cheap makeup advocate

if you have the money for higher end make up products, by all means buy them. they all have better color payoff, last longer, and you get more of a tingle when you buy them for some reason. but if you don't have a lot of money (like moi) then you can still indulge in makeup, you'll just be spending less money. i have bought most of my makeup (i don't wear foundation yet but i do have lipgloss, eyeshadow, eyeliner, mascara, and blush, and of course nailpolish) from wet n'd wild. however two of my favorite blushes (the first two that i bought, and i still have because i don't wear makeup often) are from covergirl. recently i've been getting more into makeup (which i seem to say in every post) and i've been bying brushes and looking for more products. wet n' wild has such a great variety of products for SO cheap, and e.l.f has pleasantly surprised me with an amazing mini makeup palette that i try to use as much as reasonably and normally possible. with cheap makeup, as with any makeup, comes dissapointments, and i'll list some of my great cheap makeup joys and dissapointments here.

? me

wet n' wild megaliner liquid eyeliner

i bought this eyeliner maybe a year or a year and a half ago. maybe even two years ago? i can't remember, but i've had it for some time. it was the first eyeliner i bought for myself, i think. everyone seemed to be using liquid eyeliner and i liked the bold effect it gave so i wanted to try it out. i didn't wear it much, but when i did it lasted. the color goes on well, it lasts for as long as you need it to last (as long as you don't rub your eye, then it can smear), and it comes in a variety of colors. i only tried the black, but many people like the colored versions as well. the only thing i don't like about this product is that it makes it easy to make mistakes. liquid eyeliner is really hard if you're trying it out for the first time and the brush is thin and short and bends in places it shouldn't, but for $1.99 it's a good deal, and the product lasts. it doesn't dry out easily, even if the cap might detach from the brush like mine did.

wet n' wild creme eyeliner

this product comes in two colors: black and eggplant. i have it in black. this liner is absolutely amazing, i love it's creamy consistency and the rich black color it lines my eyes with. it is best applied with an angled eyeliner/shadow brush (i use my ecotools angled liner brush). the product comes with an angled liner brush, but it is VERY VERY hard and stiff and once the liner is in the brush it feels like you're running a cement block over your eyes...so don't use the brush that comes in the box. this wnw product is comparable to MAC's blacktrack gel liner or stila's smudgepot liners. i highly recommend the wet n' wild creme eyeliner! i think it is priced at $2.99.

wet n' wild defining marker

this is a brand new product from wnw. i picked it up last week and i absolutely love it. i've been wanting covergirl's eyeliner marker for the longest time but could never find it and eventually stopped looking for it, so i was thrilled to see this t the wnw stand at my local drugstore. this defining marker gives you a precise line. you can go super thin or super thick. it gives you a rich black color and it's easy to hold and handle! if you want to blend it out, you can but it'd be easier it do that with a brush rather than your finger because this dries quickly. i love this marker and use it every second i get! i love it just a teensy weensy bit more than my creme eyeliner. just an itty bitty bit. it comes in one color: blackest black.

wet n' wild pencil eyeliner

i own this eyeliner in white and charcoal. these colors work fine, but they are hard to blend. i wish they were softer/creamier. however, for the price you get a good product. even though i have dark skin i use the white in my waterline to brighten up my eye and make them look bigger. if i get a flesh toned eyeliner anytime soon i'll use that. white eyeliners can work on any skincolor, however if you're really dark use a light hand with the white eyeliner so that it doesn't look unnatural. these eyeliners are .99 cents!

wet n' wild cream shadows in pop art

i bought this off of my mom because i needed some cream eyeshadows and i tried to use this as a base for my powder eyeshadows. i love the colors in this compact. they all look great on my skintone and i like to use the illuminator on my lips, instead of my cheeks (i have oily skin, so i don't really need illuminator that much. i am perpetually illuminated); it gives my lips a really nice frosty sheen. these cream eyeshadows work best alone, they're not good bases for eyeshadows...they will crease, and they'll crease alone as well...but not as much as if you were wearing powder eyeshadows along with it. if you don't have money for good cream eyeshadows you can buy this...my mom says that revlon's are better. i have yet to try them but my mom loves them and so do a lot of other makeup savvy people. these are $3.99. they are not on the wnw website but i believe you might still be able to find them in some stores.

wet n' wild nailpolishes

great color selection and cheap prices! what more could you ask for? they have some for 99 cents, some for 1.99 and some for 2.99. i have some of their nailpolishes from each collection. i have mystic quartz (a beautiful purple hue) from their cok solid collection which i bought on clearance for $1.49, royal red from their crystalic nail color collection (such an amazing color, if this is the only color you get, get this one), and lavender pearlescent, black creme, top coat and base coat from their wild shine collection.

covergirl cheekers blushes

i got two cheekers blushes from my local drugstore on sale after i found out they were beauty award winning. i see why they won awards! they have great color payoff and the color is buildable. and you get a good amount of blush for your money. but keep in mind i don't use my makeup a lot, anyway they have lasted. i got the blushes in soft sable (a beautiful, shimmery soft brown) and pretty peach (a matte, coraly pink). the applicator that it comes with is pretty effective too. i used that for the longest before i finally got a little makeup brush set.

e.l.f primer and liner sealer

i ordered this in hopes of being able to keep my eyeshadow from creasing with the primer side and being able to make cooler eyeliner from my eyeshadows. none of those hopes have been fulfilled. i guess i was asking too much from a $3 product. however, by spreading the primer side evenly over your eye you can really brighten up your eye area, even if you're not going to be putting eyeshadow over it. the primer side is essentially a concealer for light-medium complexioned individuals. i've decided to not be cheap with eye primer and hopefully i'll be getting urban decay primer potion soon, which if you don't know is amazingly popular and apparently 100% effective at making your eyeshadow vibrant and keeping it from creasing/fading all day.

e.l.f eye shadow brush and blending brush

[e.l.f eyeshadow brush]

i decided to get these because having one eyeshadow brush wasn't enough and i needed a brush to blend out my eyeshadows, especially if i used more than one color. these brushes are AMAZING. they are soft, and they do their job and they're only $1!

e.l.f. mini makeup palette

i received this for free after meeting a quota for an order from eyelipsface (e.l.f.). i am amazed with how pigmented the eyecolors are and the amazing selection of lipcolors in the kit. the blush they have in the kit are cheap dupes of nars orgasm and laguna blush and work fine. they're not the best blushes in the world, but they're pretty good. included is a lip brush, eye shadow applicators and brow powder. what i really love are the eyeshadows and lipcolors. it's new from their studio line and retails for $15.

hope you enjoyed! leave comments, rate/recommend my entry and subscribe if you'd like. toodles :)

cheap makeup advocate

if you have the money for higher end make up products, by all means buy them. they all have better color payoff, last longer, and you get more of a tingle when you buy them for some reason. but if you don't have a lot of money (like moi) then you can still indulge in makeup, you'll just be spending less money. i have bought most of my makeup (i don't wear foundation yet but i do have lipgloss, eyeshadow, eyeliner, mascara, and blush, and of course nailpolish) from wet n'd wild. however two of my favorite blushes (the first two that i bought, and i still have because i don't wear makeup often) are from covergirl. recently i've been getting more into makeup (which i seem to say in every post) and i've been bying brushes and looking for more products. wet n' wild has such a great variety of products for SO cheap, and e.l.f has pleasantly surprised me with an amazing mini makeup palette that i try to use as much as reasonably and normally possible. with cheap makeup, as with any makeup, comes dissapointments, and i'll list some of my great cheap makeup joys and dissapointments here.

? me

wet n' wild megaliner liquid eyeliner

i bought this eyeliner maybe a year or a year and a half ago. maybe even two years ago? i can't remember, but i've had it for some time. it was the first eyeliner i bought for myself, i think. everyone seemed to be using liquid eyeliner and i liked the bold effect it gave so i wanted to try it out. i didn't wear it much, but when i did it lasted. the color goes on well, it lasts for as long as you need it to last (as long as you don't rub your eye, then it can smear), and it comes in a variety of colors. i only tried the black, but many people like the colored versions as well. the only thing i don't like about this product is that it makes it easy to make mistakes. liquid eyeliner is really hard if you're trying it out for the first time and the brush is thin and short and bends in places it shouldn't, but for $1.99 it's a good deal, and the product lasts. it doesn't dry out easily, even if the cap might detach from the brush like mine did.

wet n' wild creme eyeliner

this product comes in two colors: black and eggplant. i have it in black. this liner is absolutely amazing, i love it's creamy consistency and the rich black color it lines my eyes with. it is best applied with an angled eyeliner/shadow brush (i use my ecotools angled liner brush). the product comes with an angled liner brush, but it is VERY VERY hard and stiff and once the liner is in the brush it feels like you're running a cement block over your eyes...so don't use the brush that comes in the box. this wnw product is comparable to MAC's blacktrack gel liner or stila's smudgepot liners. i highly recommend the wet n' wild creme eyeliner! i think it is priced at $2.99.

wet n' wild defining marker

this is a brand new product from wnw. i picked it up last week and i absolutely love it. i've been wanting covergirl's eyeliner marker for the longest time but could never find it and eventually stopped looking for it, so i was thrilled to see this t the wnw stand at my local drugstore. this defining marker gives you a precise line. you can go super thin or super thick. it gives you a rich black color and it's easy to hold and handle! if you want to blend it out, you can but it'd be easier it do that with a brush rather than your finger because this dries quickly. i love this marker and use it every second i get! i love it just a teensy weensy bit more than my creme eyeliner. just an itty bitty bit. it comes in one color: blackest black.

wet n' wild pencil eyeliner

i own this eyeliner in white and charcoal. these colors work fine, but they are hard to blend. i wish they were softer/creamier. however, for the price you get a good product. even though i have dark skin i use the white in my waterline to brighten up my eye and make them look bigger. if i get a flesh toned eyeliner anytime soon i'll use that. white eyeliners can work on any skincolor, however if you're really dark use a light hand with the white eyeliner so that it doesn't look unnatural. these eyeliners are .99 cents!

wet n' wild cream shadows in pop art

i bought this off of my mom because i needed some cream eyeshadows and i tried to use this as a base for my powder eyeshadows. i love the colors in this compact. they all look great on my skintone and i like to use the illuminator on my lips, instead of my cheeks (i have oily skin, so i don't really need illuminator that much. i am perpetually illuminated); it gives my lips a really nice frosty sheen. these cream eyeshadows work best alone, they're not good bases for eyeshadows...they will crease, and they'll crease alone as well...but not as much as if you were wearing powder eyeshadows along with it. if you don't have money for good cream eyeshadows you can buy this...my mom says that revlon's are better. i have yet to try them but my mom loves them and so do a lot of other makeup savvy people. these are $3.99. they are not on the wnw website but i believe you might still be able to find them in some stores.

wet n' wild nailpolishes

great color selection and cheap prices! what more could you ask for? they have some for 99 cents, some for 1.99 and some for 2.99. i have some of their nailpolishes from each collection. i have mystic quartz (a beautiful purple hue) from their cok solid collection which i bought on clearance for $1.49, royal red from their crystalic nail color collection (such an amazing color, if this is the only color you get, get this one), and lavender pearlescent, black creme, top coat and base coat from their wild shine collection.

covergirl cheekers blushes

i got two cheekers blushes from my local drugstore on sale after i found out they were beauty award winning. i see why they won awards! they have great color payoff and the color is buildable. and you get a good amount of blush for your money. but keep in mind i don't use my makeup a lot, anyway they have lasted. i got the blushes in soft sable (a beautiful, shimmery soft brown) and pretty peach (a matte, coraly pink). the applicator that it comes with is pretty effective too. i used that for the longest before i finally got a little makeup brush set.

e.l.f primer and liner sealer

i ordered this in hopes of being able to keep my eyeshadow from creasing with the primer side and being able to make cooler eyeliner from my eyeshadows. none of those hopes have been fulfilled. i guess i was asking too much from a $3 product. however, by spreading the primer side evenly over your eye you can really brighten up your eye area, even if you're not going to be putting eyeshadow over it. the primer side is essentially a concealer for light-medium complexioned individuals. i've decided to not be cheap with eye primer and hopefully i'll be getting urban decay primer potion soon, which if you don't know is amazingly popular and apparently 100% effective at making your eyeshadow vibrant and keeping it from creasing/fading all day.

e.l.f eye shadow brush and blending brush

[e.l.f eyeshadow brush]

i decided to get these because having one eyeshadow brush wasn't enough and i needed a brush to blend out my eyeshadows, especially if i used more than one color. these brushes are AMAZING. they are soft, and they do their job and they're only $1!

e.l.f. mini makeup palette

i received this for free after meeting a quota for an order from eyelipsface (e.l.f.). i am amazed with how pigmented the eyecolors are and the amazing selection of lipcolors in the kit. the blush they have in the kit are cheap dupes of nars orgasm and laguna blush and work fine. they're not the best blushes in the world, but they're pretty good. included is a lip brush, eye shadow applicators and brow powder. what i really love are the eyeshadows and lipcolors. it's new from their studio line and retails for $15.

hope you enjoyed! leave comments, rate/recommend my entry and subscribe if you'd like. toodles :)

school bites, that's why you need a good skincare routine

Hey all,
I'm still working on the magazine entry....let's all hope that this works out. *nervous laugh*
Anyway...my summer semester started this week. I can't tell you enough how unenthusiastic I am about this. I don't have any of the books I need, I'm definitely not in school mode...but whatever, I'm going to tough this out and just get it over with! I'm getting all of the hard stuff out of the way.

So while I've been working on the magazine entry, and stressing about school, and eating way too much food I've also been getting steadily more and more obsessed with makeup and skincare. My Mom always stressed to me how important it was to take care of my skin, but I've recently gotten obsessive about it in the last 2 or 3 years. And I've been watching makeup and skincare videos and I have a skincare routine that hasn't made my pores any less gigantic, but definitely leaves my skin clean and soooooooo soft. My face is so baby soft, it's unbelievable. I daydreamed for a little bit one day and when I snapped back into reality I realized I had been stroking my face. Creepy...but, it's nice to know that I have baby soft skin!

I have oily skin (not too oily, but just enough to not be considered dry or combination or normal) and I learned that the best thing to cleanse oily skin is actually an oil cleanser. I don't have any oil cleansers, but the next thing closest to that is the Burt's Bees Soap Bark & Chamomile Deep Cleansing Cream that I have. It has a lot of natural oils in its' ingredient list. I learned that I had been using the cream cleanser wrong. I was using it as a soap and I would wet it and rub it between my hands and then slather it on my face and wash it off.

I learned that for the cleanser to be effective I had to massage it into my face (especially the congested areas like your chin or the t-zone area) and then bring up the oils with water and a soft washcloth. I don't have a facial washcloth because I like using my hands so I clean off the residue of the cream cleanser with Phisoderm's Anti-blemish gel facial wash. Gel facial washes are veryyyy good for oily skin and the combo of the cream cleanser with the gel wash really leaves my skin clean. I've never felt my skin this clean before. It is recommended to use a toner to roung out your cleansing routine but I'm too lay to buy a toner. Rose water and Witchhael are recommended. Toners with alcohol are too stripping. When I get a toner I'll tell you how that works out for me.

I also exfoliate twice a week and use a pore cleansing mask twice a week. I use L'oreal Active Daily Moisture Lotion for all skin types and CG Smoothers Aqua tinted moisturizer every morning and PreVentin-AT Skin Brightener for the Face every night.

Having relatively good skin is amazing. It gives you confidence and it's nice not to have to worry about your face all the time. Us girls have too many things to worry about.

Alright...so...I received another award! I can't believe it, I feel so loved.

Thanks so much to Halie at http://www.archivingfashion.wordpress.com/ for the award.

The rules: 1. Put the award in a post as soon as you receive it. 2. Don�t forget to mention the person who gives you the award. 3. Answer the award�s question by writing why you love blogging. 4. Tag and distribute the award to as many people as you like. 5. Don�t forget to notify the award receivers by commenting on their blogs.

Why do I love blogging? I love blogging because I love writing and I get to write about whatever I want to on my blog. One of my greatest loves is fashion. I love the art of enhancing people's natural beauty through clothes and I loved seeing well dressed people. Blogging allows me to meet interesting, beautiful (inside and out), and motivated people and is a great escape from my daily trials.

I'm tagging:

CoutureCarrie

MahaloFashion

InsideMode

WithAsianStereotypes

I'm too lazy to make links...google them! they're famous :)

school bites, that's why you need a good skincare routine

Hey all,
I'm still working on the magazine entry....let's all hope that this works out. *nervous laugh*
Anyway...my summer semester started this week. I can't tell you enough how unenthusiastic I am about this. I don't have any of the books I need, I'm definitely not in school mode...but whatever, I'm going to tough this out and just get it over with! I'm getting all of the hard stuff out of the way.

So while I've been working on the magazine entry, and stressing about school, and eating way too much food I've also been getting steadily more and more obsessed with makeup and skincare. My Mom always stressed to me how important it was to take care of my skin, but I've recently gotten obsessive about it in the last 2 or 3 years. And I've been watching makeup and skincare videos and I have a skincare routine that hasn't made my pores any less gigantic, but definitely leaves my skin clean and soooooooo soft. My face is so baby soft, it's unbelievable. I daydreamed for a little bit one day and when I snapped back into reality I realized I had been stroking my face. Creepy...but, it's nice to know that I have baby soft skin!

I have oily skin (not too oily, but just enough to not be considered dry or combination or normal) and I learned that the best thing to cleanse oily skin is actually an oil cleanser. I don't have any oil cleansers, but the next thing closest to that is the Burt's Bees Soap Bark & Chamomile Deep Cleansing Cream that I have. It has a lot of natural oils in its' ingredient list. I learned that I had been using the cream cleanser wrong. I was using it as a soap and I would wet it and rub it between my hands and then slather it on my face and wash it off.

I learned that for the cleanser to be effective I had to massage it into my face (especially the congested areas like your chin or the t-zone area) and then bring up the oils with water and a soft washcloth. I don't have a facial washcloth because I like using my hands so I clean off the residue of the cream cleanser with Phisoderm's Anti-blemish gel facial wash. Gel facial washes are veryyyy good for oily skin and the combo of the cream cleanser with the gel wash really leaves my skin clean. I've never felt my skin this clean before. It is recommended to use a toner to roung out your cleansing routine but I'm too lay to buy a toner. Rose water and Witchhael are recommended. Toners with alcohol are too stripping. When I get a toner I'll tell you how that works out for me.

I also exfoliate twice a week and use a pore cleansing mask twice a week. I use L'oreal Active Daily Moisture Lotion for all skin types and CG Smoothers Aqua tinted moisturizer every morning and PreVentin-AT Skin Brightener for the Face every night.

Having relatively good skin is amazing. It gives you confidence and it's nice not to have to worry about your face all the time. Us girls have too many things to worry about.

Alright...so...I received another award! I can't believe it, I feel so loved.

Thanks so much to Halie at http://www.archivingfashion.wordpress.com/ for the award.

The rules: 1. Put the award in a post as soon as you receive it. 2. Don�t forget to mention the person who gives you the award. 3. Answer the award�s question by writing why you love blogging. 4. Tag and distribute the award to as many people as you like. 5. Don�t forget to notify the award receivers by commenting on their blogs.

Why do I love blogging? I love blogging because I love writing and I get to write about whatever I want to on my blog. One of my greatest loves is fashion. I love the art of enhancing people's natural beauty through clothes and I loved seeing well dressed people. Blogging allows me to meet interesting, beautiful (inside and out), and motivated people and is a great escape from my daily trials.

I'm tagging:

CoutureCarrie

MahaloFashion

InsideMode

WithAsianStereotypes

I'm too lazy to make links...google them! they're famous :)

rogue rouge

like the title? i do too!
anyway, i decided to post this because red lipstick seems to have been everywhere lately. ever since jen brill came on the seen with her eternally red lips, it seemed all the girls on the late night scene wanted their lips blood red as well. we've seen the red lip done at a myriad of fashion shoes, in a slew of fashion editorials and on the high heel clad girls downtown. are you curious about trying this look? the look is appealing to me, but i'm not ready for it yet. before i jump into the world of sexy red lips i'm going to do some research. in order to get the perfect red look you need to take your skintone into account. here are some great options that i found.
? me

the lip of luxury lipstick in drop dead red by too faced is drop dead gorgeous. it goes on smooth and has a diamond shine. it's perfect for romantic evenings out or fancy events. this color is best for people with lighter skin with pink undertones. you can get it for $18 from freepeople.com. i think a large part of the price is accounted for by the fact that it contains champagne essences. i wonder if you wore it enough, if it would be possible for you to get drunk? farfetched...but you never know!

IMAN Luxury Moisturizing Lipstick in Iman Red 005 is an excellent choice for those with darker medium to dark skin. as you can see in the swatch above, it is a very warm red. but what i like about it is that it is still a true red. it's not too orangey or pinky, it's a pure warm red. there aren't a lot of makeup lines that cater to women of color, but i think Iman did a great thing by formulating a makeup line for women of color. believe it or not, women of color aren't just black women--they're indian, chinese, pakistani, hispanic--they're from island nations, from africa, etc. it's very hard to get all of those different skintones into a bottle, so i'm definitely an advocate for more specialty makeup lines! ok...that's my little spiel...on to the next shades...

Neutrogena Moisture Shine Lipstick is relatively cheap and has three good red shades for various skintones. poppy red is a less intense, muted red for those with light to light medium skintones. the red isn't too intense, so it'll leave your lips looking flushed. cherry twist is a glamorous red for light to medium skintones. it seems to have a slight blue undertones, so it would really pop on people with very warm, orangey/yellowy color in their skin. pomegranate is a beautiful red that reminds me of the sauce on pizza, and it looks just as yummy! this shade would be great for darker medium to dark skintones because it could bring out the gold and bronzey undertones in those complexions.

Luxury for Lips Moisture Rich Lipcolor from Kohl's also has three shades for different skintones. rose wonder is a sheer red that's good for lighter skintones, but could work as a nude color on darker skintones. nantucket red is definitely on the berry side, but would be a snazzy red option for darker skintones, and probably wouldn't require the wearing of lipliner. siren red is great for light to medium/dark skintones. i love it's bright hue.

other red lipsticks that i've heard are popular are from kevyn aucoin, sheseido and givenchy. so if you're willing to shell out a lot of cash you can look into those brands. :)

rogue rouge

like the title? i do too!
anyway, i decided to post this because red lipstick seems to have been everywhere lately. ever since jen brill came on the seen with her eternally red lips, it seemed all the girls on the late night scene wanted their lips blood red as well. we've seen the red lip done at a myriad of fashion shoes, in a slew of fashion editorials and on the high heel clad girls downtown. are you curious about trying this look? the look is appealing to me, but i'm not ready for it yet. before i jump into the world of sexy red lips i'm going to do some research. in order to get the perfect red look you need to take your skintone into account. here are some great options that i found.
? me

the lip of luxury lipstick in drop dead red by too faced is drop dead gorgeous. it goes on smooth and has a diamond shine. it's perfect for romantic evenings out or fancy events. this color is best for people with lighter skin with pink undertones. you can get it for $18 from freepeople.com. i think a large part of the price is accounted for by the fact that it contains champagne essences. i wonder if you wore it enough, if it would be possible for you to get drunk? farfetched...but you never know!

IMAN Luxury Moisturizing Lipstick in Iman Red 005 is an excellent choice for those with darker medium to dark skin. as you can see in the swatch above, it is a very warm red. but what i like about it is that it is still a true red. it's not too orangey or pinky, it's a pure warm red. there aren't a lot of makeup lines that cater to women of color, but i think Iman did a great thing by formulating a makeup line for women of color. believe it or not, women of color aren't just black women--they're indian, chinese, pakistani, hispanic--they're from island nations, from africa, etc. it's very hard to get all of those different skintones into a bottle, so i'm definitely an advocate for more specialty makeup lines! ok...that's my little spiel...on to the next shades...

Neutrogena Moisture Shine Lipstick is relatively cheap and has three good red shades for various skintones. poppy red is a less intense, muted red for those with light to light medium skintones. the red isn't too intense, so it'll leave your lips looking flushed. cherry twist is a glamorous red for light to medium skintones. it seems to have a slight blue undertones, so it would really pop on people with very warm, orangey/yellowy color in their skin. pomegranate is a beautiful red that reminds me of the sauce on pizza, and it looks just as yummy! this shade would be great for darker medium to dark skintones because it could bring out the gold and bronzey undertones in those complexions.

Luxury for Lips Moisture Rich Lipcolor from Kohl's also has three shades for different skintones. rose wonder is a sheer red that's good for lighter skintones, but could work as a nude color on darker skintones. nantucket red is definitely on the berry side, but would be a snazzy red option for darker skintones, and probably wouldn't require the wearing of lipliner. siren red is great for light to medium/dark skintones. i love it's bright hue.

other red lipsticks that i've heard are popular are from kevyn aucoin, sheseido and givenchy. so if you're willing to shell out a lot of cash you can look into those brands. :)

products that i use daily

i've never been a high maintenance girl, but as the years go on i feel the need to get more and more products to keep me looking decent. one major issue i have is with my skin, my pores are pretty big and my skin is oily on my nose, the bottom of my forehead and on my cheeks by my nose. my skin isn't horrible--i know it could be much worse. i could have chronic acne, really bad discoloration, or it could be really really dry. if you have oily skin, it's a pain now, but when you're older your skin will age better than your peers because oil supports collagen and elastin production which keeps our skin supple, plump, and looking young!

i have relaxed hair, meaning it's chemically processed to look straighter. although it's in a straighter pattern than my natural curl--it's still hard to manage because when my hair grows my roots grow in a curl pattern. so it's like i'm treating two different hair types at once! to prevent my hair from breaking too much, and looking healthy (thankfully my parents gifted me with thick, healthy hair) i use lots of conditioner. conditioning is key! often, we all use way too much shampoo and not enough conditioner.

my teeth used to be so nice and white, but then i started drinking loads of soda pop and sometimes i'd be in so much of a rush i wouldn't brush my teeth. i know, so so horrible (but at least i'm being honest here!) well, that behavior is a thing of the past. i've also gotten my teeth a bit lighter by using a certain mouthwash.

here are some of the products that i'm using right now and like. there might be better products out there for me, so share the products that you use and feel free to suggest anything!

? me

i bought this last month or two months ago, and it's been finished for a few weeks now. but i saved the bottle because i wanted to remember the name so i could include it in this post. it really helps to keep your breath fresh for the whole day, especially if you use it both day and night. you have to make sure to gargle it and rinse at full strength for 60 seconds. so keep it in your mouth for the whole minute. do not use it more than twice a day. it says that in 12 weeks of using it, you will notice a difference. 12 weeks is 84 days, and the bottle only has 32 days of usage in it. so...yeah, that doesn't really add up but i did notice a difference in the color of my teeth in the time i spent using it, and i will probably be using this product again.

i use these three products as well as a cvs brand pore scrub regularly on my face. i use the neutrogena clear pore cleanser/mask only as a mask twice a week. i just bought the burt's bees deep cream cleanser last week because i read that soap doesn't fully clean your face (only the surface) and that you need a milky cleanser to really deep clean your pores. so i was thinking--maybe that's why my pores are so dirty/big, because i've only been using soaps. i used to only use the clean & clear foaming facial cleanser, and i like it because it's pretty gentle and it keeps pimples at bay. now i use it before my mask or after my cream cleanser. i just use the pore scrub alone in the morning. i think i have a slight allergic aversion to the burt's bees cream cleanser but i feel good knowing that the cleanser i'm using is all natural. after i use it i get a few bumps from some slight irritation, but i think that's because my skin isn't used to burt's bees natural goodness!

to moisturize i use a covergirl tinted moisturizer with l'oreal's active daily moisturizer. both have spf 15. spf is important for ALL skintones, because anyone can get skin cancer--contrary to popular belief. and even if you don't get skin cancer, being exposed to the sun without any protection causes wrinkles to set in early and can also promote discoloration of your skin. i use a lacura eye gel to moisturize my eyes. it's actually a beauty brand from aldi. it's cheap, but effective. i don't have a real night cream, i use a therapeutic moisturizing cream from walgreens. i use a very little amount because it has a LOTTTTT of moisture, and i don't need too much, because my skin has no trouble making oil on its' own.

i never win contests. ever ever ever. i mean, like...giveaways. i have a better chance at winning contests where you have to show off a talent, or write something, but i don't get lots of freebies. whenever i do, i am amazingly ecstatic. last year was the first time i had ever gotten a freebie from a giveaway contest. i received african pride herbal healing shampoo and leave-in conditioner from www.afrobella.com. i absolutely love the leave-in conditioner. i will be purchasing it again, unless i find a better/cheaper one. it has 17 natural hebs in it, and lots of nourishing oils. it really keeps my hair manageable and keeps split ends from popping up.

after i wash my hair i like putting in garnier fructis melting masque from the strength & repair line for overly processed/damaged hair. it smells fantastic. it has avocado and apricot oil as well as a ceramide reconstructor. i leave it in for quite some time, and then rinse it out and it leaves my hair so soft! i recommend it for anyone. the leave-in conditioner is great for all types of hair except very oily hair or else it'll just weight our hair down.

i tried dionis body wash in this scent (love), and ohmygoshhh it smells AMAZING! i have an empty bottle on my desk and i can't wait until i can hold onto my money long enough to buy this gift set that comes with the body wash and lotion (each 8 ounces). it has goat's milk in it, which keeps your skin soft as well as some other natural ingredients. unfortunately, it isn't all natural...but i love it anyway.

what products do you use that work really well for you?
thanks for reading!

all pictures from google images

products that i use daily

i've never been a high maintenance girl, but as the years go on i feel the need to get more and more products to keep me looking decent. one major issue i have is with my skin, my pores are pretty big and my skin is oily on my nose, the bottom of my forehead and on my cheeks by my nose. my skin isn't horrible--i know it could be much worse. i could have chronic acne, really bad discoloration, or it could be really really dry. if you have oily skin, it's a pain now, but when you're older your skin will age better than your peers because oil supports collagen and elastin production which keeps our skin supple, plump, and looking young!

i have relaxed hair, meaning it's chemically processed to look straighter. although it's in a straighter pattern than my natural curl--it's still hard to manage because when my hair grows my roots grow in a curl pattern. so it's like i'm treating two different hair types at once! to prevent my hair from breaking too much, and looking healthy (thankfully my parents gifted me with thick, healthy hair) i use lots of conditioner. conditioning is key! often, we all use way too much shampoo and not enough conditioner.

my teeth used to be so nice and white, but then i started drinking loads of soda pop and sometimes i'd be in so much of a rush i wouldn't brush my teeth. i know, so so horrible (but at least i'm being honest here!) well, that behavior is a thing of the past. i've also gotten my teeth a bit lighter by using a certain mouthwash.

here are some of the products that i'm using right now and like. there might be better products out there for me, so share the products that you use and feel free to suggest anything!

? me

i bought this last month or two months ago, and it's been finished for a few weeks now. but i saved the bottle because i wanted to remember the name so i could include it in this post. it really helps to keep your breath fresh for the whole day, especially if you use it both day and night. you have to make sure to gargle it and rinse at full strength for 60 seconds. so keep it in your mouth for the whole minute. do not use it more than twice a day. it says that in 12 weeks of using it, you will notice a difference. 12 weeks is 84 days, and the bottle only has 32 days of usage in it. so...yeah, that doesn't really add up but i did notice a difference in the color of my teeth in the time i spent using it, and i will probably be using this product again.

i use these three products as well as a cvs brand pore scrub regularly on my face. i use the neutrogena clear pore cleanser/mask only as a mask twice a week. i just bought the burt's bees deep cream cleanser last week because i read that soap doesn't fully clean your face (only the surface) and that you need a milky cleanser to really deep clean your pores. so i was thinking--maybe that's why my pores are so dirty/big, because i've only been using soaps. i used to only use the clean & clear foaming facial cleanser, and i like it because it's pretty gentle and it keeps pimples at bay. now i use it before my mask or after my cream cleanser. i just use the pore scrub alone in the morning. i think i have a slight allergic aversion to the burt's bees cream cleanser but i feel good knowing that the cleanser i'm using is all natural. after i use it i get a few bumps from some slight irritation, but i think that's because my skin isn't used to burt's bees natural goodness!

to moisturize i use a covergirl tinted moisturizer with l'oreal's active daily moisturizer. both have spf 15. spf is important for ALL skintones, because anyone can get skin cancer--contrary to popular belief. and even if you don't get skin cancer, being exposed to the sun without any protection causes wrinkles to set in early and can also promote discoloration of your skin. i use a lacura eye gel to moisturize my eyes. it's actually a beauty brand from aldi. it's cheap, but effective. i don't have a real night cream, i use a therapeutic moisturizing cream from walgreens. i use a very little amount because it has a LOTTTTT of moisture, and i don't need too much, because my skin has no trouble making oil on its' own.

i never win contests. ever ever ever. i mean, like...giveaways. i have a better chance at winning contests where you have to show off a talent, or write something, but i don't get lots of freebies. whenever i do, i am amazingly ecstatic. last year was the first time i had ever gotten a freebie from a giveaway contest. i received african pride herbal healing shampoo and leave-in conditioner from www.afrobella.com. i absolutely love the leave-in conditioner. i will be purchasing it again, unless i find a better/cheaper one. it has 17 natural hebs in it, and lots of nourishing oils. it really keeps my hair manageable and keeps split ends from popping up.

after i wash my hair i like putting in garnier fructis melting masque from the strength & repair line for overly processed/damaged hair. it smells fantastic. it has avocado and apricot oil as well as a ceramide reconstructor. i leave it in for quite some time, and then rinse it out and it leaves my hair so soft! i recommend it for anyone. the leave-in conditioner is great for all types of hair except very oily hair or else it'll just weight our hair down.

i tried dionis body wash in this scent (love), and ohmygoshhh it smells AMAZING! i have an empty bottle on my desk and i can't wait until i can hold onto my money long enough to buy this gift set that comes with the body wash and lotion (each 8 ounces). it has goat's milk in it, which keeps your skin soft as well as some other natural ingredients. unfortunately, it isn't all natural...but i love it anyway.

what products do you use that work really well for you?
thanks for reading!

all pictures from google images