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.

Top 5 Blushes

Doing the cheeks is definitely one of my favorite things to do when doing my make up. I decided to show you guys my top (5) blushes and tried to keep each color different but... What can I say? I love my nude blushes.

All of these are very blend able and pigmented. These are colors that compliment my skin tone the best and just add that flush of color I love. The best thing is how they're all pretty flexible when it comes to the application. There is no patchiness in the application and the color pay off is definitely build able. Also, the colors I chose are very low key and can be handled by pros and beginners. Since they're all pigmented you need a light hand when applying them, but the payoff is very lovely! These are definitely colors I reach for the most.

 Nyx- 02 Dusty Rose

Sleek- Life's A Peach

Tarte- Exposed

MAC- Oh So Fair

MAC- Tenderling

How Much Is My Face Worth (Eek!)

Let me start by saying how deeply ashamed I feel with the numbers I came up with. I thought this would be a fun post but it's definitely not when you're staring at the end results. I'm definitely putting the brakes on make up until further notice! What will I write about? Oh, I have some plans. Anyway, here we go!

•   Formula 10.0.6- $7
• BB Cream- $30
• Reve de Miel- $20
• NARS Laguna- $34 (I don't use this everyday but I still wanted to add it)
• MSF Soft & Gentle- $30
• Blush Tenderling- $20
• Tarte Setting Powder- FREE (sample)
• Bare Study Cream Shadow- $18.50
• Rimmel Brow Pen- $3
• Mascara- $8
• Lipstick Honey Love- $14.50

This all comes down to a whopping $185! What is this! What have I done! Someone kick me in the arse because that is not okay. Bad, Ivonne! BAD! BAD! Sigh~ The sad part is this is a no make up, make up look. You'd expect I'd look more made up for $185! 

Anyway, how much is your face worth?  

Beware, you might end up like me... curled up into a ball in a dark corner crying.

Summer Favorites!

Since I always forget to do a monthly favorite, I decided to redeem myself with doing a Summer favorite! These are the products I've gravitated towards more during this very hot and humid summer. It's safe to say this has not been the summer to cake on make up. The heat here is unbearable and I've been having a lot of skin problems all summer that have me even more stressed. So, I've kept is light. Since there's quite a bit I decided to separate them into categories: Fragrance, Eyes, Face, Cheeks & Lips. Enjoy!

Fragrance:

 Dove Go Fresh Body Mist in Cucumber and Green Tea Scent- This is a product I always have with me. It has a unique scent that dries on very sweet and lovely. This is something I spray on during the day to make sure I don't stick up the place. Hah!

Eyes:

 MAC Bare Study- Although this is a fairly new product, I couldn't help but add it. This is something I reach for easily 4 or 5 days a week. It's just gives an effortless look and shine to the eyes that I can't get with my eyeshadows. Plus, it has a very good lasting power.

Mary Kay Ultimate Mascara Sample- I got this from a friend who sells Mary Kay. I've been really enjoying the finish this has on my lashes. I have very long natural lashes so I get annoyed when the mascaras elongate them, but this does a great job and getting them nice and dark without making the stupidly long and for a sample it's lasted me a good amount of time.

Face:

 Tarte Smoothing Operator- This is by far a holy grail product. I cannot wait to get my hands on a full size of this. This makes my pores small and keeps me matte throughout the day. This little guy is amazing and I cannot comprehend how I didn't know about it sooner. The best part is you only need a pea size amount to cover the WHOLE face!

Clinique Perfectly Real Make Up Foundation- I can definitely say I had neglected this foundation for a long time and fell in love with it all over again. The application is smooth and light, easy to blend in. It gives a nice light-medium coverage that's perfect for this weather. 

Cheeks:

 MAC Refined Golden Bronzer- I stole this guy from one of my best friend who has a tendency to be a kleptomaniac (hi, brenda!) and needless to say she did not like a taste of her own medicine. Anyway, this bronzer just gives such a delicate glow to the skin with the right amount of gold shimmer. I can cheat and say I went to the beach now!

Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Exposed- This is such an amazing blush that I always carry with me wherever I go. The flush of color it gives looks very natural and soft. The lasting power on this is amazing and goes so well with the bronzer. I couldn't help but reach for it.

Lips:

 Korres Wild Rose Lip Balm- It's no secret I'm a fan of matte lipsticks, but with this heat it's also no secret that I've had to drop my lipsticks and go for lip balms to keep my lips moisturized. The Korres lip balm gives me much needed moisture with a lovely hint of color that is greatly appreciated.

Reve de Miel Lip Balm- This guy is the one I use every morning and every night before I go to sleep. This is definitely what has been keeping my lips from cracking too much. It keeps my lips in check and leaves the soft.

Hot Pink Lip Balm- I got this guy at Sephora for $2 on a sale! It gives a lovely shade of sheer pink on the lips when applied and it looks like you ate a lolli pop. It's lovely.

Revlon | Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains

 Hey, guys! I come today with a little review on the highly popular Revlon balm stains going around. These babies have been all the rage in the blogging/youtube world lately and are kind of difficult to get since they're always sold out. After looking at swatches I decided on getting Rendevous and Charm. So without any more interruption here is my review.

 These balms have been compared to the Tarte chubby sticks, but even though I don't own the Tarte ones I have swatched them and they're nothing alike. Where the Tarte sticks are more pigmented, the Revlon balm stains are just that...stains. Each balm goes on like a tinted lip balm. As the shades grow deeper so will the pigmentation you'll see when applied. That being said, Rendevous (being more orange) goes on more pigmented than Charm (being more peach). They both have a satin-y finish. They are fairly moisturizing and smell minty. The smell I'm not so fond of, it's a weird mint smell. Leave these guys on for a couple of hours and you'll see the 'Just Bitten' effect. You really look like you were munching on a lollipop. So both of these are perfect for those days you don't want to wear a full on lipstick but wish to have color on your lips.

Rendevous is a muted version of Revlon's Siren. Giving a lovely orange touch for those who fear to go for an all out orange.

Charm is a lovely peach-y nude for those who don't think they can pull off a nude lipstick maybe this would be a color to try.