wanted: fig + yarrow

i have a confession to make: i have ugly heels. like, gross, cracked, totally fugly please get those away from me heels. if i had a dime for every time a nail salon attendee has said, “WHY IS YOUR SKIN SO DRY?!” i’d be a millionaire at age 28.

it’s no surprise, then, that i’ve tried nearly ever foot scrub and foot cream under the sun – because all a girl wants is some smooth feet, you know? unfortunately, nothing works like a good pedicure, and despite my very best efforts, my heels still don’t look their best.

enter fig+yarrow’s alpine foot butter: the newest item on my wishlist. the brand bills it as “a velvety smooth alpine fresh whipped butter blend to treat and nourish feet.” i can get on board with that. see, i have a thing for alpine/christmas scented things. specifically, i have a thing for holiday-scented candles, but pretty much anything that smells like a tree makes me happy.

hence, i’m pretty sure that fig+yarrow’s foot butter will be a home run in my book. and since i can’t resist anything with pretty packaging, nor can i get enough of at home spa treatments, i’m also thinking of splurging on the winter herbal steam (at home facial here i COME), coffee + cardamom body scrub, and of course, the alpine foot scrub. HELLLOOO, at home pedicure.

ps: friends, fam, there’s still time to order before hanukkah ends! just kidding. sort of.

holiday gift guide 2013: beauty junkie

the other day, i went into sephora to purchase a clarisonic for one of the folks on my holiday gift list, and came out with three free gifts. why? because i had over 1000 points to use on my beauty insider rewards card. why did i have that many? because i am an bonafide beauty addict. makeup, hair, nails…you name it, i’ve got it. i can’t even bear to show you my makeup drawer (while well organized, i exhibit some slight hoarding tendencies in the eyeshadow and lipstick departments). it’s embarrassing, especially given how little makeup i actually wear on a day to day basis. and yet, i’ve got about 5 different shades of fuschia lipstick. i’ve got at least 4 red lip stains (for the record, my favorite is actually a drugstore brand!). i can’t even tell you how many tubes of lip balm i have. i really can’t. and then there’s the eyeshadow. and the glittery eye shadow, which, yes, is still a thing in my life at the ripe old age of 27. i know there will come a time when i will outgrow glitter, but i simply can’t see that time coming any time soon. maybe when i’m pregnant? there’s something sad about a pregnant woman wearing eye glitter, right?

anywho, suffice it to say, i know my shit when it comes to beauty. i own almost everything i’ve featured in this post, so i can say it’s sarah tested, sarah approved. my personal faves include the best glitter nail polish under the sun (hands down, i promise), my beloved clarisonic (bye bye milia), the best all in one highlighter/shimmer stick i’ve ever tried, body oil so luxurious you’ll swear you’re royalty, and peppermint blotting papers, for when you’re sweating on the subway in your parka come february. trust me, all of these gifts will make the ladies in your life happy (and maybe even some of the gents, too).

now, let’s get to it, shall we? beauty junkies, unite!

ONE | TWO | THREE | FOUR | FIVE | SIX | SEVEN | EIGHT | NINE | TEN | ELEVEN | TWELVE

springing forward with highlighters

highlighters by sarahlesliee featuring stila makeup

i know i’m not alone in feeling more than ready for winter to get its chilly ass outta these parts and for spring to come on in and make itself at home. i love the cold, but i’m sick of my winter coat and my dry skin. i want sunshine and outdoor seating and light that lasts till 8pm and I WANT IT NOW. lest i get too overzealous with my aggravation over mother nature’s decision to totally ignore punxsatawney phil’s prediction on groundhog day, i’ve decided to channel my efforts toward ushering in the season the only way i know how: by pretending it’s spring already.

last week, this included brightly colored fingernails (essie’s mint candy apple), an abundance of fresh flowers (ranunculus and flowering branches, along with tulips for good measure), as well as some springy makeup. i’m FEELING the dewy look above (though let’s be honest, i’m always feeling dewy skin. who wants dry, matte skin? no one, i hope), and have been attempting to create it with my current highlighter of choice: nars the multiple in luxor. i’m a huge fan of highlighting creams, powders, sticks – you name it, i’ve tried it. i’m a big fan of benefit’s high beam, but i find that nars multiple sticks last longer. in winter, i go for luxor, and once i’ve got a hint of a tan, i switch it out for a slightly darker shade, copacabana. these babies are expensive, but soo worth it. so, mother nature, what do you think? can we strike a deal here?