Stila Sparkle Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner in Sequins - swatches, pics

Hello, Beautiful!

I still have so much going on in my real life that finding time and motivation to blog is hard, but I'm getting closer and closer to making daily posts again. I don't have time to make a full detailed post today, but in this post I'll show you pics and swatches of Stila's Sparkle Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner in the shade Sequins. You can purchase this on the Stila website, Sephora's website and everywhere else Stila cosmetics are sold; $22 each and available in 8 shades. Enjoy!

Check out my pics, swatches... click on pics to view them larger.

Stila Sparkle Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner
Shade: Sequins
Shade Description: Black with silver glitter.

Now let me know what you think...

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

Birchbox - January 2012

Hello, Beautiful!

This is my January 2012 Birchbox shipment. The value of this one is pretty high compared to most, but then again there are a few products I had to guess at (3 of the 5 items had no sizes listed on the packaging). I may or may not get around to posting my husband's Birchbox contents because I'm having surgery tomorrow (Wednesday, January 11th) and it will be a little while before I can photograph items again.

For more information on Birchbox, or to sign-up and start receiving your own Birchbox every month, CLICK HERE to visit http://www.birchbox.com?raf=eops9. Just $10 each month!

*Remember to click on the images to view them larger!*

January 2012 Birchbox

My Birchbox beauty profile was set to Classic and Trendy.
Hair Color: Brown. Hair Description: Color-Treated, Fine, Frizzy. Skin Coloring: Medium. Skin Type: Combination. Skin Concerns: Acne, Aging.

The Included Info Card:

Shipment Quick Stats:

• Value of this month's Birchbox shipment: $57.34 (value is approximate)
• Total # of Items Received: 6
• # of makeup items: 2
• # of nail items: 0
• # of skincare items: 2
• # of body care items: 0
• # of hair care items: 0
• # of fragrance items: 0
• # of other items: 2

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

STILA Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner in Peacock

• DESCRIPTION ON INFO CARD: It's time to put down the black liner. This colorful pigment makes eyes stand out and stays put for hours.
• MY THOUGHTS: I am loving this liner! Stila Smudge Sticks are great quality, and the shade I received (Peacock) is gorgeous! Bonus that it's full sized! Yay!
• FULL SIZE: .01 oz @ $20.00
• SIZE I RECEIVED: .01 oz (full sized item)
• VALUE: $20.00

 










MIRACLE SKIN TRANSFORMER Treat & Concealer in Light/Medium

• DESCRIPTION ON INFO CARD: Don't just hide your problem spots: treat them. This creamy concealer is packed with actives to correct, cover and protect your skin.
• MY THOUGHTS: I really wanted to try this product out and was really excited to find it in my January Birchbox! I haven't tried it on my face (yet), but I'm looking forward to seeing how it covers my hyper pigmentation. It swatched a little powdery looking on my hand, so I really hope it looks better on my face.
• FULL SIZE: 0.50 fl oz @ $36.00
• SIZE I RECEIVED: ? no size listed on the tube, but compared to other tubes similar in size I am going to guess that this is 0.12 oz (I have another Miracle Skin Transformer sample tube that is slightly larger at 0.16 oz; so I based my guess off of that). 
• VALUE: $8.63

 








CLARK'S BOTANICALS Smoothing Marine Cream

• DESCRIPTION ON INFO CARD: Dull skin no more, thanks to the glycolic acid in this exfoliating moisturizer. The gentle tingle means it's working.
• MY THOUGHTS: I'm excited to try this out, especially considering how much the full sized version costs (something I would likely never try otherwise). It has a nice light fragrance.
• FULL SIZE: 1.7 fl oz @ $115.00
• SIZE I RECEIVED: ? again, no size listed on the jar; I asked Birchbox last time about the size of another Clark's Botanicals product and they were going to check on the size and get back to me, but never did. They did, however, tell me that most jars that size is 0.25 to 0.30 oz. I'm going to use the 0.25 size for the purpose of value breakdown.
• VALUE: $16.91

FIX MALIBU Immaculate Complexion Smoothing Serum

• DESCRIPTION ON INFO CARD: This clever serum is on our skincare honor roll. Antioxidant-rich vitamins A, C, and E brighten skin tone and soften wrinkles.
• MY THOUGHTS: I've never heard of this brand, so it's nice to try something new. There is plenty in this little jar to give my skin a week or two's worth of testing.
• FULL SIZE: 1.7 fl oz @ $125.00
• SIZE I RECEIVED: ? again, no size listed on the jar. I'm going to guess this is 0.15 oz
• VALUE: $11.03

 










LARABAR mini bar in Blueberry Muffin

• DESCRIPTION ON INFO CARD: You won't find any artificial fillers in these natural bars: just dried fruits, nuts, and other wholesome ingredients. They're as tasty as they are healthy.
• MY THOUGHTS: When I opened the package I nearly gagged. The bar looks like someone took my dog's vomit and packed it into a chewy, smooshy square; gross! It didn't smell good either. I don't like blueberry muffins to begin with, so I wasn't even going to attempt to taste this. It went in the trash.
• FULL SIZE: 1 full sized bar is 1.6 oz @ $1.59 (a 16 pack is $25.45)
• SIZE I RECEIVED: 1 mini bar, 0.78 oz
• VALUE: $0.77

Birchbox Magnet

• MY THOUGHTS: There was no mention of the Birchbox magnet on the info card, but it's a cute little extra. 

Let me know what you think...

Did you receive a Birchbox shipment this month? If so, what are your thoughts on your box? If you don't receive Birchbox yet, click here to sign up! Discuss in the comments below.



Stila Glitz & Glam Palette & Lip Glaze (in Raisin) Set -- pics, swatches, review

Hello, Beautiful!

I purchased the Stila Glitz and Glam Palette & Lip Glaze set from Sephora, as part of their Black Friday deals. It was just $10!

Check out my pics, swatches, stats and review...

Stila Glitz and Glam Palette & Lip Glaze Set

Includes: Glitz and Glam palette, which has four eyeshadows: Glitz, Glow, Glitter, Glam -- one blush: Amore -- one highlighter: Illuminate, plus it also came with one Lip Glaze in Raisin.

Basic stats for Stila Glitz and Glam Palette & Lip Glaze Set:

Formula: pressed powder eyeshadows, blush, highlighter -- lip glaze

Coverage: okay pigmentation on shadows, blush and highlighter; lip glaze provides beautiful sheer to light/medium opaque color

Wear: average

Shade Info: Includes four eyeshadows in shades Glitz, Glow, Glitter, and Glam, one blush in Amore, one highlighter in Illuminate, as well as one Lip Glaze in Raisin.

Cost/Availability: $10 -- which was a Black Friday special deal on Sephora's website. It's no longer available.
Packaging: rectangular palette that opens to reveal the colors on one side, a mirror on the other with instructions for creating a look using the palette; the lip glaze is a brush-end, pen-style, twist-up gloss

My Rating: 4 out of 5 Kisses

Formula:
This set includes the Glitz and Glam palette, which has pressed-powder eyeshadows, blush and highlighter. Stila makes some wonderful eyeshadows, but the shadows in the palette were not all that wonderful compared to their normal standards. The Lip Glaze is wonderful; non-sticky, fully of shine and beautiful wearable color.

Coverage:
I think the pigmentation from this palette is just okay; I have another Stila palette (the Backstage Eye Shadow Palette) and the pigmentation is amazing compared to this palette. Regardless, they are buildable and with a shadow primer they will work perfectly. The blush and highlighter are basically in the same boat as the shadows; just not all that wonderful but still usable. The Lip Glaze offers sheer to light/medium opaque color. I love the Stila Lip Glazes because they are more on the sheer side which means just about every color works on everyone.


Wear:
Average wear; nothing super long wearing.


Shade Info:
Includes four eyeshadows in shades Glitz, Glow, Glitter, and Glam, one blush in Amore, one highlighter in Illuminate, as well as one Lip Glaze in Raisin.


Cost/Availability:
$10 -- which was a Black Friday special deal on Sephora's website. It's no longer available.


Packaging:
The palette is rectangular that opens to reveal the colors on one side, a mirror on the other with instructions for creating a look using the palette. The lip glaze is a brush-end, pen-style, twist-up gloss.


Stila Glitz and Glam Palette & Lip Glaze Set Review:
For $10 I think this is a great deal! While I wasn't thrilled with the pigmentation, and really would have loved the colors to be better, I still like this palette. I can't say anything bad about Stila's Lip Glaze because I love them! The shade Raisin is actually really beautiful; one of my favorite shades to wear in the winter because it's on the darker side but still light enough that it doesn't look too dark on me.

Overall, yes, I would recommend this set for the $10 price tag. If Sephora ever runs this deal again don't hesitate to add it to your shopping cart.

Now let me know what you think...

What do you think of this set? Did you pick this up during Sephora's Black Friday deals? Discuss in the comments below.