February Julep Maven Box + A Nail Creation

 February is all about the "A-List" and this has to be the best Julep Maven Box I have ever received. I actually typically skip every month because I have a decently large nail polish collection that I am not really looking to expand at the moment, but this month I didn't even get an option to skip and I am kind of glad I didn't.

I believe a top coat is key to completing a nail creation and this polymer top coat called Freedom is spectacular. This top coat gives the appearance of gel-like shine without the hassle and health issues. (Used in the nail creation at the bottom of this post) 

 This nail treatment works to make nails stronger, smoother, and thicker . The directions say to use on clean nails once or twice a week to promote healthy nail growth. I had this on my nails for about three days, it has a subtle pink glow to it and made my nails look healthier.

 Just a simple and cheap eyelash curler.... I have a couple of these in my makeup storage that I rarely use because they just don't work as well, but they are great for travel.

 

 This AMAZING shade of olive green is called "Laura" and is perfect for any bombshell.

This shimmery holographic shade is called "Ginger" and I absolutely LOVE it. I like to pair it with shades of red and pink, but it also looks wonderful on it's own. (Used in nail creation at the bottom of this post)

Julep polishes almost always only require one coat and they dry quickly. Top these polishes with the Freedom Top Coat and you have yourself a simple and beautiful nail creation. Another positive aspect of Julep polishes is they do not contain formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, toluene, or DBP. 

And now for a little nail creation of my own...

What I Used for This Look

Julep's Freedom Top Coat

Julep's Nail Polish in Ginger and Rose

Kiss Nail Dress in Bustier

Scissors 

 First I applied one coat of Rose, which is a bright shade of pink.

 Second I created this design on my nails using one coat of Ginger.

 Then I applied a thin coat of the Freedom Top Coat and let it fully dry for five minutes.

 I cut the Kiss Nail Dress into these strips and applied right between the two shades of polish and applied another coat of the Freedom Top Coat, once again drying it for five minutes.

 And this is the finished look.....

Simple Victory Roll Tutorial

Hello Lovelies!

 

I know I promised a victory roll tutorial and I finally finished it and posted it today! I am so happy to finally be done with this tutorial, I had issues while filming (my camera kept shutting off randomly), and since I filmed it my children pretty much have been sick so I had to keep putting off editing, but now here it is for you to view. Feel free to leave comments or suggestions!

 

Ulta Haul

Hello Lovelies!

 

On Friday night I got a little break from my regular schedule and got the chance to go get some dinner with my love at Buffalo Wild Wings. After our dinner I decided that I wanted to head to Ulta for the first time, I have shopped around online but before Friday I have never stepped foot in the actual store, which I like to call heaven. Now, I wasn't sure what to expect but if you have never been there and you have a fondness for hair and makeup you definitely need to make the trip. Before today I thought of Sephora as heaven, but Ulta has quickly became my favorite.

 

Before I get into sharing the items that I purchased from Ulta I must explain my hauls are going to be a bit different from a lot of beauty gurus. Now I follow a fair share of beauty gurus on Youtube and on here and a lot of them really go all out when they do hauls, and they spend quite a chunk of money, but I can't do that. Now, I am not going to give you some sob story of how difficult my life is because there is a lot of people in this world who don't even have what I do, but basically I am a young mother working to take care of my two children that has an immense passion for fashion and beauty. I am hoping some day I will be able to share my gift and passion with more people, but for now this blog, my Youtube channel, and my Polyvore account (it's almost like a dress up for adults)  is my way to do that.

 

Anyways, now onto the couple of products I decided I couldn't go without today.

 



I am a huge fan of a lot of products from Urban Decay and I have made many small purchases from them, and I have received samples, but I have always lusted after the Naked palettes, so today I finally brought myself to purchase one. Now it took me a little bit of wandering before I finally settled on getting Naked 2, I honestly want both, but I DEFINITELY can not afford that. I do love all of the different shades that both palettes offer, but I went for Naked 2 because of the shades called Blackout and Pistol.

I fell in love with Benefit Cosmetics  because of there amazing graphics and artwork and then I got the chance to try a couple products from them and that solidified my love for the company. Not only does Benefit offer wonderful makeup, but they have a spectacular like of skincare products for pretty much everyone. One of the first products I was able to test was the foamingly clean facial wash, and I have never came across a better face wash, so I decided I had to purchase a full size bottle of it. The Foamingly Clean Face Wash cleanses skin, removes makeup and impurities with a soft, gentle lather. I also love the Refined Finish Facial Polish, but I will leave purchasing that for another day.



Since I absolutely love cosmetics I have heard of  Too Faced many times, but because I am just recently starting to really expand my collection I have never purchased anything from them before. I know they are a good company and they have high quality products, but I decided to try this little sample set of five products. Included in this set is Lashgasm Mascara, Shadow Insurance, Glamour Gloss in Sheer Lilac, Lip Insurance, and Primed & Poreless. The Lashgasm works wonders at making your lashes look longer and it doesn't clump up, I wish it would make my lashes look a bit thicker though. I personally feel that an eye shadow primer is a necessary to create a sleek "flawless" look and I believe the Shadow Insurance works very well, my shadow lasted longer and I had no issues with creasing or smudging of my shadow or my eyeliner. I am not a huge fan of the shade of Glamour Gloss that was included in this set because I am so pale it didn't work well with my skin color, but the gloss lasted long, wasn't sticky, and had a pleasant minty sensation. Before I applied the lip gloss I used the Lip Insurance that was included in the set which helps create a smooth application that lasts longer and provides a good base for color. I feel the same about skin primer that I do about eye shadow primer, so of course I loved the Primer & Poreless which helps minimize the appearance of pores and fine lines. Overall this set is a good beginner set, sample set, or even a gift, that almost every makeup lover could easily enjoy.



 I mentioned in my last tutorial that I somehow managed to lose my last brush for teasing and shaping so I picked up this simple and cheap one here. I use it to help tease when creating either pompadours (poofs), victory rolls, and when I am lusting after a more voluminous look.



After we left Ulta we decided to stop at our local Walmart and wander around for a bit because I had a couple simple things to pickup, and since I work at Walmart I get a little discount. Typically, when I am just wandering aimlessly through the store I tend to thoroughly check out the makeup department and I always stumble upon something I must purchase. This little palette here is from Hard Candy, and it's the Top Ten Eye Shadow Palette in neutral shades. All of the shades are shimmery and so far I have loved it. Hard Candy is definitely a cheaper alternative that has some decent makeup, I use the Glamouflauge concealer almost on a daily basis.

 

 

 

A little look I created with my purchases.....  (Check out the Marvel t-shirt!!)





Feeling Blue! A makeup tutorial using blue/turquoise eyeshadows and winged eyeliner

Hello Lovelies!

 

Just made a simple little tutorial for an eyeshadow look using a couple different shades of blue and turquoise with winged eyeliner. Check it out!

 

Full Product List

Face-

-Mirabella Primer

http://www.mirabellabeauty.com/

-Revlon Photo Ready Foundation in Ivory

http://www.revlon.com/Revlon-Home/Products/Face/Foundation.aspx

-Hard Candy Glamouflauge Concealer

http://www.hardcandy.com/products.php?cat=5#498

-Lipsi Aphrodite Powder

www.lipsicosmetics.com

 

 

Cheeks-

-E.L.F Cosmetics Blush in Mellow Mauve

http://www.eyeslipsface.com/studio/face/blush/studio_blush

 

Lips-

-E.L.F Cosmetics Matte Lip Color in Natural

http://www.eyeslipsface.com/studio/lips/lip_stick/matte_lip_color

 

Eyes-

-NYX Cosmetics Eyeshadow Base

www.nyxcosmetics.com

-E.L.F Cosmetics 144 Piece Ultimate Eyeshadow Palette

http://www.eyeslipsface.com/studio/sets-and-palettes/palettes/144-piece_ultimate_eyeshadow_palette

-Be a Bombshell Cosmetics Eyeliner

http://beabombshellcosmetics.com/eyeliner/

-Urban Decay Supercurl Curling Mascara

http://www.urbandecay.com/supercurl-curling-mascara/280,default,pd.html?start=5&cgid=1_501

 

Books on Vintage/Retro Hairstyles and Makeup

Hello Lovelies!

 

I don't know about you, but I am the type of person that likes to have thorough instructions and pictures to help teach me something new. So, I would love to share some links with you for a couple books on vintage, retro hairstyles that may strike your fancy as they have mine.

 

 

 

Vintage Hairstyling happens to be my absolute favorite book out of the bunch. This full color 200 page book shares with its readers precise directions complimeted with great pictures and wonderful tips

Retro-do's is a 76 page book filled with high quality photos and illustrations for vintage hairstyles with a modern twist.

This book focuses on makeup from the 20's to the 60's, and gives you step-by-step instructions on how to achieve glamorous looks inspired by famous women such as Marilyn Monroe and Jean Harlow.

 

 

On another note, I will be beginning the filming for my victory rolls series of tutorials this week, I planned on already having it done, but my lovely boyfriend left my camera charger at a friend's house after using it to film at one of his concerts.

 

-Bri Grim

Pompadour (Poof) and High Ponytail Video Tutorial

Hello Lovelies!

 

As promised I created a hair tutorial, not the victory roll tutorial I expected to make tonight, but this one is for a pompadour (poof) and high ponytail hairstyle with either a bandana or flower option. I was planning on not only filming this tutorial, but doing the first edition of my victory rolls tutorials, but my camera began to die and my battery charger is on a little road trip with my boyfriend, so for now this one will just have to do. I hope you guys love it, if you have any questions feel free to comment or email me at brianngrim@gmail.com

January Beauty Army Box and Ipsy Bag

Hello Lovelies!

This month seems to be going by very quickly and it is time to review my monthly subscriptions and give you guys an update on what's going on at the moment and what will be coming next. Before I begin my little review I would like to share some information with everyone. Lately I have been working on revamping my blog to make it more appealing for everyone, and hopefully within the month I should have some wonderful new custom graphics. If you have any suggestions at all feel free to comment or email me at briannagrim@gmail.com.

 

Do you like the hairstyles pictured above? If so then you will love the tutorials I am about to begin filming, I will be working on a couple different hairstyle tutorials all including a lovely victory roll so stay tuned.

Ipsy Bag

This month's theme was "Super Star" and was filled with quite the variety of products. The bag itself is a dark blue with a star print on the inside of the bag, it's nice, but I am getting quite bored with getting plain bags, I'm ready for a lovely print. (I am crossing my fingers for something vintage inspired.)

When I opened the package my first thought was, Yay! another makeup brush from SOHO! I received a SoHo Smudge Brush back in September 2012 from Ipsy and absolutely love it and use it on nearly a daily basis, so to add an eyeliner brush from them to my collection is quite exciting. This brush's shape includes a wonderful grip for klutzy women like me whom happen to drop their brushes a lot.

I myself feel that the right hairspray can make or break a hairstyle, and Big Sexy Hair's hairspray is wonderful, a little pricey for my taste considering I go through hairspray very quickly but it works very well. It is quite easy to go overboard with this spray and make your hair very stiff, so remember just a little goes a long way.

Since I am a "pin up girl" red lipstick and red nail polish are staples in my signature look and I am always on the lookout for better products to test and this month I received a lovely red nail polish from Tini Beauty called Bloody Mary. Now, the last polish I received from Tini Beauty that I reviewed I was not a fan of, it was a glittery polish in green and gold, but this one is wonderful. This polish only requires one application for a solid red color, and it dries quickly. I typically use a top coat when doing my nails but I wanted to test it's durability without one and it lasted three days with no chips. This nail polish definitely improves my outlook on Tini Beauty.

Like most people at this point I am definitely ready for spring and summer to come, and this Tuscan Blood Orange Body Butter from Pacifica makes me even more impatient. Typically I am not a fan of orange scented items, but I absolutely adore the scent of this lotion, it has notes of orange which is offset with scents of strawberry and raspberry. I am very picky when it comes to lotions because I do have sensitive skin but my skin had no issue with this lotion and it doesn't leave that nasty greasy feeling some scented lotions leave behind.

 

Obviously, oils such as this argan oil from Josie Maran Cosmetics have been trending in the past year or so and I have received a lot of them with my subscriptions. This argan oil has many different uses which include skin moisturizer, skin treatment, split end treatment, and cuticle softener. I have yet to test all of it's uses but I did test it on my freshly dyed Ruby Rush hair and it did make my hair very soft yet a little greasy. I have yet to notice any difference in my split ends but I do like how soft this oil makes it and that my hair is a little less frizzy on its bad days.

Beauty Army Box

As you can see from this picture this month was Beauty Army's birthday so they included an extra choice this month and I decided to go with the Mark scanda-lash mascara in brown. I rarely purchase brown mascara, but I do like it for more natural looks so I decided to go with brown this time. This mascara separates the lashes wonderfully and is perfect for a more subtle natural look.

Apparently products from Mark have been a favorite for Beauty Army, last month I received this red Mark glow baby glow gloss and this month I not only received the mascara but this pink gloss called Honey, which nicely hook together. This gloss is another product great for a subtle natural look or a colorful eye and nude lip combination. Just like the red glow baby glow this gloss is wonderfully pigmented, non-sticky and quite long lasting.

The past couple months have been quite hectic in my household and honestly I do not make enough money to really have a true spa day so products like these firming eye gels from Skyn Iceland  are very welcomed as samples. Now I did find these soothing for about a total of ten minutes and my eyes felt a little refreshed after, but they are definitely not worth $30 for only eight in a pack. They are suppose to tone de-puff under eye skin within ten minutes, but honestly I didn't even notice a physical difference.

Like I have stated many of times in my posts I am not a fan of small foil samples such as this serum and moisturizer from Enspri Skincare because there is not enough in them to really make a judgement on the product. I did test them but within one application I seen no difference between them and any other average serums and moisturizers.

As you can probably see from my other posts I am a HUGE fan of the Yes to...   products, so I was excited to be able to try something new from them. Now once again back to the foil packet issue, but I did feel refreshed after using this eye treatment and noticed a slight difference, and I have full faith in all of the products from their arsenal. This company is known for their wonderful, hard working, natural products that have rave reviews from customers.

Simple enough this Lash Card  is meant to prevent clumping and smudging of mascara and it is nice to have on hand, but I honestly do not see the point of wasting money on the product unless you absolutely can not apply mascara without causing a disaster.

Yet another small sample of Whip Hand Cosmetics  Camo Collection eyeshadow, this shadow is a beige shade called Air Force. Like explained before this shadow blends well and works well for natural looks, but I really would like a better selection of makeup products then what Beauty Army has been offering lately.

Now, this picture is of a simple subtle two minute look I created using the Mark Scanda-Lash Brown Mascara, the Air Force shadow from Whip Hand Cosmetics, and the Mark Glow Baby Glow Lipgloss in the shade of  Honey.