Daily Makeup Routine

Hello lovelies!

I've noticed that lately I've been switching up my daily makeup routine, which is why I wanted to run through it with you guys in today's post. Now I must admit that on lazy days I'll just throw on concealer, which you know I can't live without, and some mascara; but most of the time I like to put in a little more effort. Yesterday, for instance, I had a full day out running errands and lunch with my best friend, but most importantly I needed to renew my license and that meant taking the most important picture you will ever take in your life ( so of course I wanted to look nice). At the end of the day I wasn't able to renew my license, which is great because I love going to the DMV (said no one ever). But OK, it's time for a little less conversation, a little more makeup please (10 friendship points if you got the song reference).

Summer in the tropics means that a face loaded with makeup is not the greatest idea, seeing that 1) it might literally melt off, and 2) it will definitely feel heavy, so for base I definitely recommend to use a tinted moisturizer and to make sure it lasts all day I also recommend using a primer before hand.
- Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer in Light has been perfect for me because it is oil free, so it feels a lot lighter on my skin and helps my base last all day. The good thing about this line is that they have a primer for different skin needs: dryness, hyper pigmentation, dark spots, acne, etc. Also if you don't want to spend that much money, you can just opt for the travel size to test it out.
- NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer (I wear 'St.Moritz') has been my perfect base choice because it is a 3 in 1. You get a moisturizer (of course), an SPF 30 (skin cancer? no thanks), and above all a really nice lightweight coverage. It isn't too pigmented, but it is very buildable. You can use a brush like the Sigma F80 or a beauty blender, but I find that using my fingers works just as good for a flawless finish (plus it's quicker).
- As for concealer, as I mentioned in my last post I've been very (very) impressed with the Revlon Targeted Dark Spot Concealer. It is seriously pigmented, works wonders for dark circles and hyper-pigmentation, doesn't budge, and has very minimal (if practically none) creasing.
- On to powder, the Maybelline Dream Wonder Powder has not left my side. I raved about it in my last post as well, so I won't go into much detail, but I really want to emphasize the beautiful finish it gives: the perfect blend of matte and dewey (at least for oilier gals).
- For blush I can look no further than the Maybelline Master Hi-Light in Nude 10. Just perfection! As you can see it gives a really nice pink, healthy glow and when your face catches the light, watch out world because you'll shine bright like a diamond! (in a good way). Needless to say I am very excited to try out the other shades from the range.
- On the brow front nothing much has changed seeing that I am still reaching for my dynamic duo: the Anastasia Brow Wiz for definition and the Benefit Gimme Brow Gel for fullness.
- Moving on to eyes, I've recently only had sights for one product: the Urban Decay Naked Palette. I've been playing around with all the shades, but for an everyday look I lean more towards 'Half Baked' (a shimmery gold) all over the lid to brighten, 'Naked' (a matte light brown) on the crease and outer corner to give my eyes a little bit of depth, and 'Virgin' (a shimmery very pale pink) on the inner corner to highlight and open up my eyes.

- Whenever I put on shadows, I must use a liner to give my eyes some definition. Now as you may know I am a big winged (or cat eye) fan. Lately though, instead of going for liquid liner, I've been using pencil liners like the Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eyeliner in 'Damsel' (a dark brown). I find that brown pencil liners look a lot less harsh, and are far more forgiving than pitch black liquid liners. You can just run them really close to the lash line and then with an angled pencil brush (this is key--like the Lorac one shown on the right) you can smudge out the line and extend it to the corners to create a wing. Precision and perfection don't really matter because the point is to achieve a softer effect. Then whatever is left on the brush I run along my lower lash line, since I rarely ever use mascara on my bottom lashes.
- To finish off the eyes I throw on some mascara, which as of late has been the Volum' Express The Mega Plush, which is OK, but nothing out of this world (to me mascara rarely ever is).
- Nothing left now but lips, which I honestly switch up on a daily basis. In the picture, though, I am wearing one from the Maybelline Color Sensational  range, which is fantastic by the way, in the shade 'Bite of Berry' and on top I dabbed a little of the Buxom Full on Lip Polish in 'Sophia'

Well guys, those are all the products I've been wearing the last two weeks. It usually takes me about 10 maybe 15 minutes to do my makeup (depending on how much time I spend singing along to whatever Pandora station I chose that day), which I think is pretty good considering it lasts me all day. As usual I hope this post was helpful in some way, and please feel free to leave any comments or questions down below.

Thanks for Reading!

Current Drugstore Loves

Hello lovelies!

So, I've been making regular stops at CVS/Walgreens lately to have a look around and see what's new. DANGEROUS! Seriously, when it comes to drugstores go in, keep your head down, pick up whatever it is you 'need', and get out! (but pay of course, unless you like living on the edge) With that said, on my several exploratory trips I have stumbled upon some really good finds, which all happen to be excellent for the summer. Naturally, none of them have left my face the last two weeks.

- Starting things off with what I know will be my summer staple product: Maybelline Master Hi-Light in 'Nude 10'. This blush/highlight is gorgeous! It's a mosaic type product (which seem to be on trend lately) and it gives a beautiful, yet subtle pink color to your cheeks/cheekbones. It is shimmery, but not to glittery, which is perfect to get that healthy summer glow. If you have more fair toned skin you can definitely get away with using it on its own as a blush, but since I am more olive toned, I've been layering it on top of my favorite NARS blush in 'Sin'.

- Sticking to Maybelline, their Dream Wonder Powder has been a complete savior now that my skin has been more oily. It is perfect to set your foundation and/or concealer in place, it blurs any imperfections, it keeps shine from coming through during the day, yet it still gives a natural looking finish so you don't look too matte. All in all, it's perfect. It has been the Ryan Gosling of setting powders.

- The Revlon Age Defying Targeted Dark Spot Concealer Treatment (my god that's a mouthful!) is one of those products I had to play around with a little to see how amazing it actually is. I wasn't so convinced the first time I used it: I found it was really hard to blend out with my fingers (at least on my under eye area). Then, on a lazy Sunday I decided to give it another try. I blended it with my Sigma P84 Precision Brush and set it with the Maybelline Dream Wonder Powder: It was uhh-mazing! It is seriously pigmented, I dare say as pigmented as the Make up Forever Concealer, but unlike it, this one is not drying at all for dark circles. To make it even better: it is sweat proof. Now trust me, I'm not one of those girls who goes to the gym with a face full of makeup, actually, I'm not a girl who goes to the gym period, but since the concealer and powder were the only makeup I had on that day, I didn't bother taking it off. By the end of my workout, which was heavy duty cardio (a.k.a dripping in sweat), this concealer was intact. I don't know about you guys but I live in Puerto Rico, the Caribbean, center of all humidity, a sauna, 'melter' of all makeup, so this is really gonna come in handy this summer. I find it is quite pricy for a drugstore brand, and I'm not over the moon with the spongy applicator, but I think I may just have found an alternative to my holy grail NARS Radiant creamy concealer.

- CoverGirl Outlast Stay Brilliant Nail Gloss in 'Salt Water Taffy' (#142) has not left my nails since I got it. Every time I'm going to paint my nails, I reach for this baby again and again. It is the perfect pastel color; I'd say it's a barely-there-yellow/green-almost-white color (good description there Keyla), but you can be the judge based on the picture. Great color, great formula, great price!

As always I hope this post was in some way helpful to you beauties. Please let me know down in the comments which are some of your favorite drugstore summer loves or if you've tried any of the products mentioned today. If you do decide to pick up some of them up to give them a try, feel free to tag me in any pictures (links to all my social media are down below) to let me know how you like them!

Thanks for reading!

Empties

Hello lovelies!

I hope everyone had an amazing weekend and an even better Monday (although I know Mondays pretty much suck for everyone). My weekend consisted of catching up with Game of Thrones, and oh my god that finale! I also finished off some beauty products, which means it's time for my first ever Empties post. If you've never read one of these or seen one on youtube, it mainly consists of mini reviews of products I've completely used up; essentially I'm showing you my trash. What I like most about these posts is that since I've used up the products completely, I can give you a full review, plus let you know if I would repurchase them or not.

Makeup

-Clinique Stay Matte Oil-Free Makeup: I think this was the first high-end foundation I ever bought, and I can't believe I completely forgot I still had some. Back in the day, this was my everyday go-to foundation and with good reason; I recently rediscovered it and finished off the last bit. This is an oily girl's dream! It  gives a completely matte finish without ever feeling too heavy on the skin or looking too caky, and it stays that way for the whole day. Again, a very good option to look at if you have oilier skin, and they offer a very wide color range. I will definitely be repurchasing!

-NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer: I know I go on and on about this one guys, but I just haven't found anything that works so amazingly for my dark circles. It's very creamy, brightening, and highly pigmented. Needless to say, I have already repurchased this one as it is a holy grail product for me.

-Benefit The POREfessional: You can tell in my previous post that this one was barely hanging on to its life, and it has finally moved on to a better place (not really it's in the dumpster). A very good foundation primer, that completely blurs any pores or fine lines to prepare the skin for foundation. It really helped my foundation go on smoother and last longer. Even though I really did enjoy it, I won't be repurchasing just yet because I have my eye on the Kiehl's Micro-Blur Skin Perfector.

Skincare

-Philosophy Purity Made Simple Cleanser: Technically I still have one use of this left for when I come home tonight from karaoke (yes, I very much enjoy it especially when ABBA comes on), but I wanted to include it anyway. This is a very gentle cream cleanser, perfect for taking off the bulk of your makeup (I usually follow up with a cleansing balm). It has a very light, fresh smell that kinda reminds me of Johnson and Johnson baby shampoo, and the 8oz has lasted me a year, so I think those were $23 well spent. I would certainly repurchase. 

-Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream: I've dedicated a whole post to my Kiehl's products, and it was a sad day when I used all of this up. So far it is the best moisturizer I've tried for both day and night. It's ultra (as the name suggests) hydrating without being to heavy, soaks into the skin very quickly, and it doesn't have a heavy scent; all in all it is perfect for all skin types including sensitive skin. Will definitely be repurchasing soon.

Haircare

-Josie Maran Argan Oil Hair Serum: I've mentioned this product before in my Current Hair Favorites  post. It's perfect for when my hair looks/feels dry in between washes. It just leaves my ends looking shiny and it clings to my hair like I would cling to Even Peters if I saw him walking down the street (I'm a sucker for that nerdy-doesn't-know-he's-cute look). If you're looking into this product, I'd recommend going for the the smallest size: it's $12 and lasted me about six months. Even though it's not that pricey and very good, I'm not repurchasing right away because I'd like to try other similar products like the ones from the Moroccan Oil range. 

-Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Moist: I love how the packaging literally says: "Deeeeep Conditioning". It's a very affordable conditioning mask for that extra moisture we all need. It smells like coconut, so in my book that is uuh-mazing and it really lingers. Won't repurchase just yet because it's not as thick as I like my hair masks to be, and also because I'm currently trying out several other deep conditioning masks.

Random

So this one is a little (well a lot) TMI, so feel free to skip this paragraph if you want. When it comes to that time of the month, I'm a tampon kinda gal, mainly because I loathe the diaper feeling. Even so, a while ago I discovered the Always Infinity Pads. Guys, these...are...amazing! I never thought I would say that about a pad, but man are these good. At first I was: "Revolutionary memory foam? PUUUH-LEASE", but now I'm converted. There is zero, and I mean ZERO leakage. They are really thin, so no diaper feeling, and never slip around because they have wings. Again, I know this was very TMI, but come on we are all girls here! If we can't talk about this with each other, than who? Just go and try them, you can come back to this post and write a thank you comment later. I already repurchased these for when the curse comes knocking again next month. 

Well guys that concludes the first ever Empties post on the blog. I hope it's a concept you enjoyed, and as always I hope it was helpful in some way. Let me know in the comments if you have tried or want to try any of the products mentioned, as well as if you have any further questions.

Thanks for reading!

Consumerism!

Hello lovelies!

I hope you've all had an amazing week and have an even better weekend! So far, my week has consisted of watching, and re-watching The Fault in Our Stars... no shame! Before I forget, congratulations to all those fathers in your lives, and a special mention goes to mine and to the most amazing abuelo!

Moving on to the reason for today's post. I've made a few naughty purchases over the past two weeks, and I wanted to share my thoughts on the products that I've been putting to the test the most.

Instead of saving the best for last, let's start with it: the Urban Decay Naked Palette. I hadn't bought an eyeshadow palette in quite a while and even though I love my L'Oreal Infallible shadows, I was starting to get a bit bored with them, so I felt it was time for something new. I know, I know, consumerism!
In my heart of hearts I knew I couldn't go for anything else than a Naked Palette, since I had yet to own one. I went with the original, Naked 1, because the shades took my breath away. They are ALL just so beautiful! Seriously, there is not one 'dud' in this palette, and the neutral shades make it perfect for all skin tones. It comes with twelve shadows (a mixture of shimmer, satin, and matte finishes), a double ended eye shadow brush, and mine also came with four (yes four!) different eye shadow primers. The shadows themselves are incredibly pigmented, go on smooth as butter, and last amazing during the day, especially if you use an eye primer like the one from NARS. So, so, so happy with this purchase!
The shades that I've been going for the most: On the lid (usually only one at a time) 'Sin', 'Sidecar', or 'Half Baked', then on the crease (eye socket) 'Naked', or 'Buck', and finish off with 'Virgin' as an inner corner highlight.

Moving on to something I wasn't too much impressed with: the Make Up Forever Full Cover Concealer. I've heard so many good things about this product, and even though I've never tried any base products from the brand, I decided to make the splurge to see if I could give my all time favorite NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer a much needed rest. Sad to say, it's disappointing. Don't get me wrong, this is a very pigmented concealer, but at least on me is was way too drying! It has a good matte finish, which is great for blemishes, but I use concealer mainly for my dark circles, and this was a no-go for me. The consistency wasn't as creamy or easy to blend as the NARS one, and during the day my under eye area looked/felt dry. I'm still going to play around with it, for instance try using it with different eye creams underneath, but if not, this one is going straight back to Sephora in exchange for yet another NARS concealer (since I'm running low). I'll keep you posted.

Another product that is in much need of a water break, is my Stila Liquid Eye Liner, which is why I decided to pick up the Kat Von D Tattoo Liner. Both are very similar since both have an easy to use felt-pen tip perfect for winged out/ cat eye liner looks. I will say that I still prefer the Stila, because it comes out a lot more liquid, is more pigmented, and lasts longer (at least on me). Even so, the fact that the Kat Von D comes out more like magic marker ink (I hope I made sense there) means that it is easier for eye liner beginners.

Last but not least, is a new skincare love: the Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel. I've tried the cream version of this before, but this feels ten times better! I picked this up before my trip to New York because I wanted a small, travel friendly moisturizer and since my skin was and still is getting more oily, creams are just too heavy for under my make up. Since it's a gel, it feels so light and fresh on the skin, but still gives it the moisture it needs. Plus it was only $14, Bazinga!

By the way guys before I finish off, quick shout out to the lovely nail polish I have on in the pictures. Just in case you were wondering (or maybe you weren't, but still...) it's actually a super old (over two years old) KIKO nail polish in the shade 389 (here we go again with nameless color shades). I rediscovered it a while ago in my 'stash', and it hasn't left my nails ever since.

As always I hope you guys enjoyed this post and it was helpful in some way. If you have any further questions or comments about the products mentioned (or anything really) please feel free to leave them down below. I'd love to know your thoughts!

Thanks for reading!

Start Up Makeup Bag

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