NOTD: Essie Bikini So Teeny

For the whole month of January I wore no nail polish at all to prove to myself that I can live without constantly wearing nail polish. It may sound weird but I have an obsession with nail polish. Not  buying new nail polish was actually harder than not wearing any. Now that it's February I'm allowing myself to wear nail polish. My first NOTD for 2013 goes to Essie Bikini So Teeny.

Essie describes this color as "a sparkling, cornflower blue". I say that it's between a cornflower blue and a periwinkle blue but you have to look very closely to see that this polish has shimmer. This color has recently been added to the permanent collection. It was originally part of the summer 2012 collection. I had passed on getting this color and then when it was gone I regretted it so I'm glad that Essie brought it back and added it to the permanent collection. 

You can get away with one coat but I think two coats is better for perfect opacity. The polish goes on creamy and just a tiny bit streaky but once you put on a top coat it looks perfect. If you missed you chance at getting this polish when it came out in summer I definitely recommend getting it now. Wearing it now that it's still winter makes me happy because I look at my nails and think of spring and summer. 

xoxo - JoJo 

January Favorites!

I've never done a monthly favorites post and I decided that now would be the time to start. I've been liking a few things that I thought were worth mentioning. 

First off I've been loving the Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation. It finally launched in Canada and the minute I saw it I just had to have it. It's supposed to give your skin a look of natural glow and anti-fatigue. It's also supposed to leave your skin feeling soft and comfortable all day. I love it because once applied it doesn't feel like I'm wearing any foundation and my skin just looks natural and it has a little glow. The coverage is natural but build-able. I got the shade Soft Beige. I definitely recommend this foundation. 

Next I've been loving the Essence Cover Stick concealer for covering up any blemishes or redness on my face. I got the shade 01 Matt Sand. It's matte and yellow toned. It provides great coverage and it costs less than $3 so it's worth a try. 

The Urban Decay Naked Basics palette has been what I've used the most this month for eyeshadow. 

My favorite shades have been W.O.S. (walk of shame), Naked 2 and Crave. As my everyday go-to eyeshadow look I use W.O.S. all over the lid, Naked 2 in my crease and Crave as liner. Then I'll use Venus as a highlight and it just creates the perfect natural eye look. Honestly if I could only get one product from Urban Decay it would be this palette. I love my original Naked palette but sometimes I just want a more natural look.

Another product that I've really liked has been the L'Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black Waterproof Mascara. 

It instantly gives my lashes length and volume without me having to put much effort into it. I like the brush because it's similar to the Revlon Growluscious brush but it's smaller so it's easier to get into the inner corner. It typically doesn't smudge on me throughout the day so that's good too. 

My hands have been very dry because of the cold weather we've been having and I tend to get eczema on my hands as well. The Aveeno Intense Relief hand cream helps sooth my hands so that they won't itch and keeps my hands feeling soft. Last but not least I've been using the Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion to keep my skin smooth. It's intended to be a total body moisturizer but I've been using it on my face because it's light and doesn't make my skin feel heavy. It has helped my skin not feel so dry. I really liked it for my dry skin. 

Random Favorites:

Music: 

Oath (feat. Becky G) - Cher Lloyd because one of my best friends got it stuck in my head. The chorus just reminds me of my all my besties.

Where My Heart Goes - Colton Dixon

Let Them See You - Colton Dixon

Colton Dixon's album A Messenger is just amazing and I love every single song. Even though it's only been out since January 29 I've been listening to only his album for the past few days. I highly recommend it.

TV: 

Switched at Birth, Bunheads, Suits, and Pretty Little Liars.

Web Series: 

I've been obsessed with The Lizzie Bennet Diaries. If you love Pride and Prejudice you need to check it out. It's a modern retelling of the classic Jane Austen novel in the form of Youtube videos. It's honestly the best thing ever! I ship Lizzie and Darcy so much.

Movies: 

Les Misérables and Parental Guidance

Essie's Not So New Collection

I went to the drugstore today because let's face it, I go there all the time. I noticed an Essie nail polish display of a "new" collection. This collection is all of Essie's favorite polishes from previous limited edition collections that are now being added to the permanent collection.

The shades that are now part of the permanent collection include Mint Candy Apple, Lady Like, Bikini So Teeny, Butler Please, No More Film, Carry On and Stylenomics. 

If you missed these shades when they were released in their original collections you can easily get them now. 

xoxo - JoJo 

2012 Favorites!

Since I've never blogged about monthly favorites I thought it would be a good idea to post my favorites beauty products of 2012. This year I want to start doing monthly favorites because I love reading about other peoples favorites and I love watching all the monthly favorites videos of my favorite youtubers. 

"Foundation"/Concealer

As foundation I've loved wearing physician's formula organic wear tinted moisturizer in fair to light. I love this tinted moisturizer because it does an excellent job at evening out my skin tone and provides sheer natural coverage. It doesn't fee like I'm wearing makeup on my face. It's perfect for everyday and it doesn't cause any breakouts. It has SPF 15 and 80% of the ingredients used in it are organic like jojoba oil, avocado oil, sunflower seed oil and shea butter. I have combination to dry skin and this is very moisturizing. For concealer I love the maybeline dream lumi touch highlighting concealer in radiant. I use it to cover my under eye circles because it gives perfect coverage and it brightens the area which gives it a nice glow. I love using it because it doubles as a concealer and a highlighter therefore on an everyday basis I don't need to use highlighter. It has a pinky/salmony color which is good for covering dark circles.

Eyeshadow 

I tried to narrow down the list of eyeshadows but these are the products I've used to most this year so I had to mention all of them. I adore my MAC paint pot in rubenseque. It's a golden color with a slight pink tint and it's perfect alone or as a base. The Wet n' Wild trio in walking on eggshells deserves a mention because all the Wet n' Wild eyeshadows have amazing pigmentation, they last all day and they're really cheap to buy. I've heard that the colors in this particular eyeshadow trio are dupes for MAC shadows. I love my Maybelline color tattoo in bad to the bronze because it's such a nice bronzy, nude color that it works amazing alone or as a base. If there are days that I don't really want to wear much make up I'll reach for this because it just looks so beautiful. I know lots of people love this but it really is amazing. Last but not least I absolutely have to mention the Urban Decay Naked palette. It's so versatile and creates so many different eye looks that I don't know what I would do without it. I use this probably every time I do my make up whether I want an everyday look or a dramatic look. There is a color that works for every occasion. 

Mascara

I've used many mascaras throughout the year but I always find myself going back to the original Revlon Grow Luscious Mascara because it lengthens and gives volume to my lashes while letting them look natural. It has properties that help your lashes actually grow. I love it and I've been using it for the past 2 years. I've noticed that my lashes really grew by using this mascara, not dramatically but if you use it long enough you will notice a subtle difference in length.

Blush

NARS Orgasm blush, Rimmel London powder blush in Santa Rose

 Blush is probably my favorite make up product because it gives your cheeks a nice glow. 

I wanted to pic just one but I use both of these an equal amount. The NARS Orgasm blush is probably a blush that everyone knows about. It's a peachy pink with gold shimmer in it. It gives your cheeks such a pretty glow. When I wear this blush people tell me that I'm glowing lol. I'm obesessed with this blush, it's very pigmented and a little goes a long way. NARS makes the best blushes. I'd buy all of them if I could. The Rimmel London blush in Santa Rose is a nude pink that is perfect for everyday. It subtle color to your cheeks and just makes your skin look natural. 

Lipstick 

MAC Syrup

My favorite lipstick of 2012 is hands down MAC Syrup. It's a mauvy pink that works for any occasion. It's perfect for everyday but is also nice for going out. It's like your natural lip color but better. It just gives a natural berry tint to your lips. 

lip balm

Maybelline baby lips in Quenched, Cherry Me and Pink Punch, EOS lip balm in strawberry sorbet.

I have an obsession with lip balm because I have very dry lips. I love the maybelline baby lips because they are very moisturizing but they also give your lips a really nice subtle tint. Quenched is my favortie because it's clear and it feels like the most moisturizing out of the three that I own. It also smells like lemons. Cherry Me is red and smells like cherries. It adds a nice subtle red tint to your lips. Pink Punch smells lips fruit punch and  adds a pop of pink to your lips. I love my EOS lip balm is strawberry sorbet because it moisturizes my lips and it smells like strawberries. I believe it's mostly organic too. 

Nail Polish

Essie Sand Tropez, Mezmerised, Olé Caliente, OPI Quarter of a Cent-Cherry, Mrs. O'Leary's BBQ

I am a nail polish fanatic. I have a huge obsession and I was unable to pick one. Essie Sand Tropez is the perfect nude. Mezmerised is the prettiest blue. I call it a true blue. Olé Caliente is an orange red with pink under tones and perfect for summer. OPI Quarter of a Cent-Cherry is the perfect true red. OPI Mrs' O'Leary's BBQ is a burgundy oxblood color. 

Skincare

Bioderma Sensibio H2O

Bioderma is probably the best product I ever bought. It removes your make up and cleanses your skin at the same time. Every time I use it my skin feels refreshed. It's a little pricey but it's completely worth it. I seriously think that I have clearer skin because I use this. 

Scent 

Taylor Swift Enchanted Wonderstruck

My favorite scent/fragrance of 2012 is Taylor Swift Enchanted Wonderstruck. I fell in love with this scent the moment I smelled it. This is the purse spray that I got for Christmas. sephora.com describes this scent as "An oriental gourmand, Wonderstruck Enchanted introduces a new dimension to the Wonderstruck portfolio, with an irresistible blend of luscious wild berries and sugar-glazed petals, wrapped in a touch of sensuality for a captivating signature. It has an addictive balance of creamy flowers and sensual woods which blend harmoniously and add an alluring quality to the fragrance. 

Notes: Wild Berries, Passion Fruit, Pink Poppy, Peony, Champaca Petals, White Freesia, White Musk, Vanilla, Blond Woods. Style: Charming. Magical. Captivating."

xoxo -JoJo

Hello 2013!

Wishing you a happy new year! I hope 2013 brings you all that you desire. I wish you all a year full of joy, love and the best of health. Remember there is something good in every day. The best is yet to come.

I don't really make new year's resolutions because I never stick to them but there are a few things that I want to do this year. I hope that I'll finally get my license. I would love to go to Europe, especially to see my family in Italy and France. I want to see fireworks (they have them every year for most of the summer and I've never seen them). The thing I want most is to go back to New York.

xoxo -JoJo