&♡*My Favorite beauty Products!*♡&

Hello beautifuls! I am back!! A day late, but back none the less! So I think Sundays will be my days of posting since they are easier for me to have time to take photos and edit! =) Now, enough of me commenting on that.. Let's get to the post!! =)

So a huge request has been a favorite makeup products post so here it is!!! I'll break down with a few products in different categories. Face, lips, and eyes.

Face products

Foundation: Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless ultra definition Liquid makeup in Shade 2.0

So I posted that I switched my face makeup awhile ago due to powder was not working well for my type of skin with having oily/combination skin so I switched to a liquid foundation and this one is wonderful. I love how it doesn't take much product to do full makeup as well as my skin has cleared up some from this, I believe. I have been eating better and working out as well so I am not sure if it was actually the makeup but I feel like my skin feels better lately after switching the foundation. I love that it stays even through working out and it just feels good. All around great product.

Concealer: Benefit Stay Don't Stray, Primer for Concealers and eye shadows in Light/Medium

So I have talked about this product so many times. lol As you can see here, I have used so many bottles of this! I love how it works as a full concealer for me as well as keeps my eye shadows on all day! I use this everyday I do makeup as well as it works to keep my dark circles at bay. lol I have been so busy and working so much that I haven't gotten the sleep I need so this is a lifesaver! I love the consistency as well as coverage! Great product!

Blush: Physicians Formula pH Matchmaker pH powered blush in Natural and NYX blush in Peach

So lately, I've been using the Physicians Formula blush everyday. I love the packaging, color, and mirror. It's amazing and goes on so smoothly. It builds easily and can be subtle to bold. Be aware that you should use a light hand with this product!! NYX blushes are great but definitely should be bought in store. The colors are deceiving online but definitely check them out! They are cost efficient, great color, and decent amount of product! I love them and have several colors but Peach seems like the perfect tone for me!

Lip products

Lip balms: Blistex Deep Renewal Anti-Aging Treatment and Lip Smacker DR. Pepper lip balm

I have used so many of the Deep Renewal lip balms. They taste great, go on smoothly, moisturize so well, and have no color so great for everyday! I don't usually go through products all the way through but this is one I constantly repurchase! The Lip Smacker chapstick has a red tint to it and I just love DR Pepper in general so I love this product! Definitely check them out if you are looking for a lip balm!!

Lipstick: NYX lipstick in Eros and Pink Lyric

I love these lipsticks. Hands down my favorite because they pack a huge color punch! It takes just a couple swipes and BAM! You have color! They are moisturizing and beautiful colors which are also helpful when they are only a couple dollars each! I love how even for the price, they beat out a lot of higher brand names! Check them out at your local Ulta if you get the chance!

Lip gloss: NYX butter gloss in Merengue and Cherry Pie

Alright, NYX wins in the lip department hands down. I love these glosses as well! They have great color and go well over any lipsticks. They don't bleed and are creamy. They also match with colors to the packaging which is fantastic in shopping for new colors! This is so great because I can easily pick a color to match a lipstick if I want to layer! I like that these are not sticky as well. Butter gloss is a great name for them!

Eye products

Eye shadow: Sugarpill Cosmetics pressed eye shadow in Tako and BFTE eye shadow in Atomic Teal and Mermaid

 

Sugarpill Cosmetics was a company I was introduced to when I won a giveaway! This color was my prize! Tako was so well talked about that I decided I needed a matte white in my life! I usually HATE pressed eye shadows but this is amazing! I mean worth the money!! I wear Tako everyday. Literally everyday I wear makeup, this is my highlight color! I am already starting to make a dent in the product! lol Love it!! It is a true white matte color. Beautiful! Now everyone knows I love BFTE but these two colors have stood out too me right now. Mermaid is a duochrome color that changes from a vibrant yellow to a green color. It's beautiful to be paired with a green color which is what Atomic Teal is. It's a blackened teal with shimmer and I wear this a lot to work for a smokey eye look. Love it! I usually used Bondage as my smoke out color but this is a great color to go with my green eyes!

Shimmer: NYX roll on shimmer in Pink and Nude

Now while these are great colors, the stay power isn't that great so a good primer is definitely needed but if you want sparkle, this is the best route to go! They are vibrant and packed with all kinds of shimmer. They are wonderful if you want to add a little variety in your looks! They are not bad on price either!

Mascara: Urban Decay supercurl curling mascara and Benefit They're Real mascara

I have decently long lashes but they don't stand up very well so I need mascaras that will hold all day and give me a bold look so They're Real is my usual go too as I've posted before but I got the Urban Decay mascara in an Ipsy Bag that I thought I'd try out and it works wonderful, especially for my lower lashes. I love using them both together to add a punch to my makeup looks. They both have decent brushes that grab hairs easily and help with lift, length, and definition.

Eyeliner: Chella eyeliner pen in Indigo Blue and indelible gel eyeliner in Magnetism

So Chella eyeliner pen I got in another Ipsy Bag and I love the bold blue color. In a look I did today which I'll post below, I layered both of these together to get a slightly blue toned liner. It is beautiful!! I have mainly been using the gel liner though everyday, especially for work. It's a great color that has a bit of shimmer to it but it's hard to see in the pictures. I ordered this through BFTE although I do not see it on the website anymore. Even so, you can find this sold through a lot of companies. If you're looking for a great gel liner, try this one out!

My look for today includes a lot of the products listed!

Face products: Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation in Shade 2.0 and Benefit Stay Don't Stray concealer in Light/Medium. Blush is Physicians Formula pH Matchmaker blush in Natural (applied lightly)

Lips are another favorite product of mine.

Benefit Lollitint Candy Orchid lip and cheek stain! A subtle natural pinky/purple tone. It works great and I love it!

Eyes: In inner corner is Lemon from BFTE cosmetics. Then Tako from Sugarpill, the outer corner is a combination of Blue Pacific and the cut crease color is Atomic teal to darken the look!
The liner is Magnetism gel liner and Chella eyeliner pen in Indigo Blue.


I hope you have loved my favorites list! I wanted to show a lot of my go to products because certain things I constantly repurchase and keep with me at all times! This definitely is the most requested post so I wanted my return to be of your requests!

Thank you again to all of my readers for sticking with me! I love you all and appreciate all of the support!! Now that it's 2 AM, I'm going to finally get that beauty sleep that I need lol I will be working on posting going forward on Sundays! Next will be about the nail stickers I tried out in the last picture! Stay tuned! =) Until next time, stay smiling beautifuls!

♡♡♡♡♡,
LB

&*(Foundation && Concealer)*&

Hello beautifuls! If you have kept up with my facebook page, you'd see I posted a sneak peek pic of what this post is about! =) Kudos if you could name the brand I'm trying out now! This is a review post of what I'm using for concealer and foundation.

I went to Ulta the other day looking for a new foundation because I'm finding that my BareMinerals foundation is feeling a bit heavy for the coverage I needed. It is a fantastic foundation but for my skin type and coverage I wanted, I decided it was time to venture out of my comfort zone to try something new.

Now, if you are like me, you might have issues with finding the right shade of foundation so I urge you to have someone help you at a makeup counter or makeup store like Ulta. I walked in and this wonderful woman came up to me, saw my completely lost look, and took pity on me with helping me find the perfect shade. I just happen to be standing by the Urban Decay display and the lady had suggested this foundation too me.

To be honest, I wasn't completely impressed with a lot of the eye shadows I've tried from this company so I was worried a bit about trying the foundation but after playing with the testers and her helping me find the right shade, I ended up picking up my shade and tried it immediately the next day! haha

I kept pointing out I wanted something that was didn't feel heavy on my skin and something that would hold up to my oily skin. Here was the perfect answer!

So here are my products!

Concealer: Benefit Stay Don't Stray primer in Light/Medium
Foundation: Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Ultra Definition Liquid Foundation in Shade 2.0

Concealer review: I have posted about this product so many times. It is a holy grail product in my makeup bag. I've been loyal to this product for several years now and have no intention of changing any time soon. This is a primer for concealers and eye shadows but it is so pigmented that it works as a full coverage concealer. I wish the company hadn't switched to the new applicator instead of the pump that it used to be. I feel like there was more product available with the pump concealer instead of this type. You lose the ability to get all of the product off the sides of the tube, BUT it's still a great product that I use to cover acne marks, under eye area, and as a primer for eye shadow.

Here is a quick pic of the applicator in case you were wondering. Some stores still offer the old packaging which I've continued to keep an eye out for! =)

Now to foundation!

As I mentioned, I am a shade 2.0. I love the varied shades this foundation line offers. While it is more expensive than my Bare Minerals, I have found it to be so much better on my skin and worth it for the properties it has. I love that it is paraben free and doesn't have a lot of the fillers a lot of other makeup has. It is a liquid formula which is what I wanted to make foundation process faster but I wanted it to have a liquid to powder formula because liquid tends to not be a good choice for my oily skin.

I LOVE this product! First day wearing it, I had compliments that my skin looked healthy and fresh. I was shocked that it was so noticeable to change my skin appearance from what I used before.

Now, let's be real for a minute here. I have acne prone skin. It isn't perfect by any means!! I have edited some of my pictures I've posted of makeup looks because I didn't want to take away from my eye shadow tutorials.

I have told you all over and over again that I'm just a normal woman with skin issues, flaws, and just imperfections that I've learned to accept over the years. So to prove that this makeup is not perfect and either am I, here is an unedited pic of me wearing this foundation/concealer combination. (I only added a frame around the picture..

Makeup is not perfect and either am I. This combination just covers a lot better for me and I love that it makes me feel more put together. I do use blotting sheets because of my oily skin but love that the foundation stays put.

I figured I'd do a review on these because I just started using this new product as well as want to make sure that I never give the illusion that I'm perfect or have no skin problems. I'm very much not perfect! =)

My blog is not just meant for beauty but to continue the belief I have that each of us are unique and beautiful, no matter what imperfections we might have. I truly believe that imperfections are what makes us beautiful because we are all not the same and reminded we are human. It's okay to be exactly who you are! There was a time I used to hide who I was behind trying to fit in, makeup as a mask, and hid behind what others thought I should be like. I was a follower, someone who blended in because I was afraid to stand out. I liked what others liked, followed trends of friends, even changed hobbies for others.. but let me tell you now, that was the loneliest I ever felt.

I have found that true happiness comes from being true to ourselves. I have been told it's stupid to have a beauty blog, that it's a silly thing to want to reach out to others about makeup, but I truly believe my blog can help me reach those who need just a friend who understands. I make sure I prove every time I post that there is no perfection in any one and that if you truly want to see beauty and perfection, it starts in a person's heart, not outer appearance.

I've learned from many hurtful experiences, being told when I was younger that I wasn't skinny enough, pretty enough, my hair was the wrong color, that I needed to dress better, etc. that those people who judge on such superficial things are the ones that have ugliness in their lives. I am beautiful.

Each of you are beautiful. Never let others tell you who you should be!! I stopped hiding in the shadows and embraced the things I love and what makes me who I am!

So I want to know.. What makes you who you are? What makes you beautiful? I want to know my audience! If you've read this far, please.. Share your life with me. I want you each to know I appreciate your views on my blog and you sticking with me through this journey!

Until next time beautifuls, stay smiling and NEVER let the world take away your shine!

Simply a girl,
LB

Beauty Guru tag

Hello my lovelies! So I know I might have disappointed some of you with my previous promises of posts.. I promise I'm still working on it, just had a bit of a bump in the road yet again. When I last posted, I came down with a horrible case of pneumonia and ended up extending my trip to Ohio due to being so ill. I also forgot my camera at home in Florida and my friend's camera, well didn't have a charger. lol I finally returned two weeks ago and have now injured my hand which has made it hard to type. Between all of that and constant appointments for my still broken foot and lisfranc injury, it's been a tough couple weeks with not enough energy to spare.

I am also getting ready to spend the holidays with my parents starting next week so as you can see, very busy and have had midterms this week as well. Lots going on but a promise is a promise of at least something to post so I decided to do a beauty guru tag post.

This seemed like a fun way to talk about some of my favorites that will be in my favorites post coming up soon. I will have 2 weeks off for Christmas from school so I will focus on getting lots of pictures done then to get me through till the end of January when I get my degree! Yay! =) So stick with me! I promise I haven't lost my passion for this blog, just have lacked the time lately to catch up.

Anyways, let's get to the fun stuff! =)

1. What is the one product you’d grab if your house was on fire?

One product? Hmmm... Probably my Benefit Stay Don't Stray eye primer in Light/Medium. I absolutely LOVE this product and it's hard for me to stray away from it.
2. Which beauty vlogger would you want to do your makeover?

Oh goodness, there are so many. Beauty vloggers on YouTube are who opened my eyes to this whole world of beauty and color. They taught me to take risks and to show my creativity on my best canvas,.. Myself. So I think I would love the first three I started watching to do a makeover. Bubzbeauty, MichellePhan, and XSparkage. All amazing talent.
3. What celeb do people think you look like?

Oh jeeze. To be honest, I can't remember who people have said I look like. lol
4. What beauty product do you save for date night?
I love a strong red lip and a good mascara. You can amp your look so quickly with this combination so I would say NYX round lipstick in Eros and Benefit They're Real mascara! 

5. Which of your guy friends takes longer than you to get ready?
haha I can't think of a single guy friend who takes longer than me. lol

6. If you could create your own miracle beauty product, what would it be?

Something for acne. I have battled with acne for 10+ years and while I'm getting it under control now with constantly changing my skincare routine, I think I'd create something to help every skin type who have acne. It used to cause a lack of self-esteem when I was younger but as I've gotten older, I've grown to appreciate myself for who I am. While that is true, I'd love to zap my acne for good! haha
7. What’s your best beauty tip?

Don't worry about rules or guidelines of where certain color should go. Be adventurous. Be bold and most importantly, be true to yourself. If you are more of a natural makeup fan, embrace it no matter how bold others might be around you. If I've learned anything, it's that makeup should enhance the essence of who you are. Don't follow a crowd and if just starting out, find one or two features you'd like to play up. Ask questions. Watch YouTube videos for inspiration or read blogs. What one person does with their makeup is not right or wrong. Everyone is unique just as makeup should be too! <3
8. What beauty products do you love to splurge on?

Benefit products. I'm a huge fan of this line so if I splurge, this is my go to company. I guess I have splurged on my skincare as well.
9. Which beauty vloggers would you bring on a shopping spree?

Probably XSparkage. lol That girl can shop and always find amazing items to show in her hauls. I am usually jealous when I see her hauls because there are so many things I'd like to try.
10. What is your signature scent?

I have two I'm known to wear. My go perfume/lotion is Pink Chiffon from Bath and Body Works. I have loved it since it came out. =) And during the holidays, surprisingly from the same place, would be Winter Candy Apple and the new scent Winter Snow. Absolutely love both. Winter Candy Apple is pretty much the only scent I wore in high school and I always told my parents to just stock up on it for me for Christmas. lol My friends still message me today if they smell the scent randomly somewhere and tell me they thought of me. lol
11. I am on an endless quest for the perfect _________.

Skincare routine. As many people do, like I said, I have troublesome skin so I'm constantly trying new regimens and always searching for the perfect way to clear up my acne. I only get a couple breakouts now but in high school, it was constant and my skin was always red. Surprisingly I never really wore makeup in high school even though I knew it could help cover my skin. I didn't know what I was doing so I just didn't try it till after high school.
12. How many beauty products does it take to get you ready?
If needing to be ready quickly,.. My concealer, a lipbalm, usually two eyeshadows at least, and blush. I can do a quick look pretty easily now so it doesn't take that much time anymore. If I have time, I go all out and that can be a list of like 15 beauty products since I love mixing eyeshadows and playing up eyeliners.

13. What lipstick/lip gloss is in your purse right now?
  *Pulling out makeup bag* lol I have 5 colors in my purse. I have NYX round lipstick in Eros which I usually pair it with NYX butter gloss in Cherry Pie. I keep a neutral pink color with me as well which currently is NYX butter gloss in Merengue. I ALWAYS have chapstick with me so the two I have in my bag are Lip Smackers chapstick in Dr. Pepper. I love this not just because it's Dr. Pepper but because it gives some color with it which gives a red pigment if applied enough. Another red tinted chapstick I just came across the other day is Blistex LipVibrance. I do not see a color name on the tube but it's a red ish tube and has a built in mirror on the end. How cool is that? lol I will be adding this item to talk about in my future posts. =)
14. Who is your celebrity beauty icon?
I honestly don't really have one. I wish I did though to answer this question. haha

15. Name the beauty brand you’d most love to be a spokesperson for?
I think even though I love Benefit, I would probably say NYX cosmetics. I've been blown away by the quality of this brand. I even picked up some new NYX products just yesterday when scrambling to try to get medicine and attempt to do Christmas shopping.
16. What’s your current nail polish?
I'm currently wearing Sinful Colors, Mercury Rising which is a deep wine color with small shimmer in a similar shade. And to top it off, I'm wearing a color I used my JulepPoints on, Gianna. I have been getting a Julep box for awhile now and I love the options and points you earn for just ordering your box each month. I was able to get two free polishes this time and I LOVE THEM! Gianna is a multi-dimensional gold glitter top coat. The gold flakes are different shaped and was just a fun way to dress up my nail polish quickly!
17. Fave mascara right now?
Hands down would be Benefit They're Real mascara. I've been amazed at how defined my lashes are and how buildable this mascara is. A little goes a long way to get bolder lashes.
18. The last thing you bought at Sephora?
Oh boy.. Uhmm, I haven't been to Sephora in a good while. I have been doing my shopping with Ulta mainly just because of the fact the Ulta store is much larger than the Sephora here. I think the last time I purchased anything from Sephora was those predesigned nail polish strips that you just file off the excess after applied.
19. I try never to be seen without wearing _______.
This would probably be my concealer or powder foundation. Since they changed up the applicator on the Benefit Stay Don't Stray eye primer, I can't use it as easily for a full coverage face product so I have been using it as a concealer on just problem areas and for under my eyes, and of course use it as a eye primer but I find with really sparkly eyeshadows, it doesn't hold very well. Anyways, I use BareMinerals matte powder foundation in Golden Fair to even out my skin tone and I just like the matte finish of this foundation.

20. What’s one beauty product you’d always recommend?
One product? That's tough. As much as I love the Benefit eye primer, I would have to say my biggest recommendation would be a tie between the Benefit They're Real mascara or Nyx round lipsticks. I have found the mascara to be the best I've ever tried and I just love the definition of my lashes now. And the lipsticks, they are so pigmented and are not drying which is a win win in my book for lipstick!

Well my wonderful friends, that's it for this beauty tag. I might do more of these in the future. =) I will definitely try to figure out the best way to present tags like this though through changing answer colors and such. I hope you've enjoyed learning a little about me and I can't wait to get some new posts up for you all! =)

Thank you for being patient and understanding. I still have some healing to do but regardless, I'll be taking pictures and editing like a crazy person over my school break. lol I want to make sure I show you everything promised including probably showing some of my haul I got from Ulta. LOVE CHRISTMAS TIME SALES! lol =)

As always, remember to stay smiling and I'll talk with you all soon! Next time, less talking.. More pictures! =)

Your busy guru,
LB