My 2014 March Favorites

Every month on both of my YouTube channels, I do favorites videos for beauty products and random products.  This month, I decided to create a combined blog post where I can go into more depth about the products and share the information with those of you who may not watch my videos.  So, without further ado, let’s hop in!

Beauty Products

·      Real Techniques Blush Brush

This has been my favorite brush all month, especially when it comes to applying my favorite blush of the month (discussed next).  The bristles are super soft, and dense, so the application is smooth, and gets a great pigmentation from the blush, without giving you the ‘clown look’ that is dreaded amongst all females.  If you’re looking for a middle-ground priced brush that is amazing quality, I highly recommend this brush. It’s not as expensive as a Mac or Sigma brush, but definitely more quality that other drugstore brands.  A definite score all around!

http://amzn.to/1e8haDI

·      Milani Baked Blush (Luminoso)

My go-to blush for the month, Luminos has been a much talked about blush from gurus all over YouTube for basically forever.  I always hesitated getting it, but finally grabbed it with some ExtraBucks that I had at CVS.  It was definitely worth it.  It gives the skin a healthy, beautiful glow, and is very buildable.  You can wear it lightly for a subtle glow, or make a more pink tone with a rose-gold glow, making it extremely versatile for the drugstore price.  I love wearing it both ways, and highly recommend it to you!

http://amzn.to/1ruj9Yx

·      NYX Wonder Pencil (Light)

A relatively new product to the NYX lineup, this product lives up to its name.  It’s the ultimate highlighting pencil.  I love using it to outline my brows to create more definition instead of concealer that I’d been using (and it’s more cost effective), but it also works great as a waterline highlighter, and a lip-liner in reverse.  And who isn’t excited that CVS now carries NYX products??  I definitely am!

http://amzn.to/OVPoAS

·      Tarte Amazonian Clay Finishing Powder

I originally got this item in a post-Black Friday sale at Sephora that came in one of the $10 kits they had with small samples of products.  This is a basic non-colored powder that works with any skin-tone and works as a powder foundation.  I like this better than my old Clinique pressed powder as it makes my face look less chalky, and more polished.  I also have the NYX version of this item that I’m going to be trying in the future to compare.  I highly recommend trying out this type of product if you’re looking to switch up your foundation routine- it’s a simple but effective and powerful change!

http://amzn.to/1nXooAP

·      Essie Ignite the Night nail polish

Ignite the Night is part of the newer glitter collection from Essie.  It’s a gorgeous basic sliver glitter that just works perfectly with any shade or accent that you wish to create.  I’ve been looking for something like this for ages, and finally found it in this polish, and I’ve loved it this month.  I’ve been using it with almost every manicure I’ve done (and I re-do my nails almost every 2-3 days!).

http://amzn.to/1hW4EpS

·      Clean & Clear Morning Burst Hydrating Gel Moisturizer

A new moisturizer for me, this gel one is pretty darn amazing.  It doesn’t leave my skin feeling greasy, and works well with my naturally acne-prone, oily skin.  Plus, it makes the skin feeling fresh and clean after applying.  I haven’t been using it very long, but so far, I haven’t had any issues with it, and am definitely loving it!  If you’re in the market for a new moisturizer and don’t want to spend a ton of money, I would definitely check out this one!

http://amzn.to/1hW4IpF

Random Favorites

·      iPhone

A few months ago, I joined team iPhone!  I can’t even begin to say how jazzed I was about this tech change in my life, especially after months of phone issues with multiple replacements (I’m not even kidding).  I got the blue iPhone 5C.  I know this isn’t considered the “top of the line” iPhone model, but it’s absolutely perfect for me.  It does everything I want it to, and has served me perfectly.   If you’re looking into making the switch to an iPhone but are hesitant, this is an excellent option and is a cheaper one compared to the 5S.

·      VSCOcam

VCSOcam is my #1 photo editing app for my Instagram pictures.  I know editing pictures for Instagram isn’t very important, but I enjoy taking a few minutes to do this, and this is a great app to do everything all in one step.  You can apply filters, change the saturation, fade, crop, and do so much more, and then save the edited photo to your camera roll.  If you’re just as into Instagram as I am, I highly recommend checking out this FREE app!

·      Allegiant (book)

This month I’ve been reading the final book in the Divergent trilogy, Allegiant.  I’ll admit to you guys, that I’m not as thrilled as I had been about the other books in the series, but I do like it. 

http://amzn.to/1jDHc1R

·      Divergent (film)

I’m not going to jump into too much detail about the film Divergent as I gave some detail on it in a recent post (linked at the end), but I will say I loved it!

Buy the soundtrack: http://amzn.to/1m4jJbx

·      Frozen (film)

Another film I mentioned in the previous post, I LOVED this movie.  So adorable, so hilarious, and just perfect.  Even if you’re older, I highly recommend this movie!!

http://amzn.to/OWLzuY

·      “Let it Go” – Frozen Soundtrack

The most popular song to come out of the film Frozen this song has been on repeat on my Spotify player ever since I saw the film.  It’s such a powerful song, has incredible vocals, and the animation that matched it in the film is absolutely mind blowing.  I’ve linked the ‘music video,’ or the clip from the movie that goes along with the song, that Disney Animation released.  It’s beautiful- I suggest giving it a watch!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moSFlvxnbgk

Buy the song: http://amzn.to/1dKYWVh

Buy the entire soundtrack: http://amzn.to/1m4jehN

Check out my previous post where I talk more about Divergent here:

http://constantcomments1.blogspot.com/2014/03/update-i-visited-jmu-divergent-movie.html

My Spring Nail Polish Picks

Spring has finally sprung, and being the nail polish fiend that I am, I thought I’d share with you my top spring nail polish picks.  I love the colors that are classified as spring polishes – they’re probably my most worn colors.  I don’t typically stick to nail polish trends and wear random colors all year round, but when it comes to spring, my habits change.

OPI Cajun Shrimp

I first discovered this color at my local nail salon.  A perfect pedicure color, this is almost what I would describe as a ‘salsa red.’  It’s a bright red, perfect for spring, with what I would say has pink-y undertones to it, so it’s not an extreme red color. 

http://amzn.to/1h1seDv

OPI Kiss Me On My Tulips

A bright pink/magenta color, this is a great color for people looking for a fun spring color that has a more polished look.  It’s a fun spring color, but isn’t a ‘wild’ color such as a blue or green, so it’s great and appropriate to wear to a professional job.

http://amzn.to/ONQKhj

China Glaze Flip Flop Fantasy

I feel like I’m constantly talking about this color.  It’s probably one of my first colors that I got from a ‘professional’ nail polish brand, and it remains on my favorite colors.  I neon pink color, this color is absolutely perfect for spring and summer.  I love wearing this when I need a pick-me-up, it brightens my mood, and just makes a great accessory.

http://amzn.to/1gRyQQx

Essie In the Cab-Ana

A gorgeous baby-blue that is still bright and vibrant, I almost like this more than China Glaze’s For Audrey.  This color is right up my alley, as any tiffany-blue like color is my favorite shade of all time (for anything).  It came out last year, and blew up blogs, YouTube, everything.  I got it the instant I heard about it, and it hasn’t disappointed.

http://amzn.to/ONR6nW

Essie Avenue Maintain

I have never heard anyone talk about this color, and I have no clue why.  It is an absolutely gorgeous bright blue color, that is great for blue ombre nails.  (I also wear it on its own, ombre just is how I discovered it)  It isn’t super dark, not super light, it’s that perfect middle ground color that isn’t dull or boring.

http://amzn.to/1gRzc9W

Essie To Buy Or Not To Buy

I admit, I first bought this color as pretty much a joke just because of the name.  But it quicky became my favorite pastel purple, beating out OPI, China Glaze, and Sally Hansen Shades that I own.  It does have a slight shimmer to it, but that only makes it better.  It looks perfect.  I really can’t say anymore than that.

http://amzn.to/1dpxqlC

Essie Ignite the Night

I discovered this after watching Nikki Phillipi’s nail polish video recently, but it’s absolutely my favorite glitter polish to wear.  It’s just a perfect silver polish.  The concentration ratio of glitter is great, it’s a great quality- definitely the best glitter I’ve ever used.  Getting it off can be a pain, as with all glitters, BUT if you use pure acetone then it’s a breeze.

http://amzn.to/1h1tAOL

Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Mint Sorbet

This is my all-time favorite mint green color.  I saw a girl wearing this in a class at JMU years ago, and went to the store immediately after class to find the color.  I had no idea the brand, name – nothing.  I just knew I’d find it.  Yes, extremely creepy of me.  But I succeeded and proudly wore my stalker polish.  And I love it.

http://amzn.to/1iunzKa

Update: I Visited JMU, Divergent Movie, and I Finally Saw Frozen

So this past weekend, I took a little trip to JMU to visit some friends and take a nice weekend away from home to relax and just get out of my ‘bubble.’  It was definitely a relaxing weekend, though we definitely did a bunch of stuff, and I did get some productive stuff done (meaning, I did actually get some job applications filled out, things like that).

The whole weekend trip started with the planning around the opening of the movie “Divergent.”  Based on Veronica Roth’s incredible book, I was thrilled when I heard this movie was in production, and being a huge fan, got Brittany into the series, and got her just as excited about the movie as I was.  We got tickets for the 8pm Thursday night showing, and anxiously waited weeks for the date to arrive.

MILD MOVIE SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!

The movie definitely didn’t disappoint.  I loved it.  I was a tad confused as to why the plot was out of order from the book, but overall, it wasn’t a huge deal.  Theo James definitely impressed me, and I will admit I’m slightly obsessed with him now.  :D  And the moment at the end of the film when Tris is running towards the train and she yells, “I’ve got it,” and Tobias says, “I know you do,” my heart just melted.  I couldn’t help it- I’m such a softie. 

There was one thing that bothered me about the film.  When the simulation was about to be shut down by Jeanine (a plot change that wasn’t too big of a deal to me, though it may be to others), it showed on the monitors, the Dauntless soldiers lining up the Abnegation and positioning them on their knees, and preparing them to be shot.  This reminded myself, and Brittany, much of a Terrorist action.  To me, this was too realistic, and just too ‘real-life’ to be put into the film.  While I understand that there was only so many ways this scene could be depicted on film, I just think the drastic route that was taken was too extreme given the international climate of the day.  Perhaps this is how it was described in the book and I don’t remember the details of it, but when put into film and seeing it visually, it is different.  Let me know what your thoughts on this piece of the film are, I’d love to hear your thoughts, and comments!

END MOVIE SPOILERS!!!

When the University Program Board puts on a Free Movie Night in the Grafton Movie Theater, it’s usually a great hit.  This past weekend was no exception.  On Friday night, the theater was packed to capacity for the free showing of Frozen, which Brittany and I saw (I was so excited, as I’ve been living under a rock, and hadn’t seen the movie!).  I absolutely loved the movie.  It was even better than I imagined it to be, had such an adorable plot, and who couldn’t love the hilarity found in the lovable snowman Olaf.  If you haven’t seen that film, I highly, HIGHLY suggest you do it!

It was definitely a great weekend!  I’m so glad I got the chance to get away from my ‘normal’ routine at home, get a break from the ordinary, and mix things up, even if it was for a short amount of time.  I definitely miss being at JMU and with Brittany all the time in the condo.  And I did manage to get some job applications sent in when she had to take some time to get some assignments done, so it wasn’t a totally unproductive weekend – so I feel pretty good about that. 

What were you all up to this past weekend?  Let me know what you did, what your exciting spring break plans were/are, what you’ve got coming up in your life, all of that fun stuff!  I’d love to get to know you all better!!

Luvocracy: The New and Improved Pinterest?

For those of you that don’t know what Luvocracy is, it is the latest and greatest social media site, a lot like Pinterest, with one major difference.  You can now SHOP directly off of the site!  I think all of us (and ladies let me hear ya!), can relate to that moment when we see a great product (or adorable outfit) on Pinterest, yet then have no idea how to find said item.  Well, that changes on Luvocracy.

With this new tool, when you “Luv” an item, you are able to see the price and the Luvocracy team handles obtaining the item and shipping it to you, should you choose to purchase it.  I myself have purchased off of the site, this is how I acquired my much beloved Naked1 palette, and I can say the experience was completely safe, and hassle-free.  Luvocracy went to Sephora, got the item for me, and had it shipped to my house, for me.  AND I was able to use the $10 item credit you get just for joining the site.

Yes.  You can earn money by using Luvocracy.  When people purchase items directly off of items that you’ve “Luv’d,” you essentially earn a commission, in the form of Luvocracy store credit.  Don’t worry though, because there is no way you won’t find something to spend it on!

Want to follow me on Luvocracy?  Come check out the site, and see the magic for yourself!  I am constantly updating my profile with new items and collections, you will never know what you’ll find!

http://www.luvocracy.com/constantcomments

Until Next time, Happy SHOPPING!

Allison