Initial Review: Neutrogena Acne Stress Control Triple-Action Toner

I bought a new toner today because my old one was running out. My old toner was the Up&Up brand Astringent and it was okay. Not fantastic, not bad, just okay.

Bad photo, I know. Webcams need to step it up right?

So that is what the bottle looks like. The reason I bought this particular brand is because I really like the Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Stress Control Power Gel Cleanser. It is really an amazing cleanser that has reduced the healing time of my acne and has prevented new ones from popping up.

Initial Reaction? LOVE IT. It is so amazing! I usually remove my face makeup with a toner and it really cleans my skin. My skin feels really refreshed and clean. It has a bit of this herby or medicinal smell that I am guessing all of the products share because the cleanser also smelled like this. It doesn't bother me, but it may bother some people. 

When I am done with my moisturizer I want to try some thing else from this line because it is soooooo amazing!!! 

I will make another review so that I can give a reaction to how my skin reacted after time. Hopefully, it will be a good reaction!

Thanks for reading!

Vacation!

I haven't posted in a while because I went on vacation, Honolulu and LA specifically! I will do a longer post with pictures(hopefully!) so for now please look at this bag!

It's big and yellow and wonderful! I got for $32 at the Swap Meet and I saw the same one for $70. Can I say, go me?!

I will do a longer post tomorrow! I am really tired and still have to unpack(which I might procrastinate on....) so for now BYE!

Thanks for reading!

Holy Grail

I noticed that recently I have been only using certain products. These products are the one I reach for and I really do love them a lot. I can honestly say these are my holy grail makeup products.

Maybelline Dream Matte Powder in Sand

This is the product I use to set my foundation or when my face is a little shiny. It mattifies my face really well and it is nearly translucent. It has a hint of color, but not enough to change the color of your face.

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Rose & Shine

This lipstick is a bit like my natural lip color, only a hundred times better! It has a pearl finish so it is not too shimmery and it is a bit of a cooler tone lipstick. It is a bit moisturizing so it does not have a long staying power, but I don't mind re-applying it.

Wet n' Wild Creme Eyeliner in Black

This eyeliner has got to be the best eyeliner I have ever tried! It is nice, creamy and super affordable at 3 dollars. The packaging is lacking some, but for 3 dollars, how can you complain?

That's all I have for holy grail items as of right now. Thanks for reading!

Haul: TJ Maxx, Target, Walgreens

I am going on vacation soon, so I bought a couple more things from TJ Maxx, Target, and Walgreens because I obviously need more things...right closet?

TJ Maxx:

I don't really know what provoked me to get this, but I got it. Annd love it. Annnd hopefully wear it. It has a cinched waist so it gives you an hourglass figure.

Price:16.99

Most of my tank tops are from Old Navy and I have had them for a looong time so I bought myself a new one. This is from American Eagle and glad I bought it at TJ Maxx since I am sure it costs a lot more than what I bought it for. 

Price:5.99

Target

Aren't these sunglasses cute?! They have a wire from that is painted white with gold trimmings. I personally think it is rose gold, but I wouldn't really know.

Price:16.99

This is probably the best eyeliner I have ever tried! I was not a fan of the Milani Liquify Pencil. Nice pigmentation, but horrible smearing. This eyeliner actually stays on me all day. It does fade, but no smearing in sight. 

Price:7-8.99

in bold brown

This Revlon polish is amazingly beautiful. It has these blue, finely milled glitters and silver chunky glitters. I put two coats on without a base color and look at it!

Price:3.49

in 441 radiant

I needed a new deodorant soooo I bought it? Target is having a sale this week were you buy a deodorant and get a spray free. For some reason, at the register it wouldn't ring up the spray for free, but the employees checked the advertising and the price tag so it was fine. If this happens to you, ask them to check it. It's not buy two get one free, its just buy one!

Price:3.89(for individual)

I got an EOS lip balm because I heard the strawberry was a good one. It really smells good!

Price:3-4

Walgreens

I got a new contact case at Walgreens and I think it is really cute. 

Price:3.39

That's everything. Thanks for reading!

Daily Exfoliator

For some reason, every day, I have dead skin on my face that I have to get rid of everyday. Now, most exfoliators are quite harsh so that sounds crazy! Plus, I have a face wash that I really like. Then, I found a product that helped me exfoliate gently.

Now I am sure you have seen this product, the L'Oreal Go 360 Clean. I didn't particularly like the smell of this, but I looooved the scrubby thing. It really helped clean out the pores on and around my nose, my most problem areas. My skin felt so clean and took it to the next level. 

If you didn't want to buy the L'Oreal one, you can always buy on from Amazon. They are called silicone face exfoliator. They are rather cheap and, I think, worth the money!

Thanks for reading!

Skin79 Oriental Gold BB Cream: First Look

My bb cream came today! I pretty much ripped open the package.
Here are some pictures:

Just the bottle

Bottle and Top

Cream Cheek and Lip Tint

What it looks like when it comes out

What it looks like on my hand

Swatch of the tint

So here is my first impression: I love it! Just from swatching it on my hand, it feels very light and moisturizing. Also the lip/ cheek tint may look like a reddish-pink that leans more towards red, but when you swatch it, it gives of a very natural looking blush. I like it so much!

The seller I got it from was Pink Gelee on Amazon. This is my second time ordering from them. Both times they gave me samples which is always nice. The shipping is always fast and the package everything with care. You should check them out.

Thanks for reading!

TJ MAXX Haul

I recently went to TJ Maxx, two to be exact. I found some really great basics, so I wanted to share!

So here is everything I bought!

I really wanted a cardigan to throw over a simple tank top. This is a great basic because you can throw it over anything an give off a more classy look. Plus it's in black. 

Price:16.99

View from the front

View from the back

 I really like the open knit detailing on the back

I bought two t-shirts without any logos because I am into the simple phase this summer. I bought a white t-shirt last week at Target for 16.99 and I am so upset! There were so many white t's for 4.99!

Price: 5.99

Price: 6.99

I am always breaking earphones at home so TJ Maxx is the only place I am allowed to buy them. I really like this brand,Fashionation the Macbeth collection, because the designs are cute. I have these in a headphone version! 

Price: 5.99

I have always had big bags, so to downsize, I bought a nice satchel that would hold only the essentials. This is a Nine West cream bag that I really love!

Price: 29.99

I just love TJ Maxx! I wish they were building one near me instead of Ross! Then, we could all be Maxxinistas, am I right? haha

Thanks for reading!

Tutorial: Red-Orange Lips

Have you ever bought a lipstick that looks a bit...orange and not the good kind of orange? I did and I had no idea what to do with it. So, for those of you who are in a similar position as me, here is a tutorial on how to make it work!

Step#1 Moisturize your lips

Step#2 Apply a lip liner that is a shade or two darker than your lips on the outer corners. Don't fill in the middle of your lips

Step#3 Dab the lipstick only on the middle. Dab it on until you get a color that you like.

Step#4 Apply a pink lip gloss all over. This will blend the lip liner and the lipstick in to make a beautiful look. Plus, this look will make your lips look even more fuller!

Here is a swatch and a products list. The products will be listed from top to bottom.

Products:

Jordana Lip Liner in Rock n' Rose

NYX Round Lipstick in Femme

Mary Kay Nourishine Lip Gloss in Pink Diamond

Thanks for reading!

Blogs I love! +Youtube!

So, there a certain number of blogs that I love to read! Here is a list of them. If they have a YouTube channel, I will also post them for twice the fun.

#1 FrmHeadToToe
  I am sure many of you have heard of Jen from frmheadtotoe. Not only is she one of my favorite Makeup guru on YouTube, she is also my go to blogger! she doesn't post that much if it does not have anything to with her videos, but she still blogs. Now as bad as that may sound, it is quite the contrary. She makes a video about once or twice a week and each post is about an in-depth look at the topic of her choice. I really love her! PLUS, she got me interested into K-Pop. Weird, right?

#2 Beautifymeeh

  Angel from Beautifymeeh is also another favorite of mine, obviously(why else would she be on this list!). She not only gives great advice to those of us who want to get that Korean look, but she also gives great product reviews, both US and Asian. Plus, her marriage seems picture perfect! It does help a lot that she seems sincere and does not brag about anything!

#3 Saaammage

  As hard as it is to spell her user name, Sam from Saaammage is a blogger with some attitude and sass(in a good way of course!). She does not give a care about what people say about her and has the confidence to wear what she wants. I mean, how many of us actually has the courage to wear the asymmetrical bob, no matter how good it would look? As a bonus, she does the blog sales often enough so that people who have a hard time getting a product will be able to try and get their hands on them.

Actually, that's really all the blogs I read...maybe I need to expand my world I bit more? Naaaah! That's for losers! Unless Tumblr counts...Then I would have a LOT more blogs to put up here.

Youtube

#4 Leighannsays
Leighann is a Youtuber that has a bubbly personality and a body to envy! She is so gorgeous and her opinions, yeah, I trust them. She likes to try new things and somehow, I want every lipstick she owns. Is that weird? NAH. She has a ton of OOTDs and ways to make sure you can last one more day of not washing your hair.

#5 Grav3yardgirl
Bunny from Grav3yardgirl has a personality that can't be tamed. She likes the quirky, creepy things in life(I'm guessing, totally trying to find things to talk about). At first, I thought she was annoying, but I found out the reason why! I am not really a loud person and I was watching her videos at full volume for long lengths of time! To really ease into, and like!, her personality, watch 5 minutes then take a break. You are slowly building up your something( idk) to watch her videos. As much as this sounds like a negative, it's not! I'm just not a loud person, capeche?I adore Bunny on how she is who she is and no one is stopping her.
 Who would want to? She has really funny videos and really, deeply cares for her subscribers.  Have fun on the Swamp!

So that is pretty much it. When these people have new material, I get really excited and I hope you had fun reading this post! :)

Thanks for reading!

Summer Wake up!

Ever since summer has started, I have been feeling sluggish. It doesn't matter how many hours I have slept, I just feel sluggish. So, this is what I do to wake up!
#1 Wash yo' face!
  Not only is this good for your skin, but it wakes you up! Imagine that cold water splashing onto your skin. Ooooo, is it cold or what? No one wants pimples, so take this initiative to clean it!

Let's never have to do this again!

  #2 Chew gum
   My favorite gum to chew is Xylish. Any kind will do! The one that really wakes me up is the Black Black Hard one. Since it is Japanese, it can be expensive, but I think it is worth it. Just find a super minty gum and it clear your nostrils!

Fresh breath and a wake up? Yes please!

#3 Eye drops

  A refreshing sensation that will make your eyes feel super cool. That's how I describe Rohto Eyedrops.  They really make my eyes feel awake. Since I am a big wimp, I have mine in the Cool.

One day I will grow up and use the other kinds!

Thanks for reading!

Lip Care

No one wants crusty lips right? Well, I am assuming that's correct. So, here are my tips to get soft, supple lips!
Tip#1 Drink Water!
  Have you ever realized when you are thirsty. you tend to lick your lips? Not only is water beneficial to your health it also helps prevent the licking of the lips!

I prefer bottles that have the open whole to the straw ones. Do you know what I mean?

Tip# 2 Don't lick your lips!

  No matter how alluring those ladies look while licking their lips, don't do it!You are drying out your lips and might not achieve the look you are looking for. They are professional lip lickers, common people like us have a hard time achieving the "allure". 

Tip# 3 Moisturize!

  There are tons of lip balms on the market. The best thing you can do is find the one best for you! Just like skin, everyone's lips are different. Some may have peeling and some may get crusty. I have never heard of oily lips, but it can happen! My two favorite lip balms are the Blistex Revive and Restore and the Maybelline Babylips in Peppermint.

Tip# 4 Exfoliate!

Exfoliation is key to nice lips. You can use a homemade remedy, store-bought, or any other version. The one I like to do is to apply Aquaphor on to my lips give it a couple of minutes and scrub off with a wet toothbrush. Make sure to not over-exfoliate by only doing it once or twice a week. 

That's it for today, thanks for reading!

My Take: Gradient Lips

So, recently, I have really been trying to pull of the gradient lips for some time now. I first saw it on Miss A's MV "Touch"(which I think is beautifully made) and I think I have finally pulled it off.

So here is my step-by-step take on it:

On a well moisturized set of lips, add a lip tint that mainly focuses on the middle of the lips.

The tint should be a berry color. Think of bene-tint by Benefit

Here is an open mouthed shot for a better look

Next, add some nude, pink lipstick to blend the tint. The lipstick should not be overly pink or nude. Like your natural lip color, but slightly better. The one I used has a bit of shimmer.

Here are some swatches of the products I used. 

Top: Covergirl Outlast Lip Stain in 425 Plum Pout

Bottom: Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in 619 Rose & Shine

I also like to use the NYX lipstick in Femme. I just dab some of the product the same way I did stain and I smudge it out with my finger. This gives it a bit more orange-y red color. 

Thanks for reading!

Oiseau88 Inspired Look

Oiseau88 posted a flirty first date look which I thought was quite pretty and would be great as an everyday look!

Here is my take on it(please excuse my uneven lids!)

Open

Closed

The only difference between hers and mine is that I added a bit more depth to the outer corner. It is hard to see, but this is the best quality I can get as of right now. For some reason, one of my eyes look like I have really long lashes(at least for me!) so I am really liking this camera angle, whatever angle it is.

Here is the product list for everything I used:

Urban Decay Primer Potion in Eden

NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Strawberry Milk

Wet n' Wild Eye Shadow Trio in Walking on Eggshells

Wet n' Wild Cream Liner

Milani EasyLiner Retractable Pencil in Espresso

Thank you for reading! 

Obsession: Korean Natural Makeup

Lately, I have been obsessed with the way Koreans do their natural makeup. It looks completely flawless and natural. I still haven't been able to achieve that look, but I have been trying. Especially the eyes. I feel the eyes really make the look not look over done.

I tried...Maybe a better camera quality next time?

Plus, my skin has been looking super shabby lately...

Product list:

Urban Decay Primer Potion in Eden

Wet n' Wild Eye Shadow Trio in Walking on Egg Shells

Wet n' Wild Cream Eyeliner in Black

Anyways, I have been given the okay to buy the Skin79 Oriental Gold BB Cream and I may or may not be really happy right now! 

Isn't it B-E-A-UTIFUL?!

I can't wait to order it on Thursday!