Tag: beauty

Does This Thing Really Work? Ask Beautypedia

With all of the advertising and marketing in the beauty industry it’s very hard to tell what is going to work and what will not. This is so important because who wants to waste $$$ on a product that does not live up to it’s claims? So how do you research a products claims and find out if it contains ingredients that will actually make your skin better? This is where one of my favorite websites Beautypedia comes in. Beautypedia was started by Paula Begoun who is known as the cosmetics cop. For decades now she has been breaking down ingredient lists vs. manufacturer claims to de-mistify the (sometimes) fuzzy beauty science and to educate the masses. Whenever you sign on to Instagram, Youtube, open a magazine, see a commercial, etc. you’re constantly being bombarded with “This is the one! The product that will make you flawless and fix all of your skin’s problems! BUY NOW!!” and Paula helps you separate the BS from the truly beneficial products.

The other thing I like about her site is that you can choose how deeply you want to plunge into the scientific knowledge behind ingredients. You can find out if a product contains sodium hyaluronate acid and what the hell that means, or you can just find out if the MAC Pro Longwear Nourishing Waterproof Foundation lives up to it’s claims or not (PS it does according to beautypedia and now I really want to try it!).

How I use Beautypedia:

Continue reading “Does This Thing Really Work? Ask Beautypedia”

Beauty Trends: Liquid Lipstick Part Two

My Beauty Trends: Liquid Lipsticks post is one of the most popular posts on my blog so with all of that interest I thought it was time to do a Part Two!

Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipsticks

The last post was sparked by the massive launch of the Anastasia Beverly Hills liquid lipsticks ($20 each). I swear that woman is a marketing genius sending out free liquid lipsticks to all of the beauty influencers on the internet. Cheapest.PR.EVER. I still have only heard so-so reviews about these! My friend Annabelle (from the infamous Jeremy Piven post) has Pure Hollywood which is a nude shade and she said it’s super drying and crusts around the inner rim of your lips so she is not a fan. Anastasia has, however, come out with some gorgeous new colors my favorite being Unicorn which is described as a “luminescent lavender” and it’s gorgeous: Continue reading “Beauty Trends: Liquid Lipstick Part Two”

Budget Buy: Self Tanning Lotion

Gradual Self Tanning

After hearing all of the YouTube Beauty Gurus raving about the self tanning foam Loving Tan self tanner I ALMOST was ready to cough up the $50 so I too could have a bronzed glow, but luckily I found a much cheaper self tanning alternative. After reading reviews online I decided to try the Suave Visible Glow Gradual Self Tanner in Medium-Tan* ($6.97):
self tanning

Even though I am not Medium-Tan I am impatient so I went for the darker formula and the color on this product is awesome! Very natural and streak free. I put about 3 generous layers on because again, I’m impatient, and by the next day I was satisfied with my color. This lotion does not have any scent when you apply it, but unfortunately that classic self-tanner scent rears it’s ugly head once the product starts developing (about 30 minutes after applying). I also did find this lotion very moisturizing. It has not transferred onto any of my clothes or sheets which is amazing. I applied it on Friday night and it’s Wednesday night and it has barely faded and I have not added any more layers. If you’re in the market for a little bronze this summer be sure to avoid the sun because it’s trying to make you look old and kill you and reach for this product before you spend the big bucks on a self tanner! Here’s my tips on application: Continue reading “Budget Buy: Self Tanning Lotion”

Makeup Made in the USA

I recently watched an episode of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver about Fashion that focused on where fast fashion aka inexpensive and trendy clothes are made, who makes them, and what kind of conditions they are made in (spoiler alert: they’re mostly made by children in developing countries in terrible and unsafe conditions for little pay). This inspired me to do a post about makeup and beauty products that are made in the USA. It was SO hard to find information about this!!

Continue reading “Makeup Made in the USA”

Younique Moodstruck 3D Fiber Lashes Demo & Review

Today I have a fun new video where I show you some tips on how to put on Younique Moodstruck 3D Fiber Lashes and give you my take on it! What is Younique Moodstruck 3D Fiber Lashes you ask? Well, Younique is a direct-sales company (like Avon or  Mary Kay) and it’s sold by “Presenters” where they sell the products to their friends and family and get a commission from their sales. Younique is different in that you don’t have to host parties at someone’s house to sell the products, the majority of their “parties” and sales are done online and over social media. My friend Michelle is a Presenter and she offered to buy me their famous mascara to try out and if I liked it then I could blog about it and link everyone to her Facebook page and website so they could check it out themselves. Check out my video to see how this mascara works and what I thought about it!: Continue reading “Younique Moodstruck 3D Fiber Lashes Demo & Review”

Foundation Routine for Oily Skin and How to Get Rid of Pores

I was struggling SO MUCH with my face turning into a complete oil slick, but I think I’ve finally figured out the magical combination of foundations and powders to keep my face from looking super greasy halfway through the day.

Oily skin can be especially annoying in the summertime so I thought now was the perfect time to share this. I also am sharing in this video the best way that I have found to get rid of pores or make pores appear smaller. It’s a neat little trick that makes pores basically disappear.

Products Mentioned: Continue reading “Foundation Routine for Oily Skin and How to Get Rid of Pores”

I Didn’t Think I Would Get Skin Cancer Either

Growing up in Florida and now living in Los Angeles I see a whole lot of sunshine. When I was younger I loved to lay out and bake. I wanted to be as tan as my fair skin would let me so I’d slather myself with oil and stay by the pool all day or go to the tanning beds occasionally. I knew it would all catch up with me eventually, but I didn’t think eventually would be at age 27.

There I was in stirrups at my annual gynecological exam (as if that day couldn’t get any worse) when my doctor. points to a mole over my heart and says “You need to see a Dermatologist about that. If I could take it off right this minute I would.” “Great” I thought, “yet another doctor’s appointment to schedule.” Luckily I was motivated by the fact that it was the end of the year and I had already met my high deductible so I went to see my dermatologist (who I was already getting annual skin cancer checks from) to get the mole biopsied.

When the biopsy came back unfortunately the results showed that it was Melanoma. This meant I had to go back and get it removed along with some of the healthy skin around it to ensure the entire thing was gone and would not spread.

This is right after my cancerous mole was removed.
This is right after my melanoma (skin cancer) mole was removed in January 2014

It was a pretty small mole and now I have a huge scar I get to look at everyday. Here’s what it looks like today, 16 months later: Continue reading “I Didn’t Think I Would Get Skin Cancer Either”

Beauty and Dating with Tasha Reign

So the follow-up video for my Porn Star Makeup Tutorial with Tasha Reign aka my friend Rachel is finally here! In this video we discuss beauty tips for dating including kissing with lip gloss and how Tasha Reign gets the softest skin in the biz. I had so much fun recording this video with Rachel and I think there will be at least one more part with us discussing Porn Star makeup on set, trends, etc.

The products we mention in this video are Continue reading “Beauty and Dating with Tasha Reign”

Ulta’s 21 Days of Beauty Sale

The Ulta 21 Days of Beauty Steals Events & Free Gifts is March 15th-April 4th, 2015 and I decided to look through the deals and let you know what I thought was worth checking out!

LORAC Champagne Dreams Palette 

lorac-champagne-dreams-palette-ulta

This is a great palette of neutral shades that could work day or night and would be great for someone who is just getting into makeup and doesn’t know what kind of eyeshadow to wear. It’s the Ulta Beauty Steal for 3/29/15, but it’s already on the website for $15 right now so I’m thinking you might not have to wait… You can also get a free deluxe sample of the LORAC Porefection Mattifying Face Primer with any $25 Lorac purchase between 3/15/15-4/4/15. Their Lorac PRO Mascara is also on sale right now for $11.50 so boom there’s your $25 purchase right there!

Skyn Iceland Hydro Cool Firming Eye & Face Gels

skyn-iceland-hydro-cool-firming-eye-gels Continue reading “Ulta’s 21 Days of Beauty Sale”