Quick Pick Me Up Face Mask

What are they:

$1-$2 Mud/Gel masks available  at most drugstores. They come in multiple colors, smells and functions. While some are face brighteners, others are hydraters, pore cleansers, and even “anti-aging”

What do they do: Rehydarte the skin and help bring it back to life and are just fun to use.

Do they work: HECK YEAH! (Some better then others depending on your skin and needs)

Why do I love them: Because they are so darn cheap! Pop one of those packets and BAM within 20 minutes your face will thank you 🙂

Final Word  of Advise: If you are a product snob, then I’m sorry this might not be for you because lets face it, a home facial just isn’t the same as a professional one. HOWEVER, if you’re like me and don’t mind trying out new things, go pick up one of these delicious  smelling face packs and give them a try 🙂

 

$3 Gel Liner SMACKDOWN!

Contestants:

                       

Essence Gel Liner in 01 Midnight in Paris

 Wet N Wild Gel Liner in 886

E.L.F Cream Liner in Black

SWATCH

Essence          Wet N Wild            E.L.F

All three are very intense black. However Essence is the most creamy while Wet N’ Wild has a drier formula.

WATER SMUDGE TEST

Took some water, rubbed it across all three, and excuse my horrible swatching skills but no one  budged.

MAKEUP REMOVER TEST

Took a contain swab dipped in makeup remover, ran it once over all three. Essence faded, Wet N wild barely moved and  with one more swipe E.L.F  would have disappeared.

CONCLUSIONS:

If you are looking for an awesome liner all around, then get the Essence Liner. It is creamy so it goes on SOOOO smooth. It doesn’t smudge and lasts all day. Plus they have a very nice color selection for those divas wanting to experiment with colored gel liners 🙂

If you are looking for a liner that won’t move for days, go ahead get the Wet N Wild Liner.  That little sucker stays on even after you remove it. Although a little drier in texture, it is very easy to apply.

Side Note: Thank u all for the congratulation’s, it really meant a lot, and as far as putting up pictures, im so sorry but I can’t. Mi familia decided that they needed to be in every picture so when I asked if I could share them online, they all shied away 🙂 But no worries, someday I will put up pics:)

I’M GRADUATING YA’LL

After almost 2 decades in school, I think I am finally done:) YAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYY!!! This whole week I have been running around getting my cap and gown, getting pictures taken and inviting mi familia  to join me  during my day of excitement 🙂

I can’t believe it…the biggest procrastinator in the world, the girl who just went to grad school to pass the time is getting her Master’s Degree tomorrow! Yipppeee! Yeah yeah yeah I know my master thesis is still up for review, but I get to wear the fancy gown and cap tomorrow so ain’t nothing gonna bring me down 🙂

Now don’t think I’m bragging or boasting (then again it is MY blog), but its such a relief to know I will never have to write another essay, never go to another 7am lecture, never pull an all nighter when I knew I had two months to complete an assignment…..dang it, i’m gonna miss it!….maybe

Anyways, so this is what I have been up to this past week and yup yup tomorrow it shall be official 🙂

Have a great sunday everyone I know I will 🙂 🙂 🙂

MY FIRST JULEP MAVEN BOX!

I’m a sucker for nail products especially nail polish. So after reading about all the lovely ladies subscribed to the Julep Maven box, I  just had to get in on it…..Oh did I forget to mention it only cost me 1 penny!!!! what!!! Yup!!!!

Meet my Julep Maven Box….shes so sleek 🙂

Do not tell me there are goodies inside a box and  then expect me to patiently open it. NOPE I tore the box open and look what came out 🙂

This is the Julep glycolic hand scrub. Think St. Ives Apricot Scrub but more citrusy smell. it left my hands feeling very soft and slightly hydrated

Now to the nail polish!! On the online test, I tested as BOHO GLAM. While the words sound exactly like me, I wasn’t too in love with the nail colors, but I am so glad I stuck to the BOHO colors because I really really  love one of the colors.

The grey is called “Meryl” and  it is a very nice creamy grey. While I like the muted color, I already have a grey that is an exact match for this.

The yellow one is called “Blake” and I love Blake 🙂 Normally  I love crazy vibrant colors on my nails, but this the PERFECT buttery yellow to make me turn towards pastels

OVERALL: For a penny I love what I got! I mean how can you complain when you literally paid nothing. However would I become a monthly subcriber…….for $2o/month probably not. Ouch, I know. I love nail varnish but I mean come on I can go to the drugstore and pick up polish for like a buck, so sorry Julep Maven, although your introductory offer is AWESOME, I just can not see myself paying that much each moth for nail polish and hand products.

TO GET IN ON THE DEAL TYPE IN COLOR2012 when you check out!!!!

Saw it, tried it, NAILED it! Tattooed Nail Art :)

So for the past week I have been rocking pure white nails. Kinda tired of the lack of color on my nails, I found a video online that shared this idea and BADABING!  A quick way to spruce up my plain white nails 🙂

What you will need:

• White Nail polish
• Clear Nail Polish
• Press on Tattoo
• Scissors
• Cotton Pad
• Water

1. Paint you nails white.
2. Pick a tattoo design that you like. I had these laying around but they also sell them at the  dollar store.
3. Cut the design of your choosing into smaller pieces to fit your nails. Mix and match you choose.
4. Press on nail and hold down with wet cotton pad for a few seconds.
5. Peel off and TADA look how easy and pretty 🙂

Quick tips and tricks:

Apply a top coat to seal in design

Excess tattoo can simply be pulled off or even rubbed off

Tattoo sticks best to slightly tacky polish so just before nails are all dry, apply tattoo and embed it into the polish.

DRUGSTORE FOUNDATION SMACKDOWN!

Ladies and gentlemen welcome to the showdown of the year!!!! In this corner we have Revlon and her partner L’Oreal, and in that corner we have Rimmel and her partner Maybelline. Who will win?  It just might be Almay, Covergirl or Nuetrogena….LET THE BATTLE BEGIN!!!

🙂 I’m on the never-ending search for prefect skin. While a good skin care routine is a must, a good foundation is also a bonus, so here’s my mass review of most of the drugstore foundations I have tried.

Revlon Colorstay:

Pros: Covers like a Mo Fo! I have a more in-depth review, but this the foundation everyday because it stays on my oily skin all day and it doesn’t budge until I take it off. I love that they have two versions of this foundation, 1 for oily/combo skin and one for dry/normal

Cons: Its thick. I mix mine with a moisturizer to thin it a bit and if you read my previous posts you know I hate that it does not have a pump  so it can really messy.

L’Oreal True Match

Pros: Third times the charm for me and this foundation. I hated it at first but now I really like it. It can give a very sheer effect but it also can be built up. It gives off a nice dewy finish because it is more liquidy than most drugstore foundations. Oh and they have a HUGE shade selection, which is great if you have lighter or darker skin

Cons: For me it’s not very long-lasting. Towards the end of my workday I can see it fading from oiler areas on my face. Also it doesn’t have a pump so yup it can get messy.

L’Oreal Visible Lift

Pros: This is my new favorite. It has awesome coverage and longevity! A little goes a long way which is great because this on the more expensive end of drugstore foundations. As far as “visible lift”  I think it works slightly because it fills in small pores and wrinkles giving a smooth look,  and oh did I mention, it has a pump!

Cons: Because it is very bendable  a small amount is all you need but it can be hard to control how much comes out of the pump sometimes.

Maybelline Superstay:

Pros: This is the prefect combo of the Revlon Colorstay and L’Oreal True Match. Its  thick but not too thick and gives really nice coverage. Lasts a normal 8 hour work day once set with a good face powder.

Cons: Doesn’t do too well under temperature change. I live in California and this foundation tends to oxidize when it gets too hot.

Maybelline Dream Liquid Mousse

Pros: It has a pump and is very thick giving a full coverage airbrushed effect.

Cons: Do not like this one. Its thick and gloopy and doesn’t blend all that well. Also I noticed after I put it in it kind of separated around certain areas on my face, ewww

Rimmel Stay Matte

Pros: Aww my first foundation ever 🙂 Don’t know if they sell this anymore but it came in a squeeze tube and gave very nice coverage. Because it was do dense a little went a long way and it really helped control oil.

Cons: It hard to blend. I normally used just my fingers with this foundation

Nuetrogena Healthy Skin

Pros: Often compared to the NARS Sheerglow, this foundation gives the nicest sheer dewy coverage. This is perfect for the days you don’t want to wear any foundation but still want to look out together. At one point this was my everyday foundation and I would just to my fingers to blend it in.

Cons:I fell  out of love with it 😦 Don’t know what happened but I just kinda lost interest in this foundation half way through the bottle. Oh, no pump and very expensive

Covergirl Clean Foundation

Pros: Cheap and different types depending on your skins needs

Cons: It’s just weird! At first I thought  I found the perfect $4 foundation but that was a short-lived thought. It smells weird, turns blotchy and doesn’t stay on

Almay Smart Shade

 

Pros: Interesting concept, comes out white, changes color while you blend into skin.

Cons: It turned powdery on my skin and didn’t give much coverage and there are only three “colors” to  choose from light, medium or dark.

 

So there you are my fellow bloggers, the drugstore foundation smackdown!!! Who won??? No  one 😦 Although I love my Colorstay and Visible Lift I’m still on the search for the illusive “perfect” foundation 🙂

 

If you have any suggestions  for a new foundation please leave a comment or if you want a more in-depth review of any of the foundations I mentioned just let me know 🙂

MY FIRST GLAM BAG!!! with mini review

So I am sure if you are a beauty fanatic then you have scoured the beauty videos on YouTube and probably have watched the videos called “YouTube Made Me Do It.”  Well this is my “Blogging Made Me Do IT.” 🙂

Before wordpress I had no interest in the monthly beauty box thingys. Although I like reading about them, I had no  interest in purchasing them. But then I thought, you know what, why the heck not. 🙂

So I chose to purchase  from myglam.com, because I found them to be the cheapest. I mean $10 thats it!

So here’s what I got!

All the stuff came in this shiny bubble envelope

When I open it, out came a postcard with all the YouTube gals who are the face of the company

All the products came in a cute little metalic pink makeup bag

Here’s the 5 (technically 4 since the brushes are a set) that were in the bag

DermStore Lip Quench-Moisture Infused Lip Treatment: claims to be a treatment to help nourish, soften and smooth lips.

My initial reaction: LOVE! I put it on my lips already feel awesome! Although the tube is a b**** to squeeze and get the product out, it works wonders (so far). It’s the consistency of Vaseline, but it stays on a lot better and to me it smells like strawberries with a hint of mint.

All-Belle Lashes– claim to accentuate you eyes.

My initial reaction: I’m not really a lash kinda gal since thankfully my natural ones are just fine for me and VERY RARELY do I wear fake lashes, but these will be fun to play around with.

All over eyeshadow brush and angled brush: claim to be “hand picked by Michelle.”

My initial reaction: I tried these out and they are duds. Nothing special. I tried the angled brush to apply gel  liner but because it was so flimsy it kept folding, so I’m gonna have to find another use for it, maybe for my eyebrows.

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-on Eye Pencil in Junkie: Creamy Green/Teal (depending on the lighting) eyeliner with gold specks. 

My initial reaction: For me this pencil alone was worth the $10. These liners normally sell for double the price where I live and this travel size one is perfect for me. Of course I tried it on when I opened the package and so far…I love! The liner is so creamy, the color is so fun and gorgeous and I actually like the gold specks 🙂 But the downside, I need a really good primer because unfortunatley for me, my oily lids will not allow this product to stay put, it actually smudged onto my upper lids:(

OVERALL: It was okay. I don’t know why, but I was expecting so much more. Not  necessarily more products but….I don’t know. I think I had built up my purchase so much in my head that I really set myself up for disappointment. So will I be re-purchasing from MyGlam…..maybe. I think I will give it one more month and if I don’t like that package, I will sadly have to switch.

NYX Lip Product Review/Rave

OH NO!!!!! Ladies..ladies…ladies, tisk, tisk, tisk. I’m ashamed to even be telling you all about this, but today during lunch with my girlfriends, while taking pictures….I made..THE DUCKFACE!!! AHHHHHH!

But I SWEAR on all my makeup, I have never done this before! I don’t know what happened, one minute the nice waiter was saying  “say cheese,’ and the next my lips took on a life of their own and…..sigh, the duckface.

But you know what, after looking at my atrocious picture  and thinking about why in the world I would pose my face in such an idiotic manner, I realized I am not to blame. It was my lipgloss! Yes, ladies, my lipgloss made me do it! 🙂

NYX Extreme Lip Cream

 

Packaging: Typical. Tube & doe foot applicator. One interesting thing though, the cap is almost the same size as the container the product is in

Product: This is exactly as described on the packaging. This is not a lipstick, this is not a lipgloss, but rather a really creamy combo (haha eww). It’s a liquid lipstick and the lasting power of this sucker is  crazy! I put it on in the morning and by lunch time all though it was a little faded, the color was still there.

(This is BUTTERY NUDE a really nice mauve/coral combo, an exaggerated version of my natural lip color)

So why the duck face? Because I loved the way my lips look with this product on. It’s a little glossy, a little matte, very pretty.

Overall: Buy it, Try it 🙂 I bought one to try, and loved it so much I am going to go buy more. A little tip though, they can be a little drying at first so make sure lips are very well hydrated and do not just gloop this product on like a lipgloss! It is very thick and dense so I normally just dab dab dab, and press my lips together.

🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

Taming of the Brow

The two bushy caterpillars that sit atop my brow are driving me crazy! While one day they sit and stay perfectly fine like good little trained pets, the next day they decide to travel…here, there, everywhere…I just can’t keep up:)

Every morning, I have a daily battle with my  bushy eyebrows. On most days I am ready for battle with my arsenal of supplies, but then there are days that I don’t give a s***. Below are just some really CHEAP products that I use to tame my ferociously beastly brows 🙂

 

Shaping:

The key to tamed eyebrows, is a good manageable shape. I am Indian, so we naturally have thick bushman eyebrows that need constant upkeep, therefore a pair of tweezers and eyebrow scissors is a must!

I use a simple “spoolie thingy” t come my hairs up and trim the extra long hairs, then if need be I come down to get any strays.

A good pair of tweezers is a must. But here’s the thing, I own tweezers that are both $0.99 and $20 and they work essentially the same as long as they have the right angle and thickness.

For those ubber pesky fine hairs that I just can’t seem to pluck, I use this bad boy. Yes its a razor, but before you all start yelling about how dangerous that is and I could shave off an eyebrow,  read on. These are soft razor that need to be angled properly to work but the best part about them is that 1..2..3, Look mom no uni-brow! 🙂 Don’t worry, no five o’clock shadow here.

Maintaining:

Yup, that’s thread and it’s my best friend 🙂 Threading my eyebrows not only for less plucking and upkeep, but it gives the nicest, cleanest shape. Highly recommend it. Takes a little getting used to, but well worth it.

Day to Day:

Now back to my chaotic mornings when I am normally running late for work.

The first thing I do is usually use either the ElF Eyebrow Kit, or just a dark brown Wet N’ Wild eyeliner pencil to fill in any random gaps I might have.

Next, I pack on the Maybelline Great Lash Clear mascara or the ELF clear brow mascara and BAM….. set for the day

….see I told you it was cheap 🙂

Smashbox Beauty Exposed Kit……DUPES!!!

” O_o, that looks pretty… yum that smells nice…. ahhh shinny glitter, drool, MUST have!”

Every time I walk into a store/drugstore that sells makeup, I feel like a kid in a candy store 🙂 I love beauty products!!!! Lotions, masks, makeup, perfumes … anything remotely beauty related, I’ve GOT to have it!

Same situation when I walked into ULTA and bought the Smashbox Beauty Exposed Kit. I saw it, I wanted it, I bought. Mission accomplished 🙂

What’s included: 

• PHOTO FINISH FOUNDATION PRIMER (travel size)

This is one of my favorite face primers, so the fact that it was included in the kit was a selling point enough for me.

• BEAUTY EXPOSED EYE SHADOW PALETTE WITH SOFT LIGHTS

Such gorgeous colors! They look okay in the palette, but when you wear them they give such a nice frosty pearlescent effect.

• LIP ENHANCING GLOSS in STARFRUIT (travel size)

Nothing really special but a nice color anyways

• BLUSH RUSH in PEONY

Once again a nice coral/pink color. A little chalky but a nice color anyways.

• EYE PENCIL in STONE

Dark brown liner pencil. I liked that it was very easy to apply and I think its best suited for a smudged smokey look.

(bottom is Smashbox in stone, top is Wet N’ Wild in Dark Brown. Both are very similar, although the picture is showing the top one to be more reddish.)

Overall: if you have the $39 USD  to spend, do it. It’s a nice kit, nice products, nothing too flashy, but great quality.

HOWEVER!!!! All the products are dupeable!!!!!

The eyeshadows are very similar to Covergirl’s Shimmering Sands

the lip gloss is  similar to Wet N’ Wild Mega Slick in Panning for Gold/Candy Apple

The eyeliner is very  similar to Wet N’ Wild’s dark Brown eyeliner and the blush is comparable to ELF’s Twinkle Pink

So it’s up to you, pay $39 or for about 1/4 of the price get basically the same thing 🙂