Would You Rather?

     Hi Everyone! Hope you all had a great weekend! I wanted to kick of the week with a tag. I was tagged by the wonderful Lily over on Beauty with Lily, her blog is so awesome! Please go check her out! :)

Here goes...The Would You Rather Tag: Makeup Edition!

1.) Would you rather lose all of your mascaras, eyeliners, lipsticks, and lip glosses, or lose all of your palettes and eyeshadows?

As much as it would hurt me to see them go, I'm going with palettes and eyeshadows. If I still had my mascaras, eyeliners, lipsticks, and glosses, I'd still be able to create a decent look.

2.) Would you rather chop off all your hair or never be able cut it again?

Ahhh!! I would HATE to chop off my hair, but I'm going with that because it eventually would grow back!

3.) Would you rather have a coral cheek or a pink cheek?

Definitely pink, it's my favorite color of blush to wear!

4.) If you had $1000 to spend, would you rather buy clothes or makeup?

Could I do half and half? :) 

5.) Would you rather apply lipstick as eyeliner, or eyeliner as lipstick?

Ummm, definitely eyeliner as lipstick. There are some eyeliners out there that could pass as lip liners!

6.) Would you rather only shop at MAC or Sephora?

No question, Sephora! I love my variety! 

7.) Would you rather use only one eyeshadow color or one lip color for the rest of your life?

This is hard, but I'm going with lip color. I'd hate to never be able to play around with my eyeshadows again!

8.) Would you rather wear winter clothes in summer or summer clothes in winter?

Winter clothes in summer - I'm always cold anyway, and there's no way I would wear shorts, a tank, and flip flops in the snow! :)

9.) Would you rather have bright nail or dark nail all year round?

This one's really hard for me! Hmmm...I guess bright.

10.) Would you rather give up your favorite lip product or your favorite eye product?

Goodness! I'll say lip, since they tend to be more "dupeable." 

11.) Would you rather only be able to wear you hair in a pony tail or a messy bun?

Messy bun.

12.) Would you rather never be able to paint your nails again or never use lip gloss?

Easy, never use gloss. There's a ton of other lip products I can use, and I could never go without painting my nails!

13.) Would you rather shave your eyebrows and have none at all or sharpie them in everyday?

What?!? Ugh! I'll go with sharpieing ( <--- is that a word??) very carefully, trying to make them look as hair-like as possible!

14.) Would you rather live without makeup or nail polish?

As much as I love nail polish, this one's easy. Can you imagine life without makeup? :)

     Ugh!! That was quite difficult! I'm glad none of these questions are real life stuff! :) 

     I tag these beauties:

Amber at All Night Beauty

Renny at Sincerely Renny

Annie at Drugstore Dreamer

     Have a wonderful day!

<3 Vanessa

Sunshine Award

     Hi everyone! I was tagged by Hope over at Beauty and Bliss to do the Sunshine Award tag. She not only has a great blog, but has recently started an awesome Youtube channel as well! Go check her out, you won't be disappointed!

Here are the rules for the Sunshine Tag:

• Share 11 random facts about yourself.
• Answer 11 questions the nominating blogger has created for you.
• List 11 bloggers. They should be bloggers who you believe deserve the recognition.
• Post 11 questions for the bloggers you nominate to answer, and let all of them know that they have been nominated.

11 Random Facts about Me:

1. I absolutely love to cook.
2. I'm 5'7''.
3. I got married at age 20, and we're still madly in love. <3 (I'm 26 now.)
4. I'm from a tiny town in Central Pennsylvania.
5. We have two beautiful little toddlers.
6. I lived in South Dakota for two years. (Hubby grew up there.) Didn't like it and we moved back to my hometown.
7. Purple's my favorite color.
8. I'm kind of an old lady at heart - I love to crochet in the winter. :)
9. I love to read.
10. I love comfort food - wish I could eat it everyday!
11. I only live a 5 hour drive from NYC, but have never been there! Need to go!

11 Questions from Hope:

1. What is your favorite thing about being a blogger?  Just having an outlet to share my thoughts, and people who genuinely care at the other end. :)
2. What is your favorite snack?  A homemade coffee drink of some sort (latte, macchiato, etc.). Yes, I consider that a snack!
3. What is your favorite clothing store?  Strawberry. So cute and inexpensive!
4. What season is your favorite?  Fall by far!
5. Do you have any pets?  I have a beautiful little kitty, Lily, and two awesome Siberian Huskies, Blazer and Nanuk.
6. What is your favorite brand of makeup?  This is always such a hard question! If I could only use one brand for the rest of my life, I think I'd go with Maybelline.
7. Where is one place you definitely want to visit someday?  NYC, and Europe.
8. What is your favorite animal?  Cats <3
9. Do you prefer drugstore or highend makeup?  I love both, but I'm gonna go with drugstore.
10. Where do you live?  In a teeny tiny town in Pennsylvania.
11. What is your dream car?  A Corvette.

11 Questions for you to answer:

1. What is your favorite type of makeup? (Lipstick, blush, eyeshadow, etc.)
2. What is your dream job?
3. If you could live anywhere, where would it be?
4. What's your favorite holiday?
5. What would you have for your last supper?
6. If you could have supper with anyone, past or present, who would it be?
7. City or Country?
8. What is your favorite palette?
9. Do your friends and family know about your blog?
10. What's your favorite TV show?
11. Who's your biggest inspiration?

People I tag:

1. Renny
2. Kate
3. Shalunya
4. Elle 
5. Ashley
6. Liz
7. Julie and Ashley
8. Tracy
9. Betti
10. Kallie
11. Micaylah

     Have a wonderful day!

<3 Vanessa

Vanessa's World ~

- It's cold out today! High of only 44. I don't mind though, I'm a cold kinda girl. :)

- The weather is putting me in a baking mood - maybe I'll make some chocolate chip cookies!

- A few pictures from my area from this past weekend :)

Wishlist Wednesday

     Hi Everyone! Wishlist Wednesday is a series that I've been seeing a few other bloggers doing, and I wanted to start doing as well. So once a month, I'll be posting the things that I'm most longing for! :) I think it's fun to see what other people want, and hope you enjoy seeing my wishlists.

     This is the time of year when all the brands, drugstore and highend, are coming out with holiday collections and special sets. It's so fun to browse the store aisles and websites! There are so many things out there that I would love to have, but here are a few of my top wants.

Real Techniques Duo Fiber Collection

I own quite a few RT brushes and really love all of them. After reading Kate Spitz's review of the duo fiber brushes, I really want this set!

Tarte Gorgeous Getaways Portable Palette Set

I'm a big fan of Tarte's blushes, but have never tried their eyeshadows. The colors may look a little underwhelming in the picture, but when I saw this in person at Ulta last week, I was very impressed! The only thing that would possibly deter me from getting this? It's quite bulky, and would take up a lot of room in my stash. I'm still considering it! 

Tarte Picture Perfect LE Gem Eyelash Curler

At $19, this may seem a bit extravagant when I already own a perfectly fine eyelash curler, but I just can't help myself! Purple is my favorite color, and I love the gems. 

Too Faced Beauty Blogger Darlings Set

How cute is the name of this kit? :) It's only $20, and includes what looks to be deluxe size samples of four of their best known products.

     I'd love to know if you have tried any of these products! If you have, please let me know what you think of them!

     Have a wonderful day!

<3 Vanessa

Fall Makeup Haul

     Hi Everyone! Today I wanted to share a few things with you that I've purchased over the past few weeks. I like to make the rounds at my local CVS, Walgreens, and Rite Aid at least every two weeks, sometimes every week, and just pick up a few things here and there, depending on what's on sale and what catches my eye. I've been on the lookout especially for things that just say "fall" to me. :)

Sorry about the glare, guys - it was super sunny out today!

• Wet n Wild Fergie Collection Nail Color in Emerald Rock City - this is a deep shimmery emerald shade that I thought would be perfect for the Christmas season. I've never tried the Fergie nail polish, I hope I like the formula! 
• Wet n Wild Megalast Nail Color in Haze of Love - this is my favorite line of nail polish, I love the brush, the formula, the price, and the wide selection of colors. I highly recommend these! This is a beautiful, creamy burgundy color that will go right from fall into winter.
• Wet n Wild Megalast Nail Color in Private Viewing - a lovely pale pink color that looks like it will still go on opaque. 
• Sinful Colors Nail Polish in Let's Meet - Being from central Pennsylvania, I'm a huge fan of all the Pittsburgh sports teams! I wanted to do some football nails that incorporated the Steelers, so this will come in handy. (Our colors are black and gold.)
• Wet n Wild Megalast Nail Color in Wet Cement - I've been seeing this color a lot around the blogosphere lately and had to pick it up! It's a pale lavender/gray color.
• Wet n Megalast Nail Color in Under Your Spell - what a gorgeous color! It's a rich, shimmery deep burgundy, perfect for winter.
• Wet n Wild Coloricon Blusher in Berry Shimmer - contrary to what the name says, there's no shimmer in this, it's more of a satin finish. A beautiful berry shade, once again perfect for fall.
• Salon Perfect Color Enhance Lashes in Plum - I thought these looked so cool! They're Demi Wispies, one of my favorite types of lashes, and they have deep purple hairs mixed in with the black. Can't wait to use these and see how they look on the eyes!
• L'Oreal Colour Riche LaLaque in Never Laque-ing - I was really excited when I found these in my local Rite Aid! They (along with the LeMattes) are limited edition, and I've heard some people say that they're already being discounted in some stores. This is a beautiful wearable pink shade with a little bit of shine. 
• L'Oreal Colour Riche LeMatte in Matte-r of Fact - straight up dark burgundy. I usually prefer mattes when I'm wearing darker shades, so I'm liking this one. 
• Jordana 12 Hr Made to Last Liquid Eyeliner Pencil in Black Point - I am absolutely in love with this line of pencils! It's a deep, dark, rich black, and it stays put all day! At $2.99, I see this becoming my go-to black eyeliner.
• Jordana Twist & Shine Moisturizing Balm Stain in Cranberry Crush - I was just slightly disappointed in the color, in my opinion it's almost more of a fuchsia color than cranberry. I was expecting it to be darker. That being said, I love the formula, I just see it being more of a spring/summer color for me.
• Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush in Plum Wine - I think these putty-like blushes really give a nice fresh look to the cheek. 
• Revlon Photoready Bronzer in Bronzed & Chic - I've been wanting this for while after hearing Emily Noel over on Beauty Broadcast rave about it, but I was kind of put off by the $13 price tag for a drugstore bronzer. I ended up getting this one for $3 at CVS by combining a sale, a coupon, and my CVS bucks!

From top to bottom:

Bronzed & Chic

Berry Shimmer

Plum Wine

Black Point

Matte-r of Fact

Never Lacque-ing

Cranberry Crush

     Have you tried any of these products? If you'd like to see looks or reviews on any of them, just let me know!

     Have a wonderful day!

<3 Vanessa

     I've been wanting to do something for a while at the end of my blogs that two of my favorite bloggers - Emily at Beauty Broadcast and Lily at Beauty with Lily - do. As with all of you, my life is not one dimensional, and includes a lot more than makeup. :) These little snippets at the end of my posts will just give you a little peek into my world, and allow me to share some things other than makeup with you!

Vanessa's World ~

- The weather here has just been perfect lately! Mid 50s and sunny, just the way I like it for fall!

- Picked up some doughnuts this morning from my favorite bakery, Mamie's. They are to die for!!

- I'm planning on dressing up as a witch this year to take my kids trick-or-treating. Are any of you dressing up for Halloween?

How Much is My Face Worth?

     Hi Everyone! Hope you're all having a great week! I've been on a little hiatus of sorts, as my personal life has been very busy! We were down in Georgia for a while for my brother in law's military graduation. It was fun seeing him, as well as my mother in law again! Our kids had a great time too, it was our first big trip with them and they did great! I have some pics from the trip on my Instagram if you'd like to see! :) I thought I'd get back into the swing of things with the "How Much is my Face Worth?" tag. Lily from Beauty with Lily tagged me, and I've been excited to do it! As I'm sure with a lot of you too, what I wear differs greatly from day to day, and this is just what I happened to be wearing today. I'm wearing black leggings and a black shirt with a gray scarf, so I wanted to match my makeup with my outfit. Here goes:

• Smashbox Photo Finish Primer - I wasn't sure how to price this, as this was a sample I received in my Ipsy bag. I got five things in my bag and paid $10 for it, so I'm giving this a value of $2
• Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Foundation - $38
• Maybelline Fit Me Foundation (I mix this with the Tarte) - $5.94
• Hard Candy Glamoflauge Concealer - $6
• Elf HD Powder - $6
• Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder - $3.97
• Elf Contouring Blush and Bronzer (I used the bronzer for my contour) - $3
• Covergirl Cheekers Blush in True Plum - $3.74
• Urban Decay Primer Potion - sample size free with my Naked Palette
• Urban Decay Naked Palette (I used Sin, Sidecar, Gunmetal, and Creep)- $50
• Elf Eyebrow Kit - $3
• Essence I <3 Rock Eye Liner - $0.99
• Lancome Hypnose Doll Lashes Mascara - $27
• Wet n Wild Megalenth Waterproof Mascara (for bottom lashes) - $2.99
• Milani Color Statement Lipstick in Plumrose - $5.49

Grand Total: $152.12

     Wow! This is actually quite a bit less than some of the other ladies' totals that I've seen! Even with switching up my makeup everyday, I'd say this is probably a good average of my day-to-day total, as I use mostly drugstore with a few high end products thrown in! This of course does not include skincare or tools.

     It seems that a lot of the blogs I read have done this tag, so I tag YOU to do this if you haven't yet! Please put a link to your blog in the comments if you do it, I'd love to see how much your face is worth!

     Have a wonderful day!

<3 Vanessa

September Favorites

     Hi Everyone! Another month has flown right by, and it's time again for monthly favorites! 

• NYC Big Bold Bronzer in MetropoliTan - First of all let me say that I'm not sure if these were limited edition - I apologize if they are. I got this at my Rite Aid back in the spring, and I'm thinking they might have been part of a spring collection. I've been loving this bronzer as a contour! I have light skin, and I think it's perfect for me. The tone of this bronzer reminds me a lot of NYC Sunny, only a little darker. There's a slight sheen to it, but no shimmer. It's also huge, it's going to last me a long time!
• ELF High Definition Powder in Sheer - This powder has been a lifesaver for my undereyes! I use it to set my concealer, and no matter what concealer I'm using, I no longer have to deal with any undereye creasing, something that used to happen on a daily basis. And speaking of huge products, I don't think I'll ever be able to feature this in an empties post!
• Rimmel Kate Lipstick in 103 - This was definitely my most worn lip product over the past month! It's just such a wearable pink shade and goes with about any outfit or makeup look. The Rimmel Kate line is quickly becoming one of my favorite lipstick lines. The ones in the red tubes like this one are matte, but they are seriously the creamiest, most comfortable mattes I've ever worn.
• Biolage Thermal-Active Setting Spray - I usually curl my hair about twice a week or so, and never do it without this product! I spray it lightly all through my hair, let it dry for a minute, and then curl my hair. It holds the curl like no one's business! I used to get so frustrated because the curls in my hair would last only a few hours. With this product, I seriously have second day curls! Can't recommend it enough.
• Sigma E40 Tapered Blending Brush - Back before I started seriously getting into makeup, it seemed like I could never get my eyes to look "just right." Little did I know back then that the right tools make all the difference. This is an awesome blending brush! It's amazing what a difference it makes in your overall eye look when you use a nice fluffy brush like this to blend out those edges. This brush is just soft enough to blend everything out without removing all of the shadow you just put there. 
• Michael Todd True Organics Pumpkin Facial Mask - It seems like everyone who received this in their Ipsy bag is loving it, including me! It truly smells like real pumpkin, which might be off-putting to some people, but I love it! I use this every week, and my skins looks and feels much more radiant than before I started using it. I definitely plan on purchasing a full size when this little guy is gone. Please note that this is not recommended for sensitive skin.
• ELF Eyebrow Kit in Medium - After running out of my Tarte Brow Architect pencil (which I absolutely loved), I was on the hunt for something a little more inexpensive. After some trial and error, I finally tried this kit, and really love it! One side is a waxy substance, the other side is powder. You can use only one or the other, or both, which is what I do. It nicely defines my brows, and is a great color match for me, too!

     I hope you found this helpful! Let me know if you've tried any of these products, and what you thought of them! What were you favorites this past month? 

 

     Have a wonderful day!

<3 Vanessa

5 Under $5

     

     Happy Friday Everyone! Today I'm bringing you 5 products under $5, all of which I are well loved pieces in my collection. My goal is not to just show you random things under $5, but products I truly love and recommend! Let's get started - 

Jordana Twist & Shine in Sweet Pink | Almay Liquid Lip Balm in Rosy Lipped | Wet n Wild Color Icon in Walking on Eggshells | Wet n Wild Color Icon Blush in Pearlescent Pink | ELF Shimmering Facial Whip in Persimmon

Jordana Twist & Shine Moisturizing Balm Stain in Sweet Pink | $2.99

The color is showing truer to color here than in the very first picture.

I love these balm stains! They have so much color payoff and shine, and the staining effect lasts all day! I am wanting to pick up another one of these in a fall shade.

Almay Liquid Lip Balm in Rosy Lipped | $4.48

I'm a huge fan of these Liquid Lip Balms (check out my review), and I love this particular shade when I'm wanting a shiny nude lip.

Wet n Wild Color Icon Eye Shadow Trio in Walking on Eggshells | $2.99

Please excuse the goosebumps on my arm in all of these pics - it was chilly in my house! :)

Is there a Beauty Blogger out there who doesn't love this trio? :) It's just the perfect little palette for everyday looks, or you could glam it up with winged liner and falsies.

Wet n Wild Color Icon Blush in Pearlescent Pink | $2.99

ELF Shimmering Facial Whip in Persimmon | $1.00

These are products that look great on their own, and I also love layering them for a really pretty effect! The facial whip is an awesome highlight when applied lightly, and it brightens up the pink tone in the blush underneath.

     Well there you have five awesome products, all under $5! I will be making this a monthly series, so stay tuned for more beauty bargains! Let me know if you've tried any of these products, or if you have any recommendations of some of your favorites!

     Have you followed me on Bloglovin' yet? It's a great way to stay up-to-date on all of your favorite blogs!

     Have a wonderful weekend!!

<3 Vanessa