Online Shopping, Sephora Style

Oh how I love Sephora. I simply love walking in, and trying on any shiney, sparkly thing I see. I feel like a kid in a candy store whenever Im there. Too bad I can no longer shop there.

Well, my dear friend recently imformed me that I am a fool to go and shop in person when you can get AMAZING deals online. And shipping is free with purchases over $50???? And Im sure we all know how EASY it is to go over $50 at Sephora dont we ladies???

For example, my friend got a fabulous pallete with an array of wonderful colors, I wanna say there were 15 shades? Well, it was in the sale section of the Sephora website for only $20-something odd dollars???

So when I decided to check it out I found that we ALSO get 3 choices of samples to try, Now that was awesome! I love samples! So I got 2 perfumes that I had been curious about AND I am loving the Jurlique serum that I am trying.

So next time you wanna go wild in a Sephora store? Make sure to check out the website, for some amazing deals. (If you can possibly get yourself to hold out on the fabulous products for a few days, trust me the waiting for the package was the hardest part!!!) Cuz when I got my package and all my little samples , it was all worth it. =)

I Cant Get Over Makeup Forever!

After loving my latest Makeup Forever purchase, I was researching like crazy on this company. I heard so many great things about this eyeseal, and I am soooo super glad I purchased it! Wow, this is a revolutionary product that is a must-have for sure.

All you have to do is mix it with any eyeshadow and it will instantly create an intense, waterproof liner! Considering the fact that I already have almost every eyeshadow shade imaginable, this saves sooo much money since now I dont have to continue buying eyeliners (with much less staying power). Whats better, is that eyeliners that you already own, can now be made to be smudge-proof and water proof by simply adding this to it.

I love it, and you will too!

My New Favorite Pressed Powder!!!!

For those of you who favor Pressed Powder Foundation over liquid foundation and have Combo Oily Skin, AND are a fan of MAC Studio Fix, Lookey here: Makeup Forever Dou Mat Powder. Wow. I have been using MAC studio fix for what seems like forever. Knowing that there HAD to be something else better out there for my skin type. Sure I dabbled into other brands like Shu Umera, Shiseido, Lancome , yet I always kept going back to MAC studio fix, BUT I wasnt quite satisfied. Grrr.
Well, after some pretty intense research and COUPLE of trips to Sephora, I went with my gut and finally bought Makeup Forever and LOVE it. I had to wait a couple of weeks before posting about it though because I wanted to really make sure it was good and not just a quick buy,excitement sorta thing.
Anyways, it glides on so smoothly. I would say it has less coverage than MAC studio fix BUT you can still layer it with a concealer brush for more troubled areas. The best part is, it has to be the best makeup so far that actually keeps my face shine free for most of the day. I only blot once a day and then ad a dab of blot powder and the make up lasts throughout the day.
I usually start my face out with well FIRST, moisturizer with SPF , Then I go over with a concealer around my eyes, trouble spots and nose area. Then I sweep my face with this wonderful powder using a powder brush for medium coverage. After I take a look at my face and build more on the trouble spots with a concealer brush, and then finally one last sweep of the Duo Mat and Im good to go! This I love right now and dont think Im going back to Studio Fix for a while. :)
BTW, Its $32 at Sephora

Moisturize and Smell Divine!

One of the things I hate doing, is sitting there and rubbing globs of lotion into my very dry skin. First, I never get the right amount on the first try and end up reapplying. And second, I just dont have the patience to make sure it all "soaks" in and is absorbed. I find myself sometimes just skipping it alltogether!

So now, a fabulous little product I found: Body Oil! Its just like any scented lotion you may have except it soaks into your skin immediately leaving skin soft and supple. I even noticed that after using it, there is a stronger scent than with lotions which I sometimes have to reapply just to add more of the scent. With oil however, the scent lasts for hours!

The best part is how time saving body oils are! I am now in the habit of putting body oil on right after I jump out of the shower. Its so much faster and it lasts so much longer!

I must admit, the Neutrogena brand pictured above, although it works quite well, I'm not a huge fan of the scent. I wish they had an assortment of scents because it is a great product! All in all, there are plenty of body oil products out there and most are very afordable! I've seen shimmery body oil, coco butter scents, lavender and much more, so there will be one to your liking. Try them and let me know what your favorites are ;)

Back to the OldSkool!!

Wow, talk about going back to 6th grade! Remember these popular little cover girl compacts that gave no covererage whatsoever?! Well, I just got me another one after many years! Lol, oh how I miss that clean fresh scent they had!

It was just about time for me to buy yet another $21 MAC blot powder when I said "Hey, wasnt the Covergirl Pressed Powder practically the same thing and for waaay cheaper?!" And sure enough, after about 5 mins of online research, I found that they have similar oil absorbing ingredients: Mica and Silica. And for $5 , a fraction of what I was paying!! Aye!

Remember, this powder does not have much coverage, but its perfect for blotting over your face to set in your foundation. You can also dab some under your eyes to keep eye makeup from falling. The sponge that it comes with is pretty much good for nothing, but if your using your Kabuki brush, or something similar, make sure to wash it regularly and your in for a fabulous blot powder for a great deal!!

(http://www.covergirl.com/products/product.jsp?productId=clean_pressed_powder)

The importance of Eyebrows!

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Eyebrows can do wonders. Its definitely worth it to invest some time and maybe a little cash in making sure your eyebrows are neat and shaped to fit your face.

If you are fortunate enough to afford a professional wax, by all means, eye brows are the thing to splurge on.

I personally have very thin, wispy eyebrows, which I have to color in on a daily basis to look like I'm even awake. (Side note: I have been religiously applying petroleum jelly to my eyebrows and eyelashes every night, and I must say that after 2 months, I am seeing thicker brows!!!)

The very first time time I got my eyebrows professionally waxed at a spa, I noticed a huge difference. All this time I thought plucking was sufficient, but after a good professional wax, wow. My eyes looked open, and even more defined. I couldn't believe I had waited so long to try it. So if you can fit it in your budget, definitely get your eyebrows done weekly.

On the other hand, if your a thrifty spender like me, a good pair of tweezers and a small magnifying mirror will do the trick. When you feel your brows slowly start to loose shape, go ahead and splurge on a eye brow wax once in a while, and use the new clean shape as a guide, its worth it.

Quick Tips:

• If you are looking to make your eyes look bigger, and more open, make sure to keep a good amount of space between your eye and brow. The closer your brows are to your eyes, the smaller they may appear. So tweeze from the bottom, but don't get carried away!

• If your eyebrows are on the bushy side, try trimming them from the top.
• Remember, thick eye brows make small eyes look smaller and thinner brows make eyes look larger.

New Year-New Goals!!!

A fresh new year! What a great chance to forget last years shortfalls and be determined to make positive changes in our lives. Even if you stumble in this new year, each brand new day is a reminder that it is never too late to try again.

Les Brown: "Life takes on meaning when you become motivated, set goals and charge after them in an unstoppable manner."

Wishing you all a magnificent new year!!