Glowing Skin: My Favorite Highlighters

For the past year my skin has been looking rather dull! No matter how any skin care products I buy promising a nice radiant glow, my skin lacks luster. But lucky for me there are make up products to help me fake that "glow from within"!

 My first favorite would defineltly have to be L'oreal's Magic Lumi! I cannot get enough of this stuff, it makes my skin look so glowy and healthy. At first I was tad hesitant to apply this all over my face because I thought it would make me look a little too dewy, but once applied to the skin it looks gorgeous for an all over glow. I enjoy this product especially if I've had a late night and it instantly perks up my skin! What I like most about this product is the fact that I can wear it on it's own on days when I don't want to wear foundation!
















 Next is NYX's Born To Glow Liquid Illuminatior in Sun Beam, I enjoy using this product on the high points of my face instead of using it all over. Like the L'oreal Magic Lumi this also has a metallic finish! If you want an intense highlight this might be a good match for you. The one thing I did find is that this product dries quickly, so you do have to blend it in fast!

















Benefit's Girl Meets Pearl is a beautiful product to give you a nice glow! I love using this all over or mixed into my foundation. I often use this when I want a subtle all over glow.






















As you can see, I do enjoy Benefit's highlighters and Watt's Up has my heart! This is a cream to powder highlighter that blends like an absolute dream. I adore using this product to save my face from looking flat and give it some more dimension. You can make this a subtle highlight or you can build it up to make it a bit more intense. This would have to be one of my favorite champagne highlighters!










If you're looking for a good highlighter on a budget this one by Elf is amazing! The best thing about it is the fact that it only costs $1.00! These Essential All Over Color Sticks are so creamy and pigmented, they glide nicely onto the skin leaving a beautiful highlight! They also smell like lemonade, but the sent doesn't linger, if you're worried about that.
I was honestly surprised by the quality of this and I'm glad I found it!






What are some of your favorite highlighters?

Until next time, sending all my love to my fellow make up connoisseurs!  X

Things That Got Me Through July!

I feel like the month of July was a bit of a roller-coaster for me, and boy did it go by quick! July was filled with a few good highs and tad bit of lows, and it certainly was mentally draining. I thought I would share a few things that got me through this crazy summer month.

 

So close, yet so far!

My absolute favorite thing that got me through the month was going to a New Order concert with one

New Order closing out to a couple of JD songs.

of my best friends. It was something I've been looking forward to since I snagged these tickets and it was well worth the wait. I've been a huge fan of New Order since I can remember, thanks to my mother for playing a bunch of 80s bands around me- I was bound to get my musical taste from her! I was pleased to hear all the songs my little heart desired and my ears begged to be heard. For someone who doesn't dance because they're horrible at it, I danced my butt off without a care.

This was a hard decision, but something as simple as a shirt definitely got me through this month! Since it has been so hot here in California I'm always trying to keep myself cool, so I generally stick to wearing white. I got this Joy Division shirt off of another favorite, Depop (an app where you can buy or swap items), and I've been wearing this shirt to DEATH! I was glad I happened to stumble upon it because once you find an item off Depop, let's just say you should snag it before someone else does!  

 Since I said the weather has been pretty hot, I haven't been wearing tons of make up- surprisingly. When I do decide to paint my face, I typically gravitate towards these items: NYX Matte Finishing Spray (You can  read my review here), Urban Decay Primer Potion, Make Up Forever Smoky Lash Mascara, Lime Crime Velvetines in the shade Wicked, and my BH Cosmetics San Francisco palette . These items have been my favorites this month! Especially, Lime Crime's Velvetine in Wicked! This color has been my life line and it's such a me color. I know it's summer and typically brighter colors are worn, but this color is just too pretty not to be worn all year round!

My skin has also been on edge this month and one thing that keeps it in check is my Breath Of Fresh Air Toner by Lush. I adore this toner so much since it's pretty soothing, and I'm sad it's running low because I've used so much of it!

My nail polish of choice this month has been Rimmel's 60 Second Nail Polish (I also did a review on this click here if you'd like to read it) in the shade I Lilac You. When I felt in a slump this month I turned to this nail polish to give myself a little pick me up, and I think pastels are perfect for summer. Especially if you have a bit of a tan! This color has yet to leave my nails, and I think it is about that time to pick myself another bottle of this majestic color!

The biggest life saver for me this month has been running! I used to be keen on running and would go for a run everyday, but for the past year my feet hadn't seen a pair of running shoes, until now. After days of telling myself, I would go for a run and the countless "I go tomorrow!", yet tomorrow never came, I finally pushed myself and went. It felt nice to feel the breeze on my face and I feel pretty proud for keeping up with it!

I'm one of those people who can't run without a bit of music and Spotify has been my best friend! Although I have tons of music on my I-pod, it's always nice to switch things up a bit. If you haven't tried Spotify, you should definitely check it out.

The last thing that got me through this month has been enjoying the company of my awesome friends. It's no surprise that I've been up and down, but my friends have been really great and it reminded me of how lucky I am to have them. Especially when I needed an ear to listen to me vent or needed someone to shed some light my way. They were there and it is greatly appreciated! I may only be able to count all my friends on one hand, but they're the best and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Of course, I couldn't forget about my blog and readers! This has been my outlet during a turning point in my life and this has brought me so much joy to write about things that interest me. Thank you to all of you who subscribe to my blog, read my posts, and take the time to comment! It means the world to me.

What are some things that got you through the month of July?

Until next time, sending all my love to my fellow beauty connoisseurs! xo

In Between Days: My favorite Dry Shampoos

We all have those days where we can't bare the thought of washing our hair, or at least I know I do. Especially since I have colored hair, washing it isn't exactly on the top of my list. I've tried so many dry shampoos and they have either been a great disappointment or they've been good and actually got the job done! I've seen plenty of these bottles go and I finally discovered my favorites.

My go to dry shampoo would definitely be this one by Suave! Not only does it smell amazing, I have yet to experience the horrid white cast from this one! If you have dark hair, you know this all too well when it comes to the world of dry shampoo. I have dark roots and I certainly don't want to walk around with a white cast over them, so when I use the Suave Dry Shampoo I can rest assure that won't happen! It's also great at soaking all that oil and still leave my feeling soft which I find difficult when shopping around for a dry shampoo. As you can tell I really enjoy using this product for in between washes.

Of Course as soon as I tried to take a photo of my own Dove bottle, it's nowhere to be found! Credit: vervemagazine

 When I'm really in a pinch and the grease is getting out of hand, this is the dry shampoo I reach for! The thing I love most about this dry shampoo is the fact that it gives me VOLUME! This dry shampoo is what I call  heavy-duty!  I usually don't gravitate towards this every time I need to freshen up my hair because I do find that it tends to dry out my hair, but using it once won't.


Dry shampoo is definitely one product I can't live without!

What are some of your favorites?

Until next time, sending all my love to all my beauty connoisseurs!

Spray Don't Stray

I've always been a fan of setting sprays, and there are some that really do help with the longevity of your makeup and that can really be helpful especially during the summer months. There are tons of setting sprays on the market, so there's a nice variety to choose from. Two of my favorite make up setting sprays are from NYX.

I like using the NYX Matte Finish Setting Spray on days when I know I'm going to be running around and want my make up to last all day. This setting spray really gives you a matte finish and I find that I don't have to touch up as often when I've used this product. I like to spray this prior to applying my make up and sometimes I like to add just a bit more once I've finished to insure my make up stays in place. Now I would say be careful when you apply this because using too much will do the exact opposite of what you were trying to achieve, and don't forget to spray at least 10 inches away from your face, or else you will get splashed with a lot of product and that isn't very fun. 


My second favorite is NYX Dewy Finish Setting spray. Now this setting spray is great if you're after a dewy finish! I prefer using this setting spray when I go a little overboard with the powder, which happens on days I'm extra oily, and it instantly reduces any cake face that might be going on. The one thing I do notice when using this product is I do get a tad shinny throughout the day, but that's nothing a little powder can't fix.

The only downside I can think of is that the bottles go a bit wonky after using them for a while, but that's not exactly a deal breaker for me. 

Have you tried any of these make up setting sprays? Which ones are your favorite? 

As always, until next time, sending all my love to all my make up connoisseurs! 

Minimalist Summer Make Up

When it comes to these hot summer days we've been having in California lately, using minimal products is at the top of my list! During the summer the last thing you want is to worry about your make up. Especially me, who is quite sensitive to the heat and the last thing I want is my foundation to melt away. So today I opted for a simple look using these products:

L'ORÉAL Magic Lumi Primer
I love using this primer to give my face a nice glow on days when my face is  looking a little on the dull side. This primer gives you that nice natural glow. You can apply it to the whole face or in my case I apply it to the high points of my face. 

Elf HD Lifting Concealer
This concealer is great at lightening up the under eye area. I use a little of this and it gives a brightening effect that I desperately need and instantly makes me look like a morning person!  Haha

Cover Girl True blend Fix Stick 
I apply this concealer basically on the areas I need it. Since on days like this, I tend to skip foundation but there are some areas that need a little bit of coverage,  and this concealer does the trick. It's also nice under the eyes and it tends to get a bit dry in that area for me, yet this concealer doesn't dry it out even further like I found most do.
  Tarte Amazonian Clay 12 hour Blush
This blush is my favorite!  Not only is the formula amazing, but the color as well! I love using this blush when I have a long day and can't be bothered to touch up my blush.  I have the shade Blissful and it's exactly that! It's the perfect coral blush and this blush is foolproof,  you can really layer this blush, so you won't get so much product all in one go.

Essence Sun Club Matt Bronzing Powder
Believe it or not, but this is actually my first bronzer!  I've never dabbled into the bronzing pool up until a few months ago. I think this bronzer was the perfect one to start off with it. I have the shade 01 Natural and this is another foolproof product. You can easily build it up to your liking. Especially since this is my first bronzer, I don't exactly want to go overboard. 

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion
This would have to be amongst my favorite eyeshadow primers! I struggle with oily eyelids and this keeps the oil at bay and really keeps my eye shadow on my lids! 
I would definitely recommend it if you're having trouble finding a good eyeshadow primer. 

NYX Eyeshadow 
I have a few of NYX eyeshadows and eyeshadow palettes,  but this shade Iced Mocha
 Is my favorite! I usually gravitate towards this shade when I don't want to fuss about with eyeshadow.  I just pop this on and I'm done and if I want to add a little more definition in my crease, I take a little bit of my bronzer and pop thay in there.

Limecrime Liquid Eyeliner 
I have the old packaging of this eyeliner and since then I think they also changed the formula along with the packaging.  To be honest,  I like this eyeliner, but it does smudge. Now I have tried the new formula and its budge proof! But for now,  I tend to use this one so I can finish it up.

NYX Eyebrow Cake Powder
On the days I want more of a natural brow this is the product I reach for. The powders are great and it comes with two shades, even a wax, which is also great at taming those unruly brows!

Ulta Super Stretch Fiber Mascara 
Ulta has some pretty good mascaras and this is one of them! This mascara gives a nice length to my lashes and the formula is dry, which is why I enjoy using it so much, and you can really layer this mascara up without it clumping.

Sephora Eyelash Curlers 
I have yet to find a pair of eyelash curlers that blow me away. Not to say this isn't a good because it is, but I haven't found one that wowed me. As for these, their good standard pair of eyelash curlers.

NYX Eyeliner
I enjoying using a white eyeliner every now and then to make my eyes look wide awake. I also enjoy using this one from NYX because it seems to stay in my waterline for a reasonable amount of hours.

I know I said minimal,  but for me this is pretty minimal!  And for the most part it's pretty quick to throw together.

What are some of your go to products for summer? 

Until next time, sending all my love to all my make up connoisseurs!

Ask Yourself, Are You Daring?

It seems like I've been stepping out of my normal comfort zone in the world of makeup lately. There once was a time when I used to be quite adventurous with my makeup. I wore a lot of bright colored eyeshadow and eyeliners and all that disappeared when I turned 20. All my eye looks now consist of neutral colors, and sure I wore a lot bright pink and red lipstick, but I never dipped my foot back into the colorful world, until now.

I picked up two NYX Macaroon lipsticks one in the shade Violet and the other in Earl Grey. These colors are not for everyone and they're certainly not your typical everyday colors, but they sure are unique! It takes a bit of bravery as well as confidence, but with the right attitude and eye look, Earl Grey can be stunning! My favorite lip combination has actually been mixing these two colors; they make a beautiful lavender together.

Left to Right: Pagan Angel, Earl Grey, Violet, Earl Grey mixed with Violet

The formulation of these lipsticks are quite creamy, but very opaque! As for wear time, I would say you can go 3-4 hours without reapplying.


Another lipstick I have worn, inside my house, is Wet n Wild's Pagan Angel from the Fergie collection. I first heard about this lipstick from Hollie also known as Eating Lipstick's video and after seeing it, I rushed to my local drugstore to pick it up!  I know, I know, it's a black lipstick and it is a daunting color to wear, but there's just something about black lipstick that looks cool. I bought this as sort of a tester before buying Lime Crime's Black Velvet Velvetine which is a matte black lipstick, and after wearing Pagan Angel I might take the plunge and buy Black Velvet!


It's quite refreshing to step outside your comfort zone every now and then, especially with make up! If you don't like it you can always remove it, it is just make up after all. And who knows maybe you'll find something you end up loving.

Until next time, sending all my love to my fellow makeup connoisseurs!

PHAMExpo Haul!

As promised, I'm here to share with you all what I picked up while I was at PHAME! I didn't go over board, though it's very easy to when you're surrounded by all sorts of brands.


I picked up was a few things from Lime Crime and let me tell you, the line was CRAZY, but totally
worth the wait!

I decided to finally pick up Blue Milk Liquid Liner, a gorgeous pale blue, which I have been lusting over for the past year and I don't know why I never got around to buying it, but at last it's mine!


The next product that has been on my wish list since it came out is their Velvetine in the shade Wicked. This color is literally my everything right now! I also got the chance to swatch Utopia Velvetine, and this color is quite unique and should be out soon!

What I was most excited about was -of course- getting my hands on some brushes. Like I said I didn't go too crazy, although I wished I had because these brushes are extremely affordable!  *Hides face in shame* I only picked up three!

The brushes I picked up are from Morphe Brushes. I was looking into buying some blending brushes and these were the ones I chose, M433 PRO FIRM BLENDING FLUFF. They are extremely soft and blend my eye shadow like a dream and of course I needed two, one for applying whatever color of choice and the other to blend. Or you can simply use one brush, but I thought why not get two.

Believe it or not, but I've never really owned a smudge brush and always wanted one, so I went for the M408 CHISEL SHADER.

        





I picked up a few hair products from Rock Your Hair. I've always had a problem when it came to having volume in my hair, and although I have thick hair it always remains flat. Needless to say, my hair isn't as voluminous as I would like it to be, so when I saw Bombshell Big Hair Powder in action, I was instantly sold! I've tried this a few times and it does give my hair the volume it desires. The other product I decided to try was Get A Lift Volumizing Spray.
The first time I used it was amazing, my waves were more voluminous and it also smelled really nice!
One thing I have to say is I felt like my hair got a tad greasy after a while, but I still have to test this one out some more to have a final opinion on it.

I'm not a huge lash wearer, but I've always wanted to
try some out to amp up my make up look. Ever heard of the saying: once you start wearing false eyelashes, you'll always wear false eyelashes? I've always wondered if that was true, so I guess we'll find that out soon! I picked up 8 pairs of Ardell False Lashes and even a cute eyelash holder to store the ones I've used.





Well, that's just about all the products I purchased at PHAMExpo this year. Have you tried any of the products mentioned?

Until next time, sending all my love to my fellow make up connoisseurs!

High Voltage Make Up That Really Packs A Punch!

 Do you ever have those moments where everything you buy seems to come from one brand? Well, that happened to me. Lately all my beauty purchases seems to be from Kat Von D! I feel like it wasn't that long ago when I purchased her liquid lipstick in A-GO-GO, and I managed to pick up just a couple more things from her line.

Everlasting Blush

Can we just take a moment to admire this beautiful color? I have the shade Bellisima, which is a gorgeous peachy pink. I adore this blush so much, it's insane! Everything I could possibly want in a blush is given to me and I am eternally grateful!  This blush is pigmented, long lasting, and extremely silky feeling. It also blends really nicely, see everything about it is perfect! What I like most about this blush is you can gently tap your brush into it and have a light wash of color or you can be extremely daring and have a nice flush of color.

Chrysalis Eyeshadow Palette

 

Choosing between this palette and the Monarch Eyeshadow Palette was extremely difficult! But I thought I would step outside my neutral comfort zone and try out Chrysalis, and I'm glad I did. All the shadows are nicely pigmented and although you may think some of the shades aren't that wearable, they really are! You can actually create a variety of looks with this palette from a nice subtle day time look to an amplified night look. My favorite shade would have to be Hybrid Moments, a beautiful deep plum color. Most of these shadows are quite soft, so you might get some powder everywhere, but the shades are so beautiful that I don't mind the slight mess.




Left To Right: Lucid, Lunar Lights, Lifelike



Left To Right: Tornay, Entombed, Graphic Nature, Black Milk, Melancholia, Glasswing, Transition, Mezzanie, Hybrid Moments

 











I'm really tempted to go back to Sephora and pick up the Monarch palette and maybe another blush from this line!

Have you tried any of these or other Kat Von D products?

Until next time, sending all my love to my fellow make up connoisseurs! xo

Benekits: A Great Way To Try Out A Variety Of Products

Primping With The Stars

 

 I was first given this lovely set on my birthday last year and when I received it, I was very excited to try everything out! I've only used a few of Benefit's products here and there and this little box is a nice introduction to other products they offer.

First of all, can we all admire the wonderful packaging that Benefit has with all their products? I'm not going to lie, I am a total s u c k e r for packaging, and Benefit does a g r e a t job with that!

Inside the box contains six miniature size products:

• Stay Don't Stray
• Some Kind-A-Gorgeous Foundation
• Benetint Rose-Tinted Lip & Cheek Stain
• The Porefessional Pro Balm
• Girl Meets Pearl Liquid Pearl for Face
• They're Real! Mascara in Black

and a mirror which is really convenient for traveling! I say that like I actually go places, but if you do it's a great thing to take, so you're not lugging around tons of separate products. It also includes some tips on how to use each product which is nice.

Here are my stand out products:

I was most excited about The Porefessional because I've heard so many rave about it, and I can see why! It provides a lovely base for your foundation and does minimize the appearance of pores. Now I must say I don't have too much of problem with pores, but they are there and sometimes they are noticeable, but this product does make them less visible and also allows my make-up to last a tad longer. Especially in the areas where I can literally fry a piece chicken on my face cos it gets pretty oily.

Oh, Girl Meets Pearl stole my heart. I'm a big fan of Benefit's Watt's Up!(which is a cream to powder highlighter) but since trying out Girl Meets Pearl, I've completely forgotten about my Watt's Up. I apply this to the high points of face, and it leaves a nice luminous glow to my skin.

Benetint Rose, I found, is best to use as just a cheek stain! Once I applied this to my lips, let's just say my mouth was not happy. It smells like roses, but surely does not taste as good as it smells! I tend to lick my lips a lot- bad habit, I know-  and it tasted so bitter! It also didn't do much for my lips other than make them sticky. Now Benetint on your cheeks that's a different story. It gives such a pretty natural "flushed" look, like you've just pinched your cheeks, and it stays put!

The ones I was not so keen on were Stay Don't Stray and They're Real! Mascara.

Stay Don't Stray didn't quite work out for me. My eyeshadow didn't stay on and I was so disappointed about that! I've been on the hunt for a new eyeshadow primer and hoping this would be "the one", sadly it wasn't. I must warn you though, as I've gotten older my eyelids can become oily throughout the day, and that could have something to do with it, so for those of you without that similar problem I would suggest to go and give it a whirl. But as for me, my Two Faced EyeShadow Primer is just going to have to do for now.

This is going to be quite controversial... They're Real! Mascara. I must say that I loooove this miniature version, but the actual full size doesn't work out the same. Am I the only one who encountered this problem? I love how it give me great length- lashes for miles-,  but why -oh why- doesn't the full size do the same? It's truly devastating. *sigh*

I have still yet to try out Some Kind-A-Gorgeous Foundation! And the reason for that is because my skin has been quite dry recently and this is a cream to powder formula. I might give a go and prep my skin accordingly, and who knows, I may end up liking it.

Overall I think these Benefit kits are really a good investment! Especially when you're not quite sure what to try or simply want to try many all at once. They're roughly around $30+ (there are some cheaper than that), but like I said well worth it!

Until next time, sending all my love to all my make-up connoisseurs out there!

Color Me Orange!

With warmer weather we've been getting out here in Southern California, and with the sun beaming out, I love to pull out my bright lipsticks! And one color I've been constantly reaching for is orange, and I'd like to share with you some of my favorites.

Revlon ColorBurst Matte Balm in the shade Mischievous
Mischievous is a nice pale orange, and I can't get enough of these things! The formula is semi-mate, but they feel really comfortable on the lips.



E.L.F Moisturizing Lipstick in Coral Cutie
I really enjoy E.L.F lipsticks, not only are they super affordable, but they are so good in formulation as well. Like the name suggests they are moisturizing and this color is more on the sheer side, but can be built up if needed.

Wet N Wild MegaLast Lipcolor in 24 Carrot Gold
Can we just take a moment to appreciate the goodness that is Wet n Wild? Well, they definitely deserve it cos their lipsticks are amazing and for the price, I'm a happy camper! 24 Carrot Gold is a beautiful in between orange, not too pale, but not too dark either. It's my perfect in between and pulls out my inner bunny!


Wet N Wild MegaLast Lipcolor in Purty Persimmon/ Reflect Orange
Can you tell I love Wet N Wild? This color is more on the Red-Orange, but orange nonetheless.
I love wearing this color on days where I don't feel like wearing red, but still want that statement lip!

NYX Matte Lipstick in Indie Flick
Oh, Indie Flick, how you stole my heart! I love all of NYX Matte Lipsticks, the formula is great! They stay on and they're not drying, so you get the best of both worlds. Indie Flick is a beautiful orange and one of the first orange lipsticks I've tried, and boy it did not disappoint!

Kat Von D Everlasting Love Liquid Lipstick in A-Go-Go
Now this may sound strange, but I love wearing this color because it reminds me of carrots! I love wearing this when I don't really want to fuss about it moving around. I adore this shade and is defiantly for those who are a little more daring cos it is bright!

Prestige Lipliner in Poppy
I know what you're thinking, this isn't exactly a lipstick and you're right. But this lipliner feels like a lipstick and it lasts, so the fact that it's a lipliner doesn't bother me. This is actually my first Prestige lipliner and I have to say, where has this been all my life? It's not drying, nor does it drag on the lips! I love this color its a nice red-orange and super comfortable to wear and underneath my lipstick it makes it last for AGES! I literally wore this to dinner and it did not budge; that's a total winner in my book.

Well, that concludes my favorite orange lipsticks!
I hope you guys found it helpful for the next time you're shopping around for orange lipsticks!

Until next time, I send my love to all you makeup connoisseurs out there!

The Game Changing Night Cream

The world of skin care has always been an uncharted territory of mine. The most I've ever done was slap on some daily moisturizer and that was it; nothing specific and surely nothing fancy. Those were the days of my teenage years where my skin didn't really call out for help, but now that I've reached my early 20's and having my skin type change drastically, let's say I take skin care a little more serious now. One thing that I've added to my night time skin care routine is a night cream.


Here's a little background about my skin type:
My skin can get quite dry, with some dry patches in certain areas, and I also have sensitive skin.
Not to mention that my skin can look a little dull at times.

It's hard for me to find products that won't irritate my skin and when I stumbled upon the Avon Skin Revitalize Night Radiance Cream  it was like a heaven sent!
The first time I tried it, I was a tad hesitant because of its heavy fragrance. Usually anything that contains a fragrance is huge no since they tend to make skin livid, but surprisingly this stuff did not break me or cause a reaction.

It also claims to help boost radiance and I can happily say that it does.

I was amazed that after O N E  use I saw a significant difference in my skin!  I was pleased to see that it even helped with my dry patches . The one thing I will say is that it doesn't exactly give me the moisture I need, so I do end up putting a small layer of coconut oil on top to give me the hydration my skin craves. If you have normal to dry skin then this will probably be enough for you, but for those of us who are on the dryer -emphasis on the ER- side, you may need to lather up something on top!

Other than me adding an extra layer of moisturizer, this is fantastic product worth giving a go!