Monthly Favorites: January



Hello, my loves! I know it's the middle of February, but I'm here with January's monthly favorites! I thought monthly favorites posts would be a good way to be relatively consistent and I can embed in hauls and first impressions here and there. I love the idea of being a "scientist" and conducting these personal "experiments." Through questions followed by observations via results, these are my conclusions!

 

For the month of January, I spent most of my time and money playing with make-up and music. I'm always looking for new music, so that aspect isn't new. (If you have any music suggestions, then please hook ya girl up!) In contrast, I didn't expect to experiment with make-up as much as I did. Unfortunately, I left my whole make-up bag elsewhere during the holidays, so I've been replenishing my stash ever since. I seized the opportunity to try new products, and I'm super excited to share them with you!

 

NYX Cosmetics' HD Studio Photogenic Primer Base: $16.99

This product has been my substitute for Urban Decay's all-nighter setting spray. Surprisingly, this product received extremely bad reviews on Ulta, but I love it! I heard about it from Em Ford of "My Pale Skin Blog," so I thought I should give it a try. It keeps my make-up in check as it has a mattifying effect. Most importantly, it looks great on camera, which is a huge plus for a blogger like yours truly.

NYX Cosmetics' Studio Finishing Powder Translucent Finish: $9.99

If you would like an even more flawless look, then this product along with the primer base will do just that! I love this product for what it does to my oils. It absolutely keeps them on lock down, given that I'm naturally oily around my T-Zone.

Stila Cosmetics' Waterproof Eyeliner: $22

I think I have found my holy grail eyeliner! Oh my goodness, this product is amazing; it gives me such precision for a good 'ol cat eye look. Thanks to my friend, Laura, for buying it on my behalf! With this product, I no longer need tape to line a template. Love love love this so much!

Estee Lauder's Sumptuous Extreme Lash Multiplying Volume Mascara (travel size): $10

 

I actually received this item for free as a gift with a purchase. I didn't expect to love this product as much as I do. I do not wear falsies, so I love how full this product makes my lashes look. With a couple of coats, I'm pretty much good to go! I also love how this product is travel size; it makes the application process so much easier.

 

NYX Cosmetics' Liquid Suede Lip Cream in Soft Spoken: $6.99

This has been my go-to lip product since I've purchased it. For one, it's super matte, and I mean SUPER matte. Within a few seconds, the product dries on my lips and stays on for hours! Even with a lot of eating action (and some kissing action), it stays as is. Secondly, the color, Soft Spoken, is absolutely gorgeous. If you are not into bold red nor muted taupe shades, then I would recommend this color!

How I Wear It + My Two Cents: The Power of Makeup

Hello everyone, and hello to my first post of 2016!

Last year, I vowed to solely focus on myself because I lost sight of myself. I didn't recognize who I was, and I absolutely hated that feeling. Through an incredible year of self-discovery and a lot of self-love, I found a sense of confidence that brought me to this point.

"The Power of Makeup" is not a new concept. I have always wanted to share this post, but I was scared. In fact, I am still scared. For me, going out makeup-less is equivalent to going out naked. For a so-called fashion and beauty blogger, exposing my natural face totally discredits me. However, this blog was created with the intentions of being completely raw, so here I am with all of the confidence in my 5'1" body to lay it all out as I share these untouched photos.

I have shared my relationship with my face/skin on this blog numerous times. To reiterate, I have been battling against acne since I was in middle school. Before then, I had a lot of bizarre kinds of scarring. I have used all sorts of tropical creams. I have used both traditional and modern medicine. I have seen a dermatologist for all of my conditions. I have taken birth control pills for the sole purpose of controlling my hormones. I have experienced glimpses of hope followed by despair.

I may have initially used makeup for all of the wrong reason of masking my face, but it has given me the strength to walk into a room of people without feeling anxious. Makeup has given me the opportunity to be treated equally without the hindrance of my flawed skin. Makeup has given me the power to be more than just a face of inflamed cysts.

With this face of mine, I have been shamed for both wearing and not wearing makeup. When wearing makeup, I am supposedly trying too hard or I am supposedly asking for it. When not wearing makeup, I supposedly do not care about myself or I am supposedly dirty. Either way, I am supposedly not good enough.

Sadly, after being told that you are not good enough for so long, you end up believing it. After being bullied for years, I ended up being my own bully. I would beat myself over the way I looked. Not only did acne hurt me physically, but it also hurt me mentally.

The purpose of this post was to state the obvious: I am the exact same person with or without makeup.

My Ten Cents #49: Before you quickly judge someone solely based on his or her face, remember that there is so much more to a person than his or her face.

There is so much negativity in this world; let's not add to that. Please be kind.