Natural FX foundation from Cover FX

Hello Everyone!! So I have recorded a few foundation reviews and I thought why don't I post a blog on one of them?? I have decided to review the Natural FX water based foundation from Cover FX for you guys.

This product and many others from Cover FX can be found at Sephora stores and on their website. So I'm going to break down the good and the bad of this foundation which I hope helps you all. There are lots of good things about this foundation. It claims to have "all day wear" which in my opinion with my extremely oily skin it does stay on. The reason why I chose this foundation was because of all the good qualities about it. I felt good about putting this product on my skin without having to worry that it was going cause more break outs on my acne prone skin. And now the break down..........


Pros: 
* I love that its water based meaning there's more H2O then bad "no good" ingredients like Oil.
* This foundation is Oil Free, Fragrance Free and best of all non- comedogenic... yay!!!!!
* It has also been tested and recommended by Dermatologists (stated on the packaging)
* It contains several vitamins that help nourish the skin.
* It has an SPF 15
* I really like the squeeze tube packaging which makes it easy to store in my makeup collection and to travel with.
* This line of foundation has a pretty good range of colors for those with cool, warm or neutral undertones. You will notice a letter B,C,E,or M in front of a number on the box. B=golden deep tones C= cool with pink undertones E= equal parts of pink and yellow tones and M= more yellow/olive tones. (I wear M20, which is very yellow to cancel out my pinkish/reddish undertone)

Cons:
* It is not the foundation suited for very oily skin as it claims to "leave skin rehydrated and radiant looking"
It makes my skin look very greasy, not a good look!
* It's really only suitable for normal and combination skin types.
* With my skin undergoing changes due to prescribed acne meds, this foundation really enhances my dry patches.
* If you have any dry spots on your face this foundation will cling to those areas- also not good!
* The formula is very pigmented so it does provide a nice coverage but it's just too thick for me.
* It's a little pricey..... $40 for 1 oz.

As you can tell there are lots of things that I like about this foundation but unfortunately the "greasy" look is not what I'm into, LOL. If you are interested in this foundation, ask a Sephora makeup artist for a sample on your next visit. I like samples because you are not obligated to purchase the items and you get to try something new. So I hope this review helps in your quest for a new foundation. Please visit my YouTube channel to watch makeup/beauty related videos :) Thanks for stopping by :)
http://www.youtube.com/GlamourbyLexi

xoxo
~Lexi

My recent Dermatologist visit & helpful acne tips!

Hey guys! I wanted to share with you all some information that I've come across through research on acne and my recent trip to the Doc's office. So I've finally went to the Dermatologist, what a relief! LOL. I have been thinking about going to the Dermatologists office for a very long time. The reasons why I didn't push harder to go were because 1st: The cost, ha! 2nd: Having a feeling that treatments weren't gonna make my acne disappear forever and 3rd: Feeling like maybe their simply after my $$, haha!! Well along the way I've learned some truths about acne and ways to treat & prevent them.

The Basic first thing to know: People need to realize that washing your face every morning and night really pays off. People with normal or dry skin can skip the morning wash but those with oily or acne prone skin simply can't. Excess oil and/or oil build up on the skin can and will lead to clogged pores that eventually will cause pimples. If you get nothing else from this blog post, please remember to wash a.m. and p.m. :)

• Another thing to know: There are 2 main over the counter acne ingredients that help treat and prevent acne..those being Salicylic Acid and Benzoyl Peroxide. The percentages range from 0.5% to 2% active ingredient. Now each of those ingredients work differently to treat and prevent acne. Salicylic Acid is the most commonly found ingredient over the counter and it works by causing the outer layers of the skin to shed quickly and opening up clogged pores. It also helps lower acne causing bacteria around the site of the break out to prevent additional spreading. Benzoyl Peroxide is another acne ingredient found in drugstore acne skincare but mostly in the commonly advertised Proactiv. Benzoyl Peroxide works really well for quickly clearing pores. It has a bleaching agent which helps lighten up acne marks and scars. Trust me, this is what I loved most from using Proactiv. 

Acne can be caused by too much stress, hormonal changes, and not washing or caring properly for your skin. Over the years I have used so many acne fighting skincare products and have spent thousands of dollars. For what? Nothing!!! Every product I used only provided temporary relief for my acne. Let me continue this post but letting you all know my type of acne. I have cystic acne...the worst possible kind ever!! What is cystic acne? Basically it's a huge inflamed pimple full of bacteria and puss that is deeply rooted beneath all the layers of skin. When the bacteria underneath starts to getting warm, it multiples and spreads. If you have these...Do Not Pick!  My cheek area is a major victim of cystic acne. I had perfect skin and received many compliments as you all can tell from my earlier 2010-2011 YouTube videos. Unfortunately, that didn't last long. Here I was faced with these huge, red, ugly and most importantly painful lesions. I felt and still do feel uncomfortable with my skin. I decided to try the oh so popular Proactiv. I was on Proactiv for 2 months before visiting my Dermatologist. I really liked the 3 step system, I mainly found that my nose, forehead and chin were much clearer than before. As for my cystic acne...well Proactiv isn't strong enough :( I did love how Proactiv lighten up my scars tremendously. I have a noticeable difference in the amount of visible scars. Was it worth it? Yes, to me it is. After all, Proactiv contains the most common over the counter acne ingredient....you got it! Benzoyl Peroxide.

Now about my visit, it's been 2 weeks. Not long, I know! I have been put on prescription strength oral and topical acne meds. Orally twice a day, I take an antibiotic known as Doxycycline. It works by killing any infections and acne causing bacteria lurking through my body.....gross!  Then every night, I apply a topical acne cream called Tretenoin aka Retin-A. Retin-A is also used for fighting wrinkles. Now I have experienced most of the common side effects of this topical cream. Ladies, please make sure you all having protected sex as always. Simply put, if you are or think you might be pregnant...The Doctor will not prescribe you these meds. Pregnancy is not advised while on these meds, there may or may not be any side effects to the fetus. (I am NOT a Doctor, this is info you can get from any Dermatologist or the internet.)
After 2 weeks, I have noticed excessive peeling of my skin. Tretenoin is used to help your skin cells turnover rapidly causing severe shedding. Also I have experienced severe redness to the sites that receive this topical cream nightly. This is supposedly "normal". I also have a slight burning sensation when applying my Cetaphil cleanser and moisturizer. These side effects should lessen after 4 weeks of use, fingers crossed haha!

Acne Tips:

• Wash A.M. and P.M. with acne face washes
• Apply daily and nightly an Oil Free moisturizer ( Cetaphil moisturizer is great)
• Use acne spot treatments on the first signs of redness and pimples (many found in drugstores)
• Do Not pick at them....I know it's hard  This will spread acne to other places
• Exfoliate often throughout the week (Aveeno & Philosophy make good ones)
• Get facials a few times a year....it's costly but it can help
• Drink lots of water!
• Most importantly, please stick with it. It takes several weeks to see improvements.

I know this is a long blog post but I can only hope that you all find something useful out of this. If you all have any questions regarding acne or anything at all....please leave me comments on here or my channel. The link for my beauty channel will be below for your enjoyment. Stay positive throughout this process...and lets put our best skin forward this new year :) Thank you all for your wonderful comments and support.

http://www.youtube.com/GlamourbyLexi

xoxo
~Lexi

Everyday Naked 2 Look

Hey guys! Here's a blog post to accompany this tutorial I recently posted on my beauty channel. First off, I could not wait to use and create a look with this new palette from Urban Decay....which I have to say is pretty amazing.  And secondly, I wanted to show you guys how to create a simple, easy and quick everyday look that can be done with this palette or any similar colors you already own. I love all the colors and if you are familiar with Urban Decay, then you know the quality of their eyeshadows are really great and pigmented. I know that this new item from Urban is extremely popular...so don't worry if it sells out quickly on their website. I've had my eye on this palette for a few weeks and I kept checking the website to see if they had restocked. With no luck (sigh), I signed up to receive email notifications of when the product was back in stock and the next morning I got the glorious email!! So as you can see they are quick to restock and keep happy customers. Trust me the wait is worth it :) If you own this palette, please leave your thoughts here or on my channel. The list of the products used in this tutorial are below. A separate blog post review of the Naked 2 palette will be posted soon. Thank you for watching this video. Please subscribe if you haven't already :) 

Products used:

Urban Decay Naked 2 palette

Covergirl Lashblast mascara

Urban Decay cream blush in Quickie

Urban Decay cream highlighter in Moonshine

Urban Decay Naked lipgloss (included with purchased of palette)

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua foundation (a sample size used & not shown)

NARS Laguna Bronzer (not shown)

My channel:

http://www.youtube.com/GlamourbyLexi

Upcoming Videos on GlamourbyLexi

Hi everyone! How's everyone's Christmas shopping going? I'm so glad I'm done with my shopping and that all my holiday packages have been mailed off! It's so stressful shopping during the holiday season, LOL.

Anyways, on with the purpose of this blog post......As with the new year fast approaching, I wanted to start posting regularly on this blog. I keep saying that I'm going to be better at this but somehow I forget to add posts on here. There are some great new videos coming soon on my YouTube channel along with tons of already posted videos. I love filming videos and I hope that you all enjoy watching them. I also hope that you all have learned a thing or two from me :) My most recent video post was Laura Mercier TM vs. Tarte TM. This video is a comparison between two of my favorite tinted moisturizers. To watch my review, click on the link below.

Some videos to be on the look out for: Everyday Neutral Naked2 tutorial (before this weekend), New Year's sparkly tutorial and of course the requested videos. I have a list of videos that I'm excited to do. The link to my channel is below and please feel free to check them out, leave comments, and please subscribe :)

http://www.youtube.com/GlamourbyLexi

Thank you all for your incredible support! I truly appreciate each and every one of you :) Happy Holidays!!

xoxo

~Lexi

Urban Decay Book of Shadow 4

Hi everyone!! OMG!!!!! This palette from Urban Decay is finally available for purchase $64. Visit your local Sephora and Ulta stores or Urban Decays website http://www.urbandecay.com

I love this so much. I love the packaging which is typical for their BOS (book of shadows) but this one to me is more special. I absolutely love butterflies and I was immediately drawn to this palette.

So let me give you the scoop on this.......The picture on the upper right hand side shows you all the beautiful plastic butterflies that pop up, there is a "get the look" card that has QR codes that when scanned with your smartphone, it'll take you to a video tutorial for that specific look. You can watch 5 different tutorials using your QR response app. There is also a decent size mirror and on the left side of the mirror there's a little pocket where you can place your phone and follow along with the video tutorial of your choice.

Ok, so once you pull open the bottom drawer, you'll find 16 beautiful eyeshadows ( 6 of them are repromoted/shades that have been used in other palettes)

* indicates new LE shade

L to R 1st row: Blue Bus* ~ a beautiful medium tone metallic purple; Gunmetal~ a nice deep gray with a bit of glitter; Cobra*~ a goregous blackend golden olive shade; Baked~ a rich gold(UD's standard shade that goes in everything!)

L to R 2nd row: Bender* ~ beautiful dark green that's perfect for fall; Gravity* ~ a nice dark purple with silver glitter; Lost* ~ beautiful dark bronzey brown shade; Hijack* ~ an awesome dark teal

L to R 3rd row: Midnight Cowgirl~ a glittery light gold that can be purchased individually; Sin~ one of my favorite eyeshadow which is also in the Naked palette is a nice shimmery champagney pink; Midnight Rodeo~ a very glittery light creamy tan shade that is also in the 15th anniversary palette; Crystal*~ is this probably the most exciting shade in the palette...it's such a unique pale icy light blue with multidimensinal shimmer (not glitter!)

L to R 4th row: Bust* ~ very pigmented taupe shade; Missionary* ~ shimmery light champagney taupe; Skimp* ~ a soft shimmery highlight shade with a touch of pink; Zephyr*~ traditional shimmery gold highlight shadow.

Also on the bottom drawer: A new 24/7 liquid liner in perversion, a mini of Urban Decay's curling mascara, a mini primer potion (a regular in every palette) and cable extensions to connect your phone to the mini speaker box that is also included in this palette. Yup, that's right...Urban Decay added a cute speaker for music!

All of the colors in this palette are extremely pigmented! I love how there's only a few shades with glitter so I can deal with that. I don't use glitter often due to my contact lenses. I hope that you all enjoyed the pictures and eyeshadow descriptions. A video review of this palette will be up soon on my YouTube channel. Follow me on twitter for daily update http://www.twitter.com/GlamourbyLexi

My channel http://www.youtube.com/user/GlamourbyLexi

My favorite Summer Neutral nail polishes

Hi everyone! This blog post will be on my favorite summer neutral nail polishes. Not always do I want to wear dark shades or clear polish after a manicure so I find myself reaching for these shades a lot. I've been called by some of my friends "grandma" because I always wore light shades of polish. I never ventured into the beautiful color world of nail polishes. It's been about a year and a half since I've been experimenting with colorful nail polishes- but that being said good neutrals are a must in my collection. I have picked several of my faves to review.....

(L to R)

China Glaze- Fairy Dust: This is my absolute favorite shade for glitter polish. I have sworn off glitter because of the difficuly I have removing it. I have been given some tips from my fellow viewers on how to remove stubborn glitter nail polish. What I love about this nail polish is the multidimensional colored glitter that is so beautiful, I also love how evenly this applies on a clean nail or over another nail polish color. This just adds that extra kick to a manicure :)

China Glaze- White Cap: This is another glitter polish! It is the most beautiful gold glitter polish I have seen. It looks golden white in the bottle but this is perfect on its own. Two coats will make this opaque. Great on top of other colors as well.

OPI- I pink I love you: A sheer pink with a soft blue-ish sheen...almost like a cotton candy color. I love the soft pink sheen this gives my nails. I can apply one coat for a sheer healthy pink glow to my nails or two coats for the perfect irridescent baby pink. This is a color that can be worn all year long no matter what the season is. It's a great staple for any nail polish collection.

China Glaze- Something Sweet: I would describe this as the most perfect pastel pink I have seen. I currently own 2 bottles because I love it so much :) Two coats will create a very opaque pastel pink. It applies evenly without streaking. This picture doesn't do the color justice!

OPI- At first sight: Several of my viewers asked me about a polish I was wearing a few videos back and this is it. Its the perfect neutral shimmery opaque creamy nude! That's a long description but it's accurate :) It's such a pretty shimmery color that is ideal for summertime. This can be worn alone or with underneath glitter top coats or the OPI shattered collection.

China Glaze- Sunset Sail: This is from a collection that came out several months back. When I purchased this color, I had my doubts that just maybe I wasn't gonna like it. Well, once I applied this color; I was like omg! I love it. It's a nude color with a shimmery peachy tone to it. Its almost like a nude skin tone color but with peach. It's great!!

As you all can see I'm a big fan of China Glaze nail polishes. These polishes can be purchased at any Ulta store location or on any of the following links

http://www.ulta.com/
http://wwww.sallybeauty.com/
http://www.amazon.com/

I hope you all enjoyed this post. Questions and comments are always welcome so please feel free to leave them on my channel or twitter. Links to those will be below after additional pictures. Thanks for reading!

http://www.twitter.com/GlamourbyLexi

http://formspring.me/GlamourbyLexi

http://www.youtube.com/user/GlamourbyLexi

Challenge: Using up excessive amounts of beauty products

Hi Everyone!

As some of you may know already, I will be moving to Colorado within the next 4 1/2 months {super excited :D } So on my way home I was thinking about the excessive amounts of makeup, skincare and hair products I currently own, use and don't use...lol. I'm not planning on carrying tons of stuff in my back seat while traveling to CO, so I've decided to challenge myself to use up as much as possible in these few short months I have left in Texas.

My Challenge:
I will do this for all my cosmetics, hair products and skincare products. For my makeup, I plan on reorganizing my storage containers and finding all the products that I haven't used in a while or that I don't really like....instead of throwing them away, I will start using as much of it as possible. After all, I did purchase all these products! I will apply the same rules to my haircare and skincare. If you would like to try this out, you can find cheap baskets that you can store the items you choose and place them in a location where you will see them. If you're like me....if I don't see, I won't use it; then this will work. I will place my haircare and skincare baskets on my bathroom sink/vanity to remind myself of why I'm doing this challenge. I haven't really set a time frame for this challenge. I will see how this goes for a month and then I'll blog about my successes and/or failures.

A video on my youtube channel will be up within the next week explaining this and showing you all the products I picked out to start. If you would like to try this, I challenge you to do this with me. Feel free to leave comments here, on YT channel or my formspring page. All links will be below.


www.twitter.com/glamourbylexi
www.formspring.me/GlamourbyLexi
www.youtube.com/user/GlamourbyLexi



Thanks for your support,
~Lexi