Mahya Mineral Eyeshadows Swatches & Review

January 9, 2012 By StephanieLouise 887Leave a Comment2012-01-09+15%3A45%3A00StephanieLouise

These eyeshadows are a whole new realm for me. They are vibrant, cruelty-free, & are the first mineral eyeshadows I’ve seen that I can use on more than just my lids. Whether you’re a Mahya fan or new to the brand, read on for more information & stunning swatches.

About Mahya-

Mahya grew up in Europe where her family owned and operated several successful beauty spas. Applying the secrets of the European beauty industry, she introduced her own line of pure mineral-based cosmetics after moving to the United States. The success of her cosmetic line was in part attributed to the testimonials of her clients professing that the all natural and nourishing cosmetic base left their skin feeling healthy and vibrant. Mahya has been in the Dallas area selling her line of cosmetics since 2001. Her dedication and commitment to her cosmetics has resulted in a superior quality product line that has expanded to include cleansers, lotions and bronzers.

So now that you know a bit about the woman behind the brand, jump down to the coolest things about the brand. I could write it out in my own words, but they seriously nailed it on the website.

Mahya Minerals Eye Shadows come in Lustrous Minerals (Ultra fine shimmers), Two Tones Lustrous Minerals (Pearl with Multi Effect Shades), Glimmering Minerals (Sparkly) and matte blends that accomplish any look you want.

-Like jewels for the eyes
–Less expensive and much more fun!
-Mix and match your favorite shades and create new eye colors. -Matches to every mood, every occasion, everyday. -Multi-tasking: use as an eye shadow, eyeliner, lip gloss, nail polish. -Create your own color.

So seriously, how cool is that! They not only have the most gorgeous shades, but they also encourage you to find varying uses! For instance, you can also buy all the blushes as eyeshadows. I also like using Fairy Tale as a lip highlight, so I definitely love the many uses. I mean, I do it anyway sometimes, but knowing its safe is even better. One thing I regret is that none of my shades are matte. Maybe next time!

Now its time for swatches! Each of these were done on bare skin AKA no primer. I seriously only used the TINIEST bit of each for this great color payoff.

Shade

Flash

From top to bottom we have Fairy Tale, Deep Sea, Grass, Turquoise, Barbie, & Sugar Plum.

Overall, these eyeshadows are fab. These are extremely buildable but messy, like all loose shadows. As always, tap off excess & build until you reach your desired shade. French Kiss makes a great highlight, I’ve been using it quite a bit. Then again, I always love sparkly neutrals. Deep Sea & Sugar Plum make gorgeous eyeliners as well, I just use a slanted eyeliner brush to apply. I picked Barbie because I can never find fab pink eyeshadows for a reasonable price but I haven’t put it to the test yet. Clearly Grass & Turquoise are right up my ally. Besides not getting any mattes, I so wished I had gotten a purple. Gorgeous!

If you have tried matte shades or any of these shadows, please do share! Which shades are your favorite? For more information, feel free to visit www.mahyamineralmakeup.com ! Stay tuned for upcoming eyeshadow looks as well as a review on Mahya eye primer, concealer, foundation, blush & bronzer! I feel a full Mahya tutorial coming on!

*Item(s) sent to me for review are featured in this post. This in no way guarantees coverage. All of my reviews and reactions are honest, I would never recommend something that didn’t deserve it. For more information, please see my disclosure policy in the top bar.*

Zoya Fleck Effect Collection January 2012

January 7, 2012 By StephanieLouise 8882 Comments2012-01-07+17%3A02%3A00StephanieLouise

In a world of nail polish, flakies have their own division of seriously awesome. Companies seem to be embracing this awesome & putting their own spin on it, like Finger Paints amazing new collection. The long awaited Zoya Fleck Effect Collection has arrived & I am loving every minute of it. Unlike Finger Paints or Essie’s Shine of the Times, these flakies are suspended in a colored base of blue, green, or pink.

Left to right are Zoya’s Fleck Collection in Opal, Maisie, & Chloe.

Opal is a green/blue flake suspended in a green base. On the nail, these shift from green to blue then purple & almost a golden tone. I preferred two coats.

Maisie is a gorgeous blue/green flake similar to Opal except suspended in a blue base. This too shifts to gold although I don’t see the purple in this as much. Green is very heavy.

Chloe oh Chloe, you are wonderful. This is a peach toned pink base with green/pink/orange/gold flecks suspended within. I have found that the harder the flakie is to describe, the more I love it.

Final Thoughts- I know a lot of bloggers have been a bit let down with the closeness of Opal & Maisie, however I am not. Although I would have preferred a purple fleck (WHY WILL NO ONE MAKE ONE IN MY FAVORITE COLOR?!?!) these two vary over certain shades. I found Opal changed some of my neutrals to more of a yellow tone & Maisie to more of a gray/purple tone. Perhaps over black they are seen as too similar, but I wanted to point out this small but visible difference.

These will be available January 13th on Zoya’s website so mark it on your calendars! I have a feeling they will be very popular!

Obsessed: Caress Sheer Twilight Body Wash in Black Orchid & Juniper Oil

January 6, 2012 By StephanieLouise 8894 Comments2012-01-06+16%3A49%3A00StephanieLouise

When I pull the Obsessed card, you know a product will be a sweet addiction for a long, long time. Obsessed is not to be taken lightly! Here I bring you a new body wash from Caress in the scent Black Orchid & Juniper Oil.

Caress has seriously stepped up their game. I have a lot of body washes (does this surprise you? Me having a lot of something or possibly bordering on a whole lot?) but every once in awhile I get on a kick of one particular scent. The last one I bought in bulk just so happened to be Caress actually, in Tahitian Renewal. Although this one goes in a completely different direction, I see it being my new go to. I already love the formulation & although this one doesn’t have scrubby beads like my Caress Tahitian Renewal, I am indeed having an affair with it.

Would you like to hear what qualifies this as my new body wash obsession? It smells like my beloved Lola from Marc Jacobs! I literally opened it & squealed. I’m a grown woman, but I admit it. My Lola is my most reached for perfume pretty much of all time (I have a wide variety so that is a big deal) but I can’t justify buying the body washes or lotions for high-end perfumes. The price outweighs the benefits in my book. But Caress is around $3-4 for 18 oz, woohoo! Totally ridiculously affordable in my budget & I bet many others! I STILL don’t understand the connection between Lola & Caress Sheer Twilight Body Wash in Black Orchid & Juniper Oil because they don’t even share any traits, but I definitely smell it!

What Caress says: Feeling a little adventurous? Caress^® Sheer Twilight™ has harnessed the alluring scent of black orchid and juniper oil in a blend that will both thrill and delight. Capturing the scent of extraordinary blossoms at the peak of their bloom, our unique Silky Fragrance Infusion™ will leave you feeling more irresistible and luscious than ever.

My take: Sexy, comfortably, & confident. Smells high-end but has a drugstore price tag. This is more of a gel than most of the other body washes I own so I actually used too much at first. You onlu need a little for big scent & serious lather. This completely washes my skin clean without soap residue which I sometimes find in drugstore body washes. This leaves my skin wildly moisturized & super soft. This bottle will last me a long time…but not as long as you would think. See….I started using it as bubble bath! Note the obsessed title right?

Where to buy: Large retailers like Target & Walmart for around $3-4, which I seriously consider a steal for 18 oz.

So what do you think? Do you see yourself picking up this body wash? I spotted it in a Caress holiday package at Walmart as well, so keep an eye out for deals!

Fragrance Review: DKNY Be Delicious Fresh Blossom Juiced

January 5, 2012 By StephanieLouise 890Leave a Comment2012-01-05+16%3A09%3A00StephanieLouise

What DKNY says: Introducing Be Delicious Fresh Blossom Juiced! A medley of blushing blossoms and delicate petals. The scent begins with pink grapefruit and bright freesias. A rich, feminine, and fruity fragrance.

A blend of sparkling grapefruit, casses and sun-kissed apricot meets a blooming floral heart of sheer muguet and petally rose, wrapped in luminous jasmine. Finish the apple sensation with a body lingering base of blond woods and smooth skin accords.

My Take: I wore this pretty much my entire trip to Texas. This was one of my Christmas presents from my husband. Whenever he picks out fragrances, its always really special because he really takes his time. Because everyone’s skin chemistry is different, keep in mind this might not be exactly the same on you. I really love this scent & am very sad its limited edition. I really smell the rose in this, even more so on my skin.

The apple throughout is what keeps it from smelling like a room spray. It keeps it fresh & young while still being extremely seductive. Although I own many DKNY scents, this made it to the front of the pack quickly. Its very long lasting as well, just spray it on your pulse points in the morning & you’ll still be getting whiffs of it throughout the day. As the scent starts to fade, I really smell the smoothness of the fruits. I’m hoping they make this permanent!

Get Your Hands on it: $52 for 1.7oz on DKNY.com

Have you picked up or tested out this scent? What do you think? I think my husband has good taste!

Bath & Body Works December Haul 2011

December 30, 2011 By StephanieLouise 8915 CommentsBath+%26+Body+Works+December+Haul+20112011-12-30+15%3A40%3A00StephanieLouise

AH I HAVE MISSED YOU GUYS! We drove out to Texas for our holiday vacation & apparently…my computer did not like it there. It was honestly one thing after another. But, I’m not going to get into that too much because all it does is make me mad. So on that note, here is my Bath & Body Works haul!

What I got:

2 Packages of 5 Mentha Lip Shines from CO Bigelow

Coconut Mango Fragrance Mist 8 oz.

Vanilla Bean Noel Fragrance Mist 3 oz

Winter Candy Apple Fragrance Mist 3 oz

& 18 Pocket Bac Anti-Bacterial Hand Gels!

Mentha Lip Shines from CO Bigelow- 5 Classic Minis

Flavors are Cinnamint, Mentha, Ultra, Spearmint, & my favorite, Vanillamint.

Although these are minis, they’re still .25oz, which is an awesome amount. Sometimes the regular sizes feel too big in a smaller handbag.

Mentha Minis- Originial Price was $15.00, on sale for $3.75. Doesn’t get much better than that!

Bath & Body Works Fragrance Mists

I love the holiday scents, these 2 being my favorites over the past few years. Coconut Mango was an unexpected purchase, but I love it. I really love wearing tropical scents through summer, but I always smell them all through the year. Great deal too!

Coconut Mango Fragrance Mist (full size)- Originally $12.00, on sale for $3.00.

Holiday Mini Fragrance Mists- Originally $5.00, on sale for $2.50.

Pocket Bac Anti-Bacterial Hand Gels

So let me explain, no really give me a chance! I’m not some psycho, although I am a bit germ obsessive, but my jobs eat this stuff up. I beauty blog (duh), teach preschool, & dog sit. I keep this stuff on me at all times, usually multiple bottles. So I am not insane, just…clean. Plus, I am a sucker for all of these scents.

Fresh Picked Strawberries- My favorite from this summer! There was only 1 left, but honestly, I already stockpiled this a bit. I am such a sucker for this scent though.

Winter Candy Apple- Sweet apple, but it isn’t super sugary.

Eat Ham- Smells like canned cranberry sauce. I adore cranberries in all forms, but my husband sits & eats entire cans of it. Clearly a popular scent in my house.

Vanilla Bean Noel- Good ol natural vanilla. Clean & comforting.

Winter Cranberry- More of a cranberry fragrance than Eat Ham, but still intensely cranberry.

These are originally $1.50 but I normally get them on sale for $1.00. These were all 50 cents a piece.

Total cost for everything? $26.78. Love!

Did you guys get a chance to pick anything up? Would love to hear about it!

Winter Wonders: Barielle Holiday Hustle Nail Lacquers

December 26, 2011 By StephanieLouise 8921 Comment2011-12-26+17%3A26%3A00StephanieLouise

Remember back to my Dermstore order? Well I now have the Barielle Holiday Hustle Collection, a grouping of 4 nail lacquers in varying shades. There are 3 metallic/chrome shades and one flakie. Keep in mind these are minis, about the size of the Sally Hansen minis actually. Although this collection is from 2010, I still found myself deciding to buy them to add to my collection. Plus, there’s a flakie. ‘Nuff said.

I’ll give you the run down on Gelt Me to the Party, Wrap Me in Ribbon, & Snow Day first.

So these are all metallic in my opinion, with a chrome/frosty finish. I had issues with these honestly, the brush strokes never felt like they gelled together to make the perfect manicure. Frosty.

Left to right are Gelt Me to the Party, Wrap Me in Ribbon, Snow Day, & Elle’s Spell, 2 coats each no top coat.

Gelt Me to the Party is a deep bronze, when held to the light it clearly separates into a light (where the light hits) and dark shade (the edges). Its actually pretty unique as far as polish goes, usually bronzes involve sparkle in my experience. Weird but true.

Wrap Me in Ribbon is one I would actually like to have in a full size. Its a deep lavendar/lighter plum, definitely on the mauve side. Although frosty, I definitely love the shade. Why? Maybe I haven’t been rocking my usual purples or enough pinks lately?

Snow Day Meh, the usual icy blue with silver tones. This one DID NOT like me. At all. I’m serious. It went on all kinds of weird and the consistency was strange. It also took forever to dry! Why? It just wasn’t working.

Now let’s get into Elle’s Spell. I love flakies. If you ever read my blog, you know this. I was excited for this because I thought it was going to be a gorgeous burgundy wine jelly base. Unfortunately, it was really thin and didn’t dry like the jelly within the bottle. The flakes are gorgeous though, red & orange toned. I’m thinking that layered over something like a black or true red, it will be flaming gorgeous.

Overall, not completely satisfied. Application was off, even for mini bottles. Not what I expected from Barielle. However, another flakie to add to my collection & a lovely mauve shade. That’ll do pig, that’ll do.

Finger Paints Special Effects Flakie Nail Polishes 2011

December 23, 2011 By StephanieLouise 8936 Comments2011-12-23+15%3A53%3A00StephanieLouise

I want to start with how I came across these little beauties. So if you saw the Finger Paints Special Effects Announcement I posted, then you know how thrilled I am to have my little claws on them. How I managed to get them kind of still makes me giggle. So I walked in & immediately went to the nail polish display area. Not seeing them, I walked around looking high & low. Granted, I’m in a new area so I’m not 100% in the groove with this Sally’s & the items they do & don’t get so I didn’t know if they would be there anyway. So I did the smart thing…I asked.

She kind of laughed & shrugged, telling me they had them in the back & had gotten an e-mail telling them bloggers have been going wild for this collection. Darn right! Then she went back & got the display which is when it got reallllllly difficult for me to hold in my excitement. She told me they looked like “dirty dish water” which made me laugh. I guess if you aren’t a flakie obsessed blogger like me that might be true. Then I started holding each one up to the light & explained their fabulocity. Ah, a convert. So I bought all 5 & here they are!

Asylum

Asylum- Looks blue/purple & red/orange. I’ll be interested to see how this is transferred onto the nail. It reminds me of purple & orange (my favorite Halloween shades) inside the bottle but I’m sure it will translate more firey onto the nail.

Flecked

Flecked- Beautiful green, but it doesn’t appear to have anything else. Perhaps on the nail it will happily surprise me? Either way, I’m a sucker for green in all its forms.

Motley

Motley- Appears blue, green, & hints of a deeper blue as well. I’ll have to see how this one plays out on the nail especially with its varying shades of blue.

Twisted

Twisted- The rainbow of the group. A true mix of all shades showing flecks of every color of the rainbow. I am most excited to swatch this as I haven’t seen one this concentrated or vibrant.

Flashy

Flashy- Appears most like my other flakies I currently have within my collection. This looks orange to green which is something I’ve said before, but this is gorgeous & once again, will likely appear different on the nail.

I’ll be swatching them all in the next few days & providing some comparisons, but I wanted to make sure you could see the differences between bottle shots in case you didn’t want all 5. I love the pro shots I got sent (which are above) but they didn’t exactly show all the differences. Which ones are YOU lemming for?

If you didn’t read the beginning, you might want to in case your Sally’s doesn’t know what the heck these gems are either! Anyway, they retail for $5.49 but they were only $5 with my Sally’s card! Keep in mind these are exclusive to Sally’s & limited edition, when they’re gone… they’re gone! Swatches coming soon…you know I’m not patient!

Review: Maybelline Baby Lips

December 18, 2011 By StephanieLouise 8943 CommentsReview%3A+Maybelline+Baby+Lips2011-12-18+20%3A17%3A00StephanieLouise

So I realize I’m behind, but I wanted to really use these. See, I have a love-hate relationship with tinted lip balms. I find they’re either waxy, not tinted enough, or nearly a gloss so they slide around.

Let me straight up lay out what I was looking for so you know what kind I like:
-Moisturizing enough that it smooths and soothes my winter chapped lips but not oily.
-Tinted enough that I can see it on but not so tinted that I have to use mirror precision like with lipstick.
-Easy to throw in my bag since I love to take tinted balms with me.

So, now that you know what I like in a tinted balm, I can honestly say these delivered!

Here are the 5 I recieved from my BzzAgent campaign to review:

Peppermint- Clear & peppermint scented. Love peppermint year round so I’ve been using it a lot.
Quenched- Also clear but with a very slight scent, almost like a super light candy smell. I use this one the most out of the two clear balms.

Peach Kiss- Love this shade! A healthy peach with a super subtle silver sheen. I could be imagining that I suppose, but I really think it has it on. Gorgeous pigmentation!

Pink Punch- I call this one “Barbie pink” because, well, look at it! Very pigmented but more sheer than a lipstick. If you have been tempted to go bright, this is a wonderful first step! Everyone can rock this pink.

Cherry Pie- Out of the 3 colors I received, this was the most disappointing. The pigmentation just wasn’t as good and I would’ve loved a darker, redder shade. Its still pretty, but compared to Peach Kiss & Pink Punch it doesn’t look like its on par.

Overall: The packaging on these was what I was most concerned about. Usually this type of plastic cap tends to wander in my bag but it stayed clicked and closed. The colors are cute I think & stand out, although clearly geared towards a younger age range than most Maybelline products. I find that very interesting, new marketing perhaps? The names are cute without being too OPI or boring. The best part is how moisturizing they are & how they actually look moisturizing BUT aren’t slick or overly shiny. All in all, they got the texture right for this product, not something I see often with tinted balms. On top of all that, it seems to last longer than most of my balms because it has more to it.

These are available from drugstores & mega stores for under $5! I have seen them under $3 so shop around and keep an eye out for coupons!

Mani of the Day: Tip Taupe from Tip Toe from Old Navy

December 14, 2011 By StephanieLouise 8952 Comments2011-12-14+19%3A22%3A00StephanieLouise

Tip Toe Nail Polish in Tip Taupe, purchased from Old Navy.

So you guys have been super patient waiting, thanks! Its been crazy around here, but I am happy to bring you Tip Taupe, the random polish I bought from Old Navy in my haul seen HERE. I am still not all that sure how much it was, but my guess is around $4 or less.

This is a gorgeous taupe shade, a perfect addition to my taupe polish collection which seems to be growing a lot lately, along with nudes and grays. What is it about this neutral that makes it different? I wore it alone for a whole day with no chips. It has a natural shine to it which I always appreciate. I love shine! I then topped it with Seche Vite of course, but it stood its ground on day 1. See, I work with kids & cleaning products, the worst things in the world for my nails in my opinion haha.

I was ready to hate this polish, seriously, but I really like it!

Winter Wonders: Essie ‘Shine of the Times’

November 29, 2011 By StephanieLouise 896Leave a Comment2011-11-29+18%3A15%3A00StephanieLouise

So as we get ever so close to December, I’ve been putting together holiday posts like crazy. My first post, however, is of (you guessed it!) a fabulous nail polish. Essie Shine of the Times embodies everything I wanted for a Limited Edition polish this season. Okay, I’m not all that hard to please. I have a flakie addiction and I’m completely okay with that! Still, the application is flawless and the looks are endless.

So here are my base colors (2 coats each):

Pinky- Sinful Colors in Snow Me White

Ring- Pure Ice in Kiss Me Here (weird name for a gray eh?)

Middle- Wet n Wild The Gold & the Beautiful from the Color Craze Collection

Pointer- China Glaze in City Siren

Thumb- LA Colors Nail Lacquer in Black Velvet

1 Coat of Essie Shine of the Times over every finger except the thumb, 2 coats on that! Then a top coat of Seche Vite.

Clearly, the star of the show is the black, as expected. The rest of the colors I picked were primarily colors I wear this season, minus a navy (close to the black) & the green. You’ll probably see it over green soon if that’s what you were hoping for! I threw in the metallic gold to show people why it doesn’t show up and why it looks better over a solid color.

This is a flakie polish suspended in a clear base that shines mainly red, orange, & vibrant green. Flecks of other colors can be seen at certain angles, especially depending on your base.

I really think the white is the only one that was SUPER hard to capture. It’s honestly gorgeous, looks just like those fake snow bits you see in store displays. The gray came out amazing. The gold is a fail in my book. The red came out a pretty flame type manicure. & the black…just look at it!

I picked up Essie Shine of the Times at Walgreens for around $8. The formula is perfection when it comes to a flakie and I hope they come out with many (MANY!) more! This is the kind of nail polish I consider an investment!

I didn’t think the photos did it enough justice, so check out the video! Its short but shows this polish off like it deserves!