Sunday Chat

Hi beautiful ladies! I know I haven't been around lately, and it saddens me because I miss blogging and I wish I had more time. I will be able to get back at it soon since I'm off from school for a month starting this Friday. I've been busy since I'm on my last year of Psychology... I will be starting my internships in September (scary). Also, I'm in a separate school where it's 100% Psychoanalytic Training (which is what I love and will pursue). 

My sister moved to the US on Friday (for college) which has me a bit down as well. The apartment is so quiet now. I miss her!

I ordered a few things online which my dad will bring back from the States hopefully next week, so I will be reviewing for you new bits from This Works, Jurlique, L'oreal and Nuxe. 

I also wanted to take a quick moment and ask you: what would you like to see on my blog? Is there anything specific?

I "filmed" myself earlier today applying my favorite foundation-- the Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer-- but due to terrible lighting, I deleted the videos... I'm not 100% confident in front of the camera, and I take very long doing my makeup (I'm a perfectionist and a bit OCD!) but I would like to you one way or another how I do my makeup. We'll see what I come up with!

I hope you all had a lovely weekend and I wish you a happy Monday!

xoxo,

Pat

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

Final US Haul + Where Have I Been?

Hi my loves!

I know it's been a while since I last wrote a post, but I had been very busy getting ready for my brother's wedding which was on the 18th in Puerto Rico (which I LOVED). I came back to Miami on the 21st. The wedding was beautiful, and I'm very happy for my brother and my now sister-in-law, who is Puerto Rican. 

I will be going back home to Venezuela tomorrow, so I will be blogging again very soon. I have tons of info on products I have tested and liked, tested and returned. 

If you're interested in the haul and pictures from Puerto Rico, continue reading!

Be Kind To One Another

I'm downstairs at my condo's recreation room where I get online at night to blog... but I wanted to share a message with all of you.

Excuse my tired appearance. I've had my makeup on for 11 hours with no touch ups. Also, this video was recorded with my laptop. Hence the crappy quality + lagging. 

Midnight Confessional

I got ready for this moment, I sensed it would come. 

I opened this blog in November of last year (2012), not really being myself, because I couldn't. If you've ever been in a relationship where you have felt trapped, like you can't be yourself, because being yourself is wrong, you can relate. 

If you're a long reader of mine, you already know about my depression. I don't like talking about it very much because I don't want to sound mopey - that isn't my intention. To label it as an excuse, like a big box of candy for children. I read a lot, I enjoy doing so, and I've learned that our misery and our pain is lessened when compared to others'. There are people dying in the world every single second. I'm alive, I'm breathing, I'm typing on my own laptop with glasses that allow me to read what I type, with a pillow behind my back for support, with a sweater to keep me warm. I dimmed the lights on purpose and I am listening to one of my favorite bands, Gregor Samsa, because it inspires me. I have the ability to swallow and to be conscious of the fact that I am truly grateful for everything tangible around me, but lately, I have felt more blessed than ever thanks to you. Yes, you, the one who is reading this. 

I grew up feeling worthless most of the times. I've written since I was seven. I remember asking my dad for a journal - it was decorated with penguins. I like penguins. In fact, getting to see them is on my bucket list. As I grew up, my collection of journals grew as well. 

When I began going to therapy in 2007, I wanted to know who I was. I wanted to look behind myself and I wanted to see what was running under my skin. I went through my old closet and found many dusty diaries. Tears ran down my face as I read my own words - words that belonged to a child. And aren't children supposed to be happy all the time? 

Watching my parents constantly fight and have my dad leave the place that I called "home", watching friends come and go because they couldn't stand my low stages of depression, lovers kiss me and walk away because they didn't want anything else, being the "different" one at school because I was excellent at writing poetry, therefore, "something was wrong with me" - all of that marked me. 

When you know depression, when you live it, you develop the ability to sense it in others. 

There was a close friend of mine. Her name was Nathalia Finol. She was thirteen when I met her. I was fourteen. She was full of spirit, she made everyone laugh, she misbehaved and would always say the most inappropriate things in the most inappropriate times. No one would have ever thought she suffered from depression, but she opened up to me about it and I had sensed her sadness long before she verbalized it. Her big sparkly eyes not only inhaled a desire to live, but they also exhaled the guilt of wanting to die. 

Nathalia committed suicide on November 14, 2004. I was at a beach trip with my girlfriends from school and a couple of moms. A week before she hung herself, she told me that she loved me. 

If anyone has had friends or loved ones who have committed suicide, you know the feeling of "impotence" - as if you could have done something to prevent such thing from happening. I wasn't in my city when it happened. Maybe she would have called me? Maybe not. I couldn't speak to anyone for days. I just asked my mom to please go to the viewing for me. 

I think about her every single day. I see her everywhere, and I know she's my little angel. I went to her 8th year mass anniversary last year, and her mom gave me a little silver rose with blue petals, which I keep next to me when I sleep. 

I used to contemplate death myself, and here I am exposing myself like I never thought I would be. But were are human. We all suffer, and we all have our low moments. 

A history teacher once told me in 8th grade: You should thank God you have a pretty face, otherwise, no one would ever want to be with you. 

I know, he was an asshole, but as sensitive as I was, I believed him. And that sentence still marks me today. What if I'm not good enough for anyone?

But then I think about this blog, and the people that I have met. The people around the world that take minutes of their own personal time to read what I write. People that have busy lives, kids, people that are quietly struggling. But you are here with me. 

My eyes are watering as I write this, but thank you for giving me the opportunity to express myself. Thank you for letting me be me and for not thinking I am a mistake. Thank you for letting me help you, and thank you for helping me. 

Knowing that I have helped women and men around the world is something I would have never imagined I would have been capable of, and it is happening. So thank you. Thank you for reading me, thank you for commenting, and thank you for being part of a new stage in my life. 

God bless you all. 

Patricia Montenegro

My Blogging Experience: Trial and Error

If you're new to my blog, I am a self-taught makeup lover who compulsively shops. How does that benefit you? I blog about what I buy and what I think is worth checking out. I also warn people about what to avoid. I believe the blogging world is a great place not just to meet people whom you share common interests with, but also a place that can save you time and save you money. 

Onto the purpose of this post:

The reason why I included a short introduction was to admit that I have no blogging or design experience whatsoever. Therefore, the terms HTML and CCS seem rare to me and instantly produce Myspace memories. 

My blog was undergoing an existential crisis for weeks. I opened this blog not having great expectations, but I developed a passion for helping others, reading helpful posts and meeting inspiring women. 

I felt experimental today and decided to mess around with "Blog Templates" - and this is where the trial and error really began. 

I found some "minimalist" template online and I had no idea what I was doing when I went to my blogger settings. Which leads me to my very first piece of advice:

If you're going to change your blog's layout, make sure you back-up your current layout in case the next one is a total disaster.

I did not save my previous template, which I wasn't completely in love with, but it was much better than the chaotic layout that suddenly popped on my screen. 

I panicked, but breathed, and said to myself I could fix it. But I started getting worried when I was unable to move things around on the Layout settings due to the template's HTML code. 

I have three people to thank:

- http://www.thebeautymilk.com/: Her blog is clean, her writing is rich and her content is entertaining. This lovely half-Puerto Rican, half-Venezuelan beauty quickly offered me help despite she was travelling. 

- http://vmeadowsderhudy.blogspot.com/: A newbie to the Blogger who is a dear close friend of mine. Despite also lacking Blogger knowledge, she listened to me and gave me advice.

- http://www.blogguidebook.com/: I randomly found their website a few days ago and e-mailed them as soon as my problem began. I got an e-mail response about an hour later from Sarah, who was kind enough to talk to me about CCS and offered diverse solutions and a lot of guidance. (Thanks again, Sarah!) Sarah and Lyndsay opened this blog to help other bloggers despite their topics. A fantastic place to learn and find cute decorations for your blog. 

Thanks to Sarah's enthusiasm, I turned on my laptop and gave life to my blog once again. It looks different than it did before, but it is a lot more me - simple. I wanted the font to be easy to read and I didn't want my blog to look or feel cluttered. 

My last tips to all of you:

• Always save your work.
• Don't trust everything you find online.
• Read carefully about something before doing it. 
• If you're still confused after reading online, ask someone for help. 

Have a good night everyone, and a lovely morning to my followers on the other side of the world. Much love. 

Top 10 Items To Have In Your Purse

Being a woman is not easy. I've always found it funny how men leave their houses without really anything other than their cel phone and house/car keys. For women, it's slightly more different. We get our period, our hair messes up, our lipstick runs (sometimes red shades on our teeth - not nice), our hands get dirty and we don't like it, and the list goes on on. Most of us carry a little secret bag inside our handbag containing life-saving (Ok, I'm exaggerating) items. I wanted to share mine with you today. I present to you my Top 10 Items To Have In Your Purse.

Continue reading!

My Ultimate Goal: Getting A Message Through Your Head

I remember being a child and watching my mom take her time to get ready to go out - even it that place was simply the supermarket. Wherever she went, she wouldn't skip lipstick, and every single night before she went to bed, she would never skip putting lotion on her skin. I remember questioning why she did this. Fast forward to 13 years later and here I am, imitating her. My mom taught me to take care of myself and to always look presentable. 

Venezuela is well-known for having beautiful women, and I hope I don't come across as a narcissist, but Venezuelan women are very elegant, very coquette. They like to look presentable wherever they go.

My love for makeup began at a young age. I would love going to the drugstore with my parents simply to stare at makeup and wander through the aisles, always in awe at how many products there were on display. As I grew older, I felt the need to become more self-efficient. Hence, I learned how to trim my own ends, do my eyebrows, wax, do my own mani & pedi and do my own makeup. 

Makeup is something that is involved in every women's (and some men's) life. Whether you love it or hate it, everyone has worn a lipstick or applied mascara, stuck to the basics, but everyone's put something on their face. 

I started playing with eyeshadows around high school, and my two best friends from school would always tell me how good I was at the application, but honestly, I never believed them at the time.

I had a quick chat with an old friend from school tonight who said I looked pretty self-confident. If I portray myself that way, I'm portraying myself incorrectly. I'm very insecure about myself. I guess I have improved, because I used to have many issues in regards to my body years ago, and even my own looks. There was a period of time I could not look at myself in the mirror, literally. For those who are new to my blog, I have been battling with depression since I was 13. The symptoms aren't very helpful for one's self-esteem. 

Why did I even create a beauty blog? Why did I expose myself? I've always believed something, which leads me to the point of this post. I want you to read this and believe it:

I genuinely believe that everyone is beautiful. Both men and women. I believe everyone has a distinct and particular feature in them that makes them beautiful. There are no faces that look literally identical. Everyone is different, therefore, everyone is beautiful. I've seen beautiful eyelashes, beautiful eyebrows, beautiful skin and beautiful dimples. Beautiful birthmarks, beautiful eyes, beautiful lips, beautiful cheekbones. I could go on and on. 

My goal is to make you feel beautiful. To help you and make you recognize what makes you beautiful and embrace it, enhance it. I would not spend my time taking pictures for this blog or asking you what you want to learn if I didn't care about how I will make you feel. I've never seen makeup as a mask, I've always seen makeup as a way of enhancing what already makes you beautiful.

I used to hate my eyes. I have very dark eyes and I've been asked before if I wear black contacts. My eyes are very dark brown. There is no such thing as black eyes. 

My paternal grandmother suffered from Alzheimer's and had a very slow death due to pneumonia. She used to love my eyes and used to repeat it very often when I was a child. I didn't understand why she liked them so much, and I actually used to envy those with light eyes - blue, green and grey. 

In 2007, shortly before she passed away, already in her last stages of dementia, she looked at me without knowing I was her grand-daughter and she said to me, "Your eyes are the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen." 

For some reason, that sentence left an impression in me. She saw something beautiful in me, and I began to embrace my eyes. They are so dark, they can be mirrors sometimes. I've been told before I have the ability to "speak" with my eyes. It took me years to find beauty in myself, but I have learned to love my eyes. That's why I use bright eyeshadows and dark eyeliner. I like to make my big, dark eyes pop. This is just me talking about myself, but there is something beautiful in all of you. 

My goal is to make people feel beautiful and more self-confident. My heart will be warm and happy knowing I've done that.

Thank you for your time. 

A big thank you to my friend Viktoria for encouraging me to write this. She recently opened her first blog: http://vmeadowsderhudy.blogspot.com/

Where Have I Been? Sunday Ramble!

Hi beauties!

I'm currently reading and taking notes for class, but I wanted to write a quick post because I feel terrible I have been neglecting my blog this week. So I have a few things to say...

1) I was given the opportunity to reintegrate psychoanalysis classes in my hometown, which I am extremely happy about. 

I dropped out of school about a year and a half ago due to personal reasons but I will be back soon. I have a year left in Uni but I've been busy this week taking psych tests and I also had an interview. Don't ask me why they make us do this to students who left and were about to finish....anyway, the results of the people that will be able to go back to school will be published on May 2. If everything goes well, I'd be back in Uni this May, Psychology Major.

The psychoanalysis courses I'm currently taking are at another place. So I'm really enjoying being busy and feeling productive nowadays!

2) I've been spending a lot of time with my family. 

Family is a big thing in South America. We're known for being incredibly welcoming, warm and close to those whom we love. It was recently decided that my sister will be going to school outside of Venezuela, so we have been spending more time together. This is us last night. We went out on a "date" to a Japanese restaurant.

3) Onto Makeup

- I have been loving a dewy, fresh look.

I'm wearing the Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation in the picture above, with the Dior Diorskin Nude Tan Healthy Glow Enhancing Powder on the areas where the sun would naturally hit my face (which gave me a radiant look) and Benefit's High Beam on the top of my cheekbones. 

I was happy to find out that the Healthy Mix range won't be discontinued. It was actually re-formulated to be even more moisturizing. 

Another look I loved from earlier this week: Dior Forever foundation which gives great coverage paired with the Chanel Joues Contraste Blush in Plum and a hint of natural radiance using Lorac Perfectly Lit Highlighter in the shade Spotlight on top of my cheeks. The lipstick worn on this picture is the Revlon Lip Butter in Candy Apple. 

After using a lot of neutrals for most part of the week, I wanted to use some color. The main focus for this look was supposed to be the Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream in the shade 17 (Plum), but I added some turquoise over my black liner using another Aqua Cream, this time, the shade 21. 

Which brings me to another point I wanted to mention in this point:

An Instagram follower asked me how she can use these cream shadows. 

The following tips are for the Aqua Creams:

- Use your finger or a synthetic hair brush to apply. I like to apply it using the Real Techniques Base Shadow Brush that comes in the "Starter Set". 

- Work on one eye at a time. These creams dry fast (approx 10-15 seconds) and once they set, they set. They are waterproof. 

- You can wear them alone for a wash of color, they can be applied to the eyelids in conjunction with powder eyeshadows, or can be used as eyeliners. 

I blended a lilac shade above the Aqua Cream #17 (Plum) for the look featured above.

Also, remember to tightly close the lids so the product doesn't dry out.

I have nothing negative to say about the Aqua Creams.

I have to continue my date with Freud, but I promise to catch up on Blog-Reading soon. If you are a reader and have a personal blog you would like to share, leave your link below. Thank you so much for reading. I hope you are all doing well! xx

Air Yoga

I wanted to share with you some pics my trainer took from yesterday's class. 

Air Yoga is practiced with the help of a swing. It's extremely challenging, especially for beginners like me because our bodies are not used to doing yoga poses above the ground. Having our feet or hands on the floor always brings a sense of safety to our minds, so when we're in the air, fears and doubts will try to disturb our equilibrium.

The fact that all of the blood flow goes to the head when you're constantly upside down may make you feel a little dizzy, but this usually happens during the first sessions, until your body becomes accustomed.

The results are strongly linked to our emotions, making people feel much more confident about themselves and the power of the body once you let go of fears in the mind. And it is fun!

Anyway, here are the pics!

Happy Saturday everyone!

The best decision I have made for myself

I was always the last one chosen for a team and I was an introvert in school. My mom struggled to help me find something that I enjoyed doing when I was a kid. 

Things change as you grow up. I know this is a beauty blog, but the whole purpose behind it is to be verbal about the things I am passionate about and what I think is worth trying out. So this will be an out of the ordinary post, but I hope that you all enjoy it and that it's beneficial to you one way or another. 

I always thought of yoga as something easy - something for hippies, to be honest. I was never really attracted towards it until I began to struggle in my adulthood. Those who follow me may know me as @makeupbypatricia - a Venezuelan who plays with makeup, but I have struggled with depression for almost ten years now. 

After going through a divorce at such a young age, I found myself desperate for something that would help me through the hard times.

I began practicing yoga exactly two months ago. I didn't even read about it. I just signed up for some classes and immediately felt relief. 

I discovered that yoga isn't just about stretching, and it isn't easy at all. Yes, it can be relaxing. But a lot of poses require concentration and a lot of practice and patience. Interestingly, yoga has improved my sleep, it has reduced my anxiety and it has helped me connect with myself. I also realized that we have the ability to do a lot more than we think we're capable of. It's all about setting your mind to a "Yes I can" mode instead of "I can't do it."

At 23 years of age, I am thankful for my body and its ability to stretch and fold, twist and grow.

If you're undergoing stress, going through a rough time in your life, or even if you want to try something new and healthy, yoga is a great option. You will realize that the body and mind are one, and you will be blown away by your inner strength. 

Goodnight. x