Ipsy and Birchbox for September

Hello!

Sorry I am JUST now posting what I got in this month's Ipsy bag and Birchbox! I can't believe the month of September is almost over, and my favorite month of the entire year will be here! Yes, I love everything about October AND my favorite holiday, HALLOWEEN! I have had a lot of people tell me that I have got them started on getting Ipsy and Birchbox memberships, and that is amazing! I am telling you, they are such a fun gift every month! If I was to get just one, I would probably go with the Ipsy bag because I am always much more pleased with what they send me. On to the boxes!

The theme of the bag this month was, "Classic lady." The bag included things that would make you have a "classic look," ... red lips, black eyeliner, smokey eyeshadow, and big lashes! 

This bag included 4 items, including the first 3 swatchable items above. The first item, the Calyn red lip balm/tint is a gorgeous shade of red! I have tried this product on my lips, and I was very pleased! I really liked the way it looked on my lips and it had very good lasting. I am also a huge fan of the packaging! It comes with its own lip brush so you can throw this in your bag and when you want to reapply, you don't have to get your fingers messy with red product! This color is "Big Apple," and it normally retails for $19.00.

The second item, was a NYX gray eyeshadow in the color, "Charcoal." This color is the PERFECT color to create a dramatic smokey eye look. I have not tried this shadow on my eyelid, but when I swatched the color, it was very pigmented (which is good when you want to create a dramatic smokey eye look." This eyeshadow retails for $4.99. Fun fact.. Target now sells NYX products! Before, it was only available at ULTA. 

The third item is a black eyeliner by the brand, Starlooks. This eyeliner is in the color, "Obsidian." I have used this product and I really really like it! It is a creamy texture and is perfect for lining the upper lash line and my water line. The product retails for $12.00. 

The last item in this month's Ipsy bag was a mascara by Elizabeth Mott. I really like getting these bags every month, not only for all of the amazing products, but also to discover new make up brands! I have used this product, and like it. The only downfall is that it is a very wet mascara and can specks of black can flick onto the eyelids. The full size product of this mascara retails for $19.99. 

While Ipsy bag pretty much sends the same thing each month to subscribers, Birchbox mixes it up, so whatever I get might be a little different from what you would get. In my box this month...

I have used a leave-in conditioner (from a previous Birchbox), from the company and LOVED it.. but this shampoo and conditioner...not so much. I would say that the conditioner is a little better than the shampoo. These are both sulfate free products, which are very good to use on color treated hair so that the color will last longer. The shampoo does not foam when I applied it to my hair, and I just didn't like it. #birchboxfail

I have not used this yet, but this beauty polisher is suppose to "exfoliates, peels, tones, and hydrates skin all at once—and does it all without water too." I am excited to try this! 

Birchbox sent me 3 facial masks, and a green tea lotion used for the feet. I have used a facial mask like the ones above before and really liked it, so I am sure I will get use of these masks. The three facial masks that I received are a brightening mask, a hydrating mask, and a purifying mask. 

Last, but not least, the last product in this month's, Birchbox was a nail polish. This is my favorite product in this month's Birchbox. This color is a gorgeous orange-red color for fall. I have already painted my nails with this polish, and the polish stayed on really well and didn't chip for at least 5 days! The brand of this nail polish is called, Ruffian (I am not familiar with this), and this color is the color, "Fox-Hunt." 

On another fun note! ... I dyed my hair BROWN! I am calling it my "fall color." Honestly, I was sick of having to get my hair highlighted all the time (takes a good 2-3 hours), and thought that this would be a fun change! At first, I wasn't sure about it...but it is growing on me! 

Until next time! 

Always remember to sparkle, 

Ally 

Emmy 2013 Fashion

Hey everyone! Thank you for coming back to read my blog! Last night was the 2013 Emmy Awards. While I didn't really care too much about the actual awards (but shout out to Modern Family for winning Best Comedy THREE YEARS in a row), I absolutely love the fashion that goes on at the awards. Below, I will highlight some of my favorites from last night. Of course, these are my personal preferences, and you may hate some of the ones that I loved, but these were the dresses that stuck in my mind after seeing them on the red carpet. Let me know if you had a dress or fashion moment that I might have missed. I would love to hear! But first, I must share this hilarious moment from the Emmy Awards last night. I mean, could these women be any funnier? I absolutely adore both of them! They were gold hosting last year's Golden Globes! I hope they host something together again soon!

Kerry Washington wearing Marchesa. I saw during the red carpet interview that she was nervous to wear this straight from the runway dress, but I think it is FABULOUS. I love the floral detail throughout the dress, and she did it right by not wearing bold jewelry because the dress has a lot going on already.

Allison Williams in Ralph Lauren. I love the simplicity of this dress and the color looks stunning on her. You can't really tell in this photo, but she was wearing this amazing Fred Leighton jewelry on her hands. I think the hair is good for this look, because you didn't want her to do something so fancy since her dress was very basic.

 

At first when I saw Carrie Underwood step out in this dress, I wasn't so sure. It reminded me of a bridesmaid dress. But as I continued to look at it and saw more angles of the dress, I thought it was beautiful! It fits her perfectly and the jewelry that she choose to wear with it really complements the look. Her hair and makeup was also one of my favorites for the night. I love this hairstyle. Very sophisticated, elegant, yet, not too overdone.

 

Kiernan Shipka in Delpozo. Now, if someone put this on a 25 year old girl, I would have given this a worst dress award... BUT this darling actress is maybe 13 and I think it is PERFECT. It is very age appropriate and fun for her to wear to an awards show. Kiernan is quite the fashionista! Every time I see her on the red carpet, she looks great! If I was 13 years old, I would definitely rock this number!

Let's be real, Sofia Vergara could probably wear ANYTHING and look amazing. Last night she wore Lorraine Schwartz and it looked AMAZING on her. I loved the color of the dress and how she paired it with emerald stones for her jewelry.

Kaley Cuoco in Vera Wang. Love this color choice and it is a perfect fall color! I think that this color choice looks great with her coloring, and the make-up is ON POINT. I love the simplicity of her hair with the dramatic smokey eye to bring out her eye color.

Rose Byrne in Calvin Klein. I love the simplicity yet funkiness of this dress. This style looks great on her and even though the color is plain, the funky style of it makes it great! 

Sarah Hyland wearing Carolina Herrera. I saw on an interview she did with Good Morning America that she got to help design this dress with Carolina Herrera. HOW FUN. I really like how she paired the bold lips with this dress. Bold lips are definitely on point for fall make-up trends. 

Maria Menounus wearing Zac Posen. 

FUN Hair that I spotted on the red carpet.

This is Lauren Parsekia, Aaron Paul's wife ... from Breaking Bad. Love the funky twists and straggled pieces of this hairstyle.

Loved Julie Bowen's fishtail bun.

Heidi Klum's funky pony

I hope everyone enjoyed my picks for last night's best dressed at the Emmy's! Remember to comment below and tell me your favorites!

Always Remember to Sparkle,

Ally

My Current Nightly Skin Care Routine

Hello Everyone! 

If you are like me, I love reading about a person's morning and nightly skin care routines. By doing this, I discover new products and also gain tips from other people on how to take care of my skin. As I have said previously, ever since I turned 21, my cheeks have decided to act up and break out! I don't get acne all over my cheeks, but more of a few big pimples in random places. The bad thing about these big pimples is that they leave red marks (hyper-pigmentation) on my cheeks that take forever to go away! Thank goodness for good foundation and concealer. Note: If you have a pimple, PLEASE, do NOT POP IT. This will only make the scarring and redness WORSE. 

Tonight when I went to do my nightly skin care routine, I decided that I would share it with you guys! Now, this routine might seem a little long and tedious and many people probably do not spend this much time on their face, but I try to take very good care of my skin! Of course, I do have those nights where I am so tired and all I do is rub a make-up remover wipe all over my face and go to bed. This is okay to do every once in a while, but try not to do it all the time (unless you won the genetic lottery and have perfect skin.. which everyone has those friends... :) ). 

Okay, so for my night time skin care routine.

My Current Nightly Skin Care Routine 

First and foremost, I wash my hands! I don't want any bacteria to touch my face, so wash wash wash! 

1. Maybelline's Clean Express Make-up Remover Lotion

I start with removing my eye make-up. I massage this lotion all over my eyelids, eyelashes, and eyebrows. I hold a cotton round (picture number 3) over the eyeball and press onto the eyelid and massage the cotton pad over the eyelid. 

2. Walgreen's Exfoliating Cotton Rounds

I love to use these cotton rounds to remove my eye make-up and apply toner. I like the exfoliating pads because they pick up dirt and grime easier than a regular cotton ball. 

3. Simple Make-up Eye Make-up Remover Pads

After I use the lotion (step number 1), I take these eye-makeup remover pads to remove any leftover makeup that was not removed in the first previous steps. 

4. Pond's Cold Cream 

I discovered this trick from a fellow beauty blogger, DulceCandy, and decided to give it a shot! To remove my face make-up I massage this cream all over my face and remove it with the Kleenex Hand Towels. This is so gentle on my face and feels very moisturizing. I love this step. 

5. Kleenex Hand Towels

I am SO OBSESSED with these. These are great to use when washing your face, because you can use a new one every time and won't contaminate your face with a dirty towel! I use these all the time! I use them to remove the cold cream and to dry off my face after washing.

6. CVS Night Time Make-up Remover Wipes

These are the make-up remover wipes that I am using this month. I switch these up all the time. I really haven't found any that I have never liked. These are suppose to be comparable to the Neutrogena brand. This is very soothing and smell great! I use these after I use the cold cream just to be 100% sure that all of my face make-up is removed. 

7. Obagi Cleanser

Along with make-up remover wipes, I also switch up my nightly facial cleanser often. I have been using the Obagi facial cleanser with my Clarisonic, currently. 

8. Clarisonic

If you don't have one of these, GO GET ONE! I love love the Clarisonic. Yes, it is expensive, but WORTH IT. I have been using this with the Obagi cleanser. One of the major reasons I use the Clarisonic is to try and help with my hyper-pigmentation. Like I said above, the acne that I get on my cheeks takes forever to completely clear up...meaning all redness gone. 

9. Apple Cider Vinegar

I want to do a post on "natural beauty," meaning natural products that you can use to clean your face. I have been reading a lot about natural products that you can use on your face, skin, hair, etc..and have been wanting to try them! One of the natural products that I have been currently using is Apple Cider Vinegar. This stuff is suppose to be a cure all for a lot of things (I posted a link in a previous blog about all the effects), but I have been using it as a toner after I wash my face. 

10. Cetaphil

I love using Cetaphil for a nightly moisturizer. My skin can get very dry, so I use a ton of this stuff on my face at night. It is very gentle and a great moisturizer for all types of skin! 

11. Avalon Vitamin C Moisturizer 

As I have said many times in this post, my main problem on my face is the hyper-pigmentation that I get on my cheeks. I read in a Good Housekeeping or Real Simple magazine (can't remember which one), the great effects that vitamin c has on your skin. Vitamin C helps to reduce the redness of your skin (which I need)! This is a thick lotion so I usually mix a small amount with my Cetaphil. Also, it smells like oranges all of your face, which is a definite plus in my book! 

12. Burt's Bees Eye Cream 

Last but not least, I use an eye cream under my eyelids and around my eyes. I really like this one by Burt's Bees because it is very gently and does not cause any stinging around my eyes. This particular one is made for sensitive skin, and I recommend it! 

Before I climb into bed, I always apply some Aquaphor to my lips so I can wake up with soft lips and skin!

I hope this post could open your eyes to some new products to implement into your nightly skin routine. Please comment below if you have a favorite product that you use at night! 

Always remember to sparkle, 

Ally 

ULTA's 21 Days of Beauty Steals

Hey beauty lovers! Just wanted to share a little something to make the start of your week a little better. I wanted to let everyone know about this amazing deal that Ulta is having throughout the month of September! Some of my favorites that I will be shopping for on the list include, Too Faced Shadow Insurance, Real Techniques brushes, Butter Nail Polish, Benefit the sexy steal, Anastasia Clear Brow Gel, and then whatever else looks appealing that day! So mark you calendars, because you don't want to miss these savings! 

ULTA Beauty  kicked off their 21 Days of Beauty Steals today, which runs through September 28th.

• September 8th: bareMinerals Foundation Primer for $14, regularly $23; Urban Decay Stardust Lipgloss for $9, regularly $19
• September 9th: Clarisonic Brush Heads, Buy 3, Get 1 Free; Ulta Cosmetic Kit for $5.99 (online only)
• September 10th: StriVectin Youthful Skin Trio Kit for $14.50 (50% off); Mally Beauty Face Defender w/Sponge for $25 (online only)
• September 11th: Too Faced Shadow Insurance for $10, regularly $20
• September 12th: Stila Smudge Stick Eyeliner Buy 1, Get 1 Free (regularly $20 each); Real Techniques Brushes 25% off (online only)
• September 13th: Smashbox Full Exposure Mascara for $10, regularly $19.50
• September 14th: Butter London Nail Lacquer for $10, regularly $15; philosophy Purity Made Simple Cleansing Cloths for $10, regularly $15
• September 15th: Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes for $10, regularly $19; Pur Minerals CC Cream for $20, regularly $38
• September 16th: LORAC lips with Benefits for $9, regularly $18; Boots Skincare Kits 25% off (online only)
• September 17th: Napoleon Perdis Devine Lipsticks & Luminous Lip Veils 50% off; Peter Thomas Roth Clinical Peel & Reveal 50% off (online only)
• September 18th: philosophy 3-in-1 Shower Gel, Buy 1, Get 1 50% off
• September 19th: Too Faced Primed & Poreless for $15, regularly $30; Bliss Skincare Bundle for $41 (50% off) (online only)
• September 20th: Urban Decay Vintage Grindhouse Sharpener for $5, regularly $10; Lipstick Queen Medieval & Sinner Bare Nude Lipsticks for $32 (save 27%) (online only)
• September 21th: bareMinerals Blush/All Over Face Color for $10, regularly $19; Benefit The Sexy Steal for $18 ($54 value)
• September 22nd: Laura Geller Balance-n-Brighten & Brush for $20 ($46 value); Smashbox Photo Op Under for $10, regularly $20
• September 23rd: Strivectin-TL Neck Cream for $69 ($20 off); Juice Beauty Beauty Peels for $29 (regularly $39-45) (online only)
• September 24th: CK One Color Mascara ($10, regularly $18); LORAC Behind the Scenes Eye Primer for $10.50 (regularly $21) (online only)
• September 25th: Anastasia Clear Brow Gel for $11 (regularly $22)
• September 26th: Cargo Vintage Escape Fall Eyeshadow Palette for $20 ($140 value); Hempz Scrubs & Gels 40% off (online only)
• September 27th: Stila Stay All Day 10-in-1 Beauty Balm for $20 (regularly $38)
• September 28th: philosophy Lip Shines Buy 1, Get 1 Free (regularly $10 each); Tarte Pure Maracuja Oilfor $25 (regularly $46)

Always remember to sparkle, 

Ally 

August A-List -- Monthly Favorites!

HAPPY SEPTEMBER! I can't believe that it is already almost fall! This year is FLYING BY! August has been a good month. The beginning of the month involved a lot of babysitting for me, and then things got busy with school around the end of the month. Last night was the first TN Football game, and it was HOT...not really the game.. the weather! :) After waiting on a cab to pick us up for about 2 hours, yes, two hours, my friends and I headed to tailgate with other pharmacy students. It would have been just perfect if the temperature was about 10 degrees cooler, but we still had a great time!

Tailgating with friends from Pharmacy School

Neyland Stadium --Over 97, 000 fans in attendance! 

The game was nothing too exciting.... TN beat Austin Peay 45-0. Not only am I a TN fan.. but I am also an Alabama fan. I know, I know... how could this be?! Well, I was born in Alabama and all of my family is from there and so, therefore, I was raised an Alabama fan. Now, I root for both TN and Alabama, but when the two teams play each other.. sorry Vols, but I will be rooting for Alabama! ROLL TIDE!

Now, onto the more exciting things... my monthly favorites! Here are the things that have been rocking my month! Comment below and let me know some of your monthly favorites. I would love to hear them! 

BEAUTY FAVORITES: 

1. Benefit's They're Real Mascara

I got this mascara back in May in the birthday gift that they give you at Sephora and never tried it until now! I am so obsessed with this mascara. It is pricey for mascara, so if you are looking for something similar at the drugstore, I would always suggest Loreal's Voluminous mascara (an all time favorite!). This mascara makes me look like I am wearing false lashes. I wore this mascara to the game yesterday and was asked if I was wearing fake lashes, so obviously, it looks like this to other people too! This mascara lengthens and volumizes your lashes, giving the effect that you are wearing false lashes. The only con I will say about this mascara, is that it is a very wet formulation and if I am wearing this mascara by itself (no eyeliner), the mascara will leave some marks on my eyelid that I have to cover up with some eyeshadow. But besides that, I have been LOVING this mascara this month and will definitely continue to use it. 

2. Jordana's Twist and Shine Balm Stains 

I mentioned that I picked up two of these balm stains back in my Drugstore Haul blog, and have been using both of the colors that I got the month of August. I LOVE these balm stains. They are very comparable to Revlon's Balm Stains, but I actually like these better. And get this, they are only $2.99!!! I picked up the colors, Candied Coral (second to last in picture) and Rock N Rouge (middle red color in picture) and have been using these almost everyday. The Candied Coral is more of a day color, while the Rock N Rouge will give you a great red lip that will last you during a night out. These balm stains have serious lasting power. If I apply these onto my lips, they stay there for a few hours, even if I drink or eat something. I am definitely going to pick up more of these at Walgreens! 

3. Stila's Eyeshadow in Kitten 

I have heard beauty bloggers rave about this eyeshadow forever, so I finally decided to pick this up at ULTA the other day and give it a shot! Glad I did, because I have been wearing it on my lid all month. I have been wearing it on my eyelid, with no eyeliner, alongside my Covergirl Shimmering Sands eyeshadow palette (next favorite!), and top off the look with Benefit's They're Real Mascara. This color is a light shimmery taupe color that looks great on the eyelid, as an eyebrow highlight or in the inner corners of your eyes. Warning, it is very shimmery, so if you are not into that, then I would probably not suggest this eye color for you! 

4. Covergirl's Eyeshadow Palette in Shimmering Sands

I have had this eyeshadow trio since I can't remember when! I used to use it all the time, and recently pulled it out of my stash to use again. I have been pairing this with Stila's Kitten eyeshadow (above) everyday and love the look it gives. 

5. Maybelline's Flash Clean Express Make-Up Remover Lotion

I love using this every night before I wash my face. This is a lotion and it is a great make-up remover..especially for eye make-up! I use this mostly to get my eye make-up off because I think it is more gentle then the make-up remover wipes that sometimes seem too harsh for my eyes. I just apply a little to both my eyelids and rub the lotion of my eyes to remove all of my make-up for the day. I follow up with make-up remover wipes and then wash my face. 

NON-BEAUTY FAVORITES: 

1. Bath and Body Works Mason Jar Candles in Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin and Farmstand Apple 

I am SO obsessed with Bath and Body Works candles.. especially the fall and holiday scents! So, when I was in there the other week, BBW was having a deal on their mason jar candles and I picked up two scents. I burn both of these together at the same time and LOVE the smell that it gives my room. Now, I know that these candles are expensive, so I have a cheaper favorite that I have also been loving! Glade candles has made fall scents and I also LOVE the scent in Salted Caramel. 

                       

Bath and Body Works has already started putting out their fall scents (PUMPKIN EVERYTHING!) and I have a coupon starting September 9.... so I can't wait to go and pick up some of the fall candles! 

2. Green Mountain Coffee Wild Blueberry K-Cups 

Whenever I do have time to brew coffee, I have been grabbing these delicious K-cups. While brewing, they smell like fresh blueberry muffins baking in the oven. I mix this coffee with chocolate milk and no other sweetener is needed.  

3. Remington Curling Wand 

Note: The one that I own is red, but this looks exactly like it!

So, I guess this can kind of count as a beauty favorite, but anyways.. my friend, Brandi, introduced this amazing curling wand to me. It is about 20 dollars and you can find it at any drug store. I got mine at Target. I have been using this curling wand CONSTANTLY. It creates perfect curls, and the curls STAY. Like, I go to sleep and wake up and my curls are still intact. The curling wand comes with a protective glove (to protect your hand from being burnt) and 4 different heat settings. I use the highest heat setting if I want really tight curls and the lowest setting is great for creating soft curls. 

4. Television Shows 

As I said in my last blog (Friday favorites), I have been addicted to watching Teen Wolf. If you are wondering what I am doing in my down time, I am on Netflix watching that show. Besides the amazingness that is Teen Wolf (and Dylan O'Brien), I am so so sad that Pretty Little Liars had its summer finale on Tuesday! What am I suppose to do with my Tuesdays now? Well, I will get over it pretty fast because all of the fall shows starting up again! If you are wanting to know what Teen Wolf is about (besides what the title obviously tells you of course!) ...check out the Season 1 trailer below. At first, I thought this show was going to be really cheesy but after watching the first and second episode... I was HOOKED. 

                                 

5. Favorite Songs

1. Roar by Katy Perry 

2. Applause by Lady Gaga ---the first time I heard this, I wasn't so crazy about it but after watching her perform it on the VMA's last Sunday, I became a fan! 

3. Love and Affection --Matt White

4. Royals --Lorde 

5. Everything's All Right --Matt White

6. Amazing --Josh Kelly 

7. It's True Love --P!nk ft. Lily Allen

8. Best Song Ever --One Direction --- don't hate on it, it's catchy and good! 

These songs have been on repeat in my car (and head) all throughout the month of August! 

Well, there is a look at my monthly favorites. Again, please comment down below if you would like to share any of your monthly favorites, because I would love to hear about them! Here's to a great September!! 

                              

Always Remember to Sparkle, 

Ally