Favorite Purchase Ever

Cetaphil has got to be my favorite cleanser ever. Many moons ago I heard somewhere that Miss Queen B (Beyonce) herself uses this to cleanse her makeup off, so I decided to give it a try myself. Best decision ever. I haven't had a blemish since I started using this stuff 5 months ago! My face is soo clean and soft and even. The larger bottle costs about $13.00, but I'm pretty sure you can find it cheaper somewhere.

So Sorry

I have been gone for far too long! I'm a little disappointed in myself. I started out so excited for my blog, but alas, life got in the way! Appointment after appointment, work has been heavy, it just took a back seat. Grrrr. Anywho I will try harder now to keep this updated.
                                                                                     XoXo- Desiree

My Don't-Leave-The-House-Without Look

I usually never leave my home without makeup on. I'm secure enough to walk outside without any on, but this is what I love. If there is ever a time that I just can't (gym) or don't have time (rushing in the a.m. for work), I usually keep these essential items in my handbag:

• Concealer. Genetically, I have dark circles under my eyes. No amount of sleep or green tea bags will fix this problem. Just because I was born with them, doesn't mean I have to live with them, so for the majority of the day I have an even complexion and don't have to hear people say, "Oh wow, you look tired!". My favorite concealer is MAC's Pro Longwear Concealer in NC 42.
• Mascara. This is definitely important, mascara gives the illusion of brighter, more awake eyes. Even when I'm tired this helps.
• Gloss or Chapstick. I can't ever leave my house without this! I tend to get very dry lips if I don't have some kind of barrier between my lips and my tongue (hehe). I lick my lips all day, ugh what a bad habit!

                                                                                                           Xoxo, Desiree

"It's beauty that catches your attention; personality which captures your heart."

A Tad Bit Behind

So uhhhh, yeah...I've been WAYYY behind in updating my blog. Work has been out of control & I've been busy with personal business (dentist and doctors appts.etc). I'll be back in a few...shhh.

                                                                                          Xoxo, Desiree

" I am invariably late for appointments- sometimes as much as two hours. I've tried to change my ways, but the things that make me late are too strong, ansd too pleasing." - Marilyn Monroe

Inglot Cosmetics

Inglot has to be one of my new favorite places to shop! I discovered the store while shopping in Times Square a few months ago. It reminds me a lot of another famous cosmetics brand that shall remain nameless for the time being, but if you are ever in New York, I urge you not to leave without taking a peak!

Why do I love Inglot Cosmetics?
There is something that they have called the "Freedom System", basically you can add whatever eye shadow, concealers, lipsticks, press powder, or blush to a palette of your choosing. You can choose a 5 palette, 10 palette, 2 or 3 palette. You can choose to buy circled eye shadow pans or squared pans (which brings more product). The shadows are very pigmented and have this beautiful shimmer to them, they’re really worth buying! When I first went in I was blown away by the prices (sooo affordable)! I ended up leaving with 10 items including a Freedom System palette for a total of 129.00. When I calculated what I spent at Inglot against what I would have spent in the other store, the savings was crazy! Unfortunately, I went the other day to get some more goodies and the associate let me know that two days later they were raising the prices on everything. The palettes were now going to be 30 dollars more expensive (huge price increase). Instead of getting the palette included with the eye shadows, now everything can be bought separate (just like in the other unnamed store). Even with the price hike I still put it at the top of my favorite places to shop. You can't purchase online, but if you call they will ship you items. Maybe this will change in the future.
                                                                                    XoXo- Desiree

"Adjust your makeup to the light in which your wear it."- Helena Rubenstein

Just some flicks

The Skin You're In

Firstly, I'd like to say that beauty begins from within. It starts with a healthy diet, I like to say, "If you're inside is pretty you're outside will be too!" I won't lie and say I eat healthy everyday or that I exercise everyday, etc..but I like to think that it's the things I don't do (like smoke or tan).

With that I'd like to go a little into skincare, the do's and don'ts that (hopefully) you already know.

• Cleansing of the skin. Your face should be washed in the morning and before you go to sleep, we should try our best not to fall asleep with makeup on. Use cleansers that pertain to your skin type for the best results.
• Moisturizing the skin. You want to keep your skin hydrated and soft, getting into the habit of such things isn't easy (maybe alarming it on your phone for reminders is good).

Here are a few pointers if you're not sure what your skin type is. So how large the pores are in the T-Zone and throughout the rest of your face determine the skin type. We have dry, normal, oily, and combination skin.

• Dry skin doesn't produce enough oil. Follicles are usually small and sebum is minimal. If you can barely see the follicles, you have dry skin (also think of an apple, how its smooth).
• Normal skin has a good oil/water balance. Normal skin be fickle..sometimes dry, sometimes oily. Follicles are normal sized.
• Combination skin can be tricky because it can be confused for normal skin. The major differences are that the T-zone will be much oilier and the cheek area might even get flaky. Combo skin requires more maintenance.
• Oily skin has large pores all over the skin. I like to think of it as an orange (oranges have larger pores). Oily skin needs to be exfoliated more often. Blemishes and blackheads will be more common.

And always remember to use sunscreen, skin cancer is NOT a joke and can be prevented.
                                                                                           XoXo, Desiree

"All beauty of the world, 'tis but skin deep."- Ralph Venning