From my February Showroom...

 

"Every girl knows diamonds make the best friends. Every fashionista knows diamonds with pearls are best friends forever. Out large pearl cocktail ring sports a wreath of eight crystals to keep the sparkle going on all night long. Finished with an equally glam 14k gold-plating, this festive bauble has all the makings of your next standout ensemble."

Yes, yes, I've jumped on the JewelMint bandwagon! I honestly never planned on ordering anything from them, but I found a coupon online that was 70% off your first purchase (its not available anymore, sorry!) so it only ended up being around $8.99 and I took the plunge.

If you don't know what JewelMint is (but I mean, how could you not by now?!) here's a little description from their website:

 "Experience an exclusive jewelry collection designed by actress and fashion icon, Kate Bosworth, and her celebrity stylist, Cher Coulter. Inspired by the runway, vintage pieces and places they love, Kate and Cher design a versatile collection each month, so we can recommend the perfect pieces to match your style."

I was pleasantly surprised by the Style Profile questionnaire you answer, it was really accurate for me. Everything that ends up in my showroom each month is stunning, I would honestly order all of them (if of course I inherited a bazillion dollars)!

I thought I would go ahead on order the Starburst Ring instead of the more spring-y jewelry they had because I really love how formal this looks and my prom is just around the corner! The little box this came in is SO lovely, I wasn't expecting a gorgeous mint green box that snaps shut with a magnet (much like the Urban Decay Naked Palette) and has a velvet interior with a little card that has the description of the Starburst ring. The JewelMint boxes are most definitely something you keep, its too nice to be put in the trash!

My only complaint with JewelMint is the sizes their rings come in, they only go up to an 8. Now that's fine for my ring finger, but I would've liked to have gotten this in a size 9 so I could wear it on my middle finger (I know, I know, I have sausage fingers)! I'm hoping to accumulate a nice little collection of JewelMint pieces in the future!

Apothica Goodies

 

Ahh, there's nothing like that feeling of getting a nice new package in the mail!

A while ago Apothica sent me a giftcard to their website, so I decided to pick out some products I wouldn't normally go for.

Stila

Holiday '11 Daydream Eyeshadow Palette

$14.00

I've never really been drawn to trying Stila's powder eyeshadows, I have a Smudge Pot in Kitten from them (which I LOVE) but eh, this palette was on sale and I thought what the heck, $14.00 for 22 eyeshadows that are mostly wearable is a bargain! I swatched some of these and the pigmentation is pretty lacking, but this palette is just so freaking gorgeous looking I can't help but love it. I figure it'll be good for those natural days. The only thing I really don't like about this Stila Palette is its size, its HUGE, and will never fit in my makeup drawers!

Convertible Color in Gladiola
$24.80

I swear I don't know what's wrong with me lately, I just cannot stop buying orange things! Something about that color has been calling my name over and over again. Everyone really raves about these Convertible Colors, they're supposed to be good for your cheeks and lips. I don't actually own any other cream blushes (which is what I intend on using this for) because I worry about them on my oily skin, but I'll let you know how this works out for me. I did swatch this, and its really not as intense as it looks, you can really sheer it out to your desired color!

theBalm

Bahama Mama
$19.00

Now just so you know, I'm totally the girl who's anti-bronzer, I've never bought one before this as I just really don't care if I look tan. But recently I've been wanting to add some shape to my face and try contouring, so on a whim, I thought I'd try this out even though I've heard amazing things about the $2.99 N.Y.C. Smooth Skin Bronzer in Sunny! I've tried this out on my face, and I don't really like how it looks? It turned out kinda muddy, but it was my first attempt at contouring so maybe it just needs some practice! On a side note, I thought this bronzer was going to be much bigger, does anyone else get that size disappointment when they get stuff in the mail?!

Shady Lady Shadow in Luscious Lani
$8.00 (its actually not on sale anymore, sorry! $16.00)


Not that I actually needed anymore shadows after the huge Stila palette, but these were on sale so of course I wanted to try them! This color is a shimmery, almost pink color? Depending on your undertones it could lean more pink or more peach. I like this, it was pretty buttery when swatched and would work well as a highlight or a lid color, so it'll get some use!

Shady Lady Shadow in Shameless Shana

$8.00 (its actually not on sale anymore, sorry! so $16.00)


Again, it was a sale, I had to! This shade is much darker than Luscious Lani, its like a nice bronze. I figure this will make a good crease color, or even a liner. It had a nice texture when I swatched it, nothing too special in terms of color or formula, just kind of another eyeshadow!

One Mascara, Two Mascara, Three Mascara

Left to Right: Maybelline Volum' Express The Falsies, Maybelline Define-A-Lash Volume, Rimmel Lycra Lash Extender

Left to Right: Maybelline Lash Stiletto Voluptuous, COVERGIRL Lash Blast, Physicians Formula Organic Wear Jumbo Lash

Recently I've been super frustrated because I just cannot find a mascara that gives me what I want!

 My ideal lashes would be super black, really long, and have lots of volume without clumping. Is that too much to ask? Apparently so since I've been buying/trying them like crazy and just can't find one that completes my wish list!

By no means do I have naturally bad lashes, mine are dark (natural brunette), fairly long, and I have a lot of them so I can actually go out with no mascara and look fine. I do hate that they are pretty stick straight, but I've been pretty blessed in the eyelash department so I wont complain! But my absolute favorite thing to do is play up my eyes, so on an everyday basis I want that really long and volumized look!

COVERGIRL Lash Blast

This has been a favorite mascara as of recently. I love the rubber bristles on the brush, it gives me a lot of volume, but its so freakin' big that a lot of the time I end up poking myself in the eye (which results in me getting mascara ALL over my eyeshadow)! The formula is really nice because its so black but it does nothing to hold any sort of curl.

Maybelline Lash Stilleto Voluptuous

I like the separation I get with this mascara, but the formula really sucks! I cannot wear this without it completely flaking off and leaving black rings underneath my eyes. The brush is pretty funky too, I don't see the point to the wavy shape, how is that going to help my lashes do anything?

Physicians Formula Organic Wear Jumbo Lash

I find this one to be really similar to the COVERGIRL Lash Blast. The brushes are pretty similar except this one has bigger plastic bristles, but the formula is a bit lacking. I don't get much length and this mascara also tends to leave black rings underneath my eyes throughout the day.

Rimmel Lycra Lash Extender

I really can't use this mascara on its own, it really doesn't do much of anything for my lashes. Its really nice and dark with good separation, but this mascara is too natural looking for me. I don't know why it claims that you'll get "50% more curve" and "80% more length" because that sure isn't true! There's next to no lengthening, I mean it looks like I'm not even wearing mascara, doesn't hold a curl, and no volume. Definitely not a winner!

Maybelline Volum' Express The Falsies

This is one of those over-hyped products. You get great volume, but its so not worth it with the clumping! By the time I get the amount of volume I want, I need to go back through my lashes with a comb to get rid of the clumps! The formula is super wet, which I think adds to the clumping issue (loosely leave the cap on, it gets better as it dries out). Its also not good in terms of staying power, it will leave black rings under my eyes a few hours after I apply it. This mascara is okay in terms of holding a curl, it does well at first but after a few hours my lashes end up going back to their normal straight selves.

Maybelline Define-A-Lash Volume

Like the Rimmel Lycra Lash Extender, I can't really use this mascara on its own, its too natural looking. The formula isn't very black, so it requires a couple coats to get the deep color. I love how separated my lashes look when I use this, I just wish they had volume (completely misleading calling this mascara "volume"). The brush on this mascara is SO flimsy, I've broken the actual brush off the wand when I've owned this mascara in the past! Like all the others, it doesn't hold a curl (I'm starting to think there's more of a problem with my lashes since nothing is working)!

If you guys have any recommendations for mascaras you think I might like, please tell me!

January Favorites

Wet 'n' Wild "Comfort Zone" Eyeshadow Palette

This palette is actually my moms that I've swiped from her makeup drawers (everything is so much more appealing when its not yours)! I've been really loving wearing the first golden butter shade on the inner third of my lid and the shade below that on the outer two thirds with a bit of the dark shimmery brown below that in the crease.

Wet 'n' Wild "I ♥ Matte" Eyeshadow Palette

To be honest, the only reason I wanted this palette was because of the matte white shade! But I've actually been showing the neutral side A TON of love. When my eye looks are supper shimmery I'll mix the white with the cream color below it for a highlight, I often use the peachy-brown color in my crease, and the dark brown/black are often my choice for eyeliner smudged along my upper lashline! I don't think I'll ever get much use out of the colored side, but hey for the matte neutrals, it's completely worth it!

Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter in "Tutti Frutti"

As you probably know, absolutely everyone in the beauty community has been going gaga over these puppies. I wasn't intending on buying any since I don't typically wear lip products other than lip balm, but I saw this on sale at Kmart towards the beginning of the month so I thought what the heck. Of course I went for the bright orange shade (I'm not sure what this new obsession is with the color orange...) and I'm so in love with it! Its not totally as moisturizing as everyone has been saying, but better than a lipstick and I don't need a mirror to apply it, so it actually gets some use when I pop it in my school bag. Its going to be the perfect color come spring!

COVERGIRL Lash Blast Volume Mascara in "Very Black'

This is probably pretty gross, but I've had this mascara for probably about a year (I never end up throwing anything makeup related out)! I just cracked it back open and have fallen back in love with it! I've been having so many mascara related issues lately (meaning I can't freaking find one that I like...) and instead of buying loads more I thought I'd just shop my stash. I used to hate this mascara, but I've been craving those really volumized looking lashes lately and the COVERGIRL Lash Blast Volume certainly gives me that. The only thing I don't like is the size of the brush, I often end of getting the mascara all over my eyeshadow, and how the formula doesn't hold a curl very well. I really want to try the new Lash Blast 24 Hour, let me know if its any good!

MAC Studio Finish SPF 35 Concealer in "NW 20"

My skin has been wonky this month, breaking out left and right, so I needed to break out my heavy duty concealers. I stopped using this for a really long time because I found it looked pretty cakey, but I'll sacrifice looking natural if I can get rid of a huge blemish on my face! I've been having problems with getting new hyperpigmentation on my cheeks which has me in a bit of a tizzy, I never ever break out of my cheeks let alone had discoloration there. But now I've just got to deal with what's on my face and use the MAC Studio Finish Concealer to try and cover it!

Revlon Nail Enamel in "Carbonite"

As we're getting closer to spring, I've been trying to keep my wardrobe toned down a bit because I've been craving bright neon colors even though its still winter. But I've found it easier to satisfy my cravings if I keep most of my outfit in black and grey with one pop of color. So in keeping with this theme, I've been loving Revlon's Carbonite (I actually think this is discontinued, but I got mine at a Big Lots). It's a great neutral color but the gorgeous silver shimmer keeps it from being boring!

Little MAC Haul

I actually ended up returning a MAC Studio Fix Powder (didn't do anything for me, ended up looking cakey no matter how I applied it/doesn't have enough coverage) and a MAC Lipstick in Creme d' Nude (absolutely RUBBISH! Never ever again will I buy a high-end lipstick, not moisturizing at all and sinks into every line on my lips, Revlon makes SUCH better lipsticks for half the price).

So with my store credits I decided to branch out and try something other than MAC eye products (which seems to be all I go for lately) and grab a blush and a primer!

I was looking at the new Shop MAC Cremeblend Blush in Optimistic Orange, but its way darker in person (think burnt orange) and looks an awful lot like the NYX Rouge Cream Blush in Orange, so I think I'm going to save my money and go for that one since its only $5.50 on Cherry Culture (on a side note, does anyone know where you can get NYX in stores besides Ulta?! There isn't one in my area).

No other cream blushes caught my attention, so I went on looking at the powders. I knew I wanted something orange and close to my everyday Physicians Formula Blushing Peach, but without the shimmer. The lovely Makeup Artist recommended Peaches which is a sheertone, and it ended up coming home with me! I really love the color in the pan, but it takes a little bit of building to make it show up on me (I'm only a MAC NW 20) so I don't know, I'm going to play around with it a bit and if it doesn't get any better I'll exchange it for Melba.

Lately my skin has been going through some ups and downs, some days my foundation will look like I just put it on after 6 hours, and some days its a blotchy mess after 2 hours! This led me over to the primer section of MAC, and when I saw the words "MATTE" I knew it was for me! I've tried out the MATTE Cream a few times, and I have to say I'm a little disappointed. My face is still really oily after like an hour, but my skincare routine has been changing a little so maybe that's the real problem.

I'm going to do full reviews on these two things, so I'll let you guys know how they end up working out for me!

NOTD: Crushed

Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Nail Color- Crushed

Seche Vite- Dry Fast Top Coat