BA Star Holiday Red Lip Pencil Review (+ Discount Code!)

Recently I had the opportunity to try out the BA Star Holiday Red lip pencil. I am a huge fan of a bold red lip, but I have never tried to get the look using only a pencil.  To my surprise, the BA Star lip pencil worked great!

Kiss Nail Dress Review

As promised, here is my review of the Kiss Nail Dress strips included in my Influenster Holiday VoxBox.  I wanted to love these, but sadly that was not the case. 

I love the variety of designs offered, but the jeweled designs are harder to apply b/c the placement of the jewels may interfere with a smooth application.  To apply, you smooth the strip onto your nail and take the excess length, fold it at the tip of your nail and file the excess off using an emery board that is included with the kit. On several of my nails, the placement of the jewels were right at the tip of my nails so I had to pull the jewel off.  Also, the process of filing the tips can leave the edges a little rough, which makes the strips peel off faster.    Overall the strips were fast and easy to apply, but some of my fingernails have a weird shape (wide, slightly rounded) so a couple of the strips began to wrinkle at the corners of my nail. Within 24hrs, the strips started peeling off of about 3 of my nails. Because I really wanted to wear the strips for New Year's Eve (they were super cute, went well with my outfit, and I didn't feel like painting my nails) I fought the urge to just pull them off and used a little bit of eyelash glue under the peeling areas to keep them intact for the night.  

So, in summary:

Pros

• Great variety
• Pretty designs
• Quick and easy application

Cons

• Hard to get nail tips smooth
• Peeling within 24 hrs
• May have difficulty finding the appropriate sized strips 

Have you tried nail strips before? What's your favorite brand? 

*This post is a part of the Manicure Mondays link up hosted by Lipgloss and Binky and LA Lynn's Shoppe!

*Disclaimer: I received this product complimentary via Influenster. The opinions expressed in this post are my own, and are in no way influenced by Influenster or the brand mentioned.

Ladi Likes: $3 Red Lip

While finishing up my Christmas shopping at Target, I (of course) ended up browsing the beauty aisle. I discovered the E.L.F. matte lipstick/pencil and decided to give the rich red color a try.

I must say, for $3 I am totally impressed with this product. I love the jumbo sized pencil, twist up applicator, and the rich color payoff. Oh and the lip color is also very moisturizing! If you are in the market for a red lippie, consider giving this one a whirl!

Christmas Wish List

Clutches
Scarves & Wraps

Leather Jacket. Every girl needs a fab moto-style leather jacket. I love this Kenneth Cole option because of the added details on the shoulder and the stand-out hardware.


Leather Skater Skirt. I am completely sold on the leather trend. This two-toned faux leather skater skirt from Asos is super cute!


Urban Decay Naked Palette. I may be one of the only beauty lovers that do not have this palette. Instead of testing a bunch of different brands with hit or miss results, it's time to finally time to get this palette which has rave reviews.

Infinity Scarf. I don't like wearing big, bulky coats so I usually opt for accessories like scarves and gloves to keep me warm. A nice, chunky infinity scarf would be the perfect addition to my winter wardrobe.

Watch. I want a new watch in a gorgeous rose gold tone, like the Fossil Stella watch pictured above.

Facial Brush. Facial brushes can provide a deeper clean than a wash cloth alone so I definitely need one in my beauty arsenal! I've seen much praise over the Clairsonic brush, but paying over $100 for a beauty item is not in my budget.

Queen of the Jungle Necklace. I've been wanting this Melody Ehsani necklace for months now. It is an edgy piece that can spice up a classic outfit, or be the perfect complement to a rock chic Rihanna inspired look.

Leopard Clutch. I love animal print accessories to elevate what would be an otherwise boring look. I have a leopard belt, bracelet, and leopard shoes, so now I want a leopard clutch!

What's on your wish list?

Keep Your Lips Soft This Winter: 3 Easy Ways!

Since I've started playing around with lipstick, I've definitely realized the importance of having smooth, soft lips! Cold weather has a funny way causing peeling and cracking that no amount of hydration or lip chap (Side note: What happened to Saaphyri?) can fix. But don't worry, there are a few ways to get your lips kissably soft just in time for meetings under the mistletoe, that magical New Year's Eve smooch, and special time with your Valentine!

The Buy Way
Purchase an exfoliating lip scrub to buff away the dry, dead skin off of your lips to reveal the soft skin underneath.  I have used the Two-Step Satin Lips set from Mary Kay with good results. It comes with a lip mask to exfoliate your skin and a lip balm to provide moisture.  If you are feeling fancy, check out the Bliss Fabulips treatment kit.  This four-piece system includes a lip cleanser (a product I didn't know even existed), an exfoliating lip scrub, a lip balm, and a lip plumper to get your lips in tip top shape.

The DIY Way
I am a kitchen beautician who probably spends more time in the kitchen whipping up hair and beauty mixes than preparing meals. If you are anything like me, you should try creating your own lip scrub using basic items in your kitchen. All you really need is a little honey and a little brown sugar--the honey provides moisture and anti-bacterial properties while the grittiness of the brown sugar works as an exfoliant. After rubbing your DIY scrub onto your lips, you can just like the sweet mix off! (Although, lip licking dries out your lips--I guess that's why LL Cool J did it so often!)


The Free Way
If you don't want to spend any money or time mixing up a new beauty product, try brushing your lips with a wet toothbrush.  I read about lip brushing years ago in an old Teen magazine and it was described as a way to make your lips plump and red...while your lips may look a little more full immediately after you do it, the main benefit is that the toothbrush gently exfoliates your lips, ridding them of the dead skin that peels and makes your lipstick look yucky.  Using a moist washcloth to rub your lips would also do the trick!

How do you keep your lips soft and supple? Share your best tips in the comments!

Boots No. 7 Beautiful Skin Review

As part of my Influenster Beauty Blogger VoxBox, I received samples of the Boots No. 7 Beautiful Skin Cleansing Balm and the Beautiful Skin Night Creme.

From the Boots No. 7 website:

Beautiful Skin Cleansing Balm (Dry/Very Dry)
A gentle, non-drying balm that cleverly dissolves make-up and impurities to help keep skin looking clear and healthy. Works in one simple step leaving no residue, just perfectly clean, soft and supple skin. It includes replenishing ceramides to help nourish dry skin and Glycerin and cocoa butter for deeper hydration.

Beautiful Skin Night Creme (Dry/Very Dry)
Instantly nourishes and promotes optimum hydration for healthy-looking radiant skin. making it less likely to be dry in the future. Containing additional moisturizing properties, this is exactly the care dry skin needs overnight to ensure you wake up with nourished and healthy looking skin. Glycerin, Shea butter and ceramides are added to the formulas leaving it incredibly smooth. Designed to work in harmony with your skin, replacing lost moisture and leaving you with healthy looking radiant skin.



My Thoughts
For about a week and a half, I used only these two products on my face. I noticed on the Boots website that each of their products have different formulas based on skin type (normal/oily, normal/dry, dry/very dry) and luckily the products I received were the dry/very dry skin formula. Every evening I would use the cleansing balm and follow up with the night cream, and in the morning I would rinse my face with warm water and use the night cream as my daily moisturizer (note: the brand does have a day cream, but I didn't get a sample of that).

I was very impressed with the way these products worked on my skin. My skin is DRY and sensitive and is prone to peeling on my forehead and my nose, even in the summer. Well I had absolutely NO peeling at all while using these products. After using the cleansing balm, my face felt soft and clean without the tight, dry feeling that I sometimes get with other products. The night cream also had my skin looking soft and supple. I didn't experience any adverse effects, and what few bumps and whiteheads I had went away within the first few days of using these skin products. One tip I have about using the cleansing balm is to make sure you follow the instructions which state that you should massage the balm into your skin--note that it does NOT mention wetting your face beforehand. The first time I tried it, I used it like a regular facial cleanser and wet my face first, but after rinsing the product off my face I could still feel some residue left behind. Using the cleansing balm as instructed, it rinsed clean without any product residue.

In short, I loved the cleansing balm and the night cream! I already ordered full sized bottles of both products and the day cream. If you want to try out the Boots No. 7 skin care line, their website ShopBootsUSA is offering free shipping on orders over $25!



*Disclaimer: I recieved these products complimentary via Influenster. 

Influenster Beauty Bloggers VoxBox 2012

About 6 months ago I signed up to become a member of the Influenster community but I wasn't really active on the site. 

If you are not familiar with Influenster, it is a community where members share their opinions of products and brands using social media outlets and doing tasks on the Influenster site. Several times a year they offer VoxBoxes that are basically themed sample packages and members are selected for boxes that best match their profile and interests. 

Imagine my surprise when I received an email a couple of weeks ago informing me that I had been pre-selected for a Beauty Blogger VoxBox! As I anxiously awaited my VoxBox, I started visiting the site more often and have actually had fun writing reviews, answering questions, and finding new products to try.  Needless to say, I will definitely stay active on the site from now on! 

My VoxBox finally arrived this past Friday. I haven't had the chance to try out everything in the box, but I am really impressed with the variety and the number of items in the box. Here is a peek at what I got in my box: 

My Beauty Blogger VoxBox 2012 Contents:

• NYC IndividualEyes Custom Compact in Dark Shadows
• Goody Simple Styles Spin Pin
• Not Your Mother's Kinky Moves Curl Defining Hair Cream
• Kiss Ever Pro Lashes Starter Kit
• Boots No. 7 Beautiful Skin Cleansing Balm and Night Creme
• EBOOST Daily Health Booster packet in Orange Flavor
• White Barn 3-Wick Candle in Mahogany Teakwood Scent

As I start trying out products, I will post reviews and more pictures!

Are you a member of Influenster? (If not, request an invite here) What VoxBoxes have you received? 

Speed Up Your Morning Routine: Face

In the world of never-ending to-do lists, high-speed everything, and the feeling that you have to be Super Woman to juggle all of your responsibilities (work, school, family, and looking good), it seems like there just aren't enough hours in the day. I realize this the most as I lie down after a long day, and after what feels like only a brief nap (that was actually 7hrs) I'm up, scrambling to get myself together before rushing into work--hopefully on time.

While the amount of time we have each day is fixed, we can make little adjustments to our daily activities to make better use of our time.  Think about your morning routine; how long does it take you to make it from your bed to your commute? Do you find yourself sacrificing your looks or your health just because you feel you don't have enough time to put forth the effort?  Let's change that way of thinking ladies.  Here are some tips to help you speed up that morning routine while preserving your sexy (does anyone else remember that P. Diddy Proactiv commercial? lol)


Speed Up Your Morning Routine: Face

• Develop a beauty regimen.  A regimen is a set of steps that you do everyday. For example, you may start by brushing teeth, then washing your face, applying toner, then moisturizing. Once you have this routine set you can begin going through the motions on auto-pilot even if you’re still half asleep. To speed up the routine, line your products up in the order that you use them so you can just go down the line without having to stop and think about it.
• Use multifunction products.  Think you don't have enough time to apply makeup?  Well switching to a tinted moisturizer allows you to combine the moisturizing and foundation step in one.  Products like the Stila Prime Color Set (shown in this post) can be used to provide color on your cheeks, eyelids, and lips, saving you from having to fumble around for that lipstick at the bottom of your makeup bag!
• Keep it simple. Take care of the bare necessities, then focus on activities that provide the biggest payoff for you.  If just a little eyeliner and a swipe of mascara is all that it takes to make your eyes pop, then skip the eyeshadow. Also, if you get your eyebrows professionally shaped and just do a little clean-up on your own every week or so, you probably can get away with just brushing your eyebrows into place with a clear brow gel  instead of having to fill them in each morning. 

Want more tips? Check back next week where I'll cover your morning hair routine.

Pigment & Lipstick: The 5 Minute Face

For as long as I can remember, I've been a fan of TLC's What Not To Wear.  Although I love Stacy London's sass and Clinton Kelly's wit, my favorite person on the show was the make-up artist Carmindy.  Besides having a fabulous name, Carmindy had such a positive energy, looked flawless, and made makeup appear simple, as if anyone could do it.  Her signature is the "5 Minute Face," a quick, beautiful every day look that even the laziest and most sleep deprived ladies could find the time to create.

Now, in my quest to be more Ladi Like, I want to start wearing makeup more regularly, and there's no better way to do it than to create my own 5 Minute Face!

Here are some pics of my first attempt:

• I applied my foundation (L'Oreal True Match in Caramel Beige/Warm 7) mixed with moisturizer.
• Applied E.L.F eye shadow primer on my lids.
• Used a pale, beige shade from the Coastal Scents 88 Original Palette along my brow bone, and swiped a shimmery brown color from the same palette across my eyelid.  
• Applied some black eyeliner.
• Used the E.L.F Wet Gloss Lash And Brow Clear Mascara wand on my eyebrows and eyelashes.  
• Last but not least, a swipe of clear lip gloss.

I didn't time myself, but it didn't feel like it took much time to put this look together. I'm going to play around with some different shades in the palette and tinted lip gloss and keep trying!