I am engaged!

Yes, yes as many of you already know via Facebook and Twitter, I finally got engaged! We- as well as our families are thrilled and excited and we are definitely looking forward to a new life together as husband and wife (still feels weird to say!)

I am beyond happy right now and I want to thank everyone for their well wishes. I know I hardly blog these days with all the stuff that's going on in my life but I have not forgotten about makeup! Just hasn't been my primary focus as of late, but I do hope I can squeeze in a few posts here and there. I just want to thank you all for being so incredibly supportive, understanding, and patient throughout everything I go through in life. I am always so blessed and amazed at how many people I have talked to online, some whom I have met, and some who take the time to email or leave a comment- that are just such good, kind, and down-to-earth people. I am blessed to have friends and people in my life that bring positive outlooks and energy into my life. I still have to review some new Purely Cosmetics products im lagging on! Of course I am in the midst of preparing the most important and special day of my life- my wedding day to my one and only and I am looking forward to the journey ahead.

We have not set an official date yet, but it's looking like it's gonna be on August 21st, 2010. We wanted it to be on our ACTUAL anniversary date July 17, 2010 but unfortunately my grandparents will be out of town until early August, and since I want them to be part of it, I am changing the original date so that they are able to share it with me. :)

So how did he propose???

Well we were celebrating our 4 year anniversary in Santa Barbara like we always do because we just love it there, and in a nutshell, he had a gift for me that he told me to open, and it was a medium box that was basically in other smaller boxes (like those Russian nesting dolls where you keep opening them and they get smaller and smaller) finally it was a ring box, I open it and it was empty, and I am looking at him like "Huh??? I don't know what is going on", then he gets down on one knee and tells me how he feels and asks me to be his wife and at first I am just in utter shock; as much as the BF is a jokester, it was hard to believe he was really being serious, so I was like "Shutup! Are you serious right now!??" LOL and he was laughing and was like "Yes!" and so of course I said yes, I didn't cry until he told me that he called my dad for his blessing so everyone knew including his family before me. So of course we were calling our families and everyone was so excited and congratulated us, my dad was crying but they were happy tears!

And of course here is the ring! Princess cut, 1 carat total, .5 center stone platinum band.

Prod. Review: Smooth Away Hair Removal

Ugh. Cali weather sucks, even though I heard Arizona had it worse at 116 degrees, my sensitive skin isn't having it. Thanks to this insane heat, I had a severe case of prickly heat & heat rash on the back of my legs (as some of you know from my Facebook), in which I actually had to see a doctor and get medication for it (steroid cream and Hydroxyzine). The itchiness was annoying and learning how to sleep on my stomach wasn't fun either, LOL. Luckily the cream worked wonders and my legs are almost back to normal...whew! Just in time before my Hawaii trip! I hope I don't get any other crazy reactions while im on vacay because that would just not be fun!

I am so behind on my blog it's ridiculous...so I am trying to catch up! I will be doing a tutorial soon using the NYX smokey eye palette (the same look from the Vision Awards). Here are some pics I took on the 4th of July of the fireworks they had by my house:





Since the doctor said I can't wear any tight pants or anything that encloses the area to trap more heat, I have been wearing dresses and skirts the past week, and came across some cute dresses at Forever 21 and other random places:

I love the bubble skirt!


It's also very casual (in terms of material) so it's cute with flip flops too or you can dress it up:


Floral tube dress with a tulip cut bottom:


I love ruffles if you can't tell! LOL, but I thought it would be nice to add a black dress to the collection as surprisingly I don't really have an all black dress...


Okay, okay on to the review! So I tried the Smooth Away Hair Removal months ago (like when it was still winter haha yeah I am that behind! LOL sorry!) and the results were actually better than I thought, I had a light touch and did it in circular motions as instructed but it caused temporary redness on my legs (then again I have really sensitive skin)! Yeah my left leg is pretty damn hairy but hey how else am I going to test to make sure it really works right!?? Besides this was in the winter time and y'all know I could use some extra "insulation"! HAHA.

The area to be used MUST be dry, no lotion or oils. You can apply lotion after to help keep skin soft and moisturized.









Product: 3 out of 5
Packaging: 4 out of 5
Quality: 3 out of 5
Overall: 3 out of 5
Price: $9.99 at Walgreens and other drugstores
Would I buy again? Maybe

PROS:
- Does remove hair as described
- Easy to use and great for quick hair removal when traveling or on the go as it does not need any water or shaving cream
- Comes with refillable 3M sandpaper-like pads you just peel and stick on the buffer
- Has a handle you can slip your hand or finger through to make it easy
- Comes in a its own travel pouch
- Has a facial buffer for the upper lip area

CONS:
- Didn't remove all hair, had to keep going over certain spots
- A bit time consuming, faster to use a shaver or to wax
- May cause redness or tender spots for those with sensitive skin

Overall: It may be a great product for some people and like I said I was pretty impressed that it did remove a good amount of hair, however it took me forever just to get one leg done, so I would stick to either shaving or waxing personally. But I think it's great for small jobs in a short amount of time and for those that have more tolerance than I do I am sure this would work great (as my BFF Erica tried it and she loved it and had no redness, etc), so it varies from person to person.

Parian Spirit Brush Cleaner Review

Hello my lovelies! How are you all doing? I know I am a slacker! Forgive me! :)

Did anyone see Michael Jackson's Memorial at the Staples Center? I thought it was such a sweet tribute to the King of Pop, and the montage of him and his daughter's words brought me to tears. I am an 80's baby, and I grew up loving his songs, watching "Thriller" over and over again- my favorite song is "Rock with you", and it's definitely one of those songs you turn up in the car! It's sad we lost a legend so soon...I didn't realize how close his parents' house was to my work, literally like 5 minutes away. Of course the streets are blocked due to the overwhelming crowds, but I hope he knows how much people loved him and his music. :)

So I had a reader question ask me what the difference was between the MAC Fix+ Spray and the Model in a Bottle, the MAC Fix+ spray in a nutshell is a simple concoction of water, glycerin, and witch hazel (among other things), but mainly is a refreshing water spray that I personally use to mix with facial masks or even the Ly-Na Pearl Cream, or even just as a refresher on a hot day. Sometimes I also use it on my beauty blender sponge to apply my mineral foundation wet or to thin out liquid foundation. The Model in a Bottle is an actual setting spray that doesn't budge your makeup, it mattifies it and sets it so there is no need for touch-ups throughout the day. You spray it on over your makeup a few inches away from your face (eyes closed), and let it dry. It may feel sticky at first but goes away and then feels like normal. Great for hot days! I will try and do a comparison soon (with and without it). You'll notice your makeup lasts a lot longer than without!

Anyway, at the Makeup Show LA months ago, I picked up the Parian Spirit Brush Cleaner, at the shows the Parian Spirit Brush Cleaner Kit is only $20 and includes the canister with the grate, 2 brush cleaning wipes for traveling or on the go, a travel size spray, and a large 16oz. bottle that will last you a long time!

The grate itself is removable, and you clean your brushes against this for thorough cleaning. You can then clean the jar and grate when you are done and let it dry for next time. The best part about this brush cleaner is that it dries you brushes IMMEDIATELY. No waiting needed (except larger brushes such as buffer or face brushes as these might take longer to dry). The scent itself is citrus, nothing atrocious.



Product: 4 out of 5
Packaging: 5 out of 5
Quality: 5 out of 5
Overall: 5 out of 5
Price: Varies, can buy individually
Would I buy again? Yes
Where to buy? Various stores online, such as makeupmania.com, alcone.com, etc.

PROS:
- Cleans brushes quickly and thoroughly, dries immediately.
- Canister comes with a grate to help clean your brushes, washable and re-usable.
- The show kit/price comes with a lot for $20, and the 16oz. bottle will last you awhile!
- Canister is easy to travel with, great for makeup artists.
- Has a travel size (2oz) spray.

CONS:
- I am not too fond of the citrus smell (that goes for everything even oranges! I hate citrus-y scents for some weird reason)
- Canister itself isn't too big, therefore cannot clean huge face brushes.

Overall: It's currently my favorite brush cleaner, and it's unique. Very easy to clean brushes on a whim and I LOVE that it dries my brushes as quickly as I take it out and pat it on a paper towel. It's not damp- it's completely dry. Definitely recommend!