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October Favorites 2015!

October 29, 2015

Hi everyone! With October ending this week, I’m sharing products I’ve been using religiously this month. Let’s get to it!

Nest Fragrances Moroccan Amber Candle

Nordstrom just opened up locally and when I saw they carried Nest Candles in store, I knew I had to pick this up. With exotic notes of Moroccan Amber, Star Anise, Sweet Patchouli, Bergamot and Eucalyptus, this candle is just what you need to create a zen environment.

NYX Butter Gloss in Strawberry Parfait

I received this NYX Butter Gloss in a Target Beauty Box and I must say it was love at first swipe. It’s described as a fuchsia but has a sheer finish that on my lips looks natural with a slight tinge of pink. Great for everyday minimal looks or to top off lipsticks without competing with the shade underneath.

Renee Rouleau Skin Drink

I had a chemical peel about 2 weeks ago and this was instrumental in keeping my skin hydrated. It’s an oil-free, water based serum of hyaluronic acid that helps attract and retain moisture in your skin. Perfect for my combination skin as it delivers hydration without making me breakout.

Burberry Beauty ‘Light Glow’ Natural Blush in Earthy

I know I’ve mentioned this blush before but it’s for good reason. It’s an absolute staple in my makeup arsenal because it is versatile and is a joy to use with its smooth and buttery consistency. Pairs well with natural or vampy fall looks. You need this blush. Trust.

Swatches of the NYX Butter Gloss and Burberry Beauty Blush

What are your favorites this month?

Stephanie

Too Faced Brow Envy Kit Review!

October 27, 2015

Happy Tuesday everyone! I hope you all had a good weekend. 🙂 Can you believe we’re that much closer to a new month? Crazy.

I finally have the review for the Too Faced Brow envy Brow Shaping and Defining Kit so let’s get started.

Description: ” Be envied for your perfect brows with Brow Envy, Too Faced’s fool-proof kit that will have you arches, defined and framed like a star.”

The kit comes housed in a black compact, complete with a mirror, setting wax, a cream highlight shade, brow powder duos, tweezers, a spooley, brush and angled brush.

A close up picture. The bottom left powder is Blonde while the bottom right powder is brunette.

Also included in this kit are three eyebrow stencils and a Glamour Guide detailing how to use the kit.

Top to Bottom: Setting Wax, Highlight, Brunette and Blond

Swatches of the shades. You can’t really see the setting wax too well because it’s clear but it’s sitting on top of the pale pink highlight shade.

Pros

A complete set

Good for brow maintenance/touch ups

Duo powder shades allows you to customize a shade

Small tweezers are great for grabbing tiny hairs

Good for traveling

Cons

Cream products make the kit messier

Stencils may not work for everyone’s eyebrow shape

Not versatile enough for every brow or hair color

Overall: I really do like this kit and it has pretty much all of the necessary tools to keep your eyebrows shaped and defined. Personally, I would have preferred a powder highlight instead of a cream one just because I feel I can control it better. Also, the stencils won’t be used because a) they don’t fit my eyebrow shape and b) my eyebrows are pretty wild so I have to get them threaded about every month. The eyebrow brush is a little stiffer than I would like but it’s not a deal breaker. I would recommend this kit to anyone who has dark eyebrows but if you’re looking for lighter shades, Anastasia has a really great selection of powder duos as well.

A picture of me over the weekend using this brow kit.

What’s your favorite product to keep your brows on point?

Stephanie

Skin Tip: Dark Chocolate for Healthier Skin!

October 23, 2015

Calling all chocolate lovers!

Did you know that consuming 1 ounce of dark chocolate with at least 60% cocoa contains high levels of flavonoids, an antioxidant which can protect against sun damage and reduce roughness in skin? Now you know. 🙂

Have a lovely weekend readers!

Stephanie

3 Important Tips for Halloween Makeup !

October 22, 2015

With Halloween near, some of you may don to wear elaborate makeup for parties and why not? Heck, one of my favorite costumes was when I dressed up as a Homecoming Zombie Queen, complete with blood and gore. So. Much. Fun. Here’s a few tips and tricks to ensure that the horror factor lasts only one night and doesn’t come back to haunt you days later….

Patch Test

ALWAYS conduct a patch test when trying out makeup, especially Halloween makeup as there are many pigments and colors (red and blue) that can be irritating to the skin and cause an allergic reaction. Prosthetics may or may not contain latex so make sure to ask questions about what is being used. Also, if you’re going to use false lashes, keep in mind that many have adverse reactions to the adhesive so tread with caution and to be safe, ask for a P.D. test to be performed.

Primer

Applying a primer on the skin not only keeps makeup lasting longer but it also creates a barrier between the skin, allowing makeup to sit on top of that instead of the skin.

Double Cleanse

Facilitate the removal of makeup by using oil-based makeup wipes. A personal favorite is Dermalogica PreCleanse Wipes which makes removing false eyelashes or stubborn makeup easier and doesn’t require harsh pulling or tugging of the skin. Follow up with your cleanser afterwards to thoroughly remove any heavy, thick layers of makeup that can clog pores and contribute to acne.

Have something fun planned for Halloween? Let me know in the comments below!

Stephanie

PopSugar Must Have Unboxing October 2015!

October 20, 2015

Disclaimer: This post contains a referral link.

Hi everyone! How was your weekend? October’s PopSugar Must Have Box arrived over the weekend, prompting a great start. 🙂 Take a peek at what was included in this month’s box!

Inspiration behind this months box.

The Honest Company Sea Salt + Sugar Body Scrub Lavender Vanilla, $17

Perfect for fall and winter, this body scrub has sugar and salt to slough away dead skin cells while shea butter and almond oils hydrate the skin. Oh, and it is Lavender scented. 🙂

Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling, $25

I’ll be honest and say I’m not really a fan of The Mindy Project but I did read the first chapter in this book and I found it entertaining. This book is a collection of essays that “shed light on her less-than-perfect fit in Hollywood.”

It’s a 10 Miracle Leave-In Product, $11.96

Considered a special extra, this leave-in product detangles, adds shine and stops frizz. “It’s a 10 Haircare is a proud partner of Right Action For Women, helping provide advanced cancer screening to women.”

Belgian Boys De Stoopwafel, $1.59

The second item I tried after taking pictures and this was heavenly! It’s a caramel-filled waffle that’s a nice treat without being overly sweet.

Donation to Breast Cancer Awareness

“In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, PopSugar Must Have has made a donation to Right Action For Women.”

Easy, Tiger Brown Paper Liquor Bag Set, $8

Definitely not something I would have ever thought to purchase, these imaged paper bags can be used to carry your favorite bottle of wine to any special occasion.

Savvy Sleepers Luxury Satin Pillowcase, $36

This 100% satin pillowcase “prevents sleep wrinkles, reduces hair breakage, and protects salon blowouts for the ultimate sleep experience.” I do notice that sometimes I wake up with these creases on the side of my face with my regular pillowcases and since switching to this, they seem less pronounced. More time will tell.

Richer Poorer Hope Slipper Socks, $15

These pink slipper socks were designed by PopSugar to support Breast Cancer Awareness month. “Richer Poorer proudly supports the fight against breast cancer and the important work of Right Action for Women.” These will come in handy once things start cooling down over here but for now, these will be put away as the sight of them causes me to cringe with this hot weather.

Danielle Steven Monogram Gift Card, $40

Another special extra, this $40 gift card can be used to receive your own monogrammed statement piece.

Also included were coupon codes: 20% off Savvy Sleepers and 30% off products purchased online from The Honest Company.

If you’re interested in trying out PopSugar Must Have, click here and if you need an incentive, check out this sneak peek of what’s included in every November PopSugar Must Have Box.

Have a great Tuesday,

Stephanie

Skin Tip: Skin Cancer Reminder!

October 16, 2015

Happy Friday everyone!

Today’s skin tip hits close to home as my grandfather recently discovered he has skin cancer on his ear. Thank God it was caught on time but it serves as a reminder that we need to make sure we are covering all our exposed areas when applying sunscreen. Our ears and the tops of our feet are commonly forgotten places but areas where skin cancer can develop. It’s also a good reminder to have yearly checkups with a dermatologist for safety measures.

Wishing you a safe weekend!

Stephanie

A Little Thursday Motivation: Comparison is the Thief of Joy!

October 15, 2015

Hello readers! How is everyone holding up?

I wanted to share a quote today that lately has been on my mind and perhaps can help you too and it is regarding comparison. With so many social media sharing platforms around, now more than ever it is easier to see what everyone else has been up to and all their accomplishments. While you get to in a sense experience and share their joy, too often it can also feel overwhelming and downright depressing in comparison to yours. You may be left wondering why your own life isn’t advancing as smoothly and fast as theirs. They look happy, without a care in the world. And so it begins. The doubting yourself. A tinge of jealousy. Forgetting the things you have accomplished because now it pales in comparison to what someone else did. The feeling that perhaps you’re not good enough. Once this type of thinking starts settling in, it can be hard to shake off.

BUT, what we fail to see at times is that all of us have a different journey to take. Some individuals are blessed to find their purpose/calling earlier while other people take longer. Our paths may not be smooth but rare is the time that this is true for anyone. We see the smiles shared but what’s not shown are the tears, the struggles, and the worries. There are also different lessons we need to learn and if we look hard enough, we’ll find them and most importantly learn from them. Sometimes the roadblocks in our path are actually blessings in disguise, meant to protect us from harm. At other times, obstacles lead us to a different avenue we may have never encountered otherwise.

This life is a continuous cycle of ups and down and the situations we find ourselves in are not forever. Keep working on your goals and dreams but also have faith in God that you are where you are meant to be right now. Instead of comparing yourself to what you aren’t, remember what you are. Everyone has different gifts and talents to offer the world. Don’t loose sight of that.

I hope this was helpful in case you are going through difficult moments. Just know that you’re not alone and that all of us experience this from time to time. Keep going and don’t give up!

Now I want to hear from you. Do you find yourself playing the comparison game? What do you do when you find yourself in this type of situation?

Stephanie

October Birchbox Unboxing 2015!

October 13, 2015

Disclosure: This post contains a referral link.

Welcome back readers! October’s Birchbox arrived over the weekend and the theme is Positive Force in support of Breast Cancer Awareness month. Birchbox has teamed up with The Estee Lauder Companies Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation to fund one year of breast cancer lab research hours. Take a look at the samples I received for this month.

Avene Cleanance Soap-Free Gel Cleanser

A blue tinged cleanser that vaguely smells like Dove Soap (without the soap of course) and is infused with French thermal spring water. Definitely geared towards oily skin as this thoroughly removes oil and deep cleans.

Davines LOVE Smoothing Shampoo and bonus sample LOVE Smoothing Conditioner

I’m a fan of Davines’ products and these two are no exceptions. Formulated with oilve oil and rice protein, the shampoo cleans without stripping hair and the thick conditioner helps calm frizz. *Note: Personally, I have to alternate shampoos because there is an ingredient in here that over time makes my scalp and body itch but every time I use it, I love the results.

derma e Purifying 2-in-1 Charcoal Mask

Activated charcoal is scoring brownie points in the skincare and health realms so I was anxious to try this. It has apricot seed powder to exfoliate along with kaolin and bentonite clays to absorb oil and help decongest the skin. This crazy SoCal weather is causing me to breakout a bit so I’m testing to see if this will help clear it up.

Eyeko Black Magic Mascara

One of the sample choices this month, this is a water-resistant mascara that is long-lasting, curls and adds volume. I have yet to test this out but it sounds promising.

Penhaligon’s Juniper Sling Eau de Toilette

The sample perfume has notes of juniper, cardamom, soft leather, black cherry and amber. I cannot stomach the scent of juniper, so this sample will be given away.

Fragrance sample aside, I thought this box was good. Not my favorite but still worth it.

If you like what you saw and are thinking of subscribing to Birchbox, click here to use my referral link and earn extra points to use at the Birchbox shop.

Stephanie

Skin Tip: Pumpkin Seeds for Acne!

October 9, 2015

With pumpkin-themed items surrounding us everywhere, here’s some food for thought. Pumpkin seeds contain zinc which may help relieve acne as zinc helps control the sebaceous (oil) glands and aids in healing the skin. Something to think about next time you choose a snack, no?

Have a great weekend everyone and I’ll see you back next week,

Stephanie

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