Become Beauty Tinted Mineral Foundation Review & GIVEAWAY!

July 14, 2012 By StephanieLouise 767Leave a Comment2012-07-14+15%3A46%3A00StephanieLouise

From Become Beauty: (Click on the photos to enlarge!)

A fresh, natural multi-purpose makeup with 30 SPF UVB/UVA protection. Provides translucent coverage in a universal shade. Helps protect, firm and tone the skin with high-potency anti-aging ingredients.Check out more on their site by clicking here!

My Take:

The packaging on this is pretty standard: comes in a box & is contained in a tube. I like tubes just fine so that doesn’t sway me either way. Its sealed on the inside with a foil stopper, something I do really like & wish more companies did just so I would know I’m the first one to open it & get that gratification. This smells incredible which is, to my memory, something I’ve never said about a moisturizer before. It smells faintly of lemon & sugar with absolutely none of that sunblock smell I seriously hate. I really hate it, its right behind self-tanner stench.

I put two dots on my hand & lightly swiped one of them to see the texture. Its pretty dense which I wouldn’t expect from something marketed as a tinted product. As you can see, it does lean quite a bit yellow which had me rather concerned as I am quite light & cool toned. I didn’t want to come out of this looking sallow or ill.

The fact that there is only one shade of this product really bothers me, I wish there were at least 3. Or even 2: one warm & one cool? Although I do like it on me because it balances out my redness, it does take some buffing in around the hairline. This doesn’t bother me. I am really interested to see how it would do on darker skin tones. It doesn’t have tons of coverage but when my skin is less broken out & irritated it looks really nice!

Left- Only my eyes done Right- 10 minutes after application + lip gloss

What I DO like about this product very much is that it really performs well on oily skin. My skin is usually one extreme or the other but with the humidity, its definitely leaning oily. These still has a slight dewy effect at first but it totally keeps my oil in check. It REALLY clings to my skin which I was very impressed with since I kind of put tinted foundations in the moisturizer category. I don’t think I’ve ever placed a tinted face product on this blog & said it was better for oily skin! Rejoice! In winter my skin is dry so I may need to moisturize a bit before applying this to test it out.

Recap: Great for oily skin, yellow toned, SPF 30, anti-aging, & toning.

Want to win it? You’re in luck! Become was kind enough to supply me with a Tinted Mineral Foundation & they are sending one to a lucky reader as well!

Please wait to see the Rafflecopter Widget load if you can’t see it below already! GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Nails: Sinful Colors Leap Flog Swatches (New Shade!)

July 13, 2012 By StephanieLouise 768Leave a Comment2012-07-13+14%3A38%3A00StephanieLouise

Well, if you have frequented my blog then you know I’m a big fan of Sinful Colors. They are $1.99 at my Walgreens (sometimes only 99 cents on sale!) & they have a pretty wide range of shades. They often come out with new displays although the last few have been mostly re-promotes. This is Leap Flog which I found on a Study in Style display. Winterberry is also on this display which I didn’t have before so I picked that up as well.

Leap Flog: A very murky teal that has quite a bit of grey. Opaque in 1 coat, shown here with 2.

This dries very shiny, I photographed this with NO top coat. I could have probably gotten away with 1 coat, its wildly pigmented which I rarely say about Sinful Colors polishes.I did have to edit this because they photographed a bit too blue but these are more accurate in my opinion.

This is EXACTLY what makes me love fall! This shade is definitely worth it, have you picked it up?

Ricky’s NYC Mattese Elite Haul Part 1! LOTS of Glitter!

July 12, 2012 By StephanieLouise 769Leave a Comment2012-07-12+14%3A01%3A00StephanieLouise

When I told you guys about the Ricky’s NYC deal on Mattese Elite deal, I knew I was definitely ordering some items. Mainly…nail polish. This is only part 1 of a 2 part order but I definitely figured I better break them into 2 anyway. I got a LOT of items so this seemed easier!

Mattese Elite Mini Nail Polishes left to right: Orange Revenge, Neon Almost Famous, Cosmic Blue, & Extreme Jealousy.

(The orange is WAY brighter & I consider it a neon although it isn’t labeled as one. It dried with a somewhat matte top when swatched on one nail & is CRAZY bright!)

Mattese Elite Nail Polish left to right: Mysterious, Silver Glitter, & Dirty Slut.

Silver Glitter reminds me a lot of some of my Milani Glitters! Maybe similar to some Essie ones too?

Mattese Elite Nail Polish left to right: Legendary Alice, Nutty Hat Guy, Last Night, & Wet Dream.

It looks like the first 2 are influenced by OPI’s Alice in Wonderland Collection & the 2nd 2 from OPI’s Katy Perry Collection.

Mattese Elite Fairy Dust Glitter in Red & Mattese Elite Lip Gel in Cherry Pop.

I am SO excited about both of these that I am saving it for the review! Let’s just say…LOVE!

So there’s part 1! Any of these especially appealing to you? Feel free to request swatches of your favorites first! Ah, I’m so excited about these guys!

Nails: Comparing Zoya Tru & Pure Ice Purple Reign

July 11, 2012 By StephanieLouise 770Leave a Comment2012-07-11+14%3A34%3A00StephanieLouise

So yesterday when I swatched Purple Reign from Pure Ice I mentioned that I’d be comparing it to a Zoya polish today. I am a Zoya fanatic, they pretty much always impress me & leaving me scrambling for their next collections. Is it any surprise I commonly hold more accessible polishes to the Zoya standard?

What I wanted to show with this comparison isn’t the shade (duh, not blind!) but the “lit from within” quality. After wearing Purple Reign for awhile I realized I had another purple that was similar…in a shimmery sort of way! Zoya’s Tru was from their Spring 2012 collection & I’m still in love with it. #1 its purple. #2 it has shimmer. #3 it has a perfect application. Here’s my original shots. The swatches have 1 coat of WnW Fast Dry Top Coat.

So clearly, they aren’t the same purple. Purple Reign is much more red-based while Tru is a bit more medium toned. I think this appears even more distinct because despite Purple Reign being crazy pigmented it is also slightly dusty. Such a complex shade! Tru always looks like it has copper shimmers in it to me but it definitely looks more golden next to Purple Reign in person while Purple Reign looks more bronzed. Both are opaque in 1-2 coats.

So? What do you think? Do you have any “lit from within” purples?

Nails: Purple Reign by Pure Ice is Perfection!

July 10, 2012 By StephanieLouise 771Leave a Comment2012-07-10+15%3A18%3A00StephanieLouise

In the mood for fall shades? Definitely put this one on your list! Pure Ice is seriously affordable but that doesn’t mean they don’t have some absolutely fabulous shades. I pick mine up at Walmart for only $1.99! This shade has an OPI cousin out there (I don’t have it sorry!) from the Dutch line & a distant cousin from Zoya that I will show you tomorrow as well. All in all, its unique & definitely worth checking out. Enough talking…pictures! Topped with 1 coat of Seche Vite.

Purple Reign: A dusty grape packed with gold flecks that shift from gold to copper to bronze depending on lighting.

This is a dream to apply & could be opaque in one coat if you needed to run out the door. As always, I prefer at least 2. I then topped it with Seche Vite for that glossy shine that really makes the flecks in this pronounced. I love purple, I love glass flecks, & I love fall shades. Is it any wonder this is such a hidden gem for me?

What do you think of this bargain beauty? Are you a purple fiend like me? Any dupes you can think of?

Nails: Tuilleries by LEX Nail Lacquer Swatches & Review

July 9, 2012 By StephanieLouise 772Leave a Comment2012-07-09+18%3A37%3A00StephanieLouise

The story behind the polish on LEX:

TUILLERIES

First, tulips are one of the first signs that spring is really, truly, finally here! Second, they always remind me of my mother….. I would love to have a color that can represent her in every way: in beauty, in color, in her favorite things, and in her uniqueness. My color would be light pinkish-red with glass-like flecks of silver, red, pink, and orange within it to showcase the depth of both tulips and my mother.

$1 will be donated to lung cancer research.

What’s something I absolutely love about LEX Cosmetics?: LEX polishes sell for only $10 & each goes towards a donation to a different charity/organization! You’re telling me I can hoard more polish & support a cause….at the same time? IN!

Because I had seen this only swatched on naked nails (check out Blushing Noir’s Gorgeous swatches!) I put my swatches over a one coat white. I also have base coat on but no top coat. My nails are a messy, trust me, the white base is my gift to you. I like the effect a lot though & added a bit more to my tips for a scaled effect. This is 2 coats of Tuilleries.

Tuilleries: A very fair pink creamy jelly base with medium hex glitters in fuchsia, orange, red, & silver. This is accompanied by x-small glitters in the same shades.

The glitter in this is phenomenal, it placed itself perfectly across my nail. I didn’t have to coax it at all! If you like layered looks, this one is perfect for you. This pink is so soft that I personally wouldn’t wear it on my bare nails because I prefer opacity. but I might try it on my toes for a blingy but soft look.

These polishes are bad 3 free, come in a lovely range of shades, & each has a beautiful tale to tell…but on your nails! Got to the LEX Cosmetics site HERE & check out all their other shades…or better yet…create your own! Too cool!

Eyes: Mahya Barbie, Candy Girl, & Jewell Holo Glitter!

July 7, 2012 By StephanieLouise 773Leave a Comment2012-07-07+15%3A35%3A00StephanieLouise

I finally have a hot pink Barbie worthy look…using a pink that’s actually called Barbie! Mahya Minerals is a favorite of mine & definitely sparked a lot of interest with readers when mentioned. Jewell took me awhile to put into a look I really love, in case you missed it swatched here with the other Mahya glitters. Candy Girl was only used as a sheer highlight but its lovely as well 🙂 On my lips is Mahya Mineral Lip Shine in Candy Girl.

So holo eye glitters are difficult to photograph, but I did my best! It really came out lovely & vibrant. I used the Mahya Glitter Adhesive in little dots & tapped Jewell onto those areas, pressing lightly with my pinkie. This is seriously an amazing glitter glue.

What do you think of this look? How about holo eye-safe glitter, are you lemming for it? All of these products mentioned are available from the Mahya Minerals site. They are also running a 30% off for 4th of July!

My IMATS Manicure featuring Black Tie Affair & Wednesday!

July 5, 2012 By StephanieLouise 774Leave a Comment2012-07-05+21%3A38%3A00StephanieLouise

So I went to California having only packed a few nail polishes. If you haven’t flown in awhile, you have only take so many liquids on your carry on so they had better be precious. Both of these polishes were the only ones in my carry on. What does this mean? If I had lost them…I would have possibly died. You have probably seen my obsession with black & white…in fact I need to do some more black & white designs. I am a huge fan of the whole “pop of color” thing so its no surprise Zoya’s Wednesday made the cut. Its slightly murky & definitely unique…& absolutely fabulous. Plus, with the gray base of Black Tie Affair from Nails by Laura, Wednesday looks even more murky & mysterious.

What do you think? I got a few questions about what was wearing…pretty big deal for an IMATS crowd full of creative nail designs! I loved this manicure & I bet Ill be replaying this like a greatest hit over & over.

June MyGlam Bag- featuring Philosophy, NYX, & More!

July 5, 2012 By StephanieLouise 775Leave a Comment2012-07-05+16%3A08%3A00StephanieLouise

I’ve had some choice words for MyGlam in the past, if you’ve read this blog before then you already know. This isn’t my favorite service & has definitely been close to getting booted off the list completely. This bag, however, I actually like!

Now before I dig into the bag, this card looks like porn. C’mon it can’t be just me…this card is…very late night.

Anyways! This bag only had 4 items, probably because the bag is different than usual. Personally…I don’t like the bag. It leaks glitter, is flimsy, & I have even less use for it than the zippered ones. Now onto the contents! I love Philosophy in an unnatural way so I am always happy to see them in any of my bags. I haven’t tried this gel moisturizer yet, but I am excited to slap it on.

The NYX lipstick is pretty shimmery but I do like it. My shade is “Georgia” which really had me thinking it would be a peach, no? Anyway, I like it but there are a lot of NYX shades I prefer. Living Proof puts out quality products, this styling cream will be put to use for sure. The brand Marbella is new to me, but maybe I need to look into it. This isn’t the blackest felt tipped eyeliner for sure, but it sure does last. In fact, it lasts & lasts. Plus, it is super fine at the tip & gets thicker so you can create pretty much any line you so wish. Swatched above & below the NYX lipstick in Georgia.

What do you think? Do you subscribe to MyGlam? I know a lot of people think these are a scam but this one was definitely worth the $10 for me this time!

Nails: 4th of July 2012 Manicure Complete with Stars!

July 3, 2012 By StephanieLouise 776Leave a Comment2012-07-03+19%3A16%3A00StephanieLouise

I am pretty much in love with this manicure! I’ve been kind of straying from nail art lately which I know some of you have noticed, but when you don’t feel it…it just doesn’t turn out well! I’m hoping sometime soon I’ll feel the urge again but until then, I’m celebrating with layering, sponging, & various other techniques. I found this glitter from Claire’s while traveling & knew it would be perfect for the 4th of July. All you really need is some red polish & this glitter layered on top but I added a blue accent to my thumbs.