October Beauty Favorites

Hello, friends! I am coming to you today with my October beauty favorites! I hope you had a great October and are having an even better November!

• St. Ives Green Tea Scrub: I have been using this product for a very long time now, and I have to say that it's one of my favorites. I use it a couple times a week to exfoliate my skin, and the product leaves my face feeling clean and purified.
• Smashbox Photo Finish Primer: I have been using this primer pretty much every day this month. I hated it when I first got it, but it grew on me. It helps my foundation stay on much longer and provides a smooth base for the products on top of it. My foundation looks flawless when I apply this primer. I love it!
• Loreal Gel Eyeliner in "Mocha": I may have talked about this product last month...I don't know quite honestly. I do know that this product is amazing and works so well. I love the brush that it comes with, and I'm able to get a really nice, smooth line.
• Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Leave In Conditioner: I heat styled my hair a little bit this month, and this really helps in moisturizing and replenishing my hair. I leave it in for about a minute in the shower and rinse it out to reveal the softest of hair.

These were my October Beauty Favorites! I'm sorry I didn't add pictures, but I hope you enjoyed!

-Love Ling

Thankful-ling

   Hello, friends! I hope you're having an awesome day! Thanksgiving is coming up, and I'm so excited! This is a time of fellowship, friendship, and festivities. To get into the spirit of the season, I'm starting a new series on my blog. This is called "Thankful-ling", in which I post five things that I'm thankful for each day leading up to Thanksgiving. It's so important to remember what we've been blessed with and to try and share our blessings with others, as well.

1. Campfires: I was recently at a church bonfire with some of my friends tonight, and it was an absolute blast! I'm so thankful for their friendship and the opportunity to hang out with them over s'mores and hot dogs.
2. Opportunities: I've been blessed with a lot of great opportunities, and I'm really thankful that I have been able to take part in them.
3. Cozy blankets: What would I do without my cozy blue blanket? It's been really cold lately, and I'm glad to have it!
4. Heating systems in cars: When I drive, it can get really cold. I'm so thankful for the heating in my car!
5. Warm showers: Showers are basically the best thing ever. It's the perfect way to wind down after a long day. Love it!

I hope you enjoyed this post, you guys! Have a great day!

Real Techniques Facial Sponge Review

Hello, friends! Ah! I'm so excited! Most of you know about the Beauty Blender. It's a cute, pink sponge that you use to apply foundation. It's gotten really great reviews and people just rave over this product! However, the Beauty Blender is $20, which is absolutely outrageous for a sponge. I found a dupe for this product, and I'm so excited to share it with you! While shopping at Ulta with my friend, I came across the Real Techniques Facial Sponge, bought it, and took it home to try it out. Let's see how it fares:

Price: The sponge is $5.99 at Ulta

Packaging: It's very simple orange sponge. It has a pointy side for smaller areas of the face, as well as a flat side for larger areas of the face. The product feels very soft and plushy.

Application: I ran it under water first so that it wouldn't absorb the foundation I was going to apply. I noticed that when submersed in water, it's nearly double the size of the product when dry. The foundation I used was the Covergirl 3 in 1 Foundation, and I just dotted the product all over my face. I then took the sponge and blended the foundation onto my skin. I used a patting motion, and I noticed that the sponge felt really nice and soft on my face. It just bounced all over, very plushy and pillowy. The final outcome of the foundation was amazing. It blended into my skin like a dream, with no cakiness at all. 

Final Thoughts: I absolutely love this product! It works so well and makes my foundation look absolutely flawless on my skin. It is very comparable, if not better than the $20 Beauty Blender. Whether or not this product should be purchased is not a question. It's a $6 sponge that allows makeup application with ease! I love it!

-Love Ling