The Bloggers' Ball

So I saw Niki tweet about this and while I tend to avoid most New Year posts at all costs, I thought this one looked like fun.  To participate, you were asked to create a red carpet ball outfit as well as answer some questions about the past and upcoming year. To join, add your link at Rachel's blog, here. 

Questions:

What was the best part of 2012?

2012 was in all honesty really awful for me. I went through a really bad breakup back in February a few days before my birthday and I'm still trying to mend it sooo this year has really sucked all around.  There haven't been a lot of good moments, but one of them was probably back in October when I decided to start this blog, I've only been blogging a few months and I've already made some blogging friends and gotten to know a lot of you. I can't wait to see what 2013 holds for this blog and lovely community! <3

What was your favorite song/book/movie of 2012?
Song - Some Nights by Fun; Book - The Hunger Games; Movie - Pitch Perfect, The Hunger Games, and Snow White and the Huntsman.

What was your biggest accomplishment of 2012?
Deciding to transfer away from home and go to a different college. Also, I painted a couple really pretty oil landscapes...and I'm artistically challenged so that was cool. And lastly, the decision to go public with my song writing and make a Facebook fan page so that I can share with the people of my community what I do.

What are you looking forward to most in 2013?
Continuing to blog, college, and hopefully, mending the relationship with the love of my life.

What are your New Year's Resolutions? 
I don't even bother with New Year's Resolutions. haha. The only ones I've made are my beauty resolutions, which you can read in my previous post. (:

Side Note: Congrats to Kayla for winning my giveaway! And thanks to all of you who entered and tweeted! Stay tuned around the 100 follower mark for another giveaway! (:
My unboxing video for the voxbox is now live on YT so I'll do the follow up post on that later today.
I've been thinking that it would be cool to have a guest post every now and again on here so if any of you lovely people are interested in guest posting on TSJ, shoot me and email at jamieislovexoxo@aim.com. Don't worry if you don't have many followers, or even if you don't have a blog, guest posting is a great way to get your feet wet. So send me your idea(s) for a fashion/makeup/beauty post. (:

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My 2013 Beauty Resolutions!

source.

Makeup:

I want to start using concealer, purchase at least one item each from Lush and Soap & Glory, and own at least one high end item (never have I ever!).  That's very basic, but if you've been following my posts. I pretty much just want to make sure I try out everything on my wishlists from the past few months. 

Hair:

Up until September, I kept going back to medium or dark shades or brunet, for 2013, I'm going to continue to stick with red.  I'm also setting a goal to grow my hair out.  Up until two-ish years ago it was butt length, and I really miss that so, so much!

Nails:

Paint my nails more often.  Until recently, I've kinda just been repainting them whenever the current color wears off, I want to start doing them at least once a week.  I'm really into nail colors this month so that probably won't be hard to keep up.  I also want to get...pretty much every E.L.F. nail polish that there is available, because I love the formula better than anything I've ever tried (it kicks China Glaze's ass, no joke. it's epic stuff.).

Fashion:

I'm transferring away to another college so my fashion goal is to continue to rock whatever look I feel like and be confident with it.  If I wanna go punk one day, and country sweet-heart the next, I want to still be able to do that without feeling like I need to define myself one way or another.  

Share yours in a blog post or comment below!  Stay tuned for my unboxing Holiday VoxBox Post, the giveaway winner, and a review of Clean and Clear Acne Mark mask/wash. (:

xx

3 comments 2013, beauty resolutions

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Etsy: Most Wanted/Gift ideas

Etsy Wish List:

1. Peacock Vintage Print on Upcycled Sheet Music, AvantPrint, shop currently closed - I love this style of art, cool paintings and designs on "upcycled" sheet music or book pages.  I think it's so classy and unique.  I actually have a framed peacock print from the dollar store for my dorm room that is some what similar to this.

2. Blue Crystal Swarovski Necklace, Crystalyte925, $32 - This really doesn't need explaining. It's so beautiful and delicate and very Downton Abbey.  Love, love, love. Everything from her shop really.

3. Terrarium, $5-15 - The one that is picture disappeared before I did this post so linked is the search page with tons to view.  They often come with moss or air plants which just need to be misted once perweek but otherwise take care of themselves.  These are so cute and make great gifts for those eco-friendly loves in your life.

4. "Till I got an arrow to the knee" Skyrim themed bracelet, LunaDesigns101, $6.69 - For those of you not familiar with Skyrim, it's a medieval, sim, adventure type video game that is the 5th in a series called The Elder Scrolls. The quote featured on this is kind of an inside joke with players because it's a cliche line that a lot of the NPDs (Non Playable Characters) say. So I just liked this because it was cute and simple and amusing. Luna is a UK based seller btw but she does ship internationally at great rates.

5. Peacock Feather iPhone Cover, RetroLoveCases, $19.95 - Are you starting to notice a trend here? Haha, I just really like peacock related things this season.  I think that's because my bedding for college is Aqua so peacock themed thing are easy to pair with it.  Also because in Illinois where I used to live, you could hear them scream all the time, which was kinda cool.

6. Turtle Photograph, elgarboart, $30 - Another Aqua/colorful themed item.  After my gazillionth trip to the zoo in October, I decided I'm quite fond of sea turtles and harbor seals.  This is such a beautiful photo and love angle at which it's taken.

So that's all for this list! This might give you an idea for some gifts or at least give you a little preview of Etsy if you've never shopped there before.  There are hundreds of great items that would make perfect unique gifts so I encourage you to take a look around!

What are you loving on Etsy right now? Leave links below!

&& If you haven't already, don't forget to enter my giveaway to win a 32 piece E.L.F. cool eye shadow palette, Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balm, 2 Pure Ice Nail Polishes from their Holiday Collection, and 2 samples of Skin+ 79 BB cream from Korea! Giveaway ends December 24th, open to US, UK, and Canada. (:

Happy Holidays

xx

Leave a Comment etsy, gift ideas, skyrim, want, wishlist

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My Gift to You: a Giveaway!

I was going to wait until next month to do a give away but I really didn't want to pass up a Christmas giveaway...even though the winner won't receive the items until after Christmas and they aren't really holiday themed - but you get the point. (:

Before I begin, because I really don't know anything about different customs procedures and shipping charges are insane to some countries, this giveaway is open to those in the US, UK, and Canada so if you're not in one of those three areas then I do apologize greatly and hopefully I will have something for you lovelies in the future!

 Up for grabs in this mini giveaway are as follows:

e.l.f. 32 piece cool eyeshadow palette - I haven't used this exact palette but I do have palettes from e.l.f and this one looks like it could be fun to play around with!  

2 Pure Ice Nail polishes (pictured below also) - I have a huge collection of these, including two of these exact colors.  From their holiday collection at Walmart, First Party is a gorgeous clear polish with red glitter and Grunge is a matte metallic grey/pink (if that makes any since at all haha)

Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balm in Hibiscus - I don't know how many times I've mentioned this balm on my blog, I'm obsessed with it and while it's kind of pricey for a lip balm, it's worth every penny.  It's a holy grail item for me so I just had to get one to share with you!

2 Samples of Skin 79 BB Cream - Asian BB creams are the original BB Creams and are very, very different from the American versions.  I've wanted to try this for awhile and I managed to get my hands on some samples and thought I'd add a couple to the giveaway in case someone else wanted to try it (I haven't as of yet.)  If you aren't familiar with the function of Asian BB creams I suggest you hit Google, they sound pretty snazzy for fair skinned ladies.

But that's not all! You'll also receive...

Ad Space - A spot on the sidebar where your own blog's lovely button shall sit for some long period of time between six months and the rest of forever.

Love from Jamie - And a hand written note in your package from your's truly

and whatever else I might find to throw in.

(:

Okay! So you know the drill - click that follow button and enter away! Much love && happy holidays!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

21 comments December, giveaway

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Winter Wear, December Edition

[left]"OMG" Neon Pink Hat from JC Pennye's, Gloves from JC Penney's. One hand says "lol :)" the other says "omg!"

[right] Arizona coat from JC Penneys, with Sherpa lining (fake sheep wool) and a furry hood. <3 Color: Burgundy

 [left]Dollar General stocking hat with ropes thingy.  In purple.  Also have a similar one in black.

[right]Santa Hat from Walmart. This was for a Quincy Symphony Chorus concert. Which I'm cool enough to be in. (this picture will also be in a  different post at some point because it uses one of my new elf products.

Ugly Dollar General gloves. Also came in a package with black. I got them, because they're cool. In an ugly sort of way.

And my sweater featured in most of these pictures, btw, is from Rue21. It's friggin fantastic. And I just got it four days ago on a mini-shopping spree there where also got skinny jeans! Which, I never used to wear, now I have Black Jeggings and Skinnys in Hot pink, red, and purple. 

That completes my Winter accessory collection of things I have so far this December - much love!

xx

1 comment December, fashion, winter

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December Wishlist!

1. Hard Candy Ginormous Lash Mascara in Carbon

2. Hard Candy Glamoflauge in Ultra Light

3. Soap and Glory Hand Food

4. Clearasil Acne + Marks Wash and Mask

5. Hard Candy Fox in a Box in Spicy and Sweet

6. CoverGirl Lashblast in Black Brown

7. Organix Tea Tree and Mint Shampoo/Conditioner

8. Soap and Glory Sugar Crush Body Scrub

9. Lush Lip Scrub in Bubblegum

You can't tell I like Hard Candy, can you? (: This is not my Christmas wishlist btw, I tend to not ask for beauty-related items for Christmas.  This list doesn't have anything on it that is out-of-this world pricey, meaning at some point, I will get all of these items.    Some of them are things I've already had that I just need more of, like the mascaras.

Tomorrow I'm posting a non-beauty wishlist featuring all Etsy items! Because I adore Etsy.

x

P.S. A giveaway at 50 followers so watch out in the coming weeks for that! (:

3 comments December, wishlist

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Sinful Colors from the 90s! + Liebster 2

This bottle of polish has been in my bathroom cabinet for close to 15 years.  I believe I got this around 5 years old for Christmas from my aunt.  It was my very first bottle of nail polish and I thought it was the greatest thing ever.  I happened to be thinking about it the other day, because I had a hunch that the brand was familiar, and sure enough, when I went to look at it, it was Sinful Colors!  Not really a big deal, but I thought it was pretty cool that Sinful Colors is growing more popularly because of their dupes for high ends, quality, and affordability  and it happened to be my very first polish.  This bottle is dried out an pretty much empty now but I remember using this all the time when I was little.  This color is number #74 called "Blue Glitter".   I think it's safe to say they weren't as creative with their names back then. (:

In other news, I was nominated for another Liebster Award by Elle Woo from Lipstick and Lace, so I thought I would go head an answer the questions she posted.  I'm not going to do the full post but I'm very flattered that I was nominated a second time so I wanted to make sure I answered her questions.


1. What inspired you to start blogging? I've actually been blogging since I was 12. I had been keeping a diary since first grade and when I got older, I because more interested in graphic design.  So blogging made those two things to go hand it hand.  2. What motivates you to continue blogging? I have an OCD issue with making lists.  And blogging is kind of the exaggerated form of that. Lol.  But other than that, I like being able to help people by making suggests, amusing them, or helping people see that they aren't the only ones who are going through tough shit (as related to the subjects on my other website). 3. What other hobbies do you have besides blogging? Song writing, photography, horse back riding, singing, writing, road tripping. 4. What is the concept of your blog (e.g., is it makeup based, fashion based, life based, etc.)? Right now it's makeup only.  But I'll have the occasional fashion haul and college life post. 5. What is your dream job? I want to be a singer/songwriter, officially and professionally. But if that doesn't work out, I'm working on a degree in Anthropology . 6. What's your favorite clothing store? Rue 21. By Far. Yup. <3 <3 <3 7. What's your favorite makeup brand? Hard Candy! But I probably use more NYC and Covergirl products. 8. What's your favorite color? Purple. Haha No, not red. (; 9. What's your favorite number? 14 10. PC or Mac? I have a PC, but I grew up with Mac so I'm hoping to get a Macbook Pro before next summer for school.  My current laptop will be four years old in February!
11. What is on the top of your wish list right now? A LUSH sugar scrub.  I've never tried anything from LUSH.  And on a slight side note, I've actually never owned/tried anything high end. haha 

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the long awaited BIG e.l.f. haul! (:

My order from E.L.F's Cyber Monday sale (I actually ordered the night before) is finally here!  It took two weeks, which I personally thought was an insanely long time but because it was a huge week for online shopping, I decided not to get too irritated about it.  Plus, when the box actually came, it was pretty much like Christmas so the wait was well worth it.  The top left picture is of the ten items I got from the online store and the bottom picture is the natural eye shadow palette I got from Walgreen's on Friday [don't forget you can click on the pictures to make them bigger.] There are also additional photos at the bottom of this post for a closer view of some of the items.

Here's the list of the items I got from my online shipment, there prices, and my initial thoughts.

• Shimmering Facial whip in Golden Peach, $1 - I swatched a little bit of this on the back of my hand and it's such a lovely, light, gold.  I think it will be a perfect highlighter or luminizer for my super pale skin.  And it's scented like sugary oranges - or whatever it is they call that scent.
• Nail Polish in Green Machine, $2 - I'm actually wearing this as an accent color on a couple of my nails beside a gold polish from Pure Ice.  Green Machine is a very thick, very pigmented Evergreen color.  It absolutely reminds me of pine needles. I used two coats but I'm pretty sure I could have gotten it away with one.
• Nail Polish in Mod Mauve, $2 - The photo on the website makes it look like more of a lilac color but it actually has more pink tones. I adore this color.  It's actually really close to my natural lip color and I think it's absolutely gorgeous yet. I haven't tried this one out yet but I have a feeling it's going to be one of my newest favorites.
• Limited Edition Holiday 4-Piece Nail Polish Set, $5 - This includes the colors Fairy Dust, Golden Goddess, Light Red and Plum.  I used Golden Goddess on top of Green Machine for my accent and it is absolutely gorgeous.  It's a very, very fine golden glitter polish top coat with larger gold pieces.  I really don't like glitter polishes (I'll have a couple in a hit or miss post later on) but this one I am really enjoying so far.  I most excited for the light red.  I've wanted a true red polish for so long and I refuse to spend more than a few dollars on one, thus the ones I've tried have sucked.  But if this one is a good as the green polish, it's going to be absolutely divine.
• Studio Matte Lip Color in Nearly Nude, $3 - I think I'm going to have to play around with this a little more I think before I decided for sure what I think about this.  I find it a little too light at the moment, which looks a bit odd on my skin, but then again, I didn't have any other makeup on when I tried it so we shall see if I can play with it some a figure out what works best.
• Shimmer Eyeliner Pencil in Plum Passion and Twinkle Teal, $1 - These both look great, but the purple feels a tad rough, just might need to be worn down a little bit.  The teal on the other hand, reminds me a lot of Isodora's Patrol Green (I don't even this this is around anymore.) but Twinkle Teal is a lighter shade. This doesn't have chucks of glitter in it like the purple does, this one is more of a true shimmer - very pretty.
• Essential Beauty Book Eye Set in Smoky, $5 - This comes with a small tube of the primer, which I've heard a lot about but never tried.  Excited to try that.  I love purple, and smokey eyes, so this should be fun.  I like that it's got illustrated instructions on the inside of the package.
• Studio HD Blush in Superstar, $3 - Whoa. Okay, so I read the reviews on the website but I wasn't prepared for how true "a little goes a long way" is.  I put, maybe, a fourth of a pump of this on the back of my hand and wow, it's crazy pigmented.  Plus side, this seems to blend really well so I think after I get used to how much I need, it will look great.  It's matte, which I really love, and it's got a great consistency.  I'm pretty sure since this is really bold and I'm really white,  that this pump will quite literally last me forever.
• Studio Stipple Brush, $3 - I've already tested this once with liquid foundation.  I've always been the type to use a sponge. Until a few days ago I started messing around with the few brushes that I have and decided to try that for awhile since that's how pretty much every other beauty person does it.  I've been hearing so much about stippling brushes lately that I decided to get one. I really cannot even begin to express how much I love this brush.  So much better coverage than anything else I have ever used. Just, wow.  And a great finish.  I feel like using a brush even makes my foundation last longer but that just may be all in my head. Either way, I'm positive that I will never use a sponge again.
• Natural Eye Palette, $4.99 - Like I said, this was from Walgreen's not the shipment.  I adore this.  I used it yesterday and wow.  I think a big part of the reason I like this was for the instructions, I feel like I'm an idiot when it comes to eye shadow techniques.  My makeup always looks good but I never really do anything different.  This gave me some new ideas.  Also, I've never had a neutral palette before because it wasn't ever into natural shades after the look I did yesterday, I've determined that colors such as these just make my green/blue/grey eyes pop like crazy. (: I'm in love.

So that completes my haul! I'm so excited for all of these products.  I got an amazing deal.  

Tell me about your favorite elf products! Is there anything mentioned above that you might want to try yourself?

x

What's coming in future posts:: winter wear collection thus far, hit or miss nov-dec, a couple of fashion posts, college jabber, swatches of these palettes, andddd.....a giveaway! (I've started collecting products!)

More photos from this haul....

5 comments cyber monday, ELF, haul

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Liebster Award!

Hey all! I'm very happy to announce that Dani from My Makeup and Beauty Obsession has nominated myself, along with ten other great bloggers for the Liebster Award!  Pretty much made my day when I saw her post, so thanks very much Dani! And make sure y'all go check out her blog! (:

What is the Liebster Award?

"The Liebster Award is given to up and coming bloggers who have less than 200 followers. What is a Liebster? The meaning: Liebster is German and means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, and welcome."

The Rules:

- Link back to the blogger that nominated you 

- Write 11 random facts about yourself

- Answer the 11 questions asked by the blogger that nominated you

- Create 11 questions of your own questions for blogs you would like to give the Liebster award

- Choose up to 11 blogs with under 200 followers to award 

11 Random facts:

- I was born on valentine's day.

- I'm a natural blonde.

-Anthropology major/Art History minor

-My skin scars very easily.

-Right now I'm listening to a band called Blackmore's Night [The Circle], that I was introduced to by my Western Civ teacher.

-My last day of classes at college was today.

-I can sort of speak conversational French.

-I write songs.

-I'm in love with Spotify

-I have a 10 year old Quarter Horse named Abbie (:

-There is currently a calico cat sitting on my lap. <3

11 Questions for me:

What is your favorite beverage? (hot or cold)

I love, love, love Mountain Dew.  Sure, it causes kidney stones. Do I care? No I do not.

What book/magazine are you currently reading?

Blood Promise by Richelle Mead (from the Vampire Academy series)

Do you enjoy cooking?

I do. But I don't do it often.

If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you be?

With a certain someone. Or if not there, London or Ireland or somewhere pretty. (:

If you were stranded on an island what 3 items would you have to have with you?

Forgetting the fact that I need food,water, and such. I'd have to have my iPhone, chapstick, and uhh rubber bands.  Because I feel like that could be useful somehow. haha

What would be your idea of a perfect date night?

It depends on who I'm with.

What is the worst job you’ve ever had?

I was a sale's associate at a portrait studio in Walmart. I quit on the fourth day.  They were so unprofessional about everything and tried to make me do manger's duties and be at the studio all day alone on little training because they were short handed, then lied about it. It was just pretty much wretched. You know it's a horrible job and they can't keep workers when you walk out on them and they still beg for you to come back. ha.

What is one of your pet peeves? (something that really winds you up)

Lip smacking while eating, people that take forever to text back, liars.

What nail colour are you wearing right now?

Pink and red glitter, and gold on the ring fingers.  It's not a great combo, I was just testing out all my new polishes. 

If you went into a sweet shop, what would be your first choice of sweets to take home with you?

Rock Candy! I love that stuff.

What do you obsessively collect? (For example, shoes, bags, notebooks, mugs etc)

Other than makeup? haha hmm, I'm not sure.  

11 Questions for YOU!

1. Do you have any pets? If so, what/how many?

2. What is your natural hair color?

3. Lace or Leather?

4. If you could live anywhere, cost/other issues aside, where would it be?

5. What kind of car do you drive?

6. What song has been stuck in your head today?

7. Can you speak any languages beside's English?

8. When you were little, what did you want to be when your grew up?

9.  What's something that you like that others think is odd?

10. Mac or Windows?

11. How's the weather?

I nominate....

Okay, so a lot of bloggers I want to nominate already got the award, so I'm just going to post a list of bloggers I really like these days with under 200 followers and if they would like to do then tag (if they haven't already) then they can feel free! x

Natalie @ http://natalielovesbeauty.blogspot.com/

Elle @ http://lipstickndlace.blogspot.com/

Maliha @ http://shesaidfashion.blogspot.com

Ashley @ http://www.afabtail.com/

Erinn @ http://discountbeauty101.blogspot.com/

Orla @ http://hallofmirrorsblog.blogspot.com/

Lucy @ http://lforlucyy.blogspot.com/

Louise @ http://laddered-tights.blogspot.com/

Liz @ http://lizlovesmakeupx3.blogspot.com/

Faye @ http://fayesfix.blogspot.com/

Amy @ http://thelittlekoala.blogspot.com/

Great blogs ladies, I follow you all! Keep it up! <3

I was also nominated a second time by Elle @ Lipstick and Lace. Read that post here.

2 comments liebster

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FOTD: Au Naturel

I've posted two pictures in different lighting, just because.This isn't exactly my face of the day, it's more o the result of me fooling around with my makeup in my pj's at 9 o'clock at night.  Which, is a big deal considering I have never gone anywhere without my makeup focusing on my eyes (never gone without eyeliner, ever).  Tonight was also my first sucessfull attempt at loose curls (versus the tight ringlets I usually do) so I'm pretty happy with my look at the moment...besides the fact it's not really night-life appropriate and I don't have anywhere to go anyway. xD

Product List:

• All Natural Face mineral foundation mixed with Clean&Clear morning glow moisturizer.
• Hard Candy 24k Glow All the Way
• Revlon Stay Matte powder in Natural (on eyelids & under eye)
• Gold eye shadow on inner corners (unknown brand, from a holiday palette from Dollar General)
• NYC Big Bold Mascara
• Blistex Cold and Alergy lip balm
• E.L.F Stay Matte Lip Tint in praline (over balm)
• Remington Pearl  clampless curling iron

This look is centered the sample of Hard Candy 24k Glow All the Way that I've been carrying around in my makeup collection for a year and never really was able to get it to look right.  My skin is usually pretty "bleh" so I like this makes it look really night in my house lighting...of course, when I go to school, the florescents will be a whole different story.  I feel like the lack of eye makeup like a usual do makes the red hair look a tad more natural on me.  I'm very pleased. (:

Does anyone else have this Hard Candy glow?  If not, recommend your favorite luminizer!

LOL @ the line across from nose from wearing my glasses all day instead of contacts...classy.. xD

3 comments FOTD, natural

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Tag: What's In My Makeup Bag?

So today I'm going to give you a little preview of what's in my makeup bag, which is pretty much my everyday/lazy day makeup. I have so much more eyeshadow than this it's not even funny. Perhaps someday Ill do an entire eyeshadow collection. (: I will probably update this in a few months when I get, hopefully, some higher end stuff.

I'm not going to go in depth too much on any of this stuff but if you would like a review or swatches of anything just let me know! (:

The List (from left to right):
Revlon Stay Matte powder in Natural, All Natural Face mineral foundation in dark tan warm, NYC lipstick in retro red, ELF matte lip color in praline, LA Colors little black book of eyeshadows in Natural, various ELF, Belle, and misc brushes, eye pencil sharpener, NYC Big Bold Mascara, NYC smooch proof lip stain in Berry Long Time, Rimmel London Natural Bronzer in Sun dance, LA Colors brow liner, CoverGirl perfect blend eyeliner in Brown Black, LA Colors Pearl Metallic eyeliner in Black Pearl, Eyelash Curler, and Zoe&Zac Naturals blush in spring eclipse.

I'm pretty much happy with everything I have in here except the NYC mascara, which you should all know by now that I hate, and the LA colors liners which I use for my brows because they aren't very pigmented.

The makeup bag btw, is from Walmart and it was part of a Venus razor set. I finally switched out my beloved Hard Candy makeup bag. Ill probably wash it up or get another one soon.

That's it! If anyone would like a review on anything like the Book of Shadows or blush or anything just tweet me or comment below!

Much love,
X


P.S. I tag everyone! If you've already done a post like this recently, drop me the link I'd love to check it out!

1 comment favorites, tag

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November Favorites!

Whoo! So it's time for November favorites and my products for this month aren't really anything new that I've purchased this month with the exception of two items. Here are the pictured items that I'm lovin' this month.

TRESsemme Split Remedy - I believe this made an appearance in my favorites last month as well.  Still using it, still lovin' it.  I apply two pumps to throughout damp hair or occasionally one small pump in dry hair after straightening in addition too or instead of the Dove smooth stuff.  It smells delightful and makes my hair so soft.  I believe it's about $4 at Walmart.

Mega Aussie Hairspray - It's a great big can and it's the only hair spray I use these days.  It smells amazing and holds curls or whatever else I need it for.  I'm on my second can of this stuff. About $4 at Walmart

Dove Frizz Control Taming Cream - Talk about a product that lasts forever, I've had this same bottle for over a year and a half and it's like...half full still and I use it all the time.  It smells like fresh linen and I just use a couple of pumps in my hair after I straighten it to keep it smooth and shiny and not frizzy.  I don't think I'll ever ditch this for another product.  It's a holy grail item. About $4 at Walmart

got2b Guardian Angel heat defense spray - I like my TRESsemme heat defease better, but I can't find it, and I have two bottles of this so I figured I'd use it up.  I use it almost daily.  Kinda smells tarty.  I didn't like it at first, but now it's not so bad. About $4 at Walmart

Rimmel London Natural Bronzer in 027 Sundance - As you can see, I've hit pan.  I find all other bronzers I've tried to be much to bold on my pale skin but this one is very, very, light - so much show that anyone with skin darker than me probably wouldn't like it.  I've had this for probably...ehh...3 years, I go off and on using it.  I wanna say it was $3 or $4 at Walmart but I don't remember.

LA Colors Liquid Eyeliner in black pearl - I'm not sure if that's the exact name but it's something close to that.  It's a liquid eyeliner, the only one I have, and its easy for me to use, and it's cheap.  That's why it's here.  I'm sure there are better ones but I haven't had any issues with this one so far.  $2 at Dollar General

The All Natural Face mineral foundation in Dark Tan Warm - This is a...30 gram jar I think.  Which on the website is $17, or something like that.  It's my all time favorite makeup company and the only foundation that truly matches my complexion.  I love, love, love this product.  I've already gone through two jars, this is my third.

NYC Smooch Proof Lip Stain in Berry Long Time - As you may know, I'm a huge fan of Rock On Ruby but it's almost out so I bought a berry color instead.  I quite like it, and as always, they smell really great.

Below are swatches of the bronzer, lip stain, and liquid liner.

So that's it for my monthly favorites!  I should have a haul post as soon as my E.L.F. order from their cyber monday sale gets here, but that may be awhile since it says my order is still processing.  

I would also like to encourage you to check out my blog sale.  I switched pictures ,added swatches and changed some items so please check it out. I update often!

And a big thanks to Dani @ http://daniduffy-makeup.blogspot.co.uk for nominating me for the Liebster Award! Totally made my day.  I'll have that post up and tag some loverly bloggers very soon. (:

x

Leave a Comment favorites, november

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Cyber Monday & E.L.F. Coupon codes

Rawr. So I'm kicking myself at the moment because I accidentally deleted the post that was called "Dresses, college, Black Friday, and Red hair." I thought about redoing it but it was kind of lengthy and had quite a few pictures so I just post the highlights.

 Keep Calm & Carry On Mug; $3.99, TJ Max
Cropped studded jacket; $7, Rue 21
Dresses, $17 each, JC Pennies

I also got a purple shower caddy for $6 and a Little Black Dress hanging jewelry organizer for $20 from Bed, Bath, & Beyond. And also from TJ Maxx I got a aqua and white chevron throw blanket for $20. If you didn't already know, TJ Maxx has the cheapest, softest blankets in the world. I love them. I already have a brown zebra print blanket from there that I bought three years ago.

Now, for Cyber Monday! I told myself last night that I wasn't going to get anything because I've already spent way to much money this week from my Maurices shopping spree, Black Friday shopping, and shopping with my best friend on Saturday. But, I made the mistake of looking at a bbloggers post on Cyber Monday deals and got really excited over Sephora and Ulta's free shipping with $25 or more.  Then, the holy grail of sales appeared. E.L.F, one of my favorite cosmetic companies, 50% off site wide with the purchase of $25 or more.  Or, if you didn't want to spend that much, you could get free shipping instead.

Sooo I got 10 things -eyeliners, blushes, and nail polishes- which was $26 plus $6.95 so after I entered the code and got 50% it ended up being $19.95.  You can't be that.  I was stoked and I can't wait for the shipment to get here so I can do a haul post for you guys.  (:

Below are the codes to use for the deals (they're on the site too), the sale ends at midnight and items are going out of stock quickly so act fast!

50% off purchase of $25 or more - 50WIDE
OR
Free Shipping over $25 - SHIP25

Go, go, go! Let me know if you got anything. (: 'cause I love elf.

x

P.S. I want to see your empties/favorites posts! Link them in the comments.

3 comments black friday, cyber monday, ELF, fashion, haul

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Nail Trends - Drugstore Alternatives: Oxblood

So this is the first in a new series I would like to start on drugstore alternatives to nail polish trends.  I am by no means a nail artist, and I don't do well even painting single colors because I have a shaky hand and dry cuticles. But thats okay, because I paint them anyway and I really love the trends that I've seen and heard about so far this season.  What I love even more than trends, are getting the same look for a cheaper price.  Poor college kid from the middle of no where = minimal resources.

My favorite color by far this season is oxblood.  While there is quite a bit of variance as to what color this actually is, I personal believe it to be a deep brownish burgundy rather than a vampy dark red like you may see being referred to as oxblood else where.  Today I will be reviewing Rich in Heart by Sinful Colors, a nail polish available at Walmart for $1.97.  Based on reviews and swatches of OPI products, Rich in Heart is a great dupe of I'm With Brad from OPI by Sephora.  It is also very similar to La Moss by butter london.  This season, the maroon, burgundy color is definitely the new black.  It actually looks black from a distance so you get the dramatic look for a dark polish with a little bit of sexy flair.  It's safe to say I'm in love.

Okay so, on to Sinful Colors. I was iffy about buying this polish because I few months ago, I tried a different color at a friends house of the same brand and I hated how matte and dull it was when it dried.

The first coat I applied to my thumb almost scared me off as I applied it fairly thinly and it pretty much looked like I had dumped prune juice on my nail, it was not a very attractive color.  I had almost written it off from that moment as I was certain that no number of applications was going to make it look like the color in the bottle.  I'm happy to say, that I was proved wrong.  Later on I applied the polish to the rest of my fingers, two coats on each nail, three on the thumb and was pretty thrilled with the result.  It still sort of has a deep brown, prunish look to it but my second coat was a lot heavier so the red shimmers were more apparent.

I wouldn't classify this as a glitter polish, it has more of a glossy sheen to it.  It applied very smoothly, dried quickly and doesn't look streaky.  It's very deep and luxurious and fantastic and I pretty much love it.  I took a show right after I painted them, so they chipped a little, which was to be expected.  This is day three and they still look fine except about 15% has chipped on from one finger.  I should probably note that I don't use a clear top coat...ever...mostly because I'm lazy and the only one I have is from Salley Hansen and it smells like dried tea leaves, which I think is gross.  So if you got this, and applied a top coat for the first couple days, this could last ages.  It really is a gorgeous color and a great alternative to butter or OPI oxblood colors.  I really wish I could have taken photos to do the color justice but because of the red shimmery stuff getting the right lighting was hard.

In conclusion, great color, exceeded my expectations by far, and will probably be my go to polish throughout winter. (:

What's your favorite nail trend? / What's on your nails atm?

x

2 comments drugstore, nails, oxblood, review, Sinful Colors

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Broadway Impress Press-on Nails Review

When it comes to doing my own nails, I am the least talented person in the entire world I am almost positive.  I cannot for the life of me paint my nails smoothly and when it comes to painting with my less dominant hand...well we won't even go there. So to compensate, I like to get fake nails from the drugstore.  I don't do this all the time, because my nails are strong and grow quickly and I don't want to harm them but everyone once in awhile I'll grab a set to wear for a week or so.
Yesterday, while at Walmart, I was going to try the Sally Hansen stick on nails but decided against it, I'm still scared it will be a waste, and instead went for a new product called Broadway imPRESS Patterned Nail Covers ($6.97, Walmart).  This style uses a glue-less application, so instead of using messy nail glue that may or may not hold on the first go, to apply, you peal off the clear stickers covering the adhesive an simply press on.
Application & Fit;;
 I was iffy about the glue-less part at first but I am pleased to say that the process is very simple and quick and they do stick to the nail quite well.  I think that the most time consuming part of using these nails for me was finding the ones that best fit my nails.  The package contains 24 nails in 12 different sizes.  Now, I don't know if it's just the fact that I maybe have weirdly shaped fingers, but I didn't not find a single nail that fit perfectly.  I feel like that all need to be slightly wider on the top sides.  There are small pieces of nail that remain uncovered while wearing these and the thumbnails were all too small.  The nails that I chose were the closest fit.  The extra space isn't super viable unless it's pointed out so it's not that big of deal but I feel like these could have been designed a little better.
I chose the hot pink zebra print pattern because I'm smitten for anything with zebra print.  The hot pink really pops and each nail has a gorgeous glossy finish.
Durability;
So far, I've only had them on for a day.  They are supposed to last a week and I think that they probably will.  I'll edit this and let you know how it turned out but as of now, I haven't noticed any peeling.  I've used nails with super glue before and you can tell when they are starting to come off because the sides of the nail are no longer stuck to your actual nail.  I haven't noticed anything like that so i think they'll do just fine.  They are short enough that you can perform day to day activities without fear of breaking, so that's a plus.

Update:: These actually lasted about four/five days before one came off so I took off the rest.  Considering I was working in a nursing home kitchen at the time, my hands were constantly wet and soapy so I'd say they held up wonderfully under the circumstances.
Overall;
Will I purchase these again? Probably not.  I really, really love the print, and the packaging they came in was really cute as well but I've used other nail brands that have better fitting nails.  I encourage you all to give these a try though, not everyone will have a problem finding a nail that matches as there are 24 different sizes.

This was posted on my old blog about six weeks ago.  Have you tried out this brand? What were your thoughts?

2 comments nails, review

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Tag: 7 Deadly Sins of Beauty

This tag is a bit outdated but I've been watching a lot of tag videos on YouTube lately and I always wanted to do this one...so here we go!

GREED - What is your most expensive beauty item? the most inexpensive?

Hm, I don't really spend massive amounts of money on makeup.  I mean, if we added it all up it would probably be about the same as buy high end products but on a single product, I don't even like spending more than $5 if its not foundation. So, I would say that my most expensive product is my 120 Pro Palette that I got off ebay for about $15.  I got it a couple years ago when I first started to watch makeup videos on YT (Panacea81).  Okay, now that I think about it, I bought this palette my junior year of high school and I'm now a sophomore in college sooo I've had it awhile.  I don't use it as much anymore but I do adore these shadows. I'm sure I'll buy something high end someday. I do get emails from sephora now. (;

The most inexpensive? Anything from NYC or LA Colors.  I have a few NYC lipsticks that were $0.97 and I have several eyeshadow palettes from dollar stores that I really use a lot when I'm feeling lazy.  Seriously, if you just want to screw around with makeup, grab a bunch of items from your local Dollar Tree, you're sure to find a diamond in the rough of something.

WRATH - What beauty products do you have a love/hate relationship with? Oh my gosh. Definitely any loose pigment eye shadow that I have ever purchased.  I love, love, love mineral eye shadow pigments especially from independent companies (like the All Natural Face & Beautiful Girl minerals) because of all the lovely colors but I hate more than anything how messy they are.  I don't have a lot of time in the morning to do makeup so I find myself going to my cheapy palettes instead of the shimmery gorgeous pigments that I love so much.

GLUTTONY - What are your most delicious beauty products? This may come a shock to some, but I don't really eat my makeup. =/ I do however, quite enjoy the occasional taste of my Raspberry Lemonade lip balm from Blistex. It was $1 from Dollar General. Seriously, get it.

SLOTH - What beauty products do you neglect due to laziness? Primer, highlighter, contour, pretty much everything.  I've got into a really bad habit of using products I don't even like on a daily basis just because it's fast and easy and on hand. I'm stuck in a beauty rut. -sniff-

PRIDE - Which beauty products give you the most self confidence? Foundation, is probably the most obvious, just because I do have acne and various skin issues and I refuse to be seen outside of my house without any on.  Other than that, eye shadow.  My eyes are my best feature and it makes me feel pretty and sexy to play them up.

LUST - What attributes do you find most attractive in a partner? Sense of humor, talker, winning smile, to-die-for eyes, sweet as can be, obnoxious as hell, playful, sensitive, family man. I most certainly just described my kind-of-ex boyfriend and love of my life (don't ask. omg. haha).

ENVY -What items would you most like to receive as gifts / or are you wishing for currently? I did a post on this not too long ago, but pretty much anything from Lush, Soap&Glory, Stila palettes, a foundation that's functional.  Oh, also, Physician's Formula eye shadow palettes.  They are beyond amazing and like...$15 or something. The one pictured is for green eyes.

That's my 7 sins! If you've done this tag in the past or are going to do it now, leave a link below! (:

Leave a Comment 7 deadly sins, favorites, tag

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Everyday Minerals Review

So, as you all know, I've been on the search for the perfect foundation, one that has the finish I desire, great coverage and most importantly, matches my skin tone.  While searching the net, I read a post where someone suggested trying Everyday Minerals because you can get samples of their foundation.  This attracted me for two reasons 1.) I love mineral foundations.  My go to powder foundation has been Dark Tan Warm from the All Natural Face for the past two to three years.  However, I most recently decided that this foundation doesn't match my skin tone as well as I always thought it did.  I find it a bit pink now.  and 2.) Samples.  I love anything that allows me to get a cheap sample product, especially with foundations since I don't want to pay $12 for something that doesn't match my face.

The Ordering Process - 4/5

And so the story goes...I marched over to Everyday Minerals and picked out 7 free samples (that's the max) and only had to pay for shipping.  My total came to $2.70.  That's pretty amazing if you ask me.  The samples were shipped that day and I was provided with a tracking number and my samples arrived two days later.  I ordered on November 5th and today is November 8th.  That's a very impressive turn around and shipping time.  So I was quite happy with that. My samples arrived in a small envelope (I chose this for cheaper shipping).  Inside were 7 resealable baggies with .05oz of product which is more than enough for four applications.  On the back of my invoice was more information about the products as well as directions on how to apply them.    I would like to address that although I did order only samples, when I went back to look at prices for a full sized jar, no where did I see how many ounces were in a full sized product.  It simply says "Big" for foundations, hence the point loss on this part.

Shade Selection - 4.7/5

Here's what I ordered: 4 Foundation base samples in semi-matte (fair, fair neutral, sandy fair, ivory), 1 Jojoba foundation base sample (Alabaster), Every day bronzer, and a multitasking concealer in neutral.

Of the shades I choose, all were very close to my skin tone, which was great, but none matched exactly, thus the 4.7.  And I wasn't really expecting an exact match.  The ones I ordered are definitely good enough that you have to pay close, close attention to see the difference.  Here's a quick run down of the shade descriptions in comparison to my skintone, which is pale and absolutely neutral.

Alabaster - site says "For very fair skin with cool undertones" I thought this was a little more orangy or pink than "cool" like is suggests.  This definitely would be better suited for someone who normally would be able to wear anything from CoverGirl in shade 105.

Sandy Fair - site says "For fair neutral complexions with a balance of pink and yellow undertones." that's a fitting description.  This one is quite lighter and requires blending to not look like a ghost but all the samples in "Fair" shades were very close to my skin tone.

Fair Neutral - site says "For very fair complexions, this is a true neutral ivory." Yep. This is what I would picture when someone says they have an ivory skin tone.  NOTHING like the drugstore brand ivory shades. This is very neutral and light.  Probably good for Asian complexions but it's actually what I'm wearing at the moment.

Fair - site says "For fair complexions with pink undertones" Pretty close.  The pink undertones are very, very light.  Fair and Sandy Fair don't appear any differently when compared side by side on the face as the differences are very subtle.

Ivory - site says "For very fair complexions with a hint of beige." If this would have been its exactly color except light, it would have been perrrrfect for me. It does have beige tones but it is a darker foundation shade than the ones in the "fair" range.

The Bronzer was quite dark on my skin but I did like the color and simply applied it lighter.  The concealer was a similar shade to fair neutral, maybe a tad darker and was the same formula as the foundation.

Formula- 4.8/5

The semi matte finish says that its a mix between their glo base and matte.  For those of you scared that a semi-matte will make you look shiny, don't be.  I have that issue as well with a lot of foundations but this one just looks like you have an inner glow.  It's very,very, very subtle and you don't look like you bathed in micro crystals.  It's not an obvious shimmer at all and it looks very natural when applied to the face.  On the skin, the foundation feel very smooth and soft.  It does offer full coverage if you build it up.  The mineral formula is not quite as thick as The All Natural Face but like I said, you can apply several layers to get your desired coverage.  I'm just in love with this finish.

The bronzer says it gives you a luminescent glow, but I found it to be quite matte when applied although, perhaps the glow will become more apparent throughout the day as some often do.  We shall see. (:

Overall - 4.5/5

I was very happy with the shipping speed, the shade selection and the formula.  I will be returning to order a full sized foundation, most likely in Sandy Fair or Fair Neutral as soon as I have worn the samples for a few days and decided between the two.  I will be emailing the company to find out the size of their full size foundations.

To the right is my FOTD, that's this foundation in Fair Neutral, their Everyday Bronzer, Starlight Eye mineral from BG Cosmetics over black CG eyeliner, NYC mascara (booo), NYC lip stain in Rock On Ruby, ELF Matte Lip Tint in Muave, misted with the All Natural Face hydration spray.  You can obviously see in this photo that I have acne.  #imnotperfectitsfine.

Something you have to keep in mind with mineral foundation, exfoliation and moisturizing is absolutely necessary before applying any mineral or powder to your face. If you have dry skin, it will make it look worse and extremely flaky.

Think you might want to try these? Do you already have them? Any other foundation suggestions for me? Comment below! (:

2 comments everyday minerals, FOTD, review

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