My favorite lipstick

Hi!!

Don't you just love that feeling of purchasing a new lipstick... its so shiny and new and it just looks so pretty! I love trying out new shades and collecting lipsticks but I think we all have that one lipstick in our collection that is our go-to, the one that makes you feels the prettiest, that complements your completion perfectly, right?

If you don't have one lipstick that you just love I would really recommend you go out and experiment and find your lipstick soul mate. A lipstick that you can wear with your everyday makeup that will help you look effortlessly beautiful and put together. Something that complements your skin tone and complexion and that looks naturally beautiful. 

Which is my lipstick soul mate?! I don't even have to think twice!

The Chanel Rouge Allure  in number 129, Surprenante! Luminous Intense Lip Colour!

This lipstick is so smooth yet rich in color. The formula is great for your everyday-any time makeup that looks naturally beautiful. If you are on the hunt for a lipstick that you can just grab and go I really recommend this collection. I have been buying this lipstick for years, and even though I have found so many that I like, this just keeps being my #1 year after year. 

Which is your favorite lipstick?

AB

My Blown Beautiful Experience

Hi!!!

Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!

Yesterday was my birthday! So I am happy to report my weekend was wonderful :)

I will write a post about what I actually did on my birthday and show you some pictures but today I wanted to share with you my first experience at a blow dry bar. 

I have seen so many of these blow dry bars open all over town and have seen so many bloggers and beauty/fashion lovers checking them out that I decided I had to go investigate one of this salons myself. I booked an appointment at Blown Beautiful. They have two locations in San Antonio; I decided to go to the one in Alamo Heights. Saturday night I had  plans to go out with some friends to celebrate my birthday. I thought it was the perfect day for pampering and for big, extra pretty hair! I have to admit I was so excited about this appointment.

When I got to the salon it was pretty quiet; it was only me and another lady getting her hair done, which I liked. I don't like when the salon is super packed and everyone is just running around. First step was shampoo. My stylist did a little massage when she was shampooing and conditioning, which was very nice. After that she offered a deep conditioning treatment but I decided not to do it that day. When she was done we went over to her station. I told her I just wanted a simple haircut; I wanted to keep my hair long but cut enough to get rid of the split ends and make it look healthier. She was pretty quick I have to say. I really liked that she took the time to go over some pictures in magazines to make sure she knew exactly what I wanted. 

Step 3 was a the blow dry. I had requested the shampoo+cut+signature blow dry package. I usually blow dry my hair and curl it  to achieve a wavy look and this is what I wanted that day as well; I was surprised the signature blow dry did not include curling. I had to pay $10 extra for her to curl my hair. The blow dry was ok but the curling I have to say I was not a fan of. It was just too curly and too "made up". I like my hair to look natural and flowy and this looked just like too much hairspray and  a little up-do-ish (if that makes any sense). What I really did not like was the way she did the front of my hair but I always hate how they style it at any salon;I usually have to fix it when I get home. 

The overall look was ok. I was happy with it but I was not impressed. I think I could have done the exact same or better myself at home. The haircut was good; she did a good job capturing the length and style I wanted but again, nothing special. I think I like the way my regular stylist cuts it better. 

My honest opinion is this: 

If you are feeling lazy one day or just feel like having a pampering day - do it. It's fun and relaxing and hey, who doesn't like to get their hair done right? But really if you know how to style your hair and you are good at it I really don't see the point. Why pay $35ish dollars for a look that you can achieve by yourself! Now... if you don't know how to style your hair or you are just no good at it then yeah, definitely its a good option for you! I have some friends that just do not know how to style their hair and I would recommend these salons for them.

 They also offer up-dos and braids; I am not a fan of up-dos but I definitely want to go and let them try a nice braid on my hair. I will let you know how that goes. 

Have you liked these blow dry bars?

AB

The Big Easy

Hi!!

And so a new week begins.... wait... a new MONTH! 

I can't believe it is February! 

Where did January go?! I feel like I just came back from Christmas break. I just hate when time goes by so fast. Plus my bday is coming up and I just get weird lately instead of excited.... 

wrinkles stay away!!

This weekend I did a little cleaning and organizing and realized I had so many makeup samples! Truth is, if the samples are small I tend to never reach for them. I like the cute samples that look like the actual product but a mini version... they work great for when you are carrying a small handbag or when you travel. The tiny samples on the other hand just seem to accumulate in the drawer. So, in  an effort to try new things (and maybe find the fountain of youth-makeup) I decided to try the Benefit's Big Easy Foundation sample. 

The Big Easy Foundation is supposed to balance moisture and control oil, which in theory would be the perfect foundation for my since I have dry/combination skin. This makes it sooo hard for me to find a good foundation I like that doesn't feel dry, looks cakey and that does not make me oily and shiny. This foundation also claims to self-adjusts to skin tone and perfect with a powder-finish. It also has SPF 35 which is very nice and necessary. 

When I first applied the foundation it felt thick and I immediately thought it was going to be really oily and that it would make me shiny really quick. It took a bit long in my opinion to blend it out completely but I think this was because unfortunately the shade was a little too dark for me. The coverage is light/medium. I have to say I was surprised; at the end if the day my skin still looked great and I was not oily or too shiny like I had expected. I had a very busy day and never reapplied makeup or powder throughout the day and still looked good and with enough coverage. Even though I still like the foundation I use now more, I think this foundation is a great option for a person who likes light/medium foundation and has dry/combination skin. You still need powder to set it but overall I like the foundation. I want to try it in a shade that goes better with my skin tone. 

This reminded me how important it is to try new things.... you never know, maybe you find a new favorite, a better option or something to incorporate to your makeup routine. The foundation I use everyday is more high-end and pricey so I'm looking for a more affordable option to incorporate to my makeup bag for days when I want to use foundation but its for a more casual/active day, like going to the beach or a day by the pool, when you want to look your best but maybe feel like your makeup would be wasted in a way. Is it just me that feels this way? Maybe this makes no sense to you all but this will be added to my makeup bag for my "active/casual" days haha.

Have a fabulous day and let's enjoy February by trying new things!

AB

Bombshell Eyes

Hi!!!

I have a little product review for you today. 

I went grocery shopping during the weekend and of course I had to stop by the makeup section. I really believe that it is better to invest in one good quality makeup item than in 10 items of lesser or bad quality. Even though I have this little rule, the beauty section at the grocery store or drugstore is just so tempting! There is something about it... I feel like I want to try everything and buy everything. I have to remind myself of my little rule very often; even so, every now and then I end up buying something, just to try out. This weekend I left HEB with this 'Bombshell in a Box" kit by Covergirl. I was running low on mascara so I though "oh why not just try it".

This Bombshell in a Box kit was a limited edition for the holidays but there were still several left at the store. It includes the Bombshell Volume Mascara, the Bombshell Intensity Liner (both in "very Black) and the Bombshell Shineshadow in color 325, which is a brown/golden/shimmery shade. 

As soon as I got home I had to try all this right away. I'm like a kid with toys when it comes to makeup. I decided to follow the directions on the box to get the "bombshell look" this kit is supposed to deliver. I started by applying a thin layer of the Shineshadow on my lid. I used my finger to blend it out really trying to build up the color a little more on my crease. Here is a little sample of what the color looks like. I wanted to show you guys how it looks as you build up the color. 

 

Overall I liked the color. It is a very nice go-to-color and it would be great for those days when you are on the go and don't really have a lot of time to do your makeup.  I do have to say that it was very hard to get the liner to go on top of the cream eye shadow; maybe I should have waited a little longer for the eye shadow to dry so keep that in mind when applying it. 

Next I used the Intense Liner to line my eyelashes. I flicked the end to achieve a cat-eye look and makes my eyelashes look bigger. I didn't go for a very thick line because it was still early in the day and I wanted a day look. The liner has a good tip and it helps with creating an eve line but it was not as dark or intense as I like my liquid liners to be. If you are just starting to experiment with this type of eyeliners or with really just creating that thick cat-eye line this is a good product to practice with. As I mentioned, it was hard to put the liner on top of the cream eye shadow; it would work a lot better with regular eye shadows. 

Lastly I used the Bombshell Volume Mascara; this is a two-step mascara. Step one is supposed to give lots of volume. It it a thick plastic applicator, but not big enough that you get mascara all over the eyelid. I liked how it separated my eyelashes and it really did make them look long. 

Step two is like a finishing coat that adds black and seals them in to make them last all day. I have to say they really did last all day. I had no flakes throughout the day, which I usually have cause I tend to rub my eyes. It doesn't say it in the box but the step two almost makes them a little waterproof. The only thing I didn't love about this mascara was the fact that you can't really build it up to get really thick eyelashes and that you need oil-based makeup remover. Overall I was very happy with the mascara, I think it is a great budget-friendly option. I go through mascara so fast that I was happy to find an option that is more affordable but still with the results I want. 

Here is the final look:

Pardon my eyebrows.... I want to go for a thicker-brow look and they are still growing. I will get them shaped soon.. promise! I hope you enjoy this product review and that it inspires you to try out new things! :)

AB

and tomorrow.... Christmas Eve!

OMG how time flies!!!!

I feel like it was a week ago when I started pulling out my Christmas boxes and decorating my tree! I feel almost sad that this wonderful time of the year is going by so fast.

When I was younger I remember some people telling me that Christmas time made them sad, I thought they were crazy!! How could someone be sad during Christmas right? There was food, parties, presents.... everything was just perrr-fect! 

Well, today, I am a bit older, and I completely understand what they were saying... actually, I have become one of those people who feel sad during Christmas time. These last few years have been tough. My family has been through some difficult times and difficult situations. I know my problems are nothing compared to what other people experience, but sometimes I have a hard time remembering this. 

I have to be honest and admit a lot of times I feel depressed and deep sadness, I wonder how everything in my life has changed so much during the last few years. I pity myself sometimes.... what a horrible thing to do I know. Christmas brings a lot of happiness but also reminds me of what I have lost. Last week at work something happened that made me open my eyes and realize I need to stop feeling this way and instead focus on what really matters and most of all, appreciate what I have.

We have several student employees at my office. There is one lady who is pursing her undergrad degree; she is about 50 years old. I had never really talked to her but I assumed she had decided to go back to school because her children were all gown up and she needed something to do. OH but how wrong I was. 

I was sitting in my office and I heard her asking our secretary for a Tylenol because her head hurt. Our secretary asked her if she needed to go home and she said "I am starting to think about it". I though to myself " oh what a baby.... she should suck it up, I get head aches all the time". I will regret thinking that all my life. A few minutes later a heard a loud noise, I thought some boxes had fallen down from the cabinet. I ran out to find her laying on the floor. We rushed to pick her up and she woke up about 45 sec later. She told us that was the third time that day she has passed out, once in the morning  at her house, a second in the hallway at our office where nobody saw her, and this time. I asked if she had eaten anything and she told me she has half a banana in the morning. I was shocked! I am the type of person that needs to eat almost every two hours! To make the story short... her son came and picked her up, she didn't want us to call 911. 

After she left, one of my co-workers, her supervisor, told us what really was going on: she has cancer, for the second time; her husband is not employed; she mentioned it is hard to eat when you have no food in your fridge; she has no electricity or water right now in her house; she has no money to see a doctor. 

I have not been able to stop thinking about her since that day. My co-workers and myself decided to each give some money to make her holidays a little better, but I wish I could do more for her. I don't want to share this experience with you because it helped me refocus and remember that this holiday season is not about spending money like a crazy person, it's not about feeling sad because you are not getting that beautiful handbag you can't afford for Christmas, it's about cherishing what we have and the people we have in our lives. Christmas ins about giving thanks for what we have received in life and thanking God for our blessings; sometimes we forget we have blessings, since they don't always come in the ways we expect. Blessings are not money, success, fame.... blessings have a much deeper value.

I hope you join my in remembering we shouldn't be sad during this time of year... we should remember what really matters. It doesn't matter if you are surrounded by 1000 people this Christmas or just you are alone. Enjoy this time, give thanks for the blessings we receive, for being alive! Don't get lost in trying to buy presents, the crowds, the stress of the holiday bills! Remember Christmas is a feeling we should carry with us all year long.

Tomorrow let's celebrate life and being alive!

Merry Christmas!!!!!

AB

My first blog post!

Welcome!!

I had been thinking about starting a blog for a long time now so I have decided just to go ahead and do it! I am still trying to figure out how to make it pretty so bare with me!

I was going to wait until January 1st to start my new blog but there have been a lot of thoughts going through my head that I would like to share.

I wanted to create this blog for several reasons.... share my beauty and fashion tips and finding and also to use it as some sort of diary to record what goes on in my life. Sometime I feel like I keep a lot of thing bottled up so hopefully this will help me and others along the way :) 

AB