Christmas Haul: MAC,Too Faced, Kat Von D..etc!

We can all say that we loving giving gifts during the holidays but in reality, we love receiving them too :) I love Christmas, but I usually don't do very much for Christmas aside from watching holiday movies and decorating the house. This year and every year forward, I vowed to truly seize Christmas. So that's what I did! 

This year I received a nice set of gifts from my girlfriend who is probably enjoying my gift to her, a Playstation 4. I've always loved playing games but this year I set my sights on beauty items and a few more..technical things xx Some of the items were purchased separately and some of them were pre-packed by Sephora.

Eyes 

1. Too Faced Sexy Lids & Lashes set: Shadow Insurance & Better Than Sex Mascara
2. NARS Audacious Mascara
3. Ardell Natural Demi Wispies
4. Bobbie Brown Gel Liner sample
5. Benefit Air Patrol BB Cream Eyelid Primer

Lips

1. ColourPop LippieStix: Bher Hug
2. ColourPop Ultra Matte Liquid Lipstick: Trap, Stingraye, & Donut
3. Sephora Oil Infusion Color & Care: 06 Bubbly Grenadine
4. Jack Black Intense Lip Balm
5. Kat Von D Liquid Lipstick: Damned

Face/Body

1. Smashbox Primer Pair: Primer Water & Photo Finish Primer
2. Urban Decay: All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray
3. Glam Glow Hydrating Cleaner
4. YSL Radiant Touch Concealer
5. Stella McCartney Parfum
6. MAC Peach Lustre Highlighter
7. Cover FX Smoothing Eye Primer & Illuminating Primer

Blue Yeti Microphone

...and my favorite purse ever! I received a pink MK purse for my birthday but this adorable baby has replaced her as my favorite.

If you'd be interested in a review or swatches of any of the items, be sure to comment and I'll definitely do it xx

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(New) Holiday/Christmas Tag 2015

I've decided to create a tag this year! On top of blogging my answers, I'll be filming them as well! If you decide to do the tag: let everyone know where you found it, comment with a link to your post/video so I can read your answers and tag a few friends as well :)

1. What is your go-to holiday look?

Neutral eyes, green eyeshadow in the lower lash line and (red) Riri Woo lips!

2. Do you prefer to give or to receive?

I love to give, especially surprises!

3. What is the color theme of your Christmas tree this year?

Gold with touches of Red/Green

4. Red or Green?

This is tough...red!

5. Favorite Holiday movie?

Frozen and Christmas with the Kranks

6. Coffee or Hot Cocoa

Definitely Hot Cocoa

7. Favorite Holiday song?

Hmm, I actually don't know the name of it; but I sing it all year haha! Google says it's called Little Drummer Boy. You guys have to find Yvette Devereaux's violin version!

8. Number one item on your wishlist?

A Blue Yeti Microphone

9. What is your perfect outing during Holiday time?

I love, love, love looking at Christmas lights!

10. Describe or post a picture of your favorite Holiday mug.

It's so freaking gorgeous. It's red and green with different Christmas related items.

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WISHLIST: 9 Fall/Winter Liquid Lipsticks

Autumn or Fall (whichever!) is upon us and liquid lipsticks are all the rage right now! What started out as a quest for the prettiest matte lip for the Fall season turned into a full-on wishlist! Liquid Lipsticks usually are matte and have a felt-tip. Good quality liquid lipsticks are known to stay put for hours, just remember to moisturize your lips! Check out which shades I decided on:

A. Anastasia Beverly Hills Midnight

B. Kat Von D Black Cherry

C. ABH Trust Issues

D. Too Faced Black Plum

E. Jeffree Star Blue Velvet

F. NYX Stone Fox

G. NYX Stand Storm

H. Sleek Matte Me

Have you tried any liquid lipsticks? Which of these is your favorite?

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Life Update September 2015

Hello my beautiful readers xx I'm going to be filling you guys in on my life and just generally what I've been up to since I've been on a few week hiatus. If you've followed my blog since 2012 then you know despite a few accomplishments, I haven't had it very easy. Most of my life updates consist of bad news, but not this time. I'm in a very good space right now and besides missing my blog, I couldn't be happier!

Firstly, I'm come halfway to completing my first degree in Business Administration! My courses go by so quickly but I'm maintaining a very nice 3.9GPA. Secondly, my brother is healing amazingly!! He'll be getting his prosthetic shortly and then began learning to walk again. Lastly...*drumroll* I started a YouTube channel! I've only posted planner related videos so far, but I'll be adding beauty, fashion and lifestyle videos.

I'm ashamed to say that you guys haven't seen any photos taken with my new DLSR camera. I can't wait to start taking photos of products with it! I've been so caught up with my classes and my channel that I haven't had the time to sit down and blog about all my new products. I think I just got so caught up in the new, that I forgot about my passion--my blog. With that being said I have a ton of reviews that need to get done.

If you're interested in my Youtube channel or enjoy watching planner (Erin Condren, ftw!) videos, here's my channel: Keshia Glam. See you guys next week!

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Fashion || Accessories I Wore During My Bday Week ft. DressGal

I decided that the accessories sent to me for review by DressGal would perfect for the outings I would be going on during my birthday week. Despite the reputations that Asian wholesale sites have, I was pleased with the accessories I picked out. I had been looking for really big round sunglasses like the ones pictured below and they were perfect!

Check out the items: Sunglasses Necklace Set Platform Sandals

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ECLPlanner || Affordable Stickers Haul..nothing over $1 + Week Spread

If you read last week's review of the Erin Condren Life Planner, then you know I'm new to the planning world. Before purchasing my planner, I'd looked into a few planner sticker shops on Etsy but nothing major. Due to all the long shipping-wait complaints on the metallic planners, I expected the planner to arrive weeks after it actually did, which meant I had no stickers and no plan on how I wanted my first spread to look. 

When I realized my planner was coming much sooner than I anticipated, I decided to go out and look for supplies to try making a decent spread. Not wanting to spend too much because of all the spending that was going to take place on Etsy, I went to visit Dollar Tree, Walmart and the clearance at Michaels.

I decided to back pieces of scrapbook paper with double-sided tape to make some full-box stickers and to cover some of the Erin Condren Life Planner (ECLP) headers. It actually came in loads of handy with decorations. My birthday is coming soon hence the party scrapbook paper. I bought 4-12" x 12" as they were on sale 4/$1.00 at Michaels.

$0.97 washi tape from Walmart

Stickers

The themed birthday and Army (perfect to mark my Army training) stickers are from Walmart. The Fall and Christmas Sticko's are from Michaels which I found in a corner for $0.49. The everyday butterfly and donut stickers are from dollar tree!

I'm very pleased with my affordable haul; all of the items I got will work great for the next few months. I loved finding everything, especially for the great prices; but I'd prefer Etsy shops just because there are so many options!

If you're interested in Erin Condren products, you can use my link to receive a $10 coupon off your first order.

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New Obsession: Erin Condren Life Planner (REVIEW)

One day I was on youtube, I watched a "Plan With Me" video and my life changed haha! I remember clicking on the video simply because the paper looked gorgeous and it was decorated so colorfully. At-first I thought, I couldn't imagine how decorating a planner with rainbow stickers could benefit me..3 months later I paid $50+ for an Erin Condren Life Planner and now I'm addicted! I've only decorated two spreads or weeks so far and it's really therapeutic for me. So far. I think my decorating skills aren't too bad for a newbie! I didn't realize how many tasks I have to do on a daily basis, especially now that I've begun multiple classes.

When I started looking at planners I immediately knew that I wanted an Erin Condren Life Planner despite the high cost *insert tears*. I can honestly say that I think it was worth it. Unlike other planner addicts I've seen out there, I don't plan to fill up and cover up everything I paid for inside of the planner. I do love stickers though; especially creating DIY planner decor as it saves a lot of money and is way more affordable on my Etsy sticker addiction.

*Granted, I don't need to write down everything I need to do but it really eases my mind to know that I can look at my planner and know what I have to do/get motivated for the day. Not to mention, decorating my planner gives me extreme joy xx

Erin Condren Life Planner

There were a few issues with certain types of Erin Condren's planners shipping out a month or so later but I experienced no issues with shipping. I absolutely love the cover--the quote, colors and name customization. Because there was a lot of chaos surrounding the June launch; I ordered an 18-month planner therefore my next order will be around December 2016.

The pages of the planner are thick enough to not promote ink bleeding through. The planner comes with a monthly view backed by an entire page of lines for notes. Each month is designated certain colors, which of course with the help of stickers, can be decorated around or covered for a new theme. From what I can see about the last planner, the newly launched planners have a lot less wording, which is great for those of us who want to fully use pages without having to cover everything with a sticker.

At the start of each month, there's a quote decorated in the month's colors and I really love that. I also really love that there's so many blank pages spread throughout the planner for notes which I use for blog post ideas. My Erin Condren Life Planner also came with a plethora of goodies (some are pictured below).

Usually I feel sort of guilty for making purchases over $50 but this time around I don't. I was using an excel calendar for my blog, a checklist app on my phone, random sticky notes and a whiteboard to remember things for my brother and I. Now all of those have been condensed into my Erin Condren Life Planner, so I'm pretty guilt-free haha!

If you're interested, u can use my link here to receive a $10 coupon off your first order at Erin Condren!

What do you usually use to remember tasks and events throughout the day?

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3rd Blogiversary for HauteDare !!!

I can't believe it..where has the time gone? Today marks my 3rd year as a blogger!!! It's been a rocky journey..life changes..torn between being a niche blogger..all the works, with a LOT of breaks! I started back blogging here in March, where I found my place as beauty, fashion, lifestyle and whatever-the-hell-else blogger.

After my last break, I started learning more about being a better blogger, interacting with more bloggers, photography tips..etc and all of it has helped me so much! My blog and I are both growing faster than ever. I love all of my blogger friends and basically anyone who reads! I've started working with more brands; creating much more interesting content and I hope you guys will stick around with HauteDare to celebrate more blogiversaries with me <3

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REVIEW | Zakia's Black Soap, Kessa Exfoliating Glove and 100% Argan Oil

Last month I reviewed Zakia's Moroccan Clay Ghassoul Mask. A few weeks ago, she was kind enough to send me another package (no other forms of payment) with more of her products which I was super surprised and happy to receive because I enjoyed her Ghassoul Mask. You can read my thoughts on the Ghassoul Mask and more info on Zakia's products here. In my package I received the Moroccan Black Soap, Kessa Exfoliating Glove, 100% Pure, Organic Argan Oil - 2 oz and a nice body sponge.

Kessa + Black Soap

I'm currently trying to get my mom's skin on track after years..maybe a decade or more of her not using basically any skincare products. I was so happy with the Black Soap that I had to convince her to try it. Since her skin needs more work and attention than mine, it was a huge deal when the products made such a big difference on her skin.

The black soap has an extremely weird texture--sort of like slime but I had a blast applying it! Once applying small amounts all over my face, I used the Kessa to exfoliate every nook and cranny of my face. What I like about the Kessa compared to other exfoliating gloves, is its gentleness but it's still rough enough to get the job done. Some exfoliating gloves almost hurt or leave the skin irritated which the Kessa totally didn't.

The Kessa + Black Soap duo left our skin moisturized, extremely smooth with a beautiful glow. I've never had an at-home product that could me skin feel and look so good. Honestly, I'd recommend this for professional use.

100% Argan Oil

This oil can be used for face, body and hair. Even though some 100% natural oils have been known to cause breakouts in my super-oily T-zone..I still wanted to try Zakia's 100% Argan Oil and I'm glad I did. I applied this oil as a moisturizer after cleansing and exfoliating to  my slightly damp face. The next day, I didn't have an excess of oil in my t-zone and my dry areas were well moisturized. It goes without saying that I love using this oil.

Take 15% off your next order at Zakia's with my code- ZMBLOG151

*affiliate links used

Do you think you'd like to try Zakia's Black Soap, Kessa or 100% Argan Oil?

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#WOTW II

This week's Words of the Week came to me super easily. I had a really busy week and came across some problems where I just felt overwhelmed and cornered. I think sometimes we move around so much that our troubles only increase. When I thought about how I could have solved some of the issues, I realized that I should have stopped, slowed down and assessed the situation instead of jumping to a solution. I believe this week's #WOTW could apply to any situation. Hope you enjoy <3

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Fancy & Free | Independence Day eOutfit |

This week I wanted to create something classic and fun using independence Day colors here in the United States. I thought that this gorgeous blue dress would really be the statement of the outfit. I hope you like and as usual, the outfit details will be below!

Fancy & Free | Independence Day eOutfit | by keshiaglam featuring a blue dress

Blue dress
oasap.com

White shoes
shein.com

ALDO evening handbag
aldoshoes.com

Apt 9 bracelet
kohls.com

Stila black lipstick
$24 - veryexclusive.co.uk

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Milani Rose Powder Blush: Coral Cove

When I first noticed Milani's new Rose Powder Blushes I was elated. Drugstore blushes with such gorgeous detail is hard to come by. Milani brought three shades back from the limited edition release last year. The shade that caught my attention is Coral Cove. I'm trying to step out of my realm and wear other blush colors besides bright pink so this was my first step! 

Coral Cove really is a gorgeous shade. My favorite thing about this blush is it's builadble  as I showed above. It can really be built to pop on any skin tone. My con to Coral Cove is that it can come on chalky, making it apply a little patchy if too much is applied at once. It doesn't apply bad enough that it's a regret for me, I'm still pleased with it, though not quite as much as I'm with Milani's Baked Blushes.

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Motivational Monday: WOTW #1

I've decided..because we all can use a little motivation, to participate in Motivational Mondays by creating my own small series. Words of the Week (#wotw) will just be a series of posts where I bring you a different quote that I feel like truly motivates me and hopefully it will motivate you too xx 

Anytime successful people are asked questions about how they achieved their success, somewhere in the answer is that they never gave up. Whether it's your fitness goals, academic success, or maybe even your blog..don't give up, keep going. Very few things in life are easy and success takes work. That's the best advice I could ever give myself! 

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Wet n Wild: Bright Summer Lipsticks

We all know I'm a huge sucker for bright, colorful makeup year-round but Spring and Summer sort of give me more of an excuse to wear bold lipstick colors. I remember the days when we would have to go to an high-end brand to purchase good quality, fun lipstick colors but now tons of drugstore or highstreet brands have them.

Today (by the title) I'm focusing on three beautiful shades I purchased from Wet n Wild-- my all time favorite drugstore (and one of the most affordable) makeup brand. I could never replace my favorite bright MAC lipstick shades like Sounds Like Noise, Viva Glam Nicki or Candy Yum Yum; but one can never have too much makeup right?

Wet n Wild lipsticks usually range between $0.99 and $1.99 which is crazy for the quality of their lip colors! I actually erm..ran over my all time favorite Wet N Wild lippie (Dollhouse Pink) which was and is always sold out everywhere..*sigh*.

Anyways, Let's see these swatches! 

These lippies are smooth to apply and they have nice durability. It's also nice that they're buildable-so you can have a nice wash of color or go for more of an opaque finish. What do you guys think; would you wear these lip colors?

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