Sonia Kashuk Eye On Neutral Palette Swatches & Review

Recently, I've heard some rave reviews about the Sonia Kashuk Eye on Neutral palette, which is sold at Target.  Some beauty bloggers and YouTubers seem to have similar taste to me, and I typically like what they recommend.  However, some gals seem to recommend things that never ever work for me.  Seriously.  I'm not exactly sure why I still follow them.  Is this one of those duds?  Click below to find out!

Sigma Brushes: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

We've all seen the blog posts.  The YouTube videos.  The pictures on Instagram.  Sigma brushes are everywhere.  A company has gone from being a virtual unknown to a cosmetic powerhouse in a matter of months.  Even I have posted praise for their brushes!  And they are good... but are they worthy of the hype as of late?

One honest [virtually unknown] beauty blogger's opinion ahead...

Glitter Polish Dupe? Sally Hansen's Mermaid's Tale vs. Deborah Lippmann's Across the Universe

Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in #560 Mermaid's Tale

Spring nail polish lines are coming out! Among the lilacs, mint greens, and pale pinks, Sally Hansen's aquatic-themed spring line is bold and fun. I picked up this little number today at my local Walgreen's. Full price is $7.99 but there are coupons out for 2 dollars off.

Mermaid's Tale is a glitter polish with a dark royal blue (almost navy-ish) base, blue microglitter, and blue and green chunky round glitter.

Click below to see swatches and more!

2013 Spring Sample Challenge Post 1: John Masters Organics

Hi everyone! I'm back with an interesting little self-challenge I thought I'd share with you all. We have all heard the term, "Spring Cleaning," right? Well, sometimes that means more than just our closets, pantries, and the fridge. It's a good idea to take a look at your beauty products too!

I have a box where I've been throwing all my beauty samples that come in beauty subscription services, Sephora orders, etc. Some things get used right away, but others have been tossed aside for whatever reason, and the collection has been growing for quite some time now.

This spring, I thought I'd go through and start using these products. Who knows? Maybe a future holy grail product is laying in there, just waiting to be used?! I'll take pictures and blog about the products. If you all have tried some of these, comment - let's chat!

Onto my first review!

Review: Revlon Colorstay Smoky Shadow Stick

I don't know about you, but my lids need a primer for eyeshadow.  For years, I avoided wearing shadow because it always creased.  Every day at work, I'd go to the ladies' room mid-morning and stare in horror at my face.  It looked awful.  Long story short, I discovered shadow primer, and life has been peaches ever since.

There seems to be a recent surge in cream shadows and sticks on the market.  I know the NYX jumbo pencils have been out a long time, but lately it seems like a lot of drugstore brands have caught on to the craze.  A few months ago, I picked up two of the Revlon Smoky Shadow sticks (in Flare, light and dark purple, and Atomic, gold and green).  They work okay as shadows, but I didn't love them.  Then I heard about another color: Torch.

Revlon Smoky Shadow Stick in Torch

L'Oreal Infallible Shadows Review

After hearing a few very positive reviews on the L'Oreal Infallible Shadows, I finally caved and picked a couple up for my business trip.  I was across the country for a week for work, and I wanted to pack some shadows for versatile eye looks without packing whole palettes.  I thought these might be a nice option.

Up and Coming Beauty Bloggers Update!

Lola of Lola's Secret Beauty Blog reviews Le Metier de Beaute Empress Lip Kaleidoscope.

Harriet at Little Miss Student Beauty has reviewed her Crown Brush set!

Olivia of The Unknown Beauty Blog shows us how she "flosses between the pans" and depots without using heat!

Missed your chance to snag Sally Hansen's iconic blue shade Pacific Blue? Kelly over at The Reasonable Blonde has found an alternative that is nearly identical.  Check it out here, and happy polishing!

Rola at  Rola's Fountain of Youth shares her Current Favorite Winter Facial Moisturizers and she is now on Instagram!


Jeneille of Beauti by Jinjer spills the details of another photoshoot she worked on.


Lindsay at The Beauty Think Tank reviews the shades she thinks stands out from the rest in the Colorglide Lipstick range offerred at The Body Shop.


If you would like to be featured in a future Up & Coming Beauty Bloggers Weekly Report, please e-mail Lindsay at beautythinktank(at)gmail(dot)com.

Clarisonic Mia

I don't have acne.  Breakouts are rare.  When my rosacea is kept under control, I don't typically have any problems.  I'm a pretty lucky lady when it comes to my skin and acne.  But I am starting to age.  And I'm getting tired of red, uneven skin.  And dry skin in the winter makes me uncomfortable.

Holiday Weekend Haul!

My husband and I had to run errands today and I was out of my favorite nighttime face cream, so we did a little shopping.  I thought y'all might enjoy a little haul post to share what I picked up!

Nail Polish Dupe Alert: Sally Hansen Pacific Blue

Here's a heads up for you gals who couldn't get their hands on Sally Hansen's Pacific Blue.  There's another polish currently out that is an almost exact match - Essie's Butler, Please.  Here are the pictures to show you.

Sally Hansen Pacific Blue and Essie Butler, Please

Up and Coming Beauty Bloggers Report

Lola from Lola's Secret Beauty Blog reviews Chanel's Rouge Allure Extrait de Gloss in Merveille.



Olivia of The Unknown Beauty Blog shows us how to turn bronzing into a beauty with Manna Kadar Bronze Beauty!



Check out Rola's picks for Best of 2012 Roundup
- Makeup at Rola's
Fountain of Youth!



Kelly at The Reasonable Blonde loves clothes but hates the crazy crowds at the
mall.  So she joined a new fashion subscription service to keep her on trend and
in-season.  Check out her first Le Tote bag here!



 Jeneille of Beauti by Jinjer gives us the scoop on the Odini Southerland Photoshoot being featured in the next issue of the Vincy E-zine!



Lindsay at The Beauty Think Tank has a Holiday Hangover with the Tarte Baby It's Bold Outside giftset from Holiday 2012.



Want to ring in the New Year with a great feature on the Up & Coming Beauty Bloggers Weekly Report? E-mail Lindsay at beautythinktank(at)gmail(dot)com to get details on how your blog can be showcased with these great bloggers!

Le Tote Review and First Impressions

Hi everyone!

Lately I've been struggling with fashion options and choices.  I don't know about you all, but more and more frequently, I have been walking through the mall and am just unimpressed.  Certain fashion trends  won't work for me.  I mean, flowered print leggings?  Really?  And a lot of times, stores cater to teenagers and older women, but not women my age.  A lot of my friends and peers are shopping in the maternity section, but that doesn't quite work for me either.  So, despite my best efforts, I've been wearing some pretty boring outfits.

Over Christmas I was lamenting my fashion troubles to my sister-in-law, who works in fashion design. That's when she told me about a new service called Le Tote.  It's like a beauty subscription service, except instead of getting a box of beauty samples to try, you get a tote bag with 3 garments and 2 accessories to borrow, wear as you please, then return for another tote.  You don't even have to clean them - they're cleaned for you!  This would allow me the opportunity to keep staple pieces in my wardrobe, then rotate more seasonable, on-trend pieces throughout.  I'd have 2-3 new outfits every 10 days or so!  I don't have to fight crowds at the mall, and I don't have to go through racks and racks of clothes trying to find something to fit me.  I signed up immediately.

Makeup Storage: UPDATED

Well, my new makeup storage wasn't so great.  Again, this blogger learns that you get what you pay for.  And this was what I got.

As you can see, things weren't so good...

I have been looking at the Hayworth lingerie chest at Pier 1 Imports for over a year, and although it's on sale right now, I still cannot justify that cost.  Not for a bathroom organization tool.  My husband even said he supported buying it, but again... just couldn't fork over the money.  There was one other option that I had seen and liked - an option was much more economical.  So off to Ikea we went!

DIY Lash Serum: Recipe and Review

A few weeks ago, I saw a video by Marlena on MakeupGeekTV (love her!) talking about a recipe for a lash serum that you can make yourself using three simple ingredients. There are clinical serums you can get prescriptions for, but those cost a ton of money and have been known to actually cause changes to your eye color, and there are products in the drugstore by makeup brands that make big claims but don't seem to really stack up.  So when she shared a recipe for something I could make at home, I was all 

ears.

Upcoming Posts

Things have been pretty crazy here, but I've definitely been thinking of you all!  I'm planning some exciting posts soon... including:

• Draw the Line eyeliner set from Sephora
• Clarisonic Mia
• DIY lash serum
• Naked Basics palette

So check back soon.  Fun things are on the way!

Mascaras That Make You Go "Meh." - L'Oreal Power Volume Collagen

Have you ever opened up a brand new makeup product, tried it out for the first time, and then just thought "meh"? No real reaction either way... you don't love it.  It doesn't lengthen your lashes to epic proportions.  It doesn't even thicken them.  It just puts black color on them.  And you don't hate it.  I mean, it doesn't rip your lashes out, cause blindness, or have a terrible smell.  It's just... mascara.

Well, that's what L'Oreal's Power Volume Collagen is for me.  I bought it, used it a couple of times, and just set it aside with a mental "no thanks."

Beauty Bloggers Roundup!

Lola of Lola's Secret Beauty Blog brings us an exclusive look at Susan Thompson Cosmetics Limited Edition Holiday Sets!



Jeneille of the Vincy Beauti Blog shows us how to get awesome Red Lips, her fave!



Rachel from Rachel's Makeup and Skincare finds a fairy godmother who bestows Guerlain Meteorites on her.



Olivia of The Unknown Beauty Blog shows us how to bring some shimmer into our holidays using Manna Kadar's Sheer Glow.



Emily at Southern Gorgeous waxes poetic about OPI's You Only Live Twice Nail Polish.



Kelly over at The Reasonable Blonde shares her thoughts on the new Revlon nail polish Midnight Sparkle.  And check out her bathroom makeup storage for gals on a budget!



Harriet at Little Miss Student Beauty shows you how to make your own natural skincare products!



Lindsay at The Beauty Think Tank shares her current beauty product lemmings, complete with ridiculous exposition!



If you would like to be featured in a future Up & Coming Beauty Bloggers Weekly Report, please e-mail Lindsay at beautythinktank(at)gmail(dot)com.

NOTD: Revlon Midnight Sparkle

Last week, I decided to paint my nails a fun sparkly color for the holidays, so I picked up Revlon's new color Midnight Sparkle for something a little different.

The polish is very opaque, and can be worn with only one coat. The base is a deep dark blue with chunky glitter and microglitter in a couple different shades of blue. This polish is beautiful in the bottle, but unfortunately doesn't translate well to the nail.

Application is thick and awkward, which means only one coat is necessary, but more than that causes major "gooping" on the nail.  The polish doesn't sparkle on the nail as much as in the bottle.  From a distance, it's almost like a crackle or just uneven application.  Despite two healthy applications of a good quality clear coat (Seche Vite, which is a thicker, smoother formula), my nails were never smooth or shiny.

I wore the polish for one day, then immediately removed it.  Typical of a glitter polish, removal was quite the chore!  I replaced it with a light baby pink: Teddy Girl by Butter London, which is smooth, shiny, and has great staying power without being thick and gross.

I recommend finding a nice, pretty navy blue polish and then using your glitter top coat of choice, because Revlon's Midnight Sparkle gets a thumbs down from me.

Xoxo,
Kelly

Return to an old favorite: Tarina Tarantino Dollskin Powder No.5

After re-organizing my makeup collection (see previous post), I got a good glimpse at the products in my personal inventory and started going back to older items that I once loved but somehow forgot along the way...

The first product I want to show you is the Dollskin face powder from Tarina Tarantino in shade number 5. These pictures were taken nearly a year ago, and for whatever reason, I never blogged about this powder. It's probably because newer and more exciting things came along, and I never got around to posting about a very reliable and trustworthy product. Well, now here I am, giving it the spotlight it deserves!

Front of compact - pink and girly!

New Makeup Storage

I finally re-organized our master bathroom and organized my makeup!

Before and after pictures ahead (NO JUDGMENT!)

Nighttime Routine: Makeup Removal

I have a new item in my nighttime makeup removal routine!

NYX Beauty To Go Box

A few weeks ago, I took advantage of NYX deals on Hautelook, and one of the things I ordered was the NYX Beauty to Go box.  On the site, it looked like a smorgasbord of beautiful NYX products, all packaged nicely in a neat box for on-the-go.  What actually arrived was... well... a little disappointing.

October Glossybox First Glance

My October Glossybox arrived about a week ago (before shipment notification was emailed... which was a little funny), and I thought I'd give you all a little peak at some of the products I'll be trying out in the next few weeks!

 This month's theme: Spa Luxe!

Clean out challenge

I have decided that I have entirely too much clutter in my bathroom.  I have a cabinet FULL of products I do not use.  Things I purchased on a whim or got in a beauty sample subscription box, used once, and promptly set aside for an indefinite future.

Therefore, I'm instituting a Clean Out Challenge (TM).  Each week, I'm going to attempt to either use up or throw out 1-3 beauty product items.  If I haven't used it, I'll try it.  If it sucks, it's going in the trash.  If I have used it and it works fine, I'm going to keep using it until it's done, then it's going in the trash.

Who's with me?

[Discounted] Designers - yes or no?

Photo source here

How do you feel about wearing designers?

For years I coveted Louis Vuitton.  As I wrote before, I scoured the internet for information and deals before I finally landed my Speedy 25.  I carry it proudly, knowing I didn't pay full price.

Others don't know that.

To link or not to link

I blog for conversation.  I blog for ideas and advice and community.  I enjoy reading other blogs, but I don't enjoy spam.

Contests are exciting, but unless you're giving away the palette I just reviewed, a link doesn't belong here.

Your blog is awesome, but unless you posted on the same topic, your link doesn't belong here.

This blog isn't a commercial for yours.

Thank you for your time.

First Look: The Cinderella Palette

When I was a little girl, Cinderella was my favorite fairy tale.  She was kind and gentle, and she stayed that way despite how she was treated by others.  I'm not one of those girls who thinks a "prince" will come and rescue me (I was doing a pretty good job of taking care of myself), but I always liked the idea of a fairytale romance.  I've always been a romantic daydreamer.

When Sephora announced this palette, my first inclination was to pass.  A lot of the Disney princess stuff is just too juvenile and cutesy for me.  I didn't think I would be very interested.  Then I saw some pictures and read initial reviews.  This palette is a lot classier than I initially thought.  It's not cartoony or goofy at all.

Without further ado - the Cinderella Palette!

Fall girly look with a touch of masculinity

Fall girly look with a touch of masculinity by thereasonableblog featuring 7 for all mankind jeans

Maybelline Eye Studio in Smokey Cinnamon

My readers have already seen my post on the Fall 2012 Maybelline Eye Studio color tattoo shadows that I picked up a month or so ago (post here - I also picked up Rich Mahogany, which is not shown).  I liked the beautiful fall colors so much, I decided to give the eyeshadow quads a whirl.  The first one I picked up was this one: Smokey Cinnamon.   

The Mascara Gimmick

Every now and then, a cosmetic product goes "viral" and everyone is suddenly raving about it like it's the second coming.  One of the more recent crazes was Maybelline Mega Plush Volum Express mascara.  Because I was in the market for a new mascara, I was excited to pick this up.

Excitement was short lived.

Reasonable Fitness: Run Like You Mean It

In my life, I've set many goals, and I've reached many of them!  But one that is a constant struggle is running.

I want to be a runner.  One of those free spirits who strap on their sneakers, hit the pavement, and sweat out the frustrations of the day.  Plus, have you seen a runner's legs?  Talk about tone.

Oh how I long to join the ranks of the road warriors!  Lately I've been pursuing this dream, pushing harder and harder in this quest.  Since my trusty iPod comes along with me in battle, I thought I'd share some highlights from my slightly schizophrenic playlist and share them with you all!

Better Purple Shadows: Wet N Wild Petal Pusher

Yep, totally got another purple eyeshadow palette.  I just couldn't help myself...

Bad Lipstick Colors

Let's talk about bad lipstick colors, shall we?

Your eyes may be the windows to your soul, but your mouth is how you most often communicate and it's generally a good idea to watch what comes out of it, what goes into it, and what goes ON it.  Unless you're four years old, you typically don't like having any food/gunk/etc. on your face.

So why on earth would any company make lipstick the color of feces?  I mean, seriously - it takes that phrase "shit eating grin" to a whole new dimension.  Case in point: Ellis Faas lip color in L107.

I received this full-size lip color in my August Glossybox (US edition) and immediately got excited.  The packaging looked so nice!  And full size!  Fancy shmancy!

Then I opened it.

All-over Sunny Glow: NYC Sunny Bronzer

Now that the weather is cooling and the days are getting shorter, we're all starting to lose our summer tans.  Okay, I didn't exactly have a bronzy glow, but I did have some color from being outside.  I still do.  But as we are forced to spend more and more time indoors, I'm definitely getting back to my regular pale self.  Blech.

Blogtober!

Hi gals!

I decided to jump right back into blogging by doing my own Blogtober!  For the month of October, I am trying to blog every day.  So... be sure to stay tuned to my blog because stuff is coming at ya!

Have a great week!

xoxo,
Kelly