Product spotlight: Ipsy monthly glam bag

I just wanted to make a quick post about this makeup subscription that I absolutely love and has provided me with products that I use constantly. 

I sometimes get questions on where I get  make up from and this is it..

The Ipsy Glam Bag is a monthly subscription that is very affordable at $10 a month. The bag comes with 5 types of beauty products ranging from make up, accessories, hair care and skin care from either big name brands to smaller businesses.

The January 2015 Glam Bag

I came across this when I saw a beauty guru on youtube mention it and as I did my research I learned that Michelle Phan one of the top beauty gurus on the internet was apart of it so I had to see what it was about!

Now I have been subscribed to this for a year and I haven't been disappointed in the products they have sent me.

One of things I love is that most of the products are full sized rather than just a sample, like other subscriptions I've tried and they come in practical bag that you can use in your every day life!

Since it is monthly, they have themes for the bags and different designs so no bag is the same.

So when you sign up on their website they will have like a quiz for you to take on your skin tone,eye and skin color, what your style is and your overall experience with using beauty products.

 Once you finish the quiz it will send you an e-mail that puts you on a waiting list (this may take up to 10 days)  or if you know someone who already is subscribed you can use their invitation link for easy access.
The awesome thing is you can try it out and if you aren't satisfied with it you can stop your subscription at any time.

Lucky for you, I'm going to give you an invitation link so you can try it out! CLICK HERE

Hope you guys enjoyed this post and I'll see you soon!

-Lupita

2014: The Year Of Changing The View On Disability

Now most of you probably have read my post My Life With A Disability and I got a lot of great feedback on it but I have to say  2014 really made me feel very empowered to embrace my disability and think that I can do things way beyond what people's expectations may be.

It all started back in January when Diesel released an ad campaign "We Are Connected" with it's first disabled model named Jillian Mercado.

 Jillian has muscular dystrophy and is bound to a wheelchair, but that didn't stop her from following her dreams of being  in the fashion world.

 She's actually been in the modeling world for quiet some time building her resume in fashion, interning at Allure Magazine, even attending New York's Fashion Institute Of Technology where she studied merchandising. After graduating from FIT she went on to cover New York's Fashion Week for PMc Magazine and even started her own fashion blog under the name Manufactured 1987.

She was very aware of how hard it is even for a normal person to go into an industry that is known to make you or break you, but her determination and love for fashion made her willing to try break into the very high profile and critical industry and turn it on it's head.

"I knew I was throwing myself into the fire when I wanted to work in fashion, I work equally as hard as everyone else does in this industry, and my chair doesn't give me permission to slack off. My passion is equal to yours -- I just come with a chair that moves."

But  Jilian isn't the only one trying to break the view on disability in fashion, a group of  Russian designers,  Daria Razumihina, Sabina Gorelik, Dmitriy Neu, Masha Sharoeva, Albina Bikbulatova, Oksana Livencova, Miguel Angelo Fernandes Carvalho and Christine Wolf came together to design clothes specifically for people with disabilities and use only models with disabilities to showcase their designs at Russia's Fashion Week.

 

The show is called Models Without Borders and is aimed to increase the awareness of people with disabilities and impairments in the fashion industry.

 

'Of course we don't want this to be a one off, lets see permanent disabled models, in every aspect of fashion! 


In November the high store chain target featured a toddler with Autism, which is a first for the store.


Other aspects of the entertainment industry have opened up to people with disabilities into the mainstream and the latest is British-Latvian Pop singer and model Viktoria Modesta.

Modesta's left leg was damaged at birth and at the age of 20 made the difficult decision to amputate it to make it easier for her to be able to improve her mobility.

 Back in December Channel 4, a British network launched #bornrisky which was a campaign to promote her music video for a song titled, Prototype.

  The video showcases her impairment in a modern and artistic way that helps change the way people look at someone with an impairment on a daily basis.

She treats her amputeeism as empowering, as part of her artistic expression which can thrill and influence - not an accident of nature which demands sympathy. She defies being categorized and makes us re –think meaning of the word ‘disabled’. --Excerpt from her website

What I like about the video besides the artistic view is that before the video begins it starts with the line "Forget what you know about disability" because it does just that, once the video is over you forget that she even has one because of the way it's shot and choreographed and rather in awe of what she can do.

As many young girls growing up, I always had a dream of being a popstar (even though I can't sing to save my life) or a model, but I never saw someone like me up on the runway, an ad or on TV and I'd feel silly even to think someone like me could ever do those things. It's taken a while, but I am so glad the perception of people with disabilities is slowly changing in the mainstream of today's generation.


It's only the beginning and I am hoping it will continue on and change the world!!...

-Lupita

November 2014 favorites

I'd like to start this post off with a huge thank you to everyone who read my previous post "my life with a disability" and if you haven't read it yet to get to know a little more about me, just go to my archive and you'll find it there :)

Okay onto my favorites..

I love when it becomes "sweater weather" and you can just wrap yourself in a cozy sweater!

I absolutely love this beige dog  pullover sweater I got from target ($11)!

 I don't really go for this color normally, but I saw the design and thought it was so cute! Plus it's really warm and comfy.

I am a big lover of hats and I look forward when the temperatures get colder so I can wear them! Like this bobble hat from Joe Boxer for Kmart ($9)

 And of course you also need a scarf to keep you warm! Like this heart grey/navy colored Reversible Hearts Infinity Scarf from Charming Charlies ($15)

Now that it is fall going into winter I am loving the dark lip trend right now!

First one is from Nyx's Simply Vamp collection ($5)

 

This is a chubby lip pencil in the color bewitching  with a purple tone that goes on matte. I was quite surprised at how long it lasted! It's very pigmented so you'll only need one coat.

The next one is from Revlon ($5)

This one is in the color Black Cherry that is a dark berry tone with a little  shine and I love the way it looks. Unlike the first one, if you want a very dark you may need to put on more than one coat and fill your lips with a lip liner with a similar color to make it last a little bit.

 moistrizing your lips is very important in these cold tempurtures

 

With Mongogo's lip balm ($6) will help moisten your lips with a cool mint feeling making your lips soft.

For the eyes I am using more autumnal tones using with Maybelline's The Nudes Platte ( $10)

 .

This palette has 6 shimmery and 6 matte shades to choose from. It's perfect to make any type of smoky eye or just use them individually.

Another Maybelline product I love is the Master Kajal cream eyeliner.($7)

This pencil is the first cream eyeliner from Maybelline. It will give you the dramatic eye your looking for this holiday season.

If you're looking for a little sparkle for your holiday look Beautique Long-Wear Automatic Eye Liner in Diamond ($4) will be your go to

. 

This retractable pencil goes on easy and will definitely give you a subtle  pop to your eyes with its sparkle.

Do you have a hard time putting on or just don't have time for fake lashes? Well with Maybelline's Falsies mascara ($6) will help you!

Like probably many of girls putting on lashes is a difficult task, especially if you're on the go. this makes it simple and fast and gives you a natural look.

Want to have your eyes look more awake in these cold days? Rimmel's Wake Me Up Conceler ($5)

This will brighten your eyes as well conceal your blemishes.

Since it is Winter dark/ grey colors are in trend for nails also.

Like this dark red from Nicole from OPI in Very Cherry ($5)

Or this grey tone from Sinful Color's in Nirvana ($2)

Those are my favorites! Until next time :)

-Lupita

My Life With A Disabilty

Now as I mentioned in my introduction post I have a disability I haven't really spoken about it on social media because I felt like people that I've met over the internet haven't even met me in person and I feel normal in a way.

 But I feel like it's time for me to talk about it and make people aware of it or even relate to some of you that are going through it like me...

That disability is called cerebral palsy or CP for short. This is a result of a birth defect in the brain which is caused by damage to the motor control center. It can happen in early stages of pregnancy, during birth or a child can show signs of having CP up to age 3.

Signs of having CP are:

• Poor Muscle tone
•  Poor coordination and balance
• Spastic muscles or movements
• Not meeting specific milestones 

Sadly there are no cures for this, but there are many different ways to help it from worsening, like rehabilitation and physical therapy,or even surgery.

There are levels of severity with CP. There are people who can walk and get around with some sort of supportive device and may not need help from others as much, others are bound to a wheelchair and depend on others to do daily tasks.

In my case I can walk with assistance or I use a walker to get around, but for long distances I use a wheelchair to get around.

My whole life has been a challenge since day 1. I was born premature at only 6 months and basically fit into the palm of your hand (I know this for a fact because my grandmother tells my birth story at every family gathering we have haha).

As I grew up I went to school just like any other kid, the only thing that I did differently was that I was in a special education program that helped me in any areas that I had problems in, but I was in a regular class with everyone else. I dealt with things like any other kids goes through growing up (hormones,acne, crushes etc).

Even now when I went to college I had some help, but this time I would go to classes on my own and be more independent having to adjust to having the college experience. I was a little more at ease, a little more sure of myself and slowly coming out of my shell. I have made so many great friends and met some people who were helpful if I needed it.


I also do things like any other person, only I have to find ways to do them in a way that is easier for me. It is very frustrating and tiring, but like everything that is new you have to practice it until you can get it right. It also might take me a bit longer to do something that a normal person can do, but I feel proud that I am able to them on my own. This also includes asking for help when I need it, because when I was younger I didn't do much of and I guess it was because I wanted to prove I could do it on my own. I now realize that it's okay to ask for help, no one will look down at you for it because asking for help is what all people do no matter what you have. I also realized that if a person asks me if I need help I know it's just in their best interest and you can just politely say you're fine. (unless it's a really cute guy then you can take up their offer, haha)

Now that I'm an adult, I'm more independent in a way that I'm able to go somewhere without depending on my mom to take me. This is thanks to a bus service that picks me up at my house and takes me where I need to go, so I can go to the store, to hang out with friends or go to important appointments on my own and feel like a normal person.

Although there are instances where people assume things just by looking at me and treat me a certain way.

When I was younger it used to bother me so much that kids would stare and ask whoever they were with what was wrong with me and their parents would try to quiet them saying it wasn't nice. It was never to point where they would laugh and make fun of me, but it made me upset that I wasn't like the other kids, that I couldn't do or play like they could. I would get so upset over why I was the way that I am and I had the want to be like everyone else and not have this disability. I remember in Elementary school there was  a teacher who told my parents I wasn't academically capable to be in a regular class, if only they could see me now.

Sadly some people still assume the intelligence or what a person with an impairment can do.

Take Stephen Hawking for example, he has a disability and is probably the smartest person in the world , both Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder suffer from blindness and are musical legends and respected by many. I've also heard many inspiring stories of people who overcame others expectations and assumptions and have done so many great things.

One story in particular that has stuck with me since I've heard it in high school is the story of Nick Vujicic who was born with no limbs and yet he still does things like surfing ,swimming and has a lovely family of his own (Read his incredible story here). So next time you call a person a retard or cripple, just know they might end up going somewhere and doing amazing things!

 I'm not going to lie, I still find myself asking why can't I be like a "normal" but, in my 23 years of life I now realize there really isn't a right definition of being "normal", so this is what I am and it's okay to be different. I know there will be many more challenges for me and I am so grateful for the love and support of my mom who always tells me give up and follow whatever dreams I have. Hopefully one day I will make those dreams come true and make her proud.

I'm  also very lucky to have friends who I've known for most of my life that are in the same sort of situation as me, so if I have any doubts or fears on something that they've already been through I can go to them for advice or just talk it out with them or vice-versa. It also gives me comfort that I'm not alone in this situation and that I can go to someone who is probably going through the same struggles and at the same time we can help each other out in a way.

Like any person who has any kind of struggle, it's good to have that kind of support from others who are going through the same thing, because other people, no matter how hard they want to feel like they know or understand how it feels to be in that sort of situation, they only see the outside of what you go througn7h on a day to day basis, rather than the the emotional toll it can have on person going through it.

I'm very thankful to have regular friends who look beyond my appearance and treat me like any other person. I'm already a very shy person as it is and sometimes I do feel like my disability holds me back even more when meeting new people, but I've met so many good people that made me feel accepted and normal  that helps me be more social. It's great to have that sort of balance of people in your life because it can change other peoples assumptions of you when they first see you, like "oh he/she's so cool, you gotta see how funny and smart they are!" rather than just introducing as the "kid in a wheelchair" or "the kid with a walker". I also feel really lucky to know that they will help me if I need it and be there for me whenever and I hope they know that I would do the same for them!


So if you are like me and have a disability here's a tip I learned: Don't let  disability define you, keep your head up and keep going! It's going to be a bumpy road  but with the right attitude and support of people that love you, you can get through it! Once you accomplish whatever obstacle is in your way, your going to feel so proud of yourself and much more stronger than before.

And to anyone else reading this: Don't assume. Don't be afraid to ask questions because you both might learn something and gain a friendship for life...

"You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have."-Unknown

-Lupita

(If you have any questions or just need someone to talk to you can reach me on any of my accounts on the side panel)

My Summer 2014 Beauty Favorites

Hello once again,

It’s been a while since I wrote a post so I thought I’d share some of my favorite beauty products I’m loving this Summer that are affordable for any make up and beauty lover like myself! Some of them will be some old favorites and some newer ones, so here we go!

I’m going to start with a new product that I am OBSESSED with, no I’m in LOVE with this product!!

It is the Cailyn Tinted Lip Balm in the color Pink Acid*.  It is a lip balm to goes on very matte and gives a pop of color to your make up look. I have been wearing this since April ever since I received it in my Ipsy bag!  (more on that later). Of course there are a variety of different shades to choose from, but if you’re looking for a bold pink lip this one’s for you!

The only downside is that since it is a matted lip balm, it dries out, so I suggest you either moisturize your lips before putting it on or put a lip gloss over it so it won’t look cracked. Other than that, I really recommend this if you want to add a bright color to your Summer look.

Next is the Revlon Color Burst Laquer Balm in the shade Demure Reservee.

This is part of Revlon’s Color Burst lip crayon collection. This has a shine to it, other than the matted crayons. The color is a lighter pink and goes on smooth leaving your lips with a bit of color and sparkle.

Ever wanted your eyes to look like those girls in a manga cartoon? Well now you can, with L’Oreal’s new Miss Manga mascara.

This mascara makes your eyes look bigger and make your lashes longer. The wand is bendable with a cone shaped brush, making it easier to apply on your lashes and the packaging is really pretty too.

Another L’Oreal mascara I love is the Butterfly mascara.

The Butterfly mascara fans out your lashes without making them look clumpy.

Continuing with the eye products and my personal favorite part of my makeup collection eye liner. A new favorite of mine is the liquid eyeliner pen from Jesse’s Girl*.

If you’re like me and find it difficult to put on eyeliner, this product will make it easier to apply. The brush is a unique Japanese calligraphy style tip to help with the precision. Practice makes perfect, trust me.

Want to add sparkle to your eyeshadow? Wet And Wild have come out with a line of different colors of little sparkle palettes, like this on in the color Groupie.

Looking for a new color to brighten your nails for the hot Summer? I’m loving this nail polish from NYC in the color Hamptons Peach.

It’s light peachy color that is perfect for the Summer weather.

Or if you’re looking for a sheer color, I totally recommend this nail polish from Revlon in the color Extravagant.

This polish is purple sheer color that will make your nails shine out in the Summer sun.

Who says you have to go to the beach to get beachy waves, with Dream Waves beach spray By Marc Anthony* you can do it without even stepping outside.

All you have to do is spray the serum over damp hair, scrunch it and just let it dry and wah-la you instantly look like you just came from the beach.

Tip: If you want more volume you can use a curling iron or hair diffuser.

Well those are some of my Summer favorites! I hope you enjoyed my post and let me know if you’ve used any of the products I mentioned by reaching me on any of my accounts. Until the next one!

-Lupita

(Note: Products with marked with * are things from Ipsy that I have received in my monthly glam bag and are available online.)

Hello lovelies,

I just wanted to do a little introduction post to welcome you to my blog. My name is Lupita and I'm a 23 year old college student majoring in Journalism and mass communications at my local community college. I still live at home with my mom brother. Sadly my dad passed away in 2009, so life hasn't been easy in these last few years but we're adjusting still to this day. we seem to be doing fine with a few bumps along the way, but we get through them.

This is all thanks to my mom, she's probably the strongest person I know. I don't know what I'd do without her. She's also one of my best friends, she knows me better than anyone and I can always count on her for anything. She's my biggest supporter and always tells me just to try things I'm too scared to do by telling me "The worst thing that could happen is you fail, but at least you'll know you tried it". I love her more than anything in this world!

 Okay enough with the mushy stuff here is some things about me...

-I have a disability called 'Cerebral Palsy', so I use a wheelchair and need assistance to get around (I will probably write a post explaining about this on a later date)

-I love to write (Hence my major)

-I love to read. (Although I haven't sat and read a book in it's entirety in a while)

-I like to meet new people.

-I also like to be by myself most of the time. I've always been an introvert, so I can be anti-social at times.

-I'm very awkward and shy around people, but once I'm comfortable with you I'm a whole different person.

-I'm a homebody. My weekends include being on my laptop, spending my time on sites like Tumblr, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Youtube (All the links to my accounts are in the 'About Me' section) and recently got into netflix, so I spend ALOT of time binge watching movies and tv shows.


-I am a HUGE fangirl when it comes to thing like tv shows or celebrities.

-I can't spend a day without listening to music

-I'm Mexican, but I'm such a white girl at heart (I'll explain it later)

-I LOVE food and chocolate

-I also would love to travel more in the future

-I have an OBSESSION with accessories (sunglasses, hats, scarves etc.)

-Most recently I have been obsessed with make up and it's getting pretty bad haha

So I guess that's all for right now...

I hope you learned a little more about me and if you have any questions for me or just wanna say hi follow me on any of my accounts.

-Lupita