Merry Christmas!!!

To everyone that celebrates, I just wanted to wish you all a merry christmas. I hope you all have an amazing time with your family and friends. :)

I love you all, and thank you so much for your support this year. You guys are the greatest!

Another quick update (and possible upcoming blog sale?)

Hey y'all!

At around midnight last night I finally got home after being in Europe for six whole months. My flight left from Madrid at 1pm, or 5am in the US, so I was in the process of traveling for about 20 hours. It's okay though, because on my flight I watched three movies. I watched Superman, which wasn't really that great, Edward Scissorhands, and Water for Elephants, which was AMAZING.

I haven't posted anything on this blog yet because I haven't had the time with traveling and everything, and I wanted to get some posts up on my study abroad blog, madeleinestudiesabroad.blogspot.com , in case you wanted to see my photos of France, Italy, and Spain.

I have a few things coming up for you guys while I'm home before I leave for France again for the next five months.

I have a bunch of empties coming up soon, and I also have a haul coming your way, because the things we use up gotta get replaced. I also made an order on drugstore.com because I needed to get stuff for my upcoming semester in Paris. I finished up a mascara that I'll be reviewing as well, and since I haven't worn nail polish in almost six months, I'm about to go into overdrive with the Nail Love posts, so look out for a lot of nail art.

I'm going to be clearing out my closet, accessories,  and jewelry box soon. I'm either going to sell some things on ebay or just give it away to charity, but if you guys would be interested in a blog sale, let me know down below. It's just after six months living out of only a big backpack that I realize how many things I really don't need or use, so I'd rather have things go to people that will use and enjoy them more than I do. I have a lot of vintage stuff and then some other things that I just outgrew.

But yeah, get ready for some posting after this little holiday break.

Happy holidays, everyone!
XO

Jenna Marbles is amazing

If you don't already subscribe to Jenna Marbles on youtube already, I highly recommend it. She just put out this gem this past week, and it's hilarious as usual.

What do you nails say about you?

My favorite beauty bloggers and youtubers

There are so many youtubers and beauty bloggers out on the internet now, and sometimes I just don't have time to watch all of them. This is a list of bloggers that I always make time for, however. I trust all of them for good product recommendations, reviews, and tips, and they're also just fun to watch.

Lisa Eldridge
Lisa Eldridge has been in the makeup industry for years and probably does all of your favorite celebrities' makeup. Luckily, she passes on her expertise to us through her amazing youtube videos. Every time I watch her I learn something new, and it's always helpful to take her tips to my job when I'm doing peoples' makeup. She's also just so classy and calming to watch.

Caroline Hirons - Beauty Mouth
Caroline is probably the most amazing skincare expert, and I've definitely learned so much from her that's helped me with my skincare routine. She takes shit from no one and puts none of it out herself. If you just want to-the-point answers for your skincare questions, you should definitely follow her blog. I've spent hours just reading her past posts and skincare cheat sheets.

Emily - Emilynoel83, Beauty Broadcast
An ex-news anchor, Emily puts out very professional videos, and she's very well-spoken and educated. I also love just how honest she is. She will never accept money in return for reviews, so you know everything she says is what she thinks. She's basically tried everything out there, so her recommendations tend to be the most reliable for me (we also have a similar skin type and same skin color, so it's also helpful when I need to know my shade in a product - I just get the one she uses). I also really appreciate her taste for drugstore products. She knows something doesn't have to be high end in order for it to be awesome, and if she does use high end, you can be sure she'll throw some cheaper dupes your way. Check out her other channel, beauty broadcast express, for short but complete reviews of a different product everyday.

Alix - I Covet Thee
Whenever Alix puts up a video on youtube, I basically jump for joy. Her voice is relaxing, reviews are to the point and usually spot on (we also share the same skin type, so whatever works for her almost always works for me and my oily skin), and being as drop-dead gorgeous as she is, if anything she mentions can make me look like her, hell yeah, I'm buyin'.

Anna, Lily, and Amelia - Vivianna Does Makeup, Lily Pebbles (What I Heart Today), Liana Beauty
For those that want to read/watch a few girls who are just as obsessed about beauty as you are, Anna, Lily, and Amelia are the ones to follow. Their blog posts make me feel like I'm reading a magazine, and their pictures are fantastic. Follow them on instagram, too, and drool at all the beautiful makeup they post. They've also got some really amazing makeup tips and life-hacks that are easy enough for anyone to incorporate into their routines. And when they do videos together? It's always funny to watch.

Fleur - Fleur de Force
Fleur is actually one of the first beauty gurus I ever subscribed to. She doesn't beat around the bush, is honest, and has great recommendations. Any questions or doubts you could possibly have about a product, she answers them. If you follow her instagram, too, you'll get the most adorable pictures of her puppies that will basically just make your day.

Estée - Essiebutton
I watch Estée for her great product reviews, but I also watch her because she is so freaking hilarious. She's one of the only gurus who will literally make me laugh out loud while watching an empties video (hers are my favorites) or monthly favorites, and she's just someone you want to be best friends with. Her vlogs are great, too, and you'll get to watch her and her hilarious boyfriend and beautiful rescue greyhound on their daily adventures. Plus she's Canadian. How can you not love a Canadian???

Tati - Glamlife Guru
Tati is also one of those people who's super fun to watch, and she always has great tips for you that you might have never heard of. She dabbles in high-end and drugstore makeup, and she's another person I really trust when I'm shopping for a new product. If Tati gives her stamp of approval, I can usually count on a product to be good.

Jessica, Kate, and Meg. Jessica Beautician, gh0stparties, Lipssofacto/MeganIsobel
Jessica and Meg just know so much about skincare, and their personalities are just so magnetic. Kate is also one of the most funny people on youtube, and her instagram pictures (mostly of her kitty, Mouse) always make me smile.

Who are your favorite beauty bloggers?

Quick (Makeup/skincare) Update

I've been making little changes with my routine lately, and I'd thought I'd update you guys real quick on how that's working out for me.

The other part of the skincare routine, masks.

Masks are amazing for pampering yourself, but I do think they can really give your skin a swift kick up the ass when it's looking less than pretty, you're targeting a specific problem, or just want something for maintenance every week. I like to have three kinds in my arsenal: one to exfoliate, one to purify, and one to moisturize.

Deodorant Dilemma: Going natural

Deodorant is the one thing I absolutely hate shopping for. Here's why: The stuff I use will probably give me cancer, but I still keep buying it anyway, then feeling guilty. Yeahhh. 

Usually, I go for anti-perspirants, which not only keep me smelling good, but also keep me dry. My default is definitely Dove. It works and it's moisturizing, too. I love the Cucumber and Green Tea (I've gone through probably more than seven of those), and the Plum and Sakura Blossom is to die for.  Although, almost literally because of aluminum. 

Because of this aluminum issue, I've been trying to find more natural alternatives.

A simple collection of lip products

As far as makeup goes, and most things in life for that matter, the more you own, the more owns you.

Lip products and I have always had a strange history (although not really, because they're inanimate objects, and when it comes down to it they're just colors in plastic tubes); I always go to a point of minimalism with them, then to a point of excess. 

Review: Edward Bess Lip Products*

I was really excited to try out all of these Edward Bess lip products for work. I mean, just look at the packaging. It's gorgeous.