10 Graduation Gifts for Lovely Ladies in Your Life

It's that time of year!  Many of my friends and family members are graduating from high school, college, and grad school, so its time to brainstorm for awesome presents!  I really love planning out my gift-giving so I've been racking up great ideas and thought I would share them with you!!

Benefit Cosmetics Value Set

This brand has super cute packaging and the product claims deliver.  Plus, their value sets are always extremely well-priced for the products included.  I really like this brand, and pretty much all of the Benefit products I have came in gift sets that I've received or purchased myself.

RapidLash Lash Growth Serum

This is the generic version of the famed "Latisse" prescription product, and both have been scientifically shown to assist with lash and brow growth.  I've been using mine for about two months and can definitely tell that it's working!  It is up on the deal website Hautelook often for $25, on Amazon Prime for $30, and is also sold in CVS stores for $50.

Voluspa Candles in Saijo Persimmon

This scent is incredible--fairly sweet but not overwhelming--and the packaging is adorable.  There are many sizes to choose from, and you could create your own set!

Professional Makeup Brush Set
Sigma makes incredible brushes and the complete kits come with a great case to stand your brushes in on your vanity or to use when you travel.  Use code GLAM2012 (for May) or STAR2012 (for June) to get 10% off any order and a free gift!

Magazine Subscriptions

Amazon has 1-year subscriptions for cheap and often run deals where you can get a full year under $10.  If you know that your little sister picks up a copy of Glamour every time she goes to the airport, why not just get her a subscription?  Every month she receives it, she'll think of you!

Noise Cancelling Headphones
My bf has these Bose® QuietComfort® 15 Acoustic Noise Cancelling® Headphones and they are awesome.  I think my dad is going to pick these up for my little bro for his high school graduation.  These are great for studying and traveling - no more tapping pencils or crying babies to bother you!

A Framed Picture of the Two of You!
New grads are usually moving up and out to new apartments, and you can help them decorate!  There are few things that are more meaningful than making one of your memories together permanent in a photo that they'll treasure forever.  I'm loving this Ikat frame from South Moon Under.

Coffee Table Design Book
Going along with the home decor theme, how about an interior design book to get their creative juices flowing and spark conversation from guests during their summer get-togethers?  Everyone always flips through my beauty and design coffee table books, and they inspire me whenever I don't have anything else going on.  I'd recommend this Jonathan Adler book that is being talked about all over the web.

Michael Kors Watch
Chunky, oversized watches are still on-trend, and most young women you know would love to add an MK watch to their collection.  Rose gold is having a moment right now, but I'd recommend silver or gold if she doesn't already have a steady standby metal watch.  I'm loving the "Blair" style for its minimal bling:

Leather Tote for the Office
Every gal needs a structured tote for her fancy new job - splurge on her with something she wouldn't buy for herself because quality is going to be important in a workhorse bag.  Perhaps this gorgeous tote from designer Botkier?

Anything you've given or received as a grad present that you would recommend?  Please comment below!

Other ways to keep up with Type A Petite!

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Guest Post: Rhonda Allison Skincare Products Review

Hi, all!  Guest blogger Mel here!   I’m here to tell you all about my skin care routine!  Our faces are the first impression that others get, so it is super important to take care of them.

I have always had really good skin that doesn’t break out a lot – I know, I know, you hate me.  That is, until I moved to New York City.  My skin became awful!  I broke out everywhere, and I needed to fix it.  I tried doing everything – even washing my face 3 or 4 times a day.  Nothing worked until I found my skin savior: Rhonda Allison products.  Whenever I get a facial, the facialist always tells me how much they love Rhonda Allison and they don’t try to push their salon’s products on me.

I start out each day by cleansing with the Rhonda Allison Citrus Gel Cleanser.  It is their least harsh cleanser, and leaves my skin feeling so fresh!  I just wet my face and put a small amount on my fingertip.  The greatest thing is that when you want more bubbles, you just splash more water on your face, not more cleanser.  I have their largest bottle (120 ml), and it has lasted over a year, using it twice a day.  And it’s perfect for all skin types!

Once a week or so I mix things up and use the Rhonda Allison Beta Green Tea Cleanser, which has just a bit more of a kick.  But if you have dry skin you should probably stay away from this.

Afterwards I wait about five minutes just to enjoy the nice clean feeling.  Then I follow up by using the RhondaAllison eZinc Protection Cream.  I love it because it is a moisturizer and sun protector all in one!  And it has anti-oxidants!  It is SPF 18 so is perfect as daily protection against the sun.  If you don’t currently wear sun protection everyday, start doing so now!  Most wrinkles are due to sun exposure!!!

That is my morning routine.  Super simple, but also super important!

At night I again wash my face with the Citrus Gel Cleanser and then follow it up by using the Rhonda Allison Blemish Complex Cream.  This is by far my favorite product.  It is the perfect acne fighter.  I apply it all over my face, although it is also good for spot treatments as well.  It can also be used in the mornings, but I prefer using it in the evening because that is when more facial cells are replaced.  Rhonda Allison also has a Blemish Serum, but I have found it to be a bit too harsh on my face.

In the winter I sometimes substitute a moisturizer for the Blemish Complex Cream.  I currently use the Mare’s Milk Moisturizer, but it has been discontinued.  The next time I order I am going to try out either the Rhonda Allison Ultra Hydration Cream or the Rhonda Allison Moisture AuLait.  I have it narrowed down to these two because the Ultra Hydration Cream is supposed to increase moisture by 300% and the Moisture Au Lait has olive oil in it, which is super good for skin.  (Sometimes I put olive oil on my feet with a cotton ball, put on socks, and then head to bed.)

So there you have it!  My daily skin care routine!  Not a ton of salons in my area carry Rhonda Allison, so I just order it online.

And for a special treat, try these Basin White Salt Scrubs.  All of my friends have recently been telling me how soft my skin is.  Although my Danish heritage is probably the main reason for it, this product gives me an extra kick.  The scrub separates, so I mix it up with a spoon and then rub it all over my body while standing in the shower.  After a few minutes I turn the shower on and rinse it off.  It leaves my skin soooo soft!  But here is the most important part: like they told me before going in the Dead Sea, do not shave beforehand!  Otherwise your skin will burn, burn, burn!

 

I hope you enjoyed my guest blog post!

What's in my March Teen Vogue Birchbox?

Hey guys!  Even though I received it about three weeks ago, I'm still loving my Teen Vogue March Birchbox!  Lots of full-sized products in my $10 box!!  Here's the link to my first Birchbox post that explains a bit about what the Birchbox service is all about.  

Here's what was in my March Birchbox:

Annick Goutal Petite Cherie perfume - full size is $85 for 50 ml

Essie Luxeffects Nail Polish - $8.00 for 0.5 oz  (instead of just a sample, I got a full-size one in my Birchbox - amazing!! Birchbox is great like that)

Shiseido Pureness Oil-Control Blotting Papers - full size is $18 for 100 sheets

Tarte LipSurgence Lip Tint - $24 for 0.08 fl oz  (ALSO received a full-sized one in my box)

Twistband Hair Ties - full size is $10 for 6 bands

Benefit Cosmetics Some Kind-A Gorgeous Review

Hi everyone!  Sorry I've been gone for a while.  Among other things, I recently purchased some products about a month ago at Sephora, and I'd like to give you my first impressions of the ones from one of my favorite brands:  Benefit Cosmetics.  These are also available on Amazon, so I'll link to both Sephora and Amazon.  I'm going to copy the product claims from the Sephora website.

Overall, I'm loving all of these products because they have ADORABLE packaging, scents, and the products generally live up to their claims.  I'm going to review them one by one in separate posts since I'm short on time lately :)

Some Kind-A Gorgeous:  The Foundation Faker

 

What it is:

A sheer, oil-free, cream-to-powder complexion perfector.

What it is formulated to do:

This lightweight, translucent, foundation-like product smoothes out imperfections and evens skin tone with a silky, smooth finish that's super natural and super gorgeous.

Size: 0.34 oz

Price:  $29

Instructions:  

Apply evenly over the entire face with clean fingertips for a sheer, natural finish or with the accompanying sponge for additional coverage.

My Review:  

This product comes in three shades - Lite, Medium, and Deep.  Medium is supposed to be able to match most skin tones, but I am pretty pale so I started out using the Lite.  Lite turned out to be toooo pale for me, so I exchanged it for the Medium and it matches really well.  

This is a cream-to-powder product, so it feels slick in the pan, feels pretty dewy on your face at first, and quickly dries on your face to a silky baby powder-like consistency.  I also don't think that this would be the best for oily skin since its not very mattifying, and I don't think this would be the best for very dry skin since its not very moisturizing - luckily I have pretty normal skin, so it's just about right.  

This is a sheer coverage foundation, so don't expect it to cover up dark spots or acne or scars - I would recommend this for use on pretty clear skin in the summer just to even out your complexion.  It leaves a very natural finish.  You definitely still need to use a concealer for undereyes and blemishes. 

Its in a pretty big plastic compact with a mirror and a sponge, which works just fine, but I prefer my Sigma F80 or F84 or my Beauty Blender (click here for my review) because they work faster and leave a slighly better finish.  The packaging is pretty adorable - it looks like an old school record. 

Overall, I like Benefit Cosmetics Some Kind-a Gorgeous. I think that it's not a product that will work for everyone or at all times.  Definitely try this one out in stores before purchasing.  You can also purchase a mini 0.06oz version from Sephora in the Medium shade to try out!

Tory Burch Private Sale!

Hi friends!  The Tory Burch Private Sale is going on online right now.  Very cute clothing, accessories, and shoes up to 70% off!  As with other online sample sales, you can't sort by price and must subscribe for email updates to enter the website - small price to pay for the deals I suppose.  Let me know if you end up picking anything up!  Here are my top three picks:

Limited Edition Eddie Ballet Flat

Marked down from $178.00 to $124.60

Howie High Heel Pump

Marked down from $375.00 to $131.25

Tiller Top

Marked down from $250.00 to $125.00

Cute stuff but still pretty pricey - I probably won't be picking anything up today, but I would love to hear if you do!  

If you liked this post, please comment, send to friends, and subscribe!  Also, please check out my blog sale/freebies if you haven't yet.  Thanks for reading!

Makeup Etc. Blog Sale / Freebies

Hey everyone!  I've rounded up some stuff that I realized I never use, so I'm going to sell them or give them away for free to you guys.  This is all free unless someone makes an offer for a specific item, then it goes to that person for whatever they're willing to pay via Paypal.  If I have an asking price in mind I've listed it, but honestly I just want this stuff out of my house so if everything goes for free that's ok too :)  I just want them to find some good homes!

I'm sort of intending for this stuff to go to family and friends to save on shipping costs for me since most of it is going to be free.  My little sister K gets first dibs, but anything she doesn't want is up for grabs!  K, if your friends want any of this stuff, I can just mail it to you and you can distribute it to your friends so I don't have to mail multiple boxes to save me on shipping.  I know a bunch of my real-life Philly friends read this blog, so if that's you and you'd like any of this, let me know and I can just give it to you in person.  

Here's a list of everything I'm selling and giving away.  All of this has never been used or used less than 3 times.  The list gets really random at the end haha.  

If you would like any of this, just leave a comment with your name, your email (which will not be displayed publicly), something about whether you know me in real life or not if it is ambiguous from the other info, and what you would like!  I'll strike through items that are gone.

Since its so much stuff, I decided to just take a few photos of the collection instead of item-by-item to save on my editing and posting time.  Pictures follow after the list, and they are huge because I wanted to try to capture detail, so sorry if they take a while to load and run over the sidebars of the blog template.  Thanks guys! 

• TheBalm Shady Lady Vol. 1 palette (I ordered two by accident) (claimed by sister)
• TheBalm FratBoy blush (I ordered two by accident) (claimed by sister)
• TheBalm Balmbini Vol. 2 (I ordered two by accident) (full size, brand new, still retailing for = $28), asking $14
• EyeRock designer eyeliner stickers
• Urban Decay black crackle and glitter nailpolish set (claimed by sister)
• Juice Beauty Blemish Clearing Serum sample (claimed by Sara)
• Mally Beauty High Shine Liquid Lipstick Pen (lipgloss) in Gorgelina (full size in original box, really pretty but I have one already, still retailing for $20) (claimed by sister)
• Keihl's Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution sample (claimed by Sara)
• Origins Checks and Balances Frothy Face Wash sample
• Kate Spade purple and gold stud earrings, asking $15
• Benefit Posie Tint sample (claimed by sister)
• ColoreScience Pro Sunforgettable very water resistant Mineral Sun Protection Powder SPF 30 in to-go brush (full size, still retailing for $50), asking $20 (claimed by Camber)
• Lancome Star Bronzer cream-to-powder bronzing veil (full size, not orange, doesn't smell like sunless tanner) (claimed by Sara)
• Prestige Waterproof Automatic Eyeliner in Sepia (brown, full size) (claimed by Sara)
• Shiseido Pureness Oil-Control Blotting Paper, 10 sheets (claimed by Lynne)
• Almay Smart Shade Blush in 010 Pink Rose (cream blush, full size) (claimed by Sara)
• Lancome Color Design eyeshadow in Aspen Nights (soft metallic black with some sparkle)

• Bath & Body Works Aromatherapy Stress Relief Pillow Mist (room spray) in Eucalyptus Spearmint (full size) (claimed by Sara)
• Jergens Natural Glow fragrance-free moisturizer in Medium (full size)
• Kate Spade eyeglasses case (hot pink, small black smudge on it)
• St. Tropez Gradual Tan everyday Body Moisturizer in Medium  Dark (full size) (claimed by Sara)
• Braun cordless curling iron (claimed by Liz)
• Sud Pacifique Vanille Extreme perfume (claimed by Sara)
• Gold wall sticker that says "Always Kiss Me Goodnight"
• J.Crew skinny belt - goldish yellow fabric with white polka dots and pink leather buckle (claimed by Lynne)
• SuperSmile single dose powdered mouthrinse to go (claimed by Lynne)
• Sephora mirror (the type you get with giftcards)
• Hair clips - floral and patterned with gold (claimed by Lynne)

• Nine West blue jewelry roll (claimed by Lynne)
• Black nylon jewelry roll with clear zippered compartments inside
• black and clear iPhone case with pop-out stand
• iPod nano exercise armband
• Ripcord stretch exercise band in hot pink (claimed by Kamya)