An Engineer's Beauty Diary

Hello and welcome back to my blog! Today, I'm sharing with you all my everyday makeup products and routine for back to school/college/university. Without further ado, let's take a look at the routine! Step #1: Foundation I use the Bare Minerals Matte Foundation in the shade Golden Ivory with my Real Techniques Buffing or Expert Face Brush. I tap a bit of the powder foundation onto the lid and then dip my brush in and buff it all over my skin. I do a very thin layer so that it doesn't look cakey. Step #2: Concealer I just use my foundation for concealer. I do this by putting a bit more powder into the lid, and using my Real Techniques Deluxe Crease or Base Shadow Brush, I swirl it into the powder and buff it onto any blemishes, redness, or acne scarring not covered by the initial layer of foundation. Step #3: Contour I don't really have a bronzer to contour with, so currently, I'm using another Bare Minerals Matte Foundation in the shade Gol...

Hello and welcome back to my blog for Day 13 of Daily Blogging! Today, I have something a little different for you - a mini haul of Essie nail polishes from Ulta. I recently went to Ulta and had a great coupon for 30% off of all Essie polishes, so I had to pick something up from the Gel Couture line. I'll most definitely be bringing out a full review of the Essie Gel Couture polishes soon! Without further ado, into the haul we get! I got 2 Essie Gel Couture colors and 1 from their regular line. As you can see from the picture, they're very autumn/winter shades. I just can't wait for the weather to cool down! First up, I have Caviar Bar, which is a deep navy creme shade and part of the Gel Couture range. Next, I have Turn n' Pose, also from the Gel Couture range. This is a deep purple creme. Lastly, I have the cult favorite Bahama Mama from Essie's regular range. This is a beautiful burgundy creme. Well, that's all I've hauled recently from...

Happy Sunday and welcome back to my blog for Day 12 of Daily Blogging! Today I have for you something other than a review - this will be a post on the products that I regret buying. I will preface this by saying that everyone has different skin, so what may not work for me, could still amazingly work for you. Without further ado, let's get into it! Regret #1: Lush Mask of Magnaminty I don't have a picture of this, because I opened it up the other day and saw that it was moldy. :( So I immediately tossed it out. I bought this a while ago in hopes that it would live up to its hype about how amazing it was for oily, acne prone skin. I used it a few times and noticed that while it left my skin ultra smooth from the physical exfoliation particles, it also broke me out! I noticed that I always had a new breakout the next morning, and since I didn't change anything else in my routines, it was definitely this. Also, the scent of it was unappealing to me as it was almos...

Hello and welcome to Day 11 of Daily Blogging! Today's post will be on a Real Techniques Brush Starter kit. These are the brushes that I think everyone should have in their collection. Below, I've included my favorites that I use on a daily basis. If there are two brushes listed under each category, then I use those interchangeably.  Foundation Buffing Brush Expert Face Brush Concealer Base Shadow Brush Deluxe Crease Brush Highlight Setting Brush Blush Cheek Brush Duo Fiber Face Brush Contour Contour Brush Eyeshadow Base Shadow Brush All of the brushes I've listed above I use on a pretty much daily basis. I don't use eyeshadow all that often, mostly because I don't have much time in the morning before class to put together an eye look, so I like to use a cream shadow and then use the Base Shadow Brush to apply a powdered shadow in the crease. I also love the Base Shadow Brush for concealer, which shows how ver...

Happy Friday and welcome to Day 10 of Daily Blogging! Today I'm sharing with you a review on another Drunk Elephant product, the Marula Oil. Without further ado, let's get into it! Q: Where can I buy it? A:  Sephora stores, sephora.com, drunkelephant.com Q: How much does it cost? A:  Full size: $72 USD; Mini: $40 USD Q: How much do I get in one bottle? A:  Full size: 1 oz / 30 mL; Mini: 0.50 oz / 15 mL Q: What's the packaging like? A:  This oil comes in a white bottle with a yellow pump and cap.  Q: Will it suit my skin? A: If you have dry, sensitive skin, or even combo/oily skin, this is the most amazing oil! Especially if it's the middle of winter and your skin peels like mine does. This is the most soothing and fast acting oil I've ever used. If you have more mature skin, this oil will also be absolutely amazing as a moisturizer for you! Q: Is the scent going to give me a headache? A:  No! There's absolutel...

Hi and welcome to Day 9 of Daily Blogging! Thank you all for joining me; today I have a review up on the Vichy Mineral Pore Purifying Clay Mask. Without further ado, let's jump into the review! Q: Where can I buy it? A:  Ulta stores, ulta.com, www.vichyusa.com Q: How much does it cost? A:  $20 USD Q: How much do I get in one bottle/jar? A:  75 mL Q: What's the packaging like? A: The mask is housed in a heavy glass jar with a screw on lid. I make sure to twist it on tightly to prevent the mask from drying out. Q: Will it suit my skin? A: If you have oily/combo, acne prone skin, then yes, this will be perfect for you. It is a clay mask, and it does dry down, so if you already have very dry skin, then this could potentially dry you out even more.  Q: Is the scent going to give me a headache? A:  It shouldn't, but it's on a thin line of being almost too strong. It smells like perfume and you can smell it whe...

Hello and welcome back to my blog for Day 8 of Daily Blogging! Today I have for you a review on another Herbivore product - the Blue Tansy Resurfacing Clarity Mask. Without further ado, let's get into it! Q: Where can I buy it? A:  Sephora stores, sephora.com, herbivorebotanicals.com Q: How much does it cost? A:  Full size: $48 USD; Mini duo: $29 USD Q: How much do I get in one bottle? A:  Full size: 2 oz / 60 mL; Mini: 1 oz / 29 mL Q: What's the packaging like? A:  This mask is housed in a heavy glass jar with a white lid. The print on the front is clean  and easy to read. Since the glass jar is clear, you can see that the mask is a blue/green/violet color. Q: Will it suit my skin? A: If your skin is acne prone, textured, sensitive, then this mask will be great for you. It'll work especially well if you're prone to redness in your skin as this will help calm it down. I think this is gentle enough to work for any...

Hello and welcome to Day 7 of daily blogging! We've made it to a whole week of daily posts! I absolutely am loving putting up a post for all of you to read every single day. Today, I'm sharing with you a review on the Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Sukari Baby Facial. Without further ado, let's dive into the review! Q: Where can I buy it? A:  Sephora stores, sephora.com, drunkelephant.com Q: How much does it cost? A:  Full size: $80 USD; Mini duo: $25 USD Q: How much do I get in one bottle? A:  Full size: 1.69 oz / 50 mL; Mini: 0.50 oz / 15 mL Q: What's the packaging like? A: This comes in a pump bottle with a very smooth and functional pump. It does have very aesthetically appealing packaging with the pink pump and the white bottle. Q: Will it suit my skin? A:  If your skin is oily/combo and acne prone and you can handle acid exfoliation, then yes, this is most definitely for you. It does sting a little at first, so if ...

Hello lovelies and welcome to Day 6 of daily blogging! Today, I have yet another review for you, on the Tarte Knockout Tingling Treatment. Without further ado, let's get into the review! Q: Where can I buy it? A: Sephora stores, sephora.com, tartecosmetics.com Q: How much does it cost? A:  $39 USD Q: How much do I get in one bottle? A:  5 oz / 150 mL Q: What's the packaging like? A: This is housed in a tall, heavy bottle that feels like glass, with a large, blue plastic screw cap that ensures nothing leaks out.  Q: Will it suit my skin? A: If you have acne prone, oily/combo skin that can tolerate acids, then yes, this is for you. You should especially look into this if you have texture issues and/or acne scarring. If you're sensitive to glycolic acid, no worries as this contains 10% salicylic and lactic acids as well as niacinimide to help soothe the skin. Q: Is the scent going to give me a headache? A: ...

Hello and welcome to day 5 of daily blogging! Today, I'm bringing you a review on the Clarins Lotus Face Treatment Oil. It's an oil formulated specifically with combo/oily skin in mind. Without further ado, let's jump into the review! Q: Where can I buy it? A:  Sephora stores, Sephora.com, Ulta stores, Ulta.com, clarinsusa.com Q: How much does it cost? A:  $58 USD Q: How much do I get in one bottle? A: 1 oz / 30 mL Q: Will it suit my skin? A:  If you have combo/oily, acne prone, sensitive skin, then yes! This oil is formulated for combo/oily skin and is meant to help balance out the skin.  Q: Is the scent going to give me a headache? A:  I don't think so, unless you're very sensitive to scents. It has a very herbal scent from the essential oils, but while I found it strong at first, it became very soothing and relaxing to me. Q: How do I use it? A:  I drip 4 drops onto the palm of ...

Hello and welcome back to my blog for Day 4 of daily blogging! In today's post, I'll be sharing with you a review on the best lip glosses I've ever used, aka, the Neutrogena Hydro Boost Lip Shines! Without further ado, let's get into the details! Q: Where can I buy it? A:  Drugstores, Ulta stores, Ulta.com, neutrogena.com Q: How much does it cost? A:  Ranges anywhere from $7-$9.99 USD depending on where you buy it and whether you have a coupon or not. Q: What's the shade range? A:  They have 16 shades, ranging from soft nudes, to deep, dark burgundies! I have the shades Radiant Rose (50) and Vibrant Raspberry (60). See more pics and swatches below: Q: Is the scent going to give me a headache? A:  No, because there is absolutely no fragrance in this! While a delicious vanilla scent can be good at times, some can be overpowering, so I like it when lip products don't have any discernib...

Hello and welcome back to my blog! As you all know, I'm daily blogging, and so today I'm coming at you with a review of the Herbivore Lapis Facial Oil. Let's dive into the details! Q: Where can I buy it? A: Sephora stores, sephora.com , herbivorebotanicals.com ,  dermstore.com Q: How much does it cost? A: $72 USD Q: Will it suit my skin? A:  If you have oily/combo, acne prone, sensitive, red, parched, irritated skin and you've always avoided any product with any ingredient listed as some sort of 'oil' in the past, then yes! This is for anyone who wants to try balancing their skin out but has been hesitant because they don't want to cause more acne. The Blue Tansy helps to calm redness and the oil itself helps to restore and balance the skin.  Q: How is it packaged? A: This oil is housed in a beautiful heavy glass bottle with a glass dropper. As you can see from the picture, it's a gorgeous blue color! ...