Stila (HauteLook)

I was very surprised to see a HauteLook package in my mail today. I wasn't expecting it until Monday. Of course, I ripped into my box so excited to see which order it was. Today I received my Stila order. I ordered two eyeshadows and one lipstick. I've never tried Stila products so I can't wait to play around with these. 

Stila came out with some fun colors for summer with their Countless Color Pigments. I saw these on a few videos and had to try them since they were on sale on HauteLook. I decided to buy a pink and a purple. They retail for $22 and you can still get them on the Stila website. These were only $6 on HauteLook. 

The first one is a pink color called Indie. 

I know these look crazy but you can create a very versatile look with all the colors. You can use the colors individually or you can swirl them all together for a different look. I swatched some of the different shades you can get out of this shadow. 

The next one I bought was a purple color called Melody. 

I don't have any bright purple so I'm hoping to get some use out of this one. Here are the swatches. 

I haven't played with these much but I'm excited to add these colors to my collection. The shadows felt very smooth but I did notice they were a little powdery so I hope I don't get a lot of fall out with these. They seem to be very versatile. I think the name speaks for itself because there are countless color varieties you can get with these. 

I also bought a lip product from Stila. It's the Long Wear Lip Color in the shade Intriguing. I was looking for a pink shade of lipstick and fell in love with this color. This is a matte formula but you can add shine with some lip gloss. 

Lip products are so easy to try so I put it on following this gorgeous swatch. It is such a beautiful color on the lips and the formula feels great. It goes on very smooth and doesn't dry out my lips. I did put a little gloss on top because I do tend to like glossy lips. This might be my new favorite lip product. It retails for $20 on the Stila website but I think I paid $10 for it on HauteLook. Such great bargains!!

I also received a little surprise in my box. They included a free sample if TRESemme shampoo and conditioner along with a coupon for the products. Who doesn't love free samples?

I'm very happy with my purchase and can't wait to play with the eyeshadows. I have also ordered some Tarte products from HauteLook and should be receiving those early next week. I'll post about those products as soon as I receive them. Thanks for reading!

e.l.f. Lip Exfoliator

If you haven't heard of the makeup line e.l.f. (eyes lips face), you need to check it out. I first saw a small display of it at Walmart and the price points were so cheap I didn't give it a second look. I never thought it would be a quality line but it is. There are some big hits and some big misses. I feel that's with any drugstore line. Just do your research and its so cheap you can feel better about testing. Most of their products are $1 or $3. They have everything from foundation, blush, eyeshadow, lip products, to makeup brushes. My local Walmart has a small display and my local Target has a bigger selection. 

Today I'm going to review a lip product but its not what you're thinking. It's not a lipstick. It's a lip exfoliator. 

This lip exfoliator has little scrubbing sugars that remove any extra skin and makes your lips feel so smooth. It's also infused with Vitamin E, Shea Butter, Avocado, Grape, and Jojoba Oils that helps nourish your lips. 

I use this about every other day or when I feel like I need it. You just rub this stick in a circular motion on moistened lips then you remove with water. My lips feel amazing and there is a slight vanilla like flavor. The best part is that it's only $3. I found mine at Target but you can also find it on their website. 

www.eyeslipsface.com

I'll be reviewing some more products by e.l.f. and letting you the must haves and ones you should pass on. Let me know if there is anything you want me to review. I'm always looking for new ideas. 

Covergirl Smoochies

Today I decided to buy a new lip product. I had a coupon for $2 off a Covergirl lip product so I bought a Smoochies. 

This is a colored lip balm. I went for a reddish color called Text Me hoping for a little more color payoff. 

Of course I broke it out in the car and tried it. The color is so pretty and the formula feels amazing. It feels just like a lip balm. I can see myself using this product throughout the day. I am very satisfied with this product and the price is great. It's around $5 at my Walmart and I had a coupon. Pretty good deal for a fun product. 

Rimmel Scandaleyes in Nude

Do you ever look at an eyeliner color and wonder why they even made it?  Sometimes we don't realize what the purposes of some colors are. I thought that way about nude and white eyeliners. Now I finally know that these lighter colors are often used for your waterline. Your waterline is the inner rim of your eyelids. 

I've started using the Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Khol Kajal in the color nude in my lower waterline. 

It's amazing how it makes my eyes pop and look more "awake."  

This eyeliner goes on so smooth and easy. I feel like it lives up to its waterproof claim. I don't notice that it smudges or wears off by the end of the day. I love that something so little can complete a look. 

I found this one at Walmart but I'm sure you can find it at any store that sells Rimmel (Walgreens, Target, etc.).  I also had a $1 coupon so it was super cheap. Score!

I prefer the nude color in my lower waterline but some people like a white color. The white definitely stands out more. If you want to try white, try the NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in the color Milk. It's an eye shadow and eyeliner. I've also seen people use it as a base color on the lid to make bright colors a little brighter. This is a product I'm wanting to buy in the future to try out. I just love multi purpose products. 

Subscription Services

This summer I discovered the amazing world of monthly subscription services. I have subscribed to some beauty sample boxes but there are so many different types of subscription boxes. There are some for food lovers, dogs, toddlers and so much more. Basically, you sign up for a service that best fits what you're looking for. Then you pay a monthly fee and wait for the box to arrive in the mail. The best part is unboxing your products. It's so much fun getting prizes in the mail. For me, it's the best way to try new products and be introduced to new brands. 

Birchbox: $10 a month

Birchbox normally has 5 samples of high end makeup, hair, or skin care products. They tend to send more hair and skin care samples. Some of the samples are small foil packs, deluxe sample sizes (travel sizes), and sometimes full sized products. That's always a bonus!  Here is a link to check it out. If you decide to subscribe, this link will also give me points so I can earn free products. The more products I receive, the more reviews I am able to do. 

http://birch.ly/18ZSBo8

IPSY: $10 a month

IPSY or Glambag sends 4-5 samples of high end makeup, hair, or skin care products. They tend to focus on makeup samples a little bit more than Birchbox. Most of their samples are deluxe sized or full sized. Here is a link if you would like to subscribe and help me earn points. 

http://www.ipsy.com/?refer=u-hjt7sdl3go561vgy

Julep Maven: $19.99 a month

Julep is a brand of nail polish and they have their own subscription service. Julep has different profiles you can choose from and they will send you products based on that profile. Normally it's 2-3 nail polishes and/or a beauty product. Julep is a little different from the other boxes. You can see the products you are receiving each month and switch profiles if you like one of the other ones better. You can also skip months if you don't like any of them or if you just don't have the funds for it. Here is a link if you would like to sign up and help me earn points. 

http://www.julep.com/rewardserf/index/refer/id/300170/

These are the three that I subscribe to. I only get the Julep box if I really like to colors and have extra money. When I receive my boxes each month, I'll blog about each one so you can see what I received. I will also be reviewing products from the boxes to let you know how they worked out for me. 

Manicure of the Week

Every week I'll be posting pictures and information about a manicure I've done. I'm very excited to blog about my first Manicure of the Week. 

This week I decided to use Sally Hansen Salon Effects in the color Metal Head. I've already reviewed the Salon Effects so make sure you read that blog for more information. 

I promise next week will be an actual nail polish and not nail polish strips.  Let me know what brands you want me to review or what colors you would like to see. Fall is coming up so I'll start showing some darker colors that are perfect for fall. 

Also, I started a Facebook page where I will post more information daily about products I'm using or sales to find great deals on products. Once I hit 100 likes I'll be giving away a pair of Sally Hansen Salon Effects. 

www.facebook.com/asmithlovesbeauty

Eyeshadow Primer

I discovered eyeshadow primer a couple of years ago and it changed the way I thought about eyeshadow. I could never make the colors pop or stay very long. By the end of the day I would just have some smudgy eyeliner on my lids and that was it. I visited Ulta not long after it opened in my area. I had a wonderful sales person who directed me towards using an eyeshadow primer. (If I have a nice, helpful sales person, I usually get suckered into buying more than I need. I know...I'm a sucker.)  Now I will never wear eyeshadow without a primer. I think it's completely worth it to buy and add to your makeup routine. I've tried just a few different eyeshadow primers and plan to try out more. 

Today I'm going to show you two different options. One is higher end and one is drugstore. 

The first one I bought was the Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion. They have a few different colors but I bought the color Sin. It's a champagne colored shimmer. I loved the shimmery color and the staying power is very long wearing. It claims to last 24 hours and I think it's realistic to say it does last most of the day. The tube is a decent size but I've been using it for almost two years and I still have some left. That's a good thing considering the price is $20. You can buy this at Ulta, Sephora, or on www.urbandecay.com. Here is a swatch but the picture just doesn't do it justice. It's a very pretty base for any eyeshadow. 

Next, let's talk about the Milani Eyeshadow Primer.

 I saw people using this brand on YouTube and figured it was something expensive that I couldn't get around here due to the name. Then I found out this is a line of makeup sold at Walmart. I was shocked. I heard so many wonderful things about this brand and this primer that I had to check it out. I went to my local Walmart and found it right away and was pretty excited. Especially about the price point. It's only $6.49. Now, will it really work...

I've been using it for a couple if weeks now and have tested it out many different ways. I've slept with my eye makeup on (I know that's bad but I was curious), I've mowed, worked many 12 hour days, etc. I found that it really stayed on till the end of the day. It claims to work for over 8 hours and I think the claim is pretty on target. Overall, I'm pleased with the products consistency and staying power. Plus who can beat the price?  Primer tubes are usually small but will last quite a while. 

I have tried another primer made by e.l.f. and I was not very pleased with it. I'll post more about this one in another blog about products I regret buying. 

Hopefully I'll get to try more primers. I have my eye on a paint pot primer from MAC but we all know the price for MAC is a little high. I'll have to save up for that splurge. 

I hope you have found this helpful and help you discover new products and brands. Please let be know what you would like to see in future blogs.