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 

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