Products I LOVE!

So I'm not typically a very brand-loyalty kinda gal.  I tend to just get whatever's the best deal and hope it works.  But some of those cheap things turned out to be amazing for me.  And I'd like to share a few with you :)

First of all, E.L.F (Eyes. Lips. Face) is a brand that can be found at Target and it is mostly makeup stuff, but it works very well and is extremely low price.  One of their products I am obsessed with is their E.L.F Zit Zapper.  It's only a dollar and it usually lasts me up to 4 or 5 months and works as an on-the-spot treatment for acne.  It's small enough to fit in your makeup bag and it usually reduces my pimples in only 2-3 days.  It works way better than I expected it to!  And I am so happy I found it!!

So I was a little weary of Suave at first.  I didn't believe it could actually work as well as a professional brand shampoo, but I actually like it more than my Garnier or John Frieda shampoo!  And you find it at a lot of places for only 2 dollars!  So if your hair is really frizzy like mine is in the summer, this is a really great bargain buy!  There's a matching conditioner too, but I prefer to use conditioner for color treated hair.  But this shampoo leaves my hair so smooth and soft.  I love it!  And highly recommend it!

Since I do have some icky acne, I always use concealer.  So I love Almays heals while it conceals makeup!  It's got salicylic acid in it, so that it fights acne and helps heal it while you conceal it just as it claims!  My acne hasn't gotten significant better since I started using it, but it hasn't gotten worse at all and it leaves my skin less oily than most liquid foundations and concealers do!  It's about 8 dollars I think and it lasts me 6-7 months on average.  I usually go with the light concealer and neutral 220 liquid foundation and the light loose powder.  Almay is definitely a brand I am loyal to for my skin/face.  And I've heard that most women tend to have total brand loyalty when it comes to makeup, so it makes sense!

So I was just recently introduced to this stuff when I read online that scrubs help a lot with acne.  I went to go buy one and this one was only 2.15 at Target, so I figured "why not?" If it doesn't work, I only wasted 2 dollars".  Well, it turns out, it was not a waste!! From the first time I washed my face with it, I knew I loved it.  My skin felt brand new and it smelled so good!  And I immediately saw a reduction in my blackheads.  I have really oily skin too, and this made it feel normal and got rid of a lot of the oily feeling.  I am obsessed with it.  My new regiment to cure my acne includes washing with this 3 times a week and following it up with alcohol as a toner.  At night, I wash with antibacterial handsoap to get my makeup off and kills bacteria in my face which has been working so well for me!  You don't have to do all of that though, but try the apricot scrub if you're looking to try something new on your face :)

Another great E.L.F product for only a dollar!  I was looking for peach blush, because I saw Rachel Bilson wearing it in a photo, but I didn't want to waste money on something I'd probably rarely wear.  So I was very excited to find these all-over color sticks in the ELF section at Target!  They can work as eye shadow sticks, blush, or lip gloss!! So if I decide I don't like the peach blush, it still makes a pretty shimmery shadow for my eyes.  I loved it as a blush though!  It looked really nice with my skin tone.  They also had a pink one for those of you who have more of a cool complexion.  It's only a dollar though, so if you're looking to experiment with new makeups, it's 3-in-1 for a dollar, so you can't really go wrong! :)

Day27: A picture of you from lastyear and a current picture and how you've changed

This first picture was actually taken May 23rd,2011 so exactly a year ago :) I don't think I've changed too much.  I've definitely become more knowledgeable about the Catholic Church after declaring a major in Theology and I've found a lot of things that I now firmly believe that before still confused me or had me on the fence.  I am less defensive now and more friendly than I was then.  I've also gained a little weight in both fat and muscle.  I've started drinking more water especially lately.  I've had 3 different jobs since then. I've made and lost a few friends.  I dye my hair a little less now.  I've been cutting hair for multiple people including myself since these initial bangs I gave myself.  I think I've matured a lot in general too.  I've grown closer to my sister I think.  I've become more trusting with my boyfriend and we've been fighting way less than we were before.  I've been eating a lot healthier I think, but I've been more stressed out this year, so I've also been breaking out a lot and gaining weight as I already mentioned.  I also have not been as good about cutting my own hair and got lazy ending up with hair I am not in love with.  I've also been wearing less makeup, but experimenting more.  I've also been reading a lot more.  I've also changed my style a little and have been accessorizing more with belts and headbands and I've become way more into shoes than I was last year.  I've also been trying to keep my hair longer and I've been tweezing my eyebrows in a new shape which I am not happy about haha.  I looked way better last year overall and I think I'm going to try to achieve that look again.

Day 11 – What’s in your makeup bag?

 

Almay "Heals as it Conceals" Liquid foundation and concealer.



My makeup bag has SO much stuff in it right now!  I actually have 2 or 3 makeup bags, but my main one that is full of my daily essentials consists of the following:

E.L.F Zit Zapper which I got for $1 at Target and it has definitely helped in my battle against acne.  

I also usually keep my tweezers in my makeup bag.

I love love love my Victoria's Secret Eyeshadow.  I've had it since I was in high school and the colors are similar to the ones in this picture, but it looks amazing and it has lasted me a while!



Same for my powder foundation: whatever's cheap and in my skin tone.



I am not in love with my mascara, but I'm cheap, so I just buy what's on sale in black or blackish brown.



I love eyeliner.  I usually just wear a basic black or dark brown, but sometimes, I like to be fun and wear pinks or purples or greens :)

I love my Isadora lip gloss in Angora pink. It's a much lighter pink than the one in the picture I found.