Nude for Days

I just emptied my bag and what do I find 7 lip products in almost the same color, nude. If any of you have stuck around for awhile you know I am not a nude girl but, recently I have fallen in love with a good nude. And I believe it's all about the lip liner. My top faves are Rimmel London's East End Snob, NYX's Natural, and Charlotte Tilbury's Lip Cheat in Pilow Talk. A good base is essential. On top I've been using the new Bite Beauty lipstick in Sorbert, or Maybelline's Vivid Matte Liquid lipstick in Nude Flush, or Clarins' Petal Pink. And last but not least you need the perfect gloss to top it all off. I love Dior's Lip Polish. It has a very light pink tint and works well with any nude or pinkish lip. 

What are your favorite nudes to wear ?? 

Love, 

City Styles 

25 Days of Beauty Giveaway {Day 23&24}

Today is Day 23 & 24 of my 25 Days of Beauty Giveaway !!! We are so close to the big prize!! 

Today you can win a taupe eyeshadow quad from Sonia Kashuk, a rose glitter polish from Maybelline, and a fragrance from Vince Camuto. 

You must be 18 and older to enter.  If not please, please make sure you have your parents permission. 

This will be an international giveaway.

Just follow the Rafflecopter widget below for the rest ! 

Good luck to everyone ! 

And please tell all your friends ! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

25 Days of Beauty Giveaway {Day 15&16}

Hey guys so today is day 15&16 of my 25 Days of Beauty Giveaway!  Today you can win a Melrose at Night quint form Wet n Wild, a Maybelline nail polish in Lush for Lilac, and a Tarte Lip Surgence in Flush. 

You must be 18 and older to enter.  If not please, please make sure you have your parents permission. 

This will be an international giveaway.

Just follow the Rafflecopter widget below for the rest ! 

Good luck to everyone ! 

And please tell all your friends ! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Budget Buys: New at the Drugstore

Recently there has been many new releases at the drugstore.  I myself love a great drugstore find.

EYES

  Maybelline came out with some new Leather Color Tattoos and The Nudes palette.  I really love the palette.  It reminds me a bit of a sleek palette and I really wish more US brands would do something like this.  L'oreal has come out with some new Colour Riche quads.  I of course picked up Absolute Taupe.  The colors are gorgeous and very creamy.  They are easy to blend and have minimum fall out.    And then Milani has released their Bella Eyes Gel Eyeshadow.  There are 30 shades in all but, I only picked up Bella Sand and Bella Espresso.  I really want to get more.  I love the consistency.  They aren't too powdery but, they aren't creamy either.  

NAILS

There has been two new gel polish releases,

 one from Sally Hansen and one from Revlon.   They each come with the base and color in one bottle and the top coat in another.  I have only tried the Revlon once and to me it was a bit disappointing.  I will have to give to another try.  I really like the Sally Hansen one.  It lasted on my nails for fives days with very minimal chipping.  

LIPS

Rimmel has reformulated their Moisture Renew lipsticks and I picked up two shades, Oxford Street Fuchsia and As You Want Victoria.  I really like how creamy they are.  L'oreal also released these Glossy Balms.  And I love a good chubby lip pencil so I picked up two, one in Ginger Candy and one in Innocent Coral.  These are nicely pigmented and leave your lips shiny. 

Brows & Cheeks

A little while back Milani came out with these brow pens and I picked one up in Natural Taupe.  Lets just say this is an utter fail for me.  The tip dried out after one use and it is not taupe at all.  It mod more along this lines of a reddish brown.  L'oreal came out with their Insta Blur line and I picked up one of the blushes in Soft Pink.  It is a silicone/gel like blush.  I use an ELF Small Stippling brush to apply it.  I wouldn't say it blurs my imperfections but, it does look pretty! 

What have you been liking from the drugstore lately ??

Love, 

City Styles 

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 

Drugstore Starter Kit !

Makeup can be very scary if you don't know much about it. I'M here to save the day!  I put together a drugstore starter kit of all the products a person new to makeup would need.

Rimmel Stay Matte Powder · I love this to powder by tzone to keep me from getting oily.

L'oreal Miracle Blur Primer · This primer is an exact dupe for the Benefit Porefessional.  It blurs all your pores and helps your foundation last all day.

Milani Baked Blush in Luminoso · This blush is a universal shade.  I think that it would look amazing on all skintones.  It gives you a beautiful flush.

Wet n Wild Mega Glo · These highlighter/blushes are amazing for the price.  They are so pigmented and come in a few different shades.

Covergirl Super Thick Lash Mascara · This mascara doesn't have the prettiest of packaging but, it does the job!  My lashes look so amazing when I'm wearing this.  It gives them volume and lenghth.

L'oreal Infallible Shadow in Amber Rush ·  If you have blue eyes this is a must have!  And even if you don't have blue eyes this would look amazing.  It is such a beautiful copper-ish color.  And the texture on these is great too.  They aren't a cream shadow yet, they aren't a regular powder shadow either.

Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze · Maybelline Color Tattoos are the way to go if you like a cream shadow.  Bad to the Bronze is my personal favorite but there are so many different shades to choose from.  Plus, Maybelline comes out with tons of limited edition shades every year.

Sonia Kashuk Eye on Neutrals Palette · This palette is great for people who like a neutral eye. There is a shade for everyone this palette. It is great for a beginner and it also great for traveling .

Rimmel Kohl Liner · These liners are so creamy yet have serious lasting power!  And the nude one is great for making your eyes look extra bright and awake.

Jordana Eyeliner · I love to use these to tight line or for a pop of color on my lower lash line.  They are very inexpensive and also last throughout the day.

Jesse's Girl Eyeliner ·  I am not the best at winged and this pen makes it so easy.  It is not the blackest black but it does an amazing job.

Maybelline Gel Liner · As I said before I am not the best at winged liner but, once and awhile I break out the gel liner.  This is the blackest of the black and is ultra creamy.  It goes on smooth and dries nicely.

Jordana Lipliner · Just like the eyeliners the lip liners are just as good.  They come in an array of nice neutral lip shades and are very inexpensive.  They go on the lips smoothly and last very nicely under your lipstick.  They aren't too creamy but, easy to work with.

Milani Lipliner · These liners are nice and creamy and wear well under most lipsticks.  The shade range is not very large but they do have great neutral, everyday shades.

Maybelline Colorsensationl Lipsticks · Out of all the drugstore lipsticks these are hands down my absolute favorite!  They are creamy but not too creamy.  The lasting power is amazing and they look great on the lips.  They do not cling to dry patches on the lips.  There are so many colors to choose from and each one is very pigmented.  Some of my favorites are from the Vivid's collection.

Maybelline Colorsensational Lipgloss · Again just like the lipsticks these are highly pigmented and have great lasting power.  For a lipgloss they are definitely opaque.  

Revlon Colorburst Lipgloss ·  These glosses are more on the sheer side but, come in some great shades.  Plus they aren't sticky and do not smell too funky.

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipgloss · These were just repackaged and they look so cute.  They are similar to the colorburst ones but, are a bit stickier and bit more opaque.  I would not say that they are full on opaque but, I would not say they are sheer either.  My favorite is pink pop.

Almay Color + Care Lip Balm · I was truly intrigued when these came out.  I was so fascinated with a gloss plus a balm.  They are very hydrating on lips and even after it has worn off you can still feel how well nourished your lips are.  Since this is more of a balm these are very sheer but still look gorge.  

Maybelline Baby Lips  · These smell great and leave your lips nice and hydrated.  Plus they have some great shades that double as a nice lip stain.



I did not include a concealer or foundation is this starter kit because it all depends on your skin type.  I have dry skin and my two favorite foundations are the TruBlend from Covergirl and Ponds BB Cream.  But my BFF has oily skin and she loves the Maybelline Fit Me.  So it just all depends!

Hope you enjoyed this Starter Kit.  What are your favorites from the drugstore ??

Love,
City Styles 

Maybelline Master Glaze Blushes !

Let me start off by saying cream blushes are not my favorite.  I have tried so many different ones and most fail.  I have pretty dry skin and most cream blushes stick to my dry patches and I look ridiculous (I think so anyway).  But, these Maybelline Master Glaze blushes are a bit different.  I would not call them a cream nor would I call them a gel or a glaze.  They are a mix of all three.  These blushes are highly, highly pigmented so be careful!  I do not like to apply these directly on my cheeks.  I take my Elf stippling brush and swirl it on the top of the blush and then apply to my cheeks.  This gives me the perfect flush to my cheeks.  They last for a good part of my work day and tend to only break down if I do not set my makeup.  I have seen them at all my local drugstores and range in price from $7.99- $9.99.  They have been my go to blushes as of late and I am pretty impressed.

Pink Fever - Coral Sheen 

Pink Fever - Coral Sheen


What is your favorite cream blush ??

Love,
City Styles 

Maybelline Dare To Go Nude {Color Tattoos}

  

Today is the first day of Budget Buy March !!  So, I wanted to show you guys something new and something I love!!  Maybelline Color Tattoos are amazing!  They come in a great range of shades and they are always coming out with great limited edition colors.  They say they 24 hour wear,  I am not sure if that is true or not.  But, what I do know is that they last my 10 hour work day and then some.  I love to wear these on their own or even as a base.  They work well with powder shadows and are extremely pigmented.  Maybelline recently released the Dare to Go Nude collection.  There are six limited edition Color Tattoos, I only picked up the three I liked the most.  I got Pure Nude, Caramel Cool, and Sleek & Spice.  They retail anywhere from $7.99-9.99.  I picked mine up at Duane Reade.    I highly recommend these to everyone.  They are one of my holy grail, drugstore staples!

Sleek & Spice is a nice taupe shade that is a bit on the warm side.  Caramel Cool is a bronzy, gold shade that is on the cooler side, hence Caramel Cool.  Pure Nude is an icy, white shade that sheers out to a beautiful highlight.  I have heard some people say it is similar to an RMS Beauty highlighter. 

What is your favorite Color Tattoo shade ??  And how do you feel about cream shadows ?? 

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 

Fall Gloss + Some Fun Bits

I have been a slacker lately.  And I am trying very hard not to be!  I truly am.  So you might just get a few posts back to back to make up for that!

So since it is still technically fall I thought I would share some of my favorite fall glosses with you!  I am more of a gloss girl, but you would never think that when you look at my lipstick collection.  I love darker lips.  I have pretty pigmented lips and pretty pale skin, so a dark lip suits me well.  I also love using a dark lip liner and a little gloss over top.  Jordana makes my favorite liners.  I believe I have every color.  I also love there eye liners.  I just gave myself an idea for an upcoming post!

Laura Mercier Rose - Bare Minerals Moxie in Maverick - Revlon Bordeaux - Maybelline Raspberry Ablaze - Chanel 176

Jordana Cabernet - NYX Plum 

Rose - Maverick - Bordeaux - Raspberry Ablaze - 176 - Cabernet - Plum 

Now some tidbits... I have recently decided my room needs an update so I am saving up to get some new furniture and some new decor!  I recently made a few trips to Target and got some lovely pieces.  And may I say they have the cutest bar cart ever!! Its only about $60!  I didn't pick it up yet, but who knows I might go back and get it this week.

Recent Target finds

I went to a Sephora VIB Rouge event about a month or so ago and I had a great time!  I brought my bff Joanna with me.  We have known each other for about 20 years now, and that just blows my mind.  She seriously knows pretty much everything about me.  And I don't know what I'd do without her!

I love Aubrey Kinch's blog and her friday freebies!  She has some of the best designs!  And one day down the line a bit I am going to enlist her services to spruce this blog up!

Um this stuff is amazballs!! And I mean it!  I have tried this flavor and I picked up the sea salt caramel the other day and it was just as delish !! I would say run to your nearest supermarket or Walmart/Taregt and get yours now.  It will change your life.  Plus its gluten free and made from all natural products. 

So what is your favorite ice cream?? I'd love to hear!!

Love, 

City Styles

Oh Hey Fall ! {LIPSTICK CHRONICLES}

Fall is officially here!!!!! (imagine me singing that)  So, of course it's time to start wearing vampy lipsticks!  I love doing a neutral eye and a nice dark lip.  The boyfriend is not a big fan, but what does he know.. hahaha.  So, I went through my makeup arsenal and took out my top 10 vampy colors to show you all.  

Revlon LipButter in Raspberry Pie ~ Milani in Uptown Mauve ~ Sephora in No. 46 ~ Covergirl in Smitten ~ MAC in Rebel

WnW in 908C Sugar Plum Fairy ~ Chanel in La Provacante ~ Wnw in 918D Cherry Bomb ~ Revlon in Wine Not ~ Maybelline in Midnight Plum 

Raspberry Pie ~ Uptown Mauve ~ No.46 ~ Smitten ~ Rebel ~ Sugar Plum Fairy ~ La Provacante ~ Cherry Bomb ~ Wine Not ~ Midnight Plum 

When wearing a dark lip make sure to use a lip liner.  I prefer one that is close to my natural lip color.  Using a lip liner will help prevent the lipstick from bleeding outside of the lips.  I also like to use dabbing or patting motions so I do not put to much color on at once.  And something else to keep in mind is to make sure you have freshly exfoliated lips, otherwise the lipstick won't lay correctly and cling to all the dry skin.  

What are your favorite lipsticks for the fall?? 

Love, 

City Styles 

The Brights {LIPSTICK CHRONICLES}

Hummmmp Dayyyy... Does no one else love that Geico commercial??? That camel is just hysterical!  I have had a blah day, but I was actually excited to come home and write this.  I just want to say thank you to everyone who reads my blog.  I have hit 1000 views and I know that is not a whole ton, but to me it's a milestone.

Anywho, on to the lipstick.  For this edition of the Lipstick Chronicles I focused on bright colors.  I know fall is just around the corner, but I love a bright lip anytime of year!  It just says I am here and I am ready to have fun!  And on the plus side these are all from the drugstore and very affordable.

Revlon Wild Watermelon - Revlon Orange Flip - Maybelline Shocking Coral - Maybelline Cherry on Top - Revlon Sorbet - Maybelline Wild Rose - Milani Rose Hip - Maybelline Hot Plum 

Wild Watermelon - Orange Flip - Shocking Coral - Cherry on Top - Sorbet - Vivid Rose - Wild Rose - Hot Plum 

My favorite formula out of all of these is the Maybelline Vivids.  They are just so creamy and pigmented.  I have almost every shade.  My second favorite are the Revlon Lip Butters.  They are great if you want a sheer but still pigmented color.  

What time of year do you stop wearing brights?  And what is your favorite drugstore formula?

Love, 

City Styles

Linked Up with

La Creme

I have totally been into cream blushes lately.  In the past I never gave them a second look, but Dior and  Chanel came out with new cream blushes so I had to give them a try.  I must say I like!  They wear really well throughout the day and give great pigmentation.  I am actually considering buying them in other shades.

I have been using a Walmart angled blush brush to apply them.  It is always a good idea to use a synthetic brush to apply cream products.  It deposits color better and much easier to clean.
The Dior blush reminds me of a better version of the Maybelline bouncy blushes.  And the Chanel reminds me of the NYX cream blushes.  But I truly love the Dior and Chanel more.  They have just the right pigmentation and last through the day.

What are your favorite cream blushes and how do you apply them?


In other news I cut my hair last week and I am loooooving it!  I feel like it makes me look more sophisticated and mature.  And it is a great length for summer time.  I will be sharing my hair journey soon.  I have gone from blonde to dark brown back to blonde and long hair to short hair to even shorter hair.

Love, 

City Styles