Hey ladies! Had enough of this frigid weather? Sick of the snow? I’m so over it, but it didn’t stop me for venturing out this weekend to get acquaint myself again with my city. How I’ve missed NYC – and by NYC I really mean Manhattan. Some would say that I spend too much of my time (and hard-earned dollars) here. I don’t care, I really don’t. Let’s face it – Manhattan is where it’s at – bright lights – BIG city. If you’ve been following me on Instagram (I’m not apologizing for my workday bathroom selfies), you know I can’t help but to snap photos of the best places to eat, catch a show, or my favorite pastime – SHOP! I’ve been away from the shopping scene for a while for a number of reasons that I do not care to discuss, but BABY, I AM BACK! Last year, I featured H&M’s sister brand, & Other Stories.

& Other Stories is what I would like to call the Alexander Wang of the H&M family. Extremely minimalist in everything from their clothing silhouettes to their beauty packaging, everything is very clean. For the first time I visited the actual store in Soho. The space has a very open feeling with lots of light.

Most of the clothing is arranged by color, and the jewelry is placed in open glass cases. One of the items that I am currently coveting are these cut out oxfords. They would be the perfect addition to my Spring wardrobe (whenever Spring decides to arrive). I’m thinking midi skirts and cropped jeans with a crisp button down.

Obviously, I gravitated to the jewelry section to pick out a couple of things that I had seen online. I could have ordered them, but I am a girl that needs instant gratification. I also have a thing about seeing things first before I buy them. I came across the Diamond Open Ring, Globe Pendant Earrings, and Orb Pendant Necklace. When I saw the Diamond Open Ring in Transparent online, I immediately fell in love with them. I wanted the matching earrings, but I’ve been trying to steer clear of matching all of my jewelry. The Globe Earrings just seemed so right. They would be the perfect pair to take from day to night and the Orb Pendant Necklace is a great piece to just throw on and add intrigue to even the most basic of ensembles.

Next, I decided to visit the Bare Minerals Soho studio.

Now, I was never a huge fan of Bare Minerals outside of their blushes, bronzers, and concealers (if you haven’t tried them yet then you must – click here). I had tried the BARESKIN foundation, and I think the reason why I was not a big fan of it is because there wasn’t a shade that completely matched my skin tone and I’m the type of girl that needs her makeup done in twelve minutes or less. However, I was intrigued by their newest face makeup Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream. I had read numerous reviews and blogs and the reviews were mostly favorable, but I had to try it for myself.

During the colder months, I switch from powder to liquid. I switch because I want more hydration and with the harsh winter air, a powder foundation doesn’t really hydrate. However, in my experience liquid or cream foundations can be really tricky – even the ones that are oil-free. Oh the problems of the large pore woman – always having to keep blotting papers or blot powder in your bag, constantly checking your makeup in the mirror…ugh! This product however is unique. The claim is that it is a BB, CC and a tinted moisturizer in one, all the while providing you with maximum hydration. Hydration is key during the winter months.

The lovely makeup artist, Martina took me through each step and I was done in about twenty minutes. That included the time I chose to pick the correct lipstick, a setting powder, so all in all it went really well.

Here are the products that she used (from left to right):

Face: Prime Time Foundation Primer, Correcting Concealer Broad Spectrum SPF 20 in Dark 2, Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream Broad Spectrum SPF 30 in Sienna, Touch Up Veil Broad Spectrum SPF 15 in Deep, and Ready Bronzer in The Deep End

Lips: Marvelous Moxie Lip Liner in Revved, Marvelous Moxie Lipstick in Live Large, Modern Pop Cream Glaze Lip Topcoat

When she applied the Complexion Rescue to my face, it was very cooling. My skin was hydrated but not greasy. Within a few moments the pigment seemed to adjust to my skin tone so that you barely noticed that I was wearing anything. We used the concealer on top to cover up any blemishes and then applied the bronzer to the contours and perimeter of my face. We finished with the Touch Up Veil.

It is best to use a brush when applying Complexion Rescue, Bronzer, and the Touch Up Veil. Bare Minerals has several brushes that work with each formula for streak-free flawless application. I’ve also listed some alternatives.

For use with Complexion Rescue:

Bare Minerals Smoothing Face Brush – $28 / Alt: Sephora Collection Classic Mineral Powder Brush #45

For use with Correcting Concealer:

Bare Minerals Maximum Coverage Concealer Brush – $20 / Alt: Sephora Collection Pro Airbrush Concealer Brush #57 – $24

For use with Ready Bronzer:

Bare Minerals Precision Face Brush – $28 / Alt: Sephora Collection Pro Contour Blender #77 – $34

For use with Touch Up Veil:

Bare Minerals Soft Focus Brush – $30 / Alt: Sephora Collection Classic Natural Kabuki Brush #48 – $24

Here is the final result:

I was actually a little surprised to find myself going with a lighter berry shade. When I do wear lipstick, I tend to go for darker shades – deep berry or eggplant – mostly because of the color payoff. The Marvelous Moxie Lipstick is highly pigmented and provides full coverage and is incredibly moisturizing. It is a cream formula so it glides on smoothly. I think this will be my Spring berry shade so expect to see lots of selfies with this on. The Cream Glaze can be worn alone as a gloss or on top of lipstick to add sheen. When applying over lipstick, use sparingly to avoid that overly glossy look.

So there you have it. Until next week always remember to SEE. TOUCH. TASTE.