Stocking Stuffer idea: Besame Mini Lipstick Set

It's my favorite time of year to peruse the Sephora website. It's loaded with great gift packs that aren't normally there all year long. This year, the Besame Mini Lipstick Set stuck out to me and I knew I had to grab it during the VIB sale. It keeps going in and out of stock on the Sephora website, so check for it here if you're lusting after it like I was. 

If you're looking for a great gift for a lippie lover, or heck - for yourself - Besame lipsticks are amazing. I've talked about Besame lippies for a long time and I've continued to be a big fan. They have amazing wear time (5+ hours), they don't dry your lips to crap, and they are so pigmented and gorgeous. Easily some of the best lipsticks I've ever tried. 

That being said... take a look at the 5 gorgeous lippies you get in this set. 

And here are swatches of all 5 colors...

1930 Noir Red - a vampy black cherry color

1935 Cherry Red - A perfect deep red for the holidays

1946 Red Velvet - A warm bold red 

1969 Dusty Rose - The name couldn't be more spot on

1970 Chocolate Kiss - A red chocolate color

What gift sets are on your holiday list this year? 

Lip List #5

Last week I was feeling adventurous and I sported 5 different days of lippies. I like these posts because it's fun to see how lipstick actually looks on different people, and hopefully you'll see some colors you want to pick up! Cheers to informed purchase decisions! Here's what I wore last week:

• Monday: NYX Butter Gloss in Angel Food Cake - A mauvey-nude gloss. I LOVE the formula of the butter glosses. They're hydrating, pigmented and feel great on the lips.

• Tuesday: Besame Cosmetics lipstick in Exotic Pink - I think this color has  made a previous lip list before, and it's that good. It's a gorgeous matte flamingo pink that won't dry your lips out. 

• Wednesday: Revlon Lip butter in Raspberry Pie - Who doesn't love the Revlon lip butters?! They're so good! Raspberry Pie is a magenta pink that is so comfortable to wear.

• Thursday: Wet n Wild lipstick in Dark Wine - I stumbled upon this shade at the Dollar Tree and it has easily become one of my favorite colors to wear. It's exactly like it sounds, a color reminiscent of wine. The lasting power on this baby is pretty impressive, too. 

• Friday: Benefit lip gloss in Fauxmance - The consistency of this gloss is quite odd, it feels oily and kind of sits on top of the lips, but it's nice nonetheless. Fauxmance is a peachy pink that's perfect to toss in your purse for whenever you want a little pop of color.

What's your favorite lippie from this week? Do you own any of these? Let me know!

FOTD | Brunch

This past Sunday, a friend of mine invited a couple girls over for a brunch at her house. It was a really fun morning full of delicious food and great company. We dined on a pepper and artichoke frittata, apple cinnamon muffins and breakfast cookies. And of course, mimosas. What brunch would be complete without mimosas? 

I wanted a really fresh, simple look for this brunch and I thought I'd share with you what I used to achieve just that. 

• Face: I moisturized with Neutrogena Oil-Free moisturizer (not pictured) and followed up with Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch primer on areas of my face where my pores are larger than other areas. I then used Revlon's Nearly Naked foundation in shade 110 Ivory and applied it all over the face using my Sigma F80 flat-top kabuki brush. For blush, I used a Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush in Plum Wine, which adds a really natural flush to the cheeks. To set my foundation, and even over-top of my blush, I used the NYC Smooth Skin Pressed Face Powder in Transluscent. This isn't my favorite powder, but it's been in my collection for too long so I'm trying to use it up. 

• Eyes: I primed my eyelids first using Urban Decay's eye primer in Eden (not pictured - I have an icky sample packet I'm using). I then used the matte taupe color in the picture above called Like a Virgin (from the Too Faced Naked Eye Palette) to define my crease. On the rest of my eyelid, I used an Ulta eyeshadow in Seashell. This is the pinky gold color you see catching the light in the images above. For eyeliner, I use my tried and true favorite liquid eyeliner, Wet n Wild's Mega Liner in Black. For mascara, I applied one coat of Ulta Plush Drama mascara in Jet Black, followed by a coat of Pixi's Large Lash Mascara in Best Brown. 

• Eyebrows: To fill in my eyebrows, I used the NYX eyeshadow single in True Taupe. I love using this shadow for my brows because of the natural, full look it gives. To set them, I used Maybelline Great Lash clear gel. 

• Lips: With all the cold, dreary weather we've been having, I was craving a bright bold pink lip. I used a lipstick by Besame Cosmetics in the shade Exotic Pink (remember that lipstick?). Is that packaging amazing or what?!

What is your go-to brunch look?

Review: Wantable Box

Not too long ago I was put in touch with a subscription box company called Wantable who asked me to do a review on their box. Seeing as I love my Ipsy and Birchbox subscriptions, I was more than excited to see what Wantable had in store, and once I received my box, I couldn't wait to share it with you.

Wantable is a bit different than Ipsy or Birchbox in a few ways. First and foremost, Wantable is not just a beauty subscription box; you can choose from one of three categories - makeup, accessories, or intimates. Secondly, once you select which box you want (I chose makeup, obviously) you take a very detailed survey about your likes and dislikes. This survey will customize your box entirely, unlike Birchbox and Ipsy which vary only slightly per subscriber. Lastly, the cost of this monthly subscription box is much higher than the $10/month you would pay for Birchbox or Ipsy. Wantable costs $36/month -- perhaps the one downside to this subscription. However, you do get what you pay for. One MORE cool thing about Wantable is they're based out of Milwaukee, WI... gotta love a Midwest brand!

Here's what I received...

Lise Watier Ombre Souffle Supreme Sample 

This is the only teeny-tiny sample, and even with it's small size, you could easily get a few uses out of it. This eyeshadow is really fluffy and light, and these colors are gorgeous. The left is Vert Enchante and the right is Sunrise Peach.

Lise Watier Ombre Souffle Supreme in Tartan Magique - value: $24.00

As I said, you get what you pay for. This is a full size cream eyeshadow, valued at $24! That nearly covers the cost of the entire box! This feels like a mousse dessert, light and whipped. I wish it was a different color, as I don't wear blue much, but oh well.

Michael Marcus Nail Polish in Blood Red - value: $15.00

I've never heard of this brand, but I like the packaging. You all know I'm happy to get a nail polish, but I'm even happier when I get a full-size polish in a subscription box! Every girl needs a good red nail color, and this is just that. 

Besame Cosmetics Lipstick in Exotic Pink - value: $22.00

I can not get over this packaging... it's gorgeous! It even came in a velvet pouch, too! In. Love. It doesn't hurt that the color is absolutely amazing, too! The cut of the lipstick is a little weird, but I'm willing to look past that because everything else is so stinkin' perfect!

Whip Hand Cosmetics Cheek Flash in Beachhouse - value: $18.00

I'm in love with this blush (I admit, I am a blush fanatic). This is the brightest, most insanely shimmery pink blush I now own, and with a light hand I think this color can look really natural on your cheeks. The only thing I don't love is the packaging - this could really benefit from one of those screens that you dip your brush on to to apply product... instead you've got a container that's bound to make a mess.

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And that's the October Wantable box! While this is a bit pricey, I do think you get your money's worth -- this box alone is valued at $79, double the price you pay! If you want to branch out and try unique, boutique brands that you won't find in stores, start with Wantable. I really enjoyed this box, and would love to hear from you if you've tried Wantable, too! 

If you want a Wantable box, just go to their website (www.wantable.com) and sign up today! I've got this feeling you won't be disappointed. :)