Fourth of July Makeup featuring Borghese

I decided to put some looks together with Borghese's Eclissare Collection because everything is BEAUTIFUL. From the eyeshadow to the eyeliner, from their blushes to their lipsticks. Every single shade is so pigmented, with multidimensional Pearl and shimmer, super creamy and long lasting. Just amazing 😍

Here is look one: 

For this one I used:

Eyes: 

Eclissare Color Eclipse Five Shades of Desire eyeshadow palette for the shimmer gold wash of color on the lid 

Eclissare Color Eclipse Five Shades of Cool eyeshadow palette for the lower lashline for the pop of blue. 

Cheeks:

Eclissare ColorStruck Blush in Flight, a warm deep bronze with golden flecks, to warm up the face

Lips:

Eclissare Color Eclipse lipstick in Escape, which is a true red with golden shimmer. Because you need that glitter for Fourth of July ;)

Then I decided to switch it up with some blue liner:

Micellar Water - The new "it" product

I don't know about you, but micellar water has taken over my life... there is nothing else that I would use to take my makeup off.

It all started back at IMATS in April where I stumbled upon Bioderma and immediatey purchased it before the worker had even finished taking off water-proof gel liner so smoothly with a cotton pad soaked in this amazing water. It was that good. I cut her off mid-sentence and said "I'LL TAKE IT!"

I had heard about it before and thought is it really that good? and in fact, it is, it is that good. Even the chairperson from my major has been using it for years; she would purchase a good amount in France and then brought it home (fancy.)

Back to IMATS, later on that night I used Bioderma to take my makeup off and WOW, it worked wonders. Nothing has ever taken my makeup off better than that. I hate the tugging and rubbing to get off pesky mascara and honestly, this takes it off so easily. And that is when I fell in love.

There are a few Micellar waters on the market now a days and if you don't know about micellar waters I shall explain:

First off lets start with micelles. "Micelles are spheres of lipids that form in aqueous solutions." AKA oil (in this case, ester) molecules suspended in water. The molecules grab on to and trap your makeup and/or impurities and wash them off your skin, dissolving them and cleansing your face without using anything else. How cool?

           Micellar water originated in France and has now come to the US.
           Micellar water has the ability to remove makeup and impurities without using water, so it comes in handy!
           It also is used to cleanse, tone and hydrate the skin.
           It is said that water can rough out your skin as well as age it, so micellar water is a better bet if you're trying to stay young!
Micellar water AKA fountain of youth?

One thing to rememeber, although there is oil in this solution, it does not by any means feel oily or leave an oily film on your skin, it literally feels like water and evaporates quickly, leaving you feeling refreshed, clean and happy (cause we're lazy and the less steps it takes to take off our makeup the better, amirite??)

I currently own two different micellar waters: 
Bioderma ($13.95 for 250mL) and Borghese's Fango Active Mineral Micellar Cleansing Water. ($30.00 for 130mL)

Both are very very good and get the job done. In my opinion, bioderma doesn't burn my eyes but borghese's does, but that may just be me..

But both are great, really. If you've been doubting micellar water, DON'T! Go out now and buy them all go!

Give them a shot, and let me know what you think!

Night Routine / Taking off your Makeup

Yes that is me...

Taking off your make up and moisturizing your face is just as important as brushing your teeth, washing your hair and even as putting your makeup on beautifully. Make cleansing your face and taking your makeup off every night a goal for 2015!

I admit, I've had a bunch of nights where I was too tired to move and too lazy to wash my face, we've all been there. When I was much, much younger, around 15 years old, I would wear eyeliner and some mascara, and the way I'd take it off was by rubbing my eyes and going to bed. NO! NO NO NO, that is literally the worse thing ever. How could I do that? no idea, but I woke up every morning with raccoon eyes and just no. DO NOT follow in my 15 year old footsteps!

Since then, I have been 921438 times better to my skin. I take my make up off every night, and sometimes I can't even wait until night, I get home from work and go straight to washing.
I like to feel fresh-faced when heading to bed. I like to feel hydrated, refreshed and soft, not grimy, oily and greasy.

If you're lazy, makeup wipes are a godsend, really. Invest in them!!! They're easy and affordable and you can lay in bed while you take your make up off, does it get any better? Seriously if you or someone you know suffer from laziness, WIPES!!

My night routine depends on the day or how I am feeling, it can be quick or take forever, BUT I never skip the important parts:

1. First thing first, put your hair in a bun or pony tail because I HATE getting my hair wet or when it gets in the way. It pisses me off... anyway, yes. So after your hair is up..

2. If I wore lots of mascara, heavy liner (especially NYX's Studio Liquid Liner that peels), or lashes that night (especially do this if you wore lashes) I like to take a Q-tip with some coconut oil and rub it over my lashes and lashline to make sure I get rid of that first. If I had a bit of liner and some mascara, sometimes I skip this step or I just use a wet Q-tip to moisten the mascara to make it easier to take off.

3. I like to dampen my face with warm water before I use my facial cleanser. I have a few different cleansers: Neutrogena Cleanser + Make up remover, Aveeno Positively Radiant Cleanser, Kiehl's Facial Cleanser and Noxzema. The exception to the rule is Noxzema, I like to apply that on a dry face and work it into my skin, leave it on a bit and then rinse with warm water. For the rest of the cleansers, I apply them on a damp face and using circular motions with my fingertips work them onto my skin removing the makeup. Rinse with warm water and pat face dry.

4. This is a step I don't do all the time, only on days where I'm not as tired or when I feel like I need a little extra cleaning. I use my Witch Hazel Astringent, pour a bit on a cotton ball and once again using circular motions, rub it all over my face. This takes off some impurities that were left over. I like to use this more on the nose to help lift the dirt and help loosen the black heads, also if you have acne, Witch Hazel is good for it, it is a natural "antidote" which cleans and shrinks pores and helps acne.

5. After all this is done, and after my teeth are brushed, I go for my Burt's Bees Hydrating Night Cream. I love this stuff because it has Clary Sage, which is an herb that grows in the Mediterranean and is known to retain moisture, therefore being a great addition to a night cream: it helps your skin retain moisture as you sleep. Remember that when it is cold, your skin can lose moisture quickly, so opt for a thicker cream or a cream that contains Clary Sage. Also remember to stay hydrated! Anyway, back to the night cream!! I use that stuff and I LOVE it I have to say, when I wake up my skin feels super soft and you can still feel the cream on it, you know that creamy greasy (in a good way) feeling? Its still there when I wake up, therefore proving to me that it works!

6. I then apply a lipbalm, because it is important to keep your lips moisturized as well! *See Lipblam Post* I use either ones I mentioned in my previous post! But I usually go for the DCT and sometimes the Moisture Melt. Give your lips a nice thick coat!

7. Lastly, you can't forget your hands! My hands are the third thing that dry out quickly. First, face, then lips and then hands! Before heading to bed, I love to use Lubriderm, a big pump of it for my hands and arms and I work it into the skin. Lubriderm is great because it works well on sensitive skin and it also keeps your skin hydrated for long. Sometimes you put cream on and after 10 mins your hands feel cracked and dry again, Lubriderm keeps the smooth, supple and moisturized until morning!

That's it for my night time routine! PLEASE remember to take off your make up and take care of your skin. Take care of that beautiful face, taking off your makeup and moisturizing helps your skin on your face stay young and hinders from becoming aged, dried out and prevents premature wrinkles!!! ;)

Goodnight!!

New Year, New You ?

     Ah, Auld Lang Syne. It's the beginning of the new year and as we all wonder where the heck the time went, we all, in the back of our heads, are contemplating making New Years resolutions.
Now don't say you haven't thought about it, because YOU DID. As did I. But I will say I am done with "this year I'll go to the gym" no I won't and I accept it, "this year I'll be skinnier and rich" ok, but that means I have to work for it right?

     Well anyway, over this winter break I had many aspirations: exercising, doing yoga to strengthen up my muscles again, eating better, going on adventures, being creative... and all I have done was rot in my bed and not be productive at all! UNTIL TODAY!
I figured I'd write a post on how to NOT be a lazy bum until school starts up again because I woke up this morning and realized I was doing absolutely nothing with my life and that had to change! I was getting lazier and lazier by the day that I was even too lazy to go get my nails done. Enough is enough, Ariana. and No, this won't last until school starts, but will (try to) last for the year, make the best out of it, as we always tell ourselves.

So here are some of my easy-to-keep-up-with New Years Resolutions that you won't break by next week :)

     1. No More Shots! That is number 1 because after a New Years Eve of heavy drinking followed by a New Years Day of death, I never ever want to see Fireball again. Who thought of making a cinnamon flavored whiskey that tastes like Big Red anyway?

     2. This is an add-on to #1, cut back on drinking. I've realized that when I'm bored, I usually go out for a drink and not just ONE drink, more like five and that is no good. Drinking on the calories is super easy, and that's exactly what I've been doing. If I wanna lose some weight, gotta cut down on drinks! You'd be surprised at how sugary and high in calories they are. Plus, cutting back to having 3 drinks MAX is a good start, and drinking, at most, only once a week should be even better. Seriously, though can they ban Fireball?

     3. Eat Breakfast! I love breakfast, unfortunately I either never have time to make it, or I just don't (told you I've gotten lazy) And as much as you've heard this, breakfast is the most important meal of the day! Seriously, it gets your metabolism going, your juices flowing and your brain running. Even if you start out with some oatmeal, you'll be great!

     4. This may be a given but, keep a positive attitude. Remember you attract what you radiate. Sometimes it's hard, and I know it is it gets hard for me, but try to just try, even if its one thing a day. one step at a time! Plus, it'll give you a better outlook on things as well as a pep in your step to take on resolution #5 with no problem ;)

     5. Clean. No one likes to do it, but you have to. Make cleaning more enjoyable, put on your favorite record, dance some salsa, put on an audiobook. You'll realize the time will go fast. If you live with your parents, help them out. My mother always takes one whole day to clean, teamwork makes it faster; she'll tackle the bathroom while I'll tackle the living room and kitchen. Help clean and she'll appreciate it and you will too. Clean more often so when you do, it isn't one big mess, its only a small one. I am definitely going to try to clean my room once a week and most definitely putting a day aside to help my mother clean the house.

     6. Do more things that make you happy. I mean it, if you want to go see a movie no one else wants to see, go alone. If you get cabin fever in your house, take a walk in the city. Paint, write, dance. Do whatever you want and enjoy your own company because alone time is more important than always being with someone. I always complain im so bored I want to go here I want to go there. So next time i'm just gonna go. You'll be surprised at how peaceful and relaxing it is, take your time, take pictures, be happy.

So as I sit here and write this post at 1 am, I have already become more productive than I was earlier today! Try to give these a go, they're simple and easy to keep up with! Let me know what you try or if you've got any others you suggest :)

Happy New Year!

Keep Your Lips Moisturized

 

Hello darlings,

I wanted to chat about lip balms and chapsticks and the importance of keeping your lips hydrated, especially during the winter season, today.
Let's get into it!

A little background on lip balms:
Lip Balms were first marketed in the 1880s by Charles Browne Fleet! It's origins were traced back to earwax... (thank god that isn't true anymore!)
Lip balms, also known as lip salves are applied to the lips to moisturize and relieve chapped, dry lips. They usually contain bees wax or carnauba wax, camphor, lanolin or petrolatum. This gives them their consistency and helps prevent moisture loss. "The primary purpose of lip balm is to provide an occlusive layer on the lip surface to seal moisture in lips and protect them from external exposure. Dry air, cold temperatures, and wind all have a drying effect on skin by drawing moisture away from the body. Lips are particularly vulnerable because the skin is so thin, and thus they are often the first to present signs of dryness." Flavors, scents, colors, SPF and medications are added benefits.

First off, Finding the right chapstick for you:

 - There are 848,482,980 different chapsticks out there, but which ones actually work? They aren't all the same I say? That's right they aren't. Many brands and types of chapsticks put alcohol in their products as a beneficial strategy for themselves. Alcohol dries your lips even more, causing you to use more product and hence making you buy MORE of it, since you are using so much!! BEWARE! Read the label to make sure there is no alcohol in it, look out for "phenol" that is used in lots of different brands.
 I used to think all chapsticks were the same and I didn't want to bother with the more expensive stuff, cause its just chapstick right? Wrong, chapstick is more importanat than lipstick or lipgloss, without it, your lips would be cracked, dried out and dehydrated, making your lipstick look horrible. So definitely choose a great chapstick and spend the money! Chapstick is important! Keeping your lips healthy and hydrated is key. So go for the natural chapsticks that are sure to give you great hydration.

The important aspects:

 - Not only are moisture and hydration super important for your lips, but preventing them from sunburn is just as or even MORE important! Many people don't think much about SPF in chapsticks but they should start. The skin our lips are made of is super sensitive, so the slightest bit of sun exposure can burn them and cause long term effects. we do notttt want that! Especially if you suffer from cold sores, you know that sunlight causes flares, so always always make sure to keep those lips protected. We always say that winter dries out the lips, but the summer months burn them, make sure the skin stays healthy and safe by assuring your chapstick contains SPF. There are a range of SPF that are found in chapsticks; starting from SPF 5- SPF 20 (hard to find). Always try to get a higher SPF!

Here is a list of my favorite chapsticks:

       1. Burt's Bees: Burt's Bees is SUCH a good brand, so natural and good for you and made with real bees wax to lock in moisture. After reading that Burt's Bees is among the top chapsticks that are all natural and ecofriendly, I decided to give them a try and my lips thanked me. I have never had such smooth, moisturized lips until I tried Burt's Bees. Their chapsticks are my go to, I have a few and I toss them in my bag, on my vanity, anywhere! Just because I always reach for it. I've expanded to some of their other products too, and once again, amazing! The only negative I have to say about Burt's Bees is that their chapsticks do not contain SPF. And SPF is an immensely important factor. I try not to wear Burt's Bees chapsticks when I know I'll be outside for a long period of time.
You can find Burt's Bees chapsticks at your local drugstore and they can also be found at Ulta and any beauty supply store and also at Whole Foods Market. The price varies from $2.49-$3.49 depending where you purchase from. They come in a variety of scents and flavors, the original bee's wax one contains a bit of peppermint oil to provide a refreshing tingle. All of them are 100% natural.



 



       2. Blistex DCT Daily Conditioning Treatment: This chapstick in particular is my favorite from the Blistex line, specifically because it has SPF 20. Not too many chapsticks have an SPF this high so this one is great! This chapstick is in a little pot and has the texture of Vaseline but slightly thinner. I love using this especially in the summer because of its high SPF, but it is a great year-round lip moisturizer. It truly is a conditioning treatment because it stays on your lips all day! I like to put it on before I go to bed to hydrate my lips as I sleep, and when I wake up in the morning I still feel it on my lips, I LOVE that! It really penetrates deep into the skin and you feel that it's hydrating. When I feel that my lips are extra dry or I have that burning sensation, I slap this on and my lips instantly feel better, like I said, it's really conditioning! This is a little harder to find, I always have trouble finding it! I search all over for it, apparently my local pharmacies don't carry it, but Duane Reade and Walgreens do along with Harmon's Beauty! (and it's cheaper there ;)) I have to admit that this is my favorite chapstick and I find myself reaching for this one over my Burt's Bees one. As I said, the SPF factor is soooo important to me! The Blistex DCT Daily Conditioning Treatment retails for about $2.00 and contains Aloe and cocoa butter, as well as vitamins A & E.

 

 



       3. Blistex Moisture Melt: This is another goodie by Blistex! It comes in a squeezy tube and has a gel formula with little "moisture beads" in it. It also has a good SPF content in it, SPF 15 and this chapstick also stays on for a whiiiiile! I don't use this as much as the other two but I don't know why, I think it may be because of the little beads that are blue and just look weird if you're wearing it out because sometimes they smudge and you have blue spots on your lips LOL I don't know. But those beads are made of shea butter and aloe, which are so good for you! I like to use this also when I feel like my lips are really cracked and before going to bed. It doesn't last as long as the DCT, but you definitely wear it for a long time because of the gel formula. Only thing about this chapstick is that you cannot wear it under your lipstick because of that gel formula, it is too thick so you would have to take it off before applying lipstick, and also the moisture beads don't allow for an even application either. Nonetheless, a great chapstick that hydrates! You can find this at your local pharmacies and beauty supply stores! Retails for about $2.00 as well.

 

 

I always like to put some chapstick on before doing my makeup to let it sink into my lips so when the time comes to put my lipstick on, my lips and nice and smooth and well moisturized, which helps the lipstick glide on! It also counters the drying out of the lipstick. You feel the difference when you put lipstick on without chapstick first than when you use chapstick first! Burt's Bees and DCT are great to wear under your lipstick, but Moisture Melt is not.

I know many people swear by EOS ad have the whole collection because they're cute, but some of their products have phenol in them, I used to have the orange one and used it for a while until I read the ingredients and saw phenol, threw it out and immediately made the switch to the others!

Remember ladies AND gents! It is very important to keep your lips safe, hydrated and healthy! Don't be stingy on chapstick and don't forget to apply often and as much as you need! You can never use too much :) And watch out for "bad" chapsticks that only try to take your money and dry out your lips! Be curious and read the ingredients label, get to know what you're working with and what you put on/in your body! :)

 

Cosmetics & Fragrance

Hey everyone, I just wanted to put it out there that I am majoring in cosmetics and fragrance here at FIT.  I know that my passed posts have been about fashion, and I promise I will continue fashion, I will also be posting about make up!
Cosmetics & Fragrance has been my dream major, ever since I heard about it many a year ago, I went to school as a chemistry major at St. John's, where I realized that I wanted to mix my knowledge and skills of chemistry with beauty, with the beauty industry, with cosmetics and fragrances.
After getting my degree in Fashion Merchandising Management, I was accepted into the challenging and one-of-a-kind program, (only 25 students get accepted btw! ;))
SO here I am, loving what I am doing and falling more and more in love with makeup!
There will be posts on seasonal colors, inspiration and just fun stuff.

I AM BACKKK BABY!!

bringing you makeup, skincare routines, getting-off-makeup, and fashion posts when I can! :)))

and yes, I do like putting makeup on my boyfriend... O:)

Summer Shifts

This humidity makes everyone not wear any clothes at all... amiright???? No? Is it just me?
Well then, as I melt and perspire, I manage to think of ways to dress cute while doing it.

What I've been loving lately (and always) are shift dresses. Yes, that's right because I love the 60's. But also because they are SO comfortable and breezy to wear in the summer. Plus, it covers any belly bulge you get after eating all the summer ice cream.. guilty.

 Some more goodness to come out of a shift dress is that you can dress them up for a more evening look.

Yay shifts!

Here are two ways to wear them: