Makeup Favorites

Hello there! So I've had a few posts that I've been wanting to add on but school has kept me busy, as well as having two jobs. I really do want to post more and hopefully I will as soon as I stop being busy with life. I am also almost done putting together my room and have been living in a cluttered environment, which is another reason why I can't think when trying to write. Anyway, getting on with this post. Here are a few of my favorite makeup products. 

As I've posted before, I adore Chanel foundation. It is by far my favorite foundation that I've had because its so natural looking and fresh. If you are looking for a full cover makeup I wouldn't recommend the Vitalumiere Aqua but I would recommend the Perfection Lumiere. Vitalumiere is more for the summer as I tend to get oily on my T zone and the Perfection Lumiere is for more Winter and Spring time. Perfection Lumiere is also long lasting, even without a primer which I have to admit I'm not very good at keeping up with wearing one. As for a non foundation product, I recently decided to try the NARS tinted moisturizer and I have to say I'm quite pleased with this product. It looks completely natural and even though it does a little dewiness its perfect for those days that you just don't want to put on foundation. I feel like it lets your skin breath as well as come through brilliantly. 

Moving on to eye products of all sorts and kinds. The prep and prime from MAC is a favorite but I tend to have a hate love relationship. The consistency and quality is great on this but I just wish it came in a different container. Its not a big deal but sometimes I have a bit of trouble getting some product out. Its perfect to brighten up any dark or pigmented areas which can range from under the eyes to around your mouth or just about anywhere. The Marc Jacobs concealer/primer doesn't have fantastic coverage but it does lighten up the darkness under the eyes. I completely forgot to add a picture of my all time favorite concealer but you can read all about it on one of my other post where I've written all about it. The container isn't the best at all because its a clicker pen, so sometimes you will get enough product out and sometimes you won't. I feel like that person in class clicking away as if I'm making time go faster with this product. I like the actual product and it goes well when I don't want to get completely done up but it certainly doesn't appeal to me when I have to click away to get enough out. I might have gotten a faulty pen but the price is also another downer, so its definitely a splurge. The Stay Don't Stray from Benefit is by far the best eye primer that I've ever tried. It holds my makeup in place for ages! Even when I have oily eyelids for days do I end up with a great hold on my eye makeup. I don't use eye makeup all the time but it holds my eyeliner all day, as well as my concealer. Another Benefit treasure is the They're Real mascara. This baby makes my eyelashes look natural but also adds to them. When I use it, it makes me feel like I do have eyelashes because they get lost with my eyeliner. I have sensitive eyes so this one definitely did the trick for me. Two of my most favorite eye shadows for the fall are All that Glitters and Samoa Silk from MAC. 

I don't like packing on different colors on my eyelids because I prefer to have a more natural look. Samoa Silk is matte so I use All that Glitters to add a little something to it. I also like using just any brown shadow on my crease to give it a slight smokey effect. You could definitely pack it on after for a night time event or just to go out with friends. 

And Benefit strikes again! I am not obsessed with their brand but they do have amazing products that just seem to work well on my face. The Pore Fessional is probably the funnest thing to touch. Maybe its just me but it is so soft and silky to the touch and it practically feels like a baby's bum. I haven't touched a baby's bum in my life that I can recall but that is how I figure it feels. It leaves your makeup looking really nice and soft and perfect. I love it! I have yet to take pictures with it on so we will have to see if it holds up to photography standards of being pore less. Oh this is the part I'm most excited about, the blushes you see up there are by far the best purchases I've made in my life when it comes to blushes. I've always been a fan of MAC blushes but these are just my favorite. Melba, Gingerly, and Warm Soul (in order from left to right and bottom) are the best. Melba and Gingerly are very similar but with Melba being more of a pinkish tone and Gingerly being more peachy. I think Gingerly is great for the summer and it gives you a tan flushed look. Melba would be the perfect blush for winter for someone with my skin tone. I get slightly lighter in the winter but not to the point where bright pink looks great on me. Warm Soul, oh how I love thee. It looks as shimmery as a glittered covered ornament in Christmas but once you put it on it isn't. It gives great color and can be used to contour but gives you a bit of flush. Its so natural looking and its very build-able. Last but not least the Make up Forever lipstick sample I got from Sephora has got to be my new favorite lipstick brand. I don't wear lipstick all that often because I can't seem to find my favorite shades but this one is my favorite and once I'm done with my sample I'm purchasing it. I didn't take a picture of the lipstick it self but it is gorgeous. It has a flushed pink brownish tint. Their lipsticks are also not drying and seem to actually be moisturizing. 

So there you go! my makeup favorites for Autumn/Winter. 

Good Friendship is like Gold

http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/gossip-girl/forum/post/148413/7/30-day-gossip-girl-challenge

How could we not want a friendship like Blair and Serena? Sure, they had altercations and did things to each other that shouldn't have been done but in the end they were still friends until the end. I think that is something truly powerful; to have a friend who you happen to have things in common, but who you can have fall outs with or go days or years without talking and when you do happen to talk again its like nothing really changed. I have several friends like those and you just learn to appreciate them more for what they represent in your life than just someone who is there to listen to your problems or gush over your current man crush. I recently came into contact with one of my dearest friends, Madonna. She is one of my many unique friends and if you were ever like me in high school, I never kept a similar circle of friends. I hung out with different people because why not? Madonna is the friend who will be a bit candid with you but all for the good reasons. Maybe sometimes people misunderstand but truly some people will be more upfront than others and if you aren't used to it, then most likely than not your feelings will end up hurt. I love that about Madonna though. I like telling her about my life and asking for her advice because I know she will give me an honest opinion and not something I might want to hear. I think that is a good attribute for a real friend. They will be honest about what they think because then they might see something that you don't. Take it all like constructive criticism. Another great friend who I happen to know for a long time is Karina. Her and I don't have many similarities. We have so many differences that you would think, "why are they even friends?". In our mountain of differences we somehow understand each other and have been there for each other regardless of anything. Being friends doesn't mean having to talk or see each other every day, if that were the case these two ladies and I would not be friends at all due to the distance but I think we admire each other to the point where we don't need that physical closeness for it to define our friendship. Having a friend be there for you when you need them the most or when you just need someone to listen to you rant about how life is so unfair is the best feeling in the world because as you go through life you see that you can't cancel yourself out from having social relationships with people and you can't be completely independent. You need someone to be there for you when no one else is. There are loads of people we might not get on well with, and you might want a thousand friends following you on Twitter or Instagram, but those people that are truly good friends are hard to find. When you do find one of these friends, stick with them and cherish them regardless of their defects or their errors because its important to surround yourself with good people and not only those who will be there momentarily. The people who are only there in memories but are not there to go back in time with you and remember those memories are sometimes not worth it. Don't stop making friends with everyone but don't abandon the good friends that you have. Another great thing about these two ladies is that I can go visit them and they can come visit me. We can chat about anything and everything. If you've gotten this far into the post, you've probably thought that friendship is a bit like having a boyfriend or a girlfriend and it is. It's actually great because you share your differences and you get to see a persons different perspective of things. You might even adopt a few mannerisms or ways of wearing clothes. Having friends is a wonderful thing and as we all grow up, we see how important good friendship is. I miss going out eating with Madonna and jamming out in the car with her, as well as filming ourselves sing duets (I think she might still have them ha ha). I miss having movie nights with Karina and cooking with her, regardless if it was a success or fail, it was great fun and delicious. I love my friends and I wouldn't be the person I am today without them.

Autumn is Coming

      Excuse me whilst I have a mini heart attack. Now that I've composed myself, I cannot wait until autumn is fully in session. I have been waiting all summer long for it to get here and I cannot simply stand it any longer. If it isn't obvious yet, I love autumn and winter so much. The leaves change colors and the weather is cool and just better. I don't have to worry about my hair being a frizzy mess and my face being as oily as can be. You can go and get salted caramel hot chocolate and not be judged by the crowd because its too hot for hot drinks. Walking around downtown wearing sweaters and autumn colors. Its just the best time of the year. If you live in an area where the colors change I envy you because where I live it changes but not drastically where you can go and jump on the leaves and hear them crunch under your feet. Then after two or three months of autumn everyone is getting ready for winter and Christmas, which has to be my favorite holiday of the year and then everyone goes out on their holidays with family and friends and its just wonderful. I will be posting much more now than before because I was really busy with work and school, so I didn't have enough time to actually sit and write. I'm really excited. I've also been working on remodeling my room and so hopefully by the end of the year I will have a somewhat more complete look to it and I will post about the before and after. I hope the day is treating you well and that you are as excited for the next couple of months as I am. Little fact about me, when I get excited I loose complete control and get ecstatic. I can't contain my excitement as well as my sister and I worry it comes off as obnoxious ha ha ha. Well hope you have a wonderful day! 

These are the candles I've bought for autumn. I absolutely love the Pumpkin Pecan Waffles and the Salted Caramel Corn. The other two don't smell like much or it just might be that I have a poor nose. 

Fiesta: NIOSA 2014

Ever since I moved to Texas, I was never much involved with how life worked out here. I partially blame my slight depression and homesickness. I suppose that you become socially alienated when you don't feel the need to go socialize. Well this year has a bit a whole lot different. I don't warm up to people quickly so being comfortable with friends took me a little while but I have some of the greatest people as friends. In San Antonio there is an annual fiesta (spanish for party) where there is just endless celebration. Every weekend there is a different "theme" for the fiesta and there is massive amounts of food and drinks. There is music and bands playing in different areas downtown. I can't say that I didn't enjoy myself. I couldn't attend all of the festivities because there is not enough time with school but also there is not enough money so I had to pick one from the three weekends that fiesta happens. I ended up going to NIOSA and it was splendid. San Antonian's really do know how to party and even though there is plenty of alcohol going around there is no one building up a ruckus. It was perfect! There is plenty of security as well. The only advice I would give is not to bring small children along or take them to a less congested area. There is a lot of people and loosing a child in a sea of people is no fun. Specially when everyone is cramped up trying to move about.

If you are ever in the San Antonio area I highly recommend that you go to this because it is just so much fun. You will not regret it. 

xx

It's been a while....

Well I've certainly missed writing just for pleasure. I can't say how fast this semester has gone in school and how close we are to the end of it. Spring flew by so fast but I can't complain really, except for the fact that I wish we had more time to work on my grades or at least opportunities. I haven't done much but school and work but I've done several interesting things along the way. I'd say they are small but none the less good things.

Not too long ago I went to volunteer for Race for the Cure and it was amazing! I didn't run the race this year but even just watching people come out and support a great cause. Some people were running for a loved one that passed away but others were running or walking for someone who survived. I went to the event with some coworkers of mine but it was as if it was just friends since we were separated from the group.

I also volunteered with the Food Bank and I can't say how shocked I was at how much food is thrown away. They pulled out crates of food and we sorted through all of them and threw out the majority of it for reasons like, it wasn't packaged correctly, it didn't have an expiration date, or just the bag was not sealed properly. I suppose it all makes sense because we don't want people to die but all the food we threw out we could have cooked and given out to the poor. It was a really great experience though and I wouldn't change it for the world. 

Also for my winter holidays, I went to visit some family in Mexico. At first I was a little resilient on going but I think that it was the best idea I've had in a long time. I enjoyed being with my family and all my aunts, uncles, and cousins. I actually grew closer with my family which had been a while since I felt that way. I ate a lot of food and I will probably make a separate post on that because of how much I ate. I do have some pictures of the places I went to. I can't wait to go back for another mini holiday. 

You are Beautiful

As I am typing this up, it is currently freezing outside and inside my home. I can't help but shake but I really want to write about this. 

What is beauty? is it really something physical or does it come from within? In my opinion it is both. I don't think beauty comes in a generic form. Beauty comes in different shapes, types, and sizes. It comes in the most basic form and it is not difficult to attain because we are all beautiful in a unique way. There might be people that think otherwise due to the high number of adverts that tell women that looking a certain way is the only way to be pretty or be considered beautiful by the rest of us in the world. That is one of the biggest lies in the world because we all have different classifications for beauty. We might think beauty is not something that comes from the outside but something that comes from the inside. It might be something that comes from the outside and not the inside. When I say that it comes from the outside I don't mean to specify that certain attributes are more attractive than others. I think that we all find different features attractive and should respect that. I've seen girls post online that they don't like their bodies and they wish to be a certain size so guys will like them. Beauty can't be something that you define on a scale that depends on how many guys like you. If a guy doesn't like you the way you want him to well then he doesn't and you have to accept that. You can't force someone to like you the same way you like them but that doesn't mean that changing your body will make them like you. If a person is worth being with and isn't going to be a jerk they won't judge you for your physical aspect. They will accept you the way you are. If that were the way it worked I don't think a lot of us would be happy with the person we are with. When it comes to someone liking you, in my opinion, it means that they like you for the person you are and how you act and carry yourself around. Being insecure is nothing new to humans and I think that everyone has something to be insecure about. Whether it'd be from your face to your body or to the way you sound to people, everyone has some sort of insecurity. The difference is that some of us are stopped by them and some of us work through them and don't let something we can change block us from becoming a better person. I think the best way to overcome insecurities is to love yourself. If you love yourself people around you will love you because you emit a certain air that shows that nothing can stop you. You will look good because you feel good in your own skin. Its not something completely easy but it can be done with help and support from the people that love you. I understand that sometimes even the people close to you put you down. My only advice to that is to get rid of those people. Those people are not good for you and for your state of mind. A good person will help you be better and like you for who you are and will never put you down but will lift you up. This person doesn't have to be a significant other, it can be your friend or your coworker or your neighbor. If you trust someone who is really worth putting your trust in they will return that as well. If people hate on you because you don't meet or exceed their expectations then they are not good people to be around. You might have fun with them but at the end of the day they are not looking out for you in the best way. Changing yourself and not letting your true self out will not make it a better life but you will continue to suffer. You have to love yourself in order to love another. You have to respect yourself in order to respect another. I feel that's the reason why there is a problem with bullying. Many people walk around life hating and envying other people that they don't take care of themselves and when they see someone doing well they want to bring them down because they don't want to be the incompetent person left behind. Don't let envious people put you down. You are beautiful just the way you are and changing the beautiful person that you are won't make it better. If you are trying to reach a goal don't do it for someone else but for yourself because in the end you are the best friend you could ever have. Let people help you, but don't let people bring you down. Most of all don't ever think you are less then anyone else because you are unique and you can do whatever you put your mind to do. 

Have a wonderful weekend

xx

Liz Earl: Young Skin Try-Me Kit Review

Hello! Its been a while hasn't it. Well I have had proper time to try the little baby you see right up in the picture. As I said before in one of my posts, I was having a bit of a break out with my skin and it was sucking a lot. I decided to try out the Young Skin Kit from Liz Earl. This product is not exactly cheap but if you are trying all sorts of products for your skin to look its best then sometimes that doesn't matter. This little try me pack lasted me for about three months or so. The first couple of weeks I was feeling a change on my face. The Hot Cloth Cleanser is really good for any type of skin type and it left my skin feeling really soft. The only thing that was a bit odd for me was that you don't use water while applying the cleanser. The water came after with the cloth. Then came the toner. The toner smelled like baby powder. I wanted to spray it all over myself but I had to contain my urge to do so. I didn't feel it as drying as other toners and it doesn't have alcohol so it doesn't sting or make your face feel like its completely dry and sticking to your face muscles. (Apparently if you get out of the shower and your face feels really tight that means you have dry skin and if you don't then you have normal to oily or combination skin. Disclaimer: this is something that a lady at the Clinique counter told me). I didn't feel a real change with the toner. It felt as if I was spraying water on my face with a bit of scent to it. The light moisturizer was the least of my favorites. It has a weird smell that I am not exactly fond of. If I used even a little too much my face would become really oily and gross. I would try to just put the slightest bit on because I couldn't put too much on without having it feel like I had grabbed my lipbalm and smeared it across my whole face. It would leave my skin soft though. As much as I love this, it wasn't the best for my skin. I started getting these blackhead like spots on the side of my cheek, which are still somewhat there and have become very annoying. The Deep Cleansing Mask was very good for the purpose of cleaning the pores but I didn't feel like it did a good enough job. I've tried better from different brands. Overall, I think that this product is a good product but can have a little bit of reaction on some skin types or just skin in general. I don't expect to buy this again but if you are like me and are willing to try anything to make your skin looking well again then you can give it a go. I have an extra travel size kit of the Hot Cloth Cleanser with the cloth. If you would like to try it for free let me know and we will make arrangements.

xoxo