This Week's Beauty Purchases!

It's been quite a productive week in beauty buys for me. I haven't had a chance to try everything out yet, but I figured I'd introduce all of the products and we can go into them a little further later on. Let's get started!

NARS Bronzing Powder in Laguna: After a less-than-stellar experience with Too Faced Peach Leopard Bronzer, I thought I'd try this cult classic. I detest super-shimmery bronzers, but the shimmer in this bronzer is almost undetectable; it just imparts a radiant glow. The shade "Laguna" is good for my pale winter skin. Maybe I'll try "Casino" in the summer time.

Maybelline Volum' Express the Colossal Cat Eyes Mascara: Is it just me, or are long product names super annoying? Regardless, I have mixed feelings about this mascara. The curved brush doesn't really do much for me as far as volume, but it helps with curl. I think layering this with another mascara (probably my favorite L'Oréal Voluminous Carbon Black) would look nice. My only issue is that Maybelline mascaras are a real pain to take off.

Essie Nail Polish in Bahama Mama: If you're trying to get in on autumn's oxblood trend but don't want to take the full dive, this is a great way to start. I thought this color would just be a deep fuchsia, but the deep burgundy/maroon color is much more than that. Pretty and rich, perfect for fall and winter. 

Mary Kay NouriShine Plus Lip Gloss in Café Au Lait: I got this lip gloss for free with a top I purchased from Lulu's. Honestly, I thought the gloss I received was a sample size, so I reordered it thinking the retail size would be bigger. I was a little disappointed to find out the petite container is what you get. This gloss is nice and moisturizing, and the color is a great neutral for every day. Would I pay $14 for it again? Probably not. 

Oribe Maximista Thickening Spray: I am so excited for this product, and I haven't even tried it yet. I absolutely loooved Oribe Dry Texturing Spray. Maximista is a "thermal-protective body-builder," and I think using it in conjunction with Oribe Crème for Style will give fantastic results. Did I mention how amazing Oribe products smell? Mmm!

Real Techniques Powder Brush: This is my first Real Techniques brush, and I think it's great. Right now I use an Ecotools Bamboo Bronzer Brush to apply bronzer, and I think it's a little too heavy-handed. For a lighter bronzer application, especially on my pale autumn/winter skin, I think this fluffy brush will do the trick. I had a coupon at Ulta (yay!) and was able to get this brush for around $7 USD. Quite a deal for such a fabulous brush. Now I really want to try the Expert Face Brush. It's supposed to be great for foundation.

YSL Rouge Volupté Lipstick in #001 Nude Beige: This lipstick is creamy. Too creamy? It's too early to pass judgement. The color is a beautiful pinkish-nude, and the packaging is luxe, to say the least. It's a great match for my NARS Fantasia Lipliner Pencil.

Phew! That was a lot. I'm very excited to get better acquainted will all of these products, and I'll definitely keep you posted on what I'm crazy about and what is underwhelming. Have you tried any of these products? Let me know in the comments. Until next time! Xx

Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray

Working at a hair salon has resulted in my addiction to hair products.  I am always buying new products as soon as we get them, even if I don't necessarily need it (hello, my annoyingly soft hair does not need MoroccanOil, but does that stop me from getting it? NO).  Even though I bought dry shampoo, I never really jumped on the bandwagon; I didn't see enough of a difference to continue buying it (I used TIGI's Rockaholic Dirty Secret Dry Shampoo).  I couldn't resist, though, when one of the lovely ladies I work with started using Oribe products.  I had to try something from the line, and luckily, my introduction was the Dry Texturizing Spray.

 I'm not really sure if it's technically a "dry shampoo"; Oribe's website describes it as an "invisible dry spray [that] builds in incredible volume and sexy texture."  Let me tell you! Whether I use it in clean or dirty hair, I definitely see a difference.  When I spray it into my clean hair, I get loads of volume and my style stays in place.  Using it in dirty hair allows me to gather my hair in pretty buns and ponytails or restyle it loose and down.  The smell is really nice but sometimes comes off a little strong.  And the packaging is absolutely beautiful!

If you're looking for a dry shampoo but are turned off by the idea of white, powdery sprays, I would recommend Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray.  This product doesn't come cheap: one can (8.5 oz) will set you back 39 dollars.  But hey, for some of us, you can't put a price on good hair!!