Olivia Frescura — Page 41 — los angeles beauty & lifestyle blog

Soap & Glory Cosmetics Review: Sexy Mother Pucker Gloss Stick, Peach Party Blush Brick, Arch De Triumph Eyebrow Shaper (With Swatches)

April 13, 2016

I’m so excited that cult-favorite British beauty brand Soap & Glory has made it to the U.S., now including their amazing cosmetics! They entered ULTA stores with bath & body products last year, but now their makeup line is also available. They sent the most amazing package with a few products and a Soap & Glory themed board game- amazing- peep it on my instagram @oliviafrescura! 👀

I’m a huge fan of their Clean On Me body wash (which sadly I ran out of) & The Righteous Butter body butter- and when I was studying abroad in 2014 I picked up their One Heck Of A Blot translucent powder which is so good, and on it’s last legs as I didn’t want it to run out- so excited I can get more now! Anyways, since I was already a fan of the brand I was super excited to try out these new products.

The Sexy Mother Pucker Gloss Stick in Nudist ($6) is a mini gloss stick featuring 3D Plump for fuller + firmer lips without the tingle. The nude shade is perfect and looks great on the lips. It’s also available in 4 other shades if you prefer a bit more color!

Peach Party Multi-Color Blush Brick ($15) is a melange of colors that you mix together to be the perfect peach toned luminizing powder blush. I personally prefer a matte blush, but you can always use the lighter shades as a highlight if shimmery blush isn’t your jam. I think it would also make a gorgeous highlight on deeper skintones.

Lastly, the Arch De Triumph Two-Step Shaping & Highlighting Crayon ($9) is a dual ended brow crayon for shaping and highlighting brows. It features a taupe pencil and buff highlighting pencil to contour and highlight your brows in a breeze. The taupe shade has shimmer in it, which is a little strange on brows for me- but I’ve definitely seen brands do this before. This one isn’t my favorite because I prefer their Archery brow tint & pencil I got while I was studying abroad, which is a brow pencil + marker combo.

Overall I think everyone can find something they’d like in this line- I’m just thrilled they brought their cosmetics stateside. Who can resist these high performance formulas at such a great price? I can’t wait to see what’s to come…

**This post contains products that I have received for free-for more information, please read my Disclosure Policy**

Alfred Coffee in West Hollywood | Espresso Fix

April 12, 2016

If you follow almost any blogger, chances are they’ve instagrammed at Alfred. After opening in 2013, Alfred now serves coffee in 4 locations around LA: Melrose Place, Brentwood, Silverlake, and Studio City.

I’m pretty sure Alfred started the “But First, Coffee” trend- how many random things have you seen with that phrase? I may or may not have a shirt from Target that says the same thing.

Alfred serves coffee + pastries along with juices from Juice Served Here & Pressed Juicery, and various cold food like salads and sandwiches. For myself personally, I just come for the coffee! They use Stumptown coffee and have kombucha on tap.

I always get their bestselling Vanilla Iced Latte- even though I’m traditionally a cappuccino girl, I find myself wanting to get what they’re most known for. I haven’t been to Alfred much, but every time I’ve gone I’ve gotten the Vanilla Iced Latte- and for good reason, it’s delicious! The large size will set you back around $6, so it’s pretty expensive for Stumptown, but it’s a worthy splurge within moderation.

Another reason to go to Alfred is for the decor. There are plenty of things that are instagram-worthy in there. But, it’s always packed- so it’s hard to get people out of your photos! 😉

Last time I went there the coffee sleeve was sponsored by Bumble, because it was around Valentine’s Day. They always have super cute sleeves for their drinks that make it even more photo-worthy. Alfred is definitely worth a visit in LA- I love it!

Source: https://www.corpcofe.com/coffee/.

Jouer Cosmetics Long-Wear Lip Crème Liquid Lipstick Review & Swatches (8 Shades)

April 11, 2016

A few months ago Jouer Cosmetics launched their line of Lip Crèmes, a long wear liquid lipstick available in 16 shades. Since the launch I’ve acquired 8 of the shades, so I thought I’d review them for you, as they have become my absolute favorite liquid lipstick as of late. They’re often sold out, but make sure to follow @jouercosmetics on instagram to keep up to date with restocks.

The way these Lip Crème shades, which probably not a lot of people know, is that half are warm shades and half are cool toned shades to suit all skintones. There are also 4 metallic shades! They retail for $18 each, which is on par with a lot of other beauty brands. The Jouer Lip Crèmes have a thicker consistency, not a watery consistency a la Kylie Lip Kits, which I reviewed a few weeks ago. The mousse-like consistency makes them so much easier and forgiving during application, as they take a little longer to dry so you can quickly fix any mistakes. Once they dry, they feel weightless! I prefer these a lot more than liquidy formulas because they last longer and are more comfortable to wear, in my opinion. The Lip Crèmes feel like nothing on the lips, but provide a matte, kiss-proof finish that lasts forever. After eating I typically need a touch up, and unlike more fluid formulas, the Lip Crèmes reapply easily and don’t crumble or flake off. These wear off in the middle of your lips just like a regular lipstick would, making a reapplication a breeze.

Right now my absolute favorite shade is Lychee, a matte cool dusty rose. It’s basically a “my lips but better” type of a shade that is so wearable day & night, I’m obsessed with it! My other must-haves are Petale de Rose, a matte cool deep rose, and Noisette, a matte warm chocolate brown. I’ve also been liking Praline, the only metallic I have, which is a metallic cool bronzed pink. I don’t wear it on it’s own, but it looks great if you apply in the center of your lips over a shade like Petale de Rose for some highlighting.

Jouer Cosmetics Long-Wear Lip Crème Liquid Lipstick Review Dulce de Leche Melon Lychee Cassis Petale De Rose Noisette Cerise Praline Swatches 4 — Jouer Lip Crème Swatches: Dulce de Leche, Melon, Lychee, Cassis, Petale de Rose, Noisette, Cerise, Praline

The only shades I haven’t been getting much wear out of are Melon & Cerise. I find Melon to be too light for my skin tone, and I’m not a huge fan of reds. But, the rest of the shades have been in my rotation the past few weeks as the Jouer Lip Crèmes made me fall in love with liquid lipstick again. If you haven’t been lucky enough to snag any of these yet, definitely pick some up the next time they restock!

**This post contains products that I have received for free– for more information, please read my Disclosure Policy**

OUAI by Jen Atkin Texturizing Hair Spray Review

April 5, 2016

Hairstylist to the stars (including the Kardashian/Jenner’s) Jen Atkin’s new line OUAI has taken the social media world by storm since it’s launch in February. I was working at ipsy’s Generation Beauty whenever I discovered their line- thanks to an adorable booth covered in faux white marble. It was honestly the only product I was lusting after at the show and made me sad I was working and couldn’t get anything!

Thankfully, OUAI has dropped at Sephora and I resisted the temptation to buy something for only a few seconds- I’ve been hearing rave reviews and loved seeing the mailer they sent to bloggers. The branding, for me, is totally on point and what sold me on the line.

I decided to pick up the OUAI Texturizing Hair Spray ($26) because I find that my hair is a bit flat no matter how I style it- so, I decided to give this a shot instead of the other texturizing spray I’d been hearing about (I believe by Oribe). You can get a new one for your hair.

I use this spray in both straight and curly hair and it’s great for adding some grungy texture to either style. They describe it as a hair spray + dry shampoo hybrid, which is pretty interesting because I do find that dry shampoo is good for adding some texture. A few sprays at the roots makes my hair look more lived in and less perfectly styled- which is totally the trend right now anyway. Best curling irons are a win-win for your hair care and your hairstyle. I love how easy it is to curl a few pieces of hair and spray my OUAI to a good hair day.

If you’re looking to add some texture to your look, definitely check this spray out. I’m obsessed with it!

How To Approach a Brand & PR Tips For Small YouTubers & Bloggers | Video

April 1, 2016

Starting a YouTube Channel or Blog is tough- but once you get your groove and start making some great content, brands will want to start working with you! But, sometimes it’s easier to make the first move and approach a brand yourself- and even meet in person at events. So, I’m here to provide my tips on the best ways to approach brands via email and in person. This video is a collab with my friend Violet Banks, who is sharing her video + lighting tips, so make sure to check her out!

Here are a few of my tips from my video- I can’t give away all my secrets!

BUSINESS CARDS.
Have a media kit to send via email with all of your stats. You can see my media kit for an example!
Have a pitch: what you do, how you do it, what you can do for the brand, any successes (followers/brand partnerships). This is good for email and in person! Keep it short and sweet.

Let me know any tips you have in the comments!