Sephora & Ulta Mini Haul & Review!

As the first post of the new and improved Radiant Glamour, I think it would be fitting to show my readers all the new makeup and skincare products that I've been experimenting with and loving these past couple weeks! So let's jump right into it...

When I went to Ulta a few weeks ago, I knew that I wanted to get some new lip products just because the only lippies I already had were on the dark side of the spectrum which are not exactly in trend for summertime. I also knew that literally EVERYONE raves about NYX lip products, so I needed to see what all the hype was about.

The first product I got was NYX Matte Lipstick in Nude. First of all, the packaging is very nice considering this is a drugstore type of brand. Looking past that, the color payoff is really good except for the fact that it defines the dry spots on my lips and sinks into the lines of my lips. This can be fixed when I blot the lipstick with my finger; it's just really inconvenient. Despite the fact that I said it defines the dry spots on my lips, that does not mean it dries my lips out. It just defines the imperfections. I am definitely going to try the regular lipstick that NYX has before I come to the conclusion that this brand is not for me.

The next lippie I got was NYX Butter Gloss in Vanilla Cream Pie and WOW! This product is amazing, especially for the cost! This color has the "your lips but better" color and glides on like a breeze. Usually with glosses, I have the problem with the product going away very quickly, but this is not the case with the butter gloss. The color payoff is amazing, the staying power is amazing, the hydration it gives to my lips is amazing. I give this product a 10/10 and I will definitely be purchasing more of these in the near future.

Now onto my favorite part of the haul: SEPHORA! I have recently become majorly obsessed with Sephora and it is really hurting my wallet because I just want to buy everything and get so many ! So these next four products are what I have accumulated over the past few weeks.

I am going to tag-team these next two products purely because I feel like they were meant to go together. These products are the Tarte Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Foundation in Ivory and the black Beautyblender. First of all, the Tarte foundation is awesome, but does need a concealer underneath it to cover up the hyperpigmentation I have on my skin. Usually I put concealer on top of my foundation but I found when I put it on underneath and blot my foundation on top with my Beautyblender, it seems to cover the spots better. Also, before using my Beautyblender, I wet it then squeeze the water out for a much better and even application. Overall, I really like this combination together and I am so happy I bought these two products.

These last two products are last for a reason: I don't exactly know how I feel about them yet because I haven't been using them for long enough to see results. I have always suffered from hyperpigmentation due to acne scarring. I wanted to get some products that would help me out so I almost blindly bought these two products. The cleanser I purchased was the Korres Wild Rose Cleanser which is supposed to brighten and refine my skin. It is a daily exfoliating cleanser which I am not such a big fan of. I have very sensitive skin so I like to have more creamy cleansers but I decided to give this one a shot. I have not noticed a significant difference in my skin since using this product but I am hopeful that it will eventually lighten my dark spots. The mask I got was the Boscia Bright White Mask. I do like this mask so far and I can definitely feel my skin become softer after removing this mask, but just like the cleanser, I have not seen a significant difference in my skin since using this product twice a week.

I hope you enjoyed and learned something from this mini haul and review!
Thank you all and stay tuned for back to school related posts.

xoxo,

~LA~

Business inquiries only: radiantglamourlife@gmail.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LAbabyy7

New & Improved

When I started this blog, I thought I wanted to be just like all of the other beauty bloggers (Essiebutton, Zoella, etc.). In trying to be like everyone else, I was not happy with the content I was putting out. Along with the unhappiness the blog content was bringing me, there was also unhappiness in my everyday life. 

Over the past couple months I have realized that the only way I will ever become successful in anything I decide to do is if I do it for myself. This all stemmed from me graduating from high school and having to decide what I wanted to be and do for the rest of my life. I had originally thought that I wanted to become a nurse and I was set on going to nursing school for the next six to eight years, but when I sat down and really thought about my life and my happiness, I realized I had wanted to become a nurse for all the wrong reasons. I had wanted to become that because I wanted to make my parents happy and I wanted to make a lot of money. But when I really sat down and thought about it, I realized that I would never be truly happy as a nurse. I knew that I have a huge passion for makeup and fashion and I want to do something with that for the rest of my life whether it is creating my own line or working for a successful company. I have now decided to go for a business degree and eventually take some beauty and fashion classes after I get my degree so I can do what I love.

The point of this isn't for me to tell you my life story; it is to potentially reach out to other people and inspire them to follow their dreams. Life is way too short to be anything but completely happy with your life so don't ever do anything to please other people and not yourself. Money doesn't matter in the long run, if you're happy, good things will happen to you. I mean, don't get me wrong, I know it would be awesome to be well-off with money but that is not always realistic so it is best to just focus on your happiness and the rest will follow suit. 

So from here on out, I'm running this blog how I want it and I am not trying to compare myself to others and do what the other more popular bloggers do. I feel as if better things will come to me if I just stay true to myself.

Stay tuned for the new and improved Radiant Glamour!

 xoxo

~LA~

Business inquiries only: radiantglamourlife@gmail.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LAbabyy7 

What is Fashion?

   When most people think about fashion, they think about the runways, models, and trends. Although these things are all very important to the fashion world, fashion is much more than just the clothes and glamour.

   A lot of people have the misconception that they will only be "cool" by wearing the exact trends and clothes all of their style icons wear, but in reality, fashion is all about YOU feeling the best in your own skin, not about wearing what other people are wearing to look "cool." There is nothing better than feeling good and confident in everything you do, and there is nothing worse than feeling uncomfortable or weird in your own skin.

   Just because the "trendy" thing right now is crop tops, skinny jeans, and high-waisted everything, doesn't mean that everyone is going to feel good wearing those pieces of clothing. You can still look good, cute, cool, or whatever you want to accomplish by putting your own spin on the trends. Fashion is about expressing yourself the way you know how and feeling like a million bucks while doing it. You don't always have to conform to what everyone else is doing. Staying true to yourself will always get you farther in life than you could ever think is possible. Fashion is always changing and is always going to continue to change so you do not need to spend loads and loads of money by trying to chase the trends. Wear what you feel makes you look like a goddess and never try to chase after what other people are doing.

   You only have one life so you might as well be confident in your own skin while you're living it.

xoxo,

♥ LA ♥

radiantglamourlife@gmail.com

Spring and Summer Trends 2014

In two weeks, spring will officially be here so it's time to say "goodbye" to the dark colors and coats and say "hello" to the lighter colors and shorts. This post is your go-to guide for the hottest and most popular spring and summer trends of 2014!

First up: Crop Tops
You can never go wrong with a good crop top. They're extremely comfortable, breathable, and very fashionable for pretty much anyone. Since I live in sunny Florida and the temperatures can get up to 90 degrees during the spring, crop tops are a staple item. Not all crop tops are super short, so if you are worried about showing too much skin, don't! Crop tops come in all shapes, sizes, and colors to suit anyone.

Next is Skater or Circle Skirts
Skater skirts (aka circle skirts) are another huge trend for the spring and summer. They are easy to style and flattering on most body shapes since they cinch in at your waist (which is everyone's most skinny part of their bodies) and flares out from there. These types of skirts are best worn with crop tops that cut off just a few inches above the top of the skirt or with shirts tucked into them. They come in all kinds of patterns and styles which make them easy for dressing up or down.

Last but not least: High-Waisted Shorts and Jeans
High-waisted shorts and jeans are my favorite trend of the spring and summer. I think they're really cute and easily wearable. They come in all colors, textures, and patterns, just like the other two items mentioned before. I personally really like the crazy patterns of shorts and jeans with basic tops because it gives a very unique look to an outfit.

If you are more into high fashion, there are also tons of trends for you! As seen at the Alexander Wang Spring 2014 fashion show, white, light blue, and gray were the main colors of that collection and they are now the main colors of spring along with a few other pastels. Another repetitive trend at the Mercedes Benz New York Fashion Week were white collared button down shirts. These types of shirts could be styled with practically anything from casual skirts to distressed boyfriend jeans to pencil skirts and more. They could be dressed up or dressed down. The possibilities are endless!

xoxo,

♥ LA ♥

radiantglamourlife@gmail.com
 

 

Pink Bows & Sparkles!

Painting my nails and doing nail art is one of my favorite things to do when I just need to relieve some stress and spend time alone. "Keep calm and paint your nails" is basically my motto, haha. I literally can't go a day without not having my nails painted!

Today, I didn't have my nails painted and it was killing me so I went on Pinterest for a little inspiration and I came up with this cute design:

 

I've always wanted to make a design with bows on my nails but I never thought I would actually be able to pull it off... until now! So I would like to share how I did this for anyone else who thinks they can't do nail art also!

First, you need to get a black polish (I use Layla Cosmetics SoftTouch Effect nail polish in Nior Touch), pink and silver glitter nail art polish (I use LA Colors Art Deco Nail Art polish in Silver Glitter and Poppin Pink) and a clear topcoat (I use Sally Hansen Diamond Strength in Flawless).

Step 1:
Paint tips of nails with black polish like french tips.

Step 2:
Paint 1 side triangle on the inside of the nails in pink.

 



Step 3:
Paint an inverse triangle overlapping with the first triangle in pink also.

Step 4:
Paint silver sparkle nail polish under the black tips that is not covered with pink.

Step 5:
Paint a dot where the two triangles overlap in silver sparkles.

 Step 6:
Let all nail polish completely dry and then put top coat over it.

 

 

Then voilà! The whole nail look is complete and you now how fun, girly, sparkly, and pink nails!

 

Comment below and tell me how this nail tutorial looked for you!

 

xoxo,

♥ LA ♥

radiantglamourlife@gmail.com

 



 



Review | Avon Glimmerstick Chrome

Eyeliner is always a staple for me - I refuse to go anywhere without at least a little bit of eyeliner on, so I figured having an eyeliner as my first review would be perfect... Not exactly.

I have always been a part of the liquid eyeliner "crew" but I have just recently been trying to branch out and try gel liners and eyeliner sticks like this one so when one of my family members, who sells Avon, gave me two Avon Glimmerstick Chrome liners, I was SO excited to try them out, especially because I have never really experienced Avon products before!



The color of the Glimmerstick I recieved was Midnight Flash (G12). Just from looking at the packaging, it looked like it was going to be a so-so product, nothing too impressive about it.

My expectations were that the product was probably going to be a matte dark blue but this was obviously not the case at all:

As the swatch shows, the liner was actually really shimmery and glittery, which was a turn-off for me because my everyday makeup is pretty much shimmery eyeshadow with a really dark, really matte eyeliner. This liner seemed to be dark enough for my preference until I applied it on top of my eyeshadow... As soon as I applied it, it appeared way more blue-toned than the swatch had shown. This was more of a hassle than a dissapointment because it was easily buildable to look more black.

As the day went on, the eyeliner slowly became less dark and mostly wore off by the end of the day (Avon says these products only last nine hours).

Overall, I probably would not purchase this product myself after I finish this. I feel like there are so many other products that are less expensive (Avon Glimmerstick Chrome eyeliners are regularly $7.00) to try out that will give me better results.

Comment below on what you guys think about this product and if you were more pleased with it!

xoxo,

♥ LA ♥

radiantglamourlife@gmail.com