Quickie Review - Black Radiance True Complexion Soft Focus Finishing Powder

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I have mentioned before that Black Radiance often gets overlooked in the drugstore store. They are normally in smaller displays, nestled in between 2 larger brands. Or, they sit off to the side and don't catch your eye as you turn the corner of the aisle. I saw this beauty at my local RiteAid for $6.99 with a $1 off coupon ($5.99) only because I was looking at nail polish next to it. It's the Black Radiance True Complexion Soft Focus Finishing Powder. It is huge so it definitely stood out.

The packaging is a bit cheapy cheap but I love the feel of it! It's big and round and all the warm tones blend in together. There appeared to be 3 different shades in the store but I only found 2 of these in Golden Almond Finish. Score, because it looked like my shade.

I shouldn't have been surprised when I tried this and fell in love with it. If I can find Black Radiance in my shade, I normally like it. This is certainly no different. The powder is so soft, it's almost creamy. It blends in like a dream and has no smell at all! The back of the package states that it is lightweight with a silky texture. So true. Because this powder isn't heavy, I can also use this as a blotting powder after work if I have some other place to go.

There is a lot of powder in this container, so it's very cost effective. This is one of the best finishing powders that I've found. I'm very happy that I stumbled upon it.

Nail Polish - January

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I bought more nail polish this month than I have in a very long time. I tried out some gel polishes and I purchased the OPI Shades of Grey collection. I am currently waiting on a Zoya purchase and I have several polishes that I picked up to try.

Wet n Wild polishes are some of my faves, you guys know that. These WnWs are no exception. I picked up 2 of the new colors of Wild Shine - Yo Soy and Who Is Ultra Violet?. Both of these creams are so pretty but would you expect differently? I love WnW! I only chose 2 colors because I have a pretty extensive WnW collection, and I was pretty sure that some of the new colors were probably too close to some of my old ones that I didn't need them.  These however, were too pretty to pass up. The formula appears to be just as good but the wand may end up being a problem. The wand inside the new fangled cap seems a bit flimsy. I haven't used the polish yet (just swatches) so it will be interesting to see how they work out.

I don't normally purchase high end polishes unless I get a great price on them. This Zoya in Monet, was from Ulta. It was on sale for half off but then I got another 1/2 off, plus my $3.50 off coupon - score! I wouldn't wear it alone but on top of a soft color, this would be pretty.

These Julie G's are my very first Julie G's. Of course I've heard of the brand but my RiteAid stores don't always have nice colors. Our seasonal displays often come weeks after everyone else's and we don't have many of them to go around. I had to struggle to find these two colors - Cabana Boy and Peep Toe Pumps. Cabana Boy is a pretty blue cream polish and Peep Toe Pumps is a berry cream color. I have been wearing Peep Toe Pumps for the past 4 days and loving the color. I have no doubt that I will love Cabana Boy just as much when I put it on. My only complaint? The formula is pretty runny.

And what did I wear on my nails besides the Julie G, Peep Toe Pumps? I wore both of these Sally Hansen Insta-Dri polishes. Slick Slate and Expresso were gorgeous colors. I was so pleased with them. The formula was great and they didn't chip for several days. They dry well and you can get away with 1 coat on this brand. I very rarely have a problem with Sally Hansen.

And that's what I wore and purchased this month. Like I said, I purchased some Zoya polishes during their 3 for $15, free shipping plus 3 special polishes (mini's I presume). I don't plan to purchase any more colors next month (unless I find the Sinful Colors Valentine's colors) but I do have quite a few polishes I have to try. You'll get to enjoy that next month...

...unless I do buy a bunch of other polishes.

Which could happen. You know me!

Cheap Eats - Dollar Tree - Snapps brand Crispy Green Bean Fries and Mushroom Bites

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I've been loving up on my local Dollar Trees. I have been getting decorations, snacks, pizza (OMG, the kiddo and I are going to turn into homemade pizzas!), makeup, home goods and just general stuff that I didn't know I needed until I saw them at the store. I can't remember the last time I made it out of there for less than $20.

A few weeks ago I stocked up on freezer snacks. I normally don't get the chance because unless you are going straight home (and I never am) your frozen things will thaw. This particular time I was going straight home and it was pretty chilly outside. My frozen foods made it home safely.

Two of the frozen goodies that I purchased were the Snapps brand Crispy Green Bean Fries and Mushroom Bites. I like fried mushrooms from grills and pubs so I thought these two would be great to try. And who can beat the price ($1)?

Well, first let's look at the picture and then the actual cooked items. The mushroom bites look the same but the crispy green bean fries look NUTHIN' like the picture. I guess that's okay because they tasted nuthin' like they should have. The tasted like steamed green beans with a drizzle of old oil on them. The coating wasn't on the beans. It was off to the side of the beans. They weren't good at all. I trashed them. I don't recommend them.

The mushroom bites were a bit better. They were mushroom pieces shoved together to make a mushroom shape. The batter coating stayed on but didn't offer much in the way of flavor. I at least finished my serving but I didn't save the leftovers.

I just don't think these two items were good. I was hoping that I'd have yet another great dollar find. This wasn't one.

Quickie Review - e.l.f. Lipsticks

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Yeppers, I'm still talking about the things I purchased from e.l.f. In my defense, it was a lot of stuff for under $35! When you have that much stuff to try out, it takes a while.

I purchased 3 lipsticks from e.l.f.; 2 Mineral Lipsticks ($5 on sale for $3.75, Barely Bitten and Rich Raspberry) and 1 Moisturizing Lipstick ($3 on sale for $2.25, Rosy-Go-Round). I've purchased e.l.f. lipsticks before and picked the wrong colors. This time I did quite a bit more research on the web before pulling the trigger.

All of the colors are great. The top color, Barely Bitten, is a reddish brown that works well for fall and winter. It's warm and is a lip liner accentuater. No matter what lip liner I wear, this color makes it better.

The middle one, Rich Raspberry, has to be my favorite. It's a rich berry color that goes so well with my skin tone. It's sweet and I can use this as a year round color.

The bottom color, Rosy-Go-Round, is a berry color too, maybe strawberry. It's a nice red as well but it comes off a bit redder than I want so I add a light brown lip gloss over the top.

Even though these tout lip moisturizing properties, I'm not sure that I'd agree. They are nice on the lips, as long as you wear a lip balm underneath. If you don't, you will have some seriously hurt feelings. Even so, they aren't bad and I don't mind wearing them.

If you are thinking about getting these lipsticks, I'd say go for it! Wear a lip balm and choose your colors carefully. Don't look at the e.l.f website. Go to the internet and see what other people say about the colors. Look at internet swatches and go from there.

If you do that, you'll enjoy these lippies just as much as I do!

Hard Candy eye palette

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My wonderful sister picked up a Hard Candy eye palette for me this Christmas. She knows me so well helps fuel my addiction. 

This lovely kit comes with a small brush (unusable) and a small tube of eyeshadow primer (VERY usable). There are 10 shadows in the black and pink box with a nice sized mirror. It's not the best made box but it's not terrible.

These colors are nicely pigmented, not super pigmented but very usable. I like a softer eye, so this works well for me. You can do a good smokey eye but not a strong smokey eye. It's true that some of the colors resemble each other when swatched but my complexion isn't the best test of that. I have many high end palettes where several shades show up the same on my eye.

The shadows are soft when used with fingers. To me, this is a palette that works best with fingers or those sponge brushes. I find that with the eyeshadow shader brushes, you have to pack on too much product. I swatched 4 of my favorite colors for you (Do you see that raspberry? I love it!).

This is a very nice starter palette or for someone, like me, that likes softer shades on their eyes. The price is right ($4.95) and Hard Candy is a brand known for making good eyeshadows. In my opinion this palette shows that fact.

Quickie Review - Bite Beauty Matte Cream Lip Crayon in Gavi

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Everybody knows that me and Bite Beauty lippies go together. We definitely have a thing going on. Ever since I tried my first Bite Beauty lipstick duo, I have been in love. Recently I purchased my first Bite Beauty Matte Cream Lip Crayon and the love fest continues.

I bought my lip crayon in the color Gavi. Online it's said to be a gorgeous matte peachy nude. That's about right. It's a warm nude that's almost too nude for my complexion. It goes on smoothly, stays on for a few hours and feels hydrating. I just probably should have gotten a different color.

I think for me, this is best as a lip base. A small layer of balm, this lip crayon as a base and whatever color you want, would make a great lip of the day. The Bite Beauty crayon would help maintain the color longer.

I paid $12 minus 20% during the Sephora VIB sale. I am very pleased with it for $9.60. It's a great lip base and I'm sure that other colors would make a great lipstick.

Sample Bin Review - Kiehls

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I whittling my way through my samples folks. It takes a minute because when you find a sample that you like, you stick with it and give it a good try before tossing it or falling in love with it. That's exactly what I did with the Kiehl's facial products that I got in my Black Friday haul. I purchased a Kiehl's Lip Balm and got my Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution and Ultra Facial Cleanser free. I did get quite a few other samples but these are the three items I've been using religiously and now I can tell you what I think of them.  

The Kiehl's lip balm was the item that I actually purchased in order to get all of the other items free. I was excited to try it because at the beginning of December my lips decided that they needed a DEEP exfoliation process and they began to peel and shed. After three days they were so sore I wanted to rip them off. This stuff wasn't the best while they were sore (I think there mus be a menthol type ingredient in it) but once they healed, this was perfect. It is a "petrolatum skin protectant" that "temporarily protects and helps soothe dry lips". It really does that. It is a thin petroleum covering but it does soothe your lips and when used over night, your lips feel soft and supple the next morning. I always wear a lip protectant at night and this one has been great.

It's $7 for a .5 fl. oz. tube. I'll be the first one to tell you that I'm not going to pay that. I can purchase a 3.5 oz. tub of aquaphor for 7 bucks! The only reason I did it this time was because of all the freebies and no shipping and handling. $7 for one tube of lip balm? No. $7 for lip balm, 2 body butters, 2 cleansers, toner, dark spot solution and a facial cleanser? Yes please!

Mentioning facial cleanser, I used the Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cleanser each morning and I really like it! It's not anything super special but it's good at what it does and doesn't break me out or anything. That sounds like giving someone a pat on the back for doing their job BUT skin care is tricky. I have trouble with face products and when I find something that does its job and doesn't irritate my face, I definitely give it a pat on the back. A 2.5 oz tube is $10 and 5 oz tube is $19.50. My sample size was 1 oz and it has been going strong for almost 2 months. Honestly, I could see buying the 5 oz tube. I think I could get 6 months out of it and it works!

The Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution? Ahhh, that's a different situation. I used this bad boy every day and night for 4 weeks. You get good usage out of it so for the $49.50 for 1 fl. oz., wouldn't be so bad for a great serum. You see how much is left? You could make 1 fl. oz. last for several months. But, it's not a great serum. It's not a good serum. I don't think it worked at all. My dark spots are still dark. You know what works much better than this? My .99 cent tube of cocoa butter. I'm done with dark spot serums (unless they are free samples). They just don't seem to do what they say they do. I had a scar on my face and my wrist and after a few weeks of cocoa butter use, they are both gone. Now, this may only work with fresh spots but it still works better than the serums.

See, I am working my way through all of those samples that I get. It's hard work, but I'm making it! Are you finishing up all of those Black Friday samples? What has been working for you and what is going in the trash?

OPI Fifty Shades of Grey

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Yep. Those are the OPI Fifty Shades of Grey minis that you see. I tried to resist. Kinda. I originally saw the full sizes and swatches at my local Sally Beauty supply and they didn't impress me. Then I kept seeing folks with the actual polish and the colors looked gorgeous. I decided that for my peeps, it was my duty to pick them up and tell you about them. I thought that a mini set was the best route. If I decided that I really liked 1 or 2 of them I could purchase the full size but if I didn't like any of them it would be ok.

My Silk Tie is a silver, silky color. It really does remind you of a silk tie, all smooth and shiny. But, it's not overly shiny. It's just a nice, neutral silver (if that makes sense). This is going to be a great base coat for nail art.

Dark Side of the Mood is a fall gray (perhaps a fall grey). It’s deep and rich and screams of the changing of the seasons. I only used 2 coats but I'd probably use 3 on my nails.

Romantically involved is a deep red. It's a nice fall red that is going to get lots of wear. I suspect this will be the first full sized shade that I purchase.

Embrace The Gray is a bluey gray. It's another color that probably needs 3 coats.

Shine for Me is a Sparkly top coat. It's pieces of blue, gray and silver sparkles. It looks fine by itself but it's probably best as a top coat.

And, Cement the Deal is a pale color gray. I think of it as a spring or summer gray. It’s classic and I think it looks pretty good against many skin complexions.

All of these colors are cool colors except Dark Side of the Mood and Romantically Involved. They are warm. On a swatch held up to my hand they are all wearable for me. I'll try them all out but at this point I only see one that I'll purchase a full size of. I say, if you are thinking about getting them...go ahead! I approve.

Brush Up On It!!

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I mentioned that I was going to take the hair donut that I bought from Dollar Tree and try using it to clean my makeup brushes. I've seen a new brush cleaner that's out (Vera Mona Colour Switch Solo is the one I found) and folks have said that the dupe for this is the hair donut. I'm all for an easier way to clean my brushes. And, a dollar is a great deal...if it works. 

Again, I picked up my hair donut at Dollar Tree (for $1) and squeezed it into an empty candle jar. I ran my makeup brushes across it to aid in the cleaning process. Wanna know what I discovered?

Concealer brushes are pretty strong. They stood up to the hair donut. I put some brush cleanser (dawn dish liquid and a touch of olive oil for conditioning) on the brush and swirled it around the donut. It still took just as many wash and rinse times as it normally does when I wash them against the palm of my hand. The friction of the donut works pretty nicely for the concealer brush.

And that's it for the good stuff about the dupe. I used the donut with my e.l.f. Angled Blush Brush. Arggggg! It made the brushes go every which way. I think the bristles are too soft for the hair donut, which makes me wonder if they are too soft to use with the Vera Mona.

In my opinion it just wasn't good. I will keep using the palm of my hand for now. If something new comes along, I'll try it but this was not the way to go for me.

What I Drank This Month

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No, it's not Wine About It Wednesday. This is a glance at the warm beverages I've been partaking of first thing in the morning -- You know, coffee and tea. You can't drink wine at 6am! What kind of lush do you think I am? Never mind. Don't answer that.  

Anywhosie, I drink coffee or tea every morning. It doesn't matter what the weather is like outside. Inside my house the Keurig machine is a'brewing. This month I drank a lot (or a little in one case) of these babies here.

Let's start  with the Archer Farms Candy Cane coffee ($11.98 @ Target). It was going to be something that I really liked or really hated. My favorite Holiday drink from Starbucks is White Chocolate Peppermint Mocha so that tells you, I loved this coffee!! I added white chocolate to this mix and while it didn't rival Starbucks, it was really good. It's a light roast so I go through these 18 count boxes a bit quicker than normal cups. When I have a light roast I usually brew 2 of them at a time in order to make one hardy cup. 

The next coffee is Barista Prima Coffeehouse Decaf Italian Roast ($11.99 @ Bed Bath & Beyond). I have hypertension so I try to only drink decaf each morning. It's hard to find good decaffeinated coffee! Because I drink decaf I really prefer a bold, dark coffee. Most decafs are medium or light. That means I have to brew a small cup in order to get any flavor. This decaf is one that is decent. It's not my favorite but it works better than others. It's a rich flavor that can withstand the half and half creamer that I add. 

The Archer Farms Caramel Macchiato decaffeinated ($11.98 @ Target) is a light roast coffee but if brewed on the smallest cup setting, it works nicely. The caramel notes are really good and it also stands up to a dash of half and half. Sometimes I add the tiniest splash of salted caramel flavored syrup but usually just a bit of sugar and go.

And the Green Mountain Limited Edition Gingerbread coffee (normally $11.98 @ Target on sale for $7.68) that you see? It tasted HORRIBLE! I took three sips and that was all I could stomach. I took that bad boy into work. I thought it was interesting that this is the second Gingerbread coffee I've tried and vetoed but the Gingerbread tea that you see below the coffee is fantastic. 

The Celestial Seasonings Gingerbread Spice Herbal Tea is warm and sweet and I love drinking it before bed. It's seasonal so you have  to stock up at holiday time but it's so worth it. If I'm not mistaken, you can find them discounted now at Target. 

And yes, I get quite a few of my coffees and teas from Target. They have a great selection and when you combine a coupon with a sale and cartwheel, you get a party. The last time I bought three coffees I paid $7 each AND got a $5 Target gift card. Wanna know what I did with the gift card? I used two coupons and got two FREE boxes of tea. How 'bout that?!

My favorite coffee in life (in Kcup form) is Tully's Decaffeinated French Roast. Best. Coffee. Ever! I'm out of it and usually have to order it on line (#DecafProblems). I'm waiting for my BB&B shipment now. 

What have you been drinking? Do you switch it up like I do? Are you enjoying it? I think I'm going to order some regional coffee and see what it I like it. Do you have one That I should try?

L.A. Colors Color Craze Gel Extreme Shine Gel Like Polish

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Let's talk about the L.A. Colors Color Craze Gel Extreme Shine Gel Like Polish I found. I was wandering through the Family Dollar, making sure I didn't miss anything, when I stumbled upon 16 of these little beauties. The colors didn't jump out at me but the Gel Like and Extreme Shine sure did. I like a polish that mimics the salon gel nail qualities and, shine is my middle name (well, not really but you know what I mean). I picked up 2 colors that I thought I could live with and ran home (after paying $1.99 each).

I brought home Mademoiselle (a pink color with brown undertones) and Tempt (a deep navy blue color). I was more excited by Tempt than I was Mademoiselle so that's the one I planned on using.

Let's jump to quality for a minute. Both polishes behaved differently. Tempt went on streaky on coat one and slightly better on coat two. Mademoiselle went on almost opaque on coat one and positively opaque on coat two. Tempt didn't remind me of a gel at all while Mademoiselle looked just like gel nails from the salon.

I didn't expect to see the extreme shine because I always use my Sally Hansen Insta-dri so any shine is because of Sally. The brush is a large brush that isn't tapered and doesn't handle very well. This is actually where you see the poor quality. The brush on Mademoiselle has fibers sticking out that I'll have to cut off before the next use.

Both were a bear to work with. Mademoiselle was a struggle to use but I used it and loved the result. It's a beautiful color that I will enjoy reaching for. Even though it's difficult, I think the end result is so worth it.

Tempt was a different story. It was hard to work with and looked hideous. Because I love you good people, I'll show you what it looked like on my two nails before I risked my base coat on my right hand to get that crap off. I didn't like it. It was streaky and I dared not put on a third coat for fear of it looking caked on and super thick. Let's say horrible together, shall we?

And my nails chipped on day 2. I expect more than that from a gel nail. So while L.A. Colors has jumped on the gel nail band wagon, I don't think it's done a very good job. The formula isn't that good and the lasting power sucks.

I won't be purchasing any more of these.

Making a House a Home - Stor It Vacuum Storage Bag

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I realized I've neglected my Making a House a Home series (ha! one previous post). I can't do that to you good people. Some of you are just waiting to see what you need to do to perfect the place that you live in! If you guys are waiting on me, you poor dears, you probably need to pick up a proper house decorating magazine. You know I don't have any decorating sense! My house theme is "beach front property". It has been that for five years.

But I digress. For those of you that find my house and home posts insightful (or just plain funny) I have a find for you.

I found this Stor It Vacuum Storage Bag at my local Dollar Tree. I had heard so many YouTubers tout its fantasticness. I decided that I needed to try this baby out. With this being only a dollar, it could be the discovery of the year. The kiddo has a ton of clothes and each season, she trades things out. Right now she has three boxes over flowing with summer clothes. I, on the other hand, moved my summer clothes to a 2 foot space in my closet (#ImTheMomIssues).

This Stor It Vacuum Storage Bag said that it gives you three times more space, it's airtight and waterproof and great for storing pillows, bedding, soft toys, clothing and towels. I'm just interested in clothing right now and I have no plans on testing the waterproof theory.

The instructions tell you to pack the bag, close the bag, unscrew the valve cap, suck out the air with a vacuum and screw the valve cap back on. So, I did just that. Except, I don't have a vacuum with a circular hose. My hose is rectangular. So, I opened a bit of the bag and sucked out the air that way and you know what?

IT WORKED!!

Originally when I filled the bag with clothes, It was 8 1/3" high. I didn't count what I put in there but it was the contents of a full paper box. When I sucked the air out, it was 6 1/2" high. I forgot to measure the length of the bag pre and post vacuum, but I can tell you that there was about 2" of shrinkage. That's quite a bit. No, that doesn't seem like 3 times the space BUT when you look at the airless bag, you realize that you can take 2 of these and put them upright in the empty paper box. I do think that it gives you twice the space but not 3 times the space.

But let's be honest. This is a $1 bag. If I can purchase 3 of these and make room for the kiddos off season clothes, my off season clothes and maybe the scarves and gloves that you don't need, then it is certainly worth it.

My vote is that you run out to your dollar store and pick up 2 or 3 of these bags. I think you will be as impressed as I was.

Laila Ali Ceramic Straightener

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My hair has grown quite a bit since I purchased my original flat iron brand 10 or so years ago. I wasn't using the same flat iron from 10 years ago, but I was using the same brand. I've purchased the same Conair flat iron 3 times. I really enjoyed using it!

Recently, I noticed that my Conair was pulling at my hair, even snapping strands out. I was thinking that it was just old and was time to get a new one but in my research I realized that one - my Conair is a 3/4" plate and two - the plate length wasn't long enough for the new length of my hair. It's good for shorter hair but longer hair, not so much (not that my hair is butt long or anything -- just about shoulder length).

So, like I said, I researched my booty off, cause that's what I do. I decided to try the Lila Ali Superior Ceramic Straightener Styling Tool ($26 at Wal-Mart). It boasts " 1" Plates with Rounded Edges" and it "smoothes the liveliest of hair in seconds". It has multiple heat settings (450˚ F being the hottest - I don't use that), 30 second heat up, automatic shut-off and a tangle-free swivel cord. Those were things that I knew I wanted. Some things that it has that I didn't know that I wanted were rounded edges and heat recovery.

I've used the straightener for 2 weeks now and I notice a difference, oh yes ma'am I do. It doesn't take me as long to flat iron my hair after washing it. Part of the reason is the heat recovery (that means it stays the same temperature pass after pass) but the other reason is the length of the ceramic plate. My Conair flat iron is 3 1/4" long and the Laila Ali is 3 1/2" long. That doesn't sound like a big deal but it is. If you take the same section of hair and give it a 1/4 of an inch to spread out, you get heat going to more strands of hair. Yes, you could part off smaller sections of hair but that takes more time and when it already takes an hour (maybe 45 minutes for the first wash after a touch up), you don't want to add time. The last time I flat ironed my hair, (first time after a touch up) it took 35 minutes. Yep, women with coarse hair just went "woah!" all over the place.

The other little gem that I like is the rounded edges. Why didn't someone tell me about this? I can get a curl like nobody's business! I am tossing my head back and forth like my mama put beads on my braids (took some of y'all back huh?!). This really did the trick.

Now, I've only used this for 2 weeks but I am so impressed. I don't flat iron daily and with this baby I can go an extra day or two. Give me a month or so and I'll have to report back if my love for this product is really lust.

I am writing me and this flat iron's names in hearts on my trapper keeper people. Yes, it's that serious.

Ipsy Bag - January

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I got my Ipsy bag this week. I canceled my subscription earlier this month because I was soooo unimpressed with the last 2 bags that I had gotten. I said if I didn't like this one I was done. 

Well, I saw my preview and canceled immediately. 

This isn't a preview or a review. This is me, telling you what I received and what I'm going to do with each of the products. 

The bag itself was a cheapy, cheapy one. Like all of my Ipsy bags, I'll keep it to give a gift in.

I received an Elizabeth Mott All Over Shadow Brush ($9.99 with a 50% off of your total order Ipsy discount). It feels very soft and the handle is a nice size but honestly, I have a ton of shadow brushes just like this one. This will go to a friend.

There were two eye shadow products this month. One was the Pacifica Natural Mineral Coconut Eye Shadow in Treasure ($14 with a 20% off Ipsy discount - DISCLAIMER- you can only purchase the singles in a quad. That's why it's $14) and the other is from Bella Pierre Cosmetics in Whesek ($14.99 with a 25% Ipsy discount). Treasure is a tan that is never going to show up on my eyelids. There is NO reason to even open this one. Whesek appears to be a sparkly steel grey. I don't wear steel grey often so this is also a no for me. These will go to friends as well.

There is a Probelle Nail Lacquer in Into Blue ($6 with a 20% Ipsy discount) that I am very excited to try. It looks like it will be very pretty. And, with the discount, I am tempted to purchase more!

And lastly is a Malin + Goetz Mojito Lip Balm ($12 with a 15% Ipsy discount). It's a thick balm that smells of mint and lemon-lime. There is no color and even though it's thick, it's not too heavy on the lips. It feels comfortable. I might actually like this.

Now, don't get me wrong. I like the cosmetics bag concept. It's nice to get a present and every time someone gives you a gift you aren't going to be in love with it. But it got to the point that I was never in love with it. I was giving more stuff away than I was keeping!  

This month, will all the Ipsy discounts, my bag was worth $37.44 ($56.98 if you pay full price). The only thing that I'm excited about is the nail polish. The lip balm is ok. That's a wrap folks. No more Ipsy bags for me. I was beginning to get the same things over and over in addition to stuff I couldn't use. I think I can mix and match quite a bit for $10. Maybe I'll do a post each month were I create my own $10 or $15 bag with stuff to try for the month (wheels are turning in the head...stay tuned).

In any event, I'd love to know if any of you tried the Ipsy bag. What do you think of it and have you found anything new?

And here it is- what is an Ipsy Bag?(<-- a link to the about Ipsy page only, however my personal link is below), Ipsy is a subscription service makeup bag and for $10 a month, you get a bag and 5 beauty items -- sometimes full size, most of the time sample sizes. Some of the companies that supply items are very well known and some are lesser known companies. 

Quickie Review - e.l.f. Essential Long-Wear Lipliner Pencil

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It's amazing. I just ranted about how the tiny $5 Sephora lip liners were horrible and tugged on my lips and then the next day I pick up my $1 e.l.f. Essential Long-Wear Lipliner Pencils and they work like a dream. 

Yes ma'am. The two cheapo, reapo e.l.f. lip liners wore so beautifully! I purchased Bark and Bitter during my big e.l.f. haul, just hoping they'd be okay. Little did I know that they would be fantastic!

They are soft and glide on so easily. The colors are very pigmented and they stay where you put them. No, they don't last all day but I get several hours wear in. I was pretty impressed. 

I can also get away with filling my lips in with both of these and then just adding a balm for gloss. I like when my lip liner can double as a lipstick. When it's a $1 lip liner that's even better!!

In the $1 line there are only 4 colors total. The two that I am missing are Natural Blush and Mauve Luxe. You know that I won't be missing them for long and at a $1, why should I?

Have you tried these lip liners? Have you noticed an e.l.f. trend in my cosmetics? Yep. I have been preferring the e.l.f. products over more expensive products!

If e.l.f. keeps it up, I won't ever make Sephora VIB Rouge!

Jordana Modern Matte lipstick

Hey There!

Jordana came out with their Modern Matte lipstick line and I, of course, needed to check it out. I mean, I love their lip liners and their Best Lash mascara is truly the best mascara out there (in my opinion). Why wouldn't their lipsticks be great?!

I picked up 2 because the third one was sold out . I purchased Matte Bare and Matte Classy. Matte Frappuccino was one I wanted to try but they had sold out. 

The display was pretty and showed off the 12 that they have in the line. It was a nice array of colors but I wanted to stick with the nudes. 

These lippies go on smooth with a dab of lip balm underneath. I wear lip balm under all lipsticks. There wasn't any tugging at all. The colors I chose were nicely pigmented and they lasted several hours. They wore comfortably and didn't dry out my lips. I tried both of them alone and with a NYX Butter Gloss (Angel Food Cake) over them. The nice thing was that once the gloss wore off, the color was still pretty. 

These lippies were $2.49 each. I know that because of Jordana's price point people assume it's an inferior product. Oh contrair mon frere! Jordana products are VERY good. The lower prices simply allow me to try more of their products. Remember, I have returned some very high end lipsticks because I felt they were too uncomfortable to wear. 

But I digress. Now that I have tried these 2 and like them so much, I will definitely go back and get the third one.  

Stay tuned!