Showing posts with label makeup. Show all posts
Showing posts with label makeup. Show all posts

Thursday, March 20, 2014

March Birchbox Review

Hello all, it's that time again. This month I got a spring-themed Birchbox, with products to ease the transition from winter to warmer months (who am I kidding- we're all chomping at the bit for beach season). If you haven't already, head over to Birchbox.com to embark on your very own monthly beauty journey!

Here's a look at what I got:

Monday, March 3, 2014

DIY Gel Nails in Con-Fuschion


For those of you concerned about the damage gel polish might do to the nail, here's a look at my bare nails after a solid year of wearing gels. 


My nails look as good as they ever did. In fact, they split and break a lot less with gels on because the gel polish acts to thicken the nail and in essence, to provide a protective coating. The nail surface is very smooth and the cuticles look pretty good, if I do say so myself. 


Here are the polishes I used for this particular manicure, in conjunction with my MelodySusie mini LED nail polish dryer (The LED dryer is awesome, it dries each coat in only 45 seconds, versus two minutes using a UV dryer).


I used IBD Just Gel Polish in "Con-Fuschion." I like to use IBD polishes for the color coat, because their polishes are very complex and multi-faceted, whereas the Gelish colors are more opaque and flat. This particular fuchsia has a VERY subtle blue and pink shimmer in bright daylight. 

Here's a look at how they came out: 


Sunday, March 2, 2014

Beauty Photoshoot

Recently I got together with a few friends to have our makeup done by a makeup artist friend, Michelle. Our beauty looks range from casual to dramatic, and everything in between. 

Below you'll find looks for every occasion, along with the products used to achieve each look.

For anyone in the L.A. area interested in booking Michelle for an upcoming event, here's her contact info:


Michelle@MichelleReneeArtistry.com 

Twitter/Instagram/Facebook - MichelleReneeArtistry

 On Cassandra:




To get Cassandra's Dramatic Smokey Eye & Dark Lip: Dinair Airbrush Foundation, Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner, Jordana Mascara, Urban Decay Naked2 Palette, Sephora Primal Instincts Palette (Black & Purple Hues), Lashes (99 Cent store!), MAC Cyber lipstick, MAC Nightmoth Lip Liner


On Lauren: 


Friday, February 28, 2014

February Birchbox Review


Hello friends! If you've never heard of Birchbox, it's a monthly beauty sample subscription. In essence, you pay a fee of $10 a month, and receive a box every month with 5 beauty samples delivered to your door. The products range in size from sample-size to full-size. You then have the option of purchasing the full-size version of the sample via their website.

What I like most about the Birchbox program is that you have the option to review your samples the month you receive them. For each sample you review, you're awarded ten "thank you" points. When you accumulate 100 points (the equivalent of 10 product reviews), you receive $10 off the purchase of a full-size item in the Birchbox online store! I did the math- if you review each item you receive in a given month, you'll earn 50 points. Thus after two months of review, you'll have earned $10 off! I currently have $30 worth of these "thank you" points sitting in my account that I intend to cash in shortly!

#1

Ruby Wing// Color Changing Polish (in “Kitten Heels”) $10.00 Full Size
This nail polish is supposed to change color between natural light and indoor light (from pink inside to a darker red outside). I didn’t find this to be the case. It was a uniform hot pink color both indoors and outdoors. I find the color-changing to be gimmicky anyway- I don’t see the point in my polish looking different in sunlight, so I wasn’t too disappointed. That being said, I was satisfied with the quality of this polish, and actually thought that the hot pink color I ended up with was very pretty (it’s pretty true to the color it appears in the bottle). I would recommend this brand on color and quality alone, but can’t say it does what it advertises.   
Here's what it looked like on my toes in the shade versus in the sun: