Monday, December 30, 2013

Review/Makeup Post - December 2013 Starbox

Hey y'all! Omg welcome back. Today I am obviously going to be reviewing my very first Starbox!!!! With that being said, let me just tell you guys about the subscription. This is not at all like Ipsy or Birchbox. Starbox is a monthly subscription service that was created by the makeup brand Starlooks. Starlooks is a professional quality, internet based makeup brand. As far as the actual box goes, the cost is more expensive than Ipsy. It's 15$/month plus 2.68$ shipping. The cost is a little more than Ipsy's 10$, but with Starbox you DO NOT get sample products. All of the products they send you are full size! Each box has 3-4 FULL SIZE makeup products valued at at least 35$!!!!

When you sign up for your subscription, you take a style quiz. You also have the choice of what you get as a free gift every time someone uses your referral link. I used my friend's link when I ordered mine, she just recently received her gift in the mail. If you wanna see what she got, here is what she got from my subscription. If you wanna help me out by using my referral link, just click here to get started.

Another great thing about this box is that you're able to purchase past boxes if they still have them in stock. Each past box costs 25$. So if you just want to try out the products without the commitment, this is a great way to do so. Anyway, enough talk from me, let's get into this month's box!

December's theme was Holiday Special. With each month, they do a lookbook. The link to that is right here if you wanna check that out. Packaging this month was really simple. It arrived in a white box that has golden bronze lettering and a bright green tie.


Inside, the first thing that I see is this slip of paper announcing their new rewards program! Every three months straight that you take your Starbox, you get a free 35$ gift! That is freaking amazing! They already give you points for purchasing products through their website, but having this on top of it is crazy amazing!



There was just one item in this month's box. I should be disappointed right? WRONG!!! This month's item was a 15 shadow palette that retails for 99$! There isn't even a link for this palette on their website. It is only currently owned by current Starbox subscribers! New Year's Eve 2014 is the name on the palette.




Here come some swatches! I only had trouble with swatching one color, and that was the matte cranberry. When I say I had trouble, I mean I had to go over the color twice whereas with the others I only had to go over them once. There is a nice mix of shimmers, mattes, and satins with this palette. You could make a number of looks with this. I did not use a primer for these.



I am sooooo happy with this subscription. For my first box, I am thoroughly pleased! The shadows are soft and pigmented. I had almost no trouble with swatching them. I will be doing a look with this palette in an upcoming post or I might just post the picture on my Instagram. Until then...

Kiss, Kiss.
-A

Friday, December 27, 2013

Review/Haul Post - December 2013 Ipsy Glam Bag

Oh. My. Gosh! You guys!!! This month's bag is BOMB!!!!! I don't even wanna preamble. Let's just do this.

The Goods:

The bag for this month is a black patent leather clutch with cute little studs all over it. Instead of the zipper being on the top, it's on the front.


The first thing I pulled from the bag were the Andrea Strip Lashes in 33 black. These lashes are gorgeous. They're thick enough to be good for a night out and whispy enough to wear during the day. Really excited about these.
[]Pass [X] Buy



Next came the POPbeauty Bright Up Your Life Eye Shadow Trio in Smokin' Hot. I was really surprised at how these shadows performed. Only the darkest shade was a little chalky and a little less pigmented than the others.
[]Pass [X]Buy




My next item was this beautiful NYX Creamy Round Lipstick in the shade Goddess. It's so pretty!!! I don't even know what to say about it. It is a pinky, cream colored nude with the tiniest bit of shimmer to it. It GLIDES on. I love it. I will absolutely have to go buy more of these.
[]Pass [X]Buy



Next up is the Starrily Nail Polish in Bzz Bzz. I was so happy to get my first Indie nail polish! I love glitter polishes. This one is no exception. The formula was great so it didn't take long to dry.
[]Pass [X]Buy



Last but not least, I got the Be A Bombshell Cosmetics The One Stick in the shade Flustered, which is a soft cherry red. I traded it with my mom for the shade Girl Crush. This one is a soft pale pinky champagne shade. It makes a great eye shadow base and is a really good highlight color for me. The only negative about this product is that because it's so soft, if you twist it up too far and then twist it back down, some of the product ends up scraping off on the side of the tube.
[?]Pass [?]Buy




Price Summary:
Andrea lashes (FULL SIZE) - 3.99
POPbeauty trio - 7.20
NYX lipstick (FULL SIZE) - 4.00
Starrily polish - 5.00
Be A Bombshell stick (FULL SIZE) - 16.00
Total: 36.19

This month's bag was really fantastic! I loved all my products and will absolutely be using them some time soon. If you want to get in on the fantastic Ipsy action, there is a link in the right side bar or just click here to take the style quiz ans start getting your bags.

Kiss, Kiss.
-A

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Nail Post - Easy Snowflake Nail Pictorial

I have been so MIA. Stupid finals. This semester has sucked, but I'm still here and still making progress.
But anyway, I made this pictorial for you guys! This is the first pictorial for winter! .

Supplies:

  • Base Coat
  • Silver Polish
  • Silver glitter Polish
  • White Striper
  • White Polish
  • Dotting Tool
  • Sheer Shimmer Polish
  • Top Coat
Step 1: Do a base coat! DUH!

Step 2: Apply one coat of silver nail polish.


Step 3: Apply 2 coats of silver glitter top coat.


Step 4: Using a white striper, paint a 6-point snowflake on each nail. They can be any size and orientation.


Step 5: On half of the snowflakes, make shorter arms coming off of the main 6 arms. The larger ones will be easier to do.


Step 6: Take your medium sized dotting tool and make a white dot on the ends and centers of the remaining snowflakes.


Step 7: Use the more shimmery glitter top coat to apply 1-2 even coats on top of the finished snowflakes to give the nails a more frosted appearance.


Step 8: Finish these babies off with a top coat!



All done! This took me like 20 mins to do after work. I am super pleased with the results. Check my Instagram for more Christmas and holiday inspired nails! Come back and see me!

Kiss, Kiss.
-A


Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Nail Post - December 2013 Julep Maven Box

I was super excited to get this box!!! I've had it for about a week and haven't been able to play with it because of Christmas shopping season at the mall. Bleh. I didn't get my usual It Girl box this month; reason being: I really wanted that eyeshadow palette! I was having a hard time deciding between Classic with a Twist, and Boho Glam. I really only loved one color from each, so I ended up getting the Classic with a Twist box, and adding on Misti from Boho Glam. Did I mention I only used my Jules to pay for this month's box? Yeah, 'cause I'm awesome.



Jillian - Classic with a Twist - "Deep eggplant with bronze molten"
This polish was the reason I ended up picking this box. It is absolutely beautiful. It kind of reminds me of OPI Germamicure or Octoberfest but a mix between the two. Love this color!


Mia - Classic with a Twist - "Greenish silver metallic"
I thought I would like this color. It is way too cool toned for my skin. It makes me look sick lol. I will be giving this to a friend. 


Misti - Boho Glam - "Smoky blue-grey crème"
I am SO in love with this nail polish! It's so stinkin' pretty!!!! I will have to use this for a winter nail art design. It's the perfect shade of blue. 


Sweep Eyeshadow Palette: Neutrals -
 "Create looks as bold or as soft as you’d like while smoothing lids and promoting collagen production. Formulated with anti-aging ingredients including Power Cell Complex™, these five classic shades are: 
Tiramisu—nude satin
Glow—golden shimmer
Dusk—mauve satin
Toffee—bronze shimmer
Cocoa—chocolate brown with gold shimmer"







Can we just talk about this eyeshadow palette for a minute? Can we do that? 'Cause HOLY CRAP these shadows are good! They are so buttery, and they just glide on. I didn't think I would like the lightest two shades, but they are super pretty and they show up on my skin without making me look ashy. Love that!

I am hoping to make at least two posts a week from now on, since I won't be as busy with work, work, work, and school. I'll just have work, work, and school haha. But come back soon! I'm hoping to have my December Ipsy Bag Review to post here in about 2 days. 

Kiss, Kiss.
-A

Saturday, December 14, 2013

Haul/Review Post - Mini CVS Haul

Hey hey! I bought some more stuff! I've been feeling crappy lately because of class and the holidays coming up, so mama needed a little retail therapy. I had a ton of coupons when I bought this stuff, and I think I spent a total of 1.40$ on everything. I love coupons. Let's get into it.

The Goods:

Wet 'N Wild Color Icon Trio in Zero Dark Flirty and MegaProtein Mascara combo pack
I have been looking for this since ever!!!!! I found it randomly in CVS and it was the only one I could find. I really wanted the other trios, but I'll take one. Both of these together were only 2.99$! That is amazing for WNW considering the trios are usually 2.99$ and the mascara by itself is 1.99$, so I essentially got the mascara for free!


Color Icon Eyeshadow Trio
"We all need help from our soldiers in arms! This formula includes a jet-milled base, silicone technology, and pearl-density, which is just military-speak for being uber-pigmented, smooth-like-silk, and forever-lasting! Plus, with directions embossed right on the palette? Consider this your most trusted shadow cadet!"



The trio is wonderful, just like all the other WNW palettes I own. I love that they're all matte. WNW doesn't usually do matte shadows. I love shimmer on my lids, but having some matte shades for dimension are really great to have. The color payoff is comparable to their other shadows. These do seem to have a bit more fallout though. 
MegaProtein Mascara
"Think of this mascara as your personal trainer - it always knows what's best for you and will whip you into shape! This nourishing mascara beautifully conditions your lashes and helps make them fuller and thicker naturally. It purs your lashes on a diet of soy and wheat proteins, acai oil, and D-Panthenol to help protect and strengthen each hair. Get them lashes moving!"


This mascara reminds me a lot of their other mascaras. That isn't bad, but it isn't good. When a company releases multiple variations of the same product, I actually expect some variation. The formula isn't mind blowing, but it is a good basic mascara. It lengthens a bit and gives a really natural looking lash. The formula is also really wet. I tend to like my mascara a bit more dry so it clings to itself. 

Wet 'N Wild Color Icon Blusher in Berry Shimmer
This puppy was only 2.99$ and it is one of my all time favorite blushes. It is extremely pigmented. It has this really intense bright raspberry color to it. A tiny bit goes a super long way. The powder is really soft, so it blends really easily, too. 
"Sweep on this silky-smooth blush that strikes the perfect balance between a blendable transparent sheen and a radiant pop of maximum color. A special blend of treated nylon powders provides long-lasting color. Dermatologist-tested."




Maybelline Volum' Express Falsies Big Eyes Washable Mascara
I know I complain all the time in my Ipsy bag reviews that I'm tired of getting mascara. That's because I'm always buying mascara. This one is probably going to be one of my new favorites. It's the one that has a brush for your uppers and a brush for your lowers. The lower lash brush is like a little baby brush, (it's so cute!) but the upper lash brush is totally funky shaped. It looks like it has 2 rows of longer, stiffer bristles that lengthen and separate the lashes, and all the other bristles are shorter and denser. The rows aren't straight either. They rotate slightly around the brush. I got some massive volume and major length from this. It does clump, but it has a not-quite-wet, not-quite-dry formula so the mascara sticks to itself. If you like long, thick, spidery lashes, this is the mascara for you!
"Revolutionary dual-ended Mascara for 360° all around Lash Glam. Two brushes specifically designed for top and bottom lashes. Special quick-dry formula holds lashes in place."



L'Oreal True Match Super Blendable Blush in Spiced Plum
It's so pretty! You can tell it's a cool toned blush, but I will wear whatever blush I want! It's a beautiful color and it gives a soft flush to your cheeks, so it's natural looking. While I was playing around with the packaging, I figured out that it has a little mirror and a brush in a compartment under the actual blush! I literally found this while typing this review haha. The brush is surprisingly soft, too. It's still going to Riley. She loves getting new brushes to play with.
"True Match™ Blush flawlessly complements your skin’s tone and texture. Coordinates perfectly with True Match™ Makeup, Powder, and Concealer. True-to-life shades precisely match your skin tone and undertone, leaving you with the most natural flush of color imaginable."




That's all my new stuff, y'all! I hope you enjoyed the swatches and reviews. Come see me again!

Kiss, Kiss.
-A

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Nail Post - Monthly Recap and Faves

November sucked for me. It was too short, and Thanksgiving was ruined by work and finals. I haven't done my nails in a week! A WEEK! Not fair. I'll just show you what I did get to do to them this month. Enjoy.

MANIS








SWATCHES

Julep Tatiana

 Julep Kristy

Nailtini Champagne

Nailtini Caviar Cocktail

Funky Fingers Puffo Gelato

Funky Fingers Square Candy

Fresh Paint Partly Cloudy

Carla Nail Lacquer

Julep Mandy

Julep Otte

OTHER'S MANIS



That's it for the month of November. Be sure to check out my Instagram page for more nails!

Kiss, Kiss.
-A