Saturday Swatch: Spring Time Love with Lorac Love, Lust & Lace

Last weekend, I went to the mall with my friends and I guess you can say I got a little carried away and went on a spending spree. Once you see me take a basket or bag that is stacked on top of each other at the entrance of the store, you know I mean business. I can literally spend three hours at Ulta surveying only one quarter of the store because I want to make sure that I don’t miss a thing while shopping. Anyways, there's a Nordstrom Rack in the mall that I went to and I always love finding high end skincare and makeup products for a discounted value. While I was doing my usual browsing I came across the LORAC Love, Lust & Lace Full Face Collection that contained the Love, Lust & Lace Eyeshadow Palette, Front of the Line PRO Eye Pencil in Black, Cobra Mascara and Alter Ego Lip Gloss in Stunner and Harlot and it was selling for a modest price of $24.97 (the original price was $42).

SOLD!

I've never tried LORAC’s products before, but I’ve heard a lot of great things about. The main thing that really sold me out of everything in the collection was the palette and it sure didn’t disappoint when I ripped open the box barely five minutes after we walked out the store. I’m definitely more of a neutrals girl, so I was instantly hooked.  The only thing that wasn’t really neutral was Devotion, which is this dark blue shimmery color. It definitely made me curious to see what it would look like on me because I feel as though that blue is definitely a hard color to pull off for most people and it kind of reminds me of 80s beauty and I was just not about that life. However, it’s becoming trendier in recent months and I actually did a tutorial recreating Lupita Nyong’o’s Star Wars red carpet look where she wore this really beautiful pigmented metallic blue lip color with this blue eyeliner and eyeshadow. I thought it was an interesting color to put in a palette that was more conservative side, but I think that the color will definitely will work well with the others.

Top to Bottom: Love, Crush, Amore, Lust, Devotion, Infatuation and Lace

When I first did the swatches of the palette I never realized how pigmented and rich these colors were. I was definitely in awe and had Drake’s Hold On We’re Going Home playing in my head while taking this photo. The only color that's pretty hard to see is Lace, but that’s because it’s really closer to my skin tone and I didn’t want to brighten up the photo too much because it would definitely affect the colors of the other swatches, which I didn’t want. When I do take photos of my products I try to make sure that the colors are as true to what you see in the palette. I always hated when I saw photos of a lipstick color or foundation color on Instagram and then be disappointed that it wasn’t the true color that I saw.

I will have to say out of all of them, Crush, Amore, and Lust are my favorite ones. Crush is a gold tone, but more on the pale amber side. It’s definitely unlike my other gold eyeshadows where it’s clearly a rich shimmery gold shade. But, this one is more on the subtle side for everyday wear. Amore is a beautiful copper tone, which is going to be a bit tricky to wear since I dyed my hair and the color looks similar to the palette. But, I may definitely try definitely try to smoke it out with Infatuation to see how that would look like. Lust has a mixture of pale silver and gold tones which is definitely a shade that would work as an everyday shadow. The color is diversive enough to be worn with anything you wear, which is great for days when you’re in a rush, but want any eye popping color.

Overall I’m fully satisfied with this purchase and I’m really impressed with this beautiful palette. Now excuse me while I go act like a 12 year old girl and play with my new goodies.

Backseat Beauty: How To Get Glam On The Go

I’m guilty of being a shower hog and sometimes I will literally stand in the tub with the hot water running contemplating life and thinking about weird alternate scenarios that happened in the past that I know could never happen. For example, just this morning I was reflecting on why didn’t I record the paranormal activity that was going in my old Long Island home and submit it to Ghost Hunters because I’m pretty confident that my Furby was possessed? Anyways, my thought process will go on for about a half hour until I come back to reality and realize that I only have an hour to meet my friends at a restaurant and I know traffic will be jam-packed. Since I didn’t have too much time to prep beforehand I’m going to have to take my essential makeup with me on the go to put on in the Uber. Check out how I got glammed up one stoplight at a time.

Hop in the Uber at 34th St 8th avenue: I always start with putting on hand sanitizer. You don’t know who was riding in the back of the car before and what their hygienic habits are like. The thought of the bacteria lurking on the seat and door handle in New York City skeeves me out. You don’t want any of it to transfer to your cosmetics or your face. So, sanitize accordingly.

33rd St: I know it’s going to be along night, so I want to make sure that my makeup will last. I like to rub in some primer on my skin for smooth application when I’m applying my makeup and to make sure that it doesn’t slide off throughout the night (The Benefit POREfessional Face Primer, $31 at sephora.com).

31st St: I'm so excited to see brands create foundation products in a compact form that would make it easier for me to touch up my skin while I’m on the go. It also comes with a cute sponge that makes applying and blending my makeup that much easier.  (L’Oreal True Match Lumi Cushion Foundation, $16.99 at ulta.com).

28th St.: My dark spots are still showing up a little under my foundation, so I’m going to dab a little concealer on them and blend it in with my fingers (NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer,  at sephora.com).

26th St: I'll definitely not even attempt to fill in my brows with a pencil because that would it would take five minutes for each brow. Instead, I’m going to fill them in with a brow mascara to expedite the process while making sure that they look full and bold (Nyx Cosmetics TInted Brow Mascara, $6.99 at ulta.com).

23rd St: I like my lashes the way they are, but I kind of want them to stand out a little bit more since I’m not applying any eyeshadow. I like using a volumizing mascara to help lengthen and add more drama to my lashes. (Estee Lauder Sumptuous Infinite Daring Length + Volume Mascara, $27.50 at sephora.com).

14th St: I love using creme blushes because they can double as a lip stain, which nixes out the need for a tube of lipstick and saves time (Honest Company Creme Blush, $22 at honestbeauty.com).

8th St: I like to set my face with a pressed powder to keep the shine away and use it as an extra barrier make sure my makeup stays in place all night (Clinique Perfectly Real Compact Makeup, $27 at macys.com).

Canal St: Get out of the Uber looking glammed up.

What are some of your backseat beauty essentials?

Simple Tips To Increase Your Productivity

Sometimes it’s hard to figure out the best mix of what we can do to stay productive. I’m still trying to figure out some tricks that works best for me. But, over the past couple of weeks I’ve discovered some ways that dramatically increased my productivity. Check them out below and let me know what you’ve been doing to get your work done.

Find a comfortable space. I’ve realized that I can’t get too much done while I’m in my apartment. Part of the reason why is because my heater is wonky and it makes it too hot in there and I have too much at my disposal to distract me. My kitchen just screams “food” at me and I'll somehow make an excuse to cook a five course meal (it happened many times before). I love going to a coffee shop or spending some time in this lounge that not too many people know about on my campus. It kind of takes the pressure off on what I have to do.

Schedule your tasks by an allotted time. Have you ever had so many tasks that you had to accomplish and by the end of the day you’ve realized you only did one or two of them? Now think back to earlier on that day. Could you honestly say to yourself that you were productive during every hour of the time you were doing work? Probably not. I’ve found that when I looked at my to do list and blocked out a time frame of when I should have a specific task done (ie. Work on blog post between 2pm-4pm), I was able to get a lot more done because I challenged myself to set frequent deadlines throughout the day.

Wear comfortable clothes. I don’t know about you, but I work my best when I’m in looser clothes. I don’t want to keep thinking about how my waistband is cutting off my air circulation. It’s just unnecessary and it just makes me less focused on work and more focused on finding a more comfortable position. There’s something that about the constriction of the clothes that makes me feel like it hinders my creativity.

Sip some tea or coffee. I’m a huge tea fan, which isn't really common in the U.S. Everyone's such a huge coffee drinker, but all I feel after drinking coffee is bloated and jumpy. I always find that when I drink jasmine green tea or even chai tea makes me instantly feel less tense. I know a lot of people who drink coffee who can’t begin to even start their day without have a cup of coffee and I think I can say the same for tea.

Try meditation. I’ve been using the app called Calm for the past three weeks and it has completely transformed my productivity. I originally started doing the 7 Days of Calm, which consisted of beginner exercises focusing on the breath and training your mind to become more focused. Also, it has these different sounds that mimic the scene that they display and you can choose from over 20 you can choose from. For example, I love the scene that shows you a close up of leaves hanging off a tree and it’s pouring rain. The guided programs only takes 10 minutes and I find it to be more useful in the morning before I start my day, so that I’m not as tense throughout the day. But, you’re not limited to the guided programs. You can choose to meditate however long you would like and set a timer that will alert you when your meditation is over.

Simplifying Your Skincare Routine The Right Way

Sometimes life catches up to us and we don’t have time to do our extensive nine step morning skincare process and wait five minutes in between while the products sink in. Plus, I highly doubt your boss or teacher wants to hear that the reason you’re late is because you had to wait for your La Mer moisturizer to finish penetrating your skin before you could put on your La Roche sunscreen, but you had to wait 15 minutes before going outside so it can work its’ magic . It simply won’t cut it. Also, the routine of it all can be a little too tedious after a while. Overall, I enjoy the process of putting all of it on, but it’s always helpful to look for products that can cut my time in half, so that my friends can stop making fun of me for being late (I will be doing a streamline your makeup routine in a later post). Check out some ways below how you can cut your routine in half.

1. Look for skincare products that serve multiple purposes. There are plenty of products on the market that's dedicated to tackling acne, scars and dullness at the same time.
2. Check to see if some of the products you’re using overlaps in purpose. If you’re using a Vitamin C powder or serum in your routine with another serum that's supposed to fight antioxidants, you should axe one of them out. Vitamin C is an antioxidant as well and it’s unnecessary to use it in combination with the other product.
3. Focus on at least 3-5 steps: cleanser, serum, moisturizer and sunscreen. The serum is optional if you don’t have any problems that you think need attention, but sun protection is pretty much the most important item that you put on. Many of our skincare problems could be prevented or minimized if sunscreen was included in the mix because it protects your skin from the harmful UV rays that plagues you with wrinkles, fine lines and uneven skin. You can even find a moisturizer that also offers sun protection to save you an extra three minutes that can make a difference when you’re rushing.
4. Look for makeup that also have skincare benefits. There are many makeup products on the market from brands like Neutrogena and Clinique that have foundation or powders that also tackles your acne marks and hyperpigmentation at the same time! Check those out if you're running low on time and unable to put on your serums.

April Wish List: The Glistening Baby

Have you ever wanted to walk outside in the sun with glistening makeup all over your face and people become so captivated by your luminous presence that they stop and stare as if there was a bright white light shining behind you and a halo fades in over your head like an angel? But in reality, they're thinking in their head how ridiculous you look doused in shimmering product from your forehead to your neck looking like you literally took a powder puff and blopped it onto your face like the scene in White Chicks. I think we would rather have them think the former, of course. I’ve been really into shimmer popping products lately and I could probably say that my BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector highlighter is kind of the equivalent to my gateway drug into dazzling my skin into sheer sparkling heaven.

There’s one look that I would like to achieve this year, which I like to call the glistening baby effect. Not so much a baby, but more of a four-year-old’s soft, supple hyaluronic acid poppin’ skin that looks as if they patted on argan oil on their face, but they actually just woke up like that. I want my skin to have that same finish, not so much looking like a four-year-old child, but I want that glimmer. I’ve selected seven of my most wanted items for April to get that glistening effect. Of course, not wearing them all at the same time (but really).

bareMinerals Marvelous Moxie Lipstick in Chase Your Dreams ($18). This lipstick is so bomb for spring. It’s supposed to leave your lips with this ultra pigmented, satiny finish that gives them a bigger and plumped appearance.

Black Radiance Artisan Color Baked Bronzer in Blackberry ($5.29). Honestly, I was drawn to the color swirl of this compact and the color just looked like it would give your skin a very toasty look. You have the option to use it dry to get a more subtle effect or wet if you’re looking for a more intense finish to slay the game.

Cover FX Enhance Click in Candle Light ($18). Initially I was drawn to this product because it made a clicking noise and it looked like it was fun to play with. The other reason why I want it is because I love the color and knew that this would make you look like bronzed goddess.

Colourpop Eyeshadow in Sunset Blvd ($5). Once I saw that it gave a pearl finish I was instantly sold. No explanation necessary.

BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector Luminous Blush in Dahlia ($34). Their shimmering highlighter originally pulled me in, so I’m not expecting this blush to disappoint me. Also, I think this color would look so beautiful on darker skintones.

Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoo 24 Hr Concentrated Crayon in Gold Rush ($5.99). This eyeshadow looks like it’s rich in pigment and would love to see how it holds up throughout the day and night.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Lip Gloss in Kristen ($16). If you asked me two years ago if I would ever lip glosses again, I would say definitely not. However, I’m really loving this collection of lip colors and it doesn’t seem to look like it will give you that obnoxious globby finish that used to be my lip gloss of choice during my pre-teen years. I’m currently trying to repress that memory.

Empties #1: What I'm Buying Again

Josie Maran Argan Oil Light. I have the regular Josie Maran Argan Oil as well, which I like to use during the winter time, but I love using the light one during the spring and summer. The oil almost feels weightless on your skin and it seeps right in after a few minutes. A little goes a long way with this product. You dispense the oil onto your hands via a dropper and dab one drop of the oil onto each area of the face and then pat it in. If you’re concerned about how this will affect your makeup, no need to worry. This formula actually inhibits sebrum production and is great for people whose skin is on the oilier side.

Estée Lauder Double Wear Foundation. This medium-to-full-coverage foundation is super blendable and provides excellent coverage if you have hyperpigmentation from acne scars. I really like to use Truffle on the darker areas of my face and use a lighter foundation on the lighter areas and make sure that I blend the harsh lines from the two foundations out with a beauty blender to create a seamless transition.

NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer. This is the first concealer that hasn’t disappointed me. I have dark circles under my eyes and would be upset with concealers I’ve used in the past because I was never provided with the coverage I needed. Of course, now I know that if I used a color corrector before the concealer I probably would have been singing a different tune. However, this NARS concealer cuts the color correcting process out of my routine because the coverage is that good. It lasts well throughout the day and doesn’t leave you with ugly creases under your eyes. Also, if your under eye area tends to get a little dry, this concealer won’t make it worse and could actually be hydrating.

REN Radiance Perfecting Serum. I love to use this in my morning routine. It has this citrusy scent, it has citrus and fruity ingredients in it, that may turn some people off especially those who aren't fond of products that contain fragrance. It has a liquid consistency and all you need to do is apply a thin layer to your face. After three weeks, I noticed that my dark spots were gradually getting lighter and my skin slowly, but surely becoming more even.

MD Solar Sciences Mineral Creme Broad Spectrum SPF 50 UVA/UVB Sunscreen. This sunscreen changed my life. I know that you’re like, “Ugh. Another beauty blogger. Another holy grail product.” But, hear me out. I don’t think there’s such a thing as a holy grail product because realistically, some products just don’t work well with everyone. Everyone’s skin type is different and they all have their separate needs. But, this product was literally sent down from heaven for me. When I was using other sunscreens before, my skin would always get super oily because they were too thick and my makeup would start moving around. This was even happening when I was using a mattifying primer over it and I was going through blotting papers left and right. I received this sunscreen about a year ago from Birchbox and after a day of wearing it, I didn’t have to touch up my makeup once. My makeup looked like as if I just applied it. I’ve been using it ever since and it has been extremely useful. Also, I don’t feel the need to even use a primer with this sunscreen because it has the same texture of a primer and works a lot better than most primers under makeup.