MAC BB Cream Review

Hey y'all!

Today I am going to talk about my latest beauty obsession, MAC BB Cream. As I have said before, my skin is nowhere near perfect. I usually use a medium/full build-able coverage foundation. With that said, I didn't know if a BB cream would quite be enough for me. So I gave it a shot and I am so happy that I did. It's so creamy and lightweight and gives you that no makeup feeling (which I love). It is also non-greasy once it dries, doesn't cake, and makes your face so smooth and fresh looking. It also reduces redness which is a major plus for me because the area around my nose is constantly red and I have redness from my breakouts. I wear this alone and rub some cream blush on my cheeks and it gives me a nice, healthy, natural-looking glow.

This BB cream is my favorite to date. I have tried Garnier BB cream (too greasy), Smashbox BB Cream (wasn't impressed for the $ and returned it), and many other over-the-counter products that had an unnatural color to them. The color for me is perfect. I wear the shade "light-plus." It says it's a light beige and it blends in seamlessly to my skin. I purchased mine in the store to try on the shades (definitely recommend this), but you can look at it online here.

I always like to mix it up with my brands but I can say that MAC is a company that has never let me down. They are a little more pricey, but you get what you pay for. I have a feeling this stuff is going to last a while and will make an awesome summer makeup as well.

I will post a picture of me wearing it ASAP. I will also be reviewing the new MAC mascara I purchased along with this, yay!

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xoxoxoxo!!!

Dove Body Wash

A few of my favorite things...

Day 6: Dove Go Fresh Nutrium Body Wash

I love this body wash. It's so creamy and lathers up luxuriously. And, it's only $5 at your local Walmart. My favorite scent is the Plum & Sakura. It smells fresh, clean, and fruity and is not overwhelming by any means. It leaves my skin clean and moisturized even in the winter when skin can become unbearably dry and flaky. You can purchase it at your local grocery store or online here. 

DIY Gel Nails

A Few of My Favorite Things...

Day 5: DIY Gel Nails

I'm sure you've heard of gel nails. If you haven't, well you have now! When I first heard about this type of polish, I was getting my nails done at the salon. Depending on the salon, a gel nail manicure can cost anywhere from $20-$30+ and it lasts about 2 weeks. That is a lot of money! So, being the thrifty person I am, decided to take matters into my own hands. I will do them myself!

I looked at kits online and they were super expensive. I finally found one that I could afford and was appealing to me. I purchased this kit here. I ordered it from HSN for $. It came with everything I needed, polishes, curing light, remover, and cleaner. The reason I purchased this kit was because the polish was an all-in-one. Normal gel manis you have to do a base coat, cure, do the color, cure, color again, cure, top coat, cure. So it gets timely when you're doing our own because you can only cure one hand at a time. With this kit, The bas, top coat, and color are all in one polish. So all you have to paint is the color, cure it and then color again and cure. It saves a lot of time.

The colors for my kit included a light shade of pink, a coral shade of pink, and a taupe-gray. I love them all. However, the colors are limited so I did end up going to ULTA and buying a pretty, sparkly black shade which can be found here and the base and top coat of the same brand. The actual shade I purchased is "An Evening to Remember" and it's not for sale online for some reason, but they should definitely have it in-store.

In the photo above I am wearing the black shade I described above and the light pink from the Haute Polish kit.

Tips for applying:

• Apply THIN layers of polish. I know it says this on all gel nail polish instructions, but I thought I'd save time and do one thick coat of color so I wouldn't have to paint twice and cure twice. Wrong. It doesn't work that way. When it's too thick the polish will peel off and it looks horrible. Trust me. It may look too thin, but I promise it's not-- that is why you apply 2 coats.
• Make sure your thumbs get cured. I like to put both thumbs in at the same time after I've cured both hands just to make sure.
• Clean your nails with alcohol before applying polish. You don't have to buy special "cleaning" solution or pads because all they have in them is rubbing alcohol which is super cheap.

Happy Tuesday y'all! One week till Christmas!!!

Philosophy Purity Made Simple Facewash

A few of my favorite things...

Day 4: "Philosophy Purity Made Simple" Facewash

Believe it or not, like most other people in the world my skin is not perfect by any means. I started getting pimples on my skin at an early age and still occasionally get them from time to time. I swear by this facewash. Not only is it one of my favorite things, but it is something that I cannot live without. I am lazy when it comes to removing my makeup, meaning that I don't use eye makeup remover, face makeup remover, or any of that nonsense. I want something that does it all and leaves no trace. This is that something. It is so creamy and foamy and removes all of my makeup in less that one minute. It doesn't even sting when I get it around (or sometimes even in, oops) my eyes.

It smells delicious and clean too. I have a very sensitive nose to harsh fragrances, so if you do too, you will not have to worry about it with this product. Also, my skin is very oily. Super, super oily... especially in the summer. In the winter my skin becomes combination and is dry on some parts and oily on others. This still does the trick for that. It not only removes makeup and cleanses but acts as a toner too. My skin feels so baby soft and refreshed every time after I wash it. I will never switch or try something cheaper because this stuff truly works. It also lasts forever. Whenever ULTA or Sephora has a coupon, this is what I use it on, so I'd recommend that to save a few extra bucks. Right now ULTA has $10 of $60 online with free shipping and $3.50 of $10 in store.

You can purchase the Philosophy Purity facewash at Sephora, ULTA, or other stores that carry the Philosophy brand. You can also purchase it online through Sephora here or ULTA here.

Let me know what you think!

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My Favorite Lip Products

A Few of My Favorite Things...

Day 3: ChapStick, Dior Addict Lipstick, Urban Decay Lip Junkie Lipgloss, & ULTA Super Shiny Lipgloss.

For some reason I am always testing out new shades and types of lipsticks, lipglosses, and tinted lip balms. At the end of the day, these 4 things will always remain my favorites and I always keep them stashed in my purse to ensure I never leave home without them.

Regular ChapStick

Reason I Love it: I always have ChapStick on wherever I am. I always apply it before lipstick too, because I hate when my lips look dry.

ULTA Super Shiny Lipgloss

Why I love it: It's super Cheap. ULTA has sales all of the time on their own products like buy 1 get 1 free. This particular shade "20 Poppy" is gorgeous. I love coral lips and this one gets the job done! It also isn't sticky which is a major plus in my book for a gloss.

Urban Decay Lip Junkie Lipgloss

Why I love it: It has a minty scent and feeling when you apply on your lips. It is smooth and creamy and not sticky at all. The color "Streak" is a neutral color, the same shade as my natural lips. So, it just enhances for the most part, nothing too drastic. It is also long lasting and a little bit goes a long way. That is why I don't have a hard time splurging on this product because I know it is well worth it. I think it's better to find one gloss you love and spend $20 on it, rather than continually purchasing drugstore lipglosses that you're unhappy with. When you think of it this way, you'll end up saving money in the long run anyways. Just something to think about!

Dior Addict Lipstick

Why I love it: I think I have had this pretty lady for a few years now. When I first bought it, I was unsure if I liked it and two if it looked good on me. Red lipstick can be tricky and can easily look bad on you if you don't pick the correct shade for your complexion and even your outfit. I love this one though! It is my only go to red lipstick now. I have tried on other ones in Sephora and ULTA and none of them live up to this one. It is slightly shimmery so it's perfect for the holiday season and even summertime when my skin is a few shades darker from the sun. Obviously this color isn't for everyone, but I'd recommend going to Sephora (or any store that carries Dior) to test out some shades and see what is best for you. Although this is a mega splurge in my book it has already lasted me a few years and I haven't even made a dent in this tube of lipstick.

Where to buy these fabulous items:

ChapStick: $cheap at your local grocery store
ULTA lipgloss: $8 at ULTA stores or online here
Urban Decay: $19 at Sephora or ULTA stores or online here or here
Dior Lipstick: $30 at Sephora or online here

Holiday Piggies

I love getting into the holiday spirit early with Christmas decorations, music, and movies. I also like to exude the holiday season in my clothing and makeup. Obviously everyone loves the red holiday lip, but  one of my favorite parts of the season are holiday nails. This means bold colors and lots of glitter. I decided to paint my nails black with a drugstore nail polish and then added a multi-colored glitter polish on top. The OPI is "Sparkle-icious" and the wet n wild is "Ebony Hates Chris." What is your favorite nail look for the holidays? :)