New products +some of my favorites.

Don't you love it when, you run out of all of your favorite products, all at the same time? I do! I do! This is exactly what happened last week, while here on Winter break in Arizona. This gave me the PERFECT reason to visit my favorite beauty destination, and former employer- Ulta. I absolutely love Ulta, and you're going to find me often bragging about the awesome goodies I find there. I learned so much about skin care, hair, and makeup while working there. It's an awesome store. Here are some of the items I picked up. 

                                                        NYX Eyeshadow Base

Some of you may have no idea what an eyeshadow base is, but fear not! I will be more than happy to explain the amazing benefits of an eyeshadow base. Ever notice your eyeshadow is no longer vibrant by 2pm? Or even worse- ever notice it's completely gone? This will prevent all of the above from happening. The best example I can give is the same benefit of painting a primer, before painting a wall. By using an eyeshadow primer, your eye makeup ( eyeshadow, eyeliner) will stay twice as long throughout the day, and will prevent from creasing. This will also allow your product to last longer, because you wont be reapplying eyeshadow 3 times a day, like some people do! I use this EVERY SINGLE DAY and it's totally worth it. Some eyeshadow bases come in skin tone (pictured above), white, and sometimes even shimmery white, so you can use it also as a highlighter. You can apply this by dabbing on your eyelid and your lower rim, with a clean finger, or with a consealor brush. Apply this before eyeliner, or any eye makeup and watch the amazement happen. 

I'm not sure how many of you struggle with acne. I used to have severe acne to the point where, I would wake up look in the mirror, and cry! My acne has improved since I did Photodynamic Therapy with Levulan, back in 2008. The treatment was totally worth it and cleared all my acne, with the exception of a breakout here and there due to stress. So when I do breakout with stress, it's difficult for me to use over the counter acne products, because the majority of them contain Salicylic Acid, which my skin doesn't take well to. I've been told my many people about Burt's Bee's Herbal Blemish Stick, and let me tell you, i'm very impressed. The fact that it is all natural and doesn't contain any harsh chemicals, is what made this work for me. My skin is very sensitive, and this worked like a charm. 

                                            Pink Tinsel Shower Gel by Ulta

I'm the queen of body wash, and shower gel. I love to try new products, and I couldn't pass this one up. This is actually part of Ulta's holiday collection of their bath and body products. I found it clearanced to $3.99! It smells like candy, it's pink, and the best part is...it has glitter!

                                    Garnier Fructis Anti-Humidity Smoothing Milk. 

I've been using this for quite sometime. When I run out of After Party by BedHead, I use this when I straighten my hair. This product works really well considering I have naturally curly hair, and I live a couple blocks from the ocean. Use this along with a heat protectant spray, before flat ironing your hair. 

                       Bed Head Style Shots Extreme Straight Shampoo and Conditioner

Speaking of straight hair, my BFF who is also a hair stylist, got me this as a gift for Christmas. I absolutely fell in love with it, along with my hair smelling good and feeling super soft. This is actually a new line re-introduced by Bed Head. 

                          Bed Head Style Shots Hi-Def Curls Shampoo and Conditioner. 

 I haven't really worn my hair natural (curly) since i've been in Arizona, but i'm very excited to try this line for curly hair as well :)

                         LORAC aquaPrime and Studio Gear Matte Foundation in Creme

These are two products that I cannot live without. aquaPrime by LORAC is my favorite foundation primer. Like I mentioned before, my skin is super sensitive and I break out easily, and this is the only foundation primer that I can use. aquaPrime is oil free, fragrance free, paraben free, and silicone free. This also contains Sodium Hyaluronate which is an ingredient found in some of the best anti-aging skin care products, because it hydrates and plumps the skin. Using this product in conjunction with a moisturizer, will help your foundation last throughout the day without fading. aquaPrime runs about $30 at Ulta but I promise is worth every penny because it WILL LAST you for about 4-6 months. You only need 1-2 pumps for your entire face. 

Studio Gear Studio Matte Foundation is my absolute favorite. In early 2009 I was a makeup artist and vendor for this line. This foundation was reformulated to be paraben free and is also oil free.

I hope everyone is having an awesome last week of December! Get ready for 2011!

xoxo<3

Alyssa