Marc Jacobs Velvet Noir Mascara Review

March 11, 2016March 11, 20162 Comments

What up baes.

I was sent the Marc Jacobs Velvet Noir Major Volume Mascara as part of the Influenster program, which I have mentioned a few times here. I was overjoyed to receive such a bougie mascara, as y’all know I am a ride-or-die drugstore mascara girl. I wear about 10 coats of the stuff (no joke) on a daily basis which means I basically fly it. I’d say dry shampoo, mascara and Milk Duds have the shortest shelf-life in my midst. Plus, there are SO many awesome drugstore mascaras, spending $30 on one tube at Nordstrom is just silly.

But this was free. And luckily, I don’t love it and therefore, will not be tempted to re-purchase. Here’s the run-down.

Packaging and Wand

I lurrrv Marc Jacobs packaging! The black and white, sleek, shiny boxes – I die. The packaging of this particular mascara is also quite fun and edgy and I actually really like the wand. It is a nice size and the bristles grab alot of product, which I am a fan of.

Formula

It is a fairly wet formula, and I tend to like drier mascaras. It does pack some volume right off the bat, but the more I built it up, the worse the unevenness became. It started to clump on me and just didn’t go on super smoothly. I really do not understand where the velvet noir comes into play…I guess it was decently black but nothing shocking.

Staying-Power

This mascara flaked on me, which is why I really didn’t like it that much. By the late afternoon, I felt I needed to top it off with something else to remedy the patchiness.

OVERALL

I am a HUGE advocate of waiting to judge a mascara until it has been open for a couple of months and has had a chance to breathe (much like a fine wine). So really, I should wait for another week or so to really judge this baby. And perhaps I’ll follow up with a rave review a week from now. But guys. The Covergirl Supersizer is my holy grail, all-time favorite mascara and it costs $7.49 at Freddies. BOOM.

Christmas + B-Day Haul!

February 11, 2016Leave a comment

Yo yo yo!

If you guys have been around for awhile, you know these two dates are one and the FREAKING same. WEll, my birthday falls on Christmas Eve but like BFD, it’s the same day.

This year, people really ponied up and gave me some great things and welp – here they are!

Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Eyeshadow Palette

YES. I own the Gwen Stefani palette from Urban Decay and lemmejustsay – this palette is amaaaazing. My initial reaction to this palette was that it had WAY too many beigy colors. But upon closer inspection, each one offers something totally different. I have used basically every color in this palette, and so far there is not a dud in the bunch. I LOVE the blue and the pink as well, because both colors make my baby blues POP majorlly. I now understand that Urban Decay has released the Gwen blush palette….and oh law, it looks GORGEOUS. Must. Resist.

The Balm In the Balm of Your Hand Palette

Sister Megan got me this palette for Christmas and I am SO glad she did. I wanted this palette because I realized I (horror of horrors) own NOTHING from The Balm. I have wanted to try their blushes, eyeshadows, bronzer and OF COURSE the Mary Lou-minizer for a while now. This palette contains ALL of those items, plus a lip color and a lip and cheek color. I have had a chance to use several of these colors and so far my favorites are ALLLLLL of the shadows, the Hot Mama blush, Mary Louminizer and the cream cheek color. Plus, how cute is this packaging!?

Lush Rosy Christmas Gift Set

I purchased two of these little suckers during the day after Christmas sale on the Lush website. This box contains a small bottle of Rose Jam shower gel and a small tub of my beloved Ro’s Argan Body Conditioner. Each box was $16.95 and it was buy one get one free, so I got both of these boxes for a helluva deal!

Lush Butterbear Bath Bomb

These little guys were also buy one get one free, and at $4.95 apiece I couldn’t resist. I reallllly like this bath bomb because it releases a vanilla-infused cocoa butter formula into the water and it leaves my skin feeling baby soft.

Lush Rosie Wrapped Gift Box

Big thanks to Nan for realizing how much I need Lush in my life! This gift box contains more of my favorite things, Rose Jam Shower Gel and Ro’s Argan Body Conditioner. It also contains a miniature size of the Ultrabalm, which is pretty great. It also contains my beloved Rose Jam Bubbleroon AND Amandopondo Bubble Bar. I am vurrry excited to use this all up and smell like roses!

That pretty much sums it up! What did you all get for Christmas?

Younique 3D Fiber Lashes Review

February 2, 20161 Comment

Hey beauties!

A couple months ago, my good pal Orejeona sent me a few things from Younique. She sent me a couple of lovely pigments, a sample of cream eyeshadow and then their famous Fiber Mascara! YASSS.

In the way of these lash extension-type mascaras, I haven’t really been a huge fan. I had previously tried the Too Faced Better Than False Lashes and determined that it was actual GARBAGE, hence why you could get it for $8 at any Nordstrom Rack. I was under the impression that the idea (while a good one) just couldn’t work.

Well you guys, I was wrong.

The Younique Moodstruck 3D Fiber Lashes mascara definitely worked for me. As I mention in the video, it IS another step, but the end result is easily worth the extra effort.

In regards to the cream shadow, I am also a fan! To achieve the below look, I simply dabbed a tiny amount all over the lid and buffed out the edges with a slightly darker shade from my Stila In the Light Palette. Sooooo beautiful and sparkly!!

Annnnd the hand swatch:

Right now, Orejeona is having a party over at her website if you want to order now! If not, the products are always available for purchase here.

My 2015 Favorites

January 28, 20163 Comments

That’s right.

I thought long and hard about writing this post. A post of such great magnitude, such epic proportions, that the thought alone was enough to make me shutter. But I’m doing it you guys.

My 2015 favorites. The best of the best. The bees knees. The creme de la creme. Here. We. GO.

Skincare

Facewash – Purity by Philosophy

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This facewash is exactly what it says on the bottle, it is pure. It cleans your face, takes off makeup and has a light scent. I love the consistency of it, the fact that a little goes a long way and the feeling of my face after it’s clean.

Toner – Caudalie Beauty Elixir

I love that this is French and that I bought it in France. I love the smell. I love the super herbal, cooling effect it has on my skin. I love virtually everything about it!

Moisturizer

Daytime – Mac Strobe Cream

Y’all know I love the dewy-look and this magical lotion helps achieve that look errrr time. I wear it under my foundation when I want to look super-duper extra glowy and wonderful.

Nightime – First Aid Beauty Hydra-Firm Sleeping Mask

This product is thick, super moisturizing and hydrates my skin even throughout the cold, dry winter months. The price is right too – you get a sh*t ton for only about $38 a jar.

Makeup

Foundation – Nars Sheer Glow Foundation

I had a hard time choosing just one foundation to mention for this post, because I love SO many. But to me, this foundation is perfect. Great coverage, good staying-power, luminous and weightless on the skin.

Concealer – Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer

Once again from Nars, this concealer is absolutely beautiful for my under-eyes. It covers my DEEP, dark circles, does not crease and has great staying power.

Powder – It Cosmetics Illumination Celebration Pressed Powder

This was also a tough call, as I really love my Mac Mineralized Skin Finish in Natural, but this powder offers a slightly better finish and lots more coverage. It does not feel cakey and makes my skin look like skin.

Blush – MAC Warm Soul

Y’all know I love me some Milani Luminoso, however I found another favorite this past year. Mac Warm Soul – it looks totally pointless in the pan but once it’s on – OMG it is so gorgeous.

Bronzer – Benefit Hoola

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This category has to go t omy beloved Hoola, by Benefit. It is perfect for my pale skin and always creates the perfect contour.

Highlight – Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Champagne Pop

Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Champagne Pop. I MEAN. There is no other highlighter worth mentioning! This highlighter is super pigmented, creamy, blendable and absolutely stunning.

Liquid Eyeliner – L’Oreal Carbon Black Lineur Intense

This has to go to my tried and true L’Oreal Carbon Black Lineur Intense. It is easy to apply, SUPER black best of all, it isn’t hard to correct if you make a mistake.

Pencil Eyeliner – Makeup Forever Aqua Eyes

This would have to go to my Makeup Forever Aqua Eyes Waterproof black liner. Because IT STAYS PUT.

Eyeshadow Palette – Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Palette

I have to give this award to the Urban Decay Gwen Stefani palette which I haven’t even blogged about. It is SO beautiful and the colors are right up my alley. The shadows are so pigmented, blendable and simply gorgeous.

Brow Product – Anastasia Brow Whiz

This goes to the Anastasia Brow Whiz. It’s tiny size allows for the perfect application, mimicking real eyebrow hairs.

Mascara – Covergirl Super Sizer

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This one is a no-brainer! The Covergirl Super Sizer mascara is absolute perfection. It not only lengthens and separates, it also gives great volume. I am addicted to this stuff.

And that’s all she wrote folks! Stay tuned for a haul of epic proportions!!

Sephora + Ulta Haul

October 28, 20151 Comment

Hello and g’day to you all!

I am back with a cheeky little haul that I just had to share with y’all (rhyming!).

Things from Sephora

So here’s the thing with eye-creams: Do ANY of these really work? As I looked through alllll the options at Sephora, I realized how much I didn’t want to spend the $60 on a super reputable eye cream with tons of great ingredients. Then again, I didn’t want the $10 option that is chalked full of straight-up glycerin.

I chatted with a Sephora girl for a bit and decided to try this one for $26 by the Sephora store brand. This particular one is for eyes AND lips and the girl assured with it had plumping properties for both. Lately (for whatever reason ~~Kylie Jenner~~), I have been craving fuller lips. mine are just so puny and boring. So we will see – I will report back on how this stuff fares.

Secondly, my beloved Marc Jacobs gel-liner has turned out to be a complete dud :(. It worked awesome for awhile but then it dried out and became completely useless to me. When I went into Sephora, I brought along this liner which was all banged up and scratched and not pretty as a lesson to anyone who is afraid to return things to Sephora. THEY WILL TAKE IT BACK. I have done this many times when I’ve been unhappy with a certain product and I have never had an issue. Heck, you pay $35 for a measly eyeliner – it should bloody work! <- why am I turning into a brit all of the sudden?

Anyways, the kind lady informed me this liner had been recalled due to it drying out on everyone! Fiddle dee dee! I opted to go for the Makeup Forever Aqua Eyes Waterproof in black and so far it has been great.

Things from Ulta

My dry shampoo stash from a prior haul had already run out so I was overdue for a couple bottles of Batiste. This time I opted for the “Strength & Shine” and “Exotic” formulas. I have already started using the exotic one and it smells like coconuts!! Man, am I an idiot for buying the pink one all this time! This one is probably my favorite of the bunch, based on smell alone!

I also picked up this one for strength and shine because DUH – I want strong, shiny hurrr.

And lastly, but certainly not leastly – I nabbed this body wash from Soap and Glory, which Ulta now stocks! I WISH they had the perfume but for now, I’ll have to wet my whistle with their insanely delectable scrubs and lotions.

I already own the “Clean on Me” body wash, which comes in the original S&G scent but when I sniffed this one in the store…OH LAW. I literally passed out from all that is good and holy. It smells absolutely AHHMAAZZZING you guys. Put this on your Christmas list. Your Hanukah list. Hell, pretend it’s your birthday and tell everyone to buy this for you. It smells THAT good. And after a couple a’showers under my belt with the stuff, I can confirm – it is a perfect body wash.

If this scent comes in any other product form – PLEASE do let me know. WHY doesn’t the U.S get the entire line!? It is a travesty.

But that is all my friends. What should I try next?

YSL Rouge Pur Couture Voxbox

October 13, 2015October 12, 2015Leave a comment

I totes hit the mother load with this Influenster Vox Box.

When I heard I was receiving TWO YSL lipsticks for FREE I am not kidding, I squealed. Like a little piggy. Did you know that ANYONE can join influenster? You just link up all of your social media accounts, they send you surveys and then mail you products if you qualify. It is amaaaazing and I feel stupes that haven’t done it forever.

I was among 2,000 people to receive two YSL Rouge Pur Couture Lip Colors in two shades.

The first color is #9 Rose Stiletto.

The second color is #19 Fuchsia

My thoughts?

I am SUPER impressed with the overall quality of these lipsticks. Both shades are very pigmented, creamy and comfortable to wear. They last well for being a lipstick, (about a 2-hour wear) and the packaging is totes bougie. While they come at a hefty price tag of $36, I feel like this is what you’d expect from YSL. If you are committing to a $36 lipstick, you probably a.) don’t care because you’re kinda rich b.) are splurging and treating yourself to a luxury item or c.) are so obsessed with the packaging and YSL brand that you simply don’t care about the price.

I fall more into category B. For special occasions (weddings, giving birth, haha) I would totally spend 36 bones on a beautiful lipstick, but this would be a CALCULATED, premeditated purchase. I wish I was the kindof lady who could waltz into Sephora and casually toss lipsticks in my basket that cost more than an outfit at Forever 21. But sadly, I am not. I’m the $1.99 Wet’n’Wild lipstick connoisseur who thinks twice about adding guac at Chipotle and buys greeting cards at the Dollar Store. That’s just me.

Beautiful lipstick – stunning packaging – and VERY happy these babies were free 🙂

Thanks YSL! Thanks Influenster! Thank you, baby Jesus.

Drugstore Beauty Haul

October 6, 2015October 5, 20152 Comments

Hi ponies!

Lately ~~I’ve been, I’ve been losing sleep~~ (MAN that song is stuck in my head) I have been aboard the money-saving train. In fact, I’ve been the conductor. I’ve been chugga-chuggin’ past the $30 lip balms at Sephora and beautiful wine-colored nail polishes at Nordy’s. Instead, this little engine has been making stops at Walgreens, Targs and of course Marshalls. My fuel? Items that satiate both my face AND wallet! And here’s what I’ve found:

Maybelline Better Skin Concealer in Light

I recently ran out of my beloved Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in Vanilla, but decided to go with a cheaper option. This foundation gets really good reviews and I had also heard good things about the concealer. It provides pretty great coverage, is hydrating and doesn’t look cakey or settle into fine lines. I would highly suggest this stuff for undereye or brightening purposes only. I would NOT recommend this stuff for covering redness or breakouts. Also, there are only three shades but the lightest one seems to be a great match for me!

Maybelline Fit Me Pressed Powder in Porcelain

Apparently, this powder is a dupe for Mac Emphasize (a Jaclyn Hill fave). I have never tried Emphasize, as it is a pro-product and not available in regular Mac stores. So far, I do like this powder. It does have a very slight shimmery effect which is PERFECT for setting under-eye concealer.

Covergirl Supersizer Mascara in Very Black

I sung the praises of this mascara in my Summer Favorites post. I absolutely adore this mascara. It is hands down, the best drugstore mascara I have tried, especially as a stand-alone product. Usually, I combine 2-3 different mascaras to attain the look I want, but this mascara looks wonderful all on it’s own!

Calgon Bubble Bath in Hawaiian Ginger

Y’all KNOW I love me some Lush – but is that sh*t expensive or what? Shelling out $7 for a bubble bar is a fun treat every once in a while but I realized the prudent choice was to get a big ol’ bottle of honest-to-goodness bubble bath. And LEMME TELL YA, finding straight-up bubble bath was no easy feat. Sure, there was plenty of Mr. Bubble or Disney Princess bubble-gum options for kids (which I am not opposed to necessarily), but what about the adult options? I found plenty of bath gels but ZERO bubble-bath options. Then I went to Rite Aid and discovered a couple different options from the Calgon range. If you have known me for long then you are WELL aware of my affinity for cotton candy body splash. I kept a bottle at the end of the bench of every volleyball game. I was delighted to find this enormous bottle of bubble bath in hawaiian ginger for a mere $4.27. What a steal you guys!

The Body Shop Bathing Milk Polynesia Lotus & Frangipani

Before I went to Rite Aid, I first tried Marshalls for some bath-time products. ALL I FOUND was “bathing milk”. Which, like, is kinda gross, really. i don’t want to picture pouring milk into the bath…curdling…(gag). Anyweeeez, I found this one from the Body Shop for like $6 and figured I would give ‘er a go. It smells nice but I don’t think it is particularly moisturizing.