Makeup Revolution New-Trals vs Neutrals Palette Review

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Friends, this review has been a long time coming. This palette has been sitting on my Ulta wishlist for months, and by an act of sheer willpower I've held out on buying it until now. Yes my makeup collection is totally OTT, but I do honestly try to exercise some restraint when it comes to shopping for new beauty products. And while I've got an especially weak spot for eyeshadow palettes, I'm actually pretty good about not going out and splurging on every single one that catches my eye.

So for the better part of 2016 I've hemmed and hawed about buying this bad boy. Did I really need it? Probably not. But the colors were SO gorgeous and the price was SO great that eventually I gave in to my undying curiosity. So what is this magical little beauty? The Makeup Revolution New-Trals vs. Neutrals Eyeshadow Palette, of course!

Best of Beauty 2016: Skin, Hair, Nails & More

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Hey friends! This week we're saying goodbye to 2016 by taking a look back at some of the best beauty launches and discoveries from the past year. We've already covered the best of the best in makeup, and today we're chatting skincare, haircare, bath, body and more! Curious to find out what products made the cut? Keep on reading!

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!

#treatyoself for the Holidays at The Red Door Spa

As much as I love December and all of its holiday cheer, I'm not going to lie and pretend its not  flippin' stressful. The days are shorter, the traffic is heavier, and the lines at every store are ridiculously long. Then you add in the occasional family drama, the lack of coverage at work, and the ever-growing mountain of unwrapped presents staring at you from the living room, and before you know it you're in full-on panic mode trying to decide whether to make Snickerdoodles or Peanut Butter Kisses for your neighborhood cookie swap.

Maybe I should just buy whatever I can find at Costco and put it on a fancy plate...No one will know the difference, right?

I MEAN, REALLY. WHO HAS THE TIME TO BAKE 10 DOZEN COOKIES?

Honestly, the pressure we put on ourselves at this time of year is maddening. Sure there is much fun to be had, but all the preparations can be downright exhausting. And this is exactly why I think it's important to take a breath amidst the crazy and remember to practice some self care. Anyone who's been around these parts before knows I am a big supporter of pampering yourself, be it taking 10 minutes to throw on a face mask, or half an hour to soak in the tub.

As for me, life is already bananas before you throw the holidays on top of things. And while I do my best to try and find some semblance of work-life-Christmas balance, I can still end up pretty run down. Fortunately, this year the Universe threw me a line. A few weeks ago The Red Door Spa reached out to me with an invitation to have a complimentary service at one of their locations. Founded by Elizabeth Arden, The Red Door has been performing award-winning spa services for over 100 years and currently has 30 different locations nationwide. When it comes to pampering there's very little that can top an actual spa day, so I (of course) graciously accepted their offer.

Golden Glam Holiday Makeup Tutorial

It may be hard to believe, but New Year's Eve is almost upon us! It's time to find a LBD, stock up on champagne, and prepare a killer makeup look to rock for the evening. Seriously, though. If there is one day in the year that full-on glam is entirely appropriate, it's NYE. As your makeup BFF, I of course had to come up with something to help you get inspired. This tutorial is actually in collaboration with the lovely Anisa from Whisk & Heels, who I've actually been following for years and is now a fellow Ipsy OS member! We each have put a unique twist on a classic silver or gold holiday makeup look that should help you feel super fierce at your next party. Once you've had a chance to check out my tutorial make sure you also head on over to Anisa's channel to see hers. She seriously did an amazing job (#blendinggoals) and I think you're going to love it!

Classic Holiday Glam at Bloomingdale's

There are a lot of things I love about the holidays - baking sugar cookies, seeing Christmas lights,  shopping ridiculous online sales (but really though...my poor wallet). In all seriousness, there's something inherently magical about the month of December. Even though we're all grumpy about the cold and dealing with crazy traffic and lines at stores, there's still an excitement in the air that makes everyone seem at least a little bit festive. In true beauty blogger fashion, I channel a good chunk of my holiday spirit into my makeup game. It's not that I won't occasionally rock a glam look year round, it just that as soon as the Christmas decor is up I find myself busting out the glitter and lashes pretty much every weekend.

Recently I received this beautiful PR package from Bloomingdale's with a selection of products that are perfect for creating a classic glam holiday look. From a bold red lip, to fluttery lashes, to a signature scent, and a killer 'do, you've got everything you need to channel your inner old Hollywood starlet.

Winter 2016 Empties

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Hello beauties! It's time yet again to take out the trash. I've got a boat load of empty products that I need to say goodbye to, and we're going to chat a little bit about each one. Perhaps its just the die hard beauty enthusiast in me, but I love watching and filming empties videos. Sure it's a lot of fun to hear about what's new and trendy, but sometimes I wonder how much of a person's enthusiasm for a product is based on the hype. And that's why empties are awesome. By the time you're ready to throw something away, your opinion is much less likely to be biased by newness. If someone finishes an entire bottle of something and loved it so much that they already have a backup on standby, I'm going to take that recommendation pretty seriously.

In the end, we all work hard for our money, and if we're going to invest some of it into beauty products, we don't want them to suck. And that's why I'm here doing what I'm doing. I'm willing to take one for the team, to risk the occasional fail so that you don't have to. What kind of friend would I be if I wasn't? So if you want to find out my most honest, tried-and-true opinions on some beauty goodness, keep on reading!

Too Faced White Chocolate Chip Palette Review

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If you're a die hard beauty lover, you probably have an understanding of the insanity that revolves around super limited edition releases. Some collections sell out within a matter of minutes, which means that if you want in, you've got to commit to hitting that checkout button the second it goes live. Depending on where you live, that might require staying up until 3 am (or some other ridiculous time) because waiting until the morning will likely mean missing out on whatever product you've got your eye on.

Now, I personally am way too lazy and laid back to find myself being one of these people. Don't get me wrong, my love for beauty is strong, but I think there are SO many great products out there that I just don't get that emotionally attached to any one particular release. If I miss out on this one, there will always be something else to get excited about.

So where am I going with all of this? Somehow, with very little stress or effort, I managed to snag a super hot ticket item over Thanksgiving weekend. I honestly almost feel guilty about how nonchalant the whole process was when I know how much drama this little palette stirred up. If you're confused, here's the quick recap.

November 2016 Favorites

Every time I sit down to write a monthly favorites post, I feel like a broken record. "This month went by so fast!", "Where did the year go?", "What am I doing with my life?!"

Okay, so maybe not so much the last one, but it's certainly also been on the brain.

Time does have a sneaky way of disappearing. I'm sitting here looking over all of the beauty I've been using in the last couple of months, and realize that I'm still backlogged on a ton of reviews that I want to write for you guys. AND there's still new stuff coming in. Basically, if you want to be a beauty blogger, you have to be willing to hustle hard. Getting to play with makeup and skincare and whatnot is awesome, but I can totally appreciate how some people do this as a full time job. It takes work, man, and most days 24 hours do not seem like enough.

ANYWAY, I'm distracting myself. Let's get back to the matter at hand - all of the beauty I was loving on last month. As the winter starts to creep ever closer I've been all about products that will keep me soft and smooth from head to toe. Curious to find out more? Keep on reading!