Cle de Peau Beaute Concealer- Is it worth the hype???

I hope that everyone is having  wonderful saturday night :)
I have been eyeing the Cle de Peau concealer for a little over a year now, but I wasn't sure about spending 70$ (!) to get it... So, for my birthday, I decided to splurge and buy it! I had seen multiple people on youtube use it, and it had gotten rave reviews on the internet, so I thought that it was about time that I try it for myself.
Let me start off by saying this concealer is insanely overpriced. I definitely think that it should be more towards the 40$ price-range, however I do understand that you are paying for the brand name as well as the ingredients. The concealer is extremely creamy, however it dries to sort of a powdery finish. I originally bought the concealer in hopes that it would replace my YSL touche eclat, however for under eyes, I definitely prefer the YSL. The Cle de Peau ended up turning sort of grainy and "flaky" right by the inner corner of my eye, and it looked as if I had piled on the under eye concealer. I do have to say that it does have amazing staying power and I do like it for blemishes and redness on the face, however I would not recommend as an under eye concealer for anyone who has dry skin... I will try to attach a picture to show what it does after it is applied compared to the YSL because I know I am doing a terrible job explaining what it looks like! Overall, I am pleased with my purchase, just because I have been dying to try it for ages, however I would not repurchase it!
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend :) If you have any questions for me or any suggestions please let me know in a comment below! I would love to hear from you! have a wonderful night :)
XO Kaitlyn

Organic/ Natural Skincare

Hey y'all!
Im back!! I am so sorry I took such a long break. Unfortunately we still don't have internet up at the beach, and things have just been crazy since spring break (excuses, excuses..), however I am back now! I have lots of things to update y'all on, however I thought I would start off with a little rant.
So, I generally eat relatively healthy, and I try to make sure that I am putting natural/ organic things into my body. I have recently been on the search for some natural skincare that actually works, because I am trying to cut as much harmful chemicals out of my life as possible (I know, some of you will not agree with this, but each to their own!), so I decided to research some skincare companies/ products.
I have raved about mario badescu for a while, and don't get me wrong, I love the company for the most part! I use their aloe toner which is all natural, and it contains only aloe, water, and (????) something I cant remember right now (sorry!). However, I decided to research some of their moisturizers and I stumbled upon a sight that tells you all of the ingredients in a product, as well as the health risks associated with those ingredients. Turns out, "natural" isn't always better...The Mario Badescu night cream that I had been using actually contains ingredients that have been banned in Europe, as well as multiple ingredients that cause "organ toxicity". When I researched my 7$ cetaphil cream however, I found that it contains only two or three ingredients that had health concerns related to them. I would highly encourage anyone who is a health nut like me to actually do some research on the products that you use! I have linked the site I used below and I think that it is a great tool. I also wanted to not though, that it is important to look at other resources and actually google the ingredients that may be considered harmful! Some of these ingredients are also used in food, or other things that we ingest, and so they are not harmful if used in skincare, but you may want to avoid them when it comes to your food!
I hope everyone has had an amazing week and I am so happy for it to finally be the weekend :)
Have a wonderful evening :)\
xo Kaitlyn


heres a link to the site I used:
http://www.goodguide.com/

Favorite Mascaras of All Time

Mascara is one thing that I buy a TON of... I am constantly looking for the next best thing and I feel like I have tried almost every mascara out there. When sephora has a mini mascara as their 100 pt perk, it is always what I chose, and because of that, I rarely have to actually buy mascara. So today, I thought that I would share a few of my favorite mascaras with you!
#1. Make Up For Ever  (MUFE) Smokey Lash
I love this mascara and it is the one that I am constantly going back to. It is incredibly lengthening and volumizing, however it can come off a bit clumpy if you are not careful. The waterproof version is equally as amazing however you CAN NOT GET IT OFF! It is extremely waterproof! I personally think that Makeup Forever has the best waterproof products, and they are definitely my go-to brand in the summer time. I would highly recommend this mascara if you are looking for super thick, dramatic lashes.
 #2. Laura Mercier Long Lash Mascara
As the name implies, this is a fantastic lengthening mascara. I personally like to layer it under my YSL mascara, however I think that this is a fantastic mascara on its own for those looking for a more natural look. It is extremely lengthening, and it does not clump no matter how much you put on. If you find that it is too "watery" in the beginning, wait about 2-3 weeks and it should dry up a little bit.

#3. Diorshow Mascara
I love this mascara, and I think it does a fantastic job of volumizing and lengthening. The only thing that I find with this mascara is that it can be a little flakey when it starts to dry out. That being said, I still love it enough to have repurchased it about 10 times, and I will continue to do so...

#4. DJV Fiberwig Mascara
I cannot explain how much I love this mascara... I have probably repurchased it at least 15 times because I love it that much! This is an amazing laying mascara that will literally make your lashes look fake. I never use this mascara on its own, however it would look gorgeous if you were going for a more natural look. I personally love to layer this mascara over other volumizing mascaras such as the smokey lash and the diorshow. The mascara itself is made up of little fibers that stick to your lashes and add length, and no matter how much you put on, it will never look clumpy! I have also never had a problem with it flaking, or making little black marks where my lashes touch my cheeks or brow bone.

Once again I apologize! I will not be making any more promises between now and the end of the term because things are just currently crazy! I am currently looking for an apartment for next year and getting ready for finals. Plus my birthday is in 2 weeks! Next term is looking like it is going to be much easier and less hectic, so hopefully I can actually stick to my schedule then!
I hope everyone is doing well, and having a wonderful Wednesday Night! :)
XO Kaitlyn

Oscars Beauty 2013

Hey y'all,
Unfortunately there will not be a Mani Monday today due to some technical difficulty with my camera... However, I promise that I will put that post up later in the week!
How many of you watched the oscars last night?! My favorite part about award shows is always watching the red carpet and looking at peoples makeup looks! Everyone looked phenomenal last night, although I have to say, I honestly don't think Adele can ever look bad... Every time I see her, her makeup always looks flawless! Can her makeup artist come and just do my makeup every morning please?
Reese Witherspoon also looked stunning! I am absolutely IN LOVE with the way she wore her hair last night! I will hopefully be doing a tutorial on the look later in the week, and I think that would be a gorgeous look for those of you with prom coming up, or just want a glamourous hairstyle for a night out. I also loved Jennifer Lawrence's up-do, and I just love her in general... If I can figure out how to recreate her hair I will attempt to do a tutorial on that as well, however that is a big if! I also will be doing a few prom makeup tutorials so keep a lookout for those! 
I'm sorry this was sort of a blah post, but I am hoping to get back on track soon! I have spring break coming up in a couple of weeks so I will be blogging a lot more once the term is over....
As always, please leave your comments below with any suggestions or questions! I hope everyone is having a wonderful Monday and had a lovely weekend!

Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupté

The YSL Rouge Volupté lipsticks are probably my favorite lipsticks of all time. Their only downside is the price. At $34, they are definitely some of the pricier lipsticks that I  own, however I think that they are well worth it. The majority of nude lipsticks that I have tried wear off everywhere except right where your upper and lower lip meet, leaving a really gross white-ish line. YSL Rouge Volupte  in 2- Sensual Silk is the only nude colored lipstick that does not do this. This is a beautiful peachy nude color that is great for those of us who are extremely  pale. If you have a more tan-medium skin I would recommend 1-Nude Beige, which is more of a light dusty rose, or 3-Ultimate Beige which is a brighter peachier pink (but still in the nude category). All of their bright colors wear amazingly as well. Some of my favorites are 11-Rose Culte which is just a VERY bright hot pink, as well as 7- Lingerie Pink which is just a really pretty baby pink color.
  Because this lipstick is so creamy, it doesn't seem to cling to every dry patch on your lips or dry them out further, which is a major plus. They go on super creamy and then within about 30 min to an hour, they dry to a more satin finish. Because of this they are super long lasting and wear great throughout the day. As I discussed earlier, when they do wear off they wear off more evenly, not leaving funky patches or lines on your lips. I would highly recommend this product, however because of the price point, I would recommend going into the store first and trying it on to make sure that you like the color as well as the feel on the lips. Sephora recently started selling YSL, and I know that you can get them at Nordstrom as well. 

I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend! If you have any suggestions or questions for me please let me know! I would love to hear from you :)
XO Kaitlyn 

Favorite Mac Neutrals

MAC NEUTRAL PALETTES

Neutral Browns:

Neutral Pink/Purples:

                                                                                                      

                                                                                                        Favorite Highlights:

I decided to start out just showing my neutral mac palettes because these are the shades that I use on a daily basis.  As you can see, there are a couple duplicates and quite a few that I have hit pan on. Mac has some amazing quality shadows, and they come in pretty much every color imaginable. The are definitely some of my top favorite shadows.
My all time favorites:
1. All that glitters- (which isn't as pink as it is showing up in this picture) I love this color all over the lid and it is the perfect shimmery peach color.
2. Twinks- I absolutely love this color! It's a perfect neutral plumy/brown color that looks amazing in the crease.
3. Vanilla- This is my favorite highlight color during the winter time because it matches my pale skin perfectly. In the summer months however, I tend to gravitate more toward ricepaper and brule
Shades that I will not be repurchasing: 
1. Honey Lust- I definitely am not a fan of this eyeshadow. It looks gorgeous in the pan, but as soon as you try to put it on your skin, you only get this weird chunky glitter that has horrible fallout. normally I'll have about a third of it on my lid, and the rest of it will have fallen all over my cheeks and the rest of my face- not a hot look. However, a friend of mine swears by this shade so it is possible that I just got a bad one? Either way, I will be giving it to her the next time I see her to see if she likes it.
2. Motif- I have a love/ hate relationship with shade. I really really want to like it... Its just a weird shade. You cant really tell from the picture however it is sort of an orangey gold color with a pink duo chrome. It looks absolutely beautiful in the pan, however I can't make it look good on my eye. It's not a bad shade... I just can't figure out how to use it to make it look good! If any of you have suggestions please let me know!



Soon I will be doing my top 10 Shadows everyone should own, and I will go into greater detail on each shade and show some swatches, however this is all for now! I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend! :)
If you have any suggestions/comments/ questions for me  please let me know! Have a wonderful night.
XO kaitlyn

DIY Lip Scrub and My Favorite Lip Exfoliants

In honor of valentines day, I thought that I would do a post about my favorite lip products to keep your lips looking flawless and kissable!

Exfoliating your lips at least weekly is something that I cannot stress enough! However, there are multiple ways that you can do this. If you want to go with a cheap alternative, (which doesn't work quite as well as the products that I will be recommending, however it is a fantastic alternative, especially when you are looking for ways to save some money) I would recommend putting a petroleum free jelly (basically like vaseline without the petroleum) on your lips for about 15-20 minutes to let it sink in. After that take an old tooth brush and scrub off the balm as well as any dead skin cells. If you have time I would recommend taking some sort of vegetable/argan/olive oil and mixing it with sugar and scrubbing it on your lips, then leave it there for about ten minutes. After that you can scrub it off with a tooth brush again, and then immediately put a lip balm on.

If you are going for a more luxurious lip scrub I would highly recommend Fresh Sugar Lip Scrub. I can't even begin to explain to you how heavenly this stuff smells! This is  my favorite lip exfoliant of all time, however because it is relatively expensive ($22.50) I generally only use it when I  really want to pamper myself.  Another amazing aspect of this product and the whole company in general is that it is all natural. You can use it the exact same way as the DIY lip scrub that I mentioned before, and once again just remember to put a lip balm on after scrubbing it off!

Some other amazing and not as expensive lip scrubs are from the company Lush. This is one of my favorite companies because everything is hand made and all natural. All of the ingredients (I think there are like 5-10 in each one, and all of them something that I can actually pronounce and know what it is) are all natural and listed directly below the product. The only downside to this product is it is not as widely available as the fresh products, however you can find them on their website (which I have linked below),  and they seem to be opening quite a few new stores. They finally opened one near me (yay!). The Lush scrubs are also half the price of the fresh sugar lip scrub at around $10.00. My personal favorite "flavor" is the Mint Julips, however it aslo comes in bubble gum, and sweet lips (which, as the name implies, has sort of a sweet vanilla-y scent). Best part is, you don't have to feel bad when you "accidentally" eat some of it while it's on your lips!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful valentines day! Just remember this day is about celebrating love, whether it be celebrating the love you have for your boyfriend/ significant other, or celebrating love for your family, friends, cat, dog, or even makeup! Today, I am celebrating my love of makeup and my friends (as well as my love for chocolate!) Hope everything is going well for all of you, and if you have any requests or any products that you would like me to review let me know!
Have a wonderful evening/ day :) and happy valentines day!
XO kaitlyn



WHERE TO GET FRESH PRODUCTS: www.sephora.com/fresh, www.fresh.com
WHERE TO GET LUSH PRODUCTS: www.lush.com

Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat

YSL's Touche Eclat has been something that I have been wanting to try for years, but I could never justify spending 40$ on an under eye concealer/brightener. I finally broke down and bought it due to huge dark circles under my eyes that nothing would cover up. This is the only product that will cover my dark circles while still looking natural. This is a fantastic product that I would highly recommend, and I will definitely be repurchasing. It  flawlessly covers up and brightens dark circles under the eye, making you look refreshed and awake (even if you pulled an all nighter the night before writing a paper). The other great thing about this concealer, is that it doesn't settle into fine lines, which makes it great for more mature skin. It also doesn't do that "grainy" thing over time as I discussed in my  Mac Studio Finish Concealer review.  I think that this product is great for all skin types and both my mother and I use this concealer even though we have very different skin types. Another great thing about this product is the shade range, I use the rose (shade 1) shade for my extraordinarily pale skin and it looks fantastic, and they have many other shades as well.  They also have some very dark shades such as shade 4, for darker skintones. My only wish is that they would have some darker more red based shades for very dark skin tones to help counteract ashy-ness (if you go to gossmakeupartist's youtube channel, he has some reviews on amazing products for women of color). I also wish that this was a little less expensive, however it is right around the same price pint as the Dior and Guerlain concealer /correctors. One last thing to point out is that for people with sensitive skin, this concealer is great because it doesn't give me that itchy heavy feeling as it wears as some other concealers do. 

Cost: 40$

Finish: Natural, it blend beautifully into the skin and you can't even tell it is there. 

Coverage: Light to Medium

Best Suited For: all skin types, I would highly recommend for those with more mature skin. 

Comparable to: Guerlain Issima Precious Light Smoothing Illuminator or Dior Skinflash  Concealer

Would You Recommend This Product?: YES!!!

Overall Rating: 4.5/5

P.S Please excuse the scratches all over mine in the picture! It's well used and well loved! :)

Best Lip Balms For Dry, Chapped Lips

I thought that I would just continue on with the whole "kissable lips" theme and talk to you a little bit today about my favorite lip balms and treatments.

My top favorite lip balm of all time is the Fresh Sugar Lip Balms. They come in about every color imaginable and they are great for dry, cracking lips. They also smell amazing! From the name you would think that they smell sort of vanilla/sugary, however they have a very fresh citrusy scent. Like the Fresh Sugar Lip Scrub that I mentioned in an earlier post, it is on the pricier side at $22.50, however I think it is well worth it! Also, if you are a sucker for packaging like me, the packaging is absolutely beautiful! It also has a twist top so if you accidentally forget and send it through the washer/dryer, or if you leave it in a hot car, theres no chance of it melting and leaking out all over your clothes or your car. Fresh also has a treatment balm, which honestly works miracles. I would highly recommend it for those of you with extremely dry lips and its great for people on Accutane.  I purchase mine from sephora, however you can also get it from the fresh website.
My next favorite, and substantially less expensive, lip balm is the Vitamin E Stick by Reviva Labs. I was hesitant about posting this on here because it can be difficult to get ahold of. The only place that I have found it is Whole Foods. If you can get your hands on it though, I would highly recommend it! It has a very different consistency on the lips than the fresh sugar lip balm. As soon as it is on the lips, it is very similar to putting straight olive oil on your lips. It also seems to have that olive oily taste/ smell. I could see how this could be irritating to some people, but I personally dont mind it. If you are going to put this on before your lipstick ( I would highly recommend putting some sort of balm on before any other lip products), I would make sure that it has completely sunk into your lips, and I would recommend wiping off any the excess oils from your lips before you apply your lipstick. If you just leave it on, your lipstick will most likely fade off within about an hour. As I mentioned before, this product is significantly less than the fresh lip balm, and the last time I bought the product I believe it was somewhere between $3.00-$4.00.
I have tried about every lip balm imaginable, and these two are by far the best! If you have any questions for me or anything that you would like to see a review on please let me know!
I hope everyone is having a wonderful day :)
XO Kaitlyn

Chanel Vitalumiére Aqua

I have been searching forever for a medium coverage foundation that actually looks like skin and doesn't get caky or greasy throughout the day, and I have finally found it! Vitalumiére Aqua is one of Chanel's newer foundations, and it is also one of the more affordable Chanel foundations at $45.  This is one of the new oil free, water based foundations that seams to be increasingly on the rise. The product gives an incredibly lightweight and natural finish, although it still gives you a medium coverage. As soon as the product is on your face, you can't tell that you are wearing any foundational at all. This is especially great for people who have larger pores because this foundation smoothes right over them instead of settling into them and making every pore and fine line more visible. The finish reminds me a lot of Origins VitaZing (amazing product!) or Mac's Mineralized Skinfinish Natural. I have extremely sensitive skin, and this is one of the only Chanel foundations that does not break me out or cause my skin to become dry and flakey. My skin is combination dry, and I find that this does not cling to my dry skin or become super greasy looking throughout the day. One thing that you must keep in mind though, is that because this is a water based foundation you MUST shake it well before use, otherwise you will end up with water lumpy product instead of the smooth consistency that you were expecting. I would definitely recommend this product to anyone with combination oily to dry skin, and this has become my new holy grail foundation! 

Cost: 45$

Finish: Natural

Coverage: Light to Medium

Best Suited For: Combination Oily- Dry. I would not suggest this foundation for those with extremely oily skin, and it may sit on the skin slightly more for those with very dry skin.

Comparable to: A fuller coverage BB cream (Beauty Balm) or tinted moisturizer. Same finish as the Origins Vitazing or Mac Mineralized Skinfinish Natural.  

Would You Recommend This Product?: YES!!!

Overall Rating: 4.8/5

Product Available From: Chanel, Macy's, Neiman Marcus, and Nordstrom.

Origins Vitazing

I fell absolutely in love with this product when I first tried it about a year ago. VitaZing is a fantastic oil free moisturizer that starts out white, but then as you rub it into your skin, it reacts with your natural pigmentation and turns into the perfect tint for your skin giving you a beautiful sun kissed glow. It will even out your skin tone and I feel that it also really helps reduce some of the redness that I have around my chin. I was a bit skeptical at first because I am so fair  (I have a hard time finding a foundation pale enough for my skin) and I was worried that this would make my skin look orangey or like I had a bad fake tan, however I was pleasantly surprised. If you are as fair as I am (Mac NC 15 or paler) you are going to need to blend it down your neck to make sure that you don't have any harsh lines but it truly is a beautiful product. I think that it goes on best with my hands ( just because I feel that it is faster), although I occasionally will use a stippling brush to apply it. In the summer when I have a tan and my skin is looking better I generally use this as my regular foundation because it evens out my skin tone and you can't tell that I am wearing anything on my face at all. In the winter when I am paler, I generally wear this as my daily moisturizer and then set it with a light pressed powder such Mac Mineralized Skinfinish Natural, or if I am going for a more full coverage look I will use Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua, both of which I highly recommend.This product definitely doesn't break me out, and if anything I think that it actually makes my skin become clearer.This is also fantastic in the way that although it does have an SPF of 15, it doesn't seem to have the casper effect in photography (when wearing a foundation with SPF, flash photography can make it so that wherever you put your foundation looks about 5 shades lighter than it looks in real life which is never a good look!).  This product also has a really pleasant almost minty sort of smell. I would definitely recommend this product, and if you have an origins store near you, it is definitely worth going and testing it out.

Cost: $35

Finish: Natural

Coverage: Light

Best Suited For: All skin types

Comparable to: It is a very unique product. I can't compare it to anything else I have ever tried.

Would You Recommend This Product?: YES!!!

Overall Rating: 5/5

Holy Grail Beauty Products

Products that I cannot live without!

CLEANSER-

Product: Mario Badescu Enzyme Cleansing Gel 

Description:  A gentle, non-foaming gel that gently removes makeup, dirt, and oil from the skin without drying it out.  

Price: 8 oz.- $12, 16 oz.- $20

Best suited for: All skin types. Especially good for sensitive, Acne prone skin. 

Selling point:  I have extremely dry, sensitive skin and this is fantastic because it gets rid of all of the makeup and dirt, and clears my skin from acne without drying it out. I find that it works the best if you smooth it over your damp face first and leave it there for like 30 seconds to a minute and then work it into your skin with your hands or a Clarisonic.

DAYTIME MOISTURIZER-
Product: Origins VitaZing
Description:  Oil free daily moisturizer that gives you a slight sun kissed glow and evens out skin tone.
Price: $35
Best suited for: All skin types. Fantastic for both dry and oily skin
Selling point: looks fantastic on all skin tones (although if you are extremely pale like me you will have to blend down the neck) and gives darker skin tones a wonderful glow and can counteract ashiness. You can also use it alone as your daily foundation. (there is also a full review for this on another blog post)
LIQUID FOUNDATION-
Product: Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua
Description: A medium to light coverage foundation that blends perfectly into your skin.
Best Suited for: Dry to combination oily skin (I would not recommend this for someone with super oily skin).
Price: $45
Selling Point: This is the most natural looking foundation I have ever tried. This foundation is great on my sensitive skin and it does not dry/break me out. It also does not fade or oxidize throughout the day. Only downfall is that it does not come in a wide variety of shades. (there is also a full review for this on an earlier blog post)
POWDER FOUNDATION-
Product: Mac Mineralized Skinfinish Natural
Description: A baked mineral pressed powder foundation that gives a light/ medium coverage and a natural luminous finish. 
Best Suited for: All skin types. It does not break out sensitive skin as other mac face products can. if you have very dry skin I would use it over a liquid foundation or a tinted moisturizer (something like Origins VitaZing) and then use a rolling motion to pat the foundation on your face as to not irritate dry skin or flakey patches, which is the same for all powders.
Price: $29

Selling Point: This is a fantastic powder foundation that can we worn alone or used as a finishing powder over a tinted moisturizer/foundation. It gives an extremely natural finish and you cannot tell that you are wearing anything when it is on the skin. Like other mineralized products, the more that you buff it in to the skin, the more coverage you get (however as stated before, I would not recommend anyone with extremely dry skin or flakey patches on their skin to do this buffing motion as it can irritate the skin. I also wouldn't recommend this buffing motion when using it as a setting powder over another foundation, as it can disturb the foundation underneath making it look uneven or cakey) I use it with a soft buffing brush to blend it in.
UNDER EYE CONCEALER-
Product: Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat 
Description: A correcting and brightening under eye concealer that hides dark circles and gives a radiant glow to the skin.
Best suited for: All skin types. This is especially fantastic for more mature skin because it does not sink in to fine lines and wrinkles. 
Price: $40
Selling Point: Although rather expensive, this product is well worth it. It is by far the best under eye concealer and it gets rid of the dark circles I constantly have as a result of being a sleep deprived college student. I use shade 1 which is pink tinted and acts as a corrector and a concealer as the pink tones in the product counteract the blue tones in my skin.  It is extremely creamy and as stated above it is especially good for more mature skins as I have found that it does not seem to settle into fine lines and wrinkles. This is a holy grail product for both my mother and I and we have extremely different skin types. This product also brightens as it conceals making you look awake, refreshed, and like you've had a full night of beauty sleep.
EYESHADOW PRIMER-
Product: Nars Eyeshadow Base 
Description: An eyeshadow primer that makes shadows brighter and more radiant, as well as keeping it in place all day without it fading or creasing.
Best Suited For: All skin types
Price: $19
Selling Point: Although I feel that face/ foundation primer is completely unnecessary, eyeshadow primer is a must, and this product is the best at keeping your eyeshadow in place all day without it fading,smudging, or creasing. It also will make anything that you put on top of it brighter and more true to the color in the pan. This is especially great if you have oily lids because it is absolutely fantastic at not making eyeshadow crease, or if you just want your shadow to last all day.
EYELASH CURLER-
Product: Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler
Description: Honestly the worlds greatest eyelash curler.
Price: $20
Best suited for: everyone!
Selling Point:  This eyelash curler conforms perfectly to the eye so there is no tugging or one side being more curled than the other. It curls so much better than any other eyelash curler I have ever tried. If There was on a desert island and I could only have one thing (other than sunscreen, because I burn like a crazy person!) It would be this eyelash curler. The only downfall is that Shu Uemura no longer has any stores in the US, so you would have to order it from their website.

CLARISONIC-
Product: Clarasonic Mia
Description: A rechargeable face brush with a rotating brush head that buffs off makeup, dead skin, dirt and oil from your face and body making your skin soft, supple, and radiant.
Price: $119, ( the original, which is basically the exact same, it is just slightly larger and it has 3 speeds is around $225)
Best suited for: All skin types, they have different brush heads depending on your skin type and what your needs are.
Selling Point: Although this might not technically be a product, this is something that I could not live without and this product saves my skin. I use it both in the morning before I put my makeup on, and at night in the shower to take all of the makeup, dirt, oil, and built up skin off of my face. This is an absolute must have for people with acne prone skin. I can immediately tell the difference if I do not use my Clarisonic even for a day because my skin will break out and become dry and flakey.  I use this with the Mario Badescu Enzyme cleansing gel, and it is a miracle worker. I would recommend the mia over the original, just because it is basically the exact same thing ( I find that I only use one speed on the original anyway) and the mia is less expensive. The only thing "better" about the original is that it beeps after like 30 seconds to tell you when to move to the next section of your face (forehead, cheeks, chin, nose....). They have recently come out with the Mia 2, and they might have this feature, however I am not sure.

Mac Studio Finish Concealer

I have tried just about every concealer known to man kind, but I have always been hesitant to try some of the mac concealers because some of their face products break me out. This is one of the exceptions. I have been using it for about 1 year now, and so far I have not noticed any breakouts or it making my skin dry, red, and flakey. The amazing thing about this concealer is that it blends perfectly into your skin without getting that "grainy" effect ( I cant think of any other way to describe it, but its when you can see clumps/flakes of uneven spots where your concealer was worn off and now it just looks like an uneven yucky mess), which has happened with every other concealer I have tried. I am very pleased with this concealer, and I would definitely recommend it for covering up blemishes and uneven skin tone. If your skin is extremely dry and sensitive, their moisture cover concealer would probably be a better better suited for your skin type. I know multiple people with oily skin who swear by this concealer, and I have combination/dry sensitive skin and this works wonders on it. I personally would not use this as an under eye concealer because I much prefer YSL touche eclat, however I do know people who use for under the eyes. If you are going to use it for this purpose I would recommend getting the NW shades in order to combat dark circles, or if your eyes are quite red then I would recommend the NW shades in order to counteract the redness.
I would highly recommend this product!
You can find it at mac stores and it goes for about 17$
other products mentioned:
Mac Moisture Cover Concealer- 17$ at Mac stores
Both of these products can also be found at Mac counters or online at Nordstrom.

Cost: 17$

Finish: Natural

Coverage: full, covers just about anything

Best Suited For: all skin types, especially those who are acne prone or have hyper pigmentation

Comparable to: better than anything I have tried!

Would You Recommend This Product?: YES!!!

Overall Rating: 4.5/5

Mac Loose Mineralized Foundation

This was a foundation that I was talked into buying  because it came shade extra light. I was so excited to finally have found a foundation similar to their MSF natural, only in a lighter shade. However,  this product is definitely nothing like the mineralized skinfinish natural. With this "foundation" I feel like I don't get any coverage what so ever, and it doesn't seem to be any lighter than the Light shade of my MSF natural. . .  If anything, I think that this should be used as a setting powder, but I definitely wouldn't recommend it to anyone as a foundation. Even as a setting powder though, it doesn't seem to help your foundation stay on any better, and does absolutely nothing to control oil. Its not a bad product in the sense that it doesn't really make you look bad or cakey if you apply it, but it just doesn't seem to do anything at all. This is a product that I definitely won't be repurchasing. . . . I will keep trying to make it work and use it up, so maybe I will find a better use for it (one can only hope!).  The only similarity I can find between this and the MSF natural, is that its mineralized, and  it does have a nice finish and no matter how much you put on (I wouldn't recommend putting like loads of layers on)/ reapply it. 

Cost: 30$

Finish: Natural

Coverage: None

Best Suited For: It seems to work well with any skin type, although I wouldnt recommend it for those with super oily skin just because I don't know if it would really do anything to benefit your skin, although I don't know how this would really benefit anyones skin type. . . It did not dry out my very dry sensitive skin though, so that is one plus. 

Comparable to: Any finishing powder. 

Would You Recommend This Product?: no

Overall Rating: 2/5

I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend! One more day until we have to go back to work and school! Let me know if you have any suggestions or products that you would like me to review! 
XO Kaitlyn 

Favorite Face Products of 2012

1. Mac Mineralized Skinfinish Natural
Ive raved about this product multiple times and it truly is my go to product when I am in a rush. I can just quickly buff it into the skins and it evens out my skin tone perfectly! It's also great for those of us who are extremely pale because it comes in a wide range of colors. The secret with the product is that the more you buff, the better the coverage becomes!
2.  Chanel Perfection Lumiere Foundation
Staying with the flawless skin/ face theme, another absolutely amazing foundation is the Chanel Perfection Lumiere foundation. I generally use this if I want a little more coverage, like when I am going out or have something special that I want to look nice for. I find that this applies best with a beauty blender sponge (seriously this thing is a miracle worker!). PS. I would not recommend getting the beauty blender dupes. None of them work anywhere near as good as the actual product!
3. Chanel Ombre Contraste in Notorious
Im pretty sure that this has to be my favorite product of 2012! I am seriously in love with this, and if there is any way for you to still get your hands on it, DO IT! I ended up finding mine on ebay paying double the retail price but it was so worth it! This is an absolutely beautiful contour color for those of us with very fair skin. It says that you can use it on all of the contours of the face including the eyes,  hollows of the cheeks, temple, and down both sides of the nose. When you get it, do not be freaked out by the purple/grey hue of it because it comes off as the perfect contour/shadow color on the skin. I generally will contour with this, and then warm the cheeks up a little bit with a light pink/dusty rose blush and it looks beautiful!  I dont know if I would necessarily recommend it for more tan skin tones, because it can come off a bit ashy, and I definitely would not recommend it for darker skin tones.

4. Guerlain Meteorites
I have to admit that when I first bought this, I was a bit disappointed because I had assumed that this would be a highlighting product. I was wrong! Although this product looks quite shimmery in the packaging, its actually just gives you a really subtle glow when applied to the entire face. If you just use  it on the highlights of the face it, it isn't going to do much. This product has seriously been my saving grace this winter though, because it gives your face the most amazing glow and keeps my fair skin from looking ghost-like.

These are just a few of my favorite beauty products and I will continue to post more hopefully in the next couple days! If you have any comments or questions please let me know! Also, if you have any products that you would like me to review let me know as well!
Have a wonderful day :)
Kaitlyn

Best Moisturizer For Dry Winter Skin

I live in a place where it rains all. the. time. Literally, from November into late June it basically rains 24/7. However, for the past week we have been blessed with dry weather! I am so happy that we are getting some sun (or just anything other than rain!), however the dry weather combined with the stress of exams has completely dried out my skin. In the winter time, if I dont put moisturizer on religiously, I will get extremely dry skin to the point where my face literally hurts. The only moisturizer that seems to bring my skin back to life is Oilatum Natural Repair Face Cream. This stuff is seriously a life saver! Its all natural and unlike most thick moisturizers, it immediately soaks into the skin instead of settling on top. The only downside to it, is that it is pretty much impossible to get in the US. I generally order mine in bulk from a UK supplier and then pay a fortune to ship it overseas. Even with the cost of shipping though, it is incredibly inexpensive. I believe the last time I ordered some, it was around 12$ a bottle.
I have tried just about every face cream imaginable from high end to drug store including Murad, Embryolisse, Chanel, Mario Badescu, cetaphil, and the list goes on... Nothing works as well as the Oilatum cream! Also, many of those other moisturizers broke me out like no other... This works fantastic on my sensitive skin. If you have dry skin and are looking for an amazing moisturizer, I would definitely recommend this!

I hope everyone is having a wondering day/ evening :)
Let me know if there is anything that you would like me to review or if you have any questions for me!
xo Kaitlyn

Boscia Restorative Night Moisturizer

I bought this product about a year ago and I've
tried it three times since I've bought it, and I HATE this product. I really wanted to like it because at $50, it is relatively expensive. I also love most of Boscias products and I love the fact that everything they make is all natural. However, Every time I used this product (I tried it 3 times, for about two months each time) it would BURN, and then within about a week of using it I would start to break out really bad. Not to mention it did absolutely nothing for my super dry skin. The only plus side to this product is the packaging. It has a really cool spring loaded top, and every time you push down on it product comes up to the middle, which is a great way to keep things sanitary.  If you don't have sensitive skin this product might work for you, but it definitely did not work for my skin. If you do end up trying this product I would highly recommend getting it from Sephora or Ulta, so if your skin doesn't react well to it you can return it. Both Sephora and Ulta have amazing return policies ( I believe you have to have 3/4th of the product left and within 30 days of purchase). I personally cannot recommend this product because it did absolutely nothing to help my super dry skin, and it did break me out.

If this product worked for you or if you know of someone who really likes this product please leave it in a comment below! Hope everyone is doing well :)
Once again, if you have any comments/ suggestions/ question please leave it in a comment below! Have a wonderful evening :)
XO Kaitlyn

Mac Mineralized Skinfinish Natural Review

I have tried about every "mineralized powder" available, and nothing compares to Mac's MSF Natural. I use this foundation everyday and it only takes about two minutes to apply, and as long as you match the color correctly, no one will notice if you forgot to blend somewhere. This is by far my favorite foundation for everyday use. As soon as you apply it, it looks exactly like your skin, to the point where I've had people tell me they didn't know that I was wearing foundation. It is by far the most natural looking foundation that I have ever tried. Although it does have SPF, it photographs perfectly and won't leave your face looking ten shades lighter than the rest of your body in flash photography. It also seems to last well throughout the day, and it works fantastically for my combination skin. It does not cling to any dry patches, but it also seems to keep the oil on my T-zone at bay. It has buildable medium coverage, and the more you buff it into the skin, the better the coverage that you will get. I never have to use a primer with this foundation, however if I know that it has to stay on for more than 6-8 hours, then I will spray Urban decay's de-slick makeup setting spray on my skin first, let it dry, and then apply the foundation over that. This allows it to last all day long, and keeps me shine-free throughout the day. I would highly recommend this product!
Price: $30
Coverage: Medium, Buildable
Rating: 5/5
Product is available at: Mac Stores and counters,  Nordstrom.com, Maccosmetics.com

Mani Monday

I thought that I would start a new series where every monday I would do Mani Monday and talk about nails! Normally I will do my nails (and hopefully some nail art!) and post a pic, however because this week has been so crazy with exams and everything, I unfortunately didn't get around to it. However, I thought I would start off by telling y'all about my favorite nail polish brands!
#1: OPI
OPI is definitely my favorite polish brand just because they are so accessible (you can get them anywhere from supermarket to higher end beauty related stores) and because the majority of their polishes seem to quite a while without chipping, and you don't need a million coats to get good color payoff. One aspect I love about the newer OPI polishes is the brush! The have a much wider and flatter brush than many of the other polishes that I will mention, and it makes doing your nails so much easier!
#2. Seche Vite top coat
If you are at all into nails you probably know about the Seche Vite top coat. This thing is a miracle worker! Nothing makes my nail polish last as long or keeps my nails from chipping as well as this top coat.
#3. Ciate
I actually got the "mini mani month" set as a Christmas gift and I have to say I LOVE these polishes! I haven't been brave enough to try out the nail caviar quite yet, but as soon as I do, I will definitely write a review! Like the OPI polishes, they are very opaque so you need fewer coats to get the desired color. I also am obsessed with the little bows on all of their polishes! The only problem that I have had with the minis is that because the brush is so tiny, certain polishes can come off a bit streaky, however, it can easily be fixed with a second coat.

#4. OPI Quick Dry Drops
This isn't a nail polish, however I thought that it was necessary that I mention it! I love this stuff, to the point where I refuse to do my nails without it. You just put one drop onto each nail are your nails will be dry within minutes! No more sitting there flapping your hands around for 10 minutes and not being able to do anything while you wait for them to dry. The drops are a little spendy, however I think that they are well worth it. The tiny little bottle that I got has lasted me over a year and I use it every time I do my nails!
#5. Butter London
Butter London is my new obsession. These polishes would be my favorite by far if they weren't so expensive! I think one of the main reasons that I am attracted to them is because of the packaging; They are absolutely gorgeous!

This was just an overview of some of my favorite polish brands, so if you want me to do a more in depth review please let me know! Also, if you have any questions or suggestions for me please let me know! I hope everyone is having a wonderful Monday :)
XO Kaitlyn

My favorite Contouring Products

#1. Benefit Hoola Bronzer- Im not exactly sure about how I feel about this product as an actual bronzer, but to contour it is perfect! I generally use this when I have more color during the summer and early fall months, because my skin is so pale that it can come off a little orange if I use it during the winter months. This matte bronzer is perfect for medium to tan skintones, and because it has such cool undertones, it is a fantastic contour color.


#2.  Chanel Notorious Ombre Contraste - Sculpting veil for eyes and cheeks
This is my go to contouring powder for when I am at my very palest. When I am going out to dinner, or somewhere where I want to take my time getting ready, I will layer this over the cream color base, however if I am just on my way to class, or I am in a hurry, I will just swipe this over the hollows of my cheeks and down the sides of my nose, and it instantly bring out my cheekbones and makes my nose look smaller. I honestly can't explain how much I love this product. I know that NYX now has a blush called taupe, and it's supposed to be similar to this (and probably 10x less expensive) so that could definitely be worth checking out if you can't get your hands on this, or you don't want to pay as much. Because it is such a greyish-taupe color, it is the perfect contour for those of us NC 15 and lighter. It is also extremely natural looking, so when you put it on, it honestly just looks like you have amazing cheekbones, not like you put a contour on.

#3. Mac Cream Colour Base in Root-

This is a fantastic contour and it works with a much wider variety of skintones than the hoola bronzer. Don't be afraid of how dark it looks in the packaging! Because it is a very blue toned, brown it creates the perfect "shadow" without looking fake or orange. The key to this product (as with any product) is to BLEND! Another amazing aspect of this product is that it has amazing staying power and it is waterproof. I took a picture of those swatches 4 days ago, and even after 5 showers and scrubbing my arm with every kind of cleanser/makeup remover I can find, I cannot get it off of my arm. I don't know if this would work on those who have a deeper skin tone, just because it might come off ashy, or might not give you much contraste from your natural skin tone. You can see the tiniest bit of shimmer in the packaging, however it comes off matte on the skin. I love this contour color because I can use it any time of year, from when I am at my very darkest, to when I literally look like a ghost I am so pale.

SWATCHES:

My Favorite Highlighting Products

Highlights are a great way to add dimension to the face, as well as adding a youthful glow. Here are some of my favorites:

 Nars Illuminator In Copacabana- 
Whether you have the Nars Multiple, or if you have the cream in the little tube, Copacabana is an absolutely gorgeous highlight color that looks amazing on all skintones. It definitely has shimmer to it, but it isn't overpower or too fake looking on the skin. If you are going to use a shimmery product like this, I would recommend only using it on the tops of the cheekbones, down the bridge of the nose, the center of your top lip, and (possibly)  on just the middle of your chin. If you put shimmery products on your forehead or anywhere else, you run the risk of looking like a glittery disco ball, or it can sometimes look shiny (not in a good way).
NOTE: Geurlain Meteorites is one exception to this.
Nars Blush in Albatross-
This was the first Nars product I ever bought, and when I first used it, I hated it! It does come off a super yellowy gold color, however if you use a light hand and the right brush, it looks absolutely beautiful. This is definitely a highlighter that you need to be careful not to use too much of, because it can come off looking too shimmery and really fake. I would recommend this as a highlighter for those with very light to medium skin tones. If you have deeper skin tones, I would highly recommend Nars blush in Miss Liberty.It is an absolutely gorgeous peachy colored highlight that looks amazing on deeper skin tones and women of color.
Your current foundation, just in a lighter shade-
This can be a great way to highlight and contour the face while still making it look really natural. However this can be difficult for those of us who find it hard enough to find a foundation light enough for our skin. This is also a great option you don't want any shimmer, however you still want to add some dimension to the face.