Top 5 Essie Nail Colors for Spring

The other day I posted a picture on instagram of my rather large nail polish collection, primarily made up of Essie polishes. Everytime I'm in a drugstore or the beauty section of a Target I really just can't resist the adorable white-topped bottles.

I try to paint my own nails most of the time and rarely get them done professionally. A lot of the time I will take my own polish to the salon, because I obviously love the selection of colors and Essie polishes I have at home, and you never know what brands or colors will be avaliable at a salon.

Here are some of my favorite Essie nail polishes for the spring:

 Left to right: Blanc, Mademoiselle, Fiji, Lilacism, Mint Candy Apple

Why bother trying to describe the colors to you when you can just see them for yourself? The only color that isn't picking up true to the way it looks here is mademoiselle, which for some reason looks like a pale peachy orange in the picture, but in reality it's just a classic sheer pale pink. Fiji is a more opqaue pale pink. Lilacism is a lovely light lilac color, and mint candy apple is the perfect pale turquoise/mint color that seems to get trendy around springtime. And obviously, blanc is just white.

I plan on doing a top nail colors for each season as they come, so stay tuned for that. I know this post was short and sweet, but I've been extremely busy at work lately so I'm sorry for the lack of updates! I'll be back to posting 1-2 times a week starting next month.

What are your favorite spring nail colors?

Urban Decay Naked 3 Eyeshadow Palette

If you checked out my Spring Wishlist post last week, then you may have noticed one of my wishes was the Urban Decay Naked 3 palette. I owned the Naked palette in college (which I have since lost), and I currently own the Naked 2, Naked Basics, and now the 3!

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To be honest, I've never been crazy about pink eyeshadows. I find that if used incorrectly, the red and pink tones can make you look sick... This is why I didn't immediately jump to buy the Naked 3 when it was released. I waited around instead to see what other people thought about it. Every review I read was positive and when you compare the three palettes, the Naked & Naked 2 look relatively similar, but the Naked 3 looks completely different in terms of the shadow colors. 

The palette has 12 brand new shades from Urban Decay, from an almost white color 'Strange', to the darkest almost-black color with pink/red glitter in it 'Blackheart'. 

The packaging is the same as the Naked 2, in a "pencil tin" type box, which some people don't like but I really don't mind. It holds up well... I've had my Naked 2 for two years now and it's still holding up strong in this packaging, so I can't complain. It may not be as stylish as the Naked palette's original velvety case, but in terms of functionality I've had no issues with it. 

I'm also a fan of the double-ended eyeshadow brush that comes with this palette.

Left to right: Strange, Dust, Burnout, Limit, Buzz, Trick, Nooner, Liar, Factory, Mugshot, Darkside, Blackheart

I just got this palette last week, and aside from swatching them all above, my most used shadows or the ones that I'm loving right off the bat are:

Strange: an off white shimmery shadow that is great for highlighting the inner corners of the eye and the arch of the brow

Burnout: a nice everyday copperish shade with a light shimmer that works all over the lid 

Limit: light rosy neutral; a very pretty shade to contour the crease

Nooner: a rosy taupe color that's good to deepen the crease contour

Darkside: a gunmetal gray color with very subtle pinky purple undertones

Those descriptions are my own, not the official urban decay ones... obviously. I have definitely been loving the Naked 3 palette and recommend it. The rosy neutral shades give a gorgeous, soft, romantic look that is wearable for everyday, but also able to create a lot of fun different looks for any occasion. 

If you don't own ANY of the Naked palettes, I would suggest getting either the original or the 2. If you like those colors and want to play around with some more then get the 3 as well. You can find them here:

Naked*

Naked2

Naked3

Naked Basics

The Naked palette is described as bronze neutrals, Naked 2 more taupe neutrals, and Naked 3 is rosy neutrals. The Naked Basics is a compact palette with about half the shades of the regular sized Naked palettes. Most of the shades are matte, everyday, super wearable and blendable. It's definitely a go-to eyeshadow palette for me. 

The Naked, Naked2, and Naked3 palettes are all $52, and the Naked Basics palette goes for $28. You get 12 shadows in the 3 bigger palettes (works out to $4.33/shade) and 6 shadows in the Basics palette ($4.67/shade). I love these palettes and I definitely think they are worth trying out! 

Are you a Naked palette lover too? What are your favorite Urban Decay products? Let me know!

Spring has sprung: Wishlist

Spring is in the air! Well, kind of. The air is actually freezing today, but nevertheless, Spring is right around the corner. Spring puts me in the mood for light and girly pastel colors, flowers, and candy and rainbows and ponies.

Here are some girly products that I am currently sprung on (pun intended)...

Left to right, Top to bottom: Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush/  Miu miu sunglasses / Jo Malone perfume / Diane James bouquet / Caudalie face care / Urban Decay eyeshadow / Origins facial cleanser/  MAC Cosmetics lipstick / Benefit Cosmetics / Henri Bendel candle / Halogen flat shoes 

The Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush is something that I've seen all over the internet recently. I own two of the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders (in Diffused Light & Luminous Light) and I love them. I think these blushes would be so perfect for the springtime because they give a gorgeous, natural glow and a perfect amount of color. 

I threw in a Jo Malone perfume fragrance because I have had a few tester-size perfumes and loved them all. I also got a Jo Malone body wash for Christmas that I have yet to try out. These products have a strong fragrance, but the scents are very fresh and natural (by natural I mean fruity, floral, earthy scents). This one in Peony & Blush suede is perfect for Spring. 

I've had my eye on the Caudalie face care grape water for a while now, but just can't justify buying it as it is quite expensive for a toner and I still had a toner that wasn't finished yet. Well, now my toner is just down to the last drop and it's pretty much time for a new one. This will probably be a purchase for me in the very near future. 

I have owned the Naked, Naked 2, and Naked Basics palette so I figure this is probably the next Urban Decay eyeshadow palette that's on my list to buy. The Naked 3 palette has more pinky neutral colors which are perfect for getting a lovely soft and feminine look for this time of year. 

I got a tester of the Origins facial cleanser 'Checks and Balances' at Nordstrom when I bought my Clarisonic. I used up all of the tester and now I want to get a full size of this cleanser. It leaves your face feeling so clean (especially with the Clarisonic). It has a fresh, almost minty cool feeling on  your face and gives a deep clean without drying your skin too much. I've been using Origins moisturizers so I think it makes sense to add this cleanser to my routine. 

I don't own any liquid cheek stains, and Benefit cosmetics posie tint is a classic. I've recently been dabbling into the world of cream blushes and think I'm ready to try something new with this cheek stain. It would also be great for the warm weather that is to come as it will stay on your cheeks and give a healthy, radiant flush without looking cakey and it is long lasting. 

Last month I bought a Henri Bendel candle in the scent 'Honeyed Fig' and I am so in love with it. I own about a million candles and this is one of my absolute favorites ever. The scent is so strong and it's sweet without being too artificial or cloyingly sweet. It's amazing and I want to get some other scents to scatter throughout my apartment. This peony one is fresh and floral, perfect for Spring. 

What does Spring/Easter make you think of? What fashion and beauty products are you currently loving? Do you own any of these products or like me want to own any of them? Let me know!

What's in my bag?: Rebecca Minkoff 'Cupid' Satchel

1. Rebecca Minkoff 'Cupid' Satchel

I walked into Nordstrom on one of my vacation days and made a B-line for the handbag section. I approached a friendly looking sales clerk and asked her to show me her current favorite bags in store. Without hesitation, she directed my attention towards the Rebecca Minkoff ‘Cupid’ satchel in black with gold hardware. I was INSTANTLY in love and sold. I didn’t even want to look at any other bags, which I know is silly considering the price tag but I just knew this bag was perfect for me. And I was right. I have used it every day since I bought it. Obsessed is an understatement.

Now onto what's inside.. 

2. iPhone 5

Shocker. Most frequently used item in my purse is obviously my phone. I have a white iPhone 5 and I am currently using a cool reflective case from kate spade saturday. I also have a little purple button stuck on to the home button, which is also from kate spade saturday. I got them on sale at the store in Rice Village in Houston, and I couldn't find them on their website anymore. But they do have cute phone accessories if you want to check them out!

3. Rosebud Lip Salve in Strawberry

I'm a seriously addicted to lip balm/salve/chapstick/anything for your lips. This has been my go-to lip salve for about a decade now and it is an absolute must have for me. I love this stuff. I go back and forth between the original rose and the strawberry versions. It’s inexpensive, feels great, smells good, and doesn’t really add any color to your lips. It’s also very affordable for about $5, and I usually see it at the check-out in Sephora with all the other mini products. 

4. Ralph Lauren "Blue"

This has been my favorite perfume since middle school, and I'm not exaggerating. I remember one of my friends back then wearing it and I definitely copied her and fell in love with this scent. The only unfortunate thing about it is that it's not easy to find these days. I am really not good at describing scents, but it is described online as having "the same casual elegance that defines Polo clothing- crisp nautical-inspired looks and fresh, breezy designs... Lush fragrances for women evoke the waves and sky of a dreamy day at the beach... From sunny afternoons on the sand to cool, breezy evenings watching the sun go down over the water, this fragrance is every leisurely moment wrapped up in one memorable scent." Sounds pretty nice... honestly I have never thought of the beach when smelling this but it is a very nice, classy, everyday scent that lasts all day and also the scent does change a bit as the day goes on, in a good way. Right now I have 2 big bottles of this at my house and I carry a little travel size one in my purse. I consider it my signature scent (even though I technically copied my friend who had it in the 7th grade!)

5. Bite Lip Tint in "Juice"

I know I already had a lip salve on this list, but this gives a tint of color that the Rosebud salve lacks. It's also extremely moisturizing and a great go-to lip color for everyday. It gives a natural corally-red flush to the lips that's not too strong and feels so smooth and buttery. Love it. This has become a new favorite brand for lip products and the packaging is super sleek. I work in a pretty conservative work environment, so if I want to quickly touch up my lipstick I would prefer the packaging be discreet and not some bubble gum pink glittery thing. The tint also stays on your lips for hours. 

6. Headphones

These are an absolute must for me at work and at the gym. I bought these at a CVS when I was out of town on a business trip and they've held up for over a year. 

7. Soap & Glory Hand Food

This is just a really great hand cream and the smell is nice but quite neutral, not at all overpowering. 

8. Benefit's the POREfessional Agent Zero Shine powder

I always keep some sort of blotting powder in my purse to control shine and touch up my makeup throughout the day. Lately I’ve been using this powder by benefit. It’s awesome for throwing in your purse or travelling because it has a brush on one side, and the cap on the other side can be used to put the product in and get it on your brush before you apply it. It’s a good mattifying powder that doesn’t look cakey over your makeup.

9. Evian mineral water spray

This stuff is kind of gimmicky, I know, it’s just water coming out in a mist. But honestly I find it really refreshing and a nice pick-me-up in the middle of the day if my skin feels dry or if it’s really hot outside (which here is often the case here in Texas). I also love this stuff when I’m travelling, because it feels so nice and hydrating. I usually find these at Sephora in two-packs, and a small bottle of this mist usually lasts me for at least 2-3 months. 

10. Altoids (Wintergreen)

Gotta have some mints to keep your breath in check. I almost always eat these two at a time… I don’t know why, one is never enough. It's not unlike me to also have 3 different flavors of gum in my bag at any given time, but right now these Altoids are all I got. 

Other miscellaneous items: Gift cards (to Whole Foods & Starbucks, from my sweet mother), Half-eaten Chocolate Coconut Chew Larabar (delicious vegan & GF snack bars with a great list of ingredients), checkbook, business cards, coupons, receipts, a napkin, pens, a banana, and my security key card thing to get into the office. 

Hope you enjoyed this little peek into my purse! Let me know what your everyday handbag necessities are in the comments!