Camera Update + Sephora Haul

     Hello once again everyone- I am here to bring you another video! Over the weekend I got a little impulsive and went to Best Buy to invest in a new, better quality camera. Thanks to Jeff, I settled on the Canon EOS Rebel T3i and boy am I glad I did! Please bear with me because I am not used to the settings at all yet but I will be getting better, I promise! I had to immediately film a video and I am thrilled with the quality.

     As I will mention in the video, a Sephora just opened up about 15 minutes away from me. I had some products that I purchased on the same day as the camera and thought that a haul would be fitting. I wanted to include some extra info over here including some still shots as well as the prices. So here it is!

Cover FX Cream Concealer in N X-Light ($27.00)

Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes! Black Mascara ($19.00)

NARS Blush (Highlighter) in Albatross ($29.00)

Stila Color Balm Lipstick in Amelia ($22.00)

-Right photo: Showing how much product you get. Not very much!

-Compared to Revlon's drugstore product.

-Sweet Tart is a tiny bit more pink and opaque but I would feel safe calling this a dupe because the shades of pink are very similar.

BECCA Radiant Skin Satin Finish Foundation in Porcelain (free sample: full size is $42.00)

Small Black Z-Palette ($13.99)

Make Up Geek (MUG) Eyeshadow in Last Dance (included with palette)

Personalized Note from MUG!

I hope you found what I included in this supplemental post helpful! If you have any suggestions, comments, or questions please leave them down below!

Love, Lacey

CVS and Walgreens Haul 4/25/13

     Hello guys! I have some amazing new things coming to this blog and I can't wait to share them with you. I have set out to fulfill my dream of being a "blogtuber" and yes I am coining that term! After spending way too much money on drugstore products yesterday, I sat down and filmed my very first YouTube video. I will always have a love for my blog but I wanted to begin branching out. I found it a lot easier to sit down for 30 minutes to film rather than typing everything out. I hope you all will send me your support and ideas to help improve my videos. I will now be recording videos occasionally and posting them to my channel but will always include additional information here.

So, here it is!

CVS Products

Neutrogena Healthy Skin Liquid Makeup in 10 Classic Ivory ($13.99): I used this today and was really impressed with the formula. It reminded me a lot of NARS Sheer Glow because it is fairly liquidy but has a nice coverage to it. It lasted all day even with being outside and I enjoyed the natural finish.

Maybelline Dream Smooth Mousse in 110 Porcelain Ivory ($9.99): Haven't gotten the chance to try this yet.

Revlon PhotoReady Cream Blush in 200 Flushed ($12.99): I applied this today with the ELF small stipple brush I mentioned and loved the wash of color it gave my cheeks!

Revlon ColorStay Under Eye Concealer in 610 Fair ($9.99): I thought that this did have a little more coverage than my CoverGirl & Olay under eye concealer because it is slightly thicker. The color wasn't as brightening as I was looking for but I do see myself keeping this.

Revlon Lash Potion by Grow Luscious in Blackest Black ($7.99): This brush was interesting because even though it was a natural brush rather than a rubber one, it was very stiff. It did okay in the volume department but I noticed more length. However, it did smudge and flake slightly... no bueno!

Maybelline Lash Discovery in Very Black ($8.99): This brush is so cute! It is perfect for the bottom lashes and did a good job with separating and fanning them out. I did find out though that this only comes in the black shade. Bummer!

Walgreens Products

Essie Nail Color in In The Cab-Ana ($8.00): I am already in love with this color and will be painting my nails with it in about an hour! 

*UPDATE PHOTO*

Essie Nail Color in First Timer ($8.00)

Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Polish in Rosy Outlook ($7.99 but on sale for $6.29)

Revlon ColorStay 16 Hour Eye Shadow Quad in 585 Sea Mist ($7.49): I swatched this after filming and the quality is okay. They are not bright or vibrant but you can still see the different colors clearly. I applied some quickly to my lid without primer and found that the color does show up well once on the eye. I will be using this palette in the morning as I get ready and will have a better feel for it then.

I hope you enjoyed this newly formatted haul! I really loved filming it for you and am looking forward to doing the "What's in my Purse" tag next.

Love, Lacey

Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Nail of the Day (NOTD)

     If I had a written out list of all my favorite beauty products, nail polish would be a close second to lipstick. I have two racks in my closet (let me know if you are interested in seeing my tips on storage) that are filled with an array of brands and colors. As I was browsing the local aisles of my CVS recently I came across a shade that really caught my eye from the Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure line. In the bottle it looks like a milky, creamy, baby pink shade that would be perfect for summer. I owned nothing like it and decided to purchase immediately. After using it for the first time a few nights ago I am not going to lie- I was really let down! On my nails the shade came off darker with a hint of peach that I was not expecting. Maybe it was the lack of natural sunlight in the store but I honestly had high hopes for this shade from the way it looked in the bottle. I decided to share my thoughts with you because Emily Noel from Beauty Broadcast always says, knowing what didn’t work is just as helpful as knowing what did!

     Even though this shade disappointed me I want to say that I am a huge fan of the line and formula! The brush is my favorite (by far) of any nail polish (Essie and OPI included) because it is very dense and wide. The color pay off of the few shades I have is very opaque and rich after the typical two coats and wear is pretty typical granted my thin nails.

     These photos are meant to show you the products that I used during the whole process. I began by trimming and filing my nails then buffing them to get them even and smooth. I don’t do these additional steps every time I polish my nails but since it has been awhile since the last time I have I wanted to even everything out. I then wiped my nails clean with a cotton pad and nail polish remover.

     After my nails were prepped and ready I applied my Orly Bonder Rubberized Basecoat (I included this is a previous haul here). I am aware that this Sally Hansen formula is meant to include a base and topcoat (along with added benefits) but I still choose to follow my normal regimen. Having pretty difficult nails I like to make sure that I am taking all of the precautions in order to improve the lasting power of my manicure. After that dried I took this shade, First Kiss from the Sally Hansen Completely Salon Manicure line and applied two coats. I also think that the name is adorable, however it fits the color shown in the bottle more than the end result on the nails in my opinion.

From bare nails - one coat

     After the first coat my nail color was acceptable. Being a light color (or so I thought) I was impressed with its opacity. I am not a big fan of sheer polishes and with all of the dainty, light pink shades having to apply 3+ coats is a turn off for me. I did notice the color being a little darker and having a more peach or coral look after this first coat. In some lights I even found that this shade comes off as more of a brown neutral, which is very odd. The nail color also looked slightly streaky so I wasn't able to get away with one coat.

From one coat - two

     After the second coat the color was a little lighter and more vibrant than the initial application, I still was taken back by the difference in color though. I even took a minute to really glance at the color in the bottle before putting it away and that confirmed my initial thoughts of it looking totally different in the bottle.

     Here is the UV/Gel nail light that I spoke about in my recent tag post (see it here: question #4). It is from the brand Thermal Spa and is the UV Auto Gel Light Nail Dryer. I use it literally every time I paint my nails because I am always doing them at night. You know those times where you head to bed with perfectly manicured, dry (or so you think) nails and wake up to nails that are printed with the texture of your bed sheets... this prevents that! I simply apply my Seche Ultra-V top coat and set my nails under the light for 3 minutes. I have read articles saying that these types of rays can cause sun damage and possibly skin cancer on your hands so I try to limit my use to once or twice a week.

Incandescent light

     Inside the color comes off more nude. It is a pink shade with peach undertones that isn't bright enough for my fair skin in my opinion. I also want to quickly touch on the shininess of the nails after using the light pictured above. The first time I used it I was astonished with how professional looking the end result was.

 Natural light

     I actually prefer this shade outside. It comes off more pink which is what I was looking for when I purchased it. Even though the look of this polish is more similar here to the bottle than it was inside, it is still no where near the creamy, milky, baby pink shade that I was looking for.

     As for wear, this product did not impress me. It chipped after about two days and I took it off. I usually have a problem with polish staying on my nails but this formula didn't seem to have any better staying power than other popular formulas.

     Even though I went back and forth about keeping this color I am going to return it. I already own Essie's Cute As A Button and even though this shade is more neutral, it is less appealing to me. I could see myself reaching for this occasionally but it definitely will not be a go-to color. When I take the time to paint my nails I want it to be a special, noticeable color that I enjoy having on my fingers! This was not the baby pink shade I was hoping for so I will have to continue my search for that perfect color that complements my skin tone.

Happy Wednesday Everyone!
Please take a moment to like my Facebook page and follow me on Bloglovin'.
Also, let me know what you think about the new layout. I am trying out a few new things and can't make a decision.

Love, Lacey

Afternoon Wedding FOTD & OOTD

     On Saturday April 20, 2013 one of my best friends from high school got married. I couldn't have been happier to be a part of her big day and loved that I got to reconnect with old friends in the process. Her wedding was beautiful, as well as her dress, and James is definitely a lucky man! I wanted to share some photos with you as well as how I did my makeup for this wonderful day. I went a little dramatic and even included fake lashes. I loved the way it turned out!

Makeup and Hair:

So how did I go from this to this... just keep reading!

Face:

-CeraVe AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion

-Lancome La Base Pro Perfecting Makeup Primer

-NARS Sheer Glow Foundation in Mont Blanc applied with Sigma F84

-Clinque Advanced Concealer in 01 Matte Light (on face and under eyes)

-CoverGirl & Olay Simply Ageless Eye Concealer in 205 Very Light

-Mally Beauty Evercolor Poreless Face Defender

-Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray

-Benefit Hoola Bronzer applied with Sigma F05 (contour)

-Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush in 10 Pink Frosting applied with ELF Small Stipple Brush

-Benefit Watt’s Up Highlighter (cheek bones, middle of forehead, down center of nose, cupids bow, and chin)

Eyebrows:

-Anastasia Brow Wiz in Brunette
-ELF Eyebrow Lifter & Filler in Ivory/Light

Eyes:

-LORAC Behind the Scenes Eye Primer

-LORAC Pro Palette: Cream (lid)

-MAC Naked Lunch (on top of cream)

-MAC Omega (in crease as blending color)

-MAC All That Glitters (foiled: in center of lid)

-MAC Satin Taupe (crease)

-LORAC Pro Palette: Black (outer v)

-LORAC Pro Palette: Sable (tiny bit in between lid and crease shade)

-LORAC Pro Palette: Deep Purple (between crease and brow bone)

-MAC Naked Lunch (brow bone and inner corner)

-Jordana FabuLiner Liquid Eye Liner in Black (winged liner)

-Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil in Zero (waterline and outer portion of lower lash line)

-MAC Satin Taupe (to smoke out lower liner)

-Tarte Gifted Amazonian Clay Smart Mascara

Lashes:

-Curled lashes with Tarte Eyelash Curler

-Applied light coat of Tarte Gifted Amazonian Clay Smart Mascara

-Added a set of Ardell Demi Wispie Lashes with Revlon Precision Lash Glue

-Used a small amount of Tarte mascara to fuse fake lashes with real ones towards the base

Lips:
-Bite Beauty Matte Creme Lipstick in Pastille Rosebud

Hair:
-Blow dried smooth the previous night
-Tresemme Heat Protectant
-Remington 1"-1 1/2" Large Pearl Ceramic Professional Curling Wand (alternated curl direction)
-Big Sexy Hair Spray & Play Volumizing Hair Spray

Outfit:

Dress: Meijer
Cardigan: Charlotte Russe
Shoes: Goodwill (Target's Merona brand)

Ring: Christmas gift from boyfriend

Purse: Marc by Marc Jacobs

Bow Belt: Came with dress

Earrings: Kohls

Nails: Essie Super Bossa Nova and Essie Mint Candy Apple (accent nail)

Perfume: Bond No. 9 High Line

     So, there is everything I used to achieve this look. I was really happy with my makeup, hair and outfit which doesn't happen very often! Congratulations Courtney and I wish you the absolute best!

Love, Lacey