#FrostyBox

So I got a new box from Influenster, and it seemed to be focused on relaxing and basic care and primping.

I love trying new products, and this box mostly didn't disappoint... and one totally shocked me.

NYC's SugarPlum was a shocker.  It was so nice and it worked on me and my sister and my roommate, all of whom have different complexions.  Paired with Rimmel London's Scandeleyes Kohl in black and all i needed was a touch of blush and I was out the door this week.

The Fruit Vines were Cherry.  I'm not a huge Cherry fan but my sons are and between the three we made short work of them while working on homework this week.  Tasty, soft and waaaaay better then red vines.  We're planning a movie night for Cam's birthday and some Strawberry ones will make there way into the basket when I go shopping.

Cam was sick this last week so the candy cane lane tea sent was perfect.  I already love it and their sleepytime tea, and he is super picky.  He really liked it which made me feel better, cause I hate when the kids are sick and it was a nice treat.

I wish I had more then a small sample of the No7 serum since its supposed to work after 2 weeks, but it was nice.

All in all, a great box at a perfect time.

It's fall

I love fall.  I love the smells, colors and the pumpkin scented everything.  This fall in Oregon has been weird.  Too warm, too sunny and not nearly enough chilly days to suit me.

Plus I have not had much time to do anything with makeup.  I got a cpap machine and had a reaction to the plastic for the nose... and even the forehead.  I looked and felt like a leper and it's only now starting to mellow out.  I even backed off using my Clarisonic, which I will never do again.  My face broke out like it used to in my late teens.

I am excited about a few things.  I was hesitant about the vice 3 palette but then I saw they were all metallic and then I fell in love.  I am not super excited about the packaging, which is a surprise...

That green on the top is so calling to me.  The palette is about 60 bucks which is pretty typical especially for Urban Decay and for as big as this thing is.  I saw it hit the social media circuit pretty hard a few weeks ago and the chatter has yet to let up.  I may find myself wandering into Ulta or Sephora before the month is out to grab it.  There has to be some reward for the crazy homework I have to do, right?

Where does the time go?

So previously I talked about the Unzipped by Lorac.  I've been using it all week pretty universally.

Obviously with primer is a much better bet, all of these performed well and so buttery without fallout.  A perfect palette for those in a business setting... Also very easy to take from a daytime look to something more night time appropriate in less then 5 minutes...

It's a subtle difference but can be deepened even more so for more drama depending on your wishes.  

All in all for a palette I bought on whim I am super impressed and its been a go to for my career type wear.  

I want all the things

SO much has been going on, my Facebook seems to see me more then any other social media... well that and Pinterest.  That place is like crack...

I've recently been quietly acquiring new product, and doing lots of research into new techniques and how to apply them.  It's been fascinating but I will tell you that while some of the Facebook boards have been chock full of information, sometimes its a scary place to be...

However I did pick up several goodies from Sugarpill, Lorac, Too Faced and NYX and cannot wait to share my thoughts.  Between them I have several fun looks as well as a few more day wear/business appropriate looks that still give some OOMPH!

First I'll talk about the Unzipped palette which is new to me and bought on a whim... and I am so happy about my whims sometimes.  I have to say I like this even more then the Original Urban Decay Naked palette which is crazy.  Urban Decay is a holy grail, but this... so buttery and no fall out and the pigments are just perfect, and easily blend able.

Tomorrow I'll show you swatches with and without primer as well as a great daytime look that with this palette can then be jazzed up for an awesome date night face.

Goodies! #TLC VoxBox

Sometimes you need the real world to drag you out of the norm.  Thankfully Influenster tends to send me little something somethings which makes me take some time for myself!!

The tissue with lotion I immediately passed to my husband because his allergies, with meds have been making his nose run and its been raw... he says the lotion has helped his face!  Yay!

I will say the Neosporin to go sounded silly but we've already used it three tines between the kids and myself.  Its been a blessing for the football accident that took out a huge patch of skin on the knee, a paper cut and a bit of rug burn.  The 14 year old totally seemed to love it and I may have lost it already.

I haven't tried the gas card yet but we're going to this weekend with all the errand running going on.  This will force me to leave the house and since I have to do makeup, I get to use the Avon Reversalist.  I love their packaging.  It slide down and there is a super clear reflective mirror on the top.  The texture is nice too.  I plan on seeing how it works with under eye wrinkles since I have two that are supah stubborn.

Then while on break from school I am totally using the Ivory soap to make liquid hand soap.  I love the scent and feel, the kids however are not nice to bars, and this will leave no mess.  The scent of Ivory does take me back. 

Don't you just love little packages in the mail to break up the monotony?
(yes I got this to review, but all the ideas and opinions are my own)   

Things that make you go hmm?

Doing someone else's makeup is so very interesting because you get to try new things... here's the before and after just hanging out and trying some new stuff.  Sometimes with depression doing some pampering can help your overall feelings.

This next term I'm only doing part time school in order to get a bit of a break.  I've been going full term for almost 2 years (with summers) and I still have work to do on my associates.  Some is due to extra classes for awards/new language and Math has always been a challenge. 

This next term I am hoping to do more makeup, more Weight Watchers, more swimming and walking and talking with my doc, and less stressing out!!  Part of that will be playing in my makeup! I ended up ordering the Electric Palette from Sephora (woot) so it should be here the day after my kids birthday (/squee).

Funny that, I got a call from Ulta yesterday.  They apologized and I guess the store gets their stuff out after the web, which doesn't make sense.  I get UD having an unveiling but having it stagger like that from UD to Online to Physical shop seems... like too much.

Looking forward to my Mary Kay shipment coming in soon as well.  They just came out with a BB cream and one a hell of a lot more affordable then my beloved Smashbox, so I cannot wait to see how it works out!!

One size fits all

I love makeup for so many reasons.  Trying to list them all would be exhausting because I find something new to appreciate daily.  Yesterday it was the fact that I got to be creative and try something new.  I rarely do a bold thick eyeliner, and decided to because I had run my budget and could afford the Electric Palette from Urban Decay.  I figured I might be able to pair the bold liner with a gorgeous new color and could hardly contain myself.  Once more, I had enough time to stop by Ulta and pick it up... only I was ignored by several staff as I looked up and down the isle to figure out where they moved the Urban Decay.

Finally I had enough trying to hunt it down and centered myself in front of someone so I couldn't be ignored.  She shuffled me over quickly, and then stopped in from of the display eyeing me up and down. Being a fat chick I know the look.  I looked fine, I don't do slovenly or even run down when I step out the door, except maybe the midnight grocery run.  I had a lovely pair of slacks paid with a cami and overshirt.  My makeup was flawless.  The hair even looked cute.

She then told me it wasn't available when I asked where the palette was, and I was baffled to hear her say it wasn't available.  I know while beauty bloggers get mailed palettes first to review them and have us salivate, that I had an email and had been drooling over Urban Decay's website when I got the email that it was available.  I had even that morning checked Ulta.com to make sure it was for sale online to see if their price was different from Sephora's.  Hell it was even available at Sephora as well.  I dunno if physical stores get a different release time or what.  The rep even told me she knew when it would be at the store but seemed to gleefully let me know she couldn't let me in on it.  Which counter intuitive from a selling standpoint.

I won't pretend I wasn't bummed it wasn't available, even though it is online.  What bothered me more what that snobbery and strange love hate thing that goes on with these shops.  I have heard in the past others talk about Sephora like this, and to be honest because of my weight and knowing people only see the fat rather then a person, I tend to order online but I don't think that's going to fix it.  Regardless of my size, I will never fit the norm of perfect, and I shouldn't have to force a customer service rep to acknowledge me or even treat my with some civility.

Luckily for me, a little time with a palette like today can help shake off those things.  Too Faced "Totally Fetch" from the pretty little rebel palette can make everything awesome!  That pink is so highly pigmented a little seriously goes a long way.  I love it!  And sometimes I need that reminder to embrace Miss Piggy, a character who loves herself regardless of anyone else rather then pulling an Eeyore.

BB Wha?

                Recently had someone ask about the difference between BB & CC cream and it got me into research mode.

                Tinted moisturizers used to be the rage, light coverage as well as helping hydrate skin.  However they cannot compare to a decent BB/CC/DD cream that does that and a whole lot more…  I knew that BB creams were super popular in Asia and found themselves here.  Initially for those who used the imports for the US versions to be lacking.

BB (Beauty Balm)	CC(Color Corrector)	DD (Daily Defense)
Light Foundation/Blemish Correction	Light Coverage/ Blemish Correction	Buildable Coverage
SPF/Still Should Sunscreen Beforehand	SPF/Vitamins	SPF
Oil Control/Blurs Lines	Less Redness/Sallow Look/Spot Corrector (Much Lighter Than Bb Cream)	Less Redness/Sallow Look/ Spot Corrector
Primer	Lighter Feel Then BB Cream	Lighter Feel Then BB Cream
Hydrates Skin	Minimizes Pores	Anti-Aging Benefits/Diminish Lines
Less Wrinkle Depth	Hides Marks From Old Breakouts & Fixes Them Over Time	Brightens/Firms
Fixes Skin Texture	Oil Control/Blurs Lines	Redefines
Firms	Primer	Primes
	Hydrates Skin/Firms	Hydrates
	Less Wrinkle Depth	Matte Skin
	Fixes Skin Texture	Lightweight

                Really some like to use this when they want a natural look, others like to use it as a preface before using foundation. 

                For me I’ve tried a few and they all have their pros and cons.  I will say I like them because they do even out skin tone, and make it easier with or without adding foundation.  Typically out of the shower I SPF & moisturize the face then when I’m ready to apply makeup all I need is my primer and CC cream.  I wouldn’t say there’s a lot of difference between the BB/CC/DD debate or more about what brand does what.  Also it depends on skin.  Some find Garnier to be too oily.  I don’t, and in fact has a better foundation cover then some others.

                I will say there are several brands I still want to try because I’ve heard some amazing things about.  Especially Revlon, L’Oreal, and Mary Kay are looking good especially within a limited budget.  Smashbox is my personal fave right now, with Garnier right behind.  

Just a kiss

Its been damned hard to find the time to do more then Facebook some new looks and interests.  School certainly has taken up all of my time.

One of my favorite indie brands is shutting their doors.  Its normally a one person operation and apparently just too much.  BFTE is part of what triggered me into wanting to do more then just daily wear for makeup so I'm kinda bummed.

Nails have taken my interest as well.  However I find I am not as skilled in that medium as makeup.  It's hard to do good mani's.  Plus I am avoiding fake nails to try and strengthen mine.  KISS sent me some nail paint for being a top influenster, which was awesome.  I needed a quick pick me up in-between school assignments!

Beyond this I'm planning on picking up the Naked 3 palette (hopefully soon) as well as a few other odds and ends.  I wanna try some things from Essence and some new at Play stuff from Mary Kay.


Now to get back to my homework, that is never ending!




***While I got the product, I'm not paid nor requested to endorse them.  Just my opinions, which you would get regardless***

Mascara.... the hunt for the perfect look

So Mascara can either make or break a look.  I've noticed amazing makeup barely get the recognition it needs because that framework just isn't there.  Personally I have gone through a ton of drugstore brands to try and find the perfect match.

I think I finally stumbled onto it.  SO I love Mary Kay and have been using them almost exclusively the last year.  However, sometimes I wish I could get a little more volume without 3 coats.  What I have noticed was when I was sent Rimmel's Retro Glam that it had volume in spades.

So when I need a fast dash I grab one coat of Mary Kay and one Rimmel and between the two it looks like I have the best set of lashes in town.

This picture doesn't even do it justice... I have blonde-y light brown loashes that are super hard to see and

Crazy mama no mo'

This school semester has been beyond crazy.  I haven't had a spare moment to blog and only a little bit of time to Facebook.  I could bore you about the stress and tedium that its been lately, but instead I'm gonna talk about how I decided to cope today.  I did my nails all pretty, threw some coconut oil n my hair and a face mask on.

And I'm only gonna share the nail pic (I'd need more vodka for the rest::-P)!!

Then I got my old bunny slippers and put some new cushions in (Cozy Cushions!!)

Now I'mma gonna grab a nice hot cup of coffee, watch some makeup tutorials while everything soaks in and just relax... maybe snack up on some truffles.  

Sometimes you just gotta take a break from it all

School, Makeup and Cheese

Its been a crazy lately and to be honest I've been a little overwhelmed.  I decided to start selling Mary Kay, school has been non stop, the kids are pulling in different directions and the Hubster decided that school might be an awesome route for him too.

On top of that I'm the heaviest I've ever been which is frustrating.  Makeup however fits regardless of 20 pounds being up, and for that I am thankful;.  However school leaves very little time to practice since I am not going to beauty school.

So I have to think smart and cut some corners, especially since my teen is always ravenous.  We grab a LOT of cheese sticks and apples for on the go snacking around here.  The other is a whole wheat tortilla and stick warmed on a pan with a little bit of salsa.

Sargento paired up with Influenster so they picked me to try their cheese sticks, which to be honest I hadn't even realized they had cheese sticks.  I'm glad I got to check them out.  We picked up Sharp Cheddar and a mix of cheddar and mozzarella.  The amount of protein was both a surprise and a delight for me, and they tasted super yummy.  I don't think either pack lasted longer then 3 days and its already become a staple for the kids to take to school for a snack.

All this easy grab and go does something special for me.  It leaves me more time for makeup... which to be honest is where I'd rather be...

(Influenster sent me the VOX BOX however the thoughts are purely)

Vox Box with Cheese Voucher

SO I'm part of a site called Influenster.  People talk honestly about products and hey sometimes you can get sent things to try.  Given how crazy my life has been like I was bummed I haven't blogged but super geeked to at least share my experience.  I got the coupon for one free cheese snack and a 1.00 off another.  Off to the store... lots of variety. 

I've been trying to cut calories so the low fat mozzarella and the sharp for a taste of yum were my choices.  They didn't last long... the kids devoured them, but mom did manage to snag a few and they were perfect for in between classes with some crackers or whatnot.

Considering the protein, I like that the kids enjoyed it.  Sometimes dinner isn't on the table cause mom forgot due to watching makeup tutorials....

We also got some of the cheese snacks and made cheese stuffed meatballs.. not a leftover in the house.  
Needless to say cheese is always a hit here, and I love the flavor.  



Oh and just so you know:
"I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes."
I have to say that, but know anything I decide to review I also decide the info and will not be swayed by anything.  I'm as blunt as it gets.

Such a slacker I've been!

I sometimes struggle with trying to get anything accomplished throughout the day,  I have Ohh Shiney Syndrome... if it's shiny I'll at least stop to look.  The interwebs have Ooh Shineies EVERYWHERE, with every link.  Especially now that more then half my Facebook feed is nothing but beauty related.

Amazing picture and/or tutorial here  *click*... List of products.  Oh that looks cool *click*  New product line.... *click*... reviews to read.... Next thing I know its dinmner time, and all I've done is wallow in makeup land.  Not that that's bad, but damned if it doesn't play havoc on my sleep schedule.

I at least  manged to get my mostly cream and powdered shadows magnetized and placed on cookie sheets from the dollar store.  I'm not done as I am planning on decorating them and putting a punch through so I can hang them, but I'm pretty danged excited.  This means some serious reorganization can happen.  Currently I have all my makeup at my desk.  What I *want* is a vanity.  I'm still working on that.  In the mean time this will help with organizing and let me remember some of the very awesome colors I have.

Unless of course I add a ton of new product to the table and completely mess with it all....

Urban Decay's Ammo Box aka Shiny Glittery FUN

Follow my blog with Bloglovin So one of  the "newer" toys I've purchased was the Urban Decay Ammo Box.  I've been using it for several months now, and let me give you the skinny (which I also did @ Influenster)
You’re not going to find many un-shiny colors in this palette. They all blend really well as well and are highly pigmented.

Smog- Beautiful mid dark brown with glimmers of shine. Really a good go to brown to have.

Mildew- A mossy darker green. Slightly shimmer but the most matte of all the colors.

Oil Slick- very pigmented black with silver specks. A little goes a long way with all of these but especially this guy.

Last Call- A pearled purple pink. I love using it, and it’s very pigmented.

Chopper- Peachy brown with silver shimmer. I love to pair it with Smog as the highlight color.

Maui Wowie- My least favorite. In the pan looks like a lovely gold but it rarely goes well with anything but Mildew.

Shattered- The 2nd most matte color in the palette. A little pearl and one of the loveliest medium blues.

Polyester Bride- Sparkly White. This one can get a tinged overdone fast. It’s like the Oil slick, start with a little and build.

Grifter- A lighter (but not pastel) purple with a tinged of silver sparkle. 

 Sin- A pearled peach color, great as a highlighter.









By far an awesome palette and one to add to anything you currently own.  I am so glad I bought this one.  

Quick post before the paper demons chase me down again....

So many posts I've wanted to make, and looks as well.  Mostly I have settled with Facebook quickies because hey, I can manage to do that in 2 minute increments.

I wasn't hoping that my summer would be mellow.  It's not.  School eats every waking moment and I find my self only allowed the retreat to my workouts... blech.  Which sadly hasn't been as often as I'd like either.

I recently purchased an indie brand called Geek Chic.  They're 2 minutes from my home town and their stuff is all based off of "geeky" things.  Ninja Turtles, Firefly, Portal etc etc.

I want to do a full review but  haven't had much time to do more then give it a go with my daily looks, but I like them thus far.  The only issue that even remotely pops out is with getting it wet it feels like I have to use a ton more product, but I'm not totally sure if that for all and how subjective it may be.

Yes I know the brows need a groom... haven't had time for that either!!


This is with several products.  Some indie some L'Oreal and bare minerals.


I cannot wait for my 2 week break where I can play more!!

#PrayersforTalia

I've had so much of my own stuff going on, and haven;t been able to post or play which seems supremely small in comparison to Talia.

She's well known in the makeup community and beyond.  I've been following her story for awhile and today when I saw the post my piddling worries went out the window.

So please, say a prayer if you're so inclined, whisper some good juju to the wind, whatever you can for this brave and truly joyous person and her family.

I can't imagine it and I truly grieve for her and her family.  I hate cancer

BH and their shipping/customer service

I had heard about BH cosmetics pretty soon after diving into all the boards, sites and preen.me.  Initially I was ecstatic about a cost effective solution to my makeup wants with high pigments, but as I tend to do with companies I've never worked with before, I did some research.  The research had some not so favorable things to say.  So I sadly put everything away and looked into other brands.  I kept getting pulled back form other people, even family and decided I'd give it a go.

I am so frikkin' glad I did!

They totally have an A with me.  I bought several palettes, got it on time BUT one palette of 120 had *A* broken color.  I contacted them, and they had a new one out after I took a pic and emailed it, ASAP.  No headache, no issues.

Urban Decay did the same, sans even needing a pic but with a high end brand I guess I expect good care.

BH is an pocketbook friendly alternative to flesh out your makeup collection, and I am pleased as punch.  The colors are build-able, blend-able and work so well.  So far I've purchased their 1-4th edition palettes, and at 120 colors per I haven't even made a dent in the time.  I'm really liking some of the colors, and I love how their mattes work, and their shimmers.

I also picked up a gel liner in Metal, and it is a smooth formula, which means I will be picking up more as money permits.

I currently have the 5th edition on its way as well as trying out some brushes so we'll see, but so far I've been really happy with my experiences.

Some colors need more work but honestly, they give me so many options especially when I go to try new things.  Half the time I wouldn't even have a nearly close color needed without these guys.  It's also been fun with letting others help pick color combos because I can do what they want and still make it look good.

Some of these looks have some other products used, but the base and most the colors were strict BH palettes

BH doesn't know me, this isn't sponsored in any way. In fact none of my posts have been.  I'm just really surprised and super happy.  

UD's Ammo Box

Ammo Box from Urban Decay... it's lovely.  The one complaint is using it had glitter on my face no matter what I did.  I'm going to try BFTE's mix and fix next time to see if that might help... Oil slick is a lovely black coupled with polyester bride(white)  last call (deep pink) and smog(coppery brown)... super fun to play with

I edited this only for supremely crappy bad lighting.  I live in Oregon so of course we seem to have spring in Summer and Summer and Spring this year....and still this was the only pic to come out.  I also tend to just want to play with palettes in-between assignments to DE-stress.

I have been wanting to experiment with some colors this next week.  There's a green and pink I wanna try.  However, the last attempt was baaaad.  I need to learn the art of simplicity.

What palette do you love most this summer?

Minty Lemon....

BH palettes are amazeballs.  I am studying all this week and barely have time to play but I saw a cute look on preen.me and had to do it.

Not the best pic but it's in a  hurry.
I used BFTE's Sunshine and BH Palette I think #4.  Urban Decay's Underground finished out the look.
I need better lighting however for picture taking, and even though its summer in Oregon its been super overcast.  I have a couple more looks to upload but not today.  First week of Summer term and I am already feeling overloaded....