Physican's Formula Organic Wear Fake Out Mascara

Looooove my Ate Donna's lashes and asked her what kind of mascara she is using right now.  She already has gorgeous long lashes that just popped with the mascara.  I picked up Physician's Formula Organic Wear Fake Out Mascara in Ultra Black and lucky it was BOGO!  One for me, one for my Beeb.  ;)  

Bare lashes, just curled. So short!

After 1 coat

Let's add another coat

After 2 coats

What the website says:

• 1st EVER mascara with 100% natural origin lash extension fibers for the full-on fringe of lashes without irritation.
• Innovative formula amplifies lash volume, length & curl.
• Oversized brush creates a fabulously false lash effect instantly!
• 100% of the Total Ingredients are from Natural Origin.
• 70% of the Total Ingredients are from Organic Farming.
• Hypoallergenic. Fragrane Free. Safe for Sensitive Eyes and Contact Lens Wearers. Opthamologist Approved.

Pros: -100% free of harsh chemicals
         -Formula is flake free
         -Buildable

Cons: -Wand is a bit big
          -Not exactly the look of false lashes

Cost: $9 from Fred Meyer

Would I recommend this to a friend? If you're looking for a natural and safer mascara, then yes.  I wasn't completely impressed with the formula and found it to be fairly average.  Larger wands can be difficult to work with if you have shorter eyelashes, I get smudges when coating the inner and outer lashes.

First Dermstore Order

Received this email from Totalbeauty.com for a SmartBrow promotion.  I have been eyeing a few gel brow filler options like NYX Cosmetics Eye Brow Gel and Make Up Forever Aqua Brow and after comparing reviews, I went ahead with SmartBrow.  At $24.95 with free shipping, this was a good deal since the product comes with 2 types of applicators.  A full review and how-to with SmartBrow will be up soon!

About 3 business days to ship, my order came neatly packed with a couple of samples and a free Dermstore Eyelash Curler.  The samples I might give a try.  The eyelash curler I'll probably pass on to someone who needs one.  Both are nice add-ons to every order because who doesn't like getting free stuff? :) 

Blush.com has an August blush Mystery Box for $34.95 ($100 worth of product) that is tempting.  July's box had 4 full size products based on Liz from My Subscription Addiction's Blush Mystery Beauty Box Subscription Review - July 2014.  Each site has some type of promotion of a free gift and/or free shipping combination with every order.  

Free.99

This came in the mail from CosmoProf sent to probably a previous tenant or current resident. Well I am a current resident who likes beauty! Maybe one day I'll work on getting certified and reap the benefits!

Would you DIY?

What the website says:

Who said crayons are just for paper? With a little experimenting, our beauty experts have found the perfect recipe for making creamy lipsticks using coconut oil and Crayola Crayons. The best part? Crayola uses non-toxic ingredients so the lip shades you create are chemical-free and perfectly safe for your pout. Hit play to learn how to make your own lip palette. WARNING: this video will make you want to raid you child's/sibling's/friend's coloring kit.

Creative! I don't know if I would have the patience to do this or get over the fact that I made a lippy out of crayons. Haha!  Imagine the shades you could create with a box of crayons.  Anyone up for a DIY session and try this?

Affordable Shoes: Payless Dexflex Claire Flats

After seeing Mary from Swatch and Learn's,  Smorgasbord Sundays: I Love Dexflex Claire Scrunch Flats , I had to see for myself if these flats would be comfortable for me.  She has an awesome collection that include a fun cheetah pair!  Rawr!  Payless?  I am surprised at the quality of some of their shoes and the stylings.  Definitely a step up from the Pro-wings we used to rock back in the day.  I have shoes from Target and would say that the quality is fairly similar.

Its summer and I usually pick a pair of flat sandals or Havaianas on the daily.  Sometimes I need a more dressier option, whether it be for work or for a more formal occasion, having a nice pair of flats to wear or change into that are comfortable can be a challenge.  I'm a size 6.5, but since my feet are a little bit on the wider side, I size up to a 7.  I tried on both the 7 M and 7 W and found that the 7 M fit well.  No cheetah at the location I went to, so chose basic black and nude.

What the website says:
Dexflex Comfort Women's Claire Scrunch Flat

-All-Day Comfort
-Online Exclusive Available
-Wide Width Available

Get total comfort with this dexflex by Dexter flat! It features a durable upper, stretchy topline, fabric lining and a flexible outsole for ease of movement. The soft footbed boasts a two layer insole. Memory foam, like pillows provided in five-star hotels, absorbs shock, shapes and holds perfectly to cradle the foot for lasting comfort. Latex foam has a premier bouncing nature which provides cushion and a feeling of protection with every step.

I wore the black pair all-day at work last week and these really are comfy!  I did notice there was a bit of pressure on the back of my heel at the end of the day and am hoping that with wear, these will fit better.  I tried to use a low cut sock liner, but they showed above the shoe.  Wearing shoes with no socks can make them icky, but I spray my feet with deodorant/antiperspirant to keep them dry and stink free.

Pros:  -Lightweight
          -Comfortable fit
          -Good selection of colors
          -Affordable

Cons:  -Elastic heel is pretty snug (hoping it will conform to my foot better with use)
           -Shape is cut low and cannot wear with sock liners
           -Not much support in the arch

Cost: On sale for $19.99, regularly $29.99

Would I recommend this to a friend?  I would say give them a try and wear them around the house to see if they will work for you.  I did wear the black pair around the house the day before I actually wore them out to work which made me decide to keep them.  From their website, they have a good return policy in case you aren't happy with your purchase, but hopefully you end up liking these as I have!

NYX Butter Gloss Additions!

I have been loving the NYX Butter Gloss in Tiramisu as featured in this entry and picked up a couple new colors at Ulta.  There is limited availability at the Issaquah Highlands location and most of the colors had already been swatched.  Ick.  I wish people would use the testers if you want to see what the color is, not the ones for sale.  :(  I got Maple Blondie and Peaches And Cream, still on the hunt for Angel Food Cake.

Peaches And Cream and Maple Blondie

Maple Blondie is a creamy pink.  I love how the color pops with the flash.  The swatches without the flash are pale in comparison.

Peaches And Cream is actually a bit more pink than Maple Blondie.  Again, the true color really pops with the flash.

Both are great colors that are neutral shades and can be used year round.  I would like to use this with a smokey eye for night time look.  Lately have been using these with my everyday neutrals and that has been a great match.  Ulta had a buy 1, get 1 50% sale when I bought these, so this was a great deal. 

3 Targets later...

I finally found the Sonia Kashuk 15th Anniversary Limited Edition 15 piece professional brush set. It was the last one at the Factoria Target. I literally ran to it when I saw it on the shelf. Haha! Can't wait to try these brushes out!

You can tell I'm happy by the smiley eyes. :)

A new MLBB? NYX Butter Gloss in Tiramisu

Have seen other bloggers rave about NYX Butter Gloss and definitely have been lemming to get one in a natural shade.  I have been using Korres Mango Butter Lipstick in Natural Purple (shade not for sale anymore on the website :( ) for my go-to My Lips But Better (MLBB), but wanted to find something else that might work well.  Out of the colors left at my nearby Target, I chose Tiramisu.  There wasn't much of a selection left and most of the other glosses had been opened and tried.  Ick.  I wish there were better options for testers sometimes.  NYX's website describes this shade as 'Brown.'  Hmmm, I didn't think it was a brown, but maybe against my skin tone, its different than someone who is more fair.  Not quite an MLBB, but a definite nice pink, nude shade on me.

With flash on bare lips

Without flash on bare lips

Looks more pink-peach than brown against my skin

What the website says:

Buttery soft and silky smooth, our scrumptious new Butter Lip Gloss tastes as sweet as a sugar cookie - and makes your lips look downright luscious.  Swipe it on alone or over your favorite lipstick for creamy sheer to medium coverage that melts onto your lips and is never sticky.

Pros:  -Deals!  You can find this at Target, Ulta (coupons!) and other drugstores
          -Variety of shades
          -Smell and taste is yummy

Cons:  -Like all creamy lip colors, you have to make sure your lips are exfoliated well and moisturized.  My lips flaked after a few hours wearing and I had to remove the gloss and flakes and re-apply.

Cost: Under $5 at Target.

Would I recommend this to a friend?  YES, YES, YES!  I wish I had tried these sooner!  I saw that June's Ipsy bags had Butter Gloss and saw some great reviews.  I may end up picking up some other colors like Maple Blondie and Angel Food Cake.  I saw a review on NYX's website that I thought was cute and funny.

"But my reason for coming on here is to rave about the new shades they have; specifically nude shades for dark skin tones (think Gabriel Union and darker. YES, FINALLY! To be more specific, i'm talking about the shades Praline and Gingersnap. Thank you so much NYX for finally coming out with nude shades that actually are nude for darker girls like me. No more ashy, milky, "i just ate a powdered donut and put on lipgloss before cleaning my mouth" look. Please DO NOT DISCONTINUE! I repeat, DO NOT DISCONTINUE the shades Praline and Gingersnap :)"

Yay to beauty products that brown girls can wear and rave about and that are also affordable.  *clap!*clap!*clap!* Great job NYX!

Playtime!

Brought some goodie @maccosmetics palettes out to play.  I need to organize my collection at my home. I have other items in storage that I will probably fall in love with again. 

FOTD: Ulta Summer Glam Beauty Essentials

Used 3 products from Ulta's Summer Glam Beauty Essentials for this look: Laura Geller Cool Lids Cream Eyeshadow in Rose Gold Goddess, Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Medium/Matte Bronzer & Stila Lip Glaze in Strawberry Lemonade. The cream eyeshadow is a beautiful rose gold with a gleaming shimmer. I started with UDPP in Sin all over my eyelid, then patted Rose Gold Goddess on to my lid with my finger, applied Julep's Dusk in the crease and lower lashline and followed up with MAC's Maple on the browbone. Lined the upper lashline with Julep's Kajal liner in Brown Shimmer, then 2 coats of Benefit's They're Real mascara on the top and bottom lashes and filled in my brows with MAC Soft Charcoal.

For my face I primed with Julep's Blank Canvas, then buffed in Maybelline's Fit Me! in Golden Beige. The Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Medium/Matte Bronzer smelled so yummy while applying. All I needed was a light hand and 1 sweep of color to get definition in the hollows. I finished off with MAC's Fleur Power on the apples of my cheeks.

Lastly I glossed my lips with Stila's Lip Glaze. I have some deep grooves in my lips, so applying using dabbing motions gets the glaze in those spaces and gives a more smooth finish.

Face:

Julep Blank Canvas

Maybelline Fit Me! in 240 Golden Beige

Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Medium/Matte Bronzer

MAC Fleur Power Blush

Eyes:

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion in Sin

Laura Geller Cool Lids Cream Eyeshadow in Rose Gold Goddess

Julep Sweep Eyeshadow Palette: Neutrals; Dusk

MAC Browshader Maple/Soft Charcoal

Julep Kajal Eye Glider in Brown Shimmer

Benefit They're Real Mascara

Lips:

Stila Lip Glaze in Strawberry Lemonade

Julep: August Maven Window Now Open!

The Wanderlust polish collection is beautiful with bold, jeweltoned, shimmer shades. Also for Mavens, Julep is introducing Gel Eye Gliders that are supposed to last 10+ hours. Are you a Maven & what did you choose? :)

Too Faced - Beauty Blogger Darlings

The sets got me again!  This time, Too Faced Beauty Blogger Darlings caught my eye with the Chocolate Soleil Bronzer.  It really smells like Cocoa Puffs!

Primed & Poreless, Eyeshadow Insurance and Chocolate Soleil Bronzer

I tried the Eyeshadow Insurance awhile ago and wasn't too thrilled, so I'll just have to wait and see how this compares to my HG and fave UDPP in Sin.

From the website:

What it is:
A superstar kit featuring Too Faced's four products most beloved by some of the brand's favorite beauty bloggers and vloggers.

What it does:
Tried, tested, proved, and adored-these are the four products bloggers and vloggers simply can't resist.  Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzer is infused with antioxidant-rich cocoa powder and signature bronzing pigments to create a unique matte bronzer that neutralizes red and evens skintone. Primed and Poreless Skin Smoothing Face Primer is a one-of-a-kind primer scientifically formulated to glide on sheer, keeping powders, foundations and bronzers looking fresh and in place all-day while minimizing the appearance of pores and imperfetions.  In one easy coat, Better Than Sex Mascara's carbon black, collagen-fueled formula creates full, defined lashes that are stretched to unbelievable lengths.

This set contains:
-0.14 oz Bronzer in Chocolate Soleil Bronzer
-0.17 oz Primed & Poreless Face Primer
-0.17 oz Better Than Sex Mascara
-0.17 oz Shadow Insurance Eye Shadow Primer

What it is formulated WITHOUT:
-Parabens
-Sulfates
-Phthalates

What else you need to know:
This product does not contain synthetic fragrance or triclosan.

Pros:  -Nice starter set to try some blogger/vlogger faves.
          -Good sizing for travel
          -No added preservatives that may be bad for you

Cons:  -Cost is a bit pricey if it breaks down per item which would be around $5.48.

Cost: $20 from Sephora

Would I recommend this to a friend? Maybe.  The reason I wanted this was for the Chocolate Soleil Bronzer and I did get one in the Ulta Summer Glam Beauty Essentials set.  Again, the cost would put each item at over $5 which is a bit much for deluxe sample items.  I do like the concept of putting together the cult faves, but maybe adding some other smaller samples or reducing the price of the set.

Ulta Sets - Get Ready for the Party and Summer Glam Beauty Essentials

Kits are a great way to try product in sample or deluxe sample size before you commit to paying full price for a full sized item.  I have always been a fan of sets that include different brands, like Sephora's Lashstash Mascara Deluxe Sampler review here.  

On my hunt for Ulta's Summer Glam Beauty Essentials, I came across this Get Ready for the Part color collection.  The gal helping me out said that this set was from Holiday 2013 and they happened to have a few of these still.  What convinced me was the great price of $19 for a regularly priced $30 kit and the Napolean Perdis Loose Eye Dust in Pink Champagne.  So pretty!

Lorac Behind The Scenes Eye Primer, Butter London nail Lacquer in Rosie Lee, Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes Mascara, Laura Geller Beauty City Lights Lip Gloss, Napolean Perdis loose Eye Dust in Pink Champagne, Pur Minerals Mineral Glow Bronzer

Swatches of the primer, bronzer, eye dust and lip gloss. Flash and no flash.  The primer needs to be more blended in when used.  The other products are pretty sheer, but have a nice shimmer or sparkle to it. 

I still yet have to use these items in a FOTD and will post something as soon as I do.  Did anyone else pick this up during the holiday?  Looking forward to seeing what sets will be available for holiday 2014 for getting and giving!  Use of the mascaras will come when I happen to choose this to use.  I don't like to open the mascaras before actually using since I toss them out after 3 months from opening.  

Pros:  -Great brands

          -Variety of products - lips, tips, cheeks and lashes

          -Incredible value for $19 for 6 deluxe sized products

Cons: None!

Cost: $19 - if you can still find this in your area Ulta store.  I found mine at the Issaquah Highlands Ulta during my lunch break.

Would I recommend this to a friend? Yes!  These sets are great to try new products and/or have smaller items for your purse/travel.

Swatches with flash and without flash of the Porefessional, Cream Eyeshadow.  

I will swatch the bronzer in another post from another kit, but will say that it smells so good like Cocoa Puffs.  Haha!  It will be interesting to see how the two Tarte mascaras I received in these sets will perform since one is the regular formula and the other is waterproof.  The Butter Nail Lacquers might actually be nice together!  Snog as a base with Rosie Lee on top for some sparkle.  

What the website says:

ULTA Summer Glam Beauty Essentials includes 7 must have beauty essentials for a glamorous summer.

An $89 value!

Includes deluxe sizes of:

Anastasia Lash Genius (0.11 oz.)

Benefit The Porefessional (0.1 fl. oz.)

Butter London Nail Lacquer in Snog (0.2 oz.)

Laura Geller Beauty Cool Lids Cream Eye Shadow in Rose Gold Goddess (0.26 fl. oz)

Stila Lip Glaze in Strawberry Lemonade (0.05 fl. oz.)

Tarte Lights, Camera, Splashes Waterproof Mascara (0.16 fl. oz.)

Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzer (0.14 oz.)

Pros:  -Great brands

          -Variety of products - lips, tips, cheeks and lashes

          -Incredible value for 7 deluxe sized products

          -Waterproof items - Lash Genius (waterproof top coat) and Lights, Camera, Splashes mascara

Cons:  -None!

Cost: $28 On sale now for $19 online!  I paid the retail price of $28 and it was the last one at the Bear Creek Ulta in Redmond, WA.

Would I recommend this to a friend? Yes! Another great set to try new products and/or have smaller items for your purse/travel.  

I went to 2 Ulta's in one day during my lunch break to pick these up.  Smh.  The things you do when you need a break away from the office and are on the hunt for something.