Looking at my previous posts,

and all I do is shop at Sephora. I never realized, haha! So, I have decided to find other stores and brands to try instead of sticking with only Sephora. Plus, I'm pretty sure my wallet will thank me.

What are brands that seem to work for you at an affordable price?

BEAUTY INSIDER DEALS.

Today, I went to Sephora to buy my best friend a birthday gift. I have about 300 beauty points in my beautyinsider account, and I received this palette for free! :) It's two colors stolen from each of Too Faced's palettes. My webcam takes pretty crappy photos, but I'll just tell you what colors are what and which palette it's from.

• Heaven and Push-Up from Natural Eye
• Silver Spoon and Smolder from Smoky Eye
• Satin Sheets and Like A Virgin from Natural Eye 
• Honeymoon and Ever After from Romantic Eye

Shadow Insurance came with it as well in a little baby bottle. :)

If you haven't already, sign up for Sephora's beautyinsider and see your points rack up!

Too Faced Romantic Eye Palette & Sephora brush set!

Hey guys! So I was supposed to post this on April 17, but I became so lazy.. I'm sorry!
So I don't know if I ever posted my debate over which palette to get next. It was between Kat Von D's True Romance Truth or Too Faced's Romantic Eye. Literally, I had both of the palettes in my hand and couldn't decide in the middle of Sephora. I decided on Romantic Eye, because the case won me over, hahaha :). I told myself I'd get Truth next time.

What I really love the most about this palette (besides the beautiful colors), are the cards that come inside of it. There are 3 cards, and it gives you 3 different looks that you can use with the colors from the palette. In this post, I decided to try "Fashion".


 The palette is set up in a simple way. As you can see from above, there are three colors set up in a row. The look "Fashion" is the third row. So basically, I would take a large shader brush and apply Bouquet Toss from my lashes to brow. Then I would take a regular shader brush, go to the next color (which is Honeymoon), and apply it all over the inner half of my lid. Afterwards, I would go to Ever After, apply it on the outer lid using an angled brush, and blend it all together with a blending brush. Instead of using a dramatic eyeliner, I would take my angled brush again and use Ever After on the lower lash line. Finish the look off with a few coats of your favorite black mascara.

Of course, you don't have to follow the cards. I decided to follow it to see how it'll look, and I really like the combination. I tried every single card, and the only one I don't care for is the "Day" look. Mix up the colors. Go against the cards. No matter what you come up with, it's going to match and look beautiful. I did that, and I actually recreated a day look that looks gorgeous.

Along with the palette, I also bought Sephora's Smokey Eye Brush Set! :) I've been needing makeup brushes for so long now, and I finally purchased it! For an $89 value, I only bought it for $42. I use these brushes on the days I wear eyeshadow, and they work great! I've washed them a couple of times, and the bristles didn't fall out. It applies my makeup pretty well, and I am satisfied with the set. I actually used this set when I first tried out the Too Faced palette. It comes with:

• all over shadow brush
• shader brush
• dome smudge
• eyeliner brush
• lash comb
• Sephora Volume Black mascara

 The only thing it doesn't come with, is an angled brush. Other than that, I would say you're pretty much set. It comes in a travel bag, so you can toss it in your purse before going out or packing it for vacation. It also has a little side card on how to do the smoky eye.

I've used both of these products frequently ever since I bought it. Overall, I would say the price is worth it. If you're thinking of getting either one, it passed my test. :)

Hair changes :)

On Sunday, I did something that was completely spontaneous. Instead of going in the salon for my usual 8-week trim (which I did get), I decided to cut my bangs! I had side-swept bangs for about 5 years now, and I decided it was time for a drastic change. I didn't want to cut my hair because I've been growing it out for a few months, and I like my hair color. So I decided to get blunt bangs :)
   I would just like to say that my hairdresser is sent from the gods. Back in eighth grade, I decided to chemically straighten my hair along with getting blunt bangs. Huge mistake. First off, the Japanese straightening thing I had done (I'm sorry; I don't remember what it's called!)  was so powerful that I couldn't put in any hair ties, ribbons, clips, etc. in my hair or else it would've left a dent. So if I decided I didn't like the bangs, I would've had to stick with my hair like that for a week until it was safe to put in any hair accessories. Well, my previous hairdresser chopped it all off, and it was a complete disaster. My face was rounder back then, and the bangs weighed down my face. Along with that, I wore thick glasses. I hated going to school that week. It doesn't sound like much now, but it was absolutely horrible back then! I laugh at myself now that I look back, but I applaud myself for being bold and taking a risk. I swore I would never get blunt bangs for as long as I lived, but of course I had to try it out one more time.

There were several reasons why I decided to take the risk again.

1. My face has matured compared to middle school. Although I still have a round face and high cheek bones, it's lost weight and matured. I believed things would've went somewhat better.
2. My previous hairdresser went completely blunt, straight, and thick. This will weigh down your face if you have a round face. I read articles before on hairstyles for round faces, and they all said that the blunt bangs had to be thinned out and wispy to balance everything out. My hairdresser knew exactly what she was doing, and I couldn't have been any happier :) 
3. It was just time for a change, period. This hairstyle was for nobody but myself.

I am in love with my bangs, and I feel exquisite :). Hair does have an impact on how you feel and look. I've received many compliments on my new hairdo, and I'm glad I decided to take the risk again.

Winter is officially over, ladies! Summer is only a few weeks away! Take a bold step, and change your hair up. Add highlights, dye it, cut it, or try out a new hairstyle!
To get an idea on flattering haircuts for your face shape, click this link. :)

Au revoir!
Wow, I've missed blogging on here tons. I bought a few things from Sephora today, so be on the lookout for a new post along with a makeup look.

I apologize for not updating :(

I will definitely blog tomorrow! In the meantime, watch this video for a messy yet beautiful prom updo :)

First Unretouched Ad Campaign from MAKE UP FOR EVER |The Makeup Divas Beauty Blog

First Unretouched Ad Campaign from MAKE UP FOR EVER |The Makeup Divas Beauty Blog

I think a lot of magazines should do this. Look at how gorgeous she is! It isn't necessary to retouch photos every single time. Beauty without Photoshop :)

Clarisonic Brush

Hey guys! I feel like I haven't been on my blog for months. I wish I had an excuse as to why I haven't been posting weekly, but my only excuse is laziness.. No worries though; spring break is here, and I will be posting everyday (until school starts again next week..).
A few posts back (can't remember which one exactly), I mentioned the Clarisonic Brush and how I would be posting something soon about it. It's just going to be my review on it and why I think it's worth it. If you haven't purchased one yet, I suggest you invest towards one because it is simply amazing.

If you go on Clarisonic's website, they list a few benefits that come from using the brush

• Removes 6X more makeup than manual cleansing
• Leaves skin feeling and looking smoother
• Cleansing helps products work more effectively
• Gentle enough to use twice a day
• Reduces oily areas, dry skin patches and blemishes
• Minimizes the appearance of visible pores

It's not surprising to read this, because it seems like every single skin product promises to work better than their competitors. I have tried different products, and I can assure you that this is the best brush I have come across. I started using it about two years ago, and I honestly can see and feel a difference in my face. Before, I had a super oily face with multiple bumps and pimples here and there. Now, how often I washed my pillowcase/bedspread and what facial cleansers I used also plays a part as well, but I can still see and feel a difference. After using the brush, I LOVE applying toner and moisturizer on my face, because it's so soft and smooth! :) I find that the moisturizer and makeup apply smoothly, and it gives my face a brighter appearance. I have a problem with blackheads and oily skin. Of course I can't completely get rid of my blackheads because it's hereditary and I still have oily skin, but I notice my blackheads don't stand out as much as they used to. You can still see it and it's still there, but it wasn't like BAM LOOK AT THE QUANTITY AND DARKNESS like how it used to be. My face is still oily, but it's not as oily as before. I've never had much of a problem with acne and used to have about 4 on my face at the most, but now it's 2 (and that's on a rare occasion!). I can't promise you that you won't get a pimple, because pimples are normal, but I can tell you that you will notice a decrease. Pimples are dirt and bacteria coming out of the skin that have been living underneath it for a few days/weeks. With the Clarisonic, your facial cleanser is working deep into the skin and knocks out all of those bacteria.

The only con I can think about is the pimples that you will be getting the first few weeks you use it. If you're prone to pimples and breakouts, expect your face to look like a pepperoni pizza for the few weeks. This doesn't mean that the product isn't working or it's too harsh; it's the brush getting down to work to remove all of the buried impurities in your skin. The only way for it to get out is to come out! So I'd say you'll have acne for about 2-4 weeks, but then it gets so much better afterwards. Your skin will be a lot smoother, brighter, cleaner, and vibrant. :) I would rather suffer for a few weeks than use my hands and nothing changes. Even if you don't have skin problems, why wouldn't you want this? It removes the bacteria that your hands can't remove.
I was one of the bridesmaid of a wedding back in October, and the makeup artist applied crap loads of makeup on my face to last the whole day and look to great in photos. Using the Clarisonic brush completely removed all of the makeup (you could see all of the foundation and blush on the brush..yuck!) and left no residue on my face.
I highly highly HIGHLY recommend buying one! It is SO worth it, and it's gentle but effective enough to use everyday. If your problem is acne or pimples, I am 99.9% positive that this will diminish your problem greatly. Take steps to prevent dirt and bacteria from getting on your face.

1. Wash your pillowcases every 3-7 days. Oils from your hair and face (maybe even mouth if you drool) reside in the pillow. You're putting your face on that every night. Buy separate pillow cases to use when it's time to change, and alternate the days!
2. KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF OF YOUR FACE.
3. Use an effective facial cleanser. I recommend using organic products simply because they don't have harmful chemicals that can irritate your face, and it's doing better for your skin and environment. 
4. Drink A LOT of water and eat healthy. I know you hear that everywhere, but it makes a great change in your diet, mood, and appearance. Eating and drinking right flushes out all of the impurities that reside in your skin and body.

To learn exactly how the Clarisonic brush works, check out this video :)