Fall Trend 2014

I know, I know, it's only August right now. BUT it's important to look to the future! I know we're all being told to live in the now, and while I agree with that...I believe we should be living with our brains focused on upcoming beauty trends!
Wait...maybe I'm giving bad advice...
The colder weather is coming, which means we'll be drawing inspiration from our surroundings. Reds, golds, and browns are always popular in the fall months, and that is no different for this year!
I'm always a big fan of metallics moving into the colder months; it reminds me of the beauty of the snow and the magic that is Halloween and Thanksgiving. Hence why so many runways were seen using metallics, from Rodarte to Armani to Issey Miyake.
This trend can be done many different ways- my personal favorite is a subtle pop of metal in the inner corners of the eyes to brighten them up. Try doing this with a shimmery gold or silver, like Stila's Magnificent Metals Foil Finish eyeshadows in Metallic Dusty Rose or Comex Platinum.
Metallic Dusty Rose is a pinkish (just like it sounds, a muted rose color) and Comex Platinum is a beautiful opalescent white.

Dusty Rose is on top and Comex Platinum is on bottom. These photos were from Google (don't wanna take credit for what isn't mine)
Pop these on the inner corner of your eyes or just beneath the lower lash line and they'll pop beautifully! Pink and opalescent colors are flattering on just about everybody.
Also, I constantly recommend Stila products because I absolutely adore their quality. If you have never tried their Kitten products (their signature color), I promise you, try it once and it will forever change your life.
Happy glittering, beauties!

The Beauty Blogger Tag: Get to Know Me!

1. Is your hair naturally curly or straight? SUPER curly.

2. What is your natural hair colour? A boring, dull brown.

3. Do you dye it yourself or go to a salon? Salon!

4. How often do you wash your hair? I try to wash it every 2 days.

5. Do you wear the same style every day or change it? It changes SO often. Some days I want to be in yoga pants, others I want to be a rock star, and sometimes I just feel like being super girly.

6. Do you do your own mani/pedi or go to a salon? I usually go to the salon, I've been slacking though

7. How often to you change your nail polish? If I ever wore polish I would let you know...either I do a gel manicure so that it doesn't chip, or I don't wear any because I'm constantly cutting my nails to give facials so I don't scratch anyone!

8. Do you polish your toes in the winter, too or just in the summer? Both :)

9. How long does it take to put on your makeup? Depends on what I'm doing. My normal day-to-day routine: 15 minutes. My full-face-of-makeup routine: about 45.

10. What do you do first? Face or eyes? Face

11. Do you "collect" makeup or just buy what you need when you need it? I try not to collect but it doesn't work. Oops.

12. How often do you wear false eyelashes? Not often at all, they make my eyelids feel heavy most of the time!

13. Do you do a full face of makeup every day? Absolutely not...I've been going bare-faced most days lately. I'll do a quick cat-eye and red lip instead to pull everything together.

14. Do you wear makeup when you are home alone (or with family)? Usually not

15. Will you leave the house without makeup? I do it all the time!

16. How many high end products do you have? Ummm...more than I'm willing to count/admit

17. How often do you wash your makeup brushes? I antibacterialize them every time they get used, as far as washing them probably once every 2 weeks unless I'm working on clients...then it's the day before and the day after.

18. Do you plan your OOTD every night or decide when you are getting dressed? I have no recollection of ever planning an outfit in advance, actually...

19. How often do you change your handbag? Pretty much never. I'm a skincare/makeup person...fashion is by no means my forte.

20. What time do you get up & go to sleep? Get up: 7:00; Go to sleep: Who knows...depends on the day.

21. How often & when do you workout? I try to go to the gym 3x a week (most weeks it's a success, lately not so much with school ending and finals and everything) and I usually go in the morning.

22. Left-handed or Right-handed? Rightyyy

23. How tall are you? 5'6"

24. Do you speak a foreign language? I speak a decent amount of Spanish!

25. How many pets do you have? 2, Licorice the dog and Theo the bunny :)

26. How often are you on Blogger? It's so random...I try to come on at least once a week.

27. Do you read the comments posted blogs? Yeah!

28. Do you keep a list of products to try as you see other posts? Not really, I try to stick to what I'm interested in so that my posts reflect me rather than other people's interests.

29. How did you come up with your blog name? Well, basically it's a combination of my favorite thing and what I want to accomplish...so glitter and feeling gorgeous, hence glitteringgorgeous!

30. What kind of camera do you use for photographs? iPhone 5S LOLOL I need to invest in a better camera

31. How often do you clean your house? (Daily, weekly, other) Obsessively whenever I have time.

32. What is your favourite colour? Black (even though it's "not technically a color")...if  have to pick a real color it's probably mint green

33. What is your favorite beauty/fashion magazine? Don't laugh...I just love Cosmo.

34. Do you swear? Ummmm more than I should

35. What are you doing with the rest of your day? Spending the 1 day I have off this week with my friends!

Microdermabrasion: What's the Deal?

I have to say, going to school for esthetics is pretty awesome. This week, we had a guest teacher come in and teach us all about microdermabrasion; I had a chance to have it done to myself, and I got to practice on my classmates. I now have my certification in microderm, and it was so fun getting there!
So what is microdermabrasion?
It's a deep exfoliation that essentially buffs away the dead, dull layer of your skin sitting at the top. It doesn't exfoliate down to the dermis like a chemical peel or anything like that, it's non-invasive, and doesn't require any downtime (unless you're really bothered by some redness). The great thing about microderm is that it will help product penetrate better, so that means any treatment serums and moisturizers that you're using to treat skin "issues" will penetrate the top layer of your skin more effectively, and will help your skin hydrate better!
There are two methods, but the method that I learned was crystal, where there are thousands on thousands of crystals being released onto your face through a vacuum-like machine, and that's what exfoliates!
Things microdermabrasion treats:
Acne scars, blackheads (it loosens up all the gross stuff stuck in your pores), fine lines and small wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, and sun damage. It also is a great way to exfoliate if you prefer not to at home regularly.
Contraindications (things that would make it so that you cannot receive microderm):
Broken capillaries (they can be buffed but not treated as intensely as the rest of the skin), psoraisis, excema, excessive redness, sunburn, cold sores, open wounds on the area being treated, rosacea, etc.

My experience:
I have 4 tattoos, one of them being on the top of my foot, which I was in excruciating pain from for about a week. I have a high pain tolerance, so looking at a pen that has almost like sandpaper flying out onto your face seemed like no big deal to me. Well, to be honest, I hardly felt anything at all. I know that it worked because when I put my hand up to my face there were crystals there, but it was so light, it felt like someone really gently rubbing sand paper on my skin. I would recommend this treatment to anyone; it truly does not hurt or make you uncomfortable unless your technician uses a very heavy hand, which they shouldn't.
I had a lot of redness (but my skin is naturally very red to begin with) and they told me that was to be expected. The only "abnormal" thing that happened was tracking, which basically means that the skin was not held taut enough during treatment and there was a little too much suction, leaving a small red line after the rest of the skin has healed. It just looks like tan lines. Mine went away in about 24 hours, and they were incredibly subtle to begin with.
I have noticed that my skin is visibly brighter, smoother, more even, and my blackheads have come to the surface and are now SO easy to extract. (Sorry, TMI...) and that was only after one treatment! They normally suggest doing microderm in sets of about 6, but you could talk to your esthetician about what they believe is the correct number of treatments for your skin.

So I say try it! It's fun, it's quick, it feels pretty good...there's no downtime, I just suggest lots of SPF on the treated area (but that's always a given!)
Leave a comment if you've ever had microderm and tell me all about your experience!

IMATS New York Haul!

This year I had the privilege to go to IMATS New York. Since I'm in school as an esthetician and I'm now a certified makeup artist, I knew it would be imperative in continuing my education to go to a huge trade show like IMATS to get the experience...okay who am I kidding? I was just so excited to go and grab some new makeup!

Here's the overview of what I got- I haven't used all of it yet but I can give you the general overview.
The first thing I picked up was my new Dinar airbrush machine- I'm addicted to airbrush after learning how to do it in school. It's so fun, easy and natural looking that I knew I had to add one to my kit. Here's a closeup of my beauty...

I wanted it in black or the opalescent white that they had, but being that I went on Sunday rather than Friday or Saturday, they were sold out of most of the colors, so I went with the hot pink! My other options were lime green and highlighter yellow and those were so not me.
So I tried this baby out for the first time yesterday- I was trained on a machine that my teacher manufactures so it felt a little bit different. The only difference, to be honest, was the compressor. There wasn't a dial to control air flow, it was all one strength so I didn't have to turn a knob like I do on the Dinair, but I'm totally fine with it. I got used to it really fast. I airbrushed my mom before she left for work and she loved it, and when she came home it was still on looking even and fabulous. Needless to say, I love it!

The next thing I bought was the concealer palette from Make Up For Ever. I didn't have a concealer palette in my makeup artist kit yet, so I grabbed the one that I'd heard the most about, and that had the most universally flattering colors. It has a purple concealer that is especially great at concealing yellowness in the skin, but it also has 4 very neutral shades that could work on almost any skin tone. It might be a little light for darker skin tones, but my next investment is a bigger concealer palette with more colors. You'd be surprised how hard it is to find one...the only one I've found is by BH Cosmetics.
The palette I got is for "Asian skintones" according to the Make Up For Ever website, but I have very pale skin with a reddish undertone, while my neck is a little yellowish, so if I want to correct I would need a more yellow concealer. I think it could work on just about anyone, I really, really dislike that that's how they describe the colors.

 

My next purchase was of course an IMATS hoodie because I know I'm going to wear it everywhere. If there's one thing I can't live without, it's a good hoodie.

And then my favorite and final purchase of the day: the Naked Cosmetics pigments. Goodness gracious, I did not expect to absolutely fall in love with a brand or a product the way I did with Naked. They explained to me that they're some of the most pure pigments imaginable, the color has no additives to dull the color or shine or the payoff of the shade. I bought two sets (the pigments come in stacks, as you can see in the top picture) and you can only buy them that way- no single color purchases. At least not at IMATS.
What I found coolest about all of these pigments was they offered multiple mixing mediums and bases. They offered a clear nail polish so you could turn your pigment into a polish, a base to turn it into a shadow, and then they showed me using them wet with just some water to make a beautiful cream shadow or liner.
The pictures I'm posting of the colors I bought are off the Naked Cosmetics website, I'm not very good at giving the colors the justice they deserve like the website did.
I picked up the Desert Sunset collection:

And the Twilight collection:

Clearly I bought a warm and a cool. Both are so highly pigmented and stunning- I had the girl at the counter test all of the colors on my hand and I so wish  that I had kept swatches to show all of you. Maybe I'll do a separate review some time in the near future!
If I had to pick a favorite color it's in the Twilight collection- see that third color in the top row? Looks unsuspecting, right? It's PINK when you put it on. It's a muted grey with a PINK GLITTER. Stunning. Just so stunning.
I would love to buy some more of these, but they run $60 a collection. They were running an amazing deal at the show, though, 2 collections and the base were $60. We'll see, I'm probably going to end up ordering more because I love them so much.


I hope you enjoyed my haul, guys! If you went to IMATS, let me know what you picked up! Until next time, beauties.

Update: Where have I been?!

Hey there beauties!
So as always here I am to apologize for going MIA for a while again. I'm in school for esthetics and actually just got my certification as a makeup artist, so I'm really working towards the dream I've always had.
I go to school full time, so it's 5 days a week, and on top of that I'm still working at LUSH 4 days a week. I've been freelancing with makeup on occasion; I just worked on set for my friend's student film and then had a mother-daughter makeup gig for the daughter's bat mitzvah.
Needless to say it's been a very busy time for me.

So here's the deal:
I want to get back into blogging. Badly. I can't really make a schedule, however I can promise one post a week rather than two like I was doing before. Also, I'm going to be doing a lot more reviewing. I wasn't getting much feedback on my series posts that I was doing (such as ingredient spotlight), so I'm going to stick with what I really love to do, being trying new product! I just went to IMATS NY on Sunday so I'm going to be doing a little haul on that later in the week.

For those of you that have stuck with me this whole time, I appreciate your patience and I'm so, so glad to be back!

Peter Thomas Roth Acne System

Hey beauties it's been a while! Sorry I've been gone, it's been a super busy holiday season filled with lots of family time, cooking, and a lot of makeup!

I'm doing a review today of the Peter Thomas Roth acne system today, because I have never in my life been so pleased with the results I got from any product. I actually looked in the mirror about 2 days into using it and started crying because of how incredible the results were.
Now, let me tell you: my skin is sensitive, normal to dry, but very, very acne prone. Lately I've been getting severe breakouts all over my forehead and next to my mouth (they say it's hormones and stress, but this has never been an issue for me. ) Up until lately I've been so lucky with how my skin behaved, but it freaked out on me this year and I was not happy about it.
I wish I would have taken before and after pictures, but it's a little late now. I've been using the kit every day for the last week, and I have to say I'm so impressed.
The picture above shows what comes in the kit, I'm religiously using 3 of the 5 products, and I also bought myself the Gentle Complexion Correcting pads.
How I'm using it all:
The Beta Hydroxy Acid Wash is my go-to morning and night to wash with. It's been working wonders and leaves my skin baby-smooth. It smells kind of nice too!
I use the correcting pads in the morning. My skin has had a lot of scarring and discoloration lately...every time I broke out it would leave behind these ugly purplish marks. I got the recommendation from a girl at the Ulta I go to, she said they did wonders on her acne-prone skin. I gave them a shot and I like how they work, they smell like peaches so that's a plus. I've noticed a significant difference in the tone of my skin- everything is starting to even out and I'm noticing a lot of the scarring going away.
On top of the wash and pad in the morning, I use my LUSH Eau Roma toner water and Gorgeous moisturizer. I adore both too much to let them go. I add my Tarte BB Cream in Fair also because it says that with the acids in these products you will most likely have a heightened risk of sunburn, so my BB cream has an SPF 20. (ALWAYS wear sunscreen! I learned the hard way with my scarring and sad skin!!)
Then at night I use the wash again! Yay!
I add the AHA/BHA clearing gel on top of that once my skin is all patted dry. It smells kind of like rubbing alcohol which I really don't like, but the results are worth it. It makes my skin feel tight but not dry, almost like it's helping to firm up my skin.
Then I do my toner and moisturizer again, and then I use the spot treatment that came in the kit as needed.
The yellow buffing beads I've been using on my body more than my face because it's too harsh to use on my face, but I do get the occasional breakout on my chest and back. Ick.
I haven't used the mattifying moisturizer because I adore the moisturizer I have, but hey, maybe one day I'll get the urge to try it and I'll let you guys know.


So my overall review: my skin has never been so soft and bright before. I know it seems intimidating because the products have pretty crazy, severe ingredients, but it worked beautifully on my sensitive skin. I had serious cystic acne around my mouth that would hurt and turn into infected whiteheads, and I was getting constant bumpiness on my forehead that no matter what would lead to blackheads, occasional whiteheads, and overall just a look I would not settle for. I noticed a difference the next day after using this system, and with extended use of about a week my skin has done a complete 180. 90% of the bumpiness is gone, whiteheads and blackheads are clearing up at rapid speed.
I completely recommend this kit to anyone and everyone that has suffered from any kind of acne. I'm such a huge fan, I'll probably never turn back. I am so, so, so overjoyed that I can finally look at my skin and say "I feel like me again"!!

Best Eyeshadows for Your Eye Color

We all want to accentuate one of the most captivating features of the face: the eyes! There are plenty of ways to do it, like playing up the shape of the eyes with your liner, the placement of your eyeliner...the list goes on. But one thing that will absolutely make your eyes pop is wearing colors that brighten them up! In turn, this will brighten up the whole face and make you look more awake.

If you have blue eyes:
Try colors that have an orangey base, like terracotta colored shadows and neutral browns. The warmer the color, the brighter your eyes will look because blue is naturally a cool color. You can use anything in the champagne, gold, bronze and copper range!

 

If you have brown eyes:

Tons of colors are universally flattering on brown eyes. Just like brown shadows look lovely on blue eyes, try a blue shadow on brown eyes! The contrast will make your natural color shine through. Eggplant will also bring out any natural greens you may have, and golds and coppers will warm up the eyes and the face. Brown-eyed girls and guys have plenty of options when it comes to flattering colors!

If you have grey eyes:
Blue-greys and dark browns are your friend, grey-eyed beauties! The coolness of your eye will be accentuated with more cool tones. Although grey eyes aren't typically as celebrated as other eye colors, I know I would love to have some grey eyes! They're beautifully mysterious, so play it up with dark colors and smokey eyes!

 

If you have green eyes:

This is my area of expertise. I personally have green eyes, and I've worked really hard to find what works for me. Purples make the eyes look insanely bright, and the brighter the purple the better. My favorite shadow for green eyes is Stars and Rockets by MAC. Other colors that make the eyes pop are pinks, olive greens, and neutral browns. The cooler colors tend to work a bit better with green eyes, so try some of those!

If you have hazel eyes:

Colors that remind you of fall will do the best at accentuating your hazel eyes. Browns, coppers and neturals (think Naked Palette from Urban Decay!) will make the eyes look bright and stunning. Warm browns and eggplant colors will also make your eyes look warmer. Olive greens can work too, however it is typically pretty similar to the color of the eye which can look a little awkward. Try out those browns, though, you'll look fabulous!

 

Sweater Weather Tag

Hi beauties! I was in the mood to do a tag today, I got this one from Missglamorazzi on YouTube (aka Ingrid, if you don't watch her you should start! She's super genuine which is a big deal for me when looking for the right beauty gurus to watch!)
So I tag all of you to do this tag as well when you finish reading, I'd love to see all of your answers!

-Favourite candle scent?

I'm currently saving my Pumpkin Carving candle from Bath and Body Works...I'm gonna cry when it runs out

QUESTION 2

-Coffee, tea or hot chocolate?

All 3! Depends on what mood I'm in that day, I love coffee on a cold morning, tea on a cold night, and hot chocolate if I've been outside.

QUESTION 3

-Whats the best fall memory you have?

This Halloween was probably my best Halloween/fall memory actually, I spent it with my boyfriend and our friends and watched The Shining and sat around eating pizza and talking. Sounds less exciting than it was, oh well.

QUESTION 4

-Which makeup trend do you prefer: winged eye liner or dark lips?

I say winged liner just because it's my go-to every day, but dark lips are always a must for fall!

QUESTION 5

 -What do you want to be for halloween?

Well Halloween is over already -sigh-, but I was Harley Quinn for ComicCon here in New York, and then I wore a t-shirt with Pinhead from Hellraiser on Halloween with a pair of yoga pants to stay comfy.

QUESTION 6

-Hats or scarves?

I'm a serious infinity scarf addict ugh

QUESTION 7

-Most worn article of clothing?

Anything black and/or white for work, I've been working quite a bit the last few weeks!

QUESTION 8

-Favourite fall nail polish?

Essie's Berry Naughty with Shine of the Times on top! It reminds me of the way the trees look around this time of year :)

QUESTION 9

-Skinny jeans or leggings?

I'm going to have to say skinny jeans.

QUESTION 10

-Boots or uggs?

I'm a vegetarian so I don't wear any fur/wool/suede or anything like that, so man-made material boots all the way!

Your Best Lips for Fall

Hi beauties! How many of you get chapped lips the second any weather below 75 hits? I know I do. So here's my favorite routine to get stunning lips for fall, using the most popular fall color this year: oxblood!

Step 1:
Exfoliate your lips. This is going to help soften your lips and get rid of any of the excess dead skin that builds up (I know, it sounds gross) which will eventually lead to chapping. The excess of dead skin on the lips is what causes that flaky look, and no one wants that with lipstick on, am I right?
I use LUSH's lip scrubs, my personal favorite is Mint Julips which has jojoba oil and sugar to moisturize and exfoliate, and it's chocolate-mint flavored! Who doesn't love thin mints on their lips? Oh and it's edible, so when you're done, instead of wiping, just lick it off! It tastes like candy.

If you're not into that one, plenty of brands make lip scrubs! My first was from Sarah Happ called "The Lip Scrub" and comes in flavors such as vanilla bean and brown sugar. Mmm. This one isn't edible though, so don't go licking this one off.

One more lip scrub I'd recommend is the Fresh Sugar Lip Polish. It's a little bit pricey, but this one has shea butter in it, which is a super nourishing butter for the lips that will keep them hydrated.

Step 2:

Condition, condition, condition. This is a pretty easy step, just take your favorite lip balm and slather it on. If you can, leave it on over night. If you're doing all of this in the morning before you put lipstick on, do it at the beginning of your makeup routine before you do anything else, that way the lip balm has a chance to absorb completely.

You all know my current favorite that I raved about in a review: Soap and Glory A Great Kisser lip balm that you can now get in 3 flavors: vanilla bean, juicy peach, and peppermint! I have all 3, they're amazing.

If you're not into that one, I also suggest Hurraw! Balm, which is a raw, vegan-friendly brand that makes amazing smelling lip balms. My current favorite is their chai lip balm for fall! They have ridiculous amounts of flavors, so get a bunch at a time. When I ordered, they even included an adorable little note on my receipt.

Step 3:

Blot off excess balm. If you're putting lip color on, leaving any excess balm is going to cause slippage all over your face, and no one wants that! Take a piece of toilet paper or a tissue and just blot off any moisture that's still on your lips. Don't wipe, that will wipe away all those nutrients, just pat your lips with the tissue until they don't feel slippery anymore.

Step 4:

Lip liner! To get my favorite oxblood look, I line my lips with Sephora Collection Nano Liner in Pleasant Plum. I fill in my lips completely, but you can just line them if you would rather do that. Lip liner keeps your lipstick from smudging all over your face and feathering, which is a total plus if you don't want to have to touch up your lipstick during the day.

Step 5:

Lipstick! Use your favorite oxblood shade, and you're all done!

Let me know how this process works out for you, beauties! Until next time, stay fabulous!

Get to Know Me: Beauty Blogger Tag!

Hi beauties! I decided to throw a tag into the mix amongst all of the reviews I've been doing; I'm a little stuck with my cruelty-free beauty series I had going on because I'm not getting much feedback on any of my posts so I don't know if I should continue it or not. If any of you would like to vote either way, that would be awesome and please do so in the comments section of this post! Also, if there are other topics you'd like for me to write about, don't hesitate to ask. I would love to cater to all of my readers, and I want to get to know all of you!

I got this tag from Citra's beauty blog which is absolutely stunning and you should all definitely check it out. So here's a little bit about me!

1. Is your hair natural curly or straight?

So curly. Obnoxiously curly.

2. Do you dye it yourself or go to a salon?

I used to go to the salon to have it dyed chemically, but I switched to henna and now my mom and I do it together because it's definitely a 2 person job.

3. Do you wear the same style everyday, or do you change it?

I change it up; I work at LUSH so my dress code is typically black and white with accessories in any color if I want...but I tend to forget how to wear things that aren't black and white. Summertime I'm told I look like a hippie, wintertime I wear (faux-)leather boots with spikes and beanies. It all depends.

4. Do you do your own mani/pedi or go to a salon?

I get major anxiety when my nails chip and I have to take it all off no matter what so I tend to avoid having my nails done...I wash my hands a ton on a daily basis so they'd chip in like 15 minutes. I'll usually just do it myself so I can fill the color back in as they chip.

5. How often do you change your nail polish?

Like once every two weeks.

6. Do you polish your toes in the winter or just in the summer?

Mostly summer.

7. How long does it take for you to put on your makeup?

On a good day, between 15-20 minutes. On a bad day where my cat eye won't even out or I get glitter on my face around 35. -sigh- Those days aren't fun.

8. What do you do first? Face or eyes?

Face! 

9. Do you collect makeup or just buy what you need when you need it?

I don't ever really neeeeed any, it's just a matter of "OH MY GOUHSGOUHFIHBSG I DON'T HAVE GLITTER IN THIS COLOR YET"

10. How often do you wear false eyelashes?

Pretty much never, I think I only ever have once. My eyes are super sensitive, they don't really like them much.

11. Do you do a full face of makeup everyday?

Nope, I usually just do a BB cream with SPF. :)

12. Do you wear makeup when your home alone, or with family?

When I'm alone pretty much never, when I'm with family it's usually just mascara unless we're going out somewhere together.

13. Will you leave the house without makeup?

I do pretty frequently lately, actually. I'll come home from work and take it off but then decide to go out later, and I try to give my skin a break so I'll just leave it bare.

14. How many high-end products do you have?

I used to have more MAC than anyone I knew, but with them being owned by Estee Lauder who has a pretty icky policy on animal testing, I gave it all to my sister because ethically I was getting upset using it. So right now my collection is pretty small, I'm working my way back up with Tarte and Stila!

15. Do you plan your OOTD every night or decide when you are getting dressed?

LOL I don't even remember the last time I planned an outfit the night before! I always pick my outfits while I'm getting dressed.

16. How often do you change your handbag?

Probably like once a season, maybe twice if I'm feeling adventurous.

17. What time do you wake up and go to sleep?

I've been waking up at around 9ish lately, not later than that, and I usually fall asleep around midnight. Maybe a little later if there's something good on tv. 

18. How often or when do you workout?

I try pretty hard but I lose my motivation so I try to around 3 times a week.

19. Left handed or right handed?

Right!

20. How tall are you?

5'6" approximately. Haven't measured myself in a while!

21. Do you speak any foreign language?

I'm almost fluent in Spanish :)

22. How many pets do you have?

Two if you count the one that's my sisters, we share a dog and she has a rabbit.

23. How often are you on blogger?

Oh goodness at least an hour a day.

24. Do you read comments posted on blogs?

If I got any on mine I would :(

25. Do you keep a list of products to try as you see other posts?

I have a Stickie note on my computer!

26. How did you come up with your Blog name?

I love glitter and I love feeling fabulous! I used to be glitterazziandkisses which was half inspired by Ingrid on youtube, and half inspired by a Jeffree Star song that has the phrase "glitter and kisses" in it. He's my go-to for makeup inspiration. 

27. What kind of camera do you use for your photographs?

...Samsung Galaxy S3 ohhhh yeah. I'm saving up for a real camera. Maybe Christmas!

28. How often do you clean your house?

My room gets cleaned daily, and so does my corner of the bathroom!

29. What’s your favorite color?

Pink or black...or mint...or silver as long as there's glitter...

30. Do you swear?

If I need to. It usually just slips.

31. What are you doing with the rest of your day?

It's kind of late right now, 11:34 where I am, so I'm probably going to catch up on my youtube videos that are piling up in my subscriptions page, then going to bed!

I tag all of you to do this along with me, then give me a link in my comments so I can check out all of your answers! I'd love to know what you all have to say!

Best Spot Treatment

Hi beauties! So I decided to write this post after my skin freaked out on me yet again, because I know many people struggle with those little blemishes that pop up right before important events. In my case, I have NYCC (New York Comic Con) on Friday, and I'll be wearing liquid latex to keep my mask on. (I'm going as Harley Quinn from Batman, I'll be the Harley with red hair in pigtails instead of blonde, in a black and red jersey dress with her costume's pattern and combat boots in case any of y'all see me and want to say hi...I'll also post pictures afterwards! :D)
So I know my skin is going to be incredibly unhappy with me, as it is showing me signs that it isn't too happy with me right now. So I've done lots of research on spot treatments, and here's what I learned:
There are plenty of spot treatments out there, but not all of them seem to get the job done. It's all what ingredients are in there and how your skin reacts to those ingredients!
When you're looking for a good spot treatments, look for ingredients that are going to antibacterialize the skin without drying it out. Sometimes dryness is good if your pimple is filled with lots of pus and producing excess oil around the pore, but most of the time, we need to keep our skin hydrated and that will help prevent acne because it is balancing the amount of oil that is being produced and pushed to the skin's surface.
Here's a list of some good antibacterial ingredients:
-Tea tree
-Witch Hazel
-Hydrogen Peroxide
-Honey
-Thyme
-Peppermint oil
-Grapeseed oil
-Grapefruit
That's just naming a few that occur naturally!
If you put tea tree oil or witch hazel on a blemish, it will help to detox the pore and bring down inflammation. Honey provides natural moisturization while still antibacterializing your pore...not to mention it tastes and smells awesome!
I would not recommend hydrogen peroxide for topical use on the face because it will probably be too harsh, however it does occur naturally.
Some other ingredients I have found to be helpful:
-Sulfur
-Salicylic Acid
-Aloe Vera
-Benzoyl Peroxide
-Kaolin clay
...It is said that benzoyl peroxide is too harsh on the skin as well and may cause redness and irritation as well as excessive dryness, but when I get acne I know that this stuff helps at least a little bit overnight and then I just add a little bit of extra moisturizer the next day.
Look for these ingredients in your spot treatments and you'll be set to treat those pesky pimples!
Just be sure to use moisturizer afterwards, because dry skin could lead to even more irritated, breakout prone skin!

Stila Magnificent Metals Foil Finish Eyeshadow Review

Hi beauties, I have another review for you today! There's a lot of controversy over the price and quality of the Stila Magnificent Metals Foil Finish shadows, and I figured I would try it out to form my own opinion.
I have a very mixed opinion about these. I have two shades: Metallic Lavender and Metallic Dusty Rose. I have both swatched below, with and without the primer they tell you to use them with...

The yellow star is what the colors look like when mixed with the primer. The swatches without the star are the ones that were just applied with my finger and nothing else.
They recommend that you don't use brushes with these because they are a really strange consistency; they're like a crunchy cream shadow, if that makes sense. It doesn't feel dry, it doesn't feel wet, it doesn't feel smooth but it also doesn't feel like you're putting chunky glitter on...I have to say you have to feel them for yourself to decide what you think it feels like.

So here's how I feel about Metallic Lavender:
I absolutely adore this shade. I have to say, it isn't really a lavender, it's more of a gunmetal grey with some purple undertones. In the packaging it looks much more purple than it does when you put it on.
You can see from the first swatch without the primer it looks like a shiny, fabulous grey that would be awesome for wearing out. I wore it to work and it got quite a few compliments because it's really, really sparkly. I put my usual Sephora brand primer underneath and just applied it with my ring finger (PAT, do not rub) and that's how it came out. I was so happy!
Then when you add the primer, you get a gorgeous opaque silver/gunmetal with more of a shimmer than a sparkle. I haven't worn this out yet, but I do love how it looks on my hand!

Here's how I feel about Metallic Dusty Rose:
No.
I actually really hate this one. The shade itself is stunning; it's a beautiful champagne pink with gold shimmer/sparkle. It reminds me of a MAC eyeshadow I had a few years ago and I can't for the life of me remember the color, but it was a part of their Halloween collection and they had gorgeous baked eyeshadow duos. *If anyone remembers the name of this collection please please please let me know!* It was my favorite eyeshadow in the world and it went with absolutely everything, it was so naturally colored but the shimmer made my eyes pop...I could go on for days about how much I adored that eyeshadow.
Anyway, this one is SUPER chunky. Like depressingly, foil falling in my eyes chunky. With and without the primer. So all in all, I'm incredibly disappointed. I don't know if maybe I got a bad one or something, but this color is gorgeous, just the quality and opacity of the shadow itself was not so great for me. There's such a significant difference between the look and feel in the two shades that I bought, and this one reminds me of your cheap first eyeshadow that came in some cheesy kit you got when you were 9. It flakes, it smudges...-sigh- I'm so sad.

So I'm incredibly torn about these, I may buy just one more to solidify my opinion. We'll see. I don't really want to spend another $30 on an eyeshadow but...for the sake of beauty! And you!

Let me know about your experiences with these, I would love to know how they've been working out for the rest of you!
Thanks for reading guys!

Soap and Glory A Great Kisser Review

Hi beauties! I've been on the hunt for an amazing lip balm for as long as I can remember. No, really, one of the first "beauty staples" in my bag was actually a Burt's Bees original lip balm. Which didn't work for me. Nothing against Burt's Bees, I love most of their products, but their lip balm was just not my cup of tea...my lips are so chapped 24/7 and that mint flavoring made the cracks burn like nobody's business.


Cut to a few years later; I have advanced my beauty collection, and with that, my lip balm drawer. (No, really, I have a lip balm drawer. I probably have about 30 in there.)

So clearly I have been around the block with my share of lip balms. There has never been one that I love more than I love the Soap and Glory A Great Kisser balm.

A close second would be the Rosebud Salve you see on top there also, you can get that one at Bath and Body Works and/or Sephora for $6, I believe.

Let's talk about Soap and Glory though...

This lip balm is magic. My lips are chapped beyond belief 24/7 no matter what I do. I scrub, I keep balm on them all day every day, and yet still, within a few hours, they're feeling like someone took a hairdryer on high to them. (That was a horrible visual but it's true) Cracked lips are so not cute.

I've been checking out Soap and Glory for a little while now, I picked up their Righteous Body Butter and their Hand Food, and I decided that since I'm always looking for a good lip balm, why not? Let's grab one. So I got A Great Kisser in the flavor Juicy Peach.

There are options now, you can also get Vanilla Bean and Peppermint (which I will be ordering as soon as I finish this post)...Vanilla Bean is a pink balm with gold shimmer and Peppermint is clear; Juicy Peach (which Sephora has been carrying as long as they've had Soap and Glory) is a pretty, sheer pink balm.

It is a tiny bit stickier than I would like, and I prefer lip balms in tubes, but with the quality of this one, it doesn't matter at all, I'm willing to sacrifice sticky fingers for fabulous lips.

I put this balm on before I go to bed at night and I wake up and it's still on! My lips feel so pillowy soft and hydrated...it's like nothing I've ever felt before. The cracks are virtually gone, and any that are left are dramatically diminished.

I'm rating this a 9.5/10, only taking off the .5 for packaging and a teeny bit of stickiness. It's totally worth it though, I promise. Just try it out and let me know how much you love it!

Cruelty Free Beauty (Stila edition)

Segment number two in our search for beauty without bunnies! Today's focus is Stila Cosmetics.

Stila is a cosmetics company that prides themselves on high quality products, and I can vouch for them when I say they do a pretty awesome job of making products that can be used for special occasions, every day...the works.
You can get Stila pretty accessibly, too, I know personally I can get it at the Ulta that's around 7 minutes from my house. However if you can't get to an Ulta or Sephora, Stila has a great policy: free shipping and handling for their website on orders over $50! (and I guarantee with the products they have, you're going to want to order well over $50)
So let's talk about some of their products that will help you achieve incredible amounts of fabulousness without the disappointment of knowing it was smeared on one of our furry friends first...
They have just about any makeup product you could ask for, from skincare (such as foundations and concealers) to waterproof mascaras and eyeliners, to shimmering and matte eyeshadows.
Their eyeshadows from my experiences are beautiful and highly pigmented, and range from crazy brights to neutrals. No matter what you're looking for, they're going to have it for your eyes. They even have a primer called the Prime Pot, very similar to MAC's Paint Pot! (just a bit stickier; I've found it works better for me than the Paint Pots do).
And now for the face: Stila offers BB and CC creams, as well as foundations, primers, concealers, you name it.
They even have lip and cheek tints in a handy pen-like package! Talk about convenient, right?

I'm going to pick up one of their "Magnificent Metals foil finish" eyeshadows tomorrow- I'll be doing a review of that some time in the very near future! Stay tuned for more cruelty-free beauty brands, as I'll be posting hopefully at least once a week. :) stay beautiful, everyone!

Cruelty-Free Beauty (LUSH edition)

Hi there my beautiful readers! For those of you that have checked back here,  I apologize for my disappearance but I plan on being around a lot more often now! For those of you that are new to the family, welcome!
I'm going to be starting a series of posts on cruelty-free beauty, so I will be making one post per brand I use to show you how easy it is to be fabulous without the mistreatment of animals in the process.

The first brand I'm going to talk about is the wonderful LUSH Cosmetics, of course. They have become pioneers in the world of beauty without bunnies, and they have everything you could ever imagine from skincare to body care to makeup (called Emotional Brilliance) and it's awesomely pigmented.
The cool thing about Emotional Brilliance is that it can be used anywhere on the face or body, being that the ingredients are all healthy for the skin. You'll find ingredients like jojoba oil which is great for moisturizing, rose petal infusion to soothe, and almond oil which is a moisturizing and emollient ingredient for smoothing and hydrating. These colors range from yellows to browns to black and red and pink.
They are long-lasting and highly pigmented without the animal testing procedures that so many makeup brands practice so it's feel-good beauty! Apply it like a cream eyeshadow and blend out, or apply with a doe foot applicator and use it as a lipstick. These colors all also work as eyeliner and mascara!
Stop in to your local LUSH store for a color reading where you pick your colors...then the meanings behind the colors are explained!
Comment and let me know which colors are your favorites! Until next time beauties, stay stunning.