April Favorites And The Cutest Song Ever

This month has seriously flown by. It seems like every month has since we first found out we were moving to Italy back in December. It has just been nonstop going! I can't wait for May to be here. We are finally getting all of our furniture on Thursday, and in about two weeks my mom will be here with my puppy! You guys seriously can't imagine my excitement! 

This month I've also gotten a lot of really awesome beauty products! Probably more than one could possibly need, but eh, a girl needs her cosmetics!!!

This month my top favorites have been the Urban Decay Naked 2 palette, Benefit's The Bronze of
Champions kit, Cliniques Take The Day Off makeup remover, KIKO Milan False Lash Concentrate, Benefit's Coralista blush, Revlon ColorStay foundation, and Jergens Natural Glow daily moisturizer.



If you guys have never tried any of Benefit's kits, shame on you! Seriously. Benefit is a pretty pricey brand, and their kits make getting their products very affordable. If you're a makeup hoarder like I am, then these kits are perfect. You get just the right amount of product. I'd say they're all about half of the size of the actual product, and with Benefit, a little goes a very long way. So even though you're getting deluxe sample sizes of these products, you're definitelly getting enough to last you a very long time.

This baby is the Naked 2 palette from Urban Decay. If you haven't heard of this, where in the world have you been? I feel like I really can't say much about this, other than it's absolutely amazing. Just get one for yourself. 

Benefit's Coralista is my favorite blush. Ever. Hands down. I originally got this in one of the kits and I had to get the full size. I have used this almost every day for the past two or three months and I am nowhere near hitting pan.

I found this mascara primer at an Italian makeup store. I belive the name is KIKO. This stuff is just incredible. It makes my lashes about twice as long as they actually are. This is the best mascara primer I have ever used.

I am really loving Revlon lately. I was never a huge fan, but recently I'm just on a kick. This foundation has been my most used for the past month and I don't see myself getting tired of it any time soon.

Clinique has never been a brand that I've tried a lot of or been too interested in. This makeup remover though is something that I've been using for years. It removes waterproof eye makeup effortlessly.

Summer is right around the corner and I am trying so hard to get tan! I don't tan very well in the sun. I don't burn or anything, I just kind of stay the same. I've been using this for the past few weeks and I love it! It really does give you a nice, natural glow. I'd say it's gotten me about 1 1/2 shades darker and it's helped me build a nice base tan so I can tan in the sun. 

I am so madly in love with this song! If you don't know, Hunter Hayes is a Country singer from Louisiana. Just another reason that I love him. This song is so darn adorable, as is all of his songs. But this one is my favorite. Besides the one he wrote for Act of Valor. Since that song is about a military relationship, it just hits home. But anyways, listen to this song and love it as much as I do! PLEASE! And after you listen, go to iTunes and download his CD! It's just perfect and I swear you won't regret it!

Sorry about the length of this post. If you actually stuck around to read all of it, I appluad you! Have an awesome day, ladies!

Rants of an Army Wife: The First of Many

Today, I won't be talking about anything beauty related. So to my readers who come here for those reasons, you may want to just go back to whatever webpage you were at before coming here. 

First of all, I hate the army. Well, not all the time, just at times were they do incredibly stupid stuff. Like today. Actually, they do incredibly stupid stuff all the time, but whatever. Why do I hate the army? Well, because everything has to be ridiculously complicated. Actually, ridiculously complicated is the biggest understatement ever. 

Calling a specific phone number on post should not be this complicated. Why the hell would you have a specific phone number, and then in order to call that phone number, you have to add 4 numbers and drop 3 numbers. And if that doesnt work, you have to change the 4 numbers that you added. Like, how in the hell does that even make sense? 

Oh, and then when the Italians can't understand you, what do they do? They just transfer you to Germany. Because that makes so much sense!

Why did I need to get in touch with an office on post, might you ask? So I could track our shipment of, well pretty much everything we own, that left the states on February 25th. 

Well, after calling sixteen, SIXTEEN different numbers, I finally was able to speak to someone who knew where all of our stuff was. Where was our stuff? In Italy. In a warehouse. How long has it been here? Almost a month. Oh, but they sent out an e-mail. An e-mail that has to be confirmed before they can deliver our stuff. 

There was never an e-mail. 

So now, they have to resend an e-mail that should have been sent three weeks ago. I can't just call the movers and tell them to deliver my stuff, we have to tell them via e-mail. WHAT THE ACTUAL F***?!?!?

Why do I need to tell you in an e-mail when I just told you on the phone?! 

I JUST WANT MY STUFF!!!

So, anyways. This is my day. This is my great, amazing, fantastic day. 

How's your day going?

Product Review: Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain

What a mouthful, right? But a wonderful mouthful! Up until this weekend, I wasn't quite sold on the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains. But after finding the most amazing color ever, my eyes opened to this amazing product. All I can say is, I have finally jumped on the bandwagon.

The three colors that I own are Smitten (030) Rendezvous (040) and Romantic (045). These balm stains retail for about $8. For you military wives, these babies are sold at the PX/BX for $6! I was browsing around the shelves and saw that there was only Rendezvous left, and the wrapper had been opened, but the product itself hadn't been tampered with. Since it was "opened" I got this baby for less than $5. Go me!

I find that these lip balm stains are very moisturizing. I really like the way that they feel on my lips. They leave just the right amount of color on your lips. I am not a lipgloss girl, because I like something with more color payoff/lasting power, but most days I just don't feel like wearing a full on lipstick So I find that these are perfect for every day wear. 

The color that got me hooked was Rendezvous. I think it's the most beautiful coral that I've ever seen. It's a very true coral, too. Not too much pink, not too much red. It leans more on the orange side, and I've been looking for something like that for a long time. 

This is Smitten. It's a purpley/pink color. I had expected it to be much darker than it actually is, but I guess I like the color. It's growing on me, that's for sure. 

The last color I have is Romantic, and I do believe this is the most red of the shades. For me, it's a very subtle red. It reminds me of the stain that's left on your lips after eating a red popsicle! It's the perfect amount of color for those days where you don't want to be too "out there."

Overall, I like these. I feel that because I wasn't crazy about the first two colors I had bought, I didn't understand the hype. After picking up Rendezvous though, I am 100% hooked and I now highly recommend these. If you're looking for something will full color and that has more than a few hours of staying power, these aren't for you. But if you want a subtle pop of color that will last 2-3 hours, then this is your product! I hope this review helped!

Arrivederci!

E.l.f. Mineral Eyeshadows Review & Swatches

After posting my e.l.f. haul, I had a lot of questions about the mineral eyeshadows. So, of course, I responded! So today, I'll be doing exactly what you asked, by reviewing and swatching the mineral eyeshadows. 

Let me first start off by showing you what e.l.f. has to say about their pressed mineral eyeshadows, "The innovative pressed powder design creates a silky smooth texture that is blendable for everyday, easy wear. Our natural mineral formula is infused with Rosemary, Cucumber and Vitamin E to replenish the delicate eye area and provide anti-aging benefits for a more revitalized look." and their regular mineral eyeshadows, "Bring a touch of natural beauty to your eyes with these natural mineral eyeshadow shades that add subtle highlights for daytime or increased drama for night. With key vitamins A, B, C & E these eyeshadows hydrate and minimize the appearance of fine lines. Available in an array of light-reflecting color options they can be worn wet or dry, together or alone, for countless shimmering styles and trends. The all natural consistency makes them incredibly easy to apply and blend for a flawless finish."  All pretty great, right?

                  

E.l.f. mineral eyeshadows, whether pressed or pigments, are $3, which you cannot beat. All of the shadows come in super chic, black packaging, minus the mineral shadows which come in clear with a black top. I love how e.l.f. left the top clear, so you can always find the color you want.

                  

without flash

                  

with flash

I absolutely love most of these. I only have a complaint with one of the colors, and sadly, it's the one I wish would work the most. The color is Wine Tour. It is a beautiful purple color with gold flakes. I wanted this color to work so badly, but it just wouldn't. No matter which brush I use or how much I use, it just doesn't blend. It just doesn't! You can't imagine how upset I am over this. It's really a tradgedy. All of the other colors I love, and have no complaints. The two lightest colors, First Date and Beauty Queen, are a little chalky, but nothing that isn't bearable. Caffeinated and Sassy are the two mineral pigment shadows and they are so beautiful! They're pretty shimmery, so if you're not into that, I don't suggest the pigment shadows, unless you go with the matte colors.. 

These shadows are all super pigmented and very easy to blend. I highly suggest all of them, besides Wine Tour. I give these shadows an A+ all around! I hope that this review was helpful and I hope that you'll all hurry over to e.l.f. and pick some up for yourself! 

Have a great day lovelies!!!

Quick Check In

Well, it's been a long, busy weekend. But a great one! I'll be back tomorrow with full posts, but in the meantime, I had to share my excitement on a few things with you all.

Last night, I saw that Ulta was having a buy one, get one 1/2 off sale on the Real Techniques brushes. After much frustration with their website, I finally gave up on trying to order them. You can only imagine how sad I was. This morning, I remembered that my mom lived super close to one in her PA town, so I asked her to pretty please head over and see if the sale was going on in store. It was, and she picked me up two sets! I am so excited!!! I've been trying to get my hands on these brushes for the past three months! I'll have these bad babies next week. I can't wait. 

                            

On Wednesday or Thursday I got an e-mail from Sephora announcing 50% off for their Beauty Insiders. So this girl snatched up the Naked 2 Palette as fast as she could. Once again, you can only imagine my excitement. 

You all responded very well to my e.l.f. haul and wanted me to swatch/review a few things, so definitely look out for that this week! And I have something super amazing to talk to you guys about as soon as it comes in! I'm sure you all have heard about it, but if not, hold on to your seats! I'll change the way you shop online! 

Have an awesome night, ladies!

E.L.F. Haul!

If you guys have read any of my posts, you know that I am obsessed with eyeslipsface cosmetics. I'd say it's a problem, but it's not. Especially not with how inexpensive it is. If you haven't heard of e.l.f., I just...I feel very, very, very bad for you. Mostly because you've been spending money that could have not been, had you shopped with e.l.f. 

E.l.f. has many high end dupes. Especially for Nars. If you're favorite high end brand has something that you just can't live without, but you're budget is making you, check out e.l.f. I almost guarantee that you'll find something similar. Maybe eventually I'll post all of my dupes. Until then, enjoy this haul!

 

This is my pile of loot. I actually only paid for eleven things, and as you can tell, I got way more. E.l.f. had a promotion where if you spent $25, you got 10 free mineral eyeshadows. Then, on top of my 10 free items, they shipped me 5 extra items. If you've ever ordered from this company, you know that they're pretty notorious for sending products you didn't order. I'm not sure if this is an accident or if it's some sort of gratis for ordering. I don't know, and I definitely won't complain!

Below are the things that I actually purchased, all for $36:

left to right: *all from Studio line ($3)Glossy Gloss in Funky Fuchsia, ($3)Glossy Gloss in Merry Cherry, ($6)32 Piece Eyeshadow Palette in Everyday, ($3)Eyeshadow Shield, ($3)Pointed Foundation Brush.


left to right: *all from Studio line all $3 Studio Blush in Berry Merry,  Baked Blush in Rich Rose, Baked Bronzer in St. Lucia (x2) Baked Blush in Peachy Cheeky 

These are the things I picked out for free on my own:

left to right: all mineral eyeshadow besides last Wine Tour, Lunch Break, Heart Breaker, What's Your Name, Miss Popular, 
Out All Night, Beauty Queen, First Date, Mineral Pigment in Sassy, Studio Eyeshadow in Wild Wheat.

And these are the things I got sent for free (by accident?):
Left to Right: Studio Makeup Remover Pen, Studio Undereye Concealer & Highlighter x2, Studio Stipple Brush, Mineral Lipstick in Party Pink.

I've actually got a second haul coming next week. I actually wouldn't really consider it a haul. I only got four things, but I got a ton of stuff for free, including the 100 Piece Eyeshadow Palette that I've been wanting for a really long time! I wasn't sure how much I would use it, so I never wanted to spend $20 on it, so when I got an e-mail from e.l.f. saying that I could get it and about 5 other free things I jumped on the offer as soon as possible!
If you're interested, e.l.f. has two offers going on right now, free shipping, and up to 50% off. So head on over here and stock up!!!


If you want a review or swatches on any of the products please let me know!

FOTD: Thursday, April 11

It's a rather gloomy day here in Italy. Imagine that. I am stuck at home waiting for the housing department to deliver my washmachine. And thank God that is finally happening! I haven't been able to do laundry in almost a month. My supply is running a bit low. I have a photography class tonight at 5, but I'm pretty sure I won't be able to make it unless these guys deliver my appliance soon. Being that it's in the Army's hands, they probably won't show up until midnight. That's just how they work.

So, anyways, that's my day. Nothing too special. At all. I decided instead of being a complete and total shit bag that I'd get up and shower. That of course led to me doing my make-up, and that of course led me to a huge mess that I just have no desire to clean up. I also wasn't planning on blogging today, hence the really horrible Instagram pictures. But hey, at least I got something up.

Today's look is nothing special. Little bit of cat eye, little bit of contouring. I did discover a new trick to enhancing my cat eye. I'm sure most of you already know this, but incase you didnt, here it is: When applying your mascara after drawing on your cat eye, bring the wand out towards the wing, not up. It really helps to enchance and thicken the cat eye. It also helps make your wing look a bit more precise. 

I'm just curious, does your floor/desk/make-up area look anywhere near this bad after putting on your face? I just have a problem with staying neat and organized whilst applying my make-up. 

I hope that wherever you are, the sun is shining more brightly than it is here.