I've Missed You!!!

I've been out for a while, working hard as a Pediatric nurse and having fun in between!

Oh and my daughter got her first official haircut at the salon. At first I wanted her bangs trimmed but I decided it's time to get an all around haircut. So above is a picture of her getting her haircut into a super cute bob hairstyle.

After the haircut! My cute pie

So here's my latest haul from Hautelook. I've been buying online for the most part or I go to Kohls. We moved to a whole new city and the closest store is Kohls, which is fine but I still miss going to Marshals. 

I love The Balm cosmetics, so when it went on sale at Hautelook.com, I just had to get some items.

One of the things I bought is this palette called Nude'tude. Some of the eyeshadows are powdery but the color pay off is great.

Here are the eye shadows with just ONE swatch each.

I also bought this lip gloss, it's not sticky at all but it comes on very light so don't be fooled by the blood orange color in the tube. It also has SPF 17 and tastes and smells like bananas.

Here is the swatch of the lip gloss. It looks dark against my arm but trust me it comes on lighter on my lips. 

Another thing that I had to, had to get is Bahama Mama bronzer. It's a very nice bronzer, I have to admit!

This is how it looks like in the container.

Here's the swatch! It's a matte bronzer and it looks very natural. This would be perfect for contouring. I don't have any contouring powder so this is perfect!

Here are my blushes from The Balm that I previously bought from Hautelook.

DOWNBOY: this is a very pretty light pink blush. It's matte so it's perfect for an everyday blush. Out of all the blushes that I own, I feel like this is the most natural looking flush.

CABANABOY: This is a very pretty, glamorous type of blush. It's also matte but definitely gives a rosy glow. I would probably use this more for night time and for going out on date nights or something.

FRATBOY: Peachy, orange blush that is my current favorite. I think I reach for this more than any of my other blushes. This just gives me such a healthy flush. It's also a matte color so definitely great for the daytime. 

Now here is my "Go to work" makeup bag

• Ardell Brow gel (it was clear but now it's brown from the brow powder transferring over), 
• MAC brow shader duo powder in Maple/Soft Charcoal
•  Costco duo ended brow brush/spooly, 
• MAC brushes in 150 and 129, 
• MAC MSF powder in Medium Plus, 
• The Balm blushes, 
• Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation, 
• Sonia Kashuk eye lash curler, 
• Cover Girl Lash Blast Waterproof mascara, 
• Urban Decay De Slick oil free setting spray.

If you are looking to try a new foundation that stays on ALL DAY, I suggest Estee Lauder Double Wear. Running around as a Peds Nurse for straight 8 hrs without a break, means no time to do touch-ups so I was so happy to have found a foundation that can stay put all day and doesn't melt off my face. I bought this at the outlet mall, but it is still available at retail stores as well and for more color selection. The outlet only has it in three colors but for about $27. The regular price is $35. The color that I use is Fresco 01.

My current fragrance is Michael Kors Very Hollywood. This is such a sweet scent, very light. The liquid perfume is pink and the bottle is clear with gold sparkles. The scent is said to be "shimmering jewels of mandarin and iced bergamot."

So that is it for now, I will try to update as much as possible. I am actually just getting over some sort of stomach virus. I didn't go to work today because of it and even though my stomach is still sore, I decided to go ahead and take advantage of this free time and update you guys. Anyways, will be blogging again soon!

Take care!

UPDATE: POND'S Luminous Clean Cream Cleanser

 Hey there! So I wanted to start off by saying that I have some wonderful news (also the reason why I've been MIA). I have been super busy since passing my NCLEX because I have been diligently looking for a job (hey I have to fund my makeup addiction right? lol). Anyways, I am so happy to say that I have recently been hired to work for a very busy, renowned pediatric office here in VA. Also, I have been busy packing up since my family and I are moving! Everything is going very well and I could not be any happier.

Now on to the product update! Today I will be posting up my pictures after almost 3 months of using POND's Luminous Clean Cream Cleanser. If you want to check out my review on this product just click on this link -> POND'S Luminous Clean Review.

Now here's a snippet taken from my previous review, briefing you guys on what this product is all about...

 POND'S Luminous Clean Cream Cleanser

Product Amount: 6 Fl. Oz.

Packaging: White Tube with frosted pink colored flip top

What it claims to do...

• Draws out trapped make-up and impurities to brighten dull skin
• For bright, lumious skin
• Enriched with soft white Kaolin clay and moisturizing ingredients
• Won't clog pores
• Dermatologist tested, hypoallergenic

Here's my UPDATE after almost 3 months of using this product. . . .

• It does remove make-up very well
• I'm not sure about the luminous effect
• I haven't had any major break outs (aside from hormone related, which are small)
• I definitely feel refreshed after I cleanse my face with this, like my face can breathe!
• I didn't have any allergies from using this

As you can see from the tube, I am almost finished. I use this twice a day, once in the morning and once at night.

I use my POND's Clarant B3 Moisturizer after I cleanse, otherwise certain areas of my face get dry.

I can't really say if my skin looks brighter because I still have some redness around my nose and from acne scars. If you want to see how my skin looked before, click on My Skincare: How I Healed My Acne Scars.

I think that this will be my go-to face cleanser because...

1. It didn't break me out!
2. It's affordable
3. It's hypoallergenic and dermatologist tested
4. Doesn't clog my pores
5. Removes dirt and makeup effectively
6. Has a light, clean scent

The only thing that I don't like about this product is the material that they used to make the packaging. As you can see from the picture above, the makeup from your hands can transfer on the tube and cannot be removed or cleaned off. It doesn't affect the actual product in the tube, but it doesn't look good either.

I hope you guys liked this post...if you have any questions, feel free to leave it below! Thanks for stopping by.

FOTD: Bobbi Brown Concealer for Tired Looking Eyes

My favorite concealer for under my eyes and pretty much all over my face is Bobbi Brown's Cream concealer in Warm Natural (available in other shades). This concealer comes is a duo that includes a sheer finish powder (housed at the top) in Pale Yellow color and the concealer is in a separate compartment beneath. The concealer is creamy but not to the point of being runny.

 I purchased this concealer at a Cosmetic Company outlet store so this is the discontinued packaging version. The new version is in a flat compact. The concealer itself can also be purchased separately without the powder. I can't remember how much I paid for this concealer, though it wasn't that long ago but the one I have, in particular is retailing for about $19 on ebay.

Here is my before picture without any makeup...yipes!

Here's a picture of me after applying the concealer under and around my eye areas. It definitely brightens up my under eye areas.

Here are the products that I used for today's Face Of The Day (in random order).

1) Bobbi Brown Cream Concealer in Warm Natural

2) Maybelline Waterproof mascara

3) Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation

4) EOS lip balm

5) Smashbox Halo powder in Light

6) 100% Pure Organic Coffee Bean Eye Cream

7) Urban Decay All Nighter XL Long Lasting Makeup Setting Spray

8) Urban Decay Primer Potion

9) POP Blush cake in Warm Sienna

10) COFFRET D'OR 02 Makeup Palette

I only used the pink part of this blush and I did that by swiping the blush brush on the right half of the pan and then tapping off the excess.

COFFRET D'OR 02 Makeup Palette. I used the pink color for my inner eye lid and the purple for my outer eye lids. I used the white powder eye shadow for my highlight (brow bone and inner eye corner). 

I am wearing Lancome Color Design lipstick in Love It!

Well that's it for today's FOTD time to head out and enjoy the weekend. Happy Friday!

Apothica Haul: Smell Good + Coffee Eye Cream

Hey there! So I just got back from my job interview and wanted to let you guys in on the news, I passed my NCLEX! Yayyyyy...I'm so happy and proud of myself. It's been a long road to to get to this point, but I still plan to get my other degrees.

Now on to the haul! I purchased a couple of things from Apothica.com a couple of days ago and it came in the mail today, so kudos to Apothica for their super fast and easy ordering and shipping process.

I got this perfume called L'Imperatrice 3 by Dolce & Gabana. The price is $64 for 3.3 Fl Oz. It's a bit pricey but the scent absolutely amazing! I'm usually not into fruity scents but I definitely make an exception for this perfume. It has notes of watermelon, kiwi, pink cyclamen, musk but I think the watermelon scent is what stands out the most for me. It smells really fresh and classy.

Aside from the addictive scent, I adore the sleek packaging. It has a cap and a spray nozzle. The bottle itself is clear glass and it's thick on the front and back and thin on the sides.

The other product that I purchased is this 100% Pure Organic Coffee Bean Eye Cream. This is $18.80 for 1 Fl. Oz. The product claims....

Anti-inflammatory, caffeine rich green tea and coffee de-puffs and reduces swelling while increasing circulation to alleviate and brighten dark circles. Concentrated with potent anti-aging vitamins, antioxidants, and nourishing rosehip oil.

The packaging is actually different from the one pictured on the website but I think this packaging is way better than the tube that it originally comes in.

I don't know much about this product but it has a lot of good reviews and I've been in search for a good eye cream. Besides, if there's a product out there that has caffeine but doesn't require me to actually drink the caffeine in order to look more awake, you can count me in! It also smells like coffee!

I will be doing a separate blog post to review this product.

Apothica really came through with their sample swag bag, I mean look at the ton of beauty products in this beautiful baby blue bag. The bag itself is super sturdy and stylish. I would definitely use this for when I start working at the hospital because I like that it's heavy plastic that I can wipe clean.

To get this sample bag, go to Apothica and a pop up window will prompt you to provide your e-mail address so they can send you product info pertaining to your skincare needs. Then you will receive an e-mail for the Code which you will enter at checkout. The bag comes with 10 free products and a gift card worth $20!

Here's everything that's included. Check out the $20 Gift Card!

Cargo Eyeshadow quad in Vienna

Deluxe Beauty Crush Lip Gloss in Sweet Plum

A few other products that I'm excited to try! DHC Deep Cleansing Oil, Oscar Blandi (Jasmine scented) shampoo (2 fl. oz) and conditioner (2 fl. oz), and Nuxe Paris Hand and Nail Cream.

Well that's it for now. Next post should be an update on my skincare!

Now I leave you with this cute song!