Vanity: Birthday Beauty Buys!

So….I had a birthday!  Yay me!  This year, I decided to buy myself a birthday present (you guys do that too, right?). Ok, I bought a few birthday presents, but oh well.  It’s my birthday!  Anyway, I bought some seriously good stuff that I just had to share with you guys!

1. MAKE UP FOREVER ROGUE ARTIST INTENSE #40

Seriously the most perfect shade of orange. It looks mostly red in the photo, but trust me, it’s quite orange. This will definitely be my new shade for summer. It doesn’t dry your lips out, but isn’t too shiny.  It also stays on really well, but doesn’t get all over your face. $19 at Sephora

2. ESSIE NAIL LACQUER IN MEET ME AT SUNSET

This one actually wasn’t a birthday present.  I just picked it up at Target last time I was there. It’s a great red-orange shade.  (as you can see, this is clearly the summer of orange…get it? Like summer of George?? No Seinfeld fans? …Ok.)  It goes great with everything. $7.79 at Target

3. JOSIE MARAN ARGAN CLEANSING OIL

This is the GREATEST facial cleanser I’ve ever used. (and I’ve tried them all!) I struggle with skin that is very dry in some areas, then breaks out in others, and I have never found anything that truly balanced it out until now. (HALLELUJAH!) I have long been a believer in argan oil and have used it as a moisturizer, but the cleansing oil is perfect because it makes my skin feel clean, but doesn’t remove all the natural oils, which makes my skin produce less oil. Also, argan oil is known for repairing damage and fighting aging, and I’m all about that. $32 at Sephora (but it’s a huge bottle!)

4. JOSIE MARAN ARGAN DAILY MOISTURIZER

Before I bought the big bottle of the cleansing oil, I bought a mini size of each from Sephora $20 for the cleanse & protect duo.  I highly recommend this if you are curious and want to try it out! The moisturizer is very light, smells great, and has SPF 40. So, it’s pretty much perfect.

Vanity: The Best Lipstick I Ever Bought

My friend Lesley is really good at taking pictures of herself without looking stupid. She’s always uploading new ones to Facebook, and if you happen to leave your phone in her presence, you’ll likely end up with lots of pictures of her on it when you return. I, however, am an awkward picture-taker. Especially if I’m trying to take a picture of myself. I always think I look stupid.  But, I wanted to show you all my favorite lipstick in the world, so here it is:

I apologize for the crazy eyes.

Anyway, I loooooove bold lipstick. This summer, orange lipstick was a big trend, so I set out to find a great red-orange shade with a matte finish and came up with: NARS Heat Wave. I am so in love with this color. Little did I know, the whole world had apparently already found out about this amazing shade thanks to the brilliant people at J. Crew. The color was featured on their models for the Spring/Summer 2011 catalog.

Well, apparently great minds think alike! What I love most about this color is that it goes great with almost any outfit, and (as far as I can tell) most skin tones. It’s the perfect way to add a bold touch to a simple look. Perfect for: girls who want to turn heads and make a statement and refuse to settle for a tube of Chapstick…also girls who are too lazy to do much with their makeup but still want to look put together (like me).

Greed: No More Expensive Manis!

Are you kinda broke? Do you have ugly nails? Do you hate spending money to have someone do your nails for you and then you immediately chip them while getting your keys out of your purse? If you answered “no” to all of those questions, then we can’t be friends. BUT if you answered “yes” to some of them, then you’re in luck!

I’ve discovered an incredible product that will actually make you want to do your own nails:

These strips are so ridiculously easy to use, and they come in all kinds of colors and prints. I tried to take pictures of my nails to show you the process, but it’s actually really hard to take a picture when you only have 2 hands, and no friends to do it for you So, someone buy me a camera with a self timer ok?? (or some friends)

But, anyway, all you have to do is peel the backing off these things, stick them to your nails, and use the buffer to take off the extra. They are easily removed with nail polish remover, and if you do it right and take care of it, it can last almost 2 weeks, which is just as long as a gel manicure but without the damage (and the $45 bill).

Not bad, huh? This is before I learned the “pretty way” to take pictures of your own nails…don’t worry, I won’t make that mistake again!

Sally Hansen Salon Effects: $8.99

Salon Manicure: $25-$45 (plus tip)

Plus, you don’t have to worry about anyone giving you grief for your bad cuticles, or worrying if they’re saying bad things about you in another language.

Perfect for: girls who can’t paint their own nails without looking like they dipped their hand in a can of Behr’s.