This STANKS! LOL

I was on the hunt for a perfume that a friend of mine use to wear a long time ago. I just don't remember the name. I knew that it was a roll on oil based fragrance that smelled liked magnolia. The bottle looked very similar to Monyette Paris. The packaging on this looked so sweet and I love magnolia so I decided to try the Monyette Coquette Tropique. Phew! It's really rare for me to hate a perfume, but this stuff is stanky! It smells like really bad air freshener in a public bathroom-it gives me headache. These are the notes of the perfume: Hibiscus, Gardenia, Plumeria, French Anjou pear, Madagascar . They ALL sound devine but I think it's a lie! LOL On the plus side it does last a long time but, not so good for me because it takes forever to wash off =/ It's pretty pricey 45$ for 1/4 ounce.

I really wish I could find the perfume oil that I thought that this was..............
Look me up on Makeup Alley if you wanna swap http://www.makeupalley.com/p~maria504

Lovely Lavender....

Beautiful Lavender fields!

Lavender is one of my favorite smells. It makes me feel like I'm at a spa whenever I smell it and it instantly relaxes me- Lavender flowers have been used to treat digestive problems, insomnia, anxiety, and restlessness and in WW1 it was used to treat and disinfect wounds! English farmers would place lavender flowers in their hats to prevent headache and sunstroke. Women would place sachets of lavender in their closets and wardrobes for fragrance- I still do that today. Hospitals also use to use lavender as a disinfectant to sterilize surfaces and equipment.
According to the Smell and Taste Foundation in Chicago, the scent of lavender increases brain waves associated with relaxation. Lavender is an aphrodisiac to men, when they smell it they can't resist it =)
Lavender essential oil is easily and quickly absorbed into the skin, and can be detected in the blood in as little as 5 minutes! By mixing lavender with water, it can be sprayed on surfaces and used as a household disinfectant, and applying it to the skin can deter insects.Overall, Lavender is a natural antiseptic, natural antibiotic, sedative,& a great detoxifier.These are some of my favorite lavender goodies... =)

Dr. Hauschka Lavender Moor Body Oil is awesome! It has a very intense lavender smell, which I adore. The base is olive oil and Shea butter. It isn't oily but it is somewhat runny & has a milky-whiteish look to it. You shake it up really good and it's best to use it after a shower when your skin is still warm & it can soak in. It shakes out through a little hole so you don't get alot out at once which is a nice plus so that you can control the amount this is good because I def don't want to waste! I bought my bottle from Whole Foods, but if you don't have one near you heres a link to order =)
http://www.saffronrouge.com/dr-hauschka/moor-lavender-body-oil

Johnson's body oil 'GEL' -this is a nice alternative to the Dr. Hauschka Lavender Moor Body Oil. It's alot less in price BUT you get a much milder lavender smell. This would be good to see if you like lavender. It's great because it's a gel-def. not your grandma's baby oil! LOL

Meyers Clean Day is an awesome site! I buy my Meyer's from from the local grocery store. They are an all natural company and the candles come in a cutesy jam jar =) THE SMELL IS Phenomenal! All candles are made from vegetable (soy) wax too-sweett! Hands down the Best candle I've had in a long time!
http://www.mrsmeyers.com/Products/Air_Fresheners/Lavender_Scented_Soy_Candle

Lastly, my most loved lavender obsession is Lavender Kneipp Herbal Bath. I've been using this for a few years now and it's soooo soothing! The smell is strongly intense. I use 1 capful in a hot bath-it turns my water a beautiful purple color and sometimes I even add extra bubble bath so I get purple bubbles! The other day I added a drop to a pot of boiled water that I steamed my face with =D You can get this from Whole Foods or Earthsavers if your local-I use to see it in Bath and Body Works but, not sure if they carry Kneipp anymore?
http://www.kneippus.com/lavender-herb-bath-3-4-oz.html

High on Highlighter!

I have been on a highlighter high for a few weeks now and I wanted to share with y'all some of the newer products that I've been using. I'm just gonna go over some quick tips first about highlighting for the newbies =) First just wanna clear up where exactly does the highlight part go?:It goes on the highest part of the cheek right underneath the eye in a semi-C (stay to the outer most area) & down the bridge of the nose, then blush is applied to the apples of the cheeks BLENDED WELL up to the temples, last you can add the contour color which is gonna be 2-3 shades darker than your skin color. I'll blog about contouring later =) One step at a time ladies! lol

sorry, my brush is a bit dirty =-/

It's best to use a creme or liquid highlighter with your fingertips (the best way bc it warms up the product) THEN apply a powder on top to seal it in and make it last all day especially if you have oily skin like myself. The brush I use is MAC's 187 Duo Fiber brush because it doesn't pick up too much product. I smash the bristles together with my fingers to make it flat so I can dab it lightly on top the creme/liquid highlight.

*FYI you can buy makeup brushes at the craft store like Michael's or Gordon's* 

 

The 2 liquid highlighters I use are Stila All Over Shimmer Liquid Luminizer in 3 Gold & Sephora Luminizer in Rose. The Stila one has a nail polish wand like applicator which makes it easy to put on but, the color is a tad too golden for my skin. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Sephora Luminizer because its a cross between a gel and a creme, it's really easy to spread and makes your skin look dewy and luminous. It's actually a base primer- I top it all off with NARS Albatross which is a  powder blush that appears white in the pan, but applies as a finely milled golden sheen. Its MAGICAL! You have to see it in person bc it has beautiful light reflecting particles in it. 

NARS Albatross

Some points to remember:

If you use a creme/liquid you MUST seal it with a powder for it to stay and that goes for blush too.

You can always add a bit of the liquid highlighter to your moisturizer for a quick all over glow.

If you don't have a creme/liquid highlighter you can use moisturizer instead on the area and then use a shimmery eyeshawdow instead as your powder highlight on top. Powder is powder, right? 

Left Stila /Right Sephoa

   



















My new fav body wash =))

I've been using Oil of Olay Total Effects 7 in 1 Advanced Anti Aging Body Wash - Exfoliate & Replenish for the past month and I HATE IT! I'm gonna do a review on it later. I use to use the original Neutrogena Body Clear Body Wash and I liked it because it really does clear up any breakouts on the chest and back because of it's 2% salicylic acid-I usually use it in the summer though. But they have this new one out that smells like pink grapefruit. I not particularly a fan of grapefruit but in the shower this smells fantastic (it smells different in the bottle)!!  No wonder it won an Allure Editor's Choice Award! It doesn't leave a film on my skin like the Oil of Olay one does, and best of all it's pink! =)

Eminence Hungarian Mud Mask

I got this as a sample from Earthsavers on Magazine. The esthetician thought I would like it because it's great for oily skin and blackheads (congested skin). Eminence in general has a sort of cult following because they're an organic company and the Hungarian Mud Mask is one of the most popular products they sell. She did warn me that the mask has a peppery feel to it so don't be alarmed-ekk! It's a Super Active Detoxifier and it's 'stimulating'. The base is Thermal Mud which contains high amounts of mineral trace elements and sulfur, Sage, Ivy, high in Vitamin C, Cinnamon, Paprika, Coenzyme Q10, and Alpha Lipoic Acid. It's not a thick mask it's pretty runny when you put it on. Before I applied it I actually steamed my skin with Lavender first to open my pores and let the mask penetrate deeper. I immediately put on the mask after I steamed. It smells like Christmas to me and its SUPER fiery! I was tempted to wash it off as soon as I put it on! I didn't because the esthetician did warn me-but damn it's hot! After about 10 min on it did finally cool down though-whew. I rinsed it off after 25 min. I left it on a little longer ( I was facebookin' lol!) I honestly really didn't think I'd see a real difference but WOW I was shocked! My skin really does look smoother and I have less blackheads-I really can't believe it! The down side is, is that my face kinda feels tingly and a there's a burning sensation =/ but my face isn't red though. I would buy this mask!!
http://www.eminenceorganics.com/products/index.php?paid=5#43

I love EYEKO!

In a previous post I blogged about this cosmetic company from London Called Eyeko and how they are really popular in the beauty blog world. They are super affordable and have really sweet packaging! I ordered 2 nail polishes 5$ each and a 3 in 1 cream for 14$. Each nail polish has a different cute label on them with different sayings. The Lilac Polish says it's for "Lovely Nails". I used 3 coats for this color because I wanted it darker. I adore it-it's something different than the darks that I've been doing. I wash dishes everyday and and wash my hands alot and still 5 days later NO CHIPS! AMAZING! Not even on tips!

OK, lets talk about this creme now....So when I went to the site originally to buy the polish I saw that they had all this makeup and that the 3 in 1 creme (for highlighting,moisturizing, & eyes) was there #1 product I had to try it! It has Jojoba and Vitamin E in it along with flecks of pinky pearl swirl ripples running through it. I was a little concerned with the 'highlighting' aspect of it because I don't want to look like a disco ball and I've used MAC's Strobe creme & lotion before which are similar products and they can look to shimmery in the day time on darker toned skin. When I got it in I wasn't in love with it at first BUT then it grew on me. I have oily skin and this doesn't make me oilier at all! It gives such a subtle glow to your skin, and it has the perfect amount of sparkle to it. I have been using it everyday and notice when I don't have it on. A friend of mine asked me if I had makeup on at the gym but all I had on was this creme! It makes my skin very glowy and more awake! I'm def. hooked! Also, it's a plus that the packaging it super cute too!! http://www.eyeko.com/index.php

pretty pearly creme

Really Rad toothpaste!

 I am a freak for whitening my teeth and always use a whitening strips-but never really got a good toothpaste that I could see the whitening action happen before my eyes! Aquafresh Isoactive Foaming Gel is AWESOME! It comes out in a gel but when you start to brush it turns in to a foam & starts to bubble like peroxide does on a cut. I get a lot out of the tube, even though you can't see when it's low like you can on a tube of toothpaste. I was really surprised at how much you get. I'm on my 4th can & rave about it to everyone!!



you can see the foaming action on my hand



FAB Shoes!

I recently got these from forever 21 & I absolutely love them! They were only 16$ too, Cha Ching! I had a pair from them before but a lot of the stones came out :( Soo this time I took clear nail polish & painted on top of the jewel gems to secure them longer & let them dry for a day. They came out super shiny now! FYI they run almost a size smaller. 

Boscia Black Mask experiment! EKKK! ha



Mask still was wet looking 5 min after application- Picture taken by of my fiance totally grossed out!lol



I was at Sephora with a friend when I saw this mask on a shelf. It looked so weird (a good weird) that I had to try it! First of all let me say that I have oily skin (excessively oily at times,lol) blackheads and large pores-hey I'm Greek & Mexican I can't help the skin I've been given =/ I've tried other masks before but, never really had much luck, they usually make my skin feel really dry after. Boscia claims that their mask is deep-pore cleansing, exfoliates, draws out impurities, bacteria, excess oil and deliver antioxidant protection to prevent future free-radical damage. The Key ingredients are Calcium Montmorillionite Clay, Maritime Pink Bar Extract, Vitamin C, Witch Hazel, Rosemary Leaf Extract and Eucalyptus Extract. So the key with this mask application is that your face needs to be dry when putting it on because it needs to harden. It's super thick going on, feels and looks like paint almost. It wasn't runny, thank goodness because it would have been really messy otherwise. It says to leave it on for 10 min. then peel it off-BUT at 10 min it was still super wet. The mask really didn't dry/harden until almost 30 min! It wasn't uncomfortable when it was drying, until the very end then I had to take it off and it still had a glossy finish. My fiance' was making me laugh and it hurt! LOL I started to peel it off but it came out in pieces not a whole piece like it said. I wasn't overly impressed with it when it was coming off. It really is like a big ass Biore pore peel but, for your entire face only I didn't see the nasty blackheads peel up like I see when I do those pore strips. =( gross but true!  Some blogger's say they wet it off with water but If you ask me that defeats the whole purpose of the mask. My face is softer after using it but,  wouldn't buy again. I did get to scare my kids though!! HA



back of mask





















Tokyo Milk HEAVEN!!!

I stumbled across this brand through a beauty blog and clicked on it because the name sounded interesting. It's super hard to test perfumes that you have never tried before because obviously you can't smell them through the computer-DUH! So I eventually would have ordered it at another time-BUT the very next day I went to Massage Envy on Tchoupitoulas (in New Orleans) to have a massage and Tokyo Milk was THERE IN THE STORE!! I couldn't believe it, it was like they were calling me!  The best selling product in the entire line are the perfume solids in honeycomb. I tired it and it was nice but nothing wowed me. Then I picked up the handcreme in French Kiss and I swear I'd died and gone to heaven! I wanted to roll around in it !! It smells like I walked in a garden full of Gardenia's. The main ingredient is Shea Butter and Green Tea. They are really thick and not runny but the best thing about them is that when I put it on my hands it's like I'm wearing perfume-the fragrance really lasts along time.

The package on the product is so sweet, frenchy and feminine. The line is designed by this chick named Margot Elena. She does really creative packaging so when i pull it out my purse it's super cute!

I can't wait to try more from them!

http://www.tokyo-milk.com/t/body-luxuries

Not too thin or runny

























eos lip bland (balm)! ha

I use to see this on the counter in the CVS checkout line but never paid too much attention to it-I really didn't know what it was. After looking at my fellow beauty blogs pages' people kept talking about it and saying how great it was, so I decided to give it a try for 5 dollars.

I picked the honey dew melon because I liked the color of the egg shaped dome thingy. It's this pretty cool green melon color. I opened it up expecting a flat surface, but I was a little freaked out when I saw this egg shaped dome on top- weird BUT interesting nonetheless! When you put it on it feels like chapstick. It almost feels like nothing at all. You can't even see it on your lips! BOOO

The smell is pleasant, smells exactly like a honey dew melon would I guess. I've actually been using it as a base lip product because I do find that it helps to fill in the lips before I use lipgloss. I've been using it for about 2 weeks and  it's grown on me. I have been reaching for it alot more in my purse. People kind of look at me weird when I put it on because it's strange looking though.
EOS stands for Evolution of Smooth, they're a organic company & they don't test on animals. The lip balm has Shea butter & vitamin E (that's a plus!) and it's also Gluten-free, Paraben-free, Petrolatum-free and Phthalate-free.
PS the lemon drop balm has a SPF of 15 FYI (niccceee)

http://www.evolutionofsmooth.com/products_lip_sphere.html

The wipe down!

OK, I'm not gonna lie I'm lazy when it comes to washing my face at night. I use to use MAC wipes at night to get off all the days makeup and grime off  but, recently I found some wipes at CVS. There's a MAJOR price difference: MAC wipes $18 for 45ct .VS.  CVS wipes 4$ for 30ct. I was really surprised at how well the CVS brand held up to the MAC wipes. They are also the same size and thickness too. Sometimes you can get wipes that are as thin as toilet paper and super small. The CVS brand also seems to be alot more soothing on my sensitive skin.

Both wipes have a pleasant smell to them as well, and do a good job at getting off waterproof makeup.

So stinkin' cute!

This morning I came across this website called California Knits and I had to share it! I love the little bobby pins you get (3 to an order for 5$!) that they hand knit (everything is handmade). There stuff is vintage inspired!- Super Cute! I'll link the site at the bottom.

http://www.californiaknits.net/

I REALLY wanted to love this =(

Add caption

I found this super cute website on Etsy called Pink Dotted Owl. They sell bath stuff and the packaging is adorable. I was looking for a new sugar scrub and decided to order there's because it comes in little cubes that supposedly dissolve in the shower on the skin when you scrub. This sounded so convenient. I'm usually in the shower fumbling with a big ass tub of scrub trying not to get water in the oil base it's in! LOL I ordered the Owlicious Pink Sugar Cube Body Scrub with Shea Butter 8oz - for 5$. What a friggin' deal! I couldn't wait to get it. It came super fast and they included a sample bar of their soap (haven't tried it yet) and the jar is so cute in my bathroom too.
I used the cube and IT DID ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! It didn't even dissolve! I was disappointed. I wanted them to work so bad. How hard can it be to make a sugar scrub damn?! LOL

See how it stays all clumpy together =(

The best freakin' polish ever! Ha

NARS is usually known for their makeup line like their famous lip gloss- Turkish Delight (Kim Kardashian's personal fav) and The Multiple stick in Copacabana, which I'll do a separate review on both of those at a later date. They also make nail polishes which are sooo fun and funky! I don't know about y'all but I'm over OPI, not to say that their polishes aren't great but I'm getting bored with them. About a year ago I became obsessed with nail polishes. Think that's probably when I started reading beauty blogs and came across a nail polish blogging community in search of the coveted color 'ZULU'. They sold them on eBay for around 40-50 bucks so I knew I'd never possess a zulu.
Well a few weeks ago NARS re-introduced their Cult Favorites & Zulu was amongst them!!! YAY!
I ordered it and got the shipping free!
Zulu is a greenish/black but to really appreciate it you have to see it on. It has a beautiful jelly shiny finish. I do have to use three coats when applying it, because it can get a little streaky. I read that the original formula didn't have that issue but I didn't mind it because the color is gorg!. It stays on for forever! You really have to have a steady hand to polish this yourself because it can get tricky trying not to get it to streak too much, just load up the tip and go. Its def. a 3-4 coat polish! Make sure you dry really well between each coat.
http://www.narscosmetics.com/classics_home.aspx

Laura Geller Balance-n-Bronze Rocks!

So this is my 'official' first review. I wanted to start with something that I consider a staple in my makeup routine & use on a daily basis. Laura Geller Balance-n-Bronze Powder is not consisdered a powdered foundation but if you like sheer coverage then this is an awesome product. I have super oily skin and don't really like to fool with liquids on myself daily. I love this product because its a baked mineral powder that really is transfer resistant. 1/2 of the pan is this gorgeous bronzer that isn't orange or too dark. Sometimes bronzers can have glitter specks in them and you can look like a disco ball in the middle of the day! This one is matte but have veins of pinky/glowy lines running through it. The other 1/2 of the pan is this pinkish/glowy powder that when swirled together with the bronzer gives you a pretty finish. I use a Kabuki brush to apply but it can get a little messy on my clothes, so I have to watch the fall out. The other issue I ran into is finding somewhere to buy Laura Geller because Sephora and Macy's no longer carry her line (I don't know why, it's a good line) and I have to order it online so that stinks. Oh, and it only comes in one color which is regular-I'm sure it'll match most skin tones.
Overall its a fab foundation! A link to her site is below the picture =)

http://www.laurageller.com/

I saw this really cool website for nail polishes! I love finding new websites =) Can't wait to order from them and give a good review! Check out the colors below

http://www.eyeko.com/eyeko-polish-p-74.html

WELCOME!

So this is my first post. I have no idea who will ever actually read this stuff but, I felt like I needed an outlet to talk about the products that I've tried and loved, and tried and hated, lol. I'm going to do a review on a new Chanel mascara later today and Laura Geller Balance-n-Bronze compact baked powder that I use as an everyday foundation . Oh, and also a re-introduced NARS nail polish called ZULU. It's a cult classic that was SUPER hard to find. I'll be back later =)