Review: ALMAY CC smart shade luminous primer

My skin type: I have sensitive, combination/dry medium beige skin with golden/yellow undertones. I'm oily in the T zone and dry in surrounding areas. I occasionally have some breakouts usually around that "time of the month", but my skins main flaw is hyper-pigmentation. Usually left from my occasional breakout. Since I also have sensitive skin I usually avoid products that don't cater to sensitive skin/blemish prone skin.


My Choice: ALMAY CC smart shade luminous primer! I really didn't do any research prior to buying this product, i just happened to be browsing the make up section at the grocery store when this caught my eye.  Since ALMAY is known for making products to suit sensitive skin I knew this product was worth giving a try.

Product and Details: ALMAY CC smart shade luminous primer is packaged in a 1oz glass bottle with a pump dispenser. The primer is only available in one color,  which is a sheer pink liquid. The only claim the product makes on the bottle is that it is color correcting with SPF 15. The texture of this was light but creamy similar to a light weight Moisturizer and since it had SPF there was a slight scent of it. Once blended into my skin the finish I was left with was very hydrating yet matte but glowy.

The Verdict: ****
When I applied this and blended it into my skin my face immediately soaked this up and it applied evenly without leaving any weird residue or color behind, just a very hydrated look. I fell in love with this product immediately after I applied my foundation over it! I was a bit worried that the sheer pink color wouldn't do well with my skin tone,  since I have yellow undertones, but this didn't interfere with my foundation outcome as far as color goes.  I love that this product comes with a pump, one pump was the perfect amount for my entire face. This really help my makeup apply evenly and give a nice airbrushed look. I noticed when I apply this under my makeup covering up redness and dark spots is effortless,  no concealer needed.  At the end of the day my makeup stayed fresh without splotching and I also noticed I didn't need to touch up during the day. I've been using this for 2 months and I haven't noticed any.  breakouts or irritation. This is a must in my makeup routine plus I get double use out of this product an apply as a eye primer and it works fantastic! I will definitely buy again for 3 reasons: I didn't have breakouts from this product,  my makeup looks airbrushed when I use it and my T zone stayed under control. Thanks I hope you enjoyed this review let my know if you have questions about the product that I didn't cover or share your opinion with me if you've tried it already!

Maybelline Dream Pure BB Cream

My Choice:

So I haven't been wanting to jump on the BB cream bandwagon,  mainly because I'm a foundation girl and I get breakouts, so I usually like my makeup to have some coverage.  Well since I'm now a stay home mom and don't have a reason to apply my usual makeup routine, I decided to give one a try. I did my research and according to most reviews Maybelline Dream Pure BB Cream seemed like a match for me.

Product and Details:

Maybelline Dream Pure BB cream is package in a 1oz flesh and light blue colored tube,  very slim and light weight. Under the Dream Pure BB title it claims to be a 8 in 1 BB skin clearing perfector with 2% salicylic acid. In the back under uses it says "for the treatment of acne" and "helps clear up acne blemishes and allows skin to heal. Next to uses it lists the 8 benefits which are:

• Clears acne 
• Conceals imperfections
• Minimizes look of pores
• Reduces the appearance of redness
• Adjusts to skin tone
• Hydrates and smoothes
• Enhances and clarifies
• 0% oils and lightweight feel

The Verdict: ****

My first impression when I squeezed a small amount out of the tube was "Oh wow". It had a very thin and soft texture not at all thick and sticky like some BB creams/ tinted moisturizers. When I spread the BB cream on face I noticed it had enough coverage to at least hide some redness and slight unevenness, but not the dark spots I have from a few recent blemishes. The finish was matte and I did notices some of my pores were less visible. I wasn't expecting this to make me look flawless, which it didn't but it gave me a put together look perfect for errands and the park. I paired this up with some blush and bronzer and I felt decent to step out of the house without looking dead or over done. I would definitely repurchase for 3 reasons;  it held up against the heat,  it didn't cause any new breakouts, and lastly it was good enough coverage. Thanks hope you guys enjoyed if there is any other questions about the product I didn't cover please comment below, or just let me know what you think of the product if you've tried it already!

P.S this me 8 hours later plus the hot trip to the park!

My Marshalls find

Ellen Tracey thick stick lip color

So now that were aquatinted I let you in on a little secret and it was my love for makeup! Not just high end but I also really enjoy drugstore, I'm not picky either! I love to browse Marshalls, Ross and TJ maxx for new finds, so I'll share my finds and verdict. I decided to browser early this morning at Marshalls since I had some free time to myself (yeah no kids), which I was in dire need of!While browsing the beauty section I found some lip crayons that I just could not pass up. The brand was Ellen Tracey, which I'm not familiar with and they're called thick stick lip color.

Packaging and Details:

It comes in a light blue box with five different shades of pink. There is no labeled  name for the  lip colors, so I'm gonna describe the colors from my view. There is a cherry red, fushia, nude pink, hot pink and a sort of barbie pink shade.

The Verdict:

As soon as I got home I opened the box to swatch the lip crayons for color and consistency. All the lip crayons were pretty pigmented and the texture was smooth and creamy. After wearing the lip colors for a few hours I didn't notice any bleeding into my foundation and I found they had a sort of silky matte finish.  I really liked the fushia color that came in the box, which was the brightest and most pigmented color of the five shades, next to the cherry red of course. All the shades were matte finish not very sticky, but soft and Dewey and my lips felt very moisturized. The colors looked great on me and I loved the product I would definitely buy again. I'm now curious to try other Ellen Tracey products. I took a few pictures, hope you guys enjoyed and let me know if you would like to know anything else about the product.

Blogger intro

I'm new to blogging, I've never had a blog before and have been wanting to blog for quite sometime now. I'll  introduce myself, my name is Deanna Raquel and I am married with two beautiful children.My husband has recently joined the army and I am now a stay at home mom! Yah but it's not quiet the fairy tale I thought it would be, but I'll say I'm getting to know my kids more and more each day and bonding like never before and that is something i can only do once in life. Motherhood has opened my heart and mind like never before while marriage has challenged me like never before all the while growing in love more and more. So I'm ready to share my experiences, lessons, challenges, and unfortunately my make-up addiction.