Monday, November 28, 2011

Anastasia Kisses on My List Lip Gloss Set

This cute lip gloss set features sheer lip colors that flatter just about any skin tone. The Anastasia Kisses on My List kit comes with Anastasia' Hydrafull lip gloss in a variety of six colors: Barely (nude beige), Nectar (pale pink shimmer), Lychee (sheer pink with gold shimmer), Pink Sugar (bright petal pink), Guava (pink nude with opalescent shimmer), Cameo (pearl with silver shimmer). All of the colors go on very sheer, so it's not a lot of bright pigmented shades, so even those who don't wear makeup often could find a use for these glosses. The formula is smooth and glides on nicely, and the applicator is one that I've never seen before...it's not a brush, it's not a doe foot applicator, but a flexible flat plastic tip! Some may not like this, others might find it interesting, but it's definitely a different experience when applying with the flat plastic tip than with doe foot or brush applicators. The set is available for $30 at the Anastasia online shop or Sephora.

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Lavanila Pure Vanilla Luxury Set


This beautifully packaged Lavanila gift set is perfect for holiday gift giving! It comes in Lavanila's Pure Vanilla fragrance, and features the body wash, perfume, and body butter. The scent is light and sweet with a real vanilla fragrance. You can get the Lavanila Pure Vanilla Luxury Set exclusively at Sephora as a limited edition holiday gift set! The vanilla scent is really pretty, almost slightly spicy made with Tonka bean and Madagascar vanilla. The body spray comes in a pretty glass spray bottle, and he body wash is thick and creates luscious bubbles, while the body butter is creamy and very hydrating. Best of all it's free of synthetic fragrances, icky chemicals, or drying sulfates. A pretty gift you can feel good about sharing this holiday season! ($40 at Sephora.com)


Wednesday, November 23, 2011

LUSH Christmas Delights Gift


I like the cute and delicious smelling LUSH wrapped gifts that they come out with every Christmas season. Some of their gifts are wrapped in gift wrap and others come in a sweet little holiday tin. The LUSH Christmas Delights gift comes in a little tin that can be re-used and features a snowy holiday illustration. Right now when you purchase items at LUSH they're having a promotion that gives Golden Tickets, when you get a Golden LUSH Ticket you can scratch off a code and see if you win a LUSH prize.  It's a fun little promo for the holidays!


This gift tin comes with: LUSH Vanilla Dee-Lite lotion, Snow Fairy Shower Gel, Sugar Babe Sugar Scrub, Heavanlli Massage Bar, Candy Cane Soap and Angel's Delight Soap. These items smell wonderful, sweet, and remind me of the holidays. The gift tin holds the items nicely, and each item is individually wrapped in plastic. This would make an awesome gift for any LUSH fan, and it's an awesome way to sample various LUSH products all in one little gift tin! You can get the LUSH Christmas Delights gift at LUSHUSA.com for $54.95!

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

LUSH A Few of my Favorite Things Gift



LUSH always has really fun bath and body products, but I especially like the gift sets they come out with during the holidays. This wrapped LUSh gift is perfect for holiday gift giving. The LUSH A Few of my Favorite Things gift set comes in a super cute Christmas themed wrapping paper including a gift tag. Cute! It comes with some really fun holiday products from their seasonal line, you get: Olive Brand shower gel, The Jilted Elf Shower Jelly, Sugar Sugar Scrub, Snow Globe Soap.


Each item is individually packaged rather than naked products, so you could even get a gift set and divide the goodies as stocking stuffers or different small gifts for multiple friends. The Sugar Sugar Scrub is a permanent product, and so is the Olive Branch Shower Gel, but The Jilted Elf Shower Jelly and Snow Globe soap is limited edition for the holiday season. The entire box smells lovely, and the scent make my house smell nice just from opening the package. This make a super cute gift for a friend, family, or even a co-worker. You can get this gift at LUSH.com for $29.95!

Monday, November 21, 2011

EOS Limited Edition Organic Lip Balm Gift Set


 Fun stocking stuffer!

Evolution of Smooth has created a super cute limited edition lip balm set that comes with three of their popular smooth spheres. The packaging comes in a silver cardboard container, and the balms come in Strawberry Sorbet, Sweet Mint, and Passion Fruit. EOS makes it's lip balms using 95% organic grade ingredients, and their products are free of petroleum and parabens. So you can have smooth hydrated lips without any synthetic ingredients or harmful additives. This cute set would make a great stocking stuffer! Each lip balm comes in the round EOS sphere, with easy to twist cap and fun lip balm that is rounded in shape, rather than a stick. The rounded shape makes it easy to glide over the lips. The balm isn't greasy or uncomfortable, and the moisturizing benefits keeps your lips hydrated, soft, and kissable...New Years Eve, anyone?? ;)

This gift set is $9.49 and is available for purchase at EOS online or at ULTA, Walgreens, Riteaid, and CVS.

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Banish the winter skin blues!



FixMySkin is a range of moisture intense and healing skincare products, they offer two lines of products: Prevent, and Repair. Prevent offers balms that can be used on lips, face, and body, that are meant to soften and nourish your skin. Repair offers the same great products, but with Hydrocortisone added for aiding in healing the skin. The products come in both unscented and vanilla. Products range from $10-$12.


BeautyRX by Dr. Schultz offers a line of products meant to exfoliate, moisturize, and cleanse the skin. They offer topical serums, and even wipes for the face that offer green tea extract and work as an anti-acne product as well. Products range from $25-$75, and they also have skincare sets that come with different products to help with common skin problems like Anti-aging, Dry skin, and more.



Revaleskin is a line of moisturizing and anti-aging products for the face. They use caffeinated CoffeeBerry in their products to help plump and smooth out wrinkles and lines without harsh procedures. CoffeeBerry works as an antioxidant as well, and helps to improve the texture of the skin, and hydrate which is especially important during the cold dry winter months. Revaleskin Replenishing Eye Therapy is available at SkinMedix.com for $69.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Firefall Studios Artisan Jewelry





I recently found this beautiful jewelry shop on Etsy called Firefall Studios, that is run by a really nice husband and wife team George and Jean. They create lovely artisan jewelry such as rings, earrings, and necklaces out of sterling silver, gemstones, and unique and fun textures. Each piece is handmade and cast from a design that is created by the couple. They use beautiful textures like tree branches, waves, flowers and more. I really like that each piece is handmade, and that it's a family run business. With all of the Occupy protests going on, myself and a lot of other people are looking to handmade items and small businesses rather than constantly shopping through "big" retailers. So I definitely recommend shopping with this company, they're a small business, ship quickly, and offer great jewelry at affordable prices. Also, because they made each piece handmade, each piece is not mass produced, so these jewelry pieces are much more unique than jewelry you'd find in your local low-end Claire's or high-end Tiffany's.

I got this super pretty Little Waves Sterling Silver Ring that looks like the tide rolling in foamy white waves, so delicate and unique looking. I love the ocean, so to me, this piece was really stunning. You can feel the high quality of the silver, and the thickness of the band is very comfortable, not too thin of a band and not too thick. Firefall Studios Jewelry can also re-size their selection of rings, so if you like a ring and need a different size, they can accommodate that. Each jewelry piece also comes in a little silver gift box, so they're perfect for holiday gifts. Here is my pretty Little Waves ring:




These are a few of my other favorites from the shop:

Gold Petal Flower Ring ($78.50)
Silver Tempest Earrings ($58)
Make a Wish Pendant Necklace ($43)
Vintage-style Ring with Amethyst ($85)
Kiss Ring with Pink Tourmaline ($40)

They have a nice variety of earrings and necklaces as well as rings, rings are my favorite and they have some really fun and pretty designs. A lot of lesser quality brands that you can find in specialty stores sell for much more, so these are really quite affordable for the nice quality. If you want to check out the shop and see what other goodies they have, you can see the entire collection at http://www.etsy.com/shop/Firefallstudios

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Demeter Fragrances

Looking for fun and affordable gifts for the fragrance lover on your holiday shopping list? Demeter Fragrance has a line of exclusive holiday scents! They come in a variety of types such as roll on scent, splash and go scent, sprays, and even shower gels. I recently tried a few of the limited Holiday scents including: Snow, Gingerbread, Egg Nog, Christmas Bouquet, Fireplace, Mistletoe and Mulled Cider. Each scent is relaxing, yummy, not-overly sweet or artificial, and has really nice staying power. I sometimes use the cologne spray as a room mist, which makes my room smell very festive and fun.

Each fragrance comes in a cute glass bottle with a metallic cap and metallic spray pump, with a simple yet pretty Demeter logo on the front. 1 oz cologne spray is only $20! So these would be ideal for stocking stuffers, secret santa gift, gifts for co-workers, or friends on a tight budget. The Mini Splash scents and roll On perfume scents are even more affordable at only $6 and $10. With this price range it makes it easy to pick up multiple items in different scents for all your friends! The Demeter Fragrance Egg Nog Spray was my favorite from the Holiday collection, it just smells yummy! Not too eggy or spicy, it smells warm and comforting and definitely reminds me of holiday parties. Demeter Gingerbread is really spicy and fragrant, I can smell clove and cinnamon and nutmeg along with the fresh heat from the ginger. Demeter Snow is very clean and fresh, while Demeter Fireplace is much more whimsical and features a smoky scent. Demeter Mulled Cider smells richly of apples and spices. If holiday scents are't your thing, they also have fruity scents, food scents, and other fun fragrances.
Definitely a budget friendly gift thats both unique and smells fab.


Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Holiday Gift Idea: Wild & Chic Best of Make Up For Ever Kit



It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of Make Up For Ever. I definitely keep up with all of their new products. Sephora recently released a fun new gift set for the holidays called the Wild & Chic Best of Make Up For Ever Kit. This kit comes with some of the best selling MUFE products including: HD Microfinish Powder, Aqua Cream in 13 (Warm Beige), Aqua Eyes in Mat Black, Lab Shine gloss in Star Collection, HD Microperfecting Primer, and Smoky Lash Extra Black Mascara. This kit is a great way to sample some of MUFE"s best sellers for a fraction of the cost. This set would retail for over $100 if you bought the items separately, but as a kit through Sephora you can get it for $55.

The HD Microfinish Powder and Primer helps to set your makeup and create a more flawless finish, while the smooth creamy Aqua Eyes liner goes on nicely and is waterproof so it stays put. The Aqua Cream is a gorgeous shimmering beige color that can compliment all skintones, and the Smoky Lash mascara is a dark black mascara to help lengthen your natural lashes. The Lab Shine lipgloss comes in a super pretty Star Collection color that is a pinky-beige with a slight greenish shimmer!

Aqua Eyes in Mat Black, Lip Shine in Star Collection, Aqua Cream in Warm Beige

Lip Shine in Star Collection

This kit definitely makes an awesome gift for any makeup lover, and for only a little over $50 you can to sample six of MUFE's best sellers. This would make a hot gift idea for any friends or family who adore makeup or who have yet to try Make Up For Ever and want an affordable way to sample the products!


Monday, November 14, 2011

Paperself Lashes



 Have you heard of Paperself Lashes? They're fake lashes, made of, yes...paper! Crazy, cool, fun, trendy, and high fashion. These delicate lashes can be applied just as you normally would apply faux eyelashes, using your favorite lash glue. They are lightweight and pretty easy to apply. They also come in full strips of lashes, or small strips, depending on how dramatic of a look you're going for. The lashes look unlike any other lashes I've seen before, they don't simulate real lashes at all, these are fun fantasy lashes with fun shapes like horses, butterflies, and flowers.

I recently tried the PAPERSELF Peacock Lashes, which are available for $19 at Sephora.com. Paperself is a UK based company, but they sell in the US through Sephora. $19 might be a bit pricey for lashes made of paper, but they're pretty and unique and offer a fun shape, so for occasions where you're looking for something bold and trendy, these lashes are it. The lashes are super cute, but are pretty long and I decided to wear them by cutting the strip and using just a piece on the ends of my lashes. You could just buy smaller strips of the lashes if you don't want to use the full strip, I'll probably do that next time. However, if you have the full strip and feel that it's too much, simply trim it like you would any other fake lashes.

PAPERSELF Peacock lashes, full strip in package
Picture of me wearing a strip on ends of lashes

Lashes made of paper, definitely not something I would rock every day, but it's definitely fun for once and awhile! I'd like to try the Under the Sea lashes next time. Would be fun to wear for a cool Christmas or New Years party!

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Jon Renau Party Girl Wig review: Pink, it was love at first sight...

I thought a line from the Aerosmith song "Pink" would be a fitting title for this post.

Wigs are my newest obsession. I have tried colors like blonde and black and blue, but pink is my favorite color. I have been curious about hot pink hair for a long time and even considered dyeing my hair hot pink. To save myself the mess and committment, I opted for a hot pink wig (from the brand Jon Renau) from Wigs Online! The style is called "Party Girl". I love the style; the blunt bangs, the long length, and the vibrancy of the hot pink color. This wig color also comes in other bright colors like blue and bright red and fuchsia (to name a few). This is my first Jon Renau wig and I must say; I am VERY impressed with it! The Jon Renau Party Girl wig arrived in a sleek black Jon Renau box, the wig is covered in a black mesh protective cap so that the tresses don't get messed up in transit. My order from WigsOnline.com came very quickly and was packaged nicely. As soon as I saw the hot pink, I couldn't wait to put it on!

Out of all of the wigs I have tried so far, this wig has the most realistic feel - almost like real hair! Very silky and smooth. It was very easy to put the wig on, I sometimes have trouble sliding the wigs on (even with a wig cap) because my natural hair is very very thick. There is a lot of stretch to this wig cap, so I imagine it would fit all head sizes with minimal effort.

I also considered the Party Girl Stripe wig. I guess Nicki Minaj was seen sporting the Party Girl Stripe wig and although it is awesome, I didn't want people to think that I chose the wig for that reason. Hot pink is much more "me" though, and I really couldn't be happier with my choice!







After trying this wig, I LOVE it! It's definitely one of my favorites. I'm looking forward to trying more Jon Renau wigs in the future. The quality is great, and the price is very affordable ($46.50 at WigsOnline.com)!

DISCOUNT: The folks at WigsOnline.com created a discount code for my readers! You can get 15% off any order of $50 or more! All you have to do is use the discount code "LIPSTICK" at checkout!



Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Review: Candy Striper from Arda Wigs



I think that life would be so much more interesting if everybody had an awesome hair color like hot pink or blue. This wig immediately made me think of mermaids and a Candyland princess when I first set my sights on it. It's the Candy Striper style from Arda Wigs!

This style is heat resistant, and made of hiperlon fiber. I am very impressed with the quality of the synthetic fibers, it feels very similar to real hair! The color is a gorgeous blend of complementing colors. It was so cool to look at myself in the mirror with a non-conventional hair color! I have had blonde hair, brown hair, red hair, black hair but never anything as awesome as blue! Besides the color, the style is stunning and a style that I would wear with my regular hair as well. One of my favorite things about this wig is that it's a high fashion twist on an otherwise effortlessly glamorous style. This wig has an impressive price tag as well: $35 plus shipping which is a *steal* for the quality! The selection available at Arda Wigs is great - the perfect amount of variety! The company website is easy to navigate and you can search wigs by color/style or character (if you're a cosplay fan)! Arda Wigs also has excellent customer service, always at the top of my list when choosing a company to become a customer of, as well as featuring them on my blog.




And just for fun, I decided to turn myself into a cartoon/anime girl!


I love the beautiful curls on this wig, the pretty bold color, and the fact that the streaks of purple really pop and look awesome against the blue color.  I also really like the feeling of the Hiperlon fiber, it feels similar to real hair. Also, these wigs are NOT mass produced. They are handmade from a group of gals who like fun wigs and create each lace caps and hair color/style. Also, the inner lace cap inside the wig, the part that secures the wig to your head fits nicely, it has a good amount of stretch, and it didn't fall off my head. Also, the lace cap was very high quality. I've tried a few wigs from other mass produced brands, and while they were awesome, they cost more than the wigs from Arda yet the Arda wigs quality was just as good if not better. I also really liked the quality, fit, and style of the lace cap from Arda Wigs. This wig is affordable, but it's anything but cheap! When it comes to quality Arda Wigs is really top-notch, and the wigs are filled with hair, rather than having blank spaces from not enough hair being used, these wigs are thick and luxurious. I could see these wigs being used for fun events like parties, Comic-Con, and more! I hope to try more Arda Wigs in the future.