Blogmas Day 11: 31 Days of Favorites | My Favorite Mascaras of 2013

I have literally only used three mascaras in the last year because I loved them all so much that I couldn't even find another mascara that was worth my time. 

I began the year using Maybelline The Falsies Volume Express Mascara. Unfortunately, that did not last very long as it gave me a severe allergic reaction in my eyes. I loved this mascara so much, that I continued to use it. After a month or so, I realized I could not use it any longer. I tried to find a replacement with other mascaras of the same brand, but either nothing compared or the same reaction occurred. This mascara has given me the longest eyelashes in the world. I just wish I could use it - I've even tried using this in conjunction to another mascara, but it still gives me allergies.

I discovered the Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes (LCL) mascara early this year, as it was recommended to me by the sales lady at Ulta. I was looking for a natural, hypo-allergenic mascara. I and have not stopped using it since the first time. It provides amazing coverage, color and length. I went to buy this same mascara again, but the store was sold out (which made me happy because it's popular, yay). I noticed they had Tarte Lights, Camera, Flashes (LCF) and decided to try it. I thought it was amazing and at first, I liked it more than LCL. The major thing I that I dislike about the brush is that it is made of plastic. However, I've realized that if I use both of the Tarte mascaras together, my eyelashes look flawless. I absolutely recommend them both.

The LCF mascara has a plastic applicator with plastic bristles, which I really dislike. It was really bothersome to use because I could just feel the plastic on my lashes. The effect of it, however, was phenomenal as stated above. The other two were made of fibre, which I think have an even better effect on my lashes. The Falsies mascara has a wand that is much fatter than the other two. It helped get my lashes really full, which was one of the reasons that I fell in love with the mascara in the first place. The thinner wands help you get to the root of your lashes, which can also assist in making your lashes fuller and give you more coverage. Both of the Tarte mascaras are phenomenal and I wish the Falsies did not give the allergies it did, or I would use it everyday.

Which were your favorite mascaras of 2013? I want to try Benefit's They're Real mascara among others next year.

xxxx

My Current Favorite Hair Products

Ever since I personally discovered these two items, my hair has never looked better!

TIGI Bed Head After Party
This is a smoothing cream that is used on dry hair in order to make it shiny and smooth and just finish off the look. Personally, I'm always looking for things like this as sort of a finishing product. I use so many products while styling my hair, but nothing after except hairspray. It holds my hair in place but doesn't act as a hairspray that makes your hair hard. It is a little pricey, but you don't need to use much to make it work, so it should last a while. I love this stuff!

Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray
This is the best spray that I have ever used and I really mean that! This spray acts as a dry shampoo, so I use it between hair washes and it really does texturize my hair. My hair gets oily quickly and I don't really like to wash my hair too often, as it is quite a chore, but this spray really helps keep it less oily. It even adds a bit of shine without making it oily. My hair is always so flat, as it is weighed down because of its length. The volume my hair got out of it was amazing; I was so shocked! There is no white residue that you get with other dry shampoos - this one is clear. Your credit card will sigh when you purchase this, but it's SO worth it if you have long, unvolumized hair. I love this spray, especially this time of year because my hair gets extra dry with less humidity in the air. The only negative point I have noticed about this product is that it is so hard to spray on (the sprayer is extremely difficult to push with my tiny fingers), but that is not so terrible because of what it does! A bonus is the lovely smell!

You seriously need to get this spray - you won't regret it! I want all of the Oribe products now!

xxx

Christmas Gift Guides

I'm sure most of you have already gotten presents for everyone you need to get presents for, but for those of you crazies, like myself, who have yet to do so, this guide should help you!

For men:

Cologne

Cologne or after shave makes a simple and cheap gift for any guy. I usually get a bottle for my boyfriend, brothers, and father as a supplemental gift. I go to my local drugstore and sniff their selection and pick my favorite. My current favorite is called Avatar. It goes for about $20 and comes with two bottles; a big one and a smaller one. Simple!

iPhone/iPad Accessories

What guy would not love accessories for his latest gadget? A nice iPhone/iPad case cover, some headphones or speakers, an iTunes/app store gift card. These gifts can have a huge price range, depending on what it is, but they will surely be something your man will love.

Cordless Back Massager

Last year, I bought my boyfriend a cordless back massager for Christmas. He loved it! He was always complaining about his back pain, so I decided to resolve his issues!

Watches

Men always love watches, whether it's a sports watch or a nice silver plated one. Some guys like that sports watches have timers, stopwatches, alarms, etc, and others would rather have a fancier watch.

For Women:

I find women must easier to shop for than men!

Perfume

Like men, women also like to smell nice. A great smelling perfume will bring joy to any woman. They make perfect stocking stuffers! My mother always puts the original Juicy Couture in my stocking. Pick the best smelling one and go for it!

Makeup

Every woman likes makeup! Sephora sells great gift sets! An eyeshadow palette or a lipstick or lipgloss set.

Jewelry

The perfect gift. Earrings, necklaces or a combination of the two in a matching set. Easy gift!

I am so excited for the holidays! I actually really enjoy shopping for friends and family, but even more than that, I love spending time with my family!

I hope you got some use out of this guide. I know that every year I'm stubbled as to what to get certain people so I'm always searching for the perfect guide.

xxx

International Destinations for Rejuvenation and 5 Ways to Relax and De-Stress During the Holidays

In search for a spa to de-stress during the holiday season? Look no further.

This article about International Destinations for Rejuvenation will help you find a place!

There are spas all over the world that help relax and allow you to look your best. Using different remedies, these spas can assist in different areas whether it's an immune system issue, or anti-aging treatments. I am excited to look into trying the spa in my town and you should definitely check out the spas located all over the world!

5 Ways to Relax and De-Stress During the Holidays

The holiday season can be extremely stressful. From shopping everyday after work trying to find the perfect gift for every person in your family, to planning various holiday celebrations; everyone definitely needs to fit some time in to relax. I know that I do, or I will go nuts!

1. Shopping

Now, I really have to be in the mood to shop, or it will make me stress even more. Like, I need to be shopping for myself and not really knowing what I want or not needing anything specific. I love taking trips to the mall and just walking around to see what I find. Every single year, for as long as I can remember, my mother and I go shopping the Friday before Christmas (which is our last day of work before winter break). We spend a lot of her bonus at several malls and we shop for ourselves (by then, the shopping for everyone else is generally done). I love this ritual because it really makes me feel like it's the beginning of winter and I love winter! 

2. Häagen-Dazs Peppermint Bark Ice Cream

This ice cream is the epitome of amazing! There are bits of peppermint in the vanilla ice cream and there are chocolate chunks everywhere and I just love this. I have a ritual with the ice cream, as well. Every year, my roommate from college and I would go to the mall and buy a cone of Häagen-Dazs Peppermint Bark Ice Cream. We would, then, walk around the mall and end up in Charlotte Russe and stare at the shoe selection for the year, while finishing up the cone. It was very relaxing and it is a tradition that I will never forget. This year is the first year that we have not done it, since we have gone our separate ways (she now lives in London), which makes me very sad. HOWEVER, the ice cream still does exist, and it still relaxes me and I have had it quite a few times this holiday season already.

3. At Home (or not) Manicure Pedicure

When I'm anxious or stressed, I usually like to paint my nails. I have my own at-home pedicure set and love to use it as often I can. However, some times a girl needs someone else to pamper her, so I go to the salon. It's great to have a couple of hours of mind-numbing nail-fixing.

4. Spending Time With Family

I don't know what I would do without my family to turn to when I've had a bad day. When I get stressed this time of year, I look forward to family dinners. I am Cuban, so my family is HUGE and when we have family dinners, they can last hours. That's exactly what I need to de-stress.

5. Driving Around Town Looking for Christmas Lights

A tradition that I have with my two oldest nieces (my best friend comes along at times) is that every year we drive around the ritziest part of town and look at the nice Christmas lights. Last year, we even discovered that there was a little park at the corner of one of the nice neighborhoods. We got down so they could play and it was cute to take pictures of them playing with Santa and Snowmen and Reindeer. Every year, the trip, driving around town gets longer and longer and we have decided to go around for a really long time this year!

I'd love to know how you relax and de-stress this time of year! I'm always looking for new ideas. Please let me know in the comments below!

xx

Blogmas Day 10: 31 Days of Favorites | My Favorite Eyeliners of 2013

As you can see, I love my eyeliners. I usually buy drugstore eyeliners. I didn't think it was worth getting a fancy eyeliner...until I discovered my three favorite eyeliners, which will be saved for last.

Jordana Easyliner Retractable Pencil

I have these in about 10 different colors. I love these so much because they are so cheap (about $1.50 each at your local drugstore in the US or amazon for the UK), yet they are so pigmented and the colors offered are lovely. I use this one on a daily basis.

Maybelline Define-A-Line Eyeliner

I love this eyeliner not only because it is so pigmented but because this one has a bit more of a point than the Jordana liner. It also has a sponge on the end for smudging which I really like. I also use this one on a daily basis.

Almay Eyeliner

I love this eyeliner because it is really sensitive on the eyes, not much like the two above mentioned. I use this one when I am feeling allergies coming. It's also quite pigmented. This liner comes off so easily with my eye makeup remover (that's usually where my problem is with other eyeliners and my allergies), so if that's what you're looking for, this liner is a MUST!

Milani Infinite Liquid Eyeliner

This eyeliner is offered in a variety of colors and I love the shimmer. I usually wear this one special occasions on the top of my black eyeliner line and it adds that extra umph to make my eyes bright and sexy. I only have this eyeliner in bronze, but I want other colors. They are really affordable also (about $6.99) at your local drugstore.

Wet-n-Wild Liquid Eyeliner

This eyeliner is great for the winged look because of the fine tip. It is very black, which I love. I hate when I buy eyeliners and they say they're black but they are more grey than black.

Bobbi Brown Eye Pencil

I love having different pencils for different occasions. This pencil is fatter than the normal eyeliner and it's extremely pigmented. It's a great pencil! 

 My top three eyeliners:

Mac Eye Pencil in Coffee

This is my go-to pencil when I want my makeup to look natural. I've been using this almost everyday for the last few months (this is my second pencil this year). It looks natural and not too brown, which I love because it goes with the rest of my natural makeup look.

Stila Waterproof Eyeliner

This is my daily eyeliner pencil when I want a bit of a bolder look. I love the thin point that helps make the wing look. It's super pigmented but can be easily smudged if wanted. I don't like that it's waterproof because it is hard to remove, but it's still one of my favorite liners.

Tarte Amazonian Clay Waterproof liner

I only use this liner for special occasions. I love the thick texture and the bold color. It came with an angled eye liner brush that helps with the wing line. It looks absolutely amazing with my Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes mascara and I absolutely love this eyeliner!

xxxx