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! ;)

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!

    

Money Saving Tips When Buying Makeup!

      Makeup could be expensive. It seems like that the more expensive the product is, the better they should be! But sadly, that's untrue. There are great products that could be bought at a drugstore for a much smaller price. Here are a some tips that could help buying makeup easier on your wallet!

-Don’t be a snob; there are great drugstore makeup products out there!

-Eyeshadow may be used several ways. It can be used as a highlight for your brows, cheek bones, nose, lip and even your collar bone!

- A dark shadow is usually used to contour your crease, but if you find just the rights shade it could be used on the hollow of your cheeks, nose, temples and neck to give your face more definition.

-An eyeshadow could also be used as aneyeliner when applied wet or to set your regular liner to prevent smudging

-I prefer buying drugstore mascara, since they don’t last as long as other makeup products. They give the same results anyway!
- Blushes and bronzers could also be used as eyeshadows.
- There are great foundations out there such as the Neutrogena Healthy Skin and Revlon Colorstay, which has different formulation for Combo/Oily and Combo/Dry skin. Drugstore do not usually let their customers test the product, so I suggest buying your foundation, concealer or other products at a store you know will let you return the product, if you find that the shade is not right for you.
-Buy a product that has several purposes –  lipstick in a shade that you prefer and helps smooth your lips; a blush that could also be a highlight; matte eyeshadows that could be used for contouring and filling in the eyebrows; or a tinted moisturizer that has SPF.
- If you truly prefer high end products, then research the store's promotions. Apply for a rewards card from the store that has special offers for their members such as Sephora's Beauty Insider, Ulta's Ultamate rewards card, Sally's membership and etc. You also get to have free products or services if you are a member! I know I'm dying to have that facial from Ulta!
- Some products have kits or value packages that the company assembles to promote a certain product. They usually have a better deal. Just be careful to know what products are inside. If there are five products and you just truly want one of them and don't care much for the others, then you'll be better off buying just that one product; but if you also like the accompanying products then you just might save a couple dollars! I know Bare Minerals have their Insider packs introducing a certain product. I love them and I save about $20 or more if I were to buy the products separately!
- Palettes are actually a thriftier way to buy makeup. If you know that you like the consistency of the eyeshadow brand then buy their palettes instead of buying one eyeshadow at a time. The Naked palette from Urban Decay comes with 12 eyeshadows, Primer Potion sample, and a brush all for $50. If we compute just the eyeshadows themselves for $50, it'll come out as $4.2 per shadow! That's much better on the wallet compare to the $16 per eyeshadow. Ulta, Sephora, Stila, Tarte and many more compose their own palette. So next time you want to buy a high end eyeshadow, look for the palette first, it just might save you money.
-Before you buy any high end product, check the tester to see if it really works well for you. You could also ask if the store has a sample of the product so you don't have to make a commitment to that product which will most likely cost a lot of money. If you're having a hard time deciding which shade goes well for you, then ask a consultant for help, they will be more than happy to assist you.

       I hope this helped you! Have a great day!

Makeup, Where to Start?!?!?!?!

When I was a teenager, I didn’t know where to start. I didn't know what products to buy or what shade. I did not have any help from my mom because she doesn't put on makeup anyway and I didn't want to tell her and my dad that I wanted to put on makeup! But thankfully, they didn't get mad at me when they saw me wearing makeup. I guess they said I've always loved makeup since I was a little girl. So, the first products I ever got were a mascara, I can't remember what brand, and an NYC eyeliner. I really felt that those two made a big difference for my look, but now that I know more about what to buy, I want to share to you what I think would be great products to start off your collection. Keep in mind that the products I will mention are the ones that work for me; I hope they will for you as well. At least this will give you an idea of what items to start off with your kit. I will also give an example for a drugstore brand and a higher end makeup, if possible.

Foundation: this product is blended all over the face to smoothen out the skin and starts us off with a new canvas. It could be powder, liquid or cream. Powder is best used for an oily skin and could be also used to set a liquid or cream foundation. Liquid foundations could be used for dry, normal or oily skin depending on the formula. And a cream foundation is best if your skin tends to be on the dryer side.
           -Revlon Colorstay (combo,oily,dry)
           -Neutrogena Healthy Skin (dry)
           -Elf Tinted Moisturizer (combo, dry)
           -Loreal Tru Match (combo,oily)
           -Sephora Mattifying foundation (oily)

Concealer: used to hide any blemishes such as pimples, scars or dark under eyes.
           -Revlon Photoready Concealer
           -Garnier BB Eye Roll On
           -Coastal Scents Eclipse Palette
           -Bare Minerals Concealer

Eyeshadows: to add color and definition to the eye lids.
           -Wet n' Wild Color Icon Eyeshadows
           -Elf 32 eyeshadow palette
           -Sally Girl eyeshadows
           -NYX Nude on Nude palette
           -Naked Palette by Urban Decay

Eyeliner: applied to lash lines or as close as possible.
           -Wet n' Wild Color Icon eyeliners
          -Milani Liquid Eyeliners
          -Bare Minerals Round the Clock Eyeliners

Mascara: swept onto lashes to get the desired look.
          -Maybelline Falsies Volum Express
          -L’oreal voluminous black
          -Bare Minerals Definition

Blush: applied on the cheeks for a flushed and lively look.
          -Elf blushes
          -Tarte Amazonian clay blushes
          -Bare minerals powder blushes
          -Milani blushes
          -Covergirl blushes
          -Wet n wild Color Icon blushes

Lipstick/chapsticks/lipgloss: swiped on the lips to ads color.
          -Palladio mineral chapsticks
          -Maybelline Colorsational lipsticks
          -Elf Studio lipsticks
          -Ulta mineral lip color
          -Bare minerals Pretty Amazing lip color
          -Sephora Lip Attitude lipsticks

           I hope this helped your quest on finding your starter makeup! I'll post a video about this on YouTube and attach it to this article! Enjoy the new you!

Prevent that Cakey Look! My Updated Foundation Routine 3/29/12

           So, every once in a while we find ourselves finding new products that we would love to try and for me it’s been the Revlon Colorstay foundation. I worked my routine around this new product. I found that I really love this liquid foundation. It gives me enough coverage to last the whole day and it doesn’t make my face look oily or dry. I did buy the foundation that is meant for combination normal/oily skin. And when I took it to Philippines, no matter how sweaty or oily I got I still had the foundation on! I admit it’s not just the foundation; it also has to base upon what other products you’re using. If you, have oily skin just like me and you use oil based primer then there goes that matte perfection. Therefore, you have to think the other products you use. Now, if you have dry skin, Revlon does have the same Colorstay foundation but for combination normal/dry skin. An oil based primer would also be beneficial since it’ll give your face that extra moisture. I also, found that Neutrogena Healthy Skin is perfect for that dewy look. I realized this when my face was super dry during the winter months. Let’s get started:

·         I start with my Olay toner and let that dry on my face.

·         I then apply a tiny amount of Olay Complete SPF 15 moisturizer and let that set in for a good amount of time. You can have breakfast while waiting for this to set, or the way I do it is I put on my clothes and fix my hair.

·         Once, the moisturizer has seeped in, I smooth in my Rimmel Fix and Perfect PRO primer and let that dry for a couple minutes. This is when I do the next step for my routine.

·         I take a clean sponge, go to the bathroom and wet my sponge with warm to lukewarm water and squeeze out the water. You will notice that the sponge is softer and bigger.

·         After that, I dab my Revlon foundation with my finger tip on certain areas of my face such as nose, cheek, forehead, chin, jaw and under my eyes.

·         I smooth out the foundation by dabbing the sponge all over my face the way you would with a stipple brush. And blend the foundation out towards the hairline and don’t forget to take it all the way down to your jaw so as not to create a line. There really is no need to reapply foundation twice or three times since this gives your face a full coverage. If you do, then that’s when you will start having that cakey look on your face.

·         I then apply my Garnier BB eye roll on my eye circles to diminish puffiness and decrease dark circles.

·         I dab on my Revlon Photo Ready concealer on problem areas and my nose bridge to accentuate my nose.

·         I don’t set it yet since I want to give it time to settle on my face. This helps prevent that cakey look. So I do my eyes and eyebrows first.

·         When I finish with my eyes, that’s when I set my foundation with my Sephora Matte Press Powder Foundation.

·         And wala! It’s all done! Now, you may apply whatever blush, bronzer, highlight and lipstick you prefer! Enjoy your look!