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 Top 5 Winter Nail Polishes of 2015

Every winter, my favourite nail colours change slightly. Some of my previous favourites were black, royal blue, and mint green. This year, I have been especially loving berry tones and dark nails. These are a few of the nail polish shades that I have been reaching for over and over again the past couple months:

O.P.I. "Lincoln Park At Midnight"

This nail polish has been a favourite of mine for a long, long time. Probably about 7 or 8 years. It is a dark purple shade that almost looks black, but when it catches the light, it has a beautiful shimmery effect to it. I have always loved the O.P.I formula, and this nail polish is such an amazing quality. The only critique I've had of O.P.I. polishes in the past is that they take a while to dry completely. BUT I discovered a trick recently to make nails dry almost instantly. After you're done painting your nails and putting on the top coat, stick your hand into a bowl of ice water for about a minute (or until your fingers feel numb!). It seriously works! Now nothing can stop me from wearing this nail colour all the time!

Rimmel 60 Seconds "Red, Steady, Go"

I bought this nail polish last year and still love it. After buying it, I loved it so much that I actually went out and bought it in about five more shades too! The bottle says the nail polish dries in 60 seconds, and while that may be stretching it a little, it honestly is dry within five minutes! It's so convenient when you are in a rush and want to paint your nails before heading out or before going to bed. This shade is a really pretty true red colour, and it's a classic to go with my mostly black, grey, and navy winter clothes!

Essie "Jiggle Hi Jiggle Low"

The company that I work for owns Essie and I am able to get a 50% discount, meaning I have been trying lots of new Essie nail polishes this season! I tried this shade for the first time a few weeks ago, and instantly fell in love. It's a beautiful metallic colour that really sparkles in the light. I kept finding myself staring at my nails while I was wearing it because they were so shimmery, and it almost looked like there were tiny diamonds on my nails! I will definitely be using this nail polish so much this season.

Essie "The Perfect Cover Up"

This is another new Essie polish that I tried this season. I had been wanting a new navy nail polish, and this one was perfect! It's a dark navy that almost has a grey look to it. It's a really nice dark nail polish and such a perfect colour for winter. Like all Essie nail polishes, the quality is amazing, it goes on so smooth, and lasts a long time.

NYC "Columbus Circle Crimson"

My final nail polish favourite this season (and the one I am currently wearing) is this one from NYC. This polish is a deep cranberry shade that is one of my favourites during the Autumn/Winter seasons. I think it looks so perfect with the dark colours I like to wear during this time of the year. Like the Rimmel nail polish, this one dries almost instantly, so it is so convenient and easy when you don't have a ton of time to dedicate to painting your nails.

Thanks for reading! Let me know what your top nail polishes are this season!

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 :)