It’s time for another fabulous giveaway from The Beauty Council. This grand prize is seriously… Fricken Awesome! Retail value for all the goodies you’ll be getting in this bundle is well over $350 worth. Check out this grand prize pack of goodies you’ll be receiving – this is a Beauty Kit of Essentials that anyone will love.
This giveaway starts now and will end on March 20, 2015 Midnight PST. This is an International Giveaway and entering is really easy – just check out the Rafflecopter Widget below and follow the gorgeous beauties who have sponsored this giveaway! Good luck to you all!
Flowers, fruits and sunshine, oh my… Spring is on it’s way and I can already smell the flora of Hawaii getting ready to bloom. Together with The Beauty Blogger Collaboration, I bring to you my list of Favorite Spring Fragrances for 2015.
It’s well known that I’m a sugary scent lover and I don’t tend to stray far from the scent I’ve been profiled for… but I also like clean scents, floras and fruity notes and tend to pull for those most during the Spring months.
DKNY is a staple in my fragrance book and a scent I use year round but more during the spring and summer seasons since it smells clean and fresh. With notes like freesia, jasmine, lotus, white amber and rose – this scent smells fresh and clean while still offering a flirty and girly to the mix.
I’m not gonna lie, though I did smell a sample of this perfume and enjoyed it, I bought Taylor Swifts Wonderstruck because I was absolutely in love with the packaging. We all know I love purple and I just knew I had to have this. But this perfume is so much more than just a cute bottle. Wonderstruck offers such a soft, feminine touch to what can often be a hard exterior on me. With notes like raspberry, black berry, peach and vanilla, I absolutely love the fruity side of this perfume.
It’s no secret that I am a huge Coach fan and I have always enjoyed their fragrances, but Coach Love is a fragrance I consider a favorite during Spring and year round. Since this perfume includes Patchouli, I didn’t think I would like it – but with a blend of Gardenia, Violet, Vanilla and Caramel as well as musk and sandalwood, everything seems to come together perfectly and fits my scent favorites exactly.
Anyone who knows me, knows that I’m a huge fan of Pink Sugar by Aquolina, so it comes to no surprise that I would love Delicious Cotton Candy by Gale Hayman. This became a favorite of mine after stumbling into it at my local Ross. Needless to say – I was quite intrigued with the name… Cotton Candy. Come on now, there is no way I would be able to not try this scent out. It has become a favorite of mine and while it may be too sugary for some, I love it and a little goes a very long way. Filled with notes of Cotton Candy, Vanilla, sugar, caramel, strawberries and fruits like orange and plums, this scent is definitely delicious.
Last but not least is Lavanilla’s Vanilla Coconut. If you don’t know this already – I lather myself in coconut oil, coconut body butter and all that yumminess each night so mixing two of my very favorite scents together is absolutely divine. I know, I know… it might be a little too sugary sweet for some, but I can’t help it… my momma didn’t name me Honey because I was sour… lol. This fragrance includes three favorite scents of mine… Coconut, Madagascar Vanilla and the Tahitian Tiare flower (which I have in my yard about ready to bloom). It encompasses my favorites while giving me a feeling of sexy and girly.
Whether fruity, floral or sweet I think perfumes and fragrances are all a matter taste and preference and I’m finding that scents I didn’t like before, I find I enjoy them now. I consider myself someone who thinks seasonally – so I really enjoyed putting this post together to share with all of you. What about you? What are the scents you are looking forward to using this Spring?
Don’t forget to stop by my girls from The Beauty Blogger Collaboration and see what made their top picks for fragrances. (Link below)
It’s been forever since I posted an Ipsy Glam Bag via my blog or YouTube channel and lately I haven’t been in the mood to share. But I figured I would share what I received this month. This month’s theme was focused around “Love” with a theme called “Ipsy Love”. I was impressed with some of the goodies I got in my bag and glad I didn’t get other products I had seen were available. Overall, I think I’ll get use out of most of what I received. Here are the details of my February Ipsy Glam Bag.
This February Ipsy is celebrating warm hugs, butterflies in your stomach, a new favorite blush and your best friend’s tweets – LOVE in all its wondrous forms and ways to express it. Overall I really like the cute bag this month… it is pink and definitely has a Valentine’s Day Love vibe. There are some products in this month’s bag that I was excited to try and some not so much – here are my thoughts.
EVA-NYC Up All Night Volumizing Spray ($24.00 full size 8oz) – This product gives you added volume and texture, protects from heat styling and is for all hair types. I love the scent of this product and have used 2 products from Eva-NYC that I have received from past Ipsy bags. This spray has a light hold but I don’t like the stickiness it leaves in my hair. I’ll continue to try this product though.
Cargo Lip Gloss in Anguilla (I could not find this product on the site, but their glosses retail for $16.00 full size) – this cargo lip gloss is a baby pink shade. I love Cargo cosmetics and I’m always excited to try new products from their line. This lip gloss is slightly thick, opaque and not as sticky as I thought it would be. The color is not a favorite as mine and not one I will get mileage from without mixing with other shades – but overall, I like the gloss.
Model Co Blush in Peach Bellini 02 ($22.00 Full Size – unsure of the full size amount as it was not listed on site – blush I received was 3.6g/0.12oz) – This is a pretty and shimmery type blush that would be great for Spring and Summer months. The shade is quite shimmery but still offers great pigmentation and I like that it offers a highlight when applied to the cheeks. I’m a fan of blushes that have gold in them for this reason. I think I’ll get some good use out of this blush.
Pencil Me In Eye Accent Pencil in Amethyst ($6.99 Full Size pencil with sharpener) – I love purple eye liners because they bring out my natural eye color, the shade on this particular line is nice but I feel like it tugs on my eyes a bit. I definitely can’t wear this in my waterline and feel like I may have to constantly warm this pencil up to get any use out of it.
Hey Honey Take It off Exfoliating Honey Peel Off Mask ($29.00 full size 1.70oz) – This product has a cute name and I have seen other products from previous Ipsy bags from this line but this is the first I’m receiving it in my bag. I haven’t used this product yet as my skin is really sensitive during the winter months and I didn’t want to have a flare up with a new product.
Overall I know I definitely got a pretty cool bag. Retail value for the bag if it were all full size products would be about $98.00 That I know of the Blush was full sized and the eye liner pencil. The rest were deluxe size samples bringing the bags worth about $45. Still not bad for a bag that only costs $10 a month.
If you are interested in checking out Ipsy or signing up – click here.
Do you get Ipsy each month? If so – what were your thoughts on your bag? If you don’t, is this something you would be interested in signing up for?
Disclaimer: I purchased this bag as a subscription service each month. If you click on the links – they are my referral links and I will receive free products in exchange for points.
Eye Primers are an essential product and are important in keeping your eye shadows looking vibrant, long lasting and have them stay in place all day. I have used most eye primers on the market from high end ones to drugstore priced ones and while I do love them all for different reasons, I’m pretty impressed with the price point and the quality of the Coastal Scents Step One Eye Primer.
Coastal Scents Step One Eye Primer (10mL / 0.33 fl oz) retails on Coastal Scents’ website for $14.95 (currently on sale for $9.95) and comes in a very bright tube (Orange and Yellow) making it easy to find in your makeup stash. This primer has a squeeze tube which makes it easy to use and I love that when you squeeze out the product, it is not oily or watery – allowing you to get out the perfect amount for each use.
There is a lot of product in one tube and even with daily use it will last you a long time. The product is cream like, but on the dryer side – kind of reminding me of the consistency of Urban Decay’s Primer Potion. The formulation applies like a cream but once blended onto the skin, it is nearly impossible to see on the skin – even with my skin tone. Since it is neutral in shade, it will allow for vibrancy of any shadow and longevity. This product has amazed me as my shadows are crease free and fade free for hours and I love that it is easy to use. Since I have sensitive skin, I have to be careful with what eye primers I use and some of the dryer formulas make my eye lids too dry and my eczema flare up, so I like that after consistent use, this product didn’t do that to me. If you are used to a more wet formula, this may not work for you overall, but I say at the price point, you should definitely give it a go.
Ingredients: Isododecane, Talc, Cyclopentasiloxane, Disteardimonium Hectorite. Polyethylene, Triethlhexanoin, Isopropyl Lanolate, Sorbitan, Sesquioleate, VP/ Eicosene Copolymer, Dimethicone, PEG-40 Stearate, Propylene Carbonate, Phenoxyethanol, Cera Alba ( Bees Wax), Propylparaben, Ethlparaben, Isobutylparaben. May contain: Mica, CI 77891 ( titanium dioxide), CI 77491/CI77499 ( Iron Oxides), CI 77163 (Bismuth Oxychloride)
I have a tip for the lovelies that apply eye liner and don’t use shadows as often. Don’t think that an eye shadow primer is just for your eye shadows. If you are looking for longevity of your liner whether gel, liquid or pencil, you can use the eye shadow primer to extend the length of use by applying over your lid and lower lash line. The eye liner will last longer as does your eye shadow offering you vibrancy for your stunning looks. Since the primer is virtually color-less when blended out, you can use it under any eye liner color or shadow color.
Have you tried or heard of Coastal Scents Step One Eye Primer? I have used the Coastal Scents Shadow Worx in the past and enjoyed it but I much rather the formula of this new primer and the price point is fair considering the product will last you a long time.
Disclaimer: There is nothing to disclose. This product was purchased by me. There are no affiliate links in this post.
It’s absolutely no secret that Milani lipsticks are quite possibly some of my favorites at the drugstore and I recommend them consistently. I was quite impressed when…
It’s no secret that I’m a romantic at heart and I’m pretty lucky to have found a fairy tale love “Happily Ever After”, which is something people search for their entire lives and never find. So while I believe that love should be celebrated every single day of our lives, I am a fan of a day that celebrates hearts, chocolates, flowers and pretty things.
“The best thing to hold onto in life is each other.” – Audrey Hepburn
It’s time for another Valentine’s Day makeup look and this time I am using a combination of Milani and Jordana Cosmetics for a budget friendly, drug store look you can create quickly and easily. Since my last Valentine’s Day makeup look (click here to view) included browns and bronze shades, I wanted to bring out the playful side of Valentine’s Day offering up a soft purple and rose gold look that would be perfect for a lunch date or stroll at the park. In collaboration with my friend Beth, we are once again doing date night looks, her look will include drugstore products for an evening look and mine for a daytime look. Check out the video below for a talk through (Get Ready With Me) style video or click here to watch directly on YouTube. Details of my Cupcakes & Hearts Valentine’s Day Makeup can be found below.
Lower Lash line liner – Jordana 12 Hour Made to Last Liquid Eye Liner Pencil in Purple Fix
Waterline – Milani Supreme Kohl Kajal Eyeliner in Blackest Black 01
Winged liner – Jordana Fabuliner in black topped with Jordana Cat Eye liner in 01 Black Leather
Lashes – Jordana Best Lash Extreme Mascara and Ardell Demi Whispies 120
Products used on the Face / Lips:
Lips – Jordana Rock n Rose Easy Liner Lip Liner and Milani Color Statement Matte Lipstick in Matte Naked
Bronze / Contour – Milani Baked Matte Bronzer in Sienna
Blush – Milani Rose Powder Blush in Romantic Rose
Highlight – Milani Illuminating Face Powder in Amber Nectar and Milani Bella Eyes Eye shadow in Bella Chiffon
I enjoyed creating this look and wanted it to have a pop of color but also be soft and wearable. If you have brown eyes like I do – the purple on the lower lash line will certainly bring out the brightness in your eyes almost instantly. The color choices I picked reminded me of cupcakes and conversation hearts and I think this would make a great look for anyone with any skin tone shade.
Don’t forget to stop by my YouTube video and check out the step by step talk through. And, head on over to my friend Beth’s Blog and check out the look she created to use for a night time date look using drugstore cosmetics as well. Happy Valentine’s Day loves! Wishing you a wonderful day filled with love and a lifetime of “Happily Ever After!” Smooches!
