Category Archives: Beauty

Final thoughts: July Myglam Bag and July Birchbox

July was the third month I received a Myglam Bag and a Birchbox.

The theme of July’s Myglam bag was Beach Beauty. My bag consisted of:

  1. Juice Beauty Green Apple SPF 15 Moisturizer – sample
  2. NUME HydroPunch Hydrating Conditioner – sample
  3. Yes to Cucumbers On-The-Go Facial Towelettes – pack of 10 towelettes
  4. Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Polish – deluxe sample in Sugar
  5. Circus by Andrea’s Choice Nail Color in Somersault – full size

The July Myglam Bag was another winner for me. The Green Apple Moisturizer was very lightweight. That was especially important for me considering the Summer in my area has been hot and humid. The Yes to Cucumbers Facial Towelettes did a good job of removing my makeup and didn’t leave an oily residue behind. The Circus Nail Polish I received was a beautiful pastel yellow shade. My favorite beauty item in July’s Myglam Bag was the Buxom Lip Polish in Sugar. This shade looks great on everyone. It’s a shade you can wear everyday.

The theme for July’s Birchbox was the five senses. My box consisted of:

  1. Alterna BAMBOO UV + Color Protection Fade-Proof Fluide – sample
  2. Color Club Nail Polish in Blue-Ming – mini size
  3. Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner in Purple – full size
  4. Harvey Prince Eau Flirt – sample
  5. LARABAR uber – snack size sample
  6. Birchbox Exclusive Earbuds

When I opened July’s Birchbox the first thing that caught my eye was the earbuds. They must really be good headphones because my youngest daughter has them now. I was also happy to see the Eyeko Eyeliner. I had to hide the eyeliner from my oldest daughter since purple is her favorite color. The Eyeko Eyeliner glides on so smoothly with the felt tip applicator. The Color Club mini nail polish in Blue Ming was also a winner. I got so many compliments when I wore that color. I also had to remind my youngest to give the nail polish back to me. The eyeliner and the nail polish were my favorite beauty items in the July Birchbox. The Eyeko Eyeliner is long wearing and a great alternative to wearing the basic black eyeliner.

Nail Design for August

Here is my youngest daughter’s nail design for the month of August.

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This is what she used:

China Glaze

Flying Dragon (Neon)

Beach Cruise-R

Purple Panic (Neon)

Poinsettia

Surfin For Boys

Flirty Tankini

Japanese Koi (Neon)

Sun Worshiper

Fast Forward Top Coat

OPI

Ogre The Top Blue

Fly (Nicki Minaj Collection)

Need Sunglasses?

Finger Paints

15 Minutes of Frame

Wet n’ Wild Fast Dry

Ebony Hates Chris

Kiss Brush On Nail Art

Silver

Revlon Nail Art

White

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Becoming a Fan of NARS Cosmetics

I am starting to become a fan of NARS cosmetics. The main thing holding me back from trying NARS was the price. The couple of makeup purchases I have made I’ve been extremely happy with.  My first NARS purchase was actually his book, Makeup Your Mind: Express Yourself.  This book features women and men of different age, races, skin tones. The book shows the before and after photos which include the instructional sketches on transparent overlays. This book also gives you a list of the NARS products what were used in the makeover. If you can’t afford the products used descriptions of the colors are provided. Makeup Your Mind:  Express Yourself is available at Barnes & Noble and amazon.com.

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The second NARS item I bought was the Taj Mahal blush. I saw a review of this blush from another Beauty Blogger (thank you Erin of Scandalous Beauty). This blush is described as blazing burnt orange with golden shimmer. I must say this color gives me a nice healthy glow especially since I have a dark complexion. Taj Mahal blush retails for $28.00 and is available at NARS counters and http://www.narscosmetics.com

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The last item I purchased was the Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer from NARS. I always wanted to wear a tinted moisturizer. I could never find the right shade until now. Other brands were too light for my complexion. The NARS shade I have is Martinique. The tinted moisturizer is lightweight and does a great job of evening out my skin. I still have to use a little concealer on the blemishes, but it’s nothing major. The Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer retails for $42.00 and can be purchased at Sephora, NARS counters and http://www.narscosmetics.com

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Image Me wearing the tinted moisturizer in Martinique and Taj Mahal blush.

It’s a serious commitment to spend a lot of money on any beauty product. I can honestly say I’ve gotten my money’s worth with these purchases from NARS.

Other Beauty Subscription Services

So far I’ve been really pleased with the beauty subscriptions I have with Birchbox and Myglam. Price was definitely a factor in signing up with these two subscriptions. Here are some other beauty subscription services:

Beautyfix – cost $49.99 for 3 months http://www.beautyfix.com

CurlKit – cost $20.00 per month http://curlkit.com

CurlBOX – cost $20.00 per month http://curlbox.com

My Shade of Brown – cost $10.00 per month https://myshadeofbrown.com

New Beauty Test Tube – cost $29.95 every 3 months http://testtube.newbeauty.com

Julep Maven – cost $19.99 per month http://www.julep.com

TheLookBag – cost $10.00 per month http://thelookstore.com/thelookbag

Eco Emi – cost $15.00 per month http://ecoemi.com

GLOSSYBOX – cost $21.00 per month http://www.glossybox.com

Many of these subscriptions are first come first serve so there is a waiting list.

July Myglam Bag

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July Birchbox

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How My Eyeshadow Survives the Summer Months

Not all eyeshadow primers are created equal.  My all time favorite is the Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion in the Original. This is the best eyeshadow primer I ever used. My eye makeup did not crease, not even in hot and humid 90-degree weather. The 0.37 US fl. oz. retails for $20.00. The 0.85 US fl. oz. retails for $30.00.  I know this may seem like a lot to spend on one product, however; to get a beauty product that delivers on its promise is worth it.

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0.85 US fl. oz size shown

I originally purchased the Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion at ULTA along with the Big Fatty Mascara and 24/7 Liner in Zero since it was in a set for $39.00.

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July’s Nail Design

Whenever I buy new nail polish I can always count on one of two things happening. 

  1. I may never get the chance to use the nail polish.
  2. My youngest daughter will come up with some really cool nail designs.

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This is what she used: 

China Glaze

Purple Panic (Neon)

Japanese Koi (Neon)

Sun Worshipper

Strong Adhesion Base Coat 

OPI

Black Shatter

Fly (Nicki Minaj Collection) 

Orly

Mint Green 

Zoya

Charisma 

Sally Hansen

Xtreme Wear-White 

Finger Paints

Top Coat

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At least I know what happened to all of my nail polish. 🙂

BH Cosmetics 120 Color Palette 4th Edition

BH Cosmetics has been having some really great sales recently. I contemplated for the longest time whether I should get the 120 Color Palette 4th Edition.  I already have the 2nd and 3rd Edition in the 120 Color Palette.  These eyeshadows are so pretty.

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Final thoughts: June Myglam Bag and June Birchbox

June was the second month that I received a Myglam Bag and a Birchbox.

The theme of the June Myglam Bag was Out All Night.  My bag consisted of:

  1. Philosophy take a deep breath oil-free energizing oxygen gel cream moisturizer- sample
  2. Full size NYX Round Lipstick in Iced Honey
  3. Living proof frizz Nourishing Styling Cream – sample
  4. Full size Marbella Permanent Eyeliner Pen

I was really pleased with the June Myglam Bag overall. To receive two full size products is definitely worth the $10 a month for me.  The Marbella Permanent Eyeliner Pen stood out for me the most.  This eyeliner held up to hot and humid weather and lasted all day for me.

The theme of the June Birchbox was Jet Set. My box consisted of:

  1. Juliette Has a Gun Not a Perfume – sample
  2. Masqueology Pore Minimizing Mask – one mask
  3. Melvita Rose Floral Water – deluxe sample
  4. theBalm cosmetics Stainiac in Beauty Queen – sample
  5. Band-Aid brand Cynthia Rowley Dress Up Band-Aids

I was pleasantly surprised to find five products in the Birchbox. I felt that was $10 well spent for June.  The item that stood out for me the most was the Melvita Rose Floral Water. I really love the fragrance and it wasn’t overpowering