Tarte Maracuja Creaseless Concealer

I think its my calling to be an all knowing beauty expert. Whenever I go into the drugstore or Sephora or even department stores, I always look around and think.. hmm what can I blog about next. I always want to try the next best thing. One of the things that I feel I am always on the search for is mascara, concealer and foundation. I feel you can never stick to just one. Everytime I go to +Sephora I always ask them about concealers. I feel like this is one thing that I haven't really found that I can totally live without. I have oily skin but under my eyes is very dry and tends to crease in an instant. I've tried everything under the sun and I just want something that works. Recently I've been hooked on Armani's Maestro Eraser Concealer and I really felt that it was hydrating and I really do love it. I feel that the sheen in it brightens the area and I really like the feel of it on my skin. I went to +Sephora in Herald Square last week and asked about the Tarte Maracuja creaseless concealer and the lady that helped me was completely in love with it. She was saying how she also had oily skin and that her skin was the same as mine and she said that the Maestro one didn't cover as much and that the Tarte one was way better since it was full coverage. 

This concealer is said to be full coverage and it won't crease, flake or have you needing to reapply. It has +tarte's signature maracuja oil in it which helped improve your skin's texture, tone and moisture while having a brightening dewy luminous finish. Since it has the maracuja oil, you will see that it also has all the benefits that you will find in the regular maracuja oil and the actual concealer will help mask any discoloration, imperfections such as acne, blemishes, redness, scars, hyperpigmentation and even dark circles. Its very easy to apply. Even though its full coverage, you will notice that its really easy to blend and it dries to a flawless finish. 

I asked for a sample and took it home to try it. The next morning I put on my foundation and then the concealer. I used a concealer brush since that's what she recommended. I liked how it went on at first and yes I did feel that it did cover better than the Maestro one. The true test for me is throughout the day. I was thinking that this stuff will probably crease within seconds. I went throughout the entire day and nothing. I didn't feel it crease at all. We are in summer so if anything it was going to crease instantly during the summer months but it stayed put. At the end of the day, I didn't feel that my concealer had disappeared or anything or that I needed more coverage throughout the day.

This concealer retails for $24 which is way cheaper than the Maestro Eraser concealer. This concealer also comes in 7 different shades ranging from fair to dark. The shade I chose for myself is medium but there are a range of different shades that you can choose from. All in all, I definitely recommend this product along with this brand. I don't think there has been a product from this brand that I haven't fell in love with. Its definitely something you should pick up. 

Have you tried this concealer? What do you think? Leave comments below and let me know your thoughts. 

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DR. BRANDT SKINCARE CC Glow Broad Spectrum SPF 30

Back to makeup/skincare reviews. Lately, I've been noticing that there are a lot of products that are more of a two in one type of product. They are great skincare benefits and also give you makeup qualities. CC creams are all the rave right now especially now for the summer. Its a light weight, nice coverage, SPF color correcting cream. I love being able to just wear CC creams because it usually means that my face is acting right and I don't need the extra coverage. I also like to use CC creams when I am tanned. Its because a lot of CC creams come in limited colors which means that a medium would probably blend in enough for when I am tan and not tan. I don't go sun crazy on my face when I get sun during the summer. I usually put SPF 20-45. This protects my skin so that I don't have to worry about wrinkles in the long run. Now that I live in NYC, I definitely do not go to the beach as much as I did when I live in Puerto Rico. Oh! I remember when I lived there I was at the beach every weekend at least once a weekend from January to August. Those were the days! Now, living in NYC I am able to have any type of access to anything I would dream of in terms of beauty products but the 'beaches' are crap. 

If you've read some of my past posts, you know that I love the Dr. Brandt brand. I've been hooked on the Glow day and night cream for about 3 months now. This stuff is amazing. It has made my skin look more radiant and the retinol has definitely been cleared up any blemishes that I had and also my wrinkles which aren't a lot but I do have laugh lines along with wrinkles around my eyes. This Glow line also has a CC cream that is available. It is like the Glow daytime lotion with a CC cream. So it comes in the color 'natural' which is a good color for me if I am not tanned but I do think it is too light for me the second I have some color. This is the only bad thing about this stuff, it only comes in one color. But if you are part of the lucky ones that are light to medium complexion, I would definitely recommend this for you. This cream illuminates and brightens your skin with the same ruby crystal complex that is in the Glow cream. This also hydrates your skin so that your skin is smoother which makes your wrinkles and lines diminish and also has SPF30 as an added layer of protection.  It also has a concentrated amount of Vitamin C which does wonders to making your skin more radiant. The tint in this conceals imperfections and it evens your skin tone more naturally because its not a heavy caked on coverage. 

You can find this CC cream online or in +Sephora. It retails for about $39 and I know for CC creams this is expensive considering there are a lot of drugstore brands that are as good in color correcting creams plus this isn't for everyone considering it is only available in one color. I do recommend if you don't have the Glow day cream considering this basically is the same cream but tinted. Hope this review helps you decide whether you need to buy this or if you've been eyeing it but couldn't splurge especially since its a pricey CC cream. 

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Trish McEvoy Instant Eye Lift™ Review

After my post from yesterday I figured I'd give you more information on Trish McEvoy products. This is a luxury brand and everything about this makeup line feels like luxury. I know you've probably never heard of this brand before my post from yesterday. If you haven't read it, you can just scroll down and see that there I talk about their eyebrow pencils. I know this brand isn't one of the popular ones but I think its because its not a cheap brand. Like I said before for sure this is one of those luxury brands that are sold mostly in +Bloomingdale's  and +Nordstrom. Most of the products in this makeup line isn't something that can't be found in another brand like the eyebrow pencil that I reviewed yesterday which you can find in +Sephora under the Anastasia Beverly Hills brand which was only about $7 cheaper so its not that much of a difference. One of the other products that they showed us that night we went on that makeup event was an Instant Eye Lift. This is like an eyeshadow primer. It only comes in 2 colors light/medium and tan/dark. This makes it really easy to choose what color is the right one for you. I got the light/medium color and the minute you put this on your eyes you see how it brightens your eyes immediately. It is used on your eyelids from your lash line to the browline and instantly you will see your eyes will be more open, brighter and it does actually give your eyes an instant lift. 

You can either use this alone or you can use under your eyeshadows. This product will make your eyeshadows stay on longer and not crease throughout the day. Since its a light color it will also give your eyeshadow a base where so that your eyeshadows look brighter. This product does wonders for those people that have uneven skin tone around the eye area. The brighter your eyes are the more awake you will look. This will help your appearance completely. This product is said to be a line filler which will make your eyes look younger and brighter and the appearance of your wrinkles will be less visible. This is long wearing and will definitely last through the day. I love using this product when I try to just go for a plain look, no makeup look and just have maybe a bold lip. When I do a bold lip I try to go with a plain eye but plain doesn't mean that I don't wear any makeup, I just tone it down. This product retails for $38 which is a hefty price for an eye primer but its definitely more than that. I do like this product but not sure if I would repurchase because it is one of those luxury products.

Do you use any luxury products that are like your guilty pleasures? Let me know and next time I decide to splurge maybe it will be on that!

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Giorgio Armani Maestro Eraser Concealer

As you know I've been in the eternal search for a perfect under eye concealer. I've been searching and searching and have always come up short handed. My issue with concealers is that even though my skin is oily but the skin under my eyes is very dry. This is the biggest issue that I have. I also have dark circles under my eyes due to genetics. thanks Mom! So all in all what I look for in a concealer is something that is hydrating , has good coverage and something that won't crease throughout the day. I went to +Sephora one day and all I wanted to get out of that trip was a concealer that would solve all of my problems. I proceeded to tell the representative at +Sephora that I need something that will hide my dark circles, brighten up the area and also something that is hydrating. I proceeded to also explain my skincare routine so that she understands that I take care of my skin and I do use eye cream, moisturizers and I also use Panda's Dream Good-Bye Dark Eye Corrector so this adds extra moisture but even with all that it doesn't stop from the concealer from creasing and looking dry.

The representative looked at my eyes and immediately knew that I needed the Giorgio Armani Maestro Eraser Concealer. She explained that it was the most hydrating concealer that they have in Sephora and that it is one of the best out there. It retails for $42 so for concealer it better be good. Since I've heard this sales tactic a lot I opted for a sample. The color they gave me was the exact color to my skin usually I go for something lighter so that it can brighten my skin but I used it and immediately felt that it was liquidy. It also had shimmer in it. That didn't stop me from using it. I usually apply my concealer after the foundation so thats what I did and with my Beauty Blender.  I sealed it with the ELF under eye brightening setting powder and went on my way. The coverage was great and I liked how it felt on my skin since it was so hydrating. The real test is once I have it on throughout the day. I got home and it passed the test. I noticed immediately that the coverage was better than anything I've tried in the past and it didn't crease as much as I thought it would. I'm glad I tried this and I've been using it ever since. I tried it before even reading the reviews which was a bad thing because I probably would have bought it sooner had I known how amazing it was. It says its a hybrid concealer that combines makeup and skincare with its fine texture that it has. The illuminating concealer instantly brightens the eye area and it will even gradually fade away the blue tone of dark circles and moisturize eyelids to enhance your eyes and make your overall face look more radiant. If your eyes look amazing then the rest of your face will look amazing. I know it has a price of $42 but between covering up the dark circles and actually gradually fading them over time, I think its worth every penny.

Do you have any concealers that you love? Let me know and I would love to try them!

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Nars Satin Crayon in Timanfaya

If you've been reading my blog posts you will know that I am totally in love with a bold lip. I feel like in the Summer you will notice that it is just too hot to cake on your foundation and just put a lot of makeup on. That doesn't mean that you don't wear makeup. I don't think I would ever not wear makeup. I try to always stay trendy with my makeup and one of the things that you will always see in Beauty Magazines are that a bold lip is the way to go for summer. Your skin should be nice, natural and dewy nothing too harsh. Everything sheer when thinking about summer. I like to do that also. I usually go for a nice glow on my cheeks and a bold lip with a little bit of mascara. 

If you've read some of my posts in the past. I've raved about Nars lip crayons. They have different finishes available but I personally stick to the velvet finish which are the ones that are more matte and then my second favorite is the satin finish which is a little bit more creamy but still matte enough to not be a gloss. Lately I've been looking for another type of bold lipstick color because I've noticed that I have either hot pinks or purples which isn't really bold if thats your normal color. I decided that since its summer I would go for more of an orange color. After asking around and trying on different colors I decided to stick with the Nars Satin Crayon in Timanfaya. This is a mandarin bright orange color which is the boldest of all bold color. I am going to be going to Puerto Rico in a week and I figured that this color would be amazing with a tan. If anyone can pull this color off it would definitely be me. 

If you are looking for something bold, something that will make you stand out, I think you can't go any bolder than this color. It retails for $25 and you can purchase it in +Sephora in stores or online. You can also find these in +NARS Cosmetics store fronts around the US.

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Benefit They're Real Eye MakeUp Line

For those who know me, you know I am a sucker for a bold lip and an amazing mascara. I try a lot of different mascaras. I try from drugstore to premium brands like Benefit. Some brands are worth the pricier price tags but some you would be shocked that they are so cheap. One of my favorite mascaras is from Benefit. This is definitely a higher end mascara. You can find it in +Sephora. This mascara has a great wand. It separates your lashes like no other. It has more of that plastic brush and it has a ball on the end so that you can get in those inner and outer corners. The formula is great and it really does make your eyelashes look like they are fake.

Benefit just started to add to this fabulous collection. They recently added an eyeliner and an eye makeup remover. This is great since the mascara is so amazing already the brand and product line is already off to a great start. The eyeliner is for those girls that love that eyeliner that is just perfect. This liner is in a gel like pen form. In the past, you were either to get the pencil form or the gel form which you can apply with an angled brush. Benefit doesn't stop to amaze me with their products. A pen gel formula eyeliner. The tip has more of a rubberized feel and all you have to do is click up and dispense the gel. This formula enables you to be able to hug your lash line to give you that perfect liner look. Since it has a pen applicator, you can get a perfect cat eye and winged look. I am a total amature with the cat eye or winged look but with this liner, it will definitely make it easier to do. I am going to still need practice to avoid looking like a panda bear but if I am going to learn, this liner is probably the best one to learn with. 

Benefit is also adding a eye makeup remover which is perfect since trying to get all this stuff off your eyes is usually a challenge. They managed to create a balm like eye makeup remover. This is going to be great to remove all the eyeliner and mascara. This doesn't debut until June but I am already looking forward to this launch. The eyeliner will retail for $24 and the eye makeup remover will retail for $18 and for those who are interested in getting the mascara now, that retails for $23.

Do you have a favorite mascara or eyeliner? Let me know I would love to try new things!

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NYX Baked Blush Review

Now that Spring is in the air everywhere else except in the Northeast I always look for ways to change my make up look to make it more Spring-y and less Winter-y. One way to do that is use a different blush. I usually like the darker colors for blush since I am more of a medium olive tone skin color. In the Winter, I like more of a matte finish to my blushes, I usually also go for colors that are more muted. These pair well with a nude lip or a bold dark lip. For Spring, I let it all out. I like to go lighter on my foundation so I usually go with a BB cream and then just concealer to make sure that my under eyes don't look like I haven't slept in years. I also like to add a blush that has a bit of a sheen to it. Something that isn't a highlighter but that has bit of a highlighting aspect to it. I wanted to get the +Too Faced Cosmetics Sweethearts Perfect Flush blush but it retails for about $30 and I thought that was a bit crazy for a blush. I 

Lately I've been trying a lot of different blushes and I heard that NYX was coming out with a Baked Blush. I saw this and jumped on it immediately. I love how these look on my face. When you swatch them on your finger, you immediately see that the color is sheer and has a bit of a highlighter feel to it. This is a blush that you need to really layer on so that you can see color but honestly I like that about this blush. I like that you don't have to be careful with it. I like how you really need to use your brush and apply a lot of layers. This gives you the freedom to have more of a loose hand and not worry about looking like a clown. They come in a lot of colors from pinks to bronzers and for drugstore blushes, I think these are one of the best ones out there.

They retail for about $6 each which is nothing compared to its +Sephora dupe from +Too Faced Cosmetics which is $30. I definitely recommend these more for the Spring and Summer seasons just because they look nice since they have highlighter built in already. Do you have a favorite blush? I'd love to hear about it! Definitely let me know!

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Rimmel Stay Matte Primer Review

One of my really good friends +Madeline Mulero has been asking for my "expertise" lately about makeup lately which I love since I always love talking about makeup. Mind you, she lives in Puerto Rico and I am here in NYC. There is a bit of a distance issue but with technology that we have now a days we make it work. She recently had to go to a wedding and in April in Puerto Rico its already really hot and it was outside. She really needed tips to making your makeup last. Okay so as you guys know I have really oily skin. I use a setting spray +Urban Decay Cosmetics All Nighter or the +e.l.f. Cosmetics Matte one every single day and honestly my skin still gets oily and my makeup doesn't look like it did when I left the house in the morning. It just doesn't and I've tried everything from good primers to good foundations and honestly at this point of my life, I've learned to accept it.

While +Madeline Mulero was in the drugstore searching for some of the products that I told her she should buy, she showed me Rimmel London Stay Matte Primer. I automatically thought, hmm I need to try this. I already use the Stay Matte foundation and I have to say that this is really good. It does hold the oily back better than normal foundations that don't have that component in it. One thing I do advise about the Stay Matte foundation is that you need to make sure you don't use a lot. I made the mistake with putting a lot on my hand and applying it to my face and wow! I needed to watch my face and start over. So just be careful. I also add a little bit of the Garnier Ultra-Lift Transformer Anti-Age Skin Corrector so the matte is cut a little bit because it can be a bit cakey looking.

I finally got the primer and was super excited to try this out. I opened it up and was expecting that milky white see through silicone gel texture and instead it was creamy more of a lotion type look and I was already skeptical. I put it on and it dried nicely. It was smooth and my foundation went on very nice over it. I had it on all day. I live in NYC and today was a cool spring day but I was running around so I did sweat a bit and when I got home I took a look at my face and I was stunned. I couldn't believe how my face didn't look oily at all. It obviously didn't look as matte and put together as it did in the morning but I was stunned because the Hourglass Liquid to Powder foundation didn't look this good after a day of wear. Hourglass foundation is $55 and Rimmel London Stay Matte Primer and Stay Matte Foundation are $6.99 each that's still cheaper than one foundation. 

I definitely recommend this if you have oily skin or if you are going to do something outside where you think you are going to sweat and you need your makeup to stay put without looking like a greaseball. I think this is perfect for you.

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Beauty Blender Review

I wanted to review the beauty blender so that you guys can get a personal opinion on this sponge craze and why everyone is just going nuts about it. It's definitely turning into a cult favorite so of you were thinking about getting it but still unsettled about the price, this blog is for you.

The original egg shaped sponge is called The Beauty Blender and originally they only came in hot pink but now they added white and black to the mix. Now I know you have probably seen a lot of different knockoffs in other colors or other brands. I usually find them either in the drugstore or in Marshalls/TJMaxx. I personally don't recommend those because for me at least, they didn't work as good as the original one. 

The beauty blender is supposed to be used wet, I know it sounds weird. The packaging says it's suppose to give you a flawless finish when you apply your makeup with the Beauty Blender. I use my beauty blender for everything from foundation to concealer to cream blushes. The packaging says you can use it for everything, even eyeshadows or powder application. Usually, what I do is wet my beauty blender until you see it double in size. It will have a softer feel to it when it's wet. Then I dry it a bit with my blow dryer just because I don't want it to be so wet that my face has to be air dried. I then take my foundation apply it to my face directly and then blot it, using the bigger end of the egg shaped beauty blender while bouncing it on my skin to ensure even coverage. I keep doing this until my foundation is fully blender into my skin, I them move onto my concealer and for this I use the smaller end because it's easier to get into the inner eye area with that end. This helps me dab the concealer without taking too much of the product off and having to reapply to the areas where I need brightening. This blender is able to glide the makeup into your skin to avoid those streak marks that you sometimes get from brushes. After I do my foundation and concealer, when I use cream blush, I do go in with the beauty blender to make sure that application is flawless. There is nothing worse than putting on a whole face of makeup and then having some weird application to the blush that is just all messed up. Its either uneven, or blotchy and just not pretty at all. This blush makes the application more even. This beauty blender is also good to use if you mess up and use too much blush or too much foundation, this can be used to remove the excess and make sure that the application is even and you don't have anything crazy on your face. 

I use this on a daily basis so I clean it with the Beautycleaner solid cleaner. Its their bar soap which is much better than their liquid soap. I don't think the liquid soap works at all. I don't think they should keep selling it. I wouldn't recommend anything other than their cleanser to clean the beauty blender. I do think you should clean it after every use. This will help you stretch your beauty blender longer before you have to repurchase. I've had mine for about 3 months now and it still looks like new. This sponge retails for $20 on +Sephora but I have seen it cheaper on other websites and if you have a coupon, you can get it for even cheaper. 

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Tarte Cheek Stain Review

Blush!! OMG I started to fall in love with blush once I moved to NYC. Not sure why I didn't really use it before but I was usually always tanned when I lived in Puerto Rico so I didn't really see a need for blush. Now that I use it, I can't see a reason not to use it. You need shades for everything. It makes your face look so different. I have a go to color but mostly like to switch it up every day depending on my eye make up. During the winter months my skin becomes more dried out and I like to add moisture by using non powder blush, bronzer and foundation. I saw that Tarte redesigned their cult favorite cheek stain line. The packaging is so cute now and I love all the colors. I wanted to buy all of them but I just went ahead and got the Flush color since it was the original berry stain color. These cheek stains smell amazing. They have something like a berry smell to them. They are also made with the maracuja oil that Tarte is oh so famous for which gives you all those amazing anti-aging benefits. The reason why it smells so good is because it has the T5 Super fruit complex which is maracuja, acai berry, acerola, goji berry and pomegranate. These are all good to help with the brightening, firming, inflammatory, cell regeneration, smoothing elements. These come in amazing colors and you are definitely going to find something that works for you. 

I like to apply this sometimes under my BB cream so that it just gives my skin a "just pinched" look, this is if I am only going to use BB cream and forgo foundation that day. If I decide to wear foundation, I opt to use it after the foundation. I apply this directly onto my cheek or sometimes with a foundation brush or the beauty blender. I haven't found a way that I absolutely love yet. I do know that I love this product. Its light and natural looking. It gives you a sheer hint of color which I love in a blush. I usually set it with translucent powder and thats it. It has long wear and don't feel like I need to reapply. I wouldn't reapply my blush either way but I don't need to. These retail for $30 and you can get them in +Sephora or +ULTA Beauty  or +Amazon.com. I know $30 for blush is a lot of money but this blush will last you and this isn't a seasonal product. You can use it all year round. I think it would look better once I get a tan and just put this and forgo foundation and bb cream. I can't wait for summer! 

Hope you enjoy this and let me know your thoughts if you've tried this or if you have a favorite color!

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Tarte CC Primer Stick Review

As you know if you've been reading, Tarte is really one of my favorite makeup brands. They came out with a CC primer stick a couple of months ago and I was all on it. I always love a good primer and that has colors to correct my pigmentation? I'm in! I went to the my local +Sephora and started swatching because normally I would go straight for the medium and be done with it but after reading reviews I saw that they were on the darker side. I went back and forth between the light and medium and since the girls that work there went on the mood to actually work so I had to just go on my own opinion. I went with the medium, went home and put it on and didn't see it being that dark but after a while u did realize that it was a tad too dark. I went back returned it for the light. I am definitely comfortable with the light on this one. This isn't very pigmented to begin with so I wasn't that worried.

So when you look at the primer you will see that there are four triangles-- two are the actual light color and one is green and one is purple. The green one is to balance off the redness on your skin and the purple if to help out the discolorations while brightening the dullness. This goes on smoothly when you put it directly on your face. The instructions say to apply directly on your skin on your T-zone, cheeks and chin. This allows the product to evenly go on your skin and you can blend it with your fingers. I recommend your fingers and not a beauty sponge or brush because since the coverage is so light, this helps the product stay on your face and not rub off on the sponge or brush applicator. Once this is on your skin you automatically feel that it feels very soft on your skin. This gives you a light light coverage. I can probably just go out with this and concealer but I prefer more coverage for work. Since this is made with the famous amazonian clay that Tarte is all about now, this is also good for your skin. You will see your skin brighten up and more hydrated after using this product for an extended amount of time. 

Once you've applied this, you will notice that your foundation goes on so much easier. It glides on and it gives you an overall smoother look. I love this and since it has the light coverage, this is what I use for the weekends. I definitely recommend this primer stick to anyone who loves light coverage and for those who need a color correcting primer, this is it. It retails for $34 and you can buy it at +Sephora, +ULTA Beauty, or +tarte cosmetics.

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Beauty Tips for under $10

I decided to do beauty tips that I've learned along the way while keeping it under $10 for each tip! I've used these along the way and think that they are great! I hope you enjoy!


Coconut Oil -- this works for everything. From conditioner for your hair to moisturizing your skin. You can also use it as a gentle make up remover, a natural way to lighten dark spot, chapped lips, face moisturizer, and helps as a cuticle oil to help your nails grow. You can get a big jar for about $5.99 so its definitely worth and has many different uses. 

Warm water and Salt -- when you mix 5 parts salt and 1 part water, put it in a spray bottle and you can spray on dry hair and it gives you the wavy beach hair that we all desire. There are a lot of sprays that you can get which cost so much and this works just as good. You can add coconut aroma just to give it the beach-y smell but if not you can still get the same look without the scent and for a quarter of the price.

Makeup spatula-- this is a mini spatula that you can use to get every little drop out of your foundation bottles or any other bottles that you can't stick your finger in because the opening is too small. These are good for those foundations that you spend all those money on so it lets you get your money's worth. This retails for $5 and is available on drugstore.com

Iron the tips-- when using a flat iron, just iron the tips of your hair so that the roots aren't flatten down. This helps keep the volume in your hair but you can use the iron to curl your ends.

False lashes--  falsies are great. They make your eyes look bigger and put together. You don't have to put on a lot of makeup to wear false lashes. The right lashes should be natural looking and I recommend Ardell Fashion Lashes in Demi 120. They retail for $5.99 and can be bought at drugstore.com

Preparation H-- This is a old trick that actually works. All you need is a new bottle of preparation h and mix it with your favorite eye cream. Put it on your the bags under your eyes so that it reduces the puffiness. This is not to be used every day but if you have a special occasion, this is a great trick. This retails for about $7.19 and can be found is most drugstores.

Vaseline-- This is a great product that has more than one uses. I love to use vaseline on my feet. I slather vaseline on my feet and put cotton socks on and then go to sleep. In the morning, my feet are so soft. I use it 3-4 times a week and keeps my feet nice and smooth and summer ready. A big container will retail for $5 and can be found in any drugstore.

Apple Cider Vinegar-- this can be used as a toner. This is something that is one of those old tricks and it still works. You can use it to treat blemishes and freshen up your face. Yes this stuff smells but just remember you are not JUST using the vinegar. You are only adding this into your skincare regimen in place for your toner which we should all be using. For those of you who aren't using a toner, you can start with this cheap option and just insert it into your routine after cleansing and before moisturizer. You can get a big bottle in your grocery stores for around $5 or less. 

Coffee and dishwasher soap-- This is something that I didn't think would work but its a great exfoliator. You use ground coffee beans and then mix with dishwashing soap and just rub into your skin. Since the dishwasher soap, I would avoid using this on your face. If you want to use on your face, just mix the coffee with a face wash.

These are some of my beauty tips for under $10 so I hope you enjoy!

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Smashbox The Master Class Palette 11 Review

Make up!! Yay I love reviewing make up! I had gotten this Smashbox Master Class Palette II a couple of months ago because I thought it was limited edition but I don't think it is. Or at least its still being sold in +sephora  and when I bought it, it had already been out for a while. So this palette is a mega palette. It has everything that you could need-- eyeshadows, eyeliners, blushes, bronzers, and highlighters. There are 28 eyeshadows, oh yes that is not a typo--28 eye shadows!!! There are a range from lights to dark and not only nude colors but all types of colors, blues, pinks, purples. The eye shadows are highly pigmented. They are definitely worth buying with just the eye shadows let a long the whole other part of the palette. These colors blend easily with each other. It comes with a plastic cover that groups the colors in groups of how well they blend together. You can use any colors you want together but if for some reason you aren't sure which colors would go well together, you can follow the plastic cover that easily groups them for you.

On the other side of the palette you have 4 eye liners which I don't really use because I guess I am still scared of gel/creamy eyeliners. I stick with powder and pencil liners. But these are good. I've swatched them and they have a gel consistency and swipe on easily. Below the liners are the blushes and bronzer. There are 5 blushes and 1 bronzer. The blushes are a range from the darker mauve color to lighter pink and with those colors that it comes with, you should have all the colors you need for blush for all four seasons. The bronzer is good on my skin tone for contouring. The colors are very pigmented but not clownish pigmented. They are easy to blend and the color is build-able. Now for my favorite part of the face palette portion is the highlighters. The highlighters are amazing! They are so pigmented and there is one that is a nude color and one that is more of a peachy color which I can't wait to use when I am tanned in the summer. All the colors are good for day and night. The palette is bulky so I wouldn't recommend it to put in your bag to go to work and reapply but for traveling, this is great. It retails for $59.50 and honestly for Smashbox 28 shadows alone that is an amazing price. This isn't a crappy brand, this is definitely a high end brand so $60 for 28 shadows, 4 liners, 5 blushers, 1 bronzer, and 2 highlighters is a steal! I definitely recommend this palette. You can find it in Sephora and Amazon. I just checked on Sephora.com and it does say limited edition so if you want it, I would pick it up fast but rest assured, its still available.

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Drugstore Finds Reviewed

I know you probably are all wondering why my blog is constantly about higher end products. Its not that I don't have drugstore make up. Its just I guess my newer products were higher end. So I figured I'd give you top 5 drugstore products. I guess I will start with the way I put the make up on:

1. Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser Primer-- this primer is amazing. It does exactly what it does. I have large pores and if you want your make up to apply smoothly, you need to have a great base and this primer is it. You only use a little bit of it and you smooth it over your skin. It makes your skin feel soft and smooth and instantly you can see your pores being blurred. The primer is clear and it does have a bit of a silicon feel to it but doesn't clog your pores. I would definitely recommend this primer for any one. It retails for $5.99 so its a great deal. 


2. Physicians Formula Youthful Wear Cosmeceutical Youth-Boosting Foundation + Brush, SPF 15-- This foundation has a great medium coverage. It has flawless coverage and is said to make your skin look 10 years younger. I guess I am not old enough to see those effects but it does make my skin look softer. It doesn't crease in the little wrinkles I do have. It evens out my skin tone and lasts a good 8 hrs. It doesn't help with my oily skin but with just a few touch ups of powder through out the day and its good to go. I like this foundation because of the coverage and the way it doesn't crease on my skin. The color selection isn't great so if you find one in your color, I would definitely recommend trying it. It also comes with a brush application which I do use but I have fallen in love with my Beauty Sponge so I use that on a daily basis since it smoothes everything on perfectly. It retails for $14.95 and for a foundation plus foundation brush that has SPF 15 its a steal.

3.Physicians Formula Powder Palette Multi-Colored Custom Blush Ultra Glam Bombshell Glow for Brunettes-- So Physicians Formula thought that brunettes and blondes needed different shades of blush and not depending on your skin tone. I was skeptical at first but after seeing reviews and pictures I was sold. I immediately went and bought it and I was very happy. It goes on in a light barbie pink which is nicer than it sounds. In the palette there are shades of bronzer and different shades of pink and highlighters. This blends very well with my medium skin tone. It retails for $11.99 and comes in a cute compact with a mirror and brush. I can't wait until I am tanned in the summer because I think this would go well with my tanned complexion. 

4. Covergirl LashBlast Clump Crusher Mascara-- I am a sucker for a great mascara. I have about a dozen of them and I have to say that I do rotate them enough to justify them. I have one for special occasions, I have different colors but one that I see myself going back to all the time is the LashBlast Clump Crusher. I have it in Very Black and Black Brown and they are great. They separate my lashes and just as the name says without clumps. I have long lashes so this does the trick. I use this one along with my voluming mascara because I feel I need a bit more volume but this mascara is definitely great. You can put as many 3 coats and you don't have to worry about your eye lashes getting all clumpy and spider-lash looking. This retails for $6.99 and for the way it makes your lashes look. Its a great buy probably better than some of those $20+ mascaras out there.


5. Yes To Inc Yes To Blueberries Cleansing Facial Towelettes-- I use these to take off my make up after a long day of work. These allow the cleanser that I use to penetrate into my skin. This are really soft and they are very moist with product. A lot of these towelettes lose moisture and these don't. They are said to have anti aging ingredients, I personally don't see anything but they do smell good so I love them. You get 25 in a pack and it retails for $5.99. Some may ask 'why don't you just use soap and water?' It just since I use a lot of make up, these help remove most of it before the soap goes on so that my skin is fully clean and hydrated when I am done washing my face!

Well these are my drugstore finds. They aren't in any particular order other than the way I would use them. I love a lot of other things from the drugstore so I would probably do more of these.

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Urban Decay Naked3 Palette Review

For my birthday, my mom asked me what I wanted from +sephora ... she knows me way too well. I immediately started to think what I wanted and the first thing that came to mind was the Urban Decay Naked3 palette. I was unsure about it when it first came out because I wasn't thrilled by the Naked2 palette, so I really just browsed right by it every time I was in Sephora. I finally read reviews on how it was a rose gold beauty and once I heard that, I was hooked! I love rose gold everything. I figured all the colors were wearable on a day to day basis since they aren't hard dark colors. 

So just to go through the palette from left to right the colors get darker as they go. I will list them out starting from the left:

Strange-- this color is a nice milky cream matte color which is good for the inner corner of the eye, brow line and even use it as a base
Dust-- this is a shimmery glittery nude pink rose color which is gorgeous for the inner eye or even just to add a little depth to the darker colors
Burnout-- this is a nude shimmer which isn't as shimmery as Dust. It has a sheen to it
Limit-- nude matte color which is good for the crease
Buzz-- is a couple of shades darker than Dust but the same shimmery glittery color
Trick-- is a couple of shade darker than Burnout 
Nooner-- is a couple of shades darker than limit which is also nice for the crease as well
Liar-- is more of a gold sheen color less rosey than the colors before
Factory-- is a gold nude medium dark color which for normal days is good to use for the outer corner of your eyes
Mugshot-- is a gold color not rosey but not your typical gold gold. Its a nude gold which is perfect for summer. I would use it for the under eyelid to add depth to my eyes
Darkside-- its a dark brown but not your normal brown as it has a slight fleck of rosey gold shimmer in it. Gorgeous for the outer corner of the eye
Blackheart-- this is the darkest color of the group and its more of a reddish brown with more glittery flecks in it. This is more of a glittery shade than a sheen shade. This shade is good to tight line the upper eye and also lower eyelash lines. I also like it for the outer corner of the eye for that extra pop when you want to go out at night. 

This palette is definitely very versatile and even though its a bit bulky, its not that big and can definitely go with you to travel. It comes with a 2 sided brush which is very good for both blending and the precision side is also good to put the shadow on nicely I think the only thing that would be missing is a liner brush. The palette retails for $52 and isn't limited edition so don't feel like you have to run out and get the palette today before its sold out. You can get it in Sephora, Ulta, or Urban Decay online.

Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!! Let me know your thoughts or what types of looks did do you with them? I'd love to see them, you can tag me on Instagram!!

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HOURGLASS Immaculate Liquid Powder Foundation Mattifying Oil Free Review

I am obsessed with foundation. I think if you have a good foundation, the rest of your make up looks great! I have oily skin so when I was younger I would opt for just the pressed powder options. Now that I am a bit older, the wrinkles are coming in, I work a lot so I wanted a little bit more coverage to make look radiant and hide my imperfections. I don't have a lot of discoloration on my face but I do have very oily skin. Its just horrible for foundation since by the afternoon my foundation just melts off even in the winter!

I am always looking for different mattifying foundations but ones that won't cake on so I would usually just get one for normal skin and opt for more of the radiant look than the mattifying look. I have been using the Urban Decay Naked foundation in shade 5.0 and it has been great. I love the light to medium coverage which you can build it up for more coverage. But unfortunately, by the end of the day my face is all oily. I have to constantly blog with blotting papers or recently I've been using the Urban Decay Mattifying pressed translucent powder but I feel like by 3rd application of just sitting at my desk not really working out or doing anything crazy, the coverage isn't quite there anymore. 

Color: Sand

I finally decided to splurge on the newer to +sephora  brand, Hourglass Immaculate Liquid Powder Foundation. On Sephora.com it is said that its a breakthrough liquid to powder foundation formula that absorbs oil, camouflages imperfections, and delivers a long-lasting, velvet-matte finish. I read a couple of reviews on this about other girls that I follow that also have oily skin and since its my birthday week I justified the price of $55 for foundation. They have 16 different shades and I got the Sand color which says its medium with pink undertones. I was very excited to try this but decided to wait until Monday with would be a true testimony on how it works.

The box says to not use a sponge so I opted to use my fingers because I felt my brushes (even though good ones) weren't good enough. I might splurge for the Hourglass foundation blush some time in the future. I put on a primer as I always do. I did notice that this doesn't or at least doesn't say on the bottle if it has SPF so I made sure that I put a BB cream and/or something with SPF as a primer since I use retinol and I don't want to harm my skin. 

The application is flawless. It goes on really smooth, blends easily and doesn't set so fast that you have to work quicker than usual before it sets from liquid to powder. Before I went to applying my concealer, I took a moment to look at my face and I have to say it looked really good. It was definitely mattifying but didn't look cakey which was great. I went on to apply my concealer, powder blush and bronzer and set my face with Elf mattifying setting spray. 

Normally by 12 NOON, my face is starting to shine but this time it was still velvety smooth. It kind of compares to Urban Decay Naked foundation when you first apply it. After 6pm the foundation was still nice and matte. Obviously it wasn't as matte as it was in the morning but it was definitely better than anything I've used before. I know the price isn't cheap but my face looks great. It doesn't break me out and it lasts all day. I can go out at night and still look good without having to bring my make up bag to work if I'm going to go out after. 

For those of you who can't find it in your wallet to splurge for this Hourglass foundation. I've read online that possible dupes are Boots No7 Beautiffully Matte Foundation, Rimmel London Clean Finish Foundation, and Rimmel London Stay Matte Foundation.

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Tarte be MATTEnificent Colored Clay Eye & Cheek Palette

Where do I start with this Tarte limited edition palette!! This called my name the second it came out. I was all over it because of the colors and at the moment I am on a Tarte kick so I was so excited when I walked into my local +sephora  and saw this palette in all its glory. I heard angels singing their glory when my eyes landed on the different shades of purple and pink, maroon and gold exterior. This is part of their Amazonian Clay so I guess it should look like a cave or something like that.

As the title explains, its a eye and cheek palette. It comes with 6 eyeshadows, 1 blush and 2 liners. It also has a double sided eye brush. So to start with the eyeshadows-- top left is a light cream color called "Sand out of the crowd(base)". This color is great as a base color or an inner corner color. Top middle color is "Peach for the stars (lid)" which is a tan light peach color. Top right color is "Two plums up (outer corner)" this color is a deep purple color, probably my favorite color out of the group. Down to the bottom half from left to right is "Pink outside the box (lid)", "Rose to the occasion (crease)", and "View form the taupe (crease)". The Pink color is the best one in my opinion hat looks amazing with the plum color. I am really into the dark and light contrast. The Rose color is a nice crease color to just give your eyes depth. The taupe color is my second go to color when I want to let the Pink one rest. Its a nice nude taupe.

These eyeshadows are all matte so there are no shimmers. I really thought this would be sort of an issue because I love a little bit of shimmer on the inner corner of my eyes but this palette is a great every day palette. The texture is buttery and creamy. They are all highly pigmented and last all day.

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The 2 colors on the bottom are "Dream in Chocolate" and "Don't Stand Black" are 2 liners which I use to tight line the upper eye lid and sometimes wing the outer corner out. The blush is called Elevated! 
O M G! This color is probably one of the best colors. This is the prettiest mute blush pink color that is like a milky mauve color. Its just too gorgeous. I would love to find this color on its own. Not sure if they have this color on its own, if they don't they should. Its gorgeous!

The brush is nice! I don't use this brush alone to achieve my look but its a nice compact staple to have in my collection. 

I hope you enjoyed this palette as much as I did. I don't think its available anymore unless at a local store. I would check either Ulta or Sephora or anywhere you can find Tarte Cosmetics. 

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Divergent Multi-Piece Collector's Kit

This limited edition makeup kit is a great value! You get 12 eyeshadow shades plus 3 transformer shades so a total of 15 eyeshadows!!! Plus 2 blushes, 1 bronzer, 1 highlighter, 4 lip glosses and 1 double sided brush! The eye shadows are amazing!  Great color pay off, pigmentation of all the shadows are amazing and all of them look completely different when they are wet! I usually wet the  transformer shade and apply it with a pencil brush to use as a liner or on the lower lash line. The colors are amazing, very different from what I've seen in the past and I have a lot of palettes. This one is definitely the mother of all palettes and its worth every penny! If you have the kit, I don't recommend buying the smaller one because some of the shades are the same but thats just my opinion. 

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Blushes are easily build-able and the highlighter is just perfect, not too glittery and not too matte. The highlighter is build-able as well. It has a golden sheen to it though which I'm used to seeing Opal but the gold is definitely pretty. 

The lip glosses are nice. The colors are gorgeous, nice and nude-tones since the eye colors are so intense its nice to go with a nice nude lip. They are not sticky but I would have to dip the wand in the bottle 2 or 3 times to get enough on the lips, at least for the lighter colors. 

All in all, I do recommend this palette to anyone, especially since its limited edition and its a great value at $59.50

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