Dupe alert! L'oreal Revitalift wet cleansing towelettes vs. Koh Gen Do Cleansing Spa Water Cloths

I know I was JUST raving about the Koh Gen Do Cleansing wipes and how I wouldn't go back to drugstore... So my hopes weren't high when I picked up the L'oreal Revitalift wipes from Ulta because of a Buy 2 Get 1 Free Deal.

What I love about these wipes are how moisturizing and wet they are. They are soothing and effective. The one con is that they leave a film on your skin. That is probably to promote the anti-aging benefits of the product and I don't mind too much because I always follow up with a toner anyway...

The price difference is another factor to take into consideration. The Cleansing Spa Water cloths can run you between $13-$39. While the L'oreal costs around $7.

I think that the formula is worth a try. Even though I will be mainly buying my Koh Gen Do because my skin is so sensitive. One night I had to really rub my eyes with the L'oreal to get some tough mascara and liner off and the next morning my eyes were a bit irritated.

That doesn't really mean the product is bad because I have suuuper sensitive skin. 

JANET COLLECTION UNPROCESSED BRAZILIAN VIRGIN REMY HUMAN HAIR WEAVE BOMBSHELL NATURAL BODY WAVE 6PCS (lots of pictures)

I am actually quite pleased with this hair. At first I was really debating if I should put this on a U-part or actually do an install but I didn't know how thick the bundles would be and didn't want to be assed out.I took the bundles and made a U-part of of them. I cute the tracks and split SOME wefts. I felt like the company provided you with enough hair that I didn't feel the need to split my tracks (except towards the top which was starting to be a struggle... so I only split the track for two bundles)

As promised, they do provide you with six bundles of varying lengths. The longer the lengths, the shorter the bundles.

I really liked the texture of the hair. it did tangle a bit but the tangles are EASILY brushed out. even though i cut the wefts and split some of the tracks, I really don't have excessive shedding.

I do not plan to dye, bleach or perm this hair... not because of the quality but because I'm a purist in a sense. ("get and wear as it is" mentality)

I though blending this texture with my nature hair was going to be difficult because I'm natural and I can't exactly straighten my hair then wet set it in a braid to mimic the waves. So I tried flat ironing my hair and braiding it at night (dry) to see if i can get a wave... no.
It doesn't really resemble the hair in the stock photo.

I found it was best that I curl my hair with a wand AND curl the unit to frame my face.

The closure was basically a waste of time. I didn't use it.

I found this map on how to do your instal interesting. I followed it loosely. I probably won't in the future though.

Am I the only person in the world that find unraveling S-curl bundles like this stressful? I kept getting tangles while I tugged on the hair. (Thank god the quality of the hair was good or we would have had problems)

Koh Gen Do Cleansing Spa Wipes

I don't know what made me pick these wipes up from Sephora, but I'm sorry I ever did. Not that they are bad... but they are SO GOOD that going back to drugstore wipes just won't suffice for me anymore.

If you are they type who doesn't like soaking wet wipes, this might not be for you.I absolutely love them. You only need one wipe to take off all your makeup. That includes waterproof mascara, long wearing foundations, and pesky (but sometimes necessary) lip stains. All of that gets gently wiped away.

These cleansing spa water cloths are soft and accoriding to the website, they provide the skin with mineral rich water "Infused with six essential herbs—rosemary leaf, sage leaf, lavender, artemsia princeps leaf, perilla ocymoides leaf, ginger root—to protect and nurture skin, they replenish, refresh, and cleanse for a smooth, healthy-looking complexion."

I have sensitive skin, so I'm a little weary about using anything on my skin but these are not harsh at all (unlike the Neutrogena oil free makeup remover that was like rubbing evilness on my face).

I think you should try these wipes out because Sephora has mini versions for $10 and you get 13 wipes. Be forewarned... you won't be able to look to drugstore wipes in the same light again. This is an expensive habit.

Benefit Cosmetics They're Real! Push-Up Liner

I am a gel liner novice. I don't know why, but I just never trusted the stuff. However, when my beloved benefit came out with this product, my curiosity help set aside my reservations.

I've been using this product for a couple of months and I LOVE it. I personally think its great for beginners (because obviously I wasn't that familiar with gel liner and I can use this product easily enough). I have heard of some bloggers not loving this though...

So it is marketed as a long wearing, easy to use gel eyeliner. They are even pushing the specialty eye makeup remover because it is soooooo long wearing. Girl, bye... Don't waste your money on that. It is long wearing but not so tough to get rid of that I have to buy a specialty remover for it. These are probably the same people that buy the specialty beautyblender solid soap.

You can purchase it at Sephora, Ulta or Benefit.com. You can always buy the mini sample (I'm such a commitment-phobe when it comes to high end makeup that I almost ALWAYS take advantage of mini/travel/sample size before buying the full size). Sephora even has a deal where you can try the liner and mascara for $22.

The sexualization of young girls

Rashida Jones had a point. I mean, I don't consider myself a full-fledged feminist (I love my demeaning and offensive rap music too much for that) but the amount of semi-pornographic images of young women harass us on the daily is bothersome to say the least. It's to the point that I feel we have become desensitized to it.

Why is it normal for us to turn on Disney Channel channel shows and see 'teenagers' that resemble 20 year old women, complete with full faces of makeup and push up bras? Do you know what that sends to our young girls?  It makes them feel that their self worth is dependent on their looks. So they use the formative years of their adolescence to scrutinize mirror reflections and how many likes their selfies get instead of discovering who they are as a person, finding their individuality. Do you know how many grown women don't know what their likes and interest are but I bet you those same women know exactly what pose to do when someone wants to 'snap a pic for the 'gram.'

I don't know if this is necessarily a problem that plagues just our generation. This has probably been an issue for women for years (centuries, generations, whatever) but that doesn't mean we should stay blind to it.

I'm not trying to be "Old Miss Hannigan" wagging her finger and prefacing everything I say with "In my day..." I just need to stress the importance of letting young girls be that... girls. They need to learn love themselves regardless of what the media tells them they should look like at the that age. Leave the insecurities and vanity to the grown women battling wrinkles!

Maybelline FitMe Stick Foundation

This whole FitMe line is hit or miss with me. Albeit, I do really like the FitMe powder, the FitMe concealer is nothing but the devil. So when I picked up the new Stick foundation I really didn't know what to expect. I got it for around $3 with coupons so if it was bad... it wouldn't be the end of the world.

 The foundation claims to be "shine-free." I do not get excessively oily but I do have a T-zone that I sometimes worry about. With this foundation, it did keep the oil at bay so I would recommend for oily skin girls.

 

As you can see (or maybe you can't... I have been using it for a couple of weeks), the core of the foundation is supposed to be an 'anti-shine' primer. I thought this was so cool but as I started to use the gimmicky product, I realized I HATE the consistency. It wasn't as firm as the stick foundations I've used in the past and I wasn't completely sure how I was supposed to blend it in. In the end, I ended up just using my fingers.

 The longevity was decent. Because it was anti-shine, it didn't break down like other foundations would after a long day. It wasn't necessarily long wearing but it stayed longer that most drugstore products.

 

I didn't love the color match for me. I wasn't able to get my hands on the darkest shade so I got 340. It looked a little ashy on me so I mostly concentrated the foundation on the center of my face.

All in all, I don't particularly love this foundation but I can see why someone would. It is affordable and it does keep shine away. I just didn't like the consistency and the color match. I don't even use it as a foundation anymore... I mostly use in as a tinted primer and it works great that way.

Nyx Dewy Mist

For a couple of years now, I've been solely faithful to the Urban Decay makeup setting sprays but lately, my wallet hasn't been agreeing with the $30 price tag they cost. So I walked  over to my local Ulta and picked this up for a $7.

Honestly, I didn't see a huge difference but I did love the nozzle. You can cover your whole face with just a couple of spritz.

Beyonce's Wavy Bob

I feel like I am the only person in the world that absolutely hates this look on King Bey. You know I am a lover of all things Beyonce. I even begrudgingly purchased her new album with my own money when I usually just wait for it to come on my Spotify. (What? It's not like she NEEDS my money.)

When I first saw this blunt wavy mop of a hairstyle I first thought it was an artistic look that was supposed to be void of an actual aesthetic appeal, a la Nicki Minaj circa 2009.

 (Seriously, I'd scream and cry if I ever got a "Barbie" that looked like this.)

So I thought the unflattering cut was just reserved for her self-titled video album, BEYONCE, but I was shocked and a little annoyed when Mrs. Carter showed up to the Grammy sporting the same look.

Granted, the "Drunk in Love" singer does look flawless so I was starting to warm up to the look.

But then she got it wet...

Revlon Nearly Naked Powder

Most powders are similar to me. Powders do that same thing: keep you matte. This powder stands out to me because after a while, you end up greasier than a bucket of chicken. When you touch up with it, however, it does not get cake. The coverage is pretty good as well.

I got it in the color Deep, and it seems to be a good color match the darkest color is in Dark. The price is reasonable enough, I paid around $10 for it with coupons.

The powder itself is finely milled, making it really light on the face. (Hence the name nearly naked.)

This is perfect for a girl that doesn't necessarily wear a lot of makeup but wants a tad bit of coverage. It is not, however, great for oily skin. Overall, I'm pretty happy with my purchase (The packaging is quite bulky though making it hard to travel with. I mean in what makeup bag would this fit in?).

Book Review: Lauren Conrad Beauty

This is the first beauty book I read. (I've read a couple of books on natural hair but nothing on makeup and stuff.)

The book started out entertaining enough and she did have a couple of good tips about hair care and nails... but honestly I felt it was a bit redundant.

Lauren Conrad is reality show star turned beauty mogul. She has her successful clothing line at Kohl's and a beauty advice column in PeopleStyleWatch magazine. So I guess taking beauty advice from her a little credible.

The book goes over everything beauty from hairstyles, to hair care, different makeup looks, nail care and much more. It is also littered with personal antidotes that are pretty entertaining too. My only qualm with the book is that it doesn't give you any original tips that you didn't know from common sense or a YouTube video.

it probably would suit a very young girl that is just putting her foot into the world of beauty but for a makeup junkie like me, it wasn't TOO useful.

Sinful Colors Ruby Ruby

 A nice red polish is almost a staple in every woman's wardrobe. And with sinful colors, you can have this rich deep brick color for like 2 or 3 bucks. You can't go wrong.

Essie Belugaria

 I know the liquid sand and other textured polish craze is FINALLY starting to die down but I couldn't resist when I saw Essie come out with these. This color is called Belugaria and it has got to be the mos fierce thing in my collection. Unlike the OPI liquid sand it doesn't really dry to a mate finish with sparkles, it's more like sequins.i is very opaque so you can't really layer it over other colors.

Unfortunately, it does chip a lot.

L'Oreal Safari Chic (520)

 As usual, my cuticles are looking less than par but I just have to say how much I LOVE these L'Oreal polish. They are relatively new (like less than 2 years). I have three of them and each one offers a gel like lasting power and shine. Love

It beats out Revlon as my favorite drugstore polish.

Face of the Day: The day after Xmas

Now this has got to be my longest blog post. But I wanted to do a really in-depth FOTD(face of the day) post. You know, thought it would be fun.

So lets start with the eyes.

 I started off with a VERY old tube of my Urban Decay Primer Potion in Sin. It is so old that all the writing has rubbed off on it. I really hate the primer, I am just trying to use it up. Although it does hold your shadow in place all day, it also provides every shade you put on top of it with a shimmering champagne cast. That can be really pretty for some people, but on my dark skin it can really look ashy.

For the lid color I took the matte taupe shade from the Kardashian palette. I know what you are thinking. Yes, I was suckered into the hype and shelled out the $13 it cost to buy this palette that everybody seems to be bashing. And even though the packaging is impossibly cheap (it broke after a few weeks of me using it) I actually like the eyeshadow shades. As you can see, I seriously hit pan on the matte taupe color and the ashy brown color next to it, I seriously devoured (I used every last bit on my eye.) And don't get me started on the gorgeous shimmers on the bottom. They are so pigmented and metallic, I feel like it wasn't a complete waste of money.

This palette is the brands best selling item and it is called Kim's Kardazzle Face Palette. From what I see on the website, it looks like the updated the palette a little, new packaging, different blush but the shades seem really similar.

Okay, so for my transition color I used my limited edition Lorac palette (its from the set that is supposed to look like chocolate bars.) I have been straight ABUSING the matte ashy brown color.

Now to talk about my baby: The Lorac Pro palette. I used the shimmery deep purple shade to deepen up my liner. I wanted to try something different that day.

I combined that Deep purple shade with this electric blue liquid liner color by NYX in the color Extreme Blue. I remember what first caused me to buy this liner. I was reading an article in Essence magazine that dark skin girls shouldn't be afraid to take more risks with their makeup. I've worn this liner alone and deepened with a dark shadow. I don't regret my purchase (especially because NYX is sooooo affordable)

 Now on to the face.

 I am not a fan of this bareMinerals Prime Time primer. This is just a sample and I think the full size comes in a spray bottle. It is too oily for me. But if you are the type that doesn't love the silicone feel of other primers or if you have a bit of dry skin then this might be for you. And when I say oily, it doesn't leave my face oily... just when I apply it, oil comes out before the product does. like bad lip gloss.

Everybody says that the Maybelline FitMe concealer is a dupe for the Nars Creamy Concealer. I don't believe it. Even though I have never tried the Nars one... it can't possibly be like the Maybelline. The color selection for the Maybelline is wack and the coverage is lack luster. I got it in the deepest shade they offer and I still feel like it is to shades too light. This is definitely not the kind of concealer you can wear on its own.

 This Bobbi Brown foundation was a graduation gift from my best and I absolutely loved it when I first got it but I don't know what happened but after using half the bottle I am not impressed and more. I feel like it is not that long lasting and when it does wear down it breaks down patchy and in a super unflattering way. Something has changed, I don't know if it is me or the makeup.

  This is actually my second Maybelline FitMe powder in 355 Coconut. Unlike the unimpressive concealer, I quite enjoy the powder. Yes, the powder is too light for me but it is blendable enough for it to not matter. It kind of acts as a highlighting powder.

 My camera didn't pick it up but the powder has a little sparkle in it. (kind of like a highlighting powder)

During my makeup collecting journey I have come to realize one thing. They always say deep plums and raspberries look good on dark skin but I find them a little overpowering for me. This blush is from the Mac Liberty of London collection (I got it from a CCO) it is called Dirty Plum. it is super pigmented so I try to concentrate it on the backs of my cheekbones.

I am just as boring with my lips. I try to stay clear from deep colors that people always say look good on deep skin (like the Mac Viva Glam III I have here.) I lightened up the deep burgundy red color by

putting the CoverGirl Gloss Balm in 210 Blush Twist as a base then topped it with one of my favorite lip glosses, Nars in Belize.

Using two samples as my mascaras, I first used the BareMinerals Flawless Definition to define and lengthen (it is really good at separating, I am definitely buying the full size)

Then I used the Smashbox FULL Exposure to thicken in. (I know I should have switched the order). Honestly, I hate the smashbox mascara. I think it actually makes my lashes shorter.

My tried and true method of putting on my brows.

I use the Jane Iredale Deluxe Spoolie. It is an ordinary spoolie, nothing special.

Then I sue my Mac 208 brush to apply the product to my brows

The powder I love is actually an eyeshadow. Deep Mocha by L'Oreal is my fave.

I hit pan hard body.