Beauty Round-Up

Cruelty-Free

FOTD

BLOGMAS | Day 12: My Winter Skincare Routine for Combination Dehydrated Skin

I haven't written a dedicated skincare routine post in two years and while the steps haven't changed, the products sure have! My current routine is much more involved and focuses on hydration rather than maintenance. I still use my Paula's Choice products for acne treatment so I didn't include them here. These are all the basic steps that I think should be included in a skincare routine if you have normal to dry skin like me. 

I divided this post into my morning and night routine to make things easier to digest. I don't think the actual products matter but the function they serve is important. If you already have something you love serving that purpose, then keep using it! These are some of my recommendations if you wanted something new to try.
My Winter Skincare Routine for Combination Dehydrated Skin, josie maran pure argan milk, mizon ultra suboon cream, josie maran argan oil review, skinfood aloe sun mist and physicians formula 2 in 1 argan wear argan oil and coconut water primer review
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BLOGMAS | Day 11: Kat Von D Metal Matte Palette Makeup Inspiration

It's New Year's eve as I'm writing this post! It's been raining the past several days so I'm hoping it'll stop in time for New Year's Day. I was planning to have this up before then so y'all could draw inspiration from this for your New Year's eve looks but I've been running errands, trying to get everything done before I start school in a week. Anyhoo, I also planned on doing a review on the Kat Von D Metal Matte Palette but since it was limited edition and sold out like hotcakes, I never got around to doing it. But I had all these looks planned out and wanted to share them with y'all anyway, so I hope you don't mind.
Kat Von D Metal Matte Palette Makeup Inspiration, review
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BLOGMAS | Day 10: Charlotte Tilbury vs Revlon Lipsticks


charlotte tilbury kissing lipstick in stoned rose, revlon super lustrous lipstick in rose velvet review swatches dupe

{AT A GLANCE}

As a creature of habit, I end up with many similar looking colors. So I wasn't too surprised to see that I have two iterations of this browny reddish color: Charlotte Tilbury KISSING Lipstick in Stoned Rose (CF) and Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Rose Velvet
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BLOGMAS | Day 9: Sparkly Purple Smokey Eye for New Year's Eve

sparkly purple smokey eye, ciate london & chloe morello beauty haul kit review and swatches, pin up liquid liipstick

Only a few days to the New Year! I don't know about you, but I'm kinda sad that 2016 is almost over. Don't get me wrong, there have been plenty of things to be sad about but I've always prided myself on being a "glass half full" kind of person. So, in preparation, I've created a simple smokey eye that takes minutes to throw on to chime in the new year! So, let's get started.
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BLOGMAS | Day 8: Colourpop Holiday Haul

BLOGMAS | Day 8: Colourpop Holiday Haul, tinsel, koosh, just fur fun, birthday girl, cat nap, puppy love review and swatches

I'm not sure what came over me but ever since my first Colourpop Haul back in September, it feels like I've made an order every month! Their colors are quite unique and I find myself wanting to collect them all. Rest assured, this is the last one for a while but there's no guessing how I'll feel come January!
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BLOGMAS | Day 7: Candy Cane-Inspired Christmas Makeup

candy cane inspired christmas makeup using anastasia beverly hills modern renaissance palette

Christmas is less than seven hours away as I'm writing this post! I've been super behind on #Blogmas due to family commitments but I'll continue to post what I have planned because I think they still fit it with the winter season. This look was inspired by a candy cane, though it's a shame I don't have one to eat right now. I'm also documenting the Anastasia Modern Renaissance Palette for y'all so I'm doubly excited! So let's head into the tutorial!
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BLOGMAS | Day 6: Favorite Long Lasting Lips for the Holidays

kat von d everlasting liquid lipstick in bachelor, la girl cosmetics semi permanent lip liner in dark plum, too faced melted matte liquid lipstick in lady balls, rimmel london provocalips in i'll call you review and swatches, bold and matte holiday lips, long-lasting

As I'm writing this, it's Christmas Eve! I don't know if my level of excitement is noticeable but I cannot wait to see my family and chow down. So, I've prepared a few options that are guaranteed to last through the night. Whether you like a bold and matte lip or a glossy or sheer lip, all options will stay through the festivities! So let's get into the details.

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BLOGMAS | Day 5: ULTA Birthday Haul + First Impressions

becca cosmetics blushed with light palette review and swatches, too faced merry kissmas set review and swatches ulta birthday haul

I've gotta say, hauls are one of my favorite posts to do because I love sharing all the cool loot I got. But then I feel massively guilty afterwards when I tally up how much I spent. They're a good way of reminding me what I've got so they're not all bad? As I'm writing this post, all of the items I am talking about are still in stock, so fingers crossed that if what I'm showing y'all today interests you, y'all can still get it!
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BLOGMAS | Day 4: Holiday OOTD

BLOGMAS | Day 4: Holiday OOTD

This past week saw me fall off the Blogmas wagon but I'm going to continue posting even after because the posts still fit the holiday theme. Anyhoo, I wanted to share what I'm wearing this holiday weekend! I don't aspire to be a fashion blogger but I thought you all would enjoy the various content I have planned. Let me know if it's something y'all like or I should just stick to makeup, hehe.
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BLOGMAS | Day 3: Choosing the Right Glasses with GlassesShop.com

Choosing the right pair of glasses isn't easy. There are many guides out there, depending on your face shape and yada yada. Those never really worked for me so I just chose whichever one was the cheapest. I've been wearing them for the major of my life yet I've never wanted to be photographed with them on because they made me look weird. 

It wasn't until this summer that I finally discovered the right frames for me. But I had some quibbles (some people call it being picky, but I KNOW what I want, hehe) with those. So when GlassesShop.com offered me a free pair to try, I jumped at the chance to pick out a pair. The four-step process itself was easy; all I needed was my current prescription. There are explanation bubbles if you are unclear about a term or service they offer.

Two things I would suggest considering when picking out your perfect frame:
  • Frame material: They usually come in varying types of metal and plastic. Though metal seems to be more durable, they can be heavy and slide down a short nose. Plastic may seem cheap, but I've never had durability issues. I believe a sturdy case is more important for keeping glasses safe.
  • Frame shape: Many guides will tell you to consider your face shape when it comes to choosing a frame shape. I think that's a load of BS. Depending on what your purpose is, I'd choose a larger frame so you don't have to adjust them when looking in a certain direction. 

I chose the Lena Oval in Tortoise. They are full framed and oval shaped, which covers my peripheral vision. My old pair were long and rectangular, making my vision blurry when I looked over or under the frame. My nose bridge isn't tall, so most glasses and sunglasses slide down my nose. The lightweight plastic frame of the Lena don't go anywhere, staying in place when I'm looking down at a book for hours. Since I wanted these to be my daily pair, I needed a pattern that would match with pretty much any occasion. The Lena comes in three colors but I chose Tortoise because it's neutral enough to match with my closet but not typical like black. Nothing wrong with black but I feel like it looks too harsh when I don't wear eye makeup. The lighter tortoise color doesn't overwhelm against a bare face, if you know what I mean. They grip my face nicely without pinching my nose bridge or my ears. My other pair to a bit of wear to "break them in" and make the comfortable. These were ready to wear after a few days of getting used to them.
Glasses can be expensive, especially if you buy them from an optician's office. My previous pairs have costed $117usd for no added frills and $250 usd for a branded pair with no special coatings. The frames from GlassesShop.com vary from $19.95usd to $59.95usd, with a little extra for prescription lens. But it doesn't come anywhere near the prices I used to pay. I know some people prefer trying the frames on in person but I liked that they have several models to virtually try on the glasses. If you would prefer to try them on yourself, you can make an account with them and upload your picture to virtually try on the hundreds of pairs they make. They make them for women, men and children, so everyone can find their perfect pair! 

 I only used to wear glasses during lectures but I love these so much that I only take them off when I'm showering or sleeping. Buying glasses online can be vexing but GlassesShop.com has a generous return policy. In addition to prescription glasses, they also offer prescription sunglasses! That's great for drivers like me, who are required to wear prescription glasses while driving. All pairs of glasses come with a carrying case, microfiber cloth and an anti-scratch coating -- for free! You can, of course, add on other coatings if you so choose, for an additional cost. 

So if you're looking for a pair of affordable and chic glasses, I suggest you give GlassesShop.com a try! With the holidays around the corner, giving the gift of sight is a thoughtful one. I do have an unaffiliated coupon code for all my lovely readers to use to get 50% off eyeglasses and sunglasses with free lens: GSHOT50 (sales frames excluded). Affordable doesn't have to mean clunky and unstylish!

Let me know how you get on with the service. 
What are you biggest pet peeves about eyeglasses?


XOXO,

Cindy ♥


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BLOGMAS | DAY 2: Birthday Haul with Urban Decay

urban decay razor sharp water-resistant longwear eyeliner in fireball, vice lipstick in naked, ultimate ozone multipurpose primer pencil, eyeshadow in bordello review and swatches

Urban Decay make some of my favorite eyeshadows so when I found out they were giving a free eyeshadow of my choice with any full size purchase, I jumped on the website to see what I could get. At the same time, there were several Cyber Monday week deals happening.

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BLOGMAS | Day 1: October & November Empties 2016


buxom lash mascara, bobbi brown smokey eye mascara, urban decay de slick oil-control makeup setting spray, bareminerals original foundation in light, studio 35 lash comb reviews, ahava time to smooth age perfecting hand cream, hempz pomegranate herbal wash, earth therapeutics loofah exfoliating scrub in aloe vera and kiwi, victoria secret secret charm body cream reviews, october and november empties, the body shop camomile silky cleansing oil, skinfood tomato extract whitening essence, up & up regular cotton rounds, garnier skin renew dark spot corrector reviews

Heeeey all! It's been awhile since I last posted but I was going through finals. I've never studied so hard before in my life, haha. Now that those are out of the way, I can finally put all my ideas down and into the blog! Starting off with my October and November empties, I wanted to share this before it adds up. I've even finished some makeup products, which is always exciting. So let's talk about which ones I'd repurchase and which ones I'm glad are gone.
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HAUL | Sephora 2016 VIB Sale

November is my favorite month because not only do we celebrate Thanksgiving in the U.S. (food! family! FOOD!), it's my birthday month! It's so dangerous because there's so many great sales to tempt me. I pretty much picked up items that I've had my eye on for ages and a gift for my sister. So let's get into the items. :)

I tried a sample of the First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream in my Samples Weekly Edit #2, and while it was too rich for summer, it's perfect for this drier fall season. The First Aid Beauty Winter Skin Savers ($38usd) contains one Ultra Repair Cream, One Ultra Repair Cream Intense Hydration in Vanilla Citron, and two Ultra Repair Lip Therapies, one in colorless and the other in Rosy Red. These are going to be a gift for my sister since she's been complaining about dry skin so I'll have to ask her whether or not it was a good one! Since I too also suffer from dry skin in the colder months, I bought a 2 oz tube of the First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream Intense Hydration ($12usd). They come in various sizes but this one is a good size for me because I only need it for winter so I think this size would see me through the colder weather.

sephora november 2016 VIB sale haul, first aid beauty winter skin savers, first aid beauty ultra repair cream intense hydration, kat von d everlasting liquid lipstick in lolita and double dare swatches, formula x for sephora nail color in supersonic, marc jacobs birthday perk reviews

Lisa Eldridge always has the prettiest nails and I was mesmerized by a jade color she was wearing in one of her videos. I didn't want to get that one so I was looking for a dupe and came across the Formula X Nail Color in Supersonic ($10.50 usd). It's very similar in tone to my jade bracelet, so bonus points for that. I haven't tried it on my nails yet but will do so at some point in the future. Unfortunately, it seems as if this brand is being phased out of Sephora so check your local stores to see if they have this color. If you're interested in this color, OPI Jade is the New Black was my inspiration (not cruelty-free though).

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