3 Beauty Splurges Turned Must-Haves

        

My Clarisonic Mia has done absolutely everything it promised to do for my skin. Beyond the soft skin that you could get just from a good exfoliant, the Clarisonic literally leaves my skin glowing. I was a total non-believer at first, but with the encouragement of the 90-day money back guarantee, I gave it a shot. I was totally wowed. It feels great, almost as amazing as brushing your teeth when you first wake up, and now it’s an absolute must have for my super sensitive and acne-prone skin. 

        

No joke. I SWEAR by Dermologica’s Clean Start line. In fact, I’m constantly fearful that they will cancel it. Yes, these are the things I worry about. I didn’t photograph the cleanser, Wash Off, though I use it religiously, because I think these are two products from the line that people might often choose not to purchase. The All Over Clear toner is another beauty ritual. I spritz it all over my face right when I get out of the shower and let it dry on it’s own while I apply body lotion. It has a surprisingly natural, plant-y smell and feels so refreshing and slightly tingly. I think people often overlook toner because it usually isn’t a product you can see working, but this one has been an integral part of my best-skin-ever routine. Finally, at 22, I have banished most of my acne and I will always have Dermalogica’s Clean Start line to thank for that. Usually when I do have pimples now, they occur right before that certain time of the month, so I picked up the Hit The Spot acne treatment which literally stamps out breakouts. I apply it nightly and sometimes in the morning under my makeup if a pimple is really stubborn. I know we all say we’ve tried everything from acne, but I honestly have tried almost every drugstore and department store brand as well as home remedies like baking soda and apple cider vinegar, and this acne treatment is lifechanging. You will actually see the pimple reduce in size and redness within 10 minutes of applying it. A day or two later, it’s completely gone and best of all, not one scar is left behind. Another Dermalogica favorite of mine is the microfoliant! Best texture while you cleanse and glow afterward. It’s like a turbo boost for your face wash. 

        

Anyone who knows me knows that foundation is the one part of my beauty arsenal where I tend to overlook price and buy based on quality. I usually pick up drugstore mascaras and shadows, sometimes even blush and bronzer, but foundation for me has always and will most likely continue to be a high-end purchase. This foundation is no exception. In my own experience, I feel like it took Make Up For Ever’s HD Foundation a while to catch on, but once it did, girls went crazy for it. Before this, I was swearing by Laura Mercier’s Creme Smooth foundation but when my skin lightened during the winter, I need a less-than-summer shade and decided to guy this a try. My favorite part about this foundation? No matter what you use to apply it—sponges, brushes, fingers—it always delivers the same great coverage. I always mix in my Nuxe oil (another beauty splurge) and it gives the best dewy glow for my insanely dry skin. Not to mention, it comes in so many shades, I always find one that works for me no matter what time of year it is. 

My Search For Dewy Skin!

Just thought I’d share a couple of the things I’ve picked up recently to master the look of dewy skin, coveted by many, from beachy Cali girls to southern belles to Northeastern sailing princesses. The first two products have yet to arrive but obviously I cant contain my excitement and there’s a couple of tips that I thought would be good to know!

                            

First up? The Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse dry oil. Thanks to my Birchbox subscription, I’m addicted to their beauty tutorials, especially the one on how to achieve dewy skin. In recent years I’ve tried desperately to master the look of dewy skin since I have such dry skin, and in all of the shameful amount of video tutorials I’ve watched along the way, none have been as impressive or as promising as the Birchbox one. Birchbox saves all of your ordering and billing information so late night beauty sprees are sort of inevitable, and dangerously simple. I took the dive and bought the French cult favorite in the 100 ml size with the hopes of dewy skin looming above me. 

                     

Also purchased earlier tonight with my Nuxe miracle oil was the Laura Geller Spackle Primer in bronze. Beside the fact that this is a bestseller in the Birchbox store, what really sold me on this product is the fact that it’s 2 oz for only $25 worth of primer, when all of the Smashbox Light Primer, Mac Prep+Prime, and my current (and least favorite!!!) Two Faced Primed and Poreless, are only 1 oz and more expensive! Primer is absolute staple in my foundation routine. But I’ve been waiting to run out of the Two Faced one since I got it, so I could try a new and hopefully, better, one. So with double the product for a little less than the same price, I didn’t even bother thinking twice. Add to cart. 

In the peak of my raking through the web to find the secret to dewy skin I realized it was time I cave and buy the MAC Fix+ everyone seems to love so much. BUT WAIT! After searching for a review video on YouTube, I happened to find a couple videos that teach you how to make your own homemade Fix+. (!!!!!) After all, it’s mostly water, right? Right! (!!!!!!!!!!!!) 1/3 part glycerin and 2/3 water and a little extra good stuff, a shake (of the bottle…and the booty, whatever…) and you’ve got Beyoncé glow in no time. Okay, well, not Beyoncé but pretty close. This video tutorial really did the trick for winter skin and this is definitely a beauty trick I plan to keep in my beauty arsenal. 

       

One last thing! Dewy skin is a result of perfectly strategized highlighting which can be tricky to figure out. I mean everyone always says, “place it where the light would hit,” but never really explains where that is. So I think this picture of Lauren Conrad (clearly first row at a fashion show) perfectly displays where the light hits your face first. This image has been my guide for applying highlight in tall the right places. Not to mention, the microdermabrasion tutorial the picture is actually meant for is yet another step to glowy, beaming, and youthful skin.

       

Fall Haul in Photos

                  

I’ve been longing for perfectly-worn in vintage cowboy boots basically since my freshman year of college and after three years of searching, you’ll never believe where I got my perfect pair! Savers! And for a cool $12! In the few weeks since I picked these boots up, I’ve rocked these everywhere from the ever-hipster Austin City Limits Festival, a not-so-hipster Hanson concert, and during an afternoon of window-shopping on South Congress. 

                  

Believe it or not, this edgy silver statement necklace has been a go-to for me since I bought it during the first hints of fresh fall weather. I love pairing it with floral print dresses and with a loose tee tucked into cut-offs. Not to mention, this necklace was totally budget-friendly since I picked it up at Forever 21, my favorite for the cheapest on-trend accessories.

                  

I saw this yarn at a craft store and couldn’t help but have immediate visions of a giant fluffy scarf, wrapped around my favorite worn-in flannel button-down, dark denim skinnies tucked into socks and buttery leather boots that barely touch the knee, and a Starbucks latte in my hand. This emerald perfectly mingles with shades of gray and black to make it the perfect addition to any outfit. Now all I have to do is learn how to knit…

                   

Okay, this is not a new purchase, but I’m definitely throwing it in this haul because I want to wear this dress in a totally new way this season. I absolutely love the bodice of this dress that normally falls pretty short, just above the knee. I’m definitely going to give tucking the dress into a pleated maxi skirt a try this fall to give the dress a whole new feel and to really let the the top of the dress shine. 

                  

This soap dish on sink holds each season’s must-have skin products for me. I’m addicted to Philosophy skincare and now that my acne has for the most part subsided, I’m using these products every morning and night. A sprinkle of the Vitamin C powder mixed with the serum behind it gives my skin a much-needed glow and works hard to fade scarred tissue from acne marks. I love Philosophy products because a little really does go a long way with them. Laura Mercier foundation is a no-brainer for me. It’s expensive but since I’ve cut my daily makeup routine down product-wise, I can afford to spend a little extra on my canvas-setter. 

                  

This is just one of the Old Navy breezy blouses I picked up in every color last week. I’d been hunting down the perfect, flowy and sheer blouses for a reasonable price because I wanted to make them my new fall and winter uniform, so when I saw these at Old Navy for just $15, I couldn’t help but scoop up at least four colors (white, black, green, and grey with polka dots). I went a size up in these tops to ensure that they would give me that “I-just-threw-this-on-and-walked-out-the-door-and-happen-to-look-great” hang and feel. 

                 

Every season I swap out my beauty product mainstays. This fall, I introduced a few new products to my makeup collection that I couldn’t be more satisfied with. NYX’s Super Fat Eye Marker is the perfect tool for a Sophia Loren-inspired doe eye, and their Soft Matte Lip Cream is a great light-as-air cream that gives the coverage of a MAC lipstick. Burt’s Bees lip balm is a classic, but I’ve never seen their pomegranate oil balm until this year and it gives a slight rosy hue. I’m loving the updated Falsies mascara that now boasts a “flared” look, especially over lined eyes. I’m loyal to MAC’s Mineralize…probably until the day I die and Urban Decay’s Dew Me Moisturizing Makeup Setter Spray sets my MAC powder wonderfully. Since it’s October, which is breast cancer awareness month, I picked up some mini-tweezers by Tweezerman in pink at Ulta that are perfect for errant hairs spotted by the mirror in my car.