My Favourite Beauty Products for Spring 2015

Working in the beauty industry, I like to try out as many different beauty products as I can. I've been really lucky to get some products free or discounted from work and have been able to try a lot of different products over the past several months. Recently, I've discovered (or rediscovered) some products that I just can't get enough of! These are my favourite beauty products going into Spring 2015:

Kat Von D Tattoo Liner

I got a Sephora gift card in a Christmas Yankee Swap and knew I wanted to use it on a new liquid eyeliner. I researched a couple different kinds and decided to try out the Kat Von D Tattoo Liner. It's the perfect eyeliner, and I'm so glad I decided to give it a try! I got the shade "Trooper" which is a basic black. The eyeliner's formula goes on smooth and stays on so well. And what really set this particular eyeliner apart for me is the fact that the tip is a tiny brush instead of foam like most liquid eyeliners. The brush makes it so much easier to draw a perfect line and you can make a thinner line than you could with a foam tip. I have especially loved doing winged eyeliner with this product, and I would 100% recommend it!

Maybelline Lash Sensational mascara

This mascara just came out at the beginning of the year and after hearing some great things about it, I decided to buy it in my company's store. After trying it for the first time I was amazed by how great it looked, and it immediately went right into my everyday makeup bag. The shape of the brush really separates your lashes so they don't clump together, and it makes them look so long! My eyes looked so much brighter with this mascara, and I have worn it almost every single day since I bought it!

Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette

If you've tried any Urban Decay eye shadows, you will know just how amazing they are. I bought this palette discounted from my company store a couple months ago and have used it so much already. There are 12 eye shadows ranging from neutral tan shades to darker browns to black. There is a mix of both shimmery and matte shadows and you can create SO many different looks with them! The shadows are amazing quality and stay on so well throughout the day, especially if you use the Urban Decay eyeshadow primer too. If you want to read more about this palette, I did an entire post about it a couple months ago :)

Garnier Beach Chic Texturizing Spray

I was on the hunt for a good texturizing spray for a while and decided to try this one out. I really like the smell, and it works better for me than other texturizing sprays that I've tried! My natural hair is completely straight and smooth, but this spray has helped bring some more texture and style to my hair. On days I want a different look, I'll spray this into my wet hair, blow dry it, and then put it in a bun while I do my makeup and finish getting ready. When I take the bun out and spray my hair with a little hairspray, it has beachy-looking waves! Usually when I do this my hair stays wavy for about a half hour before looking totally straight again, but the Beach Chic spray has helped it stay wavy for at least a couple hours...really impressive for my hair!

Essie "In the Cab-ana"

I think this Essie shade was new this year, and when I first saw it I immediately fell in love. It's such a beautiful bright turquoise blue shade and is so perfect for Spring and Summer! I'm a big fan of Essie nail polishes, and I know this will be one of my go-tos through the next two seasons!

L'Oréal Eye Defense eye cream

I have always struggled with inherited dark under-eye circles (thanks Daddy!) and am always on the hunt for different products to make my dark circles look a little better. Lately I've been using the L'Oréal Eye Defense eye cream, and I have definitely noticed a difference in my eyes! The skin around my eyes is firmer, looks smoother, and the fine lines are less noticeable. I also feel like I look less tired than I usually do! This eye cream definitely gets my approval!

Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate

Next up is another skincare product. I tried this for the first time over the Summer and loved it. But during the Winter when my skin got more dry I tended to use a stronger moisturiser instead. The past month or so, I've gone back to using my Midnight Recovery religiously and have noticed how great my skin is looking! I use two or three drops of the serum at night, and by the time I wake up, my skin always looks so bright, glowing, and well-rested. If you find that your skin gets dull looking from lack of sleep, you have to try out this product! It's amazing!

Tanya Burr Lip Gloss in "Picnic in the Park"

I have been a big fan of Tanya Burr's YouTube channel and blog for a while now, and when I was in London this past October I was so excited to buy one of her lip glosses. I got the shade "Picnic in the Park" and think it is so perfect for Spring! It's a really pretty bright pink shade and the formula stays on really well. I'm a big fan of lip glosses in the warmer months because I feel like they can look more fresh and dewy than matte lipsticks. I know this will be one of my go-to lip products this Spring and Summer!

Maybelline Dream Fresh BB cream

And my final product is the Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream. I typically use this on days that I don't want to do a full face of makeup or if I'm in a rush and don't have time for foundation. I put it on with my hands like I would with moisturiser. It definitely doesn't have as much coverage as my foundation does, but if I put the BB Cream on and then top it with some concealer in spots, it looks really good! Since it's so moisturising, it's also great to use on days when my skin is feeling dry or sensitive because it doesn't dry it out the way foundation can. BB Cream just feels so much lighter than foundation, so I think as it starts getting hot and humid this Spring and Summer, this will become my go-to face product.

We've finally started getting some warm weather in NYC! (Well, we did for about a week, but it snowed again yesterday.) I'm so excited for it to start feeling like Spring, because this Winter has been so cold and brutal! And when it's so cold, I tend to just hang out at home watching Netflix and drinking hot chocolate to stay warm. But now that it's getting warmer, I'll finally be able to get back to exploring my city as much as possible! I will definitely be posting lots more about NYC over the next few months... :)

My First-Ever Business Trip to Grand Rapids, Michigan

Last week, I had a lot of firsts—my first business trip, my first professional presentation, my first time in Michigan, and my first time flying first class! I work in Customer Marketing for Garnier, and sometimes the team travels to different accounts to present Garnier's new products and promotional plans. I travelled with two other girls to Grand Rapids, Michigan to present to the grocery store chain Meijer.

We left work a few hours early on Wednesday and headed to Newark Airport. I had never flown in or out of Newark so I was really surprised by how crazy and busy it was. Way busier than the Boston and Raleigh airports that I'm used to! The flight was quick and easy, and the view from the plane was incredible! We flew over a couple of the Great Lakes, and they were frozen. It was one of the coolest sights I've seen from a plane!

Once we arrived in Grand Rapids, we checked into our hotel in downtown, the JW Marriott. We each had our own room, and my room was so nice. I had an awesome view of the river and downtown area, a really nice bathroom with a huge tub, and really comfy beds (yes, beds plural, I had two beds to myself haha). For dinner, we met in the hotel restaurant which was really cool and trendy. I got a kale salad to start and then fish in a red wine sauce, and everything tasted amazing! After dinner, we went back to our rooms to prepare for our presentations the next day and I decided to unwind with a nice relaxing bath.

This was the view from my room!

a cool view while waiting for the elevator

fish in a red wine sauce...yum!

The next day, we went downstairs for our meeting, and my presentation went really well! I was nervous because it was my first presentation outside of school and everyone in there was so professional and grown-up, but I was proud of how well I did! The meeting went on for a while and we had some lunch before going out to look at the Garnier and Maybelline displays in a couple stores, and then it was back to the airport. It was a really short trip—less than 24 hours—but it was a good first business trip and a good first time in Michigan.

And I can't forget about the last first of the trip...my first time flying first class! It was a short flight on United Airlines, so it obviously wasn't as luxurious as first class on a cross country or international flight, but it was still cool! As soon as I sat down, the flight attendant asked if he could get me a drink. I was good then, but once the plane was in the air, I took him up on a free glass of wine. Hopefully I'll be able to experience first class some more in the future too. I'm excited to have the opportunity to travel for work some more in the years to come!

The sunset flying out of Grand Rapids was so beautiful!

My Ombré Hair Care Routine

I have had ombré hair for over a year now, and during that time, I slowly developed a new hair routine! First of all, if you don't know what ombré hair is, it means that bleach has been applied to ends of hair so it appears to get gradually lighter. When you put bleach in your hair, you risk doing some serious damage, so you need to care for your hair differently than you would otherwise. My hair has always been on the oily side, so I didn't experience much damage, but I did notice it got drier on the ends because of the bleach. I also knew I had to switch up my shampoo and conditioner to prevent the colour from fading as quickly.

Shampoos and Conditioners

My ombré hair care routine starts in the shower. I use two different types of shampoo and conditioner. The first is my everyday shampoo/conditioner combo: Garnier Fructis Color Shield. They have a really creamy texture, so it feels luxurious using them in your hair. They also smell so good, and they have really done a great job at keeping my dyed hair from fading. Since my hair has gotten drier on the ends, I usually just lather up my roots and skip washing the ends most days, and then I apply conditioner liberally to the bottom half of my hair.

Every 4-5 days I use a different set of shampoo and conditioner: Lee Stafford Bleach Blondes. They are purple toning products that are designed to keep bleached hair from getting brassy. I was a little skeptical when I first tried them, because the shampoo is a very strange texture. It's very liquidy and almost looks like ink. I was actually a little nervous putting it in my hair at first, but I have really had great results from it! After using it a few times, the brassiness was stripped from my hair, and it was left looking more blonde. It's not good to use a toning shampoo on an everyday basis, so I just stick to using it once or twice a week along with the matching conditioner. I haven't seen Lee Stafford products in many stores, but they sell them at Ulta!

Styling Products

When hair is wet, it is much more susceptible to damage, so you need to be careful when brushing it. After getting my hair ombréd, I noticed it got much more tangled when wet, it took forever to brush, and it started breaking more easily. Then I decided to try out a different kind of brush I found at Target called a Tangle Teaser, and I have loved it! First of all, it detangles hair so much faster than a standard brush. And second, it is gentle on hair to prevent breakage. After using a Tangle Teaser, there's no way I could go back to using a regular brush!

Then it's time to dry and style my hair. I almost always blow dry my hair after showering. When you use any kind of heat tool, it's important to apply a heat protector to prevent damaging your hair, especially it's dyed or dry. The heat protector I use is Pantene Pro-V Stylers Heat Protection Spray. (In the photos, the spray is in a generic travel-size bottle because that's what I took with me to Europe a few months ago, and I'm still using that.) :) I just spray some onto my hands and then run it through my hair before using my hair dryer. Once my hair is dry, I like to apply product to the ends to keep them from looking dry. I have a couple of products that I like: Garnier Fructis Split End Bandage and Garnier Fructis Sleek and Shine Leave-In Conditioner. Both products work really well and smell amazing! I use the Split End Bandage on days I want my hair to have a little texture or wave to it and the Leave-In Conditioner on days I want my hair to look really sleek and shiny.

And that is my entire ombré hair care routine! I have loved having ombré hair because I feel like it adds so much more dimension and interest to my hair, and I'm planning to keep it like this for a while!

rocking my ombré hair at Platform 9 and 3/4 in London! (with a cute British guy behind me) ;)

What I'm Thankful For This Thanksgiving

Over the past year, so much has happened in my life, and I really feel like I have so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving:

My family

                       

                       

Good friends all over the country and around the world

I was even lucky enough to reconnect with some of my international friends when I went to England and France a couple months ago!

     

                                 

My first post-grad job at one of my dream companies

I'm working on the Garnier brand at L'Oréal USA, and I have loved it so far!

                           

Having the opportunity to move to New York City

In October, I moved to one of my favourite cities, New York City, for my job and have absolutely loved it!

                      

All of the travel opportunities I've had in the past year

In the past year, I have been to New York City 4 times (before moving there of course!), Washington DC, Atlanta, North Carolina, Prince Edward Island, Boston, Provincetown, London, Bath, Cardiff, Weston-Super-Mare, and Paris :)  

                                                                       

                                

                   

                                                                  

Happy Thanksgiving!

Settling into Life in New York City

A little over a month ago, I made a big change in my life and moved to New York City. I was a little nervous about moving to the biggest city in the country after spending the summer in my tiny New England town, but I was beyond excited about starting the next chapter of my life! I had started to feel a little depressed over the summer while I was home, but after accepting a job in New York, my mood completely changed and I finally felt happy again!

I am currently working at one of my dream companies—L'Oréal! When I applied to some internships and jobs at the company, I definitely didn't expect to be offered the positions, since it is the world's biggest company in the beauty industry and I knew it was super competitive. But when I heard back from them offering me a Customer Marketing position within the Maybelline-Garnier-Essie brand, I was so happy! I have been there a little over a month now, and I can confirm that it was the perfect choice for me, and I really love it. It is a lot of hard work and stressful at times, but it is such a fun industry to be in and everyone that I work with is so friendly and super helpful with me as I'm still learning everything. I am in a 12-month position for now, but I'm really hoping that when the 12 months is up next October, they are able to find a permanent spot for me somewhere in the company!

Before coming to New York, I was having trouble figuring out where to live. As I'm sure you know, New York is so expensive, so my options were kind of limited. I did meet a few people through different Facebook groups who were looking for roommates to sign a lease with, but after thinking about it, I was a little afraid to sign a year-long lease with girls I never met for an apartment that I probably wouldn't see until moving in. So instead, I found a short-term option in Brooklyn where I am paying month-to-month. I'm living with another girl who is nice and the apartment is pretty good, but I am starting to look for other apartments as well! My commute to work now is about an hour each way, so I really want to be somewhere more central. I'm also really hoping to be in an area where there is a lot going on, because the part of Brooklyn I am in isn't super nice and there aren't really any good restaurants or shops nearby. After being in the city and knowing the neighbourhoods a little better, I think I am going to focus my search in the Financial District, the part of the Upper West Side/Harlem near Columbia University, Long Island City, Astoria, and Downtown Brooklyn.

I've had a lot of fun since being here too! I have a friend from Elon who lives one subway stop away from me, so I have been seeing her a lot. I have also met some great people through work as well! After being in my boring town all summer, being in New York is a complete 180 and there are always so many things to do here! I have done lots of exploring, shopping, going out to bars, and I've been to so many great restaurants!

I will definitely be posting lots more about my time in New York really soon! My mom recently visited for a weekend, so I am going to dedicate an entire post to that. It's also starting to get so Christmasy and festive here in the city, so I have been absolutely loving that, and will be getting as many pictures of the decorations as possible. Thanks so much for reading! If you have any New York recommendations for shops, restaurants, attractions, etc that I should check out, I would really appreciate if you could let me know in a comment! :)

xo Christie

One of the perks of working in the beauty industry:
company scavenger hunts around the city to check out the latest beauty trends! This is in Saks Fifth Avenue.

the view walking across the Manhattan Bridge

the Brooklyn Bridge

the view of the Statue of Liberty from the Brooklyn Bridge

 

some street art in Downtown Brooklyn...poor Mickey

I saw something being filmed next to the Brooklyn Bridge.
If you have any idea what this is, please let me know!

Autumn in New York was so pretty!

an amazing view from a bar on the Chelsea High Line

celebrating Halloween with my friends Kirsten and Ashley (and this pumkin-headed man!)

the Radio City Music Hall Christmas tree is up!

Christie's :)