Beauty Corner

November PopSugar Must Have Box 2014

/ caitlinemccann / 2 Comments

I am beyond excited to show you this month’s PopSugar Must Have Box!

Quite possibly the best box yet. Or at the very least tied with April’s box. I just desperately want PopSugar to add more books to their rotation. Not every month, because I realize that’s not for everyone, but more often than once every six months. Maybe if I say it enough times the box editors will hear my plea!

Look at that beautiful box full of stuff!

Look at that beautiful box full of stuff!

PopSugar is the most expensive of my subscription boxes at $39.95 a month, but I have never felt an individual box fell under value. In a Must Have Box, you’ll get a wide array of items that have to do with different areas of your life. Certain things vary, but there is always a food item and there is always some kind of beauty product. The remaining items could fall under the categories of entertainment, lifestyle, wellness, fashion, etc.  If you’d like to give PopSugar a shot, here is my referral link.

Whale lotion! (Except not)

Whale lotion! (Except not)

No. 72 Ambergris Shea Butter Cream by K. Hall Designs ($22.00)

This is kind of an interesting product. The packaging emphasizes how much Queen Elizabeth I was known to adore ambergris, which is all well and good until you know what ambergris is. Ambergris is a solid, waxy substance that is a bi-product of a sperm whale’s digestive system. As it ages, ambergris is supposed to take on a sweet, musky scent. However the packaging also states that there are no animal components in this cream, so the ambergris scent is synthetic and not from the bowels of a whale. Phew! No parabens in this cream either.

For the past week or so, I’ve been using this as a hand cream. The texture is thick and rich, and it melts into the skin well. No greasy residue here. The scent is unlike anything I’ve worn in the past and every time I put this cream on, I debate whether I like it or not. There’s something slightly earthy and sensual about the ambergris scent but also sweet. I probably would not buy a $22 hand cream though, so I’m glad it got sent to me instead.

Cant wait to draw on a wine glass this holiday season!

Cant wait to draw on a wine glass this holiday season!

Wine Glass Writers  ($9.95)

This product is perfect for the approaching holiday season! The three shades in the kit are a silver, blue-green, and golden-khaki. These markers allow you to write on your wine glass for the duration of a party, but the nontoxic ink will come right off with some warm, soapy water. Love the concept! Haven’t tested them out yet though.

A feminine touch to my letters.

A feminine touch to my letters.

PopSugar Exclusive Stationary Set from Tiny Prints ($21.60)

If you want to really fall down a rabbit hole of personalized stationary, might I suggest tinyprints.com? Their products are a bit pricey but rather adorable. I’ve mentioned it in passing a few times before, But I’m trying to be a more active friend by sending out postcards and little notes. So these blank cards are a great addition to that effort! If I had one complaint, it’s that these specific cards are rather girly and have XOXO on the top, which is normally fine. But I also send cards out to plenty of male friends, so maybe something more gender neutral would have been appreciated. Nit-picky, I know, but I think about these things now.

Such a cute little bag!

Such a cute little bag!

Sorial Wallet on a Chain (*$48.00*)

Holy Cow! I cannot fathom paying that much for a little bag. That being said, this bag from Sorial is adorable and perfect for my needs of late. When I go out in the evening, sometimes I just don’t want to carry a purse or grasp at a clutch all night. So this little crossbody bag is lovely. PopSugar read my mind this moth! I really like the bright blue color and the inside has a leopard print liner, which will make it easier to find items. Does anyone else lose things in their bags with dark liners? I know I do every time! This little bag justifies the entire box based on its value.

What did I just eat???

What did I just eat???

G.H. Cretors Chicago Mix Popped Corn ($3.49)

At this moment I am full of regret because I scarfed this whole bag down in a matter of days. Oh, but it was good! So very good. If your wallet is so full that you can indulge, grab a bag of this. Specifically, the Chicago mix. For those of you not in the know (don’t worry I didn’t know this existed until a few months ago either) Chicago mix popcorn is caramel corn and cheddar cheese popcorn mixed to the delight of your taste buds. Sounds weird, but is delicious.*Originally I thought this popcorn was much more expensive and the price I had listed was from a 12 pack. Thanks to Laura A for helping me correct this error*

Books are always worth the box value.

Books are always worth the box value.

The Secret Recipes by Dominique Ansel ($35.00)

I saved the best for last. This is the latest cookbook from the man who made the cronut famous. Ansel also happens to be a multi-award winning pastry chef. His cookbook is beautiful. The heavy paper and glossy photos make this book something you would happily place out on the coffee table for guests to admire. But there is practical knowledge inside as well. Ansel has divided his book into beginner, intermediate, and advanced recipes, something this beginner greatly appreciates.

Again, I wish PopSugar would send more books. Not every month but maybe once every three or four months for variety’s sake. The last one they included was back in April and had a hardcover of Emily Giffin’s The One and Only, which I adored. So I’m very happy to see another book here! Especially because it’s a different type of book.

*I should note that usually PopSugar includes a card with the value of all the box products, but for some reason this month I did not get a card. All the values listed in this post are taken from retailers websites, or as in the case of the Sorial bag, estimated from the retailer’s website if the exact product couldn’t be found.*

The total value for my November PopSugar Must Have Box is $139.84. My calculations might be a bit off because I didn’t have a card to guide me, but they’re not going to be so off that the value of a $39.99 box isn’t obvious! I am very impressed with this month’s box and cannot wait to see what PopSugar does next!

Thanks for popping in!

PopSugar Must Have October 2014

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Again, sorry for getting behind on my posts. PopSugar was a tad behind this month too. They recently revamped their website and shipping procedures seem to have shifted as well. Hopefully, both of us can get it together for the month of November!

Just looking at this stuff makes me feel warm and cozy.

Just looking at this stuff makes me feel warm and cozy.

This box made me feel all warm and fuzzy. It was just such a great fall box.

Happy Socks–Animal Socks ($12)

These cozy leopard print socks are the kind of thing I would want in a store but would shy away from because of the price. I just wouldn’t be able to justify them to myself. Which is why it’s great that they came in my Popsugar Must Have Box! I love the charcoal, black, and red combo; some of my favorite colors to wear, no matter the season.

Mine Design Chalkboard Candle ($24)

I can’t complain about getting adorable candles in my subscription boxes. I really don’t use candles enough, but I always love burning them. So with this being the second candle PopSugar has sent my way, I have to start burning these bad boys. I love the chalkboard design for this candle, and the packaging comes with a small stick of chalk for you to draw or write whatever you’d like on the surface. The candle itself smells light and refreshing; it’s a scent that won’t overpower the room. This candle has currently taken up residence on the bookshelf in my bedroom.

Isaac Jacobs International Acrylic Frame ($36)

I love this chunky clear frame! It looks modern without taking away from the photo you place inside. I also think it will be quite durable in the long run, which is always a plus in my life as I tend to be a little clumsy.

Dean & DeLuca Pumpkin Spice Maltballs ($5.75)

Honestly, I haven’t bitten into these yet. Maltballs are a bit of an acquired taste, but I do love pumpkin flavored things. I’ll cave eventually, with sweets I always do.

My Halloween manicure using one of PopSugar's goodies.

My Halloween manicure using one of PopSugar’s goodies.

Halloween Decals by Nailed Kit ($8)

These decals didn’t make it into the whole picture of box goodies because I used them up on my fingers before this post went live. These decals were PopSugar exclusives and were a ton of fun for a Halloween themed manicure. They worked like temporary tattoos instead of the typical stickers or nail wraps. You use water to put them on and once they’re sealed in with topcoat, these decals aren’t going anywhere! I was really pleased with the staying power with this product. My only gripe is that there were four designs instead of five, and you got six different sizes per design. So the math doesn’t quite work out for a consistent manicure. But that’s me being picky.

butter London WINK eye pencil ($18)

I’ve never tried any butter London products before, so this was a welcome surprise in my Must Have Box. The color I received was a smoke grey with a hint of shine. This eyeliner glides on so beautifully. The color reads just a few shades under black, which would make this great for a smokey eye. And despite its creamy formula, the eyeliner stayed put all day long. Big fan of this product.

Shoreline Shea Butter/ Olive Oil Bar Soap by K. Hall Desgings ($10-13)

This is one of PopSugar’s special extras so they don’t have a price listed on their card, but the K. Hall website sells their bars of soap from $10-13. I couldn’t find this specific bar of soap but they seem to have plenty of lovely scents to choose from. I didn’t smell this soap as it’s still in its wrapping and I need to get through some more shower gels before I can use this bar, so the wrapping needs to stay put. But I’m always glad to get fancy bath products. Left to my own devices I stay in the drugstore, which serves my needs quite well, but sometimes it’s nice to receive a fancy soap in a subscription box. This extra is also sponsored by Progresso according to the card and I’m not sure how to feel about that. Why is soup sponsoring my soap? Oh well. Still happy to have this in my box.

PopSugar is the most expensive box service I subscribe to, but it proves its worth every time. This box cost $39.95 and the value of the October Must Have Box is $113.75. I can’t turn that down!

So I’m going to light my candle, snuggle down in my socks, and enjoy the rest of the gorgeous fall weather. If you’d like to join PopSugar click on my referral links page or this link here to get started.

Thanks for popping in!

October Favorites

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Ack! Sorry I’m so behind this month! The last few weeks have been a tad crazy (in the best way possible) but things have finally slowed down enough for me to do an October favorites post.

So without further delay, here are my favorites for the month of October!

Just a few of my favorite things.

Just a few of my favorite things.

Smashbox Photo Finish Hydrating Under Eye Primer (full size $29.00)

I got this tiny tube in one of Smashbox’s try-it kits at some point within the last year. But for the last few months this under-eye primer has become a staple of my makeup routine. Not so much for the priming aspects, but for the hydration. Recently, the skin under my eyes has been more prone to drying out because of a clinical strength face wash I’ve been using, so this little primer keeps that very tender skin hydrated and smooth throughout the day. I don’t need much, which is why after months of daily use this thing still looks full.

Jet by Julep ($14.00/$11.20 as a Maven)

This is my favorite black nail polish. As a brand, Julep is a tad expensive but they’re also vegan-friendly and 5-free, which I find comforting. I’ve used this creamy black shade in several of my October manicures and it has made its way into being a staple of my collection. Jet is currently out of stock on the Julep website, but hopefully they’ll bring her back soon!

From left to right: Velvet, I Have a Headache, Sequin, and Black Honey

From left to right: Velvet, I Have a Headache, Sequin, and Black Honey

NYX Hot Singles Eyeshadow in Velvet ($4.49)

This milk-chocolate matte shade came in one of my ipsy bags and has been used almost daily since. I would say 90% of my eyeshadow looks have Velvet blended into the crease as either a transition shade or as the prominent color in the crease. The texture of this shadow is a little on the powdery side but it blends beautifully. I can’t seem to stop using this eyeshadow.

NYX Nude Matte Eyeshadow in I Have a Headache ($4.99)

I bought this shade last year because I thought the name was hilarious. It wasn’t until the last few months that I started using this shadow nearly everyday. For my skin tone, I Have a Headache is the perfect brow bone highlight. It’s a very subtle look, and that suits me just fine.

ColourPop Eye Shadow in Sequin ($5.00)

I adore each of my ColourPop shadows, but lately I’ve been drawn to the shiny copper color of Sequin. I think the metallic copper makes my blue eyes really stand out. And this shadow is so easy to swipe over the lids. I’ve used this and Velvet in the crease for a stunning eye look that takes less than five minutes. And for the price tag, this stuff can’t be beat.

Clinique’s Almost Lipstick in Black Honey ($16.00)

When I saw how dark this lipstick appeared in the tube I was a little bit intimidated. But on the lips the color is so sheer that it only slightly darkens your natural lip tone for a flushed look. I think this lipstick would be flattering on a wide variety of skin tones, and the formula is rather moisturizing which should be a crowd pleaser. This has been my go-to lipstick to throw on before leaving the house. It doesn’t last all day but it fades nicely and gives a great natural look.

Just for fun, I decided to add my favorite movie and book from this month too.

Favorite Movie:

Gone Girl. I didn’t write a review on this one because I was gobsmacked by this film in the best possible way.

Favorite Book:

The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood. For my full review, check here.

That wraps up my favorites for the month of October!

Thanks for popping in!

Olay Fresh Effects Dew Over Hydrating Gel

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Many months ago I got a free sample of Olay’s Fresh Effects {Dew Over!} Hydrating Gel.

Lovely little jar.

Lovely little jar.

My little sample was .5 fl oz, while the full size product is 1.7 fl oz. and retails for $12.99.

Typically, I’ll use this moisturizer once or twice a week, but I’ll use it more often if my skin has been on the dry side. It’s also a great product to use after a cleanser that has ingredients that can by drying like salysilic acid.

The gel is pale green color but the light color doesn’t show up on your skin when you’ve rubbed it in. There is also a lovely scent to this product of honeysuckle and white tea. Putting it on in the morning smells so good but the scent doesn’t linger all day, which is a good thing.

Almost an empty.

Almost an empty.

Olay’s website claims that Dew Over will provide 24 hour moisture, and I’d have to agree with that claim. As with any product, it’s effectiveness lessens with wear, but at the end of the day my skin still feels soft.

This hydrating gel is also formulated with a powder, which means that it absorbs quickly into the skin and helps fight the look of oily skin.

Olay also proudly claims this is an oil free product that won’t clog your pores. I find both of these claims to be true as well. My combination skin leans toward the oily side and it is also sensitive and clogs up easily. I don’t feel oily when I’m using this moisturizer, and I do not feel that it clogs my pores.

However, after further exploring the ingredients list there are three different kinds of parabens in this product, which I found to be extrem disappointing. If you’d like to learn more about parabens, please click this link. I won’t pretend that I’m living an 100% paraben free lifestyle, but I’m trying to make a conscious effort to avoid or minimize their presence in my life.

Originally I wanted to give Olay’s Fresh Effects {Dew Over!} Hydrating Gel 4 beauty bubbles for its performance and great smell. But after doing some research and finding out about the parabens in this product I’m giving it 2 beauty bubbles because it’s still an effective product but my desire to use it and recommend it has gone down.

October Ipsy Bag 2014

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Ipsy time come-th! When I first saw the contents of my Glam-Room I was not all that excited. But after trying these products in the last week, I got excited. Here are my first impressions on all these ipsy goodies.

This month’s theme was Beauty Candy, which sounds amazing right? Except for the life of me I cannot connect candy to any of the sights, smells, or concepts behind any of these products. Which kind of drives me nuts. Usually ipsy’s themes are spot on and the products fit perfectly with the bag and theme. I know it’s a little thing when the products themselves are good, but Beauty Candy is a really cool concept that just got wasted on bag contents that didn’t match. Rant over!

IMG_2824

I really like the bag this month. After several meh bags, this teal vinyl bag will likely have a long run in my purse. It’s brightly colored and easy to see in the dark depths of my purse and so far has been rather durable.

On to the products!

Ayres Patagonia Body Butter (sample value $4.15)

The primary notes in this scented body butter are jasmine and rosemary. At first, I thought the rosemary would be too overpowering and might make me smell like a biscuit. But the jasmine-rosemary combo smells kind of alluring.  And the scent lasts for several hours, which for me is a good thing. Beyond the scent, this body butter is great. I’ve been using it primarily as a hand cream because the sample is only 1 fl oz, but my hands feel supple and silky to the touch. This body butter is also cruelty free and paraben free. Huzzah! A full size 6.75 oz jar of this body butter costs $28.00. For that price, I’m not sure if I’d purchase a full size (maybe one day if I’d like to splurge?) but I’m really enjoying this little sample. If you’d like 25% off your Ayres purchase, use the code AYRESIPSY at checkout on their website.

Indie Lee Brightening Cleanser (sample value $4.00)

This product has slowly won me over. Right as my ipsy bag arrived I ran out of my drugstore cleanser. Coincidentally, I have a full size of this stashed in my bathroom cabinet from a PopSugar box, but I hadn’t tried it yet because of the aforementioned cleanser. So I switched over to the Indie Lee Brightening Cleanser. I’m on my way to becoming a fan. This cleanser is so light and gets a little bit of a lather going when you rub it on your wet face, and leaves your skin feeling soft and smooth after. This product is also safe to use on your eyes as one of the recommended uses is for eye-makeup removal. You can supposedly leave this cleanser on for 5-15 minutes and use it as an exfoliating mask because of the strawberry extract acts as a natural exfoliant. There is a slight strawberry scent, which I’m not the biggest fan of, but it doesn’t linger so I think I can overcome it. Plus, a little bit goes a long way: a dime size droplet covers my face.  A full size cleanser is 4 oz. and is worth $32. I’m grateful I received a full size from another subscription box because I fear (or rather my wallet does) this may become a favorite. For 20% off the Indie Lee Brightening Cleanser use IPSYBC20 at checkout on their website.

Nicole by OPI in On a Gilt Trip (full size $5.00)

This is a full size product and my first Nicole by OPI product. Which is strange because you can get these just about anywhere. Price range depending on where you buy them and if there is a sale going on, so the price listed above is a median. I have this glitzy gold shade on my toes at the moment and I also used it in a floss manicure last week. The polish has held up rather well and dried incredibly fast. I like that it’s a more subtle gold: there’s still plenty of shimmer but it’s not as in your face with the glitter. I’d buy more from this brand in the future, for sure. Considering how easy it is to get a hold of, there isn’t a discount code for this product.

noyah’s Lipstick in Deeply in Mauve (sample value $3.00)

Jury is still out on this lippie. It’s a lovely shade that on my lips reads more like a light plum when built up, but you can also dab the lipstick on for a more truly mauve color. The staying power on this lipstick is fairly impressive: after a few hours the color is not as intense but it’s not patchy either. The formula is a semi-matte or more of a natural finish. The claim is that this should be a moisturizing lipstick, and that’s where I falter with this product. In no way did it dry my lips, but I didn’t feel they were hydrated either. My lips are going through a bit of a chapped phase at the moment, and I certainly don’t blame noyah for that. So that’s why the jury is still out. A full size noyah lipstick will cost you $18.00 and they only have five shades for now. For 15% off and a free lip balm enter FALLinLOVE at checkout on their website.

Skone Cosmetics TATTOOED Waterproof Eyeliner (full size $15.00)

I took this one for a test drive yesterday and this eyeliner is quite nice. It’s got a matte finish and the pigmentation is a true black. I was able to achieve a basic cat-eye rather quickly with this product. The tapered tip made it easy to draw both fine and thick lines depending on how you hold the pen. The one downside for me is that the felt-tip style applicator is inflexible. My Jesse’s Girl liner, which is of a similar quality and design, has a tip that’s more like a firm paintbrush so that it moves a little bit more, which makes it easier to manage the all-important flick of the cat-eye. So I wish the Skone applicator was more flexible, but that’s my only complaint. I got my brows waxed while my friend Marissa and I were out and I teared up a bit: my mascara ran but my eyeliner was locked in place. Waterproof: check. All-day wear: check. So for 10% off your purchase on Skone’s website, enter the code IPSY at checkout.

Though I wasn’t initially excited about these products, they all won me over to some degree. This is a solid bag from ipsy with absolutely no fails and some good finds. For the $10 price tag of the ipsy bag, this month’s value comes out to $31.15. Not a bad value.

I still think the Beauty Candy theme makes no sense with the bag’s contents, but those contents are pretty nice. Well done, ipsy!

If you’d like to give ipsy a shot, here is my referral link.

ColourPop Cream Eyeshadows

/ caitlinemccann / 6 Comments

Let me introduce you to my latest obsession, ColourPop Shadows.

Even my coffee table likes these shadows.

From Top Clockwise: Sequin, So Quiche, Hammered, BAE, Get Lucky, and Liberty

ColourPop exploded onto the makeup scene within the past month with YouTubers like Kathleen Lights raving about the amazing shadow pigmentation and shine of these metallic cream shadows. The best part? They’re $5.00. And the brand has promised to always price their items at $5.00 because they believe beauty should be fun and affordable. Bless them.

And for those of you who are rocking cruelty-free only cosmetics (woot), ColourPop does not test on animals. They’re also extremely forthright in listing all their ingredients for every shadow, so you know exactly what is going into each product.

Thus far I have six shades: Get Lucky, Liberty, Sequin, So Quiche, Hammered, and BAE.

Swatches

Swatches

These cream shadows are silky to the touch and are best applied with your fingers. A little bit goes a long way for all-day sheen and wear. I also don’t experience creasing with any of these shadows.

ColourPop specializes in metallics and sparkle, with no mattes yet added to their collection. But my-oh-my are their metallics good.

Get Lucky and Liberty are part of the ultra-metallic line and have a liquid-like sheen that lasts all day. Both of these shades are so pigmented that swatch just as strongly the second time around.

Sequin is a nice coppery shade that has great shine. So Quiche is a golden brown with subtle flecks of purple.

Hammered is an olive-green with dark gold glitter. And BAE is a deep purple with blue glitter that has a near duo-chrome shine as this shade changes dramatically in the light.

My favorite way to wear these are to pat them all over my lid with a warm brown in the crease. Simple, quick but bold eye look!

Make sure you seal these up tight when you’re done so they don’t dry out!

I have had to stop myself from buying too many colors. I will definitely purchase more shades in the future. ColourPop also has a line of lippie stix and lip pencils. I haven’t tried any of them as yet, but these lip products are also $5.00 each.

Because it’s still a small company, there are still some personal touches that cemented my budding brand loyalty. Each of my purchases came with a handwritten note thanking me for my business with tongue in cheek wit. I kept each note because it put a huge smile on my face.

I give ColourPop Cream Shadows 5 Beauty Bubbles! If they ever start making matte shadows then I’m in real trouble.

Thanks for popping in!

Clinique Full Potential Lip Gloss

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Technically, this is more like ten tries, but the goal and intent of my 5 Tries post is still alive and well here: using up and exploring neglected items in my makeup drawer for review! With that in mind, I bring you Clinique’s Full Potential Lip Glosses.

The Full Potential Lips Glosses in their mini glory!

The Full Potential Lips Glosses in their mini glory!

I bought a pack of dual ended glosses at the duty-free in South Korea last October. So while these were still being sold around this time last year, they are no longer an active part of Clinique’s regular range. However if you like any of the shades here they can still easily be found on Amazon or eBay.

Each of these mini tubes has .07 oz of lip gloss, which makes them great for your purse or for travel. The tiny glosses have a doe foot applicators and you’ll likely have to dip back into the tube to get the best color effect possible. The glosses also have a very faint mint scent, but there is no tingly quality that you usually associate with lip plumpers.

The gloss formula is sticky but not tacky, which is an important distinction for gloss lovers. Personally, the slight stickiness doesn’t bother me. It feels light on the lips.

Average wear time was probably 45 minutes to an hour. Some of these glosses lasted about an hour with the shine diminishing along the way and others felt like they did not stay put on my lips for more than twenty minutes. But I’ll specify which of these is which down below. If you’re eating or drinking do not expect these glosses to stick around, so if you’re wearing them out take the tube with you.

Adding in a Bit of Honey

Adding in a Bit of Honey

For the lip swatches, I decided to use NYX’s butter lipstick in Bit of Honey as a base, and I’m so glad I did this. Bit of Honey is a pale nude shade that neautralized my lips’ natural mauvey tone, which ended up being great for the swatches because the Clinique Full Potential Lip Glosses are almost all sheer with hints of color. If I hadn’t used a light nude shade as a base, I don’t think you would have been able to see some of the colors. Even with Bit of Honey some of these shades do not come through strongly. But you’ll see that in the swatches.

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As you can see, my natural lips shape did not get overly enhanced by these glosses, at least in the plumping department. The ones that did do a bit of extra plumping are pretty obvious in comparison. You can also see what NYX’s Bit of Honey looks like on my lips; just a light subtle nude. I think having Bit of Honey on under these lip glosses also helped keep my lips moisturized, since the Butter Lipstick line is quite nourishing. Anywho, on to the Clinique!

For swatch descriptions, I’m going to talk about what the color looks like in the tube (which I’ll put in italics) and then describe the gloss on the lips.

Double Plum—A rich plum toned red. When I first applied this shade it appeared darker and then by the time ten minutes had elapsed and I was ready to take a photo the shade had faded out significantly. I also found this shade to be the most drying.

Mimosa Blossom—A warm rose shade.This color came out more mauve on my lips than in the photo, which is a good thing. All of these shades are extremely sheer: sometimes I like that and sometimes I don’t. So the little hint of mauve was welcome.

Cherry Bomb-–A bright fuschia. One of the brightest colors in the tube but on the lips this gloss is barely distinguishable from the pale pinks and nudes in the collection.

Play-Full Plump—A soft blue-toned pink. There was next to no color payoff with this shade.

 

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Luscious Lilac—Barbie pink with a touch of purple. I think I wanted this shade to have just a touch more purple-y pink. This is one of the shades that did not have much color payoff.

Glamour-Full—A warm mocha tone in the tube. One of my favorite shades from the pack. It’s a warm nude-brown and has one of the best color payoffs though it is still quite sheer when you consider the color in the tube. I also think this shade did one of the better jobs at plumping.

Sooooo Pink—Rose-y toned pink. Yes, there are that many “o”s. I checked. This gloss is the truest match from tube to lip. A lovely subtle pink gloss.

Pink Aplenty—A deep mauve. This shade required a lot of reapplication. You can tell from the swatches that my lips were not as shiny and I took each of these pictures maybe 15 minutes after finishing my makeup to allow the plumping part to do its magic.

Peach Plump—Pale peach. On my lips this shade came off more nude with a hint of rose, so I’m not sure why it looks deep pink in all my photos. And of these six swatches, my lips look the fullest. I also felt that this shade left my lips feeling soft, which is not a claim the brand makes in any way, but it was different enough that I made a note about it!

Ripest Apricot— Warm tan toned gloss. Another shade that needed a lot of reapplication. But I didn’t mind as much with this shade because I enjoyed the warm tone of the gloss when combined with Bit of Honey.

I had to layer these glosses on thick for there to be any sense of color. Which if you’re not looking for strong pigmentation, then these could be for you. But I found the colors to be a disappointment. The shine on these glosses is good though, and I’d ideally recommend the Full Potential glosses to be used over a lipstick you’re looking to enhance the shine of.

After trying all ten of the Full Potential Lip Glosses my favorite shades were Glamor-Full, Peach Plump, and Ripest Apricot. As a whole, however these glosses are nothing special. I can understand how they didn’t become a long-standing part of Clinique’s line.

I’d give the Clinique Full Potential Lip Glosses 2 beauty bubbles.

Thanks for popping in!

Beating Back Bed Head: 5 Tips for Morning Success

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Good morning! Is your hair looking a little out of sorts this morning? Mine too.

I was approached by Casper mattresses–a luxury line of sleep comfort–to share some tips and tricks about how to conquer bed head. Because the nice people at Casper understand that no matter how soft and luxurious the mattress, frizz and tangles still happen.

So here are my tips and tricks to embrace or conquer that pesky beast known as bed head.

1. Braids

Honestly one to the simplest tips I can give you is to braid your hair before bed. It will keep the hair away from your face and will significantly decrease the presence of tangles and frizz in the morning. Then when you wake up you’ll have an easy fix in the morning: you can either wear and go if you’re running late or undo the braid and have a slightly wavy do.

A duo of braids from my college days.

A duo of braids from my college days.

When my hair was longer, I used to do one simple braid down the back. Now that my hair is medium length, I try to do a ton of small braids for a very textured look in the morning. I don’t do this every night but it’s still a lot of fun.

2. Detangling Spray

This was a hard product for me to find originally. When I was perusing the shelves at my local pharmacy, there were a ton of pricey detanglers for women with the fancy names that beauty products favor. But I was looking for budget friendly. So I raided the kids section!

Image respectfully borrowed from Walmart.com

 

I bought the Equate version of Johnson & Johnson’s Detangler, which was around $1.95 compared to some fancy Paul Mitchell spray that retailed for around $12. I’d particularly recommend this kind of spray if you have fine hair like me. You’ll still smell nice and your hair will thank you for it.

3. Invest in Silk

Image respectfully borrowed from Amazon.com

Silk sheets will diminish any frizz and tangling problems in a snap. I say diminish because sometimes hair is just determined to do what it wants. Cotton pillowcases absorb oil, allergens, and also provide resistance as you move around at night, causing hair to tangle and frizz. Silk pillowcases are not as absorbent and allow your hair to slide rather than stick. In theory the silk pillowcase would also imbibe your hair with added shine. If you’re not looking for a full silk sheet set a.k.a a slip n’ slide, try just pillowcases.

4. Try a Texturizing Spray

Image respectfully borrowed from allure.com

The thing that always confounds me about bed head is that there always seems to be so much more volume to my fine hair that gets it to puff up and stick out at wrong angles. Granted, it’s the wrong kind of volume, but I can’t seem to get my hair to give me the right kind of volume on a regular basis. Enter, texturizing spray. Harness the existing volume of bed head with a little spritz of this stuff. You can tame your bed head a bit while getting all the positives and none of the negatives. This Oribe spray retails for about $36 but there are cheaper alternatives at the drugstore.

5. Embrace Your Inner Prince/Princess

Image respectfully borrowed from beautyreform.com

Have you ever heard a fairy tale where the beautiful princess brushes her flowing locks before bed and counts to 100? I’m not saying you have to go that far in the numbers game, but brushing your hair out for more than a few quick seconds can help stave off some of the worst bed head. I use a paddle brush, which I got years ago from Sally’s. These kinds of brushes stimulate the scalp to reduce dandruff and encourage skin cell turnover, help to distribute oil down the shaft of your hair follicles, and will remove any existing tangles before bed with minimal fuss. You know what they say about the best offense being a good defense! Wait, now I’ve mixed some metaphors here…oh well.

I realize I’m not reinventing the wheel with these tips, but they’ve kept me from hacking at my hair over the years. Fun fact: I did hack a tangled knot from my hair when I was nine. It resulted in a rather drastic haircut, the memory of which has scarred me into believing strongly in the aforementioned tips to avoid tangles.

Thanks again to Casper for prompting this post. I’m not sponsored or getting a kickback for this but if you’d like to check them out, you can click the link here.

Thanks for popping in!

Rosy Fall Nail

/ caitlinemccann / 5 Comments

Nail art has always fascinated and intimidated me. Over the past few months I’ve dipped my toes (and fingers) into the proverbial nail art water, but I had not tried anything too complicated. Until now.

My fall rose nail!

My fall rose nail!

Actually this look was not hard or overly complicated. It just has all the benefits of looking hard and overly complicated.

I was inspired by YouTuber cutepolish to give roses a shot, but I chose colors that were more inspired by the warm tones of autumn.

First, I put two coats of the cream colored polish over each nail and let it dry.

Then I cracked open my Sally Hansen I Heart Nail Art Tool Kit ($5.99) for the first time since purchasing it months ago. I could not be happier with this little kit!

IMG_2690

The kit also comes with stencils, which I have yet to try but should be fun to play with.

The kit also comes with stencils, which I have yet to try but should be fun to play with.

I took the larger end of the dotting tool and made the base of my roses with the mauve shade. For most of my nails, three dots fit beautifully. But a few nails had two or four, so whatever you think looks good!

Then, using the detail brush, I added the pink over the mauve. Typically three brush strokes would do: two along the edges and a soft spiral for the center.

To finish the rose design I took the smaller end of the dotting tool and added two pale green leaves to every rose by lightly spreading the color around.

After one use I am such a fan of the Sally Hansen set! I cleaned the dotting tool and the detail brush with nail polish remover and a paper towel. That being said, you could definitely accomplish this look with a bobby pin and a toothpick or a pencil if you don’t want to spend money on this little set.

These roses were super simple but looked very chic. I couldn’t stop staring at my nails: so proud!

Polishes Used:

Base and Top Coat–Sally Hansen’s Double Duty

Background–OPI’s You’re So Vain-illa

Rose Base— elf’s Moo Mauve

Rose Detail–elf’s Bubble Gum Pink

Leaves–Julep’s Francis

Thanks for popping in!

Influenster VoxBox: Degree Deodorant

/ caitlinemccann / Leave a comment

I’m really excited to bring you my first Influenster post.

And it’s about the often hidden or neglected armpit. Or more specifically, the product we use to make sure our armpits are not overly noticed–deodorant.

For my first VoxBox, I was sent Degree Women’s MOTIONSENSE Deodorant with 48-Hour Protection in the scent Fresh Energy.

Influenster is an online community where you review items from a wide array of ranges including beauty, food, and entertainment. Each review you submit on the website earns you points toward an expert badge, and these badges combined with your involvement on social media allows you to occasionally try products from different brands for free.

This box was sent to me for the purposes of review, but I promise to be 100% honest about how I feel about this product.

Made with Repix (http://repix.it)

The original Degree was one of the first deodorants I remember using as a pre-teen, and it is always in my brand rotation. What I’ve discovered about my body chemistry over the years is that I cannot repeat-buy the same deodorant back to back: if I do this, the product gradually stops working for me. Does any one else have this problem?

Anyway, I was glad to try this out and for the last two weeks have switched from my existing deodorant (Dove) to the Degree MOTIONSENSE. Here is what I have learned…

PROS

  • It’s a white solid deodorant but it doesn’t cake-up my underarms. If I put on too much I can still get the dreaded white marks on my clothes, but this doesn’t make my pits look powdery.
  • This weekend I went to a 90’s themed sleepover and gave the 48 hour claim a test: still felt fresh all through the next day. No reapplication.
  • The antiperspirant is great. I do not feel damp when wearing this deodorant.

CONS

  • I’m not a fan of strongly scented deodorant because I think it draws attention to my sweat. And the scent will linger on my clothes, which to me means I need to wash items after every wear. Doing laundry in a city isn’t cheap. Sometimes I’d rather stretch a t-shirt to two or three wears before washing (don’t judge me). Can’t do that with scented deodorant.

Even considering the above CON, the Fresh Energy scent is nice. The description of it includes raspberries, blackberries, lily of the valley, and tiare flower. So if I had to pick a scent (and for this deodorant, you do because there is no un-scented product in this line) I think Fresh Energy would be a good choice because it is less intense than the others. I still don’t like the added laundry problems, but this is manageable.

I was also excited to see Jasmine Harper from season ten of So You Think You Can Dance as the spokesperson for the brand. Apparently, Degree is the official deodorant of SYTYCD, which is kind of cool. Dancers definitely need their deodorant.

Overall, I’m pleased with Degree’s  MOTIONSENSE deodorant in Fresh Energy and give this product 3.5 beauty bubbles.

If you want to talk about this product on social media, Degree invites you to use #DOMORE to start a conversation about how you do more with this product. (Telling you about the hashtag wasn’t a mandatory part of the review or anything, I just figured if you really felt compelled to talk about this product I could at least get you on the proper bandwagon.)

Hopefully, there will be more of these kinds of reviews in the future as I become more involved with the Influenster.

Thanks for popping in!