Blog Anniversary/ 150 Followers Giveaway!

Hello Everyone!

In April I celebrated one full year of blogging. I honestly didn't know if I was going to be able to keep it up for a year or if I would enjoy it. Honestly, looking back on it, blogging has been absolutely amazing. Not only have I been able to share my love for beauty but I have also made a lot of new connections. It is cool to be able to read reviews from people all around the world. The beauty blogging community is absolutely lovely! Everyone is always so nice. Also this past week, I hit 150 followers on Bloglovin'. I could not believe that there are 150 people who actually read by blog! I am also at almost 25000 page views. That number looks absolutely nuts to me! Because of all these awesome things that have been happening to my blog, I thought it was time to hold my first giveaway! This is just a big thank you for everyone who has read my blog, followed or even just clicked on my page. You can enter through the Rafflecopter form below :) I hope you enjoy and thank you once again!

This giveaway will run for three weeks and is opened worldwide.

The winner of this giveaway will receive this cute little Forever 21 Make Up with a few goodies inside! This goodies include an ELF All Over Color Stick in Pink Lemonade, ELF Small Stipple Brush (Review Here), Forever 21 Arrow Ring, Forever 21 Tweezers in Tribal Print and lastly Forever 21 Perfect Manicure in Tribal Print. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: The Body Shop Lip Butters in Shea, Coconut and Mango

Hello everyone!

I hope you've been enjoying the nice weather. I think I actually got a bit of a tan over the weekend!  With the hot summer weather and working all day at the pool, my lips end up really dry a lot. I always have at least two or three chapsticks in my purse. I went into TJ Maxx the other day (as always) and I came by this little trio by The Body Shop for $5.99. I thought this was an awesome deal because these kind of lip butter trios are normally around $14.00. The three that come in here are the Shea Lip Butter, Coconut Lip Butter and the Mango Lip Butter.

The packaging is adorable. It came in a little candy wrapper looking box and the tubs themselves are so cute! They look exactly like the body butter tubs except they are mini. These all smell absolutely amazing. I think if I had to pick a favorite, I would go with mango just because anything mango is automatically a favorite with me. The other two smell amazing too. They are all very summer scents. As for the formula, these go on just like butter. They are super smooth and very hydrating. I really like how you can feel them soak into your lips and hydrate. I hate when chap sticks just sit on top of the lips. These definitely give long lasting results.

Overall, these are perfect for the summer! They are super easy to through into your purse and they are perfect summer scents. Definitely give them a try if you can find them on a sale!

Lots of Love,
Rena 

Review: E.L.F. Small Stipple Brush

I have found my new holy grail brush. I never thought I would find one I like as much as the Real Techniques Setting Brush but here I am with one I love equally. The ELF Small Stipple Brush has not left my make up bag since I got it a few weeks ago. I found it at TJ Maxx for $2.49 and honestly who can say no to that price?! It is an amazing multi purpose brush. I feel like ELF brushes are always either hits or misses. They are either really soft and work amazing or shed like crazy. The Small Stipple Brush is the best brush I have ever tried from ELF. It is super soft and does not shed at all. It is also very vertical because of its size. I have used it for contouring, highlighting, brush and for foundation. It is very dense so it is great for buffering products in. I think my favorite use for it is contouring. It fits perfectly into the hallows of my cheeks and on my temples. I highly recommend you guys check this brush out! It is definitely as good as some expensive high end ones but like an eighth the price. 

What is your current favorite brush? 

Lots of Love, 

Rena 

First Attempt Prom Hair

Hello Everyone!
My sister is going to her first prom this coming up Thursday (very exciting!). I am doing her hair and make up as well as a few of her friends. Yesterday, we did a little trail and error with the hair looks and I am really happy with how they came out. I never really done special occasion hair before especially not up dos. I thought it would be nice to share what they ended up looking like. I am definitely going to be doing a post about the prom make up after Thursday! Let me know what you think!

For my sister, I did three waterfall braids on one side and a single one of the other side then I loose curled the rest of her hair. 

On my sister's friend's hair, I did a messy curly up do with a few pieces in the front. 

I am so excited to do full make up and hair for prom. The make up is going to be so much fun because they all are going for different looks. Cannot wait to share it all with you guys!

What do you think of the hair?

Lots of Love,
Rena 

Dupe Alert: NYX Cottage Cheese and Rimmel ScandalEYES Witness White

 Left to Right: Witness White, Cottage Cheese

Hello Everyone!

Recently I have been finding a lot of dupes in my make up collection. To me, this is kind of surprising because when I bought these products, I did not expect them to be dupes! However, it is nice having products to compare and see which ones I prefer. TOday, I have NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in 608 Cottage Cheese and Rimmel ScandalEYES Eye Shadow Stick in 001 Witness White. I have had Cottage Cheese for a while now (probably 5 or 6 months) but Witness White is a new one for me. I have a few of the Rimmel ScandalEYES Eye Shadow Sticks so I already knew I enjoyed the formula when i got Witness White. You can find both of these at Ulta for $4.49 each.

For the color, I find them pretty much identical! They are both pearly whites. Witness White has a little bit more of a shimmer to it but on the lids, they look exactly the same. I was so surprised I just noticed how alike they are. They do differ in formula however. I find that Witness White goes on a lot smoother, creases much less and lasts longer than Cottage Cheese. Although I love Cottage Cheese, I have myself reaching for Witness White more often. As for packaging, they are both chubby sticks. Cottage Cheese is a little bit chubbier but it really does not make a difference. Overall, they are both lovely products and both are very budget friendly. I have found myself to prefer the Rimmel ScandalEYES but for $4.49,they are both amazing.

Have you tried both? Which one do you prefer?

Lots of Love,
Rena 

Product Spotlight: Maybelline Color Whisper

Top to Bottom: 15, 80, 55, 40

Hello everyone!

I remember around this time last year when lip butters were suddenly becoming all the rage. Every company had their own version of them and there were so many different colors. Recently, I was looking through all my lip products when I realized I owned four of the Maybelline Color Whisper. I totally forgot how much I loved them. Because of this, I decided it was time to do a proper review on them.

I think these are amazing for the summer because they are so buttery and go on so smoothly. They are really easy to toss into your purse on the go. Just like with most lip butters, the lasting power is not amazing but they give a good two hours if you are not eating or drinking. However, they are really easy to apply without a mirror so I don't mind that. They are basically a hybrid of a lip balm and a lipstick because they are really moisturizing but still give a bit of color. Some of these definitely give more color than others.

One Size Fits Pearl #55 gives a really light pink color which in the swatch on my arm is not even noticeable. On the lips, however, it gives a nice sudden pink tone. I think this is great for everyday wear and for school. Orange Attitude #40 is bright tangerine orange. I really like this over my Maybelline Vivid Lipstick in 885 Vibrant Mandarin because together they give the perfect bright orange lip. Made It Mauve #80 is a deep berry color but it is still really glossy and easy to wear. Lastly is Some Like It Taupe #15 which first off has the coolest name and is a nice light taupe color. They are all super glossy which is awesome for the summer. I prefer matte lipsticks in the fall and winter but in the spring and summer, I think glossy lips look really nice.

Have you tried these out?

Lots of Love,
Rena 

FOTD: Rimmel Summer Chic

Hello Everyone!

Just a quick face of the day post today. I've been loving the Rimmel Glam Eyes Trio in 650 Summer Chic (review here). It is so easy to use and gives an amazing look. You can use it for a day look or a night look depending on how smokey you want to make it. I also been looking the Tarte Amazonian Clay 12 HR Foundation (review here) . I've been breaking out and this does a really good job covering and it lasts all day!

FOTD: 

Products: 

Tarte Amazonian Clay 12 HR Full Coverage Foundation in Light Medium Sand 

Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer in 230 Very Fair/ Light 

Bourjois Bronzing Powder

Benefit High Beam

Rimml Stay Matte Powder

The Balm Hot Mama Blush 

Rimmel 650 Summer Chic 

Maybelline Color Tatto in 70 Barely Branded 

Rimmel ScandelEYES in 005 Nude 

Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner 

Benefit Gimme Brow

CoverGirl LashBlast Volume 

NYX Mega Shine Lip Gloss in Nude Pink 

Rimmel Moisture Renew in Nude Delight 

Lots of Love,

Rena 

Spring Blush Picks

T to B: Skinny Dipping, Terra Cotta and Posietint

Hello Everyone!

 I recently did a top lipstick picks for spring (Read Here) so I thought why not stick with the theme and do a top spring blush picks as well. There are three blushes that have really been standing out to me so far this spring. I definitely feel like I will keep using them into the summer as well. They are all totally different but all perfect for this time of year! They are NYX Powder Blush in Terra Cotta, Benefit Posietint and Hard Candy Fox in a Box in Skinny Dipping.

NYX Powder Blush in Terra Cotta: I am a huge fan of NYX Powder Blushes. They are amazing quality and very wallet friend at around 5 dollars at Ulta. Terra Cotta has been my go to blush on days I want really bronze dewy skin. It does a great job of adding a bit of shimmer to your skin without looking sparkly. It is a perfect bronze toned shimmery blush with a hint in coral in it.

Benefit Posietint: I have the mini version of this but honestly I feel like it is going to last me forever because a little bit goes a long way. With the weather warming up, I feel like I am finding myself using more cream and liquid products. This liquid blush is a pretty poppy barbie pink color.  This stuff lasts all day! I can put it on at 10 am and when I come home at 7 pm it still looks amazing. It definitely going to be perfect when it gets really hot outside.

Hard Candy Fox in a Box in Skinny Dipping: This is a two sided blush with one being a really bright coral and the other being a dusty deep rose color. My favorite way to wear this is by mixing the two with a big fluffy brush. The combination color is a perfect rosy coral tone. I like this when I have brown eye shadows and a nude lip on. It is a great way to add a pop of color. You can find this at walmart for 6 dollars so it is a steal!

What are you favorite spring blushes?

Lots of Love,
Rena

Make Up Look: Modern 60's

Hello Everyone!
 Today I am going to share a make up look I did a few weeks ago. I was browsing through Pinterest when I came by a modern twiggy look. This inspired me to do my own take on the 1960's make up look. I hope you enjoy!

The Look: 

The Products: 

I just realized this whole look is drugstore brands! You can find all these products at Ulta Beauty (besides Jordana which you can get at Walgreens!). 

Essence Eyeshadow in 03 Starlight ($2.49)

L'oreal Lineur Intense in Carbon Black ($8.99)

Rimmel Soft Kohl Eyeliner in 061 Jet Black ($3.99)

NYX Glam Liner Aqua Luxe in Glam Lagoon  ($5.49)

Jordana 12 HR Made to Last Eyeshadow Pencil in 06 Aqua Last (Walgreens, $3.99)

CoverGirl LashBlast Volume (forgot to include in picture, $8.99)

I applied Starlight by Essence all over my lid up to the brow. Then in my crease I followed the natural curve of my lid with NYX Glam liner. Using the L'oreal Lineur Intense, I created a dramatic wing. Next, I lined my water and tight line with Rimmel's Soft Kohl eyeliner in Jet Black. On my lower lash line, I used Jordana Eyeshadow Pencil in Aqua Last for an extra pop of color. I finished it all of with a few layers of the CoverGirl LashBlast Mascara. 

Lots of Love, 

Rena 

Dupe Alart: MAC Impassioned and Rimmel Kate Moss 06

Hello Everyone!

 I feel like all bloggers (and girls in general) are always trying to find drugstore products that are similar to  those of high end products. I mean who doesn't love to save a few bucks? I've seen so many NARS Orgasm dupes and MAC Russian Red dupes out in the lovely world of the internet. Dupes are definitely really nice to have around. In April I popped in CVS when Rimmel was buy one, get one free! So of course I had to get myself some Rimmel. I ended up with a ScandalEYES Eye Crayon and a Kate Moss Lipstick in 06. The first time I wore this lipstick, I knew it reminded me a lot of a different lipstick I had. Finally I put the two together and realized that Rimmel Kate Moss Lipstick in 06 is a dupe for MAC Impassioned.

top to bottom: Mac, Rimmel

MAC Impassioned in a bit more cool toned than Rimmel 06 but besides that I didn't see much of a difference. I really like the formula of both lipsticks and they are both long wearing. Plus they both smell amazing. If you had checked the Rimmel Kate Moss Lipstick in 06, I highly recommend you do!

Loves of Love,
Rena