M.A.C Cosmetics Warm Neutral Palette Thoughts and Swatches

Hello everyone! Welcome back! Today, I'm doing a short post about the M.A.C Warm Neutral Palette, along with some swatches. I bought this palette last Tuesday at my local M.A.C store, and to be honest, I've been wanting this palette since it released last year, but I only just recently caved and decided to splurge. These are the first eye products I have ever bought from M.A.C because M.A.C is quite pricey here in Trinidad; this palette costs TT$840 = US$85 (on the M.A.C Cosmetic website).

Quick Look - M.A.C Warm Neutral Palette

Packaging: 
Hard plastic casing, with a see-through plastic lid. It's very sleek, and lightweight. I do wish that instead of a see-through lid, there was a mirror, that would make it perfect for travel.
There is a label on the back that contains the name of each shadow and its finish.

The Shadows
This palette contains all warm neutral tones, with various finishes from Frost to Matte.
I will break down the palette according to rows, and having the corresponding name and finish of the shadows.

Closer look at the shadows in the M.A.C Warm Neutral Palette.

First Row 

Top row of Warm Neutral Palette

 From left to right

• Hey (Veluxe Pearl)
• Warm Breeze (Satin)
• GingerSnap (Frost)
• Dark Brew (Velvet)
• Dance in the Dark (Matte)  

Swatches

Swatches of the First Row in the M.A.C Warm Neutral Palette

All of the colours in this row with the exception of Dance in the Dark, swatched and applied smoothly with good pigmentation. Dance in the Dark is extremely patchy, and powdery, it is quite a pain to work with.

Second Row
 

Second Row - M.A.C Warm Neutral Palette

From left to right

• Brulé (Satin)
• Vanilla Extract (Frost) 
• Honey Lust (Luster)
• Amber Lights (Frost)
• Saddle (Matte) 

Swatches 

Swatches from 2nd Row

 All the shadows in this row applied and swatched beautifully. Saddle unlike its fellow Matte brother Dance in the Dark, applied like butter, it did not skip, it just glided on in one swipe.

Third Row

Third Row - MAC Warm Neutral Palette

 From left to right

•  Lemon Tart (Veluxe Pearl)
• Creative Copper (Luster)
• Butterfudge (Satin)
• Divine Decadence (Velvet)
• Unwind (Veluxe Pearl)

Swatches 
 

Final Row Swatches

All the colours in this row, swatched and applied just as beautifully as the previos one. Lemon Tart and Unwind are definitely going to be shades I play around with. The swatches don't do either of those shades much justice, with Lemon Tart being a gorgeous light yellow gold pearl, and Unwind is the definition of smokey/dirty olive.

Final Thoughts
Despite the high price point, I'm quite impressed by the quality of the eye shadows in this palette. Like I mentioned earlier, this is my first time trying M.A.C eyeshadows, so for a newbie, this give quite a good first impression. With only one shade I can truly call a flop (Dance in the Dark), 14 out of 15 are good quality, very pigmented and soft, without them being crumbly. This is a permanent item in M.A.C's collection, so if you are interested, I recommend going to your local M.A.C store, and giving this guy a swatch. Although I do love this palette, because of the high price point, I can't say run and buy it, unless you want to splurge and spoil yourself like I did. 

Thank you all so much for coming by today, I hope you enjoyed today's post. Before I say goodbye, I just wanted to announce that today, I have finally launched a Facebook page for J's Mind Palace! I decided to finally get over my fear of opening a Facebook page, dedicated strictly to my blog. I will leave a link to the end of this post. Thank you all for all the support for the past year, and I can't wait to post more content here.

Remember to have a safe and fun weekend, stay happy, healthy and positive and I shall see you all next Friday!
Bye-bye (^_^)/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/jsmindpalace

Rimmel Fix & Perfect Pro Primer Review

Hello everyone!

I've had a very emotional week this week, and initially wasn't planning to post today. However, I decided that since I was near the end of my Rimmel Fix & Perfect Primer, that I would a short and quick review for you all.

Before I get started, I just wanted to say thank you so much for 800 views on my blog. I'm very grateful for all your support ^w^.

Rimmel Fix & Perfect Primer 

Rimmel London Fix & Perfect Pro Primer 002

Product Claims:

1. Smoothes
2. Resurfaces
3. Brightens
4. Mattifies
5. Protects
6. Prolongs foundation wear 

For me, the first two claims go hand in hand. This product does smooth and even out the skin's texture. I have enlarged pores on my cheeks, and although they are still noticeable when I use the primer, my skin feels super smooth, and my foundations glide on easily, and my enlarged pores are not as noticeable once the foundation is applied.

I haven't really noticed any brightening effects with this primer so the third claim, I'm just going to cross out. However, this primer does mattify the skin once applied, and depending on the climate you live it, it just might keep you matte for half the day or even all day. For me, I usually have to blot after 3 hours of initial application, but then again oily/combo skin, in the Caribbean, it's to be expected.

Finally, the claim that it protects is slightly vague. I will say that I haven't broken out while using this primer, and I've not noticed any clogged pores. If the claim protects means it protects the skin from whatever you apply on top of it (which all primers basically do by creating a barrier between your skin care products and makeup), then yes it does the job.

Product and Texture:

This product is a white, lotion type primer that dries down clear. It has a very strong fragrance, but it wanes after being applied. The scent reminds me of baby lotion, so if you can't stand heavy fragrances, I'll recommend trying another primer.

Swatches of Fix & Perfect Primer by Rimmel

Conclusion:
I got so wrapped up in using this primer since I purchased it, that it became an everyday staple. This definitely a product that I will buy again. I will however have to add a mattifer on top just to have added oil control, but even without a dedicated mattifier, I really do enjoy this primer. I still can't believe I didn't notice earlier how much I enjoyed this primer, and I'm sad that it's almost finished. If you are in the market for a good drugstore primer, although the e.l.f Mineral Face Primer is my hands down favourite, Rimmel Fix & Perfect comes it very closely in second place. 

Thank you all for visiting my blog once again, I hope you all enjoyed. Next week I am hoping to do a skin care routine post *fingers crossed*
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, and I shall talk to you again very soon. Stay happy, positive and healthy, until next time....
Bye guys (^_^)/

L.A Girl Cosmetics Matte Flat Finish Pigment Glosses Swatches and Review

Hello everyone! Welcome back!

I'm feeling better this week, so I decided to play with my L.A. Girl Cosmetics Matte Flat Finish Pigment Glosses that I recently purchased. If you live in Trinidad and want to get your hands on these, you can find them at Tres Belle Cosmetique, Wonderful World, or you can order them from The BeautyBox 868.

I have four shades to share with you today, two of the shades, I've done wear tests with. The shades I own are;

1. Fleur - peachy nude
2. Rebel - a mid tone purpley-mauve shade
3. Secret - deep brick red
4. Backstage - deep/vampy berry (with purple undertones)

L.A. Girl Matte Flat Finish Pigment Gloss

Wear Testing
I've worn both Fleur (to work) and Rebel (visiting my grandma), and I can say that they are very lightweight, and they do tend to stay the lips for a long time. They wear beautifully throughout the day, even if you are eating and drinking, I'd say approximately 5-6 hours...I lost track of time.....but they leave a nice stain to the lips.

Taken from my Instagram: @ladyjpsych

 

 

 

Taken from my Instagram: @ladyjpsych

Application
In terms of application, the product has a flat doe type applicator that makes it easy to get the product on and remain within the lines of the lips. However, I do use a lip liner with Fleur, because on it's own it tends to wash out my complexion. These glosses take a while to set, usually about 1minutes (60 seconds) for one layer, and I would advise not smacking your lips together while the product is setting, because it causes the product to flake off.

Backstage & Secret (Lip Swatches)
Backstage is the only one of my four that requires two layers to get the true colour, although on my lips Rebel doesn't look as purple as the swatch but I still really love the colour I get in one layer.

 

 

 

 

Lip Swatch of Backstage (2 layers)

 

 Secret is going to become a staple for me, because I absolutely adore red lips.

Lip Swatch of Secret (1 layer)

In the end, these are very good products for the price (I paid $35TT on sale), and if you like liquid lipsticks, give these a try. They're inexpensive, long lasting, pigmented, matte without being overly drying the lips, and the chubby packaging is super cute.

Before I end, I just wanted to thank those of you who read my post last week. I'm not usually one to talk about feeling down, however, as I grow older, and I get closer to my dream of becoming a psychologist, it will be important for me to talk about particular topics, mostly mental health, and I se my blog as a great way to integrate that practice.

Thanks again for coming back to my blog, if you're new, then thank you for stopping by and I hope you will pay my blog another visit. Until next Friday, I hope you all stay happy, positive, and healthy!

Bye (^_^)/

July Makeup Favourites!

Hello darlings!

Welcome to my July Makeup Favourites! I'm actually really excited for this post, July was a great month for me, coming down to the end, and I can't wait to see what August has in store for me. Without keeping you in a realm of my endless blabbering, let's get started on this past month's favourites.

July Makeup Favourites

Face: 

Maybelline Fit Me Matte and Poreless

Fit Me Matte and Poreless 310 Sun Beige

• I have been reaching for this foundation more than my L'Oreal foundations all of July. It's super creamy texture makes it very easy to blend and it has a solid medium-full coverage. Perfect shade match for me (310 Sun Beige), and it doesn't break down excessively throughout long, hot and humid days. I do have a full review on this and I will post the link to it at the end of this blog post. 

Eyes: 

Eyeshadows: NYX Trio in Golden/Rust/Walnut Bronze and Avon Single Eyeshadow in Champagne 

• All these eyeshadows are extremely pigmented, they have a soft and buttery texture and they translate beautifully on the eyes.
  
  NYX Trio:
• Walnut Bronze on my eyes and with my skin tone, tends to come off as an extremely warm reddish bronze shade. However, the lighting in this picture dulls the shade and doesn't do it much justice.
• Rust is a straight up reddish/coppery/cranberry type colour. It really differs to my eye depending on how light hits it. Absolutely love this shade, and I even have it in the original single shadow. 
• Golden...I've said it before and I'll say it again, I love gold!! Gold eyeshadows to me just scream wear me everyday, and on most days I do love to wear gold eyeshadows. Golden specifically strikes me as an antique gold. A perfect melting of yellow and bronze gold. 
  
  Avon Single Eyeshadow
• This is my go-to inner corner highlight. It is a metallic finish, although it is marketed as a shimmer eyeshadow, but nonetheless, its high shine finish brightens the inner corners of the eye making you look wide eyed and awake. 

Eyeliner & Mascara: 

Rimmel Exaggerate Eye Definer in Noir & Jordana Best Lash Extreme in Black

Rimmel London Exaggerate Waterproof Eye Definer in Noir

• I know you constantly hear about the Rimmel ScandalEyes Kohl Eyeliner, but these Exaggerate Eye Definers are awesome. They are very waterproof and smudge resistant, they are retractable pencils and they have a built-in smudger and sharpener. They are also extremely creamy, they glide onto the eye without pull or tugging the eye area. I use this to tighline, I use it on my upper lash liner and also on my waterline, if I'm feeling that look. 

Jordana Best Lash Extreme Mascara in Black

• Holy mascara Batman! This TT$20 mascara, has me gaga! Undoubtedly, this is one of the best mascaras I have ever used. It volumizes, and defines each eyelash effortlessly. My eyelashes look longer, more voluminous and defined without looking clumpy or laden with product. I haven't had any issues with it running, flaking off or smudging throughout the day. A little warning though, the brush which is a very traditional mascara wand, has the tendency to pick up a lot of excess product, so I'd advise cleaning the brush off a bit before applying it. I've been reaching for this more than my Maybelline The Rocket and L'Oreal Voluminious Lash-Out Butterfly mascaras.

Best Lash Extreme Mascara Wand

 Lips: 

Lipliners: Avon Glimmersticks Lip Liner in Mystery Mauve and Avon Ultra Luxury Lip Liner in Neutral. 

• Recently, I've been really into lip balm and lip liner only. I've never been a huge fan of lip glosses, and I haven't been in much of a lipstick wearing mood. These two liners have been my immediate, every morning lip liners, and I even throw them into my makeup bag for light touch ups after lunch. I love the colours, but the texture of these lip liners are so amazing. They are extremely soft and pigmented. 
• I am in the process of hunting down similar colours to these because...Avon is no longer available in Trinidad and I do believe in the wider Caribbean (=_=').

'Tis the end of my July Makeup Favourites, and I hope you all enjoyed. I wanted to say thank you for the support on the return of Game Corner, I'm so happy to be reviving that series on the blog, so look out for more Game Corner posts in the coming months.
Do feel free to share some of your favourites from the month of July in the comments, I would love to hear from you all!
Until Friday, I hope you all have a productive and safe week. Stay happy, positive and healthy, and I will talk to you all very soon.
Bye guys (^_^)/

Links:
Maybelline Fit Me Matte & Poreless Review : http://jsmindpalace.blogspot.com/2015/07/maybelline-fit-me-matte-and-poreless.html

Maybelline Fit Me Matte and Poreless Foundation and Powder Review

Hello doves, I'm still very ill hence why this post is a little bit later than usual. My sinuses are congested, tonsils are painfully inflamed and I have really bad muscle aches, but I am going to fight through it to get this post up. It's going to be a concise post because I really need to get some rest. It's been over a week, and I'm feeling worse now than when I first got this cold.

Maybelline Fit Me Matte and Poreless Foundation 310 Sun Beige

Holy crap, I love this stuff! My only wish is that it came with a pump. This shade matches me perfectly. If you need a reference I'm a W7 in L'Oreal True Match and NC44 in MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation. I've used this foundation with and without a primer for a week, ( I haven't worn makeup since I got sick...yikes!) and I have to say this foundation is awesome.

Firstly, it has a beautiful consistency, it's isn't overly thick but it is not at all watery. It's creamy and super lightweight and it blends like an absolute dream. I use my Real Techniques Expert Face brush, and buff the foundation into my skin. Super quick and easy.

The second thing I absolutely love about this foundation is the finish. The finish is not at all heavy or cake-y, your skin just looks demi-matte and naturally flawless. My makeup area is directly next to a window, so I usually use a mix of natural light  and artificial light to apply my makeup, so I can usually see off the bat if my foundation is looking heavy, and it never has.

Third, this foundation does indeed leave you looking poreless. I personally, have a lot of open pores on my cheeks and around my nose, but with this foundation, you can't tell and that makes me quite happy.

Finally, this foundation, does a pretty good job at keeping me matte. I have to blot a lot less with this particular foundation than usual. I usually have to blot every 2 hours, but with this I can get away for 4-5 hours straight without needing to blot (if used with powder), or 3-4 hours without blotting if used on it's own.

In conjunction with the Maybelline Matte and Poreless Powder, also in shade 310 Sun Beige, the longevity and oil control ability is really great.

Maybelline Matte and Poreless Powder 310 Sun Beige

N.B. I've rocked the powder sans foundation with just a bit of primer underneath, and the coverage is light/medium which is impressive for a pressed powder. It does a great job of controlling oil and evening the complexion.

I wore both to Ani-Market 2015 that took place here in Trinidad, and goodness me did this foundation hold out. I applied it at 8 am, I got wet in rain, got sweaty thanks to high humidity, spent hours walking around the convention with my friends, blotted once during lunch at 1pm, snapped a selfie with one of my best friends close to 3pm, and this is what my skin looked liked (I'm the one with the purple hair)...

Selfie @ Ani-Market 2015 with my Best Friend ChenChen

It's absolute craziness!

In the end, I absolutely love this foundation, before I tried it, I was on the fence about purchasing it, but I'm really happy that I did. It's about $60-$70TT which is cheaper than my beloved L'Oreal foundations, so I am positive that this will be a staple in my makeup collection.

This concludes this week's blog post, I'm going to go lie down and listen to some music and continue fighting this beast of a cold. I hope you all have a great weekend. Ramadan Mubarak to all of my Muslim readers, keep safe during this time. To all of my US readers, have a great 4th of July weekend, keep safe.

Question: If I were to get my hands on the L.A. Girl Nude Eyeshadow Palette, would you prefer to see a review with swatches, or a few looks and review? Comments are welcomed here.

Feel free to follow me on Instagram (@ladyjpsych) I post stuff there, and my Pinterest (J's Mind Palace). I also have a Tumblr under the same name, where I reblog all of the weird/nerdy/psych related things.
I hope everyone keeps safe, and stay happy, healthy and positive and I shall talk to you all very soon!
Bye (^_^)/

Maybelline Clean Express Makeup Remover

Hello dolls, this is my second time doing this post, because my Blogger app decided to crash before the full draft could upload....yay (n_n).

Today, I'm going to be talking all about the Maybelline Clean Express Makeup Remover.

In my last empties post, I spoke about the Simple Kind To Eyes Makeup Remover, and I mentioned that I was trying out something new to me because I've never used any eye makeup remover other than the one from Simple. Earlier this week, I posted a picture teasing this makeup remover, and all I can say is that this thing knocks my socks off.

Teaser Picture from my Instagram

Product Claims : 

• Quick-Break Action - Shake to activate dual phase formula. First Phase instantly breaks up stubborn makeup, even waterproof mascara, while the second washes it clean.

The claim that this makeup remover instantly breaks up makeup made me laugh in the store, and that was what drove me to try this out for myself. I will admit, this things breaks up makeup very quickly including waterproof mascara and long-lasting gel liner, and you need to use very little to get fast results and I didn't experience any irritation when using it.
What I do, is put 3-4 drops onto a cotton pad or cotton round, hold it to the eye, count to five (5) and then boom, eye makeup is gone.
It's great at cleaning up any fallout from shadows under the eye as long as you don't have on your base makeup, and I know a lot of people tend to do face first then eyes, I tend to do the opposite (eyes then face).

This makeup remover cost me approximately $50TT, which is really good price especially since my beloved Simple Makeup Remover is double that at $100TT. The Maybelline Clean Express Makeup Remover, does give you a lot more bang for your buck, it removes makeup faster than the Simple, it's gentle on the eyes as it has no perfume/fragrance and it's half the price of the Simple.  

Would I recommend this product? Yes, I highly recommend it.

This therefore concludes, this weeks post. I know I haven't posted a May favourites just yet, I'm working on it and I am also working on a post all about my favourite single eyeshadows, that can be used to achieve a quick and simple one shadow look for work or school. Emilynoel83 on YouTube who runs Beauty Broadcast blog, did a video on this I believe last year, if not, the year before and I was never able to get it out of my head, so I figured I would do my own version of it.

Until next time, stay happy, stay positive and stay healthy and I will talk to you all soon.
Bye (^_^)/

Nicka K Perfecting Eyeshadow Primer Review

Hello my dears, and welcome back to my blog. How was your week?
Trinidad has been extremely hot and humid lately, and as a person who is prone to headaches and migraines, the humidity has been extremely annoying. I've been fighting headaches since Sunday, hence this week's post will be a bit short because I'm not feeling 100% but I refuse to miss a blog post.

Absolute New York Eyeshadow Primer by Nicka K

Absolute New York Eyeshadow Primer/ Nicka K Perfecting Eyeshadow Primer 

Price: $20-30TT

If you have been following me for a while, you know I've been hunting for a good, inexpensive eyeshadow primer that I can use to substitute for my beloved Urban Decay Primer Potion and Smashbox 24HR Photo Finish Eyeshadow Primer. I tried the Rimmel Exaggerate Eyeshadow Primer and I hated it, so I decided to give this a try, and see if it was any good because I haven't really heard anything about it. 

• Packaging
• A sleek black tube, with a wand. Nothing special about the packaging on this product

Comes with a wand

• Product
• A creamy, beige primer, that is extremely lightweight and it blends very easily. However, if you're blending with your finger, it is very easy to over blend and remove the product, so I'd advise using a brush. I use the Real Techniques Base Shadow Brush just to lightly blending it all over the eye. 

   

  Light, creamy, beige primer

• Longevity
• This product lasts for 6-8 hours on the eye, in extremely hot and humid weather which is great! There was slight creasing around the 6 hour mark, but it's not very noticeable, unless you're looking into a mirror and examining every little detail of your makeup.

After an 8 hour work day, eyeshadow is still intact with negligible creasing

After two weeks of use, I've developed a fondness for this primer. Its blend-ability and virtual weightless on the eye, makes it the perfect primer for a busy work or school day, whether you want to rock eyeshadow or not. The beige colour is enough to even out and mattify the eyelids, so this primer with a bit of your face powder over the top, will work extremely well for your no eyeshadow days. I've been reaching for this more than my Urban Decay Primer recently, so that's how I know I enjoy this primer.

Summary:

1. Inexpensive - $20-30TT at SuperPharm
2. Creamy and Blend-able (best blended out with a brush)
3. Pigmented enough to even out lids
4. Mattifying 
5. Last 6-8 hours of wear

If Nicka K is available where you live, I would recommend it, however, I don't consider it a dupe for either the UDPP or the Smashbox 24HR Primer, so my search for an inexpensive dupe continues. I have the Milani Eyeshadow Primer to try next and I'm super excited to use it. 

I'm contemplating on whether or not I should do a master post of all the eyeshadow primers I have used, and of course informing you of the good, the bad and the downright horrible!

As always thank you for taking time out of your day to visit my blog, I hope you enjoyed and feel free to return, I post every Friday, sometimes I even do a bonus post randomly. Also, feel free to check out my Instagram (@ladyjpsych), my Pinterest and Tumblr (both are J's Mind Palace).

Stay happy, positive and healthy and I hope very much to talk to you all next week.

Bye guys (^w^)/

Product Empties #2

Hello beautiful! How are you today?  I hope you had a great week.
Today, I decided to post an impromptu product empties blog post because on Monday morning, while prepping my skin for my makeup, I ran out of my favourite face primer, so instead of chucking it in the trash, I put it aside and noticed I had accumulated a few products I've completely used up and figured it's about time for some empties. 
Now, I'm the type of person who usually only uses up a product if I absolutely love it, so these products are definitely favourites, and some I've actually repurchased multiple times, so let's jump right on in.

Makeup Essentials:

Makeup Removers and Face Primer

Absolute! Makeup Cleansing Tissues by Nicka K.
If you wear makeup on a regular basis, you probably go through makeup removing towelettes/makeup remover wipes constantly, because I know I do. I stated using the Absolute! Makeup Cleansing Tissues in October 2013, and I've never ventured to any other makeup removing wipe. These are sold for approximately $28-32TT, which is an absolute steal here in Trinidad, and they do an amazing job removing makeup. My favourite is the one with Pomegranate Extract, mostly because of the scent but there are a couple other varieties to choose from. It comes with 33 tissues and these things do not dry out. They are always wet and they don't dry out the skin or leave any weird residue.
Tip: Always store your wipes face down to keep the moisture from escaping!
I've already started on a new pack of these wipes, and I'm slowly trying to convince myself to give another brand a chance, but for the price and the quantity and quality of this product, I don't think I ever will turn my back on it unless it gets discontinued. 

Simple Kind to Eyes Eye Makeup Remover
I mentioned this a favourites post a while ago, and I can't say enough good things about it. It breaks down waterproof mascara and gel eyeliner like no one's business, all while being super gentle and non-irritating to the eyes. I haven't repurchased this yet, as I am testing out another drugstore brand eye makeup remover, so in a future post I'll do a head to head comparison between the two. I believe this cost me somewhere in the $50-60TT range, I can't remember exactly but to me it's worth the cost to have my extremely sensitive and temperamental eyes pampered by an eye makeup remover (doesn't sound spoilt at all) (-__-")...

e.l.f Mineral Face Primer
I have a severe love/hate relationship with face primers, but if you've been following my blog you know that I am head over heels in love with the face primer. It has been in almost every one of my favourites post! This primer is an absolute staple for me, so imagine how sad I got this past Monday when it decided to run out....(T.T)..WHY?!
I don't have a backup of this in my collection, so I'm holding out until I get a chance to repurchase this by using the Primed and Ready by Prestige, but it doesn't work as well as the e.l.f Mineral Primer. I am planning on trying out some more primers in the future because when you live in Trinidad, or any hot and humid country/region/state, face primer and mattifier is a must to keep your foundation looking flawless.  

Non-Makeup Related Empties:

Yes, really a pack of gum!

Nivea Invisible for Black and White 48hr Anti-Perspirant 
I love black clothing. I hate white anti-perspirant marks all over my black clothing! I also hate sweating profusely because I live in the hot, humid Caribbean...yay island life! Anyways, I bought this on a whim, trying to give myself a bit of a break from the search for my perfect deodorant, and I was pleasantly surprised. It didn't leave any marks on my black clothing (yes!), however, it has a very clean scent to it, and I am not at all a fan of clean scents. Most people love the smell of linen sheets (typical clean scent), I absolutely hate it! The scent, is enough reason for me not to repurchase it but also Degree recently released in Trinidad, their Dry Spray, under their Motion Sense line, which are hands down the best deodorant/antiperspirant I have ever used. It releases more fragrance as you move and sweat, like dude! I can't recall the price, but I'm sure it was somewhere around the $30TT mark, and it is a good product, so if you aren't off put by clean fragrances like I am, I say give it a try.

L'Oreal Youth Code Dark Spot Corrector Serum Concentrate
As a woman with PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome), I have had horrible acne, which led to serious hyperpigmentation. It made me very uncomfortable, and as a teenager, I never wore makeup, so it was out there for the world to see. When this product came out, I was super skeptical because I had tried multiple fade creams, lightening creams , d.i.y face masks and nothing worked...but this did.  I've been using this every single day for over 2 years and my skin just loves it. My hyperpigmentation has reduced and even after a fresh breakout, it takes less time for the dark marks to fade. I can not sing the praises of this product enough. It holds a hefty price tag $180TT, but to me it is so worth the money. I am planning on trying the day and night creams from this line, as well as a few more from the L'Oreal skin care line, because I tend to change up my skin care regime every 3-6 months, but this serum remains constant.

Trident White
I love chewing gum. It's a good stress reliever and not as dangerous as alcohol (I don't drink!) or smoking (big no for me also). I tend to go for Trident gum more than any other, not because of the whitens teeth claim, there's Crest 3D White for a reason, but because the flavour of the gum tends to last longer and be more subtle than others. Dentyne Ice gum, is a smack to face when you first start chewing but the flavour fades quickly, however, Trident White is like dipping your toe into the pool and the water is just the perfect temperature, so you can just relax and enjoy.

Now I know the gum was pretty random, but what can I say, I felt like putting something weird in this post, so there you go. Anyways, I haven't done any InstaReviews this week, because I'm still in the process of testing some things out and deciding whether to do a full blog post or just a quickie review. Also, my hair is full on purple ombré now, which makes me super happy, and luckily my boss and supervisors have no problem with it! (Yay for working in research!)

Mother's Day at Grandma's

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Stay happy, healthy and positive and I shall see you next Friday!
Bye loves!
(^w^)/

DIY Mattifying Face Primer

Hello sweeties, (gotta get a Doctor Who reference in), I teased about this in my last post, so here it is, a DIY face primer that works (for me at least).

Disclaimer: I didn't not develop this recipe, I found it on Pinterest, and I have a link to my Pinterest to the right.

Link to source post: 

http://m.instructables.com/id/DIY-Starter-Makeup-Kit-and-More/step3/Primers-Toners-and-Setting-Spray/

I was searching Pinterest for ideas of homemade mattifying primers, because my oily skin has just been out of control lately, (yay hormones)( "-_-), and I came across a very simple recipe using milk of magnesia. 

I've personally have been using milk of magnesia as a mattifier but only for special occasions because it tends to clog the pores. 

The recipes requires a spray bottle, water, milk of magnesia and rose water (optional). 

Milk Of Magnesia

Distilled Water

Depending on how oily your skin is, you can tweak the recipe, however I used equal parts of water and milk of magnesia (1/2 cup each) and 2 tbps rose water. Pour into the spray bottle, give it a good shake and voila! 

Having it in a spray bottle makes application a breeze but I still recommend patting it in with a sponge to ensure that it gets distributed evenly on the skin. 

I've been using this in conjunction with my e.l.f Mineral Face Primer and my L'Oreal Magic Nude Liquid Powder foundation and it makes my skin look naturally flawless (which it isn't). It doesn't clog my pores and my level of oiliness isn't as ridiculous as it normally is...yay! 

This is a quick and easy DIY, and it makes me want to try out some more finds from Pinterest.
Until next week, stay happy, healthy and positive!
Bye (^_^)/

Update: Work and Makeup.

Hey lovelies, it's been a minute. 

Working temporarily in research is exhausting. I have done nothing but work and sleep for the past two weeks. I haven't touched a video game nor have I experimented with makeup. It's been primer, foundation, mascara and lip stain for the past two weeks. 

Insert random at work selfie:

Primer: elf Mineral Face Primer/ Prestige Primed and Ready + D.I.Y mattifying primer

Foundation: L'Oreal Magic Nude Liquid Powder Foundation (328 Sun Beige)

Mascara: L'Oreal Miss Manga 

Lip Stain: NYX Simply Nude Lip Cream (SN06 Sable)

I have been playing around with some  D. I. Y's that I will definitely do a post on next week! Get pumped! 

I think next week I'll break out my Smashbox Full Exposure Pallette and try some different looks? Should I take pictures or try a pictorial? So many questions...

Random Pokemon News: I got a shiny Reshiram!!!!!! Best GTS trade ever! 

Anywho, I think this is all for this week. Have a great weekend guys and I'll see you next week. Stay happy, healthy and positive! 

Bye (^_^)/

January 2015 Favourites

Hey guys! Initially, I wasn't planning on doing a January favourites and now as  I am typing this, I'm in a terrible mood and really don't feel like posting anything at all. However, my promise to myself and to this blog was to post every Friday for 2015, so I'm going to fight through it and deliver a post.

I was ill for most of December into January and to the tail end of January I got ill again (T__T). I wasn't leaving the house much but when I did, I wore little to no makeup whatsoever. There were however a few products that I thoroughly enjoyed using, and they've snuck their way into my heart.

1. L'Oreal Magic Nude Liquid Powder Foundation (328 Sun Beige)
    A massive thank you to one of my best friends Stephie, for recommending this foundation to me. We both have oily/combo skin, and she told me about this foundation about a year ago. At the time, I wasn't ready to invest in a new foundation but I kept it on my list of things to try. During January, I did a massive cleaning out of my makeup collection and ended up with only two foundations, my L'Oreal True Match and Revlon Colorstay. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of the Revlon Colorstay Oily/Combination formula, because it feels super heavy on my skin, I actually feel the foundation sitting on my skin, it's such a odd feeling. I decided, to give the Magic Nude foundation a try because I remembered Stephie saying that it was super lightweight and blended in like a dream, and after doing so searching around the internet, trying to find my shade match, I went to Superpharm (local drugstore) I picked it up. I must admit, I was pleasantly surprised by how liquidy this foundation is. You shake the bottle and it sounds like you're shaking a water bottle. I wish this foundation came with a pump or even a dropper, because it is so easy to spill or pour out excess product, which to me is the only major downside of this foundation.
  The shade match is perfect for me. I have extremely yellow/olive undertones and sun beige (328) is perfect for me (I'm a MAC NC44, L'Oreal True Match I can work with either W6 or W7). Very easy foundation to blend, it's recommended to be applied with your fingers, and that's how I apply mine, I think with it's texture and formulation, it would absorb into brushes and sponges quite quickly. To me this foundation is perfect if you're in a rush, it's lightweight, doesn't go on streaky, blends like a dream, has a powder finish. I've worn this foundation for 12 hours without setting it with powder and despite having to blot every 3-4 hours, the foundation didn't break down at all. I wear glasses, and the foundation stay put on my nose bridge where my glasses' nose guard is situated. I've gotten compliments a few times while wearing this foundation about how clean and healthy my skin looked, and people were in shock when I told them I was wearing foundation. Yay!!

2. Jordana 12 HR Made To Last Eyeliners
   Super creamy and pigmented gel formula eyeliner pencils, that don't smudge onto my lid and crease.....yes please and thank you! I have the shades, 02 Espresso Last, a beautiful and creamy dark brown, 04 Purple Fix which a straight up purple and 06 Jade Jewel which is a beautiful, rich jade/emerald green mix. I didn't intentionally choose liners that were even numbers (lol).  I'm usually all about Avon's Mega Impact/Supershock Gel Eyeliner Pencils, but those do have a tendency to smudge on my upper lids, but they tend to last in my waterline (weird huh!). However, the 12 HR Made To Last, were not made to last on the waterline so I'd recommend using it solely on your upper lash line.

  

3. Jordana Twist and Shine Moisturizing Balm Stain (05 Honey Love)
  Oh honey do I love this balm stain. I should stop trying to be funny (=_='). Despite my corny sense of humour, I genuinely love this balm stain, it's the perfect mix of pigmentation and moisturizing balm in a cute, twist up, jumbo lip pencil. Yes, it is essentially the same as the Revlon Kissable Balm Stains, but they're less expensive and they have a fruity/sweet scent. All in all, it's a win for me and I can't wait to get my hand on some more.

4. NYX Simply Nude Lip Cream (SN06 Sable)
  It's a nude that doesn't make me look like the living dead. Win! It's buttery smooth and pigmented. Although, I have very pigmented lips, this product is on me, my perfect my lips but butter shade. It makes my lips look so healthy and since I was using this when I was ill, having my lips look nice and healthy even when I technically wasn't is the best. To me healthy lips help to brighten up the complexion, especially when you're ill.

 

This my darlings is the end of my favourites post. I hope you all enjoy. Have a great weekend and I will see you all next week. 

Bye Bye (^_^)/

Makeup Battle Royale: Face Primer Edition - e.l.f Mineral Face Primer vs. Prestige Primed and Ready Face Primer

We about to showdown!!

Hey guys, today we will be having another battle royale. If you are new to the blog, hello there, it's nice to meet you! Basically this is were I compare two products, from two different brands and tell you which I prefer of the two. This is my second battle royal the first was about 'drugstore' eyeliner pens,which can be found in my blog archives. 
 Let's get ready to rumble! 

The e.l.f Mineral Face Primer became my favourite face primer late last year, but I kept wondering if I can find something a bit better. Don't get me wrong for an affordable face primer it works amazing well, but since I started my blog, I've felt more incline to test out new things, rather than just sticking with my ride or dies. So for my birthday in December, I went on a little makeup purchasing spree and picked up the Prestige Primed and Ready Face Primer (which came with a free sample size Primed and Ready Eye Primer, that will be reviewed in a future post).
                                                          

Packaging: 
I prefer the packaging of the e.l.f mineral primer over the Prestige. The e.l.f primer comes in a frosted glass bottle while the Prestige's is a hard plastic. The e.l.f primer just looks a lot more expensive and almost higher end, compared to the Prestige. 
The nozzle of the e.l.f primer is slightly wider than the Prestige, so you can get the perfect amount of product with just one pump, whereas the Prestige, one pump isn't enough but two is far too much product.

Cost: 
e.l.f Mineral Face Primer - TT$50-60 
Prestige Primed and Ready - TT$65-70

Prestige (Creamy White) on the Left, elf(transparent) on the Right

Product: 

The Prestige Primer comes out as a creamy white liquid, while the e.l.f is completely clear. They have a similar consistency, both have silicone feel to them and they both blend in smoothly, evening out the complexion.

Effect on the skin: 

e.l.f primer : 

• Blurs pores and any fine lines on the skin
• Keeps skin matte, controls oils well 
• Helps foundation to blend smoothly and evenly 

Prestige Primer: 

• Blurs pores
• Creates a smooth and flawless canvas
• Helps foundations blend in smoothly  

As you probably noticed I didn't mention anything about the Prestige primer it's oil control ability, and that's simply because I still get extremely oily when I wear this primer. Unlike the e.l.f primer which tends to keep my oils at bay for 3-4 hours after application, the Prestige primer only controls my oils for 1-2 hours at most, which sucks! I absolutely love the way my skin looks and feels after applying the Prestige primed and ready but the fact that I still get extremely oily when I wear it, makes me reach for it less than the e.l.f Mineral primer.

However, despite the lack of oil control, I still truly like the Prestige primer and I think for dry to normal skin types, it will be awesome. I will continue to use it but I will have to pair it with a mattifier. 

Results:

Who wins this face primer battle royale?!!!!

e.l.f Mineral Face Primer!!! Go one with your bad self! 

This truly has become my favourite face primer I have ever tried and I will continue to repurchase it. If you're in the market for a face primer but don't want to spend a lot of cash give the e.l.f primer a try. 

That's all from me for now. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and a great upcoming week. I can't believe January is finished already (O_O). As usual stay happy, positive and healthy and I will see you Next Friday.

Product Review: L'Oreal Paris Miss Manga Mascara

Hello everybody! 

How was your week? 

Mine was hectic as heck. I found out I registered online for the wrong Masters' program and I'm in the process of correcting it. Writing my research proposal has me feeling to rip my hair out! However, I got access to Blizzard's Heroes of the Storm Beta, and oh man me likey! I've also been reminiscing and playing an old favourite of mine, Metroid II Return of Samus. It was the first game I ever played and completed and I still love it. I bought through Club Nintendo last year and I still feel all the frustration I felt back when I first played it. Sighs...the good ole days of my original Gameboy. 

Anywhosies, you guys came here for a makeup review. 

The Voluminous Miss Manga

1. I'm a fan of anime and manga so this mascara got me super hyped just by the name
2. I thoroughly enjoy L'Oreal mascaras, The Voluminous Butterfly is my favourite mascara! 
3. Most Beauty YouTubers raved about this mascara
4. One of my besties tried it and it made her lashes look amazing! 

So, do I love this mascara?.....Not really. It's not the best mascara nor the worse mascara for my lashes. My lashes are mid-length and have a natural curl, so this mascara does give them lift,and defines them, but it makes my lashes clump together, especially on the other corners of my eyes. Both my brother and my mother commented on how clumpy my lashes looked every time I used this mascara. 
At first I thought it was because it was brand new and just needed sometime to dry out but despite that my lashes still clump together. 

The brush is tapered at the tip and is really great for reaching those itty bitty inner corner lashes but I've noticed that the bristles tend to hold a lot of product on it and even when I wipe off the brush, i still get clumping. (T~T)

 In the end, the Voluminous Miss Manga is a good mascara but it's not really what I expected with all the hype I've seen on YouTube. Maybe if you have long, luxurious lashes like my bestie you may like more than I do. 

That's it for today's post, I'll be back with a new post next week, possibly with another makeup battle royale or a product rave. I haven't made up my mind just yet. I hope you all are doing well and until I speak to you again, stay healthy, happy and positive! 

Bye guys (^_^)/

Avon ExtraLasting Eyeshadow Pencil

Guyss!!
Currently on sale at the Avon website are my favourite cream eyeshadows, for $2.99US! 

**Pander**
Dear Avon, if any reps or any heads of the company read this (which I highly doubt), please don't discontinue these gems. They are my favourite cream eyeshadow pencil that I've tried thus far. Thank you! 

*Back To the Post*

The Extralasting Eyeshadow Pencil, is a twist up eyeshadow pencil that deposits creamy, highly pigmented shadow. it does set fairly quickly, however, it is a dream to blend. it blends so beautifully and easily whether you are using your finger or a brush, it really doesn't matter. They come in an array of colours, most have shimmer and metallic finishes, a few matte shades and even the matte shades blend like a dream. 

I have worn these pencils on days where I had to walk to campus in order to test if these were long-wearing and crease-proof and boy oh boy are they. I've worn these on the hottest days here in T&T; heat, sweat and oily/combo skin usually means the death of cream eyeshadow but these stayed in place. Believe me when I say I was beyond amazed. I have the Maybelline color tattoos but those creased on me on hot days even with an eyeshadow primer (UDPP) beneath. However, these Avon shadow pencils would not budge and it didn't matter whether or not I was using a primer. 

I have 5 of the shades, and I'm actually in the process of purchasing a few more. 
The shades I have are as follows;

1.  Sapphire - A matte sapphire blue 
2. Topaz Shimmer - A bold copper 
3. Rich Cocoa - A deep matte dark brown 
4. Amethyst - A shimmer light purple-taupe 
5. Crystal Taupe - Metallic taupe 

Pictures do not do these justice! also pics by me 

 I would never recommend a product I don't love and these I highly recommend! All my oily skinned girls who love cream eyeshadow, this is it, or if you love cream eyeshadow in general, definitely give it a try! 

I'm going to keep today's post really short but before I end, I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who comes to my blog and reading my rambles, your support is very much appreciated. 
my next post may be a true ramble fest about events in the world as of late, probably won't be the most positive or happy of posts but I have a lot on my mind and I need to get it out. 
I shall see you guys next week for that ramble post, but until then, stay positive and stay safe guys! Love you all <3 

Bye (^_^)/