HAPPY NEW YEAR ||| Favorite Beauty Products: 2013

Favorite Beauty Products: 2013 by the-saltine-herself

Hey dolls!  First things first: HAPPY NEW YEAR!  It's 2014, which means there are new people to meet and goals to catch, more posts to post and more lovin' to be done!  Before all of that starts, though, I would like to honor 2013 by featuring a few (eight, to be exact) products that I fell in love with (or re-fell in love with) during the past year ...

1. DevaCurl Products: As you've all read, the Deva products are absolutely amazing for curly hair, but that's all I'm going to say for now - I keep putting this off, see?  Because I promised to do a full-blown review focused ALL on the Deva line of curly-hair products.  Stay tuned!

2. St. Ives Blemish and Blackhead Control Apricot Scrub: So for the first half of the year I was without a good exfoliating scrub, and my skin (which was a very angry thing, at that time) was suffering even more because of it.  I was then introduced to a site called Crunchy Betty, which is completely focused on all-natural, D.I.Y. beauty products.  My favorite mixture was the No-Nonsense Daily Scrub, because it was easy to make.  Honestly, though, we all get lazy - the St. Ives Apricot Scrub has been my solace on off-days, when I didn't have the energy to mix my own facial scrub.  I chose it because it has a lot of natural extracts in it (which I learned about from the Crunch Betty site), and isn't filled with harmful chemicals that might handicap your skin-health in the long-run.  Great product!

3. Bath & Body Works "Twilight Woods" Body Mist: It's a well-known fact that I am in love with this scent - it's perfect (check out my haul for it for more details on the scent, itself) in every way, and I've been using it for years.  

4. Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette: The Naked Collection is the best thing that could happen to the eye-makeup world, hands down to the ground.  The colors (if they can even be appropriately called "colors") are so natural and beautiful.  I've used this palette for myself (and all of my friends) for every event this year (formal dances, parties, birthday dinners, etc.), because its perfect - smoky eye, natural eye, top-lid heavy, any look can be done with a Naked.  Another perk is that it seems like the shadows never run out - my palette (which I take care of like a baby, but use nearly every day) still almost looks unused.  Incredible makeup - every woman should own one of these.

5. Essie Nail Lacquer (Pictured: "Stylenomics"): I've always been a huge nail-polish freak, but it was only this year that I figured out Essie was the brand for me.  Awesome pigmentation (even in the super-light pinks and nudes) and consistency (not too-thick like some Sally Hansen lines or too-thin like other drugstore polishes like NYC or Wet-N-Wild) every time.

6. Boots No. 7 Quick-Thinking Wipes: Being a contact-lens-wearer and a girl with sensitive skin, it's difficult to find makeup-remover that wont irritate anything, but these No.7 wipes, which I started buying only because of a giant Target sale, have done the trick.  They're fragrance-free and super gentle, but they remove makeup (even waterproof mascara) quickly, no scrubbing needed.

7. Burt's Bees "Honey" Lip Balm: During my freshman year, I never went anywhere without a tube of Burt's Bees.  But then the e.o.s.-craze began, and I joined in the love.  This year, however, the winds (its a SoCal thing) were especially annoying, drying out my lips and the surrounding skin, and my go-to e.o.s. was not getting the job done, for some reason.  I went back to Burt's Bees and was healed in less than two days.  The "honey" version is especially moisturizing, and feels very natural.  Still love this lip balm, after all this time.

8. Neutrogena Shine Control Liquid Makeup: I started wearing liquid foundation this past year because of my crazy break-out phase, caused by Pro-Activ :(  In the beginning (you can see that post here), I wore the L'Oreal True Match LUMI Liquid Makeup in W6 "Sun Beige," which was an amazing product (looked awesome in photos!), but probably not the best for me - I have oily skin, and the foundation had a dewy finish.  I would highly recommend it for other skin types, however.  ANYWAY, I wanted to find something with a much more matte finish, and so I found the "Shine Control" line by Neutrogena, which I definitely trusted with my acne-prone skin.  This makeup did not clog my pores, gave me a more matte look and awesome coverage with a little amount.  Also, since I've been wearing this makeup (maybe it's hormones, maybe its my prescription, but maybe not), my acne has cleared up significantly.  This foundation can be applied either with your fingers or a brush (I would recommend a stipple or a buffing brush), which makes it very convenient.  Highly recommend, especially for combination or oily girls!

And that's all for now, folks...I hope you enjoyed this post, and maybe picked up a few tips

Happy New Year to everyone! :)

Love you all

<3

Review: L'Oreal Mascara

Hey gals!  I decided I would post a review today, comparing two of my L'Oreal Mascaras: Voluminous Carbon Black (my all-time favorite) and one I recently purchased (check out my last last haul), which is the Voluminous Power Volume: 24H.  I must say, the Power Volume has quickly surpassed my other mascaras (I have A LOT) and gotten to second place, and you're about to see why...

This picture shows my right eye, which has two coats of mascara on it: L'Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black as the first, and L'Oreal Voluminous Power Volume 24H as the second :)  I know I'm not fooling anyone, but just for conformation, I AM NOT wearing fake lashes of any kind (tchh ... it's a Monday).

OKAY, so I apologize for the blotchy skin and strange coloring and what not, but I'M A TEENAGER, WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME ... Anyway I think this picture is pretty accurate in showing you the difference between my two eyes.  On the left (as in, the left side of this picture, not my left eye) is one coat of Voluminous Carbon Black, which is a STAPLE in my life, topped with a coat of the Power Volume: 24H mascara.  On the right is simply two coats of my Carbon Black, which I've been wearing for almost a year!  I don't think I'll ever go back, though - the Voluminous Power Volume adds more dimension, and since it's "blackest black" (as opposed to "carbon black"), it's much more noticeable.  Also, it enhances the volume created by the Carbon Black base without making it look clumpy or gross or overdone.  I LOVE THIS COMBINATION, and I encourage everyone to buy both of these!

Maybe I only notice it because it's MY EYE, but in the very first picture (which is the two mixed together) it seems like I have longer eyelashes than in this picture (two coats of Carbon Black).  Also, the lashes are more defined - instead of having 1,000 tiny lashes, I have 800 BIG lashes, ya know?  I don't know, maybe I'm crazy...the point is, I love my new mascara routine :)

Alright, y'all that's everything I have to say about these mascaras, so I guess I'm done...I'm totally in the country mood (watching Luke Bryan perform at the AMA's last night was just MMMMM), hence the "y'all."  I hope every single one of you plans to have a Luke Bryan song-marathon RIGHT NOW, because that's definitely what I've been doing all day ...  

Thanks so much for reading! Hope you visit again soon :)

Love you all

<3

Ulta Beauty HAUL and REVIEWS

Hey gals! I haven't posted in AGES because I've been updating the overall look of my blog (you like?) and stressing over NOT ONLY the currently half-broken state of my iMac (I use iMovie for my YouTube videos - you see the problem, yes?) BUT ALSO the currently not-even-close-to-done state of my AP summer assignments.  Anyway, my life has been crazy, but I'm back now :) So here's a few things I picked up about two days ago from the fairy wonderland that is ULTA...

 Real Techniques Stippling Brush

The Real Techniques brushes are my absolute favorite.  Starting with the most shallow reason why, they look awesome - sleek and high-end while still looking young and fun (orange, purple, and pink? Hell yeah).  Secondly, they get the job done right, and there are many jobs to be done with a single brush - you can honestly use them for whatever you want, and the result is still fantastic.  I haven't used it yet (the packaging is just too beautiful, I didn't want to open it haha), but I plan to use it for my face (following the Real Techniques Foundation Brush) just to get that perfect, smooth finish.

  

 Burt's Bees Natural Face Solutions: Intense Hydration Night Cream

So I've always loved Burt's Bees, but because of their slightly-more-pricey products, I've never actually tried anything other than their hand salve (amazing) and their lip balm (ten out of ten).  I bought this out of panic and necessity: I've changed my acne routine (I'll do another post about that later!) and it's begun to dry out my face around my nose and mouth.  Believe me when I say that white crust around the outside of your lips IS NOT CUTE.  I saw "Intense Hydration" and instantly picked it up for this reason.  Also, it has clary sage, which, if you don't know, is an herbal plant (I think it's part of the mint family, which explains the fantastic smell of this product) known for its high anti-oxidant content and ability to clear infection.  FUN FACT: If you get it in an essential oil, it can even help to balance female hormones :)

REVIEW: Simply put, this stuff is incredible.  When I first opened it, there was a bit of product on the underside of the cap (you know how that happens), which I just dabbed with my finger to use for the first time (I tend to be very cautious because my skin is so sensitive).  The next day, I woke up and the skin around my mouth and nose was 95% repaired - no white crust, no look of dryness, only a SLIGHT roughness in the previously-affected areas.  Last night I used it again, and I woke up this morning with ABSOLUTELY FLAWLESS skin, and I haven't even used the product from the tub yet (I'm still using dabs from the underside of the cap)!  Extra Plus: it made my lips super smooth and plump-looking.  Anyway, I highly recommend - after all, it isn't technically expensive, just a bit pricier than your run-of-the-mill drugstore lotion or cream.  Then again, this is NOT just a run-of-the-mill product, so it's totally worth it.

Andrea EyeQ's Makeup Remover Pads

I hate taking off my makeup - no, I don't think you understand how much I hate it.  It's late (I'm talking LATE) at night, and I'm about to fall over from my explosively exciting day, and I have to turn to the mirror and basically scrub my eyelashes off with make-up remover wipes that claim to remove waterproof mascara and liner.  I bought this as a test, just to see if the results (and the laborious process) would be any different.  A few things that specifically drew me to this product were the words "Oil-Free," that they're "Extra-Gentle," (who wants wrinkles, right?) and the fact that they claim to be "Perfect for contact lens wearers."  Makeup remover that if safe for contact lens wearers seems to be pretty standard, but it's actually tougher to find than you would think, so this product was a great find for that reason.

REVIEW: I used to pull away my makeup remover wipe and see at least three eyelashes (so sad) and a bunch of black residue, but when I looked in the mirror, the job was not even close to being done.  I CAN SAY NOW THAT I WILL NO LONGER HAVE TO ENDURE LATE-NIGHT DISAPPOINTMENT OR THE UNTIMELY DEATH OF MY EYELASHES.  I used this last night (I had a ton of makeup on yesterday because I had places to be) and the eye-makeup, for lack of a better word, melted off.  It only took about three swipes (on each eye) before my eyes were almost completely clear of makeup, and I hadn't even thought about grabbing a standard makeup remover wipe yet.  HIGHLY RECOMMEND. 

Ulta Beauty HAUL

Hey dolls! I recently went to Ulta Beauty to pick up a few things (either for prom or just because), and I decided I would share :) That's all there is to say for now, so make sure you read carefully!  I hope you find all of these mini-reviews helpful.  If you SO DESIRE, comment down below and/or follow this blog so you can get updated! There are plenty more beauty reviews to come :)

L'Oreal Paris True Match LUMI Healthy Luminous Makeup in Sun Beige (W6) $12

Alright, so the main reason I went to Ulta was to get a foundation that would photograph well (prom pictures are important, ya know).  I was originally thinking about getting the Revlon Photo Ready Foundation, but I read some reviews about it making people more oily in some cases (I already have oily skin, so that was a no-no).  After browsing around Ulta for about 20 minutes, I decided I would just ask one of the consultants there.  She directed me toward a Lancôme Foundation (she said that stars use it on the red carpet!) that she said photographs beautifully, but considering I didn't have $45 to blow, I asked for a more drugstore-priced product.  Because Lancôme and L'Oreal are the same company (if you didn't know, now you know!), she said that the L'Oreal True Match LUMI Foundation would give the effect closest to the Lancôme Foundation.  She matched me to Sun Beige (W6), and I went on my merry way.  

Review: THIS FOUNDATION IS PERFECTION.  My prom pictures were flawless - my acne seemed almost non-existent, any discoloration was gone, my skin was not oily in the slightest, and all of this was achieved with a relatively small amount of foundation.  The pump on this foundation is extremely convenient, giving you a perfect amount for your whole face (for a light to regular coverage kind of day).  I've also found that my L'Oreal True Match Concealer (the liquid kind) blends perfectly with this foundation.  I used to not wear foundation every day, but the combination of the LUMI and my regular liquid concealer has converted me.  I will recommend this until the day I die!

Nick Chavez Beverly Hills Amazon Body Building Hair Spray 

This is not a full can of hairspray - it's a tiny one, about 7 inches tall.  The only reason I have it here in this haul is because it was FREE. Yes. Free.  One of the consultants saw me getting hair product, and she approached me, asking if I wanted a sample hairspray.  I asked her if it was a strong enough hold for my curly hair (I didn't want her to waste one of her sample cans on me if it wouldn't work), and she said it would be perfect.

Review: I listened to the nice consultant who gave me this hairspray, and I am so glad I did.  I used this hairspray for prom and have used it twice over this last week, and it has kept my style in place every time.  It doesn't leave a residue on my hair, and it doesn't leave my curls feeling crunchy, like some other hairsprays have.  I'll be sad when I run out of the product in this tiny can!

Real Techniques (by Samantha Chapman) Foundation Brush $7

FINALLY I got myself a Real Techniques brush! I had one before, but I took it to a friend's house and it disappeared.  Now, I get to have my baby back ;) I know that higher-end brushes like this get a lot of hype, and sometimes it isn't worth it, but Real Techniques beauty tools have NEVER failed me, and I highly recommend, because these are DEFINITELY worth all of the hype they get.  

Review: Foundation brushes are tricky in that you need to really find one that is good quality in order to have a good quality FACE (sorry if that sounds harsh).  With this brush, foundation spreads and blends flawlessly, and is never streaky.  Also, the added bonus are the online tutorials (which I've never watched, but I'm sure are extremely helpful).  

Thanks so much for checking out this post :) There are plenty more where this came from, so feel free to look around!

Love you all

<3

Review: L'Oreal Hair Mask

Hello everyone! So, L'Oreal has a new advanced hair care line, so I decided that I would try one or more of them out.  They have a color-treatment mask, a damage-repair mask, and a moisture-renewal (that's mine!).  As my regular readers know, I'm a swimmer during the spring and summer (high school and summer league teams), and as EVERYONE knows, chlorine is a hair-murderer (haha).  My hair, being curly, is already dry enough, and the chlorine does NOT do anything to help it, so I decided that I would FIRST try the moisture-renewal mask.

 Power Moisture: Moisture Rush Mask

This is the packaging - it's very high-end-looking, I must say

Here we are, it's time for the REVIEW:

PROS: As you can see, the mask is very smooth and creamy.  It's not thick, though, which makes application very easy and quick (also, you don't need to use a lot to get desired results!).  Overall, I AM IN LOVE with this mask.  I used to use an Argan oil mask, but felt like my hair wasn't any better afterwards.  When using this L'Oreal mask, though, I can feel a difference right away: my hair is smoother, and if I focus on putting most of the mask on my ends (or the tips of your hair), my hair actually styles better, like the tips of my hair were sealed, or something.  It restores moisture to even my dry and tangly curly hair, so imagine what it can do for other people!  I definitely recommend!

CONS: Like most masks, this is most easily applied in the shower (I usually do this between cleansing and conditioning).  The only downside to this is that I'm thinking the steam in the bathroom makes a bit of the mask (around your hairline) sort of ... melt?  I've no other way of describing it, but after about 3 minutes I can feel it dripping down my forehead a bit.  If you don't catch it in time, it could get in your eyes, which is NOT pleasant, especially for all of my contact-lense wearers!! Be AWARE.  As far as the product itself, goes, however, I wouldn't say there are any cons that I've noticed, and I've used the mask probably 6 times (there's still more than half of the tub left!).

Alright ladies, that's it for the review! I hope you found this helpful, and for my dry-locks readers, I hope you're grabbing the car keys right now and heading out to get some of this stuff, because it's honestly amazing :)

Thanks so much for checking out this post! There's definitely more to be seen, so feel free to browse around...

Love you all

<3

Manicure: PROM EDITION!!!

Hello darlings! So, last Saturday was PROM (enough said, right? haha).  We all know that the slow dance and all of those iconic "prom" elements are important, but really, it's all in the details, the dress, and the GETTING READY WITH YOUR FRIENDS that makes the whole adventure TRULY fun.  Out of respect for my date's privacy, I WON'T post a picture of the two of us, but I'll post what I can so that you can get a feel for what the night was like.  The main event of this post is actually my NAILS, which my friends were dazzled with ("Did you do these yourself?" "Yes" "Open up a freaking nail salon, will you?") and I loved very much.  They're a bit shabby in the pictures since I let them grow out for a few days but you get the point, I'm sure.  Please comment and/or follow my blog if you like this!

 Here's just my thumb nail - it was my favorite design out of all of them :)

So, basically what I did was I first painted my nails with one, thin coat of "Petal Pusher" by Sally Hansen in order to get a more desirable-looking base - kind of like doing a French Manicure. I then painted diagonally across all of my nails (to create that half-effect) with "My Vampire Is Buff" by OPI.  On my middle finger, I painted the entire nail for some variety.  I decided to do a buff color instead of white in order to soften the look of the entire manicure.  After this, I dotted spaces of my nail with "Eternal Optimism" by Essie (dark pink), "Sea" by Sally Hansen (mint green), and "Petal Pusher" by Sally Hansen (lighter pink).  I only dotted these colors on the part of my nail that was painted with "My Vampire Is Buff," and left the natural half of my nail just the way it was.  I outlined the spaces with silver glitter nail-art polish by Kiss.  I then finished with my Diamond Strength top-coat :)  The only thing I have to say is that you have to be a bit more skilled with your left hand (my weak hand...if you are left-handed, then I'm talking about your right hand) to pull this off.  It's not a "hard" manicure to complete, though, so don't let the detail discourage you! If you try it out, let me know in the comments section below :)

I hope you all like!  Thanks for checking out this post :)

_________________________________________________________________________________

I said I would post what I could, so....

Corsage

My GORGEOUS best friend, Haley, and I :)

Haley's Dress: black strapless hi-lo with an open caged-back detail (so beautiful)
Foreign Exchange, $37.00
http://www.shopfe.net/eshop/product.phpproductid=31415&cat=1487&sort=orderby&sort_direction=0&page=5

My Dress: white off-shoulder cinched-waist dress with attached sleeves
Foreign Exchange: $29.00
http://www.shopfe.net/eshop/product.phpproductid=33551&cat=1487&sort=orderby&sort_direction=0&page=3

HOLLA FOR THE CHEAPEST, PRETTIEST PROM DRESSES OUT THERE ;)

All make-up was done (by me, haha) with Urban Decay's "Naked 2" Palette

Love you all

<3

Drug Store Beauty Products HAUL

Hello everybody! If you read my blog regularly, you know that when it comes to expensive beauty products, I do a lot more admiring than buying.  Due to my inherent frugality, haha, I've come to love drugstore makeup and other beauty products.  I recently took a trip to my local CVS PHARMACY (whoo!) to pick up a few things, as PROM IS COMING UP (so excited) and I need to actually start thinking about taking care of my skin, teeth, etc.  This haul is just the things that I bought (keep in mind: some of these products I have NEVER tried, so it'll be like a trial and error thing, too!) in order to prepare myself to look my best :) Hope you enjoy - please follow my blog or comment!

 Wet n Wild Color Icon Brow and Eye Liner in 652 "Dark Brown"

This is actually not the usual color I purchase, my regular is "Mink Brown."  Some would say that "Dark Brown" and "Mink Brown" are not much different when just looking at the product, but let me tell you that once the color touches your face (well my face - my brows, to be exact), the difference becomes noticeable.  My eyebrows are nearly black, and the "Mink Brown" is absolutely perfect.  This "Dark Brown" color is not the same - it's much more brown rather than black - but it'll have to do, considering they ran out of my usual color.  Today, I mixed this pencil with a black eyeliner pencil and blended it, and the effect was nearly the same as the "Mink Brown."  Anyways, I really like this pencil (I especially like the price - $0.99!!) because it's smooth and pigmented - you don't need a lot to get the desired effect.

 Milani Color Statment Lipstick in 17 "Plum Rose"

For Prom, I'm wearing a white, flowing dress and light metallic heels, so I thought that my regular ruby-colored CoverGirl lipstick would be a bit much.  I fell in love with this color the moment I saw it - it's like a cross between mauve and a subtle red, and it really is beautiful.  You can see that it's very pigmented, as the swatch above against my tan skin was done with a single, light swipe across my hand.  It looks natural, almost like the color of my actual lips, except exaggerated.  I wore this color on my lips to school today and got a tone of compliments from girlfriends!  It's very smooth and is lightly scented with an absolutely glorious smell that I can't quite put my finger on - it's flowery and fruity all at the same time.  At any rate, I really like this lipstick - I'll be purchasing more Milani products now, because of this!

Rimmel London Exaggerate Full Color Lip Liner in 070 "Enchantment"

No matter how many tubes of lipstick I've bought, no matter how many hours I've spent searching, I have never been able to find a lip liner that exactly matches the desired color - UNTIL NOW.  When I found this and compared it to the Milani Lipstick in "Plum Rose," I felt like running to make an announcement on the intercom system!  It's the exact color, but is not too pigmented.  It applies very smoothly onto my lips and stays put under the lipstick, unlike some other lip liners I've tried, which show through or smudge.  Whenever I apply lip liner, I trace around my lips and then color them in, as this is the best way to keep lip stick in place for a longer time.  As I said before, the application of this liner is smooth all over my lip, and it could even be worn by itself for a subtle look.  LOVE.

 Plus White 5-Minute Premier Speed Whitening Gel

I have never before tried a tooth-whitening product before, other than toothpastes and mouthwashes (like Listerine), so I have no idea how this product is going to work.  I tried it last night and used the cotton-swab-method, spreading the gel over my teeth (careful not to spread it on the gums!).  The only problem I encountered was that I couldn't keep my top lip from covering my teeth, and I think the saliva from my mouth was reducing the effect.  According to the product label, one should use it for 14 days consecutively, twice per day.  I'll be using it consistently, and if it works well, I'll be sure to let all of you know! 

Physician's Formula Super BB: All-in-1 Beauty Balm Cream in 7868 "Medium/Deep"

I always know that I'm at the prime of my tanning days when I have to start buying products with the word "deep" in them, haha.  I have never tried this product before either, simply because of the price (excuse me for not having the luxury of buying $17 BB Cream - yikes).  However, it was on sale for $9.99 and I had $7 CVS Extrabucks for any Physician's Formula purchase - so I got it for about $3!!! I used this product today to go to school, because my allergies have been acting up and sometimes my cheeks turn a bit red :( It worked well to cover the discoloration and it minimized the look of my acne spots.  Also, my skin seemed a bit more glowy (but not in the oily way) than usual.  Based on my first try, I would recommend this product, but I'll continue to use it and maybe review it later!

Thank you all so much for checking out this post! I hope you'll add a few of these things to your next drugstore shopping list ;) 

Make sure you check out my Polyvore and YouTube channel!

Love you all

<3

Get Ready With Me! Christmas Eve Mass

Hello lovely people!  So I was kind of debating posting this, because I know that religion is kind of a touchy subject for some people, and maybe it would be offensive in some way to post what I wore to church on Christmas Eve.  Anyway, my religion is important to me, so I'm posting this (this is not really about religion anyway, it's about an outfit, but yeah I just wanted to put in this baby disclaimer here haha).  SO here's a few pics to outline what I wore and what my face looked like, I hope you enjoy ;)

You can check out my YouTube video on this (it's way better than just looking at these pictures)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyJRnoHAwnY

PRODUCTS I USED IN MY VIDEO:
(I promised that I would post them here)

CLOTHING:
Black Dress: PacSun
Stone Necklace: Brandy Melville
Chunky Knit Cardi: Foreign Exchange
Tights: I HAVE NO IDEA
Black Bandeau: Heavenly Couture
Black Pointed Flats: H&M

MAKE-UP
FACE:
Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream in Medium
E.L.F. Tinted Moisturizer in Beige
Maybelline Coverstick (Medium Skin Tone Concealer)
Maybelline Coverstick (Green Tint Blemish Concealer)
Physician's Formula Light Bronzer (and E.L.F. Kabuki Brush)

BROWS:
Wet n Wild Color Icon Eye Pencil in Mink Brown
Smudger Tool
Maybelline Great Lash Clear Mascara

EYES:
Stila Eyeshadow
Covergirl Perfect Blend Eyeliner in Basic Black
E.L.F. Cream Eyeliner in Black
NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Iced Mocha
NYX Eyeshadow Base (Natural)
Eyelash Curler
L'Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black Mascara (Waterproof)

LIPS:
EOS Lip Balm in Lemon Drop
Covergirl Lipstick in Rose
Mentha Organics Lip Gloss (from Bath&Body Works)

AND YEAH I THINK THAT'S IT

I hope you guys liked my video (if you watched it) and/or this blogpost!

Thanks for being here!

Love you all

<3

Face Make-Up Reviews

Hey everyone!  So I've been using 2 different products for my face, sometimes by themselves, sometimes together, but they're both really light.  Anyway, I decided I would give my feedback on these two products so I could let all of you know what really goes down behind-the-scenes (like, not in the commercials haha).  So keep reading if you want to know my opinion!

 Alright, so the first of the face products I've been using is the Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream.  I have it in the shade "medium," since I'm no longer tan from swim season but I'm not completely white (halfies!!! yay).  The shade has a bit of a pink undertone, which has been a bit of a pain since I have a yellow-gold undertone to my skin because of my Asian half.  It's nothing that's COMPLETELY intolerable, though, because I also use a light bronzer/face powder (maybe I'll do a review on that later).  Anyway, this product is supposed to be the 8-in-1 Skin Perfector: blur imperfections, brighten, even skin tone, smooth, hydrate, enhance, protect with SPF, and do all of this with 0% oils and heavy ingredients.  These are the things this product is SUPPOSED to accomplish.  I want to give you guys a thorough review, so I'll start with the positive and move on to the negative later.  Firstly, the "evening skin tone" element, I believe, is something Maybelline is definitely not lying about - I have a bit of discoloration on the sides of my cheekbones and near my right eyebrow, and I think that the difference in skin tone was completely blurred away.  My skin looks a lot more even when I use this.  Secondly, I really like that it has SPF 30, because it's important to protect the skin on your face due to how delicate and sensitive it is, especially to UV-rays.  Thirdly, as I think I mentioned earlier, this product is very light, and it feels like you're not wearing any face makeup, which is definitely a plus, especially for me - an athlete.  I don't ever want to look or feel like a "cake-face," if you know what I mean, so the consistency of this product works really well for me.  Now I'll move on to the negative.  Firstly, I want to start off my saying I am a teenager, so I probably have a little bit more acne than the normal woman that might be using this, even though my skin is not at all "bad."  However, the "blurring imperfections" promise hasn't exactly worked out when it comes to acne.  Redness and shininess of zits come through when you apply this product (even if you apply it a bit heavier).  I always wear concealer (a green concealer to cancel redness as well as a concealer that is a shade lighter than my skintone for generic reasons) but I feel like if you're wearing a product like BB Cream, you shouldn't have to use as much.  I still use the same amount, though, because my acne is not covered up well AT ALL by this product.  Secondly, the "brightening" factor is not really that noticeable, except in the soft light of my bathroom.  Thirdly, I don't really notice if this product is actually "hydrating" my face.  It doesn't feel any different from before - it isn't softer or smoother to the touch - so I wouldn't really put much stock in this claim.  Fourthly, I don't know what "enhance" is supposed to mean in this context, so I don't really have much of a comment on that.  I mean, is my skintone supposed to be "enhanced"?  I don't know.  Overall, I do like this product, despite the slight bashing and negative comments, I like the feel of it and the evening-qualities that it has.  I think it's perfect for school,  because it's quick to apply and you won't look too high-maintenance (which is a big no-no in highschool, as I'm sure most of you already know), as you would with a full foundation.  

The second product I've been using on my face is the E.L.F. Tinted Moisturizer, and I believe I have this is the shade "beige."  The first thing I would like to say about this product is that it's very specific and that's GREAT - this tinted moisturizer is sold with a description of the undertone it will serve printed on the front of the box.  When I was browsing through Target, I saw this and realized that it was best for a yellow undertone, which is me.  Using this product and Maybelline BB Cream together would even out the pink undertone from the BB Cream and give me a better, more natural tone.  Since I'm on a roll now, I'll start with the positive and move on to the negative.  Firstly, like I mentioned already, the fact that this product was made to serve a specific undertone is great.  Secondly, the price of this, as well as ALL e.l.f. products, is a major plus - this was $3 at Target, while the BB Cream was almost $10.  Thirdly, the consistency is very light, much like a lotion, and I really like how it feels on my face, like there's nothing there.  Thirdly, like the BB Cream, this moisturizer has SPF, though not as high as the BB Cream, it's better than nothing.  I did hear somewhere, though, that nothing over SPF 30 exists, and that sunscreen companies just put high numbers to get sales, haha (it's totally been working on me, that's for sure).  So SPF 20 is like getting 2/3 (which is actually a D, if we're talking about grades, but you don't have to think about that if you don't want to).  Fourthly, this product actually evens my skin tone just as well as the BB Cream, if not a little better, just because of the undertone-thing.  It has ingredients like Aloe, so it's good for sensitive skin, too.  ALRIGHT so on to the negative.  Firstly, just like the BB Cream, acne is not covered up well by this.  A film of color is put over blemishes, and it just sits there.  The shininess is reduced by maybe 1% but the redness is not really reduced at all.  Basically, the coverage is adequate for all parts of the face EXCEPT for the acne-related imperfections.  Secondly, similar to the BB Cream, I don't really see my skintone being "brightened" in any way, except in the presence of my soft yellow light in my bathroom.  That's pretty much all I don't really like about this product, though, since e.l.f. doesn't make too many claims that are disputable on their products.  Overall, I like this product, especially when I use it together with the Maybelline BB Cream, it gives a really nice tone to my face and evens everything out.

So that was my extensive review, I hope it was detailed enough for you and that it will answer any questions you have if you were debating buying either of these.  

Thanks for checking out this post!

Make sure you get on over to my YouTube Channel next ;)

Love you all

<3

Make-Up Look: Subtle Yet Snazzy ;)

Hey everyone! So I haven't been around in a while, and for that I am terribly sorry O_O But here's a makeup look for you (I know I don't do those usually) that's really easy to do and doesn't require too many materials or anything like that.  So here ya go! 

 Wet 'n Wild "Color Icon" Eyeliner Pencil (659C Turquoise)

I'm pretty sure this was about $1 from CVS Pharmacy 

 E.L.F. Studio Cream Eyeliner (81160 Black)

$3 from Target

and 

CoverGirl Perfect Blend Eyeliner and Smudger (Basic Black)

$6 from CVS Pharmacy

L'Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black Mascara

$9 from CVS Pharmacy

(The label rubbed off from me using it haha)

AND THATS IT!!! Thanks for checking this out :)

Make sure you visit my YouTube Page

Love you all

<3

PROACTIV TRIAL!!!

Hey guys, so I decided that I would try proactiv JUST FOR YOUR BENEFIT.  In other words, I'm offering myself up to be your guinea pig (haha).  I ordered the one-month supply of this stuff, and I'll be doing weekly update videos so you guys can see/hear about RESULTS RESULTS RESULTS - 'cuz that's what it's all about, right?  ANYWAY here is the packaging and what not, just so we're all on the same page concerning the products I got in my order :)

SO OBVIOUSLY, the first two pics are unboxing-type things...the REAL-TIME GOODS are in the third and fourth pics :)

PICTURE #3:

This is sort of like a three-step system, a generic proactiv-type acne solution, and it includes (from left to right) the Renewing Cleanser, Revitalizing Toner, and Repairing Treatment

PICTURE #4:

These were the things that you were allowed to choose when you ordered the proactiv system, so (from left to right) I ordered the famous Green Tea Moisturizer, the Deep Cleansing Wash, the Refining Mask (another one of America's favorites, haha) and the Advanced Blemish Treatment

SO ANYWAYS that's everything, I'll be doing my update video this SUNDAY so stay tuned for that :)

Love you all

<3