NOTW: Zoya Carey

"Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy."~ Anne Frank

HELLO LOVIES! I am finally back and ready to get started on my new blogging schedule. A couple of days after posting my new blog ideas and what not I ended up getting sick and I am barely getting over it. Not trying to make excuses but I am wanting to let you all know what was going on.

SO! For this Nail of the week look I decided to keep it simple and pastel! I have recently started loving pastel colors more than usual. I ordered 3 Zoya polishes from Birchbox since at that time they were offering free shipping and I had never tried Zoya polishes but had heard great things about them. This is one of the colors that I purchased. I believe it is from their Fall/Winter Collection.

I must say I absolutely LOVE this color! It is a perfect pastel purple color. I would say it is lavendar but it seems to have more of the grey to it. The picture is with 2 coats of product. I love the formula of it, it was just the perfect consistancy. Drying time was about 2 minutes, which is not too bad. I think this is the perfect color for this time of the year, its not winter but not spring quite yet, its in between.

I would recommend this to anyone that is into the pastel colors or wants a totally different hue of purple. LOVE!



Love,

Espy

Nail of the Week (NOTW)

"Taking joy in living is a woman's best cosmetic."~ Rosalind Russell

Hello lovelies! I am so excited since this is the very first nail of the week post of this year! 

As you can probably tell from the picture this is a Sephora by OPI polish. The color is Mash Up. This specific color is from the Glee collection Sephora had for Spring 2011. I don't think they still carry it since it was limited edition but some stores may have it in stock still. 

The color itself is a silvery, greenish, purple duo-chrome.  I did find it to be fairly sheer but still gorgeous. This is one of the pictures where you could see the range of colors this polish gives and once again it is absolutely GORGEOUS! 

Like I mentioned before this is a fairly sheer color. In my pictures I only applied two coats of polish. If you want a fuller coverage three would be perfect. The consistency of the polish is perfect! Its not too thick and not too runny. It applies evenly so streaking will not be a problem. 

The price of the polish was $9.50 for a .5 fl oz bottle. This is not bad if you compare it to other polishes out there that can cost up to $20. I absolutely love the color and the fact that it is subtle enough to wear to work or a date and still fun to wear on a night out with friends. If you can still get your hands on it I would totally recommend getting it. Its so worth it :)

What polish are you currently sporting? Post a picture or comment below. Take care lovelies! 

Love,

Espy <3

January 2012 Birchbox & MyGlam Bag!

"There is no cosmetic for beauty like happiness"~Maria Mitchell

Hello beauties! So excited to be posting this today! I want to apologize for posting this late. I want to do a post for both beauty boxes instead of individual posts. Even though both are sent on the 10th of the month I do live on the west coast and they are not shipped at the exact same time. Therefore I will be a little late in the posting thing, unlike others who receive their beauty boxes in a couple of days. So my apologies before hand.

So a little bit of information about both of these beauty boxes. Both of these beauty boxes are a monthly subscription of $10.00. With this you also have the option to cancel at any time. You can buy an annual subscription if you would like and I believe they both offer a month or two free. They get shipped following the magazine schedule, the 10th of every month. You fill out a beauty profile that lets them know a little bit about your skin, hair, and beauty needs in general. This helps the companies pick out what samples best suit you. In both boxes you get 4 to 5 deluxe size samples or even full size products. Every month the credit card on file will get charged if you do the monthly subscription.

Birchbox likes to send samples to cover all areas of beauty: makeup, nails, skin care, hair care, and even snacks. Birchbox also likes to set a theme to the monthly boxes, which is very neat. I guess I should say that their products always come in a box with their logo on it, just so everyone knows. Also the box that surrounds the box you get (yes a box inside of a box) on the label says what box you received. I think you can get one of 15 or something like that. In your box they provide a card explaining why they picked that specific theme. On the back of the card you have all the products you received listed, with a description, and the price of the full size item. Birchbox also likes to includes a little extra surprise, which I have noticed, is always a snack of some kind. Sometimes in the boxes you will get discount codes but for that month if you purchase anything that you received in your box full sized you do get free shipping, which is pretty sweet. On the website they have a one stop shop to purchase any item you received in your current or previous boxes. Every dollar you spend in the Birchbox Store equal one Birchbox point. Every 100 points you earn turn into $10 to spend in the Birchbox store. There are many other ways to earn points which include reviewing the items you received in your box (10 pts), getting friends to sign up for Birchbox (50 pts), even giving a Birchbox as a gift gets you points! Simple, right?!

MyGlam Bag is all cosmetics. So far they have only sent out 2 boxes since they just got started in November. With MyGlam you receive 4 to 5 products, sample or full size. All these goodies come in a cute makeup bag, which is an amazing idea. Along with the products you get a description card, somewhat similar to Birchbox, and discount codes from the companies featured in the bag. As far as themes go, I am not sure if it will be a constant thing. This month it seemed to have a theme to follow, which is neat, but like I said I am not sure if it will be a continuous thing. With MyGlam everyone is currently receiving the same products but maybe the shade may very. I think that this is due to the fact that they are so new they are building up their stock and the companies that they are associated with. So far with MyGlam I have recognized every brand they put in their bags, unlike Birchbox where some of the brands I have never heard of. Once again this might be due to the fact that MyGlam just started. They do not have an online store or point system like Birchbox, which I have to say is the only thing I kind of wish they had.

Both of these monthly subscriptions are amazing. You get to try out stuff that you may not normally want to try or maybe from companies you have never heard of.

Birchbox:

This months theme for Birchbox is Clarity. Nice theme since its a new year and with new year new resolutions and of course time to clear the mind and body. For those of you wondering the box I received was box 7. So lets get right into what I received in my Birchbox for this month and my thoughts on the items. 

Archipelago Pomegranate Body Soap- Laced with good-for-you pomegranate extracts, this triple-milled soap smells divine and leaves skin feeling clean, not stripped. Full size (6.9 oz) $12.50

OMG! This soap smells absolutely amazing! When I first took my box out of the shipping box I could already smell it. Wow! It has the pomegranate smell along with some other citrus smells. Very tropical I think. The sample size that I received is 1.8 oz which comes up to approximately a $3.26 value. It is a really good sized sample if you ask me. I have really never heard of the brand before, let alone the product. I absolutely love it that I am going to purchase this item full size, well whenever Birchbox has it back in stock.

Clark's Botanicals Smoothing Marine Cream-Dull skin no more, thanks to the glycolic acid in this exfoliating moisturizer. The gentle tingle means its working. Full size (1.7 fl oz) $115

This is the most expensive item I received in my box. I did apply this on the back of my hand and it is very smooth and soft. It has a very clean smell to it, kind of smells like baby powder. When I was reading the description I had to stop and think if I have ever used or tried a moisturizer that also exfoliates and I must say that this will be the first. On the instructions on the jar it does say to not apply to red or peeling skin, which I think is due to the glycolic acid. It also recommends to be applied twice daily and apply SPF over that. Although the jar did not have a weight on it I am guesstimating it is about $4. Would I purchase this? I honestly don't think so. That is a very steep price to pay for a 1.7 oz jar. My current moisturizer for the same size bottle cost under $40 and that to me was expensive. So I will have to pass on the product but will use it very sparingly.

Juicy Couture Juicy Couture-Juicy's signature fragrance is a blend of sweet floral notes. Sophisticated and feminine, it's perfect for day or night. Full size: 1.7 oz $69 or 3.4 oz $89

No need to say it, but I am a big Juicy Couture fan! I love love love all their fragrances, specially Peace, Love, and Juicy. This was a pleasant surprise though. I love perfume samples because you can just put it in your purse and go or, in my case, keep one in you car for those days that you need an extra spritz of smell good stuff. The sample size I received was a .05 fl oz which is an estimated value (and I am going off the 1.7 oz bottle price) of about $2.03. I am considering purchasing some of these amazing perfumes in the near future.

stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner- It's time to put down the black liner. This colorful pigment makes eyes stand out and stay put for hours. Full size (0.01 oz) $20

This was an amazing and wonderful surprise! Not only does Stila make amazing, long lasting and creamy liners but this was FULL SIZE! This was an item that was included in every Birchbox, unless you were a new member. Everyone got a different color. The color I received is Blue Ribbon. It seems to be a gray or slate color and has a blue sheen to it. Very gorgeous. It is dark enough to wear on a daily basis but also light enough to just get a little pop of color. The staying power on these eye liners is amazing! I already own a Stila Smudgeproof eyeliner in Peacock and love the quality of them. Of course since it was full size there is no estimated value. It is $20 for sure! I will purchase more of these amazing eye liners as needed :)

Larabar Mini Bar-you wont find any artificial fillers in these natural bars: just dried fruits, nuts, and other wholesome ingredients. They're as tasty as they are healthy. Full size (12 mini) $14.95

This little yummy bar was the Lifestyle Extra in the box. The flavor I received was Chocolate Chip Brownie. I have seen these bars before at my local Co-Op and have been intrigued but never purchased a box of them. After trying this deliciousness I must say I am definitely going to purchase it! It had some nuts in it along with a few raisins. I am a chocolate lover so these minis are a great idea. Not only are they healthy but have just the perfect amount of chocolate. The estimated value of this mini bar is $1.25. Like I mentioned before I will definitely purchase this soon and try it in other flavors.

So my total Birchbox value was about $30.54. Not bad!

MyGlam Bag:

I am so excited because this is my first MyGlam bag! This month they had a theme which is Back to Nature. Once again a great theme for me, since my goal is to try to go green as much as possible. It also helps us learn about more eco-friendly products out there. The makeup bag feels like canvas, which is nice. At the bottom it has a little bit of detail with some leaves. It has the MyGlam logo and then also says on the top Back to Nature. Cute, right?! Also included in the bag was a card from some of the companies in the MyGlam bag with special offers and discounts. Now onto the products.

Sheer Cover Duo Concealer- A unique pigment and mineral complex that provides full coverage with a sheer,  flawless finish. Full size (.05 fl oz) $29

So I have heard of Sheer Cover but I have not tried out their products yet, so this concealer is a good way to start. Upon receiving the product I decided to kind of do a swatch and test it out. The consistency of it is super creamy and seems to have great coverage. The sample I received is in Light/Medium. I want to say that Sheer Cover does have other color combos. This seems to be a little to light for me but the colors are intermixable so you can custom make your shade. The sample I received is the full size which is pretty good considering the price of the full size item. This made it into their themed bag due to the fact that Sheer Cover is a mineral based makeup company. I guess my only complaint is that the colors were not customized to the subscriber, but I can live with this :) I can not say now if I will purchase it since there are a lot of other concealers I own that I like so I will have to update you all on this.

Wen Sweet Almond Mint Cleansing Conditioner- A single-step hair cleansing conditioner made with natural ingredients. It won't strip hair and scalp of natural oils and leaves hair thick and hydrated. Full size (16 fl oz) $36

Once again another product I have heard of but never tried. This cleansing conditioner smells amazing. I can definitely smell the mint in it. I have not used it yet but already received a threat from my husband who said he may just steal this from me. Wen makes products with out any detergents or sulfates. This means the product has no additives or fillers that make it foam and make the cleanser gentle enough to use on any hair type and will not strip hair. I am pretty excited to try this product since it is made with out sulfates and its gentle on the hair. With Wen you usually have to use a large amount of product so I am not sure if with the deluxe sample I will see any immediate results. The deluxe sample size I received is 2 fl oz, which brings this to a value of $4.50. Not bad, right? I would love to purchase this item but if both my husband and I use it it could be very very expensive so this one I will have to think through.

Freeman cucumber Facial Peel-Off Masque & Sachets- Nourish, hydrate, and replenish with these peel-off masks that leave skin with a gorgeous glow. Full size (6 fl oz) $8 (or $4-$5 if purchased at a drugstore)

This product I already own so this is not a new item to me. This was not a sample size at all, it was the full size item, which is great! Freeman offers different scents for the peels and mine was the cucumber one.  I love the smell of it. It is a great and inexpensive peel that works on all skin types. You just have to apply a thin even layer to the entire face (avoiding hair and eye area) let it dry for about 10 to 15 minutes and peel. When you peel it off you can actually see the impurities that come off your face. It leaves my face feeling very soft, clean, and gives it that glow back. I absolutely recommend this to anyone. What makes this a green product is that it is Cruelty Free since it does not test on animals and it is full of botanical ingredients. Now as far as value goes I can tell you right now that it is cheaper buying it from a drugstore than online because I only paid $4 for mine. I will, however, go with the price quoted on the card. No need to purchase another on since I just received my back up :)

theBalm Cosmetics Hot Ticket Nail Polish- Long lasting, eye-popping shades to flatter and transform your fingers and toes. Full size (0.5 fl oz) $10

Now this is the one item that I know varied in all the bags. You either received the polish or the Shady Lady. I, of course, received the polish and the color is in I'll Pink To That.  theBalm is not a unknown product to me. I love their highlighter Mary Lou Manizer, and well all their products are great. The style of the art on them kind of seems to follow the Pin Up Girl style, somewhat similar to Benefit Cosmetics. So yes, absolutely love the polish. It is the perfect bubblegum pink and look forward to using this, specially for the summer. Once again another full size item! Nice!!! I may purchase more of theBalm polishes since I am a polish lover. It kind of depends on how well this wears.

So the total value of MyGlam bag for this month is: $51.50 (this is not including the makeup bag)


Overall I am very pleased with both of my box/bag. The value is way more than the $10 I pay and that is a major plus for me. I am excited to see what next months box/bag brings. Stay gorgeous lovelies!


xoxo,
Espy <3



**Are you subscribed to MyGlam or Birchbox? If so, what was in your goodie bag? Comment below :)

p.s. dont forget to follow me!

Updated Foundation Routine for Fall/Winter

"Zest is the secret of all beauty. There is no beauty that is attractive without zest."~Christian Dior

So its almost Thanksgiving and I thought it would be the perfect time for me to do a updated foundation routine. As all of you know the temperatures are dropping and our skin is losing most of its moisture. In my case, dry patches start to be a lot more noticeable. So during this time of the year I try to change up my foundation routine and skin care routine as much as possible to help keep my skin looking fresh and moisturized.

STEP ONE:

Moisturizer. You want to moisturize your skin 30 minutes before applying any type of primer to your face. This allows your skin more time to absorb the moisturizer. My current moisturizer is Origins, VitaZing SPF 15.

I love this moisturizer for various reasons. Its is an organic product that is formulated without any parabens, phthalates, mineral oil, and various other products. Not only does it moisturize my skin but it also has a sheer tint, a little more sheer than a tinted moisturizer, and it helps me look awake. The SPF is like the cherry on top. It has a scent to it that is not over powering. The scent kind of reminds me of mangoes. It smells delicious but like I mentioned before, not overpowering at all. For this a dime size or less is perfect to apply to the entire face and neck. This is good news since this product is a little pricey ($35) for the amount you receive (1.7oz). So keep in mind a little bit of this goes a long way.

STEP TWO:

Primer. Face primer is a must for everyone. A primer helps the product adhere better to the skin and it helps you use less product. Some primers brighten up colors or minimize pores. My all time favorite primer is Benefit Cosmetics, The POREfessional.

This primer is a quick fix primer. By quick fix I mean you see immediate results versus seeing the results over time. This quick fix primer helps minimize pores. I love this because I do notice the difference immediately and I do have large pores on my cheeks and nose. I apply the product in my problem areas and for the rest of my face use a different primer. You do not need to use much of this product. I recommend using this only on the problem area and using a different primer on the rest of your face. If you find this to be too much of a hassle a pea sized amount of this will cover your entire face.  It is a primer that is a little on the pricey side. It retails for $29 and its a .75oz bottle. I will say that like my moisturizer a little of this goes a long way. I had one bottle of this primer for a year before I had to repurchase a new one.

The second primer I use is Laura Mercier Foundation Primer in the Oil Free formula.

This I apply to my forehead, chin, and upper lip. I use the oil free formula because it does help control my oily skin a lot better. Once again another primer that is on the pricier side. This is $30 for a 1.75oz bottle. A good dupe for this that I have found is the Palladio Herbal Foundation Primer.

 It leaves my skin with that silky smooth finish, it is not too greasy feeling but does hydrate at the same time, and it is less than half the price ($11.99 for 1oz) of the Laura Mercier. My skin seems to be very weird I tell you. I have dry patch areas and I have oily areas. If only they would combine an give me normal skin I would be happy. A girl can dream :)

STEP THREE:

Foundation and concealer. Now this would not be an updated foundation routine if I did not change up something, right? For this cold season you want to have a more dewy foundation, specially is you have dry skin or dry patches. Matte foundations may give you a more dull flat look and if you have dry skin it make look like you have very unhealthy flaky skin. I have two foundations that I alternate with, depending on how much coverage I want. The first foundation is the Josie Maran Argan Matchmaker Serum Foundation. My color is in Light/Medium. 

There are 3 shades to pick from and the reason for that is the true skin matching technology. This is an amazing product! You apply this to your skin and start blending it in and you see it start matching your skin. It is amazing to see this in person. I feel like this foundation hydrates the dry patches and does not overly hydrate the rest of my skin. I would say this is the perfect foundation for any skin type since it knows where to hydrate the most. This is another organic product, GO GREEN! Some of the pros of this foundation are that it is paraben free, cruelty free, vegan, toxin free, and recyclable. This does have a slight scent. I cant quite describe it but it smells clean to me. This foundation does give me a dewy finish but it is not full coverage. I would say this is more of a medium coverage foundation but I don't mind this one bit. As for usage, one pump is more than enough since the product does spread out easily and evenly. This retails for $42 for a 1oz bottle. The price may be very steep for some, but the quality of the product is well worth it and the packaging is perfect as well.

The second foundation I like using is the Neutrogena Healthy Skin Foundation. My color in this is Natural Tan.

Maran, $12.49 for 1 oz,but this foundation is also buildable to full coverage and still not look cakey. It does go on fairly easy and I do find it hydrating. I would say this is a great inexpensive foundation for this season.

I like to apply my concealer after I apply my foundation. Sometimes foundations will take care of the problem areas of the skin so concealer would be pointless then, but other times you do need to apply that little bit to that pimple or to the dark under eye circles. For concealer for this season I like using my Amazing Cosmetics, Amazing Concealer in Tan.

This is a very pigmented and concentrated concealer. I love this for blemishes and dark under eye circles. It is a liquid form so that does help it glide on a lot easier. You seriously only need to use a pin sized amount to get the perfect amount of coverage for your blemishes or dark under eye circles. This concealer is paraben free which is great. It is very pricey though. I have the travel size, which is .2oz, and I paid $28 for it. The full size is .5 oz and its $42. It does last a very long time but it is very very pricey. I highly recommend it though. 

Usually my next step would be to apply a setting powder over my foundation, but not in this case. If you have super oily skin you can apply a very light amount of powder only to the oily areas, otherwise too much powder will matte up the finish and the dewy look will be useless. So for this season I would recommend to skip it. We don't want our skin too look flat and flaky. Next you would go onto finishing the full face look with lips, cheeks, and eyes. 

This is a very simple and quick way of having a nice dewy finish to your skin and help your skin not look dull at all during this holiday season. I hope you guys enjoyed this mini update. I hope to be doing posts more often as well. Does your foundation routine change during the colder season? If so, what foundation do you use?

PRICE LIST:

*Origins, VitaZing SPF15: $35 (Sephora & Origins)

*Benefit Cosmetics, The POREfessional: $29 (Sephora & Ulta)

*Laura Mercier Foundation Primer, Oil Free: $30 (Sephora)

*Palladio, Herbal Liquid Foundation Primer: $11.99 (Ulta o& Sally Beauty Supply)

*Josie Maran Argan Matchmaker Foundation Serum: $42 (Sephora)

*Neutrogena, Healthy Skin Liquid Makeup: $11.99 (Ulta & most drugstores)

*Amazing Cosmetics, Amazing Concealer: $28-$42 (Sephora and Ulta)

HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!!!

Best Brush Cleaner Ever!!!

"There is no cosmetic for beauty like happiness." ~Maria Mitchell

So for all of you makeup artist out there or aspiring makeup artist you know that the most important thing that we all own, besides our cosmetics, is our tools. Our tools help us achieve the looks we want with little to no effort and hassle at all. Now like any other thing we own, our brushes need to be properly cared for. By this I mean daily cleaning and monthly deep cleaning. This may seem to some like a big hassle, but when you love what you do and want your brushes to last a lot longer it doesn't seem like a big deal anymore.

So while watching some videos on YouTube I came across a video by dulcecandy87. For those of you who do not know her, click here to see her YouTube channel. So she has a video where she is doing a review on the Sigma Dry n' Shape and she mentioned Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap. I was amazed at how big the bottle was but most of all how little amount of product it took to clean 12 brushes. Needless to say I went to my local Target and found Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap in different scents and two different sizes.

Now lets talk a little bit about the scents and the sizes they have. There are 8 different scents to choose from. Pretty much a scent for everyone out there. The scents are Peppermint, Eucalyptus, Almond, Rose, Baby Mild, Citrus, Lavender, and Tea Tree Liquid Soap. I personally didn't care much for the others so I got the lavender. Also lavender is known to help you relax. So what better way to help be relaxed and stay relaxed then getting whiffs of lavender when doing your makeup. The product comes in two different sizes, 16oz and 32oz. The price may very depending on where you purchase the item and what size. I believe I paid about $8 for my 16oz bottle and it seriously still look brand new and I have had it for over 4 months.

Now onto the product itself. Lately I have been trying to get into more organic products for my face. I feel that organic products are better for our skin since we are avoiding any harsh chemicals and ingredients. With that said, yes, Dr. Bronner's Liquid Soap is organic! Win much?! It is made with no synthetic foaming agents, thickeners or preservatives. This is great to know because some foaming agents (like those found in many shampoos) are too harsh and can cause damage to the bristles (and if its a shampoo, your hair!). It is completely Biodegradable and vegetable-based, its made with Certified Fair Trade and Organic Oils, and it is multi-purpose! You can actually refill this bottle at your local Co-Op! Many many Co-Ops carry Dr. Bronner's and have refill stations for you to use. Not only is it cost effective but you are also technically recycling. What better thing than to have organic soap and save the planet at the same time!

The quality of this product is beyond amazing! You only need 2 to 3 little drops of this product into a container (any small Tupperware will do), fill it up with water (less than half way), and this is just enough to clean 12 brushes or more depending on how dirty your brushes are. The scent is not overpowering but not too subtle. You can definitely smell the lavender in the brush bristles. On top of that, the soap leaves my brushes squeaky clean and, if they are white bristles, it leaves them white and not stained. By stained I mean that sometimes we use that bright pink blush and the white bristles are stained pink, even after deep cleaning them. This soap cleans it all off and leaves the bristles like they were before using it, white.  

I really do love this product and I think it is by far my favorite deep cleaning brush cleaner. Before this  I use to use Sephora Brush Shampoo and although it had no harsh scent (or scent at all) it did take a ton of product to get a large powder brush clean and didn't completely take care of any stains left on the brushes from makeup. This product I just find to be very cost effective and it being multi purpose makes it even better. It being organic is like the cherry on top. This whole item is overall a win for me!

Thanks for reading my blog and I hope this is informative for you! I will soon do a tutorial on how I use this product to deep clean my brushes and how often you should clean your brushes to help keep them around longer. :)

RATING:

Packaging: 5/5

Product: 5/5

Quality: 5/5

Price: $8-$16 (Target. If you buy from the Co-Op I'm sure it may be more inexpensive.)

Would I buy again?: Most Defiantly

Overall: 5/5

**If you would like to read more about the ingrediants of Dr. Bronners Magic Soaps click here.**

Wet 'n' Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow Collection Review~Comfort Zone

"Beauty is eternity gazing at itself in the mirror."~ Khalil Gibran 

So a couple of days ago I took a late night trip to my local Wal*Mart in search for something interesting and new. Like usual I made my way to the makeup section thinking maybe a new nail polish is what I needed. To my surprise I ended up leaving the store with a Wet 'n' Wild purchase. I picked up the Coloricon Eyeshadow collection in Petal Pusher. I have heard many great things about these palettes that I decided it was time for me to see what all the rave was about.

Comfort Zone is a palette with 8 Earth tone colors. This palette lives up to its name because all of these colors remind me of nice simple looks and staying within your comfort zone of either look or colors. It is perfect for a lunch date, work, or a just because moment. The eyeshadows are split into 2 categories with browbone, eyelid, crease, and definer stamped in them, which is clever. The two categories are split for daytime and nighttime looks. I may be wrong but that is how I interpret it. Now just because they are split into two different categories or have labels on them does not mean you cant mix and match colors and create your own unique look.

The shadows themselves are very pigmented and have amazing color payoff. A few of the colors in this palette are super soft, so if you are a beginner you may want to go very very lightly on this. A plus on some colors being soft is that it teaches you to build up the color versus putting way too much on at once. Like I mentioned before the color pay off of this palette is amazing and the fact that it will look good on any skin tone or with any eye color is a plus as well. My only minor complaint is that all the colors are shimmer and there are no matte tones. Which at the same time is okay because you can tone down all the shimmer with some matte blushes.

The picture above shows the first set of colors. The first color (left to right) is a nice beige color. It is very light so it works great as a browbone color or a color to place on the inner corner of the eye. Next you have a coppery peach tone. This is a very soft shade so you will want to build this one up a little at a time. The third color is a a light brown tone followed by a dark brown shade with red glitters in it. Gorgeous colors! 

Now onto the second set of colors. The first color is a nice shimmery taupe color. Following the shimmer taupe color is a very nice foresty green. I want to say that this green is one of my favorites from this palette. Next you have a black shadow with a lot of gold glitters. The last color is a very nice brown with red undertones. Its one of those colors that I find difficult to describe but none the less its gorgeous. 

For the swatches I only had to build up one color with is the beige tone from the first set. Other than that all the other colors were so pigmented only a swipe of my finger was needed to get the swatches. Now onto the packaging itself. The packaging is plastic, which is durable and not flimsy at all. Included with the eight shadows you get a double ended applicator. One end has a sponge tip and the other a brush. I feel this to be very worthless because I cant find any use for it to be honest. 

This specific palette to me is a great go to palette. I have nothing but good things to say about this palette and for the price its a steal!!!

RATING:

Packaging: 5/5

Product: 4/5

Quality: 5/5

Price: $4.69 (any drugstore :) )

Would I buy again?: Oh yes!!!

Overall: 4.9/5

My Makeup and Nail Polish Storage Ideas & Inexpensive Alternatives

"Beneath the makeup and behind the smile I am just a girl who wishes for the world." ~Marilyn Monroe

If you are anything like me you love to purchase new makeup and nail polishes and well it gets to the point where you have no more space to put them in or have no idea how to organize them so it is much more simple to find them. Well thanks to my wonderful husband my organizing and storage problem have been fixed. Well at least for now, because I know my collection will continue to grow and grow. Pictures are posted as well to give a visual of how I am storing my stuff. 

Does it look familiar? If you have any man in your household I am pretty sure you have seen them store nuts, bolts, nails, and other small items in this bin. Well this bin works perfectly for storing and organizing makeup and more! It comes with 40 slots and at the very bottom it has a full length drawer. The price for this particular storage container is very cheap and reasonable. My husband purchased this from Harbor Freight Tools for less than the sale price (he works there and gets employee discounts).

I have my eyeliners, travel size items, extra makeup I have, concealers, and even earrings stored in it. Not only is this keeping all my makeup organized but it is taking up less space in our bedroom. I have a specific way of keeping my stuff organized. I started off with my earrings. I hardly buy earrings that dangle and when I do I am kind of stumped on how to keep them stored, specially if they are feather earrings. So the top 5 slots have dangling earrings in them. I made sure to keep the backs of the earrings sticking out so they would not tangle or ruin an earring. 

The next couple of rows are used for my lip glosses, lip balms and lipsticks. The lip glosses I decided to put together by color. Color coding them makes it easy for me to find what I am looking for. The lipsticks are together by brands. I tried doing it by color as well but found that they would not fit so brand was easiest. I make sure the label with the name of the lipstick is facing outward so that I can see what I am looking for easier. 

Next are face product which include extra foundations, primers, travel size face products, and concealers. These are organized by category. Primers are first, followed by foundation, then concealers. Pretty much how I apply my makeup daily. 

Eye products are next. My primers, e.l.f. quads, M.A.C. eyeshadows, and false lashes are all in the same row. I like to have small eyeshadows or individual ones in the slots because it makes it easier for me to find. Eyelashes are something I hardly use but when I do I like it to be easy to find them.  

Finally eyeliners. I have them color coded as well and separated into categories. Pencils are together by color and liquids and gels are together by color as well. 

In the bottom drawer I have my fingernail tools, lash glue, and loose pigments. Once again makes it super easy for me to find what I am looking for.

Now onto the nail polishes. The container above was initially meant to be for my polishes. However, keeping my polishes on their side causes the polish to leak into the cap which then makes it impossible to open. So I had some empty woven baskets from the dollar store laying around. I had initially purchased these to use for gifts for my business but since I never did use them I decided to use them for my polishes. Once again all my polishes are color coded. I love the baskets because not only were they inexpensive, they are colorful, fit about 20 polishes (depending on width of ea/one), and they are small. 

Now for very inexpensive storage containers that you can use are shoe boxes. Shoe boxes can store your polishes and makeup. They are very inexpensive and you are also recycling. They also help you save space because you  can stack them up on each other. You can decorate the box to look a lot more presentable and neat and even add a cute label so that finding that specific product can be easier. All you need is some fabric, ribbon, markers, or even stickers. You can make it your own style and save space and money while doing so. 

Hope this helps out. Storing cosmetics should be easy, fun, and inexpensive so I hope this really helps out with that. Hope you guys have a fabulous day!!!!