My summer beauty routine

After spending some time at the beach over the past few weeks, I finally have a little bit of color to my skin. Trust me, I am a lot more careful now at 31 than I was at 18 but there is no way that I am going to get through summer without attempting to be tan. I know its wrong but I just feel so much healthier when I am. So now that I have a little color, all I ever want is to put on a little mascara, a little blush and walk out the door. And now I have literally found the best blush to keep up a fairly beachy look.

Available at Sephora

This Josie Maran cheek gelee is the bomb. Since it is coconut water based (I don't know how they do it), it goes on super sheer and just gives you a flushed in an attractive way look. I actually use a brush to put it on but my fingers have also worked in a pinch. Have you tried this yet? Let me know what you think!

Prime Time

As I have mentioned here in the past, my 9-5 has had a few changes recently. All really good things and I am enjoying myself so far. Since it is a new role, I have been coming in a little earlier and working a little later than usually (Don't feel badly, I still have a great schedule). But last Friday, I was wrapping up and caught a glimpses of myself in the mirror. Ugh. I could have sworn that I put make-up on in the morning but I really couldn't see a trace of it by 6:45. So being that it was Friday, with no plans, I treated myself to a make up counter. I love my Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer so I went there and explained my problem. After going through my routine, they directed me to the Foundation Primer Radiance explaining that this would go on first and pre-treat my skin so it would hold on to the foundation, hence the name Primer (like you prime the walls beforehand). I had always thought that primers were just a make-up scam but guys, light bulb moment...it works. By the end of the day, my dark circles and overall winter drabness seem to be covered up. Just in time for those after work drinks to celebrate this weather.
Do you use a primer? Do you think it's a scam?

Sorry for the totally girly post! 

Brow Down

How do you guys feel about these super dark dark eyebrows? There is something that really attacks me to them but do you have to be on a red carpet to pull them off? And even if I wanted to rock them, how would I tap into my internal Bobbi Brown to create them? Let me know what you think.

Ms. Alba seen here

These bad boys seen on Aremo

Seen here

nail tips

Gel nail polish..do you do it? My mom and I got them done once together and I kinda loved it until my nails started to grow, and these babies grow fast. I always wish that my hair would grow as fast as my nails. But I digress. The point was that for another week, the tops of my nails looked awesome while the bottoms looked way less then awesome.
Yesterday I was out and about and I saw this woman with an amazing manicure. It was two toned, perfectly polished on top in maroon with a best of gold glitter at the bottom. When I complimented her, she just explained that her gel nails were growing out and she wanted to extend the mani so just painted some fun gold at the bottom. My Mind Way Blown. I cannot wait to try this at home.


Two toned nails from Hail Nails
Sheree, I love your I Want Your Digits board



a cheap thrill

Ok, I know that I am on a spending freeze (and really trying hard to stick to it though Zara-- you are so on point that it is making this very difficult). But I do love me a cheap thrill. Big impact, little spend. And when I saw that these puppies were buy on, get one half off at Duane Reade and CVS, I knew that it was meant to be. I have always loved the the Just Bitten line from Revlon but found that the old marker on one end, balm on the other was doomed. The marker would get dry or I would lose a cap and the whole thing would be a wash. Now, they have combined these amazing colors stains and their balm into one chubby pencil type concoction. So maybe I don't know the science behind it but let me tell you, they are awesome. They feel like a lip balm but have such fibrant colors. And at around $8.00 bucks a pop (depending on where you find them, Target was the cheapest for me but wasn't doing the BOGO) they aren't breaking the bank anytime soon. When I was at Jewish holidays, I showed them to my sisters and my cousin Jill (who used to work at Elle so has some major make-up street cred) totally had the same ones in her bag. I think I smell a trend here.



I thought about trying to photoshop some polish on my nails but I am just not that good.



the hills are alive

I know that a lot of you know about this site already but for those who don't, The Beauty Department is where it is at. First of all, lets all give it up to Lauren Conrad for having a real normal non-seemingly drug induced life, post reality television. Way to get it girl! But honestly, this site has been my go to when I am am trying to figure out a new way to do my hair, nails or make-up. I found their cat-eye tutorial really helpful.

Seen here

Could false eyelashes be next? Have you ever used them? Is it as easy at they make it look? Let me know.

Seen Here