Tuesday, September 30, 2014

September Favorites


A favorites post that makes it up on the blog in the actual month? Why, yes, yes, thanks for noticing. Anyhoo, this is the part where I tell you about my favorite products of the month. 5 of my must-haves, if you will.

Let's start with the skin care things, shall we?


I was on a mission this month to finish all my sample/ trial size moisturizers that I got from subscription boxes and that's how I came across this heaven sent! The Pur-lisse Hydra-balance Mosturizer's hydrating powers is very reminiscent of my holy grail moisturizer for the past couple of years, the Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion. This Pur-lisse Moisturizer leaves my skin very, very hydrated but does not feel heavy at all. My favorite thing about it is how it absorbs very quickly on the skin but still leaves me feeling like I just put it on. I had random dry patches on my face earlier this month and it's all disappeared or at least been kept to a minimum since using this product consistently. It is on the pricier side but it's honestly worth it in my opinion. I've placed an order for a full sized one as we speak and can't wait til I see how this baby works for me during the winter months. I'm also dying to try out their brightening serum! Has anybody tried it before?


Another skin care favorite is the Soap and Glory Fab Pore Hot Cloth Cleanser. I got this from a swap I did and it has been a complete game changer! I've heard Essie (Essiebutton) talk about Soap and Glory a lot and I've been wanting to try out the brand. This particular cleanser is made with panthenol, sweet almond, orange and lavender oils. I only use it every time I have a full face of makeup (because I don't want to use it all up to quickly!) and it's so, so, so good at breaking down makeup, even the waterproof ones. I just gently massage it on my face, leave it on for a minute and then wipe it off with a warm, wet Muslin Cloth that it came with. The process feels so luxurious and just so purifying! I went on the S&G website and apparently, this has been redesigned into Ultimelt and is sold for about $16. I don't know if it works the same as the Fab Pore one. Does anyone know? Either way, if you can pick this up in the old packaging, I highly, highly recommend it!


As for Makeup favorites, I've really been enjoying the Milani Bella Eyeshadow in 03 Bella Cappuccino. It's been my go-to crease color for simple, everyday looks and it's also great for using on the crease as a transitional shade for more colorful eye makeup. It's a warm brown with a satin finish. I would say it has a little bit of sheen to it but it's very muted when you put it on. 

I've also found my favorite mascara in the Lorac Pro Thickening and Lengthening Mascara The pointy tip on the wand grabs on the tiny eyelashes on the inner and outer corner. I also must say that I didn't think much of this mascara when I first use it but as I keep using it and the more dry it gets, it works better and better. It doesn't give crazy, long eyelashes but it definitely helps with volume. The formula is very black and it does not smudge.

Last on my favorites list is this humongous sunglasses that I got here. Every other person in my life thinks it's clownish and ridiculous but I love it. I have a round face and really puffy cheeks which I sometimes get self conscious about. I find that most sunglasses, even oversized ones hit me right on the cheek and just doesn't fit right. I love this pair and just purchased another one in black! It's so inexpensive but looks so chic and stylish!


hooray for car selfies!
How about you? What products have you been loving recently?

Saturday, September 6, 2014

My ELF Must Haves Giveaway!

Hi Beauties! 

In case you missed it, I wrote about my favorite ELF products last week! Read about my must haves here (Eyes & Lips), here (Face), and here (Tools).

In line with this, I've decided to giveaway some of my favorite ELF products to one lucky winner!

This giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY and will be open from September 6, 2014 until September 20, 2014.


Winners will be announced on September 22, 2014 on my Instagram.

Winner will receive the following ELF products:


some product photos c/o of ELF website

  • Studio Blush Palette in Light
  • Studio Blush Palette in Dark
  • Essential Custom Eyeshadow Compact
  • 3 Essential Custom Eyes Refill Pans (Peach Fizz, Wheat, Taupe)
  • Baked Blush in Passion Pink
  • 3 Smudge Pots (Ain't that Sweet, Cruisin' Chic, Back to Basics)
  • Essential Long Wear Lip Liner in Bitter
  • Essential Jumbo Lip Gloss Stick in Coco Loco
  • HD Blush in Gotta Glow
  • 2 HD Blushes (Encore, Showstopper)
  • Essential Shimmering Facial Whip in Lilac Petal
  • Studio Matte Lip Color in Praline
  • Studio Powder Brush
  • 2 Essential Eyeshadow Brushes

Good Luck! :)


a Rafflecopter giveaway


Monday, September 1, 2014

Best ELF Products (And What to Skip) - Tools

Welcome to the last part of my Best of Elf series. If you would like to check out my top picks for Eyes and Lips products, then click here. If you're interested in Face products, then check this out.

Let me start of with the only non-brush pick, for this category, the Lip Exfoliator ($3). I don't think there's any other good lip exfoliator at this price. My favorite part about it is that it comes in lipstick form which makes it so convenient to use. I absolutely hate the taste of it when I inevitably get it in my mouth but I think that's a small price to pay for the wonders this thing does. It leaves my lips feeling smooth and plump. I try to use this twice a week to buff out dryness, chapping or product build up I may have.


Best ELF Products (And What to Skip) - Face

Hey there!

This is part two of my ELF collection roundup where I tell you about the best ELF products and a couple of things to skip. If you're looking for eyes and lips products, then check out my previous post here and click here for my favorite ELF tools.

FACE

If ELF has got one thing right, it would be their blushes. Different ones, from different lines. 

Let's start with the newest ones, the Studio Blush Palettes ($6). These come in two sets, dark and light. Both are equally beautiful! Even the packaging is so slick and well-made that this palette is definitely more than a bargain. All the shades are so pigmented and I love the variety of colors!


Best ELF Products (And What To Skip) - Eyes and Lips

If ELF had an award for somebody who has the most items from its whole line, I feel like I will be a top contender. I've been using ELF ever since I first gotten into makeup (which wasn't too long ago. 2 years to be exact. But I've made up for lost time, trust me). I genuinely feel like it's one of the best lines to go to if you're a beginner at makeup or even a seasoned one who would like to play with colors without breaking the bank. With products ranging from $1-$8, ELF is definitely under every makeup lover's radar.

What I love most about the brand is how great the quality is for most of their products. I can even name a few things from the ELF line which, I swear, is as good as, if not better than some of the higher end pieces from my collection. If you're new to ELF, choosing which products to get can be pretty overwhelming, especially now that they're coming out with more and more products.

Being the proud Elfette that I am, I have gone through my entire ELF collection and did the work for you! Here are my top products from ELF by category. It was really, really hard picking only a few favorites but I did it! I also included one product per category that did not work for me and I wouldn't recommend. In this post, let me share my picks for EYES and LIPS. (Also check out my picks for face and tools)



This is gonna be a long one so let's get started!


Thursday, August 7, 2014

A Closer Look At The Sonia Kashuk 15 Year Anniversary Limited Edition Brush Set

If you are at all interested in beauty stuff, then you have probably seen these brushes floating around instagram or the blogosphere. 

Sonia Kashuk, brand exclusive in-store to Target, celebrates 15 years of award winning brushes by coming out with a collection, including this beautiful 15 piece brush set. I have debated writing about them since they're pretty much gone. They've been so hard to track down for a lot of people but if you're lucky, I know some Targets still carry them. Rumor has it though, that they will be restocked and released, at least in the Sonia Kashuk website.

I figured that I would still write about them in case you were in the fence and they're still available in your area or, if you missed it, then you can still have a closer look at them!


-------more after the break---------


Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Destination Beauty: My Glam (Ipsy) March 2014 Bag


This may come a little late but I still wanted to share. I've been seeing different hauls and I feel like there were a lot of product combinations. I'm really happy with what I got and I'm excited to use them!

[MORE AFTER THE JUMP]

Monday, February 3, 2014

The Monday Post












**Inspired by one of my favorite blogs, I write The Monday Post, aiming to bring a little bit of beauty inspiration during almost everybody's least favorite day of the week, Monday.** 

[more after the jump]

Friday, January 24, 2014

Friday Favorites # 1


Spotlight on the 5 Best Products of the Week



DETAILS: [From bottom left to right, then up]

Sunday, January 19, 2014

Subscription Haul: New Beauty Test Tube January 2013

Today I bring you another haul! I got my Test Tube last week and thought I'd share what I got. I feel like this subscription is the least talked about and it deserves so much more hype. It's my favorite subscription by far and although this month's box wasn't as good as last one (because I received an It Cosmetics powder brush from that and that was a game changer for me!), it's still pretty impressive. 

Here's what you'll see when you open the pretty pink box it comes in (without the booklet - I forgot to include!)


They usually send an extra bag of "Beauty To Go" in a clear bag. Let's dive in that first, shall we?

Friday, January 17, 2014

Subscription Haul: My January 2014 Ipsy (My Glam) Bag

Hey guys!

Today I wanted to show you what I received in my Ipsy Bag this month. Here are all of the products together:
[MORE AFTER THE BREAK]

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Vampy Diaries [Lipstick Talk]

Hey friends!

The other day, I was browsing through an old magazine and I saw an article on dark vampy lips. This got me excited because I've been into bold, dark lips lately. I got inspired to look through my things and pick out the ones that I've been gravitating towards lately. I decided I'm gonna do a post on my most reached for statement lipsticks. All of my picks are from the drugstore with the exception of one from Elizabeth Arden and one that you can only get online from BH Cosmetics.


Here are my picks! (Swatched together at the end of the post)

Monday, January 6, 2014

The [First] Monday Post of 2014

**Inspired by one of my favorite blogs, I write The Monday Post, aiming to bring a little bit of beauty inspiration during almost everybody's least favorite day of the week, Monday.**