Recent Beauty Swap :)

So its about time I posted about my recent beauty swap with my dear friend Yessie @cinnamonandzoeykisses (check out her blog).  I was super excited to get my box which had some really cool beauty products. 

1. First and my absolutely new favorite must have, Philosophy "The color of Grace" Shimmer powder. I have been using it everyday. It gives my skin a soft pink sheer shimmer that does wonders for my face. I've gotten so many compliments. Patients tell me my skin looks amazing and radiant. I can't get enough of it !!
2. NYX Ultra Pearl Mania Eyeshadow Dust in a copper/bronze color. (sorry i peeled the label off) But It looks great on both the little bottle and on skin. 

3. ELF Baked Bronzer in Maui. I brush some on whenever my face needs some glow. No one wants to look washed out, right? Its summer in AZ so my skin is really dark right now, but I swatched these products from left to right (Philosophy Shimmer Powder, Elf Bronzer in Maui, MYX Eyeshadow Dust, and Jordana Lip Out Loud Gloss in BFF) 
4. LIP GLOSS!! Jordana Lip Out Loud Gloss in BFF.  What else can I say?? Its bright, Pink, and kind of has a watermelon-y taste. I love it!! 

5. Not one but TWO mascaras! Maybelline Great Lash Mascara in Pop of Purple. I had mentioned that I wanted to try the purple one and next thing I know, there it is. A sure sign that my friend listens to me. <3  and Jordana Mascara in Black. I have been using this daily. Its light and coats my lashes evenly and doesn't clump. which is very important to me, because I have very short sparse lashes. So I like something like this that coats and darkens, but doesnt give me the spider lash look. 

6. There are two things I love, Vanilla and Coconut. Bath and Body Works has the best smelling stuff. I love Vanilla lotions. 

7.Nu Pore Collagen Essence Mask. I will use this this weekend. When I can sit in my chair and relax. 

8. Miso Pretty Blotting Papers. Every one should have a stash of these in their purse, desk, car. You never know what life is gonna throw at you or who you will run into. Because theres shiny happy people, and gross shiny people. Know the difference. 

9. Two nail polishes Wet 'n Wild Polish in Steel the Spotlight and Sinful Colors Polish in Fuji.

Hope you enjoyed this, if you haven't tried some of these products, check them out I'm sure you will like them. 

My new loot!!!l

So these past weeks were a great for makeup. I got some pretty good deals. Both online and in store. My friend and I ordered some bh cosmetics stuff from bhcosmetics.com , including eye shadow pallets, lip pencils, lipgloss and eyeliner. I got the 88 color matte palette and I love it. The colors are vibrant and they last all day. The lip pencils go on kinda dry and drag a little, but the color stays an doesn't smudge or bleed. I read some reviews that said the lip glosses taste like bad. There not "yummy" tasting, but they're not what I'm having for lunch either so...its ok.  I also scored a NYX Haute Jersey pallet for super cheap off eBay.com ... Like under 10 bucks cheap. Brand new!! I've only used one of the eye shadows on this pallet (a shimmery gray). I wish the had the names of shades on the pallet :(  I also scored some cool stuff from Avon, I got two tinted lip balms in Nude and Coral (not too crazy about them, they kinds melt onto your lips) , a Cream Nail Polish in Coral Beat  a lipstick in Sunset (a nice bright orange), a lip and cheek stain in Berry  and a Blender Sponge- which works like magic! It blends makeup beautifully. I also went to a store here in Tucson " Beauty Brands" great place to buy stuff on sale. They had a sale on liter bottles of shampoo. I scored Bed Head shampoo and conditioner for under 10 bucks YAY!!! I also got a Tarte mini gift set that included  Mascara, Cream Liner, Cheek Stain and a lip stain pencil. on SALE!!
Bottom Line:
 ✶Bh Cosmetics- ✰✰✰✰✰ Great Colors! Awesome Pigment! Great Staying Power
Very Affordable and they always have some kind of promotion going on.

✶NYX Haute Jersey Pallette- ✰✰✰✰✰ LOVE it!! Perfect Colors for  Smokey Eye!! The bronzers are really good too.

 ✶Avon: Really good stuff for the most part. I use alot of their products, and Im also a representative so I get it cheap. Ok thats the only reason Im a rep. To get cheap stuff. lol.

✶Beauty Brands- ✰✰✰ I'll definitely go back when they have a sale. Their makeup selection isnt too big, They carry Tarte, Too Faced, and Stila only, but they are up the street fom my work so I can stop by on my lunch.

Natural Day Look

It a hot, stormy, humid, and sort of a lazy day. Nonetheless, its no excuse to look drab at home. I opted for a more natural look today. Mostly nudes and and browns.  On face I used Sephora Tined Moisturizer in Tan Bronze, and a little Bare Minerals tinted Mineral Veil.   I filled in my brows with Rimmel London Brow Pencil in Brown and used Anastasia Matte Highlighter in Camille.  On Eyes I used AVON Super Extened Liquid eyeliner in Black on top lid, Tarte Amazonian Clay Smolder Eyes Pencil in Bronze on lower lashline, and Maybelline Great Lash Mascara in Black. Lightly usted my cheeks with NARS Blush in Super Orgasm, and finished off lips with Urban Decay 24/7 Lipliner in Naked and Bare Minerals Gloss in Citrus Tarte. I tried to swatch each product but I have tattoos on my arms and it was hard finding a spot, but I tried. :) 

Hair Cut

So I got my hair cut yesterday, and cut about 2 inches off. Im really happy with it though. It had been several months before I'd had it cut. My hairdresser was actually pretty pleased with the condition of my hair. In spite of the fact that I expose my hair to hot tools on a daily basis. I have to credit my great hair products. Wen Cleansing Conditioner( I love this stuff, and have previously reviewed it). I cant use Wen every day, if I do my hair feels heavy and too thick. I use it about 2 a week. So I need to vary with an other shampoo. A friend (Nicole)  also suggested Clear shampoo( Her hair always smells so good) . It cleans my hair and makes it so soft and smells super good. My hair product faves: Tresemme Heat Tamer Spray, Paul Mitchell Seal and Shine, Garnier Fructis Sleek and Shine Flat Iron Perfector. All good products that keep my hair shiny and me happy. 

My Summer Must Haves

I live in Tucson AZ... I think that says it all. The summer is either scorching and dry or sticky humid. So on some of these days I skip my concealer, foundation, and powder, and just go with bronzer and blush.  My faves at the moment are Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20 in Tan Bronze and Nars blush in Super Orgasm for dry days, and Tarte Amazonian Clay bronzer in Park Ave Princess and blush in Peaceful for when its humid.  Dab on some NARS Illuminator in either Orgasm(left) or Copacabana(on right) for some shimmer and I'm good to go.  When the weather bounces back and forth between these two. its a good idea to wear accordingly. Its bad enough my hair is gonna frizz out and go flat. I at least what to have one good thing going for me.

I love NARS, but.......

Its not secret that I love NARS cosmetics.  I keep them like little treasures in their little boxes safe from dust and the elements. Truth is the containers get very dirty very easy, so I just try to keep them clean.  I will buy everything I have to have, and I've always been very satisfied. -Oh let me tell you I lost my Roman Holiday Velvet Matte Pencil over thanksgiving while riding in a carriage around the French Quarter in Louisiana. I cried silently and didn't say anything because Ben (my bf) would have flipped out. Since I also lost my Blackberry that same day. Found the phone though.- Anyhow. Last winter I got my Sephora winter catalog and saw NARS Eyeshadow Trio in Arabian Nights, and it looked beuatiful. I had to have it, of course. I ordered it online along with a single shadow in Night Sun. And I hate to say, but I didn't really like either one alone, Arabian Nights and Night Sun are both way to glittery. Even with an Eyeshadow base and primer, the color wasn't as vibrant or last very long and the glitter just rolled off onto my face. I looked like I was on my way to a rave. Which is not necessarily a bad thing, lol. Just not the look I was looking for that day.  However, being the resourceful one that I am. They are both very cute if u use them over a more pigmented eyeshadow. I pair up Arabian Nights with some Urban Decay, and the Night Sun along with KVD shadows. and ta-da!!  Problem Solved.  

My new bff.....Kat Von D Tattoo Concealer

I absolutely love this concealer. I cant even think about leaving the house without it. I never was a big concealer person, I thought the less stuff I put on my face, the better. Right? Well then I turned 30, and that turned into 36. And as much as I would like to stay in denial and say I don't need it, truth is I do. There are minor imperfections, redness, discoloration, and some new "beauty marks"( that I have no idea where they came from) that I feel no one needs to see. So I bought this Kat Von D Tattoo Conealer at Sephora for about 24 bucks (I think), and I L-O-V-E it!!! The formula is lightweight, and maybe a little runnier than you're used to. But the coverage is amazing! A little goes a very long way. I use a small drop on my finger and that is enough to cover dark circles (both eyes)  and any spots on my face. I would try to use it to actually cover a tattoo, because thats not gonna happen. I tried it. you will go broke and run out of concealer trying. But if you have areas that you'd like to hide and don't want to have that cakey look from applying a ton of product. I would def suggest trying this.