Blogmas Day 7 - My Travel Makeup Bag

Hello Everyone!

 

In a couple of weeks I will be heading off to see my brother and his family for the Christmas holiday. As many of you may be traveling as well, I thought I would share with you what I plan on taking with me on my trip. I will be gone for some time so I plan on taking all my essentials with me. Now I don't know if I am the only one, but when I travel I love to have options with my makeup. I never really know what look I'm going to do that day until I'm in the process of creating it. For this reason I thought of taking items with me that would allow me to create multiple looks, but not take up my whole luggage.

 

 

This is the makeup bag that I will be taking with me. I received this as a set from Sephora for some purchase that I made. I love the pattern and the shape of this bag. It looks a bit small, but I can fit so much into it that it's perfect for traveling.

 

Behold my beauties. I tried really hard to limit the amount of products I took with me., but somehow I still ended up with this large amount of products.

 

The two primers that I will be taking are the Smashbox Photo Finish More Than Primer Blemish Control and Benefit The POREfessional. I use the Smashbox primer all over my face and then go in with my POREfessional to areas around my nose. Picking a foundation to take was probably the most difficult decision since I am loving so many at the moment. I decided to take my MAC MatchMaster SPF 15 Foundation (3.0). I can build this up depending on how my skin looks a certain day and it does not look cakey at all. For under my eyes I love to use the Make Up Forever Full Cover Concealer (7). This gives amazing coverage and does not crease under my eyes. To hide any blemishes or hyperpigmentation I love to use the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer (Biscuit). I, of course, could not leave my Urban Decay De-Slick Setting Spray at home.To set my face makeup I love to use the Revlon Nealy Naked pressed powder (medium), since it goes on so smoothly and almost invisible. As a eyeshadow primer/base I went for the MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pot (Painterly).

It may be no surprise that I decided to take my Lorac Pro palette along with me. This has the perfect combination of mattes and shimmers with amazing pigmentation. All of the shades are smooth and rich and you really can't go wrong with this palette. The mascara that never lets me down would have to be Maybelline's the Falsies Volume Express Flares mascara (very black). I decided to go with two eye liners since I like to switch between liquid and pencil eyeliners regularly. As a liquid eyeliner I chose the Jordana Fabu Liner (black). I like using this when I want to make thin precise lines or for winged eyeliner. The Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof eye liner (damsel) is a very, very dark brown that almost looks black but isn't as harsh. Brown eyeliner looks so unnatural on me since my eyebrows and eyelashes are naturally very dark. To brighten up my eyes on Christmas day I plan to use my MAC Pigment (Vanilla), in the inner corner of my eyes.

 



 

I immediately knew that I wanted to take my Tarte Off the Cuff palette with me. It has four different colored blushes along with a bronzer. This gives me plenty of options to choose from including matte or shimmer. For lips I finally decided to go for my L'Oreal Le Matte and Le Laque Full Coverage Lip Colors. I don't really like nude lips since my lips are naturally colored,so I knew I wanted lots of color. These are thin and don't take up much space and I have a good variety of colors to choose from.

 

I will also be taking other things with me like makeup brushes and an eyelash curler.

 

Hope you enjoyed this post :)

Where will you be spending your holidays?



Blogmas Day 6 - Winter Fashion Essentials

Hello Everyone!

 

As the weather is changing so is the clothes that we wear. Since I live in South Texas, we don't get very cold weather regardless of the season. This year we have had a series of cold fronts that have brought down the temperatures a bit. These are a couple of my Winter essentials that are nice to have to keep warm.

 

 

Of course you need some sort of sweater or jacket to keep you warm. Since it doesn't get very cold here I decided to not go for a thick fur coat that I would maybe use once. I have been obsessed with this utility jacket that I bought at Forever 21. It has a hood and is long enough to wear tights with. The color is an army green and I think that this type of jacket looks flattering on anyone. I went for a size bigger than I would normally get so that it would fit loose on me. If it does get a bit colder I will just layer clothing and wear this on top.

 

 



 



 

 

Now please tell me that I am not the only one, but I stink at wearing regular scarves. Either one side is always longer than the other, or I end up choking myself. These are the reasons that I will forever love infinity scarves, or circle scarves as some may call them. They are great to add a pop of color to any outfit and keep your neck warm. The first two I picked up at Charlotte Russe and the last one is from Burlington Coat Factory. Once I put this on I don't have to be worried about it get stuck in a car door, or sitting on it and nearly choking myself when I stand up (this has happened to me many times before haha).

 

I'm not much of a beanie/hat person because I think I have a weird shaped head and they just look awkward on me. This year I decided to give them a try and I love these two. They were on sale at Charlotte Russe for $5 each when you bought two and I loved these colors. These are a bit bigger than most beanies and they actually stay in place when I put them on. The black one just goes with any outfit and I love anything cranberry colored.

 

Here's a fun fact for you: my feet are always freezing cold. I can be wearing sandals in 90 degree weather and they are ice cold. Obviously close-toed shoes are a must during the Winter. Combats boots can be worn in so many different ways that I think that they are a great investment. These camel colored boots can actually be folded down and have a really pretty plaid design on the inside. The next pair are shoes that I am so excited about. Now I know this may not be your cup of tea, but I love them and actually have a couple of pairs. Sneaker wedges are like the best thing ever since I am really short. They are still really casual and a cute way to add a little something to an outfit.

 

Lastly, you can not survive the Winter without cute, cozy socks (I mean you could, but why would you want to?). I love owls and my brother actually bought these for me for being his favorite little sister (I'm his only sister haha). These go perfect with my combat boots to try to defrost my feet.

 

Hope you enjoyed this post :)

What are your Winter fashion essentials?



Blogmas Day 5 - Winter Inspired Makeup Look

Hello Everyone!

 

When it comes to color on my eye lids, I've always been a little hesitant. I guess you can say that I'm a bit afraid of trying new colors that aren't exactly natural. Since I have very dark brown eyes, purple really helps to make them stand out. This is one of my favorite makeup looks at the moment that is perfect for the colder months.

 

 

Prep:

 

- Smashbox Photo Finish More Than Primer Blemish Control

- Benefit The POREfessional (around nose area)

- Urban Decay De-Slick Makeup Setting Spray (before and after foundation/concealer)

 

Face:

 

- Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Full Coverage Foundation (Tan Honey)

- Boi-ing Industrial Strength Concealer (03): On any hyperpigmentation

- Make Up Forever Full Cover Concealer (7): Under my eyes

- Revlon Nearly Naked Pressed Powder (Medium)

- Benefit Hoola Bronzer (contour)

- Benefit Rockateur (on cheeks)

 

Eyes:

(LORAC PRO Palette)

 

- MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pot (Painterly): All over lids

- Cream: All over lids

- Sable: In crease

- Deep Purple: On lids and blended into crease; thin line under eyes

- Espresso: In the outer corner and blended into crease

- MAC Pigment (Vanilla): Inner corners and brow bone

- Lorac 3-in-1 Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil (Ultra Black): Thin line on lids and upper water line

- Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara (Black)

 

Lips:

 

- Fresh Sugar Petal Tinted Lip Treatment

- MAC Cremesheen Lipstick (Hang-Up)

 

 

Hope you enjoyed this post :)

Follow me on Bloglovin!

 



Blogmas Day 4 - Winter Skin Care Essentials

Hello Everyone!

 

I still feel like I am slowly dying, but my blog must go on. During the Winter months the most important thing to remember is to keep your skin hydrated. As the temperatures decrease our skin tends to get dry and needs special care. These are some of the products that I have already started using to keep my skin nice and hydrated.

 

 

Winter Skincare Essentials

 

Face

 

Even if you have oily skin, your face may still be dehydrated. Any easy way to restore your face's hydration is to use the Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight mask. I like to use this about once a week regardless of the season, but during the drier months I will use this as much as three times a week depending on how my skin feels. If I feel like my face is super dry to the point where it hurts to move it (yes this has happened to me many times before), I will use Bio-Oil. I recommend using this on days where you plan on staying at home or overnight. This can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours to absorb into your skin depending on how dry it is. To keep my face hydrated (lets count how many times I say hydrated in this post haha) during the day I will tend to use my Re-Gen Cream. This is essentially the exact same thing as the Bio-Oil, but in cream form. It makes a great base for makeup after you let is set for a couple of minutes.

 

Body

 

My hands tend to be dry most of the time, but during the Winter they feel like crackers. I love carrying this Nivea cream with me in my handbag or backpack. This cream is a bit thicker than other creams that I have tried and leaves my hands feeling so smooth and soft. For my body I use the Suave Vitamin E Body Lotion. I'm not gonna lie, the only reason I picked up this bottle was because I liked the pump that it had (which I cropped out of the picture by accident). I do however love how this keeps my skin feeling soft and hydrated. It doesn't leave me feeling all sticky and absorbs rather quickly. In the shower I also use the Dove Deep Moisture Body Wash (sorry I don't have a picture of it). It feels like you are showering with a cream, but not in a gross way haha.

 

Lips

 

Now I'm pretty sure that lips wouldn't really be considered part of the skin, but since I'm not entirely sure (and too lazy to check) I thought I would include it. Anytime that I talk about lip balms I have to mention my Carmex Moisturizing Lip Balm. It is simply the best and super inexpensive. I have a couple of these in multiple handbags and even one in my truck. Another option with a bit of color would be the Fresh Sugar Petal Tinted Lip Treatment. This lip balm had SPF 15 in it, is a hydrating treatment and comes in a variety of colors. This is a bit pricey, but I received this as a sample from one of my online purchases and I love it.

 

 

Hope you enjoyed this post :)

What are your Winter Skin Care Essentials?



Blogmas Day 3 - Winter Beauty Essentials

Hello Everyone!

 

I have been extremely sick these last couple of days and yesterday I spent most of the day in bed dying. I was not able to blog yesterday so I will be uploading two posts today to catch up on my blogmas. Today I will be sharing my Winter Beauty Essentials, which are basically products that I would recommend using during these colder months. Obviously it is not Winter yet, but this gives you the opportunity to prepare.

 

 

During the Winter months I love wearing berry toned colors on my cheeks. I tend to choose colors that are darker than what I would normally go for throughout the year. When I want a very dark plum color, I will go for mt Maybelline Dream Bouncy blush in Plum Wine (top left). It is the perfect plum color and great for Winter. If you want a bit of shimmer and a plum that is more on the pink side I would highly recommend the Wet n Wild blush in Berry Shimmer (top right). On days that I want a more natural blush that still looks warm on the face I love using the Milani Baked Blush in Rose D' Oro (top middle). It is a beautiful pink shade with gold shimmer. The blush that I have been obsessed with is Dazzled from the Tarte Off the Cuff Cheek Palette (bottom). It is a beautiful mauve-pink with a hint of shimmer (second color from the left).

 

 Two looks that I tend to go for during the Winter time on my eyes is natural or very dark. When I am looking to do a natural eye with lots of browns I will tend to reach for my Sleek Au Natural palette (left). For for darker and smokey eyes I have been loving the Lorac Pro Palette (right). Each one of these palettes has everything that you need to create a complete look. There is no need to have to reach for other eyeshadows and are perfect if you are traveling.

For lips I love very, very dark lips. Anything that is cranberry or purple is my favorite for the Winter time.

1. Kate Moss lipstock (107) -  It is a deep, deep red color that will make your teeth look whiter cause of how dark it is.

2. Revlon Colorburst Lacquer Balm (Provocateur) - This is a more sheer option for a red lip with a bit of sparkle in it.

3. Revlon Colorburst lipgloss (Embellished) - My favorite of all the options. Is is a deep purple shade with loads of different colored glitter in it.

4. MAC lipstick (Hang-Up) - Very similar to the Kate Moss lipstick. This one is more on the purple side and is just beautiful.

 

Becuase my outfits tend to be very mono-toned during the Winter months, I love to use very bold colored nail polish. I love to use very bright colors that you wouldn't really use during the colder months to sort of add some color to my outfits. I also love very dark colors that almost look black but aren't.

1. Sinful Color (Sugar Sugar) - This is the perfect Christmas red. This does have shimmer in it but doesn't look like chunks of glitter.

2. Essie (Ballet Slippers) - This is a very light pink shade that almost looks white.

3. Sinful Shine (Alfresco) - This is my favorite of the bunch. It is a neon, pastel baby blue. This looks great if your outfit is earth toned and doesn't contain much color.

4. Wet n Wild MegaLast (Disturbia) - This is a deep purple shade. It has a sheen finish and is almost black when you apply multiple layers.

 

Hope you enjoyed this post :)

What are your beauty essentials?

Follow me on Bloglovin!



Blogmas Day 2 - Black Friday Beauty Sets

Hello Everyone!

 

Last week a couple friends and I decided that we would go Black Friday (actually Thursday) shopping. I didn't go for anything specific and just went to see if there was anything that liked. I had no intentions on buying any of the Sephora beauty/makeup sets but when I went to the mall I saw a couple that I thought would be fun to try out. Each of these sets were $10 which is an amazing deal for the products that were included.

 

Black Friday Beauty Sets

The first set that I picked up was the Lorac Fan Favorite Duo set. In this set was a single eyeshadow in the shade Pewter. This is a shade that is located in the Lorac Pro Palette and is one of my favorites. It is a bronze/taupe color that is beautiful and can be worn wet or dry. The eyeshadows are so smooth and pigmented and they are very long lasting. Also included in the set was a 3-in-1 Waterproof Eye Liner in the shade Ultra Black. This eye liner claims to be budge-proof, smudge-proof and water-proof and I cannot wait to test it out and tell you all how it works.

 



 

The next set that I picked up was mainly because they were all products that I had been dying to try but hadn't. I have way too many products that I have just started using so buying all of these in full size would be sort of pointless. This was the Tarte Little Miracles - The Tarte of Giving set. Included in this set was a deluxe Pure Maracuja Oil, deluxe Smooth Operator - Amazonian Clay Finishing Powder and deluxe Lights, Camera, Lashes 4-in-1 Mascara. I have heard so many amazing things about all of these products and I loved the fact that they were small enough for them not be full size, but big enough to get more than one use out of them.

 

The last set was the Buxom Curtain Call set. Included was a full-size Full-On Lipstick in Amsterdam. This is a beautiful pink-nude color. The formula of the lipstick is a creamy matte and the shape of it makes the application very precise. Also in the set was a  Mini Sculpted Lash Mascara in Blackest Black. The wand is shaped in a wave kind of way. I am super intrigued by it and am excited to try it out and see if it is a voluminous as it claims to be. (sorry for saying excited too much haha)

 

Hope you enjoyed this post :)

Did you go Black Friday Shopping??

Follow me on Bloglovin!

My next couple of Blogmas posts will have to do with the Winter time (hint, hint).



Blogmas Day 1 - November Favorites

Hello Everyone!

 

Today is the first day of December which means Christmas is just around the corner. This being my first December blogging I thought I would do a blogmas to celebrate. I will be blogging every single day until Christmas. These posts can be anything really, so I hope you're ready.

 

Here are the products that I loved during the month of November:

 

November Favorites

 

1. Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes - I tend to stay away from face wipes since they tend to break me out or make my face really dry afterwards. I recently purchased these makeup removing wipes and I absolutely love them. I only need one wipe to take off a full face of makeup and they don't cause breakouts on my skin.

 

2. Neutrogena Rapid Tone Repair Moisturizer Night - I have been using this moisturizer for a couple of weeks now and it has really helped with my hyperpigmentation. My skin tone looks more even and I am seeing such a great improvement in my skin.

 

3. MAC Cremesheen Lipstick (Hang-Up) - During the Fall/Winter months I like to wear dark lips. I love the Cremesheen formula of MAC lipsticks and this shade is a beautiful Fall color.

 

4. NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer (Biscuit) - I never thought I could find a concealer as great as this one. The formula is creamy but has amazing coverage. It doesn't crease or settle into fine lines and hides even my most stubborn hyperpigmentation.

 

5. Lorac Pro Palette - If there is a palette that I would highly recommend, it would be this one. The colors are so pigmented and rich. You can create so many different looks that you want without having to reach for a different palette.

 

6. Buxom Buxom Lash Mascara (Black) - I received this sample size as part of a sample set. I love this mascara and how it makes my lashes look. They look fuller and almost like false lashes.

 

7. Bath & Body Works Marshmallow Fireside Candle - This scent is perfect for the holiday season. It is a bit sweeter than the scents that I usually go for, but I loved this scent when I first smelled it. This candle really helps to get me into the Christmas spirit and I can't get enough of it.

 

Hope you enjoyed this post :)

What were your November favorites?

Follow me on Bloglovin!