Review: Jordana Twist & Shine Moisturizing Balm Stain

So I have a review for you guys today one of Jordana's relatively new products, the Twist & Shine Moisturizing Balm Stain. I got it in the shade Cranberry Crush. I picked this up at Walgreens for just few dollars, and as per usual with Jordana it turned out to be surprisingly great! Lets go check it out!

The product goes on glossy and smooth with quite a lot of pigmentation for this type of product! The color is a super pretty raspberry, that I think would look pretty on many different skintones. After the glossy finish fades, you're left with a cute matte stain. Yes this actually is a stain! Not just a tinted lip balm. In fact while this product goes on smooth and doesn't dry out my lips, I don't find it to be that moisturizing. A little goes a long way, but something I should mention, start in the center of your lips with this stuff, then move it out a little. Otherwise it can look a tad lip line-y. It doesn't have any taste, but it has a yummy fruit smell that reminds me of my Plum Korres Lip Butter.

Lets talk about packaging! It comes presharpened in a plastic twist up tube. The the tube and the cap feel pretty substantial, so I'm not overly concerned about it cracking (I'm lookin at you NYX Jumbo Pencils!) and the twist up works well. It doesn't stick or go up too fast, and yes it does allow you to twist back down. With 0.095 oz of product, it doesn't come with a lot, but considering the amount you need and price, it doesn't bother me.

Jordana Twist & Shine Pencils retail for $2.99 USD at Walgreens. You can also find them online pretty easily.

What do you guys think? Tell me in the comments below!

Fall Haul! Sephora + Urban Decay

Ermahgerd. Fall is officially here! Autumn is by far my favorite season and this especially applies to makeup! Dark lips, jewel tones, plums. Ughhhh so much love. Anyway I recently spent waayyyy too money at Spehora and Urban Decay recently, so I thought I would show you and give you some first impressions.

It wasn't until I photographed them together that I noticed a distinct color theme

Okay first we have the crown jewel of this haul, the brand new Urban Decay Vice 2 Palette! The first few days it was out it was only available on their web site, and I cracked down. Clearly waiting the three days for it to get to Sephora would have killed me. Anyway this palette is fantastic! I'll do a separate post that's more in depth later, but quick over view: 20 eyeshadows, only dislike one, great packaging, and already used it a bunch.

Alright Sephora by OPI nail polish is on sale right now for $4.50 a bottle. Soooo I bought a couple. I got I'm With Brad a metallic wine over a dark coffee base, and On Stage an opaque grey plum. I'm so in love with both of them! I've heard rave reviews of I'm With Brad, On Stage I got as just a whim. I'm so glad I did though! On Stage is the perfect sexy unexpected neutral for fall. Also the formula for both of these is very good, particularly for On Stage.

Okay this one is also exciting and deserves a separate post. It's OCC lip tar in Black Metal Dahlia from OCC's new Monderncraft Collection. This lip tar is so ridiculously amazing! It's a blacken burgundy with TONS of red shimmer. I'm so in love!

And finally bought a tube of the Tarte Maracuja Creaseless Concealer that I love so very much. I only waited so long to buy it because a little goes a very long way, and I still had my sample from winter. (Crazy!) I'm glad I have the full size now though, the packaging is super cute! I love the little bamboo cap.

Happy fall everyone! What fall makeup are you excited for? Let me know in the comments!

Review: September '13 Ipsy!

Yay Ipsy! The beginning of every month has gotten a little more exciting since I started getting this service. It's a monthly subscription service that sends you a few (usually 5) full size or deluxe sample sized personalized products every month. the theme this month was Classic Beauty, as usual I've got a quick review for you guys and a look with the products.

 So first we have Cailyn 'Tinted Lip Balm'. Alright first things first, this in no sense a tinted lip balm. What it is, is a very pigmented near matte red lipstick. I love the packaging! It comes with a little brush that pops out of the top.

Nest is a Single Eyeshadow from Nyx in Charcoal. I love NYX, and I'm always happy to get stuff from them. This is no exception! This shadow is smooth, easy to blend, and has great pigmentation. I used it on my lids, with greater concentration in the outer corners. Very pretty.

Elizabeth Mott It's So Big! Mascara. Can we all take a to snicker about the name like middle schoolers? Good? Okay. I liked this mascara fairly well. It's volume and length are reasonable if not spectacular, but it separates super well!

Starlooks Kohl Eye Pencil in Obsidian. At first I wasn't thrilled, I already have a lot of black pencil liners. But this one is actually pretty nice! It's very black, creamy, and doesn't transfer. I used this in my waterline, and smudged along was lash line and outer V with a pencil brush. I also put the the extra product on the brush under my eyes a bit.

And finally Freeman Beauty Facial Paper masks. I got sent three to try: Purifying Star Fruit, Brighting Rose, and Hydrating Blue Agave. I tried out the starfruit one, it was only okay. The scent was really strong and fake which I didn't enjoy. I'll be trying the rose one soon, I hope I like it I've always been interested in paper masks!

So thats it for this months Ipsy Bag! You can get it for $10 USD per month here. What you think? Let me know in the comments! :)

My Top 10 Skincare Products!

Hey guys I have a fun (and hopefully helpful) post for you guys today! I've complied a list of my absolute favorite products for my skin. Just some quick info about my skin first so you get an idea of why these work for me, and if they'll work for you. I have oily/acne prone skin with no real wrinkles. I'd say I was a pretty average sensitivity level, I will mention if I think something would bother sensitive skin. These are in no particular order, I thought numbering them would be pointless because they all have different uses. Also all of these are tried and true products for me, not new faves. I've had time to judge my skins reaction properly  Alright let's see 'em!

1.) Lush Ocean Salt Scrub. This is hands down my favorite hard core exfoliant! This scrub has sea salt (duh) to get rid of dead skin and dirt while avocado, lime, and seaweed soften and clear your skin. I generally have some results after just one use. This is a great weekly scrub and fantastic right before a purifying mask. Big big fan! $21.95 USD for 4.2 oz at Lush.

2.) Yesto Tomatoes Daily Balancing Moisturizer. This was a toss up between this product and Lush Vanishing Cream my other favorite. (I chose this one because they work the same on me and this one is less expensive!) This moisturizer is made to keep sebum in check to help oily skin stay healthy instead of greasy. This moisturizer is high in skin boosting antioxidants like tomatoes, and red tea which is great. My skin much smoother and healthier when I use this, but there are a couple other nice things about this product that are more cosmetic. First, it has a pump! Pumps are always the preferred, because they stay sanitary. This is key when you have acne prone skin! Also the yes to tomatoes line has the most amazing scent (expect for the scrub) it smells a little like vanilla spice cake to me. I love it! $14.99 USD Yes to Carrots.

3.) Boots Expert Anti-Blemish Cleansing Foam. I've been using this cleanser for awhile, and I really like it. It's very gentle and fragrance free but takes my makeup off and helps prevent acne with the help of willow bark extract. This one I would definitely recommend for people with sensitive skin. This also works great with my clarisonic, which I'll be mentioning in a little bit. $5.69 USD from Boots

4.) Best Face Forward Daily Foaming Cleanser by Formula 10.0.6. Okay so this cleanser is not for sensitive skin. In fact I need to moisturize after using this stuff. However it is a very effective acne cleanser, for a low cost. The passionfruit green tea scent is really nice too! From Formula 10.0.6 buy for $5.99 USD from walgreens.

5.) The Clarisonic Mia. So this is a tool rather than a product, but I needed to include this on the list! This product has definitely improved my skin, and makes my breakouts heal faster. However my favorite part is that it takes ALL my makeup off. I can put my makeup on at six in the morning, and when I take my makeup off at eleven at night and the brush will be orange with product. It's amazing, but I'm not going to oversell this product. Its a great tool, but it's not life changing super product like a lot of people say it is. So if you're broke, this might not be worth it for you. $125 USD from Clarisonic. 

6.) Lush Fresh Face Masks. I couldn't choose just one! I love lush's fresh face masks, and the good news is that they have one to suit every skin type. My favorite is Cupcake, it controls oil and smells AMAZING. Like chocolate, vanilla, and mint. But I also really like Cosmetic Warrior which is fantastic for controlling acne. There are several others I like too. $6.95 at Lush stores (N/A online)

7.) Lush Dark Angels Scrub. This charcoal scrub is straight up addictive! Dark angels is a much gentler scrub. I use it 2-3 times a week, and I used to use it daily. It makes your skin super soft and the smell becomes an addiction. $12.95 USD for 3.5 oz at Lush.

8.) Mario Badescu Drying Lotion. Okay fellow acne sufferers, this is the hands down the best spot treatment I've ever used. It's a calamine based over night treatment, you dip a clean cotton swab into the pink sediment at the bottom of the bottle, and dad it over your zit. You go to sleep and it reduces or removes the zit. It is the best, no joke. The bottle is small, but it'll last you years. $17.00 USD for 1 oz from Mario Badescu. (P.S if you're at Ulta or at the counter get it in the plastic bottle, trust me.)

9.) Mario Badescu Silver Powder. This powder mask is great for blackheads, and excess oil. Its a little tricky to apply, and leaves a white cast so its definitely a night time mask. This also will last you forever. I've had the same tub for two years and am only half way through it. $12.00 USD for 1 oz from Mario Badescu. 

10.) Finally, I know some of you guys don't have the patience for a whole face routine. While I definitely encourage you to slowly build up a regime, I have the perfect product for you. Formula 10.0.6 Keep Me Clean Wipes. They remove makeup and help fight acne. $5.99 USD at Walgreens.

I hope you liked the post! What are your skincare favorites? Let me know in the comments!

Review: Rocks Box

Okay so I'm big on beauty subscription services. I mean ipsy practically keeps me alive while I'm broke. So when I heard about Rocks Box, my interest was piqued. It's a jewelry rental subscription where you fill out a survey and they send you a box with three items of jewelry. Don't like the the items? Send the box back as many times as you like for one monthly fee. Love the item so much you can't part with it? You can buy them for a discounted price. Otherwise you have 60 days to wear it and send it back. I really liked my first box, so I want to share it with you!

 

So it comes on this super cute box

And then your jewelry is inside!

Loot!

So the first piece is a pair of dangly earrings with colorful 'gem' stones. I've gotta say, at first I wasn't sure if these were really me. But I've been rocking them with some really bright pink lipstick and loving it! 

They we have a taupe and gold bangle bracelet. I don't think this is that interesting, but it is very cute regardless. I think this would be cute layered with some other bracelets. 

Finally we have this awesome necklace! This is dead on for what I like. I love that boho/sexy gypsy style of necklace, and have been wearing this all the time.

I think this program is a really fun idea. I really like the concept, and the product they sent me. I love all the new subscription services that are popping up these days, and I definitely recommend trying this one out!

It's $20 dollars per month or less monthly per year, at RocksBox.

Interested? Let me know in the comments below, I love hearing from you!

Review: Conair Infiniti Curl Secret Pro!

Hey guys I have a super exciting review for you today.  I got to test out the new Conair Infiniti curl secret pro hair curler. It uses some crazy new technology like something out of the Jetsons. So if you're interested in some space age hair tech, keep reading!

The coolest part of this curling iron is clearly how it works. You simply place the hair into the shaft and it's scoops it up it's really hard to explain said actually taking a short video to show you guys. (I know it's my first video, crazy!)

It's amazing I was so freaked out even though I've seen the commercial. It has several different settings he can control the heat of the curl which in turn control how tight the curl is. The video is of my sister because she has much shorter hair than I do, so it's a lot easier to show you that. But here's some pictures of my hair before and after curling.

I didn't on the highest setting beginning nice long tendrils however due to the length of my hair. It's around 26 inches. I wasn't able to get it all into the shaft. I tried but it malfunctioned and made it really hard to pull my hair out. It was kind of a nightmare, so beware of that if you long hair.  I figure the way around this was to start in the center of making so the entire length of the hair wasn't curled however it gave the ends of my hair a very nice curl. This is just one of the realities of having long hair. 

This curler takes a little getting used to but after you do it's really easy to use. Every kernel is going just be exactly the same and perfect which if you're bad a curling your hair perfectly or if you wish to get rid of those 'creases' this might be a huge plus for you. It's also super fast you do it in fairly small sections at a time sure (1 inch) however every single section, even at the highest setting, only takes 12 seconds. Granted I have fine hair but I was able to curl my entire head in about 10 minutes. 

Alright now on to the cons, and this has a few. Besides the length problem which I already told you, this curler have a few if it's own kinks it needs to sort out. My biggest issue with it is I felt that my curls felt really fast. My hair isn't  prone to curling easily. But over the years I found lots of methods to make it work. The right hairspray and having ceramic curler are the solution. And don't get me wrong I love Conair ceramic curling irons I have two of them use 'em all the time,weekly basis, big fan. So I really don't know what caused the issue. Just make sure it wasn't just me I did tester it on my sister. I found that she pretty much the same results as I even with a different length. It's possible it could be my hair take however fine here is not the hardest kind of hair to curl.

All and all I think this is a super cool hair tool, with crazy new technology. I think this would be great at parties, and that's it's super easy to use for perfect curls every time. Will it become part of my everyday hair routine? Nah, I'm sticking with my Conair You Curl for that. But this is a very fun product.

The Conair Curl Infiniti Curl Secret Pro retails for $99.00 USD and is for sure available at Ulta and online at http://www.curlsecret.com/.

Intrigued? Let me know in the comments, I love hearing from you guys!

August '13/ Summer Favorites

Hey guys! I totally spaced doing my July favorites, so this post isn't just my August favorites but the reigning champions from the whole summer. Amusingly this is exactly what happened last year. So lets go!

And this was scaled back...

This is a huge favorites post, so I've divided it in to sections. Starting with.....

Makeup Favorites

So first off I have Coola Tinted Moisturizer which I reviewed here already. Still in love! Its basically replaced all my other TMs and BB creams.

Sonia Kashuk Sheer Shimmering Highlighter. So I got this back in June, as a total impulse purchase at Target. Oh my goodness, I've never been so pleased with a product I didn't research. This has made it into my everyday makeup routine. It just gives the healthiest glow, but I did a whole post on it already so I'll stop gushing.

MAC Woodwinked Eyeshadow. This has always been one of my favorite MAC shades (if not my very favorite) but I've used it soooo much recently. I used it is several posts, but I can easily say I've worn this at least one day every week this summer. Its the prettiest bronze/gold shade. The formula is one of my favorites across my collection too: buttery, blendable, and fantastic pigmentation! Luurrrrve.

Another MAC, this is Honey Jasmine Powder blusher from their All About Orange collection. This is another product that I just wore the hell out of this summer, I will likely wear this a lot this fall as well. I adore very warm orange toned blushes on gingers, and this is the perfect blush for that look.

I was super excited to get my hands on one of Lime Crime's Velvetines! I review this one already here but if you haven't read that or heard of them, its a matte lipgloss that goes on and then stays put! Through.... quite a lot actually! This one is is a stunning warm red.

NYX Butter Gloss in Peach Cobbler. This smooth creamy red orange gloss lived in my purse for most of the summer. I like having a back up lip color with me that I know for sure that love. This has enough color to pop, with out a lot of fuss. Win win!

Finally Revlon Lip Butter in Tutti Frutti. Another product that warranted its own post. This orangey lip butter was a summer staple for me this year. I rocked this more times then I count. The lip butters are a product that I always come back to.

Bronzing

There are also some honorable mentions for this post, Jergen's Natural glow, and NYC Smooth Skin Bronzer in Sunny. But I wanted to have products that I recently discovered.

So first off I have Too Faced Milk Chocolate Bronzer.  The color pay off is great well still looking natural. I got this in the Sephora Sun Safety Favorites and was thrilled! This matte medium/dark bronzer too dark for all over bronzing on me (I leave that one to NYC's) however it's fantastic for contouring! Great product.

St. Topez One Night Only Instant Body glow. This body bronzer is the best perk up for pale skin for special occasions or just when ever you want to rock a short skirt! It's damn near impossible to mess up, and even if you manage to, it just washes off with water. ;D

Sun Protection

For my face I've used Ole Henriksen's Protect the Truth SPF 50 sunscreen for most of the summer. I really love it because its oil free and doesn't break me out. I have a problem with sunscreens and primers giving me crazy break outs but this one works great.

For my body Sun Bum has me covered! I've been using this a lot, especially when I'm outside all day. I reviewed this one already here so I won't say too much more, but this is definitely worth the couple extra bucks!

Bath and Body

First we have Bath and Body Works Forever Sunshine Shower Gel. This has been by far my favorite shower gel this summer. It's a light bath and body works says that it's a "juicy tangerine, pink peonies, creamy sandalwood, and a touch of sweet praline." I'd say thats a pretty good description, however as with a lot of b&bw scents the notes aren't easy to pick up by themselves. But it's a light sweet warm floral. Mmmm...

Nest up was my favorite perfume this summer Victoria Secret Angel Gold. This perfume came as a surprise me, but a happy one. Its a lovely light citrusy floral thats perfect for summer. It has notes of bergamot, gardenia, peony, and light musk. Rounded out with a bunch citrus notes. It's a young scent, but classy. I've been living in this all summer.

Misc.

Sunglasses! They don't need to be expensive. Just cute and UV protective! I got these at target for like twelve bucks. 'Nuff said.

Summer Boardwalk candle from Bath and Body Works. Oh my goodness! I have a huge weakness for food scent candles, and this one is amazing! It smells like candy apples, and carmel corn. It's like the world's cleanest carnival, all the yumminess none of the sweat and trash. I've got about a third left, I'll keep burning it till I have some fall candles and then save the rest for next year.

Juice Beauty Hydrating Mist. This stuff feels like magic on a hot day. Especially if you put it in the fridge for a little while before hand. I can't really tell you how hydrating this is, because I don't have dry skin. But for a quick cool down, this stuff is the best! It's also great to make your makeup look less 'powdery'.

I've had a fantastic (if fleeting) summer, and I'm sooo excited for this fall! What about you guys, anything interesting happen, new product? Let me know in the comments!