Beauty Tuesday: NYX

Between my birthday drama, work, and just living my life I feel like I've gotten off track with this little blog. When I created blue dog belle a few months ago I wanted to focus on the two things I love most: Makeup and Politics. I haven't talked about either in weeks... woops.

Getting back to basics I want to introduce you to NYX Cosmetics. Call me dumb, but I whenever I saw a review of these products I thought they were part of the New York Color (NYC) brand. I haven't had a great experience with many of those products, and even though they are cheap I love me some ELF. 

Well all that has changed now, thanks to my IRL BFF LoRay. For my birthday she sent me a BUNCH of NYX products, and honestly I'm in love with all of them. Let me show you what I got. 

So this is the 10 Color Eye Shadow Palette in Versus, I can not tell you how wonderful it is for me. This is the first thing that has made me put down my naked palette. and that is saying a lot y'all. The shadows are buttery soft, have great pigment and blend well. I've been using it with my elf eye primer and it stays put for hours. It's a great combo. I love the purples! and at $10 how could you not pick this up at ulta? I mean really, you need this.

Next, Mega Shine Lip Gloss. This product really lives up to its name. It smells great, but don't try to eat it as it tastes gross. *I may or may not have licked it off my lips to test it for y'all. I'll let you decide if I did or not. Anyways, I have Chandelier, which is a sparkly medium pink color. It goes on sheer, which I love, and it layers beautifully over lipstick.

This next product is my new favorite. I've gotten SO many compliments on this lip color I'm debating which one to pick up next. As you know I have a love affair with lip products, and this is a new one for the list. The mineral based Round Lip Stick is great for every day. Lauren knows me so well, and gifted me a color I probably would never buy myself, but now I can't put it down.

NYX Round Lipstick 

This is Peach Bellini, or as my roommate BW says, Barbie Pink. It's a VERY BRIGHT orangy pink, that glides on smooth. I will say, make sure you moisturize your lips when using this product or at least exfoliate. It can get slightly cakey if your lips aren't super smooth.  

Peach Bellini

The NYX Slide on Pencil is AWESOME. It rivals my Stila smudge stick, like really. Lauren had brilliant foresight to get me black shimmer, because I had just run out of my black pencil liner, so now I'm set! Thanks LoRay.

If this wasn't enough motivation for you, I don't know what is. NYX has great products, at even better prices. I really love my high end products, but do not  have the budget to spend all my money towards my birchbox finds. Now I'm scouring the website, trying to decide what to get next. Have you discovered NYX yet? Do you have any product recommendations?

And we're back.

Whew. What a whirlwind of a weekend that was. It was one of those weekends jam packed full of awesomeness. Yay. Warning, this is a photo heavy post.

Friday night I hit up Target/Old Navy for a few things to get me ready for Puerto Rico!

I was SOOOO excited to try the BB Cream, and y'all let me tell you I LOVE it. However, I've looked for it in 4 different places now, and cannot find it in "light" so I bought the medium/dark tone. I'm still a little too pale for it, but whatever. I worked it. What do you think?

with the bb cream and LOTS of powder to balance. What do you think? I went on a super fun day date to taste of 8th. It went well... obviously due to my flawless foundation. haha

Saturday night I embraced my hipster side, to the best of my ability and hit up Sticky Rice which was AMAZING as always. For real, if you're in DC trek over to H St for some $3 PBR's and a SUPER FUN dancing. They play EVERYTHING from the 70's to now. Ugh. I love that place. 

Nails of the week are sparkly thanks to inspiration from Blushing Basics, cute right? 

Sunday I went on my first blogger brunch meet up at Scion in Dupont. Somehow we forgot to take a picture, but we had a great time! Thanks again for inviting me Meaghan! 

Then I ran a few errands around town, and finally got home around 4. But the weather was just too wonderful to spend the waning hours of the weekend doing laundry. I went on an exploratory walk around the neighborhood, and was pleasantly surprised. I found a great park, saw some beautiful flowers, and met some very friendly neighbors. Sorry if you follow me on instagram, follow me @EmPri88, you've seen all of these and then some, but for the rest of you enjoy :)

Did y'all do anything fun this weekend?

Happy Friday

I am seriously doing a happy dance right now because it's almost the weekend. I am so ready to put this horrible week behind me. Instead of a Friday cocktail (I've officially gone on a pre-Puerto Rico diet so no alcohol for me) I'm going to do a quick Friday five instead. I'm already dreaming of a frothy cocktail on a beautiful beach.

Here are a few items on my shopping list for PUERTO RICOOOOO!!!

old navy

Old Navy

old navy

target

target

Have a great weekend y'all!

A Birthday to Remember

So remember when I talked about how I didn't really like birthdays?

Yah. This one was probably the worst ever. Actually it could quite possibly be one of the worst birthday's ANYONE has every had.

Let me tell you the story.

I woke up. went to work. my lovely boss surprised me with a beautiful cake, and a co-worker brought me cupcakes. So nice.

Went to my favorite sandwich place, Taylor's, for lunch (PS about to become the mayor of Taylor's on four square, I'm beyond excited). It was great.

Dad sent me a very sweet, but embarrassingly large assortment of balloons to my office.

Boss told me to enjoy the rest of my day and take off early.

Go home. do my hair and makeup. Get ready to go to Cava Mezze with my 2 wonderful roommies.

6:37. Someone knocks on the door. Me assuming its flowers or something being delivered for my birthday answer. It's a random neighborhood teenager who has the wrong house.

6:42. I exit the house through the back door. As I'm locking up I see the same teenager + 3 others ride by in the alley on bikes.

6:44. KJ and I install my new Obama Biden sticker on my car, and joke about how it helps us "blend" into the neighborhood a little bit better.

6:45 leave for the restaurant.

Dinner was great. Grabbed drinks after at Lola's. also great.

10:25 Head home to end a solidly good 24th birthday.

HOWEVER. When I arrive at home our neighbor informs us he thinks our house was broken in to. He saw a couple of teenage kids running out of our house and riding away on bikes. One would think this would prompt him to call the police, but not so much.

So. Our door was completely kicked in. I call the police. They say they'll send someone out right away. I remember our kitty Oliver, and completely freak out, thinking they've hurt him and taken all my stuff. My roommates run around to the front door, I enter through the back. alone (not smart, but I was tipsy and was freaking out). Walk through the house completely un-armed. Discover that 2 of our 3 laptops were stolen, but other than a little rummaging the house is mostly intact.

BW has a full on panic attack. KJ gets a nose bleed. We are all on the phone with banks and credit unions and family trying to get our passwords changed, credit secured. Call the landlord, etc.

12:00 the police FINALLY show up. They stay until almost 1 I think. I've lost all track of time by this point. I try to stay awake until the locksmith comes, but I'm too emotionally drained.

I go to bed around 2:30, but don't sleep at all. Run crazy scenarios in my head all night.

Happy Freaking Birthday.

*I would like to say thank you for all the birthday love, it really means a lot to me. I am fine. My roommates are fine. Our cat is fine. Nothing of real value was taken, and we are very thankful for that. We will continue to remain vigilant. But please, let this be a reminder to not get complacent. Lock your doors. Don't answer it if you don't know who it is. and GET an ALARM SYSTEM.