L'Oreal Paris Color Vibrancy Shampoo /Conditioner

I got a sample of this in the mail for L'Oreal from a freebie website on facebook (sue me, I love these sites; because I love trying out samples to be able to review!). I love the colors of the bottle, because black and pink has always been a person favorite combination of mine; so I was automatically drawn to the product because of that reason. It's priced at around $4-5, depending on where you go; so that's another great attribute about it.

Then I tried it today, and I must say that I'm quite surprised. I've never been a L'Oreal believer, because it usually makes my hair a bit oily. This shampoo and conditioner made my hair SO unbelievably soft. I'm able to just run my fingers through my wet hair, whereas there are usually knots in it even after I normally use conditioner. My hair color is brighter than normal, and the color looks fantastic. This is definitely a buy! Especially since I have a coupon from L'Oreal :)

Let's talk BB Creams!

Beauty Balms (BB Creams) are a hot trend right now in the makeup world. Everyone wants one! But there are so many out there, how do you choose which one to get? I've sampled five different BB Creams - high end and drug store brands, and I'm here to give you my take on them all.

Urban Decay NAKED Skin Beauty Balm - This one was my favorite one. I got it as a sample from Ulta; and I wasn't expecting to like it, since it only comes in one color. It's priced at $34 for a full-size bottle, and $14 for a travel size bottle. Even the sample size has lasted me a while though, because you don't need to use a lot.. as with most UD products. It has a light texture, and it stays on all day with or without a face primer.

Revlon Photoready BB Cream - This is the closest to Urban Decay's that I've found so far. So naturally I love it, especially as a drugstore brand. It's priced at $10.99 for the bottle at Walgreens, and once again this bottle has lasted me a really long time. I love using it on days when I need a quick fix without using foundation or going "all out." I don't have to use a primer, but I will just to make sure it stays on throughout the night if I'm going out. It hardly needs touchups, and the color matches so well!

Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream - This was definitely my least favorite. It was oily, which didn't work well with my skin; and it looked orangey when I put it on. It didn't stay on long at ALL, even if I used a primer. I had to make frequent touchups during the day if I wanted my makeup to stay looking as good as when I first put it on. I definitely won't be buying it again.

Garnier BB Cream - I got this sample in the mail from Garnier themselves off of a sample website. This one is another cheaper one, priced $11.97 at Walmart. It was pretty good! I used the light /medium color for normal to dry skin. It was light on the skin, and the color matched really well. It didn't stay on quite as well as the UD or the Revlon one; however, it wasn't too terrible.

Tarte BB Cream - The last one I tested was Tarte's BB Cream, priced at $34 at Ulta. I got this one as a sample from Ulta also. I used the light color, and it was darker than some of the others. It was a little more oily than the others, so I wasn't a fan of it on my skin; and I didn't need a lot at ALL. It also came off a little easy throughout the day, even with a primer.

This project was kind of fun, I'll admit. I like testing new stuff, even if it's samples. Next time I'll be ready to review a couple of foundation primers!

Cream eyeshadow fun!

I love using my cream eyeshadows. Maybelline's Color Tattoo cream eyeshadows have become a must have in my makeup collection. I use them all the time! I think I have an entire drawer full.. whoops ;) I love how well they stay on, and they don't crease - which is a major plus when looking for a cream eyeshadow.

So I put a new look together, trying out the new "Tenacious Teal" that I bought a couple of a weeks ago.

First, I used my Urban Decay eyeshadow primer. I use it even without cream eyeshadows, but primers give them less chance of creasing.

Next, I used Maybelline's Color Tattoo "Gold Rush" on my entire lid. I usually do two coats just to make sure it's bright enough, but sometimes it doesn't even need it.

Then, I use a flat brush to apply Maybelline's Color Tattoo "Tenacious Teal" as a top liner! And for the bottom liner, I just used a white pencil liner.

Apply mascara, and you're set :) so pretty and bright!!

Influenster Spring VoxBox!

I got my Spring VoxBox from Influenster a little while ago, and I had time to finally test everything out.. so I decided to finally sit down and blog about how I liked everything!

Broadway ImPRESS Press-On Manicure:
The packaging was adorable! It came in a little bottle-like package. I had to twist off the top, and then the body opened up to reveal the nails. The color I had was "Joyride," which was a perfect berry shade; and they looked amazing! They were really easy and took hardly any time to put on. I'm sure my mom's wishing she had these in the 90s that time she superglued her eye shut when she was putting on her fake nails, ha! Unfortunately, they only lasted me about three days.. just because I'm hard on my nails as it is - bathing the dog, doing dishes, going to the gym, etc. They're worth the re-buy at only $4-6 though!

Secret Outlast Completely Clean Deodorant:
I was a little nervous to try this stuff, because I'm NOT usually a gel deodorant person. I've always been a powder deodorant person, and I'm reluctant to change when it comes to deodorant. However, I was pleasantly surprised with this deodorant. While I expected it to be sticky and to walk around doing the Funky Chicken waiting on my arms to dry, I was excited that it was really nice and instantly drying. There were no spots on my shirt, which we all know sometimes happens with a powder deodorant. Definitely a re-buy!

NYC Applelicious Glossy Lip Balm:
I got the color "Big Apple Red." I expected it to be extremely red, because of the packaging and the color of the gloss itself. Surprisingly, it was more of a pink! I loved it. I was pleasantly surprised, to say the least. I can't wait to wear it out. It's not sticky in the slightest. It doesn't leave your lips feeling awkward and gross after it wears off, and it lasts for hours!

Tastykake's Kandy Bar Kake:
The flavor I got in my box was peanut butter - made with real Reese's peanut butter. It was heaven in a girl's mouth, let me tell you. A soft chocolate shell outside, and a soft chocolate cake on the inside with a peanut butter filling. Once again, it was beautiful. There's nothing more to say about it, haha.

OSIS Dust It Texture:
I'm not sure how to describe this, or how I feel about it completely.. it's very different. It's a powder made to texturize your hair. It reminds me of a more expensive baby powder, to be honest. I didn't know what to do with it when I first got it, haha. So I poured some on my head and rubbed it through with my fingers through to my ends. And I'm not a fan of how it makes my hair feel. It gets rid of the softness of my hair, and it does give it more texture; however, I just personally didn't like the way it makes my hair feel.

I want to say a personal thank you to Influenster for sending me my first VoxBox, and I can't wait to get more! I love trying new products, as well as writing these reviews on them!

Product Review: Lorac Mint Palette

Available at Ulta /Sephora for $36.

The Lorac Mint Palette is definitely one of my favorite things for this summer! I've been in love with it every since I bought it about a month ago. It comes in an adorable blue palette with 6 eyeshadows and a coral blush, which looks fantastic on tan and lighter skin! My favorite look to do is the light blue lid with the dark purple on the outer corner (see the tutorial!).

I really love Lorac eyeshadows in general, because they're very long-lasting.. in my opinion; and this palette is no exception.

All in all, this is definitely a summer "must have!"

Product Review! Broadway's ImPRESS Press-On Nails

I got these in my Influenster Spring VoxBox and couldn’t wait to try them out. I’m a huge fan of acrylics /gels /fake nails, period; however, I’m not a fan of what it costs to go get them done. ImPRESS Press-On Nails by Broadwayretails anywhere from $4.50-6.99, keeping it budget friendly while still looking like salon work!

The packaging looks like a nail polish bottle, which is a cute idea. You twist off the top, and then open the container to reveal the nails. It comes with 24 nails, and they can last up to a week with easy removal. There’s also a small alcohol wipe included in the package for nail prep.

The color pictured is “Joyride” - which is a slightly richer berry /purple than the picture shows (silly iPhone). They feel fantastic! It’s literally just like I went and got acrylics. The length is great for me, but I naturally like my pinky nails a little longer.

Overall, it’s a fantastic product! I’m definitely going to be repurchasing these in the future.