Anastasia Brow Whiz !

I was never one to fill in my eyebrows until I met Daria. She always fills in her brows and I thought well hey maybe I should try it too.  At first I only used powders and I still do sometimes.  But, recently I was in Sephora and decided it was time to try Anastasia Brow Whiz.  Well I was pleasantly surprised.  I never thought I would like a brow pencil.  I tried one from the drugstore once and hated it.  Since then, I swore I didn't like them.  Well I was so wrong.  This Anastasia lady really knows what she is doing.  My brows have never looked better!  And that makes me a happy girl.  The brows frame the face and when they look good the rest of my face looks good. I truly believe this will be on my repurchase list once it's finished.  I love it that much!  This pencil has a nice waxy consistency and a thin pencil that makes it really easy to fill in your brows.  This comes in an array of shades.  I picked up Ash Blonde and it is perfect for my brows.  If I ever dye my hair darker I will totally pick up a darker shade.  And what I love the most about this is the spooly on the opposite end.  It tames my brows.  I give this product two thumbs up and would recommend to anyone looking for a new brow product.  

What is your favorite brow product ?? Have you tried this pencil ??


Love,
City Styles

Tom Ford Cheek Brush Review !

I bought this Tom Ford Cheek Brush back in December after hearing so many people rave about it!  At the time I thought I had found my holy grail blush brush from Bobbi Brown but, I was wrong.  I still LOVE my Bobbi Brown but, there is just something about the Tom Ford brush.  It is the right size, not too short or too tall and you use the top of the bristles to apply the blush.  It makes even the less pigmented blushes pigmented.  I would not suggest using this on a very pigmented blush like Burberry's Hydrangea Pink.  I did once and well lets just say I looked a bit clownish.  I had a lot of blending to do.  I also love white hairs on a blush brush, it always looks so pretty with a bit of pink on it.  This brush is definitely on the expensive side ($78) and I would never say that you need to buy this but, if you are a makeup fanatic like myself or want to treat yourself I would say go for it.  I do not regret buying this at all.  I reach for it pretty much every day.  It gives me the best swipe of color on the cheeks.  The bristles do not shed from what I have seen and it is a breeze to clean.  I do put a brush guard on it after cleaning so it goes back to original form.  I would have to say this brush is amazing quality and you get what you pay for.  I would totally buy another Tom Ford brush.  If anyone has any suggestions on which one I should buy next please do tell! 

Comparison
Bobbi Brown - Tarte - Tom Ford 

What is your favorite blush brush ??  Do you own any Tom Ford brushes ??

Love,
City Styles 

Budget Buy {L'oreal Extraordinaire}

I love a good budget buy !  The drugstore really has some great products.  Recently L'oreal came out with these new Extraordinaire lipsticks in a wide range of shades.  They are packaged similarly to the lip stains they came out with last year.  The texture on these is amazing.  They are a bit tacky and dry really nicely.  They last for hours, even when eating.  If you are eating something oily then they do wear off but, still leave a nice stain. They have a doe foot applicator and as of right now I only have two colors but, I would love to get more.  At 8.99 they are a bit on the pricey side for drugstore makeup but, there are always coupons and sales.  And don't forget to sign up reward cards!  They have gotten me some great deals. I totally give these lipsticks two thumbs up.  They are a modern take on a lipstick and they are so pigmented. 

Rose Symphony - Pink Tremolo 

What are your favorite drugstore products ??

Love,
City Styles 

Coming Soon !

I am so excited to be getting some new goodies in soon and I can't wait to share them with you !!  All these spring collections have really inspired me and I CANNOT wait for some warm weather to come around !

Love,
City Styles 

Nars Final Cut {Final Cut & Villa Lante}

Nars just recently came out with this collection.  As of right now you can only order it from Nordstrom in the US.  Please correct me if I am wrong.  There are four blushes {Final Cut, Love, Sex Fantasy, and New Attitude} and four satin lip pencils {Descanso, Stourhead, Torres Del Paine, and Villa Lante} in the collection.  I absolutely love Nars blushes and I really enjoy the satin lip pencils.  I only ordered one of each since I ordered without looking at any reviews or swatches.  And I am so happy with my choices!  For blush I purchased Final Cut, which is a gorgeous orangey coral color and it looks great on my fair skin.  It is a matte blush, which you all know I love.  And I purchased the Villa Lante satin lip pencil.  Villa Lante is a nice true pink color that pulls a bit on the blue side.  The satin lip pencils have a nice finish that is not too glossy.  It looks great on my complexion and I have been wearing it pretty often.  If you want to see all of the blushes swatched on the cheeks then I suggest heading over to Buy Now, Blog Later.  I absolutely love Laura and have been reading her blog for years now.  And if you would like to see all of the lip pencils swatched on lips I would say to head over to The Beauty Look Book.  Both of these blogs are daily reads for me and give me a while lot of inspiration.  

 Now that I have seen many reviews and swatches, I will probably go and pick up New Attitude and Sex Fantasy.  They both look gorgeous and I do not believe I have any blush in my collection that even comes close to duping them.

Final Cut 

Villa Lante 

Villa Lante - Final Cut {heavy swatch}, Final Cut {sheered out}

Have you picked up anything from this collection ??  And do you like Nars lip pencils and blushes ??

Have a great weekend!!!

Love,
City Styles 

Chanel Nuit Magique Le Vernis in Magic !

Back in December Chanel released the Nuit Magique Collection.  It included two nail polishes, Magic and Cosmic.  I unfortunately was only able to get my hands on Magic.  But you can see swatches on Temptalia or The Beauty Look Book.  Magic is the gorgeous blue shade that is lighter then a navy blue and more like a midnight sky.  It only takes about two coats to be opaque and lasts a few days or so, just like any Chanel nail polish.  I love a nice dark blue shade and this a bit different then anything I have in my collection.  The only one that comes close is Chanel Blue Rebel.  It came out a few years ago during Fashion's Night Out.  But still Blue Rebel is a bit lighter and has more of a gray base then a white one. 

Chanel Blue Boy (LE), Chanel Blue Rebel (LE), Chanel Magic (LE), Butter London Blagger, Dior Blue Label 

Chanel Blue Boy (LE), Chanel Blue Rebel (LE), Chanel Magic (LE), Butter London Blagger, Dior Blue Label 

What is your favorite blue polish ??

Love,
City Styles

Favorite Jewelry !

I have been very into minimal jewelry lately.  Earrings, ring, watch, and I am out the door!  I have been loving my new Michael Kors watch that Santa got me.  It is the Watch Hunger Stop watch, which means that for every watch bought 100 meals go to those in need.  As of December 2 million meals were delivered around the world.  I find that amazing.  For my earrings I have been wearing these beautiful ones from C.Wonder.  C.Wonder has some amazing jewelry that is so cute and chic and not crazy expensive.  Then for my ring I have just been wearing this gold, chunky one from H&M.  It came in a pack of 3 or 4 and they were all different sizes.  It was a steal at $6.

  What has been your go to favorite jewelry lately ??

Love,
City Styles 

Dior Trianon Spring 2014 !

If you haven't been to a makeup counter this year then you are missing out!  Almost all of the spring collections have been released and they are all so beautiful!!  Dior released six new polishes, two new glosses and a slew of other gorgeous pieces.  I was lucky enough to pick up two of the nail polishes and a lip gloss.  I may go back and get the blush because it looks so amazing.

My picks 

Bouquet is a pretty pastel coral with a white base.  It goes on a bit streaky at first but, once you build up two or three coats it turns opaque.  I did use three coats, which in my book is a little much.  It is a beautiful color and would look great with a tan.

Bloom was very easy to work with.  I only needed two coats for it to be opaque and it was not streaky. This color would look amazing on any skin color.  

I love Dior Addict Glosses and knew I had to get this one in Exquise 772.  I love a nice sheer pink gloss.  I opted for this one over the coral one since I picked up the glosses from the Chanel collection.  These glosses are not sticky and come with a brush applicator rather then a doe foot applicator.  

Comparison

MAC Silly - Nars Angelika - Dior Exquise - YSL Golden Violet 

MAC Silly - Nars Angelika - Dior Exquise - YSL Golden Violet 

You can find the collection at Nordstrom's, Bloomingdale's, Neiman's, and Macy's.


What would you pick up from this collection ??

Love,
City Styles 

Weekend Buys !

I was kind of a naughty girl this weekend.   I went on a bit of a shopping binge.  I normally don't do this, but I did need some new skincare items.  Plus, I have been lusting over a Jo Malone fragrance so, I just went for it.  

I am almost out of my Purity cleanser so I decided I wanted to try a new one.  I was in Sephora in Union Square (I think this is the best one in the city) and there was so many to choose from.  But, I landed on this one from Nude.  It is for oily to combination skin.  Yes, we all know I am as dry as the Sahara but, lately I have been getting a bit oily in my t-zone so I thought I would try this and see how it went.  Next I picked up the Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask.  My lips have been so chapped from the cold, windy weather.  My lip balm has been helping, but I need something I can wear overnight to help them heal.  I will let you know how this works!  Than when I was standing online I saw a little package of the Caudalie Dry Oil and the Nail and Hand Cream.  I knew that the Beauty Look Book has raved about the dry oil and who doesn't need a good hand cream so I said hey why not and in the basket it went.  

Then off to Blue Mercury I went.  To be honest this is a store I have never been in before.  I passed it many times but, never took the plunge and went in.  Well, I am glad I finally did.  They have a range of products from Jo Malone to Bobbi Brown to Diptyque to La Mer and a whole lot more.  While I was in there I noticed that there was only one Jo Malone Peony & Blush Suede fragrance left so, I knew it had to be.  This fragrance smells so amazing.  I have never fallen so in love with a scent before.  I have been wearing it everyday since and even though is does not last all day I still love it.  And then just because I felt like it I also picked up the La Mer lip balm.  It has been on my wish list for quite some time now and was like what they heck.  Well, I am glad I said what the heck!  I may love this a bit more then my Dior (gasps)!  I know shocking right.  I may love it a bit more only because of the smell and taste.  As I have said before I love when a lip product smells good and tastes good.  And this smells like Orbit sweet mint gum, which is my favorite, and it tastes like sweet, yummy candy.  It has been on my lips everyday since I bought it.  Now the price tag on this is a bit insane but, if you don't mind then I say go for it! 

My new love ! 

What did you pick up over the weekend ??  And do you have any of these products and love them ??

Love,

City Styles 

Top 13 of 2013 !

1. Ole Henriksen Truth Serum - As you all know I rave about this serum all the time!  It keeps my skin radiant and clear. Plus, it helps my moisturizer sink in and keep my hydrated throughout the day.

2. Diorskin Nude BB Creme - This is my number 1 go to foundation!  It gives me light weight coverage, yet it covers all my imperfections.  It matches my skin perfectly and hardly oxidizes throughout the day.  It never clings to my dry patches, and that is a huge plus in my opinion.

3. Laura Mercier Mineral Powder - I was never a powder person.  I have such dry skin and powder always clung to it.  When I heard so many people talking about this I just had to try it and I was happy I did.  I love to use this on the days I don't feel like wearing foundation.  This works great with just so concealer underneath!

4. Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer - I am always on the hunt for the best under eye concealer.  I really don't use concealer on my face, just my under eye area.  And, I love my under eye area to look nice and bright.  This is great for just that.  There were so many shades to choose from so, I was able to find the perfect one.  This does not crease and stays in place all day without me setting it.  You can read more about how much I love this here.

5. Armani Corrector  - This is a god send!  I am so happy that I listened to Lisa and bought this.  I would not say that I have horrible under eye circles, but they definitely show through my concealer.  This gets rid of any ugly purple circles I have and is a great base for my concealer.

6. Beauty Blender - If you do not own this than I suggest picking one up.  This is hands down a game changer!  I never thought I would love a sponge as much as I love this.  I use it everyday and it just helps my foundation look as flawless and possible.

7. Milani Baked Blush in Luminoso - Whenever I am not quite sure what blush to wear I go for this.  It gives my the most amazing flush.  I normally go for a matte blush, but there is something about the sheen to this.  It is more of a satin finish than a glittery one.  It looks gorgeous on a number of skin tones and is so affordable.

8. Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette - If you have never ever bought a palette from Urban Decay than I suggest getting this as your first.  I know it looks so basic, as the name says, but I use this every single day.  I love to use Naked 2 as my brow powder.  Venus is a wonderful highlighting color and Crave is the blackest black you can own.  I love to travel with this and do a nice neutral eye.

9. Burberry Eyeshadow in Mulberry - So luxurious!  This eyeshadow is nice and creamy yet it does not have a ton of fall out.  It blends well and looks amazing on most eye colors.  If I could only chose one shadow to wear for the rest of my life it would be this (yes, I know a bit dramatic).

10. Armani Eyes To Kill Mascara - This is the bomb dot com.  I have never had a mascara that gives me such length and volume and it also does not transfer onto my under eye area which is a huge plus.  I hate when a mascara I like transfers.  It is like the kiss of death.  It is on the pricey side for mascara, but it is totally worth it.

11. Laura Mercier Caviar Stick in Amethyst - Out of all the eyeshadow sticks I own this is the absolute best.  It stays put on my eyes all day, even if I don't use a primer.  I also love wearing this with the Mulberry shadow.  They complement each other well.  I will totally be purchasing more Caviar Sticks in the near future.

12. NYX Butter Glosses in Apple Strudel & Maple Blondie - I love a coral lip and I love a good smelling gloss.  These combine the two.  I have almost every shade, but these two are my favorite.  They are nicely pigmented and not too sticky.  I hate sticky lipgloss.  Plus, they are a steal at $4.99, and Ulta always has BOGO half off sales going on!

13. Jack Black Lip Balm - I was introduced to this lip balm way back and I have been through countless amounts of tubes.  I love all the flavors, but Black Tea & Blackberry is my favorite.  I always have this in rotation with my other balms.  This is hands down the best!


What are your favorites of 2013 ??

Love,
City Styles 

Let's Talk Trash #1

I don't know about you, but I love seeing other peoples empties.  It inspires me to try and finish up products that I have.  I also love the satisfying feeling of finishing a product.  If you aren't a crazy makeup person like myself you might not understand what I am talking about, but just take my word for it!  So, I decided hey why not show my empties. 

(1) Mascara (2) Concealers (1) Face Primer (3)Eye Primers

(2) Lip Balms (1) Serum (1) Makeup Remover 

(3) Face Wipes 

(1) Cleansing Water (1) Dry Shampoo (1) Hand Cream 

(8) Perfume Samples 

Do you enjoy seeing empties ??   And what is your most repurchased item ??

Love,
City Styles 

Weekend Makeup Essentials !

Pretty much every weekend for the past 2 or so years I have stayed at my boyfriends.  This has given an innate ability to pack only the essentials.  I have learned the hard way not to over pack.  I bring the basics of what I need and nothing else.  

I have been loving these two mini's I received from Sephora (6).  The Caudalie serum smells great and has a wonderful texture and the Ultra Repair Cream from First Aid Beauty has keep my hideously dry skin moisturized.  The YSL Touche Eclat foundation (5) is a winter must have.  It is nice and light, but it gives great coverage.  The Beauty Blender (8) is a must have for any girl who loves foundation.  It makes putting your foundation on a whole lot easier!  I just went and picked up another Maybelline Dream Lumi concealer (4) because I love it so much!  I love the radiant shade and how it makes my under eye area so bright and awake looking.  

I shied away from bronzer for the beginning part of winter but I needed it back in my life.  I love using the Sigma E40 brush (2)  with my Too Faced Chocolate Soleil bronzer (7).  Another brush I have been loving is the Tom Ford Cheek brush (1).  If you have a bit of money burning a hole in your pocket than I suggest picking this bad boy up!  Sephora's Orange Pop blush (11) gives me a beautiful pop of color on my cheeks.  It is a nice matte shade, which makes me love it more.  Now if you are looking for a new highlighter than I would suggest getting The Balm's Mary-Lou Manizer (10).  It has the creamiest of textures and gives you a dazzling glow.  

I normally don't bring any eyeshadow with me, because it can be a little bit to bulky.  I just bring a mascara sample that I am working through and this week it happens to be Laura Mercier's Full Blown mascara (9).  And lets not forget about eyebrows.  On a whim last week I picked up Anastasia's Brow Whiz (3) and oh meh gud!! it is a god send.  I never thought I would enjoy it, but I truly do.  And lastly I have been loving a dark lip, so of course I brought along my trusty Chanel Glossimer in Crushed Cherry (12).  

What are your weekend makeup essentials ?? 

Love,
City Styles 

Naked 3 {Review & Swatches}

So ever since I heard that the Naked 3 was being released half of me wanted to buy it and the other half of me was saying no, you have so much already!  Good thing is Daria picked it up for me for Christmas!  I was so excited and so thankful.  I have to say it truly is a gorgeous palette.  The shades are all air on the side of rose gold.  So if you are into warm neutral shades I would totally suggest getting this palette.  I truly do not mind that there are only three matte shades.  I actually prefer a nice sheen to my eye looks.  My three favorites so far are Nooner in the crease, Trick all over the eyelid, and Factory in the outer v.  I will say that the darker shades do have some fall out.  So, I do suggest that you wait to put concealer on until after you are finished with your look.  All and all I am really loving this palette and the looks I have been putting together with them.  If you would like I can do a comparison of all three Naked palettes.  Please let me know!   

Lighter shades 

Darker shades 

Strange - Dust - Burnout - Limit - Buzz - Trick 

Nooner - Liar - Factory - Mugshot - Darkside - Blackheart 

Have you picked up the Naked 3 ??  And which Naked palette is your favorite ??

Love, 

City Styles

On My Desk !

Target Gold Tray - Michael Kors Watches - Target Plate - Dior Lip Balm 

B&BW Candle - C. Wonder Earrings - B&BW Lotion - Oribe Sprays - Tom Ford Cheek Brush 

Everyday Skincare - Muji Drawers - Everyday Makeup 

Everday Skincare Items 

My Chanel Nail Polish Collection 

My Brushes - My Palettes - My Everyday Lipcare 

High End Lipsticks - Muji Drawer - My Lipgloss'

Z Gallerie Skull 

This is my everyday desk setup!  I am very big on keeping this area nice and organized.  This might be the only area in my room that I keep clean!!  Anywho, anyone who is into makeup should own Muji Acrylic Drawers.  They are the best.  I like to keep my go to, everyday makeup in one set and my lipgloss' in another.  I am thinking about changing up my furniture soon and getting the Alex drawers from Ikea.  I know a lot of beauty bloggers own them and love them.  I hoping to do that soon so I can then film a Makeup Collection for all of you.  My collection has definitely grown since the last one I made about a year ago!

What do you keep on your desk??  And do you have the Alex drawers??  If so what do you think of them ?? 

Love, 

City Styles