Best of 2013; Beauty

Here we go for 2014 everybody, and what else is better than talking about last year? hahaha. I'm just kidding, but I AM going to tell you what I used the most last year. The best of my entire makeup collection. I found myself drawn to these products the most and I believed that they did the best on my skin. The only thing that is not pictured is my beloved Rimmel Stay matte powder because I have mentioned that at LEAST a million times by now. :) and on we roll!

Blushes:

Benefit's Bella Bamba: I'm not going to lie, I think that the packaging is nothing but annoying. It's bulky and big for basically no reason; BUT I love the color. The gorgeous pink with gold flecks of shimmer. I love that the payoff on the brush is just the correct amount and it's not crazy pigmented from one swipe. Absolutely beautiful color.

NARS Torrid: This was the first NARS product that I ever purchased and it led me into my deep pocketed love affair with NARS products. If you were going to compare Torrid to Bella Bamba, it's a lot more of a deep orange, so it's a coral color with gold shimmer. I love NARS packaging--who doesn't?-- because it's just so clean and simple.

Benefit Facial Moisturizers!

Have you been looking for a good moisturizer? or night cream? or eye cream? These three products have worked for me. I've been using them consistently for the passed year. I purchased the whole line of benefit b.right line including the face wash, scrub, remover. These three are my favorites. They are the Facial emulsion, the eye cream, and the total moisture facial cream.

Shopping the stash!

A couple of posts ago I didn't know how much makeup I would be bringing with me on my trip, well I brought all of it. Hah, I just couldn't leave any of it behind. To justify bringing it all, I shopped my stash. If you don't know what that is; it's getting out of the comfort zone and using products that you don't use on a daily basis. I cheated though used my regulars which are Rimmel stay matte and the revlon color stay eyeliner.

May Favorites

 It's that time again! End of the month and that means it's favorites time! As you may or may not know May--ha, get it?-- was a very exciting month for me. My husband came home from Deployment and we had our second anniversary. I was very busy had in-laws that came in and had to get back into the swing of things. I have 6 things this month as my favorites, not too many because I wasn't really dipping into the collection much. The first two are:

April Wishlist!

If you are a long time follower of this blog then you know that I used to do this once a month. I'd tell you what I was lusting over usually at Sephora. Since I have been gone for so long it's kind of just gone away, but this lusting has not; so here it is! Back with a vengeance, my wishlist!

What's in my makeup bag!

Hello adventurers! Today's post is a very popular video on youtube, and I have actually filmed one myself and that can be found here, but that is old and here's an updated one! I got a new makeup bag as a gift with purchase from benefit if you purchased any of the Ultra Plush lip glosses. As you can see it can hold a lot of stuff. In no particular order:

Victoria's secret mini lipgloss in Innocent( dupe for NARS turkish delight post here)
Revlon Colorstay Overtime mascara
Maybelline Great Lash clear mascara (brow gel)
Neutrogena Healthy Skin brightening eye perfecter spf 25
MAC lipstick in Lovelorn
Benefit Ultra plush lip gloss in Sugarbomb
E.l.f eyelid primer
Maybelline the Mega Plush volum' express mascara
NARS Turkish delight
Maybelline Instant age rewind concealer in brightening
Revlon Just Bitten kissable lip color in Sweetheart Valentine
Revlon Colorburst Lip butter in Sweet Tart
E.l.f Baked blush in pinktastic
MAC Lipstick in Plumful
Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Creme Brûlée
MAC Lipstick in Creme Cup
MAC Lipglass in Myth
NARS Blush in Gaiety
Sample size Smashbox Photo Finish Primer
Sample size Clear Prep FX primer
Benefit Erase paste in no.2 Medium
NARS Blush in Torrid
Benefit Ultra Plush lip gloss in Hoola
Clinique Cream Shaper for eyes in chocolate lustre
Rimmel Stay matte powder in Silky beige


Perfumes(Rollerball):
Vera Wang Princess
MAC Turquatic
Viva La Juicy--also came with a lipgloss on the other end which is just absolutely horrible!
Marc Jacobs Daisy

I know you may be thinking "why does she carry so much makeup on her?" It's because I do my makeup from this bag every morning and if I use a different product I just throw it in there. I don't use all of this every day by any means. It's a little look into my favorite products!

Have you done a post like this? Leave it down below for me to check out!

Would you like a review on any of these products?


xoxoAlaina

New Benefit Plush Lipglosses Swatches!

Hello Adventurers! As I promised in my Haul Video on youtube--if you aren't subscribed to me, you should be! (www.youtube.com/AlternativelyAlaina)-- Today is the day you get the swatches of the 4 plush lip glosses that I purchased a few days ago. I decided not to get Bella Bamba because it seemed too deep of a color for me and I'm not really into deep reds like that. So I just got these four instead, and that is another things to check off my wish list! Making that wish list in the beginning of the month is really good for me, cause then I set my sights on things that I know I want, and I work up to getting them--anyway. Back to the swatches! The four colors I purchased were Coralista, Dandelion, Sugarbomb, and Hoola!

I love the fact that Benefit did this, they took popular products and made them into lip glosses, I thought that was very clever of them and really intuitive. I think the one I'm most excited for is Dandelion, I just love that color! Coralista is coming off a bit bright because of the flash.

Here they are! Swatches! Going from Left to Right they are-- Coralista, Dandelion, Sugarbomb, and then Hoola.

Close up to where you can really see them.

-Coralista is a straight reddy orangish color with no shimmer at all, it's just a colored gloss, straight forward and I quite like that.
-Dandelion is a light pale pink with shimmer in it.
-Sugarbomb is what I'd like to call a true pink with shimmer
-Hoola is a tan nude with shimmer in it.

I would like to say that I think that Benefit did a good job with the formula of these glosses and I didn't find them sticky at all! I will do a full review after I get to wearing them and trying them out for a few!


xoxoAlaina!

I went shopping!

Hey guys! I picked up a few things recently from the drugstore and I decided to share them with you so you know what will be appearing on my blog, and if you want me to do reviews on specific items in this haul, go ahead and leave that down below and I'll be sure to do that for you, but lets get on to it!

• 4 of the new Benefit Plush Lipglosses in Hoola, Sugarbomb, Coralista, and Dandelion
• 2 Revlon Photoready Cream blushes in Pinched and Flushed
• Rimmel's Match Perfection Concealer in Light/Medium
• Loreal Color Riche Lipgloss in Watermelon Crush
• Clinique Chubby stick in Mega Melon
• Oatmeal soap
• Mini Bad Gal Lash
• Formula 10.0.6 Keep me Clean Facial wipes

Until next time guys(which shall be tomorrow!) 

xoxoAlaina!

If you'd like me to check out your blog, go ahead and leave that down below as well.

Review: Ultra Radiance Facial Re-hydrating Mist.

Hello adventurers! Today's review another one of Benefit's skincare items. It's the facial mist that is supposed to refresh the face and refresh your makeup. This bad boy will cost you $26. Here's what Benefit Cosmetics says about it (www.benefitcosmetics.com)

"Even the brightest complexions need a quick pick-me-up now & then. Ultra radiance facial re-hydrating mist instantly enhances radiance with our exclusive tri-radiance complex to deliver immediate & long-term hydration."


I can tell you right now that I do not like this product. This is one item I would skip in the b.right skincare line. This facial mist in the packaging that comes in the box says that this can be worn over makeup-- don't do it!--- it basically soaks your face and if you dare touch your face while this stuff is still wet, you'll wipe off all your hard work. It's really sticky on the face afterward as well. If you weren't wearing makeup and you wanted to use this as a before the makeup to just refresh the face, it does cool you down, but I don't feel that the sticky feeling at the end is really worth it. 


The 'long-term hydration' really is the sticky-ness you'll feel from using this product. I have not tried other facial mists, but this one misses the mark. Sorry Benefit!!


Final remarks? I would not repurchase this again. So Pass.


xoxoAlaina

Review: Benefit's Total Moisture Facial Cream

Hey guys! I picked this baby up quite a long time ago now, and let me just tell you I absolutely ADORE this cream. This is my night cream so I put this on before I go to bed and when I wake up my skin is so soft and I don't get that dry feeling or any dry patches.

This is an extremely heavy--in my opinion-- moisturizer, and it get's deep in there, in the beginning of using this it made my skin really oily and so I stopped using it for a few but then I felt like my skin was just wishing for some moisture and I started using it again, and my skin just soaks it up and It doesn't give me that oily look any more. It could be a combination of a few things of why it doesn't over moisturize my skin anymore, but I really enjoy this product.

It comes in a jar-obviously-- and you basically dip your fingers in and rub on, which isn't the most hypoallergenic thing in the world but it has a plastic stopper(?) in the container that I leave in there to keep it sealed.

This Moisturizer costs $38, I do not pay that much for it as I get mine from the Navy Exchange which is a military only shopping center with discounts on products for those related to the military, and I would purchase this again when I get done with it. I love it that much, I'd even pay full price for it.


xoxo Alaina

July Makeup Wishlist!

1. NARS Orgasm: Blush, Multiple, and Illuminator

Basically, I went to the NARS website (https://www.narscosmetics.com) and saw the ad on the front page and well, it got me. Good Advertising NARS. I have not ever tried the Orgasm shade in anything from NARS and I love the two blushes that I have, so why not get a few more things? Make sense? No? oh.. Well... Good Advertising NARS.

2. Benefit Ultra Plush Lipgloss: Dandelion, Bella Bamba, Coralista, Hoola

I haven't heard too many things about them, I know a lot of people got them but I haven't seen any reviews on them about color pay off or anything like that and I am really interested in trying them out for myself and doing a review on them. I picked so many colors because they are all a little different and I'm really interested in Hoola because it's a nude shade. 

3. BB Cream- Clinique, Dr. Jart, Dr. Brandt.

I tried the Dr. Jart and Dr. Brandt in the Birchbox and New beauty Test tube and loved them. I'm really interested in the Clinique one because of how well known the brand is for being hypoallergenic and I'm a fan of Clinique. BB cream also isn't as heavy and foundation and I haven't been broken out by the bb cream's that I have tried so I'm on the bb cream train. 

4. Too Faced La Creme lipstick- Variety of shades.

I have fallen in love with Lipstick through MAC and Revlon, so to branch out, Too Faced seems like a good Idea, I haven't actually tried Too Faced Products before and these are New so I'd like to try these out and give them a review as well!

5. Korres Wild Rose & Vitamin C Advance Brightening Sleeping Facial

I've heard a lot about this product through many different youtubers and it sounds amazing. I'd love to give this a try, putting on Makeup at night, I'd love to see if it transfers onto pillows and make a review on this as well. This is a pretty pricey product($48) but if it's as good as everyone makes it seems, I'd love to try it out.