What I got for Christmas 2015! Christmas Haul

These are the main gifts that I got from my parents and grandma.

 Stocking Stuffers from Santa. 

My friends got me some of the cutest gifts ever!

They know me too well! The 'C' even lights up! They are all so thoughtful.

The only thing is asked for this year was this Furry Throw. Ah! I'm still obsessing over it! 

I had a wonderful Christmas this year! I was able to have all of my siblings and grandparents there. This Christmas is one I won't forget! I'm super thankful for everything I was given. I am very fortunate that I have all of my needs fulfilled. And my amazing family still is able to give me the things am wanting. I love this time of year that we have to reflect on our Savoir, Jesus Christ. I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

-C

Christmas 2015 Outfit

Mock Turtleneck: tjmaxx, Similar Here

Denim Jacket: Urban Outfitters, Similar Here

Black jeans: American Apparel Easy Jean, Cheaper Option

Chunky Boots: H&M

Bracelets: Forever 21, Similar Set Here

Red Bag: Coach, Similar

Lipstick: OCC Stalker

Merry Christmas!! The red Coach bag is the focus of this outfit. To me it has a Santa vibe but in the best way possible. It brings festivity to this neutral outfit. I bought the mock turtleneck at Tjmaxx for under $10 and I also got the jacket on sale at Urban Outfitters for $10. These jeans are my favorite jeans I own. They are American Apparel Easy Jeans; they are pricey but are a great investment piece. They are super high waisted, which I looove. And they are great quality and flattering on everyone in my opinion. Since they are black, they go with everything! The boots are my chunky boots from H&M. Bracelets are from F21 and the lipstick is OCC lip tar in stalker. Which they recently changed their packaging from the squeeze tubes to a doe-foot applicator. So all of the old packaged lipsticks are currently on sale at Sephora and other places. I think the old packaging was cuter but the new packaging is more convenient. I hope everybody had a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!! 

-C

No Holiday Party Blues Here

White Flowy Dress: Local Boutique Similar Here, sparkle party option

Faux Leather Jacket: Similar Here

Gold Chain: Forever 21 Similar

Lipstick: Nars Heat Wave

Chunky Boots: H&M

Purse: Michael Kors

Holiday party outfit. This outfit has two great wardrobe staples: a leather jacket and a simple dress. This dress is flowy, which is often associated with summer but I still think it's a great transitional staple. Layers are an easy way to transition summer pieces into the winter. A jacket and tights are not only easy but look nice. The darker colors really bring a winter vibe to this outfit. The leather jacket also toughens up the outfit, along with the chunky boots. The blue bag and red lip make the outfit fun and more of a party look. Finished with a gold chain from Forever 21. Even though the jacket has silver hardware, I think the gold looks nice against it. Mixing metal totally works.

-C

Swept Away by this Duster: Outfit

Duster Cardigan: Target

Flannel: Thrift

Gold Chain necklace: Forever 21

Black jeans: American Apparel Easy Jean, Cheaper Option

Steve Madden Booties: Similar Here

Lipstick: Mac Velvet Teddy

This outfit is causal, comfy, and still super cute.  A duster cardigan would make a good addition to anybody's closet. It adds a different element to any outfit, creating a lot of looks. This particular duster I bought at Target for 40% off. All winter wear is currently 40% off. 

-C

Palette Showdown: Smashbox Full Exposure vs Lorac Pro

I'm super excited about this post! Today I will be comparing Full Exposure from Smashbox & the Lorac Pro  palette and telling you guys which is a bust and which is a must. 

Both companies have come out with a sequel to the palettes but these are the originals in both lines. I love products from both Smashbox and Lorac. I am not smashing the brand, I just personally believe that one of these palettes is significantly better than the other. 

These two palettes are very similar in the fact that they are both neutral palettes. Both contain a row of matte and a row of shimmer. It's nice because they are very versatile and you can create many types of looks. Both palettes come with a decent sized mirror which is always a plus! Both palette's packaging are a magnetized closure and a cardboard material, so they are not ideal or durable for travel. The material of both palettes cling to everything and difficult to clean. 

This is the Lorac Pro Palette, it contains 16 colors and comes with an eyeshadow primer. This is normally $42 but I purchased mine 30% off at Kohl's with my charge card (Khol's is a cool place to buy makeup and having a charge card can get you a lot of great deals as well as using Kohl's Cash towards makeup.. I love mine). This is a warm-neutral palette that works with any eye color or skin tone. It's nice because it does have color, but it is all very wearable. So even if you're someone who doesn't like colored shadow, this palette makes it easy to incorporate pops of color.

These are the swatches from Lorac Pro. All of the swatches in this post are one swipe of the finger and only one swipe onto the arm without using any sort of primer or base. First off, these are probably the softest eyeshadows I have ever used. They were super creamy, bendable, and pigmented. The colors show up the same on the eyelid as they do on the swatch. You can build up these colors more than the swatches show. There are only 2 out of the 16 colors I am not happy with. The LT. Pink (4th, top row) is the dud and does not swatch well or sit well on the eye, it definitely lacks pigmentation. Slate (last one, bottom row) could use some more pigmentation in my opinion. It is hard to pick a favorite but if I had to pick 3 favorites, (which is hard enough) I would choose; firstly, Garnet (6th, bottom row) which is a very warm, reddish-copper. It is not a color a lot of palettes incorporate but should because it looks good on a lot of different eye colors. As you can see from the swatch it is very pigmented. Next I absolutely love LT. Bronze (4th, bottom row). It doesn't look super exciting from the picture but is so creamy and personally makes my blue eyes pop! Lastly, I would pick Taupe (3rd, top row). It is a great matte and has a nice undertone that you could even use to contour the nose. It is the perfect crease shade that can be incorporated into any look. The mattes are just as soft as the shimmers- I would even describe most of the shimmers as metallic. I love this palette! If I could recommend one palette to anyone, it would be this.

This is the Full Exposure palette from Smashbox. It contains 14 colors and is a whopping $52. This palette comes with a really nice dual ended brush that does create a full look without needing to incorporate any other brushes. Another benefit of this palette is that it has both warm and cool colors. In my opinion, it really goes downhill from here. 

These are the swatches. Again, one swipe of the color and then only one swipe onto the arm. This palette looks so pretty in the packaging but it does not swatch how I would have hoped, at all. I will say this, the S4 (center, top row) does swatch well and is a great highlight on the eyes. These shadows are stiffer than my preference and do not blend very well. Not only does it lack pigmentation on the swatches but is almost worst on the eyelids. It does not wear well with or without primer. The shimmery shades just contain sparkle rather than a metallic finish. Overall I was disappointed with this palette and would not recommend buying it. 

with flash

without flash

I think the comparison swatches speak for themselves. 

It is clear who has my heart! I would recommend buying the Lorac Pro to anyone who is interested in a great, everyday eyeshadow palette. Also if you don't have a Kohl's charge card, Ulta is giving out 20% off coupons in the mail!

I hope you guys enjoyed my comparison/review of these two palettes.

-C 

Naughty or Nice? I'm Neutral: Makeup

I started with Smashbox Primer Water.  

Then, I used Clinique Acne Fighting Solution Liquid Foundation. For best results with this foundation, apply it with a brush. I used the Real Techniques Complexion Brush for my foundation. This brush can only be bought in a set of four, but it is worth it! 

Then I used Laura Mercier Flawless Portable Book as a light highlight. The darker shade was used as a subtle cream contour. 

Cody Airspun Powder was used with a BH Cosmetics Stippling Brush. 

Under the eyes, I used Elf Under Eye Setting Powder. I used the Contour Brush from the Real Techniques Core Collection set listed above.

Bronzer is Mattifying Bronzer by Jouer. I used Flower Ultimate Powder Brush to apply this. Bronzer was also used in the crease as eyeshadow using a Morphe Crease Brush. For the highlight I used Wet nWild Creme Brulee Single Eyeshadow, which is super creamy and pigmented for only $.99 cents. 

Abh Dip Brow Pomade in taupe to get those brows in check. Use this product very lightly because it comes on really dark. A little goes a long way. 

My eyeliner is Mac Black Track Fluidline Eyeliner. I applied a thin line along my lash line and in my tight line to make the color of my eyes pop. My mascara is from Covergirl. Specifically the Star Wars line. It's currently my favorite mascara. I prefer it over high end mascaras that I have tried. 

Lips finished the look with Nars Audacious Lipstick in vivid orange red. I lined my lips with Too Faced Perfect Lips in Perfect Red. 

If you could only buy one item from this list, I would totally recommend the Elf Under Eye Setting Powder. It is only $3 and is one of my all time favorite products. It makes your under eye look flawless.

With a red lip, I like to keep the rest of the look very neutral. It helps the color pop even more and become the focus of the look. Most of this makeup was purchased using coupons and discounts. Keep watch for my post on high-end finds for less!

-C

Naughty or Nice? I'm Neutral: Outfit

Vest: American Eagle similar here

Sweater: American Eagle 

Scarf: American Eagle similar here

Bag: Michael Kors similar here

Jeans: American Eagle similar here

Shoes: Target on sale currently for $13 

Watch: American Eagle similar here

If you are going to go for fur, work it into your outfits in small amounts. You can never go wrong with neutrals and layering. Neutrals are my favorite things to wear, especially in the winter. They are easy to pair, timeless, and versatile. 

American Eagle is a great brand for wardrobe staples and statement pieces. Often, they have an entire store BOGO (buy one get one 50% off) with the possibility of doubling up on coupons. Winter wear is 40% off right now - go check it out! They have nice quality clothing and their selection is great! Pretty much this entire outfit is from American Eagle. What can I say? I love America and eagles.

- C