NYX Hydra Touch Primer - dupe for Smashbox!

This is the best dupe for the Smashbox Hydrating Primer that I have found! The texture is almost exactly the same, and I actually like this one even more than the Smashbox version. I find this one crazy hydrating, and I feel my skin drink it up. It dries very rapidly, leaving behind a smooth canvas for foundation. It smells very light and fresh. The one by NYX contains chamomile, green tea and ginseng as well. The NYX primer retails for $13.99 for 1.05 Oz. and is made in South Korea. The Smashbox version costs $42.00, contains 1.0 Oz and is made in the USA. You can find this product at Ulta and Target among major retailers. Ulta has times when they have sales such as buy one get one half off, or buy two get one free sales on top of their regular $3.50 off $15 coupon promotion!

Grand Opening of Tony Moly Store in Japan town of San Francisco!

Tony Moly just opened their 2nd US store in the Japantown of San Francisco, California. The store has a huge selection of face masks, moisturizers, cosmetics, nail polishes, tools, and much more! They have special promotional prices on some of their best selling items such as their bunny pocket mists and lip balms. The staff are very friendly and helpful! I was so excited to see their tools because I have been looking for bb and cc cream puffs. The items I decided to pick up were:
- face mask hair band. I have a problem with regular hair bands (even the active ones with gel anti-slip grips) I really like this one because it has 3 separate rubber bands that prevent it from shifting downward. It is also super soft and washable. ($5)
- BB & CC cream application puff. I have an Amore Pacific puff, however, it has split in the middle after using it for so long. This one is washable and the covering is made from a plastic so it is stain resistant. I find it just as soft as my Amore Pacific one. ($3)
- Front hair clip. I really like this because it gets the little hairs my hair ties don't get the little hairs out of the way. It surprisingly works very well! Perfect for makeup application.($4)
- Dalcom Gloss in Pineapple ($5) It is very tingly, I don't find that it smells like pineapple or any tint, but it does freshen my breath. It has a very slight menthol smell.,and gel like texture. Super shiny and moisturizing!
- Clean Dew Blueberry foam cleanser ($7) I wanted to try a gentle cleanser, and really does smell like blueberries!
- Aquaporin Cooling Eye Stick ($14) I saw a similar product by Boscia at Sephora for much more. I have never tried an eye stick before so this is really exciting. It smells like citrus.
- Mighty Atom Mask Sheet, Nutrition edition ($2) I love fask masks. ;3
- Antibacterial cotton swabs. ($2) I like how the cotton is bound so it doesn't get linty. Perfect for cleaning up eyeliner. Comes in 3 100-count zip bags!

April 2016 Ipsy Bag!

This month I received a really good bag!! It included the following:
- Probelle Nail Laquer in 'In or Out'
- Briogeo Don't Despair, Rapair! Gel-to-oil -overnight repair treatment
- Tarte LipSurgence Lip Creme in 'Wonder'
- Nomad Eyeshadow from the Marrakesh collection in 'Desert Sands'
- Crown Brush Duo Fiber Blush Brush 'C427'

I am super thrilled with my bag because I love crown brushes! The brush itself retails for $24! I really like the Probelle Nail polish. It is really cute for spring, and the shiny finish is amazing! The Tarte LipSurgence Lip Creme and the Nomad Eyeshadow in Desert Sands is super pigmented and creamy. The Briogeo hair treatment just launched at Sephora. I'm excited to try it out, especially since my hair has been more on the dry side lately. I'll get a lot of use out of this bag for sure! For those that are fellow Ipsy bag subscribers, what did you get in your bag? :) Thanks for reading!

April 2016 Birchbox!

For this month I chose to go with the curated box! In the box I received included:
Marcelle 3-in-1 Micellar Solution (1.7 fl. Oz. sample)
Dr. Jart+ Liftra Contour Cream (0.17 fl. Oz. Sample)
Laura Gellar New York Baked Blush-n-Brighten in Pink Grapefruit
PARLOR by Jeff Chastain Volumizing Lifting Spray
Tocca Crema da Mano in Giulietta

I'm really happy with the blush! It's such a pigmented and flattering color! I have already used the Tocca hand cream in the past, and I really enjoy it. I'm looking forward to trying out the Lifting Spray since I really liked the detangling spray I received from Parlor in a past Birchbox! I've never tried a Micellar water before, so this is a great chance to see how I like it! I have used Dr. Jart+ products in the past, and I really enjoyed them. I'm turning 22, so this will be a great time for me to start on some anti-aging products and see what will work out for me!
What did you get in your Birchbox if you're a subscriber? :) Thanks for reading!

March 2016 Birchbox!

This month I received the Number 4 L 'eau de Mare Hydrating Shampoo along with a sample packet of the matching Hydrating conditioner. Cargo Cosmetics Eyeshadow Duo in Sand and Ferry. theBalm Stainiac tint for cheeks and lips in the shade beauty queen. Dr. Lipp miracle balm. Kiehl's Super Multi-Correcting Eye-Opening Serum.

March 2016 Ipsy Glambag!

I received the eSalon Perfect ending leave in conditioner in 1fl.Oz.
Vera Mona eyeshadow in the shade Clover.
Pixi by Petra Beauty Blush Duo in Rose gold. (Full size)
First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Hydrating Serum in .25 fl. oz.
Make Up For Ever Skin Equalizer Hydrating Primer in .16 fl. Oz.
Overall I really enjoyed this month's bag! :)
Included a surprise picture of my dog Yumi.

Hidden gem at the drugstore! L'oreal Ideal Moisture Face Lotion for Dry Skin! SPF 25.

This hands down is one of the best moisturizing face lotions I have ever tried at the drugstore, ( and dude..I have tried so many). Most face lotions I buy from the drugstore are mediocre at best( alot are left half finished before I get distracted by a new shiny lotion at the drugstore). The ones with SPF tend to have a thick sunscreen feel that don't dry down and remain tacky on the skin, making your foundation and other makeup on top fade and rub off easily..let's not even talk about a hot humid day. :'( This L'oreal Ideal Moisture lotion honestly was one of those ' throw in your cart online to get free shipping' kind of situation on Amazon. I got it for $4.98 at the end of February of this year. When it arrived the first thing I did was look at the SPF ingredients. They are Avobenzone 3%, Homoslate 2%, Octisalate 5%, and Octocrylene 7%. In other words, the good stuff in higher end SPF lotions. It has both UVA and UVB protection. The first thing I noticed was the smell of the lotion. It smells amazingly light and fresh, ( even for a sensitive nose like myself). The texture is more on the watery side, but the viscosity of it is enough it make it not run everywhere. It applies amazingly smooth. I have oily/combination dry skin, and my skin just drank this stuff up! It held up through the day. I usually get dry with both high end and drugstore moisturizers around my nose area midday, but since using this, I never had this problem! My foundation and other makeup blend so well with this lotion. So well, that I actually got another bottle to make my own tinted moisturizer with left over foundations. The lotion the foundations and lotion tritrate so well! ( And actually stay homologous). That means shaking up the bottle before applying the tinted moisturizer is unnecessary. I also bought a bottle to bring back to my mother when I go back to Los Angeles for spring break. This stuff is good. The other formulas that the lotion comes in is intended for sensitive and normal skin types. I might get those later down the line to make a comparison for you guys! :) Thanks for reading! Hope this helped!

New Dove Dry Spray Deodorants

I received these cool new spray deodorants from Dove and Influenster to review. Like everything I review, all opinions are my own. Let's be honest here. :) The woman's version comes in a small, slim can that can easily fit in a purse or backpack for on the go use. It's a great refresher product, for after the gym or quick underarms touchup on a hot day in the car after lunch. The men's version, in my opinion, has a much lighter fragrance than the woman's version. The deodorants smell exactly like their Invisible Solid Deodorant versions. The price point is around $5.99, around the same as their solid counterparts. I believe these are more suited for those that have moderate perspiration. This will not replace clinical strength deodorants and antiperspirant.