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Monday, March 21, 2011

Maybelline One by One Volume Express Mascara Review







  

Review = 4/5 <3's

I really am adoring this mascara right now! I have been using it for a little over a week and I have been really impressed by the effect it gives my lashes and its lasting power!
The pics taken above were taken at the end of my day so you can see how my lashes stayed curled and how the mascara lasted throughout the day. As you can see there is very little smudging and flaking going on which I LOVE.
The mascara completely volumizes my lashes but does so WITHOUT CLUMPING! YAY! I hate hate hate clumping in my mascara and it is so hard to find a volumizing mascara that doesn't clump!
The mascara is also very black and defines my eyes beautifully!
The one point I took off was simply for the fact that the ingredients in this mascara do nothing good for your lashes since there are no nourishing or hydrating ingredients included in the mascara. 

Friday, March 18, 2011

No Makeup Challenge (Day 2)

I made a video talking about my experience with wearing no face makeup today! Enjoy :)

Thursday, March 17, 2011

No Makeup Challenge (Day 1)

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Ever heard of this one ladies?

You might have. I have noticed a lot of talk lately on women going fresh-faced. It's been popping up in magazines lately, celebrities going makeup-less and untouched for photographs, showing their "real" selves. I find them beautiful in all of these photos and I actually find myself more inspired by their natural appearances. I don't think I'm the only one, since this topic has been getting more and more popularity lately.

Just google "no makeup beauty" or "how to rock no makeup" and you will find several forums about girls dedicating themselves to the No Makeup Challenge. This challenge is not at all about bashing makeup or those who wear it. I LOVE makeup! I OBSESS over it! And that is actually why I want to challenge my self to love and obsess about, well, ME. The pure, natural me. I do things like this in my life when I want to change something I don't like about myself. For example: in high school I was DEATHLY afraid of public speaking, I mean throw up, shaky, sweaty afraid! So what did I do? I joined drama class and starred in two school plays. I took the plunge and scared myself right out of my fear. That's what I am doing with makeup.

I noticed myself lately becoming quite ritualistic and obsessed with my daily makeup application. I think I have really been this way for a while but I never really thought much about it until now. I just did NOT feel pretty without evening out my skin tone with some foundation, applying blush, then eyeliner, and mascara. It wasn't until yesterday, when I was with one of my best friends who NEVER wears ANY makeup that I realized I felt...fake. I watched my friend interacting with everyone I was, with just as much confidence if not more, and I realized I desperately wanted to have that ability to be confident with nothing more than my own skin.

And so I went home, washed off my "face," and went to sleep with the determination to make a change starting today. I am very proud to share with you all how my first day on the No Makeup Challenge went.

I woke up and applied my Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer with SPF, which does wonders for evening out the complexion and preventing oiliness throughout the day, and that was it for my face! I did apply some eyeliner and mascara but those things aren't what were really bothering me about makeup. I am most concerned with weaning off the foundation/blush/primer/bronzer/etc. When I get comfortable enough without having those things on then maybe we will take off the eye makeup. Hehe.

So Day 1 went great. My fiance had to guess at least 5 times when I asked him what was different about my makeup before he realized I wasn't wearing any! And when I asked my brother he couldn't even tell! These things made me feel so much better about how I looked. And it felt so great to let my skin "breathe." I never knew what people meant when they said that but I truly did feel a difference in my skin after just one day of going makeup-less.

When I washed my face tonight I felt like my cleanser really got a chance to do its job because it didn't have a layer of foundation to get through first! It may just be in my head but I feel like my skin looks smoother already.

I am excited about this challenge and I hope some of the rest of you will feel inspired to give it a try.

Here are some pics of celebs looking gorgeous without makeup. Just a little inspiration for you all.




Sunday, March 13, 2011

Mystic Tan




Want to be bronzed and beautiful without speeding up the effects of aging? Check out Mystic Tan! I have become obsessed! Below is a video review of my experience with it.

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Native Islander

I wanted to share this beautiful picture taken by photographer Carlos Nunez. When I saw this pic I fell in love! I just had to share it with you all! I just adore the Indian headdress mixed with the California girl beach attire. It's just so cute and I felt like it would be a good representation of my "personal style" series that I have somewhat started to do.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Finding my Personal Style

Recently I made a pact with myself to ban all purchasing of makeup in exchange for clothing and accessories. When I was in high school I feel like I had quite the personal style, at least when I was out of my school uniform. I wasn't in the least bit concerned with makeup but was all about fashion! I was  pretty much obsessed and had the privilege of having a mom, who was just as obsessed, and generous enough to buy me whatever I needed.

Fast forward about two years and I discovered how extraordinary makeup was and began building my collection of cosmetics. Then I went to beauty school and was condemned to a year of wearing solid black and I think that's where my personal style was lost.

Now out of school I am rediscovering my love for fashion and am becoming more and more excited to develop my own personal style. I don't want to just roam helplessly in the fashion world, wearing whatever happens to already be in my closet. I want to develop my style into an expression.

Thankfully, Christmas provided me with some new basics that fit my style (thank you Antrhopology,) so now I am concentrating on the accessories and SHOES! OMG, I am in such dire need of shoes. I feel like these things can really provoke what you are wanting to say with an outfit.

So here are some little pieces that inspire me and fit what I see as my personal style.






Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Apple Talk

Hey my dears, I hope all of you are doing well! I am getting particularly anxious this week to get my new iphone 4, which will be available for me to purchase on the 28th of February. I cannot tell you how much I anticipate this dang phone to change my blogging and vlogging lifestyle! When given proper lighting the iphone 4 can take beautiful HD photographs which my blog is in desperate need of. I also am looking forward to utilizing the video camera feature of the phone to film some "follow me around" style vlogs.



So to ease my impatience I have been shopping for Iphone 4 cases to protect my new baby. Here are a few of my favorites. I've decided to stick with the speck brand because of their reliability.