Quick Look: Look of the Day 8/31/12

Today I'm just running errands, but I wanted to use some color to perk me up. also I wanted to try out some of my new stuff. =)

Eyes: Urban Decay Primer Potion, NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencil in Milk in the outer corner as base, Lime Crime Jade-o-Lade Eyeshadow in the center of the lid, Urban Decay Loaded Eyeshadow in the outer corner, crease and under eye, Wet n Wild Color Trio in I Dream of Greenie top and bottom colors mixed together in the inner corner over the white, Urban Decay Foxy of Brow Bone, Urban Decay Blackout Eyeshadow as Liner, NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow pencil in Milk on waterline, Maybelline Waterproof Lash Stiletto in Black.

Face; Rimmel Lasting Finish Foundation in 100 Ivory, Maybelline Age Rewind Concealer in Light, Hard Candy Baked Blush in Pin Up lightly as contour.

Lips: Eos Lip Balm in Summer Fruit, NXY Mega Shine Gloss in Sponge Cake.

Mini Ulta Haul!

Not a whole lot can cheer me up when I have bad allergies, but new makeup is one of the few things that will.  I went to ulta today with my mom to pick a few things up. I didn't go too crazy because I'm sort of broke, but I thought I'd show you guys what I got anyway beside I'm sick and inspired. XD

(Sorry about crappy picture quality!)

So I got a couple essentials my favorite dry shampoo, Batise Dry Shampoo in the Fresh scent, and L'oreal Excellence Creme hair dye in Red Penny because my hair looks like crap! I'm so sad about it too, it looked so pretty when I first did it, and then I went swimming in a chlorinated pool.... so anywhoo I'll be doing my hair again soon and show you guys. 

Then to go with my new hair I got NYX eyebrow powder in auburn/red, I tried it out and although it doesn't match yet I'm impressed. Then I got a couple other NYX goodies, I got their Mega Shine Lipgloss in Sponge Cake its a creamy dark neutral pink with just a little bit of shimmer (love!) and then I got their Jumbo Eyeshadow pencil in  Milk. I finally got it! Ulta seems incapable of keeping Milk in stock, its crazy! It was the last one too.

Then a couple random products, I got Maybelline's Age Rewind Easer Dark Circle Treatment Concealer in Light. Ooff! Thats a a long name. But I'm definitely excited to try this and should be reviewing it soon. And last but not least I got a Eos lipbalm sphere in Summer Fruit because I've been wanting to try it out. And I had a 20% off coupon so that was pretty great.

Review: theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer

I'm very excited to review this. One because its gorgeous, and two because I've wanted this product for a looong time. For some reason I never picked it up,but I'm so glad I have it now, and can share my love with you guys! Mary-Lou is a stunning highlighter from theBalm, its a golden champagne color with just a hint of pink.

The picture of the left is in natural light, the right in the shade. I put on a little more then I'd normally use for this to make sure it showed up on camera. But you see the pretty gleam it has, and how it looks fairly natural in different lighting. It really is pretty, it can also be used as an eyeshadow but I've yet to try it that way. I love theBalm's cute retro/ pin-up-esque packaging and this is no exception! And not only is this one cute, its very sturdy. Although I love my Sexy Mama pressed powder by theBalm I would prefer it to be in a hard plastic compact like this rather that the magnetic cardboard packaging it comes in.

Another perk that has to be mentioned is how big this is! Especially for a highlighter. Here I've compared it against one of my other favorite highlighters MAC cream color base in Hush. So even though the price is on the high end, the amount of product along with the application makes it completely worth it.

Evidence.

Also just so you guys know my dedication, my cat was trying to steal my focus while I was taking these pictures. It was hard, but I remained professional. ;D

theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer is $24.00 for 8.5g its sold at Sephora, and on theBalm's website
(Also! Wanna get one free? Like theBalm's Facebook page, they have daily givaways!)

Review: Wet n Wild Color Trio In Walking on Eggshells

So I bought this for a look I'm about to do, and I've completely fallen in love with this trio from Wet n Wild! I have a couple others (I'm getting sunburned, and I dream of greenie) but this one is quickly becoming my favorite.

These are very smooth and pretty. These photos show the colors fine, but not how great of a sheen these have. No glitter or shimmer, but the white and pink have a lovely finish. The white color is similar to one of my favorite eyeshadows, Ulta eyeshadow in Silk, which I use in a lot of my looks. But the pink is my favorite out of this trio it a warm pink with a very pretty gold reflect. Also the brown shouldn't be overlooked, its not remarkable but its very smooth and blends nicely. 

I do have a couple complaints, but they're more for the trios in general rather than a problem with this one. First off I hate the stickers on the packaging. The packaging itself is cheap, but thats fine given the price. But those damn stickers, I hate them! It makes it very hard to open. Also with the great blendable smoothness comes a price, these are very soft and break easily. This makes them bad for travel, or putting them in a purse or makeup bag on the go. Also if you drop them on a hard floor you're screwed. But then again, for the price... you can afford to replace it.

All in all I love these shades and am excited for the look I'm going to do with them. I definitely recommend this trio to anyone, on a budget or otherwise. 

Wet n Wild Color Trio in Walking on Eggshells is available at most drugstores and Walmart. I got it for $2.99 but prices may vary regionally. 

Unboxing Urban Decay Smoked Palette!

So I just go my new little dream boat, so I thought I'd just show some makeup porn quick. I'm not sure if I'll do a full review yet, because I feel like everyone has already reviewed this palette. But... picture time!

Sexy outside box it comes in, sets the mood for the palette.

Whole shabang, palette, primer, and booklet.

Oh la la! I'm ridiculously excited for Mushroom and Loaded. And full sized black eyeliner is always welcome in my book. ;D

The nude colors, Kinky and Freestyle

The midtone neutrals, Backdoor and Mushroom which I'm drooling over ...
(Also sorry this picture sucks.)

Shimmery goodness with Barlust, and Rockstar.

Such pretty colors, Loaded is so gorgeous. Evidence is too, blue is really hard for  me to pull off but I'm going to try really hard for this one!

Sort of awkward, but I figured this was the best way to so them we've got Blackout and Asphalt at the end here.  Both very pigmented.

Well there you go! Please comment below if you want me to do a full review and or looks with the palette! 

Review: Kat Von D Lock-It Tattoo Foundation

After getting a sample of this foundation, my interest was sparked. The sample was in the wrong color though, so I went to Sephora to get matched. Also, not feeling my best today. I've got a cold so you guys should be very impressed by the end result. The SA put the color Light 48 on me it looks like this...

This is just the foundation, I took off my lipstick for this picture. Ugh my lips get so pale when I'm sick, its weird. Anyway, this is a pretty good match. In fact it matches my chest perfectly, that SA knew her stuff! I really like the finish of this foundation it has pretty full coverage, but its not heavy or cakey. Its has a matte airbrushed feel to it. Its definitely not a 'natural' finish, its a 'thats not real, but damn girl you lookin good finish' lol. Which is nice, I would wear this everyday but it looks really nice.

It comes in 13 different shades, which boast several different undertones; they have pink, beige, warm beige, pink beige, and yellow undertones. I'm hoping they'll add a couple more at both of the ends of their spectrum. They could add a couple more pale and deep colors in my opinion.

So in this one I put on the rest of my makeup, blush, eye makeup, lipstick, to make sure the foundation doesn't look weird with powders. But I didn't put on any powder or concealer, the base is just Lock-It.

You can see the scar on my forehead a little in this light, but besides that everything is well covered. This was applied around ten thirty, by about six o'clock I notice that my nose was pretty shiny. But the rest of the foundation stayed perfectly without me having to set it with powder. Although Light 48 is a great match right now, I don't think I'll get this color. Especially because its perfectly matched to my chest, which is tanner then my true skin tone right now. I think if I decide to buy a bottle I'll get Light 44 the lighter warm shade, that'll match me longer.

Kat Von D Lock-It Tattoo Foundation is sold exclusively at Sephora and is $34.00

Scent Review: Sephora Addictive Bag

So I got a bag from Sephora of six mini scents, as one of their online special offers. There were four different bags to choose from: Playful, Chic, Addictive, and Causal. I chose the Addictive bag, because it had the most scents I was interested in.

Sephora's promo picture for the addictive bag, you can see the actual little drawstring bag it comes in at the bottom.

Betsey Johnson's Too Too: Sephora describes this as "youthful and effervescent..." I'd agree with that statement. It is pretty and somewhat interesting, but its not the most unique perfume in this bunch. Its supposed to be a mixture of patchouli and fruits with some gingery and floral notes. It is a nice perfume, and perfect for young women who want to smell girly, but more polished. It reminds me a lot of Miss Dior Cherie, which I suppose makes sense because they have some similar notes and are sort of marketed toward the same crowd.

Too Too is $42.00 for 1.0 oz

Calvin Klein Euphoria: I love love love euphoria. Its my favorite scent for fall and winter. Sephora describes it as "captivating" and "sensual". Its a woody floral with lots of amber, and pomegranate undertones. Its a warm scent and sexy with out being overly provocative. I feel like it can be either a day or night scent. Wearing it always makes me feel more confident and I've gotten lots of compliments. 

Euphoria is $47.00 for 1.0 oz

Hanae Mori Butterfly: This perfume has something of a cult following, and I was probably the most excited to try this one. I've heard from many women and reviewers that they like it because its a sweet scent, but it doesn't make you feel like a teenager. At my age, thats not really too big of a problem, but I can see where they're coming from. The most prominent note of this to me in vanilla, lots of vanilla. It is a very nice vanilla though! And back by light florals and interesting fruit. It lasts forever, with out losing much power or giving me a headache, a very rare combination on me. All in all I do like this, but I don't think I like it enough for the price.

Butterfly is $65.00 for 1 oz

Michael Korres Michael Korres: Such creative naming! But that aside I have to admit, I didn't try this on my skin so I can't attest to how it smells on me... but I hate the fragrance. Michael Korres and I are not friends when it comes to perfume. He's a big fan of tuberose, which I can't stand. It smells mostly like tuberose, and freesia to me. If you like those, this might be good for you.

Michael Korres is $50.00 for 1.0 oz

Prada Infusion d'Iris: This is a very soft, classic sort of scent. Its a powdery woody floral, and smells very ladylike. Its similar to Chanel no. 5, and reminds me quite a bit of bath and body works moonlight path, but a little more complex. Both are powdery and have strong iris notes, but the undertone of Infusion d'Iris keeps it interesting. Its a very nice, classy scent, but not my cup of tea. I'm giving the sample to my mother because she really likes moonlight path a lot, so everybody wins I guess.

Infusion d'Iris is $60.00 for 1.0 oz

Victor & Rolf Flowerbomb: I like this scent a lot, just not on me. It mixes weird with my body chemistry so I'll be describing it wet. Described as "a floral explosion... making everything more postive" it is happy fragrance. Its sort of sexy with out being moody or dark. A floral explosion seems accurate, its hard to pick out specific florals. Its sweet patchouli undertone makes it interesting, and yes addictive.

Flowerbomb is $75.00 for 1 oz

This was really fun to review. You can get this set, or one of the others free with any $25.00 Sephora purchase of any kind by entering 6scents in the promo code box.

Review: Lush Ro's Argan

Yep, it really is that good.

Now normally I wouldn't review a product I don't have the full size of don't have the full size of, but I had to make an exception for this! I got Ro's Argan as a sample last time I was at Lush and I've fallen in love with it. Its one of their body conditioners and feels absolutely divine! Its like smoothing haven all over your body, and is super moisturizing. I don't have to put on lotion after I shower with this. You just take a little bit and smooth it all over, lush says to focus of dry areas the most.

It smells gorgeous! It a has the same sort of true luxurious rose scent that their rose bubbleroon I mentioned in my monthly favorites has, but is dare I say even better! Among the roses are lovely warm notes and a slight hint of spice. I'm super addicted to the scent, I really need to get the full size...

It comes in a big black lush pot, and the product is a creamy pinky peach color. It looks like lotion but is a little thicker then most body lotions. In the big size there is quite a bit of product, but my only real problem with this otherwise amazing product is the price! But I don't thin k even that will stop me with this.

Lush Ro's Argan Body Conditioner- $29.95 for 7.9 oz here or in lush stores.

Quick Look!: Outside with Family

Today I'm just out with my family again (aren't I exciting?) and I wanted to keep my makeup simple and practical. I just did simple eyes with dark olive green kitten liner, brighten my face a little and applied a colored balm. Now off to go tromping around outside!

Eyes: Too Faced Shadow Insurance, Urban Decay Foxy eyeshadow on lid and brow bone, Clinique Chocolate Chip eyeshadow in my crease, Ulta Silk lightly place in outer conner, Kiss my Sass Eyeshadow in Summers End (used wet) as liner, Maybelline Lash Stiletto Mascara.

Face: Neutrogena Sheer Touch Sunscreen (spf 55), Skin 79 VIP super+ Gold bb under my eyes only, and theBalm sexy mama pressed powder on t-zone.

Lips: Covergirl Lipslicks in Hipster. (My ultimate MLBB color!)

Review: Best Face Forward Cleanser

So I thought I'd do a review of the cleanser I'm currently using, Best Face Forward Daily Foaming Cleanser by Formula 10.0.6 (Thats a long one!) I've been using it for about two-three months so I feel like I can give it a fair review now.  There are some things I feel that I have to cover before I move on.

• If you have combination skin, don't put this near the drier parts of your face, if you have dry with ance, this is NOT the product for you. 
• If you have sensitive skin, I'd do a patch test. I also recommend maybe only doing it every other day.
• But hey I'm not a doctor! So be wary of anything I tell you!

So as you can probably tell by the above warnings, this is pretty strong. During the first couple weeks of using this it really dried out the area around my nose, I remedied this by avoiding the area and adding more moisturizer to the affected area. My skin did get more used to it though, now it just feels a little tight if I don't use moisturizer. It does seem to clear up acne pretty well, I do still get a couple breakouts here and there but nothing major. I should also mention that my skin 'adapts' to acne treatments pretty fast so somethings don't work forever on me. =(

It has a sort of pleasant light fruity smell, not necessarily 'passion fruit and green tea' but I like it. It comes with quite a bit of product. It is pretty foamy, but not so foam I can't use it with my clarisonic. I used maybe a dime sized drop all over my wet face and then use my clarisonic. Then I apply my moisturizer.

I have maybe an 8th of the bottle left, and have yet to decide to repurchase when I run out. I like this, but in the intrest of not letting my skin build up a resistance, I might switch this out for a different cleanser for awhile.

Formula 10.0.6 Best Face Forward Foaming Cleanser $6.99 for 5 fl oz

( I got mine at Walgreens, I know they sell it at Ulta too.)

Fall Makeup Looks: Steep vs. Cheap

So this is sort of back to school related as well, but more like back to fall. Which you can probably tell I'm pretty excited for by now! So I put together five great high end product that'd be perfect for this fall's trends, and then put together some comparable cheaper products... ninety seven dollars cheaper to be exact!

 Steep Products:

1: Matte RED lips with not much else is looking to be very popular this fall, so we have a classic...

MAC's Ruby Woo- $15.00

2: A sexy red berry flush is almost always in style for fall, but its been showing up even more on fall runways. This'll stay all day, but at a price.

tarte's Natural Beauty Cheek Stain- $30.00

3. Mmm jewel tone smokey eyes are beautiful, and this palette is damn near perfect. 

Urban Decay's Smoked Palette- $49.00

4. Okay so if you get the UD smoked it comes with their other black liner Perversion, but this needed to make an appearance. Both smudged and super precise graphic liner are super popular.

Urban Decay 24/7 Liner in Zero- $18.00

5. Glossy berry tones on lips add balance to the super matte reds being termed 'mulberry mouths' dark berry to plum shades add an instant little high fashion punch well still being wearable.

Stila Lip & Cheek Stain in Acai Crush- $24.00

All great product with beautiful fall colors, but $137.00 seems like a lot, especially if you don't plan to wear them past this fall. (Which is silly for the record, but carry on.) Also as a student myself, there is no way in hell I could ever afford this. Shall we see some cheaper alternatives? I think yes. =)

Cheap Products:

Matte red? Check. Nyx offers a couple matte red's from bright to fairly deep in color. And these seem to have about the same amount of product as MAC lipsticks do too. (Also they're completely cruelty free, unlike MAC.)

Nyx Matte Lipstick in Pure Red- $6.00

Very different texture but surprisingly similar color wise. Maybelline has our backs with this berry cream blush. The tarte stain is going to last you a loooong time though so consider it.

Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush in Plum Wine- $7.99

Okay so this isn't one palette like the UD one is but it has some similar jewel tone colors. As for quality,  these aren't as good but Wet 'n Wild's eyeshadows are pretty good over a semi decent primer. Note: These two actually have more colors the UD smoked palette if that helps. =)

Wet n Wild Color Icon Palette's in Petal Pusher and Comfort Zone- About $10.00 for two

Brand repeat again! I'm bad about that, but NYX is a great cheap brand. This liner can help you achieve the same liner looks, with less than half the price tag.

Nyx Glide on Liner in Jet Black

Finally our glossy berry lip shade. Honestly this is the easiest one. There are a huge range of berry to plum glosses, stains, and lipsticks out there. I choose this one because they're not sticky which I love.

Milani HD Advanced Lipcolor in Premier Plum 

My makeup strategy for back to school is to get one splurge that I really want, (I'm talking straight up obsessed with it. Not just on a whim.) and make sure it's worth it. And then a couple cheaper products on the side. This year the UD smoked palette is my big buy, and I'll probably pick up some smaller Nyx products next time I'm at Ulta to tide me over. Happy shopping!

Back to School Looks: Part II

Now yesterday I did a cheap easy tutorial with beginners starting school in mind. Today I'm continuing on that idea. Or should I say on top of that idea. You see I know that lots of girls want to play with fun bursts of color, but they still want it to be easy and quick. So lets move on!

Look 2:

So for this look you do the exact same thing as look one. Its nothing crazy, but it adds a little color on to  your base makeup. Do the face steps and the eyes, but then stop before mascara. Thats where we begin.

Eyes: Taking a purple pencil eyeliner or purple eyeshadow on a liner brush and gently line under your lower lashline. If your using a pencil and feel comfortable with that, you can then do your waterline (that little pink line between your eyeball ans your lashes) but be careful please! Then using the same brush you used for the brown in look one, take a little bit of purple shadow and blend that into the brown part on your lid. Then add macara on your upper lashes only.

I kept the rest of my makeup the same but feel free to expriment with other combinations.

Products Used:

Eyes: (look one products), then Jordana easyliner for eyes in Purple Fusion ($2), and Sleek purple shadow from the original palette*.

Brushes Used:

e.l.f angled brush

Product Replacements: *

Sleek purple eyeshadow: To be fair this is actually ten dollars, however you have to ship it here so its more around fifteen. A cheap purple is the bottom color in the Wet n Wild Eyeshadow Trio in I'm feeling retro ($3)

Back To School Looks: Part I

Back to school is undeniably exciting, even if you aren't/ were never excited for the actual work part getting new clothes, books, and picking new classes always thrilling. Back to school gives you the chance to try new styles. Also I find office/ school supplies really fun, but that might just be me. XD
So the other day I was thinking about the first time I got actual makeup for myself for back to school. It was in sixth grade and I felt  very grown up and also very confused. I'm the eldest of my three siblings so unlike my younger sister I didn't really have some one to help me out.

So I made this tutorial for absolute beginners in mind. Girls who want to want to start using makeup, but don't want look overdone or be teased for wearing too much makeup. I did one completely natural look, and then one using color based on the first look to make it nice and easy. Also I tried to make this as cheap as I possibly could. There are a couple higher end/ non drugstore products in this, but any product over ten dollars I'll astrick* and they will be listed at the bottom and have cheaper recommendations.

Look 1:

(Please pardon my scary eyebrows.)

I think this makeup looks very youthful and natural, it boarders a no makeup look but is a little more polished. This is also good if you're school has a dress code with makeup limitations.

Face: Use a liquid foundation to create a smooth canvas. If you aren't comfortable with brushes yet I definitely recommend cosmetic sponges or your hands. (Just wash them before you start!) If you have oily skin I suggest you set this foundation with a powder, but don't powder all over. Just your t zone where you'll get the oiliest. Otherwise it might look really fake. 

Eyes: I started out with a primer (optional) spread all over my lids, and the with a fluffy brush I blended a shimmering nude color all over my lid. Then on a denser brush take a medium brown color and blend that lightly in the outer corners of your eyes, and through the crease, but not all the way only about half way and the blend slightly. (As you can see I have deep set eyes with a very defined crease, if you don't have a defined crease theres a fast way of learning where to shade: close your eye, and gently feel the upper curve of your eyeball with your finger. Thats where you shade.)  After this take a highlighting shade with that same fluffy brush and dust it across your brow bone. With a small brush (or your finger) gently place a shimmering white right in your inner corner to brighten your eyes. Then apply mascara to your upper and lower lashes.

Cheeks: One of my favorite tricks is to apply cream highlighter before adding powder blush. Just take a little on your (clean!) fingers and apply along your cheekbones. Then take the blush of your choice and apply it along the sides of the apples of your cheeks. I used a berry blush, which is recommend for this look. It'll set you apart as ready for fall with a cute flush. 

Lips: Use a natural looking pink lipstick. This will mean different things to different people depending on your coloring, so expriment. For example, my 'natural' are quite a bit darker/brighter then most pale girls because my lips are naturally very pigmented. So don't get caught up in the 'nude' of light pink trends if they don't look good on you! (Words of wisdom.)

Products Used:

(In order of application, and price)

Face: Rimmel Lasting Finish foundation ($5), theBalm sexy mama pressed powder* ($19)

Eyes: Too Faced Shadow Insurance* ($18), Nyx TS3 trio Nude and Brown colors ($7), Ulta Eyeshadow in Silk ($8), Maybelline Lash Stiletto Mascara ($6)

Cheeks: Mac Cream Color Base in Hush* ($17), Milani Red Vino Blush ($8)

Lips: E.l.f Lipstick in Seductive ($3)

Brushes Used:

(All the brushes I used are $3 e.l.f brushes.)

Kabuki brush, 'C' brush, Angled contour brush, Angled Blush brush. I also used a face secret cosmetic sponge for my foundation they're 80 for $6 at Sally beauty supply. 

Expensive Products Replacements:*

Powder: Hard Candy Welcome Matte ($6) or e.l.f Clarifying Powder ($1)

Primer: Nyx Eyeshadow Base ($7) or e.l.f Primer ($1)

Cream highlighters: e.l.f Shimmering Facial whip in Lilac Petal ($1) or Nyx Tango with Highlight Stick ($8.50)

Skin 79 BB Cream Sampler Review!

BB creams are a hot topic, and with many American companies creating their own I wanted to try out some popular BB creams to compare. So I pick up this sampler of four BB creams from Skin 79 a popular asian brand. I got it about a week ago and have tried them all on for at least half a day.

Hot Pink Super + BB, Diamond The Prestige BB, Diamond Luminous Pearl BB, and VIP Super + Gold BB.

So lets jump in to in depth, and I'll give an overall at the end! =)

Hot Pink Super + BB: This one was the least useful in my opinion. The hot pink packaging and SPF 25 are nice, but this one had almost no coverage and I didn't have any noticeable brightening effect. It gives a dewy (not glowy) finish but didn't really cover anything. The texture reminds me of face lotion, blends out easily with quite a bit of slip.

Diamond The Prestige BB: This one was my favorite out of the four. It has a fair bit of coverage, but lets your skin peek through for a natural look. It also has a dewy finish, but this one seems brightening without added shimmer. Its actually one of the thinner formulas in this set so I was surprised at the amount of coverage it gave.

Diamond Luminous Pearl BB: Very very shimmery! If you want a very glowy finish and don't care about too much coverage this is the ticket for you. I liked this as a highlighter, or mixed in with foundation to make it a little sparklier.

VIP Super + gold: This is the only one the the bunch thats for dry/ dry combination skin so it was hard for me to really judge. However the coverage was pretty similar to Diamond the Prestige, so if you like the idea of that higher coverage BB but have dry skin, check this out. (Edit: Good for under eyes!)

I think this set is a great deal if you want to test out BB creams, and I really like Diamond the Prestige BB for everyday. Diamond luminous pearl is fun, I will definitely use up the sample, but I don't think I'll purchase. My one concern is that I randomly had a huge breakout while testing this, I don't if these caused it or not though it could be purely hormonal. 

I bought this set on amazon here for around ten dollars. (including s+h)

New Hair Color!

I love my new hair! I decided that as long as I'm able to have fun with my hair there's no point in having it be boring. At some point I suppose I'll have to keep it a more mellow red shade or blonde, but for now I'm gonna rock plum with a little red spurt! So what do you guys think? =)

Review: Elf Baked Blush In Rich Rose

 

I'm a big fan of e.l.f cosmetics, they're super cheap and cruelty free. So when I saw their new baked blushes I was intrigued. I was only able to get this one, because the others were already sold out. The other colors I've described below:

Peachy- Cheeky: A light peachy pink color, with bronze veining.

Pinktastic: A very light shimmering pink with bright pink veining. (Reminds me a lot of Hard Candy's Honeymoon Blush.)

Pink Passion: A midtone pink with hot pink veining.

And finally the one I scooped up, Rich Rose a bronzy red color with coral veining. Swirled together it makes a really pretty wearable terracotta color. On me it doubles as blush and a bronzer, great for a little natural contour. Its a little on the sheer side but builds up nicely.

$3.00 here or in target stores

Art Inspired Look: Cycles Sirius Poster

Now thats some racy biking!

This look was inspired by this wonderful poster which for me brings out two strong emotions, the first being awe at how lovely it is (its really big IRL too), and second laughter. I find it hilarious that they decided to naked women were the best way to promote bicycle sales, and also that people think that racy ads are a new thing. And you know sex does sell, but I really think if sex should be marketed this is the way to go. She looks very happy on that bicycle. ;D

Anyway this look is a little less directly translated then my previous two. I wanted to convey the soft dream like hues and feeling as well as the glowy gold touched skin. I think I did pretty well, I wish the shimmer on my eyes was a little more pronounced though. This was a fun look to do! It also gave me a reason to test out some BB cream.

After priming my eye I lightly brushed a shimmering light color all over my lid and brow bone to make a shimmery blank canvas. Then in the center of of my eye I blended in a matte nude color. Moving to my inner corner I applied a matte white from my inner corner up to my brows and then blended it out really well. Then on the the outer corner I gently blended in a light blue bringing it into my crease to define that a little more. Then with a fluffy brush I softly patted on a little bright golden shimmer on top of the lid. Unfortunately this didn't show up on camera. =(

I lightly lined my lids with a navy shadow, and winged it out a tiny bit. Then using a light gold cream eyeliner I lined my lower lash line. I applied mascara, and I did do my eyebrows I swear! I have no idea where they went off too well I was taking these pictures.

On to face! I used two different BB creams on face a normal one all over and then a shimmery one on my cheekbones for a natural looking highlight. I dusted a light pink color at the apple of my cheeks and then dusted a golden color over my blush and lightly on my forehead.

I finished off the look with the lightest pink lipstick I can pull off, and a light colored lipgloss. I hope you like it!

Products Used:

(In order of direction.)

Eyes: Too Faced Shadow Insurance, Ulta Silk eyeshadow, Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Foxy, Sugarpill Tako Eyeshadow, Lime Crime Parasol Eyeshadow (Chinadoll), Sugarpill Glodilux, Sleek navy shadow, Wet 'n Wild Idol Eyes in pixie + Nyx Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencil in Pure Gold, and Maybelline Waterproof Full n soft mascara.

Face: Skin 79 Diamond Prestige BB cream, Skin 79 Diamond Luminous Pearl BB cream, MAC fleaur power blush, and E.L.F Studio blush in Giddy Gold.

Lips: Nyx Stella lipstick, Nyx Nude peach mega shine lipgloss.

Yummy Soap!

So the other day I was in a little gift shop with some friends mainly just killing time and I had to look at all the lovely smelling candles and soaps because I'm a junkie for stuff like that and I found this little darling!

I love lemongrass, I grow it every summer and just adore the scent in general! This soap smells just like it!  It lathers really well for a bar soap, I was very impressed by that. I seriously rubbed the soap on and then used my loofa for some scrubby action. The smell is just as good in shower, however it fades pretty fast after. Which you may like or dislike depending on personal tastes. The only thing I feel like that could be improved is it could be more moisturizing. But its not a huge concern.

I also think the packaging is really cute, its simple and sort of chic that way. It has made in france stamped on the side but doesn't make a big deal about it which I like. Apparently Oprah's a big fan of this brand, which I learned well looking online for these. So if the O seal of approval is a big deal for you, you're all set!

You can buy them here or perhaps you'll find them in a gift store like I did!

La Lavande lemongrass soap is $4.50 online (+ S&H) but prices will range in store. I paid about six dollars including tax I think.

Fridays under Fifteen: Hardy Candy Rise & Shine

Let me preface this post with a fun fact about me: I love glitter, it is fun and sparkly and if you don't like glitter you wouldn't like this lipgloss.

There now lets move on! I've been obsessed with this lipgloss this last week, it is so much fun! Its called Hard Candy Glossaholic Lipgloss in Rise in Shine, and at $6.00 its well within our fifteen dollar budget. Its a beautiful lipgloss with a clear base and tons of glitter that shifts from orange to gold to green. Although I notice the green way more in the tube then on the lips.

Now unfortunately this lipgloss just did not want to be photographed on my lips the camera had to be slightly out of focus to see the glitter at all. However I assure you that swatch on my hand is what it looks like in person, especially in sunlight.

The glitter isn't gritty at all, and its not sticky which is nice, that being said, the wand is gigantic! With its size, and a indentation in the applicator tip to catch gloss, this can apply way to much gloss if you aren't careful.  But speaking of huge this is quite a bit of lipgloss for reference it has more then twice the amount in a lipglass.

The only weird thing about this is it has a pretty odd claim. It says its 'infused with mood altering elixir' and claims to wake you up, hence the name. It is coffee flavored, which I find quite yummy, but I think its more likely that the sweet flavor and pretty sparkle are the ones altering my mood for the better!

The reason this is this friday's under fifteen super star is because of how much it reminds me of MAC's dazzleglass. Especially some of the Glitter and Ice dazzleglass, with their clear bases and crazy sparkle. if you liked those but they very too expensive, or too cool toned, or too sticky you might love this.

Hard Candy Glossaholic Lipgloss in Rise in Shine is $6.00* for 10.8g and can be found in walmart stores and on walmarts website.
*prices may vary in store.