1. Bulova Watch. This is the watch that finally turned me into a watch/bracelet person. I hadn’t worn any in YEARS until I found this watch Christmas shopping at Macy’s. I love the deco bracelet style and it will stay in my jewelery collection indefinitely.
2. iPhone 5S + Trina Turk Case. The top button on my iPhone 4 died, so this past October I had to get a new one. I chose the gold 15gb 5S and my good friend, who works at the phone store, found me this lovely turquoise case by Trina Turk. It’s not a case for the accident-prone, as it doesn’t cover the whole phone, but it does great for protective-types like me.
3. Bare Minerals Joyous Jennifer Blush. To be perfectly honest, I’m not a big fan of blush. I use it because I know I should, but with my big round apple cheeks and ever-present flush, it tends to be overwhelming. However, I’ve found I like using Bare Mineral’s blushes because you have great control over the amount of product you use and it blends very well in case you get a little over zealous.
4. Eclipse Spearmint Mints. The ONLY mints I ever consumed up until 2014 were Smints. They were my lifeblood. But, they’re only available online and with the limited budget I’m under right now, I had to find an alternative. I discovered, after some experimentation, that I hated peppermint and wintergreen, so spearmint was my only option. They’re tasty and do the job, but the case is metal and very loud when you go through half the pack! I can’t wait to go back to the plastic recyclable packaging of Smints.
5. Burt’s Bees Beeswax Lip Balm. Hydrates my lips, stays put, all-natural and doesn’t smell funky.
6. Revlon Eyelash Curler. My lashes are straight and blonde, so I have to enhance them in any and every way possible. This includes a 2-3 minute curling technique for each eye going from root to tip. I’ve used this brand curler for years and it works great. Less than $10 at the drugstore!
7. Bare Minerals Full Flawless Face Brush. I use this to apply my blush. It’s big, fluffy and blends everything out nicely.
8. Sephora Collection Nano Lip Liner. I love to layer my lips to make the color last longer and pop. Lately, I’ve been using Sephora’s own lip pencils in the colors Real Red, Beau Bordeaux and Brilliant Berry. Color your full pout and put a dab or two of lip gloss over them and you’re good to go.
9. NYX Slim Eye Pencil in Dark Brown. I’ve found that unless dramatic, nighttime or event makeup is required, black eyeliner is just too stark against my pale skin. So, I’ve switched to dark brown and love this NYX pencil. It sets quickly and if you use primer, it really doesn’t go anywhere. It’s great for tightlining too.
10. Maybelline MasterShape Eyebrow Pencil in Soft Brown. I’m constantly battling with my brow look. I really want to have Elizabeth Taylor brows, but it’s just not in the cards for me. I do tint my brows a few shades darker than natural, just to give them a little color (they’re very very light blonde on their own) and then I fill them in with this pencil. The spooly at the end is perfect to blend everything together. Works for now, but talk to me in a few months. I’ll be onto something new.
11. Warby Parker Glasses. See my previous post for full details!
12. Norwex Optic Cloth. The ONLY cloth I will use to clean my glasses ever again. It gets all the gunk off and leaves no streaks. Amazing.
13. Maybelline Color Sensational Lip Gloss. Not sticky. Not smelly. Doesn’t move too much. Great nude colors. Maybelline FTW!
14. Chloe Rollerball Perfume. My signature scent in its portable version.
15. Maybelline The Colossal VolumExpress Waterproof Mascara in Glam Black. After trying out many waterproof mascaras last year, I found I liked this one the best. It gives you volume, separation and length. Just watch the formula once you’re four or so weeks into the tube. It can get clumpy fast.
16. Kenneth Cole Wallet. A purchase from many years ago. I love the alligator embossing and the light blue color.
17. Ariella Collection Ring. I’ve featured these rings a few times already and I just love them. I have it in gold and silver to go with absolutely everything I wear. They’re a clean, classic style that’s large in size, but not gaudy. I usually wear a 9.5 in rings but their 9 fits easily.
18. Zebra Pen. Writes with ease and comes in many colors, like red!
19. Knit Infinity Scarf. Another purchase from years ago. Perhaps TJ Maxx? Nonetheless it’s comfortable, warm and stylish. A staple of any closet.
20. Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion. Eyeshadow DOES NOT MOVE. Ever. Enough said.
21. Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream. I don’t like to wear full foundation everyday and have dry skin, so when this was recommended in the comments on my favorite beauty vlogger’s Sharon Farrell‘s page (who’s great btw and pale too!), I picked it up. It protects with SPF30, has light coverage and evens the skin tone out just enough. It doesn’t dry or move until you take it off in normal weather. We’ll see when the sweatiness of Chicago summer ensues…
22. Kerastase Cristalliste Lumiere Liquide. I’ve been addicted to Kerastase’s products for over 10 years now and this one is a must have for almost any hair type. It’s a lightweight serum that can be used on wet or dry hair to smooth and add lots of shine!
23. J. Crew Tortoise Claw Clip. What can I say? I just love these things. They’ll stay put wherever and however you put them and still look cute and fashionable. I own many.
24. Cole Haan Woven Leather Cross-Body Bag. My favorite TJ Maxx find from…maybe ever. It is supposed to be a laptop bag, but I re-purposed it as my everyday cross-body bag. It’s Cole Haan, so the quality of the leather is fantastic and has held up very well, considering I’ve worn it everyday since I purchased it in August of 2012.
MUSELOLA 