Sigma Holiday Gift Guide

Sigma Brushes have become so popular, it's crazy!  But I too succumbed to the hype a few years ago.  Sigma brushes are of excellent quality and there is a brush for every possible need.  Sigma also has some gorgeous makeup items like palettes and blushes that I absolutely just love!  With the holidays and the upcoming Black Friday free shipping promotion, don't overlook Sigma for that makeup artist in your life.  Or maybe snag some treats for yourself?  Here are some products that I love or am lusting over from Sigma!

Travel Kit - Mrs. Bunny $75

I purchased this travel kit almost a year ago and to this day it still makes me incredibly happy to use it.  This travel kit provides all essential brushes you need to create a flawless face, making it perfect on the go.  The cute colors are to die for as well!  The brushes are synthetic--providing for an airbrushed finish to your makeup looks and also making them vegan friendly.

Sigmax Synthetic Precision Kit $57

I'm asking for this precision kit for both my birthday AND Christmas just because I want them so much!  These brushes are for precise use on the face to mimic the flawless finish that your fingertips would provide while putting on makeup.  These brushes are essential for perfect concealer blending, even application of face and eye primers, and accurate contouring.  This kit would be perfect for the advanced artist.

Flat Kabuki $21

If you follow the makeup world you know this is just about one of the most popular brushes out there.  Everyone loves this brush for liquid foundation application.  It is a super dense brush that is synthetic--providing for a gorgeous finish to the face, which makes your foundation look like skin!  

Paris Palette $49

I am in love with this gorgeous makeup palette!  It was created by a few beauty gurus who all went to Paris and collaborated to make an inspired palette.  The shades are so pigmented and rich and absolutely perfect for winter looks.  I am a huge advocate for this palette and love it so much.  The palette includes eight eyeshadows, two blushes, a highlighter, and 2 brushes.  There are so many products for the cost--it's just an all around GREAT deal!

Complete Kit - Copper $429

I am a sucker for anything that looks remotely rose gold.  This brush set is a must.  The copper tone is not only unique and gorgeous, but is a long-lasting trend that anyone would love in their brush set.  This set comes with 29 brushes for eyes, cheeks, face, lips--you name it!  The set is PERFECT and with the great quality of sigma brushes, the price is reasonable.

Be sure to check out Sigma before these items sell out!  There is a Black Friday promotion going on November 28-29 for free shipping off all orders!  Jump on this because Sigma rarely has free shipping deals!  And be sure to check out the website on December 2 for Cyber Monday!  Sigma will have a 20% off sale on select products!  I will update this post on November 25 to let you know if any of the products in my gift guide will be included in the sale!

*All photos curtesy of www.sigmabeauty.com

Julie G Nail Polish in Crushed Candy

I am absolutely obsessed with this Julie G nail polish from the Frosted Gumdrops line.  It is a beautiful purple silver color that shines like out of this world!  I did not add a top coat, but I bet it's super shiny with one!  The greatest thing about this polish is the lasting power.  Without a top coat, I was able to wash my hair rigorously and the polish remained in tact.  No sparkles missing!  This polish is literally the most gorgeous thing ever.  Get your hands on it at Rite Aid or online at Jesse's Girl.

Julie G Nail polish in Crushed Candy.  Look at that sparkle!

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Movies I Can't Resist Watching

I am a huge list maker.  I was recently thinking about what movies I love to watch over and over again. Naturally, I had to make a list.  These are the movies that I have to watch any time they are on!

1. Love Actually
2. Julie & Julia
3. Amelie
4. Love and Other Disasters
5. Eloise at the Plaza
6. Daddy's Little Girls
7. Now and Then
8. Clueless
9. Uptown Girls
10. Legally Blonde
11. Doubt
12. Beauty Shop

What are your favorite films?

Julep Instant Warming Foot Scrub

Have you ever gotten one of those beauty subscription services and been absolutely astounded when you find something that is actually awesome?!  That's how I felt after using the Julep Instant Warming Foot Scrub.  This stuff is legit.

Hurry!  It's on sale right now for just $12.99!

I received this scrub in my Julep Maven Subscription box, which by the way is a monthly subscription where you get their awesome nail polishes for way cheaper than normal and they also throw in a full-sized skin care or beauty product from the brand.

The Instant Warming Foot Scrub is amazing.  It has a beautiful cucumber mint scent and has natural pumice, which is volcanic rock to help smooth out the roughness on your feet.  The scrub is also infused with chili pepper oil, which I imagine helps with the heating sensation!  When you rub the product into your hands, it instantly warms up!  It's a soothing, almost hot, type of feeling.  You just rub into your feet while in the shower, and your feet instantly feel smoother.  It is a great way to massage tired feet.  It is absolutely luxurious and a total pick-me-up while you're getting squeaky clean.

Folly Beach

My husband and I drove from Greenville, South Carolina to Charleston to celebrate our anniversary.  Charleston is one of my favorite cities in the world because it provides the romance of Paris with southern gentility and hospitality, but it also is rich in Gullah culture.  Most importantly, however, it is near a ton of beaches.

I love beaches.  When I vacation, I look for a beach-y spot.  One of my summer bucket list items was to have a beach day.  While in Charleston, we decided to go to Folly Beach, which is only a 20 minute drive away.  It is an interesting place that reminds me a lot of smaller towns in Hawaii, something like Kihei.  I would love to say we spent the whole day at the beach, but we didn't.  That was our intention, but things kept getting in our way.  We eventually made it to the beach and laid in the sun while we read our kindles.  I've been reading Tina Fey's Bossypants, which is pretty good.  I do love a good comedienne-authored book.

I really enjoyed Folly Beach although you wouldn't be able to tell from the picture below.  I guess I look perturbed when I'm posing or something.  Anyway, my red tankini is from Target.  I got it on clearance for like $12.

Almost Heaven, Blue Ridge Mountains

Years ago when I first met my husband, he took me to Caesar's Head, which is a State Park in South Carolina in his hometown.  It was a beautiful place with a gorgeous view of the Blue Ridge Mountains,  which is a part of the Appalachian Mountains.  I still remember my husband (then my boyfriend) wearing overalls, which I thought was super embarrassing  but was really just a part of his South Carolina "culture" I guess.    

Today we decided to head up to Caesar's Head again after six years and see the sights.  We are back in South Carolina for an anniversary trip and are having a relaxing blast.  We checked out Blythe Sholls, which is a really cool waterfall where the water is super cold.  We said we'd go back sometime with our swimsuits.

Me and hubby at Blythe Sholls

After the waterfall, we headed up to Bald Rock, which lets you see a good view of the Blue Ridge Mountains.  Bald Rock also has spray painted names of lovers and friends all over its surface.  I remember six years ago saying we'd come back and spray paint our names.  We forgot again this trip.

Me on Bald Rock

Blue Ridge Mountains

On our drive back from the Mountains, we stopped at a little farmers market-type place and picked up some goodies.  We got jarred pickles, blackberries, and of course my favorite summer fruit--peaches!

Peaches!

We had a great time and I got to cross another activity off of my summer bucket list.  I love nature.  I love greenery and trees and the Blue Ridge Mountains offer me everything I want to see.  I had such a great time just walking around and setting my eyes on God's creation.  Being at the Blue Ridge Mountains made me miss that song "Take Me Home"by John Denver I used to listen to.  Being at the mountains was almost heaven.

Summer Playlist

Lately I haven't been interested in much music other than what reminds me of my childhood. As a middle schooler, I loved our local rock station, which played bands like Weezer, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Everclear, 311, and the like. I find myself listening to that same local radio station today. And what is interesting is that the station plays the same music that I loved as an 8th grader. Is it because good music is hard to come by these days? Whatever it is, I'm loving this trip to the past. I made a summer playlist of those songs including a couple of newer songs that I find myself loving, despite my feelings of nostalgia. I hope you enjoy the music!

 

rooftop "party"

One of the things I really wanted to do this summer was go to a rooftop party.  I lived in Washington, D.C. for five years where rooftop parties and pretentiousness was a common way of life.  Although I would never move back to the rush-rush snobbiness that is the District, sometimes I miss my lifestyle there.  Often my husband and I would go out to posh restaurants and cute bars and it would make me feel glamorous.  Now that we are in Texas (I'm actually from here, but hubby isn't), sometimes our lives seem devoid of glamour.  Texas is a simple place, folks.  Very little allure here.  I wanted to go to a rooftop party just to have some semblance of what our lives were like before.

So this past weekend was a colleague/friend's birthday.  We decided to make a stop at a new rooftop bar here in Houston.  It is called Proof.  I don't know if this counts as a "party" but that's what we were trying to do there, anyway.  The bar was pretty cute and I was satisfied with being on higher ground in the outdoors.  This was rooftop enough for me.

Me on the rooftop at Proof!
Top - H&M
Necklace - Jewelmint

Summer Bucket List

Summer is going by so quickly!  I saw a couple of folks creating summer bucket lists--things that they want to accomplish during the summer, and so I decided to do one!  What is on your summer bucket list?

1. make an awesome sangria
2. have a summer party with lights
3. go swimming!
4. watch an outdoor movie
5. go to the mountains Done!
6. visit a taco truck
7. create a summer playlist Done!
8. make a new friend
9. play beach volleyball
10. lose at least 10 lbs
11. eat oysters
12. finish a book
13. visit a cute bar
14. shisha outside
15. create and blog a fresh summer salad
16. have a beach day Done!
17. get an ice cream cone covered in sprinkles
18. do a water activity i've never done before
19. make fresh jam
20. go to a rooftop party  Done! 

June Favorites

Welcome! MAC Tropical Taboo

Welcome to my new blog!  I have wanted to start a blog for quite some time, but with my life-consuming work schedule and my youtube hobby I wasn't quite sure when I could start.  I decided to start today.  I was a bit over-ambitious and decided to do a bunch of picture-taking and swatching because I just received my package from MAC with my new goodies from their Tropical Taboo collection.  I am not a big MAC collection person, but for some reason I felt compelled to participate in this one.  I love what I purchased.

Apparently the Tropical Taboo collection is inspired by latin beats.  The MAC website states that the collection is the:

"passion of samba in a shimmering colour collection pulsating with sensuality.  Give into the heat, beat, and exotic glamour of shades that define desire.  Be seduced by the lure of the Latin beat."

Well, I don't know about all that but here are my thoughts on the few items I purchased:

1.  Simmer Mineralized Blush $25 - This is a gorgeous berry-colored blush.  It provides a bit of gold dust, which highlights the face.  Wearing this blush defeats the need for a highlighter on the face.  It is beautiful and can easily be used for both a daytime and nighttime look.

2.  Gold Deposit Mineralized Skinfinish $30 - This is a gold highlighter that adds a beautiful golden dust to the face.  It is perfect for summertime, as the sunlight will bounce against this highlight and will make the skin glow.  A golden highlighter is essential in any makeup collection, and this one is a lovely choice.

3.  Adored Mineralized Skinfinish $30 - This highlighter is a bit of a pale chalky pink color.  It is very pretty, but is easily replaced by any light-colored highlight.  This color has a tendency to look somewhat ashy, so you have to be careful about how much you put on.  It does provide a pearly look, but again, just be careful.

4.  Fever Isle Cremesheen Glass $20 - This is a sheer wash of coral for the lips.  Although MAC describes it as "bright," in reality, it comes off quite sheer.  It is difficult to get amazing color payoff.  I do not think this is worth a buy, but it is nice for the workplace.

5.  Heroine Lip Pencil $15 - This lip pencil has been introduced before by MAC and often sells out, as is the case online for this collection.  It is a beautiful vibrant blue-toned purple color that will turn heads.

Simmer Mineralize Blush. Burnt Rose with Peach/Gold Pearl.

Gold Deposit Mineralized Skinfinish.  Soft Reflective Golden-bronze.

Adored Mineralized Skinfinish.  Coral with Light Beige Pearl.

Fever Isle Cremesheen Glass.  A Bright Red Coral.

Heroine Lip Pencil. Bright Purple.

Fever Isle Cremesheen Glass.

Simmer Mineralized Blush.

Adored Mineralize Skinfinish.

Gold Deposit Mineralized Skinfinish.

Heroine Lip Pencil.

Simmer Blush, Gold Deposit Mineralized Skinfinish, and Heroine Lip Pencil

Simmer Blush, Adored Mineralized Skinfinish, and Fever Isle Cremesheen Glass