Best Day Eye Cream - Korres Evening Primrose Eye Cream

Don't let the "evening" mislead you in this fabulous day use eye cream. Korres Evening Primrose Eye Cream is natural and made without harsh chemicals and dyes that can irritate the delicate eye area. This is great to use under makeup and has slight reflective particles to mask under eye circles and fine lines. The best feature of this eye cream is that it contains spf 6. I cannot find another eye cream out there that is perfect for sensitive skin and provides sun protection. I highly recommend this product and encourage others to give it a try.

Find it at: Sephora

Image from: Sephora.com

Magic, Mirth and Mischief - Great Holiday Face Kits by MAC

I am loving the new Holiday Face Kits by MAC from the Magic, Mirth and Mischief collection. There are some really great colors for all skin tones and looks. There are lip, face and eye kits that all come in a great little compact. Great to stash in your purse when you are running from the office to a holiday party. I just bought the eye shadow kit "Devil May Dare" with warm eye shadows. The four light colors are great for day use and then the two darker colors can be added on to vamp up the look for night. This looks like the case for all the eye shadow kits. Be sure to check these out before they sell out. Limited edition sets are only available through the holidays!

Find it at: Macys.com

Image from: Macys.com

Attending a Wedding Essential: How to look fab and not shiny in Wedding Pictures

How to look great in Wedding picture or any other pictures for that matter, Whether your the bride, the bridesmaid or a guest you want to be remember as looking fab not shiny. I highly recommend Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer. I like the oil free version the best, especially if you are acne prone or oily. It's called "light"and it looks white in the bottle, but goes on clear on the face. The new bottle provided, works great so that you can get down to the very last drop of the product. This keeps your makeup looking matte and fresh. I work with this under my makeup in over 100 degree weather for a wedding that I was a bridesmaid in. And my skin looked great in the pictures. I glowed, no shine in sight. Definitely pick this up if you are headed to a big event, it will not let you down. Also, great for everyday use if you like that matte look and have shiny skin. Not sure, you can try out a smaller size of the product at Sephora for only $16

Find it at: Sephora

Image: Sephora.com

Perfect On the Go Mascara from Too Faced - LashLight

This mascara seems perfect for the on-the-go type gal. Great for when your running late to work and just missed the bus or trying to go from meeting to happy hour and still look fab! LashLight by Too Faced is now available at Sephora. This great mascara has lash coating ability to thicken, lengthen and condition in a super black finish. Not only will your lashes look a-mazing...it comes with the added bonus of a close-up mirror, so this can be applied on the go. Even better, when your sitting in the back of that dark taxi trying to get to your next party . .don't fret about light..this mascara comes equipped with light...LED light...so you can have the perfect application every time! Be sure to check it out and report back what you think! Find it at: Sephora - LashLight Image: Sephora

Twilight - the craze has even hit the beauty industry

While I am a definite fan of the Twilight books and can't wait to see New Moon, I can't believe the amount of products that have come out bearing the Best seller's Namesake, from cardboard cutouts of Edward to lipgloss to candy. Nordstrom is fully behind the movement. They have everything from clothes, jewelry, Cds and the ever intriguing beauty products. I must admit I am a fan of the packaging, no teenie bopper sparkles and glitter here. Items include: DuWop Lip Venom, lip gloss, color palette, mascara, eyeshadow, blush, and the very interesting body glow and 'first light' face glow. I guess that's the perfect way to attract your suitor with the sparkle of a vampire in daylight. I am definitely interested to hear more about these product. If anyone has used them or seen them in-store be sure to leave a comment. I would love to hear what you have to say!

Find it at: Nordstrom.com Twilight Makeup
Image from: Nordstrom.com

Spray Tan in San Francisco - Where to go?

Sometimes all that sunscreen can leave me looking pasty even in the summer...what do I turn to? SPRAY TAN!! I have gone to a couple different places for a spray tan. I have only been in booths . . . the best place I have been to for a spray tan in San Francisco, CA is Shimmer. It is located in the Union Square area. They have amounts about every 15 minutes. They have the Magictan booth, which in my opinion is better then Mystic tanning . . I have streak issues with Mystic. So when you go to Shimmer-SF you are greeted by a person at the front desk and then you pay before you get your tan done, which is great bc then you can get out of there right after. Also, take a moment to browse their small boutique area . . . there are bathing suits, cover ups and other tan essentials. Now its time to spray tan!! I usually get a level 2 (I have fair to medium skin) without the bronzer. If you are just going home afterwards no need for the bronzer. Also, I get the prep spray, its a little more money but totally worth it! It makes sure your skin is hydrated so you don't end up with flaking, streaking or dark spots.

Once you have picked out all your spray options its time to get your spray on! You enter a room with all the spray tan essentials. They have baby wipes and makeup remover if you havent already removed your makeup and deoderant. They also provide lotion to create a barrier on your hands and feet. I apply the lotion so it is still visable, so I know where to wipe off after the spray sess is over. Also, provided is a hair cap and a towel. Now spray away. Enter the booth, if you can't remember all the details of what to do you can see the How to poster from inside the booth. The booth has two open sides, which is nice to let fresh air in and not have to hold your breath the entire time. Make sure to hold your arms away from your body so that your sides get bronzed as well. After, the spray is done you can clean your ears with q-tips and wipe the lotion off your hands and feet with the baby wipes. No orange palms here! Then if you are still damp anywhere go ahead and dab yourself with the towel provided. After, you have cleaned yourself up . . . there is a side room available to change in, so the next person can use the booth. You can get changed and I recommend looser fitting clothes after. I have not had an issue with the selftanner getting on my clothes.

Now your ready to go! If you get the clear tanner then you will see nothing right away. I recommend getting the spray tan after work so that you can head home and sleep with the tanner still on. No working out or showers until the next day. You will wake up with a beautful streak free and safe tan. This place is definitly worth it to check out! Check out their site: http://www.shimmer-sf.com/

Layering Blush - How to go without the bronzer for winter

I know it can be difficult to forgo bronzer as summer fades to fall and fall to winter. But, once the sun goes away so does my natural glow. I have been wearing sunscreen on my face everyday for the past 10 years ... so you can imagine that im pretty pasty. What i like to do to add depth to my face is to layer 2 blushes. This gives the illusion of more color, but not the fake and bake look of bronzer. This works great for work and daytime .... I still bust out the bronzer at night : )

I like to pick a darker shade to put on first, like Orgasm by Nars, it gives a peachy tone and a slight shimmer. I sweep this on my cheekbones to the hairline and then down the bridge of my nose. Then to highlight I use a light pink with some sparkles, like Shy Beauty by MAC (this may be discontined...boo...but any light pink will work). I sweep this on the apples of my checks and on my temples. This gives a nice highlighting effect and adds some contrasting color without going over the top.

Everyone should definitely give this a try in the winter as an alternative to bronzer. Any dark and light color blush combo will work.

Image from: Macys.com

Carryon Airplane Travel: How to fit all your beauty items into that pesky ziplock bag

With all the airline restrictions it's hard to fit all your beauty items along with other toiletry essentials into that quartsize bag. Also, with several airlines now charging to check your bag and others loosing your bag (bags lost: 3...via JFK,SEA,PHX) The best way to go when traveling is bring your carryon bag onto the plane. The best suitcase to bring on the plane (ahem ...the largest roller bag the airlines will let you bring on) is the Victorinox Werks Traveler 3.0 22" Deluxe Expandable Wheeled Travel Bag. Its a little pricey . . but trust, its worth.

Now that we have the suitcase covered...what about the beauty products. Now, many highend brands now carry travel sized products of your full sized favorites. These are great and all, but lets face it...we only have a quart sized bag to work with. There simply isn't enough room. Here is the trick . . . sample sized products. I know . . ."but I want to try these out". I agree, but the best way to go is to save these up. From face wash, moisturizer, perfume and most importantly shampoo & conditioner, this is the way to go. I just stock up on these where possible and then stash them in a reuseable bag, until my next vacay is booked.

When you make your beauty purchases be sure to ask if there are any free samples (even better if its of the same product you are buying ; ) The best places to get these at are Sephora, ULTA or any individual brand store. Also, ask at department stores when making your purchases....you never know what they have behind the counter. Shampoo and conditioner samples are the best because these items are usually the bulkiest, although they can be hard to come by. Next time you head to the Salon to get your hair done be sure to ask your stylist if she/he has any samples for you. It never hurts to ask. So book your next trip and don't fret about the beauty essentials . . . the samples have got you covered!

Image from: Ebags.com

The Foundation - Powder Based - Bare Escentuals i.d. bareMinerals

I have been using Bare Escentuals i.d. bareMinerals for over 7 years now. I can't find anything that comes close coverage wise, but still leaves a natural look. I really like how you can layer on more where needed, like to cover acne scars or dark shadows on the face. It also has a nice opalescent shimmer to it, to distract from imperfections and give an overall glow. Works best on normal to oily skin, can get flakey on dry skin. The only downside is if you knock over the container...like I have...you end up with loosing a lot of product and staining your suitcase (navy blue with beige foundation all over it...sweeet). I like how some of the new mineral lines from other Brands have a built in shaver/grater to avoid this type of disaster.

I have yet to try the Matte version of the bareMinerals, but I will be sure to post as soon as I do.

Find it at: Sephora and Nordstrom.com

MAC Eye Shadow: My Fav Colors

I use MAC eye shadow every single day. The color looks great and lasts all day long. I definitely like to pick up shadows from the New Collections MAC releases throughout the seasons. The shadows are highly pigmented and look great on all skintones. I have fair to medium skin tone. The basic colors I wear everyday are:
Shroom - a light cream color with a hint of shimmer (use as a base from lash line to eyebrow)
All That Glitters - a brown bronze with lots gold of shimmer (use on lid)
Any other bright color - then I use any bright color as a once over on the lid, bright purples and teals work great to really make the eyes pop

Find it at: MAC

The Mascara: Perfect for the Beach or Pool

"Blinc Kiss Me Mascara" is the original tube lash mascara. The product wraps around your eyelashes to stay put. This is the absolute best for the beach or pool when you don't want to end up with puddles of black under your eyes. Also, great for everyday use when you are going and going for 10 hours a day. About a year ago had emergency surgery and was in the hospital for 2 days. Although most of me looked like a train wreck . . . my Blinc mascara still looked amazing. This stuff stays put until you want it to come off. The easiest way to take it off . . . wet a washcloth with warm water and then hold on lash line for about 30 seconds and then wipe mascara away. By far the easiest mascara to take off, no need to worry about pulling out eyelashes.

Find it at: Sephora

Must Have: Eyeshadow Primer

This is definitely a must have! "Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer" is by far one of the best primers I have ever used. Keeps eyeshadow from creasing and stays in place all day long. Perfect to use everyday or from when your rushing from the office to Happy Hour and then to Dinner. Your eye makeup will still look great. Only downside - not a huge fan of the new bent applicator. Why? It requires me to have to get more product out of the tube, when I use to be able to use both sides of the applicator.

Find it at: Macys.com or Sephora

Fabulous Fragrance: "D&G La Lune"

I am in loooove with this fragrance right now. "D&G La Lune" is one of five fabulous new unisex fragrances by D&G. La Lune combines fresh scents like lily and apple with deeply romantic rose. This perfume is light enough to wear in the office, but transitions into night with the deep rose scent. Perfect for those looking for a versatile scent to transition from day to night.

This gets 5 stars

Find it at: Sephora

Welcome!!

I am new to the blogging community, but I am excited to be here! The focus of this blog will be to talk about makeup, skincare products and other beauty items.