40 Question Tag

Hey guys! Sorry I've been so MIA on YouTube. Honestly the only excuse I can give you is I've been working on this blog a lot, and school has been really hectic. Hope I can make it up with the 40 question tag! :) <33

SKINCARE:
How many times do you wash your face daily?

I only wash my face once, and that's right before I go to bed. 

What skin type do you have? 

I have combination skin. It's really weird– like my skin can't make up its mind or something. I get really dry patches on my forehead, really oily on my nose and occasionally on my chin, and get really red and sensitive on my cheeks.

What is your current facial wash? 

I use Biore gel cleanser.

Do you exfoliate?

Only twice a month! I know I should probably do it more than that, but my skin is much too sensitive to do it once or twice a week!

What brand do you use? 

Body Shop seaweed facial pore scrub.

What moisturizer do you use? 

I use a combo at the moment: Noxema Deep Cleansing Cream, and Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion.

Do you have freckles? 

Yep! I don't know why some people try to cover them up with loads of heavy concealer. I think they add a lot of personality to my face! :D

Do you use eye cream? 

I use Clinique All About Eyes.

Do you or did you have acne prone skin? 

I consider myself pretty lucky. I'm not the average pimple-prone teenager with constant severe breakouts. If I do get pimple, I typically get only one or two and most of the time it's caused from a new product I'm using.

Did you ever have to use Proactiv? 

Nope. And even if I did have really severe acne problems, Proactive wouldn't interest me anyway. A lot of really harsh ingredients.

MAKEUP:
What foundation do you use? 

MAC Studio Moisture Tint in Light, and over that I use MAC Studio Careblend Pressed Powder in NW15.

How about concealer? 

MAC Select Coverup in NW15.

Do you know your undertone color? 

Actually I don't. Last time I went to MAC I asked one of the ladies to help me pick a color match, and she said I had pink undertones in my face because of my naturally red cheeks and had yellow undertones in my neck. [...awkward silence...] ANYWAYS, I guess she made up her mind because she ended up matching me to NW15 which actually ended up to be a couple of shades lighter than my natural skintone. Ugh. Sigh.

What do you think of fake eyelashes? 

I think they look really good for special occasions, but I've never actually worn them myself. :)

Did you know that you are supposed to change your mascara every 3 months? 

Yes! But I'm really bad about that. Honestly, I just wait until they dry up and aren't usable until I throw the mascara away. (I know, I know. Bacteria.) :/

What brand of mascara do you use? 

I change day to day, but currently I'm really loving MAC X.

Sephora or MAC?

Sephora only because you can venture out to different brands. :)

Do you have a MAC Pro-card? 

Nope.

What makeup tools do you use in make up application? 

Brushes!

Do you use make-up base/primer for the eyes? 

Yes! Urban Decay Primer Potion, concealer, or MAC paint pots!

For the face? 

I have tried a few, but all have let me down. :(

What is your favorite eyeshadow (color or shade)? 

Hmm... This is so hard! xD But I'd have to say I'm currently loving Clinique's Soft Shimmer, MAC's Shroom, MAC's Femme-Fi (both MAC shadows are similar, but they have different finishes), Too Faced Heaven, Too Faced Silk Teddy, and Too Faced Sexpresso.


Do you use pencil or liquid eyeliner? 

I use pencil on my waterline and sometimes tightline, and gel on my upper lashline.

How often do you poke your eyes with an eyeliner pencil? 

Ha ha ha luckily not very often. : )

What do you think of pigment eyeshadows? 

With a clumsy person like me? Ha. Forget it. :P

Do you use mineral makeup? 

Did once. BareMinerals. Cakey, no coverage at all, insanely yellow-toned... A definite miss.

What is your favorite lipstick? 

Lancome's Edgy. Looks terrifying in the tube, but if you dab it on, you'll have an insanely gorgeous berry lip. : )

How about lipgloss?

At the moment I'm really enjoying Lancome's Hotness Color Fever gloss. Beautiful peachy-pink color.

What is your favorite blush to use? 

MAC's Ladyblush Blushcreme. Ahhhh sooo gorgeousss!

Do you buy your makeup on ebay? 

Never! Can never tell if it's the real deal or not.

Do you like drugstore makeup? 

Yep! I sometimes think the only difference between drugstore and high-end makeup is the price difference.

Do you go to CCO's? (cosmetic company outlets): 

Never been, but want to someday!

Did you ever consider taking make-up classes? 

Why? I have YouTube!

Are you clumsy in putting on makeup? 

Ummmm..... I don't think so lol.

Name a makeup crime that you hate? 

Bronzer overload, concealer lips, crazy filled-in eyebrows, spider lashes, wrong shade of foundation, overdone blush, overdone highlighter (hello greaseball!), bold eye and bold lip... Yuck I could go all day LOL.

Do you like colorful shades of makeup (lipstick, eyeshadow) or neutral ones? 

I wear neutrals on the eyes but I can get colorful on the lips!

Which celebrity always has great make up? 

J-Lo of course, Blake Lively, and Kiera Knightly.

If you could leave the house using just ONE make up item, what would you use? 

Mascara!

Could you ever leave the house without any makeup on? 

Yep! I'm not ashamed of the way I look without makeup on... I just think I look better with it. xD

Do you think you look good even without any makeup on? 

As long as you're smiling, you'll always look good! :DD

In your opinion, what is the BEST makeup line? 

MAC just because of the color ranges, and the quality of products.

What do you think of makeup? 

I think it's fun to buy and use, but I also think some people abuse its power. Hide behind it like it's a crutch for what they're really feeling about themselves.

So I hope you guys enjoyed this tag! See you soon dolls! <33

xoxo

Cassandra

April Favorites 2011

I feel like this month has gone by so fast! One more month until summer baby! :DD Ha ha ha so anyways, I have a lot of products that I have been absolutely loving this month, and would love to share them with you...


Favorites-

Noxema Plus Moisturizers Deep Cleansing Cream- 

I love this stuff! It tightens my skin, makes my skin insanely soft and moisturized, and leaves me with a really clean feeling. The only thing is the smell. I personally don't mind it, but I think the strong medicated scent might bother some people.

MAC X mascara-

This gives a lot of volume to my lashes! Unlike many other MAC mascaras, MAC X's formula is on the drier side which I tend to like better than their other insanely wet formulations.

Too Faced Natural Eye Palette-

Can I say enough good thing about this palette? OMG I love it. All the eyeshadows are incredibly pigmented and gorgeous. So buttery, so smooth, I could go on and on about how wonderful this palette is! Well actually, I guess I love all of the eyeshadow colors except for one: Nude Beach. Seriously, it's not even a color. Just chunky, messy glitter that, even after you wash it off, you find tiny gold sparkles on your face the next morning. But besides this lousy party-pooper, I have not skipped a morning without reaching for one of these beautiful eyeshadow colors. :)

Benefit Posietint-

This is a beautiful, more wearable version of Benetint. Posietint's pink shade looks gorgeous on my cheeks and also on my lips with its obvious, but yet not overwhelming color. I've been absolutely loving this product!

MAC Studio Careblend Pressed Powder in NW15-

On MAC's website, they describe this powder to have a cream-like texture. Ha. Honey, way off. When they say it's cream-like, you expect the powder to be medium to full coverage, and have a velvety texture. Instead, I find this product has more of a lighter coverage, and has more of a drier texture than what it's advertised to have. Despite this, I love this powder because it locks my foundation into place, and blends really nicely into my skin.

MAC Select Coverup in NW15-

This concealer just sinks into your skin, and it lasts all day. It also doesn't cake up when I use it on my under-eye circles which I primarily use this concealer for. I love it!

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion in Original-

I am so glad I waited to buy this product! Kuddos, Urban Decay for repacking this cult-favorite! Mwah!

Stila Smudge Pot in Black-

This product was in my last month's favorites, and it's in this month's as well. This liner doesn't transfer, it just glides onto my lids... I have yet to find a more inexpensive competitor. 

Clinique Superbalm lip treatment-

This product doesn't sink in as fast as I would like, but it leaves a very nice glossy finish which I thoroughly enjoy.

Clinique Eye Contour brush-

This brush is perfect for highlighting. The tiny, rounded shape is the perfect size for getting in those really hard-to-reach areas such as your inner corner. :)

Marc Jacobs Daisy rollerball perfume-

As you guys can probably tell from my previous monthly favorite videos, God did not gift me with the ability to describe scents. So knowing this, you probably will just roll your eyes when I attempt to explain this wonderful perfume. Thus, I will not even attempt to try. ;P 

So I hope you guys enjoyed my April favorites, and I hope you check out my YouTube channel where I do everything from hauls to tutorials! Love you guys!

xoxo

Cassandra

http://www.youtube.com/user/xoxochatterbox?feature=mhum

FOTD 4/27/11

For a long school day, I wanted my makeup to look natural and effortless. :)

Face:

MAC Studio Moisture Tint SPF 15 in Light

MAC Pro Longwear Concealer in NW15

MAC Studio Careblend/ Pressed Powder in Light Plus

Cheeks:

Benefit Posietint (2 dots on cheekbones, blended out)

Benefit High Beam (2 dots on cheekbones, 1 dot on cupids bow, blended out)

Eyes:

Urban Decay Primer Potion

Too Faced Silk Teddy eyeshadow (lid)

Too Faced Velvet Revolver eyeshadow (outer V)

Too Faced Push-Up eyeshadow (crease)

Too Faced Heaven eyeshadow (browbone and inner corner highlight)

MAC Teddy Eye Kohl (upper lashline and tightline)

Maybelline Falsies mascara (2 coats)

Lips:

Benefit Posietint

Stila Smudge Pot in Kitten

(yay for my awkward, purple arm!) :P

It seems all cosmetic companies have one signature, popular color that the public, (or let's get real, here– makeup addicts such as myself), go crazy for. The cult favorite from Stila is called Kitten. Like every other makeup company that has significant success with a particular shade, Stila decided to add Kitten to almost every special edition palette they have ever come out with. Stila has even ventured out of the eyeshadow category, and has gone into marketing Kitten as a lipgloss, a shimmering highlighter, and a gel liner/ cream eyeshadow called a Smudge Pot. With all the hype surrounding Kitten, I decided to purchase a quad of four Smudge Pots from ACW (AllCosmeticsWholesale.com) and test out Stila's bestseller. 

Pros-

*Kitten is a beautiful color– a pinky, golden champagne with lots of gold shimmer. When applied to the lid, Kitten immediately brightens your eyes, and is universally flattering on all skintones.

*Because it's a champagne-y golden color, Stila's Kitten is great to wear no matter what time of the year it is. It's great– Kitten is flattering on everyone, and it's also timeless!

*Stila's Kitten Smudge Pot is a dream to apply. The texture is like whipped butter– it glides effortlessly onto your lids and dries to a powder-like finish. This makes Kitten a great alternative to powder eyeshadow because you can use your fingers to apply it, and you can forget about flimsy, hassling brushes that only slow you down in the morning. Stila's Smudge Pot in Kitten is a great choice if you're running out the door. 

*Although I only have sample sizes of the Smudge Pots, I love how they are packaged. The Smudge Pots are packaged with a plastic, twistable lid, and they have a glass jar on the bottom which holds the product. Since they are in small little jars, the Smudge Pots are easy to take with you for touch-ups throughout the day.

*Stila's Kitten Smudge Pot lasts all day. It doesn't move around on my eyelid (which is a concern because it's cream), and it also doesn't fade. Kitten stays golden and fabulous all day long. :)

Cons-

*Stila's Kitten Smudge Pot is a beautiful color and easy to apply, but sadly, the color is not as opaque as I was it to be. It's quite sheer, sheer enough so that I can see the skin of my eyelid underneath. Maybe it's just me, but shouldn't a cream eyeshadow be thicker than a quick sweep of powder? I don't know... this was quite disappointing.

*Stila's Smudge Pot in Kitten has a lot of gold shimmer in it. Although the shimmer makes the color unique, it is also quite apparent when applied to the lid. Instead of the gorgeous champagne-y color first hitting you, my eyes were immediately drawn to the tiny gold shimmer that looked like an afterthought rather than tastefully laced through the base. Comparing it to MAC's paintpot in Bare Study, (which got the shimmer thing exactly right), Kitten's shimmer looks random and distracting. 

All in all, I find Stila's Kitten Smudge Pot quite appealing. Besides it's opaqueness and random gold shimmer, I'd say this product is a nice addition to my collection. Overall, I give Stila's Smudge Pot in Kitten a 9.5/10 because of its smoothness, its gorgeous color, and its portability.

How to Create Pinky-Nude Lips

My favorite way to create pinky-nude lips? Just three products. :)


Start off with a lip balm for smooth application. I chose a cheapie brand lip balm in Sugared Pear. I applied a generous amount to my lips so my lipstick could glide on smoothly.

The lipstick I chose is a pinky color. This will create the pink undertone to my nude lips. I chose a Maybelline Color Sensational lipstick in 015 Born With It. The color's quite frosty, so blot with a tissue.

To complete any look, of course we need  lipgloss! The lipgloss I chose is a nude-ish pinky color with subtle pink shimmer. It's from MAC, and it's their Lipglass in Budding Romance. I have to tell you– I love this color!

Enjoy this 3-step look. You can easily wear this look year-round, and you're bound to get attention for it. ;)

FOTD 4/7/11

Since it's a windy April day, I wanted to keep my makeup pretty simple and low-key. I had to do a lot of errands today, so I wanted my makeup to also be clean-looking.

Skincare:

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion

Face:

Loreal Studio Secrets Magic Perfecting Base

American Beauty Perfecting Concealer in 02 Light 

Essence Cover Stick in 01 Matte Sand

MAC Select Sheer Pressed powder in NW15

Eyes:

MAC Paintpot in Bare Study (lid)

Maybelline Expert Wear Eyeshadows in Sunbaked Neutrals: light, shimmery malt color (lid)

Maybelline Expert Wear Eyeshadows in Sunbaked Neutrals: matte brown color (crease)

Maybelline Expert Wear Eyeshadows in Sunbaked Neutrals: frosty white color (inner corner highlight)

Revlon Matte Luxurious Kohl Liner in 04 Pure White (browbone and waterline)

Stila Smudge Pot in Black

Loreal Voluminous mascara in Carbon Black (2 coats)

Cheeks:

MAC Blushcreme in Ladyblush

MAC Cream Colour Base in Pearl (cheekbones)

Lips:

Loreal Infallible Never Fail lipgloss in Cherry Blossom

Elf Brightening Eye Colors in Matte Mauve

Elf cosmetics is notorious on YouTube for their amazingly low prices– $1.00 to $3.00. Equally amazed by Elf’s prices, I fell for the hype, and purchased a Brightening Eye Color quad in Matte Mauve. I mean, who doesn’t want to save a few bucks? Here are my thoughts on the eyeshadow quad:

Pros-

*Elf’s prices are amazing. Paying $1.00 for an eyeshadow quad is pretty phenomenal! I like how their makeup doesn’t suck up my hard-earned money.

*Elf’s Brightening Eye Color quad in Matte Mauve are really wearable colors. A light peachy-pink, a pinky berry, a deep cranberry maroon, and a light caramel color are the perfect shades to wear day-to-day. These colors are also perfect for all ages and are universally flattering on all skintones and eye colors.

*Although some might disagree, I like how the product is packaged. Elf’s quad is in a plastic, compact container that is see-through so you can see the eyeshadow colors inside. The quad also has a thin mirror on the bottom of the compact, located where you would normally see a sponge eyeshadow applicator. This makes Elf’s Brightening Eye Colors easy to take on-the-go, and convenient to throw inside your purse or handbag.

Cons-

*Besides the deep, cranberry maroon color, Elf’s Brightening Eye Colors in Matte Mauve are not highly pigmented. You really have to work your finger into the shadows in order for there to be at least minimal pay-off, and working with a brush?– Forget it.

*Elf’s quad in Matte Mauve is virtually impossible to blend into the shape you want your eyeshadows to be in. No matter what brush you try to apply it with, no matter what brush you try to blend it out using, the only rearrangement these eyeshadows seem to morph into is fallout on your cheeks.

*Speaking of fallout, this eyeshadow quad has an extremely chalky texture. This results in colored powder flaking onto your cheeks throughout the day. Despite this quad’s portability, it is not realistic to simply take out when you’re running out the door because it’s what I like to call a “high maintenance product.” I say this because of the pigmentation, the blending difficulty, and the eyeshadow’s messy fallout.

Even though Elf’s Brightening Eye Colors in Matte Mauve didn’t put a dent in my wallet, this eyeshadow quad was still pretty disappointing for me. Elf is advertised on YouTube to have great, pigmented products, but while this quad is incredibly inexpensive, the pigmentation and the quality of these eyeshadows are not worth the money you pay. I give this eyeshadow quad a 3.5/10 overall because of the lack of pigmentation, and the lack of quality.

Loreal Infallible Never Fail Lipgloss in Cherry Blossom

It’s not sticky at all? It stays all day? It smells delicious? The price is excellent?! I think everyone has heard of Loreal’s new line, the Infallible lipglosses. The name alone boasts about its brilliance, so I decided to purchase this product off of ACW (AllCosmeticsWholesale.com) to see if it lived up to its name– “Infallible”.

Pros-

*Loreal’s Infallible ligloss in Cherry Blossom is an unbelievable color– it is a beautiful peachy-pink with very fine gold shimmer. In some lighting, Cherry Blossom appears to be peach, but I think the gold shimmer gives the gloss an advantage in coloring.

*Loreal’s Infallible Never Fail lipgloss has the classic packaging drugstore lip products usually have– a rectangle, twistable top and a rectangular, plastic tube that holds the product. The cool thing about the Infallible lipglosses though, is that the twistable top has a mirror on it. This makes it easy to look at your lips after you applied the lipgloss, making sure you applied it correctly.

*Loreal’s Infallible liglosses have a really unique applicator. The same as Lancome’s glosses, Loreal decided to make their wand in a triangular shape. Because there is an empty spot inside the triangle, the lipgloss catches in the space. This makes applying the gloss easier because it controls how much gloss you want on your lips. The more pressure you put on the wand, the heavier the gloss applies, making this product a breeze to take on-the-go.

*Although this is personal preference, I really like the consistency of Loreal’s Infallible gloss. When applied, the gloss goes on quite smooth, and it’s really easy to rub your lips together. But I’ve noticed the longer the gloss stays on your lips, the tackier it becomes. The closest I can compare the stickiness to is MAC’s Tinted Lipglasses. I think Loreal formulated the product this way to make the gloss stay on your lips longer because the stickier a lipgloss is, the longer it stays. I don’t mind the stickiness too much, but I really think it depends on your personal preference.

*Again this is based on personal preference, but I think the price is great. Compared to a MAC Lipglass which costs $14.50, and has 0.17 oz, the Infallible glosses have 0.21 oz, and costs $9.99. Less money and more product? Loreal’s Infallible glosses are the way to go!

Cons-

*After Cherry Blossom is on your lips for a while and the gloss is nearly gone, fine, gold shimmer stays on your lips. For me, it’s pretty uncomfortable to rub my lips together and feel tiny grains of glitter. It doesn’t look cute, either– it looks like you got excited at Michael’s Arts and Crafts.

*Loreal Infallible lipglosses have a very distinctive odor to them. To me, it seems like Loreal tried to make the gloss smell like vanilla, but ultimately failed. I think this because after you smell the vanilla, a pungent, thick, sour smell is followed closely after, filling up your nose. The scent is a complete turn-off for me, especially when I apply it to my lips.

*Although I like the lipglosses’ packaging, the twistable, mirrored part becomes quite unattractive after continual use. Because of the top’s plastic-y material, fingerprints become apparent, and the product ends up looking a little gross. This cheapens the product, and is makes it look like an old Victoria’s Secret lipgloss from when you were seven.

All in all, I really enjoy using Loreal’s Infallible lipgloss in Cherry Blossom. Although the smell and leftover residue is a turn-off for me, I think this lipgloss line is something to take interest in. I don’t think this lipgloss stays 6 hours like it’s advertised to do, but I do think it’s a lot better than other higher-end lipglosses I’ve tried. Overall, I give Loreal’s Infallible lipgloss in Cherry Blossom an 8.5/10 because of the gorgeous color, the consistancy, and the price.