Elle Magazine September 2010

Dear Elle Magazine,
I love love every issue, hence why I have been a subscriber for the past 4 years! But why did you have to send me the September 2010 issue with the Megan Fox cover??!!! Nothing against her, but I would have loved the cover with Gabourey Sidibe! It's so weird that subscriber covers from all magazines are usually different than newsstand covers. Anyway, I'm still glad to see Ms. Sidibe on the cover of such a prestigious magazine! Go Elle!

With Love,

Christina :)

Clinique's Almost Foundation Kit - in Neutral

I'm normally not the kind that has to wear one brand of makeup at a time. I think most of us wear at least 3 or 4 brands (or more!), but I found this great Clinque set that's perfect for my everyday foundation routine. Each product goes together so well it's hard for me to mix it up. The application is smooth and the finish is 100% fresh, making it truly a delight to be oh so matchy matchy.

Available in 4 different shades, each set comes with: Almost Makeup SPF 15 (tinted moisturizer), Almost Powder Makeup SPF 15 (for more coverage), Almost Lipstick in Black Honey and a Powder Foundation Brush

Overall, a no fuss set that allows for light to medium coverage. Paired with a great concealer, this can definitely be a year round foundation routine.

With Love,

Christina

Summer Smokey Eye

Summer arrived late here in So-Cal, but  now it's a bit of a heat wave. I wanted to create a no-fuss summer smokey eye, nothing too heavy nor too neutral. This is what I came up with using an Eyes Lips Face palette found at Target.

Products Used:

Stila Brushes #5 & #9 and Major Lash Mascara; Elf Palette in Neutral; Mac Paint Pot in Bare Study; 

Sheer Cover Eyeliner w/ Essence of Beauty Liner Brush;
Target Brand Smudge Brush

With Love,

Christina

I Got A New Face!

... Routine that is! Found this little duo, thought they would be the perfect defense for my combination skin against the summer heat. (If it ever makes it to Southern Cali- it's been one of the top 10 coldest summers!) Once I finish my Clinique products I'll be testing these out.

Clean and Clear Pore Perfecting Cleanser and SPF moisturizer

With Love,

Christina

Clean & Neat

 I've been looking for inspiration for reorganizing my room. I have tons of stuff (makeup, clothes, shoes, accessories...) so it's hard to make everything fit AND look nice and neat. I'm a total neat freak, I'll clean/organize until 1am without thinking twice. I was gathering pics from my computer to have sent out for printing when I stumbled upon this pic that I took on my 2nd anniversary (last year) with my bf. 

It is totally me, fave perfume, crisp anniversary flowers, religious candle and an old pic of my mom and younger brother. It's a little off center, but it's clean and neat. It still says something about me without cramming too much into the shot. This is what I want my entire room to say about me, so it's pretty much my main inspiration, but I'm still gathering outside ideas. This will be my room for at least one more year and then I'm off to grad school. Time to get active and make the best of what I have. 

With Love,

Christina

How I love a Smellin' Good- Feelin' Fine sale!

A.K.A. The Victoria's Secret/The Body Shop Semi-Annual Sales

It's easy to get carried away. As soon as the sales reps give you that oversized black mesh tote... it's hard not stuff it until body sprays, dainty panties and sexywear (a.k.a lingerie) are spilling over. I'll admit it, wearing hot undergarments makes me feel... HOT! But... it's a secret saved for me and my special somebody!

Here's a peak at what I can show you:

The Body Shop

Victoria's Secret

This bag was filled w/ stuff from the beauty section. The other larger bag contained 2 PINK bags (one found here) and items found here and here. :) Happy shoppin!

With Love,

Christina

French Glamour Magazine

I'm on the hunt for the June issue of French Glamour Magazine! Several Curvy Fashion bloggers whom I'm in love with are featured in it! I know of 2 spots in San Diego that sell international editions of mags so I'll hunt them down tomorrow. Can't wait!!

The Body Shop

I have always loved The Body Shop. I love entering their store, smelling the fresh, clean scents of all their products and never regretting a thing I buy (with the exception of a toner I once bought that broke me out! But I returned it with no problems and it has since been discontinued. & I learned that my face doesn't like grapeseed.)

I wanted to try some things from their Seaweed skincare line. It's for combination/oily skin which is totally me. I have an oily T-Zone with the occasional stress zit/break-out. Unfortunately most oil-control products contain high levels of salicylic acid. I don't mind salicylic acid- my night repair lotion & toner have very small amounts, but I don't want to add more because it can dry me out, leaves discoloration patches & sometimes makes me break out more.

Here's what I ended up getting:
Seaweed Try-Me Kit

A full size of the Mattifying Cream (they were all out of the SPF lotion, but I can use this as a primer w/my current SPF moisturizer or I can layer it on top of my summer moisturizer which tends to make me more oily than my normal because it has a higher level of SPF)


Cucumber Cleansing Milk

Cucumber Freshening Water

Elderflower Cooling Eye Gel

Tea Tree Oil (maybe this will replace my trusty ZapZyt gel)

Renewed my Love Your Body membership

With Love,

Christina

Eyes Lips Face Haul

My Eyes Lips Face order finally came in via FedEx on Friday. I hadn’t ordered anything from their site since their Studio Line first came out & I took a chance on them since there were zero reviews or hauls featuring the new line. Since then loads of new products were added so I decided to place a large order since my local Target only carries a fraction of Elf’s products (plus I had a major discount code).  My take on Elf: Yes- the Studio Line is a bit of a knock-off, but they are still great products that work and I don’t have to be so protective of them like I am with my department store makeup.

 Bronzers, Complexion Powder, Shimmer palette, Concealer palette, Blushes & Brow Kit

Lip Gloss/Stains, HD Powder, SPF Powder, Gel Liners & Blemish Concealer

Brushes (Powder, Complexion & Contour are repurchases!), Bronzer & Lip Tin

The only non-Studio Line product that I ordered was the Matte Bronzer ($1 line). I have the other 3 so I wanted to complete the set. With the exception of being a little powdery, they are quite nice and long lasting. I also got a freebie- Candy Shop Lip Gloss Tin in Coconut Crazed which has a soft summer coconut scent. I might pick some up at Target because they are nicer than expected (& are only 50 cents if purchased on the website).

With Love,

Christina 

Day to Night using Closet Staples

Summer is just around the corner and for most of us this means it's time to push back Fall/Winter clothes and bring forward warm weather favorites. But we don't have to buy a brand new wardrobe- although many of us would have no problem taking the time to do so! Here is an example of restyling two staples that most of us probably have had in our closets for the past few seasons and using them as the base for a Summer day and nighttime look. All items are available at Forever21.

Click to see item names and prices!

I opted out of using Polyvore because I wanted to include all item names/prices and I also wanted to browse the store's entire website- so I chose to styled this by hand (although Polyvore is a great tool that I DO use often). Again- all items are taken from Forever21 and individually complied to create the overall looks.

With Love,

Christina

Review: L’oreal Anti-Dull Skin Primer

Studio Secrets™ Professional Color Correcting Primer

What L’oreal Says: “Discover the secret to a flawlessly even skin tone—in an instant. Studio Secrets™ Professional Color Correcting Primers glide on smoothly to immediately correct and improve the look of your complexion. Each of the three professional correctors is formulated to address your unique skin type:

Anti-Redness: neutralizes redness
Anti-Dull Skin (light skin): illuminates and adds warmth to light complexions, and

Anti-Dull Skin (medium/deep skin): gives a radiant, healthy glow to medium/dark skin tones.
Wear alone or under makeup for a naturally gorgeous look.”

Purpose: It’s a skin primer that’s meant to awaken dull skin by evening out skin tone or correcting skin discoloration

Color Range: Light, Med/Dark & Green Corrector
Packaging/Size: Pump, .6 oz (almost 1 full oz.)
Price: $12.99 @ CVS

First Impressions: I thought this would be a great addition to my spring/summer foundation routine. Especially over tanned skin with a light dusting of powder on top.
In the store: The colors seemed darker then what they were under the store lighting. I was temped to get the lighter shade but it had too much pink and I knew I would regret it. It also seemed like a thicker, semi-matte, no shimmer formula.
At home: I saw the glitter! It’s sort of a borderline glitter/shimmer formula, but it’s not super glittery at all. But it might still be a problem if you have large pores because the glitter particles can settle in pores and make them appear larger.

Consistency: Slightly Runny, thin formula. Sets kind of fast so I had to blend it in quickly.
Color: The color was lighter then what it appeared to be in the store, bit still best suited for tan skin tones.
Finish: It’s not a matte or semi-matte formula, sort of moist for being so thin, but not greasy or slick. I hardly noticed the glitter/shimmer after applying a layer of powder on top. It seemed like the shimmer dusted off.

Pros:

• Did slightly even out my tone.
• Looked great under concealer and powder.
• When under foundation, it kept my skin looking fresh- like I had just applied foundation
• The shimmer wasn’t as noticeable with products layered on top.
• The pump bottle is great.

Cons:

• It didn’t do everything the product claims to do- awaken skin on it’s own? – Not too much (*But it did keep my foundation looking fresh so I guess this kept me looking “less dull”)
• The shimmer might be a problem for some.
• You have to blend this in quickly or else it looks a little patchy.
• The pump lets out a lot more product then you need so be careful.

Repurchase?: If it doesn’t break me out and nothing new comes out on the market- then probably. But I still prefer the Magic Perfecting Base a little more just because of the matte factor.

***The L’oreal Studio Secrets line only has 2 products in the U.S. but they offer other products overseas that seem promising. Hopefully they will make it over here soon.

With Love,

Christina

Urban Decay

Finally got my Urban Decay stuff that I ordered during their F&F. I really just wanted a new palette but didn't want to pay shipping to I decided to spend the minimum amount to get free shipping.

Hall of Fame Set:

Primer Potion Duo:

What I really Wanted: Sustainable Shadow Box

Just in time for Earth Day!

Can't wait to play!

With Love,
Christina

Review: Eve Pearl Salmon Corrector Concealer & Treatment Duo (in Medium/Tan)

Here’s what the description is on Eve Pearl's website:

“Revolutionizing the use of the “Salmon” color as an under eye concealer it neutralizes the dark blue undertones from the skin eliminating those green/grey raccoon eyes caused by yellow-based concealers that tend to highlight and only accentuate the problem area. This luxurious silky cream provides full coverage with a non-greasy texture that glides on smooth to the most delicate area of your face. The *CosmeNutrients provide the advantages of powerful anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, proteins and peptides. Customize your look! Our signature salmon concealer is available in a dual mirrored compact. Two shades you can use individually, or blend to create your custom shade and achieve your best face!”

First Impressions:

Texture: This is perhaps the biggest component to any under eye concealer. It needs to be creamy enough to not become cakey or make the under eye area dry, but it has to last and not smear all over the place or crease into any fine lines. I found this concealer to be extremely creamy but very light weight. I thought creaminess always equaled heavy and thick, but in this case it was the opposite. It was totally non-drying and almost had a whipped-like texture, but more on the creamy side.

Application: Based on the texture I knew using my finger for application would be the easiest and best method. I tried it with a concealer brush but I felt like the brush picked up too much product and with this concealer a little goes a long way. I gently swiped my finger across the top, dabbed it along the under eye area and then blended it down and out. The combination of the warmth of my finger and the texture of the concealer made the product melt into my skin, but not settle into any lines.

Longevity: I’ve tried some great concealers, only to be disappointed once I looked in the mirror to see my dark circles already starting to peek through. Or to see the concealer crease, making fine lines look like deep wrinkles! This concealer was so different. After about 3hrs, the concealer still looked fresh and natural. After about 5 hrs I saw a little creasing but I just tapped my finger under my eyes and didn’t see any creasing until the end of the day.

I used 2 different combinations, setting each with powder:

Each color on it's own: I didn’t know which shade would be my perfect shade, but from my experiences with other correctors, you have to try them to really find the right color. The Medium shade was in the 1-3 shades lighter range that I usually get when picking an under eye concealer. This shade melted into my skin right away, but didn't offer as much neutralization as I wanted. The Tan shade seemed too orange at first but after blending it in, my dark circles were neutralized. The orange tinge disappeared after setting it with powder.

An equal mix of both shades: This is the way that I find myself using the most. I swipe my finger in the Tan shade first and then in Medium shade. This seems to be my perfect color and it offers the most coverage and neutralization.

(Life Update: I've been so busy with round #2 of Midterms and with going to a couple of spring weddings- my cousin's in Vegas and my bf's cousin's here in SD. They were both very different styles but equally lovely! And Padres season started so it's been all about going to games! Needless to say- this concealer was much needed this month! )

Hopes this helps anyone looking into picking this up!

With Love,
Christina

Random

Stuck @ school until 6:45pm! Sucks, I know- but after this semester I'll only have a year left and I'm sure it will fly by (@ least that's what people tell me). There are a few posts that I want to put up this weekend including an Eve Pearl Cosmetics Review. I found her products to work really well and I hardly hear about her so I thought I would throw it out there. I already have it written I just need to add pictures and perhaps a before and after shot of the concealer (my fave from her) on my dark circles :). I have tomorrow completely free and my bf will be out of the house so I'll have no distractions. Until then here is a pic I took a while back ago. I take random pics when I'm bored or in a creative mood.

I love to stuff my Louis to the max!

**I'm so tempted to buy a laptop mini! I keep seeing people in class w/them and they are sooo cute!

With Love,

Christina

Studying & Shopping

I should have been studying but a break was much needed so I went through some things I got during a recent outlet mall/Macy's shopping trip. The outlet mall I go to is about 15 minutes away but I try not to go too often because this happens...


I was all over the place looking for a a great bag for school which I found at the Guess store. I also found a cute Dooney & Bourke bag at Macy's but I will probably wait until it gets closer to the summer to use it.

MSF duo Natural & Shimmer side and Girl Friendly paint pot

I picked up some new Coach sneakers. I have 2 pairs already but a pair got a little messed up during some unexpected San Diego rain storms! They were a great deal and I received an extra 20% off that day. Now off to studying for my Criminal Justice midterm.

With Love,
Christina

Urban Decay F&F Sale 30% off!

Use Code 1SFNF

Here I go...

So here I go, jumping into this thing called Blogging! I have a beautiful crazy life and thought I would use this as an outlet. I love life and have a passion for makeup and fashion. Here is where the two will meet. Off I go...

A random pic I took during a trip to Vegas last month

With Love,
Christina