Tag: Makeup of the Day

Maybelline

Maybelline City Chic Mini Palette – Smokey Eye Look

Maritza2 Comments

Anyone out there a little hesitant to work with dark colors?

(Raises hand sheepishly)

I’m going to admit that I tend to stay away from dark colors. You see, I’m not a make up artist and I believe it takes a certain amount of talent and hand eye coordination Wait! Scratch that. It’s not like we are playing volleyball. Or are we? Regardless, I possess neither to create a good smokey eye. Every time I attempt to create a dark eye it ends looking really muddy and kind of like I just didn’t get a good nights sleep.

That doesn’t mean I don’t like to try, so when I saw that the Maybelline City Mini palettes were on sale this week at Target for $7.99, I decided to give these puppies a try. I could have opted for a warm neutral one, but I was feeling adventurous! So when I saw this tiny palette with rich blue, purple and silver shades, I was like “Why not?”

I am going to admit that I decided to give this palette a whirl on a really random Wednesday when I had nothing planned and wasn’t actually leaving the house just so I wouldn’t have to commit to this look when I actually had to socialize with people, but don’t hold that against me. I’m working on my confidence.

I decided to start with the taupe-y color in the middle and apply that on the crease and just a little above. After blending that in, I dipped into that royal purple shade and added that to the crease and the outer V. It’s not particularly dark upon application, but it is buildable. My one concern was that after building it, the purple looked more black than purple.

I then picked up the silver glittery shade and tapped that onto the center of the lid with my finger and worked it to the inner corner. It was lovely and vibrant, but Holy Fallout, Batman! I looked like I cried glitter! It’s ok, nothing that a little swipe (or two) of a powder brush couldn’t fix.

I did decide that the outer V needed just a tad bit of definition, so I got a pencil brush and applied a bit of the black shade and blended it up to get a slight cat eye. I then dipped into the blue and smoked the lower lash and then with the same pencil brush I used with the black, deepened the outer lower lash a bit and dragged that up a bit to connect help shape the “ cat eye” a bit.

Overall I was pleased with my work and I didn’t look like Edward Scissorhands!

Score!!

Also, what do you guys think of my natural hair? Trying to learn to love my curls, but there is an insane amount of mousse up in that birds nest to tame the frizz.

Thank goodness we have been having cooler days and humidity has been low. I need all the help from Mother Nature I can get.

Till next time, my friends!

Maritza

Lush Love

Lush Love

Maritza2 Comments

I love Lush. You walk into their store and everyone is so friendly and willing to let you sample anything. Their bath bombs are piled in in baskets or stacked like mini scented pyramids ready and ripe for the picking. The soaps are in display ready to be cut to your specifications and across the wall we have jars and tubs of creams, lotions and bath products ready to sample and select. It’s like the farmers market of my beauty dreams.

Lush Love.jpg

I always go in for a bath bomb or two, but leave with a bag full of goodies. Admittedly, not stuff that I particularly needed, but will always end up using.
In this trip, I picked up:

Shampoo Bar in Honey I Washed My Hair. I bought this for Logan as he tends to overuse the bottled shampoo. The bar is supposed to last up to 80 washes, if you don’t leave it in standing water, which I think sounds about right for his short hair.

Massage Bar in Soft Coeur. I have no intention of sharing this lovely. It’s a solid massage bar with essential and moisturizing oils that you warm up with your hands and then rub it wherever you need it. It’s not heavy and the product sinks in quite nicely. This bar smells like white chocolate and I must literally stop myself from licking it off myself.

Soap Bar in Honey I Washed the Kids. I think most of my purchases revolved around this scent, but it’s just so damn nice. The young lady helping me carved it from the block in the display down to the size I wanted. I said it was for the guest bathroom, but who am I kidding? This sucker is for ME!!!

Bath Bombs x 2. This is what I initially came for. My kids are addicted to those Instagram videos that show bath bombs dissolving, so I always pick one up for them. I got a nice blue one that I believe is called Ocean Mist (don’t quote me on that) and it smells like sea salt and ocean spray mixed with a nice clean laundry detergent. I don’t think I’m doing the scent justice, but trust me when I tell you, it’s nice. I also picked up the Yoga Bomb for myself. This is my most favorite bath bombs of all time. It’s citrusy with a nice sandalwood undertone. It’s the perfect bomb to wind down in the tub with. The young lady helping me at Lush said that she believes they might discontinue this bomb, so if you are a fan, run to grab one before they go away for good.

Do you have any Lush recommendations? If so, leave them in the comments below. I will make sure to check them out.

Have a wonderful Wednesday, my Friends!

Maritza

Beauty Favorites

June Hot Picks

Maritza2 Comments

Did anyone blink and suddenly it was July? I know that this is something that we all say, but I am really getting concerned about how quickly time is flying. It’s time to stop and smell the roses, people!!
With that being said, it’s also time to showcase June’s Hot Picks. These products were the ones that made me say “Damn, Girl! You look good” when I checked myself out in the mirror last month.

June Faves

Hot Damn Pick # 1
Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Night Oil. I will start off by saying this product is EXPENSIVE!!! I don’t know about you, but shelling out hundreds of dollars all willy-nilly on skin care isn’t in my monthly budget. I’ve got kids to feed! But this stuff is good. I mean really good. It’s a retinol oil blended with crap loads of botanicals and essential oils. It’s does smell somewhat grassy and it’s blue straight out of the bottle, however, it sinks in clear. The morning after I first used it, my skin was glowing and I haven’t stopped using since then. A little goes a long way, so I recommend buying the 0.5 fl oz., which will cost about $55 at Sephora and you should get a good 3-4 months use out of it.

Muy Caliente Pick #2
Cover Girl Vitalist Healthy Elixir Foundation. This product was all over Instagram and YouTube in June. Some loved it, others hated it and the beauty world was divided. It was Civil War. I was in the love category. The formula is creamy and, although it says that it’s full coverage, I don’t particularly believe that claim as my freckles peek through. Not a problem because what I love about this foundation is that it looks like skin. It’s glowy, long lasting and a perfect base for your make up. It comes in a variety of shades and runs you about $10 or less at the drugstore.

It’s Getting Hot in Here Pick #3
Benefit’s Galifornia Blush. I’ve never been a fan of Benefits blushes. I know for the past few years, they have come out with their cheek palettes and they were very hyped, but I always found their blushes to be quite dusty and either too shimmery, too pale or too matte. In walks in this Beachy Babe of a blush. It’s a gorgeous golden peachy pink that flatters multiple skin tones. It’s perfect for summer as it gives you that “I just came back from the beach” look. It does have a slight shimmer, but it doesn’t look like you accidently picked up the highlighter instead of blush. Did I mention it smells like coconuts? Benefit also has a travel size version, which is just so darn cute and perfect to throw in your beach bag or tote.

Smoking Hot Pick #4
Hard Candy Velvet Mousse Matte Lip Color. Back in the 90’s, I lived and breathed for Hard Candy and it’s like going back in time every time I peruse their display in Walmart. I ended up purchasing one of these lippie beauties this month and was completely blown away. First off, it smells like cupcakes. The formula is gorgeous. It’s went on even and the pigmentation was excellent. It’s long lasting, but surprisingly comfortable and they cost $6! I vowed to throw one in the cart anytime I was in Walmart because these are a great buy. I don’t know why I don’t see more people talk about them.

Jal -a -peno Business Hot Pick #5
Boscia Charcoal Makeup Melter Cleansing Oil Balm. I got a sample of this in one of my Sephora orders and kind of ignored it for a while. I was generally pleased with my nighttime routine and figured why change things. Of course, as is always the case, you run out of one of your regulars and shop the sample pile you have thrown in a drawer for a quick replacement to do the job at that moment. Boscia is one of my favorite skin care lines as their Sake Brightening Hydrogel Mask is one of my favorites, so I figured they would not let me down. Let me tell you, the people at Boscia must have made some deal with the devil, because this stuff wipes every speck of makeup from your face. I don’t know how they do it, but all I can say is that my face is not only clean, but it doesn’t feel tight, which sometimes with products that have that kind of cleaning power, have a tendency of doing. I know they also came out with a Charcoal Jelly Ball Cleanser, but I like the product in a pot simply for storage and traveling reasons.

I know there were a lot of new beauty releases in June and I am excited to see what you all think should be added to the list above. Share and leave your comments below.

Have a wonderful Sunday, my friends.

Maritza

Beauty Review

What’s All the Buzz About?

MaritzaLeave a comment

I have become a huge lip balm junkie lately.

As usual, it all started with Sofia. She suffers from really chapped lips, so I would buy her lip balms so she can throw in her backpack. Well, one balm was usually never enough, as they would get lost or she needed another one to put in her purse or sleepover bag. So, I would always end up throwing an EOS or Baby Lips in the shopping cart whenever I went to CVS as we were going through these quite quickly.

Next thing you know, I was  beginning to throw a few in there for me. I don’t know whether I need to drink more water, talk less or if it has just become some sort of oral fixation, but I find myself applying lip balm now 3-4 times a day. At work, I’ll be sitting on a conference call and find myself just rubbing balm on my lips like a zombie.

Not that that is a bad thing. My lips are smooth as butter now and in the recent craze of matte liquid lipsticks, it’s actually a welcome relief to apply an ever soothing balm to you cracked, chapped lips. But this is where the story get’s a little weird.

I recently went to Ulta and was intrigued by a lip balm from Doctor Lip Bang’s Lip Freak. OK, the name. Is that not hilarious? You know I had to buy something from a company called Doctor Lip Bang. My inner, immature, 15 year old immediately thought if this lip balm should actually be used while doing other things with your mouth. You know what I mean…wink, wink.

Lip Freak

It claims to be the strongest buzzing lip balm in the whole world and the buzzing is actually transfer proof, so when you smooch your cutie, they could feel this powerful buzz as well. It also claims to be 100% natural, can be used for boys and girls (why is that even a thing these days) and also comes with a caution that it’s not for crybabies.

Damn…my husband is out.

I apply it and it’s a quite powerful cinna-mint smell and taste. I wait for about a good minute, but no buzzing yet. Everyone has a gimmick, I tell you. I feel like I got suckered into buying just a regular, overpriced cinnamon chapstick, when all of a sudden, I feel it. It starts like a hum on your lips. As if you slightly pressed them to your electric toothbrush on a low setting. Then it begins building and the hum turns into a slow buzz, like a mild pins and needle feel when your foot falls asleep and your trying to shake it up, but not unpleasant at all.

Once again, my inner, immature 15 year old kicks in and I start wondering if my lips are about to orgasm.

It is the oddest feeling. The weirder thing is that I wasn’t sure I liked it, but, once again, during one of my many hour long, boring conference calls at work, I find myself mindlessly applying it and enjoying it. Not sure if it’s a replacement for my EOS, but it’s certainly entertaining.

Anyone else have a lip balm recommendation? If so, leave them in the comments below.

Till next time, my friends!

Maritza

 

 

 

Beauty Empties

June Beauty Empties

MaritzaLeave a comment

I find that very rarely do I ever scrape the bottom of a beauty product. With so many new items coming out daily, it seems that you are always reaching for the next one and never really using the stuff you already have on hand. What a waste, right?

I’m guilty of it, but from time to time, I do find myself reaching for something and realize, in shock, that I have hit bottom.

Let us now take a moment of silence and appreciate the short, yet glamorous, lives of these beauty favorites. You are gone, but never forgotten.

Queue Sarah McLachlan’s “In the Arms of an Angel”.

June Product Empties

Beauty Protector Protect and Detangle. This was a Birchbox find and a definite re-buy. I don’t really know if it’s any better than any other detangler I have owned, but it smells so damn good. It’s like you coated your hair in cotton candy. My daughter, Sofia, also loves it and the minute is ran out, she put the bottle on my desk and was like “Buy now.”

Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer in Light. Smashbox has some of the best primers and I have been using this particular primer for about 2 years now. I have gone through about 3 bottles of this stuff and will definitely repurchase. My foundation looks great on top of it and it minimizes pores and shine. What more can you ask?

Hey Honey Trick and Treat Series Concealer. Another Birchbox find and will most definitely repurchase. It’s not as thick as my other concealer, Tarte’s Shape Tape, but it does a wonderful job in concealing darkness and covering fine lines. I like to use this concealer on my more natural days because it looks so real, like you were born with great under eyes and get 8 hours of sleep and drink 72 glasses of water of day.

Boscia Charcoal Makeup Melter. I actually already repurchased the full size of this product. I received it as a sample from Sephora in one of my purchases and, I kid you not, this balm is the real deal. I only use this and then my Micellar water to pick up any tiny bits left behind and I am done. You massage it on your dry face, including your eyes, and then wash off with warm water. The proof is in the bathroom sink when you see all the makeup swirling down the drain. No need to fuss with another cleanser or product.

Morrocan Oil Treatment. I really cried when I ran out of this product. More because I tipped it over and it spilled all over my counter, but also because it’s so damn good. I have frizzy, wavy, medium length hair. It takes me a good hour to tame this monster, so I want to make sure that it damn well lasts. This product is the cherry on top of my blow out. It smells fabulous. Adds loads of shine. Tames the flyaways and leaves my hair sleek. As a bonus I rub the excess into my cuticles. Not sure if that does anything, but it leaves them nice and glossy.

Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray. This is probably the only product I will not be repurchasing. Not because I didn’t like it. It work great. Whenever I want to create beachy waves, this is my go to product. It’s smells divine and, unlike some other texturizer, it doesn’t have that gritty feel to it when you run your hands through your hair. The only problem is that it’s SO DAMN EXPENSIVE!!! Everytime I get a Birchbox, I pray that an Oribe sample is in there because that is the only way I can get my hands on these puppies without breaking the bank.

What products made it into your empties bin this month? Share below in the comments and let me know what I should buy or skip.

Have a wonderful Sunday, my friends!

Maritza

 

What-EVER!

#Whatever Wednesday

MaritzaLeave a comment

#Whatever (as in What-EVER!!) Wednesday is an Instagram Series where I showcase products that are Fails or Meh and not worth my time.

Two weeks ago there was an AWESOME Almay coupon in the Sunday paper. Buy any eye product and get a free Almay product of lesser or equal price. I don’t really own anything Almay, so I thought this would be a good way to get to know the brand.

I head on over to Walgreens  and peruse the Almay display. I have to buy an eye product in order to cash in this deal, and looking at the selection, nothing is really calling out to me, except for an eyebrow pencil, which is not part of this review because it was actually decent, and a pen liner.

Hmm…pen liner? Take this literally, my friends, because the tip of the pen is actually like a ballpoint. I thought this was really cool. One of the things I struggle with a typical felt tip liner is the pointy tip. Really awesome when you want to make that wing, but acts like a little shit when you are lining the lid. You know what I mean? The tip is too thin, so you have to kind of use the flat side to add some width to the line?

Bingo!

I think we found the winner.

Whatever Wednesday

I choose a navy blue color just because it’s not black and I figure if it’s free, might as well go outside my comfort zone.

Next day, I decide to put this puppy to the test and, I don’t know whether I got a bad one, but I opened the cap and the “ink” was all over the place. Omen #1.

I proceed to do the first eye. Color was decent and, just as I expected, the line came out even and thick in just the right spots across the lid. I blink and the product smears on the top of my lid. Omen #2

I clean it up and try again and wait a bit to let it dry before I blink and then proceed to do the wing. I make the flick and NOTHING! No product was on the eye. I shake it and test it on the back of my hand? Product shows up.

WTF? Is the side of my face waterproof or something?

Omen #3

10 minutes later and by the miracle of God and all the Catholic Saints I am supposed to know the name of, I somehow manage to create a wing. Another 15 minutes and the other eye is done. I already know I hate this product, but I decide to soldier on.

I finish getting ready and dressed and head out the door. I have to go to my daughters school for her Honor Assembly and I want to look like the Hot Mom 🙂 . I get in the car and flip the mirror down to check the look in natural light and…Mother Effer!!! The freaking eyeliner is basically gone! The wing has disappeared and the color along the lash line looks watered down and patchy.

This eyeliner is the Devil.

Honestly, thank goodness it was free because it would be a total waste of money.

Have any of you tried any Almay products that you love or hate? If so, comment below.

Till next time, My Friends!

Maritza

 

Beauty · Morning Routine.

AM Routine

Maritza1 Comment

I am not a morning person.

It’s funny because the other day I was listening to The 5 Second Rule by Mel Robbins on Audible and she had a whole entire chapter dedicated to how you need to wake up early each day because that is when your brain is the most productive.

Well, no disrespect to Ms. Robbins, because I really loved that book, but no amounts of coffee or exercise can ever make me a more productive person in the morning. I’m not even hungry in the morning. I’m barely alive and it’s really all about simplicity those first few minutes after I wake up.

That’s why my morning routine is so basic. Whenever I see all these Instagram bloggers post their morning routine, I am like “Do you wake up at 3am to exfoliate?” Seriously, I wake up at 7am and only have 45 minutes to shower, put make up on, get dressed, feed the kids and get out the door so that I can have them in school by 8am and myself at work by 8:30am. And before you even suggest having me get up earlier to have more time, please save your breath. Not going to happen.

AM Routine

So what do I do to keep my skin looking presentable?

Not much really and I don’t mean that in a “Because my skin is naturally fabulous” kind of way, but more like, this is as good as it gets.

First off, I gently use a cotton pad to wipe off any moisturizer I put on before bed with Micellar Water. Sometimes, I look horrified at the cotton swab after I see how much of my mascara I did not wash off and the proceed to count the additional wrinkles under my eye this must have caused.

Then it’s all about the sunscreen. I use the Neutrogena Age Shield Face Oil- Free with SPF 110 and let that sink in for a while. I find that using actual sunscreen, instead of relying on the one that may already be in your moisturizer is a little thicker, so you need to give it a few minutes to settle in.

A 110 SPF , you say??? Do you live on the Sun?

No, but I’m getting up there in years and it’s taken me this long to figure out that all the tanning (sunburns) I got in my youth contribute to my perceived aging, so might as well use what they got to offer. SPF 110 is just fine for me, thank you very much!

Lastly, I put on the moisturizer. I really like the Clinique Pep-Start Hydroblur. I know it got some mixed review, but I like it. It has a primer sort of feel to it and one of the main complaints I read on Sephora was that it seems to pill under your makeup, but that has never happened to me. I have combination skin and I find that as long as I pat it on my T-Zone area and gently rub it in everywhere else, it gives me the effect I am looking for, which is a softened around the edges kind of look.

All this only really takes me about 5 minutes or so, which is perfect because, the majority of my get ready routine is dedicated to putting on my makeup and doing something presentable with my hair.

I hope you enjoyed this little slice of my morning routine and feel free to share yours in the comments below. I love hearing about new products and if you can tell me how to shave this down from 5 to 3 minutes, you will officially be my new best friend.

Till next time, my friends.

Maritza

 

 

 

 

 

Beauty Blogger · MOTD · Sunday Funday

Sunday Fun Day – Father’s Day Edition

Maritza2 Comments

Happy Father’s Day!

Whether you are dad, uncle, brother or just a damn good friend to someone, just know that you have the potential to be an inspiration to kids, young and old, in this world.

Today, the kids and I took Hubs out for a Father’s Day lunch. Nothing fancy, really. Just stopped by our favorite Ale House in Miami Lakes to spend some time together and celebrate.

When I was going through my palettes, I looked at the back of the organizer and saw the Urban Decay Naked 3 palette and I knew that I wanted to use it today. Funny, that it is so light and pink, and I wanted to use it for Father’s Day. Not that you couldn’t use it, but my first thought was to go with something bold and sexy, like a red lip and cat eye, because that’s what my husband really likes (if you know what I mean…wink, wink!)

Anyways, I digress.

As I was saying, the Naked 3 was probably one of my first high end palettes, so it’s an oldie, but definitely a goodie. My favorite color is Nooner. It’s the perfect Mauve and on the crease provides just the right amount of definition. I blend out the edges a bit with Limit and then deepen the outer V with Darkside. On the lid, I used Trick and then tapped some of Stila’s Magnificent Metal’s in Kitten Karma to make it really pop.

MOTD 06182017

The rest of the face, consisted of the following:

  • CoverGirl Vitalist Healthy Elixir in Creamy Natural
  • Tarte Shape Tape in Light Natural
  • CoverFx Custom Enhancer Drops in Sunlight
  • Becca Blushed with Light Blush Trio Pallete – I mixed Wisteria and Snapdragon
  • Marcelle Xtension Plus Curl Mascara in Black
  • Hard Candy Velvet Mousse Lip Color in Cherry Blossom

As a side note, you know your look was On Pointe, when your soon to be 12 year old came up to you and asked what colors I used in my eye look and then spent one hour in the bathroom trying to recreate it.  🙂

Have a wonderful Sunday, my friends!

Maritza