Crown Brush (Brushes)

I already own a few Crown Brushes and I love the ones that I have. Hautelook.com was having a sale on their brushes a few weeks back. I jumped right on it and bought 4 brushes. They are so amazing. The brushes I purchased are IB126, C428, C429, and IB109.

IB126 is an Italian Badger Chisel Blush brush. The bristles are fluffy and dense. I did notice after the first wash it lost it's shape and widened a little... but nothing to bad. I have used this brush for 2 things... applying blush and applying setting powder. It works great for both.

The C428 is a Deluxe Duo Fiber Shadow brush and the C429 is a Delux Duo Crease brush. I loved these brush the moment I got them. I love them so much I will be purchasing more from crownbrush.com as soon as I have enough money to order from them. (There is a minimum when you order.) If you are a fan of blending these brushes are for you. They not only blend out amazingly, they also are the best for loose shadows or pigments. They are by far my most used shadow blending brushes now.

IB109 is an Italian Badger Chisel Fluff brush. I love this brush for shading the entire lid. It isn't very dense so it is wonderful for applying highly pigmented colors. I also use it to blend and it does a great job! I love the length of the handle and how soft the bristles are.

Overall, they all wash well... have minimal shedding and are perfect for blending and creating more natural looks. They are fully synthetic. Great wet and dry they all are must haves in my collection, and with the prices they totally are worth the money. I have been using my new ones for about 2 weeks and they still wash great and feel amazing. I love them!

Left to Right: IB126, C428, C429, IB109

OCC Loose Colour

When I went to IMATS NY (a few months back), I bought a few products from OCC (Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics). 2 of those products were loose colours or as some people know them, loose pigments. I purchased Platonic and Obscure.

Platonic is a pale cream shimmery pink, and Obscure is white with teal flecks. Obscure doesn't seem like much in the jar, but when it is swatched it is really something special.Personally, I like using the pigments wet rather then dry. The good thing about Obscure is that it looks amazing on dark colors, such as black liners or black shdows. It lightens them up and gives them a gorgeous green tint... and I mean gorgeous. I mainly use Platonic with my pink-y, purple, and sometimes neutral looks. There are so many things that you can do with these colours. Next time I go to NYC or next time I go to an IMATS show I will be picking up more of these loose colours.

(Left to Right: Platonic, Obscure)
Top swatch is dry, bottom swatch is wet

Sorry for the bad pictures... it was last minute.

MAC Bloggers' Obsessions (Sonoran Rain)

I purchased one item from MAC Bloggers' Obsessions. I bought the lipglass "Sonoran Rain". I really wanted that and the eyeshadow "Jealousy Wakes", but "Jealousy Wakes" was sold out right away. I was not quick enough.

When it comes to lip colors, I always go for more neutral colors. I have always wanted to branch out and get a pink or a red, but I have never found one that I think looks good on me. I really did take a risk buying Sonoran Rain, but I figured I would always wonder what it looked like on me. I must say.... it does look very pretty. It is not something that I will wear everyday, but it is the best I have found to date. It is an opaque, red-orange with fuchsia, and gold shimmer. The wear time is pretty good. It lasted a few hours on my lips... which says alot for me. It is on the heavier side, but I guess that is why it lasted as long as it did. I do feel that I will need some type of liner on my lips when I wear it because I feel that this is the type of gloss that will bleed. In my pictures I dont have any liner on (because I dont own anything red at the moment).

Overall... if you love red lips, then this is a must buy for you. If you are like me, and have been wanting to branch into this look buy cant jump right into a red lipstick... then try this. It might surprise you.

John Freida Go Blonder Controlled Lightening Spray

Let me start off by saying that I cannot be held responsible for the outcome if you try this product yourself. I am merely sharing with you my experience with this product, and your results may vary depending on the color, texture, condition and porousness of your hair.

That being said, I love the spray "John Freida Go Blonder Controlled Lightening Spray". I purchased this product at CVS for $9.00 (it was on sale). I dont know the full retail price. This is a controlled lightening spray, which means you will not see immediate results. As the box indicates, you will see "results in 3-5 uses." I also want you to be aware that this product contains hydrogen peroxide, and it works with HEAT to lighten your hair. The instructions do not mention sun (remember Sun-In Hair Lightener from the 80's and 90's which reacted to the sun to lighten your hair?). This product requires a heat-styling tool to work its magic. And I do mean magic! It recommends that you use a curling iron or flat-iron after application for maximum results. I dont use either a flat-iron or a curling iron (on the norm), but I did for 6 days straight. I blew my hair dry on the hottest setting and then I used my flat-iron.

I was in dire need of getting a touch up on my roots (I think this time my hairdresser would have recommended a full head of highlights, not a partial... which obviously costs more money). Last time I got my hair done it was March 21st, and I started this process May 29th. Your hair does grow faster in the warmer months and I looked like I had "prison roots". haha! I dont have the money to get my hair done at the moment. I couldnt have tried this product out at a better time. I did get in contact with my hairdresser and asked her opinion about this product and she said she didnt know anything about it, but that she doesnt like over the counter products because it is not meant for everyone's hair. I decided to take the risk anyway because I figured that it was $9.00 rather then $80.00. (I get a great deal on my hair because my hair dresser does it out of her house, but still I dont have the $80.00 to spend at the moment.)

I towel dried my hair and sprayed it directly on my roots and then combed it through. I didnt do the under part of my hair only the top (crown). I then blew it dry on the hottest setting (making special effort to apply lots of heat to my roots ) and then flat-ironed the top portion of my hair (where I sprayed). I am not a fan of the flat-iron because I already have thinner flat hair and this just makes it worse. I did this process for 6 days straight. (I normally only wash my hair every other day but I wanted to get the final result as soon as possible because it is my 30th birthday and I am going out with my friends for a party tonight.) I find the fragrance of this product pleasant--it smells just like a regular hairspray. There was one time that I think maybe I used a bit too much and it didnt smell great, but it wasnt horrible. (To be fair, I do have a sensitive nose and can smell bad things a mile away.)

Now for the results. I actually saw results on the 1st day. You read that right... the 1st day!!! It had already started blending my "prison roots" into the rest of my hair. I am so excited about this product, I can't even tell you. I dont have to go back to my hair dresser now (for god knows how long). After using this product for 6 days, it looks like I am fresh out of the salon. I probably could have stopped using it after the 5th day, but I figured one more time wouldn't hurt. (The box recommends you can use it for up to 10 uses.)

I was a bit nervous about using the spray for two reasons. First, my hair tends to pull a strawberry color if not done right. (Some of my "old" hairdressers said it wasnt red but golden... yeah right. My hair used to have a strawberry blonde tint... not what I was looking for) Second reason was because I had read mixed results online from random beauty review websites. Then I read some reviews from fellow beauty bloggers and saw a "favorites video" from one of my favorite youtube guru's (TiffanyD. That is the link to the video where she mentions this product... it is around the 9:50 minute mark). She uses the product as well. I was very interested in the product when she mentioned it, but she didn't show her before and after so I wasnt 100% sold yet. What finally sold me was I saw this product being talked about on a beauty segment on The Today Show. It was renowned makeup artist and beauty expert Mickey Williams. After I saw that segment, I went right to my local CVS and bought it. Here is a link to the segment. It is the second product that she talks about. 

My natural hair color is dark blonde/light brown (I think... hehe). I have been coloring and highlighting my hair for so many years and started at such a young age, I cant be 100% sure. I do remember I started coloring my hair because it was a bit mouse-y and had absolutely no shine to it. I think that my roots look horribly dark when they come in, but I am told by my hairdresser that 1st-- it's not that bad and 2nd-- it just looks that way to me because I color my hair a lighter blonde. I can say that my eye brows are so light that I need to tint them or fill them in so they actually show up. And my arm/leg hair is blonde (just in case you were wondering, haha). So I consider myself blonde when people ask. (That's my story and I'm stickin' to it!!)

My hair does not feel dry or damaged in the slightest, which I think can be attributed to the fact that this is a gentle, very gradual lightening process. I also stopped after six applications instead of using ten. (I'm not saying that ten applications would cause damage, but since I only used six, I can't tell you either way if it will damage your hair or not. But I don't think so.) I do have some breakage in the front of my hair, but I dont think that it is from the product. I think that it is from my flat-iron... which is another reason why I stopped using my flat-iron a few years ago. The breakage is not that bad... I can tame it.

One last thing: after using this product six times, the bottle still feels basically full. That's great news considering you only get 3.5 oz of product to begin with. I imagine one bottle will last quite a while since I only had to use it 6 times. Keep in mind I only did my crown area. I have read that some people say that after their first time of using it, they had a little more then half of the bottle left. I am assuming that they did their entire head (not just their crown).

I will be purchasing this product again when mine runs out. I love the fact that I can do this between highlights, if my roots are bothering me, or if I am in a pinch with money (like I am now). If you have tried this product or plan on trying it, please let me know. I want to hear other people's views on it.

Here are my before and after pictures. I really wish that they were better and I am sorry about that. There is a major difference and I hope that you can see it. The first picture you can see there is about 1" of roots and the second picture (which is better quality) there are no roots. (Like I have mentioned numerous times before... my camera really sucks.) I know for now on to use my laptop for close up pictures like this. The lighting is better.

Before

After

Birthday Gift

I got the best birthday gift for my... UGH, 30th birthday. I really hate even writing that number. So lets go with, my 29th and 12 month birthday. hehe! I wanted to share this gift my readers because this has been my dream right hand ring for 3 years. I am so crazy that I used to go "visit" it at Macys (and all the other stores that had it), just to see how pretty it was and try it on. I knew that one day I would buy it... but it was just WAY to much for me just to fork over the money for a right hand ring. Well, I finally got it (and even better, it was given as a gift)!!! This ring is made by LeVian. They have the most gorgeous collections. If you have never seen any of their stuff, you must check it out. But be warned... you will fall in love and it will be a new obsession.
The ring that I am now the official owner of is rose gold (but LeVian calls it strawberry gold... so cute), the center stone is Cotton Candy Amethyst surrounded by diamonds, side stones are Pink Sapphires, and there are more small diamonds in the front and back of the band. I hope that I described that so you understand.

Below I have posted my ring along with detailed pictures. I am so glad that I got the ring when I did because it is newly discontinued. This was my LAST chance to get this ring. And whats even better is that my parents got it for a steal. I know that they got it for more then 60% off the original price, but I dont know the exact price. Doesnt matter... I am wearing the most beautiful right hand ring EVER. Maybe turning, UGH, 29 and 12 months wont be that bad after all. So far I love it. Have a great day beauties. I know I will try, it's my Birf-day! xo

Make your nail polish last longer

I was browsing the internet and read some tips to help keep your nail polish on longer. (Plus a few other random tips that are GREAT.) I know for me personally, my polish lasts a day maybe two days. It is very frustrating because I know with any kind of polish on my nails it helps keep them strong. I have very weak, paper thin nails that bend and peel very easily. I have been struggling with this ever since I had my tips taken off 3/4 years ago. Nothing and mean NOTHING has made them stronger so it is best for me to have some type of polish on them at all times. Here are the tips that I have read about helping to keep your nail polish on longer. Let me know if any of you have actually tried any of these, and if they work or not. I will be trying some of these starting this week.

• Before painting your nails, dip your fingers in cider, or apple vinegar for a few minutes and allow them to dry naturally (do not wipe them dry). The polish will stick to your fingernails and not to the natural oil on the surface of your nails.

• Another method would be to remove all the residue and oil from your nails with soaking your hands in lukewarm, soapy water and scrubbing them slightly with a cloth. The nail polish will be applied on a clean and dry surface.

• Tip for yellowed nails: You can also soak your nails in lemon juice for about 8-10 minutes, it will instantly brighten your nails and banish yellowness.

• Apply your nail polish in thin coats (applied in thick layers, your polish will will only peel). Let these layers dry naturally, give some time for coats to adhere to your nails.

• The applied top coat can be hardened - after finishing your nail polishing soak your hands into cold water for several minutes. (I love this tip... I am totally trying this one today!!)

• You can also increase the life of the nail polish, if you apply a thin coat of topcoat every day. (I have tried this and it seemed to peel anyhow... but maybe what I consider a thin coat really isnt thin.)

• The texture of a nail polish can totally change if you don't keep it in a cool place - preferably in the refrigerator. This will lengthen their life span. (Cool idea... literally, haha.)

• Interesting!!! Shaking the nail polish bottle is forbidden you're only make it full of air bubbles - instead, roll it between your palms.

• Last but not least.... Moisturize your hands daily in order to prevent the nail polish from cracking, if your hands are dry, polish is prone to deteriorating. If you wish you can use olive oil as a moisturizer.

I hope that some of you get to try these tips or have tried them. I am looking forward to hearing any other tips, or if you have tried any of the ones that I posted. Have a wonderful day my beauties!

Tarina Tarantino Sparklicity Pure

I found THE BEST loose sparkle powder. It is called Tarina Tarantino Sparklicity in "Pure". This sparkle powder comes in 3 different colors: Pure, Gold, and Bronze. It was a very hard decision on which one to buy because they were all so beautiful and sparkly. I have been in search of the perfect powder or eyeshadow for my eyes that has just enough sparkle. This is it! This also comes in a shimmer dust for your body and hair that has an atomizer that disperses the sparkle evenly. I chose not to buy the shimmer dust because I figured that I could add the loose sparkle powder to my body lotion and get body sparkle that way if I really wanted it.

Now back to the loose sparkle powder. It looks pink in the container but when you apply it to your skin, it is just a white crystal sparkle. This can be added over any eyeshadow color to give it that "POP" that you were looking for. You can also use it to highlight your brow bone. I did use it, lightly, on my cheek bone as a highlight and it was very pretty. But I think that some people might think its too much sparkle. Personally, I dont mind it. I actually love it.

Another great thing about this product is that there is not much fall out. I noticed that after I put it on my eyelids it actually stayed put without an adhesive or wetting it. I am glad that I tried it first before adding my Hard Candy Glitter Glue. I do like that glue, but I would rather not use it if I didnt have too.

I would recommend this product to anyone who is looking for sparkle or just loves sparkle like me. I purchased this at Sephora for $19.00. I think that this price is a steal because I can see this jar lasting me a long time. A little goes a long way.

Vinegar Uses for You

I found a great website for uses of Vinegar. I was researching this because I heard that vinegar works on sunburn. Right now I am burnt to a crisp because I was dumb and sat at the beach for 3 1/2 hours (that being the first time getting sun in a year). The website is http://www.vinegartips.com/Scripts/pageViewSec.asp?id=9 I just copied all the info for this because it was all great tips. Check it out!

Stave off high blood sugar and other Alzheimer's risk factors with a daily dose of vinegar. According to researchers, there is evidence that vinegar sinks risk factors that may lead to memory decline and dementia -- namely, high blood sugar, insulin resistance, diabetes and prediabetes, and weight gain. While vinegar does not confront Alzheimer's directly, studies at Arizona State University have found that vinegar can curb appetite and food intake, helping prevent weight gain and obesity. Swedish investigators agree. In one study, downing two or three tablespoons of vinegar with white bread cut expected rises in insulin and blood sugar by about 25 percent. Pour on the vinegar -- add it to salad dressings, eat it by the spoonful, even mix it into a glass of drinking water. Any type of vinegar works because it's the acidity that counts.
--Source: AOL Health and "100 SIMPLE THINGS YOU CAN DO TO PREVENT ALZHEIMER'S AND AGE-RELATED MEMORY LOSS" by Jean Carper. Copyright © 2010

Stop insect stings and bites from itching by dabbing them with a cotton ball saturated with undiluted white distilled vinegar.

Soothe sunburn with a spray of white distilled vinegar, repeating as often as you like. Ice-cold white distilled vinegar will feel even better, and may prevent blistering and peeling.

For cuts and scrapes, use white distilled vinegar as an antiseptic.

Get rid of foot odor by washing feet well with antiseptic soap daily, then soaking them in undiluted cider vinegar for 10 minutes or so. Remember that cotton socks aid odor control more effectively than wool ones.

Clean a hairbrush by soaking in a white distilled vinegar solution.

Tone facial skin with a solution of equal parts white distilled vinegar and water.

If commercial aftershaves cause rashes and itching, try using undiluted white distilled vinegar as an aftershave lotion.

Lighten body freckles (not facial freckles) by rubbing on full-strength white distilled vinegar.

Eliminate bad breath and whiten your teeth by brushing them once or twice a week with white distilled vinegar.

Make nail polish last longer. Wipe fingernails with cotton balls dipped in white distilled vinegar before putting on nail polish.

BH Cosmetics

I have been wanting to try BH Cosmetics for a little while now. I had a feeling that it was the same makeup as Coastal Scents (just with the BH stamp on them) and I have a few eye shadow colors from Coastal Scents that I love. So I figured I would give BH Cosmetics a try. On the day that NYX Cosmetics had their $1.20 sale (that barely anyone was able to purchase from), I decided to buy from BH instead. I had been staring at makeup on line for about 16 hours and I REALLY wanted new makeup (even though I didnt have a lot of money to spend). I know that there was various colors that I was interested in at the NYX site so I decided to buy one of those HUGE palettes from BH. I couldnt decide between the 88 Palette and the 120 Palette. So I bought both. I havent swatched all the colors as of yet, but so far the ones that I have used... I LOVE.
The palettes that I bought are the 88 Cool Shimmer Eyeshadow Palette, the 120 Eyeshadow Palette 3rd Edition (this is 2 palettes in one container... one on top of the other), and the Palette of 10 blushes. I dont remember the exact price I paid (and I cant find the receipt), but I do know that I got an additional 20% off because I have a student discount. I found the code online and just signed up using my school email address. I do know that I paid around $50.00 for everything (including shipping and tax)... which is a steal!
The colors that I have used are the oranges, yellows, pinks and teals. I have made some beautiful eye looks that I have never done before. The colors are extremely pigmented. Even the shimmer colors have shimmer throughout the shadow (so far). I would take pictures of the looks that I have done, but my camera is not great and it doesnt show how beautiful the colors really are. All I can say is that for the amount of money that you spend (which is not much) on these amazing palettes, you get so many color choices and the pigment is great.

Below are pictures of the palettes that I bought. If anyone else has these palettes or anything else from BH, please tell me your opinion. I am now a huge fan of BH and cant wait to try other products out.

88 Palette (Cool Shimmer)

120 Palette (3rd Edition... top palette)

120 Palette (3rd Edition... bottom palette)

10 Blush Palette

Milani Lip Mixer

I was browsing around CVS waiting for a prescription to finish getting filled. I really didnt plan on buying anything but I saw such pretty lip glosses on the Milani display. I already own a few lip glosses from Milani and I love them, but this one was something totally different. It is called Milani Lip Mixer (color, shine & shimmer lip gloss). There were a total of 6 shades, but I only picked up 1. The one that I bought is called Lip Mingle 701. It has 3 layers of colors, stacked on top of one another. The top layer is like a frosty toasty pink, the middle layer is a glittery nude, and the bottom layer is a toasty brown, bronze shade with a heavy dose of golden shimmer.

The formula feels more like a lip cream rather than a lip gloss but has a glossy frosty finish. The one that I bought has a little bit of pigmentation, so the gloss can be worn alone or on top of your favorite lipstick. The texture is not tacky and feels creamy on your lips (there is nothing worse then a tacky gloss... YUCK). The glosses have a slightly fruity grape taste which, in my opinion, is quite pleasant. Each gloss is $5.49 and of course can be cheaper if there is a sale.

Before (no gloss)

After (with the Milani Lip Mixer on)

NYX Sale--> EPIC FAILURE

Vanity

I have wanting to get a new vanity for quite sometime. The one that I was using was way to small, and looking extremely cluttered. I finally found some time to go to Ikea the other day to look at what they had. I actually had a dressing table in mind that I wanted to buy, but when I saw it in person I didnt like what it looked like (it looked cheap). So I walked around Ikea brainstorming. I saw that they had an "L" shaped desk (Epedit for $50.00) coming off of a bookcase (Expedit for $69.99). I loved the way this workstation looked. And what a bonus... I already owned the bookcase, so all I had to buy was the desk portion for $50.00. I put together the desk and attached it today... and organized! I am also able to use a plastic slide organizer that I already had. It fits perfectly under the desk. (And what makes this whole set up perfect is that it's big enough for me to study there as well.) Here are a few pictures... one of the vanity that I was using before, and a few more of my set up. Hope you all love it as much as I do.

BEFORE

AFTER

Stila Kitten

I purchased Stila Kitten eye shadow a few months back on , and I really only used it as an eyebrow bone highlighter (on occasion). It really has just been sitting in my drawer collecting dust. The thing is, I have been in search of a great cheek highlighter for so long. Little did I know... Stila Kitten is great for that, and I have owned it for months. I was playing with my makeup the other day and just happened to apply some on my cheekbone to get some shimmer. It works AMAZING as a highlighter (either applying with your fingers with the tapping motions or with a bigger brush and lightly blend). I was so excited when I realized that I didnt need to spend any money on anything else. This shadow does exactly what I wanted. Gives me the natural glow and shimmer all in one. If I put it on too heavy then I just use a clean blush brush and blend. If you own this shadow already, try it out! Let me know what you think. If you don't you can purchase Stila at Ulta, Sephora, or online. The normal price for Kitten in a pan is $18.00.

Eyebrow Tinting

I purchased Godefroy Eyebrow tint (in medium brown), and tinted my mom's brows. It's been many years since I did this but she was in desperate need. I dont know how long it's going to last, but application was easy. I wasnt able to use the wood applicators that it came with... I used pointed Q-Tips instead (much easier). I also didnt use petroleum jelly (like it called for). I was being lazy... you really should use it, especially if you are new to tinting. Overall her brows look much better. I kept the tint on her brows for approximately 1 minute.

As long as the tint lasts on her brows for 2 weeks then I will be purchasing Godefroy again (in the future). The pictures below are of the product, before picture of her brows, then the after pictures.

UPDATE: I dont think that this brand, Godefroy, is something that I would recommend. The tint itself only lasted approximately 1 week (maybe a little longer). I still have a few capsules of color left so I will be using that (for myself), and once I am done with that I am going to try another brand. Once I find something that I think is worthy of blogging about I will do so.

 

(before)

(one eyebrow done... the other not done yet)

(DONE!!!)

Beauty Blender

I have been researching the Beauty Blender for the past few weeks. I am not a huge fan of sponges because of bacteria, and to me it never seemed sanitary to use a sponge more then a few times (on myself). My feelings aside, I have finally shelled out the cash and purchased it. Sephora was having their VIB sale, which saved me a few dollars. I bought 2 sponges for $22.00 (before shipping). I gave one of the sponges to my mom... I know that she is going to love it as much as I do.

The way that I used it was to wet it, and squeeze out the excess water (until it was just damp... use a towel to get out most of the water). Then I applied my foundation to my skin directly (dot of foundation on my forehard, one on each cheek, dot on my chin, and on my nose). I have also applied the foundation and concealer directly to the sponge. Either way works great! I then took the slightly damp beauty blender and dabbed it on my face. The beauty blender website calls it bouncing. To do your whole face you use the bigger round end. To get in tiny spots, like around and under your nose or around your eyes... you use the pointed end of the beauty blender. I did the same for my concealer... I put the concealer directly on my face (in the spots I conceal) and then did the bouncing with the beauty blender. Instead of using my big powder brush to put my MAC powder on (to set my foundation), I dabbed the sponge right into the powder and did the same thing... "bounced".

This does take a bit longer then your normal application for foundation, but the results are so much better. You do have an airbrush look... without using or having to pay for an airbrush machine. I know from my own experience that this does look like airbrushing... because I own the Dinair Airbrush System. Now, I didnt purchase the cleanser because I figured that I would just use a foaming facial cleanser.

I hope that this review helps some people decide whether or not the beauty blender is for them or not. I am very glad I made the purchase. I will be using the beauty blender from here on out... unless I actually airbrush.

(Sorry for the bad pictures... BUT my makeup does look airbrushed)

Vineyard Collection Grapes

This lotion smells incredible. I have never smelled anything as good as this (in a lotion) that actually lasts all day. It also leaves your skin moisturized without it being heavy and thick. This is the 2nd bottle that I have bought. I am not the kind of person that buys scents more then once unless its something that I love... and I love everything about this lotion. If you like sweet scents (that aren't overbearing) then this might be something that you are interested in. I actually could not wait to do a review on this today because I was out running errands and the man at the counter asked me what I was wearing because I smelled so good. After that little encounter today I knew that I had to write about this lotion.

Inglot

When I went to IMATS NY I finally bought a few Inglot eye shadows. I do love them... they are extremely pigmented. I am sad to say that all I bought was neutral colors. My plan was to go back to the Inglot counter and buy more before we left IMATS, but the line was crazy long. Inglot was the 1st place that we stopped when we got there and I didnt want to purchase alot of shadows before I walked around. Now it looks like I am going to have to purchase the fun bright colors online or I am going to have to take a road trip to North Jersey (to their store). I am trying to find an excuse to take the road trip because I know that I really want to play with the colors. Well here are a few pictures of the colors that I purchased. (When I swatched them, my camera did not pick up enough of the color. It's not worth posting yet. I need to find better light or a better camera.) ENJOY!!!

(From Left to Right: AMC Shine 30, Pearl 397, D.S. 461, AMC Shine 31, AMC Shine 42)

1st Haul (random fun stuff)

e.l.f. Professional Mechanical Eyelash Curler

I was at Target one day (about 2 months ago), and it must have been my lucky day. I have heard numerous rumblings about Target carrying e.l.f. products but I personally have never seen anything of the sort at my local store. I was browsing down the makeup isles and saw a tiny collection of e.l.f. products. That day I bought a few e.l.f. products... but out of those few products I purchased, the mechanical eyelash curler was the best!

This curler was only $1.00, and it works wonders on my short lashes. I have read online that some people complain saying that it pinches their lids... but I think you can do that with ANY eyelash curlers. I have yet to find an curler that doesnt pinch (besides my heated curler). You just need to be careful. The $1.00 I spent on this was well worth it!!!!

Brow Powder

I have naturally blonde eyebrows. I get them tinted every few weeks because it is much easier that way. I still like to use something to fill in my brows to make them really pop. Eyebrows do frame your face. When I found Anastasia Powder Duo, I knew that I had to try it. I have heard such wonderful things about Anastasia Soare (the eyebrow guru). http://anastasia.net/index.php

Anastasia Brow Powder Duo is on the pricey side, but I have not found anything that I like nearly as much (as of yet). This product is lightweight, gives you sheer to medium coverage, and is smudge proof. When I was at Sephora I was advised by the sales girl to get Ash Blonde/Taupe (this is suggested for light to dark blonde hair). I opted out of getting that color and actually went a little darker. I bought Medium Ash/Medium Brown (this is suggested for light to medium brown and silver hair). I think that I made the right decision because I love this product. The suggested retail price is $22.00, but I do think its worth it. The only downfall with this product is that I only use the one side (the darker color). I have yet to use the lighter color. But, I have owned this product for 6 months (atleast) and I have not hit pan yet.

Application: Apply the powder onto the brow using a small angle brush. With short, light strokes, I apply the darker color first where the brows are sparse, then continue on to the rest of the brow. Once Im happy with the coverage I put clear mascara (Maybelline Great Lash Clear Mascara) on my brows to set the color and keep all my eyebrow hairs in place for the day.

This is just a side note... I have blonde hair and blonde eyebrows so I bought a darker color for my brows. When you have dark eyebrows, you should go 1 shade lighter. This is what I learned in school and I do see that it looks much better this way.

Twist & Pout

This was the cutest lip moisturizer I had ever seen, and could not resist... I had to purchase it. This was on http://www.hautelook.com/events a while back and I thought that it was the cutest lip moisturizer I had ever seen. (Side Note: Im doing this post now because Twist & Pout is going to be on Hautelook.com again on Friday April 22nd.) Plus it's a total bonus that it has a clip that you can clip anywhere. I bought mine for $8.00, but I think that they normally sell for $12.00 and up.

When I finally received it in the mail, I put it on my keys right away. (It's the worst when you are out and dont have any lip balm and you need it!!! haha) Not only is this little handy-dandy lip moisturizer cute, but it does moisturize very well, and it has a good citrus taste (which I like). When you visit the actual website for Twist & Pout (http://www.twist-and-pout.com/) you can see all the different collections that they have. One is cuter then the next. I will definitely be purchasing more of these sooner then later. Just like it says on their website... "Take a dip into each of the collections to see which T&P speaks to you and let your inner trend setter shine!"

Brush Cleaner

Regular cleaning of your makeup brushes will help your brushes last longer and prevent pimples. Dirty brushes can clog pores and provide a breeding ground for bacteria -- something you don't want near your face.

I have purchased MAC's Brush Cleanser ($12.00 for 7.9 oz.) a few times. The one thing that it is missing is a spray cap. Personally, when I clean my brushes I tend to pour out to much (wasting alot). I only clean my smaller brushes (eyes and lip brushes) with the MAC Brush Cleanser. I use Johnson's Baby Shampoo for the bigger brushes (facial brushes). This is my normal routine for cleaning my brushes. Once a month I will do a deep clean of all my brushes with Johnson's Baby Shampoo. Overall I think that MAC's Brush Cleanser is worth the money. It doesnt have a strong scent like some other products that are out there. When the scent is strong you tend to feel the need to rinse them after. With MAC's Brush Cleanser I dont feel that way. I clean them and put them away (without a rinse).

e.l.f. Eye Transformer

In the palette you get 4 shades of the transformer ($3.00). They look very, very pale and milky. From left to right is green, yellow, pink, and blue. If you swipe them with your finger, you'll see the milkiness vanish and just the shimmer will appear.

These really don't work on their own, unless you are using it in the corners of your eye (tear duct area) for highlighting. There's absolutely no point in applying these on your lids as regular eye shadows. You'll just see the barest hint of colored shimmer and nothing else. These work at their best over black liner, or black eyeshadow (something that is on the darker side).

When you apply these over black liner, black cream eye shadow, or a black powder eyeshadow these "transform" into the most amazing jewel colored shimmer... and much brighter.

I originally bought this as a highlighter and to go over lighter shadows to give them a new "look". So needless to say, this was not what I expected from this. I do think that it works great over dark shadows, but that is all that I would ever say that it really is good for. Even though it is an inexpensive product... I was still bummed.

Smashbox Photo Op

Smashbox make up artists have apparently raved about this... saying that it's a photoshoot staple, and that it almost eliminates the need for concealer. Sadly, my friends, Photo Op was a total bust. If this eliminates the need for concealer for you, then you probably didn't need much concealing in the first place.

This slightly shimmery apricot-tinged liquid is far too thin and non-pigmented to do any good. What it does do, is add a slight gleam or reflectiveness to the under-eye area, but it doesn't really aid in the concealing. Because it does have a slight gleam I have used it as a highlighter at times. This product was not cheap ($18.00 for 0.24 oz.) so I am going to use it until its gone. I dont think that this is a product that I would necessarily recommend as a concealer, but if you are looking for something to add some gleam to your under-eye area... then maybe this is a good product.

Clinique Chubby Stick

The Clinique Chubby Stick is the best of a lip balm, lip-gloss, and lipstick all in one. It’s moisturizing like a lip balm, glossy like a lip-gloss, and tinted like a lipstick. It can be applied with a light hand for a sheer wash of color or applied liberally to give your lips a lovely pop of color.

The Chubby Stick is a great alternative for those days when you just don’t feel like bothering with a lipstick, but want something with a bit more color than a lip balm. It’s also perfect for applying on the go without a mirror. It’s definitely not a high maintenance product and is perfect for someone new to the lip product world. Also, unlike some lip products, it won’t highlight any dry skin on the lips, but will rather help to combat that issue and moisturize your lips.

I purchased Whole Lotta Honey (02), and Graped Up (08). Each one was $15.00. I actually did get a small discount on these because I had a family member working at Macy's at the time and I was able to use her employee discount. Anyway... I love these Chubby Sticks. I am thinking about going back (before the summer), and getting brighter colors to wear over the summer.

In the picture, the top swatch is Whole Lotta Honey, and the bottom swatch is Graped Up. They are both on the brown side and yes... kinda similar. But I couldn't decide which one I liked better so I got both. HaHa!