December Birchbox

theBalm Hot Mama Blush

My favorite product in the box. I love anything from theBalm. This blush reminds me of NARS Orgasm. It’s a peachy-pink color with golden shimmer. It’s a pretty popular blush, so I’m excited that I’m able to try it out.

Number 4 Clarifying Shampoo

I use a clarifying shampoo once a week, so this was a nice sample to get. It’s a good size and I can’t wait to try it out.  

Frownies Eye Gels

These are one of those products that I don’t buy, but like having for those nights when I want to pamper myself or try a new product. I'll be trying these soon!

Ahava Dermud Enriched Intensive Foot Cream

I’m kind of over getting foot creams in my box. Mainly because I just don’t use them...

Cartier Baiser Vole Eau de Perfume

This is not a perfume for me. It was nice to see a different brand name not usually seen in Birchbox, but the smell is pretty awful, in my opinion.

Cartier Declaration D’un Soir Cologne

This was an extra. If you didn't know, Birchbox makes a line for men, too. After being disappointed in the perfume, I was hesitant to smell this one. Surprisingly, I love it! Too bad I can’t wear it, but I’ll gladly hand over to my boyfriend.

$50 Gift Certificate to Rent the Runway
I thought this was pretty cool. I had never heard of this website, but after checking it out, I really want to try this. Some of the things I would be interested in "renting" are dresses from Badgley Mischka and Diane Von Furstenberg around the $70-$100 range, so this gift certificate could come in handy if I decide to give it a shot! 

What did you get in your December box?
Hope you're getting all of your Christmas shopping done! 

xo, Mal 

Happy Friday, Y'all!

Have a great weekend, everyone! 

1. Had a little date at the aquarium on Sunday morning. 
I liked seeing live versions of Finding Nemo and Happy Feet. 

2. I love taco nights. 

3. Pacific Blue is back! This is easily one of my favorite polishes. 
I wrote more on it here if you're interested. 

4. Christmas cards mailed. :)

5. I enjoy the Glee cast version of Christmas music on repeat.

See more H54F posts on Lauren's blog! 

holiday decor!

 

 I just wanted to share the holiday goodness around my apartment. This is my second Christmas here and the most exciting change since last year is my fireplace mantel. I have my amazing father to thank for that fine piece of craftsmanship. There's something about a decorated fireplace mantel for the holidays that just puts me in the spirit. 

Here's a list of where most of it is from, in case you're interested. 

Wreath: Target
Mirrored Mosaic Trees: Target

Reindeer Stocking Holders: Hobby Lobby

Jennifer and Fritz Stockings: Etsy

M & B Stockings: Bed, Bath & Beyond

Martini Glasses: Target

Mirrored Tray: Target

White Feather Tree: Target

Ho Ho Ho print: Target (it's a Christmas card)

Noel Towels: Target

xo, Mal

caring for your brushes

Some may be thinking "Duh, I always wash my brushes." Others may think its a-okay to never wash them. When I did my sister's makeup recently, I cringed when she said "Wash them? I've never washed my brushes." Sorry Linz :)

It's important to wash your brushes and take care of them. As cheesy as that sounds. Cleaning them gets the bacteria out, which is good for your skin, and it will give you a more flawless makeup application. It will prolong the life of your brushes. And if you're like me and have invested in good brushes, a longer life is necessary. 

There are tons of brush cleansers out there, but I prefer using good 'ole Johnson's baby shampoo for a few reasons: it's a very gentle cleanser, a large bottle lasts a long time, it's cheap, and it gets the job done.  

So, here are the steps I take to give my brushes a good deep clean:

Washing your brushes is the same method as washing your hair. First, get the water to a good warm temperature. Then lightly wet the bristles and pour some shampoo on your fingers. Then  just massage the bristles into the shampoo for a good lather until you see most of the product coming off. I usually repeat this step a couple times for the denser brushes like the one in the photos. Small brushes usually only require one shampoo. Just use your own judgement. Once the water runs clear, the brush is clean. Mold them into their proper shape if you see that some bristles have gone astray, and then lay them flat on a towel to dry. I let my brushes dry overnight. 

You'll notice above that I always keep the brush pointed down. There's a reason for that. 

You never want to let water get into the ferrule. 

A little makeup brush anatomy: 

Always keep the brush pointed downward to prevent water from dripping into the ferrule. The reason for this is the glue that holds the bristles to the handle is inside the ferrule. If water gets in there, over time it will ruin the glue and can cause the handle to break away. No bueno. Basically, never turn that brush upside down... ever. Don't even dry your brush with the bristles facing up. Laying them flat on a towel is your best option. 

You should wash your brushes once a week. However, I get lazy and usually get around to doing it after two weeks or so. I have quite a few though, so I never use the same foundation brush for 2 weeks straight. I usually inter-change them until they're all dirty. If you only have a few brushes, once a week is a good routine to get into. 

Something extra...

What I have above is the Sigma Dry N' Shape. It's made for dense brushes that have a specific bristle shape that need to stay in place, and it helps them dry quicker than if you just left them on a towel. Dense brushes can take a long time to fully dry. The Dry N' Shape dries brushes in 4-6 hours. 

The brushes I've shown in this post are the Sigma Sigmax collection. I use these for foundation and concealer. Sigma offers many different brush collections. 

If you're interested in checking out Sigma brushes, click here! 

If you use code DEC2012 through Dec 31, you get 10% off your order. 

I hope this post helps you out a little when it comes to caring for those precious brushes. 

Clean brushes are the foundation of good makeup application. 

Do you have a different method for cleaning your brushes? Let me know! 

xo, Mal

Happy Friday, Y'all!

It's been about a week since my last post. My bad. I have no excuses, other than I've been shopping doing things in my spare time that I need to get done! :)

1. I ran my first road race last weekend. Hey, you gotta start somewhere, right? I gave myself two goals: do not walk, and finish under 40 minutes. I was excited to see my time of 31:07 at the finish line. We had so much fun! Can't wait to do another one. 

2. Everyone deserves a Bloody Mary on a Sunday morning. In this case, it was a Bloody Mason.

3.  I finally found the Essie holiday collection. It was like Heaven's gates opened as soon as I spotted them. I picked up Leading Lady and Beyond Cozy. Both scream "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!" I'm in love. 

4. My sister loves to borrow just about everything I own. Here she's wearing my shirt, shoes, makeup, and nail polish. But I think she looks great :)

5. I reached 10,000 pageviews this week! Thanks everyone who checks out my little blog, whether it's on a regular basis or just something you've stumbled upon in the blogosphere. 'Preciate it! 

Check out more H54F posts on Lauren's blog! 

Have a fabulous weekend, everyone! 

xo

Mal