Wednesday, November 4, 2015

MY TOP 3 CURRENT SKIN CARE FAVORITES

Hey. Hey. Hey.
Long time no see. Sorry I’m pretty crappy at blogging lately. I’m slowly making my way back into things. But why not come back with some favorites, right?
I used to be soooo into makeup but not so much with skin care. But don’t get me wrong makeup is still a top priority in my life. But I’m learning to take care of my skin better. It has taken some time but home girl is smartening up. Everyone says skin care is worth the investment. While that may be true, I do not have the funds to go out and drop a hundred bucks on an oil. Even though I would love to. So I’m going to show you every other week a few of my favorite items you can get from the drugstore that’s not shit. Keep in mind though drugstore stuff is getting a little pricey lately. Let’s hop right into it.

My top 3 favorite skin care items

1.        Neutrogena rapid clear 2 in 1 fight & fade toner
Hello not as noticeable scars on my face! I’ve always had a scar in my cheek that I noticed but no one else seemed to. This toner has actually made it fade quite a bit actually. I used to use this around this time last year but I stopped because I lost the bottle somewhere. I do not break out often so I’m not sure about how well it works with breakouts. To apply it I just pour a little out on a cotton round and dab it all over my face. You do not need a lot so this bottle should last quite awhile.. The prices ranges from 8-10 bucks for 8 fl. Oz.

2.      Oil essentials soothe lavender & rose hip oil
Do not use this if you’re oily. Because it will obviously make you even more for a little bit. I found this just strolling through rite aid one day and there were 3 or 4 of them to choose from. It was 12.99 so I thought let’s try it. And my god am I happy that I did. It takes some of the redness out of my face. Like yes, make momma happy! It has a really intense lavender scent so if you’re not okay with that, avoid this. After it has soaked in, my face feels sooo soft. I love it. I apply this after my toner day and night. It comes with 1.69 fl. Oz which I thought would last awhile but I’ve used about an eight of it in a month. I plan on trying the others out so if you would like a review of the whole line, lemme know.
3.      Biore pore unclogging scrub
The one thing I hate about this packaging is that it says don’t be dirty on the front of it. Was that necessary? No. remove it please biore. End rant. Anyways, I never really liked scrubs because they were too harsh but this one ain’t too bad honestly. It really does exfoliate my face which gives me a nice clean surface. I use it 2-3 times a week. It ranges in price from 5-8 bucks for 5 oz.

Check out another post ttomorrow and I changed my Instagram name to heytate.
btw the candle holder is 5 bucks at target!

Xox
a

Thursday, September 3, 2015

PRODUCTS I REGRET BUYING: PART 1

Hello my loves! Long time, no see. I've been figuring things out and that is why i have been gone..but i'm back now! I figured i'd come back with a products i regret buying. Some of you are really gonna question why I don't like some of these. That is why i'm splitting this up into two parts so I can go into detail. Soooo let's get started!
Lets talk about some not so great foundations..


Top to bottom:
MUFE HD 1 1 7
L’oreal nfalliable in soft ivory
L’oreal magic lumi in w 1-2
Maybelline better skin in porcelain
Revlon photo ready in vanilla
Milani cream to powder foundation in buff

Make Up Forever HD. My color was N 11 1 7. I have to say I was very impressed with the color selection but that was about it. This retails for $42.00 at Sephora. Heft price for foundation, right? If I still had the receipt; this baby would be going back.. I have heard people rave about this foundation for years and I just do not see it. I know it is a satin almost dewy finish. But not matter what primer I use on my face, it just looks gross. Maybe I should hold on to it and try it again in the winter.

L’oreal in fallible 18 hour. Just stay away from it. It pretty much did the same thing the makeup for ever did. I will never purchase this again. Ever.

L’oreal true match lumi, I have shade w11-2. I’m always w 2 in True match. The color was perfect but I feel like some days this foundation could work with my skin but other days, no. If you really like the dewy glow, buy this. But if you have oily skin, stay away.
 
Maybelline super stay better skin in 0 porcelain. When I first got this, I loved it but a week or two later I didn’t like the way it was laying on my face. It was almost like I had another layer of skin and you could tell. It was gross. It seems like a good amount of people do not like this foundation. I haven’t seen many positive reviews. Maybelline step up yo game girl!

Revlon photo ready airbrush effect in vanilla. You already know my problem with this. Glitter.. its literally glitter central and its nasty. The color though is perfect if you have a yellow undertone like me. If they removed the glitter, this would be my holy grail foundation.

Milani cream to powder foundation in  09 buff. I’m almost 100% sure that this is the lightest shade which sucks for the pale princesses out there! But honestly ya’ll should avoid this foundation. It literally feels like greasey fries in the package. Like hell no. it is gross and it sits funny on your face. Avoid this!





Top to bottom:
Sheer glow in in the buff
Sheer glow in blushed babe
Revlon bb cream in 0 1 0 light pale
Garnier bb cream in fair/light

Now on to BB creams, Garnier skin renew bb cream in fair/light. This pulls a lot of orange on me and I really do not enjoy. If you do over do it, your face will look oily. No ne wants that look! IF you want a good bb cream, get the Fergie bb cream in the wet n wild line!

Next is Revlon photoready bb cream. This one feels okay on the skin but if you have a warm undertone like me, avoid it. It pulls a lot of peach and pink. If you’re neutral or cool, try it! It might do wonders for you.

I have two illuminators and they’re both by hard candy which can be purchased at Walmart. They are both in the sheer glow all the way line. These are liquid illuminators hich are really popular right now.  I own blushing babe and into the buff. Blushing babe is pink and into the buff is a beige/yellow.. They are sticky as hell though and fragranced. If youre sensitive to smells. Avoid.

I lost the concealer pictures L

Sonia kashuk all covered up corrector in  porcelain. This is a very yellow toned concealer but its really thick. So avoid it under eyes, it gets really creasey. Its great for under thee brow and acne spots but I usually only use concealer under eyes.. so this is a no go for me.

This almay double sided concealer comes with a highlighter. This is a heavy duty concealer that’s greasy. The concealer is yellow toned while the highlighter is more [ink toned. Its honestly a waste of money. Most almay products are a waste in my mind.

Maybelline dream lumi in radiant which is pink toned and does not hide dark circles.. If you just want a glow, buy this.. I’m assuming if you used a pink based concealer you could just place it on top of that for full coverage with a glow. Bit I just I didn’t really like it.

L’oreal magic lumi highlighter in medium. I used to fake tan a lot in the spring so this was the perfect shade. I actually enjoy this concealer a lot. So you may be wondering why I regret it, I only love the shade medium. When my self tan faded, I went and bought the lighter shade and just hated the color. So it is not the product, it is the lighter shade, if that makes any sense.

top to bottom
Sonia kashuk in warm tan
L’oreal tone sweep in nectar
Wet n wild bronzer
Rimmel in sun queen

Rimmel sun shimmer bronzer in 003 sun queen, it claims it is water proof and it actually is.. but the color is very orange, worse than nyc sunny. I know some people like that look but I hate it.

Wet n wild color icon bronzer and blush. This was limited edition but I ripped the tag off with the name. on ii. This bronzer has red undertones and it is not very subtle. This is legit red brown which would be good for deeper skin tones and Halloween looks. This would not work for everyday for looks for me but for deeper African American skin tones.

L’oreal tone sweep in nectar. One side is an orange toned blush with a cool toned bronzer. This sucks. It has no pigmentation but if it did, I feel like it would be beautiful. I really love orange toned blushes and had such high hopes. I think this is discontinued but you can find it at discount stores still.

Sonia kashuk undectable cream bronzer in warm tan. I bought this because everyone said this was a dupe for the tan de chanel and it might be. I’m not sure. But this taught me I hate cream bronzer. I really wish I liked it because it is so gorgeous. If you can play with cream bronzers, buy it.

Check for a new post next weeeeek!
Xox
A




Thursday, June 18, 2015

UPDATE

This is a quick post just to inform you i had emergency surgery yesterday and will not be posting til next week.
im sorry for the inconvenience

xox
A

Sunday, June 14, 2015

NEW MAYBELLINE MATTE LIPSTICKS + update!

Hello Loves!
I’ve been gone for about a month.
 A big change has happened and if you follow me on Instagram, you already know! I’m expecting Baby B! I’m currently 10 weeks along and will have my first ultrasound July 2nd. Why is my ultrasound coming so late? I’ll be honest I had no idea I was pregnant and that was the fastest they could get me in. I will post the first baby bump picture below and please excuse my messy room!



Now on to the lipsticks! Maybelline came out with their creamy matte lipsticks last year with 10 shades. I only own 10 of those shades : 650 Nude Embrace, 655 Daringly Nude, 660 Touch of spice, 665 lust for blush, 690 siren in scarlet, and 695 divine wine. I will be swatching those today as well. Recently they came out with 10 new shades. I got my hands on 5, the rest were sold out. I own 656 Clay Crush, 682 Blushing Pout, 686 Pink Sugar, 687 All fired up, and 691 rich ruby. These retail between $5.50-5.99. I picked mine up from Walmart so far I have not seen them elsewhere. I know people are spotting them at target.
All of those colors have incredible pigmentation without being drying on the lips. The reason these are not drying is the silicone Maybelline worked into the formula. The packaging has stayed the same with the purple cover and silver tube with the color on the bottom. These and the Milani color statement Matte lipsticks are my favorite from the drugstore. They both are not nearly as drying as the Wet N Wild Megalast lipsticks. Now on to the swatches.


The originals.
The new line.
original ten. Right to left: Nude Embrace, Daringly Nude, TOuch of spice, lust for blush, siren in scarlet, and divine wine.
New additions. Right to left: Clay Crush, Blushing Pout, Pink Sugar, All fired up, and rich ruby.

Keep an eye out on friday for baby update. Posts will be monday, wednesday, friday, and Sunday now!

xox
A

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

NYX Contour + Highlight Palette: Review + Swatches!

NYX Contour + Highlight palette!


I was beyond excited when Nyx came out with this palette. You can buy this at Ulta for $24.99. Ulta also came out with their own and if you’d like a review and comparison of that one, let me know! It comes with 8 powders. 2 Highlight shades, 2 under eye brightener shades, and 4 contour powders. The pans are also refillable and they can be purchased on nyxcosmetics.com for $5.00. I also own the Anastasia contour palette which comes with six powders for $40. 1 highlighter, 2 under eye brighteners, and 3 contour shades. Just comparing the prices and amount of range they have, NYX seems to be  the winner so far. 

The one thing I truly despise is the packaging. It is very cheap. If you shake it, you can hear the pans rattling around. I also found out they pop out easily. The Anastasia packaging is better because the pans pop in an out and are magnetic which comes in hand for traveling... The Nyx one you have to carry around a big bulky palette

The two highlight colors come in a white shimmer and almost like a vanilla. To be honest I’m not a fan of these so it is not something I would reach for everyday but they are highly pigmented so a little does go a long way.. The under eye brighteners includes a banana shade and a vanilla shade.. I personally like them but they aren’t has brightening as the ones in the Anastasia kit. For $24.99 they work great. I actually prefer this banana shade when I bake under my contour. It works excellent for that. Now for the four contour shades I’ve noticed they have a sheen. They’re not sparkly but they are definitely not matte. It doesn’t bother me but it may bother some people so keep that in mind. There is warmer shades that in my opinion are more bronzers and 2 actual contour shades. I do not like the bronzers, they just do not look good on my skin tone. But the lighter contour shade is perfect for me. The other one will work better for deeper skin tones.. I actually prefer this contour shade over my favorite one from the Anastasia kit which is fawn.


Shade names
First row (left to right)
Ice Queen
Soft Light
Cream
Nectar

Without flash

With flash


So what’s the verdict? The nyx palette is worth the palette if you do not already own the Anastasia one. I love how nyx made it inexpensive but It does show in the quality.

xox
A

Monday, May 11, 2015

NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams: Hit or Miss?

NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams


He guys! I remember for years I had been dying to get my hands on these. I didn’t have An Ulta near me til last July and non of the CVS’ around me carried NYX. When I finally got my hands on them, I was disappointed. I own three of them : Sydeny, Tokyo, and Transylvania. Sydeney is a blue toned pink with purple undertones, Tokyo is a bright pink with a little bit of coral in it, and Transylvania is a dark vampy burgundy. I love dark lip colors and I had really high hopes for Transylvania. Transylvania is the one that wears the worst on my lips. It doesn’t even survive a drink of water on my lips while most lipsticks due so that was highly disappointing. Sydney and Tokyo due wear a lot longer but I hate the way they feel. It also does not matter how much I moisturize my lips, you can still see all the lines. In my opinion, these are not worth the hype. I would rather invest my money in a pricier item than purchase anymore. Below I will show you swatches but not on my lips. They look that bad on me.



 
Top to bottom :
Transylvania
Tokyo
Sydney

I have one little announcement! I will be posting everyday this week in honor of my unexplained and unplanned absence!

xox
A

Saturday, May 2, 2015

Ulta Haul.

Hey loves!
I did a little damage at Ulta today again. I have a retail therapy problem.

I got the last Anastasia Beverley Hills Artist palette - $30
Nyx Micro Brow Pencil in Espresso - $8.99
Nyx Intense Butter Gloss in Berry Strudel - $5.99
Nyx Soft Matte Lip Cream in Copenhagen -  $5.99
Ulta Illuminator in Yellow Diamond - $10
Luckily I didn’t spend too much!
New post on Tuesday!

Xox
A

Thursday, April 30, 2015

Go to fun lipsticks!

Hi Guys!
I’m back! Finally. Today I thought I’d share my go to fun lipsticks.
I forgot to take pictures of the lip products. I only have lip swatches. I hope you enjoy!

# 1
Lilac
 This with my burgundy hair is my favorite. i first applied Wet N Wild Velvet matte lip color in the stand out all over then apply Maybelline Lilac Flush on top to make the color more opaque.

 # 2
Rose Gold
This is a new color to me and trust me the picture ain’t doin’ it justice. This lipstick is limited edition from Maybelline. I do not know the collection but the color is strike a rose and it is the most perfect rose gold.

# 3
Hollywood Glam 

 I have been waiting for the L’oreal collection exclusive reds to come out and get my hands on Blake’s. I love blake lively and was so glad she was part of this. I applied Wet N Wild lip liner in Berry red all over my lips and went over that with Blake’s Red.


# 4
Gimme Gold

This really isn’t gold but the lipstick is by wet n wild and called 24 Carrot Gold. I applied the wet n wild lip liner in berry red and then went over it with 24 carrot gold.


# 5
Black Beast
I love black lipstick but I feel like I can only pull it off with red hair. I didn’t try it when I was blonde though. I lined my lips with a random black eyeliner and applied wet n wild Fergie lipstick in Pagan Angel on top. I’m currently still wearing this one.

I'm officially back on schedule so there will be a post saturday! 

xox
A