Prime Time

It is ya girl, Nicole again :) Good evening everyone! Earlier today I took this picture:

This was on Instagram. Today I was minding my own business, doing my makeup before work, when I came across these two products in my makeup collection:

Anastasia Brow Pen in Universal Deep

Benefit 15-Hour Primer 

This primer made my foundation look absolutely crazy! I was so excited about it that I wanted to blog right away, but I was off to work and wanted to see how it lasted throughout the day. You know how sometimes everything looks good in the beginning of the day, but ends up at your chin by the end it. Yeah well, there was no melting with this primer. My oily skin stayed shine free all day and looked airbrushed! I could not believe it. I had heard not so great reviews about this. One of the biggest complaints was that it controlled oil too much. And that you had to work fast before the primer dried out. Well when I saw it today, I thought what the hell? and did one side at a time. Boy, am I glad I tried this today.  It just goes to show that not everything works the same for everybody. 

As for the eyebrow pen, this was pretty awesome. When I did my eyebrow tutorial I showed myself using a powder to fill in the parts of the brow that a pencil would be too harsh. Well, that it where I used this pen. And I really loved it. I feel like it goes into my skin more naturally. The pen has a wet texture so it just molds into the brow seamlessly. I think it is also waterproof, so it is summer approved. 

Now I know that everything looks good when you put an Instagram filter on it, so I'm showing you an untouched photo.

Yes, girl. That is me. And yes those are my real lashes! Crazy right? I told you in yesterday's post how much magic Makeup Forever Smokey Extravagant Mascara works. I'd never lie to you guys :)

What primers do you guys use?

What do you think gives you a perfect foundation application?

Well, now that I am done venting my feelings, I am going to spend the rest of the night watching So You Think You Can Dance :)

Goodnight lovlies!

Nicole xo

July 2013 Favorites | Makeup, Skincare, and More

Hello beautiful people! It is ya girl, Nicole, all up in yo face! How is everyone doing today?

This weekend was jam packed for me. On Saturday I went with my family to the tattoo convention in New Jersey.

Me and momma bear!

My family loves tattoos. My dad is almost covered in them. My mom has her fair share of them, and my sister, Sam, had like 5 by the time she was 20. My other sister, Erica can't seem to stop getting them. She is crazy. Love you, E! As for me I only have two, but I want more. I'm just thinking up my next one ;)

The convention was also right on a boardwalk so we got to enjoy some of the beauty. 

Then on Sunday I went with my mom and Sam to a Zumba party in Chelsea Pier. 

It was a fundraiser for HIV/AIDS. It was really fun because we took some Zumba friends along. Plus 90 minutes of Zumba is pretty much the best thing ever. I was exhausted by the end of the weekend though because I also took a Zumba class in the morning. I'm a little crazy too I guess ha ha. 

Onto the favorites! July is coming to an end so I thought it would be cool to show you guys what I have been loving. I will talk about the products in the picture from left to right. Lets get started! 

Face: 

Givenchy Mister Light Concealer and YSL Touché Éclat Highlighting Pen- I have one word for these works of God. Yes! I have been using them like crazy because they highlight and conceal all the redness and darkness on my skin. They never look cakey and feel nice and light. 

Givenchy Gold Primer- Like my sample jar? Ha ha. I took a sample of this because I wanted to see if it really does take away oil while still adding radiance. And girl, yes it does. This primer has flecks of gold in it, which is what gives it that ability. 

Josie Maran Matchmaker Foundation- Yes, another sample jar. I don't know about you, but I break out sometimes when I try new foundations, so I took a sample. I love it so far. It gives awesome coverage while feeling light. One of my coworkers actually came into work when I was wearing it and was like, "Oh my god! Your skin looks amazing." So yeah I will most likely be buying this. 

Milani Baked Blush in Luminoso- Go to my CVS Haul post to read my proclamation of love for this amazing-ness. 

Eyes:

Makeup Forever Smokey Extravagant Mascara- In a previous post I said that I did not like the wand of the mascara and still preferred my Urban Decay one. Well I retract that statement. I still love my urban, but this mascara is the shit amazing (gotta keep it P-G) ha ha. My lashes look fake and perfectly fanned out. They actually show through my eyeliner. BOOM!

Kay Von D Tattoo Liner in Trooper- This little guy has popped up on the blog before, but if you follow me on Instagram then you know I have feeling the cat eye a lot this month. 

Stila purple liner- Thanks to my previous post  we all know that purple liner is a way to make brown eyes pop. I also find that when I am in a rush adding some color makes it look like a tried super hard ha ha. 

Maybeline Great Lash Clear- This was featured in my eyebrow post and has been a real life saver for my brows and keeping the pencil from fading away.

Skincare:

Fresh Lotus Eye Gel- My eyes have been brighter over the last couple of days :) I'm excited. 

Fresh Umbrian Clay Oil Free Lotion- It leaves my skin feeling moisturized without being weighed down. 

Korres Wild Rose Cleanser- It has lite exfoliating beads that do wonders on the oil that builds up during the day. Wild rose is also packed with vitamin C and my face looks so much more glowing and bright lately. 

Lips: 

Revlon Just Bitten Lip Balm in Rendezvous- My go to coral with staying power! 

Revlon Lip gloss in Bellini, Revlon Lipstick Pink in the Afternoon, and L'Oreal Lipstick Unending Nude- The best nudes and pinks ever! Again, go to the CVS post to read my reviews on them :) 

Random: 

Sabra Roasted Garlic Hummus- It is delicious with baby carrots and sliced peppers. 

Goji Berries- Super food. Super nutritional. Taste like candy. Pretty much a win all the round :) I love putting them on my oatmeal or on some yogurt. Yummers!

Nails:

Essie Nail Polish in Mint Candy Apple

Tart Deco

and Go Ginza.

Pastel nails are very 'in' for the summer time since they look so stunning on tan skin. So long, bright neon nails! I have been wearing them all month long :) These are my favorite colors.

Tattoos. Love them or hate them?

Zumba. Love it or hate it? Oh wait. That's a silly question ;)

Well that is pretty much it for this post. Let me know in the comments if you try or have tried any of these things! Love y'all.

 'Till next time...

Nicole xo.