MyGlam Bag: March 2012

Party in a bag. Party in a bag! Get it? Got it? Good. First things first... Am I supposed to refer to this as the MyGlam Bag or is it also correct to refer to it as my Glam Bag. Why are the words "my" & glam" even squished together in the first place? Here I am, contemplating deep questions. Not. Anywhoo... I certainly hope you know what today's post is about after all that unnecessary shtuff. I feel no need to further explain myself and my slightly psychotic thoughts. Now, what was in the dang bag?

• DermStore Care Package: Pur-lisse Pur-Protect SPF 30 Essential Daily Moisturizer (Meow!) -retails for $55, Murad Eye Lift Perfector -retails for $35, & DermStore $25 gift card - P.S. It's not really a gift card. They just think they're cool. You can only use the $25 if you spend $50. All sample size, one time use only.
• 3Lab Perfect Cleansing Foam - Full size product (3.4oz), retails for $40.
• Keracolor Color Enhancing Leave-In Treatment - "This leave-in treatment is especially designed to enhance, protect, strengthen & hydrate all hair types." Sample size, 2 uses depending on hair, retails for $40. I cannot find a way to purchase this on the website, but I did find it here on sale & through MyGlam, here.
• MyGlam exclusive Classic Crease Brush & Case - It's pink! "Hand-selected by Michelle (founder of MyGlam) from her recent trip to Hong Kong for Cosmoprof Asia, freshen up your spring makeup routine with this MyGlam exclusive classic crease brush & brush case."
• Coupons: 20% off for select products at DermStore & $10 off any Keracolor Color Enhancing Leave-In Treatment

Purpose of this bag? "After sloshing our way through rain & snow all winter long, we're all feeling a little extra dry & depleted. Months of dry air outside, blasting heat inside, & hot showers all contribute to that cracked & brittle feeling. Say goodbye to winter's woes with our March Glam Bag! It's filled to the brim with our favorite products to help repair & restore your skin & hair just in time for a bright & dewy spring." First initial thoughts? Not super excited, especially after realizing the actual price of these products. Yikes!!! While the final value of the bag was more than the $10 you paid for it, I would never be able to afford to re-buy any of the skin products. Why sample it anyway? If I love it, I couldn't buy it again, which equals a trap for major letdown. ): I do really like the brush & matching case, but something about this month's bag reeks & I can't figure out if it's the actual cosmetic bag or the faux leather brush case. Don't you just love the smell of a burned Barbie?! (*sarcasm*) Was it really hand picked? Overall, I think maybe we could skip the bags the stuff comes packaged in & get slightly bigger samples of things we could truly afford. I will be continuing my subscription with MyGlam, but am not pleased with what this month's bag had to offer. Sad face.

Thanks for reading! XO Katie (:

Disclaimer: This months MyGlam Bag was purchased with my own money. All opinions are my own, as always.

Product Review: Kiss Nail Dress

For the fabulous fad of nail polish stickers, I just need to rave about the Kiss Nail Dress Fashion Strips. Familiar with the Sally Hansen Salon Effects? Same idea. However, I feel like these are better. Really. These babies retail for $6.99 with 28 strips in 14 sizes for tips & toes, claiming to last up to 10 days. Already different than the Salon Effects, because they're toe friendly & might I say that it looks wayyyy cute! (; Gettin' fancy, eh?! In all reality, I can't use these on my finger nails for reasons mentioned in my last nail product review, but they did fight with all they had as best they could. Reading reviews from others, these were said to have lasted longer than the 10 days advertised. Such troopers! These are a much thicker "consistency" which I believe is the secret. These do have less pattern options available than Sally Hansen, but hey, they're new. Give 'em some time & I'm sure design availability will increase. Overall, I say thumbs up, especially for your little tosies!

Thanks for reading! XO Katie <3

P.S. While imPress advertises Broadway Nails (click for review) & Kiss Nail Dress advertises Kiss Nails, I believe they are affiliated with each other.

Disclaimer: Product mentioned was kindly sent to my by Influenster for reviewing purposes. However, opinions are 100% my own, as always.

Product Review: Gillette Venus & Olay Razor

Do you hate shaving as much as I do? Dang... While I think most girls have the same answer to that question, (Yes, we have to do it.) Gillette Venus & Olay are on a good path in a new direction. "Gillette Venus & Olay are coming together to deliver a gold standard in shaving with the new Gilette Venus & Olay razor! Olay Moisture Bars help lock-in moisture to your skin, while Venus' five blades shave you close." Sounds kinda genius, right? It almost is. Compared to the Gillette Venus Embrace, it's pretty much identical, except for the new concept of moisture bars. Compared to the Schick Intuition, it's a lot better. With 5 blades, no need for shaving cream, & built in lotion there's hardly a con. My only tip is to not leave it in the shower. The more water it meets with, the gooey-er it gets, causing a quick decrease in the amount of lotion & shave cream included. When you lose that, I don't really think you can use the razor itself anymore because there is no longer cushion which protects against skin irritation. Other than that, I now shave about every other day in around 5 minutes... as opposed to 15. Fabulous!

Thanks for reading! XO Katie <3

Disclaimer: Product mentioned was kindly sent to me from Influenster for reviewing purposes. However, opinions are 100% my own, as always.

Product Review: imPRESS Press-On Manicure

4 words: imPRESS nails by Broadway. While the Broadway Nails company has been around for a while, the product I'm about to talk about is brand smackin' new. Yeah, I said that. imPRESS Press-On Manicure - Ok, maybe it sounds a little funky & takes you back to the days of princess dresses & plastic heels, but these really are revolutionary... like it says on the box. :p First off, you have to understand I have the hardest time actually keeping polish on my fingers. I'm a bagger/cashier at a grocery store so I'm constantly hitting my hands on things, getting 'em stuck between carts, lifting & moving things, basically, always abusing my hands. My nail polish has never lasted longer than a day at work. Literally. I am OCD about chipped nail polish, but I love having pretty nails. You want the solution? Ok, let's keep talking (or reading, perhaps).The imPRESS nails claim to last up to a week. Good deal for $7, considering a professional acrylic manicure is around $30 for 2 weeks. Fast & easy, 24 nails including 12 different nail sizes, no drying time, & immediate lasting shine. These do come with a rounded edge but are super easy & fast to file down to a square edge, like I chose to do. At first I was a bit skeptical of how sticky these actually were, considering the lasting time mentioned, but at first glance I noticed an almost "quilted" texture to the way the glue's already adhered. Let me just say, these stick. Good. So, these are perfect?! Almost. I originally purchased Rock It , which is a basic french tip, The nail colored, bottom portion of the nail looked so fake I couldn't stand it. Obviously these are fake nails, but we don't want it to look like we borrowed them from our 4-year-old sister. Long story short, I just painted over them (what you see above). So much cuter! (: I feel like the other patterned designs would be much, much better than the one I purchased. Naturally, I'll be trying more so I'll let you know. In the end, yes, I say these are worth a try. Recommended indeed.

Thanks for reading! XO Katie <3

P.S. While imPress advertises Broadway Nails & Kiss Nail Dress (Review to come.) advertises Kiss Nails, I believe they are affiliated with each other.

Disclaimer: Product mentioned was purchased with my own money. I was not asked to do a review for the company.

Happy St. Patricks Day!

Oh yes you better believe I'm doing a Face of the Day post this fine holiday. (; It's actually days like these I get to pull out the brighter eyeshadows I wouldn't normally wear. What else do you think they're for?! Now, I do have to go to work, so I'm keepin' things subtle, but I'm lovin' this look... if I do say so myself. As far as Spring goes, (Will it just come already?!!) I think this sort of look will be fun as well... use any brighter shade for a pop of color instead of the mundane, just black eyeliner ritual.

Can you see the green? My camera is so bleck! :/

What am I wearing?

• Covergirl Natureluxe Silk Foundation
• Physicians Formula Mineral Wear Loose Powder
• Physicians Formula Happy Booster blush in Natural
• Maybelline Color Tattoo cream eyeshadow in Bad to the Bronze all over my lid
• matte chocolate brown color in the outer corner of my lid & crease
• Covergirl Eye Enhancers single eyeshadow in Champagne on my brow bone & inner corners of my eye
• Wet N Wild Mega Liner in Black on my upper lashes only
• lime green matte eyeshadow from E.L.F. on my lower lash line & outer portion of my upper lash line
• Loreal Voluminous False Fiber Lashes in Blackest Black on upper & lower lashes
• NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Tokyo
• E.L.F Minty Lip Gloss in Nashville

As always, thanks for reading! XX Katie <3

Day in the Life: Beauty Night!

Hello again lovelies. (: Today's blog is a little bit different from previous ones, but it's something I hope I can randomly continue throughout the year- "A Day in the Life..." (Blog sounds too boring.)

On Wednesday, I was lucky enough to get together with a group of girls in my church - Young Women's, & host a beauty/spa night! Focusing first on skin, I researched all natural, simple face masks we could make ourselves. Seriously, these worked great & are so much cheaper than anything you'd buy at a store! Who knew? Now we're talkin' clean, pretty faces! :p

Tell me if you want these recipes!

Obviously, relaxation & a little silly time came next...

Who dosen't want a little makeup?! One of my favorite things to do is share what brands of makeup I use & where I get them. I am such a deal girl & am obsessed with finding "cheap jems." I haven't had much practice with doing other people's makeup, but I have to admit I love the look on a girl's face when she loves how she looks! For me this was as much help & experience as it was fun!

Let's do it again?! (;

Thanks Erin for the great pictures!

Thanks for reading! XX Katie <3

Influenster Love VoxBox!

Hi lovelies. (: Today's blog post has been a long time coming! I'm so excited & so blessed to finally be a part of the Influenster VoxBox project! But what is this? "Registered members "play the game" by unlocking badges that reflect their lifestyle, expertise and power to influence. By earning badges that tell us more about you, Influensters can qualify for VoxBoxes (complimentary packages of products to test & review), rewards (bonus giveaways/discounts) and other special promotions targeted toward our most active and influential members!" Cool, right?! I think so. What did I get in my Love VoxBox?

• Gillette Venus & Olay Razor: "Gillette Venus & Olay are coming together to deliver a gold standard in shaving with the new Gillette Venus & Olay Razor! Olay Moisture Bars help lock-in moisture to your skin, while Venus' five blades shave you close." Retails for $8.99-$10.99. (In depth review to come.)
• Kiss Nail Dress - Fashion That Sticks: "Introducing Kiss Nail Dress, the ultimate nail fashion for tips & toes! Just peel, apply, and shape for a manicure that lasts up to 10 days. Available in 18 different styles!" Retails for $6.99. I recived Sexy, a metallic-y leopard print! (In depth review to come.)

• Stash Tea Herbal Tea Sampler: This sampler features some of Stash Tea's most popular herbal teas. All are naturally caffeine free & made from 100% natural ingredients. Steep for 3-5 minutes at 190-209 degrees, and enjoy!" Retails for $3.50. ~Know I am not a big tea drinker. I just don't prefer the taste, but I do love hot drinks when I'm fighting cramps. I did try a bit last night, for review sake & I have to say it was a hint of flavor, not super strong in taste. Flavors included are Acai Berry, Blueberry Superfruit, Chamomile, Cinnamon Apple Chamomile, Lemon Ginger, Licorice Spice, Mango Passionfruit, Peppermint, & Wild Raspberry Hibiscus. I think these would be awesome iced with a bit of Truvia.
• Ghirardelli Gourmet Milk Creamy Devotion Bar: The decadently rich and creamy 32% cacao milk chocolate in Creamy Devotion delivers an epicurean chocolate experience. Experience a moment of timeless pleasure with all natural Ghiradelli Gourmet Milk Chocolate." Retails for $2.99. (Official website shows price as $4.35.) ~There's not a lot more to say about this than YUM. I prefer this over Hershey!
• Truvia Natural Sweetener: Truvia natural sweetener is refreshingly uncomplicated, made from the best tasting part of the Stevia plant. Sprinkle this no-calorie sweetener on your grapefruit. Spoon it in your coffee. It won't end up on your conscience or your thighs!" Retails for $3.99 (40 ct). ~I'm not sure how to review sugar, but I'm planning some recipes to "plant" this in & expecting delicious-ness. :p

I need more hands!

Disclaimer: All products shown were sent to me by Influenster for review purposes. All opinions are honest and 100% mine, as always.

Thanks for reading! XX Katie <3

 



My Children Will Never Own A Barbie Doll.

I have watched the teachings of society break the spirits of girls around me. Dramatic? Oh well. I refuse to hold this back. Today, these feelings are common: Never perfect, never good enough, never pretty enough, smart enough, brave enough or skinny enough. We listen & we believe we'll simply never be enough, we'll never amount to anything great, and we’ll never succeed or be happy. Every single day we're faced with these lies & delusions we're expected to succumb to. When did things get this bad? Any magazine you read will tell you a size zero is normal, attractive, & healthy. These photo shopped images of women are placed on almost everything we see & we're told to replicate that & become that, as if we're being shaped & molded into robots. Anorexia & bulimia is a trend. Suicide is becoming a normality. We slowly begin to lose the line between reality & fiction until it's gone on for so long we fail to recognize a difference. In this day & age, the truth isn't being shared. Society is a bully. Society is pessimistic, fake, vulgar & defiant. Society is a liar & it has evolved within a fictitious world that shouldn't even dare to try & co-exist with the people in our lives. But most of all, society is ugly. As if it's a toxin, avoid it at all costs. Stop the comparisons. Find what's real, what you believe, what you love - research, examine, & study that truth. You are different for a reason. You were made this way because you're meant to be special, unique, & one of a kind. You are limited edition. Be the best you, you can be & don't let anybody bring you down or tell you differently. You are beautiful. You do deserve happiness & success in life. You do matter & you are loved. Find what makes you happy & chase after that dream with every fiber of your being. You are on this Earth today, with a purpose & you don't have to be bony & blonde to belong. Stay strong lovely. <3 XO Katie

February Favorites

It's that time of the month again... & by that time of the month I mean a new list of favorites! (; (Funny, right?) I don't have too many to share this time around, but they're worth your knowledge of...

1. Tea Tree Skin Clearing Lotion from The Body Shop - My oh my do I love this stuff! Made for blemished skin, this lotion is mattifying, but comes in a gel form. This stuff goes on smoothly & feels so light, it's magic basically. Now this does have a strong scent of Tea Tree, but dosen't last once applied.
2. Tea Tree Oil from The Body Shop - I do know you can get Tea Tree Oil from health food stores & other places similar, but I just can never tell whether or not it's straight Tea Tree Oil that's good for my skin. I just got this because I saw it while I was shopping, but I do now love it. I use this as a spot treatment at night & simply put some on a cotton ball & dab. This is a bit drying, which is good for zits, bad for skin, but lotion in the morning will do the perfect trick. I highly reccomend this as a natural way to get rid of pimples.
3. The scrubber that comes with the Loreal Go 360 Clean Facial Cleanser - Can you buy something similar to this seperatly? My skin has literally been freaking out pretty bad this month. I've gotten pimples & dealt with dry, flakiness. (I know that's not a word.) In simple terms, I needed exfoliation but an actual exfoliator seemed to irritate what skin I had that was healthy! This little blue scrubber did the trick, although I didn't use the wash. I just had the bottle sitting around and thought "Why not?" Bottom line: scrubbers are a new favorite, even for everyday use.
4. Maybelline Color Tattoo in Tough as Taupe - I love this as a base. I simply put this all over my lids & add virtually any color I want over. Good alone as well!
5. Garnier Fructis' Sleek & Shine Flat Iron Perfection Straightening Mist with Argan Oil - Ok seriously, could that name get any longer?! Good thing it's a fabulous product! I've never been a fan of straightening my hair, but this month I've loved it, mostly because it takes less time than curling my hair. :p This is a heat protectant, plus it helps straighten your hair, reduce frizz & keep it straight till you wash again. What more could you ask for? This stuff smells so good, I'll also spray a bit more on the ends before I go out!
6. Dove Refresh+Care Invigorating Dry Shampoo - Love this stuff! Really! (LOL) You shake it up, spray it on your hair, work through with your fingertips &/or palms then brush through. Product will appear slightly gray at first, but once worked in you won't be able to tell you used it. Only downside? The smell is really strong, though it dosen't last. But whatever you do, don't breathe in while applying! You don't need to wash your nose hairs anyway (:

Yeah, I love this song.

Thanks for reading! XX Katie {KONY 2012}

Nail of the Day - Blazed

Hey pretty people. (: I am so ready for Spring! Aren't you? Utah bound, we still have a bit of snow, but my nails are obviously rebelling. I love this coral-y orange color, "Blazed," by Wet N Wild! I do have to say it took about three coats to build up to the coverage seen, but it's a truly pleasent consistency to deal with, though not very opaque. I would indeed consider this a creme polish, as lovely as it is, especially for only $1! Thanks for reading XX Katie  {KONY 2012}

Look Of The Day: March 6, 2012

I figuered it'd be nice to read what I said as well...summarized of course. (:

Makeup:

Covergirl Natureluxe Foundation
E.L.F Under Eye Concealer & Highlighter duo stick (I only used the concealer side today.)
Physician's Formula Mieral Wear Loose Powder
E.L.F blush in Twinkle Pink
E.L.F All Over Color Stick in Spotlight - cheekbones, cupid's bow & the bridge of my nose
E.L.F eyelid primer
Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze - all over my lid
3 shades from my Love & Beauty eyeshadow pallette  as shown in the video
NYX Roll On Shimmer in Almond - blended in my crease
Wet N Wild Mega Liner liquid eyeliner in Black - upper lash line only
Loreal Voluminous False Fiber Lashes in Blackest Black - upper lashes only
Revlon Lip Butter in Creamsicle
Liplicious Kissed by a Prince in Melon from Bath & Body Works
(This is suddenly seeming like a ridiculous amount of makeup to me.)

Outfit:
Top: Tj Maxx - The brand is Eyeshadow.
Tank top: Target
Cardigan: Target
Pants: black jeggings from Urban Wear
Shoes: Brash available at Payless
Ring: Target
Necklace: Falling Whistles
Keychain attached: gifted from a friend

Questions? Just leave 'em in the comments!

Haul: E.L.F. Cosmetics

Hello again lovelies. (: Today's post is all about my recent online shopping trip with E.L.F. Cosmetics. I went a teensy bit crazy, but it's E.L.F. so why can't I?

What did I buy?

• Stipple Brush from their Studio line - While I'm a fanatic about flat top foundation brushes, I've never actually owned a "stippling" brush. This isn't exactly what I thought it was going to be because it's a lot thinner then the brush I use now, but I'll let you know how I like it. The package says it has 2 layers of bristles designed to pick up multiple layers of product. Use with any face product wet or dry for a "flawless, airbrused look." I personally will be using this for my liquid foundation.
• All Over Color Stick in Spotlight - I plan on using this as a cream highlight. P.S. It smells like pink Starbursts!

• Minty Lip Gloss in Nashville - Light brown, nude color with hardly any color pay off, but I do love the minty flavor. (:
• Lotion Wipes in Vanilla & Coconut - I was pretty skeptical about these at first but the reviews were killer so obviously I decided to try them. These are literally, exactly what they state & they work pretty well for the concept & price. Once applied they're super wet, like a normal wipe, but continue to rub hands together like you would with normal lotion & it immediatly starts to feel like the lotion we're used to using... but it came from a wipe. Did that make sense? :p
• Blush in Twinkle Pink - Dupe for Nars' Super Orgasm blush. (Some say a dupe for Deep Throat, but this has sparkles.)
• Blush in Candid Coral - Dupe for Mac's Springsheen

From left to right: Twinkle Pink, Candid Coral

• Single Eyshadow in Sand Dollar
• Single Eyeshadow in Oatmeal
• Single Eyeshadow in Coffee Bean
• Single Eyeshadow in Rasberry Truffle
• Single Eyeshadow in Saddle
• Single Eyeshadow in Sea Blue - Funny story on this one... On the website, this actually looked like a periwinkle color, but in person it's electric blue. Literally. My camera dosen't even do the neon shade justice. (Note: All other shades look like they appear online.)

From left to right: Sea Blue, Saddle, Rasberry Truffle, Coffee Bean, Oatmeal & Sand Dollar

Size comparison between blush & single eyeshadow:

Thanks for reading! XX Katie