Friday, November 28, 2014

Courage


The devotional I've been doing for the month of November encouraged me to sit down and really meditate on the meaning of courage this week.Courage means "the ability to do something that frightens one" or "strength in the face of pain or grief"

What I love the most of this word is its Latin roots. It's root word cor which means "heart". At the root of courage is HEART. When you are passionate or love something - your heart is manifested. It takes heart to press in the face of opposition or distress. Heart means having faith even when everyone questions your ability or decision. 

BE COURAGEOUS<3 <3 <3 Take heart and remember your purpose and passion 

Just wanted to stop by and encourage you all.

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Things I basically live in this season =)



1.) American Apparel Circle Infinity Scarf (top right): I am LIVING in this scarf. I bought this for a little less than 9 dollars at Marshall's. I was able to wear this in the mild Fall weather and today's 35 degree weather. Definitely glad my sister saw into the future and encouraged me to buy this. It is made of fleece and it is HUGE. Like it can be worn as a shawl, shawl-hat, shirt, dress, etc. etc. But I've been wearing it as a BIG 'OL SCARF. Very versatile and it looks so good with everything. 

2.) Wet N' Wild Copper Dust (below the scarf): Purchased this baby for 1 DOLLAR at Walgreens. This has been my baby for the past two months. It is in the Red lipstick family- but I classify this as a orangey-brown with a tint of red lol. It literally WAKES my face up. This definitely makes a difference when I jumping out of my bed in the morning and want to do the least possible. 

3.) Lancome Desert Sunset Eyeshadow Palette (bottom left): My mom purchased this for me about a year and a half ago (summer after I graduated from college)for like 15 dollars. This palette definitely goes for A LOT and we scored it for NOTHING. Honestly - I love this palette and it definitely is a summer color palette but I love the darker colors and I don't really care too much for anything other than neutral colors. AND I keep coming back to this lovely <3. Here's another view.

4.) Old Navy Women's Chambray - So I couldn't find the actually top but I wanted to put a photo of one of Old Navy's Chambrays in the post lol. The one I purchased is a tad too big for me and I honestly didn't like it when I first purchased it. BUT I love how it looks on me and I love wearing it with jeans, leggings, and I am actually going to try to wear it with a skirt tomorrow and belt it! Woooot. 

5.) Pacifica Color Quench Balm - I purchased the Blood Orange color a few months ago from Marshalls. This stuff is LIKE BUTTER. It literally has Shea Butter in it and it has so amazing oils in it that keeps my lips moisturized. I've bought another with Cocoa Butter in it and that one is equally amazing. This keeps my lips moisturized like NO OTHER LIP BALM. I am grateful for this. lol. I've seen this lip balm at like two different Marshalls for 4 dollars. Definitely be on the look out for them.

6.) American Eagle Party Cardigan (Bottom right) - My sister bought this for me when she worked at AEO last Christmas. I totally went into the store and almost bought it and she had already picked it out for me. BEST CARDIGAN EVER. It is really comfy and it has two slits on the sides that definitely makes it edgy. I live in this thing and it makes me feel like I am walking around with a blanket on all day LOL. It is my comfort item hahah. Thanks sis - you da best giiirl <3

7.) Madewell Transport Tote - Okay...I took forever to purchased this tote yall. I looked at it for months.I finally purchased it and it has been so great to me for the past few weeks. I can comfortably carry my laptop,wallet, water, umbrella, journal, a book, pens, and chargers in this tote. CHANGED. MY. LIFE. I am glad I invested in it because I know my future educational/life goals will keep me on the move. What better way to transport with the transport tote...hahaha. 

There ya go! Some of my faves and here I am in FOUR of the seven I posted =D 


See yaaaa
<3,
Tonyette

Sunday, November 16, 2014

Fall and Winter Make-Up Essentials


It’s my favorite time of the year people! November to January is prime time for me! I love the weather, Thanksgiving, Christmas and the prospects of a New Year. I also look forward to breaking out my warm cozy sweaters, boots, scarves and changing up my make-up routine just a bit. Like most people, I start whipping out deeper lip and blush colors and go for a more “flawless” face look.

So let’s talk about my staple make-up products for the fall and winter seasons! As a disclaimer, the majority of the products in this post are high-end products. I’ve been experimenting more with higher end makeup and I have really grown to like what I’ve tried out so far!

Lips

Clockwise: Dior Ultra Addict Gloss in #652, NARS Russian Doll, Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Honey, YSL Rouge Volupte Shine #2

Swatches from Left to Right: YSL Rouge Volupte Shine #2, NARS Russian Doll, Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Honey, Dior Ultra Addict Gloss #652
 *My lighting makes everything look too red. I'm going to work on different lighting. But in the mean time bear with me. The YSL and NARS lipsticks are a lot deeper and more purple than shown. 

·      YSL Rouge Volupte Shine Lipstick in #2 – What would be a fall/winter makeup look without a berry lip? I’ve wanted to try one of these YSL lipsticks for AGES but the price tag is nauseating! One of these bad boys is $35. But I ransacked the Internet and on eBay I scored this one for significantly cheaper. I should do a post on how I find good deals on eBay and not get ripped off by scammers. Hmmm, that’s an idea…. But this is a beautiful lipstick. It’s got a light, smooth, pigmented formula, think Revlon Lip Butters, but not so soft to the point where you feel like it’s going to crumble when you apply it. It smells like a Jolly Rancher and you can wear it sheer or build it up to an intense berry. It isn’t overly shiny, provides a nice sheen to the lips and leaves behind a nice even stain on the lips as it wears off. It claims to be moisturizing, but I’m not too impressed with how well it “moisturizes” my lips.
o   A great drug store alternative is Revlon’s Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Crush. It has a different finish on the lips because it’s a stain, but the shade is in the same family.

·      NARS Russian Doll – Don’t be fooled by how dark this lipstick appears in the bullet. It’s extremely versatile. It has a satin finish and I prefer to wear it as a stain by lightly applying it to the lips and then really working it in with my finger. This is a deep, cool burgundy shade with purple and brown undertones. This can be built up to full intensity if you want to go for a really vampy look. I think this would look amazing on really pale skin with a subtle, smoky eye and flawless foundation. Literally like a porcelain doll (I see what you did there NARS).
o   Other lip products of a similar shade (though different finishes) are Revlon’s Super Lustrous Lip Gloss in Raging Raisin and YSL Rouge Volupte Shine #1.

·      Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Honey – This a great, everyday lip color. I gravitate more towards this product in the cooler months because it has more mauve, brown undertones than Rimmel’s Show Off/Apocolips in Celestial or YSL Rouge Volupte Lipstick #9.

·      Dior Ultra Addict Lip Gloss Glow in #652 Mischievous Rose – The Dior Addict Glosses are my Holy Grail favorite lip glosses. The texture is so silky, smooth, shiny and luxurious. They are pigmented, hydrating and make your lips look unreal. They don’t last incredibly long on the lips because the formula is so slick, but I don’t mind. Mischievous Rose is a brown toned rose shade, that once it warms up on your lips, it looks so natural and pretty without being over the top. When I saw this in the tube I was scared it would be too brown, but it’s not once applied. Good stuff Dior, good stuff. I have no dupes or similar products to this one. 

Eyes


·      Urban Decay Naked2 Palette – For what ever reason I tend to stray away from eyeshadow in the warmer seasons, but once things start to cool down, I break this bad boy back out. Even though I have warm, yellow undertones to my skin, I prefer taupe eyeshadows and there is something about this palette that screams fall and winter to me. It’s slightly cooler toned than the original Naked palette, but still won’t look odd on those of us with warmer undertones. It’s got a ton of shimmer shadows and three matte shades that make it versatile; perfect for a simple every day look, or a festive sparkly look for those holiday parties.

·      Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze – This is the perfect eyeshadow base for the Naked2 palette and it works well on its own. Another eye product I really only break out during this time of the year because it’s a taupe shade.

Cheeks 

Swatches from Left to Right: theBalm Mary Lou-Manizer, NYX Mocha, Milani Red Vino, Tarte: Breathless, Embraced, Whimsy, Bashful, Irreplaceable.
*Again, my lighting makes everything too red. My bad!

·      NYX Blush in Mocha – This is the perfect everyday blush shade that goes with a variety of looks. In the summer I tend to go for blushes like NARS Orgasm, theBalm’s Hot Mama or Milani’s Baked Blush in Luminoso, but once things start to cool down, I want shades that lean more on the berry side. This blush just gives the perfect flush with a matte finish. It’s also at a great price point to at around $5.

·      Milani Baked Blush in Red Vino – This blush looks horrifying in the pan and it is insanely pigmented, so you do need to use a light hand, but when applied lightly, it gives such a beautiful berry hue to the cheeks. It is laced with gold shimmer, so it also provides a nice glow to the cheeks. I remember the first time I wore this, a coworker asked me why I looked so flushed. This is one of those blushes that makes you look like you’ve been in the cold for a few hours. It’s a great quality blush at around $7-8. Can’t beat that!

·      Tarte Pin-Up Girl Blush Palette – This  is my first Tarte purchase and I’ve wanted to try their 12 Hour Amazonian Clay blushes for a while. So, when Sephora had Tarte’s holiday blush palette, I snagged it. I really like this palette and it has a great selection of shades for any look you may want to do. It has three matte blushes and two with subtle shimmer. The main reason I wanted this palette was for the matte tan blush (perfect for when you want to wear a bold lip) and that purplish blush next to it with the subtle sheen. Very pretty.

theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer – I’ve wanted this highlighter for aaaages! Literally, I think at least two years, but I always talked myself out of it. But I finally caved and purchased it and I have used it practically everyday since getting it almost two months ago. Like I said earlier, I tend to go for more of a golden sheen on the cheeks in the warmer months and I like to cool things down in fall and winter. I wanted a highlighter that would still compliment my warm skin tone, while also complimenting the cooler toned blushes I start to wear again. This is also such a nice highlighter; soft and pigmented. It’s easy to go over board with this though, so apply with a light hand!

Face


·      Laura Geller Spackle Primer in Ethereal – I love to mixed this in with the Rimmel Stay Matte Primer. It provides such a lovely glow to the skin and really makes your foundation look nicer.  I wouldn’t say this is shimmery, it’s more opalescent. It doesn’t look glittery at all, it just glows. Perfect if you’re trying to achieve that flawless skin look that people strive more towards when the weather is colder. It really makes you look “lit from within.” This is also a very generous size. Most primers come in 1 ounce tubes. This is 2 ounces, so you are getting more for your money.


·      The Body Shop Extra Virgin Minerals Liquid Foundation – I can only wear this foundation when it is cold and dry outside because otherwise it will slide off my face. It has a dewy finish and I find it to actually be quite moisturizing. This is not an oil free foundation, but it does not break me out. It has light to medium coverage and gives a natural look to the skin. It’s perfect for those cold winter days and you want a foundation that’s going to provide some extra moisture to your skin.

·      Chanel Vitalumière Aqua Foundation – This foundation has a huge hype around it and I’ve been curious about it for quite sometime. I finally got my hands on it and I like it quite a bit. I have the shade B40, which is the perfect shade for me when I don’t have a tan. It’s wears nicely and has a satin finish. It feels like nothing on the skin. It has light to medium coverage and I feel like the longer I have this on my face, the better it looks. It really makes my skin look flawless. The wear time is great on my skin, for me being having oily skin. For the price point I wanted it to really perform, but at the same time I didn’t want to like it so much because then I’ll want to repurchase when I run out. Guys, I like it too much. So long money. Send me a post card from France, signed by Chanel (that ain’t gonna happen). Lovely. Pricey. But lovely.

These are all my makeup staples for Fall and Winter. Quite a long post I know, but I really wanted to share these items with you all! So for those of you who actually read everything, you're the best!

That are you cold weather makeup staples? Have you tried any of these?
- Alana