First Impression: Flower Beauty Skincognito foundation stick

First Impression time!! I am bringing you a review of the Flower Beauty Skincognito foundation stick.

Let me just tell you all I am in love with this product. To be honest I was little weird-ed (not a word I am aware) out about the application. But after trying and seeing the results I'm amazed.

Its really so simple and easy. I just applied 3 strokes on my forehead going upward, 2 on each cheek, 1 on the nose and 2 around the mouth for the chin area. After that I used a make-up brush and blended it all out.

It was an all day coverage and looked very nice once blended out. I would 100% recommend this product and I understand now why Drew Barrymore said that this is her one product that she could not live with out.

If any of you have tried the Skincognito stick let me what you thought of it. Thanks

First Impression: L'Oreal Paris Infallible Pro-Matte 24 hour Foundation

Today I'm bringing you all First Impression of a new foundation that I featured in a past blog post. The L'Oreal Paris Infallible Pro-Matte 24 hour Foundation.

Now this is a drug store product but in my opinion not so drug store prices. In my past post I said that I paid approximately $12 and for a 1.0 fl oz.

The shade I picked up was 103 natural buff which honestly is a little darker for this time of year, my mistake, but this will work great in the summer time. I know that I will love it and grab it more when the weather starts to warm up due to the light weight formula.

This honestly feel in between a BB cream to me. I want to feel that I have something on my face if I am going to wear foundation. I thought the coverage was fantastic though. I had a nice spot greet me yesterday morning and I feel that it covered it well.

Now last night I washed my face and after having my makeup on for 12-16 hours I hardly had any make-up on my make-up wipe. So 24 hours?? Not really.

Overall it a nice foundation and for daytime wear I would definitely recommend it.

If you have this foundation let me know what you thought of it. Talk to you all soon!

Product Review: Pacifica Natural Mineral Coconut Eye shadow

Earlier this month I received this product in a my Ipsy bag. The Pacific Natural Mineral Coconut Eye Shadow in the shade Ethereal. If you are not familiar with Ipsy it a subscription service were they send you 5 products a month. Make-up in the mail...how cool is that?!

In January's bag I received the eye shadow and even though I have only had it for the two weeks I have used it quite frequently. Pacifica's website states that it is 100% vegan and cruelty-free.

The shade is a nice champagne or moon stone. I will work well with any skin tone. I have used it all over the lid, in the inner corner and on the brow bone for a highlight.

I have not tried it but I dont see why you couldn't use this as a highlight if you so desired to do so.

I love the shade Ethereal and pairing it with a dark rich brown in the outer corner is a fun contrast. Plus a lighter shade or shimmer in the inner corner of your eye can really open up the eye. So I feel that this product is a win/win.

Thanks for checking out my blog. Talk to you all soon!

Make-up Haul Volume I

Hello Folks! Today I bringing you all a makeup haul. Over the weekend I went to the drug store and last week I did an online shopping at Sephora.

So lets start with drug store products.

First is Physicians Formula Mineral Glow Pearls highlighter in Translucent Pearl. I have heard great things online about this highlighter and looking forward to trying it.

Moving right along to another drugstore product I purchased Flower Beauty Skincognito Stick Foundation in the shade SF2. This is Drew Barrymore's brand and its sold at Walmart. I am curious to how the application process is going to be since I can't recall a time when I had to put on foundation via a stick. Reminds me of Grandma Lola's rouge I would always see her wear when I was little. Side note: If you are to purchase this...don't just try to use your fingers to open the product and remove the plastic around the stick. Save yourself 10 minutes and get some scissors. Then again I am special. :)

Finally, from the drugstore I bought a foundation, L'Oreals Infallible Pro-Matte 24 hour foundation. I saw a YouTuber It'sJudyTime pick it in one of her hauls. And I love L'Oreal Paris Infallible anything so I booked it to the drug store to pick it up. One down side I can see so far is for approximately $12 dollars I would have like the product to have been more than 1.0 Fl. Oz....but eh such is life.

Now on to Sephora products. This is what is left of my Christmas gifts, and I ecstatic about them.

Who says that you can have too many foundations? Well... I have been wanting this Lancome Teint Idole Ultra in shade 140 Ivoire for months now. And I got it and I just know I am going to love it!

Now the big purchase of the haul is amazing and I know that this is going to do wonders for my skin. I bought a Clarionic Mia in Lavender. This bad boy cleans your face 6x better than your hands alone. From the reviews that I have seen though it will cause break outs in the first couple weeks to month of use. Good thing I am set on foundation for when that happens.

I hope you have enjoyed taking a look at my makeup haul. Talk to you all soon.

Product Review: Benefit They're Real Push Up Eye Liner

I have happy news today. The day that I have been waiting for the last 3-4 months is here. My Benefit They're Real Push Up liner has died.

Finally, I have been waiting for this day since this product and I have had a love/hate relationship since I first bought it.
Now let me be clear I love and will always love Benefits They're Real Mascara. So when I heard they had a They're Real liner I needed to get to the nearest Sephora. Stat! Let just get that straight and moving on the review of the liner.

The liner claims to be lash-hugging gel liner and it did give me a great black line very close to my natural line. The application went on smooth and very long wearing.

Very long wearing I would use a makeup wipe and cotton pad with eye makeup remover to get it off. You can find the product at Sephora or Ulta and retails for $24.

The real annoyance I had with this product is during the day when I was not using the product I would leave it resting in my vanity. The next morning I would come back to it and chunks of it would be on the top of the applicator.
Now I can't do anything with a chunk of black gel liner. You want it to go on smooth and not clumpy and rough. And trust me I tried switching positions when I left it idle (which I really think is over and beyond for the product) but no change.

This would cause me to waste product. I ended up using the remainder of the product although not a fan of that and because of that I will not be repurchasing.

Upcoming I am expecting a Sephora order to come in so I am planning on doing a haul. And I hope to being you all more reviews soon.

How I Apply False Lashes

I have new love and I am obsessed with it. False Lashes...this is a fairly recent love affair and I am seriously wondering where have they been all my life.

I will be honest with you I was freaked out by false eyelashes before I just went for it. One day I just decided that I was going to wear them and master it. And I am so glad I did.

I love the Ardel brand but the ones I wore in this post were Salon Perfect. The glue I use is Revlon adhesive. Its amazing because of the control I have with the applicator. No more oops I have a big glob of glue now on my eyelash. Once the glue is on the lash I like to wait least 30 seconds and blow on the lash/glue. You want the glue to be tacky so it really adheres to the natural lash.

I feel like its a little something extra for my lashes but never anything outrageous.

Best way to apply the lashes is with your fingers. Just place as close to your natural lash as you can. After that I take pair of tweezers adjust as needed and press lightly with the tweezers to the natural lash.

I would most definitely recommend you try false lashes yourself. I know that you will feel gorgeous, sexy, and beautiful with this little something extra in your makeup look. Seriously, they add a boost of confidence to your attitude as well.

Hope you enjoyed my post about how I apply my false eyelashes. Let me know if you get brave like I did to wear false lashes.

How I Style My Hair With a Headband

Styling Hair with a Headband. This is a very easy hairstyle that I really should do more often. 1. its easy and 2. I look damn good. but seriously...

I am using an elastic headband with black sequins on it. I believe I purchased this at Rue 21 a while back. First you need to have it on top of your head and placement feels good and fastened. Next, would be to tuck your remaining hair below at the nape of your neck up and under the elastic. I like to secure with a bobby pin rather than rely on elastic band itself. I have found that splitting the hair into sections and going up and over works best.

Its really that simple. After my hair is secure. I give it a lite spray of hairspray and on to makeup. Makeup for the Day- As always Urban Decay Primer. On the eyes I am using a new product that I received in my Ipsy bag. Pacifica Etheral all over the lid with my Nude Tude pallette by The Balm in Sophisticated. Benefit They're Real and Benefit Push Up Liner. My foundation was L'Oreal True Match and Maybelline Fit Me Concealer for the undereyes. My Blush is NARS Orgasm with High Beam highlight from Benefit. On my lips I am wearing Mac Crosswires and Rimmel Show Off Lip Laquer in Stellar.

My outfit is a sweater from American Eagle. Needs to go in the garbage since its holey in spots. Express Jeans. Flats from Payless and Scarf was a garage sale find.

Throw Back Thursday

Keeping it simple today folks...Been thinking about that little lady all day. This is a #TBT post and we are probably in the 5 and 8 range in the photo. The photo was taken in front of Grandmas Lola's fireplace and no doubt Grandpa Joe was the one that took the picture. We are grown women now and starting new ventures in our lives. Yet I am extremely thankful we remain close. If she was here with me now I was squeeze her head just like I did in the picture. Proud of her and happy she is in my life. Yay for Sista love!!

What I Ate Wednesday

What I Ate Wednesday... This is a duplicate of what Anna Saccone does most of the time on Wednesday. I am sure she would not mind if I copied her blog post for my own this week. I mean how does love a good food picture...amIrite? #foodporn

Breakfast - Toast with butter and cinnamon and sugar.

Lunch - Salad with cheese, red onion and cottage cheese. Thank you Michael for spilling the French dressing and ruining my shot.

Afternoon Snack - One very ripe banana (the best) and second round of water.

Dinner - Steak, garlic mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli. We went a little fancy tonight. I hope you enjoyed my version of What I Ate Wednesday.

My Go To Hair and Makeup

To be honest, today I do not feel the greatest. Been fighting a headache all day. But I am going to complete this cause I want to stick with it.

So here we go... I am doing an Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette Tutorial. Not really a tutorial but this is my go to look when I still want to look good but not try that hard.

I started with hair using the smaller rollers at the front of my face then moving to the bigger rollers on the crown and down my head. I curl each piece with a curling iron. I am using a 1'' Hot Tools curling iron, velcro rollers I got from Walmart and duck pins. After curling the piece of hair I roll in the opposite direction I curled. Make sure its secure to my head and hold with a duck pin. Continue the same process until my entire head is covered in rollers. Looking damn sexy! I do a quick spray of hairspray all over my rolled head and move on to make-up leaving in the rollers. Allowing them to cool completely. In the palette, I use Trick and apply it all over the lid. In the crease or socket I place Nooner to blend it out and add some definition. Finally on the outside corner of my eye I put Factory in an outer V shape. Then Boom eyes done!

After that I go in with Benefit They're Real Push Up Liner. I really wish I could apply liner without touching my face. Old habits die hard! They Benefit They're Real Mascara on the upper and lower lashes. And L'Oreal Infallible liner on the water line. My foundation today it Estee Lauder Double Wear. I love this foundation. Great coverage. Lasts all day. And makes me look matte which I love. Then Mabelline Fit Me Concealer for my under eyes and Miliani Baked Blush with Benefit High Beam on the top of my cheek bones. My lips are lined with Rimmel and I fill in my lips and then applied Mac's Syrup over the top. Viola! Makeup done.

After the make-up is done I let done my hair. Run my fingers through it. And I used some Big Sexy Hair on my crown to give it some body. Bigger the hair the better. Then apply hairspray when you have it looking just so. So please get yourself some rollers and try this. Like I said that this look is pretty standard for me and I could probably do it in my sleep .

Happy Birthday Michael!!

Italian Rainbow Cookies Happy Birthday Michael!! These are his favorite. He used get these " when he was a good boy" in Brooklyn from a bakery named Palermos. Since we live in Midwest and, he can't even get a Cookie Puss for his birthday, I thought I would spoil him with these. This is the second time making these for him. The first time he was so impressed he said he would marry me. :) These cookies are great and I have included the recipe below. Italian Rainbow Cookies

8 oz. almond paste 1 c. butter softened 1 c. white sugar 4 eggs, separated 2 c. all purpose flour 6 drops of red food coloring 6 drops of green food coloring 1/4 cup seedless red rasberry jam 1/4 cup apricot jam 1 c. semisweet chocolate chips Pre-heat oven to 350. You will need 3 9x13 baking pans lined with parchment paper.

Break up the almond past with fork then cream butter, sugar and eggs yolks. When smooth stir in flour

Beat egg whites until they form soft peaks. Fold into dough.

Divide into 3 equal portions, Red/Green/White.

Spread into the prepared baking dishes. Bake 10-12 minutes. Remove from pan and parchment paper cool completely.

Place green layer on plastic wrap large enough to cover. The green layer gets raspberry jam and white layer gets covered in apricot. I am sorry for lack of pictures on this step. They were not good enough to put on here.

Compress and chill in refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight.

Remove plastic wrap and top with melted choc chips refrigerate for 1 hour.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/rainbow-cookies/ Prep really takes the longest. But after the chocolate has harden you will cut into small servings and Enjoy! Last time the Almond paste I used looked like jelly and not very appealing. This time it was a hard paste that I needed to break up with my fork to mix into the batter. Another tip I will give you MEASURE WHEN YOU SPLIT INTO 3RDs. Clearly I did not and my green layer came out much thinner than I would have preferred. I hope you enjoyed and make these for yourself sometime.

Fun with Hair Extensions

Hair Extensions, yes I own them and proud of it. I was told by a friend once that if you can not achieve it weave it!

I tend to only bust them out though if I have extra time in the morning to put them in. They are clip in hair extenstions from Bellami Hair. They are 18'' Piccolina 120g in the shade dark brown. In my opinion, the 18'' is really long enough although Bellami does have longer extensions for the girl or guy (not one to discriminate) that would like that extra boost of hair. I wore these hair extensions on my wedding day. My hair was done at 8AM and I wore them all day finally taking them out at midnight with no discomfort throughout. Below is a link to the Bellami website where I purchased mine. http://www.bellamihair.com/collections/piccolina-120g-18/products/piccolina-120g-18-dark-brown-2

Now the first couple of times that I put these in I needed some assistance. Luckily my mother-in-law was here to help. Sectioning your hair is key. I like to start at the bottom and work my way up. Generally, I do three sections right below my ears, at the top of my ears, and finally at the temples. The remaining hair is used to hide the last/top section wefts. Its best to make sure the sections are as even as you can get them. Since my hair is fine and thin I like to back comb my roots to give the clips something extra to hold on too. What I have found that helps is using day old hair. Clean hair is difficult to get the clips to stay in place.

For this look I took the top section of my hair and back combed it to give it some height and tease. After that I bobby pinned the conceal the wefts. We all know thats not a cute look hair extension wefts to be popping out all over the place.

Moving on to makeup for the day... Eyes: Urban Decay Primer Potion. Naked Pallette -The Original.

All over the lid I put Sidecar and on the outside corner in a V shape I put Hustle on. On my brows I used the Anastasia Brow Wiz in the shade dark brown. I love this stuff but I feel like I purchased a shade too dark for me, so I use it with a very lite hand. My standard Benefit They're Real Mascara. They're Real Push Up Liner and Rimmel Volume Accelerator. In my water line I was sure to put on L'Oreal Paris Infallible liner. Foundation: Estee Lauder Double Wear in the shade 1W1 Bone 17. Yaby foundation as a concealer for my under eyes circles. Miliani Baked Blush Berry Amore. Finally, Benefit High Beam Highlighter on the tops of my cheek bones.

Lips: Rimmel Enchantement lip liner and Mac Syrup lip stick. Outfit of the day The faux fur vest is from Forever 21. My favorite winter piece. Yesterday I wore it without at coat and was very comfortable even though it was unseasonable warm for January. The purple top is so old I cannot recall where I got it from. I believe it was my sisters that I stole many years back. :) And the jeans are from Express. Thank you!