Favorite MAC eyeshadow look!

Here's the look done with my favorite MAC Cosmetics eyeshadows: Vanilla, Naked Lunch, Era, & Satin Taupe.

One of my favorite everyday eyeshadow looks! 

Beauty Blender vs. Sigma F80 Foundation Brush

I've been enjoying using my Beauty Blender (pink sponge) and Sigma F80 to apply foundations lately. I've found that I prefer applying liquid foundations with the Beauty Blender sponge, and cream foundations with the Sigma F80 Brush.

The Beauty Blender does a great job of applying the right amount of product to give a flawless and natural daytime look, while I find that the Sigma brush gives a heavier application with liquid foundation (so good if you're wanting a full coverage look) - I like that the F80 makes cream blush look equally as light and flawless for daytime as the Beauty Blender is with liquid foundation.

In my review comparing the two, I use the Make Up For Ever HD Foundation to show the difference in the application of a liquid foundation.

My Zoya collection!

I decided to do a polish collection video exclusively dedicated to Zoya since it is my favorite nail polish brand!

Zoya colors shown:

Neutrals: Anne, Lulu, Felicity, Pandora, Barbie, Uma, Lyric, Cassi

Grays/Lt. Purples: Dove, Marley, Harley, Brizia, Caitlin, Adina, Lotus, Dannii

Dark Purples: Casey, Jem, Julianne, Stacy, Rhiana, Roxy, Hope, Mata Hari

Reds/Dark Pinks: Divincia, Kierra, Burke, Brooke, Nova, Anaka, Brie, Kimber

Bright/Lt. Pinks: Charisma, Dana, Gilda, Lillith, Areej, Reece, Rory, Chloe

      Others:  Maya, Deidre, Tao, Gemma, Zuza, Tallulah, Shelby, Lara, Reagan, Wednesday, Carly

I do feel like my nails have improved since I started using exclusively Zoya on my finger nails. (I do occasionally use other brands on my toes.) In conjunction with using Zoya's Remove+ polish remover, I feel like my nails have been stronger, have been more apt to grow longer, and have had less peeling problems!

May Favorites!

Some of my favorite products from the month of May!

I'm so excited that I finally found a new vanity to meet my needs! It is the Hamilton desk from Target, I love the details on the sides and that it has one large drawer for extra storage and will be sharing a more in-depth look at my new vanity organization in a future blog post. I moved my handbag storage into my closet, so I am also re-doing my closet organization right now and found some great items at the Container Store to help with the organization. I'm loving the closet organizers in the Como print.

Como Handbag Storage Bin, www.containerstore.com, $21.99

Other favorites of mine from the month of May include:

- Marc Jacobs "Daisy" perfume: I originally wasn't wild about this when I first purchased it back in the winter... but I'm loving it now that it is warmer out.
- Too Faced Natural Eye palette: Just as the name suggests... perfect natural daytime eye looks!
- Fairy Drops mascara: Fabulous volume that doesn't smudge and is long-lasting.
- Dior "St. Tropez" nail polish: Beautiful blue for spring.
- Butter London "Slapper": And electric teal color that is definitely a show stopper!
- Zoya "Reagan" & "Lara": Two beautiful pink polishes from the summer collection that are going to get a lot of wear!

Thanks again to Jen from myhousewifelife for the amazing gifts for being a finalist in her contest!

Budget Beauty Favorites

I've been trying to find budget friendly makeup alternatives that past few months, since I've also been trying some wallet busting options (i.e. my new Chanel Aqua compact)... to try to even out my total beauty expenditures. In the midst of this trial, I've actually found a number of products that I really love!

I've used Sonia Kashuk brushes from Target for a number of years, but never thought to try any of her other makeup items. On a whim, I decided to pick up a powder blush in "Flamingo"... mainly because of the color name - and it was actually really fantastic! I was skeptical since I'm used to the higher priced (double actually) NARS blushes, but the Kashuk blush really held its own.

Sonia Kashuk Blush, Color unknown, Available in Target stores nationwide, $8.99

The color of this blush was beautiful and it had great staying powder. It blended well and I thought was very complimentary on my pale skin. Overall, Sonia Kashuk blush was a win for me - and I will be trying more colors in the future!

I use NYX concealer and it is a great basic concealer - but I finally decided to try some other items from the brand and fell in LOVE with this eye shadow palette once I tried it!

NYX Cosmetics, Eye Shadow Palette TS15, www.ulta.com, $7.99

It is a great neutral palette and the shades are really pretty, I feel like they would also go with a lot of skin tones. I was actually surprised that the texture of the shadows was nice and not too gritty (which cheaper eyeshadows sometimes feel like to me) and it didn't bother my ultra sensitive eyes at all either. This is another item that I will be trying additional colors in...

NYX lipsticks are a great option to toss in your purse and the price is low enough that you can buy multiples of the same color to keep in your makeup bag, at your vanity, and in your car... or where ever you need one! Jupiter happens to be one of my favorites right now, a fun pink-beige that warms your face up and is perfect for Spring!

NYX Cosmetics, Jupiter Lipstick, www.ulta.com, $3.99

Also from NYX Cosmetics, is a fun lip gloss in "French Kiss", a shimmery pink beige color. I've been wearing it over Jupiter lipstick and really like the combination. I will say that the scent and texture of the NYX lip gloss is not quite as good as pricier glosses... but at a third of the price - I think that is probably to be expected.

NYX Cosmetics, Mega Shine Gloss in French Kiss, www.nyxcosmetics.com, $5.99

These are some of my favorite budget conscious beauty items right now! You're going to have a chance to win these featured items above and more, in my "Budget Friendly Beauty Favorites" giveaway that will open in May 2012, that I will be hosting on You Tube! Official rules will be posted in a You Tube video and I will also post the video up on the blog... but you can win a box full of my favorite budget conscious beauty items! Just subscribe to my You Tube channel, reply to the giveaway video (to be posted in the next week or so on my You Tube Channel, Bags4Bubbles), and that's it! You'll be entered to win!