BLOG-Cember Day 7 : Shoutout Sunday

Sorry I missed yesterday's post, I will be making it up in a couple days, but today we have yet another new series. This one is Shoutout Sunday where I will be listing some of the accounts I have been interested in on various social media platforms. 

This week I have a couple YouTube accounts as well as from Instagram. 

First up is Tati of GlamLifeGuru, her videos have been some of my favorites to keep up with on YouTube lately.  I really like how she gives love to drugstore products as much as she does higher end products. Her Hot or Not videos are great little reviews on new products, there have been a couple that after giving a product a bad review helped save me from losing out on wasting money.

Another Youtuber I have really been enjoying is Amy Macedo, she has less than 100,000 subscribers but the quality of her videos rivals that of some of those who have millions of subscribers. Not only does she do beautiful makeup but her reviews of products are outstanding. She is down to earth while keeping a professional, informative presence in her content. 

Instagram is a guilty pleasure, I spend more time than I care to admit scrolling through my feed. I have come across some amazing talent on the app though. 

My all time favorite makeup account on IG is @makeupby_alo this woman is not for the kind hearted thought. I really love her no-bullshit attitude and creative touch. Not only will you see flawless contouring techniques and blending but she will put your cooking skills to shame (she also has a cooking account @alos.kitchen) and in the next post she will have you literally laughing your ass off with her sass. Basically she is who I want to be when I "grow up". If you have not run across her profile already you really should check her out. 

BLOG-Cember Day 5 - November Favorites

A couple days into the new month, but I do still have a list of favorites from last month. Unfortunatly there are a couple items that have been discontinued and/or are limited edition for which I am sorry if they peek your interest, however I have been trying to use up some older items in my collection to make room for newer things.

Face Products

1. City Color All-Set Setting Spray with Silica

This is a decent setting spray given the price I purchased it at( $4 at 5below stores ). I am not going to go as far as to say that it tops any of my favorite Skindinavia sprays, however for a drugstore priced product this does extend the life of my makeup. My only real issue with this product is the smell, which doesnt last long but it does smell a bit rubbery like a pool toy before it drys. 

BLOG-Cember Day 4 : Get to Know Me

For day four of BLOG-cember I decide a little get to know me would be a great idea, since I have never really given too much about me for the few readers who do not know me personally. These are mostly geared toward's beauty but will help give you a better idea of who I really am.

1. Is your hair naturally curly or straight?

 I have very frizzy hair that is kinda wavy but the older I get the curlier it gets.

 2. Do you dye it yourself or go to a salon?

It really just depends on my mood and bank account, I prefer to go to the salon and have my hair done but I am also quite the bathroom hairdresser. When I dye my hair red typically I do it myself for the simple fact that I have to re-dye so often that it would be outrageous to go to the salon everytime my color needed to be refreshed. However anything involving straight bleach I leave to the professionals. 

BLOG-Cember Day 3 : Wearable Wednesday

In my planning for BLOG-cember I decided to start a couple new series, yesterday I introduced Trash It Tuesday's and today I bring you Wearable Wednesday's. For this series I will be taking a bright fun color or unique product that might be hard to incorporate into daily wear and show you how to make it more wearable. Today I am going with blue on the eyes. It is easy to go from classy and pretty to drag queen (no offense, I love me some queens but that style of makeup is just not what most want for an everyday look) when using blue shades on the eyes. Included are two looks, one is a more amped up version using shadows, while the other is the "safe" version using just blue eyeliner. 

Look 1: Blue Eyeshadow

Obviously I thought I was some kind of model :P

BLOG-Cember Day 2 : Trash It Tuesday

Keeping up with BLOG-cember, and starting a new series, I introduce Trash It Tuesdays. I have a pretty decent sized makeup/beauty product collection and of course that means I also have some products that I am not so fond of, so I plan on sharing some of my not so pleasant experiences to possibly save you the trouble. While the series implies I am trashing all the products included, that is not quite the case, I do have various female family members and a couple friends that I like to let dip into my rejects, since sometimes products are not bad, they just don't suit me. So fear not the majority of products featured will find a new home rather than being tossed. Now on to the trash talk.

BLOG-cember Day 1 : Wish List

Lets just not mention the fact that it has been months since I have posted, I am aware and I am ashamed. I was doing so well posting regularly, so as a way to make it up to all 4 of my readers I am going to be participating in BLOG-cember where I post every day for the month of December. This is a big undertaking, but with the end of the semester closer than I can comprehend this is not completely unrealistic. We are going to start BLOG-cember out with a favorite, the monthly wish list.

1. Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Powder Duo - Blonde

October 2014 Wish List

So in case you didn't know my birthday is coming up on the 24th. If that is not enough reason for me to love the month of October, then let me mention how much I love Halloween and Day of the Dead and fall and cooler weather. That being said of course I have a wish list this month. 

iPhone 6 Plus -Gold, 64g 

Valentia Even Glow Vitamin C Serum

This product has been in my arsenal of face lotions and potions for about 2 months now, and I have had enough time to work out the kinks and see some real results. This is the first full-size serum that I have used so I am not able to compare it to any other products. That being said this was a wonderful first experience with a serum so I am sold on the extra step in my skincare routine. I guess a good place to start is by spelling out what exactly this product claims to do and if I think it lives up to that claim.

September 2014 Wish List

Holy shit have I been busy... pardon my french. Like I said in my last post I have had some things going on with life, and I really will go into some of those things a bit in the near future, but I am just now starting to get into a groove with life and school. However I of course have made some time to scope out some new products that I wish I could afford. So in the interest of not babbling on here is my wish list for the month of September.

1. Anastasia Beverly Hills Maya Mia Palette

August 2014 Favorites

I know I say this every month but I really planned on doing more posts that just my favorites and wish list but this past month has been crazy busy for me, I plan on writing a life post addressing some of what was keeping me so busy. Until then I will give you some bullet points :

• Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi Financial Aid Office really f@#$ing blows. 
• Apartment complex I was talking with tells me at the last minute that they actually don't have anything available for move in and they don't know when they will. 
• Crying.
• This new Financial Aid Verification bulls@#$ really f@#$ing blows.
• Crying.
• I had an early life crisis and realized just how much I am accumulating in student loans and start second guessing my life choices from graduating high school until now.
• Crying.
• Crying.
• More crying.
• Pulling up big girl panties.
• Talk with Central Texas College... no help.
• Crying.
• Talk with Texas A&M University - Central Texas... shout out to Samantha Perez, AKA the first helpful higher education employee I have come across in my entire 5 years experience with dealing with college bulls@#$.
• Finally figure out what to do with my life (for the time being.)
• Crying. (Tears of relief and joy this time.)

So basically I have had a shit ton of ups and downs this month, and I have not really even touched on the other things that have been going on lately. How I managed to wear makeup 3-4 days a week this entire month is beyond me, but it happened! So here are some of the things I have really been loving this month.

Face Products:

essence Breaking Dawn part 2

 Shimmer Powder - 01 Bella's Secret

July 2014 Favorites

I don't want July to be over.

Summer never lasts long enough.

Really I am just not prepared to go back to school.

I am actually really stressed about school but that is a story for another day.

Here were my favorite lotions and potions for this month:

Face Products

August Wish List

It is that time again! More crap I want but can't afford to buy myself... it really blows being a broke college student. Can I just win the lottery already, or maybe one of those Publishers Clearinghouse giveaways my grandfather is always having me enter?!? Anyways on to the products....

1. Peter Thomas Roth Skinstant Mask Magic

#NationalLipstickDay

So apparently today is National Lipstick Day... and no one gave me the memo. I woke up to Instagram flooded with beautiful lipsticks which got me thinking what better day to post about some of my favorite lipsticks! I decided to break them down into four categories; Pinks, Reds, Nude/Neutrals, and Brights. Each category has three lipsticks, with the exception of the Nude/Neutrals because they are my favorites and I couldn't decide on only three.

One Direction Makeup Line Launching

So thanks to BrandBacker and Markwins I have some information about a One Direction Makeup line that will be hitting stores next month, including a chance to win some goodies!

If you follow Niall then you might have already been clued in on this when he tweeted the following...

Just had a great meeting about 1D make up! it's that good im gona start wearing it myself pic.twitter.com/XKqZW45Buc
— Niall Horan (@NiallOfficial) June 23, 2014

July 2014 Wish List

This post is coming a little late in the month, but it is here nonetheless. 

1. Incoco Nail Polish Appliques in Desert Sunset

These are from the new Tribal Beats Collection of polish strips, I really like the Incoco brand strips as I have tried them a couple times in the past, but they are a little pricey at $8.99 each. This collection is super cute but these are the style that really caught my eye. I love the bright tribal print on the nude base color. These are great for special occasions since they are a bit expensive to use all the time.

If you are interested in buying these for yourself(or me) they can be found here for $8.99 each.

June 2014 Favorites

It was a little hard to actually come up with three products in each section this month, mostly because I just have not been wearing much makeup. Nonetheless here are my monthly favorites for this past month! 

Face Products

June 2014 Ipsy Bag Subscription

So it has been awhile since I have done one of these posts, in part due to my busy schedule with school and just life like I talked about in one of my past posts and in part due to the fact that I have really just been unimpressed with Ipsy lately. I have been a subscriber since their start so I feel a bit nostalgic and every time I consider canceling I give it one more month and they wow me... so hopefully next month is another awesome one or I might be finding a different company. I have a couple complaints this month, which is another reason I decided to go ahead and review this months products.

This month we got a super cute Rebecca Minkoff bag so kudos on the print, but I prefer the bags that zip on top and open a little wider (does this even make sense? I am no good at describing bags) but that is not a problem since the bag is cute. No real complaints here about that aspect.

Now on to whats inside...
          1. NYX Butter Gloss in Creme Brulee
          2. Marc Anthony Dream Waves Beach Spray
          3. Nicka K New York Shimmer Eyeliner
          4. Be A Bombshell Lash Out Mascara
          5. Essence of Beauty Fine Fragrance Body Mist in Wind Kissed

June Wish List

With all the Summer collections coming out there is more than enough products for me to lust over, but here are a few of the ones that really call my name this month.

1. 

1. Sephora Precision Pore Cleansing Pad - $6.00

This is intended to be use for the face to cleanse the skin, however I want one of these to aid in cleaning my makeup brushes. Im pretty sure we have all seen those "fancy and innovative" yet expensive cleaning gloves from Sigma, well this is basically a smaller cheaper version. 

May Favorites

So for the couple people who read my blog you may have noticed that I have been slacking, mostly due to the fact that I had finals, then I had to move out of my apartment, a graduation to attend (another one this weekend), and just life in general. I am back in the game and ready to post so why not start off with my usuals Monthly Favorites and then Monthly Wish List. Again please keep in mind that I have been busy with things that don't require primping so my favorites are a tad plain this month, any ways no reason to waste time, so right to the good stuff. 

Face Products

Libster Award

So I have been nominated 'The Liebster Award' by Samantha from Pastel Abode .

The Liebster Award basically is a super cute way to help small/new blogs promote one another.

The rules are... 

1. Answer the 11 questions given by the person who nominated you

2. Pick an additional 11 people to nominate with under 200 followers

3. Create a new list of 11 questions to ask those you have nominated

4. Inform your nominees of the award

March 2014 Wish List

I am cutting it close this month with my Wish List, partially because I have been busy and partially because I just have not been overly excited about things that I haven't already mentioned... but we all know that I always want something so there was still enough to make a list of stuffs I won't get because I am not a millionaire.

1. La Prairie Midnight Rain 

So everyone is probably going to think I am batshit, one because this perfume is $135 for a 1.7 oz bottle and two because of the reason I found out about this. I should preface this by saying I have never actually smelled the fragrance but from the descriptions of the scents used I have a feeling I would love it. Now on to my story about how I discovered this. My local snow cone shop SnoBall has a flavor called Orchid Cream Vanilla and it is basically the shit, it has a creamy flavor and is a beautiful orchid color. So one day I was googling what exactly the flavors are in this syrup (ex: Tigers Blood is strawberry and coconut) well I never found my answer to that question but I did come across this fragrance because one of the scents used in it is Vanilla Orchid. After seeing the gorgeous bottle and reading reviews I decided I need this in my life, and then I saw the cost. 

Can be purchased here.

UniVoxBox from Influenster

I am really on it with the cheap/free products lately. Today I got this box in the mail and it makes me super happy, despite having a headache from hell. 

This is the UniVoxBox from Influenster. In case you are not familiar with Influenster and their VoxBox program allow me to explain. So first set is to sign up, you can do so either by going to the website or by invitation (leave your e-mail and I can invite you) which helps the person you invited get more points(I'll explain in a moment). So then you fill out these little surveys about what interests you for these things called Expert Badges, and these badges help Influenster determine which boxes to send you. There are also many ways to get points, the easiest way is after you are sent a box there are tasks for you to complete(surveys, reviews, posting on social media about the products you recieved) and once you complete them your rank goes up, which just means that you are super active on the site and you will get more awesome free stuff! Who doesnt love free shit, am I right? 

So more on this box specifically, this one is geared towards us ladies and specifically those of us in college. This box includes

Target Beauty Box

So I totally meant to get this post up about 4 days ago when I got this in the mail, but I had things going on. Today I am feeling a little under the weather and since I have been on the couch on doing nothing but browsing 9gag and feeling pathetic over my failed attempt to get croissants and frozen yogurt from Sam's Club, so why not be a little more productive and write this before it is lost in the land of potential blog posts that I intend to write. 

Target use to have these awesome little sample filled makeup bags that they would send you for free if you were lucky enough to get signed up in time, well they did away with those but in its place they introduced this new product which is only $5 plus tax(shipped for free) and includes 5 full sized/deluxe sample sized products. Unfortunately this time they are sold out, but if this comes back again I will post before they are gone. 

February 2014 Ipsy Bag

I have been subscribed to this service since the very beginning, the reason I went with this one instead of Birchbox which was the only other one available at the time, was because this bag offered more makeup products and fewer hair products. I figured if I was going to spend the money I wanted to be more likely to get products I would actually use, some of the products are still passed off to family members but a large portion of what I have gotten over the past two years have remained in my possession, a couple have even been repurchased. If you don't already subscribe to a beauty sample program I HIGHLY suggest Ipsy. On to this past months bag...

February Favorites

Once again I am later than I originally anticipated on getting this post up, but one of my best friends had her little boy on Monday then I had a paper that I had to write before Tuesday. Yesterday was Ash Wednesday and I decided to go to church (GASP! I am still alive but I did get a little hot) and somehow I am getting this up today even with my Forensic Psychology exam and GSA meeting later tonight.(You probably don't care and I actually probably wont post this until after I get home from all my stuff tonight, but I am quite impressed with everything I have gotten done the past two weeks) 

Thank sweet liddo baby Jesus that today is my last day of class before Spring Break, I plan on a mini hibernation and having fun with family before I hit the books again. Somewhere in that mix I should have a bunch of new posts up that have been half written/ completed for about a month now but I jut haven't had time to take pictures and correct spelling/grammar. Blah Blah Blah Courtney just get on with the good shit....

Face Products:

Olay Fresh Effects BB Cream - Let me preface this by saying I am pretty much in love with the ENTIRE Fresh Effects line of products. I got this gem at Big Lots on sale for $5 and hand a coupon so I only paid like $2.50 for this and boy am I happy I grabbed it, I have used my fair share of BB creams and so far my favorites have always been the Korean ones, these American BB creams just are not as good, but this stuff is pretty awesome, the coverage is really light but I have actually been digging that. The scent is fucking lovely... like seriously I want to smell like this all the time but it doesn't really last on the skin so if you are not into that kinda thing don't worry it fades like as soon as you put it on. (Dear Olay make me a perfume that smells like this stuff and I will throw my wallet at you real quick.)

e.l.f. Maximum Coverage Concealer - While I really like this concealer the name is a bit decieving, I wouldnt call this a MAX Coverage concealer but it does do a great job both under the eyes and on problem areas. It is creamy without being thick and it dries down to a nice finish so it doesn't collect in lines/pores. Me gusta! 

Maybelline Baby Skin Pore Eraser - I am not going to say anything about this just yet because I will be posting a review/comparison of this product very soon. Just know I liked it enough to wear it just about every day since I opened.

February Wish List

Where are my weeks going?! I feel like I go to class, go to sleep, wakeup and do it all over again. I never use to believe my mom when she would tell me how fast time flies by the older you get. Boy do I believe her now, I feel like I don't have enough time for anything. The only reason I am able to write this is due to a late night sesh at a major coffee place that I don't want to name for fear that their overzealous legal team might think that I am infringing upon their brand or some crazy shit like that. 

I digress, on with my monthly wish list, this month I stuck to one brand, and it is an affordable brand at that so maybe I will end up with one or two of these eventually (yea right).

1. NYX Primal Colors

These are some bad ass little products, they are described as pressed pigments. They are listed as being for use on the face and body but not in the eye area (I am a rebel and would totally use them on my eyes, but if you purchase these use them on your eyes at your own risk). These are super duper pigmented and come in some very pretty bright colors. 

The colors are Hot Black, Hot Pink, Hot Blue, Hot Fuchsia, Hot Yellow, Hot Orange, Hot Red, and Hot Green.

Can be purchased here for $5.00 each

2. NYX Lip Primer

I can never get lipstick to stay on for more than about 30 minutes, so I am usually willing to atleast try anything that claims to help prolong my lip colors. An added bonus of this lip primer in particular is that it provides color correction, so for those of you with very pigmented lips that want to wear a certain lipstick but your darker lips alter the color this could be a way for you to start with a more neutral nude lip color and then apply your vibrant colors. 

This comes in two shades Nude and Deep Nude.

Can be purchased here for $7.00 each

3. NYX Control Freak Eyebrow Gel 

Let me start this by saying that I absolutely adore the Chella clear eyebrow gel that I got in one of my Ipsy bags, but a full size is $18 and I just cant justify that amount for a clear gel. That being said I am on the lookout for a new brow gel that doesn't leave me with crunchy super stiff eyebrows, NYX makes pretty good quality products so this one is probably the one I am going to try after I finish scraping the last little bit out of my Chella tube. 

Can be purchased here for $6.00

4. NYX Dark Circle Concealer

Holy crap guys, these sound amazing. So if you have any knowledge about the color wheel when it comes to face makeup you would know that the ideal color for correcting under eye circles is usually orange because orange is a complementary color to blue, and dark circles typically have blue undertones. So the idea behind these concealers is that they all contain orange pigments to help counteract the blue in your dark circles which basically hides them better. So if these are really as good as they sound everyone will need to own one of these. I will def be trying one out when I run out of the under eye concealer I am currently using (I just opened it, so its gonna be awhile, bummer) and I will get back to you all with the results. 

This comes in Fair, Light, Medium, and Deep.

Can be purchased here for $6.00 each

5. NYX Baked Shadow in Ambrosia

HELLO GORGEOUS! I think you should all know by now that one of my favorite colors is rose gold and it is so in right now, this shadow is the prettiest rose gold color, and I must have it in my life ASAP. These are a new formula so I am not real sure about the application but given that it is NYX I have an idea it will be pretty good quality. 

This comes in about 33 different shades. 

Can be purchased here for $6.00 each

6. NYX Powder Blush in Taupe 

I know this is not a new product but I have watched quite a few videos and read some reviews about how this is a very good contour shade, which I am on the lookout for since my hoola from benefit is running on empty these days and I am not real keen on spending $20+ on a new one when there are so many other products on the market right now. 

Can be purchased here for $5.00

And I have one honorable mention product the Sex

Bomb palette looks super pretty but I have seen some swatches and that beautiful red and shimmery taupe seem to be lacking in the pigmentation department so I am still not sure if it is really something I would pick up, but maybe if I can play with one in person I can decide better. The color scheme is gorgeous though! 

If any of you purchase any of these products please feel free to let me know what you think about them in the comment section below!