Tag: beauty products

Review: Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliner

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When it comes to eye makeup that eyeliner on your eyelid makes the rest of your look pop; apply a little mascara and you’re set. For me, applying eyeliner on my lid is a hassle. I used to use the same pencil on my waterline on my lid and it looked faded and grey (I was using a black pencil). Then I switched to liquid eyeliner, and while I used MAC’s Liquidlast Liner, it was still difficult for me to apply, even with the tiny brush at the end.

Then Veronica recommended I try Smashbox’s Limitless Liquid Eyeliner pen and that worked better than the liquidlast liner. However, I was still having trouble. One eye would have thicker eyeliner than the other or I’d mess up one eye and have to start over again.

Screen Shot 2016-04-21 at 12.47.09 PM copySince I want to practice my cat eyeliner technique, I wanted to use a product that was really forgiving. After watching countless reviews on YouTube, the common denominator amongst most of them was the Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner. So I headed to Sephora.com and placed my order for the gel eyeliner and the appropriate brush to apply it with.

I have to say, I am really digging how this eyeliner looks. It is highly pigmented (a little goes a long way) and with the brush, I feel like I have way more control over the application than I did with the Smashbox liner. I haven’t tried the cat eye yet, but I will be this weekend, for sure. The wonderful thing about gel eyeliner is that if you mess up, a damp q-tip goes fixes the mistake. I haven’t had to remove my eye makeup and redo everything to get that perfect shape. Tip: if you’re new to gel eyeliner, create a line of dots close to your lash line and connect them for that flawless look. If you mess up, that’s okay. Just “erase” with a q-tip. 

Here’s a photo my look today. If you like my video, be sure to follow me on Snapchat (leighleigh915) to see the video of this look and more makeup (and every day life) stuff.

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My look today:

Foundation: Too Faced Born this Way in warm nude.

Concealer:  it Cosmetics Bye Bye Undereye

Eyes: 

• Urban Decay 24/7 black eyeliner pencil (on waterline)

• Bobbi Brown gel eyeliner in black ink on lid

• No eyeshadow

• Benefit They’re Real mascara

Lips:

• Too Faced Perfect Lips Liner in pink/neutral pink

• Too Faced La Matte lipstick in Sorry, Not Sorry

Do you have a favorite gel eyeliner? I’d love to know which brand you use. Comment below.

xoxo,

Leigh

 

April Ipsy Glam Bag

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It has arrived. My first-ever Ipsy glam bag arrived at the office on Wednesday and I am excited to share what products I received.

Well, let me backtrack for a minute. I am normally the kind of girl that hates subscription services. The longest I ever stuck with was Rocksbox because it’s jewelry I could wear and give back if I didn’t like it (I did purchase a cute pair of earrings from them). So when I heard that I could get over $50 worth of full-size samples for $11 per month, I was a little skeptical. I read about it, took the style quiz and then busted out my debit card and signed up, and I do have to say that the products I received are pretty awesome. I have yet to really try them all, but I wanted to show you what I got.

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The theme for April’s glam bag  was “The Dreamers.” Ipsy wanted to provide products that allows people to create multiple different looks including, ultra glam, natural and high fashion. Here’s what I was given in my glam bag:

  1. Probelle Nail Lacquer in “In Or Out.” It’s not really my color for nails, but I will be sure to bring this polish to my next pedi appointment, because it’ll look fierce on my toes.
  2. Luxie Beauty Dreamcatcher Tapered Highlighter Brush #522. I have never really tried using highlighter, so there’s no time like the present to try it. Next time I go to Ulta I’ll be sure to pick some up (see what I got from my last Ulta Beauty haul).
  3. Tula Exfoliating Treatment Mask. I haven’t done a face mask in such a long time and I think with spring here and summer approaching, it’s time to exfoliate my skin so I’m really excited to try the mask over the weekend.
  4. tarte cosmetics LipSurgence lip creme in wonder. I love love LOVE tarte cosmetics. I don’t have a lot of their products, but what I do have, I consider a luxury. I am also a fan of shades of pink and red for my lips, so I’m excited to try this over the weekend, especially since I’m obsessed with matte finish lipsticks right now.
  5. Jelly Pong Pong Neapolitan Eyeshadow Palette. First off, who doesn’t love neapolitan ice cream (you know, strawberry, vanilla, chocolate combo)? Second, I love eyeshadow palettes. If you look at my makeup drawer, guaranteed you’ll find over five different palettes that I use regularly for my eyes. These three colors are some of my favorite and I can’t wait to come up with a smokey eye, natural looking and a glam look with these.
  6. You get a makeup bag every month and who doesn’t love that for travel?

For only $11 this is such a bargain. I love that Ispy chooses products that are good for you and the environment. Almost all of my products are paraben and cruelty free, so that makes me feel even better about the subscription.

Sign up today and receive fabulous products every month.

xoxo,

Leigh

 

Beauty Haul from Ulta

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It’s that time of year again. Going through my current makeup caboodle and seeing what’s old enough to toss and what I should keep. After doing just that, I realized that I need to stock up on a few things. So, I told my wonderful husband and he agreed to pay for my next beauty haul, because he’s just that amazing.

Lately, I have been obsessed with Too Faced products (specifically their Born This Way foundation) and instead of purchasing online, I googled to see which beauty store, Sephora or Ulta, had the most of their products. While it was about even, I ended up going to Ulta to purchase my latest beauty products.

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From left to right:

  1. it Cosmetics Cheek Blush Brush. The MAC blush brush that I was using was about 10 years old, so it was definitely time for a new one.
  2. it Cosmetics Concealer Brush. When I don’t have my beauty blender (or sponge) handy, this concealer brush will suffice.
  3. Too Faced Primed, Powerless, Pure (oil free). I always love a good primer and since I moisturize my face prior to putting on my primer, I needed one that’s oil free. Also, it’s good for sensitive skin, which I have, as well. I haven’t used this one yet, but I’m excited to.
  4. Too Faced Born This Way Foundation in Warm Nude. Need I say more? I love this foundation. It goes on light and still gives full coverage.
  5. Too Faced Natural Eyes eyeshadow palette. I’m really excited to try this palette. While I do have more drastic eyeshadows at home, I do love an au natural palette to play with.
  6. Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge. Ulta doesn’t carry the Beauty Blender, but this does the same thing. This morning, I put on my foundation flawlessly. The pointed tip allows for easy coverage on those hard-to-cover creases near your nose and laugh lines. Once I applied my concealer, I again used the complexion sponge to mix everything together and it works wonderfully. Easy to clean, too.
  7. Too Faced LA Matte Lipstick in Bachelorette. My normal lip routine consists of a non-matte lipstick, followed by a gloss of a similar color, so when Too Faced announced this matte lipstick, I had to give it a try. I bought my first color in bachelorette, which is a subtle watermelon pink, perfect for spring. So far, I have no complaints (I’m wearing it today) and it seems to be keeping my lips hydrated which is always a plus in my book.
  8. it Cosmetics Eyelift in a Tube (concealer and brightener in light/medium). I normally go for the bareMinerals powder concealer, but I decided to give this a try since I use a liquid foundation. Today was my first day using it and I have to say I love it! The coverage is great and it really eliminates the under eye puffiness that comes from lack of sleep or stress. I haven’t tried the brightener, but I’m excited to put that near my eyes, forehead, nose and chin to really give my face a little extra highlight.

Okay, I do have to say that I’m obsessed with Too Faced’s packaging… Am I right?

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What are your favorite products to get at Sephora or Ulta? Have you tried these yet? Let me know in the comments.

xoxo,

Leigh

Ipsy Glam Bag

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courtesy of ipsy.com

I am always in search of new makeup, especially eyeshadows, lipsticks and glosses, blushes, mascara and the occasional liquid eyeliner. Being the Virgo that I am, I do extensive research before forking over a substantial amount of cash for a new makeup product by a top notch cosmetic line. If I had it my way, every product would be available in sample form and I could try things out and see if they work for me.

That being said, last Friday night, an old colleague of mine from my retail branch banking days told me about the San Mateo-based company, Ipsy. I had never heard of Ipsy, but she said that it’s similar to Birchbox, and you get to keep these cute little makeup bags along with your samples, for only $11 per month ($10 for the samples/bag and $1 for tax). Before even paying for your first glam bag, you go through a whole questionnaire about your skin tone, eye color and complexion, along with what brands you like and products you may use and other important makeup and beauty questions.

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courtesy of ipsy.com

I’ve looked through past glam bags and they’re all fabulous. Each bag is catered to your specific profile, so no one bag is the same. I haven’t received my first bag yet, but I will be sure to review the products once I get it (should be around mid-April). You can earn points to redeem more products and enter giveaways, as well.

You can learn more about Ipsy and sign up here.

Do you subscribe to a different glam box? Let me know in the comments.

xoxo,

Leigh

M•A•C Select Rewards Program

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Courtesy of MAC Cosmetics

I have been using and wearing makeup since I was 12. My go-to at the time? The Wet ‘n’ Wild collection from my local Rite Aid. Once I turned 16, I got a job, and while I didn’t have any bills to pay, all the money I earned went straight impulse buys. That’s when I really started experimenting with pigments, shadows and blushes with none other than M∙A∙C Cosmetics.

For a long time their “rewards” program was exchanging six empty bottles (foundation, primer, eyeshadows, lip glosses, etc.) for a new lipstick of your choice. So when I was perusing the beauty section of PopSugar yesterday and came upon the M∙A∙C Select Rewards Program, my eyes lit up. A lot of beauty stores provide a rewards service already (think Sephora or Ulta), so it’s nice to see a cosmetic line that isn’t necessarily carried in those beauty stores providing a rewards program for their loyal clientele.

Here are the basics:

There are three tiers: Seduced, Devoted, Obsessed and each provide a certain amount of perks. You start out in the seduced category and the more you spend with M∙A∙C, the quicker you climb up to the obsessed status.

Perks:

Seduced

  • Exclusive limited-edition products
  • Annual gift just for M∙A∙C Seduced members
  • Back-to-M∙A∙C tracker Expanded
  • Convenient Back-to-M∙A∙C tracker
  • Product samples at checkout
  • Complimentary standard shipping

Devoted (spend $150 [on qualifying purchases] to become Devoted)

  • Exclusive limited-edition products
  • Exclusive anniversary gift for Devoted members
  • Early access on selected collections
  • Enhanced product samples online
  • Back-to-M∙A∙C expanded
  • Convenient Back-to-M∙A∙C tracker
  • Complimentary express makeup application
  • Complimentary 2-Day shipping (with $50 purchase)

Obsessed (spend $500 [on qualifying purchases] to become Obsessed)

  • Exclusive limited-edition products
  • Deluxe anniversary gift for Obsessed members
  • Be the first to shop selected collections
  • Enhanced product samples online
  • Complimentary 2-Day shipping (with $50 purchase)
  • Access new products before anyone else
  • Back-to-M∙A∙C expanded
  • Convenient Back-to-M∙A∙C tracker
  • Two complimentary makeup applications

I can’t wait to replenish and add more M∙A∙C eyeshadow palettes, glosses and blushes to my collection to reap these benefits.

Will you be signing up for the select rewards program?

xoxo,

Leigh