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11.21.2013

Birchbox November 2013

Hi all! It's time for another Birchbox reveal! I received November's box a couple weeks ago, so my apologies for the lateness of the post!
Here's what I received this month!


yayyyy fresh birchbox!


Alright, first up is the WEI Golden Root Purifying Mud Mask (Full Size price: $42)
I will start off by saying I love masks, but this one didn't really do it for me. The part I love most about masks is when you take it off and your skin feels tight, clean, refreshed and healthy. While this mud mask did make my skin feel nice, it didn't quite give me exactly what I was looking for. I will say, however, that this is the first soft mud mask I've ever done, so maybe that is why. It's just not what I'm used to. They also didn't provide a brush, and they recommend you use a brush to paint it on. Well, I would have just used a foundation brush, but I do not have one anymore (need to pick up a newbie) and I'm not about to use my acrylic paint brushes, so I used my fingers. So it could be that was the reason for not getting the full effect? I don't know. I'm done making excuses for the damn thing though. It's ALRIGHT. That's all I'm going to say on it.






Next up are the Mighty Leaf tea pouches (Full Size: $9.95)
I am a coffee girl, and rarely ever drink tea, however Shane does, so I have given these to him to try and will report back once he does! The flavors do sound delicious, though, and I'm glad they included three different types of tea.





Next is the Joie Folle de Joie eau de parfum (Full Size: $98)
I LOVE this scent. It is exactly the type of perfume I would pick out on my own. The aroma is a mixture of mandarin, rose, and sandalwood, which I love. Sandalwood and rose are two of my favorite fragrances out there, so I'm glad they're both incorporated in this perfume. Lovely sample, very happy with it!!


I am super excited about this Chella Ivory Lace Highlighter Pencil (Full Size: $18)
I have been wanting to experiment with some light highlighting and contouring lately, so I was ecstatic when I received this in the November BBox. It's a nice, smooth chunky pencil, and I have tried it a couple times, adding some subtle highlight to my nose and brows, and I could definitely see a difference. I am going to do some more experimenting with this, and hopefully get some photos along the way!



Next up is the WEI Pomegranate Buffing Beads (Full Size: $20)
These things are so weird to me, and I'm not quite sure what I should do with them. They are buffing beads that are meant to add into your regular face cleanser to turn it into a scrub to brighten and declog skin. The problem I have with this is... my face cleanser already has those beads in it for exfoliating, so why would I add more? I certainly don't want to buy another brand of face cleanser just to get two uses out of it with these packets, so I don't really know how to review these. They're weird, that's all I can say.



And last, but not least, I've got the BeeKind Body Lotion (Full size: $15)
This honey & chamomile-based lotion isn't amazing by any means, but there's nothing wrong with it either. It's pretty much just like any other lotion I've got lying around. It does smell nice, and doesn't leave the skin feeling greasy. I will definitely keep using it, it's always nice to have a little purse sized lotion to take with you. :)

Well, that's it for this month! Adios, Makeup addicts!

11.15.2013

Q & A W/ AMAZING Make-Up Artist Chelsea Still!

Hello, fellow make-up addicts! I recently had a chance to get in touch with an incredibly talented Make-Up Artist, as well as my lovely acquaintance, Miss Chelsea Still, and ask her a lot of the questions about make-up that others like me have been needing to know. Well, I've got all of her answers in one spot, so settle in and have your brushes at the ready!

(When you're done reading, be sure to check out some of Chelsea's CRAZY amazing beauty and special effects makeup photos at her site WWW.Wix.Com/ChelseaStill/ChelseaStill )



Who you is, gurl? What yo name?:
 Heeeeeyyyyyyyyyy gurl…My name is Chelsea Still…that’s who I am.

What’s your makeup story? How did you get into makeup artistry and what would you ultimately like to be doing?
Oh god, I was such a nerd when I was younger. My best friend, who also happened to be my neighbor, was equally as weird and nerdy as I was. We would get into our parents' old clothes and dress up and put the most god-awful makeup on our faces and prance around our neighborhood…we would literally have orange faces…it was scary. I would always make my friends let me put makeup on them…it was something fun but not anything I ever thought about doing as a career.
 When I was 18 years old, I started managing a Halloween store in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. I did that for about 5 years and got really passionate about the horror makeup. I loved horror movies growing up--sneaking off and watching scary movies with my dad even though I was WAY too young-- and blood & gore always excited me.  I definitely wasn't a girly girl, that’s for sure.  It never occurred to me that you could live somewhere and make a living by doing this amazing, creative and fun makeup.
When I was 20, my house flooded and I found myself homeless and broke.  I took a job in Alaska at a fish cannery and busted my ass and became mentally and financially ready to go to school.  I chose to go to Makeup Designory (MUD) in Burbank. I moved to LA by myself without ever visiting and began the most amazing adventure of my life. I spent the last 5 years working in special effects labs, working on films, photo shoots, commercials, doing makeup for Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood and just having fun and finally feeling like I had found what I was meant to be doing.
My ultimate goal is to get back out to Los Angeles, find a lab to work in and just do art and makeup. To have a job that I genuinely enjoy waking up for every day and would gladly work 90 hours a week doing.

Did your Special Effects makeup training influence your normal makeup in any way? If so, how?
There's a lot of highlighting and shadowing that you use in SPFX makeup in order for the look to be dramatic and to stand out,  I carried that over to my beauty makeup routine but dulled it down a bit. Highlighting and shadowing your features is a great way to make things stand out, disappear, or look different.

What products do you swear by?
Ocean Salt Cleanser from LUSH Cosmetics or Volcanic AshExfoliator from MAC – a properly cleansed and exfoliated face is important to help your makeup last longer and apply evenly.
Painterly Eye Primer from MAC, oh goodness, my eyeshadow will stay on for DAYS when using the proper eye primer.
Soft and Gentle Skin Finish from MAC for a beautiful shimmery highlight, I wear this every single day!
In Extreme Dimension 3D Black Mascara from MAC, gives length, volume AND curl and has an absolutely amazing wand on it that grabs and coats every lash for amazing, flexible all day mascara.

Are there any drugstore brands that you recommend over pricier versions?
As far as foundations go I don’t recommend drugstore brands. I think its worth spending a little extra money for a foundation that’s made for your skin type, tone and color. I always love trying out new eyeshadows, blushes and lipsticks though, especially if there's a great sale!
Monistat Chafing Powder Gel is JUST like the Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer for a fraction of the price. Seriously, try it!!
(Meagan here, this is actually very exciting, because I LOVE the Smashbox Photo Finish Primer and just ran out a few weeks ago, and was dreading the idea of spending $36 on it. I cannot wait to try this!) 

What are your most critical makeup tips?
I cannot stress enough how important prepping and priming your skin is to the outcome of your makeup. Exfoliating and moisturizing before bed and then again when you wake up is a great habit to get into. Blending is also key to makeup. Blend, blend, blend, blend! I can’t say it enough!

What types of concealers are best for covering up blemishes/red spots/dark under eye bags? Any product recommendations?
I’m a sucker for MAC’s Pro Longwear Concealer. Its got amazing coverage and it's long wearing, I never have to touch it up throughout the day! Everybody has different skin types tho so what works best for myself may not be the best for you. Color correction is really important for really covering up imperfections. 
When trying to cover up a red spot or blemish you should use a green corrector, the green will neutralize the red. 
When trying to cover up dark under eye circles or birth marks you want to use an orange corrector. The Orange will neutralize the purple/blue in the skin. 
After using a corrector, set with a translucent powder and then apply your concealer and/or foundation on top.

How can thin lipped girls like me create natural looking, fuller lips?
You’ll want to start off by finding the proper lip liner color that suits your coloring the best, everybody is different! I like to hold the lip liner at an angle and apply it starting at the center of the lip and lightly filling in my natural shape, top and bottom lip. Then you can just add onto the shape, little by little, to correct or enlarge your lips. 
Use a light colored concealer to line around your new shape to give a slight highlight and pop a tiny bit of gloss onto the center of your bottom lip to give a “pouty” lip appearance.

I have tons of freckles, and though I love to let them be, there are times when I’d like to cover them all up and have a smooth, clear face. Are there any ways I can do this without layering on foundation and concealer?
A common misunderstanding I always come across is the thought that full coverage = thick and heavy makeup. It doesn't have to be that way! MAC has Studio Fix Liquid Foundation and Makeup Forever makes HD Foundation that both are full coverage and have a BEAUTIFUL matte finish to them. This makeup is so pigmented that you really need such a small amount of makeup to get the coverage you want or need. You can even mix in a little primer or moisturizer if you want to sheer it out more.

In my opinion, eyebrows are so important to the outcome of your look. Do you have any brow tips?
I look back at pictures of myself before and I'm amazed that it took me so long to learn how to properly fill in my eyebrows. I fell in love with the Lingering Eyebrow Pencil from MAC. It’s a soft brown pencil that stays on all day.
-To start filling in your brow, you gotta find the best starting point. To do this, hold your brow pencil or brush up so that one end lines up with the edge of your nostril and the other lines up with the inside corner of your eye. The extension of the brush into your brow is where your brow should start.
-To find the ending point of your brow hold your pencil or brush up so that one end lines up with the edge of your nostril and the other lines up with the outside corner of your eye. The extension of this line into your brow is where your eyebrow should end.
-To create the arch in your brow, use your pencil or brush again. Line the pencil up with the corner of your nostril and the very center of your eye. The place in your brow that the end of the pencil hits (or would hit if it were long enough) is where your arch should be.
-Choose a powder (for more natural brows) or a pencil/gel (for more defined brows) in the color that’s most appropriate for you
-“connect the dots” and make an outline of your desired brow shape using your guidelines mentioned above. Don’t fill in the brows yet, just make the outline – top shape, tail and bottom of brows. Lightly color in the brows, starting at the tail and working lighter as you work your way in. Finish off with a clear brow gel and you have some nice brows!

What makeup do you find goes best with green/blue/brown eyes?
Shades of purple will make green eyes really pop and stand out since it’s a contrasting color, same with orange tones on blue eyes. I really love using purples on brown eyes a well because it will pull out the natural green tones in the eye. I love bronze and golds on any eye color. Its always nice to have a color wheel accessible so you can see what will work best with your eye  color. Look at the wheel, find your eye color, and find the color that is opposite of your eye color. The opposite color will help make your eye color stand out the most!

What’s the best way to use foundation & powder? How does one avoid the “caked-on” look? Do you have any foundations/powders that you recommend?
I like to apply my foundation lightly with a brush. After I have the foundation applied I take a big fluffy brush with my chosen powder and lightly press (not rub) the powder onto my face. This keeps the powder light and soft and will help to set the liquid foundation. I also like to finish off with spraying my face with Fix + Spray from MAC. The spray helps to hydrate the powder and make it appear more natural, not so much like a powder sitting on the face. You can use translucent powders or lightweight sheer powders if you don’t want to add more coverage or alter the color of your foundation. 

What types of brushes do you use on a regular basis, and where on your face do you use each one? Any brush tips?
These are all MAC brushes so ill be using the numbers for the brushes. You can look all of these up online to see exactly what I'm talking about.
For moisturizer, primer and liquid foundation - #159 or #188. Both duo-fiber brushes. I love these brushes because they pick up a small amount of product and really feather/buff the product into your skin. They don’t leave your foundation looking streaky and they are the perfect sizes to be able to work around the eyes and nose easily.
For powder - #134 or #150. The #150 is a much fluffier powder brush, applies your powder light and soft. The #134 is a denser, firmer brush and allows for more product to be applied. This is great for when you want a heavier powder or more coverage. #168 is my favorite blush brush. Its soft and fluffy and just perfect.
For eyes - #217 IS MY FAVORITE!! It’s a fluffy brush that is amazing for softly applying colors in your crease. The #224 is the perfect blending brush. I never put product on this one, I simply use it to blend blend blend! #230 is great for packing on colors. It’s a flatter, more dense brush that picks up more product. Great for the lid. #210 is my go-to brush for gel eyeliners. Its not too short, not too long and not to thick. Just perfect!
A lot of people make a big fuss about spending money on brushes…but honestly….these brushes are your tools. You want beautiful makeup? You need the proper tools to apply your makeup! You can't expect to have a Kim Kardashian face when you use your fingers to apply your makeup. Brushes are an investment and when taken care of properly can last you YEARS, and I mean YEARS. I shampoo my brushes once a month with a gentle baby shampoo. I squirt a dime size amount into my hand and twirl my brush, gently, in a circular motion in the shampoo. Do this underneath warm water until the water runs clear. Then lay your brush on its side to allow it to dry. I also clean my personal brushes once a week with a brush cleaner to help condition the bristles and keep them clean and free of bacteria.

What makeup rules are vital to you?
If you are planning on being in front of a camera, taking a lot of pictures, or somewhere that has a lot of bright lighting- don’t be afraid to make yourself a LITTLE darker than you usually are. I'm serious when I say a little, I'm not telling you guys to go out and give yourselves orange faces, but it is a good idea to take into account bright lights and flashes from cameras that will make you appear a little more pale than you look in real life. Not sure how you look on camera? Take a picture with a digital camera or your phone with the flash on and see if your face matches your body!
Proper skincare and a good primer, even though its not makeup, will have a HUGE effect on your makeup.
I’ll say it again, BLEND, BLEND, BLEND!!!!

If you were only allowed to use 1 makeup product for a day, what would you pick and why?
Oh wow, that’s quite the question. I think I would have to chose “Have A Lovely Day! Lip & Cheek color from MAC.  It’s a beautiful mauve/berry crème color and gives a beautiful healthy pop of color to the lips and cheeks, even on the eyes if you want it.

What are primers, and why are they important?
I like to think of primers as double sided tape. The one side is clinging onto your skin, while the other side grabs onto your makeup. Primers help to hydrate the skin, allow the makeup to be applied smoothly and more evenly, and helps make the makeup last all day long.

What would you recommend for someone who wants a quick but effective makeup routine?
I really love Studio Fix Foundation Powders from MAC for people who want to be quicker in their makeup routine. It has a compartment for a disc sponge and gives you the same coverage as a liquid foundation, but you can easily throw it in your purse and run out the door. If you prefer liquid foundation then Matchmaster from MAC is amazing. As it oxidizes on your skin it will change color to match your color. It also allows your natural skin tone to shine through so youll never look too pink or too yellow.  Find a nice soft blush color for your cheeks and your eyes to give a nice amount of color to the face from just one product. Throw on some mascara and lip gloss and you have a super quick 5 minute makeup!

What is your preferred order of application/skin care routine?
When I start my makeup routine every day, I start with my skin care. I'll exfoliate, moisturize and prime my skin. I then will move on to my eyes. The reason I do this is because your skin needs a good 10-15 minutes to really soak up and absorb all that moisturizer and primer you’ve just applied. Going straight to your foundation is just going to mix your products all together on top of your skin. Another reason I love doing my eyes next is because after you’ve done your eye shadow, if you have made any sort of mess on your face (it happens to all of us) then you can easily clean it off without messing up any existing foundation. When I do my eyes I prime first with my painterly paint pot, then apply my eye shadow. After I’m done with my eye shadow I move on to my concealer, then foundation, then powder. After applying the powder I like to move onto highlighting and contouring with powders ( If you prefer to use creams or liquids to highlight and contour then do that BEFORE your foundation) I add blush next and blend all together, then spray and set with fix plus.  After that I draw in eyebrows, add eyeliner and finish off with mascara. I wait to do the eyeliner after foundation just so that it stays fresh and dark. I always do my lips last so they look nice and crisp and juicy!

How did you get into the business, as well as any tips and tricks for getting started.
Practicing your artistry is so important as a makeup artist. There are always new trends and styles that you can learn and perfect. Take pictures of every single makeup you do, even if it isn't the best thing you’ve ever done. It's good to have pictures to look back and compare to be able to see how far you’ve grown as an artist. Make a website! I made a Wix website. It's nothing fancy, but it’s a place for me to put pictures of my work and information about myself so when I apply for jobs and gigs, I can send them a link so they are able to see my work right away. It makes you look a lot more professional than giving somebody your Facebook or Instagram account. 
I learned a lot from makeup school but there are also many artists who are always looking for interns/apprentices and can help teach you and help you understand the business side of makeup. YouTube is a great tool too for learning new tips and techniques. Every artist is different and has something new to teach you so don’t ever stop learning and growing!! Model Mayhem is also a great website to network through and to find photographers and models in your area looking to work!

And last but not least, would you rather fight one horse-sized duck or 100 duck-sized horses?
Are we going by prison rules? Street rules? Well….I would battle 100 duck-sized horses, seems easier to kick and stomp and attack them all…maybe try to tame one of them to be my new pet...where the horse-sized duck could do some serious quick damage to any part of my body….and would probably take some seriously nasty shits.
 ----


THANK YOU, CHELSEA! I think I can speak for all of us when I say WE APPRECIATE when the experts take the time to let those of us who aren't as experienced learn the proper way to apply makeup! 

To view Chelsea's work, please visit 

You can also view Chelsea's INSTAGRAM and Facebook by clicking the corresponding links. 


11.14.2013

What Would I Say?

So, apparently a few Princeton grads made up an app for fun where you login to facebook, and it generates status updates for you as if you were a robot. It's pretty fun if you're bored and have a few minutes to kill, I've definitely come up with a few winners.

Go here to start generating your own! What Would I Say?

Here are some gems that came up when I did this.
Enjoy!















11.06.2013

Halloweiners

Soo... I realized I hadn't told all of you about what we did on Halloween, and man do I have some exciting stories to tell you! (*sarcasm alert*)
Basically, Halloween was kind of a bust this year. As I stated in a previous post, my costume plans fell through a couple times, and I had plans to do a last minute costume...well, I posted that, then went to start working on said costume, and part of that included spray painting stripes onto a t-shirt. As I was trimming off the tape, I cut a big ol' hole in the shirt.
I was devastated and had a mini panic because I had nothing to wear when we went out (looking back, I laugh about this because it was so irrelevant.) So, I frantically hit up Google for some SUPER DUPER last minute ideas. I didn't find much, so I thought I'd try my hand at making a pretty masquerade mask to wear with my fancy black lace dress. That worked out great... until I cut the eye-holes. They were just a little bit too far apart and slightly uneven. I didn't have the mental patience or the willpower to do it again. I was about to give up completely, when I thought about trying my hand at costume makeup. Nothing fancy.
I scoured the internet for ideas that were simple enough for someone like me to pull off, and found a few really adorable ones! My creative juices started flowing again, and I ultimately made a decision to still wear my fancy black dress, but do porcelain doll makeup instead and curled all of my hair into little ringlets (THIS TOOK FOREVERRRRR and I have super fine, thin hair. I do not pretend to know how you ladies with lots and lots of thick hair manage to curl all of it. Maybe I'm just a weakling.)
Here is my porcelain doll face makeup (phone pic quality, sorry.):
And that's not makeup all above my eyebrows, that's just how my forehead creases when I raise my eyebrows. I might even be the only one who notices it, but it drives me nuts.
Basically, I did my moisturizer/primer/bb cream routine, then i used the lightest powder I could find last-minute at Walgreens (we checked the Halloween store, and they did not have ANYTHING! wtf!) and patted that all over my face, blending into my neck. Then, I filled in my brows and put concealer over my lips so that they would blend in with the rest of my face, more or less. Then, I put on liquid liner and applied my fake lashes, did the rest of my eye makeup and finished with another coat of the liquid liner over the fake lash line so that it blended in better. Then, i made the little bow lips over mine, paying attention to the cupid's bow (middle of your top lip) and sort of creating the shape of a heart with a rounded bottom. To finish it off, i did a circle of pink blush on the apples of each of my cheeks, and I was all done!

So, I finished up my look, and Shane went with his go-to pirate costume, I whipped up an eye-patch for him, and we hit the town. Only to realize that all of our friends were working that night. We wound up going to a local hookah bar, Swing State. I had never been before, and Shane assured me we'd have a good time. Oh how wrong he was. It wasn't that Swing State isn't a good place to hang out, (because I actually did enjoy the band, or at least the song or two that I heard while I was there) but it was filled with 17 year old hipsters and it tiny and it was PACKED.
We made an effort to enjoy ourselves... for about ten minutes. We both are prone to anxiety attacks in situations like these, although he has it much worse than I do. He started to feel super anxious, so we walked right back out of there. We discussed going out to a bar, but without having anyone to meet up with, it seemed kinda silly to pay for alcohol and talk to each other when we can go home and drink for free. So, we went home, and both of our stomachs started to get sour, so we changed out of our costumes and got into PJs by 10PM and called it an early night.
I. FEEL. SO. OLD.

Hope your Halloween was a million times better!

11.05.2013

Early Birthday Beauty Haul!

Hello fellow Makeup addicts! 
As you guys know, Shane is basically amazing (yes, I am a lucky girl!), and he completely outdid himself this year. He got me an early birthday present from SEPHORA! I had pointed out the Sephora Favorites Super Stars set from this year that I was drooling over, and he ordered it early for me so that it wouldn't be sold out from the holiday buyers. You KNOW I could not wait to open that sucker when it arrived, and I IMMEDIATELY took pictures so I could start trying the products out ASAP! So here is my Sephora haul and a brief review of the products. I will be doing full reviews + pictures of each product and posting them individually for a more in-depth look.


Full Super Stars set
Alright, first up is the Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner. I love liquid liner, and it wound up being perfect that this was included in the set, because I had just run out of my old liquid liner when it arrived! I've already used this several times and can't rave about it more. It glides on so nicely, I have been able to get my winged eye on the first try a lot more often, which is a HUGE plus, because that is my go-to eye look.
Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb Rollerball: This perfume is super nostalgic for me. It smells EXACTLY like that So Pink perfume that Gap made (do they still make it?) and reminds me of high school, when every other girl smelled like this. I don't dislike it, by any means, it just brings back those days of wandering the mall. :)
This was another thing I was really excited about and have also used several times since I received it. The Anastasia Clear Brow Gel. In the last few months, I have started filling in my brows and haven't gotten around to buying a clear brow gel. I love this stuff, it is totally clear of course, but it makes my brows look a lot neater and holds them in place all day!
This is the Deborah Lippmann Treatment-infused Nail Color in Cleopatra in New York. I am actually currently wearing this over some black nail polish and I might never take it off. I am completely in love with this polish. As a glitter fiend, I appreciate a good glitter polish that doesn't take a million coats to have the effect you're going for. I swiped this on over my black base coat ONCE and it looks gorgeous. Highly recommend this polish! It also looks great on it's own because it isn't completely clear. 
I was also super pumped about receiving my first two NARS products! The first of which is this Nars Blush & Bronzing Powder Duo in Orgasm & Laguna. I have heard nothing but great things about NARS Orgasm blush, so of course I couldn't wait to try that. And I have to say, it is perfect. I love pinky blushes, and this went on beautifully. Doesn't look overly pink, and has a shimmer that doesn't make you look like you slapped some glitter on your face. Laguna is also great, I've used it once or twice so far, and it does give a nice light bronzy glow to my fair cheeks without looking ruddy or too dark. 
close-up of the NARS blusher/bronzer
outer packaging
Next up is the Origins GinZing™ Refreshing Eye Cream to Brighten and Depuff. I have used this a couple times after I've moisturized before bed and definitely have noticed a difference. Our sleep schedules have been super wonky for the last few months, so some days the bags under my eyes are darker than usual. This cream has noticeably helped brighten and de-puff. I love it! It's also super light and sinks into the skin fast without feeling greasy or heavy. 
A look at the inside of the eye cream.
This is the Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil. I've been on the fence about trying this for the last few years, because I've heard mixed reviews. I tried it just yesterday, and so far, I really like it. You can use it on your hair, nails, skin, feet...etc.
One of the negative reviews I saw was that it makes your hair look greasy, and I couldn't disagree more. I'm willing to bet whoever wrote that review just used a bit too much. And if you add too much oil to your hair... well, yeah, it's going to look oily. My hair naturally gets oily very quickly, and I didn't find that the Argan oil made it feel anything like that. I put 2 drops in my hands and rubbed them together to warm the oil, then ran my hands through my hair after showering and letting my clean hair air-dry. Before I put the oil on, my hair was clean, but a little dry and frizzy. A few minutes later, it felt so soft and looked shiny (NOT greasy!) and I couldn't stop touching it! 
This is the Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Sin & Mushroom. It was no surprise to me that I'd like this, mostly because I already own the Sin eyeshadow and use it almost every day. Of course I was happy to receive more, in fact, I had just started to get down to the bottom of the tin, so this arrived at the perfect time! I was anxious to try the Mushroom color, because I have to be super careful about dark shadows. I have super light skin and small eyelids, and if I use a shadow that's too dark, or accidentally use a bit too much of it, it will look like I just got socked in the eye. Mushroom turned out to be a perfect dark color for me. It is heavily pigmented, but a little bit goes a very long way. I have been putting Sin in the inner corner of my eyelid and using Mushroom on the outer corner, and I love the way it blends together. Awesome for an evening look. 
Opened tin.
Close-up of Sin/Mushroom
Next up is the Nars Lipstick in Dolce Vita. Apologies for the state of this lipstick. I promise it did not arrive like this. In my excitement of taking these photos and moving the makeup around, I forgot to screw down the lipstick and went to put the cap on, and it took a small chunk out of the top of the lipstick. Whoops! No big deal though. This definitely isn't a color I would normally pick out. Nudey-pink colors like this usually look awful on my teensy lips. This lipstick looks great, though. Of course. It brings out the pinkness of my lips without making them look too shiny (which I hate). It goes perfectly with my everyday makeup, which is great, because most of my lipsticks are red and much more bold, and most of the time I don't feel like dealing with the upkeep of red lipstick.  
This was another product I was on the fence about. Also heard mixed reviews. I like it a lot, but I can also see why some people don't like it. This is the Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray that you can spray into your damp or dry hair to achieve that whole tousled, beachy look. I tried it once in my damp hair and once in my dry hair to see which I thought worked better. For me, it was the dry hair. When I sprayed it into my damp hair and scrunched it, it didn't really give me the effect I wanted, it just kind of tangled my hair up and made it sticky and I ended up creating a lot of split ends brushing it out later. HOWEVER, I used it on my dry hair that already has a natural wave to it, and it gave me some volume (which I NEED) and definitely made the waves more defined gave my hair some body as well. I would recommend trying this on your damp hair and your dry hair before you decide you don't like it, because I think it has a lot to do with your hair type. And maybe it really just isn't for some of you. But I will continue to use it when I want to add some extra oomph to my dry hair. :)
This is the Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream Broad Spectrum SPF 35 in Light. I am a newbie to BB cream, so I actually googled how to apply them to make sure I was doing it right (haha). Basically, you can either use this as a concealer, a highlighter, and a foundation all in one. I have been using it as a foundation because it gives great coverage and moisturizes my skin (I still use moisturizer though). It also doesn't feel heavy like a foundation, it goes on more like a moisturizer. I love this! It's great if you still want coverage and a nice healthy glow to your face without putting on tons of makeup. 
This and the product below are a two-part mascara duo called Too Faced Better Than False Lashes Mascara Base & Top Coat and oz Too Faced Flexistretch™ Nylon Fibers. I am also a newbie to the whole nylon fibers thing, and it is sooooo weird to me. I had no idea what to expect, really.
First, you curl your lashes, then you take the gold tube (pictured above) and swipe your base coat of mascara on. Next you take the white tube (pictured below) and swipe on some of the nylon fibers. Then, you use the gold tube again and swipe on a top coat of the mascara. I was skeptical about this at first, because I thought the fibers would come off into my eye or make my eyelashes clumpy, and that couldn't be further from the truth.
I don't quite understand how this even works yet, but it does. my eyelashes looked beautiful and not clumpy at all. I will definitely be doing an individual post about this mascara pretty early on, mainly because it is fascinating to me.
There is a pro and a con that are one in the same though... it stays on your lashes REALLY REALLY well. Which means two things... A) It's going to last all day and look gorgeous, and B) It can be a pain in the ass to get off your lashes later. I still love it and that doesn't turn me away by any means, but that is the reason I don't buy waterproof mascara. I hate how much more difficult it is to get off.
nylon fiber tube
I absolutely love the freebies from Sephora! Here's what I came away with this time...
Givenchy Very Irresistable Perfume Sample
Jimmy Choo Flash Perfume Sample
Marchesa Perfume Sample
Tarte Amazonian Clay Waterproof Bronzer Sample in Park Avenue Princess
Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion + Sample
Clinique Spot Healing Gel Sample

I also snagged a couple more cheapy things I wanted to try out...
Sephora Creamy Body Wash Caps in Toffee, Green Tea & Cotton Flower (for $1.00 apiece)
& Sephora Nano Eyeliner in Emerald Green
I just used the Cotton Flower body wash yesterday and LOVED the way it smelled. I kept sniffing my arms throughout the day... didn't even need perfume, these are great! I'm excited to try the other scents.
I haven't used the spot healing gel yet, mainly because I haven't had a need for it. But it is nice to have to try out when a breakout does occur.
I have used the moisturizing lotion several times, though, and LOVE it. I'm a moisturizer addict, and this one does not disappoint at all. Makes my skin feel smooth and silky, definitely not greasy or heavy at all, and sinks in quickly.
I haven't tried this yet, but will put up a review as soon as I do. I rarely wear bronzers, but it is fall, so now would be the time. :) 
I grabbed this because I really wanted a green liner, and I love this one! I was hesitant to get a pencil again, because I've never liked pencils much. This one glides on very smoothly, unlike most other pencils I've tried. I love using it on my waterline, It makes my green eyes pop and is a lot more subtle than black. And the price is not bad at all. $5, and they have tons of shades to choose from. I am tempted to go back and buy a few more!




Well, that's it for this brief review, As I said before, I'll post individual reviews with pictures of them actually ON my face. Today is not a makeup day, so I will start working on those tomorrow and get them on here ASAP. If you have any questions or if there are any specific products you'd like to see the in-depth reviews on FIRST, please comment here and let me know! I will do my best to get to the ones you want to know more about as quickly as I can! 

Thanks for reading! 

Meagan