Preview - Illamasqua Nail Polish

Hey there!

I said that I wouldn't order from Hautelook again because it takes forever to get the items that you purchase. And, the last 2 purchases I made weren't the best products. But when I said I wouldn't do it again...

...I lied.

About a month ago, Hautelook had Illamasqua nail polish on their Mani Mondays. I grabbed the deal. There was NO way I was going to miss out on this high end polish for only $7.50 each. The normal price is $23 plus international shipping. That means I'd never have one of these babies without Hautelook.

I find a lot of nail polish at T.J. Maxx and Marshalls but never an Illamasqua polish. Some of my favorite YouTube gals love their Illamasqua polishes. That's why when Harem, Stance and Raindrops appeared on the Hautelook website, I pounced.

So, in order, I purchased Harem, Stance and Raindrops. Harem was one that is mentioned on YouTube a lot. Stance looked pretty and Raindrops looked amazing! Upon application (onto my nail wheel) Harem and Stance needed 3 coats and Raindrops needed 2.

I haven't worn these lovelies on my fingers yet (too many polishes in rotation but it's coming!) but I'm excited to have them. Keep an eye out and I'll tell you all about them!

Quickie Re-Review - Mally Citychick Smokey Eye Kit

Hey there!

Last year I purchased a Mally Citychick Smokey Eye Kit. The palette itself came with a Base, Browlighter, Lidcolor and Crease color. It's a pretty palette. The color payoff sucks though. Everything was brown but a "it doesn't show up on my eyes" brown. So, this palette stayed in my palette stack for a long time, not being used. Then I decided I needed some powder liner that my lash follicles could breathe through. Guess what slapped me upside the head?!

So, I've been using the brown crease color as eyeliner. Yep! I use a bit of MAC Fix Plus Spray (cause what else am I using it for?) and dap a bit under my eyes or wing it. It works very well, stays all day and at night when I'm removing my makeup, it comes off super easy. And, most of all, it doesn't clog my lash follicles. What more could a woman ask for?!

Well, I mean yeah, I could ask for a palette with great pigmentation but besides that! What could a girl ask for?

e.l.f. Skincare Line

Photo credit: e.l.f. Makeup and Cosmetics Website

 Hey there!

Have you seen the new e.l.f. Skin Care line? They have some pretty interesting products going on. I have really resisted making a purchase but don't these things look good? I mean e.l.f. is really trying to make a mark in skin care. Right now e.l.f. has a handy, dandy kit that you can get 4 of the products in. Let's look, shall we?

The e.l.f. Skincare Daily Hydration Moisturizer ($8) is made with "purified water and essential nutrients". This is supposed to hydrate and nourish your skin. The 4 reviews that are listed vary in their opinion but no one seems to terribly displeased.

e.l.f. Skincare Soothing Serum ($12) is supposed to reduce the look of fine lines by locking in moisture. The reviews on that one are glowing! I've used plenty of serums and other than the smelling good (the one that I am currently road testing) I don't see any pluses. However, from the reviews, it might be worth it to try it as a moisturizer.

The e.l.f. Skincare Illuminating Eye Cream ($10) is also supposed to hydrate and moisturize the skin and minimize the appearance of dark circles and puffiness. It seems like a decent deal but I tread lightly when it comes to eye creams because my eyes are very sensitive. Both reviews are positive but I think I'll pass on it.

e.l.f. Skincare Nourishing Night Cream ($12) is your night cream to match your day cream. The ingredients are about the same and the pictures shows a nice whipped product. I'm not sure if it's thicker or anything (I'd think so) but the reviewers are very happy with the product.

I know that we all had the chance to pre-order but honestly, I like the stuff I'm using now. The kit costs $42 but right now you can get it for $21. That honestly isn't bad when you're talking about a complete, full sized skin care kit. I am hoping that a lot more people put up reviews and maybe some of us will think about taking a try. If I try anything it would be the e.l.f. Skincare Soothing Serum. I have a day and night moisturizer and I love my current eye cream. I don't think I need a soothing serum but for reviewing sake, I'd try it. I'd do anything for you good people, you know that!

Are you interested in any of the new e.l.f. skincare products? Did this review tickle your fancy? Let me know if you purchased a preview pack. What did you think?

(The photo used is from the e.l.f. website and while I spend a ton of money with them, this is NOT a sponsored post in any way, shape or form).

Brush Up On It - Small Kabuki Brushes

Hey there!

I'm going to admit it. I have this feeling you might be able to admit it too. I have no earthly idea what to do with my tiny kabuki brushes.

The last 2 times I purchased e.l.f. products, I got a free kabuki brush. Once I got the super duper soft e.l.f. Kabuki Face Brush and the second time I got the e.l.f. Slanted Kabuki Brush. Both brushes are big fluffy brushes that are super soft. Because they are small, they are kind of hard to grip. I suppose you'd use finishing powder with these but the bristle head is so big I feel like I don't have control of where the powder is going.

There was a small brush in my Too Faced blush palette. It's called a mini Flatbuki brush. It is also super soft and so cute. It's well made and tapered to a point. I guess I could use it for bronzing but really, come on. It's too small for that!

My aunt gave me a makeup brush set and there was a small one in there too. The brand is Beauty Professional. It's a densely packed kabuki brush in a gold, square holder. It is really cute and classy and kinda useless. Of all of the brushes, I could probably get away with using this one except it's not soft at all. It's hard and itchy. This one could cut a girl -- seriously.

So now I have all of these small kabuki brushes -- what do I do with them??

I've been displaying them on my makeup counter but that's not the proper place for them, I know. So what on earth should I do with them? What are you doing with your tiny kabuki brushes? Are you really using them, displaying them or tossing them?

Wet N Wild Fergie Velvet Matte Lip Color

Hey there!

I can't remember the last time I was so unphased by a makeup product. I mean I normally love a product or dislike a product. This product was one that, I don't really care one way or the other.

And, it's my fault actually. I read the reviews. I knew that many folks didn't really like these but I was in my Walgreens and they were $2 each. Do I need to say anything else?

TOP: Trendscendence
BOTTOM: Fashion Darling

These really are matte pencils. They glide on smoothly though because they are soft. They also come out of the tube because they are soft. You can't use the side of them like a lipstick (because they are soft). You have to use the straight on. Does that make sense?

I picked up the colors Trendscendence and Fashion Darling. They are both basically nude. They give off very little color and the best that I can say is that they will be good as far as a lip base. $2 isn't a bad price for a lip base. It's just, I was expecting a nice lip pencil not a lip base.

The products don't last very long and by not very long I mean maybe an hour. They aren't drying so that's a plus but I can't see wearing them on their own. Like I said, they are best as a lip base.

There are 9 colors I could have chosen from. But from what I've read, it doesn't matter. And, none of the other colors were anything I really wanted to try. And, of course, now that I've tried these two, I wouldn't try another color anyway.

These aren't the first Fergie products that I've been disappointed with. I love Wet n Wild products but poor Fergie got the shaft when it came to her line. I've had the worst luck with her items.

I don't think I'll try another Fergie product. My feelings are just too hurt. Have you tried these? What did you think?

What I Drank This Month

Hey there!

I've been drinking this month. I know, what's new? Well, I'm actually talking about coffee type drinking. I haven't been wine drinking much (which is why you haven't seen a Wine About It Wednesday in a while. I've been tea totaling). But, I have been coffee drinking every day. I haven't been experimenting too much because the last few times I did, I was soooo upset. There is nothing worse than sipping a terrible coffee first thing in the morning!

My tried and true, road dog coffee is the Tully's Decaffeinated French Roast. I have to order this online because my local store doesn't carry the decaf version. I love this coffee so much that I have no problem ordering it. I've mentioned it before but when you drink a decaf coffee, it needs to be strong (for me). Most decaf's are medium roast. This one is a dark roast coffee, extra bold. You can't get better than this!

Because I had to order this box, I had to use a substitute until my order came in. The Donut Shop Decaf coffee is ok. It's an extra bold, medium roast. That's not quite as rich as the dark roast. It's a good second choice when I don't have my Tully's though.

The kiddo and I decided to try this Starbucks Caramel coffee that we got from Ross. Sooooo, it's going to work. You know what that means. It was horrible. It tasted like burnt coffee. The kiddo was not a fan at all. I don't blame her. It was pretty nasty.

And, as a little splash of flavor, I've been buying this Torani Salted Caramel flavoring syrup. I like this one but it's hard to find. Many of the Torani syrups come in sugar free and I don't like the after taste. This one is really good. It does taste like caramel. I normally keep 1 at home and 1 in my desk at work.

That's what I've been drinking this month. Nothing fancy, nothing special and next month will be even more boring because I'm so in love with my Tully's decaf that I don't have plans to buy anything else really.

What have you been drinking? Can you recommend a decaf coffee brand?

Favorite Bronzers - January & February

Hey there!

It's winter people. I look like Casper the Friendly Ghost (you know, the black lady version) because I haven't gotten any sun. I am pretty durn pale. So what I have been doing like crazy, is making sure I have bronzer on all the time. I mean like, when I go to the grocery store, I won't put on lipstick but I'll bronze my pastey self.

I've been flitting between the same 2 bronzers since the beginning of January. I thought about it last night and decided I probably need to put them down a bit and use something else for the next 30 days or so. But, I can't put them away without telling you good people what has made my skin not so vampire-ish.

I found my Revlon Photoready Bronzed and Chic Bronzer last year and fell in love. It's the blush that has those 4 quadrants that when blended together create an amazing warm glow on your skin. If you want to go all "sculpty-sculpty" then you can use the bottom 2 quadrants for deep sculpting and then use the top 2 for right above the sculpting point to give some highlight. I don't mean sparkly, shiny highlight. I mean defining the area about where you just bronzed. The price point for this one is about $12.99 (I got mine for about four bucks) but it's well worth it. I promise you!

I've also been using my NYC Smooth Skin Bronzing Face Powder in Sunny. This isn't deep bronzing on my face but it is warm and yummy and gives my face life. I mean it really brightens my face and gives me a glow in these chilly winter months. It runs about $3 (usually less) and it's a cult fave on the blogs and YouTube. Of course I had to run and get it. I must say it is a great purchase. I only use it for warmth and not deep contouring.

So, what will I be using next month? I purchased an e.l.f. Glow Bronzer a few months ago and I just keep forgetting about it. My goal right now is to use it enough to give a really good review on it. I mean I know that I like the color over all but I need to get down in the trenches and figure out how I really like it.

I haven't given my old e.l.f. Contouring Blush & Bronzer duo in St. Lucia any love in a long time. Now, the blush makes me look cray cray but the bronzer is surprisingly amazing on my cheeks. I say surprisingly because to look at it in the pan, it looks unremarkable. On my cheeks, well that's another story.

I also have my Black Radiance Pressed Powder in Honey Amber. Yes, in the summer I can use it as a face powder but in the winter I can use it as a bronzer. Not a full out bronzer but just a touch of color bronzer for those "natural" days.

So Revlon and NYC are going to go on vacation for a bit while I rotate my makeup stash. How else am I going to have know that all my makeup is worthy of staying in my home.

What are you bronzing with this month? Are you as ready for spring as I am?

Butter London's Lolly

Hey there!

I have discovered sooo many new nail polish brands at stores like T.J. Maxx, Marshalls and Ross. Almost all of my Essie, OPI, and China Glaze polishes came from these stores. I find the most gorgeous colors. I can buy whole sets for half or even a third of the full price. I go to those stores first and dig through to find gems. I have found goodies thirty miles or more from home just stopping at a random Marshalls. I love finding a $2.00 bottle of Essie...you know, the same one that I never would have picked up at $8.50. 

In all my years of searching, I have struck gold a lot but I had yet to find a Butter London polish that I liked. I've seen Butter London polishes but not ones that I wanted to put on my finger or toe nails. 

Until now. 

Do you see the magic? Do you understand the joy I felt when I found this bottle of Lolly? I squealed in the store (sales ladies should really get use to this squeal and then dance thing that I do). I put that sucker in my shopping cart and guarded it like it was a newborn child. I'm sure you understand. 

I waited for a week to use this.  I knew that I was going to take my time with this one. And, I knew that it would be my special pop of color for my toes. Yes, I knew that my tootsies would enjoy this luxury. 

If a good Butter London sale pops up, sure I might buy a few to try them out but this is my starter color. I'm going to try this out and see if I like Butter London.

So where my next $60 goes is all up to you Lolly!

Mules Are Back!

Photo credit -Glamour magazine 

Hey there!

I am so excited! Mules are coming baaaaaaaack!!!!!! Are you looking at me and shrugging your shoulders? DO you NOT understand what I am saying to you? I am saying that cute, backless shoes that you slide your toes into (and they may or may not be exposed) that were popular in the 90s and 80s and 70s...well I saw it on "the blogs" and they are coming back!

Photo credit - Amazon.com

I love sandals so it's no big surprise that this form of sandal pleases me so much. Wikipedia doesn't say much about what a mule is but the world wide web sure has lots of pretty mules. My favorite of all time is the original Candies mule.

I remember my first pair of Candies. I died to get those shoes. I don't remember what made my mom ever allow me to get them. Heck, I don't walk in heels now! Can you imagine how many times I must have fallen then? But those Candies were different! They were special. They began my love affair with a slip on shoe.

 

Photo credit - Amazon.com

I don't like shoes at all really. I spend most of my life barefoot. A sandal is a fashion must because, let's face it, it's the next closest thing to barefoot that you can get. And what's next to a sandal? Well yes, a heeled sandal but I mean a mule!

There is something sexy about a bare heel (if it's not all crusty). I mean I love my toes but not everyone is confident about their toes. Not everyone can pull off cute toes. But, some buffing and lotion and you've got some good heels. You can show those suckers off even when your toe nail polish is chipping. That's why a mule is just about the sexiest shoe available.

 

Photo credit - Amazon.com

And that's why I am so excited about these shoes. No, I don't own any of these (yet) but I do own a few pairs of mules and I'm ready to wear them.

And yes, my toes are polished.

Latest Lippie Love Combos

 Hey there!

Normally I keep all of my current lippies just scattered on my makeup counter. They get in the way but I like having them handy (rather than put away nicely, like a normal person) so I decided to put them in an old candle jar. Then, I thought wow, I've been wearing the same color combos a lot! It actually slapped me in the face when I was going to put on my Valentine's Day lip combo. I've actually been wearing my VDay lippie for several days cause it's so pretty. I posted it on my Instagram and thought maybe the good people that read my blog would like to see the rest of my lip combos (of course they would!). So this one is for you!

Let's start with the first lippie love combo. For Valentine's Day (and several days after it) I was loving a pinky red lip. It's crazy how I forget that I can actually pull this off. My complexion has so much red in it, I can pull off a red with very little effort. This one though...wow! It's KatVonD's Studded Kiss Lipstick in Bachelorette and Revlon ColorBurst Lipgloss in Adorned. I line my lips with Rimmel London 1000 Kisses Lip Liner in Cherry Kiss. Va Va Va Voom! I love this combo. So pretty and so perfect for the day o'love!

I like a "nude for me" lipstick combo. There is something sultry about just a hint of color on the lips. One of my favorites is Urban Decay's Ladyflower topped with Milani's Mauve Fetish. I use NYX Nude Pink liner to line my lips. Lovely! It's a light nude that stays in rotation.

My other "just this side of nude" has been Bite Beauty Lipstick in Pepper, NYX Butter Gloss in Angel Food Cake and NYX liner in Nude Pink (again). It's a soft, sweet color that doesn't look like I'm wearing anything but oh, wait, yes I am. Again, looking natural takes a lot of makeup!

My darker nude is a combo of Maybelline ColorSensational Lipstick in Untainted Spice, NYX Butter Gloss in Angel Food Cake (again) and Rimmel Exaggerate Lip Liner in Rich. It's not vampy or anything but it's a deeper nude that I've been loving for the winter months. The lipstick is matte but the Butter Gloss makes it moist. And, the look is day to night fantastic.

I have a ton of lipstick and I could/should be wearing it but these are my faves and they have been making the rounds more than any of the others. I guess it's probably proof that you don't need a ton of makeup to look 'purty' everyday. But really, having less makeup wouldn't be as much fun for either of us, would it?

What had your lips been showing off a lot? Do you have a favorite that you been rocking more than others? Or, are you just ready for the spring colors?!

Eye'll Fix It! Eye Products

Hey there!

With everything that has been going on lately (my getting a life, late night TV, YouTube binge watching, staying up late in general) I have been relying heavily on my eye fit products. When I wake up some mornings, it looks like I didn't get the 6 or 7 hours of sleep that I did get. So, I tend to cheat a little bit.

I've been using my e.l.f. Eye Brightener interchangeably with my BareMinerals Well Rested. I have my Sephora sample of the BareMinerals Well Rested but I purchased the e.l.f. Eye Brightener to try it before dropping the $19 on it. The e.l.f. Eye Brightener is only $3 and honestly...they do the same thing. I promise they do. I don't know if I were any darker that it would work, but it does work under my eye. No, it doesn't make the dark circles go away but it does give me a brighter look under my eye.

I top that with my High Definition Undereye Setting Powder. As I said in my review post, the powder is light-diffusing so it refracts the light that comes to the eye. And, the fact that I wear glasses helps quite a bit. The first few times I wore this, I didn't see the point. Now that I've been using it for several month, I get it. And, I'm not going to stop wearing it.

I use my e.l.f. Flawless Concealer Brush to put both products under my eye. I have two of these brushes because well, it's under the eye. You want to be careful with how many times you use eye products on or around your eyes.

These 3 e.l.f. products have really saved my face. They make me look more awake and refreshed. For $9 I've transformed my sleepy, tired look into a well rested look. I say you try it before spending ten dollars more.

Pop-Arazzi Nail Polish

Hey There!

There is a CVS nail the train station that I park at. I know that it's there but I hardly ever get there. It's on the way home but getting out of the CVS driveway is not as easy as it could be. So, I normally avoid that CVS. Last week, I decided to turn in.

I toured the aisles (like I always do) with a hand cart and my CVS card, searching out deals. I stopped at this new Pop-Arazzi Nail Polish display (yes, I know that I should have taken a picture of it but the sales clerk was eyeballin' me!). I had never seen this display before but all of the pretty spring colors excited me.

I found out later that Pop-Arazzi Nail Polish may or may not be replacing the Spoiled nail polish line. I've never tried anything from the Spoiled nail polish line so I might have missed out on some real gems. But, if Pop-Arazzi is replacing them, I can catch them on the discount somewhere, right?!

Anywho, I did pick up two Pop-Arazzi colors because they were on sale for $2.99 each or 2/$5.00. I chose Short But Sweet and a Pop FX glitter in Sparkle-fetti.

Short But Sweet is like a peachy, coral color. The first coat was streaky as crap and kinda difficult to work with. The second coat was better but not great. The overall look is nice when you look from afar, not so great when you look up close.

The Pop FX glitter however, was amazeballs. It's sparkly and applied easily. I used it as a beautiful topper but I could build this up on it's own easily. It is thick but most glitter polishes are that way on me. I haven't perfected glitter polish yet. I'm working on it! But, this one is so great, I am going back for more.

These were a bit disappointing. I know that they were only $2.50 each but there are dollar polishes that have better formulas. I might give another solid color a try. I will definitely give some more of the Pop FX glitters a try.

Have you seen these? What did you think?

Sample Bin Review - Perfumes

Hey There!

I've been playing in perfume again. With all of the holiday purchases, it was bound to happen. Everyone sends perfume samples! If I had my choice, I'd never get a perfume sample. Send me makeup or skincare samples. Keep your perfume samples.

But I did get them so I've been trying them over the past two months.

Euphoria (1.7oz, $68 Sephora) - This is a heavy scent. It's a spicy scent with (according to sephora.com) notes of mahogany wood, liquid amber and black orchid. It's too strong for me. I like a delicate, soft scent and this is far from it. It would certainly stand out in a crowded room (or train) and I don't like perfumes that do that.

J'adore (1.7 oz, $92 Sephora) - This is a strong scent too but it's a more floral scent. It's wearable but not every day. It's not the floral fragrance that's heavy -- the floral isn't over powering. It's the scent overall that's heavy. It's a winter scent in my book. I'll actually keep this tester and wear it every now and then.

Coco (1.7 oz, $92 Sephora) - I ended up with 2 of these samples. I know I'm going to get reamed for saying anything bad about the premier fragrance of money and power but this is waaay to old lady for me. It's super strong and super heavy. I can't tell you any notes about this one (I mean I couldn't tell you notes period) but it's just thick. Does that make sense to you? It's a thick perfume that my grandma probably would have liked for church on Sunday morning. Yuk.

Miss Dior (1.7 oz, $75 Sephora) - What the hell? I'm mad at Sephora for giving me this! I smell like, I don't know, mixed perfume lady. I can't give you a note or anything. It's not floral. It's not heavy. It's just nasty. The website says blood orange essence and rose essence and amber patchouli essence. Give them damned essences back! This is crap. I will never spray this bottle again. I need to go sniff some coffee beans.

Roadster by Cartier (16oz, $80 Nordstrom) - I think I ran out of sample options and had to get a man fragrance. Before giving this away to one of the guys at work, I thought I'd give it a snifferoo. It's not bad at all. It's manly and not too strong. I'd hug a man that was wearing that.

I still have several samples to try but these were the most recent ones that I had received. I was pretty sure that none of these would be winners. I'm picking with my fragrances and these just seemed like they'd be heavy and not my style. Fingers crossed that the rest of my scents are better.

What are you wearing right now? Was it a store sample or did you seek it out? Are you loving it? Would I love it?

Dollar Tree Parchment Paper, Foil and Storage Bags

Hey There!

Let's move away from makeup today. Let's talk about our homes, shall we?!

I've been in my Dollar Tree a lot lately. I normally don't go in there for paper products and such but my local Target closed so instead of traveling, I've been trying out Dollar Tree brands. Yes, the Dollar Tree has many name brands but I wanted to try brands I hadn't tried before. I wanted to see if they stood up to the stuff I had been using for years.

My first product was the Durable Parchment Paper 25 sq. ft. (Dollar Tree Brand). I bake quite a bit during the holidays. My last parchment paper lasted almost two years and cost me almost $4. It was a 45 sq. ft. roll. This one was, of course a dollar. They both performed exactly the same. There has been no difference at all. I won't pay full price for this item again -- Dollar Tree all the way.

The next item I tried was the Aluminum Foil Sheets 30 sheets, 13.39in. X 10.75in. I've never tried a whole box of Reynolds Wrappers Pop-Up Foil Sheets (25 count, 14 in X 10.25 in). I've only tried sheets from other folks home when I was preparing to go plates. In my opinion, same thing.

Before purchasing these from the Dollar Tree, I always just used foil by the roll. The kiddo and I found we were actually always using the same amount of foil when we baked things or wrapped things. The amount that we used was about the same as the amount that you get in a pop up sheet.

The Reynolds Wrap Foil that I used to purchase is the 75 sq. ft. foil. I know that it's probably more cost effective to purchase this rather than the pop-up sheets, but man! The easy and convenience of these sheets makes it such a better deal for the kiddo and me. We appreciate anything that makes our lives easier AND not cuts our hands!! You know what I mean.

Now, what I did not like was the GoodSense Zipper Seal Freezer & Storage Bags. The first one I pulled out of the box didn't even close. The second one closed but I wouldn't have put anything in it and put it in the freezer. No, I like the stiff, blue Glad Freezer Gallon Zipper Bags. They cost a bit more, yes, but I feel that my food is safe in the freezer.

So yes, yes, no. You find one thing that you didn't like. But, you know what? It only cost me a dollar to figure that out.

That's pretty nice!