Current Most Used Products / Early Fall 2013

Tara

Who says you can't have pink lips in the fall? I am adoring the rosy flush of Benefit Pillow Talk lipstick and Maybelline Baby Lips in Strike a Rose! Maybelline surprised me with this product (Baby Lips are usually pretty sheer or non-existent) but I love the vibrancy of Strike a Rose- it even has some staying power! Obviously I need to give my lashes a little love with my holy grail Buxom Mascara. I will continue to repurchase this forever......and ever. On my last trip to Sephora, I was looking at their eyeliners and and I usually don't buy Sephora brand products, but their Waterproof eye pencil in Cocoa caught my eye- I am absolutely in love. I wear it everyday smudged on my lower lash line and it gives the perfect amount of smokiness to any eye look! So, I'm not going to lie, I'm a little bummed about summer coming to a close, but once I roll on my Pacifica Blood Orange perfume- it's like summer never ended. Who doesn't want to smell like a succulent orange?! (; Unfortunately my skin stays oily no matter what time of the year it is, so to set my foundation, I powder with Make Up For Ever Super Matte Powder- it's amazing! And since I'm currently almost out of mine- and Sephora is sold out- I'm having withdrawals. 

Lani

The summer heat is still going on strong, as well as my laziness when it comes to getting ready. I'm still sticking to simple dab-and-go products, my latest favorite being Rimmel's Scandaleye! I apply it in the outer corners of my eyes and gently dab it inwards so that it gives my eyes a bit more dimension. I then blend out any harsh corners or shoddy dabbing job with Sigma's Blending Brush (E25) that Tara generously gave me-it's my new love! I usually follow up with a heaping load of mascara, my favorite being a sample of Chanel's Inimitable Intense. Ugh, I can rave about this product forever and how it puts all of my other mascaras to shame but it's Chanel, so what else should I expect? As for lips, I stick with either a simple balm like C.O. Bigelow's Rose Salve or Nars' Pure Sheer Lipstick in Paloma, which gives off a playful wash of coral. And then voila! Effortless, quick, but still looks pretty decent. It almost feels like I'm cheating Mother Nature.

What are you guys' fall favorites? Have you tried any of ours?

Skincare Routine: Tara

My skin in a nutshell; oily, hyper-pigmentation, dull. I have tried everything on the market that claims it will combat my breakouts and make my skin brighter, and keep the oils at bay. Yeah, my skin has it's bad days, but these products- my skin seems to love. 

Morning: After crawling out of my fortress of pillows in the morning, I cleanse my skin with Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleanser. I have Lani to thank for this, she raves about it all the time! And I love the "deep-pore" feeling this gives my skin. Spritz a little bit of Caudalie Beauty Elixir and you're ready to moisturize!(yes gals, even with oily skin you need to slap on some kind of moisturizer) and I love the gentle Aveeno Positively Radiant moisturizer and SPF 15 protection is always a good thing. Benefit It's Potent eye cream is perfect for that bit of moisture I need for under my eyes, and my adored Aquaphor saves my lips, I go through those puppies like it's no body's business!

Night: To remove makeup, I either use one of two products : Simple Cleansing facial wipes which remove my makeup with one wipe! I love how saturated the product is and unlike other makeup wipes I've tried, it cleanses- I hate when makeup removers just spread makeup around your face!
If my skin is feeling like it needs that extra bit of cleansing, I take a cotton round and soak it in Bioderma just to take any leftover residue off my skin, and use as a cleansing water. If I feel like going to my sink to cleanse instead, I once again use the Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleanser for a nice little scrub. I follow up with 4 drops of Josie Maran's 100% Pure Argan Oil to moisturize, it's so simple and natural and my skin soaks it up and keeps it hydrated all night! I again apply Benefit It's Potent eye cream and Aquaphor to my lips. If I have a few blemishes, I treat them with Lush Grease Lightning Tea Tree Cleanser (this also helps any hyper-pigmentation I have) it's super gentle and works amazing on blemishes without being too harsh. 

Extra: For a little extra skin-pampering, I love masks! Origin Clear Improvement is a charcoal-clay mask that is supposed to work wonders for your skin to not make it more clear, but brighter and more even- which is what I crave! 

What product could you not live without in your skincare routine? Any holygrails of yours I need to know about for my skin type?

Quick & Effortless Beauty Products

It's that time of year again: SCHOOL. Beauty routines for school essentially translate to: how quick can I get ready and still look somewhat decent? We rummaged through our bags to find products that have helped us on those dreaded mornings so that you won't have to be 10 minutes late to class!

Favorite Highlighters / Summer 2013

Tara's Favorites

Soft and Gentle by Mac - The love that the beauty community gives this product is overwhelming, so I was extremely excited to get my hands on this baby. It's not a subtle highlight, so if you're looking for a glow, this is it. I love this swiped above my cheekbones and down my nose when my skin is feeling dull.  
Ambient Light Powder in Dim Light by Hourglass - According to Sephora : The powders deliver a multidimensional luminescence to every skintone, making it appear softer, younger, and lit-from-within. I love taking a fluffy fan brush and swiping it on my cheeks, forehead and chin for more of an all-over glow. Some people use this to set their makeup, or just as a lovely finishing touch to your makeup look.

Lani's Favorites

Flatter Me by Mac (limited edition) - When Mac dropped their Archie's Girl collection, I was so thrilled because, after a long while, they actually had an interesting collection! I ended up grabbing this pearly sheer blush/highlighter and I love it because it gives a radiant glow.

Watts Up! by Benefit - I'll admit that I'm a total weenie when it comes to highlighters so I use this rather sparingly and I blend it out with the sponge on the opposite end. It's definitely more of a noticeable highlighter so I use it for special occasions or when I'm feeling a bit more spontaneous.

Do you prefer a more subtle or bold highlight? What's your favorite highlighting product that you've been using?