Happy Halloween!

Hello, Beautiful!

Happy Halloween to all my beautiful blog followers! I hope everyone has fun today/tonight - even if it's just staying home and eating a bar of candy all to yourself. I know I'll be taking my son into our little town tonight for some free candy and fun. If you're dressing up, what are you this year?

For fun, here is a pic of my horror movie tattoo sleeve -- I feel it's pretty fitting for the day. I only have one more sitting (this Sunday) and then this sleeve will be complete! This sleeve will have a total of 8 sittings after this Sunday and this has been done over the course of about 7 to 8 months - so I'm very excited to finally have it all complete and tied together.

Happy Halloween!

Butter London LIPPY Tinted Balm in Axis Kiss - pics, swatches, review

Hello, Beautiful!

I love when I find "purse perfect" lip products; you know - products that are the perfect color to go with just about anything, are easy to apply without a mirror, and do something good/pretty to your lips. The Butter London LIPPY Tinted Balm in the shade Axis Kiss is another purse perfect lip product for me. The shade is so pretty and this feels comfortable on the lips. Read my full review below, including all the product info, after the pics!

Butter London LIPPY Tinted Balm
Shade: Axis Kiss

 

Butter London LIPPY Tinted Balm Info & Review:

Cost/Availability: $20.00 (0.14 oz full size). Available on the Butter London website, at Ulta, at Dermstore, at Macys, and everywhere else Butter London is sold.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 Kisses

LIPPY Tinted Balm has the moisture of a lip balm and the finish & color of a lipstick. Six subtle shades highlight the glow of every skin tone, and are the ultimate beauty secret for the woman-on-the-go.

Hydrating formula rich in avocado, mango see, cocoa and shea butter with a creamy texture. Highly wearable sheer shades with a formula that glides on with ease. Buildable color.

Currently available in six shades; below are the shade names and their color descriptions:

• Axis Kiss - Medium coverage punchy pink creme. A little smooch of rock n' roll.
• Abbey Rose - Medium coverage rose creme. A nod to the birthplace of many rock n' roll classics.
• Apricot Sunray - Medium coverage coral creme. Command the room in this fruity hue.
• Black Cherry - Medium coverage wine creme. Add a little edge to innocence.
• Strawberry Field - Medium coverage red creme. Livin' is easy with a red pout.
• Toasted Marshmallow - Medium coverage nude creme. Around the bonfire with a rockin' 4-piece band.

I have the shade Axis Kiss, which is a great purse shade - as I mentioned and explained at the top of this blog post. It's such a flattering pink for my skintone and I think a lot of people could wear it. It gives you a touch of pink that isn't so bright that it's too much but isn't so sheer that you don't feel like you added any color - it's that perfect sheer to medium color payoff of a beautiful pink shade.

I think in the future I'd be interested in trying Abbey Rose, Apricot Sunray and Toasted Marshmallow, but for now I'm loving the shade Axis Kiss!

This went on my lips really nicely - feels like more of a lip balm rather than a lipstick - yet you get great color payoff. I don't think it's the most hydrating formula out there, but it certainly isn't drying. It comes with the typical $20 Butter London cosmetics price tag - which seems to be how much the majority of their cosmetics (non-polish) cost.

I think the shade is a home run - and based on that alone I would definitely recommend this. It has a nice formula too - but I know the $20 price tag can be a turn off to some. However, when I find a great purse shade of any lip product I don't care about the price tag - I care about the color and the performance. Let me know your thoughts!

Now let me know what you think...

What do you think of this tinted lip balm? Have you tried this or is this on your beauty wish list? Discuss in the comments below.

Weleda Almond Soothing Cleansing Lotion - pics, swatches, review

Hello, Beautiful!

I've been really into cleansing lotions/creams and even oils verses regular cleansers, and one that I tried out more recently is the Weleda Almond Soothing Cleansing Lotion. This cleansing lotion smells great and is amazing for dry skin, as it leaves your skin feeling hydrated - great for those with sensitive skin too. Check out my full review below, including all the product info, after the pics!

Weleda Almond Soothing Cleansing Lotion

 

 

 

Weleda Almond Soothing Cleansing Lotion Info & Review:

Cost/Availability: $19.50 (2.5 fl oz full size). Available on the Weleda website, on Amazon, and everywhere else Weleda products are sold.

My Rating: 3 out of 5 Kisses

Gently cleanses without drying. Sensitive and reactive skin get soothed and restored with this gentle hypoallergenic Almond Soothing Cleansing Lotion. This natural face wash is a creamy, fragrance-free facial treatment with organic ingredients that gently cleanses and protects your skin.

Organic sweet almond oil is packed with essential fatty acids that help nourish and soothe your sensitive skin while balancing your natural moisture level for truly healthy beauty. Plum kernel oil in this natural face wash contains high quantities of antioxidants and vitamins A and E, which absorb easily to soften your skin and protect from harmful environmental influences. Your skin feels refreshed, soft and balanced. Delightfully mild, you can't help but be soothed by the purity of your naturally cleansed skin.

This cleansing lotion smells great - I love almond scents and if you like almond scents too then you'll like this way this smells. The texture is nice - it has a lightweight lotion feel with a slight gritty texture.

As far as taking off makeup, I don't think this is the best solution. You'd need to do a double cleanse or take off your makeup with something else - like a makeup wipe or a pre-cleanse oil - because this just doesn't do the job on its own. I do find it does the best job at removing makeup when you apply it to a dry face verses applying to a wet face, however, I still always see makeup on my towel after I wipe my face so I don't think this can get everything like other cleansers can for me. Maybe if I let the cleanser sit for a couple minutes it may work better to get everything off, but I haven't tried that yet.

This cleansing lotion left my skin feeling very hydrated, so I think it's perfect for those with dry skin. Even great for those with combo skin - which I have - especially moving into these drier, colder months where I tend to be more dry. If you have oily skin you may feel like it leaves your face too hydrated, so you may want to skip this one, follow up with a good toner after using this, or just use this at nighttime a few times a week if you feel like some of your other skincare products are drying out your face. This doesn't foam up at all, so if you're a person who likes foaming/lathering cleansers then this is not for you.

I had a hard time giving this product a rating. I feel like for 2.5 fl oz at $19.50 I should get a product that cleanses my face and completely removes my makeup - but this doesn't do the best job at removing makeup - so I'd either have to do a double cleanser (using twice as much product, something I wouldn't want to do with having so little in the first place) or use another makeup removal method before using this. But if you were using this in the morning, when you shouldn't have makeup on from washing it off the night before, this would be a good cleanser in itself. But then again, for the price you get very little product. At the same time, there are very few preservatives so you wouldn't want a bigger tube or it could go bad. I also think this is one of the best cleansers as far as leaving skin feeling hydrated. If you have combo to oily skin you may feel this leaves your skin too hydrated. So what I concluded on was to rate this a 3 out of 5 Kisses - an average/good rating. I feel like some people are going to love it and some people are going to hate it. It's just one of those products, and skin care is so personal to each individual person; the way something works on me may not work the same on you, even if we have the same skin type.

I think this is a good product to anyone with normal to dry skin, especially those with dry skin, and for anyone that falls into that category who also have sensitive skin.

Now let me know what you think...

What do you think of this cleansing lotion? Have you tried this or is this on your beauty wish list? Discuss in the comments below.

Gelish Fall 2013 Under Her Spell Collection - pics, swatches, review

Hello, Beautiful!

If you love gel nails at home (or in a salon) then you may already be a fan of the Gelish nail brand. Their Fall 2013 collection - Under Her Spell - includes 6 gorgeous perfect-for-fall shades! The Under Her Spell collection is inspired by femme fatale fashion, and includes dark, rich hues and creamy neutral shades sparked by the feminine textures of lace and tulle as well as fabrics like leather and velvet. My favorite out of the collection is My Nightly Craving -- the color reminds me of ballet leg warmers, the fuzzy warm kind (does that make any sense to anyone but me? lol). Check out my full review, including all the product info, after the pics! Also, let me know which shade you want to see on my nails next -- I'll do a blog post and/or Instagram pics!

Gelish - Fall 2013: Under Her Spell Collection
Shades: Want To Cuddle?, I'm No Stranger To Love, Lust At First Sight, My Nightly Craving, Love Me Like A Vamp, A Touch Of Sass

Gelish Fall 2013 Under Her Spell CollectionInfo & Review:

Cost/Availability: $14.95 (0.30 fl oz full size bottle of MINI's). Available at Sally Beauty Supply for in-home use. 

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Kisses!

Gelish soak-off gel polish debuts the limited-edition Under Her Spell fall polish collection, which includes 6 special-edition colors sparked by the feminine textures of lace and tulle and fabrics like leather and velvet. Inspired by femme fatale fashion, the collection includes dark, rich hues and creamy neutral shades guaranteed to keep him under her spell.

Gelish stays on nails for up to three weeks with no chipping or peeling, and soak completely off in only 15 minutes. Cure in a LED lamp for just 30 seconds (per coat) or in traditional UV lamps for 2 minutes (per coat).

All shades in the Under Her Spell fall collection are available as a professional salon service, with average price on Gelish manicures being around $30. And of course, you can purchase individual Gelish MINI polishes at retail outlets such as Sally Beauty Supply.

In the Under Her Spell collection, here are the shade names and their descriptions:

• Want To Cuddle? - creamy greyish mauve
• I'm No Stranger To Love - rich navy-teal
• Lust At First Sight - smokey dark taupe
• My Nightly Craving - creamy greyish pink-lavender
• Love Me Like A Vamp - jeweled black violet
• A Touch Of Sass - jeweled black cherry

Their descriptions are okay, although I see the colors slightly different... here is how I describe them...

• Want To Cuddle? - a milk chocolate brown
• I'm No Stranger To Love - a deep green-teal
• Lust At First Sight - a deep mauve purple
• My Nightly Craving - a lavender mauve pink
• Love Me Like A Vamp - deep purple
• A Touch Of Sass - a blood red

No matter how you describe these shades, I can say that they are perfect for fall! 

My favorite is My Nightly Craving - it's just so beautiful and a stand-out for me in this collection. I've already worn it once and forgot to take photos. If there is a shade you want to see on my nails from this collection please let me know and I will re-do my nails and Instagram pics for sure!

For my Gelish MINI polishes I use my LED lamp because it's faster, with only a 30 second cure time verses 2 minutes with a standard UV lamp. I do find that the Gelish brand of gel polish seems to last the longest on my nails - they say 3 weeks on their website, and I've gone longer for sure, although have had nail grow out usually that bothers me enough to re-do the mani even though I don't always need to re-do it. 

Overall, I am really happy with this collection of colors and would recommend checking them out!

Now let me know what you think...

What do you think of this gel polish collection? Which shade is your favorite? Have you tried Gelish MINI polishes at home or had a Gelish mani in the salon? Discuss in the comments below.

Holocuren Miracle Lips Serum - pics, review

Hello, Beautiful!

With cold fall and winter weather here, my lips are worse than ever. I have dry, chapped lips year round but this time of year the fight really begins. One product I tried out to see if it would help is the Holocuren Miracle Lips Serum. This product is doctor recommended and designed specifically for persistent dry, chapped and cracked lips. Also for the prevention of healing cold sores or fever blisters. Check out my full review below, including all the product info, after the pics!

Holocuren Miracle Lips Serum

 

Holocuren Miracle Lips Serum Info & Review:

Cost/Availability: $19.99 (0.33 oz full size). Available on the Holocuren website and everywhere else Miracle Lips are sold. Click here to find a retailer.

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Kisses

Miracle Lips is a doctor recommended, corrective lip treatment for daily use. Designed specifically for persistent dry, chapped and cracked lips and for the prevention and healing of cold sores and fever blisters. Available in the serum, which I have, and a salve.

Made with all natural and organic ingredients. Penetrates to the lips' cellular level. Enhances your bodies natural oils and exfoliation process. Comes in a sleek glass bottle with a steel roller ball. Provides faster relief of cracked lips and cold sores.

Miracle Lips Serum is a Penetrating Moisturizing Serum with over 25 butters, vitamins, peptides and enzymes. Over 27 antioxidants and bioflavinoids. Increases color and circulation in the lips. Naturally exfoliates with Propolis Crystals for healthier, younger looking lips. Naturally moisturizes and hydrates and reverses sun damage. Free of parabens, dyes, preservatives, petrochemicals, artificial flavors and fragrances.

Propolis is the first Miracle Cure, dating back to 350 B.C., made by honey bees to sterilize their hive. The Propolis in Miracle Lips is a resinous mixture from tree buds, tree sap flows or other botanical sources collected by Brazilian honey bees to protect their hive from infection. The secret is in the Brazilian bee Propolis, the same ingredient as in Miracle Lips. Australian Melalueca Tea Tree Oil, native to the northeast coast of New South Wales, Australia, has been used for healing for thousands of years cleansing the body of bacterial, viral and fungal infection.

So... that was a mouthful of a description, but there is a lot to be said about the ingredients in this lip serum. I will say that I have some of the worst chapped lips around; I don't care how much I try to take care of them, they just get chapped. I was really looking forward to trying this product because it sounded like a miracle treatment (no pun intended) for my lips.

I'll say that it was really hard to get past the taste. It smells minty, but the taste -- it is really hard to get past. There is nothing delicious or pleasant about it. It's something you can get used to, but the first few times I really didn't want it on my lips. However, if you apply a lip gloss over top with some other flavor/scent it definitely helps and that's what I would recommend if the taste bothers you.

It does make your lips very shiny. It's a serum and goes on like a thicker liquid that melts into skin and just leaves your lips looking coated in a glossy shine. It's clear, so wear whatever gloss you'd like over top if you want some color. For me, this is more of a nighttime treatment for my lips - which also helps to avoid the taste for long when you sleep with it on.

Goes on with a minty tingle at first, feeling cooling/refreshing on the lips.

So does it actually work? Yes, it does. Despite the taste, it really is a nice product in terms of healing your lips. If you find you have very chapped lips you'll probably get a lot of great benefits from this lip serum. For me, this is still a nighttime treatment as the taste is still something I struggle with. I know the minty scent is new, but there is no minty taste really. If this tasted better, like a vanilla or something, it would be a pretty good one.

Now let me know what you think...

What do you think of this lip serum? Have you tried this or is this on your beauty wish list? Discuss in the comments below.

Beauty Box Five - October 2013 - pics, swatches, review

Hello, Beautiful!

It's been about a year since my last post on Beauty Box Five, so it's about time I bring it to you again! This month the box is really good! There were three full sized products in this box, and the other two products were really good sizes! Check out everything in my box below!

If you're interested in signing up for Beauty Box Five, click here to visit their website. It's $12 a month or you can buy 3 months for $30 (saving $6), or buy a whole year for $99 (saving $45!).

Beauty Box Five - October 2013

Shipment Quick Stats:

• Value of this month's shipment: $52.65 (value is approximate)
• Total # of items I received: 5
• # of makeup items: 3
• # of nail items: 0
• # of skincare items: 0
• # of body care items: 2
• # of hair care items: 0
• # of fragrance items: 0
• # of other items: 0

Now I'll break it down, product-by-product...

Tree Hut Shea Sugar Body Scrub
in Coconut Lime

• MY THOUGHTS: This is a great size sample, at 5.5 oz! This "travel size" sells at Ulta for $4.99. It smells really good - like a tropical vacation. And I love tropical scents, especially anything coconut, so this was a hit for me scent wise. The texture of this scrub is thicker and more goopy than some other scrubs I have, but it still feels like it will work nicely. Looking forward to trying this out.
• FULL SIZED: 5.5 oz travel size @ $4.99 -- full size is $7.49 at 18 oz
• SIZE I RECEIVED: 5.5 oz
• SAMPLE VALUE: $4.99

Aveeno Protect + Hydrate Lotion Sunscreen

• MY THOUGHTS: I like Aveeno products, but right now at this time of year I'd rather not receive another sunscreen product. I have so many from the summer months from all my subscription boxes that I think I'm set for another year or two. The texture was just okay for me. There was no noticeable scent, so that was nice -- it didn't smell like sunscreen, which is always a plus. Not sure when I will use this but I will add it to my sunscreen drawer. 
• FULL SIZED: 3 oz @ about $10.00 depending where you shop
• SIZE I RECEIVED: 0.5 oz
• SAMPLE VALUE: $1.66

 

Be A Bombshell Cosmetics Lip Gloss
in Summer Lovin

• MY THOUGHTS: This is a full sized lip gloss, which retails for $14.00 each on their own. I already own a few Be A Bombshell Cosmetics lip glosses, which I did a review on three of the shades. Click here to see my review. For this specific shade, I do like it - it's a sheer orange shimmer. 
• FULL SIZED: 0.11 oz @ $14.00 
• SIZE I RECEIVED: full size
• SAMPLE VALUE: $14.00

Be A Bombshell Cosmetics Eyeshadow
in Bora Bora

• MY THOUGHTS: This is another full sized product. I already own a few Be A Bombshell Cosmetics eyeshadows, and did a review on my blog on some of the shades (two more shades will be reviewed soon, probably with this one added). To see my original review on these shadows click here. The shade Bora Bora is gorgeous - way prettier in person than in the photo.
• FULL SIZED: 0.05 oz @ $14.00 
• SIZE I RECEIVED: full size
• SAMPLE VALUE: $14.00

Model Co Eyeliner in Black

• MY THOUGHTS: This is a full sized eyeliner and it has a built-in sharpener in the cap, which is always a nice plus. You can't go wrong with a black shade, but I wasn't a super fan of this pencil. It was just okay.
• FULL SIZED: full size @ $18.00 
• SIZE I RECEIVED: full size
• SAMPLE VALUE: $18.00

Now let me know what you think...

What do you think of this month's Beauty Box Five shipment? Do you subscribe to Beauty Box Five? If so, what are your thoughts? If not, is this a subscription service you'd like to try out? Discuss in the comments below.