I was invited to a special app launch even for the app The Glam Archive. It was a really awesome event filled with independent makeup artist and beauty entrepreneurs. There they served Vodkila cocktails, a new mixed alcohol that has 70% Vodka and 30% Tequila. There were also several independent vendors advertising their products. My favorite brand was Gem Cosmetics, a cosmetics line formulated by Shakema Cyrus. The lipsticks were pigmented and smelled awesome. The lipstick I purchased from her I put on at the event and it lasted the entire night. The Gem eye shadows were very pigmented as well and all looked so bold and awesome that I purchased one in addition to the lipstick.

The hair care brand Haircredible also had featured products for purchase. Haircredible was formulated for thinning hair and is used to thicken hair strands while adding volume with out weighing the hair down. Also, the cosmetics brand Wunderblender featured their cover-up concealer at this event. This concealer does a great job at covering up major skin issues. I tired it on my tattoo and it worked quite well.

Because I am a VIB Rouge member at Sephora, I got a chance to go to a makeup forever event for 750 Sephora points. They rented out a pretty big space in the city for the event. Makeup artists that work for makeup forever doing special lip applications, and you could even mix your own shade of lipstick. There was also a photo booth and photographers. It was such an awesome atmosphere as well. There were cocktails, wine, little hors d’oeuvers, and a DJ. I was able to bring a friend, and we each got a small gift bag with makeup forever goodies inside. I had such a blast!

It’s my 28th (ugh) birthday tomorrow on Monday! I went out with my friends yesterday and had a really nice casual dinner. I didn’t really plan anything this year because I had no idea what I wanted to do or even what I wanted to get for a present. My boyfriend James always has a hard time finding me a present, so now he includes me in the decisions. I had looked for a long time but never really fell in love with anything. I normally ask for jewelry, but my taste has gotten a bit more sophisticated over the past couple of years. I now prefer real 14K gold or sterling silver to fashion jewelry.

My boyfriend decided to take me to Tiffany’s on 5th Ave. He got a Tiffany’s heart bracelet, and a Tiffany’s heart necklace. These are two great classic pieces that are timeless and will be great everyday jewelry. I’m very happy with my birthday presents and grateful to have such a generous boyfriend.

I had been seeing a lot of ads for Glossier makeup on Pinterest and on the NYC subway. I caved and decided to purchase the Glossier phase 2 makeup set which includes their Boy Brow, Stretch Concealer, and Generation G sheer matte lipstick. I really like two out of the three products that are in the set. The lipstick is pretty amazing. It goes on super sheer, and builds the color as you apply it to your lips. I honestly don’t know if I would consider it a “lipstick” because I used it more like a tinted lip balm. The Boy Brow is a great product for the women on the go. It just takes a couple of quick swipes with the wand, and your brows look naturally full. The concealer is the only one that I’m still on the fence about. Its pretty light coverage, so I have the tendency to want to add more product to my undereye area, but doing that makes the product crease really badly. Its ok when you use a very small about to conceal scars or blemishes on your face.

My mother and father went on a romantic trip to Paris. My mom brought back this gorgeous Saint Laurent scarf for me. She is an outrageously generous person and always brings back gifts for everyone.

I have been having some serious acne problems. I’m really getting to my breaking point. I got a lot of drug store products, but a lot of them were way to harsh on my skin, and my skin ended up turning red and even peeled. So I decided to go to Sephora and try out the Glam Glow cleanser and mask. They were outrageously expensive, so I sorta regret it. But so far so good. The cleanser is awesome, and I would highly recommend it. The mask leaves your skin with this tingling feeling that I like, but may be too intense for some people. It does not leave my skin agitated or red, and I really like the mask.

I highly recommend the Peter Thomas Roth Acne-clear invisible dots. When you do have a pimple, it helps cover the pimple so it doesn’t spread bacteria.