Colourpop Haul/Swatches + Mini Review

Hey all! Long time no see! Things are looking up though as today I am bringing you a gorgeous haul from Colourpop. This is actually my first Colourpop haul so you can imagine my excitement after the all the hype about this company. Let me not tell you, they do not disappoint!

Here's what I got. I'm including swatches and a mini review for the products I've tried.  Let me know if you'd like to see more swatches or an in depth review on anything!

• Lippie to Go Collection in Hot to Trot
• Cookie // Skimpy
• Cami // Bound
• LBB // LBB
• Trust Me // Bossy
• Chateau // Dukes
• Out And About liquid lipstick bundle
• Viper - Ultra Matte Lip
• Times Square - Ultra Matte Lip
• Baracuda - Ultra Satin Lip
• All Nighter Super Shock Shadow Collection
• Smash - Satin
• Vega - Metalic
• To-A-T - Matte
• Mooning - Pearlized

Swatches:

Thoughts:

Thus far, I've only tried two of the products but I'll give you a quick overview on my thoughts.

• Times Square Ultra Matte Lip review - This is the first time I've ever tried a lip product from Colourpop and I was seriously blown away. I've tried a few different liquid lipsticks in my time, my current favorite brand was Nyx's liquid suede. This feels completely different and definitely takes the number one spot.  You know how HD powder is so finely milled that it feels like a silky smooth texture? That's what these liquid lipsticks feel like on your lips.  The formula is quite a bit thinner than Nyx and they dry down and set very quickly. Less than 15 seconds.  What really caught me by surprise was the lasting power. I applied this lipstick at 8am and took it off at 5pm.  That's 9 hours of wear. It looked the exact same as it did when I originally applied it.  That was even after eating and drinking.  I'm so in love you guys.  If the rest of the lip sticks wear this well I might just have a new obsession
• Chateau & Dukes Lippie To Go review - This looks a lot richer on the lips than when swatched. On my camera it looks more like a dark berry but in normal interior lighting it looks like a very dark brick red or wine color. Its very lovely. It doesn't have that silky smooth feel like the ultra matte liquid lipstick did but it still does apply matte.  edit;; I've had it on for about 4 hours now and it doesn't have near the same lasting power as the liquid lipstick I wore today but its still not bad. Just wears off somewhat patchy on the inside of the lip.  For short term wear though, I still like this and I think its on par with most other lipsticks.

At this rate, I'll be trying more colourpop products soon! What are your favorites?

Leave a Comment 2016, colourpop, eyeshadow, haul, lips, liquid lipstick, matte, review, swatches

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ShopMissA $1 haul + new blog!

[I have a new blog! All posts not makeup related will be posted at http://blatantdisregardx.wordpress.com please check it out and give me a follow!]

If you're internet savvy, love accessories, and strive to spend the absolute cheapest amount you can on literally everything, then you've maybe heard of ShopMissA.  ShopMissA is a site that sells various jewelry, accessories, and beauty products for $1.  I first heard about it while browsing YouTube and finally decided to give it a try a couple of weeks ago.  For today's post, I'll discuss what I purchased and my thoughts on the items I've tried out so far.  Spoiler Alert: I'm mildly addicted to this site and already planning my next order. My Order (Click to see it on the site) and Quick Review:

• Face and Body Bronzer - 3 Bronze Radiance
  • ☆☆ - The little hearts actually rub off so that they are all the same basic bronze color.  It's not very blendable, not plush, and the shimmer isn't very fine so it looks very unflattering on my face.
• Kleancolor Madly Matte Lipstick #6 Raven
  • 
  • ☆☆☆ - The formula on these lipsticks is very waxy therefore to get the color to payoff like it looks on the tub you need to put on several layers, you can acheive a dark bold color though, so that's a plus.  I almost don't mind the waxy base, I feel like it lasts longer this way.  I wouldn't wear these on a date but they would be super fun to play with for Halloween for sure.  Pictured above is catalina.
• Kleancolor Madly Matte Lipstick #3 Catalina
  • ☆☆☆ - See above.
• Kleancolor Metalic Nail Foil Stickers A15
  • I haven't gotten to try these yet! So excited though! I love nail stickers because I'm too lazy to do my own nails all fancy like.
• Kleancolor Eyelashes NLS028
  • Haven't tried these yet.  They look gorgeous though!
• Kleancolor Angled Brow Brush
  • I'll be using this for gel liner. I'll let you know how I like it!
• Stainless Steel Eyebrow Scissors
  • I haven't used these yet, but they feel very sturdy and not cheap or flimsy like sewing scissors.
• Santee Sexy Colors 6 Eyeshadow 6 #2
  • ☆☆☆ - I love eye palettes for my lazy days when I don't feel like mixing and matching with 5 different pigment pots.  These are lovely colors that go great together. My favorite is the bronzey shade.  Unfortunately they don't swatch very well on the skin.  Pigmentation could be better but for a $1 palette I'm super satisfied.
• Eyelashes 047
  • Haven't tried these yet.  They look gorgeous though!
• AOA Wonder Blender Purple Teardrop
  • I have only used this once with foundation that wasn't great and I haven't tried it wet yet.  Some people reviewed that they thought there's was too firm but from my initial use I didn't have a problem with firmness.
• Metallic Sword Pen
  • ☆☆☆☆☆ - This is such a random purchase but it look awesome and I wanted it. Not disappointed haha.  The pen part is actually really nice.  Smooth gel ink from a very fine point.  It's not a bic pen.  I really like this!
• 12 Pair Glitter Rose Stud Earring Set
  • ☆☆☆ - These are okay, I actually didn't realize at the time that there were so many repeated pairs.  You actually only get 7 unique pairs, the other 5 pairs are repeats.   Currently wearing these:
  •  
• Perfect Wear Eyeshadow Stick - Golden Bronze
  • ☆☆☆☆☆- I love this.  It's so pigmented and smooth and the color payout is gorgeous.  I want to buy all of these. All. of. them.

SWATCHES:  Pictured are the Perfect  Wear Eyeshadow stick in Golden Bronze and the Kleancolor Madly Matte Lipsticks in Raven and Catalina.
 

  $1 x 13 + $3.95 shipping = $16.95 So I didn't love every single item from this haul, I'm A-okay with that.  I have a bunch of items in my cart that I'm even more excited to try.  They offer some $1 foundations that I think would be fun to review and I'm in love with their boho-style jewelry so I can't wait to get my hands on some of that.   Pin this post!

Leave a Comment budget, haul, review, shopmissa

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Review + Swatches: City Colors Eyeshadow Trio Falling Leaves

City Colors Cosmetics
eyeshadow trio in Falling Leaves

Hey everyone! Today is a review on the City Colors Cosmetics eyeshadow trio in Falling Leaves.  I received this is my January ipsy bag and have fun trying it out.  I'm actually kind of phasing out of eyeshadows for the most part.  I tend to go for a lot more neutral colors these days and don't put much variation in my everyday looks.  I liked the oranges of the Falling Leaves trio because they were still on the "neutral" side kind of with just a bit of warmth.  This is a perfect palette for fall obviously but I think they're great winter shades too.

Swatches

This trio contains a matt pumpkin base shade, a light peachy orange, and a dark bronze brown shade.  Overall, I thought these were nicely pigmented, especially the darker color, which also happens to be my favorite of the three.

Application:

These pigments apply pretty smoothly.  The matte orange isn't quite as pigmented as the other two so it does take at least two layers to get the rich orange.  I didn't find a difference in color payoff between using primer and not using it.  At least the few times I've used them so far, I haven't had an issue with much fallout which is definitely a plus for me.

Longevity:
 When I wore these colors on Friday, I used Thank Me Later eye primer. After 4 hours, I found these colors still looked the same with no creasing.  After 8 hours, there was a bit of creasing.  This may have been the fault of the primer. Today, I have applied the colors without primer and at three hours, color still looks good.  I'll update at the end of the the night if it showed creasing without using a shadow primer.

Price:
City Cosmetics lists this trio on their website as $5.99 which I think is a great price and is pretty accurate as to what I would say its worth. Its better than some of the cheapo brands but not quite as pigmented as higher end eyeshadows like Too Faced. For $6, this little trio is a pretty good deal and a great compromise if you're looking for a convenient eyeshadow palette.

VERDICT:

3.5/5


I thought this was a nice little eyeshadow compact with three shades that compliment each other very nicely.  I have red hair, green eyes, and fair skin and the colors worked very well on me.  They blended fairly nicely although the matte shade was a little bit harder to work with and not as smooth.  Pigmentation was midrange, I've seen worse but I've definitely seen better.  Would I buy this again? Maybe. If I found a good deal on the price then sure.  I have a couple other products from City Colors Cosmetics so I feel like I'd try other eyeshadows based on this review.


UP NEXT: e.l.f bb cream review for pale skin and NYX HD concealer.   Also thinking about a weekly Indie "try out" post, but I'm to ideas! Tell me what you want to see. :)

Leave a Comment city colors, eyeshadow, ipsy, review, swatches

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Try the World: Food Box Review + Discount!

HEYY. Two posts in one week?! Today I come to you with a review on the Try the World subscription box.  I got this as kind of a family Christmas present on Black Friday after I saw an add on Facebook for 3 boxes for the price of one.  I love buying subscription boxes as gifts. Normally, the subscription costs $39 to receive a box with 7-8 products every two months.  The more months you pay at a time, the cheaper each box becomes.  The Black Friday special I found was to receive the Holiday box as well as the Spain and Paris boxes as a bonus for $39.  I also found a coupon code that was valid for Black Friday only and ended up paying only $24 for three boxes. Wow. Yeah. So thats tip number one, scout retailmenot.com for coupon codes to see if you can get a discount. Now for the review. I'm going to try to do this systematically so I don't ramble too much.

What's In the Box: 

Each full size box contains 7-8 full size products. The box they are sent in is this fabulous Tiffany blue box that's very sturdy and could easily be reused for other purposes.  The individual products are nested in a fake grass wine crate filler stuff (<-what?).  Inside is also a fold out card containing information about the items you have received.  What's cool about this is that it has a lot of well thought out extra info too.  Each box as a curated playlist (via Spotify!) that you can find on their website as well as a recipe and tips to enjoy the box with your family or date. Here's the products included in each of the boxes we received.

Holiday Box:

• Mixed Berries dried, Finland
• Chocolate Truffles, Canada
• Yerba Mate Tea, UK
• Ginger Snaps vanilla flavored, Sweden
• Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, Israel
• Panettone sweet bread, Italy 
• Acai Dessert Sauce, Brazil
• Fruit Filled Cookies, Morocco

Paris Box:

• Clementine Fruit Jam
• Finishing Salt
• Sables Cookies
• Tea
• Whole Grain Mustard
• Salted Butter Caramels
• Herb Blend

Spain Box:

• Paprika
• Citrus Crumble Cakes
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Floral Jam
• Turron
• Salsa Tumaca Con Ajo

Each box also comes with a 20% off code from items in their shop

Value: $40 feels slightly steep for one box, I'd be more willing to pay like...$30. However, I'm a known cheap skate so honestly, for what you're getting $40 shipped is a great value.  The products and packaging all seem high quality.

Selection: We seemed to get a lot of olive oil, but that's okay because my husband is kind of obsessed with it. We loved trying all the sweets and the different teas and the hubby loves the spices. Just like with any subscription box, you're going to get things you maybe don't care for.  For me, I like the option of trying new things and don't feel like I missed out if there is something I don't like.

Recommended? Absolutely! I love all the thought that goes into curating these boxes - the products, the packaging, the info card, the playlist, the recipes, the date ideas, etc etc.  I truly felt like I could try the world from my living room. 

If you're interested in trying out the Try The World boxes, you can sign up via this link: HERE and get $15 off your first box.  

Also, check out the Try the World spotify playlists to get a sneak peak of countries offered.  We loved the Turkey playlist. Click Here. 

Let me know if this looks like something you'd be interested in trying! I'm also curious if people in the countries featured actually eat that stuff regularly...haha.  Stay tuned for future posts about my Forever 21 finds, a cheap random Ebay haul, and mooore!

Leave a Comment christmas, food, gift ideas, review, subscription, try the world

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Drugstore Review: Studio 35 Brightening Sheet Mask

Several years ago while grabbing random masks from Walmart, I accidentally had purchased a mint sheet mask which it turns out I absolutely loved.  Unfortunately, I never found that particular mask again and forgot all about it until a few days ago I was browsing the Skincare Addiction subreddit and found myself linked to the Asian Beauty community where sheet masks are like *the* thing.  Its like a whole beauty subculture.  I fell in love.  I'm now trying to come up with my own skin care routine as the products are better quality and better for your skin.  The next several posts will be regarding that world.  For those of you wanting more information I'll be posting an intro to Asian skincare at some point in the future.

I was pretty excited to try a sheet mask again with all this new knowledge and my face felt especially puffy and tight today.  Walgreens products will hold me off until my Snail gel gets here from wherever its coming front.  To the left is my walgreens haul.  A couple of sheet masks, a sunscreen (to use until I scrape together funds for biore watery essence, and a candle to set the mood as I try out my masks).   The first review in my Asian Skincare review set is the Brightening Sheet Mask by Studio 35.   These are available at Walgreens for 2/$4 or $2.49 each.  Package says made in Korea and the ingredients are as follows:

Water , Glycerin , Hydroxyethylcellulose , Arbutin , Natto Gum , Allantoin , Disodium EDTA , Panthenol , Carica Papaya Fruit Extract (Papaya) , Rosa Centifolia Flower Water , Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract , Morus Alba Bark Extract , Beta-Glucan , PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil , Tocopheryl Acetate , Phenoxyethanol , Methylparaben

Good news for sensitive skinned ladies, the ingredients analyzed via CosDNA show that things look pretty safe as far as potential breakout causing ingredients are concerned.   They are even alcohol and fragrance free.  I personally wouldn't describe myself as someone with sensitive skin, but its nice to know that for a cheap mask the ingredients are pretty good.  I should note that I just noticed on the package that it says those with blemishes, pimples, or sunburns may not want to use this product which is actually a little unfortunate for some of you probably.

First Impression: I don't have much experience with sheet masks, so I assume this is probably true for most people, but the fit was awful.  The nose/mouth ratio was off and i'm not sure what to do with these extra little eyeflaps haha.  I've included a picture for your entertainment.  It smelled pleasant, a very very light almost pear(?) scent.

I left the mask on for 30 minutes (package suggests 15-20)

Concluding thoughts:  Upon removal and after letting the essence dry, my face did look a tad (minusculey) glowy but I didn't feel as though it mask hydrated or moisturized whatsoever. It left my skin feeling tight, particularly on my chin and cheeks and left a slight film on my skin.  It was fun to try a sheet mask again but I won't be repurchasing this particular one.

Stay tuned for the next couple of posts where I review the detoxifying mask and the sunscreen!

2 comments brightening sheet mask, drugstore, review, sheet mask, studio 35, walgreens

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iPhone Case Haul, less than $10!

Ebay has always been my number one place to get iPhone cases. Why? Because no matter what kind of case you're looking for, you can find a unique one, manufactured and shipped from china, for like $5 tops.  Why spend $60 on an otterbox when you can buy a dupe on ebay for a tenth of that price?
My most rent case haul, consisting of 2 regular cases and a wallet style case, totaled $6.63.

Punk Ariel Case - $1.98 Free Shipping.
Hakuna Matata Lion King Case - $1.98 Free Shipping.
Nautical Wallet Case - $2.67 Free Shipping.

All three of these cases were shipped from China. The disney cases were from the same seller so they were shipped together.  A *note* about buy cases from China - most trinkety things from China offer free shipping however ETAs usually are anywhere from 2 to 6 weeks. I was lucky (and shocked!) because my cases arrived no more than a week after the order was placed, which was awesome, but in my experienced it usually takes about 2 weeks.

I've had a lot of fun with these cases so f
ar and gotten lots of compliments so I'm very happy with my choices!  I've added links to those that are still available.  The nautical wallet case is sold out but I've provided a link to the sellers other cases.

Coming up next!---Review of Coastal Scents Revealed 2 palette that I just got in the mail today, and the influenster Dean's List voxbox that I received yesterday!

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September 2014 Ipsy Glam Bag!

After being wait listed since I signed up in July I was soooo excited to get my first bag mid September.  I know thats its kind of a thing to trade products with others for things you may want but didn't get but I think I like the idea of just sticking with what I get. I like trying new things and since I don't wear makeup as much as I used to I'm not usually looking for particular products.

So September's theme was street style and the products came in this cute silver bag with little studs on it, just my cup of tea. Here's just a quick rundown of the items I got and my thoughts on the ones I've tried so far.

• *Crown Brush Deluxe Infinity Shadow/Crease Duet brush, $6.99 - Brushes were just something I never got into until the last year, and I don't have many at that aside from a few e.l.f. $1 cheapies so its safe to say I don't have a lot of judge by. I have used this brush and think maybe that it's slightly large for my eye shape but its very very soft and haven't had a problem with shedding yet.
• Pacifica Natural Waterproof eye pencil in Gun Metal, $5 - I haven't tried this yet but I'm intrigued with the idea of a silver eyeliner. It sounds like fun!
• *Cailyn Art Touched Tinted Lip Gloss in Love Affair, $19 - This color is absolutely gorgeous. I was disappointed it doesn't last as long as a lipstain but its very easy to apply, not messy and very bold. It doesn't have that sticky texture which is the main reason I don't normally wear lip glosses. I don't think I would want to pay twenty bucks for this product so it might be slightly over priced, but I do enjoy using it.
• Mitchell and Peach luxury hand cream, $14 - I love how thick this feels when I'm rubbing it in but how light it feels coming out of the tube. Its super moisturizing and soaks in quickly.  The scent is a bit heavy. Very sickenly sweet and peachy.
• Nourish Organic Face Moisturizing Organic Face Cleanser, $3 - I haven't tried this one yet either, perfect travel size.
  Total Value: ~$48

*indicates full size product.

Overall I'm really happy with my first bag and am excited to see what next month's theme will be. Yay for not being a completely broke college student this year. I love getting to treat myself a bit.

What's your favorite monthly beauty box?

Interested in signing up for ipsy? You can use my referral link and help me earn more pointsss. :)

Coming up next isss a review for Coastal Scents Revealed 2 palette which is a Naked dupe and a show case of my recent iPhone case haul.

Leave a Comment beauty box, ipsy, review, September

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Review: Color Oops hair color remover

I am a natural blonde. I started dying my hair about 4 years ago when I was 17 because I noticed that, like my mom, my pretty blonde locks were starting to grow in a darker, more ash brown shade.  I had always taken a lot of pride in being a blonde, so when it started to change color I just decided to speed up the process.  I've been a few different colors since then, but I have been red the longest.  For the last couple years and a year before that I've had red hair.  I kind of feel like I was born to be a red head.

Top: before Color Oops. Bottom: After. Left: After Dark Ash

However, for the last several months I'd been playing around with the idea of going blonde again and last night was just in a "whatever lets try it" mood.  I wanted an inexpensive option to play with and planned to just re-red it if it ended up looking disastrous. My plan of attack? Color oops and an box of $3 Dark Ash Blonde hair dye.  I knew that bleaching would be much more harmful and potential more expensive by the time I got toner and all those extra products.  So I spontaneous decided to go the walmart route.

The directions were pretty simple to follow and basically mimic your standard box dye instructions except the fact that when you're done applying the solution you cover your head with the supplied shower cap thing.

Just a few things to note about the process...

• The formula is very runny and watery which I didn't realize until I almost got it in my eyes.  
• If you think it smells bag when you're applying it, no...as it develops it starts to smell like rotten eggs...and it will continue to smell like that for goodness knows how long. 
• If you're like me, you might consider using a hair dryer to speed up the developing process, don't. The instructions specifically say not to do this for whatever reason.
• It is safe to recolor the same day after using this product, but it is recommended to use a protein conditioner before doing so. I also wouldn't recommend bleaching unless you want dead hair.

I was super skeptical when purchasing this product. I fully expected it to be a complete waste of $10. However, I was shocked when I started rinsing my hair to see blonde strands.  Shocked. I hadn't seen my hair that color in years.  Now, because the red dyes I'd used before lighted my hair, it wasn't its original, brown-y or whatever color its supposed to be now but it definitely got all the red out. I'm attaching a before and after picture (they aren't supposed to be flattering, just to show color. haha). And just for fun, I'm throwing in a picture of what it looks like after I went over it with the $3 box color.

Verdict? I was insanely happy with this product and I'm ashamed to say that I didn't think it would work like this.  This won't work for blues, purples, pinks, etc. And I'm not sure how going black to blonde would work. But other than that, I recommend it! If you try this with darker colors send me your before and after pictures! I'd love to see how it works on black or brown hair.

Coming up! My first ipsy bag has been shipped! So look out for my unbagging(?) post coming up next week!

4 comments before&after, Color Oops, hair dye, review

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Phone Case of the Month - Review

Hey everyone! So today I wanted to do a quick review of the shipment I got from Phone Case of the Month club.  I was looking into which subscription boxes I wanted to try and decided to add this to my list as my otter box was starting to bore me.  Each shipment includes a phone case, a little surprise trinket or piece of candy, and a nifty little felt bag.  Also included was a little card with a matching design and a quote that fit the theme of the case. This one says "You can't control the wind but you can adjust the sails."   You can get this subscription for $10 with free shipping if you're in the US or $5 extra for international shipping.  This company designs their own cases and says that they strive to make all of their designs unisex. Their website includes several examples of different cases that you could receive.  After your phone case is shipped, you'll get a tracking number and a matching wallpaper for you phone will be available for download on your account. 

I received the set sail case which according to their website is one of their limited addition designs.  It only took about two days to receive it in the mail from the time they emailed me and was shipped in a yellow bubble wrap packet thingy.  This case doesn't feel flimsy and cheap, "not your dollar store phone case" and I love the matte, non-glossy feel of the finish.  I've had this case for a little over a week now and I have started to notice where the design is flaking off around the very edges of the case. I'm sure over time it will get worse with handling but at the moment its not bad and I'm still extremely happy with it.  Just looking at their website I feel in love with all of their designs and am so excited to receive my next case.

If you're interested in trying this out (you can cancel at any time), use my link to sign up and get your first case for $5! (it gives me a $5 credit as well).  Currently, cases are only available for iPhone (4,4s,5,5s,5c) and Samsung Galaxy (S3 and S4).  

Give it a try for just $5!

Leave a Comment coupon, iPhone, phone case of the month, review

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The Mary Kay Look haul from Influenster

Hello all! First, I apologize for the long absence - school, relationships, jobs, life in general was a bit distracting but I'm looking forward to posting again now that things have sort of settled down.

I was so pleased to have received my second box from Influenster last week and was even more pleased to find that it contained $80.00 worth of Mary Kay products.  Now, I'm really not a big fan of Mary Kay, I think their products are over priced and smell odd, however, I was impressed at the value of the box, as people that actually like Mary Kay products would marvel at as well.

So without further ado, I shall list the items and share a few quick thoughts as to my first impressions.

• Lash Love Lengthening Mascara in I heart Black, $15.00 - It does a good job of separating lashes, but I didn't see a difference for length or volume.

• Lash Primer, $15.00 - I didn't see a difference when using this.  I guess I don't really know what the point is of a lash primer. I don't think I would need it even if I did though.  I also thought this smelled a little like vodka...

• True Dimension Lip Stick in Pink Cherie, $18.00 - I was iffy about how this color would look on me, but it ended up being okay.  The quality is fine, but I don't think it's good enough to justify paying $18 for one of these lipsticks.  The smell, I thought, was absolutely sickening.  I've always hated the smell of Mary Kay lipsticks as they typically smell like old ladies, but this one was a sweeter, thicker smell that I found utterly sickening.

• Cream Eye Color in Violet Storm, $22.00 - First of all the retail price on this is ridiculous and I was very disappointed in this because in the pot, the color is a very gorgeous lavender, shimmer, purple, but on the eye lid it is a light pinkish color that takes several layers to look even remotely close to the frosty purple it's supposed to be.  

• Cream Eye Color/Concealer Brush, $10.00 - This brush is probably the only good thing from this box, though I still think the price might be a little excessive.  It's sturdy and well designed and oh-so-soft. I will be using this brush in the future for sure.

Conclusion - Will I purchase any of these products or use them regularly? Doubt it.  Final verdict: Mary Kay is over-hyped, poor quality, and not worth the price.

Please note that I was given these products for free to test out, however all opinions are 100% my own.

2 comments haul, influenster, Mary Kay, review

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Review: E.L.F Naturals Palette

Hey all! So today I'm going to be reviewing one of my favorite products and that is my E.L.F Natural Palette. As you may remember, this was purchased from Walgreens for $4.99 at the beginning of December and has been a favorite of mine ever since. The palette is a collection of 12 warmer natural eye shades - some shimmer, some matte. This set comes in a cardboard casing with elastic strings at the edges to hold it shut. It included a double ended eyeshadow applicator, E.L.F brightening eye pencil in Coffee, and a mirror.

This palette is actual the reason I fell in love with the natural eye look. For the past few years I've been an all or nothing kind of girl, meaning, if I'm not wearing some dramatic look with bright eye colors, I'm probably just wearing eyeliner without any shadow on. But since I kept watching so many videos featuring the Naked palette, I decided I could try something a little different. And I'm so glad I did. Now that I'm back to being a red head, warm brown tones really bring out my green eyes.

 So first off, I'll address two of the most important aspects of an eyeshadow palette - color selection and pigmentation. This consists of three lighter shadows of highlighting - two are a shimmery champagne color with different undertones, and one is a matte off-white. There are also six medium colors that are perfect for a base lid color - most are shimmery brown tones, one shimmery mauve color, a gold color and a few matte browns/beige. The three darker contour colors are two shimmer and one matte. Now, I don't have the Naked palette but I have seen enough reviews to be able to say that these are not as pigmented or plush as the shadows in that palette. There are some colors that are bolder than others. For instance, the matte colors are as pigmented as the shimmer shadows and some of the lighter colors don't show up well at all. However, the darker colors and most of the shimmers show up wonderfully on the eye lid.

I have included swatches of the colors except for #1 because it was pretty much invisible on my skin.  These swatches really don't do some of the colors justice.  They do show up a lot better on the eyelids and they blend very well. I have used this palette almost every day since I got it and I do consider it a staple item in my collection now. I don't use primer and these shadows last me all day, but of course that all depends on individual skin chemistry as some people how more oily lids than others. I will be including swatches of each of the colors in this post as well as a photo of the look I wore the first day I used the palette. It's me in the Santa Clause hat, I'm sure you all have seen this photo already. Haha

 Just as a quick note, I was not a fan of the brightening eyeliner. It's not very pigmented and I preferred my own brown eyeliner instead. Also, the directions on the inside cover of the palette gave me some tips for looks that I hadn't thought about before, for instance, eyelining the outline eyes again after applying shadow to increase intensity. So would I recommend this palette? To those who don't want to spend $50 on an Urban Decay palette, yes I would recommend this as it has a great selection of colors and they are quite quality for the price. But to those of you that already have some version of the Naked palette, you probably won't need this but feel free to try it out anyway! (: I personally love it and don't go anywhere without it. It's literally in my purse as we speak.

Leave a Comment ELF, eyes, review

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Review: Revlon ColorStay Foundation

So today I shall be reviewing for you Revlon Colorstay foundation for combination/oily skin. I'm definitely one of the last people to probably review this but I was really excited to try it so I wanted to go ahead and review it since I'm in one of those modes these days. I've heard tons of good things about this foundation and when bloggers whom I know usually go for high end brands rave about something from a drug store, I know it's something I need to try. I've been battling for years to find the perfect liquid foundation. Most of the ones I've tried don't last long, sink into pores, aren't my shade, are too dewy , etc etc.

 Revlon Colorstay usually retails at most drugstores for about $12 but at Walmart it was actually $10, so that was my first plus. I purchased this in the shade Buff after some initial online research. Ivory and Buff are the two lightest shades though Ivory is for those with pink undertones and Buff is more neutral/beige with a very, very slight yellow tint.

 When I first applied this, I was a bit worried that I had picked the wrong color as I normally wear Cover Girl Clean makeup in Classic Ivory ( which is what I'm ultimately comparing this too throughout the review). Buff is slightly more yellow but when blended, it actually matched my neck perfectly which has never happened with a foundation before. I applied this my pouring a little on the back of my hand and blending onto my face with my ELF large stipple brush.

 The first thing I noticed was that this was slightly thicker than my CG foundation and that it provided almost full coverage immediately with the first application. It blended into the skin very easily. It does have kind of a scent to it but its not too overwhelming.

I applied this at 8 in the morning and it is now 4 in the after noon, which means this foundation has been on for 8 hours.  I did set this foundation this morning with my Rimmel London Stay Matte pressed powder and only now have I had retouch with pressed powder as I was starting to look a tad oily.  I did that about five minutes ago and after doing so, it literally looks like I just applied this foundation.  There has been no settling or separating, it still looks great.  This says that it will last 24 hours.  Now, I'm not actually going to stay up 24 hours just to tell you how it looks but I would say that if it still looks good now, it will easily last for the rest of the day.

Of course, this is only my first day using this foundation but if I was judging on first impressions only, I would say that I have probably just found my favorite foundation, finally ending the life time search.  This does have a matte finish, which I'm not a huge fan of but as you can see from the photo, I've applied a blush with some shippers in it to liven up my face a bit as you could easily do the same with highlighters or whatever.

The photo was taken after about six hours of wear and you can see it still looks pretty good.I do have some issues with acne/large pores which I think it covered quite nicely.  Also, I should note, I did not use a primer.  After this amount of time, my cover girl foundation would have already halfway melted off or settled into my pores, especially without a primer.  So, obviously, I'm quite pleased with this foundation.  I will continue to use it for the next week or so just to make sure I don't have any issues with breaking out but right now, I love this and I can see why it has been so popular!

[What I'm wearing in the photo: Revlon Colorstay Foundation in Buff, E.L.F. Studio Blush in Candid Coral, Rimmel London Stay Matte pressed powder in Natural, Cover Girl Lip Perfection lipstick in sultry, Cover Girl Perfect Blend eyeliner in blackest black, Maybelline the Rocket volum express mascara in very black]

Have you tried this foundation? What were your thoughts?

Also: Check out this beauty blog owned by a friend of a friend. She's fab! Makeup By Molly.com
xx

P.S. If anyone is interested in swapping blog buttons with me, I'm going to be adding a few on my sidebar.  Shoot me an email at jamieislovexoxo@aim.com]

4 comments Colorstay, drugstore, foundation, review, Revlon

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Review: Maybelline the Rocket Volum Express Mascara

I heard about this mascara when sarahbelle93 on twitter (I believe she's sarahbelle93x on YT) asked for recommendations for drugstore purchases.  This was mentioned as it is one of Maybelline's new products.  As we all probably know by now, I've been desparately trying to use up my NYC mascara because I hate it and my mini tube of Bad Gal Lash won't last long so when I saw this in the store I had to buy it.

This was $6, which is cheaper than Cover Girl Lash Blast, which I have mentioned loving before.  I purchased the shade Very Black and this is the waterproof version which claims 6x's more volume compared to the non waterproof 8x.  I figure there's probably not a huge difference and I needed waterproof so I went with that.

I put this on a 8am this morning and 8 hours later it still looks great.  There was absolutely no clumping whatsoever when I applied it and I instantly noticed fuller lashes.  I also haven't had any issues with flaking as I have had with other mascaras.  The wand, which I have pictured, is very similar to lash blast although perhaps slightly smaller as it isn't as big around.  This mascara also doesn't have the strong chlorine smell that my CG Lash Blast had, so that's a plus.

After using Benefit's Bad Gal Lash for the past week, I can honestly say I think is a better mascara.  I really like Bad Gal Lash but this gives much more volume and is only a quarter of the price.  I definitely recommend this to anyone and every one and I will be buying a brown as well. I'm sure I'll repurchase this when it runs out.  It's my new favorite mascara buy a landslide.

As for the pictures, I apologize for the low quality of the before/after shot. I didn't have good lighting anywhere but you get the idea.  The picture of me just gives you another view of how it really makes the eyes pop.

Remember you can click on the photos to view them full size.

4 comments drugstore, eyes, mascara, Maybelline, review

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Review: The All Natural Face Vegan Diva Stix

For those of you that don't know, I'm obsessed with The All Natural Face cosmetics.  I've been buying from Crystal for three years now and TANF is my all time favorite brand.  And for those of you eco-friendly people, all of her cosmetics are cruelty free, vegan and all natural mineral products free of harsh chemicals.

Ordering/Shipping/Packaging - 4/5
I ordered two sticks in Tempest and Deep Sea Green (this is actually the exact same color as my eyes). These eye sticks were $3.88 each which is a great price for the size they are.  For US customers, shipping prices are always reasonable, I've never been charged more than $3 for shipping.  I think this package was somewhere in the $1.70 range.  Also, which every purchase, Crystal (the lady that owns the company) always sends a free sample.  The last few times I was sent samples of the gel eyeliner, this time I receive a pigment sample called Plum Honey.  The reason I am giving this a 4 instead of a 5 is simply because the pencils didn't come pre-sharpened, which really wouldn't have taken much ever and would have been much more convenient.

Product Quality - 4.5/5
This is a very thick, smooth applying, very pigmented product.  As with any creamy eye product, there will probably be some creasing without a primer.  I'm currently wearing Deep Sea Green as an eyeliner right now and it looks great.

Overall - 4.5/5
Pigmented. Such Pretty colors. I'm really going to enjoy using these.

[photos: sticks, swatches (deep sea green, tempest, plum honey shadow),deep sea green]

3 comments all natural face, eyes, indie, review

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Review: Kiss Nail Dress nail strips

First off, let me just start off by saying I was sent these to try out but, as with any freebies that I review, my opinions will always be 100% honest.  I waited about a week after receiving them before trying them out because I've never had good luck with fake nail kits and I figured these would be even more complicated and crappy so I wasn't sure if I even wanted to bother.  But, because the design was so pretty and perfect for my punk-rock state of mind, I decided to apply these on New Years Even before going on with some friends.

Application Process - 5/5

Applying these nails strips was so, so much easier than I thought it was going to be.  It was a lot simpler than having to deal with messy glue and finding the right sticker for your nail didn't take anywhere near as long as it does with glue on kits.  All I did to apply these was find one to match my nail, peel it off, stick it on to my nail (I had nail polish on underneath), smooth out the lumps, and trim off the excess with nail clippers.  Easy as that.  The total application time was around 10 minutes, probably not even quite that long.  In the photo you can see my pink polish underneath where the ones I choose didn't quite fit but this wasn't a huge deal and it is quite possible that the stickers I have left over would fit better, I'm just not very good at judging that sort of thing.

Longevity - 5/5

I put these on 12/31 and peeled them off today, 1/7.  They would have lasted the full 10 days but I was just ready to take them off and I needed to test the removal process for this review anyway.  In one of these photos, you can see where on the ring finger there are some 'chips' in the sticker.  These do peel up on the ends of the nails and so I would pull off the pieces but this only happened on a couple of nails and I think if I had applied a clear coat of polish to the tips, they would have looked perfect for the full week that I wore them.  These lasted so much longer than I ever dreamed they would.  They last longer than regular nail polish, and longer than any brand of fake nails I have ever tried including Broadway Impress.

Design Selection - 5/5

Each package of nail strips comes with an insert featuring all the available designs ranging from solids, to animal prints to lace (which I'm most excited to try).  The design I had, as you can see, was black with gold detailing and rhinestones.  They also came with gold stickers to have a nail accented.  I adored this design and by the end of the week, most of the rhinestones were even still in tact which was surprising.

Removal Process - 5/5

I just peeled these off the from the cuticle forward.  Other people that I've seen do reviews on this claimed that it left the nails a little rough or there was residue that was hard to get off but I didn't have that issue, possibly because I already had nail polish on when I applied the stickers.  There was residue, that was a sticky,plastic-y glue type substance but that peeled off as well. Removal took about 3 minutes with no residue.

Overall & Recommendation - 5/5

Would I recommend these? Yes.  I hope to be getting several more styles soon.  I will probably never use fake glue on nails again.  The application and removal was super quick and easy, they lasted forever, and looked fantastic.  I do recommend, however, that you wear a base coat underneath the stickers to keep your nails from getting roughed up when you remove them.

Leave a Comment drugstore, influenster, kiss nail dress, nails, review

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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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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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