First impression of Nars All day luminous weightless foundation

*See my updated review of the Nars All day luminous weightless foundation here.

I was talked into purchasing the Nars All day luminous weightless foundation in shade Light 2 Mont Blanc by the girls athe foundation clamp to last 16 hours and it is oil free. Sephora. tI had high hopes for th is product because the sales associated swore by it. I was initially going to purchase the Sephora airbrush foundation which was amazing reviews on Makeupalley.com (it's supposed to be a dupe for the Dior airflash foundation). Anywho, I asked one of the girls there of she could hp me find my shade and she warned me that it was awful and suggested I try the Nars one because it was great for acne prone and oily skin types. I decided to try it because Sephora will return it of I keep my receipt. We weren't sure about what shade to go for because my chest is palm and my neck is a little more yellow. We decided that the shade Mont Blanc suited my overall body better. I the Neutrogena oil free moisturizer with spf 50 and the Eclos primer prior to applying the foundation today. My face was well moisturized but when I applied the foundation I noticed that it somewhat accentuated the pores and blemishes on my skin. The foundation wasn't moisturizing on my face and the sales girl had mentioned I didn't need a setting powder. However, because I have  oily skin, I used Rimmel's Stay Matte transluscent powder to set the foundation. The foundation just didn't look flattering on my skin at all. I looked dry and scaly. My skin looked more hydrated and smooth before applying it. I asked my co worker for her opinion after 3 hours and she mentioned that my forehead looked oily and agreed that the foundation looked like it was melting off. Sure enough when I saw myself in the mirror there were 2 drops of foundation ready to run down my forehead. Too much information but that was my overall experience with it. I wish I could give this product another shot because it is oil free but it's $48.00 and for that hefty price I expect something that will last longer than 3 hours. I work in retail, on the sales floor, nothing too demanding, and I don't see how th is foundation couldn't hold up. What are your thoughts on this prodcut?

In the picture belowme awfullyes how the foundation looked after 3 hours. Because of the lighting you can't see the shine too much, but I looked shiny.

I took the following picture below right after I got home from an 8 hour shift. Don't be fooled by the lighting though because it caked on me awfully.

Walgreens coupon code 20% off most beauty and personal care items

Walgreens currently has a pretty great deal on ther website. 20% off on beauty & personal care items. I placed my order on 1/25/15 and just received it today 1/28/15. Just 3 days, lucky for me I live in California and their warehouse is pretty close to me. I would suggest for you to take advantage of this deal because you also get free shipping to your home if you spend $25 before sales tax. Let me tell you about what I ordered and why. Exfoliation is essential for your skin because it helps slough off dead skin cells to review a more radiant and fresher skin. One of my favorite books called "Secrets for Ageless Skin", written by Dr. Adrienne Denese, M.D., Ph.D enmphasizes on exfoliation. A lot of people are intimidated by exfoliation because they fear that it might “wear their skin down”. In the words of Dr. Denese, “the skin is an amazing organ; the more you wear it down, the more it grows”. You can exfoliate every night safely using 10% glycolic acid pads after you have thoroughly removed all of your makeup. 10% is the ideal amount for daily use. I currently use the Serious Skincare brand but I am going to try these St Ives ones because they were super cheap (around 5 dollars), and absolutely love all their face washes which have tiny beads fine enough for exfoliation. I have tried the Glycolic Acid peel in 30% of the Perfect Image brand and liked it. I have never tried Lactic Acid before and am excited to try this. However, my goal is not to promote the Perfect Image Glycolic or Lactic acid peels. I have had up to 50% glycolic peels done by my dermatologist and my skin doesn’t have any bad reactions to the peel. My dermatologist began performing these on my monthly visits since I was 18 and he gradually got my skin to adequately handle the 50%. Please do your research first and consult with a dermatologist so you can begin at a low dose and gradually work your way up. I began doing 30% Glycolic peels at home after speaking to my dermatologist and reading credible books by doctors. Once you have informed yourself about the amazing benefits and precautions when using these types of products, then you can feel safer about using these products at home safely at home for your personal use. I will be giving the Lactic acid peel later this week at night so I won’t irritate my skin or be in the sun afterwards. You can purchase these products on Amazon as well but with free shipping and 20% off this month (not sure when the coupon expires) this is a great time to stock up on your beauty items!

Makeup of the day featuring Makeup Revolution and Milani

Time off is great. I have been working my tail off in school and I haven't had any time for myself. My goal this year is to take things a little easier and be kinder to myself. All night sessions studying and drinking coffee has taken a tone on myself. Last semester was so hectic for me and I handled it the best that I could. School isn't a peice of cake and that's okay. Work hard but just remember that it's okay to take a break once in a while to do whatever makes you happy. I'm wearing Milani's black cherry lipstick and used my lovely eyeshadow palette by Makeup Revolution which I already reviewed on this blog. Have a lovely day.

Swatches of the new Wet n' Wild Fergie centerstage collection products

I just purchased the new items from Wet n' Wilds Fergie Center stage collection line. I did what any blogger would to and took pictures of all the products as soon as I got home. I have not tried anything yet but I will try to do a face of the day post for you all so I can let you know how these products do. Upon swatching I can only say that the velvet matte lipsticks are very creamy. I'm excited to try the highlighter because it has a champagne gold color. The blushes swatched nicely and seemed to blend very nicely, except for the one pictured on the far left called “brush with danger”; it came off chalky. What do you think about these products so far?

Pictured below from left to right: Hollywood Boulevard, Brush with Brillance, Brush with Destiny and Brush with Danger.

January 2015 clearance deals at Walgreens

Everything varies by store. I live in Los Angeles, California, so if you live near the Los Angeles area check your local store for these deals!

Katy Perry & New Full Lash Bloom Mascara by Covergirl review

I was lucky enough to purchase the new Covergirl full lash bloom mascara on sale for $6.99. I'm not very picky when it comes to mascara because I have been blessed with prettt decent eyelashes and I find that almost any mascara works for me just fine. However, I have tried also tried Cover girl's lash blast and clump crusher and I was not a fan because of the synthetic plastic like bristles. I prefer dense, long, and softer bristles. I used about 4 coats of this but I didn't feel like my lashes looked that noticeable. By the end of the night when it was time to remove my makeup, my eyelashes didn't have so much of thr initial volume as when first applied, but on the plus side it didn't smudge on me. I'm not sold on this mascara, I think it's okay, but like I mentioned before, I don't like this kind of mascara wand. See pictures below for the wand. What do you guys think? This was my first time trying it out, maybe I should give it a few more tries.

Shine bright like a diamond. Review and swatches of Urban Decay highlighter in Illuminated

I can't believe that I discovered highlighters less than a year ago. They are so popular amongst most of our favorite Instagram makeup artist. @Amrezy is one of my favorites because she always manages to make her face look flawless. Although I am pretty pale, I have found that highlighters in the right shade dor my skin color make such an amazing and beautiful difference on the skin. This one by Urban Decay retails at $29 at Ulta. As I am fully aware that cosmetics do have an expiration date, I have become much more frugal when it comes to purchasing cosmetics. Unless I have coupons, can find a great deal, or I really want a product, I will not buy it. Your makeup stash can look amazing, but will you really use it all before the expiration date? Although a product can look close to perfect 9 months from now, it doesn’t mean it will do your skin any good. Be cautious and remember cosmetics do have an expiration date.

Pictured below on my hand, Ilumminated slightly blended.

Review and swatches of Neutrogena nourishing long wear eye shadow + built in primer

I have to admit, Neutrogena is actually one of my least favorite brands from the drugstore. I have tried all of their foundations and powders, and I haven't been too impressed. The only concept intriguing about the Neutrogena brand is that it is "recommended and tested by dermatologists". I do admit that when I saw a dermatologist back when I was 19 years old, both my dermatologist and physicans assistant recommended that I use Neutrogena cleansing products. I didn't and I still don't understand why. The dermatologists gave me samples of Neutrogena products - which is why I believe that Neutrogena does distribute sample products to dermatologists so that their brand can be promoted. However, most of their skin care products for acne only contain 2% of Salacylic Acid, which you can find in other products for less than half of the price. That of course in another topic. But, down to th eyeshadows, I love them! They are pigmented, they apply well, and they blend well. Enough said, check out the pictures below. 

Pictured below from left to right, 40 Coco Mauve and 50 Mink Brown

Review and swatches of Covergirl Colorlicious lipsticks

From left to right 415 Delight blush, 340 Delicious, and 235 Champagne

Review of Too Faced Better than Sex mascara

I ordered the beauty blogger favorites set from Too Faced last year and I must say that now I can see why there is so much hype about the Better than Sex mascara. It really is a great long lasting mascara that gets the job done quick. The brush is thick and the formula isn't too run or dry which makes it perfect for building up the product quickly and achieving long lashes without have to wait between coats. Here are some pictures below of just two coats applied. Excuse the eyebrows, it has been a long school year. What do you guys think about this mascara? Is it worth the hype? Below are the tools and products used on my eyes. I love the Tweezer man eyelash curler which retails at around $20 USD but it is well worth the price. My mascara would not even look have as good without it. This was also my first time trying Maybelline Eye Studio liquid liner, which I don't want to go into detail and review it because it was plain out awful. The liquid liner on my top lashes does look a little sloppy because I was running late and didn't have time to correct it. Maybelline Eye Studio liquid liner is runny which and doesn't go on as black. You have to basically go over the liquid liner to intensify the color and achieve a true black. Definitely not a fan. I love Maybelline mascaras, but so far I have not found a good liquid eyeliner by them.