Used and Reviewed: January Birchbox

I was very lucky this Christmas to receive a 3-month subscription to Birchbox from one of my good friends (ingenious right?). 

When these beauty boxes hit the blogging/vlogging world, I have to admit that the countless posts about what people got in their boxes got a bit redundant. Now that I have received my own, I completely understand the excitement that surrounds them. So I hate to say it but, here is yet another post about a beauty subscription service.  

These things look so much smaller in person. 

{From L to R: VMW Hypoallergenics Face-Hand-Body lotion; Zoya nail polish in Kristen; Jouer lipgloss in Birchbox Pink; Eboost Orange Natural Energy Booster; Harvey Prince Yogini perfume}

I wasn't expecting to find anything that I was going to love, but these three are amazing and I would actually repurchase them - except maybe the lotion because if you take into account its $45 price tag, it really isn't that amazing. 

I was shocked when I saw the Zoya nail polish, because the color is so up my alley and I don't have anything like it. It's a pale blue-grey (not at all lavender like it is showing up as) that I like to describe as my "winter blue". It is so beautiful and goes nicely with gold jewelry. Looking at my other nail polishes, this sample size bottle is all I need. 

While I was cleaning out my makeup for the new year, I decided that I hate lip gloss and was very close to getting rid of all the ones I own (except for the Clarins one; that one is amazing!). So I had below zero expectations for the Jouer lip gloss that came in this box. Knowing that I would hate the look of it on my bare lips I put it on top of completely nude lips achieved by MAC's naked lip liner. 

{SO sorry for the weird lip pout; it was the only good picture of the lip gloss}

I cannot believe how much I like this lip gloss. It's very sheer so it looks like a much more toned down version of what it does in the tube, it is completely non-sticky, and it actually feels moisturizing. I would actually purchase the full size of this, if it wasn't sold out on their website right now. 

So there's my 2 cents. Overall I really enjoyed receiving this months birchbox and I may have to subscribe myself once my gift period has ended. Hope you enjoyed reading!

~Vida

Best in 2011

Happy new year everyone! I hope you've all had a good holiday and some quality time off. 

2011 was the year that my blog really grew and I discovered a new hobby and some really great products. I was contemplating not doing this post because a lot of the products I have already mentioned some time or another - obviously because they're my favs. But it's nice to reflect and recap, and I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to throw in some recently found, instant all star products. 

La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo: an amazing skincare product that really had a dramatic effect on my skin. Perfect for blackheads, whiteheads and acne prone skin. I don't go a night without using this. 

Bioderma Crealine H20: a cult product that really works to remove makeup and cleanse the skin in a very gentle and soothing way. Instead of using this as my daily make up remover, I like to keep it on hand while doing my makeup because it is perfect for fixing mistakes. It's almost like a magic eraser - you get rid of the mishap and you can start right back where you left off without having oily residue on your face. 

Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Opal: the best highlighter I have ever used. I do really like Dior Amber Diamond and MAC's cream colour base in hush, but something about this makes it the one I grab for the most. I much prefer cream/liquid highlighters to powder ones and this one has that dewy soft texture that is so nice to work with. It is a beautiful product that highlights while looking unbelievably natural. 

MAC mineralize skin finish: I haven't really tried that many face powders, but this one got a lot of use in 2011 and I really enjoyed using it. This plus some concealer, or just on its own equals an effortless and natural face makeup good for quick routines. 

MAC's viva glam gaga II & hue lipstick: a nude, and a nude. Sometimes it feels like my whole lipstick collection has whittled down to just these two. Hue is just a staple lipstick that works with everything; you can stick it on however you like, and it always looks good. Gaga II is a little too much when slapped on all over, but I love the nude lip it gives when dabbed on lightly.

Wet n' Wild nutty eyeshadow: of course it would be the 2 dollar eye shadow that I constantly reach for. I just love this color; it's great for all over on its own or in the crease with a range of different colors. It's buttery smooth and fits neatly into my makeup bag. 

Benefit Hoola bronzer: I use this everyday to contour and I think its cult following speaks for itself. 

Sephora by OPI Don't be Eggnog-ious: 2011 was the year for sparkly glittery nails. This one takes the cake for me; it's the prettiest coppery rose gold glitter polish and it is stunning. To savor it, I want to use it solely for accent nails. 

Illamasqua's Katie blush: I'm hooked on this blush. This baby doll pink is similar to MAC's well dressed, but minus the shimmer and plus pigmented-goodness. It's unbelievably pigmented, is one of my favorite colors for blush, and has a nice smell. There's also something about the packaging that really appeals to me.

So there are my favorite products of the year. I'm hoping in 2012 to stream line my collection, delve into more skin care, and only buy things that I know suit my tastes and that I will use and love. Easier said than done though, right? 

~Vida

Chloe + Isabel

Recently one of my friends, Rona, who also writes an awesome food blog, introduced me to an online jewelry brand called Chloe + Isabel, that she has been working for. I love finding new places to get cute, affordable jewelry so I was excited to check it out. And I'm glad I did, because this website is simply adorable. After going through a majority of the pieces they had to offer, I had about 20 things in my imaginary shopping cart, so I could tell that the style of their jewelry was right up my alley. 

Most of the jewelry is in the middle price range - that dangerous range where it's not too expensive to turn you away, but you also think you might be able to find something similar for less money. That being said, Rona was kind enough to send me two pieces of jewelry from the site, and I can attest that the quality of the jewelry fits its price tag. 

The first piece I got was the pave spike pendant:

I have really been liking silver jewelry lately because it looks more casual and is often easier to wear. The whole spike/geometric shape trend in jewelry also gets me, so I was immediately drawn to this necklace. I love the little stones on the spike; they add sparkle and make it more unique and interesting. Like I said before, the quality of this necklace is great, much nicer than something you can get at a place like say, Forever21. I've been wearing this almost everyday and I am in love! It's simple, goes with a lot of things, and adds a bit of edginess.

The next thing I got was the modern sculpted bangle set:

When I first saw these online I freaked out a little because I thought they would be dupes for these bracelets from thecurrentcustom. Sadly, they aren't, but they are still a really nice set of bangles. Again, these are great quality and feel expensive. I haven't worn these as much as the necklace because I'm going through a silver phase, but I love bangles and these are a great way to dress up an outfit. The waviness in them makes them unique and I think they would be great to pair with other bracelets. The only thing is that I wish they were smaller, but that's pretty much how I feel with most bangles. 

Overall, I'm really impressed with the quality and design of these pieces of jewelry and all I can say is that there are a ton more other pieces that I want - like this, and this, and these. 

Check out their website for more goodies!

Hope you are all well,

~Vida

Product Rave: NARS Danmari palette

As you all probably know the Sephora friends and family sale is going on until November 2. There aren't a whole lot of products that I've been pining for, but I knew there was one thing that I had to take advantage of the sale for - the NARS Danmari all about cheeks palette.

This limited edition palette is an exclusive to Sephora and contains 6 of their beautifully pigmented blushes for only $65, an amazing deal considering each NARS blush is $27. Surprisingly, I don't have any of these blushes in my collection, which made this palette that much more valuable to me. Each blush is .12 oz compared to a full sized .16 oz, and with the amount that I use, that .04 oz will not be missed.

So here it is, the most beautiful palette I have ever laid eyes on:

The shades from left to right, top to bottom:
Hungry Heart: A cream color highlight loaded with glitter. This transforms you into a disco ball princess, which means I probably won't wear this. This was a disappointment, but the other colors make up for it.

Orgasm: A cult favorite peachy pink that I never bought because there are so many dupes for this, I could never justify it. I'm glad I have it now though as it is really a beautiful color that is perfect for everyday.

Desire: One of the blushes that got me really excited about this palette. I have been lusting after this blush for a while now, and I've tried to find other blushes that are similar, but they just don't compare to this one. It's a unique bubblegum hot pink that isn't everyone's cup of tea, but if used with a light hand can look amazing.

Casino: the darker counterpart to the famous Laguna bronzer and the darkest bronzer I own. Like Laguna, it has tiny golden shimmers that don't really translate to the skin, but give a nice glow. Although this bronzer looks scary dark in the pan, it still works with my skin tone and would be nice for darker skin tones.

Super Orgasm: I wore this today and despite the specks of chunky glitter that you can see in the pan, it actually comes off as more of a sheen and is like a lighter, more brightening version of orgasm. Is this totally necessary if you already have orgasm? Probably not. It's pretty, but I wish they hadn't put both of them in the  palette.

Sin: Another blush that I have been wanting to try. It's a beautiful berry plum shade with gold shimmer and I love it. This blush is perfect for fall and is one of those that gives you instantly contoured cheek bones.

This palette makes me so happy and I really hope that they come out with more palettes like this in the future. Blush palettes to me are 10 times more exciting than eye shadow palettes; it's too bad there aren't many out there.

I highly recommend getting this while it's still around and while the friends and family sale is going on! It would make a great holiday present or just a really nice treat to yourself =)

Hope you're all well!

~Vida

Anastasia Beauty Express for Brows and Eyes

Eyebrows have always been a tricky thing for me. I'm not really a big "brow girl" and so I never do anything to my eyebrows besides pluck them and go for an occasional eyebrow threading. The brow products I have tried make me look strange and almost boyish, painting a momentarily intense look on my face. So, I have pretty much stayed clear of any brow products, which to me, just add another step in the routine. 

When I was contacted by the Confluence group to review an Anastasia of Beverly Hills product, I thought I would give brow products another go, especially because of all the hype around Anastasia products. So here is my opinion, as someone who is somewhat of a "newbie" with brows. 

This is the Anastasia Beauty Express for Brows and Eyes in brunette (it also comes in blonde). It comes with a wax, two shades of brow powder, two shades of highlight/lid eyeshadows, the signature brow stencils, an angled brush, and instructions on how to use everything. On first sight, the packaging is compact, but is not very exciting and even feels a little cheap. 

Moving past the packaging, the set comes with a detailed step-by-step outline of how to use the products, which is easy to follow and straightforward. For people who do their brows all the time, this is probably a no brainer for you, but for beginners, this is pretty helpful. 

The set of stencils that it comes with covers a whole range of brow shapes from which you are supposed to choose the one that fits your natural brow shape most closely. I was surprised to find that the petite arch fit my eyebrows almost perfectly and helped me pluck away stray hairs that didn't belong.

The brush also feels like nice quality brush - it has just the right amount of stiffness you would want when you are doing your brows. However, because it is a slightly large brush you don't get as much control as you would with a smaller brush. 

On to the product itself. Eyebrow wax is so good to have and I'm glad that it comes in this set. Not only can you use it underneath the brow powder to help it stick, but you can use it on its own just to smooth over your brows and keep them neat and in place. 

The shades of brow powder that come in this palette work really well for my almost black eyebrows, which is a hard thing to come by. Usually, shades for darker hair either come too dark, or too reddy brown. I use mostly the light taupe-y brown shade with a little bit of the dark brown to deepen it. This mixture blends in with my natural hairs and does the job of filling in the sparse parts in my brows without overpowering my face. 

Although I don't normally use eye shadows to highlight my brow bone, I tried it today with the highlight shade in this palette and really liked it. The shade looks kind of like MAC's all that glitters, but with a little more sheen. The other light brown matte shade is one of my favorite types of eye shadow colors - kind of like a lighter wedge by MAC or naked by Urban Decay - so I will most likely be using it a lot. 

To me, the whole idea of using stencils to fill in your brows seems a little complicated and not very practical if you're out and about. But in practice, it does give you an easy guideline to filling in your brows and is actually pretty quick. Also, the combination of the wax and powder stays on for the entire day so you don't have to worry about them after you've got it on. 

Having all these products in one convenient place will probably entice me to do my eyebrows more often, as it does really make a nice difference in your makeup =). 

Hope you enjoyed this and check out this video for more tips on how to use these products!

~Vida

Girls will be girls

Just when I thought I was done with buying nail polish for a while, I bought another one. But, it is so good it ought to be a necessity and it may well be one of my new favorite nail polishes. It is Sally Hansen's Bronze Ablaze, a stunning bronze with gold shimmer and olive undertones. It goes on smooth and opaque in two coats, and dries instantly just like the bottle says. 

After doing a whole post about bronze, it's no surprise that I would be obsessed with this color. I've already gone through two manicures with it, and it's the one nail polish that I want to have on my nails over and over again, especially because it is perfect for fall. 

Also, last week while walking around my neighborhood I snuck a peak into City Chemist, a local pharmacy/cosmetics boutique that sells a number of high end beauty brands. I was immediately drawn to a display of perfumes from a brand I had never seen before in other stores called Tokyo Milk. It was a rack lined with dozens of perfumes - simply packaged and simply named with a no frills, short list of the notes in the perfume.

I picked up the one called Dead Sexy, and aptly so, because this is what sexy must smell like. 

The notes are deep vanilla, exotic wood, white orchid, and ebony. It's a little bit woodsy, but still has a light floral hint in it that seems perfect for the colder months.

I've never really had a "fall scent". The perfumes that I usually pick are light, floral, and clean, so I'm excited to switch it up with this one. I love this, and I really recommend Tokyo Milk as a brand. The perfumes are small, but they are appropriately priced. And, they have so many scents, you're bound to find one that suits you. With the notes written clearly on the bottle, it's easy for the perfume connoisseurs out there to pick out their favorites. 

Now that I've got the frivolities out of my system, maybe I can get some work done =)

Have a great weekend,

~Vida

Becca and the Balm

A while ago apothica kindly sent me a gift card to their website and I finally got around to placing my order. Apothica has a lot of brands that are hard for me to find in stores so I jumped at the chance to try out some things from these brands. The two that I gravitated towards were Becca and the Balm. 

The one thing I really wanted to try from Becca was their shimmering skin perfector, a product that Lisa Eldridge always raves about. 

This is a liquid highlighter type product that comes in several shades - the one I have is opal. It comes in a matte rubberized tube with a pump and you get a lot of product. It also has an SPF of 25+ which is good if you want to mix this in with foundation, but I don't think I would apply this on its own all over my face. 

This is probably the most natural highlighter I have used. You can't see it on your skin, but when it catches the light it gives a beautiful glow. There are no obvious traces of glitter particles, just a really nice silky sheen. I apply it with a foundation brush so I can be a little more precise. It's so easy and I never have to worry about it going on too heavy. I think its a lot easier to work with than Dior amber diamond, which I mostly use if I am going out. 

All in all its a great product, but just a tad expensive. 

The second product I got was the Balm's Balm Voyage palette. 

Besides having the cutest packaging ever, it has three shades, luscious lani, caught in the act courney, and hot mama. Hot mama is one of their famous blushes that can also be used as an eyeshadow. I have been wanting to get it so I am glad it came in this palette even though it is the miniest version of it. All three of these have great pigmentation and are nice wearable colors that complement each other really well. 

Today I wore luscious lani all over the lid with the tinest bit of the dark glittery brown shade in the crease and then I used a pencil brush with that same dark brown to line my upper lash line, which gives a nice smokey smudge liner effect. 

The blush is really pretty - kind of similar to NARS orgasm or deep throat - and gives an amazing sheen. 

It also comes with a brush that isn't half bad, a little mirror, and a bonus little luggage tag. 

This is a compact, all-in-one palette that is perfect for traveling and very affordable. I really want to try out more the Balm products!

I've been trying to be good and haven't bought makeup in a while, so thank you Apothica for relieving my ridiculous addiction. 

Have a good weekend everybody =)

Product Rave: Majolica Majorca Lash Enamel Glamour Volume On

My blogging has been really slowing down recently, and I am sorry for that. In the midst of moving and starting school, I haven't had much time to think about blog posts, and with my makeup packed and scattered, I've had little inspiration. 

One thing I can comment about is a new mascara that I bought while I was in Hong Kong, the lash enamel glamour volume on by Majolica Majorca. Besides having the longest name ever, this is probably the best mascara that I have ever tried. Before this, L'oreal voluminous was my favorite mascara, and I still love it, but I think this one is just a little bit better. 

On me it gives a similar effect that the L'oreal Voluminous does, which you would never guess by looking at the flat, plastic wand. The side with the denser bristles separates amazingly and the sparser side thickens and volumizes. I tend to alternate between the two sides until I get the look I am going for. The best thing about this mascara is that it holds a curl like no other mascara I have ever tried. It is one of those mascaras that does it all - volumizes, lengthens, separates, and curls. 

It is also waterproof, which means it requires some work to take off, but it's not impossible and for the results that it gives I can deal with it. 

Here's a not so great picture of it on me:

The wand makes it really easy to build up the product at the root of the lashes making it look like your have eyeliner on without any harsh lines. 

Majolica Majorca is a brand owned by Shiseido, and I'm not sure where to buy it in the US, but it looks like I will have to resort to ebay or some other website if I want to repurchase this in the future. 

If you ever get a chance to pick this up, do it! It really is amazing. 

~Vida

TLC

I am finally back to blogger after a two week trip to China! The combination of heat, humidity, sweat, and 15-hour plane rides left me in need of some serious pamper time. 

After going for a well-needed eyebrow threading, I gave myself a manicure with Essie's status symbol and a pedicure with Orly's lemonade. I love the yellow on my toes, it makes my already tan feet look even tanner and is the perfect tribute to summer.

Nothing makes me feel more polished than freshly painted nails. 

My skin was feeling especially congested, but luckily I've discovered a few new products to help the situation.

The No7 Hot Cloth Cleanser is a really great cleanser. In combination with the muslin cloth that comes with it, this works to keep my skin smooth and clear. It is really gentle yet every time after I use it, my skin looks refreshed and glowing. You get a decent amount of product, but I seem to be going through it relatively quickly. I am dying to try the Liz Earle hot cloth cleanser after I am through with this one. 

The St. Ives scrub is an old product, but a new tub of it - the blemish and blackhead control version, which I'm not really sure is any different from the original, but it sure sounds good. After two weeks without any exfoliation, this felt heavenly on my skin. 

To give my body a good exfoliation, I used the Sephora sugar body scrub. This product is okay - it smells good and leaves the skin with a slick moisturized feeling, but its not amazing. It's my first time using a sugar scrub, so I'm not sure how it compares to others out there. 

The Origins skin diver body wash is a shower gel that claims to draw out pore-clogging debris and dissolve surface impurities that cause breakouts. Yes, it is marketed for men, but if you get bacne or breakouts on your body, this is a must-try! I am prone to getting breakouts on my back and they are a pain in the ass to get rid of, but this really works for me. It is $15, which is pricey for a body wash, but I don't know if I could live without this now!

Finally, I lathered myself up with my Origins Ginger Souffle body cream and put on my favorite mask, the purifying mint masque by CVS. I found the Queen Helene version at walgreens today for buy 1 get 1 free, so I now have an extended supply of this mask. 

I am almost out of the ginger souffle, but I probably will not repurchase another one. It's just a little too pricey for a body moisturizer. 

I never really feel at home after a vacation until I've gone through some sort of grooming routine like this. 

Now that I feel refreshed and energized, I am ready to tackle my next obstacle - a move to the big city. 

~Vida

Lip Balms: One Hit One Miss

I have mentioned before that I have an obsession with lip balms. I don't have as big of a collection as some of you may, but I do love to find good lip balms that will cure me of the dry, chapped lips that I often get. So far I have found one that I really like, the Blistex medicated lip ointment, but after using it for a while it doesn't seem to be working as well as it did when I first came across it. When a deal on Hautelook came around that gave me a $40 gift certificate for the price of $20 at beautybar.com, I decided to splurge on some new lip balms. The first one that I got is the Peter Thomas Roth Pink Bombshell Lipbalm. 

I should have known from the name that this was going to be a waste of my money. But, I wanted to see what an expensive lip balm would be like, and the pink balm inside a little glass pot appealed to me because it reminded me of the much raved about By Terry lip balm. I was choosing between this one and the Philosophy Kiss Me Tonight, and now I wonder whether I had chosen wrongly. This lip balm is interesting, but nothing special and certainly not worth the money. It has a very hard waxy texture, which makes it hard to get the product onto your lips. If you look closely it has little shimmer particles that are hardly noticeable on the lips but do create a nice sheen-y effect. It smells sickly sweet and gives a slight minty feeling. It is nice as a primer for lipstick, but I find that I cannot take it seriously as a lip moisturizer/treatment. 

The next one I bought, which I was much mored excited for was the Ole Henriksen African Red Tea Exfoliating Lip Salvation. 

There were a lot of great reviews for this one, and it kind of balanced out my disappointment with the other one. This has a much more workable texture and feels like it has little grains in it that contribute to its exfoliating effect. It has a lot of natural ingredients and I like it because it is exfoliating, but you don't need to tissue it off or anything - you can leave it on and eventually it will wear off and sink into your lips. It does leave a raspberry tint on your lips, which I usually hate, but for some reason I actually like this one. Plus, I use it mostly when I am at home so I don't mind the initial gritty feeling or the stain on my lips. My lips have been a lot smoother and I've been going for a few days without chapped, flaky lips! I really like this product and I would definitely repurchase even though it is on the expensive side for a lip treatment. 

What are your favorite lip balms that you think I should try? 

~Vida

Second Chances: Eyeko Graffiti Eyeliner Pen

There are some things in my makeup collection that I fell in love with immediately and have been loving ever since, some that I hated as soon as they touched my face, and then there are others that I tried on, shrugged, and put aside rarely picking them up again afterwards. 

These are the products that I have casted off because they weren't particularly special to me or they just didn't meet my expectations. They are by no means bad products, and I hate to have things going to waste in my collection, so I decided to go through them, try them out again, and see whether I really hate the product and should give it away or if I could start using it more regularly. 

One of the products on the list is the Eyeko Graffiti Eyeliner Pen in navy. 

Anything that is readily available only in the UK is highly covetable to me, hence why I jumped on this when I saw it online at Urban Outfitters. However, the first few times I used it, I found that it was hard to get a pigmented line on my eyes and it took me forever to put on, even though it swatched beautifully on my hand.

When I tried it again today, it also came out amazingly when I swatched it, but I still found that it was a little hard to put on - maybe I just suck at felt tip liners? Nevertheless, this dries to a completely ink-like, no-smudge state and the color is such a pretty navy blue.  

I would much rather use a gel eyeliner or a pencil, as I can wack those on a lot faster. With this I have to work with it for a while to get a good line, and I almost never get it straight. It is also not pigmented enough for me to do just a thin line of it. I will use it until it runs dry, but I won't be repurchasing. 

I have a lot of products that fall in this "B-list" category, so I hope I can go through them all and maybe rediscover something that I really like. 

Do you have this eyeliner? What do you think about it?

~Vida

Product Rave: Bobbi Brown Long Wear Cream Shadow

In my previous haul I mentioned I got the Bobbi Brown long-wear cream shadow in the color slate from Allcosmeticswholesale. 

When I first swatched it I was seriously disappointed. I have only ever used MAC paintpots, which I love, and I was expecting this to be a similar product. This felt a lot thinner in consistency and was very sheer and blended away very easily. I was quick to judge, and for a high end cosmetic company, I was not impressed. 

And I was wrong. I have been using this everyday since I got it, I absolutely love it!

First off, the color is perfect for an everyday neutral look - it gives definition without looking too dramatic. It is a plumy taupe gray, one of those colors that would look good on anyone, and goes with any blush and lip color. 

Second, I have begun to see the benefits of its consistency and now I really like it. This cream shadow is very sheer, but also very buildable so you can apply one layer for a neutral, subtle look, or you can apply several layers for a more intense color. In the pot, it feels like a cream, but when you apply it to your eyelids, it feels more like a powder. I don't know what it is about this, but when you apply it, it blends into your skin so well that it doesn't look like it is product sitting on your skin, unlike some MAC paint pots. It is also extremely blendable, which makes it a dream to apply. 

Thirdly, I love the packaging. I realize this is not so important, but the sleek packaging makes me happy to have it in my collection. The pot itself has a very narrow opening, so it will keep it from drying out longer - hopefully. 

Here's a pic of it on:

I have been mostly wearing it on its own and I love it because it is such an easy makeup. It lasts pretty much all day, and wears beautifully. 

I did try using it as an eyeshadow base the other day, and it worked well to bring out the color of the eyeshadows, but it did crease a little. I think I will stick to using my eyeshadow primers and paintpots as eyeshadow bases. 

Needless to say, I am completely in love with this product, and so I felt the need to tell you guys about it. 

Hope you enjoyed this. Thank you for reading and commenting! 

Holy Grail Fail - Shu Uemura eyelash curler

Hello friends =)
I know that I, along with many others out there, am always on the lookout for holy grail products - products that do what they say they do, make you look amazing with every use, and alleviate your biggest beauty concerns.

The blogging and youtube community has made it so easy to find out what's hot, what's new, what works, and what is plain bad. When a product is raved about in countless videos and blogposts, I can't help but want to go out and buy it for myself so I can see if it is really a miracle product. Sometimes it is, and sometimes it isn't.
I've already purchased several of the "big hit" items that have hit the beauty community, and I've got a whole list of others that are waiting to be bought. Obviously I don't limit myself to only the most popular products, but when hundreds of other girls are talking about something, you want to know what's up.

So, I purchased the Shu Uemura eyelash curler off their website, because so many people have raved about how amazing it is, how it curls beautifully without the crazy "L-shaped" eyelashes, and how it is superior to all other eyelash curlers.

My eyelashes are naturally very straight so I need a heavy duty eyelash curler if I am to bat my eyes at anybody. I bought this one thinking it would be the the answer to my prayers, but it wasn't. I had a hard time getting even an L-shaped curl and the results weren't dramatically different than eyelash curlers I have used in the past.

This E.L.F. one I have been using works just as well, if not better than the Shu Uemura. Ergonomically, it is so much easier to use because it has that little finger support. And it costs 1 freaking dollar, a whole $18 less than what I paid for the Shu Uemura.

I thought about returning it, but honestly, I'm just too damn lazy. And also, I am hopeful that one day I will pick it up to use, and it will miraculously become the best eyelash curler I have ever used, maybe?

xx
Vida 

Review: Living Proof hair products

Ever since these fat little bottles popped up in Sephora, I have been wanting to try them. The "full" line of Living Proof products was especially appealing to me because I have very fine hair that tends to fall flat. 

These products boast natural, weightless volume and body. The thickening cream especially sounded like exactly what my hair needed - a lightweight cream that is supposed to create a thicker surface on the hairs, giving it a bouncy, flexible shape. 

When I saw the full kit, that includes the full thickening cream, as well as the shampoo and conditioner, I knew I had to try it. 

 The shampoo and conditioner are...nice. I don't think I could really say bad things about shampoo and conditioner unless they were absolutely despicable. These smell nice and they clean and condition your hair well. And while my hair does feel clean and very soft afterward, they don't have a very volumizing effect on my hair at all. The market for volumizing hair products has exploded and I am sure you can find a shampoo and conditioner that will give much better results for cheaper. A full size of this costs $24, and you don't even get that much! I will not be repurchasing this. 

The thickening cream on the other hand, I love. 

I use a nickel size amount on damp, almost dry hair and then I blow dry with my head turned upside down (I am handicapped when it comes to blow drying, so I don't have any crazy techniques or anything). The results are pretty amazing for me and the first time I used it I was like, whoa, my hair is big. I have tried a few other volumizing products in the past, and they have done nothing for me, other than add more product to my hair. With this I can actually feel a difference in my hair when I touch it, and it does feel much thicker and... fluffier is the word. 

Even though I have fine hair, I have a lot of it, and I think that's why this worked so well for me. This is not supposed to be a root lifter. It just really plumps up whatever you've got and gives you body and volume without feeling hard, crunchy, or like there's anything funky in your hair. My hair felt super soft and full after putting this in it. It is really effortless, and I love the effect it gives!

Me and my (relatively) big hair:

Have you ever tried any of these products? What are your favorite volumizing hair products?