Natural Body Care For Cheap

I really believe in natural body care, I don't buy any of my body care from a drugstore. I know my makeup has chemicals and probably not very good ingredients, so I like to keep the products that I use every single day (body lotion, body wash and deodorant) as natural as possible. I also remove my makeup with olive oil, because I have sensitive eyes. Here are the poducts I am currently using:


My skin is extremely sensitive, drugstore lotions make me itch (especially after I shave). This always lead me to buy extremely expensive body butters, but when I was in Whole Foods I saw this! It's a huge container of lotion made out of all natural ingredients and 10 percent of the profits go to charity in Africa. I love this lotion, it is smooth, liquidy and glides over my skin. I have it in the lavender scent. It keeps my skin so soft and comfortable. This huge 32 oz bottle was only $10, see... being natural can be cheap!

I love this shower gel because it doesn't have the lathering chemicals that dry out my skin (remember more suds= drier skin). This is a very gentle cleanser that leaves me feeling fresh and clean. It also doesn't break me out, which is amazing, a lot of soaps will cause me to get breakouts/rashes on my arms. This bottle was like $4 at Whole Foods.


I've stopped using conventional antiperspirant/ deodorants for a while now. I sweat with regular anti antiperspirant/ deodorant on so I figured I might as well switch to a product that doesn't have chemicals since the chemicals aren't working anyway. This is a crystal deodorant, you have to wet it to apply it to your underarms. It keeps odor at bay all day, and even the next day (I apply it at night after my shower and I don't re-apply it in the morning because it works basically till your next shower). It's about 6 bucks and it lasts for years (I've probably had mine for about 3 years and it hasn't gone down at all.. it will probably last for 10).

This whole routine costs about $20. A drugstore routine would run about $22 if you used all Dove products. This routine is natural, cheaper, the products are bigger and will last longer.

xoxo

Loving Clinique

I have a problem! I am currently addicted to the Clinque Youth Surge SPF Moisturizer. I recieved a large container as a gift with purchase, but it costs $48.50 if I want to buy the full size! During the winter my skin gets pretty dry and flaky. I need something that won't break me out but will still moisturize my skin, this cream is it, it also has spf which makes it even more amazing. It feels lightweight yet it still makes my skin feel plump and hydrated... well if I think of it as skincare... maybe 50 bucks isn't that bad? Oh well, we'll see what happens when I run out!

MAC Purchases

I went to MAC and bought some stuff :) The products aren't that interesting but I went there to buy basics that I would wear every day and my basics are pretty boring haha. Nonetheless, basics are needed. For every day I like a polished dark eye, really full plush eyelashes, my natural lip color (maybe lipliner), bronzer and blush. I don't like lipstick, thick winged eyeliner or eyeshadow for everyday. For me, I like my makeup to subtly enhance my features.

I bought a MAC Blot Powder in the shade Dark, a Paint Pot in the shade Constructivist and a brow pencil in the shade Lingering.

I have pretty oily skin, though lately it has been drier because of the weather, so blotting powder has always been a must. I usually would carry oil absorbing sheets, but they are so wasteful, so I wanted to find a product that I could keep for a while and then recycle (Back to MAC program). So... I bought the Blot Powder Compact. I really like it a lot, the compact is sturdy and the powder is finely milled. I will say if I put a lot on, it will look powdery on my skin. I like to use a powder brush instead of the puff it comes with (I use my collapsible Revlon Face Brush).

Lingering is my favorite brow pencil color, I have naturally thick brows but I like them to be a little fuller looking in the center near my nose. The MA tried to convince me it was too light a color, but as soon as I put it on I knew it was right. First of all, I don't like overly dark brows, unless you have very dark browns naturally (which the MA happened to have...). Filling in your brows with an pencil the same color as your hair if your hair is dark, makes your brows look unnatural or your face angry (in my opinion), especially towards the center of your eyebrow. This is the perfect cool tone lightish brown that I use to lightly fill in the center part of my brows and through the rest of my brows to give a polished fuller look.

This Paint Pot is my most interesting buy. Constructivist is a beautiful brown with shimmers in it. I love this color! It is now part of my everyday look. It gives a beautiful dark brown shine on my lids that makes my eyes look more exotic and pretty! It lasts all day and it's easy to apply with my fingers. I really like this color because it doesn't look like an eyeshadow. I don't like eyeshadow for every day so this is perfect.

How I get jet black eyeliner that stays

A couple of days ago a girl I work with asked me about my eyeliner, because it was so black and never wore through out the day. Here's what I do:


My top favorite jet black products are:

1. Estee Lauder's Double Wear pencil in Onyx
2. Makeup Forever's Black eyeshadow
3. Diorshow Blackout Mascara

Steps:

1. Line eyes with Double Wear pencil
2. With a push eyeliner brush push in Makeup Forever's eyeshadow
3. Coat eyes with tons of mascara

Setting any pencil with a powder, even if it's a long wearing pencil, helps it stay put even longer. It soaks up all the oils from the pencil and really seals in the color. Makeup Forever has the blackest black I have ever seen. I tested all of the black shadows for pigment at Sephora and settled happily on this one.

Simple! :)

xoxo

Diorshow Blackout

I've been on a bit of a mascara binge this week. So far I have tried, Benefit Badgal, Makeup Forever's Smokey Lash, Diorshow Regular Waterproof and Diorshow Blackout Mascara. My favorite is the Diorshow Blackout. The Diorshow Blackout gives my lashes huge volume with just 2 coats and it doesn't clump (urhhmm Makeup Forever Smokey Lash.. it was a clumpy mess!). What I love most about the this mascara is the black is really dark and it doesn't fade throughout the day(my drugstore mascaras tend to do that).


Pros:
Great Color (dark dark black
Lengthens
Voluminzes
Curls
Doesn't clump
Easy to apply

Cons:
Price
The brush can be big for people with smaller eyes or short lashes

Diorshow Blackout is definitely a splurge product it's $24 plus tax. I used to buy high end mascara, my favorite was Chanel, but for some reason I stopped because I found decent drugstore products for way less. I do think the effect Diorshow has can be recreated with layering different types of drugstore mascara, but if you simply don't have the time I would highly suggest Diorshow. Also, I haven't found a drugstore mascara that keeps a dark pigment throughout the day.

Manicure I'm wearing right now

Right now I am wearing Essie's nail polish in the shade Flawless. It's a pretty pink, I love it!


xoxo

Back to Black

I have been feeling an urge to go back to my signature black eyeliner and huge black lashes. Since I have been wearing brown for a while I decided I need to revamp my black products. So of course I had to find the blackest eyeliner that lasted all day, and the blackest mascara that makes my lashes look great.


I have quite a few black eyeliners. MAC Smolder, MAC black waterproof liner, NARS black eyeliner, Stila kajal eyeliner... to name a few. But I am really loving Estee Lauder's Double Wear Eye Pencil in Onyx. It's black black black! It's really soft so it doesn't tug on my eyes.



I am usually a fan of drugstore mascara but I have been recently wearing Dior Show mascara, but I only have waterproof which I dislike, I hate removing it. I heard that Benefit's Badgal Lash is better than Dior. It has a darker color, and it gives more volume.


I haven't worn these products out for a whole day yet (I just got them today), so I'll try them out and see if I love them!

Update: I don't like Badgal... it doesn't do anything for my lashes. I returned it now I am on the hunt for something else! :(

Bathroom Counter, Why I love NARS

So I kind of love NARS, this is not even half of my NARS collection. hahaha. I am not affiliated with NARS in anyway, but they are by far my favorite makeup brand. But why do I love them? I love NARS because their colors look great on my skin, the formulas blend flawlessly and they have a unique pigmented color selection. NARS has a foundation, blush, lipstick and lip gloss to suit every girls skin tone. I love NARS because all of their products effortlessly bring out my features.

I think my other favorite brands are Dior, MAC and Bare Escentuals. I love Dior's lipglosses, because they are so smooth and pigmented, they actually moisturize my lips. There is no formula better I think. I love MAC for their eye shadows because their colors are so beautiful and unique. Bare Escentuals is great because they are the only foundation that doesn't break my skin out! They also have a wide range of colors to suit everyone's skin tone.


What are your favorite brands?

Flawless everyday skin

Quick flawless skin is really easy to do! I know it sounds hard but all you need is the right tools and products. These are my personal favorite products for flawless skin. This combination does not break me out or cause any irritations and it covers everything I need to cover. It takes probably 5 minutes for me to do this routine.

**Remember**Finding a good skincare routine makes having flawless skin easier because you will need less makeup products and you will have less to cover!

First let me tell you about my skin type: I have oily, acne prone skin. I need light coverage to cover all of my problems.

I've found out with my skin that less is more. If I start putting on a ton of products I usually end up making my skin have a strange color or breaking me out.

Here is my routine:

Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder, NARS Duo concealer, MAC Moisturecover, Bare Minerals Matte foundation.

(Laura Mercier Camouflage Powder Brush, MAC 316 lip brush, MAC 224 brush)

1. Apply Body Shop Seaweed Mattifying spf15 Moisturizer (not shown)


2. Apply MAC Moisture Cover NW35 under eyes and blend downward towards cheeks with MAC 224 brush




3. Buff in a small amount of Bare Minerals Matte Foundation Shade Warm Tan with MAC 182 brush or Hourglass Finishing Brush (whatever is clean at the time, I always keep one clean so I can alternate) into the skin.



4. Set under eye concealer with Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder in shade 2



5. Cover any blemishes/scaring with NARS Duo Concealer in Praline/Toffee shade using MAC 316 (lip brush).





6. Dust Makeup Forever's High Definition Powder over everything concentrating on t-zone with NARS Powder Brush.


Notes/reviews:


Why I use a lip brush for concealer: This brush is perfect for dotting concealer on blemishes or scars. I prefer small dots to cover instead of wiping concealer on top of problem areas. I know using a lip brush seems weird but this brush is perfect for concealer! It's stiff enough to pat the concealer on and blend it in flawlessly. This brush is like a better version of Laura Mercier's Secret Camouflage Concealer Brush, in my opinion.

Secret Brightening powder: This is my secret weapon to looking awake and fresh every day. I apply it with the correlating brush because it pats on the powder lightly. This powder brightens the under eye area without looking unnatural and it keeps under eye concealer set all day.

Bare Minerals Matte: This is my favorite everyday foundation (for special occasions I use NARS Sheer Glow) because it offers a light coverage that is build-able to about a light-medium coverage. I like the matte formulation more because the colors blend better with my skin. I use the swirl buff method (I don't tap though) shown on the infomercials. You have to try this foundation.

MAC Moisture Cover: I love this under eye concealer! It's my favorite because it is really light and sheer. I use a shade lighter to create a celebrity highlight.

NARS Duo Concealer: This is my favorite facial concealer because it is smooth but stays put, I also like how there are two different colors so I can mix. I've tried the Laura Mercier's duo concealer but I don't like the colors, they are too gray and the texture was too thick and dry. NARS' is perfect. Sometimes I pop some of the orange shade under my eyes to counteract any dark circles if I haven't had enough sleep.

Makeup Forever's High Definition Powder: This powder is truly translucent and gives my skin an airbrushed appearance. The NARS Powder brush is very soft and blends everything flawlessly.

xoxo

Manicure I'm wearing right now

How adorable is this glitter nail polish by Deborah Lippman? I layered it over Essie's Guchi Muchi Puchi. I love it!

Pink Plaid Lipstick

MAC's Pink Plaid lipstick is really pretty! I've had it in my collection but I haven't picked it up in a while, so I decided to play around with it last night.

Lips:
Lipliner: MAC Spice
Lipstick: MAC Pink Plaid
Ligloss: NARS Turkish Delight


I topped the whole look off with some black liner!

Eyes:
Mac Black Track on top lash line
Mac Smolder Kohl Pencil in the rims of the eyes
MAC Groundwork Paint Pot all over lid
L'oreal Million Lash mascara


Face:
Nothing!! ahaha except, Clinque Day lotion

Manicure I'm wearing right now

Right now I'm wearing Essie's Guchi Muchi Puchi. I love it, it's a pretty creamy whitish pink.

xoxo

Favorite blush and lipstick/lipgloss combo

Right now I'm loving light pink, plump glossy lips, subtle eye makeup with a glowy blush. On me right now is:

Lips:
Lipliner: MAC Spice

Lipstick: MAC Angel

Lipgloss: MAC Pink Lemonade

Face:

Blush: NARS Orgasm

Eyes:

MAC Photogravure eyeliner, L'oreal Million Lashes mascara, NARS Multiple in Palm Beach


Right now this is my favorite combo! It's so pretty :)

xoxo

Bobbi Brown Bronze Shimmer Brick

With the upcoming premier of the Victoria Secret Fashion Show I went on a bronze highlighter rampage. Everyone knows highlighter, especially in a bronzey color is a signature part of the Victoria Secret Angel's signature look. I bought the Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick and I think it fits the bill!

with flash:



without flash:


Isn't it pretty!? I really like this Shimmer Brick, I use it on the tops of my cheekbones and across my eyelids for a sheer wash of color that's perfect for day. I think this might be one of my everyday staples :)

xoxo

My everyday quick makeup

This is me at 8:45 in the morning checking my email, I did a really simple makeup look for the day. For some reason when I upload pictures to blogger they get blurrier/faded :(





Anyways... I used:

Eyes: NARS Mulitple in Palm Beach all over the lid
MAC Photogravure eyeliner on Waterline
MAC cream liner in Dipdown on upper lashline
L'oreal Million Lash mascara

Cheeks: NARS Orgasm Blush
MAC Fawntastic cream color base
NARS Casino Bronzer under cheekbones and up the sides of my face

Lips: Nothing :)

xoxo

Manicure I'm wearing right now- Nude

Right now I'm wearing Jasmine by Chanel. It's a lovely creamy beige nude with subtle sparkles. It's one of my favorite polishes to wear because when it chips you can't really see it! I've had this polish for a while but nude nails mannequin are in this fall, so I have been wearing it more often. I think it's a nice alternative to darker nails sometimes.

Dior LIpgloss

I just bought this Dior Addict Ultra Gloss in the color Negligee Pink. As many of you might know, I really like subtle nude lips (soft corals, pinks and beige). The other colors I might wear on my lips are my Dior Lip Glow's color and berry colors. I love this color because it is a soft milky pink but it doesn't make my lips look white like some lighter pinks can. I have very pigmented lips so I can assure you that this lip gloss does have color (I hate paying a lot money for a lip gloss I think will have good color payoff, but it's just clear). Anyways, I love the texture of Dior glosses (hence why I shell out for them haha), I like this paired with either one of my favorite lip liners (Spice or Stripdown by MAC) or by itself.

xoxo

Manicure I'm wearing right now

Right now I am wearing one of my favorite colors Opi for Sephora's Metro Chic. It's perfect for fall/winter weather. When I don't feel like going too dark I put this color on, I love it!

Products I am loving right now

These are the products I've been using a lot. I love all them because they create a very natural look, that is never over the top. I always get compliments on how great I look when I wear this combination! I love that I can easily apply all the products, so basically, when I have one eye open in the morning I can use all of these products and look nice to go out.

NARS Bronzer Casino: I use this to lightly contour my cheekbones and all over the perimeter of my face to give myself a great glow. I love this bronzer because it has a shimmer so it doesn't look dry and dense on my skin, but the shimmer is super fine so it doesn't look like I have sparkles all over my face. Instead, I get a great glow.

NARS Eyeshadow in Mekong: I use this eyeshadow pushed on my top lash line and on my bottom lash line as well. I LOVE this eyeshadow, it's the perfect blackened brown with gold shimmers running through it. It looks natural but still makes my eyes stand out.

L'oreal Million Lashes Mascara: I've been loving this mascara recently. It's very similar to my other favorite L'oreal Voluminous Carbon Black. I like this better (I think) because it doesn't clump, and the black color doesn't fade through out the day. It makes my lashes super long as well, but the wand is kind of big so you have to be careful when applying it.

NARS Gina Blush: I'm really into peaches and warm tones right now, I've reviewed Gina already. Basically I'm obsessed.

The Body Shop Seaweed Mattifying Day Lotion: I use this lotion every single day without fail. Now that it's winter and I am not going to be outside a lot I don't need more than a spf 15. It's not greasy, it keeps my skin protected from the sun, and it doesn't break me out.

MAC Strobe Cream: This is my every day highlighter, it's very natural and easy to apply with my fingers in the morning. It gives a very healthy glow to my skin. I just pop it on my cheekbones.

Laura Mercier Lipgloss in Bellini: As I said I am into warm tones right now. I just bought this lipgloss and I am obsessed with it. It's a beautiful nude coral color with shimmers running through it. The texture is very smooth and it is very moisturizing. I love that it goes with my blush.

MAC Technakohl Eyeliner in Photogravure: I use this through my waterline, it's a very very dark cool toned brown. Sometimes black can be too harsh, this is the perfect alternative.


xoxo, What do you use everyday?

Gift with Purchases

Hey guys,

I just wanted to show you the cool gifts with purchases I received with my last makeup buys (the posts below). I got a full size NARS Multiple Duo,Clinique face lotion, Clinique mascara, Laura Mercier sample Face Primer, Laura Mercier sample Lipgloss, full size Clinique Lipstick, Clinique full size eyeshadow duo, Laura Mercier sample face lotion.


My favorite of course is the NARS Multiple duo in Portofino (left) and Malibu (right), because it's full size and the colors are gorgeous. I already have Malibu in a full multiple though, but I love Portofino so I am happy I have them both in a compact.

My favorite highlighter (at the moment)

I'm loving MAC's Cream Color Base in the shade Fawntastic. It's a beautiful creamy beige color with very small amounts of shimmer. What I love most about this highlighter is that it's not frost or sparkly, it's a true creamy sheen. I think it looks very natural and it's very easy to use, just pop it on with your fingers. I don't like it on my eyes because it creases, but it would be so pretty if it lasted! I use this to freshen up my face if I look particularly tired that morning.

Here is it it swatched, disregard the eyeliner on top haha (I'll post about the eyeliner later).