Christmas Goodies!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season this year.

This year has been wonderful and insanely busy for me. I'm starting a new season of my life in just a few weeks ... I'm moving out on my own! I've been crazily shopping for the perfect pieces of furniture in IKEA and countless vintage thrift shops. Most of my money has been going toward that - so my makeup (and concert) addiction has taken a serious hit! I've been cutting many, many corners. So, I haven't felt like many of my looks or reviews have been worthy of posting.

This Christmas, though, I received some new goodies I've been dying to try. I haven't tried them all yet, but I'm looking forward to trying everything for New Year's Eve.

Here are my Christmas makeup goodies:

Things I asked for  - 

Benefit High Brow Glow

As you know from previous posts, I adore Benefit's High Brow pencil. I've purchased it multiple times. But I never branched out to try the Glow version of this makeup staple. This year I put it on my Christmas list and I'm so glad my mom decided to buy it for me. I tried this first thing on Christmas day. I don't know if I'll say that I love it more than the original high brow. But it's definitely a nice option to have when I'm wanting to add a little more shimmer. . 

NARS Illuminator in Copacabana

I haven't tried this yet, but it was one of the top reviewed I found while researching highlighters! Is this a "must" in your beauty routine?

NARS Virtual Domination Cheek Palette

I saw this on Sephora's website and immediately added it to my list. Too pretty not to, right? So far I've only tried the Miss Liberty Highlighting Blush Powder and Laguna bronzer. A++ in my book. I'm sure I'll love the blushes, too!

Things I didn't ask for - 

I love getting new beauty items that I haven't asked for nor ever heard of. It adds that element of fun to Christmas and it's always a nice surprise ... especially with these four products. LOVE.

Mirenesse Mattfinity Lip Rouge

Oh. My. Gosh. This stuff is amazing. That's all I can say. I don't know if I'll ever wear my red lipsticks ever again. Just try it. She also got it from Birchbox. Do any of you subscribe to that? Is it worth it? I'd love to hear some more opinions before I fork over the cash and commitment to feed my beauty addiction.

Tory Burch Rollerball

This is my first Tory Burch product. Ever. My cousin got me hooked on J.Crew and Kate Spade ... now add Tory Burch to the list! This perfume is now my all-time favorite. 

Lush Dragon's Egg Bath Bomb

Alright. I'll admit it. I've never been to Lush before. My best friend and future roommate got me this bath bomb from them. Everyone raves about them so I'm really excited to try this! In my current home, I don't have a bath tub. But in my new home, I do. So props to my bestie for her creativity. I'm looking forward to trying it.

Lush So White Shower Gel

So, I don't have a bathtub. But I do have a shower. So I tried this on Christmas morning. Funny thing is - I ordered this online for my Mom for Christmas based on the reviews. It smells amazzziiinnnggg and my skin feels just as amazing after using it. My mom 100% agrees. I will definitely be visiting and spending too much money in a Lush store very, very soon.

Merry Christmas to me (my gift to myself) - 

And now for the grand finale ...

Custom Makeup Vanity Mirror 

I sent my dimensions to this etsy seller. So mine will be 40x42 and a white matte color to match my white IKEA dressing table. HUGE. And I am so so so so excited. It's been a lifelong dream of mine to have a huge Hollywood-ish mirror like this. I will definitely post the pictures when I receive the mirror and install it in my new home. Y'all are going to die and obsess over this project when it's done. I'm already obsessed and it's not even here yet.

This new makeup station will definitely inspire more looks and more posts!

Cheers to 2015!

What did you all get for Christmas and the holidays? What did you get for yourself?

Isla and the Happily Ever After - Bookish Nails!

As most of you know, I recently started a book blog which has become extremely successful in a short amount of time. Since I havent had much time to blog here, on Groupie Glam, I decided that I should start combining my posts! I recently read the most amazing series by Stephanie Perkins and the books were SOOO GOOD that I thought, why not use these books as my first inspiration for a nail design. The ombre on all 3 of these covers are so beautiful and it was really hard to decide which to do first. After debating it for a while I decided to just go with which book I enjoyed the most! Isla and the Happily Ever After won out because the characters were extra adorable. 

Ill post the next few designs in the coming weeks. Do you guys have any suggestions on which books you would like me to interpret onto my nails?!! leave suggestions in the comments!

My Makeup Prep Routine

Skincare is extremely important when it comes to your makeup routine. Using the right products not only helps keep your skin healthy, but it gives your makeup a photo-finished look!

I've suffered from acne all of my life and I've been working really hard to keep up a great skincare routine. I have tried many, many products from both the doctor and my local drugstore. 

Here is my current pre-makeup routine that I'm quite pleased with:

1. Aveeno Positively Radiant Targeted Tone Corrector: $13.59 at Ulta.

This is the newest addition to my skincare routine. I received this product from an Influenster Vox Box and I was beyond impressed with the results. Aveeno is a great brand in my book! My dermatologist recommended it to me years ago. 

I have a lot of acne scars on my face, so this product has significantly helped with the overall tone and evenness of my skin. I apply it to my uneven spots on my skin right after I finish washing my face. It leaves my skin silky smooth and also has been a great help with the overall appearance. When my sample runs out, I will be running out to the store to buy some more. Give it a try! You won't regret it. 

2. CVS Daily Facial Moisturizer with SPF 15: $9.99 at CVS

If there's one thing I learned from years at the dermatologist office, it's that SPF and moisturizer are your best friends! A SPF moisturizer will help keep your skin looking fresh and protect you from damage from the sun. Even on a day when I don't have much time in front of the bathroom mirror, I always always always apply my moisturizer. 

I go between three different brands ... depending on how well I'm doing on my budget that week. Right now I'm using a CVS brand. Usually, I like to go for something with a higher SPF, but I've been trying to cut corners lately in my wallet. This CVS brand has been pretty comparable to my other favorite brands on the splurging side: Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer with SPF 30 ($17.49 at CVS) and Cetaphil Daily Moisturizer SPF 50 ($13.79 at CVS).

You can't go wrong with one of these brands!

3. Ponds Luminous Finish BB+ Cream: $9.99 at Target

Ugh, can I tell you how much I'm in love with this stuff? Like I said before, I have a good amount of acne scars that I'm trying to lighten up. I told my mom I wanted a good BB+ cream and she came home from Target one day and surprised me with this. Best mom award! This stuff is a lifesaver when it comes to evening out my skin tone! Before I started using Aveeno's Tone Corrector, I could have sworn this actually helped with my acne scars as well.

When I first started using it, I broke out for a good two weeks. It was not fun. But I just kept on using this in my daily routine and before I knew it, my skin and makeup were both looking fabulous! I've tried pleeeennntyyy of BB+ creams but this one has become a staple! It really transforms my skin into a clean canvas for some makeup!

On days when I will only be leaving the house to go to the gym, I'll stop my makeup routine right after applying this. It's perfect under your makeup, but also perfect if you want to keep it light on a low-key day.

4. Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer Broad Spectrum SPF 15: $52.00 at Sephora

I was a diehard Smashbox primer enthusiast until I came across this Hourglass primer. I had to try it out after the sales associate at Sephora gushed over it. I'm usually too trusting of sales associates, but luckily the associates at my Sephora are honest and have completely freakin' awesome taste in product. 

There's nothing like a good primer to make your skin feel silky smooth before applying your makeup! Give this one a try if you have a little extra money to spend. Or better yet, if you're a Beauty Insider, maybe you'll be lucky enough to snatch up one of these samples the next time you're at the checkout counter!

Let us know what products you like to use as you prep for your makeup application! Have you tried any of these?

Win All 3 Of Zoyas Newest Magical Pixie Polishes!

As some of you know, We have been sponsored by Zoya Nail Polish for a few months. We received all of their new Summer Collections in May. Since I was out of the country - I havent had a chance to post any of the swatches or discuss much about the products. ANYWAY, since they are Zoya Polishes - they are all perfect. Would you expect anything less??

Its also been a while since we have had a giveaway, So we thought.. "Lets just go ahead and giveaway the whole set of pixie polishes!" Now these polishes are matte glitters and im sure you are thinking UGH! matte always chips... NOT THESE BABES. I swatched each of these colors on one finger, no base coat, and no top coat (obvs, its a matte so I didnt want to make it shiny with a top coat) and I did NOT see any tip wear or chips until the 3rd day. I left it on for 5 days and in that time I only had 1 finger chip, the other two showed a bit of tip wear.. but these ARE AMAZING... hmmm, on second thought maybe I should keep these for myself. HA! Just kidding!

Instructions for the Giveaway and will be listed after the Cut.

European Makeup Haul

As most of you know from my last post, I recently went on a trip to Europe with my best friend. Part of the reason that I was so excited was that I would finally be able to get my hands on a few products that aren't available in America. The friend that I was travelling with, Taylor, watches several European beauty gurus on youtube and had a list of things she wanted to pick up - I on the other hand, just purchased what called to me in the moment haha.

Most of the products that I purchased are in the photo below. More detailed pictures of each product will be after the cut!!!

Travel Makeup Essentials

As some of you know, this week I am going to be heading out of the country for a trek across Europe. That being said; I am planning on taking as little as possible since that pesky luggage allowance limits me to 50 lbs. As I was going through my makeup kit trying to decide what I wanted to bring, I realized just how hard it is to limit yourself to just the basics!

This is what made the cut for me. Everything you see here is something that I use every day. Ill list all of the products after the cut! 

Product Review: Younique 3D Fiber Lashes

Recently, I made a purchase with Younique. I purchased the 3D Fiber Lashes. This isn't your ordinary mascara. This mascara is a four-step process that promises fuller and longer lashes. 

3D Fiber lashes includes two tubes: the transplanting gel and the natural fibers. 

Step one: Put on your everyday mascara as normal. I use Revlon's 3D Volume mascara, which you can find at your local drugstore. 

Step two: After your regular mascara dries, coat your lashes evenly with the transplanting gel. 

Step three: Immediately after, coat your lashes with the natural fibers. (Tip: Do one eye at a time to prevent the transplanting gel from drying up.)

Step four: Finish up by coating your lashes once again with the transplanting gel. You can repeat step three and four to get your desired result.

Pros: Yes, it works. As you can tell from the picture, my lashes are much fuller and longer in the "after" picture. I used about two or three coats of Younique's product to achieve this affect. I used only one coat of Revlon in my "before" picture. It's a great alternative to using false lashes. If you don't feel like dealing with glue or don't have any false lashes on hand, I would definitely recommend adding this to your beauty bag. 

Cons: It's a lengthy process. It's also messy, clumpy and takes quite a bit of practice. At first, I had the fiber lashes all over my face. With practice, I've learned how to keep the stray fibers and clumping to a minimum. The above picture was taken after my first time using this product. Don't be discourage the first time you use it!

Price: $29

To Purchase: click here

Overall, I would recommend this product to anyone who wants full lashes without the hassle of using fake lashes. Personally, I like the end result of fake lashes better than using this product. For a special event, I will still use my favorite falsies. For an everyday event when I don't feel like wearing false lashes all day, I definitely pull this out! I will most likely purchase this product again ... unless I find a better drugstore solution in the meantime!

What do you think? What's your stance on false lashes? Will you give this product a try?

ZOYA POLISH PREVIEW - SUMMER COLLECTION '14

Earlier this week I received an email from our friends in the Zoya Nail Polish PR department. After reading the email - I was SO EXCITED. Zoya is one of my all time favorite nail polish brands. All of their formulas are consistently amazing and their color selection is always so yummy. Some of my all time favorite polishes are made by this amazing brand.

Anyway - onto why they emailed! Zoya is going to be releasing their Summer '14 polish collection on May 15th (pre-order starts in April) It has been a while since I have been this excited about a polish collection. These colors are perfection. Some of the stand out colors for me are Muse, Harper, Rooney, Ling, and Tilda.6 of these beauties have holographic glitter (bubbly) 6 are creme finishes (tickled)

The Tickled and Bubbly polishes will sell for $9.00 each. We are so excited to be apart of this launch with you all and We can't wait to get these on our nails!!!!

What are some of the colors that you are most excited for? - Comment below with your faves!

ZOYA POLISH PREVIEW: MAGICAL PIXIE

All of these polishes will sell for $10.00 and will be available for pre-order on the Zoya website. These will be released on May 15th. I'm in love with Arlo!

7 MAC Lipsticks Duped by Wet-N-Wild

Have you ever visited the MAC makeup counter just to look at all the pretty lipstick colors only to leave feeling sad because you can't buy ALL THE COLORS?!!! ME TOO. So I am on a mission to save us all from that feeling! I have thrown together a list of the B E S T dupes that will save you TONS of money.

Below is a list of 7 MAC lipsticks that have been duped by Wet-N-Wild, who is quickly becoming my favorite lipstick brand.  All of the MAC lipsticks listed are between $15.00 and $18.00. The drugstore dupes by Wet-N-Wild come in at $1.99 each. CAN YOU BEAT THAT?? No. You could buy every WNW lippie on this list and it would still cost less than ONE of the MAC lippies.

More after the cut!

My Favorite Drugstore/High-end Matchups

It's been a few weeks since my last post, and I have been racking my brain trying to think of something to show you that we haven't really discussed much on this blog.. I've been in sort of a rut, doing nail art that I havent been super happy with and lots and lots of makeup looks that just left me feeling a bit uninspired. I didn't want to post those things just for the sake of having content so I have been writing ideas down and I think now is the time to start sharing those.

The first idea I had was to share a few of my favorite dupes for high end beauty products that EVERYONE should own. These are necessities that every girl should have in their makeup bag. Even if you can't afford the super expensive stuff, there are always products that match up to those highend products and i'm here to pass along my FAVES!!!