September Favorites ♡

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September is almost over (which is crazy!) so I decided to share my first ever favorites! 

♡ MAKEUP

Urban Decay's Naked palette: this stuff is just amazing for every season and every occasion. I wear this every single day to uni. My go-to colors this month were Sidecar, Buck and Hustle.

Physicians Formula Matte Collection Quad Eyeshadow (in Canyon Classics): What I've been loving this quad for is to fill in my eyebrows. My eyebrows are dark brown (bordering on black) so that bottom gray shade is the PERFECT shade for me to fill in my eyebrows. I just avoid the inner part of my eyebrows to get the most natural look.

Real Techniques brushes: These are super soft and high quality. Slowly purchasing the complete line...

Wet n Wild coloricon blush (in Mellow Wine): I own all four of these blushes, but Mellow Wine has always been my favorite. Really pigmented and not too shimmery.

Sonia Kashuk Undetectable Creme Bronzer (in Rich Bronze): Perfect for contouring. I take a small stipple brush and apply it under my cheekbones and around my temples... It's easy to go overboard with this so a little goes a long way with this if you want a seamless/natural look.

FRESH Sugar Lip Treatment SPF 15 (in Rosé): I love this for uni! A very light wash of color that enhances your look. It doesn't matter if I'm wearing a full face of makeup or just  some mascara, this is a must for me!

Maybelline Lasting Drama by Eye Studio Gel Eyeliner (in Blackest Black): This lasts ALL day, it's really creamy and easy to apply. Screw felt tip eye liners. This is the way to go. 

Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 Foundation (in Golden Tan): New favorite foundation. It is so long lasting and perfect for oily skin. 

♡ SKINCARE

Clarisonic Mia 2 with Acne Brush Head: This was definitely an investment, but it was worth it. I used the sensitive brush for a couple of months before switching to the acne one and I find that it is softer and my skin likes it a lot more.
St. Ives Blemish Control Apricot Scrub: This stuff is so cheap yet AMAZING! Feels really nice on my skin, but you can definitely feel the scrubbing. Since I got this, I've been getting a lot less breakouts. (It's oil-free, 2% salicylic acid and 100% natural exfoliants)
Proactiv Solution Refining Mask: This has been my go-to mask this month. Whenever I feel like my skin is acting up I just feel like it needs a deep pore cleansing, I use this. This came as a sample with my first (and only) Proactiv kit and now it's almost gone :( I would definitely repurchase it if I find a good deal.
up & up Maximum Strength Acne Medication (store brand for the Clean & Clear Pesa-Gel 10): I have tried SO many spot treatments and I've finally found one that works. A must-have!
L'Oreal Paris Skin Perfection 3 in 1 Purifying Micellar Solution: I showed this in my haul and since then, I've been using this every single day. Love this stuff! There might be an upcoming review soon :)

♡ HAIR & BODY

Caress Sheer Twilight Body Wash: This stuff smells like a dream. Every time I use this I just feel so luxurious and the smell is so delicate. I've lost count of how many times I've repurchased this.

L'Oreal Total Repair 5 Damage-Erasing Balm: This deep conditioner is SO good and inexpensive. It seriously brought back to life my hair. Pick it up if you have a change; you won't regret it!

Herbal Essences Totally Twisted Curl Boosting Mousse: this is the one product I can't live without. Like, holy grail status! My hair is just not the same if I don't use this. I stopped using it during the summer because I had another mousse laying around and as soon as I went back to this one I noticed a HUGE difference.

♡ RANDOM

Fiber One Protein Bars (in Caramel Nut): I've been obsessed with these. When I don't have time to eat full on meal or I'm on the go, I grab one of these. I also like to use them as a snack in between meals. They taste so good! And these actually have a great amount of fiber (5g), unlike most protein bars.
My iPhone 5: Yes, I know the new one just came out but I got my first iPhone on August and I've been loving it this month. It feels good to have a new phone you love...
Gratitude journal: This is the most random favorite ever, but I've been really enjoying using my gratitude journal more. I just take 5 minutes at the end of each day to write 3 things I am grateful for. It can be something good that happened that day or just small things like having enough food. Especially when having bad days, forcing yourself to think about the good things makes you feel instantly better.

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So that's it! Hope you enjoyed my (long) list of favorites. Be sure to follow this blog to read all the upcoming reviews I have planned.
Question of the day: What was your favorite product of the month?

Gabriela xx

The Autumn Tag

 I saw this tag on Adalia's Closet and decided to answer it myself because, why not? After all it's not like I have a bunch of homework waiting to be done... Oh wait maybe I do. Anyway...here it goes!

1. Favorite thing about it?
Definitely the temperatures. I live in the desert to it's usually REALLY hot, but once autumn kicks in the temperatures drop a bit. On that same note, it also allows me to layer a bit more, wear scarves and nice sweaters. 

2. Favorite drink?
Hot chocolate, definitely. 

3. Favorite scent/candle?
I am probably one of the only people in the world who hate fall/spicy/holiday scents. I stick to fresh and floral scents.

4. Best lipstick?
Lipstick isn't really my thing but I really like the Revlon Lip Butter in Red Velvet and the Jordana Twist & Shine Balm Stain in Cranberry Crush. 

5. Go-to moisturizer?

Last year I used the Neutrogena Oil-Free moisture for combination skin during the day and for my nighttime moisturizer I used Clinique's Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion. However, this year I will be using the L'Oreal Youth Code Texture Perfector day/night cream, which I've never tried before.

6. Go-to colors for the eyes?

I like golds and deeper neutrals. My favorites are probably Urban Decay's Half Baked, Smog and Hustle. I also have a L'Oreal HiP duo in "Saucy" and I always use it during these months.

7. Favorite music or band/singer to listen to?

Muse, Fall Out Boy, The Script, Imagine Dragons and whatever's popular on the radio

8. Favorite outfit to wear (i.e. boots and scarf combo)? 

Simple top, a cute pleather jacket, dark skinny jean and combat boots. If I feel like it needs some spice, I'll throw a fun scarf.

9. Autumn treat?

I'll definitely be buying a new fall handbag. I want a large satchel in a tan or caramel color. I'm probably not going to splurge, but it is on my wishlist.

10. Favorite place to be?

I mean this isn't really special to autumn. I just like being at home :)

I'm tagging anyone who hasn't done this and wants to do it! This was fun to answer (:

Gabriela xx

Review: Neutrogena Naturals Night Cream and Acne Spot Treatment

Hello again, everyone!

For the past 5 months I've been trying out two of the products from the Neutrogena Naturals line and I'm going to review them for you today.

The first thing I tried was the Neutrogena Naturals Multi-Vitamin Night Cream. I have oily skin, but before using this cream my face was really dehydrated and even had some dry patches. I decided to pick this up because the price didn't seem to bad compared to other drugstore options (it was around $13 at Walmart). In addition, I liked the claims it made and the fact that it is mostly a natural product made this even more attractive. Anyway...after the first time I used this I already saw visible results. My dry patches disappeared in less than a week and my skin felt so soft! I've seen a lot of people complain about the odor of this product, but personally I love it. It absorbs really quickly into the skin, but it's thick enough to feel the moisture. 

Bottom line is that I really love this and I am kind of sad that I only have a few more uses out of it. I won't be repurchasing this right now because I bought the L'Oreal Youth Code Texture Perfector day/night cream to shake things up and try something new, but I know what this is a product I can count on in the future. I recommend this product to anyone, especially if you have young skin and you really just want to keep it looking healthy and moisturized. 

The Acne Spot Treatment, however, is another story. With only 1% of salicylic acid, this product was not effective at all. I would use this to treat active breakouts and to prevent some for coming out but it wouldn't really do either one. It left a white residue once it dried out and left my skin feeling rough where I applied it. You would think that the fact that it is drying is good (after all that's what we want it to do to our spots) but it did nothing to them! I'm all in for natural products, but they have to be effective. This one is definitely a skip in my opinion!

P.S. I bought the store brand of the Clean & Clear Persa-Gel 10 Acne Medication and it works like a dream! It has 10% Benzoyl Peroxide so it's pretty strong (but effective). Good alternative if salicylic acid isn't working for you. 

Hope this was somewhat helpful to all of you. If you have experiences with these products or have any recommendations on what I should try next, leave them in the comments!

Gabriela xx

Collective Haul: Makeup, Skincare and More!

So I've been a bit naughty these past couple of weeks and this happened.... During multiple trips to CVS, Target, Walgreens, eBay.com and JustFab.com I have been getting some stuff I wanted to try and I hope you enjoy me showing it to you.

Starting on the left, I picked up some up & up Exfoliating Cotton Rounds because everyone and their mother on YouTube has been mentioning these and saying that once they tried them, they never went back to normal cotton rounds. I tried them today for the first time and I they feel really good on the skin and definitely help me take off my make up faster. I also picked up an e.l.f. Studio Small Angled Brush, a Conair Volume & Styling comb*, Conair bunmaker, and a Maybelline Eye Studio eye liner in Blackest Black.

I found some really awesome deals on the Revlon Lip Butters at Target. They are usually around the $7 price tag but I was able to get a pack of two Lip Butters for $6.28. I picked up two of those, one in Creme Burlee and the other one in Berry Smoothie. These are super wearable colors perfect for every day. In addition, I got three of the Wet n Wild megalast nail polishes at CVS and they were only $1, which is half of what they usually go for! I picked up the shades (in order): Through the Grapevine, Tropicalia and Undercover.

Now, one of the things I was most excited to try were these Jordana Twist & Shine Moisturizing Balm Stains. They claim to do everything I want in a lip product and I was not disappointed. I'm definitely going to pick some more shades as soon as I can! Another thing I can't wait to try and review for all of you are these L'Oreal Youth Code Texture Perfector serum and day/night cream. They are pretty expensive for a drugstore product but after some YouTube peer pressure (*coughs* Nicole Guerriero *coughs*) I finally was persuaded to give them a try. 

I picked up the only shade from the Wet n Wild coloricon blushers that I did not have, Berry Shimmer, the Physicians Formula Matte Collection Quad in Canyon Classics and the Sonia Kashuk cream bronzer in Rick Bronze. On top of that, I found the L'Oreal Skin Perfection 3 in 1 Purifying Micellar Solution on eBay. These are only sold in the U.K. for at less than £4 he moment but I really wanted to try using a micellar water to take off my makeup so I decided to order two of them online, even if it is a bit more expensive. So far I am really liking it, but I will have to keep you all posted on it.

Now to some of the random things I got... I needed some boots for the fall and winter time. It doesn't get too cold here in Arizona, but it is still necessary to wear cozy shoes. After shopping around, I was not pleased with the styles (or the prices) of the boots I was finding so I decided to look online. Thankfully, I was able to find this pair of faux-leather lace-up boots in JustFab.com for just 19.99 (because of some deal they had going on)! They are super comfy and will definitely be a staple in my Fall wardrobe.

Lastly, I picked up the latest book from my favorite author, Between the Lines. I haven't had time to read it but I am really looking forward to it. I own most of Jodi Picoult's books and she never lets me down with her narratives.

So that's it for this post! If you have special interest for me to review any of these items, let me know in the comments. 

Gabriela xx

Finding motivation and getting back in shape

Photo courtesy of JAMES LORD productions

New-Skin has set me the challenge of sharing what inspires and motivates me to stay healthy and maintain my fitness routine. Funny that they ask because since I came back from summer vacation (about a month ago), I have decided that this is it: this is the semester I get in shape. I've been doing really well changing up my nutrition and exercising at least four times a week.

But what keeps me going? Well, I am just so tired of looking in the mirror and hating what I see. I am pretty overweight so I find it really hard to accept myself when I strongly dislike what I look like. My goal every day is to be a bit more positive, to love myself a little bit more and being able to share my joy with the world. I have taken many steps towards that direction but I am still not happy with myself because as much as my physique is not what defines me, it can really bring me down. I am just fed up with it!

You know what else motivates me? The idea of being able to wear the cloth that I like. It is so hard to know what kind of style you like but being unable to pull it off because your body is just not fit enough. I want to walk into my favorite stores and not have to go to the plus size section. I want to be able to rock any style I want and not be limited to "whatever I can find in my size." As a girl who loves fashion, having to settle is very depressing.

But enough with that. The important part is that I am back at it! I am feeling good about my workout and my nutrition. I am already seeing differences and I just feel so happy and empowered. I know I can do this and by the end of this year I want to be proud of the work I've done.

I will probably keep you guys updated along the way with some before and after pictures. Be in the lookout for another beauty review soon.

Gabriela 

xx