EOS Smooth Sphere Lip Balm Review

EOS Smooth Sphere Lip Balm - Honeysuckle Honeydew

Grade: A

Purchase Price: $3.29

Purchase Place: Ulta

Plus: 100% natural flavor, not tested on animals, petrolatum & paraben free, contains shea butter and vitamin e, goes on clear

This is one of those products that everywhere I turned online I saw. From YouTube, to message boards, and other blogs. Everywhere i went everyone was raving about this product in various flavors. Just given all of the hype and how cute it looked I absolutely HAD to have this lip balm. However I never could find this product to purchase locally. I looked everywhere from drugstores, to wal-mart, target etc and no one seemed to carry this lip balm. Until one day Ulta got this product in and I picked one up. I was so excited to have my little EOS lip balm i looked high and low for. As soon as i got home I opened it and tried it out, and yes to me it lives up to all of the hype. The flavor / scent alone is enough to make me adore this little lip balm. The flavor and scent is beyond wonderful to me. I've always liked Honeysuckle, and when i saw this flavor it was something I had never came across before yet just seemed to be something I would love despite how odd/rare the flavor combo is. I find the actual product it's self to be great, it's moisturizing and seems to last longer on my lips than any lip balm I've ever used before. I tend to apply my EOS lip balm a lot just simply because I love the flavor and want to keep it on my lips all the time. I also adore the packaging it's the cutest lip balm I've ever seen and yet slightly odd as well. It comes in this little sphere that is flat on the bottom. When I twist the top off it reveals this big dome shaped lip balm that's sure to last me a long time. It's very travel friendly, It's small, the top fits securely and I never seem to have a problem finding this in the bottom of my purse. I have nothing bad to say about this product. It's a decent price and a wonderful product that to me more than lives up to the hype. If you are interested in purchasing one of these I highly recommend them. They come in four flavors summer fruit, sweet mint, lemon drop, and honeysuckle honeydew. 

Too Faced Primed & Poreless Bronze Tint SPF 20 Review

Too Faced Primed & Poreless Bronze Tint SPF 20 (Deluxe Sample)

Grade: D+

Purchase Price: Free

Purchase Place Sephora

Full Size: 1.0 Oz Price: $30.00

with flash in natural light

without flash in natural light

I got this free when I made some Sephora purchases in the spring. I saw a code to get the deluxe sample for free and decided it was something I wanted to try. I've been using this since May and honestly I'm not that impressed. Now I do love many Too Faced products but this just wasn't one that I loved. I think this product has both good qualities and bad qualities. As for the good in this product is that you only need to use a little to fully cover your face. My tube has lasted me since May and it's September and I'm only a little over half way though the tube. I use this nearly every time I apply my makeup and I apply makeup anywhere from 2-3 times per week, sometimes more sometimes less. I do notice that when I apply this my face does feel softer and it does give my face a nice bronze tint and seems to help with discoloration. I also notice that it tends to make my makeup look good when I first put my makeup on, or at least better than it would if I would apply my makeup by it's self. However that is about where the good in this product ends for me. It does not seem to minimize pores, or achieve a flawless look. It does nothing for deep scars left by acne and does not seem to minimize oil. When I arrive home after a few hours of being out my foundation is all but gone, I'm shiny, and my pores and overall complexion look horrible. Now I have used several primers and this one seems to be the worst of the ones I've tried. Now you may ask yourself why I use this all the time if I do not like it. For me I do like the bronze tint and it helps amp up my tan on my face and cuts out the need for bronzer and mainly I've just been wanting to continue to use it for review purposes and mainly just to use it all up before the summer is over, because I can't get any use out of it in the winter. Plus I'd rather go ahead and use this all up and save my better primers for another day. I did not notice any skin irritation from this but it does have a scent. To me it smells very much like suntan lotion, which I do like, but if you hate the smell of suntan lotion you will not like the scent of this product. However after I apply makeup over the the primer I do not notice the smell any longer. If you are still interested in purchasing this product if I was you I would go with a sample size or a deluxe sample size if you can find it to see how you like it first before making the $30.00 purchase. To me the product isn't worth the $30.00 price tag, there are better primers out there for the price.

Nivea Creme Tin Review

Nivea Creme Tin

Grade: A

Purchase Price: 99 cents

Purchase Place: Ulta

This is one of those products that was such a good price that I pretty much just had to have it. With Fall and Winter rolling around I was needing some good moisturizers for both home and on the go and when I saw the Nivea Creme Tin I knew this had to be one of my purchases. Now I will admit it has been many years since i bought a Nivea product, mainly because i generally have a stockpile of various lotions from Bath & Body Works and Victorias Secret that I don't feel the need to buy lotions often. Now I still have what I call my stockpile of lotions but I decided to branch out this year and purchase something different and I sure am glad I did. This Nivea Creme Tin is small but it packs a punch. The first thing I noticed when I used this product is how thick this cream is, and how smooth and soft it felt to the touch. When applying this it almost absorbed into my skin instantly with very little rubbing. It is a creme that can be used everyday but would be wonderful on extremely dry skin, it's highly moisturizing. It does have a scent but to me it is not offensive it just smells like a soft fresh scent that drugstore lotions seem to have, I actually like the scent. However it's not something you can smell floating in the air after you put it on, in order to smell it I actually have to bring my hand to my nose and sniff. That being said though I have only applied to my hands and no where else so applied more extensively the smell could be a little stronger. I also love the little tin it is in, however I do not think this would be very travel friendly unless you find a way to secure the top maybe with a rubber band. The top is very easy to come off, so I think that if thrown in a handbag or makeup bag it would be a very big mistake. Overall It's a great product for a great price, I don't really see where anyone could go wrong purchasing this. I wish I could find a bigger size in this, I did look at Ulta but I didn't see it in a bigger tin or tube but I could have somehow overlooked it. This will be one of those products that I will purchase again in the future, and probably will purchase more than one when I do purchase it again.

Small MAC, Sephora, and Bath & Body Works Haul

So I went to mall and picked up a few new items from MAC, Sephora, and Bath & Body Works. I was originally supposed to just purchase the MAC items. However I found a coupon in the bottom of my purse for Bath and Body Works and well it went from there. The coupon i had was if you spent $10.00 you got a free signature collection item of your choice. I decided to stop into Sephora after that and I picked up a small item I had been wanting. These are the items i decided to purchase today...

I went to MAC and decided to purchase the Mineralize Blush in Dainty and a Eyeshadow in Paradisico

From there I went to Bath & Body Works and with my coupon I got the Pineapple Coconut body splash for $6.00 and the Handi-Bac lotions for $5.00 for two (Sweet Pea and Japanese Cherry blossom), my free item I got my the Twilight Woods body spray.

I than decided to stop by Sephora and purchase a Jumbo Liner in Violet.

Ulta Haul

I decided to go shopping at my local Ulta and I picked up a few items since fall and winter are rolling around I picked up mostly items for that particular time of year. Got mostly foundation, lotion, and lip care, but i also got a few other things. Most of the things I purchased I needed or had wanted for some time now.

Seeing as how my skin changes colors from summer to winter I needed to pick up some new foundation colors so i bought 3 from Ulta brand. I've never used any of these before so hopefully they give decent coverage. I can not stand to spend a lot of money on foundations, I've contemplated buying one from Make Up For Ever but I just can't bring myself to spend $40 on something that probably wont last me very long, so for now I'm sticking to drugstore brand foundations...maybe one day I'll cross over to a more expensive foundation.

 I also decided to pick up two more foundations, one from Maybelline and the other from L'Oreal. I've used the Maybelline before and liked it so i picked it up again. Now the L'Oreal I've never used but wanted to try for awhile, admittedly because i want to try the little paint roller looking thing. $13 is a lot to spend on foundation especially if you don't know if you will like it or not but I decided to go ahead and get it anyway. It's one of the items I'm most excited about, can't wait to use the paint roller.

I'm really excited I finally got feather hair extensions, and this is another thing I bought that I'm so excited to try. Now I first saw these at Sephora and that is where i intended to get them but when I went to purchase them I couldn't find them anywhere. I don't know if they sold out, or discontinued them because I haven't seen them since that day. I was a little disappointed until I saw these at Ulta and I picked them up right away. Now these are a different brand and do look very different from what i originally found at Sephora but I like them anyway and can't wait to wear them.

I also saw these at Ulta and since I'm a Coconut lover and they was inexpensive I decided why not, and picked them up as well. I got a bodocology lotion and travel size body spray.

Seeing as how I've been needing a good face scrub for awhile now I decided to pick up one by Neutrogena and see how it works for me. I also picked up a Nivea lotion tin which is so cute, it's small enough to travel with and was only a $1 so why not? I also picked up a travel size EOS hand lotion to try as well.

I've been needing a new sharpener for awhile now and for some reason never decided to pick up one until now, I purchased the Ulta brand. I also purchased a Ulta brand powder and a Rimmel powder.

I decided to pick up some Sally Hansen nail hardener as well as two small pixel nail polishes, all three of these was just impulse purchases just to try and see how they work seeing how i've never used pixel polishes or nail hardener before.

I decided to get a EOS lip balm, which I have never tried before, but I've seen everyone under the sun with one and I'm very excited to try it as well. I believe the flavor i purchased was honeysuckle honeydew...or something like that. I also purchased three Ulta lipsticks and a Burt's Bees Honey lip balm.

The Body Shop Coconut Body Butter Review

The Body Shop Coconut Body Butter

Grade: A+

Purchase Price: $5.00 (for travel size)

Purchase Place: Sephora

Other Places to Purchase: Sephora.com, The Body Shop (in store and on the website)

Other information: Full size product is 10.1oz and is priced at $20.00

This is a product I saw on Sephora.com and wanted to purchase at some point in the future whenever I ordered online next, because I didn't think I could find it in store. I had never tried anything from the Body Shop so i was curious and it was Coconut scented which made me want to purchase it even more. When I went to Sephora the last time I was surprised to see they had it, so I immediately grabbed it and put it in my basket. Now the size I’m reviewing is not the full size product, I purchased the body butter to go which is 1.7oz. I wanted to buy the small one to see if I would like it before I spent $20.00 on the full size body butter. Now since I've tried this I really want to purchase the full size. I absolutely love this Coconut body butter, its wonderful! Most body butter that I have tried in the past has been exactly like butter and left a greasy feel on my skin and hands that never seemed to fully rub in all the way. I ended up only using those body butters in the middle of winter when my skin was at its driest. However this body butter is totally different than all the rest I have tried, the consistency of this is thick, yet smooth and creamy. When I touch the body butter it feels kind of like a firm gel but it's not gel...if that makes any sense. I absolutely love the feel of the body butter. When I apply the body butter it goes on well, and completely soaks into my skin, it don't leave any sort of greasy feeling behind and it leaves my skin feeling moisturized. I feel it's a body butter I can use year round not just in the middle of winter. The scent is amazing, if you love coconut scents I highly recommend this. This coconut scent isn't overpowering, it's a nice soft scent. It's a true coconut scent, smells only of coconut and nothing else. Most coconut scents I find seem to have some other scent mixed in with the coconut be it vanilla, floral, or some other scent....not this one this is straight up coconut. As I said it's a soft scent and once rubbed all the way into your skin it leaves an even softer coconut scent. Weather you love Coconut scents or not I do highly recommend this body butter, especially if you are like me and hate the greasy feeling most body butters leave behind. For those of you who are not fans of a Coconut scent the Body Shop also offers several other scents in their body butters such as Mango, Shea, Cocoa, and Satsuma among others.

Smith's Rosebud Salve Review

Smith's Rosebud Salve

Grade: A+

Purchase Price: $6.00

Purchase Place: Sephora

Available in: tin or tube (both $6.00 each)

I bought the Rosebud Strawberry lip balm about a year ago and loved it and I decided I wanted to to try the original since I liked the Strawberry. Now I had heard a lot of raving about the original Rosebud Salve before hand and I must say to me it does live up to it's hype. I got to be really honest even though I do like the Strawberry lip balm version, it in no way compares with the original Rosebud Salve. The overall texture, smell, and moisturizing ability is night and day between the two products at least to me, the original is the better product. One of the things I love about the original Rosebud Salve is it's texture it is so smooth and soft, I only need a little to cover my lips and it has a very nice feel, and not sticky at all. I also adore the smell of Rosebud Salve, this truly does smell exactly like a rose, very floral. I've never smelled anything quite like it before. I actually find myself opening up the tin just to smell it. Even though it smells like a rose it does not taste like one, in fact it doesn't taste like anything. It appears very reddish pink in the tin but it applies clear. I also find this to be very moisturizing, I apply at night before bed and I wake up the next morning with soft lips. I will even go as far to say that in all the lip balms I've tried over the years I like this one the best. This is a multi use product but so far I've only used it on my lips. It can also be used for not only chapped lips but chapped skin, diaper rash, blemishes, rough cuticles and more. I absolutely LOVE this product, and I am so very glad I decided to pick this up at Sephora. I'm actually considering getting the rosebud Salve in a tube to take with me in my purse, even though the tin is portable. I just don't like the idea of taking my finger that's touched god only knows what when I'm out in public, sticking it in the tin, and than on my lips...yuck! I guess I could take a lip brush or Q-tip or something and use it on the go but it just seems messy that way and more trouble. I don't mind the tin when I'm at home and can wash my hands before use, but on the go I would rather have the tube of it being that it seems a bit more sanitary, and not to mention less messy. The tin is a good sized product for only $6.00 it's 0.8oz which to me is a lot especially since i only have to use a dab to cover my lips. Overall this product is just wonderful and I can't say enough good things about it, it is a must buy, highly recommend!

Stila Collectible Beach Palettes (#1, #3, and #5) Review and Swatches

Stila Collectible Beach Palettes (#1, #3, and #5)

Grade A

Purchase Price: $14.00 each

Purchase place: Sephora

Other places to purchase: Stila.com, Ulta

When I first saw these palettes I knew I had to have them. I had purchased a travel palette by Stila before and had liked it, plus being a beach lover made me want them even more. All together there are five Stila collectible beach palettes, I currently have three and I love them! In each beach palette you get 4 eyeshadows, 1 blush and 1 bronzer / highlighter as well as a mirror and a set of instructions on how to apply the colors. I really don't have any complaints about these palettes. All of the colors are very pigmented and have good staying power, especially when used with a primer. Also there are some nice colors for both winter and summer in my opinion. Some of the shades don't show up very well on my tan summer skin however in the winter those colors will be lovely. I didn't notice any smell to any of the palettes and I also didn't have any skin or eye irritation. I think the value is wonderful for what you get and I recommend purchasing especially if you love Stila products.

Stunning in Sayulita - Collectable Beach Palette #1

Four 0.15 oz Eyeshadows - Starfish, Sandbar, Getaway, Palm Trees

One 0.11 oz Blush - Playa

One 0.11 oz Bronzer / Highlighter - Banderas Bay

left to right: (top row) starfish, sandbar (row two) getaway, palm trees (top cheek color) playa (bottom cheek color) banderas bay

(without flash) left to right: starfish, sandbar, getaway, palm trees, playa, banderas bay

(taken in sunlight) left to right: starfish, sandbar, getaway, palm trees, playa, banderas bay

Striking in South Beach - Collectable Beach Palette #3

Four 0.15 oz Eyeshadows - Ocean Drive, Wave, Nightlife, Cabana

One 0.11 Oz Blush - Art Deco

One 0.11 Oz Bronzer - Sobe

left to right: (top row) ocean drive, wave (row two) nightlife, cabana (top cheek color) Art Deco (bottom cheek color) Sobe

(without flash) left to right: ocean drive, wave, nightlife, cabana, art deco, sobe

Living Life in Laguna - Collectable Beach Palette #5

Four 0.15 oz Eyeshadows - Sand Dollar, Sunset, Cove, Bonfire

One 0.11 Oz Blush - Seashell

One 0.11 Oz Bronzer - Pacific Coast Highway

left to right: (top row) Sand Dollar, Sunset (row two) Cove, Bonfire (top cheek color) Seashell (bottom cheek color) Pacific Coast Highway

(without flash) top to bottom: pacific coast highway, seashell, bonfire, cove, sunset, sand dollar

(taken in sunlight) left to right: sand dollar, sunset, cove, bonfire, seashell, pacific coast highway

palette photos:

Not pictured or reviewed:

Stila Haute in the Hamptons - Collectable Beach Palette #2

Stila Wonderful in Waikiki - Collectable Beach Palette #4

My Makeup & Beauty Collection

I just wanted to post some updated photos of my makeup table, storage and collection, in case there are some of you who want to know what is in my collection or want some ideas for storage. My collection has grown a lot since my last blog post of this type. My collection is pretty much outgrowing my tiffany blue makeup tower, but if i rearrange some items I wont have to stack items and I'll have more room for new purchases. My makeup table isn't exactly a finished project, I still need to purchase a big mirror as well as a nice chair or bench to go with it. Along with my makeup table I also have what I call my beauty bookcase, which before I got my makeup table and tower, was where I stored all of my makeup and beauty products. Now my beauty bookshelf is about half full but odds are i'll fill it back up eventually. Now I mainly use the beauty bookcase to store my nailpolish and bath and body items.

my makeup table which is where i keep my perfumes, big palettes, samples, liners, makeup brushes, and various other makeup items that I want to have here.

my makeup storage tower

The random item drawer in my makeup storeage tower. This is where items go that don't fit in the other drawers. There are blushes, eyeshadows, foundation, samples, and so on. Basically anything and everything gets put in here.

This is my eyeshadow drawer, i use this drawer for all of my single eyeshadows.

This is the blush drawer

here is the face drawer, it holds my powders, foundations, bronzers and anything else for the face.

finally here is my lipgloss / lipstick / chapstick drawer

now on to my beauty bookcase, here is my body spray shelf, the rows go three deep.

here is a random half enpty shelf with a few things on it.

this shelf is where my nailpolish stays

and last but not least this shelf has my hair products, lotions, tanning products and a few various other items stored on it.

There is a fifth shelf on my bookcase but i don't have anything on it at the moment so I decided not to show it.

Philosophy Happy Birthday Beautiful Review

This is the birthday gift you get this year from Sephora for free. Really you are only supposed to get one but I ended up getting two. It's a bubble bath, shampoo, and body wash all in one and it's scent is vanilla birthday cake. To me it smells more like a sweet vanilla birthday cake batter and a little bit like frosting all mixed up. It's actually a really nice sent, it's not something that makes you go "yuck! to much vanilla" I'm not usually into vanilla scents but I really like it. It's a good sized product you get 6oz and I've used this 4-5 times now and hardly used much at all. I've used this as both a shower gel and shampoo and so far I don't have any complaints. I've noticed that it don't really make your skin smell like birthday cake after you get out of the shower, however it did very lightly scent my hair for a short period of time. This is one of those products that you mainly just enjoy in the shower but outside of that the scent don't really stick with you. Overall I think it's a great product, I love it and I'm really glad I was lucky enough to get two of these. If you have a birthday coming up you should stop by Sephora and pick up one for yourself. I believe it is available to people two weeks before your birthday and two weeks after, so if you just had a birthday don't worry you can still get this. Also you can get this both in store and online. However just to let you know if you get this in store you will be asked to show your ID to prove it's really your birthday, so don't forget to take a ID with you.