Brighter, Darling

Pregnancy Files: 30 Most Recommended Baby Items To Register For

June 21, 2018

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Now that I’m a few days shy of six months into this pregnancy, you can bet I’ve been bombarded with product recommendations from loving friends and family on items I absolutely NEED for #BrighterDarlingBaby ( name reveal coming soon! ). If you’re a mom-to-be and totally overwhelmed by the insane plethora of options for your upcoming addition, continue reading to narrow down the most recommended baby items to register for (2018) edit.

…or if you’re a mom pro and think I’m missing anything, definitely let me know…

NEW bareMinerals Gen Nude Eyeshadow Palettes, Primers, Liners, Mascaras + more

June 18, 2018

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Shout out to the SWIRL TAP BUFF crew circa early to mid 2000s! That’d be me. I’ll literally never forget getting my first bareMinerals starter kit box from some TV-infomercial my senior year of college. I got the medium set – included two shades of foundation, a bronzer, mineral veil and two brushes (a buffing brush for the foundation, and a fluffier brush for the bronzer and mineral veil). FFW about 11 years later and here we are, still obsessed with bareMinerals! They’re a bit more sophisticated now, with a ton more options – like this recently expanded bareMinerals Gen Nude line. The brand released four (skin tone complementing) eye palettes, six eyeliners, eight (skin tone complementing/antiaging) eye primers, two new mascaras and a few new eye brushes – WHEW! Ready to see what I think about this massive launch?

New Products To Try From Pixi by Petra

June 14, 2018

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Walk into your local Target these days and if you’re lucky, you have one of those newly re-designed stores that have a huge cosmetics department and expanded (plus FULLY STOCKED) Pixi by Petra/Pixi Beauty section. I’ve always been a fan of their skin care line, but lately, even their cosmetics has taken a large leap in the right direction and I’ve been quite happy with a few of their recent launches. Today’s post is all about a few new products to try from Pixi by Petra next time you’re wandering around Target…

Eyeshadow Palette Collection and Declutter 2018 [YouTube]

June 7, 2018

I have been dying to film this video and just DO this decluttering for too long! Eyeshadow is a weakness of mine. It’s my favorite makeup product and I just always feel like I need to find the best eye makeup in the universe 24/7 (weird?). Anyway, I sat down and filmed an eyeshadow palette collection and declutter recently and wanted to share it all with you. To check out my collection and declutter, continue reading.

Product You Never Knew You Needed: Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter

June 5, 2018

*Affiliate links and PR samples used. Full disclaimer details here.
As much as I am obsessed with everything Charlotte Tilbury releases, there are times (as with any brand) products come out and I know 100% it’s not suited for me/my needs. Then there are times I’m just confused. This is usually when a brand does something truly innovative and throws the industry off by doing something totally unique. I’ve been testing Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter complexion booster for over a month now, and although I was initially ambivalent about its need in my collection, I can 100% tell you this is a product you never knew you needed and fulfills a variety of different skin/makeup desires!

Urban Decay Beached Collection Review + Tutorial [YouTube]

May 31, 2018

Urban Decay always delights with new releases in beautiful packaging, and the Urban Decay Beached collection is no exception! This is the first package Urban Decay sent me complimentary for testing purposes and I literally almost died when I opened the box. Not only does this collection SCREAM Brighter, Darling (hello, color scheme), but I just love anything summer, beachy and bronzed so I was more than ready to tear into this and see how everything performed on camera. If you’re interested to see my thoughts in this Urban Decay Beached Collection review and tutorial on YouTube, plus some final thoughts, continue reading.

3 Reasons Why I Wear SPF Every Day Always

May 14, 2018

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Olay. The opinions and text are all mine. #mySPFmatch #feeltheWhip
I started wearing SPF on my face by accident. It was during college when I started wearing mineral powder foundation (because who didn’t?) and I needed to use an affordable moisturizer suited for sensitive skin to help the foundation apply nicer. I turned to Olay back then for their Olay Complete All Day Moisturizer Sensitive Skin SPF15. Being in my 30s now, my skin care requirements are multi-faceted: I want long-lasting hydration, nothing heavy or greasy, must provide anti-aging benefits and protects my skin from the sun…exactly what you get from the new Olay Whips with SPF. If you want to know three key reasons why I wear SPF every day and why I think it’s a HUGE key to younger-looking, brighter skin then keep reading.

Tutorial: $12 Shop Hush Athena Eyeshadow Palette Dupe [YouTube]

May 14, 2018

It’s been a bit since I shared a YouTube video, but I’m happy to be back at it and sharing this makeup tutorial featuring (mostly) affordable makeup! Mainly, I’ll be testing this $12 Shop Hush Athena Eyeshadow Palette dupe for a high-end palette that costs $60+. If you’re interested in seeing how I got this look and if the $12 palette is worth it, then continue reading…

Pregnancy Files: My 8 First Trimester Beauty Essentials

May 10, 2018

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Kicking off this pregnancy series, I figured it would be apt to begin with my first trimester beauty essentials. After all, this is a beauty blog. You’ll also find a correlating first trimester “bumpdate” on my YouTube channel (later in the day on 5/10/18) if you’re interested in other pregnancy details. But back to beauty. Let’s just say it’s been a very interesting introduction into the world of hormones, as my insanely oily skin has taken a turn for the dry side, and after 11 years of Retin A, I’ve had to bench my go-to anti-aging/anti-acne treatment. How are things holding up and what am I using it its place? Let’s see…

Thrive Causemetics Review and Makeup Look

May 4, 2018

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In my early pregnancy when I was keeled over dying of nausea and forgot what my makeup even looked like, I spent a lot of time stalking everyone on social media. This means I was bombarded with seeing ads from Thrive Causemetics. If you’ve seen these ads, they’re quite enticing and after seeing maybe, 50,000, I decided to place an order of my own and test out a few products for ‘blogging purposes’ (it’s always for blogging purposes… at least that’s what I tell my husband when he sees my Sephora and Ulta transactions…). Now that I’m feeling way better, I’ve been testing the products out and I’m ready to share my Thrive Causemetics review and makeup look.