So I know it's a touchy subject because so many are upset that they didn't get an Epic Reward from Sephora. I completely understand, I would've been disappointed too. I got up at 7am and refreshed my browers (yes plural) until 3pm. I wasn't in the rewards boutique I was on a link provided in one of the community boards on Sephora forums. I will say that for those who didn't get anything, to go check out the community boards for the statement from Sephora where it asks you to email them your acct information and apparently they are giving you more points for the frustration and hassle. I think it's 1000 pts but I'm not sure. So check that out if you're interested. I save my points all the time I rarely ever redeem them until I actually want something they're offering. Only because there are so many promos that come out with free deluxe products with a $25 or $35 purchase, they rarely have anything in the reward boutique I haven't already got with a purchase. Which is why I don't buy a lot all at once from Sephora unless I need several thigns. I have free shipping always so I only buy what I need and use a promotion offer to get free deluxe samples and wait until another one comes out to place an order for something else I either need or want to try. It saves me money and saves me from using points as well. Not to mention I wait until they do a 2x, 3x, or 4x points promotion to place orders as well cause I get 4x the points that way. I don't place an order just to place one, I wait for the most opportune moment. I might actually do a post about all the recent deluxe samples I've gotten from paying attention to emails and such. It's times like these that I'm so glad I save them! Moving on, I got the Smashbox 1000 point perk. Which was what I wanted all along. I don't honestly have a ton that is Smashbox so I really wanted to try it. Plus it offered the new #shapematters palette and I wanted to review that. As you can see it came beautifully wrapped in a huge UPS box. It was so pretty I almost didn't want to open it. I was so excited I could hardly stand it. It was quite the presentation. So in my gift I got: The #shapematters palette autographed by Davis Factor the founder of Smashbox A Photo Finish Primer Water Full Exposure Mascara Be Legendary Lipstick in Infrared Matte Always Sharp Lipliner in Crimson and #shapematters cards that are activated by your phone it's face, brow, and eye cards. Which provide you with videos once scanned. The #shapematters palette is awesome.... it has everything you need. Brow powder and wax, contour and highlight powders, 9 eye shadows and a double ended brush. It really is amazing. I can't wait to play with it. A review will be coming up soon when I get to fully play with it.
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ALRIGHT! FOR MY SEPHORA LOVERS! SADDLE UP PARTNER AND GET READY TO STALK THE SEPHORA SITE!
I you didn't get the email, then I bring you good tidings in the form of free stuff. It's Beauty Insider appreciation week. So they're been doing 2x, 3x, and 4x points considering what level you are. That ends tonight. They're had a lot of good promos too and are currently offering a sample bag if you spend $35 in which you get 8 deluxe samples. Which are not always what's pictured sometimes they're different. The code for that is "VIBTHANKS" . The best news is for those who save their point like moi, you're about to have the opportunity to cash in big time. In the picture is not even all the rewards. They're just the best ones in my opinion. They are full sized to the best of my knowledge. The rewards list is: 1000 point perks Givenchy 4 lipsticks and small bag (VIB Rouge only) Becca Jaclyn Hill Luminizing collection comes with Champagne Pop, Opal, Wild Honey Blush, Under eye brightener and brush DR Dennis Gross Age Fighting Essentials Smashbox #shapematters contouring set comes with #shapematter palette, lip liner, mascara, lipstick and primer water Fresh Founder Favorites 4 Sugar lip balm/tints, lip scrub, and lip serum Bumble and Bumble Hair Makeover Anastasia Define and Sculpt comes with Contour palette, dip brow, tweezers, brow stencils and powders and gel, brow highlight Dior Catwalk Eyes comes with Diorshow Mascara, Primer, Navy palette brow pencil, bag, liner etc 2000 points Nars Blush Authority comes with the blush, highlighter, gloss palette and book. (Vib rouge only) YSL Couture Eye Book comes with 8 couture palette for eyes in book, 3 mascaras and an eyeliner Sephora Best Sellers Traincase filled with 17 brands of stuff Skin Inc Five Step Regimen Kat Von Liner Vault with 22 colors Best Of Bobbi Brown makeup bag, eye palette, 3 lipsticks, shimmer brick and brush, liner set, and face cream Benefit They're Real Collection push up liner in 5 shades, mascara in 3 shades, remover, tote bag and makeup bag Stila Superstars beauty balm, shadow in kitten, 2 liners, 2 smudge sticks, liquid lips in 2 colors, 2 convertible colors, mascara, makeup case and face chart. 5000 points Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill set: makeup case,eye tints in 12 shades I think, palette in Blush, 3 mascaras, 2 eye and brow maestros, eye brush and 2 silk eye pencils Elizabeth and James Fragrance and Accessories: "Cynnie" shopper, Carlu necklace, 2 perfumes, 2 oils, 2 pure perfume oils Best of Formula X: 64 bottles of nail polish (wow), 3 match clix, system power couple, the system no custom color, delete to go Too Faced Lipstick Mafia Membership:2 sets of Melted Liquified Long Wear Lipsticks, 2 sets of Melted Metallic Lipsticks, 2 melted themed bags, 2 lipstick mafia necklaces. Drybar Blowout Kit: blow dryer, curling iron, flatiron, shampoo and conditioner, round brush, hydrating shots, frizz fighter, pomade, hairspray, clips, shine mist and shower cap All of Tarte: tote bag, sunscreen lotion, primer, maracuja oil, eye treatment,self tanner and mitt, eye makeup remover wipes, rule bender shadow, energy noir palette, 4 liners, lash primer, 2 mascaras, lash curler, 2 lip surgence, lip tint, lipstick, blush, cheek stain, foundation brush, contour brush, contour and highlighter stick, bronzer, translucent powder Tory Brush Classics: Robinson "mini" tote in Comet and wallet (very nice) Perfume and 4 soaps 10000 points Marc Jacobs set (its too much too list) Visit New York with Makeup Forever: plane tickets and hotel accomodations, ground transportation between airport and hotel, half day training for two at MUFE academy, $500 in products, Jamie Palette and Natalia Palette Visit LA with Glamglow: Round Trip airefares to LA with accommodations, tour, lunch, and product demonstration at Glamglow, pretty much all the treatments and cleansers Chloe Fragrance and Fashion: Chloe Parfum, Roses Eau de Toilette, See by Chloe Parfum, Chloe Attitudes, wallet, sunglasses and necklace Viktor and Rolf Encrusted Swarovski Crystal Fragrance Bomb: Encrusted Flowerbomb Bottle Visit Paris with Lancome: airefares, hotel stays, spa treatments, 2 $100 giftcards to Lancome store, Audacity palette and mascara Bvlgari Fragrance and Fashion: 5 perfumes, shower gel, deluxe soap with dish, candle I just hit the high notes. The shade names and more details are available in this link. So far there isn't a definitive answer on when they launch on the 10th. I've heard business hours and anywhere between 6pst- 10pst. It could even be at midnight but I doubt it. Quantities are super limited and it's first come first serve so I suggest be sitting by your computer constantly refreshing your browser. Good luck my friends!! I recently got the new Makeup Forever Ultra HD Foundation from Frends Beauty. I really liked the old version and I was literally at the very end of the bottle so I thought I would give this a try. They are discontinuing the old one and this is the same price. There are 40 shades available. There are new shade names but it has a conversion chart. My original shade was 117 and my new shade is Y225 as seen below. The idea behind the ultra HD is that it's supposed to be more invisible, more lightweight and natural looking. It's medium coverage and developed for film and TV and "completely invisible under the latest 4K lens". This also comes in a stick formula. When swatched, this seemed a little more sheer than I liked I actually had to get more product to have a better swatch. So here is the old formula and the new formula side by side. The left swatch is the original and the right swatch is the new. The colors match perfectly. The old formula is a little thicker and a bit better coverage. It could be thicker because I've had it for a long time so keep that in mind. The new formula is breathable and still has good coverage to be thinner. The top left picture is no makeup obviously. You can tell I have some redness, my dark circle are alive and kicking, and some little spots. The bottom left is just under eye corrector and one layer of the Ultra HD. On the right is the finished product. I went very minimal so that nothing takes away from the actual foundation. It has some concealer under the eyes and some bronzer and that's about it for the face. It done a great job. I used it over Makeup Forever Hydrating Primer and it really performed well. I only used one layer and I'm very satisfied. This will be great for freelance artists and if you have trouble finding your correct shade in other brands I seriously doubt you'll have that issue with this. It's weightless, it feels like nothing. It doesn't transfer. Just all around really really nice. This formula is a "like skin but better" finish. Which in my mind translates to satin. It's not dewy on me at all. It's not matte though either. I think some people refer to matte as "mask like" or thick like paint. When it's really just no shine/sheen what so ever. Matte formulas are best for those who are particularly oily skin. The rest of this makeup is:
NARS New Lover gloss stick MAC Careblend Pressed Powder in Dark Benefit Gimme Brow in Medium/Deep and that's it Ardell Demi Wispies Makeup Geek Mocha in the crease Pretty low key huh? This hair is the Side Pony Tail Loop that I learned by watching Sam Villa on Youtube. Very easy and he does really awesome videos on everything to do with hair. Here lately there has been some talk around the Besame Powders from Sephora. There is Vanilla and Violet. I got the Brightening Violet as you can see. These are $22 which isn't badly priced. They are cute as can be. Feels like stepping back in time. On Sephora they are shown with a red cap but that has changed apparently. Which I think this is prettier anyway. I chose Violet because of the "brightening" affect. I was afraid Vanilla might run the risk of being a little dark. As you can see this has a slot for the powder pouf and then the lid opens to the sifter underneath which makes this far less messy which I also love. Although this is a lavender color it doesn't show up that way. It doesn't oxidize on the skin, I do feel that it does brighten some what. I use it on the under eye area to set my concealer and usually translucent or loose powders do no do well for my under eye. They tend to make me look older. This didn't do that at all but mind you I did not use a whole lot of powder. I used a dense tapered brush to apply it. I feel the pouf disrupts the concealer just a little so I prefer a brush. You will get more product application with the pouf though. You could also you a tapered duo-fiber brush as well if you wanted even less product. I've not used this for "baking" and I probably won't because that would require a lot of product that essentially gets dusted off and I find that to be a little wasteful. I would use something less expensive for that technique. I used it under the eyes here. Although I don't think it shows the brightening effect, it does show that it doesn't make me look cakey which I find can be a problem with loose powders.
Makeup Details: Eyes: Ardency Inn Royal on the lid MUG Poolside in the crease ABH Fresh Peach buffed into the crease for transition Violet Voss Rosalind glitter in the corner. MAC Rose Gold pigment on the lower lash line Face: MUFE Ultra HD foundation layered twice Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer Becca Under Eye Corrector Besame Violet Powder NARS Orgasm blush Becca Champagne Pop Kat Von D Shade Light Contour Kit Hourglass Ambient Powder in Diffused Light Lips: Stila Bellissima liquid lipstick **this photo is from Sephora I recently got the Black Magic makeup remover cloths from Sephora. They are a dupe for the Makeup Eraser cloth. These are a set of 2 for $12 and the Makeup Eraser is one for $20. I have a video on Instagram (@lovemascara) of me using this to take my makeup off. I used makeup that was hard to take off just to see how well these worked and it done a great job. You don't need cleanser you only wet the cloth and remove your makeup which is what I love. I don't always like using cleanser unless my skin is acting up and it needs some extra treatment. They are machine washable so you can reuse them multiple times. Wash them first before you use them. They come in a clear travel pouch. I can't compare this to the Makeup Eraser because I don't have it but if you're looking into getting one I would check these out because they done exactly what they were supposed to do as far as taking off general everyday makeup and heavier makeup. Not sure about stage makeup as I've not tried that yet but I would imagine it would work well on that too. This is a short review simply because it's just an all around really good product that is affordable as well. A few days ago I done a post about what was trending in the makeup world. I mentioned feathered brows and that's what this post is about. This is actually really simple if you already have a good shape to your brow. I have fuller, thicker brows so it's really easy for me to do. This is also a much more subtle and natural look than the sculpted, ombre, intense brows we've been seeing. I like both trends but this one is gonna be easier to do for beginners and just all around not intimidating. The only two products I used were: Benefit Gimme Brow and an eye shadow/brow powder. First I just brushed the brow up, to see the shape. I used LAB 2 Beauty brushes for this. The double ended brow groomer and the angled brow and liner brush. Next I go in with a shadow or brow powder that is close to the brow color. I use this just to fill in. Not line it or define it like I normally would. I use short strokes and go the direction of the hair growth. If you want you can take the brush spooly or disposable mascara wand and comb through the brow to soften the edges and keep your "feathered" look in place. This next step is where the feathered part really comes out. I take the Benefit Gimme Brow which is a tinted brow fiber gel and LIGHTLY go over the brows. I just drag it through the hairs, I don't press it against the skin. The point of the feathered brow is that it looks a little "unruly" and messy while still being filled in. Where as a sculpted brow is very structured and sleek.
Side note: The Gimme Brow is also great to use just by its self for a really low key look. If you're someone who likes minimal makeup but you still need your brows filled in a little the Gimme Brow is good for that because the fibers cling to the hair and build it up to make them fuller. It comes in two shades I have Medium Deep but it also comes in Light/Medium. Sorry about the lighting in these pictures I done this last night so they're a little dark. The new-ish trend in makeup (which is actually not new at all) is berry lips. We're a couple months away from fall and honestly plum/mauve colored lips have been relatively popular ever since Kylie Jenner wore Faux and Soar from MAC. So this look below reminds me of fall. I done a low side Chignon hair style to make it very elegant and I paired it with Tulle from Colour Pop which is my new "go to" berry lip. Oh my gosh I love it. I've already got a post about the Colour Pop Liquid Lipsticks. They sold out so fast (they're back in stock now) that I only got four. When they came back in stock I knew I wanted to pick up some fall colors. I got Succulent, Tulle, and Avenue. Avenue is a beautiful dark red. Not burgundy really, a true red. It's supposed to be the dupe for Lime Crime Wicked and ABH Heathers. I really love it. I was afraid I wouldn't but I actually really do. Will be stunning for fall and winter especially Christmas looks. Tulle is my favorite. I love this color so much. It's a beautiful plum/deep mauve color without brown tones that we're seeing so much. I've not seen a dead on dupe for this but Kat Von D Lolita and ABH Veronica are kinda similar. With this one being a little darker I think. This is a popular shade. Another shade that would be a good one to get if you don't like that one would be Bumble. Succulent reminds me of fruit punch or a cherry. It's a very bright red coral color. I think it's really similar to Harlot from OCC. But I think I like Harlot just a little more. I expected this to be a little more electric coral instead of so much red in it. None the less it's very pretty.
Again these are $6 and they shipped within two days of me ordering them. So like I couldn't love Colour Pop enough as is, they make things even better and get my order to me faster. This is not a sponsored post in any way, these are my genuine thoughts and comments and I bought these with my own money. When I was a little girl my favorite thing was to put on my moms makeup. Actually it was red lipstick that I was fascinated with. So like most little girls, my 6 yr old niece Madison likes makeup as well. She has her own makeup at my mom's house when she comes over in fact. Since she goes back to school on Wednesday I spent some time with her today and after a thorough water gun fight she wanted to look at my "log" which she means blog. She then informed me that she would like to be on my "log" and do the face painting that I had done for Halloween. I was not allowed to do her makeup though she wanted to do her own and I could do mine, and then we'd take a picture for the "log" so that someone may "like" her picture. I think most people would discourage this because it's messy or whatever. That's what being a kid is all about though. I hit 60,000 views today because of something that I've been fascinated with since I was Mady's age. So I encourage her. She also goes to ballet classes and has a pretty extensive princess dress collection. To have an imagination of a child is priceless. So although this post has nothing to do with makeup tips or product reviews, it's still about the foundation of makeup and that is "imagination". I promised her she would go on my "log" so, HELLO MADY! You done a great job and Aunt Erin is very proud of you. Disclaimer: For those of you uninterested in this feel free to scroll on by, I realize it's not everyone's cup of tea. Sorry for the crappy quality of pictures. Keep in mind this is makeup and it does wash off. She didn't put anything harsh on her precious young skin. As always you are welcome to criticize me but should you say anything about this precious little girl you will be deleted and blocked faster than you can read. Remember: be kind, work hard, stay humble. And thank you for checking out my "log"! As you know, I love all types of makeup. People ask me if I ever wear makeup from drugstores and the answer is "absolutely!". I wear something drugstore every day usually. The truth is that while there are really awesome things that you have to pay a little more for, there are also awesome things you can find cheaper. I never mind investing in good concealer, or correctors and even foundation. I do not buy expensive gloss, mascara, or eyeliners and as of the last few years the drugstore companies have really stepped up their game as far as makeup quality. So there are great foundations and concealers out as well now. Starting with your base: Revlon Colorstay Foundation (the combination/oily formula) Maybelline Fit Me Concealer (really similar to NARS radient concealer but actually a little better) Maybelline Fit Me Matte and Poreless powder (this is really nice to set under the eyes or all over the face) I forgot to include NYX under eye corrector. I think the shade is medium. It's orange. It's all that I use for my dark circles to correct. Its really similar to It Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Corrector only a little less shiny. Next up we have blush, bronzer, and eyeshadow. Rimmel Sun Shimmer Maxi Bronzer in Sun Love (it's kinda red based but I love it. I've used it to contour as well.) Milani Baked Blush in Luminoso (this can be found at some CVS but I ordered mine online. This is a popular shade and it's very pretty) Loreal Pressed Pigment Shadows (this color is Amber Rush but I also love Smoldering Plum. They are kinda expensive to be drugstore. Makeup Geek is cheaper but it's only online.) Wet and Wild shadows are really nice as well. I don't have a favorite drugstore highlighter. I haven't found one that I think is great. On to liner and mascara: Loreal Carbon Black Voluminous is my all time favorite. I never run out of it. I always have it in my kit and at my vanity. Loreal Liner Intense liquid liner. I don't use liquid liner much but I do use this to cover up the band of lashes if I need to. Maybelline Eye Studio gel liner. I love this liner. I apply it with a slanted liner brush. Not the brush it comes with. Lastly is lips.
LA Girl Matte Flat Finish Pigment Gloss. I don't know if this is in drugstores. I think it is, but not around me. I order mine from Amazon. Super affordable and just all around good liquid lipsticks. Loreal Color Riche Extraordinaire (I'm not sure if that's the entire name) This is a very pigmented gloss. It smell good but can be a little overwhelming. Kim Kardashian used Nude Ballet in her wedding to Kanye. I have that one, Rose Symphony, and Coral Encore. They're very nice quality as long as your ok with the strong perfume smell. Lip products are easy to find in the drugstore. I like the Revlon Jumbo Sticks in the matte formula as well as the Covergirl Jumbo gloss sticks that are more sheer. Maybelline Vivid lipsticks are fantastic for people who want electric and bright colors. I've always loved the Loreal lipsticks in general, even in highschool. Their nude collection in the black packaging are very nice. So that's it. There are tons of other products I've tried and liked. I want you to keep in mind that there is good and bad in every single line. Just because it costs more doesn't mean it's always good, and just because it's inexpensive doesn't mean it's crap. Read reviews before trying things or see if you can return something if you don't like it. I know Walgreens has a great return policy. So happy shopping! |
ErinI'm from Tennessee. I'm a makeup and skincare lover. I have always enjoyed creating looks but I love to help people with product knowledge and application even more. I've been able to start blogging and do these things I love because God has seen fit to bless me with the opportunity. Thanks for stopping by and visiting with me! Categories
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