Lip Care

 Since I have frequently chapped lips I'm trying to take better care of them, especially since going on vacation where I was exposed to sun and whatnot. I normally apply some lip product every night before going to sleep. So, I've been exploring some options and here is what I have. These are the three I've stuck to. I've had lip balms, chapsticks, you name it, throughout all my life and I've never stuck to any of them. Flavor balms, yucky sticky ones, nothing ever stuck but these three. Here is what I have to say:

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula- This one is by far my favorite. It smells like chocolate, taste sweet and it does what it's meant to do. It's not sticky nor greasy and it lasts a long time. This keeps my lips soft and in good shape. It's also what I apply before wearing matte lipsticks.

Nivea Vitamin Swirl- This one I've had for a couple of months and is ok but not great. it's a bit greasy for my taste and it doesn't soften my lips enough. It does smell good and you get a very good amount of product. Plus, it has SPF10 which is good.

Carmex Lip Balm- This was another of my favorite until I got an allergic reaction. Nothing bad, though! I did have to stop using it but it did wonders to my lips before the reaction. What I mean is, you may not get the allergic reaction so this is a good pick! I'd still use it if I could. It's great, it soften and soothes the lips and it lasts a really long time providing moisture to your lips. I'm gonna miss it.

 Having products that protect your lips is very important. Any sort of lip protection you favor is a must in your make-up bag and you should apply it daily to keep your lips in shape. Of course, finding new products and trying them out is always fun for me, so if you have any suggestions feel free to let me know.

Go Get 'Em Girl!

  While on our way to our little vacation we stopped by a drugstore where I decided to pick up a few lip products. The Revlon Lip Balms I've heard about all over the blogging scene, but I never picked up any even though I've been eying them. So I finally decided to pick out one and try it out. Next, one of my friends told me about these new Covergirl lipsticks and how good they were and I picked two of those too and set on trying them for a week and some.

 I'm a Revlon fan since I think they do an almost MAC quality on their lipsticks. I have flaky lips so I was eager to try their Creme Brule tinted lip balm and see if it looked good but also helped my lips. Obviously, since it's a tinted lip balm, there isn't a huge amount of pigmentation. This is great for those to don't like to use really bright lipsticks or aren't ready yet. For me, it suited its purpose. It hydrated my lips and gave a nice nude sheen to them. I like how it gives a lip gloss effect without all the goup-y feeling that I hate so much. your lips just look so hydrated and healthy.

 As for the Covergirl lipsticks, I've never been much of a fan of Covergirl but damn these babies are amazing. I've been searching for a good fuchsia pink that would suit me and my search has now ended. Embrace is the perfect electric pink that looks amazing. It's long lasting, trust me I wore it a whole day at uni, and it's somewhat matte which I love. As for Sultry, I got it because it reminded me of MAC's Honey Love -which is my favorite matte nude- and I want it to test it out and see. Sultry is a bit more dark than Honey Love and it's not matter but I do like it. I'm still testing it out but I don't love it yet. Let's see... Maybe I'll do a post about it.

 Wearing the Revlon Creme Brulée lippie

Wearing Covergirl Embrace

Revlon Creme Brulee, Covergirl Sultry, Covergirl Embrace

I'm Back!

 I'm back after being away from technology this weekend. We all went on a mini vacation which was much needed. We had no signal nor Wi-Fi and it couldn't have been more perfect. The scenery was gorgeous and the ambiance was pure bliss. I'm damn lucky to have had experienced that and I'm very much ready to get back to work now. I got a few things I'll be showing soon and I know you'll like. Also, I hit my 100+ followers mark on this blog and I'm more than happy. Thank you all! I put a lot of work into what I do and write and it's beyond amazing to see people like it. I'm very grateful.

DIY Skull Bracelet

  I posted this picture of some skull charms on my Instagram (IvoFBlackout) a couple of days ago. I was wondering what to do with them and blah, blah, blah. I finally got around to doing a cute mint bracelet that I can't stop wearing. Really, it's easy to make and I should know since I suck at arts & crafts. Just need some fish line and your beads of choice. I'm all into the whole arm full of bracelets, but man I can't keep up with the prices. I make my own from now on, hurray! Mint colors, of course. Anyway, hope you guys are doing coolio. OH! As for where I got the charms? There's a little store in San Juan that sells them. I forgot the name, but it's near the place where the Hard Rock Cafe was. Also, they do sell them online and on Etsy.

Everything Hair!

  I love listening to requests or questions and one of the most frequently asked question is about how I do my hair and maintain the healthiness. Also, how I did my hair in one of my videos which I put a screenshot of it above! Well, I'm here to tell you my not so secret, secret. First, I'm a convicted hair damage convict, or whatever. I used to dye my hair a lot and do dramatic changes to it. By summer of last year my hair was not having it and was begging me to cut it off, so I did.

 This is important, guys. You have to know when to say enough is enough and just cut your hair off so it can grow healthier. I went from lower back length hair to just below the ear. Such a change is not necessary, you can just cut the damaged part. Then I had to cut out using oils on my hair since it was making it to greasy. And now that it's shoulder length I'm using some new things which are all below, check it out!

  As of late I'm using Pantene Pro-V Anti-Breakage Shampoo and Conditioner. These two are amazing! They smell amazing and the smell lasts me days. My hair is shinier and even straighter. Smooth as ever and strong too. I cannot tell you enough, I'm in love and cannot wait to wash my hair.

  Also, every time I'm about to apply heat onto my hair (which is very, very rare) I make sure I spray some TRESemmé Heat Tamer Spray to protect my hair and prevent as much damage as I can. Prevention is key, guys. Also, I tend to use Dry Spray Shampoo when my hair get a bit oily, so I can go about my day and wash it soon. I'm not a fan of the one I have now but it does help a bit. There are more options out there which you should all check into.

  For brushing my hair I use this brush, which sadly the name has rubbed off but I do remember you get it on Sally's. This brush get rid of all my tangles and really brings a healthy shine to my hair and a nice soft texture. I've been using this brush for years now and I'm very happy. Brushes play a big part on keeping hair healthy so really look into brushes before buying.

 As for heat and styling, I avoid using too many products on my hair. The only heat I apply, which is very rare really, is with my Cortex straightener which I got on sale at Marshall's. This leaves my hair very straight and salon looking. You can also get some nice curls with it if you know how to. But really guys, I avoid adding to much heat to my hair and only leave that for special occasions, and as you can see I've added no blow-dryer into this post because I don't use one. Too much work and heat and I just don't bother.

 Lastly, hair is unique and different for all of us. You have to take some time and work with your hair figuring out what works for you and what doesn't. Understanding that healthy looking hair does not happen my mere luck but there are some factors behind it that we all must do if we want healthy looking hair. I hope this all helped and good luck!

Matte Nails | Yay or Nay?

  Matte nails is a trend I've been seeing for almost a year now. Always been intrigued by it but I never went out to search for a matte polish or anything. Surprisingly enough I was at Hot Topic the other day and they were having a sale on any Warpaint beauty product. Everything $1.99, which included this matte nail polish. I decided to finally try it out and the results are pretty nice. It does leave a matte finish, very smooth and velvety. It dries quickly and it hasn't chipped yet. All in all, for $1.99 you can't go wrong, really. One thing I must say is, to my personal taste, the ideas and creations I can do with it are limited. I don't fancy a matte finish on pinks nor purples. I do like it on black and navy, something mysterious and elegant about it. Basically, I'll only be using it on darker colors, but that's just me.

My Fave Make-Up Brushes

 Face Make-Up Brushes 

 I was sitting in my room thinking of what to write about when it hit me; I've never talked about my favorite make-up brushes. So, I decided to go ahead and pick out my favorite and I noticed something... most of the brushes I picked aren't expensive at all! This goes to show you, you don't need to spend a huge amount of money on brand name brushes (unless you're a make-up artist) all you need is to pick out good brushes. If they do what they're supposed to do and they do it well, then why the hell not?

  This is my Kabuki brush. I don't know where I got it, although I'm sure it's from a drugstore, but it is perfect to buff in my powder which helps keep me matte throughout the day.

  I received this brush as a gift from a friend, I know they're from Marshall's and I also know they're not expensive, but I don't know the names. I use this brush to apply highlighter just above where I apply blush or bronzer. It may look big but it's a perfect size for my cheekbones. Plus, it's a super soft brush.

  This brush is from Mark by Avon. I use it to apply my blush and it's a perfect size for it. It says it's a powder brush but I beg to differ.

  This brush is also from the same Marshall's gift set I got. It's labeled as a powder brush but I use it to contour my face. It's a super soft brush that has a good shape to dig into those places and create the perfect contour.

  My flat top brush is from Mark by Avon. Even though it says it's for blush and bronzer I use it to buff in my BB cream or my foundation.

Eye Make-Up Brushes

  When applying my eye make-up, I do tend to lean more towards my Sigma brushes. However, I don't own that many drugstore eye make-up brushes, so I haven't experimented with quality and difference. Maybe I should...

  My Large Shader Brush (E60) from Sigma is perfect for applying my base eyeshadow color.

  Also from my Marshall's gift set, these babies are perfect for blending and applying cream eyeshadow, since it's synthetic hair on the brush.

  I use my Sigma Small Angle Brush (E65) to highlight the inner corner of my eye.

  This Sigma Blending Brush (E25) came free when I bought my 12 Brush Set. I like to keep two blending brushes, one I use with light colors and one I use with dark colors. Obviously I use this one with light colors.

  And this Tapered Blending Sigma Brush (E40) is the one I use to blend out darker colors on my eyes.

 This little guy is a nameless brush I use to apply eyeshadow and define my eyebrows, since I like to keep my brows thick and dark.

Spring Trend: Lip Color

  As my second part of my Spring Trend picks, I chose the lips. To me lipstick is another huge accessory that completes my look. Without it I tend to feel naked. I know people would probably go for bright bold colors for spring, but I'm leaning more towards nude looks. With the exception of my red Ruby Woo & Nicki Minaj lipstick, my picks are more subtle and in a way peaceful. What are your lipstick picks for this Spring?

 Beach Sand, Honey Love, Shy Girl, Ravishing

Ruby Woo, Viva Glam Nicki

Spring Trends: Nail Color

  It is no secret that I prefer to wear black & white clothing instead of colors. It is also no secret that I prefer to use color as an accessory, and this includes my nails. With Spring here I'm gravitating more towards colorful nails and pastels. Which got me thinking, I could do a Spring Trend post and divide it into 3 parts: nail, face and lips. This is a perfect moment to whip out all of my favorite nail polishes of the moment. Without further a do here are my picks for Spring nail polishes!

 Bettina- Orchidea, Sally Hansen- 06 Air, Bettina- Candy Peppermint, Essie- Mezmerise

 Revlon- Charming, Wet n Wild- Tickled Pink

 Wet n Wild- 212B Heatwave, Avon- Orange Creamsicle

Illamasqua- Rare

MAC Make-up Classes

  I was invited to take a make-up course at MAC this past Saturday and I was really excited since it would be my 1st make-up class ever. I was so excited I did research, weeks before the due date, to see what I would get. The class was 'free' as long as you bought a minimum of $50 in store, which for MAC that's nothing much. I thought it was brilliant because I got to take a class and leave with products! There weren't many of us taking the class, like 7 or so, which was perfect since the one teaching could pay close attention to each of us. They provided new and used (but cleaned) MAC products and brushes. They were very generous in giving us make-up to try on. And also, the one teaching the class was very patient.

  We were given a MAC Professional Make-Up Menu, where it shows the classes they offer. We were also graciously given a huge MAC Note book that contained a lot of MAC face charts and a place for use to write notes, etc. That book is legit, I swear! I want 10 more of them because: 1. They're ,graphically speaking, gorgeously done and 2.They're very helpful. Even thought our class was a beginners class I was happy to learn that I wasn't doing make-up badly from the beginning.

  The class was centered in achieving a day to night look. We used a plum palette that had a lavender, lavender grey, grey and black color. We basically did a smoky eye with magenta lips. I wasn't a fan of the last look since I like to balance my face, meaning if I do strong eyes I usually keep my lips fairly neutral. I wasn't a huge fan of all the face prep products since my face felt sticky, but I did like a moisturizer SPF 50 they had us use. We had approximately 3 hours of class and it went by fast. They later take our info so they can later call us for more advanced classes. 

   As for what I got? I went with 2 lippies and a brush. I wanted to get 2 cream blushes called Tea Petal and Lady Blush but they had neither. But I did get the lipstick I wanted which is called Shy Girl. I decided to get Ravishing which is a shade deeper than Shy Girl, almost like a smoked salmon color. I adore both colors very much. As for a review, I can't give one yet since I haven't used them, apart from trying them on, but I will talk about them soon.

   As for my new brush, I got the 129 which is a powder brush if I'm not mistaken. We used it during the class to apply powder and bronzer. Personally I think it's better for bronzer because I think it's too small for powder. But to be honest, I only got the brush because I had to spend $50. I liked the brush but I wouldn't spend $34 on it unless I was in the position I found myself in. I think you can get the same brush quality at Sigma for less, which I have. It's not that I hate the brush, I just hate the price.
Anyway, I really had fun at the class and I really want to attend more so I recommend the classes if you're interested. All you have to do is ask on the store counter for the information. They hold the classes once a month, I think.

Ravishing- Top & Shy Girl- Bottom