Friday, March 28, 2014

Chicago Beauty Haul

Hi lovelies! Today I wanted to share with you what I picked up on my recent trip! I know I sound like a broken record but if you are new around here my boyfriend Jerome and I took a little 4 day trip to explore the Windy City. We had a blast and ate our weight in deep dish pizza but I made sure to check out a couple beauty brands that aren't available here in Ohio while we were there!


As soon as I knew that we would be visiting this amazing city I thought of Inglot. I have wanted to actually see the eyeshadows in person ever since hearing about the brand a few years ago and I have LOVED the look of their packaging from day one. I ended up finding the address to a Macy's located in the Water Tower Place mall where they carried this brand and luckily it was only about a 5 minute walk from our hotel! I stopped by there the very first day and picked up this amazing palette!


Let me just start by saying that deciding on these shadows was the hardest thing I have ever done! Due to the lack of shade names I was literally going off a wall full of colors and packaging configurations. I kept going back to one 10 pan neutral palette and to make it easy I asked for that exact set up. Of course they were out of the 10 shadow palettes so after eliminating 2 of the shades (which took about 15 minutes) I went home with what you see above!

With all of that being said I am incredibly impressed with the quality. I can't even express how smooth, pigmented, and easy to blend these shadows are. The palette I ended up with has 5 matte and 5 shimmery colors that are all very wearable neutral shades. As you can see though the right side of the palette plays with some very subtle plum undertones. All in all I love this configuration and am really happy with the few looks I have already put together!

While searching for the Inglot display the Shiseido counter caught my eye. This is yet another brand that isn't available in stores where I am from so I knew I'd have to check it out before we headed home. On our second day there I was able to stop by and the nicest guy helped me pick out some great products!


As some of you may know Fleur DeForce on YouTube has raved about a certain foundation from this brand in the past. Of course I couldn't remember the exact one she loves so I ended up asking the associates opinion of what formula would work best for my skin. He recommended this very hydrating cream compact foundation in 120 Natural Light Ivory. Even though I am not head over heals for this product yet I am still working on getting a feel for it and it is pretty hydrating. It has light coverage that is said to be very buildable but on it's own it hasn't provided enough for me thus far. It's also not the longest lasting formulation out there but like I said I am still working with it and trying to find the best application method. Any recommendations?

I am most impressed with the 2 skincare products I picked up from Shiseido. The same guy walked me though their Benefiance skincare line and I fell in love with these 2 unique items!


Starting with the Creamy Cleansing Emulsion. I don't know about you but I have personally never seen or tried something like this. It is essentially a lotion that breaks down your makeup while supplying your skin with lots of moisture! It can be wiped or rinsed off and he even said that if I'm feeling lazy my skin would be clean enough to head straight to bed without cleansing after using this. I can honestly say that I have already seen my skin improving after using this for about a week. I use it every night after removing my eye makeup with a makeup wipe and all of the dry, flaky skin around my forehead and chin is completely smooth and unnoticeable! Plus the product itself feels so luxurious on the skin- it's a great way to wind down at night.


Rounding out this haul is this Balancing Softener. Even though I don't love this stuff as much as that lotion right off the bat I do think it's a great addition to my current skincare routine. For once it is truly a toner that doesn't dry out my skin in the slightest! I apply about 6 drops to a cotton pad and gently wipe it across my entire face after cleansing. My skin doesn't feel too different after applying this but it is supposed to help my skin absorb my moisturizer better.

Thanks for taking the time out of your day to read this post! If you are interested in seeing when I picked up these products or what else we did while in Chicago check out the vlog I filmed below!


I hope you enjoyed reading about these recent beauty purchases! Have you ever tried any of these?

Love, Lacey

Thursday, March 27, 2014

The Beauty Scenario TAG!

Hi lovelies! Since I have just gotten back from a wonderful trip to Chicago I thought I would post a video that I filmed about a week ago. My friend Emily was in town and we decided that it would be super fun to shoot a video together! Since we have pretty different view points I thought these questions were a perfect fit. I hope you enjoy our hilarious video and I have included the questions as well as who I tag below!


Questions:

1. You have to get rid of all your foundations and you can only keep one high-end and one drugstore, which do you keep?

2. You go for an interview and the lady interviewing you has lipstick on her teeth. Do you approach the subject or ignore it completely?

3. You're not feeling yourself and need a pick me up. Which lipstick do you put on to make yourself feel beautiful?

4. You go back in time for a day to your teenage years, how would you do your hair and makeup differently?

5. You ask your hairdresser for a shoulder length Pixie Lott hair cut, but they hear you wrong and give you a pixie cut. Do you...
A) Smile say thank you, leave and call your mum hysterical.
B) Cry in the chair and things get awkward.
C) Complain to the manager and demand a refund.

6. Your friend surprises you with a 4 day city break and you have 1 hour to pack. Which 'do it all' palette do you pack in your makeup bag?

7. Your house has been robbed, don't worry everyone is safe but your beauty stash has been raided. What's the product you really hope is safe?

8. Your friend borrows your makeup and returns it in awful condition. Do you…
A) Just pretend you haven't noticed.
B) Ask them to repurchase it.
C) Secretly do the same to something of theirs.

I tag YOU and...
YouTubers:

Bloggers: 

Sorry for such a long list but I am truly interested in seeing the answers from these WONDERFUL ladies! Please make sure to check out each of their links because I swear you will not be disappointed!

What other fun tags are floating around out there?
Love, Lacey

Sunday, March 16, 2014

My Favorite MAC Lipstick + Personal Update

Hi lovelies! Today I wanted to share with you a very simple and casual post telling you all about my favorite MAC lipstick. I had only purchased 1 or 2 things from MAC up until the beginning of last year but for some reason that all changed as the months progressed in 2013.

I remember it like it was yesterday... I was dragging Jerome through a local mall on the night I decided to break down and buy my very first lipstick from this popular brand. I tried on soooo many shades that my lips were completely stained but I ultimately ended up choosing the one I am sharing with you today! How funny is that?! My first MAC lipstick has ended up being my favorite out of about 10 others that I now own and I recommend it every single chance I get. I know the anticipation is killing you so here it is!




For me, this shade is perfect. It's bright without being too overwhelming and can be paired with almost anything! It's a very natural pink with slight coral undertones that has lovely shine due to the lustre formula. It glides on effortlessly and color is definitely buildable!


Out of all my lipsticks (yes, ALL) I can honestly say that I have used this one the most- I only have about half left! I will definitely need to repurchase before the start of spring and summer because this is going to pair perfectly with sun kissed skin!

Personal Update:
While I have you here I also wanted to update you on a few things coming up this week. Jerome and I are leaving on a little trip to Chicago this Wednesday and we are staying through Saturday. I am so excited but wanted to say sorry in advance if I go a little MIA from social media, my blog, or YouTube channel! I plan on keeping up with everything and will be uploading a new video on Thursday but I want to make sure to really enjoy this time that I will be spending with Jerome! :) As a bonus though I plan to vlog a bit while there to document everything so make sure to subscribe to my personal channel (here) to not miss that video once we get back! 

I hope you enjoyed this short little post and if you have any questions about this particular shade or formula please leave it in a comment below!

What is your favorite MAC lipstick?
Love, Lacey

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Drugstore Makeup Haul

Hi lovelies! This past week I have broke down and bought way too much... I was doing my best trying to save my money for when Jerome and I go out of town next week but recently the flood gates opened and I've been getting everything in sight. A lot of these products have been things I've had my eye on and I couldn't let my 20% off CVS coupon go to waste! I've also included a few things that I picked up at my local grocery store. I hope you enjoy!

Beginning with Meijer…



Neosporin Lip Health Overnight Renewal Therapy ($5.39): As I was browsing over the chapstick section this caught my eye. It was near the bottom and I felt as though it was a little pricey but I couldn't pass it up. I've been loving my Fresh Sugar Advanced Therapy Lip Balm and I use it before bed every night but I'm curious to see if I can find a drugstore alternative. I have put straight Neosporin on my lips in the past and it's worked pretty well so I am anxious to see what this does for me. 

Hydration Lock Chapstick ($3.29): Right when I walked in I headed straight for the chapstick section. A few months ago I received a tube of this in my Birchbox and low and behold I ended up using the ENTIRE thing! Can you believe it? I can't remember the last time I did that with a lip product haha. Long story short this moisturizes my lips very well and even soothed my soon to be 4 year old cousin's severely chapped lips. I had to get another one to keep in my purse. I reach for it all the time!

Black Radiance Lipsticks in Purple Passion and Reggae Red ($1.89): I couldn't wait to get back to the store to get these beauties. If you read my previous review of the new lip duo's from this line you'll know that I was SUPER impressed. In that post (you can find it here) I spoke about their "bullet lipsticks" and how I could never find them. Believe it or not they had been under my nose the entire time! I picked up the 2 shades that would compliment my fair complexion but again the color selection for fair-medium skin tones was limited. Never the less, I've heard people rave about the color pay off and these shades are gorgeous.

Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Tri-Wheat Leave In Conditioner ($9.99): For those who follow me on Instagram, do you recognize this product?! I did a first impression of it after receiving it in my Ipsy bag awhile back and fell in love! I heard that so many people were having trouble finding the full size so I was on a mission to track it down. Luckily in my area I didn't have to search for long! I have seen it at Meijer (obviously) as well as Target so I figured I should pick one up while I had the chance. P.S It's on sale right now through Ulta's website which I've linked above!

Now on to CVS!



Garnier BB Cream in Fair/Light ($12.99): I added this to the "Makeup Shopping List" in my phone just recently thanks to one of Carah Amelie's recent videos. I LOVE watching her channel and we have similar skin tones so I always take her recommendations seriously. In her "February Beauty Favorites 2014" video (find it here) she says that she has been loving the coverage and finish of this Garnier product on natural days and I wanted to try something new in that department. I never turn down a product that is said to have great coverage and with this being so moisturizing I think my skin will love it. She does mention that she got the combination to oily version even though she does have dry skin because she feels as though those formulas have better staying power but I had to stick to the original product due to color selection. The lightest shade in the combo to oily line was light/medium and I figured that would be a little dark for me.

CeraVe AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion ($14.49): I think by now you guys know I adore this stuff. It has been a staple of my skincare routine for about the past year and it's a one stop shop. It contains SPF 30 and moisturizes my extra dry skin like a dream. It also absorbs quickly and completely leaving my skin hydrated without being oily or shiny. If you are looking for a drugstore moisturizer that simply covers all the bases without containing any bells and whistles I would definitely check this out.

Maybelline Fit Me Foundation in 120 Classic Ivory ($7.99): This is another product I had to pick up thanks to YouTube. Kayleigh Noelle's channel was one that I found very early on in my YouTube surfing days and I ultimately subscribed for her curly hair tutorials. She now features some amazing makeup tutorials and during one of them she recently spoke of this foundation. Since I never got around to trying it when it first came out I decided to pick up the second shade in the line because they were out of the first. I swatched it once I was home and it looks a little bit dark so we will have to see!

Organix Ever-Straight Brazilian Keratin Therapy Anti-Breakage Serum ($8.29): Thanks to a recommendation from my friend Emily I had to pick up this hair serum from Organix. I have actually never owned anything from this line so I was very excited to get my hands on this after she raved about it! It's meant to be used on damp hair before blow drying and from what I hear it makes your hair unbelievably soft and manageable. Look out for a first impression of this (and a lot of these other products) on Instagram very soon!

Maybelline Colossal Smoky Eyes Mascara ($7.49): I should have photographed this mascara before the original formula because it wasn't until I picked that one up that I decided to try this one as well. I am a sucker for new products so I decided to throw this in my basket because I thought it was a great opportunity to do a comparison! Since I haven't tried the older formula I figured I would have a clean slate as far as opinions go and I was curious as to which one would work better for me. Hopefully both are amazing though- I love the feeling of finding an awesome drugstore mascara formula. When my eyelashes look great, I feel great. :)

Maybelline Colossal Volum' Express Mascara ($7.49): This is one of the items that I actually went into CVS to get and it is due to another YouTube video! Recently I came across Mirella -she is gorgeous and her lashes are to die for! After watching her "Perfect Mascara Routine for Huge Long Lashes" I had to find this mascara ASAP! It is her favorite and even though my natural lashes aren't anywhere near as long as hers I decided to give it a try. I love formulas that give me a lot of volume and length and she had nothing bad to say about this one!

I said I had been buying things like crazy and I wasn't kidding! If you are interested in seeing another haul featuring J. Crew, Sephora, and Target please check out the video below!


Have a great day!
Love, Lacey

Sunday, March 9, 2014

Too Faced Boudoir Eyes Soft & Sexy Eye Shadow Collection Review

Hi lovelies! Today I wanted to do a review of a new palette (to me) that I am falling in love with. Believe it or not the Too Faced Boudoir Eyes palette debuted in the spring of 2013 but never made it onto my "I have to have that" radar. Maybe it was because I didn't hear much about it but I can't believe I missed out on this for so long! 

This past Valentine's Day Jerome and I went to dinner and he took me to Sephora where I got to pick out a few items- he definitely knows the way to my heart! :) When I walked in I had my sights set on the new Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette but after seeing the configuration of neutral colors I was on the fence. Owning all of the ever popular Urban Decay NAKED palettes I couldn't justify yet another similar set up. I was then lost as to what to get until I looked straight down and saw this beauty. I know I know, it's still in the neutral family BUT the colors were gorgeous and I felt as though they were a little different than anything else in my growing collection. Also, I wanted to explore these smaller Too Faced palettes a bit more. The only other one I own is the Matte Eye Collection!

Once I started playing around with this I instantly knew it was a game changer for me. Within the past year I have fallen in love with grey shadows on my blue eyes and this really struck me due to the cool undertones of some of the taupe shades. In this post I am going to walk you through my opinions of the packaging, color set up, shade selection, as well as my favorite look to create!



Shades: In The Buff, Fuzzy Handcuffs, Voulez-Vous, Satin Sheets, Sugar Walls, Garter Belt, Birthday Suit, Lap Dance, and French Tickler
Marketed As: "This handpicked collection of eye shadows offers boudoir-worthy colors including five new shades just for this palette for a total of nine soft and sexy colors. Created with high concentrations of color, what you see is what you get: pigment-rich shades with a brilliant finish. As with all Too Faced palettes, a show-and-tell centerfold Glamour Guide is included to give you instructions on creating three Boudoir Eyes looks".

What did I think?

Overall Packaging: I want to begin with packaging because I feel like that is what a lot of people look for in palettes these days. So many companies have set the standard high with cute names, shapes and even catchy subject matter and Too Faced leads the pack! From their Candy Glow blushes to this palette specifically they have some great selling points that go beyond the quality of their products. I think the idea behind this palette is unique and even though a little risqué, it's undeniably adorable. The compact tin case is designed with a quilted pattern and very feminine details. Due to it's size I feel that it would be good for travel but there is one downside… it hardly stays closed! It has a weak magnetic closure and even though this makes for easy access at home, it would probably be a nightmare if placed in a makeup bag. It includes a small fold out card in the lid that showcases the day, classic, and fashion looks pertaining to the the 3 rows of colors. Behind that card is a fairly small mirror.

Overall Setup: As many palettes do these days they have the colors set up in 3 different categories: Day, Classic, and Fashion. Even though I don't see myself sticking to one row for one entire look I think it was a nice way to organize it. The day and classic rows contain a great variety of finishes with the exception of the fashion row which lacks a matte shade. I like how they include 3 bigger shadows to the left but I would've liked seeing the 3 matte shadows featured there instead.  

Overall Color Selection



In The Buff: A matte off white
Fuzzy Handcuffs: A light flesh toned matte with a hint of brown
Voulez- Vous: A deep taupe purple with satin finish
Satin Sheets: A light champagne with golden sheen
Sugar Walls: A warm medium mauve taupe with silver glitter
Garter Belt: A completely matte medium grey
Birthday Suit: A satin finish light grey with brown undertones
Lap Dance: A satin finish medium grey with a hint of purple
French Tickler: A very opaque dark black with noticeable gold glitter


-swatched without primer-

At first glance the color selection of this palette was great. It provides countless shades for many every day looks as well as some deeper ones to spice things up a bit. However, Birthday Suit and Sugar Walls are very similar once swatched. I would have liked to see a deeper matte crease shade offered in place of one of those. Also, Satin Sheets doesn't do it for me. Out of the whole palette I could have done without this shade because it hardly shows up on my fair skin. I do love the addition of Fuzzy Handcuffs and Garter Belt though because out of the whole palette those seem the most unique.

Overall Formula: All of the formulas seem very consistent and have minimal fall out which is great. Even with Sugar Walls and French Tickler holding a good amount of glitter the pigmentation and buttery-ness is still present! These blendable shadows glide on very easily and require little effort when creating a nice bold look due to their color pay off (with the exception of Satin Sheets on my skin tone).

Moving on to my recent video where I show you how to create the perfect daytime smoky eye using some of these great shades!


What do you think of this palette?

Love, Lacey

Sunday, March 2, 2014

Black Radiance Dynamic Duo Lip Balm & Gloss Review + Swatches

Hi lovelies! I can’t remember the last time I was so excited to do a review. If you have been with me a while you know that there is a special place in my heart for complete and detailed reviews of products so that is what I am bringing you today!

About a week ago I was taking a walk down the makeup aisle and I came across a new lip product from a line called Black Radiance. If you don't know, Black Radiance is a sister company of Wet-N-Wild (under the umbrella of MARKWINS®) and you can clearly see that by the similarities in packaging and items they carry. Even though Black Radiance caters their products to deeper skin tones I usually take a look at their display because I've heard that their “bullet lipsticks” are amazing! As I was browsing I discovered this brand new line hidden near the bottom! The bright bold colors immediately caught my eye so I had to pick up my 3 favorites!








Price: $3.99
Size: Lip Balm- 0.06 Oz. & Lip Gloss- 0.22 Fl. Oz.
Shades: 5200 Hibiscus, 5201 Fuchsia, 5202 Plum
Shade Selection: 6
Marketed As: “The dual-ended lip case features a highly pigmented lip balm, formulated with botanical extracts to help moisturize and condition lips. The high coverage lip gloss is enriched with vitamin C & E to soften lips with anti-oxidant protection. The multi-benefit lip duo gives you luscious lip service with a hint of delicious berry flavor”.
Finish: Satin- Glossy
What did I think?

Overall Application: How about 2 words? A dream. The balm glides on with the most beautiful shine and comfortable texture. However, I do find that during application both ends of this product are a little small for my lips. It’s not a terrible issue but one that I definitely noticed when trying to apply the color evenly. As for the gloss, the doe foot applicator was nice but due to it being so small I had to go in and pick up more product frequently.

Overall Color: Even though I wouldn’t consider the balm to be as “highly pigmented” as it claims it’s exactly what I look for in a balm like lip product. Color is definitely buildable so you can achieve your perfect shade and these 3 were BEAUTIFUL! I absolutely love how the gloss bumps up the color of the balm and it's the perfect item to pop in the center of your lips for extra fullness. However, I do have some issues in this category and they all come down to selection. These are the only colors out of the line that suit my skin tone (with the exception of possibly Mauve 5205) which squashes my hopes of owning every single one! Maybe in the future there will be more to choose from but for now it is very limited. How about a few more shades of pink and a nice red? That'd be really nice!
Hibiscus (5200)
The perfect every day pick me up



-without gloss-


-with gloss-

Fuchsia (5201)
A beautiful bright pink with purple undertones


-without gloss-


-with gloss-

Plum (5202)
A sultry berry lip color


-without gloss-


-with gloss-

Overall Formula: I know I keep going on and on but the formulas were amazing as well! I didn't feel like the balm alone was as moisturizing as my Korres Lip Butters but applying the gloss overtop really helps in that department. As for lip gloss I normally hate it… but I have really grown to love this stuff! It is very opaque and also not sticky AT ALL making it the most comfortable and hydrating gloss I have come across.

Overall Packaging: Talk about great quality! The packaging was the first thing I noticed with these because it is so sturdy! The balms twist up very nicely and all in all I love how compact and travel friendly they are. I love how it contains 2 products that you can use interchangeably as well. Wear both together or pair the gloss with a totally different lipstick or balm! It's a great idea! The only complaint here is that the shade names come off with the plastic wrapping and you are left with only the number on the bottom. Why do companies have to do that?

Overall Scent: This category was really hard for me to nail down this week! I have come down with a nice little cold and have hardly been able to smell anything. From what I remember these do contain a nice berry scent that is very sweet but not overpowering. As far as the taste claims though, I haven't noticed anything in that department. 

Overall Wear: I was happy with the wear time of these balms but they didn't blow me away. If I wear these out to dinner the product is pretty much completely gone once I am done eating. If anything there might be a hint of color around my lip line (especially with the deeper shades) but reapplication is definitely needed.

Bottom Line: These are an AMAZING new addition to drugstore shelves for bright lip lovers like myself. I will be keeping all three shades and recommending them to everyone I see- I mean come on they're only $3.99! For a company to get both formulas so spot on shows me that quality is top priority and I love that! I am so impressed by these you better believe I'll be checking out other products this line has to offer. The only downside is the shade selection! I know the brand is catered to deeper skin tones and I think that is a wonderful idea but if all of their products are as great as these, I don't want to have to miss out! Bravo Black Radiance, Bravo!


Love, Lacey