February 2017 Favorites

*Affiliate links/PR samples used.

Guys, I'm so excited to share this month's favorites with you I'm practically dancing out of my chair. 2017 has been off to the most amazing start beauty-wise, and it's got me more pumped to blog than ever. It's not like my passion for playing with product has ever really wavered, it's just that lately I've come across things that I'm genuinely loving so much that I find myself looking forward to doing my nightly skincare or putting on my makeup each morning. And of course, being the true enabler that I am, I can't wait to tell you about it all so you can fall in love right along with me!

Best of Beauty 2016: Must-Have Makeup

I don't know about you, but I am SO ready to wrap up 2016. It's not that this was a bad year (although there were definitely some less than spectacular moments), it's just that I'm excited to wipe the slate clean and make 2017 my best blogging year to date. Looking back at where things were at this time in 2015 I honestly had no idea how much I would grow in 365 days, how many new friends I would make, or how many opportunities would come knocking on my door. This year I took my first swing at fashion blogging and got featured on the Stitch Fix website. I was accepted into Ipsy Open Studios and got to network with some fantastic ladies. I experienced my first Generation Beauty and was able to connect with so many amazing brands. I honestly feel so humbled by all of the love I received in 2016 and am so proud of myself for all the work I've put in to make my content better than ever. So with the prospect of a new year ahead I find myself totally geared up and ready to take on even more new adventures.

Of course, I shouldn't get too ahead of myself. 2016 deserves a proper send off with a final look back at all of my favorite beauty launches and discoveries of the past year. Since there were so many great products to talk about, I've decided to break things down into two posts. Today we're chatting all things makeup related - from beautifully blinding highlights, to the dreamiest of lipsticks. I've got my top picks for every category ready to go, and I can't wait to show you which ones came out on top!

January 2016 Favorites

It's hard to believe, but the first month of 2016 has already come and gone! It's been a bit of a whirlwind, and I've been trying a TON of new and awesome products. Here are some of the ones that I think you guys definitely need to check out!

Tools of the Trade: My Favorite Makeup Brushes

As someone who's played with A LOT of makeup from all different price points, I've learned a bit of a valuable lesson when it comes to putting your best face forward. Whether your eyeshadow costs $3 or $30, if you're using a junk brush to apply it, the end result is bound to disappoint you. Show of hands, how many of you have bought a pretty eyeshadow compact from the drugstore and used the little sponge tipped applicator inside to put it on? And how many of you were ready to swear off makeup when you ended up looking like a streaky, unblended mess? I am here to tell you - it's not your fault! The game was rigged before you even got started.

The truth of makeup is that a great formula is only half the battle. You need a few awesome tools at your disposal to get the most out of your product. Whether you're talking foundation, blush, or shadow, the right brush can make a HUGE difference in application and finish and take your makeup game to a whole new level. And, just like the makeup you're putting on, great brushes don't have to cost you an arm and a leg. There are tons of budget friendly options in the market, some of which I even prefer to ones that cost ten times the price!

Which brings us to why you're here today. I'm sharing my favorite brushes, from $3 miracles to super luxe finds from Sephora. Whether you're just starting out your brush collection, or are one of those there-is-no-such-thing-as-too-many-brushes beauty addicts, hopefully you'll find these recommendations helpful!

Best of 2015 Beauty: My Makeup Picks

Happy New Year! It's hard to believe, but 2016 is already here. It's amazing how quickly 12 months can fly by and all of a sudden its January again. While 2015 was a relatively low key year for me in my personal life, I feel like it was pretty exciting for me blog-wise. I started out my first affiliate partnerships, revamped my YouTube channel, worked with some great brands, and tried SO. MANY. PRODUCTS. I wrote 171 posts (that's more than the two previous years combined!), totally revamped my site design, and have finally started to figure out this whole social media thing. In the end, blogging is definitely a labor of love, but I couldn't be happier about investing my time and energy into creating this space that I can share with all of you. I've got so many plans and goals for the coming year, and hope that you'll all be up for joining me on that journey.

But, before we get to ahead of ourselves, I want to give 2015 a proper send off. I've spent the last few weeks rifling through my cabinets, digging through my drawers, and perusing my old blog posts to come up with an epic list of my most favorite beauty products from the past year. For a moment I considered making one short list encompassing my best-of-the-best products, only to quickly realize that it's kind of impossible to just pick one favorite makeup or skincare item from the hundreds that I've tried. So instead, I offer you this. Over the next few days I'll be sharing my best beauty discoveries of 2015, with each post focusing on a particular group of products. So let's start things right by talking about everyone's favorite beauty addiction - makeup.

Holiday 2015 Preview: Gift Sets Galore

Is it just me, or do stores release their holiday goodies earlier and earlier every year? Maybe it seems a little crazy, what with it not even being Halloween yet, but at the same time, we all know that the 3 month stretch leading up to the Holiday season basically flies by. So what does it hurt to start making that wish list early? Or to get a head start on your gift shopping? We're all friends here. You know I won't judge! From skincare, to makeup, to beautiful brushes, the beauty world has really amped things up for the 2015 holiday season, and there are a TON of amazing gift sets to give or to get. To help you narrow down the sea of choices, here are a few of my top picks!

5 Minute Makeup Tutorial

Happy Sunday, all! I am cozied up at home with my cup of coffee, starting my day off being a little bit productive. It's been a cold, rainy, generally gross week, but finally the sun is shining again and I am ready to actually enjoy a little bit of fall. I'd love to go out and get a couple of pumpkins for my front stoop, maybe even bust out the Halloween decorations. It's October people, time to embrace all things festive!

On a day like today when I'm either going to be out and about running errands or relaxing at home, I like to take a break from full-face makeup. All I want is to look polished and put together without having to expend a whole lot of time and energy getting ready. In the spirit of having a little bit of fun, I thought I'd put my skills to the test and see if I could come up with a makeup look to share with you guys that you can do in five minutes or less.

200th Post Giveaway - Little Blushing Birdie Favorites

I’m still a little in awe about the fact that this is my 200^th post on Little Blushing Birdie. That’s a whole lot of reviews, tutorials, and general rambling! It’s been a pretty excellent journey thus far, and I decided that I wanted to do a little something special to celebrate. I've rounded up a collection of some of my all-time favorite beauty products to give away to one lucky reader!

Holiday Gifting 2014 - Real Techniques Nic's Picks

No girl should be without a decent set of basic makeup brushes. Sure, some products are easy to slap on with your fingers, but that's no excuse to not to make the investment. And if you're one of those people who uses the cheap brushes and applicators that come in palettes or compacts and are wondering why your smokey eye doesn't look as awesome as it does in magazines, it's because you're fighting a losing battle. A good quality makeup brush will make a world of difference in your finished look, allowing for infinitely more precision and seamless blending. And while there are certainly a lot of luxurious options to choose from, you don't have to spend a fortune to get your collection started.

Real Techniques is one of my favorite brands for affordable, quality makeup brushes. When I spotted this new Limited Edition Nic's Picks set I got understandably excited. It contains 5 brushes for face and eyes that cover all of the basics necessary for starting out your brush collection!

ULTA & CVS Haul

When you write a beauty blog, there is ALWAYS something out there you can't wait to get your hands on. Whether it's that cult favorite eyeshadow everyone's been raving about for years, or a brand new product launch, you've just got to find out for yourself how it measures up. Of course, us bloggers do have budgets, so we're always on the lookout for coupons, discounts, and other ways to get the most bang for our buck. Between a 20% off coupon at ULTA, an in-store sale on Rimmel, CVS Extrabucks and manufacturer's coupons, I was able to get this stash of beauty goodies for less than half the price. Here's a closer look at what I bought for testing and reviewing!

Fall 2013 Shopping Spree

So...I may have gone a bit crazy with beauty shopping in the past couple of weeks. Between the sales and coupons and gift cards I had, it would have been silly to resist. I'm planning on writing more detailed posts reviewing all of the products I got, so be sure to check back most likely over the weekend when I have a chance to finish that project up. In the meantime, I did a quick (okay, so maybe it's not so quick) overview of my Sephora and Kohls hauls and my first impressions of the products I've tried so far.

Beauty Haul August 2013

If there is one thing that I pride myself on, it's shopping on a budget. I hate paying full price for something, and when I'm going to, there better be an awesome bonus or perk that I will get for doing so.

I have been trying to keep my general spending in check over the past few months, but I was able to splurge a little in August because I received a rewards card from signing up with AT&T U-verse. I spent some of that money on practical things, like groceries, but then decided to treat myself as well.