Part 1 of Stila Haul - Eyeshadows & Blush

I purchased a ton of stuff from Beautycrunch the other day and finally have started taking pictures last night of all of them. I have broken it down into eyeshadows and blushes, and then all the lippies I bought. I am so excited about this site because of the fabulous bargains you can get on great products! These are the shadows and blushes I purchased:

Kitten - this is something I absolutely HAD to have, and I am so glad I have it now. It is such a beautiful neutral, champagne with tons of frost - just the way I like it!

Stila Eyeshadow Pots (Amber and Petal) - two mouse/cream shadows that are easy to apply, full of beautiful color, and won't crease.
Stila blush pan (Ecletic) - this is a bright, matte coral color. Typically I go with shimmery blushes, but the moment I put this on I fell in love! I used my skunk brush to apply a wash across the cheeks, and it is great color for summer!

Stila Sun Highlighter (Shade 2) - a perfect bronzer for those of us with fairer skin tones, this is not orange, but a beautiful neutral tan color with shimmer to add high lights to the places naturally darkened by the sun.

Here are all the pictures:

Stila Blush "Elcletic" and Stila Sun Highlighter


Stila Eyeshadow Pots "Amber" and "Petal"
Stila Eyeshadow "Kitten"

BeautyCrunch came yesterday...

...I will post pictures of everything, but I totally OD'd on Stila products. I finally got Kitten, a shadow I have been needing for such a long time. I'm really excited to share the fun haul with you all!

FOTD - Blues and Greens (Covergirl

Thanks to Vanessa's blog, I decided to hit up my local Target and try to find the new Covergirl eyeshadows that are available now for the spring. I bought two colors, Lime Alive and Indigo Impact. I took pictures of them, too, but for some reason they didn't upload onto my computer, so I will get those later and add them to the post.

I was very impressed with the two colors I purchased, especially the Lime Alive, as it is very pigmented and pearlescent, which I love! I didn't even need to foil any of the colors - all were applied dry.

Face:

Monistat Anti Chafing Gel primer

Bare Escentuals Medium foundation

Bare Escentuals All Over Face Color "Warmth"

Everyday Minerals Blush "Theme Park"

Eyes:

Loreal DeCrease - base

MAC Pigment "Vanilla" - all over lid and as high light

Covergirl Eyeshadow "Lime Alive" - all over lid

Milani Eyeshadow Quad "Autumn Earth" - green in corner and lower lashline

Covergirl Eyeshadow "Indigo Impact" - blended into lid and crease

i-mark. Custom Pick Eyeshadow "Night Owl" - outer crease, outer lid (pictured below)

Tweezerman Fast Lash

Maybelline Full 'n Soft Mascara Black

Lips:

Smashbox lipgloss "Candid"

I am also going to try and "map" out what I did on one of my pictures above, so I will get that uploaded later, as well.

Thanks!!

FOTD - Lilac and Purple

I think one of my favorite colors to use is purple (second only to using green eyeshadows), so when I pulled my lavender sweater out of my closet, I was pretty excited to play with some of my new shadows from some recent shopping sprees.

Below are the shadows I used:

Loreal Wear Infinite "Galaxy Gray"

Avon's Satin Delux Eyeshadow "Plum Pair Duo"

The She Space Pigments "High Drama"

Below you can see the colors really well because I haven't put on mascara yet.



Now, with mascara:

Face:
Bare Escentuals Foundation "Medium"
Wet and Wild Blush "Pearl Pink"

Eyes:
Loreal DeCrease Eyeshadow Base
Avon Satin Delux "Plum Pair Duo" - purple on lid, lower lash line

The She Space "High Drama" - outer corner
Avon Satin Delux "Plum Pair Duo" - brown in crease
Loreal Wear Infinite "Galactic Gray Trio" - white as high light
Milani Color Brilliance Eye Pencil "Purple" - lower lash line
Tweezerman Fast Lash
Mabelline Full 'n Soft Mascara "Black"

Lips: Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer "Champagne"

BeautyCrunch.com free shipping code...

...if you purchase $50 or more - right now they have lots of beautiful Stila makeup and skin care, all at bargain prices. Use the code "intro" and you will get free shipping! BeautyCrunch is the best!

NYX EOTD and Fast Lash Review

I used my new NYX pallet today to create this EOTD. Again, the colors that are in this pallet are Golden, Rust and Walnut Brown. The NYX single eyeshadow is in Taupe.



I used the following:

Loreal DeCrease - base
NYX Rust - lid
NYX Taupe - outer corner and lower lashline
NYX Golden - outer corner
NYX Walnut Brown - crease, outer corner
Milani Wet/Dry Eyeshadow Lilly White - high light
Tweezerman Fast Lash
Mabelline Full 'n Soft Mascara black

I also used my new Tweezerman Fast Lash to create thick, lush and long lashes! I am absolutely in love with this stuff. Here is what the product says:

_____________________________________
Fast Lash®
Features:
Fast Lash is a unique makeup product, that when applied properly, makes lashes dramatically longer. It gives the look of false eyelashes without the hassle. Fast Lash is a micro fine polyester fiber used in conjunction with regular mascara.

How To Use:
Curl your lashes with your favorite Tweezerman Lash Curler.
Prime your lashes with a light coat of mascara.
Slowly pull the Fast Lash wand from the container so fibers adhere to wand. We recommend removing the wand over a sink or waste basket.
While mascara is still wet, lightly dab the Fast Lash wand to the tips of lashes; the fibers will cling instantly. You only need a little fiber to get great results.
Immediately apply the second coat of mascara. The fibers will absorb the mascara and expand to extend lashes.
Repeat to reach desired length.
For best results, separate lashes using Tweezerman's Ilashcomb.
Caution:
Use only with regular mascara. Do not attempt to roll your Fast Lash like a mascara wand. Because this product is based on technique, you may need to practice a few times to get the look you want.
Warning:
Not recommended for sensitive eyes or extended wear contact lens users. If you have a reaction, discontinue use immediately.
Tip:
Always work from the longest outside lashes toward the delicate inside lashes.
_________________________________________

I will preface this by saying it takes a little patience when initially working with this product, because as the above states, this is a dry microfiber that is applied in between coats of mascara to create the effect of false eyelashes. You can see the fibers in the picture below.

Before I use the product, I have an empty eyeshadow container that I tap the excess fibers into, as you will not need the amount that is on the brush above. A little goes a LONG way!

Here is how I applied my mascara with this product.

Start out with unprimed lashes, as below (you will be able to see the drastic difference between the before and after with these pictures).

I then apply one coat of my mascara - here I used Maybelline Full 'n Soft mascara in Black.

While the mascara is still wet, immediately apply some of the Tweezerman Fast Lash. Remember to tap off the excess prior to applying or else your lashes will look like a cottonball! :) You can see the fibers attached to my mascara in the second picture down.

Then apply another coat of mascara. Repeat as desired, and you will have full, lush, lashes! This is two coats of Tweezerman Fast Lash and three coats of mascara (which I typically use).

Overall I absolutely loved this product, although I wish there was a way to get less on the wand when it comes immediately out of the package.

Price: $6-$8 at drugstores

Product: 5 out of 5

Packaging: 4 out of 5

Quality: 5 out of 5

Price: 5 out of 5

Total: 4.5 out of 5

I *heart* ULTA...

On Friday I went into work early (4:00am) and was able to leave around 11:30, so I decided to take a trip over to the local Ulta store to see what was there. After reading numerous sightings of NYX at Ulta, I decided to search mine to see if they had a display, which they did! Although they didn't have the entire line, they did have some eyeshadows and lip glosses. I purchased the following:

NYX Eyeshadow Single "Taupe"
TS10 (Tropical, Yellow and Lime Green)
TS25 - (Golden, Rust, and Walnut Brown)

I also came across a couple of items I have wanted to try. The first is the Loreal DeCrease Eyeshadow Base, which I read about on Vanessa's blog earlier this month.

I have used this product the past couple of days, and I must say it is fantastic! Prior to using my eyeshadow, I dab some on my lid and blend in. It is a very neutral, skintone color, so it blends in seamlessly. After it has set for a minute or two, I put my shadow on over it. The shadow wears like iron, colors pop and blend easily. There is no tugging of the shadow when applying on top of the DeCrease. This is definitely a must, especially for those of you who enjoy and swear by the Urban Decay Primer Potion. More importantly, I think it is a lot easier to get all of the product out of the package as compared to the UDPP. For around $6, this is a great dupe, and easily found at your local drugstore.

Price: $6-$8 at drugstores
Product: 5 out of 5
Packaging: 5 out of 5
Quality: 5 out of 5
Price: 5 out of 5
Total: 5 out of 5

The final item I purchased at ULTA was the Tweezerman Fast Lash. This looks like a mascara on the outside, but it actually has tiny little fibers that are applied in between coats of mascara to give full, lush lashes! I will do a review of this separately, as I want to show before, after, and in between pictures for your reference.

What a long weekend!

I know I have been MIA recently, but I have been very busy with weddings and work this weekend that I haven't had the opportunity to sit down and post here. I did go to Ulta this weekend and grabbed quite a mix of things, which I will post about later this week. One of the products I bought is my new favorite thing and must have when it comes to lashes. I will do a little tidbit about that here as well.

Thanks for understanding and I will see you soon! :)

Walgreens Haul Part 1

It's not that I bought so much that it needed to be split into multiple parts - I just haven't had the opportunity to take the pictures of the stuff I purchased at Walgreens yet. My camera needs new batteries and it keeps on shutting down when I work on taking pics, so this is going to have to do for now.

I came across a couple of Milani items I didn't have: The first is the eyeshadow quad in Autumn Earth. They have several other colors, so I may be purchasing those next time I stop in.

The other item I purchased was a single shadow in Java Bean. It doesn't quite look like this in the picture, but it is a much deeper brown.

Although I love to play with color, I'm a sucker for any neutrals that have good color payoff and tons of frost, as the above do. I'll do a FOTD or EOTD sometime in the near future with these new beauties!

Tropez Beauty

Has anyone heard of Tropez Beauty? I was roaming around my local Walgreens today over my lunch break and noticed this tucked away in the back corner.

I bought a couple products to try, so I will do a look and review when I get the opportunity to play with them. The few things I bought were two liquid eyeliners: Teal Blue and Green Envy.

I also purchased a set of 4 mini pigment vials - something I am hoping will be an indication of things to come. Just from the looks of them they are bright, frosty and really pretty. I will upload a picture when I get back home and can take one.

Let me know if you have ever heard or tried this brand before - I'd love to know!

EOTD - Lucifer's Chariot

I decided to play around with my She Space Minerals the other night, so below is an EOTD with a few of the colors I picked up.

Specifically, I fell immediately in love with Lucifer's Chariot, which was a real pretty pink/reddish/maroon color. I decided to use this with my NYX Ultra Pearl Pigment in Pearl Lime.

Loreal HIP paint - base
NYX Ultra Pearl Pigment "Pearl Lime" - inner corner, lower lashline
The She Space "Lucifer's Chariot" - outer corner, lower lashline, crease
MAC Pigment "Vanilla" - high light
The She Space "Bubble and Burn" - wet as liner
Diorshow Blackout Mascara


The colors lasted, great pigmentation and I just loved how well the She Space minerals blended together. A definite must for you mineral lovers!

Review: Loreal Voluminous Naturale Mascara

I ran out of my Dior Show Blackout Mascara, so I decided it was time to scrounge around the CVS by my house and see what I could find. I decided to try the Loreal Voluminous Naturale Mascara, as I have read some reviews about the product on Makeup Alley.

The brush on this product is similar to a lot of the silicone brushes, where it is meant to define and separate the lashes, while adding volume in one or two sweeps across the lashes, as opposed to reapplying the mascara over and over, which usually leads to clumpy lashes on me.

Overall, I have been very pleased with this mascara. I noticed that I got great results immediately, where sometimes when a mascara is brand new, I need to have used it a few days in order to start getting the results I am looking for. I would definitely recommend this, especially for a drug store brand and a cost of only $5-6.00. That is a great price for an easy to use, everyday mascara.

I will do an EOTD here in the near future with this product so you can see the results.

FOTD - Smokey Platinum and Silver

Today's FOTD is one of the easiest and favorites of mine to do - a smokey look. Here is what I used:

Face:
Everyday Minerals Intensive Foundation "Light/Medium"
Wet & Wild Blush - Pearl Pink

Eyes:
Bare Escentuals Glimmer "Platinum" - foiled all over lid
NYX Ultra Pearl Pigments "Pearl Charcoal" - foiled on outer corner of lid and crease
Milani Wet/Dry Eyeshadow "Lilly White" - foiled as high light
Mac Fibre Riche Mascara "Black"

Lips:
mark.



When starting the look, I foiled the BE Platinim glimmer all over the lid and under the lash line. I then took NYX Pearl Pigment in Pearl Charcoal and foiled this on the outer corner of the lid, blending it into the Platinum, as well as pulling it up into the crease line. Finally, I took the Milani Lilly White shadow, and foiled this as a high light, down into the crease line, blending everything together.