Sephora Gift - Philosophy

My birthday was in November, but I figured it's still not too late to post about the Sephora Birthday gift for 2011 since the year is not over yet.  If you're familiar with Sephora you all should know that if you sign up to be one of their Beauty insiders (or if you're upgraded to a V.I.B member), which is all free, you get certain perks for shopping at the store.  One of the best being a free gift on your birthday month.

For 2011, they were giving away a great deluxe sample size of the Philosophy Happy Birthday Beautiful! all in one shampoo, shower gel, and bubble bath.

The scent is a basic vanilla cake scent, which smells absolutely delicious.  It's a great sample size and I was quite surprise that they were giving a gift that was from such a great brand (usually it's just from the Sephora brand).

Definitely take advantage of the Sephora perks and sign up for free if you have not already.  I am already looking forward to seeing what the gift for 2012 is going to be.



xoxo,

Eve

Sigma Blending - E25

If you are familiar with Sigma you know they carry amazing brushes in their collection, and with every purchase (over $30), you are gifted with a travel version of their Blending E25 brush.  I love it when companies send you little gifts with your online order, because it really does show that they care about their clients and that they really do love sharing their products.

Their Blending E25 brush is one of my favorite eye brushes, so to receive one free travel version with every order is amazing.

It's an oval shaped brush that is fluffy and chiseled at the sides.  It works amazingly at blending both powder and cream products onto your lids.  I mainly use this to blend my eye shadow base (paint pots or other cream shadows), or blend out harsh lines.  I also think it's small enough to use to deposit shadow on your outer corner for the smokey looks.

I have a few of these because of the Sigma orders I have made, but I also purchased a few full sized ones just because I love them so much (and I use them so often).


xoxo,

Eve

Stila Kajal Liner in Smokey Quartz

Finding the perfect eye liner that is soft and smooth, yet long lasting and budge proof is always an adventure.  Stila Kajal liners seem to have a reputation for being very smooth, yet still great for the waterline, so I decided to finally give one of them a try.

The Stila Kajal liner is like a kohl liner, where it's a very soft texture and formula that is suppose to be richly pigmented.  The product goes on so easily and smoothly, I especially love using it to smoke out my lash liner.  You barely have to apply any pressure for the perfect color and application.

Smokey Quartz is a dark, charcoal grey that is quite beautiful.  It's different from just a jet black liner, so it does add a bit of depth to your eyes.  It tones down the intensity of a smokey eye look a bit, so it's a change from just a black smokey eye.

Because the product is so soft, you can roughly apply the product on your lash line and then smudge it out with a pencil brush.  Or, you can take an angle brush and pick up some product from the liner, and use the angle brush to create a more thin and precise line.

The quality of the liner is amazing and really lives up to the claims.  However, you do have to let the product set a while before expecting it to be smudge proof and long lasting (it always helps to set with a powder).

xoxo,

Eve

Zoya Lulu

I am all about neutral and natural pinks when it comes to nail polish, so when I saw Zoya's Lulu I thought it would be the perfect natural pink for me to have in my collection.

I am in love with Zoya polishes in general.  It's one of the first nail polish brands in the beauty indistry to remove toxic chemicals, such as toluene, formaldehyde, and DBP, from it's formula.  They really work on promoting safe and healthy long wearing polishes with their formula.

Lulu is a beautiful peachy pink polish that I love to wear for Spring and Winter, for that effortless, clean look.  The only disappointing part of the polish that it is quite sheer, which is not uncommon with most pinks.  However, because the color is so nice, I don't mind putting on a few more coats for that opaque shade.  It's still very easy to apply and is not streaky at all.


xoxo,

Eve

Essie Fiji

Nothing gets any classier than the perfect creamy pink color for your nails, and I find that Essie's Fiji works perfectly.

Fiji is a very creamy, light pink that works well for most skin tones.  It's actually one of my favorite polishes from the Essie collection (I believe this is my second bottle).  Natural colors like Fiji are just perfect for any season and occasion.  It's a classic, clean, and professional shade of polish that works with any outfit.

The only thing with Fiji is that it is the pain in the butt to apply.  It's definitely not a nice polish to work with if you are new to painting your nails.  The formula is quite thick and creamy, so it can be quite streaky if you are not patient with it.  The color is very opaque, perfect in one coat, but you definitely have to work with it for that perfect application.


xoxo,

Eve

MAC Iced Delights Eye Bag

The MAC Iced Delights Eye Bag was one of the gifts I received over Christmas from one of my cousins, can you tell she knows me so well? You can't go wrong with giving a girl makeup for the Holidays, especially if it's from MAC.

I actually wasn't so impressed with their Holiday collection this year, because I didn't really like the packaging (like this silver cosmetic bag), but I do like the products she had given me.

The collection is from their Glitter and Ice Holiday collection for 2011, and this specific collection contains the following products:

- Eye Shadow Duo in Baby It's Cold Outside and Woodsmoke
- Technakohl in Brownborder
- Zoomlash Mascara
- Travel size 275 Brush
- Silver Cosmetic Case

I don't like the cosmetic case, however I do love these MAC eye shadow duos (how they are packaged) and I love that she got me a darker green shadow duo instead of a neutral.

I have yet to try their Technakohl liners or Zoomlash mascara, so I am excited to test them out.  Reviews and swatches will be up soon, hopefully!



xoxo,

Eve

Milani Baked Blush in Luminoso

I have been on a blush kick for the year of 2011, and one of my favorites that I purchased has been the Milani Baked Blush in the shade Luminoso.

Milani describes their baked blushes as a very luxurious powder that has a blend of different beautiful colors that are baked together on Italian Terracotta tiles.

I just have to say that the texture of the blush really impresses me, for being a drugstore brand.  I was expecting it to be powdery and very chalky, however, I found the texture to be very soft and smooth.  The color just blends beautifully and easily onto the skin, leaving a very soft and natural finish.

Luminoso is a beautiful peachy pink that is universally flattering on most skin tones.  It's a matte finish and just looks beautiful on the skin.  I am absolutely in love with this color and I can definitely see why their is a huge rave about it in the beauty community.  The color is very soft and natural, and I feel that it can work with most skin tones and in any season.  The pigmentation is great, and the color is very buildable.

The only negative thing I would have to mention is that the packaging isn't as sturdy as I would like.  This makes it more prone to breaking or cracking if you are not careful with it while traveling.  It also comes with a separate compartment with a mirror (which is always good) and a brush, but I wouldn't use the brush.  It just gives a very streaky application.

Other than the packaging, I would really recommend the Milani baked blushes, especially Luminoso, if you can get your hands on them.  They can be found in most drugstores (mainly Walgreens) for a great price and color range.


xoxo,

Eve