Birthday Wishlist!

On February 21, I will be 16. There are so many things I want ( & do not need ) but I'm young and thats how I am. Surprisingly I want more than cosmetics this time. I actually want some clothes, a new laptop, a camera, and a few things I need to replace. Here are some of the things I want:

( of course beauty is first )

Crown Brushes
Being a beginner, I don't need the uber expensive brushes. Half of them I have no use for, as for the ones in sets. I'm aware that many people swear by Sigma but from looking at reviews, researching, and comparing myself, I feel Crown Brush is just as good. Plus, if they aren't I can always get the Sigma brushes later on. I've also looked at Crown Brush and really like their Infinity range of brushes. They are supposedly comparable to Sigma's Sigmax collection but way cheaper. Only 5 of the brushes I just can't get my mind off of and those are the small round buffer, round blender, flat blender, pointed blender, and angle shadow. The ones I am dying to have are the flat, round, and pointed blender. The other two I just want to try, but don't necessarily need ( there's that word again ).

Coastal Scents' Revealed Palette
This palette has been in my eyes since it first came out. Let me start off by saying that I am a neutral eye fanatic. If this palette isn't perfect for me, I don't know what is. I've heard some say its a combination of all 3 Naked palettes in one. Personally, I don't care if they're not alike at all, I just want this palette. I'm not really a fan of the Naked palettes, mainly because I can only see myself using a few shades out of each palette & for $52 each..I'm better off buying individual shades and building my own OR just buying this one. :)

coastalscents.com

L'Oreal Youth Code Texture Perfector Serum
I've heard such good things about this and I just want to try it out for myself. I've noticed lately the texture of my skin is similar to my grandmother's ( not good at all, no offense to the well-aged ) and I want it to be baby soft and looking young. This claims to reduce size of pores, lines, and better your skin's texture altogether. Sounds good to me. See it here.
(right now there is sale for L'Oreal at WalMart, Target, and maybe a couple of other stores for $5 off when you spend $20+)

Lippiesssssss:
Sephora Cream Lip Stain in Always Red
MAC Viva Glam I & Pleasure Bomb
Naked Ultra Nourishing Lip Gloss in Rule34
Maybelline Color Elixirs in Caramel Infused, Caviar Couture
Revlon Matte Balms in Shameless, Standout, Sultry

North Face Jacket
I didn't used to pay these any attention, but the weather lately has been freezing. ( literally) I just want a nice, simple, universal jacket that actually keeps me warm. I like the Osito Jacket & I love black when it comes to clothes, so of course I would want this is black too.

Minnetonka Boots
I'm a boot lover, and these have caught my eye. I didn't know they costs so much until I looked them up. This is another thing I didn't pay any attention to before. There are two pairs I want from them.
Classic Fringe Boot & Calf Hi 3-Layer Boot

This definitely isn't all I want but its the main things, besides a new laptop/tablet for school. This concludes my list. What do you want for your birthday? Or have you tried any of these things or something similar? Let me know. Have a nice day!

Kiss by New York Aqua BB Cream | Review

You've probably heard a good bit of women raving about this BB cream. Another cheap wonder. This is hands down the BEST foundation/BB cream I have tried. I have used both high end and drugstore foundations. Its an all around BOMB product + it's made for WOC!! I first heard about this BB cream on YouTube. I had seen it in the beauty supply store before but never paid any attention to it. After seeing so many reviews and rants I had to go get it for myself. I looked in a few BSS in my area and couldn't find my shade (of course they were sold out). So, I ordered it off of eBay. After a week, it finally arrived and I used it as soon as it got it. I used it with my Real Techniques Buffing Brush (fave foundation brush at the moment) and it applied beautifully! I squeezed some of the product onto the brush, started on one side of my face and moved to the next. When I was done, I took a good look in the mirror. The shade I have is Medium and it is just a smidge bit darker than me, but my face is already darker than my neck and chest so I didn't think of it as much of a problem. Besides, after I put on my powder everything is Even Steven.

Here are the claims:

In my opinion, 6 out of the 8 claims are definitely true. I'm not so sure about the skin regeneration or pore tightening. My pores do seem to be a wee bit less noticeable but the primer I use might have something to do with that also. As for the skin regeneration, I guess I would have to use this for a little bit longer to tell the difference even though I'm not exactly sure what its supposed to be regenerating.

Ever since I got it, I use it EVERY SINGLE DAY. This is my go-to foundation/BB cream/base whatever
you want to call it. I used to use the Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream but it didn't have much, if any, coverage and it didn't work well with my oily t-zone. The only reason I continued to use it was because it had SPF and it did even out my skin a little. But after trying this, I'm never going back. I will repurchase this forever and ever! Let me tell you why I love it so much:

• works great with my oily skin
• satin finish
• long wearing
• super blendable
• great coverage
• good color match/variety
• inexpensive
• squeeze packaging
• a lot of product in the tube

Cons

• not very easy to find
• no SPF

If you are a WOC, I highly recommend you go out and get this! You'll love it, guaranteed. 

Elf Powder Brush | Review

image from eyeslipsface.com

Last summer I purchased the infamous Elf Powder Brush. Unfortunately it was not available at my local Target so I had to order it. I ordered the brush (along with others) from drugstore.com It came super fast with FREE 2-day shop runner shipping so that was a plus. As soon as I got my package, I couldn't help myself but open it so I could feel the softness everyone raves about. Instantly I fell in love with the brush. Previously to receiving my E.l.f. brushes, I just used a few Mary Kay brushes and a small set I bought from Forever 21. (Two completely different qualities!) After playing with it for a few minutes, I went ahead and washed it. I wash my brushes with Dawn Antibacterial Dish Soap and EVOO. There was no shedding at all, the first wash was a breeze. I let the brush dry overnight and used it the next morning. 

At the time I used Maybelline's Dream Fresh BB Cream in Deep Sheer Tint & Black Radiance's Color Perfect Foundation in Rum Spice. This applied both products like a dream. The application was smooth, fast, and the finish was beautiful. I love the feeling of the brush against my face. The brush really is super soft and feels heavenly while you're buffing in your product. I would recommend this brush to ANYONE. 

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Now that it has been a while, I've bought more brushes and have found a new use for it. I use this brush primarily for setting powder. I set my base with Black Opal's Invisible Oil Blocking Loose Powder. The flat top is perfect for pushing the powder on the face making sure to set everything it touches. After I set, a few minutes later I go back in with the brush and just buff off the excess and I'm ready to apply my finishing powder. :)

Trying Something New

After thinking it over and being in complete boredom for the past few weeks (during my summer vacation), I've decided to start blogging. Basically I want to focus on health & beauty, maybe a little shopping, technology, music, or daily life. Maybe one day this could turn into more than just typing and publishing, hoping for someone to see. I would still like to continue blogging because I know someone, somewhere, on some day will find this and be happy with at least one thing they find. ^_^

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I will try to post as much as I can. Being a student, it is a little challenging to run a blog like this but I can do nothing but try right? I need to be creative & come up with ideas for posts to keep you guys interested. If you have any suggestions, questions, or tips, please feel free to share them! It'd be nice to know someone is reading this! :) Thank you.