MAC | Dubonnet

Red lipstick is just a staple piece in every make up bag. They come in many a shades and fit women differently. Its like owning those jeans that make your butt look amazing. Yeah, those. I myself own two red lipsticks: MAC Rubywoo & Kat Von D Adora. Both are gorgeous and very classic reds. So, I wanted to spice up my red lipsticks and go for a more brick red, a bit darker than the traditional. 

I chose a MAC lipstick because I feel safe with MAC. I haven't had too many casualties with MAC lipsticks. If you want a good quality lipstick, MAC is almost always the way to go. This time was no exception since I found myself with a new red lipstick called Dubonnet. Never heard of it and didn't research it before hand. This is an Amplified range lipstick, meaning the color will be more vibrant. The finish is between a satin and matte lipstick, which is fine by me. I don't find myself overly checking my teeth in the mirror to see if I have some lippie there, because I feel that once the lipstick sets its unshakeable for a nice amount of hours. That being said, I find that the way it wears is a bit unflattering. I can definitely say I've had other lipstick that wear off in a nice way. This isn't one. Regardless, its a lovely different shade to have for a special occasion or just because. I give this a B+.

Makeup Must Haves

These are products that when I look back I know I made a good investment. Even after having some of these for a long time I still get a lot of use of them. Sometimes daily.

Naked Palette- This is one of those products that just gives ample ways of usage. This is a very complete product to have and the colors just make it easy for both day and night looks. 

Falsies- If you already have long lashes and you're looking to just get the black color in them, I suggest this mascara. This is what I use to give my lashes a very opaque color and to also give them that spider look.

Tarte Smooth Operator- Definitely a product to have if you get oily during the day, if you have big pores or both. This just prevents me from getting oily in the T-zone for a good amount of time. Also, you don't need a lot of product to get this working right.

Tarte Exposed Blush- A nude blush is always something you should consider having. Both fair and dark skin can pull this off, getting a lovely flush on the skin that just makes you look healthy.

Etude House BB Cream- Providing a very good coverage and giving my skin a lovely glow, I can't ever go back to Western foundations. With so many BB cream products out there the possibilities are endless, so trying the one that's right for you is a game that at the end is very rewarding. 

MAC Honeylove Lipstick- A nude lipstick is always a must on my make up bag. Honeylove is my one true love that I always go back to. It provides a lovely pink undertone nude that looks amazing on any occasion and can compliment the rest of my make up well.

Kat Von D Oh My Goth- Just like having a nude lipstick is a must for me, so is having a dark one. This lipstick is the perfect dark purple with an amazing metallic finish that has pink shimmer. What can I say? It looks amazing.

MAC Soft & Gentle- Highlighters are such lovely additions to make up bags. When you're feeling a little dull, just slap a good highlighter on the top of your cheekbones and you're ready to go. Soft & Gentle is just one of those neutral highlighters that give a very nice glow that gives the face dimension.

L'Oreal Liquid Eyeliner- If you're into the cat eye look, a good opaque liner that gives you precision  is a must. Good opaque liners can be found both in drugstores and more high end products. 

Eyelash Curlers- Even if you have curly lashes, I find that lash curlers come in handy. They can just separate and keep your lashes in check, getting them ready for mascara.

Revlon | Fashion's Night Pout

Fashion's Night Pout is one of those nude lipsticks I kept seeing on Youtube/blogs but I could never find it here. I'm a huge nude lipstick fan so I was naturally intrigued by this lipstick. I kid you not, I have wanted this for maybe 2 years. Anyway, I was finally able to find it at some random Kmart and it was the last one and let me tell you, I love it.

The lipstick is a peachy nude, which I adore. The texture is one I find myself liking a lot. Not too creamy that it wont last, but to too matte that I feel my lips will crack. Its a moisturizing texture that feels comfortable on the lips and I don't feel I need to watch what I do or else it'll rub off... or worse, get on my teeth. The lasting time on this is average, nothing spectacular. However, I feel that I love using this lipstick and adding some Clarins cream gloss on top. It looks amazing, the perfect glossy nude lip without being goopy. I truly adore this lipstick, its right up there with my favorite nude MAC's Honeylove.

Naked Basics

 For me, this palettes is one of those where you start saying you wont get it but then you cave in and do. Trust me, I said I wasn't going to, but I really got into matte shadows and wasn't in any mood to hunt down individuals. It's a really small palette that fits into the palm of your hand. What can I say about this product? It suits its purpose. I feel like I have a more business approach when I pick this up. I have something in mind and I use it to get what I want. But there is no thrill when I use it.

Do I like the palette? Yes, I do. Very much so. The pigmentation on it is great and smooth. Easy to blend. However, its not something I'd buy again. I don't regret buying it, because I use it a lot. I like my results with it. But I just don't experiment with it. I use it and then put it away. That's it. I don't play with the colors or anything. Do I recommend it? Well, if you want matte shadows and don't want to find dupes then sure. If you have the money and can spend it, go ahead. Overall, I am happy with it but that's it.

Etude House | Precious Mineral BB Cream

By far the best BB cream + foundation I've tried up until now.  I bought this with the sole purpose of it providing moisture while I was in Colorado and have been using it ever since. The first time I saw this BB cream was when Martina, from Eat Your Kimchi, talked about it. I was impressed how amazing her skin looked because it seemed like just that... skin. 

So many times I've loved a foundation and later on hated it because it caked or just didn't look natural. When I tried my first Asian BB cream, the Skin 79 one, I vowed never to use western foundations ever again. I'm proud to say I've done just that and my skin tends to behave more, even on that time of the month. However, the Etude House Mineral BB cream is less ash-y that the Skin 79 bb cream. The Etude BB cream looks very natural on my skin, providing a dewy finish that leaves my skin looking healthy and not like a disco ball. It provides me with moisture and a very impressive coverage. Its perfect for everyday use and I'm so damn happy I got it. 

I truly recommend this products if you're looking for an easy, comfortable and natural looking base. Also keeping in mind that the coverage is light/medium, so those looking for a full coverage should maybe avoid this. Also, the skin range is based on Asian skin tones so those with darker skin tones wont be able to use this. However, maybe with the popularity increase they might broaden their skin tone range. I hope so because the finish this gives would look divine on a darker skin tone.

Here's the video where I first saw this product:

Body Shop | Rainforest Volume Shampoo & Conditioner

I try to always have a positive outlook on every product I try and then review. Even going as far as to admit I've been lucky to research and love the products I invest in. These Body Shop products are by no means a good investment for me. They are currently the object of my hatred-yes, it's that bad- and I can't even bring myself to finish them.

Lets start by saying these are for fine hair. I'm an advocate for fine hair that gets tangled by the slightest gust of wind. I thought it would be so good to finally try "good" products that didn't have silicones, sulfates, colorant and parabens. I also thought I'd be doing my hair a favor... First off, I need an insane amount of product to cover my whole hair and feel its "clean". The products wouldn't last a month, and having to spend the money on them constantly... not cool. The next thing was that my hair felt like rubber when I rinsed. Do you know that feeling your hair gets after you just colored and rinsed it? That weird wire texture? THAT is what I felt. Then, as if that's not enough, I had to spend about (30) minutes to brush my hair. Most of the times I ended up with headaches after the whole process.

I find that washing my hair and brushing it is supposed to be a soothing process. Using these products left me stressed and pissed off. I usually try to finish products, even if I don't like them, but I can't myself to finish these. I cannot stand the thought of putting these on my hair one more time. It makes me cringe. The only thing I liked was the smell, and even that can't make me use these again. I'm truly disappointed with these products and I'm just happy I didn't spend full price on them. 

Have any of you tried these? Thoughts?

Back!

I'm back from vacation and it was heavenly. Seeing amazing views and having time to stop and appreciate is wonderful. I got some cool stuff for Christmas and some products that kept my skin alive in that dry weather, so that will be coming up sometime this weekend! Hope you all has a good winter!