MAC Archie's Girls --Haul w/ Swatches

 

If you follow me you know I was looking forward to this collection. I was lucky enough to be able to place a order within an hour or two after it launched online.  Which means I was able to get all of the items I had originally planned to purchase. Keep reading for swatches and more pics!

 MAC Veronica Blush in Prom Princess

 

Prom Princess, Swatched and blended out

 

Veronica- Daddy's Little Girl & Betty- Betty Bright

Betty & Veronica...gotta love those girls!

 

Betty-Mall Madness Lipglass

 

L to R: Daddy's Little Girl, Mall Madness, & Betty Bright

Perfect color' for spring.

 



I honestly do not have much to say about this collection other than expressing my LOVE for it.  Like most collections, it went fast.  Right now your best bet is to find it in MAC stores and counters. Almost everything is sold out at the MAC website.

 

 

These colors have me absolutely craving spring! What about you?

 

xo,

 

Amber

 

 

PS: Stay tuned for a Veronica inspired face tomorrow and a Betty one to follow soon after!

 

 

Ojon Damage Reverse Instant Restorative Hair Serum

I've never been crazy about using oil on my hair. Often times the ones I used would weigh it down or give it a greasy feel and look. Well, that was until now.

I'm completely crazy (and thankful) for the Ojon Damage Reverse Instant Restorative Hair Serum.

It's taken my long, dry ended hair and turned it into a smooth, silky, shiny (and still long) coif.

From Ojon: 

This weightless, highly concentrated multitasking serum is fortified with pure Ojon™ oil, nature's hair-repairing golden elixir, plus exotic Rouge Oleifera that penetrates the hair shaft to help strengthen weak hair, fix split ends and flyaways, and tame frizz. Without leaving any oily residue, this serum helps restore brilliant shine and softness to dull, damaged hair while adding suppleness and manageability. A must-have for your daily routine, it absorbs instantly, speeding up heat styling to prevent future damage. 

I apply mine on wet hair after washing. I try to stay within the last 4 to 5 inches to help my ends heal and smooth out.  

This was my first time with an Ojon product and I am impressed and will be looking into more of what they have to offer. I received my deluxe sample size bottle in a Sephora 500 point perk--the full size is 1.7 Fl. Oz.for $25.

Hope you all had a happy hump day! Today mine was super cool, WHY? Well, the MAC Archie's Girls launched so be sure to stop by their site or your counter if you want to pick anything up, it's going fast!

As always, thanks for reading!

xo,

Amber

  

Prime(r) Time--Feat. My Holy Grail Primers

Today's topic...Primers. How many of you girls use at least one type of them? I bet most of us do. Primer is something that I feel is often times over looked by those who aren't make up "obsessed" (maybe knowledgeable is a better term) or just a beginner who's just starting to get into make up. No, primer is not a necessity but it does help extend the life of your make up, along with many other benefits.

For me, I keep it simple. I only use two primers, face primer and eye primer. Both help me get the most out of my make up every day.

My two favorites: L'oreal Magic Perfecting Base

&

Too Faced Shadow Insurance

L'oreal Magic Perfecting Base

This was the first primer I tried for my face. It's sold nearly everywhere so it was easy access for me to get a hold of.  I loved it after first use. It made my pores seem non-existent and my acne scars I had (pitted and above skin) were now either not as deep or not as high up.  

Since I first tried this 2 years ago, I have played around with other primers and let me tell you nothing...NOTHING compares; NARS, Too Faced, Hourglass, Smashbox, Makeup Forever, Laura Mercier...those were the brands I tried, yes high end brands, and nothing has ever beat my L'oreal Magic Perfecting Base. It runs around $9 to $12 (give or take) for .5 Fl. Oz. 

Too Faced Shadow Insurance

I began using Mary Kay eye primer while in high school, and yes it is a good one as well.  However, it just doesn't compare to my Shadow Insurance.  

This stuff works beautifully. I love how it has some color to it, providing a nice base to lay your eye shadows on. I get the best staying power with this stuff, although Urban Decay's Primer Potion takes a close second. I just always go back to my Shadow Insurance because I do think it gives my shadow a bit more "oompf" and staying power.

Too Faced Shadow Insurance costs $18 for 35 Fl. Oz. (A little goes a long way!).

Of course there are numerous other types of primers on the market, and not just for eyes and face.  They do numerous things like brighten, tighten, fade, mattify, hydrate...the list goes on and on.  The key is to find what works for you!

Hope this helps you and gives you a little look into my collection of HG products!  What are some of your favorite primers? How many do you use?

xo,

Amber

OOTD: Gap Fitted Boyfriend Shirt

Happy Friday! Hope everyone had a lovely week. To be honest, it has been a long and craptastic week for me.  But I thought I would share with you my new shirt that I wore today...and that I discovered is quite amazing. 

The Gap Fitted Boyfriend Shirt

I saw this shirt on another blog and immediately fell in love with it. However, I didn't  purchase it until a while later, on Black Friday this past Thanksgiving. And I didn't wear it until today. It is extremely comfortable, made of 100% cotton, it definitely feels like your boyfriends comfy button down shirt. But made to fit women.

(The color is more similar to the top photo irl)

I love the pockets, I love the buttons, I love the collar. This is a shirt that can be dressed up or down. I purchased mine in Neon Purple (no longer available). Currently they only have prints available on their website, such as cat and tea cup.....so not my thing. But I am looking forward to seeing what colors they have for Spring/Summer 2013!  Jump to the GAP BOYFRIEND SHIRT.

I wish you all a happy weekend, I'm sure Monday will be here before we know it. Thanks for stopping by!

xo,

Amber

Let's Get Healthy!

One of my New Year's Resolutions for 2013 was to work out more and be just all around a healthier person.  I feel like I can handle healthy eating, I actually prefer it. But working out is another story. Whether I'm just feeling a lazy or don't have enough time, I need to make working out a part of my life. I feel like I've slipped off the wagon of healthiness, so here is a list of a few things I need to start doing.

1. Make/Take Time

I've been busy lately, which had definitely led me into not being able find time to work out.  My schedule just keeps getting more chaotic as time goes on.  This means no time for working out time.  I need to not just think about making time for it, I need to actually do it!  No excuses.  

2. Expanding my Work Out Preferences

I love Yoga. It is an amazing feeling and for me, it's easy.  I also love Pilates. Walking I can do, running I cannot.  See, very limited. I think working out should be fun and something you enjoy, that is why I stick with these work outs.  I actually use DVD's to do them, I'm not a fan of gyms or work out classes, I like to be alone when exercising.  In the spring time I hope to incorporate some more outside activities but for right now it's a bit too cold for my liking. By the way, if you are looking for an excellent yoga instructor on video (she has classes too in CA), seriously check out Ashley Turner. She is by far the best!

3. Make it fun.

As I said earlier, exercise needs to be fun. And it can be, you just need to find your route. I don't want to do anything too intense, which is why I do yoga, pilates, etc. But for someone else what might be fun is sweating,running, lifting weights,etc.  Everyone is different.

4. A little something every day.
I want to do 100 squats everyday along with 100 crunches. I just want to share that with you.

5. Think ahead.
This is for my eating habits. All too much I grab whatever and that is no good. I want to plan out healthy meals, healthy snacks and be prepared for what the day brings. Not left ending my day with an "I'm hungry, what should I eat?" then loading up on crap foods.

I am by no means a health expert or probably anyone you should take advice from. I just wanted to share with you some of the things I am trying to do. Maybe you can relate or can give advice. I'm always looking for a work out/healthy living buddy, feel free to use me as one!

Thanks guys!

xo,
Amber

FOTD: NARS Mata Hari

NARS is always my blush of choice.  There are other fabulous blushes of course but nothing does it for me like a NARS blush does. My personal favorite is Mata Hari, a beautiful deeper cool toned pink. FOTD pics are included below after my pics of the blush.

I've been in love with this blush for nearly 2 years.  You might be able to see by it's slight wear and tear. It is extremely pigmented, as many NARS blushes are.  I've gone from a medium-dark skin tone to my natural light-medium natural skin tone recently (I'm a reformed tanner but that's another story). After becoming my real color again, I admit I was overly scared of this blush. But honestly this looks just as great with lighter skin as it does on darker skin. Just apply with caution. So glad I gave it a whirl again!

Three swatches of NARS Mata Hari

FOTD:

Face:

Revlon Colorstay Foundation Oily/Combination in Sand Beige

L'Oreal Visible Lift Concealer in Fair

NARS Loose Powder in Beach

MAC MSF in Pink Power (LE)-contour/bronzer

NARS Blush in Mata Hari

MAC MSF in Soft & Gentle-highlight 

Eyes:

Lid/Crease- Urban Decay Tease

Brow Bone- MAC Shroom

Liner- Smashbox Limitless Liner in Onyx (top and bottom)

L'oreal Voluminous Carbon Black Mascara

Elf Eyebrow Kit in Medium, Maybelline Clear Mascara for brows

***This is my quick, go to, lazy girl eye look***

Lips:

L'oreal Colour Riche in Cotton Pink

Thanks for stopping by. Hope your Monday has been a great one!

xo,

Amber

Fashionista On A Budget: Deals & Steals

Hello, lovelies!  Getting to my first Fashion Friday a little late but I'm still ready to go! I thought it would be fun to talk about some of the things I've been doing in my process of trying to save money yet still being stylish.  

It can be easy. It can be hard. I recently have purchased a lot of clothes because of jobs changing and needing to look more professional.  I purchased all of my slacks/dress pants from Victoria's Secret, they are on the middle/higher end depending on what you are willing to spend. For me, investing in good quality pants is a must.  So pants are definitely where I like to splurge.

I didn't have to buy too many new tops (didn't have to, didn't mean I'm not buying them) because I always wore relatively dressy/work appropriate tops. 

However, it is no secret that I love to be trendy, to me it's not just an option, it's what I live/love to do. But lately, a lot of trends have caught my eye and I'm determined to be able to still be trendy. Here is a list of a few places that have been impressing me in both style and affordability:

*Forever 21

*Old Navy

*Target

*JcPenney (it's improved so much but it's not doing so hot!)

Okay, that list, it is kinda small and pathetic but I can't emphasize enough that sales and specials are where it is at!  The store that has been giving me the best clothes is Target, I'm obsessed. Not only are they trendy, they're affordable and actually an amazing quality.  Target, I love thee!

Here's a few bargain looks, and yes, I love dresses!

My favorite dress from Target,Cardigan is from Target too!

Another Target dress, love the color! Tights are from JcPenney.

Forever 21 Dress and Cardigan, Tights, Legwarmers, Boots-JcPenney, Scarf- Walmart (for real)

Where do you guys love to find bargains?  Any tips for getting a great deal?

Have a great weekend!

xo,

Amber