My Morning Skincare Routine

For the past few weeks I have really fallen back in love with reading other beauty blogs and watching their review videos. I used to spend hours discovering fun new blogs to check up on but somehow I got too busy to keep up with all of them. Lately, I have been reading and watching a TON of morning and evening skincare routines and I thought I would join in on the fun! More so too because my routine has been very consistent lately. I have found one that works well for me and I have seen very minimal breakouts because of it. Keep in mind that I do have combination/normal skin, my T-zone gets super oily as the day progresses but other than that it stays pretty normal. With the exception of weather changes (I tend to get a little dry in the winter)but for the most part it's consistent.

Sephora Mini Haul Gone BAD

Hi Everyone!
I feel like lately I have done really well with not over spending on things like clothes and beauty supplies and have been saving my money for a rainy day. But I do notice that when I go a certain amount of time on this pattern, I get in a mood where I need to impulse purchase. So I was on a lunch break from work and I decided to pop in a Sephora to pick up a few things I had been contemplating for a while. Every product I bought I had done previous research on either through referrals or reviews on sephora.com so I thought for sure these were good buys, but as far as my first impression goes I will not be repurchasing the following items.

Monday Rave: Sedona Lace Zip Up Brush Belt

Happy Monday! Today I'm celebrating my brothers 27th birthday and it is also the day I received my Sedona Lace shipment! I've been eyeing this zip up brush belt for a while and have seen plenty of good reviews so I decided to try it myself. Currently I have a MAC brush belt and it works fine aside from my brushes slipping out if I put the belt in my makeup case.

Monday Rave: Benefit Highbeam and Sunbeam

I've discussed on here numerous times about what a fan I am of highlight on the tops of the cheek bones and various other places on the face. Recently I have fallen back in love with a product I purchased a while back from Benefit Cosmetics called Highbeam which is a cream based product that adds the perfect touch of reflection.

Monday Rave: Lush Curly Wurly Shampoo

Happy Monday! It's still Monday right? I took a break last week for President's Day and mainly because I've been interviewing like crazy. I have realized that making a career change is a full time job in itself but I am definitely up to the challenge and doing well!

Monday Rave: Lime Crime Velvetine Lippy in Suadeberry

Happy Monday! I'm on a lipstick craze since all the beautiful faces of NYFW are rocking a fresh complexion, dewy skin and a bold lip. Right now I've been rocking different variations of orange and the favorite being the Lime Crime velvetine in Suadeberry. The formula is a liquid gloss that dries matte on the lips and stays put for hours!

Monday Rave: Rimmel Kate Moss Lipstick in Kiss of Life #111

Happy Monday! Today I'm raving about this Rimmel lipstick that I actually purchased about a month or so ago but had yet to give it a shot. I'm pretty sure it was just an impulse buy because the lipsticks were on sale, but either way I'm happy I did it!

Monday Rave: L'Oreal Pencil Perfect Self-Advancing Eyeliner

Since Monday's are usually depressing and boring, I decided to create a new installment, Monday Rave! Every Monday I will post a review of a product I can't live without. You can also take this opportunity to let me know which products are your favorite too! Let's get started...

MAC Products I Can Live Without...

I definitely wouldn't say that I'm on here preaching MAC as the end-all be-all of makeup brands, but we all know that they do make some amazing products that are staples to anyones kit that I would recommend . For the most part I feel like I can walk in there and be satisfied with my purchase and have faith that the brand has put in a lot of effort to put out a quality product. However, there are a few items that I've picked up over the years that I have been really dissatisfied with. Below are my Top 3 items that I would NOT recommend you purchase on your next trip to MAC.

Black Friday Shopping Haul

Now that is is Sunday and I have the chance to recap my nice, yet short holiday weekend I wanted to let you all sneak a peak at my mini haul from Black Friday shopping. I would also like to note that I did this shopping relatively late in the day and didn't have a terrifying experience like the many who went to Walmart, which is how I prefer it. I'm not a fan of crowds and even less of a fan of waiting in line. The stuff I got from Ulta wasn't really "Black Friday" special, they just had "Buy One Get One 50% Off" on NYX and Real Techniques brushes and I had been meaning to grab a few things for my makeup kit. I also stopped by MAC to pick up some essentials as well as some pigments from the Holiday Collection that I couldn't say no to. Here is what I ended up with...

Review: Lina Hanson Global Serums

With the summer heat still in full effect moisturizing is at the top of my priority list. When I put a moisturizer on my skin before I go to sleep I need to know a few things, that it will over compensate for the deep cleaning and drying my cleanser may do, that it will penetrate deep in the layers of skin and it will improve its look and feel. I am so excited to say I have found all of this and more in Lina Hanson's Global Face and Body Serum. In line with my quest for more natural beauty products I was really impressed with what Lina Hanson's serums have to offer. I've tested them for 2 weeks now and the texture and moisture value of my skin has noticeably improved.

Above: Photo Credit @LinaHanson (instagram)

Feature: Voodoo Dolls Cosmetics

If you participated in my giveaway you are probably wondering, what is that lipstick that she's giving away? What is this brand Voodoo Dolls Cosmetics and where can I get it?! The line was actually created by my cousins, Desi and Ciara and it is definitely worth checking out. You can find their products at www.voodoodollcosmetics.com for lips, cheeks, eyes and face. Just Out is hands down my favorite lip color, a corral/orange that's perfect for summer and a staple in my makeup bag. I have it pictured below compared with a couple other popular summer colors in the same range, Heftiest Hibiscus Chubby Stick by Clinique and Lady Danger by MAC. Just Out is in between the two as far as texture and it's super moisturizing. I find I'd rather wear this one during the summer instead of an ultra matte color so my lips stay moisturized. It glides on well and lasts throughout the day.

Review: Melt Cosmetics Lipstick in By Starlight

If you've been following my posts for a little while you may have picked up on a few things. 1. I am super pissed I never snagged a tube of Heroine Lipstick by MAC and 2. I took a makeup seminar with the lovely Lora Arellano from Instragram @loreleicakes and I love her. Now combine these two things and it's only obvious that I purchased this lipstick by Lora's new makeup line, Melt Cosmetics. As an avid follower of hers I saw the announcement of her lipstick line and I was counting down the days to make a purchase (literally ordered the evening they came out). I decided to buy just the one color since I wanted to try the finish first, they are all ultra-matte which is genius and a testament to how closely her and her business partner are watching beauty trends because everyone is going bat shit for matte lippies.   I have worn the lipstick and all I can see is I should have bought them all! I did some trial runs with Currant Lip Liner from MAC and layering it with MAC's Dreaminess Lipstick for fun, but I found that I really love it by itself.

Ruby Who?

I'm a little late on talking about this but I still feel it is worth reviewing since Rihanna's makeup collection for MAC is still due for release. I decided to go against my trend of not ordering limited edition products from MAC and I placed an order for "Riri Woo" which is Rihanna's signature red lipstick she pre-released before her actual collection comes out this summer. I had read that it was "inspired" by "Ruby Woo," their incredibly vibrant and matte as all hell red lipstick. I had seen the hype on instagram and I am a total sucker for a good red so when I received the reminder email I decided to go for it. I personally have 2 tubes of Ruby Woo sitting in my lipstick drawer but I acted on impulse, and it turns out now I have THREE tubes of Ruby Woo because the color is almost the same exact thing! Here's my review...

I've thought long and hard about how to compare to make it sound like there's really a difference but all I can really say about them is RiRi Woo is slightly less bright, let's say it doesn't have as much of an orange underton, but instead it's a bit more blue and somewhat less matte. Really though, that's it. It's a glorified Ruby Woo so if you missed out on the pre-sale consider yourself lucky and warned. Don't get my wrong, I love the color because I think Ruby Woo is a great red that everyone should own, I just disagree with the hype surrounding the color. I have a pro card and I wasn't even able to get my discount, so spending over $20.00 for a lipstick that I already have 2 of was pretty disappointing. A red is a red is a red and I will forever be needing red lipstick but this was definitely a lesson learned for me. I think at this point the only limited edition product I completely regret not purchasing was Heroine lipstick (if you have a tube and want to trade I'M DOWN ;)

Review: The Clean Dirt by May Lindstrom Skin

In honor of Therapeutic Thursday, last week I decided to do something I never do...take a bath. Now I realize this may not sound like such a big deal to most of you, I see so many Instagram pics of ladies with their thighs covered in bubbles soaking their bodies relaxing in a tub. Though the idea has seemed appealing to me as an adult I just have never taken the time for one, or I should say I've never taken the time for myself. So last week I drew the water, lit 3 of my favorite candles (Garden Bouquet by Bath and Body Works), set my Spotify radio to 'Yoga,' poured some lavender bath soap and turned off the lights. It was amazing, it was just what I needed, and it was all inspired by the product I'm about to review, The Clean Dirt by May Lindstrom Skin.

Beauty Blender: Real Vs. Dupe

Happy Monday Everyone! Are you ready to talk about the Beauty Blender? As a huge hater of gimmicks and fads, I was definitely skeptical about purchasing a Beauty Blender because I felt like there couldn't be something so great about a sponge. I've used cosmetic wedges before and they literally cost pennies so the idea of paying $20.00 for a sponge was ridiculous to me, yet the product has remained popular. I began researching the product to understand all the hype and I also looked into the dupes (duplicates) that exist because I'm a firm believer that you DO NOT have to spend a ton of money to get a great quality product. There are plenty of inexpensive brands that offer tools and products very similar, the same or sometimes better than the expensive ones. In the case of the Beauty Blender I initially purchased a dupe from Marshall's on a whim (it was priced at $4.00) and gave it a shot. In contrast, I currently enrolled in a makeup class that requires the original Beauty Blender (No dupes allowed!) and now have tested each completely unbiased and open minded and this is what I've concluded, the REAL Beauty Blender is worth the hype and I will tell you why...

I actually used the dupe blending sponge I'd say for a good month or so, I even purchased a set of 4 from Ebay for $10. This was a different brand from what I originally purchased but the product was pretty much the same. I'm going to compare the dupe with the original side by side and tell you about the vast differences.


1. Density - the dupe products are extremely dense. When you're holding one dry it's almost hard in your hand and difficult to squeeze. If you were to try to use it without running it under water, it would make your makeup extremely streaky because the density makes it hard for the foundation to glide. The original Beauty Blender's density is much lower, it is definitely more "spongy" which to me is a positive because i know from use that this light weight consistency is what ultimately gives you that airbrushed look. It gets into the harder to reach areas like around your nose and under your eye much easier than the dupe, allowing it to cover better.

Above: Dupe wet (left) and dry

Above: Cracked Dupe Sponge after one cleaning

2. Ease of Cleaning- When I first cleaned my dupe blender I found working the sponge under water and getting the cleanser to really penetrate the sponge was difficult. You have to really work it to get it clean and even then I noticed the foundation spots weren't cleaning off. I also noticed that as I was cleaning it, the sponge was tearing because of all the work I was doing, not good. The original Beauty Blender cleans very well, it is easily worked to get the product out of it and does not tear with all the motion. My first time cleaning it I was able to get all the foundation out, no problem.

Above: Beauty Blender wet (left) and dry

3. Application - Hands down the Original Beauty Blender delivers the most flawless application! I used the dupe like I said for a month and I honestly thought, ok this works pretty good I don't have to buy the original, but seriously the difference is insane. The Beauty Blender bounces so lightly on the skin and really gives you that airbrushed look almost effortlessly. With the dupe I noticed if the sponge was not super soaked with water it would not apply flawlessly, also it was common that I got streaks on my chin and down my neck after use. With the Original, this was a non issue.

Above: Me with Beauty Blender application, no filter!

Overall, I would say there is really no comparison. If you have the money you should really invest in the Beauty Blender because honestly it has now completely changed the way I apply my makeup. Not only is my time cut way down because it doesn't take long to apply, but my skin just looks so much more amazing. I would recommend this products, hands down.
Note: I only purchased two kinds of dupes for this comparisson. I know that MAC, Sonia Kashuk and many other brands make versions of the Beauty Blender and those products may work just as well. My opinion is only based off of the no name brand versions I bought at Marshalls and Ebay.

Therapeutic Thursday: Facial Detoxing

Welcome to the first installment (and maybe the last, who knows) of Therapeutic Thursday! As I'm sure you've picked up on from my posts, not only am I a beauty junkie but I'm also extremely obsessed with skin care. I know all of the products I put on my skin can be damaging to my pores so I make it a point to start with a clean surface and detox my face as much as possible to eliminate impurities. It is also a DOUBLE bonus for me if such products are organic, thus good for me AND good for the planet. Lush is really my go-to brand for these types of products, and I have found my new favorite combination of skin magic when my face needs a serious detox from all the crap I throw on top of it on a daily basis.

How To: Get a Pro Discount

I'm sure as beauty bloggers many of you are aware of the Pro Makeup discounts that many companies are offering for working makeup artists/cosmetologists to give us a break on product purchases for our kits. If you're not, you should know that there are cosmetic companies out there that are willing to give working makeup artists a discount ranging from about 20%-50% depending on the brand. When going through the application process for these programs you may find that if you live in a State/Country that does not require you to obtain a beauty license to be a Makeup Artist (like where I live in California),  it's difficult to obtain proof of your employment if you're doing mainly freelance work. I found myself in this very situation when I was looking to develop my bridal kit and looked a bit more into the pro programs and found that there are ways to get the discount without actually being on the payroll of a profession production. And there's how I did it!

First, I googled companies that offer the program and found the one's I was most interested in, the first being the most common, MAC. The MAC pro discount program was my introduction to the process of applying to other brands, and once I had my documents for this the rest of them were a breeze to apply to. Here is a list of accepted required documents to apply to the program from the MAC website

"Provide two current pieces from the following that indicate your selected category/profession: 
Composite Card, Business Card with name and specific profession, Editorial Page with name credit, Union Card, Professional License, Diploma/Certificate, Publication Masthead, Program/press Materials with name, Contract on Production Company Letterhead, Crew/Call List on Prod. Co. Letterhead, Professional Letter of Reference of Employment." 

The first, easiest and most necessary item on this list and one that you should already have as a working makeup artist is the business card. You can order some cute cheap ones at Vistaprint.com, which is where I ordered mine. After I went through those though, I decided to try zazzle.com and they have a WAY better selection, however they are more expensive. 

The second item from the list proved to be the most difficult for me because all I really had as proof of my work were the pictures I had taken and testimonials from my clients. However I had been working closely with my friend who is a hair stylist, and this is where I came up with my professional letter of reference. I had her write me a letter about the work I had completed with her and because she was a licensed cosmetologist I had her write her licence number on the bottom of the letter as well as list the salon she worked out of so there would be no questions about legitimacy.
Once I had these 2 pieces the rest of the work was easy, I just sent a copy of my photo ID and filled out the application form and sent a check ($35.00) for the amount of the annual fee. Keep in mind that MAC takes a VERY long time with this process. It was well over a month before I heard back from them via email that my application was received and was under review, I think it was a few more weeks after that, then I got my approval application that said I should see my card in the mail within a couple of weeks.

After I succeeded at getting the MAC pro I decided to investigate more into other brands that I love and found that the process was almost identical for a few companies and I now have pro cards for MAC, Urban Decay and Bobbi Brown. 
Urban Decay's was the easiest by far, you can submit basically the same documents but they prefer it to be done via email, I was approved for my pro-discount literally the very next day. The discount amount is 40% and the only bad thing about this program is you are only allowed to use your discount online and it restricts MANY items (like no NAKED Palettes!). So it's definitely worth your time because it takes almost no time, but it still is kind of a bummer that it's so limiting. Especially since so many artists have the naked palette in their kits...
Bobbi Brown was also the same process and the discount of 40% can only be used when purchasing items online. But to my knowledge it applies to all products, which is great because their pro-palettes are in the $250.00 range with is incredibly expensive, so the discount sort of brings it down to normal range.

Currently, I am working on getting the Makeup Forever Pro card, but they do not accept the letter of reference so I'm going to look through their required documents and see what I can do to apply.

So that's my experience! Kind of drawn out but I just wanted to make you all aware that you do not have to pay full price if you are a working artist and looking to expand your kit! If you have any stories, questions or comments about this, please share.

Drug Store Come Up of the Week

 I was searching some makeup artists and common makeup tags on Intagram the other day (for me those are #ilovemaciggirls, #makeupaddict, and various brand tags) and I came across an artist who posted a flawless fall face which included a thick black liner, bronzer for blush and a deep purple lip that I fell in love with. She stated the color was "Va Va Violet" by Revlon. I found myself at Walmart and checked out the color, it seemed much deeper in the packaging than it did on her lips but I bought it anyway. While I was there I snagged this gem called "Wine Not" by Revlon, and I am much happier with this purchase. "Va Va Violet" is a satin finish and it's not as opaque when you put it on, it has more sheen to it than I'm normally drawn to but I need to play with it a little more. "Wine Not" is a deep burgundy matte lipstick that is now my new staple for fall. I paired it with MAC's "Vino" lip pencil and the combination is one of my favorites. Vino is a super deep pencil and I wouldn't wanna pair it with a lip color that was also that deep, so I love the two together. Here are some pics of me rocking the combo. If you have any fall must haves from the drugstore feel free to let me know in a comment below!

Above: Pics of me wearing the colors one with iPhone front facing camera, and the other with a flash so you can get a better idea of what they look like. For the rest of my face I used Terra Cotta Blush by NYX and the Naked Palette on my eyes. 

Above: You can see the Vino pencil is much deeper, so if you don't want to achieve of look that is as deep as the picture of me above, skip the pencil or just apply it lightly. 

Above: Vino Lip Pencil and Wine Not Lipstick post application :)

Summer Empties

With the heat wave of this record breaking summer lasting well into this October month, I found that I was not burning through my regular makeup products as much as I was my hair and skin care ones. My go to face consisted of primer, concealer, light foundation, blush and mascara, and my hair was almost always in its natural curly state. This brings me to my list of empties for the summer. These are products I loved so much that I used the very last drop, and for the most part I will be purchasing again.

1. Laura Mercier- Mineral Foundation Primer: I've talked about this primer before, and what I loved about using it during the summer was that it has a lotion consistency and didn't feel heavy on my skin. I put this on with a light layer of foundation or tinted moisturizer and I was good to go.
2. MAC-Fix + Spray: On the occasion that I did wear a full coverage foundation during the summer, I wanted to keep my look dewy and less heavy. That's where my Fix + spray came in. If ever I felt like my makeup was looking too powdery or overdone, I just sprayed this all over and it gave me the summer glow I was looking for.
3. Bath and Bodyworks- Black Raspberry Vanilla Body Cream: I actually don't enjoy the feeling of wearing/putting on lotion. I don't like it on my skin and I find myself having to force myself to put it on after I get out of the shower. Fortunately, the skin on my body isn't prone to dryness so I can get away with not wearing lotion everyday. But the smell of this lotion is amazing to me! I felt like the berry and the vanilla was a perfect summer to fall combination, and the formula is silky, so the feeling didn't gross me out like a lot of body creams do.
4. Tresemme Split Remedy Leave In Conditioner: I posted when I started using this in the beginning of the summer and now that the bottle is empty I'm really happy with the results it's given me. There have been countless times that I did not feel like blow drying, then flat ironing my hair and I just wanted to let my curls go natural. So I put this in my damp hair along with a tiny bit of argan oil and I was very impressed. I've also used it by itself and it still works really well, definitely going to purchase it again.
5. One n Only Argan Oil Conditioner: I bought this bottle last October during Breast Cancer Awareness Month and it's taken me a year to get through it. The reason for this is because I really didn't like it. I use their argan oil and it works very well, I just feel like the conditioner fell short. It did not leave my hair as soft as I thought it would and I wasn't a huge fan of the smell. I don't think I would purchase it again.
6. L'Oreal Voluminous Mascara: I have purchased this mascara probably 10 times since I discovered it. It's hands down the best drug store mascara out there and definitely a contender for the best mascara ever. It gives volume, doesn't clump and the wand comes in the normal straight wand or with a bend to help cover all of your lashes. If you're looking for a great full looking mascara this is it.