Whether you have a valentine or not the following outfit and makeup can serve dual purposes for inspiration for this upcoming special day or any sexy night out on the town. Heck maybe you can find a valentine wearing this … Continue reading
The weekend is almost here guys! I cannot wait to wake up without any alarms on Saturday morning, ahhhhh bliss!
Most of my weekends consist of running errands which leaves me little time to put on a whole face of makeup. However, I don’t want to leave my house looking like a sleep deprived ghost, so a simple yet polished look is what I typically go for. Six easy products later and I am out the door!
Step 1. Revlon Photoready BB Cream in “Medium”
Step 2. Tarte Maracuja Concealer in “Medium tan”
Step 3. Stila convertible color in “Camellia”
Step 4. Benefit Gimmie brows in “Medium/Deep”
Step 5. Benefit “They’re real Mascara”
Step 6. Mac lipstick “Riri Woo”
This look is pretty much long lashes and a bold lip! My absolute favorite simple look!
And there you have it my friends. Below are links to these items (some of which you can purchase at your local drugstore or sephora).
Revlon BB Cream
Tarte Maracuja Concealer
Stila Convertible Color
Benefit Gimmie Brows
Benefit They’re real Mascara
Mac Riri Woo
Have a great weekend everyone!
-Gwen
I was so excited when I saw Revlon’s new matte balm line! ( I mean what new lip product doesn’t make me super excited?) The original colorburst’s were my absolute favorite when they were first launched, I love the simple twist up tube because lets face it not many people have a sharpener on hand.
There are many matte lipsticks & balms that are a bit too drying for me, causing lots of cracking which I HATE! These bad boys are velvety smooth! They are made with shea, coconut and mango butters, so yes you guessed it not only do they glide on your lips smoothly (with intense color payoff might I add) they are also very nourishing. Shameless (#215) and Unapologetic (#210) were the two colors I chose and I couldn’t be happier. Check out some swatches below…
Hope these swatches were helpful to you all
Hasta Luego,
-Gwen
I just received my first Ipsy Glam bag ever and I have to say I have very mixed reviews of the items and products that were included. For those who don’t know, Ipsy is just one of the ever popular monthly subscription bags out there meant to save makeup/beauty collectors money and allow you the customer to try products out before committing and buying them fully. Every month you get a selection of items based on a questionnaire that you fill out in the beginning, it does initially put you on a waiting list for a bag but my personal wait was not long at all. For $10 a month you can then read reviews and watch tutorials on the ipsy online community from other makeup lovers and learn and share tips and tricks based on that months bag.
First Impression-Love the fact that it comes in an extremely cute makeup case! I have so many of these but they get dirty often and sometimes even need replacing. These can make great items to re-gift later on and fill them with your own personalized items for friends and family. I love this first blue bag featuring a print of different cosmetic products and bottles.
Cons- The items I received were not full-sized except the tinted lip balm (pictured below)
Pros-
-It featured new products that I had never tried before and some that I had heard of already (proactiv and Mica).
-Good mixture of “high and low” products
Ipsy January Glam Bag
Proactiv + Mark Fading Pads
Mica Beauty Cosmetics- Tinted Lip Balm # 6 Fiesta
The color pay off of this product is great and shows up on my darker lips perfectly. The only con I could say is that it could be a little more moisturizing for being a “balm”. It feels more like a soft stain versus an actual regular lip balm.
Swatch of #6 Fiesta
Nourish Organic Lightweight Moisturizing Face Lotion-Argan +Rosewater
This feels super lightweight and has an amazing refreshing scent. The only con I would say is that my skin absorbs it super quick and I still feel a little dry. This is best for those with less dry skin (perhaps oily or combination) and also for areas with high heat as it is super light and refreshing on the face.
Elizabeth Mott- Smooth Shadow Creamy Eye Pencil
This pencil had a great consistency and cute little travel packaging, the only downside was that it was too light for either me or my sister’s skin tone. This was included in our giveaway a week ago.
Briogeo-Dont Despair, Repair! Deep conditioning mask
This hair mask has an amazing scent and is meant for those with dry, damaged or chemically treated hair.
I will most likely continue and see what else Ipsy has to offer for the next couple of months and will be coming out with further reviews if I receive any items that I am in love with.
Until then….Enjoy!
-Ari
Hey Everyone! How are you all holding up in these freezing temperatures? I feel like this has been one of the coldest winters we New Yorkers have had in a very long time. I need some sun in my life!
Due to all of the frigid winds I have had to change up my skincare routine a bit by adding a moisturizer that will keep my face hydrated all day long. Here are my current top two picks.
Alba Botanica Natural Hawaiian Moisture Cream (Smoothing Jasmine & Vitamin E)
This moisturizer has a very creamy consistency providing hydration and nourishment to your skin without being too heavy. It settles into the skin without leaving a sticky feeling. I also love the smell, super clean!
Alba Botanica Hawaiian Moisture with Jasmine and Vitamin E
L’Oreal Youth Code Dark Spot SPF 30 Day Cream
This moisturizer’s main task is to fade old dark spots as well as prevent new ones from reappearing.( I have a few of these from picking at my pimples) The formula is very thick and rich, perfect for cold days. This product also provides a luminous glow, evening out your overall skin tone.
*Now I cannot say that I have seen a difference on the spots but I do like the coverage and radiancy it gives me.
L’Oreal Youth Code Dark Spot SPF 30 Day Cream
Before I apply my moisturizer I also prep my skin with either an oil or a serum. My two favorites are…
Josie Maran 100 % Organic Argan oil has received wonderful reviews and I too can say that it leaves my skin feeling amazing! It also has vitamin E and essential fatty acids. (I recently learned that oils should be “dabbed” onto the skin not rubbed).
*Also Pictured is the Argan oil with Radiance that my sister bought for me. It leaves my skin super luminous, (I sometimes use it as a highlight above my cheek bones)
L’Oreal Youth Code texture perfector serum fills in pores and fine lines. It really leaves my skin feeling velvety smooth. I am also obsessed with the scent!
Day and Night Regimen
Night Routine: (after cleansing) apply Josie Maran Argan oil, wait a few minutes until it settles into my skin and then add the Alba Botanica cream. I sometimes skip the cream step or I just add a few drops of the oil to the Alba Botanica moisturizer and dab away!
Day Routine: (after cleansing) I apply the L’Oréal serum and again wait a few minutes until it settles into my skin. Then I proceed to rub some L’Oreal youth code dark spot SPF 30 cream and I am out the door!
There you have it my friends! Don’t forget just because it is winter time doesn’t mean you can skip your SPF (the sun’s rays are still powerful) if you don’t have time to apply yet another product to your face opt for one with SPF already built in!
You can check out more of a detailed description and or purchase any of of these items below. Your local drugstore should carry all of these products (except for the Argan oil, you can find it at Sephora)
Alba Botanica Cream
L’Oréal Youth Code
Argan Oil
Serum
Stay Warm & Hydrated!
-Gwen
Sarah from Sarahlovesmakeupblog.com is the official winner of our giveaway! We surpassed our goal of 100 followers and only hope to gain much more in this coming year. We will be doing many more giveaways and contest in the future so keep an eye out for those and continue to support us as we take on 2014! Make sure to follow our lovely winner and her blog as well as us on all social media. We love feedback and comments and the goal is to be more interactive with our fellow bloggers and followers.
Winners Info- Go check her out shes great!
Sarahlovesmakeupblog.com, @sarahlovsmakeup
Our Info: Itsapplesandorangesblog.com
Ari– Ig & Twitter Ari_Mo821
Gwen– Ig- Gwenzilla Twitter-Gwendi3
facebook.com/gwendi3
Pinterest- Gwendolyn Pena, Ariadna Pena
Sarah Won the following items and other sample products!
Stay tuned for more of these in the future!-
Love Ari & Gwen
Its about that time for a giveaway! As of today we are only 1 follower away from 100! Its been slow and steady progress for us as we got into the groove of posting more regularly and figuring out what our niche was. For those who consistently check our page out and like or comment we love and appreciate you. With that being said we will be choosing one random follower next week on January 23,2014 to win some special goodies from us. No need to do anything to enter besides just being a follower. Check us out continuously throughout this week for more regular post and stay tuned for the winner announcement next week. Next short term goal is 150 followers! Let’s get it!
Love Ari & Gwen
Itsapplesandorangesblog.com
Happy 2014 everyone! Cannot believe it is already a new year, where does the time fly? Once a new year rolls around the saying “out with the old in with the new” resurfaces across the lips of many people. I took that catch phrase and ran with it when I did my winter cleaning/organizing last week. My makeup and brushes were a priority for me because everything was all over the place leaving me no choice than to act like a mad woman while getting ready in the morning.
With that said, I’ve had these Muji Acrylic Cases for a long time but as I mentioned before my makeup wasn’t very organized. So I tackled this task by removing all of my makeup and categorizing everything for easier access.
These cases are clear and come with a pull out slot, you can also remove them completely if need be. I know that many people are obsessed with the CosmoCube (including me) but I quite frankly did not want to spend that amount of money on an organization tool and I also do not have enough space for them on my dresser. The Muji cases are a perfect size and they don’t break the bank (The 5 drawer one is the most expensive at $27.95).I also bought two of them for Ari as a Christmas present and she loved them! Here’s how I use them:
5 Drawer case standing alone on the right
3 Drawer case stacked on top of a Large 2 Drawer case
Lip tints, stains and balms in top row, Lipsticks in second, Glosses in the third, lip, eye liners and highlighters in the fourth and shadows in the fifth.
Lip Products
Blushes & Bronzers
Eyeshadows
As for my brushes I cleaned out an old candle jar to place the bigger ones in and small mason jar to place my eyeshadow brushes in.
Below are the links to the cases that I utilize.
2 Drawer Case
3 Drawer Case
5 Drawer Case
Happy Organizing everyone!
-Gwen
Dont miss out on these amazing Forever 21 cut out booties! Perfect dressed up or down these babies are super comfortable and can be paired with so many different looks. They are now on sale for 50% on forever 21’s website and originally priced at $39.80. Check out how I styled mine below. Target denim button up, Forever 21 mustard pencil skirt and loose waved curls for a simple casual day. At the advice of online reviews I sized down and got a 5.5 and they fit perfect! I do have to agree with those that wrote they run big, half size down did the trick for me! Links below.
Love, Ari
Real Technique brushes are designed by youtube sensation and makeup artist Samantha Chapman. These affordable brushes are top of the line! The quality is impeccable and you get so much bang for your buck. I was introduced to them by my sister (and co blogger) and I am in love. I chose to go with “Sam’s Picks” because the brushes suited my needs and also served as a basic starting point (although they do have other “starter kits”. For me personally this one was the best.
Priced at $30.00 these are essential to any makeup lovers collection. The bristles are super soft but don’t shed and the aluminum self standing handle make it easier to grip and hold. I have no cons for these thus far! Links Below.
Multi Task Brush- Perfect for Powders (blush, bronzers etc)
Setting Brush-Dusting of Powder or Highlighter (I use mine to set my concealer under my eyes amongst other things)
Buffing Brush- Perfect for application of foundations both powder and mineral
Pointed Foundation Brush- Perfect for liquid foundation
Essential Crease Brush- These tapered bristles are perfect for contouring the face or blending on the eyes.
Fine Liner Brush- Great for any gel liner.
Love Ari
ItsApplesandOrangesblog 