Favorite Product Of The Month - March

Hey lovelies! Wow, March is officially over and here we are at April, looking forward to spring! It is that time again, my favorite beauty pick of the month. This month was quite easy for me since as of late I have been enjoying a quick "get up and go" routine. Since I have been so busy this month, I have been utilizing very subtle eye makeup with bright, in your face lips to complete my look and make my face pop. My obsession for March has been "blood orange" lips and so, Scarlet Ibis has seen quite a bit of love. However, one other lip product really became my go to for this month and that is why I chose it.

Since Scarlet Ibis is a very daring lipstick; I know that for some it may be too much and I love this lip pencil for that very reason. On days where I am craving an orange lip but, I do not feel like breaking out full on saturated color, this is my choice: NYX Slim Lip Pencil in "Pumpkin". It is a gorgeous bright orange/coral with a hint of golden shimmer. When I purchased this awhile back, I was initially hesitant because I failed to realize that there was shimmer involved. This awesome pencil was two steps away from being returned! Thankfully, the gold shimmer blends into my lips flawlessly and instead of overbearing sparkles, I get gorgeous color. Even with my lips being as naturally pigmented as they are, Pumpkin still shows up perfectly. The greatest thing? Versatility! Depending on the lighting, Pumpkin can look full on orange or have a red or pink tint.

These lip pencils glide on well and blend with very minimal effort but they lack the creamy aspect of traditional lip liners, they have a semi dry feel. I actually prefer this texture because it stays put and the pigment does not slide around my lips and settle into lines or crevices. (I have Hot Red as well). With my MAC Prep + Prime, this lasts for a few good hours before fading to a nice stain. Without primer, eating/drinking of course wears the color down but surprisingly I am still left a nice color on my lips although, it ends up being more on my lip line than anywhere else! My favorite thing about this? Like Scarlet Ibis, Pumpkin really brightens up my face and helps me to look more awake. Which is quite appreciated on early, on-the-go days.

Overall, would I re-purchase this? Absolutely! I have been wearing this lip liner under all of my lipstick no matter what shade and even of its own. It is perfect for that hint of brightness; I really adore how it just pulls together my entire look and makes it a lot more interesting than my standard red or pink lip.

You can purchase these lip pencils here and here

Retail: $3.49 // 0.04 oz

Much love & Happy April Fools Day! xo

Making My Very Own "BB Cream"

The hype over BB creams has been absolutely insane lately. Almost every major cosmetic brand and even some smaller ones have jumped on the coveted BB train; some brands have even gone so far as to re-package their already existing foundations and tinted moisturizers as BB creams. Crazy right? Well what if I told you that making your very own BB cream was as easy as combining some of the products that are already present in your makeup drawer?

If you're new to the BB craze, here's a little backstory. BB creams originated in Asia as an all-in-one or multi-purpose beauty product, the purpose being to make your skin look flawless by using less individual products, therefore saving you both time and money. These traditional BB creams contain foundation, sunblock, moisturizer, primer and sometimes a serum and some sort of skin whitening agent. The one flaw? They come in an EXTREMELY limited shade range, only two different shades at the very most. Naturally, once the BB craze came to America, the limited shades had to change and that's where everything else changed as well. American "BB creams" are hugely different from the original ones, to the point that they are really just tinted moisturizers and nothing more. They often don't contain any of the ingredients that made the original BB's so famous. Now, that doesn't mean that they're bad products, they just aren't on the same level that BB creams are known for.

As a person with dark acne scars, I've always been intrigued by BB creams but since I don't wear foundation they were a no for me. I do however use moisturizer, primer and pore filler so why not combine them? And that my friends is how it all started, my very own BB cream for my skintone and skin needs with no shopping or trying out additional products needed.

Please excuse my dry hands!

Always start with clean hands and materials! You can make this mixture in a jar, on a palette or the back of your hand. I don't have specific ingredient amounts, everything is completely custom and the amounts depend on what you specifically need for your skin.

Step 1: Start with your everyday moisturizer. I used my AHAVA Time To Hydrate and since I have combination to dry skin, I used more moisturizer than any other ingredient.

Step 2: Add your foundation. Since I don't use foundation, I used my trusty NYX Pore Filler which is tinted.

Step 3: Add your primer. The NYX Pore Filler is already considered a primer but for the extra oomph I added a bit of Smashbox Photo Finish (clear).

Step 4: Adding a serum. This is completely optional. I prefer my "BB cream" with just steps 1, 2 and 3 but, if you want to stick with the traditional route of using a serum, I added just a touch of my Philosophy Miracle Worker Anti-Aging Serum. I prefer my mixture without this because it's a lot less heavy.

Step 5: Adding SPF/Sunblock.This step is also completely optional. If neither your moisturizer or foundation contain SPF, you can add a touch of sunblock.

Step 6: Mix well.

So there you have it, I made my very own custom BB with ingredients that I already owned, used and were familiar with. The greatest thing is that no matter what ingredients or products that you use for your own mixture, you have peace of mind knowing exactly what you're using and you have the freedom to control the amount of everything. The final result of me using steps 1, 2 and 3 was a very light, silky mixture that made my skin look flawless and feel incredibly soft. Try it and see what works best for you!

As with anything, take caution and if any irritation occurs, stop.

Much love xo

What's YOUR Holy Grail Beauty Product?

Hello lovelies! I know that I haven't been blogging a long time but you'd be amazed by how many of my favorite products have been replaced! From skincare to eyeliners, it seems that almost everything has changed from my first "holy grail" post and even my "40 Beauty Questions" post. It's almost exhausting searching for the gems of the beauty world but I definitely have fun rising to the challenge. It takes a lot of epic fails to find that one product but at the end, it's worth it. Here are my new and improved (with a few old loves) holy grail products:


1. Ulta Precision Liquid Eyeliner (Carbon Black): 
I've gone from gel to to liquid now and I can't see myself moving again. I have shaky hands and because of this eyeliners short length, I can easily hold it and make clean, bold lines.

2. Philosophy Miracle Worker Anti-Aging Serum & Moisturizer:
I LOVE both of these products. They are lightweight and leave no dreaded oily residue.

3. Organix Extra-Strength Moroccan-Argan Oil: 
This hair oil is absolutely perfect for my extremely dry hair. It softens my hair and gives it a nice glossy, healthy sheen. I use a quarter size amount on both damp and dry hair daily.

4/5. NYX Pore Filler & Shine Killer: 
These two are amazing. The pore filler is tinted and so I actually use it as a foundation. A little goes a long way with both of these and I use these two separately as well as combined for special occasions. The pore filler has a light, airy, fluffy texture and has a nude skin tone tint to it. The shine killer is a clear silicone gel similar to Smashbox Photofinish and Palladio's Foundation Primer. I've used both of those in the past and I can without a doubt say that in my opinion the NYX crushes both of them.

6. Too Faced Shadow Insurance: 
My absolutely favorite eyeshadow primer. It holds my shadows on all day and they don't even think about budging even with my oily lids.

7. Earth Therapeutics Complexion Brush:
I use this daily to cleanse and gently exfoliate my face and it works like a dream.

8. DDF Brightening Cleanser:
A new found holy grail thanks to Birchbox! I received this in my October Goop box and I couldn't be any happier. My dark spots and acne scarring have already started to fade and my skin is brighter, glowing and more healthy looking.

9. ELF Eyebrow Kit (Medium):
A forever holy grail for me. In the past i've tried everything from pencil to shadow to mascara and I could never get the natural eyebrow look until I started using this.

10/11. Paladio Herbal Tinted Lip Balm (Rosey) & Essence of Beauty Lip Butter: 
I love both of these and depending on what look i'm going for, I use one or the other. Since the Palladio is tinted I use it both alone and sometimes over my Scarlet Ibis lipstick for a stunning color. I use the Essence Lip Butter mainly at bed time or after I take off my makeup. Both of these balms are extremely moisturizing and keep my lips soft for hours.

12. Aroma workshop Shea Butter Body Cream: 
Best body butter I've found. This product is super thick but non greasy and keeps my skin nourished.

Let me know what your holy grail beauty products are below! If you have any questions or would like me to do a separate review on any of these products, check out my contact page!

Much love xo