Making Waves in Miami!

This post has absolutely nothing to do with makeup, but it does have to do with beauty. The beauty I have witnessed in the past week has been inspiring and life changing to say the least. This summer I have an internship with the Florida Immigrant Coalition in Miami. Within the past week I have been a part of something so much larger than myself. I volunteered at the largest citizenship clinic the U.S. has ever seen, where FLIC assisted around 700 green card holding immigrants with their citizenship application process. I rallied in front of Marco Rubio's office yesterday, and today witnessed the passing of the S. 744, Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013 in the Senate, while in the FLIC office! 


What I experienced this week was an extreme patients from the hundreds of immigrants at the citizenship clinic who waited hours to complete their applications, a balance between patients and urgency from citizens, documented and undocumented immigrants alike organized in chants, drums, and dance to send a message to Senate, and finally, today, I experienced an array of emotions: tears, joy, and relief. I took part in a conversation in which an acquaintance of mine, Ivan, stated something to the effect of, "If you give a starving person a plate of food, they are going to take it, regardless of what is on it... a plate of food is a plate of food." This immigration reform has its faults, it is not perfect, but it is a start, a foundation, and a beautiful moment for the 11 million undocumented immigrants in this country. 

Check out the footage of us watching and celebrating the Senate decision at FLIC!

http://univision23.univision.com/noticias/local/videos-de-local/video/2013-06-27/dreamers-miami-celebran-reforma-inmigracion-pasada-por-senado

The Reluctant Fundamentalist

This story which has been converted into a movie from a book, and previously from real life experience, was moving and captivating. It includes motifs of love, the American dream, nationalism, alienation, racial profiling, and following one's own path.


It was easy to relate to the struggle of Changez, (Riz Ahmed) the main character, who had to make choices throughout the film whether to follow his heart or to follow what was expected of him in the role he was pursuing. The film makes the viewer contemplate the importance of staying true to one's own beliefs, people, country, and family.

Riz Ahmed's acting was authentic and impressive. The music accented each scene and added a certain richness and culture that was fundamental to the film. I highly suggest seeing the movie!

NYX Lips + more!

I hope everyone is enjoying the end of spring & beginning of summer! I just love warm weather :) Here is a review of NYX lips products I purchased at Ulta plus a few miscellaneous items, enjoy!

These NYX products are as follows starting from top left, ending with bottom right

1. Xtreme lip Cream in Natural
2. Xtreme lip Cream in Nude Peach Fuzz
3. Butter Gloss in Creme Brulee
4. Butter Gloss in Eclair
5. Butter Gloss in Vanilla Cream Pie
6. Jumbo Lip Pencil in Honey Nectar
7. Lipstick in Sky Pink
8. Retractable Lip Liner in Nude Pink
9. Retractable Lip Liner in Grapefruit
10. Retractable Lip Liner in Fruit Punch




Now.. my review!!

I'M OBSESSED WITH XTREME LIP CREAM! It goes on like a lip gloss but first it turns into a lipstick like consistency and after a while, perhaps an hour, it turns into more of a lip stain consistency. I love its staying power and how pigmented it is. Next time I plan to purchase darker colors because I didn't realize how truly pigmented they were and these are a bit light for my skin tone.. but I love them!



The butter glosses are pretty and more natural looking than the xtreme lip creams which is nice for applying over lipstick or wearing alone. They don't have the same staying power as the lip cream but I still really like them for a more simple look.










The jumbo lip pencil is great as it is a cross between a lipstick and a lip stain. I will definitely be purchasing more of these!









The lipstick is surprisingly highly pigmented and lasts quite a while! For $4 or less this is a must have lipstick .. I would even compare it to MAC quality lipstick, I think they are great! The Sky Pink is frosty and a lovely blue pink, I want more










The Retractable Lip Liner is better than any other lip liner I've ever purchased. They are waterproof (for real!) and very rich in color








Now some random goodies!


Mac's Angel Lipstick is stunning! It is a true pinky nude with a touch of shimmer, perfect for day or night .. I have been avoiding wearing it because I love it so much I don't want to use it up!







NYX Eyebrow Shaper is a dream.. I apply it after defining my brows with brown shadow or I use it alone to keep my stubborn coarse hairs in place. It is one of NYX's more expensive products but it is worth it guys!





NYX Studio Liquid Liner is so, so. I have to admit I don't love it but I will use it. I got colors Crystal Gun Metal (Silver Sparkle) and Extreme Plumb Purple. The Purple is very pigmented with one stroke, whereas the silver is not, so it needs multiple coats before it is a strong silver line. For the price I may buy it again but this is an item that will be around for a while since I don't use these colors that much.





Finally NYX Pinched Blush is a pretty soft pink with gold shimmer that is said to be a "dupe," or duplicate, for Nars Orgasm. I like the color but I don't believe that it stands up to Orgasm because the color isn't rich enough for it to compare. Still a lovely blush though!





I hope you enjoyed this post! Let me know if there is anything I should try and write a review on? What else do you want to see on my blog? SUBSCRIBE por favor! Besos ❤❤

Review of the Hottest Eyes & Face Products Right Now!

I just celebrated my 21st birthday and was given Sephora and Mac gift cards as presents (and I splurged a little!!) This review is mostly comprised of products that I have heard great things about and have been dying to get my hands on so I thought I would share with you! I actually have so many to review that I decided to break this into 1 eyes & face post followed by a lips/NYX post.. enjoy!!







NAKED PALETTE #1 by Urban Decay
This little baby is really incredible. The colors are so rich and highly pigmented with amazing color payoff. If you love makeup this is really worth purchasing. I ended up buying the 1st one because it is better for warmer skin tones like mine, whereas the second palette is better suited for fairer skin tones, but the colors aren't too different in either one so anyone can really rock them!

On the other hand, I'm not too crazy about the little extras that the palette includes. It comes with a mini UD eye primer which I found too sticky for my taste, as well as an eyeshadow brush which works fairly well but I prefer my Mac 217 brush.


Too Faced tinted Beauty Balm (BB Cream)
Love it! This is my first BB cream that I have tried and the color matches my skin perfectly! I wear shade Cream Glow. It is really light and natural looking as opposed to foundation which completely washes out your natural blush and skin color. I am diggin' this for summer!




The Porefessional by Benefit
This primer reduces the appearance of pores and oil and smooths out skin's appearance. I had been using Flawless and Poreless by Pixi which is almost the exact same texture and consistency as Porefessional. I still love both and think they work equally well. The only downside is that Porefessional is packaged in a .75 oz tube at a price of $30 which I think is outrageous. Once this is empty I will be purchasing Pixi's product again because it is $30 for a 1.01 oz tube .. more for your money honey!


Too Faced Shadow Insurance
To me, this eye primer outbeats Mac's paint pots and UD's Eyeshadow Primer Potion anyday. I haven't experienced any creasing and the eyeshadow, regardless of how loose and sparkly (Naked shadows!) will stick so well to the eyelid! I can't say enough about this primer..seriously!







Nude on Board bronzer by Mac
Mac currently has a limited edition line of bronzers which I recommend going to check out. While Mac is always on the pricey side, I think that for the size of the compact which includes a mirror, this is actually a pretty good value! $24 I believe .. but go scope it out before they are gone!








Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner by Stila
This one is quick.. outstanding liner! Worth the money.. fantastic staying power.. great black color.. and really fine tip which is excellent for winging out your liner. Get it.







They're Real mascara by Benefit
Fab mascara that lengthens, separates, and adds natural drama. Dislike how pointy the bristles on the wand are though.. ouch man!



Various Mac eyeshadows (from left to right)
& ignore the weird dot on my hand!

Cork: Muted golden-brown
Saddle: Golden orange-brown
Shale: Mauve plum with subtle shimmer
Sable: Golden plum with bronze pearl
Soft Brown: Golden Peachy Brown

I could never give Mac eyeshadows a negative review.. they never disappoint, although I am quite impressed by the Naked & Boudoir Eyes palette.




For insanely cheap highly pigmented shadows, Coastal Scents is on spot! My favorites by them are Sand Dune, HP-ME21, Victorian Pear, HP-ME04, Fresh Tone, Canyon Coral, Rich Walnut, & Amaretto. Their prices are unbeatable at $1.99 per e/s pan!!





I hope this review was helpful! If you have any questions, comments, think this post was way too long, want to see more posts like this, love my blog, or have any helpful suggestions please comment! Don't forget to subscribe :) Muchisimos besos amores ❤❤