Long Time, No See.

Hello hello hello! Long time, no see. I hope you havent forgotten about me! I know Ive been away for a while. Things have been so super crazy busy in my life and on top of that, Id lost an aunt to cancer, so needless to say, Ive neglected my blog a bit. But Im back, and Ive got a box of goodies to share. Ive ordered some stuff from Sephora, and these little goodies make me happy happy happy. I am excited to try out this OCC Lip Tar for the first time! Its so Barbie/plastic fantastic! Ive never tried Lip Tar before so Im a virgin to it! I also love the perfume sample postcards they sent me that I can send to my friends! Awesome! Ill be reviewing these things and posting a blog in the next few days. Sorry to be gone for so long! I hope everyone is well! Love you!!!! Xoxo

Enough is Enough.

I have noticed in the last year or so that there is this sort of movement going on. "Curvy is beautiful", "real men like women with curves", "only dogs like bones", and so on. Now, while the body positive movement is awesome, ive noticed one major problem. Its almost 100% geared toward "plus sized" women, while excluding and pretty much shaming thin women. Then there is this whole other movement that involves severe fat shaming. And it has become a form of discrimination that is almost celebrated in our culture. I thought about all the pressures women have on them, and the standards we are all supposed to live by, and it honestly gave me a migrane.

This was all swirling through my mind the other day while I was sitting in the chair at the salon chopping off my locks. The stylist couldnt believe I was cutting off my pretty hair, because she thought that women look beautiful with long hair. And the girl at the next station over, sat in almost amazement while this fat girl got the hair cut meant for tiny pixies. I told my stylist to go shorter and shorter... and she said "man, if only I had the confidence to do that once in my life"... And I told her, "its just hair... it grows back". But to her, her hair was her identity. She said that her hair, was all that she had. I found it quite sad. She seemed like a nice girl, and from our conversations, seemed rather smart and funny.. so then why would her HAIR be the thing that defines her? It seems.. crazy. Im guilty of this too, I have often thought that if it wasent for my face, id have nothing at all.

Then I think about that "movement" I was refering too earlier. Big girls define themselves as "curvy", and shame the thin girls, saying things like "eat a cheeseburger" "eat a sandwich" "anorexic bitch"... and will literally argue with anyone who disagrees. Then we get the thin girls who define themselves as "skinny" and "hot", and play health police to the bigger girls, saying things like "go the gym fatty" "god, if I looked like that id kill myself" "have you considered surgery"... and they too will shame and argue with anyone who disagrees with them. Then theres the "fit is the new skinny" group. Most of them have internet M.D.s at this point and if you dont work out 24/7, theyll defidently let you know that you should. Ive seen fit women shame thin women for being too "soft" and not having enough muscle definition... W. T. F. And men... Dont even get me started. But this thing with women, and how while trying to empower themselves, they gain thier confidence by putting other women down.. it really bothers me. We are raised to live by this standard set by men and what men find attractive, and then its like.. all bets are off in the shaming game. But my observations find that in fact, its not the men that they are trying to impress. Its women. And its not so much impressing each other, its like a competition. Whos hotter, whos thinner, who is more fit, whos got a bigger inner thigh gap, whos got better hair, better tattoos, better makeup, and better clothes.. it drives me nuts! Dont get me wrong, I was guilty of some of those things too, but over time, ive found that it does no one any good to have that attitude towards things. We all are guilty at some point. But when is enough enough. Honestly.

I often wonder to myself, when did we become so hard on ourselves and others? I mean, judgement and being self critical has always been there, but when did it get so bad? When a pretty and smart girl defines herself soley by her HAIR, because she doesnt see any other redeeming quality... its bad. This is why I applaud people like Tess Munster,  and her #effyourbeautystandards movement. Because regardless if youre thin, or fat, short, tall, black, white, fit, a clown, a transgendered person, drag queen, full face of makeup or natural... That movement is about finding and celebrating the beauty in everyone.

We as women should be building each other up, not tearing each other down. Plain and simple. The world is hard enough on us, we dont need our sisters making us feel bad too. My sons father Mike, always laughs at me, because he says that as long as hes known me, I always give other girls compliments. Weither its thier hair color, thier blush, thier nails, something... thier handbags.. anything. And I always say "why not?" Everybody deserves to hear that there is something nice about them. I dont care what they look like. I dont understand how hard it is for people to be the same way to each other, or themselves for that matter.

I really hope that someday in the future, there comes a time where women arent so insecure, that the only way to feel good is to lash out. That we all look at ourselves and see something great, and go out into the world and just radiate with confidence, uplifting ourselves and each other. Its time to take a stand and say enough to the bullshit. Because at the end of the day, we are amazing creatures. We should be able to feel good about ourselves without judgement from ourelves and others. Im not in la-la land, I know that in reality, we know that isnt fully possible, but it doesnt hurt to at least try?

So I thought about all of this, while knowing that with each chop of my hair, there will be people who will have thier opinions on my fat face and short hair, and so what. I like it, and I did it anyways. And I feel damn good about myself. Isnt that what really matters anyways?

Lips of the day.

Nyx Lip Liner in Sand Pink, and Nyx Lip Butter in Cupcake. This gloss lives up to its name, it smells like a cupcake, and goes on smooth like butter. Gives just the right amount of color and wore all day. I love it!!

Nyx.com and Ulta Haul.

I took a lil tripsy down to Ulta and picked up a few things, and also ordered a few things from NYX.com, and I am happy to share them with you before I get a chance to swatch them all. So pretty! And those Lip Butter colors are GORGEOUS!!

-Matte Finish Long Lasting Setting Spray
-Red Velvet Lip Butter (deep red)
-Cupcake Lip Butter (bright coral pink)
-Peaches and Cream Lip Butter (bright peach pink)
-Creme Brulee Lip Butter (light nude pink)
-Fortune Cookie Lip Butter (pale nude)
-Brighten Radiant Finishing Powder
-Hot Black Primal Colors
-Little Susie Butter Lipstick (medium coral pink)
-Pink Lady Hot Singles Eyeshadow (medium pink satin)
-Whipped Cream Hot Singles Eyeshadow (matte white)
-Wild Orchid Hot Singles Eyeshadow (bright red-pink satin)
-Psychedelic Hot Singles Eyeshadow (matte lime-yellow green)
-Turnt Up Hot Singles Eyeshadow (bright teal shimmer)
-Electroshock Hot Singles Eyeshadow (bright matte blue)
-Chance Baked Eyeshadow (shimmery violet brown)
-Sunkissed Radiant Finishing Powder
-1000 Years Lipliner x2 (matte taupe)
-Nude Pink Lipliner (light nude pink)
-Ever Lipliner (pinkish brown)
-Sand Pink Lipliner (medium pink)
-Hot Red Lipliner (bright red)
-Ulta Golden Ash Eyebrow Pencil x2 (golden ash blonde)
-NYX Flat Brush

Brushes Brushes Everywhere!!!

New brushes? Yes please!!!

L to R: Urban Decay Good Karma Optical Blurring Brush, bdellium Travel Brow and Liner Brush #760, Bhcosmetics Long Tapered Blending Brush, and Bhcosmetics Pop Art Brush Set

Cute right??

The Bhcosmetics Pop Art Brush Set comes in its own travel case, which is great, because when you unsnap it, it turns into a cup to hold your brushes, so you can display them as you please. I love this idea because I dont like my brushes to get smashed, so having them in the cups helps keep the shape of the bristles.

Ill admit that I am a bit of a brush snob. Ive been using Sonia Kashuk brushes for almost 15 years now. The SAME original set of brushes I should add, because the quality is to die for. I mean really, really, fantastic. They have outlasted any M.A.C. brush that I ever bought, and I literally bought the set for $20 at Target. (Thats pretty much the price for 1 M.A.C. brush.) I take good care of my brushes and they have been wonderful. But ive been wanting something new, and as much as I love M.A.C., no offense to them, a lot of thier brushes are overrated. And im not particularly fond of the new batch of Kashuk brushes at Target, mainly because I hate the cheap plastic handle (mine are wooden), that they now have. I have scoured the internet on various makeup review sites and beauty blogs, and I noticed that many of them had the same thing in common. Bhcosmetics brush sets, random bdellium brushes, and the Urban Decay optical blurring brush. I read a lot of positive reviews for these brushes, and I mean A LOT. I feel that if I am going to invest in something that ill be using on my face, almost daily, I want to make sure its worth it. Now, I have many other brushes that ive added over the years, like the lovely Kat Von D brushes, and the beautiful pink and black travel brush set from Bare Essentials, but I needed something MORE. And I got it.

I didnt know what id been missing when it came to foundation brushes, until I got the UD optical blurring brush. My foundation never applied so evenly and smoothly, and not an unblended line in sight. See, most people use the flat brushes, (see: #3 & #5 above), and I too was one of those people, but never again. The bristles are packed tight, and they are so dense, and so soft, that it gives off an airbrushed finish, and who doesnt want that look? Right?

Its no secret that I have thin brows. That said, I use a combo of pencil, and Make Up For Ever Aqua Brow. Sounds intimidating, but its far from it. Yes, Aqua brow is a liquid that you apply to fill in your brows, but once you do, it stays all day. Im talking sweatproof, waterproof, ALL DAY. Most brow brushes are about the size of #8 above. And if you look in the second picture, you can see the size difference between the two brushes. I needed a smaller, stiffer brush. I came across the bdellium 760 brush. This brush is perfect for those of us thin browed ladies. It helps create perfect lines to line out the brow, and the bristles are stiff enough to blend the product in naturally without overdoing it and leaving too much product behind. Its just right.

Now, the Bhcosmetics brushes. The long tapered brush is perfect for smoothing out any unblended line, weither it be foundation, blush, bronzer, etc. Its a dual fiber, so it has both the density and the softness that one would want in a blending brush. Its a very nice addition to any brush collection. Now...... the Pop Art brushes... Ayyydios mio! They are soooo soft! They are made of a synthetic fiber, packed tight and set in a sturdy handle. The powder brush and the angled brush (#'s 1&2), are gods gift to blush blending. The angled one is perfect for contouring the face with bronzer, and the powder brush is perfect for applying blush. Now, you can use it for face powder and use the angled one for blush, but for me, I LOVE big fat fluffy blush brushes, and this one applies the product so evenly, that I wouldnt dare use it for anything else. 3 & 5 are usually used for foundation and concealer. I use the big one for moisturiser, and I use the smaller one to apply and blend out my concealer, and sometimes, my pore minimising primer. 4 is an interesting sized brush, I use it for blending out the contour on the sides of my nose, but sometimes to sweep away the excess powder fall out from eyeshadow. 6, 7, 8, & 9 are your standard eyeshadow, liner and lip brushes, all very nice, and 10 is a spool brush best used for combing out unruly brows.

The common thing between all of these brushes, is that they dispense the product evenly, and there is little to none of the product left on the bristles. I love that, because youre not wasting product! These brushes are a great investment for me, because I know they will last a long time. If you want to splurge on a good foundation brush, id go with Urban Decay. If youre looking for a brush set to start out with, go with Bhcosmetics. The quality is fantastic and guess that, the price, is only $24!!! And more often than not, theyre on sale! Thats ten studio quality brushes, plus a sturdy travel container, all for the price of the Urban Decay brush. Insane right? I almost couldnt believe how great these brushes are. I love them. It was a very pleasent find for me. What do you think? Will you try them? If you have any questions, feel free to ask. You can find the Urban Decay brush @ UrbanDecay.com, Ulta & Ulta.com, Sephora & Sephora.com. You can find the bdellium brush @ bdelliumtools.com, and the Bhcosmetics brushes @ bhcosmetics.com.

Kat Von D Esperanza Eyeshadow Palette.

Kat Von D Esperanza Palette.

Top L to R: Selena, Dayglo (transformer shade), Galore, Placebo.
Bottom L to R: Santeria, Archangel, South, Dog Roses.

Ive been waiting for this palette for months! KVD teased us with a picture of this on her instagram a while back, then never said a peep about it. Myself and others were salivating over the colors in this palette, and I couldnt wait to get my hands on it! So alas, here we are today, and I couldnt be happier. I own most of the KVD palettes, but this one is a beauty. I have yet to wear it so ill have to keep you posted on the wear. What do you think? Perfect for spring? I think so. You can find this at Sephora stores, and Sephora.com.

Bhcosmetics Tulip Blush Duo.

L to R: bright matte coral-pink, coral-pink shimmer, both blended together.

I love blush. To me, there is no such thing as owning too much blush.. so im always looking for different shades and combinations. So when I stumbled upon this blush when searching for new blushes, and read how good the reviews were, I knew I just had to get it! I actually saw this blush in a review of the various other flower themed blushes from Bhcosmetics online, and was really impressed. The quality of the product for the price alone ($5!), was enough to make me hit "add to cart".

The appeal is the the beautiful bright coral-pink blush, but the big surprise is what happens, when blended with the shimmer on the right. These colors can be worn apart, but when they are lightly blended together, makes for a color VERY similar to NARS Orgasm. To those who dont know, Orgasm is one of the most popular high end blushes out there, from the brand NARS. It retails for about $32. I own both Orgasm and its sister blush Super Orgasm (Orgasm with gold glitter), and I love them very much, however, with that said, the problem with them is, Super Orgasm has too much glitter fall out, and Orgasm is so sheer, that it needs a lot of build up to show up on medium skintones. This blush had none of those issues. Both colors are so pigmented, that it will show up on everyone. It wasent chalky, blended on easily, and had little to no fallout. But those with a heavy hand beware! The coral-pink part of this blush is BRIGHT! So a light hand is best. Probablly with a real fluffy brush. The shimmer isnt overwhelming, and can be used seperate as a bronzer or highlight shade.

This blush wore well all day with little to no transfer. Best $5 ive ever spent on a blush. Easily. If you want the look of NARS Orgasm, without spending a fortune, this is the blush for you! You can find this, and much more, at Bhcosmetics.com!

Stila Magnificent Metals Foil Finish Eyeshadow in Metallic Pixie Dust.

Stila Magnificent Metals Foil Finish Eyeshadow in Metallic Pixie Dust.

FOIL FINISH!!! That is all that needed to be said and I was on it!!! This shadow is a stunning white gold with a pink iridescent shimmer. It feels almost damp to the touch, but it isnt. Its more of a pressed pigment than a shadow. The word "cushiony" comes to mind. Is that even a word? How about cushion like feel? Much better. The idea is, you put a tiny dab of primer on the mixing tray, add a little shadow, mix together and put on lids for a foil finish. It is tacky to the touch, and takes a minute to dry, but when it does, its beautiful.

It can be worn dry on bare skin (top left), with a damp brush over an eyeshadow base (middle left), or with the enclosed sealer/primer (top right). All shown with and without flash. This is ridiculously super pigmented. It wore well for me over eyeshadow base, but when applied wet and with primer, lasts all day. There is major fallout when applied dry so beware. This lives up to its name because it literally looks like pixie dust. Ive never seen a color so beautiful. Im defidently buying the Golden Pink one next!

The price tag is a bit high ($32), but if youre a makeup collector like I am, its a price im willing to pay. The quality alone speaks for itself. You can find these at your local Ulta, Ulta.com, Sephora, and Sephora.com.

Stila Countless Color Pigments in Finale.

Stila Countless Color Pigments in Finale.

This is a Raspberry, Orange, and Yellow swirl of a dream, and when blended together, makes a pretty coral shade. I love colors like this. Id buy colors like this over anything. The idea of the product is you can wear the shades on thier own, or together. And you can create a range of colors, which makes it worth the money spent. In this case, $8 online at Stila.com. However, this is a tad bit chalky, and wears a bit sheer. But the sheer factor offsets the brightness of the color, so it doesnt look like a stop sign on your eyes. That alone makes me overlook the chalkiness of the product. I cant wait to wear this with bright blush and a nude lip. Or hell.. I might wear it as a blush! I may have to pick up a couple other shades before theyre all gone. But be careful, these tend to stain the skin a little, so be sure to use makeup remover to take it off. You can find these at Stila.com

Loreal Infalliable Gilded Butterfly Collection Eye Shadow.

Loreal Infalliable Gilded Butterfly Collection Eye Shadow.

Top: Purple Priority. Bottom: Gilded Envy.

I love long wearing eyeshadow. I love frosted eyeshadow. I love frosted shadow that when applied wet, looks like a foil finish shadow. I love when I can find all of that in 1 product. And here we have it! I am a HUGE fan of these eye shadows in general, so I was excited when I happened to see these colors at my local CVS.

I would say that Purple Priority is a dupe for Urban Decays LE Half Truth, which I missed out on in the UD Anniversary Palette, so this shadow is a gem to me. Its a deeper shade of purple with a slight silver sheen to it. This would actually make a great liner, if used with a damp eyeliner brush. And Gilded Envy is just WOW. Its advertised as green, but I didnt get green from it. More of a golden-taupe type of color. It is something that I could easily use in the daytime for a look that gives a little extra "oomph" to my look.

They are both so frosted and sparkly and beautiful, I have no words to really describe them. They are swatched wet and dry (over bare skin), and as you can see, theres really not much of differentiation between the two applications. When applied with a damp brush, you get a foil type finish that wears all day. Worn over primer, you get a sparkly finish that wears all day with no creasing. So all in all, it is a good quality product that can be used in any way possible, AND it looks great each time.

I have a pet peeve about products that only look good if applied with primer. If youre spending money on something, it should look good no matter what you use it with. And so far, these shadows live up to that standard. I hope these are permanent, because they are stunning, and no one should miss out on these, AT ALL. You can find these at your local Ulta, Ulta.com, CVS, Rite Aid, Walgreens, and wherever else Loreal products are sold.

Coming Attractions: Urban Decay Electric Palette.

*dumps wallet and throws money at the screen*

URBAN DECAY... TAKE MY MONEY!!! Good god I literally screamed with excitement when I saw this. I am so happy to see colors that arent "Naked". And if theres liners and pigments to go with, i might as well hand them my wallet now. I cant wait for this to hit stores this spring/summer. Until then I will be dreaming of that lime green, and that orange. Ahhh *sigh*

Eye Liner Duo Sets: Smashbox Limitless Eye Liner & Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Double Ended Eye Pencil.

Top Row: Smashbox Limitless Eye Liner. Bottom Row: Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Double-Ended Eye Pencil in Naked 3.

Top Row: Smashbox Limitless Eye Liner in Indigo Ink, Onyx.
Bottom Row: Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Double-Ended Eye Pencil in Naked 3. L to R: Darkside, Blackheart.

These 4 eyeliners are easily the best eyeliners ive swatched. Ever. And I have owned and swatched a LOT of eyeliners. Off the bat I will tell you that these are great for my allergy eyes. My favorites of the bunch are Indigo Ink and Darkside. It used to be Blackheart, but the more I wore Darkside, it won me over. Indigo Ink is a dark inky blue, and it made my grey eyes really pop. The color didnt stain, smudge, or fade after all day wear. Onyx is really great matte black. IMO, it is much better than Urban Decays Perversion liner. Perversion was flaky after it dried, and did not wear all day. Onyx had none of those problems.

Blackheart is a smokey black-plum with red micro-sparkle. Its not too dark, and adds a nice little "something", for day and night. Darkside is a tricky color to describe. It is a mauve/rose/taupe type of color. It is very pretty, and can be worn with any type of neutral makeup look. To me, it is a nice refreshing change in eyeliner. Not everything has to be black... Colors like these are sexy too. When worn with the brands matching shadow, it makes for a lovely daytime smokey eye. The colors are rich, super pigmented and wear all day.

I love the idea of the dual liner sets, because you get two choices for the price of one! The Smashbox was $12 and the Urban Decay was $16. Theyre both a steal! For the quality, they are worth every penny. AND, Urban Decay has other duos also. There is one duo per Naked palette. You can find these both at Ulta, Ulta.com, or you can find the individual Smashbox pencils and the UD Double Ended Liner at Sephora and Sephora.com.

Fergie for Wet n Wild On Edge Longwearing Eye Pencil.

Fergie for Wet n Wild On Edge Longwearing Eye Pencil.

T to B: HyperSky (blue frost), Space Cake (matte brown), Violet Femme (violet frost), Ex-Stacey (pink frost).

Wet n Wild is a smart brand. This is another brand that has done an overhaul in the last few years, and a successful one at that. Back in the day, they were the cheapest brand around, and me and all the girls would do our best chola impression and wear WnW's 666 liner with pale frosty lips. Well times have changed, and Wet n Wild have gone from every girls starter brand, to a brand with a huge cult following.

They have some of the most coveted items around (ie: 8 pan shadow palettes, creme liners, and shadow primers) and they have Fergie to thank for that. When she became brand ambassador a couple of years back, everyone was skeptical. But in truth, shes brought the brand into the present day with some of the most fun eyeshadow colors and lipcolors around. Well now, shes added eyeliners to the collection. Ive reviewed the creme liners in the past (and will do so again for you all to enjoy), and have made it no secret how much I love them. Now, *clutches pearls* theres pencils!

With the exception if the brown, they are on the sheerer side, but I love that! Now see, I love bright colors, and will wear the brightest of the bright. But not everyone is like that, and they may want to try a color, without circus clown results. These pencils are for you. They layer well, so you can build color up to the opacity youre comfortable with, and they also wear very well. I washed my hands many times after swatching and they stayed in place. I was impressed, for such a wallet friendly item, to wear as well as some of my high end liners. I have allergy eyes, and they held up through that too. I was very pleased. They come in black, briwn, white, pink, purple and blue. The black and brown are matte shades and the others are frosted. Best 4 bucks ive spent in a while! Budget friendly and pretty, why not own them all! You can find these at your local Walgreens, and ive read that you can find them at Walmart also, though I havent seen them there.

Maybelline Colorsensational The Buffs Nude Lipcolor.

Maybelline Colorsensational The Buffs Nude Lipcolor.

L to R: Blushing Beige, Truffle Tease, Touchable Taupe.

The great nude lipcolor debate continues! It is so hard to find a color that is wearable, and doesnt leave you looking like a corpse or that you have foundation lips. I have colors from MAC, Kat Von D, Smashbox, NYX, and so on. Theyre all beautiful... however they are all either dry, too pale, too grey, so pink that its not really nude, etc. These are colors that flatter all skin tones. They arent dry and chalky, or super sheer, or over shimmery. They are simply beautiful nude shades, that I will wear all the time. Im really hoping they include these in thier permanent line, because I know a lot of people who will continually buy these if they do. Theres a total of ten shades I believe, and they range from light to dark, so theres one for everyone! I know im defidently going to go buy more. What do you think? How do you feel about nude lipsticks? Would you wear them? You can find these at Ulta, Ulta.com, and your local drugstore.

Maybelline Master Hi-Light Hi-Lighting Blush.

Maybelline Master Hi-Light Hi-Lighting Blush.

L to R: Pink Rose, Mauve, both blended.

Maybelline does it again! This is a product that id hoped they would make, as ive seen many other brands do something similar, only to wind up with chalky, splotchy, powder. Maybelline has successfully created a mosaic hi-lighting powder that doesnt leave you with washed out looking skin. I believe these are to be partnered alongside the blush sticks. I purchased two to try them out, but they also have lighter and darker shades, to flatter all skin tones. The compact they come in is sturdy, and comes with a seperate compartment with a mirror and brush.

I have a thing for powders like this, as im obsessed with hi-lighting my cheekbones, and sometimes, even layer it over my blush on the apples of my cheeks. I like these powders because you can build up the amount of color you want, and once its blended, gives you a beautiful wash of frosted color. They were super blendable, and there wasent too much fallout when i used my brush. Overall, I was very pleased. For once, a makeup company gets it right! I cant wait to layer them over the Master Glaze blush sticks! What do you think? Will you give them a try? You can find these at Ulta, Ulta.com, and at your local drugstore.

Road Trip to Luscious Lips.

Stila does it again! Meet the Road Trip Lip Glaze Trio.

L to R: Rising Sun, Pink Sunset, Open Road.

At the rate that im buying and loving these lip glazes, im going to own every one the brand makes! And as long Stila makes colors like these, it just might happen.

My favorite of the three is Rising Sun. It reminds me of what lips look like just after youve eaten a popsicle. Its just a great punchy color. Pink Sunset is more of a blue based bubblegum pink, and Open Road is a bright coral type of color. It photographs red, but it isnt. Its very pretty. The thing I love most about Stilas Lip Glaze products, is that most of them are semi-sheer, so with the bright shades, you still get a great pop of color, without it being overwhelming. And with the twist-up style of the brush pen, you can control exactly how much color it is, that you want to have. This trio of colors are really punchy and fun! Perfect shades for spring and summer! You can find these now at Stila.com.