Friday, April 22, 2016

Allure Beauty Box: May 2016 SPOILERS


You do not want to miss this month's Allure Beauty Box! It is a great Mother's Day gift idea and I suspect this terrific spoiler will have it selling out quickly.

The box for May will include 8 items including Something from Pixi and Make Up For Ever.

It has also just been announced that each box will include:




AND




PLUS 4 products by brands not yet disclosed.

Box price is regularly $15 per month


                                     

Monday, March 21, 2016

Ipsy *SPOILERS* April 2016





Ipsy is on the ball getting us pumped up for April's Glambag. This post will be updated as spoilers are released.

Sunday, February 21, 2016

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Nivea Post Shave Balm as a Makeup PRIMER?




Yep, you read that title right. Nivea Men Post Shave Balm has been getting quite the buzz since NikkieTutorials shared her accidental discovery of using it as a makeup primer. I wasn't sure about this concept so I checked out some more beauty gurus that I trust and was really intrigued. Of course, alternative, out-of-the-box ideas always get a lot of raised eyebrows so I wanted to test it out for myself.


Wednesday, February 10, 2016

L'oreal La Palette 2 Review

L'oreal recently released two eyeshadow palettes to feed the ever growing desire among makeup junkies for affordable nude shadow palette options. Enter La Palette Nude 1 and La Palette Nude 2.



Saturday, February 6, 2016

Ipsy: All About Ipsy Points


I have had quite a few people sign up for Ipsy using my referral link and I wanted to take some time to make sure you all are taking full advantage of the Ipsy points system!

There are several ways to earn Ipsy points. 

Review Your Monthly Glam Bag

Each month you have the opportunity to review your bag as a whole as well as review each product in the bag. This earns you points AND helps Ipsy match get better at customizing your future bags for you.
Login to your Ipsy account and click the option that says "Glam Bag"

This will bring you to a screen that shows your current month's bag and give you the option to review the items.


Items in pink have not been reviewed. Items in grey, have been reviewed already.



You can also earn points by referring new Ipsy subscribers. To do this, click the tab on the Ipsy.com homepage that says "points"


Ipsy: Generation Beauty L.A. 2016 HAUL!

Generation Beauty in L.A. was a crazy ride this year. We got to meet some amazing people from beauty lovers, fellow beauty creators and some great brands. I know everyone is anxious to see what goodies we came home with. So, here they are!

The Entire weekend's haul! This is definitely a makeup lover's dream.




At registration, each attendee receives coupons for each brand's booth and goodie bag coupons for both Saturday and Sunday. 

This is what Saturday's goodie bag looks like

Day 1 Goodie Bag

Marc Anthony True Professional Clear Dry Shampoo .9 oz. *$2.50

Tarte Cosmetics Best in Faux Lash Extending Fibers $20.00

Crown Brush On the Go Travel Brush Set *$6.00 (based on Amazon price)

Laneige BB Cushion Light (everyone received the same shade) .1 oz * $3.40
based on price of full-size

Ardell Lashes 105 Black Natural $3.89

Milani Brilliant Shine Lip Gloss $4.97

PUR Minerals Eye Pencil $7.00 (reg. $17)
Appears to maybe be a discontinued product

City Color Highlighting Wand $5.99

Benefit They're Real Mascara mini $12.00

Too Faced Love Flush Blush mini .07 oz. *$6.00

NYX Butter Gloss $5.00

OFRA Long Lasting Liquid Lipstick mini *$9.00

Luxie Rose Gold Tapered Blending Brush 229 $12.00

Make Up For Ever Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil mini .5g *$8.00



Approximate retail value Day 1 goodie bag: $105.75



Saturday, January 23, 2016

NYX Liquid Suede Cream Lipstick Review

I have to say that I am a lippie addict! I have so many and love trying new formulas and unique shades. I have recently been playing around with liquid lipsticks. I got two Liquid Suede Cream Lipsticks from NYX to play around with. I really wanted to love this product! I am a huge advocate for affordable drugstore cosmetics and if you have talked makeup with me before, you know I love NYX and that they are one of my favorite brands. Continue reading to find out what I thought of these cream lipsticks.

NYX Liquid Suede Cream Lipstick Claims

long-wearing matte finish

* velvety soft on lips

* Retail: $7.00

* 12 shades available

   - Life's a Beach (bright coral)
   - Tea & Cookies (muted rose pink)
   - *Pink Lust (hot pink)
   - Kitten Heels (bright red)
   - *Cherry Skies (deep wine red)
   - Vintage (plum with mauve undertone)
   - Orange County (orange)
   - Sway (lavender)
   - Amethyst (deep neon purple)
   - Sandstorm (true nude) I call this a brown toned nude but that's just me
   - Soft-Spoken (mauve toned nude)

I have the shades Pink Lust and Cherry Skies
(pictured below)


Pink Lust is truly a hot pink and it really draws focus. Cherry Skies does fit the descriptor on the NYX website (a deep wine red) but is misleading if you are basing your selection on the shade name (Cherry Skies) as it is NOT a cherry red.



How I wear NYX Liquid Suede Cream Lipstick

I exfoliate my lips before applying any type of lipstick to create a smooth, even surface for the product to stick to. I usually use a sugar scrub or, if I'm in a hurry, I exfoliate by rubbing my toothbrush over my lips while I'm brushing my teeth in the morning.

Then I "paint" the liquid lipstick onto my lower lip, press my lips together gently and then fill in the rest of my top lip.

Allow the lipstick to "set"/dry before eating or drinking.

PROS

*Gorgeous, fun and trendy shade selection
Though there are only 12 shades, they are really fun and there is a nice variety for different comfort levels.

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque Review


I am a facial mask freak! After wearing makeup all day, everyday, my skin usually needs some extra TLC. I heard rave reviews about the Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque for a while before I actually tried it. Thanks to all the girls who recommended it, it has become one of my favorite masks.

Queen Helene Mint Julep Mask is a true bargain, retailing at around $3.99 for an 8 oz. tube. At this price, almost everyone can afford to pamper themselves. 



The packaging promises to remove blackheads, dry up pimples, and shrink pores leaving your skin feeling smooth and refreshed. Score! All of the things I love.



The mask is a thick, green, clay type. One of my favorite things about the Mint Julep mask is that it smells so good! It smells like something made in the kitchen.

From the Draft Graveyard: Lost October 2015 Beauty Favorites!

I have no idea how this never got posted. I just came across favorites from OCTOBER just chillin in my draft file! So, even though they are from a couple months back, I will share them anyway.

I have such a hard time narrowing down my list of favorites sometimes and this month is definitely one of those months. However, with a little struggle, I got it down to seven and here they are.



NYX Butter Gloss in Crème Brulee

First up is NYX butter gloss in the shade Crème Brulee. I don't know what NYX does but they have so many high quality cosmetics at an affordable price. In fact, they may be my overall favorite drugstore brand. Their Butter Glosses are very creamy and don't dry my lips out. The Crème Brulee shade is my absolute favorite everyday shade. It's nudey pink hue is perfect for giving a light wash of color and shine to make me feel put together without feeling too made up. Know what I'm sayin'?

Pacifica coconut infused mineral eye shadow in Treasure

Unfortunately, this shade cannot be purchased by itself and is only available as part of the Wanderlust beauty set, Solar Complete Color Mineral Palette, or in the Power of Love palette. I was lucky enough to get it in a goodie bag during Ipsy's Generation Beauty event in L.A. I'm soooo glad I did! This eyeshadow is so creamy and very pigmented. I really love the golden "glow" it seems to give my eyes. I'm a bit surprised by it because the other Pacifica shadows I have tried were a lot more on the softer, less pigmented side but Treasure is completely different and I just cannot get enough of using it.

IT Cosmetics Brow Power universal eyebrow pencil (taupe)

If I had to choose one favorite beauty product of all time, this may be it. Well, who am I kidding,
I couldn't choose just ONE product but this would definitely be on the top of the list. I have never been able to find a brow pencil that wasn't either too dark, too blonde or too orange for my liking but Brow Power is definitely IT! I love that it gives me natural-looking, yet defined brows and I don't walk around feeling self-conscious about whether it looks right.
See a full review HERE.

Julie G Frosted Gumdrop collection  Nail Color in Tangerine Dream

I have been loving these Gumdrop textured polishes from the Julie G collection for quite some time now. I am a total lover of orange and the Tangerine Dream shade is so fun for summer. The texture truly reminds me of the sugar-coated gumdrop candies. The formula is a perfect thickness and consistency to only require one coat. It dries quickly and lasts on my nails for nearly a week without needing a top coat. This is huge for me because I struggle to keep my polish from chipping.

Rock Your Hair Bombshell Big Hair Powder

I have fine, limp hair so I am always on the hunt for awesome volume and texture products. Rock Your Hair caught my attention because of their adorable hot pink and rhinestone packaging. Seriously, cute packaging gets me EVERY TIME. Luckily, their hair powder is fantastic! This works wonders on my freshly washed, first day hair and gives me just the right amount of grippy texture to make my hair manageable. It doesn't make my scalp itch, either, which is a huge plus.

3D Fiber Lash Mascara

Okay, ladies and gents, this mascara is L.I.F.E. for me! I have been using it for almost 2 years now and it is my favorite beauty tool when I want big lashes for going out. While I do not go through the trouble of applying it on a regular daily basis (it's a bit of a process to get it just right), it gives me phenomenal length and volume, unlike any other mascara. I save this bad boy for when I really want big lashes that wow but don't feel up to falsies.

*note: This formula has been discontinued from this company but is widely available online and I hear rumors that there are other similar formulas around.

Seventh Generation Boosts Revitalizing skin serum

Of course I would choose a favorite that has been discontinued! Since it is still available in some places, it is still totally worth the mention. I got a chance to experience this skin serum from a promotion Seventh Generation was running and have been in love ever since. The revitalizing serum is more like an oil and comes in a pump bottle. I have been using it around my eyes as I've noticed I'm starting to get a couple fine lines. The serum is doing a nice job of adding extra moisture to minimize their appearance.

Have you tried any of these products? If you have, are they your favorites, too?