Stay Beautiful, But On A Budget! ™

Makeup Talk | Do you still have that newbie itch?

2011-12-27T11:15:00.001-05:00

Hey ladies and gents! I thought I'd come by and chat with you really quickly. Do you remember when you FIRST got into makeup? All you had was a bunch of random things and you didn't know how to make them work. Now you've got some knowledge under your belt and your makeup collection has grown...and then some lol.

Do you feel that you sometimes have too much stuff? You're no longer fiending for the newest mac, nyx, nars, mufe, drugstore collection. You're pretty much content with what you have, but you no longer have that "newbie itch" that you had when you first started out. I came across this thought because I was helping out a friend of mine get into makeup and we went shopping. I helped her pick out some brushes and eyeshadows and gave her a few pointers on applying the shadow, etc. I looked at her 5 drugstore palettes and thought "it must be so easy to just pull out one drawer and you have all you need". I wasn't envious but I just had a "must be nice" thought lol.

I have enough shadows to last me a lifetime. I'm no longer scoping out new colors anymore because when something new comes out, I look through my stash and 9/10 time I find something similar if not identical. I'm not crazy over having jumbo eyeshadow pencils, paint pots, cream color bases, or any of that jazz anymore. Actually I threw out all of my nyx and l'oreal hip shadow pencils. 1. They were expired and 2. I was barely using them. At the time when I first started out with makeup I thought I needed every cream eyeshadow base in every color...how naive of me lol. Now I just have an eyeshadow primer and a neutral base. That's it. And you know what? It feels pretty damn good to be content with just what I have.

I still love makeup, but I no longer have that newbie itch lol

Thanks for reading, from one makeup junkie to another I hope you can relate :)

Broadway ImPRESS Press-On Manicure | Influenster Holiday Voxbox Review

2011-12-26T01:58:00.002-05:00

http://www.influenster.com/

imPressManicure.com

From imPRESS Press-On Nails:

Introducing imPress Press-On Manicure by Broadway Nails, the revolutionary way to apply polish! Featuring advanced nail technology, you can get a salon-perfect manicure in seconds – simply peel off, press on, and you're done. There's no drying, a killer shine and a manicure that lasts up to a week! And, imPress is so easy to remove, you can change it up to match your mood as often as you want. Check out all 36 colors and patterns, including trendy brights, classic darks and animal prints. With imPress, your nails will always be your best accessory.

imPress Manicure retails for $5.99 for colors and $7.99 for patterns, and is available at CVS, Rite Aid, Duane Reade, KMart, Walgreens, Walmart and more. For a full list of online and in-store retailers, visit imPressManicure.com, where you can download an exclusive coupon and virtually try on all the colors and patterns!

I received these nails from Influenster to try out in my holiday voxbox. I got the nails in number 110 Joyride, a pretty fuschia pink. The nails came in a cute plastic replica of a nail polish bottle and an acetone prep pad. I wiped my nails with the pad and proceeded to follow the directions for application. I was excited to try these press on nails, but they disappointed me. Even though I pressed the nail down with all my might, I couldn't get a good seal between the nail glue and my natural nail. I could easily lift in between the space, which poses a problem for fungus to grow after wearing for a few days. Showering, washing dishes and washing your hands can definitely trap water in between the nails and cause fungus to grow. Maybe it's just me, but I didn't have success with these nails. I was uncomfortable to continue applying the nails after trying 2 nails, so I removed them and put them aside for when I might need them for 1 night. Great concept, but not for me to wear more than 1 day.

Montagne Jeunesse Peel Off Pomegranate & Passion Flower Mask

2011-12-23T22:00:00.000-05:00

http://www.montagnejeunesse.com

www.influenster.com

From Montagne Jeunesse

"Whether you enjoy looking after your skin, being pampered, or indulging in some me-time, be it alone or with friends, you will absolutely enjoy one of these ‘Life Little Pleasures’… With a huge array to choose from, our face masques are packed with the most delicious natural ingredients and are bursting with luscious fragrances. Suitable for all different skin types, there is one to suit every mood and everybody!

Montagne Jeunesse beauty treats are free of parabens, vegetarian approved and never tested on animals. So treat yourself today to a masque that will hydrate, nourish and leave your skin cleansed, smooth and glowing. Available at ULTA Beauty, Walgreen’s, Claire’s, Walmart, Kroger, CVS Pharmacies and other retailers across the US, these masques are available in a variety of succulent flavours, including:

Cucumber Peel Off

Passion Peel Off

Dead Sea Mud

Fruit Smoothie

Strawberry Souffle

Chocolate Mud

And many more!

I received the pomegranate and passion flower peel off mask from Influenster in my holiday voxbox. I washed my face as usual with my african black soap, and applied the mask to damp skin. The mask smelled nice and fruit and had a nice smooth texture. I applied it to my face and after 15 minutes I went ahead a peeled the mask off. It did hurt a little but with a peel off mask what do you expect? My skin felt soft like a baby's butt. This mask is great!

NYC New York Color Liquid Lipshine in "Nude York City" (Influenster 2011 Holiday Voxbox)

2011-12-23T21:26:00.000-05:00

http://www.newyorkcolor.com

www.influenster.com

Straight from the city that never sleeps, NYC New York Color offers products with uptown style at down-to-earth prices, from $.99 - $4.99. The energy, style and color of New York City shines through the wide range of shades, textures and innovative products. NYC always delivers the most on-trend products & shades hot off the runway!

A beauty-editor favorite is Liquid Lipshine ($2.49). It has pure pigments that created a 3-D gloss effect. Vitamin E provides shine and a moisturizing feel. The formula is non-sticky, super shiny & soft. Available in 10 on-trend shades from neutral nudes, to berries & fuchsias. Start shopping for NYC at these stores nearest you: Walmart, Target, Rite Aid, CVS, Family Dollar, Duane Reade, Kmart, HEB, and others. Visit newyorkcolor.com to check out all shades and fun products from New York Color!

I received my holiday voxbox from Influenster to test and inside was this nude lipgloss in "Nude York City" from NYC. This color is a perfect nude gloss for me. It's smooth in texture, not sticky, smells like vanilla and best of all it's affordable! Gotta love good quality lipgloss :)

Gillette Venus Proskin Razor Review!

2011-11-21T21:23:00.003-05:00

http://www.gillettevenus.com)

I received this product from Influenster to review. It retails for $9.79, four replacement cartridges cost $11.29 and six replacement cartridges cost $16.81

Venus is the

#1-selling female shaving brand globally

Dramatically enhances the female shaving experience.

Offers every woman smooth, beautiful skin so she can look and feel like a goddess

Venus ProSkin MoistureRich Razor has shave gel bars enwith hanced a triple blend of body butters, which create a layer of protection for your skin with every stroke. Plus, it features the trusted Venus three-blade technology for an ultra-close shave; our rounded, pivoting head for those hard-to-reach places; and an ergonomic handle for great control in wet, soapy environments.

Vitabath Asian Orchid & Coconut Body Wash Review!

2011-11-19T08:44:00.002-05:00

I received this product through Influenster, which is a free program that sends products to it's members to review. You don't always get a box, and there are certain criteria you need to meet before you are considered to receive and review products. More info here: http://www.influenster.com/ http://www.influenster.com/influenster-overview. Basically you fill out survey's depending on your interests and then Influenster goes over your answers and then determines if you're eligible to receive a box to review. Simple as that!

I received a Vitabath body wash in Asian Orchid & Coconut ($9.99) http://www.myvitabath.com/ which is a paraben and sulfate free body wash. Some benefits are:

Vitamin A, B3, Pro-Vitamin B5, C, & E

Sulfate & Paraben Free
Antioxidant Rich Superfruit Blend of Acai, Goji, Coffee Fruit, Noni, Pomegranate, Green Tea & Mangosteen
No Petro-Chemicals or Triclosan
Free of propylene glycol, DEA, TEA, mineral oils and silicone

The Fragrance Collection body washes retail for $9.99 or less each at www.myvitabath.com and at ULTA Beauty, Harmon Discount, Stages, Duane Reade, Fred Meyer and Bed Bath & Beyond stores. These playful new body washes offer women four unique, youthful fragrance profiles, including:

Spa Day

In Bloom
Fruit Fanatic
Cupcake Couture

Here's my video review!

Proactiv 3 Step System Review!

2011-11-14T17:49:00.002-05:00

http://www.influenster.com/

Influenster is a company that sends products to it's members to review. You don't always get a box to review and it doesn't go month by month like other programs. You first sign up for free, and fill out survey's for badges depending on your interests. Say for instance you like to do outdoor activities. You fill out the survey and you earn the "outdoor activities" badge. Then based on your answer's Influenster will further look into your survey and if you qualify for a box based on the "outdoor activities" badge then they will contact you asking if you would like to receive a box. After you accept or decline, the rest is up to you and you have to review the products they send in the box when asked to. It's not like you just get freebies just to get them.

I received Proactiv's 3-step system. It retails for $19.95 and can be purchased from:

http://www.proactiv.com/

Proactiv is a 30 day 3 step system. Per Proactiv's product description:

The Proactiv 3-Step System included the renewing cleanser, revitalizing toner and the repairing treatment.

Renewing Cleanser: A unique oil-free formula that contains smooth, tiny beads to gently exfoliate dead skin cells and other impurities, plus prescription-grade benzoyl peroxide to penetrate pores, attack bacteria and heal blemishes fast.

Revitalizing Toner: A refreshing, alcohol-free toner that helps balance skin tone and remove dead skin cells to reveal the vital, radiant skin beneath. Contains our special formulation to balance skin's natural acids, witch hazel to refine and purify pores, aloe and chamomile to soothe and soften, plus allantoin, a moisturizing and skin conditioning agent. Removes excess surface oil without drying, leaving skin

Repairing Treatment: Our light, oil-free lotion contains finely milled prescription-grade benzoyl peroxide to heal blemishes and help prevent future breakouts. The advanced delivery system in Repairing Treatment is safe for your entire face.

P90X Review

2011-10-01T09:04:00.002-04:00

Hi! I've had this workout program for over a year now and I thought I'd review it. I purchased a brand new unopened copy on Ebay (authentic) for about $80 and I know it retails for $120 so I got a steal. Check out ebay if you want to pay less ;)

Did I lose weight? Yes. Can I tell a difference? Yes. Does it work? Yes. BUT...it depends on how much weight you want to lose, how in shape your body is now, and what equipment you have. This program comes with 12 dvds. Depending if you're doing the classic, lean or doubles it will dictate which dvd's to do for each month. P90X is a 3 month program and it is intense. The suggested equipment you need is a set of dumbells, a pullup bar, a yoga mat and resistance bands. I didn't purchase the pullup bar because I wasn't going for a ripped masculine look, plus I've never been able to pull up my own body weight since elementary school haha. If you have 50 pounds to lose, I say skip the P90X and do a program that is straight cardio and stick to a good healthy diet and then do a program or just hit the gym to tone up. If you want to lose may 15 pounds and want to tone up, you can go either way.

For women it's harder to lose weight anyway, and I had high hopes for weight loss with P90X. Everyone is different and will get different results so don't go by my weight loss to judge if the program is for you. Like I said, depending on the results that you want you can choose which type of program to buy. I completed 2 months of P90X. I know you're saying "excuse me, but it's a 3 month program". Yup, I know, but I feel like my body is getting used to the exercises and I'm not sweating as much as I used to when I first started out.

Here is how P90X works: For each month you have exercises to complete. So lets say for month 1 you have 3 weeks of the same exercises (this is just an example):

Phase 1 (Weeks 1-3): Mon-Legs and Back; Ab Ripper X

Tues-Cardio X

Wed-Shoulders & Arms; Ab Ripper X

Thurs-Plyometrics

Fri-Chest, Shoulders & Triceps; Ab Ripper X

Sat-Kenpo X

Sun-Rest or X-Stretch

Recovery Week (Week 4):

Mon-Yoga X

Tues-Cardio X

Wed-Core Synergistics

Thurs-Kenpo X

Fri-X Stretch

Sat-Rest

So for Phases 2 and 3, for the first 3 weeks the ab workouts stay the same (3 days a week) but the cardio and strength workouts are different. For the most part the Recovery Week is about the same as well.

So if you're already in shape for the most part and you want to get those last 15 pounds off, I say go for a cardio program then do a strengthening program to tone up. P90X doesn't have enough cardio workouts to really lose a lot of weight. Which is understandable because it incorporates cardio and muscle strengthening.

Although I didn't complete P90X I lost 7 pounds in the last 2 months which is good and I've been able to keep it off. I can definitely tell a difference in my thighs and stomach area so I'm sure inches have been lost but it's not completely translating to weight loss. So for the last month I have left of P90X I'm going to complete the Jillian Michael's 30 day shred then move on to Shaun T. Insanity for 2 months. My body is just getting used to P90X and I'm getting incredibly bored. Each workout is about 45 mins to an hour depending on the workout you're doing. I've never done the Yoga X dvd because it's 1.5 hours and I'm not a fan of yoga so I substitute it with Zumba instead lol.

As you all know diet is a big factor in losing weight, not just exercise. I will admit when I first started P90X, my diet wasn't that great. I was still snacking on unhealthy foods, eating lots and lots of sugar (candy, chocolate, etc). So I could've lost more weight, but it is a learning experience. I now know what to eat and how much of it. I was always able to portion control, but my sweet tooth always got the best of me. Now I stick to fruit (nature's candy! lol) dark chocolate, all natural candies, all natural juices and low calorie all natural ice cream for sweets.

My goal is to reach 10 pounds total weight loss with P90X and the Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred. I would be satisfied with that, knowing that I was able to control my diet, workout and keep pushing myself.
Would I do P90X again? YES! But this time around I would get the pullup bar to maximize my results :)

All in all, I hope this review was helpful! I plan to do a video review and talk about lifestyle changes, etc on my YT channel. Stay tuned and thanks for reading!

*Stay beautiful, but on a budget*

Good Hair Day! (Click on pic for better view!)

2011-09-04T11:06:00.001-04:00

Everyday I'm learning more and more about my hair. I think that wash and go's are better for me because they require less manipulation which equals less breakage and more length retention and also are easier to maintain. Plus washing my hair once to two times a week not only cleanses, but the moisture from the water will help with growth. I still like twist/braid/bantu knot outs but considering how the weather is always iffy (I live in FL) I don't want to waste time twisting or braiding and then end up with poofy hair the next day.

I'm still trying to figure out how to get 2nd-5th day hair, but I think I may have hit the jackpot. Yesterday I used Kinky Curly Curling Custard to define my curls and usually its super defined. This time around I did the oil rinsing method, so after rinsing out the oil there was some left on my hair (it's supposed to happen) and when I applied the Knot Today and the KCCC, my hair wasn't clumping like usual. So now, I will make sure I deep condition as normal and rinse it out completely and apply the products to clean & non-coated hair.

Today, I have 2nd day hair. I usually get 2nd day hair, but how I usually get it is what made me want to share with you my new results today. Because my hair is neck length when shrunken, I usually put my hair into 4 mini pineapples. One on each side of my head in the front and two in the back; one at the crown and one at the nape. I do to this to stretch my hair to give it some length when I take the hair ties out the next morning. It comes out OK but nothing to write home about. I've tried all types of ways to stretch my hair and I felt that the mini pineapples were the best...or so I thought.

A fellow youtuber SimplYounique shared her night time routine for her wash and go's and it came out wonderfully. She and I have similar hair textures, so I thought if it worked for her it might work for me. I gave it a try and voila! Not only did I get some length, but I also got a little volume and my curls weren't super smooshed or too stretched out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_enAWxJuCs&feature=relmfu

In the morning I try to not refresh with water because I don't want my hair to shrink up so if I do use water, it's a very tiny amount. I rub some evoo (extra virgin olive oil), evco (extra virgin coconut oil) or kinky curly gloss pomade on my hands scrunch into my hair and voila I'm done! I can't wait to try this wash and go again with KCCC on clean hair, I'm sure I'll get even better results!

Thanks for reading!

Healthy Snack | Hummus & Baby Carrots

2011-08-25T13:26:00.002-04:00

Hola!

I'm in my 5th week and second phase of my P90X workout. So far, so good! I thought I'd share a healthy snack to satisfy your hunger and keep the calories down. I am a fan of hummus and it's a pretty healthy snack. It's made with chick peas, tahini (ground sesame), salt, oil and it's pretty good. I sometimes use this instead of mayonnaise on my sandwiches. It's low in calories (2 tbs is 60 calories) and has some protein as well. I purchased this brand at Walmart near the fresh deli case and it was about $3 or so. For less calories I opted for the plain version instead of a flavored such as red pepper. Since this brand isn't the kind that is loaded with preservatives, you have to eat it within a week. In the picture I have 3 tbs of hummus (90 calories), 1 cup of baby carrots and 16 oz of water. I hope you try this snack out. Happy eating!

P.S. For a better view, you can click the picture :)

Eyeshadow Bases, Yay or Nay?

2011-08-01T21:25:00.000-04:00

Hola!

When I first started on my makeup journey I was all over eyeshadow bases (mac paint pot, nyx jumbo eyeshadow pencils, etc). Not to be confused with eyeshadow primers (Urban Decay Primer Potion, Too Faced Shadow Insurance, etc.) I have many of the nyx jumbo eyeshadow pencils and now that I've discovered UDPP and TFSI, I don't find myself reaching for my bases anymore, just the primer. In the morning or getting ready to go somewhere, to me it's more work to put on my primer, let it dry, then apply the base, and then apply eyeshadow. Also I don't notice a huge difference between just using the primer and a combo of the primer and base. The complete eyeshadow looks exactly the same (in my opinion).

I'm contemplating just trashing my jumbo pencils and sticking to my TFSI because they aren't getting used and I'm sure are expired lol. At the time when I was purchasing the pencils, I didn't know about just using one primer. But now with experience I'll probably just stick to my TFSI. TFSI is $18 (0.35 oz or 11 g) at ULTA and UDPP is $19 (0.37 fl oz or 11 ml). I'll stick with TFSI because its cheaper and I've experienced creasing and itchy eyes with UDPP.

Dear NYX jumbo eyeshadow pencils,

this is going to hurt me more than it's going to hurt you. I love you and all but you gotta go! Sorry!

Coastal Scents Creative Me Eyeshadows

2011-07-07T13:33:00.000-04:00

Hola amigos! Como estas?

I recently was on the hunt for Makeup For Ever's #92 eyeshadow. It's a vibrant matte purple and it's very unique and hard to dupe. As I was about to purchase it online, I decided to hold on and look for a dupe. Thanks to Temptalia's aka Christine dupe list I found out that the coastal scents creative me #7 was a 100% dupe for MUFE's #92. SOLD! So I quickly deleted my order from Sephora and hopped on over to coastal scents. I also wanted a hot pink similar to MUFE's #75 so I picked up coastal scent's creative me #6 as well. I know that MUFE's shadows are bigger, very pigmented and blend like a dream...BUT when I saw the ingredients list I wasn't impressed. I was shocked to see that for a $19 shadow it has 4 parabens. Even though the coastal scents shadow does have parabens, it's only 1 (methylparaben) compared to MUFE's 4. I think I'll take my chances with coastal scents plus my pockets will thank me because it's only $4.49! I don't know exactly if the coastal scents #7 is a dupe for MUFE #92 because I don't own #92, but the coastal scents shadow is the closest I will get to it. I refuse to pay $19 when it's mostly due to a bigger size shadow and pigmentation. If smaller makeup companies can make eyeshadows sans parabens, bigger companies should be able to do it also. Although I don't have swatches, I will post a link to show how pigmented the CS shadows are:

http://themakeupsnob.com/2011/02/coastal-scents-creative-me-1-palette-with-swatches-and-comparisons/

The swatches do show a comparison between MUFE and CS and the MUFE is a little more purple while the CS is a little more blue. Honestly I doubt you would be able to tell a difference if someone used one or the other on their lids. Swatches are one thing, but a complete eyeshadow look is another. Anywho, thats all for now.

Stay beautiful, but on a budget!

CVS Mini Haul | 50-75% Off Sale! RUN!

2011-06-04T19:52:00.000-04:00

Hello!

I just wanted to share what I picked up from CVS recently. I saved $30 and paid about $10 for these 3 mascaras. I usually buy mascaras I want to try during these major sales. I'm not picky when it comes to brands, but it's always fun to try something new. Not all of the products that I've seen other people haul about were on sale at my CVS, but I didn't need to buy any more face products or polishes so I was happy with my purchases. What are you going to get from the sale? Happy shopping!

*Stay beautiful, but on a budget!*

Are You An Oily Girl? Don't Moisturize Your Skin!

2011-06-02T16:47:00.000-04:00

Hello!!! It's been a minute I know, but in due time I will return. I'm working on getting a better camera so I can crank out makeup tutorials and better the quality of my videos overall. Anywho, this post isn't about that lol.

While I was watching one of my favorite YouTubers GossMakeupArtist, he mentioned that if you have oily skin, there is no need for applying a moisturizer. WHAT?! Now we've all heard "moisturize your skin, oily or not" I do see where Goss is coming from, because the less products you have on your skin, the less likely you are to breakout and the more likely your makeup will last longer.

So being the an adventurous person I decided to wash and tone my skin as usual and skip the moisturizer (a squirt of grapeseed oil). Granted, I have been home chillaxin, I haven't noticed my skin creating an excess of oil nor have I seen my skin looking dry. It actually looked...dare I say it...normal!

I will continue to do this, and see how it works out for me in a week or so. I always apply sunscreen so I will use that as my "moisturizer".

If you're interested in hearing what Goss has to say in his latest video, check it out:

He also mentions the good old milk of magnesia for us oily girls as well!

Take care! *Stay beautiful, but on a budget!*

MAC Quite Cute Collection ft. Candy Yum-Yum!

2011-04-07T19:57:00.002-04:00

Check out live YT Video Here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIw6XuJjfc0

I was anticipating this collection because of the bangin bright pink lipstick Candy Yum Yum. I had no intention on getting it because I thought it was too bright and I was going to end up looking like a clown. When I was browsing for WOC (women of color) friendly swatches of the Quite Cute collection on Youtube I saw youtuber Tialuv29 rockin CYY and I had to have it! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PNqJvi-duA&feature=channel_video_title It looked gorgeous on her so I knew I had to have it. I also got Quite Cute lipstick. I already have Fashion Mews from the Hello Kitty collection, but I love lavender and purple lippies so I picked up QC. (If you already have Fashion Mews, you don't need Quite Cute though). I forgot to mention in the video that I got Sakura blush. I was so excited about CYY it just slipped my mind. Giggly blush barely showed up on me, but Sakura did. I guess on lighter skin tones it doesn't show up as well.

If you'd like a separate blog post about Sakura blush, let me know it the comments below. I lined my lips with Jordana's Deep Purple lip liner and was amazed at how good CYY looked. It looked so good, I got a back up! Even though CYY is matte in texture, it doesn't dry out your lips. Just be sure to apply a lip balm underneath and you should be good to go! I don't own any matte lipsticks that are close to CYY so I'm glad I got it. I thought it would be sold out on the MAC website, but surprisingly it wasn't. Anywho, happy shopping!

DIY | Shea Butter Mixtures

2011-02-27T21:17:00.000-05:00

Hello! I decided to whip up my first batch of shea butter mixtures. I made one batch for my hair and another for my skin. I used different kind of oils for each batch as well as different fragrances for each batch. I didn't use a hand mixer but I softened the shea butter in the microwave (not until melted though). I used a fork to get out all the lumps added my oils and fragrance and voila! They are soft to the touch and melt on your finger tips instantly. I can't wait to see how my skin and hair respond to them. Also, they smell DIVINE! Gotta love coastal scents for their fragrance oils!

I got my whipped unrefined shea butter from http://nlessentials.com/

My fragrance oils from http://www.coastalscents.com/cfwebstore/index.cfm?fuseaction=category.display&category_ID=10

I also got some of the oils (list down below) from Coastal Scents as well and the Vitamin Shoppe.

Shea Butter Recipe For Hair:

1 tsp coconut oil (melted)

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp jojoba oil

1/2 tsp vitamin e oil

1 tsp avocado oil

1 tsp sweet almond oil

1 tsp of jasmine fragrance oil

about 6 oz. whipped unrefined shea butter (room temperature)

Shea Butter Recipe For Skin:

1 tsp sunflower oil

1 tsp wheat germ oil

1 tsp coconut oil (melted)

1 tsp sweet almond oil

1 tsp jojoba oil

1/2 tsp vitamin e oil

1 tsp grapeseed oil

1 tsp swiss chocolate fragrance oil

about 6 oz. whipped unrefined shea (room temperature)

I used a few different oils in each batch because for the skin recipe I picked that oils that not only help moisturize the skin but help fade scars and/or stretch marks. The same goes for the hair, just moisturizing the hair though. I hope you guys try out the shea butter mixtures! Enjoy!

My Review of Sweet Tart Martini Bath Gift

2011-02-27T10:36:00.001-05:00

Originally submitted at Fortune Cookie Soap

Martini anyone? Do you like sweet tarts the candy? Do you like martinis? If you have answered yes to both of these questions then the newest soap from the fortune cookie soap company is the greatest invention ever for you! If you have answered no to both of these question – well, then you should ke...

Smells good but...

By MakeupOnABudget from Florida on 2/27/2011

Pros: Pleasant Smell

Cons: Not moisturizing, Doesn't lather well

Smells great just like the candy but doesn't lather well or moisturize hands/skin.

(legalese)

Depot Urban Decay Book of Shadows Vol. 1

2011-02-25T23:39:00.000-05:00

Tired of carrying around a bulky palette? Finally realized that Urban Decay's packaging is ALL cardboard? Are you mad they charge a pretty penny for a cardboard box? I am!

So here's my solution to you, depot their palettes! I travel a lot and the volume 1 palette takes up so much room that I no longer bring it with me to travel. But now I depotted it to a palette that fits in the palm of my hand. Want more info? Check out the video, link is below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JstSNSxeJME

Enjoy!

Milani Baked Blush

2011-02-08T20:28:00.000-05:00

So I was browsing Walgreens today and I saw these baked blushed by Milani. So far I only saw three colors, but when I went to the website, there are 8 colors available http://www.milanicosmetics.com/p-93-baked-blush.aspx. I have my eyes on the Rose D'oro and the Fantastic Mauve. These blushes remind me of something...

Dolce Pink (courtesy of http://www.musingsofamuse.com):

Dolce Pink

Guess what? Well.....MAC is coming out with their Spring 2011 collection Quite Cute on April 7, 2011 and they have 3 mineralized blushes coming out. Pictures courtesy of Tao http://iamgrape1119.blogspot.com


Giggly


Sakura

Miss Behave

I have my eyes on Giggly & Sakura! I've always wanted to try a mineralized blush but if I can find something similar for a cheaper price in a drug store, I'm all for it! For the junkie in me, aren't the MAC one's cute though? lol I thought I'd give you a heads up on the Milani Baked Blushes if you haven't seen them. Take care!

Oil Cleansing Method

2011-02-04T15:58:00.000-05:00

I've always heard about this method, but never thought it really worked. Right now I'm trying to really take care of my skin, so I thought I'd boost my skincare regimen. The oil cleansing method works because it is said that oil dissolves oil and water doesn't dissolve oil. So if you wash your face with oil, you'd be less likely to look like you washed your face with Crisco 1 hour after washing. The main oils in the OCM is castor oil. My mix contains 10% grapeseed oil, 60% extra virgin olive oil and 30% castor oil. If you go to http://www.theoilcleansingmethod.com/ you can get the oil mix you need for your skin. From the site the mix for oily skin was 30% castor oil and 70% evoo. I added the grapseed oil because it helps as an astringent, exfoliation, fading marks and moisturizing. Plus I already had it on hand. I don't wear foundation on a daily basis, so I keep my skin free from possible pore clogging as much as I can.

Although I have switched to an all natural skin care regimen, I still get the occasional blemish here and there. But I want to get rid of that all together and improve the texture of my skin. Recently I've been using a new toner; 1 part brewed green tea, 1 part witch hazel, and 1 part apple cider vinegar with a few drops of tea tree oil. I also plan to purchase a Clarisonic Mia to really deep clean my skin about 2-3 times a week. I have exfoliated with sugar and honey, but I feel that it is too rough on my skin and causes irritation.

How to do the OCM:

1. Apply a small amount of oil to face and massage into skin. Take your time.

2. Take a wash cloth and wet it with hot water. Make sure not to burn or scald your skin.

3. Apply wash cloth to face and let it cool. You're basically steaming your face.

4. Repeat 1-3 two to three times if desired

5. Remove excess oil with wash cloth

6. Add toner and moisturizer if you like

You can do the OCM 2x a day or nightly. I plan to do it 3 times a week and increase if necessary. In the morning I will continue to use African Black Soap, toner but moisturize with grapeseed oil. It's a light oil that takes minutes to absorb into your skin. I tried the method today and so far so good! I'll keep you updated! Hope this helped :)

Mini Birthday Ulta Haul!

2011-01-30T22:17:00.000-05:00

Last Friday was my birthday (Jan. 21) so I went shopping today! The Urban Decay 15 liner set came out today at Ulta so you know I picked that up. I've been waiting for these suckers and now I finally got my hands on them. I also picked up the OPI Shatter polish, LA Splash Eyeshadow Sealer/Base and Eyeliner Seal, a mini manicure set and 2 China Glaze Matte Magic polishes. I was happy with my purchases and can't wait to do some mani's and eyeshadow looks. Thanks for reading!

Oyin Handmade Haul

2011-01-29T17:18:00.001-05:00

While I was supposed to be reading about rheumatoid arthritis (see the textbook in the background? lol), I decided to take a trip to the mailbox. Lo and behold a sweet treat was waiting there for me from Oyin Handmade! Oyin Handmade is an all-natural company that offers hair care and skin care products. They are based in Baltimore, Maryland and they have a store there as well. Check out the website for more info! http://oyinhandmade.com/shop/

I decided to purchase a few items for my birthday *does the running man* so I picked up 3 sample items and one full size item. I purchased the sample of the 2 by 2 sample pack of the Shine and Define and Whipped Pudding. The set is 2 ounces for each product for $11. Also I bought the sample size of the infamous Juices & Berries hair refresher/leave in conditioner spray for $3.50. In full size I bought the Burnt Sugar Pomade (4 oz) $10.

First Impressions

Shine & Define: Smells just like Miss Jessie's Curly Meringue. It's a creamy product best used on damp hair for twisting, braiding or wash and go's

Whipped Pudding: Smells like chocolate! It's also a creamy product made with shea butter and it can be used on the hair or skin. You can also use this product for twisting, braiding, etc.

Juices & Berries: Smells fruity like candy! It can be used on freshly washed hair to detangle, or on dry hair to moisturize

Burnt Sugar Pomade: Smells like a sugar cookie or Bath & Body Work's warm vanilla sugar scent. It's best used to add shine to the hair and lock in moisture by working as a humectant. Can also be used for the body as well.

Well, so far so good. But I have to put these products to the test. Until next time, thanks for reading!

*Stay beautiful, but on a budget!*

I big chopped!

2011-01-15T14:52:00.004-05:00

Hola!
I did my BC at 15.5 months post! I big chopped 9 months early because I came to the realization that I was just waiting on length. When I started cutting I realized that the amount of relaxed hair left was soooo small that I felt like a fool to think I would wait 9 months for length. I bet by the time my 2 year mark comes, my hair will be where I want it to be. Last week I did a two strand flat twist and it came out gorgeous! What I did differently was that I sat under the dryer instead of letting my hair air dry. It was beautiful! I maintained the style by re-twisting at night for a few days then I got lazy lol. I was afraid of having short hair but since my hair was stretched I was happy with the length.

I have a few scraggly relaxed ends in the mix but I'm sure I'll find them the more I get acquainted with my hair. I also was ready to BC because I wanted to try out my natural hair goodies lol. Don't worry I recorded the cutting and I'll upload soon. So far the hair goodies I bought are: Kinky Curly Curling Custard, Knot Today and the Gloss Pomade. Miss Jessies 2 oz. samples of the Curly Pudding (unscented), Curly Meringue and the Baby Buttercreme. Shea Moisture's Curl Enhancing Smoothie and the Curl & Style Milk. I plan to purchase Oyin Handmade's sampler of the whipped pudding and shine and define, a full size burnt sugar pomade and a sample of the juices and berries spray.

I know it sounds like a lot but hey, a girl's gotta find out what's gonna work for her hair...right? #dontjudgeme #imnotaproductjunkie lol I'm deep conditioning right now and then after rinsing I'm going to put in some two strand flat twists with Miss Jessie's curly meringue.

Video and tutorial coming soon! Let the growth begin!

New Lipstick Storage!

2011-01-15T14:42:00.004-05:00

Hello! I was watching Pursebuzz's new video on this lipstick storage box she ordered. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOwkmwsZdtw&feature=player_embedded
It looks like crap and waaay overpriced. $15 for a crappy plastic box? Where's Enkore when you need him?
I went browsing around my house and found an old cell phone box and voila! A new lipstick container. I stored my lipsticks in a sterilite drawer and I felt like I had to dig through it to get the color I wanted. I also wasn't able to see the range of colors I had and was using the same colors often. So the Martha Stewart in me just grabbed the box, no fancy fabric, paint, etc and put all my NYX, NYC, MAC, Revlon and Maybelline lipsticks as well as my MAC Holiday 2010 lipglasses. It works like a charm and if I'm moving somewhere I can just flip the cover over it. Click on the picture to see a bigger image :)

Hope you enjoyed this post!

Dupe Alert! Missed Out On MAC's Style Black?

2010-12-04T09:53:00.007-05:00

Don't worry, I've got you covered! I've been waiting to do this video because in my opinion this is the closest I'm going to get to the Style Black collection lol. I was browsing in Walmart and noticed Hard Candy had a display with 6 gorgeous baked shadows. They are called Meteor Eyes Baked Meteor Eyeshadow. They retail for $6 and are only available at Walmart. The four colors I purchased closely resembled the Style Black shadows and they are: Asteroid, Black Hole, Lunar Eclipse and Supernova.
Watch video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZsqrH-u46I

Hard Candy | MAC
-Supernova = Young Punk
-Lunar Eclipse = Gilt By Association
-Asteroid = Blue Flame
-Black Hole = Cinderfella

If you've been on the hunt for dupes, try these out! They are very affordable and worth a shot.

Likes:
-Affordable
-Nice range of colors
-Swatch and apply well
-Good size
-Solid all the way through pan
-Good color payoff

Dislikes:
-Fallout when dry but that happens with MAC's SB shadows as well
-You get less glitter when applied wet but I still love them!

Onto the pix. You can click on them for a better look!

Thanks for reading and happy shopping!

Show 'n Tell: ELF

2010-12-04T08:44:00.006-05:00

Hola! I purchased a few things from ELF (www.eyeslipsface.com) and I thought I'd share! I've heard many good things about their studio blush in "Gotta Glow" ($3) especially since I heard it's a dupe for Nars Albatross. Both of them are champagne white gold which would look gorgeous as a highlight, especially on women of color. I also picked up a spoolie ($1) and 2 cream eyeliners ($3 each). I got one in "Midnight" which is a dark blue and "Plum Purple" which is a nice rich eggplant color.

If you would rather watch the video, than read the blog, here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_G0BdVxMIn8

Every time I buy from ELF I ALWAYS use the coupon code: CAROLINA which gives $5 off your order. If you search around for coupon codes with a search engine, you may be able to find more codes. Happy shopping & thanks for reading!

Show 'n Tell | MAC 2010 Holiday Lipglass Sets

2010-11-28T18:49:00.009-05:00

Hello!

I did a little bit of shopping last month when the MAC holiday collection dropped. I did a video (click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQ23OfVsbMg) if you would like to see it. But for those that would rather see pix you can check them out below. I purchased just 3 items. Nothing else tickled my fancy. This year's holiday collection seemed very boring. I've always wanted to get my hands on the lipglass sets, so I finally got some. I also purchased Later pigment which was repromoted from the Alice + Olivia collection recently. It seems so boring when swatched dry, but it is absolutely gorgeous when it's wet. If you're a purple/blue lover, you need this in your collection! Enjoy the pix!

Sassy Pink Lipglass Set (Descriptions per MAC)

Electro Lush is a creamy medium-pink with a little plum to it and white micro-shimmer.
Fab Fun is a sheer, milky pink gloss base with large flecks of silvery-white shimmer and glitter. It looks a lot like Morning Glory lustreglass.
Frozen Dream is a semi-sheer, cool-toned lilac pink with lots of pale pink and white shimmer.
Sassy Lassy is an opaque, creamy fuchsia that pulls very blue. It also has subtle pale pink shimmer. It’s a lot bluer and cooler-toned than Pink Poodle.
The Wee Coquette is a cool-toned, white-beige with soft white shimmer.

Sassy Coral Lipglass Set (Descriptions per MAC)

Hearts-a-Beatin’ is a medium-dark coral with bronzy brown pull and orange-gold and white shimmer.
Jest for Fun is an opaque, milky pink beige with just the tiniest leaning of coral. It has ultra fine white shimmer, but the milkiness definitely takes over here.
Mimmy is a sheer, pale jelly pink with fuchsia and gold flecks of shimmer in it. This originally launched with MAC’s Hello Kitty Collection.
Pretty Quick! is an opaque, creamy light coral with white micro-shimmer.
Tad Saucy is a clear gloss base with a heavy dose of white and pink shimmer.

Later Pigment

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T11:00:00.002-05:00

Hello everyone! I just wanted to stop by and wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving! I am thankful for being employed, attending graduate school to finish my career, and being healthy. Cliche I know, but these past few years have been very rough for me and finally I'm able to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I'm not too concerned with having an extravagant turkey day this year. I have mucho tarea y estudiando to do lol. I have lots of school work and I'm going to take advantage of these days off I have. Anywho, I hope you all are doing well and that you enjoy your families and the food!

Product Fail | Elf Makeup Remover Cleansing Cloths

2010-10-22T11:06:00.005-04:00

I heard great things about these makeup wipes. 20 in a pack for $3 at your local target or www.eyeslipsface.com! Sounds like a great deal right? Well they do work...but they STING LIKE HELL! My eyes have never burned like that since I got Ivory soap in them as a kid. The pain is ridiculous. Just one small wipe on my lid or my under eye area sets my eyes on fire. After 3 separate tries with these wipes, they were returned and exchanged for some Pond's wipes. I have no problem returning items that aren't to my satisfaction and I couldn't have driven to Target fast enough. I don't recommend these wipes, but if you want to try them, you're on your own. I tried to warn you! lol

*FTC Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with this company nor am I being paid to review this product*

Looking for a "green" lipbalm...for FREE?

2010-10-05T16:01:00.006-04:00

EOS's (Evolution of Smooth) lipbalm is a great product! I purchased this on Sunday at Walgreens for $3.49 and I also got a register rewards coupon for $3.00 to use on something else in the store, so basically I got this for free. It's 100% natural and 95% organic. Some of the ingredients include: coconut oil, shea butter, sunflower seed oil, honeydew melon extract and honeysuckle flower extract.

I picked up the Honeysuckle Honeydew flavor because I love the scent of honeysuckle. It reminds me of those times in elementary school during recess when my friends and I would go to the huge honeysuckle patch and suck the nectar from the flowers. Bees do it right?...right? #dontjudgeme lol

The packaging is a small cute ball and the balm inside is in the shape of a sphere as well. It's very moisturizing and smooth and it smells incredible. I would definitely repurchase this product. There are 5 flavors: honeysuckle honeydew, summer fruit, lemon drop (just came out!), sweet mint and medicated tangerine.

It's petroleum free, gluten free, phthalate free, not tested on animals, and paraben free. What more could you ask for?! So run to your nearest Walgreen's and get this bad boy for free! Thanks for reading!

*Stay beautiful, but on a budget!*

*FTC Disclaimer* I purchased this product with my own money. I am not being paid, affiliated with, nor do I work for Evolution of Smooth or Walgreens.

Looking for a dupe for MAC's Expensive Pink?

2010-09-29T23:17:00.005-04:00

click pic for a better look!

No worries, I got you covered! I read on Temptalia's dupe list http://www.temptalia.com/makeup-dupe-list that Wet n' Wild's single eyeshadow in Penny was an exact dupe for MAC's Expensive Pink. I always looked at it at Walgreens and thought noooo! It just looks like a gold-bronze shadow. I went to Walgreens yesterday and saw that all Wet n' Wild cosmetics are 50%. So I picked up the gel liner, mega length mascara and penny eyeshadow for less than $5 with tax. Normally it would've cost $9-$10 with tax. So if you've been wanting to try out Wet n' Wild, now is the best time!

When I swatched Penny it did look like Expensive Pink. I don't have E.P. but I've swatched it in person and Penny is a dead on dupe for it. So go and get Penny for $1 by Saturday or $1.99 regular price and get your dupe on! Happy shopping :)

*Stay beautiful, but on a budget!*

P90X Revisited!

2010-09-21T09:29:00.005-04:00

I decided to get back into my workout routine with P90X and stick with it for the full 90 days no matter what. I started out doing the lean program, but then I realized that if you're not already in shape you're not really going to slim down and tone up like you would like. I would say if you wanted to lose 10-15 pounds you could do the lean. I'm on week 3 doing the classic after doing 2 weeks of the lean. I did get a work out with the lean, but I feel that with the classic program I'm burning more calories and it's only day 2! I feel my muscles are more sore (I like that feeling) and I feel like I'm getting a better workout. After I'm done with the classic version I'll probably do the lean version to stay in shape.

Usually I work out early in the morning if I'm off from work. After work I may do the workout or 1-3 hours before bed. This morning I did plyometrics which involves a lot of squats and jumping. It is a crazy work out and I couldn't wait for those water breaks. In the end it was worth it and I feel like my thighs will be very sore tomorrow, but I don't mind. It's my body telling me I'm doing it right.

The workout is only half the battle and the diet is the other. I love sweets in general, preferably candy. I have cut back on my sweets tremendously and now if I crave something sweet I may indulge if I can't get a healthy option (fruit, granola/protein bar, etc) but I don't go overboard with it. I've cut back on my calorie intake as well. I'm not counting calories but I typically eat less at breakfast and lunch and eat slightly more for dinner. I do snack, but not often throughout the day. Usually it's a healthy option, rice cakes, yogurt, applesauce, raisins, fruit, crackers, cheese, carrots, sugar free or low calorie popsicles etc. I find myself eating less when I work out because I'm kinda full from the water. I also listen to my hunger pains. If I've just eaten breakfast, lunch or dinner I don't eat a snack or something sweet immediately after (like I used to) until I feel like I'm really in need of a snack. Let the food digest before you reach for a snack! I'm not drinking any whey protein drinks or anything like that. I looked into it and I realized I don't need it. If anything I will drink a can of coconut water (unsweetened, yes I know!) after a workout. It's better than drinking Gatorade. Do your research on it :)

All in all, that's my little workout update. Thanks for reading!

Hair Talk | Hair Typing!

2010-09-14T12:34:00.007-04:00

Ok, so as you know I'm still transitioning and now I have a lot of growth although it doesn't seem like it sometimes (damn shrinkage!). I've always wanted to know what my hair type is exactly. I think it's a 3c/4a but you can't really tell with wet hair because when it dries it shrinks, and you also have to completely BC to see what type you have. So I decided to do an experiment. When I wash my hair in some areas my hair is super defined 3b/3c-ish, 4a/4b -ish and in others it looks like a cloud of cotton lol. I decided to cut the relaxed ends of a piece of the cottony area to really see what it will curl up like. I drenched it in water and got some kind of curl pattern going, but it looked semi-cottony now.

Then I decided to add conditioner to it and *gasp* it curled up, but it wasn't that defined. So I washed the conditioner out, and added gel (fantasia ic-clear). It curled up like a wanna be 3c/4a curl lol. It was hard to type it because in some areas of the section it was a 3c and others a weird looking 3c and in others it was a 4a. I let it dry and the curl pattern was cute. Very different than the cottony patch I thought I was gonna get.

So I guess you really do have to completely BC to see what ya got!

As far as defined curls and what not, I'm not sure if I like my hair in a non-defined state. When I wash my hair, my hair looks a hot poofy mess in some areas and defined in others. If my hair looks like that now pre-BC, then there is no way I'd do a literal wash-n-go like that.
If my hair when BC-ed looks like what I described above in the cottony areas when gel or conditioner is applied, then yup I can dig it lol.

I already know I'm gonna be stocking up on the kinky-curly, eco styler, fantasia gels, etc. I'm gonna do all the "out" styles and figure my hair out. I will either BC in March 2011 or Sept 2011. Or I may BC at 20 months. I'm not sure yet. I'm gonna push for Sept 2011 though that way I'm not starting with uber short hair but I have enough to do styles and I don't have to worry about a TWA (teeny weeny afro). Alrighty that's enough hair talk. Thanks for reading!

Review: Incoco French Manicure Kit

2010-09-10T12:34:00.009-04:00

www.incoco.com

Hello! I was contacted by Incoco to try out their products. A little over a year ago I did a review on their product on my youtube channel (I bought the product with my own money) and the responses were a hit or miss. I think now they might have done some changes to the product (don't quote me on it). I've always wanted to try out the french manicure so I was happy to receive a kit to try out. I have tried out the color manicures in the past and I liked them, so I thought hey why not try the french mani?

Ladies, this french manicure is incredible! I got many compliments on my mani. Many people thought they were acrylic tips. The best part is, they still look fresh from the day I applied them a week later. There is minimal wear at the tips (which is to be expected), but there isn't any peeling or cracking in the polish.

This is what the kit looks like:

The kit includes: a package of white tips, a package of the pink polish, a polish removal cloth, a nail file and orange stick, two color polishes to practice on, instructions, and two pieces of silver tape to close the white tip package and pink polish package to prevent air drying out the polish.

This kit is very simple to use. It takes about 15-30 minutes to apply the kit. If you're anal about white tip placement like me, it will take 30 minutes lol. You just pick the correct size for your fingernail and voila! In the instructions you're supposed to put the white tip first, then apply the pink polish. But if you want a brighter white tip, you can apply the pink polish first and then apply the white tip. You don't need a topcoat, but for extra protection I applied a fast drying one (sally hansen's mega shine). My nails are still shiny and vibrant. I love this kit!

You can find these kits either at the incoco website or at your local Walgreens for $6-$8 depending on what kit you're purchasing. This is perfect to save $ on going to a salon for a regular french mani or putting on acrylic tips. You can do this on a plane ride, road trip, etc and you'll look like you stepped out of a salon!

*Stay beautiful, but on a budget!*

*FTC Disclaimer* I did receive this product for free. I am not affiliated with this company, nor am I being paid for this review.

Transitioning | Officially 1 year post relaxer!

2010-09-01T11:55:00.007-04:00

Yes, it's true! I'm 1 year post relaxer!!!! I'm trying to go for another year but I may BC in March 2011 which will make me 18 months or maybe go for another year and BC in Sept. 2011. I'm not sure yet, it all depends on how badly I get fed up with my hair lol. As long as I can put my hair in a pony tail I will cut it off. So far my transition is going well. I did a mini chop in May so now my relaxed hair and natural hair is about equal now. The hair from about the top of my ear to the nape of my neck is 95% natural already from the mini chop and it touches my collar bone.

I'm experimenting with shampoo bars, natural shampoo's and conditioners, co-washing, deep conditioning, steaming, bentonite clay treatments, and different hair styles. I'll have an update video soon to talk about things more in depth.
Talk to you soon!

Win a Konad set from DesignUrNails & Posh Pigments!

2010-08-24T10:25:00.002-04:00

Want to win a great Konad set? Follow the link!!!

http://poshpigments.blogspot.com/2010/08/win-konad-stamping-nail-art-kit.html

Good luck!

*Stay beautiful, but on a budget!*

Mini Tarjay (Target) Haul!

2010-08-19T16:50:00.008-04:00

Hey ladies! Yes, I know, I KNOW. I've been ghost like Casper but I'll explain that later soon. I went on a little shopping spree a few days ago and picked up some much needed items from t& the beauty supply store (BSS). From target I've been wanting the Yes To Carrots Pampering Conditioner because it's an incredible conditioner. I was turned onto this brand because I picked up a little travel pack with the shampoo, conditioner and a shower gel on clearance at Walgreens for about $2 a few months ago. One day I ran out of shampoo and conditioner and decided to give this a try. The pampering shampoo cleaned my hair well, a little to well. I may have used too much of the shampoo which is why I felt the "squeaky clean" feel. I will have to try it again. The conditioner is AMAZING! So thick, so moisturizing and your hair feels like buttah after you rinse it out. I've seen the YTC brand at walgreens as well, so you can purchase there as well. The conditioner is $7.99 for a 16.9 ounce bottle which I think is a good deal especially for a natural & paraben-free product.

The next thing I picked up is a soap that I've seen at target but never thought to buy it. It's a moisturizing oatmeal soap from a brand called Grounded In Nature. I got it for $3.99 and I think it's a good deal because it is a 5 oz bar, 1 inch thick and 3x3 inches. I could of purchased an oatmeal soap from an e-tailer but the shipping is what kills you in the end. For $3.99 it wouldn't hurt to try so we'll see. It's in an almond scent and it smells divine. The scent isn't overpowering, it's just right. I can't wait to use it and let you know how it works! It's an olive oil based soap with oatmeal, glycerin, vitamin e and of course oatmeal. I'm sure this soap exfoliates as well so it's kind of a two in one.

Alrighty ladies, I hope you enjoyed my mini haul! Happy shopping!
*Stay beautiful, but on a budget!*

Purples on my mind!

2010-07-16T21:10:00.007-04:00

So I thought I'd try out MAC's Go For It lipstick and it would go perfect with my purple scrubs today lol. When I first applied it, it was dark, but the lilac pastelle by revlon lightened up the color and it looked great! I did apply with a light hand, so it all depends on the look you're going for. Go For It worn alone would be quite bold for daytime/work looks but perfect for a night out. Enjoy!

Jane Haul

2010-07-13T18:43:00.007-04:00

(Click on picture to enlarge)

I heard a looong time ago that Jane's Shimmering Bronzer in Tahiti was a dupe for MAC's Petticoat MSF. I tried finding the video on youtube where I watched that, but it was taken down :( I did write it down when I watched the video about a year ago, so I do know that it is Tahiti and not some other name. I went to my Kmart which is now Sears Essentials, expecting to pay $7 for it and lo and behold it was marked down to drumroll please.......$1.50! They had only 1 left, so I couldn't get a back up unless I went to Ulta to repurchase. I also picked up 2 eyeshadows. A very creamy matte barbie pink (prom queen) and a frosty lavender/silverish (lilac) shadow. They're very pretty and only cost $.90 each (normally $2 or $3). I don't have Petticoat MSF, but the Tahiti bronzer doesn't seem to have pink in it, but when swatched it has a gorgeous pink bronze sheen. Very pretty on the skin. All of the Jane items were marked down, so if you have a Kmart or Sears Essentials in your area, check out your Jane section. Happy shopping!

*Stay beautiful, but on a budget!*

MAC In The Groove & Drugstore Haul

2010-07-13T17:44:00.005-04:00

Hola! I picked up a few ITG items as well as a few drugstore goodies and I thought I'd share and swatch for you. From MAC I picked up Nymphette lipglass and Spring Bean lustreglass. I've heard good things about Nymphette and since I couldn't purchase I.Want.Candy. dazzleglass creme (sold at MAC stores only, not counters :( I got Spring Bean instead. Also from Revlon, the spring/summer 2010 collection of the super lustrous lip glosses came out about a month ago. These glosses are limited edition so if you want them, get them asap. I tried to wait for them to go on a BOGO free sale, but they never went on the sale. So I settled for a BOGO half off.

From the MAC In The Groove collection I picked up Jazzed and Go For It lipstick. These are the only lipsticks that stood out to me, especially since I already have St. Germain which looks similar to one of the lipsticks in the collection. Here is a comparison of MAC's Lavender Whip vs. MAC Go For It vs. NYX Power so you can get an idea of the color. Go For It is the darkest of the 3, but still beautiful nonetheless! Check out AlexandraBond on Youtube, her latest tutorial features Go For It lipstick and it looks great on her! Jazzed is a perfect coral color and I'm sure Coral Reef lip gloss (revlon) will look gorgeous on top of Jazzed. Revlon's Berry Haute is a dupe for MAC's Up The Amp, so go save you some money!

Ok so here's an oldie but a goodie! MAC's Sea & Sky mineralized eyeshadow duo. I've been wanting this e/s since it came out but at the time it was limited edition. Then it became permanent. I always put it off because I usually go to MAC to buy multiple items, not just one or two things so at the time I didn't think it was worth it. Finally a collection I was interested came out, so I finally got my hands on it. Hands down this is the best e/s duo from MAC. The swatches alone are gorgeous!

Anywho, I hope you enjoyed the swatches. Happy shopping!
*Stay beautiful, but on a budget!*

Whey Protein

2010-07-06T20:52:00.002-04:00

I'm going to start back up with my P90X workout next month. I want to get some protein shakes into my diet to help with the weight loss. I want to tone up moreso than lose a ton of weight. I want to try whey protein but I'm clueless as to which brand to get. I know I want something with low sugar and more protein (vanilla flavored) but I'm clueless as to which brand to get. Any suggestions? I plan to use this as a guideline for my protein shakes: whey protein powder, frozen fruits, flax seeds (milled) <---great for fiber intake!, honey, milk or water, and possibly spinach leaves. So for those of you that use whey protein, do you have any suggestions of brands? Thanks!

MAC Resort Life Lipgelee is coming back!

2010-07-04T08:34:00.005-04:00

If you missed out on this lip gelee from MAC in Lillyland, it's coming back in the Venemous Villains collection on Sept. 30th 2010. This is the only thing that caught my eye in this collection. (I'm only going by the description of the items, but maybe I'll change my mind when I see pix. lol) It's a glitter bomb so if you're not fond of glitter, than you can pass this up. It costs $14 USD. Happy shopping!

Crazy Dupe List!

2010-07-03T11:23:00.003-04:00

This list is one of the best I've seen. If you need a dupe, I'm sure you'll be able to find it here: http://www.temptalia.com/makeup-dupe-list

Happy shopping!

Stepping out on faith...

2010-06-30T11:28:00.003-04:00

The toughest part of getting to the top of the ladder, is getting through the crowd at the bottom

.

Girl How You Put Ya Blush On?

2010-06-27T14:40:00.006-04:00

I have my own technique of applying blush and to some it can be weird and technical and to others it may be genius. Either way it's my and I luvs it! I was requested my a subbie of mine to do a tut on blush application. Hey Daniel! *in my Wendy Williams voice* How you doin? lol.

Anywho, I hope you find it helpful. Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJke5glxyI4

Losing my touch...

2010-06-21T18:15:00.003-04:00

I haven't dabbled into my makeup stash for hot minute (months). Mainly due to stress and life coming at me in different directions. I've been on a minimal makeup kick. Keeping it simple with the eyes and face if at all. I'm afraid I'm losing my touch lol. Soon enough I'll jump back into the groove though. I'm waiting on a few more things to fall back into place and hopefully I'll get back on the makeup train and start crankin out some tut's. To those who are subbed to me on youtube and who follow this blog, I haven't forgotten about you :)

MAC Alice + Olivia Collection

2010-06-17T09:24:00.005-04:00

This collection drops on July 8th and I can't wait for it! I have my eyes set on the turquoise (Partylicious) and purple (Later) pigments as well as the hot yellow dazzleglass creme called I. Want.Candy. I might also have to pick up the other 2 dazzleglass's b/c I'm on a serious no buy until September unless its absolutely necessary or an incredibly good deal. So why not go out with a bang? The In The Groove collection is also dropping on July 8th and I want to get my hands on Jazzed lipstick which is a coral color. I missed out on Dressmaker Dressmaker from the Pret-A-Papier collection so I thought this might be a good substitute. What are you going to get from the Alice + Olivia collection?

I Finally Learned How To...

2010-06-16T16:14:00.004-04:00

Cornrow!
I've always been jealous of others who can cornrow and I used to get so frustrated and quit within 10 seconds. Plus seeing the broken hairs was not a good look. I decided to search yt and found some OK videos but I still couldn't get how to catch the hair with my fingertips. My method was trying to do it like a french braid and thats why I kept messing up. I started to wonder how my daughter's hair was gonna look when I eventually had one. She can't rock those balls and pigtails forever lol! Finally I saw this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzgYVgSiMHI and realized it was a simple under and over motion with the fingertips.

Doing single braids for a braidout don't really work for my hair because my braids get bent all over the place and won't stay. I used to try to do braidouts by cornrowing from forehead to nape but that never worked out either because it would never be defined and looked like a mess. So I figured instead of cornrowing from forehead to nape I would cornrow in sections hoping to get better results that way. I only need the style for a day anyway, because none of the "out" styles last more than a day. I was getting tired of bantu knot outs and I'm sure my edges were too lol.

So finally I put my fingertips to work and hopefully my braidout will look nice and defined. I put 4 braids in the back from maybe mid-ear to the nape of my neck, then 4 more braids above that. Then I parted the front of my hair on an angle so the braids can fall to the sides instead of going straight back. So I have 2 braids going down the side of my head on each side on an angle.

I also learned how to 2 strand flat twist as well as how to 3 strand twist. If you can cornrow, you can 2 strand flat twist. Instead of 3 strands you need two. 3 strand twists are a little trickier, and took me awhile to figure it out. Anywho, hopefully this braidout comes out right tomorrow!

Thanks for reading!

Clarisonic Facial System?

2010-06-14T10:50:00.002-04:00

I'm thinking I need to step my facial care game up. I don't wear foundation on a daily basis, but with my acne prone skin I try my hardest to prevent blemishes. Sometimes I get them, sometimes I don't. I do want to improve the look and tone of my skin as well. I can only imagine what will come out of my skin after using a product like this. Pros? Cons? Do you have one? Please do tell. I'm thinking of getting it from QVC because they have a good deal for $195. What are your thoughts?

Chagrin Valley Shampoo Bar Haul

2010-05-28T20:41:00.007-04:00

http://chagrinvalleysoapandcraft.com/

I've been wanting to try out some shampoo bars from this company because not only are they affordable, but they are completely organic and they offer very good sized samples (1.5-2.0 ounces).

^^^^
sample size

The samples sizes are all $2.60 but the full size bars range from $7.00-$7.95 (depending on the amount of ingredients and the cost per ingredient) for a 6-7 ounce per bar. That's very good because many companies that offer shampoo bars are on the small and pricey side. The shipping isn't bad either but depending on what you purchase you might be able to get away with a priority mail envelope for $5.70 or slightly more. Luckily all of my samples were able to fit in a priority mail envelope. My total was about $30 and I got 9 sample shampoo bars for $2.60 each. One thing that stood out to me about this company is that they are currently on vacation and won't be open until June 1st. I was expecting my package to come sometime next week. To my surprise I received an e-mail from paypal that my package was shipped and I received it yesterday. So, CV get's cool points for that. I wasn't expecting that at all, so thank you CV! I will definitely be doing a review on these bars in the future!

I hope you enjoyed my haul, for a better view of the bars, just click the pic!
*Stay beautiful, but on a budget*

All You Can Do...

2010-05-27T06:40:00.002-04:00

All you can do is take it day by day and have a positive outlook. So far, so good!

Haulin Collectively!

2010-05-23T20:38:00.007-04:00

I've been doing some major shopping and I thought I'd share. You can click on the pix for a better view. More explanations on the video about where I purchased, etc: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_QuDtXZMlQ

P90X (Lean Version) Kenpo X Day 6

2010-05-13T15:58:00.002-04:00

A great cardio workout involving boxing and kickboxing. My body is sore all over. I didn't feel anything from the legs and back workout until today and my thighs hurt along with my back but it's a good hurt. It's all good! Tomorrow is rest day!!!

P90X (Lean Version) Legs + Back & Ab Ripper X Day 5

2010-05-11T21:57:00.002-04:00

Whew! This time with ab ripper x I went as hard as I could. Legs + back kicked my ass! I felt like I was in drumline with all those wall squats lol. I was unable to do any of the back exercises because I didn't have a pull up bar or any resistance bands. Does anyone have a clue how to do the back exercises with the resistance bands without hooking them up to some ceiling contraption? I'm guessing to just put one foot in the middle of the band and go from there. This time I was able to hang with the big dogs with ab ripper x since I knew what to expect. I'm glad I was able to get to 12/25 reps for each exercise. The other day I couldn't get to 5 and that was WITHOUT doing any previous workout lol. I'm sure my calves and thighs will hurt like hell, but it will be all worth it. Honestly I didn't expect P90x to be so...do-able. I was expecting some Billy Blanks Tae-Bo bullshit. I'm glad I'm getting through the workouts and not quitting on them. I'm also drinking less water throughout the workouts which is a good thing. I'm ready for Kenpo X tomorrow morning!

Thanks for reading!
*Stay beautiful, but on a budget!*

P90X (Lean Version) Yoga X Day 4

2010-05-10T07:24:00.002-04:00

I'm not that flexible...about 30 minutes into it I felt that I was doing the moves incorrectly and the moves were painful. Hopefully in due time I'll be able to become more flexible but today aint it. I stopped after 30 minutes. Tomorrow legs & back and ab ripper x!

P90X (Lean Version) Shoulders + Arms & Ab Ripper X Day 3

2010-05-09T06:49:00.006-04:00

I'm not a fan of the shoulder exercises too much so I won't be doing as many reps or all of the shoulder exercises. I don't want to bulk up around there. As far as the tricep and bicep exercises I'm cool with those. The shoulders & arms exercises aren't too bad. I'm using 5 lb weights and will switch to 10 lb weights in the following weeks. So we'll see how bad the exercises really get. I haven't done ab ripper x because I need to get ready for church. But I'll be doing that later on today. So far, so good!

Ab ripper X:

Tough, I couldn't do all of the exercises or all of the reps. The majority of the exercises were either on your back or halfway between a crunch. My tailbone was still hurting from that damn dreya roll the other day so hopefully next week I'll be able to do more of the exercises.

Tomorrow, Yoga X!

P90X (Lean Version) Cardio X Day 2

2010-05-08T07:25:00.005-04:00

Cardio X was great! In the beginning there was a lot of yoga stuff and then we started sweating something serious! My favorite moves were the heisman (I couldn't help but start to say "do the heisman on the ho" lol), jumpshot, wacky jacks. That damn Dreya Roll came back to haunt me, and I attempted it once, but my tailbone hurt from yesterday so I decided I won't be doing that anytime soon. I expected my body to be very sore today but it wasn't. I guess I'm more fit than I thought. Tomorrow is shoulders and arms & ab ribber x. I sense pain is coming lol.

Dupe Alert! L'oreal HiP Restless Pigment vs. MAC Vanilla Pigment

2010-05-07T10:52:00.007-04:00

Well is it a dupe? You have to watch and find out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYlhHUwM9f4

*Stay beautiful, but on a budget!*

P90X (Lean Version) Core Synergistics Day 1

2010-05-07T07:10:00.003-04:00

Whew! It was hard, but I was expecting it to be harder. There were some exercises I did half-ass on but it was my first time. The exercises that were quite hard were the superman, banana roll and the dreya roll. That girl Dreya is DIESEL and her exercise proved she is. I'm sure in a month I'll be able to do all the exercises completely. I'm not a fan of push ups and there were many exercises incorporating them. Anywho, I"m ready for cardio x tomorrow!

New Outlook!

2010-05-04T21:03:00.002-04:00

It's time for a change and I feel like I got my second chance. I can almost see the light at the end of the tunnel and when I get there, everything will be so much sweeter. All I need is perseverance, discipline, and strength and I will be a-ok!

Mini Chop!

2010-05-02T17:38:00.005-04:00

So my ends started to look like "who, what, when, where and DAMN!" so I knew it was time for a trim. I was in town visiting the parentals so I asked mom dukes for a trim.....of course I got a cut because my ends were in bad shape. I figured that much but I loathe to get my hair cut. I can still pull it into a pony tail (my staple style which is why I get upset when too much hair is getting cut), its just not as long as it used to be. Oh well. I needed to cut the ends and this haircut will prepare me for when I BC in either September 2010 or March 2011. So I went from collarbone length to neck length. It seemed extreme right after when I looked in the mirror with 2 different textures of hair but after the rollerset I gave a sigh or relief lol. More videos and what nots coming soon! Does anyone else hate to get their hair cut/trimmed?

*Stay beautiful, but on a budget!*

Milk of Magnesia?!

2010-04-19T08:11:00.002-04:00

I've heard so many good things about this used as a primer for us oily ladies. I bought it a few months ago and was so freaked out it would break me out I returned it the next day. Back then I didn't have my skincare routine on lock so now it's a new ball game. If it's one thing I hate it's walking out the door with a matte face and within a few hours a nice oil slick! I don't wear foundation on a daily basis, so I play up my face with eyeliner, mascara (eyeshadow when I have time), blush and a lip combo. I was thinking of purchasing this $40 murad foundation primer to use whenever I wanted to bang out my face, b/c I've heard it's good for us oily ladies but $40 compared to $5? Knowing that either one could break me out or not it's worth a shot to try the milk of magnesia. All I need now is a finishing powder like MUFE HD powder or I've heard that Purely Cosmetics's Diamond Finishing Powder is a great dupe if not better than the MUFE. You can try a sample if you want to try it out. I definitely plan on getting one. Review coming soon on the milk of magnesia!

*Stay beautiful, but on a budget!*

Looking for a GAGA Dupe?

2010-04-17T15:27:00.004-04:00

As you know the Viva Glam Gaga l/s came out and I found 1 dupe for it. I'm not taking credit for these suggestions so check out the video for Revlon's Baby Pink http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdTjoHM9Tsg

Happy Shopping!

*Stay beautiful, but on a budget!*

Patience is a virtue!

2010-04-13T19:03:00.004-04:00

You know when you want something right then and there, right this instant, right NOW?! And then you don't get it...DAMN lol. I've always heard "patience is a virtue" and I never realized how true it is. No matter how bad you may want something now, you may not see it, but right now may not be the right time. Do you ever look back and think about the things you've gone through? Broke up with a guy and wanted it to work so badly. Next thing you know someone better comes along and you're like damn, why was I so adamant about this dude? Or you wanted a job and you didn't get it and something better came along, or you wanted a sick pair of shoes but didn't want to fork over the $100? Wait a little longer and you got them for $50! Sometimes if were just a little more patient the desires will come.

So ladies, whatever you may be going through just have a little patience. I know I am a very patient person but sometimes I want my cut too lol.

'Til next time ladies!
*Stay beautiful, but on a budget!*

Is it better to...

2010-04-12T21:49:00.001-04:00

Stay true to your "people" or branch out and force yourself to communicate and learn about others?

Just a thought, so feel free to share your opinions! :)

Dollar Tree Finds! Sally Hansen Lipnotic Gem Glosses!

2010-04-08T16:53:00.003-04:00

I was browsing the cosmetic section (what makeup addict doesn't lol) and I saw the Sally Hansen Lipnotic Gem lip glosses that I couldn't find ANYWHERE. Not Ulta, Walgreens or CVS. Apparently these must have been discontinued because I haven't been able to find them since I saw reviews on them last year. One of my subscribers told me I could find them in my dollar tree, but last week I didn't see them. Well today I was in luck. I found about 6 colors and I picked up 4 of them. These are the closest things to MAC's dazzleglasses. Just the other day I crossed off two dazzleglasses that I wanted off my wish list (it's still a recession ya'll lol) and today I picked colors similar to what I wanted. For $1 you can't beat it. I was also able to find SH's moist & matte lipstick in a nice hot pink color. Wherever the bulk items are coming from, thank you dollar tree!

Happy shopping ladies, stay beautiful, but on a budget!*

Review: ELF Mineral Eyeshadow Primer

2010-04-07T15:07:00.007-04:00

So I've heard that this little gem is comparable to urban decay primer potion...well I guess it is if you don't have very oily lids and don't live in a hot climate. I tested this out with only applying it on my lid and not adding a base on top. I got a good 6 hours out of it before it creased on me. The creasing wasn't very noticeable but I noticed it. I decided to give it a shot to see how it would work using a base on top (nyx jumbo e/s pencil) I got the same amount of wear out of it. If you have very oily lids, stick to urban decay primer potion or too faced shadow insurance, especially if you live in a hot country, state, etc. Now I'm not saying the product doesn't work, but if you are an oily girl like myself and you expect this primer to hold up in a hot club, a gym workout, the beach, etc. you're in for a surprise.

If you only need this primer to hold up for about 6 hours go for it! I've tried using a very small amount, letting it dry and applying my shadows...same result. So I'm guessing its a combination of the heat, humidity, (I live in FL) and my oily lids. I think this product is too sheer to keep my eyeshadow looking fly. I also noticed some fading the longer I kept the shadow on (around 8 hours). Sometimes it's a hit or miss which is annoying.

I'm going to finish my tube but then I'll be switching over to Too Faced Shadow Insurance mainly b/c I don't want to depot UDPP. The ELF mineral eyeshadow primer costs $3 on eyeslipsface.com. If you're not an oily girl, I think this primer would be just fine for you.

Pros: *Cost is $3 and you can always find a good coupon code just search around on the 'net
*See-through tube so you can see how much you have left
*Blends well into skin, silky feeling

Cons: *Too sheer for my oily lids
*Slight creasing after 6 hours
* Too thin in application (seems like within one swipe it's disappeared on my lid which I think adds to the creasing and fading)

Overall product rating 3/5

*FTC Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with this company, nor am I being compensated for this review*

Best Bath Store Haul/Review (Click me for link to store!)

2010-04-06T20:42:00.013-04:00

I've had my eyes on this brand for a while now. I really wanted to try their dead sea bath bar but didn't want to commit to buying a full size bar. You can purchase 5 samples for free and just pay $6.95 for shipping. It ships pretty quickly since it's sent by priority mail. When you go to the website, look on the right hand side and click on "Try before you buy" and you can choose which samples you would like.

I wanted to see if the dead sea body bar could be an alternative to Lush's Buffy Bar since I was looking for a good exfoliating soap. I've never had the buffy bar, but I have heard that it melts pretty fast. I also ordered 4 other soaps (sample sizes) but I haven't tried them out yet. The sample sizes vary from a small slice to 1x1 inch slice.

The smell of the dead sea body bar is really clean and green. Very natural and pleasant. I was skeptical about the exfoliating factor even though there were quite a few exfoliating ingredients such as: dead sea salts, dead sea mud, ground apricot seed, walnut husk, ground luffa and seaweed powder. I tried the soap as soon as I got it lawdddd, it exfoliated so well! Almost too well. It does feel scratchy does the less pressure on your skin, the better. It exfoliated like a dream and my skin felt so soft. I was able to get 3 good uses out of this soap and used it every other day. On the 4th day I couldn't get a good exfoliation since the soap kind of turned mushy. But since it was a sample I digress. I would definitely recommend this soap if you're looking for an affordable exfoliating soap. I also encourage you to try the samples to try it out. You never know, you may not like it.

I hope you guys enjoyed this review! Stay beautiful, but on a budget!*

*FTC Disclaimer: I have not been paid by this company nor compensated for reviewing these products*

P90X Here I Come!

2010-04-01T08:46:00.003-04:00

I've been wanting this for a while but couldn't justify the $200 it costs. So you know I'll be heading over to my trusty ebay. I only need the dvd's and not the meal plans and everything else it comes with b/c I already have those on file. I forgot where I downloaded them, but if you want them let me know and I'll e-mail them to you. Anywho, it's time to get in shape (and stay there!) and it's the perfect time. No need to put it off any longer. I've wanted to get in shape for the longest time but if I don't start now, I never will. I won't be posting pictures or anything on my blog but I will be doing daily updates on the exercises I'm doing. It will force me to work out regularly and track my progress. I'll also be posting what I'm eating. Damn sugar...I love candy! lol

I'll be back to post after my first workout sometimes this weekend or next week. *Deuces!*

*Stay beautiful, but on a budget!*

Randomosity!

2010-03-30T15:52:00.008-04:00

Hey ladies! It's been a while so I thought I'd come back with a random haul. My intention was to go to walmart and get one thing, BUT of course I ended up spending more than I needed. But I really did need hair accessories because this new growth I have is serious! I can no longer hide my edges with a little gel, nope no siree bob. I need a wide headband for it now lol. April 1st I'll be starting my 7 months into my transition. Only 5 more month to reach my one year and 11 more months until I reach my 1.5 years. Whatever length I have at 1.5 years the relaxed ends are getting cut no matter what. (But don't hold me to it lol)

I've been hearing rave reviews about the Herbal Essences Hello Hydration line so I thought I'd give the shampoo a try for when I'm too lazy to bust out with the shampoo bar samples from Lush. I've only used it once but so far my hair felt soft but not as soft as I expected. I'll continue use it but I'm not sure if I'll buy it again. I guess I have to keep using it.

I also decided to give HE's Long Term Relationship leave-in conditioner a try (it's for split ends) and so far so good. After washing, depending if I'm using heat or not I'll either air dry, add my aphogee pro vitamin leave in conditioner, add LTR and seal with my oils. Or if I'm using heat I'll add the aphogee leave in, LTR, then blow dry or sit under the dryer then add my oils. (I add oils after drying b/c I don't want them to "cook" my hair b/c the oil will get too hot. Think of adding cold oil to a hot frying pan, same concept). I haven't noticed any split ends, but its best to prevent them while you can right?

So far my transition is going well and now I'm having issues with wanting a sleek look and not wearing bantu knot-outs all the time. Twist outs, braid outs, flat twist outs just don't look right because of the new growth so I stick to bantu knots instead. I get defined curls without my hair looking poofy and just...weird lol. So I thought instead of flat ironing I would do air dry my hair, then do a saran wrap under the dryer for 30 minutes, then to give my hair some volume I'd rollerset my hair with steam rollers. I've had my eyes on the Caruso rollers from Sally's for about $40 and I can't wait to get my hands on those. That way when I want to wear my hair down, it doesn't look like a hot mess b/c of the new growth.

I also needed some headbands (pictured above) b/c the new growth wants to come out and I keep trying to tell it, it's not time yet! lol So I got some flexible plastic head bands as well as some fabric joints b/c the less stress on my temples, the better. Don't you hate to feel pressure on your head just from a headband? What kinda...?! lol I picked up some of those side clip thingies b/c if I ever want to do a fro hawk with a bantu knot out I need the middle part to be on point and a few clips if I ever want to do a french bun type updo kinda thing..lol. You know what i mean haha!

Alrighty ladies, that's it for now.

*Stay beautiful, but on a budget!*

How I Cured My Acne!!!

2010-02-28T11:31:00.001-05:00

Basically, I decided to go green and thats when I saw a significant change. Also trial and error plays a part. Check out the video for more info and my trials and tribulations lol http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpSFU-Pg9gM

*Stay beautiful, but on a budget!*

6 Month Transition Natural Hair Journey Update! (Click title for YT Video)

2010-02-28T09:10:00.005-05:00

YAY! I'm halfway done with my transition!! These 6 months flew by quick. I'm not sure if I'll be bc-ing in September 2010 or March 2011. It depends on the growth my natural hair. If my natural hair reaches a good length to where I can put it into a pony tail, I'll chop it off. Here's a link to the youtube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEMhHavqQw4

So far everything is going ok and I'm learning along the way. I'm just experimenting with products right now so I don't have many hair staples except for extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil and castor oil. Enjoy the video!

Death Of A Laptop

2010-02-13T17:10:00.004-05:00

It's safe to say that I HATE PC's. I had a Dell my freshman year of college I had to rebuild it within the first 3 months of buying it. I think I rebuilt it 3 times in 4 years. Then the night before my college graduation it fell off my desk and broke, screen split and everything. It BARELY fell two inches. So I got an HP a few months later, I had to rebuild that one a few months ago because Windows recommended me to update something and BOOM, can't turn the damn thing on. Plus I had to buy the system restore cd for $25. Gotta love PC's! I used my laptop this morning, turned it off and decided to check my e-mail about 2 hours later. All of a sudden I press the power button expecting it to turn on and and the keys light up for 1 second and turn off. I do a bit of research on my parent's computer and a great number of HP laptops have had the same problem. Of course my laptop is out of warranty so I have to pay for them to fix it, and of course it will come back fixed and mess up within another month with the same problem or something else wrong with it. Or it will come back "fixed". Screw it. As much as I want macbook pro I'll have to settle for a regular macbook. I'm not paying HP $300-400 to "fix" my computer. Whether you're a PC or an Apple lover, spend the extra $$$ and get insurance and an external hard drive. Thank GOD I have all my stuff backed up on my ehd. I learned that lesson after my Dell broke. Re-downloading over 1,000 songs is NOT FUN! I'm just gonna save my pennies and enter the apple world b/c PC's are mean to me lol.

African Black Soap Review

2010-02-10T13:48:00.009-05:00

I finally found it! My perfect facial soap. Helps with acne, oily skin, affordable and organic. What more could you want? A few months ago when I was going through a serious breakout I decided to go back to my motto, KISS; "Keep It Simple Stupid". The less ingredients, the better. So I decided to try african black soap on a whim. My previous experience was with it years ago and I remember my skin stinging from it. (Probably from keeping it on too long) I decided to try it again and now I'm wondering why the hell I didn't buy it sooner. It cost $3 for the soap and $3 to ship so it's a very good deal! For a full in-depth review check out my video review on the 'tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCfJ4vgoK0A

One thing I forgot to mention in the video is that when applying the soap, don't leave it on for too long or else you skin will sting a little bit. Also, don't get it near your eyes because it stings like a mother*&)*$#. For more information about the process of making black soap check out this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q95tagmkNsw

For the other benefits of african black soap check out this site: http://www.sheabutterr.com/nasabbnew/blacksoap.htm

Site to purchase soap: http://www.naturallyyours.ecrater.com/product.php?pid=2550353

Happy shopping :)

*Stay beautiful, but on a budget*

FTC Disclaimer: I purchased this item with my own money. I am not affiliated with this company nor am I being paid by this company.

Lush UK Haul!! (Click title for UK site)

2010-02-04T17:29:00.013-05:00

I finally broke down and purchased from Lush. I needed Ocean Salt in my life so I got that along with 2 massage bars; Strawberry Feels Forever and Mange Too. Um...I'm already in love with these and can't wait to try more massage bars. I wanted to feel like I was getting more bang for my buck so I got the biggest of the massage bars. They smell so damn good! My hands smell so good that it's hard to not keep sniffing them lol. I can't wait to try them after showering. I also got a free massage bar tin which is too small for my massage bars, but I'll find a use for it someday. The ocean salt was smaller than I expected, but hey what are you gonna do? I may or may not repurchase if I can get the same result with a homemade sugar scrub, but if my skin likes OS better then I'll stick to it.

My total purchase was 20.59 pounds, which converted is: $32.57 including shipping! If I bought from the US site my total would've been: $37.25 not including shipping ($10.61) for a total of: $47.86. What the hell? Plus when you order from the US site it's sent from CANADA. Kinda crap is that? COMPLETE rip off. My order took 6 days to get here. I ordered January 29th and received it today February 4th. Very fast coming all the way from England! Anywho...if you need conversion amounts when ordering from the UK site here you go: http://coinmill.com/GBP_USD.html

The first pic of the ocean salt is with the extra coarse salt on top and the next pic is the coarse salt removed and everything mixed together. The UK version seems creamier and less...blue? lol I don't think the blue part makes a difference but hey it's something I noticed.

An in-depth review is coming for these 3 products on YT so be on the lookout! Also, a comparison between US and UK Ocean Salt as well.

Finally figuring out this natural hair thing...

2010-02-03T15:35:00.005-05:00

I'm on the beginning of my 5th month and so far so good. Time is just flying by, only 3 months away from 8 months. Hopefully by then I can really get a feel for my hair textures. I JUST figured out how to do 2 strand flat twists along with 3 strand twists. Thank god I borrowed my mom's mannequin to do it, or else I would have broken hair all over the place. I also figured out how to make my braid outs and bantu knots last for one day. I don't expect any of my "out" styles to last more than one day b/c of my relaxed hair and how easily curls fall out of them. I spray sections with water to dampen, add a leave-in conditioner, moisturizer and oil to seal. Then I braid, twist, bantu, etc. and let it dry completely before going to bed. If you don't let your hair dry, you will end up with a frizzy wet mess. Today I'm rockin a successful braid out and will definitely do the process over again tonight. I'm feelin this no heat thing.

I'm still trying to find my hair washing regimen. Right now I'm entertaining the thought of shampoo bars, co-washes, baking soda to clarify/shampoo and using apple cider vinegar to restore pH balance and give my hair shine. Later on this week I'll be using baking soda/water mix to shampoo, a moisturizing conditioner to co-wash and acv to restore pH balance.

With my "out" styles I use elasta qp mango butter to moisturize and olive oil to seal. I find that coconut oil is too light and my hair absorbs it too quickly. I definitely want to try some shampoo bars from Chagrin Valley. The sample sizes are affordable and you can try a lot for a small amount of money.

*Stay beautiful, but on a budget*

Review: Sweet Waxations Sweet & Simple Moisturizer

2010-02-01T10:20:00.003-05:00

Ok, so it's only been a few days and I can already tell it's not working for my skin. I haven't had any major breakouts since I've been using african black soap to wash my face. I've only had one blemish here and there and I've been using the soap for 2 weeks. So seeing a few blemishes pop up after using this moisturizer 2x's a day since Friday (1/29/2010) I know its b/c of the moisturizer. This moisturizer is too thick and I've tried adding very small amounts to my skin and ended up with the same result; an oily mess within 2 hours. I wasn't expecting the moisturizer to stop my oily skin, but I wasn't expecting an oily mess either. If you're an normal/dry skin girl definitely give this moisturizer a try. But if you're oily/acne prone stay away!

Since the moisturizer is very thick, I found that it was hard to spread the moisturizer on the skin without tugging and putting pressure on my skin. I put a dot on my left cheek and ended up with a red cheek after I was done. If the moisturizer had a thinner consistency I think it would be ok. So I guess I'm going to breakdown and get Lush's vanishing cream. I won't know for sure that its the moisturizer causing the blemishes until I stop using it. The product isn't a total waste since I'll use it for my body instead of my face. So in a few days I'll add an update. In the meantime I'm ordering vanishing cream asap!

*Stay beautiful, but on a budget*

Mini Haul: Sweet Waxations Sweet & Simple Moisturizer

2010-01-29T19:13:00.005-05:00

I have been on the hunt for a moisturizer ever since I ran out my Lush vanishing cream sample. I don't even remember what I was using after I ran out of that. As I was on the hunt I decided to go back to my cetaphil..big mistake. Thankfully I only used it once and remembered why I retired it. I had every intention of buying the vanishing cream, but the price was killing me. Luckily I was on youtube and a fellow tuber created a candle company (Sweet Waxations) and she also had a skin care section. I saw that she had a moisturizer for $7.50 and had 7 ingredients in it compared to Lush's vanishing cream that had 24 ingredients. So I thought if it breaks me out, I'm not out by much. Not only is there a big difference in the amount of ingredients, but the sweet & simple moisturizer is 2 ounces for $7.50 while the vanishing cream is 1.7 ounces for $35.95. Lush's container looks bigger b/c it's wider but obviously there is more product in the sws&s moisturizer.

I received it today and this sucker is THICK so that means a little goes a long way. It looks like its been whipped to perfection. There isn't a strong smell or anything which is good. I haven't applied it to my face yet, but on my hands it felt soft and smooth. It'll be a while until I give an in-depth review (crosses fingers for no breakouts!)

Check out the site: www.sweetwaxations.com

*Stay beautiful, but on a budget!*
*FTC Disclaimer*: I am not affiliated with this company nor am I being paid. I paid for this product with my own money.

2,000+ Subscriber DIY Birthday Contest!

2010-01-21T14:04:00.002-05:00

Yes! It's that time again, it's contest time. It just so happens to be ya girl's birthday also! I'm the big 24!!! So if you want to participate, hit up my channel and check out the rules:

www.youtube.com/makeuponabudget

*Stay beautiful, but on a budget!*

Review: Sally Hansen Moist & Matte Liquid Color

2010-01-12T15:47:00.011-05:00

I've been noticing a few people on Youtube talking about their latest treasures at the Dollar Tree. I decided to give mine a try and lo and behold I saw a plethora of Sally Hansen's Lip Lacquer's and their Moist & Matte Liquid Colors. I decided to get one of each just in case I didn't like the products. I've been looking for a matte red and I didn't feel like going to the drugstore and having to return and repurchase. I also wasn't trying to pay $14.50 at the MAC counter either. So spending $1 wasn't really going to kill me. This red is the PERFECT matte red I've been looking for. It's bold, bright, moisturizing and looks matte without making your lips look dry. The color is 6770-70 in Charmeuse. Go to your local Dollar Tree's and try to stock up! I'm going back tomorrow to get one more tube. Happy shopping!

*Stay beautiful, but on a budget!*

FTC Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with this company, nor am I being paid by this company. I purchased this product with my own money

Keepin It Cool w/ Detrivore Cosmetics

2010-01-06T09:31:00.005-05:00

I wanted to try out my new shadows from Detrivore Cosmetics so I came up with a smokey blue/green look and purple liner on the lower lash line. The video is uploaded on the tube, so check it out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiH2nIgTMHo

Enjoy!

Hair Help!

2010-01-02T16:31:00.005-05:00

Ok so I'm still kinda sorta transitioning. But the hard part is that I can't see my curl pattern in all areas of my head. I'm trying to get a feel for it but it's frustrating. In the pix I posted in my previous post about going natural thats the best I can see. Even when I wet small sections of my hair I still don't see a distinct pattern, it seems like it's just there. In some sections it looks like a loose wave but in others it just looks blah. I just trimmed my hair because my ends kept getting tangled and they were looking like who what when where and why. I needed a trim anyway so I'm not as upset as I was before. I loathe getting my hair trimmed because I was traumatized a few years ago. Anyway, I can't wait for March to get here so I can really see what's going on. Any ladies with some advice? Here are my qualms:

Is it bad that some of my new growth doesn't seem to have a distinct curl pattern to it?

I guess I just need to wait and see...even though I'm 3 months post it doesn't look like it unless my hair is wet, is that good or bad? I have no clue, you guys lol. In this pic I see a small wave pattern forming but I guess I have to wait a few more months to see what's really good.

Happy New Year!

2009-12-31T21:15:00.004-05:00

I am SOOO ready for 2009 to be over! The past 2 years have been the worst and I'm praying that 2010 is better. I've been trying my hardest to not dwell in the past and look forward towards the future. I've been having a feeling that 2010 is my year and I've never felt that way before and I can't shake it. Something good must be in the works! Anyway, I just wanted to wish everyone a happy new year and I hope that 2010 brings happiness, joy and many blessings for you! Take care!

P.S. For all my Haitians, pa blie manje soup jomou'w! (Don't forget to eat your squash soup!) I can't wait to tear it up tomorrow! :)

With love and all things beauty,
Jenny

FOTD: Don't Sleep On L'oreal HiP!

2009-12-29T20:31:00.006-05:00

I bought 4 metallic duo's a while ago and I've been meaning to play with them but I just forgot about them. I usually don't mess with L'oreal HiP's duo's anymore since I bought some a year ago and thought the quality wasn't that great. I really like the metallic duo's but the regular line, not so much. Anway, I did a simple smokey light pink & purple look. A shimmery pink and a dark purple, how can you go wrong? Enjoy!

Products Used
*Eyes
-L'oreal HiP metallic duo in Sculpted (lid & crease)
-NYX single e/s in Nude (highlight)

*Face
-MAC Matte Gel
-MAC MSF Natural in Dark
-La Femme Blush in Pink Velvet
-Milani Glimmer Stripes in Cocoa Glimmer (highlight)

*Lips
-MAC Hello Kitty l/s in Fashion Mews
-MAC Hello Kitty l/g in Fast Friends

Blue Mascara??? Say WHAT?!

2009-12-28T20:58:00.006-05:00

I was watching MakeupbyTiffanyD's haul on some Benefit goodies and she mentioned a blue mascara that they carry. Of course I wanted it, but she showed an alternative which is Maybelline's Great Lash in Royal Blue. It's on sale at Walgreens this week for $3.99 but don't forget the coupon! You can get the coupon in the store in the advertisements. If you're feeling frisky one day and you want a little pop of color try this mascara out. Even though it is a royal blue on the wand it doesn't show up that way on your lashes (well on mine since they are black). In the pix the color payoff I got was with 4 coats, so if you just want a little bit of color you're good with two coats. Even with 4 coats the payoff wasn't BAM IN YO FACE! which is good. So for a little pop of color try out this mascara, it's dope. The mascara is shown on my left eye. Happy shopping!

*Stay beautiful, but on a budget!*

FTC Disclaimer: I purchased this item with my own money. I am not being paid by this company nor am I affiliated with this company

Dr. Hauschka Kit For Oily Skin Review

2009-12-26T15:01:00.014-05:00

Ok, so it's been a week using this kit and the results are in! This kit gets a 10/10!

Cleansing Cream:

This cream isn't what you would think a cleanser would be. It's an exfoliating cleanser with itty bitty bits of almonds in it. They call it almond meal. It doesn't scratch at all, it feels like you are rubbing lint on your face b/c that's how gentle it is. It smells good too, nothing overpowering and not chemical-ly lol. You are supposed to pat the cleanser (mixed with a few drops of water) on your face to give you a light exfoliation. I tried that the first few days and then I was like bump that, I want to see results! So I did it the old fashioned way. It has really helped with the blackheads on my nose and it doesn't irritate my skin.

Clarifying Toner:Smells like the cleanser, nothing overpowering. With this you don't want to apply it with a cotton ball/pad b/c it's pricey in a full size. Just take a small amount in your hands, rub them together and pat over your face. It's that simple. It dries quickly and works great as a toner. You go through this quicker in the kit than anything else.

Normalizing Day Oil (4th from the left):

This oil you apply only in the morning/afternoon/whenever you wake up. It helps control the oilies and absorbs very quickly. All you need is a dab on your forehead, cheeks, nose and chin. That's it! It's a dry oil so it doesn't take long to absorb and it doesn't leave you looking oily. I have barely scratched the surface on this oil so it lasts a long time.

Rejuvenating Mask (Last from the left in above picture):

It's a mask for all skin types. It reduces pores and softens hardened skin tissue (I have no idea what hardened skin tissue is lol). It also calms sensitive skin and helps with redness. All you need is a pea sized amount. You're supposed to use this once a week after the clay mask and rinse it off but I use it everyday, twice a day without rinsing. It hasn't hurt my skin to do so, but if it does yours, just use it as intended.

Facial Steam Bath:

This is for all skin types and is to be used in conjunction with the cleansing clay mask which is also for all skin types. If you don't have it you can just substitute it for water. It helps open clogged pores and reduce redness. It will last you a long time since you only use it once a week with the clay mask.

Cleansing Clay Mask

This mask is finely ground clay blended with extracts of nasturtium and witch hazel. It is a very detoxifying mask because within seconds of it being applied to your skin it starts to dry. When mixed with the facial steam bath or water it turns an army green color. I swear you would've thought I was Fiona from Shrek lol. I took a fellow youtuber's advice and did the extracting process 3 times. I applied the mask and let it dry, then I wet my hands and re-wet the mask and let it dry again and I did that step again after it dried. I washed it off and applied the toner and rejuvenating mask. In the kit you only get one, but I didn't think to try to get two uses out of it by only using half. At the time I needed all help I could get so I used it all.

Final Thoughts: All in all, this kit didn't make me break out, didn't stop all acne (I never expect any product to do that) but I did have very tiny blemishes that the tea tree oil knocked out quickly. I'm sure that was because of the mask since it sucks all the crap out of your skin. Since the full size products are costly it would be an investment to get everything I need. Hopefully one day I'll be able to come over to the dark side but until then I might repurchase the kit to get a better feel for how it does with my skin. You can get the kit for less than $25 (how much it retails on the Dr. Hauschka site). The link I provided in my haul no longer sells it for $14 and some change. I guess it was b/c of the holidays? Now it's about $23 (with free shipping) which is the cheapest I've found so far. Just search around on the net to get the best bang for your buck. Although the products are great they are very expensive. One day I'll be able to buy the full size products and use them for a month to really see how my skin reacts to it. But until then, I'll be going back to Lush. Hopefully Coalface will treat me better than Fresh Farmacy. But so far so good with Hauschka. Hope you enjoyed this review!

Link for kit and free shipping:
http://www.jacksonandhines.com/shop/9185/Oily%252FAcne+Prone/dr-hauschka-daily-face-care-kit-oily

*Stay beautiful, but on a budget!*

*FTC Disclaimer: I purchased all products mentioned above. I am not affiliated with this company nor am I being paid.*

Detrivore Cosmetics Evil Woman Contest

2009-12-24T01:23:00.008-05:00

I found a little gem mineral makeup company and I decided to enter their contest. Their eyeshadows are incredible and very affordable. I chose the queen of hearts from Alice In Wonderland and I decided to put my own spin on it since her character has pretty plain makeup. Here's the youtube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlEx1pJpT4s

Products Used:

Eyes
*UDPP
*NYX Jumbo e/s pencil in Cherry
*MAC Dangerzone e/s duo (Red color on lid)
*NYX Black single e/s (crease)
*NYX Brown single e/s (above black)
*NYX Sahara single e/s (highlight)
*Sally Girl Glitter in Ruby Slippers
*Duo Lash Glue
*ELF natural lashes

Face
*Monistat chafing gel (primer)
*L'oreal True Match liquid foundation in c8
*MAC MSF Natural in Dark
*MAC Gold Deposit (highlight)

Lips
*MAC Studio Finish Concealer (NC45)
*NYX Eros l/s
*NYX Hot Red lip liner

Wet 'N Wild Creme Liner Review

2009-12-22T10:48:00.004-05:00

FTC Disclaimer: I purchased this item with my own money. I am not being paid nor am I affiliated with this company.

I was browsing through walgreens.com and looking at my city's weekly ad. I saw that Wet 'N Wild's products were BOGO free so I thought why not give the liner a try? This liner is great! Very very creamy, it sets fast and applies smoothly. The liner brush is a little on the thick side and causes skipping if you're trying to wing it out. I'd rather use it as a brow brush. So use whatever liner brush you prefer. For $3.99 it's a steal. The packaging is really cute, small and affordable. It has a domed shaped bottom and flat top. The only downside is that once it sets on your brush you need to use an oil based makeup remover to clean the brush. I used olive oil on my brush then followed up with my home made brush cleaner. You will also need something oil based to remove it off your lids. Once it sets, it's there for life lol. Hope you guys enjoyed this review!

*Stay beautiful, but on a budget!*

Dr. Hauschka Daily Face Care Kit For Oily Skin Haul

2009-12-18T16:28:00.006-05:00

Ok, so if you've read my previous post about my crazy break out then you know my skin was going all kinds of crazy. So after using the mask I made and noticed how I was barely oily for 2 days I thought it was a keeper. But I was looking for a new regimen or to tweak my current one because I felt like even though I was using a new facial soap, lush's ocean salt to scrub (i finished my sample and I need to get a full size), still using my witch hazel as a toner and tea tree oil to spot treat I didn't think it was enough. Yes it kept most acne at bay but with my skin you just never know when a break out will happen. I decided to stop using my cetaphil moisturizer (because of the chemicals) and use aloe vera gel (store bought) and it works great! I've already noticed less oil production but my skin feels moisturized and not dry.

Anyway, I saw a fellow youtuber (Sugarfreetv) do a tutorial on how she applies Dr. Hauschka. When she explained how bad her skin was when growing up and how it was as she became an adult I felt for her. But then when I saw her skin, no scarring (that I could see) and no active acne, maybe one blemish if that I thought I had to try it. So far the au natural route is working for my skin, the less chemicals the better.

Now I realize that when it comes to my skin, cost shouldn't be a factor. Not all expensive products work and not all inexpensive products work so whatever works for my skin just works. Dr. Hauschka's products are pricey, so buying the kit is better. It retails for $24.95 but I bought mine from a different site for $19.95. Normally it costs $24.95 as well but for a three day period it was being offered 20% off and free shipping. Of course I bought it! BUT...I found another website that sell is for less than $15...http://www.jacksonandhines.com/shop/9185/Oily%252FAcne+Prone/dr-hauschka-daily-face-care-kit-oily So if everything goes well with this kit I'll be purchasing another one from the website I mentioned. Also if this doesn't work for me you better believe I'm getting my money back within 30 days.

Wish me luck!

More in-depth review coming soon!

Thinking About Going Au Naturale!

2009-12-16T15:33:00.007-05:00

So I've been thinking should I do it, should I not? What is my texture going to look like? Will I like it? Will it be what I've always wanted? I decided to just take a chance and see. Right now I'm 3 months post relaxer which is normal for me, so I thought I'd wait another 3 months to see my curl pattern. It's really hard to see it dry because there is so much relaxed hair plus there are different textures all around my head. Also whenever I comb/style all I really see are my edges which is not a good indication of what my texture will be like. That is one of the reasons why I was hesitant about going another 3 months. Cuz if my edges look like this, well damn I dont wanna see lol.

Anyway, I did a co-wash for the first time and I have to admit it was easy and not time consuming. I still did a rollerset (with heat) because I have 90% relaxed hair and 10% natural so it didn't seem smart to let it airdry and start messing with it. I added in my aphogee keratin leave in conditioner, another aphogee leave in (can't remember the name) and mane n tail detangler. They were all mixed up in a spray bottle. Then I sealed it all with coconut oil.

Before rollersetting I decided to start looking at my hair texture. I like my texture, it seems fine but curly/wavy. Does that make sense? The areas behind my ears and the sides of my head had a medium "S" curl. Near the nape of my neck had a tighter "S" curl but the texture near my crown seemed to not have a distinct pattern, it was just there. I don't know if my hair is 123abc type texture, but I guess I'll figure it out when I have more growth. But if you know, help a sista out! I guess it needs more time to grow so I can really see it. I have 1 inch of new growth and when stretched it's 1.5 inches. So here is the area behind my ear, see the curl? If everything goes well in 3 months I'll possibly transition for another 6 months which would make it a year before I big chop. I want to get some half wigs and lacefronts just to give my hair a break. Holla!

Lush Dark Angels I'm Coming for YOU!

2009-12-13T18:39:00.003-05:00

Ok ladies...and gents. I'm sitting here dealing with a massive breakout and I'm at my wits end. I noticed a few friends decided to moonwalk on my face a few days ago, but I didn't take it seriously. Dumb move. Why? Because my skin had been doing so great while using a new soap that I thought nothing of it. This morning I wake to a massive blemish on my jaw line and his cousin on the other side of my face and I was freaking out. So I decided to steam my face (wet washcloth and very hot water) to get the gunk out because there was nowhere else for the sucker to go. It was too late to try to heal it with tea tree oil :( So I'm researching Lush's Dark Angels cleanser and I was like hmm....do I smell a new diy tutorial based on lush's dark angels? DING DING DING!!!

I only had a sample of DA so I didn't get a chance to really see if it worked out for me. I plan on buying it and using it just for research purposes (insert evil laugh here) lol. So while looking at the ingredients listed online for DA I realized I could purchase all but 2. Now you don't HAVE to purchase all the ingredients for it to work but if you wanted a copycat version of it you can. All you really need are 5 ingredients. But before I spill the beans, hold up wait a minute!

I was searching online for a charcoal mask recipe and I found a good affordable one. I went to walmart picked up 2 products and whipped up the mask. Ladies and gents, I'm sitting here after 6 hours later NOT OILY AT ALL! My skin looks/feels like normal skin. No crisco face, no shiny forehead, no NOTHING! Just natural oil as if my skin were normal and matte. If my skin reacts well to this I might not even buy dark angels..how you doin? (wendy williams voice)

I'm telling you this shit works. Yes I had to curse because it's that serious lol. Now I have to keep using it (daily) to see if it will make me break out but hopefully it doesn't. If it doesn't I won't do a diy tutorial until after I get lush's DA and compare results. Sorry! The version I made today is mainly to help with oily skin. The rest of ingredients in DA are to help oily and acne prone skin.

Stay tuned ya'll!

Dupe Alert! NYX Narcissus vs. MAC St. Germain

2009-12-12T13:15:00.003-05:00

Differences: Nothing major except for the color difference in the tubes, but on the lips a different or should I say same story (haha). Save your money ladies! Enjoy the pix!

Simple FOTD

2009-12-07T14:33:00.002-05:00

I was home chillaxin today so I thought I'd play with some makeup. Just eyeliner and mascara on the eyes, a hot pink blush (applied with a light hand) and of course the bold lip. I used MAC St. Germain l/s, NYX lip liner in Bloom and NYX l/g in La-La. Enjoy!

How To Make Your Own Sugar Wax

2009-11-29T14:40:00.004-05:00

This is not my recipe, but I thought I'd share with you guys and save you some money. The video is up on the tube, enjoy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLjyttw0Tlk

Dupe Alert! Wet 'N Wild 516C l/s vs. MAC Lollipop Loving l/s

2009-11-16T11:17:00.004-05:00

I knew I had something similar to MAC's LL in my stash, so here it is! Enjoy and happy shopping! The only difference is that LL has a green duochrome to it, it's nice but not necessary because once you wipe it off you end up with shimmer all over your mouth. Enoy and happy shopping! For bigger images, click on the pix. Here's the youtube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XZ_2Crs384

Sugar Wax Anyone?

2009-11-15T21:37:00.004-05:00

I had my heart set on learning how to wax (more like shape) my brows and waxing legs and what not. I had my list written down for what I wanted from Gigi (a common brand for waxing tools) which cost $80. But then I decided to search around on the 'tube for sugar waxing and voila! A very cheap, organic and effective way to wax whatever you like. Youtube just saved me $80. I can get some muslin strips and spatulas from my local beauty supply store for $5. I smell a tutorial coming, can you? I'm going to try out this recipe and hopefully it works out:

2 cups of sugar (white or brown)
1/4 cup of water
1/4 cup of lemon juice

Basically you boil the mixture and stir. Then you let it simmer and keep stirring from time to time until it turns a dark golden brown color. That's it! If you screw it up, you can always eat it lol.

Neutral Glam 5 Looks in 1!

2009-11-15T15:29:00.005-05:00

I thought I'd have some fun with this look so here's one with 5 lips you can wear with this one look. Enjoy! YT tutorial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdx_1Gn7BhE

Products used:

Eyes
*UDPP
*NYX jumbo e/s pencil in gold
*NYX e/s in antique gold (lid)
*NYX e/s in brown & dark brown (crease)
*NYX e/s in nude (highlight)
*Andrea #53 lashes

Cheeks
*MAC format blush
*MAC msf in gold deposit

Lips
*NYC l/s in ruby & NYX l/g in plush red
*NYC l/s in blossom & NYX l/g in barbie pink
*NYX l/s in medusa & NYC l/g in black cherry frost
*NYX l/s in strawberry milk & NYX l/g in beige
*NYX l/s in circe & NYX l/g in frosted beige

Diamond Cosmetics Winter Collection Review & Giveaway!

2009-11-15T13:53:00.003-05:00

If you want to win the Diamond Cosmetics Winter Collection, check out the review on the 'tube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csK1I6cia5s

YT Guru Recreate w/ A Kick!

2009-11-14T00:26:00.005-05:00

One of my favorite guru's on the 'tube is DRBrooklyn730. I wanted to recreate one of her looks and I added my own little twist. For the tutorial check it out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SvNvPxk6pA Enjoy!

Products used:
Eyes
*UDPP
*MAC Violet trance e/s (lid)
*Ben nye jade and chartreuse (crease)
*Ben nye e/s in cosmic violet
*Ben nye e/s in aztec gold
*ELF natural lashes
*Sally girl glitter in violet vixen

Cheeks:
La femme blush in stormy rose

Lips:
NYX round l/s in fusion
NYX round l/s in iris
NYX l/g in african queen
NYX l/g in frosted beige

Dramatic Smokey Silver

2009-11-10T20:29:00.004-05:00

I thought I'd kick it up a notch with a dramatic smokey look. To see how I did it, watch it on the 'tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuR6B0LnDl4 Enjoy!

Products used:

Eyes
*UDPP
*NYX jumbo e/s pencil in pots & pans
*NYX pigment in silver pearl (lid)
*NYX single e/s in black (crease)
*NYX single e/s in brown (above crease)
*NYX single e/s in sahara (highlight)
*ELF natural lashes

Cheeks
*La Femme blush in russet
*Milani glimmer stripes in cocoa glimmer

Lips
*Maybelline color sensational l/s in pink please (025)
*MAC hello kitty l/g in fast friends