A brand new year ...

So we've all heard the quotes a million times ... "do one thing a day that scares you", "life begins when you step out of your comfort zone", "we only regret the chances we didn't take" ... blah, blah blah ... 

Well, up until this weekend I hated those quotes.  My feeling has always been, if I'm going to be scared, why do it?  I don't like that feeling.  I don't want to be scared! I like my comfort zone ... it's, well ... comfortable!   

I learned this weekend that you just need to find the right thing that scares you ... and I have to say I'm now a believer (ok, clearly I'm being super cheesy today ... bare with me!)  For example, there is NO way in my life, ever, that I will want to bungee jump.  I will NEVER sky dive.  These are the things that scare me and I'm totally cool with staying scared.  On the other hand, I have been wanting to start a YouTube channel and make beauty related videos for the past year.  

On January 7, 2014 I published my first blog post.  It was SO exciting and I have had amazing support over the past year.  Since that day I have wanted to start making videos.  A year later, although it's been a long time, I finally did it!  This weekend I recorded my first video.  My first blog post was a yearly favourites review so I followed the same pattern and made my first video "2014 Beauty Favourites". 

2014 was a really tough year for my husband and I.  We went through some extremely painful times and it can be difficult to get out of that mindset.  But I finally realized we are so lucky to have the life that we do, we have an amazing support system and 2015 was going to be a better year.  It was time to stop focussing on the bad and move forward.  Last week I announced my Freelance Make-Up Artist business and launched my webpage (www.alisonchandrabeauty.com).  I have had an overwhelming amount of love and support for that new venture and was on such a high from it I decided it was finally time to start filming videos.  

So, bare with me ... my first one had me a bit (ok ... really nervous) and the camera quality kind of sucked.  I realized I say "um" a lot and I need to find better descriptive words ("beautiful" and "perfect" can only be used so many times, Alison!)  BUT I have a better camera that I'm learning to use and will be growing and learning as I go.  I've always had a creative mind and I love the entire process of editing and talking about all the things I love.  I'm having so much fun and it's only been one video!  

I realized I can't keep putting things off in life because it's not quite perfect yet.  Being a perfectionist that is a hard task but life is way too short ... the time is now to take chances and go for the things you want!

I'm turning 30 in less than 5 months so maybe that's where all this sappy life reflection is coming from.  But I just really wanted to share that sometimes it is worth it to take some chances and get a little scared.  You just need to find that right "scary" thing for you!  

So without any further rambling ... click the link below to watch my first video!  It's a long one so you might want to grab a snack!  Hang out with me for 20 minutes as I go through my favourite make-up finds from the past year ... 

Please let me know if you have any video requests!  I'm planning on doing lots of tutorials, tips and tricks, hauls, favourites, DIY things and more.  My goal is to upload once a week!  Now that I put that out there I have to stick with it right! ;) 

Thank you all for the amazing support!  I wouldn't have had the confidence to finally do this without you ... 

Five things making my (beauty) life easier this holiday season ...

The hustle and bustle of the holiday season is fast approaching so I have a fun list for you all today! 

Time is limited for a lot of people all year round but especially now.  With Christmas parties, family dinners and last minute shopping, December can get pretty hectic!  Here are five things that are helping me make the most of my favourite time of year by spending less time on my beauty routine and more time with my loved ones. 

1. Kenra Platinum Blow-dry Spray

Photo Cred: Amazon.com

Whether you have hair like me (SUPER curly, coarse, frizzy and hard to manage) or just normal easy to style hair, no one loves spending a lot of time blow drying!  I tried this stuff about a month ago after hearing that it can cut dry time in half and I was sceptical.  Knowing my hair I figured, no way but I did want to still give it a try. Well folks I am here to tell you it actually works!! Not only does it cut down dry time but it has thermal protection so it keeps hair healthy while using all that heat.  As if all that wasn't enough it smells amazing and makes my hair super soft and shiny!  I don't wash my hair every day anyway, but I find when I use this I can go even longer without a wash - it's that good. Definitely a time saver for any time of year! Click here to check it out on Kenra's website!  Through that link you can also find out where near you sells Kenra products. 

2. Sephora Formula X Base & Top Coat 

This base and top coat are my favourite and now that I've started using them I can't go back! I talked about the polish in my Spring Favourites post but I don't think I mentioned the base and top coat! The base coat is slightly sticky so it really helps bond to the polish to help with staying power.  The top coat dries fast and is super shiny!  I almost always get asked if I'm wearing gel polish when I use these and can get about a week of wear time.  Again during the holidays I don't have time to be painting my nails every few days so these really help.  Of course gel or shellac would also last long but I love being able to just use regular polish remover to do a quick colour change rather than soaking the gel polish off.  

3. Bold Lipstick or Tinted Lip Balm

Ok, let's set the scene ... you are working all day and have to rush to a holiday party immediately after, leaving you no time at all to run home to freshen up.  How can you amp up your make-up in one easy step?  Add a bold lip! Bold lips look gorgeous with a simple eye so you can easily create a neutral work appropriate eye look and just before you get to the party, throw on some lipstick to glam it up! Here are a few of my favorites right now: 

Top L to R: Nars Fanny, MAC New York Apple, Bottom L to R: Nars Dragon Girl, MAC Plumful & GC Jewel

L to R: Nars Fanny, MAC Plumful, Nars Dragon Girl, MAC New York Apple & GC Jewel

1. Nars Audacious Lipstick in "Fanny" - This raspberry shade is totally my go-to this holiday season! The price tag is high on the new Nars lipsticks but the quality is amazing so I say it's totally worth it. 

2. Mac Lipstick in "Plumful" - This is a more subtle bold and easier to wear if you are scared of the really dark shades.  Mac lipsticks are definitely a holy grail for me.  

3. Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in "Dragon Girl" - I love this matte lip pencil for the staying power and beautiful bright red shade (fun fact - this is Taylor Swift's go to red for her signature look!)

4. Mac Lipstick in "New York Apple" - This is a great color for those who want to experiment with red lips but don't want to go so bright.  This is described as a muted red with pink shimmer which makes it a little less scary! 

5. Gerard Cosmetics Lip Gloss in "Jewel" - This is definitely for those who want to go bold! This is a gorgeous rich ruby shade with tons of shine.  It's easier to maintain throughout an evening because of the little mirror and light on the tube! 

If you have a couple extra seconds, throw some champagne shadow (Stila "Kitten" would be perfect) on the inner corners of your eyes to really pull the look together! 

On the other hand, tinted lip balms are great for those busy shopping days where you are in and out of the cold trying to check everything off your list.  You don't have much time to worry about lip stick or gloss but want to keep your lips hydrated and still look put together.  I love tinted lip balms for this - you don't need a mirror you can just throw them on in seconds and hydrate your lips while giving them some life.  Here are my current favorites that give a really pretty rosy flush: 

L to R: Fresh Sugar Rose, It Cosmetics Lip Flush & Maybelline Baby Lips

1. Fresh Sugar Rose Tinted Lip Treatment - Super hydrating, smells gorgeous and has a really pretty rose tint!

2. It Cosmetics Vitality Lip Flush Stain in Je Ne Sais Quoi - This is a clear and moisturizing lip balm that reacts with each person differently to create the most perfect "your lips but better" rosy pink stain to your lips.  

3. Maybelline Baby Lips in Cherry Me - This one is easy as you can find it anywhere that sells Maybelline - I love the soft red stain this one gives the lips and the cherry scent is great! 


4. Stella & Dot Melanie Chandelier Earrings

Most of the chandelier or statement earrings from Stella & Dot transform from studs to chandeliers with little hooks on the back.  I don't mind spending a little extra on a piece that can be worn different ways and that's why I love Stella & Dot so much!  Check out these beauties, the "Melanie Chandeliers": 

These gorgeous studs can be put on in the morning and worn all day for work ... then when you're on your way to that Christmas party, simply add on the extra pieces to the earrings to create instant glam! 

It really doesn't get any more time saving than that!  You can check out all the other earrings that do the same thing (or any of the other amazing versatile pieces) at the following link:

www.stelladot.com/alisontysoski

 *psst ... the Peacock chandeliers (which also transform from studs to chandeliers) are on sale for Black Friday weekend!  

  

5. Benefit Gimme Brow 

Benefit Gimme Brow in Light/Medium

My last time saving tip to share is a product I fell in love with a few months ago.  Benefit's "Gimme Brow" is a tinted brow gel with a teeny-tiny brush that also attaches little fibers to the brows to give some volume.  This stuff instantly fills in the eyebrows and gives them a fuller look.  I usually use this in a combination with a brow pencil but on days that I'm in a rush this does the trick alone! The gel holds my brows in place all day too which is great so as I'm in and out of the cold and windy weather I don't have to worry about messy eyebrows! This comes in two shades, light/medium and medium/deep. 

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If you're still reading this incredibly long blog post - thank you!! I originally planned this post to be short and sweet but as most people know, once I start talking about beauty related products I can't easily stop!  

Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season creating new memories with friends and family!   

The Power of a Lipstick

www.breakupstomakeup.com

Last week I spent some time with my cousin/bestie in California after going through a rough couple of weeks. 

I knew we would be doing some major retail therapy and one item on the top of my list was a new lipstick.  I didn't want just any lipstick ... but a fancy lipstick.  I am a lip product lover in general but I knew a designer brand would be a way to feel kind of luxurious without totally breaking the bank.  Most designer lipsticks retail anywhere from $35-$45 (brands like Dior, YSL and Chanel, for example).  I could have purchased something else from one of these lines but to me, a lipstick was something I could use every day.  It is something I can pull out of my purse regularly and just feel a little more fancy while doing so.  

While discussing this, my cousin Paula reminded me of the story of the "Lipstick Effect".   The lipstick effect is something that happened during the recession a few years back when most retail sales seemed to decrease but surprisingly lipstick sales rose.   According to researchers at Texas Christian University, the University of Minnesota, the University of Texas at San Antonio and Arizona State University, the more insecure the economy, the more money women spent on beauty products.  Check out this arcticle from The Huffington Post for a little more info behind this theory.  

I didn't know about any of this but in my mind just knew a designer lipstick would be a fun new purchase.  I decided on a YSL "Rouge Volupte Shine" in the shade "8 - Pink in Confidence", a dusty pale pink that is perfect for every day wear.  I think when spending a lot of money on a lipstick you may as well get a shade that you can get a lot of use out of.  I didn't want something like dark red or hot pink that I would only wear on special occasions; I wanted something that I could put in my purse and be able to wear with any look.  Why spend $40 on a lipstick that I would only wear once a month!?   Although this was expensive, I know I will be purchasing more since the quality is so great.  The color is perfect and the formula is so creamy and comfortable on the lips.  It has long staying power and a beautiful shine to it.  I absolutely love the gold packaging and it definitely feels luxurious when I pull it out.  It almost reminds me of being a little girl and watching my Mom or other ladies pull out a fancy lipstick from their purse.  Being a lover of makeup my whole life, I remember being excited for when I got old enough to carry and wear a pretty lipstick.  

I've been wearing lipstick for a long time and have too many MAC lipsticks to even count, but this is my first designer lip product.  Maybe you think lipstick isn't your thing, but I'm telling you ... next time you're down, treat yourself to a new lipstick and see if it gives you that pick-me-up you might need.  Yes there's more to life than just lipstick and yes lipstick doesn't solve the world's problems ... but sometimes life doesn't need to be so complicated and it's OK to accept the fact that yes, a lipstick might make you feel better.  My new lipstick didn't solve my problems but it does make me feel confident when I put it on and that's good enough for me. 

Wishing you all a happy weekend! 

    

I'm Baaacckk!! Spring Favorites

Hello lovelies!

Wow ... it has been a while since my last blog post!  A lot has been going on in my life these past  few months but I figured the best way to get back to being myself is to get back to beauty blogging! 

Since I am two months behind on monthly favorites I figured I would share some Spring Favorites and take you through the things I've been loving this season! 

This is a long one ... so grab a coffee, grab a snack and let's get started!!

1. Sephora Formula X Nail Polish

I have heard a lot of raves about this polish and being the nail junkie that I am I knew I had to try it.  This stuff is absolutely amazing and the hype is definitely worth it!  I am tempted to just sell all of my current polishes and buy every color of these (there are SO many to choose from)!  

Let me tell you something about me ... I have been searching for the perfect pink/nude/white/neutral nail color basically my entire life (first world problems, I know).  I have every Essie and OPI in that sheer pink shade just searching for the right one but am never totally satisfied.  I always find them too pink, too nude, too sheer, too opaque, etc.  With most, I need three to four coats to get the shade I want and then am stuck with nails that never dry and end up being forever tacky.  Ohhhh the hardships in life!  Well, enter Sephora Formula X in the shade "Remarkable".  In just two beautiful , easy and fast-drying coats I found myself praising the angels from above for sending this heavenly polish to find me (okay, okay, the dramatics can stop now).  Basically, I'll just end this now with .... try this polish people!! It's amazing!  I promise you won't be disappointed.         

2. Too Faced - Chocolate Bar Eye-shadow Palette

Photo Credit: Sephora.com

This is a recent favorite of mine as I only picked it up about two weeks ago but found I have been reaching for nothing else.  I love how versatile this palette is with mainly chocolate inspired browns with some pops of color mixed throughout.  I'll usually use one of the lighter brown matte shades in my crease and accent the outer corner with one of the darker shimmers. The bonus is this really does smell like chocolate since they use cocoa powder in their formula!  These colors blend SO beautifully and I have gotten many compliments on my eye looks with it that are so easy to create.  The palette also has two highlight shades (matte and pearl) that are in a larger pan.  I love this because those shades always get used the most as they typically can get put all over the lid or even used in other areas of the face for highlighting.  Check out my picture below with swatches of all the shades!  

3. Orla Kiely Garden Weekender Travel Bag (from Target)

Photo Credit: Target.com

 

This is a non-beauty favorite but is used to hold beauty products!  In the last two months I have traveled to both Florida and California and this bag was great for both trips.  As you can probably tell from this blog I like to use a lot of products so it can sometimes be hard for me to pack light - but this bag holds so much in a nice compact way.  It also has a brush holder in the middle which was great in helping me pack a smaller makeup bag.  I love the pattern and the fabric has a very nice and durable feel to it.  Since purchasing this bag I have also picked up two more in different styles that I'm loving just as much!  I recommend anything from the Orla Kiely line for Target and can definitely see myself getting more! 

Photo Credit: Target.com

4. Too Faced Perfect Lips Liner in Perfect Nude 

I find my natural lip lines kind of fade at the edges so this lip liner is great to just fill them in and create a nice natural looking line.  I have some other lip liner favorites (Stripdown from Mac is one) but I have found this one looks the most natural - it really is the "perfect nude"! Whether you have the same lip fading issue as me or you just need a new lip liner I think anyone would be very pleased with this one!  This is great with a nude lip but I use it with all of my everyday colors and it works as a perfect base.  The construction of this pencil is great too with a twist-up tip to always stay sharp and a comfort grip to help with precise lines.     

5. Bite Beauty Luminous Creme Lipstick in Fig

This is for sure a new holy grail lip color for me - the perfect neutral, rosy "your lips but better" pink.  Not only is this shade beautiful but the formula is in my top two favorites (MAC is my #1!).  One of my favorite parts of this brand is they use all food grade ingredients that are actually healthy enough to eat!  Considering we end up eating so much of our lip products this is pretty cool.  I find I'm always skeptical about "all natural" products actually working well but this is amazing ... I might even dare say they are better than MAC!  The formula is SO rich and creamy yet long wearing.  I find a lot of lipsticks can be very drying but haven't found that with Bite.  I had a chance to look at all of their shades the last time I was in Sephora and they are all beautiful!  If you are looking for the perfect nude I would check out "Retsina", and "Quinta" for another really pretty and neutral pink.  I wanted to purchase these shades but unfortunately the Sephora I was at was out of stock on many of them - a testament to this brand's popularity!

        

6. Tarte Amazonian Butter Lipstick

This is another great lipstick I recently tried and is wonderful for fuss-free everyday looks. The colors are very pigmented and bright but aren't too opaque so they aren't difficult to apply.  The term "butter" is so bang on as it literally feels like butter on your lips!  They have a minty feel/taste to them so they are almost a bit refreshing for summer.  I picked up the shades "Pink Peony" and "Watermelon" and my cousin purchased "Poppy" while we were out shopping.  These are all gorgeous bright summer shades and I have some swatches below.  The next one on my list is "Angelic Nude" - so pretty!  Oh ... and can we take a minute to appreciate the adorable packaging!  Too cute!! 

7. Caudalie Beauty Elixir

This is one of those products that is hard to explain.  This is a very expensive and fancy facial spray that I fell into the hype of.  I tried not to ... I tried to resist it and tell myself it was a ridiculous product that I did not need.  (Ok, maybe I didn't try that hard!)  I did pretty good and bought the travel size bottle (still, $20 for a small bottle is kind of crazy!) and, well, I fell in love.  I can't say what this has done for my skin, if anything ... but what I can say, is that when you need to freshen up your makeup halfway through the day, or if you need that extra pick-me-up for an early morning, or just that spa-like feeling after a great face mask ... this stuff is for you!  This literally smells like a spa.  Like ... if there were a perfume invented called "Spa" ... this would be it.  Last night for example, I was heading out to Target (as per usual) and felt like my face just needed to be refreshed.  I had worked a full day and was at the point where I just wanted to wash my face, but wanted to wait until I got home.  I simply sprayed some of this super sheer mist on and just felt so much better!  My makeup just looked fresh again and no longer felt so heavy.  Again, this could be all in my head but either way, I love it and it makes me feel good which is all that matters to me. :) 

8. The Balm Blush in Frat Boy

I've had this blush for a while and meant to mention it in previous favorites but then kind of forgot about it.  With the warmer months finally arriving I have been pulling this out more and find this shade really pretty for summer!  It looks great with natural skin tones or with a tan.   This finely-milled formula applies really smooth and creates a beautiful natural look.  This shade in particular is a peachy-coral matte but has a slight hint of shimmer to help give you a gorgeous glow.  The Balm  also has adorable packaging so that doesn't hurt either ;)

9.  Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Scrub

I picked this up a couple weeks ago because I needed a new body scrub and once you get one sniff of this you literally cannot leave it in the store.  I was happy to find out it actually works too so it's more than just a pretty face ... or ... pretty smelling scrub? You get the idea. :) 

The description of this from Soap and Glory is pretty great so I'll skip my attempt to describe it and just show you theirs:

Soap & Glory’s cult-classic Sugar Crush™ Body fuses freshly-squeezed sweet lime, 

sparkling lemons, sweet vanilla musk and almond oil, with sea salt, smashed brown sugar,

 glycerin and macadamia oils to leave your skin feeling smooth, supple, and sexy.

It smells amazing ... it works ... what more can I say!  If you are in the market for a new body scrub (especially with summer coming!), check this one out!  

10. Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette

I had to save the best for last here.  
 
First, a little back story for you: 

I have been wanting to try the Hourglass Ambient Lighting powders forever (ok, since Christmas ... so 6 months - but that feels like forever to a makeup lover!) but didn't know if I wanted the price tag that comes along with them (one powder retails for $52!).  I also could never commit on a shade so didn't want to spend that much if I wasn't sure on what shade I wanted.  Basically the ambient lighting powders are super soft and finely milled setting powders and highlighters that mimic certain shades of light on your face.  To give you an idea, the shade names are; dim light, incandescent light, radiant light, diffused light, ethereal light, mood light and luminous light.  Check out Sephora's website for a great description of each.  

Well, when the limited edition palette that came out at Christmas had an online re-release due to popular demand (you get three shades in a palette for $67!) ... and it was my birthday month ... well it was basically like the heavens aligned just for me!  It was like, "Ohhh hey Alison, no big deal but we just re-released this palette you have been kicking yourself for not getting at Christmas just for your birthday ... you're welcome!"  Eeeek! Happy birthday to me!! 

Anyways ... back to the actual product.  The palette comes with Dim Light (a soft beige powder great for setting foundation and blurring imperfections), Incandescent Light (a beautiful highlighting pearl powder that is not at all shimmery but gives the most beautiful glow) and Radiant Light (a sun kissed golden beige to add a nice warmth to the complexion).  

I have to be 100% honest and say the first time I used these I didn't notice much of a difference.  I mean I noticed a subtle glow but nothing life changing.  I did notice they felt absolutely amazing on the skin and the packaging itself felt very luxurious. I knew the result was going to be natural and subtle and I didn't think it was something anyone else would take notice in.  I was starting to doubt the hype ... until one day after finishing my makeup and giving the powder another try,  ... my husband noticed it!!  Now, don't get me wrong he is very sweet and always compliments my makeup since he knows it's my passion.  He definitely always notices bigger changes like extra eyeliner, a different eye technique, a bolder lip ... but something subtle like this I wasn't expecting him to notice.  

He didn't know anything about this powder and had no idea what the purpose of it was but when I came downstairs told me my face looked like "beauty face".  If you have used a newer Samsung phone, you know what beauty face is.  Beauty face is a photo filter that basically softens your face, evens skin tone and blurs imperfections.  Hmmm, doesn't that sound exactly like my description of what this powder is meant to do!!???  Little did my sweet husband realize that he just convinced me that I now NEED every single ambient lighting powder!!  Sorry hubby ... your fault! ;) 

So after that extremely long winded explanation of the Hourglass Ambient Lighting powders, I will say that I am in love with these and they are totally worth the hype! 

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That's it for my Spring favorites!!  Hope you enjoyed this extremely long post and are inspired to try out some new products too!  I promise I have a lot more fun posts planned and coming your way soon! 

March 2014 Favorites

I can't believe it is already April 1st!  Today's post is all about some new discoveries and old favorites!  Here is what I have been loving this past month:

1. It's a 10 Miracle Leave-In Product

This is a really amazing leave in conditioner.  My hair is typically very dry and damaged (it is naturally very curly and course) so I always love using a leave in conditioner when I get out of the shower.  This one literally does it all!  It would be easiest if I just list the 10 things this stuff claims to do:

repairs dry, damaged hair

adds shine

detangles

control frizz

seals and protects hair color

prevents split ends

stops hair breakage 

creates silkiness 

enhances natural body

flat iron spray & thermal protector

So who knows if it really does all of that - all I know is when I use this product my hair just feels so much healthier.  I ran out of it in the middle of the month and waited until a few days ago to finally repurchase and realized even more how much I love it!! Definitely worth a try if you are looking to give your hair some TLC!  Check it out here. 

2. Tarte Maracuja C-Brighter Eye Treatment

The day after the 'spring forward' time change, Tarte (one of my new favorite makeup brands) posted a one day flash sale on their Instagram page!  I had been wanting to try this eye cream for a while due to the great reviews I had read so thought what a perfect time.  I had been using a new one from the "Boots No. 7" brand and was not noticing any difference (and was even noticing a burning feeling now and then - not good!) so it was a great excuse to take advantage of the sale.  I already love this stuff.  I know that usually you should wait at least a month to give a good review on a skincare product but I have been using it for two weeks and can really notice my eyes being a bit brighter!  I like using this morning and night to hydrate the skin around my eyes and like I said brighten dark circles.  I'm really interested to try the Tarte Maracuja Oil on my face as well (same idea as the Josie Maran Argan Oil which I discussed in this post).  So far I am really impressed with everything from Tarte!  You can find this product by clicking here!

3. Nars Eyeshadow Duo in 'Key Largo'

This was a random find at the store Winners (same idea as TJ Maxx if you are in the US). These duos usually sell for $40 (a little crazy for two eyeshadows considering my Lorac Pro Palette of eyeshadows was only $42 and is literally my favorite collections of shadows ever)! Although I have tried many other Nars producs (and love them all), I still hadn't tried any eye shadows.  The Winners price for this was $29.99.  Still expensive but much better than regular price!  They only had this one shade to choose from (Key Largo) so that is why I chose it but I am loving it.  I think this will be really pretty for spring and summer as it is a warm bronze/brown shade and a lighter peachy nude color.  I can understand the price once using these as they are sooooo easily blend-able and have amazing pigmentation quality.  I have used them in a couple ways - sometimes with the light shade all over my lid and the darker one just lightly in the crease, or more dramatic with the darker shade all over the lid.  With only two shades I really am able to create a lot of different looks with them which is awesome.  I am looking forward to traveling with this little guy as it is versatile and again will be perfect for summer! Check out my swatches below!  If you feel like splurging on some shadows definitely check out Nars (and I'm such a sucker for their packaging - so classic).  

 
4. L'Oreal Infallible 24 hr. Eyeshadow

I was browsing the cosmetic section at Target as I usually do (anytime I go there haha!) I noticed these little eye shadows that I remembered hearing about somewhere in the beauty blogging world.  I opened up a color and was immediately reminded of the texture and feeling of my Stila eyeshadow in 'kitten'.   I know my Mom has been wanting to try that shadow ever since I wrote about it here so I thought, hey, maybe I can find a dupe here!  I did find one fairly similar but not quite close enough in color to be a dupe ... but I also found the one I have pictured here in 'Amber Rush' and immediately fell in love.   This is a gorgeous reddish copper color that would look gorgeous on so many skin tones.  It can be applied really light for a subtle look or more concentrated for an intense look.  As with the Nars shades, I am really excited to wear this in the spring and summer!  The 24 hour infallible line is long wearing, crease resistant and fade resistant.  This really lives up to those things! I can't wait to get more shades because these are really amazing quality for drugstore eye shadow!     

"Amber Rush" in regular daylight

'Amber Rush' shown in direct sunlight - how pretty is that!

5. Lush Ocean Salt

This is an old favorite that I rediscovered this month when I decided I needed a new exfoliator for my face.  I have been using the Clarisonic face cleansing system (a little gadget with a brush head that you use with your cleanser to wash your face) for a while now but found all of a sudden it was causing a lot of breakouts.  Maybe with the seasons beginning to change my skin just got a little extra sensitive.  I gave that a break but wanted something to give my face a good deep clean at least once a week and remembered how much I used to love the Lush Ocean Salt! This stuff has big chunks of sea salt with minerals to soften the skin and give you a good deep clean feeling.  The avocado and coconut in it hydrate the skin while the lime and vodka cleanse and help out with blackheads or clogged pores.  I also love using this scrub on my legs or underarms before shaving just to get rid of any dead skin and get the closest shave ever! If you are looking for a new exfoliator give this one a try. It also doesn't hurt that it's a gorgeous sea blue color!     

6. Roses de Chloe Perfume

I really wanted a new perfume this month and have been checking out this one for a while (i.e.: sprayed it on myself anytime I passed a perfume counter).  I finally decided to pick up a bottle and am so happy I did.  Scent is very personal but if you're looking for something new and you like feminine floral scents give this one a try.  I won't even attempt to describe the scent and instead will give you Sephora's description: 

Roses de Chloé is an invitation to grace. Luminous and subtle, it inspires and evokes a unique facet of the signature Chloé rose, capturing the spirit of the Chloé woman. The fragrance exudes an immediate and incredible freshness, derived from the top note bergamot. This sensation is gradually joined by a heart of Damascena rose essence, modernized with a magnolia accord. The trail on the skin is of white musk and amber, the signature base of the Chloé house.    

I am not a huge fan of plain rose scented things but mixed in perfumes like this along with the other notes I love it.  Again scent is such a personal choice but check this one out if the description interests you!  

That's it for my March favorites!  Hope you enjoyed reading these and I will be back this week with a kitchen update (I promise!!)  :)