Kat Von D Double Dare Everlasting Liquid Lipstick

Back in August I picked up the Kat Von D Liquid lipstick in Double Dare after hearing so much about the range. The shade is a great everyday color it is described as a "cocoa blush" but I find it to be a bit of a MLBB and darker.

This was not the first liquid lipstick I have used however it is the first high-end liquid lipstick. I have tried the NYX liquid lipsticks and really liked them, though I didn't find the lasting power of them to be anything more than a matte lipstick.

When I tried on the Kat Von D formula I noticed it set a lot quicker than the NYX formula and was a bit more drying, however definitely not uncomfortable. I managed to wear this for 11 hours with the application at noon and removed around ten. I was very pleased with how well this formula held up throughout the day, from lunch to dinner and baby kisses in between this did not budge! I only applied once and it lasted all day. Though through out the day it did begin to get a bit uncomfortable.

I think the formulation of these are phenomenal, especially for long days and for when you can't be bothered to reapply lipstick. Like I said above these are totally kiss proof so absolutely great for date nights. There are 28 shade in the range so there is a shade for everyone.

Have you all tried this range before? What shade should I try out next?

xoxo Franchesca

Welcome Back!

If you have noticed I have became quite good at the disappearing act in 2015. I felt like I made every excuse from juggling work and a blog and then pregnancy and now heres another one motherhood!

I gave birth to this little nugget on October 30th 2015 and ever since he has been my number one priority and still is. So between giving birth and moving I would say I have had my hands full these past couple of months. However, after doing this for three months I have gotten quite good at multi-tasking... its a quality thats jumped to the top of my resume.  So without going on for to long I would just to say I'm back and lets chat! If there is anything you guys would like to see on this space pop them in the comments below!

Simple Cleansing Micellar Water

After hearing about the great benefits of micellar water for years now, I got really excited when Simple came out with a micellar water a couple months ago. Its the only one that is easily accessible in the states thats also affordable. Now after years of hearing about micellar waters I never really understood what made it different from regular water.

Micellar water takes its name from micelles, tiny round balls of cleansing molecules that float in the water. When you apply the product to your skin, the cleansing agents come into contact with oil and dirt on your face, allowing them to be swept away quickly and efficiently. Micellar cleansing water uses very gentle but effective cleansing agents. There is no tingling or tightening effect, and it’s powerful enough to remove eye makeup, so there is no need for a separate makeup remover.

So now that we know what makes this different from plain water, how does this one hold up? It is very gentle, leaves the skin feeling smooth and clean. It does a good job of removing makeup, but takes some effort with mascara. Essentially I holds true to  all its claims but I did find it did sting a bit. Not as bad as with cleaning wipes, but definitely enough for me to notice. I will say though I do think this is a nice product, I don't have much to compare it too. So I'll keep you posted as I try to test out other micellar waters.

Which micellar water is your favorite?

xoxo Franchesca

source / LaRoche Posay- What is micellar water?

My Advice for First Years

University is an exciting and scary place all at the same time. For many of you its your first time being in complete control of your life, like myself. For me college was the first time I really got to get out of the bubble my family had surrounded me with, not in a bad way but I was definitely naïve about how the rest of the world functioned outside of suburban northern New Jersey. So for me going from a somewhat urban area to a rural was definitely culture shock. Which leads me to my first tip, be completely open minded. Go into this new experience with no biases. Realize that everyone comes from a different walk of life and give everyone a shot, you'll be happy you did. So be friendly and smile, if you're the shy type like myself don't worry there are other shy people as well just smile.

Now onto academic advice, I mean this is why we attend uni... right? Now if you don't have a major picked out don't worry its your first semester, but definitely take the time this semester to narrow down your options. Once you plan your schedule make sure to map out your classes, typically you can do this with your roommate or other people on your floor. This is also a great way to see if you will know anyone in your classes, which will come in handy as the semester progresses. Which leads me to my next tip make friends with people in your class. Now they don't have to be the friends you hang with on the weekends, but by having a friend in class you can study together as well as help each other out if you have to miss a class. Also, take advantage of your professors office hours try to get to know your professor and have them recognize  your face. This will make it a little easier for your when you need to miss a class and will come in handy when you need a letter of recommendation. A little tip for letters of recommendations I'm going to fill you in on now is that many of my professors wouldn't write a letter of recommendation for a student unless that student has taken at least two of their classes, so keep that in mind once you enter your major. My last academic tip is to actually make time to study. I knew tons of people my first year that didn't study and many of them didn't come back after that first year, so don't be that guy and just study! Lastly, take advantage of this time. You'll make some amazing and some not so amazing memories but it'll all be worth it.

Best of Luck this year!

xoxo Franchesca

Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder

I'm not the biggest fan of powders, I don't like them to mattify too much. However, I absolutely HAVE to use a powder to set my under eyes. No matter how good the concealer, they will always crease.

Back in may I picked Laura Mercier's Secret Brightening Powder. It is a loose, finely milled translucent powder with light reflecting shimmer. This powder is absolutely perfect for setting under the eyes, and blurring out any fine lines like smile lines. Now the shimmer is not noticeable to the naked eye once applied, but if applied to much you can look sparkly in photos.

What I love about this powder is how light weight it is and how it doesn't get cakey after a couple touch ups. I will say though that you only need a tiny bit with this product. A little goes a long way!
However, though there are many great things about this product I will warn you that there is an issue of flashback.

Have you tried this powder, what were your thoughts?

xoxo Franchesca