Fall Back in Love with Berry Lips | Autumn/Fall Beauty

Starting next week, it's going to be fall! That means berry lips and nails are going to be worn from now to next season. Let's not forget about leggings, sweaters, and cute booties either! Oh, how I love fall. Fall is also the season of pumpkin spice lattes with lipstick prints on every white coffee lids. Can you say or more like hastag: #instagram #basic #yum. To get ready for fall (and Instagram), here are three of my favorite fall lipsticks.


1. Clinique in Different Grape
This is my go-to and almost everyday lipstick. I wear it to brunch, late night drinks, and even to work. Spring or fall, the season doesn't matter. While Different Grape is a deeper shade on my best friend who is fair, it is the perfect tint against my skin tone. So depending on your skin color, it may be the perfect berry lipstick or just the perfect "I just ate a bunch of blackberries" tint. It's smooth and easy to slap on without a mirror. I've even considered buying a few more to keep in my work bag, purse, and at home. A girl can never have too much lipstick!

2. YSL in Forbidden Burgundy 
I save this lipstick for special occasions. It's the perfect dark berry lipstick, but also very build-able. You can apply lightly for a more berry tint or you can apply a few layers for the perfect shade of dark berry to your liking. With this lipstick, you will need a mirror. It's easy to build, but it's unforgivable. By that, I mean that it bleeds without a liner, you might look like Miranda Sings if you apply it without a mirror, and it's not an easy lipstick to eat with. Especially cheeseburgers, trust me. However, YSL is by far my favorite lipstick. Although it's a little pricy for a lipstick, YSL is extremely moisturizing and smells fantastic. It smells like Jolly Ranchers to me!

3. MAC in Russian Red
I know, I know...this is red and not at all berry, but sometimes a classic red is the way to go. You can do no wrong with a good red lipstick. This is the first red lipstick that I have ever gotten and the one color that can pull me out of a funk. Russian Red also has a blue undertone, meaning your not so white teeth may appear pearly white to others. If that doesn't give you some sense of power, I don't know what would (but maybe an all black attire with Russian Red).

French Pharmacy Beauty Buys | Nuxe Edition

As most of you know, during my short stay in Paris. My trip to City-Pharma was a huge fail (like after spending a few hours and filling up my basket with all types of goodies, my credit card was declined type of a fail).  So, I told myself that once I got back home, I would seek out some of the products I had to leave behind in Paris.

It's been several months since I've been back, but I didn't make my decision until about a week ago. So, what did I decide on after many many months? Welp, my first French beauty buys had to be something by NUXE! Maybe it's because Estee Lalonde aka EssieBotton (one of my favorite beauty Youtubers) loves it or that every beauty blogger seem to also rave about. Either way, I just had to get my hands on NUXE's best selling lip balm and body cream.

1. NUXE Reve de Miel Ultra Nourishing Lip Balm 
I like that it's thick enough without feeling heavy or sticky. Since it is pretty thick, a little goes a long way! It's also one of the biggest lip balm I've own and since I don't need to use a lot, it'll definitely last a long time for me (and I may or may not have brought a total of four). Although I would say it's more on the pricier side, it's well worth it. It helps nourish, smooth, repair and protect even the most dry and damaged lips. The benefits that you get from a $19 lip balm is a much wiser investment than getting an expensive lipstick! It's better to repair and protect your lips so that your lips look good with any shade or brand. You'll also love the scent of this lip balm! It's very mild, but you get a little swift of grapefruit and honey once in awhile.

2. NUXE  Nourishing Body Cream Reve de Miel
This product makes my skin feel extremely soft and moisturized. NUXE's products has a very rich consistency without leaving your skin feeling sticky or excessive. Even if you have the most dry and cracked skin, this body cream is ultra-absorbing, because of the lipids that are in this product. It's ultra-absorbable due to our skin ability to take in oils/lipids. (Skin 101: Our skin is hydrophobic, meaning it "fears" water).


3. And just some goodies that I got for order $90+ online!

Bedside Beauty for the (Lazy) Busy Gals

I've made cleansing my skin part of my daily routine like brushing my teeth and making my bed. Something my middle school and high school me didn't quite think was important. Yes, I too used to sleep with my make-up! Some nights, my bed or desk was far too comfy for me to get up and walk to the bathroom (which is only about 10 steps away from my room) to actually wash my face.

But when I went to college, things changed. I left my beauty products on my nightstand or closet, because my dorm was one of the oldest and we didn't have the luxury of huge cubbies (plus I didn't want any of the boys stealing my shampoo)! This sudden change made me question what I've been doing all of my teenage years. Having all of my beauty essentials right by my side, make it easier to lazily cleanse my skin, as I'm finishing up an essay at one in the morning or after a night out. So, when I came back home, I kept my beauty products like my facial wipes, night creme, and serums on my nightstand for emergencies. I also picked up an odd habit during my years in college which is showering really late at night no matter what. But that's a different story for another post!

Anyways, keeping my beauty essentials on my nightstand was the best thing that happened to me and my skin! Besides being too tired to wash your face, hopefully some skincare science will help you with the transition--did you know that you should never store your skincare products in the bathroom, because the heat and steam from showering can cause the product to deteriorate? Yup, it's true! But maybe that doesn't matter to you as much as being able to cleanse your skin in bed with your eyes closed is. Either way, there's no morning guilt!

So for all my lazy busy beauties, all you need by your nightstand are:
1) Cleansing wipes
2) Moisturizer/night creme
3) Lip treatment

*Whatever your night regime is, keep it by your night side! Maybe minus the cleanser, because that'll only get messy and it's weird. As you can see, I like to keep my serum, hand creme, and essential oil on my nightstand too. One to combat dryness and the other to relieve stress.

What's on your nightstand? XX

Check-In Beauty Essentials

Ciao! Hola! Bonjour! Hello! It's been forever since I've blogged (21 says to be exact)! As many of you have seen on my Instagram, I've been traveling around Europe for the past few weeks. It's been exciting and a tad bit tiring. That's what a total of eight flights in less than three weeks does and perhaps the pain of carrying a 50 pounds luggage, carry-on luggage, and a Mary Poppins' purse around the busy streets of Florence, Barcelona, Paris, Rome, and London. My god--The London Underground! Why does The Underground have so many stairs, yet lack lifts?! My only regret was taking a check-in luggage with me, but I do not regret being rescued by the men in London! Swooon! Especially, when they ask, "are you alright, love" and causally picked up my luggage and carried it down three flights of stairs. Let's just say that I feel very fortunate to have traveled to so many countries and met so many beautiful people! 

Now to the good-goods! Here are some of the beauty products I took with me to Europe! 

1) Bandages for the boo-boos and blisters. 

2) DoTerra Deep Blue Rub for my aches and pain from a long day of adventures and walking (or PMS cramps). 

3) A mini nail polish remover, just in case I need to fix my nails during a long layover. 

4) It's A 10 shampoo, conditioner, and leave in-conditioner. Not only does It's A 10 smell great, but it leaves me hair smooth, shiny, and healthy! Plus it's sulfate-free. 

5) For my body, I brought two travel sized body wash. Why? Because I was worried that I wouldn't have enough and because I like to use Aveda Rosemary Mint Body Wash to de-stress especially after a long day of exploring in Paris. While Caress Evenly Gorgeous Burnt Brown Sugar and Karite Butter Body Wash on a daily for ultra smooth skin and when I need a little scrub-ba-dub! 

6) Vaseline Total Moisture Cocoa Butter--my go-to lotion when my skin is freaking out and just in general. It's inexpensive and does the job! 

7) Two contact solutions, because without my contacts I would be blind as a bat! 

8) Yes to Cucumbers Facial Wipes to remove my make up and to freshen up. 

9) Of course I always have to have my Image Skincare products! (Yes, I did bring a bunch of mini-travel sized...but my skin needs as much loving as it can get from the harsh winter weather of Europe! #californiagirl) 

10) Chanel Vitalumière Hydra Moist Radiance Emulsion Compact SPF 15 for my blemishes. Although this is intended for dry skin, my skin may be too dry for this product, leaving my skin looking flakey and cracked! However I love to use this as a concealer since it's gives great coverage.

11) Finally, the beauty roll-up bag! It's a lifesaver when traveling! Especially during my stay in hostels! When there's nowhere to place my beauty bag, I just hooked this bad boy up and everything is within reach--there's no mess and no hassle!