Treat Yourself To Gorgeous: A Review

Back in December, Tarte had a TSV which was truly a great value, the Treat Yourself to Gorgeous Collection. This company is known for their wonderful holiday palettes and this one certainly was no exception. In fact, it sold out before the night was over.

I meant to review this sooner but in a way I'm glad I waited. Initially I had planned on returning this  but having had more time has granted me the ability to give it more of a chance.

The set comes with:
-4 Maracuja Divine Shine Lip Glosses
-4 Cashmere Waterproof Eyeliners
-20 Amazonian Clay Eye Shadows

The nice part about this is that the glosses are in one gift box, eyeliners are packaged in another, and the shadows are in one large box that slides open. All three are magnetized which makes it easy to keep everything together or you can chose to separate them.

Maracuja Divine Shine Lip Gloss
*Darling (soft pink)
*Brazen (bright rose)
*Genuine (creamy pink)
*Giddy (coral pink)

photo courtesy of qvc.com

This was the only part of the set that I truly did not like. The glosses are packaged in a click-pen, which made it very difficult for application. There were times when I either could not get the product out or a ton came out of the tip all at once. I did try these on several occasions but they ended up either looking solely like a clear gloss or resulted in a gluey look. Eventually I just gave up.
I tried keeping everything together for this review but somewhere along the line I ended up losing these...

Cashmere Waterproof Eyeliner
*Black
*Black-Brown
*Bronze
*Black-Orchid

These are automatic pencils, meaning, they do not need to be sharpened. I quickly learned to be very careful when twisting the top to bring up the pencil because you can't bring it back down...I actually almost lost one of them that way even before trying them out. The pencils themselves are really great quality with wonderful pigmentation and staying power. If I had to rate these on a scale of one to five, I'd give them a four (I took one off due to the packaging). Out of all the brands I've been playing around with, I think these might be one of my favorites.

Amazonian Clay Eyeshadow

This is more of a neutral palette that ranges from a light buttercream to a deep charcoal. Of course, there are also some gorgeous purples thrown in as well. Basically, this set gives you enough options to go from the most neutral to a great smokey eye. The shadows are nicely pigmented and feel amazing. They're so soft and silky, not to mention apply quite easily.

Overall, I really like this kit...it's great to give as a gift for others or even just for yourself. Aside from the glosses, I feel like Tarte certainly did not disappoint.

For more information and/or to place an order, you can find the Treat Yourself to Gorgeous Collection here.

Thank you for taking the time to visit this blog :)

Note: I purchased these products with my own money. The opinions expressed in this post are those of my own. I have never accepted any kind of compensation in exchange for a positive review. For more information, please check out my Disclaimer.

What's In My Shower: Winter Edition

With the winter feeling the coldest it's ever been in NJ (...hello 9 degree evenings...except for the past few days, of course...), I have mostly gravitated towards comforting and sweeter scents in the shower.After all, if I have to be in my freezing bathroom I want to be using something that will make me feel nice and cozy.

Unlike with my Fall Edition, I decided to group the shower gels, lotions, and scrubs that I've been using this season into categories, as opposed to brand...so here we go...

Please Note: I am well aware of my shower gel addiction and have taken the proper steps to overcome (you can read more about that Here)...please don't judge me.

~Fruity Scents~
*Philosophy's Have A Cherry Christmas=white cherries

*Philosophy's Partridge In A Pear Tree=white pear

*Philosophy's I'm Dreaming of...White Peach=white peach

*Philosophy's I'm Dreaming of...White Cranberry=white cranberry

(note: You can also read more about my review of the I'm Dreaming of...set Here)

~Minty Scents~

*Philosophy's Candy Cane=total mint experience and a staple in my shower; perfect to use when you''re sick or need a pick-me-up

*Philosophy's Peppermint Bark=mint chocolate

*Bath and Body Works' Twisted Peppermint=candy canes and vanilla

~Comfort Scents~

*Philosophy's Fresh Cream=homemade whipped cream

*Bath and Body Works' Vanilla Bean Noel=warm vanilla and caramel

~Foody Scents~

*Philosophy's Gingerbread Girl=fresh baked gingerbread

*Philosophy's Gingerbread Man=sparkling gingerale

*Philosophy's Christmas Cookies=buttery sugar cookie

*Philosophy's Cherry Berry Crisp==a mix of cherries, berries, coconut & vanilla

~Body Scrubs~

*Philosophy's Candy Cane=smells exactly like the 3in1; gives off a cooling sensation

*Philosophy's Gingerbread Man=smells exactly like the 3in1; gives off a warming sensation

I apologize but given the fact that most of these are sold for a limited time, unless you search amazon, I don't think these products are available.As far as I'm aware, though, I believe these are all returning customer favorites.

As always, I truly appreciate you taking the time to visit my blog.

Note: I purchased these products with my own money. The opinions expressed in this post are those of my own. I have never accepted any kind of compensation in exchange for a positive review. For more information, please check out my Disclaimer.

Lorac's Sweet Temptations Lip Gloss Collection

A while back I vented about the fact that the post office lost a package of mine (you can read about it HERE). Well, here it is...

This set is part of Lorac's Sweet Temptations holiday collection, not to mention my first purchase from the brand in general.

~What It Is~

A set of six full sized lip glosses that are each scented after their names.

~Shades~

*Candy Apple=warm red

*Frosted Gumdrop=bright pink

*Pumpkin Spice=Barbie doll pink

*Cotton Candy=medium pink

*Butterscotch=pale peach

*Creme Brulee=light pink

Note: These are jam packed with glitter/shimmer.

The glosses feel extremely light and last a decent amount of time.
I noticed that the lighter shades looked a lot smoother while the darker colors applied streaky, but it did help if I layered them on top of  lipstick.

Overall, while the shades are really nice, these glosses really did not impress much.
Don't let my opinion push you away, though. If you want to try them out you can find them at the following:
*lorac.com
*sephora.com
*Sephora
*ulta.com
*Ulta

As always, thank you for reading my blog :)
2 More Days Until TSO!!!!!!!!

P.S. I really need to stop taking photos when I'm tired...I think the exhaustion shows :(

Note: I purchased these products with my own money. The opinions expressed in this post are those of my own. I have never accepted any kind of compensation in exchange for a positive review. For more information, please check out my Disclaimer.

LG Holiday Italian Marble Lipstick

I had been on the fence about this set for a while mainly because I already have a ton of lip products. The deciding factor was the fact that a portion of the price is being donated to the Red Cross to benefit Hurricane Sandy victims...being a Jersey girl, how could I possibly pass that up?

Already being a lover of Laura Geller's other Italian Marble lipsticks, I knew before even trying these out that I'd enjoy these just as much if not more. They offer a lot of moisturising benefits and glide on like a lip balm, which is absolutely perfect for this time of year.

The difference between these and the other sets I have is that these are extremely pigmented  and really pack on the color while the other shades like Dulce and Riviera are more sheer. I also noticed that while all three had a glossy look to them, Strawberry Toffee and Mixed Berry had a metallic finish, while Honey Bun was more matte.

All in all I think this is a great value, especially considering each lip stick retails for $18 each. As usual, these LG lip products certainly do not disappoint.

{it was only fitting to model using the classic Laura Geller pose}

~Shades~

*Mixed Berry*

Warm pink with pomegranite shades; Applies as a deeper berry tone

*Honey Bun*

Warm melon and glazed cinnamon shades; Applies as a light peach tone

*Strawberry Toffee*

Warm pink with copper undertones; Applies as a magenta shade

Please note: This is what the colors look on my lips and can vary from person to person

I think this is a QVC exclusive...if interested you can check them out HERE.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog :)

Note: I purchased these products with my own money. The opinions expressed in this post are those of my own. I have never accepted any kind of compensation in exchage for a positive review. For more information, please check out my Disclaimer.



Smashbox Studio Pop Eye Palette and Brush Trio

Last year I missed out on Smashbox's Photo Op Mega Palette so when I saw this, although, slightly smaller, I jumped at the chance to order it.

I'm thrilled because this marks three firsts:
1. First Smashbox eyeshadow
2. First Smashbox palette
3. First holiday '12 makeup set

In the past, all I had tried from this company were the eye liners, which I love. In fact, I've exclusively worn the Limitless Liner in Onyx on my waterline for several years.
I figured that this would be a great value as I could try their shadows, cream liners, and brushes all at once.

To the best of my knowledge this is exclusive to QVC. Yes, I have seen the palette in other locations, however, I haven't been able to find the trio anywhere else.

 The Smashbox Studio Pop Eye Palette and Brush Trio comes with:

-3 Brushes

-Palette consisting of 16 Photo Op shadows and 4 cream liners

-4 Lesson Cards ranging from easy to pro

~Brushes~

* #7 Tapered Shadow Brush: Oh my I love this brush!!!! It's incredibly soft and since the bristles are looser, I use this to apply a lighter shade all over my lids.
* #15 Definer Brush: I like to use this to apply shadow in my outer v blending into my crease. It's small enough and yet, is perfect for a precise application.
* #20 Double-Ended Smudger Brush: It took a little getting used to but I like how easy it is to apply cream liner with the smaller bristles. Even for a first timer like myself, the application looked flawless. I also enjoyed the smaller rubber tip on the other end for smudging pencil liner...it created a cleaner line.

~Shadows~
At first I had a tiny bit of buyers remorse and, while very pretty, I couldn't help but wonder about what the big deal was with these shadows...I quickly found out. Upon first swatch, I was immediately impressed. I have never encountered eye shadow so smooth and pigmented. All I have to do it lightly tap the brush and I get tons of product, but without any fall-out. The quality is just amazing, not to mention the fact that there are a lot of different looks that an be created with this palette.

~Shades~
*Nocturnal: Shimmery Deep Navy
*Lunar: Shimmery Silver
*Emerald: Shimmery Light Green
*Nude: Matte Caramel
*Vanilla: Matte Vanilla (great for highlighting!)
*Obsidian: Shimmery Slate
*Champagne: Shimmery Beige
*Bark: Shimmery Deep Brown
*Cinder: Shimmery Violet
*Pastel: Matte Soft Pink
*Orchid: Matte Dark Purple
*Flamingo: Shimmery Coral
*Smoke: Matte Dark Gray
*Amethyst: Shimmery Violet
*24K: Shimmery Gold
*Nutmeg: Shimmery Golden Bronze

~Cream Liners~
At first I was a little afraid because I had never used any kind of cream liner before, however, I've really been enjoying this product a lot. They've lasted all throughout the day without smudging and is probably the easiest to apply out of all the other liners I've used in the past. My only concern is whether or not they dry out in this palette...time will tell (hopefully not).

~Shades~
*Bronze: Shimmery Bronze
*Royal: Deep Purple
*Picasso: Deep Blue
*Nightlife: Shimmery Black

(shadow swatches)



(liner swatches)



Overall, I can't really find anything wrong with this set. I've been using it for several weeks and continue to find new color combinations...the possibilities seem to be endless. My only complaint it that this came out after my vacations as this is perfect for travel.

Unfortunately, I waited too long to post this as it seems to be no longer available, however, you can get the palette itself at these other locations:
-Macy's
-macys.com
-Nordstrom
-nordstrom.com
-Sephora
-sephora.com
-smashbox.com (I haven't seen this on their site as of yet)
-Ulta
-ulta.com

As always, I thank you for reading my blog.

Note: I purchased these products with my own money. The opinions expressed in this post are those of my own. I have never accepted any kind of compensation in exchage for a positive review. For more information, please check out my Disclaimer.

bare Minerals Moxie Holiday Sets

Desperately needing to get out of the house, my mom and I headed off to out local bare Minerals store, where I picked up the Hot to Trot Moxie holiday set. Immediately after trying all six of the different glosses, I realized I had to try the Cool as Ice set as well.

This product makes my lips look amazing, not to mention they do have pretty good staying power (the candy scent is an added bonus). The difference I've noticed between the two is basically "safe" and "out of the box".

~Hot To Trot~
This would be more for the neutral kind of girl.

*Maverick=Rosewood Shimmer

*Crowd Surfer=Cotton Candy Pink

*Smooth Talker=Golden Pink

*Firecracker=Candied Apple

*Smarty Pants=Shell

*Dreamer=Golden Sand

~Cool As Ice~
This is for someone who really likes to make their lips pop.

*Hot Ticket=Electric Pink

*Daredevil=Blackberry

*Fashionably Late=Opal

*Socialite=Pink

*Gutsy=Fuchsia Berry

*Rebel=Pink Mauve

Please Note: Each gloss has shimmer to it...not over the top, but it does add a little extra sparkle.

As predicted, these sets did not disappoint. I highly suggest checking them out, especially if you're new to the brand.

You can read my previous post on an initial review of the glosses and can check out more information anywhere that carries bare Minerals, along with their website.

Also:
1. It's been a while since I initially took these pictures and it wasn't until actually posting them that I realized how horribly exhausted I looked.
2. What was going on with my hair!?!?


As always, thank you for your support...and putting up with some bad photos :)

Note: I purchased these products with my own money. The opinions expressed in this post are those of my own. I have never accepted any kind of compensation in exchage for a good review. For more information, please check out my Disclaimer.