MASCARA MONDAY: Maybelline Lash Stiletto | #demo

Hi Everyone,

I know it's been a while but I'm back with another mascara review. :) I've used the Maybelline Lash Stiletto in the past and I recently bought it for a photoshoot and fell in love with it all over again! This mascara has been known to give great length but one thing people don't talk about is that it also gives definition and volume! 

The formula isn't thick so when I apply multiple coats it does not make my lashes clumpy and it keeps them separated. I did a review/demo of this mascara a few years ago on my YouTube channel that you can find in the link below.

Let me know in the comments if you've tried the Maybelline Lash Stiletto before and if you like it or not. 

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MASCARA MONDAY: Maybelline Full 'N Soft | #review

Hi All,

I've used the Maybelline Full 'N Soft mascara for years now. It's been my go to mascara for as long as I can remember. The name describes it perfectly. It makes my lashes supper full and soft at the same time. It's clump free and does not leave my lashes looking wet as it dries pretty matte.

However, I think that the company may have changed the formula recently because it's not as pigmented on the lashes (when applied) as it used to be. For the past year or so I find my self not reach for this mascara as much, for that reason. It is still a great mascara but I wish I didn't have to apply multiple coats to get the desired look.

I did a review of this mascara on my Youtube Channel (linked below) and I would appreciate it, if you can give it thumbs up if you liked it and it was helpful to you.

Thank you!! :)

FALSE LASHES FRIDAY: First Attempt | #FAIL

Hi All,

I attempted to apply false lashes for the first time and it was a big fail, in my opinion. I've had false lashes applied at the Mac Counter before, but it always seems easier when someone else puts them on for you. I will try to keep up with this series (false lashes friday), where I'll be trying different brands of false lashes on Fridays until I can master the art of applying false lashes. I had fun filming my experience and hope that I can keep up with this challenge. Please head over to my YouTube Channel to see how I failed at my first attempt. ;)

Products used: elf Luxe Lash Kit in Winged & Polished & Duo Lash Adhesive in Dark

A Day in the Snow - Julian CA

Had such a nice day this past Wednesday in Julian. Didn't get to have their famous Apple Pie, but for sure did enjoy the peaceful scenery covered in pure, glistening snow!  

Outfit Details:  Sweater: Banan Republic  -  Jacket: Forever 21 -  Jeans: H&M  -  Purse: Guess  -  Booties: Target. 

Vaseline - Intensive Care Deep Moisture

So I come back again with another skin product. :) Vaseline Intensive Care been my go to moisturizer when I feel like my skin needs major rejuvenation. As rich as it feels on my skin, it does not clog my pores nor irritates my eyes. My supper dry skin loves this product to the moon and back as it does wonders for it.  ;)

Current Favorite Product - CeraVe

This product has been in my daily skincare routine for the past 3 weeks. It's a great everyday lotion for dry skin. It provides the perfect amount of moisture to my skin, without clogging my pores. I have extremely sensitive skin and this lotion does not irritate my skin at all, as it claims in the product description. A big thumbs up for that! 

Aside from being non-comedogenic, having hyaluronic acid as a main ingredient was the reason I was intrigued to use this product. It's main ingredients are ceramides and hyaluronic acid. These two ingredients work together to help hydrate and nourish the skin.

I use this lotion twice a day (morning and night). I specifically like that it has no scent and that my skin maintains its moisture even after I wash the lotion off. I like this product so much that I decided to dedicate a blog post to it. Here is where you can find this lotion. Please read more reviews before purchasing, as everyone's skin reacts differently when it comes to face products.  

Allure Beauty Box - May 2016

My May Allure Beauty Box came a little late but it was so worth the wait. We've always been told not to judge a book by its cover, but I totally did with this beauty box! As soon as I laid eyes on this red box I knew this was the subscription to keep!  

I became even more of a fan when I saw what was inside. It was the best combination of beauty and face products I would want to try. I specially loved the little booklet that came with the box, which includes a list and description of all the products that are in the beauty box.

Foreo Luna Play: The first thing that caught my eye was this little blue devise that looked foreign yet supper interesting. This is a golf-ball size, disposable facial-cleansing brush that is meant to last for 100 uses. It feels very soft and the best part about it is that since it's made of silicone, there is no need to worry about bacterial growth! 

Foreo Day & Night Cleanser: Based on what I read about these two products in the booklet and online, I learned that they were designed to complement the Luna devise. The day cleanser's main ingredients are mandarin and bergamot extracts, and apricot-seed oil. It has a citrusy scent and feels like a cream which transforms to foam when you massage it onto damp skin. The night cleanser's main ingredients are sweet-almond oil and coco-caprylate/carpate. It has a gel-like consistency and it has a very faint almond scent. Unfortunately since anything made of almonds breaks my skin out, I won't be able to try the night cleanser! 

Make Up For Ever Smoky Extravagant Mascara: This is a volumizing, lengthening, and curling mascara in an ultrablack shade. I am so excited about this mascara and can't wait to try it. I will do before and after photos once I try it.

Lauren B. Nail Polish in Santa Barbara Surf: This is a very pretty green-blue polish that is a perfect summer color. It retails for $18!! I have never owned a polish this expensive but can't wait to try it on my nails. ;)

Pixi Mattelustre Lipstick in Rose Naturelle: This lipstick has a creamy consistency. The color is not exactly the "rose" color that we are familiar with as it has a trace of brown in it. Very natural and a perfect everyday lip color. It claims to have hyaluronic acid, and vitamins C and E to keep lips hydrated and plump. 

Equitance Brightening Serum + Spot Corrector: A dark-spot brightening serum that is supposed to minimize the appearance of spots caused by acne, hormonal changes, and sun exposure. I started using this serum about a week ago. I'm focusing on one acne spot specifically. Based on what I have read I should be seeing results in about 4 weeks. Once again I will be doing a before and after review on this. 

Cotz Flawless Complexion SPF 50: Last but not least is this noncomedogenic mineral sunscreen by Cotz.  It claims to protect the skin from UVA and UVB rays without clogging pores!!!! Could it get any better than that?! ;) I've read very promising reviews on this product and I really hope that it won't break my skin out like all the other sunscreen's I've tried. 

Mini Ulta Haul Featuring Murad Essential-C Day Moisture SPF 30

I normally don't wear sunscreen because every sunscreen I've tried is either too heavy on my skin or causes me to break out. Recently, one of my friends recommended that I try Murad's Essential-C Day Moisture Broad Spectrum SPF 30 from Sephora. She said it wasn't heavy and did not irritate her skin. This moisturizer is a bit on the pricy side for my budget but three weeks ago I gave in and decided to make the purchase. I ended up ordering it from Ulta.com instead of Sephora because at that time Ulta was having a promotion for a free 22 piece beauty bag with any $60 online purchase. I took advantage of that and ordered my moisturize from Ulta. :) 

After receiving my order I wasn't too upset about how much I had spent on my moisturizer anymore because of all the additional items I received with it. Out of all the beauty products I received, I am most excited to try Murad's Rapid Age Spot and Pigment Lightening Serum, Benefit's Dew the Hoola, It's a 10 Miracle Leave-in Product, and Butter London's Double Decker Mascara. 

This cute makeup bag held the 22 piece travel-size beauty product. It's not exactly my style but i couldn't resist taking a photo of it. ;)

**I will be doing a full review on the Murad Essential-C Day Moisture SPF 30 once I've properly used it**

BoxyCharm Review

Hi Lovelies!

So I'm finally getting around to write my review on the BoxyCharm beauty box I received a month ago. I'm just gonna start by saying that I've already canceled my BoxyCharm subscription. Main reason being, I felt that $21 was a bit much for a subscription box. I was initially wow'd by their full-sized products, but after I calmed down from all the excitement I realized I was interested in trying out only 2 products: Anderson Lilly Hand Cream and Purlisse Lip Comfort. Maybe I was too quick to cancel the subscription and maybe future BoxyCharm boxes would've had more products I would want to try, but I just simply didn't want to pay another $21 to find out. ;) Also after receiving my ipsy and Allure beauty boxes I've realized that I would rather have sample-sized products; that way  if I really like somthing after tying it out I can purchase a full-size on my own. 

| Anderson Lilly Hand Cream |

I really liked this hand cream and as you can see in the photo, I'v almost emptied out the tube. It smells very fresh and it has a very faint cucumber scent, which I completely enjoy. It doesn't feel greasy and leaves my skin hydrated for a good hour or so. I have very dry skin so feeling  hydrated for an hour is pretty impressive. 

| Purlisse Lip Comform |

This lip palm is light on the lips which I enjoy and It feels really nice when I initially put it on. But I found myself re-applying it way too often throughout the day, to keep the hydration. It definitely softens my lips but it does not heal my lips when they are chapped, as it claims. Overall it's an Okay lip balm. 

If you would like to see what other products I got in my Box, you can check our my previous blog post by clicking here .

My First Subscription Box --- BoxyCharm April 2016

A good friend of mine recently introduced me to the world of subscription boxes and I've been obsessed ever since. I did some research and decided to sign up for three beauty subscription boxes: 

BoxyCharm -- $21 a month

Ipsy -- $10 a month 

Allure Beauty Box -- $15 a month (I used this Link and got $5 off my first month)

I got my first BoxyCharm box a couple days ago and was pretty impressed with what was in the box. I Will do a full review on the items once I try them all. But for now here is a photo and a complete list of what I received! 

Purlisse Lip Comfort | Full Size                         $16
Blinc Cosmetics Lash Primer | Full Size            $26
Ofra Long Lasting Liquid Lipstick | Full Size      $19.90
Your Minerals Eyeshadow | Full Size                 $21
Anderson Lilley Hand Cream | Full Size            $24

Favorite Drugstore Mascara

Here they are!!!!! My favorite drugstore mascaras: :)


1. Wet 'n' Wild Mega Volume

2. Maybelline Full'n Soft

3. NYC Big Bold Curl

1. Wet 'n' Wild Mega Volume

I talked about Wet 'n' Wild's Mega Volume Mascara in my last blog post. It has recently become a favorite of mine. One coat is enough to make my lashes black and to some extent fuller than usual. The spoolie/brush is on the thin side with short bristles (see photo below) and I think that's one of the reasons why it doesn't make my lashes clumpy, which I love. You can find it here. You can't go wrong with this mascara if you're on a budget since it does the job AND it's cheap. 

2. Full'n Soft

I've been using this mascara for a while now. I can say with confidence that it's my favorite mascara ever. The name describes it perfectly. It makes my lashes supper full and soft at the same time. It's clump free and most importantly it's one of those mascaras that you can wear without needing to wear eyeliner. See here.

3. Big Bold Curl

Once again another product that is described well by it's name. I never have to curl my lashes when wearing this mascara. It opens up my eyes effortlessly and with only one coat. The boldness however is achieved with applying multiple coats. Love this mascara. :) See here.

September Favorites

I love trying new products and sharing them on my blog. For the past month the products shown in the picture above have been so surprisingly good to my hair, skin and lashes ;) that I thought I'd share them with you guys!

Pantene - Powerful Body Booster Spray

I Absolutely love this body booster spray by Pentene, see here. It makes my hair looking full without making it dry. I mix it with the L'Oreal Curl Taming Cream and they work great together. I have to say that, if I don't mix it with a hair cream, it could feel a little crisp to the touch. But I still love it. 

Wet 'n' Wild Mega Volume Mascara

I was not expecting for this mascara to become one of my favorites. But it did, see here. It's very light on my lashes but it makes them look full and black. I will definitely include it in my next blog post which will be on my favorite mascaras. I'll be sure to include before and after pictures.

L'Oreal - Curve It Curl Taming Cream

The most nourishing and effective hair cream that I've ever used. See here . It does not make my hair looking oily nor weighs my hair down which is a huge plus! Works great in detangling my hair and works perfect with the body booster spray I use by Pentene. 

Dermalogica - MultiVitamin Power Firm

I've been using this cream for about 3 weeks now. I used it under my eyes and to be honest I have not noticed a huge difference in the firmness around my eye area BUT it's so creamy and moisturizing that I think it's the best preventive product for wrinkles. See here. I solely use it for that reason and if one day I notice firmness I'll be sure to do an updated post. :)

Simple Skincare Products

I just have to start this post by saying that I am a huge fan of Simple Skincare products! They do good for my skin and I "simply" love them. ;) I currently use Simple's Moisturizing Facial Wash, Replenishing Rich Moisturizer, Protection Light Moisturizer SPF 15, and Cleansing Micellar Water.

The Moisturizing Facial Wash has a gel-like consistency and if I'm being perfectly honest I don't quite know how to describe the smell, but it's not a bad one nor over powering. For those who are sensitive to scents and smells, this could be a big plus. This product lathers up pretty nicely and once I rinse it off, my skin feels very clean! What I really like about it is that it does the job without over drying my skin. For this reason only, it gets a big thumbs up.

 

I've had dry skin for as long as I can remember and most moisturizers that I have used in the past either don't moisturize my skin deeply enough or, if they are only intended for dry skin, they can be way too greasy. But the Replenishing Rich Moisturizer properly hydrates my skin without making it look greasy. As the name describes, this moisturizer is very rich. When you first put it on it feels very thick on the skin, but as you blend it in it absorbs very quickly and leaves your skin looking hydrated and very much nourished :) I absolutely love this product. I've repurchased it twice and I don't know what I'll do if they ever discontinue it.

The Protection Light Moisturizer SPF 15 is also a good product, however, I've never used it by its self. I basically mix it with the Replenishing Rich Moisturizer when I know I'll be in the sun. I mix the two products and apply as one layer, instead of wearing the moisturizer and then putting on the SPF. I do this only because when I put on any type of sunscreen after applying moisturizer, for some reason it starts to act as a scrub and completely takes off my moisturizer as if it were dead skin. I have yet to figure out why it does that, but for now mixing the two products is what works for my skin.

The Cleansing Micellar Water did not impress me at first. I use this cleanser right after I wash my face, using the Moisturizing Facial Wash, and since the Facial Wash does the job of removing all of my make up there isn't anything visible to the eye that the Cleansing Micellar Water would remove. So just like me, when you first use it you might think it doesn't exactly remove any make up, but if you actually use it prior to using a facial wash you'll be impressed with how much make up it removes. Not only that I've noticed that it hydrates my skin, something most cleansers don't do!

BareMinerals "READY" Pressed Powder Foundation - Pressed Powder Foundation

For a while now, I've been on the hunt to find a new pressed powder foundation. I've used Mac Studio Fix for as long as I can remember, and sometimes when I feel like trying something new I really don't have an alternative in my make-up bag. So I did some "Youtube" research, and came across four different pressed power foundations, and the BareMinerals Ready pressed powder foundation was one of them.

It's really hard for me to do this review because I'm a big fan of  BareMinerals. I've used their Well-Rested eye brightener, Vintage Peach blush, Prime Time primer, and have never had any problems. The products do what they claim to do, and I love that about this brand. However this product specifically didn't do well on my skin. If I'm being perfectly honest, I do think the main reason why it didn't work for me is mostly because of the type of skin I have. I've always had dry skin and when it comes to foundation (liquid or powder), I need to be extra cautious because it leaves my skin looking flakey and even more dry.

The BareMinerals READY foundation gave me a medium to full coverage, and made my skin look pretty radiant. But after a couple of hours, I started to see flakiness around my mouth and chin area. By the end of the day I felt like I was wearing liquid foundation. It looked very cakey and patchy on my skin. Unfortunately, It won't be a re-purchase anytime soon. Maybe when/if my skin type changes I can give it another try, but as of right now I'm going to keep using my Mac Studio Fix.

I have to say that If you have normal or oily skin, this foundation could do very well on your skin, but I can only share my experience based on the skin type that I have.

I'm not giving up just yet on finding a new powder foundation because I still have three more options that I haven't tried:

Nars 'All Day' Luminous Powder Foundation

It Cosmetics Celebration Foundation

Tarte Airbrush Full Coverage Foundation


Will be doing a review on each of them, once I've properly tried each one.

Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in Venezia

This is my first time trying a lip product by Stila, but I have used eyeliners by this brand. What I like about their eyeliners is that they're very creamy, and the first thing I noticed/loved about this lipstick was that it also has a very creamy consistency. Another thing I noticed right off the bet was that it has a very good color payoff - little bit goes a long way. I could confidently say that it's a full coverage lipstick. It also dries matt if that's what you're interested in, but if you have dry lips like me you should be careful with matt lipsticks because they do tend to accentuate the dryness of your lips. Unfortunately this fact also applied here, and it is the only downside about this product. It looked perfectly fine at first but as the day went by I noticed that my lips were looking more chapped than usual.  

Now that I got that out of the way, a couple more things that I liked were how weightless it is on the lips and, most importantly, that it photographs well.  Here is a photo that was taken during the day with natural lighting.

The shade I got is Venezia. On the Stila website it's described as "bright red;" however, I think it has a tint of orange. So I would describe it as "Orange-red" rather than just "bright red."

This lipstick comes in  four more shades: Rosa (Bubble Gum Pink), Como (Bright Violet), Bella (Bright Pink) and Amalfi (Coral Pink). Shop Here .