A Spa For Brushes? Sigma Brush Cleaning Glove Review and Demo!

Hey everyone!

So I filmed a video review and demo on the Sigma Brush Cleaning Glove. So feel free to watch that down below! Overall, I like the cleaning glove. Was it worth the $40? Eh, maybe not....but I already spent it, and I am enjoying the product. I have noticed that I clean my brushes much more frequently now because it no longer takes 2 hours to clean them! It's more like 45 minutes now for 26 very dirty brushes!

And if you want to go subscribe to my YouTube channel as well, that would make my day! :D

Have a beautiful and fashionable day!
XOXO, Rachel

2013 Spring Trends That I'm Loving

2013 Spring Trends That I'm Loving by sparkleshinebeauty11

Topshop polka dot dress
topshop.com

J Crew j crew
jcrew.com

Hudson Jeans straight leg jeans
$135 - the-dressingroom.com

J.Crew flat shoes
jcrew.com

Marc by marc jacobs handbag
saksfifthavenue.com

Bib necklace
etsy.com

J Crew vintage rhinestone necklace
jcrew.com

Ray-Ban ray ban sunglasses
mytheresa.com




These are some of the spring trends that I am loving right now! 

Polka Dots are probably my favorite trend right now. I'm so happy I picked up a navy dress with white polka dots last year at Nordstrom, because it's super on trend this year! As long as the spots are done right, the Polka dot trend can be done in a very modern fashion. Be weary though, the smaller the dots, the less trendy and more aging it will look! This isn't ALWAYS the case, but as a rule of thumb if you aren't sure, the larger the dots, the better. But the medium dots are what I am currently drawn to.

Button-Down shirts....where do I start?! I'm OBSESSED with them! You can find them in almost every store right now. Prices ranging from around $13 at H&M to $80+ dollars at J Crew or Nordys. They are super classic looking and instantly makes you look put together without a whole lot of effort. Throw on a statement necklace and your ready! These shirts can be worn on their own, or layered under open cardigans or even pull-over sweaters with the collar peaking over. 

Cuffed Jeans have been very popular lately, especially among the college students. It's just a little twist when wearing your jeans with flats. Honestly, when I first saw people wearing their jeans like this, I thought maybe they didn't want to get the ends wet when it was raining, but the look has stuck! I think the look is cute and a little different to just wearing your jeans traditionally. And personally, my ankles get a little irritated when the denim is rubbing against them, so cuffing them takes care of that problem! 

Ballet Flats are definitely the shoes of the spring season! So easy to throw on and off, and can dress up or down an outfit depending on the flat. The leopard  flats pictured....I NEED them in my life! I have a small (ok, BIG) obsession with animal print, so these would be perfect for me! You could pair these with some cuffed jeans, an over-sized sweater, a big handbag, and some sunglasses, and you'll be looking fabulous when you really just threw on some cute, comfy flats. How's that for easy?

Bright Bags are always a perfect way to add a pop of color, but you don't actually have to actually be wearing it. I'm in love with Marc Jacob's bags, and this blue color is mesmerizing. Love love love!

Bubble Necklaces are probably my new favorite necklaces. I currently have two, a white one and a mint one. I was in love with these last year when J Crew released them, but there was no way I was paying $150 for a super trendy necklace. My coworkers ended up getting mine for me for Christmas at Wet Seal. And I can guarantee they were a lot less than $150! Anyways, they are GREAT statement pieces, and can really turn any outfit preppy. Just beware, they do jingle a lot! I don't notice the noise at work since we have loud music playing, but I wouldn't wear them to class...all attention would be on me! 

J Crew Necklaces....I don't know who is designing these gorgeous necklaces that have been coming out of J Crew, but they are amazing!! I'm not saying I'm about to drop the money on one of these very nice necklaces, but I can look right...? I'm like a bird though...if it sparkles, I'm drawn to it! 

Sunglasses, it's really up to you with what sunglasses you like! I don't feel like sunglasses are a very easy trend to follow because almost everyone has a very specific shape and style that is flattering for them, which can make it difficult to follow whats trending in sunglasses. I wish aviators looked good on me, I think they are so glamorous on the right person, but on me, I either look like I have sad eyes, or like I'm about to fly an airplane. Neither of those say flattering to me...For me I lean towards the big bug eyed shape. I have found that that shape has been the most flattering for my face shape. 

I hope you guys enjoyed some of my favorite spring trends and let me know in the comments what trends you are trying out this spring, or what styles you are just enjoying in general, whether trendy or not! Thank you for reading, and don't forget to follow this blog! :) The link is in the side bar >>>>

Have a beautiful and fashionable day!
Xoxo, Rachel

Retail Therpy Day (H&M Goodies!)

With winter quarter coming to a close, I've been getting buried alive by midterm after midterm, quizzes, papers, and so on. So with having the day off from work, I felt like I need a shopping day. An alone shopping day. I can't remember when I went strolling the mall by myself. Don't get me wrong, I do love shopping with others, but just sometimes it's very relaxing and therapeutic to go by myself. And for some reason, H&M was just calling my name today!

I'm in love with this cardigan! Its extremely comfy, but it looks so fancy! The back of it is that sheer chiffon material and then it has sparkle detailing around the pockets and down the middle. And let's face it, I'm like a bird...if it sparkles, I want it. The cardigan was $34.95 which is a little more expensive than I prefer to spend at H&M, but I REALLY liked how it looked on, so I figured why not? The striped shirt is made of sweatshirt material, but it cut very flattering to where it's tighter on the sleeves and then loose in the middle. I figured it would be perfect to wear with an infinity scarf and some skinny jeans and flats. That top was 19.95.
 

Here you can see a close up of the necklace. I cannot get over how much I am in love with this necklace! Chain necklaces are IN this season!! And I love the textures in this one! Guess how much this one was? $14.95! Seriously...I've seen necklaces like this for $100+ other places! I love when I find things like this for super cheap but they have a very high price tag look! Makes me feel like I got my moneys worth. ;) Also, I in general like dressing up, so whenever I can accomplish that for a relatively low cost, I'm all for it!

COMING UP: I'll be reviewing soon the Sigma brush cleaning glove! I just got it a few days ago and am still messing around with it to see how I like it. That is going to be a very in depth blog post and probably involve a video demonstration as well, so that will have to wait until finals are over, which is SOON! :)

Let me know where you guys love to shop at when you need a relaxing day! And don't forget to follow this blog to keep up with new posts! Thanks everyone!

Have a beautiful and fashionable day!
Xoxo, Rachel

Bargain Find at Homegoods!

Now I know my blog is mainly about beauty and fashion, but I couldn't help myself with sharing this awesome find on a shower curtain today at HomeGoods!

If you don't know what HomeGoods is, it's basically like a TjMaxx, Marshall's, or Ross Dress For Less store, but strictly for home stuff. No clothing at this store.

I had been looking for a new shower curtain for months now. I finally had given up and then I randomly walked into HomeGoods today and found the shower curtain of my dreams! Haha well maybe not my dreams...but I like it and it coordinates nicely with the green striped wallpaper, which is what has made this search process so difficult! Anyways, this shower curtain was $14.99!! It makes me feel like I have a whole new bathroom! So if you're in the market for a new shower curtain, go check out your local HomeGoods! They have great, inexpensive options!

Have a beautiful and fashionable day!
Xoxo, Rachel

Glam in the Gloom

Vest(Local boutique, Brand:Lost), Sweater(Forever21), Cami(Romy), Fleece lined leggings(Local boutique, no brand), Boots (Nordstrom, Brand: Steve Madden), Purse (Nordstrom, Brand: Marc by Marc Jacobs), Watch (Nordstrom, Brand: Michael Kors)

It was a cold and gloomy day here in the Pacific Northwest, but honestly, what else is new? It was not raining though, so I was able to sport something other than a rain jacket today!

I love this vest because it incorporates the faux fur trend, without being too over the top with the knitted detail breaking up the sections of fur. This is my favorite statement piece in my wardrobe for this season.

Of course, no outfit is complete without my favorite handbag, my Marc by Marc Jacobs Classic Q--Little Ukita Shoulder Bag. You can find this bag here, at Nordstrom.

Loving my Michael Kors Rose Gold watch this season. Compliments any outfit, and immediately dresses up any look.

Hope you guys enjoyed my outfit of the day look of Glam in the Gloom. Hopefully this gives you some inspiration on what to wear on those cold and dreary days!

Have a beautiful and fashionable day!
Xoxo, Rachel

The Perfect Face Primer

The primer a woman wears under her foundation can really be the determining factor of whether or not her makeup lasts from morning to night with minimal touch ups. That's why when I came across Rimmel London's Fix & Perfect Pro Primer 002, 5 in 1 Results, I knew I had to share. 

First off, can we get excited that this amazing primer is from the drug store?! As most of us know, even though the drug store has stepped it up in most of it's makeup, it still doesn't offer a huge selection of primers. 

This product claims that it smooths, resurfaces, brightens, mattifies, and protects, and prolongs foundation wear. It says to apply to clean skin, and you can wear it alone or under foundation. I'm not sure what the protects part of their claim is. There is no SPF listed on the product, so who knows what that part has to do with. But for the other four claims it gives, I'd say the primer lives up to it's claims! 

My skin type is extremely oily and I have large pores around my nose and cheek area. After applying my makeup, this product has reduced the look of my pores to almost nothing, makes my skin look more evened out, keeps my oily skin in control throughout the day, and my makeup lasts until night time when I'm taking it off. I had yet to find a primer that truly made my foundation last all day until I stumbled across this hidden gem! 

I used about a dime size amount (shown to the left), sometimes more, of the primer to cover my face. This primer has a very different texture than primers I've used in the past. Most primers have that oily/greasy feeling to them. This primer feels just like if you were applying a moisturizer, but it does leave a slightly tacky feeling when you touch your face, which is probably why the foundation clings so well to it! 

I don't notice a huge difference in looks when applying this by itself. It mainly performs when it comes to wearing it under foundation. But I hope you guys go try this AMAZING primer out and let me know what you think! And let me know if any of you have already tried this product and what you thought of it! 

Have a beautiful & fashionable day!
Xoxo, Rachel