It Took Me Long Enough

Funny story today.  I was at my local Ulta, and remembered that they sold NYX, so I went over to grab myself a Jumbo Eye Pencil.  As it turns out, all the eye and lip pencils were in the same case and had the same packaging.  And I bought a lip pencil instead of an eye pencil.  FAIL.  It's not really that big of a deal, though, because I'm pretty sure that the eye and lip pencils have pretty much the same formula.  Anyways, the pencil I picked up is Vanilla Ice, which is a lovely deep champagne with pinky-brown undertones and quite a bit of frost.  I would never wear anything this frosty on my lips, which is probably why I assumed it was an eye pencil.  I use it in the inner corners and inner half of the lid for a pop of brightness.  The pencil is extremely soft, and I have no idea how I'll sharpen it.  It applies very smoothly and has a lovely, creamy texture.  My one issue with the formula, however, is that the lasting power sucks.  I swatched a bunch of these on my hand at Ulta, and tried to blend some of them out to see how they'd respond, and they all but disappeared, including the black pencil!  If you want these to last, I'd suggest using a strong base, like Mac's Painterly, and dusting translucent powder on top.  That's a lot of effort for me in the morning.  I think it's a good value, but I'd definitely stick to lighter shades that won't fade as noticeably.  I think I might pick up Iced Mocha or Yogurt next time I'm in Ulta, but I wouldn't go far out of my way for one of these. 

Yep.  That's right.  I finally caved on OPI's Cajun Shrimp.  It actually took me forever to find in Ulta because OPI makes so, so many similar orangey-reds.  It looks a little more pink in the bottle, but it goes on a lovely poppy, orange-red with a hint of coral.  I was almost scared to buy it because I thought it couldn't measure up to what I'd made it in my head, but it's still the best summer pedicure color EVER.  Hands down.  I'm in love all over again!

T-Bags V Neck Pocket Dress, $159 at shopbop.com, Motif 56 Ruby Belt, $135 at shopbop.com: This is totally random, but how adorable is this T-Bags dress.  It's so yacht-club preppy, but the mini-length and deep v-neckline keep it from being staid or boring.  I'd add a wide, brown leather belt for a bit of an urban, earthy contrast and to highlight the waist.

LUSH I Should Coco Soap, $7.95 at lushusa.com, Vaseline Intensive Care Vitalizing Gel Body Oil, $7.49 at drugstore.com, Neutrogena Body Oil in Light Sesame, $15.99 for 16 oz at drugstore.com: I'm mildly bipolar when it comes to scents.  During the winter it's all musks and spices and amber, but when summertime rolls around all I want is tropical and coconutty goodness.  I know, I know, I'm so cliche, but it's true.  The same goes for body products, and it's total counter-intuitive.  Summer means body oil and intense moisturizers (I realize that winter is much drier, and these would be much better suited for wintertime, but let's face it, my brain doesn't function in a normal manner).  This Lush soap (I swear I will actually make it inside a Lush store one of these days) has creamed coconut, coconut oil, and fresh coconut for simultaneous moisturizing and exfoliating.  Your skin will be glowing and moisturized and smell like a tropical beach, and these soap would look adorable in your shower.  That's a win-win.  As for body oils, there are lighter and heavier incarnations.  For deeper moisturizing, I like this Vaseline gel-oil.  It really has the consistency of gel, which sounds weird but is much easier to rub in than an oil, and smells just like cocoa.  It doesn't leave your skin feeling tacky, but it does leave just a bit of a sheen, which is so sexy in the summertime.  This Neutrogena Sesame oil is much lighter and has a softer, more neutral scent, so it's perfect if you don't need as much moisture or are really sensitive to stronger scents.

Image Sources:
T-Bags dress: shopbop.com, Motif 56 belt: shopbop.com, Lush soap: lushusa.com, Vaseline gel: drugstore.com, Neutrogena oil: drugstore.com.