Products I'm Loving Right Now

I thought about doing a May Favorites and I suppose this could count as one, except it doesn't include ALL of my favorites, just the products I use on a daily basis that I absolutely love.

I'm a makeup cleansing towelette kind of girl. I like taking my makeup off before I go in with a wash. I really try to limit the products I use on my face because I have sensitive skin. I've tried the Nuetrogena towelettes and they made my skin red and itchy. The Ponds brand has always been good to me. I was using the regular ones for the longest time but saw these Ponds Evening Soothe with Chamomile & White Tea ones. Since I bought a pack, I haven't gone back to the regular ones. They take all of my makeup off and I get them from Target. A lot of times they are two for $8.

I've been switching off between facial cleansers. I've used the heck out of my Purity Made Simple One-Step Facial Cleanser and I really like it. It removes so much. I like using it in the morning just as a refresher. It is formulated to rapidly dissolve dirt and makeup while deep cleaning pores. 

I also have been using Josie Maran's Argan Cleansing Oil that was paired with her well-known oil which I really like as well. I don't grab for it as much as my moisturizer though. The cleansing oil works amazing. It doesn't dry out my skin or anything. However, it doesn't remove ALL of my makeup if I use it on its own. If I use the towelette's first, then it'll get all of the excess makeup off.

My favorite moisturizer for my face of all time is Philosophy's Hope in a Jar. It's the best for my sensitive skin. It's not too thick and is very moisturizing. I use it both at night and in the morning. The scent is just a regular smelling type lotion scent.

The best body butter is the Josie Maran's Model Citizen Whipped Argan Oil Body Butter. It is limited edition so I suggest going to get it now before it's gone. I went and got a second jar because I am not ready to part with it when it's discontinued. It has an amazing scent. It's not too warm and not too cool. It's also not incredibly thick like some body butters are. It dries fairly quickly and doesn't stick to my sheets when I put it on before bed. When I get up in the morning I still feel soooo moisturized.

I recently started putting effort into my brows and am in love with my Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz. The tip is very small and easy to work with. It's effortless when doing your brows.

I'll usually pair my brow wiz with my Whitening Lightning Brow Bar to Go. It comes with two brow powders and a wax to tame those unruly hairs. I can use this even when I don't use my Brow Wiz. I have to have one or the other or both.

I've tried drug store and the Mac eyelash curlers but my holy grail is hands down Japonesque Ergo Grip Eyelash Curler. This puppy curls the shizz out of my eyelashes and it doesn't pull any out.

Mac's Melba Powder Blush is my go to blush all year round. It's just that perfect shade. It's not too dark and not too light. It's just perfection.

My favorite palette of all time right now is the Lorac Pro Palette. It has 8 matte shades and 8 shimmer shades. The different eye looks with this palette are endless.

The most talked about lip product on the market right now is the Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask and it is worth the hype. It is intense and works so good. A little goes a long way. I'll put this on at night and wake up and it's still on. It's very moisturizing for your lips.

If you haven't tried any of these products, I definitely recommend them. What are some of your favorites? I'll be doing my favorite brushes in a different post!

Happy Tuesday,
-Amanda :)

Who's the Girl Behind This Blog?

I realized I started off this blog without really "introducing" myself. How rude of me! In case you were curious as to who I am and who's the one behind the computer typing up these awesome posts, keep reading! :)

I'm Amanda. I will be 24 years old in a week and I'm 5'4.25", yes that quarter is necessary. Haha. I'm currently a stay-at-home caregiver to a three year old little boy named Jack, whom my family has guardianship of. We also have his sister who I watch after, when she gets home from school. I live in the most bipolar weather state there is, California.

I LOVE makeup. You can say I'm YouTube taught because I have watched videos for as long as I can remember. I was born with the tomboy gene so I needed some guidance on makeup and hair as I got older and started to care about how I looked. I first started watching Kandee Johnson and loved her - still love her. I now also watch Nicole Guerriero, Jaclyn Hill, Casey Holmes, SMLx0 and quite a few others. They've taught me sooooo much! 

A couple rando's about me:

• I love Taco Bell - it's pretty bad
• I am extremely sarcastic and I love to joke around
• I'm 75% Mexican and 25% White - you wouldn't know by my light skin and slanted eyes though haha
• I have a 7 month old Boxer named Ellie 
• I play World of Warcraft (I'm not very good) - holla at all my gamers haha
• I have my paralegal certification 
• SF Giants, SF 49ers and San Jose Sharks fan
• I'm agoraphobic
• I've taught myself to play 5 instruments
• I'm one of those kids who's parents are divorced and love it haha
• Law and Order: SVU is my show. I watch the reruns like nobody's business. The USA channel has a marathon every Tuesday, which makes it one of the best days out of the week for me.
• My favorite ice cream is Coldstone chocolate ice cream with a crap ton of gummy bears!

Those are just a few random things about me to sort of sum me up. I'll be starting to post more often and it's a sort of all over the place blog that's going to consist of makeup (duh), hair, raising the kids I watch, just life! I hope you stick around and come back!

Happy Hump Day,

-Amanda

Get Ready With Me | Fast Forward

I was about to get ready when I had this bright idea to roll my Macbook and film it. When the baby is sleeping, I sometimes get bored. Haha. Here's my first ever video and post on YouTube! Apologies in advance for the poor lighting and everything else. I'm not a pro and I used iMovie to edit. Don't forget to upgrade in HD!

Hope you enjoy! 


Products Used:

Benefit Porefessional
Loreal True Match
Mac Pro Longwear Concealer
Mac Prep + Prime 
Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder
Mac Melba 
Nars Lagoona
Lorac Pro Palette 
Whitening Lightening Brow Bar to Go
Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz
Too Faced Perfect Black Liner
Loreal Telescopic Mascara
Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara
Eos
NYX Butter Gloss in Maple Blondie
Mac Fix+ 

Happy Monday,
-Amanda :)

Tattoo Tag!

Tattoos used to be one of those things you didn't talk about. It was taboo. You were a delinquent or a bad person if you had any. Well guess what? It's 2014 and it's becoming a fad now and I couldn't be more stoked about it. Tattoos are amazing when they're done right and even more so when there's a story behind them. Also, I absolutely LOVE color tattoos.

How many tattoos do I have and where? Well I'll tell ya!

I got my first tattoo when I was 19, in 2009. I didn't know what I wanted or what the pain was going to be like. I just knew I HAD to get one. I stuck to something small on the back of my neck. Your typical heart is what I went with. It had no meaning, I just wanted to get it. 

Let me tell you, I barely made it out alive. I was so nervous before that I didn't eat. Bad idea. I became light-headed, dizzy and nauseous. The lines were supposed to be thicker but I couldn't handle it. My sister took a picture of me hurled over a trash can ready to spew but luckily I didn't. (TIP: Always eat and hydrate before getting a tattoo. Trust me.) I have yet to get this tattoo touched up because I've realized, I don't like getting a tattoo where I can't see what's going on. I'm hoping one day I'll touch that puppy up but for now it's not a priority of mine.

I decided to try the tattoo thing again but this time I knew what I wanted. I got two tattoos in 2010. First I got a Bible verse, 1 Cor. 13:4-8,13 which reads, "4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres...8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away... 13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." I was in a really bad relationship and the break-up wasn't any better and I wanted, no I needed something to help keep me going. Something to remind me the kind of love I deserve. I had it placed on my left wrist because it's my ring finger hand and I wanted to be able to see it every day. It's been a great reminder going through trials and tribulations since.

A few weeks later I decided to get hip tattoos. I wanted something that matched. I went with music notes with wings. Not many know this, but I'm musically inclined. I took band in grade school and taught myself five instruments. Music in school really helped me get through things. I'd write songs, poems, try to make up my own chords and even started practicing to audition for a music school. 

Sorry the lighting is so bad on this one. As you can see, it needs to be touched up. I've put it off because it hurt so BAD. I didn't expect it to hurt as bad as it did. This was by far the most painful tattoo I have gotten yet. (TIP: Do not wear jeans or any type of clothing that will rub on your tattoos. It will cause the color to fade. I unfortunately wore jeans after getting this done and it messed it up quite a bit.) Because of how bad these hurt, I count them as two separate tattoos. Haha!

My fifth tattoo I got in February 2011. I always wanted to get tattoos resembling my family. I had become really close to my little sister during this time. She's the only full-blooded sister that I have. I decided to get her birth flower and my artist suggested using her initials as the stem and I loved the idea. This was how it came out. The foot wasn't too bad pain wise. My leg twitched at times uncontrollably and I kept sweating! The closer to the edge he got, the more it hurt. The worst part was the next day. My foot swelled and throbbed. It was not fun.

And we come to my last and most favorite tattoo, my sugar skull. My grandma became sick with Lou Gehrig's Disease (ALS) and she was slipping away from us very fast. I wanted to get something in remembrance of her. I started the piece before she passed and finished it after she took her last breaths. 

She was full Mexican and a Day of the Dead skull just seemed right for a remembrance. There are 5 roses, for her 5 granddaughters including myself. I chose the rose because it is her birth flower. The only thing I asked of the artist was for the candle to be a traditional red and the roses to be yellow. He did everything else. I absolutely love this piece. 

Tattoos are a beautiful thing and the fact that they're starting to be normalized is so awesome. 

From my inked body to you,

-Amanda :)

*All photos posted were taken today May 17, 2014.

Buxom Nudes and Brights

Hi guys!

I sort of went a little crazy on Sephora's website recently and spent enough to get me to the VIB status. So yes, I spent quite a bit. One of the things that caught my eye was the Buxom Nudes and Brights lip gloss set. It was $32 with a retail value of $51. 

I've heard a lot of great things about the Buxom line and thought this was a good way to try six of their colors out without breaking the bank. Below is a little swatchy, swatchy.

From left to right: Yes You, Mwah, Dolly, Strut It, Pucker Up and Cha Cha Cha

Aren't they so pretty?! And I love the names of them. When I went to try them out on my lips, Yes You and Mwah didn't show up too well. But I'm thinking with a lipstick underneath, they'll give that perfect bit of nude you need. 

The dofa applicator is flat on both sides, so instead of having to dip the applicator back in after one use, you can flip it over and use the other side. I'm definitely pleased with this buy. They weren't too sticky, which is what I look for in a gloss. Nobody likes to rub their lips together and it feel like there's sticky glue on them. I think Cha Cha Cha is going to be a staple for me this summer. It's the perfect bright coral color. These Buxom glosses were a definite hit!

From my glossy lips to yours,

-Amanda :)

tarte Brazilliance Maracuja Self-Tanner

First Impression/Review

I recently bought the Tarte Brazilliance Rejuvenating Maracuja Face and Body Self-Tanner. Phew, say that 10 times fast. QVC was having a one day deal where you would get the self-tanner (11 oz - double the size as the original), mitt and self-tanning face towelette's (5) for $49.98. With shipping and handling added, the total came out to $60.95.

Originally the tanner is $39.99 for 5.5 oz (half the size of the QVC deal) and mitt. The towelette's you'd have to buy separately at $21.00 for 10.

I'm all about trying new products so I jumped at the deal. I took a shower and exfoliated the night before with Lush's Sea Salt Scrub, shaved and then used the self-tanner right before bed.

TIP: Do not apply self-tanner right after you shave because the tanner will seep into your pores and you'll have these dark dots all over your legs and that is not cute. You should wait about a couple hours before applying.

Now on to the application.
The first thing I noticed was the smell. It wasn't a gross fake tan smell, you know exactly what I'm talking about. The smell was pleasant and tolerable. The tanner comes out as a dark brown color and it does have a slight tanning guard so you can tell where you're applying it.

I did feel as though most of the tanner was being absorbed into the mitt. I did two coats of tanner to my body. I did not use the face towelette's because you have to wash your hands right after using it and I didn't want to wash off the tanner I had put on my hands. The tanner takes about 8 hours to develop so I put it on before I went to bed and off to sleep I went. 

I have white sheets so when I woke up this morning I expected some of the tanner to have gotten on my bedding but surprisingly there was none! My skin was quite brown from the color guard but I hopped in the shower and rinsed off. I was a little disappointed that after rinsing off, much of the color was gone. I put my moisturizer (I prefer a body butter) on and have gone about my morning. 

TIP: To help the longevity of your tan, always moisturize. Use a wash cloth in the shower instead of a loofa and try not to shave because you're tan will come off on the razor.

So what do I think of this product?

PROS: The application was easy, the smell was great, it didn't stain my fingernails and it didn't come off on my sheets.
CONS: The color isn't as dark as I had hoped, even after two coats, and most of the product seemed to have absorbed into the mitt when applying.

FINAL THOUGHTS: This is a good product if you're new to self-tanning or if you just want a really subtle looking tan. For the price and what I received, it was a good buy for me. If you're looking for that deep, dark tan like you just spent a week on an island this is not the product for you.

I hope this helped some of you. Remember, stay out of the sun! Skin cancer and wrinkles are not cute. Self-tanning for the win!

-Amanda :)

Sigma Makeup Brushes

Sigma Makeup Brushes

Is it worth the hype?

I was very skeptical when it came to Sigma's makeup brushes. I researched, watched videos and read reviews about their brushes and there were a lot of mixed opinions. I decided to hold off on purchasing any for the time being since I felt I didn't need anything at the time. 

2014 has come and I knew I needed new brushes. I had been watching Jaclyn Hill on YouTube for awhile and she mentioned she teamed with Sigma to create an Expert Beauty Box that included seven of her favorite brushes for $90 (retail value of $113). I decided to go ahead and buy the box in March when it launched.

My box (pictured above) arrived a week later.

The contents included:

• F80 Flat Kabuki 
• F86 Tapered Kabuki
• F35 Tapered Highlighter
• E55 Eye Shading
• E25 Blending
• E40 Tapered Blending
• E30 Pencil
• Mini E25 Blending (Free Gift with $30 purchase)
• Card from Jaclyn Hill

I immediately took them to the sink to wash. (I use the Beautyblender Solid to clean my brushes) The Kabuki brushes washed fine, no shedding or fallout. However, when I washed the F35 Highlighter brush, it shed quite a bit. I was a little sad when that happened. The rest of the brushes had no shedding or fallout. 

I've been using these brushes for a month now and I absolutely LOVE them. Ever since that first wash with the F35 brush, it has not shed since. They work amazing. I have different makeup brushes but always grab for these. I will definitely be purchasing more. Not only do they have brushes but they also have makeup and accessories for your brushes! They have a brush glove that I really want to try too!

Basically, Sigma brushes are like Mac brushes except cheaper in price and better quality. If you're in the market for new brushes, I recommend taking a look into their collection. www.sigmabeauty.com

-Amanda :)