Fenty Beauty by Rihanna

Photo courtesy of: Fenty Beauty

A few years ago we all heard that Rihanna signed with a beauty agency to create her own line of beauty products. Knowing all things Rhianna, we all knew she wasn’t going to release anything less than excellence.

Ms. Robyn Rihanna Fenty snatched our scalps when she released “Fenty Beauty”, boasting 40 foundations shades, F-O-R-T-Y-F-U-C-K-I-N-G-S-H-A-D-E-S OF FOUNDATION. She thought of every undertone for every single person: fair, medium, warm, tan, deep, pink, red, yellow, green and blue! Along with the very INCLUSIVE range of foundations, Riri released a collection of Match Stix: stick concealer, contour shades, highlights and blushes. She also released powder highlights, mattifying blotting powders, blotting sheets, a lip gloss and brushes. UGH—this woman makes me sick, she’s so perfect.

I wasn’t able to purchase everything in the collection but I was able to snag a few things:

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Pro Filt’r Foundation
($34.00)

Shade in 310

The first thing that came to mind with this collection was that Rihanna really focused on skin. She wanted to set the foundation (no pun intended) for the rest of her line to flourish. However, even with 40 foundation shades, the journey to finding the ‘right’ shade is still a challenging one. The Pro Filt’r Foundations oxidize after your first application, this means that once the foundation formula is combined with oxygen, the color deepens a shade darker. So, to test out a color that “matches” your skin tone takes trial and error. I purchased: 310, 330 & 340 hoping to find a shade that matched my undertone, and after color testing-- 310 seemed to be the shade that settled into my skin the most naturally.

This foundation is medium to buildable coverage and finishes demi matte which gives your skin a shine free finish without looking cakey. As per the product description, “The oil-free formula is made with climate-adaptive technology that’s resistant to sweat and humidity, and won’t clog pores so that wherever you are, it’s going to work on your skin.” For someone like me with oily/combination skin—a demi matte is a heaven send. After a full day of testing the foundation, my makeup didn't melt off and still felt comfortable on my skin without flaking (Hallelujah!). I’ve been wearing this foundation a few days in a row and it’s climbing to the top of my most used foundation list. 10/10 for everyday foundation.

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Match Stix
($25.00)

Fenty came out with 10 Match Stix Shimmer Skinsticks and 20 Match Stix Matte Skinstix that all magnetize together so you can mix and match or purchase a trio without losing track of the product. The shimmer skinstix are meant to be used as highlight sticks and/or blush sticks. The matte matchstix are meant for concealing and contouring. Both Match Stix are a cream to powder finish, creamy, blendable and meant for all skin types. I purchased one of each Match stick: Chili Mango, Rum, Sand and Truffle. My favorite? Hands down, Chili Mango cream blush. This color is amazing on tan skin tones and is subtle while still giving off a beautiful bright finish. My vote: 10/10

Now for the contour and concealer sticks. So. Great color payoff, creamy and blendable. The concealer stick isn’t the smoothest under the eye area, when I tried to use the concealer stick under my waterline, it tug my skin a lot and that's a big no-no for me unfortunately. I still personally suggest using a liquid concealer for your under eye, but for your forehead, nose and chin, the stick works fine. The cream contour in “Truffle” was a great shade for me, the cream blended out fine while using a beauty blender and I can foresee using this stick for special occasions. If you’re a fan of cream contouring, the stick is easy to use. My vote: 7/10

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Killawatt Freestyle Highlighter
($34.00)

Other than the 40 foundation shades, everyone talked about these highlighters! The most talked about highlight was Trophy Wife which is an electric gold highlight and is super editorial. While I thought Trophy Wife was incredible, I purchased the shimmer duo in Mean Money & Hu$tla Baby. Mean Money is a soft champagne sheen and Hu$tla Baby is supercharged champagne shimmer. A lot of people were underwhelmed with the light sheen on Mean Money but I actually love it. It’s more of a soft-focus powder vs a highlight, but I thoroughly enjoy Mean Money for a soft filtered glow. If you need a highlight that shines bright like a diamond (I’m killing it with the puns today) Hu$tla Baby is the color you want.  It’s luminizing but at the same time provides you with a dewey glow. 9/10

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 Gloss Bomb Universal Lip
($18.00)

I was surprised that Fenty only released one lip product. Although looking back on the entire collection, because every product was focused on skin—this gloss bomb was perfect. And as you can imagine with the word “Bomb” in it’s name, this gloss is ridiculously shimmery, glossy and soft with a rose nude tint. This gloss is not sticky, it glides on smooth and it smells like sweet tarts! The smell so sweet and sugary it’s almost like you have a pixie stick lip gloss, it’s the best! 10/10    

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OVERALL REVIEW

My favorite items from the collection are hands down the foundation, the blush stick and the highlighters. If you have oily/combination skin like me, the journey to find the right foundation shade is worth the effort. The Killawatt highlighters are fun, bright and give you a natural glow without any chunky fall out. I was disappointed with the matte match stix, and I really really wanted to like them. I’ve never been a big fan of stick concealers or cream contouring (yes, i know i'm a hater) so I am aware that my rating is biased based on my own preferences.

Otherwise, I loved everything I picked up in the collection. The color range is noteworthy because beauty brands very rarely create collections with all people of color in mind. Fenty has a foundation with no pigment for people with albinism all the way to a set of foundations for deep shades for red, neutral and cool undertones. It’s incredible, inclusive and well intended for women to look and feel confident in their own skin. Well done Fenty.. Well done.

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GLAM SHOTS

Products Used
Foundation: Fenty Beauty Pro Filt'r Foundation in 310
Cream Contour: Fenty Matte Match Stix in Truffle
Cream Concealer: Fenty Matte Match stix in Sand
Cream Highlight: Fenty Shimmer Match Stix in Rum
Cream Blush:  Fenty Shimmer Match Stix in Chili Mango
Powder Highlight: Fenty Killawatt highlighter in Hu$tla Baby

Eye Makeup: 
Eyeshadow: Dose of Colors Turbosan
Lipstick: Dose of Colors Saváge

Skincare Blues: Dealing with Psoriasis

Photo from my trip to Bora Bora when my skin was clear and my metabolism was fast ;)

It’s been such a long time since I’ve made a post, and I figured I should start the new year with something that’s been top of mind for the past few months: SKIN!

As some of you know, I’ve had psoriasis since I was 8 years old and I feel as though I’ve been on a roller coaster ride with my skin for a majority of my life, especially the past few years. For those of you who don’t know what psoriasis is, it’s a persistent autoimmune disease where your skin cells multiply 10x faster and causes new cell growth that produces raised scales on your skin.

Sexy right?

I know, it’s a real buzzkill when crop tops are in style but the only thing you can wear is a turtle neck..
With this most recent outbreak, my typical routine of oatmeal soap, Clobetasol, Cetaphil and  phototherapy wasn’t working. This HAD to happen during the winter time so my skin was already dry from the weather. To prep you, this blog is about healing and MOISTURIZING! There will be a ton of steps listed below, and they've all worked for me. So basically yes, I baste myself in creams and oils to the point where I look like a glazed donut before I go to bed. #Moisture  

So now onto the blog, below I’ve listed a few of the steps I made to help heal and calm my skin from the inside out.

Meditation:
For me, a lot of my psoriasis stems from an accumulation of stress so meditating has helped me to block out the drama and pressure from my everyday life. Because I know stress is a trigger, I have to do the work within myself and my mind first before any of the below steps can take an effect on my skin.  

Diet:
90% Plant based diet – Avoiding carbs and sugars is good for your (body, mind and) skin, so incorporating more greens into your diet will help to decrease inflammation.
*As an advocate for burgers and lemon pepper wings, this was the hardest change I had to make. 

Fish oil pills/Coconut oil Pills – Fish oils contain Omega 3 Fatty Acids that help reduce inflammation, anxiety and stress. Coconut oils provide moisture to your hair, skin and nails, which is really good as dry skin irritates psoriasis.

Cleansers/Soaps:
African Black Bar Soap (Major Key) 
Important Ingredients:
Aloe Vera - moisturizes and calms dry sensitive skin
Lemon Balm - cleanses skin while preventing moisture loss. (And is a good source of antioxidants)
Sea Wrack - a mineral-rich soothing ingredient. Improves skin conditions like psoriasis.
Gotu Kola - helps promotes skin repair and renewal

*I purchased the black bar soap from the local beauty store for $3.99. But for more convenience I purchased the Shea Moisture liquid body wash, and while I don’t think it’s as strong as the bar of soap, it still provides healing and soothing to my skin.

Because I underwent a month and a half of phototherapy, I have a significant amount of dead skin from all the burning. So to help heal and refresh my skin, I purchased the Shea Moisture Hand and Body Scrub with Coconut Oil and Hibiscus. Below are ingredients that help the skin's surface:

Coconut Oil - Nourishes and helps firm skin with Vitamins E and K, iron and fatty acids
Hibiscus Flower - This natural emollient treats dry, rough skin and helps improve skin tone
Vitamin E - A powerful antioxidant highly effective in protecting skin from free radical damage

Moisturizer:
Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream – When you have sensitive skin, you have to avoid moisturizers that contain perfumes, fragrances, alcohol & lanolin. The Cetaphil cream is ideal for the dry patches of skin or psoriasis spots to keep the moisture in.

Medicine:
So yes, I do take a pill to supplement my daily routine. I am currently on a low dose of Methotrexate and while it is a very strong medicine-- it HAS to be prescribed to you by a dermatologist who has diagnosed you with severe psoriasis. And I can tell you first hand, that It SUCKS. You're nauseous, you're tired and you crave meat and carbs (See: Diet portion). but I know it's beneficial for my skin-- so until I find a better alternative, I will continue to crave tacos while scarfing down carrots. 

So to summarize: moisture, Moisture, Meditation & MOISTURE! Everyone's skin is different, so everyone's trigger for this disease is different, but to better your skin you have to make a lifestyle change. You can adjust the routine based on the severity, but this routine has helped me cope in a world filled with backless bodysuits and crop tops.                        

Toast to the Good Life - Becca & Jaclyn Hill Champagne Collection

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For all the highlight obsessed makeup junkies out there, you must have known about the Jaclyn Hill & Becca Champagne Collection. I hopped on the website a few weeks ago and I am SO happy that I scooped a palette, because the Champagne Collection Face Palette sold out FAST.

On the heels of Jaclyn Hill's Champagne Pop highlighter in collaboration with Becca Cosmetics, Jaclyn Hill's next product was not only a new highlighter (because we were all expecting one new highlighter) but a FACE PALETTE, including Champagne Pop, her new highlighter Prosecco Pop and 3 mineral and luminous blushes! This b*tch came prepared to slay the makeup game.. And I'm not mad ;)

PACKAGING:
The packaging came in a sturdy gold and white plastic case, that seemed to protect the powders well. The top half of the palette is a large mirror which is perfect for when you travel and/or are applying your makeup on the go. The palette is a bit thick, but OH so pretty!!

COLORS:
Highlighters:
Champagne POP - Soft white gold with pink/peachy luminous shimmer
Prosecco POP - Wark golden luminous shimmer

Blushes: 
Rose Spritz - Luminous blush, Soft peachy pink with pale gold shimmer
Amaretto - Mineral blush, Matte toasted almond blush/bronzer
Pamplemousse - Mineral blush, Matte warm coral pink

LONGEVITY:
I've used this palette on myself as well as my clients, and I will tell you that this GLEAM that radiates from your face lasts hours and all throughout the night. I've used Prosecco pop on a bride who had a candle lit wedding and her highlight was on display from miles away. Well, maybe not miles, but from the back of the room :)

SWATCHES:

L-R: Champagne pop, Prosecco pop, Rose Spritz, Amaretto, Pamplemousse

OVERALL:
Overall, how can you NOT love this palette?! All the blushes and highlighters are high quality and extremely luminous! You can mix and match with all the colors to create something fun for all skin types. Hop on it and I promise you won't regret it. 

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Glow GLEAM Kit, Review and Swatches

Ok so can we discuss these highlighter palettes by Anastasia Beverly Hills? I had no intention of purchasing these highlighters at IMATS and then bam! I am now the proud owner of the Gleam Glow Kit. Naturally I hovered over the “That Glow” palette for a while but for some reason the soft highlight and rosy tones in the Gleam kit called my name. These colors are meant to complement all skin tones so I had no doubt that the Gleam kit would suit my tan exterior. 

COLORS:
Hard Candy – A rosey pink highlight

Mimosa – Golden peach color

Starburst – Silvery pink highlight  

Crushed Pearl – Light champagne color 

Often times I’ll mix and match a ton of colors for a highlight that can be seen from space :)  For a more intense highlight, just apply water to your makeup brush before swiping the highlight color, this will help make the colors pop. Or you can cover your face in highlight and go running in the dark, the highlight serves as reflective running gear so cars and deer can see you from afar. I’m joking.. But that would be funny if it worked that way :) 

Jeffree Star Androgyny Swatches and Dupes!

I bought my first Jeffree Star liquid lipstick!!!!!!!!! I’ve been a fan girl of Jeffree Star (Makeup artist, musician, model, fashion designer) for a while now and I’m excited to playyyyy. Unfortunately every time I’ve been online to purchase their liquid lipsticks, every color I want is sold out or my computer gets a virus and crashes as soon as I whip out my credit card. It's almost like my laptop knows I’m going to buy another lipstick :/

Fast forwarding to now, I always thought Androgyny was a gorgeous mauve color and the coveting spirit comes over me when i see a product I absolutely love. Low and behold (Thanks to my boo thang Erika) Androgyny basically fell into my lap! I wore my new lipstick that same night and I am one happy customer :) Check out my review below.

Packaging
Hot pink, Stars and Lipstick. If I were a rock star/makeup artist/all around Glamour Diva, I’d choose bold packaging too. The lipstick itself is cased in a clear tube with hot pink and gold stars. The packaging definitely stands out in my lipstick collection and I’m not mad at it. 

Formula
Applying the product onto my lips, it felt very runny. Immediately after application some of the product ended up on my teeth, not the most convenient experience for my first try. After I cleaned the residue, the lipstick dried smooth and set beautifully on my lips. The formula feels like butter, dries matte but doesn’t feel drying on my lips. Compared to the Colourpop/Dose of Colors liquid lipsticks, Jeffree Star’s formula is silky and (while runny) dries comfortably on the lips. 

Color
Jeffree Star’s collection of lipstick colors are very different than your average lipstick collection. The colors are vibrant and unique, Androgyny being one of the more tame colors in the bunch. I haven’t had the chance to purchase more colors, but I definitely will try it out.  

Dupes
While Androgyny is a very beautiful color, it looks a lot like Colourpop’s Stingraye and Chilly Chili. The formula is clearly different, but the color is very similar. If you don’t want to shell out 18 big one's for Jeffree Star but love the color, Stingraye or ChilliChili are more affordable lipsticks with similar colors.  

Longevity
I tried had the lipstick on at around 8:00pm for an art show and past midnight (a hotdog and a few drinks later) the color did not feather, fade (with the exception of the hot dog, and even then I barely had to reapply) nor did it flake. I haven’t tried wearing the colors for more than 8 hours, but based on other reviews, Jeffree Star liquid lipsticks have amazing staying power.

Cons
Aside from the ultra runny formula, the products can only be ordered online. You cannot visit your local Namies of Nigel’s to pick up a few colors, so you’d have to rely on the swatches online to help you decide which colors to purchase. IF the colors are available. These lipsticks are always selling out! (which technically isn’t really a con but you know.. Whatevs)

Overall
Jeffree Star's formula is different from what I’ve tried in the market, so I’m happy I had the chance to purchase this product. The staying power, color pigment and non drying formula makes this liquid lipstick a winner.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit for Holiday 2015

For a Holiday product, Hourglass came out with a limited edition Ambient lighting palette pretty early on in the season. And I’m not mad at it :)

According to Hourglass, this palette is a, “Wardrobe of handmade powders, blushes, bronzer, and the debut of the new Ambient Strobe Lighting Powder". And it's, " Designed to give you everything you need to finish, brighten, contour and highlight your skin in a single compact.”

I’m obsessed with Hourglass, I never leave a makeup look untouched with their product. Each powder has optically transparent particles that help with seamless blending, especially when it comes to their blush and bronzer options. 

Now on to the review:

Packaging
The packaging is DIVIIIIINE! The 6 powders are protected in this chocolate/rose gold casing that includes a large mirror. Not only are the powders gorgeous, the packaging is just as beautiful and luxurious as the product itself.

Formula:
These powders have "Photoluminescent Technology” to help refine the appearance of your skin’s complexion, leaving you with a glowing finish. This basically means that the powders help to filter out the harsh lines on your face. AKA it’s like you’re walking around with the “Valencia” filter on your face all throughout the day ;)

Color:
The colors provided in the palette are:

Ambient Lighting Powder in Dim Light
Ambient Strobe Lighting Powder in Iridescent Strobe Light
Ambient Lighting Powder in Diffused Light
Ambient Lighting Blush in Luminous Flush
Ambient Lighting Blush in Mood Exposure
Ambient Lighting Bronzer in Luminous Bronze Light

The only new color in the Edit palette is the "Ambient Strobe Lighting Powder in Iridescent Strobe Light” which is meant for strobing, and I must say the product comes off very glowy and shimmery at the same time. All in all each powder also adds luminescence to every skin tone which makes it universally flattering (Which also puts this palette high on my list of faves). 

Longevity 
The day I decided to wear basically every color in the palette, it was 97 degrees in San Francisco and I forgot to set my makeup with setting spray. I was sure my makeup would melt off! Luckily for my skin, the makeup stayed in place and after 6-7 hours, the color started to dulled out just a bit. Altogether the glow lasted 11+ hours on my face in the raging heat and through date night with le boo.

Cons
The size of each of the powders in the palette is 0.049 oz. In a permanent individual lighting powder is 0.35 oz. The limited edition sizes vs the permanent sizes are drastically different. And for $80.00 per palette I would hope that Hourglass would provide more product for the price. I totally missed taking a picture of my individual lighting powder against my palette, but www.Beautzine.com had a beautiful comparison on their website, so I’ve included it below.

Image courtesy of www.Beautzine.com 

Overall
I'm obsessed. Although i was a bit disappointed in the product sizes, I am still very happy with the product. I love the pigment, texture, finish and most of all, the GLOW. This product is a must have in your kit because it caters to most (if not ALL) skin tones, and provides a filtered light that radiates a glow better than any powder i've seen on the market. 

California Mission Inspired Photoshoot by Loft Photography

Earlier this summer I worked with a group of UBER talented individuals who had a vision for a California Mission inspired photoshoot. I was invited to beautify their gorgeous model for the shoot. I was SO honored to be a part of this shoot surrounded by professionals with an eye for style and design. For more photos and info, check out the blog LemonadeandLenses.com. Credits below:   

Venue: Mission San Rafael
Invitation Suite: Alex Leigh Franklin
Gown: Sarah Seven
Hair Stylist: Justine with Prettyologie
Makeup Artist: Angelie Herreria
Florist: Willene Design 
Model: Amber Fernandez 
oftPhotography.com
LoftPhotography.com/Blog
 

Relief for Sensitive Skin

Ok.. Confession. I have sensitive skin, I’ve had sensitive skin since I was 8 years old and I’m obsessed with finding new skin care products to try. I have psoriasis and had to care and treat my skin using a variety of different treatments for almost 20 years. I leaned how to control and treat my psoriasis using topical medications and establishing a skincare regimen that works best to reduce my flares. Unfortunately there is no cure for psoriasis, but there are a ton of all natural treatments to ease the pain.

Most recently I’ve discovered an all natural Sappo Hill's oatmeal soap from Whole Foods. I've told anyone that will listen to me about it, and it's glorious. Colloidal Oatmeal (finely grained oatmeal) promotes wound healing, collagen and stimulates the production of immune cells in the skin, this makes your skin stronger. The oats can absorb the excess oil in the skin, removes bacteria and has ultraviolet absorbing properties. Basically the colloidal oatmeal clean's, protect's and calm's your skin.

Photo Courtesy of SappoHill.com  

Since I was on this "all natural remedy" kick, I stepped into my neighborhood LUSH and bought the holy grail of body lotions: Dream Cream. This body lotion has oat milk, rose water, organic cocoa butter, chamomile, tea tree oil and lavender oil. Basically all the best ingredients for sensitive skin thrown in a jar, cracked with magic and sold with a smile. Anyone who's ever researched skin care, knows that oatmeal, rose water, tea tree oil and lavender are all MAJOR remedies for sensitive skin. All of these properties offer antibacterial, healing and soothing effects. Again.. it's organic/fair trade magic.

Don't believe me? Just watch... Slap some oatmeal soap and Dream Cream on your skin and watch the magic happen. After 2 days of use I began to see results! My skin calmed down and the uncomfortable feeling of having psoriasis subsided. If you have sensitive skin like excema, acne or rosacia, oatmeal soap works like a charm. 

Now go on and get your life!