A Beauty & Travel Blog
A blog for beauty, travel destinations, travel tips and personal adventures, lifestyle and all roads in between.
In my twenties I was a full coverage fan; the thicker, the less of my real skin showing, the BLOCK EVERYTHING the better. And my skin still probably hates me for it. And looking back, it wasn't that I always needed the cake I just let my self-conscious, low-esteem riddled brain think so. You could swipe a finger down my face and have enough to conceal spots. I would have made NikkieTutorials proud.
Read MoreThe SPF 50 Skin Shielding Primer intrigued me on one my last pilgrimages to Target, so I picked it up. At $12, it's a bit steep for the usual e.l.f. pricing. Does it give the bang for its buck?
Read MoreThe weather here in the Bay Area has gone from rainy and a bit cold to the ever ubiquitous sunny overnight, and as we traverse more into Spring and the air is beginning to dry more so is my face. I don't have dry skin per se, more combo leaning midway, but enough where as I've entered my 30s I've learned to appreciate the need to treat dehydrated skin more and more.
Read MoreHello world, it's me, I was wondering if Q1 would ever let me breathe. What was supposed to be a month off turned into two, such is life with a demanding day job. And what better to wipe away stress along with several coats of mascara than a good double cleanse?
Read MoreWhat's the skinny on the L'Oreal Infallible Super Slim Liquid Eyeliner?
In the ongoing quest for perfect liquid eyeliner pen I move along to L'Oreal, who previous let me down with the awful Matte-matic eyeliner pencil. While that one sucked, I do love the Silkissime eyeliners and the Infallible gel eyeliner pencil that's super super pitch dark deep as pitch black. I was originally looking for their dupe of Lancome's Art Liner (since L'Oreal owns Lancome and YSL it's easy to find L'Oreal versions of a few things from each brand) but couldn't find it, and this one ended up catching my eye instead.
Read MoreIs 29 by Lydia Mondavi an affordable Caudalie alternative?
Read MoreSo far, I really like Pixi as a brand and wish I hadn't overlooked them all these years. Pixi H20 Skin Tint is amazing, their Endless Silky Eyeliners are awesome, a lot of their Skin Treats lines are faves so I was coasting on high hopes for the Lash Line Ink Liquid Eyeliner pen to be the stuff of liquid liner pen dreams.
Alas, you can't always get what you want.
Read MoreNuxe Paris Cleansing Milk with Rose Petals is a cleanser meant for normal to dry sensitive skin that might react poorly to harsher soaps and needs a gentler hand in getting clean without being too squeaky clean and stripping the natural oils of your face. Does everything come up roses with this cleanser?
Read MoreIn my last post about brands like Glossier and Milk, I mentioned that there were more affordable skin tint options out there that were also vegan and/or cruelty-free, and one such tint is the Pixi H20 Skin Tint. Luckily, this one is easily found at Target if you're feeling the need for instant gratification and not waiting for online shipping.
Read MoreThere's a popular NY-based beauty blogger who, while I don't always agree with her opinions, generally doesn't miss the mark much on reviewing products. So when she raved about the newer member of the Infallible eyeliner family, L'Oreal Infallible Matte-Matic Mechanical Eyeliner as being creamy and fitting in well with the new generation of drugstore eyeliners that aren't waxiness awfulness on a stick, I decided to give it a try.
$8, 5 minutes per eye, and sore lids later, I got to ask....what the actual hell do people see in this liner???
Read MoreYou know how everyone loves and raves about It Cosmetics CC Cream? I tried it, didn't like it, don't understand the hype. The Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream, however, did exactly what I wanted a CC Cream to do and did so beautifully.
Read MoreWhile shopping in Boots on my London trip earlier this month, I came cross this Sleek blush trio palette and fell instantly in love with the colors. And for only £9.99? Yes, please!
Read MoreI make it no secret how much I love Bourjois. How much it saddens me they have not yet made their way into the US drugstores. I saw through a couple of blogs that they had introduced a sheer matte lip color version of the Rouge Velvets, Souffle de Velvet, and I was intrigued.
Read MoreAfter lamenting the sadly discontinued Nuance by Salma Hayek Cleansing Oil, I've been hoping the drugstore could fill the hole it's left in my heart, and oh, it has!
Palmer's Cocoa Butter has thrown its hat into the cleansing oil game with their Skin Therapy Cleansing Oil, devoid of mineral oil and instead full of nicer ones like soybean, grapeseed, rosehip, etc. It is so so good.
Read MoreAs summer starts fading into autumn, so comes that brief transition period where you might start pairing shorts with a jacket, trading sandals for boots, and taking a lighter hand with your bronzer. How can you incorporate this shift in your makeup?
With Milani's Earthly Elements palette, it's so simple to have the best of both seasons until it's time to vamp it up more.
Read MoreI told myself, "Self, don't buy any more makeup for a while. You have enough." But then I saw pictures of the newest Pixi Beauty 2016 Collection on Instagram, specifically their new MultiBalm sticks for lip and cheek and the Glow Tonic To Go pads, and I folded like a lawn chair. So it goes.
Read MoreSometimes the best products don't need to cost an obscene amount, they can be as cheap as $5 or under. There's a wealth of great makeup out there that won't break the bank, do the job, and sometimes even better than the high end stuff. So if you're looking for some cheap and cheerful products that just might be your new favorites, read on.
Read MoreNuance by Salma Hayek at CVS is, to me, an underdog brand that doesn't get as much love as it should. Some of that is the weirdly small to non-existent marketing behind it, were I to guess. The color cosmetics line is pretty straight forward, but there's some real gems in the skin and haircare range worth grabbing.
Today, I'm talking about a pretty awesome cleansing oil that's both drugstore and less than $11. But, like all goods things such as Firefly, it's too good to be true as CVS has apparently discontinued it. You might still be able to find bottles of it, though, and I highly suggest stocking up.
Read MoreI picked this up on a whim at CVS, hearing some good about it. Alas, I think this is more suited for those who already have really good skin and don't need much coverage because it's pretty sheer. I make it work right now by using a lot of concealer where I need to color correct and even things out, but I wish it were just a little more packing in the pigments department.
Read MoreDo you like cleansers that work well, smell great or maybe don't smell much at all, and don't burn the ever loving crap out of your eyes?
Then for the love of God, skip the Shea Moisture Peace Rose Oil Complex Sensitive Skin Facial Cleansing Oil.
Read MoreA beauty, travel and lifestyle blog featuring beauty reviews, travel tips & featured places, destination guides, lifestyle posts and more. Let's explore together!
