After-Christmas Shopping Trip!

Sarah and I did a little bit of shopping today and I am pretty happy with what I picked up! I haven't tried some of the items yet but I'll probably do a review. 

I have heard a lot of things about the Clear line of hair care now, and I just couldn't help myself. I do have a feeling a lot of my hair troubles come from my scalp but we'll see what this can do. It was $4.99 at Target.

Okay, now before you have a heart attack at the price of the Shiseido cotton pads ($9.50), there is a reason behind this buy. I watch Michelle1218 on YouTube and I love her videos, she and I are actually very similar and we'd probably get along great! I really trust her reviews and advice so when she did an explanation on these I couldn't pass them up. These are the best cotton pads on the planet pretty much. The cotton is untreated unlike pads you'd buy at the drugstore. That means they are much softer and don't shed and are better at being used for what they are meant to be used for. I can't wait to give these a try and I will definitely be doing a comparison review soon. 

The gold beauty to the top right is the Too Faced Lip Creme in, "In The Buff". This is another raved about product in the beauty community and I haven't heard a single bad thing about it. It is so moisturizing and the color payoff is incredible. I wanted more than one but I decided to try this color first. The tube is nicely weighted and makes it feel expensive, and the formula just glides on. ($21 at Sephora)

I am in desperate need of a new cleanser and I had tried Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cleanser before and their Ultra Moisturizer so I decided to pick up to small sizes in each to give them another go and see how my skin works with them. I think they'll work out just fine but I'm looking forward to it! (Cleanser $9 for 2.5 fl oz and moisturizer $18.50 for 2.5fl oz)

Finally, we walked into JCrew and I saw this button up and just had to get it. I love the color and the dots and best of all it was on sale for $50 instead of $78! They have other colors too, but not all of them are on sale. Someday I will fill my wardrobe with JCrew :)

December 2012 Haul

December 2012 Haul by jennifersmeriglio featuring a kiehl s

J Crew long sleeve button down shirt
jcrew.com

Too faced cosmetic
sephora.com

Shiseido cosmetic
sephora.com

Kiehl s kiehl s
kiehls.com

Kiehl s kiehl s
kiehls.com

Clear hair care
target.com

Review: Mary-Kay Mini Nourishine Plus Lip Gloss Set

So I got this as a little gift and I thought it was completely adorable! As you guys know, I am not the biggest lip gloss fan because usually I find it very sticky. However, this is a beautiful set that just glides over the lips. 

Something that pleased me more was that it was by Mary-Kay, which we never hear about at all. My mom used to sell Mary-Kay and I would be her assistant (must be where my love of make-up started!). These colors are amazingly pigmented and I actually love the sparkle in it. 

The colors are swatched here on my hand, starting from bottom to top. 

The first color is called Beach Bronze and is a gold colored gloss with gold sparkles. It is a great color to wear to wear to blend into your natural lip color.

Next color is probably my favorite, it is called Red Passion and it is just what it looks like, red gloss with red sparkles. Perfect for a party lip or going out.

Next, is Pink Luster which is a more rosy pink with what looks to me like silver and pink sparkles. 

Then, is another favorite, Berry Tart, which has silver sparkles. 

The light pink color you see has the cutest name, Fancy Nancy, and it has gold sparkles. This is a great natural color. 

Finally, there is a clear gloss, Icicle, which has more silver/blue sparkles.

 There you go! I love this kit and will definitely use it, it really is a great thing to use all year round. You just can't go wrong with these colors. 

Each gloss is .5 grams but I couldn't find it on the website, so if you know someone who sells MK, be sure to ask!

December Birchbox!

All wrapped up is the Birchbox theme this month and I think it's cute. I don't necessarily understand the connection to the products...but oh well! 

The first product that caught my eye was this full-size Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner. I believe I had heard about this brand from Essiebutton or Estee and one of her videos. Other than that, I had never heard of the brand. It is a marker and it is pretty precise! 

Here is the problem though...I was given the color olive. I already got that color in the Stila Liquid Eyeliner! 

I mean I can't complain because a full-size is $15 so I already got more than I paid. I guess I just don't understand why I keep getting olive green.

The next item I am kind of excited for because I really wanted to try a new shampoo. This is the Number 4 Clarifying Shampoo. It is supposed to be a low-suds formula and reduces the amount of oils stripped from your hair; good oils that is. A full size is $32.

I always welcome new lip products, especially when they are lip balms. This is the Pomegranate and Fig Lip Butter by Mox Botanicals. It "revives lips with avocado oil and shea butter". A full size is $16 and this sample is very generous. I am not crazy about the smell, I think it is the fig but I will still use it!

This actually surprised me but in my box was a fragrance sample (no that isn't the surprising part) but it was by Aerie and it is the Shimmer Fragrance. For those who may not know, Aerie is the lingerie brand by American Eagle Outfitters. Aerie also sells clothing and it's really cute but I was happy to see a fragrance by them in here. It is a blend of bergamot, peony, and vanilla. Full size $14.95-$39.95

It was wrapped in this cute silver wrapper!

Last up, is the life-style extra and I must say Birchbox knows the way to my heart - free eyeliner and then chocolate? Yes, please :) This is a Chuao Chocolatier ChocoPod. Apparently they come in packs of 7 and a full-size is $7.95. The one I got is the Salted Chocolate Crunch ChocoPod, which is "Crunchy, toasted breadcrumbs dusted with sea salt and swirled in dark chocolate", not bad if ask me. 

Also a plus, is that it is 100% natural and free of hydrogenated fats, artificial preservatives, artificial colors and flavors, and artificial sweeteners. 

Just when you thought it couldn't get better, there was a gift card for $50 off a rental of $125 from Rent The Runway! I don't love giftcards that you have to spend money to use, but this is a tempting one so I will have to go on and look around :)

Hope you have a great December loves!

Mini Beauty Haul

Hope everyone has had a great Thanksgiving! I spent last night after dinner building my new dresser from Ikea! It took me 2.5 hours but it finally is done. I'll put some pictures down below. On to more important things! 

I needed to run out and buy myself some Benadryl because I have these terrible red bumps and I'm incredibly itchy. So obviously, I picked up some make-up to go with :) 

I cannot seem to stay away from the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains. I bought a red one named "Romance", which is so perfect. I adore this color, it is the perfect red for going out during the day. It isn't too big of a statement. 

Now, I have been hearing for some time about how wonderful the Wet and Wild Eyeshadow Palettes are. I have been impressed by the swatches I was seeing too, so when I saw this one I decided to give it a go. 

Sadly, my local pharmacy only has about three or four of them and I know there are others out there. "Comfort Zone" definitely caught my eye though. 

Look at those colors! They are stunning, and I was so excited about the duo-chrome color on the bottom right. It is like a dark green/teal with brown/cranberry duo-chrome. All these colors no matter how you match them are incredible and so many new eye looks can be made!

Left side of palette top to bottom going from right to left

Right side of palette top to botton
 going from right to left

Natural light 

The applicator comes with a brush

....and a sponge side

If you notice, the above two pictures show the bottom right color as a totally different color. That is the duo-chrome in direct sunlight. 

The pigmentation of these are insane and I am sure they are 100 times better with a base. They are very soft and you just have to tap the shadow to pick up a ton of color. I would worry about some fallout because they are such soft shadows, but that is nothing a tissue or foundation can't fix. 

The Revlon Balm Stain was $9.99 and the Wet and Wild Palette was $5.49, both of which were bought with my own money :)

Frame of the dresser

Charlie's version of helping

Nail Polish Collection Part 1

This post has been in the works for a while but I finally found some time to sit down and swatch each color on white paper. I know it isn't the same as seeing it on the nail or in the bottle, which is why part two will be pictures of the actual bottles.

However, I think on a white background you can really see what the true color of it is. I think when looking at nail polish on different skin tones and colors it can change a little. So here is my collection! Enjoy!

November Birchbox *Give*

November Birchbox is here! I love getting this little box in the mail, it is such a treat. Plus, today it came at the same time as my tiny little Sephora order came :) 

So where to begin? This month's theme is give, which I think couldn't come at a better time when so many people are in need, especially after the storms. This month Birchbox is supporting the Art of Elysium which is a non-profit who has artists and musicians and designers put time and talent towards kids who have different medical conditions. I have heard about this through the palettes that Kat Von D had designed for this non profit and I love the idea behind this group. 

The first item I saw was this Oscar Blandi pronto Texture & Volume Spray. I thought it was a hairspray at first but it is just what it says it is. You spray it to get that tousled look, which I love and it might be a good trick for my now shorter hair!

This I just couldn't save until the end because I thought this was a great idea. For the extra, they gave me a sample of men's cologne to give to a guy friend. That way they get a little something and then they could learn more about Birchbox (since there is a box that guys can get which actually looks awesome). This is Artisan by John Varvatos and the card says it is a "modern blend of energizing citrus and warm woods". I love the smell and if my brother or dad don't like it, I might just wear it myself!

The next item totally blew me away because it was a full size lip gloss! The brand is ModelCo which I've never heard of but it is an Australian brand and I've seen that in some boxes people are getting this brand's full size mascara instead of the gloss! This is a bright hot pink with pink and silver shimmer, thankfully no chunky glitter. The best part? The tube has a mirror on! The gloss is the tiniest bit tacky but not sticky and it looks so juicy on the lips. The color is actually called Showgirl Red.

Then instead of the standard wrapped part of the box, they included this cute purple gift envelope that once you are done with you can use to give someone a gift. The idea is to take your other products out of there first. I feel like come people might actually get confused. 

Inside the envelope I found two hand soaps by Caldrea which I feel like I've heard of before but I'm not sure. There is one called Sea Salt Neroli No. 17, which on the back says inspired by "bright clear mornings at the shore". The second one is a limited edition scent, Vanilla Quince Santal which I am very excited to try. 

Finally, the last item is from One Love Organics, which I've been wanting to try. It is their Aromatic Body Serum in Rose (my favorite scent!) and it is made with pumpkin seed and sea buckthorn oil. It smells incredible, and it doesn't leave your skin greasy. It is also a spray which I love. 

Then to top it all off there was a bonus! They included a Holiday 2012 Gift Guide which is so cute and has some good ideas for men and women. Then they gave a coupon to Chromatic Gallerie which is a website where you can build your own pair of heels for $88! You can pick the heel height, color, material, and it is awesome. It gives you $15 off and a friend $15 off but I'm gonna share the code with all of you! On the website just type in Birchbox15 and do it before December 31, 2012.