Current Foundation favorite!

Hey Everyone! It's been a while since I blogged last, so I figured I would kick it off with my current foundation favorite! Over the last month or so, I have been loving rediscovering Smashbox Studio Skin 15 hour wear hydrating foundation. Since its gotten a little cooler here in Northern California (I can't believe we're starting to call 93 degrees "cooler", but trust me its WAY better than the last almost two week stretch of 100s!), I've switched from wearing my IT Cosmetics Your Skin but Better CC cream to a more medium coverage foundation.

Now don't get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE my IT cosmetics CC cream, I just wanted to switch my routine for fall to an actual foundation. So, why do I love this Smashbox foundation? Well, here's some of the perks:

Medium-to-full buildable coverage with a natural matte finish

Blurs imperfections with light-diffusing spheres

Stays put for 15 hours

Lightweight, comfortable feel

No touch-ups required (although, if you have oily skin like I do, you may have to touch up once or twice as you go through the day)

Exercise-resistant, sweat-resistant, and transfer-proof (now to be honest, I haven't worn this when I go to the gym, because lets be real who wears makeup to go work out?, I do however think its pretty sweat resistant and transfer proof) 

Ideal for all skin types 

Oil free 

The shade range is quite large as well, 22 shades! From your fairest of the fair, to your chocolate skin ladies, there seems to be a shade for everyone! I'm in shade 2.2 and its a perfect match for my olive complexion! 

Here's the layout of the shades for each skintone: 

The price of this foundation is $42 and you get 1 fluid oz of product. Which considering you don't need very much, it should last you quite a while. For me, I use 2 full pumps and I've had mine since the end of last year. Even using 2 full pumps, its such a thin consistency that it doesn't look cakey, which is something I personally love about it. With its thin consistency, it still gives a beautiful medium-full coverage look. Now it is hydrating, which if you have dry skin or combination skin, you will love this! I love it and I have oily skin. It doesn't give you a shine, more of a subtle barely there "glow". 

You can get this foundation at Ulta: http://www.ulta.com/studio-skin-15-hour-wear-hydrating-foundation?productId=xlsImpprod3590081 

And also on Smashbox official website: https://www.smashbox.com/product/6035/22769/face/foundation-powder/studio-skin-15-hour-wear-hydrating-foundation#/shade/0.5 

Bottom line: This may be my new favorite foundation to wear for fall! If you want an more in depth review, check out my video on this foundation from last year: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVL5ZmSGWXw&t=419s  (also, BONUS! You will also see my review on the concealer that goes with this foundation in this video! So you get a two for one!) 

❤

Daily Nuggets...

• Just started my Fall Term of my JUNIOR year of college today!! 😄
• As I said earlier, I can't believe we're calling 93 degrees "cooler", Fall needs to get here to Northern Cali FAST! I'm ready for sweaters, hot chocolate and a blanket in the mornings, and my Fall candles!! 
• If you haven't checked out and/or subscribed to my youtube channels yet, please do so! My main channel is HERE and if you love random family fun, daily check ins, follow my life, endless laughs with the family, then please go subscribe to my vlog channel also! Click HERE to subscribe to the vlog channel! 

My Top 5 Everyday Beauty Staples!

Hey Everyone! It's been quite a while since I posted last, so I thought it would be fun to bring the blog back with a look at five products that I consider everyday staples in my collection!

1. IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better SPF 50+ CC Cream

IT Cosmetics is a fantastic brand and this foundation is amazing! It gives you full coverage and SPF protection. This foundation comes in a sleekly designed squeeze tube with a pump top. The overall packaging is handy and portable to carry easily in the bag. The pump top helps a great deal in preventing spilling of the product. The texture of this cc cream feels pretty light and you can comfortably get the required amount with one or two pumps. 

The shade range isn't bad, but it's not real wide either. They've basically fit everyone into 5 different shade categories: 

When I first purchased this foundation, the packaging was the first thing I was intrigued about. Mainly because, if you follow me on my youtube channel you know that I love a foundation with a pump and a squeeze tube.

The first impression of the packaging was absolutely delightful. The packaging is travel friendly, you can easily see the shade from the transparent area on the tube which I love. My shade is in medium and I feel like it's a perfect match for my olive complexion. It's easily blendable on the skin; The coverage of this foundation is medium but it is buildable to full coverage. 

As far as longevity is concerned, for my oily skin type this foundation lasts surprisingly for at least 12 hours or more. What I love most about this is the fact that the end of a 12 hour day, it stills looks as fresh as it did when I applied it that morning. 

So here's the pros: 


 1- Travel friendly packaging and easy to store.
2- Squeeze tube with a pump dispenser can be helpful for having control over how much product is dispensed.
3- It's easily blendable with fingers or a brush, either application works well. Although I prefer to use a brush.
4- Offers medium to full coverage.
5- has a dewy finish, but doesn't make you look more oily (if you're like me and you have oily skin).
6- Makes your skin soft and hydrated.
7- Comes with a broad spectrum sunscreen with anti-aging technology.

8- Longevity is pretty awesome (lasts 12 + hours on me). 

9-Lightweight feel on the skin. 

10-Ideal for oily skin types as well as dry skin. I feel like this would be a great foundation for those with dry skin, because it does provide some hydration. 

If I had a couple cons...it would be: 

1-Limited range of shades

2-Price, this foundation is $38 but with how much you get (1.08 fl oz), I find that the price is actually worth while since you don't need very much (I use about 1 pump for my entire face). 

All in all, I really love this foundation and I absolutely consider it a staple in my collection! You can get it at ULTA, QVC, and newly at SEPHORA. 

2. Covergirl Trublend Face Primer

The next product that is a staple in my collection the Covergirl Trublend Face Primer. I have gone through two tubes of this primer and I absolutely love it! I feel as though it really helps keep my skin pretty matte throughout the day. I have pretty oily skin, so I need something that isn't going to make my skin feel greasy after application, and this primer does just that. It's not greasy feeling, it doesn't feel too tacky or sticky, and may I add that I love the fact that it's in a squeeze tube? 

Once again, if you follow me on my youtube channel, you know that I love products that come in a squeeze tube, just for the sheer fact that I can cut the package open if necessary in order to get every last bit of product out before throwing it away. 

With this product, you're getting 1 fl oz and I personally feel like that's a substantial amount, because you only need the smallest bit for your entire face application.I wear makeup almost everyday, so I use this primer each time I apply my makeup and it lasts me about 2 months give or take. 

So, having said all that, here's the pros: 

1. It doesn't make my skin feel greasy or sticky upon application. 
2. The packaging is great! Squeeze tube for the win! :-) 
3. The amount of product you're getting I feel is substantial for how much you actually use.
4. Consistency/texture of the primer is very smooth, a little liquidy, but not so much that it runs all over the place. 
5. Makes your skin feel soft and mattefied. 
6. Lightweight feel on the skin. 
7. Travel friendly packaging and easy to store. 
8. This particular one that I use is specifically for oily skin, but they also have this primer in combo skin as well as dry skin. Love how versatile this brand is, they've made something for everyone with this primer!
9. Price is excellent! It's a drugstore item, yet sometimes things at the drugstore can be somewhat higher priced. Whereas, this primer will only cost you about $10. And depending on where you purchase it, you may be able to get for less!

And I have zero cons with is product, its a win in my book! You can get this product at CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, and ULTA. 

3. Milani Rose Powder Blush

This product is probably one of my favorite blushes that I have in my collection! It may seem like nothing special in the pan and you may think that it won't show up because it looks like it's super sheer, but once you apply it to your cheeks, I think your opinion may change. I know mine did! 

It's such a subtle tone of pink, very natural looking. And when you apply it, it gives the slightest hint of glow to your cheeks that is just gorgeous! Also, this is a completely matte blush, no shimmer at all. I wear this with just about any eye look because it is such a versatile shade and color.


Pros:

1. Matte shade
2. Gives a subtle glow that gives your cheeks a "just got back from a workout" kind of a flushed look. 
3. LOVE the rose design on the actual blush, so cute! :-) 
4. Generous amount of product in the pan. You are definitely not cheated out of product that's for sure! 
5. Goes with any eye look!

If I had any cons, here they are: 

Cons: 

1. Packaging, while the gold packaging is really pretty, I feel as though it's pretty bulky. If you were to take this with you for travel, I think you would have a hard time finding a place for it in your makeup bag because of the size of the compact. 
2. Price. Milani is on the upper end as far as price range at the drugstore. Where I live out in Northern California. these blushes cost me around $10. I feel as though its a steep price to pay, BUT having said that you do get a generous amount of product (.60 oz or 17 grams). So all in all, since you don't need very much, this will last you quite a while. 

You can get this product at CVS, Walgreens, and Milani Cosmetics. 

4. Hard Candy Sheer Envy Hydrating Primer Mist

Every girl needs a setting spray in their collection! Especially, if you have oily skin this will help keep the oiliness at bay for most of the day. I spray 3 spritzes of this after I've applied all my makeup and I only have to touch up one time with some powder at usually (depending on what type of foundation I wore that day) 10 hours. Which I think is pretty good considering I have fairly oily skin! 

Pros: 

1. Hydrates skin up to 12 hours

2. Adds a bit of a natural "lit from within" type of radiance 

3. Coconut water infused 

4. 12 hour staying power! 

5. Price! I get mine at walmart for $8! You're getting 2.2 fluid ounces, so I think that's a really fair price for how much you get considering you don't use very much of it. 

With this product, I actually don't any cons! To my knowledge, it is only sold at Walmart 

5. Mally Evercolor Shadow Stick

And last but not least, is one of my favorite eyeshadow sticks! Mally's shadow sticks are amazing because they literally don't budge all day long! I have two different shades, but my favorite shade right now is the one in Autumn Shimmer. These shadow sticks work great when you're in a pinch and need to get out the door quick, and don't have time to do your eye makeup. You have 45 seconds of play time and then after that, your eyeshadow is going to be smudge-proof, transfer-proof and crease-proof! Blend it out for a light, sheer wash of color, or layer for more intensity. 

With these sticks, you're getting .06 oz of product, and beings you don't use a lot, it will last you for quite a while. 

Pros: 

1. The longevity! As soon as you apply them, they won't budge until you take it off. 

2. Shade range. I absolutely love the shades of these sticks! There's a total of 14 different colors. 

3. Packaging. I love how sleek and travel friendly the packaging is! And I think my favorite part about it, is the fact that you don't have to sharpen them because they're a twist up stick! 

Cons: 

If I had any cons, it would be: the price. They cost $25 each, and for the amount of product you're getting, I think the price is a bit steep. However, since you don't use it up right away because you don't need very much, the price is somehow justified some. 

You can get these shadow sticks at Ulta, Mally official website, and QVC. 

Well, I think that's about all I have that I use on a fairly regular basis to share with you! I hope you enjoyed reading this and I hope it gave you some ideas. Thanks so much for reading, I really appreciate it! Have a great day! 

                                                                     ♥

Daily Nuggets!

• If you'd like more beauty related stuff, head over to my youtube channel: youtube.com/mariahsierra94 and please subscribe! 
• Almost done with my 3 week break for my last half of Sophomore year at college, classes start again next Monday! Oh yay for summer and fall term! :-) 
• Realized I haven't done a blog post in 3 years....yeah I need to do more posts! :-) 
• It's supposed to be 94 degrees this week here in Northern Cali....I'm so not ready for the triple digit weather!

Tarte Dressed To The Nines LipSurgence Lip Crème Gift Set

Hey everyone! The blog is back! This time, with a review on the Tarte Dressed To The Nines LipSurgence lip creme gift set. There are a ton of products to show....so I thought it wold be easiest to do a blog post rather than a video. The Tarte Dressed To The Nines LipSurgence Lip Creme Gift Set is $34 at Ulta. This was my first time purchasing this holiday gift set, and I'm extremely glad I did! I have several other Tarte LipSurgence lip products from previous holiday and limited edition sets, which I absolutely love. So naturally, I knew I would enjoy this set! 

(The 9 shades are packaged separately in their own box in a plastic tray)

 I was particularly interested in this kit because of the wide range of shades it provides...9 products (in mini 0.056 oz sizes). Also, the set is made up of brand new limited edition shades-which can be a down fall if you really love a certain shade. Because if you love a particular shade, it unfortunately wouldn't be available in a full size. And in case you're not familiar, these lip cremes are basically like tingly lip plumpers. They don't sting....but they do leave a cooling minty feeling behind, which I really like. These lip cremes are not at all sticky, but some do leave behind a good amount of shine. As far as staying power, even with periodic eating and drinking-I can get several hours of wear out of these lip cremes! Another aspect that I love about these is that even though there are some shades that are slightly more sheer than others, they are NEVER streaky in application. They always hang together and give an even look across the lips. 

Left to right: Ritsy, Pizzazz, Luscious. 

These don't contain any shimmer and some shades are more opaque than others. They have the same overall feel on the lips as the normal lipsurgence lip cremes do and just as much shine. I had only tried a few shades from this line in the past and I loved them-so I am so excited to have more! 

Ritzy

This is a super natural, everyday wear type of shade. It's a great rosy pink shade that would go with anything. Overall, this is a fairly opaque color with not a lot of shine. It has a lot of coverage on the lips, but it's definitely one of those "my lips but better" kind of shades.  I can see this being a good Spring/Summer shade! 

Pizzazz

This is a highly opaque pinky red shade with a slight bit of shine. If I could offer 1 tip for applying this shade, that would be to be extremely careful because this is not a shade that you can just throw on and not have to worry about it feathering outside your lip line. I would recommend applying a lip liner first to maximize staying power. I really like this shade, perfect for the holidays! 

Luscious

This is a great deep berry shade that I would say is mostly matte. This one reminds me a little of NYX's High Voltage lipstick in Hollywood just because of the color. It's very natural and wearable I think. It goes on very opaque and I could see this worn a lot throughout the winter months. 

Left to right: Plush, Stunning, Glamorous 

Plush 

I was very surprised at how opaque this pinky nude shade applied. This is an ideal shade to wear if you have a dramatic eye look going on and you don't want too much attention drawn to the lips. Although I have a lot of this same color from other brands, overall, I really love this shade! 

Stunning 

This shade applied a little less pigmented than I would like for a peachy colored lipstick. Even though it's a nice shade I feel as though I have a lot of this same shade from different brands that apply more opaque than this one. It's extremely natural looking, which I don't mind, but I do feel as though I'm looking at my lip color with just a little added shine to them. So overall, this particular shade wasn't as impressive as some others were from this collection. 

Glamorous 

This shade for me is a very vampy deep plum/berry color. I love how opaque this color is without being streaky, which surprised me a little. I have nothing negative to say about this color, I can absolutely see this worn over the holiday and winter season for sure! I think this is probably one of my favorites from this specific collection. 

Left to right: Luring, Striking, Jazzy

Luring

This one looks a lot like the shade "Stunning" to me. I feel as though it's not as opaque as it should be and I once again have a lot of this same color from other brands that I find are more pigmented. This one is basically my lips with just a touch more color and a little added shine. Overall, not my favorite of the bunch. 

Striking

This shade reminds me a lot of NYX's High Voltage lipstick in Flutter Kiss because it's a very natural, warm nude color. This one is very opaque and can be worn with various eye looks ranging from natural to smoky. Great neutral to have in your collection in my opinion! 

Jazzy

This shade was very interesting to me because it's the brighter color of the bunch. The color itself is more of a brighter pinky red shade. I see myself wearing this in the winter season as well as in the spring and summer season, it's a very universal shade I think. So nonetheless, it's a beautiful shade and paired with a neutral eye look, I think it would look gorgeous! 

The one thing I wanted to mention is the packaging because each set of 3 is boxed in its own box with "To" and "From" on the back. So essentially you could split up each trio to give to someone or on the back of the bigger outer package is a "To" and "From" as well so you could give the entire set to someone if you wanted to.

The range of the shades in this kit is nice because it has your neutrals but also your deep and dark plum and berry shades as well. As I said in the beginning of this review, the staying power is pretty solid for at least 2-3 hours with eating and drinking. After that time span, you might want to re-apply, especially if you're wearing some of the lighter shades. If you're wearing the darker shades, as it wears off it will become more noticeable so I would be cautious as to how much time you let go between applications. Also with the darker shades you may find that they cling better, to where you don't have to re-apply so much because they're so opaque.

♥

My Favorites: Glamorous, Plush, Pizzazz, Striking

Bottom Line: I think for $34 you're getting a great value, especially if you've never tried Tarte Lipsurgence before. I think the size of these lip cremes is great because they're ideal for those of us that travel. Small sizes are great for those of us who are lip product addicts who rarely burn through a full size anyway. For me, every single shade in this kit is wearable and every shade is pretty. There are just some shades that I like more than others, If you're not a fan of any sort of minty or cooling sensation on your lips-you might want to side-step this kit altogether. I could see this kit being fun to split up between family or friends.....everyone could get a few to try! I think fans of light pinks and dark neutrals would really enjoy this set. I hope this post was helpful to those of you considering this kit! If you've tried it yourself, let me know your thoughts in the comments section!


Daily Nuggets...

• It feels great to be writing a blog post again! 
• Music class finals in a couple weeks (please pray for peace and that I pass my exams for both classes with flying colors!) 
• October and November 2015 product empties will be up today! Head over to my beauty channel: www.youtube.com/mariahsierra94 to watch! 
• If you like random family fun and other fun stuff, come hang out with me and the fam over on my vlog channel: www.youtube.com/offbeatvlogs 

Tarte Colored Clay "Clay of Life" Eyeshadow palette dupes

Hey everyone! I recently got a request from one of my subscribers on youtube to find dupes for the shades included in a QVC TSV Tarte kit from last month. The eyeshadow quad included in the kit is called "Clay of Life" and I absolutely LOVE the shade selection! I have loved Tarte's shadow quality from past palettes but somehow I feel as though this is one of their best.


So, enough blabbing! Lets get started. First of all, here's a look at the palette and shades included:

(from left to right: top left is Classic Cream (matte), top right is Simple Slate (metallic sheen), bottom left is Tantalizing Tan (matte), and bottom right is Breathtaking Brown (matte)

I tried to find exact dupes for all the shades, but I was unsuccessful. So the first shade is the matte cream "Classic Cream". 

I scoured my entire eyeshadow collection (including other palettes) and I came up empty handed. This shade is so unique,you'd think by looking at it that it is just an average "everyone-has-it" cream color. But this shade is buttery smooth  that I couldn't even come close to with another shade. Most of the shades I have in this color family were either a little too white or too dark of a cream. I personally use this shade mainly as my browbone highlight. So, all that to say I don't have an exact dupe for this one unfortunately. But if you wanted a pretty close comparison you could try Wet n Wild's single in "brulee", although in tone brulee has more of a white tone than a cream tone to it. 

This next shade I have an exact dupe for.  "Simple Slate" is a GORGEOUS silvery/taupe shade with a metallic sheen to it. This is one of my favorite shades in this quad, it looks absolutely stunning paired with the deep matte brown on the inner half and outer half of the lid, with this Simple Slate shade popped right in the center of the lid. Just a tip, if you really want to make this shade more metallic, spray some MAC Fix Plus on the back of your hand, dip your brush into the color, and apply to the center of your lid. Combined with the matte brown: STUNNING! 

When I saw this shade I immediately knew which eyeshadow was an exact dupe. The dupe I found is Wet n Wild's single in Nutty.

Although, I feel like Simple Slate is sightly more pigmented nevertheless Nutty is an exact dupe. Here they are side by side together on my hand:

(top is Simple Slate and bottom is Nutty) 

Yet again, this next shade I wasn't able to find a dupe for unfortunately and that shade is "Tantalizing Tan". This is another one of those super unique shades. I looked and looked in my collection because I was sure I had an exact dupe for it, but alas, I came up once again empty handed. 

I find that this shade is slightly less pigmented than the other shadows in the quad but nevertheless it makes a great crease color if you're going for a super natural look.


Finally in this quad is the gorgeous deep, matte brown shade called "Breathtaking Brown". This is the shade that I have paired with Simple Slate and as I said earlier, it is absolutely stunning! The matte brown shade is truly breathtaking. I love a palette that has a matte brown because I feel as though it is such a staple shade.

I searched through my collection and I actually found a pretty close shade match in the LORAC Unzipped Gold palette. The shade is called "Unedited". Unedited is maybe just a little bit lighter than Breathtaking Brown, but side by side they look pretty much identical.

(top is Breathtaking Brown and bottom is Unedited)

Alright, my goodness that was long post but I do hope this was helpful for those of you that were looking for dupes for the Tarte palette. Even though this kit is no longer available at the TSV price, you can still get it. Please click HERE if you'd like to order this kit. 

Also, just a disclaimer I was not paid to do this post nor am I in any way affiliated with Tarte. 

If you're still reading this, thank you!! Again, I hope you enjoyed this post and thank you so much for taking the time to read it. Have a wonderful day! 

♥

Daily Nuggets.....

• 1 more week to go and I'll be completely finished with College Algebra forever, yay!! 

• First teacher meeting tomorrow night for my annual Vacation Bible School camp that starts on July 13th! 

• Well, I suppose that summer is here in Northern California because it went from 70 degrees to 102 overnight this past week....yuck! 

• If you haven't checked out my beauty youtube channel please click HERE 

• If you like completely random, everyday mundane daily life vlogs and also some occasional silliness and fun, please click HERE 

Friday Five: Best Drugstore Neutral Eyeshadows

Hey Everyone! I know it has been a very long time since I've done a blog post, but I'm going to get back into blogging because I miss it! So let's get into today's post, shall we?


I was browsing Pinterest looking for blog post inspirations and I came across a photo I had pinned quite a while ago that said "Friday Five: Best Drugstore Neutral Eyeshadow". I immediately was inspired to do a blog post sharing my top 5 picks. If you want to check out the blog post that was attached to that photo on Pinterest, click HERE

Let's get started!

1. My first pick is a eyeshadow trio by Wet n Wild called "Walking on Eggshells". This was my first palette (actually ever) that I had purchased when I first was getting into makeup  and it is still my favorite palette to go to for a polished, but natural look.

2. The next one is another Wet n Wild trio called "Sweet As Candy". This one is like walking on eggshells, but the pink and brown shades are deeper. I actually prefer this highlight shade over the highlight shade in the walking on eggshells trio.

3. This shadow is great for a "one-shadow look" and this one is by Lo'real. It's called "Bronzed Taupe". It is an absolutely beautiful shade and perfect for summer!

The consistency of these shadows is almost like a cream because they are so soft!



4. My next shadow can be used as a nice base under an eye look or worn alone. It is the Maybelline Color Tattoo in "Bad to The Bronze". This is the only true cream shadow I've used on my lids and it is absolutely gorgeous!

5. The final shadow that has been around in my collection for a very long time is another Wet n Wild shadow single in "Nutty". This is another great shade for a one shadow look or it looks absolutely gorgeous blended out in the crease as well. I bought this single not too long after falling in love with the eyeshadow trios, I absolutely LOVE this shade! If you can get your hands on it, I know ya'll will love it.

Well, that wraps up this post! I hope ya'll enjoyed this, it was fun for me to do! Thanks so much for taking the time to read, I really appreciate it!




Daily Nuggets.....

• If you haven't done so already, please come and check out my youtube channel! www.youtube.com/mariahsierra94 and also please subscribe!

• Also for a peak into what I do daily and on the weekends, please check out my vlog channel! www.youtube.com/offbeatvlogs and please subscribe! 

• Only 30 days left in my high demand college Leadership class, SO excited!! But I have SO much left to do......

• Celebrating my mom's birthday this weekend, yay!! 

Face of the day: Natural with a Fall Twist

Hey Everyone! So sorry its been so long since I last did a blog post. These last few months have been crazy with starting an internship, working, doing my college classes and managing both youtube channels. But needless to say, I love every minute of what I do! SO....with all that said, let's get into my face of the day!

This morning I was singing in my church choir for the service and I needed my makeup to last, so I'm calling this look: Natural with a Fall twist; because I wanted natural eye makeup but still have it contribute to the season we're in. Just to give you an idea of how long I needed this to last,  I applied my makeup at 5:00 this morning and I wasn't finished singing until 12:30pm. Anyways, here's what I used:

Face...

• Hard Candy Sheer Envy face primer

• Neutrogena Visibly Even BB Cream in light to medium

• IT ByeBye Undereye Concealer in Tan 

• Revlon PhotoReady concealer in #004 Medium (spot concealer) 

• Laura Geller Baked highlight in French Vanilla (to set undereye concealer)

• NYX powder blush in Mocha 

• Laura Geller Balance-n-Brighten powder foundation in Medium (all over finishing powder)

Eyes...

• Lorac behind the scenes eyeshadow primer (not pictured) 
• Smashbox Photo Op Cherry Smoke eye palette (details on the shades used below)
• Make Up For Ever Smoky Extravagant Mascara (mini size) 

Eyeshadow How-to...

• I applied that gold/pink shade (number 1) on my inner corner and a little up onto the inner part of my lid with a flat shadow brush 

• With that same flat shadow brush, I applied the shimmery/metallic berry shade (number 2) all over the rest of my lid  

• Next, I applied and blended the shimmery taupe shade (number 3) in my outer corner, the outer part of my lid, and up into the crease with a fluffy brush 

• Finally, with the same fluffy brush I applied and blended the creamy beige shade (diagonally up from that berry shade) under my brow 

Lips...

I LOVE this line of lipsticks! This is one of the Essence Long Lasting lipsticks in #07 Natural Beauty. It's a beautiful nude/pink color without totally washing out your lips, it's that "My lips but better" kind of shade. 

♥

Daily Nuggets....

• Studying like a mad woman for my midterms in both of my college classes next week, yikes!
• I'll be shooting a new vlog on the brain condition I have and how I deal with it, as well as the daily issues it brings along with it hopefully soon! If you haven't subscribed to my vlog channel, you can do so HERE I would really appreciate you subscribing! :) 
• New videos will be coming on my main channel this week I'm hoping! (crossing my fingers!) and if you haven't subscribed to my main channel, you can do so HERE I would again greatly appreciate you subscribing! :)
• About to head off to work for a couple hours, yay! :) 
• Running a 5k "fun-run" with some friends from my college on Saturday, November 1st! SO excited, can't wait!! :D

Laura Geller Sugar Rush Collection

Hey everyone! 

I hope y'all are having a wonderful Monday evening, I just wanted to share a new collection from Laura Geller with you. Its called the Sugar Rush 6pc collection and it just hit Ulta stores last Sunday. This collection sells for $39 ($150 value!) and inside you're getting six full size products! By the way, I ordered this online a day before it came out (last Saturday) and I JUST got this in the mail this morning. So I haven't had a chance to try any of the products yet, but here's a rundown of what comes inside: 

*Balance-n-brighten baked foundation in medium

*Baked Highlighter in French Vanilla 

*Baked mono blush in Bali

*Baked marble eyeshadow duo in Amethyst/Unearthed

*Color Drenched lipgloss in French Press Rose

*double ended face & highlighter brush

Now that you know what you're getting, lets take a closer look at each of the products. 

Balance-n-brighten baked foundation in medium, I have heard wonderful reviews about! I haven't had a chance to play with it yet, but this is a great match for my skintone and I'll for sure be doing a review in the near future :) this product is .32 oz which will last you forever! 

Baked Mono blush in Bali, I swatched this earlier and it is beautiful!! This is the perfect medium pink color and I cannot wait to use it! The product size of this is .23 oz

Baked Highlighter in French Vanilla, this is the product I was the most excited about because I've heard numerous people on youtube rave about it and I can see why! Its gorgeous!! :) product size is .06 oz which seems like not very much, but trust me its a lot of product! 

Baked marble eyeshadow duo in Amethyst/Unearthed, this looks absolutely stunning! Amethyst is a gorgeous purple and Unearthed is a gorgeous bronze shade. Beautiful combination of the shades and the product size is .06 oz 

Color Drenched lip gloss in French Press Rose, OMG! I had to swatch this and show you guys, this is a beautiful creamy pink gloss and wait for it.....It smells like vanilla!!! I swear this gloss smells SO GOOD!! :) here's a swatch on my hand: 

and by the way this gloss has no shimmer to it, just a beautiful shine :) product size is .3 fluid oz

All in all, I think this a great buy if you're like me and you've never tried Laura Geller out....get this kit! :) You won't be disappointed! And if you have tried Laura Geller, what are your favorite products? Also, click HERE to go to Ulta's website where you can either order it online or check to see if its available in your stores by typing in your zipcode. 

                                                                           ♥

 Daily Nuggets....

• Started the new semester of college classes for the fall term :) getting closer to being finished with general ed, yay!! 
• Got some new videos coming this week on my youtube channel, stay tuned! 
• Please keep me in your prayers as I am thinking about going in for another brain surgery to hopefully get rid of these constant level 8 headaches I've had for 2 and a half years, I would greatly appreciate it! :)