Product Rave: Beauty Blender

Hello, loves! I've been a little M.I.A lately but I'm back & better than ever! (: I bring to you a review of one of the most AMAZING products:

The Beauty Blender!

All washed up! ;)

 If you're like me & are obsessed with watching Youtube videos, you've seen the prime of this little guy! For a moment, he was seen in EVERY video! This little ball of foam is A MAGIC WAND! At first I was a little hesitant to pay $20 for a little ball of fluff. With some Birchbox points I had saved up, I was able to purchase it for 10$! The texture of this is what you see..spongey! It gets bigger as you fill it with water. It seems a little odd at first but this leaves your face FLAWLESS! 

This distributes foundation evenly on the face. It is used in a patting & upwards motion & it does an amazing job! You only need a little bit of product to work with and if you want more coverage, you can definitely build it up! It gives good coverage because the patting motion covers more surface area than brushing a foundation all over your face. Amazing!

Pros:

-Good Coverage

-Flawless Finish

-Easy to travel

Cons:

-Gets dirty fast!

My Favorite Essie Nail Polishes + How I Grew My Nails!

Hello lovelies! I'm enjoying sunny days here on my winter break

Liquid gold!

So lately I've been a little obsessed with Essie Nail Polishes. Essie not only has the CUTEST packaging but the quality of these polishes are very good! 

More time come ;)

 I am VERY proud of my little collection! With a good top coat, these last a pretty long time on my nails 

without chipping! I do have to admit that the darker colors are a bit more pigmented than the lighter ones. You have to apply a few more coats with the lighter colors than you would with the darker. It's A-Okay though! I recommend these beautiful colors to you guys:

1.) Essie in "Boxer Shorts"

This is a BEAUTIFUL shade of purple! It's a couple shade lighter than your average periwinkle. I only need one coat to cover my entire nail! This was one of Essie's "Fall" polishes but you can definitely wear this year round! 

2.) Essie in "Turquoise & Caicos"

Can I just say that this is the BEST summer polish EVER!? It's SO tropical! I wear this all the time during the Summer. This color is a light turquoise The only problem I have with this nail polish is that it's VERY runny and VERY sheer. I have to apply three coats of this just to match the color on the bottle. It's a price I am willing to pay for the gorgeous outcome 

  

3.) Essie in "Eternal Optimist"

This color is the one of the prettiest pinks! It's a mixture between a nude and a pink. Great for the Spring! This polish also tends to be a little streaky but with patience and a few coats, the end result is gorgeous! I wear this color a LOT because it looks so great with dainty rings. 

 My Nail Growth:

So my nails might not be the longest but they are VERY durable and have grown a lot since the past year. My nails used to always break and I would always have to keep them super short (shorter than what is shown!) My doctor mentioned that B vitamins are not only great for health but it does wonders to hair & nails. After taking vitamin B for the past couplof months, my nails are not only stronger but they grow so much faster! Please ask your doctor if you could take Vitamin B!

 I also keep my hands and nails hydrated at ALL times! Believe it or not, but keeping you nails hydrated prevents them from getting rough! I like to use Nivea as a hand cream:

On the topic of nails, I also want to feature my good friends recent nail look. I think it's adorable! 

 

Product Review: Laura Mercier's Tinted Moisturizer

         I'm so happy the sun is finally starting to show a little more here in California! I decided to sip on something that fit the sunny mood that was buzzing today:

So yummy & mellow indeed! I will definitely purchase this in K-Cup form! 

Okay so tinted moisturizers are one of my favorite products that I'll probably never get over. They cover, protect, & moisturize all at the same time! When I first started to get into makeup, I was still a little intimidated by foundation because I always thought it was a tad too heavy for my skin. Taking my first couple of steps into the beauty realm, I did my research & came across this popular product

Laura Mercier's "Tinted Moisturizer" in Caramel *Regular, not oil free* 

The description had everything I was looking for in a TM. It claims to be lightweight, have "flawless" coverage, & promises to be hydrating on the skin. Did these claims live up to it's hype? In my opinion: meh. I KNOW, RIGHT!? I saw soo many raves about this that it baffled me as well. The product is very lightweight which makes it easily glide onto skin. The coverage is VERY sheer. I know, I shouldn't expect much from coverage from a TM but it barely had any coverage! I tried to build it on but it still failed to cover some minor discolorations. This only lasts a couple hours which is a little disappointing because at $43 I would expect it to be long wearing. The selection of color is amazing, though! The color matched my skin tone exactly! The spf 20 is a plus. Final verdict? meh. I found myself not really reaching for it as much as I thought I would. I tried to love it, I really did! HONESTLY, I see no difference in this vs. mixing a little of my current foundation into my daily moisturizer. I ended up using it as my quick mornings & gym foundation (which worked quite well in those situations!)

Pros:

-Lightweight

-Moisturizing

-Spf 20

-Applies smooth with foundation brush/sponge/hands

-Tube helps you grab only as much as you need

Cons:

 -No coverage

-Too sheer

-Me + friends find it a little "smelly"

My Top Three Favorite Eyeshadow Bases!

The only thing I'm loving about this cold weather is that I can use it as an excuse to take frequent coffee breaks (in an attempt to "warm up") (; 

Coffee Bean's new "English Toffee Latte" is SO YUMMY! Super great find if you have a sweet tooth.

So I love eyeshadow primers as much as the next makeup addict, but I tend to reach over to my paint pots a lot more than my primers when working with my eyes. A big reason why I prefer eyeshadow bases over eyeshadow primers is that I see more of a color pay off when I apply my shadow over the base. It not only helps bring out the vibrancy of the eyeshadow but it creates a smooth surface for the eyeshadow to lay on. I love my paint pots! I've recently been loving these three little guys:

Top: MAC's PP in "Bare Study"; Left Bottom: Maybelline's "Tough as Taupe" + Right Bottom "Bad to the Bronze"

 
1.) Maybelline's Color Tattoo in "Tough as Taupe"

Maybelline's Color Tattoos have been receiving a lot of hype and for good reason! These color tattoos are SO FREAKIN' PIGMENTED! The formula is SUPER creamy and the color stays true to the pot. "Tough as Taupe" is a gorgeous muddy-smoggy color. It's a little darker than your average taupe but the gray mixed in is probably what makes it so "tough." Don't let it's tough exterior fool you, though! This is the MOST AMAZING BASE for ANY type of smokey eye. If you're doing a dark gray, mauvey purple, or using any type of black shadow, THIS is what you need! It applies SO smoothly on the lid and makes any dark shadow appear even deeper with this under. 

2.) Maybelline's Color Tattoo in "Bad to the Bronze" 

THE SAME AMOUNT AS AMAZING AS ABOVE. Except in a BEAUTIFUL shade of dark gold. I would say this leans more towards a Bronzey Taupe. If you have any of the Naked palettes, I REALLY recommend you to pick this up. It has the perfect amount of bronze that's not too overwhelming. It brings out shimmery neutrals like a dream! Like the one above, the application is flawless. It applies so smooth. It helps my eyeshadow last FOR HOURS, and it doesn't crease on me one bit! This not only doubles as a base but this color in particular is also an amazing "lazy girl" product. When I don't feel like doing too much to my eyes, I just sweep this on and go! 

3. MAC's Paint Pot in "Bare Study" 

Such a great little paint pot! I use this as a base for more nude looks. It's the perfect shimmery champagne color for light pink to gold shadows.You can seriously apply any neutral eyeshadow on top of this and I promise you this will intensify the color. This does not crease on me AT ALL, btw. I've worn this under my eyeshadow during a night out and my eyeshadow still stayed looking great in the wee hours of the morning! Even though "Bare Study" has your decent amount of shimmer, you can definitely apply a matte shadow over this without worrying that the two will clash. This helps matte shadows glide on without making them shimmery. I only use this as a base because it looks a little odd as a plain shadow against my tan skin but I'd think it would also make a great cream shadow for lighter skin tones.

Swatches!

Product Review: MAC's 116 Blush Brush

New year, new blog! I'm too excited about all this so let's get right to the nitty gritty:

 MAC's 116 Blush Brush

Now I've been looking everywhere for a good blush brush that not only packs on well but blends with ease. After hovering over MAC's selection of blush brushes, I decided that the 116 looked like it would do the job. & it DID! It's shaped into a flat oval which helps deposit product easily. The fact that the head is small makes it a great size for packing onto cheeks. I have a bit of a problem using blush brushes with bigger heads because it applies TOO much blush sometimes (which makes my cheeks and Bozo the clowns look the same). The best way to apply product with this is patting the product on the cheeks first THEN going back with it in circular motions to blend it all together. Overall, a good blush brush! I've also been reaching for this product to contour as well. It's bristles are small enough to fit into the hollows of the cheek. Very versatile! The only bad thing I can say about this product is that it can get a bit scratchy and it doesn't work well with cream blushes. It retails for $35 which can be a bit pricey for a brush but well worth the buy! 
 

Pro's:

-Flat head picks up product with ease

-Deposits enough product onto cheek

-Versatile! Can also be used for bronzing + contouring

Con's:

-Can be a bit scratchy at times

-Doesn't work well with cream blushes