Lashing Out with Benefit

I know, I know. I’m late to posting party pictures but better late than never! These are some snaps from my LashBash party back in September. Take a gander!

It started with a batch of goodies.

Tube upon tube of lash boosting goodness.

I emptied out my entire train case…

Have a close up.

I let everyone try the products but I sanitized the eye kit and I love it!

Goodie Bags- my sister, Shazzer, helped!

One of these things is not like the other…

I finally evened them out.

Trying out the goods.

Blushing you off.

Where’d you get those peepers?

Gorgeous!

And the night would not be complete without some of us being naughty…

There is always some kind of retaliation…

And there are always a few giggles…

And then there is me…

Throwing parties always make me nervous but my girls had a fabulous time!

Thanks to Benefit and Ipsy for selecting me to throw a LashBash!

Keep It Realsies & Primp ON! XOXO

BA Star Gives Some Lip

I have tried a few products from BA Star in the recent months so when I noticed another BA Star goodie available on BrandBacker for review, I signed up. This time it was for their Holiday Red Lip Pencil. First of all, I love a red lip. Secondly, since I have been impressed by BA Star’s quality, I couldn’t wait to try a more pigmented lippy from their line, especially one that I will use pretty frequently.

The pencil. My lips.

The BA Star Holiday Red Lip Pencil is a chubby stick but not super thick. Since it is a bit thinner, this makes using such a pigmented color much easier. The slightly smaller size gives more control, important when applying such a bright color. I used a light hand in the picture above. The texture is not super soft but not drying. If you notice, the color has a semi-matte finish, which is great! Some super shiny reds end up all over the face and matte reds can look dry. The semi-matte finish gives a satiny look without being glaring and in your face. It also gives the color good staying power.

The left is without flash.

I wanted to add a little glitz to the Holiday Red Lip Pencil so I grabbed my BA Start Zebra Glitter Gloss and added a layer of sparkle.

Another great product, this glittery gloss isn’t too gritty, making it easy to wear.

Quick Tip: Wipe the applicator after using it over any lip color to avoid the gloss from getting cloudy. You may have to remember to wipe several times.

The glitter shows up quite nicely over the Holiday Red Lip Pencil.

BA Star’s Holiday Red Lip Pencil will make an excellent addition to my fall and winter lip colors.  I love the versatility of the product, too, as I can create a light stain or really layer the color to make my lips pop!

Interested in trying BA Star’s Holiday Red Lip Pencil? Visit www.bastar.com and enter BBLIPS at checkout to receive 50% off!  Keep in mind that the discount is off the full retail price ONLY and cannot be combined with any other offers.

This is a sponsored post, powered by BrandBacker. The complimentary sample had no influence on my review.

Keep Calm  & Primp On! XOXO

Get a Life (Palette)!

A few weeks ago, I made a purchase from em Cosmetics by Michelle Phan. If you have never heard of Michelle Phan, you may have heard of ipsy, a beauty subscription curated by Michelle Phan. Anyway, Michelle is a serious make-up artist. She can pretty much become anyone or anything she wants with the flick of a mascara wand. Her talent did not go unnoticed and she was able to create her own cosmetics line. Through my ipsy subscription I was able to get a deal and since her products are expensive, I figured it seemed like a good way to try out her cosmetics. I was also automatically entered to win a Life Palette. A Life Palette is the signature em Cosmetics product. There are four “lives” to choose from, each containing four palettes that include eye, cheek, and lip colors.

Imagine my surprise when with my measly $27 purchase, I won. I chose the “Love Life” palette, which I thought to be most versatile.

Love Life Palette

Just a quick description- the center of each mini-palette is a blush. If you move clockwise from the top, you hit two lip colors and six eye shadow colors.

The packaging is sturdy and I love that I can also easily depot each palette as needed. Do you see the little indentation on the right side of each pan? Included in the set is a nifty tool that slides right into that indentation, making it easy to depot and put in a special compact included with the palette. It makes every single pan travel friendly. The four lives of the Love Life Palette are:

Warm Fuzzies (neutrals with a pops of color and shimmer)

Warm Fuzzies

The Real Me (natural neutrals)

The Real Me

Girl Time (more color- purples, blues, pink!),

Girl Time

 All Yours (smokey shades)

All Yours

Each look has instructions. I found the step-by-step directions easy to follow and I loved my final look.

I have used Warm Fuzzies and The Real Me and found the eye shadows and blushes to be of good quality. (I honestly did not try the lip colors in the palette yet.)

I am hoping to play around with my Love Life Palette and try more faces.

Would you purchase a palette like this?

Keep Calm & Primp On! XOXO

Resvology to the Rescue!

 

Sorry to scare you with my eyeballs. With my schedule lately, I have been running around like a mad woman and it shows. I never complained about dark circles until I really gave the skin around my eyes a cold, hard look. Now, mine may not seem that bad but I am facing my mid-30s and I have already noticed the changes in my skin.  I am oily by nature so I don’t use face cream.  I do use eye cream. I was recently disappointed that my favorite cream had been discontinued and was sold on something else. I am not too happy with the current formulation so when I saw a campaign for Resvology Age Corrective Eye Cream on BrandBacker, I was excited.I received a 0.5 fluid ounce tube complimentary  through BrandBacker and got started using it right away.

Resvology Age Corrective Eye Cream ($84 US) is “advanced gene science” that uses the 4-AR molecule, a stabilized and patented form of resveratryl acetate. The 4-AR molecule has been proven to activate over 85 skin-related genes in an in-vitro gene study.  This activity helps skin look more youthful. If you want it in Product Hoochie terms, this is luxurious skincare with a strong basis in science. It also just sounds like it works, but is there proof in the anti-puff pudding?

The cream claims that it helps minimize wrinkles, puffiness, and dark circle. I only really have the latter but I am all about prevention. Their “unprecedented results” pretty much tell that 100% of users found fine lines to be minimized, and the eye area to be firmer and hydrated.

I tried it out one night after I cleansed my face. I was surprised at how much thinner Resvology Age Corrective Eye Cream is to my usual thick like butter eye cream. It was more of a lotion- easy to apply with a little heft. I gently applied the cream around my eye, paying a little more attention to the nasty dark circles. I have to admit, the cream feels lovely and the scent is not strong or perfumey. I wouldn’t say it smells chemical either, which is a pleasant surprise.

A little goes a long way and after a week of use this is what I notice:

My circles are a bit lighter and I think looks a little brighter.

After two weeks, I found…

My dark circles seem to have lightened up a bit. I think that if I continue to use the cream nightly, I will see further improvement.  I also think that the skin around my eyes seems firmer to the touch.  Do I think the price tag is too high? Well, I paid $60 US for my current eye cream so $24 more for something that has shown improvement in two weeks might be a better investment.

My most recent picture- Sunday, October 20 8:37 AM.

If you want to learn more about Resvology products, pay them a visit at www.resvology.com. You can also “like” them on Facebook.

Keep Calm & Primp On! XOXO

Falling into Fragrance- Bergamot’s October Collection

I received my second Bergamot box last Friday and gave myself some time to try each scent in the delivery. I think this month’s selection was better than last’s. Take a sniff.

“Oh! the Indian Summer! it stirs up the flying embers-all the dead days of the year-into momentary new life!” ~Walt Whitman (This quote was in the pamphlet. Love me some Walt.)

October’s Collection is titled Indian Summer.  Since NYC has been trying to kick out those last dregs of humid days (I got a stupid mosquito bite yesterday), I am more than happy to use anything Fall-like.  The fragrances revolve around scents from “Autumn’s kitchen”- ginger, pear, and oolong tea, two are from brands I never heard from and one is available at some mass beauty retailers.

The scent strips that are filed neatly beneath the mini-sprays are a most excellent addition to the box.

I’ll start with the first scent I tried, DSH Perfumes D’Anjou. At first spray I thought, “Ooooh! Freshly washed hair!” Pear, blended with notes of rose, lily, and cyclamen made for a really easy to wear fragrance that smelled so clean and delicious. I sniffed my wrists all day and found that though it did fade, I could smell it faintly. D’Anjou is my favorite out of the three selections for two reason. One- it really is a beautiful scent that is a bit unique and two- it is not overwhelming. The September collection I found to be a bit cloying so this was a refreshing change.

DSH Perfumes D’Anjou

Tuesday morning, I spritzed myself with Ginger Ciao by Yosh. I was uber-excited for this fragrance. Tiger Lily! Ylang Ylang! Ginger! Coconut! A spicy, sweet, floral? It sounds fantastic… BUT it wasn’t for me. I’m not sure if it is my skin chemistry but it really smelled ummm… like Design. I wore Design in the 90s but it was created in 1985 by Paul Sebastian. I found Ginger Ciao to be an opulent scent and a bit strong for my liking.  Maybe the Ylang Ylang really came through on me. I don’t know. I think this may smell gorgeous on someone else and I will be sure to pass it along.

Ginger Ciao by Yosh

Last but not least is Oolang Infini by Atelier Cologne. If I had to choose, I would choose D’Anjou but I have already used up half of this sample. Why, you ask? Since it is a cologne, it does not last very long. On the other hand, the dry down is spectacular so I didn’t mind. On first spray, you get hit with citrusy bergamot. Then Atelier Cologne used their noses. The dry down floats into Tunisian orange blossom, and gets edgy with smoke and leather. It is everything I want to smell like.

Atelier Cologne Oolang Infini

I will wear D’Anjou one more time but thinking about it, Oolang might just be for me! Agh! Decisions, decisions.

What scent do you prefer in the cooler months?

Keep Calm & Primp On! XOXO

Princess Tag!

The gorgeous Melissa over at Pink Lady Beauty tagged me in the Princess Tag! I love, love, love high-end products so this tag is totally for me!

FOUNDATION: I’m not crazy for foundation but I do use Bare Minerals Original SPF Foundation. I think it tends to control the oil on my face the best.

CONCEALER: Honestly, I don’t use much concealer either. I currently have been giving Chella Ivory Lace Highlighter Pencil a go around my eyes. I find that it really lightens up the area nicely.

Lighten up.

POWDER: Back to Bare Minerals. Their READY Touch Up Veil Broad Spectrum SPF 15 helps sop up the grease that accumulates on my face. (I sound just like a princess, don’t I?)

BRONZER: Too Faced’s Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzer is my favorite hands down. It smells all cocoa-y AND is matte so my sun-kissed glow doesn’t also channel a disco ball.

The top right picture is with flash and bottom without.

BLUSH: Currently it is Benefit’s Hervana. There is something about that pink and purple swirl that makes me happy!

It’s a pinwheel!

HIGHLIGHTER: The Balm Mary-Lou Manizer is seriously pigmented but when used correctly leaves skin with a beautiful shimmery sheen.

Get detained for being cute. Bottom picture is no flash.

EYESHADOW: I love eye shadow. I love my Urban Decay Naked II palette– their eye shadows are smooth like buttah! Bobbi Brown eye shadows come in a close second. They blend beautifully.

In the nude.

EYELINER: Tarina Tarantino’s Eye Dream Hyperline goes on smooth and is super pigmented. Even on the most humid day, it does not slide off. And the colors are gorgeous! For a cheaper ($9!!!) yet high end version, Sephora Collection Contour Eye Pencil 12hr Wear Waterproof stays put all day with color vibrancy that puts any other HD eye product to shame.

Draw the line.

Mascara: Benefit They’re Real Mascara pumps lashes up to 40s starlet status.

Lash out!

Lip Pencil: I rarely use a lip pencil so I keep Too Faced’s Borderline Anti-feathering Lip Pencil on hand. It is a clear wax pencil that keeps borders clean and it won’t alter your lip color.

LIPSTICK I have way too many to list BUT my one high-end favorite brand is Lipstick Queen. Sinners are 90% pigment and they are loaded with shea butter making for super moisturizing, super saturated color.

Love the bag, the tube, the box!

LIP GLOSS: Ummm…. I have been on a lipstick kick but Clinique Chubby Sticks offer up good glossy color.

BROW PRODUCT: Benefit’s Gimme Brow is a gel base formula that goes on with a short mascara brush. I received testers when I had the Lash Bash a few weeks ago and kept the lighter color for myself. It is a little light but if I work it right, it’s great!

MISCELLANEOUS PRODUCT: This is not high end but I will pretend (just like a good princess) and sing the praises of NYX HD Eye Shadow Base. No one needs to know it is budget!

NAIL POLISH: Sorry, guys, but I refuse to buy any more nail polish over $10 a bottle. I find the quality to be worse than the cheaper drugstore brands. I have to save my money somewhere.

The Pretty (Pretty) Princesses I Tag Are:

Girl in the Glasses

Short and Sweet In Texas

And please do the tag! We share the crown. It is only good manners!

Keep Calm & Primp On! XOXO

Has Boxes, Will Travel

Hi All!

I apologize for for my absence. I just checked and noticed my last post was almost a month ago. Shame on me! Let me give you the rundown of what’s been shakin’:

-Work has been crazy. The curriculum I have managed to put together in over 10 years of teaching pretty much had to be scrapped and replaced with a fairly scripted system. That means I have to get used to the flow of someone else’s educational vision and create PowerPoint slides, new assessments, all while doing the usual stuff. Thank goodness for my most excellent colleagues- it isn’t easy but we help each other when we can.

-I have been getting my health together. It has been easier than I thought but still has its challenges.

-If you look back to my title you will notice that I mention boxes. My hubs and I will be moving next month to a bigger apartment with a washer and dryer. I cannot tell you how excited I am about the washer and dryer. It is a little sad. We started packing this weekend and will do more packing today since I am off for Columbus Day.

I do have a few posts lined up for the coming week, so stay tuned! I have missed you terribly!

Keep Calm & Primp On! XOXO