Friday, September 3, 2010

MAC All That Glitters Dupe


MAC All that Glitters is a gorgeous pink-champagne color that is the perfect shimmery neutral. I've been wearing All that Glitters almost every single day for the past two months. It's the perfect daytime look because it adds a bit of shimmer to an otherwise run-of-the-mill neutral.

I simply put the shadow all over my lid and then darken my outer corner with a brown shade (like MAC Mulch or NYX Dark Brown). So easy! I even made a YouTube "tutorial" on this new everyday eye of mine. (Watch here!).

Lately I've changed it up a bit by substituting brown for a taupe color, or more specifically, MAC Sable. There are so many different ways to wear All that Glitters that I'm so happy to have found a drugstore dupe!

Meet Covergirl Country Woods 215. This quad features four varieties of a champagne neutral. All are super pigmented and pretty. The dupe for All that Glitters is the shadow located second from the left.

Photo evidence above and below!











To be honest, I'm not even sure which one is which in this photo!


I love finding drugstore dupes!

Monday, August 23, 2010

Simple, Neutral Eye


I just posted a quick tutorial on my everyday eye makeup. I wanted to post a few photos of the look so that you can see the texture and colors a little bit better since we all know my filming camera is rubbish.








Eye Makeup:

Urban Decay Primer Potion in Eden
MAC All that Glitters
MAC Mulch
L'Oreal Voluminous Liner in Black
Rimmel Eye Liner
L'Oreal Voluminous Mascara in Black







Monday, August 9, 2010

Sneak into my Handbag



I thought I would do a quick "What's in My Handbag" blog post. I did a video on this about 2 months ago, but as I'm sitting here at work (doing nothing), I decided to whip out my nifty 8 megapixel Droid cell phone camera and show you all the contents!


Inexpensive tan faux leather satchel from Forever 21 (Bought 1 yr ago)

The contents of my ever expanding makeup bag.

Included:
Palmer's Cocoa Butter Stick
Lancome blotting tissues
Nars Laguna Bronzer
Nars Orgasm Blush
Almay Clear Complexion Face Powder
Sample of Prada Infusion d'Iris (most yummy smelly perfume ever)
Sample of Michael Kors Very Hollywood
Kirkland Makeup Wipes (only 1 left inside)
ELF Kabuki Brush
Revlon Colorstay Concealer
Sephora Eyeliner Nano in Silver Green

Close-up of many unnecessary powders!




Amazon Kindle -- One of my best purchases in a very long time! Now I can store all the books I've ever dreamed of, without actually having to lug them around on the Subway!




Sunglasses from KMart ($6.99), Coach key chain, Apartment Keys, Discount Cards, Floating Pen

(Not pictured: Hundreds of bobby pins and hair ties)

Hope you enjoyed!
xo, Amy

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Skin Skin Skin (Review & Giveaway)

Let's talk about skin (baby).

Have you ever heard of Cellnique? If you're like me, you had never heard of them until a couple of months ago when a few bloggers started testing out Cellnique skin care products. In June I was contacted by Selina from Cellnique and I told her all about my skin!

Here's the 411 on me --

My Skin --
  • Oily
  • Acne-prone
  • Cystic Acne
  • Red Marks / Hyper-pigmentation

My Goals --
  • Control acne flare-ups
  • Even out my skin tone
  • Prevent fine lines from forming around my eyes
- - -

I tested the following Cellnique products out for 5 1/2 weeks. Here are my thoughts and opinions on each!

- - -

Skin Action Sebum Gel -- Cellnique Expert Series
1 fl. oz. (30 ml) - $51 US

Claims -- (courtesy of Cellnique's website)
  • Controls excessive sebum
  • Reduces the formation of blackheads and whiteheads
  • Controls and prevents breakouts


About:
This is a clear gel formula that is not thick in consistency, yet is not runny. It will not leave any noticeable residue on the face and can be worn completely undetected under makeup. It is not sticky. There is not an overwhelming smell and the slight minty smell will probably go unnoticed by most.

Thoughts:
The Skin Action Sebum gel is my favorite new skin care product. I have been using this every morning and night. Simply pump a small pea-size amount onto clean fingers and massage all over your clean, dry face.

I have not had a breakout in over a month since adding the Sebum Gel into my daily routine. Not one pimple! I really feel like this Gel keeps my oily skin at bay and keeps my pores clean, preventing breakouts.

Since the texture is smooth and light, I have no issues putting my moisturizer and foundation on top of this in the morning. It does not feel sticky or have the typical acne-cream smell.

The 1 oz. bottle may be a bit small for the price, but since only a small amount of product is needed for each application, the bottle will last you (in my estimate) 3-4 months. The packaging for this product is great -- the pump really lets you control the amount you want to use -- one pump should do it!

I was hoping to find an A++ product in this batch of goodies, and the Sebum Gel is it for me!

- - -

Advanced Bio Renewal Masque -- Cellnique Paramedical
1.7 fl oz. (50 G) --$51

Claims:
  • Exfoliates dead skin cells and deep pore cleansing
  • Optimizes cell renewal performance
  • Slows down aging process


About:
This product is a combination scrub and mask treatment. It is a beige color and has a thin, clay consistency with very small textured micro-beads throughout. The smell is quite strong. The fragrance is a combination of fruits with pineapple being the most recognizable scent.

Thoughts:
I have used this product once to twice a week for the last 5 weeks. After cleansing my face, I apply it all over my face, leaving it on for 10-15 minutes. Then, I gently rub the product in circular motions across my entire face for about 20 seconds before rinsing it off.

This is definitely a luxurious product. The packaging is really nice -- thick glass jar with metallic silver cover. The mask itself has a nice texture as well. Once on your face, it never dries to a hard finish like a traditional mask making it a little difficult to go about your normal activities while it soaks in.

Fair warning -- this product has a very strong fragrance. Some will love it, others will hate it. I fall somewhere in between. There have been nights that I've used this and have found the pineapple smell refreshing and fun; other nights, the smell makes me feel a bit sick!

A favorite You Tuber of mine, Lisaz09, was one of the many who loved this product. Please check out her review to hear her thoughts about the product! Lisaz09 Masque Review


- - -

Contour C Complex
-- 24% Vitamin C
0.5 fl oz. (15 ml) -- $64

Claims:
  • Reduces signs of aging (fine lines and wrinkles)
  • Antioxidant




About:
This skin treatment is used as an alternative to traditional eye creams. The yellow-toned product has a thin lotion-type consistency. This product should be gently massaged around the eyes every night on clean, dry skin.

Thoughts:
This eye lotion is packed full of Vitamin C and Lactic Acid -- so it must be good for me, right? I'm 27 years old and I am concerned about fine lines starting to form around my eyes. I've used many eye creams over the years and have had the most success with the Kinerase product line. After using the Contour C Complex every night for 5 weeks, I have to say that overall I like it. I have not used it long enough to know if it is keeping new lines at bay, but it has some positives that is keeping me interested.

Typically, rich, thick eye creams can cause pores around the eyes to become clogged. A lot of people suffer from milia, small white bumps, that is usually a side effect of rich eye creams. I have had my fair share of milia over the years (thank you kind dermatologist for removing them!). The Cellnique Contour C Complex has not given me any negative reactions. No milia in sight and no itching or burning near my eyes.


I am not a huge fan of the packaging of this product. It features an eye-dropper top and instructions say to place 2 drops around each eye. The dropper is sloppy. I don't think I've successfully dropped 2 dabs of lotion around my eyes in 5 weeks. I've found the best way to apply the product is to pick up the dropper and wipe a pea-sized amount (or slightly less) onto my finger and then massage it into the areas where I have lines. I would much prefer to see this product in a pump form like the Skin Action Sebum Gel.

- - -



Want to try out my favorite of the bunch?
Cellnique wants to send the first 50 responders a free sample (3 ml) of the Skin Action Sebum Gel! The giveaway ends in 1 week (August 15).

Here's how:
  1. Complete the registration form on Cellnique's website: REGISTER
  2. Write where you heard about Cellnique: RoAmy83
  3. Include your blog's name (if you have one!), if not, no worries!
The free samples typically take 4-6 weeks to ship out, so give them some time! Hope you guys enjoy the Sebum Gel as much as I do!

Thanks for reading this lengthy review -- please remember that this was my experience with these products and you might have a completely different one! Let me know if you've tried any of these items out yourself.

Amy

Thursday, August 5, 2010

All About Hair


It's time for a chat about hair cuts -- I promise to not go all Emma Watson on you guys! It takes a certain girl and face to pull off a pixie cut -- Emma is so brave. She looks adorable!

As most of you know, I have very long, wavy to curly, dark brown hair. Over the past year I've grown my hair out, mostly out of laziness, and it's well down to the middle of my back at this point.

I'm itching to do something different!

Photo of my hair (and my Mom's dog Lola!)


Typically I grow my hair out and then promptly go to the salon and get it chopped to just below my shoulders. This time I'm thinking of going shorter!


Here's some hair inspiration -- I love the looks these ladies have and would hope that my hair would look somewhat similar. Although the risk of poofy, frizzy hair and my face looking abnormally fat might be in the cards.










Here I am at Age 4 sporting a similar 'do! Remember, this was 1987 -- be kind!





My general plan is to make the big cut in about 2 months time -- I'm thinking Fall 2010.

Monday, July 19, 2010

Mascara Free


I've decided to start a revolution. Ok, that's an exaggeration. But I am changing my routine up a bit -- if only subtly.

I'm a daily mascara-wearer. My lashes are actually quite thick, long and dark (thank you genes!), but I still love the look of mascara on them to give me a bit of oomph. My lashes appear to be pretty healthy but I want to give them a bit of a breather. The Summer season seems like a logical choice for this experiment -- the less makeup on my sweaty face, the better!

My goal: Remain mascara free at least 3 days a week for the next month.

Can I do it? It doesn't sound too hard, but I think I might be a bit of a mascara addict!

Amy :)

Monday, June 21, 2010

Flat Iron by Misikko

Hi Everyone!

I wanted to post a new video exclusively to my blog! The lovely Tiffany from Yes...I'm a Shoe Whore held a contest sponsored by Misikko to win a Hana 1" Flat Iron. I was so happy to win and wanted to share with you my thoughts on the prize! Thanks to Tiffany and Misikko.

video


Overall, I think this is a great flat iron. If you already have a Chi or a GHD, I don't think you'll be running out to purchase this until yours bites the dust, however, I do think there are a few pluses for the Misikko!
  1. My Chi flat iron gets ridiculously hot, ridiculously quickly, as there's no heat settings! Misikko has heat settings.
  2. I can't curl with my Chi because the outside is burning hot -- Didn't have that problem with Misikko.
  3. In the video I said my Chi had a short cord -- I lied. I'd say the cords on both are a great length. Not sure why I had a brain fart there for a moment!
  4. The Misikko flat iron is pink and girly and comes with such great accessories. I'm a sucker for things like that!

What's your favorite flat iron of them moment?

Saturday, June 5, 2010

You're Making Me Blush!

I wasn't always a blush girl but I've slowly turned into one! My collection isn't huge, but I like to think that I have a nice range of colors that suit my skin tone.

I tend to stay away from blushes that have a lot of shimmer. I just don't find shimmer to be particularly flattering on the majority of people as it often emphasizes blemishes and flaws -- and who wants that?

Although it's hard to pick a favorite, I reach for Maybelline's True Peach and NARS Orgasm the most often. Lovely colors that give me that "healthy" glow in powder form!




Swatches (left to right)

  • NYC Blushable Creme Stick - Plaza Pink
  • Maybelline Mineral Power
  • True Peach
  • Gentle Pink II
  • Soft Mauve
  • True Peach II
  • NARS - Orgasm
  • ELF - Shy
  • ELF Studio Line - Contouring Blush Duo



Maybelline Mineral Power blushes


ELF Studio Blush





NYC Creme Stick in Pink Plaza




NARS Orgasm (l.), ELF Shy (r.)                                                          








What's your favorite blush for Summer?


xo, Amy

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Scrub-a-dub-dub

Is there anything more relaxing than a warm bath after a long, stressful day? Yes! A warm bath filled with goodies from LUSH!

If you've never heard of LUSH Cosmetics, then you haven't been frequenting the YouTube or Blogger beauty community enough. LUSH is a retail store that sells handmade, organic bath, shower, soap, hair and skin products -- and much more. I really love that LUSH products contain very little preservatives and products are wrapped in as little packaging as possible -- an environmentally friendly company, who knew!


Now let's move on to the good stuff. I recently took a quick trip to hell-on-Earth (aka Herald Square in NYC) to visit my local LUSH. While I was almost enticed by two new LUSH products, the Bubblegum Lip Scrub and the Turkish Delight Body Polish, I stuck with bath products.

As I've previously mentioned, I just moved into my new apartment which has the loveliest tub in the world -- ok, maybe not the loveliest, but it's all my mine! Now that the icky factor of taking baths in the same tub as roommates is gone, I immediately drew a bath with my Butterball Bath Bomb. Heavenly!

Let's get on with it, shall we?


The sweet smell of vanilla and relaxing properties of the ylang ylang were perfection. The scent was not at all overwhelming and the bath bomb left the water and my skin feeling oh-so-soft.


I think this bath bomb is the closest thing to a dessert inspired fragrance that is offered by LUSH. It is absolutely true to its name -- a vanilla fountain. This bath bomb is oh-so-sweet.


I just had to buy this bath bomb because it screamed girly. That is all.



I'm a huge fan of honey-based products. Something about the smell of honey is so comforting to me. If you love honey and caramel, this is for you!


Comforter Bubble Bar is one of LUSH's bestsellers. Although I haven't tried it yet, just from smelling it and seeing it, I know why. It smells of blackcurrant but is absolutely not overwhelming. It's also quite large in size compared to the other bubble bars so you can split this into at least 2 baths!



This is one of LUSH's newest products. This bath melt can be divided into 3 pieces which really makes this a great deal. A bath melt full of cocoa butter for moisture and cherries for fragrance -- delicious!


So how did I do? It's a bit cheesy trying to describe fragrances! Please share your favorite LUSH bath products -- I definitely want to try more!

xo, Amy

Thursday, May 13, 2010

What I Want - Beauty edition

Hi! I promise new and exciting posts will be coming soon. I'm in the middle of moving to a new apartment so the majority of my clothes and makeup are packed away... which is a bit of a dilemma when I'm trying to put together a blog post or a YouTube video.

So for now, I'm doing another edition of What I Want!

Sephora Favorites Eau Girl ($40)
This perfume kit features miniature versions of some of the best designer fragrances on the market. The bottles are adorable and this is a great box set to get if you want a variety of perfumes on your vanity without spending hundreds of dollars on full size bottles.


Fragrances included:
Gucci Flora
Tocca Cleopatra
Calvin Klein Euphoria
Clean Eau de Parfum
Blvgari Omnia Crystalline
Givenchy Very Irresistible
Yves Saint Laurent Parisienne
Michael Kors Very Hollywood

Clarisonic Mia Skin Cleaning System ($150)
I know that I've mentioned my desire for a Clarisonic many times before, but the lusting continues. I really do need to stop putting this on my lists and just buy it!





LUSH (prices vary $5-11)
I've lived with roommates for the last 2 years and while this has been fine, I've really missed being able to take baths. It just can't be done with roommates. Sharing a tub with friends is just gross, especially if you saw my bathtub! In one week I'll have a tub all to myself, and I plan on making my first LUSH purchase sometime in the next month.

I would love some LUSH recommendations from my lovely readers! Here are some of the products I want to try!

Bubble Bars:
Comforter
Blue Skies and Fluffy White Clouds

Bath Bombs:
Sex Bomb
Butterball
Honey Bee





NYX 10 Color Palette ($9.95)

I've read so many great things about these 10 shadow NYX palettes. NYX offers 12 different palettes, all of which look gorgeous on the website and in You Tube videos. Personally, I'd like to add the "Champagne & Caviar" and "Versus" to my makeup collection. Unfortunately there aren't any ULTA's in the metro New York area so I don't have easy access to this product. I could order from the website, but something is holding me back! I'd much rather buy a drugstore brand product like this in an actual store -- call me old fashioned!


What beauty products are you lusting after?
xo, Amy