Spring Fling: Glossy Lip Colors to Love

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I am SO READY to embrace all things spring. Give me sunshine. Give me flowers. And please for the love of all things good take my winter coat and bury it in the back of the closet. For me, this time of year is all about lightening up. Lightening up my clothes, lightening up my mood, and in the case of today's post, lightening up my lipstick. While I don't think the matte liquid lip trend is going anywhere anytime soon, I personally am in desperate need of a change. From sheer glosses, to creamy lipsticks I've been embracing a more cheerful, comfortable kind of lip product as per late. So if you're also craving a little springtime inspiration, here are a few of favorite lip products for channeling those vibes!

ULTA 21 Days of Beauty Picks

If there is one thing I love more than beauty products, it's saving money when I'm shopping for beauty products. One of my favorite times to stock up throughout the year is during ULTA's 21 Days of Beauty Event. Held once in the spring and again in the fall, you can score unbelievable savings on cult classic products for three full weeks! Every day has a new special offer, usually at 50% off, from some of Ulta's most popular high-end brands. Over the years I've discovered so many top-shelf, Holy Grail products through shopping this event and saved a ton of cash doing so.

Even though my beauty collection is not really lacking in any areas at the moment, I always get excited to see what each new 21 Days of Beauty event is offering. And honestly, when it comes to Spring 2017, Ulta may have just set the bar at an all-time high. Yes, there are a few products I feel like I've seen every single time (I'm looking at you Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes), but there are also a ton of fresh, new finds that have me thinking "SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY". Now, I know that shopping these kinds of sales can be a little overwhelming, what with everything being an incredible bargain. So I've rounded up some of my top picks to share with you all to hopefully help you narrow down your shopping list.

Subscription Showdown: February 2017

Hello friends! I hope you're having a wonderful weekend. It's been feeling particularly spring-like in these parts and I'm loving every single second of it. There's definitely a part of me that's a little perturbed by the fact that it was 70 degrees in Connecticut before the end of February, but as someone who hates cold weather I really can't complain. Anywho, back to the reason you're here! It's time yet again to unbox some beauty goodies and see which of my $10 monthly subscriptions brought their A-game.

For those of you that are new to these parts, I'm a huge fan of monthly subscription boxes and have tried quite a few different ones over the years (you can see which ones here). At the current moment the only two beauty subscriptions I'm receiving are Ipsy and Sephora Play, both of which are $10 a month and contain 5 deluxe sized beauty samples. While these two subs seem pretty identical on paper, they do each have their own unique flair. And that's why I created this series! Not only am I personally nosy and love seeing what other people are getting in their bags, but I also want to give you some perspective on the kinds of products you can expect to receive from each of these subs so you can figure out which one might be best for you!

Sephora Favorites: Give Me Some Nude Lip Kit Review

If you guys saw my lip product declutter last week, you're probably well aware that I have a bit of a weak spot when it comes to all things lip related. With all of the variety in shades and textures and finishes, its easy to get carried away. Now, if you can live your life with a sole lipstick, more power to you. But I just can't help myself. I like to have options.

Which brings us to today's post. If you want to give me the judge-y one-eyebrow-raise for going out and buying MORE lip products, I understand. But when I saw this kit at Sephora I just knew I needed to swatch and review it for you guys. Crazy as it may be I will probably never tire of trying new lippies, nor will I ever stop being excited to clue you in to a great deal. And this one guys, is a pretty excellent deal. The Sephora Favorites Give Me Some Nude Lip Kit ($28) is the perfect way to sample some of the newest lip releases in flattering neutral shades AND with a retail value of $88, you're definitely getting some serious bang for your buck. Sounds too good to be true, am I right? But I promise, it's as true as true can be.

January 2017 Favorites

Hello lovelies! It may be hard to believe, but it's already time to wrap up the first month of 2017! As far as beauty goes this year has been off to quite a start. Between an onslaught of new drugstore makeup launches, all the swag I took home from Gen Beauty, and whatever holiday deals I managed to scoop up at the end of December, I've got an almost overwhelming amount of new stuff to review. That being said, my January favorites are comparatively pretty modest. TBH, I'm pretty picky about what I choose to include in my monthly favorites round-ups. I only like to mention products that I've been using and loving consistently so I can be confident in my recommendations, and sometimes that means it can be a few months between when something hits my hands, and when I make a final verdict. Still, I think I've got some pretty exciting finds to share! If you're curious to learn more about what they are, keep on reading.

Save or Splurge? A Comparison of the Too Faced Sweet Peach Palette & Makeup Revolution New-Trals vs. Neutrals Palette

Friends, I'm not even going to try to contain my excitement. I am SO jazzed for you to read this post! Not only is Save or Splurge one of my favorite series to write, but the palettes we're going to chat about today are SO amazing and SO hyped that I've basically been bursting at the seams wanting to talk about them since the moment they both ended up in my possession.

If you're new to these parts and wondering what the heck I'm talking about, here's the general scoop. With all of the beauty products I've tried over the years, I've found that time and time again a price tag is not always an indicator of how great something will perform. Yes, some luxury products are totally worth the investment, but there are plenty of budget-friendly drugstore alternatives out there that work equally well and can save you a ton of cash.

As you're already well aware, today's post is a throwdown between the Too Faced Sweet Peach Palette and the Makeup Revolution New-Trals vs. Neutral Palette. Now, I will say this right of the bat - these two palettes are in no way exact dupes of one another. The shade ranges each have their own unique offerings, and if you're a die hard makeup junkie like myself, that may be the justification you need to purchase them both. But with all the drama around the Sweet Peach relaunch and its almost $50 price point, having a super affordable alternative to get your warm-toned neutrals on might just be exactly what you're looking for.

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!

Too Faced White Chocolate Chip Palette Review

*Affiliate Links Used

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.

What I'm Thankful For: Beauty Edition

So, this post comes along with a bit of a funny story. Maybe funny not funny in the "ha ha" sense, but funny in the "I see what you're doing there, universe" kind of way. I woke up yesterday morning feeling energized and productive, which was fortunate because my to-do list for the day was pretty ambitious. I had hoped to get my Thursday video done earlier this week, but between life and sheer exhaustion, it just never happened. That left me Thanksgiving morning to shop a few sales, beautify myself, film, edit, and make Deviled eggs all in time to meet my parents at 1:00. I was a little nervous that I would end up scrambling around at the last second, but I actually was making great time all day. There I am, feeling like a boss, putting on my eyeshadow with hours to spare and BAM.

The power goes out.

October 2016 Favorites

Is it just me, or is 2016 passing by at an alarmingly fast rate? Even though fall is almost two months underway, I'm still very much in denial that it's not still summer. I need to wear gloves now? Like, what? Thanksgiving is three weeks away? I...I don't understand what is happening here.

In all seriousness, these past couple of months have been a whirlwind, albeit an exciting one. I've been working extra hard in the last month to keep to my consistent Sunday and Thursday YouTube schedule, and my channel is growing beyond my expectations. In mid-October I finally hit my 500 subscriber goal, and by the 31st I'd grown to over 700. I am SO appreciative of every single person that reads my posts and watches my videos. In case you haven't noticed, I am a giant nerd for all things beauty, and knowing there are people out there who find all of my random musings and tips and tricks helpful is kind of the best feeling. So THANK YOU for being here, and for sharing my passion with me. If we want to talk about favorites, you all are really at the top of my list.

I know, I know. I'm getting all mushy on you guys. I can't help myself from being a big ol' softie. But before I derail myself completely, let's get back to the subject at hand. There were a TON of products that I fell in love with in October (several of which will probably come as no surprise) and I can't wait to share them with you!

500 Subscriber Giveaway!

Are you guys ready to do a happy dance? 'Cause I'm ready to do a happy dance.

I finally hit the 500 subscriber mark over on my YouTube channel! My YouTube journey thus far has been quite the learning process. Even though I've been blogging here for years, I only started posting videos to my channel at the end of last summer. I had no lighting, no backdrop, no editing software, and pretty much no idea of what I was doing. All I knew was that I wanted to be able to bring some of my content to life, and to give you guys a chance to get to know the face behind the makeup.

Over the course of the last year I feel like my videos have come a long way (those first ones...those first ones are pretty rough). I've worked my butt off trying to learn from my mistakes, and am always pushing myself to make every video just a teeny bit better than the last.

So yes, 500 may seem like a comparatively tiny number, but to me that's 500 more people that are supporting me doing something I love than I had a year ago. And I think that's flippin amazing. I really can't thank you guys enough for all the love that you've given me here and on my channel, but as a small gesture of appreciation, I want to give you all a chance to win some sweet beauty loot!

The Ride or Die Makeup Tag: Holy Grail Favorite Products

So today's post is a bit of an impromptu one. I'm not normally one to get sucked into the hype of YouTube challenges and tags, but considering how much I a. love Jaclyn Hill, and b. love talking about makeup, I really couldn't resist. Her energy is so infectious, and pretty much immediately after watching her video I found myself planning to film my own take on the tag.

If you're feeling a little lost, Jaclyn posted a video last week creating a "Ride-or-Die" makeup tag, encouraging everyone out there to share their holy grail, tried-and-true, all-time favorite makeup products of life. A ton of other beauty gurus have joined in on the fun (you can see Tati's video here) and it's been really interesting to see how different (or in some cases similar) everyone's responses have been.

As a word of warning, today's video is a particularly chatty one. With so many products to talk about, and so much love to be shared, I think I got a little carried away. But, if you're still curious to find out what my ride-or-die favorites are, and don't mind hanging out with me for a little bit, keep on reading!

Shop the Stash | Eye Primers

Hey guys! It's time for another round of Shop the Stash. If you're new to this series here on my blog, it's all about taking stock of my current makeup collection and rediscovering old flames as an alternative to going out and hauling new products. I'm going to pull out everything I own of a particular category, show you guys a side-by-side comparison, and see if I've been neglecting any hidden gems. So far we've already sorted through my bronzer collection and my concealers, both of which ended up being incredibly helpful for me. I've been loving my Cargo Water Resistant Bronzer this summer, which had previously been buried in the back of a drawer somewhere, and I was able to say goodbye to a few tubes of concealer that were either old or mostly used up.

This time around I've gathered together all of my eye primers to see how they stack up against one another. Primer is a must-have for me if I'm going to create any kind of intensive eyeshadow look. However, I've definitely realized that not all formulas are created equal. Let's see how these ones compare!

Save or Splurge? Another Drugstore and High-End Beauty Showdown

*This post contains affiliate links.

Anyone who's been around these parts for a while knows that when it comes to beauty products, I appreciate having a healthy mix of high-end and drugstore options. Sometimes the quality of a product merits the extra cash, sometimes the budget friendly option performs better. It's one of the things I love about beauty blogging. The more I try and review, the better able I am to compare and contrast so you guys can reap the benefits!

I know I'm not the only one who loves searching for a good dupe. It looks like my original Save or Splurge post has been getting a lot of attention lately, which made me think it's about time I did a follow up! Over the past 7 or 8 months I've been keeping an eye out for potential pairings, and I think I've now rounded up a nice little selection of products to share with you guys.

Today I've got four of my favorite high-end beauty products to talk about: a cult favorite liquid lipstick, an iconic brow pencil, the perfect summer blush tint, and the super glue of eyeshadow primers. Are they worth the splurge? Or should you save your money and opt for these budget friendly drugstore options instead? Let's take a look!

Summer 2016 Empties

Hey friends! As a fair warning, today's video is a long one. So go grab yourself a snack, maybe a cup of tea, and get cozy, cause you're gonna be here for a while. It's been three months since my last empties post and I've got a giant bin full of beauty trash to share. If you're relatively new to the beauty blogging scene, you may be giving me a strange look right now. Girl, why the heck are you hoarding a bunch of empty bottles and packages? And the reason is not because I've got some kind of strange obsession with beautiful packaging (although let's be serious, those are the hardest products to chuck). Anything I've completely used up is something I'm sure to have a pretty solid opinion on, and I want to let you guys know whether or not I thought it was repurchase worthy, or if I think there are better options out there to recommend.

Sound like a good time? Beautiful.

One Year Z-Palette Update

Oh, the Z-Palette. I have to admit, I didn't realize how fun (and addicting) putting one of these together would be. Collectively its the most pricey makeup item I own, but it's also one of the things I reach for the most whenever I'm sitting down to create a fun new eye look. I had held off on starting a palette until last year, when I treated myself to this Extra Large Z-Palette ($28) for my birthday. A few weeks later I sat down and attempted to de-pot products for the first time with relative success, and have been adding to it ever since. Since we're about to hit the year mark, I thought it'd be fun to do a little update and share with you guys all the pans I've depotted and purchased, as well as a few makeup looks I've created with this palette. If you love eyeshadow swatches, get excited, because there's about to be a lot of them!

Shop the Stash | My Bronzer Collection

When I think about quintessential summer makeup, bronzer is definitely at the top of my list. If you're a pale gal like me, there's no shame in faking that sunkissed glow (especially when an actual tan comes at the expense of things like wrinkles and skin cancer...amirite??). Whether you want to chisel out your features with full-on contouring, or warm up your complexion with a gentle dusting across your face, bronzer is a beautiful and versatile product that no makeup collection is complete without.

Speaking of makeup collections, I am fully aware that I have way more makeup than is necessary for the average person. As much as I want to try every new product I lay my eyes on (and rush over here to tell you all about it), I've only got one face, and a finite number of days to put makeup on it. So, as a fun way to encourage myself to revisit products I haven't given love to in a while, I thought I'd start a "Shop the Stash" series here on the blog. In other words, instead of running out and spending all my money at Sephora, I'm going to "shop" through my existing stash, swatching and reviewing along the way.

Seeing as summer is officially right around the corner, I thought that bronzers would be a fun place to start. As a sidenote, today I'm sharing my individual, standalone bronzer only. I've got plenty of face and eye palettes that contain some bronzer or bronzer-esque shades, but I figured palettes are an entirely separate beast we can cover another day.

Are you ready to go not-shopping? Of course you are!

April 2016 Favorites

As the months of the year roll by, April usually isn't one of any real significance. Yes, spring is here, but for the most part everything is still very brown, and the weather isn't all that wonderful, and nothing particularly exciting is going on. This year, though, April was fantastic. Blogging-wise I've had my best month to date. I was featured by Stitch Fix, gave my blog design a fresh face (and took on some serious coding challenges to do so), and got more pageviews than any month in the past three years. Even if Little Blushing Birdie is still a pretty small-time deal, I feel like I've come a long way from where I started.

April was also a great month for beauty. I've hauled and tried a ton of new products since March and can't wait to share the best of the best with you all. So enough of me rambling, let's get into it!

Get Your Sparkle On | A Too Faced Glitter Glue Review

Call me a girly girl, but I love me some glitter. I don't care if you're three or thirty, you have to admit that there's something appealing about a little bit of sparkle. Okay, so maybe Lady Gaga at the Superbowl takes things to an extreme, but not all glittery looks need to be that intense. A little glimmer on your eyelids can be flirty, feminine, and glamorous without needing to go over the top.

The biggest issue I have with glitter isn't that I'm afraid of looking ridiculous. It's that glitter. gets. EVERYWHERE. It's truly incredible. It'll spread to every surface, end up in the most improbable of places, and then becomes impossible to get off. It's so pretty, and yet SO FRUSTRATING.

When it comes to makeup especially, glittery shadows and pigments can be some of the worst culprits when it comes to fallout. You know how it goes. You're out at a party, enjoying yourself. Living it up. Then you go to use the bathroom, catch a glimpse of yourself in the mirror, and lo and behold your entire face looks like a disco ball! It's in your eyebrows. It's on your cheeks. Heck it's even on your shirt. It looks like a glitter bomb exploded and you were in its unfortunate wake.

So what's a girl to do? Just give up on glitter forever? Accept your fate as a sparkly hot mess? Heck no! Just grab yourself a tube of Too Faced Glitter Glue ($20), and get your sparkle situation in check.

Spring Ulta Haul | 21 Days of Beauty and More

I don't know about you, but it's basically impossible for me to resist a good sale. Whether it's on eggs at the grocery store, or makeup at Ulta, I'm usually all about getting the best price I can. Ulta recently just wrapped up their 21 Days of Beauty promotion, which I ended up taking way more advantage of than I anticipated. For those of you who might be unfamiliar, 21 Days of Beauty is a thing Ulta does a few times a year. Every day for 21 Days they have different beauty steals that are each available for 24 hours only. These products are usually up to 50% off their usual price, making them incredibly enticing to snag. On top of that, anyone with Platinum status had access to additional steals and free shipping on most orders during that three week period. I personally also ended up getting multiple 5x points opportunities throughout the promotion, sweetening the deal even futher.

TLDR: I bought a whole bunch of new stuff and it cost me a lot less money than it should have (yay!).