IMATS LA 2013: Battle of the Brushes OZ Photos!

January 24, 2013 By StephanieLouise 565Leave a Comment2013-01-24+19%3A13%3A00StephanieLouise

I know I’ve been gone awhile but boy did I need a bit of vacation time! I still have about another week here but now that IMATS LA is over & I’m back from a mini trip to Big Bear I’m going to try to be better about updating! A lot of the items I had prepped to go just didn’t make it here & I honestly am embarassed to photograph at my parent’s house….this lighting is awful!

I thought I’d start off my IMATS LA 2013 posts with one of my absolute favorite parts…Battle of the Brushes! I absolutely love watching these talented makeup artists compete & to make this year even more incredible, the theme was OZ! I went on Sunday so if you were there another day you missed out!

Didn’t they do an amazing job? We were definitely in awe! If I wasn’t already stalking the new movie ( I really, REALLY am!) then I definitely would be now!

Did you attend? What was your favorite part? Are you hoping to go next year if you missed out this time?

What Makeup I Wore to Travel In (12+ Hours)

January 15, 2013 By StephanieLouise 566Leave a Comment2013-01-15+18%3A49%3A00StephanieLouise

So I had meant to take a photo yesterday but honestly I was so overwhelmed I just didn’t! I thought instead I’d list everything I wore & let you know how it held up at least!

Face:
L’Oreal True Match Foundation
Hard Candy Glamoflauge
Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Concealer for Darker Circles
Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Dollface
Skindinavia Skin Setting Spray (before foundation, after, & after all of my makeup)
Milania Multi Tasking Face Powder (not pictured sorry!)

Eyes:
ELF Eyebrow Kit (the powder)
Maybelline Color Tattoo in Barely Branded (all over lid)
Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bold Gold (crease)
Maybelline Colossal Waterproof Mascara

Lips:
Applying lip balm repeatedly like a mad woman.

Everything held up pretty well except my skin was pretty dehydrated. That is normal with flying though & there’s not much I can do about that! The mascara did make my under eyes faintly grey though so I’ll be trying another one next time. I tried to sleep through my first flight so I assume that’s why! I STILL had blush on…man I love the TARTE blushes! My eyeshadow also didn’t budge, props to Maybelline. The Color Tattoos are seriously an incredible creation for me!

Any suggestions on a mascara that won’t transfer for the flight back? What do you wear when you travel?

Conair Topsy Tail & Impressions Hair Brush Review & GIVEAWAY!

January 13, 2013 By StephanieLouise 567Leave a Comment2013-01-13+15%3A28%3A00StephanieLouise

I’m so excited to be showing you guys 2 products (well tools really!) from Conair that I really like! I’ve been using a Topsy Tail for years & have been really enjoying this hair brush! Stay tuned & you’ll have the chance to win them!

Conair^® Topsy Tail

Now you can create six fabulous hairstyles with one tool- a different look for each holiday party! The Conair Topsy Tail is an all-in-one styling tool that creates multiple hairstyles for all hair types. If you can ponytail, you can Topsy Tail! The kit also features the smaller Topsy Tail Jr. which is perfect for smaller sections of hair or just adding that finishing touch for holiday festivities.

The Conair Topsy Tail is available nationwide at mass market and drug store retailers for an average retail price of $4.99.

So I’ve been using a Conair Topsy Tail for a long time now. I’ve bought a lot of hair gadgets over the years but this one is of the few remaining in my collection. Small, simple design but super easy to use & functional! In this set you get a regular sized Topsy Tail & a Jr. Topsy Tail which is for using a smaller amount of hair. I use this most frequently to wrap my ponytails. I always hated trying to place a bobby pin correctly there & this lasts all day easily…& it takes less time for me! This is also great for added touches to simple or fancy updos. I find myself using this a lot when I just don’t know what to do with my hair! The styles are pretty much endless & it only takes a moment to use!

Conair^® Impressions Cushion Brush

Make a lasting impression with the newest patterns of the Conair Impressions Cushion Brush! This brush is ideal for everyday brushing of all hair lengths and is designed to gently detangle wet or dry hair. The flexible cushion base allows for stress-free brushing, and the ball-tipped bristles will not snag or pull hair.

The Conair Impressions Cushion Brush is available nationwide at mass market and drug store retailers for an average retail price of $7.99.

You need a brush, so why not score a super cute one? This print is absolutely adorable & I love it! I think I used to draw something like this all over my notebooks 🙂 This doesn’t snag or pull at my hair so that’s exactly what I look for in your average brush. I have loads of brushes that I use for different types of styles & this works nicely for an overall style!

Now for the giveaway! Conair has graciously offered one of you a set like the ones show above! Score! This giveaway is open to US & Canada residents! I hope you guys love them as much as I do! Huge thank you to Conair for making this possible!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
**Items provided in order to show you the giveaway prizes. All opinions are my own.

Skin: Relogy 3 Step Skincare System Review

January 11, 2013 By StephanieLouise 568Leave a Comment2013-01-11+21%3A24%3A00StephanieLouise

Relogy is a brand that before a month ago was brand new to me! These items target breakouts, are geared towards both men & women, & are 100% vegan. Cool stuff! I decided to wait until my skin started breaking out & unfortunately I didn’t have to wait very long. With the stress of travel imminent, I’ve been using these products for about three & a half weeks!

Relogy Basics:

-Cruelty free and vegan
-Plant-based - no harsh chemicals
-Easy to use - spend less time at the sink
-Use once a day for acne prevention
-Use twice a day for moderate to severe acne

So I have 3 separate products to share with you & each one serves a specific purpose! All come in simple white plastic packaging & all 3 seal up just fine. Nothing fancy but easily functional.

Step 1: Dual Action Treatment Foam– Penetrates skin better, to clear blemishes fast. Apply a quarter size amount to face and areas where acne occurs. Allow to penetrate skin. Rinse with warm water if desired. If excessive drying occurs reduce use to once a day or every other day.

This was definitely the oddest experience for me because this isn’t your average cleanser. Basically, you’re supposed to use this straight from the bottle (it is a foam) instead of your usual soap & water method. This obviously is fine for people who don’t sweat, wear makeup, or have OCD but none of those are for me! It is supposed to remove excess oil & bacteria on the skin but I used my Simple cleanser beforehand. It is super gentle so that it wouldn’t mess with my skin balance & I l get an accurate product read.

I used this at night only because I needed to use my Clarisonic in the morning. I feel like this bottle is going to last a long time because I use only a small amount for my entire face. It feels really odd. It pumps out like a foam but once it starts setting on the face it is tacky. I resist the urge to touch my face then apply the next step.

Step 2: Skin Balancing Lotion with Coconut Milk– Apply a pea-sized amount to clean skin.

So first of all….they aren’t kidding about a pea sized amount. This lotion thins out like crazy so you don’t need to use your usual amount. It comes with a pump so just be mindful. I went ahead & used these 2 steps for 3 days but my cheeks were just too dry. Acne & dry patches are seriously hard to treat so I don’t blame these products for not being able to provide both acne fighting ingredients & lots of moisture to only certain areas. I added in a skin serum & that helped those areas a lot. My skin was then nice & balanced. I also used this only at night because I use SPF during the day.

Optional Step 3: Relogy Targeted Acne Spot Treatment with Seaweed Extract

This is your average rollerball type treatment. I‘m not a huge fan of these & I didn’t see a tremendous difference with use. It isn’t super strong so it won’t peel your skin but it also didn’t seem to penetrate down to target acne below the skin.

Overall, this system isn’t my perfect match. It didn’t help enough with my hormonal acne but it also didn’t dry out my skin! I think this would be great for normal to oily skin with sporadic breakouts. If you have tried Relogy, I’d love to know what you think?

If you’re interested in trying out Relogy, check out their website here! They ship to your door & offer a money back guarantee!

**Items provided in hopes of review. All opinions are my own.

NEW Styli-Style Line & Seal 24 Hour Semi Permanent Eyeliner Swatches & Review!

January 11, 2013 By StephanieLouise 569Leave a Comment2013-01-11+12%3A56%3A00StephanieLouise

Flashback time! Who remembers Styli-Style? I loved them oh so much & was absolutely time warped with excitement when I heard they were coming back into stores near you! What’s different about the brand? They are definitely more cutting edge! Today I’m showing you a good example of that by swatching two of their Styli-Style Line & Seal 24 Hour Semi Permanent Eyeliner shades…& they’re really something!

From Styli-Style: Gel-like formula glides smoothly onto the skin and will remain there all day long – no reapplication needed! Available in 16 fun and wearable shades, this product is a basic necessity for everyone.

First of all, let’s look at packaging. They really though things out & went the logical route by letting you see on the outside exactly what you’ll be getting inside. If there’s glitter, you’ll see glitter. If it is orange, it will be orange. This is way handy for when you have a lot of eyeliners (don’t judge me) & are looking to snap one up fast. It is also awesome when you’re doing the actual shopping because if you don’t want something with glitter, you don’t have to guess!

The formula on these is great! They are super soft & apply like a kohl then set into a long wearing shade. This gives you time to smudge it out if you like! This also doesn’t flake on me which some long wear liners do after about 8 hours. Fading was minimal because once they set, they REALLY set!

The two shades I have are Tangerine & Black Glitter. Both shades are really nicely pigmented (check out how black that black is!) but they’re also a bit more special. Tangerine is a gorgeous shimmery orange with a flash of light pale gold. I don’t think I’ve ever had an orange eyeliner that was long wearing…where was this last fall! Black Glitter is an amazing shade because it is so pigmented yet you can still see the silver glitter! I don’t know if I’ve ever had a long wearing sparkling glitter eyeliner in black that was truly black! They’re usually that disappointing faded black shade.

I highly recommend checking Styli-Style out as it hits stores near you! I love these liners & was totally impressed on both lasting power & pigmentation. 2 big thumbs up! These retail for $5.99 each.

Do you remember Styli-Style? I’ve been hard at work putting their new products to the test & I have to say I’m really impressed! I have more to show you including some jumbo eyeshadow sticks, blush sticks, & glitter lip stains!

**Items provided in hopes of review. All opinions are my own.

Hair: Additional Lengths Dip Dye Ombre Extensions Review

January 10, 2013 By StephanieLouise 570Leave a Comment2013-01-10+21%3A22%3A00StephanieLouise

So just to announce this in the beginning, I WILL have a video about how I blend my extensions into my real hair but I’m having technical issues. Make sure you subscribe to me on Youtube because a video is seriously like a million times easier to show that kind of thing. This was pretty highly requested & I’ll also be showing you guys how I use my Verve y One Bubble Curling Wand. If you’re interested in that…just know it is coming!

OKAY! So now….onto the actual extensions! I am absolutely loving the whole ombre trend but it looks like real people upkeep (not my fake uhg I’m so lazy with my hair upkeep) & I’m still trying to not dye my hair. Desperately. If you saw my review of the oober awesome Anastasia Beverly Hills Hypercolors for Brows & Hair review then you already know the story though. I’m also getting ready for IMATS LA (I leave Monday thus the less posts lately!) & I wanted something really fun but not permanent.

From Additional Lengths:
Our Clip In extensions are produced using 100% human hair (Grade A) and are manufactured to thickness satisfaction, unlike many other clip in sets available.

-Product Length: 18″
-Product Width approx: 12″
-Product Weight approx: 50g
-Clips used: 5 clips

These Clip Ins are 18″ in length, and are ideal to create a dip dye look without the commitment. It can also be used to compliment a full set of extensions by using the 12″ pieces to add extra colour or highlights. Our Clip In hair extensions can be added to your hair in minutes by simply parting your hair, gently back combing the root area, and snapping the clips in place for a more secure hold. Clip In extensions can be added and removed whenever you desire.

& with a solid winning idea, I started using my clip-in extensions from Additional Lengths. They’re a nice fade from top to bottom & that helps give it more dimension. I picked the 18 inch ones to add a bit of length so the blonde would really show at the base of my hair. I know a lot of people like to go dark on the bottom but I prefer light.

This is one long piece with 5 clips (wefts) but it says on the package you can cut it in half to have 2 pieces. Personally, I’m way too scared to do that. I worry it would fray? I’m a chicken but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t let me know if you have tried! I personally like the one long piece although you have to be really careful with placement so that the clips don’t show up by the face. This is one of the main reasons I like curling them!

These are really nice quality, so smooth! I was really impressed…they felt even nicer than my hair at the moment! They held curl like crazy & stayed in really well. It takes a little getting used to in order to apply a half head piece but once I got the setting right, they looked fab. my husband really liked them & I liked that I didn’t have to try my hair to get blonde tips!

What do you think? Would you rock these ombre extensions or do you prefer some that match your hair color?

I also have an Additional Lengths Discount 10% Code: ALLTHINGS

**Products provided in hope of review. I chose my own coloring, length, etc & these are my honest opinions.

Hair: Infiniti PRO by Conair Steam Waver Review

January 9, 2013 By StephanieLouise 571Leave a Comment2013-01-09+20%3A08%3A00StephanieLouise

Flashback with me for a moment will you? Crimpers. Did anyone else use them? I did! even had some with plates that had shapes like hearts & stars. Now come back to the present & I wouldn’t be rocking them. What I DO like are sweet, wearable waves. These are smaller than any of my other wavers but big enough to not look crimped! These waves created with the InfinitiPRO by Conair Steam Waver are perfect!

Infiniti PRO by Conair Steam Waver :

Steam mist infuses hair with healthy moisture
Ionic generator releases up to 100x more concentrated ions than ions created from natural sources
Combination of ions and steam protects the hair from damage and seals in moisture
Less damage and zero hot spots with gentle ceramic plates
Frizz control with tourmaline ceramic technology
Creates shiny, silky waves
437°F high heat
30-second heat up
Auto-off
Limited five-year warranty

So one of the most interesting things about this waver is the addition of steam. You can opt for no steam as well but I liked it! It helped to hydrate my hair. This little reservoir is super easy to refill & you’ll need to refill it at least once if you have thick long hair like mine.

It comes with 3 options, high, medium, & low. This heated up super quick & I barely had to hold it on my hair to get the perfect wave! My hair wasn’t let damaged or dry!

Here you can see I did a small piece & it looks great right? I love the soft wave! After you do your entire head, just run your fingers through your hair a bit to break them up for a more natural look. I like to end it with a bit of hair styling oil at my ends.

The Infiniti PRO by Conair Steam Waver is available nationwide at mass market and drugstore retailers, as well as at www.conair.com, for an average retail price of $68.99.

What do you think? Love these smaller waves? What are your favorite waving tools?

**Product provided in hopes of review. All opinions are my own.

Anastasia Hypercolor Brow & Hair Color Review With LOTS of Photos of my Hair!

January 9, 2013 By StephanieLouise 572Leave a Comment2013-01-09+00%3A10%3A00StephanieLouise

When it comes to my hair, I am trying desperately not to dye it. You’ll be seeing lots of clip ins, temporary colors, natural lightening, & the such around here because I LOVE bright hair but I HATE maintaining it. Now, I’m not going to say I’ll NEVER color my hair again because I’m sure I will but it has taken me ages to grow it out & for now it is bliss using temporary options. Today I have some awesome bright shades in my hair that make me feel like a million bucks thanks to Anastasia Beverly Hills Hypercolor Brow & Hair Powders!

Every time I consider hair chalking, I totally chicken out. My hair is so dry lately than I’m afraid it would break right off. I am absolutely not afraid to play with color & this trend looks so gorgeous…but I don’t want my hair to literally snap. In comes Anastasia with a win! These are very similar to the hair chalk type trend BUT they are way more pigmented, can be used on brows, & they AREN’T drying at all!

From the Anastasia site description:
Wipe on, wash out color. Instant Gratification. Get an intense flash of color without dyeing, bleaching, or spending hours in the salon.
Apply to brows with an angled brush or rub the powder onto the tips of your hair or streak it for outrageously fabulous looks that wash out with ease. Set with hair spray when applying to hair or Brow Gel when applying to the brows.
INTENSE color without dyeing or bleaching.
Works on all hair colors.
Most shades perfect for hair and brows.

I applied some of my leave-in conditioner to my hair to give the colors a little something something to stick to then I sealed it with a bit of a light hold hairspray. This is crazy messy but totally worth it if you love bright locks! I don’t know HOW they did it but these covered every strand I wanted to cover! Perfectly!

Mega Watt Green: My first shade I tried & it is a gorgeous lime green! Gorgeous & so pigmented!

Electric Blue: This is a brightly pigmented true blue. I was afraid this was going to be lighter on but nope!

In the Pink: I love this pink although it isn’t quite as hot as I was expecting. Still absolutely glorious! Note that this shade isn’t intended to be used around your eyes so use at your own risk!

Teal Tornado: This is love. So pigmented, so teal, so perfect. My absolute favorite.

Ulta Violet: This one definitely isn’t as bright as the other shades but it is still purple! I found this one a bit more difficult on my brows because it wasn’t quite as pigmented. If you love me you know I love purple so that was a bummer but Teal Tornado totally made up for it!

Let’s check out each shade on my hair shall we? Bright time ahead ya’ll! Anastasia rocked my world!

Cleanup in between helped cut down on the mess a bit, I used this baby wipe in between each color. I still ended up with a stained hand but after washing it a bit more with a bit of hand sanitizer (for the alcohol) I was good.

I did this fun eye look as well…which…omigosh I wish I could rock this everyday! I set my brows with Anastasia Lash Genius so they didn’t budge a bit. Note I added the pink to the outter corner because this is the only one that isn’t intended for use around the eye…so thus the location of application. I know a lot of people have issues with pinks so I’m thinking that is why?

Even if you just want to use these for your brows for makeup looks, these are a bargain! For one thing, they’re huge! These have 2.1 grams each for only $12.50. Are they messy? Yes. But they are so totally worth it! The pigmentation alone has me weak in the knees!

You can pick these up on the Anastasia website & I also saw these at ULTA last night…with TESTERS! Get on that! Perfect way to see if you’re digging this trend before they’re all snatched up!

**Products provided in hopes of review. All opinions are my own.

Requested: OPI Pamplona Purple & Julie G for Jesse’s Girl in Mermaid’s Tale

January 8, 2013 By StephanieLouise 573Leave a Comment2013-01-08+16%3A15%3A00StephanieLouise

So I have a quick post this morning to fulfill a request form a few readers! Today I show you the test shots from my New Year’s Manicure base.

For the base I use OPI Pamplona Purple & then I sponged Julie G for Jesse’s Girl in Mermaid’s Tale on top. Both of these shades are gorgeous & I will try to remember to photograph it next time I rock this combination! I hope this helps those of you who wanted to see it?

Here’s my original manicure for reference!

Hope this helps those of you who wanted to see the combo! I know these aren’t the best because they were just my test shots to see how the shades came across on camera but at least they’re pretty!

Covergirl BlastFlipsticks Overall Review, Swatches, & Favorites!

January 8, 2013 By StephanieLouise 574Leave a Comment2013-01-08+04%3A53%3A00StephanieLouise

So I was lucky enough to be selected to participate in a Covergirl BzzCampaign which means another review for you guys! I also went out & spent my own money on 2 more lipsticks I had on my beauty list of wants (does anyone else keep one of those?) so I have a total of 5 to share with you! I thought the easiest way to do swatches was makeup chemistry type deals which you’ll see below!

Just in case you haven’t seen the buzz on these yet:
2 lipsticks in 1 BlastFlipstick! Flip your look from day to night, soft to bright, with BlastFlipstick’s double-ended lipstick duos. With a creamy shade on one side and a shimmer shade on the other, it’s two wearable, blendable, lipcolors in one!

So basically a double sided lipstick where each shade can be used alone or together to create a unique look. Cool right? These have a permanent display in the drugstore & have a nice variety of shades. Some things to note is that each shade is very different! Some shades are metallic while others are creams, some have glitter while others have no shimmer at all. Something to really look closely at when picking out your shade!

Packaging: I have so pros & cons when it comes to the packaging! So let’s look at the cons first & end on a positive note shall we? These lipsticks don’t twist down all the way which always upsets me. I’m always way scared I’ll nick it while opening it & make a mess. Another issue isn’t that the shades are sealed (that is a plus actually!) but the way that is is sealed makes the product look messy after you slit it open along the line so you can remove the tube. Just a small pet peeve.

Pros are definitely the look of these lipsticks. I love the fact that the tubes are clear so I don’t have to guess which side I want to use. It won’t be pretty if I make a mess but I like it for now. What I really like is that on the packaging the coloring fades into each colors. Because many of the shades are so similar that is really handy for me as well.

I won’t go over the formula & such on its own because they are all definitely different so check out the color descriptions below! Each lipstick contains 3.8 grams of product. For reference, an average lipstick contains about 4 grams. You’ll see quite a few irregularities on the lipsticks themselves & I wasn’t trying to show them on purpose, that’s just where they were.These have an average lipstick scent that fades pretty quickly. My nose isn’t sensitive to lipsticks though so take that as you will.

800 Whisper: Light Side: Creamy lilac toned baby pink. Shimmer Side: Purple toned mauve with a distinct gold sheen.

I love this combo! The shimmer side is definitely beautiful & looks pretty wicked applied to the middle of the lip.

820 Vixen: Light Side: Shimmery frosted light pink. Darker Side: Shimmery frosted medium pink with a hint of berry.

When I read “Vixen” in the name I expected a vampy something or other so this is a bit of an unexpected color combo. I wish they weren’t both frosted. I will use these over different lipsticks probably but not together.

810 Glimmer: Lighter Shade: Frosty pink. A shade brighter than in Vixen. Darker Shade: Creamy plummy pink.

I love this plum so much! The frosty pink is better than in Vixen because it is a bit darker & brighter. Definitely more usauable although I wouldn’t apply it to my whole lip.

855 Minx: Lighter: Metallic bronzed caramel gold. Darker: Creamy chocolate brown.

Out of all of these shades can you believe this was the one I already had? True story! I picked it up thinking I was going to use it for a Halloween look & never did! I love this deep metallic gold but neither of these shades are super wearable for me & my super fair skin. I don’t care, still like them. Both shades can be completely opaque which is awesome.

840 Stunner: Lighter Side: A sheer bronzed gold with a hint of pink in the base. Darker: Hot coral with flecks of irregular white flakie glitters.

So I bought this & then realized this was what Sofia Vergara was wearing in the ads…could she look more fabulous? It didn’t come out quite the same on me (ah professional editing!) but I do still like it. But not as much as expected sadly. The bits of glitter I can feel on my lips & the lighter side is definitely for layering & really can’t get opaque. Still pretty though & worth it to get that dramatic look!

Overall I like these because they let you play around & find new combinations. I definitely like some of the creamier shades a lot more but the “topper” shades are neat to create ombre lips, add a bit of color to the middle of your lip, or to use on their own.

Have you tried these? What did you think? What are some of your favorite shades?

**Some items were provided for review by BzzAgent while others were bought with my own money. All opinions are my own!