February 2018 Favorites

I survived my first solo trip! Well barely, I came back from following The Killers around with a gnarly flu and I went straight back to work. This month I've been working like crazy and very sleep deprived but the experience of traveling around and meeting people who are just as crazy about music like me was absolutely incredible. I'm going to have to talk about my experience in a video soon, I also have a ton of vlogs to edit as well. But today I want to share some of the products that I took along with me on my trip, and some other ones that have become staples in my makeup routine.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Subculture Palette- Random Color Challenge

In my last Random Color Challenge, I asked you whether you wanted to see me attempt this challenge with the Anastasia Beverly Hill Subculture Palette or my ColourPop custom palette. I have to say that I was quite surprised to see how many of you wanted to see me use the Subculture Palette. I thought people were still hating on the palette but boooy was I wrong. I took a quick peek at the reviews online and the palette now has four stars on Sephora.com! It's crazy what a few months can do, huh? Well I still adore this palette and I was so happy to try something different with it.

Kat Von D Saint & Sinner- Random Color Challenge Round 3

You guys asked for round three of the Random Color Challenge video and here it is! This is the last challenge video featuring Kat Von D Saint & Sinner Eyeshadow Palette (at least for now because I really want to move on to another palette). I don't think I've had this much fun filming a video series before, but there's just something so exciting about not knowing what colors you're going to be working with. This time around I chose the colors by closing my eyes and sticking little stickers on them. This proved to be much challenging than I thought because my nails kept stabbing the eyeshadows and they're not even that long. I also decided to throw myself a curveball and pick six colors as opposed to five like I've done in the past.

January 2018 Favorites

This is the very first favorites video of 2018! It's been a few months since my last favorites video but I'm committed to share my five standout products every month this year. Yes, the format will not change whatsoever because I really enjoy being able to give you insightful reviews of all five items that I want to feature. This time around I also included clips of me using all the products which I thought would be helpful for all of you. In January I really gravitated towards products that do their job well without any of the extra frills or excessive packaging.

Kat Von D Saint & Sinner- Random Color Challenge Round 2

Since I filmed the first round of the Random Color Challenge, I've received so many requests to do a second round using the Kat Von D Saint & Sinner Eyeshadow Palette. I honestly never expected for the video to gain 7,000+ views, let alone get requests to do a second video with the same palette. I honestly I don't blame any of you though, this was definitely one of the palette launches that left a lot of people scratching their heads when they first saw the colors and the layout. This time around I let a computerized generator that I found through Google pick the five colors I would use in this video.

Drivers License Makeup Tutorial

It was about time that I finally changed my drivers license photo! I kid you not but I have looked Donald Trump orange in my drivers license for the past 10 years. I know some of you are not going to believe me but I did used to rock the orange glow once upon a time thanks to my obsession with the NYC Sunny Bronzer (shout out to anyone who remembers that bronzer). So thanks to the orange glow, whenever I used to show my license to people they would always have to do a double take because I look about five shades paler now. In this post I'm going to show you an all-matte look that will photograph well even with the shitty DMV cameras.

Kat Von D Saint & Sinner- Random Color Challenge

I'M WEARING RED EYESHADOW! And you know what... I really love it. When I first saw images of the Kat Von D Saint & Sinner Eyeshadow Palette, I knew it would be something that I would eventually would want to pick up. Flash forward to a few months later when the palette finally launched and that's little ol' me started feeling very doubtful about the palette. What is someone like me supposed to do with bright colors like chartreuse, yellow gold, and a metallic red? I mean, we're talking about the girl who usually skips eyeshadows and goes for a bold lip instead. I play around with color once in awhile, but never with bright shades like the ones on this palette. After a little pep talk with my co-worker Phoebe, I decided that I should step out of the comfort zone and buy the damn palette. And in order to prove to myself that I can use those crazy shades, I've challenged myself to create a look on the spot using five colors that I chose at random.

Top 10 Black Friday Beauty Deals

This is my 3rd year sharing my Black Friday beauty deals, but this year I've done things a little different. Instead of posting random deals and coupon codes, I've rounded up 10 of my favorite beauty websites and shared what I like to think are the best deals. There are some steep discounts on high-end skincare and makeup in this post (I'm talking 25% off Sunday Riley if you play your cards right). And just like always I've added the Ebates cash back rate if the website is offering cash back. If you're not already a member of Ebates, like seriously where have you been? The website is completely free and it's very easy to use online, through the phone app, and also in select physical stores. With just a few clicks of your mouse you'll be able to earn cash back on most of your Black Friday and Cyber Monday purchases. I honestly advise you to get your credit cards and PayPal accounts ready because the savings are coming your way!

Yet ANOTHER ABH Subculture Review

I honestly can't think of a palette in recent years that has been more controversial than the Anastasia Beverly Hills Subculture Eye Shadow Palette. Apart from their brow products, I've never really had Anastasia Beverly Hills in my radar until the release of this palette. I was immediately attracted to the autumnal color scheme, particularly the orange tones and greens. It's actually quite rare when I buy a product the day it launches because I always like to watch or read reviews before spending my money on it, but I made an exception for the Subculture Palette. Upon watching the first round of video reviews on YouTube I began to worry that perhaps I made a mistake placing my order, but was it a mistake? Is this palette really as bad as the YouTube elite claim?

Summer Favorites

Since I haven't filmed a favorites video since March, I've decided to gather all my frequently used products and share them with you in one summer themed video. I've been very loyal to the products that I will be sharing and many of them are starting to show signs of wear. Since it's summer I will be sharing not one but two sunscreens that are fantastic options for oily skin. I also will be talking about other long wearing products that are perfect for any skin type.

Purple and Orange Smokey Eye

This year will be the year that I'll start being a little more daring with my makeup. I don't longer want to be intimidated by colorful eyeshadows, metallic finishes, and things that are considered a bit "out there." I want to play with bright shades, dark colors, and try different makeup techniques. One of those techniques that I wanted to try out is the halo eye. This isn't anything new or particularly groundbreaking, but it is much different to what I usually do with eyeshadow. The beauty about the halo eye is that you can use any eyeshadow combination that you want! I've tried a more subdued version with browns and a metallic gold eyeshadow and the look still came out beautiful. Hopefully this colorful look will inspire some of you to give the halo eye a try.

Black Friday 2016 Beauty Sales + Coupon Codes

So many of you really enjoyed my Black Friday post last year, so I've decided to do it again. In this post I'll be sharing the best beauty deals, coupons, and also Ebates cash back rate with all of you. If you're not already a member of Ebates, then what are you waiting for? The website is completely free and it's also very easy to use. With just a few clicks of your mouse you'll be able to earn cash back on most of your Black Friday and Cyber Monday purchases. I advise you to get your credit cards ready because the savings are coming your way!

Get Ready With Me: Blogger Lunch

This past Wednesday I was invited by Neiman Marcus to attend their fall trends presentation and lunch. If you've been following me for a while, then you know that I've been going to these trend presentations ever since I had a pixie cut and they're one of my favorite events held in San Diego. As a blogger you always have to look and feel good when going to one of these events, especially this one that's all about upcoming trends. Now I'm not the trendiest when it comes to fashion, but makeup is another story. I'm desperately waiting for fall right now so I can start to wear my dark and berry lipsticks on a more regular basis. Plus it would be really nice not looking like an oil slick anymore. In this post you're going to see a quick "Get Ready with Me," as well as some of the looks from the presentation.

Get Ready With Me: My Brother's Graduation

Last week my younger brother graduated from university, so you can just imagine how excited all of my family was. We literally spent all of last week getting things ready for his graduation party, and let me tell you things were a little crazy at home. We were putting lights on the palm trees, preparing Mexican food, and of course there's was a lot of tidying up to do. At the end of the day, all of our hard work paid off and my brother enjoyed his graduation to the fullest. This reminds me, how has it been 3 years since I graduated?? Time sure flies by after you graduate from university!

April 2016 Favorites

April was the month that I embraced some of my most minimal makeup looks. There were a few days that I would just add concealer, mascara, and a tinted lip balm. I've been switching my thicker foundations for light weight options and my matte liquid lipsticks for hydrating tinted balms. I also discovered two skincare items that have been helping out a lot on the problematic areas on my skin. I honestly didn't realize how many products were on heavy rotation this month until I gathered them all, but it should make for a good favorites video.

Sephora VIB Sale + First Impressions

The Sephora VIB Sale ended last week but I made sure to take advantage of the discount code while it was active. Normally I have a larger list of products that I want to try out, but this time around I actually had a tough time picking out things that I wanted to try. It also didn't help that the products that I've been dying to try out are launching after the sale. After much brainstorming (because I'm weird like that), I settled on these items pictured. Some are brand new to me, some I already know that I will love, and others just look very interesting. Instead of just taking items out of the box and just showing them in this haul, I've decided to share my first impressions about the products that I hauled in this video.

Subtle Blue Eyeliner

I think by now I should just rebrand myself as the "minimal makeup YouTuber" because all the looks I wear are very easy and don't require many products. A few weeks ago when I uploaded my Messy Hair Tutorial a lot of you requested I film this makeup look, and so I did. Bright cobalt blue eyeliner is one of the biggest makeup trends for spring/summer 2016, but it can be an intimidating color if you're not used to bright makeup. This is a subtle version of the trend that will work incredible with brown eyes, but honestly any person can rock this look. All you need is an eyeshadow stick and a blue eyeliner to achieve this easy eye look.

Get Ready with Me: Spring Edition

It's the first day of spring and I'm bringing back the Get Ready with Me videos! For this Get Ready with Me I'll be showing you this very easy spring makeup and also styling some frizzy 3rd day hair. While recording and editing this I started thinking of my past Get Ready with Me videos and boy have I improved my videos since then. The first one I ever made was recorded and edited on my iPad mini and it featured one very awkward voiceover. Kind of crazy, huh?

Radiant Makeup Tutorial

As much as I go on and on about keeping things matte, sometimes even someone like myself can appreciate a nice and healthy glow. In today's tutorial I'm going to show you how easy it is to achieve a radiant makeup look without looking like a greasy mess. I actually wore this makeup look in my L'Oréal True Match Lumi Cushion Foundation review and I got so many requests to recreate this particular look. As simple as this look may be, I didn't have anything like this in my channel which surprised me quite a bit considering my makeup style. Plus this would make for such a pretty Valentine's Day look since that's right around the corner!

Black Friday 2015 Beauty Sales + Coupon Codes

Black Friday is here and so are the beauty deals! In this post you'll find the best beauty deals, coupons, and also the Ebates cash back rate. If you're not a member of Ebates, then you have to quickly register so you can earn cash back on your Black Friday and Cyber Monday purchases. Get your credit cards ready because the savings are coming your way!