Janurary Favorites! 2011

First of all im going to start with the makeup! 

The only reason for this is because the pics I took of them look so damn professional!! don’t you think? I took those in my bathroom! Love em. Anyways, first things first: Smashbox Off Set Shadow Converter. This I have had for a couple of years and I use it- I would say about once a week and seriously guys- I have more than ½ of it left. I got it for Christmas a couple of years ago so I don’t know how much it was but I am sure since it was SmashBox it was not one of the cheapest items. It comes with…IDK what the actual word is but I would describe it as a turkey-baster like top. How I apply it is I squeeze some of the Off-Set on the top of my hand (you only need a little bit) then I take my liner brush (I use the Mark. Liner brush which is angled. I have a non-angled one from Mark. & unless im applying shadow below my eyes I don’t use it. Its perfect for the bottom b/c when applying shadow there you don’t really want a perfect line and that is why I also only use the Off-Set for my top lash line, or my lid) With the angled liner brush I choose the color I would like and dip the brush into the shadow FIRST! If you dip your brush in the Shadow Converter first, make sure you only use a corner of your shadow b/c it changes the consistency of your shadow if you get it in your shadow. Also, it probably will create bacteria faster, not sure though I could be totally wrong! What I like to do after I dip my brush into shadow, then shadow-converter is wipe off my brush, then repeat until I have a little puddle on the top of my hand of my “liner” so I don’t have to keep mixing and wiping. Ill have just enough sometimes too much but no biggie. Like I said you don’t need a lot of this product. If you have too much of the Off-Set what I find happens is it is too liquid-y and it will irritate your eyes if you get it in your eyes.

Ok the next thing is from Mark. And I am the BIGGEST dork! The only reason I tried this product is b/c Kim Kardashian recommended crème blush so because I love Kim and Makeup and because Mark. carried it I decided to give it a try…and guess what? Kim was right! Its great! I got Mark. Just Pinched in Peachy and I just apply with the tube right on to my face, I skip the fancy stuff. No brushes or anything but honestly guys, unless your using a foundation or a concealor brush, I really don’t think they make a brush for it. I think that is why it comes in a tube or a stick. I smile, apply to apples, and sweep back/up.then with my ring and middle finger I blend it in and it really is a gor-geous color but that’s not even the reason its my favorite. I just really do like the crème consistency and I find it is easier to blend and stays on longer. So yeah, I recommend, and please click here to go to my Mark. Store and check it out if you would like. They also have lighter colors or if your into a bronzer-type color, which is going to be my next purchase.

The next thing I bought at Rite-Aid (I love my Rewards card!!- also one of my Janruary Favs!) Physician’s Formula shadow in Baked Sugar. I use the pink almost every day for my lid color and I just love it. It’s very shimmery so I don’t use each color all at once. Lately, Ive really love to do a matte dark brown for my crease and the pink on my lid. It looks really pretty.

 Anew Clinical Lift & Pro Serum. Considering im only 24 I felt as if the Lift & Pro Serum may not be the right product for me. The next day I look in the mirror and I have what looks like the start of what will be my first wrinkle!! **AHHHH!!!** and since I do smoke and since I pull my lid to put on my liner (they say it will cause pre-mature wrinkles) I thought maybe this product would be for me to stop what-ever it is I started. This product is highly anticipated by the Avon world, and I feel like it helped. Helps. 93% of women said they noticed a change in their wrinkles and felt, after using the product, as if their face was tightened. Since it does have inject able- grade ingredients its great to reduce the sign of aging. Also, it smells really good! I only use it at night and I got into bed last night and my boyfriend Phil told me how good my face smelled!! Haha! Sounded funny, but he wasn’t lyin’! If you want to more about this product please click here to go to my Avon Store! Holla!

Keeping with my make-up theme, the next is from Mark. again. (left) The Keep It Going Long-Wear Liner & Shadow in one and as you can see it, with 2 different colors. I use the black side for lining my top lid…it’s a gel liner. Yah no, with my angled brush- I use it, wipe off the access and start application in the middle of my lid then proceed to the end of my lid sweeping the liner up -Not down!- it will make you look older and there’s nothing a Lift & Pro Serum could do about it! With the white/silvery side I just put it on my bottom lid- for that POP- and in my tear ducts. All done. Moving on-

 

NEXT! (you guys remember that show?- I hated it but I think ive probably seen each episode twice! Not one of my Favs! ) But Paul Mitchell’s Round Trip Liquid Curl Definer absolutely IS! My hair is a natural wavy/frizzy mess and if unless I’m straightening my hair I need to take certain pre-cautions! Round Trip is one the pre-cautions! it’s a serum like substance if anybody uses Super Skinny (also one of my favs) by Paul Mitchell, then you will know exactly the feel, look, and scent (although Super Skinny is a little but thicker) If you have my same hair type and you like to go curly sometimes - TRY--THIS--PRODUCT! My curls were more defined then ever! Its equivalent would be a curling iron minus the heat! Much more healthier for your hair! I heart Round Trip!

 

Another Feb Fav is Redken Guts 10 - I just got this product the other day because I hear soo much about it from the beauty guru’s on YouTube that I had to try it- Fun Fact About Erica J. - Did You Know-- Before Snooki was even heard of, anybody that knew me called it the Erica Bump!? Anybody that is going to a wedding, or a function ,or going out for the night they would call me up to have me put some volume in their hair. So I am the volume queen! So when I did hear about this product I did have to try it and it’s a great product! How it works: it’s a foam you apply to roots before blow-drying it (IDK if this is how your supposed to apply it, but this is how I do it and it works for me!- There was no directions on the bottle! isn’t can strange?) Then just kinda rub it in the hair pulling the hair up, blow-dry and there you have it- volume!





Honestly the rest is kinda of like my back-to-basic’s favorites. Because this is my first favorite’s blog I feel like this part is important. Some of the above products they may not be for some people, some girlies may not get the best use out of them like the next lady. These following products tho, I have been standing by- some of them for many years. If your looking for the must-haves, these are mine:

Suave Mousse in hold 7 or 8. I have wavy/frizzy hair by nature and when I was in 8th grade (last bloomer, I know, you don’t gotta tell me!) that was when I really started to care about what I looked like! The cool thing back then was to scrunch your hair- that wet look. You guys remember!!! I know you do! And that is what I always used since then for scrunching my hair. Only back then I used hair spray to create that “wet” look. Now-A-Days I don’t go for the hair spray so the Suave Mousse really hold curls. Nicely. Honestly, you can just use this product (and I heat protectant) alone and it will do the job. With my head up-side down, I apply in a “scrunch” motion and then blow-dry (upside down) wait a little bit and then do those steps over and over until my hair is dry. And with that said, my hair is, dry, curly, and the frizz is nearly non-existent. If you start blow-drying and you see frizz, 1 solution: You need more Mousse! **Tip I also scrunch with a cotton tank or shirt! Don’t use a towel the fabric isn’t the best for frizzy ladies like myself.

The next thing is something I got at Christmas as a stocking stuffer. The crest 3-d whitening mouth wash and toothpaste. I used to the mouthwash a couple years ago and absolutely loved it. Im a smoker, so I am def. in need of a whitening agent. Crest 3-d was perfect. Now I use it along with the toothpaste with a mechanical tooth brush but I must say after using it for a couple of days my teeth became sensitive to hot and cold temps. I already have sensitive teeth but that still didn’t stop from using it b/c it works like a charm. Another thing that sux is - it burns while its in your mouth!! Ouch. But with that said , I do like it.