The History of Makeup

Check out this History of Makeup infographic I found! I find it extremely interesting which strange objects most makeup stems from and the trends/movements that caused makeup to evolve. 

Julep Maven Starter Box Unboxing - January 2014

Seattle-based company, Julep, caught my eye about half a year ago but I have a plethora of nail polishes and saw no need to get more. However, while reading another beauty blog, I discovered they have a promo code "FREEBOX" which lets you get 1 free intro box and see what their Julep Maven Subscription Service is like. I literally received my box the very next day after I subscribed. Granted, the only catch here is that you have to pay around $4 for taxes and some shipping cost and they get your credit card on file (I have already sent customer service an email asking them to remove my card so that I am not billed for the following month).

If you want to sign up, click here: http://www.julep.com/rewardsref/index/refer/id/371425/

They have 5 different profiles that you can fit into (after filling out a short questionnaire): Modern Beauty, Boho Glam, Bombshell, Classic With a Twist, It Girl. I got "Bombshell" and I actually liked the box associated with my profile best (however, if you don't like your box, you can always choose any other box) - so you always know exactly what you're getting. There's also huge discounts for those who are purchasing other items (some can be as much as 40-50% off).

I received the following: 

Julep - Mighty Nail & Cuticle Serum Pen

Julep - Nail Polish - Zelda (pink champagne metallic)

Julep - Nail Polish - Kendra (an army green frost)

Julep - Blank Canvas - Mattifying Face Primer (sample packet)

This is what the polishes look like on:

Julep Zelda Nail Polish 

Julep Kendra Nail Polish

I really like their polishes, they're smooth and true to color, you can easily achieve the color that you see in the bottle usually on the first coat. I really enjoyed the cuticle pen as well because it didn't leave my cuticles feeling too oily like the "Solar Oil" I normally use but did leave my cuticles feeling softer and more moisturized.

Here's where you can buy the full sized products:

Glossybox December 2013 Unboxing

I'm rarely disappointed by Glossybox. Last month (November) I had a really irritating experience though. The majority of my products arrived broken and I contacted customer service and they sent a replacement box... which was *also* broken. So I contacted them again and they refunded my entire monthly cost, which is good but still kind of sad that I didn't get the products to show you guys what my box was.

So moving on to better news: This is the December 2013 Box! I received:

1. Anatomicals - You Need a Blooming Shower - Body Cleanser
2. Michael Todd - Pumpkin Rich Facial Mask
3. Nails Inc. Nail Polish - Victoria
4. Ardency Inn - PUNKER Eyeliner
5. Naobay - Oxygenating Cream Moisturizing



I love everything in this box! The Anatomicals cleanser has that classical rose scent and is a very affordable cleanser you can get - it's such a luxurious treat for your bath or shower, it's not sticky or gooey at all. The Michael Todd Pumpkin Mask I am very familiar with, as it was sent out earlier in 2013 in an Ipsy Glam Bag (I received it then too) and I'm happy to get it again. The color of the Nails Inc. polish is a deep burgundy red. You need to apply more than one coat to get complete coverage but I usually apply 2 and a top coat, so you'll be fine if you do too. The liquid eyeliner is in a chubby pen format with a felt tip (felt tips are my absolute favorite method for applying my liquid eyeliner) and you can get a thick line or a very thin line - it is a true black. The Naobay facial moisturizing cream is organic and natural - I love getting good-for-you products in these boxes and this will definitely be used!

This month's theme was "Gloss & Glamour" and I  think they really hit the nail on the head for the holidays with this one. The colors chosen were classy and perfect for any occasion.

Let me know if you would like an invite to Glossybox so you're not wait-listed!

You can purchase some of the products you see here:

Ipsy Glam Bag Unboxing Video - December 2013

Hi all,

I was on vacation until this week so I wasn't home to get my subscription services... so now I'll be bombarding you with what I've received! Hope you enjoy the video! If you want to sign up to IPSY, click here: http://www.ipsy.com/r/1lfc

Here's a quick snapshot of my Glam Room so you can see the products I received this month:

For similar products that you can easily order (or my personal favorite dupes), click on the links below:

Y.A. Romance: So Damn Beautiful

I'm so excited to share "So Damn Beautiful" by L.J. Kennedy with you guys! I've read numerous romance/erotic stories and this one definitely stands out!

The whole novel was very picturesque, I could always see what was going on in the back of my mind's eye. In my opinion, any novel that you can't really visualize isn't worth your time or energy. "So Damn Beautiful" was full of thrills, longing, and tension, it's really a love story that has me as riveted as "The Notebook". The big difference, however, is that this novel is set in the present day and I had a much easier time relating to the characters and places.



Here's a quick synopsis from the author:

In this stunning New Adult romance novel, good girl Annie Green meets tortured graffiti artist Chase Adams and is swept up in the gritty, thrilling world of New York’s underground street scene…   

Studious NYU art major Annie Green is laser-focused on one day becoming a curator at the Louvre in Paris. Then she meets brooding graffiti artist Chase Adams, the hottest thing in New York’s burgeoning street scene – and also the most beautiful boy she’s ever seen. Not that such things matter to Chase. He just wants to be left alone to create. 

When Annie manages to convince Chase to work with her on a major NYU art retrospective, their connection is intense and undeniable, as Chase challenges everything Annie thought she knew about art, life…and love. Slowly, he begins to trust again and reveal the truth about his past. But when Annie is pursued by the privileged president of the fraternity – someone who clearly offers Annie much more than him – Chase begins a dangerous descent into darkness. Annie must decide between her head and her heart, and choosing wrongly could shatter them both to the very core forever… 

***This is a New Adult romance novel. Recommended for 17+ due to strong language and sexual content.

Get your copy here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1494480328
Check out the author's website here: http://www.lj-kennedy.com/

Let me know if you've read this book and what your thoughts are!

NYC New York Color Eyeshadow Trio Tutorial

I received a NYC New York Color Eyeshadow Trio in the color 781 "Long Beach Sands" in my Jolly Voxbox from Influenster (more on that in a later post) and I was challenged to create a look and write a tutorial on how to achieve it! This is a very affordable product, especially for makeup beginners who are uncertain of which colors may look good on them (this is a good place to start), these retail for $2.99 in the US (prices may vary by country). It comes with a highlighter (the top shade), an all over lid color (the middle shade) and a crease tone (the bottom shade) as well as an applicator. The guides on the package are only meant to help out but you can certainly mix these colors around to achieve different looks. The texture of this is very fine and super blend-able so don't be afraid to try out various different shades in the product line.

I think a neutral eyeshadow look is one that will flatter many skin-tones, now obviously the darker your skin, the deeper the shades you should use and some of these colors may be too faint or the change in coloration may be too subtle. You can always opt for more contrast in your color choices so I always choose a very light shade and a much darker shade so that they pop more against each other (the top and middle shade of this trio work well together in that respect).

To achieve a subtle and daytime smokey eye with this trio of colors, use your darkest tone (or the middle color in the trio) closest to your lash line and sweep it across. Patting the color on with a fine tipped or thin angled brush will allow you to give the appearance of eyeliner.  Use the midtone (or the bottom-most color of the trio)  on the medium portion of your eye and then the lightest highlighter tone (the top color of the trio) on the crease of your eyelid. This will create a subtle gradient which is suitable for day time activities or night time fun!

Birchbox December 2013 Unboxing

Click below to watch the video of my December 2013 Birchbox unboxing!

Thanks for watching this video! These opinions are solely my own, I'm not sponsored by any companies and I'm just giving you my honest opinion as a consumer about this product.

Birchbox: http://birch.ly/1kBMFFs

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Sorry if I seem especially harsh but this box was such an unpleasant surprise that even my husband said "that doesn't look like it's worth $10" about the things in my box... and he's right, I wouldn't pay half of that for this box. Who needs 1 random hair band? Who needs another really small sample fragrance? A phone wipey?? 1 use of a moisturizer?

I think there are 2 very important components to a perfect subscription service:

1) the items should be curated for everyone based on their likes and dislikes and 2) the subscriber should always feel as though they're getting more than they paid for.

It seems that Birchbox has just gotten too big for its britches, they don't invest the proper time to get to know their subscribers, what's on trend, and which companies we're really interested in trying out. I feel that the quality of their products has become mediocre, the variety is uninteresting and I would rather spend my $10 monthly on new drugstore makeup (since drugstore brands have been stepping up their game significantly). If you consider that for that price, I could get 3+ Wet n Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow Trios (that's 9 full eyeshadows!!) what am I wasting my money on this box of things I'll probably never use for? At least give me some products I'm halfway excited about. Ipsy and Glossybox get it right every month somehow and their customer service is exceptional especially when responding to complaints or re-sending damaged items. So I'll be saving this $10 from now on.

Let me know what your experiences are, I know everyone receives different products in their boxes. I'm curious to find out if anyone else has had any similar or even differing experiences.