Makeup and Beauty Products

Hi guys.

I writing this to let you all know whats been going on with me.
As you all know my family and I have moved. The move itself went well, but life has taken a turn for the worst. Things aren't going to well for us right now and I probably shouldn't be sharing this with you guys, but it is my blog and I can say what ever I want.

I do think of my blog, my YouTube channel and all of you wonderful people.
But the truth is my mind is going in seven directions at one time, I am not as focused as I used to be on the things that made me happy Like this blog. I miss posting everyday, I miss interacting with all of you.

I am not saying this because I want pity, I am saying this because I have to let it out.
MAKEUP! Have to say that every now and then this is a beauty blog after all.

I am not giving up or throwing in the towel, I love this too much to let it go.

I guess I am writing this to let someone, anyone know that you need to be thankful everyday for what you have. Life is short and it moves faster then you think. Everything you know can be taken away in a heart beat and not only are you confused of where to start, but also how to start rebuilding a life you have lived for so long.

MAKEUP! BEAUTY PRODUCTS!

You look at yourself in the mirror and you wonder who is the person staring back at you. Where did she go?
The grass isn't always greener on the other side, sometimes there is no grass.

And you keep going, you keep chipping away, never giving up. Waiting for that moment of clarity hoping you don't snap before it arrives. And then you have to be the strong one telling every one it will be okay, because you don't want them to worry, when in reality you don't really know, you don't have all the answers.

Just because something looks pretty and more inviting doesn't mean it will be all those things.

I am not going anywhere. I am still here.
I just have to figure out how I am going to get through this in one piece.

Sorry for the rambling,
Laurie M.

All I Want For Christmas Tag

My girl Micaylah at Beautiful Jewel created this tag. How smart is that! Go check out this rising star!!

T H E Q U E S T i O N S :

1.) If you received a $1,000 gift card for Christmas, would you want it to be to Sephora or Ulta?

Answer: Sephora! I love it there, the smell of it, the look of it. It is truly my happy place :) If I got a $1,000 gift card there I would just die and never make into the store haha!

2.) What foundation would you NOT be thrilled about receiving for Christmas?

Answer: I don't even know! haha. I guess something that would be heavy and cakey like. eww.

3.) If you had to choose one Naked Palette to receive for Christmas which one would it be? Basics, 1, 2, or 3. 

Answer: I have naked 2. I would go for Basics I am a sucker for mattes! (drool)

4.) What's the first beauty product on your Christmas Wishlist?

Answer: OMG! wow I really want those hourglass highlighter compact thingy. That would make me very very happy :)

5.) What do you plan on buying yourself for Christmas? Come on, we all do it! 

Answer: Hourglass Ambient lighting thingy ma bob.

6.) What have you been buying from Starbucks this Holiday season?

Answer: Okay you can throw rocks at me, but I am not a Starbucks girl. Sowy.

7.) What are you planning on giving a family member, boyfriend, best friend, etc. for Christmas this year?

Answer: I have no clue! what I want to give and what I do give are two different things haha!

8.) How detailed do you make your Christmas Wishlist?

Answer: Makeup, Makeup, Makeup, Oh and Makeup :)

9.) Giving or Receiving? Why?

Answer: I love giving. I just love seeing peoples faces when they get gifts just fills my heart, best feeling in the world.

10.) What does Christmas mean to you?

Answer: Family, friends especially my kids. The house, presents food and just that warm loving feeling you get on Christmas morning its the best. 

Thanks Micaylah for the awesome tag!

Thanks for reading and have a great day!

Urban Decay Naked Skin Beauty Balm

Did you ever wish there was a product that could boost the benefits of your favorite foundation?

Or maybe, just maybe make your skin look so good you didn't need foundation?

Well say hello to your new best friend the Urban Decay Naked Skin Beauty Balm.

This Formula is light weight liquid formula applies easily to the skin.

Has that familiar scent all Urban Decay fans know.

Finishes with a sheer coverage, leaving your skin feel natural.

Diffuses the appearance of pores and blemishes.

Brightens the look of skin for a more awake look.

This product can be worn as a primer before foundation to help give you that truly flawless look.

Or it can be worn alone over moisturizer to give you that nice finished look on the daily.

It does have a sheer finish, but you can layer it without feeling that caked on feeling.

Not only is this product good at hiding flaws it helps heal them over time!

• Perfects: Optical blurring pigment instantly evens out skin tone and minimizes pores, 

lines, wrinkles and redness.

• Protects: SPF 20 shields skin from sun damage and Pepha®-Protect helps inhibit DNA damage.

• Treats: Vitasource™ and dGlyage® firm skin, improve elasticity and provide measurable anti-aging benefits.

• Primes: Extremely blend-able formula creates a smooth finish so makeup goes on beautifully and stays put.

• Hydrates: Moisturizing but never greasy, Naked Skin Beauty Balm hydrates skin instantly and improves hydration over time.

This Product Deserves a Golden Squid!

Wearing

Urban Decay Naked Skin Beauty Balm alone no foundation.

Have you tired this product yet and what are your thoughts?

Thanks for reading and have a great day!

Beautiful Envy Chapter 3

Beautiful Envy

Chapter 3

Bumble and Bumble were discussing their next meal options, Bumble and Bumble take their meals quiet seriously and Ulta knew this conversation could take hours, hours she did not have to spare. "How can I get to Nars without a Kompaqt?" She said as she walked up to them. Both of their eyes widened and they both remembered the yummy delicacies that are seldomly seen outside of Nars. "We don't know." They replied in unison something they often did. "Listen, I will hurt you and cause much pain, I don't have time for this." She said through her clenched teeth.

"Why do you want to go without your Kompaqt?" They asked in a whisper. Everyone knows you cannot travel through Tarte without a Kompaqt these days. Since the great Battle of Revlon, Urban Decay Declared it necessary for every person to carry their Kompaqt with them at all times, just in case of an uprising from the Violent Lips. Kompaqts Help The Urban Decay keep track of all souls on Tarte at any time, it is also The primary source of communication these days.

"That's none of your business." she replied looking over her shoulder, making sure no one was listening.
"okay, no harm meant Ulta." "You will need to go underground for that and that would mean talking to a tracker, the only tracker we know is Ben Nye."

Ulta had a wave of memories wash over her at the mention of the name Ben Nye.

"Ulta!" she snapped from her daze. "lets go, I am done here." Said Tom Ford as he was leaving one of the many market stalls that were scattered about the center of town.

"Did you find what you were looking for?" he asked as they began their walk home.
"Unfortunately, yes I did." she said with a deep breath.

Bumble and Bumble shouts over bacon or turkey for lunch fading behind them.

Ben Nye, huh? thought Ulta. I wonder how that will go? Is he still angry? He can't be, can he?


Chapter 1 Chapter 2

If you have any brands you would like to have included into the storyline
let me know in the comments below.

Thank you for reading and have a great day!

Why do I need a skin Care Routine?

I wake up in my sisters Manhattan apartment after a last minute decision to spend the night at her place. Coffee is cooking. She is feeding the baby, which is great because neither my husband or I have had a break in over 4 months. I go into the bathroom and look at myself and see this mess of a woman staring back at me.

How do I fix this? How will I feel like me again without all my normal products? Fear sets in. Do I tell my husband we need to go home asap? Do I make a quick run to the drugstore for sample sizes?

No, I will ask my sister if she has anything I could use. Wrong!! She tells me shes doesnt have anything and that she uses her bath oil to take her makeup off!! Is this woman adopted? Did we exit the same womb?

I tell her she needs to start or she will cry for the rest of her life is she doesn't start using the proper products for her face. Why? she asks. Do  you not watch T.V or read magazines?

Woman start to crack and get all wrinkly around our age so its time to start!

So once again I am inspired by my beautiful but strange sister. I am going to break down what products women should use and why. Hopefully she will read this post and get on the ball.

Cleansing Device: There are hundreds of thousands of devices out there that help cleanse your face.
GET ONE! There are cheaper alternatives, but I have been in love with my Clarisonic Mia for about 3 years now and I ain't never going back.

Facial cleanser: This is something that should be gentle, but tough enough to take the day off your face.
I love Purity by Philosophy. It takes my makeup off and leaves my skin feeling soft and cleansed. I also use this to clean my makeup brushes. It is on the pricey side at $10 a bottle.

Daily Exfoliant: Now, I am not saying to scrap your face everyday. But I do like a good daily scrubbing. I have adult acne and I feel this scrubbing has helped keep it at bay. I use the Clean and Clear Deep Action Exfoliating Scrub.

Antibacterial Soap: This is Optional, but with my cystic acne I did have, I feel this helped my out a lot! This gets deep down in there and clears up and bacteria they may be making a home on my face! I use the Noxzema Triple Clean Anti-Bacterial Lathering Cleanser. it is a bit drying, but I need this in my life as I do have oily spots.

Facial Toner: Toners help cleanse the skin as well as shrink the appearance of pores. I use the Dickinsons Witch Hazel Pore Perfecting Toner. Applied with a cotton pad, ball or even a bounty not rubbed but patted on, I honestly will never go without a toner of some sort. It just aint right!

Serum: Now you can apply a moisturizer after your toner, but I promise you. You will never feel the same after you used a serum. They are magical liquids that make your face feel like pure love. All tight and firm, like you are sealing in all that goodness from your washing and scrubbing. Serums help with fine lines, age spots, skin pigmentation. Serums act more quickly than a cream or moisturizer ever could. I am now rotating between 3 at the moment. Two of which I will review soon.

Moisturizer: Moisture. Thats what it does. As we get older we lose our moisture in our bodies and these moisturizers replace what we lose everyday, thats where the lines and wrinkles come in. Babies have a lot of moisture that why their skin is so soft so smooth and ours isn't. I am jealous of babies. Currently I am using Clean and Clear Dual Action Moisturizer. It has acne fighting stuff in it and I like the cool sensation on my face.

Eye Cream: These creams are made for your gentle eye area to hydrate and moisturize them. There are a bagillion out there, so find one that suits your needs. I am currently rotating through 3 of them.

Liz a friend and fellow blogger did a review on one of the eye creams I am using you can find her review here Merlot Grape Seed Eye Cream. The other I did a review on here Garnier Nutritioniste Ultra-Lift Anti-Wrinkle Firming Eye Cream. The third you will just have to come back and check it out soon!


Okay, So that's all I have to say about that. Until My sister says something crazy again!

Do you have a family member like this also?
Did I leave anything out?


Thanks for reading and have a great day!

SmashBox Pro The Master Class Palette II

The phone rings. I answer knowing its my youngest sister who lives in Manhattan. She tells me she wanted some new makeup and stops by Sephora, which is right around the corner from her. Did I tell you I hate my sister? 

She is also the most anti makeup person I know, her beauty stash consists of a bronzer, concealer, eye liner, mascara and a Sephora brush set that came out like 6 years ago. Her lipstick is that Nivea shimmer lip balm thingy and thats it, Period. She keeps all these items in a MAC makeup bag I gave her like 4 years ago, so you get the picture. 

"I didn't know what to get in there, so I got this SmashBox kit thing, is that any good"?

First I asked God why he gives people things they themselves will never understand or appreciate LOL!

Then I ask "What does it say"? She tell me its The SmashBox Pro Master Class Palette and I quote "It comes with all these things and I don't know what to do with them". 

I tell her not to return it that she holds pure gold in her hands and that I will be there in a few day to show her how to use all those things that seem to be confusing her. 

She calls me the next day and tells me that she went back to Sephora and picked up a extra palette for me!!

Did I tell you I love my sister?

So here we are, I present to you 

The SmashBox Pro Master Class Palette II

The Casing is a sturdy dull silver patent leather type finish. 

Finger prints are a problem and don't really go away even if wiped down.

The Palette Boasts a whopping 28 colors of eye shadows.

4 cream liners, 3 blushes, 3 bronzers and 2 highlights and a get the look card (not Pictured)

The color payoff is amazing, there are wonderful transition colors both dark and light.

There are beautiful sparkly colors perfect for a evening out, with the holidays right around the corner I know this will be my go to palette. Some of the and I mean just about 4 of the 28 don't show up on my skin tone, but these colors are perfect for blending out. I love that the shimmers are not overdone and the mattes are deep and rich. You can literally use this palette a million times and never have the same look twice.

The Blushes are very smooth and go on sheer for a nice wash of color, they compliment your skin rather then over it with a dusty powder, which is something I love in a good blush. The two highlighters are amazing they are truly everything a highlighter should be and will work great with any skin tone.

Blushes

Highlighters

                  

The 4 cream liners are great for bases and liners as well. The colors are Black, Navy, Purple and Gold. The black isn't as dark as I would like but as a base it's perfect. These are very pigmented however they will come off quickly if not set, So I only use them as a base and not a liner. 

A little goes a long way with them and I liked that they applied smooth and easy.

These are some of the looks I have created using this amazing palette.

Special Thanks to my sister for purchasing this wonderful Palette for me :)

This Palette Retails for $59.00 ($275 value) at SEPHORA.COM

Have you tried this Palette yet?

Thanks for reading and have a great day!

Double Duty Product for Eyes and Lips!

I love me some double duty products, I mean who doesn't love a product that can benefit you in two ways?
I know I do. If you are like me and love to save on money with these types of products check out the post that started it all here.

Garnier Nutritioniste Ultra-Lift Anti-Wrinkle Firming Eye Cream

Drugstore.com says:

Garnier Ultra-Lift Anti-Wrinkle Firming Eye Cream with Pro-Retinol from nature works to firm wrinkles and fine lines around the eyes, while being gentle on skin.  Instantly:  Gently smoothes and softens the delicate eye area.  In 2 weeks:  The eye area is noticeably firmer and crow's feet, fine lines and wrinkles are visibly lifted.  With continued use:  The eye area is noticeably lifted, more resilient, and healthy looking.  Garnier Ultra-Lift Anti-Wrinkle Firming Eye Cream is ophthalmologist tested for safety, non-comedogenic (won't clog pores), gentle to skin, allergy tested, and non-greasy.

I love this eye cream it goes on so smooth and silky and really hydrates my dry eye area. I have noticed that my crows feet are no longer a big issue as they used to be. I am not saying its a miracle product the feet are still there, they just aren't at noticeable as they used to be, by my standards at least.

I also use this product on my lips, yes you heard me right. I apply the tiniest amount to my lips after I have applied this to my eyes.

The Company recommends that this product is not to be eaten or swallowed. So I just a apply a very thin coat. 

I have to say that I have seen great results with the product on my lips, They are more soft and the fine lines in my lips have all but disappeared, they have a nice smooth feel to them.

This product has made me happy in two ways!! So I will add him to the list of other double duty products I love :)

I don't know if this works with any other eye creams, but I will be trying this out with other eye creams.

Have you heard or tried this method on your lips before? Let me know!

Thanks for reading and have a great day!