September 2014 Product Favs

September 2014 Product Favs

I knooooooow, I am a day late as I truly meant to post this yesterday so please forgive me.  Since I am a self proclaimed product junkie (okay who am I kidding, it is common knowledge), I thought each month I would tell you the stand out products that I have come across.  Both high end and drug store, for all walks of life.

From left to right, CoverGirl Cheekers, Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer, LA Splash eye shadow primer, Coastal Scents eye shadow quad and Oscar Blandi Texture & Volume Spray.

I love the blush because it is a powder color that lasts all day and still gives me that summery glow.

I just wrote my love letter about Laura Mercier's Tinted Moisturizer (click on any of the links above for more information and prices).  It gives me great coverage but that "no makeup", airbrushed finish and chock full of good ingredients.  Plus it's affordable and lasts forever.  Well, until it's time to pitch it :)

LA Splash's primer is made for glittery shadows so that proves that it can withstand my normal day to day shadows.  My eye shadow lasts all day and never creases. It also helps intensify the color. Win Win.

The quad of shadows from Coastal Scents is from their Revealed palette.  The colors are highly pigmented and last all day, even without primer.  Getting them wet gives me four completely different shadow looks. These colors are perfect for this fall, too!

And lastly, the texture and volume spray from Oscar Blandi is great for freshly washed hair, but even on second day hair after my dry shampoo it looks I just had a blowout.  No sulfates and added keratin for strength.  Plus the texture my hair has makes me look like I should be going out and not to work.

So there ya have it!  My favorite products for September.  I think this is the shortest post I have written so far :)  Honestly I had to spend a few days narrowing them down because there are so many and for the October post, it is going to be even harder!

Have you tried any of these before? Are they already in your makeup bag?

Let me know in the comments below!

Have a great day!

Allure's Sample Society September 2014 Unboxing

I have been contemplating another monthly subscription box since I gave up New Beauty Test Tube and Pop Sugar. I love getting these surprises every month and have become addicted to trying out new things and sharing them with ya'll. So far Birchbox, Sample Society and Glossybox are my top three boxes.  My love for the subscription box was affirmed yet again when I received my September Sample Society box.

Really quick, Sample Society is $15 a month and includes luxury brands and each month has at least one full size product.  Everyone gets the same box but they have all been such wonderful boxes each month I don't mind not filling out my own beauty profile.  Plus it is a MIX of makeup, skincare and haircare.  They are also through BeautyBar.com so you get $10 off a $50 purchase each month, which can go towards products in your box.  Check out last month's unboxing HERE.

First up, let's do the full size product, valued at $85!! They were giving sneak peeks on Facebook for a few weeks (which I hate seeing because I LOVE surprises) and I was actually really excited for this!

Restorsea Revitalizing Eye Cream. It's a small, delicate jar but the cream is nice and thick so will last a long time it seems.  It is targeted for dark circles and reduces fine lines.  Vibransea, shea butter and glycerin are the key ingredients.  So far I love it.  I have been using it for three days and the thing I like most is when I put it on in the morning, it keeps my under eye area hydrated but my concealer stays put! It doesn't slide around like some other eye creams make it. I have high hopes for this so I will keep you posted.

Next up is Alterna Caviar Repair Re-texturizing Protein Cream.

This cream is some major damage control for over processed hair.  Thankfully, I haven't had split ends in years (thanks to sulfate free products and learning how to properly blow dry my hair thus not needing to use my flat iron) so might not to need this as often as someone who does.  The reviews are pretty positive on this.  It moisturizes and fills in the hairs cuticle, making it stronger and smoother so this is a great preventative treatment, too.  Vitamin C,caviar extract and seasilk are the main ingredients here. I like that it is thin, it's not a thick product that makes you feel like you need to wash your hair when you're trying to protect it.

I am a big fan of Benefit's Porefessional but was excited to see the next product.  Lorac's POREfection Mattifying Primer.

What's interesting about this is it contains salicylic acid in it so it's unclogging pores while keeping your face smooth and primed!  It didn't ball up on me and was buildable.  It went on really nice and it did keep me shine free all day.

The perfume sample I LOVE!! Dahlia Divin by Givenchy.

It smells wonderful!  It smells sexy....sexy has a smell, ya know? It has sandalwood and patchouli.  A sexy, woodsy smell.  Mmmmmmmm.

Lastly, Tarte Self Tanning Towelettes.

I am a sun goddess.....I love tanning and laying out.  But I am always looking for healthier alternatives to the tanning bed.  I love my St Tropez Bronzing Face Lotion and I have high hopes for these.  Reviews and feedback on these is great, from what I found.  They offer just the right amount of no streak color and not orangey mess.

And there ya have it!

Again, I am very happy with this month's Sample Society box.  I will use everything and that is 3 for 3 with this subscription!

Are you ready to sign up yet??

Let me know in the comments below so we can be excited together :)  There is no referral code for a new subscription, but if you do order from BeautyBar.com, you can use the code that is on the left of my blog banner for a discount!

Have a great day :)

Too Faced Eye Love Palette Review

You know those "rules" about eye shadow? The ones that tell you which colors and shades to wear to enhance your natural eye color? Well, I have never been one to follow the rules so I am not about to start now.  I wear whatever colors I want, whether they are for brown, green or blue eyes!!  So that means, I wear blues and purples, golds and roses and even silvers and browns.  And the more shimmer the better! :)

Recently, I got my hands on the Too Faced Eye Love kit.  This is a palette that has 8 shadows and two from each of their four best selling ones.  The colors are amazing and they last all day and I have oily skin so that is a huge plus for me! The colors are highly pigmented and any color combo works in my opinion.

Isn't it beautiful?!?!? :)

This collection contains:

• Heaven (matte ivory) and Push-Up (light bronze)
• Silver Spoon (silver shimmer) and Smolder (charcoal black)
• Satin Sheets (golden champagne) and Like A Virgin (matte taupe)
• Honeymoon (burnished gold) and Ever After (bronze shimmer)

I don't usually use matte colors but they are all so very pretty, I can't wait to use them.  Plus having matte and shimmers together is so perfect!

Today I created a simple look with Honeymoon and Ever After.

One light swipe on my hand-look at the shimmer!!!

In a previous post, I told you how I like to use CoverGirl Bombshell ShineShadow as a primer, so of course, I grabbed my gold one for this look.

And I am using a small eye shadow brush for the Honeymoon  and an angled crease brush for the Ever After.

After I put the primer on, I put honeymoon on the inner part of my lid and across the top of the crease of my eye.

Look at how pretty the color is!

Then I took Ever After on my crease brush and put it on the outer end of my lid and blended into the crease.

Then I went to my go to eye products!

Benefit's They're Real Push Up Liner for the perfect cat eye......

A nude liner for my lower waterline (anything to help me look more awake).....

And Benefit's High Brow for the inner corner of my eye (and yes, under my brow always!)

And there ya have it!!

These are actually the perfects hues to transition from summer to "gulp" fall........and they even make my eyes POP!  Oh, side note, I can't even tell you the mascara I used since I am currently doing a blind study but normally I would use Benefit's They're Real :)

Have a great day!!

BirchBox VS Ipsy Throwdown-August 2014

It's that time again!!  Time to have Birchbox and Ipsy face off!!  See who won last month, HERE.  Since my post last month, I have gotten several more of my friends to sign up to Birchbox so let's see what this month does!!

Actually, I have to give Birchbox big points right off the bat, because my box came before the shipping email even did! I never look at my shipping label and I regret it this month because I guess they did something special and gave everyone a really neat title, like Marvelous or Vivacious! I wonder what mine was.....Probably not Babbling, which is what I was called in high school ;)

Okay, moving on, here is a first look at both of them.

Here is Birchbox and this month's theme is Lighten Up. Here's to keeping cool and laughing our way into fall! Ummm, for me, it will be crying as I LOVE SUMMER!! :)

And here is Ipsy, and their theme is Beauty Schooled.

Now when I do my breakdowns, I like to try to compare the items that are the most similar to each other from each bag and this month it is going to be hard to do that.  But let's try :)

First up from Birchbox is Marcelle BB Cream in Golden Glow.

I chose to review this first as I had considered purchasing this before I bought my Becca Foundation.  Read that review HERE.  But in my experience, BB cream's don't really have much coverage, so I did not.  I am happily surprised with this BB cream!  It offers coverage and isn't just a tinted moisturizer!  In fact, the description says it is a universal shade.  Plus it gave my skin a nice healthy glow, not an orangey tan glow.  If you use the code MARCELLE at checkout at Birchbox, you will get a free lux gloss :)

Here is my face with only the BB cream :) and yes, I am still sick :(

I really like it a lot!!

Ipsy gave me Dr. Brandt's Pores No More Pore Refiner.

I actually had this product in a sample (and for the life of me cannot remember where my sample came from) already. The closest thing I can compare this primer to is POREFESSIONAL.  And I do that with caution.  It is the same color (nude tone) but goes on a little bit thinner and oilier for me.  I had no idea that the full size product of this was $45 either.  That being said, it does make my pores seem much smaller and some of them completely disappear so I will be using this up for sure.

I have to give the point to Birchbox.

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Next up, from Birchbox is, LAQA and Co. Sheer Lip Lube Pencil in Menatour.

I am IN LOVE with this color!! My only other experience with LAQA and CO was with another lip lube I was given in a light pink color that makes me look sick so I have never used it after I swatched it.  Boy, did this change my mind!

It goes on a little pinker but is gorgeous and long lasting.  Also, if you turn the end of it like a dial, it gives more product so you actually have more then it looks like you have :)

Ipsy gave me Jersey Shore Sun Lip Conditioner in Mongongo.

This is an all natural, oil based, anti aging lip conditioner.  But after seeing how excited I am over my purple lip color, who do you think won this one??  I did read the reviews on it and it does not go on waxy and that is a huge plus.  Look for this in one of my giveaways!

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Next up, Birchbox gave me a sample of Atelier Orange Sanguine Cologne.

Although I was unable to review it online and get my Birchbox points, I did email them so I know it will be resolved soon.  This smells really nice.  It is orange (thank you Captain Obvious) and earthy smelling, due to the Sandalwood.  I am not a huge fan of fruity smelling perfumes but I liked the way this one smelled on me more than in the bottle.

Ipsy gave me Klorane Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk.

Okay here is the funny part.  I have been a HUGE fan of this since Birchbox sent it to me as a sample and it is now the only dry shampoo I use.  And I always buy it from Birchbox!!  But now that Ipsy sent it to me and I can get a discount, that is where my next purchase will be made!  If you use dry shampoo, you HAVE to try this one.  It changed the way I looked at dry shampoo.  It not only gets the oil out of my second day hair but it refreshes and brightens up my hair.  It has a great fresh smell, too.  Some dry shampoos actually make my hair feel dirtier after using them but this one is a game changer.

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Birchbox gave me Acure Brightening Facial Scrub with Sea Kelp.

And mama likey!!  I like the way it exfoliates my skin and I like the herbal smell.  I do wish it was a larger sample as I don't think I am going to get that many uses out of it.  Because of that, I don't know that I will be able to notice if it brightens my skin.

Ipsy gave me J. Cat Beauty Eye Shadow in Half Naked.

Hmmmm, so this is a peachy color.  It appears to maybe have some shimmer but I wear bold colors so at most, I would use this as a highlighting shade.  This will also be going in my next giveaway.

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Last up from Birchbox is Supergoop Forever Young hand cream.

I love Supergoop but I have been getting an abundance of mini mini samples from them.  This was a rich moisturizer but I would have only gotten one use if I had used it on my hands, so I used it on my cuticles.

Ipsy gave me Urban Decay's Perversion Mascara.

Funny enough, I won this before it's release and included it in my first giveaway so I never even got to try it!So I am excited that I got it again.  I love a good dark black mascara as much as I love my colored ones, so I hope this lives up to the hype :)

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TA DA!!  Birchbox won AGAIN!!  Thanks so much for another great month of beauty products!

The other thing I wanted to mention is each month, Ipsy gives you a reusable makeup bag.  This is the one I got this month.

This one is super cute and vinyl and I love me some polka dots!  :)

Birchbox usually doesn't send anything extra but this month they included a really pretty postcard with the perfume.  I know who I am mailing it out to already :)

I hope ya'l' enjoyed this month's battle of the boxes between these two!

What was your favorite item in either your Birchbox or Ipsy this month?

Let me know in the comments below!  Plus, click on any of the highlighted links for either box to sign up today to get your box ASAP! :)

Have a great day!

Sample Society Unboxing August 2014

This is my second box from Sample Society.  I fell under their spell with July's box and was very happy to get another wonderful box!  Read about July's unboxing HERE.  My mama also signed up and was just as pleased!! The thing I like most about this monthly beauty subscription is that the products are usually all brands that I have heard of.  Sure, I like learning about new brands but sometimes there is something great about already knowing how good a brand is and then getting an awesome product from them.  Know what I mean?

Here is my first look at the box.

They always include a mini Allure mag that describes each product, it's uses and what they thought after testing it.

First up, one of my favorite polish brands.

Ciate mini pot in Cha Cha Cha. This color is the perfect summer shade, a bright, neon orange which I was so glad to get since Fall is right around the corner and I am still in denial about that.  It did take me 4 coats to achieve the look that I wanted but the bold color made up for it.  It is much brighter on my nails than it is in the bottle. Speaking of fall, I am holding out on using my velvet manicure kits in grey, navy and purple.  They are gorgeous!

Next we have Kate Somerville's Dio Oil Restorative Treatment.

News to me, but Dio Oil is a rare oil from Fiji that promotes healthier looking skin and firms and evens skin tone, among other things.  Now, I am a Caudalie girl so I am interested in trying this to see how it compares.It has a hefty price tag but claims to be one of the best of the oils out there.  It can be used at night or under your makeup (after moisturizer) during the day.  I think I will do half on my face with my regular oil to really see how they compare.

Next up is Jane Iredale Longest Lash Mascara in Black Ice.

 I have mixed feelings about this so far.  When I pulled it out, it didn't look like there was any color on the wand.  And the wand looks like a caterpillar.  It seemed to lengthen my lashes but not really make them bold and dark.  Lemme show you.......

Here is just with this mascara.

And here is with my mascara added on top of it.

So I think adding my own mascara on top made a dramatic difference in my lashes but not by itself.

Next up is Oribe Surfcomber Tousled Texture Mousse.  This size alone is $21.50.

Smells great and the key to adding massive texture to your hair is using it dry.  I am still figuring out the right amount to use. I accidentally used two large sized poufs and it says to use ping pong sized haha But once I scrunched my hair it did give it some nice texture and made my pony tail really full so I'm excited to use it again.

Lastly, Too Faced Melted Liquified Long Wear Lipstick in Melted Peony.

It's much brighter than the tube indicates.  Make sure you exfoliate good before putting it on, too.  It goes on like paint with a spongey tip.  Also, it is matte.  I am a glossy girl so I would have to put something on over it when I wear it but the description says that will ruin the chalky effect, so we will see.  It is a long lasting stain though, it stayed on for hours.  I really really want the color violet, it's so pretty!! Wait until you see my Birchbox unboxing and you'll see why!!

So like I said, I was super happy with this box subscription yet again and 200% happier than I was with Beauty Box 5.  Since Sample Society is through BeautyBar.com(online beauty boutique similar to ULTA), if you use my referral code, you can get 20% off of your first order.  Just click on the banner to the left of the screen or use the code MIAN969688 and click HERE.

What did you think of this month's box?  Have you used Oribe's products before? Have any tips?

Let me know in the comments below!

Have a great day!!