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Alina Avery

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Holiday Beauty Sets

September 30, 2015 by Alina Avery Leave a Comment

Ok yes, it’s insane that “holiday” sets are being announced (and even released!) in September.

 

But that doesn’t mean we can’t wishlist the crap of them. Holiday Beauty sets have some of the coolest limited edition shades and products, usually at an incredible value. Here are my picks (so far) for this year!

First, these Guerlain Snowflake Meteorites:

 

Guerlain
Meteorites Perles des Neiges – $80

OMG if that’s not the most perfect winter makeup ever. Serious lust for this one. These Guerlain perles are a classic, if a little difficult to use. I think this would be the most amazing setting/finishing powder for cold weather – slightly shimmery, a bit of glow, like you’ve been out for a walk in the snow. So gorgeous.

Then, the Marc Jacobs eyeshadow palette of your dreams:

holiday2015_marcjacobs20palette001

Marc Jacobs Beauty
Style Eye-Con No. 20 – Plush Eyeshadow – $99

It’s no secret I love the MJB eyeshadow formula, and this is a great value. The colors here seem a bit random (and every one of the top row is going to look exactly the same on my skin) but there’s a good variety in here in terms of colors and finishes. The price is steep but it looks like the perfect palette for traveling since you have a million different looks all in one palette (and it looks like maybe a GIANT mirror).

 

Next, this lust-worthy Laura Mercier Bronzer Trio:

holiday2015_lauramerciersets003

 

Laura Mercier
Blush & Glow Radiant Face Trio – $58

A “matte” highlight and bronzer and a shimmery bronzer AND a travel brush?!?!??! Also, I say “matte” because Laura Mercier says “matte” but there is some obvious, if subtle shimmer in these. Which is fine by me but if you’re looking for a true matte bronzer, this isn’t it. Also I LOVE LOVE LOVE the tortoise packaging. Major heart eye emoji for this baby.

 

 

Also, this Bite Beauty Lip Set for every lip occasion ever:

holiday2015_bitebeautyremix002

Bite Beauty
Discovery Set – $55

So much variety here! The Agave Lip Mask is one of my favorites and I wore the lipstick shade from this set (Pepper) at my wedding. It’s a perfect my-lips-but-better shade for me, so a backup is always welcome. I’m fascinated by the lip wipes and the clear primer. I feel like I’d use everything in this set which isn’t super common when it comes to block busters like these.

 

The Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder and Blush motherlode:

holiday2015_hourglasspalette001

 

Hourglass
Ambient Lighting Edit – $80

I’m actually not sure about this. All of these products are lovely but I’m not sure I’d want them all in the same palette. You’re going to use up the setting powders way faster than the blushes and bronzer, but this would make a great travel kit. The packaging is gorgeous and like I said, all of these products are hits in my book. Regardless, I’m happy to see more blush palettes popping up!

 

And finally, this Peter Thomas Roth trio of adorable mascaras:

 

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Peter Thomas Roth
Lashes To Die For™ Mascara Trio – $45

This mascara is actually amazing. I’ve used a few tubes of it over the years and am always pleased with the results. It may or may not actually make your lashes longer and stronger, but it’s a great mascara in general. Thick and lush lashes without clumping! A trio of smaller sizes is actually genius because you’ll never use up a whole tube before it expires or dries out. This way you can keep two sealed and pristine while you fall in love with the first one. Love it.

 

 

 

Do you have your eye on any limited edition products for holiday? I’m dying to see what comes out as part of the Urban Decay x Gwen Stefani collab.

 

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Posted in: Beauty, Blush, Bronzer, Eyeshadow, Lips, Makeup, Mascara Tagged: beauty, holiday, makeup

April Wishlist

April 2, 2015 by Alina Avery Leave a Comment

It’s March favorites time, but I just posted a Holy Grail list, so instead I’m going to post about the things I’m looking to maaaaybe pick up in April? The Sephora VIB sale is coming up, right? Hmmm…

1) Surratt Artistique Blush
pink

The who Surratt line is new at Sephora this week. I have heard great things about the collection but it hasn’t really been accessible. Until now. The blush shades I’m looking at are Grisaille, a contour shade, Guimauve, a “marshmallow pink” (pictured above!), and Duchesse, a soft peach. Also maybe I’ll grab the empty palette for them too. WHO KNOWS. 

2) Surratt Relevée Lash Curler

curler

Along the same lines as why I want to pick up the blushes, this curler is an industry favorite and I’m dying to try it. It’s out of stock at the moment but I’m hoping the re-up will coincide with the sale and the stars in the universe will align and it will be mine! I’m okay holding off on this as the lash extensions I got for the wedding are still going pretty strong, which means I don’t really need mascara or a lash curler at the moment, so I might postpone adding this baby to my stash. But I am definitely lusting after it.

3) Rita Hazan Weekly Remedy Treatment

rita

Guys. This looks awesome. I love hair treatments and have found some super effective ones, but they take SO LONG to do and require SO MUCH effort. I hate having to put it in my hair and then sit there in the shower waiting for it to work. And who wants to plan ahead of their shampoos to do a wash out treatment? Not me! So these back-to-back rinse-immediately products look like they are right up my alley. I imagine them to be so easy and hopefully effective.

4) Sunday Riley Effortless Tinted Primer

sundayriley_effortlessprimer_900x900

I bought this back in the fall and actually used it all up. I loved using it in the winter, especially when we were skiing and I wanted something on my skin during the day, but also didn’t want to wear foundation or concealer. For the spring and summer, it would be great to layer with an SPF for a beach day where you feel silly wearing a full face of makeup but naked without anything on. It kind of plumps skin and leaves it flawless and gives just a tiny amount of coverage but is totally undetectable. It’s so light and lovely and I definitely want to repurchase. Just gotta save up those Birchbox points!

5) Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare™ Extra Strength Alpha Beta® Peel

drdennisgross_extrastrength_alphabetapeel_30pk_600x600

I’ve been buying these in the small packs of 5 because I can’t shell out the big bucks to buy the 30 pack. I love using these wipes in the morning to wake up and treat my skin before putting on makeup. There are two steps: you apply the first one, wait two minutes (this is when I make my Nespresso), and then apply the second one. So easy and effective. I generally prefer chemical exfoliants to physical scrubs because they are easier to use (I HATE rinsing scrubs off my face) and generally more effective.

 

What’s on your shopping list for April?

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Posted in: Beauty, Blush, Foundation, Hair, Makeup, Skincare Tagged: blush, hair, skincare, wishlist

Products I’ll Repurchase Until I Die

March 31, 2015 by Alina Avery 3 Comments

I mentioned in my previous Kiehl’s Haul that the Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cleanser is my favorite cleanser ever. And it is. I thought I’d do a little rundown of products I feel similarly passionate about.

FullSizeRender (1)

1) Seche Vite Fast Dry Top Coat, $4.99 on Amazon for .5 oz.

Okay, just now creating that link I realized how much cheaper this is on Amazon than Duane Reade and now I’m kicking myself for ever paying more for it, especially since I’ve gone through like, 5 bottles since I discovered it a few years ago. It dries out quickly and gets thick easily, but honestly, I don’t mind replacing it often because it’s such a lifesaver. I do my own manicures19 times out of 20, and it’s because of this stuff that I’m able to do so. It smooths polish to a professional finish in literally a minute or less. I also find that it’s super long lasting and chip resistant. You do have to be careful because it will shrink the underlying polish if it’s still too wet, but for someone who is impatient like me, Seche Vite is a dream come true.

2) Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cleanser, $19.50 for 5 oz., $10 for 2.5 oz.

The whole Ultra Facial line is pretty great. The toner has a more substantial consistency than other toners, a bit thicker, which feels like it’s doing more than just wetting your face with water. The moisturizing cream has an almost gel texture, but it soaks into skin and really does moisturize for 24 hours. But it’s the cleanser that stands out. It checks all of the major requirements: non-stripping, makeup removing, nicely foaming, clean rinsing, gentle, and effective. Your face feels actually clean afterwards, but not tight or flaky, and without any weird residue or build up. It doesn’t have any fancy claims or technology, but I always feel like those anti-aging ingredients are better left to serums and creams that stay on your skin for longer than 60 seconds. For cleansers, all I want is something that will get the job done quickly and prep skin for other products. People rave about Cetaphil and other inexpensive gentle cleansers, but I never feel like those actually get my skin clean. Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cleanser is the perfect balance.

3) StriVectin-AR™ Advanced Retinol Day Treatment with Broad Spectrum SPF 30, $99 for 1.7 oz.

Yes, okay, this is expensive. Too expensive. Confession: I originally picked it up hugely discounted from a Birchbox employee sale because it was a good value and I’ve liked StriVectin products in the past. I didn’t expect to get hooked. To me, it’s worth the full price since I use it in the morning as a 1) serum, 2) moisturizer, 3) spf, and 4) primer. All in one. If I were to buy 4 products to do the same job as this one, it would definitely cost more than $99. It also does amazing things for my skin. It’s been clearer, smoother, and glowing. I have gotten more compliments on my skin since starting to use this in January than probably ever in my life. Even my husband asked what I was doing differently. One tube has lasted me over two months with daily (generous) use. Also here’s a tip: If I squeeze out too much in my early morning, pre-coffee, stupor, I put what’s left on the backs of my hands. My mom always says that you can tell someone’s age by checking out their hands, so a little extra anti-aging boost there can’t hurt.  Seriously, an incredible product.

4) Becca Mineral Blush in Gypsy, $32 for .2 oz.

Described as “ballerina pink”, this blush is my holy grail. The slightly lavender tones do something with my skin tone to make it look naturally and innocently flushed. It also has a golden sheen that makes it work as a blush and a highlight in one. I never have to worry about putting on too much since it blends out so easily and it’s both pigmented enough and light enough to work for a large spectrum of skin tones. The formula itself is very soft, so you will kick up a good amount of powder when you go in with your brush. I know that bothers some people, but I don’t mind it. I bought this for the first time about a year ago and it hasn’t left the rotation. If the one in the photo looks brand new, that’s because it is. My original is shattered beyond repair, too embarasing for photos, but I continue to use it even though I bought a brand new one weeks ago, simply because I can’t bear to waste it. It’s that good.

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Posted in: Beauty, Blush, Makeup, Nails, Skincare Tagged: favorites, makeup, nails, skincare
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