New year same me

Good morning world,

It’s been a while since I wrote anything down for someone to see,

Life has grabbed me to a point of no return.

Here I sit typing away all of my thoughts.

One goal I had for this year,

                Take it slower- One of my goals for this year was to prioritize myself.

                                I currently have a bit of loans to pay off, which kind of sucks. It makes it hard for me to care for myself due to all the external stresses of my life. Trying to take care of me has become a hard thing to do after 4 years of school, homework and jobs that required a lot of the little time I had left. I let myself go caring about nothing more than the end goal. Now that, that chapter is closed I have to deal with the consequences of those chapters which involve the realization of the weight gain, loans, the balance of self-expression, and my ideals.

                So, here’s how I’m working on it:

                                Home cooked meals: I have learned to prepare 10 decent dishes that can be made quick and easy and I buy the best ingredients I can find within my budget. I started doing this in late November and it’s been really making me notice what I am putting into my body.

                                Making Doctors’ appointments: Yes, this is nerve reeking for me. I do have anxiety and nothing freaks me out more than the thought of something being wrong with me. But the faster you do it the faster you know and you don’t have to prolong the wait time.

                                Saving money before paying the bills: This is good way to think of things, pay yourself before anyone else. You need to put away something whether it’s a short-term goal like moving out like me, or just for your own future it’s a good idea for your own well-being to know you are responsible enough to put away something for yourself.

                                Cutting corners: Yes, being cheaper does make me just a little bit happier. For example, I use to buy a lot of different cleaning products, now I keep it to only 3, Windex, Clorox bleach, and an all-purpose cleaner. Also, I only buy clothes on sale, I wait to see if I really want it and if it’s still on my mind a week later I buy it.

                                Spending time with loved ones: On of the things I first started doing was opening up my schedule to those that made me happy and who’s company I enjoy even if it meant traveling to different states or taking some time to spend it alone with yourself and do nothing. It helps the mind get ready to interact with others.

               

                These are just somethings that can help you out this new years to be you but just a little happier.

Life in and out of college

Good afternoon to all,

I know it’s been a while since I have posted anything on my blog, but as I stated previously there has been a lot of changes not only in my personal life but now in my new Career girl style.

Recently I have found myself graduating college and moving into the workforce as a constructive and active citizen. Yet even though I expected this to happen I have been disillusioned and disappointed, a feeling that I didn’t expect to feel once I received a Baccalaureate degree. Yet it still lingered with me.

My goals, that I had wanted to accomplish has been set back due to college loans, my first “real job” being a soul-crusher, finding my sense of self that I lost in that time in college. I know it sounds weird because that’s when you’re expected to find yourself. Somehow, I found myself fighting to keep my individuality and progressing with so much work and stress on my shoulders.  

Let’s start with my experience in college: my experience went like this;

Freshman- I was a fresh face, excited and ready to take on the world I had a little part time job in where I worked the weekends and some afternoons, while I went to class in the mornings. I still worked out and that’s when I meet my current boyfriend and we have been together since then. Immediately as I started I notice this division between those who were forced to be there and those who wanted to be there. But overall wasn’t much different than high school except for the heighten sense of maturity and responsibility. 

Sophomore year-  At this point things got harder those who were there because of mommy & daddy were dying out with just a few left in each class. The work because harder and more frequent at this point I took afternoon classes and worked all weekend starting Friday ending Sunday night. I still had time to spend with my boyfriend and it was starting to get to a point where I had no time for the gym or friends. Also, my dressing habits began to change I Kind gave myself a uniform of black tights from H&M or Forever21 and a white or black T-shirt with a pair of blue/black Jordan’s (which was the last time I owned Jordan’s to be honest).

Junior year- Now let’s talk about a hot mess, at that point one of my family members became sick and I started a new job called note-taking and I still had my retail job at least for the first semester. So, at that point the majority of all my basic requirements were completed and I was taking classes only in my major which was crazy. Not to mention I had to be in and out of the hospital for that family member (whom now is fine, Thank the heavens). I had no choice but to do it since I’m one of the few English/ Spanish translators in my family, making me the center of all things that happen.  At that point I was so stressed and broken down not just physically because of all he works but mentally because of all the family stress that I almost dropped out of college but luckily, I sought out a counselor. Fortunately, my family member recovered and I was able to pass my classes but my grades suffered.  At the second half I quit my retail job and started to work inside the school, my paycheck deeply suffered but my sanity returned and I was able to raise up my grades more at that point with 2 jobs and the hardest of classes behind me. I also received my associates degree at that time.

Senior year: At this time, I took 2 summer classes to be able to graduate on time, it was hot annoying and killed off my summer but I did what had to be done.

In my senior year, I was getting worried about what my life had instore for me. I knew I hadn’t had any internships because honestly, I couldn’t afford to work for free, I had to work just to have a MetroCard to travel (New York is not easy). I started looking for jobs that would hire me once I was out, I found many options but they all need a Baccalaureate degree which I didn’t have yet. At that point I had no free time all my time went to homework and work my boyfriend was very understanding and he never hassled me about how much I was working but he took care of me as best as he could. At the last semester, I was literally traveling between work classes work and other work and lastly homework. I wouldn’t get home till 11pm if not 12 on some days. At that point one of the directors asked me if I was interested in staying in the College and working as in admin and I of course said yes. I went through with the interview process and before I even graduated, I was working. Given it was only a part- time position but I actually felt relieved to have it. I manage to graduate and work my way up.

Now the disappointments:

It’s hard to be able to move out, I thought that my boyfriend and I could do it together, but I realized he wasn’t ever going to help me I needed to do things on my own. And it’s so hard to even get a room nerveless an apartment so, that didn’t work out. Loans are still around and working out to lose weight has been a rough road. Please a new job that doesn’t involve the college. But there is no such thing as giving up in my world.

The New hope.

Now I hope that my experiences will make great stories to entertain and help you through this world that can be so harsh and unforgiving. Please Look out for more little segments like this coming out soon.

Thank You.

Banana Lip Balm Tony Moly

Tony Moly banana lip balm
      Price- $4.75 USD
       7 grams
Feature
1. Light- weight moisturizing and protection lip balm.2. Banana extract and milk protein delivers moisture and nourishment to the lips.3. Mildly scented with Banana milk.4. Its ring makes it easy to carry.

Worth it?
- Yes but not for the reasons you may think. 
This is a very thick lip balm with a light banana milk scent. It's quit pleasant actually but no very comfortable for morning or daytime use. I recommend this for a night of recovery for your lips because its just too thick and rich.

 plus if you are a big fan of packaging they have a whole line aimed at banana shaped products that are very hydrating.

Cushion Puff vs Beauty Blender

We have all come to know the beauty blender a magical latex free sponge that helps blend in makeup.


There are plenty of imitators most famously the Real Technique Miracle complexion sponge that retails for less than half price. But the original beauty blender even with its $20 price tag is a staple in any beauty junky or makeup user home.
Now the cushion puff is an innovative idea of a small compact makeup applicator that is used to blend and apply makeup which is usually easily carried by the cushion case. The cost can range between $1.20-$3 for one cushion and more for a set.
Which do I like?
I do like the puff better than the beauty blend. I know let’s all take a second to think about it.
Why?
Well the reason why I like it is because its supper easy to use. It is a flat round surface that is spongey with a strap on the back that can fit 2-3 fingers. All I do is pop it out and tap away. It’s good to help makeup get packed into pores and travel friendly. Plus there a range of designs and colors for any puff.
For the beauty blender I have to use water to make sure its damp enough. And the tear drop shape is truly not my favorite. But it’s not bad it’s great for what it is, but the price and the portability don’t match the beauty puff.

Sephora Wonderful Cushion foundation

Recently Sephora released a Cushion foundation of their own, very reminiscent of their normal liquid

foundation yet in compact form. But now they are being pulled out of stores nation-wide.
Why?
 Well the cushion foundation isn't bad by any means, it is pretty close to the original concept of a cushion foundation medium to build-able coverage, nice bouncy applicator a decent amount of product, much like Korean cushion foundations. Also the shiny plastic packaging looks amazingly stylish and classy.
     The Foundation itself is easy to blend, its light weight and easy to travel with. The coverage on my normal skin last anywhere from 7-8 hours longer if its set with some powder.
The Bad
This cushion foundation is actually $24 but is now on sale if you can find it for $12 USD. But the variety of shades leave much to be desired, with their darkest shade being walnut which in its original form is very dark and rice with warm pigmentation in the cushion comes out as a neutral medium tan shade.  So the range leaves a lot to be desired with only 6 shades.

Over all I don't hate it i just put in a couple of drops of my darkest foundation shade and it matches me perfectly and for $12 I can't say I regret it.

Etude house baking soda scrub

Etude house

       Powder Crunch Pore Scrub

price $7-11for a pack of 7 individually packaged scrubs

all together the weight is 168g

What is this?
 It's a pore scrub, aimed at removing dirt, black/white heads off of your nose and cheeks.

What they say \
Tear along dotted line to extract scrub cleanser from pouch (one pouch per application).
Apply cleanser to wet face, lather and massage then rinse off with warm water.
Use 1-2 times per week.

Does it work?
Yes, yes it does.
This is in no way made for sensitive skin. And in no way possible should you ever use the whole package on your face in one day. One pack should last for a minimum of 3 uses. This should be a target focused item .
The scrub is super abrasive so I would recommend this to be only used once a month, unless your extremely oily in which case twice a month.

Etude house- Oh M'Eye Line

Oh M'Eye Line

5ml

Cost 3-$5 depending on the site 

 Etude house often known for its creatively cute princess packaging, and even though they are a Korean drugstore makeup/ skincare brand they are often well noted in the beauty community. Much like the brand Too Faced they are pink and cute, very girly but high quality.

Now for the eyeliner:
Its super cute. Now the product itself is matte, I got the black shade. And the tip is fine allowing for thin lines or thicker lines.

Now the bad side.
It doesn't always dry quickly leading to smudges, also it kinda irritates my eyes if it gets into to it.

Colour Pop?

Colour Pop

By now you probably heard about Colour Pop, its an American makeup company that became famous almost overnight. With their marketing strategy of using YouTube with big followings,

creating fun and interesting "challenges"/ competitions via Instagram and numerous coupon codes it's easy to see why they were a hit.

Plus their products (of which I have tried) are really good. My favorite being their magical highlighters and blush colours you can see why I enjoy them so much. They are a soft mousy texture, plus they say they are technically gluten free most eye-shadows are vegan and they are cruelty free. On the bright side they ship to the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Guam, US Virgin Islands, and APO’s ad they are working on expanding to other countries.

Let’s talk about their highlighter plethora.

Ok they have a large range of highlights that can suit the lightest of the fair to the most beautifully deep brown skin tones. They have pastel highlights, peachy highlights, and golden highlights even bronze highlights. They ae so creamy I don’t bother with using a brush with them because I find that the warmth of my fingers and the soft creamy formulation just sinks into my skin. Leaving a beautiful highlighted Greek goddess look. My personal favorite is Wisp.

SWEETHEARTS BLUSH

- Too Faced
- Cost: $30 USD- 5.5g
Shade: Candy Glow
    What makes this blush different?

- This is 3 blushes in one all with a bit of sheen. Plus they are baked blushes with a nice pigmentation easy to blend. 

The packaging is also super cute, it is in a heart shape container, very girly with a pink and gold design.

What the company says:

Choose from four no-fail color palette blushes to take the guesswork out of creating a sweet, romantic flush. In each baked, heart shaped blush there are three individual color swatches. The baking process and multiple colors create dimensional color to provide the look of younger, brighter, healthier skin. It’s like having Hollywood lighting wherever you go. 

Personal opinion 

the color I had bought is very cute but a bit too baby pink for my tanner skin tone, perhaps if I had been a bit darker or a bit lighter the shade would have suited me better. so what I do now is use the darker side more as a blush the light middle shade as a soft highlight and the medium pink as a blush topper.  

But overall I enjoy the formula and the pigmentation with its soft micro-gold glitter. But the price is a little too high for me when E.L.F. baked bushes are so cute for only $5. 

https://www.toofaced.com/p/blushes/sweethearts-blush/candy-glow/

Too Faced Bronzer

Too faced bronzer are a summer staple, but this leads me to ask why? What makes these bronzers better than others?
So I went out and bought the Too Face little Black Book of Bronzers. This at the time I bought this it was $30 on sale at toofaced.com.  it contained 8 bronzers all a little different.
The first thing I notice was the chocolate scent which to me was heavenly. But it  could be a game changer for anyone allergic to chocolate. 
The bronzers that come with it is;
-Endless Summer
-Beach Bunny
-Pink leopard
-Dark chocolate soleil
-Snow Bunny 

- Chocolate Soleil
- Milk chocolate soleil
- Sun Bunny

All pretty and different.
Let's start with my favorite bronzer the Dark chocolate soleil. It's highly pigmented with a rich warm brown with slight orange hew. Let's say this is meant for tanner skintones to chocolate skintones. This is also matte and does have a chocolate scent.
- following closely behind is Endless summer. This is a bit more neutral and not as dark good for sculpting. This is one of their long lasting bronzers "16 hour long wear". But to me all their bronzers to me are long lasting. 
- Sun Bunny is  one of the more interesting bronzers containing 2 bronzers in one. One side is lighter and the other slightly darker. It does give off a nice shine not glittery at all. I like to layer the darker park on the perimeter of my face and the lighter bronzer lower and blend them together.
- Chocolate soleil is also a very pretty shade it's a matte medium brown. I use this for the fall or winter when I want to give my face a bit more color.
- snow bunny is a multi tasking bronzer with different shades one white, one baby pink, a warm bronzing strip and a deep brown strip. Together it gives a beautiful lively effect but you can use them as eyeshadows.

-Now heading to bronzers I'm not the biggest fan of is Milk chocolate soleil. It is a matte bronzer, but it is so faint on my tanner skin-tone that it doesn't really impress me its good for the winter or my sickish days. Better for lighter skin tone or olive skin tones. 

- Pink leopard is an okay bronzer not my favorite for its pinkish tones its not bad by any means but it has a more girly look. Its fine but not my favorite.

- The one I dislike is Beach Bunny. Why? Because its looks a bit too muddy and it doesnt really have warm enough tones for me. 

Overall value?

I like this whole palette, plus each sample size of these bronzers are worth $10 literally making the value of this palette is  $90. So it's worth it if you are a fan of bronzers . 

https://www.toofaced.com/p/bronzers/the-little-black-book-of-bronzers-collection/

Tony Moly Banana Sleeping pack Review

Tony Moly has been attacking the American beauty stores with its cute packaging and hydrating/

innovative products could you imagine anything else?
The Banana Sleeping pack is actually shaped like a banana, Lol, Yes it is so cute and it smells like bananas as well.

This can range from $9 USD- $18 USD. It contains 85ml

Doesn't contain: Parabens, Triethanolamine, benzyl alcohol, BHT, teicolore acids
what does it do?
this is a super rich night cream that can boarder on oily but is meant to be washed off in the mornings. It can also be layer under makeup with a very light hand or layered over serums a night. this does not contain SPF, so of your going to use it in the day so use a separate SPF.
The best time to use this is in the winter due to its super hydrating properties.

Do I Recommend?
Most defiantly, if you're not prone to breakouts and are in need of hydration.  

Making my own B.B. cusion

I have always loved the idea of customization in makeup products, the idea you can make anything suit you perfectly. And since Cushions, those that are made in America have a hefty price tag of $30 or more,those in Asian counties are affordable but are only meant to suit their skin tones so the options seem few.

why would I want one anyways?
- well bb cushions are skincare and makeup blended together. They offer a wonderfully easy to travel case on them so you can put it in your bag, it contains a mirror, application sponge and your favorite liquid foundation/skincare hybrid.  Plus you can decorate your cushion compact to your own style.

Best part about this is you can use skincare samples instead of buying full size products.

How did I create mine?
                What I used:
                          -   skinfood serum samples 1-2 packets
                          -  a teaspoon of my favorite foundation
                          - 5ml of my favorite facial cream
mix them all together in the container. Then I entered the sponge on one side, then remove it and placed it on the other side. Then pressed in all the fluid to the center by pressing lightly on all areas of the sponge an the flioing it around. this is very messy but very beneficial for saving money. After that you can enjoy.

wantable November

 
Model Co Ultra Shine Lip Gloss Rosie
  $16
- What the company says
     - Reflective, shimmering gloss that enhance lip contours. Non-sticky formula with a soft colour tint. Inbuilt mirror for flawless application.Slim and slender; the ideal handbag staple.
- My thoughts
        - lip-gloss in a not too pigmented pink color. It smells a lot like a sweet candy, its amazing. Plus it has a small mirror for easy application.


Manna Kadar Crème Blush Blossom
$27 for 8g
- What the company says:
       - Add a beautiful, rosy tint to your cheeks. May be used as a cream blush, cream eye shadow or as a lip gloss.

- My thoughts
   -This is a very pale pink color. Comes in a very cute squeeze tube, its not sticky and it spreads very nicely. It is a nice lip color and eye shadow. It's prefect for a minimalistic look.

Skin Perfecter Concealer #540
$19 for 15g
-What the company says
      -Creamy full coverage concealer blends seamlessly into skin and is packed with rich vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals. Instantly conceals imperfections on the skin without drying or caking. Vitamin E revitalizes tired skin and treats puffy eyes.
-My thoughts
   - Its not as hydrating as I expected but it does cover darkness very nicely. It doesn't glide super smoothly if you are not moisturized. But I do like this and this company has never let me down

Mica Beauty Gel Brow
$35
-What the company says
      -It is velvety soft and glides on smoothly to create clean, fuller looking,
perfectly-defined brows.
- My thoughts
     - What I like about this is it has a brush built in, and it is easy to spread if you have a spooly.
what I don't like is the color its very warm brown compared to  my jet black hair. I wouldn't purchase this by myself but its a nice thickener.

DIY organic care "Dry Shampoo"

Are you tired of buying makeup? Do you want to make your own cruelty free makeup/ personal care? I am going to go on a push and use my own personal creations that are organic or as natural as I can. I'm doing this to help those whom care about the environment, and those whom may not be able to afford expensive cruelty free/ natural products.
 So this week I am testing the uses of my organic unsweetened Cocoa powder.

Hair:
- this is a great alternative to dry shampoo/ texturizer
              if you are a brunette. I just sprinkle some onto roots let it do its thing for a minute,                flipped my head  massaged it and I was surprised by the intense volume and the chocolaty smell.
 
             The smell has lasted for 2 days already and I can say I am really happy about that. Plus if its a little to drying for you  can mix in a small amount of coconut oil and it smells like heaven.

 

If you have lighter hair color you can mix some baby powder or all purpose organic flour and mix some in with the cocoa for an amazing smell and performance.

Best of all no animals where harmed in the process.

how to make perfume last longer

perfumes are wonderful things that helps us project ourselves to the world, and many time keeps us from being forgotten. All scents have their notes, but they may not all last as long as we would like, so we buy automizzers to help us refreshen the scent. But what if there was a way to make the scent last longer?

Here's what you'll need:
1- empty container
2-  Unscented lotion
3- a toothpick
4- A perfume of your choice

Steps:
 Open your little container that should be nice and clean. Depending on the size of the jar you might want to spray 4-12 times directly into the jar.
  
Slowly add a small amount of lotion and mix it with the toothpick for 40 seconds to a minute until  its a little unattractive looking and then fill the rest of your container with lotion and mix.
 
  If you feel that the scent is weak feel free to add more.

How to use:
 Apply onto hands, neck any surface area except the face, because of the alcohol contain in  the perfumes. Add the same perfume on top and this will help the perfume will last longer. and this also gives you the option to, layer perfumes. If you make it small you can travel with the lotion.

BabyFace by Its skin

I was interested in trying some makeup products from Korea. But I knew very well I am much too tan to us it. so I mixed it in with high pigmented foundation to block out the white caste. In my testing I tried out Its skin, Its silk foundation. Which was suppose to be a "clear" foundation to even out the texture of the skin.  Along with that I bought Powder in the darkest shade available Natural beige. Needless to say that was white.

Lets start with the BB Cream.
 This is suppose to cover blemishes, UVB and UV protection, and smoothing the appearance of skin while combating redness. But  its suppose to be oil
My experience
- this was a smoothing
- was blocking any redness
- did dry out my skin
- I would recommend this to oily skin
- I would use this as a primer not a foundation bc of the gray undertone.
Negative
- was pretty drying
- very grayish undertone

Lets refer to the Babyface Petit pack
this is the powder. They had 2 options light beige and medium beige.  went for medium beige.
- was very heavy coverage
- very cakey looking
- not light at all
- on the bright side the packaging was super cute

M.A.C. Mineralized Concealer and blush

Story time:

I had always heard of mac cosmetics but I was not sure if I ever wanted to try it. It seemed a little "basic," not saying that's bad but that's what everyone was using.  When I first got introduced to makeup when I was 16 my mom took me to Sephora where she bought me Too-Faced makeup. But 4 years after that fact, for some reason I decided to step into a MAC store and am pleased to say they were very attentive, and knowledgeable about their products.

 So since I didn't know anything prior about what would be good for dry skin but I did want to try something. So I decided to ask help for an employ I really wanted to try a blush. She recommended love thing mineralized blush. Which was a satin burnt pink with golden shimmer. After her placing it on my skin which was a big heavy handed but its okay she was trying to show me the color, it glowed so nicely on my tan skin tone and I loved it. There forth I became brave and asked her about a good concealer for dry skin to use under my eyes and around my nose. That wonderful lady gave me two options which were NW25 and NW30, the NW25 seemed too light so I went with the NW30.

Review on the product

Concealer
$21 USD for 5ml
When I went home I noticed the mineralized concealer was a bit to orangey for my yellow undertones. It also would separate on the sides of my nose and under my eyes. So I changed my primer to a matte but it wouldn’t help the longevity.

-On the bright side

- Not as heavy as I expected (usually when I think of mac I think of cake-face)
-Good coverage

Would I repurchase? No, personally I love my Maybelline Fit Me concealer 6.8 ml for $6. And that stays all day for me, its really thin and affordable.

Blush

$27 USD
I loved the blush no complains. It was well pigmented and I sometimes use it as an eyeshadow. Would I repurchase? Probably not because of the price but it does last a very long time.  

  

Fragrancenet review / Haul

Fragrance net is an online retailer that sells high end and affordable perfumes, colognes, high-end makeup, haircare and skincare and beauty tools. They offer discounts or frees shipping, different sizes.

I started using Fragrance net 1 month back when I saw they were selling a 1 oz bottle of Alien by Thierry. I had receive a sample from Sephora, then from Scent bird so I really, really wanted the full perfume. I took the risk and started looking online for sellers when I came upon Fragrance net. They had so many options for alien among so many other perfume I had never heard about and many of which I was familiar with. On seeing reviews for the site I risked it and purchased it (keep in mind I still had both perfume samples to compare).  

They offer perfumes for less if they are used as testers or don’t have a box or a lid. So that seemed intriguing...  

Shipping there are different shipping offers and discount coupons to use I paid all together $51 and received my perfume in 5 days with Fedx shipping.  When I received my box I had coupons waiting for me. My Alien perfume did come in a sealed box with the original packaging around lots of thick packaging paper and once I opened it I was so happy nothing was broken or had leaked. So to test if It was a fake I sprayed my Sephora sample in my left wrist and the full bottle on my right wrist. And have to say there was no difference in performance or scent. So I went crazy with it lol.

I started trying other options such as testers, large size of perfumes, unboxed perfumes. Here’s a list of stuff I have purchased:

-          Alien by Thierry Mugler 1 oz for $40

-          Gucci Guilty by Gucci 1 oz for $26

-          Tea Rose by Perfumers Workshop 4 oz for $11.99

-          Venezia by Laura Biagiotti 0.84 oz for $20

-          Intimately Beckham by David Beckham 2.5 oz *tester for $12

-          Gucci Guilty Black by Gucci 1 oz for $31

-          Rihanna Rebelle by Rihanna 3.4 tester without cap $19