July Favorites 2012

Whoo! as we all say another month as come and gone. I'm still trying to get these out in a timely manner but, no matter how hard I try something always comes up. So I guess it doesn't matter when the favorites come out. What counts is that they do. So without further adu here are my July faves.



1. Revlon Colorstay Whipped Creme Makeup Foundation- 220 Nude. (0.8 Fl. oz.) Now the reason this foundation is my favorite is because of the staying power. This foundation holds up very well to the hot Texas heat and humidity. I was at first skeptical on using this because I had such a bad experience with the original one. For starters the original Colorstay was terrible smelling almost like a chemical floral smell. Also the coverage was awful it was just too thick no matter how I applied it or sheered it out. So when this one came out I thought great I wonder how this will compare. Well I'm happy to share that this stuff is awesome and holds up well. It is a great summer foundation for oily skin gals like me. The longest I've worn it was 18 hours and it held up all that time. Through sweating and searing heat and humidity also I didn't even use a finishing powder with it. Which was great and also no touch ups needed. I also did have a hard time finding the best way to apply this foundation. I tried so many brushes so personally for me fingers work the best and also the next item to make my favorites worked the best. So the only cons are that the price is a little more than the original one and also that you don't get as much product as well. I do like the look of the glass jar but, being that I have carpal tunnel it is quite heavy for me. Other than that I'm so happy to be able to use a Colorstay product. As for smell it does have a faint smell but, nothing my sensitive nose can't stand. So this product is definitely a keeper. I will have to see how this holds up to winter weather. I got this at Target and paid $8.99 with a $3.00 off coupon. It sells for $11.99 at my local Target and Walmart also sells it for $10.99. Walgreen and CVS also sells this but, the prices were significantly higher.

2. Sephora Classic Mineral Powder Brush #45 $26 - Well I got this brush as I have all my other foundation ones to see if this one really worked like people claimed. Well for starters it's a great liquid foundation brush. I know it says it's for powder but, of all the reviews on Sephora website many are using it for liquid instead of powder. So I decided to give this a whirl. This works great for many of my liquid foundations. This brush for me worked the best with the Revlon Colorstay Whipped foundation. It left my skin looking and feeling great. A quick alternative to using your fingers if you don't want to have to take the time to get all the product off if your in a hurry. This brush is made with synthetic fibers which are also micro microbial and won't irritate your skin. This brush is a keeper. Just beware that when you deep clean it. It will take a while to dry like two or more days so make a note of that.

3. Sally Hansen Salon Manicure Base Coat $8 - This is a great base coat for my nails which sometimes get dry and peel. This base coats also fills those areas so that your nails are as smooth as possible. Which is great because I can't really wear those metallic polishes all too well. When your nails are either pitting or peeling those metallic polishes don't look good on and make a manicure look terrible. So if you suffer like me with this problem then this base coat is worth trying.

4. Revlon Lip Butter in Pink Truffle 001 $6.49- I love this color it is a pretty wine color and I love the formula of the lip butters they are so moisturizing and non drying my lips. So far I haven't had any problems with any of the colors. I own like 7 of these.

5. Philosophy Purity Made Simple Facial Cleansing Gel & Eye Makeup Remover $20-7.5oz

I know that the original Purity Made Simple cleanser is pretty popular, but this new version is way, way better.You can use a bit, lather it up, and use it to remove your eye makeup, followed by putting some on your Clarisonic and finish cleansing your face. Your face will be super clean and feel soft. My face has an oily zone on my cheeks, my nose, and my chin. This cleanser works wonderfully and I love how clean it feels. It won't strip your skin. I like that it suds up more than the original Purity and overall, this gel formula is more effective than the original. I hope this product is always available, as it is superb and a fantastic improvement on the original.

 

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Total Beauty Collection Box May 2012

I follow Total Beauty which is a site that gives beauty advise and also rates products by customer reviews. Which is really helpful if your wanting to purchase something and not sure on it's performance. They also give you the latest in whats going on in beauty and fashion. They also have an IPhone app that will help you while on the go.

Being a loyal reader of there site. I was excited when they decided to jump on the beauty box bandwagon. While it is different and not a monthly subscription service. It is $15 for the box. You also have to opt in for it on their site. They will let you know when they one available to purchase and it's first come first serve. So when they finally got the makings for the first box. I was on the email list to be notified. I did jump on the chance to try this out and the beauty of it was I could get one whenever I wanted as long as it was available.

So I got the box last month but, I have been behind on posting. It took about 5 business days to get the box from the time I ordered it. Not bad. I didn't have to wait till all were ready or wait for a specific date to ship. To me that was a plus. The items in the box were all handpicked by their own editors makeup bags. Then when your done trying these products out you can go to TotalBeauty.com and leave a review to let people know what you thought of the products.

This is how the box comes.

  This is the card that came enclosed.

This is the box open. It has the same crinkle paper that most subscription boxes have. It's a great filler to keep everything safe but, a pain to get rid of. Otherwise that is the only complaint with the box.

Enclosed in the box was 4 items. Alterna: Bamboo Luminous Shine Mist. Kiss dull hair goodbye with this shine mist, which will give you healthier, glossier hair. Sample $4.68

June Jacobs: Green Tea and Cucumber Body Balm. Hydrate and replenish dry skin with this balm that's packed with shea butter and the nourishing oils of squalane, jojoba, and sesame. Sample $11.43

Blinc: Mascara which is mascara that tubes them instead of painting it on. It claims to not run, smudge, clump, or flake. Now this is worth a try. I remember getting one of these in a Birchbox but, never tried it. Sample $16.11

Pevonia: $15 Gift Card. This worldwide leader in skincare offers products packed with natural ingredients to help rejuvenate the skin. Just this alone is a great deal it pays for the box. I went to the site and it's also free shipping all the time no limits. There is actually things that I want to get here. Not like other services which send a card and it's off a certain dollar amount and the prices are too high already. I can't wait to try something from here.

This box was a good one. The only thing that got me was it said, you would get at least 4-6 deluxe sized samples. I only got 3 then the card which to me doesn't count as a sample. I know that I can get me something and that should count right? But, not in my eyes I work differently than that. That's just me. The total value of the box was about $47.22 which is a great deal. I saw on YouTube the second box they sent out. I was notified about it but, I had just gotten this one and didn't want to get another one so soon. I'm glad I didn't it wasn't as great.

If you want to try this box out then go to www.totalbeauty.com and look for the sample tab and sign up to be notified when the next box is available.

Introducing ELLE and Simply Vera Vera Wang Cosmetics

I just received an email today from Kohl's that they are now carrying ELLE and Simply Vera Vera Wang cosmetics. Which I think is great. I usually buy the Flirt line from Kohl's which is a sister company of Mac so I'm told.

The line for ELLE consists of Nail Lacquers $10, Individual Eyeshadow, lip colors, lip liners, lip gloss, eyeliners, mascaras and blushes all for $16. They also have cute cosmetic cases for $12. Zip around cosmetic cases & 3 piece cosmetic bag sets for $16 and a weekender cosmetic bag for $24. It seems like $16 is there go to price.

Now on to Vera and her collection which is much smaller and pricier but, not by much on her basic items. The items in her collection are as follows.

• Transforming Eyeshadow Duo $19.50
• Long Wear Lip Liner $16.50
• Long Wear Eyeliner $18.50
• Skin Illuminating Tinted Moisturizer $39.50
• Illuminating Concealer $19.50
• Smooth Shine Lip Gloss $18.50
• Smoothing Lip color $18.50
• Illuminating Pressed Powder $32.50
• Length Enhancing Mascara $18.50
• Volume Enhancing Mascara $18.50
• Lash Enhancing Serum $39.50
• Soothing Lip Primer $32.50
• Skin Brightening Primer $39.50

So here are Kohl's two newest beauty collections. I'm hoping to check these out soon. The good thing is that you can use your Kohl's charge to get these or the percentage off coupons when using your Kohl's charge which will help you save. I do love ELLE & Vera's clothing lines which is how they started. Vera also has home stuff,  jewelry, handbags, and intimates as well.  Worth a look if you have a Kohl's near by. You can also view these and order online at www.kohls.com