July Favorites!!!

I decided to do a favorites post today instead of a review...well it's still a review since these are items that I was loving for the month of July. Holy cow! I cannot believe we are already going into August...where has this year gone? School is starting soon and stores will be packed with teachers and students going back to school shopping. I know I will be one of them since I am a NEW TEACHER!!!! Yes, you read correctly! I have been offered a position in a wonderful district and I couldn't be happier!!!! :)) I'm ready to take you on a journey as a Special Education Collaborative Teacher. I may make a separate blog that will be designated for that journey, but we shall see...

Okay now let us get into my favorites!!! I have been dying to write a blog about my monthly favorites...seriously you have no clue.

This month I have been obsessed with the following: 

1. Bath & Body Works Shea & Vitamin E Body Lotion in "Oahu: Coconut Sunset"---OMG guys!!! This stuff seriously smells SOOOO GOOD!!! This scent will stay with me all day. This month I hardly put on perfume because this lotion just does the job. I know BBW has other scents for their Hawaii collection ( I actually have another one...but I have yet to use it). I know I will definitely be stocking up on this baby. 

2. LORAC Alter Ego Lipstick "CEO"--I have been loving this lipstick as an everyday wear. I can do minimal makeup put this bad boy on and I'm out the door. Seriously when I wear this I feel like my inner "alter ego" comes out. It's like I'm bad and I know it (not really...I'm hardly a rule breaker). 

3. Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-hour Blush "Captivating"---I literally have not stop wearing this blush everyday. Sometimes I look at my Nars blush in "Orgasm" and I'm like "sorry not today". This blush is the perfect peachy-pink tone for my skin and a little goes a long way. 

4. NYX Eyebrow Cake Powder "Taupe/ Ash"---So, I am not sure how long this product has been out because I recently discovered it....OMG! I love my Anastasia Eyebrow Wiz, but this powder seriously takes the "cake" (just like it's name). I am OBSESSED!!! The colors are just right for me (I have to admit my husband helped me decided).  It's so easy and effortless to use. I'm not sure if I will every go back to spending $20+ after using this baby. 

5. Anastasia Contour Kit "Banana & Vanilla"---I have been using this religiously to set my under eye concealer and T-zone. I literally stay matte all day! (I wrote a post reviewing this product.)

6. Sigma E25 Blending Brush---This brush is travel size and has made my life so much easier when it comes to blending my eyeshadow. It's small enough to just throw in my travel makeup bag. Seriously, if there is one brush you have to have in your life this would be the one. 

7. NYX Eye and Eyebrow Pencil "Dark Brown"--- I have been using this pencil all month long. I like to line my lower lash line and then take a pencil brush to smoke it out. 

8. Maybelline Pumped Up Colossal Mascara---WHERE HAS THIS BEEN ALL MY LIFE?!?! I love this mascara...it's seriously the bomb.co. It lengths and volumizes my lashes. It took me awhile to fall in love with this mascara, but I am so glad we became best friends. 

9. Alex & Ani "Shell Bangle"---(I forgot to include this in the picture...oops!) I'm obsessed with Alex & Ani bracelets. I want every bracelet on the website, but I just don't have that kind of money. I bought the shell bangle/bracelet because I just thought it would be cute to wear for the summer. I have it in the gold finish...in case you are wondering. :)

10. "Bailando" Enrique Iglesias--This has been my go to song! I feel exotic when I listen to this song...is that weird? Seriously, listen to it and you will not be sorry. The beat just gets you going, plus it makes a good workout song. :)

XoXo

AHumbleLiving

Review: Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer

Hello darlings,

As promised today is "Review Wednesday"and today's review is going to be...yup you guessed it...on the Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer. This product also goes by the name of Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer, but it is your preference. I purchased this little guy (and I do mean little) over 3 weeks ago. I heard a lot about this primer being raved about on Youtube and thought..eh why not try it out?!

This product is meant to conceal redness, minimize pores, and soften fine line and wrinkles.  It is also suppose to create a "perfect" canvas for flawless makeup application. This primer does contain SPF 15.  It is oil free, paraben free, fragrance free, nano particle free, gluten free, synthetic dye free, sulfate free, phthalate free and most of all it is vegan. Wow, that is a mouth full!

I ordered the smaller size bottle which is .33 FL OZ just to try it out. I am combination oily and dry. I tend to be oily on my "T" zone. I don't usually use primers. To be honest I didn't think they were necessary. I have tried a few and honestly I don't like the feeling of them on my face.

Well that all changed when I purchased this little bad boy. Now, I am not going to say that this is a "miracle in a bottle", but it was worth my $18. So, yes it is on the the more pricier side. Especially if you want to purchase the full size bottle. The formula in this primer is amazing! I just love the texture and feel of it on my face. Literally when I pump a tiny amount onto my hands and press into my face it almost feels like it turns into a powder finish. It's weird and interesting all at once. The only thing is that I wouldn't know if it minimize pores or soften fine lines just because I don't have those issues with my skin, but it does help with my makeup application.  I don't use this primer on a daily bases just because 1. I don't want to use the product up quickly and 2. I am usually in a hurry M-F. So the weekends is when I get to play with this little guy. I do recommend that if you are an oily girl then this product will be your go to. If you need something for a special event, once again this will be your saving grace.

Just a reminder, what works for my skin may not work for your skin. We all have different skin types so, please keep that in mind. Im highly sensitive when it comes to products. So, I have to be careful when trying out new items.

I think that is all for now, so until next time my dears...

XOXO
AHumbleLiving

Update...

Hello gorgeous!

So, I know I have been MIA for quite some time....I completely apologize for that. A lot has been going on since May 28th. From weddings, to family, to personal issues....basically life happened, but don't worry I am back and I have A LOT of ideas to write about (yay). I am trying to figure out a schedule for the week. This way ya'll will know when I will be posting. I do know for a fact I will keep Wednesdays as my "Review Day".  I also plan (in the next couple of months) to revamp my blog, but I will let ya'll know when that will happen.

Seriously girls, there is so much to talk about! Let me start by saying, I know in my last post I mentioned about going to San Diego...sadly that did not happen. It's okay...I got a refund for my tickets and I plan to use them in the near future (maybe a mini-vacay). It just wasn't a good time to take a trip with work and life coming at you all at once. However, I will be taking a mini-vacay to the beach with family and friends soon (this is desperately needed).

I am in the works gathering classroom items because August is quickly approaching. If you read my very first post I mentioned that I am a certified teacher looking for a position...well I am still actively looking. I really hope my time is coming soon though! I just love inspiring little minds and helping them grow by feeding them knowledge. I have such a huge passion for teaching and working with children. :)

I did try creating a Youtube channel because I thought it would be much better for me to just talk rather than having ya'll read a book every night. Unfortunately, that did not go as planned. I uploaded a quick video as a "test" and asked some friends to critique. I took what they had to say and did  another video...well (I am going to take this as a sign) I spent ALL DAY Sunday editing...all I had left to do was a voice over. I left it alone, went to dinner and came back to find that iMovie did not want to open (it still doesn't want to work). Needles to say, it was not meant to be at the moment. For now I am going to stick to my blog until the time is right. Plus I enjoy writing! :)

A few quick things (before I go), please do let me know if ya'll have any recommendations for any type of beauty product(s) or if ya'll want me to review on something specific. I am more then willing to try out new things and give ya'll my honest feedback. I may try to post little videos on here I haven't fully decided just yet. Girl, trust me there is a lot of new stuff coming and I can't wait!!!!

*OH! I am working on the social media aspect (I wish ya'll could see my arms as I am talking). I haven't decided if I want to use my personal accounts or create new accounts. Once I decide I will let ya'll know. :)

Until we meet again....

XoXo
AHumbleLiving

Review: Milani Lipsticks & A Little Ramble

Hello there darlings!!!

I just wanted to do a quick ramble before I do a little review (who am I kidding it's never little). So, I meant to get a post up last Friday, but things got a little crazy. Literally I got off from work, eat, loaded up the car, changed and went straight to church for my husband's little cousin's confirmation mass (I'm not sure if I made any sense...). After that we left for the coast at like 11 and didn't arrive to our final destination until a little after 1 AM...to say the least I was pretty tired the next day. After all I didn't go to bed till like 3 AM and I had been up since 5:45 AM (Friday)... :/ ***I seriously wished google had emoji icons because these makeshift faces do me no justice...***Anyways...we stayed down at the coast until Sunday night then drove back into town at 11 AM and arrived home a little after 1PM. So, my vacation was shortly lived...but that's okay because I will be soon on a plan on my way too.....SAN DIEGO!!!! AHHHHHH!!! Seriously I am so excited...I have never been to California and I have NEVER flown...so this is going to be interesting (I might blog about my experience..we shall see).

Okay enough of my ramble let's get right to it!!!

***REVIEW***

To be honest there are so many products I want to review (from high-end to drugstore) and sometimes I spend my whole day trying to decide. So, today I thought I would review Milani's lipsticks. I promise I will not make this very long...I'll try at least.
Milani Cosmetics can be found at your local grocery/ drug store. I bought my products at HEB which is our local grocery store here. The 2 lippies I picked up were in the colors (01) Sweet Nectar & (26) Nude Creme. I am obsessed with nudes/ nude pinks like nobody's business, but from time to time I like to venture ou
t and try other colors. Let me give you a break down:

Texture--creamy
Color pay off-- (look below) it's pigmented

Top: Sweet Nectar
Bottom: Nude Creme

Longevity--2-3 hours tops (unless you are going to dinner then I would say an hour tops).
Smell--Literally it smells like watermelon!!!
Taste--Fruity

Now for the fun part...what do I think???
Let me give you my honest opinion..I love these lipsticks personally!! They smell amazeballs!! The color payoff is great...but what gets me is the longevity. I can live with applying my lipstick after I eat..now if you can't then these are not the lipsticks for you (that would be a matte lipstick). Plus these lipsticks cost no more than $4 dollars!!! Uh..yes please!!! I plan to do a little shopping in the Milani Cosmetics section and trying out a few more products. Right now I am trying out their blushes and lip liners.

If you have any suggestions please please please leave them below. I love to try out new products!!!

Until next time...

Good night,

AHumbleLiving

REVIEW: Naked 3

Why hello again!

Today is "review day"!!! Im so excited to talk about the Naked 3 pallet by Urban Decay! I will make this as brief as possible. Like I've said before I will not reveal my opinion until the end so if you want to know please keep reading.

NAKED 3 

Urban Decay has been around for about 15 years. They started out in January of 1996 with 10 lipsticks and 12 nail polishes as their debuting line. They were tired of seeing the normal red, pink or beige/ nude tone nail polishes (which those are my absolute favorite). They wanted to create a line that carried a variety of colors (you know for those days you want to step outside of the box) so, they did and let me tell you the rest is history! They do have products for everyone in their line. If you are looking for a natural look they have that. If you want a wild/ bold look...girl, they have something for that or if you wanted something more sultry and sexy they absolutely have something for that too.

Which brings me to the NAKED 3 pallet...I did not purchase this pallet my wonderful husband purchased it for me as a "just because" gift (isn't he so sweet? Brownie points for him!). This pallet retails for $54. I have actually had my eye on this pallet ever since it came out. I own the NAKED pallet which I truly love, but I wanted something different. So, this pallet came with 12 rose-hued neutral shades. You have your matte, shimmery and metallic shades. You have shimmery pinks to rose gold  and your grayish/pinkish browns to your matte black shade that has a hint of red micro glitter. Also, my pallet came with 4 samples of their eye primers and duo ended brush. Packaging is super cute--it seriously reminds me a pencil case like no joke!

VERDICT:
Of course, I love this product! I am a die hard neutrals girl, so I was more than happy to have this pallet in my little collection. Now this pallet is different form my other neutrals just because it has that rosy pink tone in it's shades and I am obsessed with that. Like I said before I use this pallet everyday and I do mean EVERYDAY! I have created a couple of looks using just this pallet alone. I'm obsessed with the colors "Limit" and "Nooner". They are usually my go-to shades. If you've never purchased an Urban Decay pallet I highly recommend that you purchase this pallet. It is a perfect pallet for every skin tone and eye color. I am tan with dark brown eyes and let me tell you this pallet works for me.

Well there you have it, so get online or go to your near Sephora or Ulta and pick up this pallet. Let me know if you would like to see an eye look using some of these colors. I would be more than happy to do one. :) That is all for now, until my next post (which will hopefully be Friday)!!!

Your's truly,

AHumbleLiving

Make-up Tips

Hello there darlings and welcome back!!!

I am going to apologize in advance...I am having another one of those exhausting days (I should get that checked out..) so please do not hate me if my grammar is off or if I am not making any sense.

Today I am going to give you some make-up tips that I use pretty much on a daily bases. These are some things that work for me and that I hope will work for you! So, if you want to know more please keep reading...

Tip #1--Lashes
For those who know me, you know how much time I put into applying my mascara. I use to spend 10 minutes just applying mascara and trying to get them to stay up. Not only that, but the fact that I would get mascara on my fingers (from trying to get them to stay up) and all over the tube...it was ridiculous. Well, I learned that a fan would soon become my best friend (hey)! Here is what I do...I sit in front of my fan and I apply my mascara. It drys the coats that I apply that much quicker and lets not forget that it helps with getting my lashes to stay up (well for a short time because after all I live in Texas).  I apply anywhere from 2-6 coats of mascara ( I know that sounds like a lot, but I need that much if I want these babies to stand out).

Tip# 2--Lipstick 
So something that I heard about and adapted into my routine is wearing lip liner. I know most women wear lip liner, but I like to shade in my lips with my liner before applying lipstick. This helps with my wonderful lipstick's longevity.

Tip # 3--Brushes/ Sponges 
Girl, you need to keep those babies clean! Here is why, when you are applying make-up with your brushes/ sponges on a daily or every other day bases, you are just collecting more residue. So, every time you pick up your brush/ sponge and put it to your face you are adding unwanted bacteria. Try to clean your brushes at least once a week (twice if you can). I know it's a hassle, but let's face it would you rather have a flawless face or have to constantly treat unwanted guests on your pretty little face? Your choice!

Tip # 4---H20
Not much to say other than DRINK your WATER, okay?!?! I know everybody talks about this, but it's seriously no joke. Water does so much good for the body and it also helps with complexion. So, make sure you get your 6-8 cups a day because I know I do!!!

Last, but not least Tip # 5--Blend
When I am doing my make-up I am constantly blending everything out. I do not want to see any lines that define where the products I applied to my face begin and end. Which leads me to blending out foundation. Always and I do mean always blend your foundation to your neck. I sometimes will take it as for as my chest, but that's usually in the winter time. However for blending out your bronzer or blush a good tool to have is a stippling brush. I use the one from Real Techniques where I purchased it from Ulta for I think $9. It might have been less than that.


Well, that is all the tips I have for now. If you have any tips that you would like to share please leave them below and I would be more than happy to try them out. Be on the look out for a new post tomorrow because it is....REVIEW DAY!!! Also, if you have any suggestions on products to try leave that below and I will see what I can do. :)

Until next time darlings,

AHumbleLiving

Take A Moment...

Hello darlings!

I just wanted to do a quick post...however I am not sure on how quick this will be but we shall see. I wanted to take a moment to talk about motivation and inspiration. Have you ever experienced a time when you doubted yourself, stressed, lost confidence, felt insecure, not worthy, settled or experienced whatever made you feel horrible inside..maybe as you are reading this you are saying to yourself "girl I'm going through that right now!"....

Well....STOP!!! I want you to take a moment right now and look at yourself in the mirror and tell yourself that you beautiful and that you are worth everything in the world because you are!!! Whoever told you, you can't...prove them wrong and let them know you can. Whoever brought down your confidence and made you feel insecure...show them you are beautiful inside and out! You are a strong, intelligent, beautiful (I will use this until you get it), kind hearted, amazing and wonderful women! No one can make you feel any less...I know it happens, they can get to you, but when they bring you down...you get right back up!

STOP stressing....this is one that I am truly working on! I will be completely honest..I am usually the first one to stress. Today I was told by someone much older than me that "what is the worst that can happen?" I honestly did not know how to answer the question. I tried, but everything seemed like an excuse...so stop giving excuses on why you are stressing and LIVE LIFE!!! If you are one who stresses please join me in breaking this habit...because stress only inhibits you from enjoying the finer things in life.

One last little thing, NEVER and I mean NEVER settle for less than what you think you deserve! Like I said previously, you deserve the finer things in life...everyone deserves the life they want not the life they think they should have. There is someone out there that will love you for who you are, how you are, what you do and what you carry. Don't ever think someone will not love you for all the baggage you carry because everyone comes with baggage no matter if it is a small carry-on or luggage size. There is someone out there for you so for now just learn from the mistakes and enjoy life!!!

 Sweet dreams & Good Night!

With love,

AHumbleLiving

 * P.s.--I truly apologize if things do not make sense...I am sleep deprived :/. Also, I am working on a tips post. Which I will hopefully get up tomorrow. :)