A personal blog, with a little haul at the end ;)

Posted on June 12, 2013 by Laura

2 days ago I set out to Ulta to get some Benefit products. Ulta was having a free gift giveaway (some travel sizes of the most popular benefit products) with any $35 purchase of benefit products. First thing, Ulta upped the price of Benefit’s Oxygen Wow Foundation (click here for my thoughts on Oxygen Wow), that was a bit disappointing but to kinda put a cherry on that crap cake they didn’t have any variety of colors, they just happen to have one bottle and it was in my color (awesome right?…wrong), the box was opened and there was foundation all over the inside. I was disappointed to say the least. This has happened to my more than once at this Ulta, I actually purchased a Tarte cream highlighter to find that it was opened and smudged with fingerprints all over it. Listen I am all for testing things out to see how they fair with your skin tone,complement your features, and how pigmented the colors are…but there are testers for that specific reason, why would you open a different one (NOT MARKED TESTER) up?! That drives me nuts. I also feel that at every end cap there should be disposable cotton balls, cue tips, mascara wands, lip brushes etc. so people aren’t contaminating the testers…this is pretty primitive information here people, we shouldn’t be shoving our fingers all over products, it spreads germs…gross. So I wound up getting nothing from Benefit. Even though I came out of the store with something that I didn’t initially intend on, it worked out because at an unrelated place and time I found a little gem that made this whole debacle well worth it (it’s so awesome that it will get its own blog/review).

This is what I wound up purchasing

I’ve been wanting to try St. Tropez products for quite some time now, so I am excited to see how it looks!

…Oh and to top the day off I went back to the car and my car didn’t start… o.O seriously…after countless attempts to ask people to jump me (including going back into Ulta after I had spent quite a bit of money mind you, asking if anyone could jump me there, to which “we don’t have anyone on break, sorry” was the response. Nice.) I also went into dick’s sporting goods, and the manager just straight up told me “No.” Then walked away…hah thanks. Finally 2 very kind men gave me a jump and we were on our way back home….

The BB Cream bonanza

Posted on June 4, 2013 by Laura

So I am sure we have all heard of BB creams by now, but I admit when BB creams were mainstreamed in the US I had my doubts. I thought ‘this is basically a glorified tinted moisturizer.’ After 6 months of hype I decided to try it for myself. I did a little research to decide which BB Cream I was to purchase and out of all of the one’s I’ve read about I came to Tarte’s BB tinted treatment…key word there TREATMENT! This is a fairly new product so I I’m kind of filling two needs with one deed (haha like that one? I always hated the saying killing two birds with one stone)

Lets get a little bit more acquainted with BB creams

Some brief BB Cream history:
- It was discovered in the 1960′s by a German Dermatologist to be used on patients to protect them after skin surgeries
-In 1985 it was introduced in South Korea and Japan as a mainstream product

…side note: HELLLOOO Western World why has it taken us so long to develop our own versions of BB Cream???

Now lets discuss a little bit about Tarte’s BB Tinted Treatment

This is how it was worded in the Ulta circular (where I purchased it from)

“Multi-tasking BB tinted treatment primer works as a primer, moisturizer, light foundation, anti-aging treatment and sunscreen to give you a natural, flawless complexion.”

…if that brief explanation doesn’t make you want to try this stuff I don’t know what does

One of the bigger reason’s I’ve decided to go with Tarte is because there is one product that I have been using since I was 19 and I can’t get enough of it
Tarte Clean Slate primer , since I love this product so much, and it is in the same category as the BB Cream, I thought why not

First Impressions: It feels awesome, so different than regular foundation, or moisturizer, it feels soft and non clogging to my pores. I could have went with a shade lighter (but seeing as though it’s summer, it will work)
Here is the only drawback, it doesn’t provide much coverage. So if you are planning to use this as your full foundation (expecting coverage) you will be slightly disappointed…but that being said, it is summertime and usually we need less coverage in the summer (due to sun tans and overall laziness-hah at least in my own personal case lol)

Would i purchase it again?: Unfortunately probably not—but not because I don’t like it…more because I want try a CC cream (color corrective cream) for my personal needs (I prefer a bit of coverage, being that I have an uneven skin tone and some blemishes that need addressing hahah)

Sugarpill Cosmetics

Posted on April 30, 2013 by Laura

I’ve had my eye on Sugarpill Cosmetics for quite some time now, they are a cruelty free makeup company based out of Berkeley California they launched there products Valentines Day 2010 (ref. Sugarpill) This Valentines day they had a promotion going on where everything was 25% off, this was the perfect time for me to try out these gorgeous shadows that I’ve been so eager to try.

Here is what i purchased

Get your skin ready for Summer!

Posted on March 26, 2013 by Laura

Well it’s that time again, the birds are chirping (…that may be wishful thinking at this time lol), the sun is out, it’s lighter later, and the temperatures are slowly rising! Before you know it Spring will be in full bloom and shorts and tanks will be crawling their way back into the closet (yay!!) Now I don’t know about you but i neglect my legs during the winter..(they are lucky if they get shaved once a week hahaha) So now it’s time to get my skin (and body..thank you gym membership) ready for summer again! Here is my routine for healthy moisturized skin that will be perfectly glowing for Summer!

Starting out in the shower, I exfoliate using Tree Hut Shea Hawaiian Kukui Sugar Scrub which is a mild exfoliant that removes the dry skin cells on the surface of your body…and may I mention it smells pretty amazing

After I exfoliate, I use Dove bar soap (Pink Beauty Bar) . It’s important to not use a harsh soap, especially in the winter because your skin is already dry, then to put a harsh soap onto that dry skin will either a.) irritate it or b.) dry it out even more (more that not both of the previous happen simultaneously and you’re are left with red chapped skin …eek!)

After that I use h2o Seaweed Mud treatment on the parts of my body that are prone to dryness like my knees and elbows.

After all that showery goodness I lotion up with Nivea Essentially Enriched Daily Lotion with Almond Oil and Sea Minerals (I am obsessed with this lotion, it leaves my skin so beautifully smooth!)

Note: I do not do the whole shower routine every single night, I do it 3 times a week. Every night, I use the beauty bar and Nivea.

My Skincare Routine

Posted on March 14, 2013 by Laura

I’ve gotten quite a few compliments on my skin lately (thank you to all that have noticed and took the time to say something ) so I decided to write about my nightly/daily skincare routine.
Here’s the skinny, it took me a good 4 years to have a consistent skincare routine, it took me a long time to find the things that were just right for me. After years of trying different systems and products I have came up with the best concoction for my skin type (which is normal/oily combination).

Nightly Routine (wanted to start with this first because it is more lengthy)

Remove my Makeup with Aveeno Ultra Calming Makeup Removing Wipes These wipes are nice and gentle on my skin, tend to get off most of my makeup with one wipe (which is unlike the previous wipes I was using…if I have really stubborn mascara or waterproof eyeliner on I use a little cotton pledget with some baby oil to get it off, then I use the makeup wipe after that, but for my everyday makeup the wipes take everything off)

Cleanse my face with Origins Checks and Balances Frothy Face Wash I can’t say enought amazing things about this product, it is the perfect combination of ingredients to balance out the problem areas of my skin and it is very gentle (which is good for people like me as I have fairly sensitive skin)

After cleansing my face and I move my way into my bedroom and tone and moisturize!

Tone I found the most amazing face toner Jurlique Rose Water Balancing Mist. The benefits of rosewater outweigh any other toning mist I have ever used, studies have shown that rose-based products can greatly reduce the damage to skin’s elastin fibers, and associated wrinkling, caused by UVB rays….and it smells amazing!

Moisturize The Body Shop Vitamin E Nourishing Night Cream. It is a rich cream, yet it is light on my skin, it doesn’t feel oily or heavy. It’s rich in vitamins and antioxidants and smells delicious as well (can you see a trend here I like good smelling stuff lol)
Doesn’t that cream look luscious! *sighhh* It is! I love it!

Treat problem areas Juice Beauty Antioxidant Serum on my orbital bone and smile lines. Here is a trick I learned from a good friend of mine quite a few years back. Don’t put serums or creams directly underneath your eyes (you know the dark circle/bags area), the skin is so thin there that it will cause more wrinkles, if you put it on your orbital bone, the skin underneath your eye will soak it up and reap the benefits without the tension of your fingers rubbing serum into it!
And if I have some blemishes I use Murad Acne Spot Treatment

Finally I slap on some Rosebud Salve (aka the best lip balm/treatment I have ever come across!) and I am on my way!
And once every 2 weeks I do a Lip treatment using Laura Geller’s Lip Strip

Daily Routine

Cleanse . First thing in the morning I wash my face with a gentle cleanser, Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Cleanser or Cetaphil Gentle Daily Skin Cleaner

Moisturize with Aveeno Smart Essentials Daily Moisturizer. I love this for every day use because it has SPF 30 in it and I can’t stress enough how important sun screen is! So wear it! I find it easiest when it is already in my moisturizer because it’s not an extra step I have to worry about in the morning, when I am rushing to get out the door!

After moisturizing I use 40 Carrots Carrot+Cucumber Eye Gel on my orbital bone, which awakens my sleepy little eyes for the day ahead!

Now this wouldn’t be a fair post without a picture of the results without any makeup on! Normally I wouldn’t do this but I am so happy with how gorgeous and glowing my skin looks I can rock it for this one post

…ps this is fresh from the gym in my sweaty glory hahaha (and yes….I am doing my eyebrows tomorrow! lol they are lookin a wee bit rough )

Ulta Haul!

Posted on March 5, 2013 by Laura

Of course I can never put aside a coupon…so when the Ulta 20% off coupon came with my circular this past month you better believe I hopped in the car and drove up to Ulta that day!

While I misread the coupon,I thought that I could use it on Urban Decay because it didn’t state that specific Prestige brand…I couldn’t boo…but do not fret—I still got some awesome stuff

Heres what I got: (this post also includes a few items I had purchased back in December/January that I just couldn’t resist photographing!)

Tarte BB Cream in Medium (I can’t wait to try this!!)

Benefit’s They’re Real! Mascara

Khroma Beauty Individual Lashes and Khroma Beauty Faux Lashes in Scintillate

Tarte Eyelash Curler with sample mascara

Eyelure Katy Perry Lashes in Oh Honey! and Oh My! (I’m obsessed!)

Tarte Airblush Maracuja Blush in Shimmering Pink (as you can tell I couldn’t help trying it before I photographed it…it is just too beautiful to resist)

Tarte Clean Slate Creaseless eyeshadow primer

Ulta Glitter Top Coat in Gold Digger (…as I am typing this I am singing Kayne West ‘Gold Digger’ hahah)

Lorac Holiday Chocolate Box (this was limited edition :/ …but I am so happy I purchased it when i did back before Christmas because besides the packaging being absolutely delicious….the eyeshadows are beautiful…and what girl doesn’t love chocolate…especially in makeup form!)

Makeup Haul! (Laura Geller)

Posted on February 21, 2013 by Laura

A couple of weeks ago Laura Geller was featured on Hautelook, I have never owned anything by Laura Geller so I figured this was the perfect opportunity to purchase some goods!

Here is what I got:

Lip Strip

Blush-n-Brighten with brush in Sunswept

Big Apple Beauty Kit in Medium

Glo and Behold Box which included:
Baked Body Frosting in Tahitian Glow
(I was so surprised when I opened this, it is huge!!! My eyes lit up!)
Baked Blush in Bora Bora
Mix and Match Concealer and Highlighter in Regular/Tan
Double Dip Lipstick in Caribbean Kiss

How to: Make your own clip in hair extensions

Posted on February 18, 2013 by Laura

I have very thick hair and I made the mistake of cutting it about 2 years ago. My hair takes a very long time to grow so going from past the middle of my back to my chin was drastic to say the least. My story is not that tragic after all, thank you to my local beauty supply I found that they sell clip in extensions (for a quite affordable price) so without a doubt I bought them and I was on my way to long hair heaven. Well the extensions were way to thin for my hair type, it looked like I had a mullet *cringe* So that brings me to my “How to” with the help of a fellow cosmetologist, we concocted a way to make nice long thick blend-able hair extensions Enjoy!

What you will need: (All of which can be purchased at your beauty supply)

Track hair (that matches your current color ) there are a lot of types of hair out there that range in prices according to quality, Human is the most expensive and will react to all of the elements (just like your own hair does i.e. frizziness when humid etc.) but it is also the best kind of hair because you can treat it how you treat your own (flat iron, curl it etc.) So while the initial investment is pretty heavy it is worth it in the long run, it will last you much longer and it gives you the option to style it different ways.

Hair bonding glue

Needle (I use a curved weaving needle)

Thick Thread

Wig clips

Old Flat Iron (that you don’t mind getting a little messy)

Tape Measure

Scissors

How to picture guide:

Part and measure head for placement of extensions, then measure track hair and cut. (I used 6 layers on the bottom row, you use as many as you need…the more the layers the thicker it will be)

Apply bonding glue to each top of track and bond layers together with flat iron

Using needle and thread sew on the wig clips (I used 2 clips on the bottom row, 3 in the middle, 2 on the top and 2 on each side piece) ..excuse the lack of manicure (eek!)

Repeat this process for all rows, In total I made 3 main rows (bottom, middle and top) with the middle being my thickest, and 2 side pieces (for the left and right front of my head, I cut these to angle and blend with natural hair)

Enjoy =)

Legally Blonde!

Posted on February 6, 2013 by Laura

Last year I had the awesome opportunity to do the makeup for the production of Legally Blonde (at my old high school, which made it even cooler!)
My amazing photographer and fellow makeup lover Danielle was able to capture some of the gorgeous makeup looks I created for the play

Enjoy!

(This was by far my favorite look! Seriously, who doesn’t love gold glitter )

(Paulette Cast 2)

(Paulette Cast 1)

(The lovely Morgan who played Elle Woods!)

(The gorgeous Shelby and her pretty Cat eyes)

(Just doing my thang …yikes look how short my hair was!)

What a rush this was, I had to do about 9 girls to do in 30 minutes (each with there own wants/polite demands hahaha)…it was crazy and extremely fast paced but it was most definitely an awesomely fun experience and it was fun for me to relive it through these pictures and this post

Valentine’s Day Makeup

Posted on February 4, 2013 by Laura

I love Valentine’s Day! So why not celebrate with a Valentine’s Day Makeup Look!

What I used:

How I achieved this look:

1. Moisturized and primed face
2. Applied Benefit’s Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow foundation (click here to read about my fav foundation!)
3. Applied Garnier rollerball (anti dark circles) concealer underneath my eyes

4. Applied Benefit’s Hoola all over face and Nars blush in Oasis to apples of cheeks

5. Primed eyelids with Urban Decay Primer Potion based eyelid with Virgin eyeshadow from Urban Decay’s Naked Palette then highlighted brow bone with Sin (I also put this in the inner corner of my eye after all eye makeup was done)

6. Applied Creep (from Urban Decay’s Naked Palette) all over eyelid, then applied Maybeline’s Color Tattoo in Pomegranate Punk over top of Creep. then lined my waterline with Maybeline’s unstoppable eyeliner in Black and lined the rest of my eye with Loreal’s Hip Cream Liner in black and applied Loreal’s Voluminous Power Volume Mascara in black to eyelashes.

7. Finally lined lips with Mac lip liner in Naked and used Hard Candy lip balm in nude overtop

End Result!

Happy Valentines Day <3