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^)/

March Favourites

Hello hello beautiful people :3,
 I promised you a post today, and now I present to you my March favourites. There are actually a good bit of products this month, so let's get started!

March 2015 Favourites! 

Makeup:

Foundation : L'Oreal True Match Super Blendable Foundation in W7 Caramel Beige.

Ever since I purchased the L'Oreal Magic Nude Foundation, my True Match has taken a seat to the back of the pack. However, with random colds and stomach bugs rearing their head as well as insomnia (I'm a mess, I know!), I busted this bad boy out once more because nothing can beat it's lightweight feel and kick butt coverage. I use this in conjunction with my Real Techniques Expert Face brush and I am so pleased with the results. Never cakey or heavy looking, just flawless, seamless finish that looks like skin.

Eyes:

Favourite Eye Products - March 2015

Eye Primer: Smashbox 24 hour Photo Finish Shadow Primer
As a Caribbean girl with oily skin eyeshadow primer is an absolute must have for me. I love my Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion and never did I think that I would find a primer I love more than that one, man was I wrong! This eyeshadow primer from Smashbox is the heavy-weight champion of all the eyeshadow primers  I have tried. It dries quickly, and it does not budge. Not even midday Trinidad sun could get this thing to melt or budge. On Friday 13th, when I was struck with a stomach bug, I took a nap with all my eye makeup on, with this primer underneath, when I woke up from said nap 3 hours later (after a 8 hour workday + lunch run in midday sun), all my eye makeup was completely intact.
The only drawback: Smashbox is not readily available in Trinidad. It can be ordered online or if you have family or friends in the US, you will be able to get your hands on it. For now I have to use it sparingly, because I don't want it to run out without having a backup or a cheaper alternative to it in my collection.

Eyeshadow: Milani Powder Single Eyeshadow 

 Can we just swoon over this eyeshadow for a minute? Hnng! 
A golden, caramel brown that is perfect for everyday wear, whether you want to wear it alone all over the eye and blended into the crease or if you want to use it solely as an all over lid colour with another shade in the crease. It doesn't matter this shade is beautiful and enhances the deep chocolate brown tones of my eyes. I'm really happy I dug this out of my collection to use again, it truly is a beautiful eyeshadow.

Smashbox Full Exposure Palette

Smashbox Full Exposure Palette and Smashbox 24 Hour Photo Finish Shadow Primer

I have read and seen a lot of mixed reviews on this particular palette, but since I LOVE neutral eyeshadows I decided, why not give it a shot? My verdict: I absolutely love this palette. I've been using it almost every single day since the start of February, whether it be for a simple matte crease colour or for a full on smokey eye, this palette is versatile and very user/beginner friendly. The shadows are soft and easy to blend, although some of the more sparkly shades have a small amount of fallout, but it is mostly glitter, opposed to actual shadow pigment.  The main complaint people have about this palette is that it isn't pigmented enough, and personally I don't mind that it isn't one touch super pigmented. To me, it's easier to work with because it teaches you how to slowly build up colour opposed to dipping your brush into an extremely pigmented shadow and applying far too much product. The matte shadows are more pigmented than the shimmery; again I have no problem with this because it's so easy to go overboard with shimmery shades. Some may hate it, but I adore it! It hasn't left my vanity, and I'm sure it won't leave anytime soon. I just wish Smashbox products were available in Trinidad. Plz Smashbox (;-;)

Eyeliner & Brushes: L'Oreal Infallible 24HR Lacquer Liner in Blackest Black, Real Techniques Fine Liner Brush & CALA Brow/Liner Brush 317
What's as pitch black as oil, glides on like a dream and stays put all day? Did you say the L'Oreal Infallible Laquer Liner in Blackest Black, well you will be absolutely correct! (^w^)
I've own this liner for over a year and it hasn't dried out, it's still extremely creamy, and dries to an amazing matte black finish. It's great for beginners, and I've also changed the way I apply it. I use my Real Techniques Fine Liner brush to get really into my lash line, and for the wing, I use my CALA 317 brush. The 317 is super soft and has the perfect amount of give, meaning it's not too stiff but not too malleable, making it very easy to get the perfect winged out liner. Other days I create the wing with the Real Techniques fine liner brush and then dip the 317 into some eye makeup remover (which I will talk about a little later on) to clean up the wing. All in all, this trio makes winged liner an everyday affair.


Mascara: L'Oreal Voluminous Lash Out Butterfly Mascara. 
Holy Grail! I cannot and will never be without this mascara in my collection. The brush grabs on to each of my lashes, including the short, difficult ones, giving them volume and lift and separates each lash like none other.

L'Oreal Voluminous Lash-Out Butterfly Mascara Wand

I used to be all about the Maybelline Falsies, but this mascara does so much more for my lashes, that I can't see myself going back to it just yet. I would like to try more mascaras instead of being a one trick pony, but I refuse to give up my Butterfly mascara.

Eye Makeup Remover : Simple Kind To Eyes Eye Makeup Remover

I love this stuff! It is the first eye makeup remover that I've used that is purely liquid. I used to use the Avon Makeup Remover Cream or whatever you call it, but I never liked it. It was a thick lotion, that used to burn the crap out of my eyes, leaving them red and irritated...no thank you! I decide to try this on a random trip to my local drugstore and I fell in love immediately. It's strong enough to remove the most stubborn waterproof mascara or eyeliner, and can decimate a smokey eye in seconds. If you're in the market for a good, inexpensive eye makeup remover, give this one a shot!

Lips: 

Nivea Soothe and Protect Lip Balm with SPF 15
A clear, moisturizing lip balm with SPF, is perfect to keep lips protected and hydrated especially in a tropical climate. I love this lip balm so much that when I lost my first one, I ran out and repurchased it. Of course as is the case with most lip balms, the lost one magically reappeared after it had been missing for two months, so now I keep one in my handbag at all times and the other on my vanity.

Jordana Pencil Lipliner in Natural 
A beautifully soft and creamy lip pencil, it glides on like butter and it is extremely pigmented for the low price. This is my only Jordana lip pencil but I am hoping to get my hands on some more. The colour is a beautiful reddish-brown, great on its own or paired with a nude lipstick or gloss, perfect for work.

Jordana Lipliner - Natural

NYX Simply Nude Lip Cream- Sable (SN06)
I'm not even going to bother writing much about this, because I have been raving about this lip cream pencil since I first bought it. It was a favourite last month now hear it is again. I was going to leave it out, but I've been using it almost every single day so I had to put it in.


Maybelline Color Sensational Matte Lipstick - Touch of Spice (660)
Perfect red-brown lipstick! You can rock it with a smokey eye or on days when all you're wearing is a BB cream and some mascara, this lipstick makes a statement without being too loud or in your face. I knew this would be a favourite when I initially purchased it and it has. When I'm going for a statement lip, I reach for this rather than my usual red lipsticks. It's creamy, pigmented and doesn't dry out my lips despite it being a matte lipstick, which makes me love it even more.

Skin: Homemade Rose Water
My favourite DIY, is homemade rose water. It's a refreshing mist, that helps to keep skin hydrated during the day, and it can also help eliminate the look of powdery/cakey foundation. All I do is collected dried rose petals, toss them into a small pot of boiling water, until the water extracts the colour from the petals. However, I sometimes steep the petals in the boiling water as one would do with tea. Without adding alcohol to it, you would have to store it in the fridge, where it would keep for approximately 4 weeks. However, since I carry a small bottle with me in my makeup bag, I add about 1teaspoon of alcohol, to prevent it from going bad in the heat.

Homemade Rosewater

Nerd Faves:
In terms of video games I've only been playing Pokemon Omega Ruby, trying to finish my Pokédex via evolving and trading...so much work! I'm currently reading James Patterson's Private, which is going really good, I'm thoroughly enjoying it! Also, I'm very close to finishing off the Locke and Key series, if you like graphic novels and haven't read Locke and Key, I highly recommend it! It's art is amazing, the storyline entrapping, I've been procrastinating finishing the series because it's just so good, I don't want it to end (~_~')

We have arrived to the end of this Favourites post, let me know some of your favourites in the comments, I'm always interested to know what you've been loving this month. Thank you for being patient and waiting for this post, I've just been so exhausted and sick of being sick to have had a full post this past Friday. All of my social media links are located to the right hand side of the blog, so if you're interested you can follow me.
Until Friday, I hope you all have a wonderful and safe week ahead. Stay happy, healthy and positive!
Bye (^_^)/