*May 2012* Birchbox

Birchbox

Gossip Girl Theme 

Downtown Book Party

Stila Waterproof Eyeliner in Rock Candy 

When they say waterproof they mean waterproof! I wouldn't have purchased this on my own but I am glad to have it.

Dr. Jart+ Water Fuse BB Cream

I have been very curious about BB creams so I was really happy to see this in my box. I have to say that I really liked the way this cream went on and I wouldn't mind giving this product a try.

Ojon Volume Advance Volumizing Conditioner  

I have tried Ojon in the past and I was pretty underwhelmed. I wouldn't mind trying the brand again though so I am a happy camper.

Bulgari Omni Crystalline Perfume Sample

I like the scent but I am not a huge fan of perfumes as I prefer my body splashes. 

Note Card

Very cute bonus - I like the colors.

Click on the pics to enlarge

 

What did you think of your Birchbox? 

 Do you think it was worth the $10?

*May 2012 Glam Bag post to come*

NYX Powder Blushes - Swatches - 40% Sale Info!

Below are photos of my NYX blushes which I find to be very good quality for anyone who is on a budget. I love the variety of shades and textures they have to offer.

Out of the bunch my two favorites are Pinched and Cinnamon which remind me a bit of Benefit Coralista and Nars Gilda. My least favorite is Blush which isn't very pigmented and just does nothing for me.

They retail for $5.99 at Ulta and right now cherryculture.com is having a huge 40% off sale on all NYX products.

I apologize in advance for the lousy swatches.....the lighting was not in my favor today.

BLUSHES

Click on the picture to enlarge

Swatches

 

  

Amazing & Inexpensive - mark Good Glowing Powder Blush

*stock photo*

When it comes to blush I have never had much luck with low end brands. I have tried many and honestly I find them to be a waste of money as they tend to lack in pigmentation and they usually have a very poor chalky texture. Of course there are always the exceptions to the rule - and for me mark blushes is one of them.

The review below is for my favorite shade called Cameo Glo. The other shade that I adore is called After Glo however I gave it to a friend of mine who fell in love with it therefore I don't have any photos/swatches. I definitely plan on purchasing again so I will update once I receive it.

mark Good Glowing Custom Pick Powder Blush - Cameo Glo

Color: Peachy/Pink Nude Tone. The type of color that gives a very natural flush.

Pigmentation: Pigmentation is perfect - it's pigmented enough to go on in one swipe (depending on skin tone of course) yet build-able.

Texture: Although it has some slight shimmery particles in the blush the texture is Matte without being chalky.

Packaging: The only con that I have with this product is the packaging. It comes in a very generic plastic case which can be a bit annoying to open. You have an option to buy a palette for $8.00 which you can snap your blushes into but I really don't think it's that worth it.

Price: $7.00 US per blush but there are always coupons floating around as mark is a brand that is sold out of Avon and Avon always seems to have some kind of deal going on. http://shop.meetmark.com/shop/default.aspx

Amazing & Inexpensive - NYX Tinted Lip Spa

*stock photo*

Here is the description according to the NYX website. Tinted Lip Spa is specially formulated with Vitamin E and extra moisturizing properties to nourish and condition lips while adding color. Lavish your lips to spa treatment everyday.

I have been using this lip tint for over 6 months and I can safely say that my experience with this product rings true to what the company claims. As a person who battles with dry lips this is one of the few "treatments" that actually moisturizes my lips for a decent period of time AND has a good color pay off. It's pretty much a lip balm and lipstick all in one pretty package and all of the colors that I have tried so far are very beautiful and wearable. My favorite of the lot is called Sake (swatch below) and it is a staple that I always make sure to carry around in my purse as the color is a very basic peachy pink tone which seems to go well with everything. In addition to all of the other good stuff - the price is unbelievably low @ $3.75 (cherryculture.com)

Overall, I am impressed with this product and I hope it works just as well for others as it has for me :)

*Review* Lush Products

This past year I caught the LUSH bug. Here is a review on the some of the items that I purchased and how I feel about LUSH in general after the bug went loose.

1. Honey I Washed The Kids Soap - As I mentioned in my previous review, I adore the way this soap smells and out of all of the LUSH soaps that I have tried this scent seemed to linger on my skin the longest amount of time. It also had the best lather but the staying power (amount of time it takes to melt) was mediocre and the honey comb top was totally useless.

2. Rock Star Soap - This was another scent that I fell in love with. The best way I can describe the smell is bubble gum meets cotton candy meets vanilla. Now, normally I am not a fan of candy scented anything but this one is an exception to the rule. Good scent aside, this soap melted away very quickly although the lather was pretty decent.

3. A Ring of Roses Buttercream - Now, this is the description of buttercreams according to the LUSH website. A Buttercream is what soap hopes to become in its next life if it behaves very well in this one. At LUSH we minimize the 'soap' part of our soaps so that we can fill them up with lots of other lovely things. Most soaps are 99% soap and 1% fragrance; 2% for a really posh one. Buttercreams are 20% soap to clean your body and 80% butters, oils, infusions and other fabulous things to get your skin looking and feeling lovely. Sounds good doesn't it? well it didn't work for me at all! This product had the best staying power but other then that it did nothing else. It barely lathered unless you rubbed it with a loofah, the scent was barely there, and with all of the butters, oils, and infusions that they add to it - it actually made my skin feel dry. Very pointless product.

4. Up You Gets Emotibomb - Emotibombs are basically bath bombs which are supposed to unleash a scent while you shower and provoke a certain "emotion" much like aromatherapy. Now, the whole emotion thing I take with a grain of salt although lavender does tend to calm me down when I am anxious but I digress...this was another product which did absolutely nothing for me at all. In the bag I was able to smell the emotibomb but once in the shower it lost it scent completely and I tried all different ways to get it to work. Nope..nada..nothing...another pointless product. Unless I purchased a bum bomb lol bum bomb :P

5. Therapy Massage Bar - Made out of shea butter, cocoa butter, and various oils; this bar was definitely very moisturizing to say the least. I had the hubster use it on my back and in turn I used it on him and it felt very nice for both of us - although it created an incredible greasy mess. After using it that one time I stored the rest of the bar away in my fridge believing that I would use it again until both my husband and I received a wonderful gift of a horrendous break-out on both of our backs. You know the kind of pimples that are painful and huge?? Yep, that's what we got. Needless to say Therapy went buh bye although really I should have known better. Maybe we used too much for one sitting?? *shrug*

6. Honey I Washed The Kids Solid Perfume - I saved the best for last. There isn't much to explain - this solid perfume is Honey I Washed the kids in solid form - packaged in a small container - perfect for rubbing on to the wrists and sides of the neck. There ya go! The perfect way to carry a great scent around on your skin. And the best part about it? I received it as an extra in a swap from a very lovely MUA member. I am still in awe of her generosity! This is by far the best product that I have had the pleasure of owning from LUSH. Why? Because it lasts and you actually get what you pay for.

Final Analysis - It goes without saying that my obsession with LUSH products has ended. I was happy to have tried all of these products out, painful pimples and all, as I am an experimental type of person by nature. However, I can't seem to scrub away the overwhelming feeling that I was being robbed without a gun for a bunch of overpriced gimmicky products that just don't cut the cake. Toilet meet money *flush* Now, having said that, it doesn't mean that this store isn't fun for an occasional indulgence or perhaps there are tons of items that are fantastic for other people but just didn't work for me....after all I haven't tried out the majority of stuff they have to offer so perhaps this review is even more juvenile then LUSH itself! Or maybe I am just bitter that I have to suffer through buyer's remorse - an emotion which makeupalley.com has cured since I can swap away my cosmetic mistakes and with LUSH it melted away before I got the chance to.

Whatever the case is...I saw...I tried...and I went :)

Anyway, let me get off of my soap box!

Bye!

My Favorite Fall/Winter Plummy Shades

As the end of winter begins to draw near *yay!* I wanted to pay homage to my favorite fall/winter plummy shades that I absolutely wore out this season.

Blush

Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge in Velvet Plum - Beautifully rich plummy tone which when applied lightly gives my cheeks a wonderful yet deep wintry flush. Great product for all skin tones when used with the right tool. Nice for lips as well but can be a bit drying without a gloss on top.

NARS Sin - On my medium/light skin tone Sin comes across as a mauvey yet slightly plummy shade. There is some shimmer to this product yet it is slight and not overdone at all. As is the case with all of the NARS blushes that I own, I love how Sin perks up my complexion and makes my skin look alive and fresh. LOVE LOVE LOVE

*Please note that the swatches in the pic below appear a bit darker as they are layered on my skin*

Eye Shadow

MAC Handwritten - Beautiful dark brown/purple color which is perfect for a smokey eye and/or outer v. Fantastic Matte2 consistency which makes this shadow blend like a dream with amazing pigmentation.

NYX Eggplant - Shimmery purple color with a slight grey undertone. One of the few NYX purple shades that I could pull off.

Lips

Club Monaco Lipstick in Glaze - I find this lip color to be similar to Clinique's black honey except it is a bit richer in color. Applies beautifully and gives that perfect amount of plum color to the lips without looking like something that walked out of a 90's ad (btw I was guilty of rocking the dark browns in the 90's :) This lipstick was given to me by a very good friend who informed me that Monica Lewinski wore this in an interview hence making the product super popular. I believe it is now discontinued....much like Monica :)

Laura Mercier Plumping Lip Gloss Wildberry - Very pretty sheer berry tone. Very wearable alone or on top of lipstick. I believe this is discontinued too..what a shame.

*Review* Chanel Bronze Universal

*PICS BELOW*

Pros:

Consistency - Very unique! Creamy mousse like consistency which quickly dries to a matte finish with amazing staying power. Can be worn over or under foundation and as a base for darker skin tones.

Color - Extremely natural sun kissed tone (I am NC 30-35). The most natural bronzer that I have tried so far. Gives my skin a very nice glow without looking muddy or overly dewy.

Packaging - Comes in a large round glass jar. Very solid and elegant as is the case with all Chanel products. I have to check my package to see what the weight is but you get an enormous amount of product.

Application - Build-able! Very easy to go from light to dark as it doesn't apply heavily at all. I use a mini MAC 187 brush to softly stipple on the product and then I buff it into my skin with the same brush or a mini kabuki depending on how much blending needs to be done.

Price - $48.00 US - Now, this is definitely a con to me and I am sure a lot of people out there as $48.00 is a pretty penny to pay for a beauty product which doesn't vanish wrinkles :) However, as I mentioned above, you get a ton of product for your money and a fantastically unique product which actually works. Overall I say it's worth the investment.







*I will upload a pic of me wearing this bronzer after I give birth and the puffiness of my face calms down a bit. The swatches really don't do the product justice!*