Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge Review

Let’s start off by saying that I am not one of those people who is a Beauty Blender hater, in fact it recently has become one of my favorite beauty related items however the price is absolutely ridiculous! $20+ for a little sponge that needs to be replaced every few months is the craziest thing ever which is why I was SO excited when I heard that Real Techniques was coming out with a complexion sponge I was hoping it could compare to the beauty blender. Much to my surprise, when dampened not only does it compare to the beauty blender it is actually better than the beauty blender in my opinion.

The flat side of this really is what makes it so good. It is perfection for getting the majority of your face then you can go back in with the pointed side for around your nose, eyes and to layer a little concealer or more foundation on blemishes or areas you want to cover more. For $5.99 (and most of the time Ulta has them BOGO 50% off plus you can use coupons on them) it is WELL worth it and a great substitute for the beauty blender fans like me that just can’t justify the price. Have you tried this little miracle sponge yet? If so what do you think?

NARS Guy Bourdin Holiday Collection Limited Edition One Night Stand Cheek Palette

I am trying REALLY hard to curb my beauty related spending and trying to save money to eventually buy a house but every now and then I just get suckered into purchasing something. In walks the new NARS Holiday Collection One Night Stand Limited Edition Cheek Palette a beauty that I just could not resist no matter how many times I told myself I didn’t need it. I never got the Danmari palette a few years ago when that one came out and I have regretted it since then so I knew it was now or never. I think this one will sell out pretty fast especially since the 20% VIB sale starts this weekend so I would order it NOW if you want it. Don’t wait for the 20% because you will kick yourself if you miss out on it. Here is the description of shades from the Sephora website:

- 0.14 oz x 6 Blush in Laguna (diffused brown powder with golden shimmer), Deep Throat (flirty, sheer peach), Orgasm (peachy pink with golden shimmer), Mistinguette (bright pink), Goulue (medium pink), Devotee (highlighter)

If I had to change anything in this palette it would be that it wouldn’t contain the permanent shades. For people like me who already has Laguna, Orgasm and Deep Throat it is a little disappointing to see them appear in this palette. NARS PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE come out with a 6 pan cheek palette that has all limited edition shades.

I would highly suggest ordering this before the 20% VIB sale start not only because it will probably sell out but because I got to choose from a cute little bag of samples on top of the 3 samples you already get from a Sephora.com order. I have included pictures of all the samples (plus the normal 3 and I grabbed a Clarins One Step Gentle Exfoliating Facial Cleanser for 100 points because I love that stuff and think it is awesome to have a travel size).

Overall this is a beautiful palette and if you don’t already have the permanent shades in the palette it is a no brainer. If you do own 1, 2 or all 3 of the permanent shades you will have to decide if you will get good use out of this as a travel palette. Since I am gone so much (I have been gone pretty much every other week for the past 3 months and will be gone again starting tomorrow) it makes sense for me to travel with this and not being a few single blushes.

Cheers to pretty cheeks!

My Cream Eyeshadow Collection- Part 1

My name is Kimberly, and I am a cosmetics addict. Ok, not that it is a surprise to anyone reading this. Blush is probably my number one vice but eyeshadows, especially cream shadows come in at a REALLY close second.

I figured it would be nice to start a blog series that will highlight different sections of my collection starting with all the potted cream shadows that I own. (I will do jumbo pencil types of shadows and ones in tubes in 2 other separate posts) The swatches and information below are separated by brand. Please feel free to let me know if you have any questions about any of the products or swatches that I show below.

Chanel Illuion D’Ombre
From bottom to top in both pictures:
1- Convoitise #90 (LE) A pale champagne shimmer with micro glitter
2- Apparence #817 (LE) Light gold shimmer
3- Emerveille #82 Subtle rose gold that leans more to the pinky side than gold
4- Initiation #827 (LE) Warm taupey brown with hints of a gold undertone and shimmer
5- Epatant #84 Cool based silver shimmer with a slight touch of green



MAC
From bottom to top
1- Bare Study: White based shimmery champagne
2- Morning Frost (LE): Cool based taupey silver with shimmer
3- Vintage Selection (pro longwear formula): Pink based taupe with shimmer
4- Rubenesque: True Rose Gold
5- Nubile (LE): Pink based skintone
6- Painterly (pro longwear formula): Brown based neutral skintone
7- Superwatt (LE- Electric Cool Eyeshadow): Warm brown based taupe with shimmer



Part 2 will be up later this week but until then I would love to know if you have any of these shades and which ones are your favorite!

October Favorites

I love going through my stash and putting together my monthly favorites, it is really interesting to me to see how much can change or stay the same month to month when it comes to my daily makeup routine and what I continue to reach for. Most of the month of October I tended to reach for tried and true favorites. I traveled to my sister’s wedding so I will put an annotation next to anything I actually used on her wedding day in case anyone is interested.

Here are my favorites for the month of October:
-IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Corrector Concentrate Cream
-Hourglass Immaculate Foundation and Estee Lauder Doublewear (I have been switching back and forth between the 2 but I wore Doublewear for my sister’s wedding)
-IT Cosmetics Hello Light Creme Illuminator topped with Becca Shimmering Perfector in Opal (I wore this combo to the wedding)
-Benefit Porefessional Primer (I wore this to the wedding)
-Laura Mercier Artist 2 Palette
-MAC Vanilla Pigment
-Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette (I wore Dim Light to the wedding, well I actually wear it everyday)
-Dior Addict Lipstick in New York and Tarte Glitzy LipSurgence (I wore both of these layered to the wedding)
-IT Cosmetics Your Brows But Better pencil
-MAC Tease your Taste blush (wore this to the wedding) and MAC Ripe for Love blush
-Bath and Body Works Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin body wash and lotion

I know that this is alot of stuff and if people want I can do a separate post on what I used on my face for my sister’s wedding and what I used for makeup products on her. She was a STUNNING bride! It was a great month with lots of awesome makeup favorites and I hope you will pick up a few of them to try to dig through your stash and start using them again if you have any of them. Here is to a great November!

Laura Mercier Fall/Winter 2013 Artists Palette for Eyes

Well, hello beautiful little addition to my makeup collection! In case you are a makeup lover like me you already know that Laura Mercier has released a new Artist’s Palette for Eyes this fall/winter. For those of you asking “hey wait, didn’t Sephora carry an Artist’s Palette last year?” the answer is YES, but this one is different (and prettier in my opinion). While I love the one from last year (there is a side by side picture below) the new release seems much more wearable for my skin tone.

The palette from last years release is on the left and this years is on the right

Laura Mercier does a FANTASTIC job with shadows, especially mattes. I have never experienced such consistently soft, creamy, and blendable matte shades in any other line of cosmetics that I have tried even better than high end lines like Chanel, Guerlain, Dior, etc.

Here is a closer look at the shades


Color names from left to right on arm: Sparkling Dew, Guava, African Violet (this years version of this shade is MUCH creamier and better than last years!), Plum Smoke, KIR Royal, Violet Ink, Vanilla Nuts, Primrose, Fresco, Bamboo, Truffle, Espresso Bean

When comparing last years version of the palette to this years you will notice that overall there are a few more lighter shades in this years palette which I really love, plus the Fresco and Truffle shades are amazing crease and blending shades! I cannot wait to bring this on vacation to go back home next week for some easy yet pretty eye looks. The packaging is sturdy, pretty and it has a really awesome big mirror inside which is certainly a nice little detail.

You can pick this beautiful palette up at any Sephora store that sells the Laura Mercier line or online at Sephora.com for $48.

July EMPTIES!!!

I have been on a "use it up" rampage lately. I am trying REALLY hard not to buy things unless they really are difference from what I already have or unless I use things up and can replace those with new things. I used ALOT of things up this month and have quite a few things that I am almost done with so next month I should have quite a few empties too! It feels like such an accomplishment when I can peek into a bag of things I actually finished up. I am sure some of you feel the same way!

Here we go!(I will add in parentheses whether or not I would repurchase or not with w "yes" or "no")

- Organix Moroccan Argan Oil Intense Moisturizing Treatment (YES!)
- Philosophy Amazing Grace shampoo, bath & shower gel (yes)
- Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Frizz Defeat Deep Treatment (maybe)
- Suave Moroccan Infusion Shine Shampoo (maybe)
- Organix Hydrating Moroccan Argan Oil Creamy oil Body Wash (yes)
- Nexxus Therappe Ultimate Moisture Shampoo (probably not- it isn't bad but for the price I like the Suave the same and its a lot cheaper than the Nexxus)
- Philosophy travel size pure grace shower gel (yes)
- Philosophy travel size eternal grace shower gel (yes) I cannot get enough of these "grace" scents lately!
- Ion Color Solutions Deep Daily Conditioning treatment for hair 1 ounce packet (yes)
- Peter Thomas Roth FirmX Peeling Gel sample (no)
- Clinique bottom lash mascara (probably not- now that I have been using the IT Cosmetics tightline on my lashes I don't think I will ever use anything else for the bottom. This is good stuff thought if you don't want to try the IT Cosmetics tightline)
- Sample of Glam Glow clearing mask (not sure- the sample was SO small I barely had enough to just use it on my Tzone)
- Baviphat Peach all in one peeling gel (yes love this stuff)
- Ulta eyebrow gel (no I will repurchase the product below though)
- Anastasia Brow gel (YES YES YES!)

What did you use up this month? Look out for a July Favorites post coming tomorrow (with pictures!)

It Cosmetics Your Most Beautiful You 6-pc Collection- Sneak Peak! QVC TSV that airs on July 15th

Newsflash! I LOVE IT COSMETICS! Alright, so if you have read my blog at all you will know that is actually not a newsflash at all. :) I think that they are one of the most underrated cosmetics brands out there. The technology that the creator Jamie puts behind all the products she introduces into the line is certainly impressive. I haven't tried a single product from the brand that hasn't performed exactly as it was advertised/marketed which is almost unheard of.

QVC has amazing kits a few times a year usually showing up in TSV's. For those of you who don't speak fluent QVC it means Today's Special Value which is a one day only special price/package. I recently was able to pre order an upcoming TSV which airs on Saturday, July 13th. I received it after much anticipation yesterday and I wanted to run through all the products before it airs for those of you who might be interested in ordering it.

-1-fl-oz Bye Bye Under Eye Concealer in choice of: Light, Medium, Tan or Deep

- 0.23-oz Hello Light Illuminator

- 0.003-oz Your Brows But Better

- 0.11-fl oz Lip Gloss Stain in Je Ne Sais Quoi (sheer pink flush)

- Double-ended Complexion Brush

- Pointed Precision Illuminizer Brush

I have had all of these items in the past except for the Your Brown but Better pencil and the Lip gloss stain. I have tried the lipstick stain and the vitality color stain in the same shade and this gloss in my opinion seems to be much more pigmented. It feels just as nice as the other 2 but the pink is certainly a lot brighter than the other 2 items appear on my lips. I am also very pleasantly surprised with the brow product as I usually have a hard time with universal brow products actually looking natural on my brows since I am blonde but I didn't have that problem with this product as long as I use short light strokes.

This is a must have kit as the brushes alone are worth the price of admission. They truly do make the best quality brushes and products. If you have been searching for a high performance kit with a lot of products that are all made with a lot of technology and research behind them then I would totally say this is a must have for you. The jumbo size bye bye under eye will last you for a long time and really is like no other concealer out there. (The most similar that I can even compare it to is the Kevyn Aucoin sensual skin enhancer which is A+ in my book!)

If you are interested in pre ordering this kit the item number on QVC.com is A238739. It is $59.95 but if you order it now before it airs you can get it on the Easy Pay system for 3 payments of 19.97 which is amazing! Let me know if you end up ordering it and what you love the most from it, especially if you have never tried anything from IT Cosmetics before. Happy Shopping!

My Top 10 makeup items of ALL TIME!

One of my friends recently asked me if I only had 10 makeup items left in my collection that would last me forever but would be the only items I was able to use what 10 items would I choose. I thought that was a great question but a REALLY hard one to answer! I thought about it for a little while and here is what I came up with: (Keep in mind I assuming this does not include skincare and brushes which I can do a top 5 for each category in a separate post later)

1. Foundation: Estee Lauder DoubleWear
This was probably the hardest item to choose because I haven't been using liquid foundation lately. I really love my bareMinerals ready foundation but it has SPF 20 in it and I would not want to have only 1 foundation that has SPF in it to choose from in case I was going out or doing my makeup for a special occasion where my picture would be taken and have horrible flashback. Doublewear can be sheered out with a little moisturizer and a beauty blender but can certainly be full coverage with your fingers or building it up with a brush. It looks amazing on

2. Concealer: M-A-C Prolongwear concealer in NW15
This concealer is perfect if I could only keep one. I can use it under my eyes or on blemishes and just like DoubleWear it does not contain SPF which is perfect for an event where your picture will be taken. Plus, like DoubleWear it stays put ALL DAY! Can't beat that!

3. Powder: NYX Stay Matte but Not Flat powder foundation in Creamy Natural
I love this powder over DoubleWear! It brings just enough dimension back into your face that sometimes DoubleWear can matte out. Just a really light dusting over your whole face and your face will look like you have perfect skin, even if you don't ;)

4. Bronzer: NYX Blush in Taupe
Yup, that's right I am picking a blush for my bronzer :) Taupe is the perfect contour color for us fair girls but in a pinch I could obviously use it as a blush too so it works double duty for me (Hey if I only had 10 things left I would need some double duty items!)

5. Blush: Mally 24/7 duo in Pink Nectar
This one was SO hard! Everyone knows if I had to pick my favorite category of makeup it would be blush hands down. I am known for going a little overboard at time but that doesn't bother me at all because I just love it. I have almost all of the Mally 24/7 blush duos but Pink Nectar is my favorite. It is the perfect pink for my skin tone and I could always use the NYX taupe in the fall/winter to layer with it to create more of a berry shade if I wanted. I HIGHLY recommend trying one of these blush duos if you haven't already tried them. One side has a little shimmer so I wouldn't even need an additional highlighter which is an additional bonus when thinking of how panicked I would be with only 10 items :)

6. Finishing Powder: IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Pores
This stuff is just amazing and like any other powder that I have tried. It really does help hide your pores and mattify the parts of your face you want to keep matte but still allows any shimmer from products you used underneath to show through. It is everything that a really good setting powder should be. If you haven't tried this you should order it from QVC and give it a try. If you have read my blog at all you know I am a HUGE It Cosmetics fan and this is one of their standout products in the line for sure.

7. Mascara: Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes
I love that this mascara does a great job of getting all the way to the roots of my lashes plus it volumizes and lengthens without smudging at all. Certainly a holy grail in my collection and a mascara I keep repurchasing over and over

8. Eyeshadow: Urban Decay Naked Palette
I think any makeup junkie would pick this one to keep. I have the original style that came with the double ended liner (which is a plus in this case since it is included!) and I can't think of another palette with strictly eyeshadows that has the variety of amazing neutrals that this one has. The Mally In th Buff 2 palette certainly gives this a run for its money but it lacks the liner and a matte black shadow which is what pushed me over to pick this one. Plus I just love Virgin, Sin, Buck, Naked and Toasted eyeshadows. I could very easily live out of this palette forever and achieve a variety of looks. Not that I would ever want to of course :)

9. Eye Primer: Nars pro prime smudge proof eye shadow primer
I use a lot of different primers but if I only had to pick one it would be this one. It isn't shimmery and just leaves a really great base for your shadow helping ir go on more vibrantly and prevent creasing.

10. Brows: Tarte Brow Architect
This actually isn't my favorite brow pencil but the benefit to this product is that it has a spoolie on one end and the color portion on the other. In the middle it actually screws apart and has a concealer that you can use right under your brows to add a matte highlight to your brow bone or in the inner corner of your eye to brighten things up. The concealer portion is what really made me think to choose this because again I would need all the help in terms of choosing products that are multipurpose.

I think that about wraps it up! The only 2 products that I didn't feel like were truly makeup products but I would have wanted to include would be Urban Decay deslick and the Korres vitamin E silicone free face primer. I use those 2 things literally every single day. What 10 products would be in your makeup bag if you had to only pick 10? Here are links to check out all the products mentioned above in case you want to pick any of them up to try!

My June Favorites

It was really tough this month to pick my favorite things. Quite frankly it seems like I have had the same favorites for months and months now but I guess that is a good thing. At least I have been really happy with the things I have in my makeup bag this month :) Here are my top favorites for makeup, hair and body products for the month of June:

1. This one is no surprise but I have been loving the bareMinerals Ready foundation for all over my face. I also have been dusting the outside portion of my cheeks with the IT Cosmetics celebration foundation since it is a little more hydrating. I can get a little dry on the outer edge of my face so this combination has been working PERFECTLY!

2. Maybelline The Rocket waterproof mascara- I typically am not a fan of really big wands for mascara but this mascara coupled with the IT Cosmetics tighlining primer that I am also crazy about is amazing for the hot humid weather we have been experiencing in lower Alabama lately. It makes my lashes look plump, longer and REALLY black without a bit of flaking, smudging or fading throughout the day.

3. MAC Paint Pot in Bare Study has been a staple in my makeup bag this month. It is easy and beautiful while lasting all day. It doesn't get any better than that!

4. I don't think I have used a lipstick all month which is absolutely shocking! I have been using and loving glosses and lip balms in particular any of the Mally glosses and the Nivea mint flavored lip balm. If you haven't ever tried one of Mally's famous glosses go get one now! I will assume that you have been living under a rock and will give you a hall pass on it but seriously GO GET ONE! They will change your makeup life (not kidding!) They truly are the best line of glosses out there in my opinion because of the shade choices, how amazing they look on your lips and the delicious smell. (Last week Mally announced you can now buy some of her products at Ulta! So get to shopping so you don't have to pay that ridiculous QVC shipping rate)

5. Yet another Mally love has been the In the Buff Vol. 2 palette. This has not aired yet on QVC but if you are looking to score it early like I did (and on 3 easy payments!) the item number is A238300. It really is an amazing value for the palette alone but you also get 3 liners, a double ended brush, a sharpener, an under eye brightener plus the Mally Volumizing mascara that is one of my holy grails. If you haven't wanted to spend the $50 on the Urban Decay Naked palette this is a great alternative because of all the extras you get with it.

6. Bare Minerals plush peach blush. Amazing, enough said!

7. It's a 10 Miracle Leave In for blondes is an absolute must have for you other blonde girls out there. I have been using this for a long time and it makes my hair so soft it is worth every single penny. Don't put too much in though or it will weigh your hair down a little.

8. T3 Featherweight blow dryer- I never though expensive blow dryers were worth it but when I bought this from one of my amazing beauty sisters (Thanks Ashley!!) at a great price I haven't really minded blow drying my super thick unruly hair anymore. It literally used to take me about an hour to blow dry my hair and now I am right around 20 minutes from start to finish using this dryer. An added bonus is that it does seem to control the frizz too which is always a good thing!

June was all about getting ready fast but picking products that would stay all day without needing to touch up and that I didn't have to think about a whole lot when applying. What products did you love this month and did you have a "get ready fast" month like me?

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June Empties!

I have been trying REALLY hard to use up as many things that I currently have as possible. Here are a few things that I have emptied this month along with whether or not I would repurchase it.

1. Suave Moroccan Oil Shampoo
Yes, if I was in the market for a cheap hydrating shampoo I would certainly repurchase it. I have a whole shelf of shampoo and conditioner that I have accumulated through couponing so for now I will be sticking with using those other items up first.

2. Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Deep Conditioning Treatment
I have repurchased this over and over again! I have been using this product off and on for probably almost 10 years and I will continue to use it. It is easy to use, smells great and doesn't leave my hair feeling weighed down! I highly recommend this one!!

3. IT Cosmetics Hello Lashes mascara
I have already repurchased this because I knew I didn't want to be without a backup of this mascara. It is awesome! The formula itself is pretty wet so if you like a drier mascara this one may not be for you but within a week or 2 it does thicken up a little and allows you to control it a little more during application. The way the separates, lengthens, and adds volume certainly makes me add this mascara into my top 5 of all time. (Let me know if you want to see a post on what my all time top 5 are!)

4. Lea Journo conditioner
This conditioner smells heavenly! On top of that is does make my hair feel pretty soft but it is priced a little too high for my liking. I received this in a swap with a friend so I never bought the original pouch. (yes I said pouch! It doesn't come in a bottle like traditional conditioner which I think it is a fault since it is kind of a pain to keep it standing up on the rack I have in my shower) I would certainly like to use this product again but I probably won't purchase it since it is pretty pricey. There are lots of good drugstore and lower end conditioners that work just as well in my opinion.

5. Dove VisibleCare Body Wash
I use this product at night before I go to bed and I love crawling into my bed having my skin feel hydrated, soft and smelling nice a fresh. I have already repurchased another bottle of this (and got a really deal on it at CVS with coupons!! SCORE!) I would certainly recommend checking this body was h out if you love the smell of original Dove but don't want to use a bar of soap, this is an awesome alternative.

That wraps up my empties for this month. What have you been able to empty out this month?

Skincare and Basic Daily Makeup Routine

I have really switched things up in my daily routine the past couple of months. Gone are the days of having an hour every morning to get ready so I have simplified things a lot. Lets start with my current skincare routine. As some of you know I was really struggling with breakouts at the beginning of the year, it was the worst my skin has ever been. I since have switched to just using the BareMinerals Purifying Facial cleanser as well as the Purely Nourishing Moisturizer for combination skin. I use my Clarisonic both morning and night along with it and my face has cleared up almost completely. I HIGHLY recommend trying this routine if you have been breaking out, the cleanser isn't over powering and doesn't dry my skin out or leave it feeling tight which I really love. I also have liked the fact that the moisturizer doesn't leave my face shiny or feeling greasy. A+ all around for that!

For makeup I have switched to all silicone-free base face products. In my "everyday" makeup basket I keep the following items which I think have also helped clear up my skin- Becca Mattifying silicone-free primer, Korres Vitamin E silicone-free face primer, Bare Minerals Ready foundation, Bare Minerals well rested, Bare Minerals Bisque concealer. I haven't ever really been a fan of Bare Minerals. I used their loose foundation quite a but when I was a teenager (that was when I had flawless skin and had nothing but maybe an occasional pimple from hormones) but as I have gotten older and started to experiment more with makeup I found that I didn't get the coverage I really wanted from their loose foundation and by the end of the day I looked like a total grease ball. I kept hearing about how wonderful the READY line of makeup was from Bare Minerals and had tried out a few of their pressed eyeshadows which blew me away! They certainly were nothing like the messy, not so pigmented loose shadows I remembered using in high school. When my face got really bad I decided maybe it was time to give BM another shot, after all I had absolutely nothing to lose at this point. I was shocked when I used the ready foundation with the precision face brush how amazing the coverage was! Not only that but I actually stayed matte for almost 10 hours which in my book was certainly amazing for just a powder foundation. (I didn't even use concealer the first time I used it!) It has been almost 2 months and my face is pretty much back to normal with just a few breakouts here and there which is totally manageable. I HIGHLY recommend trying the ready foundation if you weren't a big fan of the original loose foundation for the same reasons I mentioned above. Just make sure to get color matched at a store that sells the products as the color range is not the exact same as the loose.

It took me awhile to come to the conclusion that maybe it was something I was doing to cause my skin to breakout and if you are struggling with the same skin issues I had maybe try a few of the things I switched in my routine to see if it helps. I hope that my struggling has brought some insight to at least someone out there!