November 2012 ipsy (My Glam?) Glam Bag Review & Swatches

Posted on November 14, 2012 by Brooke

This Summer, after I received my June Glam Bag and did an open box video, I cancelled my MyGlam Glam Bag subscription. It was such a disappointment across the board for me. Weird products, chemical smells… just wasn’t impressed.

So, what made me resubscribe? Well, I got an email saying if I came back I’d get a Benefit They’re Real Mascara as an extra. I do love that mascara, and My Glam had morphed into ipsy (Why? I have no idea and frankly I’m too lazy to look) so maybe it’s better now. Without even looking to see what the bags had been between June and now I went ahead and forked over my $10 to re-subscribe.

Holy….. This is AMAZING. I’m floored by how great this month’s bag is for 10 bucks.

What you see above is a cute and classy deep brown makeup bag with a gold zipper. I believe it’s canvas. Very nice, no chemical smell. Useable! The two cards are just showing deals and discounts that ipsy subscribers can get when shopping with the sponsors of this months bag as well as a deal on a justfab.com subscription.

What’s inside?

Clearly, if you read the start of this post, you know it’s all good things.

Starting on the top left is a nail lacquer from Nailtini in the shade Millionaire. SO pretty, right? It’s a mix of regular glitters and bar glitters in multiple shades, and just makes me think of a New Years Eve extravaganza. It’s shown below as one coat over Chanel Malice.

Next, from Benefit, the They’re Real Mascara, which I’ve reviewed here. It’s a great mascara if you’re in the market for some va-va-voom on your eye balls.

From theBalm, one of the shades in the Meet Matt(e) Palette. The shade I got is Matt Batali (sounds Italian, so imma say it’s appropriate for me lol) and it’s a deep eggplant color. So smooth and pigmented for a matte shade. Very impressed and I just may have to purchase the full palette so he can hang with his buddies.

The fourth item is a bareMinerals Marvelous Moxie Lipgloss in the shade Dare Devil. The applicator is sponge doe-foot (YAY) and it’s only slightly sticky. The vibrant pinky-purple shade has a hint of shimmer. It may look scary, but on the lips it’s sheer and just gives a hint of color. I fear shades like this on my lips, but this one looks gorgeous!

The final item is from Starlet Cosmetics and is a Black Eye Pencil. I’ve never heard of this brand, but I found the liner to be smooth in application and though the black shade isn’t super saturated it wore nicely and is easy to smudge for a smoky, party eye.

(L-R: theBalm Matt Batali, bareMinerals Dare Devil, Starlet Eye Pencil)

It seems based off the one card that some people also got an Eyebrow Defining Gel from Chella. I’ve never heard of that brand, but I can always use brow gel! Would have probably liked that in place of the liner, but either way, I’m still VERY happy with this months bag and will be continuing my subscription into December.

By the end of this email I convinced myself that, as a blogger, I need to become educated on ipsy. I haven’t been on the site since June, but it looks MUCH more clean and organized. More like I’d expect it to be.

They do profile pages now, so here is mine. There isn’t anything there, but I think it’s fun that it’s offered. Hopefully they’ll also go by way of Birchbox and GlossyBox and have a referral program set up or a point system in place for free products. After seeing how awesome this bag was, that is really the only thing holding them back.

Here is where you can go to subscribe to ipsy for a Glam Bag. It’s not a referral.

What do you think about the November Glam Bag? Are you going to subscribe for December?

Benefit WATT’S UP! Highlighter Swatches & Review

Posted on September 6, 2012 by Brooke

For those days when you need a little pick-me-up, Benefit has a cream-to-powder highlighter ready and willing to make you luminous!

Watt’s Up! features a creamy highlighting stick on one end and a soft-glow sponge blender on the other end for the perfect application every time.

Below is a sample size that I got as a GWP. I loved it so much as a brow highlighter I had to share with you!

What the Sephora website has to say about Benefit Watt’s Up!:

What it is:
A soft-focus highlighter for face.

What it does:
This cream-to-powder highlighter turns up the wattage with a delicate, gorgeous champagne glow. Its smooth application and luminous sheen switches on the “wow” factor for any complexion. Apply it to cheeks and browbones, then sculpt with the soft-glow blender for your perfect gleam.

(one swipe, blended out)

Watt’s Up! is a pearly, peachy champagne highlight that can be used anywhere on the face. It goes on creamy and blends easily, allowing for a soft shimmer. Just dab lightly, and blend!

My favorite way to use a sample size, such as this, is as a brow highlight. It’s the absolute perfect size to get right into your arch, dab on color, and blend out.

A full size Benefit Watt’s Up! will set you back $30.00. I received this sample free with an order, likely from Sephora. For the month of September, Little Black Bag is also putting a Benefit sample in each bag. If you are new to Little Black Bag use the Code FACEBOOK10 for 10% off of your first bag.

Benefit BELLA BAMBA Blush Swatches and Review

Posted on February 14, 2012 by Brooke

It always seems as though Benefit is a brand that knows how to do a luminous blush and do it right. Nothing is too over the top, and they all seem workable with just about any skin tone. Bella Bamba Blush is rather new to the line, but has received high accolades from bloggers and makeup lovers worldwide.

What the Sephora website has to say about Bella Bamba Blush:

What it is:
A watermelon-pink blush laced with shimmering gold undertones.

What it does:
This boxed blush, with a mirror tucked inside a magnetic closure flip-top lid, amplifies cheekbones and creates the illusion of sculpted features for a gorgeous 3D effect. Your face will look instantly brighter with just a quick swipe of this ultra-flattering color on the cheeks.

Size: 0.28 oz

Bella Bamba (watermelon pink) is the perfect blush to use lightly if you want to look fresh and awake. Add on another layer in the evening to amp up the shade and liven up your face for evening. The shimmer is understated so you won’t feel like a disco ball, but will still give you that luminous glow.

I am loving the packaging of Bella Bamba. It’s so flashy and 70′s! The WOW factor of the packaging almost takes away from the blush itself…almost.

Bella Bamba Blush retails for $28.00 and is available at Sephora.

Benefit BROW ZINGS in Medium Review, Photos

Posted on February 5, 2012 by Brooke

Generally, for brows, I rely on Dior DiorShow Brow Styler which comes in a Universal Shade. I love this product, but it’s expensive for how fast I go through it ($29 at Nordstrom and I need a new one about every 3 weeks).

I went to Ulta the other day with the intent to find something just as good, but easier on my wallet. It was a Sunday, so a Benefit rep happened to be there and she recommended the Benefit Brow Zings and matched me with the Medium.

What the Sephora website has to say about Brow Zings:

What it is:
An eyebrow shaping kit.

What it does:
Benefit Brow Zings comes with all the tools you need for clean, smooth, perfectly-defined brows.

What else you need to know:
The kit includes a soft, pigmented wax that defines and shapes brows and a color complementing setting powder to keep them looking wow, plus discreet tweezers for pesky stray hairs, a hard angle brush, and a blending brush.

Size: 0.15 oz

Brow Zings comes with a colored wax (left) and a setting powder (right) as well as three tools (angled brush, blending brush, and tweezers) to have your brows looking perfect. For me, this product wasn’t ideal. (side note – I didn’t do swatches because it’s just a wax/powder and the wax is colored, but sheer and looked a little weird. This isn’t a product that would be beneficial to see swatched on an arm.)

Background: I have very sparse brows. I didn’t used to have brows like this. If you can believe it, having kids made my brows go thin and half of one even disappeared! They tested my thyroid over and over and did a series of other tests, but nothing was wrong. Luckily, applying Le Metier de Beaute Peau Vierge Lash Growth Serum brought the missing eye brow back enough so that I had something to work with.

The Benefit rep told me this product was nice because it had a colored wax and it was waterproof. Plus, it will last a long time (she said she’s had hers for TWO YEARS). I really dislike the colored wax, but I liked how the product held and looked. I ended up going back to Ulta to find a product with a clear wax and a setting powder (to be reviewed later this week) and am very pleased with that.

I think that this product would be better for someone who does not have sparse eye brows. It is an excellent product, overall, just not for me.

Benefit Brow Zings retails for $30.00 and is available at Sephora and Ulta.

January 2012 Giveaway! Happy New Year with Benefit THRRROB and GEORGIA Blush!

Posted on January 2, 2012 by Brooke

In honor of the New Year this giveaway will feature 2 beautiful blushes
from Benefit to start your New Year off in a glowing way!

Please wait for the Rafflecopter widget below to load, and follow the 
instructions on each option to add in your entries.  The first option is
mandatory, so once you do that one it will unlock the other options for
extra entries.

If there are ANY issues with the widget please email me or send me a 
message on Facebook or Twitter so I can address this for you!


The terms and conditions are listed in the widget as well, but YES this giveaway is

open internationally!

Hopefully everything is covered, if you have any questions please feel 
free to email me or send me a message on Facebook or Twitter.

I've disabled comments on this blog post so there is no confusion on how to 
enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*** Items were purchased by me for the purpose of this giveaway.

Benefit THEY’RE REAL! Mascara Swatches and Review

Posted on November 18, 2011 by Brooke

I’m sure by now you’ve seen the ads for Benefit They’re Real Mascara… the beautiful brunette with the huge ta-ta’s promoting huge lashes. I happen to have a sample of this mascara that I received from one of my various online orders to see if I also get huge ones. Lashes, I mean.

From the Sephora website:

What it is:
A jet-black mascara that lengthens, curls, volumizes, lifts, and separates lashes for a spectacular “out-to-here” look.

What it does:
This mascara features an exclusive brush specially designed to maximize the performance of the long-wearing, glossy formula revealing lashes you never knew you had! Staggered bristles grab close to the root, boosting length and volume beyond belief. The precision bristles on the custom-domed tip lift, define, and curl even your tiniest lashes. The end result is luxurious, silky lashes that won’t smudge, clump, or dry out.

Research results:
-94% saw dramatic length and volume*
-90% saw base-to-tip curl*
-94% saw visible lift*
-100% saw long-wearing results*
-*Results observed in a consumer panel survey

They’re Real! Mascara comes in one shade, black, and features a nice brush that looks like it would separate lashes well! My lashes tend to criss-cross regardless of what I do or what mascara I use, but I thought this mascara worked as well as any could in separating for me. And I definitely think it lengthened and curled. How many coats do you think I used for the swatch photos? Try one.
*** The liner used in the eyeball photos is Bobbi Brown Dual Ended Eye Liner in Caviar/Gold

Benefit They’re Real! Mascara retails for $22 for the full size 0.3oz tube. You can purchase this at Sephora, Ulta and the Benefit Website.

Benefit DANDELION Blush Swatches, Review & 500 Point Sephora Beauty Perk

Posted on August 9, 2011 by Brooke

I received Benefit Dandelion in a recent 500-Point VIB Perk on Sephora.com. It actually came in a set of 3 items which were, in addition to a full size Dandelion, mini sizes of “that gal” Brightening Face Primer, and BADgal Lash Mascara.

Dandelion swatches on the arm much more pigmented than it shows up on the cheeks. I’m a little darker this summer than normal, so in the winter I might get a bit more color from it, but for right now it is a very soft and smooth highlighter. Benefit has some really amazing blushes, the colors and formula never cease to amaze me… but I really dislike the packaging =\ I just don’t like the whole cardboard box deal. I do, surprisingly, like the brush with this. It’s a thick and solid brush, and although small, surprisingly easy to use.

“that gal” Brightening Face Primer swatches thickly as a light pink, but when smoothed over the face it gives off a radiant glow and actually did appear to wake me up a bit. I thought this was a perfect time for testing of this product being that I’m sick… and it did seem to do an instant perk up. It was easy to pat and smooth on the face and I actually really enjoyed the texture… no oily or powdery feeling!

BADgal Lash Mascara is a deep black mascara, that, when used, lengthens and curls, but (in my experience) did not thicken. It doesn’t “claim” to thicken, but it does claim to be like a set of false lashes, which it is not. However, I DO like this mascara for all intents and purposes. It didn’t clump and layered up easily.

Overall, this is a FABULOUS and worthwhile set for the 500 point beauty gift. I had a ton of points saved up but between this set and another one (to be reviewed) I picked up in the store, I’ve burned through them all… so I have NO idea if this set is still available online.

However, you CAN purchase these items separately at Sephora, Ulta, or BenefitCosmetics.com. Dandelion retails for $28, “that gal” retails for $29, and BADgal Lash Mascara retails for $19.

Benefit CORALista Blush Review & Swatches

Posted on January 22, 2011 by Brooke

Benefit CORALista is a gorgeous peachy pink blush. It’s my first Benefit blush, and I’m mighty impressed. It’s soft and really brightens up your face. Personally, I use it over a darker blush or lightly as a highlighter. It doesn’t really show up well alone on my cheeks. The included brush sort of baffles me… I’ve heard it’s not nice to use with the product, so I didn’t try it.

Benefit CORALista retails for $28 USD at Sephora.com

Sephora & MAC Haulage!

Posted on July 19, 2010 by Brooke

Good day! Two in a row! On a roll now!

What happened with the UPS you ask? My mailman called me around 3:30pm EST to tell me he saw my packages sitting on the street over. Same house number, wrong street! UPS always misdelivers! Anyway, legally he couldn’t take them to me, but he said I could come get them. I can’t leave the kids or take them out so I sent my father in law on a search and rescue mission. Recovery has been completed and I’m so excited I immediately took pics and ran for the computer!

Today my UPS haul consisted of The Urban Decay Naked Palette (which has sold out online THREE times now!), my HG Lancome Dual Finish Powder and MAC Happy Together Mineralized Blush from In The Groove, Brush Cleanser, and Plushlash Mascara (when did they change the Plushlash packaging?! lol).

The Urban Decay Naked Palette is actually more gorgeous in person than it is in everyone’s blogs. Yes, it’s possible. It is said to NOT be limited edition, but they just cannot keep it in stock. It’s that amazing? We shall see!

My Sephora shipment was also stuffed with goodies! RARELY do I ever indulge in the 500 point beauty perk. TBH they are usually extremely lame. This time there was a nice little goodie bag from Benefit. A company I’ve been most curious about for the past month or so. (I’ve done some in store swatching at Sephora and Macy’s but haven’t taken the plunge yet).

The Benefit Makeup Your Mind 500 Point Perk includes Deluxe Samples of:
- BADgal Mascara Duo in black and plum
- Creaseless Cream Shadow/Liner in R.S.V.P. (sparkling champagne)
- Posietint
- Lipstick in Lady’s Choice (naturally nude)
- Stay Don’t Stray Eye Primer

I also got the Juicy Couture “Couture” Rollerball Mini for my 100 point perk and my 3 free samples are Too Faced Bronzing Powder in Sun Bunny, Urban Decay Pocket Rocket Lipgloss in Doug, and BE Buxom Lipgloss Samples in Amber and Dolly.

I’ve only tried the Couture rollerball, and I must say… LOVELY. I’ll wear this a lot! It doesn’t give me a headache AND it stays on!

Tomorrow there WILL be a FOTD with the Naked Palette! WOO HOO!