Drugstore Haul: NEW L'Oreal LeMatte Colour Riche, Maybelline Baby Lips Electro & Dr Rescue Lip Balm review

Hello Everyone,

Yes, I have been MIA and now I am just slowly getting back to working on my blog. Yay!

Of course my favorite place in the drugstore is the makeup aisle and I had to pickup "some" new products to try. I have tried these products for a few days and I have nothing bad to say about them. 

I am a big fan of Maybelline Baby Lips and for them to come out with the Electro lip balm and the medicated Dr Rescue I couldn't help myself. I only picked up three out of the five colors from this collection because the neon green (Minty Sheer) and neon yellow (Fierce n Tangy) are both clear. These are great quick fixes if you don't want to put on too much makeup and you are on the go. Although these are not the most hydrating lip treatment, they are fun to collect. Personally, I like them and they work for me.

The Dr Rescue Medicated Lip Balms are great to use for winter. I like the cool freshness of the menthol on my lips. They do provide a nice natural color and decent moisture for your lips. From this collection, I only picked up Pink Me Up and Soothing Sorbet and they are both great colors.

Here are swatches to show how sheer these lip balms are:

For L'Oreal, here is the new LeMatte Colour Riche Lip Color in Matte For Me. La Matte collection has a flattering matte finish. They have a bit of a sheen and don't accentuate the dryness on your lips which is a double plus in my book!

Here is how it looks on:

The color is very opaque and I didn't have to apply too much to get an intense color.

My other favorites for Fall are the L'Oreal infallible eyeshadows in Amber Rush, Eternal Sunshine, and Smoldering Plum. These pigments last all day and are very comparable to high-ends. You will get your money's worth with these eyeshadow pigments.

Current favorite drugstore gel eyeliner is the L'Oreal Infallible 24H in blackest black. It goes on so smooth and makes it easy for you to create the perfect "winged" eyeliner. Two thumbs up!

Until next time, 

stay healthy, beautiful, and inspired.

Have a great night!

<3 <3 <3

My Updated Makeup Essentials

Hello My Fellow Makeup Lovers!

I miss the life of being a Makeup Artist.... I remember carrying my makeup kit everywhere, rushing to photo shoots, meeting new people, and attending fashion shows. I am not even sure how I even did all of that as a hobby.... but it was fun while it lasted.

It feels like years since I last touched my makeup kit. Heck, I hardly even put on makeup anymore and if I do, I keep it to a minimal. Just playing with my makeup recently brought back a lot of memories.

Here are some of my favorite products and the products that I used to create the look I have below:
Laneige White Star Essence- face moisturizer (plus I use a light SPF underneath the moisturizer)
Spackle by Laura Geller- Tinted under make-up primer (As you can tell, I have used up a lot)

Neutrogena Makeup Remover

Maybelline Fit Me foundation (May cause breakout for some people)

Maybelline eyeshadow quad in Modern Metallic

NYC- Sunny bronzer

Maybelline Age Rewind concealer 

L'Oreal True Match setting powder

Victoria's Secret Sheer Blush Creme

Urban Decay Flushed

Rimmel eyebrow pencil in #2 shade
Ardell brow sculpting gel

Buxom in the shade Swinger

Maybelline Master Drama in Midnight Master (to create the wing)

Before picture without makeup:

After: 

Most people ask me how do I keep my skin looking so healthy.... drink lots of water and wear SPF!!!

Until next time,

stay healthy, beautiful, and inspired.

Have a great night!

<3 <3 <3

OOTD: Lazy day outfit

Hello Everyone,

First, prayers go out to the families who are impacted by 9/11.

I have been sick for a few days now and I hardly ever get sick. I even forgot how horrible it feels to be sick. Constantly coughing, having a running nose, and not getting enough sleep is not the business.  But it does feel good to have someone there to take care of you, not gonna lie.

I am getting better, but along with being sick, it comes with many lazy days where I just don't even care how I look. Lazy day outfits are great to wear at home where you can just mix and match anything you want.

What I have on is a simple T-shirt ("Smile for the Camera") from Alloy.com, Snowflake shorts from Victoria's Secret, and knee high sock slippers from Victoria's Secret.
It is a mixed of summer and winter wear, but who really cares as long as I am comfortable.

Favorite song at the moment: Drake- Hold on We're Going Home

Until next time,
stay healthy, beautiful, and inspired.

Have a great night!
<3 <3 <3

OOTD: Feeling Kind of Blue

Hello Everyone,

Is it strange to be in the mood to wear everything jeans? I think I caught jean-itis if that is even a word. It's hard to explain, but sometimes you are just in the mood.....

Outfit: Alloy.com

Now, here is a jean on jean concept. It's ok to wear jeans that are made with different fabrics. For instance, pattern with a solid color.

Shirt: Khol's- Lauren Conrad

Jean pants: Old Navy

Boots: Banana Republic

Necklace: Pandora

Until next time, 

stay healthy, beautiful, and inspired. 

Have a great evening!

<3 <3 <3

Cooking with Sugarcookie #18: Taiwanese Spicy Beef Stew

Hello Everyone,

Here is how to make the infamous Taiwanese beef stew. It is a very popular Taiwanese Street Food and is usually served with thick noodles. How I made it may not be exactly the same as the traditional style, but this is how my mom makes it and what I grew up eating.

The time to make this takes about 3-4 hours because you want to make sure you have a really good flavored broth... but since I don't have the patience I added some beef broth to give it more flavor.

Let's get to it! Don't let all these items scare you because it is very simple to make. I had a really good sous chef that helped me out with this dish. ;o)

Start with a bag of beef bones. Wash them and then put them into a pressure cooker to boil. Once it comes to a boil, turn the fire down and let it cook for a minimal of 45 mins to an hour. 

While that's cooking, start prepping the other ingredients such as ginger, onion, garlic, and star anise to add flavor to the base. Don't worry about cutting it nice and neat because we will not be serving this. Again, it will only be for flavor.

1-2 thumbs of ginger, 4-6 cloves of garlic, 1 onion, and a handful of star anise.

After adding the ingredients above to the broth, let it cook for a good 15-20 minutes before adding small chunks of beef and then some tomato paste. Feel free to add chunks of tomatoes if you like because that is the traditional way. 

2 cans of tomato soup and 1 can of beef broth

Also, add 2-3 tablespoons of soy sauce and 2 tablespoons of brown sugar.

Close the pressure cooker for a good 1-1.5 hours until the meat gets soft. Other ingredients to add once the dish is ready to be served are: 

Green onions, cilantro, and spinach 

**Add chili pepper into the broth for it to be spicy.

For the noodles, boil some water on the side and add a few sprinkles of salt. Once the water starts to boil add the noodles. This should only take 10-15 minutes. Use the thick noodles to make this dish.

Here is the final product:

Bon Appetit!

Until next time,

stay healthy, beautiful, and inspired.

Have a great night!

<3 <3 <3