Best Makeup Removers | Makeup Wipes, Cleasing oil, Micellar Water

Hi everyone! I hope you all had a lovely Valentine's weekend. I've been MIA, and will still be for a little while due to work. I will try to blog as much as I could, though. We didn't really do anything last Saturday. We just had dinner at a sushi place nearby, and went to a dessert place to hang out with some friends. Low key and relaxing Valentine's day =).

Removing makeup at the end of the day is very crucial to me. I always force myself to wash my face no matter how tired I am that day and how eager I am to go to bed. I make sure that I never go to bed with my makeup on. My face is sensitive just as is, and I don't want to "enrage" the skin even more by going to bed with my foundation on.

I find the more products I've tried, the more I realize how much I love Target's homebrand Up & Up makeup wipes. I find one wipe is enough to remove most of my makeup. It's affordable, and it really does the job. It doesn't irritate my sensitive skin which some of makeup wipes do. I don't stop there. I use Body Shop cleasing oil in the shower. This assures me I've removed all the product from my face. This works great with waterproof makeup, too! It really saves time. I sometimes skip the makeup wipes and use the cleansing oil. After the shower, I use Bioderma micellar water. This just putting the cherry on top in my makeup-removing routine. This makes sure I pick up everything, even around my neck and hairline area which I tend to forget. I also have L'oreal Micellar water that my mom got me when she was in London.  I use it interchangeably, and I find that it works the same as Bioderma. What I like about micellar water is that it totally feels like water. It has no scent and it feels refreshing on the skin. 

What's your favorite makeup-removing products?

Grateful at Work and Drugstore Makeup for Beginners

Happy Saturday!

As a tax accountant, my life is about to get crazy for the next two and a half months as tax season is finally here. Sense my excitement there ;) 

For some reason, I feel more at ease and not as frantic as I had been for the last couple of years. Even in my sea of tax returns that I need to get done, I try to always remember this

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord..."

-Colossians 3:23a

I was reminded God is my boss. He is my boss' boss. He is my boss' boss' boss. He is the ultimate boss whom I'm really working for. Even in my most stressful, I am reminded that I do all this for Him, and the really comforts me. Working for the ultimate boss who cares for my well-being. I have a purpose at work, and I know He has great things planned for me, including my work.

This is another video featuring my drugstore favorites. I've tried out quite a lot of different makeup brands and products, and I understand how overwhelming it could be for people who are just trying to use makeup. I started using makeup in my senior year of college. I was so overwhelmed of the choices, but grateful of all the beauty recommendations from the youtubers and bloggers I came across. Hope this helps you, too!

Products mentioned:
Rimmel Lasting 25 hr foundation
Rimmel Stay Matte Long lasting pressed powder
Rimmel Natural bronzer - sun light
NYX blush - rose garden
Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush - hot tamale
Lorac Behind the scenes eye primer (the only thing not drugstore!)
Wet 'n Wild trio - walking on eggshells
Cover Girl lash blast volume mascara
Revlon Lip Butter - peach parfait

Thank you for reading/watching!

Have a great weekend!

LOTD: Flawless Full-proof Makeup

It's been a long time since I had an LOTD post. I was going out to see the Monarch butterflies migration at Monarch Grove Sanctuary and wanted to have a full-proof makeup as I was gonna be out the whole day. I used YSL Youth liberator serum foundation (review). This just never fails to impress me. Every time I use the foundation, I just can't stop believing how amazing it feels on the skin and how great it makes my skin look! I don't really need a concealer when I use this. I can still see my blemish show a little bit, but that's the way I prefer.

I use Dior Pore Minimizer primer (review). It's my trusty primer to keep my makeup look fresh throughout the day and keep the shine at bay. I also use Soleil Tan de Chanel to keep on the full-proof theme and warm up my skin tone. This cream bronzer looks natural on the skin. It gives subtle dimension by contouring, which can be built up. I chose Revlon Photoready Skinlights in the shade "peach light" for my hightlight. For blush, I use Tarte Amazonian clay blush in the shade "embrace" from Tarte Pin Up Girl blush palette. I seal everything in with Rimmel Stay Matte powder and Urban Decay All Nighter spray. 

My Current Foundation Routine | bareMinerals Original Foundation

I've been in the "no makeup" kinda mood lately. I feel like my skin is agitated, and I don't want to make it more so by layering on with heavy foundation. I go with mineral foundation instead. I'm back in love with the Bare Minerals Original foundation with SPF 15. It's a loose powder with medium coverage. It's not going to cover every single blemish, but that's where the concealer comes to place.

What's In My Bag | Coach Legacy Mini Tanner

I had a video featuring this bag on my old channel, but this just shows how much I love the bag. It has been my staple piece, and I get many compliments for the bag. Even my boyfriend who doesn't pay attention to this kind of thing agrees. This bag was a splurge for me, but I'm glad I did. Sadly, the bag is no longer available, but here' s another Coach bag that I've been eyeing and pretty similar to this (currently on sale!).

Hope you enjoy the video!

Tory Burch Reva vs Audrey Brooke Kristin Flats

Tory Burch 'Reva' Ballerina flat 
 Audrey Brooke Kristin Ballet flats 

I'd been curious of the oh-so-popular  Tory Burch flats for a very long time. I'd seen a lot of people wear them, and I wanted to try them but then backed out because I just didn't think it was worth it. 

Then the Nordstrom sale came. The flats were almost never on sale, but they were that time. I ordered two different sizes (8 and 8.5) online, didn't know which one, if not neither, would fit perfectly. 

Not long after, the look-alike flats by Audrey Brooke, DSW's home brand, caught my attention. My boyfriend told me it looked like a knock-off design. People mistakenly thought it was the real TB flats, which I find surprising that apparently not all are brand conscious. Haha. Silly me.
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Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

If there's one thing that I've been eating without getting sick of it, it is this brussels sprouts with bacon! My friend cooked this on thanksgiving, and I still can't shut up about it. I never knew brussels sprouts could be that tasty! Even without the bacon, I could eat the brussels sprouts for lunch and dinner and repeat!

I've asked my friend how she cooked it, and I've been making it myself for several times now since thanksgiving. I'm in no way a trained cook. I rarely follow recipes 100%, and I always use my judgment when it comes to measurement. This is a pretty easy dish to try, so if you're doubtful, just go light on the balsamic vinegar and you can always add more later. 

Ingredients:

-brussels sprouts

-bacon

-olive oil

-balsamic vinegar (i use worcestershire sauce)

-salt

-pepper

-red pepper flakes (optional)

Here's how I cook it:

1. Pre-heat oven for 380F. 

2. Wash and cut brussels sprouts in halves, and put it in a mixing bowl. You can also use the ones that are already pre-washed and pre-cut. 

3. Add olive oil, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and balsamic vinegar and mix everything in the bowl.

4. Lay the halves on a single layer on a baking sheet.

5. When the oven is pre-heated, put in the brussels sprouts for about 15-20 minutes or the way I like it, until they're a bit burned. 

6. Take it out, put in a serving plate/bowl, or because I'm lazy to do dishes, I just put them back into the mixing bowl I used earlier.

7. Bake/pan-fry bacon as the condiments. After they're cooked cut them into small pieces, or what I do, I just cut them with scissors and put in in the bowl with the brussels sprouts.

8. Ready to serve!

Hope you guys enjoy the dish!