Products I’ve Hit Pan On:: Maybelline Oil Control Translucent Pressed Powder

Posted in Make Up, Makeup, MIsses, Oily Skin, Powder, Review by whateverlara

I picked this up when Ulta was having a buy one get one 50% off on Maybelline products a few months ago. If you are a regular reader you know that my skin is super oily and nothing I’ve tried so far keeps my oil at bay for a significant period of time. This has oil control in the name so I thought why not!

My biggest problem with this is that it looks very powdery. Funny I know its a powder… but even with a light hand this makes me look like I’m flat, matte and wearing powder which is not a look I’m going for. If you have dry skin this will be a not go as I can imagine it would cling like crazy to any dry areas. I still use it, just not on its own. I will use this up but I won’t repurchase it in the future.

MAYBELLINE Oil Control Translucent Pressed Powder in Soft Cameo — $5.99

4Sep2015

Friday Fail:: Tresemme Fresh Start Volumizing Dry Shampoo

Posted in Dry Hair, Hair, Hair Care, MIsses, Oily Hair, Review by whateverlara

I don’t like to talk about products that didn’t work for me but I feel like I need to inform you about products that didn’t work so you don’t waste your money! As always; this is my opinion, if you like the products I hate, good for you they just didn’t work for me.

I have a slight obsession with dry shampoo for multiple reasons. 1. I’m lazy 2. My hair gets super oily like the day after washing oily 3. My hair is straight and flat.

Dry Shampoo is a funny thing. It is usually used for two purposes; one is to absorb grease and make hair look cleaner. The other is to give hair some texture and volume. I have found in my quest of the perfect Dry Shampoo that the perfect combination of oil absorbing and texture and volume enhancing is actually hard to find. I decided to give the Tresemme Fresh Start Volumizing Dry Shampoo a go. Well…. It is a no go. For me this dry shampoo did not do anything to absorb the oil on my scalp and it also leaves a horrible white cast. And as if that wasn’t enough it also leaves my hair dry and matted and its hard to brush through. I wish I could give a better report but If I were you I would skip this next time you are looking for a dry shampoo.

8Oct2014

September Favorites

Posted in Birchbox, Combination Skin, Dry Skin, Eyeshadow, Favorites, Hits, Hits and Misses, Make Up, Makeup, MIsses, Normal Skin, Oily Skin, Review, Skin Care, Uncategorized by whateverlara

Disclaimer, Where I live does not look like my picture its more like this…

But a girl can dream right?!

Sally Hansen Salon Complete Manicure in “Mudslide”

Every time I wear this polish I get compliments. Its the perfect Taupey-pink and it looks so fall! I like the Sally Hansen Complete Manicure line of polish. It goes on smooth with no streaking and it dries fairly quickly. Thumps up all around!!

Suave Moroccan Infusion Body Lotion

Not sure how I ended up with this, I think I got a sample in the mall. It smells great and I keep the sample size in my purse. This lotion absorbs quickly and leaves my skin feeling moisturized.

Clarisonic Aria/ Mia 3

I’ve been using a clarisonic for over 2 years and I really think it made a difference in my skin. I wouldn’t say that it cleared up my acne but I think it has help control the issue and more then that it has help with the texture of my skin. I had the Mia 1 and was perfectly happy with it until it died on me 😦 But I had had it over 2 years almost 3 years and the warranty was for 1 year. All of that to say, I took to twitter and this happened…

Soooo…. I of course emailed and was sent a Clarisonic for free! I want to be completely honest with you guys about anything I get for free so that why I included the screen shots. But I was planning on repurchasing a clarisonic and I was blown away I got one free. If you want an update with my “clarisconic story” let me know. To be honest I think the the Mia 1 will fit the majority of peoples needs and that is what I was planning on repurchasing prior to receving the Aria. I checked the website and it appears that the Aria has been renamed the Mia 3… Check out this link for a comparison chart of the different devices that Clarisonic offers.

Not Soap, Radio Happiness Inducing Body Wash

I got a sample size of this body wash/bubble bath in my august birchbox and I love it!! I probably won’t be buying this so I’m enjoying my little sample and stretching it out as long as I can, it smells sooo good!!

Makeup Geek Starter Kit and Z-Palette Bundle

AAHHHH!!! I love Makeup Geek, I have used this palette from MUG almost everytime I did my makeup for the past month. I’ve talked about these enough and did a 7 days of one palette with theses shades so I think y’all know that I’m obsessed. And if you were wondering, no I have no intention to stop talking and boasting about these products… 🙂

e.l.f. Essential Eye Shadow Brush

e.l.f. has some good products, some not some good products and then the how is this dirt cheap and still amazing products. This is the later. One Buck, did you read that $1 for this brush that is just as good as a mac or sigma LOVE IT!! I have three… no judgement please 🙂

Products Mentioned::

Sally Hansen Salon Complete Manicure in “Mudslide” $5-7

Suave Moroccan Infusion Body Lotion $5

Clarisonic Aria/ Mia 3 $199.00

Not Soap, Radio Happiness Inducing Body Wash $16

Makeup Geek Starter Kit and Z-Palette Bundle $61.99

e.l.f. Essential Eye Shadow Brush $1

24Sep2014

Ipsy September 2014

Posted in Combination Skin, Dry Skin, Eyeliner, Hair, Hair Care, Ipsy, Lipstick, Make Up, Makeup, MIsses, Normal Skin, Oily Skin, Review, Skin Care by whateverlara

Its that time again… Monthly Subscrion box/bag time! My Ipsy and Birchbox arrived on the same day so I played Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe and Ipsy won so that is the first subscription I’m sharing with you!

LeeAnni Eco3-in-1 Revolution Light :: LIGHTER version of 3 in 1 Revolution. Great for normal to oily skin and during warmer weather. Toner, Serum, and Moisturizer in One. This Revolutionary Lotion will save you time during busy morning rush and moisturize your face all day long! Help tighten skin, reduce breakouts, relieve dark circles under eyes, moisturize, fight aging, treat sun damages, and calm irritated skin.

Lara Says:: I find the concept intriguing so I’m interested to try this. And you all know that I’m all about multitasking! It smells nice, I will be giving this a review after a few uses.

Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair!™ Deep Conditioning Mask :: Repair and treat dry, damaged and breaking hair with Don’t Despair, Repair!™ deep conditioning mask. Fortified with ultra-hydrating avocado, sweet almond & argan oils, strengthening keratin protein, power-conditioning rosehip oil, soothing aloe, and super hair-essential vitamins B5, D, A, E and biotin. This unique complex of targeted ingredients helps increase hair elasticity and moisture to prevent breakage, promotes healthy shine and luster, and replenishes strength. Comprised of 95 percent naturally-derived ingredients. This product is free of parabens, sulfates, phthalates, silicones, artificial fragrances, artificial dyes, and gluten. It is cruelty-free and contains organic ingredients.

In lab studies, the use of Don’t Despair, Repair!™ resulted in 81% less hair breakage after just three uses.
Lara Says:: I love a good hair mask so I’m excited to try this and let you know my thoughts. This is a nice sample size and it smells really good too!

Pacifica Natural Water-Proof Eye Pencil in Fringe:: These rich water-proof, buttery smooth eye pencils glide on smooth and deliver big color pay off with every stroke. Long-lasting natural formula, provides hours of wear and contains beneficial ingredients great for the sensitive eye area.

Lara Says:: This was really strange. I haven’t used it yet but as you can see in the picture I swatched it on my arm. After a minute I rubbed it and while it did not smudge, it did fade… Weird!

Crown Brush Infinity Shadow/Crease Duet Brush:: This dual-ended brush offers the best of both worlds. The shadow brush is perfect for applying eye shadow or contouring the eye, while the crease brush is designed to be used dry for defining the eye, or wet for precision concealing.

Lara Says:: I’m usually not a fan of duel ended brushes as I store my brushes upright and this makes that difficult. But I will give both ends a try and let you know. At first touch the brushes are super soft so that is a good sign.

and lastly, I love this bag! Much better then last months, I will not be re-gifting this one… 🙂

And according to my Glamroom (which shows you what you are receiving) I should have received a Hikari Lipstick but I didn’t get one. I emailed Ipsy to let them know so if I do end up getting it I will let you know!:

Products Mentioned—

LeeAnni Eco3-in-1 Revolution Light:: Full Size $29.98 (15% off with code IPSY9)

Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair!™ Deep Conditioning Mask:: Full Size $26.00 (Free Shipping with code IPSYSEP14)

Pacifica Natural Water-Proof Eye Pencil:: $11.00 (20% off with code FallBeauty)

Crown Brush Infinity Shadow/Crease Duet Brush:: $6.99 (30% off purchase of $25 or more with code CROWNIPSY30)

Join me on ipsy and subscribe to the Glam Bag! You get 4-5 beauty products every month delivered to your door, for just $10. Michelle Phan curates the bags!

22Aug2014

Vanished Spot Treatment from Clear Clinics Laboratories

Posted in Acne, Combination Skin, Dry Skin, Ipsy, MIsses, Normal Skin, Oily Skin, Review, Skin Care by whateverlara

I received a sample of this treatment in my July Ipsy bag and promised a review so here you go!

Clear Clinics Says:: “vanished is an on-the-go, clear spot treatment specially formulated with menthol, glycolic acid and salicylic acid. Apply this potent spot treatment to quickly clear blemishes in record time. Thanks to its clear formulation, you can use vanished during the day, under and over makeup. Its travel-sized bottle makes it easy to take with you wherever you go.”

Lara Says:: This product has a very strong alcohol smell, I mean really strong! So that if very off putting for me. I was not impressed with this treatment and at $35.00 this is a product I would recommend skipping. I didn’t find that it dried out my breakouts or healed them any faster. In fact I really like the e.l.f. Essentials Zit Zapper much better and it cost $1.00. I would suggest giving that a try before you fork over $35.00

Products Mention::

Clear Clinics Vanished:: $35.00

e.l.f. Essentials Zit Zapper $1.00

What do you use to zap your zits? Let me know, I’m always looking for suggestions!!

16Jul2014

Review:: Avon Extra Lasting Liquid Foundation

Posted in Acne, Avon, Combination Skin, Dry Skin, Foundation, Hits and Misses, Make Up, Makeup, MIsses, Normal Skin, Oily Skin, Review by whateverlara

If you can’t tell from my recent posts, I’ve been on a bit of an Avon kick. Most of the products I’m sharing with you are ones that I’ve had for a while and have either forgotten I’ve had (oops…) or haven’t used because I wanted to finish up a similar product, or I hated it and kept it around thinking it would magically change…

And this is one of the products that for some odd reason I thought I would love if I just let it sit for a while… Yeah, not working! I guess the reason I held onto my delusion is that everyone I know who uses this foundation loves it. Well sorry folks but I hate it! I have oily skin and according to the information I was able to find this foundation is supposed to be suitable for oily skin. Not my oily skin! I have tried this with no primer, primers (4 in total!) with different finishing powders and setting sprays… Sorry y’all no bueno!

According to the Avon description “Flawless, lightweight buildable coverage. Looks natural and stays fresh for 18 hours.” Umm, no; more like 1-2 hours tops! First off flawless? No, This is not a full coverage foundation it is medium and I did not find that it was buildable to much past medium. Granted I do have acne scarring and pigmentation, but after attempting to “build” it up and seeing no visible difference I turned to a heavy duty full coverage concealer to get the job done.

Looks natural? Well yes of course it does because your skin is showing through because it doesn’t cover anything!

Stays fresh for 18 hours? Heck no, within 1-2 hours I was an oily mess. Even on the days I used primers and powder it still did not make a difference. And really, why should it if the foundation doesn’t have the ability to cling to the primer or absorb the powder? It really just felt like the foundation just sat on my skin. I can’t describe it but it just didn’t feel ‘right’. Not only does this make me super oily but it pulls and gathers in my pores (yuck!) and lines around my mouth, not at all pretty people!

This is the second time I have bought this foundation. I bought it first about two years ago and was not impressed so I returned it. For some odd reason I thought about two months ago that I would give it another go. Needless to say this foundation will not be given a third chance.

9Jul2014

Review:: Avon True Color Eyeshadow Quad

Posted in Avon, Eyeliner, Eyeshadow, Hits, Hits and Misses, Make Up, Makeup, MIsses, Review by whateverlara

Avon is a brand that has always been hit or miss for me. Some of their products work really well and others… well I question why they put it on the market. Today I am going to show you two eyeshadow quads I have from avon and four eyeshadow singles from mark. which is Avon’s teen/young adult line.

Starting off with the Avon Quad’s each color is labeled with a number and the back of the compact tells you where to place each color. This is great for someone just starting to get their feet wet in the application of eye shadow.

Lets look first at the quad in Emerald Cut. Colors 1 and 2 Shimmering Beige and Softened Peach are spotty with application. They are also super shimmery so be prepared for fall out. Colors 3 and 4 have a more even application but when applied they are extremely similar in color even though they look like two very different shades of green in the pan. Overall this is the most disappointing.

Next is the quad in Savage Beauty. This is a limited edition quad and at the time of this writing was still available through the Avon website. Out of the two quads this one has the better pigmentation and application overall. The only color that can be a little tricky is Color 1 Gold Dusk.

all of the mark. shadows have better pigmentation and application then the Avon quad shadows. I reach for them more often the quads because they aren’t as hard to work with.