Maybelline Fit Me Foundation && Concealer

Maybelline Fit Me Foundation and Concealer!

Here is my review on the Maybelline Fit Me Foundation and Concealer.  First off, these two products were extremely inexpensive at Wal-Mart.  I think the concealer was about $5 and the foundation was about $6.  This was such a great deal to me!  I don't remember how many fluid ounces the product was, but you are definitely getting your money's worth when purchasing these babies.  The color selection in the range is actually very decent.  In fact, this is what I loved most about these two products.  The color matched my skin tone so well.  I mean when you blended the products, it was like they melted into my skin and blended seamlessly.  It has been awhile since I have found a foundation and concealer that just looked so great as far as matching my skin so well.  The coverage in my opinion is about light to medium coverage.  You can definitely build the coverage up to medium, but if you have a lot of problems that you need to cover, I wouldn't necessarily recommend this for you.  I would recommend these products to people with dry to normal skin.  This foundation will give you a dewy finish and if you have oily to combo skin like myself, you will look like a disco ball throughout the day.  This is what I really disliked about these two products.  I don't think I can tell you the last time that I have been this oily from a foundation before.  Not only did setting powder not really help at all, this foundation and concealer broke me out like crazy!  I mean literally the first day that I wore it, I could like feel the breakouts emerging throughout the day.  This is absolutely disgusting and repulsive just thinking about this, but I have to keep it real!  But honestly, I was so disappointed that this  foundation and concealer wasn't the new holy grail for me!  Like I said before, the color matching was beyond amazing and it made my face look so good.  It looked natural and not like I was wearing a full face of makeup.  This aspect of a foundation is key for me because I honestly don't like to look like I am wearing a full face of makeup.  The concealer was great as far as the formula goes because it was super creamy and gave good coverage.  I like to blend concealer with my fingers, I feel like it gives me more control and gives a fuller coverage.  The concealer did a great job blending without losing a ton of product on my fingers.  Again, its just unfortunate that it broke me out because everything else about it was great :(

So in a nutshell, I would try this product out if you have normal to dry skin and you like a dewy finish foundation.  The colors of the range are pretty spot on and excellent!  Beware of this product if you have oily to combo skin or if you can be sensitive to acne breakouts!

Hope this was helpful!  If you have any questions, comment below!  And as usual, you can always tweet me as well @beaimplified

Always,

Aims XO

Clarisonic Mia Round Dos

Second times the charm right?

If you have been following/reading my blog, you will know that I tried out the Clarisonic Mia a few months ago.  I absolutely had a horrible experience and after over a month of using it, I decided that I had had enough and returned it.  Well, ever since I stopped using the Clarisonic, my skin has never been the same.  I had a bit of regret going through all of the purging and giving up too soon.  It was always in the back of my mind that I didn't give it quite enough time.  In my mind I figured over a month was way way way too generous of a time frame, but I think I stopped right when my skin was about to go over the peak and start to improve.  I was trying to do shortcuts all over the place, I was trying all of these different things to try and bring my skin back to its normal self without shelling out the money for something high end like the Clarisonic.  When in reality, I ended up spending a lot of time just super frustrated with my skin when I was approaching it the wrong way entirely.  So about 3 weeks ago, I cracked.  I went in to Sephora with my friend Heidi and we were just having an awesome time looking at all of the stuff we have been dying to try.  I knew going in to the store that I definitely had the intention of repurchasing the Clarisonic, but paying for it without cringing was what I was having trouble with.  I don't ever spend that kind of money on myself, it is a rare experience!  But, I have to say I had such an amazing experience and learned new things; thanks to my new favorite consultant, Erin!  Erin was so well informed and that made me so much more comfortable with tackling this second try prepared.  First off, the Clarisonic comes with a sensitive head brush.  This was news to me.  The first time I purchased the Clarisonic, the consultant told me that she would recommend me purchasing the sensitive brush separately.  Good thing that I didn't!  I would have bought 2 of the same head brushes for nothing!  Not only that, but even the sensitive brush was way too abrasive for my skin.  I mean looking back and comparing the sensitive brush and the delicate brush, they are so different.  I am so thankful that Erin told me this information.  All I really needed to do was change brush heads instead of giving up.  My skin is definitely in the purging stage now after almost 2 weeks of using the Clarisonic again, but it is no way near how bad and horrible the purging stage was originally.  I am getting a few breakouts, but I can tell that the texture of my skin is slowly making improvements.  Before trying this for the second time, I felt like all of the nasty gunk was just trapped below the surface of my skin everywhere.  Now my skin is feeling lighter, cleaner and less oily.  I will keep updating how my skin is progressing now that I am trying this Clarisonic again, so stay tuned!

Another reason why I think this time I am having better success with my skin improving is because I went in to Sephora and I told Erin that I wanted a game plan.  I told her I wanted to be prepared for the purge stage and that I wanted the best products to help me.  I mean, come on.  I'm shelling out $119 for the sucker, I might as well invest in my skin and take care of myself!  Another thing that I noticed in between my times using the Clarisonic, my skin got increasingly oily!  I have oily skin, but I have never had to reapply a mattifying powder on my face multiple times throughout the day without looking like a disco ball.  Erin showed me Philosophy's Hope In a Jar Oil Free Moisturizer.  I love love love this stuff!  You literally only need just a little bit and your skin just soaks up the moisture right away.  I have never had my skin feel so soft, clean and not oily!  My skin stays pretty matte throughout the whole day and I have noticed that my purging hasn't been as harsh when I use this moisturizer.  Erin also suggested using the Philosophy Microdelivery Purifying Peel.  I will write a more extensive review on both of these products, but this was so worth the $40!  It has made a wonderful difference in my skin.

My skin has also been adjusting better this round because I haven't been invading it with so many products with salycilic acid in them.  While it is good in taking care of acne, I don't want to bombard my skin more than I already am.  My skin isn't red and screaming at me and while I am getting breakouts, they seem to go away much faster and again, the texture of my skin is getting restored to what it used to be.

I will write again in a few weeks on how my skin is progressing and I can't wait to share with you all.  This definitely has opened my eyes that skincare is super important to me and that it is an investment!  Also, when a product isn't working a certain way, switching up what you are doing can make a world's difference.  So if you are frustrated like I have been, don't give up!  There are other ways to alter your routine to give you the results you are looking for.  All I can say is that I'm glad I gave the Clarisonic a second chance!


Always,
Aimsters XO

Yes, I Love Justin Bieber and One Direction

Great title don't you think?  I would say so.  

I am one of those people who some think is never going to grow up based on the simple fact of what type of music I listen to.  People can be very judgmental, honestly.  I am such a "Teeny Bopper", always have been and I don't care if I always will be.  But I don't just like one type of music.  I love hip-hop, r&b; I like a little bit of everything!  I grew up listening to some of my favorites: The Bacsktreet Boys, Nsync, 98 Degrees, Britney Spears, Christina Augilera....the list could go on for the days.  These days, my favorites are the Biebs and One Direction.  I have been listening to Justin for years on YouTube and have been a fan since the beginning.  I have been to two of his concerts on his debut My World Tour and will continue to be a huge fan.  One Direction on the other hand, I have just discovered their amazingness.  They rose to fame through the X Factor in Europe and their debut album comes out next month and I am BEYOND excited!  While I absolutely adore Justin and One Direction, people get the wrong wrong idea.  I will not deny that I think they are all adorable and cute, people seem to think of me as a cougar and that I am seriously actually in love with these boys.  Love, like I would want to date them?  NO NO NO!!!!  People get your minds out of the gutter.  Here is one of the big reasons why I am drawn and love young acts; I am so inspired.  How could you not be by any young entertainer or person that has gone after their dreams?  These guys are like 18 and 19 and yet they have known what they wanted for their lives and chased after their dreams.  Instead of being like the most of us wishing we could do what we were really passionate about in our lives, they actually went after what they wanted.  These guys have all worked so so so hard to get to the point where they are at and it makes me reevaluate myself, in a constructive way.  I don't want to be that person that goes through life trying to do what I'm "supposed" to do, I want to do what I love everyday of my life.  I want to achieve things I never thought possible and I don't want to hold back.  I definitely recommend watching Justin Bieber's movie Never Say Never.  I know there are a lot of haters out there, but there are also millions of Bieliebers out there supporting him.  I don't care if you like him or not, watch the movie and give him a chance.  You will walk away truly inspired at his hard work, dedication, motivation and drive.  It is one of the most beautiful movies I have seen and in my opinion, I can't see how anyone can walk away from it unchanged somehow.  One of the weirdest things I have said was give someone two years and you can become famous if you really want to.  Alex and I were randomly in my room trying to see how much a trip to Europe would potentially cost us and I blurted that out somewhere.  But I honestly believe it is so true.  If you want anything bad enough, you will and can find your way.  There are so many outlets, especially YouTube that can get you noticed.  Its just a matter of how much you want something.  Another thing that is inspiring is Zac Efron.  I have watched his career blossom and it is so awesome to see someone from a small area like this grow into the fame he has earned.  He grew up where I live and it really is such a small area, with no opportunity at all.  But he knew what he wanted and went after the goal, the dream.  That's honestly why I think so many people hate on these wonderful, young talents because they are envious of their raw guts.  I know I have kinda gone off on a tangent but I think you all get my point.  I love and support people that defy the odds, stay focused and live the life they want to live.  

I have been working on not procrastinating things and being more proactive with my time.  Things are getting better and I hope that new things will open up for me soon.  I am starting to get restless, there is so much that I want to accomplish and I need to remember to not think, just do :)

Sorry for the lack of posts lately.  I just needed to find some inspiration behind my writing :) Hopefully everyone had an amazing weekend and that the week starts off great!

Until next time.....

Always,

Aims XO

Dr.Pepper-Oni

That would be the full name of my precious two and half year old French Bulldog.  You don't even have to really know me on a personal level to know that this dog has my entire heart and soul wrapped around her little paw.  My parents bought her for my 22nd birthday and since October 18, 2009, my life has never been the same.

Today made me want to write about her because I wanted to address something that I get constant scrutiny for.  Pepper was bought from a pet store, the one I happened to work for at the time.  YES, A PET STORE.  I can't tell you the ugly faces, rude remarks that I get from strangers asking me about her and quite frankly I don't understand why it is that I have to sit and defend where she came from ALL THE TIME.  Don't get me wrong, I will gladly answer anyone's questions that they have about her.  I will take the time and answer anything, honestly!  But there is a way to do so, politely!  You would think that this is a common sense sorta thing but people get very fired up about these sort of issues.  Most of the time I get to hear drawn out, emotional and rude speeches about how she came from a puppy mill just because she was purchased from a pet store instead of a breeder.  Are all pet stores bad?  Of course not.  There are still businesses that have integrity and get their animals from reliable sources.  I have never denied the fact that there are some horrible people running businesses involving animals.  But I would think this is a little different, I was an employee at the store where I bought her.  I knew the people taking care of her on a day to day basis and this included myself.  While I don't know her original breeders, I don't think that matters a whole lot.  She was checked out by repatible vets that my animals have been to for the past fifteen years that we have had animals!  What mattered to me and what I would hope would be the main concern of any owner is that she was healthy and happy.  I think that those are pretty simple concerns.  I don't know why people just assume that since it's a "breeder" that the dog is somehow "better"?  People have this attitude like your dog is an unhealthy, worthless thing if it isn't brought into this world by a breeder.  Just because people say that they are breeders doesn't make them reliable or capable of bringing animals into this world!  Many people nowadays try and have puppies just to simply make money!  These people don't know what they are doing half of the time when they should leave these sort of things up to professionals to do.  Just because an animal isn't from a pet store doesn't mean that their living conditions, treatment and health isn't at risk.  People breed dogs in absolute filth in their backyard, have fleas, don't have clean water or proper sheltered living conditions to accommodate all of these puppies.  Yet my dog is from a puppy mill just because she is from a pet store?  I also get a lot of hate for the fact that she was bred out of state.  People automatically flip out at me when they hear that she is from Missouri because it is a "puppy mill" state.  What's even funnier to me is that before I ever tell them what state she is from they throw out the puppy mill term at me.  Just because a dog comes from somewhere else other than California it is automatically a puppy mill?  California is the only state that produces "normal" non "puppy mill" dogs?  I can't help but laugh at how stupid people can really be.  People can be really that ignorant.  I also see a lot of people who seem to think they are better people simply for the fact that they adopted/rescued their dog.  I am 100% for adoption.  I just wanted something very specific for myself.  I met a younger gal today at the dog park who had rescued an English Bully.  He was beautiful and such a friendly soul.  I listened to her story about how many health issues her dog has and how he has to have leg surgery next week.  While I commend her for taking on such a task not just emotionally, but financially, I didn't like how she talked to me condescendingly because Pepper wasn't a rescue Frenchie.  While someday I would love to be able to rescue a Frenchie, I simply can't take on that task now.  I don't like being judged for that either.  People are at different stages in life!  There is no way that I could take on thousands of dollars spent for surgeries and other health problems.  I again commend her for wanting to change a life, but don't make others feel like less of a person, not as good of an owner just because they didn't do the same.  I just want to be left alone and have some peace when I am with my dog.
Again, majority of the time I am told my dog is a puppy mill dog.  Do I know as an absolute fact that she is not?  No, I don't have that answer.  But I do know this: I love her and she is my companion.  If in fact she was from a puppy mill, she is mine and is treated well now.  That's what should matter.  She has always had proper care for her health.  Puppy mill dogs are generally very unsocialized, and malnourished.  Pepper has never been either one of those and besides the fact she was born without a tail, she is structurally as close to perfect French Bulldog as she can get.  I wish I was able to thank her breeders for creating such a perfect little dog in my eyes!  But back to the whole puppy mill thing....If negative people want to assume whatever they want (which they will do anyways no matter what) they should think of it as a positive thing.  If people are really animal activists, they would just care about the overall well being of the animal.  They wouldn't consume the entire focus on where they came from, but where they end up.  For these obsessive people, they should see it as I "saved" Pepper.  Since they truly believe that's what she is, I saved her from her horrible previous life.  Now I still think this is so extreme but bottom line people shouldn't judge me so much!

Would I ever buy another dog from a pet store?  No.  My answer isn't no because of all the crap I have gotten from people, it is because I would hope that I wouldn't be working one in order to see for myself how the business is run/how the dogs are treated.  I definitely do have to say that I will have Frenchies for life.  This breed is perfect for me and my lifestyle.  I couldn't imagine having another type of dog.  There is not a moment that I can't help but smile when I am around her.  Pepper is like a little person.  She is very sensitive, loving, happy, funny, adventurous, sweet, playful and kissable :)  She has brought so much joy to my life and has forever changed me.  What is so special about Frenchies is that they need to artificially inseminated and have to have a Cesarean section in order to give birth.  So every Frenchie you see is a planned little miracle. Pepper is my sweet sweet angel sent straight from heaven.  That is what she means to me and that's what I want people see, not all of the other bull.

Until next time.....

Love Always,
Aims XO

So Yesterday

That title makes me giggle to myself because I used to sing that song by Hilary Duff.  I was a huge Lizzie McGuire fan and Hilary Duff was like perfection to me back in the day.  Too funny!

Well, meat was so yesterday for me.  That's right, I am passing on the meat and becoming a vegetarian.  Why might you ask?  My mother has been a vegetarian for my entire life and for her own ethical reasons, she has chosen not to eat meat.  Growing up, my mom fed my sister and I meat.  We mostly had chicken breast (no bones hahaha) and turkey.  She also fed us a lot of soy products, so I'm assuming that's why I really like a lot of soy products now.  The only other time I have "tried" being a vegetarian was when I was like ten or something and that lasted about a day.  I don't really consider this an attempt due to the fact I had no real clue of what I was doing and had a horrible attention span.  I have always been conflicted eating meat throughout my life.  While I won't lie, I love a good steak every once in awhile, I always was thinking in the back of my mind about the entire process of the meat getting to the state of being on my plate.  If you know me personally, you will know that I am an animal lover.  I am that person that believes animals are one of the greatest of God's creations and that they have the most beautiful, gentle, souls.  I believe that they should be treated with kindness, respect and love.  On the other hand, I am that person that totally accepts others for what they believe in.  This is just what I believe.  I will never force my opinion on anyone, ever!  I will never judge anyone for decisions that they make.  I just want to throw that out there......  I just couldn't handle eating meat anymore.  I don't want to think about animals dying or how they are killed for that matter.  But again, this is just how my mind and heart works.  While I am sure it won't be easy at times, I think when I remember why I am doing it, it won't even make me miss meat at all.  :)

On another note, I know it has been a week since I have posted something on my blog.  I will be honest and let you know why.  My last post was about my marriage and the whole "process" of it all if you will.  While I received some great support from friends that read the post, I also received some not so great feedback.  I am human, things hurt my feelings.  I was at such an indescribable "high" for writing the post, it was so therapuetic for me.  It was a feeling of closure, for me to finally move on with my life.  The comments just hurt me and killed that special moment for me.  While it made me realize that I needed a break to figure out my feelings, it made me realize one thing; it's just words.  Everyone has a right to say what they want, as long as it is done in a respectful fashion.  But let's make one thing very clear, this is MY blog.  My blog is a place for me to express my own opinions.  If you don't like what I have to say, then don't read it!  This is a completely voluntary thing, you don't have to visit my site.  If you want a place of your own, I encourage you to start your own blog!  You would be amazed at how powerful it is to write.  Writing has always been one of my most favorite things to do in life and that is why I hold this blog very dear to my heart.  So please, keep the negativity away from my blog.

With all that being said, it is time for a new episode of Criminal Minds.  I hope you all have had a wonderful week so far!

Until next time......

Love Always,
Aims XO

Maybelline 24 Hour Color Tattoo Cream Eyeshadow Review

These new Maybelline cream eye shadows are getting SO MUCH HYPE on YouTube and blogs everywhere.  Most people say they are a dupe for MAC Paint Pots.  While I don't own any MAC Paint Pots to compare, I can compare them to other cream shadows that I have tried in the past. 

Watching various beauty gurus on YouTube and reading blog posts about the 24 Hour Color Tattoos, all of them talk about how long lasting this product is.  I don't think that anyone in their right mind would want to wear eyeshadow for 24 hours or expect it to last for that long.  A lot of other bloggers say that their experience with the wear was that they didn't need to use a primer and that they experienced no creasing.  (Just in case you are unsure of what primer does, it makes the shadow more vibrant and it prevents creasing from happening)  This was not the case for me however.  I don't think that I have particularly oily eyelids, but these cream shadows creased for me (not badly, but still did) and also lost their pigmentation after a few hours of wear.  At the end of the day the color was faded, and it was hard to even see what color I was wearing on my eyelids.  I thought that it might have just been because of the fact I wasn't wearing any primer.  I tried wearing primer and I still experienced creasing and the pigmentation fading.  I'm not quite sure why I seem to be the only one with this opinion?  While I still like these cream shadows A LOT, I just don't think that they are the new holy grail product like all of the reviews.  How I can see these are worth the hype that they are getting is the fact that the colors in the range are gorgeous and unique.  I don't think many people can say that they have seen a pretty decent cream eye shadow in orange, teal, emerald and purple!  In comparison to the MAC Paint Pots, I can also see why people will be reaching for the Maybelline Color Tattoo's.  The Color Tattoo's range from $6-$8 depending on what drugstore you purchase from for .14oz of product.  They are now at Wal-Mart, so that is the cheapest place I have seen them so far.  The Paint Pots will cost you $17.50 for .17oz of product.  So pretty even in how much product you actually get, but the price difference will definitely draw people to the Color Tattoo's more.  For the price of one Paint Pot, you can get 3 Color Tattoo's!  Kinda a no brainer!  You are also getting a lot of product with the Color Tattoo's.  I mean, for me to actually hit pan on one of these babies is going to take me a LONG time!

Another reason why these are great for the price is because they have such awesome pigmentation.  Even though yes, these creased on me, I can't take away from the fact that with one swipe you have an incredibly saturated swatch of color.  From other reviews I have heard that the only color that doesn't live up to the pigmentation is the "Painted Purple".  Of the three that I have, two of them are shimmery and one is a matte finish.  Tough as Taupe is matte and I love this color for an everyday, classic smokey eye look.  What I like doing with this color is applying it all over my lid and then taking tease from the Naked 2 palette in the crease.  It looks awesome and it literally takes me about 2 minutes to do!  In the morning getting ready for work, I don't want to fuss over my makeup.  I want to get up and go!  My second color, Bad to the Bronze, I actually like this color by itself a lot of the time.  I am not really the type of girl who likes to apply 3 or 4 shades of shadows on my lids to get that gradient affect.  I am not very patient haha.  But I do like applying this shade with just a hint of Blackout from the Naked 2 palette to deepen the outer v.  Keep in mind, use a light hand with the Blackout.  Lastly, I love Pomegranate Punk.  I love the berry burgundy shade!  Again, I like using this one by itself.  I think it is really pretty using this and blending it to be more of a sheer wash of color over the lid, pairing it with a pretty blush for that amazing springtime flush look.  I like to pair it with the Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush in Plum Wine.  On another note, I also like to use my fingers to apply the shadows to my lid.  I find I have more control blending out the product, it is more simple this way and also the warmth of my fingers warms the product up making it that much more easy to apply/blend etc.  Hope you like the suggestions of how I like to use the colors I have! :)

I also really like the packaging for this product!  The shadows are in a glass container with a lid that screws on and off.  A lot of times affordable drugstore products have such horrible packaging and even though it is considerably cheaper than a high end product, it dries out or gets ruined quickly and you have to repurchase   it!  So kudos to Maybelline for making a product that has effective packaging!  I also really like the fact that it has the description of the product on the top of the lid, and you can see the color on the bottom of the glass container!

Here are the three shades that I purchased.  I bought Bad to the Bronze (left), Pomegranate Punk(middle), and Tough as Taupe(right).  The swatches are below and there are no filters; just the lighting in my kitchen :)

Click the link below to be connected to Maybelline's website for more information and also to see the other colors in the range!  (I didn't purchase the rest and I didn't have any other pictures to show you!)

More Info Here!

Overall, I really like this product even though I did experience creasing.  I wish that it didn't do that for my eyelids, but with all of the other great things about this product, I will keep the colors I have.  While I am not sure if I would actually repurchase the product simply for the fact that I seem to be the only person in the blogging world that experience creasing, I would definitely say that this product is worth for every girl to try! This product is very accessible, and easy to use!  The application and blending of this product is so easy and effortless that this would be a great product if you are just starting off with makeup as well!  These beautiful colors are very affordable and you can find these at any drugstore near you.  If you try these out, I would love to hear what you have to think about them!  Leave me a comment below if you have tried them and tell me what you think!

Hope this was helpful for all you beYOUties out there!

Until next time......

Love Always,

Aims XO