Little Jewelry Haul

 Hello loves! Thought I'd share a few little accessories I've picked up lately that I've been loving. I found these gorgeous little studs at Madewell the other day and snatched them up. They reminded me of an Anthropologie pair that I've been regretting not buying for over a year and at $18 I decided to get them. Madewell's jewelry as always is really dainty but still well made. I like the shape of these because you can make them curve up your lobe almost like a cuff. My friend picked me up this gorgeous ring from Forever 21 for very cheap, I've had tons of people ask me where it's from and if it's some kind of pearl! I can't find this one on the website anymore, but I'm pretty sure it's still in the store.

I also picked up these beautiful rings from Verameat. If you've never heard of Verameat (how?) its a gorgeous New York based jewelry store I discovered last time I was in the city. Vera is the sweetest ever (as are the rest of the girls) and she makes some really really rad designs. This time I got the tiny skull ring and rose ring both in gold brass. I absolutely adore them and get tons of questions about them. Make sure you check out the rest of the collection here (it's awesome)!

Have you guys picked up any accessories lately? Where's your favourite place to shop for them?
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Five Good Things.

I've decided to start doing these "five good things" posts again, inspired by Kate and Emily. In case you haven't noticed, I've kind of been throwing myself back into blogging recently. Because it's making me happy again in a time where I've been feeling not so happy. But, I want to focus on positivity so I'm going to start writing about five good things. Share yours with me too!

01 I've been on a huge skincare kick recently, and pampering myself is something that has made me much happier. Actually getting myself into a proper routine in this aspect has helped other parts of my life seem less crazy.

02 Recently, I had quite a big room overhaul and painted it back white. It took three days but I am so pleased with the result. It's much brighter and seems a little bigger. It's great to have a place that feels more me.

03 I've also realized that I have some truly wonderful friends. I've gotten to the point in my life where I only really have a few friends (does that sound lame?) but I know that they are the kind of friends that stick with you forever.

04 The end of this season of Game of Thrones brought heartbreak, so I've gotten back into reading the books. I'm on A Feast for Crows now and I'm about halfway through that, so I'm getting close to the end. Hopefully George will have the next book lined up when I'm finished!

05 I also have some pretty exciting opportunities coming up. I'm talking follow my big dream opportunities. I won't talk about it too much yet as not to jinx it, but I am very, very excited!

What's been good in your life this week?
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High-End Favourites

I realized two things getting the products out for this post; one, I basically only spend money on base products, and two, I have an obsession with Bobbi Brown.

I think that nowadays, drugstore makeup and what I call kind-of-high-end have amazing quality products that won't break the bank (maybe a little). But every now and then I like to splash out on something I wouldn't normally buy. Clearly, I generally do that with foundations.

Bobbi Brown Foundations: Bobbi's are definitely some of my favourite foundations I've ever used and the three I'm featuring here are all very different. The Intensive Skin Serum Foundation is a skincare-foundation hybrid and makes my skin look beautiful but makeup free (And has SPF 40!). The Skin Foundation is a dewy-velvety finish that I find perfects my skin while still looking natural. The Skin Stick Foundation was one that I didn't fall in love with right away (it's pretty much a cult favourite), but I've found it's perfect for concealing or adding extra coverage when using something very lightweight. I'm fairly certain they've updated this formula and it seems much more blendable. I also really love the Long Wear Even-Finish Foundation but haven't gotten around to repurchasing. I'm also including the Creamy Concealer, which I absolutely adore for under my eyes. It can get quite cakey if you're not careful, but using a small amount with a beauty blender ensures perfectly bright under-eyes.

Bobbi Brown Skincare: I know I literally just did a post on this, but the Vitamin Enriched Face Base is the greatest thing ever and I am obsessed with it, link to the post here.

Chanel Foundation: I've been using the Chanel Perfection Lumière Velvet for quite some time (post here), and it's still one of my absolute favourites. I particularly like mixing it as this shade is quite pink on me. Mixing it with the Milani 2-in-1 foundation makes my skin look more perfect than you could ever imagine.

TheBalm Highlighter: If you've never tried theBalm's Mary-Lou Manizer, then you've never truly highlighted. This stuff is legitimate magic that makes your skin look like heaven is always shining down on your angel face. There's a post about this here. I also bought it on my favourite trip to New York with my best friend, so it's very near and dear to me (and it's been in about 20 favourites posts).

NARS Eyeshadows: Almost two years ago I raved about the NARS Kalahari Eyeshadow Duo here, and I'm still obsessed with it. I definitely need to pick up more NARS shadows because the formula is beautiful. These colours in particular are wonderful for doing a quick, everyday look or incorporating into something more dramatic.

Marc Jacobs Eyeliner: I've never talked about this on the blog before because I very very rarely wear eyeliner, but when I do this Marc Jacobs Highliner Gel Eye Crayon is perfection. It's crazy pigmented and long wearing, especially considering that I use it in the waterline. I want to try a bronzey or gold shade out!

Anastasia Brows: I don't know if I'd really consider Anastasia "high-end", perhaps on the non-designer side of high end as it's not exactly cheap. Anywho, they know brows. And you know that I'm obsessed with brows. And the Anastasia Beverly Hills DipBrow Pomade which I've talked about four million times here so I'll stop waffling on now.

MAC Lipliners: MAC is another brand that isn't really designer but it's expensive, so whatever. Their Lip Pencils are gold. I never ever buy them from the counter, always from the CCS but they are some of the most pigmented, creamy, long-wearing liners I own. I very rarely buy expensive lip products because they never seem to be worth the price, but I love these (post here).

Glossier:  I was debating whether or not to include Glossier in this post. Their products are also on that blurred line of almost-affordable but still out of reach. Their Balm Dot Com is literally the bomb dot com. I never thought I'd find myself spending $12 on a lip balm, but I've now bought three, oops. I talk more about them here.

What do you guys find yourselves splurging on? Let me know what I should get next!
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Bobbi Brown Skincare

We recently got the Bobbi Brown Extra Balm Rinse in at work (I work at a Cosmetics Company Store if you're new) and I snatched it up. Despite Bobbi being my line, I've never really ventured into her skincare as we don't often get it in stock. I loved the rinse so much I decided to go to the counter and try some more products. A lot of my favourite bloggers have been raving about the Vitamin Enriched Face Base so I wanted to check that out.

The Extra Balm Rinse is a conditioning cleanser meant to be good for dry skin. It comes in this 50 ml tube or a bigger jar. It says on the website that it can be used to remove makeup, but the packing says to keep it away from the eyes so I remove makeup with the Clinique Take the Day Off Balm and then cleanse with the rinse. What I really like about this is that it gets my skin really, really clean without a huge lather. I often get very lazy before bed and don't properly cleanse my face because I can't be bothered to wash all of the soap off. But this is super easy to remove! It's also surprisingly hydrating on the dry parts of my face, but doesn't make my oily t-zone greasy. Plus, it has Bobbi's luxurious citrus scent.

I got two little samples at the counter because I wasn't feeling spending a fortune quite yet. The first is the Extra Repair Eye Cream, which claims to help fight dark circles, puffiness, wrinkles, and more. This cream is super hydrating, but definitely sinks in quickly so you don't have to wait long before applying makeup. I think it does smooth to some degree, but I haven't seen any dramatic results yet. I might try the Hydrating Eye Cream as it's a little less expensive. I also tried a sample of the Hydrating Gel Cream. I really like gel-based cream formulas like this because they sink in quickly and don't leave residue like heavier creams can. However, they're still hydrating for the parts of my skin that are quite dry. This also smells like delicious citrus. I've been mostly using this in place of a night cream because I've been using the next product during the day, but love waking up with fresh skin!

The Vitamin Enriched Face Base has been raved about for a long time and I've been battling with my primers recently so I decided to give this a try. It's my new favourite product ever. I don't know how, but Bobbi has somehow perfectly combined a moisturizer and primer into one product. It smooths skin for a perfect makeup application but also hydrates. I was a bit worried because it's very rich and creamy, but it also sinks in without feeling greasy and is oil-free. I don't think I've ever gotten so many compliments on my skin! As always, Bobbi's packaging is absolutely gorgeous but I will say that the germ freak in me slightly wishes these were all in pumps. But it so pretty that I have it sitting out on my vanity so I'm not complaining too much.

Have you tried Bobbi Brown skincare? What did you think?
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