Zoya: Hot Lips!

For those of you on Twitter, you must have heard about the promotions Zoya does. Well there latest one they gave away three free Hot Lips of your choice. These are their glossy lip balms. It's a gloss that is also a balm. My picks were Fame (a pretty nude), GirlyGirl (a deep pink with a hint of shimmer)  and Babydoll (a barbie pink). I love all three. They have such a good smell to them and the colors don't disappoint. I also picked up Luna which is one of their new glitters. It looks like a disco ball. Very party appropriate. I haven't had time to try it on yet but have seen many swatches and it looks like New Years Eve in a bottle. They also included some catalogs which are a big help since they have over 300 polish colors! Be sure to follow Zoya_NailPolish on Twitter!

Recent Buys

I picked up the NYX palette for green eyes along with the blue eyes palette which was a gift for someone. I found a seller on ebay who sells these palettes 2 for $12.99 with shipping at only $2.94. She ships so fast! I got my eyeshadows in 2 days from California to Alabama. She wrapped everything so well and had the cutest invoice/thank you included with her logo on it. Her ebay name is Joy017 and the store is JOY'S cosmetics. I definitely will buy my NYX stuff from her in the future. O and the palette is so pretty. All the colors are perfect for my eyes and they go on so smooth. Some of them do have a lot of fall out but no big deal to just sweep away. 

I hate going to Walmart and last time I went to try and find the Hard Candy cosmetics- they weren't in stock yet. I thought they still hadn't stocked them until I finally found them squeezed between two other displays in an aisle. Everything looked pretty nice but this is what I really wanted so it's the only thing I picked up. Their lipstick is called Painted Lady if I'm not mistaken and this is a nude color in Fire Alarm. I don't really get the name but the color is so pretty. A perfect nude. The lipstick goes on really smooth and doesn't feel dry. As far as staying on, it's not horrible but I don't mind reapplying. Also, I love the tube itself. Really cute.

If anyone has a PS3 they must sign up for Netflix. As soon as I heard about Netflix coming to PS3 I signed up. I not only get 2 movies out at anytime, movies to watch on the computer, but also with this disk I can watch the instant movies on my tv. A lot of people were upset at the idea that it is disk based. This means every time I want to watch the movies I must insert this disk. To me, no big deal- I would have to put in a disk to watch a movie anyways. The only thing that bugs me is that I do believe they have the technology to just send us an update and make it where we don't need the disk. I know Xbox does it like this. Maybe they have an exclusive deal though. Like Apple and AT&T...

I picked up these Juicy Couture earrings for only $25 at TjMaxx! I really like them because they snap on securely and are just so cute! 

Anyone into body washes (i.e. the whole female population) should check out Suave's limited edition seasonal body washes. I picked this up at Walmart for $1.50! And it smells amazing! I got the Peppermint Bliss one and am going to go back and get more of this and the others. Great buy. The other scents include-Toasted Vanilla Sugar, Candied Apple(this is the only one that didn't stand out to me, and I love apple scents), and Holiday Pear but I didn't see or smell this one. 

Sometimes I like to go over to SlickDeals.net and see what the deals are. Well I stumbled over there not too long ago and found these business cards on sale at OfficeDepot.com for only $3.71! I have no need for business cards but between the price and the cute design I had to order some! You like? 

What The Hell Barielle?

I got my first Barielle Polish today...Yay! I hope this is not an indicator of their quality though... If I put it back on and twist hard it'll go back together though. The shade is Lava Rock- I'm so ecited to try it on! I can't wear black because it looks all kinds of wrong so I've been trying dark colors that lean towards black. The swatches of this I've seen are amazing!

Just A Cheap Shirt

I wanted to show you all my Miley shirt! I've really been enjoying it, it's really comfy and casual. A good $12 spent. My boyfriend washed it for me on accident and I'm not sure if he used hot water or what but I got some black bleeding around the cuff of one sleeve. Luckily you can't see it when I'm wearing it though. O and my brother asked me if I was pregnant while wearing it... haha!  I stumbled across this shirt at Bluefly.com for $60, so anyone interested in a higher quality version could look here. The name of it is Just A Cheap Shirt yellow plaid flannel western shirtdress...

Drugstore.com Haul

I decided to try this Philosophy On A Clear Day kit($65 on Drugstore.com) even though the reviews everywhere are iffy. I wanted to try it because I'm tired of benzoyl peroxide which makes my skin dry and flaky and has made all my washcloths, towels, and pillowcases look like I went on a bleach spree.  I used it today and even though it smells really really bad, it made my skin feel really good. Hopefully this is a good sign. They included a four pack of the microdelivery peel and I LOVED it. My skin actually felt plumper if this makes any sense. And so soft!

(from left to right) Oil-free Foaming Acne Cleanser, Oil-free All Over Acne Treatment, Oil-free Acne Spot Treatment, Retinol Clarifying Lotion( retinol makes me nervous :s)I haven't used these since they first came out , I was early teens and didn't even have blackheads! I can't wait to see how they do now.These sheets are small so you might need several but they do suck up the oil and make skin matte! I got this for headaches but as an added bonus it helps relieve eye puffiness! Just pop it in the freezer to chill.

It's In The Bag

Essie It's In The Bag

I always have trouble with this color polish- creamy off white- it always looks streaky and thick. Any tips?

Here's a few things I picked up today-

I got these buy 1 get 1 free. I already have a bottle of the intensive therapy but I wanted the foundation. These were only $4.99 at TjMaxx!

I used the base coat earlier on my damaged nails- they have torn spots on them from me peeling off my fake nails(I know big no no)-and it worked wonders!

I seen these last time but in full sized and liked at the scents, so when I seen them in a mini trio I had to pick them up! Essie Smoothies hand and body lotion in blueberry/banana, coconut/pineapple, pomegranate/mango. I picked these up at TjMaxx for just $4.50 for all three!

They also have these for $9.59 at discountbeautycenter.com

I'm always looking for some hand wipes to carry with me and found exactly what I wanted! I picked these up at Old Navy for $1.50 each-they only come with10 wipes a piece but they smell delicious and can be used for face or body. 

My Pretty Sample Bag

I got my pretty sample bag today! I got the three sample bag just to try it out. If you're not familiar- My Pretty Sample Bag is brought to us by the same Linda who runs My Pretty Pink Box. With the sample bag you can actually choose your samples from a really good variety of samples. Be quick though! I waited and some of the samples I wanted sold out. I just checked the site and she's actually lowered the pricing so it's a HUGE deal. I paid $6.50 for 3 samples and now it's just $5.50. That's $1 cheaper! The five sample bag has gone down fifty cents if I'm correct- from $9.50 to $9.00. This all includes shipping also, so no hidden fees to jack up the price! So anyways, here's my bag and thoughts- O yea, there was no actual bag haha! Which is probably a good thing cause I have plenty of bags laying around as is.

This was taken with my phone by the way.

What I got-

A 1.5 oz. can of BigSexyHair Spray&Play volumizing hairspray

A box of Revlon Runway Collection nails in minx/medium length (hope these are as good as the kiss nails which were amazing!)

A bag of 3 mark. skincare samples and one perfume sample 

Not bad considering the nails run around $6 by themselves! 

I would definitely buy this again! I love sampling products before I buy them or having smaller sizes for my handbag and traveling.

TjMaxx Haul and New Toy

I love TjMaxx and finding deals, here's some of the stuff I got...I got the cutest little notebook to carry around with me  cause I'm always thinking of something I need to do or get and never have anything handy to write it down on and eventually I always forget. Now I won't! I was so happy to find this trio of little Korres body butters. I've bought Korres products from TjMaxx before and really love the products but not their retail prices- I got this for just $6.99- right now it's listed on Ulta.com for $24.50! It comes with Quince, Fig, and Guava. I found these Betsey Johnson ankle socks in the color purple, 6 pairs for $6.99- that's Walmart pricing! Haha! The retail tag says $65.00, now I'm a Betsey lover but no way am  paying $65 for some socks! I found this wallet I've seen on a couple of website for around 20 bucks for just $4.99. I really like this wallet because it's small and sturdy and cute enough to just carry around with you by itself. I also found a pink zebra hairbrush. I wouldn't proclaim myself as a zebra print fan but I guess I should because I always end up buying zebra print stuff. I am a cupcake fanatic though, so when I seen this cupcake candle with sprinkles on top I had to have it, it smells so yummy. The sprinkles look so real but I thought surely they must be wax right? My boyfriend was like- no they're real- and ate one! *Gasp* Turns out he was right- they are real! Haha! Stale but real. I now see why though- when the candle burns, they don't melt! I also got this water bottle with a skull and rose on it, I'm not a skull fan but I love the pink and black. When I used it the first time I was thinking wow this bottle sweats a lot because the bottle stayed soaking wet, but I realized there is a small spot where the seam wasn't welded all the way so it was leaking- that's one negative about TjMaxx, sometimes the product is there because it's defective. I fixed it though so no big deal. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw a small selection of Essie polishes sitting there. I don't own any Essie polish so I just grabbed this double pack which came with a free 3 way glaze mini. The colors are mod squad and it's in the bag. I paid just $7.99 for the pack and they had singles for $3.99. They also had some Essie lotions that smelled amazing. I could kick myself for not getting any. And I seen some Rescue Beauty Lounge shower gel, but it smelled kinda yucky.  I also got a pair of Betsey Johnson sunglasses that I forgot to take a picture of, a shirt, and some workout pants.I didn't take pictures of these because they're in my shower but I found a large 25 oz. bottle of Bed Head Brunette Goddess for $11.99, smells like caramel. This was a deal for the one as they run around twenty dollars on amazon, but if you want the 2 pack of shampoo and conditioner, amazon has it for around $23- in the 25 oz. I found a small bottle of Sexy Bath and Body in Pumpkin. I love the big sexy hair products and this is from the same makers and smells like a pumpkin pie! It really gets me in Halloween spirit. This bottle was just $4.99 and it runs around $10 everywhere else- so another deal! I hate the body wash I've been using, Caress Tahitian Renewal. It's not so much as the smell but more the formula. It feels watered down or something. I had bought it to try and when I ran out my boyfriend bought me the same kind again.  I might turn it into handsoap...I bought this for my favorite Aunt's birthday. I'm going to wrap it in the pink box from MPPB because it's so pretty and it'll be a good repurposing. I love Precious Moments and this one reminds me of my aunt so much because when I was younger I would go to her house and help in the gardens and yard. Also because I remember her taking me to this gift shop that had all these Precious Moments dolls and I was so amazed. I always wanted this one doll named Patty, she came with a goose.

OMG PSP!

Ok so I'm not a Hannah Montana although I won't deny watching an episode or two or like maybe a lot...But anyways, I've wanted a PSP for a while now but just never wanted to spend the money but when I found this purple one online last week I had to have it! My boyfriend bought it for me and it's so pretty. I can't wait for Little Big Planet to be released for it in November! My nail polish almost matched this when I got it. I was wearing Orly Cashmere Cardigan with Sinful Colors Purple Diamond layered over it. I'll do some swatches later on and post them. 

My Pretty Pink Box!

Ok so I got my box yesterday! Yay! It wasn't exactly what I expected but I'm pleased either way. I didn't get any of that Totally Texty (I think that's the name of it) shampoo or conditioner and I thought there was a bottle of that in every box but I must have misunderstood. Here's what my box contained:

• Kiss Everlasting French glue on nails in real short 
• Revlon Fantasy Lengths self adhesive false lashes in defining
• Nailene French Tip Pen in black
• Orglamix mineral blush sample in allspice
• Paint Fx pigment sample in silversham
• Montagne Jeunesse Chocolate masque
• Mark. Sophistique sample

A lot of these are products I never would have bought for myself but I'm really enjoying them. I put the nails on this morning, they are soooo pretty! Sometimes my nails get in bad shape due to my job and I can't keep a nice manicure, so these are a really good solution to that. They're not perfect, as you can kinda see the glue behind the nail bed. But it's not easily noticed unless you're looking real close. The kit includes 12 sizes, so it made it easy to find a match for each nail. I always see other people use these and I just haven't ever had luck with them because they fall off almost immediately and look so bad but these were easy to apply and the glue feels secure. The box states you can wear them for 7 days, I only plan on wearing mine til Friday so we'll see if they last til then. I really like these because I had a fresh manicure in under 5 minutes! I definitely plan on purchasing some of these nails.

Edit: The reason for the air pockets was because I didn't apply them right. I should have put glue on both the nail and my nail but I only put glue on my nail. They still look good but I'll know for next time. 

I also tried the chocolate masque this morning and it smells so yummy! I'm a big fan of chocolate and it was fun applying this to my face. It smelled and looked just like chocolate! I had to tell myself not to eat any. It says it's to relax and it was very relaxing. Plus it made my skin glow after I washed it off. I'd really like to try this mask again and maybe other mask by this same brand.

The Nailene pen I got is in black which will come in handy for Halloween. I tried it this morning on bare nails and it was really easy to apply. It says to use a top coat and I see why, when I washed my hands the polish washed right off. This was a good thing since I was only testing it and didn't want to keep it on, so it should be easy to experiment with this pen. It says it's for tips but you could do many designs. The tip is like a marker tip so it's completely goof proof, but if you do have trouble you can use tip guide stickers. 

I haven't tried my lashes yet but they look super easy to apply and are very natural looking. Dramatic but natural. It also includes more strips of self adhesive and an applicator in the box. The Orglamix blush is a nice warm color and comes in a good sized sample jar. The Paint Fx pigment sample is a beautiful silver color. Paint Fx also has a coupon included for one 7 gram pigment for just 1 penny. Kiss included a $1 off coupon for their nails. 

I really enjoyed my box! I actually even like the box it comes in. I know they started with another box and some people were disappointed with the change but this box is really nice and could be repurposed very easily. 

I can't wait for next months box and will definitely repurchase from My Pretty Pink Box again. If  you haven't gotten a box yet, there might be some left! Hurry! 

Also, Linda- the genius behind MPPB has started My Pretty Sample Bag where you can choose your bag size and what you receive. They have some great samples listed on the site, so be sure and check that out also!

My Pretty Pink Box

I ordered my first one this morning! Did you order one yet? If not, click here.

Update! It's September 6th and there are still some available. Usually these are sold out on the first day so be sure not to miss your chance and order one!

New Skin Care Routine

My face is so not happy lately so I've purchased some new items for my skin care. It's only been a day but I really like everything so far! Usually my skin knows right off the bat if it dislikes something. Here's what I'm trying-Olay Complete All Day Moisture Lotion SPF 15 for Sensitive Skin

Cetaphil Antibacterial Gentle Cleansing Bar

Both were cheap! $3 and some change for the bar and around $10 for the lotion. I've read really good reviews on the Cetaphil. My facial cleanser has not worked for me since I bought it but I kept using it anyways, my face was tight and dry and just not getting better with it. I was using Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash but I really think my skin does not like salicylic acid which this (along with many other acne treatments) has in it. The Cetaphil smells soapy, like a hotel soap. But it rinses really well, makes my skin feel clean, not dry, and feels really gentle. The lotion is also gentle, doesn't make me itchy, red and splotchy like every other lotion seems to do. It feels light and doesn't make me overly moisturized- i.e. oily. No strong smell. Plus it comes in a really generous sized bottle and has a screw on cap so if I throw it in my bag I won't worry about it leaking anywhere.

My first impressions have me impressed, but I'll do a proper review after I use these for a few weeks. Wish me luck! 

Elf Haul (pic heavy)

Ok so I got my e.l.f. haul on Thursday, it wasn't due til Friday but came on Wednesday and I missed it. This is all stuff from the 75% off code and I did it when it was free shipping but the code didn't work on eyeshadows or blushes so unfortunately I don't have any of those...yet. I do however, absolutely love everything I got! And I might change my mind on that whole not buying from them again. I did have another item missing from this order, the translucent powder. Again, they charged the full amount. I wonder if this is how they're making money... Anyways, I contacted them again, got a nicer person, she said I'd be credited, still have not been credited... I dunno- I'm not real worried since I got all this stuff (24 items) for $18.75!!! 

Here it is...

clockwise from left complexion brush, blush brush, fan brush, concealer brush, the dome brush, eyeshadow "c" brush, small angled brush, small precision brush, small smudge brush, 2 makeup remover cleansing cloths, 2 eyelash curlers, mini eyelash curler, waterproof lengthening and volumizing mascara, golden bronzer, contouring blush and bronzing powder, 2 eyebrow kits (one in light one in medium), hollywood lash kit, undereye concealer and highlighter, concealer pencil and brush, eyebrow lifter and filler, lip definer and shaper. 

I haven't tried and won't be trying this mascara because it's a gift for someone, as is some of the other stuff. I looked at it a bit though and it seems pretty average, except the awkwardly long handle which I had already heard about on youtube. Looks like liquid liner. 

This is also a gift for someone but I'm having to try hard to resist keeping it for myself. It's just so pretty and sparkly. It also looks like it would be light enough for my fair skin.

It's only been a couple of weeks since my last haul but they're already changing stuff. The wipes on the left are the new and it seems improved version. The wipes on the right are the ones I got in my last haul. The new ones have a small metal grommet(?) for probably hanging on a rack at stores. Good idea since most stores don't have actual e.l.f. displays and instead just throw the stuff on hooks. The most noticeable change is that the old ones were 3.2" x 3.8" while the new ones are much larger at 7" x 7". Yes, twice as large basically! I really like these, they're cheap, really work, and come in nice/functional packaging. 

EDIT- Even though the packages state different sizes- these are exactly the same size!

I got nine brushes, I already had the powder brush so now the only one I'm missing is the angled foundation brush. I don't know why I didn't get it. I really like all these brushes. The smaller ones came in that foil ziploc type packaging which I really like better than the plain e.l.f. plastic ones. All the brushes smelled like...new sneakers...but that went away in them when I washed them- except in the powder brush from last time-it smells even worse it seems. I can't compare these with any expensive brushes because I don't own any but they all seem like decent brushes. I haven't tried all of them yet so I'll update if anything goes terribly wrong or anything. I've had a little shedding, nothing major. I think these are really worth the $3, I'd probably even pay more for some of them.

The complexion brush is soooooo soft. I'm kinda wondering if it will apply anything seeing just how soft it is... It's a good size, now too big to still use with blush, not too small for face powder. The blush brush is my favorite so far! I love the way it looks and feels. It's quite smaller than I thought but I can work with it. It's got a nice pointed edge for getting in the hallows of your cheeks. I like how the handle is the same width all the way down. 

This is the studio eyeshadow "c" brush verses the e.l.f. one below it verses an older e.l.f. one below that. The studio one is shorter, wider, longer and denser than both of the others. I thought I liked shorter handles on brushes but this brush makes me think I like the longer handles.

This is the dome brush verses the e.l.f. blending brush verses an Avon rounded shadow brush. It's shorter and more "bullet" like than the other two. It's longer and more dense than both. I really like this one so far but I did read several reviews about where the brush seemed like it wasn't filled enough with bristles and the ferrule wasn't crimped. Well I'm pretty sure the ferrule shouldn't be crimped on this type of brush but I can see how if you move the bristles to the side there's a large gap. Maybe a few more bristles would have done the trick. Some ladies talked about how this made the metal scratch their eye, I don't see how exactly but I'll let you know if this happens to me. By the way, I also love this Avon brush and only paid around $1.99 for it!

This is the Sonia Kashuk 01 brush compared to the complexion brush. The Sonia Kashuk brush is bigger and much more fluffy though not as soft.  

This is the studio concealer brush compared to an Avon concealer brush (another $1.99 deal). The e.l.f. brush is shorter thinner and wider. I wasn't planning on using this as a concealer brush but I think I will now that I've seen it.

Here is the blush/bronzer with the eyebrow kit (shown in medium). You can see how much smaller the eyebrow kit is. Both come in the sleek black compacts. These are both must haves! I have read rave reviews all over the web and from my own personal experience so far, they live up to the hype. I really liked how easy the brow gel stuff was to use and the little brush it comes with (imo) is very usable.

Compacts closed.

This is the regular $1 line e.l.f. eyelash curler verses the studio line curler. I like the $1 one much better for me. I also seen they have a $1 one in pink under the sugar kiss line. 

The studio mini eyelash curler on left verses the full sized studio curler.

These are all really great products. The eyebrow filler is dark and pigmented so use with a very light hand, the lifter is great and really adds lift. The lip definer is a nice lip liner in a brown color, and the shaper adds a golden sheen to your cupids bow. I like this but it is not a must have. The concealer works well and the thick brush on the end is great! I recommend saving the black tops after you use these products up if you plan on ordering more. I understand why they put a sharpener on the end as a cap, since it needs it's own due to size and the cap idea is more economical than giving you a sharpener with every product. I haven't had any problems with the sharpener cutting into my pencils, although I store them well and probably won't be throwing them into my purse or anything. 

This concealer works better than many other's I have tried. It really brightened up my eyes even before I put the highlighter on. I like the highlighter also but I say don't overblend it since it will vanish with too much blending. I love love love this packaging. I wish they would take this package and out lipgloss inside. It feels like rubber/plastic/satin with the look of frosted glass. Very chic, it looks/feels so expensive! I think the concealer might be trying to leak out a little tough...not sure.

So overall I love these cheap little thrills. They all do their job and keep my money where it belongs- in my pocket. They make great gifts also, Imma start stocking up for Christmas cause i know they'll be out of stock! Also, they actually sell their own stockings-check it out!

And has anyone tried their body line? It's $4 a piece and I've read mixed reviews so far. Let me know if you have!

P.S.If you haven't been to check out the studio line lately, they've added a new lipgloss, which looks like it belongs in the one dollar line to me...

Finally...Elf Haul

I have been so excited to receive my order from EyeLipsFace.com and am really happy with everything I got, but I don't think I'll be ordering from them again after I receive my next order. I got the package a little earlier today and was getting everything together to take pictures when I noticed I didn't receive an item. I checked the invoice and it was on there but it was circled and I read on the bottom where it says basically if any item is circled then that item was out of stock and you weren't charged for it. Well, I went online to EyesLipsFace.com and checked my order on there, I was charged. I went to check my bank statement, charged. So I wrote an email to customer service. I did get a response extremely fast- like within the hour. But the rep says if I was charged then I will be refunded which may take up to 2 weeks. Two weeks from when? It's been ten days since my purchase so 2 weeks from then or two weeks from now? I don't like the idea that I won't know if I'm not receiving an item til my package is delivered, and I don't like being charged and then refunded. I kinda doubt I'll get my refund so I'll be checking. I'd rather have my product. They should really update the website where you can't order out of stock items or do like so many other places and promise to ship it at a later date. I know it's a place that sells one dollar and three dollar items but I still expect more than this. ELF says to keep checking back for my item to be in stock so I can reorder it but the item is/was/never has been listed as out of stock. Ok, enough ranting, here's my haul- even though ELF sucked all the fun out of it for me.

Here's everything I got. I have to admit, I was impressed. Packaging is super nice and first looks have seem ok. I love how they put it in a bag like you went shopping. I haven't seen anything to back up all the complaints I've read/heard. The lip plumper doesn't "burn like crazy", nothings broke so far, my eyelash curler seems easy to use-I read a lot of reviews where people said it was stiff or hard to use, no extreme smells, everything seems to do what it's job is. The lip primer could be a little dryer but I think it will work well with powder over it. I really do like the makeup remover cloths- if I do ever order from them again- it'll probably be for these. The blush/bronzer is so pretty and gives me a very natural flush glow. I haven't figured out how to put on the lashes yet, I think I need better glue. The powder brush seems nice but I'm not sure what I'm going to use it for yet- powder or liquid. I did notice the chemical smell everyone was saying about this one brush, smells like new plastic is all, nothing a little soap won't cure. The blending brush is not what it looks like on the website, it's shorter and stiffer, like a bullet. I like it though! It seems really good for $1. I had read reviews of some brushes not being crimped and I didn't really get what they meant until I was looking at the little concealer brush that came with the palette. It looked like the bristles were just standing there in the middle. Like the metal around them hadn't been "crimped" down. So I smashed it down myself and good as new! Not hard at all. Nice little brush.