December Favorites

Body Lotion

Lubriderm Advanced Therapy for Extra Dry Skin $8.49



Frigid Temperatures call for extra moisturizing & this lotion does the trick!
I don't feel sticky after having used this, but my skin feels well moisturized.


Brushes

Coastal Scents Synthetic Wide Buffer Brush $14.95



This is the softest brush I own. There are no pricklies here! It has not shed since I bought it! It is super dense! I love using it to buff my foundation for a flawless finish!




e.l.f. Studio Blush Brush $3



I think this brush applies the perfect amount of powder product. I have not used it yet for cream bases. It may be used for both mediums. It allows me to perfectly control the placement of my blush before blending it.



I LOVE LOVE LOVE the tiny brush that accompanies the jane eyeliner gel. It is thin stiff enough to make a perfect line. I've been using black eyeliner pencil, set with NYX black eyeshadow for the entire month.

Concealer Combo





Make Up For Ever (MUFE) 5 Camouflage Cream Palette - No. 4 $36
I applied this with my e.l.f. Studio Concealer brush.

MAC Warm Light Sculpt & Shape Powder to set. $14.75 from CCO.
I applied this with my MAC Special Edition Brush. (light side only)

Eye Makeup



My preferred look was soft neutral eyeshadow this month, as I wanted to play up my lips. My favorite combo was from an old Princess Marcella Borghese Holiday Set, along with a soft matte brown L'Oreal eyeshadow.

I am convinced these are MAC Dupes for the
Warm & Cozy Collection. I feel like I can skip buying this one. I love saving money buy checking my current collection for dupes!

Embark, Mulled Cider, Modelette, Chamomile
Temptalia (blog) Reviews and Swatches

Blush Combo




L'Oreal HiP Blendable Blushing Creme GLORIOUS
NARS Mounia - This is from 2008 Holiday Collection. I believe it is being discontinued. It is the most beautiful blush I own. Great for women of color.

Lip Combo



Jordana Deep Purple Lip Liner $.50
NK Lip Crayon ROSEBLOOM $1
Ruby Kisses Red Velvet Lip Stick $1

L'Oreal HiP Shine Struck Liquid Lip Color ARRESTING
(Discontinued, but you still may be able to find in your local drugstore or Target)

This combo gave me the MAC Violetta look I have been dreaming about. Fake it til you make it!

Nails
I was obsessed with Navy Nail Polish! It isn't as dark as black, but it still has that chic, crisp sophisticated look. Lovely on active length nails.






Revlon Midnight Affair (Navy with Cobalt Flecks) $4.99

Gorgeous in the bottle. Needed 3 coats to achieve bottle color. HATED the brush, it was way to thin. It reminded me of a new MAC Dazzleglass brush...HARD! No staying power, easily chipped.

elf Dark Navy (almost black!) $1
Need base coat & Top coat. 3 coats to achieve bottle color. Hate the square bottle & cap, but getting used to it.

NK Midnight Blue (Cobalt) $1
Streaky, but pretty. Def need base & top coat. What else can one expect for a dollar?

Color Club Jewel Tone (Cobalt) Blue $1.99
Pretty. Could achieve Opacity with only 2 coats. Used with base & top coat.

Everything having been said, I should have probably just purchased the NARS Blue I was trying to dupe. LOL $15 is steep, especially since I'm not in love with that square bottle/cap combo. UGH!




You Tuber SongbirdDiva4Life

I love her channel. She is sophisticated, and classy. She has a huge makeup collection. Hubba hubba! She seems very approachable and sincere. Check her out!



Favorite Blogger





Traycee of KeepItSimpleSistah
She gives HONEST reviews on hair products. She seems to be a genuine sweet soul with a sincere helpful spirit.

Gift Haul (Cosmetics)

I was most excited today to greet my postman at the door. He had a package for me.
It was my prize package from Ms.Jen's Anniversary Contest! *cartwheels*

This was a random computer selected drawing from what I understand. Provided the entry met the requirements, it was eligible for winning. Cheers for following directions. whooo hooo! I rarely win anything! Check It Out!


Adorable Makeup Bag! So soft!



My First Ever Bobbi Brown e/s (so blendable!) Beautiful Metallic



Revlon Lippies (I love lippies)
Very Pretty Colors!

50% Off Mineral Eye Makeup at About Face Cosmetics (theshespace)

"BIG CHANGE IS IN THE WIND!!!!

After so many of our clients coming to ask and requesting that we please put our pigments in sifter topped jars we have finally decided to take your advice. The amount of product will be exactly the same, the only difference is that there will be a sifter top on the jar. Based on your feedback, this new packaging will help prevent jars from spilling and keep your product safe and sound.
So, in an effort to say good-bye to all of our former packaging, we have marked all of our individual pigments down to just $2.50 (this sale is for individual eye colors only...if you are looking to order colors in a quad, duo, etc. please order them individually)

The packaging change will not go into effect until after the new year so this sale will give us a chance to clear out all of our non-sifter jars and get ready to bring in the new packaging. This sale will end on January 1st when we will go back to our normal $4.50 price point for full size jars.

Please don't forget that we will be on vacation and not processing any orders from December 24th through January 3rd

Ordering: We have already marked all of the pigments on this page down to the $2.50 price point, so go right ahead and order from this page.

****savvy shopper club members, you will NOT be getting any further discount on the price of the pigments but your shipping will still be free****"


Click HERE for more info.

Special Thanks to Jenny for the Head's Up! Check Out her Blog

New Milani Products Coming Soon

Photo Credit: Milani Cosmetics

"Alicia Keys 2009 VMA: NYC Celebrity Makeup Artist Ashunta Sheriff created a Classic retro look: Flawless skin Mary Kay tinted moisturizer in bronze and Milani HD Advanced Concealer highlighting facial pen in 04 Medium Honey. Subtle contour Milani Bronzer XL.

Popping eyes Naked Cosmetics silver and black shimmer shadows, Milani Infinite Liquid Eye Liner in gold -04 Forever. Ardell individual lashes. Mary Kay brunette brow pencil. Happy cheeks Mary Kay blush in strawberry cream. Dior iconic black mascara. Lips: Shimmering gold - Milani Buzz Worthy Lip Gloss in 02 Busy Bee."

Click HERE for more info.

No disrespect to Ms. Sheriff, but Ol' Girl is a little bit too bronzed up for my taste. However, my curiosity is seriously piqued with regard to the HD Advanced Concealer. I will be scoping the drugstore shelves for the arrival of this product. The Make Up For Ever (MUFE) HD Concealer is $28. I would love to save some money if at all possible.

Bargain Alert!

Select Milani Cosmetics are ORANGE STICKER status at Walgreens.
This means LAST CHANCE sale.

I saw single eyeshadows for $2.49. Don't miss out on this sale!

Airless Pump Review

I purchased a couple of these pumps from
for $4.00. Be sure to check out their SALE Items page.

My L'Oreal True Match Liquid Foundation did not come with a pump, so I was wasting product every time I used it. I simply peeled the label from the L'Oreal True Match bottle and was able to transfer it to the airless pump bottle.



This is an awesome investment. I bought the pump from MAC Cosmetics to go with my Select SPF Liquid Foundation, for $5.


Photo Credit: MAC Cosmetics

I purchased the incorrect foundation color from the CCO. (Find your local CCO HERE)
I gifted it to a friend in an airless pump bottle, so I could BACK 2 MAC the bottle. It makes more sense to just purchase the airless pump. It costs less and you can

BACK 2 MAC the empty jar.



The airless pump holds 30ml of fluid. This bottle will prevent product coming in contact with oxygen during use to preserve ingredients and maintain shelf life. It will also help to minimize waste as product is being pushed up to the pump via a disk. It took a bit of time before I figured out how to use the airless pump. Eventually I figured out that I just needed to shake the bottle before pumping. There were no instructions accompanying the bottles.
I phoned Auraline Beauty and their customer service representative was most helpful. She confirmed that no straw was needed to use the airless pump.


PROS:
Less expensive than MAC Pump
Free's up the bottle for BACK to MAC
Convenient Lid
Conserves Product
Airtight (Preserves Quality of Product No Oxidation in Bottle)

CONS: NONE

I LOVE this! I give it 5 out of 5 stars. Run & buy this, you won't be sorry.

Auraline Beauty requires a minimum purchase of $50. There is a flat rate of $3 shipping if you spend less than $150. Purchases of $150 and up get free shipping.
At this time, as far as I know, they only ship to the U.S. and Canada.

Try Ebay for the airless pump.

Here is a link recommended by MissMakeupOnABudget

e.l.f. Studio Cream Eyeliners

Can't wait to try these! A bargain @ $3 each!
These come in
Black, Coffee, Midnight and Ivory.

"Creates smooth lines that are defined and precise. Smudge-proof, budge-proof and water-resistant coverage for all day wear to combat against, sweat, tears and rain!


Dip a thin brush into the formula, swirl around gently until brush is saturated with color. Swipe off any excess formula on the top edge of the pot. Trace a line along the top lash line from the inner corner towards the outer corner of the eye. If desired, apply on lower lash line as well. Remove with an oil based eye makeup remover."

INGREDIENTS

Isododecane, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Polybutene, Polyethylene, Barium Sulfate, Cyclomethicone, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Propylene Carbonate, Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Titanium Dioxide (CI77891), Red No.40 Lake (CI 16035), Mica (CI 77019), Blue No.1 Lake (CI 42090), Ferric Ferrocyanide (CI 77510), Ultramarine Violet (CI77077).

For More Info, Click Here

The Shades of U MAC Brush Set Giveaway for Subscribers

WOW! Check it out!









Link to The Shades of U Blog

Cute Cabinet

A friend of mine had an online party via Celebrating Home
(formerly Home Interiors)
I was eyeing this little bargain for a couple of months.
It coordinates perfectly with my shore themed bathroom.
The beach is my favorite place. I decorated the family bathroom with this theme.

It is constructed of wood.
The exterior dimensions are 11 1/4" x 4" x 15 1/2".

Scale Photos







Initially I purchased this to house some luxury handmade soaps for myself.

Lavender Cloud



Eucalyptus Chamomile



DeShawn Marie's Vegan Handcrafted Soaps

Check Out DeShawn Marie's Blog

DeShawn Marie's soaps are too pretty to be hidden in a cabinet.
I plan to put them in a glass jar once we move & I have my private bath.
Right now, the glass in the family bathroom is too scary an thought to even consider!

Buy the cabinet

Beauty Gumbo Blog DeShawn Marie Review

Maybelline Wet Shine Diamonds Review

This discontinued product may be found at your local dollar store.
I found it works best over another product, like lipstick or lip pencil to make it last longer. A little bit goes a long way. It makes your lips look spectacular.
It does not last for very long, as the warmth of your body kind of spreads it out. If you don't mind reapplying, then this product is for you. It is not at all sticky.
Some colors are more sheer than others. Many of these have been identified as close MAC Dazzleglass dupes on some makeup message boards.





Spoiled in Rubies







Pink Carats







Jewels 'N Berries




PROS

- Inexpensive, if you lose it in a purse or pocket, it won't really matter
- Pretty
- Not sticky

CONS

- Hard to find
- Have to reapply very often
- Not sticky enough
* When worn alone, melts & only silver glitter is left.
* Glitter Migrates to rest of face

I give this product 4 out of 5 stars!

Red/Silver Nail Polish Tutorial

Lauren is a SuperStar!
So Creative & Talented!

This is rather flashy for my conservative tastes, but MASTERFUL!
Wow!

Nail Polish Mini-Haul

I had a few extra pennies so I picked up two Sinful Colors Nail Polishes last week. They were BOGO (buy 1 get 1 free) at Walgreens. Whoooo hoooo!

Swatches...base coat, 3x & express dry top coat

PINK FOREVER (Pink Multi Glitter)



Tungsten Lighting (Indoor Lightbulb) No Flash



Diffused Sunlight No Flash





FORGET ME NOW (Raspberry with superfine shimmer)

Tungsten Lighting (Indoor Lightbulb) No Flash



Diffused Sunlight No Flash





I was rushed & didn't pay attention to the Bottle I was purchasing. It looked like it wasn't closed all the way & some of the product wasted. UGH! Look @ the crusted over nail polish on the mouth of the bottle! I will inspect more carefully next time. This was the last FORGET ME NOW.



It truly is a BEAUTIFUL color! It looks like the cousin to MAC Love Alert Dazzleglass. I wore these together yesterday. LOVELY!





Check Out How Temptalia Organized Her Nail Polishes