My New Baby!

I'm so excited to announce that I have bought my first SLR camera! I got a HUGE discount, about $105 to buy the Canon EOS Rebel t3i. I've already started playing with it and I'm really enjoying taking good quality photos! This is the perfect starter camera for the young photographer and camera enthusiast. I know nothing about SLR cameras but I'm very excited to learn!

No more bad quality images from my iPhone 5! I'm so happy!

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Lush Skin Care Review | Let the Good Times Roll Facial Cleanser

Let the Good Times Roll Facial Cleanser probably the best facial cleanser I have used in my life - and I have used many! On the top of the can, it says "Our seasonal, popcorn-inspired facial cleanser. Smoothing, soothing and ever so slightly warming on the skin." All of that and a thousand joyful sensations is how I feel when I use this product. This was actually the first LUSH cleanser I tried.

I seriously love that it has all natural products in it. I wish I understood how on earth it could possible be "popcorn inspired," though. Anyway, basically you take a pea sized amount (I use a little more because I like it more pastey than liquidy) into your palm and mix it with water, until it creates a paste and voila! A lot of people dislike the fact that it doesn't come ready made to use straight away, but I actually really enjoy creating the paste. It's not time consuming and it makes me feel like I am really using something natural, that I won't be able to find anywhere else.

I use it once a day (I use my make up remover cleanser at night). Though it says soothing, I feel the particles on my skin kind of like a scrub - obviously not as harsh. I just feel as though it might be a little too much to use it more than once a day. I still love the consistency and the way it makes my face feel!

It smells amazing, like caramel, cinnamon popcorn. It really makes me feel like Christmas! The skin on my face feels so soft and moisturized every time I use it! It's almost like I don't have to wear moisturizer, though I obviously still do. It just leaves a general feeling of hydration on your face, which is exactly what I need with the dry parts of my face.

I feel like my face has gotten so clear after using this for the past month. It's not meant for acne or anything (I don't have any anyway) but it just leaves me looking absolutely radiant!

I absolutely recommend that you go out and get this! I have heard rumors that this is going to a permanent part of the LUSH cleansers and not just seasonal anymore, but go grab some anyway!

What's your favorite LUSH cleaner?

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Shaving Woes Be Gone!

A little something I picked up at Lush recently was the Ambrosia Shaving Cream. I had done a lot of research on it because I didn't want to just buy shaving cream without knowing what to look for. The reviews were mostly amazing, so I decided to try it out myself.

Let me tell you about my troubles with shaving that have been with me from the start. I have extremely coarse, black hair that grows back extremely fast. My skin is also extremely sensitive, so I develop red bumps and ingrown hairs quickly after shaving. I have tried everything! I've tried waxing and it is really irritating. I've tried soaking my legs in a bath so the hair gets softer, I've tried using conditioner, I've tried different razors and creams and nothing has worked. 

Until this!

I feel like I spend hours at Lush. There's nothing more that I love doing than talking about skincare with people who enjoy as much as I do. At the Lush store, the sales lady suggested that I use a scrub before shaving and recommended the Buffy Body Butter. 

The first time I used it, it was the most fabulous feeling ever! I have used it for about three weeks, just to be sure that it didn't irritate me or that things did not go wrong. I used the scrub before and after shaving. It leaves my legs feeling moisturized so that when I add the shaving cream, the hair just comes straight off! The shaving cream is light but it does the job. It doesn't clog the razor (especially if you run it through water every so often) and it smells amazing! The honey and oat milk are super sensitive on the skin and also leave my legs feeling extremely moisturized. Before, I would use conditioner and it would leave me legs feeling smooth, but it would also clog the razor and eventually that would take a toll on my legs.

The razor I have found that works best for me is the Schick Intuition. The refills for the razors have a coat of solid cream that further moisturize your legs.

The mix of all of these things helps me to have smooth legs with no irritation or ingrown hairs and I feel as though the shave lasts longer. I shave approximately twice a week!

I bought the small bottle of the Ambrosia Shaving Cream just to try it out, but I get the feeling that I will be going back to buy the bigger bottle in the future. The small bottle is 3.5 ounces and runs for about $9.99, while the bigger one is 8.8 ounces and costs $19.99. The bigger one is more value for your money, obviously, but I always recommend buying the smaller version of a new product, just to try it out. Here is the link for you to see Ambrosia Shaving Cream for yourself on the Lush website.

I definitely recommend that you try this shaving cream out if you have sensitive skin or are just looking for a replacement shaving cream that is moisturizing and long-lasting.

What shaving methods do you use? 

Please let me know in the comments below. I love finding different ways to do things and trying new things out.

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Make-Up Talk With Jeanine

So yesterday, I was hanging out with my nieces and Jeanine, who is seven years old decided to go through my make-up and start recording herself talking about the make-up. I immediately joined in as I saw an opportunity to teach her about make-up. I also decided that I would perhaps create a youtube channel that's associated with my beauty blog. I'm not sure if I'm going to actually upload videos of myself yet...I'm a little camera shy, but maybe I will start once I get a decent camera to record them on.

Anyway, take a look at Jeanine talking about make-up. I appear in the video quite a bit and ending is hilarious, so I hope you enjoy!

Face of the Day with New Buys!

I went shopping yesterday and found some amazing new things! Here's how they looked on me as I got ready for a night out:

I will mark the products I bought yesterday with an asterisk (*)

Face:
♥ Rimmel Match Perfection Concealer in 230 Fair Light* NOT THE BEST BUT IT DOES THE JOB
♥ Rimmel BB Cream in Light
♥ Mac Studio Fix Fluid Foundation in NW15 * ONE OF THE BEST FOUNDATIONS I'VE EVER OWNED!
♥ Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in 001 Transparent
♥ Sleek Face Contour Kit in Light
♥ Benefit Blush in Rockateur

Eyes:
♥ Urban Decay Eye Shadow Primer Potion
♥ Urban Decay Naked Palette "Naked" for the inner corners of my eyelids
♥ Urban Decay Naked Palette "Sidecar" for the rest of my eyelids
♥ Urban Decay Naked Palette "Smog" for the crease
♥ Urban Decay Naked Palette "Darkhorse" for the outer corners of my eyelids
♥ Urban Decay Naked Palette "Virgin" for underneath my eyebrows
♥ Jordana Easyliner in brown
♥ Maybelline The Falsies Mascara * THE BEST DRUGSTORE MASCARA I'VE EVER OWNED
♥ Nyx Eyebrow Cake Powder to fill in my eyebrows

Lips:
♥ Mac Lip Pencil in "Brick" * GREAT BUY!
♥ Rimmel Kate Moss Lipstick 107 * LOVEEEE THIS SHADE!!


As you can see, most of the things I bought yesterday were amazing drugstore finds and were extremely cheap! I also bought a few more things not listed here that were from the drugstore. Obviously the products from Mac were not cheap but they were worth it! I absolutely recommend everything that I bought yesterday. I will make a new post with the rest of the products not listed here when I decide to wear them.

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New Make Up & Nail Polish Storage

I have just reorganized all of my make up and nail polishes! I was at the point where I couldn't find anything in my huge make up bag and it was frustrating me, especially when I was in a hurry. I have decided that I will use make up bags for travel and keep my make up and nail polish at my bed side.

Here's what it looks like:

I realize that it is not the prettiest means of storage, but to me, it is the most practical. I have a two shelf, rolling bookcase, where I keep magazines, books and things needed for my laptop. On top of that, I have black and white storage drawers. The top ones (black) are for make up and the bottom ones white are for nail polish.

Here's a closer look:

The contraption to the left of the drawers is a cooling system for my laptop so that it doesn't over heat. On top, I have my iPad, iPod and Nintendo 3ds. Completely not beauty related, haha. I also have a few head bands and some make up brushes in that red pouch.

First drawer contains any face make up: concealers, foundations, BB creams, powders, blushes, bronzers, anything for the face.

The second drawer has anything for the eyes: Eye shadow palettes, mascara, eye liners, eyebrow make up, anything for the eyes.

The third drawer contains anything for the lips: lipsticks, lip glosses, lip liner, lip balms, lip scrubs.

First drawer of the nail polish drawers has anything related to fixing up nails: cotton, nail poish remover, nail files, nail clippers, hand lotion, things like that. I also have my tweezers and eyebrow scissors in there, not sure why.

The second drawer has all of the autumn/winter color nail polishes (darker colors).

The last drawer has all of the spring/summer nail polish colors (the lighter ones, including ones that could be used in french manicures).

The two sets of drawers fit so nicely that I'm able to put my hair care products and my brushes in a vase on the side. I am in the process of trying to find a bigger way to store my make up brushes, as my collection is growing and no longer fits in there. I am thinking that just a clear glass bowl filled with coffee beans would do the trick.

So, this is how I store my make up & nail polish. Again, it's not the prettiest way to do so, but it's the way that works best for me. I hope you get some good ideas from this post.

How do you store your make up? Let me know in the comments below!

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Exciting news! Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette to be released soon!

My God am I excited for this or what? The only thing that would make me even more thrilled is knowing that it comes out before Christmas! I hope it does; it would make fabulous Christmas presents for the lovely ladies in my life! I've heard rumors that it will be released on November 16 (2 DAYS!!), December 16 or early January (at least it will be in time for my birthday? :)). The colors are so pretty from what I can tell and I think they suit any skin type/color. They are headed in a rose/purple direction, which looks amazing! Are any of you as excited as I am? I'm going pretty nuts...

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Christmas Wishlist!

I love this time of year! The chill in the air and the smell; everything about this time of year makes me happy. I love composing my wish lists. I have a huge family, so every year, we all e-mail each other our wish lists, so that we know exactly what everyone wants. This year, mine is quite short as compared to other years. I just want a lot of make up and skincare things.

The item I want most on my wish list is a new camera. 

This one to be exact:

It's the Canon EOS Rebel T3 12.2 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with EF-S 18-44mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II Zoom Lens. I've done tons of research and everyone says it's a great starter camera for the photographer just getting into the SLR lifestyle, which is exactly what I'm doing. I may end up buying this for myself. I can't ask anyone in my family to spend a great to deal of money on this for me, though my birthday is right after Christmas, so maybe it can be a present for both occasions? :p

Anyway there's this deal for Black Friday (for those of you outside the US, I'm not sure you have a day like this, but it's a day of massive sales at every store you can think of and it's the day after Thanksgiving for us) on amazon, where you get a bunch of accessories for the same price as you would normally just get the camera.

Here's what that looks like:

I think it's a great deal and I think I'm going to splurge. I work hard and I deserve it.

Anyway, things on my wish list from lush are:

These are two gift sets that I really want. They both have only things that are seasonal that I want to try out. Celebrate is a cream that I tried out when I was at the store last. I also tried out the Sandy Santa Body Butter which is a fantastic body scrub and the Ponche Shower Gel smells amazing! I'm definitely thinking that those two things are easy for my family to get since they are pre packaged and extremely affordable. 

Other items I want from Lush but may end up buying for myself are:

Santa's Lip Scrub

Vanishing Cream

Enchanted Eye Cream

Ambrosia Shaving Cream

Handy Gurugu

Stepping Stone Foot Scrub

Volcano Foot Mask

Fair Trade Foot Lotion

As you can see, I want LOADS of things from Lush, mostly skin care because I don't really have a bath tub at the moment. I can't imagine how crazy my life would be and how much money I would spend if I did have a working bath tub. After I get all of these things, I want to look into the regular soaps and body washes, as well as other hand creams that are in hard form. 

I just really LOVE LUSH!

On my wish list for Mac are:

Eye Pencil in "Coffee" and "Ebony"

Lip Glass in "Forever Rose"

Lipstick in "Russian Red"

I may end up buying the lipstick and lipglass for myself, since they are such holiday colors that I would want to wear for my various celebrations throughout November and December. These are also affordable for my family.

From other places:

Erase Paste from Benefit

I curse my dark under eye circles and I've only heard good things about this product. I can't wait to try it!

Naked 2 Palette

I have the original and I just really love the colors in this one. Why not have both of them?

Anything else on my wish list would definitely have to be make up related and my family knows that!

Women can never own too much makeup!

What's on your Holiday Wishlist?

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HUGE Lush Haul with Reviews.

I've been going to Lush for years and it's only now occurred to me to start using their skin care products. That and I haven't had my own means of supporting myself in buying their stuff, haha. If you don't know what Lush is, it's a cosmetic store that sells everything handmade. It's not too pricey considering the fact that it is handmade and it's just awesome. If you haven't been in one, you should definitely check it out, if you can bare the smell. :)

Anyway, this is what I bought in the last couple of times I've gone to Lush, which happened to both be within the same month. Below are detailed reviews of my findings. Hint: I am very happy with my purchases! :)

Mask of Magnaminty, Ocean Salt, Eau Roma Water, Vanishing Cream Sample, Dream Cream, Lemony Butter Cuticle Cream, and Snowcake Soap

Mask of Magnaminty Face and Back Mask

I went into Lush knowing that I wanted a nice face mask, but I wasn't sure which one to get. The sales associate (a very nice lady) recommended this one and actually let me try it. I instantly fell in love with it. It is made for dry skin (I have combination skin and really sensitive skin) but I knew that this would work really well for me. This is not a fresh facemask though. It smells like a typical facemask you find at a local drug store, minty, but it does so much more than every other face mask I've ever used! As soon as I put it on my face, it started tingling and I could actually feel it going deep inside my pores. It's made of china clay and peppermint (hence the tingly feeling) and it's filled with aduki beans, vanilla, and honey. I can definitely tell it was made for sensitive skin, which is exactly what I wanted, but I could also feel it working its magic. I have only used it for my face, and I'm not exactly sure that I'll use it on my back/body. I use it one or two times a week, depending on how dirty I feel my face has gotten throughout the week. I definitely recommend this to anyone who has dry or combination skin and is looking for a facemask for sensitive skin. The big tin lasts about three months (yes it does expire), but the sales associate assured me that it would be all used up by that time.

Ocean Salt Face and Body Scrub

I was not expecting to buy this, but the sales associate recommended that I use a scrub following the use of the mask. She also let me try it after she applied the mask and it left my skin feeling so soft and moisturized! I live right by the beach, and in the summers when I go all the time, I feel like my skin gets a lot less dry and just looks better in general. Therefore, I knew that the Ocean Salt would be my new best friend. The salt is full of minerals that moisturize while getting rid of dead skin. It also has avocado and coconut mixed in, which hydrate the skin. It smells just like the ocean, too, which I love! This is meant for all skin types and it shows. I use this pretty much all over my body, including my face following the mask, one or two times a week. I concentrate especially on the dry spots on my body, like elbows, knees and feet. I definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a scrub that will moisturize their dry areas especially in these cold winter months! This has a shelf life of about a year, but I think it will be long gone before then, even though a little bit goes a long way.

Eau Roma Toner Water

I have been on the search for toner for the longest time. Every single one that I've used dries out my skin and irritates it a lot. In fact, I haven't used toner in years because I couldn't find the right one. This toner is amazing because it is extremely moisturizing and sensitive on the skin, since it is made of rose and lavender. The toner allows my skin to accrue the right amount of oils throughout the day. I use it twice a day, after I cleanse. Definitely recommended.

Vanishing Cream Facial Moisturizer - MY FAVORITE!

The little sample on the left of that first picture was given to me by the sales associate who begged me to try it out, even though I've been wanting to because I've heard great things about it. The moisturizer I use now is way too thick to use during the day; my makeup cakes and it doesn't look right. This moisturizer is literally my favorite thing that I got from both of these trips to Lush. It's so light and it makes my face feel SUPER hydrated. It smells of lavender and grape seed oil. It really helps my face balance it's oils during the day and at night and it has kept my skin extremely clear while in use. It doesn't make my face feel too tight, like other moisturizers do. I use it twice a day (morning and night) for best results. The next thing I'm going to buy at Lush is the Vanishing Cream in its actual size. The only downside is that this product is extremely expensive, almost $50, but the care of my skin is extremely important to me and this product amazed me so much that I'm going for it.

Lemony Butter Cuticle Butter

I knew I wanted this right when I walked into the store. I try to get nails done once every two weeks, but by the end of the first week, my cuticles are so rough and dry. This cream is extremely heavy - I can even see it in the picture, but it's exactly what I need to make skin feel soft. It has fresh lemons with butter to brighten skin and lighten the rough cuticles and nails. It also has beeswax and avocado oil for further moisturization. It doesn't just have to be used on your cuticles - I use it all over my hands, elbows, knees, and feet, which are the driest parts of my body. At first, I absolutely detested the smell - it was too strong and lemony and it smelled like house cleaning products. However, the next day, when my cuticles, elbows and feet were already feeling softer, I overlooked the smell and now it doesn't bother me as much! I use it as often as I feel my skin needs it. I find that it is helpful to apply if my skin is a little damp and again, a little bit goes a long way!

Dream Cream Hand and Body Lotion and Snowcake Soap

While I was in Lush, I thought that I might as well get a little something for moms birthday in addition to what I already purchased for her since she loves this stuff! The sales lady recommended the perfect gift set for sensitive, mature skin. I wish I'd taken a picture before my mom unwrapped it, boo. I find that gift sets from Lush are extremely affordable and worth getting, not only for other people, but for yourself as well. This set was about $15 - super cheap for what was included. This was for my mom, but of course she let me try the products, hehe. The Dream Cream is super....creamy.  No, but it really is. It was actually made for people with eczema and psoriasis. I don't have either of those, but I do often get ingrown hairs on my legs. My skin is just so sensitive and this cream is perfect for it! The cream has oat milk blended with lavender and chamomile, which is very soothing along with olive oil and cocoa butter. It eliminates redness caused by irritation and reduces blotches, so definitely get those areas that need special care. It smells herbal, but I love that because you don't want your cream to overpower the smell of your perfume. I use this twice a day - again a little bit goes a long way! I'm definitely going to get my own when I can, so I don't use up all of my moms.

The Snowcake soap is seasonal and it smells of nuts and oatmeal. It is extremely soothing (again for sensitive skin) and leaves your skin feeling moisturized. Literally, it felt like I used cream after my shower when I hadn't put any on yet. Usually, I'll use both bar soap and liquid soap with a loufa during my shower, but I'm considering just sticking to one or the other during my shower, as one might cancel out the other. Definitely recommend that you grab this soap at Lush before the season is over! Again, I'm going to get my own before the holidays are over!

All in all, this was a very successful month of shopping at Lush and I am very happy with their skincare products. I have created a Lush Christmas wishlist, which I will share with you all in a future post. My mom was so happy with her gift and I'm happy that she thinks sharing is caring, hehe. 

AND FOR YOUR ENJOYMENT! NO JUDGEMENT PLEASE!

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October Favorites!

It's the beginning of the month, so I thought it would be a perfect time to share a few of my favorite and most used beauty products from last month and I just thought this would be a great first post on my new personal fashion blog!

P.S. Ignore that bad image quality. I'm working on getting a better camera!

Here they are:

Solia Tourmaline Professional Ceramic Flat Iron - 1 1/4"

This is the best flat iron I have ever owned! I used to have the regular 1" Solia Professional Ceramic Flat Iron. It lasted me about SEVEN years....SEVEN! I'm a crazy flat iron user. I use it to do lose curls, straighten, everything, almost everyday. Naturally, that one broke of old age. I don't like change much, so I was going to buy the exact same one that broke, but then I started doing research and came across the tourmaline flat iron. It had great reviews, better than my previous flat iron, so I bought it! It was the best decision ever! I bought it off the Solia website - here is the link. You can choose different colors - black, red, purple or pink. It was delivered super fast and I'm very happy with the results. It takes less time to iron my hair because of the difference in length (it's not very much difference but it does help). It's also extremely affordable - about $80, which is the cheapest you'll buy a professional flat iron for. I also love that it will probably last me a long time, much like the last one! The iron came with a heating pouch, which is great while in use and for storage. The iron itself has adjusted heating, ranging from 140 degrees to 440 degrees fahrenheit. I use it somewhere in between the lowest and highest temperature because I just feel like 440 degrees fahrenheit would burn your hair right off. This iron keeps my hair frizz-free for the two days that I don't wash my hair. I love it and I absolutely recommend it!

Lush's Mask of Magnaminty

This is the first Lush face mask that I try. I'm very excited about it. I love the smells and the way it feels during and after I use it! I promise I will post a detailed review soon. :)

Lush's Ocean Salt Face and Body Scrub

LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS STUFF! I have sensitive skin, so I can't use it more than once a week but it leaves my face feeling so soft and looking clean and healthy. I have used this once a week for the entire month and definitely recommend it! I will also post a detailed review about this product. :)

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick #740 "Certainly Red"

Something you will quickly learn about me is that I have an obsession with lipsticks and lipgloss. I always have something on my lips (which says a lot, since I play an instrument and often can't have anything on my lips). I love reds pigments, especially for this time of year. Autumn is the time to go darker, at least in my opinion - hair, nails, makeup. Everything gets darker. This red is super pigmented and I love the brightness of the color. It looks great on my skin tone and it stays on for a long time.

Here I am, on Halloween, dressed as 'Red Riding Hood,' with the lipstick (though it's not the best picture, seeing as how it's wearing off by now as I'd just eaten, but it was better than the others).

 Essie's "Foxy"

I love this color and it matches the lipstick above and it's great for this time of year!

Bath and Body Works "Dark Kiss"

I bought this scent a few years ago and, soon after, it got taken off the market. I was so upset! I was shopping the other day and I stopped in Bath and Body Works and there it was! It smells so good, like flowers with a deep sweet scent! You should definitely pop into Bath and Body Works and take a whiff! :) 

I hope you enjoyed my first post. I hope to do these every month, as I find them helpful when others post them and I love to share my monthly findings. :)

What were your October favorites?

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