Summer FOTD

I'm not usually one to have an everyday makeup look as I try to make good use of all my eyeshadow and lip options. Now that I'm in London, I'm so inspired every day to branch out more and wear a purple smokey eye or bright orange lip, and I do just that. However most days, I reach for the same neutrals and I love the very natural, light and summery feel I get, especially because it works well with the environment at my internship. Most of the time I have no idea which lipstick I'm going to wear and with this base + eye look, but it can go with literally anything.

Top Picks | Summer 2015 Lip Options

I hear it's summer back in the States but here in London, we're in our second day of June and barely hitting 60 degrees. I'm not complaining though as the sun terrifies me and I prefer sweaters to sweating any day. While I literally wear any lip color any time of year, I do tend to pull out more pinky/nudes, oranges and a peach number during the sunnier months. I also don't stop with the borderline Goth/vampy matte lip products of dreams though so anything's fair game. Below is a lineup of lip products that have already made permanent settlements in my handbag and I hope the seersucker "Au Revoir" clutch channels some south of France summer vacay vibes for you (please excuse the state of my Bourjois Lip Crayon as it had a near-fatal accident this past weekend. It's too soon to discuss; I'm still sobbing about it).

Study Abroad No. 2 | Packing

There are two pieces of advice I wish I had listened to when I first studied abroad: create a budget and stick to it and pack lightly. While I'm still working on the best budget approach (i.e. I actually have a budget this time around. Sort of heh heh), I feel confident to relay packing knowledge and advice this time around (for those of you who are new, this is my second time studying abroad; see post here). This is a very detailed post as it is meant to serve as a guide/help for people wanting to study abroad so you can skim the text and look at the photos because yes, I've included lists of things I've packed as well as photos of most of these items (very few things are missing because they were added last minute/I just totally forgot about them). I'm comparing the packing from my first study abroad experience in 2013 to now as well, so that might help people gauge what is/isn't important.

Freebies | Topshop Beauty #Playland

My roommate and I went to Regent St. in central London this past Sunday because Magnum, the ice cream company, was hosting an event all along the street. For those of you who don't know, Regent St. is one of London's main shopping streets, encompassing a variety of shops while bringing in locals and tourists alike. It intersects several other popular shopping streets like Carnaby and Oxford Street.

Review | Empties #1

I've been hoarding empties for months now and I wanted to do a few mini reviews on all of these products because I love reading about things people actually manage to finish. While I'm very into makeup (obvs), I am also very practical and don't like to keep too many products at once so writing an empties post helped motivate me to get through as much as possible.

I'm studying abroad! (again)

Hello! I'm blogging to you for the first time from London! It's quite exciting and I can't even begin to count my blessings (and loan money) that helped get me here. I did study abroad previously for a semester during the fall of 2013 through the same program. That time, I was just a student taking 12 hours (four classes) and traveling quite a bit on the weekends. This summer, I am taking two classes and working 20 hours a week as an intern.

Sabrina's Perfect Palette Tag

Now, I don't have the most massive collection of palettes as I have returned some, found better homes for others and thrown out ones that were no longer safe for contact anywhere near my eyes. While looking through my makeup collection the other day, I realized how much I really like the edit of palettes I have at the moment and I don't feel any need to go out and buy the newest and latest thing or lust over something that has been around and raved to death (but if someone wants to gift me an Hourglass Modernist palette, I won't say no). I've omitted a couple questions from the original tag because they were repetitive, but my collection includes some palettes you might need just one more review on, as well as some that probably aren't too widely known.

Spring Makeup Shakeup

Hello again friends it's been so long! For this post I'm going to share some thoughts on spring-related makeup with some recently released items, as well as some older stuff. Everything mentioned here is from my gratis, which is basically a beautiful bag of free beauty products I get from companies at work. I receive these goodies to test and familiarize myself with what they do so that I can assist customers with questions and make recommendations AND IT IS GLORIOUS.

Birthday FOTD | Nobody Likes You When You're 23

You know you're old when you're seriously concerned about your retirement funds and you haven't even graduated from university. I thought I would have my life figured out by 22, but I'm probably more unsure of my future than I've ever been. Being older and wiser has its perks though because you see the meaning of life is to live it to the fullest and go shopping for makeup that's waaaaay too expensive #yolo (that's how it works, right?). Here's my birthday FOTD because #YOT23O (you only turn 23 once)

Review | Charlotte Tilbury Luxury Palette the Dolce Vita

I know, I know, she's a beaut and you're probs drooling over this photo so I'll just give you two a moment.

VoxBox Review | Dessange Paris Olea Miracle Collection: Shampoo, Conditioner and Oil

Every time I qualify to receive a VoxBox from Influenster, I get excited for a bunch of free mascaras and snacks and every time I'm slightly disappointed to find that I've received something for my hair or skin. Last time, I was pleasantly surprised so I remained positive for this one. Influenster sent me a shampoo, conditioner and hair oil from the French salon brand DESSANGE and I received the products complimentary to test and review. For those of you who don't know what Influenster is, you sign up online (I'll leave a link below) and answer a few questions, write some reviews and try to earn a badge. I have the beauty badge so the products I am offered tend to be related to hair, makeup or skincare. You also link up your social media sites and are offered products based on how much influence you have. Once you qualify to receive items, they mail them out and you try them before reviewing the products on your blog, on YouTube and/or on a store's website. Anywayyyyyyyy review time!

Review | Lorac Pro 2 Eyeshadow Palette

YASSSSS
I had been curious about Lorac ever since the first Pro palette was released and it was buzzed up on every blog and vlog in the biz. I refrained from purchasing because I was going for the Naked palette collection first and then Charlotte Tilbury eyeshadow palette in Dolce Vita caught my eye (and wallet). When the Lorac Pro 2 came out, I did about four months of researching blogs, Pinterest, Instagram, Google and YouTube before deciding I had a lot of shadows similar to the original Lorac Pro so I definitely needed this one. I bought mine for nearly half the price ($23!!!!) because I had a $20 Cash Back coupon at Kohl's so I picked up the palette two weeks ago and I haven't even looked at my other palettes since.

First thing's first - the packaging. It's super slim and slick, resembling the original Urban Decay Naked palette in that it just has a cardboard flap with a mirror, which I actually prefer because it's quicker to open/close. I think choosing grey was such a smart move because all of the shades really pop against the coolness of it, even the other greys! It's also really satisfying having 16 small squares evenly placed along two rows, the top one being all mattes and the bottom all shimmers. I also feel like this one has way more variety than the first Lorac Pro because when I look at that one, it is very white/nude and brown. This one has pinks, greys and browns but also throws in a plum, navy and mossy green.

Everyone raves about how buttery the shadows are and they ain't lying. I didn't even know what buttery eyeshadows meant until I dipped my brush into Nectar for the first time and got more product than I knew how to handle. Yes, a lot of product gets kicked up if you are heavy-handed and yes, there's a learning curve, but after a few plays with the palette, you'll see that you literally need like, half a dip to complete an eye, no matter what you're doing or which shade you're using. The shadows are all so pigmented and transfer to the lid exactly as they appear in the pan, which is AMAZING. I will say Buff is definitely a shadow that kind of just evens out the eyelid rather than adds anything to it, but it's great with Lt. Brown for my current fave natural eye look. I've tried about half of the shadows, but I can genuinely see myself using all of the shades. My favorites are Nectar, Rosé, Mocha and Cocoa, but that's not to say I haven't loved every one I've tried. I really like how neutral this palette can be, but it can also incorporate pops of color or a full on smokey eye. The shadows are so easy to blend and it's quite fun to experiment with different looks.

The only real downside to the Lorac Pro 2 is the eye lid primer it comes with. I feel like it actually makes my shadows melt off because after a few hours, they've all creased and blended together in a very weird way. When I wore the shadows alone or with my L'Oreal De-Crease eyeshadow primer, they lasted so much longer. I'm wondering if maybe I have to leave the primer on longer to let it settle before applying the shadow, but that's annoying because who actually has time for that?

Are you eyeing up any of the Lorac Pro palettes? Do you already own it? Is using the word "buttery" to describe an eyeshadow something that needs rethinking?? Let me know below! Xx S.

Review | Victoria, Victoria Beckham x Nails inc, VVB in Bamboo White

Transitions | Winter to Spring Handbag Lip Products

Not one to abide by pale lip shades during warm months, darker shades in the winter, I do get the itch to change up my go-to lip products around March and August, adding more pinks in the spring and more reds in the fall. However, these seasonal transitions also leave me desperate to hold on to some of the products I've been loving over the past few months, and that's where my handbag comes in, holding a beautiful mashup of the cold winter months I love and the promise of a spring with a break from school on the horizon. Along with working as transition lip products, I also require longevity, minimal effort in terms of application and a formulation that means I'm not constantly checking my lips in a mirror or the selfie-cam of my phone.

Sabrina's February Ipsy Bag | 2015

It's only fitting that my FINAL Ipsy bag post is coming five days later than it was meant to go up (soz, midterms and applying for my second study abroad - more on that in a later post - took priority this week). So yes, this is my last Ipsy bag, at least for a good while. I started out with Ipsy and Birchbox last March and cancelled Birchbox before summer ended (post about that here). Most of the products I received from Ipsy made it into my daily routine and I was introduced to a lot of things that pleasantly surprised me. While I had very few disappointments, things I didn't feel like I needed or really loved were given away to better homes and others were thrown out (one such product is in this very post). While I wish this subscription were 100% makeup, I did enjoy a few of the hair products and maybe one or two items of skincare. Anyway, I have way too many samples at the moment, which is the ultimate reason I cancelled my sub, but my bags also weren't totally hitting the right mark for me recently and I feel like I don't need to be paying $10 a month right now for things I don't need. This month's bag was a little on the pink side, but again, Ipsy surprised me and I'm glad my last bag turned out as good as it did.

Galentine's Day

If you're like me and haven't had a chance to knock Parks & Rec out of your Netflix queue yet, you might not have heard of the Leslie Knope girl-power alternative to Valentine's Day - Galentine's Day. As you can probably guess, it's a day about girls and celebrating your love for the women in your life. My best friend Ana (Parks & Rec lover) suggested we have a Galentine's Day this year and when I responded with a blank stare, she told me it's held on Feb. 13th  and is basically accompanied by a giant breakfast. As the 13th fell on a Friday this year and because our friends all had school/work in the morning, we decided to meet up at 8:00 pm so while we could have had breakfast for dinner, we decided to just have real dinner with loads of finger foods and chocolate everything. Since I couldn't really make this post until after the event, maybe this is something you can bookmark to get some ideas for next year, but the main point is that you get together with your bffs and celebrate how much love you have for each other while indulging in all the chocolate goodness that this time of year has to offer (any excuse for chocolate, amirite??) and, it doesn't have to be just girls because I saw another friend of mine partaking in Palentine's Day!

Obsessions | Top 5 Red Lipsticks for Valentine's Day

Here's the obligatory Valentine's Day is around the corner post and while I've never been a fan of the holiday, I like the idea of using it as an excuse to pay more attention than I normally would to my hair or makeup and pop out some pink or red lipstick (not like anything's ever stopped me before though). I've gathered a few lip options to cover all the bases if you're in the market for a red lip and as I will be doing a Galentine's Day with my girlfriends - look out for that post in one week - I thought it would be fun to choose a couple options I don't reach for often because they aren't matte or vampy.

SWATCHED! From left to right: Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Cherries in the Snow, Revlon Lip Butter in Candy Apple, Sephora Cream Lip Stain in 01 Always Red, MAC Lipstick in Lady Danger, Tanya Burr Lip Gloss in Vampire Kiss

Review | Urban Decay Naked Basics 2

One of my first major makeup investments was the Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette almost two years ago. Never having been one to successfully blend shadows together and create art on the eyelid, most palettes scared me because they offered way too many colors and I couldn't figure out which shadow would go on the lid and which belonged in the crease. This was clearly when I was still in a newbie eyeshadow phase (not like my skills are much improved tbh) so the less intimidating, the better. Naked Basics also appealed to me because of all the love surrounding the Naked Palettes online, with claims that the shadows were pigmented and easily blendable, all good things for a beginner. Urban Decay's latest release of the Naked Basics 2 also seemed right up my alley as it was more cool-toned and had hints of taupe and reddy-brown, two flattering shades for my lighter skin tone and brown eyes. I held out on buying it because I didn't need another palette and there were other ones ahead of it in line, but my extremely generous friend Amanda gifted me the palette for Christmas, so now I couldn't feel guilty about having it in my collection.

Urban Decay Naked Basics (left) and Naked Basics 2 (right)

Sabrina's January Ipsy Bag | 2015

It's Ipsy time again! I'm nearing a year of glam bags from Ipsy and to be honest, I have so many samples and new products from the bags that I think I'm going to cancel my subscription soon. The company is great and I've only had one bag that was disappointing, but I really don't need more beauty products at the moment. Anyway, this month the theme was fresh start, which I really don't agree with as I think you can (and should) go after a fresh start whenever you feel like you need one. That aside, the bag is so much better than it looked online! One side is blue and the other is white and it has this really lovely lined pattern with a bit of raised texture to it. This is one of my favorite makeup bags and as far as products go, I give it a 4/5. Read on if you're nosy like me or curious about Ipsy bags in general!

Top Winter Lippies | 2014

This post is a little on the red/berry end of the spectrum and that's OKAY because if you can't overindulge in these lippy shades this time of year, when can you?
I love the products I've gathered here as they're all recent purchases that I just can't get over. We have a few hyped up, loved up, raved up products, so if you're ready for your millionth review on a little Kate Moss number and want to know which lippy will see you through a nice warm cuppa (or three), continue reading!

2014 Beauty Faves

2014 is still fresh in our minds, right? Right! So it's totally okay for me to post this mid-January, right? Right! I'm really excited because the blog celebrated its first birthday on Jan. 11th and because I have been blogging and "doing research" (watching beauty vlogs and buying things I can't afford), I have really branched out with my beauty regimen, application methods, looks and most importantly - the products! I've broken this post down into different categories and yeah, okay I cheated a bit and broke the lip products into six sub-categories but it was hard to choose just one and we all need options! The only thing I wish I could have found this year was a standout foundation, but as my skin has been changing a lot, I don't feel it's fair to select any one foundation at this point. I am however crossing my fingers I find a fave in 2015! Also, happy new year!!!

December Faves | 2014

Where has January gone, amirite? Blaming the blur that is winter break, screwed up sleep schedules, TV show binges/movie marathons and family visits, I completely lost track of date/time and missed my appropriate window to post December faves! I was thinking about just not writing this post and sticking to 2014 faves, but I discovered so many things in December that wouldn't be fair to include in a year's worth of favorites, but I do think they deserve their own post so here we go!