25th Birthday Skincare + Makeup

First of all, I want to thank everyone who congratulated me on Instagram and Twitter. I was overwhelmed by the amount of kind comments. I feel truly blessed to have such sweet followers and friends. 

July 13 was my birthday and I wanted to share with you the beauty products I used. 

I had been feeling under the weather the last couple of days and my eyes were showing it. I popped some Tatcha Eye Masks and let them sit for a good forty minutes (though you're supposed to leave them on for a lot less). I enjoy its cooling cooling sensation and it immediately hydrates my under-eye area while at the same time getting rid of puffiness. I then used the Tatcha Deep Hydration Firming Serum as it plumps my skin, leaving a beautiful radiant finish. I love using this serum for special occasions. Makeup sits so well on top of it. You can read more about both of them here.

I finished off the "prep" phase by spraying some of her Dewy Mist - my favorite hydrating mist - all over my skin. It's so lightweight yet provides the perfect amount of moisture. As you can see, lots of Tatcha. It was my birthday! I wanted to use the very best.

I used the Lorac Palette on my eyes - by far my favorite neutral palette and it has been for over a year. Sable and Espresso on the crease, Cream as a browbone highlight and the gold shade on my lid. I created a subtle flick using my Estee Lauder Gel Liner and the Urban Decay 24/7 Pencil in Perversion on my waterline. I wanted my lashes to look thick and long, so I used the Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara which I've talked about here.

For brows, I went with Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Powder Duo, as always. 

I used two Bobbi Brown Foundation Sticks - one to even out my skin tone and another one to contour. I absolutely adore them and I've raved enough about them. I concealed my dark circles with the By Terry Touche Veloutee and then highlighted using the Mac Prep + Prime Highlighting Pen in Radiant Rose, set with Mac Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in the shade Light. I set my contours with Benefit Hoola. To add a pop of color on the cheeks I used Illamasqua Excite Powder Blush. To give a glow to my face, I used the Too Faced Candlelight Highlighting Powder Duo.

Lastly, I wanted a flattering lipstick and coral is my favorite color, especially on the lids. Peach Club Velvet Matte Lipstick from Bourjois was a no brainer.

I know. The cake. My aunt makes the best Nutella cakes. 

Face of the Day (09.03.14): Dewy skin, neutral eyes, bright red lips

Hello everyone! I have a simple look for you today, in the sense that it's easy to achieve. The bright red might not be for everyone, but you can use a different bold color of your choice. Hope you enjoy. 

PS: For all my OCD followers - that moment when you take a close up and realize your eyeliner has some mini-gaps. Meh! It's sunday. I didn't want to re-touch/fix! 

Instagram Inspiration: @amrezy

Amra is a beautiful makeup artist on Instagram who feeds everyone creativity daily. Her looks are just breathtaking, and as I was looking at my feed yesterday, I stumbled upon a picture that inspired me to the point I decided I wanted to try my version of it. 

If you want to see my version of it, keep reading!

How To Wear Red Eyeshadow

Neutral lovers are not the only ones afraid of a color such as red on the lids. Personally, I consider myself adventurous when it comes to makeup. You don't see many people walking on the streets with bold eyeshadows, but I am here to try to get you out of your comfort zone! Red is a beautiful color color and can be easily blended with orange hues. If you're interested in seeing how I achieved this look, continue reading.

Face of the day (11.02.14)

Happy Tuesday! As I was getting ready for work I thought I'd share with you the products I used, because as you know, I never wear the same makeup every day. For today's look I wanted to keep the eyes and complexion simple, as I was used a beautiful bold lipstick a friend gifted me. Hope you enjoy!

Face of the Day (02.02.14)

It's been a while since I've done a face of the day on the blog, so that's what I'm going to do today! I wanted to do a very natural, glowy look suitable for daytime. Though it's not the quickest look, I find it looks effortless. Hope you enjoy!

Weekend Pop of Color

If you read yesterday's post, you know I've been pulling out my bright colors lately. I've been really inspired lately which I tend to reflect on the makeup I wear. 

I did my makeup while listening to one of my current favorite songs: Titanium (cover) by the band The Piano Guys which I discovered about a week ago. I've always wished I knew how to play the cello, violin or piano, so I fell in love with these guys. Enjoy the music video and read more to find out which products I used to achieve this colorful look!

Friday Night Makeup

I wanted to go for a pop of green today, so I used my trusty Urban Decay Deluxe Shadow Box paired with some Sephora Waterproof Jumbo Liners. If you're interested in my review of the liners, click here. 

My Birthday Makeup

Hi dolls! My birthday was yesterday (July 13th), and I would like to take a moment to say thank you to everyone who congratulated me on Instagram. I was in shock to see how many of you wrote some kind words. So really, thank you.

This will be a quick post just showing you which makeup products I used. Enjoy!

There's Something About Kevyn Aucoin

I have never felt so strong about a foundation before. Actually, I have never felt so strong about a makeup product in general. Most things come and go. I fall in love with a blusher, and then the feeling subsides as my attention shifts towards another makeup product.

Eyeliner with a POP + Best Matte Lipstick Ever

Today was one of those reminders of why I love eyeliner so much. Liquid, gel-- any kind. Ah! Except the Kohl pencil I had nicely "smudged" all over my bottom lashline... which turned into this hot mess a few hours later (notice picture above). I used the Rimmel London Scandal Eyes one by the way. Not good... 

Father's Day Makeup (16.06.13)

Hi beauties!

I hope everyone had a great day today. I spent the day with my family for Father's Day. I'll be sharing with you the makeup I used today. Enjoy!

Face of the Day (22.05.13): Easy, Natural Makeup

Hi dolls!

"Natural Makeup" to me equals a better you. Something that looks fresh and doable. This type of makeup is excellent for students because the makeup is not over the top-- meaning no crazy bright shadows, nothing too exaggerated. 

If you're interested, continue reading. 

Hourglass Immaculate Liquid Powder Foundation Mattifying Oil-Free Review

Hello gorgeous!

If you have combination to oily to very oily skin, you'll love this foundation. Why? Hourglass Immaculate is literally a liquid to powder foundation. If you're interested in it, continue reading!

Face of the Day (16.05.13): Teal and Gold

Hey gorgeous! 

I've been waking up pretty early these days, so I have been experimenting with makeup before going to school. Today I created a look inspired by lots of pictures I have seen on Instagram lately. Basically, you pick two colors-- one added on the inner and outer corner, and the second color should pop on the center. I chose to work with teal and gold. If you're interested in finding out how I achieved this look and which products I used, please continue reading.

Illamasqua Excite Powder Blush Review + FOTD

For those looking for a beautiful matte, peach blush, this post is for you. Illamasqua's blushes are well known for their sleek, modern packaging and incredibly pigmented formulas. This blush is no exception. If you're interested in pictures and a quick review, continue reading.

Plum Smokey Eyes

I barely wore any makeup last week. It was one of those "blah" weeks, you know? So starting on Monday (yesterday) I decided I would begin the week trying out some make-up looks that had inspired me. I recently started following Little Kiva on YouTube and fell in love with her tutorials and her taste in make-up. One of the looks I liked the most was her Pink and Burgundy Make-Up Look, so I decided to create my own look inspired on it.

If you're interested in seeing the final results and a list of pictures of the products I used, continue reading!

Face of the Day (03.05.13)

Hola muñecas! (That means "hi dolls" in Spanish).

So my instagram seems to have a bug because whenever I try to upload a picture, it comes out as a gray 

box. I've read online several users experiencing the same thing-- so I'm guessing it is a bug. 

Anyway, just a quick post today to show you my "face of the Early Morning". I got up at six am and quickly got ready for some errands I had to do this morning.

I kept my look soft, subtle and simple. It was raining really hard when I woke up (which is the worst weather to get up in-- I find the rain so relaxing). The skies were gray, there was a lot of thunder and the day was...blah. So I went with a quickie.

On my eyes I used Chanel Illusion D'ombre in the shade Emerville because it is so fast to put on... you just literally dab some with your fingers. After curling my lashes, I applied two coats of Benefit They're Real Mascara. I used Rimmel London Scandal Eyes in the shade Nude to get rid of any redness on my waterline. I groomed my brows with Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Powder Duo in the shade Brunette. 

Anytime I'm looking for great coverage and a luminous finish in little time, I pick my trusty Dior Hydralife BB Cream. The formula melts into my skin and matches me perfectly. Another plus is the high (30) SPF. I buffed that in with a Real Techniques Buffing Brush (my favorite brush to apply foundation with) and then I applied some under-eye concealer-- Laura Mercier Secret Concealer in the shade 3. I set everything in place with some loose powder-- L'oreal Translucide Luminous Loose Powder in the shade Translucent. For dewy cheeks, I went with Stila Convertible Color in the shade Lillium, followed by Benefit Girl Meets Peal lightly patted on the top of my cheekbones, bridge of the nose and cupid's bow. 

To finish of the look, I went for a shimmery rosy lip color-- Bourjois Lipstick in Rose Pare. 

Happy Birthday, Mami!

Hi my beauties!

Today (April 27) was my mom's 60th birthday... 

She's the reason why I'm obsessed with skin care, and she's one of the sweetest people on Earth. I've got a few pictures for you aside from, of course, my makeup.

My sister wasn't home on her birthday, which was on April 7th, so we celebrated both birthdays. It was very intimate-- only our closest relatives came over, but we had a beautiful day.

THE MAKEUP

You wouldn't believe it after seeing a bunch of products organized together, but I only had about 15 minutes to do my makeup today-- which is nothing to me, since I usually take a long 40ish minutes. 

I used the Make Up For Ever Aqua cream in the shade 15 as a base, which I applied with my ring finger. I have mentioned before how it's important to work with one eye at a time when using Aqua Creams, because they're completely waterproof and once they set, they set. Moving on to eyeshadows, I used the shades in the Givenchy Travel Palette, blending the darker colors into an outer V. I skipped gel liner today and just used a black kohl liner on the waterline-- Rimmel London Scandel Eyes in the shade "Black". After curling my lashes, I applied two coats of Benefit They're Real Mascara. I filled in any gaps on my already super dark eyebrows using the Clinique Super Fine Liner for Brows in the shsade "Soft Brown". 

I then moved to my face, which I primed with Smashbox Photo Finish Light. I mixed a dot of Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer in the shade SX 08 with a drop of Fresh Seaberry Face Oil, blended both together on the back of my hand and then applied it on my face using a Real Techniques Buffing Brush. To conceal my dark circles, I used the Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer in the shade "53 Dark Radiance", and then I set everything in place with the Face Powder in the Givenchy palette. I then sculpted my face with MAC Sculpting Cream in the shade "Richly Honed", applied the blush from the Givenchy palette, and highlighted the top of my cheekbones, bridge of the nose and cupid's bow with Benefit's Watts Up. 

I had already moisturized my lips using Lush Whip Stick Lip Balm prior to doing my makeup so they would be smooth by the time I applied lipstick. I used Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in the shade "Dolce Vita".

PS: My nose was peeling due to a mask I had used the night before, and I didn't have time to exfoliate this morning, hence the flaky skin on my nose! If you already know about my OCDness, you then already know that, yes, the flakes are gone by now. 

MY FAMILY

My mom, Zulay, and my sister, Paola

That's it for tonight! Keep your eyes open for tons of reviews this week...

Thanks for reading! Have a lovely night and a lovely morning to my sweet followers on the other side of the world! XOXO

Face of the Day (26.04.13)

I am still in awe over the quality of the Wet N Wild eyeshadows. For $4, you get eight, yes, eight ultra pigmented eyeshadows. Today I used the left column in palette called "Comfort Zone" .

EYES

1. Urban Decay Primer Potion

2. Wet N Wild "Comfort Zone" Palette

3. Smashbox Jet Set Waterproof Eyeliner shade "Deep Black"

4. L'oreal Voluminous Original Mascara shade "Black"

5. Clinique Super Fine Liner for Brows shade "Soft Brown"

6. Rimmel London Scandal Eyes Kohl Pencil shade "Nude"

FACE

1. Clarins Beauty Flash Balm

2. Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Compact Foundation shade 30 Beige

3. Estee Lauder Stay In Place Concealer shade Warm Light Medium

4. Benefit Hoola Bronzer

5. Nars Orgasm Blush

6. Nars Orgasm Illuminator

7. Make Up For Ever HD Powder

LIPS

1. Nars "New Lover" Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil