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The Beauty Butler – Organize Your Makeup Quickly and Easily

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For the most part, I’m pretty proud to say that my makeup stash is fairly organized.  But, with all the traveling I did in my past job, I would have loved something that would keep my makeup neat and easy to use.  The Beauty Butler is a genius way to do just that and it’s the perfect companion for travel or to just keep organized.  An affordable product that offers you convenience and is easy to use?  I think I found a fun winner to add to my beauty collection.  How do you organize your makeup quickly and easily?  Here is how I have been stashing mine lately.

PRESS SAMPLE
The Beauty Butler

Check out my Video review below as well as a demo and show and tell of how the product works.  Click here to watch the video directly on YouTube.

The Beauty Butler comes in 2 sizes –

the Diva (6″x8″) $12.99 – comes with 20 small and 8 large tabs and available in Pink and Black

and the Flirt (4″x6″) $10.99 – comes with 12 small and 4 large tabs and available in Pink and Black

You can purchase them each separately or bundle them together with the Sets they have available on the site to fit your makeup organization needs.  Some of the sets even include a makeup bag to store your Beauty Butler trays so if you are interested in those, you can find them here.

The Beauty Butler

Beauty Butler is easy to use and sturdy to keep your makeup all together for travel or storage.  Simply take your “grab tab” (velcro) and attach to the object you want to stick to the Beauty Butler.  Prior to attaching the grab tab, be sure to clean your makeup object or tool properly so that the tab will adhere and stay in place for as long as you need it to and be secure.  Once you have placed the tab in place on your makeup (i.e. a lipstick), you are good to go.  Simply place the object on the Beauty Butler tray – the grab tab will affix to your tray with ease.

The Beauty Butler

Beauty Butler is the only “hook and loop” makeup storage system that keeps makeup organized on portable makeup palettes.  Removing the Grab Tabs from your makeup is easy to do (like removing a sticker), and while the site says you will not be able to reuse the tab on another piece of makeup – I have been able to do so a few times already.  Just keep in mind that when you do so – you may lose the integrity of the grab tab and it may not stick well to the new object it is placed on.  The Beauty Butler  does include a lot of tabs for you to be able to get great use out of your butler, so keep that in mind before trying to reuse.  What I think is so cool is that the Beauty Butler will work with all shapes and sizes of makeup so long as it fits the size of the palette you have (Diva / Flirt).  Brushes, compacts, mini/small palettes, single eye shadows, lipsticks and glosses all fit nicely and allow you to organize a wide range of makeup for your needs.

The Beauty Butler

The Beauty Butler is very sturdy and strong.  As you can see in the video posted, I am able to turn the trays upside down and shake them pretty vigorously without any of my affixed makeup falling off.  Removing the makeup to use is simple and putting it back for storage takes little to no effort.  I absolutely love that these are so neat for storing on a tray in your makeup collection or placing in a makeup bag that’s large enough to hold the items affixed.  No more digging around in your makeup bag to find that lipstick that always seems to get lost in there.  Everything is always neat and nice and easy to use.  As a makeup artist, I think this could be an item that is beneficial for your use as well.  You can affix single eye shadows (still in the pot) like those from MAC and don’t have to worry about depotting them to fit in a Z Palette or Open Palette that requires magnets.  Simply attach the grab tab to your single eye shadow pot and place on the palette.  It could work for you in many ways and you may find a way to use this product that I haven’t thought of yet.  I like to open my compacts and use them directly from the Beauty Butler, easy and quick for on the go touch ups too.

The Beauty Butler

Because the Beauty Butler keeps all of your cosmetic items in place and they are not bouncing around in your makeup bag, that also helps to keep your makeup from breaking.  Those palettes that tend to have sensitive shadows that crumble and shatter could benefit from using the Beauty Butler.  It’s a handy tool for anyone and I wish I had this when I traveled in the past, because something always broke or went missing and the Beauty Butler would have helped to keep it all organized for me.

The Beauty Butler

Simply attach your favorite or needed makeup goodies to the palette, place in your makeup bag and you are good to go.  No more digging in your makeup bag to find what you need… everything is at your finger tips.  Is this something you think you could get some use out of?  Have you heard of the Beauty Butler before?  What are you thoughts on this pretty cool product?  To get your Beauty Butler or to learn a little more about it – head on over to their website: http://getbeautybutler.com/

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May Beauty Favorites 2014

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Holy batman… it is another month gone by in 2014 and my favorites list is the size of a watermelon – lol.  To watch my May Beauty Favorites video directly on YouTube, click here.

The life of a blogger is pretty awesome, however… it also means that my Monthly Favorites list is growing like mad.  Am I complaining? No – of course not, but just know – I don’t mean to bombard you with a million favorites each month. lol Because of this I’m gonna try really hard to get back to doing my 5 Friday Favorites in 5 Minutes Segment once again to help lessen the load. lol

 

May Beauty Favorites 2014

Products that made my favorites this month include:

Hair Care –

  • Derm Organic Argan Oil Line to include Shampoo,  Conditioner and Intense Moisture Mask
  • Skin Delicious Body So Fine Curling Gel – soft control

Skin Care –

  • Be Delectable by Cake Beauty Strawberry and Cream Body Lotion and Lemon and Cream Hair and Body Mist Spray
  • Freeman Golden Grain Mask
  • Bebelush Argan Oil
  • Lulu Blossom Body Balm

Makeup Tools –

  • Coastal Scents Bamboo Brush BR-B-S43
  • Crown Brush HD Brush – Tapered Blush
  • Sedona Lace EB 19 Bent liner brush

Makeup –

  • Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette
  • Scandaleyes Retro Glam Waterproof Mascara
  • Chella Defining brow pencil in Dazzling Brown
  • Perfekt Beauty Brow Perfection Gel in Caramel
  • Milani Brow Gel Set
  • Cailyn Waterproof Gel liner
  • NYX Matte Bronzer
  • Milani Matte Baked Bronzer
  • Milani Bare Secret
  • NYX Butter Gloss in Creme Brulee
  • NYX Xtreme shine Lip Cream in Nude Peach Fuzz
  • Wet n Wild The Naked Truth Palette

Nail Polish

  • Zoya Shay
  • Zoya Adel

I have tried a bunch of different foods and listened to a lot of different songs this past month – but one that my sons have been loving a lot has been Lucky from Daft Punk and Happy by Pharrell Williams… so I will share one with you all.

I’m super excited that summer is here and we are in full swing of Summer break.  Hope you are all enjoying some warm weather.  I am hoping that I can start doing my Friday Favs again and that should help eliminate my super long list.  Wishing you all a wonderful week and day!

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Milani Matte Baked Bronzers – Limited Edition

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It’s no secret that Milani is one of my all-time favorite drug store brands and has been for a couple of years now.  I have had the opportunity to try out quite a bit from the line they offer and for the most part – I’m always impressed with what they roll out.  I literally fell out of my seat a few weeks ago when I got word that Milani was rolling out Limited Edition Matte Baked Bronzers and I couldn’t have been more excited.

PRESS SAMPLE

Milani Limited Edition Matte Baked Bronzers

If you have ever tried or used or even seen (for that matter) one of Milani’s Baked Bronzers, then you will know that you get a lot of product for a really affordable price tag.  I have a plethora of Milani products, especially their blushes and I have been waiting patiently and asking the Makeup Gods for the day that Milani would finally come out with a baked bronzer that was matte.  Thankfully, they did.  However – these are limited edition so you want to make sure you get your hands on them… STAT.

These two new limited edition matte bronzers are available in the shades 08 Sunset (medium tan) and  07 Sienna (light golden tan).   They retail on Milani’s website for $8.99 which is the same cost as Milani’s original bronzers like 04 Glow, 05 Soleil and 06 Golden.  As I mentioned, the big difference between these new LE bronzers is that they are completely matte.

Milani Limited Edition Matte Baked Bronzers

08 – Sunset (light golden tan) is on the left and 07 – Sienna (medium tan) is on the right 

Each bronzer comes with a little bronzer brush (not my favorite to use but definitely awesome in a pinch) and a mirror that is placed in the compact below the bronzer.  The come in Milani’s signature gold packaging which gives it such a gorgeous look.   Milani definitely ranks high for me when it comes to packaging, because I always feel like I’m buying a luxury brand from the drug store.  You get a lot of product in each bronzer – Net Wt. 0.25 oz/7g and because it is a baked bronzer, you can use it dry for a sheer matte finish or wet for a more intense or dramatic look.  These bronzers are multi-purpose beauty products as they can be used for both your eyes, face and body (hello – total bonus).  They are streak free, apply easily and blend well for an effortless bronze.  Since I have both shades – I like to do a contour with Sienna (the darker shade) to define my face and then for an all over summer bronzed look, I use Sunset (the lighter brown) and apply as an all over bronzer.

Milani Matte Baked Bronzer Sienna

07 – Sienna is a warm golden bronze and is perfect for those with Medium and golden skin tones.  If you have a darker skin tone, I definitely suggest using this wet and build the color up to the shade you think will work best for you.  If you have a warmer skin tone – this bronzer will be perfect for you.  Since it is matte and baked, you can build up to the shade that you like and those who are not fond of shimmer bronzers, these are perfect.

Milani Matte Baked Bronzer Sunset

08 Sunset is a medium tan bronzer and lends for a cool toned brown.  It is perfect for those that are light to medium in skin tone and those like me who want to warm up my face without contouring, but looking for an all over bronze.  Just like with Sienna, Sunset is buildable and if you need a deeper more intense color for contour, you can definitely use it wet and build upon that color.

Milani Matte Baked Bronzer Swatches

The swatches above were done dry on my bare skin and I only used one swipe.  Considering I’m fairly darker in skin tone, both shades do show up on me and Sienna is the perfect bronze for me to contour for extra depth and dimension.  I love to use Sunset as an all over bronze if I’m looking to achieve a warmer look.  Each shade lasts all day with minor fading after 5 hours… but the wear on these bronzers are long lasting.  I love that they apply effortlessly and last, but most importantly my skin enjoys them – no break outs at all and it didn’t oxidize or start to look muddy on me after a few hours.  If you are planning to use these bronzers for a long period of time, I think they will surely work well for that purpose.

Milani Matte Baked Bronzer Try On

In the look above (tutorial for that look can be found here), I am using Sienna to contour in the hallows of my cheeks to define my cheek bones and along my nose, hairline and jawline.  I have always had a few favorite bronzers to contour and warm up my face, but after using these the last couple of weeks, I have to admit that I have neglected my other favorites.  I love these bronzers!  Their price point is great and the products are awesome.

If you want to get your hands on  one of these bronzers, check out their awesome 30% off sale for Memorial Day.  I have a long list of suggestions, but if you are looking for swatches on the new Milani Matte Baked Blushes, you can check out my review and swatches for those here.  Happy  Shopping.

Milani 30% off discount

Click here to check out the discount and details.

Have you tried these new bronzers out yet?  Our you planning to if you haven’t already?  Will you be taking advantage of this awesome sale? Have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend Loves… wishing you lots of fun and sun!

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Longer, Stronger, Thicker, Beautiful Hair? Aviva Hair Revitalizer

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Longer, stronger, thicker, beautiful hair in just a couple of short months?  Hmmm… can this be achieved with just two little pills taken each day?  Check out my thoughts on this product below.

Press Sample

Aviva Hair Revitalizer Hair Growth Pill

Over the last month I had the opportunity to test out the Aviva Hair Revitalizer ($59.95), a 100% drug free, fish free pill that you take once a day with meals to achieve longer, stronger and thicker hair.  Now, most that know me can attest that my hair is fairly long, super curly and it’s been that way for my entire life.  However, since having my children – mainly my twins, my hair has definitely become much more brittle and definitely fine vs. being so thick as it used to be in my childhood and teen years.    While my length is still achieved fairly easily for me, keeping my hair strong and healthy has been a challenge for me.

WHAT IS THE AVIVA™ HAIR REVITALIZER ADVANCED HAIR GROWTH* SYSTEM?

Aviva™ is a scientifically formulated hair revitalizer that stimulates healthy hair growth from within. Aviva’s exclusive formula combines the strength of two proprietary complexes, Pentaplex HGF and Tetra-HHL. All-natural ingredients packed into a fish-free, odorless, and easy to take softgel work with your natural hair growth cycle, enriching and enhancing for longer, stronger, thicker and beautiful, healthy looking hair.

HOW DOES AVIVA™ WORK?

Aviva’s proprietary dual complex works with your natural hair growth cycle to stimulate healthy hair growth from within – up to 6mm beneath the scalp’s surface – to enrich and enhance the follicle, allowing it to produce stronger, thicker, and beautiful hair. As Aviva stimulates and improves the health of these hair follicles deep beneath the surface, it revitalizes the hair’s DNA. Working with your natural hair growth cycle, Aviva helps support hair structure and encourages new, emerging hair.

Before Taking Aviva Hair Revitalizer

While my hair appears to be thick in my “before” photo – it is mainly because of my curls and how my hair is layered.  When my hair is pulled back in a pony tail or bun, you can see how thin and fine my hair truly is.  In my Before Photo (above), even with my favorite hair care products, my locks can look dry and brittle if I do not moisturize them appropriately.  I also have a huge problem area… where I have some receding on my hair line… near the temples on both sides of my head.  For the most part I can hide the receding with the curls in my hair, but it is pretty visible when left to its own.

After one week of using Aviva Hair Revitalizer

After just a week of taking Aviva Hair Revitalizer, I noticed that the strength of my hair had improved.  As you can see in the above image – my hair is completely brushed out (left) and after brushing out my curls I noticed that my brush didn’t have as many strands entangled in the bristles.  This was the first time I noticed results, and that was just a week after I started taking the pills.  When I straightened my hair shortly after, my hair seemed to be much thicker than it normally would be if I had flat-ironed it.  Because my hair had looked so thin in the past, I didn’t flat-iron or add any heat to my hair in over 2 years.  After washing my curls came back without any issues and it seemed strong and started to feel like it was much thicker than before.

aviva ingredients

Check out Aviva’s website for information on the Hair Growth Cycle.  Taking the product is easy… simply take 2 soft gels a day  –  one in the morning and one at night.  Make sure that you take each soft gel with meals and use as directed for a minimum of 3-6 months.  While the site and box does state that you will receive the best results after 3-6 months of taking the product, I did notice a difference in my hair after just a week and a huge improvement in the strength of my hair after a month.  I have tried all kinds of different treatments on my hair to improve the strength of it and haven’t experienced such results with other products like I have with Aviva.  Used in combination with my holy grail Coconut Oil and some of my favorite hair care products left me very impressed.

after one month of Aviva

It’s been a month since I started using Aviva and while I don’t think I noticed much hair growth, I definitely see results in regard to the strength of my hair and the loss of hair.  Normally when I shower – I can lose a tremendous amount of hair due to breakage or the fact that my hair just sheds so dramatically.  Also – the area near the temples of my head where I had some thinning and a bit receding seems to have filled in a little more.  Some of my baby hair seems to be growing out so that the thinning of my hair line near my temples is not as prominent.  I’ll be sure to post photos of this in my follow up of this product in a month.  While it’s not noticeable to those around me, I can see the difference in the thickness of my hair and how much body it seems to have after just a month of taking Aviva.

Don’t forget to click on my video review below for my thoughts as well or click here to watch directly on YouTube.

So have you tried a hair growth product or Aviva Hair Revitalizer before?  Overall I’m pretty impressed with the product and will come back in a month to discuss any additional results I experienced then.

Use code AVIVAbstat14 to receive a 20% discount and FREE shipping on a 30-Day Supply.  You can purchase AVIVA Hair Revitalizer at www.avivahair.com.

This item was provided for review courtesy of www.beautystat.com.

blog signature honey copy Disclaimer:  This product was provided to me courtesy of Beautystat.  All opinions are my own and 100% honest and unbiased.  While I was provided samples to test out, I was not compensated for my thoughts and review.

 

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NYX Butter Lip Balm in Panna Cotta

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I know that the “butter” lippy phase has been a pretty popular one lately and from Revlon Lip butters to now NYX’s new line of lippies, they can be found everywhere.  A few months ago I picked up the NYX Butter Lip Balm in Panna Cotta and decided I would give it a try.  I wasn’t very impressed with the other colors I seen online and since getting new NYX products means ordering online, I decided I would only get one.  I was pretty impressed with the NYX Lip Balms I tried last year (review can be found here) and had hoped these would be similar but with a better texture but was surprised with the similarities.

SELF PURCHASED

NYX Butter Lip balm

The NYX Butter Lip Balms retail on NYX’s website for $4.00 (not a bad price in my opinion) and there are eight colors available to choose from.  Each color offers a sheer to buildable wash of color – though because of its buttery texture, I noticed that the balm was not as buildable in pigmentation as I had expected.  In comparison to the regular tinted balms they had last year, these seem to be much more sheer in pigment.

INGREDIENTS / INGRÉDIENTS: Mineral Oil / Paraffinum Liquidum/ Huile Minérale, Ceresin, Polybutene, Octyldodecanol, Synthetic Wax,Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Silica, Petrolatum, PentaerythritylTetraisostearate, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower ) Seed Oil, Stearoxymethicone / Dimethicone Copolymer, EuphorbiaCerifera (Candelilla) Wax / Candelilla Cera / Cire de Candelilla, Beeswax /Cera Alba / Cire d’abeille, Phenoxyethanol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Bisabolol, Fragrance/ Parfum, Citral, Linalool, Limonene. MAY CONTAIN / PEUT CONTENIR (+/-): Mica, TitaniumDioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, 77492, 77499), Red 6 (CI 15850), Red7 Lake (CI 15850), Red 28 Lake (CI 45410), Yellow 6 Lake (CI 15985), Yellow 5Lake (CI 19140).

The butter balm feels nice on the lips and applied very easily.  If I had to compare, they kind of remind me of very sheer Revlon Lip Butters… the feeling felt the same on my lips but lacked the color payoff that Revlon Lip Butters provided.  While my lips felt very moisturized, I did feel the need to reapply the butter lip balm several times through out the day, whereas other Lip balms, I need only apply in the morning or at night.  My lips didn’t feel dry – but felt like it was needed to have something added to it through out the day  (if that makes any sense).

Overall – I think the price point is pretty okay for the amount of product you are getting and I love the wash of color you get from using this.  While it did offer my lips a fair amount of moisture, I felt the constant need to reapply it as needed.  I keep my balm in my purse and enjoy that while it gets left in my car sometimes, it hasn’t melted on me, like some butter lipsticks or similar textured products can do.  I like the Balm and may purchase another in the future if I feel the need, but it’s not something I would run out to get just because and definitely not a product I will rush out to buy just to collect them all (makeup addict).  If you are the type of person that wants something moisturizing on the lips, affordable and offers a nice tint of color – this may be something you like.

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THIS PRODUCT WAS SELF-PURCHASED!

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