If you wear liquid foundation you need to get to Sephora ASAP and pick up the Sephora Collection Pro Air Brush #55. It will take your foundation to a whole new level, I promise.
Before I discovered the 55 I was using Clinique’s foundation brush. It was a flat, tapered brush that promised to apply flawlessly even in angled areas of the face. What I didn’t realize then is that it really was just like using a paint brush on my face. I painted my foundation on in short, heavy handed, blunt strokes…just how you would if you were painting a house. Yikes, right? No wonder I could always “feel” my foundation.
The 55 is a dome shaped brush with tapered bristles. They seem tightly packed at the bottom but slightly fan out. It kind of reminds me of a stippling brush. In these pictures the 55 is on the left and the Clinique is on the right.
The 55 taught me that although I may resemble a house, I don’t need to treat my face like one. Goodbye Sherwin-Williams, hello buff and blend! The 55 works best if you dot foundation on your face and then buff it into the skin using small circular motions. It takes a little longer to do than my old painting routine but it’s worth it. Now my foundation flawlessly melts into my skin without any streaks or patchiness. It also seems to lessen the amount of product I use, avoiding that mask-y feeling.
In this picture I applied the exact same foundation with the 55 (left swatch) and with the Clinique brush (right swatch). I think you get the point.
The 55 is $34 at Sephora (obviously) and is worth every penny. There’s also a concealer brush (#57) for $24 which is just as good as its big brother. If the whole “airbrushing” technique freaks you out, do what I did and ask one of the Sephora girls to demo the brush for you. It’ll change your life! Okay not really, but it will make your face look less like the side of a condo.
It’s time for another New Beauty Test Tube! Pitts and I both have our test tubes on auto delivery with QVC, so we receive the latest shipments every 3-4 months. The test tubes cost $29.96 (plus shipping and handling) and each one is packed with full sized, travel sized and deluxe sized samples with the latest New Beauty magazine. The samples are a collection of some of the hottest products from well known brands. Pitts and I have been really pleased with our beauty test tubes so far. I’ve discovered a lot of great products that I’ve ended up purchasing and adding to my beauty routine. The April edition has not let us down either!
- StriVectin-SD Intensive Concentrate- This cream can target stretch marks or wrinkles to deliver more radiant, youthful skin.
- Bliss Fabulous Foaming Face Wash- This face wash has rose hip extract, chamomile, and passionflower to leave the skin fresh and healthy.
- philosophy Amazing Grace Shower Gel- This moisturizing shower gel leaves your skin soft and is scented with their famous feminine floral fragrance. My mom is a huge fan of the Amazing Grace scent!
- Peter Thomas Roth Laser-Free Moisturizing Gel-Cream- This high-tech product is supposed to renew your skin and help turn back the clock. The pink gel cream has dragon’s blood(?!), hexapeptide and exotic plant extracts to refresh the skin and diminish the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Pitts loves the consistency of this product!
- St. Tropez Gradual Tanner- This moisturizer combines skin care benefits with a gradual touch of bronze. Apply after cleansing and exfoliating for glowing skin.
- tarte LipSurgence lip luster (in either Adored, Frisky or Fever)- This mint flavored lip luster has vitamins A and E, beeswax, and essential oils to smooth and hydrate lips while providing a tint. I received Fever and Pitts received Adored.
- Mally Evercolor Shadow Stick in Twilight- Mally’s products are known for their bulletproof, long lasting performance. Her shadow sticks are creamy and effortless.
- Wen Cleansing Conditioner (assorted variety)- Far from a regular shampoo, this cleansing conditioner cleanses, moisturizes, soothes, and strengthens your hair without the lather. This product is free of the damaging detergents that are in a lot of shampoos. Wen’s Cleansing Conditioner won’t strip your hair, so it’s great for people who dye or color their hair. I received the Tea Tree version and Pitts received Cucumber Aloe.
tarte LipSurgence in Fever
Mally Evercolor Shadow Stick in Twilight
The New Beauty test tube is the best subscription-type service Pitts and I belong to. These test tubes can be purchased individually or as auto delivery. We’ve always received quality products that are decent sizes. Some of the products have been too expensive to purchase on their own, so it’s been nice to be able to try them before we commit to a full size product. The New Beauty magazine is also really informative and interesting. Even Quinn loves receiving a new test tube!
cute cat not included in the New Beauty Test Tube
HAULS
bliss fabulous foaming face wash, cleansing conditioner, lip luster, mally evercolor shadow stick, new beauty, peter thomas roth gel-cream, philosophy amazing grace shower gel, Quinn, st. tropez gradual tan, strivectin concentrate, tarte lipsurgence, test tube, wen
For the month of March, Birchbox gave its subscribers the option of receiving a regular Birchbox or a Teen Vogue edition Birchbox. I didn’t pay attention to the e-mail, so I was stuck with a regular Birchbox!
BIRCHBOX: Spring Training
- Harvey Prince Yogini scent has sandalwood, grapefruit, and Egyptian myrrh in it. A 50 ml bottle is $55. The sample I received is 1.8 ml and worth about $1.98.
- stila Smoky Eyeshadow card has small samples of kitten, diamond lil and ebony. Kitten is a taupe with pink shimmer, diamond lil is a shimmery grey, and ebony is a charcoal black. 3 full sized shadows would be $45, but the sample value of this card is about $.25.
- Lulu Organics Lavender + Clary Sage Hair Powder is a lavender scented dry shampoo that leaves no chalky white residue. A full size 4 oz product is $30 and the sample size of 5 grams I received is $.27.
- Color Club Neon Nail Polish in Age of Aquarius is a pretty green turquoise color. A full size polish is .5 oz and costs $8. The sample size is .25 oz and is worth $4.
- Juice Beauty Blemish Clearing Cleanser breaks down pore-clogging debris and removes impurities. A 6.75 oz product is $22 and the .5 oz sample is $1.62.
- Tea Forte Skin-Smart Teas was the lifestyle extra in the box. It has three kinds of tea bags: Cherry Marzipan, Cucumber Mint, and Honey Yuzu. I really like tea, so this was the perfect lifestyle extra for me! A 16 bag box of tea costs $6, so the three tea bags are about $1.13.
Estimated worth of my Birchbox: $9.25
MY GLAM BAG
March’s My Glam Bag was filled with small skin care samples in a festive flower bag.
- Dermstore coupon is good for $25 off a $50 or more purchase. My Glam marketed this as a gift card, but it’s really a coupon because you have to spend a certain amount before you can use it. The Dermstore website had more well known brands than I thought it would, so I used my coupon. Shipping has taken a long time and I still have not received my order.
- Murad Eye Lift Perfector is supposed to increase skin’s firmness, but this sample is so small that it won’t do much! A .06 oz product costs $35, so this .015 oz sample is about $8.75 (which is crazy).
- Pur-lisse Pur-Protect SPF 30 Essential Daily Moisturizer has vitamin E, white tea, and soy protein to calm the skin while providing UVA/UVB protection and hydration. A 1.7 oz tube is $55 and this .14 oz sample is $4.53.
- Keracolor Color-Enhancing Leave-In Hair Treatment is supposed to leave your hair instantly shiny while adding strength and elasticity. Be sure to mix the two packets together. A full size 5.5 oz bottle costs $29.95, so this sample costs about $1.81.
- 3LAB Perfect Cleansing Foam cleanses without drying or irritating the skin. Pitts and I wanted to get the Pur-lisse lip comfort instead of this because we already have a cleanser we love. The 3LAB Perfect Cleansing Foam we received is a full size product which retails for $40.
- MyGlam brush and holder are the more exciting products in the bag, but the holder has a horrible smell to it. The blending brush is a soft, fluffy crease brush which might be decent.
Estimated worth of our MyGlam bag: $55.09 (not including coupon or brush and holder)
The Verdict:
Even though the value of my Birchbox was less than MyGlam, I was more happy with Birchbox this month. I will use the products I received in my Birchbox more than the products in MyGlam. It felt like MyGlam was sponsored by Dermstore this month since most of the products came from Dermstore. The one time use packets we received in our MyGlam bags are not enough product to determine whether or not we will benefit from using them. Birchbox wins this month’s battle, but we think MyGlam will step it up in April! Click here to watch us break down what we got in our Birchbox and MyGlam bags!
Maaajor thanks to Gigi for letting me borrow Essie’s “Braziliant”! This bright orange is more complex than I initially thought. From a distance it could pass as a creme but up close you can see the pinky/corally microshimmer (almost duochrome-y). I love that this formula is in between flat and too frosty. With orange trending for summer I think I’ll get a lot of use out of Braziliant (I need to get my own bottle STAT!).
I hope everyone had a great Easter! I relaxed a little bit with this Easter bath cocktail:
- Carrot Top Re-Usable Bubble Bar ($7.95)- You’re supposed to be able to get 7-10 baths from this bubble bar. Swish this carrot around in your tub or run it under water to get citrus bubbles. This bubble bar has lemon, buchu, and bergamot oils and turns the water orange.
- Fluffy Egg Bath Bomb ($6.95)- This pretty egg has the same scent as the retired Candy Fluff dusting powder. It has a very sweet vanilla and cotton candy scent. This bath bomb turns the water a very bright, cheerful pink.
- MMM Melting Marshmallow Moment ($7.95)- This is a very sweet bath melt that smells like marshmallows. It has moisturizing cocoa butter in it to soften the skin.
The water ended up being a bright orange color. There weren’t that many bubbles, but this was one of the silkiest baths I’ve taken! Click here to watch the video!
This haul is a couple of weeks old, but it has products that I’ve never tried before!
- DKNY Golden Delicious To Go ($12)- This mini perfume is scented of orange, apple, white rose, and sandalwood and is great for traveling.
- Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream in Light/Medium ($39)- BB Creams have been very popular in the US recently and are multitasking products. This BB Cream has SPF 35 and hydrates, primes, perfects, controls oil, and protects. It sounds too good to be true!
- Amazing Cosmetics Amazing Concealer in Medium Golden ($28)- I’ve heard so many good things about this concealer, so I had to try it out! This concealer is a pigmented, emollient, and waterproof formula.
- beautyblender set of 2 ($25.95)- After some people received beautyblenders in their February Birchboxes, I was really jealous and wanted one of my own. This famous makeup applicator allows you to flawlessly apply your makeup.
- Buxom Flirt Alert ($19.50)- This duo comes with one Insider Eyeliner in Onyx and one Stay-There Eyeshadow in Pug (smoky pewter). I thought this kit was a good value because I wanted the Pug Stay-There Eyeshadow.
- Buxom Stay-There Eyeshadow in Mutt ($17)- This waterproof eyeshadow has a bouncy texture and vibrant color. All of the shades are named after dogs which I thought was a cute touch! Mutt is a bronzed taupe color.
- Buxom Big and Healthy Lip Cream Lip Polish in Creamsicle ($18)- Pitts loves these lip polishes because of the scent and the formula, so I had to copy her! Click here for her review!
- Make Up For Ever Lip Line Perfector ($18)- I wanted a lip liner, but I wasn’t ready to commit to a color. This colorless liner will prevent lipstick from bleeding.
Buxom Stay-There Eyeshadow in Mutt and Pug
Buxom Stay-There Eyeshadow in Mutt and Pug
As a VIB, I was given this little NARS kit with a mini Laguna bronzer, Pro-Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base, and an Illuminator in Orgasm.
If you’re a VIB, you should have already received your Chic Week postcard in the mail. VIBs can receive 15% off their purchases from March 29 to April 6. For online orders, use the code CHICVIB.
HAULS
Amazing Concealer, Amazing Cosmetics, BeautyBlender, Buxom Lip Cream, Buxom Stay-There Eye Shadow, DKNY Golden Delicious, MAKE UP FOR EVER lip perfector, Mutt, Pug, sephora, Smashbox BB Cream
Confession time – I’m so not a MAC girl. I find it easy to pass up their blushes, eye shadows, foundations, lip sticks and glosses but there is one thing that gets me every time: their liners. My first gel liners were from MAC – Rich Ground and Macroviolet. Eight years later I still can’t resist a pretty fluidline and so “Added Goodness” had to be mine!
Added Goodness is from the ”Cook MAC” collection. It is a bit complex – maybe like a blackened taupe with hints of mauve in it. It’s definitely not jet black (if it were I wouldn’t look twice at it) and more than just a blackened brown. I see a bit of black, brown, gunmetal, grey, taupe, mauve and bronze in it. It is opaque enough to define my blue eyes but not black enough to be jarring against my pale skin. I think its complexity is part of its appeal!
If I had to compare it to something I’d say it resembles Bobbi Brown’s Long Wear Gel Liner in “Black Mauve” or maybe even Smashbox’s Jet Set Liner in “Vamp”. Added Goodness is a little less mauvey than each of these though.
The wear is consistent with Fluidlines – outstanding! I have no fading or smudging issues. I have heard some complaints about its opacity but for me that’s not an issue. I don’t find the need to build it up – but then again, I’m not going for a jet black look. This little jar will definitely last a long time (store it upside down!) and is a steal at $15.
Keep in mind that it’s Limited Edition…which, if you didn’t know, is my kryptonite.
I received a deluxe sample of tarte’s Smooth Operator Amazonian Clay Eye Base so of course I had to compare it to old trusty (UDPP). No contest.
Here’s why tarte didn’t cut the mustard:
- My shadow started creasing after about 8 hours. I guess this is good if you only need your shadow to last through the workday but why settle with that when UDPP can give you wear until bedtime?
- This stuff is crazy pigmented. In the picture below I actually swatched UDPP under the tarte swatch. You can barely see UDPP while tarte stands out even against my pale skin. I don’t know how that ghostly white would work on anyone with darker skin than mine!
- The tacky consistency is annoying. I’d be able to overlook the tackiness if it actually adhered the shadow but it doesn’t. UDPP is able to adhere shadow longer without that tackiness.
So my love affair with UDPP continues. What’s your favorite primer?
Lip Creams are the latest addition to the Buxom line annnd I’m in love. Unlike traditional shimmery/glittery Buxom glosses, the Lip Creams have glossy cream finish.
Berry Blast (L) & Creamsicle (R)
I chose “Berry Blast” and “Creamsicle”. Berry Blast is a vibrant, flashy fuschia while Creamsicle is a more neutral, calm peachy pink. Each color obviously serves a different purpose as far as “look” goes but I have to say I prefer BB over Creamsicle. BB really brightens up my face while Creamsicle just seems flat against my skin tone.
This is a sheer coating of Berry Blast, a little washed out by the lighting.
Creamsicle is obviously more neutral but still a little washed out here.
The formula is what you’d expect from Buxoms (minus the grittiness you might find in a traditional Buxom glittery gloss). Very velvety with minimal stickiness - and yes, they tingle the same way too. I do have to be sure to exfoliate my lips with this one because the dense formula can get caught up on little lip flakies (TMI?). The wear time could be improved upon but that’s par for the course with glosses and it’s not marketed as long-wearing.
I prefer the velvety smooth Lip Creams over the gritty traditional Buxoms…but as far as color range goes the traditional Buxoms are where it’s at. There are currently only 7 Lip Cream shades but that could expand if the product is successful. I would love to see more shades! I believe these are only at Sephora right now and they are $18 for .14 ounces of product.
If you’re a gloss junkie like Gigi and I you probably should check these out. If you’re a marshmallow junkie then you should probably check them out too…because they taste/smell absolutely scrumptious!
We love almost all of LUSH’s soaps but we have an extra special place in our hearts for these ones!
Rock Star, Sexy Peel, Honey I Washed The Kids, Bohemian, Alkmaar
Rock Star
- This one’s cotton candy sweet smell makes it one of LUSH’s most popular soaps!
Sexy Peel
- Sexy Peel smells like rich citrus cream and has exfolating citrus peels in it!
Honey I Washed The Kids
- This one smells like caramel and honey and is very moisturizing!
Bohemian
- Bohemian makes a great hand soap because of it’s lemony fresh scent and the squeaky kind of clean you get.
Alkmaar
- Named after a Netherlands city famous for its cheese, Alkmaar is one of the creamiest soaps. It smells like jasmine and honeysuckle.
Which soaps do you love?!
Easter products have arrived at LUSH! There weren’t as many products as I was expecting, but they are cute. I really wanted the Happy Chick bath bomb, but it’s only available online.
- Happy 4 Sad Shower Gel- Our LUSH recently celebrated a birthday, so they had this Retro product available in their store. This purple shower gel is very citrusy and brightens spirits.
- I Love Juicy Shampoo- I Love Juicy is for people with oily hair. It is packed with fruit juices to leave hair squeaky clean.
- Ultimate Shine Solid Shampoo- I love how shiny this makes my hair and that it has a light scent.
- Retread Conditioner- After my American Cream fiasco, I was a little hesitant to try another LUSH conditioner, but Retread has a thicker consistency and contains nutrients your hair needs. It has a fresh laundry scent that I’m not really a fan of, but if it really works I can get used to the scent.
- Ocean Salt Scrub- This is one of Pitts and my favorites. We continuously purchase this product because it’s a great exfoliator and leaves our skin soft and smooth.
- Almond and Coconut Smoothie- This shower smoothie cleanses and leaves the skin silky.
- MMM Melting Marshmallow Moment- This marshmallow bath melt is very sweet and is one of my favorite melts.
- Fluffy Egg- This bath bomb is scented of Candy Fluff. It has a vanilla and cotton candy scent that will pair well with the Creamy Candy bubble bar.
- The Immaculate Eggception- This huge bath bomb can be used for multiple baths. You can crack the egg to reveal a chick or bunny on the inside.
- Carrot Top- This reusable bubble bar is good for 7-10 baths and is scented of lemons and buchu. It looks good enough to eat!
Can you believe it’s spring time already? What are your thoughts on the Easter products?
HAULS
almond and coconut smoothie, carrot top, Easter, fluffy egg, happy 4 sad, i love juicy, LUSH, MMM, Ocean Salt, retread, the immaculate eggception, ultimate shine
Bath and Body Works had their Fresh Picked Party last Saturday to celebrate spring. If you made any Home Fragrance purchase, you received a Market tote bag and your choice of a Fresh Picked Peach or Raspberries Gentle Foaming Hand Soap. 3-wick candles are 2 to for $20 again so I had to stock up on those!
- Aromatherapy Stress Relief Eucalyptus Spearmint- the eucalyptus clears the mind while the spearmint helps to improve concentration.
- Slatkin & Co. Blackberry Grapefruit- a blend of sun-ripened blackberries, juicy grapefruit, and creamy sandalwood.
- Slatkin & Co. Tiki Beach- a blend of toasted coconut, vanilla musk, purple orchids and sugared berries. Pitts and I both love this candle!
- Slatkin & Co. Sea Spray- a combination of cool salt air, cucumber water, sandalwood, and sparkling citrus. This is my favorite candle because it’s so refreshing!
- Lemon Vanilla Body Lotion- a burst of fresh lemon, sparkling citron, and whipped vanilla. The Signature Vanillas are back in shower gel and body lotion for a limited time.
- Anti-Bacterial Pocketbac Rebound Orange- scented with fresh oranges, tangerines, juicy apples and soft musk.
Market Tote and Fresh Picked Raspberries Gentle Foaming Hand Soap
Did anybody else go to the Fresh Picked Party? What are your thoughts on the Market fragrances?
Hunger Games has been all the rage lately. I’ve read the books and Pitts just started reading the first one. China Glaze released their Hunger Games nail polish collection “Capital Colours” earlier this month. Each polish represents one of the 12 districts. You can purchase these polishes at Sally’s Beauty Supply and Ulta. I bought 5 out of 12 of the polishes.
Stone Cold, Smoke and Ashes, Harvest Moon, Fast Track, Luxe and Lush
Stone Cold is a slate color that dries matte. I think it’s one of the more unique polishes in this collection. You can always add a glossy top coat if you don’t like the matte finish. Stone Cold represents the masonry from District 2.
Smoke and Ashes is a black nail polish with blue and green microglitter. I’ve worn this polish already and wish it was more glittery, but it still looks good in the sunlight. Smoke and Ashes represents District 12 (Katniss’ hometown) which is the Mining district.
Harvest Moon is a warm copper with shimmer. Harvest Moon represents the grain from District 9.
Fast Track is a beige with gold flecks of glitter. It represents transportation from District 6.
Luxe and Lush represents the luxury District 1 has. Luxe and Lush has irregular shaped flakies that look like shards of glass on your nails. This is a duochrome top coat that reflects gold, pink, and blue.
These colors aren’t really for spring, but they’ve left me hungry for more. I think they could have done brighter colors to represent the fashion from the Capital or named the polishes after direct references from the book. I am going to the midnight showing of the movie this week and am torn between which polish to wear, but I’m leaning more towards Fast Track. Is anybody else obsessed with the Hunger Games? Who’s going to see the movie? Let the games begin!
This was my first attempt at nail art! Pitts and I went to two basketball games this week and I’ve been watching the games all season. If you’re in love with basketball like me or if you’re going to a game, here’s an easy way to get into the spirit!
The products I used:
- Essie Brazilliant
- Essie Pretty Edgy
- Sally Hansen Nail Art Pen in Black
I painted all of my nails green except for my ring fingers with Pretty Edgy because my favorite team’s color is green. Pretty Edgy is a very beautiful grassy green cream. To create a basketball on my ring fingers, I painted my nails with Brazilliant which is a hot orange color with shimmer. To draw the lines of the basketball, I used Sally Hansen’s nail art pen in black. I first drew an X in the center of my nail and then two curves along one of the lines. Be sure your nails are dry before using the nail art pen. These nails were very simple to do and were a slam dunk at the game!
