Hellooo, it's October. Not quite the ideal fall weather yet here in New York, but the mornings and nights are getting chilly with crisper air, so that means fall is officially starting. It's no secret that I love fall. As my mom says "it's my season". It's such a cozy time of year. Bundling up, spending time with loved ones, sipping hot tea, and the warmth of fall colors all around you. I'm really sad that my fall is going to be super busy with heavy rotations, but I'm trying to have some fall fun in the bits of time I have off. But as a tradeoff, I'll have a lot of free time during the Christmas/winter season, which I'm very happy about. I also have real Thanksgiving plans this year unlike last year. I'm going to one of my best friends' house for Thanksgiving dinner and then planning on hosting Friendsgiving at my place on the Saturday after.

Moving on to fall favorites, you'll notice that a lot of these are more lifestyle favorites. I've gone through a bit of makeup breakup in the past few months. I just haven't felt like wearing makeup and have been going bare faced to work most days. Working on changing that, but for now these are the things I've been calling my true loves this end of summer/fall season.

NARS Blush in 'Sin' - plummy-golden blush that's perfect for autumn looks

Neutrogena Healthy Skin Blush in 'Flushed'  -- a brightening, beautiful coral-pink blush perfect for days you need a little pick me up.

ColourPop Pressed Powder Shadows in 'You Know The Drill', 'Wake Up Call', 'Bel Air' -- creamy, beautiful, blendable, richly pigmented, and only $5 a pop. Enough said. My two favorite mattes are "Wake Up Call" and "Bel Air" which work great as transition shades or even by themselves for a soft everyday look. "You Know the Drill" is a beautiful champagne-rose gold that is the perfect shimmery shade for everyday looks. I never get complimented on my makeup, but whenever I wear this shade I get multiple compliments a day, no joke. 

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in 'Radiant Light' -- you guys know I'm not a highlighter fan but this highlight just lifts up the cheeks for a very subtle, office-appropriate glow

OGX Thick and Full Biotin & Collagen Shampoo and Conditioner -- I've only used these once but I'm already obsessed. Even after one use, my hair feels so much stronger and fuller. I can't wait to see how this fixes my hair with continued use.

OGX Nourishing Coconut Oil Weightless Hydrating Oil Mist -- coconut oil has a bad reputation of weighing down hair. This product, however, adds a ton of shine to hair, but is uber light and smells amaaaazing. Another fave OGX product.

Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte & Maple Pecan Latte -- what's a fall favorites post without some sort of Starbucks drink? This year, both the classic PSL and the new maple pecan latte have been my favorites. The maple pecan latte sounds like it would give you a toothache, but it's a very warm blend of spices and nutty flavors with just a hint of sweetness. Really a must try this fall season! 

Spotify Autumn Acoustic Playlist -- Guys, I have to say that subbing to Spotify Premium is one of the best investments I make each month. This month I have been obsessed with the "Autumn Acoustic" playlist. I listen to it constantly when I'm at my desk just internet surfing or catching up on work. It's a super relaxing playlist full of acoustic indie tracks, and feels absolutely heart-warming on cold fall mornings and nights.

Bath & Body Works 3-Wick Candle in 'Pumpkin Pecan Waffles' -- Each year I have a favorite BBW candle and this year, Pumpkin Pecan Waffles take the prize. Smells like a bakery inside your house and has a very strong throw!

Half Baked Harvest Cookbook by Tieghan Gerard -- Last but certainly not least is this cookbook...aka my new obsession. I'm trying to get into cooking and healthy eating, but I can't stand a lot of "diet" blogs because they make such bland, disgusting food. Enter HBH. She has so many recipes that are easy to make, easy to add vegetables to/customize, healthy but still delicious, and best of all they're very comfort-type of foods, which are my favorite. The way she presents the recipes is perfection. I kid you not, every recipe I try off her book or blog turns out delicious. If you're like me and want to start eating healthier, but still want flavorful, easy to make food, go check out her blog and buy her book. Best $20 ever spent.

Colour Pop Pressed Eyeshadows Review & Swatches

Hey guys, happy February! I thought I would make it all the way through my ED rotation without getting sick, but nope. I've had a horrible runny nose, cough, and sore throat for the past two days. Just grateful that it's not the flu though. I'm living on soup and tea, praying that I don't lose my voice again because that's the last thing I need after this chaotic month.

Today I wanted to talk about some new releases from Colour Pop. They released a new line of pressed eyeshadows last month and you know that I had to get my paws on some. How fricken beautiful is the packaging?! Love the silver stars theme, so stinkin' cute. Once you get past the paper packaging, each shadow comes housed in the classic round eyeshadow pans and fit easily into any Z-Palette. They come at $5 a pop as opposed to $6 for Mac and Makeup Geek shadows.

 

Left to Right: Wake Up Call, Bel Air, Note to Self, Top Notch, You Know The Drill, High Strung

The first four shades are matte, the last two shades are metallic. Even though they're called metallic, they don't have chunky glitter in them and go on very smooth. Although the four matte shades might look similar in the pan, they are quite different when swatched. 

Top to Bottom: High Strung, You Know The Drill, Top Notch, Note to Self, Bel Air, Wake Up Call

Here is my description of each shade: 

Wake Up Call -- medium neutral-toned matte brown with hints of mauve

Bel Air -- medium cool-toned matte taupe-brown 

Note to Self -- your basic warm matte brown with hints of orange

Top Notch -- matte red-brown 

You Know The Drill -- metallic medium buttery gold-bronze 

High Strung -- metallic copper rose gold with hints of mauve 

As you can see, they swatch beautifully. Each swatch above is just one swipe. Super super buttery, even the matte shades. Good, affordable matte shadows are hard to find, but these are amazing and comparable to high-end brands. The Colour Pop Pressed Eyeshadows are very comparable to the MUG eyeshadows, but I think these shadows feel even creamier than MUG ones. They are only $5 a pop, whereas the MUG and Mac shadows are $6 each. I can't say enough good things about these. These eyeshadows have everything you could want from an eyeshadow -- they blend beautifully, wear all day without creasing, have good color payoff, and come in a variety of color selections and finishes. That being said, these aren't anything extraordinary and are very similar to MUG and Mac shadows. They do feel a tad creamier, but in the end they apply just as beautifully as MUG and Mac shadows. However, I could see myself going for ColourPop over MUG because they offer free shipping and faster delivery. But as far as the product quality, it's neck in neck.

Since I've added these pans to my collection, my Z-palette is now full, yayyy! Which only means I'll have to buy a new palette since there's still so many MUG, Mac, and ColourPop shadows I still want to try. Be still, my heart.

Fall Favorites! ♥

It's so close to the end of my favorite season of the year, FALL! 

I've had such a fun autumn so far, and I'm really sad to see it end SO fast. Feels like September just started yesterday. And next weekend is Halloween! I'm taking my Step 2 CS exam in two days, and I'm really looking forward to being done with it and enjoying these next 3 months off. Well, sprinkled amongst interview days. I'm also planning on doing tons of baking next weekend since I haven't gotten to bake as much as I wanted this fall. I'm thinking Halloween themed cupcakes and maybe brushing up on my cupcake icing flower skills? 

Speaking of yummy things, I wanted to take a bit of time out to talk about my fall favorites this year. I tried to pick out a favorite from several different categories from food to beauty to candle to lotions etc. I will say, I haven't worn makeup all that much this fall and honestly have been taking a break from the beauty world, but the following are the beauty products I reached for when I was in the mood. So you know these are true favorites! 

Bath & Body Works Ultra Shea Body Cream in Marshmallow Pumpkin Latte (this is the old packaging) -- smells just like marshmallows and a tiny tiny bit of pumpkin. No smell of coffee whatsoever! Super moisturizing and mess-free application, too. 

Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette -- the only neutral palette you need! Plus smells like chocolate, yummy

Colourpop Super Shock Cheek in Quarters -- a burnt terracotta blush, such a beautiful nude color for the fall (looks more pinky in the picture than it actually is)

Burt's Bees Lip Shine in Flutter -- beautiful rosey-mauve color that gives lips just the right amount of color and shine. No shimmer, so this is a perfect everyday lip product. I think this would look great on every skin tone 

Essie Nail Lacquer in Bahama Mama -- I believe I featured this in last year's fall favorites as well on my old blog. Really pretty berry/wine color for the fall. Great switch up from the typical crimson oxblood red

Bath & Body Works Candle in Leaves -- the cult favorite fall candle. Went through this baby in less than a week this year! 

Starbucks Toasted Graham Latte -- tastes like marshmallows/smores! Super delicious fall drink and alternative to when you're sick of the PSL! 

Trader Joe's Pumpkin Pancake & Waffle Mix -- oh my goodness, the PERFECT fall weekend breakfast! This tastes like buttermilk pancakes with just the perfect hint of cinnamon and pumpkin. Yummy with a touch of maple syrup! 

My Favorite Neutral Eyeshadows!

It's no secret that I'm a total eyeshadow junkie. Ever since I started wearing makeup, trying out new eyeshadow combinations has always been my favorite part of my beauty routine. I'm not too afraid of wearing a bold eyeliner or a crazy color in my crease, but neutral shimmery shadows have always been my favorite. Here are some of my favorite neutral eyeshadows, some palettes and some singles. 

Colourpop Super Shock Eyeshadow in Smash

This has been my most favorite eyeshadow color over the past few months. It's a gorgeous, shimmery, light bronzy taupe that looks beautiful all over the lid. It's sort of like a powder version of Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze, and it goes with everything, by itself or with a darker crease color.

Urban Decay Naked Eyeshadow Palette

My very first eyeshadow palette ever! This is a must-have palette for everyone who loves warm toned  eyeshadows. Although the palette doesn't contain a lot of matte shadows, the shimmery shades it has are all super gorgeous. It's such a versatile palette and you can make an endless number of looks with it. Plus, it comes with an eyeliner!

Urban Decay Naked 3 Eyeshadow Palette

Another great Urban Decay palette! This one contains more rose gold and mauve toned shades. I initially thought this palette would be a little too light for me or the colors wouldn't be good for everyday use, but I was totally wrong. The colors still look very natural, but they're different than your usual bronze and taupe shades. I love using the pink shades in the spring/summer and the mauve ones during the fall and winter. Great palette for those trying to branch out from neutral eyeshadows, but not quite ready for crazy bright colors.

Too Faced Natural Eye Eyeshadow Palette 

Since I lost my Naked palette, I purchased this one as a new, go-to neutral eyeshadow palette. I love love love this palette because it has a good selection of matte shades, shimmery lid colors, and darker crease colors. Too Faced makes really good quality eyeshadows. Whenever I'm in a rush or don't know what to wear, I always reach for this palette. The shadows come housed in a compact tin container that makes it great for travel.

Makeup Geek Eyeshadow Pan in Glamorous

The photo above isn't quite representative of its actual color. It's a really beautiful coppery bronze shade unlike any other in my collection. It's such a gorgeous all over lid color that really brightens up my eyes, especially when I haven't slept a full eight hours. The quality of these shadows is stunning too, and only $5.99 a pop!

NARS Eyeshadow Duo in Kalahari

Another one of my favorite eyeshadows recently. The shade on the left is a really beautiful milky bronze color. I haven't worn the right shade yet, but when swatched it's a shimmery taupe. I purchased this duo because both the colors make really good all over lid colors. Most days I just wear a single shadow all over my lid, so I tend to purchase eyeshadows that look good when worn alone. I also like that the left is a warm shade and the right is a cool shade, which makes it versatile. And again its compact size makes it great for travel.  

ColourPop Haul, Swatches, & Thoughts

A while back near my birthday, I placed my very first order at Colourpop. I've heard so many amazing things about this brand and had to try it out for myself, especially since their products are so cheap and I had a $5 off coupon. I ended up ordering 3 eyeshadows, 2 blushes, and one lipstick, all for $25! Since I bought these around May, I've used most of the products and can offer a review on them.



Here are swatches of the eyeshadows -- Get Lucky (top left), I <3 This (top right), and Smash (bottom).  As you may know, the texture of their products are a cream-mousse-powder hybrid, which is pretty unique. They remind me of the Maybelline Dream Mousse blushes from back in the day.  The formula and pigmentation of these shadows is amazing. They're very buttery and apply true to color. Get Lucky is a bright yellow-gold. I <3 This is a white gold duo chrome. Smash is a bronze-antique gold blend.

As far as application, I've been applying it all over my lids with a flat eyeshadow brush. Get Lucky and I <3 This contain more glitter and go on a bit patchy with the use of a brush. If I try to even out the color with a brush, that just causes the glitter to spread everywhere, which isn't the most flattering look. Smashon the other hand is a much less glittery and contains more sheen. It goes on very smoothly when applied with a brush. It's become one of my favorite products in my entire eyeshadow collection! I've been told that that the best way to apply the Colourpop eyeshadows is by patting them on the lid with a finger and then blending it out with a brush. I may try this method next time I use one and hopefully get a more even application with the more glittery shades. So overall, loving Smash but not having the best of luck applying the glittery Get Lucky and I <3 This with a brush. I'm hoping using my finger to apply these shades will work out better since they are quite gorgeous, brightening lid colors.

Here are swatches of the lipstick and blushes -- Brink Lippie Stix (left), Quarters blush (middle), Fruit Stand blush (right). Brink is a matte dusty rose-mauve. Quarters is a matte burnt apricot. Fruit Stand is a matte bright red-orange. They had a wide variety of blush shades but I chose these two because I didn't have colors like this in my collection. Again, the quality of these blushes are amazing. They're super pigmented and blend beautifully. Fruit Stand looks scary in the pan, but it blends out to a really beautiful bright coral-red shade. I haven't played around too much with Quarters, but it seems like a gorgeous fall shade. It looks much different in the pan than when it's swatched on my hand. Brink is by far the most surprising purchase. I mainly got the Lippie Stix to try out the formula, but I fell in love with the color. I'm not a huge fan of matte lipsticks but this one looks stunning on tan skin tones. Again, it's going to be gorgeous for the fall.

All in all, loving my first few ColourPop purchases. Super affordable brand with excellent quality products. I would recommend everyone try out at least 1-2 products from their line, just to try their unique hybrid eyeshadow and blush formula. I'm hoping to buy a few more eyeshadows and Lippie Stix from their line in the near future. They also have some new lip glosses that I have my eye on. And with just $5 a pop, my wallet won't be cringing!

June Beauty Favorites

Super long time since I last posted! As always, things have gotten so busy lately. I had my Pediatrics clerkship in May, an acting internship in June, and now I'm on a study month for Step 2 CK. So it's been back to back school stuff. Not to mention, residency applications are due in September so I've been working on stuff for that. I'm happy to say that my CV is now done, I've asked most of my letter writers, and I'm almost finished with my personal statement. At this stage, I'm just narrowing down a list of programs and of course studying for Step 2.

I've actually been wearing a decent amount of makeup on most days. I've been especially obsessed with eye looks, blushes, and highlighters and have been experimenting with a bunch of makeup in my collection. Here are my beauty favorites over the past month.

ColourPop Super Shock Shadow in Smash

NARS Duo Eyeshadow in Kalahari

Milani Baked Blush in Rose D'Oro

Milani Baked Blush in Berry Amore

ColourPop Lippie Stix in Brink

Maybelline Color Elixir Iridiscent in Pearlescent Peach

Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Nail Coat

Essie Nailpolish in Cute As A Button

Updated Brands I Want To Try ♥