This post is the third palette from Stila's new collection and probably the last one I will be purchasing and reviewing. The forth palette includes a lot of purple and I'm pretty picky about purples but you can find that one here, it's called Body.

This beauty is called Spirit and it is beyond lovely. It reminds of a mix of the Soul & Mind palettes mixed together in a way but then again not. Neutrals are there but also a pop of color for instance, a burgundy. It includes a mixture of shimmer and matte textures. I would say this is the creamiest out of the three palettes I purchased but I'm not sure if it's because it was out in my mailbox all day in the heat or if it's the textures themselves.

Like all the other palettes in this glamorous collection, it is encased in a golden (rose gold for this one) mirrored compact complete with a full mirror.

"Where the spirit does not work with the hand, there is no art. " - Leonardo da Vinci

Just oozing glamour!

"Since love grows within you, so beauty grows. For love is the beauty of the soul." -Saint Augustine

I checked my mailbox this morning and with a huge smile on my face I ran inside with my long awaited Ulta box.

Last week I had ordered two of Stila's new Eyes Are The Window eyeshadow palettes in Mind and Soul. As soon as I saw the post on Stila's Instagram I could not wait to get my hands on these. They are so gorgeous and most definitely glamorous encased in gold and rose gold shiny magnetic packaging. You will definitely need to show these off. I can see these having a full time home on my vanity top just so I can stare at them, but that's just me.

"The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination." -Albert Einstein

Stila has always been a favorite brand of mine from their amazing liquid liner pens to their bb creams. I have recently fell in love with their bronzing BB cream. It is an easy way to add glow (no shimmer) and warmth during your quick morning routine.

I really love how it treats my skin and find that it does help improve my skin's condition over time. It is pricey at $38 dollars but you only need the smallest amount of product at a time. This week I've been mixing it with my morning moisturizer and then going on my glowy way.

I have all three and use them all the time. I don't find they are too sparkly or settle into lines. The Illuminating and Bronzing shades are definitely the most sparkly of the three but I don't think it's over the top. Although I think that if you tend to stay away from glitter they might not float your boat. These are finely milled and are dispensed from the compact with a shaving contraption. By spinning the circle of powder you dispense your desired amount. I like that you have control over the amount you use and it seems more hygienic that way.

The powders are complete with jojoba oils and Vitamin E to moisturize and care for your skin while keeping it feeling and looking luxe.

correcting, bronzing, illuminating (not fully blended; natural sunlight)

Dior Lash Plumping Primer
Tarte Lights Camera Lashes Mascara
Benefit Gimme Brow - medium/deep
Eucerin Redness Relief Daily Perfecting Lotion SPF 15
L'Oreal True Match Lumi Foundation - W1
Too Faced Milk Chocolate Bronzer
Mac CC Pressed Powder - Illuminate 
Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer - Vanilla

BB Creams and/or tinted moisturizers are a great for summer (or anytime) and when you are in a rush and want to give your skin that extra oomph.

BB creams or "beauty balms" are very popular in Asia and slowly made their way to America. Now every brand possible has their own version although some are definitely better than others. Beauty balms have many benefits. Yes they have nice coverage but also skin benefits. Each one has their own specifics but most of them claim to even skin tone, clear and prevent breakouts, moisturize, and much more including the great SPF.

MISSHA M Perfect Cover BB Cream No.23 Natural Beige SPF42 PA++ - a classic BB cream and a fantastic one at that. This is the epitome of tinted moisturizers. It has a rich thick texture but does not look pasty or mask my skin. I do see benefits such as clearer and softer skin when I use this. I feel my skin looks fresher too. This also makes a nice prep for foundation! If you are looking for a product that is everything a BB cream should be then this is it, hands down!



Neutrogena Healthy Skin Glow Sheers, SPF 30 - I use this in the summer for something quick to even out my skin and moisturize. It is also great before the beach. I like the color it gives my skin and I do find that it benefits the look of my skin over time just maybe not as well as the above creams.


These are both worth checking out but if I wear to pick one it would be the MISSHA M brand.

I have yet to try out any CC Creams (color correcting). I plan on trying out the Smashbox brand because I have heard great things about their CC and their BB creams but they are pricey at close to $40 a bottle.

I have been MIA because my little sister just got married on Saturday! It was such an exciting weekend and an emotional one at that (waterproof mascara anyone?). I was honored with the job to be her Matron of Honor. It was also a Halloween theme so we could dress up. I added accessories such as a boa, flapper headband, and rhinestone mask for the reception. It was so fun!

One of the fun things about a wedding is the makeup of course! I did my own for the occasion. Below, I gathered a list of the products and attached a few photos of the look. It is what I would call a natural evening look.

You may not know but for a wedding or any special occasion where photos will be taken, the more makeup usually the better. What may look like too much to you in the mirror could be perfect under the camera lenses and lights. A helpful hint is that SPF is not necessarily a good thing with photography as the SPF reflects the flash the same it would the sun and can wash you out on camera. Shimmer and glitter is not always a good thing either. They can also reflect light back at the camera and accentuate imperfections. I still like a soft shimmer to give my skin some glow since it is dry.







The products I used for the wedding:

Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation - 3.5

Nyx HD Concealer - Porcelain - used for concealing and highlighting

Nyx Jumbo Eye Pencil - Milk - used as an eyeshadow primer

Stila Stay All Day Liquid Liner - Intense Black - waterproof liner and super black! 

Mac Eye Kohl - Fascinating - used as an inner rim liner to brighten and "open" the eyes

Stila Magnificent Metals Foil Eyeshadow - Vintage Black Gold  - used over the other shadows to add some shimmer and dimension 

Mac Blush - Harmony & Taupe Shape - I used both of these for contouring. 

Benefit Bronzer - Hoola  - contouring

Nars Eyeshadow - Lhasa - also used for contour on the cheek bones (it has a great shadow color)

Lorac Neutralizer - after primer to reduce redness on my fair skin 

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Limited Edition palette - highlighting

Mac Natural Radiance Primer

Cover FX Illuminating Setting Powder - Light - finishing powder with illuminating qualities for a glow

Mac Monster's Bride Palette 

Anastasia Brow Liner - Dark Brown

Illamasqua Intense Lip Gloss - Facade (a grey pink) - this is one of my favorite glosses it has an almost brown tone to it and is very opaque