I Tried Scentbird And These Are My Thoughts!

I have quite the perfume collection, I'm very much obsessed with perfumes! The excitement of finding that perfect scent, the scent you want to leave behind when you walk out of a room is priceless. I have my favorites but I have to make sure I'm not missing out on any better ones out there. 

That is why Scentbird, a monthly perfume subscription makes perfect sense! I honestly can't believe I had not heard of Scentbird before. I received two beautiful fragrances that I'm seriously in love with. 

Catherine Malandrino 

Romance De Provence 

• Top Notes: Mandarin, Apple Blossom, Black Currant, Anjou Pear
• Middle Notes: Jasmine, Orange Flower, Rose, Violet, Lily, Green Tea
•  Bottom Notes: Vanilla, Patchouli, Tonka Bean, Amber, Caramel, Powder Musks

• Top Notes: Exotic wood, patchouli, and black amber
• Middle Notes: Night-blooming jasmine 
• Bottom Notes: Vanilla Orchid

How It Works: 

1. Start Your Subscription for $14.95 a month with free shipping by signing up on Scentbird enter Code Stef25 to save 25% off your first subscription!

2. Pick A Scent You Want to Try From Their Vast Collection Of Designer Brands And Niche Fragrances. 

3. Receive Your Month Supply Of A Gorgeous Fragrance With A Free Refillable Case With Your Free Order! 

I'm so happy with this monthly perfume subscription, and it makes a great gift that anyone would love and appreciate! Now I don't have to spend on perfumes I will only want to wear every few months. I can try them and then decide if its worth owning the full size!

PSA: I received This Products In Exchange Of A Honest And Unedited Review. This Opions Are My Own And I only Share Products I love And Actually Use! 

I Tried Kim Kardashians KKW Beauty Contour Palette And This Is My Review!

I don't know if I'm alone here but when Kim Kardashian announced that she would be releasing her beauty line I could care less. Let me clarify that I don't either love or hate Kim, I find her to be a beautiful and very hard working woman that turned a negative into a multi-million empire. Her first release was the contouring sticks that I absolutely knew I did not want or need to try, the powder contour kit however did catch my attention. 

I watched a few of the Youtube videos she's brilliantly doing to promote her products and I was convinced that this may be a winner. On the launch date I went to the KKW Beauty website and to my surprise they were all available, the website was running smooth, no check out lines. I picked the shade medium and proceeded to the check out. The palette itself is $52 plus a $8.95 shipping fee, I don't know about you but I thought that was pretty high. 

The palette comes with four pans, two highlight shades and two contouring/bronzing shades, it also includes a double ended brush. My first impression of the palette is pretty, I like the nude packaging and the feel. The palette has a very nice big mirror and the pans are fairly large, the colors however looked a lot more orange than I was expecting. This immediately gave me a bad feeling since orange isn't really the shades I want on my contouring and bronzing kit. 

I proceeded to do my makeup how I normally do and then used the contouring kit, using the brush it comes with was very hard. The brush itself is larger and stiffer than I like my brushes to feel. After unsuccessfully using the brush I proceeded to use my own brushes. The color did apply smoother, however I was only able to use one of the two contouring shades. The orange shade is to much on the face but it was nice on the eyes. The highlighting shades were too ashy on my skin, it accentuated my pores and did not give me that glow I was looking and hoping for. I did my whole eye makeup with the palette as well. I apologize for not swatting the products in my arms they were not photographing well and I had to run out. The contouring color I was able to use on the face blended out really nice and looked great. 

I have to say this palette is not worth the hype or price, I feel its way to over priced and the formula needs some major improvements. My main disappointment is that Kim is a medium shade, I assumed that if she was putting any thought on the creation of her palettes, the one palette that should be on point is the medium. The highlight are to chalky on my skin and just don't work, and the brush like I said don't help the powders blend smoothly. If I was Kim I would put a little more thought on creating shades more complimentary to ALL skin shades. I would also make the brush softer and one end skinnier for a better highlight application. All four colors looked good on my eyes, but thats not enough to justify this purchase. 

I Added Origins GinZing To My Morning Routine And Here Is What Happened!

 When Influencer notified me that I was one of the lucky ones to be chosen for a Origins Vobox I was pretty excited. As nice as it is to receive free products to try, its even nicer to receive brands you already love and trust. Origins make some of my favorite skin care products and I was very happy to try these ones out. 

They sent me three full size products to try from their GinZing line, a refreshing scrub cleanser, a energy boosting gel moisturizer and theirs refreshing eye cream.

Heres the description of the products from their website;

Origins GinZing Refreshing Scrub Cleanser $20.50 2 in 1 scrubby cleanser fortified with radiance-boosting Panax Ginseng and energizing Coffee Beans. Natural Jojoba and Carnauba Wax gently exfoliate to help unclog pores. Skin looks smoother, brighter. Feels perfectly refreshed. Plus, uplifting aroma of Grapefruit, Lemon and Spearmint perks you up so you're ready to face the day!

GinZing Energy Boosting Gel Moisturizer $28.50 This lightweight, oil-free, energizing moisturizer instantly hydrates and revs up radiance. It's fortified with legendary skin-boosters like Panax Ginseng and Coffee Bean. Lackluster-looking skin is rapidly refreshed and revitalized to create a healthy, vibrant glow.

GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream $31 Late night? Long flight? Look tired all the time? Our clinically-proven morning-after eye cream instantly reduces dark circles. Unsightly bags and puffiness virtually disappear. It's formulated with Coffee Beans, Panax Ginseng, Magnolia Extract and natural optic brighteners. Rapidly wakes up, refreshes and restores radiance to tired eyes.

Heres What I Have To Say:

Absolutely loved every single one of these products so much that they have been used almost lately for the past month. 

The cleanser is used by my husband everyday, I only use it every other day. The cleanser smells and feels really nice on the skin and doesn't leave the skin feeling too dry. 

The moisturizer was great to substitute my heavier creams to in the hot days, but still  leaving my skin feeling supple and hydrated. 

The eye cream is a holy grail for dark circles!!! My under eyes are brighter and I dint need as much concealer when I use it to prime my eyes. 

Overall this is a great line, I will not use the moisturizer if you have dry skin as it may not provide the hydration you seek for. I loved how my skin feels and I actually see an improvement in my dark circles. These three Origins Ginzing  products gets a 10 from me. 

As mentioned in the top these products were sent to me to try, however these are my own personal opinions.

Stila Sending My Love Gift Set Review!

Stila's sending my love gift set is beautiful and well made, I love the colors they used for the package too! The gift set includes everything you need for a beautiful makeup look, five eyeshadows in one palette, a blush, bronzer and highlighter in the other. A lipgloss and eyeliner, I personally love that the eyeshadows are separate from the face powders, this makes it more travel friendly. This also solves the dilemma, of wanting to only pick on or the other to bring with you ;) 

Note: My camera is acting up and is washing out most of the colors, they are actually a lot more pigmented then this.... 

On A Tuesday....

Hat: Primark, Top: Guess Crop Top/ Similar, Jeans: Toyshop, Shoes: Valentino, Bag: Celine

I am embarrassed to even say how many times I have worn these jeans... They not only look flattering, but they are sooooo comfy almost like wearing leggings but more fashion appropriate. I didn't have much time to get ready so I went for the safe all black. 

My Current Favorite Makeup Brushes For Personal And Professional Use!

As a makeup artist I can tell you how important makeup brushes are, and how difficult in can be to pick the right ones. Some makeup brushes can be very expensive or inexpensive but I will tell you this the price tag does not always reflect the quality of the brush you are buying. Mainly there are two kinds of brushes the natural hair or the synthetic and while there is good and bad in the two kinds I wanted to share with you what they are good for that way you can decide which kind to invest in.. 

Natural Vs. Synthetic

Natural:

• Natural hair has follicle that cling to powder pigments, allowing them to be evenly applied
• Lasts a lifetime if taken care of properly

Synthetic:

• Synthetic are best to use with cream and liquid formulas
• Synthetic can cost significantly less money

I wanted to keep the list very short and not go over the cons as this really is a very personal opinion. There are so many great choices when it comes to makeup brushes and you really don't know which ones work the best for you until you try them.

My Favorite Brushes Are:

Mac 217
Mac 239
Mac 130
Mac 132
Morphe M426
Sedona Lace Eb-19
Sedona Lace 863

Most of them are synthetic but are made of great quality. 

Skyn Iceland Solution For Stressed Skin Review

Im not one to experiment too much when it comes to my skincare routine.  I have crazy sensitive skin that breaks out very easy. I have been on the lookout for a different skin care routine since my needs change with the weather. Without any prior investigation I ordered these kits from the Victoria Secret website and her is my review: 

No tiendo a experimentar mucho cuando se trata de cambiar mi rutinas del cuidado de mi piel, por que la tengo muy sensitiva. Estoy buscando algunos productos nuevos para ver si logro mejorar la condición de mi piel. Sin hacer ninguna previa investigación oree estos dos kits en en Victorias Secret y después de tratarlos aquí esta mi opinion: 

Detox Kit For Stressed Kit

What They Claim:  Stress deprives skin of vital nutrients, moisture and oxygen, leaving it depleted, broken-out and irritated. In just five days, this detoxifying set gives stressed skin a fighting chance. Used daily, these four products work in harmony to help heal exhausted, irritated and damaged skin so it emerges soft, clear, fresh and glowing.

 Lo Que Ellos Reclaman: El estrés priva a la piel de nutrientes vitales, la humedad y el oxígeno , dejándola agotada , con acne e irritada . En sólo cinco días , este conjunto desintoxicante da subrayó la piel una oportunidad de luchar . Usado diariamente , estos cuatro productos trabajan en armonía para ayudar a sanar la piel agotada , irritada y dañada por lo que surge suave , clara , fresca y radiante.

A Month Supply Of: Glacial Facial Wash, Arctic Face Mist, The Antidote Cooling Daily Lotion, And Oxigen Infusion Night Cream.

Incluye Un Mes De: Un lavado facial, Un tonificante tipo spray, Una loción de día, y una loción hidratante de noche. 

How To: Stop all other skincare products and use the Detox Kit for five days to rebalance skin. After the first five days, continue with regimen or begin to reintroduce other products.

Como Usarlo:

Detenga todos los otros productos para la piel y utilizar el kit de desintoxicación durante cinco días para reequilibrar la piel . Después de los primeros cinco días , continúe con el régimen o comenzar a reintroducir otros productos .

My Experience: 

I really liked this kit, I did as recommended and used these products for a whole week and then adjusted  my regimen. My skin felt so soft and the texture looked smother, even my husband commented on my skin. I will definitely be using these product, along with some of my other favorite products.  The night cream is probably my favorite, it feels so moisturizing and my skin loves it! 

Mi Experiencia:

Me gustó mucho este kit , lo hice como recomendado y utilize estos productos durante toda una semana y luego ajusté mi régimen . Mi piel se siente tan suave y la textura parece mejorar, incluso mi marido comentó sobre mi piel . Sin duda el uso de estos productos, junto con algunos de mis otros productos favoritos van a mejorar la condición de mi piel. La crema de noche es probablemente mi favorita, se siente tan hidratante y mi piel le encanta !

Purchased: Victorias Secret

Priced: $45

Anti-Blemish Kit 

What They Claim: You’re stress and your hectic lifestyle affects your skin, leading to increased oil production, breakouts and clogged pores. Who has time to worry about a problematic complexion? No one. Defend your skin with the quick and effective one-two punch of skyn ICELAND’s Anti-blemish Kit.

Lo Que Ellos Reclaman: Estas estresado y el estilo de vida agitado afecta su piel , lo que lleva a un aumento de la producción de grasa , los brotes y los poros tapados . ¿Quién tiene tiempo para preocuparse por una tez problemática ? Nadie . Defiende tu piel con la rápida y eficaz uno-dos de Skyn Iceland Kit anti-acne.

A Month Supply Of: Glacial Cleansing Cloths And Anti-blemish Gel

Incluye Un Mes De: Toallitas de limpieza, Y un gel anti-acne 

How To: Morning and evening, rub sides of Glacial Cleansing Cloths together to create a rich, foaming lather and sweep gently across skin. Do not add water. No need to rinse. After cleansing, dab Anti-blemish Gel onto blemishes as needed, up to three times per day.

Como Usarlo: 

Mañana y tarde , se frotan lados de  paños juntos para crear la formación de espuma y suavemente limpia la piel . No agregue agua . No hay necesidad de enjuagar . Después de limpiar , aplique gel anti - acne según sea necesario , hasta tres veces por día .

My Experience:

I did not use this as they recommend, the facial clothes are best to keep for on the go makeup remover, or those night when we are too tired to wash our face. I used the cloths on a few occasions and I really liked it, it does what it claims and left my skin feeling clean. The anti blemish gel however did nothing to help my blemishes heal faster. Out of the two I would definitely repurchase the cloths and not the Anti-blemish gel. 

Mi Experiencia:

Yo no utilize esto como ellos recomiendan , la toallas faciales son mejor manera para remover el maquillaje cuando estas en marcha, o aquellas noche cuando estamos demasiado cansados ​​para lavar nuestra cara . He utilizado los paños en unas cuantas ocasiones y realmente me gustó,  hace lo que dice y dejo mi piel limpia . El gel anti- acne sin embargo no hizo nada para ayudar a mis imperfecciones sanar más rápido . De los dos, sin duda comprare los paños y no el gel anti -acne.

Purchased: Victorias Secret

Priced: $20

Beauty Blender Solid Cleanser And Air.Port Review!

Beauty Blender Solid Cleanser

I'm pretty sure you all know by now how much I love beauty blenders. I have tried all the competition and nothing comes even close to this one. I never was a fan of their cleanser, I had mixed feelings but the one thing I disliked the most was how wasteful it is. When I saw that they came out with the solid version I was all over it!

Estoy seguro de que todos ya saben cuánto amo a las esponjas de Beauty Blender. He intentado toda la competencia y no están nada ni cerca de éste. Nunca he sido un fan de su limpiador, yo tuve sentimientos encontrados pero lo que mas me disgustaba era el desperdicio que hacia. Cuando vi que salieron con la versión sólida estaba muy contenta de tratarla!

I really love this version, it travels well and gets the job done. My sponges look brand new after cleaning them with this cleanser and no residue! 

Me encanta esta versión, que va bien y realiza el trabajo. Mi esponjas parecen nuevas después de la limpieza con este producto limpiador y ningún residuo.

air.port

I can't tell you how many times I prayed for this product, traveling with my beauty blenders was always a pain. I put this baby to the test while traveling to Miami and it does exactly what it claims the mesh allows air to flow allowing the sponges to dry and not become moldy. 

No puedo decirte cuántas veces recé para que este producto existiera, viajar con mis esponjas de belleza siempre fue un dolor. Puse este bebé a prueba durante un viaje a Miami y hace exactamente lo que dice. La malla permite que el aire fluja permitiendo que las esponjas se seque y no se convierta en mohoso. 

 It has a magnetic closure, vented sides, a finger strap and a cute little beauty blender charm. I can fit up to three sponges when they are dry but when the sponges are wet one fits more comfortably but I can squeeze two if necessary.

Tiene un cierre magnético, aberturas laterales, una correa de dedo y un lindo pequeña beauty blender. Quepo hasta tres esponjas cuando están secas, pero cuando las esponjas están mojadas se adapta una más cómodamente pero puedo exprimir dos si es necesario.

I love my two new finds, I thought i couldn't love my beauty blenders any more then I already do but now that I have the perfect cleanser to leave them like new and a great travel pouch I get even more use out of my HOLY GRAIL sponges! 

Me encanta mis dos nuevos hallazgos, yo pensaba que no podía amar mas a mi Beauty Blenders más de lo que ya lo hago, pero ahora que tengo el limpiador perfecto para dejar como nueva y una gran bolsa de viaje me da aún más uso de mi esponjas santo grial!

Good Luck/ Buenas Suerte! Xxx

Product Rave: Color Switch Solo

I first saw a video of the Color Switch on Instagram and my first thought was of disappointment of myself for not thinking of creating something like this. As a makeup artist I go thru a lot of makeup brushes. I have purchased many brush cleaners but they require that you wet the brush and that is not very helpful at all. I purchased one at the IMATS and now I wish I would have purchased a few more since they were like 40% off! 

Primero vi un video del Color Switch en Instagram y mi primer pensamiento fue de decepción de mi misma por no pensar en crear algo como esto. Como un artista del maquillaje voy a través de un montón de pinceles de maquillaje. He comprado muchos limpiadores de cepillo, pero requieren que se moje la brocha y eso no es muy útil en lo absoluto. Me compre uno en el IMATS y ahora deseo haber comprado un poco más ya que eran como 40% de descuento.

The way that the Color Switch works is simple after applying your first color to your eyelids, swirl the brush a few times on the sponge and boom your bush is clean and now can be used to apply a different color! 

La forma en que funciona el Color Switch es simple después de aplicar el primer color a tus párpados, mueve el cepillo varias veces sobre la esponja y ya está limpio y ahora puede ser utilizado para aplicar un color diferente.

As you can see on this napkin (bad lighting) I apply a very pigmented bright purple, then cleaned it up with the Color Switch and then rubbed the napkin on the bottom, as you can see the napkin is clean and clear of any product, the sponge really picks up all the pigments from your brush! 

What is your take on this Color Switch sponge, is it a must have or skip? 

Como se puede ver en esta servilleta (mala iluminación) aplique un color muy pigmentado brillante púrpura, luego roce mi brocha en el Color Switch y luego frotó la servilleta en la parte inferior, como se puede ver la servilleta es limpia y clara de cualquier producto, la esponja realmente recoge todos los pigmentos de tu cepillo!

¿Qué es tu opinión sobre esta esponja Color interruptor, es imprescindible tener o saltar?

Can Be Purchased: http://www.veramona.com

Price: $16.99

Good Luck/ Buenas Suerte! Xxx

IMATS NYC 2014

I finally attended the IMATS and boy was it fun! I loved every single moment, if you love makeup this is definitely something to experience for yourself. There was so many beautiful faces different styles from funky, dramatic, artistic, etc. Everywhere you looked there was something to be inspired from. I can honestly tell you guys that I was not prepare for this at all! I can only say that I should have taken a break from shopping for makeup at least 6 months in advance.

The lines was CRAZY but everything was really organized, until they opened the doors... The excitement took over some of the ladies and there was some pushing and skipping going on but overall it did not ruin my experience. 

This picture was taken at the end of the day after hours of standing in line as you can tell by my wrinkly shirt!

I couldnt help taking a picture with macdaddy, I will honestly say that I thought he was more warm and friendly but I found him shy and cold. His makeup did look flawless thought ;) 

Day two waiting for the train! 

With Kelly Bakers creater and owner of KBB

I found Kelly by accident and she was a complete sweetheart very genuine and sweet, I purchased the brow powder and duo pencil... Review coming soon!

Some of the the awesome live beauty fantasy competition!  

If you have not seen Jordan Liberty's makeup tutorial on youtube then you are missing out from learning a few tricks and tips. I was looking at his lashes and he actually approached me to complement me. He was so lovely and we talked for a while I must say hes skin is like porcelain soooo flawless I wanted to touch to feel it but he would have thought I was cray cray. I purchased three of his lashes, reviews coming soon...  

I met this cutie the first day and I was sooooo in love with her face she is so pretty and her makeup was just perfection. Makeup By Jenny was in the violetvoss booth and on both days she helped me pick out beautiful colors some worn by her on that day. Reviews on the pigments, glitters and eyeshadows I purchased from Violet Voss coming soon...

P.S If you have seen me in person then you know by now that I am not photogenic at all and almost all these pictures from IMATS demonstrate that. To get a good looking picture I take a dozen and even then I dont look right I hesitated putting these up because I HATE how I look on ALL of them but oh well! 

My purchases consisted of some personal buys but mostly products for my studio and travel kit. I stocked up on lashes, disposables, shadow shields, concealers, foundations, lip palettes. I will be doing reviews on most of the items as I use them on my self or clients.

 I was not able to get my hands on any Lime Crime, Sigma, Sugarpill products the lines was SOOOOO long and ten minutes after opening some products were sold out already. If I can make it to next years IMATS I will definitely attend the Friday event for PROS only so that I can take advantage and get everything I want before they open to the public.

Overall this was such a unique experience Im glad I did both days because I was so overwhelmed the first day that I really didn't take everything in. I hardly took any pictures because I didn't want to be distracted by my phone (some Blogger I am). My tips to anyone planning to attend is to definitely start saving money, make a list of the things you want, look cute BUT PLEASE wear something comfortable; there is a lot of walking standing in line I saw girls looking so uncomfortable on their 6 inch heels. Go with friends or alone and make new friends over there If you love makeup this is definitely an experience worth living at least once!

Urban Decay Electric Makeup Palette Review!

Urban Decay does it again, and this time with LOUD and really ELECTRIC colors! I will tell you I'm not one to go for really bright colors like these I always go for the neutrals, I can be boring like that. This palette however will be seeing a lot of me, the colors are irresistible and soooo smooth, highly pigmented and believe it or not very wearable! I cant wait to get Electric and create a few looks using this palette. What do you think about this palette is it a yay or nay for you? Unfortunately, this palette also has a negative. The four reddish shades (Slowburn, Savage, Jilted, and Urban) are technically not approved as "eye safe" yet in the US. I will defenetly keep that in mind and not use it in my clients to be safe but I will be taking the risk and hopefully my eyes don't become irritated. 

Esta paleta de Urban Decay esta PRECIOSA definitivamente electrica, los colores son super pigmentados y untan como mantequilla. Usualmente yo prefiero usar colores neutros, tiendo ha ser media aburrida en ese sentido pero esta paleta la estare usando mucho. Los colores son tos muy usables y estare creando unos tutoriales donde usare esta paleta. Como todo en la vida esta paleta también tiene su negativa 4 colores no son aprobados en los Estados Unidos para usar en el ojo, los colores slowburn, urban, savage, y jilted. Tu que crees de esta paleta la usarias? 

Comes With A Double Ended Brush!

A nice big mirror!

You get a lot of product! 

L/R: Revolt, Gonzo, Slowburn, Savage, Fringe, Chaos, Jilted, Urban, Freak, Trash 

Natural Light!

Good Luck/ Buenas Suerte! Xxx