Perfume Review: Vera Wang Lovestruck * Feat. V-Day gifts!

This is one of those fragrances that I would wear year round. It's fruity in a mature way. The bottle is super cute & looks nice on my perfume tray. At first I wasn't sure if I was going to like Lovestruck or not because my 17 year old Brother bought it for his younger girlfriend. On recent trips to both Ulta & Sephora I gave this a try & realized that I really liked it, but didn't wanna pay full prize for it. My Husband wanted to get me this for Valentine's Day because he said the name "Lovestruck" fit. We were recently in T.J. Maxx & he spotted the box & it was at a steal. The 1.7 oz is originally $68 & we found it for $30!  The scent lingers all Day. I spray it in the Morning and in the evening I can still smell this on my clothes. Its not strong so I will be wearing this into the Spring & Summer. If you get a chance go smell this!

Notes:

Pink Guava, Mandarin, Tuberose, Lotus Blossom, Precious Woods, Sheer Musk. 
Style:
Feminine. Romantic. Spontaneous.

For Special Occasions/ Holidays we usually always tell each other what we want, sometimes its a secret.

He knew how much I really wanted a Coach wristlet to take the place of my bulky wallet so he also picked me up this for Valentine's Day...

We found this at Dillards onsale for $33 originally $58!

What can I say I taught my Hubby how to bargain shop!

What are you Ladies doing for Valentine's Day?
My Husband & I are going out to Dinner & then going watch "Safe Haven". I read the book by Nicholas Sparks & it's amazing! Can't wait to see the movie =)

Living Proof Primer Style Extender

I received this sample in the mail so of course I had to give it a try.

My hair is naturally very wavy & frizzy. If I know I'm going to wear my hair down I'll put this in the night before (after I wash my hair). This stuff keeps my hair straight all Day & it doesn't frizz! 

In order to show how long it works I'm going to do a timeline:

Thursday night: wash my hair, while still damp I apply the hair primer. 

I don't blow dry which you can I just like to use as less heat in my hair as possible.

Friday morning: Straighten my hair as normal & spray a little hair spray.

Saturday morning: hair is still straight, except for the very ends. So I just straighten that a lil bit.

I wash my hair every other Day so I can't say if this would last another Day.

Without this stuff my hair would of frizzed up by Friday afternoon. I would recommend this to anyone! I plan on buying the bigger tube once I'm done with my sample. 

-A little goes along way

-Doesn't make my hair feel or look greasy

-Has a grapefruit scent that I really do like. The scent doesn't linger tho.

Sephora carries it for $20

Makeup & Nail Polish storage & organization

I finally got around to getting new storage & organizing my makeup so I thought I'd share it with you ladies.

**Note: Right click each picture to make larger**

I found this cute little rolling drawer at Walmart for $20.

I also picked up the little white plastic bins at Walmart in the kitchen section.

The longer ones were a 2 pack for around 2 bucks

& the smaller ones were in a 3 pack for around 2 bucks.

Left: 1st drawer has all my foundations, powders, beauty blender, Highlighter, bronzer, & the little basket in the back has my concealers, sample size primers, & eyelash curler.

Right: 2nd drawer has all my blushes! On the left is all my drugstore blushes & in the very back is two bronzers I'm not using at the moment, a face powder, & WNW highlighter. In the plastic bin on the right is all my higher end blushes.

Left: 3rd drawer has all my lip products. On the left is most of my lipglosses, in the back is chapsticks & other random glosses. The plastic bin on the right is lipsticks, lipbutters, & a few more glosses.

Right: 4th drawer. In the first bin is my L'Oreal Infalliables, Maybelline Color Tattoos, NYX eyeshadow singles & a few cream shadows. In the second bin is all mascaras & eyeliners. I still have a good bit of room left over in this one.

Left: 5th drawer has all my eyeshadow palettes, which are mostly wet n wild. & in the back on the left are a few single shadows that I barely use.

Right: 6th drawer is all my samples that I need to use up & my face primer for the Summer.

After I use up my samples I might use this drawer for my Flat irons & curling wand.

Now onto my polishes!

I got this cute little box at T.J. Maxx for $12.99. They have the cutest organization stuff.

I'm moving soon so once we get settled in the new place I'm going back to get more boxes to organize my hair stuff & lotions.

If you would like to see a post about anything specific in my collection (Ex. blush, eyeshadow, etc.) just let me know =)

Beauty Blender *My Thoughts!*

Left: Brand new Right: Damp

I've wanted to try this little sponge for awhile now, but didn't think it would be worth $20. I finally gave in & went on sephora.com & ordered it.

Just like many others I thought this was just another sponge. I even tried taking one of those white wedge sponges & wetting it before applying my foundation... that was a major fail!

Okay now on to the sponge itself...

Before using you must wet it & then twist it a bit to get some of the water out. It works best damp. This little pink sponge really worked wonders & made my foundation look amazing! I like that there's the pointy tip that would work amazing around the nose, mouth, & eye area. But I prefer to just squeeze the sponge to get in the smaller areas of my face. Also if you give the beauty blender don't rub the foundation in. Bounce the bigger part all over your face. Also I like to dot the foundation on my face using my finger then go back & blend it out with the beauty blender.

It also works amazing at blending in concealer, for that I like to use the small tip on the top.

It washes clean with baby shampoo.

On Sephora.com you can order one for 20 bucks or get a 2 pack for 25 bucks, which I think is a great value.

Zoya Promotion Haul & swatches!

Recently Zoya had a promotion to get 3 polishes for free. 

All I had to pay was $10 for shipping.

Anastasia

Tess

NOVA

3 coats. Didn't photograph well =/

Perfume Reviews : Flowerbomb & Jimmy Choo rollerballs

VIKTOR & ROLF FLOWERBOMB

Flowerbomb is definitely a strong very femine & mature fragrance. 

The scent lasts about 6 hours before starting to fade. 

The only bad thing about this perfume is the price tag...

 $160 for  3.4 oz

$105 for 1.7 oz

$75 for 1 oz

This is a perfume I would REALLY love to have in my collection so maybe I'll go with the smaller bottle. 

It's definitely one that I would only wear on special occasions.

 Notes:

Sambac Jasmine, Centifolia Rose, Cattleya Orchid, Ballerina Freesia, Patchouli.

Style:

Oriental. Gourmand. Floral.

JIMMY CHOO BY JIMMY CHOO

I really liked this perfume in the store so I decided to get the rollerball to see if I would still like it after using it for awhile. I'm glad I went the rollerball. Yes the perfume smells good but there's a note in it (not sure which one) that gives me really bad headaches. I can only rub it on wrist so there's no way I will be purchasing the full size bottle. The full size bottle is really pretty too :( Also this one is alot more affordable compared to Flowerbomb. If your sensitive to smell I wouldn't suggest this one.

Notes:

Green, Tiger Orchid, Toffee, Sensual Indonesian Patchouli. 

Style:

Feminine. Luxurious. Stylish.

Benefit CORALista Blush *My thoughts*

I've wanted this blush for the longest time & finally got around to buying it.

I know everyone has heard about it or even owns it but I still wanted to give my thoughts.

On my cheeks CORALlista gives me that "Sunkissed" look. It contains shimmer but on my skin it comes off more as a natural glow.  I LOVE the packaging! The blush also has smells really good. 

I haven't tried out the brush, it's just seems too "Trianglely" to apply blush. I will hold onto just in case I come up with something I could use it for.

Before picking up this blush I only own one other Benefit product, "One Prime Day" value set.

What are some other good Benefit products?

MAC blush comparison Pinch O' Peach VS. Pink Swoon

Pinch O' Peach *Warm Peach*

Pink Swoon *Clearly Pink*

Both are sheertones so the color can be built up to meet your needs. 

For me two swipes is good enough.

In the pan both of these colors look alot alike. I have to flip the container over to notice the difference. Once swatched the difference is very noticeable. 

Pinch O' Peach is pink with a hint of peach. In mu opinion this shade could work year round.

I originally wanted both "Mata Hari" & "Angelika" from NARS but after doing a ton of searching I saw swatches comparing those two with Pinch O' Peach. Mata Hari is the darkest of the three, Angelika is a little lighter than Mata Hari & has sparkle, while Pinch O' Peach is the lightest. Overall there all in the same color family & resemble each other a light, but for my fair skin I decided to go with MAC.

Pink Swoon is a pretty pink that can be used lightly for a baby pink or built up for a brighter pink that'll look amazing during the Summer.

I'll probably end up depotting these shades & getting another palette because there's a few more MAC blushes I want.

Yes I'm addicted to blush!

Real Techniques stippling brush

After trying out the RT blush brush (review here) I knew I needed to get my hands on more so I decided to give the stippling brush a try.

I like that the "hairs" are really soft & the brush stands up on its on.

I use this brush for blending in my blush & bronzer. It works wonderful at getting rid of any harsh lines & leaves my face looking put together.

This brush costs about $10 but its a really good investment!

Both of my RT brushes are ones that I will always make sure to keep in my collection.

I really want to get the Core Collection, Powder brush, & Kabuki brush soon.

L'Oreal Colour Riche Colour Caresse Lipstick in "Cotton Pink"

To me this lipstick feels more like an lip balm. 

It goes on smoothly.

It's moisturizing 

Lasts until I eat/drink

The packaging is really cute, but gets dirty quick

Pigmented

no odd smells

NARS blush in "Gaiety"

For some reason my camera didn't pick up the correct color.

 "Gaiety" is a  Matte neon pink. 

I went on Sephora's page & got an accurate picture...

Described as "Bright Candy Pink"

In the pan "Gaiety" looks like neon pink which can be a bit scary. I decided to buy it anyway & give it a try. I'm so glad I did! On my very fair skin this blush really makes me look alive. My skin looks bright & healthy. I would describe this blush as a barbie doll pink. I really love it! 

In the pan Gaiety has a silver sparkle to it (which can be seen in the pictures I took) but on my face I don't see any of those sparkles, which is a good thing. =)

I'm on a blush kick lately & can't wait to get my hands on more NARS blushes. 

I wanted to pick up "Desire" (which is another bright cotton candy pink) but unfortunately my local Sephora only carries half of the blushes from NARS.

I'm also really wanting Sin( for the Fall & Winter)

Gaiety is a color that would look wonderful in the Spring & Summer. 

Vera Bradley medium cosmetic case in "Ribbons"

 This print came out in 2012 in honor of Brest Cancer Awareness. Vera Bradley donates a certain amount of money when an item in this print is purchased.

My Husband actually picked this one out for me so when I told him it was for a good cause it made him happy =)

I keep this in my purse to help keep all my things organized. It holds alot! 

I still have room in it to put whatever makeup I'm wearing that Day.

I like the inside lining is plastic so if something spills I can easily wipe it clean.

Overall this little bag is worth the $26.

Image Essentials Retractable Powder Brush

I was in need of a powder brush to keep in my purse for touch ups during the day. While at Kmart I decided to pick this one up. It really is a good little brush to keep in your makeup bag. Applies my powder wonderfully. & I like that it has a cover to help keeps germs away. It also washes well just make sure to let it dry flat :)

L'oreal Voluminous Million Lashes Carbon Black

PROS:

-No Clumps

-No Flakes

-The bottle has a clean sweep wiping system so 

just the right amount of products comes out.

-love the gold packaging 

-No weird smells

-Doesn't irritate my sensitive eyes

-Gives both length & volume

OVERALL:

I think this just might be my new favorite mascara! I'm glad I finally gave it a chance. It makes my lashes looks fuller & also gives a good bit of length. I wanted a more dramatic look so I paired this with Maybelline's "The Rocket" Mascara & wow!! I loved the way my lashes looked. 

Which Mascaras do you like to pair together?

L'OREAL Colour Riche Lip gloss in "Soft Pink"

Works best layered over lipsticks.

This is going to be a quick review because I'm really not a fan of it. There's barely any pigmentation (maybe its just the color I got) so I have to use this over lipglosses. Even when I wore it alone it felt heavy on my lips. It applies easily, but I just hate the way it feels when on my lips. The packing is nice & the it smells good. Just like the Lip Balm I just reviewed I won't be purchasing any more of these. I will continue to use this one just so it won't be wasted.

L'Oreal Colour Riche Lip Balm in "Caring Coral"

On my lips its a pretty natural coral shade. 

PROS:

- goes on smooth

-nice light scent

-LOVE the packaging!

-Moisturizing

CONS:

- Only lasts an hour :(

-Not much pigmentation. I had to swipe 3 times for the above swatch

(Yes I realize its a lip balm)

OVERALL:

I won't be purchasing anymore of these.

 I would much rather stick to my Revlon Lip Butters.

I will continue to use this tube. At the rate of having to reapply every hour that shouldn't last long.

Maybelline Clean Express! Makeup Remover

*Waterproof eye makeup remover*

I was in need of a new eye makeup remover so I decided to give this one a try. 

PROS:

-It's ultra-gentle so therefore it didn't burn my sensitive eyes. 

-Not oily

-Took all my mascara off!

-Has to be shaken to activate the liquid

First phase instantly breaks up stubborn makeup while the second washes it clean.

CONS:

- Honestly none

OVERALL:

I will repurcahses

OTHER PRODUCTS IN THIS LINE:

-Classic Eye Makeup Remover

-The flash clean makeup removing lotion

-Facial towelettes

Too Faced sweethearts perfect flush blush "Candy Glow"

 One Shade Glams All

This trio of shimmering shades blends to create the perfect flush for any skin tone of any age, year-round.

How pretty is that?!

I like that there is three colors that can be worn separately or I can swirl my blush in all the colors for a nice natural flush of color.

Too faced hit the nail on the head when describing this blush.

I can really see all skin tone's wearing this blush.

I didn't notice any shimmer in this blush, but instead there's a nice natural looking glow to it.

The packaging is cardboard so I don't know how that would hold up if kept inside a travel makeup bag.

Maybelline The Rocket Express Mascara

This is Maybelline's newest mascara from the Volum' Express line.

I got mine in the shade "Very Black"

PROS:

-Super cute packaging

-LOVE the brush

- no weird smells

-Doesn't flake

-Doesn't clump

-Separates my lashes

-Also comes in waterproof

-Gives my lashes length! 

More than any other Mascara does.

CONS:

-The packaging claims to give "Explosive Volume, even from root to tip", but I didn't notice much volume.

OVERALL:

Even tho it doesn't give my lashes the volume it promises it gives them amazing length which I'm okay with. I can always layer this with a mascara that gives me a ton of volume.

  "The Falsies Flared" is still my favorite Maybelline Mascara.

Maybelline Color Whisper in "Lust for Blush"

I've read people comparing these to the Revlon Lip Butters so I knew I had to give it a try.

PROS:

-The packaging is nice

-Nice scent

-Moisturizing. Doesn't dry out my lips

-Applies easily

-Lasting power is average. Washes off once I eat or drink

CONS:

- This shade didn't work for me. My lips are very pigmented so this shade blended into my natural lips just giving it a little shine.

OVERALL:

I'm not going to completely write these off yet. 

I still want to try a darker color to see if I can get more color payoff.

Mani: Sparkling Teal

2 Coats of Covergirl outlast stay brilliant in "Constant Carribean"

& 2 coats of  Nicole by OPI "Confetti Fun" from the Selena Gomez collection for my accent nails.

NARS Turkish Delight *MY thoughts*

Yes I know everyone probably already tried this lipgloss by now but I still wanted to write a post with my personal thoughts on it.

CONS:

-I HATE the smell of this! Smells like burnt plastic mixed with a ton of chemicals.

-Really thick!

-The color washes me out. It's a milky pink & my skin is milky white.. 

So yeah not a good match lol. As you can see in the above swatch it blends in with my skin.

-The price is a bit crazy for this. I can find nicer lipglosses for cheaper at the Drugstore.

PROS:

-Works alot better layered over lipsticks. 

(Call me unoriginal but this lipgloss really does look amazing over MAC "Angel" lipstick.)

-Not sticky

-Average wear. Lasts until I eat/drink

OVERALL:

I think this will be my first & last NARS lipgloss.

Revlon nail polish in "Girly"

 Left: Over two coats of OPI "I think in pink"

Right: Over two coats of Wet N Wild "On a Trip"

Maybelline Baby Lips LE shade "PINK WINK"

I really wish this shade wasn't Limited Edition. This is by far my favorite from the Baby Lips line.

The color is a pretty baby pink with a bit of shine (you can see it in the above swatch). It's a very natural pink shade that can be used everyday. PINK WINK has a soft bubble gum scent to it. 

If you can find this one I strongly recommend that you pick it up. I'm going to get a couple backup's of this one.

MAC Angel Lipstick & Lipglass *Swatches & My thoughts*

I finally got my hands on the well known "Angel". I decided to get the lipglass too.

I think this shade works perfectly for me & can be used as an everyday lip color that'll work with any eye makeup look.

The Lipglass is a bit sticky but I'm okay with  that.

Both products stay on my lips until I eat/drink.

Now I have a MAC lipstick wishlist:

Hue, Blankety, & Shygirl.

NOTD: Sparkling purple!

2 coats of O.P.I "Giftcards for Everyone" & 

1 coat of the snowman purple glitter polish (review here)

Clean & Clear LE Hello Kitty oil absorbing sheets

CLEAN & CLEAR^® oil absorbing sheets instantly soak up excess oil and remove shine from your face, without smudging makeup or leaving behind powder. These super soft, silky sheets can be used easily around your nose and other oily areas of your face. Use them anytime, anywhere to remove oil and shine throughout the day.

My thoughts:

First of all how cute is the packaging? I love it!

These little sheets really work wonders. My forehead gets oily quick & these little things take all the oil away leaving my skin looking matte. Doesn't mess up my makeup either. Overall I'm very happy with these blotting sheets.

FOTD 01/04

FACE:

MAC Pro Longwear Foundation , MSF powder, & Cubic blush.

Hard Candy Glamoflauge concealer

Too Faced Completely invisible candlelight hightlighter

Too Faced  Chocolate Soliel bronzer

Hard Candy Glow all the way highlighter

EYES:

Maybelline Cat Eyes mascara 

CoverGirl Lash Blast mascara

Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the bronze

Urban Decay BootyCall & Snakebite eyeshadow (Naked 2)

Physicians Formula Black eyeliner from the Brown Eyes set

LIPS:

Revlon Lipstick in Lilac & Lipgloss in Lilac Pastel 

(Looks more purple in person)