Haulin'!!!

Like ballin', but better!!! :) (lame attempt at a joke lol) So I did some shopping this past weekend and picked up so awesome goodies! Some stuff is new to me, so if you've tried any of it, let me know what you think. 

NARS Light Reflecting Setting Powder

NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer- Alaska *new*

MAC Paint Pot- Painterly

L'Oréal Infallible Pro-Matte Foundation- Shell Beige *new*

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind (dark circle eraser)- Fair *new*

Ponds makeup removing wipes

Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser (normal to oily skin) *new*

Aussie 3 Minute Miracle (strong version) *new*

Sephora bobby pins 

Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue purse spray 

The Spirograph looking thing in the back is a sketch book I also bought (along with a 2015-16 planner because I totally still use one) from Barnes & Noble. I saw on Pinterest someone had made a "Smashbook" with one and it looked really cool. It's a book you write and put pictures in (like a scrapbook), but without the commitment. You just put a picture in, write a little something and go! When I start mine, I will definitely write a blog, with pictures, on how I did mine! 

Valentine's Day MOTD

I remember when I was in elementary school and Valentine's Day was a major holiday. What kind of cards am I going to get? Am I going to get a lot of cards and candy from my classmates? Am I going to get a "special" card from that boy sitting across from me? Now it's a holiday that really doesn't mean that much to me. I don't expect, nor do I care, if my boyfriend gets me anything. Not like in high school, when you wanted the biggest bear and balloon, so you could hit your enemy in the head with them. ;)

I haven't put a lot of use into my UD Naked 3 palette, so I decided to do a look with it and the colors were perfect for Valentine's Day. 

FACE 

CoverGirl 3in1 foundation: Classic Ivory

Benefit Erase Paste: Fair

NARS Light Reflecting powder

Maybelline blush: Corsica Coral

Milani Brow Shaping Clear Wax

EYES

Wet N Wild Take On The Day eye primer

UD Naked Palette 3: Limit, Dark Side, Liar, Nooner, Strange

UD 24/7 eyeliner: Zero

Revlon ColorStay liquid eyeliner: Blackest Black

It Cosmetics Tightline mascara: Black

Jordan Best Lash Extreme: Blackest Black

LIPS

MAC Lustreglass: Love Nectar 

I hope all of you are having an amazing day, single or not (I've been with my cat all day). :) 

Review: HARE Magic Moroccan Lipstick

Hey there! Today I'm reviewing a lip product. You've probably seen it on Pinterest or YouTube, but it's called HARE Magic Moroccan Lipstick. 

It's green in the tube, but goes on clear and "magically" works with your pH to give you your own unique pink lip color. 

I swatched this on some of my coworkers and all of our shades were completely different. 

 

On me, it's a fuchsia pink, which will be great for the summer. It feels like a lip balm more than a lipstick and after a while, it becomes a muted stain. 

I bought it on eBay for $9.99 with shipping and BOGO free! 

Verdict: It's an awesome product! I love that anyone can wear it. Plus, it feels nice on the lips; not drying at all. The longevity of the lipstick is pretty good too, considering it turns into a stain. I will definitely purchase more! 

30 Day Hair Growth Challenge

Hey there! Today I'm posting my 30 day hair growth challenge. Last June, I regretfully got my hair cut pretty short. So since then, I've been trying to grow my hair longer. I keep it healthy with regular trims and only use heat if I'm going out somewhere (1, maybe 2 days a week, if that). I've seen many reviews about taking Biotin to make it grow "faster". I have tried Biotin in the past, but I never really stuck to it. So I decided to do a 30 day challenge. I started December 7th to January 7th and took 2 Nature's Balance Hair, Skin and Nails gummy vitamins daily. 

The outcome-

There is growth. But is it a lot to make me continue the vitamins? 

No. Not really. Plus, they did nothing for my skin and nails. 

I've come to realize it's more genetics than anything else. My moms hair grows crazy fast and my dad...not so much lol. I'm pretty sure I got my dad's hair genes. But that's ok. Slow and steady wins the race, right? ;)

Sam did a MOTN with actual color?!

I grew up in the old school Lisa Frank days, so I LOVE bright colors. But when it comes to my makeup, I'm a very neutral kind of girl. That being said, this look is completely out of my comfort zone. I'm nervous to post it, but proud at the same time that I did something a little different. :)

FACE

-Skin79 BB Cream

-Benefit Erase Paste: Fair

-Essence All about Matt! setting powder

-NARS blush: Deep Throat 

EYES

-Jordana cream eyeshadow: Continuous Almond

-Maybelline Eye Studio gel eyeliner:

Blackest Black

-Coastal Scents 88 Shimmer Palette

-UD 24/7 eyeliner: Zero

-Revlon Colorstay liquid liner: Blackest Black

-Jordana Best Lashes Extreme mascara

-Clinique bottom lash mascara: Black

LIPS

-Maybelline Dr. Rescue: Berry Soft

The white powder that's on my sweater is the fallout from my setting powder and I didn't know until I was putting my pics in a grid. :( But it's such a good powder! Lol

Beauty Box 5 Unboxing: December 2014

This is only my second box and I have to say, I'm not pleased. I subscribed because the October box looked awesome. So when I subscribed in November, I put in the promo code to get the previous box for free. The November box wasn't very good. I got the whole theme of it, however the samples could've been better and I never got the October box. Instead, I got this box for free. I'm a little sad, but it's already done and I'm no longer subscribed. 

Many of you probably know what Beauty Box 5 is, but just in case, it's a monthly beauty subscription box. The price varies depending on if you get monthly ($12/month), quarterly ($30/3 months) or yearly ($99/year). This months box is themed "Merry & Bright". 

1. Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Moisturizer 0.26 fl oz (Retail: $65 for 1.7 oz)

2. Luck Brand Luck Number 6 EDP sample (Retail: $15.99-$60)

3. Nana coco nail polish in Diamond 0.5 fl oz (Retail: $3.95 for 0.5 fl oz) 

4. Absolute! New York nail polish remover pads on Spring Fresh 32 pads (Retail: $2.99 for 32 pads)

5. Jaqua Bath & Body Collection lotion in Pink Champagne 2 fl oz (Retail: $18-$36) 

I'm super excited for the Juice Beauty moisturizer! I've heard nothing but great things about it. I'm not so sure about the perfume; it smells really strong. Like knock-you-off-your-feet strong lol. 

Everything in this box will get used, but I'm glad I unsubscribed. I know it's a sample box, which is awesome, but there's so many beauty subscription boxes out there that seem to be taking more time and thought to them. Am I wrong?

Let me know what boxes I should try! 

Haul-y, jolly, Christmas

Hey guys! So it's been a while since I've blogged. I was sick and work has been kind of kicking my butt lately. I did, however, have some time to do some shopping. :)

I went to Ulta, T.J. Maxx, Target and Sephora and all places were having great sales. 

So here is my haul along with some swatches. 

First up is Ulta and T.J. Maxx. 

I've been wanting to try a new finishing powder. Don't get me wrong; I love my NARS one, but it's pretty expensive. So after researching as much as I could find about the brand Japonesque Color, I found that Ulta had this "best sellers" kit for $28. It only comes with deluxe sizes, but it's a great way for me to try out not only the powder, but the brand overall. 

Japonesque Color Velvet Touch Finishing Powder

Japonesque Color Velvet Touch Blush in the shade 03

Japonesque Color Pro Performance Lipstick in the shade 02

My first impressions are good. The blush and lipstick are very pigmented and both powders are extremely soft. 

I also picked up two NYX matte lipsticks from Ulta. 

NYX Matte Lipsticks in the shades Tea Rose and Sweet Pink

I've never owned the matte lipsticks, but I've heard great things about them. They're really pigmented and creamy. Sweet Pink looked more dark on the display, but I'm super excited for Tea Rose! 

 I also picked up a mini Not Your Mothers Way To Grow leave-in conditioner. I'm in the process of growing out my hair (there will be a review on the Biotin vitamin I've been taking), so I figured this could along with that. 

Cargo HD CC Cream in Light

At an endcap display at T.J. Maxx, I found this CC cream by Cargo. I've never tried the white-to-color type of BB creams, so this is fairly new to me. I like the consistency of it, but the color scares me a little (as you can see by the picture lol). Hopefully it'll blend with my skin tone when I have a little more color. 

OPI Liquid Sand nail polishin Get Your Number

This nail polish is beautiful. I have another liquid sand nail polish and I actually like it. I'm sure I'm going to love this one.  

Next up is Target. 

NYX Mood Lip Gloss in Affectionate and Sensual  

I'm really intrigued by the mood lip glosses that are out on the market right now. I tried both of these out and Affectionate turns into a really pretty pink flush on my lips. Sensual seemed to just stay the color that is swatched above which didn't look as good. I'm a little bummed. 

Sonia Kashuk Bare Necessities palette (using UD primer potion)

My pictures are not doing this palette any justice. The colors are really pretty and rose gold toned. 

I picked up a Suave dry shampoo as well. It's the only dry shampoo (I've only tried some of the drugstore ones) that I like. The only problem I have with all dry shampoos is that when I do wash my hair after using it, I end up having to wash twice because the first time doesn't lather. It's the weirdest thing. Does this happen to everyone?

Lastly, Sephora. 

I bought the small size of the Josie Maran "light" Argan oil. I've tried the original and I loved it. This version is supposed to absorb quicker into a matte-satin finish. 

Urban Decay eyeshadows in Virgin and Zephyr (no primer)

I'm sure you all know what Virgin looks like lol, but I figured I'd do a swatch anyway. These two are my holy grail eyeshadows. I usually use only two eyeshadows; one all over the lid and one in the crease. Both colors are my lid colors. I just choose whether I want a shimmer or a matte-satin eye. 

Whew. This a pretty long post lol, but I did want to include swatches. Has anyone tried some of these products? If so, what did you think?