Review: Smashbox Mashup [[Pic Heavy]]

Today I have a few goodies from Smashbox Cosmetics. To be perfectly honest, I do find their cosmetics to be a bit pricey for my pocket right now but I am a fan of a few of these following products where I may be willing to buy them again. Thanks to Smashbox for giving me the opportunity to try these items out.

Halo Yellow Correcting Hydrating Powder- $39
Description: A revolutionary powder that reduces the appearance of redness while minimizing the signs of aging. Upon application, 96% of women saw a noticeable reduction in the appearance of redness. In 6 weeks, women saw a 67% decrease in the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. This anti-redness powder, formulated in yellow to immediately color correct and balance skin tone, also contains 48 minerals, 11 amino acids and a powerful peptide that work together to perfect skin. Wear alone or on targeted areas paired with your favorite foundation to even skin tone. Oil-free, talc-free, paraben free.

I really like this color correcting powder. At times I tend to get a bit of redness (you can tell from my swatch pic) and this powder tones the color down in an instant. The lid doubles as a mirrors, very convenient and the grinding packaging is a plus so this way you aren't getting powder all over the place (good for me since I do my makeup on my bed), plus a little goes a long way. There's no need for packing on a ton of powder which is good especially since it will cost you a pretty penny. I don't use it every day since I don't get red very often so I can't comment much on the statistical facts put out by Smashbox but I highly recommend the Halo Yellow Correcting Powder for anyone looking to quickly conceal redness on the face. 

High Definition Liquid Concealer (Medium)- $20
Description: Conceal imperfections and dark circles with this weightless, good-for-your-skin formula that provides buildable coverage. Cell-energizing Ribose renews the appearance of skin and soft focus pearls deflect light to minimize the appearance of blemishes and fine lines. Shake well before dispensing product for a flawless application. Oil-free. Paraben free.

Applicator

Swatch

Blended Swatch

I'm in love with this concealer! From the easy access applicator to the formulated coverage. The applicator allows me to squeeze out a good size amount onto my CD that I use when applying makeup. This way I can control how much I want to dispense and use when applying with my concealer brush. The formula is lightweight and creamy that doesn't feel heavy or cakey on the skin. Coverage is just right for my under eye dark circles. Depending on how bad my dark circles get I can build the coverage I need at the time. I'm already running low and might have to just pick up a replacement @ Ulta!

Limitless-Long Wear Lip Gloss SPF 15 (Endless)- $22

Description: Get gorgeous color and shine for up to 6 hours while helping to protect your pout from UVA/UVB rays with SPF 15! The contoured wand hugs lips for a comfortable one coat application.

I don't think I've kept this gloss on for 6 hours just because I tend to wipe it off after a while but I do think that it is long lasting. The formula is a bit tackier than most lip glosses (allowing it to stay on longer). I appreciate the doe foot applicator and enjoy the light fruity smell. I love wiping system in the packaging of this gloss since one of my biggest makeup annoyances is when a gloss has no internal wiping system and glops out onto the top of the tube. As for its color (Endless) it's just okay. Nothing to rave about because it's a bit sheer. Looking at the packaging, one would think it is a pigmented gloss, but it really isn't.

Limitless Eye Liner (Black Violet)- $19
Description: This waterproof eye pencil provides bold color that won't smudge or budge for up to 8 hours. The creamy, easy-to-apply formula contains vitamin E and jojoba to moisturize and protect. The cap houses a unique built-in sharpener so you'll always have the most precise application To use sharpener: remove sharpener cap and then remove end plug from sharpener. After sharpening pencil, use plug to clean out any remaining shavings.

Liner tip

Sharpener located in the pencil cap

Swatch

Though I am impressed by the sharpener located in the cap of this eye liner, the actual product didn't do much for me. Yes, it is a very creamy liner and goes on easily but I don't like the application on my eyes. I see myself using this liner more as a smoky lash line liner that I would smear out a bit. In my opinion, not worth the cost.

Soft Effects Powder Eye Liner (Brown)- $22
Description: Developed to mimic the effect of a soft focus lens, which eliminates hard lines and angles, this unique applicator and formula creates a beautifully diffused line of color that never looks harsh. Before each use, shake well and tap off any excess powder before lining eyes.

Applicator

Swatch

Another Smashbox fail for me. I've never tried a powder eye liner before and now know why. Don't get me wrong, I'm up for trying new things but this was just a complete no-go for me. Swatched, I really liked the pigment in color and texture but when I tried applying it to my lids, it was a complete disaster. I had fall out everywhere even after following the instructions and it did not look too cute. I had to completely remove my eye makeup and some foundation after trying this powder liner. Also not worth the cost.

Disclaimer: This product was sent to me for consideration by Smashbox Cosmetics. I have not received monetary compensation for reviewing this product. This review only reflects my honest opinions and experiences with the product.

What is your favorite Smashbox product?

August Giveaway Winnings

I've been absent from blogging for a while now and it was due to planning my sister's baby shower and for about a month now I've been sick and haven't been up to doing much.

I promised I would blog about my winnings from Carolina of Colores De Carol. I was really excited to have won since I've never won any blog giveaways before and I immediately began playing with everything as soon as I received my package. I also received my new free shoes & bag from DSW the same day but I'll blog about it in a separate post.

Carolina sent me my winnings individually packaged with bubble wrap and super cute tape. Along with my items she included a note and a pack of pretty sticky notes and labels.

All items nicely bubble wrapped.

My winnings include:

• Almay Intense i-color Mascara (w/ bonus eyeliner) - Black Steel
• Physicians Formula Happy Booster Blush - Natural
• Physicians Formula Les Botaniques Bronzer- Sunny Buddy
• Physicians Formula Mineral Wear Correcting Powder - Creamy Natural
• Revlon Illuminance Creme Shadow - Electric Pop
• Rimmel London Glam'eyes Single Shadow  - Glam Ice
• Sally Hansen Strength Treatment - Clear Transparent
• BornPretty Store Image Plate - M71
• Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat
• OPI Polish - Melon of Troy
• NYC Quick Dry Polish - West Village
• Claire's Polish - Evil Queen
• Nina Ultra Pro Polish - Lime Light
• Revlon Scented Polish - Grapefruit Fizz
• Revlon Scented Polish - Not So Blueberry
• Revlon Scented Polish - Colada Fizz
• Revlon Polish - Oh My Magenta
• CND Citrus Moisture Scrub
• Pretty Woman Salon Nail Foils - PNF009
• Duracoulour Nail Strips - 77652
• Essence Studio Nail Stickers - Leopard

MORE CLOSE UP PHOTOS OF ITEMS DOWN BELOW

Polishes: Seche Vite, OPI Melon of Troy, NYC West Village, Claire's Evil Queen, Nina Lime Light,  Revlon Grapefruit Fizz, Revlon Revlon Not So Blueberry, Revlon Colada Fizz

Polishes: Seche Vite, OPI Melon of Troy, NYC West Village, Claire's Evil Queen, Nina Lime Light,  Revlon Grapefruit Fizz, Revlon Revlon Not So Blueberry, Revlon Colada Fizz, Revlon Oh My Magenta

Physicians Formula: Happy Booster Blush Natural, Les Botaniques Bronzer  Sunny Buddy, Mineral Wear Correcting Powder Creamy Natural

Revlon Illuminance Creme Shadow Electric Pop, Rimmel Glam'eyes Glam Ice, Sally Hansen Strength Formula

CND Citrus Moisture Scrub, Sticky Labels, BP Image Plate M71

Pretty Woman Salon Nail Foils PNF009, Duracolour Nail Strips 77652 ,  Essence Studio Nail Stickers Leopard

My all time favorite of the bunch is the CND hand scrub. It makes your hands feel so soft and amazing after using it. I've even used it on my feet :) Thanks again to Carolina of Colores de Carol for the giveaway. If anyone would like me to review a product in particular from the package, just let me know in the comments below. Until next time, MY LOVELIES!

Ombre Nails for the Fall

Ombre Nails (w/o Flash)

I'm sure we've all heard of Ombre nails by now since they have become a very popular fashion trend among the runway/celebrity world as well as in the blogger world. The most common Ombre look in the fashion world is when you use the same color on each nail that fades into another color.

Lauren Conrad sporting blue ombre nails
Img credit: getty images

Although it is possible to achieve this look yourself, there is a simpler way to get the ombre manicured look with polishes you have at home. All you have to do is choose a color tone you feel like wearing and pick 5 polishes that fit into the color family of that tone. For instance, if you'd like to go with red start off with a cherry red on your thumb (or pinky) and go down in shades. The last nail would probably be something on the lines of a light pink.

Ombre Nails (w/ Flash)

Since we've hit Fall (my favorite season) I decided to use different colors I'm bound to wear through out the season. I didn't stick to shades that were in one tone but they are all shades that come have stemmed from each other at one point. If you want to be daring, you can try mixing your polishes together to come up with shades closer in color.

For this look I used the following polishes: (from left to right)

• e.l.f. - Plum (2 coats)
• e.l.f. - Punk Purple (2 coats)
• Rimmel Lasting Pro Finish - English Rose (2 coats)
• e.l.f. - Champagne (2 coats)
• Petities Color Fever - Seashell (3 coats)

I love this Ombre trend, actually can't stop looking at my nails! Next time around I plan on finding shades closer in color or might even mix some polishes to get the right colors. We'll see how it plays out.

Have you ever tried Ombre nails? Was this a hit or miss?

NYX Cosmetics Sale - Don't Miss Out!

Hey all, sorry I've been MIA lately but I've been so preoccupied with my sister's baby shower and didn't find the time to blog but now I'm back! Well, until the next baby shower.. which will be some time in December lol

For now I just want to let you guys know (if you haven't heard yet) that NYX cosmetics is on Hautelook today! They are selling awesome sets at a deal. If you haven't signed up to Hautelook yet, please do so through my referral link. I will be greatly appreciated :)

Sign up to Hautelook HERE!

CherryCulture.com is also having a 25% off sale, so you can stock up on some of your favorite NYX products there. And many of the NYX items are already on sale :) You can also find other beauty brands on Cherry Culture, so make sure you take advantage of this great sale!

I'll be putting up another blog post later on today on my NOTD, so keep an eye out for that. Have a lovely day MY LOVELIES!

NOTD: Pretty Dots + BP Dotting Tools Review

I finally received my nail dotting tools from BornPrettyStore.com to review. It took a while and then I think they got lost or held at customs but I finally got them in my possession now :)

5x 2-way Dotting Pen Marbelizing Tools

5 double ended marbelized dotting tools come in a pack and they retail for $4.74 on BP with free shipping. Each side is different in dot size which is great because it's like getting 10 tools in one package. So far they have been very sturdy and the workmanship of these tools is nice for the price. I chose the set that comes in marbelized purple which is very cute but there is a multi-colored set which is probably better for remembering which dot size you used on your nails. They measure appx. 5-1/4" in length which is nice because they are not too long, making it easier to keep the tool stable if your hands tend to shake your while working on your nails.

Natural Sunlight

I used my dotting tools to create this nail look. I used my e.l.f. polish in Lilac as my base color since I never used it before and have had it for some time. Here I applied 3 coats because it is a bit sheer with just 1 or 2 coats.

Lilac is a pastel lilac creme matte finish polish that can be a bit streaky with just one coat. 3 coats is highly recommended.

Indoor Lighting
e.l.f. - Lilac

I used 2 different sized tools for the dots and 2 different colors: e.l.f. polish in "Black" and Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in "Fuchsia Power."

Indoor Lighting

Indoor Lighting

Natural Sunlight

Natural Sunlight

If you're in the market for nail dotting tools I highly recommend these from BornPrettyStore. It might take a little while to get them since they are located overseas but they are worth the wait. I'm glad I don't have to use a pencil or toothpick anymore :)

To get your nail dotting tools, click the pic below:

***Use code ANGELL73 at checkout for 10% off your purchase!!***

5x 2 way Pink DOTTING Pen Marbleizing Tool

Have a great week MY LOVELIES

What do you think of this nail design?

New Toy: Nikon D5100 DSLR [[Pic heavy]]

I finally got a chance to sit down and start this blog. I've been hurricane-proofing my house all day. I can't believe this is actually happening, never experienced a hurricane and it hasn't hit yet and I've already had enough! The office in my basement always begins flooding when there is a regular rainstorm and it's been raining pretty heavy so far and has managed to flood pretty bad. 6 full buckets later, hands that feel like they're blistering, knots in my back, and a bad wrist - I finally got it looking like it's just been mopped. I'm scared of what's going to happen when the hurricane really does hit. I hope there is no real damage anywhere. GOD if you're reading this, pleaseeeeee help everyone out and make this all go away.. pretty please?

To take my mind off of this mayhem, I'm going to post about my new toy :) I got a DSLR for my birthday earlier this month and I loveee it! It's the Nikon D5100. I've never owned or used a DSLR camera before and am not a professional photographer who is educated in using these types of cameras but I've been learning little by little.

Nikon D5100 & 18-55mm VR lens (Flash closed)

I'm not going to bore you with all the specs, here's a overview from Nikon:

"The Nikon D5100 and its included AF-S 18-55mm VR lens offer a host of new photographic and video tools including a 16.2 MP DX-format CMOS sensor, 4 fps continuous shooting and breathtaking Full 1080p HD Movies with full time autofocus."

Here are a few pics of the camera itself. (Pardon the not so crisp pics - I took them with my Canon point & shoot digital camera)

Close up of setting dial

Back view (Swivel screen closed)

Back view (Swivel screen open)

Back view (Swivel screen open at an angle)

Nikon D5100 (Flash open)

Want to see actual pics taken with my Nikon D5100? Of course you do! :)

Selective Color Setting
Bamboo plant.. I like how it came out

Food Setting

Selective Color Setting

Color Sketch Setting
My Enzo Angiolini magenta pumps

High Key Setting

Macro Setting
Light switch

Taken through window
Love that I can take great shots from my window

Low Key Setting

Selective Color Setting
Brother's messy room.. smh

Food Setting
Platano

Food Setting
Making tostones.. yum!

Color Sketch Setting
Love the Mets!

Macro Setting
Conch shell I dove for in TCI :)

Color Sketch Setting
My blogging headquarters

 That's it for now my lovely readers! I'm going to charge my laptop just in case. Hope you all enjoyed my photos. If you have nay tips or feedback please feel free to leave your comments down below. I love reading everyone's thoughts :)

My East Coasters - please be safe! Everyone else, please pray for us. Good night to you all. There won't be any sleeping on my side "/