target beauty – The Sol Compass

July Beauty Haul

Hi everyone! Welcome back. I feel like I haven’t blogged in so long, when in reality it’s only been a week since my last post. Unfortunately my laptop hasn’t been working, so my outfit photos are MIA this week-but I’m praying to the Apple Geniuses that they’re able to fix it when I bring it in tonight!

In the interim, I thought I would take this opportunity to share some of my recent beauty purchases. My sister Michaela will attest to the fact that I am definitely not the first to jump on indie beauty brands or celebrity trends-in fact, I am usually the last. Most of this has to do with the fact that I like products to be tested by pretty much everyone under the sun before I’m willing to put it on my face. With that, I usually do an extensive amount of research before buying beauty products and am reasonably confident that I will like them before I even try them, and so far these ones have not disappointed.

These amazing sticks are the only item in this haul that you can’t find at Sephora. If you live in Boston you can find W3ll People at the amazing and reliable Follain, and if you don’t you can find them online and at Target! I first heard about W3ll People from one of my favorite bloggers, Grace Atwood, whose opinion on beauty products I always trust (I may be biased because we went to the same college, but alas). I had kept them on my radar for a while before I finally pulled the trigger but oh my goodness. I can’t believe I didn’t have these in my life earlier. The sticks are so fun and easy to use, they make contouring and concealing an absolute breeze. This all natural brand’s motto is “Hippie Tested, Diva Approved” and there may be no greater beauty sentence ever said.

The reason I went to Sephora in the first place was to pick up the coveted Becca x Jaclyn Hill Champagne Collection Face Palette. It’s true that I’m a sucker for a good limited edition (hello, Gwen Stefani and Ellie Goulding collabs), but this one is definitely worth the hype. The colors are just unbelievably versatile, the packaging is so glamorous, and you really can’t argue with getting two highlighters and three blushes for only $52. To get such beautiful shades created by Jaclyn Hill combined with the luxurious Becca formulas is totally worth it. (The palette is sold out online, but you can use the store locator to find one near you!)

As I mentioned in my lip products post, I am always on the hunt for new lipsticks and glosses to try. I don’t really change much in my makeup routine on a daily basis, so different lip products are sort of my way of experimenting and changing up a look. Since Anastasia Beverly Hills has been having so much success and hype amongst experts, aficionados, and newbies alike; I figured I couldn’t go wrong with one of these lip glosses. My shade of choice was Dainty-a soft peach hue that is just beautiful paired with tan summer skin. Urban Decay never lets me down, so I also picked up two pretty pink lipsticks from their new Vice collection. These shades are ‘Native’ and ‘Weirdo’, and it’s actually kind of embarrassing how similar they are. But when they make such a smooth and creamy lipstick, what else do you expect me to do?!

Korean cosmetic brands are receiving their fair share of hype these days, so when I stumbled across one that had two products I desperately needed I didn’t think twice. Too Cool For School is a self processed “rule breaking” beauty brand full of fun and artistic packaging of makeup and skincare products. During the summer I desperately need transportable blotting papers that leave my makeup intact after running to catch a subway or getting into my hotbox of a car when it’s 95 degrees outside. This adorable Dinoplatz case fit the bill perfectly and so far has not disappointed my skin, my makeup, or my wallet. Next up, I have been dying to get my hands on some makeup-remover-infused-cotton swabs to touch up pesky mascara that forces its way onto my carefully blended eye shadow, and this ready-to-travel case is the perfect answer to my prayers.

Thank you all so much for stopping by! I hope you all have a fantastic weekend!

xo, C

Real Techniques

I’ve been hearing a fair amount of hype from beauty vloggers and friends about Real Techniques, so when I decided I needed to purchase some more eye makeup brushes (after expanding my use of eyeshadow that I mentioned here), I decided to give them a go. For starters, this sponge is a total miracle dupe. I’ve never been able to justify spending $20 on a sponge a la beauty blender, so I was amped to find this $6 dupe and it definitely did not disappoint!

The eye brushes (purple) were what I needed most so they were the first items I added to my cart. I was not expecting any set of brushes under $20 to pick up eye shadow as well as they did, and as a result I put WAY too much on the first time I used them! They’re super soft and apply makeup so easily. I’ve heard some people that were less than thrilled with the results, but for the price I can’t imagine finding a more effective brush set! Also, how can you argue with them when they come with their own travel case and stand?!

Because I was just so in love with the vibrant pink, I decided to scoop up this cheek and lip brush set as well. Again I loved how soft and gentle the brushes were, and how well they picked up and held my powder makeup.

Product Details – Miracle Complexion Sponge | Starter Brush Makeup Set | Cheek & Lip Brush Set

(For a full list of Real Techniques retailers, click here)

Thanks for reading! Happy Hump Day!

xo, C

Eye Makeup Routine

You may remember I recently shared my favorite lip products, so today I thought I would share my every day eye makeup routine. I am not someone who’s willing to spend a lot of time on my makeup, so fancy things like contouring tend to get skipped with me. My eye makeup routine is like a well oiled machine and I can whip through it even when I’m half asleep and/or squished in front of a gym mirror with a dozen other women.

The cornerstone for my makeup routine for the past five years has been bareMinerals’ mascara and eyeliner. I’ve tried so many other mascaras and almost all of them irritate my eyes or clump or are just frustrating to apply evenly. These two gems are perfect for a natural makeup look and for someone who just wants to swipe on makeup and get on with their day.

In my Pixi by Petra post I included these two gems, but they have become so essential to my makeup routine I couldn’t imagine leaving them out today. This eye bright liner and eye zone brightener are crucial to making tired eyes look bright and fresh no matter how little sleep I got the night before.

I never used eye shadow for day to day makeup until I was gifted these Urban Decay palettes by my kind and beautiful friends and generously taught how to use them by my patient and talented sister. If a makeup amateur like I can figure out how to mix shades, then it’s not nearly as difficult as it seems. The Naked Palettes 100% live up to their hype. They are super easy to apply and definitely worth the price tag once you realize how many options you have. Plus an eyeshadow that stays put all day and doesn’t crease cannot be passed up. I love the colors in this Vice palette my friend Kelsey gave me, and I’ve slowly been starting to learn how to incorporate the brighter and bolder hues without scaring people off/getting confused for a ten year old on her way to a ballet recital.

Lately I’ve been lusting after the UD x Gwen Stefani Eyeshadow Palette-it’s an insanely versatile palette, with a perfect mix of neutrals and jewel tones to complete any look, day or night! I know I’ll love the formula as I do with my current Urban Decay eyeshadows and it’s just a matter of time before I’m able to convince myself that yes, of course I need more eyeshadows! 😉

Urban Decay Vice Palette (old, new version here) | Urban Decay Naked3 Palette | Urban Decay Shadow Box (old, new version here)

The newest additions to my routine are Urban Decay’s Subversion Lash Primer and Anastasia Beverly Hills’ Clear Brow Gel. Lash primer is definitely not an every day product for me, but it sure is a game changer. I generally only use it for blog posts, date nights, or other special occasions. I am a HUGE fan of this clear brow gel. It’s super easy to put on, it keeps my eyebrows in place all day long, and tames any rogue strays; without the terrifying factor of me with bold eyebrows. For those lucky souls who can pull off the thick eyebrow trend, I’m sure the tinted brow gel from ABH is equally as amazing because the formula is 100% effective.

Thanks for stopping by! Do any of you have any must haves that I need to start incorporating into my routine? Sound off in the comments! Have a wonderful weekend!

xo, C

Pixi by Petra

While shopping one of my favorite Target beauty lines, Sonia Kashuk, I turned around in the aisle and found myself facing a wall of light and bright products in the Pixi line. I was intrigued to say the least, especially when I saw the series of brightening products at extremely reasonable prices. A quick Google search told me all I needed to hear- that the line I was looking at was designed to make tired and busy skin look bright and healthy, using natural ingredients. I 100% lean towards the natural beauty look, and a line of products designed to enhance natural beauty instead of covering it up sounded perfect to me. Pixi products do exactly that- liven up tired skin quickly and efficiently to help busy women looking their best.

Since I am a terrible creature of habit and sometimes have a hard time parting with the items I already love, I opted for three products that I don’t have a stand by for; the makeup fixing mist, eye zone brightener, and eye bright liner. They are all hands down must haves for everyone’s makeup case. I don’t like to wear a lot of makeup, but these are all perfect for those mornings when I haven’t gotten a lot of sleep and my skin needs a little pick me up. The quick extra steps are so worth the drastic results of brighter, glowing skin.

In somewhat related news, I am unbelievably excited to tell you all that I have five giveaways of some of my favorite products planned out for (hopefully) March! I plan to roll them out as a celebration when I reach 500 followers on Instagram, so I need your help! Follow along here and help me reach my goal soon, so we can get the giveaways rolling!

Thanks you all from the very bottom of my heart for supporting The Sol Compass. It is truly a dream come true to know that at least one person besides my mom is reading the things I blog passionately about. This site is a major labor of love and it means so much to me to think that just one person might get just one recommendation out of reading it. Happy Hump Day!

xo, C