Glamorous Vampire Halloween Tutorial

Well, hello everyone!  I'm sorry about my absence; school life got crazy with the midterm season.  Now that I'm all finished with that, I thought I would bring you a tutorial in time for Halloween!  This is for anyone who wants a more glamorous look on the wonderful night of mischief.  If you want to know how to get this look, keep reading after the jump!

An Accidental Haul

It was the typical situation: "Oh, let me pop into Sephora and get that one thing I need." Then I get to the register with six things in my basket.  Wait, how did those get there?!  And when did I get a basket...?

So, I thought I would share my accidental haul with you all.

Marc Jacobs Twinkle Pop Eyestick (On the Verge)- To be fair, I have been eyeing these little beauties for a while.  This is a cream-like eyeshadow that comes in a stick form.  I love that it's a twist-up so I don't have to worry about sharpening it.  All of them are stunning with amazing pigmentation.  The one I chose is described as a "iced grape shimmer."  It's a lovely shade, perfect for those who want an Autumnal eye look but are a little apprehensive about super dark shades.

Urban Decay Flushed Palette (Naked)- It is impossible for me to go in Sephora and not walk out with something from Urban Decay.  This brand is so solid and I've never gotten anything from them I didn't like.  This palette did not disappoint!  I have a hard time with bronzers because of my skin tone.  I'm not super pale and I'm definitely not dark enough to be considered medium.  This bronzer does a great job with warming up my complexion without making me look like a dirty Oompa Loompa.  The blush and highlight shades are also stunning.

NARS Audacious Lipstick (Raquel)- I was in the checkout line (so close...) and remembered Fleur de Force saying she had just picked these up.  So, Fleur, if you ever read this I'm blaming this purchase on you.  Not gonna lie, part of me picked this shade because it was as close to "Rachel" as I was going to get.  Despite vanity being part of why I picked this shade, it is a beautiful color.  It's a pinky beige with a satin finish.  It also gets major bonus points for not drying my lips out.  

Benefit It's Potent! Eyecream- This was the reason I was in Sephora.  I had a sample of it a few months ago and loved it.  I had other eye creams I needed to use up first, so I held off on getting it.  I use this at night and I have started to notice a reduction in fine lines and dark circles.  Nothing major yet, but progress is always good!

Marc Jacobs O!Mega Lash Volumizing Mascara- This was my 100 Point Perk for the day.  I've never tried any mascaras from Marc Jacobs and I'm very impressed with this so far.  It gives wonderful separation to my lashes as well as great volume and length.  The best part: It doesn't smudge on my lower lashes!  Thank you, tiny Buddha.  

Share your accidental splurge stories below and tell me about anything you've been eyeing up at Sephora!

Until next time,

Rachel

Perk Up, Honey

As I sit and type these are the things closest to me/on me: I am wrapped in a fuzzy white robe with two blankets on my legs, cold water, throat lozenges, a constantly growing pile of tissues, and reruns of old British detective TV series.  Sounds super attractive, right?  This, ladies and gents, is what happens when I get sick.  Since I am very well acquainted with the common cold (I swear I get it, like, 8 times a year), I decided to list my tricks for recovery as well as some "sick day makeup" tips.

• It is okay to stay home.  I know this seems obvious, but for a workaholic like me pushing myself to the limit is all I do.  Challenging myself to do better and be better was how I got through undergraduate.  This method can be productive, but it can also set you several days back on the road to recovery.  Your bosses, friends, and professors will understand if you need a day off.  More often than not, the best medicine is a day of rest and relaxation.

• Keep the makeup light.  If you absolutely have to go out, save the dramatic eyes and lips for another day.  Tinted moisturizer, concealer, powder (if you need it), brows, blush, and mascara are the only things I bother with.  Even though that sounds like a lot, it takes me less than five minutes to put all this on.  Occasionally, I will put on some highlighter to give my skin a little more life.

• When you think you've had enough water, drink one more glass.  This is something I've had to learn the hard way.  It may sound odd, but I do not get thirsty very often.  I have to think about keeping myself hydrated even when I'm not sick.  Water is so important because it helps flush those nasty toxins out of your body.  The last thing you need on top of your other symptoms is dehydration, so drink up!

• Give your skin a little TLC.  Even though I have combination skin, I pick a moisturizer that is slightly more... moisturizing.  (Was that redundant?)  My nose area especially needs this since it gets dry from constant contact with tissues.  Lately I've been using the Korres Pomegranate Balancing Cream Moisturizer, making sure to use a little extra around any areas that are particularly dry.  This stuff is great because it gives me that moisturized feeling without feeling like a grease monkey.

These are my main tips, but please share yours in the comments!  I hope all of you are well and stay healthy!

Till next time,

Rachel

Travel Makeup!

Since I mentioned I went on a little trip in my last post, I thought I would talk about the makeup I brought with me.

It was a bit difficult packing for this since I wanted to be able to do a heavy concert look as well as a light everyday look.  When picking out the products to take, I found I was picking things that I knew would work and have tried multiple times.

The Base
Dr. Brandt's Pores No More Primer- I desperately need to go buy a full size version of this.  It's a bit of a strange texture that's hard to explain.  It doesn't have that super silicone feel (which I don't mind) and it dries to a more matte finish.  It works well with all of my foundations which can be a problem for me with some other primers.

Rimmel's Match Perfection (True Ivory)- Remember how I said about six lines ago I picked tried and true products?  I'm about to contradict myself.  I bought this foundation earlier that day to try out.  I'm sure most of you know about this/have it, so you know that it is a great product.  I was able to build it up to medium-full coverage for the concert and sheer it out for the everyday look.  All in all, I love it!

Bobbi Brown's Corrector (Porcelain Peach)- I bought this a few weeks back and I have completely fallen in love with it.  As you will see in future posts, I struggle with dark circles and this really helps tone down that darkness.

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer (Fair)- Even though I'm based in the US, I had a friend who lives in Ireland mail this to me since the UK blogging/YouTube scene loves it so much.  I like it, but I do find it can crease under my eyes if I wear it for too long.  It is great for covering blemishes or areas that need extra coverage the foundation didn't give.

Rimmel's Stay Matte Powder (Transparent)- This stuff is sent from the heavens for people like me with combination/oily skin.  It's a drugstore price with a high end result.  I'll sing this powder's praises until the end of time.

Benefit Dallas Blush- I love using this product as a blush as well as an interesting contouring technique.  The muted plum/purple tone of this blush is what makes it work for a contour.  For the concert I put this right below where I would normally put blush and it gave such a nice effect.

The Eyes
Lorac Pro Palette- This is the perfect travel palette for me with a row of matte shades and a row of shimmer shades.  The combinations are endless for this palette and the super sleek structure makes it easy to travel with.  I won't ramble too much about this since you all have probably heard other people sing its praises.  Count me in on that choir.

Stila's Stay All Day Liquid Eyeliner (Black)- Ever since I bought this, I haven't used any other liquid eyeliner.  It lives up to its name and does not budge until you decide to wash it off.  Perfect for the concert in the hot venue!

Too Faced Better Than False Lashes Duo- When it comes to mascaras, I go through phases.  Right now I'm feeling the I-want-my-lashes-to-look-like-falsies-all-the-time phase.  This gets the job done.  As a word of caution, I will say this can sometimes make your lashes sticky.  I found that putting the white mascara on the middle to tip of the lash works better than going from root to tip.  That might just be me, but I thought I'd pass the knowledge on!

Tying It Together
Anastasia's Brow Whiz (Soft Brown)- I don't think there's a blog out there that hasn't talked about this product.  This amazing brow pencil is worth all of the hype and the shade selection is perfect.

MAC Peach Blossom Lipstick- This is one of my only MAC lipsticks and I use it constantly.  It is a peachy colored cremesheen formula that pairs well with almost any look.

Now that you've read this novel of a post, what are your travel makeup essentials?  Comment below and share!

Until next time!
-Rachel

Mini Vacation

This past weekend, my boyfriend and I took a trip to Philadelphia to see the amazing BANKS perform.  Not only was it an amazing concert, but the entire weekend was absolutely lovely.  It was a much needed mini vacation after a long week of work and academic responsibilities.

There is something special about walking around an unfamiliar place.  Philly reminded me of a smaller New York City.  It's lively, with lots of unique shops, bars, and great hang out spots, but it's not as intense as NYC.  Everyone moves at a more relaxed pace, which was just what I needed.  We spent a fair amount of time walking around Rittenhouse Square and exploring the alleys that branched off of it.  Everyone we spoke to was so friendly that we were almost taken aback by it.  I guess that's why they call it the City of Brotherly Love, eh?

I would absolutely love to go back and explore it even more (and take more pictures!) since we only had 1.5 days there.

Have you ever been to Philadelphia?  Are there any places you've been wanting to travel to?

We'll chat soon!
-Rachel

PS- How adorable is that coffee shop name in the first picture?!