Weekly Favorites & Fails 2.6.15 MAC, Cle De Peau, The Body Shop, 50 Shades of Gray, Sony & MORE!

Now that it's February and my Best of 2014 Makeup Products Series has wrapped up on my channel, I can get back on track with our regularly scheduled programing. This week's favorites focuses on basics and enjoyment.

I get sent a lot of products to test out and review, but very few actually make it to my review list and even fewer make it in my favorites. This body butter whips from Lashea is one of a kind and my new favorite body moisturizer.

The consistency is like a whipped cream that dissolves into an oil when rubbing in with your hands. All the ingredients are basic, you can actually read and understand what is in your product.

The sent of lavender is not over powering, it's very fresh and not offensive at all. I love supporting smaller brands and companies and when I reach out to them, the owner offered my views and readers a generous 20% off your purchase. Shop HERE use DYH20 at checkout the code is good till 3/14/15. 

I'm a huge fan of Sally Hansen and my favorite formula is the Xtreame wear polishes. They are so affordable and last a long time on my nails. Recently in my latest trip to the drugstore I picked up Fan Appeal and I've been loving the deep metallic purple shade.

The Body Shop Honey Bronzer has made it into my everyday rotation of makeup. This bronzer is very natural and gives the most flawless natural finish. The shade range is perfect for fair to medium skin tones. I like to apply this bronzer with a fluffy blush brush or duo fiber brush in a "3" on either side of my face to warm up and add depth.

Since the holidays I've been loving the Skinfood Black Sugar Honey Wash Off Mask. This mask is hydrating, exfoliating, and detoxifying. In the winter time my skin can get dry and irritated, this mask is able to brighten and detox my skin without any irritation.

The honey is anti bacterial and the black sugar is a gentle exfoliant.

If you watch my vlog channel where I eat, play with my dogs, and wonder around LA/OC or just sit at home a lot, you would have seen a sudden quality upgrade, it's thanks to this baby. After months of drooling and research, I finally purchased the Sony a5000. It's a perfect on the go camera for high quality instagram photos, vlogging, and capturing life.

The main reason I decided to get the camera was for Europe. My husband and I will be visiting Europe in the spring, I wanted to be able to take good quality photos and vlog without having to lug around a DSLR and a point and shoot. This had all the qualities I was looking for and is currently at its' lowest price HERE.

The camera has interchange lenses, Wi-Fi, selfie flip up screen, auto focus, amazing built in features.

I've also been loving my MAC Pro Long Wear Concealer in the shade NC 20 and my Cle De Peau Concealer in Beige. I talk more in-depth on both these products in my video here. 

Watch my weekly favorites video to see me talk about 50 Shades of Gray  and The Bar Method, my new favorite way to get in shape. 

What have you been loving this past week? Let me know what I should try out.

XOXO

Serein

Blush & Highlight Combo

An oldie and a newbie make the perfect flawless complexion. 

Growing up my mom always told me to wear blush. I rebelled like any teenager and avoided blush. I didn't want to look like a crazy clown. 

Well, like many things in life, my mom was right. Wear the blush. 

Blush does something to the face, it lifts, brightens, and adds color. Blush wakes up the complexion and makes us look youthful and healthy. 

A rediscovery and all time favorite blush of mine is mac's warm soul. This blush is the perfect mix of mauve, pink, brighting, slight shimmer shade for almost all skin tones. I have yet to find someone this blush doesn't look good on.

I heard that mac recently reformulated this perfection, and I'm sad about the news. I have yet to buy a new one, but when I tried it on in store, It was still beautiful with the reformulation.

Want to really brighten your face and wake up? Try a highlight. I'm loving this new discovery from Laura Geller. The Baked Split Highlight has the best of all your highlighting needs. You have a non shimmery, pearly highlight for daytime or natural looks. Swipe this on your highlight points and look like your woke up glowing. Use the shimmery peachy tone for a bit more drama and intensity. Both shades look beautiful on the eyes and inner corners as well.

In a hurry? Swipe warm soul on cheeks around the face, over the lids and add this highlight on your highlight points, few strokes of mascara, and a lip balm, your good to go and no one would be the wiser.

What are some of your favorite blushes and highlights? Did this post inspire you to dig through your makeup collection and find an old favorite? Tweet me your pics @sereinwu

XOXO

Serein

Buried Makeup Treasures- August

It is more comment than not that we tend to buy multiples of one item and then forget the once beloved past purchase.

I had mentioned in My July Monthly Favorites + Tutorial video about starting a series of forgotten makeup items. Many of my subscribers liked the idea so I thought I would go ahead a try it out for August.

don't forget to watch my monthly favorites if you missed it!

We are all guilty of being a little bit of a pack rat or hoarder on some level. Being a beauty blogger/ vlogger, my hoarding tendencies get a little out of control when it comes to makeup.

I am constantly giving bags of gently used beauty products to my close friends and family to feel less guilty, however this doesn't solve the problem. My husband, bless his patient heart constantly sits with me and helps me decide which red lipstick to keep and which to send off to a better home.

Even with all the purging, there are just some pieces in my collection I will never be able to part with till I've used it up or it's gone bad.

This month I've selected 4 items that I once loved and have since forgotten about. Two items were purchased with much thought and debate back in my earlier vlogging days before I spent as much money as I do now on makeup. Can you guess which ones?

Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette

This was the first naked palette I ever purchased, in fact come to think of it it is the first Urban Decay eyeshadow purchase I had ever made, no wonder I have such attachment to this beauty. 

I remember using this everyday and being so in love with the golden warm shades. Sadly with the over flow of new palettes and always testing out the next new shadow that cosmetic companies keep churning out,  I have not reached for this in probably almost 6 months if not more. 

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Dim Light
Honestly I don't know why I never returned this one. This was such a splurge product and a definite youtube made me do it item. I remember seeing these in store and not really knowing what it did. I get the idea is to give a dim light look when applied to the highlight areas of the face, but I just don't see anything really when I use this one. This is probably why I shoved this in the back of my collection and have barely used it. I know folks rave about this item, but for whatever reason I'm not getting it. Let's see how I feel after a full month.

Jouer SPF Bronzer in Perfect Tan
Now this is definitely a much loved product, I've even hit pan. The reason I think I stopped using it was that Jouer discontinued this bronzer and I was very sad about it and either I'm subconsciously not wanting to use it all up in case I want it or I stopped using it because why use a product that my readers/ viewers can no longer buy. Either way it's time to live it up and finish this baby off!

L'oreal Voluminous Mascara in Violet
This was a limited edition shade for the original and much loved mascara I believe. I tried it once and never picked it up again, so I thought I'd try and use this up a bit before it goes bad and gets all sorts of gross bacteria.

The idea of this series is to leave these 4 items out on my vanity and with a conscious effort use it as much as possible for a full month. At the end of the month I'll check back in and see if my feelings about the products have changed. Will I part with them or keep them in my collection?

What are your thoughts on this series? Do you have too much of something where you forget to use it? What are your buried treasures for August? I'd love to know. Also if you're doing this as well please let me know so I can follow along.

XOXO

Serein

P.S.

I mentioned this in my July Favorites Video, but I got the idea from Casey Holmes from ItsBl0ndie & Estee from EssieButton. They both have done versions of this type of series. 

July Favorites

Every month the beauty community rally up their beauty favorites to share with the world. As I gather my own collection of favorites to film and upload on youtube, I can't get this overwhelming sensation of how fast time is just passing me by.

All of July's Makeup Favorites, which I use in a very wearable makeup tutorial in My July Favorites and Tutorial Video on Youtube

Summer is almost over and everyone is already on the back to school craze, I AM NOT READY. This brings me back the the anxiety of auditioning for Christmas commercials in summer. If you don't know, because of production turnaround, most commercials, films, and television shows are filmed months in advance. So odds are summer beach bikini commercials are filmed in the dead of winter on a freezing beach and fun festive winter holiday commercials are filmed in the hottest months in summer with fake snow and LOTS of winter gear in the hottest months. It's crazy and uncomfortable.

It seriously freaks me out to keep thinking a season ahead. I want to savor today and live in the moment. of course I will think of future plans, wants, needs, and goals, but somehow these monthly favorites bring me a bit of anxiety.

So without further a due... here are my monthly favorites in video form and in pretty pictures. The "pretty" may be lacking on the pictures, since my uncle just left me a camera that I'm trying to figure out. So while I have finally figured out how to use my Canon Rebel T5i for filming my youtube videos, I'm now trying to learn an outdated Sony DSLR for my blog photos. Bare with me.

For details on the products and how I use them please watch my video. 

Murad Pore Reform Skin Smoothing Polish: 

Murad Blackhead and Pore Clearing Duo

Caudalie Beauty Elixir:

CND Solar Oil: 

(Use coupon code: SereinSleekhair14 for $15 off of $75)

CND Weekly Polish Cerulean Sea:

(Use coupon code: SereinSleekhair14 for $15 off of $75)

CND Weekly Top Coat:

(Use coupon code: SereinSleekhair14 for $15 off of $75)

Mehron Velvet Finish Primer:

http://www.mehron.com/Velvet_Finish_Primer_p/194.htm

Laura Geller Beauty Cool Lids Cream Eye Shadow

2nd Love Baked marble Blush in Sunshine:

The White Queen by Phylippa Gregory

Paper Towns by John Green

*Get a FREE audio book here:

http://www.audibletrial.com/dressyourselfhappy

Amrezy Palette

It Cosmetics Celebration Foundation Medium

Tarte Amazonian Clay Waterproof Brow Mousse:

Jose Maran Coconut Watercolor Eyeshadow in Rio De Rose

Cle De peau Beaute Concealer in Beige

Alexa Chung Lash Enhancing Eye Do Eyeliner Eyeko

Chanel Liner in 911

Tarte lights, camera, splashes mascara

Clinque Bottom Lash Mascara:

2nd Love Baked Bronzer in Sun kissed:

It Cosmetics CC+ Radiance Ombre Bronzer

YSL Glossy Stain in #7

Elizabeth and James Nirvana White Rollerball

What were your monthly favorites this last month?

xoxo-
Serein

*some above links are affiliate links. Please read disclaimer page if you have any concerns.