January Makeup Edit 2016

Hello pretty people!
    Wow, so we are already done with January! I gotta tell you January was a good month, filled with hanging out with friends, signing up for the ACT which I'm taking this Saturday, Auditions for my school annual production, and most recently my school Winter Formal which I got to bring my boyfriend to, and he finally got to meet all of my friends after three months :) Today I have a slew of makeup products to share with you that I loved during the month of January. One thing to mention really quick though, is that I didn't have a set lip product that wowed me extremely this month so there are no lip products that I'm sharing, unfortunately. But what I lack in lips I make up for in the eye department this month, so without further ado, let's jump into this months edit!

 
     Primers have been a back and forth this months, but something that I've loved it my foundation mixture. I've been loving to mix the L'Oreal True Match Lumi Foundation in with the Neutrogena Skin Clearing Foundation and blending it on with a damp beauty blender and it looks so nice on the skin! It gives it a glow without making me look oil slick and has a good coverage as well. I started contouring with a foundation stick this month, in particular the Maybelline Fit Me Shine Free Foundation Stick in Cappuccino. I got this on sale at target and it works great as a contour shade for my skin tone. It blends really easily into the skin as well, making it look very natural if applied the right way. To off set the contouring, I used the Maybelline Better Skin Concealer in Light to give a matte highlight on the high points of my face, and blending out once again with my sponge. Powder hasn't changed since lasts months edit, and the same goes for blush. I love the Lorac Pro Blush in Petal Pink as much as I have for the past few months. It just looks so nice on my skin tone and gives a very subtle but brightening flush to the cheeks.

     The eye primer I've been really liking this month is the Elizabeth Mott Thank Me Later primer. It makes my eye makeup stay on all day. For example, my school dance was last night and the whole evening filled with dancing and coffee runs at 11:00 pm until I took my makeup off once arriving home. That to me shows the signs of an amazing eye primer. I've been testing the INSPR Eye Shadow in Carnival which is a gorgeous warm toned shimmery brown and the quality is highly comparable to M.A.C eye shadows in my opinion. I've loved brightening my inner corner this month, so to do that I did a two step process. First I apply the NYC eye liner pencil in White to my inner corners and halfway onto my lower and upper lash lines. I blend that out slightly with my finger tips and set it with the M.A.C Vanilla eye shadow. It looks so nice and gives me that 8+ hours of sleep look. I started using my Skinfood Sweet Almond Eyeliner again, and it's as good as I remember although it is now running scary low. It glides on seamlessly and is easier to apply than other liquid eyeliners since it has a really thin brush. Lastly for this makeup edit, I've been using the Innisfree Eco Curling Mascara a lot because it gives me a lot of length and volume with making me feel super clumpy or unnatural.

    That's it for this monthly makeup edit! How was your January? Tell me in the comments below as well as any questions, requests, recommendations or thoughts. Until next time, love y'all!
Grace

Innisfree Skin Clinic Sheet Mask Review

Hello pretty people!
    Today I have a sheet mask review, and let me tell you, the last time I did one of these it blew up! It was on the Etude House I Need You Sheet Masks and is the most viewed post that I have. Today I have a similar post for you all, this time of the Innisfree Skin Clinic Masks. Innisfree is an amazing brand that takes pride in having unique formulas using ingredients from Jeju Island, which is a small island off the coast of S. Korea. Their sheet masks claim to be No.1 in Korea, so I figured I would do a review on a couple of the ones I have tried out. The way I like to review sheet masks, is giving you the descriptions, scent, texture, my thoughts, and an overall rating, so let's jump into this.

Ingredients I like: 

Grapefruit Extract- Provides anti-ageing, skin evening and fights off free radicals.

Orchid Extract- Repairing and protective, reduces fine lines and wrinkles, soothes skin for a bright and radiant complexion.

Camellia Leaf Extract (Green Tea)- Reduces skin inflammation, decreases free radicals, stimulates skin circulation.

Orange Peel Oil- Promotes glowing and radiant skin, helps with acne, makes skin smooth.

Lemon Peel Oil- Increases clarity, glow, and softness to the skin, lightens skin, promotes new skin growth.

Ushiu Peel- Helps maintain moisture balance, diminishes scarring.

Lavendar Oil- Treats acne, inhibits bacteria, rebalances over-secretion of sebum, reduces scarring.

Peppermint Oil- Helps soothe the skin.

Eucalyptus Leaf Oil- Controls oily skin, treats acne.

Clove Oil- Antiseptic, treats acne, increase blood flow to the skin.

***ALL PRODUCTS HAVE THE SAME BASE INGREDIENTS***

1. Skin Clinic Mask Vita C

     Claims: This fine delicate cotton mask with functional brightening improving benefits contains vitamin c derivatives to brighten dull skin, leaving it looking clear and radiant.

*Ingredients:
     Water, Butylene Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol, Niacinamide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Citrus Paradisi (Grapefruit) Fruit Extract, Glycereth-26, Betaine, Carbomer, Arginine, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Cellulose Gum, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Glycerin, Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract, Orchid Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Camellia Japonica Leaf Extract, Opuntia Coccinellifera Fruit Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil, Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Peel Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Abies Sibirica Oil, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil, Eucalyptus globulus Leaf Oil, Juniperus Virginiana Oil, Eugenia caryophyllus(Clove) Leaf Oil, Disodium EDTA

Scent: 

Reminds me of a lemon cleaner or like lemon polish: fresh clean citrus scent.

Texture:

Serum type liquid 

My Thoughts: 

     This product didn't leave any stick residue on my skin and sunk in nicely. I like that it didn't feel heavy on my skin, and I let it sit for close to an hour. While it feels nice on my skin, I didn't notice too much different with my skin, maybe slightly brighter, but there is no wow factor.

Overall Rating: 4/5 

    I would like this better if I noticed a big difference with my skin.

2. Skin Clinic Hyaluronic Acid

     Claims: This fine delicate cotton mask contains Hyaluronic Acid to relieve dryness, leaving your skin feeling dewy and hydrated.

Ingredients: 

     Water, Butylene Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Citrus Paradisi (Grapefruit) Fruit Extract, Glycereth-26, Betaine, Carbomer, Arginine, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Cellulose Gum, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycerin, Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract, Orchid Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Camellia Japonica Leaf Extract, Opuntia Coccinellifera Fruit Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Peel Oil, Disodium EDTA

Scent:

Fresh clean, water-y scent

Texture: 

Feels just like applying water to the skin

My Thoughts: 

    Immediately after I applied this I felt a soothing and cool sensation on my skin. The liquid is a nice watery liquid , which I like more than serums on my skin. Afterwards my skin looked super hydrated and dewy and I had no dry skin on my face the next morning (which I usually get every morning).

Overall Rating 5/5

   I can see the difference on my skin with this mask, and it doesn't feel as heavy as some moisturizing sheet masks do.

3. Skin Clinic Catechin

     Claims: This fine cotton mask with dual functional benefits contains anti-oxidants of catechin to simultaneously resolve skin tone and wrinkle concern.

Ingredients: 

     Water, Butylene Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol, Niacinamide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Citrus Paradisi (Grapefruit) Fruit Extract, Glycereth-26, Betaine, Carbomer, Arginine, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Cellulose Gum, Adenosine, Glycerin, Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract, Orchid Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Camellia Japonica Leaf Extract, Opuntia Coccinellifera Fruit Extract, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil, Disodium EDTA

Scent: 

Slight herbal scent

Texture:

Serum type

My Thoughts:

     It felt pretty nice on the skin and sat comfortably on. The serum wasn't too thick and the scent had a soothing appeal. However I didn't notice any difference with my skin, which was disappointing. 

Overall Rating: 3/5

    I felt nice on the skin and was soothing during application, but there was no long term effects.

4. Skin Clinic Collagen

     Claims: This fine delicate cotton mask contains collagen to fortify skin, leaving it feeling resilient.

Ingredients:

     Water, Butylene Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol, Niacinamide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Citrus Paradisi (Grapefruit) Fruit Extract, Glycereth-26, Betaine, Carbomer, Arginine, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Cellulose Gum, Adenosine, Glycerin, Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract, Orchid Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Camellia Japonica Leaf Extract, Opuntia Coccinellifera Fruit Extract, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil, Disodium EDTA

Scent:

Light, delicate floral

Texture:

Watery, similar to the Hyaluronic Acid mask

My Thoughts:

    Sunk into the skin very easily and feels good on the skin. I don't really need collagen for my skin, but it did help hydrate my skin. Although today I'm breaking out and I used this mask on two days ago, so I'm not sure if it is making me break out or if I'm just breaking out in general.

Overall Rating: 3/5

    I think I would give this a better rating if I knew if it was the instigator of my breakouts or not, but it does feel good on the skin and is moisturizing.

    That's all for this post! I hope that you all enjoyed it, if you did be sure to tell me if you have tried any of these or if you want to in the comments below. Also leave me any questions, requests, and recommendations which I will get to ASAP. Until next time, love y'all!

Grace

Choix Subscription Box Review

Hello pretty people!
    Today I'm coming at you with a review on the brand Choix. This brand is really cool for broke students like myself who want to test high end products before fully committing our precious dollars on products. Similarly to going into Sephora and asking for samples of a product, but having it delivered to your door. For me, I wanted to test out the brand before deciding on whether or not to subscribe to this brand's boxes. So a couple weeks ago I perused the website and selected a few primers to test out.

    This is what it looks like once you open up the package and remove the orange cover from the little box. You can see that there is also a sample with the other products.

    Once you open up the box, you see the samples, which where all stuck onto the paper with a thick kind of glue goop and a few cotton swabs.

     The top lid has a sticker with all of the names of what I got as well as a disclaimer about ingredients in the products and allergy information.

     Here I have the Dolce & Gabbana The Primer, which retails for $60 (USD). The claims for this product: Preps the skin for makeup and pro longs the wear time, intensely hydrating, reflective particles illuminate the skin, reduce fatigue and discoloration, gives skin a smooth and even texture, infuse with gold silk sericin and Italian olive oil, SPF 30, and fragrance free.

    The Giorgio Armani Fluid Master Primer is another one I decided to try out and retails for $57 (USD). The claims for this product: The gliding and smoothing texture leaves a matte glow to the skin, smoothes away fine lines and imperfections, even facial canvas for ideal application of foundation, and it has a comfortable hold on makeup.

    And lastly, the product I'm actually contemplating buying the full size of, which is $32 (USD) is the Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Water. The claims for this product: Silcone, Alcohol, and Oil free, creates a sheer canvas, wakes up skin making it vibrant and radiant, restores moisture and hydrates without shine, and refreshes throughout the day.

    I also received a small sample of the Dolce & Gabbana Aurealux Cream.

    Over all I love the idea of this subscription service. It's $20 dollars a month and has a wide range of products to choose from, Although I struggle to pronounce the name of this brand, given my very vague knowledge of French, I have no problems with giving them my seal of approval. It's fun to try super high end products without breaking the bank, and even though the probability of me buying the full sizes of both the Giorgio Armani and Dolce & Gabbana primers are slim to none, it is a really cool way of testing out products.

    I hope you all enjoyed this post! Have you ever tried Choix, and what's more, do you know how to pronounce their name? Tell me in the comments as well as any questions, requests, recommendations, or thoughts. Until next time, love y'all!
Grace

Best Korean Cosmetics Part 1: Face

Hello pretty people!
    It has been literally ages since I posted about Korean cosmetics, and honestly I miss it. Originally when I started this blog, it was mainly for Korean products, makeup tutorial, etc. Recently my blog got an updated look, and with it new content. I've always wanted to reach a broader audience and find ways to incorporate both the Korean and American side of my beauty makeup collection. However it has been quite awhile since I touched on the Korean cosmetics side, so today I'm welcoming it back into the circuit with a favorites post. Korean cosmetics is gaining a lot of notoriety in the beauty community and I couldn't be happier. Since it's becoming more popular, the world of K-Beauty is opening up, and with it there are thousands of products to choose from. I created this post in hopes that it would help everyone to know which products are to die for and worth every penny. Today I have part one which is dedicated to face products. Let's jump into this shall?

 
    First I'll start with everyone's favorite: BB Creams and CC Creams. For BB cream I am obsessed with the Luna Wonder Essential B.B Founde. It has amazing coverage and doesn't feel too heavy on the skin. It is very moisturizing too, without leaving your skin looking slick. The Face Shop Pure Aura CC Cream is a dream for all skin types. It has amazing coverage and covers imperfections without leaving the skin looking cakey. I love it in the winter months because it is very brightening and helps to correct dark spots on my skin.

     For concealers the ones I really recommend are both for the under eye area. First is the Missha Under Eye Brightener. It has properties that help to brighten the under eye area and brighten the skin. It really works well at covering dark circles and doesn't make the skin look dry or cakey. The Skinfood Rice Pen Concealer has a yellow tone to it, which really helps to counter act the dark purple tones of dark circles. It has a matte finish and leaves a shine free finish.

     My one powder I felt should be shared with y'all is the Innisfree No-Sebum Mineral Pact. This powder is amazing for oily and combination skin types alike. It absorbs the oils on the skin and sets makeup for a nice and natural finish. They do have a color version of this powder, but I highly recommend the translucent one.

    I have two highlighters and one blush to share with you all. The liquid highlighter is from The Face Shop and is there High Lighter Beam. This is basically a dead on dupe for the Benefit High Beam, except for a lot cheaper. It is light pink toned highlighter with little silver micro shimmers. It blends really beautifully into the skin and gives a gorgeous glow. The Skinfood All Over Muffin Cake Finish in Vanilla Peach Muffin. It is really pretty marbled highlighter that gives depth and dimension to you high light. It smells amazing too, like a pastry just out of the oven. It doesn't look extremely powdery either, just glowy on the skin. Lastly is the Pony Easy Mix Blush by Memebox. This is a great cheeks palette that gives you four shades. You can wear them together or separate, each shade is very pretty and can compliment so many different looks.

    That's it for this post everyone! I hope you enjoyed it and that you stay tuned for more Korean cosmetics being featured. I'm trying to find a way to better incorporate it into my content, whilst keeping with some of the American cosmetics I've been sharing lately. What is your favorite Korean face product? Tell me in the comments and feel free to leave me any questions, comments, and requests as well. Until next time, love y'all!
Grace

November-December Beauty Empties

Hello pretty people!
     Today I have another post of my most recently used up products. I have a bit more than previous times, but I'm trying to do this every couple of months. I don't always use up a lot of products, but I used a pretty fair amount between November and December. So let's take a peak at my hoarding for the past few months (ft. my awful green carpet), shall we?

Body/Hair Care:

Dove Go Fresh Nutrium Moisture Body Wash:
     I have always liked Dove body washes, and I did enjoy the scent of this one. It was nice and refreshing for the time that I used it. I think it helped a little bit with dry skin, since it has such a nice lather, but I have to say their Purely Pampering Body Wash is my ultimate favorite, because it makes my skin super soft. So next time I go for a Dove body wash, I'll probably go with that type instead.

Treat Sweet Dreams Lavender Organic Aloe Souffle:
     I got this off of Hautelook when I was scouring for a new body lotion. I'm a big fan of body butters, and when I got this I was immediately pulled in by the organic lavender and aloe aspects of it. I'm a big sucker for lavender and rose scents, so anything like that will be ideal for me. This was a really nice body lotion or "souffle" and it sunk into the skin very quickly. I think I got this for around $11, and it originally goes for $22. When this brand goes back onto Hautelook, I'd consider getting one of the body souffle's again, but I'd maybe try a different scent.

True Blue Paraffin Lotion:
     I like to keep little mini lotions in my purse, and this is the one that I used for December. It is a pretty intensely moisturizing little lotion. It makes my hands very soft, so I think it works really well for me. It contains paraffin, olive, avocado, and apricot oil to really hydrate the skin. I'm probably going to end up repurchasing this again, seeings how it is good lotion to keep in my purse.

Yes To Carrots Normal to Dry Hair Conditioner:
     This conditioner was pretty good with my hair. It made it softer and easily de-tangled my hair in the shower. The only thing I didn't completely love was the scent. It reminded me of the scent of baby wipes, which is one of my least favorite scents that gets put into cosmetics and beauty items. It worked well, but I love switching up my hair care routine and trying new products, so I probably won't try this again for a very long time, if ever.

Skincare:

Innisfree Skin Clinic Sheet Masks:
    I'm only featuring one of these because I plan on doing a full review on them in a later blog post. I will say though, that a few of them have been amazing and I would repurchase them.

Aveeno Clear Complexion Daily Moisturizer:
    I'm a fan of Aveeno products, except for the smart line which I'm actually allergic too. I've dabled in the Clear Complexion line a few times before, including the face wash and lotion. It is very nicely moisturizing, but I actually don't see any difference in my skin when I use this moisturizer. I like the brightening one a lot more, and actually see a difference in my complexion when using it. I probably won't repurchase this again, just knowing it doesn't work for me.

Neutrogena Night Calming Makeup Remover Wipes:
     These are the first Neutrogena wipes I've used that haven't been harsh on my skin or caused a burning sensation. It is definitely a favorite of mine, seeings how I'm already on my third repurchase of these. It's nice and moisturizing on the skin and removes my makeup really well. The calming scent is really nice after a long day, and it doesn't dry out my skin at all. If you've had trouble with the wipes before, then I totally recommend you try these, since it's a whole new ball game once you try these. I do use coconut oil to remove the bulk of my eye makeup, but I do wipe off the remainder with these.

Makeup:

Dr. Young Anti Pore Eraser Balm:
     I've had this primer for quite awhile and I've liked it since I first got it in one of my Memebox's. It is a really nice formula that left my skin feeling very smooth and ready to go, makeup wise. It has natural herbs in it too which are very pampering and good for the skin. I'm not sure if I'll repurchase this, mainly because the $30 price tag on it is a bit of a turn off, and also because I'm still on the fence of weather this was the cause of some of my breakouts. We'll see what happens with it.

Maybelline Master Conceal:
     This product has such a bad rep in the beauty community, but I actually liked it. I got it on vacation in May of 2015 and I used it up pretty quickly. I liked the full coverage it gave, and I thought it worked great on spots. I'm always trying to find the perfect concealer for my skin, so if I repurchase this, it'll be because nothing better has come along yet, and I need a good concealer for the mountains that appear on my skin.

Maybelline Baby Lips in Pink Lolita:
     What to say about this product... Well, to simply put it, It was a Baby Lips, but one from Thailand because they had more fun colors then the American kind. I hardly ever used this and it ended up just going into a Tinted EOS Lip Balm project that I did. Overall I wouldn't repurchase this particular one.

Blistex Fruit Smoothies Berry Explosion:
     Once again, this is a lip balm that I wouldn't consider repurchasing. I'm not a fan of lip balms that don't have that menthol or peppermint in them, since I love a good tingle on my lips. It too just went into the EOS lip balm project.

    That's all for this post everyone! I'm finally able to throw away all of this junk that I've been storing in my closet for the past couple of months. I do really like doing empty posts, because not only is it helpful for you all to know my thought about things, it helps organize in my mind what products I actually liked and didn't like, saving me some time and money in the long run. So I hope you all enjoyed  this post, comment down below a product you intend to repurchase. Feel free to also leave me any feedback as well, and I'll get to you ASAP. Until next time, love y'all!
Grace

How to Avoid Dry Skin During Winter

Hello pretty people!
    So winter has finally come to Ohio. It had been so nice for the past cold months, but unfortunately all good things come to an end. With the winter weather bringing a harsher side to the elements, it can take a toll on the skin. Dry skin being the main outcome. Today I wanted to share my tips for maintaining moisturized, healthy, and flake free skin for the season that we are in.

1. Take Supplements

    While some of you might already take vitamins throughout the year, there are specific ones that help the skin. Increasing  your Omega-3 fatty acids helps to regulate skin's oil production and keeps it moisturized; Vitamin C helps to increase the amount of iron your body takes in, leading to less dry, tighter, and brighter skin; Vitamin E in moderation helps to fight off free radicals as it is a strong antioxidant. All of these can be found in foods, however an easier and simpler way to increase the amounts taken is through supplements. I personally like to take a multivitamin, fish oil, B-12, and Vitamin D and C to help my body. This strengthens my immune system, boosts my metabolism, and helps my skin during the colder months.

2. Exfoliate
   
     Exfoliating is a great way to decrease the amount of dry skin on your face. Especially for those of us who workout frequently, it's even more important to exfoliate because the turn over rate of our skin is faster than those who don't workout as frequently. Even if you have more sensitive skin, exfoliating is super important. For my skin type, it is beneficial for me to exfoliate 3-4 times a week with the right scrub. The way I keep track of it, is every day I wash my hair, I exfoliate my skin. I've made several D.I.Y posts for face scrubs, each one beneficial and gentle on the skin including a Green Tea Scrub, a Coffee Scrub, and a Turmeric Scrub .

3. Use Sheet Masks
 
    This is something that I love to do during the middle of the week for a quick pick me up. Sheet masks are becoming more and more popular as celebrities bring more and more fame to these face masks. Sheet masks are thin pieces of cloth that is soaked in serum or essence. You let these sit on your skin for 15-20 minutes, remove the cloth, and let the serum soak into your skin. Some of my favorites include the Nature Republic Snail Mask, Etude House I Need You Bamboo, Honey, and Royal Jelly sheet masks, and the Innisfree Skin Clinic Hyaluronic Acid Mask.

4. Drink Your Water

    My last tip is  to drink your water! This is probably the easiest thing to do on the list, but it makes a huge difference on your skin! Drinking water allows your skin to stay moisturized and helps to decrease the amount of dry skin produced, leaving you with glowy beautiful skin. I like drinking 2-3 liters everyday to ensure that my skin is being properly hydrated from the inside out.

    That's it for my tips of how to avoid dry skin during the winter. If you have anything you'd like to add anything, tell me in the comments. Also feel free to share any questions, comments, recommendations, and requests in the down bar. I hope you all enjoyed this post! Until next time, love y'all!
Grace

D.I.Y. Tinted EOS Lip Balm

Hello pretty people!
    Just as a quick disclaimer, I wasn't expecting this to work for me, since D.I.Y's are hit or miss and to be honest, I probably spent half an hour trying to get the top part off, and in a desperate attempt, finally realized that I was pulling on the wrong part. After figuring the out, the rest was smooth sailing. Anyway, this was pretty fun to do, and is incredibly simple. If you want to carry around a tinted lip balm in that egg shape we all love, here is how you can do it.

1. First take whatever lip balm you want and untwist until you can pull the product out. I used two different tinted lip balms and scrapped the rest of an EOS into one container.

2. You want to take the "wedge" or "pie" looking part and pop it out from the bottom before popping it into the top. Make sure to get as much product off of the base as possible.

3. Take about a tablespoon of coconut oil and put it in the same bowl as the lip balms.

4. This part can take a little, but the goal is to try and mix all of the products together. I found that using a butter knife helps to mix everything really nicely.

5. Put it in the microwave for 50 seconds to melt everything together.

6. Pour the mixture into the top part of the EOS Container as cleanly as possible. Make sure that bottom pie piece is there before you pour the liquid in.

7. Pop the bottom part onto the top, making the top the bottom and the bottom the top. Once it's sealed, place it into the freezer for one hour.

    When you unscrew the lid, your tinted lip balm should be in the sphere shape and ready to go! It's a pretty fun and easy D.I.Y and I think it's so pretty once it's done. Be sure to tell me how this goes for you if you try it out. Also if you have any questions, comments, requests, or recommendations be sure to leave them in the comments below and I'll get back to you ASAP. Until next time, love y'all!

Grace

Monthly Makeup Edit: December 2015

Hello pretty people!
    The end of the month has come and although this post is a little late, I always like to share the products that have worked wonders for me, enough so that I've kept them in rotation throughout an entire month. This month I focused on enhancing my hazel eyes and keeping a clean looking base. The lips took a glossy back seat, and the eyes drove the whole thing.

    For my base, I loved mixing the Neutrogena Skin Clearing Foundation with the Face Shop Pure CC Cream. This combination gave me a semi-matte and brightened look to my skin. It helped to keep oil at bay and helped to moisturize my dry cheeks. The best way I found to apply this was with a damp beauty blender or with a thick foundation brush. Both times it was necessary to take a fluffy brush and finish blending everything for an uber natural look. The Neutrogena foundation has salicylic acid which helps to clear up acne and the Face Shop CC Cream has brightening properties that helps transform the skin's dark spots. I like to set the base products with the Pacifica Perfect Lotus Powder which is a hydrating pressed powder with a buildable coverage. To give life back into my skin, I've been using the Lorac Pro Powder Cheek Stain in Petal Pink. It's packed with antioxidants and stays on forever. The color is a gorgeous light pink that is the perfect winter flush for my skin tone.
    I'm pretty lenient with eye primer, honestly if it stays put, then I'm good to go. This month I've been testing out the Elizabeth Mott Thank Me Later eye primer. It applies like silk and really enhances eye shadow in a beautiful way. My over all lid color has been the Colourpop Super Shock Shadow in Cornelius, which a warm toned caramel brown. This shadow is a hybrid between cream and powder, making it apply like a dream to the lids. I like to use my fingers and blend this shade into my crease. On my outer v and lash line, I've been applying Woodwinked from MAC, which is a beautiful antique gold that warms up every look. I love using the colors on my lid because they make my hazel eyes look so green, and enhance in a gorgeous way. My eyebrows have found their new love in the Lorac Pro Eyebrow Pencil in Brunette. It makes doing my eyebrows so easy and get's the job done in a jiffy.
    The lips were kept moisturized and soft with the Shara Shara Acerola Moist Oil Balm. It's a universal balm that you can use anywhere that's dry and flaky. I love using this on my lips because it looks like a hyper shine gloss, when really it's pampering and protecting my lips from the external elements.
    That's it for this months edit! I hope you all enjoyed this post, if you did be sure to tell me in the comments. Also feel free to leave any requests, comments, recommendations, or questions and I'll be happy to get back to them ASAP. Until next time, love y'all!
Grace

Mini Lorac Haul + Review

Hello pretty people!
    A couple weeks ago I was on Hautelook and picked up some new makeup products. Whenever I'm trying to expand my high end makeup collection, I always buy my products off Hautelook because I find really good deals that save me a lot of money. So last time I bought something it was from Lorac. I got some really good products for a fraction of the price and I also now know the the products work for me. So let's get into this haul!

Original Price: $21 (USD)
Hautelook Price: $5 (USD)
    First is the Pro Powder Cheek Stain in Petal Pink. This particular shade is no longer available but there are four shades still available and they all look just as gorgeous. This shade is a perfect light pink that last for such a long time on my face! The formula was created by Carol Shaw and is packed with antioxidants like Vitamins A, C, E, Pomegranate, Green Tea, White Tea, Grape Seed Extracts, and Aloe. I really like this blush because it really last for a long time and is very easy to blend and apply.

Original Price: $20 (USD)

Hautelook Price: $3 (USD)

    Another discontinued product that is amazing is the Creamy Brow Pencil in Brunette. This is a really handy product because it gives you a spoolie on the other side making it really easy to pack it away in my makeup bag. It fills in my brows really nicely and defines them without giving a sharpie look. 

Original Price: $15 (USD)

Hautelook Price: $3 (USD)

    Lastly is the Lip Lustre Gloss in Rose, which can still be purchased on the Lorac website. This gloss is formulated with Acai Berry, Pomegranate, Grape Seed and Vitamins A, C, and E. I really like the color of this product and the only down side for me is how chunky the glitter is. It does look nice if you blend it out a little bit and it has a really moisturizing feel on the lips.

    That's it for this post everyone! I hope you enjoyed it, if you did be sure to leave me any questions, comments, recommendations, and requests. I'll get back to them ASAP. Until next time, love y'all!

Grace