Disclosure: All reviews are my true and honest opinions. Posts may contain affiliate links where I earn a small commission from your purchase, but I will always let you know which links those are. :)

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

OOTD in the Snow - ft. Leg Warmers



Watch the video here!

This may be one of the last opportunities to film with the snow for awhile! :'(

Items Worn:
Shoes – Ross
Leg Warmers – made by my mom :)
Tights – Payless
Skirt – Target
Shirt – Cotton On
Scarf – Target (actually purchased at Goodwill, but it is Merona brand from Target)
Bracelets – Body Central

Lenses:
Geo Tri Color Blue

Thanks for reading!
Love,
Lainamarie91

p.s.
When I was editing this video today, I took this screenshot and was like, "dude, that background totally looks fake," lol.  It definitely looks like a backdrop. How pretty. :) I love the snow and I'm sure gonna miss it.  I am super duper hoping this isn't the last good snowfall we get this season, even though Spring is on its way and Winter could be over any day now.  No snow in the near forecast, but you just never know. :)
I am excited for some new outfits and some warmer weather.  Filming an OOTD outside when it's like 25 degrees isn't the most fun experience but I just love the beautiful landscape for OOTDs.  Soon enough, I'll be able to film some outfits with my super cute Spring/Summer heels and sandals. Yay!




Sunday, February 24, 2013

Important Information on my Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3 in 1 Foundation Review

   This is some very important information regarding a review I did on the New Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3 in 1 Foundation.  Although I have deleted both the youtube video review and the portion of a blog post covering that product, I find that it is very important to set things straight.  I tried the foundation and during my testing of it for a full day, I found that this foundation had shimmers in it and returned the foundation that very same day.  While looking at other reviews on this product, and through comments on that very video, I began to question whether it actually had shimmer in it because I was not finding that anyone else had reported that same property of this foundation.

    So I was super confused, but I needed to figure out what the deal was.  I went back and repurchased that foundation, wore it all day, and never noticed a single shimmer on my face.  I do not know what the issue was the day that I shot the footage to review on youtube.  I did not wear any blush, bronzer, highlight or anything.  I also only wore a cream eyeshadow, so there would not have been any fallout from my eyeshadows to cause the shimmer.  I guess it has to come down to the tools I used to apply the foundation.  I don't know how I got shimmer on them, but that is the only logical way that these shimmers showed up in the foundation.  I must have had shimmer on my sponge or the powder brush I used to apply a setting powder on top of this foundation.  There is not shimmer in the foundation.  I tested the whole thing out one more time and I assure you, I made a huge mistake in my original review.

   I am unbelievably sorry for this huge mistake on my part.  I am glad someone pointed it out before the word got out to too many people.  I am sincerely sorry for any decisions made for or against this product because of my video and review.  I deleted the video so no one else would be influenced by this mistake and have included this post as a link in the videos where I talked about this review.  (I feel like I did back in high school when we had to write science lab reports and account for any possible human error) This was definitely a horrible error on my part and I really hope you can continue to trust my input on product reviews in the future.

   Again, I am genuinely sorry and cannot believe I made such a mistake while applying my foundation for the review video.  I hope that all of my subscribers can understand my sincerity and can still trust my opinions in future videos.  I have made the decision that "first impressions" are not the best way to go about talking about a product.  I will always try in the future to think through the entire process of my makeup "experiments" so that this human error does not occur again.





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My Final Review (If you still care at this point & still can trust my input)

   Although this foundation did make me feel oily after only a couple hours of wear during the day, I did like the finish of it.  It has a soft matte finish that can look very natural.  It looks matte but also doesn't look like a super fake matte, it has a bit of glow in some lighting, which I find is very nice.  I felt oily, but I did not look oily at all.  It covered a lot of redness and minor discoloration and evened out skin tone excellently.  This foundation did make my pores look super big when used alone, but when I used a primer underneath, they were totally fine.  It lasts all day long and still looks gorgeous after a long day and it held up just as well without a setting powder as it did with one.  It did not feel sticky when left it alone without a powder on top.

   However, like I said before, it made me feel oily and gross.  And my other downside was the color.  The first foundation I purchased was in Classic Ivory 810 and the second was in Ivory 805.  810 was a tid bit too dark for me and 805 had sooo much of a pink undertone that I just could not wear it.  I do not think I have ever tried a foundation that looked as pink as 805 did on me.  810 suited me a bit better as far as the undertone went, but as I said, it was little too dark for my pale winter skin. 

   I will be returning this foundation once again because I am satisfied with my current foundation and the feeling of oiliness that I got with this Covergirl foundation is one issue that I do not compromise on when it comes to a foundation. 


Thank you for reading,
Love,
Lainamarie91


Friday, February 22, 2013

Another Blue Eyeshadow Tutorial?!


Watch the video here!
Items Used:
NYX Eye Shadow Base – White
NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil – Cobalt
NYX Bohemian Chic Palette – White shadow
Coastal Scents 252 Palette
-Aluminum Taupe
-Indigo Dream
-Opal Black
-Alpengeist
-Capri Blue
Urban Decay Glide On Pencil
- Zero
-Junkie
NYX Crystal Liquid Liner – Silver
ELF Cream Eyeliner – Black
Maybelline Rocket Mascara
Physicians Formula Mineral Glow Pearls – Beige Pearl
NYX Powder Blush – Taupe
Coastal Scents 10 Blush Palette – Middle Bottom
ELF Hypershine Gloss – Berry Cherry
Lenses:
Geo Tri Color Blue
@lainamarie91 on Instagram 

Thanks for reading!
Love, 
Lainamarie91


Thursday, February 21, 2013

Color Block OOTD - Is it Spring yet?!


Items worn:
Jacket - Gordmans
Shirt - Body Central
Skirt - Charlotte Russe
Belt - Ross
Tights - Payless
Booties - Charlotte Russe
Earrings, necklace - Body Central



Watch the video here!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLCeza_eea8

Thanks for reading!
Love,
Lainamarie91

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Updated Review: Flower Beauty Zoom-In Ultimate Mascara



   So, let me begin by saying I have changed my mind about this mascara.  I first thought it was an alright product, not particularly special, but I think I may be loving it now.
   In my initial, first impression review of this mascara, I did not find much of a difference with the different ways to use the wand.  I also noticed it slightly flaked on me after almost a full day of wear.  Interestingly enough, I have grown to love this mascara and now can notice a difference between at least the lengthening and volumizing ways you can use the wand, and also the flaking has gone away.  So this mascara has changed on me after about a week of use, the product has had time to become a little drier and I honestly LOVE this mascara now, which I totally did not think I would say when I first tried it.
   One aspect has stayed the same though, it still makes my lashes feel pretty hard, but still flexible.



   Just thought I would let you guys know, it wasn't too impressive the first few times I used it, but it's definitely my new favorite mascara right now.
   I hope at least these pictures help.

Also, sorry my eyes look so red, I took these pics late and I was pretty tired lol.

Thanks for reading!
Love,
Lainamarie91

Sunday, February 17, 2013

Ideas for upcoming videos...

Man, I have so many ideas for videos and blog posts that I want to do but school is really killing me right now and I feel like I never have time for anything fun! Ah! Stressful.

If you follow me on Instagram (@lainamarie91)you'll see lots of stuff that is going on in my little world, including a few pics that can give you some kind of idea what may be upcoming on this blog or YouTube.

Printed Jeans or Colored Pants Look Books.

A tutorial.
(this one is filmed, edited, and ready to go)

Favorite Pink Lipsticks.

New socks for a socks & tights lookbook.

Anyway, here are some things I've been thinking...
I got a request from a subscriber to do a socks and tights lookbook sort of video, so I plan on doing that, but I will probably need Justin's help to film and we can only film on weekends since the sun is already setting by the time he gets off work during the week and we like to film outside for OOTDs and those sorts of videos. I really want to do a favorite lipsticks video because I've been way more into them lately and I just wanna share swatches and all that good stuff.  I want to do a St. Patrick's Day makeup tutorial, but I'm still not sure what exactly I want to do.  I also really want to try and get up either a styling colored pants lookbook or a styling printed jeans lookbook since I finally bought some when Target had all that clearance stuff lol.  Also, of course, I really want to be on the bandwagon getting out Springtime inspired makeup tutorials because it's going to be here before we know it, even though I am very disappointed with the amount of snow we have had so far.  However, the weatherman keeps saying we usually get our best snows in February and March, so I guess I'll keep waiting it out.  Also, I did that video on my go-to no heat hairstyle with the french twists (Click Here to see the blog post) and people seemed to really enjoy that one, so I also want to do one on how to use the foam rod hair rollers, which is another way I like to do my hair the night before when I know I won't have much time in the morning.

I just hope all goes well. It sucks because this semester is heavy duty in school work so I feel like I don't have enough time for YouTube and my blog; but honestly, come summertime, there will REALLY be no time for anything when I start working like a crazy fool again. But that's the busy life I'm stuck with, I suppose.

Thanks for reading!
Love,
Lainamarie91


G&G Circle Lens Review

Naturally, I have very dark brown eyes, they pretty much look black.  This picture was taken with flash and you can actually see the color in my eye, but trust me, it's usually looking pretty black lol.  So I haven't had too much luck finding circle lenses that really pop on my dark eyes.


A21 Grey
Comfort: 3/5
Color: 2.5/5
Diameter: 14 mm

These lenses are so uncomfortable and I don't understand why because the other two pairs of G&Gs are fine, actually pretty awesome as far as comfort goes.  These I can honestly only wear for filming a tutorial or OOTD or whatever, I hate wearing them to class, even though some days I only spend 3 hours in class, they are uncomfortable just for those 3 hours.  The color is alright though, they do show up lighter than the other pair of grey lenses I have (Geo Fresh Grey, they show up more black than grey).  And I do like the light grey look, but it's not super noticeable for everyday.  Overall, I would not recommend these, event though I haven't really found a grey lens I do like, I'm sure there are better ones out there than these.


GBT Blue
Comfort: 5/5
Color: 4.5/5
Diameter: 14 mm

These lenses have awesome color and are super comfortable too.  The one downside, they look soooo fake lol. It can be creepy up close, but even from far away, they look pretty cool. They are a darker blue probably due to my dark eyes, they don't look natural since blue-eyed people tend to have light blue eyes that have a lot of depth to them up close.  These definitely look blue, but they don't so much look like a natural blue. I do like them though because they are the first lenses I have had that actually significantly show up in all types of lighting (well except in the dark :-p). I can wear these all day to class and they are super comfortable.  It's great that they have both comfort and color because sometimes you get stuck with one or the other and that's never good.  When I first wore them, I did notice that I could see a little bit of blue in my vision when I looked certain ways, but I don't know if I just got used to it or what, but I don't notice it anymore.


BT02 Green
Comfort: 5/5
Color: 4/5
Diameter: 14 mm

These lenses are pretty interesting.  They show up pretty well outside.  They are the first lenses that my boyfriend said he could actually tell I was wearing lenses and he could see the color, which is always good, since boys don't tend to notice much of anything when it comes to cosmetics, beauty, girly things, etc. :-p  They come off as a really dark green (again most likely because of my dark eyes) but I still like them.  And they look relatively natural, but I think that's because green and brown go better together so when you see the transition from green to brown around my pupil, it seems more natural since those colors aren't as much of a stark difference like blue and brown.

Overall, I would definitely recommend the blue and green lenses, but NOT the greys, they are just not comfortable, but honestly, I have relatively sensitive eyes, so it may be totally different for you.  I really hope that seeing these lenses on super dark eyes has helped you see if they would work out for you.

Watch the haul here...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COtoNGDLtFs


Thanks for reading!
Love,
Lainamarie91

GRWM February Ipsy Glam Bag


Watch the video here!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iurOWCfnMX0



Products Used:
EYES…
Maybelline Color Tattoo Metal – Barely Branded
Coastal Scents Sample Quad – In the Spotlight
Sunbeam
Golden Globe
Dark Goldenrod
Dark Golden Olive
NYX Bohemian Chic Palette
Maybelline Unstoppable Eyeliner – Onyx
NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil – Milk
Mica Beauty Eyeliner
Pop Beauty Mascara
Lash Card

FACE…
Pixi Flawless & Poreless Primer
Revlon Colorstay Whipped Foundation
Sheer Cover Conealer
Milani Multitasking Face Powder
NYX Bohemian Chic Palette
Physicians Formula Mineral Glow Pearls
NYX Blush Taupe
NYX Blush Spice

LIPS…
Covergirl Lip Perfection Lipstick – Hot Passion
Lenses worn:
G&G A21 Grey

Tiny Review of the products...
I think I really like the primer that came with this month's bag, Pixi Flawless & Poreless, I really do feel like it helps reduce the size of my pores.  The Coastal Scents shadows are always good, I love them.  The Pop Mascara this month was kinda like, eh, I didn't find it to be amazing at all, I was pretty unimpressed honestly.   The lash card idea is kinda silly in my opinion, it just makes putting on mascara more difficult, but it would have been helpful when I was a beginner.  The gel liner by Mica Beauty is nice, I don't find it to be quite as black as my trusty old ELF cream eyeliner in black, you need to run over this Mica product twice to get the perfect opaque blackness that ELF gives right off the bat.  However, the Mica Beauty eyeliner stay put super well, it dries to stick and stay like a marker type liner does, it doesn't budge. 

Thanks for reading!
Love,
Lainamarie91

Thursday, February 14, 2013

All Bundled Up - OOTD in the Snow


Items worn:
Coat - Body Central
Boots - Payless
Tights - Charlotte Russe
Skirt - Cotton On
Shirt - Old Navy
Scarf - Walmart
Hat & gloves - JCPenney
Belt - Body Central
Watch the video here!


Thanks for reading!
Love, 
Lainamarie91

Monday, February 11, 2013

Maybelline the Rocket (Waterproof) Mascara Review

   I feel like I'm on a review roll.  I haven't done any really meaningful blog posts since the last couple days, but I kinda like it.  When I actually have the time, I really enjoy just writing on here.

   But that isn't the point here, I've got a review for you on the NEW Maybelline the Rocket Volum' Express Mascara. (why do they always spell volume like that?)
   If you follow me on Instagram (which you should @lainamarie91), you would have seen this second picture posted on there like over a month ago, but I just never got around to filming a video review, so I just settled for this blog review. Hope you don't mind. :)
   Anyway, let's start off with the brush.  It's a plastic bristle brush that is pretty big and the bristles are super short.  The brush is just very thick and the bristles are so tiny, this makes it super hard to work on the lower lashes, in my opinion.  Plus, at the end of the brush, the bristles are like nonexistent, they are so tiny, so working on the really inner lashes closest to the tear-duct are also kind of difficult.
 
   So, let's move on to the actual mascara.  When you start applying it, the first coat looks really good, the lashes are nice and separated and lengthy, they look super natural and pretty.  However, I found that as you add coats, they start to get slightly clumpy, but still stay long and look good.  It doesn't clump like crazy, but I don't find it particularly volumizing, which is their number one claim, since it's in the name of the product.  The length is pretty nice though, in my opinion.

   It does flake after awhile, but I can't seem to come across many mascaras that don't flake after 7-8 hours. It doesn't smudge though, which is somewhat expected since I did purchase this mascara in Waterproof.

   Overall, this is an alright mascara, nothing super awesome, but not totally disappointing either.  

Thanks for reading!
Love, 
Lainamarie91

Cream Eyeshadows Comparison

   So, as promised, I have a review/comparison today on these three long-wearing cream-eyeshadow blends.  The first, from Flower Beauty is a creme eyeshadow, the second from Loreal is a cream-powder hybrid, and the third from Maybelline is a cream-gel formula.

   Overall, the three of these products performed very well.  They do have their minor differences, but they all lived up to their claims for the most part.

   When I first swatched these products, I ran them under running water and the result was pretty interesting.  The Flower Beauty creme eyeshadow and the Maybelline Color Tattoo eyeshadow were both waterproof, the water droplets beaded up on top of those shadows; however, the water on the Loreal Infallible shadow did not bead up, it reacted just the same as the water did on my regular skin.  Next, I tried to wash off these products with soap and water.  The Flower Beauty and Loreal products cleaned up very nicely, but the Maybelline one stuck there.  Even with two hand washes, later that night when I was taking a shower, I could still subtly see water bead up on that spot, even when the color had faded.

 Flower Beauty Color Play Creme Eyeshadow - Lilac You A Lot - $7.98

  • "Long-wearing formula
  • Water-infused, weightless finish
  • Lid-smoothing texture
  • Buildable, blendable coverage
  • Moves beautifully during application then sets without creasing"
  • according to flowerbeauty.com

The photos above were taken with a powder eyeshadow on top, using the Flower Beauty creme eyeshadow as a base.  I also tested this out without the powder eyeshadow and the results were the same.  I have a video review of this singular product here... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6KVlr8zLWA  if you are interested.  It shows footage of the creme eyeshadow on its own with check-ups throughout an entire day.   The rest of the pictures are without any shadow on top, just the cream eyeshadow.

So, let's begin with the Flower Beauty product... I already have a more detailed review of this product here on my blog at http://lainamarie91.blogspot.com/2013/02/drugstore-haul-reviews.html, but here are the high points.
- No creasing with/without shadow on top
- Looked the same after 9+ hours as it did first thing in the morning
- Super lightweight, feels like mousse, you can feel the moisture content (I can't really describe it more than that, but it feels cool to the touch and like no other makeup product I've had before, it's interesting and pretty neat)
- So easy to apply, but also sets like a dream (i don't even know how that happens lol)
- Works well as a base too, makes shadows show up beautifully & helps them blend more evenly & easily


Loreal Infallible Eyeshadow - Endless Sea - $6.97
  • "Intense, maximized color
  • Luxurious powder-cream texture
  • 24-hour long-lasting hold
  • Waterproof, crease resistant, fade resistant" 
  • according to lorealparisusa.com

As for the Loreal Infallible shadow, we all know I had to love it just because of its gorgeous teal/turquoise/blue color, they are my definite all time favorite eyeshadow colors.  It's just so gorgeous. 
- wonderful color pay off, even more amazing when applied wet, also tends to apply more easily when applied wet (with a damp eyeshadow brush)
- a little hard to blend when it isn't on a base, but applies wonderfully on top of bases such as NYX White Eye Shadow Base or even the Flower Beauty creme shadow or Maybelline Color Tattoo also mentioned here
- 24 hours? I don't think so.  I fell asleep with this on (which is horrible, don't do it, sleeping with makeup on is not good for your skin and especially your eyes!) and when I woke up it was totally gone, there was not a trace of it left except at the very base of my eye lashes.  And I know for a fact I have plenty of other makeup products that will stay put overnight. 
- Color slightly faded throughout the day (you can see in the picture, it's not really a big deal, but I'm just mentioning it here)
- No creasing on me

Maybelline Color Tattoo - Barely Branded - $5.94

"Cream formula glides on without creasing and keeps color vibrant.
Cream gel smooths on for vibrant color that does not fade." 
according to maybelline.com

The Maybelline one is pretty awesome, especially since it's the cheapest of the bunch, but also, I think it's formula is superior to the others.
- 24 hours? I say yes.  I didn't fall asleep with this stuff on, but judging by how waterproof it is and how much scrubbing it takes to get it off, I bet it would stay on for a LONG time
- Color stays good all day (at least for this one, a nude/champagne kind of color, hope it's the same with the super bright ones)  
- No creasing (the picture may slightly look like it, but I promise it was good all day)

IN CONCLUSION

   Overall, these products are similar in some ways, but also different in others.  The Loreal shadow is a shadow, essentially, it's not to be used as a base for other shadows, like the other two can be used.  The Maybelline especially is an excellent eyeshadow base, and the Flower Beauty one is good, but also works just as well as an eyeshadow too.

   As for the price point, I realize they are only $1-$2 apart, and to some, that is not a big deal, but in my opinion, since the Maybelline seems to be the superior product, yet it is the cheapest of the three, it just makes me wonder why the other two cost more.  

   Since the Loreal product is pretty much just an eyeshadow, I feel like it isn't fair to be comparing it directly with the Flower Beauty and Maybelline products.  So, when it comes down to it, I believe the Maybelline product is superior because of it's waterproof capabilities, staying power, color pay off, and also for its price.  However, I don't want to say that the Flower Beauty product isn't great.  It has a wonderful texture and it's a really cool product in my opinion; whether it's really worth the $2 extra over the Maybelline, I still haven't decided.  

   They are all exceptional products in my opinion, but I guess it just comes down to what exactly it is that you want from the product.
   I hope this was somewhat helpful for you all.  If the text wasn't that great for you, I at least hope the pictures helped a bit. 

Video review will be up some time this week hopefully! 

Thanks for reading!
Love,
Lainamarie91

Valentine's Day Lookbook


Outfit 1 Casual Night Out
-          Heels – Payless
-          Flats - Payless
-          Skinny Jeans – Charlotte Russe
-          Shirt – Cotton On
-          Heart Necklace – Claires
-          Stud Earrings – Walmart


Outfit 2 Girly & Sophisticated
-          Heels – Payless
-          Pants – Charlotte Russe
-          Black Shirt – Body Central
-          Blazer – Forever 21
-          Scarf – Walmart
-          Bangles – Charming Charlie & Body Central
-          Bow Earrings – Body Central


Outfit 3 Edgy Animal Print
-          Leopard Flats – Payless
-          Tights – Payless
-          Skirt – Cotton On
-          Leopard Shirt – Body Central
-          Black Strapless Top – Body Central
-          Necklace – Claires
-          Black Bangle – Body Central
-          Macramé Bracelet – made by me
-          Stud earrings – Walmart


Outfit 4 Simply Cute
-          Black Bow Flats – Payless
-          Tights – Target
-          Skirt – Banana Rebuplic
-          V-neck shirt – Walmart
-          Cami – Gordmans
-          Heart necklace – Claires
-          Hat – made by my mom
-          Rose Earrings – ebay



Outfit 5 Cute & Girly
-          Booties – Charlotte Russe
-          Printed Jeans – Target
-          Shirt – Aerie
-          Blazer – Body Central
-          Scarf – Body Central
-          Earrings – Body Central
-          Pearl Bracelets – Body Central
-          Fake Diamond Bracelet - JCPenney 


Lenses...

http://www.pinkyparadise.com/?Click=25260

Geo Fresh Grey



Thanks for reading!
Love,
Lainamarie91