When Your Lips Are Toast, Use This Butter!

OK so that was a cheap tag line, but let me just say my lips are kind of crazy flaky dry like that.  I’ve been sick a bit over a week now and of course the two places that get uber dry are just around your nose and your lips.  Usually for me, since I’m weird like this, my lips are usually dry just around the line area of them. Never the full lips, that get licked the most. See weirdo here.  So while my boyfriend and I were on a trip to Target and getting medicine, he decided he wanted to try some different lip balms.  We were surprised when we found that Palmer’s made a lip balm.

If you haven’t used anything from Palmer’s go out and purchase something right now, especially if you love the smell of cocoa.  I fell like I have a hot chocolate lingering on my lips (sadly no taste included).

The site says that the cocoa is a natural moisturizer, which if I could slather on cocoa all day long I will.  I might.  I think I need to go buy a jar now.   Their site also says that their tube is the second most concentrated in the moisture area (while their jar has the most, the lotion the least), also another benefit SPF 15! If you want some more information go check out their site here and check out their FAQ.

Another neat feature, that I tend to enjoy a lot, is the oval shape.  It’s sits a lot nicer in my purse and in my pocket (which was also a selling point for my boyfriend). This balm has become a favorite of mine so far.  I believe it was only $2.99 at Target, and if you ever find yourself there go and pick up one.

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YSL Volupte Sheer Candy Glossy Balm

Happy Thursday! Just one more day till the weekend starts and it’s going to be much needed.  I wanted to share with you my one big splurges I did at Christmas. I had a few Sephora gift cards and had been wanting to purchas a Yves Saint Laurent lipstick.  I decided to get a Glossy Balm since I couldn’t get to store to test out the other colors they had.  I bought Mouthwatering Berry, which I thought would be a great inbetween color that wasn’t to pink or way to dark.

It’s kind of crazy how differen the color looks with and with out the flash.  I will say that flas does give more of it’s true color.

As you can see by the swatch without the flash, it is definately sheer. With the flash you can indeed see the glossy part. So the name of the lipstick does not give you a false advertisement (which bugs me when it does!)

So my verdict here, I really like the glossiness of the lipstick, it’s nice and smooth.  You do have to give it a few go arounds on the lip to get it a good consistancy, as you can see it does show the lines in your lips if you don’t exfoliate (mine were chapped that day).  At least from far away you don’t really notice it.   What I dislike about it:  The price $34 (yes this was a HUGE SPLURGE) and the scent. It’s got a weird plastic grapefruit smell. It doesn’t linger but when you open it up you can get a wiff of it.

Would I buy another again? No, just for the price alone and I can purchase Revlon Satin line for 3/4 the price.  At least I can say I have a YSL lipstick. I’ll be using the hell out of it to get my money’s worth.

Advice:  Unless you have a disposable income or gift cards, skip it.  Go with someting from Urban Decay, they have a Naked Lip Gloss line now and a girl friend of mine already purchased two and said they are amazing and hydrating. When I get paid I’m going to get some!

But if your insterested click here to go to Sephora and see the other colors they have in this line

So have you all purchased any YSL? Or a splurge like this?

Bite Agave Lip Mask

Good Saturday morning. I have been up since 4 am with a sick puppy so I apologize if my writing sounds a bit delusional.

I picked up a few things the other day at Sephora (Ill do seperate posts on that). I saw this product and thought why not. Ive been having terrible dry lips lately and desperately needed something. I have used Bite products before and was happy with them plus the way this worked was different then other masks.

This mask you put on and leave on. Its a tad thicker than vasaline and has a light scent and no taste. The first day I put it on at 630 and it stayed on till I had lunch at noon. I would say there was 25% left on my lips. Mind you I didnt eat or drink anything.

The result….the deep cracks on my lips disappeared for the most part and they felt smoother. I applied lipstick and it sat on my lips so much nicer.

One recommendation, do not use it back to back days. The second day I didnt see to much difference using it.

I hope you all have a great weekend!

Help Me Choose Some New Lip Products! Discuss With Me!

Happy Thursday!  I can’t believe the new year came in so fast, the holidays were such a blur.

So while I’m sitting here at work (which is nice and quiet right now!) I was looking at Sephora wanting to buy some new lipsticks/gloss. I have a bunch of gift cards and I’m itching to use them.

I’m wanting to try something new asides from my go to Urban Decay Revolutionary Lipstick.  So I’m looking to you all to help me out with some suggestions.

I have no real preference on type of lip product, I like to try bold colors as well a neautral. I’m fair skinned if that helps any. I’m excited to see your suggestions!

Discuss away!

13 Best Beauty Discoveries of 2013

Happy New  Years Everyone! I hope 2014 is going to treat everyone well.  Our little community on Facebook called Blogging Shares  (click the link to join!)decided to do this blog hop for all of you to see what our top fave discoveries we found this past year and to introduce you to some new sites!  I hope you enjoy and find some new bloggers to follow, they are all lovely ladies!

*These are in no particular order and the link on each name is to the websites if your interested in subscribing or ordering*

1. Ipsy Monthly Makeup Subscription

Ipsy is a $10 monthly subscription bag.  Each month you get a great little bag filled with 5 products.  I have not been disappointed thus far.  Each month my bag is guaranteed with some type of lip product, eye product and nail polish, the other two are up in the air.  If your interested in starting up a subscription this would be my top pick over them all.  Also if you review each product you received you get 10 glam points. Once you reach 1000 points you are eligible for a free gift. Also another plus is you get great discounts from each brand name they are using that month. Check out my review for my December bag.

2. Mox Botanical Lip Butter

This was a Birchbox purchase in November.  I am normally not a make up pot type of person, but there is something special about this one.  First the packaging, it’s a heavy material, at first look you think it’s a thick plastic but it’s really made of glass that protects it from the elements.  Secondly, the product melts nicely on your finger and doesn’t get under your nails.  It goes on smooth….like a butter and smells amazing. The pomegranate and fig is an exclusive to Birchbox.  You can check out my review here.

3. Urban Decay B6 Vitamin Infused Complexion Spray

I never in a million years would have thought I would have bought into any of these sprays. I’ve eyeballed them many time but would not pay for them since they were over $30.  Thou my best friends at Sephora put a nice 500 VIB point gift together from Urban Decay and this product was included in it.  The product at the Sephora site says its a soothing prep spray that features the first stabilized form of vitamin B6, which absorbs oil, minimizes pores, and reduces redness.What I really love is that it makes my skin super soft and when I use my moisturizer my face seems to absorb it better and makes my makeup site on my face so much better.  All I can say is that I’m really hooked and when this tester runs out I will be purchasing a full bottle. A plus is that this tiny bottle has lasted me over a month, since I use only 3 small spritz I do not use so much.  Check out my review here.

4. Julep’s Freedom Polymer Top Coat

I use to be a subscriber as a Julep Maven,  it’s $19.99 a month and you receive several different polishes according to your quiz results.  They also have some great box deals.  The only reason I unsubscribed is that I was running out of room for all my polishes.  You can usually do a google search for promo codes to get a discount on your first box. Now this particular item I did no purchase on my own. I received it in my Popsugar box, you can purchase it on the Julep site thou.  This top coat is AH-MAY-ZING!  If you love a shiny gel like finish and a quick dry time this product for you. As a bonus I didn’t see any chipping till maybe 4-5 days later and that was minimal.  I’ve used several top coats in my time but this one, hands (nails) down is my fave. It cost $18 if your not a member but it’s well worth the price.  To read some more on it, check out my review here.

5.Kat Von D Spellbinding Eye Shadow Book

Sadly this one isn’t available anymore.  I am happy that I splurged and purchased it when I did.  I didn’t eve know it was limited and is no longer showing up on the Sephora website.  This one cost me $50, but the perk was there were several shades that were new to her line, and I am not sure they have been brought out full yet.  What is fun is that she gives you the pairings already and suggest to put the darker shade on top of the lighter one, if you do it the other way around to give it a color shifting look.

You can check out my review here.

6. Walgreen’s Studio 35 Eczema Lotion

Your probably wondering why I am including this, right?  Well not all lotions are created equally and sometimes the least expected works the best.  My step kid has terrible eczema in the winter and we were looking for cheaper options then Aveno since it’s a bit more expensive, and honestly not all cracked up to be for a lotion.  So one day I was sitting at home noticing how cracked my feet were and this lotion was in arms reach, so why not try it?  The heavens opened and the angels sung, because the next day my feet were 50% softer and had less noticeable cracks.  Three days of using it straight my heel was healed up and not as tough that comes with the roughness.  This also works great on sand paper like elbows.  It’s worth the drive to Walgreen’s.  Check out my review here.

7.  Buxom Serial Kisser Lipsticks

Ok this one was another holiday packaging that isn’t available but majority of the colors you can find seperatly at Sephora for $21 each. Buxom has some of the best glosses and lipsticks. They are all buttery and smooth and does not dry out you lips. I’ve never used their lipstick products before but they are amazing. I have a friend who went back and bought another one of these sets because she loved them so much.  The pigment is bright and bold and last for sometime.  You can check out my review here.

8. 12 Benefits Healthy Hair Treatment

I have baby fine hair, and I can’t do much to it except add copious amounts of hairspray to it, and by the end of the day it’s crispy looking…..until now.  In one of my Birchbox subscription I received a sample of this product.  The most amazing results I got out this product was that my hair became softer, shiner, smooth, grew faster, and looked overall more healthier.  Also when I went to see my stylist (that I didn’t see for 2 months) she asked me if I got my hair cut somewhere else because my ends looked healthy and very little bit on the split side.  I think that says a lot.  Amazon has the best deals on it, but you can purchase it too on Birchbox.  You can check out my review here.

9. The Wet Brush

Keeping with the hair thing, this is hands down the best brush you will ever own. EVER!  I have trouble with tangles, and they are virtually nonresistant with this brush.  If you do have a tangle it works it out with ease and no pain at all.  I don’t think I have to say more, except it works on all hair types.  Amazon has it on sale right now around $7. Check out my review here.

10. Vitamin E Sink-In Moisture Mask

I am a long time fan of The Body Shop, I’ve been using their Vitamin E moisturizer for years. What’s amazing about this is that they are always running a huge sale online.  I was curious one day when  I hit their 50% site wide sale and decided to try so more of their Vitamin E line.  I fell in love with this mask. It’s not your ordinary one. It goes on thick and stays on the surface. You let it soak in and remove it by sometime of paper towel.  My skin was amazingly super soft for a week.  Check out my review here.

11. Zoya Nail Polish

Zoya is one of the best nail polish brands you can ever purchase.  They are exclusively online, unless you go to a nail salon and possibly purchase it there.  They mainly run $8 unless you get their Pixiedust (and you should it’s sparkles and hardly chips) for $9. The polish is free of the harsh chemicals that you get in most.  I’m a life long fan, I hope you will all try it at least one. Check out my review here.

12. Urban Decay Lip Revolution Lip Line

Perhaps my favorite purchase of the year.  These lipsticks have the best color saturation and never dries your lips out.  They are a bit of a splurge at $22 but so worth it. I own 4, and plan to own the whole collection. Honestly I never was a lipstick person but this made me a lipstick obsessor.  Check out my review here that also includes swatches.

13. Too Faced Pretty Rebel Palette

I wanted to put Urban Decay Naked 3 palette on here, but I haven’t reviewed it or used much of it as much as love it. So this is my favorite palette  of the year.  I love the bright pop of color with the gold and the hot pink. Really it’s so fun and punk, right down to the packaging.  It’s $46, and worth it.  The colors last forever, longer with an eye primer.  Check out my review here.

**Well there you go, I wish you all a beautiful 2014 and hope you found something new that you want to try on this list. HAPPY NEW YEAR!**

If for some reason you can’t get to the links, visit these lovely ladies to check out their list

Vivienne at Jolie Pagaille – http://www.JoliePagaille.com

Michelle at Pretty in the East- http://www.prettyintheeast.wordpress.com

Jen at Dragonfly Reviews – http://dragonflybeautyreviews.wordpress.com/

Kristina at The Feminine Files- http://thefemininefiles.com

Christine at Simply Stine- http://www.simplystine.com

Cheryl Hawley – http://theskinnyonbeauty.com/

Angela Watkins at The Makeup Whisperer http://wp.me/p3Wf8e-fu

Nancy Taylor (Smokey) – http://jumpingmouse9.blogspot.com/

Mox Botanical Lip Butter

Happy Sunday!  It’s a cold and rainy one in VA, we missed out on the ice and snow, so we lucked out. Hope you all are enjoying a lazy day just as I am!

First let me apologize for the lack of a real picture. I have this as my desk lip butter at work and am missing it pretty bad today.  So this picture is courtesy of the Birchbox site where I purchased it.  I bought this in my November purchase (going 8 days and strong with not buying me anything awesome).

I’m becoming a big fan of lip butters.  I already have one from Korres which I am addicted to and only keep it at home so I won’t lose it.  So I needed to purchase one that I could keep at my desk at work.  When I opened up the product I didn’t think I was going to like it since it’s not at soft as my Korres.  This one is a bit of a harder product, but once you swirl your finger around it it melts nicely, but not to much to where it becomes messy.

I purchased the Pomegranate and Fig which is an exclusive to Birchbox, it has a light sweet scent but no taste to it.  You don’t need to slather much because a little goes a long way with this one.  It’s light and thin, doesn’t get goopy and lays on your lips nicely to give you a soft and smooth feel.  Also as a bonus the pot is made from MIRON glass, which is a violet glass that is on the thick side (you would never know it’s glass) which protects it from the light and extends the shelf life of your product.  If you want to learn a bit more about it go to the MIRON site here and check it out.

Mox also come in Coconut Almondine and retails for $16, if your interested check it out here at Birchbox.  They also make some bath products, a candle and perfume. I can’t say how fantastic this product is, but this one was splurge for me so I could get some free stuff on the site.

NYX Butter Gloss

So I was at Target yesterday for some necessities and groceries and bought myself a little treat. Since I have been buying bold lip colors lately I wanted to get something softer. I picked up NYX Butter Gloss in Vanilla Cream Pie. And I aboslutly love it.

The name tells you everything you need to know. Its so soft and so smooth. It doesnt really have a scent to it. And its just enough color to be a noticable neautral.

I wore this lip color today because I decided to wear a bold eye. More on the eyeshadow colors, I used another duo from my Kat Von D Palette.

November Ipsy Glam It Up Bag

This months Ipsy is all about the holidays and Glamming it up. First let me start with the bag. While I like the way it looks, it wasn’t the best made.  The bottom seams are already coming apart and I can see the pink lining inside. But really are we in it for the bag?  No, we’re in it for what is in the bag.

I’m really impressed with what was in my back this go around. It seems like it was all full sizes. First a full size mascara from Em Michelle Phan.  I’m a sucker for mascara, so you’ll be getting a review on this in the next few days.  Next is the Be A Bombshell lip crayon is Hot Damn.  I love this name for a red lip crayon, it’s right up there with F Bomb.  Then another Starlooks Gem Eye Pencil in Amethyst , it’s pretty lovely. I think this is the second line from Starlooks and I love the last one, it’s one of the creamiest and smoothest pencil I’ve ever used, and I don’t really care for pencils. Here is a little idea what they look like……

Next is the Pixie Beauty Bronzer.  I like getting Pixie items, my Target discontinued the line a year or so back, so when I was in Myrtle Beach earlier this year I had to stock up on their face primer.  Next is another Nailtini nail polish in a silverish color, it’s a nice color, good for winter. Lastly Glamglow Youthmud Tingelexfoliate Treatment. This is perhaps my favorite of the bunch. I’ve heard good things on Glamglow and I’m a sucker for a face cleaning product I’ll probably try this out tonight and let you all know how this works.

So Ipsy subscribers did you get anything different?  Have any of you used these items? Let me me know what you like and don’t like!

The Colors Of NARS Lip Pencils

I recently did a post on my buy for the NARS Guy Bourdin limited edition lip pencil line.  I wanted to give you a taste of some of the colors. Now at first I thought they were going to be more pigmented than I thought, but 2 of the 2 are so neutral that only a gloss can lighten them up.

Cruella is my favorite of the lot.  It’s the most pigmented and is a nice red.  In person it’s a deeper red matte color and I love it.

The second best color is Never say Never which is a nice light pink.  Again it’s a matte color, you can kind of tell since you can see mega lines on my lips.

Dolce Vita is a light mocha color, this is where the colors start getting more neutral.

The lightest of the two are Sex Machine and New Lover. You can tell that Sex Machine lightened up my lips while New Lover (the limited edition color) is a matte shine.  Oxymoron right?  But it does give a nice sheen with out drying the lips.

What is nice about this package is that the colors not only range from dark to light, bold to neutral, but you can mix them together.  My only recommendation is to make sure you exfoliate your lips and apply some lips balm.  Due to the matte nature of the colors the will not forgive any type of dry patch or lines on your lips. Other than that I love the lot.

Kat Von D Spellbinding Eye Shadow Book + Sephora Freebies

This is the piece I have been waiting for, it got a bit later than expected from Sephora, but it was also the postal service needing a signature for the package.  Why do they insist to deliver while I’m at work?  Any who…..how amazing is this cover?  I wish I had it in a poster!  I went to add a link to Sephora so if you were interested in purchasing it you could get right to it, but it seems like they sold out.  I’ m so glad I bought it when I did.

This is the first shot on the back, gives you how she paired up the shadow colors

The colors with stars on them are never before seen colors from her line

I love the mini tutorial ideas inside the book cover

The little details such as the plastic covering is what I love.  At lease the shadow won’t go everywhere.

This is the left side of colors. I have to say out of all Kat Von D colors her gold/gold bases are my favorite.

I can’t wait to use the bottom right color called WTF. I love these pinky cranberry like colors.

Now for the freebies.  I had over 1100 points with Sephora. I normally try to keep it around 500, but the last several months their 500 gives didn’t strike my fancy.  Thou when I got word they had an Urban Decay gift I jumped all over it. I’ve never used the Prep Spray or Make Up Setting Spray but I have several of their eye shadows, and you all know how I love their Eye Potion Prime. This has to be my favorite 500 point gift in a long time.  The quality is getting better every year. This is why I love Sephora!

Since I still had some points left over (when all said and done I still have 369 points) I picked out two of their 100 point gifts. The first is a Clinique Chubby Stick In Mightiest Maraschino.  It’s very moisturizing while still having a great pigment to it.

Next is Stilla in Vivienne.  I’m not a huge fan of the Stilla line but I love lip colors so I had to steal this one.  It’s a nice neutral color, a pretty gloss would liven it up

I think this is going to be my favorite palette yet, until probably Urban Decay Naked 3 comes out!

Have you all bought any new palettes yet or what is your favorite?