Spring Product Picks

It's the first of the month, and you know what that means: the Beauty & Fashion Blog Community Blog Hop! This month we're talking about our favorite beauty products for spring, and I'm so excited to share mine with you! Frankly, I think I'm mostly excited because it means winter will EVENTUALLY END. I'm so over it. In Boston, winter seems to last from October to April, and it's just not fair. So far the only part of spring (which we are just starting to get, by the way) is the rain. Granted, I'm thankful that it is no longer cold enough to snow, but seriously, can we stop with all this rain? I'm over it. I haven't seen the sun in days!

Okay, enough melodramatics. Let's get on to the good stuff~

CORAL

I adore coral for spring! It looks so fresh and it's a nice change from all of the deep reds and plums. I don't tend to wear coral much in the fall and winter, but once spring rolls around, you bet your butt I am pulling out the coral in my stash. 

stila Convertible Color in Gerbera ($25 for .15oz)

Do you see my little camera in the mirror on the left? :) 

I recently purchased this from the Birchbox shop when I saved up enough points, and I am obsessed with these cream blushes! I originally got a sample of the color Peony back around Christmas time when I placed a Sephora order for my mother--they came with a free bag of 15 free samples and I had to let myself have at least one (shhh it's fine). I wasn't sure of what color the sample was since it wasn't labeled, so I ordered Gerbera by mistake, but I'm glad I did! It's the perfect cream blush for spring, and I'm excited to have it in my stash. I'm not a big fan of the Stila Convertible Colors on the lips--they make my lips look very dry--but they look so natural on the cheeks. It looks like my cheeks are blushing all on their own! When I actually blush, my whole face gets red and hot and it's just unflattering, so I prefer this method of getting some color onto my pale face. This blush is amazingly pigmented and so easy to use and blend that I can apply it flawlessly while half asleep in the morning. 

Similar / Alternative: Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Just Enough Buff (because who said you can't use lipstick as blush?)

Guest Post: How to Love Yourself

Hi friends! This is a post I originally wrote for Shane over on Whispering Sweet Nothings. It's something that really resonates with me, a little outside of my cosmetics-comfort-zone, which is why it's so important. Sometimes, we just have to stand back and look at things from a different perspective, and I hope my post does that for some of you.

Birchbox: March 2014 Review

Hey, friends! Today is the day for my monthly Birchbox unboxing! Woohoo! My box came a few days later than usual, since Birchbox shipped mine from Tennessee this month (weird), but it's finally here, and I'm excited to share it with you. 

Birchbox? What's that? - Birchbox is a monthly beauty and lifestyle subscription service. It sends 4-5 deluxe samples that are curated to your beauty profile. It is $10 a month, and has a wonderful rewards program, in which you can earn points for reviewing products and making purchases in the Birchbox Shop. You can then redeem those points for full-sized products in the Birchbox Shop! It's probably the best rewards program out there, in my opinion, which was one of the big draws in me signing up. If you're interested in subscribing to Birchbox, I would love it if you used my referral link. Thank you!

It came in the typical pink box. As you can see, the college mailroom has yet to spell my last name correctly, even though it's right next to the correct shipping label! I will never understand. 

Products I've Used Up: March 2014

Hey, friends! Today I am back with my monthly empties. I've used up quite a bit of products this month, much to my surprise. But, I would rather know I'm getting some use out of them, rather than have them sit in the back of my drawer. It makes me feel good knowing that my beauty obsession is going to good use (and that I'm not just hoarding--well, that's a lie). Without further ado, here are my empties for the month of March!

Supergoop SPF 37 Advanced Anti-Aging Eye Cream

(Full size [.5 oz]: $43.33) (Sample value [2mL]: $6)

I received this in my July Sample Society box and thought nothing of it. I was young and arrogant, thinking "I don't need a daytime eye cream!" One fateful day in February, I decided to pull it out just to get it out of the way, but little did I know how much I would like it. Seriously, this stuff is great! I tend to get a little dry under my eyes, especially around the inner corner, and this definitely helped with that. It also helped my undereye concealer look more natural and less like makeup-y, since I was applying it onto a smoother base. Plus, I can't argue with a product that provides SPF protection! I'm considering using my Birchbox points to buy a full-size, because it's available in the Birchbox shop and I am no longer a Sample Society subscriber. However, paying the full price out of pocket for this makes me cringe, since it's only half an ounce for the full size. Ouch.  

Lip Balm Bonanza! Part Two

Hey, friends! As you may or may not know, I have a problem when it comes to lip balm. The feeling of dry lips makes me nuts, so I always make sure to have a tube of lip balm on me somewhere. Today I bring you another portion of my collection that I have acquired while on the search for my perfect, holy-grail lip balm.

Let’s move on to the good stuff~

NYX Color Lip Balm in Thank You ($5.33 for .14oz) 

This was in my February Favorites last month, and with good reason. It's a bright, watermelon pink color, and it’s quite pigmented for a lip balm. Since it delivers a good amount of color, I like to swipe this on my lip before heading out the door in the morning. It almost works like a lip balm and sheer lipstick in one! It’s not very long lasting, since it’s so buttery, but I’m okay with that. For some reason, all of the shades are different variations of “Thank You” in different languages (Merci, Grazie, etc.). Just a fun fact. I think this product was discontinued with the release of NYX’s Butter Lip Balms, but they’re still available on Amazon, because everything is on Amazon. 

Brand Overview: Solscents (+Giveaway!)

In a beautiful, idealistic world, no one would go without sunscreen. Whether it be winter or summer, rain or shine, everyone would protect their skin with an SPF of at least 15. No one would get sunburned and everyone would be happy. 

Unfortunately, not everyone likes to wear sunscreen. 

Enter: Solscents. 

Road Trip Beauty Essentials

It's the first of the month, which means it's time for another blog hop with the Beauty & Fashion Blog Community! This month, we're going on a road trip,  and can only bring five essential items with us. Well, since we're beauty junkies, the actual "essentials" (cleanser, moisturizer, body wash, deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, etc) are conveniently already packed for us.

If we're going to get technical, I've never actually been on a road trip before since I tend to get carsick within an hour, but on my imaginary road trip, I can go anywhere I want! Without further ado, here are my five items that I would grab before running out the door.