My Toronto Adventures (plus a small haul)

Pics Taken at the Toronto Zoo!

Hello friends! Today I am sharing with you some pictures of my adventures when I was in Canada. The majority of these pictures were taken by my phone so the quality isn't always the best...but I hope you guys enjoyed it regardless. I didn't end up getting to go sight seeing as much as I would like, but nevertheless it was a blast :) Used the subway for the first time by myself #adultstatus amongst the many food adventures (I mean, can't you tell with how many food pictures on my Instagram? I feel like it's more food then makeup these days lol). 

Haul: Replenishing Skincare

Hauls sometimes can be unnecessary but other times can be crucial when certain things run out! In today's case it is both out of necessity (because I ran out of my essentials) and desperation. I finally ran out of the moisturizers, eye cream, and scar diminishing cream so I knew I had to pick some things up! But, I also have been breaking out much more frequently then normal! As such, we have a little haul here that is somewhat necessary (and didn't result in me cheating on my latest Project 10 Pan!). Some of these products are products I have used before, others are brand new to me and I am looking forward to trying out!

First necessity I picked up to help combat breakouts was the Clinique Acne Solutions Clinical Clearing Gel. While I certainly have a lot of acne products still, none of them have been working against the recent batch of acne. While this has worked well for me in the past, it isn't working as well for me right now! I'm not going to return it though because my sister still loves it (and its working fabulous on her)! The next thing I picked up to combat my breakouts is the Lush Cupcake Fresh Face Mask. I haven't raved much about this mask as much as I need too, this is a great mask to purify and smooth out the texture of your skin! While this isn't the best to help fight breakouts, it does brings up all the dirt, sebum, and lord knows what to the surface (which may result in having a couple of breakouts in the first couple of uses just because it is extracting all of the grimey things out of your skin!)

For skincare, I had to replenish my day cream, eye cream, body lotion, and scar diminishing cream.  For my day cream, I purchased the Boots Botanics Mattifying Day Cream Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 15. It says for it is meant for oily/combination skin, so I knew I had to try this out to see whether or not it worked for my oily skin! As always, I'm in search of a hydrating eye cream to reduce the puffiness in my eyes as well as minimize my fine lines on my eyes! As such, I decided to try out the Boots Botanics Hydrating Eye Cream Age Defense with Protective Ginkgo. I have a friend who loves Boots skincare, so I knew I had to try out those two Boots products! For a daytime body lotion, I decided to tryout the Hawaiian Tropic Ultra Radiance Sheer Touch Lotion Sunscreen SPF 15. In the past, I haven't really cared much for protecting my body (yes, that meant that I did not put SPF on my body unless I was swimming in the pool or beach). However, I am working on changing that this summer. I currently have plenty of lotions, but none of them had any SPF in it. I decided to try this one because IT SMELLS LIKE MANGOS (which is my second favorite scent of all time... ultimate fave being coconut). Lastly, I had to replace my Scarzone Advanced Skincare Scar Cream which I have loved for years...and then after purchasing it I realized that they reduced the size of the product while keeping the price! I'm currently pissed at the fact that they did that, so I am currently contemplating on changing to a new product. The formula hasn't changed, but I feel like I have already used up half of the product in the tube and I only had it for a week.

What skincare products are your necessities? Any products you'd recommend me to pick up next whenever these run out?

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Makeup MAYhem Day 1 - Sephora VIB Haul

Hey guys! So today I will be showcasing the products I got on my Sephora VIB Haul. It's been a long time coming (considering the VIB discount was weeks ago). I apologize for the delay, and as a result of me not blogging actively over the past couple of months I will be participating on Makeup MAYhem. Ever since I started blogging, I have been excited to undergo this event! For those of you who don't know, you post either a video or a blog every other day for the course of May! For me, I have decided to ambitiously undergo a blog and video for each day of may, alternating between Youtube and my blog! Since I first started with blogging, I have decided that Day 1 of Makeup MAYhem will start on my blog! As such, I hope you guys enjoy this post!

I originally walked into Sephora not knowing what to get, and asked for the advice of the ladies working there on what meaningful items to add to my absolutely ridiculous collection. As such, I was talked into buying three Benefit items (Porefessional Primer, Rockateur Blush, and Hoola Bronzer) and I finally decided to cave and buy the Beauty Blender (for Research purposes of course!) So far, I have thoroughly enjoyed all of the products! I honestly did not have a good first impression of the Beauty Blender, but the more I used it the more I understood how to use it. 

Beauty Blender

Benefit Porefessional Primer

Benefit Hoola Bronzer

Benefit Rockateur Blush

Benefit Travel Makeup Bag 

Sephora Makeup Bag 

As a result of my spending, I was able to to get a free Benefit Travel Makeup Bag, along with the free Sephora Makeup Bag they were giving out to VIBs. I probably don't need either or these, but they will be nice to have! The Sephora Makeup Bag is more suited for day to day travel, because its so tiny and you can't fit a full makeup routine into it. The Benefit bag, however, is a bit more suited for long distance traveling. It is a bit bigger space wise and I really like the two compartments where I can divide my liquids and power makeup to prevent damage.

One of my goals during this month is to do a lot of reviews I've been meaning to do. Any suggestions for future blog posts would be great! The next blog post will be a Spring Makeup Look (requested by the ever amazing Vanessa)! Stay tuned for tomorrow's YouTube video! Now that finals are done, my life will be revolving around makeup blogging and having a permanent date with Netflix! Any TV show suggestions will be fabulous as well :) Hope your day is going well, and until next time!

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After Spending Ban Haul!

So as many of you guys may or may not know, my spending ban has ended! Which meant that I bought quite a bit of makeup, fashion...and a nice pair of shoes! In this monthish time frame, I have finally splurged on makeup brushes, and I am so happy that I did (if there is one thing I have learned through my experience in makeup, is to now invest in buying makeup brushes; I'd rather invest in a good quality brush than one that isn't as good).

On a somewhat random note, I also bought the Real Techniques Travel Essentials Makeup Brush set for my sister! She loves the set, and it has also stepped up her makeup routine! I don't typically like the flat foundation brushes that travel sets come up with...but the Real Techniques one is amazing, seriously! If you are on a budget, I highly recommend you to check out the Real Techniques line!

Anyways, check out what products I have purchased in the last month or so!

L'Oreal Color Riche Lipstick in Fairest Nude
Perhaps one of the most talked about lipstick formulas and most talked about shade in the blogging world and youtube, so it wasn't a surprise that I grabbed it!

L'Oreal True Match Lumi Foundation in W2 Nude Beige
So, you are wondering why on earth an oily skin girl would pick up a foundation meant to "luminous"?! Well, its because I plan one using this as a foundation to mix with a matte foundation (such as my well beloved, CoverGirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3 in 1 Foundation - Review) and I also plan on using it in the relatively small winter we have in Florida. My other foundations don't fare at its best with winter season, so I'm hoping this foundation would do well during that time (even though... winter isn't going to come back for a long time and all...can't help but be prepared ahead of time!)

Mac 109 Small Contour Brush
One of the main struggles lately is finding a brush that can deposit enough color, without it being an excessive amount. This brush was recommended to me by a Mac makeup artist to use as a blush brush. I've used this brush a couple of times for that and its working well so far! Haven't used it for contour yet though, but I am looking forward to do so.

Mac 217 Blending Brush
Holy cow is this an amazing brush! I can not begin to fathom not having this in my collection now that I own it. I initially thought that my makeup application prior to this brush was decent...but now I know I was wrong. My makeup application has definitely stepped up its games since I've obtained this brush, and now I want to pick up so many more of these (even though its priced at $25...so maybe I'll go stumble around and try the "dupes" before deciding to pick up more of these...)

Mac 228 Mini Shader Brush
I wanted a brush that could place eyeshadow underneath my small eyes without making me look like a raccoon. Most smudge brushes are too big for me (like the Mac 215 Medium Shading Brush, which I initially bought and then returned for this one). I haven't used this brush yet, but I have high hopes for this brush!

Milani Blush in Luminoso
I still cannot believe that I have not picked up a Milani blush until now! It seems to me that my blush collection won't be complete without at least one blush from them! This blush is absolutely divine, it applies on my cheeks in a flattering light orange color and makes my cheeks glow! One thing I haven't gotten around to expect was that this blush has a bit of fallout when you press on it with your makeup brush a bit too hard!

Milani Eyeshadow Primer
I still love my Wet n Wild Eyeshadow Primer (Review) but I was in need of an extra eyeshadow primer so that I could have one primer in my travel makeup bag (which tends to have everything in it) and one at home. So far I like it, we'll see how this goes the longer I use it!

Physician's Formula Happy Booster Glow and Mood Boosting Blush in Rose
I haven't bought anything from Physician's Formula for a long time, so when I got a coupon from CVS I couldn't resist and picked up this blush. First off, LOVE the packaging--the hearts are so adorable. The blush is a light pink and quite buildable. Definitely something nice to add to my collection!

Sephora Makeup Brush Cleaner
Currently using this to spot clean my makeup brushes, and I am loving it! I have the smaller size right now, but I am definitely going to be buying the full sized version when I finish this one up!

Sephora Makeup Brush Shampoo
This is what I'm currently using to deep clean my brushes. It's a gel like formula that I'm not use to, but one that cleans brushes decently well. Still unsure with what I think about it, but will keep you posted!

What's worse about this spending haul is that I just got the Sephora and Ulta coupons in the mail this week...which may mean more spending D: Not sure how my wallet can handle it...

What have you guys purchased lately? Let me know in the comment section below!

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An Impulse Buy Haul!

Hey guys! I hope you guys are had a great Martin Luther King day (I spent mine volunteering at Feeding America Foodbank)! Today I have an impulse haul to share with you today. I went to the Dollar Tree and the Mac Counter and picked up a little bit here and there, none of which I anticipated on picking up! I'm hoping to get some good use out of it and hopefully I won't regret making these purchases!

Elf Essentials Brightening Eye Color in Butternut
This tiny quad was only a buck, and while I didn't necessarily need the eye shadows to add into my collection I figured it would be nice to test and see how the application and pigmentation goes. I attempted to make a video using this, but that failed rather epicly so I think it'll be a review instead!

Elf Essentials Lengthening and Defining Mascara in Black
I've been in need of newer mascaras for awhile now, the ones I have currently are a bit on the older side of things, so I had to give this one a try once I saw this at the dollar tree!

Mac Lip Pencil in Vino
I was so talked into buying this once I saw how beautiful this looked with Viva Glam I.This will be my first Mac Lip Pencil purchase, and I have high hopes for it! I haven't had much luck with the Jordana ones, I never saw a difference in my lip product being prolonged. Hopefully this works out!

Mac Matte Lipstick in Viva Glam I
So the search for a perfect red lipstick never ends, in my opinion. This is the one that I liked the most when swatching at the Mac counter. Fingers crossed this will end the hunt for the perfect red lip stick!

Mac Pro Longwear Concealer in NC25
Boy have I been hounded by my friends to get this stuff. I may have not thought this out thoroughly, but I've heard amazing things about this concealer so I knew I had to try! Plus, with my other concealers slowly hitting pan and being used up, I thought this would be the perfect addition to my collection!

Rimmel Eyeshadow Quad in Sweet Smolder
What really attracted me to this eye shadow quad was the bright pink. I found this over at the Dollar Tree and I was intrigued to see how powerful the pink was (it was also a bonus that I got a silver and a charcoal gray because I don't have many of those)!


What products have you purchased lately? After this haul I personally think I might end up going on a spending ban!

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A School Stress Haul

Hey guys! Welcome to another haul (and this time its a youtube video!) I have been wanting to do a haul like this every since Vanessa over at Citron and Guavaberry mentioned doing one, so here it goes (thanks by the way girl for the shoutout on your blog!! Hope you guys enjoy the video! Sorry if I spoke to fast in the video, did not realize I was going at lightning speed until after I finished....

Products Mentioned:

Benefit They're Real Mascara

Benefit Watt's Up Highlighter

Clinique Chubby Stick Intense in Mightiest Maraschino

Elf Natural and Dramatic Lashes

Goody Tangle Tease

L'Oreal True Match Concealer in W4/6 Light/Medium

L'Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black Mascara

Mac Eyeshadows in Amber Lights and Humid

Nars Guy Bourdin One Night Stand Cheek Palette

Nyx Blush in Terracotta

Nyx Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk

Nyx Mega Shine Lip Gloss in Beige

Rimmel Natural Bronzer in SunDance

Wet n Wild Wet Shine Nail Polish in Lavender Pearlescent, Metallica, Sparkled

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New Product Alert: Jordana 12 Hr Made to Last Eyeshadow Pencil and Twist and Shine Moisturizing Balm Stain

Hello everyone! So today I wanted to share with you guys some new products from Jordana that has recently came out! For those of you who may not know, Jordana is found in Walgreens and is a sister company to Milani. As expected, many of the products overlap in quality, the only main difference is the price (which Jordana will win any day)! If you guys are interested in seeing what I picked up, then keep on reading!

Left to Right (One Swipe Across Hand): Jordana 12 Hr Made to Last Eyeshadow Pencil in 01 Eternal White, Jordana 12 Hr Made to Last Eyeshadow Pencil in 03 Tenacious Brown, Jordana 12 Hr Made to Last Eyeshadow Pencil in 04 Continuous Almond, Jordana 12 Hr Made to Last Eyeshadow Pencil in 05 Pink Evermore 

As you can see, three of the four jumbo eyeshadow sticks are matte with Pink Evermore being the only one with shimmer. There are 8 shades of this line and I picked out the four that I felt like I could use the most. These claim to be long lasting, water resistant, and crease-poof. For those of you who are concerned about parabens, then you will be glad that these products are paraben free! I have not tried these out on my eyes yet. However, just from the swatch settling for a couple of minutes, I have not been able to make these eyeshadows budge no matter how much I try. 

I have also tried testing how water resistant the product is, and so far I am impressed with the product! There was only minor wear for Pink Evermore and Eternal White pigmentation faded), the other two colors looked the same as then I initially applied. I will do a detailed review of this product later but so far I have a very good first impression of this product! The product itself costs $3.99 at Walgreens and on the Jordana website. If you are looking for a good jumbo eyeshadow pencil at a drugstore price, I recommend you check these out! EDIT: Detailed Review Here

Left to Right (One Swipe Only): Jordana Twist and Shine Moisturizing Balm Stain in 02 Sweet Pink, Jordana Twist and Shine Moisturizing Balm Stain in 05 Honey Love, Jordana Twist and Shine Moisturizing Balm Stain in 06 Cranberry Crush, Jordana Twist and Shine Moisturizing Balm Stain in 07 Rock n Rouge

The product I was most excited for was this line of moisturizing balm stains. The line itself has 8 colors and as usual I got some neutral shades but I also got some colors I don't normally gravitate towards, a berry and red! I have tried on Sweet Pink and Cranberry Crush and I can definitely say that these two are very moisturizing! Other than that, I will have to test these products out more before I can give a definitive answer to whether or not I give it a thumbs up or down! These products are priced at $2.99 at Walgreens, definitely a much better price than the Revlon JBKBS so these are something to look into if you are looking for an even more affordable option. Like always, I will do an updated post with my final thoughts on this product!

Are any of these products seem exciting to you or something you would be willing to try? Let me know in the comment section below! I'm still trying to catch up on other posts, still need to wrap up Back to School (cause yes, I do know of schools who haven't started yet!) and have tons of reviews I need to finalize! Let me also know if you want me to review anything for you guys and I will do so!

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Bargain Haul! Total Purchase Was Under $10!

As many of you do very well know, I kinda have a hard time sticking to Project 10 Pan throughout the summer. Now that school has started however, it should be a whole lot easier for me to stick to Project 10 Pan since I will have my head stuck in a book! I recorded this video with the help of my friend Jenny a couple of weeks ago, but now I finally got the chance to put it up online!  This was recorded a week after I got my wisdom teeth removed, which is the reason why my face was still swollen! Hope you guys don't mind so much! We recorded a couple of videos that day, so you will be seeing me with this outfit at least one more time :D

Basically, why I ended up hauling was because it I ended up with a lot of coupons/rewards/etc for CVS and Walgreens. We have a Sunday weekly subscription to the newspaper and there are times when I can snag pretty good deals and combine them with coupons...which is exactly what I did in the video I'm showing you today! I purchased 5 products between CVS and Walgreens and I made it under $10. If you are interested in seeing what I purchased and whatnot, feel free to keep on watching!


All the products I purchased were on my face that day, don't remember what other makeup products I used though, so I unfortunately can not list that in the description bar!

What products have you purchased lately? Let me know in the comment section below!

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Back to School: Tax Free Weekend Haul!

Hello everyone! Today I will be sharing with you what I got during our tax free weekend :) While makeup isn't included during tax free weekend, I did end up buying some beauty products that I needed to stock up on! So without further adieu, here is my haul!

School Supplies:

Index Card Boxes

I can not have enough of these! I abuse index cards so much, so these will be useful!

3 Subject College Ruled Paper

I go through a huge amount of paper, so 3 or 5 subject note books are the best for me! I just go for the generic kind, no need to spend extra money!

Ruled Index Cards

Sad enough, I'm almost positive that I will run out of these index cards by the end of the school year, if not the end of the semester!

Mini Stapler

Definitely a necessity in a pencil case! This cute pattern also makes it even more awesome!

Sharpie Pens

These a huge necessity for me, because I use these to write on really small test tubes in lab!

Pentel Hi-Polymer Erasers

I have a huge tendency to lose erasers, but these are one of the best that I've tried :D They actually erase, unlike some other brands....

Paper Mate Black Pens 

I can never get enough of black pens to hoard. These are pretty decent, they work well and don't bleed through paper!

 G2 Gel Pens

 These are my favorite, all time gel pens! I got the colorful packet so I can emphasize information in my notes! I still need to pick up their regular black and blue pens!

Pencil Case 

I always need something to carry my pencils/pens/everything else in! I just picked up a generic kind :)

Scissors

Regardless of what grade you are in, scissors are useful for a projects and whatnot! I picked these up cause I have a little sister, don't want to poke her with them ;)

Bic Mechanical Pencils

I rarely use pencils nowadays, but these are pretty decent! I keep them around for bubbling exam sheets and for math problems :D

Pentel 0.7 mm Lead and Eraser Kit

By having mechanical pencils, one would also need one of these to refill the lead and for when erasers on those pencils die!

Paper Mate Black and Blue Pens

I just realized how many pens I bought! These are probably my least favorite (probably because there are others that are more comfortable), but they work just fine. 

Sharpie Highlighters

Highlighters are a necessity when you want to emphasize details and for note taking!

Paper Mate Blue Pens 

Another batch of Paper Mate Pens! This time they are blue! A girl has to switch it up once in awhile now right!

5 Rain Gum

Gum, for me, is a necessity to have when I'm studying or during exam times. So I'm starting to stock up on my gum stash!

Makeup:

Almay Oil-Free Makeup Remover Wipes

For when you are in a rush, these makeup remover wipes work miracles :D  

Nars Sample Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base

Received as a 100 point perk at Sephora when I bought my sister an atomizer!

Neutrogena Oil Free Makeup Remover

I'm always in need of a new makeup remover, and I always go back to this one!

Philosophy Sample Microdelivery Exfoliating Face Wash

Received this as a sample from Sephora, can't wait to try this out!

Real Techniques Blush Brush

Been dying to try the Real Techniques line for some time! I'e already tried this brush and washed it! Got a good impression out of it :D Review shall be up for all these brushes eventually!

Real Techniques Core Collection Kit

Talk about a beautiful collection here. In this kit, you get the Buffing Brush, Contour Brush, Pointed Foundation Brush, and Detailer Brush. Can't wait to try them out!

Real Techniques Expert Face Brush

Everyone raves about this brush for foundation, so I figured I would have to try out. Got a good impression already :D Must buy more when Ulta has a sale and coupons :D

I still have to pick a couple more supplies for school, but this is what I have right now :D What are your back to school essentials? What did you guys purchase recently? :Let me know in the comments below!

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