Update

Hey guys!  I just wanted to let you all know that I will be taking this week off from blogging.  It is my birthday week and my family and I are going on vacation so I thought I would let myself relax a bit.  I'll be back next week!  

Love you all !!

xoxo, 

Gina 

My Friday Five #1

I thought I would start a new segment on my blog called My Friday Five.  It's pretty much my top picks for the week!  

1)Elizabeth and James Nirvana Black & White - I picked these roller balls up at Sephora with my points and I love to wear the both of them together ! It smells amazing !

2) I ordered a few necklaces off of Etsy from Layered and Long.  They came as a set and just look great on.  I am totally into the layered look. 

3) I rediscovered an old favorite, Chanel Peregrina (discontinued).  It is a gorgeous nude shade and just what I have been looking for lately.

4) It is officially summer and what screams summer more then China Glaze Flip Flop Fantasy!  I love how great this looks when you have a tan.

5) I have had a few minor breakouts recently and this Murad Acne Spot Fix worked like a charm.  My acne reduced in size over night and was less red.  I am hooked!



What are your Friday Five ??

Love,
City Styles 

Lorac Pro 2

The Lorac Pro 2 came out online about 2 weeks ago but, won't be in stores until 6/29.  I snatched it up as fast as I could!  I bought mine off of Ulta.com for $42 (same as the original Lorac Pro).  I adore my original Lorac Pro Palette so I knew that I had to try this one.  The Pro 2 has more deeper, gem shades then the original.  Just like the original, the top 8 shades are matte and the bottom 8 have a sheen to them.  And may I say that these colors are so creamy and gorgeous.  They are highly pigmented, blend out like a dream, and hardly have any fallout.  I have been working with this palette for a week or so now and I am in LOVE.  I am going away next week and this will be the only eyeshadow I bring with me.  For me that says a whole lot.  

The look I have been wearing lately is beige all over the lid, light brown in the crease and either cool gray or mocha in the outer v.  I use the primer that comes with the palette as my base and it helps the shadows last all day.  And I mean all day!  I usually do my makeup around 7:30am and I don't take it off until at least 10pm.  That is over 14 hours of wear and no creasing at all.  I would totally recommend this palette to everyone.  It has such a great  mix of neutrals and brights!  

What do you think of the new Lorac Pro 2 ??? Will you be adding it to your shopping cart ??

Becca Beach Tint Shimmer Souffle {Lychee/Opal}

To be honest I haven't heard much about these.  I stumbled upon the Becca Beach Tint Shimmer Soufflés during one of my recent trips to Sephora and thought they looked kinda cool.  They are a mix of Becca's Beach Tints and the Shimmering Skin Perfecters.  There are six shades in all.  I picked up Lychee/Opal.  It is a pretty bubblegum pink mixed with golden opal.  These have a very odd texture.  It sort of reminds me of the Maybelline Bouncy Blushes but, a lot more bouncy.  Becca claims they are a four in one; a powder to add a pop of color, a stain to give staying power, an illuminating highlighter, and a cream to deliver a flawless finish.  I would definitely say they are creamy and illuminating.  The Lychee/Opal shade gives a nice flush to the face.  It really compliments my fair skin.  To apply I use a synthetic angled brush.  I feel like synthetic brushes pick up a whole lot  more color then real bristles would.  I do need about 2 applications to get the pigmentation I like.  It lasts on the face all day, so it really does stain.  Overall I am enjoying this product.  It is a bit different then anything I am used to and I enjoy that! 

  

What you tried these Soufflés yet ??

Love,
City Styles 

Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment {Tulip}

I very much enjoy the Fresh Sugar Lip Treatments.  Over the past few years I have accumulated a few of their mini sized ones.  So, when I saw they came out with a new shade, Tulip, I knew it had to be mine.  Tulip is a gorgeous pink shade that is a great alternative to wearing lipstick.  It is highly pigmented and very moisturizing.  I really enjoy tinted lip balms during they summer.  They keep  your lips moisturized and most have an SPF.  The Sugar Lip Treatments have an SPF of 15 and have a blend of real sugar, vitamins A,C, & E, black currant seed, avocado, and jojoba.  They are also paraben and sulfate free.  This has been a staple in my makeup bag since I bought it.  But, if you live in a hot and humid climate I would suggest throwing this in the fridge every once and awhile.  The Sugar Lip Treatments tend to melt very easily and can break if not careful.  

   

I am totally in love with this shade and it is great to wear on those no makeup, makeup days.  You can find the Fresh line at Sephora or at a free standing Fresh store.


What is your favorite tinted lip balm ??

Love,
City Styles 

Chanel Fall 2014 Joues Contraste {Innocence}

Also from the Chanel Fall 2014 collection I ordered the Joues Contraste in Innocence.  It is a beautiful mauvey, rosewood color.  And I was pretty surprised to see that I had nothing similar in my collection.  I was reading Temptalia's review on this the other day and I was actually surprised when she said her blush was a bit dry.  Mine is the opposite.  It is pretty creamy and silky.  It glides on my face easily and I need about an application and a half to get the pigmentation I like.  I really like the color on my pale skin.  Of course like all other blush it breaks down through out the day.  If anyone has a trick on how to keep the color all day please let me know !  Overall I really like the blush and how pigmented it is. 

       

What is your favorite blush at the moment ??

Love,
City Styles

Chanel Fall 2014 Le Vernis {Atmosphere, Secret, & Orage}

I have been looking forward to the Chanel Fall 2014 collection for awhile now.  I knew for sure I wanted the polishes.  They seemed a bit different from anything I had in my collection.  And boy was I right.  There are three shades in all, Atmosphere, Secret, and Orage.  Atmosphere is an iridescent pearl shade that looks lovely alone but, also looks pretty cool on top of darker shades (see below).  Secret is a milky nude shade.  It pulls a bit beige and is gorgeous on my pale skin.  And Orage is a deep grey/blue shade.  It almost looks black.  They all go on the nails pretty easily and only need two coats tops!  I will report back in about chipping since I have only had these for two days.  I love each color.  But, I think Atmosphere is the most unique to the collection.  

 The Fall collection is available on Chanel.com and is trickling into department stores now.  I have not picked up any of the Rouge Coco Shines or Ombre Essentielle Shadows yet.  I want to see and swatch them in person before I make a decision!  

What do you want to pick up from this collection ??

Love, 

City Styles 

Top 10 Bloggers

1. The Beauty Look Book
2. Buy Now, Blog Later
3. Gal Meets Glam
4. Brooklyn Blonde
5. Cupcakes and Cashmere
6. Vivianna Does Makeup
7. Amelia Liana
8. Lipstick with Some Sunshine
9. Money Can Buy Lipstick
10. A Little Bit Etc.



What are your favorite bloggers ??

Love,
City Styles 

Chanel Fall 2014 Overview

Chanel Fall 2014 has just recently launched online and is trickling into department stores as we speak.  I placed on order the other day for the polishes and blush.  I wanted to wait and see the lipsticks and glosses in person.  Chanel's Fall collection is a poetic palette full of colorful opposites.

Contents

Felt Tip Liner - Noir & Brun

Single Shadows - Sensation, Palpitation, Hesitation, Exaltation, Pulsion, & Admiration

Blush - Innocence

Rouge Coco Shines - Intime, Confident, Viva, & Aura

Glossimers - Rose Reve & Songe

Le Vernis' - Secret, Atmosphere, & Orage

What do you plan on getting from this collection ??

Love, 

City Styles 

all images from chanel.com 

By Terry Ombre Blackstar {Bronze Moon, Misty Rock, & Velvet Orchid}

I first heard of these By Terry Ombre Blackstars from The Beauty Lookbook.  She had a review about the Bronze Moon shade and it totally caught my eye and went on the list.  Fast forward a few months and one late night Space NK shopping spree and Bronze Moon was mine.  I fell totally in love with the shade and the formula and I knew I need more.  So fast forward to another late night Space NK shopping spree (as Amelia Liana would say #feelingspendy) and Velvet Orchid and Misty Rock were thrown into my beauty arsenal.  These pencils are so creamy and pigmented.  They glide so smoothly onto the eye and they blend easily.  I love to wear these on their own and just use a neutral color in the crease.  They last me a full work day, 7am to 7pm.  Which I find amazing!! These don't crease too much on me.  I would say in the finals hour or so of wear I see a bit of creasing.  I do use a primer but, that's because I have pretty oily eye lids.  I use it as a precautionary step.  

    

Bronze Moon is a beautiful neutral bronze shade.  This is my absolute favorite of the bunch.  It makes my blue eyes really stand out.  Misty Rock is a pinky mauve shade.  It doesn't look as good swatched as it does on the eyes.  And Velvet Orchid is a bold deep purple shade.  I like to wear this more when I am going for a night out. 

I am of course looking into getting a few more shades but, I need to stop at the Space NK store and swatch them first !! 

Have you tried these eyeshadows ??  What are your favorite shades ??

Love, 

City Styles 

Primer Talk

I am a tried and true primer girl.  I truly believe a primer helps your foundation look great and keeps it looking great all day.  Over the years I have tried many a primer but, at the moment I am loving these six.  I have three categories for my primers: Glow, Prime, and Smooth.  

Let's start out with Glow.  I have two primers in this category, Clarins Instant Light in 01 and Dior Glow Maximizer.  I use these both in the same way, mixing them in with my foundation.  When I am using a more matte foundation and want a glow I like to use these.  The Clarins is more on the Champagne side while the Dior is more on the gold side.  I interchange these depending on how I feel or the look I am going for.  They give a nice healthy glow to your skin and give matte foundation more dimension.  

There are some days when my pores are just out of whack and that is when I reach for my Benefit Porefessional.  This is the only "Smoothing" primer I own.  I have a few samples of drugstore ones but, I always come back to this.  It fills in pores and any fine lines you have and makes it easy for your foundation to just glide on the skin.  And it always helps your foundation from settling into those lines and pores. 

Now onto the Priming.  I have three in this category: Clarins Beauty Flash Balm, Makeup Forever HD, and Chanel Le Blanc De Chanel.  The Clarins Beauty Flash Balm has a bit of a tint to it but when put on the skin there is no detection of it.  It is also dries rapidly so you have to work pretty fast.  The Makeup Forever HD primer is great for those nights you are going out or for special occasions where you are going to be photographed.  It helps the reduce the flash back when taking a photo (aka you don't look like a ghost).  It also really helps prolong the wear of your foundation.  And lastly we have the Chanel Le Blanc De Chanel.  I really love to use this under my Chanel foundations, especially the new one, Perfection Lumiere Velvet.  This primer goes on a bit sticky and really holds onto the foundation.  Le Blanc De Chanel doesn't come with a pump so I like to put it on with a paddle foundation brush.  I use the Sigma F60.  For the rest of the primers I use my fingers to apply them.     

   

Overall I really enjoy these primers and would highly recommend them!

What are your favorite primers ??

Love,
City Styles



PS - The Lorac Pro Palette 2 comes out this Sunday June 15th.  I plan on snatching one up if I can.  I absolutely love the first one and this one also looks great !

photo via Temptalia 

Jaclyn Hill Whitening Lightening Glosses

I am a huge Jaclyn Hill fan. I have been watching her on Youtube pretty much since she has started.  So when she said that her and Whitening Lightening partnered up I jumped on the chance to get the Rose Hill gloss that Jaclyn created.  You can purchase just the gloss or you can purchase four glosses, Jaclyn's gloss and her three favorite.  I decided to get all four since I had been wanting to try out the Whitening Lightening glosses.  Well I am so glad I purchased all four.  They are such beautiful shades and so pigmented.  They come with a doe foot applicator and a mirror on the back.  And when you open the gloss the inside of the handle lights up.  Which is kinda cool but, I'm not the biggest fan of.  It makes it hard too see in the mirror when applying.  Other then that minor detail I love the formula.  It isn't too sticky and lasts for a few hours.  Overall I am so pleased with these and recommend you pick them up.  Jaclyn has a 25% off coupon on her channel that I recommend you use if you want to purchase these!

Have you tried these glosses??  What do you think of them ?? 

Love, 

City Styles 

Nordstrom Beauty Sale

From now until June 10th, 2014 Nordstrom is having a 10% off sale on select beauty items.  Now is the perfect time to stock up on essentials like Kiehl's Midnight Recovery or Laura Mercier Mineral Powder.  It is also a great time to try out some new products like the Nars Contour palette or the Clinique Cheek Pops.
Happy shopping and please let me know what you plan to pick up !!

Love,
City Styles 

Nighttime Skincare Routine

A few weeks ago I shared my Morning Skincare routine with you guys so I thought hey let me share my nighttime skincare as well.

I start off by cleansing my face with the Colleen Rothschild Radiant Cleansing Balm.  This gets rid of all my makeup, including eye makeup and leaves my skin feeling silky smooth.  I highly suggest this.  It has become one of my absolute favorites.  Then I use the Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate.  This helps repair my skin while I am sleeping.  Sometimes I just use this but, when I am feeling a bit dry I also use the First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream.  This really replenishes my skin of its moisture.  And lastly I use the Clarins Eye Contour Balm.  My under eye area can be dry so I like to moisturize with this.     


What is your nighttime skincare routine like ??

Love,
City Styles 

Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray

I have always been a girl who washes her hair everyday.  I was also a girl with oily hair growing up.  I couldn't stand not washing it.  But, I started to dye it and my hair got less oily and more manageable.  So, I started to wash it every other day but, I still needed something for that second day hair.  I tried loads of dry shampoos and nothing seemed to do it for me.  I hated how some were sticky or made my hair feel nasty.  Then Youtube introduced me to Oribe's Dry Texturizing Spray and it has bee a god send.  Let me start off by saying it isn't a dry shampoo.  That's probably why I love it so much.  It gets rid of the oils and gives my hair some body.  I also have pretty flat hair and I actually love to use this even on days I wash my hair.  I spray some at the roots and just use my fingers to juzz it up.  And the best I don't even feel the product in my hair.  It doesn't weigh it down and it smells good too.  If you are having a hard time using dry shampoos this might be the route for you!

Have you tried this spray ?? What do you think ??

Love,
City Styles 

Fresh Sugars VIB Rouge GWP

My Sephora order just arrived a day or so ago and I was so excited to open these goodies.  They were a gift with purchase for VIB Rouges.  If you aren't already signed up for Sephora's Beauty Insider program then you totally should.  I'm not going to see its the best points program around but for Rouges it rocks.  I get shipping for free and my products arrive in 3 days.  And I get emails all the time about special deals like the ones above.  I had to spend $35 and I got some travel size Fresh products.  I'm loving these and I was so excited to try the Sugar Shine Lip Treatment!

What has been your most favorite perk from Sephora ?? Who do you think has the best points program ??

Love,
City Styles  

La Mer Loose Powder {Creme 01}

I am usually not one for powders.  My skin has always been so dry that a powder would make me look extra flakey.  But, ever since I have been more oily, powder has become my bff.  I have heard such rave reviews about the La Mer loose powder that I totally wanted to give it a go.  It is more on the pricey side ($65, .88oz) but, if you think about how much powder you actually use I can totally justify the price.  This is going to last me forever.  And I mean forever.  I love to use this to set my foundation.  It is so fine and just glides over the face leaving a flawless finish.  It helps keep my oils at bay and prolongs the wear of my foundation.  I don't think I would wear this on its own.  It is more on the translucent side.  I use this along with my Hakuhodo B002 brush because it isn't too dense and distributes the right amount of product.  Overall I am enjoying this so much!  I reach for it everyday, which for me that says a whole lot.  

What is your favorite setting powder ? 

Love, 

City Styles     

Weekend Buys

This weekend I had some time to walk around the city and do a little shopping.  I am usually in a rush and just run in and out of a store but, I was able to actually browse a bit on Saturday.  I stopped at Sephora, Macy's, and Anthropologie.  

At Sephora I picked up two polishes, Dior Junon and Marc Jacobs Lola.  I have been lusting after these two for a little while now and finally they are mine.  In Macy's I picked up the Dolce & Gabana polish in Fire.  I was walking by the display and it was just calling my name.  I have been really into red nails lately.  And lastly I went into Anthropologie and found these Rifle Paper Co. notebooks and weekly schedule pad.  I almost ordered these online about a week or two ago but, I hate paying shipping.  I'm so glad to now have these in my possession.  And I finally got my Kate Spade card holder in the mail.  I have been looking for one in a fun color for a while now and stumbled upon this one during a sale!  

Did you do any shopping this weekend ?? What did you pick up ??

Love, 

City Styles 

By Terry Cellularose Blush Glace {Frozen Petal}

I was so excited when By Terry came out with these new Cellularose Blush Glaces (.25oz, $58).  I wanted the shade Frozen Petal for the longest but, it was always sold out.  One day I was browsing the Space NK website and it was in stock and calling my name!  This formula is a lot different then any other "cream" blush mainly because it's not a cream.  It is more like a gel blush.  It is very light weight and meant to give a watercolor effect for a nice glow.  It does just that.  Applied to the cheeks it is very sheer but, you can build it up.  I like to use a small stippling brush, like a MAC 130.  When I use my finger I feel like it takes longer to build up the color.  I do about two applications only because it is very tacky.  It doesn't really dry down.  I have tried three coats but, then it looked a bit odd and my hair kept getting stuck in it.  The color itself is gorgeous and I really like the way it looks on the cheeks.  I just wish it had a better drying power.  I think this is great for the no makeup, makeup look I've been going for lately.  This works best over a liquid foundation.  Over powder it looks funny and makes the foundation break down.  Overall I really enjoy the concept of the blush but, for the price I am still a bit iffy.  I would give it 3.5 stars out of 5.     

  

heavy swatch, blended out 

gel like texture

Have you tried these blushes ??  What do you think about them ??