The Best Of Amelia Says 2014

The last half of the year my blog started getting a bit more recognition (Shout out to LORAC Cosmetics for tweeting one of my posts) which I am really excited about and forever grateful for. Alix recently did a post about her top posts of the year and as a fellow nerd and stats-lover I thought I would do the same!

The Naked 2: My most used and beloved Naked 2 palette is one of my most popular posts ever. I love this baby so much, and I've been neglecting her lately, time to put her back in use! This ones technically from last year, but it was the very end so we'll roll with it.

The Camel Coat: I tried to get into fashion-y posts (which I'm not very good at) but thanks to the camel coat trend happening now, this one was well-recieved! Still freaking in love with this coat.

The Current Staples: This is one of my favourite posts featuring my most-used products from a few months back. FYI, they're all still my current staples, I mean they're THAT good.

The LORAC Pro Palette: This is my most popular post EVER. You should have seen me when LORAC tweeted the link. Dancing around my house like a damn lunatic, craziness.

The Butter Lipsticks: I almost forgot about this post and the product to be quite honest. But the NYX Butter Lipsticks are still gorgeous and I still love this picture.

So those are the top five posts of the year! Thank you for being wonderful, and here's to another great year!
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Happy Holidays

Good Morning everybody! I hope everyone has had a lovely morning opening presents, spending time with your family, or whatever you do to celebrate this time of year! I wish you all the very best and regular posts will be back on Saturday!

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The Christmas Mani

I'm really not a glitter girl. Sometimes I'll add a little glittery accent nail but in general I love a nice creamy nail. The one time of year I go all out is the holidays, so I just smacked glitter on every nail for the occasion. You'll have to excuse my weird, bendy fingers, can't really do anything about that. This is the Sally Hansen Insta Gel Strips in Take the Stage. I'm not the biggest fan of strip polishes but I found a ton of them at CVS for 75% so I thought what the heck. I do really love the effect of these on my nails and that they're smooth. I hate the grittiness of glitter polishes usually, they also tend to eat topcoat but these are so smooth and shiny!

What are you wearing on your nails?
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Kat Von D Tattoo Liner

Okay so you know the story by now... I walked into Sephora and I caved. Again. I mean I think it's literally impossible to leave without buying something. This time my little black bag contained the Kat Von D Tattoo Liner in Trooper. The infamous black liquid liner. I'm definitely a felt tip liner kinda girl. A brush and a gel is not really the easiest thing and being an art major I can draw a line with a marker fairly easily (but not too easily, liquid liner is hard okay?).

I really really love this one because it has BRUSH HAIRS. Yes, no longer do the stupid little felt tip get clogged up and dried because it is a brush. Genius. It's also super thin, super black, and not glossy which I'm a fan of. It also glides on the eye easily without tugging and I kid you not could stay on forever. I accidentally fell asleep with it on a few weeks back and it looked flawless the next morning. HELL YES. Okay that's all I really have to say about it, because it's perfect. Well maybe not the price tag, $20 is slightly hefty for a liner but I'm a sucker so I'll continue to buy.

Have you tried this liner? What other Kat Von D products do you love?
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Bare Minerals Touch Up To Go

Recently, instead of setting my foundation using a powder foundation, I've been using the Bare Minerals Mineral Veil for a more natural finish. But, using a mineral foundation at 5AM takes a bit of brain power (to not spill it all over my desk). So, when I found this little cutie for $12 at Ulta, I snatched it up. The Bare Minerals Touch Up To Go set comes in a little clear plastic bag and includes a mini kabuki brush, so it really is perfect for throwing in your purse on the go. You get .15 oz of the mineral veil, a translucent powder that includes SPF 15 and gets rid of shine without being cakey. It leaves a gorgeous, natural finish to the skin which I adore. I'm not a touch up person because really I can't be bothered, but I will say this keeps my skin looking beautiful all day. I definitely never have problems with my skin being oily throughout the day anyway, but just a note.

I've fallen back in love with Bare Minerals, are there any products from them you'd like to try?
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Benefit Cheeky Sweet Spot

 So I know I said I thought the Bite Beauty Best Bite Remix was the cutest holiday set, but this one trumps it by a million. I saw it in Ulta the other day and snatched it up (for my own Christmas present mind you, I stole it out of my mum's closet). The Benefit Cheeky Sweet Spot Box O' Blushes contains six of Benefit's famous Box Powders and a mini pan of their Watt's Up? Cream Highlighter as well as a mini brush. The shades included are Dandelion, Bella Bamba, Sugarbomb, Hoola, Coralista, and Rockateur. The colours swatch beautifully, however I will say that Coralista is pretty different (the only powder I actually own) from the original. I'm not too bothered because it means I don't have two of the same blushes. However, if you're looking to try Coralista, this shade is more orangey-coral less pinky-coral. Another complaint is the packaging. It is absolutely gorgeous, and adorable but it's not practical. It's a cute little tin in the shape of a gingerbread house, but it is HUGE. I think if the palette was removable from the tin it would be fine but the only thing you could do is depot the blushes, which is quite annoying.

Regardless, the set is an amazing deal. At $39 you get $103 worth of product! Which, odd packaging aside, is too good to pass up if you've got a beauty lover on your Christmas list. The powders themselves are .17oz, a regular Benefit box powder retails at $28 for .28oz. For some reason the Rockateur blush also has .17oz in the normal packaging, so you're basically getting one full sized blush, five decent sized others and a pan of highlighter for $8 more than a regular blush.

You can buy this set at Ulta and Sephora, as far as I've seen. It is out of stock on the Sephora website and they're selling out fast in store so if it's something you want or want to get for a loved one, definitely grab it quickly!
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Elizabeth and James

So I'm not really supposed to be showing you this because it's supposed to be a stocking filler for yours truly, so shh don't tell mother. I couldn't resist showing you because one they're gorgeous, two they smell gorgeous, and three they're a gorgeous deal. This was on the top of my what's one thing you want in your stocking list. I said, 'mom, I don't care if I get nothing in my stocking as long as I have this.' So off we trotted to Sephora and grabbed it. This little beauty costs $20 and gets you 7mL of each the Nirvana Black and Nirvana White perfumes. I think this is a massively generous amount for a mini set. The rollerballs themselves cost $22 each and contain 10 mL, so you're getting a bit more product per perfume, but only one fragrance. SO, this set is huge bang for your buck. I could never choose between the rich sandalwood and beautiful peony anyway so I went for this option. I keep sneaking into my mom's closet and smelling them because yes they are THAT good. I can't wait for Christmas morning because I want to cover myself in them now.

Any more good Christmas sets out there? I've got a couple coming up this week!
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FOTD

Exam week is crazy, but I'm taking a quick break to give you a post! So here is my face of the day. I probably shouldn't be taking time out of my studies to put on an elaborate face of makeup but this honestly took me 15 minutes this morning. I'm using a lot of products (actually a majority of them) from my Slightly Excessive Starter Kit post so head over there if you want some product details!

For base I used the Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation in 100 Ivory, Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer, and set with the Bare Minerals Mineral Veil. For a bit of colour I swept some Benefit Coralista Blush over my cheekbones and contoured with Too Faced Velvet Revolver. My brows as per usual are covered in Anastasia Dip Brow Pomade in Chocolate, Bobbi Brown Espresso Eyeshadow, and set with my beloved elf Clear Brow Gel/Mascara. For eyes I primed with MAC Soft Ochre Paint Pot and NYX Sparkle Nude Jumbo Eye Pencil. I put the gold colour from my beautiful NARS Kalahari Duo all over my lids and mixed the chocolate brown color with Mauve from the LORAC Pro Palette in my crease. I also smudged a bit of Espresso from the Pro on my upper and lower lashlines. Mascara is several coats of Benefit BadGal and Bourjois Volume 1 Seconde (like several). And on my lips I'm wearing my favourite combo of Covergirl Darling Lip Perfecting Lipstick and Mac Angel.

And that, my loves is what I'm wearing on my face today! What have you got on?
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The Slightly Excessive Starter Kit

One of my friends isn't really into makeup. At all. But she decided that she wants to get into it and is asking for makeup for Christmas. So, she asked me to write her a list of my favourite products for starting a makeup collection. These are the products I would buy if I had to repurchase everything from scratch. The products I can't live without, so I thought I would share them with you too! I will say that this is an extremely long list and you definitely don't need all of these products to get into makeup, but I've chosen a couple of things from every category so there's quite a lot. Also, this is more of a starter kit for older girls/women ie 16 and up. I may do a starter kit for those just starting with makeup if you guys are interested, as you definitely do not need to be wearing half as much makeup as this if you're younger.

BASE
I didn't include a face primer because I frankly don't use one, I just moisturize before applying my makeup. I have two favourite foundations, both of which are drugstore yay! My tried and true is the Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation in 100 Ivory (post here). I've gone on and on about it but I love it. Perfect match, texture, coverage, love. A recent love is the Maybelline Dream Wonder Fluid Touch Foundation in Porcelain Ivory (post here). I love this one because the tone fits my skin perfectly. It is so difficult to find a pale foundation with a yellower undertone. I also really love the Maybelline FIT me foundation, so there's an honorable mention. My favourite ever concealer is the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer (post here), but it is unfortunately not available in the US, NYX's HD Concealer is a good dupe though! I have always loved the MAC Mineralized SkinFinish Natural, but I've not got one at the moment, boo. I do like the Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder as well and have recently been using the Bare Minerals Mineral Veil to set my foundation which I really like.

FACE
You all know I love a good contour and the MAC Taupe Shape Blush is one of my favourite products to use. It is unfortunately discontinued, so I've included my other favourite contour shade which is surprisingly Too Faced Velvet Revolver Eyeshadow, that teeny tiny little rectangular pan. Awkwardly enough, apparently this is discontinued too, oops. BUT, it is quite similar to NYX Bare My Soul Eyeshadow and Urban DecayNaked Eyeshadow, so I'm gonna recommend those instead. I'm not much of a blush person, but I use MAC Well Dressed almost daily and either Sleek Life's A Peach or Tarte Dollface if I want to switch it up.

EYES
I've always loved my Urban Decay Primer Potion, but on days where I need a little extra coverage on my lids I use the MAC Soft Ochre Paint Pot. They're a little pricey but have lasted me forever. My eyeshadow favourites are also quite pricey. There are great drugstore eyeshadow options out there, but personally eyeshadow is the product that I don't mind spending more on. I'm always rambling on about the LORAC Pro Palette (post here), but I absolutely LOVE it. It's cheaper than the Naked palettes, has more colours, and is honestly better quality. I also love the NARS eyeshadows, specifically the Kalahari Duo (post here). I could also never use another inner corner highlight after experiencing my beloved Nylon Eyeshadow from MAC. I really need to do an updated brow post, but you should all know that my must haves are the Anastasia Dip Brow Pomade in Chocolate, Bobbi Brown's Espresso Eyeshadow (renamed Rich Caviar) and the elf Lash and Brow Clear Mascara. I can never settle on a mascara but I always find myself reaching for Benefit BADGal Lash, Bourjois Volume 1 Seconde Mascara, and L'oreal Voluminous Carbon Black. I'm going to write a post about it but I may or may not have splurged on the Kat Von D Tattoo Liner and I'm in LOVE.

LIPS
I have A LOT of lipsticks. Like a lot. But for everyday I love the CoverGirl Lip Perfection Lipstick in Darling which are also apparently being discontinued. What the heck is wrong with companies discontinuing my favourite products? They're 50% off at most CVSs right now though so we'd best stock up. I don't think I've ever actually mentioned this on the blog but it's my favourite and only nude-ish lipstick. No balm will ever moisturize your lips like the Vaseline Lip Therapy Skin Protectant Advanced. Trust me, I've owned a lot of balms in my life and my poor chapped lips have never been happier.

TOOLS
I've just done a makeup brush post so I'll let you read that, but I've got to recommend the beautyblender. That post is here, it's literally perfection. I don't know what I've been doing without it. I'll also recommend the solid cleanser to clean it versus the liquid, it's super easy!

Phew that took me a long time to write! So, what are your must have products? Anything I need to add to my list? Let me know!
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Maybelline Dream Wonder

 I've been going a bit foundation crazy recently. I can't help it. I'm forever on the search for the perfect base. I haven't heard too much about the Maybelline Dream Wonder Fluid Touch Foundation, but when I wandered into Target the other day (oops) I snatched up a bottle. And how glad I am that I did because OMG. I have the shade Porcelain Ivory, which is the lightest shade offered. I was really excited about this because not only is it super pale compared to other drugstore shades, it's also yellow toned! I always struggle finding a foundation to match my skin shade AND tone because a majority of paler foundations are too dark or too pink. I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say this is the PERFECT daily foundation. Obviously, foundation is a serious preference thing. It depends on you skin type, lifestyle, and coverage needs. I have quite dry skin but an oily t-zone, I'm on the go so I don't have time for touch-ups, and I thankfully don't get much acne (knock on wood).

The product has been compared to the Armani Maestro foundation and while I haven't tried it, I can see how the textures seem to compare when described. The formula is very liquify and feels almost like a serum or "dry oil" when you put it onto your skin. It provides medium, buildable coverage that literally looks and feels like skin. I have never gotten so many compliments on my skin before! It's very hydrating and doesn't cling to the dry patches around my nose. I will say if you need super full coverage, you'll probably be doing a lot of concealing. But honestly, I think it'll work for everyone because it creates such a flawless looks-like-skin base that concealer can be added on to if needed. It blends out perfectly and streak free (I use my beautyblender). It does have quite nice packaging for a drugstore foundation, but I prefer my sleek black and glass bottles. The applicator is frankly quite annoying. It's got this weird plastic ball thing that is supposed to allow the foundation to drip onto you fingers (Maybelline suggests to apply it this way). I however, find that the foundation does not drip onto my hand so I end up having to wipe the applicator off, dip it back into the bottle and repeat several times to get enough product out. It's a good idea to prevent bacteria growth in theory, but I think an actual dropper would have been more effective. I did include a picture with it on my skin below but daylight fades fast so it's a bit difficult to see. Trust me though, it looks gorgeous.

The Maybelline Dream Wonder Fluid Touch Foundation retails between $6 and $10 so be sure to hunt around for the best price. You can find it anywhere that sells Maybelline. The full range has 12 shades, but not all stores carry all 12, so you'll have to search around for those too.

Have you tried this beaut yet? What did you think?
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