November Favorites

Friday, December 2, 2016

HELLO! Welcome back to my blog. Today is DAY TWO of Blogmas! Woooooooooooo. It's going well so far. Of course this is only the second day so it'll probably go downhill fast but what can you do? 

Todays post is my November Favorites. November has been super busy and full of travel so I don't have too many favorites, but the ones I do have are mighty great. Let's hop into it!

I also made a YouTube video explaining my favorites so I'll link that as well!


Starting off with beauty products:


I recently bought this LA Concealer because I had never tried any LA Girl products and the let me tell you, THE PRICE WAS RIGHT. I'm so glad I got this because I have really been loving it for the month of November. This is such a brightening product and really looks great as a highlighting concealer. Yes, it does cover blemishes and dark circles, but it works so well as a brightener. The only downside to the product is the applicator - it's one of those plastic brushes, which gross me out. Other than that, I've been liking this. 


Duane Reade/Walgreens recently started carrying Soap & Glory products which is SO EXCITING considering there's a Duane Reade a few steps from my apartment and no Sephoras or Ultas in sight. I was super excited to try this product because I feel like I've heard a lot of people rave about Soap & Glory's brow products. The Archery 2-in-1 Brow Crayon is really nice because it not only comes with a thick brow pencil, it also comes with a brow gel. 2-in-1 products are helpful because if you're traveling or want to take a product in your purse with you, its just a one stop shop for brow BEAUTY! This product is great because it's so quick. With the thicker applicator crayon, filling in your brows takes less time. When I'm in a hurry, this has been the product I've reached for. 


I'm not one to wear false lashes. I don't think I have the patience to actually become good at them, nor want to waste the money on them. But I will indulge on special occasions or nights out that I want to take my makeup to the next level. I always prefer Ardell Lashes and if I'm not using the individual lashes for a little extra volume, I go for the Flawless Tapered Luxe Lashes for extra glam. These aren't that difficult to apply and actually look relatively ~natural~ considering they are falsies! 

Smith's Rosebud Salve (Tube) -  $6

This has been a favorite of mine for a long time, but I hadn't bought it in awhile until I was at the airport at the end of October and saw it! I really love this lip gloss/balm because it makes your lips look really sleek without looking too greasy. Plus it smells so good (like Rose!) and leaves them all moisturized and pretty. The tube lasts forever, so even though $6 is a little steep for a lip gloss/balm, I think it's worth it. The ingredients are bomb too!


I'm a sucker for dry shampoos and texturizing sprays. The reason I buy so many is because I'm so picky. Often texturizing sprays and dry shampoos leave my hair in worse shape than they were before. I'm so picky about the texture and feel of my hair and can't stand it to feel even the slightest bit oily. I know a lot of people go days without washing their hair, but I physically cannot go one day without washing it. But when I don't do that, or can't do that, I do use dry shampoo. I love the Dove Detox and Purify Dry Shampoo because it's inexpensive, you get so much product in the can, and I truly feel that it detoxes and purifies my hair. Brunettes beware, this shampoo is super white when you spray it on so brush it out before you style it!

Chukar Cherries - Various Prices

I love chocolate covered things. And I really love cherries. PUT THOSE TOGETHER....AND YOU HAVE YUM! Okay, I'll relax. But seriously, Chukar Cherries are so good. All of the fruit comes from the Pacific Northwest without trans fats and artificial flavors. I've had Chukar Cherries + other chocolate covered things from their company and have loved them all. And I know a lot of people aren't fans of cherries and that's okay because they have a huge variety of other chocolate covered fruit and snacks! If you're looking for a chocolate-themed gift, these are great. There are a bunch of cool holiday sets online right now as well!

Q&A A Day: 5 Year Journal - $14 (though it was only $9 when I bought it a few months ago)

I love this journal! My friend Taylor introduced me to it and since she showed me, I've been hooked. The journal contains 365 questions (one for each day, duh) and spaces for you to write your answer for five years. So the idea is that you answer the same questions and see how it changes or doesn't change through the five years. I've never been able to journal, as much as I would have liked to, so this question a day thing has been so easy to get done each day. I also tape in receipts, ticket stubs, and other memorabilia for my days on the day it happened so I have a little more to look back on. 

Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life (Netflix)

IT'S BACK!!!!!! Oh my god. You have no idea how excited I was for this. I don't want to give anything away and I agree that it had its ups and downs (that beginning, yikes!) but I ended up really liking it. It was just so nice to be back in Stars Hollow. The nostalgia is real. PLEASE tell me your thoughts about those last lines below....

Black Mirror (Netflix)

If you're into shows that simultaneously interest and frighten, Black Mirror is for you. This show is insanely good. Basically, each episode is stand alone, focusing on technology and the negative effects it has. It's basically this suspenseful and satirical show that give you SO MUCH unease about the modern world. It'll definitely make you think twice about social media and how far technology has come. WATCH IT.

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty - $9.52 Paperback 

DAMN. This is such a great book. I don't think I could hype it up enough. JUST READ IT. It's by this amazing author, Liane Moriarty, who writes female-centered thrillers (similar to Gone Girl and Girl on the Train). This one is her most popular and well-known book so I'm sure you've heard of it, especially considering an HBO miniseries starring Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman based on it is coming out in the Winter of 2017. It's really excellent and I was sitting on the Subway and literally GASPED out loud when the big twist happened. 

What were your November Favorites?

xo Emily

AUTUMN MAKEUP TUTORIAL VIDEO

Thursday, December 1, 2016

Hello everyone! 

Welcome to the very first day of Blogmas! Like I mentioned in yesterdays post, I've decided to try and do both Vlogmas and Blogmas. Blogmas means I'll be posting every single day through Christmas with makeup tutorials, gift guides, and so many other fun holiday themed posts. 

For the first post, I've got a great new makeup look for you today! This is my Autumn Makeup Tutorial, a look I've been wearing on the regular as its gotten cooler out. Once again, I've been loving the Lorac Pro 3 Palette to create a beautiful Autumn color palette. I think this is a perfect everyday look for the season.


I love how this turned out and I hope you do too. If you want to learn how I did this, watch my tutorial below! All items used will be listed at the end of this blog post! Hope you enjoy.



~ PRODUCTS MENTIONED ~
L'Oreal Magic Lumi Primer:

Tarte Colored Clay CC Undereye Concealer (Light-Medium):

Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge:

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer (Fair):

Original Beauty Blender:

Coty Airspun Loose Face Powder (Translucent):

L'Oreal Brow Stylist Definer (Brunette):

Lorac Pro 3 Palette (Dark Brown):

Anastasia Brow Wiz (Dark Brown):

Glossier Boy Brow (Brown):

Anastasia Contour Kit (Light-Medium):

The Balm Mary-Lou Manizer:

Lorac Behind the Scenes Eye Primer:

Lorac Pro 3 Palette (Terracotta, Cool Taupe, Amethyst, Light Pewter, Almond Pearl):

Stila Stay All Day Liquid Liner (Black):

L’Oreal Telescopic Mascara (Blackest Black):

Kylie Cosmetics 'Koko K' LipKit:

xo - Emily