BECCA x JACLYN HILL Champagne Glow Palette HOLIDAY 2015

 

This October BECCA had released yet another collab with beauty guru Jaclyn Hill after the success of Champagne Pop - a shimmery highlight still available in stores.

This palette was said to be limited edition as well, but must have been a smaller stock considering it is now sold out everywhere. While Champagne Pop is $38, Champagne Glow was around $36 after tax. 

The palette comes in three limited edition shade : Pearl, Champagne Pop, and Blushed Copper. 

Because each shade is so shimmery, if I am going to use all three shades at once, I will pair them with more natural shades with less harsh application of everything. For this reason, I held off on using eyeliner and blush. I used Pearl on my brow bone, Blushed Copper under my cheek bones and Champagne Pop on my cheek bones. Lipstick is YSL #13, lipliner is makeup forever 5C, eyeshadow is L'oreal infallible in Amber Rush, eyelashes are Ardell wispies.

I really love this palette especially for the fall and winter seasons. Hopefully because this is a holiday item and it is not even December, they will be restocking it. It will probably be continuously sold on eBay at higher prices, but worth it! Makes for a great holiday gift to yourself or for a friend!

xoxo

Review: Influenster Nexxus Voxbox

This month I was selected by Influenster to test the new Nexxus Promend Split End Repairing System. I was picked for this, rightly so, as my hair happens to get damaged fast at the ends. The system came with 3 steps which offers a shampoo, conditioner, and leave-in creme.

At first glance, I am a fan of the packaging - it comes in this shimmering teal bottle with a pretty shape. But as I was using the product, I found that the shape of the shampoo and conditioner make it difficult to get product out of it. Perhaps this could be fixed with a pump. Regardless, each product did seem to have a quality texture when in my hand and then again in my hair. The shampoo was said to come to a rich lather and it certainly did. I was a big fan of the conditioner because it was more like a deep conditioner to me - as you are instructed to leave it in for 3 minutes before rinsing. Finally, I had completed the 3-step system with the split-end binding leave-in creme. I was excited to try this and I ended up loving it. It truly left my hair feeling like it was helping to repair it. 

My very damaged hair that needs help.

I am a little wary on any products that claim they are helping to repair already damaged hair but if nothing, the Nexxus system at least left my hair feeling softer than usual, with a lovely scent. I would buy this product if it remains to leave my hair feeling this way.

More information on the Nexxus Repair system here.

Sign up to review free products here.

Follow me on Bloglovin'

TJ MAXX BEAUTY FIND: Too Faced Amazing Face Powder Foundation

I'm always excited to get a beauty steal at TJ MAXX/Marshalls - last visit's find was the Too Faced Amazing Face powder foundation with included 15 SPF. 

I purchased this at only $9.99 when the original is listed at $32.00. Although on the Too Faced website there was a price drop to $28.80 and now it is  no longer listed on toofaced.com although they still carry the liquid version.

Perhaps the reason for the seemly discontinued product is that it does not provide longevity to its coverage. I do feel that with application it does seem to be full coverage but as the day goes on, it disappears. The SPF is also very minimal if you were depending on that aspect of the product.

Without Too Faced Amazing Face Powder               -               With Too Faced Amazing Face Powder

However, for the discounted price I am happy to have the product in my collection for summer days. It does have a slight smell of suntan lotion which I can't imagine wearing in the winter (especially here in New England). I will continue my every day face with MAC Studio Fix powder, but this is also a good option for certain occasions. 


Follow me on Bloglovin'

Sephora 2015 Birthday Gift for VIBS!

Excuse me for not posting for a couple weeks; My birthday, working, going on vacation, and Labor Day weekend took up my time. I got a few items for my birthday to review but I am going to start with the birthday gift that Sephora gives out during the month of member's birthdays. This is one of the perks of having an account with Sephora.

This year was a set of 2 mini Nars lip pencils. I have had experience with other Nars pencils so I was excited about this gift. Sephora included a velvet matte lip pencil (Cruella) and a satin lip pencil (Rikugien).

Left: Nars velvet matte lip 'Cruella'             Right: Nars satin lip 'Rikugien'

I would probably purchase a velvet matte from Nars before the satin because it felt like the satin did not have longevity like the velvet matte. However, I do like the two shades that Sephora and Nars have chose for this gift; I like them equally although I am more likely to spend money on something that feels like it sticks to my lips better.

What has been your favorite Sephora gift (including rewards from points)? I'd say this is a toss up from the 500-point YSL point perk I once received. Lovely shades!


Full-size Nars Satin lip pencil in Rikugien $26.00 from Sephora

Full-size Nars Velvet Matte lip pencil in Cruella $26.00 from Sephora

Follow me on Bloglovin'

Review: Jojolovesyou Bling Earrings

It's very rare I'll find a certain brand of jewelry to love and stick with but I think I have found one. How adorable are these Jojolovesyou bling earrings? Handmade in Boston, MA, these are certainly becoming a staple earring for dressing up any outfit. In this pair specifically, there are many colors reflected through the bling making them undeniably gorgeous. These are making their way into local stores you could search for on their website. Retail for this pair is $28.

Silk Aurore Boreale Mini Party Bling 

The company also holds contests on their Instagram page for free pairs, all you have to do to enter is tag a friend or two. I entered once & sure enough, I was one of the winners. I unfortunately lost the second earring but on their website they allow purchase of single earrings.

Contest on Instagram: jojolovesblings

I know many girls have started purchasing pairs for braidsmaids which I think is an excellent wedding idea. There are multiple styles and sizes to choose from made from Swarovski crystals and surgical steel. I love these and i'm dying for more! 

Follow my blog on bloglovin.

Ipsy August 2015 Glam Bag Review

Items Included:

-Houndstooth ipsy bag

-Hikari lip gloss in 'Merlot'

-AILA nail polish in 'Mister Pookies'

- Starlooks Pro black eyeliner pen

-Lather face wash

-Briogeo Blossom & Bloom volumizer

I have to admit that although I love the bag that everything came in, I was disappointed that my bag did not include the new Too Faced 'Hangover' primer that other bags received. As a matter of fact, I have not heard of one of these brands, which is always a bummer, but it's always fun to try new products.

I was most excited to receive the eyeliner pen because my Kat Von D tattoo liner has been running out and I needed a new one. The Starlooks pen is more difficult to use because it is so much thicker, you really have to only use the tip if you want a thinner line. However, I like how bold it goes on and seems to stay on. On the Starlooks website, this pen retails for $19.00 , 20% off with code 'IPSY'.

Swatch of Merlot lip gloss & Starlooks eyeliner pen

The color of the Merlot lip gloss looks pretty but the texture reminds me of why I hate lip glosses. It's very sticky so I probably will not be using it much at all. Retails for $13 on the Hikari Cosmetics website. 30% off + free gift with code 'hikari30'

Hikari Lip Gloss in 'Merlot'

I was also not a fan of the nail polish ipsy sent me. Completely because of the color. It's like an ashy black/brown. I may try it one day, but I was certainly not impressed in the color choice. I guess it;s vegan, which is pretty cool. Retails for $17 on the AILA website. 20% off with code 'IPSTER'

The Lather face wash was one of the better products in this month's bag. It smells just like green tea and lathers up without added water. Full size retails for $19 on the Lather website. 20% off + free sample with code 'IPSY20'

I don't know when I'll be sampling the volumizer because I rarely blow dry my hair. It smells just like lemon and is also vegan. Full size retails for $23 on the Briogeo website. 20% off with code 'IPSY20'

Maui Babe Browning & After Browning Lotion Review

As I was nearing the end of my Hawaiian Tropic tanning oil at the beginning of the summer, I decided it was time to try another product that feels better on the skin & leaves me with a better tan. I came across Maui Babe's browning lotion at Ulta and decided to give it a shot although I was questioning the color of the product.

The Maui Babe browning lotion is a dark brown product made with ingredients such as coffee plant extract (which does leave it with a strong odor). I was not looking for a lotion that would stain my skin so reviews online claiming that this lotion did stain clothing was concerning. Luckily, it did not stain anything and the smell was not as awful as the internet says it is. It smelt like chocolate in my opinion.. which I love :)

Here are some comparison pictures from the first day at the beach to 3x later at the pool:

The browning lotion needs to be rinsed off after use so I was really questioning if I should bring it to the beach or not, especially considering that reviews have said that sweating will lead to brown beads of sweat. I decided to try it anyway and was happy I did because did not have that problem. If you're going to be in and out of a pool, that's another story. You will definitely experience the product on yourself or on pool floats if you use them. 

Hands after application

Overall, I am going to continue to use this product although it is more difficult than a simple oil or colorless lotion. I do feel like my tan has accelerated and that the aloe in the lotion helps avoid burning. I follow-up with the After Browning Lotion Tan Enhancer and Healer which smells lovely. It is more gel-like than most creamy lotions which requires it to be rubbed in more.

Maui Babe Browning Lotion: $13.49 at Ulta , $10.89 online at Walgreens , $14.99 on Amazon

Maui Babe After Browning Lotion Tan Enhancer and Healer: $12.49 at Ulta , $10.89 online at Walgreens , $8.99 on Amazon

Follow me on Bloglovin'