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.

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BLOGMAS | Day 9: Sparkly Purple Smokey Eye for New Year's Eve

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 7: Candy Cane-Inspired Christmas Makeup

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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FOTD | Makeup to Beat the Heat

It's been scorching hot in California these past few weeks. Major adjustments were needed to keep me looking perky and fresh. Ditching my liquid foundation and cream products, I went straight for powder products for a long lasting finish that didn't melt off as soon as I stepped out of the refreshing blast of air conditioner. So if you have oily skin or live in a hot climate, I hope that this will help you stay looking put together all day long without the need for heavy duty cleansers at the end of the day!

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FOTD | Quick & Easy Back to School Makeup

I'm writing this while waiting for my first class of the semester to start, so excuse the spelling mistakes, hehe. I'm sure many of you can empathize with me on first day jitters. I can never get a good night's sleep before an important event so I'm dealing with dark circles, watery eyes and lackluster skin. Waking up in the morning isn't a struggle for me but I can be sluggish. Doing my makeup gives my brain to wake up as well as giving me a confidence boost. Because I'm quite slow in the mornings, I decided to do a bare basics look and time myself. But I also wanted to see how long it would take me if I added a few things here and there for a complete look, which lately is turning into my fancy face, haha.

So I'll be walking y'all through my bare basics look and my fancy face to give you some ideas and tips. If you aren't going back to school, lucky you! This'll still work for work or any other occasion in which you just want the bare necessities and don't want to be faffing about with a billion brushes.

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FOTD | Simone Biles' Rio Olympics Inspired Makeup

As a kid, I remember having many dreams about what I'd be when I grew up. Becoming a teacher and a violinist are some of the ones I remember most clearly. But every four years, I'd watch the Olympics with my dad and every time the women's gymnastics program came on, I'd be glued to the screen and mesmerized. I'd do tumbles and leaps all around the house for days until my mom told me to sit down and read before I knock over yet another expensive vase. 

This year was a bit different and I've been avoiding watching the Olympics. However, my mom turned it on last night and we watched the women's team event and being the makeup junkie that I am, I was mesmerized by Simone Biles' eye makeup. The colorful glitter pop on her lower lashline felt fun and patriotic at the same time. I'm a bit too old to be doing tumbles and leaps so instead, I wanted to recreate that look for you. I'd post the photo for you but I've just been reading about copyright so I'll link you to the photo instead, hehe. 

Basically, she has a light golden satin eyeshadow all over her upper lid with a cat eye. On the lower lash line, she has red glitter on the outer corner, silver glitter in the center and blue glitter on the inner corner. There's different variations of this look but I like the one using the U.S. flag's color scheme the most. So, let's dive into the makeup!

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FOTD | Current Foundation Routine

I'm a creature of habit so when I find something that works for me, I stick with it. Also, finding a great color match makes it difficult for me to use just one product for foundation. Since discovering this gem, I have finally found a cruelty-free option that I can sing the praises from the rooftops! I don't like to jump on trendy products as much as I used to, so it's taken me a long time to finally give the itCosmetics Your Skin but Better CC Cream a try. And my goodness, why was I ever so hesitant?? This is seriously HG material. But I'll save all the gushing for a later review; let's just get into my current foundation routine that I've been enjoying for the past 2 months.

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FOTD | Sparkly Purple Prom Makeup 2.0

I meant to post this up waaaay earlier than this to make it in time for prom season, #storyofmylife, BUT if your prom has already passed, take this as a #throwbackThursday! My senior year prom was back in 2011, which isn't that long ago, now that I think about it...I was adamant about doing my own look after a friend's quinceanera fiasco a year back. At the time, I was super proud of my look, evidenced by my wide smile. I usually don't smile as wide anymore but I was also ecstatic about getting my braces off in time for prom, haha. 

While my 2011 look isn't horrendous, there are many things I would improve upon, like my base makeup, which was virtually nothing, and eyeshadow. So, I decided to call my updated look "Sparkly Prom Makeup 2.0", abbreviated to SPM 2.0 for future reference. Unfortunately, I no longer remember or have the original items used in SPM 1.0 so I substituted with items readily available in 2016. So with improved product formulas and additional experience, I'll walk you through my updated look! 

Oh gosh, the nostalgia of 17-year old Cindy...

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BLOGGER BOOT CAMP | Day 15: Transformation Tuesday: Once Upon a Time inspired

Hello everyone! Spring is in full force here in California and I'm so glad. I'm getting ready to plant my flowers. For #TransformationTuesday, I decided to transform myself into a character in one of my all-time favorite tv shows, Snow White from Once Upon a Time! Her look is always so fresh-faced and lovely, so I think it'll look great throughout the Spring. I even attempted false lashes in this post and I think I did okay for a first try!

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BLOGGER BOOT CAMP | Day 14: What's in my Makeup Bag? - Spring Break Edition

As I'm writing this post, it is the first day of Spring! Some of y'all are probably on Spring Break so I created a very simple look that'll get your through the week. This was definitely a challenge for me because I like to pack tons of product, even if I'm only going away for a few days. Even if you're not on Spring Break, this is a minimalistic makeup that acts as a great base for additional details if desired! The theme of this Makeup Bag is "Multi-tasking Products for Those Emergency Situations."

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BLOGGER BOOT CAMP | Day 7: MOTD

 It's been so long since I last put on a full face of makeup that I went a little overboard. I'm sure you won't mind, considering you're reading a makeup blog and all...I'm cheating a bit since this is actually Sunday's MOTD but I'll probably be wearing a similar look on Monday anyway. Anyhoo, let's just jump right into the details!

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HALLOWEEN INSPO | Rational Ravenclaw

The graphics are from Emily Corene on deviantart and tashab07 from deviantart

 Welcome back to the second installment of my Halloween Inspo! Today, I'm creating a Ravenclaw-inspired look. Incorporating lots of blue and bronze, I was going for a sweet librarian look. The photos are all very confusing because I actually started doing this look and then had to run off to dinner with the family. I took it all off because I wasn't about to go to a casual dinner with like blue eyeshadow--too much to explain to my grandparents, haha. 

The next day, I tried my best to recreate the look but failed miserably and the overcast weather didn't help my chances. So I really liked the eyeshadow I did from the previous day so I just skipped several steps and showed you the final eye look. That's taking the easy way out but as Halloween is less than 3 days away--eep! I didn't have time to redo things AND still do Gryffindor and Slytherin (definitely don't want to leave them out!) so I hope you'll forgive me. 

Anyhoo, let's get on with the show!

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HALLOWEEN INSPO | Helpful Hufflepuff

For the graphics in the header photo, I used Mikey Booch's Hufflepuff Banner Wallpaper and Emily Corene's HD Hufflepuff Traits Wallpaper

With 5 days left to Halloween, I decided to kick off this new series! Halloween usually calls for scary costumes and horror movies but that's never been my scene. As a Potterhead, I will rewatch the Harry Potter movies and hand out candy instead. If you're looking for a terrifying makeup tutorial, you've come to the wrong blog. However, if you were looking for an understated and simple Halloween look that you can wear to the office, you've come to the right spot! I'm starting with Hufflepuff because it's my favorite house, not that I'm biased or anything...

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FOTD | "Gilded Onyx": using the Lorac Pro Metals Palette

Photos via screengrab from Demi Lovato's music video "Cool for the Summer" (2015) 

Hey everyone! I'm a bit embarrassed that this post is barely coming now since I promised it 2 weeks ago but personal issues and not having my laptop for the past week hindered my plans greatly. Anyhoo, it's here now, just in time for the weekend! 

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FOTD | Affordable Drugstore Makeup

Hello everyone! I'm back with another FOTD and this time, I wanted the focus to be on affordable makeup. I get a little carried away and buy tons of high end products but there are also excellent products from the drugstore. All the products in this look are from the drugstore so you'll get a beautiful look that will also make your wallet happy as a clam!

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FOTD | Spring Beauty

Spring is my second favorite season because I love rainy days. My friends think I'm crazy but I love the cozy feeling of being indoors, curled up with a huge blanket and sipping on some warm tea or chocolate, listening to the pitter pattering of raindrops on my window. Since there's a lot of rain, the humidity makes makeup feel heavier than usual and can make mascara run. I have two looks that I've been wearing a whole ton this season. I'll walk you through the products for each look below!

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FOTD | Makeup in a Stick (Form)

I've been loving to do FOTD posts as it lets me experiment and play with more of my makeup stash. I revisited several items that I've reviewed previously as well as introduced some new items that I will review soon! I can't claim credit for coming up with the idea. I actually watched a video by LaMuqe on Youtube where she demonstrates her look using makeup in a stick form. Watch it for another take on this fun challenge. :D

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FOTD | Shadow of a Glimmer

Luxury and designer beauty products are  scary, scary worlds to jump into. The items are beautifully packaged and performance is impressive, luring in unsuspecting wallets.  I've been pretty good at avoiding the counters (other than purchasing gifts for others, then I spare no luxury!) because I'm not ready to make that leap yet xD That having been said, the new Armani Eye Tints really drew me in and they got a great review on Temptalia. I feel naked without eyeshadow on because it evens out my lids. Hence, this seemed like a good choice for my first luxury purchase--and I am not disappointed!

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FOTD | Outta This World: featuring Urban Decay Moondust Eyeshadow in Solstice

Hey everyone! I promised a swatch of this awesome Urban Decay Moondust Eyeshadow in Solstice over on my Instagram but my internet was so spotty at home. It took a while so I included a FOTD to make up for it. 

Solstice is described as a metallic pink-red w/ green 3-D sparkle and shift. Upon first glance, it looked similar to MUG Pigment in Insomnia and Wet n Wild Comfort Zone Palette in Definer. Though it has the same aqua sparkle in direct light, the base color is a pinkish red that shows up in the shade. The texture is a bit dustier, similar to a pressed pigment so don't rub your brush in it too roughly. Solstice has a translucency about it; the sparkle helps it look more opaque but my skin color shows through a bit with one layer. Two layers or a colored base helps it appear opaquely without skin showing through. The sparkle is gorgeous without feeling gritty or oversized; it reminds me of pixie dust, very fine and delicate. I used a dark brown eyeliner below which made the aqua sparkle more intensely. I also layered it over a navy blue liner and a burgundy liner which also made the aqua sparkle look more intense. 

Without further ado, here are the swatches!

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FOTD | Naked and Exposed: The Valentine's Day Special

I'm (perversely?) satisfied with my title, haha. 50 Shades of Grey has been on my mind lately as the movie hit theaters this past Valentine's Day weekend here in the States. With everyone on my social media feeds talking about it and extensive PR, I couldn't avoid it--if you can't beat 'em, join 'em! My friends and I planned on going to see it but as I wasn't feeling well, we settled on dinner and movies at home instead. So grateful for friends that are willing to change up their plans for little ol' me at the last minute--thanks y'all! 

I've been a bit under the weather lately so blog posts have been scarce around here. I actually tried this look out a week ago so that I could post it as a Valentine's Day look but we all know how that turned out (╥︣﹏᷅╥) Anyhoo, no use crying over spilt milk so let's get on with the show! It's not exactly a tutorial but hopefully my explanations will help you see how I created this look :D

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