TheBalm's "Meet Matt(e) Nude" Palette via Hautelook

My dears! 

How cute is this palette from TheBalm? I jumped at the deal on Hautelook after hearing so many great reviews about this matte eyeshadow palette, since I had credit left over - It is originally priced at $42 and was 50% off on Hautelook.  With my existing credit, I paid $2.50 and got this baby in the mail a month later (for those of you who are not familiar with Hautelook, sometimes their shipping can be quite slow.. but I suppose this is the trade-off for discounted prices!)

Swatches from Top, left to right.

For those of you who are not familiar with TheBalm, it is a cute & fun makeup line that utilizes a play on words to create their product names (think: Shady Lady Palette or Time Balm Primer) .  They are now sold in select Kohls & Sephora stores as well.  I was hoping to add this eyeshadow palette to my kit since it is a collection of all matte shades.  Just a warning- these shades are not extremely pigmented if you're expecting MAC-type shadows.  They are good neutrals and mattes to have to use as crease colors for a more natural look - perfect for bridal makeup!

Sneak Preview - Em by Michelle Phan

Hello Everyone!

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! You can only imagine how happy I was to receive my girlfriend Lovely's Christmas gift in the mail.  One of the items that my fabulous friend gifted me was a concealer from Michelle Phan's new makeup line, "Em".  I received this in the shade "Medium" which looks perfect with my NC30 skin.  Unfortunately, I was not able to take a photo of the swatch against my skin in daylight, but I assure you that a more detailed post is in the pipeline!

Em by Michelle Phan // The Great Cover Up Concealer in "Medium"
 (please excuse the ink on my finger!)

Hawaii for the Holidays

There is no better way to describe Hawaii other than paradise.  I was so blessed to spend a week in Honolulu (my first time!) with my boyfriend, where we explored the island from one end to another & probably gained 10 lbs in the process. 

View of the beach - 3 blocks from our hotel!

Even though it was 85 degrees every day we were there, the holiday spirit was still apparent every corner we turned. 

Garlic Shrimp, Lobster & Steak from the International Marketplace!

We literally had the BEST pastries from this local bakery - famous for their malasadas (which look like fried donuts topped with sugar & the inside is so soft that the bread literally melts in your mouth once you take a bite)

View of Waikiki Beach

After snorkeling at Hanuama Bay

One of our favorite restaurants during our stay - Murakame - all this food + drinks was only $19 ! 

As much as I enjoyed my nice, warm vacation, I missed this little guy:

Now it's back to business as usual and I cannot wait to share with you some packages that I received from Influenster (my #JollyVoxBox), TheBalm via Hautelook, and some Chanel goodies :-)  - To be continued!

Shimmery Smokey Eye

Obsessed with this photo so I had to share!

Via Trends-style.com

2014 Pantone Color of the Year

Hi Loves,

The 2014 Pantone Color of the Year has been announced! The winner is......... Radiant Orchid, shown below.  Emerald green had a great run for its money in 2013 - now it's time for this bright fuchsia to shine.  This only means one thing:  we should all expect to see this color dominate in shopping malls pretty soon, whether it be in the form of a purse, a pair of heels, or a lipstick!  I think this is a pretty wearable shade for all skin tones - What do you think?

via LA Times

Thanksgiving Weekend

Hi Loves!

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving weekend! :) In a nutshell, mine was spent ...

...Hanging with this cutie ;-)

...Rockin' my new Miu Miu cat-eye glasses (my current fav)

...Actually "cooking" (if you can call it that) in the kitchen:

Super Easy Garlic Knots

Delicious Chicken Veggie Soup done in a crockpot

Overall, a very much-needed relaxing weekend without my usual 3-hr daily commute- definitely something I was certainly thankful for! 

Holiday WishList

via Pinterest 

With Thanksgiving just around the corner next week, I can't help but engulf myself into all the festive splendor (i.e. KOST 103.5 holiday music, 24/7! Wreaths, stockings, and all things glitter!). There is always something about the holiday season that just makes me want to shop, shop, shop.  This Christmas, I asked my boyfriend for this closet:

......of course I told him that if room permitted, I would allow him to have a corner ;-).  All joking aside though, I have so many beauty products that I want to add to my wishlist this season, some of which are replenishments for my personal stash, as well as for my kit, along with some fun goodies:


1. Some gorgeous YSL lippies:

via Makeup4All

2. My holy grail mascara base: Shiseido Nourishing Mascara Base

3. More palettes: Another LORAC Pro Palette, or Laura Mercier Artist 2 Palette? I'm leaning toward the Artist 2 Palette for my wedding makeup kit -- sadly, this palette is LIMITED EDITION so I will most likely not get a chance to get my hands on this (unless I steal my sister's .. ) :

via Musings of a Muse

4. Some more SLEEK Makeup items - For those of you who are not familiar with this UK-based brand, I highly suggest you check it out! The prices are fabulous & inexpensive for the amount/quality of product that you get.  My favs? Their blushes (check out my review here), their face contouring kits (complete with contour powder + highlighting powder), and their inexpensive eyeshadow palettes.

Pictured: Pink Sprint

5.  Some more Real Techniques Brushes for my kit:

via LaceFleur

6. Some lovely Chanel compacts, my favorite Illusion D'Ombre cream shadows, moisturizing liquid foundations, and a good liquid concealer for my kit:

via Odd Dolly

What beauty purchases are you planning to make soon? I know my poor wallet will be crying after this, but I will definitely be one happy camper! :)