens for $2 on sale.

A beautiful purple-y cranberry shade from E.L.F. in burnt plum. Use this wet or dry!

Deep berry blushes like Heather Silk from Wet n Wild - also found at Walgreens for $1 on sale.

Maybelline limited edition mascara in So Very Berry. About $5 at Walmart. I put this just on the tips of my lashes after my regular mascara is on. Stunning on blue and green eyes! I tried to find a link for this but I couldn't find one for exactly this color. BUT  I have seen it all over at Target, Walmart and Walgreens. 

I LOVE dark nail polish all year long but these are some of my FAVES. Essie in Wicked, Zoya in Casey and Wet n Wild in Under Your Spell. Love all of these. Love them.

A new love. Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar. OMG. This is from their new metallic collection and is in the shade Black Metal Dahlia. This is stunning - the lighting here does not do it justice. Can be worn more sheer or fully loaded. And while it is a deeeeeeeep berry color it doesn't appear too deep or goth on your lips. Just in case you were worried. 

And finally, I am loving (or still loving) Lime Crime's lipstick in Galmour 101. I found that using a lip liner is essential with these darker colors and I love this one by Jordana in Rock n Roses. Found the lipliner at Walgreens for $1 or maybe $2. Also couldn't find a link for that but you can find it at Walgreens by the beauty counter near the Sinful Colors nail polish.

So tell me in the comments below what your fave Fall Beauty trends are! Anything you love about fall? Or maybe you don't like fall colors and that's okay too!

Sunday Scoop: My Fave E.L.F. Products

Today's post is all about one of my fave brands of make-up. E.L.F. (Eyes Lips Face Cosmetics) can be purchased at Target or on their website. I have also heard of people finding this line at grocery stores or other random places, but I always just go to Target to get mine.

This line of cosmetics is super affordable - generally most items are around the $1-$6 range. I have not tried everything in this line, and I have definitely tried some things that were crap, but a lot of it is really good stuff! Here are a few of my faves:

The small stippling brush ($3 part of the studio brush collection) is amazing! I love using it for cream blushes. I really like all of the brushes I have tried both in the studio and regular collections. I would also recommend their crease brush and the general eye shadow brush. So affordable and they really do hold up well.

The Studio Collection Warm Bronzer, $3, is an awesome bronzer! You can use it all over your face, you can use it as eye shadow AND you can use the lightest shade as a highlighter. Seriously awesome product for $3. It comes in other shades but I really like this one.

This is probably one of their most popular/most talked about/most reviewed products of all time. This is the Studio Collection Contouring Blush and Bronzer in St. Lucia, $3. This is a dupe for NARS's blush/bronzer duo in Orgasm and Laguna which is around $40 or so (not sure if they still sell it in that color combo or not, but each blush from NARS is around $28 so you are still getting a steal at only $3). This combo from E.L.F. comes in other colors and in a cream formula but this is my fave. The bronzer isn't totally matte, so I don't think I would do a hard core contour with this, but for everyday it's perfect!

I am absolutely in love with this product! It's the lip exfoliator and it also retails for $3. This is so great to exfoliate your lips before doing a bold lip color or to do weekly as a treat! It smells sweet, but not sickly sweet and it doesn't over power you either. Once you wipe it off the smell is gone. I use this after I wash my face and I take the product and rub all over my lips (like you would a lip stick) and rub in little circular motions, then when I am done I take a corner of the wash cloth I used to wash my face and wipe off my lips. Done and done. Then I always follow it up with lip balm.

Okay this might be one of the best products in the collection. It is the E.L.F. essential eyelid primer, $1. And this is awesome. I mean seriously awesome. Its $1 and it really helps keep your shadow on all day. While I wouldn't say it's an exact dupe for Urban Decay's primer potion, its darn close and its $1. Let me say that again, its $1, one measly little dollar. Compare that to $20 or more for the high end brands, and you can get this primer (plus everything else in this blog post) and have a lot of spare change left over.

An honorable mention here is the eye lash curler. Also $1, and it is as good, if not better than the Sephora and Shu Umera ones combined. Try it, you will not be disappointed.

What are your faves from the line?

Sunday Scoop: Hero of the Game - My Dad.

Last night my dad was recognized as Hero of the night for his service to the military at a Saint Paul Saints game. He stood out on the field for the National Anthem and then was interviewed during the third inning about his time in the military.

My dad served in the U.S. Army for 26 years. And while he was never deployed to a war zone per say, he still gave 26 years of his life to his country.

And I am very proud of that.

One thing that really stuck out to me about this recognition was how cool my dad thought it was. He was really honored that people cared what he did and that he was chosen to be recognized for something he saw as his job.

And after the game was over and we were sitting around Chilis relaxing he said that he was really happy he wore his uniform because several people at the game (both before and after he was officially recognized) people came up to him to say thanks. Thanks for serving.

A lot of people serve our military, and a lot of people make the ultimate sacrifice in doing so. So if and when you have the chance to say thanks to a soldier, do it.

To all of those who have served, continue to serve, and to those who lost their lives in the process and to all of the families, I say thank you.

And thanks Dad.

Trying Something New - The Sunday Scoop

Hello my lovelies!!! First and foremost - this is not a post about ice cream. I know the scoop part makes me think of that so I wanted to clear that up for anyone else who is now craving an ice cream cone.

So, I always say "Oh so sorry it's been so long since my last post!" or "This time I'm getting on a schedule with my blogs." But this time, I really do mean it. Mostly. Well at least I'm trying anyway. I want to challenge myself to do a once a week post called The Sunday Scoop. This will mostly be beauty and skin care related, but I am going to sprinkle in a little fashion, food, and random life events posts. I know, I'm skeptical too, but hey maybe I can prove both of us wrong and really stick with it this time.

So my post today is going to be all about bronzers and highlighters. It's summer and although I am paler than death, I do try to bronze it up a bit, and I have gotten myself into a fun routine that I really like. So below are the products I am using, including the (affordable and awesome) brushes I use - you'll see they're dirty so you know I'm using them, ha! And of course links and info on where to find them all.

The first product I want to talk about is TheBalm's Bahama Mama bronzer. I have several products from TheBalm and I freakin love them. Such amazing quality and all of them are highly pigmented and reasonably priced. You can order it on TheBalm's website for $20 or you can order it from Amazon for about $15 (which is where I got it from).

I know it looks scary, but if I can make this work for me, trust me you can use it too. The key is in the application. Use a smaller brush, it doesn't have to be specifically for contouring, but something smaller is better. And use a light handed, less is more approach. This is a great bronzer for contouring because it's matte. You could use it all over your face on a more medium to tan skin tone, but for me it's a great contour shade.

I use the contour brush from Real Techniques. It is the perfect tapered shape to fit the hollows of your cheeks, the sides of your nose and hairline. I usually tap the brush in the bronzer and then tap off any excess product from the brush.

The next bronzer I use is the Sonia Kashuk's Undetectable Creme Bronzer in Warm Tan. Apparently this is a dupe for a Chanel cream bronzer that costs around $50. I don't have the Chanel one so I can't compare. BUT this is only $10.99 at Target and it's AMAZING. I use it as an all over bronzer and it really is un-detectable. I use a duo fiber brush from Sigma to apply it. And it makes me look like I just went on vacation - I love it!

My fave highlighting powder is Mary Loumanizer from TheBalm. Can we just pause for a moment and acknowledge how awesome the people of TheBalm must be. Their products are awesome, the names and packaging are fantastic. I just seriously love this brand. And you haven't tried a highlighter until you've tried this one. I use it above my brow bone, on my cheek bones, and down my nose. You only need a small amount and a little advice: if it is humid and 100 degrees out, less is more. You don't want to look sweaty.

To apply my highlighter I use this setting brush from Real Techniques. It is the right shape and size to slap that highlighter in place. Again less is more, this is an extremely pigmented product. I recommend tapping off excess before applying to your face. You can always come back and add in more, but you don't want to look like a show girl. Unless that's the look you're going for, in which case, go ahead girl!

Swatched left to right: Sonia Kashuk Undetectable Creme Bronzer, Bahama Mama, Mary Loumanizer.

Have you tried any of these products? What are your faves?

A rainy Saturday calls for cozy blankets and warm drinks!

It's a cold and rainy/snowy day here in Minnesota. And one of my fave things to do when it's craptastic out is to snuggle on the couch with a book, a couple of dogs and something warm to drink.

So I thought I would share a few of my fave teas with you today. I am normally a coffee drinker in the morning and I am not really a fan of hot chocolate so tea is my warm bevvie of choice.

Left to right are my breakfast tea from Archer Farms (Target), which I like to drink in the afternoon if I need a pick me up. I drank this in lieu of coffee when I had the flu because the scent of coffee made my belly curl.

Next up is my nummy Pomegranate and Raspberry tea, which I LOVE! I also bought this at Target, it reminds me of summer with it's fruity aroma and tarty taste.

Then I still have a leftover box of Sugar Cookie tea that I bought around Christmas time. It really does smell and taste like a cookie.

And finally is my Well Rested tea from Trader Joes. I am normally a big fan of the Sleepy Time Tea from Celestial Seasonings, but my momma took me to Trader Joes where I found this. And honestly, it's pretty much the same thing. I like the Sleepy Time brand better because it has a Vanilla flavor option and I love anything vanilla flavored/scented. Obvs I only drink this at night, because it really does make me tired.

I usually add Almond Milk to my tea because plain tea is weird to me. EXCEPT for the pomegranate-raspberry one, that tastes amazing all by it's little self.

How do you like to spend yucky days? Do you have a fave hot drink?

Tried and True: Cover Girl

Most of us make-up wearing peeps have probably tried CoverGirl make-up. A lot of us probably started with CoverGirl in high school (I did! EVERYONE had those compacts in their jeans and we used to put the clean foundation on, on the bus ride to school every morning!). 

Over the years this has been one brand (along with Revlon) that I return to again and again. And in the last 5 or so years they have really come out with a butt load of amazing new products. If you haven't tried the CoverGirl Outlast mascaras, go do that when you are done reading this post. 

So in the last several months, CoverGirl has launched several new products and revamped their packaging on a lot of old favorites. I know a lot of people don't care for the way their face products smell, BUT I personally really like it ;-) It smells like Noxema to me and that brings back happy memories for me.

Below are a few of my fave new things and one oldie but goodie!

I will start left to right here. SO the first product I want to talk about is a new foundation that is pretty much the bomb dot com. It is the new CoverGirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3 in 1 Foundation. It says it's a primer, concealer and foundation all in one. AND IT HAS A PUMP (Dear Revlon, is that so friggin much to ask?!?) I love the pump because I can pump the product onto the back of my hand and dip my brush into it or dot it right on my face and blend. This foundation does not have a smell, and I wear it in the shade Classic Ivory (which I have worn since HS, sadly I have never really been tan). This foundation also has an SPF 20 in it. Which is awesome, but wouldn't photograph well with that high of an SPF - just a little tip. Any-hoo, I love this, it covers well and I really only use under eye concealer and a little powder on the nose and SHAZAM, hello gorgeous!

Speaking of concealer and powder, the other products pictured here are the Olay & CoverGirl Simply Ageless Eye Concealer, CoverGirl CLEAN Pressed Powder and the Olay & CoverGirl concealer balm. Love the powder, always have. I wear it in Classic Ivory as well and I think this is one of the best drugstore powders on the market. As for the Olay & Cover Girl products, OMG, this stuff is the shiznit. The under eye concealer makes the Maybelline one with the sponge on it look like child's play. PLUS it has amazing Olay skin care technology to help get rid of those dark circles. And the concealer balm is so frickin fabulous I can't even tell you. It's creamy enough to put under your eyes, but also works well on any other imperfections you may have going on.

Also really loving the new CoverGirl Outlast Stay Brilliant Nail Polishes! I have Forever Festive (red), Pink-finity (baby pink), and Non-Stop Stone (gray). LOVE these! They last a long time and are pretty opaque. I am currently rocking the pink and gray shades.

I can't get this effing pic to lay right, sorry about that. BUT this is the new CoverGirl Lip Perfection Jumbo Gloss Balm in Ballet Twist. A very light, everyday nude color that will go with so many looks. It's self sharpening so you just twist the silver part up and it's so easy to apply. Also, in terms of jumbo pencils, this one is really moisturizing! It must be the balm part.

So that's it, I hope you enjoyed this! Have you tried any of CoverGirl's new products? What are your faves? This is probably my fave drugstore brand. If I could only buy one brand from the drugstore I would have to pick CoverGirl.

Other CoverGirl faves:
- Outlast Mascara (orange tube)
- CoverGirl Cheekers Blush (warning these have the Noxema smell so if that bothers you you may not like these)
- Perfect Point Plus Eyeliner in Onyx (works great on the water line!)

A couple of disclaimers:
1. All products listed above were purchased with my own hard-earned $$, this is not a sponsored post.

2. I purchased the products above over the course of about 3 months or so. You can score some really great coupons in your Sunday paper :-)