Valentia Even Glow Facial Serum

Recently, there has been quite a buzz about face serums in the beauty community.  I didn't really understand what it was or how it was used, but I was intrigued to try it!  Then, Valentia was so kind as to let me try out their Vitamin C Antioxidant Treatment Even Glow Serum!  It may be a mouth full, but all of those things are what make the product great!

The Even Glow Serum has a great deal of healing properties including: pore reduction, hydration, wrinkle/fine line reduction, evens skin tone, boots collagen production, and increases glow and radiance!  It's made with 98% organic and natural products such as green tea extract and rosehip seed oil.  The serum comes in a small bottle with a syringe for application.

For me, I put a nickle sized amount in my hands and applied to my face and neck.  I put it on every day after washing my face and before moisturizing.  The serum smells amazing, like oranges, it's refreshing when applied, and dries very quickly!  I felt like I didn't really even need moisturizer since the serum hydrated my skin so well.  After my 5 day test run, I was already seeing results!  The redness on my cheeks and chin were reduced and my skin felt refreshed and tightened.  You can see the change in my pictures below, even though the first one is a little blurry (my bad).  In both photos I'm wearing no makeup and in the first, I had yet to use the serum.

I was particularly excited to try the Even Glow serum because I do have issues with uneven skin tone.  It always bothered me to the point where I felt uncomfortable going out without something on my face to cover the redness.  So far, if these results continue as wonderfully as they have, then I will no longer have to worry about that!

Overall, I think the Valentia Even Glow Serum is a great product that is definitely worth trying!  You can only get it on amazon HERE, and it's only $35.  Plus, they're having a great promotion of buy one get one 50% off.

To learn more about Valentia Skin Care, Even Glow Serum, and other products check out their website HERE! 

*This post is sponsored by Brand Backer and Valentia Skin Care Company.  All opinions are my own and the product was complimentary for reviewing purposes only. 

Summer Glam with Mary Kay!!

Hey everyone!! Who is seriously ready for summer?! Now that spring has finally arrived, I am still unsatisfied and now am craving summer.  Go figure.  I actually am not a huge fan of spring because of allergy season. Yuck.  However, I'm happy that it's reasonably warm and I don't need my boots and coat anymore!

But, in light of the coming season, I've decided to show you a Summer Glam makeup look featuring the wonderful products I received compliments of Mary Kay and Influenster!  Earlier this week I came home to a very happy mail day!  One of my packages was my MKGlam VoxBox!  Included was:

Mary Kay® Bronzing Powder

Mary Kay® Translucent Loose Powder

Mary Kay® Mineral Cheek Color

Mary Kay® Cream Eye Color in Apricot Twist 

Mary Kay® Cream Eye Color/Concealer Brush

Mary Kay® Lash Love® Mascara

Mary Kay® Gel Eyeliner with Expandable Brush Applicator in Jet Black

Mary Kay® NouriShine Plus® Lip Gloss in Mango Tango 

Happy Mail! Top Photo is MK!

Everything in the box was so pretty, fresh, and summery! I was inspired to create my own look using everything! So I'm going to call this my Mary Kay Summer Glam Makeup Mini Tutorial! 

So first up, I primed my face to make it a blank canvas for my makeup. I used my Yes to Blueberries Brightening Eye Roller to de-puff my eyes. This is really great for early mornings! Then I sprayed with my Lush Cosmetics Tea Tree Water Toner. Last I decided to use my Aveeno Positively Radiant Tinted Moisturizer. Now a lot of times I would use full fledged foundation, especially if I was planning on being photographed. But for this look, I felt that a tinted moisturizer was a better summer option. It's lightweight and gives you that sunkissed, dewy glow! Lastly, I put on a bit of concealer to cover any blemishes, redness, and the dark circles under my eyes that never seem to go away.  I used Benefit's Boing concealer (not shown) which is a lifesaver.

So now that we're prepped and ready, next up is powders!  I started off with the Mary Kay Translucent Powder to set the "foundation" and take away unwanted shine.  So here is what I looked like at this point!

Next I put on the MK Bronzer and the MK Blush! Both had great color and pigmentation. I didn't need to use a whole lot for it to show up. For the bronzer, I used the MK Powder Brush to dust it on the places the sun would normally color your skin. Which is pretty much everywhere except your eyes! I also used it to contour just a smidge under my cheek bones and jaw line. As for blush, I tend to be picky about colors. I usually lean toward a more coral tinted color, and this one is right in between pink and coral. But I absolutely love it. It gave me a nice natural glow that doesn't look like I'm wearing too much. And it's even got a bit of glitter!

Now onto my favorite part, the eyes!  I always love to play up my eyes with makeup! Although most of the time I go for a natural eyeshadow and a classic winged eyeliner.  Which is pretty much what I did here. After touching up my eyebrows, priming my eyelids and white lining my waterline, I moved onto the shadow!

Now I'm not really used to cream eyeshadows.  I've used them before on other people, but I actually think this is now the only one I own!  I have to say though, I really love it.  Its a beautiful color: neutral with a bit of shine, and its not slimy or greasy.  The color is very light, but it could definitely stand alone.  But for me, I like to add a little more depth.  So I used my favorite shadow pallet, Stila's In the Light pallet.

Can you tell which are my favorites? Lol.

I put the MK on my lids, then used the Stila "Kitten" shadow to highlight my brows, then dusted a little of the "Gilded" in my crease.  Also to give my eyes a little more brightness, I put some of the "Bubbly" in the inner corners of my eyes.

There are really a lot of different ways to use this cream shadow.  Another great thing about it is that its very buildable.  I used about two or three light coats to get it to the intensity I liked.  But you could definitely make it stand out even more if you want.

Awkward finger swatch

Next for the eyes was eyeliner!  I am basically the eyeliner queen.  I've been obsessed since about 8th grade and ever since I literally won't leave the house without it!  Well, not until recently when I started working 9 to 5. Now mascara is enough to hold me off, since I already look like I haven't slept in weeks.  Not much I can do to cover that anyway, haha.  But I digress.

This eyeliner is fabulous.  It is the MK Gel Eyeliner, and it came with the little baby brush which is adorable and equally as wonderful. It's also expandable. The liner glides on super smooth and is a really cool texture. It's not really a solid like most gel liners I've tried, but actually "gel" like in texture.  To give you an idea, if I had stuck my finger in it it would have sunk to the bottom!  So really, in this particular case, go light with that brush and less is definitely more. I found myself wiping the brush on the side of the pot even after taking the tiniest bit.  So seriously, don't just dive on in there.  You'll regret it.

Last for my eyes was the mascara. I am a mascara addict. Which is actually funny because I never even used it until my second or third year of college. I always hated the clumpy feeling it gave me. But when I got older, I tried out some different ones and eventually latched on to the Maybelline mascara collection. Seriously I bought like every new one that came out until I found my favorite. But for this look, I used the MK Mascara. I actually really like it. It's not clumpy and it doesn't feel like you're really wearing anything. But it gave my lashes a nice natural boost. I put two coats on my top and one on the outer lashes on the bottom.

I used that little brush for my concealer!

To complete the look, I finished off with the MK lipgloss. I think this is the product I was most excited about when I opened everything up. It's such a fun, bright color and instantly made me think of summer. It's just an overall great gloss!

I had a really great time doing this look! I 100% LOVE all of the Mary Kay products and would recommend them all to everyone! I'll definitely be using them this summer!! Make sure you head over to the Mary Kay website to check out the products I used and the tons of other great things they have to offer! I've been a fan of theirs for many years, as my mom used to be a representative!! So believe me when I say the company is timeless and great quality!

The final look!

I hope you enjoyed reading my first mini makeup tutorial as much as I did writing it! Please feel free to comment below with any questions or anything else! I always love to hear from my readers!

#DWEEB

XO, Briana

#PowerofPlants: The Boots Botanics Ionic Clay Mask!

Hey everyone!  So today I'm going to tell you a little bit about the Boots Botanics Ionic Clay Mask that I received courtesy of influentser!  I finally got the time to try it out and it did not disappoint!

First a little bit about the product.  This mask, when used, "actively removes impurities and deeply cleanses." It's also supposed to make your skin less shiny.  In the directions, it suggests that you use it a couple times of week for best results.  So seeing as I've only used it this one time, I'm just going to give you my initial reaction to it and how it made my skin feel.  The mask is made up of mostly organic materials, it's star ingredient being Willow Bark Extract.  Also, all of the Botanics products are free of parabins, mineral oils, parafin waxes, SLS, and SLES.  It's not tested on animals and the packaging is made of mostly recycled materials.  Save your face and the environment simultaneously!

Now lets get to the fun part.  Me and my fails at using new products.  So after reading the directions on the package (which as with anything else are extremely vague) I proceeded to put the mask on.  Now, it failed to tell me to shake well before using, so it was running everywhere and made a huge mess.  So please if you buy this make sure you shake it first to avoid a green goblin esq crime scene.

Next, I just smeared the now appropriately thick mask all over my face and neck, avoiding the eye area and making sure to put enough on.  You want to make sure you use enough to cover your face and not see skin peeking out, but not too much where it takes forever to dry.

Bonus ridiculousness

Once you feel like you've put an ample amount on, you get to sit around for ten minutes with a green face.  I proceeded to sing Defying Gravity for as long as possible before it was too stiff and I could no longer move my face. (LOL)  So don't expect to have a conversation for that short bit.  And don't laugh either. Seriously.

P.S. I wasn't trying to look miserable, i just couldn't make an expression

After your ten minutes are up, your face should have turned a lighter, less putrid colored green and be hard as a rock.  Make sure you touch it because it feels really cool.  Then proceed to your bathroom (if you're not already there) to take it all off.

On the package, it says something about tissues, and whatever.  I just rinsed it off with warm water and that seemed to do the trick.  I would recommend using tissues to make sure you get off all of the slime, I mean mask, as to not get it on your clothes or your white towel.  Luckily, my towel happened to be green.  I patted dry and Voila! good as new!

My skin now feels tighter, softer, and cleaner.  It's also more even in color and less oily.  It kind of feels like getting a mini facial!  This is definitely one of the best masks I've used.  I don't know about you guys, but I like to see/feel results right away and this one for sure hit the mark.  I would recommend this to just about anyone who needs a little R&R for their skin!  Enjoy!

XO, Briana

Brought to you by:

SPA NIGHT with Montagne Jeunesse Clay Spas & Sally Hansen Triple Shine Polish!

Hello again!! Back with my first set of reviews for my #InfluentserVoxBox !!  As you no doubt guessed from the title, this post is a review on the Montagne Jeunesse Clay Spa and the Sally Hansen Triple Shine Nail Polish that I received!

The MJ Red Earth Clay Spa

In my Violet Vox Box, I received the MJ Red Earth Clay Spa.  It's a mix of Mediterranean clay, pomegranate, and cinnamon! This is the first time I've ever used one of these spa masks and I have to say it was a very positive experience!  I've seen these around different stores for years, like almost as long as I can remember, and I'd only ever thought about buying one.  Personally, I don't tend to do masks in general so that's the only reason I didn't buy it.  But it did stand out to me enough to make me want to buy it.  Apparently, Influentser beat me to it.  

The masks are pretty easy to use.  The only thing that was a pain was positioning it.  That kind of threw me off, but in the end it didn't really matter.  So here is the easy step-by-step!

Step 1: Wash your face.  I recommend a gentle cleanser just to wash away any excess oils.  Also if you're wearing makeup, make sure you get that off first!

Step 2:  Put on the mask.  When I took it out of the package I was surprised.  I initially thought it would be like a cream that I had to squeeze out, but then I realized it was actually a "mask."  So once you get it out, just position the holes in alignment with your face as best as you can.  Like I said, I had a little trouble but it still worked.  Make sure you smooth it down to get maximum coverage!

Be prepared to look ridiculous. Did I do it right??

Step 3: Relax!  Leave the mask on for about 10-15 minutes and just chill out! Listen to music, read a book, stare at the wall, whatever floats your boat!  I recommend not doing anything that will make you laugh.  I had this happen while I was wearing mine and it kept peeling up and tearing on the open areas.  So stay serious.  Very serious.  

Step 4: Massage.  First remove the mask, then just rub the remainder of the mask goodness into your face.  Do this until your satisfied and then rinse your face with cold water, and pat dry.

And that's it! You're done!  I really enjoyed my time with my spa mask.  It felt really good on my face and smelled amazing!  And as I'm writing this it's been about an hour since I did it and my skin still feels smooth and taught.  Like I had some botox done. (haha)   I 100% recommend this product and I will definitely be trying the other spas that Montagne Jeunesse has to offer!!  

Keep up with Montagne Jeunesse!!

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Sally Hansen Triple Shine Nail Polish

Also in my Vox Box, I got the "Pixie Slicks" Sally Hansen Triple Shine Nail Polish!  It's an adorably girly bubblegum pink color and I'm in love.  I decided to paint my toe nails using the polish, and it looks so nice!!

The polish has bright color and great shine!  I also decided to top it off with my China Glaze "Pizzazz" glitter polish!  I call it my Pink Candy Pedi! I even made an Instavideo of how I did it!  

As you can see, the polish is wonderful! I will probably go and buy myself some of their other colors! You can never have enough nail polish!!

Stay tuned for the rest of my Vox Box goodies!! :)

XO, Briana

The Influentser Violet Vox Box!

At the beginning of the month, I had the honor of receiving my first ever Vox Box from the Influentser team!! After signing up for the site and completing all of the necessary tasks, I made the list!! So now I have a little box full of wonderful products to try out and review to all of you!! I'll be splitting them up a bit, so here is how the whole shebang is going to go:

In my #VioletVoxBox, I got one #GoodyAtheltique Velcro headband, one #SoyJoy Cranberry baked soy bar, one #SallyHansen #TripleShine nail polish, one #NYMCleanFreak Dry Shampoo, and one Montagne Jeuness Clay Spa Mask (#MJClaySpas).

So, I'm going to review the headband, the soy joy, and the dry shampoo together and then the spa mask and nail polish in a separate post.  That totals to three Vox Box posts (including this one!)

On every post with products from Infulentser, you'll see this little badge.  This just shows that, "Hey, I got this from Influentser! Yay! Thanks!"

So that's basically it for this introductory post.  Don't want to give away all of the fun stuff!! ;) In the meantime, here are all of the links to the Pinterest boards I made for this box! Have fun, and check back soon for post number 2! 

Vox Box Board

Spa Day Board

Good Hair Day Board

XO, Briana

Paint Your Face On!

Seeing as that I consider my blog to be not only a fashion blog but also a beauty blog, I figured I should probably do a beauty post!! So here is the first and most important post every beauty blogger has: My Personal Favorites.

I've put together my top three for each eyes, lips, and face:

1) Maybelline Line Stiletto

I have been using this eyeliner for about 3 years now and I have become a very loyal customer.  This liquid eyeliner has a pointy brush that makes it easy to accomplish thick or thin lines.  I find it very easy to use, especially for someone like me who has a shaky hand.  If I can master the perfect cat eye, than you can too! Line Stiletto comes in several different colors, including my everyday "Brownish Black" and my badass going out/occasions only "Blackest Black."

2) Stila "In the Light" Nudes Eye Shadow Palette

This Stila eye shadow palette has easily and quickly become my favorite.  Being a blue-eyed baby, neutrals and browns are my best friend.  This palette is chock-full of them and offers a variety of combinations, allowing many different looks.  It even comes with "cheater cards" as I like to call them, with ideas on how to wear the shadows.  The "kitten" color is a perfect brow bone highlighter (pun intended) and "bare" is a great base shadow.  The colors give a perfect combo of matte and glittery that I absolutely love. And the steeley "night sky" and dark "ebony" make a killer smokey eye for a night out!  For an extra bonus, it even comes with the Stila smudge stick waterproof eyeliner in "damsel." I'm not huge on pencil liners, but this one is fantastic.  I like to use it for the smokey eye look since it smudges really well. (Guess why it's called a smudge stick haha.) The color is a dark brown and will accent any color eye nicely.  I'd definitely recommend the entire palette to any girl looking for a great neutral set!

3) Maybelline Volum' Express Falsies Big Eyes Mascara

Every time Maybelline comes out with a new mascara I buy it.  I have a collection of about 6 different ones that I've tried and liked.  Then this one came along and knocked them all out of the water.  The big selling point for this mascara is the double sided brush.  I personally use mascara on my top and bottom lashes and I always found it to be a pain to use such a big brush for such little lashes.  So now I have the Big Eyes small brush for lower lashes and I'm addicted.  It's the perfect size to grab those small lashes, define them, and not poke yourself in the eye in the process.  As for the top lash brush, it does exactly what you want your go-to mascara brush to do.  And the mascara itself stays all day, yet it's also easy to get off your skin if you make a mistake or blink too early. (Which I am all too guilty of) I'd also recommend Maybelline's Cat Eyes Mascara if you tend to focus on your top lashes only.  The rounded brush works wonders!

4) Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain

I'm not the girl who wears lipstick every day.  In fact, it's rare that anything makes it on my lips at all.  But when I do take the time to get some color on there, this is my go to product.  This "balm stain" is exactly what it proclaims to be: the color and long wear of a stain and the softness of a balm.  It glides on super easily and leaves you with kissable colored lips. No icky gloss feeling, no intimidating lipstick smudge.  Just great color and soft lips.  There are several color options, but my favorite is a pretty red called "Romantic." Muah!

5) Maybelline Baby Lips

I must admit, I am a Baby Lips addict.  I have eight, count 'em, eight different ones and they keep coming out with new ones.  It's a bad habit, but I just adore them.  They come in all different colors, including your basic reds and pinks, nudes like peach and clear, neons, and the newest medicated ones have a pearly shine. The only question I have is what will they come up with next?!  Baby lips is basically tinted lip balm, but the sleekness of it is what got me hooked.  You look like your wearing a lipstick or stain, but it feels like you're wearing Chapstick.  It's the best of both worlds!

6) Maybelline Super Stay 24 Hour 2 Step Lip Color

If you're looking for your perfect lipstick for a glamorous night out, search no further.  It's the Maybelline Super Stay Lip Color. I originally purchased this lipstick to use for a musical I was in.  It required us to be on stage for several hours with little time to touch up makeup.  So I decided to try this, mainly because it was the color I wanted (bright red) and it said 24 hours.  Although it may not have lasted exactly that long, it did last for the time I needed it to. Through sweat, water bottles, and intermission snacks, the only thing I had to do was slick the clear balm side over every once in a while to keep it shiny.  But if you're really in a pinch, the color will still stay on without reapplying the balm, it will just look like a stain.  Either way it looks and stays wonderfully and I would recommend it in any color!

7) CoverGirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3 in 1 Foundation

This foundation is a miracle worker.  It's not lying when it says 3 in 1.  It claims to be a moisturizer, a primer, and a foundation and it totally is.  I personally need a reasonably heavy foundation because my skin is uneven in color, so I look for something that has good coverage but still feels light on my skin.  This CoverGirl one does the trick.  I hardly even need concealer with this, unless it's a really red spot.  In that case, nothing can really cover that.  But this little buddy saves the day and makes my daily routine that much easier! And it comes in a bunch of different skin tones to match anyone!

8) Physician's Formula Organic Wear Loose Powder

This Physician's Formula powder is my go to loose powder! I use it on a daily basis to keep my face from looking shiny.  To do that, I use a softer, lighter brush than the one it comes with, but this powder has one more trick up its sleeve.  When I'm having a lazy day and don't feel like painting my whole face on, I just throw on a bit of this powder (with included brush) and call it a day!  I buy the translucent powder so I can layer it on any time of the year and it matches. It's also really great for the summer when you want a little coverage on the beach.  I'm one of those girls that never leave the house with some kind of makeup on my face, so when I go to the beach I just use a SPF BB Cream and then some of this powder and I'm ready to go!

9) Physician's Formula Happy Booster Glow and Mood Boosting Bronzer

Every girl needs a great bronzer, so why not buy one that will make you happy too!  This baby can be used dry or wet and it smells amazing.  I put on a little bit of this all over my face and neck to get a pretty summer glow all year round! And it smells like flowers and has sparkles in it; how could it not make you happy?  I also use it to contour a bit on my neck, cheeks, and temples.  It's very natural and dewy and the color is great for most skin tones.  The pigment in it isn't super saturated so even if you're fair skinned, a swipe of this would still look like you went to the Bahamas for the weekend.  Summertime happiness all year round!

These are just a few of my regular beauty routine products.  I use a lot of different things, and one day I plan on doing a tutorial! I've linked all of the products to their page on popular websites for easy viewing and possible impulse purchasing.

What are you're favorite beauty products? What can you not live without? I want to know! I'm always looking for new things to try, especially if they're recommended by my very dear followers!!

XO, Briana