Friday, December 30, 2016

Things I Need To Stop Buying

I've been on a decluttering spree now that it's come time to start moving furniture and redecorating and I've started to realize that I buy a lot of things I never end up using much. I find them interesting at the time but never really get into them enough to have spent the money. And unfortunately this applies to both my makeup and my daily life.

The list of things I need to stop buying in 2017 is as follows:

1. Candy: I never eat much candy as it is, and I frequently buy so much that I end up throwing it away because it goes bad or because I lose interest in eating it. I'm not big on eating sweets, but boy do I love to buy them.

2. Cream Eyeshadow: I enjoy them when I first get them, but then it just becomes a hassle to use them up before they dry out. I can't convince myself that using them as a base is something I enjoy.

3. Single Eyeshadows: This mainly applies to the ones I can't depot into palettes I already own, because I tend to reach for a palette faster than a single any day. There's a few colors I reach for as singles, mainly my Milani Bella Eyes colors because they're the perfect shimmery highlight color for the eyes, but I shouldn't be allowed to have more things like this because I just don't go for them enough.

4. Lip Glosses: I literally never wear lip gloss. Trying to pan what I already have is a huge task in itself, as the last thing I need to do is buy more while I still have this many to use up. I have probably two favorites that I'll actually pull out and enjoy putting on but beyond that, they need to go and never return.

5. Stilettos: I have knee and back problems; this should go without saying... If I can't walk long distances in it I can't have it. But more importantly, if I can't walk down a hill or the stairs without assistance from another human being or a hand rail I am NOT allowed to own the shoe. I don't care how pretty they are they hurt me and I need to wear more practical shoes in my daily life. (I have since declutter rd myself down to 3 pairs of stilettos that I can't bear to part with just yet.)

6. Nail Polish: Seriously, I own pretty much every color I could possibly ever wear, and there's no way I will ever finish them I have so many. Fancy top coats are my worst enemy though, I started buying up sheer colored top coats and milky white ombré top coats a while back and I never use them. I.Have.To.Stop.
And then glitter top coats became a purchase, and I've literally worn maybe 2 of them ever.

7. Colored Mascara/Liner: I just don't use them. Trying to pan what liners I have has been killing me this year. I threw away all the colored mascaras because they were WAY past their expiration, but the liners are all untouched except for the occasional swatch. I don't wear anything but black liner and mascara so I shouldn't even bother spending my money on anything else.

If I can manage to stop buying these things, 2017 will be a great year for my budget. Leave me a comment with one thing you have to stop buying in your life.

Happy Holidays, have a wonderful New Year and, as always, Stay Beautiful!

BNB

Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Pan That Product: Update #2

So it's been about two months since my last update, and surprisingly I haven't made nearly as much progress as I had expected to. I've done a pretty good job of using more of the products, but not much has been removed from the project since my last update.

I did finish the Josie Maran Pure Argan Milk sample and after a few uses of the Dr. Brandt Pores No More sample I decided it isn't really doing much for me and I will be tossing what's left in the bin since it was free and there isn't much left anyway.

In place of these items I decided to add my deluxe sample of the Too Faced Shadow Insurance eye shadow primer. I find this to be a really great primer and it keeps my eye shadow in place all day, but I dislike the lack of color in the product because it doesn't cancel out any of the purple tones from my veins which can interfere with my shadow looks. I will enjoy using it since it works so well, but I will likely not repurchase it on it's own because of this reason. It's almost entirely full but it's only 5 grams of product so it should be easy enough to use up if I put my mind to it.

I have made some pretty good progress on the It Cosmetics mascara, however it's really hard to want to use it because every time I try I end up with clumps on my lashes and even on the bottom lash line where I have almost no lashes I end up with them all clumped together.There's no way to get them to spread back out, even with running a regular lash comb through them the clumps disappear but my lashes still sit together in chunks. Definitely not a repurchase once it's gone.

The lash primer is so hard for me, because it requires so much work to get it to look great. I feel like I would like this product so much more if it was black, or if it was a mascara and not a primer. It adds an extra step that I don't feel like I need because I have full and long lashes already. (I know, every woman's dream come true) With it being white it's hard to cover with mascara, and it almost always pokes through, I'm much more likely to wear falsies before putting this on anymore. I loved it when I first bought it and reviewed it years ago, but I have learned so much more about makeup since then, and have tried so much more as well. I think it's just time for this to hit the bin. Especially since it's over the 6 month mark anyway. Maybe I will try a black fiber mascara and see what I think later this year. (Let me know if you're interested in that.)

I've been using the liquid liner from Hard Candy and the Milani liner duo every day as my eye makeup I'd like to think I've made a lot of progress on both, but they appear to still be going strong. the worst part is that since it's a real wood pencil I can't even twist it up to see how much is left. Same goes for the liquid liner; I have no way to tell how much is left. Hopefully I finish them soon.

Since I've been making such good progress on the other two liners I think I will for the time being put aside the Avon green pencil liner as well as the Essence potted liner, and come back to them after I have finished the first set.

I carry the Bath and Body Works lip gloss and the Avon Moisture Therapy lip balm in my purse for touch ups on the go. I'm making a ton of progress on the lip balm since I reapply multiple times a day while I'm working to keep from getting chapped lips this winter. The gloss is a little harder to use up, but only because I don't like reapplying it as often throughout the day. The peach gloss is about halfway finished and I apply it more often for going out that for being at work because it tends to look better with a full face of makeup which I don't usually wear at the warehouse.  The lip balm is about two thirds finished, and the berry lip gloss is on it's way to being half done.

The taffy lip balm is on deck to be started as soon as the Moisture Therapy is finished up, which should be by the beginning of the new year. There's about a quarter of the balm left in the tube currently and I haven't been using it lately while I'm focusing on the other one.

Of the perfumes, the Michael Kors sample is going the best, because it is small it lives in my purse so I spray it throughout the day when I feel like I need a little bit of a pick me up. It's the perfect amount of sexy with a lightness that doesn't over do it for day time. My other perfume, the Imari Seduction one, is much more of a night time going out scent and hasn't had as much use since I haven't been out much lately. They are both about a quarter finished at the current moment, but the sample is only .03 oz compared to the .5 oz.

The illuminating primer from Loreal hasn't gotten much use, mostly because I still can't figure out how to wear it to make it work for me. I still find that it changes my foundation when I mix it with it, and I lose it on my skin when I try to apply it like a liquid highlighter. I've used up less than a fifth of the .68 oz bottle, and I still have no idea how to make it show up on me. Even when I apply it and don't put foundation over it the product is so subtle it is basically nonexistent. I'm not sure yet if I will finish this product or declutter it, but I am going to think on it until my next update at the end of the year and keep trying to figure it out.

The foundation has no progress, same with the two hair products (the serum from Paul Mitchell and the Garnier conditioner) as well as the hand lotion. The hand lotion got lost in the shuffle when I changed purses a few weeks ago and I haven't remembered to change over the rest of my products. I have been giving my hair a rest from products until I can get it dyed again and the deep conditioner lives at my man's house now so I don't get much chance to use it with our busy holiday work schedules, but I'll get back to it in a week or so when work calms down.

My Garnier gel lotion is packed away in a travel bag that got lost in the clutter with the busy last few months and I will have to dig it out, because I have made decent progress by using it every day and I hope to finish it by the end of the year by continuing to do so. I have about a third of the canister left, and it only holds 3 oz or product so I should make it through the last ounce in about a month at the most.

Stay Beautiful Ladies!

BNB

Thursday, December 15, 2016

Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Christmas Shopping Haul

Everyone loves the sales on Black Friday, but I personally hate being out shopping with that many other people in order to get them. I went out for a bit on Black Friday in the middle of the day, and it wasn't too horrible since a lot of people were at work. I didn't buy much, just two pairs of booties from Kohls and two of Hard Candy's Metallic Mousse liquid lip colors (Smoke & Mirrors, Sweet as Honey). 

I bought low heeled booties from Kohls so that I could get rid of some of the shoes I can no longer wear and still have shoes I enjoy wearing. I'm not sure if I've talked about this before, but I have somewhat severe joint problems in my knees that as they get worse it becomes harder and harder to wear shoes with high heels due to the strain they put on my joints when I walk. So slowly I have been getting rid of things that make my joints hurt, and replacing them with more practical options that are still cute. It's not a huge change as I practically live in combat boots and off-brand Sperry's, but it's something I didn't think I would be going through in my 20's. My whole wardrobe has been changing this year because I am adapting to all sorts of changes that show up in your mid 20's as you become less like a teenager and more like a woman. I'm excited to see what my style becomes with these changes and how I adapt to my new lifestyle.

As for the Hard Candy lip colors, I've swatched them as well as worn the gold one once, and while I enjoy the formula I had been expecting them to have been more like a liquid lipstick that dries and less of a cream lipstick formula. The colors are to die for, and I love the metallic sheen and I'll likely be picking up the rest of the colors when I can get my hands on them.

Cyber Monday I ordered the Grav3yardgirl Swamp Queen Palette from Tarte cosmetics as well as the two Tarteist lip paints from the same collaboration (Swamp Family and Texas Toast) I also threw in the Gifted smart mascara because I had seen it before and was curious to try it. with the sale the palette and lip paints were 30% off, and the mascara was only $10. I swatched the lip paints and the colors are as amazing as they looked in photos and on Bunny's channel on YouTube. I haven't gotten a chance to wear them out, but I plan to wear the red for Christmas. I haven't played with the paletter yet either, and can't bring myself to open the mascara because I already have several open. I'll have to get these all opened up and let you all know how I feel.

I made both a in store purchase and an online purchase from Sephora for the holidays. In my online purchase I was able to get one of the gift bags of samples that were free with a $30 purchase. To qualify I purchased the Elizabeth and James Nirvana mini perfume rollerball set which has 4 rollerballs, one with each scent in the Nirvava collection (Black, White, Burbon, Rose). They're all very elegant fragrances with depth and a darkness to them from woody and musky notes. I've been completely obsessed with the complexity and deepness of these fragrances, but the price for a full size is a little steep for me, so the minis were a great way to experience each one without buying 4 full size bottles.

In the free samples bag (which is a cute black and white striped makeup bag with the same jewel print that it on the holiday gift sets this year) you had a choice of three sets each with about 8 samples in it. Each set was different, but I chose the one I thought I would enjoy the most. I received 2 perfume samples, 4 skincare samples, and 2 makeup samples. 

For perfume, I ended up with a sample Nirvana White from Elizabeth James, which even though I have the rollerball, I am excited to have this as well because of my love for these fragrances. I also got a sample of a perfume I have never heard of called Chloe which is a powdery rose scent. I wasn't completely excited for this product, but it smells like something I am willing to try out, if not it will become a stocking stuffer for a friend this Christmas. 

For skincare, I received a sample of the Modern Friction dermabrasion face wash from Origins which seems like something I will really enjoy using. I also have an Erno Laszio Sensitive Cleansing Duo from the Soothe & Calm line. This comes with the cleansing bar and the cleansing oil. I haven't broken them open yet, but I always like to try new skincare for sensitive skin since I struggle with finding something that is sensitive enough for my skin but also gets the job done and cleans my skin enough. Next up was the Dr. Jart+ Every Sun Day UV Sun Fluid spf 30 sunscreen. I'm pretty excited about this one because it is very liquidy and light weight so hopefully it won't clog my pores or irritate my skin, it doesn't have that horrible sunscreen scent, but instead a pleasant citrusy one, and it melts into the skin without leaving being all kinds of oily residue behind. And the final skincare item, which also falls into the makeup category, is the Sephora brand Waterproof Makeup Remover fluid. It's a biphase liquid remover which doesn't smell too chemically, but I'm not sure how much I'll like it or if it will be too strong for my skin or leave behind an oily residue like the last few I have used in the past, but it's worth a try. 

For makeup, I picked the set that had the CoverFx Custom Enhancer Drops sample in Moonlight, because I absolutely had to have it. Everyone has raved about this on YouTube since it came out, and there was no way I was passing up the chance to give it a try and see whether it's worth the splurge. It's a gorgeous soft golden colored liquid made to be mixed with foundation, and you can bet I'm going to be all over that. I might even try applying it like a liquid highlighter to see how it looks. I'm totally excited to have this and I can' wait to try it out. The swatch of it was like liquid metal, and I can't handle it! And Finally, I got the sample of the Makeup Forever Artist Rouge Creme lipstick in C211 which is the perfect "My Lips But Better" shade. I wore this one night to work to test it out, and it both applies nice and smoothly and lasts a long time.

Along with my order I received three perfume samples that I picked,Mr. Burberry, and Versace Eau Fraiche to add to a present for my boyfriend for Christmas, and Eau de Cartier (another rose scent) which replaced one of the ones that was out of stock by the time they filled my order.

My In-store purchases at Sephora were mostly odds and ends that I had seen on my previous walks around the store and decided to pick up as a present to myself for working so hard. I started by picking up the Becca Glow on the Go set in Moonstone and the Anastasia Beverly Hills Metallic satin finish eyeshadow in Amber a metallic coppery shade. I then saw that Formula X nail polish was 50% off (making them only $5!) so I quick snatched up the shade Huntress, a deep emerald or olive with gold shimmer. which had been out of stock online for months, and the shade Intrepid which is an olive green or army green shade. At the end I finally convinced myself to buy the Bite Beauty multistick in Gelato, a dusty rose with a hint of brown which is a pretty good dupe for my favorite contour color from Revlon.

On the same shopping trip I ended up walking past MAC, and although I didn't get what I went in to get (an extra dimension shadow which was out of stock) I did end up with 3 items on clearance from the Star Trek collection. I got two pressed pigments (and I'll probably go grab a third since technically I bought the wrong one) To Boldly Go which is a mahogany color and Midnight which is a deep blue. I also was immediately overtaken by the nail polish in the shade Skin of Evil because of it's gorgeous silver metallic color with green and blue scattered throughout. I just couldn't resist!

Then, last week we went on a family trip to the outlet mall to do some Holiday shopping. I bought a couple of things in Rue 21 including a pair of jogger pants, two more pairs of shoes, a shirt, and a fake fur vest. I stopped in a bunch of stores looking at clothes and sneakers but came up empty in basically every store. We went to Bath and Body Works and I picked up some of the holiday scents. I of course picked up Vanilla Bean Noel in the large lotion and spray bottles since it's my favorite scent. I also picked up the small Ginger Bread Latte lotion and spray because they smelled yummy and the twisted peppermint small spray because the small bottles are buy 2 get 1 free. They're all very complex and not overly Christmasy. Most of them have a musky scent added to them to tone down the holiday scents.

Yesterday I went to Target to put together a spa kit for my best friend since she is just getting married and has a young daughter who runs her ragged every day. I figured she would enjoy a chance to pamper herself once in a while when she can get her hubby to watch their daughter for an hour or so. So after picking out some masks, bath bombs and a deep conditioning hair treatment for her, I had walked away with three nail polishes, a liquid lipstick and an all natural bees wax gift set for myself.
The nail polishes were on clearance and were Sinful Colors Supernova (1148), a neutral metallic, Sinful Colors Copper Pot (1503), an orange copper metallic, and Defy and Inspire's French Horns a silver and pink duochrome glitter polish. the liquid lipstick is from Tattoo Junkee and I'm just lucky I saw it when I passed it because there was only one hidden among the clutter. It's one of the chroma colors in Skinny Dip (2016-W) which is a matte pink lip color with a bright orange-copper chrome powder to put over top to change the look. They have a bunch of different types and I hope to get my hands on more of them soon, but I'm excited to have found this one! Finally the bees wax gift set is from Savannah Bee and has a lip balm and a body balm stick in it. The lip balm comes in Wild Blackberry and the body balm is Honey & Beeswax in Rosemary and Lavender. I was curious what the body balm would be, but thought I might see if it works for protecting my skin in the elements when it is really cold and snowy in the coming months. If not it may become a large lip balm, but either way it will do just fine. It might also do well for the cuticles and fingertips since I do manual labor for work.

Hope you ladies are as excited for these reviews as I am! 
Happy Holidays and Warm Thoughts
BNB

Why I haven't posted in a few months

I'm sorry to have fallen out of the habit of posting, but I will quickly get myself back on track. There's so much more to review in my vanity, and more coming every day. Between my job kicking up for the holiday season and requiring more hours out of me, and school coming to a close and needing more attention to finals and projects there just weren't enough hours in the day. The last month or so was filled with sleepless nights slaving over homework after having worked overtime, and watching the sunrise before going to sleep, and some days not sleeping at all. But it's all over now, the last project is in, the last final has been taken, and now it's back to my normal life. Plenty of time to review products, and plenty of products coming in for Christmas time.

Here we go!

BNB

Monday, October 31, 2016

Disappointing Beauty Tools

We all hate to find that one thing that just doesn't work for us, but sadly it's bound to happen once in a while. Here's a couple of tools I wasn't impressed with.

The first tool is my Travalo travel fragrance sprayer. I got this at TJ Maxx about 6 months ago, right before I went on my summer vacation, and I filled it up a little bit of the way with my favorite big bottle of perfume so I could travel lighter and not worry about a broken bottle of discontinued fragrance that I couldn't replace.

I liked how easy it was to fill, and that I could see how full it was. It was important to me that I bought one that could be filled without the perfume touching the air and changing scents, which was why I specifically went for this brand, but alas months later I am disappointed. After a while I started noticing that my purse smelled like my fragrance, and the sprayer nozzle was always wet, even when I kept it standing up at all times. I'm not sure how, but my sprayer leaks from what appears to be the sprayer top separation no matter how it is positioned in my bag. and I know this because for the last 2 months it has been sitting standing up, undisturbed and not sprayed, and it has now somehow ended up empty. As convenient and awesome as this product seems it feels like I wasted my money since this bottle wastes my perfume instead of making it easy to have it with me on the go and not have to worry about it spilling or spraying where it doesn't belong.

The second tool that disappointed me was the beauty 360 travel eyelash curler. This seemed like a good idea at the time to save space in my makeup bag and not worry about bent curlers in my checked baggage on a plane. Sadly, it doesn't work that great... It doesn't give me a visible curl, let alone one that lasts all day. It doesn't fit all my lashes and I have to curl in three sections, which creates an unevenly curled lash line. It's bulky and almost hard to put close to my eye because of instincts that make you uncomfortable with thing near your eyes, and I use a regular eyelash curler every day. Finally, when you try to curl your lashes at the root it pulls on your lashes instead of curling them. I was hopeful this would become a travel necessity for me, but instead it has become a huge disappointment.

Remember that not every tool or product is made for everyone, and know you will be disappointed here and there. Accept it, and make the best of it.

Stay Beautiful Ladies,
BNB

Sunday, October 30, 2016

Pan that Product: Update #1

After the first week of this first project pan I've been doing I can tell you all one thing. It's hard using up products you aren't in love with.

There are a few products that are leaving the lineup and will be being replaced by others. First, the Lab Series for Men moisturizer has already left, despite how wonderful it feels on the skin, because my man was looking for a moisturizer now that it's getting colder as he spends his days on delivery trucks for his job and the elements take a toll on his sensitive and dry skin just like they do on mine. so I decided rather than buying him anything full sized I would get him some samples to see what he likes best so I passed that deluxe sample on to him so he could have something to start with. I replaced this with a perfume sample from Michael Kors in White Luminous Gold. Next, is the MUA gloss in baby pink which, as I stated in my original post for this project, is not a color I liked for my skin tone after having purchased it and brought it home. I will be passing this on to my best friend for use on her wedding day coming up and replacing it with a Bath and Body Works gloss I received as part of a holiday gift a few years ago. There is no shade name, but it is a Liplicious tasty lip color in the flavor Fresh Mulberry. It does taste kind of berry-ish, but I couldn't tell you if it was mulberry or not. It's a beautiful purple-berry perfect for winter. It's sheer, but pigmented enough to add color to the lips. It's thick without being tacky. If I could find another of this formula I would love it. Anyway, it's about a third of the way finished, but given how much I love it I can't help but worry it will go off if I don't finish it soon and I might as well get some use out of it before then.

I'll also be adding in an extra product as well. I'm throwing in my travel size of the It Cosmetics Hello Lashes Mascara, which I will talk about in an upcoming post and tell you all why I've decided to pan it.

I've been having trouble using a lot of the other products, but I've been trying really hard to get them all going. My hardest to use product has been the green eyeliner from Avon, because although it is a dark and somewhat muted color I have been hesitant to use it for some reason. I've made minor progress on the liquid liner from Hard Candy, but not much. It's hard to want to use something I dislike the applicator on so much, but I'll get there. The dual ended Milani eyeliner has had a decent amount of progress on the gunmetal side, but I'm unsure how to use up the glitter side as of yet. This isn't too bad, I've been wearing it on the water line as well as smudged on the upper lash line for a quick and easy look for work. It transfers a lot, and neither side of the pencil really sets, so there's little staying power with it but it's easy enough to get through that I will continue working.

The lash primer, the face primer, the perfume, and the taffy lip balm have made no progress at all, mostly because I have been bad about pushing myself to use them. The other lip balm, the colored lip balm, the hand lotion and the new perfume sample live in my car at the moment to help me use them up, and it's working quite well. The colored lip balm and the perfume sample are my go to products when I'm going to work and after the gym on my way to school.

I use the face lotion any time I happen to be near the vanity and happen to not be wearing makeup, since my skin is dry and it has been quite chilly and windy here lately it's always good to hydrate and moisturize the skin as much as I can. It's about halfway gone at this point and I look forward to using it up and moving back to my beloved hyaluronic acid moisturizer that I've fallen in love with.

I need to make more progress on the foundation and potted eyeliner. I've used them once or twice, mostly because I haven't had much reason to get dolled up, but I'm hoping with the holidays coming up I can get more use out of them in the coming months.

I'm happy to report though that I did completely use up the Burt's Bees watermelon lip balm that was almost gone. I went to twist it up this week and found it wouldn't roll up any further, and I'm in no need to scrape it out of the base so I'm just going to go ahead and throw it away. I am undecided if I'm going to add another item to the project to replace this one, or if I will just continue working on what is already in it.

Stay Beautiful Ladies
BNB

Friday, October 28, 2016

Easy Everyday Eyes

I'm all about a look that makes me look put together without taking hours to put together. These two shadows together create the perfect eye shadow look with minimal effort. My go to look this month has been a light grey cut crease using Loreal Paris Infallible shadow in 998 Sultry Smoke, and MAC Vex as the lid color after cleaning up the cut crease with some concealer or nude eye primer. Sometimes I add a little smokey black color in the outer corner at night or a pop of highlighter in my inner corner to add some brightness. I Just recently discovered Vex while on a window shopping trip to MAC and Sephora and I knew I had to have it. It's the perfect nude with a hint of grey and a duochrome of purple in it. It's the perfect addition to my grey cut crease eye that I have been looking for all month long. To finish it off I throw on some Maybelline Lash Discovery mascara to add some definition to my lashes without going overboard. The mini-brush formula is great for defining the lashes without adding too much volume or drama for daytime. Line your eyes if you want to, or smudge some liner or shadow on the upper lashes, whatever suits your mood or your style. I'm big on smudging eyeliner on myself, but I have been known to do a big sharp wing on some days.

Nothing like an easy eye look for a busy woman.

Work smart not hard, and as always Stay Beautiful!

BNB

Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Influenster VIP Mailer

I received an envelope this month from Influenster for my reviewing purposes with two foil packet samples of Tresemme's new hair care line Beauty-Full volume. This is the product where you use the conditioner first and the shampoo last to avoid weighing down your hair. I saw a commercial for this the other week and was really excited to try it so to be getting a few samples of it to test out first is pretty awesome. Especially free through Influenster because I am one of their very active reviewers.

                                           

Remember, although these products are sent to me for free I am giving my honest review and opinion of the products. Just because a company sends me a product for free does not mean it will necessarily get a positive review or become a holy grail product. Complimentary samples and Vox Boxes sent by Influenster or any other company will not be given any special treatment in my reviews simply because they were sent free of purchase.

I was really excited to hear I had been sent this product mailer, as it was something I was dying to try. I have somewhat oily hair and it is often hard for me to find products that are able to combat that without leaving my hair flat and dull. I have in the past used my conditioner before my shampoo in order to still have soft hair without any extra weight pulling on my hair, but I was curious to try something that was formulated to work this way on purpose. I received two sample packet sets containing one conditioner and one shampoo.

I used both sets on a weekend trip (one of my travel hacks for minimizing what's in my bags) and I fell in love with it. I will need to try the bottles to see how it affects my hair over a longer period of time, but the instant effects of it were amazing. It left my hair feeling clean and oil-free without making it crunchy or dry. It also didn't weigh my hair down and left it with more volume at the roots than I am used to having after air-drying my hair.

What really amazed me was that I could go a few days without washing my hair without it feeling greasy or falling extremely flat. I find it hard to get hair products that help prevent my hair from feeling greasy and oily when I'm on second day hair. I washed my hair again on the third day, but it still felt wonderful and didn't seem to need to be washed because it hadn't collected any oil or greasy feeling.

Also, for my super-sensitive skin ladies (like me!) this didn't irritate my skin, which is something I rarely come across with shampoo and conditioner, but it has happened in my past experiences and I'm sure it will again at some point.

This is definitely my next shampoo and conditioner purchase after I get through the few open ones I have.

Happy Autumn Everyone.
Keep warm, Be nice, and Stay Beautiful!
BNB

Monday, October 24, 2016

The Great Acquisition

I promised myself that until I started painting my nails on a weekly basis again that I was not allowed to purchase more nail polish, however, these were given to my by my boyfriend when he discovered them in the extra bathroom from when his ex-wife and him originally separated and she moved out. So I graciously took them and decided to give them a home with me. Some of the colors aren't something I'll wear, after having tested them out, so I will pass them on to other friends. However, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to get my hands on some of the limited edition polishes that were found, so I snatched them up before they made their way to the garbage can.

There were 5 polishes I decided to let go of now that I have had them around for a few weeks. They are almost all purples, which doesn't completely surprise me because it's my least worn color and the one I am most picky about. The first color was a lilac iridescent color from Bon Bons, which I decided to pass on simply because it was not all that pigmented, and i figured my niece would enjoy it. Next up was a Wet N Wild Crystalic polish in Purple Puddle (9100-490) which was a deep purple with  a lot of silver and gold glitter in it. It just wasn't something I thought I would ever reach for over my other polishes. Next was another Wet N Wild in 417E Aubergine Givré. Again, it was a purple I just didn't see myself reaching for. Finally, there was a nail art bottle in a cobalt blue, which I didn't see myself using, since I use my nail art bottle specifically for doing french tips and I don't typically do blue tips. If I decide to do blue tips I can always use other polishes and a brush to get the same look.

I kept two clear coats, simply because they tend to go fast and I might as well have some extras lying around, one from Petites by Scherer and the other from NYC, especially if I didn't have to pay for them. I also kept a holographic top coat from Avon called Snow Globe.

I snagged the ever elusive Iced Orchid (954) from Pure Ice, which though half empty and very dried out, was revived and is now back in the working order. I kept 3 from Sinful Colors Let Me Go (322) Aqua (104) and Mercury Rising (860) a sheer purple and blue iridescent, a teal, and a deep oxblood red. Next were two Sally Hansen polishes in Pronto Purple (20) from the Insta-Dry line and Blue It (16) from the Xtreme Wear line a warm purple shimmer and a cobalt blue shimmer, respectively.I snagged Black Creme (424) from Wet N Wild as a back up for my own black polish, which I will be using as a base coat in the coming months for my darker polishes. Bleacher Blue (9100-491) from the Wet N Wild Crystalic line is a more pigmented blue based purple iridescent shade which looks fun for wintertime. I also kept NYC 115A a deeper cobalt shimmer with a bit more of a purple base.

The last few are extremely cool for me because I have never owned any polish from these brands, and most of them I haven;t heard of before now either. I have Irresistable Angel from Paper Doll which is a metallic silvery blue. Next, from a company called Liquid Euphoria I have a green based rainbow sheer polish in a shade called Dreamy. Then, from a brand called Artmatic I have 051 Burgundy, a beautiful deep, warm red. And finally from L.A. Girl a deep navy blue cream polish in 347 Vamp.

Hopefully having some new colors that interest me will help push me to paint my nails more often and get use out of what I already have.

Until Next Time... Stay Beautiful!
BNB

Sunday, October 23, 2016

BONUS POST: Let's Talk About My Trash!

About monthly I clean out my makeup and skincare to make sure nothing is getting lost in the shuffle, getting old and expiring, or just hanging around because I haven't liked it. This series is going to be a look into what gets the bin every month, if there is anything. There's three types of products in this series that get the bin for different reasons. 1 they're horrible and I can't think of giving them to someone else, 2 they're old and/or have gone off, 3 I finished them.

Category one
H&m mini nail polish in Go lemon- This applies streaky and uneven and is impossible to even out even with multiple coats.... And even better is the fact that it never dries fully. The brush is so small and the formula is so thin that it can't build the color up to be even or opaque. It might have been a dud and been old since it was on clearance, but I will be thinking twice before purchasing something like that again.

Blistex Spa Effects Renewing Lip Balm- I don't know what happened to this one, but it seems like it may have melted or something. I opened it to use it the other day and it had shrunk off the sides of the tube. It still smells fine, but it oozes liquid that I assume is the product out the bottom where the dial to roll more product up is. I don't feel comfortable using it, and I definitely don't want to give it to someone. I may buy a new one, but I don't know if it will happen again.

Half item: I used the Sensationail false nails from Walmart because I found them and they were these really cute matte black nails with gold designs. They had self stick tabs on them, which should have been my first warning sign, they never work well for me. But I went ahead anyway, and they lasted about an hour before they started to pop up. So I glued them down with nail glue, and they lasted about another 18 hours... When they claimed to last one to two weeks. I wouldn't pass these on to someone if I could, despite how cute they are.

Category two:
Neutrogena On the Spot Acne Treatment- I've been slim on the breakouts lately now that I know what makes my skin irritated and pay closer attention to what I buy, so I hadn't had a need for this in a while anyway. The tube at one point cracked so I depotted it into a screw top jar for safe keeping. But it seems to have turned bad because it has dried up and shrunk in the canister, so it gets the bin but I might repurchase if I start breaking out again since I loved this product so much before.

Maybelline Wet Shine Liquid Vinyl in Shiny Strawberry- This is one of the first makeup items I ever bought myself, and I don't honestly know if I ever wore it out of the house. It doesn't particularly smell as if it's gone off, but I'm assuming based on the sheer number of years I've had it that it likely has. I'll also never wear it ever again, but feel uncomfortable giving it away to anyone based on how old it is and the fact it could potentially be expired.

Little mad about this one: Wet n Wild Mega Slicks lip gloss in In a Tutu- This isn't even a year old, but it smells completely disgusting and different than all my other Wet n Wild glosses, I probably never would have worn it anyway, but there's no reason it should have gone off this soon considering I've never worn it and I've only opened it one time before today, but at least it was a cheap, drugstore brand and not something expensive.

Category 3/ basically used up but gone off:
Cetaphil Gentle Skin cleansing cloths- I had a travel size of these for vacation and they were alright. They were very moist, but couldn't remove all of my makeup or really even as much as my usual baby wipes. They felt nice on my skin and didn't cause any irritation which was wonderful and was the reason I picked them for the trip since I was going to be in photos and not have a whole face of makeup to cover up any issues. They wouldn't be my first choice again, but if I can't find my travel size baby wipes I might consider getting them again in a pinch.

Maybelline Express Finish base and top coat for nails- I've basically it used up, the brush barely touches the product. This was my ride or die top coat for a long time, but it's finally gotten to a point where it doesn't dry completely anymore, so it's time to crack open a new bottle and give this one the bin.

Bath and body works pocket bac in warm vanilla sugar- This scent is my life, and I almost emptied this bottle, but it got lost in my rotation and now is far more liquid-y than it used to be, and I hesitate to use it in case that means it's gone off or changed and will irritate my skin. I will definitely get another one if I can find it.

Enjoy shampoo and conditioner sample- I love the way this smells, and it was a pretty good duo, but I don't know where to buy it or how much it costs, and as much as I enjoyed it, I love my current full sized products so much I wouldn't replace them anyway. This was good for travel, but it's hard to get more out of the bottles and the shampoo also separated, which has turned me completely off to using it even if I can get more out. Surrendered to the bin.

Gilchrist and Soames White tea body lotion- This was just a hotel bottle size, but it lasted so long and smelled so light and refreshing. I loved it for so long, and I'm actually sad to see it go. It was so lightweight and fast absorbing, leaving my skin moist but not gooey or sticky. The fragrance didn't irritate my skin and my pores didn't end up clogged. If I can find it I will repurchase for sure.

              update: this brand is only sold to hotels and I can't find the scent anywhere. 

Avon Cucumber Melon Hand Sanitizer: This tube is huge and I finally finished one of them. I have one more left, and I think I'll probably put it in my car for use to get the most use out of it and get it moving on before it goes bad since it's my oldest hand sanitizer. I loved it for a long time, but having discovered the small bottles from Bath and Body Works which are more purse friendly and come in many more scents these big bottles go unused in my collection.

Stay Beautiful Ladies!
BNB

Pan That Product!

I've done some soul searching, and it's just time to start making some products move out of my collection. Not necessarily by giving them away, but by actually using them. This winter, I plan to use up, or at least use daily all of the products below in order to determine how I feel about them, and to get the use I should out of them before they go bad.

Hard candy liquid liner: not all that good, but not horrible, want to finish so I can go back to my favorite.

Color trend peach lip gloss: getting old, love the color and formula but it may go bad at any moment. Have a very similar color as a backup ready to open.

Imari seduction perfume: small travel bottle, good scent but not a favorite. Bought a long time ago when trying to find a scent I liked.

Vitabath Spring green hand lotion: been around for a while, half gone or more, trying to use up before it goes bad and open a newer product.

Josie maran pure argan milk sample: trying to use up and maybe purchase a full size to use after my hyaluronic moisturizer.

Dr Brandt pores no more sample: unsure how I feel it works but want to use it more to form opinion and determine if I should repurchase.

MUA lipgloss in baby pink: not the kind of color I expected it to be, looking forward to it being gone. Love the formula, just too pale and Barbie pink for me.

Essence gel liner in 01 midnight in Paris: love it, getting old though.

Loreal Magic lumi primer: not my favorite but I can't bring myself to give it away or bin it.

Milani black magic liner duo: can't even tell you how old this is, love the colors so much I can't bring myself to bin it so I have to use it up. Black side, silver glitter side. Want to use up the black side at 
least.

Hard candy 1,000 lashes fiber primer: it's pretty good, I don't use it a lot, but the expiration is quickly approaching so I want more use out of it before it goes bad. Also have a Dior sample I'm eager to try but I don't want two of the same thing open at a time.

Avon moisture therapy intensive healing and repair balm: I have two new ones, and it's about halfway done. With winter coming it's important to remember to Chapstick in order to avoid chapped rough lips so I'm starting the habit now.

Burt's bees lip shimmer in watermelon: it's millimeters from being gone, and I have a full one on deck that a friend gave me when they found out they couldn't wear it. Time to use it up!

Avon taffy lip balm: it's my favorite scent ever, I haven't found it anywhere else. I'm almost sad to see it go, but if I don't use it up it could turn at any moment because I've had it for so long I can't even remember when I got it. The scent reminds me of lemon lime candies and was given to me by my grandmother so it's hard to let it go but it's time to get it going. Might save the container and depot other balms into it because it's cute and has sentimental value.

Paul Mitchell super skinny serum: love this and it's lasted YEARS, it's almost gone and I have a few new products I'm ready to try so I have to finish it off.

Garnier deep conditioner: love how soft it makes my hair, never saw much anti-frizz action from it though. Have a new deep conditioner to try out next and I'm on my last bottle of this one.

Revlon PhotoReady Airbrush mousse foundation in 030 nude: I don't think they even sell this anymore, but I think it's still safe for use because it's in a pressurized spray can so it has no contact with air until it comes out the nozzle. I gave this foundation a lot of flack in the past for the "photo reactive pigments" it contained because it was essentially micro glitter. But now with dewy primers and backlighting primers being all the rage I gave this foundation another try, because I used to use it in my modeling kit for its gorgeous finish in flash photos but hated how it looked up close because you can see the glitter. It's a half shade too dark and slightly too golden, but my dry skin appreciates the use of less products on top of each other and also how much life this foundation gives me. Wish I had a few more cans!

Garnier gel moisturizer: I liked it for a long time, but ever since the beauty 360 hyaluronic moisturizer came along I have been using nothing but that, and this just doesn't make my skin feel as amazing and hydrated as I once thought it did. The beauty 360 one is a store brand version of the neutrogena hydraboost moisturizer, though it's only a few dollars cheaper.

Lab Series for Men Age-less skin cream deluxe sample: Ulta sent me this a long time ago as a sample in an online order. Originally I was averse to trying it because it's for men, but I opened it a while back because I was in a pinch and had it in an emergency beauty kit in my car, and it's really nothing to be mad at. It was a little hard to get the product started but now it's completely fine. I just want to use it up because it's a small sample jar and I have other things I prefer and readily purchase for my skin.

Bonus product: I'm not actually trying to fully pan this item, just get a lot of use out of it because I have never worn it and have had it for as long as I can remember. Avon glimmersticks eyeliner in g71 emerald glow from the diamonds line.

This will likely become a rolling project until I have made my way through all of the products I need to get rid of.
Most of my lip gloss: starting to get old if they aren't already, so need to be used up before they go bad. Not a big lip gloss wearer now that liquid lipsticks have come out so I need to move through them in order to make room for things I enjoy more. (I have a few lip glosses I enjoy and will repurchase, but not many)
Colored eyeliners: I don't use them, but I have a ton I bought thinking they'd look cool, I don't reach for a colored liner ever just straight black or white. I won't b buying any more, but I will be trying to work my way through the ones I have.

Stay warm and beautiful,
BNB

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Shoe Declutter!

As I said in my first declutter post, clothes, shoes, and accessories are the hardest thing for me to get rid of, and the easiest thing for me to buy or get from friends. I have a real soft spot for cute and unique shoes though. So I started out with 52 pairs of shoes, because I've been collecting them up for years. Some have been used and abused, others are still like new, some are even almost brand new.

Now I didn't have high hopes for this one because I am obsessed with shoes, but I went ahead and started pulling. I have 4 drawer sets in my closet with 3 drawers a piece. Each drawer has a specific type of shoe in it so I just dove in. One side of the closet is dressy shoes and the other side is my more practical work shoes and sneakers. The first drawer I opened was my flats, and I have so many now that they didn't fit in the drawer anymore, so I knew something had to go. I immediately grabbed a pair I knew were too small. Despite them being the cutest red leopard printed flats I had ever seen and knowing that I love them and would squeeze my feet into them until I died if I could, I let them go. I can find something else in the right size that I love just as much. Next, I grabbed for a pair of pink pointed toe flats that I had never worn. When I put them on they didn't fit comfortably and the toe area felt very tight despite the fact that I have skinny feet already, so I put them in a pile for donation. Finally from that drawer I grabbed a white snakeskin pair of flats I hadn't worn in years, because they completely destroy my feet. They have this weird curve to them that bends them into a U shape so when you put them on you have to force them flat with your foot, and it gives me foot pain and blisters every time I wear them. I have another pair of white flats that I love so I don't need these ones anymore.
I moved to the next drawer and though I picked out a pair of purple ankle boots, I was unable to let go of any items in that drawer. the next two drawers are full of my favorite heels that I reach for on a weekly basis, so I looked through them, but left them all alone. Next up was a drawer full of super high heels that I actually loved, but can't wear anymore because of a problem with my knees, so I pulled all three pairs for donation. The bottom drawer had my knee high boots with heels in it, and though I opened the drawer I wear them a lot during the fall and winter and was unwilling to part with any of the three pairs.

On the other side things were a lot harder to part with. I didn't part with anything in my sneaker drawers. I am keeping both pairs of my knee high boots that are flat, except the one pair is getting a little tight in the calves so once I find a suitable replacement I will be donating those as well. I tried to get rid of a pair of ankle boots, but after trying them on I fell back in love with them and they are so unique I know I will never find something like them ever again. I had a pair of sneakers a friend of mine gave me that I was wearing to work, and I decided to pull them out of my car and donate them because they are slightly too small and they make a loud screeching noise when I walk on the concrete floors at my work.

Not so successful this time since I only got rid of 7 almost 8 items, but as I refine what I want my style to be I will surely give up more shoes to make room for new things.

Stay tuned to see what's next!

Thursday, September 29, 2016

How I Emptied Out My Closet in 2 Days!

I've always had trouble letting go, and with clothes and accessories it's at its worst. Unless it's completely worn out and ripped up, I can't squeeze into it, or it looks horrible on me I'm not letting it go. I've spent years holding onto things that still fit because I might wear them again one day. There are things in my closet I've gotten from people as hand me downs, and worse things I've bought myself, that I've never worn beyond trying them on to see if they fit during every closet declutter.

This time it's different. This time I promised myself that if I had to fight my way into it, it's leaving. If I haven't worn it and can't remember when I got it, it's going too. If i'm not completely happy with how it fits, I can't keep it. If it's too short or too baggy, it's not allowed to hang around.

And I could tell you this was easy, but I'd be lying. It was brutal and some items took a lot of thought, and multiple trips in and out of the closet before I was able to finally accept that I can't continue to hold on forever. But some items were a lot easier than others.

I personally found that sorting the closet out into six sections worked best for me, and made me be the most honest with myself about where the items in my closet stood. I already had a section pulled out to the far left side of the closet, which comprises the items I have recently gotten and have yet to wear. So, I started out by pulling all of my favorites out and hanging them off to the left side of the closet next to the previous section. Then I pulled the things I wear a lot, but are nothing special and placed them together creating another section moving towards the right side of the closet. I moved on to things I have worn a lot in the past, but don't particularly remember wearing anymore. Next was where the hardest part began, it was time to admit to myself that the remaining clothes fit into two categories... things I have only worn a few times, and things I have had for a long time and have never worn. I was surprised to have about a third of my closet sitting in these last three sections. It was a big eye opener to me how much I am holding onto that I'm not currently using, and it felt like time to do something about it. So I did...

I pulled every section out one by one starting with my favorites and made sure they fit, the ones that did not were taken out of the closet and set aside for donation. I was surprised that a lot of my favorites had started not to fit because they had gotten lost in the closet. I removed about a quarter of the section by the end (probably about 15 items in total), and it killed me to do it. The next section was quite small, and I could find little to get rid of, so after trying everything on I initially put all 17 items back in the closet and moved on, but came back to it shortly after beginning the next section after I found a bunch of similar styled items. I pulled all the pieces out and laid them aside for consideration at the end. I moved through the rest of the sections with little success in getting rid of things, but did pull a large pile of items to consider for donation because they had only been worn a time or two or even not at all.

At this point, as I said before, I put most of these items back in the closet a multitude of times slowly pulling pieces I each time that I would consider donating and ending up getting rid of a piece or two every time I tried. But I wrestled with myself over this for the majority of the second day, and had about 40 pieces that I started with, but slowly worked it down under half to about 18 pieces which I truly have strong feelings over keeping, feel great in, and love the fit of.

I probably have more than I need still, but I still pull a piece or two each time I walk past the closet and give it a hard thought about whether I still wear it. Now that I've got the closet down by more than a third, next up is my shoes!

It's spring cleaning in almost fall!

Stay Beautiful ladies!
BNB

Saturday, September 24, 2016

Stila In The Light Palette

I've had a sample swatch set of this palette sitting on my desk for probably years and I finally moved it into the "Use it or Lose it" bin I have on the edge of the desk. With how beautiful and amazing quality Stila shadows have been said to be you may be wondering why it went that way. You probably think I should have been eager to try it, I know I always thought that. But still every day I reached past it for other things until it hit me... I find the colors rather uninspiring because it's just another neutral palette to me. I have a warm neutral palette and a cool neutral palette and that's about all I really need unless it inspires me.
Well, I finally swatched them, and while still uninspired by the color selection I can honestly say that if I had to pick one shade to purchase it would either be kitten or sunset and I might even consider luster if it was an option,but all  together this palette isn't something I need in my life until I use up some of what I have already.

Hope I was a little helpful, but there wasn't much shadow to play with on the samples.
Stay Beautiful!
BNB

Saturday, August 6, 2016

Loreal Magic Perfecting Base: Love it or Lose it?

I grabbed up a sample of this at the dollar store and it just sat for a few months waiting for me to try it. It looked a little scary both because it's in a pot and because of the baby pink color. After having finally pushed myself to try it though I can honestly say I am going to love it. It made my foundation stay on all night at work, despite working in a warehouse with no climate control and it being summer. And to me that's a huge feat!

This primer stood up to sweat and heat, and I came out looking the same as I walked in. I got a ton of compliments on how wonderful my makeup looked, and how natural my foundation appeared. The primer melted into the skin beautifully, had no color, and was a nice silicone texture to grab onto and hold makeup in place. Though the tub looks small it claimed to have 3 weeks of use inside, and with how little I have to use in order to cover my entire face I certainly believe it.

The sample size is .17 ounces of product and is approximately the size of a Maybelline color tattoo. The full size is .5 ounces and is still in pot form. It has a beautiful silky texture and a whipped feeling. It glides onto the skin easily and blends out beautifully. I love that it has no color so that it doesn't change the tone of my skin before my foundation application. It claims to keep the skin matte and minimize pores with lightweight coverage and keep skin looking great all day. I don't particularly care about whether it keeps my skin matte since I have dry skin, but I did like that it minimized the occasionally shiny and oily spots I can get when I am hot or in the sun. It didn't feel like I was wearing makeup like some silicone based products can make it feel heavy on the skin. I struggle with a lot of texture particularly on the tops of my cheeks where my highlighter goes and on my nose where I have larger pores and lots of blackheads, but I did notice that my nose pores were camouflaged much better than usual, and I didn't notice much texture on my cheeks until I applied highlighter.

I'm extremely impressed with the weartime this primer gave me, especially in the heat of my workplace. I will definitely be using this more and maybe even purchasing a full size after I get through my elf hydrating primer.

My only problem with the product is the packaging because it's not all that sanitary when you have to stick your fingers in the entire pot of product, however I will either depot it into a pump canister, or I will use a disposable spatula to get the product out and onto my mixing palette before application.

Stay Flawless and Beautiful!

BNB

Tuesday, July 19, 2016

Hourglass Ambient Powder: Holy Grail?

I wanted to give the Ambient Lighting powders a try since I have dry skin, and I'm trying to embrace the more dewy and glowy look with my makeup to give myself some life. I'm fully in love with the way the Reserve Your Cabana bronzer makes my skin look when dusted all over as the Ambient powders should be, so will it be replaced or will it hold it's own against the higher end product?

And the answers is! It holds its own. I'm excited to be using the Ambient powder (I have dim light, by the way), but I don't feel like it's a necessity in my collection. It gives a nice radiance, but the Wet and Wild one does a little more and has a slightly yellow tone that I prefer to the pinker tone of the Dim Light. Maybe next I will try the more yellow toned Ambient powder.

The Ambient powder is very finely milled which sits much less noticeably on the skin, but I don't so much find that the Wet and Wild powder sits all that noticeably either, they're very smooth and buttery and blend well into the skin. It doesn't affect the color of foundation applied under it when put on, but gives a slight luminous look to the skin when the light hits it right.

I do like this powder, but with such an affordable product at the drug store that is so close to it, I'm not sure it's worth the price for a full size powder. Maybe if I get the palette it will be more worth it to me with a range of shades to play with. It's definitely made it to the top shelf with the Wet and Wild bronzer, and I use them both interchangeably.

Stay Flawless and Beautiful Girls!

BNB

Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Liquid Metal Eyes

For my birthday I stopped at Ulta and bought myself two of the Catrice Liquid Metal eyeshadows because I absolutely love having super shimmery colors for the lid and the swatches were to die for. I bought 80 Making Mauves and 100 What Do You Sea?.

They're very a very soft and buttery texture. They have great pigmentation. The price doesn't break the bank. And they have a super shimmery finish as well. Or at least one of them does. Number 80 is a beautiful muted purple that has a truly stunning metallic quality to it, however the other one seems to have more of a slight glitter to it moreso than the shimmer. I'm not a huge fan of the quilting and ridges that are in the powder, but the product itself is very good. I hope to pick up the other neutral shades soon, but I think I may end up passing on the green-blue shade (What Do You Sea?) because I don't know how much use it will get from me, but I will keep it for a while and see.

I wore these for an entire work day and they stayed put despite the conditions I work under. I had no trouble applying them with either a brush or my fingers, though I prefer a dense eye brush when I use them. These are some of the smoothest eyeshadows I have seen at the drugstore, and I love the metallic finish. I often use the Mauve one to highlight my inner corner and give it a pop of color (when I'm not using Pink Champagne from ABH, that is). For the price, these shadows can't be beaten, and their similarity to the Bella Eyes line from Milani is spot on in my opinion. I love both lines, however Milani has far more colors.

Stay beautiful Ladies!

BNB

Tuesday, July 12, 2016

Frugal Flop: Beauty Treats Lip Scrub

I snatched this up at Five Below during the end of winter to help cope with dry lips when my Elf Lip Exfoliator was too harsh for me. Its in a squeeze tube, so it's nice for sanitary application and travel. The formula was much softer and gentler than the Elf one, but still worked well enough to get the job done.

It was claimed to be mango scented, but it has a rather soapy smell and taste to it which is unfortunate and somewhat disgusting. On the tube it also proclaims that it is all natural and no animal testing was done, but for the price of the product as well as the fact it was manufactured in Taiwan I am not so sure I believe these claims.  Also, the mango label is a sticker, so it could be very easily mixed up with another scent on accident, which isn't all together terrible, but could explain the smell of the product. Finally, it states in the directions that the product should be removed with a washcloth or washed off the lips, which doesn't speak to the product being all natural in my mind, but it still may be.

I'm about a third of the way done the tube, and will be finishing it up, but I think I will find another scrub to use once this one is done. I still stand by my Elf exfoliator, but it's often to harsh for my always dry and peeling lips. Because of the smell and taste of this product alone it was a complete flop. I'll finish it because it's not horrible, but I don't see myself rushing out to buy it a second time.

Stay Healthy, And Beautiful!

BNB

Monday, July 11, 2016

Better Than Sex or Mega Effects?

The review you've all been waiting for is here. The verdict is in!

I can't say I hate the Better Than Sex mascara, but I have a lot of problems with it when I look at it and its packaging in comparison to my ride or die drugstore mascara.

My Mega Effects mascara from  Avon completely blows my mind. It gives me the best volume, length and curl I have ever seen for a drugstore mascara that's only 10 bucks. The wand was terrifying looking at first, but after a few cautious applications I am completely in love, and it is absolutely effortless. The handle bends so that you can apply it from whatever angle makes it easiest for you, and the wand it three dimensional with longer rows of bristles faded to shorter ones towards the ends. The formula is very liquid-y which I think helps it to apply smoothly and avoid clumping. The black part of the tube where all the product is is pliable so the product gets low you can get the most of the it out by squeezing it. I have a little bit of trouble with transfer while the product is wet, but once it sets it is almost impossible to remove without an oil based remover which is awesome. When waiting for the product to dry I usually just hold something under my eye to help keep transfer from getting on my face, but it's easily removable.


The amount of times I have stabbed myself in the eye with the wacky bristles on this wand is far too high. It's not a day with this mascara until I've poked my eye out at least once while using it. I've got a lot of problems with this mascara, but the formula is not one of them. It's the perfect consistency, and lasts all day, but I did have some issues with transfer over the course of the day where it smudged on my lower lashline. The bristles on the brush aren't nearly as straight as they are in the picture, and the curve is so minute in the wand that it's hardly noticeable and does little good to help with application. I know people rave about this mascara, so please don't hate me, but this is not one of my favorite formulas, and for the price of a full size I can't see myself being willing to shell out the dough to get another tube.


Stay Beautiful and enjoy the summer heat!

BNB

Saturday, July 9, 2016

CoverGirl Lash Blast

Over the years of wearing makeup I've tried both the Lash Blast Fusion, and now the Lash Blast Volume in the new waterproof formula. Now, I used to absolutely swear by the Fusion formula, and I haven't tried it very recently, but the last tube I used up was my favorite mascara for a long time. However, after trying to love the volumizing formula that is waterproof I am not at all impressed.

I have had more trouble with my top and bottom lashes sticking together than I can even explain. And it is just at random throughout the day too. For instance, I will be at work on my computer and one time I blink my lashes will get stuck and I will have to blink a billion times and brush my lashes with my finger in order to get them unstuck. And the formula doesn't lay smoothly no matter how hard I try and how careful I am. It creates good volume but it is clumpy no matter how new it is. The brush in my opinion is far too big and the bristles are far too small for it to distribute the product in an effective manner.

I have mascaras that I love both the formula and applicator of, and this is not one of them. This is a total pass, and I will not be buying it again. This tacky formula is a total No Go for me.

Keep them lashes fabulous, and Stay Beautiful Ladies!

BNB

Saturday, July 2, 2016

Bonus: Behind the Times

So I know I'm behind the curve on this one, but I picked up a few of the Star War/ Covergirl collab lipsticks on clearance the other day at Walmart. I picked up 10, 20 and 40; the silver, lilac, and orange shades. I'm by far the most in love with the orange, but they're all great and unique shades.

I have a few qualms with this product, and I know almost everyone has mentioned them... the packaging is nothing special, and the whole collaboration was completely unimaginative. But all in all the colors that weren't part of the regular line were great. My biggest issue with the lipsticks themselves aside from packaging was definitely pigmentation... it takes a lot of work to get color out of all of these shades, and even when you get color they're not particularly opaque. This is especially true for the silver color (10), which I had high hopes for a shimmery grey lipstick and I ended up not loving it in the least.

I absolutely love the metallic nature of the shades though, and the the gold-toned orange was a total must have for me. Honestly, I was shocked to even find these in a store, because every time I went looking for them they were all sold out except for the red and the dark purple, which are boring and probably comparable to shades in their permanent line. They're super creamy and comfortable and the weartime is comparable to other lipsticks in the drugstore. The glitter isn't chunky or gritty when you rub your lips together like some shimmery drugstore products can be.

While I remain unimpressed by the packaging and creativity with such a landmark collaboration, I enjoy two of three shades I purchased enough to call these products a fave. Though I think only the orange has earned its place on the top shelf of the lipstick cabinet, because I just can't get enough of it.

May the force be with you!
Grab them while you can, Beautifuls!

BNB


Why I'm Over The Fit Me Foundation

If you've been reading for a while, you know that I used to be in love with this foundation. At one point I even owned a shade in each line. But, I'm totally over it. I ended up starting out with a warm toned shade from the matte line, which was 120, and it was far too warm for me. I wore it for a while, but I ended up either getting drier skin or finding out I had dry skin. The color laid very heavy on my skin and creased and made my skin look flat and ashy. I decided to try the dewy finish line in a cool toned shade, which I picked a shade lighter (115) thinking maybe 120 was too dark for me. However my problems continued, but in a different way... this one was too cool for my skin and gave me far too much of a pink coloring to my face. I used this one for a while too, because the finish of it is perfectly dewy and adds life to my skin. I'm a neutral tone, and after much trial and error I have figured that out. I will be purchasing a new foundation, and possibly hanging on to only the pink toned one for when I dye my hair back to red so I can have that rosy glow if I want it.

And I feel a little horrible about wasting 15 bucks by not using up both the foundations, but I'm perfectly willing to eat the cost of the yellow one and pass it along because I hate they way it looks on my skin. It almost made me look like I was sick, and I can't have that!

Stay Beautiful Loves, and always remember to be yourself.

BNB

Friday, July 1, 2016

Happy Birthday To Me! - From Sephora

I picked up my birthday gift not too long ago and I am overly excited about it. It's quickly become a favorite. I had a choice between a Marc Jacobs mini makeup set (lipstick and eyeliner) or a deluxe sample set of Fresh skincare product. Even though I'm in the market for some new skincare, I'm always a little hesitant to try things without doing thorough research on what's in the products because my skin is so sensitive to so many ingredients in skincare products. With that being said I went for the Marc Jacobs set which came with a mini Le Marc Lip Creme in 216 Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and a mini Highliner Gel Crayon in Blacquer.

Let me tell you... This is a wonderful birthday gift to get when you're someone who has trouble splurging on yourself. This lipstick is so long wearing, creamy, and opaque. It's a fun pink that's a few shades brighter than my natural lip color. It's easy to apply, and let's be honest, the mini size of it is absolutely adorable. Even for a deluxe sample size it will still last a long time!

The eyeliner stayed in place all day on the waterline without smudging or ending up in my eyelash roots giving me raccoon eyes, but it's just a mini matte black eyeliner. While I can't justify spending money on this expensive of an eyeliner, you can bet that I will be using this one up without complaining. It's opaque and creamy, and probably well worth the price for it's quality, but I can't do it.

Thanks Sephora for a lovely birthday gift on my first month back in Sephora stores!

Stay Beautiful!

BNB

Loreal Magic Lumi Light Infusing Primer: Love it or Lose it?

I purchased this when it first came out, in hopes to make my Fit Me Matte and Poreless look less matte since I found out the matte line of that foundation was not for me. On the bottle, they list multiple ways to use the product including mixing it with foundation or wearing it under the foundation as a primer, but they also suggested using it as a liquid highlight. I went ahead and tried it all three ways over the past few months to get a definitive opinion on each method with it, and I've got to say... It's more of a flop than a fave.

I still have a ton of product left despite using it over 20 times, which would be great if I actually wanted to continue using it. It's a little expensive too, which makes me feel like I have to use it up so I'm not wasting my money. I had high hopes for this product being similar to things like the Backlight Primer and Becca's Pearl, but sadly it was not so.

I tried it first as a primer underneath my foundation, and while it gives a luminosity to the skin it's roughly equivalent to wearing a white frosty highlight all over and it completely washes out my skintone. It attracts far too much light to my whole face, and it feels a lot like I appear greasy. It has alright weartime, but I don't feel like it works great as a primer because it doesn't seem to make my foundation last any longer than it does without a primer. The micro-shimmmer is just too much, it feels like a spotlight on my face rather than a healthy glow, and I'm not about looking like the tin man...

I then went for the next suggestion on the bottle, which was to mix it in with the foundation before application for a "soft light illusion". After one pump, it completely disappeared into the foundation and left behind no glow. I added another pump and it still disappeared, and then another disappeared... It successfully lightened the color and coverage of the foundation, which it doesn't claim to do, but I saw no results with adding a glow to my skin.

The texture is very watery, almost too much so for me to want to use it as a highlight, but I went ahead and tried it anyway. I hoped I had found my preferred way of using this product, but unfortunately it was rather underwhelming. Despite applying several layers on top of one another, there was hardly any payoff, even now looking at the swatch on my hand it looks almost invisible despite two applications. It starts out looking wonderful and then seemingly melts into the skin and disappears.

I'm not at all happy with this product, but I will probably continue mixing it with my foundation or using it to help highlight in hopes of using it up one pump at a time. Not at all worth a repurchase or the money I spent on it in the first place.

Stay safe in the sun and enjoy the summer air!

As always, Stay Beautiful!
BNB

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Opal Has Arrived!

That's right ladies! My opal travel sizes have arrived.

I've already cracked them open and given them a test, and I have to say, I'm as impresses as I expected to be and maybe more. With a neutral skintone I can get away with going either warm or cool without any problem.

For summer I was excited to try out Opal because it gives a nice golden shine to the face which is very nice to give the suntanned effect to the face without having the skin damage of tanning. I'm absolutely in love with the powdered opal, the soft and almost creamy consistancy, the beautiful finely milled shimmer, the perfect pigmentation, and the gorgeous golden color. I loved the swatches of the liquid opal, but unfortunately I think the doe foot applicator takes away from the full intensity that you get with the pump bottle of the full size because I have to really pack it on to get any pigmentation out of it, but it's definitely enough to get me hooked and require the purchase of the full size. I look forward to trying some of the other shades as well, though I haven't decided which ones exactly yet. I've looked at Moonstone and was very tempted to purchase that one as well, and I think that may be the next one I try. I thought about Champagne Pop, and as much as I want to get the Jacklyn Hill and Becca collaboration palette it's just not an option for me, so I won't be able to try the limited edition shade from that unfortunately, but that's okay I guess...

What should I try next?

Stay Beautiful Ladies!
BNB