May Favorites 2013

Hello Friends!

There are only 4 days left of May so I figured I'd do my May Favorites. I've never done monthly favorites posts before but they are my favorite to read and watch on YouTube. Someday I hope to be on YouTube too!

I want to have my monthly favorites divided up into 4 sections:

BEAUTY // FASHION // FOOD // HUMAN

I want to have a few from beauty and maybe one or two from fashion and food and one for human. The human category is basically who I've been following or just being a little obsessed over the past month :)

I have 9 favorites this month so I'll go ahead and get started!

BEAUTY

The Forever 21 21 piece palette in Brown/ Taupe.

It has been in two of the past blogs this weekend and I've posted it on my Instagram @sksinatra. I just LOVE the color payoff and the mix of shimmer and matte shadows. Almost every day I grab this palette and create a new look with it. I ordered it from the Forever 21 website about the middle of May and it arrived FAST and had quickly become a favorite in my collection.

The Revlon Photo Ready BB Cream with SPF 30 in 020 Light Medium.
During the summer I hate wearing liquid foundation I would usually wear in the winter. In the summer here in California it's hot and pretty miserable so I want to have something on my face that is light but also has an SPF and BB Creams are usually the answer! Last year I was wearing the Garnier BB Cream but realized it was working great the first half of the bottle and I felt like the second half was oily and heavy. Yuck! I love this stuff because it's light but gives a good amount of coverage and keeps me protected from that hot sun!

The Maybelline Mega Plush Mascara. Okay so I have about 4 Maybelline macaras and I go back and fourth between all of them since I ran out of my favorite (Falsies!!) but refuse to repurchase Falsies until I use up at least 2 of these other Maybellines. I know I'll be using this one up here soon because I've been using it EVERY DAY. I love how long and full it makes my lashes look! I have fine, thin hair and that goes to my brows and lashes too so I feel like I have to work extra hard when it comes to all hair products. I will definitely be repurchasing this mascara when I do run out because I seriously don't think I could live without it.

NYX Blush in Pinched.
This is a blush that kind of got put away and forgot about. I had been using The Balm's Hot Mama like crazy and decided one day this month to go through my blushes and see what else I have! I found my lovely Pinched and have been using it every day. I bought this blush from Ulta after watching a YouTube video from MissGalmorazzi but can't remember now what video it was. It looks brand new still and I've been using it every day. It makes me want to go back to Ulta and buy out there blushes! It's such a pretty peachy pink and it leaves a nice sunkissed glowy look on my cheeks. Definitely will be kept out for the summer months!

Rome Honeysuckle Amor 2 in 1 body scrub + wash from Bath and Body Works.
Okay so I had a coupon a few weeks back for the "Buy one signature item get one free." You know, those coupons they give you EVERY TIME you buy something?! Well I was in there looking around and couldn't decide what I wanted. I have enough sprays and lotions and soaps. I walked past their Rome collection and saw THIS. I am a huge sucker for body washes that have scruby beads in them and decided this was it! I use it almost every day but it has been my go-to body wash item that wakes me up in the morning and gets all the dead skin (sorry TMI!) off my legs!

FOOD

My beloved NutriBullet.
I went crazy with this thing last January when I bought it but soon forgot about it and it sat on my kitchen counter until recently. During the spring and summer months here in California it is so hot you seriously don't feel like eating. I've realized a NutriBlast is the best thing not only for my body but to get nutrients in me too!
This is one I made yesterday and posted to Instagram (@sksinatra). It was two handfuls of spinach, one banana, and two handfuls of frozen mixed berrries. Boy was it good. If you like juicing or just like making smoothies but your blender leaves chunks and it grosses you out... YOU NEED THIS. It grinds everything down so fine it has no chunks. It extracts out the the nutrients your body needs and makes it into a delicious fruity (or veggie) drink!

Lipton Diet Green Tea Citrus.
Hello 0 calorie and 0 sugars green tea! I've been needing some green tea in my life and these Lipton bottles make it an easy on the go thing. I buy a 12 pack from my local grocery store and drink about 1-2 of these a day when I'm not drinking water. My sister buys the diet green tea with raspberry kind but I like sticking with good old citrus. Go pick some up if you like green tea but always remember to recycle :)

FASHION

Stripped Fitness Tank Tops from Walmart.
I pretty much live in work out clothes and when I saw these I had to buy them! They're just a flowy kind of top with the racerback style. I have been wearing these like crazy!
I posted this photo on my Instagram about a week ago...

and have been getting compliments like crazy about how good I look in that color!
I really like these because they're also lightweight and breathable during exercise or just lounging in. I wear them to work a lot also, as seen above! :)

HUMAN

Emily Eddington!
I absolutely have been LOVING her this month! She is so sweet and smart and knows what they heck she is talking about! She gives great reviews and tutorials and almost everything she mentions I go out and buy! The Forever 21 palette... I bought because of her!
Please check out her YouTube channel or Twitter or Instagram or Blog (all usernames below)! You will fall in love with her!          
Twitter @emilynoel83
Instagram @emilynoel83
Blog www.beautybroadcast.net
YouTube www.youtube.com/emilynoel83

And that's it for my May Favorites! I hope you enjoyed! Please comment or follow my blog and follow me on Instagram!
Until next time-
Samantha                                          

Current Makeup Collection + Storage!

Hello Friends!

I recently bought a couple organizers and wanted to post my current makeup collection and storage.

I don't have too much but I love reading/ seeing these kinds of things because it gives me ideas so I thought I'd post mine! 

I store all of my makeup related items and get ready every morning in my bathroom. Above is a picture of my makeup and brushes on my bathroom counter. 

I store my Scentsy with current wax melt Cranberry Pear from the new Febreze Home Collection line, two storage containers, the 100 piece eyeshadow palette from ELF and the 21 piece eyeshadow palette in Brown/ Taupe from Forever 21, and two brush holders I created myself using the 3 wick candle jars from Bath and Body Works and scrapbook paper (you can see in a past blog post titled "DIY Weekend") containing face and eye brushes. 

Below are more detailed pictures of everything on my counter and in my organizers.

On my counter!

The Nature's Haven Mid Size Scensty Warmer.
Not sure if they still have this warmer. I recieved it as a gift a couple of years ago.
The wax melt is the Cranberry Pear scent from the Fabreze Home collection.
I bought the melts at Walmart.

The ELF 100 piece palette and the Forever 21 21 piece palette in Brown/ Taupe.
I use both of these palettes regularly and they both are amazing quality with great color payoff. 

ELF palette

Forever 21 palette

Left: Face Brushes
Right: Eye Brushes
Still need little marbles or something to put at the bottom
to make the brushes stand up nice!

And that's about it for the counter!

Everything behind and off to the right are my leave-in conditioners and face lotions and toners. If you'd like a detailed blog post about those things please ask! :)

Now for the organizers!

LIQUID FOUNDATIONS
Top:
 MAC Studio Tinted Moisturizer with SPC 15
From left to right:
Revlon ColorStay
NYX Stay Matte Not Flat
Make Up For Ever HD Foundation
Revlon Photo Ready BB Cream

EYESHADOWS
You can't see everything in here because it's so packed but here it goes!
In the BACK:
Wet and Wild 3 pan palettes in Walking on Eggshells, I'm Getting Sunburned, and Knock On Wood
Under those I have:
Revlon PhotoReady Palette in Impressionist
A Senna 3 pan palette in Cocoa Nudes
3 ELF Baked eyeshadows in Bark, Toasted, and Pixie
FRONT LEFT SIDE:
Hard Candy palette in Naturally Gorgeous
Physicians Formula palette in Nude
MIDDLE:
4 NYX Jumbo Eye Pencils in Black Bean, Iced Mocha, Milk, and Yogurt
3 Maybelline Color Tattoos in Tough as Taupe, Too Cool, and Bad to the Bronze
FRONT RIGHT SIDE:
2 NYX Shadow Singles in Flamingo and Leather and Lace

BLUSHES AND BRONZERS
STARTING FROM BACK LEFT:
Rimmel Match Perfection Blush in Light
2 LA Color Blushes that have no color name
NYX Blush in Pinched
 2 NYC Bronzing Powders in Hamptons Radiance and Fire Island Tan
ELF Contouring Blush and Bonzer in Blushed/ Bronzed
The Balm Bronzer in Bahama Mama
The Balm Blush in Hot Mama

LIP PRODUCTS
VERY BACK:
Lush Sweet Lips Lip Scrub
MIDDLE LEFT TO RIGHT:
Revlon Lip Butters in Strawberry Shortcake and Creme Brulee
Maybelline Baby Lips in Pink Punch, Quenched, and Peach Kiss
NYX Lipsticks in Minimalism and Papparazzi
FRONT LEFT TO RIGHT:
Maybelline Color Whispers in A Plum Prospect, Mad For Magenta,
Made-It Mauve, Rose Of Attraction, Coral Ambition, Berry Ready,
and Some Like It Taupe
Revlon Lipstick in Skyline Pink

CONCEALERS AND POWDERS
BACK 3 POWDERS FROM LEFT:
Covergirl Clean Pressed Powder, ELF Tone Correcting Powder,
Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay In Place Powder
CONCEALERS FROM LEFT:
Covergirl Cover Stick in Fair
Maybelline Age Rewind Dark Circles Eraser in Light Pale
Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer in Radiant
ELF Eyelid Primer in Sheer
ELF Concealer and Highlighter in Light/ Glow
Covergirl Cover Stick Corrector Concealer in Green

EYE BROWS AND LASHES
FROM TOP LEFT:
ELF Eyebrow Kit in Light
Garnier Skin Renew Dark Spot Corrector
NYX Matte Finishing Spray
Revlon Brow Fantasy in Brunette
Revlon Eyelash Curler
Maybelline Colassal Volum' Cat Eyes
Maybelline The Rocket
Maybelline Mega Plush
Maybelline One by One

I also have a small carrying makeup bag that I keep with me at all times in my purse..

Maybelline Pure Stay Powder Foundation SPF 15 in Buff
EOS in the Raspberry kind
Nivea Lip Butter Vanilla and Macadamia Kiss

Woo! That was a long post and took forever! I hope you all enjoyed and leave comments if you have any questions :)

Until next time-

Samantha

Ulta, Bath and Body Works, and Claire's HAUL + mini review!

Instagram @sksinatra

Hello Friends! 

I've had an itch to shop lately and so I went this morning! I really didn't get too much but I thought I'd share because everyone loves hauls right?!

ULTA

First I stopped in to Ulta mainly for NYX because there were some things I wanted to pick up and they had a buy one get one 50% off sale! Woo Hoo!

From Left to Right I picked up:

Earth Therapeutics Tea Tree Oil Foot Repair Balm

Nivea Lip Butter in Vanilla and Macadamia Kiss

Garnier Skin Renew Dark Spot Corrector 

NYX Matte Finish Setting Spray

NYX Stay Matte But Not Flat Liquid Foundation in Nude

NYX Lipstick in Minimalism

NYX Lipstick in Paparazzi

NYX Nude Matte Shadow in Leather and Lace

NYX Shadow in Flamingo.

I watch Casey Holmes on YouTube and she RAVES about NYX all the time. She especially loves the Stay Matte Not Flat line because of her oily skin. I too have oily skin and decided to give it a shot. I wish I would have picked up the powder also because I'm wearing the liquid foundation now and I AM IN LOVE. My face has not looked this good... I don't think EVER. My face is super matte and not shiny at all. I walked in to my sisters room this morning and she imediately noticed I didn't look "sick". The pigmentation of my skin when I don't wear makeup or even when I do but not enough leaves my skin looking "sick". I look healthy and glowy and I uploaded this photo to my Instagram this morning. The pictures don't do my face justice. She also RAVES about the Stay Matte Setting Spray. I also used that this morning and it has a STRONG vinegar smell but it fades quickly and just helps my face stay matte and keeps my makeup in place!

I seriously need to run back and buy the matching powder.

The rest of the NYX items I just wanted to try. I've been wanting some light nude/ pink eyeshadow and the lipsticks looked pretty.

The Garnier Dark Spot Corrector I got because of the "dark spots" my acne has left behind. I don't have serious acne I just have a problem picking at the bumps when I get them leaving behind a dark spot or an acne scar. This serum says I should see improvment in 4 weeks. I think I already do though! It immeditately brightened up my face and made everything more even toned.

The foot cream I picked up just because it's summer and I wear a lot of sandals so my heels get super dry and cracked so I wanted a good cream to help keep them soft and moisturized. 

I also watch Ingrid or MissGlamorazzi on YouTube and she's mentioned the Nivea Lip Butters a few times. I looked at my local drugstores (Walgreens and CVS) but had no luck. When I spotted them in Ulta I grabbed the Vanilla Macadamia one and it smells good and makes my lips soft and shiny :)

CLAIRES

I gave my sister a gift card for Claries for Christmas and she never used it so she gave it back to me :) While at the mall I stopped in and picked up a pack of earrings. A cute 6 pack with owls, bicycles, keys, flowers, the Eiffel Tower, and cameras! I took the bikes and put them in my ears..

and my sister took the owls...

and the rest are hanging up in my bathroom... :)

BATH AND BODY WORKS

Bath and Body Works has been coming out with a butt load of candles recently and the international line has been calling to me. 

I stopped in yesterday to check out their new candles and fell in love with a London inspired and Greek inspired candles. The first one I picked is the London Calling Tea and Lemon. Whoa baby is it good. It literally smells like a tea with lemon. The bottom description says "A royal blend of tea, lemon, and sugar. Great traditions from across the pond!" The second one I picked is the Sea to Santorini Blue Water and White Sails. This one is hard to describe. It kind of has a florally but earthy kind of smell. The description reads "A refreshing mixture of Neroli blossoms, seawater, and sparkling orange inspired by a day of island-hopping! Ready for an amazing odyssey!"

They really did good with these new candles and I want to go back and buy more! The lids are cute too!

I already want to get back to all of these stores and buy more things! unfortunately I must wait until pay day!!

Please visit my Instagram @sksinatra and follow for pictures that don't make it on to the blog!

Until next time- 

Samantha 

DIY Weekend!

Hello Friends!

I've had quite a few 3 wick candle jars from burnt up candles sitting around and I finally decided to do something with them! I visited my nearest Michael's Craft Store, picked up some scrapbook cardstock, Elmer's craft glue and had a super awesome time adhering and creating pretty jars for things! The one thing I FORGOT was some type of marble to put in the bottom :( 

First I had to firgure out a way to get the left over wax out of the jar. I quickly googled the best ways to get candle wax out of jars and one way was to put the jars in the freezer and wait a couple hours. When you pull them out you pop out the wax and BAM they're ready to use! I wanted to save some pieces to use in my Scentsy warmer so I put some in Ziploc bags and put them in the freezer :)

Then it was on to the crafts!

Once they were all done I set them up in my bathroom and added the things I wanted. I know I wanted to use a couple for makeup brushes and they look wonderful but I definitely need to pick up some marbles ASAP to make them stand up right!

One I used for Q-Tips

And one I used for my Tooth Brushes!

Definitely can't wait to get marbles! 

My sister took the other feather jar and is using it for her tooth brushes :)

Has anyone else repurposed their Bath and Body Works 3 wick jars?

I'd love to see what you have done!

Until next time-

Samantha

Bath and Body Works: Candles

Two blog posts in the same weekend?! YAY :)!

As many of you know, Bath and Body Works 3-wick candles are expensive. $19.50 each! So when they have a 2 for $20 sale and every one after is $10, you jump on it! That's basically buy one get one free and then if you're buying more than 2 you get those $10 dollars off! They don't have these sales very often but they have been recently. Probably because of the holiday season fast approaching but they just had one of these sales 3 weeks ago and are having another RIGHT NOW! Go! Run to Bath and Body Works :)

They have just launched their Winter season candles and I saw a few online I thought I would like. Here are pictures and the description of the candles I picked up this morning and then the candles I picked up in the sale 3 weeks ago-

3-wick:

'Tis The Season: "Deep green pine, rich red apples and a touch of golden cider blend to create a timeless and heartwarming holiday scent" This candle smells really cinnamon-y but really sweet. You can definitely smell the sweetness of the apples. I'm excited to burn this one!

Snowed In: "Spend the day indoors, away from the cold wind, decorating for the perfect holiday with the inspiring fragrance of fresh juniper, sugared sap and sage" This is a powerful scent! I can seriously smell this one over every other candle here next to me and the top is on it! It's hard to describe the smell. I suppose it's kind of musky and exactly what it says "fresh juniper, sugared sap and sage." While smelling all the new scents I smelled this one and it immediately went into Ryan's arms. This one was a definite. 

Leaves: "A fragrance that embodies the richness of fall - with all of its colors and pleasures - featuring notes of golden nectar, ripe delicious apple and red berries" 3 weeks ago when I was shopping I smelt this one and passed it up. This time I couldn't! I love the rich fruity smell when you take off the top. I watch a few beauty gurus on YouTube and this is a very popular candle among those girls. That is another reason I wanted to give this one a try!

Minis: 

Twisted Peppermint: "A fragrance featuring merry and bright peppermint with touches of vanilla and sugary musk is the perfect companion for a very snowy day" Let me start off by saying, I hate peppermint. I told Ryan he was allowed to pick out a candle of his choice because I pick out so many of ones I like. He loves peppermint. He picked out this candle because of the name. Obviously a peppermint scent, but decided on just getting the mini because he wasn't sure about the vanilla and sugary musk it also has. He says it smells too sweet and would rather it have a more peppermint-y smell. 

Fresh Balsam: "The invigorating aroma of evergreen woods on a clear winter morning features crisp eucalyptus, fir needles and cedarwood musk notes" I bought this candle in a mini because I really love the Christmas tree smell it has but not too sure how it's going to smell while burning. The fir needle smell is seriously over-whelming and I just want it to be Christmas already! 

Pineapple Mango: "Luscious tree-ripened mango and sweet tropical pineapple are complemented by crisp lotus and a hint of warm vanilla" I actually bought this one a while back. Like not even during the last sale. I bought it during summer when I was testing out candles and this one was very summery and fruity. I love the mango smell. It overpowers the pineapple, you can't even really smell anything other than mango but I have burned this one a few times and I love it!

Candles I bought in the last sale:

Cider Lane: "As sweet as the trip to the local apple orchard each year, a delicious fall blend of mulled cider, warm caramel and sweet cinnamon" This is one of the 3-wick candles I bought 3 weeks ago in the last sale. I burn it a lot because I enjoy the cinnamon smell it has. I do wish though that it had more of the apple or caramel smell. 

Autumn: "On the brink of sweater weather - this inviting fragrance blends dark pomegranate with red apple and notes of fir balsam" If there was a candle that had my name written all over it, it is this candle. It has just the right amount of the pomegranate, apple, and fir balsam. I love the fruity/pine smell so much that this is the candle I've burned the most recently. I also have this in a mini and I think I'll go get a couple more of these 3-wicks before the sale is over. I can't live without this candle! 

I really want to get back to Bath and Body Works before the candle sale ends but we'll see! If you have an Instagram please follow me: sksinatra. I post a lot of pictures that don't always make it onto the blog! 

Until next time,

-Samantha