February Birchbox

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Final Thoughts: January ipsy Bag and January Birchbox

I am finally getting back into the swings of things. There are some posts I definitely need to get caught up on.

The theme of the January ipsy Bag was Super Stars. My bag consisted of:

  1. Soho Crease Brush
  2. Sexy Hair Hairspray – deluxe sample
  3. Josie Maran Argan Oil – deluxe sample
  4. Pacifica Tuscan Blood Orange Body Butter – deluxe sample
  5. Nailtini Nail Lacquer in Latte – full size

With the exception of the hair spray, I used everything in the January ipsy bag. I really liked the Soho Crease Brush. The handle had an ergonomic design. This brush was also very effective as a blending brush. The Josie Maran Argan Oil worked wonders on my hair. I was skeptical about the Tuscan Blood Orange Body Butter. My skin is drier during the Winter months. The body butter did a good job of moisturizing my skin. The Nailtini Nail Lacquer in Latte is a shade that looks good on everyone. What stood out for me the most from the January ipsy Bag was the crease brush and the argan oil. The Soho Crease Brush was very versatile. I used this brush as a crease, blending, and fluffy shadow brush. The Josie Maran Argan Oil was great. A little goes a long way. My hair is normally drier in the Winter. I could use this oil everyday and not worry about oily buildup.

The theme of the January Birchbox was the Best Year Ever. My box consisted of :

  1.  Amika Color pHerfection Shampoo – deluxe sample
  2. Harvey Prince Skinny Chic – sample
  3. My™ Multi-Purpose Mattifying Moisturizer – deluxe sample
  4. theBalm Cosmetics Hot Mama – deluxe sample
  5. Deborah Lippman the Stripper to go – one mitt

I have definitely seen an improvement with the January Birchbox. I wasn’t sure if I was going to renew my beauty subscription. I really liked the amika Color pHerfection Shampoo.  My hair is dark brown so I couldn’t tell if it prevented my color from fading. The shampoo smelled wonderful and was really gentle on my hair. I liked the Skinny Chic Fragrance. The scent wasn’t overpowering, something I could actually wear everyday. The Multi-Purpose Mattifying Moisturizer really worked. I was impressed with how well the moisturizer controlled the oily shine on my t-zone. The Hot Mama powder worked great as a highlighter on my darker complexion. The last item from the January Birchbox was Stripper to go nail polish remover. One mitt was enough to remove the nail polish from both hands.  There were two items that stood out for me The My™ Multipurpose Mattifying Moisturizer controlled the oily shine without drying out my skin. That was a concern since my skin in normally drier in the Winter months. The item was theBalm® Cosmetics Hot Mama Blush and Highlighter. I used this mostly as a highlighter on my cheekbones and browbone. The color wasn’t ashy on me.

ULTA Haul featuring Urban Decay

It’s been a while since I last been to ULTA. My most recent visit was this past weekend. I ran into my favorite Urban Decay Representative Di. She informed me after April 6, 2013 Oz the Great and Powerful Palettes in Glinda and Theodora will no longer be available.  These palettes retail for $49.00.

I’m so glad I picked up the Theodora Palette.  This palette is more on the neutral side. The colors are very pigmented and go on smoothly. I also like the fact the eyeshadows are full size and I can reuse the palette.

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ImageHere are the colors swatched: Broken, Beware, Bewitch, West, Spell, Jealous

ImageHere is a swatch of the Theodora Super-Saturated High-Gloss Lip Color

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ImageOn my eyes I used:

  • Bewitch-lid
  • West-crease
  • Spell (black shade)-outer V
  • Beware-blending color and browbone
  • Broken-highest part of eyebrow arch
  • 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Zero
  • Big Fatty Mascara

Super Bowl XLVII Inspired Tutorial: Baltimore Ravens

Super Bowl XLVII is Sunday, February 3, 2013, between the Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers. The team colors for the Baltimore Ravens are Purple and Black. Here is the look I came up with using their team colors.

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This look features the Urban Decay Naked2 Palette.

I applied the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Shadow Pencil in Delinquent to the lids and lower lash line.

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Applied Blackout to the crease.

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Applied Tease to the brow bone.

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Applied Perversion 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil to the upper lash line and to the waterline.

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Urban Decay Big Fatty Mascara to the upper and lower lashes.

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Applied NYX blush in Mocha to the apples of my cheeksImage

Applied Milani Lip Flash in News Flash.

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Super Bowl XLVII Inspired Tutorial: San Francisco 49ers

Super Bowl XLVII is Sunday, February 3, 2013, between the San Francisco 49ers and the Baltimore Ravens. The team colors for the San Francisco 49ers are Red and Gold. Here is a look I came up with using their team colors.

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The eyeshadow colors I used were from the BH Cosmetics 88 Color Cool Matte Palette. I started off this look by priming by eyelids with the Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion.

I applied NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Pure Gold to the lids.

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Applied gold eyeshadow to the lid.

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Red eyeshadow to the crease

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Black eyeshadow to the crease

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Light gold eyeshadow as a brow bone highlight and inner corners

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Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliner in Zero to the upper and lower lash line. Urban Decay 24/7 liner in El Dorado to the waterline.

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Urban Decay Big Fatty Mascara to the upper and lower lashes

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Iman Afterglow Bronzer on my cheeks

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NYX Lip Liner in Cabaret and Lipstick in Hero. ModelCo SHINE Ultra Lip Gloss

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Sally Beauty Supply Haul

I went to Sally Beauty Supply and bought a few things I actually needed. That doesn’t happen too often because I am always tempted to buy more nail polish.

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The first item I purchased was the Motions Hydrate My Curls Pudding. Since I’m wearing my natural hair, I was looking for another styling product. My hair has the tendency to be dry during the Winter months. The Hydrate My Curls Pudding will give my hair the moisture it needs.

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The next item I purchased was the Beautiful Collection Semi-Permanent Hair Color. I have a few gray hairs and this hair color does a good job of covering them up. This semi-permanent hair color doesn’t dry my hair out either.

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The last item I purchased was the As I Am Coconut CoWash. I was running low on the conditioner I usually use for co-washing (washing your hair with conditioner). The Coconut CoWash was on sale and I also used a coupon. 😀

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Kmart Haul

I visited Kmart this past weekend to see if there was any merchandise left over from the Holidays. My intention was to buy wrapping paper but I got sidetracked. There were hair accessories marked down.

ImageThese hair accessories were $1.59 each.

I also came across this Wet n Wild Glamour Eyes Kit.

ImageThis kit was marked down to $1.99

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I also had points on my Kmart rewards card to use before they expired. I ended up spending $5.51 for everything. 😀

January ipsy Bag

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January Birchbox

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Final thoughts: December ipsy Bag and December Birchbox

December brought a Holiday themed ipsy Bag and Birchbox.

The theme of the December ipsy Bag was Haute Holiday. The bag definitely lived up to that name. My bag consisted of:

  1. Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-on Eye Pencil in Zero – deluxe size
  2. NYX Ultra Pearl Mania in Silver Pearl – full size
  3. Mai Couture Highlighter Papier – 25 sheets
  4. Be a Bombshell Lip Gloss in Hot Mess – full size
  5. Mirabella Prime for Face and Eyes – full size
  6. $20 Gift Card to JustFab – for new members

I loved everything about the December ipsy Bag. This bag contained everything you needed to look fabulous for the Holidays, whether it was an office party or a Holiday gathering with friends and family. The Urban Decay 24/7 Liner in Zero is my all time favorite eyeliner. The NYX Loose Pearl eyeshadow in Silver Pearl was the first time I ever tried a loose eyeshadow from NYX. What a great introduction to this product. I will be buying more loose eyeshadows from NYX in the future. I didn’t know what to expect when I saw the Mai Couture Highlighter Papier. I’m glad I tried it. The highlighter papier gave me a nice luminous glow. The Be A Bombshell lipgloss ended up being a great color on me. I was a little apprehensive at first because it’s red. I never know how red is going to look next to my darker complexion. I can easily wear this color everyday. The Mirabella Face and Lip Primer gave my skin that extra layer of protection needed during the Winter time. It prepped my skin nicely for foundation.

The theme for December’s Birchbox was All Wrapped Up. My box consisted of:

  1. Benefit Cosmetics it’s potent! Eye Cream – deluxe sample
  2. Juicy Couture Fragrance – sample
  3. Kerastase Nutritive Nectar Thermique – sample
  4. ModelCo SHINE Ultra Lip Gloss in Striptease – full size
  5. Emily’s Chocolates Dark Chocolate Peppermint Holiday Fortunes – one cookie

I was rather pleased with the December Birchbox. The Benefit eye cream had a nice rich texture to it. I received a sample of the original Juicy Couture fragrance. This scent is actually my favorite out of all of the fragrances Juicy Couture released. The Keratase leave-in conditioner made my hair soft and easy to comb. I liked the fact the ModelCo SHINE lip gloss came with a mirror. The Emily’s Chocolates fortune cookie was delicious. There were two items from the December Birchbox that stood out for me. The Benefit Cosmetics it’s potent Eye Cream did not disappoint as it minimized the fine lines around my eyes. The ModelCo SHINE Ultra Lip Gloss worked great by itself or over lipstick. The fact I received a full size was a bonus.