Mini Urban Decay Haul

Welcome to a new year!


As you can probably tell from my previous makeup related posts I have quite a large makeup collection, it's not filled with tons of name brands like some of the women who run these types of blogs, but that's because if I can find a drugstore (cheaper) product that works well I would rather purchase that then spend the extra money on something with a brand name that works the same. Now typically when shopping online for makeup I purchase only when they have good sales or deals going on and this mini haul occurred during a sale that Urban Decay was having due to the holidays. I always recommend to sign up to websites such as Urban Decay, BH Cosmetics, Ulta, E.L.F, etc. because sure you may get some annoying newsletters sometimes, but it's well worth it when they have a good sale going on.  Anyways, they were running a sale because they wouldn't be shipping anything for a couple days and if you purchased during that time period you would receive all these extra goodies, so I decided to make a purchase so I could try some new items and review them for you guys, and it was also a little Christmas present to myself.

 

 

When deciding what to purchase from Urban Decay I couldn't think of anything I really needed, and I was also looking to try more than one item so I decided to go with the Mystery Travel Bag for $16. Pictured above is the travel bag itself, a simple clear makeup bag that meets airlines standards. I know from looking at the websites reviews a lot of people have complaints about there not truly being $45 worth of samples like Urban Decay says it does, but after receiving my bag and doing the math they are right even though it doesn't seem like it. I also found out that these "mystery bags" are not randomized so do not purchase more than one unless you plan on giving it for a gift because you will get the same items every time.

 

Included in the mystery bag is:

 

 

A full sized Lip Junkie Lip Gloss, which is sold for $19, in a shade called Naked. This lip gloss is the perfect shade to wear when rocking a nude lip, it's not sticky, and it seems to last for quite awhile. I would have much preferred to receive the shade of Red Light because a red lip is part of my signature look, but it's always nice to have some good nude glosses and lipsticks.

 

I actually received two of these travel sized Supercurl Curling Mascara, one with my mystery bag and one because of the little deal they were offering during my purchase. Packed inside this pretty gunmetal colored tube is a wand that has powers to separate your lashes, shape them, and boost the curl. The full size of this product sells for $20, it is a good mascara, and I adore the wand, but I feel I could find a drugstore product for half the price that would work just as well. (Travel size is $10)

 

 

This product came to me at about the perfect time, I decided I would test this on New Year's Eve because I had to have my makeup done at 7am before work and make it last until I was done having my fun after midnight. This exact All Nighter Setting Spray is only sold on the site in travel size for $12, and it is well worth it, I would actually buy a full size of this exact formula if they still sold it, but it looks like they have replaced the full size with a new one. The only thing I had to freshen up on my face throughout the day was my lipstick, besides that my makeup looked wonderful from morning till night. On a side note though, it did take a little bit extra time in the shower attempting to wash every bit of my makeup off, but it was worth it.

 

 

I typically do not use items like this 24/7 Eyeshadow Pencil, but I am always willing to try something new. I received this pencil in the shade called Rehab, which is a shade of taupe and works very well with my style. I read the product reviews for these eyeshadow pencils and it seems that the thoughts about them are kind of all over the place and it seems that certain shades have more problems then others. The number one complaint I seen on the reviews was that they became flaky at times, but when pairing this with either my Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer or my NYX Cosmetics Eyeshadow Base I have absolutely no issue.

Included as extras from the sale:

 



 

 Before this order I had already previously purchased the 24/7Glide On Eye Pencil  in Yeyo, which is a pure white that I love to use on my waterline, so when I received another I was pretty excited. The shade I received is called Gunmetal and is a lovely silver color that I also tested on New Year's Eve. My favorite use for this eye pencil is to use it on my lower lash line when I wear a silver smokey eye, it is long lasting, highly pigmented, and smudge proof.

 

 I typically dislike when I get little samples like this, because most of the time they are near useless, but I actually was able to create a wonderful look with this sample set. I used the Half Baked eyeshadow, Evidence eyeshadow, and the Primer Potion along with some other products from Urban Decay to create the look pictured below. The other products I used were the new Naked Beauty Balm that they are releasing to the public on January 8th, the Lip Junkie that I talked about earlier in the post, Rehab Eye Shadow Pencil, and the All Nighter Setting Spray.

 

 

 

I also received two more of these little Primer Potion samples that I talked about earlier in this post.

I discussed this product in my December Ipsy Bag and since then I have had even more of a chance to use this and I have decided I absolutely love it. This Naked Skin Beauty Balm, which will be released on January 8th, has become something I use every day to help create a flawless look.

 

 

Overall, even though a lot of people have complaints about the mystery bag I was satisfied with it, just remember to not purchase it more than once. This bag would be wonderful for someone who has never used Urban Decay before and is looking for samples, or to give as a gift.

 

Coming Soon...

 

In my next blog post, which should be completed within a week of this one, I will be sharing my favorite drugstore products.

 

 

December Ipsy Bag and Beauty Army Box

This month has not only been very busy for me, but it has passed by very quickly and I haven't had much time to dedicate to anything I need to get done such as my December Ipsy and Beauty Army review, but I have finally found a bit of time to finish it up and give you my full review. As I said last month I cancelled my subscription to Birchbox, so until I find another monthly subscription service that I love I will just be sticking to Ipsy and Beauty Army. I have been doing a little research into a couple other companies, but so far I haven't chosen one so if you have any suggestions feel free to comment. Also, before I get into my review I would like to share with you my plan for the new year, during 2013 my goal for this blog is to not only post more frequently, but to also make more tutorials and share more tips, and dabble more into my love for the rockabilly/pin-up beauty scene.

 

 

 

Ipsy Bag

The theme for this month's bag was simply focused on the holidays once again and titled "Haute Holiday".

 

 

For the past couple months Ipsy has been sticking with simple one shade makeup bags and I have been loving them, this month's was silver.

A woman can never have enough primer... I have tested many different kinds of primers in the past year and so far I really haven't been able to pin down a favorite but I do love this Mirabella Prime. I do not use it on my eyes because I use the NYX Cosmetics Eye Shadow Base, but it works wonders for fine lines and helps provide a smoother finish. As I am a HUGE fan of the rockabilly, pin-up, old Hollywood glamour scene making my skin appear flawless is very key to my everyday look and using a primer helps create this for me. 

 

There couldn't have been a more perfect time for me to receive this NYX Loose Pearl Eyeshadow  in Charcoal (darker than it appears in picture), I have been looking for a good shimmery eyeshadow that blended out well and came in a good variety of colors, and for only $3 a piece I definitely want one of these in each color. The color is highly pigmented and a little goes a long way especially when paired with eyeshadow base.

 

 

When we receive products like this 24/7 Eye Pencil from Urban Decay it makes the $10 I spend on my subscription seem so worth it because these bad boys are more expensive to purchase on there own, it also shows that Ipsy is definitely dedicated to us getting quality products. In my makeup bag/storage you could already find one of these pencils in white, but having a black one is definitely a nice addition. I love that these pencils are long lasting, and provide a very smooth application.

 

 

Once again this is one of those products that I am just too pale to give an honest review for, but I do love the concept of these highlighter papers by Mai Couture . They do work very well and provide a wonderful shimmery highlight for wherever you would like to apply, and you can blend them out with a brush if needed.

Honestly the name of this company in itself has made me instantly fall in love with them,  Be a...Bombshell Cosmetics , but they also have wonderful products. Since I have been a subscriber to Ipsy I have had the privilege to test not only this lip gloss but their eyeliner and have loved both products. The lip gloss I received is the shade of "Hot Mess", which is the perfect red hue for any true bombshell. My favorite way to wear this is over a red lip liner for a little extra pop.

 

 

 

Last, but definitely not least, this month Ipsy gave some subscribers, including me, a chance to test a product that hasn't even hit shelves yet called Naked Skin by Urban Decay.  This lightweight beauty balm is oil-free and instantly leaves the skin looking better and also works to better your skin within 8 weeks. Now, I have not been using it for 8 weeks and can not tell you in full detail how much this balm could do in that amount of time, but I do know that it does make an instant difference. This multitasking formula evens out skin tone, minimizes pores, lines, wrinkles and redness, protects with SPF 20, firms skin and improves elasticity, primes the skin for makeup application, and it also hydrates the skin. It works wonderfully and if you would like to try it out yourself it will be released exclusively to the general public on Urban Decay's website on January 8th.

 

 

 Beauty Army

  

 

Another red lip gloss!!! (I can never get enough.) This gloss is long lasting and a wonderful shade of red. I am very picky when it comes to lip glosses because I can not stand a sticky gloss, but this Glow Baby Glow lip gloss in the shade of Blow Kisses from Mark smoothly applies with very little stick.

 

 

I learned about this brand this summer when many women were searching for an easy way to create that textured beachy waves look and I stumbled upon the Not Your Mother's  Beach Babe, which works wonders. So, when I seen that I could test one that is made to help create volume I was excited especially considering a lot of my rockabilly hairstyles take quite a bit of teasing and volume. This hairspray is AMAZING to use when teasing, it took a lot less teasing for me to create perfect volume and it helped make my style last all day, but I barely could get past the disgusting scent. This hairspray is infused with Apple Blossom and Bamboo, but to me (and my boyfriend) it smelled terrible. I basically have to hold my breath when spraying and after I finish my hair I top it off with a spray of my regular good smelling hairspray to mask the scent a bit.

 

These products from Macadamia  quickly have found a place in my heart because I do love having healthy and shiny hair, but I also love being an unnatural redhead which takes A LOT of work. This deep repair masque left my hair smelling good, soft, shiny, and less frizzy. I also use their Healing Oil Treatment near daily and would recommend this brand to anyone.

 

This is one of those products that leaves me slightly puzzled, and I wonder why they would include this in samples, but I chose it anyways just to see what the hubbub was about. Now I have heard many controversial conversations about attempting to fade skin color, I even seen an episode dedicated to this on Tyra once were a women used harmful bleach on her skin in an attempt to lighten her skin color. This fade cream is from Dermisa which is sold in stores such as Walgreens and Target, and it is designed to erase age spots, sun spots, and dark spots, but makes me wonder what it would do for someone who has none of those like myself. I did apply this once but realized quickly that it does not work well with my sensitive skin, I became red and itchy very soon and learned that it contains Hydroquinone and can be harsh on people with sensitive skin.

Another small sample of eyeshadow from Whip Hand Cosmetics that is part of their Limited Edition Camo Collection. This eyeshadow is an almost olive green shade that blends out well but is mess to get out of the container. Whip Hand has wonderful highly pigmented, statement making shades, but I absolutely detest these little bottles that they package them in. 

 

Now I have heard of the Gatsby Salon somewhere at some point but never have heard of their products before I received this Ooh La La Volume Shampoo from them.  Apparently after doing some research into the products they sell a whole line dedicated to creating more volume for the hair, everything from shampoo to hairspray. Now, I do not know how long these products have been around but this particular product on their website has only 6 Facebook likes which leaves me kind of feeling like either no one is using Facebook these days or that a lot of people had the same experience with this product as I did..... nothing changed. I used this shampoo and my hair didn't seem even the slight bit different, no more volume to my hair than normal, and it actually was even duller looking when it dried. 

 

 

Alright, on and ending note I was pretty happy with all of my products from my subscriptions this month and in about a week I will have a post about some wonderful products from Urban Decay I am adding to my makeup collection and I will have full reviews for those and possibly even a lovely makeup tutorial.

 

 

 



November Ipsy Bag, Birchbox, & Beauty Army Box Full Review

Ipsy Bag (Formerly MyGlam)

When I think of November I think of the holiday season, and upcoming holiday parties, and apparently so does Ipsy because this months theme was Party Perfect and was full of a color scheme perfect for the colder months. Overall this month provided us with great products from wonderful brands, that nearly anyone would love to add to there makeup collection.

 

This months bag is basic, well made bag in the shade of chocolate brown.

My favorite product of this month is the Meet Matte Eyeshadow from The Balm in the shade of Matt Batali which is a shade of brown that has a slight hint of plum undertones. (This shade is the perfect color for a smokey eyed look.) This product was a sample shade from The Balm's Matte Eyeshadow Palette that includes nine wonderful matte eye shadows for $34.50.

When I think of lip gloss shades to rock this winter the bareMinerals Marvelous Moxie lip gloss in the shade of Daredevil is one that is perfect. Daredevil is a sparkling blackberry shade that matches wonderfully with the fall/winter trends. Marvelous Moxie lip gloss has vivid color, it is long-lasting and it provides moisture to the lips. These glosses come in twelve different shades that I would love to own for $18 each.

One part of my face I never really focus on is my eyebrows, sure I tweeze and keep them well kept, but I rarely use makeup to emphasize them. One of the products I received this month was the Chella   Eyebrow Defining Gel which is a brand I have never heard of before this. Chella specializes in skin care products, and products for your eyes and brows. The defining gel helps tame the eyebrows, it keeps all hairs exactly where you want them and really finishes up any makeup look you would like to create.

In the past couple of months I have expanded my nail polish collection thanks to my monthly subscription services, some of the polishes have become my absolute favorites and others I just have added to my collection without knowing what I will end up doing with them. This month I received a polish from Tini Beauty's Nailtini Speakeasy Lacquer collection in the shade of millionaire. Millionaire is a shade of rose gold micro glitter, with teal and gold tinsel, that costs $13 a bottle.

I do not mind glitter in certain ways, but the look of the tinsel makes me think of Christmas trees and children, not of a mature woman's nails. Now, Tini Beauty does have some shades of polish I would love to add to my collection, but in my opinion $13 is too much for just one bottle.

In the past years I have never really been a fan of the shade of brown, but in the past couple months I have expanded my wardrobe to include an adorable chocolate brown sweater dress, and have been rocking a brown smokey eye at least once a week. So, when I received this espresso colored eyeliner from Starlet Cosmetics, I was actually excited because all of the rest of my eyeliners are in shades of black. This eyeliner has become key to create my brown smokey eye look that works perfectly for these colder months.

Birchbox

This month's Birchbox will be the last one I receive, since I have been a subscriber to Birchbox the packages I received have really been hit or miss. Most months include five or six samples, but rarely are they good quality, decent sized samples. Once again this month was a letdown, not as bad as the October Birchbox, but not good enough to keep me as a subscriber.

Out of this month's five samples my favorite product was the fragrance from

Jouer Cosmetics that was a blend of jasmine, gardenia, and honeysuckle with a roller ball applicator. I am not a fan of perfumes with a roller ball applicator, I would like for people around me to know that I smell good, not just myself. The scent itself of this perfume is a light feminine floral scent, that makes me think of early spring.

In the past couple month's mascara has been a go to product for my monthly subscription services, so when I seen that I received the Fibre LashXtend from ModelCo in this month's Birchbox my only thought was that it better measure up.... and it did not. The best thing about this mascara is that it was a full sized sample and included a mirror right on the packaging, but it doesn't seem to do much for my eyelashes and there is no way I would pay $24 for such a lousy mascara.

Since I have been a subscriber to Birchbox I have received two different products from Stila Cosmetics and I haven't been overly thrilled with either product. Now I have heard some amazing reviews of products from Stila, but I myself have never tried anything from them that would make me rave. This month's product was the All Over Shimmer Luminizer in the shade of bronze shimmer, which is too orangey for my pale skin tone so I can't give a very thorough review.  (I wish Birchbox would take subscribers skin colors into consideration.)

Like I have said in the past I always appreciate receiving hair products, but this month's hair product I tested three separate days and still didn't see it work. The product is called Curl Keeper from  Curly Hair Solutions and is suppose to provide a voluminous bounce to your curls without making it crunchy, and also keep your frizz in control. To use this product you apply it to your wet hair from root to tip, then let your hair air dry. I tested this three times because I thought maybe my hair was just being difficult on that certain day or something, but every time my curls were less defined than normal and flatter, but it did keep my hair frizz free.

Like all other months Birchbox included a "lifestyle extra", majority of the time this happens to be some sort of food sample, this month's was a small chocolate bar from Chuao Chocolatier. These chocolate bars mostly come in unusual flavors that would make most people second guess even tasting them. The flavor that was included in my Birchbox was the honeycomb flavored chocolate bar that consisted of honey caramelized into bits and cover in dark chocolate, and tasted amazing. Now the other flavors this company creates I am not so sure about, but definitely know that the honeycomb flavor makes me curious to try the others.

Beauty Army

This month's Beauty Army selection was full of items I had never tried before, unlike last month, and I was very happy to see that everything was back to normal and that I had some good options to choose from.

My favorite product from this month's Beauty Army Box is Every Beauty Pedicure Pad . The pedicure pad is meant to remove dry skin without harming the skin, and it works wonderfully. The pad is great for elbows, knees and feet, and is gentle enough to use on dry skin, but also can be used when the skin is wet. When initially testing this product I just used it on my elbows really quick and could immediately feel the results.

One of my favorite products to always have with me is lip balm, I tend to have dry lips a lot and require a lip balm that not only protects my lips but moisturizes them. This month I chose the You Da Balm Coconut Lip Balm, which has the added bonus of being 100% natural. I regret choosing the coconut flavor because the scent and taste was definitely too strong for my liking, but I don't mind the balm itself. I do prefer a lip balm with some SPF protections, and this one lacks that, but I do like using this balm when I am wandering around the house. They offer this balm also in Grapefruit and Tea Tree.

Before this month I have been offered numerous times the chance to choose a mystery sample, which I have always rejected in the past, but when choosing my November samples I decided to take a chance and pick one. My mystery sample was from M.A.D Skincare and was meant to control oil production, calm irritation, and moisturize the skin. Like I always say, when samples are this small it can be difficult to tell if they truly work or not and I didn't notice any difference in my skin within the couple of times I could use it.

When I think of Fall and Winter I think of nature, natural items, and earth tones and that translates into my makeup artistry. In the colder months I tend to lean to more neutral colors and earth tones than I would in the warmer months. This month I received Whip Hand Cosmetics  Loose Pigment Eyeshadow in a shade called Locked & Loaded which is an iridescent brown shade that works great for smokey eyes. The pigment blends out wonderfully, but the container it comes in is difficult to work with, it comes in a tiny jar.

This 7 in 1 shampoo from Nelson J has the ability to replace your shampoo, conditioner, detangler, shine spray, smoothing serums, color protector, and pre-styling lotions. This is the first non-foaming shampoo that not only cleanses hair, but doesn't use harsh chemicals. I was very hesitant at first with this shampoo because I have never heard of it before this, but was surprised when my hair was shiny, soft and easier to comb after the shower. The scent itself of the shampoo is definitely something that takes a bit to get use to, they use a natural mint scent and well it's pretty strong the first time around, but well worth it.

Overall this month my subscriptions offered a lot of products I wouldn't typically buy and brands I would typically try. Like I said earlier in the post I will be discontinuing my subscription to Birchbox because they do not offer enough good sized decent quality products. I will continue my other subscriptions because I do absolutely love Beauty Army and Ipsy. So, stay tuned for the month of December, I am definitely curious myself to see what they come up with.



Just Fab Review

 

Shoe and Accessory Heaven

 

 

A couple months ago I joined Just Fab on a whim, I wasn't sure what to expect, but I had a coupon for my first order that would get me two pairs of shoes for the price of one and just could not pass that up considering I am a shoe lover. After creating a profile and learning a little about how Just Fab works I made my first order, and as of now I am very happy that I didn't pass up the chance. First off if after the end of this you are interested in Just Fab please use this link HERE to reach there website, not only does it direct you to the website, but for every person that uses this link when joining I receive credits, which I definitely would appreciate.

 

How Just Fab Works:

 

1. You take a short style quiz that helps the stylists get to know you better.

2. You receive a personalized boutique of handbags, jewelry and shoes every month.

3. Go Shopping! All of the styles are $39.95 and they offer free shipping and returns.

 

Just Fab is free to join and you have no obligation to purchase every month. The one catch is that if you do not want to purchase in the month you must skip it by the fifth or they will charge you and place a credit on your account which you can use for whatever item you would like. Another bonus that Just Fab offers is hassle free customer service, they are open 24/7 and you can either reach them on the phone, via email, or via live chat, and so far I have add very positive encounters with them.

 

One thing that I have noticed confuses some people is that even though a stylist does select some items they think you would like according to your style quiz, you have the freedom to roam the whole website and choose whatever styles you would like, not just what is in your boutique.

 

Now normally I have a huge difficulty purchasing shoes, and I NEVER have purchased shoes online before this because of the fact that I have larger calves and wide feet which makes it difficult to find a good comfortable fitting shoe. I have complete confidence in purchasing shoes from Just Fab, they carry sizes 5.5 to 11 on a regular basis and they offer simple and free returns/exchanges.

 

Now onto what I have added to my closet since I joined Just Fab, and I might just have to show you a couple items on my wish list to purchase sometime in the next couple months. If you have any questions about Just Fab feel free to comment and I will gladly answer anything for you.

 

 

Just Fab calls this adorable shoe Cher. Yes, they name there whole shoe collection with adorable names. I absolutely loved this shoe, but unfortunately I had to return it because it was too narrow for my wide feet. :(

This lovely boot is named Dharia. The heels are a little high compared to what I am use to, but surprisingly enough they are quite comfortable. These are a perfect addition to my fall collection.

 

This little gem is called Gemma. They offer these in this lovely shade of brown, or in black, before these I didn't own any brown boots so I had to add them to my fall collection. They are a wonderful fit and absolutely adorable. The shade of brown is slightly darker than what is pictured but I actually like them even more because of that.

 

This little doll is called Jillian, and it is part of Just Fab's holiday collection. They also offers these in a vibrant shade of blue and black. I would love to add these to my shoe collection in the near future.