Saturday, November 4, 2017

MAPLE HOLISTICS TEA TREE SHAMPOO REVIEW

This post contains sponsored links from Maple Holistics*

Hello lovelies, I hope you are having an amazing day! Today I am going to be reviewing the Maple Holistics Tea Tree Shampoo. I have been using this shampoo for the past month and I am so happy with it. Maple Holistics were generous enough to send me this product so I could try it, and I am so excited to share it with you. 

This is an all natural tea tree oil shampoo and it is cruelty free, paraben free, GMO free and gluten free. Lately I have been trying a more natural approach to some of the products I use on my day to day beauty routine, so I was super excited to try this shampoo. The shampoo retails for $25.00 but I right now are running a sale for $8.95.


Pros: 
  • This is an all natural product and non toxic.
  • It doesn't weight down my hair. I read the ingredient list and it appears to be silicone free. I have been using silicone free products on my hair for about 3 years and so far this is one of the best ones out there. Silicone tensd to make your hair look shiny, feel super soft and be less frizzy, but with time, it will weigh down your hair, not to mention it will also make coloring your hair quite a challenge since hair dye can't stick properly to your hair. 
  • It smells so good. It is a very fresh, clean smell. Not only that, my hair smelled good for a while. 
  • Promotes scalp health. Tea Tree Oil is known for helping get rid of bacteria in your scalp, which helps reduce dandruff and itchiness. 
  • It suds up really nice, even though it is sulfate free. Many products that are sulfate free tend to no lather that much, but this shampoo really does.
Cons:
  • To be honest, the only con I see is that there is only 8 ounces in the bottle. I wish I could buy a bigger bottle. 

In my opinion, this is a fantastic shampoo. I am definitely going to purchase more once I run out of it. If you are looking for a good natural shampoo, you definitely need to try this product. I also wanted to mention, that Maple Holistic has a Free Sample Program for you to try. Maple Holistic have many products like these that I will be trying as well.

Alright lovelies, that's it for this post. Please leave me a comment below if you have tried some of their products, and which ones I should try next. And please remember to follow me on social media. Until next time, stay gorgeous!

**Disclaimer: Although this post is sponsored, all opinions are my own. I was sent these products to try and review but no compensation will be sent to me if you purchase their products. 


Friday, October 20, 2017

BEAUTY: LIPSENSE-RED GATE BEAUTY REVIEW

This post contains sponsored links from Red Gate Beauty**

Hello again my lovelies. I hope you all are having a great day. A couple of weeks ago I was sent two lip products from Red Gate Beauty. They are the Sense Cosmetics, Lip Sense by Sene Gence Long Lasting Liquid Lipstick in the shade First Love and the Sense Cosmetics, Lip Sense by Sene Gence Moisturizing Gloss in the shade Sand Gloss. I have been playing with these for about a week and I wanted to review them for you guys. 

So first, what is LipSense? The product claims to be waterproof, kiss proof and will not smear, rub off or budge for 4-18 hours. The product contains Denature Alcohol which helps with the application of the product, tree peony extract, St. John Wort extract, Linden Flower Extract, Isodonis Japonicus Extract and Mica. It is also wax free, lead-free, gluten free, vegan, kosher and not tested on animals. The liquid lipstick retails for $24.99 and the lip gloss retails for $19.99.** 

Pros:
  • The color selection. I was shocked to see how many shades they have. They have 39 shades available of the Liquid Lipstick (16 warm shades, 20 cool tone shades and 3 neutral shades) and 11 shades of the gloss. They are all so incredibly beautiful and I appreciate the fact that they have separated them into warm tones, cool tones and neutral tones. 
  • Cruelty Free. Although I have used products from companies that have tested on animals, slowly I have been trying to find products that are cruelty free. I'm glad that Red Gate Beauty is a company that stands against animal cruelty.
  • Long Lasting. Although, the product only lasted 4 hours on me, I am pretty savage with my liquid lipsticks so I really do not expect them to last more than that. 
  • Pigmentation. The pigmentation on these is out of the world. The shade I tried is pretty pigmented and it applied beautifully without being patchy. 
Cons:
  • Tingling Sensation. The product does mention that you will experience a tingling sensation the first couple of times you try it. The liquid lipstick contains Denature Alcohol, which tingles while it evaporates. Yes, the tingling sensation goes away after a couple of seconds.
  • Weird Taste and Smell. I have to admit, I really did not like the taste and smell of the liquid lipstick. You can definitely smell the Shea butter, which is great, but it still doesn't mask the almost chemical smell that the liquid lipstick has. Personally I like products that smell and taste sweet. This definitely doesn't. You can taste and smell the alcohol on the product. It will go away after a while but still not my favorite. 
In my opinion, the liquid lipstick is a good product, but I wish they would change the formula so it has a better taste, smell and not give you a tingling sensation while you are first applying it. Now, the Lip Gloss for me is a HUGE WIN. I loved the color, the little shimmery particles in it, how moisturizing it feels and by itself is opaque enough to give you a nice color to the lips. I think the color selection is fantastic and will probably give it another chance so I can try some of the more vibrant shades. I also love the fact that this is a company that takes pride in using natural products, it is cruelty free and it is made in the USA.  

*If you wish to try Red Gate Beauty products for yourself (ESPECIALLY THAT LIP GLOSS) they are giving my readers a 15% discount at www.redgatebeauty.com. Simply use the code bloggymoms15 at the checkout.

Alright lovelies, that's it for this post. Please leave me a comment below if you have tried some of the more intense shades and which ones you liked best. And please remember to follow me on social media. Until next time, stay gorgeous!


** Disclaimer: Although this post is sponsored, all opinions are my own. I was sent these products to try and review but no compensation will be sent to me if you purchase their products. 


Sunday, September 17, 2017

MY SUNLESS TAN TRICKS

Summer is here! Or was here. I know, I'm a little bit late to the posting party. Anyways, I seriously love the summer days. Coming from the beautiful, and incredibly hot island of Puerto Rico, I always get super excited when summer finally arrives. Sun, shorts, pool, having a BBQ on our deck, hot weather, you name it! I am all over summer. Another thing that many of us associate with summer is beautiful, sun kissed skin......***OK LETS STOP RIGHT HERE FOR A SECOND!!! Oh yeah, even though I come from Puerto Rico, land of the tanned, I was not blessed with JLo skin. I was given a more fair complexion. Okay, more fair complexion is an understatement. I was cursed with whiter than white, five shades whiter than the palest Puerto Rican out there, closer to Irish pale, drown victim white, pale skin. 

Since the only safe tan out there is a sunless tan, I will be sharing with you my tricks and tips on how to apply sunless tanner when you are incredibly pale. If sunless tan is hard for normal fair skin, it is ten times harder for very pale, porcelain complexions. Every little mistake will stick out like a sore thumb. By no means this is a "get a perfect tan every time" kind of tricks. I still struggle with patches and streaks here and there (I think with how pale I am this will always happen) but at least it looks natural most of the time.


BEFORE 
AFTER

























THINGS TO DO BEFORE YOU TAN

Before even pulling out the self-tanner bottle, there are a couple of things you should do to prevent your tan to develop uneven or patchy.

Exfoliate and shave. Self-tanner works by reacting with the dead skin cells of your body. If you want your self-tanner to apply smoothly and evenly, you need to remove any excess of dead skins before you apply it. Remember to always exfoliate BEFORE you shave, even if you are not self-tanning. Exfoliating before you shave helps remove dead cells from around your hairs, helping you get a smoother, closer shave. Also, if you exfoliate after you shave you will irritate your skin, not to mention it will hurt if you have any little cuts from shaving. I use Soap and Glory Sugar Crush Body Scrub. It smells so good and it is very gritty. I get mine at Target

Dry off completely. If you are still wet when you start applying your self-tanner the water that is still in your skin will make your tan apply streaky. I usually stand in front of my fan for a couple of minutes, and if I washed my hair I wrap it in a towel until I am done. 

Apply non-oil based lotion to rough spots. Self-tanners will stick more to skin that is rougher and thicker like your ankles, toes, soles, knees, elbows, wrists, fingers and palms. If you have any other patches where you have rough skin like a scrape, a rash, breakouts etc, you should also apply lotion there. You do not need to apply heaps of lotion, a very thin layer is more than enough to do its job. Make sure your lotion is not oil-based, or it will cause streaks on your tan.

TIPS AND TRICKS FOR A SMOOTH APPLICATION

Apply self-tanner in the morning. I know a lot of people that apply their self-tanner at night because the can go to bed and not smell the tanner. I get it, they do stink, but there is a bigger chance of ending up like a hot mess Oompa Loompa if you apply it at night. First, you can risk staining your sheets, and they will most certainly end up smelling like self-tanner. Also, you can end up with sheet marks on your self-tan, or remove some of the product if you are like me and toss and turn all night. The biggest advantage of tanning in the morning instead of at night is that during the day, while your tan develops, you can notice any mistakes and fix them right away. I ALWAYS have streaks on my feet and ankles, and I spot patches on my toes, feet and ankles during the day. I just apply a bit of self-tanner on the patch and move on. That spot will not develop as much as the rest of the body so it will look a lot more natural than doing it the next night and overdeveloping that little spot. 

Apply your self-tanner in a room with natural light. I cannot stress this enough, natural light is the best light to apply tanner. You will see more clearly where you are applying it. Artificial lighting, like the one on our bathroom tends to be yellow toned, and your sunless tan is also pretty yellow/orange tone. Artificial lighting will washout the color and you won't be able to see clearly if you are missing a spot. I always apply my tan in our bathroom with the lights off. I have a pretty big window on our bathroom and also a big skylight so it is very easy for me to see what I'm doing.

Apply your tan sitting down on a towel. I know this sounds crazy, but it works. If you are standing up you will try to rush things and end up missing spots or applying product unevenly. Plus, most of us are a bit more flexible sitting down than standing up. Take your time and apply everything properly.

Use a brush to apply your self-tanner. I have a big kabuki (123 Flat buffing) brush from BH Cosmetics that works GREAT for this. If you use a brush you will get a smoother application than using your hands or a mitt. If you use your hands, you will be left with orange hands, even if you wash them immediately after applying the tanner, and I feel like the mitt absorbs too much product and you really can't see where you are applying product. You might end up applying to much in one spot and too little on another. Use your brush in circular motions and work on sections. Once you have done your whole leg, then use that same brush with NO additional product and apply it to your toes and feet. Remember to apply it in between your toes and on your arch or you will end up with white soles and a clear line of tan vs non-tan skin.

Do not miss important spots that will betray you and scream "I have a fake tan on". Areas like your armpits, your soles, your hands, between your toes, between your fingers, behind your ears, your knuckles, all need to be tanned. Most people forget these areas and you can tell right away they have a fake tan when they do. Just think about it, when you lift your arms, are your armpits 5 shades lighter that your arm? The answer is no. You don't want to have brown arms and white armpits. Same with your knuckles, when you make a fist with your hand, your knuckles are the same color as your skin, so you have to tan them too. 

Let your tan dry off completely. You have to let your tan dry off or you will take it off when you apply clothes and will have clothing marks. If you are in a bit of a hurry, apply baby powder to areas that you know will sweat a bit like the bends of your elbows, armpits, neck, knees etc. This will prevent your tan from creasing in these areas. I always do this on a day I don't have much going on so I have time to dry off completely. Also, wear loose fitting clothes the whole day,

Shower before going to bed that day. If you don't do that your tan will keep developing a bit, so wash it off at night and you will have a beautiful tan.

TIPS FOR MAINTAINING YOUR TAN

Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize. Tan reacts with dead skin cells so, if you don't keep your skin hydrated, the tanned skin cells will flake off and your tan will not last as long. 

Use a gradual self-tanner every other day. There are so many good gradual self-tanning lotions out there that work wonders and are pretty inexpensive. Use them every other day, to keep you tan looking fresh longer. I love to use Jergens Natural Glow firming Moisturizer. This is so natural looking, and it really doesn't smell like self-tanner which is great. I get mine also at Target.


That's it lovelies. These are my tips and tricks for sunless tanning. I hope it helps a bit. Until next time, stay gorgeous!


**Disclaimer - All items mentioned above were personally purchased and not sent to me for review. I will always note if a product is sponsored. 

Tuesday, June 6, 2017

BEAUTY: SMITH AND CULT NAIL POLISH REVIEW

Today I am super excited to be reviewing some products from a brand that is new to me and I think to a lot of people out there, Smith and Cult.

This brand was unknown to me until my parents (They really know me well and have excellent taste in makeup) gave me a lip gloss kit (I will be reviewing them next week) and two nail polishes from this brand. They know I am a makeup junkie and they are always gifting me fun cool things for me to try. Smith and Cult was made by the creators of Hard Candy and it has their funky vibe to them. Everything about their products is unique!

As you know, I have struggled for years to find a nail polish that lasts. I don't know why this happens to me, but every nail polish I try chips immediately. When I say fast, I mean hours after I've applied a polish I look down and there it is, a chip! The only manicure that lasts is salon gel nails, and even those last for about 7 days until I see a chip. I must be very rough with my hands in comparison with other people because this happens every single time I do my nails.....until NOW!

Smith and Cult base "Basis of Everything"
I got "Basis of Everything", which is a base coat, and "Exit the Void" which is a periwinkle blue. Can we take a second to talk about the names? I love when companies come up with cool names for their nail polishes, and I feel like they are quite clever not only on their naming, but the charming little story behind the name. If you go to their website (by the way, it is very funky and hip) on the description for the nail polish they provide you with a story for the shade. "Exit the Void" had this story: "Ended up leaving the party tonight after 5 min b/c saw about 7 guys that could have easily been my next mistake." How cool is that?


Smith and Cult Color in the shade "Exit the Void"
Now let's talk about the packaging. I absolutely LOVE the packaging. Each bottle is unique. The caps look like they have been bent or crushed. Each one different. The caps are golden and the bottles are heavy. I love it. Even if the product was absolute garbage I would still purchase it just because of it's packaging. You can remove the cap to expose a normal cap underneath so it is easier to apply the polish. How clever!

The formula is really good. This nail polish lasted a whopping 5 days on me, and it chipped because I put a second coat of top coat on them because they were getting a bit dull and I wanted to make them shiny again. I am sure if I hadn't added any more coats it would have lasted at least a week. I have to say, this product IMPRESSED ME. I have looked everywhere for a nail polish/lacquer that would last for ages and Smith and Cult answered my prayers.

The only con I could say is that this product is expensive. It is not your typical drugstore nail polish. You can purchase it on Smith and Cult Website for ($18) and I saw them on Amazon as well. But to be quite honest, it is worth EVERY PENNY. Clearly I didn't purchase this product, it was my parents, but I will definitely be buying more of these miracles in a bottle.

***DISCLAIMER*** The opinions shown on this post are mine. I am not paid by Smith and Cult to review this product. The product was purchased by my parents and given to my as a birthday gift.



Friday, June 2, 2017

BEAUTY: TARTE SHAPE TAPE CONCEALER REVIEW

Today I am going to be giving you my opinions on the Tarte Shape Tape Concealer. I know this is not a new product but it in new to me. 

I had run out of my ultimate favorite concealer, the MAC Pro Longwear Concealer and I had heard so much hype over social media about the Shape Tape concealer that I decided to give it a try. I am going to jump right in on the Pros and Cons of this product and at the end I will give my opinion of it. 

Pros
  • Incredible high coverage - this product will cover everything. When I mean everything, I mean EVERYTHING. I covered one of my tattoos with this product and you couldn't event tell where it was.
  • Long wearing - this concealer will wear all day long. At the end of the day my foundation gave up on me and this concealer was still going strong. 
  • Very blendable - It is not hard to blend this concealer. Compared to the MAC Pro Longwear, which you have to blend right away or it is hard to move around, this concealer gives you a little bit of time to work it into your skin. Now, once is set, it is set forever!
  • Wand applicator - I cannot begin to describe how happy I was with this wand. It is big, but efficient, not like the pump of the Mac Pro Longwear, that wastes so much product.

Cons
  •  Strong smell - I am not one that hates fragrance in makeup, but the scent of this concealer is a tad to much! I really cannot tell you what kind of smell it is, only that it is pretty powerful and floral. I will say, you can smell it while you are applying it, but the scent goes away after you are done blending.
  • Shade selection - I have to be clear and explain myself with this one. The shape tape has a good shade selection, 14 shades to choose from. My complaint is that compared to other brands their shades are not the same. I am usually porcelain (the lightest shade available, one step above drown victim white) in every single foundation and concealer shade, so I bought the lightest shade they have with a pink undertone which is "Fair". Let me tell you... this shade was WAY to fair on me!?!?!?! Seriously? I am pale, but this was super pale. I guess what I'm trying to say is, go to the actual store and try it on before you purchase it. I bought it off their website so I didn't know it was so light. 
  • Only available at ULTA 

So, what's my verdict? I like this product. I feel like it is very easy to blend. I don't feel like I have to set it, since it really stays in place all day long. It sits on the skin way better than the MAC Pro Longwear Concealer, with the added bonus that it doesn't have that ridiculous pump that spits product all over the place. It will not look caked if you blend it with a beauty sponge. I will definitely be repurchasing this concealer, probably a shade darker...for sure. 

That's it for today. Until next time, stay gorgeous!

Saturday, April 8, 2017

BEAUTY: MORPHE 35R REVIEW

Today I am going to be reviewing the new Morphe 35R eye palette. I was watching Jaclyn Hill on her recent video called "Bronze Gold Smokey Eye" and she mentioned this eye shadow palette. I immediately knew I needed to get my hands on it. The colors looked very nice and golden and I just fell in love with it. As all of Morphe Eyeshadow Pro Makeup Palettes, they retail for $22.99 and they all have...duh, 35 colors in them. The palette has 15 shimmer shades, 18 matte shades and 2 satin shades. All of them are highly pigmented.


Like with all Morphe Products, I was not disappointed with this palette! It is absolutely gorgeous. The colors are highly pigmented and blend out very nicely. They do have some fallout, but to be honest, I always do my eyes first, so if I have some fallout I just wipe it clean before I do my foundation. If you prefer to do your face makeup first, you can always "bake" your under eye area with some translucent powder and then do your eyes. Once you are done you can just dust off the powder and it will take any fallout you had with it.


I would definitely recommend this palette to anyone that is a beginner in makeup, and non beginners too. I am always working on a budget and if you break it down to cost per eye shadow it is $0.66 per eye shadow. Compare that with Anastasia Beverly Hills Singles ($12), Makeup Geek ($10 for foiled, $6 for regular), or MAC Singles ($6), and these are a really good, very high quality alternative. It is also important to notice, with every new release they come up with, their eye shadows get better, and it seems like they do listen to what people ask and their interests. The only con I would list with Morphe in general is that shipping is a lot. I would suggest waiting for some a free shipping sale if you are not purchasing more that $100.00 worth of products. They do offer free shipping on orders of $100 or more. 



 ***DISCLOSURE*** The opinions expressed on this blog are my own. I do not get paid by Morphe to review their products. I purchased this product myself and I am just sharing my experiences with you

Sunday, April 2, 2017

IT'S BEEN A WHILE

Long time no bloggie! I know I have been MIA for a really long time. Last time I blogged it was in December!!! So, first of all HAPPY NEW YEAR (4 months later!).

What a crazy year 2017 has been! Life has been a roller coaster these past couple of months. I have been focusing all my energy in preparing my beauty room and makeup studio. Working on many reviews for this new year and most importantly, preparing my YouTube Channel. I have already started filming and testing my camera equipment, lighting, background and audio. Hopefully the channel will be up and running in the next couple of weeks. I will definitely keep you guys updated with what I am doing and when will I go live on YT. Thank you for your patience and support! :) 

Anyways, that's it for now. Starting this week you will see more blog posts from me. I am not ready to commit to a settled schedule of posts like I was last year, but I promise I will post more regularly! 

Until next time, stay fabulous! 

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