UPDATE: where I've been, blog sale, & my updated makeup collection coming soon!

Hello, Beautiful!

First, I want to apologize for the lack of posts. I have been MIA all May and I hate when that happens. But life also happens and sometimes I have to put the blog on temporary hold until I'm able to get back on a normal schedule.

I'm in the process of moving into a new home! The reason it's been a bit more hectic is because I didn't expect to find this place so quickly or to be able to move in right away. I didn't have anything packed, so I've been moving things everyday, several trips back and forth between houses (thankfully my new house is only about 5 to 6 minutes away from my old house). I'll have a Uhaul this coming week for my furniture and then by the weekend I should be mostly moved in (finally).

I have a bunch of posts lined up for you all! I've been trying out a lot of new products and have some fantastic reviews coming your way of some great products. I just need to find the time to get on my computer and actually finish writing reviews and processing photos. Like I said, life has been hectic so I do apologize for lack of posts. But stay tuned because once I am back on track you'll likely see two posts a day until I'm able to catch up with all the reviews I had planned for the beginning of May. Until I'm back on track you may see a post here and there. Check my Instagram for the most up to date updates. My Instagram name is ValentineKissesBeauty -- I also will try to post every day, or every other day, with some sort of beauty related post, such as Lip Of The Day type things.

However, because I'm moving into a new place, it means I have a new makeup room! Once I have my new makeup room all set up I plan to film an updated makeup collection video! I have all my makeup here, I just don't have all my beauty products here yet (and no nail polish here yet). But nothing is organized; it was an ordeal just moving it all in, as I was treating each trip like I was transporting newborn babies -- I mean, hey, a girls gotta protect her makeup, lol.

To everyone emailing me with blog sale orders, I really apologize to you all as I simply haven't had the time to reply. I have replied to a few people here and there just to say that I'm not able to respond right away but I haven't been able to actually process any orders. Once I have all the items here in my new home, along with all my shipping supplies, I will start replying to everyone in the order of which the emails came in. Some of the emails are a week or two old, so I may email those people to ask if they are still interested first before I start processing orders.



So that's pretty much the update. I won't go into details on much else, but life has been extremely busy and I can't wait to return to a normal schedule!

I hope you are all doing great - I miss posting and will return ASAP!

SNEEK PEEK: Updated Makeup Collection & Storage!

Hello, Beautiful!

If you already follow me on Instagram then this is old news, but for everyone else I thought I'd post the pics I did post to Instagram of a sneek peek of my updated makeup collection & storage video, which I hope to get filmed soon. My last post/video was back in January 2013, so I likely will do the next one in very early January 2014!

If you don't follow me on Instagram and want to, my IG name is ValentineKissesBeauty
Link: http://instagram.com/valentinekissesbeauty

Here are the pics I posted....

All drawers and the set-up.... this doesn't include my makeup brushes or every day products...

Drawers shown below going clockwise:

Depotted lipstick & glosses, lipstick palettes, lipstick samples --- High-end and specialty brand lipsticks, plus some lipstick samples in the back --- Drugstore lipsticks --- Drugstore lipsticks, just Milani and Maybelline

Drawers shown below going clockwise:

Tinted lip balms --- Lipliners, lip pencils, chubby lip pencils ---  Mascara (opened and not opened), lash curlers, lash cards, lash growth products --- Blotting sheets, misc. tools, face paints, and brushes I don't like for my face but keep just in case

Drawers shown below going clockwise:

All brow products and brow grooming tools --- Lip scrubs, lip balms, lip serums, (clear) lip plumpers --- drugstore lip glosses --- random lip gloss, high-end and drugstore, mostly minis in the front, and the bin back right is all Victoria's Secret glosses

Drawers shown below going clockwise:

High-end glosses --- Specialty brand and High-End glosses --- BB & CC creams, tinted moisturizers --- Cream foundations (which is my most pitiful, empty drawer)

Drawers shown below going clockwise:

Powder foundations --- Blush --- Concealers --- Bronzers & Highlighters

Drawers shown below going clockwise:

Setting powders/products (setting sprays are kept near my makeup table) --- Face primers --- Lashes and lash glue --- Liquid foundations (my favs are kept in the bottom right bin)

Drawers shown below going clockwise:

Eyeshadow primers, sharpeners & misc. --- Pencil eyeliners --- Glitter!!! --- Gel and liquid liners, shadow transformers

Drawers shown below going clockwise:

Cream shadows (I've actually added several more Maybelline Color Tattoo's since taking this photo, thanks to my $1 Big Lots finds!) --- Cream shadow pencils/sticks, liquid shadows, shadows in tubes --- Loose shadows/pigments --- Loose shadows/pigments

Drawers shown below going clockwise:

Loose shadows/pigments --- All Victoria's Secret shadows and shadow palettes --- All Urban Decay shadow palettes (one depotted) and single shadows --- My Tarte, Smashbox and MAC shadows/palettes drawer (although I have a larger Tarte palette - the jewelry box from I think 2 holidays ago - that doesn't fit in this drawer)

Drawers shown below going clockwise:

High-end shadows and palettes (mostly Bare Minerals, It Cosmetics, Bobbi Brown, Kat Von D, Be A Bombshell and more) --- My Too Faced, Stila and Lorac shadow drawer (pretty much all palettes) --- My Wet n Wild drawer! --- My Mally, NARS, MUFE, DIOR, and Anastasia shadows and palettes drawer

Drawers shown below going clockwise:

Drugstore shadows (elf, Hard Candy, L'Oreal, Maybelline, Revlon, Rimmel and more) --- Drugstore shadwos: Milani, Essence, Ulta, and more) --- Larger palettes that don't fit anywhere else, like the Tarte jewelry box holiday palette and there is an old Too Faced palette down there too --- Specialty brand, drugstore and high-end shadows and palettes (plus my Glam RX palettes in there which hold shadows that are depotted)

Now let me know what you think...

Do you want to see an updated video and blog post showing my collection and organization? Any special requests? Discuss in the comments below.

Tarte Journey to Natural Beauty 6-pc Collection - before & after, pics, swatches, review, FOTD

Hello, Beautiful!

I love me some QVC! Especially when they bring me brands like Tarte and pack together a bunch of great makeup at an even greater price. I recently purchased the Tarte TSV (Today's Special Value), and even though I get the Q Insider Magazine, meaning I could order it early, I decided to wait until I saw the on-air presentation. I shouldn't have waited; I love this kit and I knew I would. Next time I'll order right away!

Although no longer at the TSV price (which was $59.94), you can still get this kit for just over $65 on QVC's website (plus shipping and handling). When I checked the website last they were sold out of the Fair and Light shades, but I'm sure if you keep checking back they will come back in stock. I ordered this in Medium, if that helps anyone. This 6-pc collection even comes with a bonus mini sample of the Maracuja Self Tanner, not mentioned on the website; I've been wanting to try this self tanner so I'm excited to give it a try.

Check out my pics, swatches, info, review, and complete makeup look (FOTD) ... click on pics to view them larger.

Tarte Journey To Natural Beauty
6-pc Collection
This kit includes: Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Full Coverage Broad Spectrum SPF 15 Foundation (I have the Medium), Amazonian Butter Lipstick in Plummy Rose, Lights, Camera, Flashes! Statement Mascara in Black, Brow Architect Brow Shaper (shade matches your foundation choice), 12-Hour Amazonian Clay Blush in Fearless, Airbrush Finish Bamboo Foundation Brush, Makeup Bag, Mini Sample of Maracuja Self Tanner.

 

 

 

Tarte Journey To Natural Beauty 6-pc Collection
Before & After
I only used the products in this kit!

Tarte Journey To Natural Beauty

6-pc Collection Complete Makeup Look
FOTD (Face Of The Day)

Tarte Journey To Natural Beauty 6-pc Collection Info & Review:

Cost/Availability: $72.50 - although currently $65.94 (for the entire kit). Available on QVC's website.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Kisses!

I love Tarte products, and their kits on QVC always impress me. This kit was another winner in my book. I'll break it down product by product on what I thought.

First up, the foundation...

The Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Full Coverage Broad Spectrum SPF 15 Foundation is a nice whipped mousse type liquid foundation. I have it in Medium, which works well for my skintone. I don't think it's a true full coverage, but it certainly does offer great medium coverage. It lasts long on me, even if I don't set it and even if I don't use a primer.

The Airbrush Finish Bamboo Foundation Brush is one of my favorite brushes; I have one from their first kit back in March 2011 in their 8th World Wonder Best of The Amazon 7-pc Collection. That's also when I first tried the foundation. The brush applies foundation beautifully and is very well made. For sure a brush I'd buy on its own. What makes this brush different from the first tone is the handle; it has a special fabric handle that matches the makeup bag. I love it! Super cute!

The Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in Fearless is beautiful. A nice warm pinky rose color. There is shimmer in this blush, maybe more than I would like, but once on it looks natural. Very pigmented too, so be careful of how much you apply. It gives my cheeks a nice warm pink glow. Tarte blushes are some of my favorite and I'm always happy to have another in my makeup collection. They apply beautifully and really do last like their name says.

The Amazonian Butter Lipstick is a new product. The color is pretty and the formula is divine. It felt smooth and comfortable on my lips - going on like butter. It even had a shine to it, sort of like a glossy lip balm. The shade Plummy Rose looks darker in the tube than when applied, so I was happy with the color on my lips; a flattering shade for sure! The packaging is in a cardboard tube, which I get is part of the natural concept, but I don't really care for it (it wears a lot faster/gets dirtier easier), but I love the formula of this lipstick so I'd be interested in more shades!

The Brow Architect is another new product. I have sparse brows so I was really curious to try this out, as I already love Tarte's  emphasEYES Amazonian Clay Waterproof Brow Mousse, and the Tarte EmphasEYES Amazonian Clay Brow Pencil. It does a nice job at filling in my brows, and the color is universal so you just press harder for darker color/lighter touch for a lighter color. The highlighter that comes with it worked well with my skintone and made my brow area nice and clean looking. I already have products similar to it, but really liked this one.

The Lights, Camera, Flashes! Statement Mascara in Black is their newest mascara. If you love their Lights, Camera, Lashes! Mascara then this is supposed to be twice as amazing. I wasn't really having high hopes for this, because I really don't like their Lights, Camera, Lashes! Mascara; I mean, it's ok but it never did too much for my lashes. However, the Lights, Camera, Flashes! Statement Mascara is amazing. Gave me va-va-voom length and some volume with an intense black color. Loved my lashes after using this.

The makeup bag is super cute, but it's just one big dump bag. No compartments, which is okay, but not sure I want to just toss my makeup into this large bag. I will likely use the bag for hair products when I travel. It's large enough and will fit them nicely. Although you can't tell by the photos, the tan/beige part of the bag actually has gold metallic running throughout, which I didn't notice during the on-air presentation but was a nice surprise because it gives the bag something extra rather than a boring plain side.

The sample of the Maracuja Self Tanner is great because I really, really, really wanted to try this. Can't wait to give it a go in the near future.

Overall, this kit was a winner for me, and one I'd recommend getting. Even without a concealer, eyeshadow, eye liner, primer/setting powder - this kit still gave me a completed natural look. My before and after pics speak for themselves to show you what just these few items can do to improve your overall look. And, my hair was bed head - so that extra shows how much it makes up for everything else going on. I personally would still need to use concealer with this, as well as primer and setting powder. Of course eyeshadow and eyeliner to really finish off the look but this kit gives you a lot of great products for one low price.

This is one kit I recommend picking up for yourself and even one as a gift!

Now let me know what you think...

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