Little Blushing Birdie Does LA!

Much to my dismay I have finally made my way back to the chilly East Coast. California was beautiful (and warm), and my trip there went by all to quickly. I knew I had palm trees in store for me, but I don't think that it fully registered until I woke up in Pasadena that there would also be mountains. And desert.

I don't want to bore you too much with the details of my travels, but I thought it would be fun to share a few pictures of the places I visited. I'd love to hear if you've seen any of them in person as well.

October 2013 Favorites

Hi everyone!

So I know it's a bit early in the month, but I've got a bunch of October favorites to share. I'm leaving for California tomorrow (squee!!), and I tried to take advantage of the free time I had this weekend to film. I made the executive decision to not take my laptop to the west coast with me, so I won't be writing any posts until after I get back. I will, however, be bringing my camera and my phone, so keep an eye on my twitter and instagram feeds if you want to see what I'm up to in sunny southern Cali.

I am also bringing my Kindle fire, with the intention of reading the entire Lord of the Rings Trilogy (it's been on the to-do list forever). We'll see how well that goes.

Anyway...beauty products!

LUSH Haul & Lord of Misrule Demo

I love LUSH.

I've loved it for so many years, and up until maybe 6 months ago or so could only visit it on special occasions, being that the closest store was over an hour away. But now they've finally moved in to my local mall, which is both super convenient and super dangerous at the same time.

I actually have contained myself very well, all things considered. I haven't made a LUSH purchase in quite some time. But then I was reading Estée's post about her recent LUSH haul and felt the sudden urge to take a trip to the mall.

October 2013 Birchbox

I'm so excited about my October Box. I got some really awesome products that I can't wait to tell you all about. This month's theme is Beauty Buzz. Birchbox wanted to share some of it's most celebrated, talked about and loved products with its subscribers.

Maybelline Color Tattoo Review & Look

Left: Fierce & Tangy, Right: Tough as Taupe

I have a lot of makeup.

One could maybe even say too much, but my inner beauty addict begs to differ. And even though it is awesome to have so many options to choose from, inevitably products get lost in the shuffle, becoming forever buried at the bottom of a drawer or makeup bag.

I try to make it a regular habit to go exploring though my stash in the hopes of rediscovering long forgotten hidden gems. And once in a while I'll get lucky and have the makeup equivalent of finding $20 in your winter jacket pocket.

My most recent new-old beauty product I've fallen in love with is Maybelline's Color Tattoo 24hr Eyeshadow. I had purchased the colors Pomegranate Punk (a frosted cranberry) and Fierce & Tangy (a vibrant orange) last year on a whim for Halloween, needing colors for a firey flame-inspired eye look. They did the job well, but were ultimately thrown in the eye shadow drawer, to remain unused and unloved since. As I've gotten more involved in the beauty blogger community, though, I've come across a ton of rave reviews for this product, so I had to give it a proper chance.

Little Red Lip

Every woman has to have one. It's the secret weapon you keep stashed in your closet until the time is right. And then when that cocktail party or date night arises you bust your little hidden gem and sport all of the confidence of a Parisian super model (or at least that's what you're aiming for).

The little black dress.  

It's one of if not the most classic wardrobe staple a woman can own. On general principle, I love dresses. In the summer especially I could wear a dress and sandals just about every day. But even for those of you who aren't as ridiculously girly as myself, being the owner of one stellar dress that makes you feel like a million bucks is truly a necessity. 

Holiday Shopping Preview

It's finally that time of year.

The leaves are changing. Boots and scarves are being pulled out of the recesses of many closets. Halloween stores are sprouting up all over, and every restaurant and coffee house is boasting pumpkin flavored delights.

But most of all?

The Holiday Gift Sets are starting to arrive.

ULTA Grand Opening Haul & September 2013 Favorites

I can't believe October is already here! I feel like it was just June a few days ago, and yet it's already time to start busting out the Halloween decorations.

I had some free time to myself on Sunday for the first time in ages, so I decided to film a video for you all! This time around I wanted to share my thoughts on my latest ULTA haul as well as my favorite finds from September. My most exciting beauty discovery from this past month was Mario Badescu skincare, which tote some really awesome natural and high quality products at reasonable prices. You can purchase their products online from the Mario Badescu website or in stores at select ULTA locations. Hautelook is also offering some Mario Badescu products at a special discount until Friday morning, so I definitely recommend checking that out as well!