Estée Lauder Pure Eyeshadow Duo

My mom has been a devoted customer to Estée Lauder since she was 18 years old. So everytime she goes to the EL counter, she will purchase her items whenever they are offering a Free Gift with Purchase. I love when she comes home and shares some of this make up with me from the free gift with purchase. 

I don't remember when she gave it to me, but I got a Pure Eyeshadow Duo with shades Tea Biscuit and Cinnamon. However, when I got it, I was not much into eyeshadow and put it away with all the other makeup I did not use. I recently stumbled upon it and decided to use it for my month of May makeup bag.

For the past month, I have been wearing this shadow combo. The eyeshadows have a nice consistency, no fallout, and last all day when paired with an eyelid primer. I put Tea Biscuit from lash line to brow, and Cinnamon goes into my crease. Unfortunately, I believe both are discontinued shades. I know for a fact that Cinnamon is discontinued, but am unsure about Tea Biscuit. 

L-R: Tea Biscuit and Cinnamon

 

Tea Biscuit is a pale shimmery champagne color.

Cinnamon is a bronzy brown with gold shimmer.

May 2013 Favorites

Another month goes by, and the year is almost half way finished. Its crazy how fast time flies! This month I had a few favorites. Majority were beauty products, except for one. 

First on my list is the elf eyelid primer. Not only does it do an excellent job keeping my eyeshadow looking perfect all day, but it is only $1! I could not believe a cheap product like this would work amazingly. It may not have as much product as the Urban Decay or Tarte eye primers, but for $1, I would use it any day.

Next, I really fell in love with the Lancome Hypnose Drama mascara and the Smashbox Full Exposure mascara. (To see there mini review, click here.)

Thirdly, I have been loving the Anastasia Clear Brow Gel. I love how it keeps my eyebrows in place all day. 

Fourthly, I have been enjoying the Beauty Blender PURE sponge. I did not think a sponge would be this amazing, but I really like how it flawlessly applies my foundation. I was thinking of getting the pink one, but decided on the white one instead. (It feels purer, hence the name of the sponge haha).

Finally, the Solarcaine Cool Aloe Vera has been my skin's life saver the last couple of weeks. When I went out on the boat, I came back sunburned, so bad that my entire body looked like a cooked lobster. I was in pain, and I tried normal aloe vera. Although it helped the pain a little bit, it was not enough. I read some reviews online and people said that Solarcaine was the best to use because it had an ingredient called "lidocaine hydrochloride" that is an external analgesic. IT WORKED WONDERS! My pain subsided and the effect lasted for a while. Thank goodness I found this stuff. 

***There is ONE day left to enter my True Blue Spa giveaway, clicker here.***

Mani Mondays | L'Oreal Club Prive

Happy Memorial Day! Hope you enjoy your day, whatever you may be doing! And remember those who gave their lives so that we could live in a free country.

Although this nail polish is not patriotic, I wanted to start dabbling in summer colors. I chose a nice aqua/turquoise creme. L'Oreal Club Prive is very lovely and it applied easily as well.

L'Oreal makes nice nail polishes, and they have a great variety of different colors. They remind me a lot like Essie nail polishes, in terms of colors and the bottle shape, but I think these are even easier to work with.

***There are 3 days left for the True Blue Spa giveaway! Click here to enter to win***

Beauty Book M.A.C. Giveaway

Hello lovelies! Hope you are all having a great weekend!

Becki from Beauty Book is having an international M.A.C. Giveaway! You can win one M.A.C. lipstick or one M.A.C. eyeshadow. Click here to get a chance to win!

Travel Sized Mascaras

I love getting travel sized mascara's. They are so cute and you can try out several at one time. There is no need to worry about letting it go bad because you pretty much use it up before the "deadline". In my May post for My Monthly Makeup Bag, I was using 6 different travel sized mascaras. Below is a picture of each of them on my lashes. I also have eyeliner on in the pictures. 

Out of all 6, which one do you think looks best?

 1                                                          2

3                                                           4

5                                                            6

The order above, is the order below.

1. Lancome Hypnose Drama - (Full size, $27) This mascara is known to create full body and high volume lashes. It has a nice black color and wears all day. I would even say that this mascara does add a little bit of length to my lashes. I did not see any clumping when applied, and makeup remover easily takes it away. Great mascara! Although it is pricy, I would purchase the full size.

2. Estée Lauder Sumptuous - (Full size, $22) This mascara says that it will lift each lash for big, bold, weightless volume. The formula is on the drier side, so for me, it makes it easier to build some volume. However, I did not get loads of volume with this mascara. It does come off easily with makeup remover. I would not purchase full size.

3. Clinique High Impact - (Full size, $16) This mascara says each lash will get instant drama. Unfortunately, I did not see the wow factor for it. My lashes did not clump, which was good, but I was envisioning more oomph! Especially with a name like 'High Impact'. It removes nicely with makeup remover. However, I would not purchase full size. 

4. Benefit They're Real! - (Full size, $23) This mascara has been a hype in the beauty world. It claims to do five things: lengthen, curl, volumize, lift, and separate lashes to give a 'false eyelash' look. The plastic bristles, and the wide, fat brush, make this mascara a bit different for me. At first, I really enjoyed it. I still do, but I did not see the five things that it did for me. It may appear more volumized, but it does get a bit clumpy. I may purchase the full size, but am unsure. 

5. Smashbox Full Exposure - (Full size, $19.50) This mascara is said to be a volumizing and lengthening mascara. I personally did not see any volume and very little length when applied, but I did notice that it did not clump and separated my lashes nicely. If only it added some more length and volume it would be the perfect mascara! Because of this separation of lashes, it made me look like I had more lashes, and gave my eyes a softer, 'feathery' look to it. Very pretty. I will try to work more with this mascara and see if I can figure out the volume and length. If I can, I will definitely purchase the full size.

6. Clinique Lash Doubling - (Full size, $16) This mascara says it is lash-thickening for bigger, better lashes. When I wore this mascara, I felt like my eyes were NAKED! It looked like I did not apply any mascara. I figure this would be good for someone who wants a very natural looking eye, but this did absolutely nothing for me. I will be throwing this one away as I have no use for it. Will not purchase full size.

Colors of the Rainbow Tag!

Hey lovelies! I was just watching grav3yardgirl's YouTube channel and she did a "Colors of the Rainbow Tag" (to see it click here). I love watching her videos as she is a very lively and unique individual. She always puts a smile on my face!

Anyways, I decided to film my own version of the tag...enjoy!

Revlon Lip Butter in Candy Apple

Stila Convertible Color in Petunia

Tarte Lipsurgence Pencil in Joy

Dickinson's Witch Hazel toner

C.O. Bigelow Premium Shave Cream

True Blue Spa Super Rich Body Cream

Tarte Maracuja Oil

I tag anyone who wants to do this! =)

***Enter to win my True Blue Spa giveaway!!!***

Crest 3D White Whitestrips

For the past couple of months, I have wanted to whiten my teeth to have pearly whites, but was hesitant to purchase white strips. I have heard positive and negative reviews about different kinds of whitening products. One day, Walgreens was having a sale on a whitening treatment, so I bought it. 

Crest 3D White Whitestrips use the "classic whitestrip technology with an improved whitening formula for visibly whiter teeth." The box also says that the treatment is enamel safe and that Crest uses the same whitening ingredient as the dentsist. 

This kit that I bought instructed me to use it once a day for 30 minutes for ten days. It claims to remove years of stains and has a whitening power of 2 from a scale of 5. 

There are 10 applications in the box, with one upper and one lower strip. I did experience some slipping of the strips when applied, but I easily fixed them back to its position on my teeth. After the first application, I did experience some sensitivity. However, upon my second application, the sensitivity was gone. I went a few days without applying the strips because either I was exhausted from that day and did not want to apply them so late at night, or because I was lazy. I started these on April 28, and my last application was May 15, so you can see the big gap. Even with the separation of applications, I did see a difference in the color of my teeth. 

Before

 After

The color may not be drastic and be a stark white, but that was not the look I was going for. I just wanted to have naturally white looking teeth, not fake white. So did they do the job? Yes I think so. I just wish they turned out a bit whiter.

Would I repurchase? Yes I will repurchase another Crest Whitestrips kit, but I might go for a whitening power of 3 instead.

***Don't forget to check out my True Blue Spa giveaway and enter to win!***

True Blue Spa Giveaway! [CLOSED]

Hello beauties! I have some good news! I have a giveaway for you! Let me first tell you about the items you can win!
True Blue Spa is a company partnered with Bath & Body Works. They have a range of products from body, to feet, to hands, and even hair. True Blue Spa does not test on animals which is a great plus for many. These are three of my favorite products from them. Hope you enjoy!

True Blue Spa Super Rich Body Cream
Nothing makes skin feel better than incredibly rich Shea Butter. This deluxe cream takes it even further with protecting, conditioning Vitamin E, hydrating Macadamia Nut Oil and invigorating Lemon Extract. Because you know that more is really more.
True Blue Spa 60-Second Manicure Hand Scrub with Sugar
Massage treatment into wet hands for a full minute, paying special attention to nail beds and any rough areas. Rinse clean to reveal hands that look like they've spend the whole day at the spa.
True Blue Spa Shea Cashmere Hand Cream
This ultra-moisturizing hand cream glides on sensually like cashmere on skin. Non-greasy, it absorbs quickly to soothe and nourish skin, leaving hands soft as cashmere and lightly fragranced with an addictive blend of sweet Tahitian vanilla, whipped shea and golden amber.
Rules:
- This giveaway is open to both U.S. and international readers.
- No anonymous entries allowed since I do have to identify you.
- Fill out Rafflecopter.
The giveaway will be open from Wednesday, May 15, 2013 12:00am till Friday, May 31, 2013, 12:00am.
Winners will be posted on Saturday, June 1, 2013.

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

Updated Skin Care Routine | May 2013

Hey everyone! Hope you all are having a great start to your week. Over the past few months, I have changed my skin care routine and it has been working better than my previous routine. (click here for previous routine).
My face has encountered fewer breakouts and I have seen some change. I decided to make a video for it so I could explain a bit more.

Morning routine                                   Evening routine

Masks

Revlon Frost and Glow Highlighting Kit | Honey

Throughout the seasons, I like to see hair change. For the fall and winter, I prefer darker hair, and for the spring and summer I like to see light, beachy, sun kissed hair. Summer is just around the corner and I wanted to do a minor change to my hair. 

I have done my own high lights before, about a year ago, but they grew out and my hair look slightly ombre-ed. My natural hair was growing out and I wanted to do high lights again. 

I bought my trusty Revlon Frost & Glow Highlighting Kit for Medium/Dark Hair and began my process. Since it is for darker brown hair, the highlights are supposed to come out a honey blonde color. This kit runs about $8-10 and can be found at pharmacies and discount stores.

Inside, the kit includes directions, a cap, a spatula, a hook to take out hair, color powder, the developer, gloves, a mini tray to mix, and shampoo and conditioner for when you are complete.

Here is my hair before. Pretty for fall and winter.

Mid-operation. The color is on select pieces of my hair and is on top of my head. I waited about 25-30 minutes before I rinsed it out.

WA-LAA! My hair looks red, but it is not! It is due to the lighting. The highlights look very subtle and honestly in person, they are not this pronounced as in the pictures. It did give me a nice honey, sun-kissed glow, but I may want to add more in the near future. We will see!

If you are afraid of getting highlights in a salon, or spending excess amount of money, buy this kit. It is pretty much fool proof in my opinion and gives natural highlights. Revlon also has one for light brown hair, and for blonde hair. 

Smell So Good! | Perfume Haul

I love mini perfumes. I find them so adorable and interestingly enough, they do last me a while. If you saw in my birthday gifts post (click here), I received a Sephora Favorites The Captivators Fragrance Sampler, which included minis! 

Inside, it had Michael Kors Michael Kors, Versace Yellow Diamond, Dior Addict To Life, and Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy. Along with the four minis, there was a certificate that I could bring in to a Sephora store and exchange it for a full size of any one of the perfumes featured in the sampler! Needless to say, I was excited. I was looking for a new perfume and found this a great opportunity.

To choose the perfume, I went through their bios to find the perfect match.

Perfume Bios (Notes) Information from Sephora.com:

1. Meet Michael Kors Michael Kors, sophisticated, sensual, and warm - Dewy Freesia, Tamarind, Chinese Osmanthus, Incense, Fresh Tuberose, White Wings Peony, Blue Orris, Arum Lilies, Cashmere Woods, Musk, Vetiver Haiti.
2. Versace Yellow Diamond is surprising, radiant, and fascinating - Citron from Diamante, Pear Sorbet, Neroli, Bergamot, Nymphea, Freesia, Orange Blossom, Mimosa, Amber Wood, Palo Santo, Musk 
3. Dior Addict To Life is confident, sweet, and intense - Jasmine, Lilac, Rose, White Musk
4. Finally, Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy is tantalizing, teasing, and tempting - Wild Berries, Mandarins, Honeysuckle, Gardenia, Jasmine, Amber, Caramel, Vanilla, Sandalwood, Praline.

After smelling all of them, and trying each on me to see what worked best with my chemistry, I choose the tantalizing, teasing, and tempting: Viva La Juicy! What really drew me to this perfume was the berries, vanilla, and sandalwood. The perfume is sweet, but not disgustingly sweet that a preteen girl would love. It has a mature sophistication to it as well. Surprisingly, Viva La Juicy is not a perfume I would normally pick out for myself, but what the heck! I decided to be more open to scents. 

The packaging is also so adorable!

Sephora had a special of Triple Points on your entire purchase when you purchase a fragrance. I needed to pick up a few things at Sephora so to get 3x points, I bought the Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Fresh rollerball. 

I've had my eye on this perfume for a few months now. I just love the packaging since it is has pale pink flowers on it. The fragrance is also lovely--Natural Raspberry, Grapefruit, Pear, Violet, Wild Rose, Apple Blossom, Musks, Cedarwood, Plum. (There I go with the berries again!) It is fruity, but not summery. It has its hint of floral with rose, violet, and apple blossom in it. I did not buy the full size because I did not want to spend over $70 on perfume right now, and for some reason, I like the fragrance better in the rollerball then in the full size. Hmm.

And there you have it! New perfumes for the new year.

Twenty Candles & Beauty Gifts!

Thank you all for the birthday wishes! I had a great birthday weekend filled with wonderful people who are close and dear to me. (WARNING: This post is photo heavy!)

On Saturday, I celebrated my birthday with some family. My mom made the cake, and my brother made the lettering out of merengue that he whipped up. It was a vanilla cake with chocolate frosting. Delicious!

Sunday night, a few of my closest friends and I went out for pizza and then came back to my house for red velvet cake and icecream. We put on hats and had tea as well. My cake literally had 20 candles haha.

On Monday, my actual birthday, I went out shopping with my boyfriend. I went to LUSH and Body Shop for the first time and got a few things. When I got back home, we had a marble cheesecake for dessert.

Since my boyfriend had to work on my birthday night, he decided to take me out to dinner on Tuesday night. We went to Texas de Brazil, a churrascaria. Basically, different kinds of meats come around to your table, and the servers will cut a slice and place it on your plate. You can eat as much or as little as you'd like. They had meats such as chicken wrapped in bacon, sirloin, filet mignon, filet wrapped in bacon, lamb chops, pork, etc. It was all so good! But my favorite was the chicken and filet mignon wrapped in bacon. So flavorful! Of course they have a salad bar and offer soups, rice, cheese, and bread.

We ordered one of the many delectable desserts they had to offer. Since I was so full from the meal,  I wanted something light, so I ordered Key Lime pie, which happens to be one of my favorite desserts. Since the occasion was for my birthday, they wrote "Happy Birthday" on the plate, and they had a candle! Here I am blowing out the candle.

For the actual beauty related gifts:

I went to Sephora about a week ago to pick up my Beauty Insiders Birthday Gift. It contains the Benefit "It's Real Mascara" and the "Watts Up!" Highlighter. While there, I decided to get the mini size of Soap & Glory The Righteous Butter.

While shopping, my boyfriend got me the Cosmetic Warrior fresh face mask from LUSH. I was going to get the Mint Juleps lip scrub, but they had run out. From The Body Shop I decided to try out the minis before buying the full size, just in case I did not like it or did not react well to it. I got them in Strawberry and Coconut. So excited to try these out!

I bought for myself the Beauty Blender PURE. I had heard that the original pink one does release some of the dye, and did not want to deal with that. 

Finally, from my friends I got several things. I received an adorable pink bag with white polka dots. From another friend, I received a gift card to Victoria's Secret/PINK. From another friend, I received a Sephora Favorites The Captivators fragrance sampler and a Clinique Lash Power Long-Wearing mascara.

All in all, I celebrated a great beginning of my second decade!