Real Techniques Brushes Review

Hello lovelies!!! It's been a while! The reason is that it has been really crazy at work, lately. I am one woman show at work these days :)

Well, I am back with a quick review for the Real Techniques Brushes by Samantha Chapman Core Collection. These brushes are the best brushes ever.

They are so soft and applied makeup so well that it is a treat for me to use them every morning.

This core collection set brings a Detailer brush, Pointed Foundation brush, Buffing brush, Contour brush and a Panoramic Case.

I got mine at drugstore.com, I believe for $17.00 and I think it is not a bad price considering the quality of the brushes . I have bought many makeup brushes in the past, and I have put many of them on the aside because they do not live to the my expectations, but these ones have met all my expectations and I am looking forward to buy more Real Techniques Brushes.

My very favorite is the Buffing brush. I use it to apply cream or liquid foundations and also mineral foundation. This brush is the ideal for a flawless  and fast application. I love how the size of the brush (not too big and not too small) allows me work the foundation on my skin with precision.  It is thick enough to get enough product and to buff it in small circular motion to get every part of your face, like the sides of the nose, temples and eye area.

Buffing Brush

My next favorite is the Contour brush. It is really good to apply powder blush. I have always had problems applying blusher because the brush will always leave me weird lines in my cheeks and I will have difficulties blending the product. Thanks to this brush, my problem is part of the past.  The brush is dense and so, so soft, and it gets the right amount of product on it. I use it mostly to apply blusher, but because of its shape it is perfect to apply bronzer as well.

Contour Brush. ( Sorry, it is a little dirty)

Next, I have the Detailer brush. I have to say that what prompted me to buy this set was the Detailer brush. I was in desperate need to find a brush that will help me to apply my red lipsticks like a pro. I was very disappointed with the brushes that I have gotten and this brush has been my savior!! I love its shape, it is not too pointed or too thin. It helps to contour the outer side of the lips easily and with precision. I also use it to apply concealer right under my under eye bags.

Detailer Brush

Lastly, the Pointed Foundation brush. I use this one to apply liquid highlighter on my cheek bones. I haven't used it to apply foundation because I prefer to apply my foundation using circular motions rather than "painting" my face. But, I am very sure that it should be great for it, too.

Pointed Foundation Brush

Also, the case is very versatile to take your brushes with you when you travel. I took mine with me on my last trip and I even put some other brushes in it and it helps me to keep my brushes well kept and organized. 

I really love this set I am looking forward to buy more of these brushes. You can take a look at the Real Techniques website to see this and other sets and to look at videos on how to use each brush.

I am pretty sure that many of you know Samantha Chapman and her sister from Pixiwoo. I love their videos and their british accent, too. 

Verdict: A must have!!!!

Hasta Pronto!!!

Julep New DD Cream and DD Concealer Review

Hello lovelies! How is everybody doing? I hope you are all doing great.

Are you tired or confused about all this big fuss about BB creams, CC creams and now DD creams? In all honestly, I haven't done too much research about this new DD cream because my guess is that it is the same thing as the BB creams or CC creams. So, why bother to explain what a DD cream is.

So, let me share my impressions on this Julep DD cream with you. First of all, the DD cream comes in four shades: light, medium, medium-dark and dark. Julep also has a DD concealer and it comes in three shades: light, medium, dark.

This cream promises to moisturize, prime, and protect the skin helping to fight signs of aging.  And the DD concealer says to help disguise dark circles, blemishes and redness. How great this is!

I got the medium shade on both and they blend easily with my skin tone. The DD cream is very creamy, but does not feel heavy on the skin. It does not have a any chemical odor, which I think is great. It also has buildable coverage and makes the skin look flawless. I am very happy with it and I have been using it for the past two weeks and so far no complaints about it performance. Oppss, I forgot to mention, this cream has SPF 25 for sun protection.

Next, Julep has this DD concealer and I think it does a good work covering under eye circles and little spots on the face. It glides effortless and it provides good coverage. It is odorless as well as the DD cream, but the formula feels a little thicker.

 

 

This is how the concealer works. I think it does a great job under my eye area. But, judging from the pictures, maybe my under eye dark circles are not so dreadful and I am exaggerating.

before

After

Now for the cons, the amount of product in the concealer tube is non-existing. The tube is almost empty and I have used just little dots of product under my eyes to cover my dark circles. It is very annoying to try to squeeze the tube to get some of it out! Oh well, I guess you get what you paid for.

If you are planning on getting this DD cream and concealer, I highly recommend them.

Hasta pronto,

xoxo

 

June Ipsy bag: A NAY!!

Hello lovelies! Is everybody ready for summer? I am! I need to get some tan on my legs, they are extremely pale. I want to do so many things this summer. I want to go to the beach, to the parks, to be out and about, and I want to get my driver's license.
What do you want to do this summer?

Anyways, let me get to the topic of this post: My June Ipsy Bag. This is the first time that I feel disappointed about it. I did not like the products of this month. Please, do not get me wrong, it is not that the products are not great, it's just like it does not feel like my style.

For instance, I got this beautiful, not my style cream glitter eye shadow palette from Jcatbeuty. I have never heard of this brand before, but the palette looks lovely, but for younger girls that go out dancing on the weekends. Gosh, I did not even open the package to swatch them because I do not think that I will use them. So, I better keep them unopened to gift them to somebody.

Next, I got this beautiful, long, false eyelashes also from Jcatbeauty. I guess I can try to make them work, if they look natural. Maybe on Halloween?

I also received this NYX blush, that looks more like a bronzer. I was hoping to get one of the cream blushers or a pink shade powder blush, but.......I got this.....and I keep it also unopened. I have two bronzers already and I don't use bronzer often. Not since my ex-boss asked me what was on my face. I remember that he had a very weird look on his face when he asked. I guess he though that I was having some sort of illness. So embarrassing! I learned, from that experience, that we need to own a good blender brush and to wear little bronzer on the right places.

Following, there is this lip liner on Bare from Starlooks. This was also an unknown brand for me. I feel very sorry that this product did not work for me either. I do not like this shade on me because I have a medium skin tone and this color made me look bland. Why not the bright pink or a red shade that others received of their bags? What else can I say? Non swatches, non open. Bummer!

Finally, a highlighter pencil from Chella. This might be my only favorite this month. I wore it yesterday on my water line to fake a full night sleep and it worked. So this one has a future. I also got a eyebrow defining gel from this brand a couple of months ago, and I love it! I have to make a quick review on it: it does not leave white residues on my eyebrows, like other eyebrow gels. (The one from Revlon is awful. Avoid buying that one if you can) The eyebrow gel from Chella help to keep your eyebrows is place.

Just to be fair, the theme for this month's bag was: "On The Wild Side" so, I guess that is not my style. The products are great, but not for me. I will gift this bag to my little cousin, I now she will be delighted with them, except the highlighter, I am keeping that one for me.

Happy Summer and enjoy!

Hasta pronto,
xoxo

Review: Neutrogena Naturals Makeup Remover

Hello lovelies. It's getting really hot out there. I guess summer is here and we all know what that means: we have to change our beauty routine. I have a quick review for you, today. This Neutrogena Naturals Fresh Cleansing and Makeup Remover helps me to keep my pores clean and my skin fresh. This product really gets the job done. 

It doesn't dry out my skin, it is gentle around the eye area and it gets all the makeup off. I have been using it for a month and I have noticed a natural glow on my skin. I love it! And the best thing about it is that it does not contain hash chemicals and its main ingredient is water! 

Our bodies are 60% water so remember to drink lots of water to stay hydrated :)

If you give this product a try, please let me know what you think.

Hasta pronto,

xoxo

Ipsy Bag: Spring Fling

Hello lovelies! It's the time of the month to share with you the products of my May Ipsy bag. Every month, I wait anxiously to received my bag and this month, of course, was no exception.

Here is my Spring Fling:

First, I got this concealer  refill from yaby in honey. I have never heard of this brand before, but I think the choice of shade is good for me. I also like how feathery it feels when applying onto the skin. I do not like this product under my eye area, though. It looks too dry and too cakey under my eyes. It also accentuates the fine lines under my eyes, so I avoid using it as an under eye concealer.

 

The second product in my May ipsy bag was this Pacifica roll on perfume. I remember that the first perfume that I ever had was a roll on perfume from Avon that smell like a baby powder. My mom got it for me, so I will stop using her Dolce and Gabana, which she thought, was too strong for a young woman. (Now, I agree with her)  

  

Going back to my review, I am not so found of gardenia scents. I feel like they smell to grassy for me. I feel sorry for having to give this one away, because I love the practicality of having a roll on perfume on my makeup bag.

Third, I got this Hair Finishing Serum by Nume. I am SO glad for having gotten this serum! As we all know, humidity season has arrived in New York and to have a "good day" hair is not an easy task. I am very excited to try this out. It can be apply on dry or wet hair to treat split ends and to give a glossy finish. Ipsy is very good at finding hair treatments and I am very sure that this won't be a disappointment.

Next, it is this nail polish by Zoya in Blu. At first, I was like "another nail polish?" But, then I realized that I don't have a light summery nail polish and besides, I have never tried Zoya nail polishes before. So this is also a very exciting product for me and I cannot wait to paint my nails with it.

Last, but not least........my very favorite product from my May Ipsy bag is: this gorgeous color sheer lipstick in Posy by Mirabella. I love this lipstick! You all know that I am a lipstick lover.....I can't never have enough of them. I actually put this on today and I love how moisturizing and long lasting this is. And because it is a sheer formula, do not require to much precision to apply it and to re-apply it during the day. Moreover, it is Lead and Paraben free. Woohoo!

So the verdict for this May Ipsy bag is: I like it. The products are great and there are a few products that I have heard so much about, but I have never gotten the opportunity to try them, and now, this is my chance to do so.

Good job Ipsy!

So, tell me how do you like your bag this month? Is there any products that you wish you have gotten instead of the ones in your bag? Please, do share.

Hasta pronto!

xoxo

L'Oreal Infallible Le Rouge Lipcolor, Refined Ruby

Hello lovelies! I am so excited about this new lipstick by L'Oreal. It is the Refined Ruby Lipcolor from the Infallible lipstick line.  I know that this lipstick has been around for a while, but I recently came across with it. And the verdict is: I LOVE IT!

I love this shade of red color. It looks very classy, very 50s. It is a nice cool shade that compliments many skin tones. My suggestions for pale skin tones is that make sure to add some blush to your cheeks so you don't look washed out. This lipstick last forever and I love that about it. It does not bleed out of of the lips line, like other red lipsticks do. It feels a little dry, but it does not dry my lips at all.
In my opinion, it is very low maintenance. It you are afraid of using red lipsticks, it would be a good idea to give this one a try and see how you like it.

By the way, Happy Mother's Day to all of you and for those you are not mothers yet, Happy Mother's Day to your moms from me ;)

Hasta pronto!
xoxo

Sephora's Birthday Party

Hello everyone! It's been a while since my last post. I got caught up in daily life activities (It always happens) But, I am back and I want to share with you my birthday gifts from Sephora.
Yes, it was my birthday recently and with each year I feel very thankful for the wonderful people in my life, specially my family and my Booboo.
But, with each year passing by, I am starting to think about the aging process that everybody will have to experience at one point in our lives. Yes! I am very vain and I would like to be young forever. I am very guilty of that and I try to take good care of my skin. I always drink lots of water, I always wear SPF and I always apply skin care products before going to bed.

I went to Sephora with the excuse to pick up my birthday gift and with the secret idea of getting some skin care products. And this is what I found:

dr. brandt collagen booster 

This dr. brandt collagen booster, it supposed to stimulate the collagen production of the skin. So far, I like this product. I like the smell and and I like that its light formulation applies very easy into the skin. This is not a moisturizer, so you need to apply one after applying this product. I have seen some good improvement on my face, specially on my cheeks. The pores look less visible around my cheeks and nose area.

I also got this: 

Apivita Express Beauty Mask with Ginkgo Biloba 

Apivita Express Eye Mask. I've been wanting to get my hands on this mask for quite some time. I was wanting to try the Ginkgo Biloba because I've heard that it is really good for the skin. 

This mask says to help improve the apparence of the under eye area, so I had to try it. This is very rich cream mask that you apply under the eye area and on your eyelids and leave it for 10-15 minutes. The box has 6 double packs for a total of 12 little packs. I used just one pack for both eyes because as I said, this is a very concentrated mask. I really noticed a reduction in my puffiness and my under eye area looked brighter after I used this mask. I will keep using it and I hope to see good results. 

And finally.........Happy Birthday Beautiful gift set from benefit.

I got the they're Real mascara. I have never tried this mascara before, but I have heard wonders about it. I haven't seen what is the big thing about this mascara, to be honest. I didn't see that it gave any full length to my eye lashes. But, I think I am happy to have gotten this as a  gift so I can tried it on.

What I am really loving is this What's up highlighter. It gives me a nice glow without looking to pinkish like other highlighters do on my skin complexion.  This blends really well with my skin tone and I love it!

I hope you all are enjoying the Spring season and that your allergies are under control. Mine are acting up lately and I am trying to control them drinking a lot of green smoothies and a lot of ginger tea. So far, so good.

My love to all. Hasta pronto! 

Bye