How-to: Get a Glowy Silky Smooth Leg!

Hi lovelies! Today I want to share my tip with you on how to get your legs looking smooth and glowy. You might have known or done this method before, but who knows some of you don't know yet, hee hee. I actually have acknowledged it for a long time, but I never really apply it to myself. I don't know why, but I think it was because I was kinda skeptical about the result was going to be not much difference whether I do the method or not.

So, all you need is body scrub, shaving cream and razor, and a body lotion. That's it, and I am pretty sure you have had all of them in your shower! :)

Skin Smoothing Shower Gelee in Sweet Pea from Bath and Body Works, St. Ives Purify Exfoliating Body Wash from CVS, Ocean Salt Face and Body Scrub from Lush

First, all you need to do is exfoliate your whole body with body scrub. You can use loofah if you want to, but using your hands is totally fine.

Pure Silk Moisturizing Shaving Cream in Raspberry Mist, Venus SPA Breeze 2-in-1 Razor

Second step is the shaving step! Apply a generous amount of your favorite shaving cream, do one part at a time. I like to do my legs first, then move on to my arms and body. Because if you apply shaving cream all over your body, your shower will wash it out and you have to apply more products, which means you're gonna waste it (unless you turn off your shower, hee hee). I love this Pure Silk Moisturizing Shaving Cream that I got it at Walmart. I bought the twin pack for $2.98, and it lasts forever (I bought it maybe like 4 months ago, and I even have not gone through the first bottle)! It really does what it says - my skin feels so smooth, clean, and moisturized. Best $3 I have ever spent.

The razor that I am using is from Venus SPA Breeze 2-in-1 Razor, which is actually not necessary to be used with a shaving cream, but I feel it shaves better and cleaner with shaving cream.

Then, after you finish shaving, rinse it off then apply your body wash like usual.

Curel Ultra Healing Intensive Lotion from drugstore, Moonlight Path Triple Moisture Body Cream, Sweet Pea Body Butter, and Wild Honeysuckle Triple Moisture Body Cream - all from Bath and Body Works

Jergens Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer from drugstore

After you got off from the shower and dried up your body with towel, apply your favorite body lotion! Body lotion locks the moisture on your body and keeps your skin stay hydrated. You can also replace body lotion with your self-tanner if you want to look tan. This is the best time to apply self-tanner because you just scrubbed and shaved your body so that you can get an even and smooth application.


The good thing if you do this method is not only you'll get a smooth silky leg, but also it makes the hair grows slower. I did all of these steps four days ago, and the hair on my legs has not even grown yet, except on my arms. And until this second, my skin still feels so smooth and silky and I did not apply body lotion since four days ago. My skin never feels so hydrated and smooth like this before, I can't even stop starring at it now, haha.


What are your tips and tricks to get silky smooth legs? Share with me in the comment below! Or you can tweet me on Twitter and post on my Facebook wall if you have any requests or questions :) 


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MUCH LOVE, 

Alexandra 

How-to: Spot Cleaning Your Brushes

Hi loves! Yesterday I was showing you how I deep clean my brushes (click here for the how-to), but it came to my understanding that not every person has time to deep cleaning their brushes daily. I tried to deep cleanse my brushes right after I used them, or at night before I went to bed. However, sadly this does not happen most of the time either due to laziness or not having enough time. So, if I had to do makeup for the next day, I'd just use new brushes and that leads to more brushes I have to wash. 

Deep cleansing makeup brushes requires more time and effort than spot cleansing them. It takes overnight to dry whereas spot cleansing takes seconds/minutes to dry. The thicker/denser the bristles, the  longer the drying process. This happens to synthetic foundation brushes, so I highly recommend to have two foundation brushes on your collection because generally you have to use a clean brush every time you apply foundation on. Like I said on the previous post, bacteria loves to live in damp places. So if you are using cream or liquid foundation, make sure to use clean brushes prior to application! 

So, spot cleaning is good for those of you who are busy everyday and have a few amount of brushes because it is fast to do it and has a quick drying time. However, please don't forget to deep cleaning your brushes at least once a week because spot cleaning will not remove the stain completely and I honestly don't think it cleans the brushes and removes bacteria completely either, although your brush cleaner has anti-bacterial agent in it. 

So lets jump on the tutorial! 

All you need is:

Brush Cleaner (I am using the one from Beauty So Clean). You can use any type you want, preferably the one that is anti-bacterial and it comes in a spray. If your brush cleaner does not come with the spray, you can always go to Walmart or any drugstores or dollar stores to buy a spray bottle for really cheap (around $1), then transfer your cleaner to it.)

Paper towel 

Dirty brushes! 

Steps by Steps

I hope you found this helpful! How do you spot clean your brushes? Do you spot clean or deep clean more? Share with me in the comment below! Follow me on Twitter and be my friend on Facebook, you can send me requests or questions there! You know how I love talking with you guys... :) 


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I love you!

Alexandra 

How-to: Deep Cleansing Your Makeup Brushes

Hi loves!!

Do you wash your makeup brushes daily? Well if your answer is no, then you have to stick with this post! LOL. A lot of people say that you can deep cleanse brushes once or twice a week, even I heard someone said once a month! I totally disagree with this. Probably if you used powder cosmetics, it is fine to deep cleanse your brushes once a week (but please not once a month). The reason why is because bacteria loves to live in damp places. So if you are using your brushes for applying liquid foundation, bacteria loves to grow in there, whereas powder cosmetics are not wet or damp, so the bacteria will grow longer in the brushes. 

Imagine if you don't wash your brushes prior to your makeup. It is like bringing bacteria to your face, and hence you have acne or pimples. So if you have acne, check if you wash your brushes frequently. 

I don't like to only spot cleaning my brushes, especially foundation brushes. Yes it will probably get rid of the bacteria, but not all of them because the stain will still stick on it. If you do not know the difference between spot cleaning and deep cleaning is, spot cleaning means you use a brush cleaner to clean your brushes and they will dry quickly, whereas deep cleaning means you get rid of the stain as well as bacteria, and you clean it in your sink! So it involves water, and it dries overnight. Spot cleaning your brushes does not use water and it will dry in a few minutes, so that you can directly use your brushes again. 

So today I am gonna be showing you how I deep cleanse my brushes. I will also do a post on how I spot clean them. :) 

All you need is: 

Dirty brushes! LOL 

ANTI-BACTERIAL dishwashing liquid 

Olive Oil/Extra Virgin Olive Oil 

A plate 

Your kitchen/bathroom sink, haha. 

Before I start, let me explain why you need these ingredients. The anti-bacterial dishwashing liquid will help kill all the germs that live in the brushes. So, it needs to be anti-bacterial, don't use regular one. A lot of people use baby shampoo, yes it is great for the bristles, but it does not kill the bacteria. Olive Oil is to condition the bristles, so it will make it softer and stronger. You only need a tiny amount of it. If you use too much, the brushes will be oily to the touch when they are dry. 

A lot of people use this method, so just want to clear up that I found this method by researching online, and it really works! Also you can use a brush shampoo that you can find in the stores. I tried to use them before but honestly they did not remove the makeup and get rid of the stain really well. This method is very cost efficient :)

Now lets get started! 

Steps by Steps

Then lay them down flat in a clean paper towel or a towel. You HAVE TO lay them flat, not standing, you don't want the water flow into the bristles because it will shed the bristles

How do you deep clean your brushes? Share with me in the comment below! And please follow me on Twitter and Like me on Facebook. You can always ask me questions or have a chat with me there :) 

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Love, 

Alexandra

How-to: Metallic Nude Lips

Hi loves! So I just figured out a way on how to make your lips look metallic, just like wearing a lipstick with metallic finish. However, this time we won't be using any lipstick, well probably a lip balm. Does lip balm consider a lipstick? Haha. Anyway, this look is great for spring, especially for those of you who don't like wear bold lipsticks and still want your lips to look natural, but people still can see some effort you are putting in there. This is sooooo easy and fast to achieve, so it is great when you are in a rush and you don't have time to go through your lipstick collection trying to figure out what color should you be wearing today ;) I am gonna stop rambling and lets get started!

After you finished applying your foundation, dab your foundation brush to your lip. Don't add more foundation, just use whatever left on the brush. Make sure your lip is not dry or chapped; if so, put on lip balm first. This step is to neutralize your lip's color, so that it'll pick up the next product better. 

Take a highlighter powder with any kind of fluffy brush. You can use a shimmery eyeshadow too! I used theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer (click here for its review)

Then, dab it again onto your lip. See how my lip looks shiny? :) 

OPTIONAL: You can put on lip balm afterwards to moisturize your lip and for a longer hold. And YAY, for chipped nails haha! 

You're DONE! 

Some of you might have known this technique or thought this is so unnecessary, haha. But I figured this out just by randomly playing with makeup products. I did not know it would be so fun and the result would be this satisfying!

Will you try this method? Do you have any tips and trick for better looking lips? Leave in the comment below!! And pleaseeee follow me on Twitter and Facebook. 

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LOVE YOU! 

Alexandra 

How to Remove Makeup COMPLETELY

Hi beauties! I understand sometimes it can be a dilemma when you are feeling super duper tired at night, you still have makeup on, and you just want to jump to your bed and sleep. Well, thank God there is makeup remover wipes! You can just wipe off your makeup in less than 30 seconds, and go to bed. But WAIT!!! do you know that actually your makeup is not completely off if you just wipe it off? This will be resulting in breakouts, acne, pimples the next morning. So, I really encourage you no matter how tired you are, please get up and think, "I am gonna wash my face clearly so that my skin won't be breaking out and I won't have pimples!" I know you can do this loves! :) 

I am going to be honest with you guys.. I used to being so lazy removing my makeup at night. I wore makeup almost everyday for more than 12 hours each day. Once I got back home, sometimes I just went straight to bed, or if I still had energy left, I'd use makeup remover wipes to remove my makeup. Now I regret doing it because I was breaking out like crazy and now I have post acne scars. So please don't do what I did, keep your skin clean and fresh! 

That was a long intro! I am so sorry. Anyway, like I said before, makeup remover wipes do not remove your makeup completely, even though your look at your skin afterwards and it looks clean. Makeup remover wipes always advertise themselves that they can remove your makeup completely off like you don't need to wash your face afterwards. This is not right, trust me, I have tested it out. So, today I am going to share with you all on how I remove my makeup, and this really works! No more "makeup leftover" on our face, so that our skin can renew while we're sleeping. 

First step is to remove eye makeup first with an eye makeup remover or I use olive oil. I swear to you, olive oil removes any eye products really well, even waterproof mascara. Plus, it hydrates and moisturizes your skin and it prevents wrinkles (click here to read why olive oil is good for your skin). Anyway, a lot of makeup remover wipes say that they can also remove eye makeup, but sometimes they can be too harsh for your eye. So, I personally like to use eye makeup remover because they are created specially just for your eye. 

Secondly, remove your face makeup with makeup remover wipes. Even though you will wash your face, it is best to start removing it with wipes first to get rid of the first layer of makeup on your face, so that it will be easier for your cleanser to go deep down to clean the rest of your makeup. 

The third step is to use cleansing oil. I actually just added this step about three weeks ago, and I swear to you, a cleansing oil won't leave you any traces of makeup, it gets rid of any skin impurities, and it can hydrate your skin as well. This was my first time using cleansing oil, so I really wanted to prove it if it does the job or not. So, after I cleaned my face with cleansing oil, I took a makeup remover wipe again and run it all over my face. Guess what? I did not see any traces of makeup on the wipe! So, I really highly recommend this. (There is more to talk about cleansing oil, so I think I am going to do a separate post for this :)). 

The fourth step is to exfoliate. Remember, DON'T exfoliate your skin everyday! If that day is your time to exfoliate, then use an exfoliating tool to really clean up the makeup and refresh your skin. If you have money to splurge, Clarisonic is a good one, but seriously there is so many exfoliating tools in the market now. You can get it from the cheapest to the most expensive one. I bought Clarisonic two years ago, where there was not a tool like this yet, so I saved up! But I like the Sephora Cleansing Pad, it is so soft and makes your skin so smooth afterwards. The best thing is it's only $5! If it is not your time to exfoliate, then just use your hand and regular cleanser to wash your face :)

I swear you will feel so refreshed after all of these steps. I know this seems like a lot to do, but your skin will thank to you because you allow it to finally breath. When the skin is happy, you will become a happy person too, haha! I know this sounds so silly, but I believe in this philosophy (that I just created in a few seconds ago, haha). In addition, when your skin is clean and moisturized, it can renew by themselves. It will break down dull skin, and give you a new, fresh skin in the morning! :) 

After you wash your face, don't forget to moisturize it with your favorite moisturizer! Washing your face can make your skin dry, and that how moisturizer comes in handy. It is like giving your skin water to keep it hydrated :) 

I hope you guys find this helpful! Let me know if you have any tips and tricks on how you remove your makeup, I'd love to hear it! :) Leave in the comment below, and follow me on Facebook and Twitter! 

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Love you! 

Alexandra 

My Top 5 Bronzers & Best Ways to Choose the Right One

Summer is coming and of course we can't skip bronzer in our makeup routine! I honestly can't live without a bronzer, I would feel really incomplete without having it on my face, haha. No matter what season at the moment, how cloudy the day is, I will never forget to apply bronzer. The reason why is a bronzer can really define your features, and make your face look slimmer (click here to find out how)! So in this post, I want to share my top five favorite bronzers of all time. Trust me, I have tried so many bronzers and I swear by these five bronzers! :)

Before I jump to the top five, let me tell you on three best ways to pick bronzers.

• Choose a color that is two to three shades darker than your skin tone. Not too dark, but at least you can tell the color difference on your face. So, you can always use beauty powder, pressed powder, powder foundation, or even cream foundation that is darker than your skin tone. 
• Use matte finish bronzer. I personally prefer matte than shimmer bronzer, I am pretty sure a lot of people will agree on this. Matte bronzer will define your face better, and most importantly, you don't want shimmer all over your face. TheBalm Betty-Lou Manizer is an example of a shimmery bronzer. When you want to have a shimmer on your face, use a shimmery blush or highlighter instead. A shimmery blush is only applied onto your cheeks, but bronzers are applied onto your cheekbones, temples, jawlines, side of the nose, so you don't want shimmers on these features. If you still want a shimmery bronzer, pick one that has subtle shimmer, which means the shimmer is barely there, but still noticeable. 
• Find a bronzer that has a medium brown shade or looks like a natural skin tan. Some bronzers contain redness or a hint of orange, and this will look unattractive. The reason why bronzers are created is to create a natural shadow on your face by a technique called contouring. So, if your bronzers are more to orangey shades, this will make the shadows look fake. 

Now lets see my top 5 bronzers! 

1. Benefit Hoola Bronzer 

This is my number one favorite bronzer, I have gone through three boxes of this. It is matte and the perfect natural tan shade. This will appear well on light and medium skin tone. 

Where to buy: Sephora, Benefitcosmetics.com, $28 for 0.28 oz.

2. Smashbox Bronze Lights in Suntan Matte 

As you can see, I have hit the pan of this bronzer, and this is my second container of it. I am going to wait until I can't get the products anymore and then buy the third one ;) I love this bronzer because it is a deep tan but very warm. I know this bronzer from Kim Kardashian's makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic, I came to his makeup workshop last year and he said he'd swear by this bronzer. He uses this bronzer on Kim and all of his clients because all skin tone can rock this bronzer. So I tried it on, and fell in love with it. This Bronze Lights also comes in another shade called Sunkissed Matte, which is lighter than Suntan Matte but has an orange tint to it. 

Where to buy: Sephora, Smashbox.com, $29 for 0.3oz

3. NARS Laguna Bronzer 

This is the only shimmery bronzer that I love. As you can see in the swatch above, there is a slight shimmer with the gold flecks on it, but the shimmer is very subtle. This is why I like the NARS Laguna, it gives you a glow with the appropriate amount of shimmer. And of course I have hit the pan, and this is my third container! I usually use this during summer. 

Where to buy: Sephora, NARS.com, $34 for 0.28 oz. 

3. Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzing Powder

This bronzer from Too Faced is very matte and has a scent of cocoa powder. I honestly do not like the smell, but a lot of people do. This bronzer is sheer that you can build up the intense of it. The shade itself is very warm and deep, and you'll look naturally tan! :) 

Where to buy: Sephora, Toofaced.com, $29

5. MAC Studio Careblend/Pressed Powder in Dark 

This is my new favorite bronzer and I have reviewed this on another post last month, so please read it for more in-depth about it (click here to read). Anyway, this is from the Cook MAC collection which is still available! So, you'd better hurry up if you'd like to purchase one. As you can see its name, it is a pressed powder, not a bronzer. However, I use this as a bronzer to contour my cheek, and OMG! It really gives me a subtle and natural glow, and perfect for camera! 

Where to buy: MAC Cosmetics, $23 for 0.35 oz.

So that's all of my top bronzers! These are the products that I will continue to repurchase, but I do not know about MAC Studio Careblend since it is a limited edition product and I do not buy a backup for it. So when it is gone, probably I have found another favorite bronzer, or just stick with the other four :) 

Please share with me what is your favorite bronzer. I am a bronzer junkie, so I'd loveeeeeeeee to know what is your favorite :) Who knows it can be my favorite too! Leave in the comment below, or let me know on Twitter or Facebook!

Twitter: www.twitter.com/alexandrauby

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I'll talk to you soon!!!! 

Love you, 

Alexandra 

Compare the swatches!

Left to Right: MAC Studio Careblend in Dark, Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Bronzing Powder, NARS Laguna Bronzer, Smashbox Bronze Lights in Suntan Matte, Benefit Hoola Bronzer.