My Daily Skin Care Routine + DIY Eye Makeup Remover

Finally! I've been talking about doing this for a while, and now I'm finally getting around to doing a skin care routine post, as well as a super easy DIY eye makeup remover! Fair warning: this may be a bit of a long, rambly post, because my morning and nighttime routines are mostly the same, so I decided to discuss them both at once! Let me start out by telling you a little bit about my skin:

I have sensitive, dry-combination skin -- my forehead and cheeks get very dry, my nose is balanced and normal, and my chin is very oily. My eyelids are oily in some areas, with dry patches in others. On top of that, I have patches of plaque psoriasis around my nose and around my hairline. I have never really had trouble with acne, although I do tend to get mild cystic acne on my chin around my time of the month.

The key to my skin care routine is to find the perfect balance for my entire face, without irritating it. Like I said, I have sensitive skin, so I do my best to avoid fragrant products, or anything with harsh chemicals.

Every night, if I've been wearing makeup, I make sure to remove as much of it as I possibly can. I start out with eye makeup. At this end of this post, I will have details on my incredibly easy and fast DIY eye makeup remover! But first thing's first, using a cotton pad, I hold the eye makeup remover to my eyes for about 10 seconds and wipe away my eye makeup. I also run it along my lower lash line with a cotton swab to ensure that I got all my makeup off.

Next, I go in with a cleansing water. I used to use the Sephora Triple Action Cleansing Water, but the smell turned me off. In the US, cleansing waters are hard to find, so the Sephora brand cleansing water is a great option if you don't have a credit card or are just trying out cleansing waters for the first time. However, I've recently started using the Garnier Cleansing Micellar Water, which is half the price for the same size. The only downside of this product is that I have yet to see it in the US. I'm not sure where this product can be found elsewhere in the world, but I ordered it through FeelUnique! I use the cleansing water to remove any of the excess olive oil and get any leftover makeup on my eyes, and then use it to remove my face makeup. If I'm being extra lazy, I will stop here.

After my cleansing water, I use a gentle cleanser. Like I said before, finding that balance with my skin is key, and Origins Checks and Balances Frothy Face Wash does exactly that. I sometimes use this product both day and night, although some people recommend only cleansing once a day. I find that this face wash is gentle enough, though, to be used twice a day without drying out your skin. If I decide I want to exfoliate, I prefer manually exfoliating with a wash cloth. I have yet to find a really great scrub for my face, as most of them just leave me red and irritated. So instead, I usually just take a warm, damp wash cloth and, using circular massaging motions, remove all the cleanser from my face!

After cleansing, I use a homemade toner and spot treatment, both made from tea tree oil. For a toner, I take a small travel spray bottle and fill it with purified water, then add a few drops of tea tree oil. Then I shake it up and spritz it all over my face. This is also great as an antibacterial refreshing spray! For a spot treatment, I take a cotton swab and just a tiny bit of tea tree oil and dab it on any spots I notice. Due to its antibacterial properties, the tea tree oil helps to reduce and cut the life of my breakouts! I usually only use pure tea tree oil at night, as it can smell quite strongly and some people are put off by the scent.

After spot treating, I use an eye cream. For a while, I was loving the Origins Eye Doctor Eye Cream, but every time I went to purchase a new jar, my credit card would sing a sad song. So recently, I discovered the Boots Botanics Organic Hydrating Eye Cream, which is half the price! My sensitive eye area is so happy, and so is my bank account. My biggest problem when it comes to eye creams is that most of them are too rich for my skin and cause small milia to appear. I haven't had this problem with either the Origins or the Boots Botanics eye creams, and they are both light enough to be used day and night.

From here, I move onto moisturizing. For the day time, I use the First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Moisturizer, which hydrates my skin without being heavy and thick. Because it isn't heavy, it doesn't feel greasy on my oilier areas, but it is still hydrating enough for my drier areas. I also mix this moisturizer with the Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry Touch Sunscreen. I discovered this sunscreen in high school and fell in love because of its texture. It never feels greasy, and can be applied over makeup without ruining it!

At night, I skip a traditional moisturizer altogether, and reach for the Josie Maran Argan Oil Light. I put two to three drops into clean hands, spread it in my hands, and gently pat the oil onto my face. I find that this oil really hydrates my skin overnight, but never leaves me feeling greasy. It may be a bit pricey, at $48 for the full size, but they sell it in a travel size for $16, and it lasts forever! I also use this argan oil one or twice a week to massage my face, to really get the blood flowing and to invigorate my skin. To finish off my daily routine, I always top off my lips with my Jack Black Intense Lip Therapy Lip Balm.

Once or twice a week, I will use a face mask to refresh and really deep clean my skin. As I've raved about a thousand times, I absolutely love the Origins Clear Improvements Active Charcoal Mask. Not only does it do a great job of really pulling out any sebum and dirt from my pores, but it has actually made my psoriasis better. Since using this mask, I've noticed the psoriasis around my nose slowly going away! I actually have an entire rave about this mask here. Another mask that I love to use, especially when I have active breakouts, is the Lush Cosmetic Warrior Fresh Face Mask. This mask is a godsend. I discovered it a few years ago when I was on the hunt for the Cupcake Mask, but the Lush in my area was all sold out! The young woman recommended the Cosmetic Warrior mask instead, and I don't regret it one bit! I probably have 7 or 8 jars of this face mask alone that I need to trade in.

Now let's talk about my super easy DIY eye makeup remover. 

Things You'll Need:

• Any empty travel bottle
• Purified water
• Extra virgin olive oil

To create my eye makeup remover, I use a small travel bottle and fill it about 4/5 of the way with purified water. Then, fill the last 1/5 with extra virgin olive oil. You hardly need any of the olive oil, and too much of it can cling to your skin and get into your eyes. Of course, it will separate, so shake well before using. I find that this solution can gently remove even the most stubborn waterproof mascara, and the olive oil will condition your lashes and prevent breakage! 

And that's it for my skin care routine! I know it seems like a lot, but once you get into the habit, it really seems like nothing at all. It only takes a couple of minutes for the entire routine, and I find that my skin is happiest when I'm actively making time to take care of it. Keep in mind that this is the routine that works for me. Your skin is different and always changing!

- d.

REVIEW: Too Faced A La Mode Eyes Summer Eye Shadow Palette

I recently received my Ulta catalog in the mail, and saw that they are doing their Spring 21 Days of Beauty this month. As I was browsing through the pages, one palette really caught my eye: the Too Faced A La Mode palette.

It seems to me that Too Faced is on a roll lately. Not too long ago was the Chocolate Bar palette, then the Sweethearts blush released just in time for Valentine's Day, and now, they are releasing their summer collection! As a part of their summer collection, they've released an eyeshadow palette, a limited edition bronzing palette, a set of lip colors, and a brow kit.

As soon as I saw the A La Mode eyeshadow palette in the catalog, I knew I had to have it. I went into Ulta and didn't see it, but it looked so gorgeous in the catalog so I had to do more research! Turns out that up until March 19th, it was an Ulta.com exclusive. But luckily, I ordered it from their website about a week ago, and got it just in time for the official release!

This palette definitely has a very summery, nautical feel, which I love. The packaging is bright and vivid (and unfortunately, mine got slightly scratched). It is metal packaging with a magnetic closure, just like the Chocolate Bar palette, and inside it is set up just like traditional, look-based eyeshadow palettes that Too Faced is best known for, with 6 smaller shades, and 3 larger highlighting shades. I'm not a huge fan of the magnetic closure, because I wish it was stronger. I always feel like it's going to pop open easily because it just doesn't feel very sturdy. However, you open it up, and you see a collection of gorgeous, vibrant colors.

All of these swatches are without primer. 

St. Tropez: A sparkly, yellow-toned nude color, with nude microglitter. Very subtle on a skin tone like mine. 

Riviera: Warm satin peach color. Incredibly smooth texture and wears very well.

La Croisette: Frosty white with intense color payoff. This would make a great, bright inner corner highlight.

Cannes: Chunky orangey copper shade, with what looks like a ton of orange and peach microglitter. This shade is a bit grittier in texture because it has so much glitter in it. You'll notice in the photos that this shade looks a little weird in my palette -- that's because when I received it, the shadow had popped out of its home. Nothing a little super glue couldn't fix! 

Jardin: Pearly coral shade that would be perfect for this look. Very smooth application, and very buildable. This would be an easy shade to brush all over the lid for a subtle wash of color, or to build up into a very intense coral.

Monaco: Probably my favorite shade in this collection, although I'm not sure how I'll wear it. It's a vivid fuchsia, with an almost-matte, almost-satin finish.

Soleil: This shade is almost like they took "Semi-Sweet" from the Chocolate Bar palette and added a satin finish. Kind of like "Semi-Sweet" and "Haute Chocolate" had a baby. It's a coppery brown color with a satin finish.

Cote d'Azur: Probably the most unique shade in this collection, at first it appears as a cool-toned brown, but in the right light, you'll notice a very slight muddy green duochrome.

De La Mer: A little bit chalky, but a very intense matte navy blue with matching microglitter. This would be great as a subtle blue liner. 

Collectively, this palette has intense pigmentation and all the shades blend beautifully together. These shades wear evenly and are extremely high quality. However, I will say it's not a palette you could really get a complete look with. 

Final Thoughts? This palette is definitely up there in quality, just like all of the other releases Too Faced has recently come out with. This palette will be a fun addition to anyone's collection, especially with shades like Monaco that I normally wouldn't buy on its own. For $36, you definitely get your money's worth. 

This palette is currently available on the Too Faced website, as well as the Ulta website. No word yet on if/when it will become available at Sephora, but I will keep an eye out and let you guys know!

Will you be purchasing any of the Too Faced summer collection?

- d. 

Corals? For Spring? Groundbreaking.

I must say, I hate spring. I mean don't get me wrong, it's beautiful -- the sun is shining, the snow is melting, the birds are coming out to sing. But the best/worst part about spring? The flowers. I love the look of flowers, but I have had pretty bad pollen allergies since I was a kid, and I've never grown out of them. I get these really awful sinus headaches because of the pollen, to the point where it sometimes is hard for me to get out of bed. So dried flowers and fake flowers tend to be my go-to decorative choice.

But all my pollen hatred aside, I do love the colors that come with spring. I love walking into Target and seeing all the spring and summer clothing, all the vivid-colored bags, and all the cute shoes that are coming into season! Today I decided to do a look based on my two favorite spring colors, that just so happen to look fantastic together: coral and turquoise.

So for this look, I actually spent a lot of the time on my skin. I wanted to look glowing and radiant -- like I've just returned from spring break! Since I'm super pale right now, I actually mixed together my new Rimmel BB Cream Matte in "Light" and my L'Oreal True Match Foundation in "C2." The Rimmel BB cream is a couple shades too dark for me, but I think it'll be the perfect shade once I've been out in the sun a bit more. I do tend to pick up a tan once the warmer months come around. After that, I took my trusty Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer and covered up any blemishes or discoloration. 

From here, I moved onto the brows. I wanted to give my brows a naturally full effect, so I decided to use a powder. I used Inglot 358 Matte through the entirety of my brows, as well as "Triple Fudge" from the Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette through the arch of my brow to add extra definition. I then ran my concealer under my brows to clean up the edges.

As an eyeshadow base, I used the Maybelline Color Tattoo Metal in "Inked in Pink," staying under the crease. You may notice as you read that for this look, I decided to double up a couple of products. I used the Milani Baked Blush in "Luminoso" on the entire lid, staying below the crease. After this, I went in with my Coastal Scent 252 Ultimate Palette. 

I used the matte coral shade to deepen the crease a bit. It is very similar to "Luminoso" but slightly darker and matte, so it is a great way to blend out any harsh edges. I also took the warm plummy brown shade and, with a very light hand, rocked this in the crease, just to add the slightest addition of dimension. I took both of these shades and ran them under the lower lash line as well. From here, I used the lightest heart in the Physicians Formula Glow & Mood Boosting Powder in "Translucent" to highlight my inner corner as well as the browbone. 

Now for the fun turquoise liner! I used the Wet n Wild Mega Liner Liquid Liner in "Turquoise" and did a subtle winged liner. For my tutorial on how to do winged liner, click here! This Wet n Wild liner is great for anyone who is just starting to get comfortable with colored liner, because it's really inexpensive! To help make the color of the liner pop even more, I took a push liner brush and my Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Liner and made a very thin line, as close to my lashes as I could get. Then, I topped it off with Maybelline Volum' Express The Rocket Mascara. 

Moving on to the glowing skin! First thing's first, I took the Benefit Watt's Up Highlighter along the tops of my cheekbones, as well as down the bridge of my nose and on my Cupid's bow. To avoid looking shiny as opposed to glowing, I took my Revlon Photo Ready Translucent Finisher and set everything into place. I took a smaller face brush and the Physicians Formula Glow & Mood Boosting Powder in "Translucent" and hit all the spots that I applied the Watt's Up highlighter. Then, I again took "Luminoso" and lightly applied this to my cheeks. For my sun-kissed appearance, I used The Balm Bahama Mama bronzer on a big fluffy brush, and very lightly applied this to the points of my face that the sun would naturally hit -- the top of my forehead, my temples, the tip of my nose, etc. I also used this to very subtly contour. Of course, be sure to blend well! 

For my lips, I decided to keep it very light and simple, and just used the Maybelline Baby Lips Lip Balm in "Cherry Me," for a subtle hint of color.

And that's it! Super fun with a bright pop of color. Tell me, what's your favorite thing about spring? 

- d. 

Swatch Fest + First Impressions!

So if any of you follow me on Tumblr, you'll know I've been sick in bed for about a week now. I picked up some horrific cold or flu or something and it just won't go away. And it has led me to online shopping, which is dangerous for a shopaholic like me. What's even more dangerous is telling me that it'll be good for me to get out of the house when I have a $4 off $20 coupon PLUS $5 in ExtraCare bucks at CVS.

...oops? So, as requested, here's a haul of what I bought (not all of it, because like I said, online shopping is dangerous), as well as swatches and my first impressions. All of these swatches were done with no primer underneath.

So these first products were labeled as new products. They were also on the display for new items. And I had never heard of it or seen it anywhere, so I figured, hey, it must be new! Nope. Apparently, these eyeshadow palettes from Wet n Wild that I picked up are actually from the Fall/Winter 2013 collection. These were released with the "In The Spotlight" collection, and because they were limited edition, I can't link you to any where that you can find them. Let's start with the major disappointment called "Lights, Camera, Attraction."

Looks gorgeous, right? I was hoping that cobalt blue would make this palette worth the $4.99, but sadly, it was a total flop. There's just not much to say about these. The only shadows with any real pigmentation were the mattes, but they're extremely chalky. Honestly, not only was this palette horrible unpigmented, it just came off extremely...80s glam. I was hoping for a smokier, richer kind of look.

No wonder I never heard about these palettes...I even tried it with primer, and with my NYX Jumbo Pencil in "Milk", and no luck at all. But then I moved on to "No Neutral Ground."

I bought this palette with hopes that it would definitely play up my brown/hazel/amber/"I don't actually know what color my eyes are" eyes. The lower right hand matte color is actually a deep forest blue-green and isn't showing up true to color, but the rest are.

THIS is more of what I was expecting. The mattes are still a little bit chalky, but they don't just brush away like the others. Still not quite the quality I'd expect from Wet n Wild, but hey, for $4.99, I'll take it. The purple shade almost reminds me of a less-pigmented version of "Candied Violet" from the Chocolate Bar palette.

Now I have found the new love of my life: the Milani Baked Blushes. I picked up two different colors, one in "Luminoso," and the other in "Bella Rosa." "Luminoso" is an absolutely gorgeous shimmery coral color. The best part about it is that it isn't glittery at all. It's very smooth and blends nicely. And "Bella Rosa," while a bit out of my comfort zone, is going to be fantastic for the summer. I recently read that the matte baked blushes, "Bella Rosa" and "Delizioso Pink," are new releases. If that's the case, Milani has seriously hit a home run with the matte baked blushes, because after swatching "Bella Rosa," I'm dying to go get the other!

Moving on to Maybelline, I picked up a Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoo Metal in "Inked in Pink," which I had been hoping to pick up for a while now. Every time I went in to purchase it, though, it was sold out! Go figure. I love pale pink champagne colors as an all over wash of color, and I feel like this cream shadow is going to be getting a lot of use.

(Although for the life of me I couldn't get a good swatch photo of it...)

I also debated on whether or not to re-purchase my beloved Maybelline Volum' Express The Mega Plush Mascara. It has been needing to be replaced for a while now, and I wasn't sure if I should just re-purchase it, or try something new. Well, I ended up deciding to try something new. I finally gave in and purchased Maybelline Volum' Express The Rocket Mascara. I've been resisting this mascara for quite some time now, although I'm not sure why, and I finally just decided to follow the hype! I haven't had the chance to try it yet, but who knows, maybe I'll be a convert.

These are two new products from Rimmel that I've been pretty excited about. I was on a mad hunt for the the Rimmel BB Cream Matte in "Light." Already, I can tell you one major downfall with this product -- there are only two shades: "Light" and "Medium." From what I've read, the UK also has "Very Light," but I mean, can we get some color range here? But any kind of BB cream or tinted moisturizer that claims to be matte has me curious. I also recently picked up the Rimmel Stay Blushed! Liquid Cheek Tint in "Peach Flush," and really ended up liking it. So I decided to pick up another one in "Pop of Pink." 

Clearly that swatch is unblended, but I think this will look absolutely gorgeous under the "Bella Rosa" blush I mentioned above, and will also look amazing alone. These cream blushes are great for a subtle, natural looking blush! 

The last few things I picked up aren't all that exciting, but I thought I'd tell you about them anyways. I've been in need of a new Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm and I finally found the "Shea Butter & Vitamin E" variety! This one always seems to be sold out when I'm looking at them, and this was the last one left. This stuff is my holy grail, my stuck-on-a-deserted-island product. Because, if they find me dead on a deserted island, at least they'll find me with hydrated lips. I also picked up the Rimmel Eyebrow Pencil in "Hazel," which is a great affordable alternative to the more expensive brow pencils, as well as a basic but essential NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in "Milk."

I promise I'll be back to my regular blogging as soon as I'm feeling 100% again. I feel like I've been totally slacking in terms of content in the past month or so. I have quite a few things planned, though, so keep an eye out for new posts coming soon!

- d. 

And the award goes to...

Hey everyone! I feel like I've been away for quite some time now, even though it's only been a week. I feel like I've had some major blogger's block! But now I'm back, and I was nominated for a Liebster Award! If you're new to the blogging community, like I am, you will have absolutely no clue what this is. So, after a moment of extreme excitement that I was nominated for some blogging award, my Google Fu instinct kicked in, and I had to research!

What I found about the Liebster Award is that it isn't really an award at all. It's kind of like the original tag/chain for bloggers. You "nominate" people, and then you are supposed to follow the rules to "claim" your award! It's basically just a really great way to get to know others in the blogging community, and to help your readers discover other great blogs.

I was nominated by Erin at Clever Girl Reviews -- and I won't lie, I may have taken a moment to fangirl about, because I love her blog!

With my research, I found that there are some rules to this award. The rules are kind of uncertain, as I've read a couple different variations of them, but I'll just stick with the rules that Erin used.

The Rules

1. Let everyone know who nominated you.
2. Nominate 11 other blogs that you like -- any blogs that have less than 200 followers are eligible (although I may have cheated just a little bit on this one, according to Bloglovin', anyway).
3. List 11 random facts about you, and answer the 11 questions listed by whoever nominated you.
4. Create your own 11 questions for your nominees to answer!

I have no idea why the number 11 is a constant. There really is no "origin" of the Liebster Award, but I think it's fun, and I hope it helps you all find new blogs to follow!

11 Random Facts

1. I am TERRIBLE at random facts lists, and I can guarantee it'll take me a while to finish this...
2. I have more clothes than fit in my closet, and the pile on my floor changes seasonally based on what I'm wearing most often.
3. My birthday is May 30th. I'll be 21 this year!
4. I am the youngest of 3 children, and if you added up all of our ages, we would be more than 20 years older than our dad. 
5. I have lived in the same house since I was born, and will be moving to North Carolina in about 6 months for school.
6. I live less than half an hour away from the Mexican/American border, but the only foreign country I've ever been to is actually Taiwan.
7. I am fascinated by macabre art and writing.
8. I teach colorguard at a local high school. I was in guard for 3 years, captain for two, and my senior year, my colorguard placed 2nd overall in our circuit!
9. When I was 16, I played a pretty convincing dancing pregnant woman in a satirical musical called Urinetown. And yes, it was a musical about pee. (Okay, it wasn't just about pee. But that's what I like to tell people.) You can see a video of my big number here, on my personal YouTube channel! 
10. My very first blog was an "anonymous" blog dedicated to my angsty pre-teen poetry.
11. I like the taste of orange juice after brushing my teeth.

Erin's Questions

1. Coffee or tea? How do you take them?
• It depends on the day, but most of the time I prefer iced tea. I really don't like warm drinks for whatever reason. I like iced coffee with hazelnut or vanilla creamer. As for tea, I'll drink pretty much any kind except for green tea, which I can't stand the taste of.
2. Wine or beer? What are your top three favs?
• Well, seeing as I'm not technically of legal drinking age in the US just yet, I'm going to start this out by saying, no matter what you're age, drink responsibly and be safe. Now that I've said that, I don't have much of a taste for alcohol, and when I do have it, I like it strong, so neither wine nor beer are really my cup of tea, I suppose. I don't drink often enough to really say I have a favorite. 
3. Most embarrassing moment? Keep it PG-13 and under!
• Oh geeze, I'm so bad at embarrassing moments...The one that sticks out in my head the most happened to me my sophomore year of high school. I felt my period coming because I was getting mild cramps, and I thought that it may have started, but class was almost over so I just decided to wait till the end of class and I'd run to the restroom, Well, when I got up, it turned out that, yeah, I had started my period, and it was EVERYWHERE. The seat of my pants was covered in blood and it was all over the chair. I froze up and wiped down the chair as quickly as I could, and luckily my friend gave me a sweater so I could wrap it around my waist and hide it. I ran to the office and called my dad, asking him to bring me new pants. I don't think anyone saw, thankfully, but I was still completely mortified! 
4. What is your favorite skin care product?
• Origins Clear Improvement Charcoal Mask. If I could, I would scream it from the mountaintop, because I love it that much!
5. If your house was on fire but your family and pets were safe, what would you run back in to get if you could?
• Uhhh, my laptop, because I can't afford a new one, my costume portfolio, and the stuffed bunny I've had since I was born. 
6. What's your most coveted high-end makeup brand?
• I think I would have to say Urban Decay. It was the first high-end brand I ever discovered, and to this day, it's still my favorite. Although, I must say I also really love Marc Jacobs, and I really, really wish I could afford more products from that line! 
7. Favorite philanthropic past time or charity?
• I guess it's not really a past time, but I have a very special place in my heart for foster children. I decided back when I was 12 or 13 that if I ever wanted kids, I would adopt, because there are so many children out there without homes and families.
8. What are your top three favorite TV shows of ALL TIME?
• Once Upon A Time, Spongebob (because I'm actually 12 years old), and for the life of me, I can't think of a third. I don't watch much TV, except when I use it as background noise when I'm trying to nap.
9. Can you give us some insight into a time you overcame great personal adversity?
• The best I can think of is this: I was 15 and everything was changing too quickly. I felt very alone and unwanted. To keep a long story short, things got bad very quickly, but I learned that it is always okay to ask for help, and that you'll find that a lot more people love you than you may realize. I think I'm very lucky to have learned this so early in life.
10. What are your top three bucket list items?
• My bucket list is never ending, so this is hard! I really want to travel to Italy. I don't know why, but that's always been one of my top choices in places to travel. To be nominated for some major award in costume design. Oh, and, I want to hold hands with a manatee, like this:
  
  
  
11. What's your favorite food treat?
• Cheesecake. Cheesecake cheesecake cheesecake. Oh, and did I mention, I really like cheesecake?
12. BONUS QUESTION! What are your top three favorite fragrances?
• I'm not much into wearing fragrances, so I can't say I have a top three. But the two that I really love are Elizabeth & James Nirvana Black and Taylor Swift Wonderstruck!

My Questions 

1. Why did you start blogging?
2. What was your favorite toy as a child and why?
3. If you could be any animal for one day, what would you be, and why?
4. Do you have any hidden talents?
5. What is your holy grail hair care item?
6. Favorite drugstore/high street makeup brand? Least favorite?
7. Favorite high end makeup brand? Least favorite?
8. What book are you currently reading, or what was the last book you read? What are your thoughts on it?
9. Either (ee-ther) or either (aye-ther)? 
10. Who is your all-time favorite cartoon character and why?
11. What is your biggest guilty pleasure? 

My "Nominees"

So this is the list of people that I "nominate" for this award! Of course, you don't have to do this, but I think it's a lot of fun, and a great way for readers to get to know the bloggers. 

1. Sequins and Sea Breezes
2. Majotron Blogs
3. I Speak Beauty
4. why hello beauty!
5. reverie belle beauty blog
6. BeautyBakingBella
7. Simply Abbi
8. Anna Blush
9. Bethnal Bohemia

If I'm being honest, I can't really think of anyone else to nominate, because I'm still pretty new to the blogging community! Erin had a ton of really great blogs that she nominated though, so I would definitely suggest checking out her nominees!

- d. 

February Favorites!

For some reason I feel like this month was just not very exciting in terms of beauty products for me. I've spent most of this month just kind of lounging around, so this month I have a few beauty favorites as well as a couple of random favorites!

Let's start with the beauty favorites.

Urban Decay Super-Saturated High Gloss Lip Color -- Punch Drunk. For most of January, I was trying to hunt down the perfect orange lip color. I didn't want it to be too neon or blue-toned, but I didn't want it to be too warm-toned either. I just wanted a very true, vivid orange. This lip pencil was the perfect color for me! I adore this lip pencil, and it's so hydrating and vibrant, while still have some good staying power. This month I've consistently been looking for excuses to wear this color, and orange lips is a huge trend for this spring!

Essie Nail Lacquer -- Bikini So Teeny. "Bikini So Teeny" came out with the Summer 2012 nail collection, and ever since I first saw it, I fell in love. It's a color that I always told myself I would buy, but never did, and after my first bad experience with Essie polishes (with a light green color that I can't remember the name of), I told myself I'd never buy Essie Polishes again. Of course, I did again, with "Butler Please," which I wasn't a fan of, and then again, with "Vested Interest," which I fell in love with. And yet again, I have found an Essie polish that I love! "Bikini So Teeny" is the perfect periwinkle color. It is a bit sheer, so be patient when applying it, but when it's on, it's absolutely gorgeous.

Physicians Formula Glow & Mood Boosting Powder -- Translucent. This product was a happy accident. I'm not exactly sure what I was thinking when I bought it, I guess I expecting a very, very pale blush, but it is actually a setting powder! It's got the slightest iridescence to it, which helps to blur any imperfections and add a glow to the high points of your face, without making you look oily. Plus it smells good! It works really well for me, especially in the areas where I tend to get dull and dry.

Aeropostale "Can U Not" Graphic Tee. If you follow me on Instagram, you'll probably be familiar with this shirt already. This graphic tee is from the Bethany Mota collection by Aeropostale. Like I said in my Teens For Jeans post, I worked for Aeropostale for two and a half years, and I think it's such a wonderful company! Plus, they have some great, affordable jeans that are almost always on sale. But this is a crop top graphic tee and on the front it says "Can U Not." Anyone who knows me in real life knows that these words come out of my mouth multiple times on a daily basis. My best friend and I were being mall rats, and when we saw this shirt, I knew I had to have it! Like all of Aero's graphic tees, it's super soft and goes from sizes XS to XXL.

Cartwheel by Target App. I feel like I spend a good portion of my life in places like Target. A few months ago, Target came out with a coupon app available in both the App Store and on Google Play, and of course, as soon as I heard about it, I had to download it. It was super helpful during Christmas time, and I feel like, over the past month, I've been obsessively using this app for everything. It's basically couponing made easy -- you just sign in via Facebook or email and select your coupons. Once you get to the register, just scan the app barcode! If you have a Facebook, you don't have to sign up or give them any information, which makes it even easier.

What were your favorites of February? What kind of posts would you like to see next? Leave me comments and suggestions down below!

- d.