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YSL Mascara Volume Effet Faux Cils Shocking

December 6, 2013 by

YSL-faux-cilisI may not have been born with extra long lashes, but at least with this mascara, I can pretend. For $30 USD, I bought this from Sephora in Deep Black. As you can see from the picture above, while my lashes are not the shortest, they could use some help. YSL Shocking mascara is unique in that it moisturizes your lashes so that when you take your mascara off, your lashes don’t feel stiff and brittle. The mascara is quite wet and can clump if you don’t take your time. With one application, you see an immediate difference in my lashes. The smell isn’t overwhelming or overpowering and my lashes appear longer and thicker, saving me the hassle of having to wear false lashes.

What it is:
A mascara that exaggerates lashes with excess volume from every angle. 

What it does:
Exclusive to YSL, the amplified helix brush provides instant volume to the lashes. The slim brush design allows for perfect control and precision and the off-center twist enhances length and curl. The beautifully creamy formula with pro-vitamin B5 coats each lash evenly, creating a thick and lustrous fringe with a wet look.

Review Recap:

  • Price: $30 USD
  • Availability: Sephora or wherever YSL is sold.
  • Selection: You can find this in 4 different colors – deep black, black bronze, sea black, cherry black. Also available in regular and waterproof.  •
  • Overall: While the price is around the average for other designer brands, it’s a lot to swallow for a mascara. The product is much wetter than I remembered from the last time I purchased it, and if you aren’t careful it will clump, making your eyes look a mess. When applied properly, the mascara does everything it claims it will do, lengthening and volumizing your lashes. The price and the “wetness” of this product definitely take away from a perfect score, but because I’m familiar with the product, it’s still something I would buy again. 
  • Rating: B
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CIBU Lotus Flower Touch of Tan Moisturizer

November 23, 2013 by

Since moving back to the Old Dominion, I get my hair cut at Bubbles. I love my stylist because she truly understands what I want done, even when I described it poorly, and she wasn’t put off by my eccentric pink hair when I first walked in.

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Now that I’m growing out my pixie cut, I went to get it shaped so it would sit better as it grew. Well, I spent 2 hours at the gym before my appointment and I drank probably close to 11 cups of water while I was there (I was half way through bottle number 4 which holds 3 cups of water), so needless to say, I needed to use the bathroom when I arrived.

Yes, you read that correctly, I went to get my hair cut after going to the gym. Yes, I looked like a hot mess. No, I didn’t care and thanks to my wonderful BBW body splash, I didn’t smell like sweaty death, so back to my story.

I used the restroom before she got started and when I washed my hands, they had Cibu Lotus Flower as the available soap. It might have been 40 degrees outside, but wow, this stuff was take-me-to-the-beach heavenly! The light coconut scent smelled so amazing, I couldn’t deal. I seriously thought about this stuff the entire rest of my hair cut. Sadly, at checkout I couldn’t find the product because I was ready to buy it. Luckily, the Touch of Tan Moisturizer is just as great.

With this, you not only smell like you’re at the beach, but it slowly enhances your skin’s natural color, acting as a self tanner. I’m so crazy pale, this is perfect for me. My body and face are soft, hydrated, and glowing thanks to the power of this bottle ($12 USD). This lotion is loaded with Argan oil and acai berry which contain fatty acids, vitamin E, Omega 6 & 9 necessary to restore your skin vibrancy and softness and coconut and olive fruit oils condition your skin.

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Tarte BB Tinted Treatment 12-Hour Primer Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Sunscreen

February 18, 2013 by

I purchased the Tarte BB Tinted Treatment 12-Hour Primer Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Sunscreen in hopes of finding a primer to use under my foundation and what I discovered instead has left me in heaven. It is confidence locked in a bottle. tarte bb cream

 

What it Does:

Indulge your skin with this powerful multitasker that works as a primer, moisturizer, light foundation, antiaging treatment, and sunscreen to give you a youthful-looking glow. Worn alone or as the perfect base for makeup, this 12-hour, age-defying, oil-free primer offers light-to-medium, buildable coverage that helps even skintone and other skin imperfections while diffusing light to minimize the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and pores. The creamy, silky formula goes on smooth and blends easily, leaving you with a natural-looking, flawless finish with a broad-spectrum, chemical-free SPF 30 that offers ideal protection from the sun’s harmful UVA/UVB rays.

Remarkable Coverage:

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For me, this product does more than any BB Cream I’ve ever tried. Using my Beauty Blender Sponge, it applies evenly and protects my face from harmful sun rays. It also leaves my face feeling softer and smoother than before I first used it. The top two images show my barefaced complexion without makeup. The bottom two show my face once I’d applied this product. This is DEFINITELY a product I will purchase again. I can use it as a primer and cover it with foundation or I can wear it alone and still feel ready to face the day.

 

Completed Look:

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With the addition of eye makeup, blush, and lipstick, I’m ready to take on the world.

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Vault Tinted Lip Balm

January 13, 2013 by

 

If you are like me, lip balm or chap stick is a big part of your daily life. I am fortunate enough to experience all for seasons where I live. This allows for outdoor trips in a multitude of conditions. While I love the variety of temperature, the weather can cause a number on my lips. The biggest problem with that is no matter how many containers of chap stick I have, I love the tops.

I don’t know what it is, but I can never manage to keep an intact chap stick – no matter what the brand or type. It doesn’t matter if it’s medicated or tinted, peppermint or berry – within a weeks time, I’ve lost it.

Needless to say, I was stoked when I heard about Vault. California based, this company has found a way to help you keep your lips hydrated and moisturized while you maintain your active lifestyle.

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What makes this product unique is that people like me CANNOT lose the top. It’s physically impossible. It’s so simple to use, you can do it one handed – PUSH, TWIST, CLICK.

 

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Once you’ve adjusted to the unique delivery system, be ready to be fashionable while you are being energetic. With the tinted lip balms, you not only get a dosage of Cocoa, Shea butter, Aloe, & Vit E, but you get SPF 15 as well.

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There are 8 color choices available. The picture above is what I am wearing on my lips. It’s called DISNEYLAND.

 

Colors from L-R:

TOP:  snow bunny (sheer), disneyland, newport (sheer), hollywood

Bottom: red carpet, rehab, triple espresso, napa

The product went on smooth like the Nivea lip products I love so much. It also have great color payoff, so a little bit of the balm goes a long way, saving you money.

For $9 USD, you can get your very own tinted Vault lip balm. Don’t fret over the price, if you hurry and like their facebook fan page you can use the code FIRST KISS at checkout and get 50% off your order!

If you are willing to give them a try, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. This is definitely going in my makeup bag that I take to school. If you are an athlete, this is a must for you. Hurry over to http://www.vaulticon.com/ today to get yours!

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OPI Black Cherry Chutney

October 25, 2012 by

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Owners of this nail polish have a tendency to love and hate it. This includes myself. It appears almost black in some lights, but is actually a deep dark cherry purple color. There is a beautiful shimmer to it when you see it up close.

I noticed this polish was more of a pain to clean up then the others, an issue I contribute to the dark color. I also found myself using more than the usual number of coats, attempting to make my nails as dark as the bottle. However, I love this polish so none of that matters!

 

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The Joey Healy Eyebrow Collection

September 18, 2012 by

 

These days, how you do your brows is just as important as how you do your eye makeup. You can have the most amazing eyeshadow on, and if your brows aren’t properly filled in to compliment your features, your work has been in vain. For the longest time, I didn’t touch my brows. They have a nice arch to them, but they are not twins by any means. Slowly, I started figuring out my eye makeup was missing something. It hit me, my brows didn’t do anything to help my look. I looked around and noticed the looks I loved so much on people had a lot to do with their eyebrows – crazy, I know…but true. I’ve tried all the products, ranging from drugstore to designer and am happy to report, I’ve found THE PERFECT eyebrow collection for everyone’s needs.

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Meet Joey Healy!

Luxe Brow Powders

Stop using your eyeshadows to fill in your brows because you can’t find the shade in the drugstore or other designer brands. Joey Healy has more colors to choose from than any other company. Nothing is more frustrating than to want to purchase a product only to see it’s not available in your color.

What’s nice about this product is that it can be applied wet or dry and is waterproof once applied, so your brows won’t fade away over the course of the day. Available in 6 colors: Parchment, Corduroy, Equestrian, Moccasin, Tobacco, Raven. $28 USD

Rating: A

Duo Brow Brush

The right technique really helps when filling in your brows so that you don’t look like a clown, but the right product is equally important. What I really like about the Joey Healy line is that you have so many options to choose from and the quality of the products, from the powder to the spoolie, is top quality. I’ve used Sigma, Coastal Scents, and MAC brushes to apply powder to my brows before and to me, the brush always seems too thick. Trust me when I say, this is the last brush you will ever need. The cruelty-free boar and badger haired bristle applicator is stiff enough to allow you to apply your eyebrow powder with absolute control. $28 USD

Rating: A

Brow Architect Stylo

This fully retractable, waterproof pencil is my new favorite item. Never before has an eyebrow pencil applied so silky smooth and created such a natural looking finish before. The pencil never needs sharpening and the spoolie on the other end eliminates the need to carry yet another tool in my bag. Once I apply, I can blend away the harshness at the beginning of my brows and know that my eyebrows are going to remain this perfect for the rest of the day. As with the other Joey Healy products, there is a great selection of colors available for every skin tone and hair color. Choose from Wicker, Suede, Antler, Molasses, Teak. $25 USD

Rating: A

Review Recap:

Price: $25-$28 USD

Availability: only online at http://www.joeyhealy.com

Selection: I was very impressed by the selection of colors. There are 6 shades of brow powder and 5 shades of brow pencil to choose from.

Overall: After being a long time user of the Anastasia Brow Powder, I have to say this product is better. Once you apply it, it stays in place all day and really puts the finishing touches on your look. The price is a bit high for some, but I promise it’s an investment worth making – a little bit goes a very long way.

Rating: A

 

 

Disclosure: This post contains a sample product sent to A Girl Named Nat for consideration by PR. This site does not offer paid or guaranteed reviews, only honest opinions of the products tested

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Urban Decay Naked Foundation Review & Before/After Pictures

August 29, 2012 by

Over the years, I have had the hardest times finding a foundation that I really like. I’ve switched from MAC Studio Fix to MUFE HD and while I like those brands, both products are a bit thick and if not careful, can give you the caked on makeup look. This summer Urban Decay came out with a product that seems to be the Holy Grail foundation I’ve been searching for. It glides on smooth, covering imperfections with ease without appearing to be thick or cake-like.

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Urban Decay makes it very easy to find your shade, something that is generally impossible when searching on the internet for foundation. If you go to their site, you can enter your current foundation and the closest shade you are and it will pinpoint your color. I did this, using my MUFE HD foundation as my guide and while it didn’t give me the exact choice for my number, when I picked the closest one too it (a shade below what I wear), it recommend the number below what I ended up buying in the store. Keep that in mind if you buy this product without swatching it first. While it is better than just looking at colors online, it still isn’t perfect. Although, I have to admit, shopping in the store isn’t much better since the lighting in most Sephora’s and Ulta’s is very low and warm, making it nearly impossible to find your color.

I applied this foundation as I would any other foundation, on top of a primer. I used my new L’Oreal BB cream (review coming soon) and discovered just like my other HD foundation, a little goes a very long way. To give me the air brushed look without having to pay for the equipment, I used my favorite beauty blender dupe applicator (egg shaped sponge) and worked on covering one side and then the other.

 

For my problem areas where I have acne scaring (primarily on my cheeks), I didn’t use concealer, I simply added more of the product, layering my already covered skin before blending it in with the rest of my face. The feel of the foundation against my skin was a breath of fresh air, because it allowed just that – my face to breathe. This foundation feels more like a tinted moisturizer than a foundation: very lightweight and dries to give me a flawless coverage, only most professionals could create.

A Buildable Liquid Foundation

Naked Skin is a buildable formula that allows you to customize your look. From light to full coverage, it feels like wearing nothing at all, yet transforms complexions. Skin looks natural, illuminated and bright: like the beautiful skin you were born with.

As with all Urban Decay packaging, the bottle delivers a fair amount of product with each pump. Just remember, a little bit goes a very long way – at least that’s what I discovered.

Thanks to Urban Decay’s state-of-the-art formula, Naked Skin will restore and maintain your youthful appearance, give you a more radiant complexion, hydrate your skin to keep it smooth, soft, and supple; all the while giving you the highly defined finish every woman covets.

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Review Recap:

    • Price: $38 USD
    • Availability: Sephora, Ulta, Urbandecay.com
    • Selection: 18 shades to choose from
    • Overall: Amazing coverage without the heavy cakey-feel. The color selection is decent, but all of them I tested seemed to have yellow undertones to them versus a mixture of pink as well. Even the ones that say they have pink. It is very possible my swatches were inaccurate as the lighting in the Sephora I went to was horrible.
    • Rating: A[/author_info] [/author]

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Maybelline Color Show Nail Lacquer

August 24, 2012 by

I’ve never been a fan of any of the drugstore nail polishes I’ve purchased in the past. Since Essie is owned by L’Oreal, which owns Maybelline, Lancome, and a few other beauty brands and I enjoy Essie polish, when I saw the bold green color on the end cap at my local Target, I simply had to buy it. When it cost only $2.99 USD for a bottle when I am accustomed to paying $8 USD + a bottle for OPI and Essie polishes, it was hard to buy only one. 

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I only purchased the one b/c I didn’t know how well it was going to work on my nails. Being nail painting impaired (as is demonstrated in the picture above), I didn’t know how well this product would apply, so I resisted all the other pretty colors Target had for me to choose from. To my surprise, the nail polish went on with ease, without streaks and quite thick. In one simple stroke, my entire nail was covered. The deep chartreuse color was obtained with only two coats on my nails. For some extra flash, I added with a sponge applicator some emerald green glitter to the tips of my nails. 

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of this polish compared to other drugstore brands I’ve purchased in the past. With the 40 different shades out there in Maybelline Color Show polish, I don’t think I will run out of different colors to try (for a while anyway). Of course, now that I know they are as great as they are, I want to pick one up every time I see them at Target. 

With such a large variety, which is your favorite? 

Review Recap:

  • Price: $2.99 USD – $3.99 USD (prices vary depending upon purchase location) 
  • Availability: Available wherever Maybelline is sold and online at maybelline.com  
  • Selection: 40 different shades to choose from 
  • Overall: My first impression was that these are very different than any drugstore nail polish I’d used in the past. The formula seemed thicker, covering more of the nail in one coat than some of my more expensive nail polishes. There are a variety of colors to fit every personality, whether it’s bold and bright or natural nudes.  
  • Rating: A 
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Guest Post: Bath and Body Works and I’m in love!

August 22, 2012 by

Hey Ladies and Gents!!

I just went shopping online recently (my first time buying hair stuff) and I thought to myself, “How is this going to work on my hair? Should I get a sample just to see how I would like it?” I’m really sketchy buying things online. For the most part, I leave my hygienic things to my local Wal-Mart. I mentioned in a group that talks about beauty things and all things related to health,  that I loved the scent of Cherry Blossoms and wasn’t able to find anything local except body wash in that scent.

One of the girls directed me to Bath and Body Works and I had to check it out.

 For the special they were offering I decided to get the moisturizing shampoo and conditioner along with the body cream. I opened them right away when I received them and was delighted by their smell!

 

It was a light and airy scent, nothing overpowering! I knew I would love the lotion and sampled it on my hands. It was so silky and made my skin smooth without the residue of grease coating my hands making it near impossible doing anything! Later I lathered up in the shower with the shampoo and conditioner and loved every minute! The shampoo and conditioner were like the body cream lotion in respects to not being greasy and weighing my hair down. It too had a light scent. I reread the label looking at the ingredients and found that it was sulfate free which is always a plus. It really made my hair super soft and I couldn’t stop touching it. I have had a stupid grin on my face while discussing this shampoo and conditioner. I highly recommend these products. For the price I paid for them I hoped they would be satisfying and I was right! I would pay what I paid for them again just to keep in stock. I don’t think I am gonna buy store shampoo and conditioner anymore at least for my hair. 

Tina

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Red Apple Lipstick Review

August 20, 2012 by

 

A friend of mine introduced me to Red Apple Lipstick and I’m very glad they did. This company might not be as well known as SugarPill or MAC Cosmetics, but I have no doubt when word gets around regarding the quality of their lipsticks, their popularity will soar.

Red Apple Lipstick prides themselves on being a safe and smart alternative to the usual suspects. A vegan lipstick, they are free of gluten and parabens.

Red Apple Lipstick

Lipstick Collections

 

RAL Originals

Red!, Love My Kiss, Strawberry Lips, Flirt With Me, Crush On Me, Secrets, Mauve Me, Plum Sexy Crazy, French Skirt

 

Summer Passions

Reddy or Not, Sunkissed, Beach Peach, Berry Blash, Summer Sands, Pinky Promise, Petal Pusher, Boys’n’Berries

Signature Lip Duos

Red Duos, Love My Kiss, Ruby Slippers

First Impression

I couldn’t believe how amazing this lipstick and liner felt when I applied it. Smooth and creamy; lips like velvet, moisture-rich and highly pigmented.

Review Recap: 

  • Price: $17.50-$40 USD
  •  Availability: Web-based Only: Red Apple Lipstick
  • Selection: Three lip collections offering a variety of colors. RAL also sells lipgloss, lip pencils, lip balms, exfoliates, and now eye shadows
  • Overall: While the selection is constantly growing, the products currently offered go on smooth and creamy. The color’s range from pinks to reds, but at the moment there aren’t many in between. As the company grows, I imagine more colors and finishes will be created for each and every look possible. The prices are bit higher than some might want to pay for lipstick, but the good news is that they last and the payoff is worth the price.
  • Rating: A-

 

Disclosure: This post contains a sample product sent to me for consideration by PR. This site does not offer paid or guaranteed reviews, only honest opinions of the products tested.

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