Too Faced Reviews

A few weeks back I had a post up of some items I'd purchased at Sephora.  One item was the Too Faced Beauty Editor Darlings.  It's a set that includes deluxe sample sizes of some the most popular items offered by the brand.  This is my review of those item.  To get the proper name of the items click the link HERE.

Mascara:  I love it.  The brush is probably the reason that I love this mascara.  The way that it's made is awesome.  It actually separates the lashes while holding enough product to distribute the product evenly.  The mascara itself coated pretty well.  I love voluminous lashes that aren't caked up, and this happened for me after giving this a try.  I think the only thing that would hold me back from buying a full sized version is the price.  I use lots of mascara.

Shadow Insurance:  There is nothing more important than keeping eyeshadow from creasing.  The hype behind this product is worth it.  Just a little bit goes a long way.  Not only did it help my shadow stay on, but it held my eyeliner just a well.  I would pay the price for this just for being able to maintain my eyeliner that has a tendency to slide around. :)

Lipgloss:  I don't necessarily need a lip plumping gloss because my lips are naturally full.  I will say with this lip gloss, the coverage was nice and it made my lips feel soft and supple.  Also, the plump sensation was painless.  It was more of a slight tingle.  This one has been in my purse and used everyday since I tried it.  It's highly likely that I'll purchase this in the future.

Lip Insurance:  This is a product that I didn't know much, but I'm glad I do now.  The problem I've had with lip gloss and lip stick is that it runs all over the place, the color fades, and I have to reapply several times a day.  This helps that problem and will actually keep the lips from drying out.  It's a keeper.

Face Primer:  The texture is similar to other primers I've used.  It's like a cross between powder a lotion.  It's hard to describe.  At any rate it smooths on nicely.  It also doubles as a perfecting cream.  It makes the pores appear smaller and you can use it alone.  I do like this product a lot because I can use it in the place of a tinted moisturizer or BB cream.  It makes my skin feel good.  I would consider buying this in the future.

I hope this review was beneficial.  Maybe you will enjoy these products as much as I have.  I also hope that the message of trying before committing  is very clear.  LOL.  I would hate to be stuff with a full sized product that I don't like.  :)

When You Lose Those You Love

I didn't get the chance to share this last week.  I don't know if it was because of shock, disbelief, or wanting to avoid the inevitable.  But there was a significant loss in my life.  She was an 11 year old girl in my neighborhood that just so happened to be one of my best friend's niece.  She had been sick for some time, but I guess it didn't sink in until I saw her just before her passing and the day of her services.

This little gem of a person was my friend.  Went spent many hours having great conversation and just enjoying the company of one another.  I've met many children and have a child of my own.  But there was something about her that was different.  She seemed so mature for her age and always had a smile on her face when I saw her.  I can close my eyes now and see her face.  She had big blues.  She was so beautiful.  I  just loved her to pieces.  I still do.

Last week, on Saturday morning, I got a phone call at 7 in the morning from my friend.  I knew when I saw her number appear on the screen that the time all of us hoped wouldn't come had.  My little friend had passed away.  Her battle with cancer had ended.  The lights had gone down and the little sparkle that was her had faded.  I took in the news and just sat there dumbfounded.

Just a few days before she had passed, I'd walked over to her house just to peek in to see how she was doing.  That day she was too weak for visitors, but I stood in the doorway talking to her mother just peering through the door at her.  A moment or so later, she opened her eyes turned her face in my direction and smiled at me.  It was the most precious thing because I knew how much pain she was in and how difficult it was to perform that small task.  As happy as I was to see those blue eyes again, I knew that would be the last time.

Dying and witnessing death is multifaceted.  Everybody grieves in different ways.  Here I was thinking that I was at peace with her passing because I didn't want to see her in pain anymore.  And before then there was the false hope that she would get better when it was clear that the hour was upon her.  The week leading up to her memorial I was convinced that I was okay.  I was "glad" that she was in heaven, smiling down and free from disease.  But a corner of me had been suppressing what I was really thinking.  Last night I unraveled completely and fell apart.

In my heart, I was angry.  The frustration over being helpless to a child in need had eaten away at me.  I wanted her to live because I knew what this angel had to offer this world that we live in.  I saw the little bits of life that she had left in her, and I just wanted her to try to hold on to it.  But then I came face to face with reality.  Cancer had devoured that life.  She just couldn't fight anymore.  There was nothing more she could give.

Then I began to think of how selfish I was.  Here she was at a crossroad of Heaven and Earth.  Silly me wanted her to come back to the physical realm and be here.  But I think that anybody who was at that point would choose the welcoming and peaceful realm of Heaven and its angels over the demented and sad existence that we call life.  Especially if that person had been arm wrestling a disease that had already taken so much from them.  How could I do such a thing by asking her frail body to cling to this world when she was going to be free from suffering, finally?

I'm not posting this because I'm looking for sympathy or anything like that.  I'm just venting because it's what seems natural.  Also, being that it is holiday time, I want to remind everyone to realize how precious life is.  Hug those you love and tell them that you love them.  Tomorrow isn't promised.  This life that we live is short.  In eternity, it may as well be nonexistent.  The point it is cherish those who cherish you.  Spread love.

Rest in peace my dear friend.  Hopefully one day I will be as lucky as you and walk in eternal peace.  In other words, I hope I go to Heaven to be with the Heaven Father too.  I miss you and I will never forget the love and happiness you brought to my life.  You were and always will be special and beautiful to me.

Sampling Before Committing

While I don't see myself participating in another Black Friday ever again, I can't say that it was totally fruitless.  I made a stop at Sephora because I couldn't resist and picked up a few items.  I had a theme though.  I don't want to be stuck with expensive products, so I did everything on a small scale.  I got trial size items except for the nail stickers.

This is waterproof makeup remover.  You can't have enough makeup remover if you are wear eye shadow and eye liner on a regular basis.  This little bottle was about 6 or 7 dollars.

This is a set by Too Faced that contains a lot of goodies and makes a perfect gift or stocking stuffer.  It includes mascara, eye shadow primer, plumpling lip gloss, lip primer, and face primer.  This a good starter and gives gives the opportunity to sample something before you buy it.  This retails for about 22 dollars which is about the same price as just one of these items.  These are all mini sized items.

The last item is really trendy right now.  These are nail art patches.  These retail for about 7 dollars for one application.  This particular print is called "Chinese Blossom".  This is another item that would make a great gift or stocking stuffer.

I'll try to get some reviews of these items up as soon as possible.  I hope that you all had a happy Thanksgiving and continue to do so into the rest of the holiday season. :)

Computer Love...It's Not What You Think

I am so glad to have my computer back.  She was sick, but the guys at PCWarehouse came right on through and made her better.  It was agony not being able to do virtually anything.  It think it would be messed up to compare it to losing a limb, but that's how I felt about it.

I do have a product that I want to review today.  It's the Buxom Big and Healthy Lips Polish.  It was free because I used my beauty points with another purchase.  That's always a plus.  And the sample size is deluxe, so that sweetens the pot.  :)

Where do I begin....  I wasn't paying attention to the box when I chose it.  It was more like a split second decision.  And who turns down free lip gloss?  NOT me!  At any rate, I was excited because I had never tried anything from the Buxom line which I've heard so many great things about.

The fact of the matter is that this is a plumping gloss.  Every tried one of those before?  Well, I haven't.  And boy, was I in for a shocker.  I glided it over my lips and rubbed it in.  They were instantly soft and supple.  I was in love with it.  Then a few moments later, my mouth suddenly felt funny.  It was tingling.  Then it was a little sting.  Then my lips felt like I put mentholated rub on them.

I'm not used to plumpers.  I have naturally full lips, so it's not anything I've ever looked in to.  Eventually the sensation did go away or I didn't notice it anymore.  I kept using it throughout the day to adjust myself to the sensation.  It seems to have worked.  It's still a little intense when first applied, but I actually like it.  Beauty is pain, you know...

BTW, I'm not sure if it actually plumps the lips.  I'm such an airhead that I forgot to look in the mirror to see. Oh well.  Just give it try.  It's a great moisturizer.  I like it so much that I would consider buying it in the future.  Plus it retails for only 10 dollars.  You can't beat that for the work that it does.

Love those Lashes

I'm a little late posting the pics of the items I picked up off Ebay.  Super busy these days.  At any rate, here they are :)

Here's what I got. :)  On the far left are regular eyelashes.  They have this really pretty crisscross pattern that looks super natural.  They're not too long, but not too short.  And the quality is pretty good.  I think I paid two dollars for the ten pairs.

In the middle is a device used to apply the lashes to the eye as well as hold them in place while adding glue.  I did get a chance to try this, and I like it.  This was about a dollar I think.

The lasts item are bottom lashes.  This is something that I'm still fairly new to.  These are handmade from what I understand, so they cost a little more but still insanely cheap at about 2.50 USD.

Circle Lens LOVE

These contacts are something else.  LOL.  Look at the difference.  It's like night and day.  Admittedly, it took me forever to figure out getting them in.  I kept flinching because it's a natural reflex and I'm not an expert with contacts.  But look at that.  One eye looks huge and open.  It isn't any smaller or larger.  The contact creates the illusion for me.

Where do I start?  Short and simple.  LOL:  They're comfortable and I love the look.  It's like nothing is there.  I LOVE THEM!!!  Believe it or not, it looks fairly natural.  The lighting in the bathroom is a little strange. (Notice how it makes me skin look pinkish and yellowish.)  They enlarge the eyes which is a plus and they give me an opportunity to find out whether or not I want to wear contacts on a full time basis.  Plus, because they are colored, losing them would be difficult.

The site that I bought them from hosts all kinds of contest where you could win a free pair and stuff like that, so I'll be creating a makeup look to accompany my contacts.

What do you all think?

My Contacts are HERE!!! ^_^

I ordered my circle contact lenses on the 30th of September.  Well, they arrived today!  I'm so happy.  I'm happy with my shopping experience, the packaging, the extra attention to detail.  Everything was just great.  BTW, I ordered my contacts from Shoppingholics.com <---Click there.

Let me start with the attention to detail.  I know that every pair of contacts comes with a free case, but I wasn't expecting the extra items I was sent as well.  They added a nice touch.  Not to mention, there was a small card included in the package as well.

I'm rambling...  It's pic time.  LOL

This is the little baggy that everything was wrapped in, in the package.

Images of cute little card that was included

Freebies!  Contact case, velcro hair holder of some sort, and eye masks

Tiny box contacts came in and the bottles containing my lenses.  I would like to make it clear that everything was actually bubble wrapped and secured very neatly.  I was so excited to receive my package that I just ripped open everything. :)

The pick of the actual contacts will be put up tomorrow.  I had to get them out and soaked so that I could do a review on them asap.  But I will have to wait overnight for that.

There will be a few more items coming in within the next week or so.  I got lashes (top and bottom), a few clothing pieces, and a tool for putting on lashes.  I am also looking to relax again and paint my nails.  It's going to be a crazy week.  LOL

So Cute! ^_^

I have decided after years of thinking about it to try the sweet lolita fashion.  It's not what you think.  It's actually a popular Japanese street fashion that has been popular for over 20 years.  It's so sweet, innocent, and super kawaii!  I'll be providing more information on that later.  For now,here is a picture of my new dress. :) I would like feedback to see what you all think. :)

Pure Romance Products Review

A few weeks ago, I attended a Pure Romance party.  It was so much fun!  I had never been to one, and so it was quite the experience.

There was an array of items to choose from, naturally.  However, I decided to only buy beauty products.  Here's what I got:

The tall bottle is a product called Body Dew.  You spray this on after a shower or bath to lock in as much moisture as possible.  In short, it does the same thing as baby oil.  It smells way better though.  Did I mention is has pheromones in it as well?  The scent I picked was pink cupcake.  Delicious!

The second product is called Shimmertime.  You smooth this over the skin to add color a shimmer to the body.  It is even safe to use on the face.  It could be used as a highlighter, blush, lipgloss...whatever you like. I like the multipurpose aspect of this product and the fact that a little bit goes a long way.

Overall, I am highly satisfied with these products.  The Body Dew is amazing.  It makes my skin so soft, and the smell is heavenly.  I use it everyday, and I will likely purchase more.  The Shimmertime will get more use as the holiday parties and such roll around.  I do like that it doesn't harm my sensitive skin and I only have to use so little to get the desired effect.  For what I paid, I got a great value too.

Circle Lenses :)

I'm jumping on the circle lenses train.  I've been watching the videos, doing my research, and admiring the results others have had with these Asian-born wonders.

In case you all are not familiar with the circle lenses, let me give you a little info.  The purpose of these contacts are mostly fashionable.  They aren't supposed to be worn for more than 8 hours at a time.  The concept behind these lenses are that they will create the illusion of larger looking irises which appear to make the eyes look larger.  They are highly popular in East Asia.

Circle lenses are not available for sale in the United States because they aren't approved by the FDA.  Apparently, the larger the contact, the less oxygen your eyes receive.  This could cause injury to the eye with a worse case scenario of blindness.  This is the reason they are not available for sale in the US.  As stated before they are not meant to be worn for more than 8 hours at a time to prevent the risks of eye injuries.  They are available in both prescription and non prescription.

The occurrence of harm to the eyes is very low when the contacts are used as specified.  To my knowledge, there is a very low chance of injury to the eye with circle lenses if you follow simple rules on cleaning the lenses, storing them properly, and keeping the hands clean.  It is also important to soak them in fresh solution  before EVERY use.  Never ever ever use old solution.  This is true even for regular contacts.  And let me emphasize...  DO NOT WEAR FOR MORE THAN 8 HOURS.  That means no falling asleep in them either.  You will damage your eyes if you abuse these simple rules.

Circle lenses typically come in two wear lengths.  There are the 30 days lenses which are a bit cheaper and the others that last for one year that costs a bit more.  The average prices are about 10-15 US dollars for 30 day lenses and 20-40 US dollars for the one year lenses.  I chose the one year lenses because it seemed like a better value.  However, this is completely up to you.  The sizes vary as well with and average of about 14mm across.  Some of the largest I've seen were 16+mm.

My wanting to buy these lenses is just me wanting to change it up a little bit.  I love experimenting with beauty products and trying new things.  I'm a product junkie too which doesn't help.  I decided on the Geo Super Size Nudy Grey.  The color change is subtle and compliments brown eyes very nicely from what I've seen.  The size is 14.8 mm which is on the bigger side.  Go hard or go home, right?

I'm not going to post pics at this point in time, but I will be sure to after I get them.  I'll likely do a before and after comparison.  I'm so excited.  I purchased my contacts from shoppingholics.com.  I'll provide a direct link to the pair I purchased right here.  Let me know what you think about the circle lense craze.

My Order Has Arrived

Earlier in the week, I purchased some flats from PinkBasis.com, and they're here already. The shipping is awesome. :)

Let me be quite honest.  These probably aren't the best quality shoes I've ever bought, but they are quite decent.  As the saying goes, you get what you pay for.  I will post the pics of the shoes first, then I will zero in on some things about them that I really didn't like.

Now here comes the part that I'm not so in love with:  If you at the third image (tan with leopard print details), it is apparent that the toe decal is definitely crooked.  That's not all though.  Look at this image below:

There is a clear indentation in the back of the shoe that I could not pop out for anything.  I will attribute that to the packaging because it does happen.  In addition, there was glue residue on the side of the shoe.  I was no happy about that at all.

The next image concerns the pair in the first pic.  Look at this:

Notice that there is a scrape or peeling of some sort.  It's something that I am going to fix because this shoe is of better quality.  However, it was clear to me right when I opened the box.

The last issue I had was with pair number seven.  There is a glob of glue residue on the inside of the shoe.  I'm not going to complain too much because it's a cosmetic defect inside of the shoe.  However, it was another thing that I noticed right away.

My overall experience rating is actually not that bad.  I did get these shoes for the dirt.  Some of the things like the glue residue and the scrape are things that I can fix myself.  The lopsided toe though?  Not really.  I may even send them back or right a complaint e-mail.  The rest of the shoes are super cute.  I think I made some good choices

One thing I want to stress as well is that these shoes are true to size.  I got them I bit bigger because I wasn't sure.  Some brands run small, especially if they aren't the best quality.  These are an exception as far as my experience goes.

I hope you all enjoy this post.  Let me know what you think about my purchase. :)

Pink Basis!

I have to tell you all.  I was heart broken when cutesygirl.com went out of business.  I wanted to know why they did that to me...blah blah blah.  Well, I've moved on.

I was just doing some random googling and stumbled upon PinkBasis.com. (Make sure you click the link.)  They have a wide variety of really inexpensive shoes, handbags, accessories, and clothing.  I was thrilled to have found this site because I was looking for some cute, comfy shoes for work.  I have a strict budget, and I wanted to stick to it.  This site helped me achieve that goal and more. :)

My order totaled just under 54.00 USD.  The shipping is free on orders of 50.00 USD or more, btw.  Get this...I got 8 pairs of flats (7 for me, and the 1 I convinced my mother to let me order for her).  All of them are adorable.  I'm not too sure about the quality of the items yet.  That will come in a review after I've received my order.

I'll be sure to let you all know how it went.  Just an early warning... It is likely to be pic heavy. :)

Let Us Detangle!

An essential function of proper hair care is detangling.  I know that the process for those who are relaxed and stretching, natural, or those that just have hair that tangles easily is daunting.  The shower comb can only go so far, the wide toothed comb just isn't working, and using a brush can be damaging to the hair.

I found this lovely alternative that is made especially for detangling the hair.  This is the Tool Structure All Plastic Detangling Comb.  I found it at Sally's for about 2 dollars.  I know that I tend to rave about hair care, but this comb is the business.  It is sturdy, cheap, and it really gets the job done for me.  The smaller teeth make for a more honest job of getting out tangles and snags.

The method I use for detangling my hair and my daughter's hair is simple and time consuming all the same.  However, I've found that using this comb makes it worth it.  I have thick hair, and so does my daughter.  So what we do first is thoroughly moisturize the hair, section it off into small pieces, and then start at the ends and work out way up to the roots.  This is standard practice.  The difference is this comb gets to ares that the wider toothed combs can't.  And because of this the results last longer.

I would recommend using this comb maybe two or three times a week on moisturized hair for the best results. HHG :)

A Gift to Myself

UPDATE: I received my bag a little while ago.  I couldn't be happier.  The quality is amazing.  The picture doesn't do it justice.  I will definitely be looking for another handbag from this line. :)

These last few months have been crazy for me.  I've been working really hard and trying to keep it real.  So I decided that since I need a handbag and I deserve a treat, I would find something.

I know what you're thinking.  I ran to the nearest Coach store.  No no no.  Not me.  That's just not my style.  Instead, I wanted seek something outside the box.  Then it dawned on me to turn my attention to Asia.  (This happens to me a lot lately.)  I found the most precious bag.  I think it is worth the price.  I couldn't be happier.  I saw it, and my brain exploded.  LOL.  Feast your eyes on my new favorite thing.

I don't know much about the brand except it's extremely hard to find.  I just happened to luck up on it typing in this that, and the other.  All I know is that I can hardly wait to receive my new baby.  I'll be sure to post pics when she gets here.  And stay tuned.  I'm finally going to relax my hair.  LOL :)

Permless in Kansas City

Because of my line of work, I've decided to hold off processing my hair.  I work with children, I sweat, I get in and out of pools....So I think that processing at this point is sort of pointless.  :)  However, I can just let my  hair go thirsty and turn into a big ole mess.

A few weeks ago on one of numerous trips to Wal Mart, I ran into a sales lady that recommended that I try this deep conditioner.  It's Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Frizz Defeat Deep Treatment.  So, because I tend to be a product junkie, I did.  It worked wonders on my hair considering the fact that I haven't relaxed in a few months.

It smells wonderful.  It also has this creamy texture that isn't too runny nor too stiff.  Most importantly, it made my hair feel super soft.  That's hard to achieve being so far post relaxer.  My hair was shiny, easier to manage, and I noticed a considerable reduction in shedding.  And to get all this for under 5 bucks was totally worth it to me.  So I would recommend this.

There is one con for this product.  If you have super thick hair like myself, it takes more product.  I hope you all have the same success with this that I had. HHG :)

Shampoo and Conditioner

I'm not one who typically buys the same brand of anything. I mix and match until I find the right combination.  But recently, I decided to go outside the box and try something different.

It's been around for a few years now, and I can see why.  I picked up Herbal Essences "Long Term Relationship" shampoo and conditioner.  The reason being that I loved the leave in condtioner that I can no longer find anywhere. (They always discontinue the good stuff!)

I love the way my hair felt after the shampooing.  It was super clean and it smelled amazing.  I followed up with the conditioner and just let it sit on while I showered.  I rinsed with water as cool as I could stand.  The result was fluffy, soft, shiny hair. 

The pros far outweigh the cons so far. I think as I continue to use it, I will develop a full analysis of how effective it is in preserving length, strengthening, and increasing growth.  Right now, this is my new favorite staple item.

Conditioner Bliss, Kind Of....

I finally got a chance to try the Silk Elements deep conditioner that I purchased a little while ago. And I must say that I'm impressed on some fronts and not so much on others.

This conditioner is creamy, smells wonderful, and is genuinely a good price for what it does. I loved the way it aided in detangling my several weeks post relaxer hair. However, I didn't get that slip I was looking for. I don't know if it's because my hair is so thick and well overdue for a relaxer or if I was not applying it correctly.

I will say this... The compliments far outweigh the complaints. As I said before, it detangled my hair very nicely, and I didn't see much shed at all after using it. Shedding is a bit terrifying when stretching. Overall, I am happy with it. Perhaps this product is more suited for hair that isn't so far gone, or I need to find another method for application. Either way, I'm not going to give up yet. I think this one has the potential to be a winner. :)

I plan to do an application of this product over the weekend like I would a relaxer going from root to tip, covering with a plastic cap, and sitting under my bonnet dryer for about 15 minutes. I'm certain it will yield impressive results.