Chief Beauty Officer

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

My Best Friend During Finals Week

Finals week. We meet again...

A week associated with hours in the library, lack of sleep, endless cups of coffee, and dark under-eye circles. Yay for dark under-eye circles -_______-

During finals week, I'm focused on mainly studying and preparing myself for my finals; however, I still care about not going out looking like a zombie who has just risen from the ground.

For the dark circles that have developed ever since I started going to college, I use Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer in Radiant. It has become my best friend, especially during finals week. I love it so much!! It's better than the YSL Touche Eclat Concealer, which costs over 3 times more. It covers the darkness under my eyes and makes me look awake, even when I've been studying for hours after having only a few hours of sleep the night before.

I really can't express how much I love this product through just text. Maybe a song would be more appropriate....

One problem about that though. Considering my go-to freestyle rap is "My name is Lisa, it rhymes with pizza", I don't think I can do this concealer justice by writing a song about it on the spot. BUT it definitely is song worthy because it is THAT AMAZING!

If you are looking for a brilliant under-eye concealer, this is your product!!!

Good luck on your finals!

Lisa xx

Friday, March 15, 2013

Morning Routine

Good morning!

Lately, I’ve been making sure I wake up a tad earlier than usual so I would have time to properly get ready for the day ahead instead of rushing to get my hair washed and end up not washing out all of the conditioner out of my hair.

Here is my morning routine that will get me nice and clean and out the door within 45 minutes max!

1. Shower Time!

I don’t use a very special brand of shampoo and conditioner because those tend to be too expensive for my college budget. Gotta save money when I can! I use Garnier Fructis Volume Extend Fortifying Shampoo and Conditioner. I prefer shampoos and conditioners that provide volume because it’s like a push-up bra for hair, and with my limp hair, I need all of the help I can get!

Once a week, I use Macadamia Deep Repair Mask. This. Product. Smells. Amazing. They need to make an air freshener in this scent because it smells INCREDIBLE!! I got a sample of this at an Ulta event, and I’ve been using it ever since then. I’m debating on whether or not I should buy the actual product when I run out of the sample. Maybe not, because it’s $30 a jar, and like I said before, I’m a college student that has to spend thousands on tuition and books every quarter. Until then, I’m just going to savor the sample!

While I let the mask soak in, I wash my body with Bath & Body Works Paris Amour Shower Gel with this exfoliating sponge that I buy at Bed, Bath & Beyond. The shower gel has a very romantic but not heavy scent to it that I really like. I think I buy products based on their scent too often…

2. Clean Face = Happy Lisa!

After I’ve gotten out of the shower, dry off, and wrap my wet hair in a towel, it’s time to exfoliate my face! For YEARS now, I’ve been using St. Ive’s Invigorating Apricot Scrub. It’s nothing fancy that you would get at Lush; it’s actually very inexpensive. The thing that I like about it is that it works. As you are scrubbing your face, you can feel yourself scrubbing away any nastiness on your face. I’ve gone through SOOOO many tubes of this product! I don’t think beauty gurus talk about this product enough!

Then, I use Neutrogena Alcohol-Free Toner with a cotton pad once I’ve rinsed and dried my face. Another inexpensive and amazing product! After using it a few times, I noticed that my pores were smaller than before! What makes this toner wonderful is something that it doesn’t have: alcohol. Toners with alcohol strip away the natural oils of your face and can actually do damage to your face rather than clean it.

To finish off, I usually moisturize with Aveeno Positively Radiant Moisturizer SPF 30.

What's your morning routine? Comment below telling me what products you like to use to start your day :)

Lisa xx

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Going Out Naked

Don’t worry. The title of this blog doesn’t mean to go out with absolutely no clothes on!! I don’t endorse that type of stuff!

What I mean is going out with a naked makeup look!

For Spring, a constant trend has been every year has been natural and naked looks. The naked makeup look is all about looking like you have not a single ounce of makeup on. You can achieve this look by literally going out with no makeup on or by secretly wearing makeup even though it looks like you are not ;)

Because going out with no makeup on is a no-no for many people, here is a list of products from high-end to drugstore to use to get that trendy nude look without being naked. All of the products listed below are products that I have tried and would highly recommend.

Light Foundation

High-End

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Ultra-Light Skin Perfecting Makeup SPF 15

Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20

bareMinerals Original Foundation Broad Spectrum SPF 15

NARS Sheer Glow Foundation

Drugstore

Revlon Nearly Naked Foundation

Neutrogena Healthy Skin Liquid Makeup

Revlon PhotoReady BB Cream

Nude Eyeshadow

High-End

Urban Decay NAKED Basics Palette

Stila Eyeshadow in Kitten

NARS Eyeshadow Duo in Portobello

MAC Paint Pot in Bare Study

Drugstore

Maybelline Color Tattoo in Barely Branded

NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Sparkle Nude

NYX Nude Matte Eyeshadow in Lap Dance

Natural Lip

High-End

Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment in Petal

Korres Lip Butter in Jasmine

Dior Addict Lip Glow

Drugstore

Revlon Lipstick in Nude Attitude

Maybelline Color Whisper in Mocha Muse

NYX Extra Creamy Round Lipstick in Pure Nude

Saturday, March 9, 2013

New Blogs Every Tuesday and Friday!

Hi, internet world!

I have decided to upload a new blog every Tuesday and Friday for you all. That doesn't mean I will not upload on the other days of the week because I may spontaneously think "Oooh! It's a Monday, and there is this product review that I really want to share with the world right now!" Just know that whenever you check my blog on Tuesdays and Fridays, there will be at least one new blog.

Enjoy the rest of your day!

Lisa xx

Friday, March 8, 2013

Review: Nivea Lip Butter

I FINALLY FOUND IT!!!

I have been looking for these EVERYWHERE for months now, and they finally have it at a local Target store! I bought it in Vanilla & Macadamia Kiss for about $3.

Packaging: I love the packaging, but at the same time, I hate it. Love it because I think it is so adorable. I love the matte finish of the tin; it reminds me of an old-fashioned product. Hate it because in general, I don’t really like lip products where I would have to use my finger to apply the product onto my lips. If your finger is not 100% clean, outside substances can get onto the product, making it look dirty. Also, there is always a bit of product on your finger after you apply it, leaving you to wipe the remains on some random surface.

Scent: This lip butter smells INCREDIBLE. I wish technology was advanced enough for me to somehow send the smell to you through my blog. It smells like a rich vanilla custard or crème with a hint of nuttiness. Absolutely delectable.

Texture: The texture of this product is like the texture of butter that has been taken out of the fridge 10 minutes ago. It’s not soft enough for you to make a dent in it when you touch it. You would have to swirl your finger around it a bit to get enough product to put on your lips.

Quality: Because it’s described as a lip butter, I was hoping it would be incredibly moisturizing; however, it’s not. It does moisturize your lips a bit, but because it is a tad waxy, it does not moisturize your lips for a long period of time, especially if the weather outside is cold and dry. Possibly, during the summer time, the amount of moisture this product provides is enough, but of course, that depends on what the climate is like where you live.

Overall: The Nivea Lip Butters are good, but not craze worthy. The only great thing about it is that it smells unbelievably incredible. There are better lip butters out there, but they are much more expensive than the Nivea Lip Butters. If you are looking for an inexpensive lip butter, than you should try this and see if it works well for you.

Thanks for reading!

Lisa xx