Wednesday, November 26, 2014

A couple more Colourpop Lippie Stix and Lippie Pencils

Today I have some more of the Colourpop Lippie Stix and Lippie Pencils to show you. I purchased these myself and I am so glad I did. These lippies are amazing!! You can read my review on the first batch of Lippie Stix and Lippie Pencils I purchased here.

You can see that when they ship out your products you get a little personalized card (which I think is so cute and special) and they also include a little information card about the products with tips and tricks on it and other information. They are packaged so well in the box so that they don't get damaged in shipping. My box was lined with foam and then each item was wrapped in bubble wrap to further protect them.

Let me tell you, these are not only amazing products but they are super budget friendly too! All of their products that are on their site are $5 each. $5 is so affordable!!! They have the new Lippie Stix, Lippie Pencils, and they have their Colour Shock Shadows (I ordered 5 of the shadows when I ordered these lippie stix and pencils. You can read my review on those here).


Colourpop cosmetics is a cruelty free company (they are "bunny approved") and they are made right here in the USA in southern California. All but 5 of their shadows are vegan (check out their FAQ page here) and their Lippie Stix are not technically vegan because they do contain less than .1% bees wax.

These Lippie Pencils are not like any other lip pencil that I've tried. I usually stay away from lip pencils because they are dry and hard to apply but these are super creamy and go on so smoothly. They look like a plastic retractable pencil but they do not retract, you do have to sharpen them and it is suggested that you use a really good sharp sharpener (I use the Grindhouse one from Urban Decay). The Lippie Stix also come in a slim stick that is retractable, their packaging is just so slim and nice.

I bought just 2 Lippie Stix and the matching Lippie Pencils. I already have my eye on the new Limited Edition Holiday collection of Lippie Stix they have out now and I'm hoping to purchase those before they go away. If I do I will be sure to share those with you as well.


Here's a quick swatch of Bound and Flawless on the back of my hand. Left to right are: Bound Lippie Pencil, Bound Lippie Stix, Flawless Lippie Pencil, and Flawless Lippie Stix.



The first color I bought was Flawless. Flawless is a deep red violet in a satin finish. This is such a nice deep color that is looks a little vampy on my without really washing me out. I love this one!! It's so creamy! I did notice that it did stain my lips some but that's ok with me. I got amazing wear time on these. I layer the pencil under the Lippie Stix to make it last longer. I think I got something like 6 hours of good wear time. It did transfer onto my glass a little bit but I didn't mind that either (for my I always expect that with any lipstick or gloss). Below is a pic of just the Flawless Lippie Pencil all over my lips.

Below is the pic of Flawless Lippie Stix over the Flawless Lippie Pencil.


The next shade I bought was Bound. Bound is a light nude pink in a glossy finish. I have found myself reaching for this one a lot lately. I don't know how it does it but when I layer the pencil under the lippie stix this shade makes my lips look a little fuller. This is a glossy finish so it does have a shine to it and it doesn't last as long as the satin and matte finishes. With the glossy finishes I would highly recommend wearing the lippie pencil under just to extend your wear. Below is a pic of the Bound Lippie Pencil alone all over my lips.

Below is the Bound Lippie Stix layered over the Bound Lippie Pencil.

As you can see from all of my swatches these are really pigmented in color and they feel so great on your lips. I didn't have any problems with them drying out my lips or bleeding/feathering. I think that when you layer the stix over the pencil you have less of a chance of any bleeding or feathering. I also think that it extends your wear time when you layer them. You can also see the difference in the finishes of these two, Flawless is a satin finish and Bound is a glossy finish.

Colourpop Cosmetics is only available online here and they are constantly releasing new shades so you should check back often to see what's new on the site. I just checked the site out again today and seen that they are going to be releasing some holiday collection soon. I am now going to be stalking their facebook and site for this new holiday collection. They ship to the the USA, Canada, US Virgin Islands, Guam and Puerto Rico but are hoping to expand shipping in the future. Shipping is free if you purchase $30 or more (which I can tell you it isn't hard to get to that amount with all the great products they have).











Monday, November 24, 2014

Colourpop Super Shock Shadows

Today I have some of the Colourpop Super Shock Shadows to show you. I purchased these myself and I am so glad I did. These shadows are amazing!! Colourpop shadows are cruelty free, bunny approved, and all but 5 of them are vegan. These shadows only cost $5 each!! That's an amazing price for a product this good.

A little about these shadows before I go on to the swatches. The formula on these shadows is completely unique and super soft and highly pigmented. The recommend that for best application you pat it on your lids with your fingers, but don't press down too hard on the shadow pot because they are really soft and creamy but they aren't a cream, they are a powder shadow. You can use a soft brush also to apply but I've heard recommendations that you should use a synthetic brush like the Real Techniques brushes (those are the brushes I use).

You can see that when they ship out your products you get a little personalized card (which I think is so cute and special) and they also include a little information card about the products with tips and tricks on it and other information. They are packaged so well in the box so that they don't get damaged in shipping. My box was lined with foam and then each item was wrapped in bubble wrap to further protect them.

The shadow pots are each packaged in a nice little box with a window on it so you can see the shade. I think that it's great that these are packaged in little boxes also because I think that it just adds a little more protection and it's just plain cute!

Once I took them out of all the boxes I could see just how beautiful these are. They are little round pots with screw off lids. You want to make sure that your lids are always tightly fastened because if they aren't your shadows could dry out (that's because of the super soft formula of the shadows). If you keep your lids tightly fastened on the pots Colourpop says that your shadows can last up to 3 years (that is if you don't use it all up before then, lol)!! That's amazing!!

I purchased 5 shades and all of these shades are gorgeous some are metallic and some are shimmery. I love them all and have already used 4 of the 5 I purchased. Below is a little swatch of each of the shades on the back of my hand. The shades from left to right are: Fringe, Lovely, Amaze, 3, and Chipper. 4 of these shades I bought to create a specific look but I have a few ideas for some other looks that I think I am going to play around with over the Thanksgiving weekend since I will be home for a nice, relaxing 4-day weekend.

Below I thought I'd just give you a little description of each shadow. On the back/bottom of the pots is the name of the shade and the usual label information.

First up is Fringe. Fringe is a shimmering champagne with gold and silver glitter. This one is light and has beautiful shimmer to it. I think that this will make a good highlight shade or just for them days when you want something light and simple.


Next is Lovely. Lovely is a soft light gold with shimmering flecks of multi- dimensional glitter. This is also very pretty and I've been using it as a little pop of color on the inner corner of my eyes.

Then I have Amaze. Amaze is a metallic rose gold with multi-colored multi-dimensional glitter. I have been using this as a nice transition shade in my crease and just above the crease. I love how multi-dimensional this one it. Truly the swatch of this just does not do it justice, you have to see how lovely it is on the eye!

Then I have 3. I think that it's funny that this is probably the only one that is named with just a number but it really is a beautiful one. 3 is a cool-toned starlit bronze with a flash of silvery and multi-colored glitter. On my eyes this one looks like a nice bronzed brown and it has insane sparkle!!

The last one I have to show you is Chipper. Chipper is a mid-tone minty green eyeshadow with multi-coloured glitter. I have just used this one on my lower lash line for a little added pop of color. It really is a beautiful color and I love it. I just have to figure out a couple more looks to do to use this one more.

I think I'm going to try it in the inner corner and the inner part of the upper lid and see if maybe like put Amaze on most of the center of the lid and then add 3 in the outer part of the upper lid and blend out 3 into the crease. I'm really going to have to try that this weekend and see how it looks!!

All of these shadows exceeded my expectations and I already have my eye on some more and I am hoping to get my hands on some of their limited edition holiday collections. What ever I purchase next I will be sure to share with you.

Colourpop Super Shock Shadows can be purchased exclusively from their site here. They retail for $5 each and you get free shipping with orders of $30 or more. These are truly a great deal for the amazing product you get. If you haven't tried them yet you really should head over to Colourpop's site and check them out!!

















Thursday, November 20, 2014

November Ipsy Glambag


Today I am going to show you what I received in my November Ipsy Glambag. There were a couple things I really liked and was excited about but there were also a couple things that I was kind of "meh" about. I'll show you everything and tell you what I thought. This month's theme was "Girl Meets Glitter" The bag was really cute and even though it's all glittery, it's a "vinyl" bag so there is no glitter to come off on everything. I love the bag, it's really cute.

For those of you who are not real familiar with Ipsy here's a little breakdown of what it is...Ipsy is a monthly beauty subscription that you sign up for. It costs $10 a month and they bill you on the first of the month every month. Shipping usually starts around the middle of the month and they start giving out little sneak peeks of what is all going to be in the bags for the month. They start the sneak peeks around the first of the month. Right around the 10th or 12th of the month they open up your "Glam Room" and it will show you what you will be getting in your bag. You get roughly 5 products in your bags and the items they choose for you are somewhat based on the beauty quiz you take when you sign up. Each product is usually a deluxe sized sample and there is usually at least one item that is full sized. You can re-take the quiz at any time if you are not satisfied with the types of products you are getting. Your products are packed inside a cute little make-up bag that is designed for the theme for the month. If you are interested in signing up I will give you my link here. Check out this link for more information and to sign up.

The first item in my bag was the It Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye concealer. This is just a deluxe sample size. I have heard great things about it and was really excited to try it. It says that "it's infused with anti-aging technology, vitamins and high-performance pigments, this multipurpose concealer improves the appearance of wrinkles and effectively conceals the appearance of skin imperfections including dark circles, bags, redness, hyperpigmentation, broken capillaries, age spots and discoloration. Finally an extreme concealer that makes you look younger! How to use: Warm it up by placing a dot-size amount on the back of your hand and rubbing gently with the tip of your finger. Tap this concealer directly onto your under eye area, over blemishes or to other areas of concern that you wish to conceal. Blend by smoothing the product over your skin using circular motions with your favorite IT Cosmetics brush. A little goes a long way and this formula is completely buildable, so for more coverage, simply repeat the process." I have used it a couple times and I do find that it does work very well for concealing my dark circles and it really does stay put. I'm going to use it a few more times before I decide if I'm going to buy the full sized product. I've been on the hunt for a great concealer. The full size product retails for $24 for .28fl oz.



The next item I got was SeaRx Micro-Dermabrasion Face & Beauty Scrub. This was an item that I really wasn't too excited about. As I've said before I have really sensitive skin so I am always leary about trying new skin care products. They say that you can "exfoliate your whole body with this all-over scrub, which utilizes an advanced crystal blend system. The gentle scrub effectively exfoliates, removes dead cells and reveals softer, healthier skin. Featuring minerals and extracts, the formula improves skin tone and leaves you with smoother, firmer looking skin." Maybe I'll just try it out on a body part and see how it works instead of trying it on my face, but then again I am really curious to see how well this would work on my face. This is a deluxe sample size and a full size retails for $32 for 100g of product.



The 3rd item I got was the Marc Anthony Oil Of Morocco Argan Oil Volume Shine Hairspray. This was one of the items I was excited to try because I love hairsprays to tame my fly-aways and with the argan oil it nourish my hair. They say that you can "get extra volume, shine and hold with this dual purpose hairspray; nourishing and styling in one! This argan oil, keratin and grape seed oil infused hairspray gives you strong and flexible hold plus deep nourishment, strengthening and conditioning as you style. The non-water based, fast drying formula freeze-frames your volume and hold without stickiness or flaking and it’s flexible finish creates workable styles for easy re-styling without crunch or heavy build-up. It creates a luminous finish and shields against humidity for longer lasting styles. Sun Protectors keep the sun and other elements from damaging your full bodied mane." I haven't tried it out yet but I will be real soon and I'm sure I'm going to love it. This is a deluxe sample size and a full size retails for $8.29 for 9oz at Walgreens.



The 4th item I got in my bag was the Starlooks lip gloss in the shade Guilty Pleasure. It says that "Starlooks Lip Glosses are created with a truly moisturizing, luxury, non-sticky formula. This neutral-rose, yet glamorous shade provides the perfect glisten for any lip look and complements any skin tone! Can be worn alone or in combination with other Starlooks lip products for a truly customizable finish." I have tried this out (and forgot to take a pic for you guys) and I really liked it. It's a nice light rose shade that is perfect for a light make-up day. It wasn't sticky just like it says it isn't and I really felt like that after it wore off my lips were still nice and soft, it didn't dry them out. I really loved this product and may purchase the full size in the future. This is a deluxe sample and a full size retails for $13 on Starlooks' site.

The last item I got in my bag was the Be A Bombshell Eye Base in the shade Submissive. This is an item that it was kind of meh about. It says that "this eye base is a highly pigmented, long-lasting product that can be used as a single cream color or used as an eye base to build color. Bombshell Application: Apply lightly with fingertip to create a natural finish. Layer for added color. Bombshell Tip: Create a more intense look by layering with a powder eyeshadow." It's kind of a gold shade and I'm just not sure if I'll use it. Who knows, maybe I'll try it out or maybe I'll just pass it on to someone else. I haven't decided yet. This is a full sized product and it retails for $14 on Be A Bombshell's site.

That's all I got in my Ipsy bag this month. Overall I was pleased with it and for $10 a month you really can't go wrong. I can't wait to see what they've got in store for December! Stay tuned and I'll show you what I get next month!!










Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Loreal Silkissime eye liners

Recently I picked up a couple new eyeliners because I heard such great things about them. I only grabbed two shades because I figured I'd just start out with these and see how I like them. These are the Loreal Silkissime eye liners. I picked up Charcoal and True Teal. I wanted Black but the store I got these at were all out of Black (I picked mine up at Ulta), so I got Charcoal which is close to black and works for me.

Loreal says that these are their first silk inspired liquid pencils that glide on smooth and intensely. They also say that their smudge-proof formula lasts for up to 16 hours. I totally agree with that description. These really do glide on smoothly and when I take my make up off before bed it looks as good as it did when I applied it 13-14 hours earlier. It does require eye make up remover to take it off without having to really scrub (at least for me anyway).

It is a pencil that you do have to sharpen but you want to make sure you have a really good, sharp sharpener because the pencil isn't made of wood like most pencils but it's made of plastic. The eyeliner in the pencil is somewhat softer so you also want to be careful when you sharpen it so you don't waste any or break it off (I almost broke mine off sharpening it because my sharpener wasn't as sharp as I thought it was, looks like a new sharpener is in my future).

Here is a swatch of Charcoal. See what I mean when I said it was close to black.


This one is a swatch of True Teal. This really is a pretty teal color that I will be using on an eye look I am going to do as soon as the shadows I ordered arrive (I'll show you those shadows in a post once I get them).

Here is what Charcoal looks like on. I still don't have a very steady hand when applying eye liner but these go on so smooth that it makes it a lot easier. This is also after about 13 hours of wear so you can see it stays on and in place very well.

I got mine at Ulta and they were $8.99 each, Ulta was having a sale so I got them for buy one get one 50% off so it came out to about $5.50 each with the sale price. You can find these just about anywhere Loreal products are sold, which is at just about any store you can imagine. I would imagine that in other stores they would be close to the same price as Ulta and you can always watch the papers and such for coupons.




Friday, November 14, 2014

Zoya Haven and Thea

Today I thought I'd just show you some more simple nail art for those of you who are busy and just may not have time to sit down and do your own nail art. I know that I don't always have time to sit down and do some nail art because I do work full time and I have a family and home to take care of. I usually try to carve out some mani time just so I have that time for myself but sometimes life gets in the way and I don't have time to do what I want. So here's a simple solution for people who are busy but still want a fabulous mani without having to go to the salon and paying to have them done.

Nail stickers!!!! Before I got into doing my own nail art this is what I did to spice up my manis and pedis. I have been using stickers for years and even though I can do my own art sometimes I just don't have time or the stickers are just too darn cute to pass up.

You can find these in almost any store that sells beauty products and they can range in prices depending on what you want or how much you want. I found these ones by Kiss at Walmart and for the life of me I can't remember how much I paid for them, I do know they were under $5 though. There were 3 different sheets of stickers in this pack. I like to get the variety packs because they give me more of a selection to choose from. So I have something for whatever mood I'm in.

So I put Zoya Haven on all my nails except my ring fingers. On my ring fingers I put Zoya Thea, a beautiful plum Magical PixieDust. I love how the Wishes collection has a Magical PixieDust that matches the regular polish in that collection. It just gives you so much more in my opinion.


Then once I was dry I applied my silvery, sparkly, flower nail stickers to my middle fingers. They just peel off of the sheet and I apply them with a tweezers, I think a tweezers gives you a little more control without getting your fingers all over them and using up the stickiness of them. I carefully applied it where I wanted the placement to be and pressed firmly down starting at one edge and working my way across the sticker. I think that doing it that way helps keep any air bubbles or wrinkles you may get if you apply them quickly.

Then after I had my placement done I applied a top coat to seal everything in and protect it. Now when I go to remove this mani all I will do is just take off my polish like I would normally. There isn't any special way to take the stickers off, it will just come off with your polish. Easy peasy!!

Zoya polishes can be purchased at Ulta stores, select salons, and Zoya's site here. The regular polishes retail for $9 each and the PixieDusts and Magical PixieDusts retail for $10 each.


Wednesday, November 12, 2014

bareMinerals 5 in 1 BB Cream Shadow in Barely Nude

You'll remember a little while ago I did a post of the mini of a bareMinerals 5-in-1 BB Cream Shadow that I got in my Ipsy bag and did a review on. Well, I loved that shade so much that I went out and purchased another one. This time I went with something lighter because I wanted something that I could use as a lid color for some neutral eye looks that I want to do and I thought it would be great for wearing on those days when I don't want to do a whole look but want something on my lids.

I have been so pleased with these cream shadows and I find myself reaching for these almost daily. This one in particular has been a staple in the eye looks I've been wearing lately. I also want to note that I've been not using a primer with these and I've easily had 12 hours of wear without it creasing.

This is the bareMinerals 5-in-1 BB Cream Shadow and I picked it up in the shade Barely Nude. According to the description on Ulta's site this is the next generation in eye shadow: creamy, long-wearing color meets exceptional skincare benefits and broad spectrum SPF protection. Chock-full of skin-loving ingredients, this breakthrough product delivers 5 benefits in one luxurious formula. It has these Benefits:
  • 12-hour long-wearing color
  • Supercharged primer
  • Powerful brightening benefits
  • Smoothes the appearance of fine lines
  • Protects with Broad Spectrum SPF 15
and Clinicals/Claims:
  • 100% of women agreed their eyelids looked brighter instantly & over time.*
  • 100% of women said their eyes appeared more youthful upon application.*
* Based on an independent consumer study (I copied these descriptions from Ulta's site).

It comes in a total of six shades and to me they are mostly neutral shades. The shades are Barely Nude, Soft Linen, Radiant Sand, Blushing Pink, Elegant Taupe, and Devine Wine. You can check them out on Ulta's site here. They retail at Ulta for $18 for a full sized 0.10fl oz tube. They have a nice paddle wand applicator (kind of like a lipgloss wand).

For me this one dried really quickly so I figured out that the best way for me to apply it is to just dot it along my eye lid and then immediately blend it in with my finger. It blends really nicely and blends out to be a very beautiful shade, on me it blends out to be just a really pale nude, I've been using it as a base color for a nice neutral eye look. I think that this will also look good on it's own with black eyeliner and mascara for a really simple weekend look.

I can't say that I've noticed whether or not my eyelids looked brighter or more youthful but I can say that I love this stuff and I'm going to have to hit up my local Ulta and pick up possibly one or two more shades. I'm thinking that the Blushing Pink may now have to become a part of my collection along with the Devine Wine and Barely Nude.

Here is a shot of me wearing Barely Nude. This picture was taken after about 13 hours of wear, you can see that there really isn't any creasing and that this shade really is a pale nude.

You can purchase these at Ulta stores or online or anywhere bareMinerals products are sold.



Friday, November 7, 2014

ColourPop Lippie Stix and Lip Pencils

Today I have some lip products from Colourpop Cosmetics. I heard about these from vlogger Coffee Break With Dani (you have to check her out if you haven't already, she's funny and does some amazing tutorials and reviews). I was so impressed with her review that I had to check them out for myself.

Let me tell you, these are not only amazing products but they are super budget friendly too! All of their products that are on their site are $5 each. $5 is so affordable!!! They have the new Lippie Stix, Lippie Pencils, and they have their Colour Shock Shadows (I haven't tried the shadows yet but I just placed an order for more Lippie Stix and Pencils and added 5 shadows to my order too). I can't wait for my next order from them to arrive so I can share them all with you!

Colourpop cosmetics is a cruelty free company (they are "bunny approved") and they are made right here in the USA in southern California. All but 5 of their shadows are vegan (check out their FAQ page here) and their Lippie Stix are not technically vegan because they do contain less than .1% bees wax.

These Lippie Pencils are not like any other lip pencil that I've tried. I usually stay away from lip pencils because they are dry and hard to apply but these are super creamy and go on so smoothly. They look like a plastic retractable pencil but they do not retract, you do have to sharpen them and it is suggested that you use a really good sharp sharpener (Dani suggest the Grindhouse one from Urban Decay). The Lippie Stix also come in a slim stick that is retractable, their packaging is just so slim and nice.

Here's what the Lippie Stix and Pencil look like with the cap off.

I ordered 3 Lippie Stix and the matching Lippie Pencil. Here are the shades I ordered swatched on the back of my hand for you to see what they look like. Again, I can't tell you how smooth the formula is on both of these products. There is only one finish for the pencils and the Lippie Stix come in three finishes Glossy, Satin, and Matte. I didn't get any of the glossy ones but there is one I may go back and order in the future. I heard from other bloggers and vloggers that the glossy formula is a little more sheer than the other finishes. All the ones I got are very comfortable to wear and they haven't dried my lips out after prolonged wear.

The wear time on these are amazing. I noticed that without the Lippie Pencil under the Lippie Stix I only get about 4 hours of good wear time but if I layer the pencil under the stix I get a longer wear time (roughly 7 hours or so). I also noticed that layering the pencil under the stix also helps the color to fade more evenly.


First up is the shade Frida, this shade was designed by Dani from Coffee Break with Dani herself. This is a really pretty shade of a warm mid tone nude pink with a satin finish.

Here is just the Lippie Pencil alone on my lips.

Here is the Lippie Stix layered over the Lippie Pencil.


Next I got the shade Scandy. This one is a cool toned neon pink in a satin finish.

Here is just the Lippie Pencil alone on my lips.

Here is the Lippie Stix layered over the Lippie Pencil.


The last shade I ordered in this order was Bichette. This one is a deep red wine in a matte finish.

Here is just the Lippie Pencil alone on my lips.

Here is the Lippie Stix layered over the Lippie Pencil.

As you can see in all my swatches these are all very pigmented in color. I am so impressed with these that I had to order a couple more (I may even order some more in a few weeks), you just can't beat having a good quality product that is just so affordable. I can't wait for my next order to come.

Colourpop Cosmetics is only available online here and they are constantly releasing new shades so you should check back often to see what's new on the site. I just checked the site out again today and seen that they are going to be releasing some holiday collection soon. I am now going to be stalking their facebook and site for this new holiday collection. They ship to the the USA, Canada, US Virgin Islands, Guam and Puerto Rico but are hoping to expand shipping in the future. Shipping is free if you purchase $30 or more (which I can tell you it isn't hard to get to that amount with all the great products they have).

Stay tuned for a review on the next batch of Colourpop Cosmetics that I have ordered when they arrive.