Brand Love: NYX Eyeshadows

Ever since I went to Ulta and discovered NYX eyeshadows, I have been in love. I currently own six of the little potted wonders, all in the neutral family of course. I think neutral is the way to go when first trying a product. If you like the boring browns, beiges, and taupes, there is a good chance you will like the more exciting colors as well down the road. I actually think NYX shadows are quite comparable to MAC, and for a fraction of the price. I find them to be soft and pigmented. My only complaint seems to be the fall-out issue, but I get fall-out from almost every shadow i've tried, ranging from low-end brands to the higher-end variety. A good tip is to do your eye makeup before applying your foundation and concealer in order to avoid getting loose bits of shadow all over your cheeks. Then, once you are done applying your eye makeup, you can simply sweep off any excess that has fallen with a fluffy brush. If you haven't tried NYX, I really recommend you do. Besides Ulta,  http://www.cherryculture.com/  carries the entire NYX line, as well as http://www.nyxcosmetics.com/

Left to Right: Dark Brown, Iced Mocha, Aloha, My Favorite Color, Sahara, Geisha.

~All are shimmery except for Dark Brown, which is a matte~

Left to Right, the same order as above. Aren't they pretty, pretty? The last four are great all-over lid colors!

Happy Sunday,

Noelle <3

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I Frequently Read Your Blog ;)

I was awarded by one of the sweetest bloggers around, Emily, of http://emsloves.blogspot.com/. I am seriously baffled by the fact that anyone reads what I have to say EVER, let alone on a frequent basis. Writing has always been a passion of mine, but it is also really personal. The decision to start my own beauty/fashion/frivilous blog took a long time, but I am so happy that I made the leap into blogger-land. Thank you Emily for this award, and thank you to all of my lovely readers. You all put a smile on my face, and even though I have never met any of you, I still feel like I have some new-found friends. I wish I could pass this award on to everyone, because I would ;) But the rules are 10, so here they are:

~Crystal of http://www.lipglossgossip.com/. She was one of my first readers! I love her reviews on products, they are always honest and in-depth.

~Lynn of http://beautifulthingsdiary.blogspot.com/. Ok, so I kind of stalk her blog! I mean that in the most innocent and normal way possible ;) Her blog has a bit of everything, and I especially love her fashion posts.
~Christina of http://christina83writes.blogspot.com/. This beautiful red-head lives across the Atlantic. I am so jealous of the shopping opportunities in the UK.
~Natalie of http://fashionfoodfrivolity.blogspot.com/, I recently discovered Natalie's blog, and I am already in love with her outfit postings. It gives me some great inspiration. If you love fashion, definitely follow her!
~Kate of http://vintagegold14.blogspot.com/. Kate just started her blog a few months ago, and I always want to support new beauty bloggers. So far, she has done three posts about skincare, and Lord knows I could use some help with that.
~Chloe of http://www.thechloeconspiracy.com/. Ok, this girl is AMAZING! I cannot get enough of Chloe. Her writing is brilliant, and her taste in clothes is equally incredible. Every outfit of the day she wears, I want! She is funny, witty, and just plain cool.
~Leann of http://mymakeuphabit.blogspot.com/. Again, another recently discovered blog. LeeAnn is an actual makeup artist, so her tips are really helpful.
~Feline of http://anythingshallow.blogspot.com/. This girl is an engineering student, and a very stylish one at that!
~Eve of http://xlovelymakeupx.blogspot.com/. I can't get enough of her hauls and makeup looks.
~Muhsine of http://bubblegarm.blogspot.com/. She is one of the most popular beauty bloggers out there, and there is definitely a reason why. She was the first blogger that I ever followed, and will continue to faithfully follow. You girls all must follow too, right?!

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Mini Haul From Sephora

I went to the beauty addict's mecca a few days ago to finally use up a gift card that I was given on my birthday way back in SEPTEMBER! I know, I waited a long time! But there are so many things I have been curious to try, and I didn't want to buy the wrong things. So here's what I carefully picked out for myself:

~You guys know I love Korres. I just ran out of face wipes, and I decided to give these a try. They smell great! I have noticed they are a bit on the dry side though.

I also got one of the Korres lip butters in Jasmine. It is a pretty nude/carmel color that leaves a nice sheen on

my lips. I absolutely love it! Aside from my MAC tendertone, this lip butter is really moisturizing and I just love how soft it makes my lips feel. The smell, like all of Korres products, is wonderful.

My favorite purchase is defintely this: The Stila Long Wear Lip Color in Paramour. I watched Michele1218

from YouTube rave about it, and she convinced me to go out and at least test it on the back of my hand. I can't say enough positive things about this. The color is so creamy. And the pen-like packaging is perfect for application. It's a cross between a lip liner, with the creaminess of a lipstick, and the subtle shine of a gloss. The berry-red color makes my teeth look super white, always a plus ;) I will be wearing this on Christmas, New Years, and nights out for sure.

So that's my little haul! Thank you for reading~

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Fab Find: CHI Ceramic Hairstyling Iron

A couple of weeks ago, a friend at school told me that Costco was selling CHI irons for 59 dollars! So of course, I had to take her word for it and check it out. Sure enough, I found my very own CHI for much less than the usual cost. I had been faithfully using a Remington straightener for about two years, and it worked all right. But it never got hot enough for my liking, and it seemed that as soon as I left the house my hair would get slightly wavy/frizzy again. My hairstylist uses a CHI to style my hair, and she has recommended I get one of my own for years now. I just never wanted to spend the money for some reason. I must confess that I am not a hair wizard. In fact, i'd probably rather do anything at any given time besides styling my hair. I am a "girly" girl, yet I never inherited the talent of properly doing my own hair. I usually just blow dry it...then straighten it...repeat! In the summer I let my waves run wild, but now that it is actually cold here in southern CA, I can't bear to leave the house with wet hair.
So needless to say, I love my new find! It definitely straightens much better than my old cheapie, and the style lasts. You can also curl your hair with it, but I have yet to attempt that. My dream is to one day own a GHD. That seems to be the "holy grail" hair tool for everyone on Youtube, and i so wish I could afford one of those babies! But I really am happy with my fab hair tool, and Costco's deals are unbeatable.

Thanks for reading!

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