NOTD

Polishes that I used:
Butter London base coat
Mary Kay long-wearing nail enamel on Mulberry Spice
Accent nail - ELF nail polish in Mod Mauve with Pure Ice nail polish in Pure Spice
Butter London top coat

I absolutely love these nails! The accent combo is my favorite :)

Random post

I know this has nothing to do with beauty, but I've been having a really hard time coping with a few experiences I've gone through in the last couple days and thought I'd be okay if I just vented a little. So on December 23, 2012 I was involved in a really bad car accident.. It was not in any way caused by me. But the person in the other vehicle did not make it.. He was under the influence, and swerved into my lane at a verrrry high speed. In my small town of only 13 miles of road, the highest speed limit is only 45 mph.. For some reason, he was clocked at 80 mph a little bit before the accident site.. 80 mph? Where on earth are you going if you have to be going that fast?! I have no idea.. I was just on my way home from a friends house, when I saw him swerving into my lane, completely sideways.. And crashed into me. Both cars totaled, and he did not make it :( I understand that nothing was my fault, but just knowing that the other person in an accident that I was involved in did not make it, is a verrrry heavy weight on my heart. Coming from a small town of only 13 miles of road, I knew who this person was, but did not know him personally.. Regardless, this is a small community, and losing anyone is tragic. I did not know him, but we are not somehow connected by this crash. And it hurts me so bad that he did not make it.. I did not get any cuts from the crash, but I did get some badly bruised knees from the dash board (I am short and have to be very close to reach), some "severe whiplash" as the doctors called it, some muscles in my back were pulled, and I hit my nose on the steering wheel. These are minor injuries compared to the ones suffered by him, I am still alive, yet will be recovering for awhile, but none of these injuries compare to the emotional hurting I am feeling. I've been having anxiety, and am kind of scared in my own home who h is really not a good thing. It is now 4:13am and I have not slept yet, and my sleeping schedule is being affected greatly by the anxiety. I think I've lost about 15lbs in the last month just from not eating (which is not on purpose)..
Everyone has been as understanding as they can be. I'm still dealing with this tragic incident, as best as I can. But the people around me have been doing the best they can. No one else was in the accident, just the other person and me. But he is gone now. No one knows exactly what I'm going through. Yes, a lot of people have been in accidents, but no one was there, with me, through this one. And this is the first experience I've had like this..
I just had to get that off my chest. there might be a few more of these, just to help me through this rough time. I hope no one minds..
The first picture is of the two cars at the crash, mine is the Durango and his is the small grey car. And the second picture is of the 2 cars at the impound where they both are, I think, still sitting there because obviously they're both totaled :(

Casual

 Okay, First of all, please excuse my creepy half open eyes in some pictures, my (still) Christmas flannel sheets (they're just so cozy!), and my nasty chipped nail polish.







So, I start out with a completely clean and dried face.

 I then take my favorite moisturizer and face primer. I have very dry skin, and the Vitamin E Intense Moisture Cream from The Body Shop is the best moisturizer that I have found. Also, with the dry skin, foundation does not sweat off my face, I use the primer just for the finish that it gives me. It doesn't let the foundation cling to dry patches, and really makes my skin look healthy.

 Then I start my face routine. First I use whatever foundation I chose for that day. I decided to use the Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen WOW foundation in "I'm pure for sure" Ivory with the Elf Powder Brush. I love this foundation! Next I take my all time favorite concealer. It's the Pink Papaya concealer in Light/Medium (If you're interested in more pink papaya products, I have a whole blog dedicated to reviews and swatches of Pink Papaya here). I then take my L'oreal True Match pressed powder in Nude Beige with my Elf Complexion Brush. Although I do have dry skin, I still use a pressed powder just for how it makes my skin look. But I do sometimes skip this step. I then take my bronzer. This time I used Benefit Hoola Bronzer with a big fluffy brush from BH Cosmetics. I usually don't contour, but I do bronze up a bit just because I have pretty fair skin. Next is blush. This time I used, Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in Magic with my Elf Stipple Brush. This has been my favorite blush for awhile. I love coral blushes :) I then used the Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in Angelic as a highlight with a smaller fluffy brush from BH Cosmetics.

Here is the finished face products. I then used my Elf Mineral Eyeshadow Primer. You only need a small amount of this. Too much will just make your eyeshadow crease more. My eyelids are also very dry, I use primer to help with the pigmentation of the eyeshadow. Sometimes I skip this step.





I then used my Tarte Call of The Wild palette. This palette includes the shades: Meow, Jungle, Call, Instinct, Wild, Lynx, Primal, and Roar. This palette has 6 shimmery shades and 2 matte shades.



First, I took Meow, a dark gold color, and put that all of my lid with my Pink Papaya eyeshadow brush. I then took Jungle with my Elf Eye Contour Brush and put it in the outer v, pretty lightly. I then took Call and put that in my crease just to give it some color, even though it's a fairly light shade. I used my Sigma E40 Tapered Blending Brush. Last, I took Instinct with an Elf angled shadow brush (the name is rubbed off :(  ).

 I then took my Urban Decay 24/7 Glid-On Eye Pencil in Perversion and put that as close to the top lashes as I could. I was not too worried about being perfect with this because i then took Elf Small Angled Brush and smudged it out. I did not put any eyeliner on the bottom lashes, I just used whatever was leftover from smudging the top lashes and put that on the lower. Then I curled my eyelashes. I then used my Pink Papaya Lash Thickener to prime my eyes. The mascara I used is the L'oreal Clean Definition Telescopic Mascara. This mascara works fine, it's not my favorite though. I'm just trying to use it up so I can finally throw it outtttttt. I then used my Chella Eyebrow Defining Gel to set my eyebrows. I got this little sample in my Ipsy or formerly known as Glam Bag. I haven't used it very many times, and it's already dried up :( sad..

 Next is lipppiesss :) I already had some of my EOS Lip Balm in. I lined my lips with Mary Kay Luxury Liner Lip Pencil in Tawny which is just a light coral pink color. I then used my Mary Kay Lipstick in Simply Rose which is a light pink. And then topped it off with my Mary Kay clear lipgloss.

My aunt was so so generous. She used to be a Mary Kay consultant, but stop selling and had all these products left over, so she let me and all the girls in my family go through and take what we wanted. I am in no way bragging, I am just so greatful and would like to thank her so much.

I've never really tried out Mary Kay, so this is a great opportunity to try some things out. I did get a few makeup items, but I mostly got skincare and body care items. 

There will be reviews on some of this stuff when I use them more. 

 These are probably the things that I'm most excited for! These lipsticks are absolutely gorgeous! I love every shade, but the light pink is my favorite :) I tend to go towards light pinks for everyday wear.
Colors (L-R): Strike A Pose Rose, Jazzy Plum, Sunset, Sunny Coral, Simply Pink, and Crimson.

 These lipglosses are very sheer, and only the red one has good pigmentation. I was expecting them to have more color payoff, but from what I can tell, the formula is pretty good.
Colors (L-R): Pink Lemonade, Very Cherry, (the double ended gloss didnt have a name), and Clear.

 I haven't really used these lipliners, so I dont even have a first impression yet. When I swatched them, they were pretty creamy and easy to use. The color payoff was pretty good.
Colors (L-R): Pink, Neutral, Dusty Pink, and Tawny.

 These eyeliners are such pretty colors! I don't really go towards colored eyeliners, but I thought these ones were very pretty and subtle enough to get myself in the door of colored eyeliners. Like the lip liners, they were very creamy in the swatches. I haven't gotten to use them on my eyes yet, so I'm not sure if they pull.
Colors: Indigo and Violet

 I have not tried this mascara yet. I have some other mascaras that I'm trying to use up before I open another one. I got this one for a backup when I run out. This is just in Black.

 These blushes are very pretty in the package. I've found just by the swatches that they're pretty chalky and don't have very good payoff. But I will use these a little more to get a full review on them.
Colors: Apricot Breeze and Sunny Spice.

 The cream eyeshadows are soooooo gorgeous! But, just like the blushes, the shadows in the pan are kinda chalky. The darker purple one has better color payoff than the light one, but they're both really pretty colors. You just have to really build up the lighter pink. I absolutely love the cream eyeshadows though!
Colors: Sugar Plum and Virtual Violet. Cream shadows= Silver and Peach Chill

I highly recommend these base products. The foundations are very lightweight and kind of change to match your skin tone. The liquid foundations are 2 different colors, but when they're on, they both change to match my skin tone. I don't have acne prone skin, but my skin is very dry and I have redness on my cheeks, nose, and chin. These foundations really help to hide the redness, and are kind of moisturizing for my dry skin. They don't cling to the dry areas. I love these.
I haven't really used the loose powder yet.
The bronzing beads are beautiful. They are kind of shimmery, but not glittery at all. They are not supposed to be for contouring, just a little bronzing up. I don't mind slight shimmer in bronzer, just no glitter. And it's not like big specks of shimmer, there's just a sheen of shimmer. It's not obvious at all.
Foundation Colors: Buffed Ivory and Ivory. Powder: Antique Ivory

 Lip Mask and Triple-Action Lip Enhancer. You put on the lip enhancer after moisturizer and it's supposed to make lips softer and look better before the application of lipstick. This works sooo well, I have dry, cracked lips and you can't even tell when I use this under lipstick. So glad I found this!

 This is a hand care routine that is supposed to make hands softer and moisturized. The set includes Cleansing Gel, Buffing Cream, and Hydrating cream. and then there's a regular hand cream to throw in your purse for when it's needed. I have not tried the routine yet, but the regular hand cream is very nice. It makes your hands very hydrated and soft. I'm not big on hand cream, I don't have dry hands. They're actually the opposite, I have pretty oily hands. But this cream even helps the oiliness and doesn't leave any residue. Best hand cream I've tried.

 3-in-1 Facial Cleanser. I mix this with my exfoliant powder and it does wonders for my dry skin. After I use it, my skin feels fresh and so cleansed. Again, I don't have acne on my face. I have quite sensitive skin, and I love this cleanser.

 I just had to snatch a few of the face moisturizers. I go through moisturizer so fast with my dry skin, I had to stalk up. I haven't even tested any of these products though. I'll review them later.

 Oh my gosh, the Private Spa Collection lotion smells sooo good! It's in the scent "Embrace Dreams." I'm really bad at describing scents, so I'm sorry. But it smells delicious. I haven't tried any on my skin, but I love the smell of it :)
The "Simply Glowing" shimmering body gel is really pretty. You use it kind of like a lotion, and it just gives such a pretty glow. It has very small specks of shimmer. This is more for a tan skintone though, so I'll definitely have to wait until I'm tan. Summer, hurry up!

 This perfume goes along with the with the "Embrace Dreams" body lotion. So this also smells so delicious. It has the same scent as the lotion, but just in the body spray form. So yummy

 This is just a travel set of Facial Cleanser, Body Wash, and a moisturizer. I haven't used these, because I am planning on going to Vegas in the near future, so I will need to save these for that.

 This mirror is beautiful. The mirrors are quite large, and perfect to just throw in my makeup bag or purse. And the packaging is gorgeous :)

 This is just a makeup setting spray. I am currently using the Urban Decay All Nighter setting spray, so I will try this a little later. Also, I don't really have a problem with my makeup melting off my face because I don't have oily skin, I pretty much just use this because of  the finish it gives my makeup. Setting spray gives my skin a dewy finish. I have not tried this one yet though.

If there are any requests for reviews of certain products over the others, please let me know so I can get those done :) 

<3

December Little Black Bag

Street Level - Top Lock Satchel in Brown

 Be Fine - Packet Box

Exfoliating Cleanser: "Removes impurities and environmental stresses. Detoxifies and rejuvenates the skin for a healthy glow. Helps skin maintain optimal moisture balance. Provides natural anti-bacteria & antioxidant protection calms, soothes & heals  the skin." 

Daily Moisture w/SPF 15: "Rosemary stimulates circulation. Rice, a vegetarian protein, is easily digested by the skin. When combined, they deliver moisturizing protection, nourishment and skin cell regeneration. Pomegranate's age proofing antioxidants, along with SPF 15, increase the strength of protection from the damaging effects of the sun." 

Gentle Cleanser: "Gently cleanses while invigorating skin and improving circulation. Prevents premature aging as it supports skins collagen and elastin smooths wrinkles and tightens skin. Helps retain moisture leaving skin renewed and refreshed."

Night Cream: "Reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Improves circulation for better color and clarity. Helps skin retain critical moisture to feel nourished and hydrated. Protect skin from damage."

Pore Refining Scrub Treatment: "Increases the skin ability to retain moisture as it smooths and softens skin. Promotes healing and reduces inflammation. Detoxifies and rejuvenates for healthy, radiant skin. Helps even out skin tone and manage acne prone skin."

Warming Clay Mask: "Deep cleans and detoxifies, leaving skin fresh and radiant. Hydrates so skin looks smoother and softer. Gives skin a boost of age fighting anti oxidants. Helps stabilize free radicals to keep skin looking young. Help make-up go on and stay on better. (This is a natural benefit of any mask) Smooths and heals the skin." 

Go to the Be Fine website and get 20% off with promo code: LBG12 

 Mocha - Crystal Bangle Set in Purple

 LAVANILLA - The Healthy Fragrance in Pure Vanilla and Vanilla Blackberry (Sample sizes) 

 Pixi - Tinted Brilliance Balm in Bitten Berry

 YuBe- Moisturizing Skin Cream

Little Black Bag is a really fun monthly subscription site. It's kind of pricey for a subscription site, but for what you get, it's very reasonable. You get to pick one main item that will for sure be in your bag, and then the consultants pick out 2-3 other items that automatically get put into your bag. The catch is that you can't see what the items are until you check out. Once you see your items, you get 7 days to either ship your box, or you can trade any items that are in your bag. It's really fun and pretty addicting. It's $49.99 a month, you can cancel anytime that you want, and you can also skip as many months as you'd like. 

Check out Little Black Bag here.

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