Mudpipes and Glitter

www.bobbibrowncosmetics.com

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Life Changing Product-Bobbi Brown Corrector and Concealer Review

Its no secret, now that I have started a blog, that I have bags so dark under my eyes you would think I am a professional boxer......so clearly I am always looking for the next best thing. Looking back, I did a review on IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye and Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat concealers. Both great and effective but not "the ONE" still.

So I polled some people and did some research on correctors in addition to concealers. A corrector is a product/color that neutralizes the problem area prior to using concealer to well, conceal the area. You've probably seen the green and purple correctors around.

Green-minimizes redness
Purple-neutralizes yellows
Yellow-neutralizes purples

This all stems back to the color wheel :) Remember this from school?

The Color Wheel

I am actually waiting for my concealer palette from Coastal Scents and can go into the other uses for the other colors at that time.

For now, let's talk about my baggage under my eyes.

Here is an older picture of me not wearing any under eye makeup.

The HORROR (natural sunlight)

Yes, they are very dark and purple/blue. Therefore, I needed a salmon/peach corrector to counteract these bad boys.

Based on the advice of a Bobbi Brown consultant, I tried the color Light Bisque.

Light Bisque Corrector

This is a very creamy consistency. But a little goes a long way. I tried this with a lot of different brushes too. I found this is best applied with a thin concealer brush, like my e.l.f essential concealer brush.

Applying to my left eye

In small thin strokes, I apply on the bags and go up to the innermost corner of my eye and along the lash line. I then take my ring finger and gently pat, not rub, to let the product heat up and absorb into my skin.

After one application

If I want to layer and add more coverage depending on the night I had, I will, but you can already see the difference.

Both eyes DONE

An absolute transformation and again this is just with the corrector. I have not added my concealer yet. Sure, for some this may be enough, but not for me. I NEED concealer. Like Bobbi says, it is the secret of the universe. Side note, my mom knows Bobbi Browns father....remind me to talk to her more about this later.....

Now on to the concealer.

Concealer and Powder

This is the same consistency as the corrector and each kit comes with yellow powder. It is the most flattering and universal shade.

Left eye application

Same thing, we are going to go close to the lash line, inside corner of the eye and follow down into a half moon shape with the concealer.

Left eye application

For this, I am using my IT Cosmetics Dual Ended Concealer Brush.

Left Eye Done!

Here you can see the difference in the left eye having one application of concealer on top of the corrector. On days where I need it, I will do two applications.

Both eyes done

The concealer kit comes with the powder as I mentioned. It is best applied with a fluffy brush, like my dual ended brush has. But I have also experimented with MUFE HD powder and it was just as good. So if you already have a great powder, use it. I like that her powder is just another way to brighten up the area and set the concealer.

I also tried adding more concealer on during the day to see how it affects my overall look. Again not problems there. I am able to blend it as seamlessly as if I were first putting it on again. No cakeyness....that's a word.

HERE is the actual link to watch Bobbi apply concealer. I love how her model has like zero bags and no fine lines lol so clearly results may vary :)

I am VERY pleased with this concealer. And the corrector for that matter. My under eye area has never looked as good as it does now. This has changed the way I feel about concealers because I thought I would never find one that would cover these scary suckers under my eyes.

HERE is where you can get the corrector and HERE is where you can get the concealer kit. Do it, do it now. :)

For help on which shade, refer to this chart or go to Sephora and have them try it out on you.

Have you used Bobbi Brown cosmetics before? What am I missing out on?

What is your favorite product?

Let me know in the comments below!

Have a great day! xo

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Monday, October 20, 2014

October 2014 BarkBox-Halloween Edition

Last month there was a promotion going on so I signed up for BarkBox for the babes. I mean we are a family of subscriptions after all :) Here is last months breakdown and really gave us a great first impression.

The details......BarkBox is a monthly sub for your dogs, all breeds and sizes. Depending on the size of your dog determines what they will get. It is $29 a month but of course if you use my link to sign up, I can give you 10% off! Click HERE to sign up! I love it because I usually make my own treats and surprises for the girls and BarkBox has not only vetted all the treats they send but they also send a variety of toys, gadgets and other fun stuff.

If you like something, you text the reorder code and they mail it out to you. BAM! Plus this month they announced, if you don't like something, you send it back and they send you something else out. I mean, I cannot say enough great things about BarkBox!

Let's get to the goodies :) Paisley and Shelby must have remembered last months box because they freaked as soon as they saw it this month. This is the Halloween BarkBox Edition :)

Halloween Themed!

Let me apologize first for the pictures you are about to see. I could barely take a picture of each item because my girls were giddy with excitement :) which I can relate to because that is how I am when my subs come.

I was stoked to see a skull chew toy, I mean that is so awesome. But it got better. Wait until you see.....

Petprojekt Squeeki Skull, valued at $8.

Skull chew toy that squeaks

Durable plastic chew toy. So nice to see quality toys being sent especially with a teething puppy in the house.

This next toy is the coolest toy I have ever seen.

Plush Puppies Squeaker Mat Mummy, valued at $15.

A mummy themed squeaker toy

It is described as bubble wrap for dogs! I mean my girls absolutely LOVED this toy!! And it wasn't annoying so thanks BarkBox!

Shelby playing

Paisley playing keep away

They played with these toys all night long. It was so cute and mommy and daddy got some peace.

Next up is the treats!

Baker's Best Autumn Harvest Treats, valued at $10.

Huge bag

These are made with goat liver, Italian olive oil and oat flour. They weren't Paisley's favorite but Shelby inhaled them. They are little squares so perfect training treats for her.

Max and Ruffys Pumpkin Patch Bites,valued at $4.

Of course pumpkin in October

Organic pumpkin treats that they loved. I mix pumpkin in Paisley's food sometimes so I knew she would love these.

And lastly, Heartland Premium Weasand Strips,valued at $3.

They love strips that they can chew on

This is made with 100% cow gullet......so not appetizing to me but I know Paisley will love this.

So the total value of this box is $40! That is a great value.

Here is another pic of my happy Paisley :) HA! Even though she is giving Shelby the nastiest look.

Mean mugging Shelby

Again, HERE is the link to sign up today! Also, 10% of each box purchased goes to dogs in need. So you can feel good about getting this for more than one reason. This is also a great gift idea for the dog lover in your life!

Do you already do BarkBox?

What did your pup get this month?

Let me know in the comments below!

Have a great day! xo

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My Love/Hate Month with Birchbox-October 2014

The "box"

Hi, my name is Brooke and I am addicted to all things beautiful. Plus I LOVE surprises.....okay, now that we got that out of the way I can tell ya'll about my love/hate month with Birchbox. Oh, also I cancelled Ipsy this month. Out of the months that I had it, there was usually only one item I liked in each box, therefore I couldn't justify keeping it especially when I knew there were other boxes I wanted (i.e. I got the October BoxyCharm box heading my way because it has an entire Coastal Scents concealer palette so more to come on that).

So I decided I would order two Birchboxes this month since it is my birthday month. Since I referred myself, I was also able to get a Benefit sample pack that was going to come in my new box (which we will call box #2). My original subscription, Box #1's, profile had my preferences as adventurous, trendy and classic and that I wanted perfume samples. I have enjoyed every box I have received. For box #2's profile, I kept only adventurous and trendy. I also said I did not want any perfume samples. Another thing I want to mention is I never look at the sneak peek videos that they show as I always like to be surprised, plus I don't want to be let down if there was something I truly wanted. This month though, I did see the sneak peak pictures on Instagram and knew some boxes would include the beauty blender and products from Coastal Scents, Macadamia, Dr. Brandt and Jouer. Needless to say, I was giddy!!

Box #1 took forever to get here this month...unusual but I didn't let it get to me. The day finally came and I got it!!

Loved the label this month!

Always love this touch of uniqueness

And then I opened the box.....

Such a letdown

This months theme is Fanfare

I was really in shock..,,,,Despite people's efforts in one of my groups telling me how good certain products were, this box is unlike any of the other boxes I have received in that I was not excited about one freaking thing.

Lets review.

First is Dr. Lipp Original Nipple Balm For Lips.

Tiniest sample ever made

Um, sorry, but any product that I can rub on both my nipples and my lips is just not desirable to me. This claims to repair dry, flaky, rough skin and and can be used as a primer and multi purpose balm. It is also the winner of the award for smallest sample ever received. I just wasn't happy with this product. And no, I have not tried it yet. It is in my giveaway pile.

Next is Suki Exfoliate Foaming Cleanser.

Another tiny sample

This sample is also quite small and I got two uses out of it. I wasn't thrilled about this face product but at the end of the day it ended up being the best product in the box. It comes out super gritty and you put a dollop in the palm of your hand and add water and scrub on your face. It exfoliates and as you continue to rub it in to your face it starts to lather up and does a great job cleaning your skin. The smell on the other hand is identical to lemon pledge. Don't get me wrong, I love lemons. But this wasn't a fresh lemon smell, it was a weird lemon smell. But hey, again, I had a nice two time run with it.

Next is CLEAN Rain Eau De Parfum.

I don't like perfume samples I have to pour on myself

The last time I received a sample of perfume from this brand, I did indicate I was not happy with it. But my favorite smells are clean smells and musky, sexy smells so I gave this one a try. Thumbs down. The smell was okay, a tad flowery but also "clean" smelling but it was the fact that it seemed to have already dissipated before I even left the house. I also don't like the samples you can't spray. I feel like I waste so much product having to dab it on myself.

Next up is BeeKind Body Lotion.

Cute packaging

I haven't tried this yet but since I was already upset with the box, this poor guy was guilty by association. I use all of my hand lotion samples because I wash my hands so much at work so it is always convenient but I get them too frequently.

Last up is ModelCo Power Lash Mascara.

Another mascara

Another mascara.....I have read mixed reviews on this...clumping yet lengthening. I put it in my giveaway pile. I love my Benefit and Too Faced. The end.

So after I hooted and hollered on my Birchblogger page, Birchbox actually commented and told me to email customer service to convey my feelings. I was already planning on doing that because they have great customer service and have always helped me out in the past. I usually get points added to my account for any issues that come up and that makes me a happy girl. That would also help me out a lot right now considering I have 199 points.......

So I emailed customer service. The reply I got back (almost 2 days later) was less than satisfying. I basically got a run down of exactly why these items were chosen for me and in summary it seemed to have been because I had "classic" as one of my selected profile options. So for this first time in 11 months, I rated my service as Bad, Not Satisfied.

I don't need to know why these items were chosen for me......I wanted reassurance that I was still a valued customer even though I was so unhappy considering I had just gotten myself a second subscription! I was also told "we do hope you stick with us".....One of the friends I referred was also extremely unhappy with this months box and she is getting Novembers box free. I guess each customer service rep has the ability to decide how much service they want to give.

I have since changed my profile for Box #1 to trendy only.

Back to the boxes......Saturday I received Box #2. Weirdly, my label was a normal one.

Plain ole Brooke

But when I saw my box, I nearly fainted.....

The perfect box

This is what I am used to getting in my box. Perfection! Everything that I wanted and am ecstatic. Plus I was thrilled with the Benefit sample pack, too.

Now, remember the only thing I changed was I selected trendy and adventurous as my makeup style (no classic) and no perfume. And it resulted in a perfect mix of face, hair, body and makeup items.

The first thing I was so excited to receive is the Macademia Flawless Conditioning System.

Incredible product

I first came to love this product in the summer when I got it in my New Beauty Test Tube. I have bought it several times since and have even gotten my beautiful cousin to buy it too! It is shampoo and conditioner in one. It adds volume and smooths my hair. Not one single strand comes out of my head after using it either. I love it. It is healthy and full of great ingredients. You only need a little bit and make sure you let it sit on your hair a few minutes before rinsing out and your hair will look great all day! It is currently out of stock at Birchbox it is so amazing. Plus this is a huge sample and will last a long time :)

Next up is Coastal Scents Revealed 2 Palette Sampler.

Gorgeous colors

I have recently come to love Coastal Scents and have their face palette and some of their high end brushes and love them. One of my past Birchboxes had the Revealed 1 sampler palette in it and I still use it to this day. This sampler has both mattes and shimmers and the colors are gorgeous. They are highly pigmented and last all day. I'm not really a pink girl but these will easily blend with the darker browns and grays for the seasons ahead.

Next up is Jouer Matte Moisture Tint in Linen.

Tiny but a little goes a long way

Now, some have said that Birchbox was very misleading this month with this and the beauty blender teaser. If you click on the link above you will see it takes you to a collection of products but we only were going to receive one of the products listed. Bait and switch?? I don't know.....I do know that I love Jouer. I even bought the luminizing moisture tint (read review HERE) a while back. I was excited to see matte for the colder months. I was given shade Linen though which is a tad light on me. I wish I would't have gotten such a light shade. But I tried it under my makeup this morning and really liked the coverage though. A little goes a long way but it doesn't feel heavy or sticky. I can absolutely see myself purchasing this full size. Actually I may purchase the whole collection linked above.

Next up is that Suki Exfoliate Foaming Cleanser again.

Now I get to use it 2 more times though

I actually was pleased I got to use it again but this one was literally as hard as a rock. I had to take a knife to chisel the product to even get it to break up into chunks into my hand so I could use it. It did not seem to affect the product but it didn't really foam this time. It was a pain in the butt to have to do that to use it. I liked that it was a rough exfoliator though. And it didn't bother my sensitive skin.

Lastly I got Essential Elements Wake Up Rosemary Shower Gel.

Cute lil bottle

My husband hates rosemary, if I even think about using this and getting near him, he surely won't be getting near me....know what I'm sayin?? :) Cute bottle but tiny and I put in my giveaway pile.

These are the items I got for my new subscription from Benefit.

It's Potent Eye Cream

Posiebalm Lip Balm

I have wanted to try the It's Potent Eye Cream for a while now as it is targeted for dark under eye circles. So far, after two days, no difference. I even have the cream in the fridge as it is so refreshing when I wake up but my Bobbi Brown concealer doesn't seem to agree with it so far, so I will stick to using it at night only.

Wow, I think this is the longest post ever!! I am so glad that this was the month I decided to do my little profile experiment so I actually ended up with things I liked instead of breaking up with Birchbox over it. I also am getting two more free samples for having referred myself and those just arrived at home. However, I did have to email and inquire about them because I never received any notice. Had I not, I would not have received them as my CS rep actually had to put in an order for them.

I know EVERYONE is talking about their boxes this month so let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

What are your profile preferences?

Have you ever changed them around based on what you received? Did it make it better or worse?

Have a great day! xo

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Friday, October 17, 2014

October 2014 Lieber Award Nomination for Mudpipes and Glitter

I like to have goals and dreams...I like to try new things and expand my boundaries...I like challenges....I knew this blog would be one as there are so many out there so I had to stand out......But,I have high hopes for my blog....I want to help people and offer answers to common questions that no one takes the time to answer and share my amazing life with everyone....I want to be recognized and have fun while doing all of this stuff!

Needless to say, I was super excited to have gotten a notice that Mudpipes and Glitter has been nominated for a Lieber Award!! The nomination came from my fun lovin blogger friend, Joely over at Fashion Beyond Forty.

What is the Lieber Award you ask?? (I asked too so don't worry!)

The Lieber Award is basically a cyber award passed around to bloggers from other bloggers. It is a FANTASTIC way to get recognition and followers. It also lets you get to know some more personal things about your favorite bloggers that we might not otherwise post about. It hasn't quite been 6 months that I have had this baby up and running and while I have 1,192 followers on Facebook, 146 followers on Twitter, 144 followers on Pinterest and 181 followers on Instagram, I would love to have more followers of the actual blog itself.

Although when I think about it, I will be moving this site to an actual website soon (another goal I set for myself!) so when that happens I know it will generate more followers too!

So on the good stuff, the stuff you've been waiting for :) To go along with this nomination, I was asked 11 questions that I have to spill my guts about and I also need to tell you 11 things about myself.

So here goes......

1. I have 4 tattoos
2. I am obsessed with Sons of Anarchy
3. My favorite old school movie is Big Trouble in Little China
4. I love karaoke
5. I drive fast
6. I'm allergic to cats, rabbits and horses
7. I want to be a stay at home mom when I grow up
8. My biggest pet peeve is when people don't have a mind of their own
9. I love romance
10. I do great impressions

Now here are the questions that were asked of me :)

1.WHAT DO YOU LOVE BLOGGING ABOUT AND WHY?
Truth be told I love blogging about makeup and crafting the most. I have only gotten into makeup within the past year and hit the ground running, learning everything and anything about it and was just proclaimed "the resident beauty expert" by one of my friends the other day. And I wear that title with a huge, beaming smile. I love blogging about crafting because I want to be able to make unique things for myself and others that I think are overpriced and know they don't have to be.

2.WHAT ARE YOUR MOST CHALLENGING BLOG POSTS AND WHY?
Tutorials. It is hard to take pictures step by step with good lighting and looking good while doing it. I will do some video tutorials in the future but I don't want to be a Vlogger.....I want to write. I also know there is a high demand for tutorials though so I will continue to do them.

3.IF YOU COULD BE THE BEST AT ANY ONE THING IN LIFE WHAT WOULD IT BE?
Wow...we are getting deep now!! I want to say a mother because I want that more than anything right now but I want to be the best me that I can be....I want to be the best friend, sister, daughter, wife....I want to always keep improving myself and giving whatever I can to people that need it.

4.WHAT DO YOU DO TO RELIEVE STRESS?
Drink!! No seriously that's what I want to do half the time but I don't :) I snuggle on my puppies, it is the best stress reliever in the world. They love unconditionally and no matter how big of an Ahole day I had, they wait all day just to see me. I also dance, in the car, in the shower, while washing the floor, I love to shake my groove thing!

5.IF YOU COULD TIP YOUR BLOG READERS OFF TO ANYTHING FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF A BLOGGER WHAT WOULD IT BE?
Everything I do, I do it for you (Bryan Adams theme song and all)....I write for you, do giveaways for you, take pictures for you....feedback is greatly appreciated and so is sharing. If you like something, tell me. If you never want to see me raise my eyebrow in a photo again, tell me :)

6.IF YOU HAD THE ABILITY TO GIFT EVERYONE OF YOUR READERS ONE GIFT WHAT WOULD IT BE?
Perfect eyebrows....you're welcome.

7.IS BLOGGING ALWAYS ON YOUR MIND OR ARE YOU ABLE TO SHUT IT OUT LIKE OTHER THINGS?
Um, can people actually turn it off?? No, I can't. But it's not just blogging, I guess it's networking. I am constantly getting emails and calls and messages from brands, companies, other bloggers and makeup lovers. I feel like right now since I am just getting going it is more important than ever to keep that stride. Plus I am a wealth of knowledge right now so I want to keep sharing. I actually try to limit myself to my posts daily only so ya'll don't get sick of me. But I will share pics and do giveaways so I'm always on your mind :)

8.DO YOU EVER FALL ASLEEP THINKING ABOUT YOUR NEXT BLOG POST OR ORGANIZING YOUR BLOG IN YOUR HEAD?
This I can say no to. I am always on the go with the puppies at the end of the night so I've usually had to turn the computer off at that point.

9.WHAT ONE TIP WOULD YOU GIVE YOURSELF AS A NEW BLOGGER IF YOU COULD GO BACK AND START FROM THE BEGINNING?
Research blog sites and websites and find one that could easily transfer your old posts over onto a new site. I have yet to find that so it's going to be a big project!

10.DO YOU LIKE CHEESE?
Ha! That's a great question and yes, EXTRA SHARP CHEDDA for life!! Even my puppies are obsessed with cheese. We are a big cheesy family.

11. WHAT ONE PERSONALITY TRAIT DO YOU FEEL ADDS TO YOU AS A BLOGGER AND TO YOUR BLOG POST STYLE?
My outgoing, spunky, tell it like I see it attitude. No sugar coating here. I type like I talk and people seem to not only notice that about me but appreciate it too :)

And there ya have it, a little bit o' Brooke!

Now, this is what needs to be done next for my nominees:

You must write 11 facts about yourself
You must link back the person that nominated you
You must come up with 11 questions on your own
You must tag at least 5 other blogs with under 200 followers
You must let me know when your questions are answered
Enjoy and have fun!

Here are my nominees!!!

Allie Beauty 22
Stuff I Love Blog
Best Beauty For My Buck Blog
Eat Shop Sleep Repeat
Clean Up On Aisle Seventeen
Love Anela

And here are my questions to ya'll :)

1. Where are you from?
2. Do you do a full face every day?
3. Why did you start blogging?
4. What inspired your name of your blog?
5. Summer or Winter?
6. Where do you see you and your blog in 1 year?
7. What is your favorite post you've ever written and why?
8. What is the hardest part about running your blog?
9. Do you like to read blogs with more pictures or text?
10. Where is your favorite place to blog?
11. What do you do when you're in a rut for inspiration?

Again, I am so honored to have even been thought of for this award! It is so exciting and a great way for the blogging community to get more involved as a unit!

Got any comments? Let me know below!

Have a great day! xo

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Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Vidal Sassoon Pro Series Review

I've been a member of Influenster for a while now and this is the second campaign I have been asked to join. Read about my first one HERE. This time, I received complimentary products from Vidal Sassoon for testing purposes.

Vidal Sassoon Pro Series Products

I was sent samples from their Pro Series line that included shampoo and conditioner from the Moisture line and heat protection and shine spray from the repair line. While the shampoo and conditioner were travel sized, the spray was full size and valued at $5.90 on Amazon.

I know I sound like a broken record, but since I made the sulfate free switch in my hair care products, I won't be trying the shampoo. I actually have tried the conditioner before and sadly it is not for me. I don't feel like it did anything for my hair, much less moisturize it. My hair is like hay when it is wet and I just felt like I put a big glob of lotion in it after using this product. In fact, I washed it off and used my regular conditioner. It was like it was never even on my hair.

But I was quite excited to try the heat protection and shine spray though since I blow dry and curl my hair a lot and am always looking for the next best, affordable, product to keep my locks gorgeous. I always read the instructions on products, even though they may seem self explanatory. For instance, this product says not to use on roots. Most likely it would cause your hair to become an oil slick and weigh it down so don't assume all sprays can be sprayed all over. I sprayed it mid shaft to my roots, 6-8 inches away.

I liked it! It made my hair soft and smooth. It also had a very light, clean fragrance. Some reviews claimed they smelled alcohol but I didn't. I shook the bottle as I would with any product so maybe that made all the difference? Now, because it has alcohol in it, this is not something I will be using all the time and I didn't fall head over heels so won't be buying once I run out. But it is an affordable option for you to think about!

As for shine, maybe that happens with continued use, as I didn't look like I was walking down the runway with a halo around my head after one. I liked that it didn't leave my hair frizzier nor leave any build up as that has happened with some products.....

I partially blow dry my hair and then blow dry individual sections and wrap them around a velcro roller before I apply my makeup. When I am done my hair is full of volume and donezo and I could definitely tell that it was smoother.

Have you tried the Pro Series from Vidal Sassoon yet?

What are your thoughts?

Let me know in the comments below!

Have a great day!

"I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes."

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