How I Remove My Makeup

This post may contain affiliate links. However, all opinions expressed are 100% my own.

Hello lovelies!

Anyone who wears makeup has their own special routine when it comes to removal. Some people have complex makeup removal routines, while others opt for the simpler version. I consider myself to be somewhere right in between. Today, I'm going to give you a run-down of how I remove my makeup, and why I choose to do it this way. 

The first step in my routine is taking off my foundation, concealer, powder etc. For this, I use the Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleansing Cloths. I've talked about these cleansing cloths before, but if you haven't heard me mention them, they are my go-to makeup remover wipes. These cloths remove the makeup very gently, because they are so soft. Seriously, they're the softest makeup wipes I have ever used. Plus, they are (usually) wet enough that I only need to use one wipe on my whole face. Sometimes I find with other wipes that they just don't saturate them enough in the cleanser. You wipe half your face, and it's already bone dry. Not so with these!

The second step in my routine is removing my eye makeup, if I'm wearing any. For this I bounce between two different products. If I don't have waterproof eye makeup on, I use the Simple Eye Makeup Remover. I've been using this remover for the last few months, and I think it does a pretty good jobs. It removes my eye shadow and mascara well; though, I did need to clean them twice the last time, because it didn't take off all my eye shadow. (That's the first time it's done that). If I do have waterproof eye makeup on, I use the Garnier SkinActive Micellar Cleansing Water for Waterproof Makeup. Oh, my, word. I love this stuff! It takes off my waterproof mascara so easily! All I do is shake it up, soak a cotton pad, leave it on my eye for a few seconds and then wipe. It takes a few wipes to get everything off, but it truly does get everything off. 

Most people would then move onto step three, which is washing and moisturizing your face as you normally would. However, I don't do this and there is a reason why. I used to move right into cleansing my face. But the combination of products I was using at the time made my skin react badly. So much so that I now get dry patches on my face that really can burn because of how dry they are. Instead, I remove my makeup a few hours prior to needing to wash my face. The gives my skin a chance to adjust and for the products on my face to dry or dissipate. Since doing this, I haven't had any bad reactions - though my skin is still suffering from the last one. 

That's it, friends. My Makeup Removal Routine. If you're curious about any of the products I mentioned and want me to do full reviews on them, I'd be happy to do it. Also, if you want a post on how I cleanse my face after makeup removal, I'd be glad to write that too. 

Hope you all are having a lovely day!

God bless,

Laura

January 2016 Favorites

This post may contain affiliate links. However, all opinions expressed are 100% my own.

Hello lovelies!

January is already over. Can you believe it? Weren't we just obsession over tinsel and Christmas themed Starbucks drinks? With 2016's first month already gone, I thought we might step into the world of Favorites. You've all seen the myriad of Favorites videos on Youtube, and I'm sure you've stumbled upon a blog post gushing about the latest foundation. So, I thought, why not throw my favorites into the mix? Maybe you'll find they have become your Favorites too.

*****

1. Garnier SkinActive Micellar Cleansing Water

Micellar water seems to be the newest trend in the skin care world. I considered jumping on the bandwagon when Simple came out with their cleansing water, but decided against it. Why add another step to my skincare routine when I was still trying to figure out what worked? However, when I saw Garnier had come out with a micellar water, I thought I would give it a go - specifically for the removal of my waterproof mascara. Let me just say, this stuff removes waterproof makeup beautifully! I don't need to rub (much) for the mascara to come right off. All I have to do is soak a cotton pad, let it sit on my eyes for a little bit (I would recommend 10 seconds or so) and BAM! Makeup is breaking down. Yes. My former loathing of waterproof mascara is officially over. We're buds now.

2. Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel

After discovering a dry patch on my face several months ago, I decided I needed to up my moisturizer game. I had heard good things about Hydro Boost Water Gel, but I was skeptical. My face can get oily in certain places, and this sounded like an intense moisturizer to me. Wasn't it going to make me a grease ball? The short answer is No. In fact, I feel as if this moisturizer has done such a great job that my skin type has evened out. No more grease ball! It is such a luscious formula. It glides on my skin like silk, but moisturizes like a heavy duty cream. Since I started using this last month, I've seen a change in my skin. The dry patches are gone (though they can crop up at times - I think that's my own fault) and my skin just feels healthier. Neutrogena, I don't know what you're doing, but keep doing it. This stuff is fabulous. 

3. Youtuber: PopularMMOs

Okay, so this isn't actually a products, but I had to put him on the list. PopularMMOs is my current Youtube obsession for several reasons. One, I love Minecraft and enjoy watching gaming challenges that make quality videos. Two, Pat (and Jen) are absolutely hilarious! I mean it, they are split your sides funny sometimes. And Three...did I mention they're hilarious? You can find a bunch of different Minecraft series on his channel. My favorite has got to be the Lucky Block Hunger Games. Essentially, Pat and Jen battle each other Hunger Games style, while using a ton of different lucky block mods. Spoiler: Jen always looses. 

4. Amazon Prime Instant Video

For Christmas, my Mom got a Blu-Ray player, and one of the apps on it is Amazon Instant Video. What in the world did I do without this glorious feature?! I love being able to find shows I've never seen before, and watch as many seasons as I like. Currently, I'm on a Star Trek Voyager obsession. Somebody needs to play the theme song at my wedding. Seriously. Anyway, I love that there are tons of movies to pick from - though I wish the TV show selection was a bit better. However, I do believe more shows are going to be added as the year goes on. You can download the app on a ton of devices, I believe, so you can take your shows wherever you'd like. Thanks, Amazon, for feeding my inner Fangirl. 

*****

That's all I have for today. There weren't many products I tried out last January - at least ones that have become Favorites status. However, there are some products I've just started using this February, so you may get to see those in my next Favorites post.

Hope you all enjoyed, and I'll talk to you later!

God bless,

Laura

Review: NARS Sheer Glow Foundation

This post may contain affiliate links monetized by VigLink and/or other companies. However, all the opinions expressed here are 100% my own.

Hello lovelies! 

Today, I'm going to be reviewing NARS Sheer Glow Foundation. It was quite the adventure deciding whether or not I was going to purchase this product. Tanya Burr, who is one of the Youtuber's I enjoy watching, has talked about this foundation a million times. So, naturally, I was tempted to purchase it but had some doubts. Below I will go into as much detail as I can about the foundation, including the pros and cons and how it wears on my skin type (I have normal to combination skin, with a couple dry patches on my cheeks).

*****

After doing some research, I decided to purchase the foundation directly from Sephora's website. The price was $45. It's the most expensive foundation I have ever purchased, but with how pale my skin is, I didn't see any other option than to go for a higher end foundation. Drugstore foundations just don't seem to work for me, as the lightest shades are always too dark. For this foundation, I went with the second lightest shade in NARS' range, which is Mont Blanc.

Here is the foundation. Note: The pump DOES NOT come with the foundation, which is why I included the cap in photo.

Here is where the fun begins. I chose to apply the foundation with a Real Techniques Expert Face Brush because that's how I had seen Tanya apply it. I was fully expecting the flawless look I saw her obtain in many of her videos. However, that was not the case. After buffing it into my skin, it LOOKED AWFUL. The foundation separated on my cheeks and made me look ten years older than I actually am. Needless to say, I was crushed. This was supposed to the be last foundation I ever purchased. I was supposed to love it, but instead, I loathed it.

But I was not giving up!

I decided to give it another shot - this time with the Beauty Blender. (If you've never heard of the Beauty Blender, I suggest doing a bit of research. It's a great product!). Can I get a drum roll, please? ...Hallelujah, the foundation looked good! It applied evenly and hadn't separated. My complexion was now even, and the best part about it was the foundation looked like skin. 

The wear time was pretty good as well. The longest I've worn the foundation, I believe, is around six to seven hours. It does start to look less like skin as the time goes on, which happens with any foundation, but it wasn't sliding off my face like a mudslide. You could see the oils from my skin start to make me a bit shiny, but honestly, I like the dewy look so that didn't bother me.

Overall, this is an excellent foundation, and if you can afford it, I suggest trying it out. Below, I'll list the pros and cons of this foundation, in case you want a recap.

Pros:

• Looks (and feels) like skin on your face 
• Medium to Full coverage - depending on how much you apply
• Build-able
• A little goes a long way - depending on the coverage you're going for
• Great range of colors - particularly for us pale folk
• Packaging is sturdy (glass)
• Decent wear time
• Provides dewy look over time 

Cons:

• The Price
• Separates when using a brush to apply - Note: This may not happen to you, so I suggest trying out various methods of application
• No pump - You can buy one separately though. I got mine from Nordstrom - cost me $6.

If you would like to see more reviews from me - either of any products I mentioned above or a completely different product - feel free to comment down below. 

Have a great day, loves!

Laura

E.L.F: Loves and Let Downs

This post may contain affiliate links. However, all opinions expressed are 100% my own. 

Hello lovelies!

Today, I'm going to be bringing you some of my Loves and Let Downs from the brand E.L.F. Most people who enjoy playing around with makeup have heard of E.L.F. but if you haven't, I suggest you check them out. You can find all their products at their website: eyeslipsface.com.

I'm going to start with the Let Downs (to get those out of the way), and then we'll move onto talking about the products I just love love love!

Let Downs:

1. Elf Lip Exfoliator
I've used this several times over the last couple weeks, and I have to say I have mixed feelings about this product. The packaging is fantastic! It comes in a lipstick tube that is incredibly easy to just pop in your purse or even slide into your pocket. However, when it comes to the product itself, I'm disappointed. My lips have the tendency to dry out quickly, leaving behind lots of dried, dead skin. After using this exfoliator, my lips stayed pretty much the same. Gross. Most of the dead skin still remained, and I was left to soften my lips another way. Overall, a poor quality product, in my opinion.

2. Elf Super Glossy Lip Shine
I was looking for a clear lip gloss I could put over some of my ultra matte lips from ColourPop. I found this at my local super market and decided to pick it up. I wish I hadn't. The packaging is average, at best; though I did like the applicator. The product itself is like your everyday, run-of-the-mill lip gloss. It smells like a lip gloss and tastes like one too. The worst part about the product though is how sticky it is. It is awful! It never sets on your lips well, but remains gooey and gross. Maybe I'll try it in one of their actual shades, but...

3. Elf Cream Eyeliner
Now, not liking this product may be my own fault. I'm not very skilled with putting on eyeliner anyway; especially one in a pot like this. The packaging is very sleek, which I like. When I opened it for the first time, it was not good though. The eyeliner had separated from the actual container, and sitting inside was just this chunk of eyeliner. Application was an absolute mess. Maybe I purchased one that was a dud, but it was difficult to apply and very patchy.

Loves:

1. Elf Tone Correcting Powder
Oh. My. Goodness. I love this stuff! The packaging is incredibly sleek looking, and very sturdy. I use this as a setting powder for my foundation and concealer, and it works wonders! It sets everything beautifully and my concealer lasts almost as long as I have my makeup on. As for the color correcting properties, I think it does a decent job. It dims any redness I have, which is a big problem for me, but it doesn't make it vanish like a powder foundation would. Fall out is BIG problem though, so if you purchase this powder, use a very light hand. I mean, just do a dab or two into the pan with your brush, and that's it.

2. Elf Contour Brush - Small
This tiny brush is fantastic! First off, it is incredibly soft to the touch, which is pretty amazing for a $3 brush. The size is just perfect for getting into the crease of your eye, or even the inner corner, which is where I use it most. It picks up a lot of color, so make sure you tap of any excess before applying. Overall, a lovely brush for the price! (I definitely plan on buying more).

3. Elf Shadow Lock Eyelid Primer
I wouldn't exactly say this product is an absolute love for me, but it does the job so I put it in. It definitely helps keep your eye shadow in place throughout the day, which is wonderful considering how cheap it is. With that being said, it does have some cons that would make me consider trying other primers (either from ELF or some other brand). I have a tendency to have my eye shadow wear off in my crease, and for the most part, I think it kept that from happening. But not all the time, which is a bummer, especially when I spend a good amount of time on my eyes. Also, it dries out pretty quickly in the tube. Overall, if you're looking for an eye shadow primer, give this a shot. It works; just not as well as other primers.

4. Elf Complexion Brush
This is an handy brush to have in your collection! The look of the brush is very sleek. It's not the softest brush I own, but it still works perfectly well for helping me apply my powder. I use it with the Tone Correcting Powder I mentioned above. It's a good brush to have, if you're just starting out with makeup and you don't want to shell out a lot of money. Overall, it's a good brush and I would repurchase it.

That's it, friends! As you can see, I haven't tried a lot of E.L.F. products, but I still wanted to talk about the products I have used before. Overall, E.L.F. is a great brand and I plan on purchasing more of their items to test out and review for you all. This list is definitely going to grow! If there are any particular products from this brand you would like me to review, leave a comment down below and I'd be happy to! 

Have a wonderful day!

Laura