Japanese Makeup vs. American Makeup

Love these summer looks!

I'm in love

Yes, you have read the line above correct. I am, as a matter of fact, in love.

With Jeffree Star.

If you don't know who he is, where in the world have you been?? Anyhow, I'll change your life. He's a youtuber who does lots of makeup challenges and makeup tutorials (and totally slays at them, mind you), but he also has his own cosmetic line called 'Jeffree Star Cosmetics.' But honestly, I first heard of him through my best friend, who had heard of him and bought a few of his velour liquid lipsticks. She let me try one, celebrity skin I believe, and OH MY GOSH! Let me tell you, his liquid lipsticks are amazing because for one, they didn't dry my lips to hell! I wore it for hours, and my lips felt great! They're matte, but they don't make your lips like the Sahara Desert. Also, he's got all kinds of great colors - vibrants, but also nude colors, which are my go-to.

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GRWM: Natural Glam Makeup Look

Absolutely LOVE this look! 

Mac Lipstick Dupes + Women Guess Cheap Va Expensive Makeup (Buzzfeed)

March's Glam Bag Review

1. Beau Gâchis® Paris - Eyeshadow Brush

I've been needing a smaller eyeshadow brush to blend darker colors along my crease, so I was utterly thrilled when I saw that I received this in the Glam Bag. And it's adequate - I wouldn't say I'm totally in love because it takes a lot of effort to blend, more so than other brushes I have used like this, but it's sufficient enough for me to be pleased with.

2. MAKE UP FOR EVER - Skin Equalizer + Hydrating Primer 

So I had went out and bought a primer JUST before this arrived, so that worked. I've used Make Up Forever products before and always enjoyed them. This primer, though, is AMAZING. I use it more than the one I went out and bought for myself! Some of the time, I don't even have to use a moisturizer because this product not only preps your skin for application and color correctness, it also hydrates (hence the title lol). But yes, 10/10 pleased with this! 

3. NUDESTIX - Lip + Cheek Pencil in Mystic

First off, this is super duper glossy, so it feels great if you've got dried lips. However, I have naturally red-tinted lips, so when I first tried this as a full lip color, I didn't see any color. But I put some powder to neutralize the color of my lips and did see some, but not enough for me to like personally, as a full lip color. I have yet to try it on my cheeks only because I feel like the color will contrast too much with my pale skin, but maybe I'll try it. 

4. Global Beauty Care - Dead Sea Wash Off Mask

So I love using dead sea masks, I've always used another one I had bought from the mall months ago, once every week. It really helps with the redness of my skin. I tried this one, which is slightly different than my other product, it's thinner and spreads easier, and it doesn't feel as nourishing, if this makes sense. But I do like it, and I will continue to use it - it seems to have the same effect as the other one, with my skin's redness, although not nearly as much. But it's sufficient. 

February's Glam Bag (Review)

Alright, so for those of you who don't know what Ipsy is, I shall enlighten you. Ipsy is a website that you can subscribe to, for $10/per month and receive a "glam bag" monthly, containing product samples chosen by a group of professional stylists. This is my 2nd month of trying, so I figured it would be fun to go the products I received last month, being February!

Alright, so first I shall review this: tre'StiQue (a baby blush stick in Bora Bora Coral).

I've never used a blush stick before, though my best friend once told me that you can use lipstick for blush sometimes, and it works really well (and from what I recall, it really does). For some reason, I was hesitant in trying this product - I don't know why, maybe because I didn't think the color would be right for my skin? But I did eventually try it, and I used my fingers to gently dab it into my skin after applying foundation.

And wow.

I love it! I normally use a blush powder I've had from MAC but now use this underneath that! It gives my cheeks a tint of rosiness, but not too much as to look red. It gives them the right amount of color, and it lasts for hours! Needless to say, I'm in love.

The 2nd product is: VINTAGE by Jessica Liebeskind; Sparkling Lipgloss in Pink Sequin 

I am personally a huge fan of lip gloss and immediately tried this after having received my month's glam bag. I. Am. In. Love!! It's a bit sticky at first and smells vaguely like cinnamon, but the smell isn't too strong, and it doesn't particularly have a taste. But I love the glossiness of the...well, lip gloss, and I love how long it lasts! I like wearing this over one of my nude lipsticks, to give it more of a glow, and to keep my lips hydrated. Love love love! 

My 3rd product is: IT Cosmetics; Bye Bye Under Eye (Anti-Aging Concealer)

So despite the fact that I'm 20 years old, and (hopefully) don't have any wrinkles as of yet, I still tried this product because I ran out of concealer weeks ago and am a bit too lazy to go out and buy more. Anyhow, this product is VERY thick and creamy - a little goes a long way! When I first used it, I put a dab that I personally thought was small, but it was way too much for under eye wear. I had to wipe some off with a tissue. So when using this product, use what you probably think isn't enough because trust me, it is!

And my last product I will be reviewing is my favorite: Cake Beauty; heavy cream intensive hand repair balm 

I LOVE lotions! And ever since I started working at a fast food restaurant, my hands have dried so badly. So when I found this in my month's glam bag, I instantly used it! It's a thick cream, and you may want to be mindful of how much you use, although you don't want to use too little. Find the amount in between. This hydrates your skin so well and makes your hands feel incredibly soft. Plus, it smells so good, too! It's my favorite scent of all time - French Vanilla. Ahhh. 

Anyhow, so these are my favorite products from February's glam bag. I received my March bag today, but will wait 'till the end of this month to share my favorite products with ya'll. But yes, I highly suggest getting subscribed to Ipsy because it's super fun, and cheap! Especially if you're someone like me who loves trying out new products. 

Spring Rosy & Glowy Makeup Tutorial | Koleen Diaz

Product Wars! Beauty Blender vs Real Techniques !

So, I'm trying to get up to date with all the makeup fads, and one thing I've noticed is the beauty blender application sponge!

Back in high school, I used sponges to apply my cream foundation but ended up using brushes instead because brushes seemed to last longer than sponges did. Today, I finally broke down and went to Sephora to buy a beauty blender sponge, to try it out. I've been holding back because of several reasons. One, I'm not a fan of sponge applications for foundation. And two, it typically sells for 20 dollars or so, which I thought was a bit too much for a sponge. I love airbrushed looks, and the theory behinds the success of the beauty blender is that it has a completely even distribution, unlike a brush, which sometimes leaves streaks or ends up getting cakey. Needless to say, I will be posting about my experience with the sponge after I get to use it throughout the week!

You can purchase one here: http://www.sephora.com/beautyblender-P228913?skuId=1151869

I've also been looking up videos on YouTube about how to use the beauty blenders and whatnot, and one thing I've come across is that this is one of those products that's supposedly better to buy the original, rather than an off brand. The original may be more expensive, but people are claiming it's worth the money. Here's a cool video insight into the differences between the original brand and an off one. 

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Spring's Coming!

My Foundation

So, when thinking of which foundation you should use, keep in mind what kind of skin you have. For instance, I have oily, acne-prone skin that is also very sensitive and can dry very easily. I've gone through many brands of foundations and have found the one that works so perfectly for my skin, so obviously, it's my favorite so far.

NARS all day luminous weightless foundation is so light but has amazing coverage. Most of the time, it makes my skin not only look clear and smooth, but it FEELS clear and smooth. It's light, so it doesn't weigh down on my skin, and the color of it gives my skin a certain glow - it just enhances everything, and I love it so much. I use a pro full coverage airbrush to, well, apply the product evenly and with an airbrush effect (hence the name of the brush).

However, I've recently started using the L'Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte Foundation and just take a dab of it and mix it with the NARS foundation. Together they work really well with my skin, I figured combining them would be more effective than simply using the matte foundation because though I like matte looks, I don't like my foundation caking and whatnot, so combining them really fixed that.

So yeah, I definitely suggest trying these products if your skin is like mine. I've tried so many different foundations, and some of them either made my skin break out (ugh) or just caked or shone really early on when wearing it. Also, another thing is that when it comes to things like mascara or eyeliner, I personally always go for the drug store products because they're fairly cheap, but my golden rule is that with foundation, quality does matter. There are some awesome brands you can find in drugstores (just like the L'Oreal Infallible) but they're typically more expensive than others. I never feel bad for paying a little extra for foundation because like I said, it makes one hell of a difference in the overall product.

Products mentioned:

All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation: 

Pro Full Coverage Airbrush: 

L'Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte Foundation: 

By far my favorite moisturizer - and it smells so good, too!

Source: http://www.sephora.com/nurture-me-P42335

Classy

In love with this color