The Ravings of an Insomniac

I don't think it's any secret that I love Sonia Kashuk Makeup. Everything I've tried from the Target exclusive brand is amazing! Today I will be raving about my new love, the Sonia Kashuk Chic Luminosity Highlighter Stick.

What it is: a cream highlighter
Where it is: Target stores
For how much: $11
Anything else: Sonia Kashuk products are not tested on animals!

I don't think this is the first time I've advocated an SK product. From the affordable price to the luxurious packaging, everything from this brand is downright lovely. I've had my peepers on this little guy for ages now, and I was thrilled to finally spot it in stores.

Sonia Kashuk claims that "the creamy, pearl-infused formula housed in a portable stick creates an illuminated effect, making it easy to selectively highlight features or add a healthy glow to bare skin. Triglycerides ensure that the stick blends smoothly and adheres perfectly and comfortably to the skin for a long lasting, brilliant shimmer effect." There are two shades available, a pink toned one (Persian Sunset) and this gold toned one that I'm reviewing today, Sparkling Sands.

Hi, all! I'm back today with a favorites post. I've been enjoying a variety of products lately, and I thought it was time for another favorites post.

Giovanni D-Tox System Purifying Face Mask
Are y'all tired of me talking about this yet? I kind of really love it. It's basically a clay mask that draws out impurities and deep cleanses your skin. It doesn't leave my skin feeling dry, but rather clean from the inside. And the color (it's chalk gray) is also strangely satisfying to smear over the face.

Neutrogena Alcohol-Free Toner
I've been using this toner for over two years now. For me, this is a product that I've never really thought about how much I like up until now. It's gentle and helps balance out my skin and tighten pores without drying.


Sonia Kashuk Chic Luminosity Highlighter Stick in Sparkling Sands
I won't go too much into detail about this (full review coming soon), but basically it's a lovely stick highlighter that gives a subtle and beautiful glowing sheen. The stick makes it super handy as well, and the shade is a very nice champagne/gold/pearly shade.

Maybelline Color Tattoo Metal in Inked in Pink - review here
I've had this eyeshadow for a few months now, but haven't really used it much until now. It's slowly becoming one of my everyday makeup staples. It's quick and easy, and makes me look like I spent ages on my makeup when really it took me ten seconds to slap some on my lids.

NYX Slide On Pencil in Brown Perfection
This is a simple brown eyeliner, but it's so lovely. Doesn't smear, smudge, or run anywhere. It's easy to smudge out before it sets though, so that's what I've been doing - marking the edge of my lower lashline and smudging it out for a hazy yet defined look.

Favorite Lip Combo
I've been loving the Pixi Tinted Brilliance Balm in Unique Pink with the NYX Mega Shine Lip Gloss in Tea Rose. Both are a very natural pink color, which is hardly remarkable, but together they give me a pouty just-been-kissed esque look. Both are also super hydrating and the scents (minty and candy) make for a sweet smelling scent that wear comfortably.




Bath & Body Works Sea Island Cotton Hand Cream (I think this has been discontinued but I've linked you to the scent, something still worth smelling)
I've never really taken time to appreciate this cream, but I'm doing it now. It's a thick, luxurious feeling cream that absorbs in SO fast and really hydrates my hands. The moisturized feeling lasts for hours afterwards. The scent of this is also really lovely, relaxing and soft.

Boots Extracts Coconut Lip Balm
Yet another product I've hardly raved about, this is one of my favorite lip balms. It sinks in quickly, but the moisture given lasts for quite some time. It also has a pretty matte finish, which is strange in a lip balm but something that I appreciate.


Essie Buy Me A Cameo
I totally forgot to photograph this, sorry~! This is a beautiful rose gold shade, the website describes it as a "frosted satin mocha" if it helps you picture it any better. This was on my nails for the longest time!f

Time for random favorites! Warning - there's a lot. A lot are TV shows too. Don't laugh.


Nokia Lumia 521
Yes, I'm including a phone in my favorites! Haha, I just got this a week or so ago and although its got some faults, it's a nice phone. Windows 8 is a really nice platform for cell phones. Very customizable! I love it.



Supernatural
This was in my last favorites post... can you blame me? It just came back. Too good. I can't finish this thought, this show's just too much.



Parenthood
I've talked about this before! I love this show. It's a show about a boisterous family. It's quite realistic and humorous, but there are also underlying messages of love and family.



The Walking Dead
Man, this show got popular really quickly! I started watching when it first came out, and it was a quiet show. But by halfway through season 2 EVERYBODY was watching. I love this show. I love dark shows, and a show about the zombie apocalypse? Daaaaark.



Parks and Recreation
Parks has actually been back for quite some time, but this season is amaaaaaaazzzziiiiiiiing. Very funny and unexpected.



The Office
Dwight. 'Nuff said.

Thanks for reading! What have you been enjoying recently?

Oh dear.. The last time I posted anything was three weeks ago. I've got a reason for my absence, but it's a terrible reason. I've been at school. I'm terrible at time management, so lately I've been just too busy doing work to blog. Don't worry, I'm coming back! Hopefully by next week my regular blogging schedule will be back. Many apologies!

Emily xoxo

I wear very little makeup on a daily basis. After all, I really see no reason to get dolled up. I'm getting up early in the morning to go sit with a bunch of other children who also get up early in the morning just to stare at an adult who asks us to answer questions. You can see that I really care how I look during school (sarcasm, for you slow ones). However, I do wear some makeup everyday and since I really enjoy reading these types of posts, I thought I'd write one too.

So usually, I use five products, but on some days I feel like dolling up I toss some more into the mashup. The first thing I do is fill in and define my eyebrows. I like using powder for a more natural look. Who wants to look like they have drawn on eyebrows for school, anyways? I pull out my trusty Sonia Kashuk Eye on Neutral palette for this purchase. Then I set my brows with brow gel, the No7 Lash and Brow Perfector being my card of choice. After brows, I move onto concealer. I use two different concealers, a light coverage liquid for my undereyes to brighten, and a heavier cream on my chin and around my nose to conceal imperfections. I like the Garnier Anti-Dark Circle Roller for my undereyes and the Sonia Kashuk Hidden Agenda Concealer Palette for my face. After that step, I slap on some color on my lips and I'm good to go. I always have a billion colors floating around in my bag, the one I'm using most at the moment is the Sonia Kashuk Moisture Luxe Tinted Lip Balm in Hint of Pink.

Now for the more complicated days, I'll add a little more to the mix. Sometimes I'll throw on a little eyeshadow. I prefer matte ones because there's no fallout and they look more natural. The eyeshadow look I go for is a contoured eye, I put a darker shade on the outer edges of my eye and into my crease. Once again, I love the Eye on Neutral Palette. Then I apply liquid liner, very close to my lashline. This just makes my lashes appear more defined. My favorite is the Physician's Formula Eye Booster, the nib is so fine and precise. I love applying liner to my lower lashline and smudging it out, so I'll grab a brown liner and do just that. I love the NYX Slide On in Brown Perfection. I almost never wear mascara (only because I hate the hassle of removing it), but when I do, it's usually the No7 Exquisite Curl, sometimes the Elizabeth Arden Ceramide.

Thanks for reading! What's your everyday makeup routine?

For many of us, school is starting - or has already started. One of the infinite issues I have with school is that I'm in a controlled environment with hundreds of other kids. These few words are not a good sign. Emergencies could happen anytime. For this reason, I've collected a few items over the years that I find are a good quick fix for anything that might happen during school.

• Hand sanitizer - self explanatory. I always carry around a hand sanitizer. More often than not, it's on of Bath and Body Works's Pocketbac ones because they smell lovely! 
• Hand cream - I have sad, dry skin so hand cream is a must for me. This L'Occitane Cherry Princess Hand Cream is luxurious and lovely, and hydrates my hands.
• Lip balm - I freaking love lip balm. I have one everywhere, so it makes sense that I would have one in my bag. And it makes for a good cuticle balm if you have a cuticle emergency during school (if that's even possible?). I currently have my Nivea Lip Butter tossed in the bag.
• Perfume - I wear perfume almost everyday. Whenever I forget I whip out this Pacifica Tuscan Blood Orange rollerball. It smells tangy and unoffensive, I love it!
• Tinted lip balm - because I need more than one lip balm. This usually gets rotated around, but right now it's the Boots Botanics Tinted Lip Balm. Good for a subtle tint of color to really wake up your complexion if you're looking sallow or pale.
• Makeup remover wipes/pads - personally I don't carry these around because I don't wear much makeup to school (just brows and a bit of concealer) but I think these are great to have in case you have an eye watering experience and your mascara gets messed up or something.
• Eye drops - this isn't something everybody needs, but I definitely recommend for contact wearers or people with sensitive/dry eyes like myself!
• Gum/mints - nobody likes to have bad breath, but these also hold off my hunger until lunch!
• Hair ties/bobby pins - also self explanatory.
• Band-aid - I always manage to cut myself during school, and sometimes I'm just too damned lazy to ask the teacher for one or go to the nurse.
• Tampon - alllllso self explanatory.
• Tylenol - in case myself or a friend gets a sudden headache!
• Tissues - another self explanatory thing. Gosh Emily, could you be any more boring?

I enjoyed writing the last skincare post so much I thought I'd bring you a version about masks. I normally don't write skincare reviews on my blog because what works for me might be a disaster for you, but I do enjoy sharing products and giving my opinion, so these mini-reviews are perfect! Today is a face mask edition. I used to use masks quite frequently, and then got a bit lazy with the process because I found it too slow and tedious. Recently I've been using them again and really enjoying the process I used to find boring.

Starting from left to right, this Petal Fresh Botanics Aloe & Cucumber Facial Peel Off Masque is something I found in Taiwan and I cannot find and proof of this brand anywhere other than Ebay. But basically, it's a gel that you apply to your face, and it forms a film that you can peel off about ten minutes later. It's cool and satisfying, but alcohol denat is the second ingredient in this product and I'm trying to back off from products with high alcohol content.

The Elizabeth Arden Hydrating Mask is something that I actually wrote a review on. I don't feel as if it actually hydrates my skin, but I like the scent and it's tingly and cooling on the face. The consistency is very nice too, it feels almost clay based but it doesn't harden.

This third mask I got recently, and I've been really enjoying it. The Giovanni D-Tox System Purifying Facial Mask is quickly becoming one of my skincare staples. The mask isn't very opaque, which is nice because I don't look like a serial killer, it smells quite fresh and natural, and really helps my skin feel cleansed from the inside. It doesn't dry out my skin, nor does it bring blemishes to a head (although I know that's good I cannot stand it).

Probably my favorite mask of the bunch, one that I always use is the Origins Drink Up Intensive. I'm sure you've heard of it, it's exploded over the blogosphere. I've had this sample size since February, and it's still going strong! This is a hydrating mask that you leave on overnight. But don't worry, it absorbs into your skin so it doesn't end up on your pillowcase and sheets. It smells like apricots, feels luxurious, and in the morning the skin just looks and feels beautiful.

This Yes To Cucumbers Calming Facial Mask is something I'm pretty partial to. It smells too strongly of cucumbers, but otherwise I can't find any faults. It works fairly quickly, the clay drying within ten minutes, so if you're in a hurry and you need a quick detox mask than this will do the job. I don't think it's anything amazing, but I don't dislike it.

I hesitate to make a proper skincare routine because for the most part, the routine is the same as the last one I posted a few months back. The products have almost all changed, but the routine and order is still the same. But I do enjoy reading skincare posts, so I thought perhaps I'd do a series on the skincare I've been using, with mini reviews. I'll update it every couple months when a few of the products have changed. Let me know what you think of the idea!

If I'm wearing makeup that day, before I even start my skincare routine I will remove my makeup. If I'm wearing mascara or face makeup (other than concealer), I'll take it off with a good massage of coconut oil and a washcloth. But more often then not, I'll just have my brows filled in and a tiny bit of concealer on. If that's the case, I'll simply take it off with my cleansing water, the Sephora Triple Action Cleansing Water. It's no game changer, but it does the job and it does the job well.

For a few months I would switch between cleansers daily, which is all good and fun, but then I discovered a cleanser that I really enjoyed - so much that I couldn't bear to leave it for just one day, so much that I use it both morning and night. It's the Pacifica Sea Foam Complete Face Wash (review here). Very gentle but powerful, this cleanser washes away all dirt, makeup, and impurities. The refreshing scent is also very lovely.

Quick mention about that pink thing! I love these things. They're basically little silicone face brushes that gently exfoliate and help you get a deeper clean. Mine is from Sephora. I squeeze cleanser onto it and massage my face.

I exfoliate every other day - I should probably wait to do it once a week, but I really like the scent of my St. Ives Green Tea Scrub and I enjoy the way it makes my skin feel, smooth like a baby's butt. This scrub doesn't actually do anything for acne, but it's gentle on the skin while buffing away dead skin cells.

After removal, cleansing, and exfoliating, I must tone. A lot of people say toners are unnecessary, but I really like them! I find that they make my skin feel a lot smoother and happier (toners balance skin's pH level, if you didn't know). I'm using two at the moment, although one isn't labeled as one. Said toner is the H2O+ Oasis Mist, a hydrating facial mist that I use pretty much whenever I feel like it. This alcohol-free concoction works well as a toner, a facial spray, a setting spray, or a pick-me-up. In case you haven't noticed yet, I love it. The other toner I use after cleansing - but only at night. It's the Neutrogena Alcohol-Free Toner. I'm pretty partial to this product, this bottle is a repurchase - but only because the I really like the smell of it. It's a nice toner, but I could do with a new one. Sometimes I apply the toner with a cotton round, but usually I rub between my palms and press into my skin because I like the way it feels.

My favorite part of my skincare routine is probably putting on eye cream. Don't ask me why, I have no idea. For some reason, I find it extremely satisfying. The eye cream I'm using right now is the Burt's Bees Sensitive Eye Crean, which I like but probably won't repurchase. It's light and hydrating and the texture is very nice, but I'm on the lookout for anti-aging creams so I can prevent future wrinkles and fine lines, and this eye cream doesn't contain many anti-aging ingredients.

I don't have a lot of active acne, but I do have small bumps under the skin that annoy me to no end. I also have blackheads and my chin is forever breaking out. I need a spot treatment. The one I'm using right now is the No7 Rapid Spot Rescue. Originally, I really liked the product, saying it really did reduce the spot in two hours like the claim said, but my opinion has since changed. I don't dislike it, but I feel that this treatment is only a temporary fix. Not to say that's a bad thing, I would just rather have something deal with the spots for good.

This moisturizer is something that's new to me - you might have seen it in my recent haul. It's the H2O+ Face Oasis Hydrating Treatment. This can be used a moisturizer or a mask, I've been using it as the former. I absolutely adore it so far. I have to use it for a lot longer to see if my skin will have a bad reaction, but I really love it in this early stage. The gel formula is really cooling and nice, it smells lovely, and it really hydrates my skin. The smallest bit also goes the longest way!

Whew! That ended up being a lot longer than I anticipated. Thanks for getting to the bottom of this rather long post! What skincare products do you use?

I'm sure you all read the famous Vivianna Does Makeup, and that you're familiar with her "Triple Threat Facial" posts. In case you aren't, I'll catch you up. Basically it's a triple whammy - first you exfoliate, then you deep cleanse, then you hydrate. I really enjoy doing these because afterwards my skin feels smooth me hydrated, and looks radiant and glowing.

Sometimes I like to mix up my own scrub by just adding a bit of sugar into my usual face wash, but more often than not I like to use the St. Ives Green Tea Scrub, which doesn't do much for acne but is great for buffing and polishing the skin. I like to apply it to a dry face (with damp fingers) to really make the most of it. I tend to leave it on my skin for a couple minutes simply because I like the way it smells.

The next step would then by a detox or deep cleansing mask. Mud and clay masks are especially good for this, so my weapon of choice for today is the Giovanni D-Tox Purifying Face Mask. It has a soothing scent and the skin feels cleansed from the inside.

The last and final step is to use a hydrating mask. My favorite one is the Origins Drink Up Intensive because hey, what's not to love? It smells nice, reeeeally hydrates your skin, and pretty much makes me happy.

Thanks for reading! Try out this facial method and let me know what you think.

Hey, guys! I wanted to apologize for my absence lately. I've had a lot going on, and I've been meaning to blog, but it just isn't happening. Anyways, I'm back today with a haul post. I went shopping today and picked up a few things, so I thought I'd show you!

I really only went to three stores - however, one of them was TJ Maxx, aka the death of me.

I picked up an Alba Botanica Very Emollient Suncreen SPF 45 in Pure Lavender. I've been meaning to get a natural sunscreen and I snatched this up when I saw it. I also got two H2O+ products, the Face Oasis Hydrating Treatment and the Marine Toner (a travel size). I also got the Giovanni Purifying Facial Mask and the Earth Theraputics Hydrogel Under Eye Patch. Of course, no haul is complete without a lip balm or two, two in this case - one is the eos lip balm in medicated tangerine, and the other is the Alba Botanica Hawaiin Lip Balm.


I also got some hair products - very strange for me, usually all I do to my hair is wash and condition it. I picked up the Rusk Sensories Calm Shampoo and Conditioner, in a travel size. I also got the Psssssst Dry Shampoo, which I've been meaning to try for a while. I thought the Sebastian Shaper Zero G Featherweight Dry Finish Hairspray was another dry shampoo, so I got it. I'll probably give this away. And last, not a hair product, I picked up a deo, the Zatik Herbal Refresh Deodorant.


Lastly, I got a few cosmetic bits and bobs. Essie's Chinchilly made it into my cart after one glance. I also got three brushes, two from the e.l.f. studio brush line (the Small Smudge Brush and the Small Stipple Brush). I got a foundation brush from I on Beauty, and two perfumes - Taylor Swift's Wonderstruck and Lady Gaga's Fame.

That concludes my haul! Thanks for reading. Have you been shopping recently?