DIY Brush Cleanser

     Cleaning your brushes is a must! Deep cleaning your brushes should be on your planner every week and spot cleaning them is every time after you use it. Although, I gotta admit, I'm lazy about cleaning my brushes. It's such a chore!!!!! But cleaning your brushes will prevent break outs and help your brushes last longer. Spot cleaning your brushes will show your products' true color, not a mix of the eyeshadow you used yesterday and the one you want to use today. The recipe that I'm going to share to you is fairly simple. I actually got it from Enkore, but I doubled the recipe so I don't  have to keep on making it. You might even have all the ingredients in your house already!

Recipe:

Spray bottle

2 cups of purified water

1 tbsp of antibacterial soap (choose a color you prefer)

1 tbsp of a gentle shampoo

1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil or a liquid leave in conditioner

1/2 cup of alcohol (I prefer 90% or more)

     The spray bottle could be bought anywhere such as Target, Walmart, Dollar Tree or any beauty store. Just pour all the liquids in the bottle and shake! Make sure you shake the mixture every time before you spray it onto your brushes. You don't want to get your brushes too wet when spot cleaning it, just enough to get the product out and onto a paper towel. But, if you prefer dipping the brush in a bowl of the cleaner, go ahead. The drying process will just take longer. There is no need to rinse the brush after spraying the cleanser. I also like spraying this on my brushes after deep cleaning it to let the olive oil moisturize the brush bristles and the alcohol fight any remaining bacteria. Remember to dry your brushes flat or upside down! I hope this helped! I'll try to post a video on my YouTube channel: agapesbeautyarmour and attach it to this post. Have a wonderful day!!!!!

M.A.C. Haul

  So, the mall near my house always had M.A.C. in the Macy's department store. But this spring season, M.A.C. opened up a new branch in the mall. They have everything that I can get from the M.A.C. section from the department store and more! I was actually able to create my own palette! I've been dying to create one! In this haul, I mostly got blushes that I think would be great for an everyday wear and lipsticks with fun colors!

Haul:

Studio Fix pressed powder foundation (C40)

6pan blush palette

Blushes:  

  Sunbasque

  Harmony

  Springsheen

  Gingerly

  Flirt and Tease

  Pinch Me

Lipsticks:

  Craving (Amplified)

  Crosswires (Creamsheen)

  Jubilee (Lustre)

   That's everything I got. I'm gonna purchase the Fix and Perfect setting spray when I can and I'll let all of you know how it went! I really loved my foundation because it evens out my skin tone giving me a full coverage when needed without looking cakey. The blushes are amazing since they last all day long and have great pigmentation. The ones I bought are also great I'm giving me definition on the cheeks. I specifically bought the blush in Harmony as my contour. Many people use the blush Blunt to do the same thing. The lipsticks are so pigmented that I don't need to apply a lot to have the desired effect. They also keep my lips super soft and lasts for a long time! The price is actually on the low end if you compare them to other high end products. But if you compare them to other drugstore makeups then they are quite expensive. In this haul, I realized that I extremely like M.A.C. products and can't wait to buy some more!

M.A.C. Haul Video! ;)

Wedding Bliss!

  My aunt got married this weekend and it was a blast!!!! Awesome people, yummy food, over all a great celebration! The venue was at a golf course overlooking the city. There was a gazebo where the ecstatic bride and groom shared their vows, and towards the end of the ceremony, the sun was ready to take it's rest leaving pink and orange clouds on the horizon. We all walked to the hall for the food and party. Beautiful speeches were given that even brought tears to a couple of my uncle's eyes. We are so happy for my aunt and her lucky husband that thinking about it just lifts my spirits up. When I talked to my aunt about her fiancée before the wedding, I could just hear the happiness in her voice and see the sparkles in her eyes. I know they're going to be happy together!

    The party was a success! The bouquet was thrown to the maid of honor, the bride's sister, after many attempts, which was hilarious! The garter was caught by the best woman, the father and daughter dance was beautiful, and the cake had personality! Lol! There was a lot of dancing involved, they might have been one song that I didn't dance to but for the rest, I was shaking my goodies like there's no tomorrow! Lol!!! It was great to see my family and friends, I am so glad I took time off from work to attend.

That's me applying the lip creams to my grand ma!

  The color scheme was olive green and I designed my makeup to match. I made sure to keep my lip creams, lip gloss and my Mally Evercolor Poreless Face Defender in my purse for touch ups! I also ensured to wear waterproof eye makeup just incase I get teary or sweaty from dancing. These are the products I used:

Rimmel Fix and Perfect Pro Primer

Revlon Colorstay Foundation

Urban Decay De Slick Setting Spray

Urban Decay Primer Potion in Eden

Smashbox  Photo Op Mega Palette in the tri Quick Take

Stila Waterproof Smudgestick in Lionfish

Rimmel London Exaggerated Waterproof Eyeliner in Precious Gold

Maybelline Falsies Waterproof Mascara

Maybelline Define a Brow pencil in Medium Brown

Garnier BB Eye Roll On

Coastal Scents Eclipse Palette

MAC Studio Fix Foundation

MAC Blush in Harmony

MAC Blush in Pinch Me

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Antwerp and San Paolo

Mally Lip Gloss in Flirty

Mally Evercolor Poreless Face Defender

Ardell False Eyelashes in 135



A photo with my aunties and cousin. I did my little cousin's makeup too!


Isn't she adorable?!?!?!?!





    So that's everything! I'll post a video to go along with this so you can see how I did my makeup! This look would be great for prom or any formal event. Heck! Wear it on a night out and you would look beautiful!

    The whole night was so much fun it lasted until morning! My aunt, her best friend, a couple of my cousins and I went to a casino after changing out of our party dresses... It was funny since all we did there was eat! It was still a blast!

    I am so happy for the bride and her lucky groom! Best wishes to both of them! And  for my brand new uncle: welcome to the family!

Question:  My aunt, the bride, had neutral eyes, rosy cheeks and pink lips. Basically, a natural look with a pop of color. How about you? What kind of makeup look would you prefer on your wedding day?

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream Review

     I've always loved matte lipsticks and I wanted to try a matte lip cream. NYX offers the Soft Matte Lip Cream and I bought the shades Antwerp and San Paolo. I love these shades! Antwerp is coral with pink, while San Paolo is just pink! A bright pink perfect for spring and summer. I especially love this color on dark skin tones since it just pops!

    The lip creams apply on with a wand like many lip glosses but these have a thicker consistency. It's like a melted lipstick. I highly advise exfoliating your lips and apply chapstick prior to putting on the lip cream because it tends to feather out. But if your lips are in good shape then these babies are amazing! They lasts so long! I mixed both shades onto my lips and wore it to my aunt's wedding last weekend, I ate, drank, celebrated their union and I still had it on! Actually, the bride's makeup artist saw my lips and adored it so he wanted me to apply it on the bride, maid of honor and the mother of the bride! One of the bride's maid was wearing San Paolo too! I do like wearing this with a little bit of lip gloss to the center of my lips to add more dimension. Over all, I would definitely buy this product again! Just make sure your lips are in their tiptop shape!

Easter Fun and How I Stayed Shine Free!

    Well, my Easter was so much fun! Although I did work most of the day, I got to go to my boyfriend's grandma's house after work. It was a blast!!! I love spending my Easter there! I got to eat great food, sweated through a few badminton games, learned how to play shuffle board, beat everyone at HORSE the first time, lost to my boyfriend the second time, and lounged outside having a great time! The weather was great! The sun was out but it wasn't sweltering hot. I did sweat, so I was worried about my makeup. Surprisingly, my makeup stayed on really well!!!!! My foundation was still there like I just got done putting it on, my blush was not as intense but I was glad that happened because it turned out nicer, my contour was all there, and my lashes were as curly as ever. The only downside were my lipstick was all gone, I did eat and had a couple drinks, and my eyeshadow was a little creased, I did have my shadow on for more than 15 hours. It was bound to crease then. I did touch up my makeup using Mally's Face Defender, the clear mattifier and sprayed on Urban Decay's De Slick setting spray. I really think those products kept me matte and unshiny the whole day. Oh, by the way, I have really oily skin, so what I saw when I got home surprised me so much! I was super happy that I wanted to share it to you all!

    

DIY: Lip Exfoliator

    It's time of the year again when bright lipsticks are a must! They are just so fun to wear, it makes me happy just looking at them! What is bit disappointing is seeing them all feathered out. Bright lipsticks tend to make them stand out more and it just doesn't look good -- at all!!!!!!!! If you're lips are dry that they're peeling, those dead skin are what causes the nasty feathery look. When this happens, I exfoliate my lips then tada! My lips are soft and most important of all SMOOTH! Lip products glide on easier and your lips are healthier! The recipe? It's super easy that you might already have them in your pantry!!!!!!

Recipe:

A small jar or bowl

1- 11/2 tbsp of brown sugar

1-2 tsp of honey

      Mix the sugar and honey in a bowl or jar. If you want to add more sugar, go ahead! Rub this on your lips GENTLY! Rubbing it too hard will cause your lips to feel sore. Wipe away the exfoliant with a wet towel. Now, grab that bright lipstick, then glide it on to your soft and smooth brand new lips! Mwah! I hope this helped!

bareMinerals Insider Introducing the Hydrating Lip Tint Review

         I've been wanting try some more bareMinerals product apart from their foundation kits and I've mentioned before that a thriftier way to do it is to buy value packs. bareMinerals have some great packages and I actually saved about $50! I loved most of them and when I run out I will definitely buy some more! Here are the products included and what I thought of them:

Prime Time Primer Shadow    
       I love this product! It's perfect for those on the go moments and times when you need a quick fix! There's no need to apply a primer prior to this because the shadow itself already has a primer! The color is very pretty and natural that it would look great on anyone and any look! It does have a slight hint of shimmer which can bring focus to your eyes! I will buy this again if I run out!

Flawless Definition Volumizing Mascara 
       I like this mascara. It's not too clumpy and thick. It is very black. The brush is fairly traditional that it hugs my sparse lashes and makes it look like I have more! I wouldn't buy it again though, just because there are other cheaper mascaras from the drugstore that gives me the same result.

Round the Clock Waterproof Eyeliner
       The 3 pm shade is perfect!!!! I prefer wearing dark brown eyeliners compare to black because they don't make my eyes look smaller, so this works out great for me! The brown does look more bronzy because it has a little shimmer which makes me like it even more since it's different from other brown eyeliners that I have. It last aaaaaallllllllllll day long!!!!!! I'm not kidding! I have plenty of eyeliners that say they wouldn't smudge or fade. But for some reason they do on me. Well, I do have oily skin so that might be a reason! Lol! But this liner doesn't smudge and the intensity looks the same as when I just put it on in the morning. The only thing I don't like about it is I have to sharpen it myself. Call me lazy but I'm not very good at sharpening my eyeliners... :{ Also, you can't just buy it individually, well at least to the stores I've gone to. You have to buy an insider pack to receive and eyeliner from the Round the Clock waterproof line. Wow I wrote a lot! Just shows how much I really like this product! Lol!

Blush in Peek-a-Boo
         I adore this blusher! It gives my face a nice flushed look. You know that kind of color you get after working out. I do think this would look great on anyone. It lasts all day and comes in the click, lock and go innovation Bare Minerals created. I would definitely buy another one!

Hydrating Lip Tint  
       At first look, I was disappointed because I thought the tint would be pinkier, but it's more natural with a hint of pink. It's still very pretty and would look perfect for that natural look that the whole kit is going to give you. I'm not too crazy about the consistency. It almost feels like it's too greasy. The great thing about this tint is it gives you an even color and it last for a decent amount of time. I put it on at night and the next morning I still have that nice natural pink lips! Granted that I didn't do anything with my lips. Once a lip tint dries, some gives you a gradient effect on your lips but this one looks nice and even. I'm not sure if I'll buy another one because I don't really like the product's texture.


         I hope this helps! I just want to remind you, if you're planning to try bareMinerals products buying an insider kit is the practical way to go because it's a much cheaper alternative and you get to try more products! Alright talk to you on my next post! I do have a video of this review. And you get to see what the products actually look like. I'll try to attach it to this post if I can! Take care!!!