Saturday, May 30, 2015

Coastal Scents Haul

Hey guys! Welcome back. Today I have a little Coastal Scents haul for you. Today's haul has just 4 items, but they're some pretty amazing items. Let's get started.

The smallest item of the bunch is Envision Length Mascara. The picture of the brush head on the site looks like it has longer rubber bristles that taper down to shorter ones at the end. The tube has a sleek and simple design. I've got a few open mascaras open right now, so this one will have to wait.


Up next, I have the Color Me Fuchsia Brush Set. It comes with 5 brushes and a black carrying case. These are the perfect size to travel with, and if you only wanted to do a simple look, you have all the brushes you would need. You've got a flat concealer brush that could double as an eyeshadow brush is you like to apply concealer with your fingers like I do. There's a dense C-shaped shadow brush, a tapered blending brush, and a small detailer brush to round out the eyes. The only face brush included in the set is a huge, fluffy, rounded long handled kabuki brush.





This next product, I feel like will be kind of hit or miss for me. It's the Eclipse Palette that comes with 15 concealer and corrector shades. I'm happy that it will suite a wide variety of people, and if you're a makeup artist, this would make a great addition to your kit. I do my friends makeup a lot when they come over, and I never have anything I can use on my lighter complected friends. I was hoping this would help me out with that.




I saved the best for last: The Revealed 2 Palette! I was so stoked when they released this as a competitor to the Naked 3. I don't own the original Revealed Palette, but this one I can already tell will be amazing. The shade range that you get and the range of finishes is unbelievable. Out of the 20 eyeshadows, 10 are satin, 3 are shimmers, and 7 are matte. I'm surprised so many are matte and so little are shimmery, but I am impressed. The matte shades are perfect for the crease or lower lash line.



Next time I purchase from Coastal Scents, I want to get more of their brushes and more than a handful of their single shadows. I've heard they're incredible.

Kiss, Kiss.
-A

Thursday, May 28, 2015

Head & Shoulders Moisture Care Line Full Review

I've had the Head & Shoulders Moisture Care line for about 4 weeks. In those 4 weeks, I have used the line about 4 times. The first time I tried out the line I did a first impressions post. Check it out here. Since you've read up on my first go with the products, let me break down how I feel about it now.

I've used this entire hair line both my itself and with other products. Just to put it out there, I do really like the line. This is the very first dandruff line that I've used that actually worked for me. I only wash my hair about once a week, and even in only using it that often, it still worked really well. I have noticeably less flakes, and my scalp itches way less.


Ok. Let's start with the Moisture Care 2-in-1 Shampoo + Conditioner. Like the bottle says, it fights irritation and flakes from dandruff while moisturizing hair. I never thought I would find these qualities in the same product. This was the only part of the line I didn't use by itself. My hair is too dry for me not to use a conditioning product after a shampoo. If you have incredibly oily hair, you could probably get away with using this on its own since it has the conditioner built in.


Of the 7 benefits listed on the bottle, I can't say that it doesn't do any one of these. I have far less issues with my flaky scalp, my hair looks and feels amazing after usage, and I feel like I could use a whole other post to talk about the scent. Coconuts are pictured on the packaging, and let me tell you, the coconut scent is heavenly both in and out of the shower.


Now, let's move on to the Moisture Care Co-Wash. This is basically liquid gold. I have never seen a co-wash that also fights dandruff. It only has half as much active ingredient as the shampoo, though. I did use this on it's own just a few days ago, and it is just as good without the shampoo as it is with it. On a scale of 1-10, the richness of this product is about an 7.5 to me.


This piece of the line was the real test, for me. I need my conditioners and co-washes to leave my hair feeling really hydrated and healthy. I didn't see that on the first use, so I was a bit disappointed. Once I used it for the second time, I was sold. I think the initial use of dandruff products on my hair and scalp dried them out. The second time, I believe my head was ready for it and the product got to work the way it was supposed to.


The third, and final, product of the line is the Moisture Care Scalp Soother. The name for this product is perfect, because that's exactly what it does. The instructions say to use it either straight after shampoo and conditioning or whenever you feel the need to itch. I use it most of the time in between washes. When I feel like I need to use this, I know it's time to go in with the shampoo and co-wash again.


For some reason, this works so well on me. I absolutely love the way it tingles on my scalp, especially when my pores are still open after I get out of the shower. I only had to use this a handful of times between washes, though. It feels just as good on a dry scalp as it does on a wet one. 


Along with the line, I got a 3$ off coupon to pass along to a friend. If I don't give it to my mom I'll be keeping it for myself to buy another Co-Wash and Scalp Soother. 


Getting down to the very core of this review, I would absolutely recommend this entire line. Not only did it do what it said it would, but it works really well. My hair doesn't feel dry in the least, and there is no residue from any of these three products. 

Kiss, Kiss.
-A

Sunday, May 24, 2015

Friday Night Face 5.22.15

I wanted to start a new series on my blog that I knew I wouldn't need to think really hard to come up something new. So I thought I would let you guys see what I wore to work on Friday nights. I work for tips, and I've learned that the better I look, the better my tips are. I'll show you what products and brushes I used and then I'll share the final look with you guys on Instagram.

Base


I like to apply all of my base products first. I usually have a freshly washed face, and apply some lip balm. I've almost finished my Sally Hansen Vita-C Lip Plumper. Then I go in with my SheerCover Base Perfector in my T-zone, and the Pixi Flawless Beauty Primer on the rest of my face. Before I move away from the face to let my primer sink in, I apply some Too Faced Shadow Insurance to my lids. 

Eyes


With a blending brush from Icing, I buff the 4th shade from the left in the Profusion Drama Palette into my crease. Using a nameless flat shader brush, I pack on and foil the first shade on the left all over the lid. Taking the fat side of a Crown Brush double ended eyeshadow brush, I use the dusty purple next to my transition shade and shove it into my outter V. I take just a little extra product and go back through the crease to make sure everything is blended well. 


Two coats of the Urban Decay Perversion Mascara go on my top lashes. To help lengthen and separate my lashes, I also apply a layer pf the Origins GinZing Mascara, as well. I line my waterline with a generic black pencil eyeliner, and take the 1$ elf Liquid Eyeliner to make a cat-eye. After I smoke out my lower lash line with the same color in my outter corner, I go in with the Wet N Wild MegaLength Mascara for my lower lashes. 


Face


Because the concealer is so much lighter than my skintone right now, I put a mixture of both halves of the SheerCover Concealer Duo in the typical upside down triangle shape under my eyes ti highlight. Using a mixture of the Maybelline Fit Me Foundation in 320 Honey Beige and the elf Acne Fighting Foundation in Coffee, I apply my foundation with the elf Small Stipple Brush. Once that is on, I use a disposable cosmetic sponge to apply  my elf High Definition Undereye Setting Powder to set my concealer further. On the rest of my face goes the Smooth Criminal Powder from Be A Bombshell with the Mineral Foundation Brush from Mary Kay. 


I apply the elf Essential Bronzer in Bronzed to my cheeks to warm up the skin with my Starlooks Sculpt & Blush Brush. With the same brush, I apply the Blackberry Baked Bronzer from Black Radiance just to the hollows of my cheeks. For my blush, I used Ginger from SheerCover. As for my highlight, I used my Starlooks Loose Powder in LSP4 using a small the Mini Fan Powder Brush from Laura Mercier.


Brows


I run a disposible spoolie through my brows before I use the elf Cream Eyeliner in Coffee to the bottom edge and tail of my brow. I brush that product through with the spoolie, and then use the small angled brush that came with the eyeliner to apply this no name matte brown eyeshadow to the rest of my brows. 

Lips


Now that most of the lip balm has gone from my lips, I apply the Wet N Wild ColorIcon Lip Pencil in the shade Berry Red to the perimeter of my lips. On top of that goes the Maybelline ColorSensational Lipstick in 215 Totally Toffee. To add a bit of shine to the lips, I top them off with Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipgloss in Mauve Renew.


Hope this was fun for you guys. Come back to see what I look like next week!

Kiss, Kiss.
-A

Friday, May 22, 2015

Bargain Haul!

I'm back again with a cheap makeup and beauty haul! This time I stopped at Five Below and Marshalls. Let's dive in.

I only got one skincare item, and that was the 24/7 Nourishing Concentrated Eye Cream. This is a massive jar of eye cream. It's a whole ounce! I bought it because I just opened my last tube that I had on my shelf of skincare, and I knew I would literally scream and cry if I ran out. I HAVE to have a backup.



Moving to lips, I got a ton of things. I have three more lipbalms. I found the limited edition Maybelline Baby Lips in Pink Shock and Oh! Orange, and I picked up another tube of Carmex.


I have a new elf Matte Lip Color in the shade Tea Rose and a City Color Lip Balm in Fire. I have a few of the Matte Lip Colors already, and really love the formula. The City Color lip balm looks like a sheer lipstick. The color is great for summer.


I may have gone overboard with this next set of lippies, but Five Below had the LA Girl Glazed Lip Paints and I just had to get every color! I've never seen these in stores, and I could not pass up on a chance to try them out. You had better believe I'll have a swatch post coming.


For the eyes, I picked up a base and some shadows. I've got the City Color Jumbo Eye Pencil in White, because duh. And I have an eyeshadow palette from the brand Profusion. I think they're a house brand from Five Below, but if the shadows are good, who cares? It's called the Drama palette and comes with 10 eyeshadows.




I have 2 more items for the face from City Color. One is the Sunkissed Trio in Tan. It has a satin blush, matte bronzer, and super shiny highlight. I hope the bronzer is dark enough for me. I also have their Blush Quad in Collection 2. It has some really beautiful shades that I can't wait to try on.



Don't think I forgot about my nails. I have 2 new polishes from Wet N Wild to add to my collection. The nude peach shade is called Private Viewing, and the soft purple is called Bite the Bullet. Both are limited edition shades.


Thank you for supporting my habit! You're lovely folks.

Kiss, Kiss.
-A

Thursday, May 21, 2015

The Purge: Primers

It is time for another installment of my makeup declutter series. We're obviously focusing on primers today. I have a good few, and I know I don't use them all. I'm also pretty sure a few should be thrown out. We shall see!

These first three I use every the most. I'm trying to finish them off. They are Pixi Beauty Flawless Beauty Primer, SheerCover Base Perfector Primer, and Dr Brandt Pores No More Pore Refiner Primer. I use these for different reasons, and I usually use them in unison. The Pixi primer is more luminous. I use it on my cheeks because they're dryer. The Dr. Brandt I use on my nose, under my eyes and the apples of my cheeks. The SheerCover I can use anywhere. I'm almost done with the Dr. Brandt, and the SheerCover, so you should see them in my next makeup empties.




I have 2 Rimmel primers: Fix & Perfect 001, and Stay Matte. I used to really enjoy this primer. It has a really nice feel to it, it moisturizes, and my skin looks a bit healthier after I put it on. I'm going to try to use this on days where I don't actually wear makeup to cut down on the shiny look I have after I apply my moisturizer and sunscreen. As for the Stay Matte, I need to give it another go this summer. I didn't get much of a chance to use it last summer.



I have a single primer from Proactiv. It's their Smoothing Primer. I really really liked this when I first started using it. Now, it has too much of a slippy feel to it, and it's really thin. I'm gonna pass on this one.


Is anyone surprised that I have the Maybelline Baby Skin or the L'Oreal Pore Vanisher? These are the two best pore filling primers I've ever used, and they're drugstore!!! Baby Skin feels so good. It also has a powder-like finish to it. If you don't like the slippy feel of Baby Skin, Pore Vanisher is a great alternative.



My elf Poreless Face Primer is still fairly new to me. I still haven't really given it a chance to see how I feel about it because I've been trying to finish the first 3. I'm obviously keeping this one.


Three of my primers are unopened. Go figure. Two are the SheerCover Base Perfector and the other is the Julep Blank Canvas Mattifying Face Primer. I have mixed feelings about giving up both of the Base Perfectors, so I'll keep one and pass the other.



The last of the bunch are all samples, two of which are Korean. I've got Witch's Pouch Real Skin Moisture Ampoule Base, Verikos Ultra Matte Velvet Primer, and sample packet of the Pore Vanisher. I had another Witch's Pouch sample and I liked it. I've been saving this one to remind myself to buy some online. I am amazed at how mattifying the Verikos primer is. I NEED to buy this in its full size, but whenever I go online to look for it, I can't find it.


Starting Number: 15
Ending Number: 13

I don't feel bad about this declutter like I have about the others where I haven't gotten rid of a lot of things. I'll be finishing 2 of them in the next few weeks, and 3 of them are samples. So really I only have 8 primers to work with. I'm totally happy about that. (About a week separates the time that this post was worked on and when it went live. Within that span of time, One of the smaller primers had been used up. Check back to the next empties for which it is ;))

Kiss, Kiss.
-A