April 2015 Julep Maven Box

Paradise is a state of mind indeed. It certainly hasn't been feeling tropical in this neck of the woods, but I am always up for channeling those summer vibes (especially with the help of my latest Julep Maven box). This month I went straight for the polish, choosing two vibrant shades as well as the new Bonding Base Coat. Base coat was the one manicure essential I was missing in my Julep collection, so I definitely had to jump at the chance of snagging one at a discount!

Walmart Beauty Box Spring 2015

A new season is here and so is my latest Walmart Beauty Box! This ridiculously affordable subscription is an excellent way to sample some of the newest launches from the drugstore, and is often well worth the $5 investment. Here's a closer look at the goodies I get to try out this time around.

Brand Focus: Maybelline

Over the past year I've started testing and trying a lot more drugstore makeup. While the aisles of Sephora and Ulta are filled with lust-worthy, luxurious products, my budget just doesn't afford me the ability to buy high-end beauty on the regular. With the aid of coupons, sales, and general shopping savvy I've been able to snag a lot of drugstore beauty products at ridiculous prices, allowing me to test and try at my leisure without breaking the bank. That being said, I have also quickly learned that just because you got a good buy doesn't necessarily mean you made a good purchase. While there are disappointing products at all price points, budget beauty is by far the most inconsistent. To help you avoid buyers remorse, I thought it would be helpful to take a closer look at some of the most popular brands at the drugstore, discussing what I think they do well, and what I think isn't worth your heard earned cash.

Starting on a positive note, let's talk all things Maybelline. Maybelline is a brand that has quickly won me over, with an ever growing range of products that easily rival their high end competitors. I'll be sharing all of the products I've tried recently, and whether I love it, like it, or recommend you leave it out of your shopping bag.

Spring Cleaning

If you haven't already noticed, Little Blushing Birdie has been undergoing a refresh just in time for spring. With much thanks to this handy article from Ashley over at Nose Graze, I was recently introduced to The Hungry Jpeg and am now happily in possession of some amazing digital artwork to play around with. I'm still a bit of a newb when it comes to Photoshop, but I love to learn through experimentation. I can barely contain my excitement at the thought of being able to create my own custom images, buttons, and the like, especially with artwork that so perfectly reflects my own personal style.

Truly, the entire process of blogging has been such an incredibly fun creative and intellectual endeavor. I've always been a huge do-it-yourself-er, and I take a lot of pride in being able to teach myself the necessary skills to be able to create and perfect whatever project I'm currently working on. I've dabbled in HTML and CSS, learned how to get comfortable behind the lens of my DSLR, taught myself a thing or two about photo editing, and started to demystify web analytics. Sure, Little Blushing Birdie is a continual work in progress, and there are always things I can make a little prettier or organize a little more efficiently. But when I look back at my first few posts I feel pretty proud of how far I've come.

So thank you all for reading and supporting my adventures in the beauty world! I hope you're as big a fan of the way things are headed as I am. As always, I love to hear feedback from my readers, so if there's a particular type of post you enjoyed, or type of product you'd like to hear more about, or a tutorial that I could create, shoot me a comment or an email or a tweet and let me know. Hearing from you seriously brightens my day in a way that I can't fully express.

Lots and lots of love,
Lauren

Not Quite Nude - Lipsticks for Spring

Good morning lovelies! I hope you all had wonderful weekends. Mine consisted of an epic Easter egg hunt, lots and lots of delicious food, and binge watching Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (hilarious). While I've been plenty busy with holiday festivities and work and whatnot, I've found a new appreciation for effortless, your-lips-but-better lipstick shades that I can apply and reapply with minimal effort. Personally I find true nudes a little difficult to wear, as they can often make me look washed out (and zombie is not a look that I tend to rock all that well). A hint of pink seems to make a world of difference. Here are five of my favorite not entirely nude lipsticks that perfectly embody that light and carefree feeling of springtime.