Melissa Beth Kiss & Makeup Case in Raspberry Review

December 24, 2013 By StephanieLouise 203Leave a Comment2013-12-24+22%3A49%3A00StephanieLouise

photo MelissaBethKissandMakeupCaseReviewPinkMakeupCase06_zps1b33d929.jpg

PR Sample.

When it comes to travel, my makeup case is the most important thing. Sure jewelry is valuable & shoes are necessary but makeup is my main concern. Not only can it break, crack, smash, or explode but I love some of my limited edition items which are essentially irreplaceable. I need an excellent makeup case. Melissa Beth has designed this case to be both functional & adorable- there are many styles to choose from! Today I’ll be showing you mine in the shade “Raspberry”.
From melissabeth.com : It’s what is on the inside that counts! Your make up case should be just as fab as your handbag. KISS and MAKE UP is the perfect cosmetic bag for all your essentials. Double sided zip compartments, removable inside pouches and custom brush holders make this make up case something to brag about.

photo MelissaBethKissandMakeupCaseReviewPinkMakeupCase01_zps787f7876.jpg

photo MelissaBethKissandMakeupCaseReviewPinkMakeupCase02_zps8ee35edf.jpg

The exterior is velour & kind of terry cloth like. Soft bust also stain resistant. I like that you can clean it but it isn’t clear or plastic feeling. The piping is super cute & corresponds with the inside. Even the zippers have a cute design that is easy to grip. The lining inside is wipeable so even if there is a spill things are simple to clean up.

photo MelissaBethKissandMakeupCaseReviewPinkMakeupCase05_zps96428475.jpg

On one side you have a brush holder area with stretchy loops. I like to have both brushes & pencil type products here for easy reach. I packed this like a weekender & I take less brushes but I still take quite a few eyeliners so this method is perfect for me!

photo MelissaBethKissandMakeupCaseReviewPinkMakeupCase03_zps435ea517.jpg

In the middle you have a removable & flippable clear pencil type case. it fits my Lorac Pro to Go Palette (review here!) perfectly! If you choose to take more brushes I recommend putting your pencils & lippies in here!

photo MelissaBethKissandMakeupCaseReviewPinkMakeupCase04_zps9bd8ae81.jpg

Turn the flap (or unbutton it & throw it in your purse!) to see both of the clear cases that are also removable. I have my skincare & bases in one & my makeup in the other. For a quick trip this is absolutely perfect! Need more room? Leave these out & pack other items inside for an extended trip. Love it!

You can purchase the Melissa Beth Kiss & Makeup Case in Raspberry here or check out the numerous other colors like teal, lime, or hot pink!

OPI Holiday Manicure with Mariah Carey Holiday 2013

December 24, 2013 By StephanieLouise 204Leave a Comment2013-12-24+18%3A35%3A00StephanieLouise

photo HolidayManicureOPINailArtMariahCareyVisionsofLoveMyFavoriteOrnamentISnowYouloveMe03_zpsea1bca37.jpg

I bought it. Affiliate links.

I love a good mismatched manicure! I picked up 3 of the OPI nail polishes from the Mariah Carey Holiday collection recently & wanted to use them. Lucky for me my nail polish needs to be replaced frequently so I slapped them all on at once! Yeah I’m cool like that.

photo HolidayManicureOPINailArtMariahCareyVisionsofLove02_zpse32bb17c.jpg

photo HolidayManicureOPINailArtMariahCareyVisionsofLove01_zps3ca7629b.jpg

OPI Visions of Love is a gorgeous shade which is why I used it as my base. it doesn’t scream “I’m a holiday polish!” so I thought it would be an easy base. This is a vampy dark oxbloodish red crelly. I used one coat over a base coat because i knew I’d be slapping stuff on top of it. Not bad for one coat honestly.

photo HolidayManicureOPINailArtMariahCareyVisionsofLoveMyFavoriteOrnamentISnowYouloveMe01_zpseb283cb6.jpg

photo HolidayManicureOPINailArtMariahCareyVisionsofLoveMyFavoriteOrnamentISnowYouloveMe02_zps74908175.jpg

The big glitter on my pointer finger is OPI I Snow You Love Me & the dense champagne glitter is OPI My Favorite Ornament. I love both of these actually! The circle glitter is gorgeous although it is kind of difficult to apply. Next time I will apply with a dotting tool & not my brush. I Snow You Love Me was way more wonderfully dense than I had expected! Next time I won’t layer it, I think it will rock on its own!

Did you pick up any of the Mariah Carey Holiday 2013 collection? I got this in a trio from ULTA which you can purchase here. I feel like I’ll be able to use these shades again & again!

Ipsy Bag for December 2013 featuring NYX, Pop Beauty, & More!

December 23, 2013 By StephanieLouise 205Leave a Comment2013-12-23+13%3A51%3A00StephanieLouise

photo December2013IpsyMyGlamBagReview02_zps597f50af.jpg

I bought it. Referral links.

This month I really loved the exterior of my Ipsy bag…the interior though? Not quite for me. For one thing…this is my second bag this month. The first one was trashed. They offered to replace just the 2 items damaged & not the whole bag which was covered in glue & eyeshadow. Bleck. I had to convince them I needed new ones because…well that first bag was garbage. Anyway…now lets get into what was inside the bag!

photo December2013IpsyMyGlamBagReview01_zps8a79565a.jpg

Like I said, I actually really like the bag itself. It looks sleek & waterproof. Functional. Easy to clean. Rarely do I really like the actual Ipsy cosmetic bags so this was a nice surprise.

photo December2013IpsyMyGlamBagReview03_zps65bd2c93.jpg

Here’s what the products looked like before I opened them up & swatched them. The video above is the only swatches for this post…I just think I said enough haha. I’ll reiterate down below though.

photo December2013IpsyMyGlamBagReview04_zpse7888b9e.jpg

Inside my Ipsy December 2013 bag-

NYX Round Lipstick in Iced Honey- Super frosty pink. Not something I’ll personally be wearing because it would drive me nuts. i actually really enjoy the formula on this line so it is a shame I didn’t get a more wearable shade. You can see my swatch in the video. I believe I said something about not wanting to be stuck in the 80s…

Ardell 120 Demi False Lashes- These lashes are a mess. A mess. They feel super plastic-y, cheap, & man there are some seriously wonky ones in there. Multiple individual lashes look screwed up- too long, crooked, bent, short, bending the wrong way….etc. I actually don’t hate getting falsies even though I don’t wear them as often…but please give me something with decent quality.

Nicka K Nail Polish- This is my first nail polish from the brand & I haven’t put it on the nail yet. It doesn’t have a shade anywhere on it but it looks taupe. The bottle shape is cool, i don’t have anything like it. Not something I expected in a holiday type bag though…I would have really liked something glitzy or bold.

Be a Bombshell The One Stick in Girl Crush- I personally can’t see myself wearing this at all. For one thing, it completely blended into just shimmer on my hand. It looks like a lilac-y pink with tons of gold shimmer. Also, this smells crazy funky & is wayyyy too soft texture-wise.

photo December2013IpsyMyGlamBagReview05_zps1b2f3d5f.jpg

Pop Beauty Bright Up Your Life Trio in Smokin Hot- Bah humbug, I feel like I just keep complaining but here’s another item that just isn’t a wow. the middle shade is just okay but the other two are really patchy & crumbly. Plus…another set of smoky colors from Ipsy. Please please please give me something else, I definitely have enough!

I think Ipsy may be losing some major steam & I’m wondering if it will get better or worse in the coming year. While these are products a lot of people would really enjoy, they just aren’t a great fit for me. I’ll give it a few more months because they’re getting together a rewards program & such. In case you aren’t familiar, Ipsy is a monthly beauty subscription service that costs only $10. Please use my referral link if you choose to sign up, I really appreciate it! The nice thing about Ipsy is that it provides me with gifts for others & cosmetic bags to regift as well.

Did you get an Ipsy bag this month? I’ll be putting up my Birchbox soon & have already put up my December Beauty Box 5! I also have a Glossybox on the way…although I have no idea when! What do you think of this bag?

Also DON’T FORGET! I’m giving away a $50 Walmart Gift Card from Herbal Essences! All you need to do is subscribe to me on youtube & comment on this video! Good luck!

Guest Post- Christmas Sweater Nail Art from Cosmetics Aficionado

December 22, 2013 By StephanieLouise 206Leave a Comment2013-12-22+23%3A03%3A00StephanieLouise

Tonight we have an amazing guest post from my fabulous blogging friend Leticia from Cosmetics Aficionado! Her blog, swatches, & makeup looks are absolutely fabulous- check them out here! Also follow her on twitter @CosmAficionado & facebook here! Big thanks to Leticia for this amazing post!

photo christmas-sweater-nail-art-3_zps1d4ec5ac.jpg

photo christmas-sweater-nail-art-2_zps2d15da96.jpg

photo christmas-sweater-nail-art-1_zps434bfba9.jpg

I love fair isle prints on socks and sweaters, so of course I could not resist putting the designs on my nails. I went with a traditional holiday red for a base shade (Paula Dorf Red Face), but you could easily do this on a forest green shade. The design itself was done with white acrylic paint, but you could use your favorite white polish. I wanted to keep it simple, so I went with snowflakes as my main design element. If my nails were big enough I would do a moose, but trees would also look very festive. Do you have a favorite holiday sweater?

Leticia is the blogger behind Cosmetics Aficionado.

nuNAAt Haircare Garlic Magic Review

December 22, 2013 By StephanieLouise 207Leave a CommentnuNAAt+Haircare+Garlic+Magic+Review2013-12-22+20%3A50%3A00StephanieLouise

photo nuNAATGarlicMagicHairReview01_zps9cd644b4.jpg

PR Sample. Affiliate links.

Hair. Man. I’ve been having some fits with mine lately. Why don’t you do as I say hair? But seriously, let me get back on track.the nuNAAT Garlic Magic line was released in August 2013 & I’ve been using the products for almost 2 months. Keep reading to see my thoughts!
This line is targeted towards “slow-to-grow and fragile hair” & since lately my hair has been more fragile than normal I figured it was finally time to try them out. My hair is very dry & unfortunately one of the medications I take makes my hair fall out every once in awhile (even my lashes which is more depressing than I can describe). I actually have very thick, fine, tangly hair. I don’t get excessively oily but I like something that really cleans my scalp since my hair looks best day 2-3 after washing.

From the nuNAAT website- Our Garlic hair care collection is the perfect solution for hair that is especially weak or slow to grow. Formulated with garlic extract, this product line works its magic at the roots, cleansing the scalp of impurities and strengthening hair follicles. Also ideal for fighting dandruff, excessive oiliness and hair loss.

Before using my hair was a bit more dull & I actually really see a difference! My roots get clean without being stripped, my ends aren’t overly dry, & the two styling products are a big hit! Let’s break it down ya’ll!

photo nuNAATGarlicMagicHairReview02_zpsf3138b14.jpg

nuNAAT Garlic Extra Force Shampoo- Formulated with garlic extract to help restore hair’s natural balance for stronger, faster-growing hair. Also helps to fight dandruff, excessive oiliness and hair thinning. Designed for daily use.

nuNAAT Garlic Extra Force Conditioner- Promotes the strengthening of hair, healing from the inside out and leaving hair soft, healthy and shiny. For best results, use daily with NAAT Garlic Extra Force Shampoo.

Both retail for $5.99 each for 16.9 oz.

photo nuNAATGarlicMagicHairReview03_zps90110976.jpg

nuNAAT Garlic Magic Hair Mask- Moisturizes and strengthens hair from the roots. Formulated with garlic extract, this natural hair mask leaves hair with a fresh, clean scent and intense shine. Ideal for controlling frizz. Apply generously to clean hair and slowly massage from the roots to the ends. Let stand for 20 minutes. Rinse thoroughly. $6.99 for 17.6 oz.

photo nuNAATGarlicMagicHairReview04_zps24b70b15.jpg

nuNAAT Garlic Extra Force Styling Cream- This lightweight styling cream works to control frizz while keeping hair moisturized. Designed to be used several times a day, if necessary. $5.99 for 10.5 oz.

I’m really impressed with this line overall! I love the scent- fresh & floral. Not vampire repellant & not garlicky at all, promise! I really love this mask & love how shiny it leaves my hair! The styling cream was a big surprise for me, I normally never use it! I actually really liked using this on my damp hair & hand combing it through my hair. I love leave-in treatments. I’m really happy with the results & super happy with the price! I found my hair looking shinier & more healthy.

The prices are reasonable, I can pick them up at Walgreens, & they are all quite nice sizes. What’s not to love right? You can also purchase from drugstore.com & the nuNAAT website.

L’Occitane Divine Immortelle Eyes & Lotion Review

December 21, 2013 By StephanieLouise 208Leave a Comment2013-12-21+13%3A21%3A00StephanieLouise

photo LOccitaneDivineLotionEyeSkinReview01_zpsfb6f2969.jpg

PR Sample. Affiliate links.

Love luxe skincare? Well then this is the post for you! L’Occitane somewhat recently released their Divine collection & I have two outstanding products to share! Both are skincare, both are beautifully packaged, & both give me that awesome happy feeling. Keep reading to see why!

photo LOccitaneDivineLotionEyeSkinReview02_zps2b2ed45a.jpg

L’Occitane Divine Lotion is absolutely not what I expected & ultimately blew my expectations out of the water. I can’t even contain my excitement over this product! Instead of a moisturizer this is actually a moisturizing toner! I am SO into toners so it figures I’d gravitate to this! I have very dry skin & this milky toner is my answer to winter. With a soft floral scent & luxe texture this product as totally reshaped the way I see toners. I’ve never tried one that wasn’t the consistency of water. You apply this to a cotton round on freshly washed skin. It leaves my skin so soft, not dry or tight & all, & incredibly supple.

photo LOccitaneDivineLotionEyeSkinReview03_zpsf5288df1.jpg

L’Occitane Divine Eyes is packaged in the cutest little bottle with a pump. This is meant for anti-aging & moisturization around the eyes & it delivers.I find this to be kind of a milky gel, strange right? I love how fast it absorbs while still leaving my undereyes feeling moisturized. Although scented, this doesn’t irritate my eyes or the eczema around them. I’m left with really smooth looking & feeling skin around my eyes.

Here’s the not so good news- these products are pricey. The L’Occitane Divine Lotion retails for $54 & the L’Occitane Divine Eyes retails for $76. Ouch. But you only need a small amount of each product, the packaging is luxe, & the ingredients really work. Pricey? Yes. But if they sound like what you’ve been looking for I urge you to try them!

I’ve used lots of L’Occitane products over the years & these are now some of my favorites! What are your L’Occitane favorites?

My Top 5 New Years Resolutions for a Better Me in 2014

December 20, 2013 By StephanieLouise 209Leave a Comment2013-12-20+13%3A51%3A00StephanieLouise

photo PFIZERMainPhotoLove2-14NewYearGetOld_zpsab30c01c.jpg

Smashbox Wondervision Holiday Lip Gloss Set Swatches & Review

December 20, 2013 By StephanieLouise 210Leave a Comment2013-12-20+13%3A17%3A00StephanieLouise

photo SmashboxWondervisionLipGlossSetHoliday2013ReviewSwatches01_zps87bf31d3.jpg

I bought it. Affiliate links.

A Smashbox lip set that’s a steal? Why yes, yes I will snap that up! I bought this for $24 from Sephora (& now it is on sale for only $19!) but is a $95 value. How do they do it? I mean, 5 full size lipglosses…for about the price of one. I do love the holidays! Plus, I like the packaging on these even better than the full sizes I’ve bought over the years! Keep reading to see my review of the Smashbox Wondervision Lip Gloss Set!

photo SmashboxWondervisionLipGlossSetHoliday2013ReviewSwatches02_zps16d22799.jpg

If you aren’t familiar with the Smashbox Lip Enhancing Gloss formula I personally really enjoy it. There are a lot of differences between the entire line- some are creamy & some are shimmer. Also there are 3 different levels of color- Sheer, Tree, & Full. I’ll label each of the shades below accordingly. I just didn’t want any Smashbox newbies to think some aren’t as pigmented or something, they’re actually meant to be different which I love! You aren’t shocked when you swatch or buy them because they tell you beforehand!

photo SmashboxWondervisionLipGlossSetHoliday2013ReviewSwatches03_zps660cc2f2.jpg

You get a really nice variety in this set & the colors are just beautiful. & wearable for me. From bottom to top we have Smashbox Lip Enhancing Gloss in Radiant, Pout, Tease, Luster, & Ruby. Each gloss comes with a doefoot applicator & has a slightly vanilla scent. Each contains 0.09 oz of product.

photo SmashboxWondervisionLipGlossSetHoliday2013ReviewSwatches04_zpsf6455cc3.jpg

photo SmashboxWondervisionLipGlossSetHoliday2013ReviewSwatches05-Copy_zps969145f5.jpg

Left to right we have quick swatches of Smashbox Lip Enhancing Gloss in Radiant (metallic golden rose), Pout (sheer pastel pink), Tease (sheer raspberry), Luster (sheer with golden pearl), Ruby (sheer bright red).

I honestly don’t know if I can pick a favorite from this set, I use them for different things! I love Radiant on top of nude lipsticks to bring some life to my lips. Pout is one I always try to figure out but so far I only wear it over lighter pinks. Tease is gorgeous! I wear it alone! Luster is amazing to top off any shade with some golden sheen, especially in the middle of the lip! Ruby is perfection on its own or over a red lip base! Love! Remember this is limited edition & up on sale on the Sephora site here!

I’m really happy with my purchase, these shades are just fabulous! I know I’ll get a lot of use out of them! Have you tried any Smashbox glosses? What are your favorites?

Glamour Doll Eyes Insider Eyeshadow with Surprise!, Chivalrous, & Vigilante

December 19, 2013 By StephanieLouise 211Leave a Comment2013-12-19+23%3A03%3A00StephanieLouise

photo GlamourDollEyesSupriseChivalrousVigilanteTutorial01_zpsc3df5a4d.jpg

PR Sample. Affiliate links.

Exciting news- I’m now a Glamour Doll Eyes Insider! I had applied while back & somehow by the grace of the eyeshadow gods made the cut! Big stuff! Basically I’ll be posting a minimum of 4 looks per month on the Glamour Doll Eyes Facebook page here but sometimes I think blog posts will pop up too! Because…they’re just too fun! Today I used Surprise!, Chivalrous, & Vigilante Glamour Doll Eyes shadows.

photo GlamourDollEyesSupriseChivalrousVigilanteTutorial03_zps74f90fe6.jpg

photo GlamourDollEyesSurpriseChivalrousVigilanteTutorialEyeshadow012_zps911079f2.jpg

photo GlamourDollEyesSurpriseChivalrousVigilanteTutorialEyeshadow021_zps4b93a28e.jpg

I used my eyeshadow base from Urban Decay then decided to try to find something to make my blue eyes pop. I used Chivalrous on my lid because it is a matte rusty shade with a lovely orange sheen. The beautiful smoky blue with silver shimmer is from the Super Powers collection. It is called Vigilante so of course it is named after Batman! I love the super smoky base, it clung really well & made it look a lot more sultry. On my browbone & as my inner highlight is the shade Surprise! which isn’t currently available. This is Glamour Doll Eyes specialty shade to celebrate their 5th anniversary & it is a gorgeous pearly white with multi-colored shimmer.

photo GlamourDollEyesSupriseChivalrousVigilanteTutorial02_zps1f1f918e.jpg

Obviously this look isn’t something I’d rock to go grocery shopping (okay, I totally would!) but it was super fun & I think it made my eyes look nice & blue! Have you ever tried anything from Glamour Doll Eyes? I have a few past posts you can look up as well! Also, you can purchase them from the Glamour Doll Eyes site…I hope someday I get turned into one of those awesome model photos, they’re fabulous!

Klairs Illuminaiting BB Cream SPF 40 PA++ Review

December 19, 2013 By StephanieLouise 212Leave a Comment2013-12-19+17%3A00%3A00StephanieLouise

PR Sample.

So today I have the Klairs Illuminaiting (yes they spell it that way) Supple Blemish Cream SPF 40 PA++ to review. I’m not sure if that might be another country spelling illuminating a different way or a logical error since this is made in Korea? Either way I was excited- Korean BB creams are said to be the best of the best & I’ve only had the opportunity to try a few! Keep reading to see if this one lives up to the hype!

photo KlairsBBCreamReviewSwatches02_zpsf633df00.jpg

The quick lowdown is that this isn’t a grey tone (many BB creams are), not tested on animals, alcohol free, paraben free, & has a long long list of pros. Some of the main points are intensive sun care, whitening, wrinkle care, & even sebum control.

photo KlairsBBCreamReviewSwatches03_zpsf8a31729.jpg

Th packaging is pretty minimal- a simple black & white tube. The tip is a small entrace, much like a concealer, so you have decent control. I actually don’t mind the packaging too much. It might not be fancy but it seems effective.

photo KlairsBBCreamReviewSwatches04_zps6323d3fd.jpg

photo KlairsBBCreamReviewSwatches05_zpsd2cbbd12.jpg

Something to notes is that this BB cream only comes in one shade, is meant for all skin types, & is meant to be a natural finish. Obviously I can only speak for my own skin which is pretty dry & also quite light. Many of the grey cast BB creams actually look okay on me, I’m pale that way. This one is slightly yellow toned & is really creamy. I tried applying it without a moisturizer underneath but my dry skin looked patchy so I recommend using some kind of base. This wore okay & I liked the overall finish- I really do think it looked quite natural. Another note is that upon application I didn’t have an issue blending. With many BB creams I have to work really face or it kind of “sets” up a bit.

photo GlamourDollEyesSupriseChivalrousVigilanteKlairsBBCreamReviewSwatches01_zps5ba6ca0f.jpg

It says not to apply to blemishes (odd since this is a blemish balm right?) & luckily the main breakout I have right now is on the right side of my chin. I also have very dark undereye circles. I went ahead & applied concealer just on the spots on the right side of my chin & undereye concealer & brightener. I am also wearing blush & highlight, as usual. I also have light redness currently (hello allergies!) which this covered pretty well although you can still see some pinkness around my nose & cheeks. You can still see all of my freckles so this is definitely lighter coverage.

Overall I like this BB cream for easy coverage days & I think I’ll wear this more in the spring & summer when I’m less dry & need less coverage. I think the shade match was quite good considering there was only one- it really blended in well. If you have darker skin, need more coverage, or want a matte finish this won’t be for you!

You can purchase from http://www.wishtrend.com/ & follow them on Facebook here.

Have you ever tried the Klairs BB Cream? What is your favorite BB or CC cream?