31 Days of SCG: Day 5 - Friday {Beauty} Favorites

So I've been working at Sephora a little over a month now and have had a chance to try out *and purchase* some new products, so I thought I would share my favorites and link up with The Bargain Blonde! 

Nars Sheer Glow Foundation in Punjab

All summer long I used the Dior BB Creme and loved the finish and look it gave me. But now that summer is behind us and I'm getting slightly paler, I've been on the hunt for a new foundation. I tried a Laura Mercier one and it was alright, but now I'm on my second sample of this Nars Sheer Glow and really like it! It leans more towards a light coverage foundation, which I prefer, and just tonight at work I had 3 different people compliment me on my skin and how great it looked. I've struggled with my skin for years now so to hear this is music to my ears! 

Clarisonic Mia 2

Speaking of improved skin, I fully believe I owe A LOT of these improvements to my Clarisonic. I went back and forth for years on whether or not one of these babies is worth it, and believe me when I tell you it is! I have noticed differences in my acne, rosacea, and the overall texture of my skin. And apparently talking about these babies are my calling because I've been selling at least one of these babies every shift! 

Philosophy Purity Made Simple Cleanser

Purity is a cleanser that I have gone back and forth with for years. When I went through my first bottle I thought it was ok, but certainly nothing special. Tried out a couple drugstore cleansers, but when I got the Clarisonic I wanted to use a cleanser that didn't have any exfoliating properties since the brush does the exfoliating for you. Going through this second bottle I have come to terms with the fact that this cleanser is AWESOME. It has the typical 'philosophy' brand scent and really does the job of getting all the crap off your face! It cleanses really well but doesn't dry my face out and I use this twice a day. Whenever someone buys it at work I get excited and let them know they're just gonna love it! 

Nars Blush in Douceur 

I have a pretty extensive blush collection, but I'm starting to lean more towards pink-brown tones more so than the peachy-pinks. I guess I feel like the lighter colors accentuate my rosacea, and that's the last thing I want! Nars has pretty much cornered the market with fabulous blushes, so when I saw this one in store (and also found out it was used on one of Mariska's magazine photoshoots) I had to get my hands on it. It's a subtle color, even on my fair skin tone, but brings a healthy warmth to my face and gives it some depth after applying foundation. 

SEPHORA COLLECTION Crystal Gloss in Forbidden Move

I actually bought the lip gloss as a last minute sale item by the register before I even worked at Sephora. It's still available online and we have a couple left in the store, and it is a beautiful color! It's the perfect rose gold gloss that isn't sticky at all and is a great transition color for fall. I'm trying to beef up my lip gloss collection and branch out with different colors, so this was definitely a good addition! 

Hope you guys enjoyed these couple favorites of mine!! Let me know if there are any products I need to be trying!

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Current Faves June 2012

Since I obviously can't keep up with a monthly favorites, I thought that whenever I have a small group of products that I love that I would share them. Some of these are newly discovered while others I have loved for a while. Let me know if you've used any of these before and your thoughts on them!

1. Clean & Clear Deep Action Exfoliating Scrub: I picked this up on an whim at Target towards the beginning of the year and have LOVED it ever since! If you are looking for a gentle exfoliator that you can use daily, look no further. Every night I apply a prescription gel to my face for rosacea, so when I wake up in the morning I have a dried "film" left over. This scrub is awesome at giving my face a deep clean, yet isn't too harsh that it irritates my skin. I keep a tube both by my sink and in the shower. Next time you're in Target definitely give this a try.

2. Benefit Erase Paste in Medium: For as long as I've used concealer (it was the first makeup product my mom took me to buy at 13. Plagued by dark circles at an early age!), I have yet to find one that I absolutely LOVE. I've always heard great things about Erase Paste, but for some reason it takes a lot for me to pay 20+ dollars on a concealer. I recently got this in a kit with a Benefit primer and so far have really enjoyed it! I've always been partial to more liquid-y concealers in tubes, but this is a heavier formula, yet it doesn't settle into my lines and crease.

3. CoverGirl Cheekers blush in Iced Cappuccino : I never would have bought this blush except for the fact that it was said to have been used in a look for one of Mariska Hargitay's magazine covers (does this surprise you at all?). This costs all of $3 and some change at the drug store. When I first bought it and swatched it with my finger it didn't seem to have much pigmentation, but once I put it on my cheeks I fell in love. It has very little pink in it, which I like since I don't want to accentuate my rosacea, but more of a golden tone so it gives a nice warmth to the cheeks. The only thing I initially had an issue with was the smell. It has the typical "old lady cosmetics" smell, but after the first time I used it I didn't notice it anymore.

4. Dior Hydra Life BB Creme: Presenting the most expensive beauty product I've ever bought! BB cremes have become all the rage in the US over the past couple months even though they've been around in Asian countries for years. I had tried the Garnier BB cremes, and while it was an ok product it left a very oily finish on my face that I had to set with a powder. I wanted a quick product that I could slap on and run out the door. And this is it. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this product. Ever since I bought it, I haven't used foundation. It's the only thing I'm bringing on my trip to London. From the first day I wore it, my mom and others have complimented me on how great my skin looks. While most BB cremes have a grey-ish tint to them, this one does have a warmer color, so warm in fact that if I had tried this in the dead of winter it would have been too orange for me. But if you're looking to try out a BB creme, I highly recommend going into Sephora and trying this out and getting a sample.

5. Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm: I bought this lip balm for the first time over a year ago when I made a Sephora order. I instantly loved it, but when my last tube ran out I wondered if it was really worth the $7.50, so I started used some of the random lip balms I had sitting around. I thought they were doing the same until I discovered a half empty Jack Black balm in my drawer. Holy cow I did not realize how great this stuff was until I went back to it! I only use it at night because it is a pretty heavy balm, but when I wake up in the morning my lips feel so silky and smooth. When I went to the beach last weekend I used another balm and my lips were noticeably dry by the time I got back.

6. L'Oreal Voluminous Smoldering Eyeliner in Brown: I bought this eyeliner when I watched a YouTube video a couple months ago and someone was using it to line their top inner rim of their eyelid. I always try to line my inner rim and water line, and if you've ever tried to line either one you know it can be difficult! I first line my upper lid to warm the product up, then since the pencil tip of this liner is so long, I simply run it along my inner rim (instead of using the point) and the color applies beautifully. It's not waterproof so I do have to set it when applying it to my lower waterline, but so far I haven't had any complaints about this product.

 Hope you guys enjoyed this post. If you haven't already figured it out I am a self-professed product junkie, so let me know about some of your favorite products and anything else I should try! I'm currently posting this from the airport waiting on our delayed flight, so I will probably be MIA for the next 10 days, but I will try to update twitter and instagram as often as I can find wi-fi in merry old London!!

xoxo

Natalie

Weekend Recap

**This post was meant to go up last week, but between sudden sickness and last minute prep for friend's bachelorette party life just got in the way! Hope you enjoy anyway**

I actually did something this past weekend besides work so I figured I would share! On Saturday my fellow beauty obsessed friend Jordan ventured out to the mall with me so we could experience Columbia's newest store....

**not our actual store. we were too excited to take an actual picture**

Yes. Yes. South Carolina has FINALLY gotten a Sephora!! I have anxiously anticipated this opening ever since I saw the sign go up in the mall. I even applied for a job there (which is still kind of a TBA situation...story possibly at a later date). It's definitely one of the bigger Sephora stores I have ever been too (bigger than the one in Charlotte & Atlanta's Perimeter Mall) so when we first walked in we were a tad overwhelmed. But after 2 hours (yes. 2 hours. Jordan is probably the only one that would spend that much time in ANY store with me), 2 foundation applications (on Jordan), and probably walking 20 times all around the store, here is what I ended up with...

• Sephora 2012 Sun Safety Kit (no longer available online, which is why I was VERY excited to see it in the store!)
• Dior Hydra Life BB Creme
• Sephora Collection Pro Concealer Airbrush #57 

We're already planning a second trip back tomorrow after I get off work because Jordan has to exchange the foundation she bought...plus I want to get a brush to better apply the BB creme and an eyeshadow palette that will be easy to travel with! 

After Sephora and a quick trip to Victoria's Secret to grab a bachelorette gift, I raced back home to get read for a night out with the family. For some reason my mom decided we were going to celebrate Father's Day the night before this year instead of the actual day. Once I got ready I met the family for a quick dinner at blue, which is a tapas bar & cocktail lounge downtown.

blue is somewhere I catch myself frequenting on a Saturday, but it is almost always after 10pm and NEVER for the food if ya know what I mean. I read the few reviews online and heard the food was mediocre, but since mom had bought a groupon we figured we would give it a shot. BIG MISTAKE. We told the waitress we were on a certain time frame & had a play to make later that night, but did that speed up the service?? NO MA'AM! They didn't have the first entree my brother ordered and then we waited 30 MINUTES for my wedge salad...because the lettuce had yet to arrive at the restaurant! Thankfully the groupon took care of our entire tab so we ran across the street to grab our tickets and catch a play.

Trustus Theater is a local theater company in Columbia and for as long as I've lived here (and most recently literally across the street) I've never seen a production. They did their version of the Broadway play Avenue Q and let me tell you it did not disappoint! What makes it unique is that over half of the cast is actually puppets a la Sesame Street. There are definitely some adult themes and politically incorrect humor, but our entire family enjoyed it. I highly recommend it!!

Father's day was pretty low key in our house. I got to sleep in and once all the family was home we cooked a meal on the grill and gave dad a couple gifts. My dad is a very low key no muss no fuss kinda guy so it was the perfect day for him. 

Sorry this post was majorly late. I'm not gonna lie posting may be a tad sporadic for the next 2 weeks or so until I get through my friend's wedding and family vacation. But I will be doing my best to document everything so I can have lots of blog material when I come back!!

xoxo

Natalie

Top 5 Tuesday: Most Worn Items

Linking up again with Just Peachy for Top 5 Tuesday!

1. Polo Baseball Cap

My Tuesday/Thursday morning staple for my 8am!

2. Michael Kors Bracelet Watch 

I've raved about this watch so many times. It rarely leaves my wrist.

3. Patagonia Snap-T Pullover

My other Tuesday/Thursday morning staple. It is seriously the warmest thing I have ever worn. My North Face love has been replaced by Patagonia.

4. Target Skinny Jeans

Before jump starting my weight loss last week, I have been the heaviest I have ever been, and therefore hate spending a ton of money on clothes when I am not happy with the size. I picked up these skinny jeans from Target a couple months ago and wear them a couple times a week. For how much they have been through, they've help up remarkably well for a $25 pair. And another plus...they're already loose!! :)

5. Maybelline Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser

I discovered this concealer about a month ago and it is a great drugstore find! Concealer is the one makeup item I will always put on when going out the house. I was "blessed" at a young age with those wretched under-eye circles!!

So those are some of my top 5 most worn things at the moment! Hope you have a wonderful Tuesday!

xoxo

Natalie