Left to right: Wine and Dine, Poison, Stormy Waters, Undercover Lover, Lacquered Lilac
I am a nail polish junky. I can't resist those little bottles with beautiful colors. They call my name. Twice now while browsing the aisles of Target I've encountered clearanced Sonia Kashuk colors.
I've heard a lot of rave about Sonia Kashuk brand, and I was even convinced to buy a brush set a few years ago. The brushes are supposed to be high quality at a low price. I find that they are about the right quality for the price. I am not wow'd by them, but I feel you get your money's worth. I would still recommend the Coastal Scents brushes I sampled. Since I wasn't over the moon for the brushes, I haven't really purchased anything else from that brand... until the polishes.
I am obsessed with them!! Both sets were $5 on clearance. They were normally 10. In the future I would be willing to pay the full price! The color pigmentation is fantastic. The color in the bottle is the color you get on your nails. Deep and rich. I was so impressed when I put the first coat on. Then with the second coat I was even more in love. They wore very well too. Hardly chipped at all until it was time to change! They looked great until I chose to remove them. You can still find the fall set here.
These are limited edition, so if you find them in your target (check the clearance!) snap them up.
Here is Poison on my fingernails. Dark and deeply saturated color. It does have some shine to it but I also use a top coat.
This year I decided I was going to do the classic cat ear girly halloween look. Why? Youtube! Why else?! I found a killer tutorial on sexy cat makeup. Check it out here. I fell in love with the leopard print near the eyes. I had been planning a trip to Ulta for some time to pick out liners I could use. Well I saved myself a boat load of money when I found these ELF liners at target. I've seen a lot of Pinterest hype on the ELF (Eyes. Lips. Face) brand. I didn't realize how crazy cheap it was. I was pretty skeptical due to the price point. How much did I put down for these? 2 dollars. That's right, one dollar each. I bet you are asking if they suck. Here is the good news: They rock. I can't wait to try more ELF products and I recommend you do too.
Before I did the leopard print look on my eye, I tried it out on my hand. I did little dots of the gold glitter and then went around them with the black liner on two sides. These little liners pack some punch and take some makeup remover to get it off. Once they are set they are good to go! If you like liquid liner check them out.
For this look I did a smokey eye with some pink/purple to it with my Stella pallette and the black is the ELF black liner and also some kohl black pencil. Of course I had to throw in some over the top fake lashes! I used a kohl pencil for the details on the nose, whiskers, and mouth. It was a little easier to get the curves of my nose with a pencil. I used a bit of my Stainiac to add some color to the nose. My lips and cheeks are vibrant pink from the Happy Booster line from Physicians formula. I recommend that line if you like a pink that pops as they are pretty saturated.
Here are the nails I was sporting for Halloween. These are Sally Hansen Salon Effects nail polish strips. I bought these on clearance last year, and found that they seem to have dried over time. The first time I used them they lasted so well but this time I didn't get the longevity I was hoping for. I blame waiting a year to use them. The thing I love about these strips are the details you can get. I used an argyle print before which is something I would not do freehand. They are easy to use. They are about 8 dollars a box which will give you enough for one use. I recommend them for a special occasion. Don't bother with a plain glitter set, you can do that yourself. Get a cool design!
So easy to use: Start with clean dry nails. Use the provided file to rough up your nail a bit (for sticking purposes), select the strip that fits your nail, stretch it over your entire nail, file off excess. Ta Da!
Woot woot! Ipsy is doing it right this month. I'm loving what a variety of samples I received. Can't say much about the ugly ugly bag. I couldn't wait to dive in and sample. You can tell it is a great bag when I don't want to wait to try things out.
Ipsy won over my heart this month by giving me a nail polish sample. Zoya! The color is Giovanna. I have heard great things about this brand. It is a color I don't currently own which is even better. This has a pearlescent metallic sheen that is really great. It's hard to pick up on camera the depth this polish has. It is described as an emerald green, and it truly is even though I feel like at first glance it looks more teal.
StyleSexyHair Spray Clay. Kind of a flop so far. I knew it wasn't really going to work for my hair. Wrong kind of product but right BRAND of product. I can tell you that this brand of hair products is amazing. I have tried both the Big Sexy Hair line and the Healthy Sexy Hair line. I love their Chocolate Soymilk shampoo! Sulfate free and smells like a damn chocolate bar. Who wouldn't like that? This spray clay is from the Style Sexy Hair line. It is to create textured hair with a matte finish. My hair goes limp very quickly, so I think if I am going for a big hair night this may be the ticket. I was attempting a flat iron with a bit of edge to it... not quite there. The spray comes out VERY forcefully. As a first attempt with a product I've never used I would say there is room for improvement. Texture? Yes. Good texture? Not so much. I think this will work nicely when getting my hair ready for an updo.
Coastal Scents: Medium eyeshadow brush. I am loving it and using it all the time. The even better news? Easy on the wallet! 3 dollars for the eyeshadow brush I'm sampling. It seems like very good quality and I was surprised to see it was that cheap. I have more expensive brushes I don't like as much. It looks like they only sell through their online site. I'd be interested to try some of their makeup!
Bellaterra mineral shimmer eye shadow in Navy. Available through the Bella Terra website for $15. To me that's a lot to throw down on one single color. If I were to purchase I would want it to be a color I wore all the time. The pigmentation is actually pretty good. I used the tiniest bit as I knew I wanted a day look. This is just very quick application as I was pressed for time and headed out the door to an appointment. I used a neutral lid and just smoked out the crease a bit. Very wearable for a Navy color. I would definitely do a different lip color if I hadn't been sampling my lip pencil at the same time....It did not take very much at all and produced excellent color. The website also recommends adding it to nail polish, using it as a body glitter (not in navy unless you want to look bruised!), using a wet brush for a cream eyeshadow, using a wet eyeliner brush for eyeliner, using it with clear mascara for a pop of color, mixing with lip gloss, or even using it as hair streaks with hair gel. Interesting suggestions. 60 different shades through their website.
Starlooks lip pencil in Tipsy. Holy orange undertones batman!! I thought this would be pink but it is like a flourescent coral. This picture doesn't even do it justice! I was so hopeful when I first glanced at the pencil because it seemed close to my favorite pencil... I used straight up pencil with a little lip gloss over the top. I will have to blend this color with something a little less LOOK AT ME.
PS. What is going on with my one eyebrow?!
Here it is next to my beloved "Radish" colored lip pencil. If only it weren't so orange! Bummer because I have yet to find a color that is my radish color. It is THE color for my lips, but the brand (Jane) went away for a long time. They have now re-branded and don't carry lip pencils. Some day I'll find a dupe... today is not that day.
Join me on ipsy and subscribe to the Glam Bag! You get 4-5 beauty products every month delivered to your door, for just $10. Michelle Phan curates the bags! Check it out here: http://www.ipsy.com/?refer=u-hkeep4gyw4of1rcp
I have to say that I am neither here nor there with this box. I loved the 12 benefits and Staniac samples. I was not excited to get foil samples. Also, since 3 of my samples were all skincare from one brand, it didn't feel as if there was that much to sample. I like a little more variety. The chapstick came at a great time as I've had terrible chapped lips. Unfortunately, it didn't do much for me. Verdict? Meh. There is always next month.
Dr. Brandt: Whitening Cream Cleanser, Whitening Renewal Solution, Microdermabrasion
I have to say I really enjoyed this microdermabrasion. I've used it several times now. It didn't feel like complete sandpaper (like the Goldfaden MD). On the flip side, I'm not sure it worked as well. I also used the whitening cleanser and whitening solution. Is it just me or when I read whitening solution I think teeth? Even though they were small foil packets I did get 3 washes out of the cleanser and two uses out of the solution. The cleanser foams up very nicely. The bad news is that face has been breaking out like crazy ever since. I have sensitive skin and usually when I use something it doesn't like, it shows. Maybe it was a coincidental breakout, but then again maybe not. This is a COSTLY brand. 2 oz of the Microdermabrasion will cost you over 75. (Might as well buy the Goldfaden with ruby crystals!! haha) The cleanser and renewal solution are around 50. I burnt my skin to a crisp a couple summers ago so now I have a lot more freckling and spots. I like the idea of the whitening line, but I think there are better products at better prices. Dr. Brandt also has a Pore No More line that is intriguing if I knew it wouldn't make my skin break out.
Staniac: Hint of Tint by theBalm cosmetics. This is designed as a gel blush but can also be used on the lips. The color is beauty queen. I was a little disappointed with the color only because it looked so much redder in the tube. On my lips it was much more of a berry pink color. Its not a bad color, just not what I was expecting. I utilized it both as a lip and a cheek stain as suggested. This is pretty much your average stain. If you like stains, you will like this product. I did a few layers as it was a night out and I wanted a bolder look. I used my fingers to smooth the stain onto my cheeks which ended up staining my fingers and I was unable to get it off with any makeup remover or soap. I wore this out to dinner and by the end of the meal the central portion of my lips was not very stained. Not very chic looking. Lesson learned- stains don't work well with eating. I really liked it as a gel blush, not as a much as a lip stain. Mostly due to color preference not formula. I'm super interested in theBalm brand and I would consider purchasing this stain. I would be interested to try their pink "Prom Queen" color. It sells $17 for a full size.
12 Benefits: Instant Healthy Hair Treatment. Here are the 12 Benefits put to work on my hair. The first photo is damp towel dried hair. These next few are post blow dry. You can see it makes my hair sleek and smooth. It is very touchable and soft. I am really digging this product! I don't think it gives my hair quite the sheen that It's a 10 products do however. Since I do have a tendency to have greasy hair, this could be a good thing. The spray nozzle worked really well dispersing evenly. Which is good because it's a pet peeve of mine when I can't get things to spray right and end up with a glob of product in one tiny spot on my hair. It has a nice soft scent, not overpowering at all. Another use for this product, according to the bottle, is for swimming protection. This will be perfect for the summer. Plus it comes in a cute pink bottle! I really love this product and it will be on my by list! It is 18-20 depending on whether you buy 6 or 8 oz. For a hair product, that really isn't that bad of a price.
ChapStick: Hydration lock. Save your money and buy some Blistex instead. It is still the waxy feeling ChapStick it has always been. 8 hour wear? Yeah right! I wanted to love this. I wanted this product to change my mind about their brand. I will say, if you love ChapStick already, you will probably like this. I just don't care at all for the formula.
I can't help myself so here are my recommendations instead: Blistex Deep Renewal for the softest lips. I have a hard time getting to the "end" of lipsticks and glosses because I have so many, but I frequently run out of deep renewal. It is part of my morning face routine. It feels amazing. Blistex Moisture Melt is great for a thicker lip gloss feel. Just as easy on your wallet, but way better than ChapStick!!!
If you are interested in having your mailbox become exciting once again, consider joining Birchbox. It is a $10 recurring monthly fee to have deluxe samples in lovely packaging delivered to your door! It's a like a mini-christmas every month! Plus you can review products and earn points to buy items in the Birchbox store. Check it out here: Birchbox
Go buy some. Right now. These products have changed my eye routine. GREAT for beginners.
Disclaimer: This is not about finding a dupe for Urban Decay. I do not own the Urban Decay Naked or Naked 2 palette, so I am not going to compare them. UD palettes run you $52. Let's be practical- that is a lot of money. I don't have that much to spend on makeup. Nor for my everyday life do I have reason to. You can also buy knock-off UD palettes for still quite a bit more than these lovely Physician's Formula. These are not a dupe, so don't bother if your soul tells you that you must have the Urban Decay, go for it.
These are the two palettes I have.You can see how well loved they are. One is Nude Eyes (pink and lace), and the other is Smoky Hazel eyes. They have since added another to the collection called Casual Eyes. It has a denim colored box with a zipper, check it out here. I look forward to trying it. Also since I purchased the smoky eye they have replaced it with a new "universal" smoky eye look. It comes in a black case with rhinestone.
Here is my beloved smoky hazel eye palette. You can tell how much I use it by the wear! They have different colors for different eyes. I usually go with Hazel or Brown when picking up colors for my eyes. I purchased this and fell in love with it. These came out before the nude palette. Unfortunately they have changed them slightly since I purchased this one. They are now called Shimmer Strips Custom Eye Enhancing Shadow. You can pick from blue, brown, green or hazel. You can take a peek at them here.
These are such versatile nude colors. I use this palette almost every day. The colors aren't highly pigmented. That is a downfall of this product. However, it works well in the sense that it is highly blendable. If you are just starting out playing with darker colors in your eyelid crease these are almost foolproof in a sense. Also, when I am in a hurry they are so quick and easy to use. After I discovered this palette, the next time they were on sale I grabbed another. I was so afraid they would stop making them! I hardly ever buy the same beauty products again because I'm constantly evolving and experimenting if that speaks to feelings for this product. Since this first nude palette came out there are now 4 options: Natural Nude (this original one), Warm Nude, Classic Nude, and Smoky Nude. You can check those others out here.
This is the sponge brush that comes with the palettes. Personally I'm not into these foam brushes at all. In the past, however, I have found that in drugstore eyeshadow products these foam brushes seem to deliver more of the product and make them seem more pigmented than they are.
This is the nude palette swatched out on my arm. I could not get the lighting right to pick up on the lighter colors. Very neutral shades. Very easy to work with. They do have a shimmer to them, so if you are only into matte, this is not the palette for you. (They are SHIMMER strips after all)
You can see here with the smokey eye swatches that they seem so much more wearable than just staring at the package colors. The smokey eye palette seems like it could go to the garish silver side of things. Not at all.
Here are some final product pics using the nude shimmer strip palette. In a couple of different lighting situations (please forgive my unruly brows). This was more of an everyday wearable look, but could also be glammed up for evening.
These sets are really so easy to work with. I highly recommend them! They are around 10 bucks a pop and can be found just about anywhere, from Walmart to Ulta. Drugstores such as RiteAid, CVS, and Walgreens are constantly running sales on them.
I can hardly believe it is already October 9th! I am still really enjoying my Semptember subscription box items! It is such a great way to try out products. It's hard to believe but my Birchbox has shipped for October and should arrive next week. I knew I needed to review the Ipsy products from September before my new Ipsy arrived!
September Glam Bag!
I'm a cheater and I looked at some "sneak peaks" posted on the Ipsy website. I have to say it took a little bit of the fun and surprise out of it for me. I wasn't overly excited about this bag, but they had a tiny part of it posted online, so I already knew what to expect. I feel like that made me lose excitement over this bag. The pattern is cute and the color is nice! What do I have to complain about?! No more sneak peaks for me!
Pop Beauty
Pouty Pop Crayon
I've seen a few reviews of this product that the reviewers were not pleased with the formula. However, I happen to Love this crayon. I've been carrying it around everywhere with me since I received it. The color is very saturated. It feels much better on my lips than regular lipstick. It is a smooth texture, no stickiness, and not too heavy feeling. I'm a big fan of the Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butters. In comparison what I love about the pencil is that it doesn't feel like a lipstick, but it has more saturation of color than one of the lip butters. I would say it has a satin sheen, not matte but not shiny either. I like the color, but I feel like their could be a better one for my skin tone. When I do buy another of these pencils (which I will) there will be updates here on the colors I've tried. There are kits of 6 crayons for $25 at a variety of places including Ulta, Nordstrom, and Beauty.com. It is definitely on my short list for purchases!
Elizabeth Mott
It's So Big Mascara
I had high hopes for this mascara, only because I had so much luck with the Birchbox mascara this month. At first sweep I felt like our relationship was headed in a good direction. It was giving my lashes some extra lenth. I went for a second sweep... clump, clump, clump, clump!!! Terrible clumping. Not impressed. The full size is 19.99 on the Elizabeth Mott website. I feel like it is pretty average, and would not pay that price.
Skyn Iceland
Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels
I threw these on when I was about to take a soak in the tub I figured it would be a good time to pamper my under eye area. The gel does have a nice cool feeling on the skin, and they stay put quite well. When I went to peel them off a little bit of the gel was leftover on my skin. I think that my skin felt hydrated. This is all quite subjective, as with most beauty products, so it is hard to say whether they made a true difference in my skin. I might consider purchasing this for a gift for someone but would have a hard time splurging on for myself. I just checked on the price of these puppies. Amazon has them for 30 normally, knocked down currently to 24. For 8 pairs of gels. That's 3 dollars each. Yikes. If you want to splurge, go ahead, but I don't have real "issues" with puffy under eyes, so I probably won't purchase. I did notice that Shape magazine had a spotlight on the Skyn Iceland: Pure Pore Minimizer. It is a whopping $35 but I have pores the size of potholes, so it may be something I look into in the future.
Nyx Eyeshadow
Golden Poppy
This is a very nice formula. Blendable and buildable. Pigmentation seems to be middle of the road to me. Gold is not a color I wear very often on my eyes, but this isn't a gawdy gold, so if you are looking for a gold makeup to add to your collection, this could easily be the one for you. These single Nyx eyeshadows retail for about 5 bucks at Ulta. Not a bad price point at all. They have a TON of different colors. I have to say I tend to reach for palettes more often than single colors which is just a personal preference. I would love to try other colors.
Starlooks Kohl Eye Pencil in Obsidian. Arg! This is just a black eyeliner. It is not extra smooth or extra creamy, or extra anything. It is simply a black eyeliner. I did find a nice video here on a look that can be achieved with this pencil. I find that while black can be used to achieve smokey looks, it can also quickly turn into garish overdone trashy looks. This liner will cost you 12 dollars. I am not an eyeliner guru and I usually use very little of it. However, I feel like if you are trying to convert people to using your brand you have to wow. No wow factor for me. I have visited their site and it is a brand you can get in a subscription box called StarBox. I do like the idea that their box is coordinate makeup for an entire look. We shall see if this brand comes by again and if they can convert me.
I guess you could call this a "bonus" but there was a card from em Michelle Phan for Life Palettes. I got a card sample of the career life palette. I wish this brand had come up with a better way to send a sample. This is a kind of sample that should come in a beauty magazine, not in a subscription box. I am intrigued by the brand and the website, but wish for a more substantial sample to make a better decision. The palette has 4 "curated" looks including 4 cheek, 8 lip, and 24 eyeshadows. The whole card showed the entire palette but the sample was just one of the looks from the palette (but not even the whole look). I ripped the sample off of the card so I do not have a picture of the card. The price point is $75 for one of the palettes!!! I need a better sample before I drop that kind of cash. Also, I know neutral is probably the "safe" way to go when sending out samples, but it also reads middle of the road and does not impress me.
Join me on ipsy and subscribe to the Glam Bag! You get 4-5 beauty products every month delivered to your door, for just $10. Michelle Phan curates the bags! Check it out here
Here is Poison on my fingernails. Dark and deeply saturated color. It does have some shine to it but I also use a top coat.
