2015 Beauty Favorites

I decided to do something a little different and put together a blog post about a few of my favorite products of 2015! I'm not much of a beauty girl but in these past few months I have definitely been trying more products so most of these products are from the end of the year. I personally love reading reviews or watching review videos because it really gives me a sneak peek of the product before going out to purchase it. I hope this can help a little bit! 

Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Promade in Medium Brown | $18

http://www.anastasiabeverlyhills.com/dipbrow-pomade-waterproof-color-brow-sculp.html

I got lucky enough to try this for free because it was a hand-me-down from one of my besties, hi sally. This shade was too dark for her brows so she so kindly gave it to me since she knows I'm all about dem brows. After testing it out, I just fell in looooove. Using the Anastasia brow brush, it created such a perfect outline and it was so easy to work with. It also filled in really nicely as well. Before I used to use e.l.f's brow gel for outlining, then I would have to color in with Maybelline's brow pencil followed by more filling in with Anastasia's brow pencil. With the dipbrow promade, I don't need to use brow pencils anymore because it fills in naturally as long as you don't use an excessive amount of product. I recommend this product, but if you have naturally dark and full brows, it might be a bit much. It works well for me because I have very sparse and light brows.

Colour Pop Ultra Matte Lip | $6

https://colourpop.com/product-category/lips/ultra-matte-lip/

OBSESSED. If you haven't seen this whole liquid matte lip trend, I don't know where you've been! I was so excited when I stumbled upon a YouTube video featuring these lippies because these are serious amazing AND affordable at only $6 a piece. These are comparable to Kat Von D's liquid lipsticks, Stila's and even Kylie Jenner's lip kits. I'm not going to give any specifics, I am no Beauty Guru and I do not want to give any false information so you can turn to YouTube for that! It's important to put a lip liner on prior to applying these lippies because you don't want it to feather. When I'm not in a rush, or use darker more bold colors I like to use a lip brush to ensure a better finish but the applicator still works really well. I love that it dries and mattifies rather quickly and the product does not transfer! I would say it lasts for a pretty damn long time unless you drink a lot of liquids or eat super oily foods. I am seriously so happy with these liquid lipsticks and I will definitely be purchasing more in the future. My favorites are Bumble, Tulle and Avenue. I might do a more in depth review on these liquid lipsticks since I went around searching for swatches of these lippies.

LORAC Skinny Palette Black | $?

I don't think this is available anymore unless it's sold by third parties but I have been loving it these past few months. This was a birthday gift from my soulmate, hi heej peej, and I thought I would never get any use out of it but boy was I wrong. I was always just an eyebrows, eyeliner and lipstick girl but I've finally expanded my horizons and learned new makeup techniques. I've finally learned how to apply eyeshadow without looking like I just got punched in the eyes; my routine is super subtle but I like it. I use the tan (3rd from left) as the base, then I use the light brown (middle) and use it on half of my eye (LOL I don't even know how to explain this) and then I take the darker brown (3rd from right) and use that as the corner shade.. Please excuse my lack of knowledge for this topic haha. If I want a little shimmer I just use the two glittery shades. I've been using this almost every time I go out on weekends and it's also compact so it's easy to bring on the go.

Clinique Take the Day Off Makeup Remover | $19

http://www.clinique.com/product/1673/5380/Skin-Care/Cleansers-Makeup-Removers/Take-The-Day-Off-Makeup-Remover-For-Lids-Lashes-Lips/Make-Up-Remover-for-Lids-Lashes-Lips

I was on the search for a good makeup remover and when I saw that they had a mini size at Sephora for $9.50 I had to try it. Neutrogena wipes worked really well for me but I just hated how since there was no actual closure, the wipes would dry out before I finished using them since I do not wear makeup every single day (besides brows.) One of my friends, hi connie, told me she didn't like the Clinique makeup remover because it was way too oily. It definitely is super oily but it really gets the job done for me leaving almost no makeup on my face. Usually when I use makeup wipes to get off eyeliner, there is still excess liner on my eyes but with this remover I find that there's almost none left. Due to the oiliness, it's best to use this right before you wash your face but I mean that's when you usually use makeup remover so it all makes sense to me.

L'Oreal True Match Super-blendable Powder in W4 | $11

http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?productId=VP10394#

Not 100% positive if I got this at the end of 2014 or the beginning of 2015 but I've been using this consistently throughout 2015. I was introduced to this by one of my friends because I wanted to try powder foundation since I'm not a fan of liquid foundation since it feels heavy on my face. I don't think this really counts as a foundation because the coverage is definitely on the light side. I use this more as a setting powder and I just use a bit on my face after I've done the rest of my makeup. When I used to use liquid foundation I would finish it with this powder and it made my face matte which I loved. I sometimes bring this on the go and if my face is getting a little shiny, I blot my face, throw a little of this on and the shine goes away!

Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in Ginger | $29

http://www.narscosmetics.com/USA/radiant-creamy-concealer/999NACRCC0001.html?dwvar_999NACRCC0001_color=7845012344#start=1

This product is definitely on the pricey side especially because I usually don't like spending too much on beauty products since I don't use them on a daily. BUT this product is definitely worth it even though I was lucky enough to score this during the Sephora VIB sale and got 20% off. I have acne-prone skin so this concealer has definitely made a huge positive impact in my life. I initially thought my color was Custard but when I went in store, since I wanted this concealer for the purpose of covering blemishes the sales associate told me I should get Ginger because it was a little darker than Custard. It covers blemishes surprisingly well, being my first concealer ever I've been very impressed by it. I also went to Sephora the other day and the associate gave me a mini makeover and covered up my dark circles using Custard + Ginger which gave my eyes a whole new look, I've never looked so alive. After that session, I decided to try hiding my dark circles with my Ginger and it wasn't as brightening since I don't have Custard but it was still effective. If you're a makeup noob like me I highly recommend going to Sephora because they can really help you choose the right colors for your skin tone.

better late than never

This is an old outfit post but I never got around to posting it on my blog. I can't believe it's already 2016! Happy New Year! I actually thought I started classes in two weeks but it turns out I start next Thursday.. I am not ready for the semester. I feel like I've been sick this whole break and I just want it to last longer.

Next semester is my last semester as an undergrad and it all feels surreal. It's crazy how I'm going to be a college graduate; it's about to be another chapter in my life. With the semester starting, it means I am applying to internships and interviewing with different companies. I actually had a few interviews that went pretty well with some big names but I don't want to make anything official until I'm done with all my interviews. I'm excited for what's in store for this semester in terms of my internship because I've seemed to put my foot in the right places. I can already tell this is going to be a super busy semester! If I could give advice, I would tell you all to apply to internships, it's better late than never! Internships are such a great way to gain experience and it helps you give a sneak peek of what you're going to be doing for the rest of your life.

Hope you all had a great time during the holidays!

warm december

I scored these babies during Black Friday weekend and got them for a pretty good deal! With my height, it makes it super hard to find riding boots that fit me well. Most riding boots hit into my knee and it just doesn't look right. After two years of trying to find riding boots that are fit for me, I gave up in time for the over-the-knee boots trend. I tried on a few but none fit like this one. I'm obsessed with them and will be wearing them most of this upcoming season!

The weather has been amazing the past week! It's 60 degrees in December in NYC! That never happens but I wish it would stay like this for the rest of the winter. Being able to wear dresses without tights and being able to go out with no jacket is wonderful, this is how Californians must feel. I love the look of dresses or shorts with over-the-knee boots! 

Balmain x H&M

Yet another year of H&M collabs, I knew I wanted this t-shirt in the Balmain x H&M. It's so simple but as I always say, simplicity is key sometimes. There were tons of fashion websites with leaks of the collection ahead of time and looking through the collection, most things were just too flashy for my liking. I absolutely LOVED the beaded, embellished blazer but I know I wouldn't be able to rock it so it would be a waste since it was around $500 if I remember correctly. 

Last year I remember I was in my Event Planning class, about to present my project but still trying to get into the H&M site on my phone and my laptop. I was lucky enough to get 4 things in the Alexander Wang x H&M collection (I have a blog post about the items.) This year's collab was SO much harder to get into. The site was crashed.. you would think that H&M would get their shit together knowing that there's going to be an enormous amount of people trying to get into the site. The collection released at 8am and I was repeatedly trying to refresh and I finally got in at 8:47.. that's 47 minutes after release and everything (besides ugly stuff) was sold out. I was so frustrated because I really wanted the t-shirt! Luckily, one of my friends, hi heej peej, went to H&M in times square and she was able to get these two shirts for me! We both initially wanted the men's ones but they got sold out by the time she got in. The lettering is written in a velvet-like material, which I personally like. I wish I worked at H&M during this collab because employees got a different Balmain x H&M shirt that looked even cooler. But, I know it got pretty chaotic in other countries.. I came across some ridiculous videos. People are crazy.

bring on the blanket scarves

I was lucky enough to be chosen to take part in the College Fashionista x Aerie collab where I was gifted a blanket scarf and plaid shirt to style! I love love love blanket scarves for the winter so I was ecstatic when I saw this as one of my items. I also loved the color palette of the scarf.

I'm super happy with how these photos came out (thanks babe and skittz.) The top 3 photos were taken at Storm King where my previous blog post was taken. It's such a great spot to take photos and if it weren't so far I would definitely go there more often for shoots. Nature is the best backdrop.
My outfit in these photos are definitely better for warmer places or if you're just relaxing at home. I think it's the perfect holiday outfit, snuggling next to the fireplace with a warm cup of hot chocolate watching Christmas movies in your living room full of Christmas decorations. For colder places, like here in NYC, I would either throw on a pair of leggings with fleece lining (YES THOSE ARE A THING!) or a pair of jeans. Personally I would wear leggings only because they're 100x more comfortable. To finish it off I would put on a long wool-blend coat, some touch screen gloves and call it a day. A very comfy but winter-inspired outfit.

I love how cozy blanket scarves are since it gets pretty cold here in NYC and I get cold super easily. I just ordered another chunky scarf from Zara (thank you black friday deals) and you bet I'm already searching for more. Happy Cyber Monday shopping!