Sephora Wishlist #1

So I'm back, even though I'm still pretty much on bed rest, I feel good enough to try and start writing again.  I wanted to start off with something a little simpler and not so picture heavy since I can't get to my products right now.  This means there will be a lot of lifestyle and about me posts, if that's okay.
I absolutely adore Sephora, especially when the people are nice and the area is clean (trust me, that didn't used to be true of certain places).  These are my high end, really spendy, wish items. I would love to know what some of yours are!
1. Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet: I have never owned this perfume but everytime I go to Sephora I get a little sample just so I can have some on hand because it is one of my favorite scents. The price tag on this little guy is $78 for 1.7oz.  I haven't yet, but I definitely think it will be worth the splurge, possibly very very soon for a very special event.
2. Bite Amuse Bouche lipstick in Meringue which is a nice peachy nude.  I've tested the consistency and the wear time on my hand in stores and it is just so creamy and wears longer than you would think it would given the consistency.  This lipstick runs $26 per bullet but they will last you a good while when taken care of properly.  You can find it here at the Sephora website or at the store.
3. Tarte Glamazon Pure Performance 12 hr lipstick in Foxy. I purely want to try this because I have never tried anything but Tarte's blushes.  This color looked like an amazing color for me and it's currently on sale for $14 but the regular price is $26 and you can find it here.
4. Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm: I used to use the Body Shop cleansing balm but I have run out and would like to try something different so I was ecstatic when I found this.  Initially I was looking for the Emma Hardie cleansing balm that so many blogger rave about but, alas, my search was fruitless.  This costs $29 and can be found here on the website or in most stores.  This is another one that may be purchased in the not so distant future.
5.  Too Faced Boudoir Eyes Palette.  I really wanted the romantic eyes palette but that has sadly been discontinued but this is pretty close in comparison in my eyes.  There are light and dark colors so you can go from day time to sultry in just a few swipes.  It's a great all around eye palette.  It costs $36 and can be found here.
6. Becca Shimmering Pressed Skin Perfector in Opal: Yes, I know this has a cult following but I really do want it because I like it and not just to have it.  If it's anything in consistency and  make like Champagne Pop I will be a happy girl.  The Shimmering pressed skin perfectors cost $38 and you can find them at the Sephora website, in store, or at Ulta.
7. Glam Glow mud mask.  Need anything more be said? This puppy will cost you $69 and the only place that I know for sure that carries it is Sephora.
8. The original Chocolate Bar palette: Ever since I discovered Too Faced, I have wanted the Chocolate Bar Palette.  This would be a great staple piece in my palette collection.  This palette costs $49 and can be found here at the Sephora website or in store at Sephora and Ulta.
9. Urban Decay Naked Illuminating Shimmering Powder for Face and Body in Luminous.  I am a highlighter fiend, I absolutely adore every highlighter that I can get my hands on. I don't mind glitter in my highlight and there is a lot of glitter in this highlighter.  I like that it's not only for the face but it's for the body too.  This product runs $32 and you can get it here on the Sephora website or in the store or at Ulta.
10. My final product is the Elizabeth and James Nirvana Rose perfume, which is new to the line.  I have yet to smell it but I love the Nirvana scents and I love roses, so where could I go wrong? I could get the rollerball for $25 but I really want the actual spray perfume.  I would get the 1.7oz spray perfume for $85, again, another big splurge item that will totally be worth it.  If you're curious about their new perfume, be sure to check it out here or in the Sephora store.

Lush Shampoo Bar: Review!

Everyone uses shampoo, but what type of shampoo do you use? My best friend uses all natural products, I use off the shelf regular shampoo, or, at least I used to! Now I am using the Lush Shampoo bar! I use the Jumping Juniper shampoo bar and, while I can't really use it when my hair is freshly dyed, I use it every time I wash my hair.
The best way to use it is to suds it up in your hands and then scrub your hair.  If you scrub your hair with the bar, you will get the same effect but you will use up your shampoo bar faster.  It smells really nice and refreshing.  It really leaves your hair feeling nice and clean but not stripped. It cleans away grease and "balances sebum" in the hair  leaving it healthier and gives it a good shine. It smells of lavender which is my favorite scent, but it can be a little overpowering while you are washing your hair if you don't like the scent. The lavender really helps to soothe the scalp, so if you're having scalp troubles this is the bar for you! Lush has quite a few scents for you to choose from as well as each of them offering a different benefit.  An example is their Jason and the Argan Oil bar, it really helps enrich your hair with good oils while providing you with a nice rosey scent.  If you would like to check out all of their Shampoo Bars, check out their website here or if  you would specifically like to see the Jumping Juniper bar be sure to check it out here.

Have you tried the shampoo or conditioner bars? What do you think of them, I'd love to know! Don't forget: Be bold, be beautiful, be YOU!
XOXO,
Emma

10 Things My Fellow Bloggers (and YouTubers) Have Taught Me

Here in the blogging community we are very lucky because, on the whole, we support each other.  Yes there is negativity and cat fighting going on out there in the nethersphere we call the internet but that's just life isn't it? I've been lucky enough to learn so great and valuable lessons along the way from bloggers who do know me and those who don't even know I exist.  Here I am going to list for you the ten top lessons I have either been given by bloggers or that I have read as advice on their blogs.

1. Editing is your friend.Some may say that this makes it all fake, but could you honestly look me in the eye and say you'd rather see an unedited photo that is dark and slightly fuzzy or a video with a million stops, starts, and dance breaks? I didn't think so.  Editing makes you look put together and professional.  I just got into editing my photos so I'm still learning so it's definitely a learning curve. 

2. Network, Network, Network! This is probably the biggest piece of advice I've learned in my years of social media and just being an actor in general. Get business cards made or make them yourself to hand them out to anyone and everyone so that you can get your name out there about your work.  Networking is how people get jobs and how people succeed, it takes time though and can be tough but is worth it in the end. 

3. Be yourself and the rest will fall in line. Don't try to be anyone else but yourself because inevitably it will be seen through and you will loose more people than you win.  While there will always be those trolls and haters out there who dislike people no matter what, there will also be a group of people who will like you for who you are.

4. Have a welcoming environment to work in. So I'm not the best one at this but having a welcoming environment really helps you relax your way into your work.  I've just recently added a plant to my desk and it really brightens my mood when I work.

5. Invest in your craft. This was a hard one for me to do because I thought what I had was good enough I've learned quickly within the year that it wasn't and that I truly had to invest not only my money but my time into my social media if I wanted to get noticed.  So invest in editing software, sign up for PicMonkey, invest in backgrounds, get a logo made. Do what it takes for how far you want to go.

6. Always have a notebook/notepad and camera at the ready. You never know what you're going to see or hear or read that might inspire you, so be on your toes and be ready!

7. Your creativity may not be that of others but it is still creative. Creative is creative, no matter what.  Don't compare your genius to someone else's genius or else you'll just be miserable.  Just enjoy the creative process and let those creative juices flow.

8. Have a good support system. A good support system is invaluable. They are the ones who are there for you when it seems like the world is against you: you're getting hate, your editing software won't work, etc.

9. Have a running list of post and video ideas, no matter how silly they may seem at the time. Every single idea I have for my blog or youtube channel or any social media, I immediately write it down even if I have no idea how to do it or if it sounds completely idiotic. Some of my best ideas have come really late at night or in my sleep, so be sure to keep a notepad in your night stand.

10.  Remember to take time for yourself, step away from the camera and blog for a bit. If you don't step back every once in awhile, you're likely to get bogged down with no ideas and no passion and no drive to do any of it. I experienced that earlier this year, which is why my blog went on hiatus from December to March, but I'm back now!

Here are some of my blogging inspirations, in case you would like to check them out!

ViviannaDoesMakeup

Amelia Liana

Lily Pebbles

Estee Lalonde

My Other Social Media:

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20 Under $20

My Favorite Skincare Bits

There are many pieces in my skincare routine but I've narrowed it down to my favorite skincare bits, the best of the basics you could say.  I have combination, acne prone skin so breakouts are a big problem for me.  Not as big as they used to be, but they can still be a problem when the crop up so the first things on my list are two spot treatments.

My top two spot treatments are The Body Shop's Tea Tree Oil, although any Tea Tree oil would be fine, and Mario Badescu's famed Drying Lotion.  They both essentially doing the same thing but when used in tandem they produce great effects.  I use the Tea Tree oil more on newly opened acne and the Drying Lotion I use on the acne before it's opened in hopes that it will just go away. Then again, don't we all want that?

My face wash of choice is Soap and Glory's Face Soap and Clarity Vitamin C Facial Wash. It has gentle exfoliating beads and a wonderful scent.  Along with all of that it really cleans your face :) As well, you get a really gigantic bottle which is great because you only need a pea sized amount which makes it last a good long while.

Toner is a must in my skin care sessions, and if it has Salicylic Acid that's even better because it helps to clear up my acne. Now I wouldn't recommend this if you have sensitive skin because it may be too strong but if not then I would definitely suggest OXY for acne prone skin because of the acne killing medication.  It also helps to rid your face of any other bacteria that might still be on your face after you wash it.  As well, it minimizes your pores because of the medication in it.

If you can't handle or don't want to use a toner with Salicylic Acid in it, don't worry I don't always use it either.  My other toner of choice is the Mario Badescu facial spray with aloe, herbs, and rosewater. This is a wonderful pump mist that refreshes your skin while helping to close the pores because of the cooling effect it produces.

Next up is my eye cream. This is an Argan Oil eye cream with Dead Sea minerals in it, I bought it at Marshalls not too long ago.  It's not my favorite but it's not the worst I have ever used either. It's nice and creamy and I do notice it hydrating my eyes quite nicely.

The Youthful Bloom cream is my choice for nighttime moisturization.  It is creamy yet natural and handmade.  There are Jojoba and Macadamia oils in it, which really help to hydrate the skin.  If you would like to read more about it, you can check out my blog post here and if you like the sound of the product be sure to check out the Botanicals By The Sea website to see their amazing full range of products. Or just search here on my blog because I have reviewed quite a few of their products and will be doing more soon!

For daytime hydration, I go the double wamy route- a base moisturizer and then a BB Cream.  I really like the Simple protecting lotion because it is very light on the skin but is great for those with sensitive skin and it has an SPF which is something I always look for in a lotion.  The BB Cream I use is the Garnier Skin Renew BB Cream which also happens to have an SPF to it.  This gives me hydration plus the added bonus of giving me a little bit of coverage.

Finally I figured I would throw in my favorite skin care, err, what would you call this? A tool? Let's go with that. This is my favorite skincare tool, the Clairsonic Mia 1.  Nothing super fancy, one speed and all of that but it does it's job nicely of giving my skin a good clear out two to three times a week.  I'm still nervous to use this every day because I did used to have sensitive skin but, as skin does, it changed.  I love this product and definitely think that it is worth the investment, if you can manage it.

Well there are my favorite skincare bits, I would love to know what yours are! Be sure to let me know down in the comments below! XO Emma

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