Wednesday, February 29, 2012

*Face of the Day* - February 29, 2012 Leap Year!!

Today is February 29! It is the last day of February and its Leap Year!
I think this month FLEW by! I can't believe tomorrow will be March. We have 20 more days til spring. It feels like just yesterday was Christmas. Lately, time is just going by way too quick.

My sister is sick today, so I am helping her out by babysitting my two nephews so she can sleep. I am also going to dinner with my friend tonight. I wanted to dress comfy, since I am babysitting but still cute, because I am going out later. I threw on my favorite jeans, a tank and a really cute, nice fitting turquoise, half zipped sweatshirt that I got from Old Navy. It is super comfy but still stylish and cute!

I did my makeup a little funky today. I wanted to be really bright and bold. The weather is really dreary and it is cold and snowing. I wanted my makeup to be the opposite of that. I also wanted it to go with the colors on my sweatshirt.

So here is the look! It is super fun, a little crazy and real easy to do!
Let me know if you would ever dare to wear makeup this bold?!

Stay forever beautiful!
Love and hugs,
Keri

Song of the Day: Riot - Three Days Grace


Fun look that I created real quick!

I am really enjoying the eyeshadows from Dawn Eyes Cosmetics!

These colors blend together so easily!

I think I am going to try this look again, but with other bright colors!


Eyes:
  • NYX Eyeshadow Base in Pearl
  • Dawn Eyes Cosmetics Very Hot Pink
  • Dawn Eyes Cosmetics GPS Six (purple)
  • Dawn Eyes Cosmetics Aquableu
  • Revlon Photoready 3D Volume Mascara

Face:

  • Milani Mineral Blush with Brush in Luminous
  • ELF Shimmering Facial Whip in Spotlight

Lips:

  • Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Strawberry Shortcake


Sunday, February 26, 2012

*Quick and Easy* - How To Conceal Dark Under Eye Circles!

Hey Beauty Babes!!

Ever since I can remember, I have always struggled with having extremely dark circles under my eyes. My under eye circles were a pain in the butt -- no matter what I did to try to conceal them, they would NEVER go away!! I tried getting more sleep, putting cucumbers on my eyes, doing vitamin rubs and concealing the heck out of them with makeup. Up until recently, nothing worked! It was so, so annoying because sometimes it actually got to the point where I looked ill because of the darkness that was under my eyes. I had pretty much given up on trying to hide my under eye circles. I thought I was just going to have to accept them and learn to live with them. I tried concealing them with all sorts of makeup - drugstore and high end and never got results that I was happy with.

One day not too long ago, I tried applying my under eye makeup a little differently and guess what!?! I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome! My under eye darkness was dramatically lighter! My dark circles were barely noticeable and it was all achieved with just a few techniques that I am going to share with y'all!

I do not have any concealer under my eyes. As you can see, the dark circles under my eyes are VERY noticeable.


1. First apply the corrective concealer to the darkened area that is a shade lighter than you would normally use to conceal other blemishes.

  • If the circles under your eyes tend to be purple, use concealer with a yellowish tone. If your under eye circles are blue, get a concealer that is more orange colored. Reddish circles? Grab an olive-based concealer. If your circles have more of a brownish tone, try one with a blue or mauve shade. These concealers will look funny in the tube, but when they are applied to your dark circles you will immediately see their neutralizing effects!

2. Once you select a concealer that fits your skin tone and has the proper undertones based on your dark circles, you are going to want to map out a triangle area that starts directly under your eye.

  • You are going to want to start in the corner, directly below the tear duct, then go to the end of the eye and bring the concealer to the end of your nose in a triangle shape (see pic below).

Make sure you apply the corrective concealer in a triangle shape. It looks funny now, but I promise it works! :)

3. Make sure you color the entire triangle in with concealer. You will want to use a sponge or your fingers and make sure you are gentle because the skin in the under eye area is very delicate. This will work as an instant highlight and help bring light to the area, deflecting away the darkness.

4. Powder the area under your eyes with very fine translucent powder to set the corrective concealer.
  • If you can, you are going to want to try to find one that has silicone or silica in it, so it fills in the fine lines that may be under your eyes.

5. After you gently fill in your triangle area with concealer you may notice that the color is a little more yellow or more pink than your actual skin tone. You are going to need to add some warmth to it to get it to match your skin and blend into the area correctly.

6. Once you pick a color that matches your skin properly, you will want to add it and blend it into the concealer that you just put down. this will also help you buff out any harsh lines that the corrective concealer may have left.

After you blended your concealer in you are going to see such a difference in your eyes! But you are not done quite yet!

7. Next you're going to want to set your concealer with some powder to make sure it lasts all day. You can either use the powder that you used after applying the corrective concealer or you can use a powder that is close to your skins natural color to add a little warmth to your face.

  • I find applying the powder with a sponge, rather than a brush actually makes the concealer last much longer because you are actually pressing the product into your skin rather than just having it sit on top.

As you can see my right eye (left if you are looking at this picture) looks SO much better! It is much brighter and the darkness is almost completely gone!!

Now you are done! And you will be able to see such a difference! Your entire eye area will look brighter and more awake. It will also help reduce the look of under eye bags. This is actually real simple and can be done in less that five minutes! I learned this from a beauty magazine and ever since trying it, I have seen such a difference. My friends and family have too! They have told me my dark circles are almost completely gone! The pictures in this post show my dark circles, but they are actually much worse in person. You can see in the after pics that my under eye circles are almost eliminated!

Look at the difference! I applied concealer to both eyes, using this easy technique and my dark circles are virtually gone!

I hope if you have problems with darkness in your under eye area, you give this technique a shot. Please let me know if you try it and how it works for you!

Stay forever beautiful!

Love and hugs,

Keri


Song of the day: Stricken - Disturbed

My First Face of the Day! (February 25, 2012)

Hey beauty babes!

I have been wanting to do a Face of the Day since I started my blog, but I never really got around to it. And, honestly, I have been a little nervous to put myself out there. I know there are 'haters' in the blog world and I just didn't want to subject myself to that. But, with all the 'how to deal with haters' videos floating around YouTube lately, I figured that I mine as well just do it and stop worrying about what others will think and say.

So, here it is! Here is my first Face of the Day look! This was actually from yesterday, but I didn't have a chance to put it up then.

So I hope you like it! Please leave a comment and let me know what you think. I am going to try to do at least one Face of the Day post a week. Hope you guys enjoy it!

Stay forever beautiful!
Love and hugs,
Keri


Song of the Day: Enter Sandman - Metallica






Eyes:
- NYX Eye Shadow Base in Pearl
- Middle brown matte color from Wet N Wild Vanity Palette in crease
- Dawn Eyes Cosmetic's Very Hot Pink
- Urban Decay's Sin (it the middle of the pink)
- Dawn Eye's Cosmetic's Softly White in the inner corner and as a highlight
- Revlon Photoready 3D Volume Mascara

Face:
- Clinique's Breathless Berry blush
- ELF Shimmering Facial Whip in Spotlight
- Lorac's Enlighten (to set the Spotlight)

Lips:
- Milani's Grape-Tini

Dawn Eye's Cosmetics is a little indie company, with great mineral shadows. Click to check it out!

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

*First Impression* - Target Beauty Bag: February 2012

Hey Beauty Babes!

This week has started off to be a great week in terms of getting awesome mail! Yesterday UPS dropped off my Urban Decay Book of Shadows IV that I ordered from HauteLook a couple weeks ago. Today, when I went to my mailbox I had another surprise; my Target Beauty Bag had arrived!

The Target Beauty Bag was shipped in this real cute box and was totally free!

The Target Beauty Bag comes out about three to four times a year and is totally FREE! It includes about five beauty-related samples, ranging from makeup to hair products. This is my first beauty bag and I am pleasantly surprised with the contents that came inside the bag. This actually kind of reminded me a little of MyGlam, because the samples all came inside a really cute, reusable makeup bag! But I must say, that I actually like the products in the Target Beauty Bag better than what was in February's MyGlam bag. Which kind of really bothers me, because the Target Beauty Bag was free and the February's MyGlam bag cost me $10!

Anyways, here is the site that you can visit frequently and check to see if they are offering any free samples: Target Samples! Keep checking back, because once they do actually offer free samples they do not last long! So as soon as you see them available, make sure you sign up so you can receive your free products!

All of the samples in the beauty bag are single use, except for the Pond's Wet Cleansing Towelettes, which contain five wipes!

This beauty bag did not contain any actual makeup products. It had three different shampoo and conditioner samples, a day and night moisturizer and facial wipes. I will get use out of all of the products. I am actually in the market for a new shampoo and conditioner and a new hydrating moisturizer. So who knows, maybe these samples will help make my decision much easier!

Since I just received the samples today, I haven't gotten a chance to use them yet. This is going to be a first impression and reveal type post. I will do an in depth review on the products that I really enjoy after I have used them.

Here are the products that are in the Target Beauty Bag: February 2012:

Pond's Wet Cleansing Towelettes Evening Soothe with Chamomile and White Tea

I'm really excited to use these towelettes to remove my makeup. The Pond's wipes claim to clean and soothe the skin on your face while the fragrances in the towelette help you feel relaxed and calm. These wipes are supposed to remove waterproof mascara and eye makeup. They are also hypoallergenic and suitable for sensitive skin and contact lens wearers. They also include ingredients that are really good for you, including Vitamin E, chamomile flower extract and white tea leaf extract.

L'Oreal Youth Code Day/Night Cream

The winter is always so harsh on my skin, so I have been looking for a new moisturizer. Maybe this will be the one that actually works for me! The L'Oreal Youth Code Day/Night Cream is a hydrating moisturizer that is supposed to help fight the signs of aging, fatigue and stress, while leaving your skin looking radiant. The full size is a bit pricey. It contains 1.5 oz and costs around $19.99 and can be found at your local drugstores.

Garnier Fructis Pure Clean Fortifying Shampoo and Conditioner

I used to be a big fan of Garnier shampoo and conditioner, but over the years have stopped using it as much. Maybe with this new fortifying formula that claims to leave hair '10 times stronger, four times healthier and much shiner', I will give it another try. This shampoo is a more pure and green alternative than regular shampoo as it is silicone, paraben and dye free.

Tresemme Naturals Nourishing Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner

Tresemme is my shampoo of choice at the moment. I currently use the one for color-treated hair and love the way it leaves my hair feeling! Since I love Tresemme hair products, I am sure I will enjoy this shampoo and conditioner. The Tresemme Naturals Shampoo contains a lower amount of sulfate, but still moisturizes and softens the hair. The Naturals Conditioner is silicone-free and it uses natural ingredients to hydrate your hair.

John Frieda Full Repair Full Body Shampoo and Conditioner

Last, but not least, is the product that I am most excited to try: The John Frieda Full Repair Full Body Shampoo and Conditioner. My hair is so thin and very damaged because of the amount of heat I use on my hair. This shampoo and conditioner claims to repair the look and feel of damage and processed hair as it restores bounce, detangles and reduces the risk of breaking when combing. This shampoo and conditioner is safe for color treated hair and contains inca inchi oil which is rich in omega-3. The John Frieda Full Repair line also contains a few more products including, Perfect Ends Deep Infusion Serum, Perfect Ends Sheer Mist, Protecting Root Lift Foam, Touch-Up Flyaway Tamer.

So there ya have it! I'm very excited to try out these products and maybe find a new shampoo and moisturizer during the process. Did you guys get your beauty bags? How do you feel about the samples? Which ones are you most excited to try? Even if you weren't able to get your hands on the Target Beauty Bag, do you think you'll go out and purchase one of these items?

Stay forever beautiful,
Love and hugs,
Keri :-P


Song of the Day - Raining: Art of Dying

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Thank You!!

Wow!

When I started blogging a little over three weeks ago, I NEVER thought that I would enjoy it this much. I also never thought that I would have gotten such amazing, supportive and encouraging feedback. I am SO glad that you all enjoy my blog and the topics I write about. I remember when I was first toying with the idea of starting a blog, I was hesitant because there are so many beauty related blogs on the net. But because of the support I got from Beauty Broadcast, I went with it and again, I couldn't be happier!

In just three short weeks, I have blogged about several different topics and have gotten positive feedback about them all. I installed a counter about five days after starting my blog, just to see if people were actually reading what I was writing, and to my surprise, they actually are! I have gotten over 3,300 hits, in less than three wks! It is amazing!

Today, when I logged onto my blog, I noticed that I had reached 50 subscribers as well! I remember when I had just four subbies! I never thought I would get to 10, let alone 50!!!

I couldn't be more appreciative and thankful!
So with that being said, I am going to be doing a giveaway as soon as I hit 100 subbies!!
I reached 50 so quickly, I know that you guys will bring me to 100 in no time!

So I just wanted to write a quick blog post to thank you and to let you all know that as soon as I get my 100th subscriber, I will be doing a giveaway - and it will be a good one too!

Thanks again for all of your support and I can't wait to see what the future of blogging has in store for me! :)

Stay forever beautiful!
Love and hugs,
Keri :-P


Song of the Day: I Don't Care - Apocalyptica

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

*First Impression* - February MyGlam Bag

Hey Beauty Babes!

After finding out about MyGlam and hearing all the hype about the first couple bags, I thought I would give it a try. I signed up in January, so I would be receiving my first bag sometime in the middle of February. MyGlam claims to send out everyone's bags on the 10th of each month. After the shipping problems MyGlam went through in January, I didn't have high hopes for receiving my bag in a timely manor. I received an email from their shipping team about a week and a half ago stating that the bags would be mailed around the 9th this month, and people on the East Coast (me!) should get their bags first. I was expecting to get a confirmation number yesterday, but I didn't so I was really upset about it. But today, I went to my mailbox and had a bright pink, bubbled envelope waiting for me. I was pleasantly surprised, but I'm still a little upset because I didn't get a confirmation number like promised.

MyGlam does take pride in the aesthetics of their appearance. The mailing envelope is a pretty, hot pink!

As I was walking back to my apartment, I noticed that the bag was extremely light; there didn't seem to be much in it at all. Unfortunately, I was right. The products that came in this month's bag were severely lacking in quality compared to past months. I was really disappointed and I honestly do not know if I will be keeping up with my subscription for much longer.

February 2012 MyGlam Bag.

Since I just got the products I can't do a full review on them just yet. But, I will be telling you what was in my bag and what my initial reaction was to each product.

NYX Roll-On Shimmer in Onyx:

This is a new product from NYX. It is supposedly an intensely rich, shimmering powder that can be applied to the eyes, face and body. I am probably most excited for this product. I love NYX Cosmetics. I was hoping to get another color, because Onyx is a greyish black color. Other than my eyes, I don't exactly know where I would use it. I think I am going to have to play around with it for a bit. I will probably do a full review on the product once I get to know it better.

X Out Shine Control:

I will be honest, I have NO use for this product. I have extremely dry skin, so I will not get any use out of it. The X Out Shine Control is an oil-free moisturizer, that when applied lightly, is supposed to give you a mattifying complexion. I plan on giving this to my sister. After she uses this for a while, I will let you all know how it worked for her and if she ends up liking it.

Freeman Facial Enzyme Mask in Pineapple:

I am a fan of Freeman Facial Masks, BUT, if I wanted one I could drive to Wal-Mart and buy one for a buck change. So to get it inside MyGlam bag, was a little disappointing. Isn't the purpose of this to be introduced to new and exciting products? While I do like Freeman's, it is far from new or exciting. This is just a typical face mask, so I am not expecting anything magical to happen from using it.

Premier Dead Sea Cinderella Mask:

This was a joke too! Do you see how teeny these samples are!? My Glam claims to give you 'Four to five deluxe-sized samples or full sized products each month'. Well, if this is a deluxe-sized sample, I am afraid to see what the full-sized product looks like. I doubt I will even have enough to cover my face for one use.

NuMe Professional Styling Tools and Hair Extensions $100 Gift Card:

This literally pissed me off! This is NOT a sample, it is CARDBOARD! Basically, I have to put out, AT LEAST, an extra $40 to actually get something out of this (Their cheapest product is $125 and shipping is between $15-$20.). I do not know too much about NuMe products, but I plan to do some research. If it turns out that the products are worth it, I may order a new flat iron. The one upside to this 'gift card' is that it's good until August 2012 and the code on the card seems to be reusable.

Overall, the bag that the samples came in is extremely cute, but not worth my money. The only product I would have actually purchased out of this months bag would have been the NYX Roll-On Shimmer. I could have gotten that for about $5 and saved myself money. I will probably give this subscription one more month, but if I do not get more actual makeup items, I will happily cancel my subscription and take my business elsewhere.

Please, let me know what you thought about this months Glam Bag. Were you happy with the products inside?! What was your favorite!? Will you cancel your subscription based on this months samples?

Stay forever beautiful!
Love and hugs,
Keri :-P

Song of the Day: You're Going Down - Sick Puppies

Sunday, February 12, 2012

*Cosmetic Procedure* - How to Fix a Broken Eyeshadow and a Super Mini Forever 21 Haul!

Yesterday started off as really great day! I went to the mall with a couple friends. I bought my two nephews matching shirts with skulls on them for Valentine's Day. They are going to look so cute in them. And since I'm going on a cruise to Bermuda in May, I wanted to try to pick up some cute outfits, so I stopped by Forever 21. They actually didn't have much summer clothing out yet, which really surprised me. But I did end up finding a WICKED (yes, I am from Rhode Island and we say wicked a lot!) cute neon yellow sheer top, that has cute roses all over it and a bright blue-ish spaghetti strapped shirt to go under it. And I scored a real cute pair of BIG, black flowered earrings! I got everything for about $18!!


My new outfit and earrings from Forever 21. The sales associate said that neon yellow is the color trend for the summer. The color is so much more prettier in person. The picture does not show how BRIGHT it actually is.

I was in a rush this morning, so I left my makeup out. When I came home I went to put away the quad I used earlier. Well, on my way to the bathroom I dropped it and it shattered into lots and lots of teeny pieces. I was so upset! This was one of my favorite quads; it was the Chai Latte quad from Maybelline. I've always wanted to purchase another one for a backup in case something like this happened. But every time I go to the store to check for the palette, they are always sold out! So because of that, I didn't want to just throw it away and bank on getting another one. I ended up getting creative and with the help of a few items that I had laying around my house, I did a little bit of makeup surgery and now my favorite quad is back to looking just as good as new! Since I really like you guys, I'm going to share with you a little secret on how to fix a broken eyeshadow with just a few, simple household items! ;-)


When I was fixing my eyeshadow, I totally didn't even think to take pics of the before and after. I'm sure it will happen again and when it does, I will definitely take pictures to show you the process.

What you'll need:

- Makeup brush
- 70% or higher Isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol)
- Mini spray bottle or dropper
- A coin that is about the size of the broken shadow
- An old piece of fabric from a t-shirt or something

Here is how to fix your broken eyeshadow in just six simple steps:
  1. After you get together everything you need, put your broken eyeshadow under a paper towel, so you don't make a big mess.
  2. Take your shadow and use the opposite end of a makeup brush to break up the shadow into even smaller pieces. You basically want your shadow to look like dust.
  3. Take your spray bottle that's filled with alcohol and spray it directly onto the eyeshadow. You want to get the shadow completely wet, but do not soak it or make puddles with the alcohol.
  4. Take your quarter and wrap it tightly into your clean piece of fabric. You want to make sure there are no wrinkles on the fabric, because that will transfer onto your eyeshadow.
  5. Press the fabric wrapped coin on the eyeshadow for about 30-45 seconds. You want to make sure you press very firmly so the shadow will adhere back together.
  6. Leave the cover on your eyeshadow open to allow your shadow to dry completely. If you use a higher percent alcohol, it will dry quicker. I used 91% and it dried within 10 minutes.
*If your eyeshadow is not in the shape of a circle (the Chai Latte quad is squared), just look for something around your house that is hard and in the same shape and size of the eyeshadow. I used a small square magnetic that was on my fridge and it worked just fine!

Your eyeshadow should now be back to looking and preforming like new! Don't worry; the alcohol will NOT ruin your makeup. It will be just as pigmented as before. It will not change the color or texture of your eyeshadow either.

I hope this was helpful for you guys! This will also work with blush, bronzer and just about any other powdered makeup product! It comes in real handy, especially with expensive makeup. No one wants to throw out a $50 palette, especially now knowing that it can be fixed so easily!

Stay forever beautiful!
Love and hugs,
Keri :-P


Song of the Day: Three Days Grace - Never too Late

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Maybelline - Falsies Flared vs. Falsies Black Drama; Which is Better!?

Hey Beauty Babes!

If you were only allowed to own one item of makeup, what would you choose!? Now, I love me my makeup, but the product I absolutely adore and MUST have would be, without a doubt, mascara! I was blessed in the lashes department; my lashes are naturally thick and long, and I got lots of them! So, when I get a really good mascara, it can actually make my eyes look like I have false lashes on. I am always on the hunt for the perfect mascara - one that can make me achieve my desired look of wearing dramatic falsies, but without actually having to apply them.

When I first bought Maybelline's The Falsies Flared mascara back in the summer, I was a little bit skeptical. There are tons of mascaras out there that all claim the same thing - to give you perfect lusciously long lashes, but unfortunately, most fall short of that promise. Even though I didn't have high hopes for this product, I bought it anyways and when I got home I tried the mascara. I was actually pleasantly surprised with the outcome; I really enjoy wearing it! I like it so much that I repurchased it at least three more times!

Now, let's fast forward to January 2012. I was in Walmart one day, browsing the makeup section (per usual) and out of nowhere, decided to purchase the other mascara in The Falsies line which is called Black Drama. Since I was using The Falsies Flared for the past 6 months, I figured that Black Drama has to be just as good, if not better. Well, I was right! The Falsies Black Drama takes the cake!

L to R - Maybelline's The Falsies Black Drama and The Falsies Flared mascara

The Falsies Flared mascara has a nice brush. The wand is very flexible and the brush itself is curved and a little chunky. The mascara does not goop up on the brush, but it does have a little extra product on the tip (nothing that a little wiping off wont fix). The curved brush makes application really simple. I always apply two coats to my upper lashes and I have never experienced any clumping. I also, apply one coat on my lower lashes and after wearing it for the entire day, it never smudges, flakes or fades. It gave my lashes great volume and a little extra length and it really defined my lashes too! When I wear this mascara it looks like I have a natural pair of fake lashes on. It really does make my lashes look pretty.

Maybelline's The Falsies Flared mascara. As you can see the wand is a little thicker and curved.

The Falsies Flared Mascara

Maybelline's The Falsies Black Drama comes in the same purple tube. It also has the same extremely flexible wand. It is so flexible, I thought I broke it when I was pulling it out of the tube (oops!) The brush is curved, exactly like The Falsies Flared, but the brush on Black Drama is a little bit skinnier than the Flared brush. The brush is also the same length and a little product does collect on the tip of it. Both mascaras have a slightly wet formula, which I happen to like. I bought both of the mascaras in the color black, and they are both very dark and coat the lashes well.

Maybelline's The Falsies Black Drama mascara and wand. The wand is thinner and and also curved.

Maybelline's The Falsies Black Drama mascara

So at first look, the only difference so far is the thickness of the brushes. The real differences is how my lashes look after application. Now, I said before, they both preform very well. I am pleased with them both. But I do like Black Drama better because it gives me incredible volume, extreme length and excellent separation, where as the Flared didn't give me as much length. When I wore Black Drama my upper lashes were literally touching my eyelid when my eyes were open. My sister really thought I had false lashes on, and when I told her I didn't have lashes on, she literally touched them to check to see if I was lying!

On my left eye I'm wearing The Falsies Black Drama and on the right, The Falsies Flared.

I really think both mascaras are great, but I will no longer purchase The Falsies Flared, but I will most definitely buy another tube of Black Drama when I run out! The Falsies Black Drama is my drugstore holy grail mascara! So, if you haven't already checked The Falsies out, I really suggest trying them. If you're looking for separation, volume and length, the triple threat, definitely go for the Black Drama. But, if you are looking for volume and not so much length, then try the Flared. Either way, I really think you'll be pleased with the outcome of these mascaras!

Stay forever beautiful!
Love and hugs,
Keri ;-)


Song of the Day: Chevelle - Vitamin R

Saturday, February 4, 2012

*Fresh Look* - Physician's Formula Nude Eyes Palette

Hey Beauty Babes!!

Nude and neutral palettes have been popping up everywhere in the makeup world! Urban Decay has probably taken the lead (in my opinion) in the world of neutral eyeshadows with the highly-coveted Naked Palette and with the recent release of the Naked 2 Palette. NYX, TheBalm, Too Faced and Coastal Scents all have their own versions of a neutral palette. Drugstore brands, including Physician's Formula are also following the neutral craze, with recently releasing the cutest palette in the drugstore; the Nude Eyes Palette!


The cutest palette on the block - The Physicians Formula Nude Eyes Palette


At first glance you can't help but notice how adorably cute the packaging is on this palette. The pale pink color of the palette is wrapped in sexy lace and topped with a tiny, pink bow! There are three other palettes in this line; Smokey (blues, blacks and silvers) which is a sleek, black palette adorned with a diamond gem. Fashionista (purples, blacks and a random yellow) has purple snake skin packaging with a small, yellow button. Lastly, Casual (a mix of colors, including browns, blues and purples) that's dressed in jean and embellished with a cute zipper.

These palettes all have nine strips, each a different color. Six of the strips are larger in size and three strips are a bit smaller. I am not quite sure why they did this, because the three smaller colors, are the ones that I like best. The colors in the Nude Eyes Palette range from black to brown to bronze to pale, pale pink to shimmery white. The palette does come with a single, sponge tip applicator, but the applicator is cut on a slant. I do find this applicator somewhat useful for packing on color, but I do not use it for anything besides that.


There are nine neutral colors in the Nude Eyes Palette - all of which are very shimmery!


Now, let's talk about the shadows. These colors are beautiful. They are all shimmery, which definitely transfers onto the lids. So, if you are not a fan of shimmer, you may want to pass on this product. When I swatched these eyeshadows on my forearm, I wasn't all that impressed with the pigmentation. The darker colors (the first four) showed up somewhat ok, but the rest were barely visible. All you could see was shimmer. I tried them out on my eyes with out any primer or base, and it just looked like I put an extremely light wash of shimmer on my lids.


Physician's Formula Nude Eyes swatched without a primer or base.


So the next day, I tried out the same colors, but I used Urban Decay's Primer Potion and NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk and the difference was very noticeable! I really liked the way the shadows wore with a primer and base. The dark shadows were much darker and the lighter ones actually had color, instead of just shimmer! So, if you do purchase this palette, you definitely need to use a primer and/or base to get the colors to show up like they do in the pan.


Physician's Formula Nude Eyes with UDPP and NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk. As you can see, the colors look much more pigmented with a primer and base!


You can find this palette in drugstore, Target and Wal-Mart for about $10.95. I know that is a bit pricey for drugstore makeup and you are probably wondering if it is worth it. I think it is worth it, IF you use a primer or some sort of base. If you don't plan on using anything under the shadows I would probably say skip this item because you will not get much color payoff. I do really like this palette and since I have gotten it, I have used it almost daily. It is really versatile and you can get lots of looks with it!

Before I end this post, I would like to thank Nichole from Beauty Broadcast for sending me this palette! :) I really am enjoying it!!

Stay forever beautiful!
Love and hugs,
Keri :-P

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

*It's Haul Time!* Milani Products (Swatches!)

Hey Beauty Babes!
(Warning this post contains lots of pics!!)

As most of you know, CVS is having a big sale on most of their Milani Cosmetics! I would say majority of their stock is 75% off, which is such a great deal! Apparently, there are quite a few CVS stores that do NOT have stickers on the products, advertising the sale. So if you walk into CVS and see bright orange stickers that say 75% off, then you're in luck. But, don't worry; if you walk in and don't see the stickers, just grab a few items and take them to the scanner and check to see if they are marked down - chances are, they will be!!

So, needless to say, I went into CVS last Friday to get a prescription and I walked right over to the Milani display. My CVS did not have the products marked, but since I knew about the sale, I grabbed some stuff and walked over to the scanner to check the prices. Luckily, all of the stuff I picked up was on clearance!! Woot! :)


On my first trip to CVS, I picked up a Milani lipstick in Grape-Tini, a Glitzy Glamour Gloss in First Class and a Milani Minerals Blush with Brush in Mai Tai! I got home and swatched the products immediately! There is nothing better than getting new products and swatching them for the first time! Oh it gives me such a rush! Haha! I loved them ALL! But The Glitzy Glamour Gloss in First Class is AHH-MAZ-ING!!! So I went to a different CVS and picked up two more!


L to R - Milani 3D Glamor Gloss in In Vogue and Milani Glitzy Glamour Gloss in First Class (my fav!)

L to R - Milani Lipstick in Grape-Tini, Frosted Pink and Minky Pinky

Clockwise from the top - Milani Minerals Compact Makeup Powder in Nude Buff and Milani Mineral Blush with Brush in Luminous, Sweet Rose and Mai Tai

So let's fast forward to today. I went back to CVS to pick up a few things and headed over to the Milani display, yet again. I was thinking that there wouldn't be many products left, because I thought they would have had the clearance stickers up by now. But to my surprise, there were still no stickers on the product! So they still had a pretty good selection left! This time, I picked up two more Milani Minerals Blush with Brush in Sweet Rose and Luminous. I also grabbed two more Milani lipsticks in Minky Pinky and Frosted Pink. Since I loved the Glitzy Glosses so much, I grabbed another one - this time it was a 3D Glitzy Glamour Gloss in In Vogue. And lastly, I picked up a Milani Minerals Compact Makeup Powder in Nude Buff!


Top to Bottom - Milani 3D Glitzy Glamour Gloss in In Vogue and Milani Glitzy Glamour Gloss in First Class

Top to Bottom - Milani Lipstick in Grape-Tini, Frosted Pink and Minky Pinky!

L to R - Milani Minerals Compact Makeup Powder in Nude Buff, Milani Minerals Blush with Brush in Luminous , Sweet Rose and Mai Tai (Sorry, I couldn't get Luminous to photograph without the slight glare)

So that is it! I think I am done buying Milani Products for a while now! Haha!

Make sure you check out your CVS and see if you can score some great deals! If you do, please comment below letting me know what you got!!

Stay forever beautiful!
Love and hugs!
Keri :-P