Update! Austerity August No-Buy- The Results

Well, folks, I did it. I survived the month of August without buying any new makeup. I resisted in the drugstore, I avoided Ulta, and I deleted the tempting sale emails from all my favorite brands (and there were some good sales). And as I emerge victorious in September, I wanted to tell you all how it went.

First off, it was tough! I admit I may have a slight addiction to buying makeup, as well as a major addiction to Diet Coke, but who doesn't have their vices? My retail therapy doesn't hurt anyone, and I only buy what I plan to use and try to get the best deals possible at all times. If I do buy frivolously, I also do it frugally and keep it to drugstore brands with coupons. When life gets a little rough, thinking about buying makeup gives me something to look forward to.

Austerity August: My No-Buy Goal

Hello my beauties! Have you heard of a No-Buy period? I sure have, and the words are usually terrifying to my shopaholic ears! However, I recently organized my makeup collection (yet again), and the size of it made me proud, but also made me realize I should probably take a break from adding to it for a while. Not only will it help ease some pain on my storage capacity, but it will also help ease some pain on my wallet!

This is going to be hard, I'm not going to lie. I love buying makeup! We all need a bit of retail therapy sometimes, and for me, buying makeup is the best kind. There's something magical about the possibilities that a new, unopened product provides. It's kind of like the thrill I get from a blank sheet of paper, full of untapped potential. Maybe this is the product that puts all others to shame, I think every time, maybe this will be my holy grail of makeup.

Spring 2015 Haul Part 3: Lippies

Hey, I know it's not spring anymore, but I just had to finish my ginormous spring haul series with the final chapter: lip products! This is probably my favorite category, as I just can't get enough lipsticks, lip glosses, and lip balms. My collection is extensive, alarming, and ever-growing, and this spring was no exception as six beautiful lippies joined my makeup family.

I'm already a huge fan of the NYX Butter Gloss, but recently they've come out with Intense Butter Gloss featuring "extreme color." 

The Pale Girl's Guide to Summer Survival

When I walk into a store looking for foundation, I usually joke with the sales clerk that my shade is "postmortem pale." That's how fair I am. I've heard all the jokes: you're a ghost, you're practically transparent, you make me look tanner, etc. The summer is probably the hardest, where all the people around me are soaking up the sun and their bronze skin practically radiates with a healthy glow. Meanwhile, I'm in the safety of the shade, or better yet indoors with the A/C at full! If you burn but never tan, if your only bronze coloring comes from your never-ending freckles, and if anything below SPF 50 is not worth buying, then stay tuned! With my Pale Girl's Guide to Summer Survival, you can protect your fair beauty but still get that gorgeous glow.

First, however, I want to say: it's okay to be pale in the summer! Think of it this way, your paleness makes you shine like a diamond in the rough. This guide is just to give some tips and tricks for getting through the hot summer months without burning that porcelain skin to a crisp!

Impulse Buy Monday: Chapstick Dual-Ended Hydration Lock

Happy Monday, lovelies! Welcome to another installment of Impulse Buy Monday, where I hope to make your Monday a little less painful with my latest purchase that I just couldn't resist. Today's beauty buy is Chapstick's Dual-Ended Hydration Lock. I purchased the Day & Night version.

I had a really bad case of dry lips last week. I thought dry, chapped lips were most prevalent in the winter, but things were getting painful and my usual lip balms were just not cutting it. Am I the only person who finds medicated lip balms irritating if they're used too much? I love the Maybelline Baby Lips Dr Rescue medicated lip balm, but if I use it too frequently I feel like it does more harm than good. I was definitely in the market for something new.

Spring 2015 Haul Part 2: Eye Products

Get ready for the second installment of my huge Spring 2015 haul, featuring eye products! The spring months are the busiest time for me at work, to the point where there is barely a moment when I am not living and breathing work. In order to keep my sanity, I frequently turned to retail therapy in the past few months, causing me to amass quite a haul of beauty items. Here's all my new eye makeup goodies!

I love eye makeup. I have so much eyeshadow and so many different eyeliners it's borderline hoarding. The irony is that in my everyday routine I usually only have time to slap some mascara on my lashes! But that doesn't stop me from buying and dreaming of the weekends where I have more time. 

Spring 2015 Haul Part 1: Face Products

Hey beauties! I've been MIA for a while because I've been working incredibly hard. This weekend I had my first day off in over a month! Woo! In order to keep my sanity over the past few weeks, I've been treating myself and stopping into drugstores every so often and splurging on makeup. So I have quite the haul to share with you! It's so big I've decided to split it into three parts: Face, Eyes, and Lips.

First up- I stocked up on my favorite setting powder, Rimmel London Stay Matte in Transparent, since I had hit pan in my other compact. So not new and exciting, but nonetheless essential.