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BA Star Tropical Eye Shadow Palette

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Who says you can’t get quality products at an affordable price?  That is one of the reasons why I enjoy using BA Star cosmetics… because their price point is awesome and they offer a variety of products to create stunning and bold makeup looks, at half the cost of brands on the market today.  BA Star is a company that specializes in makeup for bold – eye catching looks or every day wear.  Many of their products offer such great pigmentation they are used as Performance Makeup for Dance, Cheer and more.

BA Star Tropical Eye Shadow Palette

 

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For just $8.75 – BA Star’s Tropical Eye Shadow Palette comes packed with five bold shades to stop traffic and create a plethora of looks.  With the craze of bold summer shades hitting the market today and bright neon eye shadows all the rave, these shadows really have arrived at a perfect time.  I love the mix of shades available in the palette, which offer you the option to create a look filled with rainbow bright action or something a little more toned down with a pop color.   Used in combination with BA Star’s eye shadow glitter base, the colors pop and offer great longevity.

BA Star Tropical Eye Shadow Palette Swatches

BA Star offers great quality products for a fraction of the cost you see on the market today.  Their shadows are buttery and blend-able offering a punch of pigmentation and shimmer.  While all of the shadows in this palette are shimmery and can cause fall-out if not careful during application, it is well worth it because the colors are so vibrant and the color you see in the palette is definitely what you will get on application.  The shades are true to color and are as bold as you would expect.

If you are using the glitter glue from BA Star – this product will help achieve longer lasting shadows on the eyes as well as really bring out the true color of the shadows.  This sticky base is perfect for your BA Star Eye Shadows or Glitter as it grabs on to the product and holds it there.  While you can certainly use your eyeshadows over a primer or shadow base of your choice, I think that the Glitter Glue Base is a great addition for using your BA Star palette as well.

BA Star offers 6 five pan palettes in a complimentary range of shades for you to choose from and the Tropical Palette is definitely one you will want to pick up if you are interested in a daring and fun look.  If I had to critique the palette at all – it would be the applicator that didn’t quite excite me… but if in a pinch and bind and you needed something to apply your makeup with – it would work.

Tropical Paradise Makeup Look

I created this makeup look using all five colors from the BA Star Tropical Eye Shadow Palette as well as three other shadows from another brand.  The colors applied easily and packed a punch of color that lasted all day.  Check out my tutorial for this look here.  Overall I think this palette is awesome and I have been enjoying using it for my summer eye looks.  I definitely suggest it if you are on a budget and higher end neon type shades are out of your reach or if you just want to try out something fun and bold.  Check out bastar.com for a full selection of products and to get your own today.

Signature Honey

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Tropical Paradise Makeup Tutorial – Rainbow Eye shadow feat. BA Star & BH Cosmetics

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Well I think bold colorful looks are gorgeous, it is not something I would wear often… but that doesn’t stop me from rockin’ it out if I do.  This week for Tutorial Tuesday I wanted to do a Tropical Paradise Makeup Tutorial inspired by bright, bold, summery shades that look almost neon.  This makeup look is definitely easier to achieve than you would think and while it’s definitely not an every day look – it’s bright and cheerful for these warm summer days.  I hope you enjoy my Tropical Paradise Makeup Tutorial, rainbow eyeshadow featuring BA Star and BH Cosmetics.

Tropical Paradise Makeup Look

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I don’t often plan my makeup looks – especially if I am going to do a tutorial on the look… so this particular makeup look was no exception.  I knew what makeup products I had intended to use for the eyes, so I decided when I created my first eye (before filming) that I would just throw the colors together and see how it turned out.  To be honest, I didn’t expect the colors to be as vibrant as they turned out – both from the BA Star Tropical Palette as well as the BH Eyes on the 60s Palette… because I haven’t really used more than a color or two from each palette.  To say I was impressed would be an understatement.

Check out my video tutorial on how I created this eye look by scrolling down and watching the embedded video below or click here to watch directly on YouTube.

A full list of products is listed below.Tropical Paradise Makeup Look

Products used to create this look:

Too Faced Shadow Insurance – eye primer

BA Star Shimmer Body Primer – used as sticky base on top of eye primer

BA Star Tropical Eye shadow Palette

BH Cosmetics Eyes on the 60’s Palette – Matte Cream shade, Peach/pink shade and Orange shade (see video for details)

Jordana Aqua Last – 12 Hour Made to Last Eye Shadow Pencil – used as a base on lower lash line

Mally Evercolor Starlight Waterproof Liner in Midnight – Tightline and waterline

NYC (New York Color) Black Liquid Liner – winged liner

Perfekt Beauty Lash Perfection Gel Mascara – lower and upper lashes

Milani Mediterranean Blue Lash Art Mascara – lower lashes

KISS 05 Lashes applied with KISS Black Eyelash Glue

Chella Dazzling Brown Brow Pencil topped with NYX Control Freak Clear Brow Gel

Milani Romantic Rose – Rose Powder Blush applied to cheeks

NYX Matte Bronzer in Deep – to contour and add warmth to the face

Revlon’s Nude Attitude Lipstick topped with Buxom’s White Russian Lip gloss

Tropical Paradise Makeup Look

I am very happy with how this look came out and it reminded me how much I miss creating colorful and bold looks.  While these palettes are affordable, they both pack a huge punch in color… and it goes to show – you can certainly create a look using something cheaper than high end brands.  I had a friend ask me about my thoughts on the Urban Decay Electric Palette, which I do not own.  While I would love to be able to swatch that palette up and create some looks, I think these palettes I used to create the looks I did – well, they certainly give those higher end brands a little competition.  I’ll have my review for the BA Star Tropical Palette up soon and maybe just maybe… I’ll do one on the BH Cosmetics Eyes on the 60s palette too.  I hope you all enjoyed my makeup look for this week.  I’m loving how bold it is and how it turned out.

Happy Summer!

Signature Honey

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Insta Natural Youth Express Eye Gel

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I am pretty lucky in that I don’t have really bad “eye genes”… yup – that’s what I call it… and I’m lucky that my parents and their relatives don’t have much puffy eyes, saggy skin or dark circles near their eye area.  The great thing about that is not only that I can continue to look youthful, but that I don’t have to worry too much about cucumbers for the puffiness and concealer to conceal or color correct the dark circles.  But – I do still experience all of those things from time to time.  Let’s face it – I’m a mother of 3 very active boys and honestly – I survive on just a couple of hours a sleep a night, so I’m always interested in a product that will help me out whenever I need it.

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Insta Natural Eye Gel

With so many products on the market today, it is important to find one that will not only provide you with a plethora of great benefits, but also find one that is reasonably priced.  Insta Natural Youth Express Eye Gel (currently $23.95) 1.7 oz offers ingredients that will help with dark circles, puffiness and sagging skin.  It includes the following ingredients:

Plant Stem Cells: Helps mitigate premature aging of the skin
Matrixl 3000: Tightens & Firms the Skin (In this case around your eyes)
Hyaluronic Acid: Moisturizes your skin deeply (After all..your eyes are the pathway to your soul)
Other ingredients: Jojoba Oil, Aloe, Vitamin E, Cucumber and so on. There are just way too many active ingredients to list!

Organic Herbal Infusion, Organic Aloe, Matrixyl 3000, Botanical hyaluronic acid, Organic Jojoba Oil, Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), Palmitoyl Triepeptide-3, Kosher Vegetable Glycerin, Plant Stem Cells, Cucumber Hydrosol, Hydroxyethyl Cellulose, Carrageenan Gum, Silk Amino Acid Blend (Sodium L-Pyrrolidone Carboxylate, Sodium Lactate, L’Arginine, L-Aspartic Acid, L-Pyrrolidonecarboxylic Acid, Glycine, L-Alanine, L-Serine, L-Valine, L-Proline, L-threonine, L-Isoleucine, L-Histidine, L-Phenylalanine), Wildcrafted Vinca Major (Periwinkle), Organic Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice), Wildcrafted Euphrasia Officinalis, Wildcrafted Ganoderma Lucidum (Reishi), Organic Gotu Kola, Frankincense, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Ethyl Hexyl Glycerin.

Insta Natural Eye Gel

The formula is loaded with skin repairing, firming and age defying ingredients for your eyes and I love that this product is not sticky and applies evenly and smoothly.  A little goes a long way so I had to make sure not to use too much, one pump of the product was more than enough.  The eye gel is thick, so it gives an almost cooling effect when applied near the eye area… which I really enjoyed.  Since I have sensitive eyes – I am often very selective with testing out products because it causes my eyes to be very irritated and this product worked well on my sensitive skin and eyes without issue.  After the first use I felt like the skin around my eyes felt refreshed and awake.  There is a light cucumber scent – very light which I liked a lot.

Insta Natural Eye Gel

I was not completely happy at first with the dispenser this product came with.  It took a few pumps before the product started to come out.  While I was a bit frustrated at first, once the product came out the first time, it was easy to use thereafter.  The packing is simple but I like that it’s pretty durable and fit perfectly in my skin care cabinet.  The gel itself is pretty nice and I love that if needed – I can use it as a moisturizer on my entire face… woohoo – bonus!

Insta Natural Eye Gel
Before using Insta Natural Eye Gel – early morning

Again – I don’t have very heavy puffiness under my eyes – but since I don’t get much sleep at night, some mornings they are pretty prominent.  Adding just a little of the eye gel makes a huge difference and you can see a change through out the day.  This gel has been working wonders for me on days where my allergies are terrible because it really helps to soften the puffiness under my eyes or lightening any dark circles from sleepless nights due to sneezing.  I honestly am very impressed.  As you can see from my before and after photos (the before taken with my DSLR and the after taken with my Note 2), the puffiness from my eyes disappeared a few hours after applying the gel.

instanatural eye gel photo
After using Insta Natural Eye Gel – this photo was taken a few hours after applying the gel to my under eyes.

I’m quite impressed with this product, even if the need for use of it is not as often, I know it will do the job.  If you have puffy eyes or dark circles under your eyes, with continued use I know you will see a difference.  To say I was amazed is an understatement, because I have already suggested this product to a few friends and family members who are loving it as I’m typing this.  With an affordable price tag, there really is no harm in trying it out and Insta Natural offers a 100 day hassle free money back guarantee.  Oh – and did I mention is this a cruelty free product?  That’s a benefit in its own.

What are your favorite eye creams or gels?  Is this a product you think you would like to give a try?

Signature Honey

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

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OITNB – Orange Is The New Black Sophia Burset Makeup

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I have been hearing the rave on Orange Is The New Black for quite a few months now – but honestly, I wasn’t really interested in watching it and I don’t know why.  About 3 weeks ago with a suggestion from a friend – I dove into watching Season 1 and 2 (every single episode) and didn’t want to move from my seat through most of the weekend.  I finished the two seasons in about 48 hours and it quickly became a favorite movie of mine.  This Netflix show is a lot more exciting than I had given it credit and I don’t know if I can wait till next year to watch Season 3, lol.

I have my list of favorite characters and Sophia Burset – a Transgender Inmate is quite possibly my favorite out of all of them so far, which a few others coming in quite closely.  I have intended to create inspired looks from some of my favorite characters in the show, but for this particular look, I am working together with a few of my favorite bloggers to create looks of some of the women in the show.  Be sure to check out their links listed below and see their interpretation of the characters’ looks too.

OITNB Sophia Burset

I absolutely love Sophia’s makeup in the episodes as she is either rocking out a brown gradient looking lip or burgundy lip in her appearances.  Her eyes are always simply done up with a soft smoky eye and her hair is always flawless.  Since she runs a salon in the prison, she is always a trendsetter even if she is stuck with the same khaki scrubs that all the inmates use.  I also love Sophia’s story behind the character.  Quick Tidbit… Did you know that Laverne Cox’s Twin Brother actually plays the “pre-transition” character Marcus in Orange Is The New Black?

OITNB Sophia Burset

I tried to make this look as simple as possible to recreate – so check out my makeup tutorial below.
To watch my makeup tutorial directly on YouTube – please click here.
OITNB Sophia Burset Makeup

 

This look is really easy to create and if you are looking for something you can rock out daily – this may definitely be a great look for you… of course – you can swap out the lip color for something else you’re comfortable wearing.

PRODUCTS USED:

Eye Shadow Primer – Too Faced Shadow Insurance

Brows – Chella Dazzling Brown Brow Pencil topped with Perfekt Beauty Brow Perfection Gel in Caramel

Eye Shadows – Too Faced Natural Eyes Palette

  • Cashmere Bunny – Transition shade
  • Heaven – All over the lid shade and browbone highlight
  • Sexspresso – used to deepen the crease and outer v as well as smudged on the lower lash line
  • Push-Up – used to smudge on the lower lash line to soften Sexpresso

Eyeliner – NYC HD Liner in black (upper lash line) and Mally Evercolor Sparkle liner in Black (lower lash line and tightline)

Mascara – Mary Kay Ultimate Mascara in black topped with Rimmel Scandaleyes Retro Glam Waterproof Mascara

All over Face Powder – Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette (Dim light) all over the face

Bronzer – NYX Matte Bronzer in Deep (used to contour and define the cheek bones, temples and jawline)

Highlight – Laura Geller Highlight Powder in French Vanilla

Lips:

  • MAC’s Lip liner in Whirl as a base color
  • Mary Kay Lip liner in Plum to create and define the lips as well transition shade to create ombre/gradient lip
  • Milani’s Color Statement Lipstick in Plumrose – used on the inner part of the lips as the lighter shade for the ombre
  • Milani’s Brilliant Shine Lip gloss in Mauve Fetish – to add gloss to the inner part of the lips

 

 

OITNB - Sophia Burset

 

OITNB - Sophia Burset

 

OITNB - Sophia Burset

I hope you all enjoyed my recreation of Sophia’s look.  Like I said – be sure to check out the other lovely ladies and their links to their looks below and stay tuned because I have a few other inspired looks I’ll be working on over the next few weeks featuring a few more ladies from OITNB.  Have a wonderful week!


Signature Honey

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Pure and Essential Minerals Morocco Argan Oil Restorative Hair Treatment Mask

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Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

I would be lying if I didn’t say that I’m pretty brutal on my hair… I brush it when I’m not supposed to, color it often and since it’s naturally curly I shouldn’t yank and pull on it, but I always do.  I’m pretty lucky that my hair didn’t decide to grow some legs and walk off my head in horror yet, but thankful that with all of the damage I’ve done to it – it still hangs around.  Since finally realizing that I need to take better care of my hair, I have been using a variety of masks to increase the strength of my hair as well as give my locks some new life.  In the last month I have been using the Pure & Essential Minerals Morocco Argan Oil Restorative Hair Treatment Mask as a part of my hair care regimen and wanted to share my thoughts with you.

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Pure Morocco Argan Oil

 

Info from their Storefront:

 

  • Made in USA and Imported
  • THERE’S NOTHING WORSE THAN DRY, DAMAGED OR FRIZZY HAIR! – This Intense, Natural Hydrating Mask Will Restore, Soften and Strengthen Your Dry, Frizzy And Overworked Hair and Bring It Back To Life!
  • YOUR BASIC HAIR STRUCTURE NEEDS NOURISHMENT AND CARE – This Hydrating Mask Contains The World’s Most Renowned, Nourishing Ingredients For The Natural Restoration of Your Hair. Organic Oils Penetrate the Hair Shaft and Replenish Essential Moisture and Shine
  • HAS YOUR HAIR BEEN OVERWORKED? With Just A Few Treatments, This Mask Repairs and Renews Hair Damaged By Hot Tools, Chemical Treatments, Bleach and Environmental Stress
  • EASY APPLICATION, TAKES JUST 10 – 15 MINUTES – Safe For Color-Treated Hair. No Heat Activation Required. You Will See Instant Beneficial Results After the First Use, and Continued Revitalization With Regular Use
  • WE USE ONLY THE PUREST INGREDIENTS – Why compromise your health with products that contain chemicals? Our Hair Mask Contains Only 100% Pure, Natural and Certified Organic Ingredients – Free of Sulfates, Phosphates and Parabens. Cruelty Free, Vegan Certified

Retailing at $29.99 (currently on sale for $15.99) this mask comes with 4 oz of product – enough to last you at least one month with consistent use.  Application is easy… after shampooing, apply a generous amount of the mask all over wet hair and comb product through from roots to ends.  Let it sit for 5-15 minutes (I usually let it sit for about 15 minutes) and then rinse the product out thoroughly.  The directions state that you can use the mask daily, weekly or anytime you need an extra boost of moisture in your hair.  While I love the mask, I do notice that it causes me to break out along my hair line, so I use this mask once a week only and if my ends need a little extra moisture, I can concentrate it on my hair ends a few times a week if I feel the need.

PURE & ESSENTIAL MINERALS Morocco Argan Oil

The mask has a strong Argan Oil scent, so if you are not too fond of that fragrance, this may not be an easy product for you to work with since it will be on your hair.  Once you rinse the product off – the scent still lingers.  I had a hard time with it and I can imagine that those that are not huge on the fragrance may experience the same issues.  The consistency of the product is nice… it’s thick enough but not too thick – if that makes any sense.  It reminds me of a smoothie consistency – thick, but still a liquid like mask – not firm.

Ingredients include:  Certified Organic Argan Oil, Organic Aloe Juice, Organic Castor Oil, Pro-Vitamin B5, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Meadowfoam Oil.

Morocco Argan OilThe story…

For centuries, the Berber women of Morocco have treated their hair and skin with pure organic Argan oil.   Often called liquid gold, argan oil is a super rich antioxidant, full of essential fatty acids and more than double the vitamin E found in olive oil.

For my Vegan friends – this product is Vegan certified and Cruelty Free.  It contains zero harsh chemicals, parabens, fragrances or artificial ingredients.  This product penetrates the hair shaft to restore essential moisture and recontructs/replenishes dull, weak and damaged hair.  Since it includes organic Aloe Juice, organic Castor Oil and organic Coconut Oil, it provides essential benefits for your hair.  Pro-Vitamin B5 is used to deliver instant, long-lasting rejuvenation and life to your hair as well.  This product is a part of Fair Trade and is 100% Pure – using Moroccan Argan Oil sourced from Berber Women’s Co-Operatives in the Argan region of Morocco.  So, your purchase directly benefits these women’s cooperatives, who receive fair trade prices for their hand-crafted 100% pure Argan Oil.

My Overall Thoughts…

My hair responded well to this mask and while I didn’t enjoy the scent of the product, my ends of my hair seemed like it looked and felt healthier than before.  This product left my hair soft and smooth and it also was not as frizzy as it normally is during this time of year.  My hair definitely felt moisturized after each treatment and I also noticed that I didn’t experience as much breakage as I normally do.  Packaging is okay – the product comes in a jar that you have to dig your hands / fingers into to get the product.  It’s not my favorite form of getting product out – but it’s okay.  My only critiques is that my hair is super long and therefore I use more product on my hair than the average person.  Because of this, I clean through a jar of this product very quickly so the 4 oz Jar did not last me a month.  Of course, if you have shorter hair, it will give you a lot more use – but for me, I used up the contents of the bottle very quickly.  Like I mentioned previously, the scent of the product is stronger than I had expected.  Those that do not like the scent of Argan Oil may have a hard time with this product.  While it is not the only scent you smell (natural oils like Coconut oil and Aloe are also included), the natural fragrance may be too much for you.

Money Back Guarantee…  I love this!  Pure & Essential Minerals stands behind their product.  When you try their Natural Restorative Hair Mask for 30 days, if you are not completely satisfied – you can return it for a full refund.  The price of this product is affordable and offered me some pretty awesome results.  My hair enjoyed soaking up all the ingredients offered and I think it would definitely be worth the try since you can try this product Risk Free.

Signature Honey

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

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