Too Faced Review!

Hello Lovelies! I could not let another day pass without telling you all about my Too Faced haul and love for their eye shadows. OMG!!

I mentioned before that I bought the Too Faced Sugar Pop Palette a few months back and was waiting on my PB & J palette. Well, TF's Memorial Day sale lured me right in! I ended up also purchasing the Natural Matte and Chocolate Bar palettes. Can you say LOVE!!!

First of all, these shadows are so pigmented, buttery smooth, and easy to apply. They blend like a dream and you can create many different looks from the palettes I own. At first glance, I had buyers remorse thinking, "I don't need all these", but then after closer examination, I NEED them all. The colors are so different. Even when you think there are dupes of colors in the palette, you find out quickly that they are quite different. I have used these palettes over the past couple of weeks and PB&J is my fave....HANDS DOWN! If you are a brown girl like me, you will more than appreciate this palette. But who am I?! So lets break it down:

Sugar Pop: Okay, so the colors are a bit random in this palette and the likelihood of you using them together is unlikely. However, the pops of color in this palette will compliment and allow you to pull looks from the other palettes. If you are not into bright colors, then this is not for you...and that's okay!

Peanut Butter Jelly Time!: Again, my fave! This palette is full of warm orangey and gold browns. I hear complaints about the Jelly color, but it reminds me of true Jelly! It looks very opaque and pigmented in the palette, but when you put it on, it's very sheer, but it's buildable. You can also layer it on other colors to make it intense, but personally, I love it as is. That's my preference though. I find myself reaching for this often.

 Natural Matte: Yeah, so I love this one too! A very good neutral palette for beginners. The palette is matte but it seems to go on very satiny and not flat which I like. The colors blend well, are pigmented, and you can create many looks with it. You can also use it to compliment other palettes if you need transition shades and crease colors. A must have in my opinion.

Chocolate Bar: And the heavens opened up and the makeup Gods blessed us! This palette is everything! You can do so much with it if you are a neutral kinda girl. There are so many reviews on this palette, I won't even go in depth. But I will say, if you are an eye shadow lover and you do not own this palette, you NEED it. 

Bottom line: these palettes are definitely worth taking a look at and if you decide to buy one, both, or all.....you will not be disappointed!!

Until next time! Peace!!

Too Faced: New Products Releasing 6/15! So Excited!

Hello Lovelies! So I'm not sure when this obsession with Too Faced occurred, but I'm a full blown addict now! The first item I ever bought from TF was the Chocolate Soleil Bronzer. I remember receiving it and being completed pissed off because it was too light! As a matter of fact, I first very much disliked Too Faced because I felt that they had not intent to market to women of color given their bronzer and foundation shades. I was so upset because I liked their products soo much! The packaging is extra cute and the quality is insane. Plus, you won't break the bank when getting your choice items!

Anyway, about 1 year later, I bought the Candlelight Glow highlighter and again, I was in love. Then all these cool eye shadow palette's started coming out and I knew, I had to have them!!! Well, the reality is, I am not rich! I'm a social worker for crying out loud......but I have managed to score a couple more items. I now own the Sugar Pop palette and am currently waiting on my Peanut Butter & Jelly palette to arrive!! Yay!! Needless to say, I have grown to love TF. The Chocolate Bar is still on my radar, however, I feel that if I simply add the Natural Eyes Matte Palette, I will not need the Chocolate Bar. Memorial Day sales are upon us and even though I just ordered the PB &J, I think I will order the Natural Eyes as well while it is 20% off. I just new my shadow collection would be complete from Too Faced until this:


Now how cute is this....and its called....Totally Cute! Do I need this palette....abso-freaking-lutely! I missed out on the Sweet Peach palette, so I must have this one! But then, I also spot this:


Like, come on! How cute are they! Eyeliner pens from TF! I am hoping that they are similar to the Kat Von D tattoo Liner because I absolutely live that liner! These colors look amazing and I feel like I need 4-5 of them. They look really smooth and pigmented on the website and TF has a history of quality products, so I believe these will deliver. Now if this isn't enough, look what else I spotted:


And now my life is complete!  Those three on the right side are calling my name and I will own these!!

I hope you all are as excited about these new products as I am! Those lip glosses have me super excited as I am completely over this matte trend.  Don't get me wrong, I still love a good matte lippie, but I own a ton and I'm ready to revisit my lip gloss obsession! In the words of my boyfriend, "How many lip glosses do you really need?". Well, we makeup junkies know the answer to that: You can never have too many!!

That's all I have for you beauties right now. Please believe I will be back when my PB&J palette arrives. Until then....be blessed and have an awesome week!

Drugstore Haulin'!!

Hey lovelies! Over the past few weeks, I have been completely stressed over starting my new job! OMG, I don't know what it is about this particular job change that has me son on edge, but I tell you it is affecting me big time! So not only has it caused me some stress pimples, but it as resulted in me engaging in retail therapy! For some strange reason, I believe that since I am starting a new job, I need new makeup. Go figure.

As you can see, I have purchased several things. I even feel like this isn't all of it, but it's all I can remember at this time!. What I do know is that some of these things I have been wanting to try and I just happened to catch some really good deals, so why no indulge in this stress induced haul! Here's what I got:

Wet N Wild: Coloricon blush in Apri-cot in the Middle and the photofocus Settinf spray. The blush I could have done without because it's too light. I think it was 3 or 4 bucks so I'll just give it away! I am currently testing out the setting spray, I'll let you know how that goes!

Elf: From elf I got the blush palette in dark, the pro liquid eyeliner, contour brush, and their mist  and set spray. So I have been having a hard time getting my hands in everything I hit except for the eyeliner. I finally came across a stocked display and was able to get all but the setting spray. Later I went to a CVS and got the last mist and set spray and discovered that I had a $3 reward bucks coupon! So I got my mist and set spray for $.24! SCORE!

Revlon and Maybelline: Great

Story! I went to my neighborhood Kroger to grab a few things for dinner and did what I always do: walk down the beauty isle! To my surprise, all the makeup was on clearance. I got the Maybelline lash blast volume mascara for $2.50 and the brow drama brow gel for $2.25. Then I ran across those Revlon HD matte lipsticks! They were $3 a piece: you know I copped those! I even went back and got one more!

The other stuff, y'all already know the deal! Those L.A girl pro concealer and color corrector were $2.99 each and I picked up that Covergirl Queen ebony bronzer for about $8. The shadows are from a brand called Zuri I think and that little palette was about $3.50 so I picked it up!

I have been experimenting with everything and trying to create some looks for when I begin my new gig next week! I will also have some more blogs going up as I will be comparing a few things and telling you what I think. See ya next time!!!!

 

Review: influenster #FitMeFoundation and Too Faced Sugar Pop palette!

(My look using Fit Me and Sugar Pop. I swear my car is my photo studio!)

Hey there! So I wanted to jump on real quick and review my Fit Me foundation by Maybelline that I got to try out from influenster! I also wanted to give a quick review of my new Sugar Pop palette from Too Faced!

First things first! I received Maybelline Fit Me foundation from influenster to try out and review! Well after receiving this product and wearing it I stand on my original opinion: This is my holy grail! First of all, the color match is unbeatable for me! I wear Coconut 355 and it matches my skin perfectly! The finish is more satin than it is matte which I really like. You do have to set this or else after about 5 hours, your oil will be shining all the way through! I don't wear high end foundation. Because it's just not on my budget at this moment, but I can imagine it's pretty comparable to some higher end foundations out there! It's easy to work with and blend and the coverage is buildable! I think most who try this will like it!

Next I want to talk about my Too Faced Sugar Pop eyeshadow palette! Now I have not been into shadows until recently, so I know I'm late on this palette, but I don't care!! I have been really wanting the Chocolate Bar palette, but I caught this one on sale for $18 (retail $36) and I liked the colors so I bought it! This is my first high end eye shadow palette and I'm glad I got it! The shadows are very buttery, pigmented, and they blend very easily, which is the best perk for a beginner! Blending is everything and these shadows do that well! Now that I have an idea of how these palettes work, it is beyond necessary that I pick up not only the Chocolate Bar, but also the PB&J palette as well! I'm glad this was my first high end palette because it was so worth it!

Pamper Yourself a Little!

Hello lovelies! I thought I'd come to you with something a little different today...like taking time to take care of yourself. I have found that it is very important to take time for yourself and pamper yourself just a little.

I want to share with you that I am a mother of 2: a 3 yr old and a 12 year old. On my journey as a mother, I sometimes feel like I lost who I am as an independent person as I have been so focused on being a mom and supporting my family. I used to really invest in my clothing, shoes, hair, nails, etc. I mean, I was that girl who bought a new outfit for every event I would attend! As you can imagine, all of that came to a hault and I truly lost focus of taking care of me! 

I came to this grueling realization several months ago and made a resolution for myself this year: Take some time and money to invest in me and not feel guilty about taking care of and pampering me! It's only March, but I have taken some tiny steps! 

First, I have invested in letting professionals periodically do my hair! I used to get it done every 2 weeks once upon a time! I got it braided about 1.5 months ago and the plan is to get it professionally washed, conditioned, trimmed and styled next. I have also started getting my nails done again!  I can't tell you how great that me time feels! I'm still working on the guilt side of things, but hey, baby steps! My next goal is to start hanging out with my friends!

All in all, I just want everyone to know how important it is to take care of you! I know the struggle and I totally regret not doing this sooner! Pamper yourself a little ladies! You are so worth it!

Ipsy: Is it worth your $10 per month??

Hello Lovelies! I'm back again! I know it's been a little while since I posted because I wanted my next post to be about my new influenster VoxBox. Incidentally, I had to have them send me a new box, so I am waiting on that. Once it arrives, I will definitely be posting about that campaign and product. 

Anywhoo! I wanted to post really quickly about my Ipsy subscription. So in the beginning of the year, I subscribed to Ipsy's subscription service where for $10/month, you get a cute makeup bag, and about 5 sample products! Now you do end up with at least 1 full size or deluxe sample product. The products range from high end to drug store and they are usually things you probably wanted to try, but didn't want to splurge on! You will also find things that you may not have thought to buy, but now you have this sample that you love, so your thinking of adding it to your regimen or collection. The products are all things beauty such as makeup, skin care items, all the way to nail polish!

How Does It Work: So you can choose to buy your subscription for the whole month, or you can pay monthly and discontinue when you feel like it. Then you take a quiz to give Ipsy an idea of your style, who you are, and your preferences. You are billed on the first of the month and your package arrives close to the middle of the month. Once your package arrives, you can do reviews on the products you received. This gives Ipsy another snapshot of what you like and prefer versus what you dont, thus, further personalizing the bag you receive monthly. You can earn points for your reviews and for the people who sign up under you, giving you deals on different products. Pretty cool, huh?

So far, I like it and have no complaints! I mean, it's only $10 and chances are high you will receive at least a few items that you will love. Maybe I can start doing reviews on the bags I receive, that will  give you a better idea of what you are getting yourself into. I loved my January bag and unfortunately, I haven't done much with my February bag😕. Only because I had a lot going on and just didn't get to it! I'll be sure to let you in on my March bag though and lend you some insight into why you should subscribe to this service! 

If you want to try it anyways, you can do so here https://www.ipsy.com/new?refer=wop8v Otherwise, stay posted for my #MarchGlamBag! Peace

 

#FitMeFoundation Vox Box....Stay Tuned!

Hey Lovelies! I have been selected for yet another Vox Box! I will be receiving the Maybelline Fit Me Vox Box from influenster. If you want to get lucky like me, click here to sign up for influenster and let your influence be known! It's totally free, and your opinion will totally matter! Share your reviews and thoughts and maybe even receive free products to test and review as well! I'll be back soon with the details on this #VoxBox so keep checking in to see what Maybelline has in store for a product junky like me! Peace!

Colour Pop Review: Wow to Meh......

Hello again! So as promised....I am letting you know about my experience with Colour Pop Cosmetics! There has been so much hype about these products and for the most part, it's well deserved. If you have been on any type of social media, you have heard of Colour Pop. If you haven't....get out from under that rock!!!! So here it goes, my honest review. I purchased these products on my own and I am not being paid for this review.

So lets begin with the ordering. I ordered 6 products, 4 ultra matte lipsticks and 2 super shock shadows, along with a e-gift card for my niece. I placed my order on January 13th and I paid via Paypal. Now Colour Pop does state that the order takes 3-5 business days to process, however, it does not state that if you pay with Paypal, your processing will be considerably longer. The funds cleared my account in about 2 days.....it took Colour Pop about 2 weeks from the payment posting to my account before they began processing my order. The gift card I ordered for my niece was emailed to hard way after her birthday which really made me upset. Then it took about another 1.5 weeks before I received my order. I was not happy with this process at all. My suggestion....do not order by Paypal if you are not willing to wait a month for your products to arrive!

 

Once the products arrived, I was impressed with the packaging as well as the colors of the products I order. In the ultra matte liquid lipsticks I got: LAX, KAPOW, BEEPER, and BEDAZZLE. The super shock shadows I ordered were Weenie, and Tea Party. Let me just say....the pigmentation and color pay off of these products are amazing! You can't beat the price and in my opinion, which makes the quality you get a steal! Unfortunately, I only have a cell phone camera so I was not able to get you good swatch pics. I will update the blog later when I get some good pics. In a peace offering, I do have a decent picture of me in the Bedazzle ultra matte liquid lipstick....this color is by far my fave!!!!

 

 

 

Now, this isn't a review unless I give you the low down! As I stated before, the pigment is amazing on both the lippies and eye shadows. However, these matte lipsticks can be very uncomfortable to wear. They can be very drying and get a big crumbly in the middle. To combat this, I put my old trusty Vaseline or a lip balm on prior to applying the lipstick, this helps a ton!!! These lipsticks stay on for hours and you will get a bit of transfer, but nothing serious enough that your lipstick will come off. Please note...if this stuff gets on your skin and dries...it ain't coming off! So please be careful. The shadows are also great and are best applied with your finger. Weenie is the best rose gold I have seen and it looks beautiful on any skin tone! Tea Party is too light for me and it has chunky glitter, which I hate. It comes off ashy on me so I will either give it away, or find another use for it. All in all, these products are great. You can't beat the price so if something doesn't work for you, didn't lose a bank roll!

 

That's all I have on this one ladies....stay tuned for my review on my February Ipsy bag!

Peace!

Foundations Faves: L'Oreal, Maybelline, & Covergirl

Hello Lovelies!

So as you know, this makeup journey is fairly new for me! I was never one to wear makeup, because I just didn't need to. Now that I am over the age of 35, I feel that makeup is just where it's at and I have a slight addiction. This slightly stemmed from my belief that now that I am over 35, I have to do something to keep from looking so plain! I often get mistaken for being in my 20's, so I though adding makeup to my regimen would help.....but it didn't! Anyhow, the end result is that I developed a slight addiction and now I can't help myself!

Let me be the first to say, that up until about 2 years ago...I despised foundation! I hated the way it felt on my face, I thought it looked fake, and I thought it was just heavy! Truth is....some foundations can come off that way, and so it is important that you find what is right for you. I personally do not need heavy or full coverage foundations, but rather something to just even out the skin tone. Therefore, I stick to lighter foundations now that my trial and error is complete, and here are 3 that I feel in love with!

Maybelline Fit Me Matte & Poreless: Now this I love! I have combination skin, that leans more oily than anything in my T-zone. This makeup is light weight, blends well, and gives a satin finish which I love! Depending on the oiliness of your skin, you may need to blot or powder midday, but otherwise, this is a go to for me! It costs all of $6 at Walmart and it seem to last throughout the day. The one thing I dislike is the packaging. I can't get all of my product out of this glass bottle, but it lasts a while and the color match, for me is unbeatable! I am Coconut 355.

Covergirl Ready, Set, Gorgeous: This is another one that I like. The formula is a bit thicker, but it blends well, and again, you don't need a lot. My shade in this is 315 tawny, and I know that I cannot wear this in the summer time. These shades run on the cool side, so if you are warmer toned, they may not have a match for you! This product spreads easily, blends well, and stays on for about 6 hours. You can build coverage with this, which I think will allow it to last longer. The finish is pretty skin like in my opinion and I think I will repurchase in the cooler months, when my skin is lighter. This is a thumbs up for me as it doesn't cause my skin problems and the coverage is decent and buildable. This runs about $8.

L'Oreal True Match: Hands down, this is my all time fave! I had been dying to try it for months as I have heard rave reviews about it, and now I know why! This foundation outlasts all the rest, it is thin so it spreads well and evenly and you don't need a lot, and the color range is insane! This foundation lasts all day on me and gives a flawless finish! It runs about $10, and I have heard it compared to high end brands. I currently am too cheap for high end brands, so I wouldn't know, but what I do know, is that this foundation looks the best, feels the best, and lasts the longest! This is now a staple and due to the color range, I can use it any time of the year!

So this is my review of these foundations which I have found to be favorites of mine! Will I try other, of course! I am a product junkie (and proud of it!). But these 3 are tried and true and will remain in my arsenal! What are your fave foundations?? I am always looking to try new things, so hit me up in the comments and tell me if you use any of these, or suggestions for others you would like to see a review on!

Up Next: Swatches and reviews of my Colour Pop haul!

Influenster and the #Voxbox: #LiveRadiantly #StIvesSkin

Hello Lovelies!

So a few weeks ago, influenster, sent me their St. Ives Live Radiantly #Voxbox!

So as you can see, in this #Voxbox, I received the Pink Lemon & Mandarin Exfoliating Body Wash, the Oatmeal Scrub & Mask, as well as the Pear Nectar & Soy Body lotion. First of all, I want to say, St. Ives has come a long way! These products are pretty amazing. By far, the body wash and the face scrub were my faves! But let me do this the right way and tell you about each one:

Pink Lemon & Mandarin Exofoliating Body Wash: This stuff smells AMAZING! It such a bright and clean smell and it lathers really well. I thought with it being an exfoliator that it would be too grainy or harsh, but I was wrong. The beads actually are not too big or rough and they make your skin feel refreshed. It is not drying at all and I have noticed that my skin is a lot smoother, and not as scaly in this cold weather. I would definitely repurchase again!

Pear Nectar & Soy Body Lotion: This product was just meh to me! I mean, it smells okay, if you like fruity scents, and it gets the job done, but I personally do not care for it as a lotion in the winter time. I could see liking it better in the spring/summer months. It's a light lotion and initially feels kind of sticky, but that feeling doesn't last. It absorbs well into the skin, and like I said, it's okay. In St. Ives defense though, I prefer thicker, creamier lotions. It's just my preference, so no diss to them! I think many of you may love this lotion because it is effective, just not my preference for a lotion.

Oatmeal Scrub & Mask: Now this I really liked! If you are a fan of their Apricot Scrub, then I think you will fare well with his. I actually prefer this over the Apricot Scrub because I feel like it is creamier, not as rough, and it has a lighter scent. It smells amazing and does a good job with lightly exfoliating the face, without making it too dry. You will have to tone and moisturize after using it, but I think you and your face will be delighted by this product. I notice that my skin looks smother and my makeup looks better on my skin since using this product. This has officially replaced my Apricot Scrub!


So there you have it lovelies! My first #Voxbox was an enjoyable experience and I look forward to receiving more boxes so that I can share my experience with you! Influenster is an awesome sight for the product junkie as you can earn points, badges, and free items to review! If your interested in joining influenster, click here. You'll be glad you did!

Stay tuned for my review on my two new fave foundations!

Peace!

I'm Back Beauties!!!!!

Hello loves! Long time, no hear from, right? I know, I know! It's been forever since I've blogged, but I am back! Last you heard from me, I was in grad school and my life was going through quite a storm! Also at the time, I was more into my hair and nails than anything else! My how things change!

Over the past two years, I graduated and got my Masters in Social Work (MSW yall!) and now I have my license (LMSW yall)! Also, I have solidified my hair and nail regimen and figured out what works, so I'm not as obsessed! However, my new obsession and love is MAKEUP! 

I have joined a sight, influenster, as well as a subscription company, ipsy, and my obsession has taken a turn for the worse!!! I'm completely makeup and body product obsessed, and I choose to share that obsession with you!

Stay tuned lovelies! I have some news and products to share and I will be back real soon to fill you in! I hope you will join me as I embark on this fun, colorful, and expensive obsession! We can al be junkies together!

See you in a few days with my experience and review of my St. Ives  Vox box from influenster! I hope to see you all #LiveRadiantly real soon!

Peace