april beauty favorites

Hey guys! It's been a while since I've done a makeup post, so I thought I'd post my top 5 beauty favorites for the month of April :) if you're interested in my March favorites, just click here!

1. Maybelline Color Tattoo 24hr Cream Gel Eyeshadow in Bad to the Bronze

Wow guys. Just wow. In my March faves, I posted about this product in the color "Too Cool", but this... This was part of my everyday makeup routine for about three weeks. 

Three weeks. I don't know if you guys know this about me, but I usually don't use the same makeup look two days in a row, let alone three weeks. I used it as an all-over-lid color and then dusted a champagne color on top. Apply a little winged eyeliner and a coat of mascara and I was ready to go! This product has definitely been one of my top favorites of April.

2. Wet n Wild MegaLiner Liquid Eyeliner in Black

I've been using this eyeliner every single day this month. No look is complete without black liquid liner, and this is great quality for an amazing price. It dries matte and super black, and the brush is easy enough to use, it just takes practice. I would totally suggest going out to get this liner, you won't be sorry!

3. Wet n Wild Mega Volume Mascara

Okay, so maybe this doesn't give me the most volume, but I love what it does to my lashes. It gives them the perfect amount of "umph" and lets face it, no matter how amazing our lashes are, we all want some extra "umph".

4. Coastal Scents Original 88 palette

I love this palette. It's just so stinkin gorgeous. I love how I could make my face look like I walked through a rainbow if I wanted to. I use this palette everyday for my brows, and I've been using it on my eyes a lot too. 

See the very first row on the left? Yeah? Check out the second color down. I use that as an all-over-lid color. And that gorgeous gold on the second row from the right is my go-to crease color. And for some reason I go for a lot of the pinks in the palette too. I guess it's just a fun way to warm up a look and really make it pop :)

5) Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Retractable Eyeliner

I thought this product deserved an honorable mention in this post because this black eyeliner has been my favorite eyeliner ever since I got it, which was about seven-eight months ago (I have the trio for green eyes). This liner is smooth, creamy, long-lasting, pigmented, and almost gone. No, almost gone is an exaggeration. 

Hmmm.... okay, find a freckle on your body. Seriously, find a freckle. Okay, see the freckle? Well the length of that freckle is the amount of eyeliner I have left in the retractable-thing. I know, it's sad. But I'm gonna get as much use out of it as I can, which will probably only be about two more uses :P

That's it! And yes, I do realize all of these are eye products, but eyes are my main focal point in makeup.

What were your favorite beauty products and/or trends for April? Would you like a review of any of these products? Or a makeup tutorial with them?

-hannah

november favorites

I've decided I'm going to do this at the end of every month. I know it's a little late but better late then never, right? (by the way, these are mainly going to be beauty products, but at the end I'll post some other random things I loved through the month of november.)
So, in no particular order, my favorites!


1) Maybelline Baby Lips in Peach Kiss

omigoodness guys, I cannot tell you how much I love this product. It's truly incredible! Here is the product information:

No more basic lip balm:
• Visibly renewed lips and 8-hr hydration
• The secret: Exclusive lip renew formula with SPF 20
• Protects and moisturizes lips for a full 8 hours
• After 4 weeks, lips are visibly renewed and  reborn
• 6 varieties

now, it doesn't exactly give you 8-hour hydration, but it does make your lips feel incredibly smooth. I must say, it's helped me a lot through the winter months so far. I've been wanting to pick up "quenched", "pink punch", and "cherry me". Also, it's a really wet lip balm. You know Chapstick? How it's really thick feeling? It's not like that.

Now think of ice. No, seriously, just think of ice. You know how if you touch it your finger is wet? Imagine warm ice. Not exactly warm, just room-temperature. That is how deliciously moist this is.

This is absolutely one of my top favorite products of the month, so whenever you get the chance, go pick up some Baby Lips!

2) Physicians Formula: Shimmer Strips Custom Eye Enhancing Shadow and Liner

This handy little palette is the ultimate take-on-a-trip palette. I bring this every single time I go to our mountain house, and it honestly has everything I need. You can make tons of different looks with this palette, it is da bomb. 

Here's the product info:

Enhance your natural eye color with three blendable trios that color, contour and line your eyes for illuminating, high impact.

These are also great gifts. The only thing I would wish was different is the price, because it is a bit pricey, but I guess the quality definitely makes up for it. So whenever you have a chance, go pick up some Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Eyeshadow (by the way, the eyeliner is uh-mazing too!)

3) wet n wild color icon brow & eyeliner in dark brown

To tell you the truth, I didn't expect to like these pencils as much as I do. The first one I bought was in white, and at first I didn't like it at all. It wasn't smooth and it wasn't long-lasting. All in all, I was pretty disappointed. But then, BOOM. A stroke of genius. I took out the pencil again and sharpened it.

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Yeah, that's what fixed it, believe it or not. I was left with a smoother, richer eyeliner that was only a centimeter smaller. Booyah!

Ahem, anywhoooo....... the product information:

Rich, creamy color glides on smoothly without tugging. Incredibly versatile to create a variety of looks.

I have about five of these eye pencils, and I love them all, but I like the brown best because it's the most practical. You can easily smudge it to create a smokey-er look, or you could go for a more natural look by just lightly lining your top and bottom lashlines.

Sooooo, whenever you get a chance, go pick up a wet n wild color icon eyeliner in dark brown!

4) Covergirl Lash Perfection Mascara in Black-Brown

I don't even know how to explain this product guys, I mean really? Seriously? I didn't think it was possible for any mascara to be this good. It doesn't clump, it doesn't make your lashes starchy, and it does an all-around bang-up job. It is my number one go-to mascara.

Product info:

Introducing volume, individually wrapped. The lashwrap brush perfectly surrounds each lash with volumizing mascara, all the way around your eye. Up to 3X the volume vs. bare lashes, how perfect is that!

Now, brace yourselves and pretty please don't break your computer.....

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I'm not a big fan of the LashBlast Volume Mascara. I know, I know, everyone is supposed to love it, but I don't like how starchy it makes my lashes. Maybe it's just because I have the waterproof instead of the normal stuff, but I don't know.

Now, I bought the LashBlast before the Lash Perfection, so naturally I was reluctant to buy another covergirl mascara after my first experience. But since it's relatively cheap (only 6.50!) I thought, "what the heck", and decided to buy it.

Best. Beauty. Decision. Ev-ah!

SO, whenever you get the chance, go pick up some covergirl lash perfection mascara!

5) Milani Color Brilliance Eye Pencil in Aqua

Product info:

I wore this on the first day of school, and besides mascara, my face was clean. I got soooo many compliments on it and there is a reason. Come on, just look at that color!

This is one of my very favorite eye pencils. It's oh-so-smooth, rich, and shimmery. If I'm in a rush in a morning and I haven't thought ahead of time about what I would do for my makeup, I reach for this eyeliner.

So, whenever y–okay! okay! I won't say it, gosh. go pick up some of this awesome eyeliner ;)

6) wet n wild color icon blusher in pearlescent pink

I. Love. This. Blush.

You know the phrase "your lips but better" for lipsticks? This is sort of a "your cheeks but better" sort of blush. It really gives you a natural glow, with the perfect amount of shimmer and a beautiful pale coral color.

Product info:

Sweep on this silky-smooth blush that strikes the perfect balance between a blendable transparent sheen and a radiant pop of maximum color. A special blend of treated nylon powders provides long-lasting color. Dermatologist-tested.

There really is not much more I can say about this. Just go pick up some of this awesome blush!

7) Herbal Essences Tousle Me Softly Mousse

Product info:

my mousse feels like foam and controls like a gel, whipping up loose waves and helping give frizz the kiss-off. I´m a lightweight, so I´ll help you avoid sticky situations and leave you with a soft head. I set the stage for a head that’s anything but crunchy, and I have a fabulous violet splash fragrance to boot! want to put a fine finish on this luscious look? after styling with my mousse, top your tousles with my hairspray or finishing cream.

This foamy goodness smells incredible. Not to mention the great results after using it. For the first couple of times I used this product I did as the directions said, just to spread through wet hair, blow-dry and tousle ;) BUT, one night there wasn't enough time to blow-dry, so I had to just sleep with a towel on my pillow that night so I wouldn't get my pillowcase all wet.

The next morning I got out of bed and stumbled to the bathroom so I could get dressed and do my hair and makeup.

After one glance in the mirror I was happy. I literally did nothing to my hair except for combing my hands through it a couple times. As most of you know, I have naturally curly-q hair, and this stuff gave it volume and really nice........ I don't know. Curls I guess ;)

make sure to pick yourself up some herbal essences tousle me softly mousse!

Yeah, that pretty much concludes my beauty favorites for the month of November! Now on to other random favorites:

Songs

Stereo Hearts-Gym Class Heroes

Love You Like a Love Song-Selena Gomez

You Make Me Feel-Cobra Starship

You and I-Lady Gaga

Back To December-Taylor Swift

Tv Shows

Psych

Monk

The Dick Van Dyke Show (an oldie but goodie ;])

Movies

Temple Grandin

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows pt II

Blogs

pastor's girl's ponderings

J.P. Photography

much love, illy

Well, that's just about it! What were some of your favorites for the month of November? And I would love to hear your opinions about the products I've mentioned, especially the CoverGirl LashBlast mascara. Yea or neigh? Waterproof or non-waterproof?

-hannah

p.s. tomorrow is the last day to enter the giveaway! And please check out my little brother's blog!

A new addiction!

I have a new favorite summer/fall/spring sport:

>>>ULTIMATE FRISBEE!!!!!!!<<< *screams*

Yes, dear readers, I am now in love with ultimate frisbee. Very in love. We have been playing frisbee instead of rundown (which was my favorite) and honestly, I haven't missed rundown at all. Now, if you've played rundown you'll know how amazingly awesome it is. Frisbee is that and then some. Here's how to play:

1. Get your siblings and a bunch of neighbors

2. Get a good frisbee

3. Explain the rules to your neighbors

4. Have fun!!!

Ultimate frisbee is sort of like football only there's no tackling and instead of a football there's a frisbee. There's a kickoff (or rather, in this case, a throw off.) and the receiving team tries to score a touchdown. If the receiving team drops the frisbee then the other team gets it. Also, whoever is holding the frisbee they can only take three steps towards their end-zone and then they have to pass it. Whoever is blocking the person with the frisbee has to stand at arms length (this rule is often broken but no one really cares).
Thats basically all there is to it. If I didn't make myself clear enough then just google "ultimate frisbee rules" and I'm sure it'll come up!

And one more thing (not concerning frisbee):

My left eye has been bothering me for a few weeks now, it being swollen and sometimes  pink and sore, and I have to get it checked soon. We're pretty sure that it's not pink eye and I'm a bit concerned. So say a prayer and cross your fingers that its not some kind of infection. :(((

Until next time!