Orange You Loving Orange Lips! Blog Hop featuring Vivids!

May 6, 2013 By StephanieLouise 454Leave a Comment2013-05-06+22%3A16%3A00StephanieLouise

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I feel like this is the year when everyone is looking at me a lot less insane for wearing orange lips & I’m loving it! I’m not afraid to rock a bright eye, cheek, or lip so orange is just too stinking fun no matter where I put it! Leticia of Cosmetics Aficionado put together an awesome blog hop to sing the praises or orange lips so of course I jumped right in! I went the more wild route but if you want to see some wearable orange posts just let me know in the comments!
Technically this is a gradient lip look but many people are calling these ombre lips. I’m not quite sure why… but that’s what they tell me! A gradient is a the fading of 2 or more shades into each other & for this look I paired orange with my natural favorite partner: bright pink. I can’t remember if it was last summer or the summer before but orange & bright pink paired together was SO in. I’ve always loved this combo so fashion be darned I’m going to rock it!

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The orange is Maybelline Vivid shade in Orange Edge & the other is also a Vivid in Fuchsia Flash. These are BOTH limited edition shades & are still available now so if you like them…run to your nearest drugstore! I swatched these shades along with Pop of Cherry (which just might be my favorite!) recently here.

The makeup look I’m wearing was covered in my LORAC Glo-Getter tutorial. But it was pre-mascara so it is far less impressive here 😉 I obviously wear this combo with a more subdued eye…but the lighting was finally right for pictures so I went with it!

What do you think of this combo? Do you love orange lips? What are your favorite orange based shades so I can snap some up? Don’t forget to check out these other orange lip looks! Fabulous!

Nail Art Fashion Challenge: Inspired by Accessories with Mint & Cobalt Blue

May 5, 2013 By StephanieLouise 455Leave a Comment2013-05-05+14%3A06%3A00StephanieLouise

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I somewhat recently joined a new group called Hobby Polish Bloggers & they have put together a fun weekly challenge for May. I’ll post all four topics at the end of the post but this week was “Inspired by Fashion”. I looked through my magazines & was more alert watching TV but instead decided to go a different path. I mean, the accessories I’ve bought recently are fashion right? So if you keep reading you’ll see my adorable (& comfy!) crochet cobalt flats & my perfect for travel bright mint purse!

I bought this purse from Shopko because it is really small but has a place for all my cards & such. I wanted a bright, pop of color bag & this shade reminded me so much of a brightened Essie First Timer swatch I posted that it had to be mine. I needed something small for summer that I could wear to the zoo without lugging around my whole life since I’ve been hurting my shoulders/back doing that. Silly me. I seriously dug 12 lipsticks (not even gloss or balms, just the lipsticks!) out of my medium sized purse the other day.

These flats I picked up on sale from Target in this fab cobalt blue shade. They remind me of the crochet Tom’s shoes (which you can see here if you like) that just didn’t quite fit me right. I love the metal button detail & I think crochet flats are so cute for spring/summer! I even picked up a pair in mint from Kohls which you can see here! Love! I couldn’t find these shoes in the same color on the Target website (but here they are in a nice pink!) so you might need to go in store.

For this manicure I used Essie First Timer (swatches here!) as a base then used my striping tape randomly & topped it with L’Oreal Miss Pixie Nail Polish. This is one of the new jelly shades I’ll be swatching this week & might even be my favorite. I love the stained glass look & the brightness of Essie First Timer peeking through.

What do you guys think? I love this mani & am still wearing it as I type! Do you like this combo?

Laura Mercier La Petite Patisserie Eau Gourmande Fragrance Coffret Review

May 3, 2013 By StephanieLouise 456Leave a Comment2013-05-03+17%3A50%3A00StephanieLouise

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Laura Mercier has put together the perfect trio of fragrances! All three can be layered, worn alone, & will smell divine year round. With the Laura Mercier La Petite Patisserie Eau Gourmande Fragrance Coffret you receive 3 bottles containing 0.5 fl oz in the following fragrances: Vanille, Fresh Fig, & Almond Coconut Milk. This is a perfect choice for Mother’s Day (or to treat yourself!) so let’s look at each fragrance individually.

Treat yourself to a delicious trio of Laura’s best-selling gourmande fragrance sprays. This limited edition collection includes three perfectly portable Eau Gourmandes in Vanille, Fresh Fig and Almond Coconut Milk. Warm, fresh and exotic, wear your favorite alone, or blend and layer for a custom gourmande scent.

Vanille Gourmande Eau Gourmande- Captures the essence of vanilla orchid & vanilla liqueur, vanilla musk, heliotrope, daylily, bourbon vanilla, sandalwood & amber.

Of the 3 fragrances, I think this is definitely the most versatile. Perfect if you love a warm, feminine scent that isn’t aggressive. This is also perfection layered with pretty much anything; use it to class up younger scents or in conjunction with a body mist for a lasting fragrance. I love it.

Fresh Fig Eau Gourmand- Captures the essence of fresh Celeste Figs blended with a dewy fruit bouquet of Apricot Nectar and sensuous Ylang Ylang for a luxurious unique experience.

Fig fragrances are becoming really popular lately but this is my favorite so far. I love the rich scent with a hint of brightness. I’d definitely like a full size & on my skin it smells sophisticated but with a brightness.

Almond Coconut Eau Gourmande- Captures the essence of almond, coconut milk, jasmine, rosewood, ylang-ylang, vanilla, tonka, heliotrope and musk.

This might be my favorite layering scent ever! First of all, my skin pulls jasmine so I love this to begin with in text. It just looks amazing. The scent is perfection & it smells like a luxury vacation scent without being in your face. I’ve been layering this with some of my favorite summer scents & it gives just the perfect amount of refinement. If you’re a fan of coconut scents especially you’ll be laying this all over the place!

This set retails for $45 for 3 0.5 oz bottles of fragrance but it is only being offered for a limited time. I urge you to go take a whiff if you can at your local Laura Mercier counter! I think this is such a bargain since you really don’t need much of each fragrance, they’re just plain lovely, & quickly becoming the most versatile laying fragrances I’ve ever owned.

What are your favorite scents? Do you have a certain attraction to notes like I do with jasmine & coconut? I’m also digging blood orange recently!

This set was provided by PR in consideration of review. All opinions are my own. Affiliate links have been used.

How to Get Beachy Waves for Long Hair (Heat & No Heat!)

May 2, 2013 By StephanieLouise 457Leave a Comment2013-05-02+20%3A29%3A00StephanieLouise

Beauty Box 5 for April 2013 featuring Model Co, Brazen Cosmetics, & More!

May 2, 2013 By StephanieLouise 458Leave a Comment2013-05-02+14%3A16%3A00StephanieLouise

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For April Beauty Box 5 (or BB5 as I call it!) had kind of a natural beauty feel going on. As usual they did a great job hitting multiple categories: eyes. lips, face, body, & beauty tool. I love variety! We also got 3 full size products which is wonderful! Keep reading to see what what inside!

LA Fresh Instant Body Soother Wipes- I received two of these single use sheets in Peppermint Moisture. I think I got these awhile back in a Birchbox & saved them for travel. Basically they look like a wet wipe & moisturize skin (arms, legs, temples, wherever) without leaving skin tight.

Brush Hanger from Minxxette- So this is a product I’m not sure of because right after I took this picture it fell off the window…I’ll need to mess with this more. These were created to hang brushes upside down to dry to avoid water damage to the ferrule which can make brushes start to shed because it breaks down the adhesive.

Oil Absorbing Facial Tissues from Jean Pierre Cosmetics- This is a full size sample with 50 sheets. I’m not super picky about these but they work!

Illusion Lip Pencil from Model Co- I’m not sure how I didn’t manage to take a picture of this pencil (shame on me) but maybe I need to do a single review. Basically it is a lipliner that is meant to “enhance your lip shape naturally” with a wax pencil in a neutral shade.

Brazen Cosmetics Eyeshadow in Birthday Suit- I really personally like this shade & it has more coverage than I was expecting. I’m used to getting sheer champagne shades in loose form so this was a welcomed change!

So that’s my Beauty Box 5 for this month! Are you subscribed? What did you think of this box?

NEW Maybelline Color Tattoo Shades for Summer 2013 Swatches & Review

May 1, 2013 By StephanieLouise 459Leave a Comment2013-05-01+22%3A43%3A00StephanieLouise

If you read my post on the new limited edition Maybelline Color Tattoo in Precious Pearl then you knew this post was coming. Maybelline Color Tattoos are just plain awesome, the only bad thing about them is that they can’t call be permanent! This collection brings about duochromes…let those angels sing. I passed on two shades (a yellow & an icy lavender) but I did pick up 5 which you can see below! [Read more…]

Essie Resort 2013 Collection Swatches & Review

May 1, 2013 By StephanieLouise 460Leave a Comment2013-05-01+14%3A57%3A00StephanieLouise

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I fell in love with this collection. I actually passed on only one shade ( Under Where?) because I thought it looked too much like another shade I own. I’m kicking myself a bit & might need that one in the end. I have a nail polish problem! The shades I did end up with are really gorgeous & must haves in my book if you don’t have something similar! Keep reading to see swatches & review!

Essie In the Cab-Ana- A bright light blue with a hint of dustiness. In case you feel like you’ve heard that description before… Zoya Rocky from yesterdays review was a little bit similar! However Rocky is noticeably dustier & In the Cab-ana is brighter. 2 easy coats.

Essie Come Here!- A bright red/orange cream. I’ve seen this look totally different in other swatches so I think this plays off skintones. You can see it leans more red on me! 2 coats & this finish was nice & even.

Essie First Timer- A brightened light mint. I love the look of this shade & it really looks fabulous on. If you pass this one up I think you’ll regret it! I’ve worn it for about a week now! 2 easy coats.

Base shade is Essie In the Cab-Ana, flower is Essie Come Here!, leaves Essie First Timer, flower center is Zoya Thandie which I reviewed yesterday here.

Which shade is your favorite? Did the Essie Resort collection catch your eye too? Tell me…do I need the one shade I passed on?

You can purchase these shades online from Nordstrom (affiliate links) if you can’t find them in store: In the Cab-ana, First Timer, Come Here!, & Under Where? or in a cute mini set.

Zoya Stunning Nail Polish Collection Swatches & Review

April 30, 2013 By StephanieLouise 461Leave a Comment2013-04-30+22%3A37%3A00StephanieLouise

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If you’ve been following my blog for awhile then you might remember my Zoya Beach swatches & Zoya Surf swatches from last year. Every season Zoya puts out amazing collections but I think summer is my very favorite! This year Zoya brought out the big guns with Stunning & Irresistible which I’ll be reviewing soon. When it comes to cream formula Zoya is always a hit for me…& this collection is no different! I reviewed the Zoya Pixie Dust line which released recently too…I love these textured polishes! With Zoya Stunning we have some bright, beautiful shades that scream sunshine & margaritas! Keep reading to see swatches & reviews!

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Zoya Darcy- A bright yellow cream with hidden shimmer. I love the sunny nature of this shade & I don’t have a yellow quite this warm. I was really afraid this wouldn’t look good against my skin but I quite liked it! I did need 3 coats for full opacity though so I advise going with thin coats!

Zoya Thandie- A right orange with a touch of coral & hidden shimmer. I love this shade & it looks a bit brighter once on the nails. Perfect for summer. 2 coats.

Zoya Micky- A coral leaning medium pink with hidden shimmer. I absolutely adore this shade, it is just the right blend of pink & coral! 3 thin coats worked best.

Zoya Yana- A bright red leaning pink. Sorry, my camera thought this was a tad neon! Again with a bit of hidden shimmer which adds something special to this very bright shade! 2 easy coats.

Zoya Josie- A perfect grassy green. No shimmer in this one. It is beautiful & so easy to wear. 2 easy coats.

Zoya Rocky- A softened sky blue cream. Bright but also has a touch of dustiness which makes it different from others in my stash. No shimmer. 2 coats.

It is really hard for me to pick favorites but I think I’ll go with Micky & Josie because I see myself wearing them the most! I love that all of these shades scream summer but I don’t have a dead on dupe for any of them!

You can purchase Zoya polishes online for $9 each or buy the entire Stunning set here.

Which shades are your favorite? Have you tried any of these shades? Are you excited to see Zoya Irresistible soon? Love me some foils!

NEW Maybelline Color Tattoo in Precious Pearl Swatches, Review, & Comparison

April 30, 2013 By StephanieLouise 462Leave a Comment2013-04-30+19%3A44%3A00StephanieLouise

Maybelline has come out with new Color Tattoos so you know I had to run out & pick them up! I’ll be showing 5 from the new display soon but first I wanted to show #10 Precious Pearl. I love neutral bases & these Maybelline Color Tattoos make the perfect eyeshadow or shadow base for me! Comparisons can be so helpful with cream eyeshadows don’t you think? I also decided to show this shade next to #100 Barely Beige & #70 Barely Branded for reference. Keep reading to see more! [Read more…]

Glossybox USA April 2013 Open Box with Mini Reviews!

April 30, 2013 By StephanieLouise 463Leave a Comment2013-04-30+15%3A38%3A00StephanieLouise

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For April 2013 GLOSSYBOX focused on beauty wellness & stocked the box with goodies that amp up natural beauty. If you haven’t joined Glossybox yet it is a beauty subscription service which comes packaged in a sturdy reuseable box ( I’m currently trying to decide what to do with all of mine!) for $21 a month. Also Glossybox opted for a full shoppable online only magazine this month (You can view it here) where you can shop directly online. I personally like the Glossy Mags included every month but I think this would be much easier to purchase from! Keep reading to see all of the items included this month!

Alterna Haircare Bamboo Style Boho Waves Tousled Texture Mist– I love this time of year for samples because we start getting hair care for that beachy look! Love it! This is meant to be sprayed on damp hair from root to ends then shaped with fingers. I personally like to twist my hair or put it in a few brands to dry because I have straighter hair in the front. I really like the scent on this product, it just smells really clean with a slightly green smell.

Bvlgari Eau Parfumee au the Blanc Tea Bag for Bath- I used this in my bath last night & it is really lovely! With the scent of white tea & luxury it would make a wonderful gift for guests as well. Smells divine.

The Honest Company Honest Organic Lip Balm- I assume everyone got different scents but I’m really happy with the balm I got in Sweet Orange Vanilla which reminds me of orange creamsicles! These balms are USDA Organic & have lots of nourishing ingredients like jojoba oil, coconut, & rich Omegas.

Wash with Joe Coffeemint Invigorating Body Wash– This is a nice sized sample of a body wash that smells really energizing. I love mint in my morning products! This smells wonderful in the morning time!

Le Metier De Beaute Replenishing Daily Solution SPF 30– This daily product (about 1-2 uses in this packet) is supposed to protect, condition, & hydrate while nourishing, rejuvenating, & detoxifies skin. That is a lot to take in! This is also paraben-free & quite pricey at $225 for 1.7 oz. Included is a $75 gift towards the purchase pf the product.

TIGI Cosmetics Glow Blush in Lovely- Love getting a full sized blush in this box & with a value of $22 it pays for itself! I really like this rosy pink shade & it gives off a nice glow. It reminds me a bit of the Milani blushes but contains finer shimmer so it looks more like a healthy flush.

Overall I really liked this box! I’ve never tried a Wash With Joe product before & after trying this I think I need to invest in a full size! I also really love the lip balm, it feels so hydrating without being thick or slick. & it smells so good! The blush is a perfect me shade for year round use too. This box was definitely worth the cost for me personally!

What do you think of this GLOSSYBOX? If you get GLOSSYBOX, did you receive anything different? Feel free to link your post below because I’d love to see it!

**This box was provided by PR. All opinions are my own. Affiliate links have been used. Any purchases go towards helping support this blog & are appreciated!