Favorite Skin Care Products!

Hi everyone, I know its been a while but I just finished up a collaboration with Kelly A (Amourtera) and below is my portion of the post! The entire idea was to list and describe the skin care products that we use and why. The products listed below are my favorites and the ones I reach for on a day to day basis. 

Product List: 

1. Organic Coconut Oil: So many uses! I use it to remove my makeup, and after I wash my face/shower I use warm coconut oil on my face to help with acne. I've noticed that using coconut oil on my face after a hot shower helps clear acne!

2. Sephora Face Brush: Soft Bristles and so much cheaper than the clarisonic!! I use it combined with the neturogena naturals cleanser

3. Boscia Luminizing Black Mask: This is one of the best masks that I've ever tried. Not only does it reduce the size of my pores but it helps get all the gunk out, and leaves my face looking bright and fresh.

4. Olay Complete All Day Moisturizer: The perfect moisturizer!!! I use it under my makeup, and even on its own. Perfect amount of moisture for my skin without leaving it feeling oily.

5. Yes to Cucumber Soothing Gel: I leave this in the fridge and apply it at night under my eyes. This leaves my eyes looking awake and fresh in the morning. Over time it helps remove the dark circles

6. Ideal Balance Toner: I use this when I've applied heavy makeup and need the extra help to remove it. 

7. Mint Juleps Lip Scrub: Self Explanatory, but for the price it lasts FOREVER!!! Plus it smells amazing. 

8. The Body Shop Coconut Lip Butter: I use this after I apply the mint juleps scrub. It leaves my lips 
super smooth and moisturized. 

9. Pacifica Indian Coconut Nectar Body Butter: The BEST body butter hands down!! Smells amazing and has the perfect amount of moisture. 
I carry a smaller size in my purse to moisturize my hands on the go. 

10. Skin Foods Fresh Apple Pore Cream: Pore cream that helps reduce the size and visibility of pores! Plus smells great!

11. Neutrogena Naturals Purifying Facial Cleanser: I use this cleanser every night to get rid of any dirt/makeup that accumulated during the day. Its not harsh on the skin and doesn't break me out which is perfect for my sensitive skin!

12. Oil Mixture: Equal Parts Castor/Coconut Oil with a few drops of avocado oil to help grow/moisturize my lashes/eyebrows/hair

Whats in my makeup bag!

Hi everyone so lately I've been seeing a lot of people post on youtube and on instagram pictures and posts of what they carry in their makeup bag!
I thought it would be fun to do my own version! 

List of Products:

Nars Casino Bronzer

Tide to go Pen 

Revlon Color Stay (Early Tan)

EOS Lip balm

Royal Care Cosmetics flat top kabuki

Nars Ita 

Baby lips (Cherry Me)

LA Girl Pro Concealer (Pure Beige)

Mac Prep + Prime (Light Boost)

Mac Satin Lipstick (Cherish)

Neutrogena Oil Free Moisturizer

Maybelline Line Stiletto

Sample size Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy

First Impression Review- Benefit Stay Flawless Primer

Hi everyone so as I mentioned on my twitter/instagram I stopped by the benefit store located in Rye on my way to my birthday dinner last Wednesday. I managed to pick up the benefit stay flawless primer and wanted to do a first impression for you guys!

Zoya Nail Polish First Impression

Hi everyone, so I recently received my set of three free nail polishes from Zoya.
They had a promotion in the beginning of January which allowed for three nail polishes, any color, while only paying for the price of shipping.

Worth The Hype Wednesday (WTH Wednesday Post 2) Beauty Blender

Hi Everyone!
Happy February!
For this months worth the hype Wednesday I reviewed the very popular Beauty Blender!

Mac Lipstick Dupe!

Hi Everyone

I found a great dupe for Mac Cherish while I was at Ulta! 

Worth The Hype? (WTH Wednesdays Post #1)

Hi Everyone so I've teamed up with one of your most beloved beauty bloggers,Amourtera,
to present you with a monthly edition of a post I like to call Worth The Hype Wednesdays.
Once a month on a Wednesday we will post reviews on a few of the most talked about items throughout the beauty blogging community to give you our honest opinions on whether or not they are worth the hype. Here are some items that have been talked about by many but just missed the mark with us!

Lorac Pro Palette Review and First Impression

I know I know I'm late to jump on the whole pro palette bandwagon but I have been using my naked 1 palette for so long that I didn't think I'd ever find another palette that could measure up to it.
I was wrong.

Nyx Blush- Dusty Rose

Hi everyone!
so this weekend I went down to Ulta to use my friends and family coupon (20% off).
While I was there I found this awesome blush! It's the Nyx blush in Dusty Rose priced at $5.00 (you can purchase it here )

e.l.f studio eleven piece brush collection for $2.14

E.L.F cosmetics is known for having very affordable cosmetics and brushes, but this deal takes the cake. ELF is offering their studio eleven piece brush collection for $2.14! so if you have been planning on placing an order on elf cosmetics.com don't miss out on this awesome deal! 

Enter code: BRUSH2014 at checkout to get this deal!

Lorac TANtalizer Highlighter and Matte Bronzer Duo

Happy Christmas Eve everyone!
Here I have the Lorac TANtalizer highlighter/bronzer duo that I purchased online from Sephora.com for $12.00 ( You can click here to Purchase )

Revlon Illuminance Creme Shadow- First Impression

Happy Holidays everyone! Its the holiday season and CVS had its annual holiday clearance sale. I picked up this Revlon Illuminance Creme Shadow after hearing some friends rave about it. 

Double Sided Mirror

Costco has an awesome vanity makeup mirror on sale!
I've been looking for one for the longest time but I've always found that they are either flimsy, over priced or both. This one, in my opinion was a steal. Its double sided, so one side has a 10x magnification and the other side is a regular mirror. Theres also a switch at the base of it where you can turn the halo light on and off. Its originally priced at $29.99, but you get a $10 instant rebate and you end up paying $19.99!

Heres what the box looks like so if you wanted to buy it, you know what you're looking for.

Coal Face by Lush

So let me start off by saying that I know its been a while since I've posted and I'm so sorry! 
I was at the mall today and stopped by Lush Cosmetics store at the Westchester when one of the associates sold me on this facial cleanser. I am not one of those people that like my facial soaps to smell good, or be in a nice shape or something silly like that. I just want my soap to do what its supposed to do and that is to be a soap and clean my face! This soap is great for combination skin, so if you have an oily T zone like I do then this would work great for you. 

The soap contains: ( and I'm quoting this directly from Lushusa.com)
Licorice Root Decoction
Rosewood oil
Powdered Charcoal
Sandalwood Oil
Sodium Chloride
Glycerin
Linalool
and some perfume

Other synthetic ingredients that are safe for use are
propylene glycol
sodium stearate
tetrasodium etidronate
silver edible lustre 
potassium aluminum silicate
titanium oxide and some other iron oxides

When using the soap I wouldn't directly apply it to the face, only because its very abrasive, i would either lather it onto your hand or use it on a brush like the clarisonic. 
The feeling afterwards is amazing, my face felt so much tighter and squeaky clean! Its defiantly a must try and the great thing about this store is you don't have to buy a giant piece. They can cut you a piece of soap to whatever size you like! Its perfect if you want to try it for the first time. 

Green Juice Recipe

I know juicing has become a trend lately but this particular juice is definitely worth trying. Now, I'm not telling you to drink this juice three times a day/everyday but try to incorporate it into your diet as often as you can. I drank it for breakfast everyday and after two weeks my face started to clear up and all the unevenness and blemishes are gone!

Here is the recipe

Green Juice:
1 cup water (add more if your blender is not as powerful)
2 cups spinach or kale
2 cups frozen pineapple
1 cup frozen cantelope
1 thin slice of lemon (including the peel)

blend until smooth.

Royal Care Cosmetics: Camouflage and Concealer Palette

Recently I came across a cosmetic line named Royal Care Cosmetics (RC Cosmetics). Their brushes are their most popular product, with many claiming they're a dupe to Sigmas famous brushes. Here I have one their most popular palettes, the camouflage and concealer palette. It contains ten hight and contour shades perfect for any skin tone! My once grievance is that its a little to creamy for my taste. Im a huge fan of powder bronzers/contouring powders so the creamy texture of this palette took some getting used to. Other than that its great and very affordable at $11.95.

                                  

Brush Holders

So while I was at Ikea picking up everything for the vanity I spotted these candle holders: Skurar
for 1.99!  Perfect size for holding all my brushes and super affordable too!

Makeup Vanity

Hi guys!
I needed a way to organize my makeup so I took to Pinterest and found ms tapiocas post about an ikea vanity!
Heres my take on the Ikea Vanity, the blog post
The vanity is the Ekby Gruvan
The legs are Adils
The stool is Marius
and finally the mirror is Ekne
The entire set up came up to a grand total of  $64.97 without tax
All that remains is a way to organize everything. 

e.l.f. Studio Mineral Infused Face Primer VS. Smashbox Photo Finish Primer

Primer is a base with a gel like consistency that is used prior to foundation. It works as a barrier between the foundation and the skin, and works both to moisturize the skin as well as prevent it from absorbing the pigment from the foundation. Prior to using a primer, I've always used a good moisturizer before applying the liquid/powder foundation. However I've always found myself wondering why my makeup never lasted as long as I wanted. A good primer is what solved that problem. 

Throughout the years I've tried many primers, ranging from Chanel, NARS, Bare Minerals to e.l.f and out of all of them none really jumped out as my favorite. When I brought this issue up with others I found that almost everyone I've spoken to have pointed me in the direction of Smashbox's photo finish primer. The 1oz bottle retails for $36.00 and from my first impression it was a little too viscous and not as easy to apply.  I was forced to use more of it and I always ended up finishing the product quicker than I hoped to.  

I went on sephora.com to check out what it had to say about Smashbox and this is what it had:

What it is:

Smashbox makeup artists use this product to create a perfect canvas for foundation application. 

What it is formulated to do:

The silky blend of vitamins and antioxidants smoothes and perfects skin, while the unique formula helps to inhibit the destruction of collagen, and fills in fine lines and pores for a flawless finish.

What else you need to know:

Use after moisturizer and before foundation for complexion perfection. This skin-soothing blend of antioxidants, which can be worn alone or under foundation, works overtime to fill in fine lines and even out skin texture.

A few days ago I was on the e.l.f cosmetics website checking out their new promotions when I came across their primer and decided to order one for myself.  It retails for $6.00 and is packaged in a white bottle with an easy to use pump. From my first impression, I found it much easier to apply and the foundation actually lasted longer on my face compared to Smashbox version! I loved that it was not as "greasy" feeling as the Smashbox primer and also that it created a silky smooth feel to my face prior to applying my foundation. I also think that the e.l.f primer works with both liquid and powder foundations while the Smashbox primer worked best with powder foundations. 

Heres what e.l.f has to say about their primer: 

Transform your face into a flawless and smooth canvas with the Mineral Infused Face Primer. Developed to combat against excess oil, flaky dryness, enlarged pores and fine lines. This clear multipurpose skin primer will prepare your skin so makeup goes on evenly for a long lasting satin finish.

Features a new and improved air pump! For best results, you may need to pump the component several times before product dispenses.

Recommended uses:

Tone Adjusting Green is ideal for minimizing redness and correcting blotchy skin.

Brightening Lavender is ideal for uneven skin tones and to brighten dull or yellow tones.

Radiant Glow is ideal for creating a luminizing effect on dark spots and uneven skin tones.

All in all, I think for the price e.l.f's primer is a much better buy and product compared to smashbox's primer. I loved the consistancy and feel of it on my skin, especially considering I have combination skin, and for the price, it's definitely worth giving a try! 

Thanks to Ms. Resh <3 for editing

Summer Favorite Mascaras

The summer is starting to wind down and I've found myself using the same four mascaras throughout all the summer months. They are Lash Stiletto-Maybelline, Power Volume 24/h in Black Smoke-L'oreal They're Real-Benefit Cosmetics and last but not least Great Lash- Maybelline. 

I love each and every one of these mascaras. I love the lasting power of the Power Volume, the lengthening power of the Lash Stiletto, and both Great Lash and They're Real creates both this fanned out and lengthening effect on my lashes. You'll notice that the Benefit mascara is a smaller size and thats because it was free! Sephora has a perk of joining their "VIB" program and that is that you get a birthday gift each year. This year was the mascara along with a small highlighting stick. 

Below are the brushes in the following order: Lash Stiletto, Power Volume, Great Lash and They're Real. Just from first look, the lash stiletto and great lash are thin brushes great for getting into the corners of the eyes and the bottom lashes.  Thinner brushes are also great for lengthening and looks more natural. The Power Volume and They're Real brushes have dense and larger bristles which are great for getting into the root of the lash and is also great for creating volume.  

Try them out and let me know what you think!