Beauty Benefit

benefit cosmetics has always been one of my favorite beauty brands on the market.  with their adorable packaging, fun names and quality products, you just can't seem to go wrong with anything they make!

 

since moving to brentwood, i am that much closer to the benefit cosmetic store on montana avenue and have been going every three weeks to get my brows tinted and waxed for $32!  these girls know what they are doing and i can honestly say that the store is always packed with customers, a testament to their results!

 

the only problem i encounter when i head into benefit to get my brows done, is i end up leaving with a bag full of products i didn't realize existed until i tried them out.  one of those products is the  instant brow pencil in light...

if you tweezed a little too much in your lifetime and need a little help filling in where some hair is missing, this pencil is for you!  the color is spot on and it fills in your brows without them looking "drawn on" with the help of the brush at the end.  a permanent staple in my makeup bag now! 

my other favorite recent purchase is the finding mr. bright makeup kit...

 

this is the perfect kit if you like glowing skin and products that you can fit in your purse to take with you.  seriously, everything in this kit is amazing!  i had not used the girl meets pearl luminizer before and have to say thank goodness it had a mini size in here as i LOVE it.  i use it now every single day.  i feel flat without it. 

 

i have long been a fan of the posietint product, but love it even more in the travel size, since a little goes a long way!  again this product giver you a pretty, glowy, dewy complexion which is perfection!

 

i have already shared my love for high beam here and the love continues with the mini version.

 

the last perfect piece is the erase paste which is a soft creamy concealer which has brightening undertones to help conceal not only dark circles but also yucky blemishes.  the texture is creamy and doesn't leave your face dry and feeling cake-y like some other concealers do. 

 

best party about the kit is all four of these products are travel ready for under $30! 

 

i also shared my love of their they're real mascara earlier this year here. 

 

if you haven't already jumped on the benefit bandwagon, might i ask you to join me now, as looking fresh, dewy and bright is always in style.  also, if you live close to a benefit store, be sure to pop in and get your brows some loving, they do a marvelous job and it really makes all the difference in the world!

AllSaints McQueen

has anyone else been watching sytycd?  oh boy i just love that show.  i love the music, the choreography, but often times i enjoy cat deely's incredible wardrobe. 

the 200th episode of sytycd premiered with cat walking out in this bedazzling allsaints oyster long sleeved dress and totally squeaked out loud.  then i saw the gorgeous taylor from glitter guide wearing it for her bachelorette party and i was oh so jealous. 

the colors in the dress are modest and calm - a complete juxtaposition with the head to toe sparkle.  the colors intrigued me and led me to my next obsessions the alexander mcqueen swarovski crystal double-skull bracelet, the swarovski crystal accented skull barnacle ring and the enameled skull bangle all which would work on their own with this dress or absolutely anything else!

unfortunately these items are all but a wish in my lust list, which left me craving some actual sparkles and shine that i can afford. 

deborah lippmann's dancing in the dark is just the perfect combo of dark and light. 

loafers aren't normally my style but make them pink and add glitter and all of a sudden they are just my style.  these kate spade cora glitter patent leather & metallic loafers may be on the pricey side but they would be worth the splurge since they are work friendly!

bobbi brown's sparkle eyeshadow is a great way to add shine and glitter into your life without looking like a stripper.  pretty and lady like and just right for that special night.

lastly the emi-jay gold glitter hair ties are just awesome for summer ponytail's or to keep your hair back and end up with a dent.  i picked up a few a few years ago and fell in love and was recently gifted a glittery black and tie-dye one from mrs. r.  adore!

what's your thought on glitter and shine everyday?  do you save it just for special occasions or wear it all the time loud and proud?

Girl Crush ~ Rachel McAdams

a few weeks back when we were in canada, we were playing, "name a famous celebrity from canada" and surprisingly we came up with quite a few. 

my favorite of the few is of course ryan gosling who happens to have a deep connection with my other favorite and current girl crush rachel mcadams!

the girl is seriously the girl next door gorgeous.

her makeup and hair on the red carpet are almost always flawless and what i love most about her makeup is that her sister is her makeup artist!  talk about keeping it in the family!  rachel always has a dewy glow and looks amazing.  when trying to find ideal makeup, rachel is always one i look to first for inspiration.

not to sound like a creeper, but can we talk about her eyes.  such a pretty color and so full of expression.  i think part of what makes her such a great actress is her portrayal of emotions through her eyes.  they are captivating and expressive and i love it!

the girl has a bangin' bod.  it's toned and not too skinny and she really dresses for her figure.  whether she is sporting clinging and plunging white or shining in see through red marchesa.  the girl always kills it on the red carpet.

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i love her transformation from sweet, sexy girl next door into sexy, mysterious vixen in her editorials.  high fashion clothes, glamorous hair, and a cat eye.  she screams hollywood royalty.

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some fun facts about rachel that will make you love her even more:

*she born in the same hospital and her ex-boyfriend ryan gosling (luckiest girl alive)

*she's allergic to horses (i'm allergic to rabbits)

*use to work at mcdonald's

*turned down a chance to appear in vanity fair's hollywood issue when she found out it was a nude session

*woody allen wrote the part of inez (owen wilson's wife) specifically for her

*gosling has described her as "one of the great loves of my life" (luckiest girl alive)

seriously could she be any cuter or more likable?  i love her movies.  i love her style.  i love her attitude.  girl crush much? 

Drug Store Beauty Booty

it took me over a month to finally find the maybelline baby lips lip balm in my local target after i searched any and every store in LA for this raved about product.  i ended up purchasing the grape vine color (pictured above) and have to say, i just love it!  less than $3.99 a tube and it leaves my lips with a pretty barely there tint, a light grape taste and baby soft lips.  plus the packaging is just adorable.  i forsee (if i can find them) many more baby lips lip balms in my future. 

i didn't think it was possible for me to find a liquid eyeliner pen that i loved as much as the stila one i raved about here, but believe it or not i did!  the revlon colorstay liquid eye pen was not immediately impressive to me as the color didn't come out as dramatic and black as i had hoped.  however, quick thinking on my part and storing the pen with the tip down made a big difference and i have been so happy with this product since. 

a lot of people ask me how i get my liquid liner so perfect and i always say the liquid eye pen is the trick.  this eyeliner stays on all day as it promises (even after a major sweat session at circuit works) and washes off pretty easily (with the help of almay eye makeup remover pads). 

this pen and i are going to lifelong friends.

i ran out of moisturizer recently and realized i have not bought any in a long time (thanks to my mom who always sends me her rejects or gifts me good stuff) and was a bit stumped as to what i should buy. 

i have always read such great things about olay products and decided that i would give the olay total effects 7-in-1 anti-aging daily moisturizer w/ spf 15 a shot.  i may have also been swayed that it was on sale if i am being completely honest. 

turns out i really like the stuff.  i haven't really noticed a lot of improvements to my skin, but i do like the consistency and spf factor.  i am not sure if i would buy it again, but i don't hate it! 

now i realize this isn't "technically" from a drug store, but it was only $7.50 so it seems to fit well enough into the category. 

i have been suffering from really dry lips these past few weeks and no matter the amount of product i smear on them, they still felt rough and flaky and totally hating it. 

last friday, i popped into bath and body works for some home scents and came back with some new scents as well as this tube of my favorite night balm by c.o. bigelow.  well i thought the package was a little cocky, i am quickly changing my tune as it has become my favorite night lip balm.  i apply it before i lay my head down and awake 5-6 hours later with balm still on my lips!  it's a miracle.  and in the short time i have been using it, i can see a vast improvement to the condition of my lips. 

buy this immediately...whomever you are kissing will thank you!

i've said it before and i will say it again.  eye cream as we get older is so important.  and not just any eye cream...hydrating eye cream.  moisturizer is our best bet again wrinkles and let me just tell you, this neutrogena ageless essentials continuous hydration eye cream does just that. 

santa brought me this little guy in my stocking this past christmas and i love it. i am almost at the end of the tube and will be buying it again once it is empty.  the cream leaves your eyes feeling soothed, moisturized and with a healthy sheen/glow.  my undereye concealer goes on so much smoother and doesn't cake or fall into the cracks. 

and those my friends are my favorite products as of late.  do you have any favorites that are missing from the list that i must try?  do you think there is a huge difference between drug store and retail beauty products?