Self Portraits

Today I filmed and edited a Costco Haul. I recently discovered that you can upload your own thumbnails on YouTube rather than settle for those awkwardly captured ones selected for you. So today after I filmed the video linked below. I decided to try to capture a few self portraits using a point and shoot and timer. I just thought I would share them.

My video is below =)

Huge Fall 2012 Wet N Wild Cosmetics Haul

Sephora ZUCA PRO Sport bag

As you know I've been on the quest for the perfect makeup case for travel.

The Sephora ZUCA bag is a gorgeous bag that came with an outside protector and 5 inner bags. This carrier can double as a makeup chair if you don't have one and is supposedly able to support up to 300lbs. This bag seems more suitable for a PRO than a person looking for a travel case.

Check out my video as I compare it to my Samsonite travel carry on luggage. =)

Most Worn Things of Summer 2012

Here are my most worn things of Summer 2012

Another tag video! I suppose this kind of doubles as my August Favorites too. These are my most worn things this summer 2012. I tag those of you who I correspond with on youtube to upload your most worn things this summer. You know who you are! We comment on each others videos all the time. ;) I won't call you out just in case some of you are like, "No, I don't want to do this video!" =P To anyone else who wants to create a video response -please feel free!

(If you don't want to, I totally understand)

Here are the questions:-
1. Most Worn Nail Polish
2. Most Worn Hair Product
3. Most Worn Bag
4. Most Worn Accessory
5. Most Worn Shoes
6. Most Work Foundation
7. Most Worn Eye Shadow
8. Most Worn Mascara
9. Most Worn Blush/Bronzer
10. Most Worn Lip product

MAC SE, Real Techniques and HD Ultimate Makeup Brush Review

Check out my review of the MAC Special Edition Makeup brush kit I got from Nordstrom as I compare it to my Real Techniques Core Collection and my High Definition Ultimate Makeup Face brush kit.

Tarte Amazonian Clay Foundation VS Revlon Colorstay Whipped Foundation

Tarte Friends and Family is going on right now until August 6th if you use the code FFAUG at:- http://tartecosmetics.com


Tarte Amazonian clay 12-hour full coverage foundation SPF 15 - in Medium and Tan
Revlon Colorstay Whipped in 370 Natural Tan
Tarte Maracuja Creaseless Waterproof Concealer in medium
Revlon Photoready Concealer in medium

Huge ELF Haul

This is my first ELF Haul. ELF was having a 50% off their entire website so I decided to try a few things from their line.

Among the many items featured in this video I show a side by side comparison of the MAC 150 brush and the ELF Studio Complexion Brush.

I also show side by the side the  MAC Prim & Prep Translucent Power next to the ELF High Definition Powder.

I'm also curious to see if the ELF Makeup remover Pen is comparable to the discontinued Revlon Makeup Corrector Pen.

Beauty.com Haul

Beauty.com is partnered with drugstore.com I've made purchases from both for about 4 years. They have some great products. One thing I love about them is their gift with purchases. I am showing the beauty bag I received and the products inside it. It is the Mara Hoffman Designer Bag filled with samples which I show. It is their Complimentary Gift with Purchase. I'm a sucker for gift with purchases.

Purchased items:
Too Faced Smokey Eye Palette 2012 edition
Too Faced Bronzed and the Beautiful 2012 edition
Mallys Beauty Lip Fence Pencil

Watch and see what you think of my gifts with purchase!
I for a free gift from Too Faced, Mally Beauty AND Too Faced. I was only able to find screen captures of 2 of the 3 gifts with purchases that I received. But watch my youtube video to see them all.

Review: Quaker Soft Baked Banana Nut Bar

I received this bar for testing and review purposes for free from Influenster.com. 

Here is my review of it. This is perfect for a snack or something to keep with you in the office. I used it to hold me over between meals. I try not to skip meals to keep my metabolism high. There are a lot of almonds and the bar is soft and chewy. The packaging says to try it heated up. I have not yet but plan to try it like this. The picture below is from the day I took it to work with me!

Product Information:

Quaker Soft Baked Bar - Banana Nut Bread

Made with real bananas and almonds, Quaker Soft Baked Bars Banana Nut Bread flavor has tasty ingredients and key nutrients to help provide fuel to start your day.

-5g Fiber*
-20% daily value of 5 B Vitamins
-6g of Protein
*Contains 3.5g of total fat per serving

Where to Buy

You can find Quaker Soft Baked Bars at most major retailers.

Suggested retail price: $3.29 for a box of 5 bars

My Furry Friend Tag

I decided for 1 post that I would go off the path of my usual Haul or review and participate in the Furry Friend Tag going around YouTube.

This video is dedicated to my Furry Friend Ralph and my Family.

Please watch this movie with volume =)

Influenster Summer Vox Box 2012

Check out my very first Infuenster Beauty Summer Vox Box

Revlon NYC and Wet N Wild Drugstore Haul July 2012

My first drugstore haul video. I buy so much makeup and I love watching other people's hauls. So I figured it's time to have fun with my own shopping experience and share it with you all.

Run to your nearest Rite-Aid if there are any Revlon or NYC products you want to try, there is 40% off those 2 brands going on from July 13-19 2012! What a great sale on drugstore makeup!

Summary of my haul:-
3 Wet N Wild SILK FINISH in the following shades; lipstick 505A Light Berry Frost, 521A Fuchsia with Blue Pearl and 511B Nouveau Pink
Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter in Strawberry Shortcake
Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Sweetheart
Revlon Photoready Bronzer in 100 Bronzed and Chic
Revlon Nail Enamel Color in Dreamer
Revlon Top Speed Fast Dry Nail Enamel in Jaded
NYC Sunny
NYC Smooch Proof 16H Lip Stain Forever Freesia
NYC Ultra Moist Lipwear Violet Shine

It may take me a while to go through and try all these products but feel free to leave me a comment on my youtube if you'd like to know how something worked for me. 

Please subscribe if you'd like to follow my beauty adventures!

A Review: Makeup Brush Cleaners; MAC, Clinque, Cinema Secrets, Sephora andhome made.

Please excuse the empty, half empty and dirty bottles. As you can see, I love to clean my brushes!

I would categorize my brush cleaners into 2:

1) Quick Cleaner for in between makeup applications.

2) Deep Clean every once in a while.

Quick Cleaners:-

MAC Brush Cleaner, $13 for 7.9oz

Clinique makeup brush cleaner, $13 for 8oz

Cinema Secrets, $32 for 35oz

The MAC and Clinique ones work and even look similarly.  For both I spray it only the brush and use a paper towel or kleenex to and wipe the brush clean. These seem to wash off most of the product on the brush and you have to leave them a bit of time to dry before using them again. I tend to slightly favor the Clinque over MAC because it seems to be more potent in it's cleaning power. Maybe the formula is more concentrated.

Cinema Secrets dries very quickly after spraying the product onto the brush. So you have to work quickly to wipe it on a paper towel in order to get old makeup off the brush. A pro about this one is that the brush feels like it dries the brush completely so you could use the brush again immediately after cleaning. Probably good for professional use. It seems to take nearly of the product off however when it dries on your hand it leaves a white dry residue. it also has kind of a pungent chemical smell that seems to be masked with a vanilla scent. I'm not sure if this is related but this product has broken 2 spray bottles I've used to hold it in which has never happened with my other brush cleaners. 

Deep Cleaners:-

Sephora Collection Purifying Brush Shampoo,  $14 for 6.75oz

Baby shampoo

Youtuber EnKore's DIY brush cleaner (linked below)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FwklwLsSSg

The Sephora Cleaner worked to me very much like a baby shampoo would. I pump out a little product into the palm of my hand and swirl my brush into it then run the brush under water. I may repeat this step until the water runs clear. I then squeeze the brush dry and make sure they dry in shape. A brush guard may help with that.

Baby shampoo worked pretty much the same as the Sephora cleaner in my mind. Maybe it doesn't contain any anti-bacterial to it though.

I personally wasn't too crazy about the EnKore DIY formula. It smelled chemically and I didn't feel like my brushes looked any cleaner than baby shampoo or the sephora cleaner. Although I initially thought it was a cool idea to make my own brush cleaner and possibly save a lot of money. I found my own mixture to be the least appealing in the end.

Revlon just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain Haul & Review

Makeup Haul:-

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Stain Balm -Rendezvous

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Stain Balm - Crush

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Stain Balm - Honey

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter -  Berry Smoothie

L'Oreal Telescopic Explosion Waterproof

I was so happy to find this L'Oreal Telescopic Explosion on clearance at CVS! I don't pay attention to negative reviews on makeupalley for mascara because a lot of the time the ones with low marks end up working great for me! I've been wanting to try this type of wand since YSL came out out with theirs. The funny thing is that this was the absolute last one at my CVS and I have a girlfriend who is just as crazy about her mascaras as I am. I texted her my photo one evening after the gym and a few minutes later she texted me back the same photo (except it was hers). She ran out to her CVS to pick up one too. A review on this one to come later. I find that waterproof mascara's from the drugstore work like a dream in holding curl. This is the most essential quality I look for in my mascara that I would use as a base. If that holds true, your mascara shouldn't budge and you will have raccoon free eyes for the day!

Onto the Reviews
I have been so excited to get my hands on these Balm Stains as they seem to have taken the YouTube community by storm.

Rendezvous. So Tango Tangerine is the color of the year. I thought this color would be perfect for that theme. It watches tangerine orange on m hand. And every watch on youtube and on other blogs have looked gorgeous. Unfortunately, I can't pull this color off. It looks like I've been sucking on a cheery popsicle or cherry icee. 

Crush. This color pulls way too vampy and I can't pull this off with my skin tone or hair. However, it fades into a nice berry tone. It's nothing special. Unfortunately, I forgot to swatch this one before getting rid of it! Sorry about that.

Top: Rendezvous Bottom: Crush

Honey. This color is the most wearable out of the 3 that I picked up. I am content with this color and may only pick up more of these Balm Stains if Revlon releases more wearable shades.

Honey

New Revlon ColorStay Whipped & ColorStay review

I've been a fan of Revlon's traditional ColorStay about 1.5 years now. I'm usually a cross between 330 Natural Tan/340 Early Tan and 350 Rich Tan (I also use NC30/NC35/NC40) depending on the time of year and how dark of a tan. Lately I've been wanting to try something with slightly less coverage as I feel as though wearing this daily may be causing me to get a zit or two.

My thoughts on the Colorstay Whipped:
1) More sheer than Colorstay. On days where I don't need as much coverage I may go for the whipped.
2) Strange consistency that may need a tad more blending.
3) Not cakey.
4) Does not give quite the flawlessly finished look that Colorstay does. I'd pick Colorstay over Whipped on a flash photography day.


*UPDATE* ok so I've been wearing he whipped shade 320 for 2 weeks now. I need update my opinion on this shade. I still feel like the coverage is more sheer than traditional ColorStay, which I like. However, this gives me a slight white cast which makes me appear ghostly and makeup faced. I need to return this. I haven't quite decided if I'll exchange for a new shade yet.

Lifestyle Fitness Photo Shoot

This past Sunday I had the pleasure in modelling for in a Lifestyle Fitness Photo Shoot. The photos were taken by my amazing friend Lan Swift of Flawless Beauty Studio in San Diego. We worked hard but it was a truly memorable day which I will cherish.

I did my hair and makeup myself and in case you are curious this is a list of the products I used:

Hair:- Garnier Nutrisse in Sweet Cola, Big Sexy Hair: Root Pump Spray Mousse, Big Sexy Hair: Spray & play Harder
Foundation:- Revlon: Colorstay in 340, MAC: Sheer Select in NC30
Cheeks:- TheBalm Stainiac in Beauty Queen, Cargo: blu_ray High Definition Make-Up Blush Highlighter
Eyes:- Too Faced Shadow Insurance, B&C Water Strong Liner (Japanese Brand purchased in Hong Kong at either SaSa or Rainbow Cosmetics), MAC: Technakohl liner in Graphblack
Lips:- Shu Uemura rouge unlimited lipstick in PR 50
Mascara:- Fasio: hyper-stay mascara shock free curl long, Christian Dior Diorshow waterproof
Brows:- Urban Decay Primer Potion, MAC: eye brows in lingering.

Here are just a few of the shots from the shoot. 

Lori Greiner 2 pc Cosmetic Bags

My makeup bags have finally arrived! I do quite a bit of traveling and I've been wanting a new makeup bag for a while now. I first saw this bag featured on YouTube guru emilynoel83's channel. The thing I loved so much about this system was the different pages with velcro and zippered pockets to put various pieces of one's travel beauty products! I was so excited after watching the video I went straight to QVC to order myself one. But then I read a bunch of mixed and negative reviews. So I held off on the purchase. Then I caught on YouTube shadesofkassie's channel her video featuring the same bag. I then left a comment asking her how her bag held up. She replied saying her bags held up and worked for her trip. I immediately went to QVC to buy it! A big thank you to my husband as he actually ended up buying it for me.

If you want to see my first impression of this bag I filmed a video called My first impression: 2 Quilted Cosmetic Cases by Lori Greiner:- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWjdI46JNO0

First video I saw by emilynoel83:- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5icbOb2i6YI
Second video by shadesofkassie:- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G80KUmwFCPc

Where I bought this Lori Greiner 2pc Cosmetic Cases $29.16 + $6.44 shipping 

Though having to pay shipping bugged me, the bag in my opinion was not overly cheap. I mean, hello it's not a Marc Jacobs bag so of course I didn't expect the quality to be to that level. Overall, it only cost a bit less then $40 so I can't complain.

Small bag

Large bag open.

Philosophy & Revlon Mini Haul

So I just watched emilynoel83's youtube video published June 2nd about what is new at the drugstore.

Her post linked:- What's New at the Drugstore -Makeup haul!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joirn16FE2I&feature=g-all-u

And she mentioned a few Philosophy cosmetic products that she picked up for only $3 at her Big Lots. I always think of bath of skincare products when i think of Philosophy as a brand so I was a bit surprised to even hear about them having makeup. I decided to research and it seems as thought Big Lots did have sell Philosophy stuff at the beginning of May. I feel like many makeup bloggers were on top of that and grabbed a bunch of stuff at the beginning. Being a month ago I was pretty certain it would all be gone. I was too busy vacationing with family to be entirely up to date on make up deals. I called 2 nearby Big Lots (live in San Diego) and found that one claimed to have a little bit left. So in the same day I saw Emily's video, I went out to seek it for myself!

There was a tiny little section of it left and unfortunately the eye shadow palette that looked so appealing on some blogs were gone =( I did however pick up the items pictured below.

Philosophy the color of grace. eyelighting shadow duo in heaven and earth.

Philosophy the color of grace. are of blushing in pink dreams.

Revlon ColorBurst Lipstick in Lilac.

  

So far I have only tried the lipstick (my first experience with a ColorBurst) and the color was ok for my NC35 skintone but it felt nice. More like a chap stick than a lipstick so I liked that aspect.

Review: Shiseido The Skincare line

I've been using this line mainly in the winter months when the air in San Diego is dry. I started using this in my mid 20s when I noticed that I had very dry skin under my eyes and cheeks. Here is my take on each product I've had experience with.

Hydro-Nourishing Softener: Good for re-hydrating very dry skin. I think this is suppose to act as a wet lotion or toner. It definitely softened my skin after application. In fact this was the product that ultimately lured me into trying more and more products from this same line.

Night Moisture Recharge: Much too wet on my skin. It skins on top of the skin and does not seem to soak in.

Day Moisture Protection SPF 15: Works like a moisturizer with a fairly strong scent of sunscreen. Goes on nicely.

Extra Gentle Cleansing Foam: I've been using this with my Clarisonic and nothing special. 

Eye Moisture Recharge: Much like the Night Moisture recharge, it just sits on top of my skin. I have not noticed any benefit and quite frankly felt like this product has been a waste of money.

In short, the softener was worth it to revitalize dry skin, I could skip out on anything else listed that I tried. The moisturizer was ok but I'd prefer something without that strong sunscreen scent.

Overall, I was happy with how my skin improved from very dry to combination. It could be my age now but this product line doesn't wow me anymore. Once I finish it off I will probably stop repurchasing. I have however bought a few items from Shiseido's White Lucent and Benefiance lines.

I have always had mostly clear skin with the occasional hormonal breakout and people always guess my age to be 5 to 10 years younger than I really am so I must be taking good care of my skin!

Here is a photo of my husband and I at our friend's wedding at the Beverly Hills Hotel.

Clinique B. B. Cream

I started hearing about BB Cream from Jen frmheadtotoe on youtube. I believe she was showing one in a pink pump. I've done some research and everything I post is just what I've heard and am in no way claiming anything to be factual.  For all I know these could be Urban Legends. From my understanding, the story behind BB creams  also known as "Blemish Balms" and "Beauty Balms" originating from Korea for people recovering from surgery who should not be applying too many products to their face. They are supposed to be an efficient way to apply a product to your face with out having to layer on too many different products. They are supposed to have more than one active ingredient and serve multiple purposes for example maybe a serum, sunscreen and your foundation in one.

So I started getting curious about it. My daily foundation was routine was starting to feel a bit cakey for this time of year so I thought why not give BB creams a try.

I went to several shops: CVS, Sephora, Macy's and Nordstrom and picked up the following samples of full size. Here are my thoughts on my currently NC 35 combination skin.

The Garnier one I immediately did not like it. I used medium and felt like I looked like I had a spray on tan. I had the orange-y feel. However, I did feel like this could work for olive skin toned people.

Estee Lauder, didn't do much for me. I felt was too drying on my combination skin face.

Boscia, I initially did not care of this product. I felt like it didn't give my much coverage too many large glitter specks and also gave me a slight gray tone. After about a week using the premium sample I received during the VIB event I actually grew to like this product. I feel like the gray tone I would notice after sitting on my skin would change to match my tone. I used a finishing powder to take away the shine but I also liked how I would have a dewy finish.

Dr. Jart Premium Beauty Balm SPF 45 PA+++ also a gray tone initially a gray tone but nothing a finishing powder can't fix. I liked that it had an SPF of 45. I would use this one again but maybe I would go to Boscia before this one.

Clinque, this felt to me much like a tinted moisturizers. My mother also tried many of these samples over a month period and ended up buying the full size of this and wanting the Dr. Jart as well.

Beauty.com Friends & Family Haul

Skindinavia Makeup Finishing Spray 8 oz $39 :-
I've been wanting to try Skindinavia makeup spray for a while now! I've tried Evian and MAC's Fix+ which I like for refreshing my face but I've heard that those are not true setting spray from youtubers. Therefore I decided to try this out. I had a really hard time deciding between Urban Decay's setting sprays VS skindinavia but the push to go towards Skindinavia came when it seemed like the reviews for it were a tad bit more positive. Also, Skindinavia make UD's setting sprays so since they're the manufacturers I figure that must know sprays better. I also had a hard time deciding on which spray to try, I was torn between the Makeup Finishing Spray, Bridal and the 10 years younger. I ultimately went with the Makeup Finishing Spray.

Dr. Dennis Gross Extra Strength Alpha 30 step 1 and step 2 $85.:-
So I first came across these pads when I got 5 sets of this with my purchase of my Clarionic system. I tried it out and it seems to make my skin softer and brighter. I only tried using this at night and I noticed the my normally combination skin was a tad bit more oily the next more and I would not use a moisturizer after using this either. I was hoping it would take away the little bumps I started getting at the base of my nose but the samples were probably not enough of a routine to give a definitive result so I decided to buy a whole box of them.

LORAC Behind the scenes eye primer 0.53 oz $21:-
I've been using a tube of Too Faced Shadow Insurance which many people swear by. I agree in the staying power this product gives your eye shadow and eyeliner. However, I started noticing that when I remove this at night my eye lids feel like they are stinging a bit. So again I tried to do some research and apparently LORAC makes an eye primer with mostly the same ingredients as Too Faced minus Bismuth Oxychloride which after further research is a product that causes makeup adhere to it but is also an irritant for some people. So I hope this works out. I think I'll continue to use the Too Faced Shadow insurance on my brows.

Mario Badescu Skincare Haul

This is the first year that I started noticing small white bumps on my face around my nose. So after researching on the internet and seeing a few videos I've come to the conclusion that I have oil seeds also known as milia. One of the products I came across that supposedly aids in the removal of these was Silver Powder from Mario Badescu. The push that made me decide to give this line a go was my sister in law saying it was the only stuff that healed her skin after having a baby. I may have to write a review if this stuff really works.

I checked out this product in person at Ulta but ultimately bought it online from https://www.mariobadescu.com with free shipping and a 10% off coupon that I found from retailmenot.com. Together with my mother we bought $192 of product. The shipping took 5 business days which is pretty standard. My only complaint is the package included the wrong 3 samples -so that irks me a bit.

Pictured below are only the products I bought.  I did not want to include my mother's purchases because I won't be able to use or comment on them.

Facial Spray With Aloe, Herbs And Rosewater 8oz $12
Silver Powder 1oz $12
Glycolic Acid Toner 32oz $56

March 2012 Sephora VIB event

A few days ago I received an email from Sephora for their VIB (Very Important Beauty Insider) event. In order to become a beauty inside I believe you need to spend at least $350 USD in a single calendar year and then you have to continue to re-qualify every year. This past November was the first time qualifying for their VIB. I was invited to an event around the holidays late 2011 and was thoroughly disappointed that I came home empty handed. It was also far too crowded for me.

This go around I went straight after work around 3:30 pm. A crowd was starting to build but nothing like before. When I got home from this event I realized. I buy a lot of beauty and skincare products. Maybe I should start documenting them, even if it's just for my own enjoyment. So I got home and took a few photos of my purchase plus swag. I only bought one item this go around because the location I went to is closest to my work and they are really small (don't carry everything I'd love to try).

Purchase:-
Retail $14, VIB Discount $11.90 (before tax)
Sephora Collection, Purifying Brush Shampoo  6.75 oz

The Gift w/any purchase VIB Swag:-

Sephora Umbrella
Reusable Tote
Compact Sephora Mirror
(All products in goody bag are either sample or deluxe sample sizes)
Boscia B.B. Cream
Makeup Forever Smokey Eyelash Mascara
Sephora Full Action Extreme Effect Mascara
Bumble and bumble Thickening Shampoo and Conditioner
Escada Especially Solid Perfume

I've tried the following brush cleaners for daily use: MAC Brush Cleaner, Clinque makeup brush cleaner and Cinema Secrets. And for a deep clean I tried making my own home made blend from watching EnKore's youtube DIY video. I'll have to write a post on them some day comparing them all later.

As for the free stuff, it's funny that I asked for a sample of the Boscia BB Cream before I knew they gave a sample in the bag. The umbrella looks sturdier than one would think a free gift would be so I was pleasantly surprised. The reusable bag design is definitely from the Christmas holidays! The white bag, plant, holly,  ornament and verbage "I'm dreaming of a..." are a dead give away that these were left overs from their Christmas season. My last 500 point perk also seemed to be a left over that I had seen in their "sale" section.