Category Archives: Beauty Reviews

A Closer Look: Aromaco Deodorant from Lush Cosmetics

You could not fit in a Lush store during the Holiday season. LOL! I ended up visiting a local Lush store on New Year’s Day. It was just me and two sales associates. 🙂 I was hoping to purchase the Cupcake Fresh Face Mask but they were completely sold out. One of the sales associates was showing me other products I could benefit from. The last thing I was showed was the Aromaco Deodorant. I decided to try a smaller size to see if I would like it.

Aromaco

Aromaco2

One of the things the sales associate mentioned was Aromaco can be used right after shaving the armpits. I tested this deodorant for a week. I will say the Aromaco Deodorant really works! I’m only going to sweat but so much in the Winter. I will have to revisit this topic again during the Summer months. Aromaco is a safer alternative especially with all the concerns regarding aluminums in other deodorants/ antiperspirants. I will be purchasing this deodorant again.

Aromaco3

How I Survived This Past Fall

It was a typical Fall in the City of Pittsburgh. In the beginning there were still some nice mild days. Pittsburgh Fall weather can get pretty cold too. I found myself having to adjust my beauty routine for colder weather. At least I had a preview of what my Winter beauty routine might look like. Here are the items I reached for on a regular basis.

  • Coastal Scents Brush Shampoo Cleanser
  • Nature’s Shea Butter Organic Argan Oil
  • Scarves
  • MAC Polished UP Lipstick
  • Ion Repair Solutions Effective Care Treatment
  • MAC Sable Eyeshadow
  • MAC Handwritten Eyeshadow
  • MAC Wedge Eyeshadow
  • Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Moisture Retention Shampoo
  • Shea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Restorative Conditioner

Brush Cleaner        I’ve gotten a lot of use out of the Coastal Scents Brush Shampoo Cleanser. I had to clean my brushes more often since I’ve been doing the NFL Teams Makeup series. It’s nicer to work with fresh clean brushes. This cleanser cleans my thoroughly without drying them out.

Argan Oil                    I use the Nature’s Shea Butter Organic Argan Oil underneath my regular moisturizer. It absorbs into my skin without feeling greasy. The argan oil gives my skin an extra layer of protection against the cold weather.

ScarvesNot only are these scarves fashionable, I wear them to protect my hair from the cold and windy weather. These are the scarves I mainly wore throughout the Fall.

Polished Up LipstickThe Polished Up Lipstick from MAC was easily an everyday lip color for me. It looks very natural.

Ion Deep Conditioner            The Ion Repair Solutions Effective Care Treatment is actually a back-up deep conditioner for me. I used this deep conditioner when I’m now on my Ion Repair Solutions Reconstructor.

MAC EyeshadowMAC eyeshadows in Sable, Handwritten, and Wedge have been my go-to combination for the Fall. This combination comes in handy when I don’t have a lot of time to apply makeup. This combination is not only great for work, but for an evening looks as well. All I need to do is change up the eyeliner and lip color.

Shea Moisture Shampoo ConditionerShea Moisture Raw Shea Butter Moisture Retention Shampoo and Shea Moisture Raw Shea butter Restorative Conditioner have been a haircare staple for me. My hair has a tendency to on the dry side.

A Closer Look: Maybelline The Nudes Eyeshadow Palette

Maybelline Nudes Palette

Maybelline released the Nudes Palette this past Summer. I didn’t immediately jump at the opportunity to purchase this palette. I already have nude eyeshadow palettes: Naked, Naked2, Naked Basics, Nude’tude. I bought this palette when it was 40% off at Rite Aid. I also used a $2.00 off coupon.

Maybelline Nudes Palette2

The Nudes Palette comes with twelve eyeshadows. I think it’s clever how the eyeshadows in this palette are grouped together. When you look at the palette there are three quads, four trios, and six duos. Thirteen looks can easily be created just by how the eyeshadows are grouped together. The Maybelline website does explain how to create thirteen different looks. This is great for beginners. Those of us who are more experienced the possibilities are endless.

Maybelline Nudes SwatchTop row

Maybelline Nudes Swatch2Bottom row

The Nudes Palette has a nice balance of matte and shimmer eyeshadows. Two of the colors came across really sheer on me when I swatched them. My skin tone is darker though. I can’t wait to play with this palette. 🙂

How I Survived the Rest of the Summer Beauty Favorites

The Fall weather is finally here in my area of the United States. I can always count on Pittsburgh Summers to be very hot and humid. It’s challenging to be cute in this type of weather. LOL! These are the beauty products I relied on to not look a hot mess during the Summer.

  • Black Soap from Nature’s Shea Butter
  • Urban Decay Perversion Mascara
  • BH Cosmetics Liquid Foundation – Deep Beige
  • NYX Eyebrow Gel – Espresso
  • NYX Above & Beyond Full Coverage Concealer
  • BH Cosmetics 24 Piece Synthetic Makeup Brush Set
  • NYX Retractable Waterproof Eyeliner – Silky Cashmere
  • Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner – Lionfish
  • Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Hand & Body Scrub
  • Shea Terra Organics White Chocolate Whipped Shea Butter Ultimate Moisturizing Body Cream

Summer Survival FaceThe skin on my face when the humidity is low is typically combination/oily. I notice my skin is oilier during the Summer with all the humidity. The Black Soap from Nature’s Shea Butter cleansed my skin thoroughly and helped keep my complexion clear.

Summer Survival SkinSpeaking of skin, the Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Hand & Body Scrub made my skin soft and smooth.

I applied the Shea Terra Organics White Chocolate Whipped Shea Butter after I bathed. This shea butter wasn’t greasy either.

Summer Survival Eyes

I received the deluxe sample of the Urban Decay Perversion Mascara from my August 2014 ipsy Bag. I instantly fell in love with this mascara. I didn’t necessarily need to wear eyeliner with this mascara. This was great for those mornings I was in a hurry.

I used NYX Retractable Waterproof Eyeliner in Silky Cashmere on my waterline to brighten my eyes. This was also a time saver for me when I didn’t wear a lot of eye makeup. I paired this eyeliner with the Urban Decay Perversion Mascara.

The Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eyeliner in Lionfish was a nice alternative for me instead of using black eyeliner on my lower lash line. For some black eyeliner can be a bit harsh. This eyeliner also gave me a natural look.

I really love the NYX Eyebrow Gel in Espresso. It stood up to Pittsburgh humidity. This eyebrow gel lasted all day. A little goes a long way.

Summer Survival FoundationI was really surprised by the performance and coverage of the BH Cosmetics Liquid Foundation. I originally bought two shades for myself (Deep Beige and Deep Cocoa). I found myself reaching for the Deep Beige more since I thought it was a better match on me. The color is buildable. This foundation didn’t make my skin oily and it didn’t oxidize.

Summer Survival Concealer  The NYX Above & Beyond Full Coverage Concealer in Nutmeg has been my go to concealer. This concealer did a great job on covering my blemish scars and hyper-pigmentation without feeling heavy.

Summer Survival BrushesI got a lot of use out of my BH Cosmetics 24 Piece Synthetic Brush Set. This set has all the brushes I used for the on Wednesdays we wear pink series I did for the Summer. The brushes didn’t shed when I cleaned them either.

A Closer Look: NYX Cosmetics Concealers

I am so in love with the concealers from NYX Cosmetics. These have been my go to concealers as of recent. It’s always a bonus to find a beauty product that’s not only affordable but of great quality too.

I’ve had these concealers for a while now.

Here are the shades I purchased:

NYX Above & Beyond ConcealerAbove & Beyond Full Coverage Concealer (L-R) Glow, Tan, Nutmeg

These concealers blended nicely and felt lightweight.

NYX Above & Beyond Concealer Swatch(L-R) Glow, Tan, Nutmeg

Before Face Concealer

After Face ConcealerI used the shade in Nutmeg to cover the hyperpigmentation on my chin.

NYX Dark Circle Concealer

I purchased Deep in the in the Dark Circle Concealer.

NYX Dark Circle Concealer Swatch

Before Dark Circle Concealer

After Dark Circle ConcealerThis concealer really does cover the dark circles

Whenever I use a powder foundation I prefer to apply the concealer first. I prefer to apply the concealer after I have applied liquid foundation though.

The Dark Circle Concealer is $5.99 and the Above & Beyond Full Coverage Concealer is $4.99 at ULTA

A Closer Look: Sleek i-Divine Sunset Palette Mineral Based Eye Shadow Palette

I saw this palette reviewed on http://www.temptalia.com. When I saw how beautiful and vibrant the colors in the palette were, I knew I had to buy it. I purchased this palette from the Amazon Marketplace. The seller that was used in amazon.com was RM Cosmetics. I paid a total of $15.49 for the i-Divine Sunset Palette. ($12.99 for the palette and $2.50 for shipping)S. This palette is perfect for Fall.

Image

Image

Image

Image

These colors are so pigmented!

Image

Image

I do plan on making more Sleek Makeup purchases in the future. 🙂

 

A Closer Look: BH Cosmetics 12 Piece Pink Brush Set

Image

Image

Image

I purchased the BH Cosmetics 12 Piece Pink Brush set when it was on sale for $9.00 during a back to school sale on their website. This is the second time I purchased a brush set from BH Cosmetics. The first set I purchased from them was the 24 Piece Synthetic Brush Set. I couldn’t pass up buying another brush set especially when it was $9.00.

Image

I have not experienced any shedding with these brushes while using them. They hold the product well and the eye brushes are fantastic. The face brushes are soft and don’t scratch. The brushes didn’t shed when I cleaned them either. The case is really sturdy too.

Image

Image

Image

BH Cosmetics has another winner on its hands with the 12 Piece Pink Brush Set. This set with worth checking out. 🙂

A Closer Look: BH Cosmetics 24 Piece Synthetic Signature Brush Set

Image

ImageWith flash

ImageWithout flash

I’ve actually had this brush set for a little while. I bought this brush set while it was on sale (BH Cosmetics always has great sales). I did read the reviews on the set before I made this purchase. Two of the criticisms were the brushes shed and they don’t hold the product well. I did not experience that when using these brushes. Another criticism I read was that it was a problem the brushes weren’t labeled. That didn’t bother me either. If I can find another use for a makeup of brush, I will do it. I also had no problem s cleaning these brushes.

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

I found the BH Cosmetics 24 Piece Synthetic Signature Brush Set to be a great deal whether you are a beginner or more advanced. This is a great brush set to take when traveling. You have every brush you will need for makeup application.

A Closer Look: Maybelline Volum’ Express the Rocket™ Mascara

Image

I have always been a fan of Maybelline’s mascaras. They are my favorite drug store brand. The first mascara I ever bought from Maybelline was Great Lash®. I’ve been really pleased with the Volum’ Express line of mascaras Maybelline offers.  In the past I have used the Falsies™ and Mega Plush® mascaras.

Image

With only one coat of the Rocket™ I noticed my lashes were fuller and thicker.ImageBeforeImageAfter

 

 

A Closer Look: MAC RiRi Woo

Rihanna recently collaborated with MAC and came up with a remixed version of the Ruby Woo lipstick. On May 2, 2013, The RiRi Woo lipstick was available online for $15.00. Needless to say the lipstick sold out in three hours. RiRi Woo will be available again online in June. 

Image

 

 

Image

 

RiRi Woo is described as a Retro Matte red. I must say I am so in love with this shade. 🙂 I do recommend applying a lip conditioner first.

Image

 

Image