In 2011 I created this makeup look. It was one of my most popular then, one that definitely got attention and it was even featured on the Homepage of Beautylish that year. I’m not gonna lie, it was exciting and definitely cool to see years of playing and doing makeup to see your work start to get noticed on the Worldwide Web. Looking back at this photo from almost 3 years ago is a reminder of how far I have come… not only in learning more about makeup, but more about my skin, about how I thought of myself, my appearance and so much more. Basically – looking back on this, I am reminded of how far I have come as a person… my throwback Thursday is about reflection of where I have been and how far I have come.
Have you ever stopped to look at an old photo and think to yourself… “Wow – time sure has come and gone!” and then realize that the path you have taken the last couple of years while difficult was a road that needed to be traveled? Yup – that was me… and let me just say, that this road was one filled with a lot of learning. I’m proud to say that I have learned so much about the person I am and it’s taken three years to realize that a person can grow overnight. Let’s be honest here… we didn’t think that this was all going to be about makeup… right?
While this photo was taken just under three years ago, it shows a person who isn’t smiling… who looks, almost rugged and rough. Yes, the pretty face (lol) and exterior may look nice, but this is the photo of a woman who is still trying to figure out who she is in the beauty community… but realized later that she is exactly who she was meant to be… herself. So now… when you look at a photo of this women, majority of the time, there is a smile on her face… and when there is not – it’s just because she is trying to look fashionable. lol I have learned more than ever in the last 3 years that beauty is only skin deep… and that it was important that I must be comfortable in my own skin. I’m not gonna lie, I have those days where I wallow in self doubt… come on now, we all do – no matter how much we try to get away from it. But, I have also learned to look in the mirror and be proud of who I am, the accomplishments over the years, how I look and most importantly know that the company I keep is worth my time, energy and love.
People forget that life is a journey… every day – every week – every year… we learn and we either grow by learning or we take a step back and become what we are not meant to be, when all we are supposed to be… is ourselves. Love and Kisses from me to you!
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…
Ooh baby… don’t I love a bright, bold lip shade. But, a bright, bold lip shade on a budget? Yes, that’s what I said… on a budget – which means AFFORDABLE. I didn’t believe the rave this product was getting but knew I had to pick them up myself and test them out. It is rare to find such bold shades in the drug store scene but over the last year, cosmetic companies have been making waves and L.A. Girl recently came out with these show stoppers. The L.A. Girl Glazed Lip Paints… are they worth their affordable price tag? Check out my thoughts below.
These gorgeous beauties are packed with a punch of colors and are bold and bright. Retailing for $4.00 on L.A. Girls Website and various retail stores that carry the brand, this lippy is definitely affordable. With six different shades – you have a few choices to choose from. These lip colors are pretty intense and offer bold color in just one layer of application. While they have such bold “lipstick like” color, they are shiny and glossy like you would expect from a lip gloss. If you are a more neutral toned babe and not fond of bold shades, it may be a little bit of a challenge to find a lip color you can work with, but nonetheless, this is that time when I say – “go bold”.
While these are not easy to find – for me at least, I was able to locate them on the L.A. Girls Website as well as a few other places like ikatehouse.com. It was sold out for me on ikatehouse.com and the shipping for L.A. Girls to Hawaii was $55.35 (shipping UPS Ground – only option available), so I decided to check out ebay and found that a seller I have purchased cosmetics from before had these for sale in a set. I do know that the last I checked it was available on ikatehouse.com so if you are interested, you may want to stop there if you are looking to pick these up. While I was excited about the cost of each lippy – I surely wasn’t paying that outrageous shipping cost from L.A. Girls, so I need to find other alternatives and I’m glad I did because these lip paints are definitely awesome.
Packing of the lip paints are similar in shape to the Melted Lipsticks from Too Faced, and in fact – each of them have the same amount of product – 0.40 fl oz. (12 ml). While I have heard from different sources that these lip paints are dupes for the Too Faced Melted Lipsticks – I can certainly say that they are no where near similar besides their shape of their tubes. Check out my video, in the first half of the video I do a full comparison. The L.A. Girl Glazed Lip Paints come with a lip balm style applicator, you squeeze the product out of the tube and it comes out of the black applicator. While others may have had better experience with that, I definitely thought that it was messy and took a lot of finesse to be able to work with the product from tube to lips. This product is not one that you can apply quickly and be out of the door in a heart beat… it takes a little time to apply and I suggest a lip brush.
In the photo above I am using the Glazed Lip Paint in baby doll. A gorgeous baby pink (the name suits the color well) that reminds me of a bright Barbie pink tone. It’s definitely a bright, almost neon looking lip shade and while I think it would look pretty awesome on a lot of skin tones, it is definitely subject to opinion. If I had to really compare these to a product, they remind me of OCC Lip Tars… though I only have two and couldn’t say much for the bright neon like shades from OCC, these definitely seem much more similar in shade to those than the Too Faced Melted Lipsticks.
Now, I read on the website that these lip glazes have Vitamin E and Peppermint Oil. I was a little freaked about the Peppermint Oil having used products in the past that made my lips feel like they were burning off. The peppermint oil on these feel really nice on the lips… almost like a nice Burt’s Bees lip balm with peppermint in them. It wasn’t a strong minty feel on my lips like I had expected and I quite enjoyed it. The Vitamin E is pretty evident in that these really left my lips feeling moisturized after hours of wear. There was no need to apply lip balm in between applications in a day – though I do suggest that you exfoliate and moisturize prior to initial application since the shades can and tend to sink into the lines of your lips.
Lip Swatches – Top: Babydoll, Bottom: Bombshell
Lip Swatches – Top: Blushed, Bottom: Coy
Lip Swatches – Top: Hot Mess, Bottom: Pin Up
Overall, if you can get your hands on these babies, I would definitely pick them up – especially if they are less than $5.00. No where near me sells L.A. Girl which is a bummer, so I had to kind of hunt down an affordable alternative, due to the shipping costs from the actual site. While I think the packaging is cool (it reminds me of acrylic paints in the tube), it is not ideal for quick application and can be a mess sometimes – so be sure to take your time and apply with a brush. The peppermint oil was a nice addition, I didn’t think it was overpowering at all and I love the light peppermint scent. When it comes to longevity – I probably got four hours of staying power if I didn’t drink or eat anything before I felt the need to reapply. If I was to drink or eat anything – it would come right off. This product is not sticky – so it doesn’t adhere as well as some glosses may do. While the color may still be visible, you will start noticing that the glossy look will start coming off the quickest. This product is NOT HUBBY APPROVED. While my husband did like the colors, once he kissed me and seen the amount of product that came off, he was not a fan – so I remove the product before kissing. If you are going on a date and plan on doing a bunch of kissing or going out to eat say… a hamburger – this probably would not be the lippy you would want to use.
The colors are gorgeous and definitely pack a punch of intense color. With one layer of application you get great color pay off but if you want to build up on the shine and give it a glossier and bolder punch of color, you can add more layers. Make sure however, that you wait till the first layer dries a little. It will still feel wet, but you can tell when applying that it will start layering the color on instead of taking off what you just put on.
So – do I think this drug store / affordable product is worth it? I definitely think so. The price is awesome, but the colors are definitely great. I can’t wait and hope that LA girls comes out with more shades, a nice nude would be awesome. Have you tried these or do you plan to?
Ack – this deal looks pretty darn awesome. Check out Too Faced on HSN and snag up a great deal. On HSN at 2am, 3pm, 6pm and 11pm EST – take advantage of their special pictured below.
Yay for Summer – but boo for how fast June went by. This month – I tried a few new products I have never used before and a few that I am loving that were already in my collection. Check out my video for all the details here:
I have a June Favorites for Kids video coming up as well… the boys are all gathering up their favorite kid items from the month so stay tuned for that. 😉 I know it’s been quite a while since I have featured kid favorites and I am working my way to making it a part of our routine every month. So stay tuned for that – everything from clothes and toys to food and activities.
Products Listed:
Silk Coconut Milk – Original
To A Child, Love is Spelled T-I-M-E: Simple Truths
Too Faced Natural Eye Palette
Too Faced Sweetheart Flush Blush in Candy Glow
Crown HD Brush – Powder Brush
Milani Lip Intense Lip Color in Violet Addict
Jordana Matte Lipsticks in Lavender Lady and Pink Passion
Milani Power lip – Raspberry Tart and Pink Lemonade
Jordana Fabuliner Liquid Pen Liner
NYC High Definition Liquid Liner
Sally Hansen Gilty Party
Sally Hansen Debu-tint
I hope you had a wonderful June. The twins will be starting school on August 1st and my eldest goes back to school on that day as well. It’s bitter sweet for me but I’m so excited for them because they are excited to be going to school. Wishing you all a wonderful rest of your summer.
There are a plethora of products available for anti-aging and one of my favorite products to use is Vitamin C serums with Hyaluronic Acid. Because I use these serums…
I have always been a pretty big fan of Wet n Wild and I’m always checking out their products if they catch my eye. A few weeks ago, I came across a display in Walgreens that offered these Wet n Wild Fergie Centerstage Shimmer Palettes in two shades that I have not seen a part of their permanent collection. I’m still not sure if they are Limited Edition, but consider them so since the girl at Walgreens said that they were not getting them back – once sold out, they were gone. Since they may possible be an LE, I figured I would share them with all of you as quickly as possible so you have the opportunity to go out and get them if you can.
These face powders from Wet n Wild retailed at Walgreens for $6.99 and also included a kabuki brush. While sold separately – I considered it to be a pretty reasonable price, especially since these powders retail for about $6.99 – $8.99 at my local stores here on Maui. I have never seen these before anywhere in other stores and noticed how different they were to the other three that are included in Wet n Wild’s permanent Fergie collection.
The first palette I tried out was Video Bomb. This palette has a pretty cool marbleized look to it like the other To Reflect Shimmer Palettes that are permanent in the Centerstage collection from Fergie. It has a blend of a soft pink, chocolate brown and soft brown and when blended together, it has a soft pinkish brown that works really well as a blush/cheek shade. I loved this palette, but because it is a bit on the powdery side, it can leave your skin looking ashy or muddy – especially if you use too much of it. A little goes a long way – so tap off the excess from your brush before applying and sweep gently on your cheeks for a soft and sweet summery color.
What I love about this palette the most is that it is perfect on those days you are looking for a little color – but are not keen on truly using a blush or bronzer. It will give you a slight bronzed look with a soft pink hue without going overboard. Keep in mind that the palette has a golden sheen to it – so it can look a bit sparkly and shimmery on the skin if you put too much – again, a light hand is key.
The next palette I tried out was Photo Bomb. This one automatically caught my eye in the store because it is VERY different from the original three Shimmer Palettes Wet n Wild offers. It is all one shade, golden and what I thought would be perfect for highlight.
This palette offers a gold sheen, soft but still packs a punch of color. While this is great for a highlight – a little of this product definitely goes a long way. Like Video Bomb, this can offer a powdery texture, but blends nicely if you are looking for a great highlight. I love how both of these powders feel really nice – even when blended on the skin, it feels soft and both palettes are super pigmented.
I think that the Photo Bomb would work well on light and dark skin tones and in most skin tone shades. I was very amazed to see how nicely it looked against my skin and how it offered me a great glow but can see how nice it would work for someone with cool toned skin as well.
There is a lot of product in each palette – 0.4 oz / 11.3 g and I know that a little will go a long way so considering the cost of these palettes, you are getting a great deal for a very affordable price tag. I have read reviews and seen videos on the packaging for the original Shimmer Palettes where it fell apart for some and honestly, I have dropped mine a few times and they have stayed in tact reasonably well. The only thing that worries me is that I may drop it really hard one day and the actual powder will crack – but so far, so good.
Now the one downfall for these sets is the Kabuki brush that is offered with it. I think it is great that Wet n Wild included a Kabuki brush with each of these but after washing one of them, the quality and brush in general was a fail for me. While washing, the kabuki brush shed a lot and during the first use, I felt like the brush was quite rough on my skin. The brush hair felt soft at first but with use, it was uncomfortable and continued to shed. Ultimately – that was not a great selling point for the kit, but it also allowed the powders to stand alone.
Check out your local Walgreens and see if these are in stock. I haven’t tried any of the permanent line shimmer palettes, so I honestly don’t know how they would compare and if these have a different texture. If you are on a budget and interested in trying something fun for the summer months – this may be something you will like. Overall – well I’m not too keen on the shimmer these palettes offer, they are still pretty cool and I’ll make use of them for sure. Don’t forget to check out my video review along with demo on how these look directly on the skin – you can find that video here.
