Coffee Scrub

I found a truly awesome exfoliating/moisturizing scrub that I use now constantly. It's a coffee scrub that makes my legs feel awesome and makes them look better too! Here's the recipe:

3 tablespoons of coffee grounds
1 teaspoon of Cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 teaspoon of honey
3 tablespoons of coconut oil

Just stir together and voilà!  I use this on my legs and behind. The coffee exfoliates and gets rid of dead skin and little bumps.  The caffeine will also perk the skin up and reduce the appearance of cellulite, at least temporarily. The Cayenne does the same. The coconut oil leaves the skin super smooth.
Some recommendations when using:
You can use this on dry skin or slightly damp. I would recommend putting an inch or so of water in the bath tub and then stand in the tub, without the shower running, to rub the scrub into your skin. If you don't, you'll leave a lovely brown oil slick on the bottom of the tub. (Words of experience)
Per usual with exfoliating scrubs, rub the skin LIGHTLY in a circular motion.
Rinse well! Including the shower.
I don't use any body wash after using the scrub because soaps will just dry the skin out again.

Try it out and I'm sure you will like it!

Matte stilettos

Tried a new look! I'm loving the matte nude color.

New French stiletto nails

I tried a new style of French manicure. As of now, I'm not a fan. We'll see what I think in a few days. It might grow on me. Any comments?

French stiletto nails

I've tried the french manicure for my stiletto nails. I haven't seen any pictures of this on the Internet until today, but I thought I might as well give it try. Next time I'm going to ask that the white be pointed on the inside as well. Stay tuned!

Lorac Pro Palette 2 Review and Demonstration

I know it’s overdue, but I finally am ready to do a review of the Lorac Pro Palate 2. I bought this (for myself) for Christmas after reading some good reviews, but every girl has a different type of skin and method of using makeup. I’ve had people ask me how to do a smokey eye with eye shadow, so I’m making this post into a review and a tutorial all in one. First the review.

I really enjoy and recommend this palate to anyone and everyone who has any type of knowledge on how to apply makeup. The shadows are SO rich in pigments. You will require so little amount of shadow to make a big impact. That is the reason why I stipulate for users who are decently practiced at putting on makeup. You’re going to need a bunch of different brushes and know how to use them, because the smallest mistake with this palate and you’re going to need some makeup remover, it’s that rich in pigments. That’s the downside, but the positive side is that you (and I hopefully) will have this palate forever. The palate comes with a magnetic closure and a mirror in the upper portion for travel purposes. That’s another thing… travel. Lorac has seemed to accommodate for those who are on the go but I wouldn’t recommend taking this palate too far from its resting spot unless you have some bubble wrap.

Those who know me know that I’m clumsy. I am terrified of dropping the Pro Palate 2 because I know all the shadows will shatter everywhere. I was being serious when I mentioned bubble wrap. When I have to travel, I will be wrapping it up! It’s too nice to leave behind, but too nice to let get ruined.

I did not do any swatches for you in this review. Honestly, the internet is full of them and all they basically prove is that what you see is what you get with this palate. The pigments are going to be exactly on your skin as what you see in the case. Here are some links to other who have done some swatches for you. 

LORAC Pro Palette 2 Eyeshadow Palette Review, Photos, Swatches
NEW LORAC PRO PALETTE 2 | SWATCHES, REVIEW + COMPARISON
Lorac Pro Palette 2: Review, Swatches + Look

Now, I did a purple smokey eye in these pictures, but I did use several of the colors in the palate. I didn’t take pictures after each shadow, but I will note which colors I did use. 

So, overall, I do recommend this palate to those who have to brushes and some experience. To those who don’t have the experience or the tools, Lorac makes other 3 shadow preset palates (I own 2 of them) that are so easy to use and come with a two sided brush and instructions. If anyone wants information on those, the Pro Palate 2, or anything else remotely related, leave a comment!

Miercoles de Manicuri... Mani Wednesday?

I've never gotten the chance to do a blog piece about nails because I've been prohibited any type of fun or cool nails because of my job. But finally, finally today that changed. I went to Foz do Iguaçú, Brazil today to find the best place that could work with my acrylic nails. Acrylic nails don't exist here in the area and the next best option is gel nails. So, I went to Esmalteria Nacional in downtown Foz which is one of the verrrrrrrry few places that specialize in only nails. If you want your nails professionally done here in Latin America, you would normally go to your favorite hair salon.

The ladies were very friendly and put up with my pickiness and bad Portuguese.  They said that my acrylics were so well done that they didn't need to apply any gel to the nail and just filed them down for me and they look great. They had never seen pointy nails before and none that are as long as mine! But now that I'm liberated from server rules for a few months I will keep you posted on any new manicure ideas I have. If you're ever in the area, check out the store or check them out on Facebook or Instagram @esmalterianacional. 

Nunca podía escribir un blog sobre uñas porque me prohiben el use de cualquier tipo de uña o esmalte divertido o cheto en el trabajo. Pero finalmente, finalmente hoy eso cambió. Me fui a Foz do Iguaçú hoy para encontrar el mejor local para trabajar con mis uñas de acrilico. Uñas de acrilico casi no existen acá en America Latina así que la mejor opción fue uñas de gel. Entonces me fui a Esmalteria Nacional en el centro de Foz, lo cual es uno de muy pocos locales que trabajan solamente con uñas. Si usted querría hacerse las uñas profesionalmente en America Latina, uno normalmente iría a su peluquería o salon de belleza. Yo estaba muy impresionada con el local. Las señoritas fueron muy amables y aguantaron mi exigencia y portugues horrible. Nunca habían visto uñas a puntos como las mías! Muito chic. Ahora que estoy liberada de las reglas de una mesera por algunos meses les informaré de los ideas para manicuris que tengo. Y si esté en el area, pasá por el local o fije su página de  Facebook o en Instagram: @esmalterianacional.

Sephora Falsies and How to Care for Them

This is a review of a pair of false lashes that I received (Thanks Kaity ;)) and a guide on how to take care of them.  These are the "Astonish Lashes" by Sephora and I used them for the second time this weekend and I love them! They were a little bit too much for me when I first got them, so I trimmed a small amount of lashes off from the inside corner of the lashes to get more of a natural yet cat eye look. The glue is great that comes with them. It is already pretty tacky, so you can put a drop on one end and stretch it out to the other end and it will apply the perfect amount.  Wait only a few seconds before applying and then you're ready to go for the whole night (or day...)! I was out until 5 a.m. and had no problems at all. 

Here's the link to buy them online or you can go to any Sephora and see all the options that they have. (Trust me, there's alot.) They are significantly more expensive than drug store brands, so it's important to be able to use them more than once. If you didn't know, you can clean and reuse false lashes many many times. 

First, get your supplies: Rubbing alcohol, an eyebrow brush or spare mascara brush, some paper towels. 

Let the lashes sit in the alcohol for 15 to 20 minutes.

 Use the eyebrow brush to lightly brush off the glue from the inside of the lashes. It should start to peel off easily. 

 After all the glue is off, use the mascara brush to get off any left over mascara on the lashes. I really didn't have to use mascara after I put the lashes on.

Finally, let dry and store in their box. All done! I hope you found this useful. Leave a comment to let me know what else you'd like to read about! Besos!