Not Your Mother's Smooth Moves Frizz Control Hair Cream

Yuklui Birthday Giveaway!!

YUKLUI Blog is one of the blogs i follow and love! She is having a birthday giveaway! She is giving away Urban Decay, The Black Palette, Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils 15 Year Anniversary Collection, and Urban Decay Naked Palette! Some really amazing items, a totally awesome giveaway! So you go check her out and follow her! Here is the link for her giveaway!

Revlon SuperLustrous Lipgloss in Peach Petal

I looked for this lip gloss for quite some time before finally finding it at Target. It was roughly $6 and Peach Petal (along with Lilac Pastelle and others) is a limited edition shade from Revlon.

The first time I put on this gloss, its seemed very heavy and sticky. However, my lips were dry and I did apply a little more than I should have. After a few minutes of my body heat/lips warming up the gloss it didnt seem sticky at all and was actually very smooth feeling. The shade doesnt exactly go well with my light skin tone, as you can see from the swatch its a very light gloss. However, it looks well with a matching light/day EOTD and makes a really cute, feminine look.

Overall, I like it but I dont LOVE it. I need a shade slightly warmer.

NARS Deep Throat Blush

I received this beautiful NARS Deep Throat blush in a contest giveaway on Trina J's blog! Please go check her out and follow her! Shes a makeup artist.

I had been dying to try this blush (and Orgasm) by NARS for quite some time, so when i learned i had won it i was beyond excited!! It's the first and only NARS product i own, so i dont really have anything else in the line to compare it to but i can tell you that this alone is amazing quality!! To me, this and Orgasm look alot like, except Orgasm has shimmer. The pro's and con's listed below are just my opinions.

[PROS]
- Very smooth
- No shimmer
- Blends well
- Applies very easily
- Pigmented
- Beautiful peachy-pink shade
- Large, well made compact w/ mirror


[CONS]
- Price ($27)

Deep Throat the highest of quality and definitely worth the $27 if you use blush alot... but i dont. It will take me 1 yr or more to use this entire thing, seriously. Especially since i have other blushes and highlighters that i use sometimes too. However, the shade matches me perfectly. It's like my Holy Grail blush. When im done with this i will probably fork out the money for another, but we'll see lol.

*DUPES:
E.L.F. Candid Coral $3
Wet N Wild Pearlescent Pink $3
Jordana Blush in Coral Sandy Beach $3

Coty Airspun Translucent Loose Powder

I bought this powder at Kmart BOGO for $6. Its ALOT of powder and a pretty large container so two of them will last me a very long time.

I'll admit the packaging isnt very cute. My guess is it isnt changed sinc the 1920's because ever since I can remmeber my grandma using this (like 20 yrs ago when i was a kid) they have always looked the same. However, that doesnt really bother me because its a good product.

This is a loose powder so it can get a little messy, but as long as you dip your brush it and tap off the excess really well you shouldnt have any issues. Its a creamy ivory shade but totally translucent when applied to skin and sets my makeup really well without making me look dry, cakey, or powdery. It does have a smell, just the typical powder scent but not very fragrant at all and I cant smell it the entire day, just when I first apply it. You can buy it in fragrance free if this bothers you. (green container)

Overall, i really like this powder and I can see why my grandma used it for so many years. It immediately zapped any oiliness or sheen from my liquid makeup and made my face look clean and fresh. Very nice makeup setting powder.

E.L.F. Contouring Blush & Bronzer Duo

I have been lusting after the NARS Orgasm/Laguna ($39) blush and bronzer duo for a long time and after seeing this E.L.F. Contouring Blush & Bronzer Duo ($3) was a supposed dupe I figured it was worth a try for a $36 price drop!!

First of all, I was amazed at how super soft and pigmented the blush and bronzer in this compact are PLUS how giant the thing is to being with!! Its like double the size of the NARS duo. Since i dont own NARS Orgasm/Laguna I cant say if the shades are exact dupes or not but i love them all the same.

The blush is a pink shade w/ peachy shimmer and the bronzer is a warm typical bronze shade. Theyre soooo smooth and soft and apply lightly so it makes it even easier for blending and buildable coverage. I am highly impressed with this due and really dont even want the NARS one anymore!

Definitely a must have for me from now on!

Hard Candy Hide & Glow Cheek Tint Duo

This Hard Candy Hide & Glow Cheek Tint Duo can be found at WalMart for $6 and comes in 2 other shade combinations.

This particular combo comes with a blushing pink and a shimmery raisin particularly good for light skin tones like mine. The texture is very smooth and easy to apply, but even easier to blend! I was surprised at how much I liked these cheek tints. The only downside I can find is it felt a tad bit heavy on my cheeks and I could actually feel it on, which i didnt like. However, I may have applied to much.. so thats my fault. Overall, it was a great purchase and pretty cheap for two products!

Milani Liquif'Eye Eyeliner in Black

I searched for this Liquif'Eye eyeliner forever!!! I went everywhere I knew of that sold Milani products but could never find this liner. Finally, when I was at Kmart a few days ago, I found it, and it's only $4.99!

If you've ever considered buying Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On eyeliners, or Smashbox Limitless Eyeliners you NEED to invest in Milani Liquif'Eye instead!! Its more pigmented, glides on smoother (amazingly!), and lasts all day! I was so so so impressed with this eyeliner. As you can see from the swatch above, which is one quick swipe with the liner on my hand, its very pigmented and opaque. Not to mention its creamy and has a finish alot like a liquid liner.

The only downside I can find is that it doesn't come in very many shades. At my local Kmart I could only find black & brown. If this liner came in tons of different shades it would be so awesome and basically eliminate the need to pay high prices for name brand liners.

Image Essentials Eye Brushes

I purchased these Image Essentials brushes for $4.99 at Kmart a couple weeks ago. It came with a dual ended shadow & contouring brush, and a flat top eye brush. Which, just to be honest, I cant find the purpose for it.

The shadow & contouring brush comes in handy sometimes, although I already own the Urban Decay Good Karma brush, and an ECOTOOLS set too. My favorite is the contouring side. It's perfect for shading outer corners and seems to pick up and apply product well. The shadow brush is nice but a little short & wide for my taste. And as I said earlier, I cant find a purpose for the flat top eye brush.

Less than $5 is pretty cheap for technically 3 eye brushes, so overall I guess im happy with my purchase!

Eyeshadow brush

Contouring brush

Flat top brush

Image Essentials Brushes in packaging, Kmart $4.99

EOTD: UD Naked Palette Look #6

Happy Easter everyone!!! Today im showing you an old EOTD i created using the Urban Decay Naked palette - once again, lol. This is a very shimmery gold look. I apologize that the photo is slightly out of focus, it looked fine on the camera :\

STEPS:
1. Apply Half Baked all over lids.
2. Shade Smog into outer corners.
3. Use Virgin as a highlight.

You've probably noticed I generally only use 3-4 shades per EOTD and thats because im trying to keep it simple for you (and myself, lol) to show you how easy it is to make several looks from the Naked palette.

Hope everyone has a nice holiday!

EOTD: UD Naked Palette Look #5

This is the fifth look I created, some time ago, using my Urban Decay Naked palette. I used the two matte shades and a shimmer highlight. This was a really soft day look and perfect for people who like to look & feel like they're barely wearing in makeup. Very natural looking!

STEPS:

1. Apply Naked all over lids.

2. Shade Buck into outer corners.

3. Blend Sin onto browbone as a highlight.

So simple! Only three steps to create a beautiful matte look from this palette. 

My Packages Came!!!

Im so excited!! The UPS man pulled into my driveway today and I was expecting my LUSH package but he gave me TWO and i immediately realized it was my contest winnings from Trina J's Makeup blog!! PLEASE check out her blog and follow her.

*In her Easter Sunday Giveaway i won:
Makeup Forever Microfinish Powder HD Powder
MAC eyeshadow in Swimming
Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eyeliner in Stingray
Maybelline Great Lash in Blackest Black
NARS Deep Throat blush
MAC Lipglass in Lychee Luxe

*LUSH order:
Angels On Bare Skin cleanser
Tiny Hands solid hand lotion
Snake Oil scalp treatment

I am more than thrilled to try everything out!! Ive already swatched the contest winnings and they are amazzzinng!! Angels On Bare Skin from LUSH is a re-purchase for me (4th time) because i love it so much. Myself, my husband, and our daughter tested out the Tiny Hands lotion and its incredible! Its more like a serum. I cant wait to review everything for you!

Bath & Body Works PocketBac Hand Sanitizers

I bought 5 PocketBac Hand Sanitizers for $5 a few days ago at a sale at Bath & Body Works. One is not pictured, its in my purse, lol.

SCENTS:
2 Fresh Picked Cherries
1 Fresh Picked Apples
1 Sassy Strawberry
1 Peach Belini

Each of these smell soooo incredible! You can really tell from just opening the cap and taking a whiff, you need to apply it to hands and rub in. Once they dry they are soo fragrant and delicious smelling. The best part is they dont have that nasty alcohol scent like some hand sanitizers can. Overall, im glad i bought them. Ill keep one in my purse from now on and probably buy more!

Hautelook.com Invite!

If you’re interested in discounted beauty, bath & body, and fashion you need to check out hautelook! They’re having a huge sale on NYX Cosmetics (among many other things) right now for 50-70% off!! You have to have an invite to join the site (click the link) but there are news sales daily and weekly and they’re absolutely amazing!

LUSH The Ex Factor Bath Bomb

WOW. I have had this bath bomb since a week or so before Valentines Day and have been late in trying it because ontop of not expecting much from it, i am a stay-at-home mom/wife and i rarely find time to take a hot bubble bath anymore. I was so pleasantly surprised by The Ex Factor!!

In my opinion it smells like baby powder, vanilla and lavendar, lol, which sounds like a very odd combo but for some reason thats what i smell. However, dont be discouraged by my description, lol, its amazing. The scent is very relaxing and soothing and it made my skin absolutely silky smooth, it was so awesome!!!

I have a 2-3 person jacuzzi tub so it takes tons of water to fill it up and in return the bath bombs dont color the water as richly as they would in a smaller/regular sized tub. I turned the jets on after the bath bomb fizzed out and distributed the awesomeness in my tub, lol. I so wish I had tried this earlier so I could have bought more before they were taken off of LUSH's website.

EOTD: MAC Blue Brown and L'Oreal Intrepid

On the left eye is MAC Blue Brown and the right eye is L'Oreal Intrepid. They look the same, dont they??? I did use a couple other shades so here's the full look.

STEPS:
1. Shade Too Faced 'Cocoa Puff' into outer corners and lined along bottom lashes. (or a similar chocolatey brown shade)

2. Press or gently sweep Blue Brown or Intrepid pigment into inner corners and blend outward.

3. Blend Urban Decay 'Sin' as highlight on brow bone and inner corners. (or a similar light pink shimmer)

4. Apply a black liner to top & bottom lashlines, finish with black mascara.

Admittedly, this look was hard to blend together, so i used a loose eyeshadow brush at the end to try and soften edges. I also used Smashbox Photo Finish Lid Primer as a base/primer before applying to the pigments didn't stain my eyelids (hey, it happens!). This is a very dark, smokey EOTD which is obviously better for night use. However, these pigments can also create a soft look too when applied properly. Use dry for a softer effect, wet for a more pigmented/darker effect.

LUSH NEW! Solid Shampoo

NEW! solid shampoo is a stimulating and reviving mint bar to encourage healthy hair growth. Made with clove, cinnamon leaf, and peppermint oils, as well as clove and nettle.

My Rating: ★★★★☆

4 out of 5 stars

Scent: cinnamon & clove

Price/Size: $9.95 for 1.5oz

Recommended for: thin hair, hair loss, hair that needs body, oily hair

Review: Before purchasing NEW! i read alot of reviews and there were some key questions people were asking/answering in ever single review so i’m going to do the same thing. Keep in mind i have long/thick hair with oily roots and dry ends.

1. Does it reduce shedding/hair loss?
Yes, it does. At first i noticed more shedding, but after about a week I did notice any, even when i’m brushing or blow drying my hair.

2. Does the scent linger?
No, it doesnt linger at all, so if you hate cinnamon scents (like my husband) dont worry. Its strong in the shower but I cant smell it at all once it’s rinsed clean.

3. Does it extend life between shampoos?
Yes!! I can go a day or two longer without shampooing my hair since I started using NEW!. My hair obviously isnt perfectly clean on day #2, but its not oily and doesnt look terrible.

4. Does it clean scalp well?
Yes! My scalp feels soooo clean when i use this shampoo, but i dont get the “tingly” sensation some people get when using it. Plus it cleans my oily roots without affecting my dry ends.

5. Is my hair healthier overall?
I would say so, yes. I have less hair loss, a nice scalp/roots, i can go longer in between shampoos, and it doesnt seem to my my dry ends any dryer than they already are. Plus it doesnt rinse out “squeaky clean” which i HATE because that just tells me its stripping my hair of everything (even the stuff it needs). So overall I really like this solid shampoo.

COMPARISON: 17 Gold & Bronze Eyeshadows

I was searching for a few dupes within my own collection today and realized I have alot of really nice gold & bronze shades so i figured I would swatch them all and show them to you for comparison! Ya know, just incase you're searching for a nice shade or wondered how some compare to others.

*Check 2nd photo for numbers that correspond with shade names (below).

TOP ROW SHADES (from L to R):
1. The Color Workshop Shimmer Cube (top row #1)
2. The Color Workshop Shimmer Cube (top row #2)
3. E.L.F. Golden Glow
4. Urban Decay Half Baked
5. Urban Decay Smog
6. Hard Candy 'Rush Hour' Duo (left shade)
7. Too Faced Push Up
8. Too Faced Honey Pot
9. CoverGirl Single Shadow (shade unknown)

BOTTOM ROW SHADES (from L to R):
10. The Color Workshop Shimmer Cube (bottom row #1)
11. The Color Workshop Shimmer Cube (bottom row #2)
12. MAC Melon Pigment
13. Smashbox Lucky Penny
14. E.L.F. Everyday Basis 32 Palette (row #1, shade #4)
15. E.L.F. Everyday Basis 32 Palette (row #1, shade #5)
16. Wet N Wild Comfort Zone Palette (Crease shade)
17. Wet N Wild Comfort Zone Palette (Eyelid shade)

I plan to do more of these comparison swatches with more eyeshadow shades as well as lip products and more!! Hope you like them, i put alot of effort into this post! **Photos and content are mine. Please remember some of these are from palettes and may not be available for single use sale. If you have any questions please feel free to ask!!

Hard Candy 1,000 Lashes Fiberized Lash Weave Primer

I purchased this lash primer at WalMart for about $7-$8 USD a couple weeks ago after running out of my favorite AVON lash primer + mascara duo. I was expecting it to be amazing quality since its from Hard Candy, but sadly, im disappointed with it.

I cant seen to get hardly any of the product on my lashes, it seems to be sticking to the brush. And what i can get onto my lashes is barely noticeable at all. I don't notice it lengthening my lashes like my AVON primer did, it just seems to be very lightly coating them with white primer. Im going to continue using this everytime I apply mascara just so it isnt wasted, but i wont be buying it again.

Victoria's Secret Silky Eyeshadow in 'Private Beach'

I absolutely fell in love with this Victorias Secret Silky Eyeshadow in Private Beach (lustre, $10). Its so soft and smooth and the pigmentation is great. The only issue i have is that is nearly impossible to use a brush w/ the shadow as for some reason they just wont pick anything up (its VERY pressed).... but using my finger worked out just fine. I plan to buy more of these VS Silky Lustre Eyeshadows, they're so amazing!! Below are the steps (and other shades) I used to create this EOTD...

STEPS:
1. Apply VS Private Beach all over lids.
2. Shade Too Faced Push Up into outer corners and creases.
3. Highlight brown bone with Urban Decay Sin.

Thats it! I finished this EOTD with Milani Liquif'Eye black liner on my top waterline only, and one coat of CoverGirl LashBlast Volume on top and bottom lashes. This looks is so soft, feminine, and light reflective. I can already tell Private Beach will be a shade I could use everyday.