Current Obsession #2

Hey guys!  Today, I'm bringing you my top five products that I haven't been able to put down this week.  Here we go!

These first two products are from Caudalie.  I'm a Caudalie virgin, so I thought that I would buy the sampler at Sephora to try out five of their products for $32!  Two of them I know I will be saving up to repurchase.  

I used this Divine Oil last night and woke up with the best hair I've ever had.  Let me repeat that: I woke up with my hair in perfect beachy waves.  The only thing I had changed about my hair routine was this product.  I usually put other oils in my hair after I get out of the shower, and then I go and wash my hands to complete my nighttime skin routine.  What I love about this product is that you can go right from running this through your hair to applying it to your face.  It's incredibly hydrating and smells like the hair salon!  And, you only need the tiniest bit.  I know this bottle will last me quite a while!

This is the one product that I have been dying to try, thanks to YouTube!  The Beauty Elixir is a cult product, and let me say that this does not disappoint.  I'm completely addicted to it, and I use it throughout the day whenever I need a refresher.  It smells so wonderful, the minty smell wakes you up, and it feels rejuvenating on your face.  I would go and shell out the $49 to buy the full-sized bottle in a heartbeat.

Another product that's getting a lot of hype is the Marc Jacobs Genius Gel Foundation.  I have an entire post about my morning foundation routine, so I won't go into how I apply it.  But what I will say is that I love the consistency of this!  It makes my skin feel so amazingly smooth that I can't stop touching my face when it's on (that's probably not a good thing...).  I'll probably do a full review on this sometime, so stay tuned!

And yet another product that's getting a lot of hype: Benefit's Rockateur.  I have naturally red cheeks, and I have been on the hunt to find a product that enhances the natural color of my cheeks instead of just making them redder.  This is like a highlighter / blush combo, and I'm absolutely loving it!  I feel like my skin looks radiant after I apply it, and bonus: it smells good!

Last thing: my morning savior.  I have always been a Tazo tea fan ever since I tried their Zen tea at Starbucks.  This English Breakfast is a strong, bold black tea, and it gets me going in the morning.  It tastes great, I feel awake after I drink it, and I don't know where I'd be without it!  Well...probably in my bed, sleeping.  The great thing about Tazo tea in general is that it's so inexpensive!  Each of their filterbag teas are $4.95, and you get 25 bags.  And I love the packaging!

I hope you guys enjoyed this post!  Just one more day until the weekend :)

Current Obsessions #1

Every Thursday, I'll be bringing you my favorite products of the week!  Usually it'll be around five things, whether those be beauty-related, fashion-related, food, or any other awesome thing I discover!  So, here goes!

First is my cute little Jack Skellington doll. One of my favorite Halloween (and Christmas) movies is The Nightmare Before Christmas, and when I saw little Jack at Barnes & Noble, I just had to have him.  Even though I purchased this last year for Halloween, B&N still has it!  All of the other plushies had straight legs, but I had to pick the one doll that had crossed legs.  It just makes him that much more adorable when he sits on my table, just waiting for Halloween!

Next comes my C.O. Bigelow Rose Salve.  I've only had this a week, but I've already made a dent in it!  Let me just say that I am a serious Chapstick addict, and I never thought the day would come when I reached for another lip product when my lips were chapped.  But this is it!  Although I use this mostly on my lips and cuticles, you can also use this on your knees, face, elbows...basically anywhere that's in need of some serious hydration.  I even used it on the heels of my feet, and it softened them right up.  I love how versatile it is, plus it smells like roses.  Who doesn't like that?

One of my favorite things about fall is fall scents.  And we all know where to go to stock up on all those wonderful scents: Bath and Body Works.  This Creamy Pumpkin scent is to die for.  I'm not a fan of very sweet-smelling lotions or hand sanitizers, but I make an exception for this scent.  It's just too good!  It's not overpoweringly sweet, but it just reminds me of pumpkin pie baking in the oven.  I'm upset that I only got it in a PocketBac!  I wish I had gotten the hand soap to go with it, too!

I'm usually a drug store mascara kind of girl.  But Benefit's They're Real! mascara has been getting so much hype, that I just had to try the mini size.  Just to try it.  I have naturally long lashes, and it's hard for me to find mascara that makes them look fuller and not spidery.  This is it.  I love the brush, I've had zero clumps, and I'm totally regretting not purchasing the full-sized bottle!  Right now on Benefit's website, they're running a deal for a full size mascara and a mini size mascara just for the price of the full size!  It's a $33 value for $23! They call it Double the Real.  I highly recommend taking advantage of that!

Last but not least is Maybelline's Fit Me Shine-Free Foundation.  Because I have extremely oily skin, anything with the words "shine-free" immediately catches my eye.  I've never tried a stick foundation, and this one has a powder core, which locks in the liquid part of the foundation.  It's like a medium-coverage liquid foundation and powder all in one!  This is definitely the thing to use when you're running low on time.  You basically draw all over your face with this stick and then just blend it in with your fingers (or a Beauty Blender - that's what I use!).  And you can add more coverage wherever you need it.  I love the amount of control it gives while still being very blendable. Let me tell you something: With all other foundations, I have to blot several times a day, and it always frustrates me!  Guess how many times I had to blot today while wearing this foundation?  ZERO. I'm officially addicted!  Plus, the matte finish is fantastic.

Well, that's all folks!  See you tomorrow!

How to Look the Best at Everything: by Benefit

Hello there!  I've found one of the best kits you can buy when you're just starting out with makeup or if you want to try a range of Benefit's face products without buying the full-sized products: How to Look the Best at Everything (for some reason, I couldn't find this on Benefit's website, so here's the link for Sephora).  First of all, I've always been in love with Benefit's packaging, and this kit is not excluded from that!  The front looks like a little book, and then you open it to see all those face products!  Under the lid are instructions and tips for how to apply them, along with a mirror.  They even number the steps for you right on the packaging.  It comes in three versions: light, medium, and deep.

I've never tried any of Benefit's face products, so I thought this would be a perfect palette to try.  It was fairly inexpensive ($30), and it's not too large or bulky.  Now, let's get into the products, shall we?

First comes the POREfessional balm.  I use this as a primer, but it can be used on its own if you want light coverage.  I loved this product so much that I went out and bought a full size tube!  I have very large pores around my nose, and this does wonders to mask that.  My makeup also stays on longer.  The primers that I've used previously are clear, but this one is skin color.  I've found myself applying less foundation, because there's already a light layer of coverage on my face.  And less foundation means less time carefully applying it! 

After the primer comes the Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow liquid foundation.  It's light and airy, but still gives medium coverage.  It feels like there's almost nothing on my face, and I really love that!  It doesn't feel heavy or cakey.  That said, though, I wouldn't recommend this product if you're looking for a product with heavy coverage.  

Next is Boi-ing concealer.  I love how they give you two shades to mix and match to find the shade that perfectly matches your skin.  I use the darker shade around blemishes and discoloration and the lighter shade under my eyes and down my nose.  And sometimes I mix them, too!  I love how versatile these two shades can be.  On Benefit's website, this product is described as an "industrial strength" concealer.  I agree with them!  This is the first concealer I've tried that doesn't look flaky or cakey but still gives amazing coverage.  The one downside to this product is that you have to apply quite a lot to get that full coverage.  

And lastly comes the Hello Flawless! powder.  This locks in your foundation and concealer and keeps you from getting too shiny.  Plus, I use the shade Honey, and that name just makes me smile.  I apply this with a big fluffy powder brush, but I've applied it with the little brush provided in the kit for you as well.  It works great, but it just takes more time than that big fluffy brush.  What I love about this is that Benefit uses the same shades for the powder and the Oxygen Wow foundation.  So if you're a Honey in the foundation, you'll be a Honey in the powder, too!

All in all, I love this kit.  Some days I use every single product.  Other days, I just use the concealer. Most days, I mix and match.  But I always, always begin my makeup regimen with the POREfessional balm.  When I run out of the products in this kit, I probably will go out and buy them.  I'll definitely purchase that concealer stat!!