Dior Spring Nails - Blossom 132

Hey Everyone. First and foremost - HAPPY FRIDAY!!! Gotta love a Friday. I thought I'd leave you all with a pretty Spring color this week - the Dior Blossom nail polish. They have six colors total in their spring line, but when I saw Blossom, I knew I wanted it. I love a good peachy color for the Spring time. I do enjoy Dior polishes as they have that same wide brush that's flat and cut rounded at the top like the YSL polishes. It makes it really easy to paint your nails as it fits perfectly into your nail beds and fans out nicely to coat your entire nail in one to two strokes. I think the color is really pretty and quite universally flattering. It's very fresh. A peach color with golden shimmer running through it. It is more of a sheer nail color. With two coats you can still slightly see through it which I don't mind at all because it does look like the color in the bottle meaning it's intended to be that way. If you're looking for something opaque, you'd have to do three coats to get that with this one so I wouldn't recommend this if that's what you're expecting. I, however, was very happy with it as it feels like a very light and happy color. Quite pleased! 

Click through for promo pics of all the new colors and a nail swatch of Blossom.

Hope you all are doing wonderful!

Talk soon. Kisses, J

What's in my Makeup Bag - Holiday Edition

One of the best parts of the holiday season is being able to get all dolled up for parties and gatherings. I swear the best thing about a party is the getting ready part. At least for me. That being said, I wanted to share my favorite holiday look for this season. These are the things making their way into my makeup bag for festive outings. It comes together as a holiday classic. Shimmering golds and taupes with beautiful red lips. Eye catching in the most perfect way.

My Favorite Pink Blushes

I have a thing for pink blushes. Seriously. I just love those pale baby doll pink blushes that look soft and sweet on your cheeks. They're the kind of pinks that are universally flattering and I'm obsessed with buying them. There's something about a perfect pink blush that if I find a good one, I have to buy it. Even if I have five others at home. They do have slight variations though. I promise you, they do. So, I went though my collection the other day and pulled out my top five favorites. The ones I keep going back to and the ones that have deemed good enough to be repurchased. Here we go!

Loving This Look - Tantalizing Eyes

Lately I've been obsessing over purples and cranberry colors. I think it's a combination of Fall and the Halloween spirit in the air. But then I saw these ridiculously cool flowers called Fritillaria and have been obsessed. For one, they have this really amazing checkerboard like pattern on the petals. Yes, that's legit. It looks straight up out of a Tim Burton film or something. Aside from that, I just loved the dramatic eggplant color that they had. Some even had this cranberry reddish purple color as well. And from that stemmed this look. A deep tantalizing purple/aubergine makeup look. I started with M.A.C's Plum Dressing (A reddish purple color) on the base of the eyelid. Focusing the color in the inner and center part of the lower lid. I also applied a small amount to the inner part of my lower lash line. I then took M.A.C's Nocturnelle (love that name!) and placed the color in a sideways 'V' shape at the outer corner of the lid and then took a fluffy blending brush to blend it into Plum Dressing as well as to soften any harsh lines around the edges. And of course, used it along the outer 1/3 of the lower lash line. I then took a little bit of Blackberry which is a deep matte smokey purple and applied it to the outer edge of my eyes along the top and bottom lash line just to give it some definition. To finish it all off, I applied NARS Via Veneto to the inner rim of the eye which always makes the eyes pop in a sexy sultry way. And you can't forget mascara! Armani Eyes to Kill in black is perfect for full lashes that won't get lost in the deep colors of the shadows. Moving onto the face, I skipped blush and just used the Dior Bronzer to warm up the complexion. Using a large powder brush, I dusted it lightly on the top of the forehead, cheeks and a small amount just under the lip to give it that pouty look. And finally, my favorite nude pink lipstick, Estee Lauder's Crystal Baby, went onto the lips. It's a beautiful creamy nude pink that is perfect for all complexions. I always have difficulty finding good nude type colors for my lips as they are naturally a deep mauve/berry color and this color is just perfect! I'm loving this look for Fall/Autumn. It would be perfect for an evening out.

Talk soon. Kisses, J

Click through for product list

Hall of Fame - Dior Eyeshadow

While I was configuring my drugstore eye post from yesterday, I realized that I have some definite holy grail, all-time favorites from high end brands because these were the ones I kept referencing and comparing everything to. These are the ones that set the bar that I judge from. I have a definite few favorite brands, but there are three that I go back to time and time again. I will talk about the other two soon, but I wanted to start with Dior first. I started using Dior products back when I was in college and have been hooked ever since. I remember the first palette was a limited edition one with plums and light pinks. I practically wiped it clean. These Dior 5 Color Eyeshadow palettes have been my absolute must haves ever since. The packaging is beautiful. They come in a velvet pouch with the Dior name embossed on the top. The actual compact has the 'CD' initials underneath this clear blue overlay that is reflective and gorgeous with the "Dior" name layered on top in silver. Basically, it's really nice. The inside of the compact has a layout to fit five eyeshadow colors. I love that they're embossed with stitch lines like a quilted bag or something. And when you look at the shapes of the outer four spaces, they look like cut diamonds. Like you could place it on top of a ring. That should hook in every girl right there, huh? But, it doesn't stop there. The colors are long lasting and nicely pigmented. They blend effortlessly and the shimmers are of the most beautiful. It's really fine and elegant. What makes these staples for me is that I can get a really complete look out of these palettes. The color combinations are designed really well that I get use of every shade and I can create a few iterations of a look in one palette. No color ever goes to waste for me in these. And, I always hit pan and finish these up which always really says a lot for someone who has so much makeup. Rosy Tan is my favorite from the permanent line. It looks basic, but it's so beautiful for a feminine neutral look. I always look forward to limited releases too. I hope they come out with some great ones for holiday!

Kisses, J

The Skincare Trials

I swear skincare is a never ending job. Yes, a job! As much as I love putting on a mask and pampering myself, it's really difficult to find the right things for your skin that work. It's a constant trial and error. Especially because our skin changes as we grow and even with the weather. What makes it even more difficult is that for the most part, skincare items are not instant gratification. It's not like putting on foundation and seeing your skin look amazing. It's about taking time to correct, maintain and prevent. This is precisely why I haven't really posted much regarding skincare. It takes time to test things out and really know that a product is good and worth the price tag. I'm warning you now that this is going to be a long post! And I still won't be able to get to it all!

So, I'm still in the testing process. The common rule is to wait at least 3 months before casting off a product. Some of these I've had for longer, some not as long so I'm still waiting before I rave or not about each of them. But, it feels like forever and I've been wanting to talk about some of these things so much! So, this is a preview. Consider it the teaser trailer to the film, if you will. I thought this would be a good time to talk about how and why I chose to try out each of these products. I will then do a follow up in the next month when my trial period is over letting you know how they each performed. Sound good? I'll take that as a yes!

Dior Glow - Review

I feel like I rarely hear people talking about Dior products. Chanel has a cult following with their cream bronzer and foundations, everyone loves the NARS blushes, people are obsessed with YSL lipsticks and touche éclat. What about Dior?! I personally love and use a lot of their products. Don't even get me started on their 5 color eyeshadows! A while back (maybe a few years ago?) I picked up the Dior Addict Lip Glow (left) and was obsessed! It was all downhill from here. Oh boy.

The Dior Addict Lip Glow Balm (left) is a lip balm, but no ordinary lip balm. It reacts with the your lip chemistry and forms a custom color on the lips. It is sheer and will look different on everyone depending on your lips. For me, it goes on like any other lip balm and looks like nothing special. Just feels moisturizing, smooth and has a slight cool/minty feeling and smell. After a few minutes though, you'll notice the color adjusting. For me, I end up with a brighter more pink color than my natural lips. Really pretty and sort of just looks like that's the color your lips really are because it's just brightening and enhancing your color. Cool! I've gone through a few of these and my mom is addicted to it. Ooo, and it has SPF 10 - always a plus!