Review: Sephora Friends and Family Haul

Hi Darlings,

Well, my Sephora shipment finally arrived and I wanted to review the products that I purchased.  I ordered the Sephora Deluxe Fragrance Sampler, once you have sampled the fragrances you can receive a full size bottle of your favorite scent.  The sampler includes:

- 0.05 oz Bvlgari Mon Jasmin Noir Eau de Parfum
- 0.05 oz Clinique Happy Eau de Parfum
- 0.05 oz Coach Poppy Flower Eau de Parfum
- 0.05 oz Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Eau de Toilette
- 0.05 oz DKNY pureDKNY Verbena Scent Spray
- 0.05 oz Giorgio Armani Acqua di Gioa Eau de Parfum
- 0.03 oz Givenchy Very Irresistible L'Intense Eau de Parfum
- 0.06 oz Gucci Guilty Eau de Toilette
- 0.05 oz Juicy Couture Eau de Parfum
- 0.04 oz Marc Jacbos Daisy Eau de Toilette
- 0.05 Prada Infusion D'Iris Eau de Parfum
- 0.05 Versace Bright Crystal Eau de Toilette
- Refillable Fragrance Atomizer

How it works:
1. Purchase the Fragrance Sampler as a gift or for yourself.
2. Sample the fragrances and choose a favorite.
3. Fill in the enclosed voucher.
4. Bring the voucher into a Sephora store and redeem it for a fragrance.

I like the idea of being able to try different fragrances.  I love collecting fragrances but I also like to wear different ones, so in an effort not to waste money I'd rather have samples of fragrances that I can wear, just gives me a good variety and a great mini collection.

I also purchased the Sephora by Opi Nail Color Quick Dry Spray (really needed more of this stuff!), and the Fresh Mini Sugar Kissing Trio.  I've been eye-ing the Fresh Sugar Kissing lip balms (I think thats what you would call it) and was thinking about purchasing.  Now the full size version is $22.50 and I couldn't justify spending that much on what is essentially a tinted lip balm.  I really liked the color passion (a gorgeous red color) and also like honey (kind of like a brown-y nude color), so since I was torn I decided to get this sampler of 3 colors: Passion, Honey, and Plum.  As you can see I really like this sampler sets!  At $28.00 for the set trio I couldn't pass it up.

So, what's the verdict on my purchases...love!

Top 5: Things I'm loving right now

Hi Darlings,

There are a few things that I'm totally loving at the moment and wanted to share them with all of you.

• Salma Hayek's Nuance Tinted Moisturizer in Medium
• NYX Blush - Pinched (supposedly the dupe for NARS blush in Orgasm)
• L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes Mascara - Carbon Black

• St. Ives Apricot Scrub

• Clean & Clear Morning Burst Cleanser

I've been using the scrub all over my face gentling exfoliating my face in a circular motion (after I've brushed my teeth) and once I've rinsed away all of the scrub I follow that with the Morning Burst cleanser.  I find that this helps to keep my skin smooth, clear, and glowing!

FOTD: Smokey Greens

Hi Darlings,

I do live in New York (not too far away from the city) and from time to time I try to get into the city whether I'm meeting a few girlfriends for dinner and cocktails or catching some of the night life.  A few weeknights ago, hubby and I took our son and a girlfriend of mine to see the Radio City Christmas Spectacular show.  It was a great show and definitely worth seeing.  I've seen the show a number of times over the years and this was the best I've ever seen (thanks to 3D effects and visual enhancements).  My favorite part is the gradual falling of the wooden toy soldiers (a.k.a. "The Rockettes").  If you are ever in town around Christmas, you should definitely check this out.

We also went to see the famous Indian comic, Russell Peters since it was the comedy festival in town, at Carolines on Broadway a few weeks ago.  We met a few friends in the city for dinner first at Arianna Afghan Kabob Restaurant (on 9th Avenue).  This is a narrow, tiny hole in the wall restaurant, but as I've come to know over the years, the hole in the wall restaurants are ususally the ones where the food is so authentic and seriously that good.  When we got there the owner/cook/seating hostess/waiter (basically a one man show!) promised to kick out other patrons to accommodate us.  Mind you, the restaurant only had maybe 10 tables (if even!).  Not only was the food stellar, but the service was entertaining, thanks to our waiter/seating hostess/owner/cook! After dinner we headed over to see Russell Peters and it was an awesome show.  I saw him a few years back and was glad that he didn't recycle any of his old material.  In fact, his whole routine was basically all improv, making jokes out of people in the audience and such.  We had a really great time and basically laughed our pants off the entire night.

Whenever I go into the city, I do like to get all dolled up...its part of the glamour of city life!  I was planning to wear a green/black halter blouse and black skirt.  I kept thinking that the blouse was green, but looking back it is actually more light teal than green.  Anyway, since I do love smokey eyes, I decided to go with a smokey green eye paired with nude lips and this is what I came up with:

Here's the full breakdown...

FACE:
Forgot to put moisturizer!
Smashbox Primer Light (for oil-control)
MAC Prolongwear Foundation - NC42, applied with MAC 109 brush
MAC Loose Mineral Powder - Medium Dark, applied with the same brush

EYES:
Urban Decay Primer Potion
MAC Paint Pot - Rubenesque
MAC eyeshadow in Humid - all over the lid with the 239 brush as well as smudged under the lower lashline
MAC eyeshadow in Swiss Chocolate - to blend in the crease with the 217 brush
MAC eyeshadow in Retrospeck- on top of Humid with the 239 brush
MAC Pigment in Forest Green - to give that smokey effect in the crease area, with the same 217
MAC eyeshadow in Femme Fi - to highlight with the 227 brush
Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliner in Zero - on the upper and lower lashlines as well as to tightline
MAC eyeshadow in Carbon - to soften the upper lash line, smudged out a bit
Ardell False Lashes - Demi Wispies
Maybeline Mascara - Clear (to attach my real lashes to the fake ones, also makes it easier to take off)

CHEEKS:
MAC Blush - Blunt, to contour with the 168 brush
Elf Blush/Bronzer duo - the blush side (supposedly the dupe for the famous NARS Orgasm blush, and very close I might add!)

LIPS:
NYX Lipliner - Coffee
MAC Lipstick - Velvet Teddy
MAC Lustreglass - Love Nectar

Hope you guys enjoyed reading this post as much as I enjoyed creating this look.  Please let me know your thoughts and feedback and your way of creating a Smokey Green eye.

Sending positive thoughts your way...

CC

Review: Salma Hayek Nuance Tinted Moisturizer (Medium)

Hi Darlings,

I happen to be shopping at a CVS in the neighborhood for a few essentials, and of course I have to checkout the drugstore makeup aisle.  Now, up until 2 years ago I only shopped for makeup products at drugstores.  What brought me to MAC, NARS, Bobbi Brown, and others is when I stumbled upon a few YouTube videos showcasing these makeup lines, how they were being used, and I immediately fell in love!  I no longer purchased drugstore beauty products after that.  They have a wide variety of colors and selection for people of all skintones.  I was officially a convert and no longer a makeup virgin.  I guess you can say that MAC took my virginity :) And like Madonna says, "Like a virgin...Ahh...touched for the very first time!" (sidenote: I am a huge Madonna fan!)

Ok, so back to my point, I was looking through the beauty aisle and stumbled upon Salma Hayek's beauty line called Nuance.  I don't care too much for the name, so that didn't really catch my attention.  I wanted to see what she had to offer and from my quick scan of the line she offered foundation, concealers, eyeshadow compacts, lip quads, and tinted moisturizers.  I have been looking for a good tinted moisturizer to add to my routine for a while now.  I know plenty of people have reviewed and glorified Laura Mercier's tinted moisturizer, but I cannot justify the $42 price tag for just a tinted moisturizer.  Foundation - I can understand that, but for an everyday tinted moisturizer I couldn't open my wallet.  My expectations for a tinted moisturizer was to even out my complexion, so you can see, my expectation wasn't too high.

Salma Hayek offered her flawless wear tinted moisturizer at $14.99.  The product advertises, "Oil-free, sheer coverage delivers a healthy, radiant glow for all skin types."  Now, me personally I consider my facial skin to be more on the combination/oily side.  I was skeptical to think that a drugstore line can prove to be a great product, but the price tag convinced me to give it a go.  What could I lose right? I could always return it as a dissatisfied customer :)  I purchased the shade medium as it seemed like it would be just enough tint to even out my skin.  There is a medium/deep shade that I considered purchasing but my one qualm with purchasing the darker shade is that it may oxidize later on, making you look darker than you already are (and that would definitely be an issue for me!)

Now, I realize that I should have taken before pics as well (I promise to update this post with a "before" pic at some point). 

Here's the full breakdown of what I wore when the pics below were taken...(after a few hours of wear)

FACE:
MAC Matte Primer
Nuance - Tinted Moisturizer (medium)
Makeup Forever HD Microfinish Powder - dusted all over with a fluffy powder brush

EYES:
Sephora - Kohl liner on the upper and lower lashlines
L'Oreal Million Lashes Mascara - Carbon Black

LIPS:
MAC Lipstick - Fluid, pressed onto lips for a stained look

Here is how I looked approximately 12 hours after I applied the tinted moisturizer.

I don't have any concealer on and I am very happy with the result of how this tinted moisturizer performed.  I didn't blot or touch up my face with powder at all the whole day.  This one stop shop is definitely all I need to make my morning routine that much easier.  Thanks Salma!

Since I am still in this beginning, honeymoon phase of testing this product, I will try it out fully for at least 2-3 weeks before I really make up my mind, but so far I think I will repurchase this product when I run out!

Have you tried out this tinted moisturizer or any of the other products from this line?  If so, share and tell me about your experiences with Nuance.

Hope this inspired you to try and see for yourself.

Sending positive thoughts your way...

CC

Spotlight: MAC Melon Pigment

Hi Darlings,

How many of you like melons?  I'm not just talking about honeydew, cantalopes, or watermelon...I'm referring to MAC Melon pigment!  I think this is their most popular pigment since it seems to pop up in almost every holiday bag.  Who can blame MAC for including it in almost every holiday collection, it is such a gorgeous peachy-gold shade that I think flatters all different skin tones.  I had a few samples that I eventually pressed to create a solid shadow.  I have to admit, I was nervous about pressing pigments, but it was an easy process that didn't take long and was actually fun to do.  I created my very own MAC palette of pressed pigments and really enjoy using them.

Back to Melon...I've used melon pigment numerous times and its also in a few of my FOTD's.  I love pairing Melon with browns and purples in the crease.  I'd like to pair it with Deep Truth shadow to see how that comes out...will have to do a post about that!

If you haven't tried Melon pigment before I would go to your nearest MAC store or MAC counter and ask for a sample.  I've noticed that many sales associates are a bit stingy when it comes to giving pigment samples, but there is one particular sales associate in my nearest MAC store that gives a very generous sample.  All you need is 2-3 of those generous samples to have enough to press the pigment into an eyeshadow.  There are even sites that will sell samples, as opposed to paying $20.00 for the full size bottle (which would take an eternity to use up, unless you are really using that color every single day!).  One such site that I like to use is http://www.thebodyneeds2.com/.  Their service is great and reliable and it is authentic MAC pigment (beware of fake MAC on the internet). 

The other benefit to pressing the pigments is you don't run the risk of fallout that you would otherwise have with pigment.

Have you tried Melon?  Tell me about your experience with this color!

Sending positive thoughts your way...

CC

FOTD: Summer Gold Look

Hi Darlings,

I'm trying to keep the momentum of consistent postings going, so as long as I have the motivation (and energy!) to do it, I'll hopefully keep this up and not go into hibernating mode!

I'm just now getting to pictures that I've had on my camera from the summer and finally uploaded them into my computer (hence all these recent posts!).  This is a look that I wore to my birthday party this summer.  Hubby and I invited some friends over for a casual bbq and then my girlfriend and I (practically my soul sister :) ) went out to a hookah lounge literally after midnight!  It was a fun night, in fact so much fun that our sons were up talking and playing until 4:30 in the morning! Needless to say, we were all pretty tired the next morning.  Nonetheless, it was an evening of great food, great drinks, and even better friends.

Now, on to the look...

I loved wearing this gold look for the summer, overall I'm really happy with how it came out.  In retrospect, however, I wish I had added lashes to glam up this look even more...oh well, there's always next time! 

Here's the full breakdown...

FACE:
MAC Prolongwear Foundation - NC42 mixed with a bit of NW35, applied with a buffer brush
MAC Prolongwear Concealer - NW35, applied with the Sephora airbrush concealer brush (under my eyes)
Makeup Forever HD Microfinish Powder - to set

EYES:
Urban Decay Primer Potion - Prime those lids baby!!
MAC Paintpot - Rubenesque - applied to the lid (with my index finger)
MAC Pigment - Melon (this is a pigment that I pressed) - applied to the lid
MAC Eyeshadow - Bronze - blended into the crease with the MAC 217 and applied under the lower lashline
L'Oreal Liquid Eyeliner - Black - applied to the upper lashline
Prestige Total Intensity - Deepest Black - applied to the waterline, and also to tightline
L'Oreal Million Lashes Mascara - Carbon Black

CHEEKS:
NARS Multiple - South Beach, applied with my fingers to the apples of my cheeks
Nars Blush - Torrid

LIPS:
MAC Lipliner - Subculture
MAC Lipstick - Mocha
MAC Lustreglass - Love Nectar

I really hope you guys enjoyed this FOTD and keep checking back regularly for more updates.

Stay beautiful, inside and out!

Sending positive thoughts your way...

CC

Sephora Friends and Family Sale 2011

Hi Darlings,

Hope all of you are doing well.  It definitely feels like fall with all of this cold weather we've been having lately.  I love Fall, but it also reminds me that the year is ending and that just means I'm getting older (uhh...I mean wiser!)

For those of you who don't know, Sephora is having their annual Friends and Family sale where you receive 20% off your entire online purchase.  In the past they would advertise a universal coupon code (like FF2010) that you enter at the time of checkout.  This year they are doing things differently.  You have to enter your email address at a designated link to receive a coupon code in your email.  Follow the link below to enter your email address to receive that special code.  You can enter multiple email addresses to receive additional coupon codes.  If you spend $50 or more you also receive free shipping!  This offer is good through 11/2/2011.

I already purchased a few things and will post my review once I receive my shipment.  Be sure to comment and include your own reviews on your haul.  Happy Shopping!

http://www.sephoralove.com/friendsandfamily/

Sending positive thoughts your way...

CC