Empties Review #1

Hello all!  So generally at the beginning of the month I talk about my favorites.  However, since I really only have a couple new favorites this month, I thought I would make this a different post; empties!

These are some of my favorite blog posts to read about, and watch on YouTube, because then I can really see what people have used completely, or if they only like something briefly.  I know that I am incredibly inconsistent with my routines, as I am always looking for the "perfect" combination of products.

*Newsflash* That doesn't really exist, but since I have incredibly problematic and inconsistent skin concerns (sometimes dry, sometimes oily, dark spots, acne, sensitivity, never the same for long), I am always looking!  I also notice that sometimes one product will work really well initially, but won't stand the test of time.  It will either sit around my apartment for ages, or I will give it away.  So, when I finish a product, it generally means it works very well for me!

For each item I list below, I will answer if I liked the product, and whether I would buy it again.  I feel like that will cover the bases for you guys in terms of figuring out which products are the best.

There are a lot of items to cover, so let's get to it!

1.  The Righteous Butter- Soap&Glory- Love this product! I believe it was featured in a favorites post this winter!  I will definitely be repurchasing, as soon as I run out of my travel-sized version!

 
2.  Amazing Face Age Support Cream- Emma Hardie- This product came as a sample size with my cleansing balm.  I enjoyed the smell immensely (it remeinded me vaguely of something from my childhood, but I couldn't quite place it!), but it was a bit to heavy as a moisturizer for me.  I might purchase this again, but only as a night treatment during the winter months.

3.  Clear Corrective Dark Spot Solution- Kiehl's- This is another product that was featured in a favorites post!  While I love this priduct, I am a college student.  It broke the bank, for sure!  That is really my only issue, so for now, I will not be re-purchasing!  If you have a recommendation for a product that combats hyperpigmentation, let me know in the comments! 

4.  Deep Pore Charcoal Cleanser- Bioré- This product didn't do anything special for me.  It has a cooling sensation that is quite refreshing, but I didn't notice a huge difference in the clarity of my skin.  Will not re-purchase.

5.  Hand Food- Soap&Glory-  While I am in love with the smell, I felt that I constantly had to reapply in order for my hands to stay moisturized, which was a bit inconvenient.  Will not re-purchase.

6.  Dry Shampoo- Batiste-  I have not found a single dry shampoo that rivals this one for me.  I get a different scent almost every time, and they all do the job.  I have blonde hair, so white residue is not really an issue for me (which is something I know a lot of people hate about Batiste).  Will definitely be re-purchasing!

7. Tsubaki Cleansing Oil-Gel- Boscia- I got this product as a points perk from Sephora, and I have to say, I was incredibly underwhelmed!  I tried using this to take my makeup off, and I felt like I had to work really hard.  Will not purchase full size.

8. Healing Oil Spray- Macadamia- I love love love this product!  Not only does it smell amazing, it makes my hair feel like silk!  It is a dry oil, so there is never any feeling of grease left on your hair.  I will definitely be re-purchasing!

9.  Ginzing Energy-boosting Moisturizer- ORIGINS-  I received a deluxe sample of this from Sephora, and fell in love.  Not only does it smell amazing, but it wakes up my skin and brightens my complexion!  I have already bought the full-sized product!

10. Zero Oil Oil-free Moisture Lotion with Saw Palmetto and Mint- Origins- While I liked the consistency of this product (it felt like a mix between a makeup primer and a gel), I was really put off by the smell.  I could see that some people would enjoy it (test it for yourself!), but I just really didn't care for it.  Will not be re-purchasing.

11. Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief- Clinique- I loved this product.  I generally used it as my evening moisturizer, but during the winter moths I wore it in the AM as well.  What I loved most is that even though I bought the oil-free version, it did not feel like I had to compromise in terms of high moisture content!  I will definitely re-purchase!

12. Hand Cream- L'Occitane- I really liked this hand cream, but the shea butter scent was not for me.  I have gotten the lavender scent before and loved it immensely, so I will probably re-purchase but in a different scent.

13.  Pore Targeting Treatment- Proactiv- This is my #1 priduct for spot treatment.  Hands down.  I used to use the whole Proactiv kit, but now I only use this.  It's really the best product from the whole kit.  I have already re-purchased.

14. Amazing Face Moringa Cleansing Balm- Emma Hardie- Thanks to this lovely product, I have been indoctrinated into the world of balm cleansers.  I love it!  I am already working on the full-sized product!

15.  Oatmeal & Shea Butter Body Wash- St. Ives- Body wash is one of the few items that I'm not generally too fussed about.  This one did a good job and I got a lot for my buck!  Will probably re-purchase.

16.  Skin Rescue Deep Cleanser with Red Clay- First Aid Beauty-  This is probably the first product from this brand that was underwhelming for me.   I got it as a deluxe sample from Sephora, and while it was a nice consistency, I felt that it was over-drying for my skin.  *Side note* I love the Red Clay Mask from First Aid Beauty, just not this cleanser.  Will not purchase.

17.  Stay Matte Pressed Powder- Clinique-  This is probably my favorite pressed powder or powder foundation I have ever tried.  I think that this is possibly my 4th time purchasing!  I will re-purchase as soon as I finish off my Tarte Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Powder Foundation.

18.  Positively Radiant Daily Cleansing Pads- Aveeno-  The Clear Complexion version of this product made it to a favorites post, but these were not my favorite.  They smelled great, but I didn't feel like they evened out my complexion all that much.  Plus I felt very wasteful every time I threw away one of the pads.  Will not re-purchase.

That concludes this incredibly long post!  I hope that you found it useful and entertaining!

If you have any recommendations, be sure to leave them in the comments!

-Fly high, little birds!

xxx

March Favorites

Hello all!

I hope everyone had a lovely month! Is it starting to feel like Spring where you are? New York is only just starting to warm up!  It was snowing less than a week ago, but we finally got above 60 degrees! It's amazing what warm weather can do to lift your spirits!

I honestly don't have a lot of favorites from March.  I was mostly using the same products as in February, so this post should be short and sweet!

First up are my new backpack and water bottle.  The backpack is from a brand called Tumbuk2, which is located in San Francisco (yay for a piece of home!).  The factory is actually right next to where my old chiropractor is located!  I have been looking at getting a book bag slash dance bag from Tumbuk2 for ages, and I finally found the perfect one!  Not only did it meet my needs perfectly, it was on sale for almost $100 off!  Now, it was still a bit pricey, but there is a lifetime warranty on the bag, and it's incredibly well made; I can see myself having this bag literally for the rest of my life.  If you follow me on Instagram (@kathleendahlhoff), you will have already seen a picture of it.  The water bottle that I got at the same time is a super basic Nalgene, but it's 48oz! It has really helped me stay hydrated!

My next favorite is an accessory! Now, I don't usually have accessories as favorites because apart from my rings, I don't really wear much jewelry, but OH MY GOSH I am in LOVE with this watch from Ann Klein!  The band is a gorgeous blush leather, and the hardware is rose gold.  It's very hard to see in the picture, but the face of the watch is actually a pink-toned mother of pearl.  It is so classy and delicate, and it goes with everything!

Moving on to makeup! As you may or may not know, Nars Cosmetics recently came out with a new foundation, called the All Day Luminous Foundation.  It is their first ever full-coverage foundation, and it has a satin/matte finish.  Let me just tell you, this foundation is a GAME CHANGER.  I love the Nars Sheer-Glow, but with the humid summer months coming up, I wanted to find something that was less dewy.  Boy did I find that with this foundation!  Unlike the Nars Sheer-Matte foundation (which I believe has been discontinued), the Luminous is incredibly blendable and buildable, without being patchy!  I personally have been loving just adding a pump to my moisturizer and making my own tinted moisturizer!  I have also been mixing it with my Sheer-Glow, as it is still a bit dry in the city.  Long story short, I highly recommend!  I have been wearing the shade Mont Blanc.

My other makeup favorite has been a Burberry Soft Satin Lip Cover in the color No. 23 English Rose.  Remember when I said that my YSL Rouge Volupté Shine lipstick in the color No. 9 Nude in Private was my perfect nude lipstick?  I LIED.  This is my perfect nude!  Its more of a cool tone, and the finish is less glossy, which I love.  I also love that regardless of whether my lips are in good shape or not, this lipstick looks flawless and has incredible staying power.

My final favorite (told you it would be short!) is a nail polish from Victoria's Secret in the color "Steal the Show."  I don't often wear shimmer nail colors, but this one has been absolutely lovely, and had very good staying power!

I hope you enjoyed this month's favorites! Let me know if you have tried any of these products before, and whether you liked them!  Also, comment some of the things you loved during the month of March!

-Fly high, little birds!

xxx

January Favorites

I cannot believe that January is over already!  I started this month back home in San Francisco, and I finished it here in Manhattan.  January is always a bit of a monotonous month.  The holidays are wrapping up, people are going back to school and their jobs.  To be perfectly honest, there isn't much to look forward to, and it's cold!  I found myself curled up reading a book most of the time!

You will see from my post that a lot of this month's favorites are conducive to being chilled out indoors.  I am a California girl who doesn't particularly care for the below freezing temperatures that have been the norm in NYC this month!

My first favorite this month is tea.  Earl Grey, to be more precise! There is really nothing better than a warm cuppa and a soft blanket when there is a blizzard outside!

#ravenclawpride

As I said, I have been curling up with a lot of books this month.   However, my favorite has got to be Tam Lin by Pamela Dean.  This book is actually the reason that my sister decided to go to a small liberal arts school, as it is set at a liberal arts college in the midwest in the 70s.  It is a modern retelling of an old Scottish folk song by the same name.  The original song begins, "I forbid ye maidens all that wear gold in your hair to travel to Carterhaugh, for Young Tam Lin is there..."

I have not just been sitting around reading books, however!  I am working on some pieces of my own writing, for which this Kate Spade notebook (a gift from a friend) has been incredibly helpful!  It is always nice to carry around something that I can jot notes down in when inspiration strikes!

Since I didn't start back at dance officially until the 20th, I spent a lot of time at the gym to keep myself in shape.  I have to take very good care of my feet because they are quite literally my livelihood!  I only recently thought to put my orthotics in my Nike Free 5.0 running shoes, and to be perfectly honest, I don't know why I didn't do this sooner! My knees are less ache-y, and all of my discomfort that I generally have when I exercise has disappeared!

My next favorites are hair related.  I mentioned in my last favorites post that I had recently run out of all of my skincare products.  Well, the same thing happened with my hair products!  I repurchased one of my old holy grail products, the Blue Malva shampoo from AVEDA.  I honestly don't know why I stopped purchasing this!  It smells amazing, and it gets rid of brassy tones in any hair color!  I tend to wash my hair ever day because dancing makes me seriously sweaty, and this shampoo is gentle enough where I can use it daily, but strong enough where I feel like I am getting a really satisfying wash!

My next hair favorite is the Macadamia brand Deep Repair Masque.  I bought a couple sample packs because I didn't want to shell out money on the larger size without knowing whether I liked it or not.  Well, I don't like it.  I love it!  I use it twice a week, and I seriously think that my hair has grown since I started using this product!  I have also gotten a lot of comments about how shiny and luscious my hair looks! It might be too heavy for the summer, but I am loving it for the winter!

I haven't been doing much in the way of makeup.  What's the point, when I'm mostly inside by mylself?  However, when I do go out, I have been loving the Holika Holika brand BB cream with SPF 30.  I have the "clearing" one, which has tea tree oil and sebum controlling powder.  This is probably the best BB cream I have ever used!  The coverage is better than some foundations I have used, and it seriously lasts ages!  The best part? It was only $7!

I have also been loving the Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Natural lipstick in the color N9 Copper Pink.  This was a birthday present from Sephora, so it is just a mini.  It is very close to my natural lip color, so when I just want a little extra definition, this is what I go for.  A great drugstore dupe for this color is actually the Revlon Super Lustrous lipstick in the color 637 Blushing Nude! (Make Up Forever- $20 Revlon- $7).

My last favorite this month is the Vine app.  I honestly don't know why I haven't gotten into Vine sooner, but I am hooked!  I think I spent two hours straight watching six second videos of Thomas Sanders and Arielle Vandenberg! I have no shame!..... OK, maybe I have a little shame...

That is it for this month's favorites!  If you liked it, let me know in the comments below.  What have been your favorites this month?

-Fly high, little birds!

Unboxing- Sephora & Etsy

Hello all!

I recently got some stuff in the mail, and I thought I would share it with you!

First off, I made Dean's List at my university this past semester! For those of you who don't know what that is, it just means that I got straight As!  As a present, my parents got me a pendant to hold my Fitbit.  A Fitbit is one of the many calorie/exercise/sleep trackers out there, and it usually comes with a variety of brightly colored plastic bracelets to choose from.

However, these bracelets are not the prettiest.  This generally means that one either has to suck it up and wear the ugly plastic things out on the town, or one has to forgo recording all of the calories burned on the dance floor!

It seems I am not the only one who has noticed this particular discrepancy in design.  Fitbit recently partnered up with Tory Burch to design a line of chic gold/rose gold/silver jewelry to fix this issue.  However, I wasn't really a big enough fan of any of the designs to drop $175 on one.

Enter Etsy!  It was my mother's idea to look there, and I found a plethora of gorgeous designs! I picked a sterling silver pendant from the fitjewelsSF shop.  I love it!

 The other box that I got was from Sephora.  Yes, I know I have a problem.  In my defense, I was replacing two items that I had just run out of!  However, the best part about Sephora, is the free samples that I can get!  I think I got more samples than paid items!

 I got two fragrance samples that I'm super excited about! I like to change my fragrance a LOT, but I don't necessarily like dropping the big bucks on a full-sized bottle.  I got the Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet, which I am so in love with! I just might be getting the full-sized version for the springtime!  It has notes of peony and rose with white musk.  The other is lovely as well, the Elizabeth and James Nirvana Black by Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen.  I have had a sample of this before, and I loved it.  It is an oriental fragrance, with vanilla, sandalwood, and violet. The other sample pictured below is the Josie Maran Argan Matchmaker Serum Foundation.

 I just finished off my Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask, so I was in the market for a new evening moisturizer.  I have loved everything that I have ever tried from First Aid Beauty, so I decided to try their Facial Radiance Overnight Mask.  Maybe you will see it in a favorites post soon!

I am nearly out of my lovely Touche Éclat Radiant Touch, so I replaced it.  I have the color 1 Luminous Radiance.  I have used the 2.5 Luminous Vanilla in the past.

My rewards points got me these lovely deluxe samples!  I am most excited to try the First Aid Beauty Skin Rescue Deep Cleanser with red clay.  I have heard rave reviews about it!  I also got the Boscia Tsubaki Cleansing Oil-Gel, and a Sephora brand waterproof eyeliner in the color 29 My boyfriend's jeans.

Thank you so much for stopping by my blog! Have you recently gone and made any exciting purchases? Let me know in the comments!

-Fly high, little birds!

Makeup Look Of The Day: Blogmas Day 7

Just as I said in my post from yesterday, I created a makeup look from my Sephora purchases!  I'm really happy with how it turned out, however I couldn't seem to get a good picture of the eyeshadow.  We'll just have to make do with the full face!

I am wearing NARS Sheer Glow Foundation in the color Deuville.  This foundation is beautiful! I have particularly oily skin, so I've always been a bit cautions about trying anything with the word "glow" in it.  However, with some setting powder, I had absolutely no trouble!  My face looked raidiant without looking like an oil slick.

For my countour/bronzer, I am wearing The Body Shop's bronzing powder in the shade fair matte.  For my blush I am wearing Mac's Poweder Blush in the shade Well Dressed. This is a very pale pink satin blush that I really love wearing when I'm very pale.  The satin finish gives a subtle glow that makes wearing a highlighter completely unneccessary!

For my eyebrows I have used Laura Mercier's Matte Eye Colour in the shade Cafe Au Lait.  This is a great multi-purpose product that I will often use on my lids as well as my eyebrows.

On my eyes I am using the Too-Faced eye primer in the shade Champagne.  This wakes up the eyes wonderfully, and is a great lazy girl cosmetic item! I will often use this on its own when I am rushing out of the house.  However, today I am also using my eyeshadow purchase from yesterday, Sephora's Mirror eyeshadow in the color Lunar Eclipse.  To line my eyes I again took a little bit of the Cafe Au Lait on a thin liner brush.  To finish, I used Dior's Diorshow Iconic Overcurl Mascara (what a mouthful!).

On my lips I used the Sephora lip liner from my purchase yesterday, Real Red, and for my lipstick I used Mac's retro matte lipstick in the shade Ruby Woo.

I hope you have enjoyed this post! Let me know what you think of this look in the comments below.

-Fly high, little birds!

Holiday Shopping: Blogmas Day 6

Today was a bit rainy in the city of Manhattan, which means that everyone was clamoring for the shops (including myself!).  In an attempt to get some of my shopping done without becoming too overwhelmed, I decided to go to only one place.  Any guesses?

If you guessed Sephora, then you would be right!  While I can't show you everything I got quite yet (some of them are presents, don't ya know), I will show you the few things that I have been lusting after for ages!

I finally ran out of my Superbalanced Foundation from Clinique, so I decided to replace it with the cult favorite, NARS Sheer Glow Foundation in the color Deuville.  Can I just say, there's is definitely a reason that this is a go-to for so many!  I can't wait to give you guys an update on it once I have a chance to try it out for a couple weeks!

Like many people, I am a huge fan of the statement lip, and I especially love a good red around the holidays!  However, I sometimes have trouble with the staying power of the color.  This is why I decided to dive into the realm of lip liners!  I didn't want to go too fancy yet, because I'm first starting out, so I got the Sephora brand Nano Lip Liner in the color Real Red.  Its a gorgeous color, and I'm very excited to try it out!

Last but not least, I bought a new eyeshadow for the holidays.  Unlike some people, I do not have an averse reaction to wearing glitter on my eyes, so I decided to take advantage of that fact!  I bought the Sephora brand Colorful Mirror Eyeshadow in the color Lunar Eclipse.  It is a gorgeous pewter that can either be really bold, or blended out for a lovely sparkle that brightens the eyes!

I was thinking of posting a makeup look with these new items.  Would you like that? Let me know!

-Fly high, little birds!

Winter Plumage: Blogmas Day 2

I often get the urge to dye my hair.  In fact, when I was about 16, I permanently dyed my hair dark brown... then black...then red...then light brown with a streak of purple.  I ended up getting incredibly sick of the maintenance it took to keep my hair looking good.  Several years later, I am back to my natural dirty blonde... and I had the urge to dye my hair again!

This time, however, I used Clairol's Natural Instinct's hair dye because it washes out after 28 shampoos.  By that time, the whim of having darker hair will probably have passed, and I can go back to having blonde moments on a regular basis!

Here are my before and after pictures:

Blonde

Brunette

 

Now I get to enjoy my darker winter plumage! And who knows, maybe not being blonde will raise my IQ just in time for finals ;)

-Fly high, little birds!

November Favorites: Blogmas Day 1

November is already over, and you know what that means......... CHRISTMAS IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER!! (Or whatever holiday you celebrate (:)

I cannot wait to experience my favorite time of the year! But first, let me share my favorites from the past month.

First off, I have been LOVING the Soap&Glory range!  Its an old favorite brand of mine, and I have rediscovered some of my ol' go-to products, like the Scrub of Your Life lathering body scrub!  This product is wonderful because it is both a scrub and cleanser in one, and for all those lazy people out there *violently raises hand* this product is a dream! It is in Soap&Glory's original Pink scent, as is the Righteous Body Butter and the Hand Food. <3

Soap&Glory from Sephora

Since I have been using the Soap&Glory products a lot, I have loving wearing Chanel's COCO Mademoiselle fragrance, which pairs gorgeously with the Righteous Body Butter! I love wearing sweet, crisp scents in the Autumn, and this Chanel is perfect!

COCO MADEMOISELLE

Moving on to face care, I have been loving my Nivea Milk & Honey lip balm. It smells heavenly, and is a treat for the lips in this NYC weather!

Also for the lips, I have been loving my limited edition NARS Audacious Lipstick in the color Charlotte.  It is a gorgeous oxblood burgundy color that has been perfect for fall!  The pigmentation is excellent, and its staying power is amazing! I only need a few touch-ups throughout the day!

NARS lipstick Charlotte

My favorite candle this month is, without a doubt, the Marshmallow Fireside candle from Bath & Body Works.  I am one of those girls who loves a good oriental scent, but also loves a sweet scent, and this is the perfect combination of the two!  Bath & Body Works provides the description, "Get cozy by the crackling fire with a fall perfect blend of marshmallows, smoldering woods, and warm vanilla."  Good enough to eat!......... but don't do that........ ew.

Marshmallow Fireside Candle

This is a rather random favorite, but I'm putting it in anyway; gummy Melatonin from VitaFusion.  I have a hard time falling asleep, and while melatonin doesn't always do the trick, it does help! Not only are these gummies delicious, they are also sugar-free! Just what a ballerina like me likes to hear.

My favorite tv show this past month has definitely been Teen Wolf.  I think I finished 3 seasons in a matter of 2 weeks!  On a similar note, my favorite human this past month is Daniel Sharman, who is on the show.  I have one word for you. CHEEKBONES. That is all.

I hope you guys enjoyed my November faves!  I'm hopefully going to be blogging every day this month, so make sure you tune in :)

What's your favorite part of the holidays?

-Fly high, little birds!