Marc Jacobs Beauty Glow Stick Review *

Makeup trends. We all know they come and go and come back again reimagined and rebranded as "vintage". But highlighting. With the continued mass hype around turning your face into a shining luminescent beacon, it doesn't seem like the end of this trend is anywhere in sight. Is it just me, or is there a new glow-inducing product hitting the shelves from some brand somewhere every single day? And while I'll be the first to admit that they're all stunning to look at, it's also kind of overwhelming. How does one possibly keep up? As a blogger and generally curious person, my natural inclination is to want to try everything. But with only one face and only once source of serious income, the line needs to be drawn somewhere.

Fortunately, I've got Influenster in my life, which is not only a great resource for staying up to date on new product launches, but also affords me the opportunity to actually try some of those products without the worry of breaking the bank. For those of you who aren't familiar with Influenster, they're a company that networks between brands and social media influencers. It's entirely free to join, and doesn't require you to be a blogger or vlogger (although it certainly does help). Based on your profile, how active you are in the Influenster community, and your number of followers, you can qualify for different campaigns where you're sent free product to test and review. I've been a member for about a year and a half now, and I've been lucky enough to participate in some pretty awesome campaigns from brands like L'Oreal, Neutrogena, YSL, and Marc Jacobs. While you are asked to share your thoughts on whatever products you test, those opinions aren't assumed to always be positive, which is something that I've always thought important. I'll graciously accept freebies, but never on the premise that I'll say something is great when it is, in fact, kind of terrible.

Which brings us back to the reason you probably clicked on this post. I've got my hands on the new Marc Jacobs Beauty Glow Stick Glistening Illuminator, and I'm ready to give you guys the low down. Yes, it was sent to me for free to review, but everything I have to say about it is my own, honest opinion. We're all friends here, and real friends don't lie to each other. Amirite?

Shop the Stash | Concealers

Hey friends! It's time for another shop-my-stash installment. For those of you who're new to the Little Blushing Birdie scene, I've been on a mission to sort through my makeup collection. To swatch, play, and rediscover old flames in an attempt to curb those urges to go out and haul more goodies. A few weeks back we delved into my bronzer collection, and today I'm busting out makeup's magical eraser. The eradicator of dark circles. The banisher of blemishes. The nemesis of redness. Yes, today we're chatting about the little miracle that is concealer.

June 2016 Favorites

Hello lovelies! It's time for another round of monthly favorites. Every time I sit down in front of the camera I feel like a broken record. Wasn't it just yesterday that I was saying the same things? How is it that every month seems to fly by, and yet certain days can feel like an eternity. Oh life and your many mysteries. I probably shouldn't try to understand.

Anyway, enough philosophy. It's time to talk beauty. This month I have a small collection of goodies to share, many of which you've probably seen me chat about in these parts already. A gorgeous eyeshadow palette, an orange blush that I became unexpectedly enamored with, THE perfect nude lip balm...you guys know what I'm talking about. But if you'd like to hear more, keep on reading.

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!