February brand lovin' | OFRA Cosmetics

Yeah, I know, I'm the worst. I waited till the very last day of February to do my brand lovin' post. But, I really had a hard time figuring out which brand to talk about this month! I did a poll on the blog and on Instagram asking which of 3 you guys would like to see, and it was an even tie between the three -_- So, I went with the first vote (first come first serve), which was OFRA Cosmetics. This is a brand I really love for their products, their formulas, and their background.

To hear about the history behind OFRA Cosmetics, check out the corresponding video below or the about section of the OFRA website linked here. One of many reasons I love OFRA is because their products are hypoallergenic. They also use great ingredients like Vitamin C, algae extract, etc.

I first discovered OFRA through KathleenLights, one of my favorite youtube gals to watch. She did a collaboration with OFRA, creating two colors of her choice to add to their liquid lipstick line. I first purchased the two colors she collaborated on, and after falling in love with the formula, I ended up with more colors and a few other products that I'll share with you guys. After purchasing the liquid lipsticks, I had to try more from their collection of products, and I think that a lot of their products are very underrated.

If you order from OFRA's website, you'll get your products quickly, and they'll be packaged with care and thought. They always pack in the bubble wrap outside of the products, and between the product and lid as well if there is space to do so. I think it's awesome that they put in the care to keep the products safe for travel to their new home.

The first thing I ever loved from them, and probably the most loved, are their liquid lipsticks. The formula of these liquid lipsticks is by far, my favorite liquid lipstick formula ever! These are less of a liquid and more of a cream. They are fully opaque, extremely creamy, and not drying whatsoever. They are incredibly comfortable on the lips, unlike lots of liquid lipsticks. They don't accentuate fine lines or dry patches if you are someone with dry lips, and they don't cause dry lips after days of wear either. 

DupeThat is an awesome Instagram account that dupes everything out there. OFRA did a collaboration with DupeThat to create two highlight shades, both of which are stunning. You Dew You (top) is a peachy gold and You Glow Girl is an icy lavender. These are incredibly pigmented and soft to the touch, they are blendable, and they don't accentuate pores too much like many highlighters do. You Dew You looks stunning on tan and deep skin tones, I will be rocking this all summer long! You Glow Girl makes you look like you came from the movie Frozen, it's a gorgeous icy color. The only downside I want to mention from these products is the packaging. The top is completely plastic and not very sturdy (the lid on mine broke immediately with a light drop).

I am only going to briefly mention this blush/bronzer in Millennium Gold, since it was in my beauty favorites post from yesterday. It is a gorgeous, lightly shimmering bronzer that makes my skin look like I have a beautiful summer glow. It blends like a freaking dream.

Another one that I have mentioned before (underrated and overrated products post), is the Signature Eyes palette in Radiant Eyes. This is such a gorgeous palette. The shadows are all shimmers, they all blend like a dream and glide on like butter. My favorite way to use this palette is to use the darker taupe shade (middle) in my crease and outer v, the rosey copper shade (far right) all over my lid, and the creamy tan shade (2nd in from the left) on the inner part of my eye to brighten everything up. I also sweep the taupe shade along my lower lashline. The palette is so easy to work with, and you can create multiple effortless looks using it. The shadows are so creamy and pigmented (which you can easily see in the video).

That's it for this month's brand lovin'! If you're going to purchase from OFRA, make sure to check the really popular youtube accounts (MannyMUA, Kathleenlights, Allana Davison, JamiePaigeBeauty) for discount codes, they almost always have 30% or more off OFRA's entire website, so their products are a total steal! Make sure to comment down below and let me know what you love from OFRA, and what brand you'd like to see featured in next month's brand lovin' post.

February 2016 beauty favorites

Guess what? More favorites today! Today we're talking beauty favorites - haircare, skincare, bodycare, and makeup that I've been loving all through February. I'm not going to ramble in this intro (out of character for me I know) because I have a lot to talk about today (imagine that)!

Head over to my youtube video below if you want to see swatches and formulas of all my favorites from this February.

We'll get the haircare, skincare, and bodycare out of the way first, since that is all the quick stuff, and - let's be honest - makeup is my favorite to talk about.

Last month, I received a box from Influenster with some free products for me to try and review, I'll link the unboxing here if you haven't seen it. In the box was Suave Professional Damage Repair Coconut Oil Infusion shampoo & conditioner. I tried the conditioner as soon as I received it so that I could talk about it in my review. I honestly wasn't expecting anything from this, but I couldn't believe the difference in my hair after using it. As soon as I hopped out of the shower, my hair was easy to brush through. The next morning, my hair was insanely soft and shiny. Needless to say, I've been using this conditioner ever since and my hair has been really happy with it!

During January, Jason's mom and I went shopping over at Northgate and I stopped into the Body Shop to grab some body butter for my ultra dry skin that has been really suffering this winter. I haven't been into the Body Shop in years and years, but I went back to the trusty clementine scent that I used to go for. Turns out, at the checkout, it was BOGO free, so I grabbed the cocoa butter one as well. And holy crud. This stuff smells incredible, and even the consistency is better, it is truly like the consistency of butter. It makes my legs ultra soft and I love the smell. This will definitely be my go-to from now on, and I don't think I'll ever be able to live without it!

One of the masks I hauled at LUSH last month was Catastrophe Cosmetica. It is a fresh refrigerated mask, so it doesn't last super long, but this was by far my favorite of the masks that I tried. It is made with blueberries, chamomile, and calamine. I swear that my skin was completely calmed and less irritated after having using this the night before. And, there's something about putting a cold mask on your face that is so soothing.

As you guys know, I'm moving in less than two weeks and I've been unreasonably stressed, which has made my skin go crazy. I've been trying to keep it light on the makeup to let my skin breathe a bit (and here's the truth - I've been really lazy in that department lately). I've fallen in love with the Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer. It is reasonably priced, very moisturizing, has decent coverage, and looks very natural. 

This girl right here has been craving sun hardcore. And, I can sort of mimic a tan with a little touch of bronzer. This bronzer has been my absolute favorite this month because it's a one-step wonder. This is the OFRA Blush/Bronzer in 'Millennium Gold'. It is bronzer marbled with cream and cranberry pink shades. It has a tad bit of subtle shimmer, so it gives my face a gorgeous bronzey glow. I skip contouring all together when I used this and fluff it all over my cheekbones, temples, and hairline. And, this stuff blends like a dream!

My holy grail lip gloss is the Buxom Full-On Lip Cream. These are pretty opaque, have the perfect amount of shine, aren't too tacky, and they leave your lips looking juicy and healthy. They have a hint of minty or menthol feel to them, but I have sensitive lips myself and I enjoy the feel. The color I've been obsessed with through February is 'Rose Julep'. It's a gorgeous bright pink that is perfect for everyday wear, it makes me look awake, bright, and healthy.

Ambient Strobe Powder 'Incandescent' (left)
Ambient Lighting Blush 'Diffused Heat' (right)

You guys already know I love Hourglass, so I'm sure it isn't a surprise that I have some products from them to discuss. They have my all-time favorite blush formula! First thing is the Ambient Lighting Blush in 'Diffused Heat'. I've been grabbing for this blush shade all month long. It is described as a vibrant poppy by Hourglass, which is spot-on. It gives my cheeks the most beautiful, healthy looking flush with a bit of shimmer.

I've also been obsessed with the Ambient Strobe Powder. I have the shade Incandescent, which leans towards a peach/pink toned highlight. A lot of people have been disappointed in this launch, but I think the formula and the product all together is gorgeous. I love that these have more of a sheen than the ambient powders, but still look natural and pretty on the skin. I hope they come out with more shades!

I've been loving two items from YSL this month. The first are the Touche Eclat Neutralizers. I have shades bisque and violet. I place bisque on the dark circles under my eyes prior to concealer, and I place violet in my highlight areas (triangle under my eyes, center of my nose, my cupid's bow). The consistency of these is incredible because the formula blends beautifully and it is a sheer formula, so it doesn't peek through once covered with foundation or concealer. 

The other item from YSL that I've been loving this month is a new holy grail for me! This is seriously the mascara that I've been searching for my entire life. One coat and your lashes look natural, long, and fluttery, but you can build and build for a false lash look if you like. Hands-down the best mascara I've ever owned. However, I would like to mention that the smell is quite strong for those of you with sensitivity to the scent of products. It doesn't bother me, but it smells...almost chemically...when you first open it and apply. The smell fades immediately after application, but I thought it was worth mentioning for some people out there.

I'm sure this will come to no surprise to many beauty gurus out there, since almost everyone will have something from the Urban Decay x Gwen Stefani collection in their February favorites. There is definitely more than one thing from this line that I've been gushing over all month long. The first thing is the gorgeous blush palette. Since I am so fair, this works well as a contour/blush/highlight palette on my skin tone. I love to take this when I travel because it gives me multiple options, and the packaging is very sturdy.

The eyeshadow palette has probably been my favorite thing out of the collection. This is the perfect palette for the neutral lover like myself, but it has three pops of color for when you need them. The shadows have amazing texture and blend-ability and the packaging is gorgeous. The mirror says "Magic's in the makeup" in the right corner, so cute!

Two of their 24/7 Glide-On Lip Liners have stood out to me. The colors are 'Firebird' (fuchsia), and 'Ex-Girlfriend' (dusty rose nude). The formula of these is so creamy and comfortable to wear, on their own or topped with a gloss/lipstick. 

The matching lipstick 'Ex-Girlfriend' has been a go-to for my lazy days. It is a sheer formula nude, that just adds a really healthy shine to my lips! I love the formula because it is extremely comfortable.

Alrighty guys, hopefully that wasn't too much to stomach, but February had a lot of stand-out products for me that I really wanted to share with you guys. What were your favorites from the month of February?

February 2016 non-beauty favorites

IT'S DA WEEKEND! It's also my parent's anniversary today, so shoutout to mom and dad for always showing me love, what true love looks like, and what it's meant to be throughout my entire life. Okay, cheeseball moment has passed. Let's move on.

Guess what! It's time for the absolute best part of each month - the favorites. So, we're easing in with non-beauty favorites so that we can mentally prepare for the beauty favorites, because it's overwhelming sometimes (plus, I have a lot this month).

I decided that along with a few different themes that I'm starting this year on the blog, one of those would be a new style to the favorites. I decided to start categories (favorite movie, favorite tv show, book of the month, favorite song, etc.). These are things that fluctuate for me every month, and that way there is some cohesiveness and some expectation each month, and a common topic. I really like the new setup, but let me know down in the comments section what you think!

My favorite movie of the month was hands-down Deadpool! This was what I was most excited to mention in the favorites this month. Jason and I went and saw this in IMAX on V-day and it was AMAZEBALLS. It was that kind of leave-the-theater-in-tears funny, with a ton of action. I will definitely be seeing this again! It's totally worth seeing in the theaters - and, if you haven't already, make sure you stay till after the credits, because there are two post-credit scenes that Jason and I missed out on because we didn't stay. Sad face.

Jason and I have been super into the old X-files lately. It's tacky, it's awesome. It's so entertaining and we've been flying through the seasons! I can't wait to finish it so that we can watch the new one. P.S. all the old seasons are on Netflix, so if you're a binge watcher like I am, hop on that train and set aside a few days on the couch and indulge.

Since I work a lot, I don't really get the chance to enjoy fun clothes like I'd like to (meaning my massive heel collection goes neglected). But, I do have a few pieces here and there every month that I gravitate towards (and when I love something, I wear it to death till it pills and tears, it's kind of a problem). This month, I've honestly been really lazy. I've been stressed about moving, signing up for classes, etc., so I've been all about that comfy life. 

My first love has been the Steve Madden Ecentrcq sneakers, these are my go-to when I leave the house whether I pair them with sweatpants or jeans. They are comfy, cute, casual, and they go with absolutely everything. The second thing I've been loving is this grey Madewell turtleneck. This was in my winter essentials post from last month. It's incredibly soft, boxy, and comfortable, and has a cool waffle stitch, with a longer end on the back that covers up da booty. I really don't like tight clothing, so this sweater is my jam! My last love has been these super affordable fleecey lovely goodness sweatpants from H&M. Mine are burgundy, but they come in a ton of different colors, they are so soft and cozy, and I've been wearing mine every single day, no joke. If you are looking into buying these, keep in mind that they do run quite large!

This was not a hard choice for me. Empire of the Sun 'Walking on a dream' has been my jam this month, all month long. This one is on the work playlist at my job and I swear every time it comes on I have to hold myself back from singing and dancing, and my pace increases. It's such a catchy awesome song. If you get a chance, watch their video. Empire of the Sun is so weird, but weird in a good way, awesome weird.

I've been drinking hot black tea with honey and milk all month long, several cups a day. I have always been a drinker of black coffee and straight black tea, then one day I decided to step out of my comfort zone bigtime, and I put in a splash of milk and a tablespoon of honey (okay more like three tablespoons, you caught me). It's so sweet and delicious, the perfect before bed treat, it puts me right to sleep with the warmth of tea in mah belly.

My love for Stacy's Simply Naked Pita Chips has been rediscovered. If you haven't tried these, don't start, because you'll be hooked. Growing up, my mom used to munch on these as her chip of choice because they aren't wildly unhealthy, and they're delicious alone or with hummus (did you read that as "delicious alone or with humans"? Because I did twice when editing this post). I've been going through these way too fast this month!

The book I'm reading this month is 'Everything I've Never Told You' by Celeste Ng. Jason's family got this for me for Christmas because I was dying to read it and I finally got around to picking it up and I've really been enjoying it. The family's daughter goes missing, and it basically reveals all these things that the family never knew about each other, and how messed up they really are.

Jason came home one day this month and said, "hey, I've noticed that you've been listening to music a lot more recently around the house, so I got you this cool speaker" and he handed me this super nice JBL Flip 3 water resistant speaker. This was such a thoughtful gift, and just for no reason! I've been jammin out to Empire of the Sun in the shower, while I do dishes, laundry, etc. It's a super nice speaker, it turns up super loud, connects to bluetooth, and it's my favorite color, red! Jason's a keeper.

That's it (like I didn't just keep you reading for a ton of your day because I had so much to talk about) for the non-beauty favorites this month! Remember to mentally prepare yourself for the beauty favorites in the next couple days ;) I hope you enjoyed this post, and make sure to let me know down below what your non-beauty favorites are from the month of February!

Interview confidence

First thing's first, go over to the right side of my page and take a poll that is going till 5pm on the 27th! I am doing another brand lovin' post for this month, and I'm trying to decide which brand to do, so I was wondering which of them YOU want to see.

So, today's post is going to be all about prepping for interviews. How to feel confident, how to look confident, and a look I put together. Of course, preparation for an interview is all up to you. But, a huge part of walking into an interview - whether it be for school, a job, etc. - is looking confident, and there are lots of steps to get you there.

First off, you want to be comfortable in what you're in! This means, you want to feel comfortable literally, as in, you don't want to have to be pulling up your pants or dealing with blisters from your shoes. But, you also want to be comfortable, as in, feeling good in the skin your in, and feeling good in what you're wearing!

Next, you want to show that you care. This means putting effort into your outfit, your hair, and your makeup. This doesn't mean you have to smack on a bunch of makeup and look glamorous, it means that you want to look like you care and put the effort in. These people want to know that this is something you truly want and care about, and that you'll go to whatever lengths to show them this. Part of being professional is looking clean cut and presentable. Trimmed nails, shaved legs if you're showing those off, cover up your dark under-eyes to make you look awake and interested.

Last, you want to BE CONFIDENT! Confidence is key, it will show on your face, in how you speak, and in your answers. And you'd be surprised how much feeling good in what you walk in with can increase your confidence.

Clothes

I find that my go-to for interviews is black slacks. They are slimming, extremely professional for any interview, easy to style, and comfortable. They are also a no-brainer, so I can slip them on with a pair of heels and a colorful top, and that's it! That way, there is no stressing about what to wear. Black pencil skirts or fitted pencil dresses are another great choice.

I tend to gravitate towards white button-up tops or chiffon blouses, but a pop of color shows is always a great idea too! However, it is said that different colors convey different traits, so you should pick wisely when choosing a look for an interview. Black supposedly displays leadership. And, red displays power, which is why I chose it for this look. Red is also said to be a universally attractive color. Linked above is the guide to what colors to wear to an interview. If you are wearing a sleeveless blouse like I am below, make sure that bra straps are hidden, or cover up with a simple black blazer (a must-have).

For shoes, I always choose a pair of simple mid-height pointed toe black heels. They go with everything, they look professional, and they are comfortable. My go-to are suede pointed toe heels, because I think they are classy and sleek.

Always have a sleek accessory, it makes everything look more put-together. I personally gravitate towards a watch because I think it shows that I watch the time and care about the time, which is obviously extremely important to employers. I add a couple gold and crystal bracelets on either side of my watch for an extra touch of blangyblang.

P.S. I think H&M is a great place to shop business clothes because they have a great selection and their prices are really reasonable! If you're looking for an investment in higher-end business clothes, Express is great place to look.

Watch: Daniel Wellington

Bracelets: Nordstrom // Alternative

Slacks: H&M // Alternative

Top: Madewell

Pumps: H&M

Hair

This might seem totally trivial in the scheme of things. Think about the fact that these people have never met you, they've probably never seen your face, unless they checked you out on social media. So, they want to see your face, they want to observe your facial expressions, and they will notice your nervous habits. To avoid twirling hair, brushing hairs out of your face, or using nervous habits to calm yourself, pull your hair back! And, this will allow them to really see your face.

Pull your hair back with a brush to create a tight pony. Pull your hair into a simple ponytail or into a tight twirled bun. These looks are easy and professional.

Makeup

Don't think that you have to cake on layers and layers. They want to see what YOU look like, so all you want to do is accentuate your natural features. You also want to look awake, bright, and interested, and there are lots of tricks that can do this using makeup.

First, apply your foundation just to even skin tone. Put on something light and natural looking. Conceal your under eyes to keep you from looking tired. Put on a transcluent setting powder to lock everything in (if you're like me, you'll sweat right through it just while you're sitting in the waiting room). Put a yellow powder on to set your under eyes, this will brighten the area. Pop on a natural blush, something that gives you a really healthy glow. For eyes, pop a light champagne shade on the center of your lids, this will really brighten your eyes. Line your lower waterline with a white or nude eye pencil, this makes your eyes look bigger and brighter. Apply a light coat of mascara on your top and bottom lashes. Use a natural looking mascara, something lengthening and separating, or brown. Put on a natural lip color or gloss, a "my lips but better" shade that works for your skin tone. Nothing too bold or that will be noticeable if it transfers to your teeth while you're talking (now, that's embarrassing).

The biggest part of doing well on an interview is feeling good, and preparing. Preparing is all up to you. I hope that this post was helpful or encouraging for you! Make sure to comment down below with the ways you prepare and help yourself feel confident for an interview!

Cute and casual outfit + Margot Robbie inspired makeup

I hope you guys are having a loverly day today. Today I've spent the entire day filming and doing blog prep. I woke up this morning not feeling any creative juices flowing, so I did some pinteresting and had 3 cups of coffee, and boy oh boy did it help. I came across a photo of Margot Robbie that really inspired me to do a super simple makeup tutorial that would be great for an everyday look, and do a casual day outfit along with it.

Disclaimer - Margot Robbie is one of my biggest lady crushes, so if you see her name a lot dropped in this post, that's why. Also, she's basically a flawless and wonderful human being, so remember that this an INSPIRED makeup tutorial, because only in my wildest dreams would I ever look anything like her.

The look

For the outfit today, I wanted to do something really wearable and casual, something you could wear to lunch out with the girls or to go shopping downtown. I wanted something that was cute and would make someone feel confident, but that would be mindless and easy to put together in the morning!

First, I put on a no-brainer, distressed skinny jeans! This gives such a cool and easy vibe from the get-go, and one of the keys to projecting confidence is comfort. Next, I slipped on a black crepe blouse. These are so effortless because they dress up an outfit, but not too much, and they go with everything! I put on olive green / khaki colored thick-heel ankle boots. These are an awesome accessory to have in your closet because they make it look like you put in a ton of effort, and they make any outfit super cute, but they're easy to just slip on and wear all day long. I love mine because they add a pop of color, so I don't even have to think about the rest of my outfit.

P.S. To see these photos better, click on them to enlarge, and you can scroll through the feed from there.

Top: H&M

Jeans: GAP

Shoes: Sole Society

The accessories

For an extra touch, I put on a long adjustable necklace with some reddish pink marbling. I also added a black and white clutch (a total must-have because it goes with every look you can think of). Lastly, I put on my favorite accessory of all-time, my Daniel Wellington watch. This pulls together any look to make it look classy, and it just makes me feel confident and put together whenever I put it on.

Necklace: Madewell // Alternative

Clutch: Madewell // Alternative

Watch: Daniel Wellington

The hair

For me, I am most comfortable when my hair is up and out of my face, but I much prefer the look of it being down. The compromise? Half-up, half-down! I pulled the top half of my hair up, and looped it halfway, like I was going to pull it into a ponytail and then stopped. This is such an easy look for when you are on the go, or if you have second or third day hair as well!

The makeup - CUE MARGOT ROBBIE!

As soon as I saw this photo I knew I wanted to - look exactly like her - I mean...make my makeup look like her...awkward. So...ehem...

I used an illuminating primer and a luminous foundation to get that natural just-like-skin look that she has in this photo. I concealed redness and dark undereye circles with correctors and concealer. I set all my liquids using a translucent powder. I skipped contouring since she just looks bronzed and natural, and I bronzed my cheeks, temples, and hairline. I applied a true baby pink blush to the apples of my cheeks for a really natural looking, healthy flush. I lightly filled in my brows and set them with brow gel. I applied a pink-toned highlighter as a blush overlay and on the high points of my face. For eyes, I used a champagne shade all over my lid, and a very light warm brown in my crease. I used two deep bronze shades on my lower lashline to create the effect she has in the photo. Next, I put an extremely light coat of mascara on my upper lashes, and a couple coats on my lower lashes. Lastly, I applied a natural 'my lips but better' pink lipstick, then a gloss on the center of my lips. 

Voila! Nothing as gorgeous as Margot, but the makeup look is such a great everyday look. The look is very luminous, natural, and simple! If you guys would like to see a really quick tutorial, I have a sped up one on youtube with a voiceover, that is under 5 minutes. The video also includes all the products that I used for this look.

Hopefully you enjoyed this post! I've never done something like this before, and trying to recreate a look I love was really fun for me! I love using pinterest or celebrity makeup to find inspiration. Who is one of your favorite celebrities?