Swatches: Stila Illuminating Finishing Powder in Rose Gold

Hey everyone! Since Spring is here and Summer is on its way (YAY!), I have been highlighting my face. I feel like it gives my face a much needed glow. Having your face look all glowy and bronzed is always in for Summer. If you didn't know already, I got this from a friend. She uses this as a finishing powder and intended to buy this as a backup but since she hasn't hit pan on her's yet, she decided to give it to me. This is my first Stila product and I am loving it. So if you are reading this Joan, thank you again. I haven't been using this as a finishing powder because I use my bronzer for that. My face is on the pale side so I like to use my bronzer to set my liquid foundation to give it some color. Instead of using this as a finishing powder, I have been using it as a highlighter for the top of my cheekbones and sometimes on the bridge of my nose.

Its a gorgeous highlighter! I included some swatches and what it looks like after you blend it in. I use this with a eye blending brush from Coastal Scents. I would provide the link of the brush but I checked yesterday and they don't sell it anymore, which is a shame. I feel like a blending brush applys the product perfectly onto my skin, without it looking too much. The only thing that I was sad about was that the product wasn't in an actual pan. Instead there was glue on the actual product. I wish Stila has just placed this in a pan because it wastes so much product since you can never use the part that has the glue on. All in all, I really like using this. Its gives off a gorgeous glow and is a pretty shade.

**All written content and pictures belong to me. Please do not use or steal for any reason.**

Swatches: ELF Essential Beauty School Beauty Book in Natural

Hey everyone! I have been using the same palette for a while now and thought that it was finally time to post swatches. I bought this sometime last year from EyesLipsFace.com when it was 50% off. When I had bought it, it was before ELF redid their beauty books and replaced their cream shadows with a mirror. It also came with an eyeliner pencil and an eyeshadow sponge applicator. I don't like the eyeshadow pencil because it takes forever to apply onto the waterline. I actually depotted the shadows because I had them in a MAC palette. I didn't how they looked in the MAC palette so I made another case for them. I am now using a CD case to hold these shadows. It makes it easier for me to store my palettes on my vanity.

The ELF Essential Beauty School Beauty Book comes with 2 cream shadows and 12 powder shadows. This palette is a great everyday palette, hence the name of the palette being Natural. I love the shades of the shadows that come with this palette because they are all natural and great for everyday looks. All of these shadows are pigmented and in my opinion, soft to the touch. They aren't as soft as WnW shadows but these are pretty good in comparison. I did all of the swatches with one swipe and without primer. If you had used primer, the shadows would definitely be more pigmented but I didn’t feel the need of a primer, because the shadows are already pigmented. Some of the shadows do tend to be powdery but I don't really have a problem with that.

The cream shadows aren't my favorite. I don't think these have the same formula as their Duo Cream Shadows because I prefer those over the ones provided in the Beauty Book. The champagne cream shadow was sort of chunky. I am not sure if you can tell in the swatches. Whenever I would use this cream shadow, I would sometimes get little chunks and would have to smooth everything out. I don’t get the same problem with the bronze cream shadow for some reason.

ELF Beauty Books are $5USD plus tax and can be bought either online on EyesLipsFace.com and/or select Target stores. They also have a variety of other colors besides Natural. I heard that their Brights one is somewhat of an affordable dupe to UD Shadow Book palettes but I don't own either so I can't really say. All in all, I think this is a great palette for those are have just started getting into makeup and/or for those who love wearing neutral shades.

Have you ever tried ELF products before? What about their Beauty Books? What do you think about the Beauty Book in Natural?

**All written content and pictures belong to me. Please do not use or steal for any reason.**

Review: Yes To Carrots Nourishing Rich Moisture Day Cream

Hey everyone! Today, I am going to review a product that I have been using everyday. It is the Yes To Carrots Nourishing Rich Moisture Day Cream. It is a very thick cream so I only use this as a night cream after I cleanse my face, before bed. It doesn't have any SPF so for me, its more suited as a night cream. It might be better for others as a dry cream, if their skin is really dry and needs that extra moisture. Its supposed to give your skin its daily vitamin boost and hydrate your skin with almond oil. Its also free of parabens, petroleum, and SLS. The Yes To website describes:

"Meet mornings head on and with that beautiful face! Yes To Carrots Rich Moisture Day Cream softens, smoothes, and firms your skin, leaving you with a healthy nourishing glow that radiates through the day. It's morning moisturizer for day long nourishment that will keep the gorgeous glow on your face!"

The size of this is pretty decent for a cream because its so thick and creamy, you don't need to use a lot of product. It comes with 1.7 fl. oz, which is 50mL of product. It orginally retails for $14.99USD plus tax but I bought this for under $3USD plus tax. It was on clearance at Walgreens. I don't know if this is getting discontinued. If anyone knows, please let me know. I have seen it on clearance at Ulta as well. You can still purchase it online from the Yes To website. To see more information and/or order this, click here: Yes To Carrotes Nourishing Rich Moisture Day Cream

The key ingredients are organic carrots and sweet almond oil. The organic carrots are supposed to protect your skin from damaging free radicals while the almond oil gives your skin a natural glow. Taken from the actual packaging, the other ingredients are:

"WATER (AQUA), PRUNUS AMYGDALUS DULCIS (SWEET ALMOND) OIL, GLYCERYL STEARATE, POTASSIUM CETYL PHOSPHATE, ALOE BARBADENSIS (ALOE VERA) LEAF JUICE, CAPRYLIC/CAPRIC TRIGLYCERIDE, PERSEA GRATISSIMA (AVOCADO) OIL, HYDROGENATED PALM GLYCERIDES, CETYL ALCOHOL, PROPANEDIOL DAUCUS CAROTA SATIVA (CARROT) ROOT EXTRACT, IPOMOEA BATATAS TUBER (SWEET POTATO) EXTRACT, SILT (DEAD SEA), TOCOPHEROL (VITAMIN E), PUNICA GRANATUM (POMEGRANATE) FRUIT EXTRACT, CITRUS AURANTIUM DULCIS (ORANGE) FRUIT EXTRACT, CAMELLIA SINENSIS (GREEN TEA) LEAF EXTRACT, CITRUS NOBILIS (MANDARIN ORANGE) PEEL OIL, SPIRULINA MAXIMA EXTRACT, HONEY EXTRACT, SALICYLIC ACID, GLYCERIN, SQUALANE, POTASSIUM SORBATE, ALCOHOL, SODIUM HYDROXIDE, SODIUM HYALURONATE, PHENOXYETHANOL FRAGRANCE (PARFUM)"

I wish the packaging was different because I hate having to stick my fingers everyday. I don't really find it sanitary and would rather prefer a pump dispenser. The top is just a twist off and you would have to grab the product with your fingers. Other than that, I can't really think of any cons with this cream. It does have a smell to it but I can't describe it. The smell is somewhat sweet and does linger on the face for a while but you don't really notice it. I really like using this as a night cream because its just the perfect amount of moisture for my skin. Have you ever tried this product? What kind of day cream do you use? Is there one that you would recommend? What do you think about the Yes To product line?

**All pictures belong to me. All written content belongs to me unless otherwise stated. Please do not use or steal for any reason.**

Look What I Got!

Hey everyone! Look what I received in the mail today. I was so happy when I saw this package in my mailbox today!! But to tell you the truth, I actually didn't know what was inside. LOL Either way, I was excited and couldn't wait to get inside my house to open it! When I opened it and saw a little flyer showing the words, "TOMS + Essie" I got so happy and remembered what it was. It was a free Essie nail polish!

If you don't remember this offer, it was on Facebook a month or so back. Both Essie and Toms were working together and were offering a free nail polish. I think that they were giving away the same shade to everybody. The Essie nail polish that I was so lucky enough to get was Barefoot in Blue. It is a gorgeous creamy ocean blue shade that is perfect for the Spring! I love this shade and can't wait to wear it soon!

Were you one of the lucky few to receive a free Essie nail polish? What do you think about Barefoot in Blue? Do you like Essie polishes?

**All written content and pictures belong to me. Please do not use or steal for any reason.**

DIY: Lipgloss/Lipstick/Lip Balm Holder

Hey everyone! Guess what? I had some extra time today and decided to do another DIY. This time I decided to make my own lipstick holder. I actually got inspired by a blog post on someone’s blog. Sorry I can’t remember who I saw this from. I did end up customizing it to my needs. I did sort of go overboard because I ended up making more slots than I actually needed, which you can see in the pictures.

This DIY took me a long time to finish. You definitely need to be patient with these. This lip product holder took me about 4 hours to complete but I am happy with the way that it turned out. I just love how I am not able to stand my lip products up and see the actual label of all of my lip products. I do have more lip products but I actually keep them in an acrylic lipstick stand on my vanity. I was just going to store all of my lip products in the holder that I made but I just love how the acrylic holder looks on my vanity that I just couldn’t part with it. If you would like to see a post on my acrylic lipstick holder, let me know!

This DIY only used up one and a half foam boards and around 4 glue sticks. I don’t really feel like doing the calculation right now but I think this probably cost me under $3USD plus tax to make since all I had to do was buy the glue sticks and foam boards. If you would like to see a more in-depth post on my lip products, let me know. I have been considering on doing YouTube videos on makeup and maybe fashion but I am not sure. What do you guys think? Have you done a DIY?

**All written content and pictures belong to me. Please do not use or steal for any reason.**

My Favorite Everyday Face Brushes

Hey everyone! I just finished running errands and was going to refresh my makeup when I thought to do a post on my favorite everyday face brushes. These are the brushes that I reach for everyday. I even have back-ups of these for when I am deep cleaning my brushes. Keep in mind, that these are the brushes that work for me and my face. Just because a brush is my favorite and works for me, doesn't mean that it would work wonders for you as well. It just depends on what kind of brush you are looking and what kind of performance you need the brush to do. All of these brushes are very affordable. You can easily find them at your drugstores and at Target stores. You can purchase them online as well.

My Everyday Face Makeup Brushes:
     - ELF Studio Powder Brush
     - ELF Studio Complexion Brush
     - ELF Studio Fan Brush
     - EcoTools Buff Flat Top Kabuki
     - EcoTools Contour Domed Kabuki

ELF STUDIO POWDER BRUSH
I use this brush everyday. I have back ups of this brush and I always keep two cleaned so I can always have one handy whenever I need to deep clean a brush. This brush is great for both liquid and powder foundations. I love using it for my liquid foundations. I just dot my Almay Clear Complextion Foundation on my face and use the powder brush to buff everything out. This brush retails for $3USD plus tax. You can buy this either online at EyesLipsFace.com and/or at Target stores.

ELF STUDIO COMPLEXION BRUSH
I use this brush to apply my all over face powder. Whenever I want to add some color to my fair skin, I use this brush to apply my bronzer all over my face. You can also use this brush to apply powder blush, which is what my sister loves this brush for. Its a great brush and very affordable. This brush retails for $3USD plus tax. You can buy this either online at EyesLipsFace.com and/or at Target stores. A great alternative for this would be the EcoTools Bamboo Powder Brush. They are pretty much the same size, except the EcoTools brush is a little bit bigger and it has more bristles to it. If you want to see a comparision between the two brushes, just let me know and I will post one!

ELF STUDIO FAN BRUSH
This fan brush is not dense and doesn't have a lot of bristles like most high-end brushes. Its very thin, so if you don't like thin fan brushes then this brush would not be for you. I sometimes use this to brush any fallouts on my cheeks from my shadow. The main reason why I use this is because I love using it to apply my highlighter. Its just the right size to apply my Stila Illuminating Finishing Powder or my Maybelline Single Eyeshadow in Champagne onto the top of my cheekbones and on the bridge of my nose. This brush retails for $3USD plus tax. You can buy this either online at EyesLipsFace.com and/or at Target stores. If I don't have this brush within reach, sometimes I grab a fluffy blending brush.

ECOTOOLS BUFF FLAT TOP KABUKI
I bought this brush in a limited edition set by EcoTools called "Beautiful Expressions Kabuki Set." You can't find it in stores anymore so I am sorry for even mentioning it. I use this brush for blush. An alternative to this brush would be either the Essence of Beauty Powder Brush and/or the ELF Studio Powder Brush. I generally use powder brushes as blush brushes just because I feel like they are the perfect sizes for my cheeks.

ECOTOOLS CONTOUR DOMED KABUKI
I also bought this brush in a limited edition set by EcoTools called "Beautiful Expressions Kabuki Set." You can't find it in stores anymore so I am sorry for even mentioning it. I use this brush for contouring. Its the perfect size to fit into the hallow parts of my cheek for contouring. I also love how it applys bronzer onto my face.

So that is all the brushes that I reach for the most whenever I am doing my face. I hope that it was helpful. If you would like to see my favorite eye brushes, just let me know! If you have any other questions, you can comment below and I will try my best to answer them. What kind of face brushes do you use on an everyday basis? What do you think about my favorite brushes? Do you use the same brushes as me and which ones?

**All written content and pictures belong to me. Please do not use or steal for any reason.**

Swatches: L'Oreal Infallible Lipsticks in 828 Infinite Spice & 814 Forever Frappe

Hey everyone! Today I am going to be talking about two lipsticks that I recently hauled. I have been wearing them off and on. I bought both lipsticks at Target. They was on clearance for under $3USD and I had coupons. With the coupons, I think I only paid around $0.10USD to $0.25USD for these lipsticks, which is a great deal since they normally retail for $11USD plus tax. The lipsticks that I am talking about are the L’Oreal Infallible Lipsticks in 828 Infinite Spice & 814 Forever Frappe.

I am going to separate this into two parts. First I am going to talk about Infinite Spice and then at the end of the post, I will talk about Forever Frappe. I am not good at describing colors so I will try my best. LOL To me, Infinite Spice is a brown shade. It is my first brown lipstick so I am not used to wearing since I am so accustomed to pink lip shades. The name describes this shade perfectly, in my opinion. I think this shade would be perfect for the fall and winter times because its more of a dark shade.

Taken from the actual L’Oreal website, they claim the L’Oreal Infallible Lipsticks give:

"10 hours of vivid, hi definition colour and shine, while hydrating Vitamin E keeps your lips moist and comfortable.”

I am going to separate this into two parts. First I am going to talk about Infinite Spice and then at the end of the post, I will talk about Forever Frappe. I am not good at describing colors so I will try my best. LOL To me, Infinite Spice is a brown shade. It is my first brown lipstick so I am not used to wearing since I am so accustomed to pink lip shades. The name describes this shade perfectly, in my opinion. I think this shade would be perfect for the fall and winter times because its more of a dark shade.

Okay, now onto Forever Frappe. Most people online described Forever Frappe as a mauvey shade but I see it more as a mauvey brown. If you have really pigmented lips, then this shade would be a great “better than your lips” shade. Some bloggers describe this as a nude as well but to me, I wouldn’t really classify this as a nude. But then again, I am not good at describing colors. To me, I think this is a great fall/winter shade to have on the lips.

These lipsticks claim to last 10 hours on the lips. On my lips, they lasts about 2-3 hours, which is typical for any lipsticks in my opinion. I did eat dinner and drank a lot of water and I was surprised that it was still on my lips. It was somewhat like a stain on my lips but it would wear off after a couple of minutes. I always wear a clear gloss over this because I feel like it can be drying at tips. I like to rub my lips together throughout the day and I prefer my lips to feel moisturized. There are 35 other shades in the Infallible Lipstick line. So far, I only have 814 Forever Frappe and 828 Infinite Spice, which are both brownish shades. I might plan on buying a couple of other shades like pinks because that is usually the shade that I always buy since brown lipsticks are sort of out of my comfort zone. What do you guys think? Have you ever tried the L'Oreal Infallible Lipsticks? Which shades would you recommend for me, the next time I go shopping for some more lipsticks?

All written content and pictures belong to me. Please do not use or steal for any reason.**