July Favorites - 2014 | Elizabeth Vasquez

Hello Everyone!

July is over which means school is just around the corner. Luckily enough for me, it is August which happens to be my Birth-Month. There is a good chance that I will be working on my actual birthday, but I think I'll survive. I am super excited to start school because I will be graduating next December with a degree that I love. I'm hoping that these next semesters go by quickly so that I can get a job in my field of study. Back to the beauty world. I tried so many new products during the month of July and some have become my absolute favorites. Most of these products have made it into my daily routine and the rest are essential for Summer. Here are my July favorites...

July Favorites - 2014

Banana Boat Sport Performance Spray Sunscreen SPF 100: The temperature here in South Texas has been unbelievable. We have had 100 degree weather everyday for the past couple of weeks. I am a person that gets sunburned very quickly, but hates putting on sunscreen. It makes me feel greasy and takes forever to apply. I picked up this spray sunscreen before my trip to the beach a couple of weeks ago. It was very easy to apply since the mist is clear and it is so quick to just spray my body and face with. I was at the beach for about 8 hours and I only got the slightest tan. I love this sunscreen and recommend it if you burn easily, or are lazy like I am.

Murad Rapid Age Spot and Pigment Lightening Serum: It is no secret that I struggle with hyperpigmentation. Since I finished the last product I was trying, I though I would pick up this serum and see if it made more of a difference than the last. I had never tried a Murad product before, but this serum made me want to try other products from the line. This serum was a bit on the pricy side, but I have found that most (if not all) serums are. Within the first week, I noticed a huge difference in my dark-spots. My entire face seems so much more even and my spots are not as noticeable. I find myself using a less amount of concealer to hide imperfections and I love that. This serum does make your face sensitive so there are a few recommendations: use at least SPF 30 before going into the sun, only use at night and do not use continuously for more than 3 months.

Clean & Clear Advantage 3-in-1 Exfoliating Cleanser: When it comes to treating acne, I have found that my skin reacts best to benzoyl peroxide. This acne medication is more difficult to find than salicylic acid, especially in the drugstore. I was lucky enough to find this drugstore cleanser and really enjoyed it this past month.  It really helped to treat any existing acne that I had, and prevent future breakouts. The exfoliation isn't harsh on the skin and gentle enough to use on a daily basis.

Clean & Clear All-in-One Cleansing Wipes: I picked up these wipes the same time I got the cleanser (they were right next to the cleanser and I needed new wipes haha). I actually enjoyed these more than I did the other Clean & Clear makeup removing wipes. Something about the smell of these wipes really helps to relax me and prepare me for bed. I truly feel like they remove all of my makeup and they keep my skin feeling clean. These wipes have sea minerals and sea kelp extract (I'm not exactly sure what these things do, but my skin looks and feels great). Again I would like to point out that although there are 30 days in a month, there are only 25 wipes.

Maybelline Dream Pure BB 8-in1 Beauty Balm Skin Clearing Perfector: Because my skin has been better than usual, I have been able to wear lighter makeup. During the Summer I tend to gravitate to more BB creams than foundations. This BB cream is supposed to have acne clearing properties, that caught my attention. I love how light this feels on my skin, but still gives a nice amount of coverage. It is so easy to blend into the skin and does a reasonable job of adjusting to your skin tone. There are a couple of shades available and it is easy to work with. I'm not sure how much this actually helped my acne, but I didn't cause any extra breakouts.

Makeup Forever Full Cover Extreme Camouflage Cream: Waterproof makeup is my best friend during the Summer and trips to the beach. I don't like to wear too much makeup when I go to the pool or beach, but I do like to coverup a few problem areas. I also don't like to have to keep fixing my makeup or reapplying it because it completely disappeared. With this concealer I know that all my problems areas will be fully covered and that it will last all day.

Maybelline 24hr Color Tattoo Leather Collection (Chocolate Suede): On lazy makeup days, (which occur more often than usual) I tend to gravitate towards cream shadows for a quick splash of color. I have a rather large collection of the Color Tattoos, especially the neutral shades. This particular shade is part of the Leather Collection. It is a bronze shade that is more on the chocolate, brown side. This shade is beautiful all over the lid alone, or mixed with other shadows. Although it is Summer, I have found myself wearing this darker shade more than bright, fun colors.

Milani Bella Eyes Gel Powder Eyeshadow (Bella Bronze): This eyeshadow goes along the same line as the previous. I actually love using these two products to create a beautiful bronze eye look. These Gel eyeshadows are absolutley wonderful. The pigmentation is ahhhhmazing and they are super easy to blend with other shadows. The quality of these shadows is remarkable for the inexpensive price that you pay.

Natural Collection Blushed Cheeks (Peach Melba): Although the name itself says "peach," I would say that this blush is more on the mauve/pink side. For some reason, I have never been the biggest fan of different colored blush. Something about my skin tone makes me feel like no color really fits me right. When I do wear blush, I tend to pick something very natural and understated. This shade just gives the right amount of color and gives a very natural look. This particular blush was actually sent to me from a fellow beauty blogger and it is one of my absolute favorites.

Bare Escentuals Buxom Lash Mascara (Blackest Black): Very similar to my eyebrows, my eyelashes are very long and dark. This time of year I look for mascaras that will just define my lashes and not change them too much. The Buxom Lash mascara is perfect for everyday makeup. It gives me the volume and length that I desire without being clumpy or too dramatic.

MAC Cremesheen Lipstick (Lickable): Yet another MAC lipstick has made it into my monthly favorites. I own way too many of these lipsticks but they are some of my absolute favorites. This shade is a bit brighter than all the other makeup I have featured in this post. Something about this particular shade of fuchsia looks very nice with my tan. I like to apply it to my lips and then blend it in a bit with my finger to take it down a notch.

Music: For music I though it would be nice to just list and link all of the songs that I have been loving this past month.

Sia - Chandelier
Bastille - Oblivion
Echosmith - Cool Kids
Sia - Dressed in Black
Meghan Trainor - All About That Bass
Demi Lovato - Really Don't Care
Ariana Grande - Break Free
Melanie Martinez - Dollhouse
Troye Sivan - Happy Little Pill

Hope you enjoyed this post :)
Please let me know your favorite songs so I can give them a listen!

Milani Bella Eyes Gel Powder Eyeshadows | Elizabeth Vasquez

Hello Everyone!

On a recent trip to CVS, I spotted a display case full of Milani eyeshadows that I had never seen before. I really enjoy the Milani blushes and thought I would try these eyeshadows since they were rather inexpensive. These retail for $3.99 at Walgreens and for $4.29 at CVS however, in CVS these eyeshadows are buy one get one 50% off. Here are some swatches along with a short review of them.

Overall I am very impressed with the quality of these eyeshadows. I was a bit worried that the dome-shape of the shadows would affect the texture of the product itself. Many products with this shape tend to be very hard at the top and it isn't until you get through the top layer, that you get a better product. The texture is very smooth and buttery. The pigmentation is very impressive, especially for the darker shades. The color range is amazing since you can find anything from blue and pink, to purple and green. With the wide range of colors comes a great range in finishes. Each shade is clearly marked with the finish on the label, underneath the shade. I clearly opted for the more neutral shades and they are absolutely gorgeous. These shadows blend beautifully on the lid and with each other. The packaging is very cute, but a little bulky and take up a bit of space if you have a couple like I do. You would not expect much for such inexpensive products, but these certainly are great.

Hope you enjoyed this post :)
Have you tried the Bella Eyeshadows?

June Favorites - 2014 | Elizabeth Vasquez

Hello Everyone!

This past month has been rather difficult for me, as you may have read here. Since I worked a lot more hours than I usually do, I didn't have much time to try out new products. These are products that I found myself using on my days off and more than anything else in my collection. I am also super excited that Summer is here and will be posting a couple of posts incorporating this season. The next couple of posts will include new drugstore products that I have been putting to the test, so I hope you're looking forward to that. Let us begin....

June Favorites - 2014

- Toni&Guy Casual Sea Salt Texturising Spray: I have really been loving having my hair in loose beach waves. It looks very natural and takes little time to do. I love being lazy during the Summer and this type of hairstyle allows me to look put-together without trying very hard. I have tried many sea salt sprays and this is the only one that I enjoy using. It doesn't make my hair stiff or smell weird, which is a major plus. It gives my hair texture and volume and the style lasts.

- Clean & Clear Makeup Dissolving Facial Cleansing Wipes: I had been stuck on using the Yes to Cucumbers Facial Towelettes to remove my makeup, for such a long time. The last time that I ran out, I decided to try something new and picked up these. I am rather upset that there are only 25 wipes in a pack when there are usually 30 days in a month, but that is besides the point. One wipe is all you need to remove a full face of makeup, which includes waterproof mascara. They do not break me out or leave my face feeling dry afterwards.

- Stila In the Light Palette: I have talked about this palette many times before because I love it so much. It is the perfect neutral palette that has everything that you need in one place. I can do so many different look using this palette, without having to reach for any other product.

- Tarte Amazonian Clay Off the Cuff Cheek Palette: I hate talking about this product since it was limited edition and I know so many people were trying to get it. Blush always disappears from my face very quickly for no apparent reason. These Tarte blushes are the only ones that really seem to last all day for me. This palette has every color that you need for the Summer. There a couple of brighter options and a couple of neutral shades, along with a bronzer. It is very travel friendly and perfect for the Summer.

- MAC Creme In Your Coffee Lipstick: By this point it is very clear that I am obsessed with MAC lipsticks. This is a deep nude/pink shade that I have fallen in love with. I have worn this shade more than any other lip product this month. It goes with any look from neutral to a smokey eye. It is very creamy and would look good on so many different skin tones.

- MAC Lip Pencil (Spice): I have been loving the deep nude lip looks this past month. This is a very dark nude/pink lip liner that I like to use all over my lips. It is a very Kylie Jenner kind of shade that I  cannot get enough of. 

- Tarte Amazonian Clay Finishing Powder: Due to the extremely hot weather I have been needing to set my makeup with some type of powder. Since I do use a lighter shade of concealer under my eyes, I don't like to use my face powder to set this area. This is a very fine and light finishing powder. I swirl a brush into the lid and and swipe it over my concealer. It helps to last all day and to prevent creasing.

- Benefit Hoola Bronzer: As it is Summer, I am a bit more tan that I am throughout the rest of the year. The lighter bronzers that I have don't seem to make much of a difference in my complexion, so I have been reaching for my Hoola Bronzer more than anything else. The shade is perfect for my skin tone and doesn't make my face look muddy or orange. I can build it up to contour my face and lightly brush it all over for a beautiful tan.

- Origins GinZing Mascara: It has been more than 100 degrees here almost every single day and I don't know if I'll survive until the end of the Summer. Because all my makeup just seems to melt in the heat, I don't like to wear a lot of it. My eye makeup is very natural and minimal. I love this mascara since it looks like your lashes, but better. It is natural but gives a bit of length and volume, without looking too intense. 

- Stila All Over Shimmer Liquid Luminizer (Kitten): I find that cream and liquid eyeshadows seem to work best on me for this heat. I absolutely love the Kitten shade in the Stila In the Light palette and this is just the liquid version. It is easy to blend and stays on the lid all day. I don't have to worry about it disappearing from my eyelid or having to retouch it throughout the day.

- NARS Sheer Glow Foundation: One of my all time favorite foundations to use during the Summer is the NARS Sheer Glow. When a BB cream isn't enough coverage for me, I immediately choose this foundation for a little extra coverage. It gives the skin a very beautiful glow without looking oily or greasy. It has medium coverage, but can be built up.


Hope you enjoyed this post :)
What are your June favorites?