Sephora Mini Haul

It was 19 degrees in NYC today, just painful-colder than a pimp's heart. I showed up early for a meeting and had to find something to do for 45 minutes so I wandered into Sephora with a gift card burning a hole in my pocket. Quite dangerous in my opinion as I like to already have a purchase list going in so I do not make foolish decisions because I get giddy around all of that color and glossiness. Whole Foods has the same effect on me, as if I've never seen food.

I replenished my MUFE HD Foundation stash, I purchased a travel sized They're Real Mascara from Benefit because I am tired of hearing how wonderful and amazing it is, I will try it for myself and report back to you. I also purchased 2 YSL lip glosses which I will review after I have worn them for a minute. I believe I showed some restraint and actually put products back on the shelf after making the big girl decision that they weren't in my budget this shopping trip. While I was at it, I did pick up a sample of Buxom Show Some Skin Weightless Foundation. What is with all the ridiculous long names of products? Shorten it up people. 

I will wear these for a bit and then tell you my thoughts. Thanks to my Sephora visit, I now have my eye on Ardency Inn Monster Smooth Ride Super Charged Eyeliner (the names) in a really gorgeous deep purple color, Kat Von D's Lock It Tattoo Concealer, MUFE HD Invisible Cover Concealer and MUFE cream blush in a pump, I don't know the proper name but I am sure it is a mile long. 

You guys probably will not hear from me the rest of the week. I will be in Boston for a business trip. I am quite excited about that because I've never been.

I hope all of you have a splendid week.

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Rodin+Fields Product Review

Through some good old fashioned networking on Linked In, I connected with a woman who works for Rodan + Fields, the doctors who created Proactiv. She invited me to a function for Rodan+Fields, which I am almost positive was a recruiting session to hire sales people. She offered to send me some samples,  I told her I had no interest in selling any products but I would be interested in trying the products so I could review them and who doesn't like trying out new products? So just for integrity's sake, I did not pay for these products. I received them as a sample from Rodan+Fields and as always, I will give my honest review of them.

I have never tried Proactiv or any Rodan+Fields products. I never had that much interest in Proactiv but I was interested to try these products as Dr. Katie Rodan and Dr. Kathy Fields are well respected doctors and they obviously know what they are doing. 

So this is going to be a first impression review, as I only received single use samples which I attempted to spread out over two days. The samples came packaged in a cute little mesh bag with some marketing material about R+F and a little instructional card with directions on how to use the products. The directions were written out in a cute little poem, until the last line when they seemed to have a problem rhyming the word  "spread". Also, it doesn't tell you exactly what you are trying. The only thing that was labeled was the Enhancements Microdermabrasion Paste so we will start with that. 

The Microdermabrasion Paste ($78) is a sugar and salt scrub with Vitamin C and E. According to the directions on the package, you are supposed to scrub your face using the whole packet of paste, without water. If you prefer a more gentle exfoliation, you can add water. I was a little skeptical about this because I feel sugar and salt would be a little harsh for your face. I do not like manual exfoliates and prefer the more gentle chemical kind and I was right, this was a little too harsh for me. I saved half the packet and will use it in the shower as a body scrub. I did notice how slick this feels on your skin, the description says it glides over your skin and it certainly does. It does contain fragrance (which makes me mental in face products) and some color additives. 

Next up is the Night Renewing Serum ($90) which I had to do a little research to figure out what I was using because the instructions refers to it only as the "blue capsule". According to the website:

Each REDEFINE Night Renewing Serum capsule contains a potent, proprietary blend of peptides and retinol to visibly improve skin texture and firmness and reduce the appearance of wrinkles. Retinol, favored by dermatologists for decades, improves skin texture and minimizes the appearance of pores. Patented time-release technology increases skin’s receptivity throughout the night while reducing potential irritancy. 

I had high hopes for this product, the ingredients list is not long which I do like and there is no fragrance.  This does not feel like a serum, this is pretty silicon heavy and it feels and wears exactly like a primer. It's really just ok for me. I don't know what the long term effects of this product would be on my skin but first impression is eh.

The last product was the best out of the three. The Redefine Lip Renewing Serum ($54) was a homerun for me. It has been in the single digits here on the East coast and my central heating system has been working over time trying to keep me toasty. My skin is feeling the effects of the dry forced air but my lips are getting the brunt of it. Dry, cracked, peeling lips. Sexiness at it's finest. This serum was like a delicious drink of moisture drenching water for my lips. This is a true serum and feels like a dream, also it stays hydrating all night. I usually wake up at some point during the night and need to reapply my Alba Unpetroleum. Not with this stuff! I would wake up to lips that were still slick and hydrated. They are also packaged in these little grey capsules which sucks because I would want to carry this around with me. They should package this in a Lip Smackers roll top gloss tube, that would be awesome!

Sorry for the blurriness

So these products were just ok for me. I really loved the lip serum but everything else fell short. I also feel they are a bit on the pricy side for what you get. I am thankful that I did get to try them but this will be a pass for me.

If you are interested in learning more about Rodin+Fields, click here:

Rodin+Fields

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Nail Rock 3D Manicure with Caviar Spheres

Today I did something absolutely unheard of in my world.

 I gave myself a manicure. 

I cannot express how absolutely painful manicures are for me. And boring. I don't even like writing about nails and polishes. Out of the over 160 post on this blog, this is the 2nd one about nails. 

I used to get my nails manicured every Friday, without question. Now, if I get two manicures a year, that is a lot. I still get my pedicures, religiously every other week, however I have become soooo impatient with manicures. I can't stand waiting for it to be done and waiting for it to dry is pure torture. You may as well lock me up and throw away the key because that's what it feels like, like it's never going to end. Ok maybe I'm being a bit dramatic but you get the picture. If I am going to treat myself to a mani, I always go to a professional because quite honestly, I suck at them. I am sloppy when it comes to nails. I keep them short and squarish. I do manage to file them and keep them neat but that's the extent of it.

So imagine my excitement when I received, in this month's Birchbox, a nail art kit called Nail Rock, the hottest new 3D manicure. So what is Nail Rock? Nail Rock is a silver nail polish that comes with these teeny, tiny pearlescent sheres (the caviar) that you dip your nail into while it is wet to create this 3D effect. I decided to try it because why not. I have to say, I was surprised that I did it without painting my whole apartment silver and it looks pretty ok. It does look much better in person, pictures pick up every damn thing you don't want them to. I also used Sally Hanson Double Duty Top/Bottom coat.

 Still in the packaging.

Out of the packaging with some fancy effects.

One coat of Sally Hansen Double Duty.

Two coats of nail polish.

The caviar spheres. These things are miniscule and I am already envisioning them all over my bed when I go to sleep.

 

Dip your finger in the spheres:

Voila'! I only did one finger on each hand because I couldn't imagine having these on every finger. I did the boring old played out doing your ring finger different than the rest on my left hand.

Then I got all rebellious and did my pinky on my right hand!

                                                     Giving you the finger(s)!

I wanted to get a shot in the sunlight so you can see how shiny it looks.

So bottom line, it was easier than I expected. I can't see these spheres lasting through many hand washings. 

I would probably do it again for a special occasion and when I was feeling calm and patient. This reminded me of a friends wedding party that I was a part of. We went and got mani/pedis the day before the wedding and I got my toes done in this delicious corally, pink color and the woman put shiny, see through spheres on my toes and they were shining like pink diamonds and disco balls. They were gorgeous. 

 You could probably use this with different nail polishes. I think this would look cool with a black, matte mani and these pretty silver caviar balls. The silver nail polish has a gritty appearance although it doesn't feel gritty. I feel like this will wear off quickly. I'll let you know. 

 The irony of all this is I was planning on getting a manicure this coming week because I have a business function coming up, so now I will have two mani's in a week! I hope I survive!

 If you are interested in purchasing Nail Rock:

Birchbox

You can also purchase Nail Rock at Charlotte Russe or Urban Outfitters. You can purchase Sally Hansen at all major drugstores and super markets. 

UPDATE:

Just as I suspected, this 3D Nail Rock is going to be a single use experience. It took around 3 hours and 1 hair washing before there was only one lonely sphere left on my pinky. My ring finger is holding on pretty nicely but I do believe the best bet for these is to plan on wearing them for one night only. And make sure to apply after you wash your hair!

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Makeup Forever HD High Definition Foundation Review

Photo Source

I don't know why it has taken me so long to write about Makeup Forever HD Foundation.

 MUFE HD Foundation is the foundation I compare every other foundation I use to. MUFE HD is for me, that boyfriend that you always go back to in between the other boyfriends that you think are going to be better for you, but almost always end up disappointing you. That is my relationship with MUFE HD. 

This foundation was formulated for use in filming with high definition television and film, so it is as invisible as a foundation can possibly be. It is for the everyday woman, as well as the professional makeup artist. You can keep 5-6 of these shades in your kit and make pretty much any color you would need. This is oil and paraban free. It is medium coverage but can be built up to a full coverage. It has a really nice, natural finish- not too dewy, not too matte. So what is my problem? Why haven't I put a ring on it?
Maybe it's boredom or the grass is greener somewhere else but there is just too much variety to settle down with one. 

This is the foundation I entrust when I absolutely need my skin to look it's best. Where other foundations fail me, this one does not. I do not know what prevents me from awarding it Holy Grail status. I can be a fickle one with my foundations. I do recall feeling this was too sheer and simultaneously too heavy. Obviously, I have issues but I return to it time and time again. Between this foundation and my growing romance with my Beauty Blender, I am for the moment content. 

I will probably never be a loyal, one foundation kinda gal. I used to be, I would loyally use 1 foundation for years. However, there are way too may formulations, colors and brands to not want to try them all. I already have my eye on two new one's that I would like to take a crack at. Also, if I stuck with one where would you guys get your foundation information from? 

Straight out of the pump

Semi blended in

Blended in

This foundation comes in 26 shades. I am shade 120. I don't think the colors on this chart are very true to the real shades but you can read the descriptions to get an idea of what would be for you.

Photo Source

If you would like to learn more about MUFE HD Foundation, 

click here:

Makeup Forever 

Something weird and annoying has happened to my blog. It seems that most of my pictures on my older post have disappeared. I am trying to figure this out and replace them so please be patient. 

Thanks! 

In the meantime, 

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DIY Alpha Hydroxy Face Masque for Younger Skin

I had a few of my ladies ask me this past week what could be done about their aging skin. Sigh~I know you ladies read my blog. You should know the answer to this. 

Skin texture seemed to be their main concern. Some bumps and small lines forming. I cannot yell this loud enough!

ACIDS PEOPLE!

The famous Alpha Hydroxy and Beta Hydroxy acids. 

It's simple:

Alpha Hydroxy for texture, bumps and fine lines.

Beta Hydroxy for acne, pores and oily skin. 

I was watching the Rachel Ray show and she had a dermatologist on demonstrating DIY skin solutions that you can concoct right in your own kitchen. You know how much I love me a skin DIY from my kitchen! 

So here is a quick, little potion that you can whip up for a DIY Alpha Hydroxy Face Masque.

Combine:

• 2 Tablespoons Apple Juice
• 2 Tablespoons Milk
• 1 Egg White

Whip together until frothy then apply to your face with a flat foundation brush. Leave on for 15-20 minutes and rinse off with a soft wash cloth. This goes on very liquid-y and then you will feel it tighten up on your face. Your face will look very smooth and plastic-y while the masque is on and then very glow-y after you rinse it off. Apply 2 times a week for smooth, glowing, radiant skin.

Cracked bowl and all! There is nothing fancy going on here.

What makes this an Alpha Hydroxy Acid is the malic acid in the apple juice and the lactic acid in the milk. 

This recipe will make enough for like 3 or 4 people to use so invite your besties over for a girly spa day or maybe refrigerate until your next use. I'm not even sure if you can refrigerate and reuse but go for it, that's what I'm doing next time.

Speaking of DIY beauty routines, I am about half way through my olive oil/eyelash experiment. This is a very unscientific experiment. I have not measured my eyelashes, I wouldn't even know how to do that. This will be judged strictly by photo comparison and my honest opinion if my lashes grew or not. So far, they still look exactly the same. A heads up for anyone looking to try this, oil in your eye sucks!

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Urban Decay Naked Palette 1 and 3 Review

                        

 I have never been on the Urban Decay Naked Palette bandwagon. I know every makeup addict on the planet has lost their minds over all of the UD palettes but they were never my thing. I don't like when products get too hyped up. I become suspicious if it's hype or if they really are the most amazing products ever. To me they always looked like a bunch of neutral tones that I already had. 

Then this past November, Urban Decay released their Naked Palette 3 and it was like cupid shot an arrow through my heart when I saw these soft, romantic colors. I think Pink and Gold is a marriage made in makeup heaven and everyone should have a pink and gold something in their collection, whether it is blush or a lipstick. Whatever it is, it will be incredibly flattering on pretty much any skin tone. All I could see is these precious pinks and glorious golds and I was sold. I had to have it. 

I know I am kinda late to the game with this review but there are no cosmetic companies sending me samples to blog about so it can coincide with their release, although if anyone out there wants to send me products, feel free-I'm down! So I have to purchase my own and I like to use the products for a bit so I can give an honest review. 

I asked Santa for Naked 3 for Christmas. It is the only thing I asked for. I even sent Santa 2 links so he would know where to purchase it in case the elves were too busy, plus I sent him a reminder email (also with a link for purchase included) just so Santa was aware of how badly I wanted this palette. Then a funny thing happened on the way from the North Pole. Santa managed to f*%k it up and delivered Naked Palette numero uno. WTF Santa! Anyhoodles, Santa being as generous and magical as he is had the NP3 delivered ASAP and now I have 2 palettes to review! Thanks Santa!

I really like the colors in the NP3 palette. They are very soft and exactly as I had expected. First, the palette is packaged in a wavy, metal gold toned palette that is pretty sturdy. It comes with a double ended brush that I will probably use for something other than applying eyeshadow. You get 12 shadows for $52. The shadows range from light to dark, with pink being the prominent color. There are some golds and bronze colors as well and a mix of matte and shimmer textures. I find myself reaching more for the matte colors, maybe because I've been mostly going to business appointments and matte just seems more practical for business. My favorites from this palette are: Strange, Limit, Trick, Nooner and Blackheart (a black shadow with hints of red in it-I cannot wait to do a dramatic smokey eye, it has an almost dark purpley, plumy effect). The only color I am on the fence about is Dust. The texture of Dust is exactly that, quite dusty and it seems to be more glitter than shimmer. It seems as if when you apply it, that nice baby pink color disappears and you are left with little glittery specks. It's pretty, just not what I expected and it was one of the shadows that caught my eye so it is a little disappointing. Along with the eyeshadows, Urban Decay has sent samples of all of their eye primer potions and a setting spray. So far nothing has blown me away but I will let you know if they do. 

Wavy metal packaging.

Urban Decay Naked 3

Swatches and photo courtesy of frmheadtotoe.com

 

On to Naked Palette 1. I like this palette as well and am happy for the mix up. Again, you receive 12 shadows with a mix of textures. This palette is more neutral with bronzy browns and golds. It comes packaged in a velvet brown palette, with a brush I have yet to use for applying eyeshadow.  My favorite colors in this palette are: Virgin, Sin (in love with this color) and Half Baked (another winner-love it).

All of these shadows are very soft feeling and blend-able and they last all day. 

 

Urban Decay Naked Palette 1-the original naked palette.

Naked Palette 1 on top and 3 on the bottom for a side by side comparison.

I like these palettes a lot and I was not disappointed. I do feel N3 has different colors and tones than what you usually find in neutral palettes and for that reason I would recommend Naked 3 over the original palette. They are both really pretty and it just depends on what you are looking for. Although I am happy I accidentally received the original Naked palette, I still feel it's not something I haven't seen before. 

Palette 3 in different lighting-it looks more goldy here~

To read more about Urban Decay Palettes, click here:

Urban Decay

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The Search Continues, Revlon 24 Hour Colorstay Foundation Review

 

This is what I'm looking for in a foundation. I want a foundation that looks like skin without being too sheer. I want it to cover everything while looking like I'm wearing nothing. I want it to give me that slightly dewy radiance of youth. I don't want it to have crappy ingredients. I want it to be sanitary, preferably packaged with a pump dispenser. I do not want to have to take a mortgage out in order to purchase it. 

I have said it before and I will say it again, I have never been one for drugstore cosmetics and if there is one item everyone should spend money on, it is a good foundation. With that being said, I am a girl with an insatiable appetite for foundations and sometimes you just have to go with your budget. Drugstore foundations have been, in my experience, heavy and cheap looking. I do like L'Oreal True Match (and I hear their Lumi is good too) but other than that I have steered clear of them. Over the holidays, when my foundation whore ways kicked in and that monkey was on my back, I wandered over to Revlon after reading a bunch of rave reviews about their 24 Hour Colorstay foundation. I'm so easily led. 

I liked that it was a full coverage foundation and decided to give it a try. My first impression was good, it had reminded me of my MUFE HD Foundation but I have since gotten over that feeling. They have completely different finishes. Honeybuns did think I had my airbrush makeup on and commented on how smooth my skin looked.

The good, it covers everything pretty well. It is a full coverage makeup and will cover most skin blemishes and discolorations,  without looking heavy. Depending on the night's sleep that I've had, I sometimes don't even need under eye concealer. It does last and has a nice matte finish and I don't usually like a matte finish. Matte for me equals dried up and old looking. Ladies, be careful with matte makeup-it can age you. This doesn't look either, it just looks matte, not shiny, not dry-just perfectly, naturally matte. I don't use powder with this because that might be too much matte for me to handle.

The bad, it comes in a bottle without a pump so you have to pour this somewhere-on your sponge, the back of your hand, on a palette? Somewhere and there is no control so don't pour out too much. The ingredients are not great, there are parabans for those of you concerned with them. Lastly, if you have dry skin you may want to skip this product. I noticed that where I had a little dryness on my chin, the foundation magnified it and clung to it and made it look noticeably dry. 

I've applied this with a brush and with a Beauty Blender and it looked good with both. A little more natural with the Beauty Blender. Can we discuss my Beauty Blender for a minute? I was never on the Beauty Blender bandwagon. I purchased it when it first came out and I just didn't get it. I did not get what the big deal was. It was tossed aside and very rarely used. I find myself reaching for it more and more lately and I think I may be falling in love with it. This may change my foundation game, hopefully for the better. Maybe this tool will help me finally settle down with one foundation. 

So final thoughts, do I love it? It's good. Am I sticking with it? Probably not-Are you surprised? Maybe I'll revisit it in the summer when my skin is in need of mattifying. Is it worth the cost? ($10-$13 depending on where you buy it) If you are looking for a full coverage, matte foundation for not a lot of money, it is definitely worth it. If you are not, I would save my $$ and purchase something you really want. I mean really, anything in the $10 range is worth it if you want to try it. 

As for the 24 hour staying claim. I have no idea. I have never worn makeup for 24 hours in my life and I really do not know why anyone would need their makeup to last 24 hours. That is just gross. It did last through my work day and a short cat nap on the couch.

You can purchase Revlon products in all major drugstores and supermarkets. 

To read more about Beauty Blender, click below: 

 http://www.beautyblender.net/

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Odds, Ends and Random Pretty Things

Oh hellllooo there my Little Goddesses! 

This post is just a mash up of random stuff I've been meaning to share with you.

Some pretty things I received for Christmas/Birthday from my parents, my honeybuns and my bestie :-)

Everyone seemed to be in a gold and green/blue kind of mood which is awesome because it all goes and I love those ocean tones!

 

Everything is sooo sparkly! Oh and you can ignore the lint on my bedspread. I should find a better place to photograph but my bed is right in front of a big window. 

How does everyone make their photos look like they're straight from a professional photo shoot? 

This bracelet is not made of gold, it is weaved French lace! It is delicate and gorgeous and you can see more beautiful pieces like it here:

www.pazsintes.com

 Next I wanted to show you my very cool makeup organizer from Muji. I am trying to be a little more organized in life. My professional makeup kit is very organized and everything has it's place. My personal makeup collection, not so much. That has all changed thanks to Muji and also a crafts organizer from Michaels. The Muji case is acrylic, has 5 drawers and can be purchased here: 

http://www.muji.us/store/storage/acrylic-cases/acrylic-case-5-drawers.html

Lastly, I wanted to follow up on the L'Oreal Voluminous Smoldering Eyeliner. 

I still love it, however I am almost certain this will transfer to your contact lens, if you are a wearer. 

I am not sure if it is transferring or I am accidentally hitting my contact lens when I am applying it, either way it's causing me issues. 

This pencil does not budge from your waterline. You know where else it doesn't budge from? Your contact lens, so keep those two away from each other. 

Ok, that's it for now!

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Caroline Hirons and Prrty Peashun

Photo source Dolcevanity.com

I did a Prtty Peaushun giveaway a few years ago for my followers on here and on Facebook. I had been eyeballing PP from afar and thought it would be a nice thing to do for my peeps. I had wrote about PP and recommended it a few times. Although I had only tried a small (small) sample that I was sent, I really liked the idea of this product. The ladies at PP were super cool and let me give away 2 of their gorgeous peaushuns (I still hate the name). For anyone that doesn't know what Prtty Peaushun is, it is a "skin tight body lotion" that pretty much hides your flaws, makes your skin look radiant and dare I say photoshopped. Also, it has the best ingredients, such as avocado oil , rosemary and green tea extract. 

Read full ingredients HERE. 

After the giveaway, I vowed I was going to purchase one of my own but never did, you know how sometimes these things get away from you. Every now and then I think "I need to purchase a Prtty Peaushun lotion" and then put it on the backburner. 

So imagine my excitement when one of my favorite bloggers ever, Caroline Hirons, decided to do a PP giveaway for her followers! All you had to do was leave a comment. I told Caroline that I was dying to try this product and to please not let me die and guess what? She didn't because I won the PP giveaway! Yay for me! Although I almost died when I read her blog post this morning and I saw my name on her blog.

*Burst with excitement*

Here's my winning announcement:
Little Goddess (who is going to die if she doesn't win - we can't have that)

Sorry if I'm being dramatic but I honestly love Caroline's blog and I hate to sound cliche but I NEVER win anything. I once received a laptop from The Martha Stewart Show, which was pretty damn cool but I've never won anything.

So now I will be patiently waiting for my package in the mail. I can't find the original email so I can't remember if I am to receive 1 shade or all 5 which would be flipping awesome. It also comes packaged in this cool silver squishy sac. If you can't tell, I am happy about this win. 

On a side note, Tracy Anderson, who is the "legs" of Prtty Peaushun and looks fantastic (of course why wouldn't she, she's Tracy Anderson for goodness sake) is only 5 FEET TALL! I am so surprised by this! She is a petite one like myself. 

This is Tracey wearing Prtty Peaushun, I am going to live in this stuff. 

Photo Source: Mybeautybunny.com

THANK YOU CAROLINE HIRONS AND PRTTY PEAUSHUN! 

YOU GUYS ROCK!

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