Small Haul 12/27/2011 + Update

Hey all!

Am loving my new job.  There I said it.  I actually love my new job!  And there is a possibility of a promotion in a week...so that means...EPIC HAULING!

I hope everyone's holidays went well.  I went back to Indiana, did not get to stop in Michigan City (bummer, no chance to hit CCO), but had a lovely time with my family over Christmas.  We were lucky in that our region did not get a white christmas, which I was really relieved over.  It seems that over the past 5 years, me and the BF always drive through ice, ice and more ice.  Unfortunately, the visit was too short, and back to MI we came.    

I have a haul from back in mid to late November that I had yet to put up.  I'm presenting this now and I hope you like!!!!

Haul time!  Estee Lauder

What I purchased was the Estee Lauder Signature silky powder blush in Peach Nuance...

EA Peach Nuance blush

I had been wanting to get my hands on this for quite sometime.  I know that this can be found at the CCO's for a lower price, but since I have not been to one in a while, I decided to bite the bullet and go.  Thank god I did as this is one fabulous blush!  Look at that ombre gradient.... :)

Next up, the oh so necessary concealer for me...

EA Double Wear Stay in Place Flawless Wear

This is one hefty concealer!  I bought this in medium, and though I think warm medium would have been perfect for the entire face, I found that medium adds a nice light around the eyes.  Yup, I use this one mainly around the eyes, and do not find this to be cakey, or hard to work with.  It is pretty strong stuff, I have to admit.

Im sure tons of you got beauty related gifts this season...what were they?

Update 12/13/2011

Hey guys and gals!

So, been working for two weeks now.  In my third week as we speak.  I do love my job...I hate the learning process that goes along with a new job, but I do love nonetheless.

This of course equals out to being able to HAUL a lot more!!!!!!!!!!!

Got some packages in the mail...some sephora, some xmas gifts.

Now that my schedule is a bit more steady, I will be blogging more.

Thanks for being awesome readers...I appreciate it!

Product in Motion - MAC Zoom Lash mascara

Hey there!

This is a quickie post on a mascara that is becoming one of my all-time favorites!  MAC's Zoom Lash mascara...

I will blog more about this later.  But man oh man...this mascara is quite the product.  It was love at first swipe!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hey everyone!  I know it is late, but I wanted to wish everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving day!  I am very thankful for everything that I have and hope that everyone has someone looking out for them!

I am in the midst of posting soon.

Also, thanks to the team at Bloggers.com who have made me an Editor's Pick of the Day for blogs!  Very excited and thankful for that.

Have a great one :)

Small Haul 11/11/2011 (Estee Lauder)

Hey there, could not wait to get at least one of these up.

For a quick cheer me up, my boyfriend took me to the mall to look at the new Pure Color Cyber shadows by Estee Lauder.  These are the ones that are the tri-brid formula...gel/powder/liquid.  These are included in the limited edition collection done by Tom Pecheux.  These shadows are very much like the Pure Color Illuminating powder in Modern Mercury...that lovely highlighter that I could not get my hands on.

Well, I got one of the shadows in the shade Cyber Silver...

Pure Color in Cyber Silver

The lovely SA who was helping me threw in some extras as well...

Extras: Advance Night repair eye cream (which is DIVINE)
Double Wear Concealer in Medium 3 (total HG status)

What have you ladies hauled lately?

Quick blurb

Hiya ladies and gents!

It has been truly busy round these parts and am glad to say that it has been good.  I've got a job and this has taken a huge weight off of my shoulders.

In celebration, my partner in crime has allowed me to haul some and I have pix for you!  I will post them this week.

I hope that in time, after accruing some funds, I will be able to provide for these hauls and share them with you!

Promise to not get too busy :)

Revlon Crushed Velvet - Push Up Plum (swatch) DISC

There is nothing like the perfect red, wine, brown, burgundy lip to put you in the fall/winter mood!  No trouble with that here since it has been cold and we have already had a bit of snow.  I present to you Revlon Crush Velvet lipstick in Push Up Plum!

This is a creamy, beautiful plummy red color that has been over-sprayed with the most beautiful shimmer.  The shimmer does not run throughout the lip color...which was not good when I first swatched it as I was hoping to get a silvery red color out of this.  But the more and more I used this, the more I loved it!  The formulation is very smooth and creamy.  I do not find this lipstick to be too drying.  I think this collection came out a few years ago...along with a glittery eye shadow,  liquid lip/cheek stain, etc.  This was the only color of the lipsticks that I picked up.

I find this to be a great year round color as I am a huge fan of all shades of red for any time of year.  This is especially striking with a pale wash over the eye, very thin liner, tons of lashes/mascara, and a defined cheek.  With a color this bold, I like to keep the eyes and cheeks very innocent, and vamp up the mouth as much as I can.

This lipstick is no longer available in stores.  You may find it online or stores like Big Lots or Dollar Tree now.

What are your favorite fall/winter lip looks?

Burt's Bees Natural Skin Solutions for Sensitive Skin - Review

This review is for the new line Burt's Bees came out with for their Natural Skin Solutions line for sensitive skinned ladies and gentlemen.  I have with me the Sensitive Facial Cleanser and Sensitive Daily Moisturizing Cream.  These were provided to me through BZZAGENT.  To learn about bzzagent or to become one, please visit www.bzzagent.com.

Cleanser/Daily Lotion

Cleanser - I have combination skin.  I wanted to try something more steered towards sensitive skin people as my skin likes to act up during the winter months.  This cleanser is a non-sudsing, non-foaming, cream cleanser that contains Cotton Extract to prevent dryness.  This is one THICK cleanser.  There is really nothing positive for me to say about this.  It is very thick and you get a film after you rinse it off.  I found that using my Clarisonic afterwards helped in getting rid of that film.  I also felt that it did not get my skin clean.  I just did not get that fresh faced feeling at all.  This may work for sensitive skinned guys and gals, but since I don't, it just did not work for me.

Lotion - The daily moisturizing cream was very pleasant!  Another thick cream, but it feels very nice and emollient.  I now see that this will be a god send during the cold, dry weather months.  I love how it glides over the skin and has no fragrance detectable to me.  The delivery system is one of my favorites for lotions.  It comes in a pump system that is very clean and hygienic.  My nose and forehead can get a bit oily, but even with that, the lotion did not add to any greasiness.  Very moisturizing and loved the way it soaked into my skin.

I would not pay $10.00 USD to purchase the cleanser, though I would for the $15.00 USD ticket attached to the lotion.  I would advise looking for a coupon if the prices seem a little steep.  I have had no trouble finding this at Walgreens, Walmart, Target, Meijer, etc.

Sonia Kashuk Brown Eyed Girl Palette

Thank you Target for bringing us the Sonia Kashuk line!!!

If you aren't familiar with her line, please head to your local Target or HERE  to view the products online.

The line ranges from cosmetics, to brushes, bags, etc.  It is all really wonderful stuff and great quality too!

For you today, I have her Brown Eyed Girl Quad:

Sonia Kashuk Brown Eyed Girl palette

Back of palette

This quad contains 4 equal sized pans of glittery color.  You can purchase these for $12.99 USD.  I own 3 of these creamy, glittery palettes.  I must advise, if you dislike glitter, read another post, purchase some other palette.  This is definitely not for the faint of heart!  The colors in it are a champagne, greyed brown, a browny copper, and a forest green.  Now, I know that I said that it is glittery, and it is, but that does not mean it is a fall out, dusty mess.  The consistency of these shadows is almost cream like.  I would hope that you would not confuse that with the NYX style glitter creams, which do not offer anything but a few chunks of glitter within a semi greasy base.  But that is just my opinion.

Open palette

With the consistency of these shadows being "creamy", it is quite nice to use them with your fingers.  They are easy to swipe and place on the eye.  Over a base they are heaven!  I do use brushes with these too, but I find that I like a really tightly packed, small brush for this.  I would not recommend anything fluffy for this.  Though the glitter seems to be suspended in a "base", there is still fall out if you fluff out this color at all.  I control it by patting on color with a dense brush, and fuzzing it out with my finger.  The shadow is pretty easy to move around, which is great.

Swatched  - No base/primer-Natural lighting

These swatches here are just one swipe of the shadows.  I did not use a primer before swatching these.  Now, the glitter in most of these is slightly colored of that of the base shadow, but you really get the sparkle from the silver glitter contained as well.  I love these shadows over colored bases mostly.  Black bases garner the most drama here.

Close up swatches

These shadows really do catch light very well.  At night, they can give the eye a glass like sheen, or like if the lid was covered in gloss.  I hope the glitter does not scare those who do not like it away.  The wear of these is long lasting and comfortable. And once again, they provide such a glowy eye that I cannot imagine everyone not trying them at least once.  For the price point, value, wear...its got my vote!

What Sonia Kashuk products are you guys loving at the moment?

Just a thought v 1.5

So, today I got called/emailed for two job interviews!!!!  I have been waiting so long for a door to open, and this may finally be it.

Ive got a few posts lined up that should be here this week.  Fall is in full effect...with that went my decent lighting.  I have very poor lighting in my apartment, and bad, yellowy/orange lighting in the bathroom, but it is what I have got until I can work up another light set up.  This means a trip to home depot I think.

Well, off to put on my night balm and eye cream and float to bed as one of my interviews is tomorrow.  By the way, am loving Estee Lauder's Advanced Night Repair eye...so luxe for the eye area!

Just a thought v 1.4

In between working other blog posts...I thought about my to do list.

Haircut this weekend

Dinner with bf's bandmates and their wives

Bake

Clean bedroom

Rearrange beauty area

My vanity is in such disarray!!!  I am getting to the point where I am hating having those white totes all over my room...its not really attractive to me anymore.  Am really wanting a clutter free vanity, no white totes.  I can always keep most of my stuff in train cases..blah blah blah.  Sorry guys, it is just one of those days.

Rant over :)

Blogger Contest! POLABERRY's BEAUTY BLOG!

Hey there guys and gals...

The wonderful POLABERRY is having a contest where you can win a MAC blush!

Go HERE! for all of the details and entry information.

Aside from her rad contest, show her some love.  She is suuuuuper cute and very talented!

My Favorite Nudes - Smashbox Lipgloss in Smitten

I present to you one of my favorite nude glosses, Smashbox Lip Enhancing Gloss in Smitten!

SB Lip Enhancing Gloss in Smitten

These glosses can be found at places like Ulta, Sephora, online, etc.  It retails for $18.00 USD.  The formulation of this gloss is non-sticky and does have a slight sweet scent, but not over the top.  The packaging is a basic screw top with a doe foot applicator.

The gloss in Smitten was part of a two piece kit Ulta did that contained a face and body highlighter in the color Allure.  I believe when I purchased this, it was only $12.00...TOTAL STEAL!  You cannot find this gloss in the actual range now, but the closest dupe would be Debut or Pixel.  This gloss is completely nude, no shimmer whatsoever.

lt - Blended / rt - Swipe

4-5 hours is the length of wear I get with this gloss.  This color in particular could be built up, but I love its sheer color, as it tends to really improve the color of ones lips.  This is definitely what I would call MY LIPS BUT BETTER!

The Lip Enhancing gloss line has a ton of colors, ranging from shimmery/glittery to no shimmer.  Bright and bold colors to a ton of nudes.  I do wish they would expand the line to include all of the colors made available in special kits.  I have had this gloss for about a year now, no changes in formula or wear.  I hope that I may find another one!

What are your favorite Smashbox lip gloss colors???

Love the Sun!

So, I'm home in Indiana this weekend visiting my family.  And what did todays day bring...?  Karla Sugar style sun!!!! I took so many photos and got good swatches.  I currently lack good lighting in my apartment, and was excited to be able to get some good shots. :)

Hoping that on the way home back to Michigan, I can stop by the CCO and see what new goodies may be in store :)

PSA: Laura Geller Semi Annual Sale

Hey everyone!

Head on over to http://www.laurageller.com/ for her Semi Annual Sale! 30% off entire purchase!!!

Looks like the sale is site wide, and there is free shipping over $50.00!

I highly recommend the blush n brightens...very nice blushes :)

This is only a 2 day sale.

Happy Shopping!

Blogger Giveaway - My Newest Addiction!!!!

Hey guys!

Just a quick announcement on a great giveaway that is being run right now by the lovely Laura Jean of My Newest Addiction fame!

Go HERE for all the details and to see awesome pictures of the prizes.  She is giving out some amazing stuff!  Head on over there right now...

Trust me, this is one blog you will not want to miss!

Beauty Bargain - Sonia Kashuk brush set (Target)

Don't you just love when you see this sticker at Target stores?

Sonia Kashuk LE Tools Starter Set

Alright, what we have here is a limited edition set of basic brushes from Sonia Kashuk's line for Target.  These are the black handled brushes.  I really like the white handled brushes, especially since they are such a great bargain, but find the quality of the black handled one to be more consistent and just a bit nicer.

Sonia Kashuk black handled brushes

Kashuk Tools Starter Set includes:

• Blusher brush (retails $17.99 USD)
• Small eye shadow brush (retails $9.99 USD)
• Large Domed eyes shadow brush (retails $9.99 USD)

The price of this LE kit was $24.99, but I got it on clearance for $12.48.  The brushes, if purchased separately would have been $38.00!!!  Holy Bargain Batman!!!!!!

I wanted to make sure that the quality of the brushes was like those that are packaged individually, and they are.  I had some trouble with the small eye shadow brush did shed a bit more than I would have liked, but they are divine.  The blush brush is DIVINE!  So soft...perfect for super pigmented blushes.  I already own the domed eye brush, and it is one of my favorites.  Here are some closeups...

Blush Brush

Small eye shadow brush

Large Domed eye shadow brush

Are there any bargains you have picked up recently?  I am going home this weekend and looking forward to some outlet shopping!

Swatch/Review - Urban Decay Lounge eyeshadow

Here we are with one of the most unique shadows I have in my collection.  Urban Decay's Lounge eyeshadow is a reddish brown with a green, pearl-like sheen.

UD Lounge e/s

This shadow comes in the token packaging that most all but the deluxe shadows have.  The pot contains 0.05g worth of product and it retails for $17.00 USD.  You can find this at Sephora, Ulta, etc.  I have had my shadow for over 2 years and find that I still have not made a dent in it.  

Swatch of UD Lounge eye shadow

UD's Lounge is an extremely pigmented, soft duo chrome eye shadow that lends either a reddish brown effect, or can come off a sheeny grey brown.  This is all dependent on what color base you use, as well as how much of the actual product you use.  I tend to use darker bases for this.  I find that black, dark green, and blue bases give this shadow a slightly different color variation.  For the lid, I tend to layer the shadow heavily which will cast a medium green sheen pearl that really catches the light.  Do make note that because of the reddish tone of this shadow, it can come off as that once blended.  When I use this for a one shadow look, I blend this up into the crease and find that it shows red/brown.  Altogether, it makes for a gorgeous eye!

UD Lounge e/s over black cream base

UD Lounge e/s in natural lighting

What other duo chrome shadows do you like?

Let me introduce you...

Hey there!

So, I have once introduced you to my best friend Radar, the little black kitty who has stolen  my heart time and time again.  You can learn about her here.

She has a younger brother who is also very near and dear to my heart.

Meet Gus, the forever kitty!

Gus the Cat

He is a soft, muted grey kitty, whose fur is as soft as cotton.  His temperament is very sweet though he is also a big scaredy cat.  He does not like the sound of plastic bags crinkling, or thunderstorms.  He enjoys treats and his dad's old socks laying about.

He and Radar play fight all of the time, but at the end of the day, he really loves his sister.

This little boy means the world to me.  I am really glad I have such great kitties!

Product in Motion - Urban Decay Lounge eyeshadow

This has been one of my go to's for what seems like the last month.  I find it to be an awesome fall color, and is especially gorgeous for night time looks.  Urban Decay's Lounge e/s...

This combo here, which is UD Lounge e/s with MAC's Push the Edge pigment lining the bottom lashes is such a pretty, slightly smoky eye. The duochrome effect of Lounge is so unique!  Full story later...

Small Haul 9/30/2011

Meijer/Target Haul

Hey there! :)

Here we are with another small haul, thanks to Target and Meijer.  I had ran out of makeup wipes and since I am on the lookout for a HG wipe, decided to try the store brand from Meijer.  60 wipes for 3.99!!! Holy bargain.  So far so good...I like them.  They are soft, slightly textured and smell nice.  They do a good job at removing most makeup, though did not eat through my WP mascara, which was a bummer :/.  I also scored the Maybelline Baby Lips Repairing lip balm I have been hearing tons of talk about.  I got mine in Cherry Kiss.  I'm really obsessed with this right now.  Smells really good and leaves a nice reddish tint!

At Target, I was happy to pick up One's Sun Drenched Lemon body scrub which is divine.  I got this at a clearance price of 6.00, instead of the 9.99 price.  And because Halloween will be here in about a month, I perused the Halloween section and found this adorable orange Hello Kitty.  Ain't she cute?

What you have guys been hauling?

I am back / Allegan County Fair September 2011

Hello guys and gals!  I have been gone for a while.  It has been a mix of being sick, unmotivated, sad, sick...yeah, that list can go on and on.  Right now, I should be packing for a trip back home (though unfortunately, no stop to the Michigan City CCO :( ) but I decided to change things up a bit and let you know about the fair I went to the other day.

In Allegan, Michigan, roughly half and hour or so from Kalamazoo, during a week in September, the Allegan County Fair is held.  This is my second year going.  Typical fair, you have your 4-H stuff, animals, veggies, crafts and knick knacks.  Let us not forget about the rides, food, and vendors selling everything from velvet paintings to airbrushed license plates.

Me and my boyfriend went on dollar days, which was a sweet deal!  Dollar parking, dollar per person, and regardless of ride, dollar per ride.  That worked out perfectly, as we rode the Tilt-A-Whirl!  OMG! I have not been on a ride in over 8 years!  That was an experience!

The Allegan County Fairgrounds are "protected" by this giant statue which I love... :)

The ride fairway was small and had rides that seemed like only small children could get on.  There were a few that were fitting for adults.  Going around dusk lets all the lights of the rides shine in the nighttime sky, which is a huge plus if you are going to photograph any of them...

And now onto the animals!  I grew up in an urban setting, so being up to animals this close is always a trip.  Most always, anytime we saw animals, they were in zoos.  Ha!  You have to get used to walking from room to room and get the smells to not bother you, but it was so much fun...

Maybe I am a little bit of a country girl after all... ;)

PSA: Old Navy Friends and Family in store sale

Hey guys and gals, until the 31st of August, Old Navy is having their friends and family sale!  WOO HOO! That means 30% off your entire purchase.  Of course, some conditions do apply!  This is all explained in the email I recieved.

Go to oldnavy.com to sign up for their emails...remember, this is In Store only!

Happy Shopping!!! :)

Makeup For Ever Smoky Lash WP - Review

Hello there...I should say you waited long enough for this.  MUFE Smoky Lash mascara, the one and only!

I feel almost bad writing this as I cannot think of anything wrong with this mascara.  But at the end of the day, I have to be as impartial as possible.  This mascara comes packaged the same way the regular formula does, aside from a blue band at the neck that indicates it is waterproof.  As for the wand/brush of Smoky Lash, it does not stray from the original either...

What I will say about any differences is that the formula is a bit tackier and thicker than regular Smoky Lash.    The brush works in exactly the same way, which is huge reason why I love this mascara.   The brush helps to thicken, lengthen, separate and I ADORE the way it holds curl, both wp and non-wp formulas.

When you brush the formula is brushed through the lashes, it feels the same way.  Once the mascara starts to dry down, then you start to feel the difference.  The WP version tends to feel thicker as the formula dries.  When you run it through lashes a few times, you can feel it get tackier and tackier.  It makes it a bit more of a task when brushing it in, though the results are worth it.

I love the definition, the wear, the hold, the color.  Oh my god, this is the blackest mascara I have ever tried!   And for those wondering, this formula is super waterproof!!!  I tested this out at the gym and I am no stranger to a huge sweat when I work out.  This works almost too good.  It is pretty tough to get off in one go.  That is probably the only thing wrong with this mascara.  All in all, it is worth the price point for sure.  You can find this at Sephora for $22.00 USD.

What mascaras are you guys into right now?

Product in Motion - Makeup For Ever Aqua Smokey Lash

Hey there!  Here's a quick snapshot of a mascara I LOVE in a formula I do not always use...waterproof!

MUFE Aqua Smokey Lash

This stuff, like the original Smokey Lash, is no joke!  I love how it thickens, lengthens, holds...I can go on and on.  There will be a more in depth review later.

Small Haul 8/15/2011 (theBalm)

Hey there!  Just a quickie post on a small haul I was able to partake in today.  I went to my local TJ Maxx and Marshall's as there were sighting of theBalm products there.  There was a much better selection at TJ Maxx, nothing was swatched or stolen.  Marshall's on the other hand was all empty boxes.  :(

theBalm Haul!

Items were purchased by my lovely partner in crime.  Thanks to that person for getting me some pretties during my no buy!

I was able to get a Balms Away eye makeup remover

Hot Mama blush/eyeshadow

Mary Lou-Manizer

Am excited to try all of these out this week and let you guys know how I like them.  I have jury duty tomorrow :(, hopefully it does not take up my whole day and I can come back and play with my awesome goodies!

Bye!

Just a thought v 1.3

Hey there...

I feel guilty.  I have not gone to the gym in over a week.  Im pretty sure I gained all that I lost.  And it is almost like I am scared to start again.  But, hopefully with a decent nights rest, I will be back tomorrow morning.  I have been sleeping horribly...just stressing too much over everything.

One plus is that I have been shopping my stash a whole hell of a lot!  It has been nice to play and use products that I have either forgotten about, or just do not use often.

Alright, mini rant over.  Night everyone! :)

Birchbox - August 2011

Hello all!  Here we are again with another Birchbox post.  If you do not know what Birchbox is yet, please feel free to head to www.birchbox.com, or search "birchbox" in youtube.  I do not know how I feel about this month's box yet.  I do not think that any of the products are full size.  Well, enough of that...
Let us get on to why we are here....

Contents

August 2011 contents:

• blinc Eyeliner
• Carol's Daughter Monoi Repairing Hair Mask 0.71oz
• Pangea Organics Cleanser for Combo to Oily skin 1oz
• Wei Tibetan Chrysanthemum Correcting Eye Treatment Pads 2 packs of 2 each
• EXTRA: twistband hair tie

Am very excited about the eyeliner, hair mask and eye pads!  I did not like the hairband as I have very thick and did not find it to grab my hair well.  I would have liked the extra to have been different, but I am thankful! What did you guys get in your birchbox this month?

:)

Hair Care - Summer Favorites 2011

Hey!  I just wanted to do a quickie post on the hair care products I have been using since the summer started and more-so when I got my hair cut.

From left:

• Victoria Secret So Sexy Root Booster
• BedHead Spoil me defrizzer and second day styler (smells great, controls flyaways like no one business)
• BedHead After Party (makes hair incredibly soft, though the nice smell does not last)
• Rusk Thermal Flat Iron Spray (protects and gives hold without being crunchy)
• KMS Moisture Repair Leave in Spray in conditioner (leaves hair soft, smelling oh so nice)
• Ojon Revitalizing Mist (for conditioning and styling)

These products have kept my shorter hair in check.  I have really thick hair and the haircut I was given needs a bit of time and attention.  These products have made it easier to manage, style and condition.  They are also very light, which has made this summer a not so bad one :).

What are you favorite hair styling products?