Oh BB

Get excited friends,

because I think I finally found the perfect beauty buy. 

Recently I've noticed more and more ads popping up all over the blogosphere 

about the miraculous power of BB creams. 

I'm not going to lie,

I was a bit skeptical about them at first...

a few of the reviews that I read said that BB creams may not be the best alternative for sensitive skin,

which I unfortunately have to deal with.

But nonetheless,

during my latest visit to Ulta,

I decided to try out the Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream. 

I tried a tiny bit on my hand while I was still at the store,

and it practically melted on, 

and made the surface look almost air-brushed.

So I figured, why not?

Ladies,

let me just tell you..

this was the BEST impulse buy ever!

I'm absolutely in love with this stuff. 

I smooth on a pea size drop onto my face every morning after my usual moisturizer,

follow it up with some blush,

and I'm on my way. 

So easy,

and it miraculously lasts all day,

without turning greasy, cakey, or blotchy. 

BB creams are packed with tons of benefits on their own,

since the product was originally developed to aid in recovery after laser skin surgery,

but I personally feel that this Smashbox version takes it to a whole other level. 

The Camera Ready formula works to prime, perfect, hydrate, protect and control oils.

Yep, that's 5 benefits for the price of 1,

in case anyone was counting. 

The hydration part is my favorite - 

apparently this product can improve skin in as little as 4 weeks. 

Sold!

Anyway,

like I already mentioned,

I'm pretty obsessed with this stuff. 

Have you ever used BB creams?

What are your thoughts?

And Another One..

Here's a fun fact. 

My yoga studio is located right next door to Ulta. 

Do you know what this means?

It means I can't go get my ohm on,

without purchasing a beauty product. 

Or two. 

Whatever, 

yoga is supposed to make you beautiful inside and out, right? 

That's how I roll. 

This week I fell for another lipstick.

Even though I already have too many enough nude shades at home,

I couldn't resist purchasing this pinkish hue from Too Faced.

It goes on as smooth as butter,

and is even infused with champagne essence!

Everyone knows I'm a sucker for a little bit of bubbly..

I absolutely adore wearing nude lipsticks,
because I feel like it makes my lips look... large and in charge, ok?
But here's an issue I've come across a few times -
depending on how fair my skin is at any given moment,
sometimes wearing a really light shade on my lips can make me look like...
well, like I don't have any lips at all.
The perfect solution is a little bit of nude lipliner.
Nothing too dark people!!
I've donned the "chola" look a few times in my junior high years - it wasn't the most flattering on me.
This new liner that I just got from Smashbox seems to be the perfect hue for my skintone.
It's about a level higher than most nude lipsticks I own,
and blends perfectly to make my lips stand apart from the rest of my face.

I combined my latest purchases with a dramatic brown smokey eye this weekend for my friend's bachelorette party,
and was pretty satisfied with the results.
I'll be sure to post some pictures here later so you can let me know what you think.

Happy Monday everyone!!

Smashing!

I've kind of being doing a little lot of shopping lately...

In preparation for my upcoming trip to Miami,

I realized that I needed to freshen up my wardrobe, beauty case, 

and anything else that may come in handy for a bachelorette party. 

I'm such a girly girl when it comes to make-up. 

I've been testing out different brands and conjuring up various looks since high school,

and attending last year's IMATS was this girl's ultimate pleasure. 

During my latest haul at Sephora,

I settled on two items from Smashbox - 

a step-by-step contour kit and a legendary lipstick in Vivid Violet.

I always go through phases in my make-up routine. 

One day I'll be really into rosy cheeks,

and then a few weeks later, 

I'll ditch blush all together and stick strictly to bronzer. 

After watching Kandee Johnson's latest video on how to "slenderize your face",

I was on the prowl for a darker foundation/powder. 

The kit above seemed perfect for my needs -

it includes three different shades for contouring, bronzing and highlighting.

What I like the most about it,

is that the powders are shimmer-free. 

Sometimes a little glitter is nice.. but the older I get, the sillier I feel when my face shines like a disco ball.

Not everyone can pull of J Lo's glow... 

well, maybe just on special occasions,

and I have another set of products to achieve that look. 

I've been experimenting with different colors of lipstick lately,

and this new addition is unlike anything I have ever tried before. 

This is my first Smashbox lipstick,

but so far, I'm pretty impressed with how pigmented it is, 

and the amount of moisture it retains after a few hours. 

The picture above doesn't do this color justice - 

I posted a better picture of what it actually looks like on my lips on my Instagram.

I'm planning on bringing both of these items to Miami,

so stay tuned for more pictures of the combined look!