Interesting Read: The 6 Most Returned Products to Sephora

Wow...I didn't realize how long it'd been since I last posted!  Sorry guys!  On that note, this is kind of a lazy post, so I promise my next one will be better, but my friend sent me this really interesting article that I really wanted to post about.  It's an article by Kristen Bousquet posted on Beauty High.  It's about the 6 most returned items to Sephora.

I found it so interesting because the first few items I was completely agreed and was like 'yeahhh...this article is so right!' and then as I read on I found 2 of my favorite products on the list and was shocked!  As you know I am obsessed with Too Faced's Chocolate Soleil bronzer.  I think it's one of the best bronzers I've used.  It's lightweight, lasts all day and doesn't have that orangey tint that a lot of bronzers have.  It's a nice, deep, matte bronzer that really gives more of a natural, shadow than a lot of the other bronzers that I've tried.  I also have no problem blending it so I was very surprised that a lot of people had that complaint.

The other item I was shocked by was the NARS All-Day Luminous Weightless Foundation.   I was a fan of the foundation formula they had previously and when I went to refill it I found out they had replaced it or "upgraded it" to this formula.  I am seriously in love with this.  It's super light weight, easy to apply and lasts all day, even without a primary.  The article isn't very detailed as to what the complaints are but even when I first apply the foundation I'm happy with it.  I also have a co-worker who purchased it at the same time as me and every morning she wore it I would walk into work and tell her her skin looked amazing.  I could visibly see the difference when she applied it.

The Smashbox Contour Stick Trio I'm not surprised by.  I've used those myself and they are difficult to blend and not worth the time they take to get a nice look.  In general I'm not a fan of contour sticks but these in particular didn't last and were very messy.

Also, Benefit's 'They're Real' liner I've actually reviewed myself on this blog previously.  I absolutely hated it!  It's very difficult to put on, it does not "help beginners" and it smudges very easily despite what the reviews may say.

The other products I haven't tried yet.  Now I'm intrigued to see how I feel about them since I'm so strongly divided on this article!

Have any of you tried these?  What are your thoughts?

xo 

Kelly

Review: Tartlette Palette

I purchased this palette on a whim, thinking it might looked nice but not knowing much about it.  When it arrived I was very disappointed.  The colors were all matte and to be honest they looked a bit drab.  I decided to try a few looks out and give it a shot before returning it though.  I am so glad I did!  This palette is amazing! 

The colors weren't drab, they were just subtle, but in a really good way.  They're super versatile, there's browns, whites, purples, blacks, pretty much every staple you could need.  I find myself reaching for this palette for at least one color every day.  As someone who reaches for my Mac shadows daily, that's saying a lot!  

I would recommend this palette to everyone.  It's great if you're not a big fan of eye shadow or don't wear a lot of it as the colors are so subtle.  It's also phenomenal if you're an addict like me and are always looking for the next best palette.  There are so many amazing colors you can mix with other shimmery shades or by itself.  Also, the pigmentation is phenomenal so it doesn't take a lot of color to get a great look.

Check out my video below doing one of my looks from the new palette:

                                   


xo

Kelly




Purchase Here

Bobbi Brown Nude on Nude: Purple Eye

I believe this is the last look I made a video for for my Bobbi Brown Nude on Nude palette but I love it!  It's a really pretty, not too over-the-top purple look.  It's super easy to do and doesn't take a lot of time.

Let me know what you think!

xo

Kelly

Updated Eyebrow Tutorial

Hey all! 

So with my recent purchase of some new Anastasia brow products I decided to do a new tutorial showing the different ways you can do your eyebrows.  There are a variety of different options and it really depends on what your natural eyebrows look like to determine what products would work best for you.

In my video I tried to show all the different options and let you know which eyebrow shapes would work best for whom.  

Check out the video and let me know your thoughts.  Do you have any other products that you use for your brows?  Let me know in the comments below!

xo 

Kelly

Bobbi Brown Nude on Nude Sparkly Eye with Bright Lip

Hey guys!

I wanted to try another look using my Bobbi Brown Nude on Nude palette.  Something with a little sparkle and gold, but nothing too over the top.  However, I also wanted to rock my new gorgeous Mac Viva Glam lipstick!  Check out the look and let me know what you think!

xo

Kelly

Tarte Golden Days Sultry Nights Palette

I've been wanting this palette forever, especially since it's been on sale for $24 for a while now, but I've always stopped myself from buying unnecessary eye shadows (and by always I mean never).  Until now.  The other day I went on an all-out Sephora haul and purchased this bad boy.  I am so glad I did!  This palette is amazing!  It comes with 5 gorgeous shades and the pigmentation is super intense so it doesn't wear off during the day.  The only downside to it is the fact that there aren't a ton of looks you can create.

However, this palette would be amazing for summer, I've worn it to work, out at night and just in general.  I love this and am so glad I got it!  Have any of you tried it?  What are your thoughts?

xo

Kelly

Bobbi Brown Soho Chic Eye Look

The other day in one of my Sephora hauls I decided to purchase the Bobbi Brown Soho Chic Eye Look Palette.  It has mostly smokey colors mixed in with a few neutrals.  I thought I would like it, but I am OBSESSED!  It is just gorgeous!!  The colors are amazing, the pigmentation is super thick so you get a great amount of color and the looks just come out gorgeous!  The only complaint I have is that the color tends to flake and fall down as you apply it so it can be extremely messy.  

I made a video using the palette to create a super sexy smokey eye look, let me know what you all think!

 

xo

Kelly

Beauty.Com Absolutely SUCKS

Hey all,

So I'm not one to generalize usually, I like to give things the benefit of the doubt and and definitely not one to write off an entire website.  I've written posts and made videos before where I've sung the praises of beauty.com, but after my last experience I will NEVER use them again!

In December I purchased some products from them and received a "free" (and I use that term LOOSELY) with purchase.  It had a few different SAMPLES that they sent that were decent, but nothing amazing.  Honestly, I hadn't even really touched them as none appealed to me that much.  I was much more interested in what I bought.

Having purchased my products online I wasn't sure about the colors and if I would like them but I thought I would try.  I tested the products out and decided which ones I liked.  I returned about the items I received where the colors didn't work or the product itself wasn't worth it.  About a solid month after I returned my items I received this email:

"Since you have returned items Kelly, we would need to have the free gift returned as well, as the inclusion of the free gift was based on your initial purchase. Since your purchase has been returned to stock at your request, you would unfortunately no longer qualify for the free gift. 

As the gift was not returned, we would deduct the value of the gift with purchase from your refund amount. Your refund amount would be $123.70, and the value of the gift with purchase is $170.00, so no refund would be due."

Sincerely,

Robyn
Customer Care Specialist

Essentially, since I decided to return products that I had purchased online with no prior trial beauty.com decided to charge me for a "free" gift I had never even asked for.  Not only did they decide to charge me for this free gift, they decided to charge me almost $200 for said "free" gift.  

WHAT.A.CROCK.

So now, in order to get a credit for the items I returned, that I no longer have possession of, I have to pay for the postage to return a free gift that I never asked for in the first place.

I have never in my life been faced with such ineptitude.  Sephora, will take  back pretty much anything without asking for samples back.  Mac will give you 45 days and will NOT ask for any samples back.  Ulta, the same.  Pretty much any store you go to, the same.

So now, I have to go find what samples were included because God forbid I forget something and get charged so I can't get my refund.  To say I will never shop at beauty.com again is an understatement.  I am absolutely infuriated and cannot believe this kind of treatment.  What a shitty, half-ass, poorly run store.

My advice:  spend the extra money and purchase at a REAL store, even if it's online.  Avoid beauty.com at all costs!

Multiple Store Beauty Haul

Hey all!

So depending how much you follow my blog, you may be aware that my mom has terminal breast cancer.  She has her good days and her bad days but recently we've really been through the ringer.  Naturally, the smart/good/healthy/wise thing to do is to buy as much makeup as possible to ease the pain.

While it has created an amazing week of distractions I can't say that it necessarily was the best choice.  However, you all lucked out because I have a few hauls coming up for you all!  I purchased some products in a mini-Sephora haul that I posted previously and in this haul there's products from beauty.com, Anastasia, Sephora and Ulta.

Check out all the things I bought to heal the pain <3 lollll

xo

Kelly

Anastasia Cream Contour Kit Review

Hey all!

So I was lucky enough to purchase one of the first Anastasia Cream Contour Kits.  I had to search like seven different stores to find it and a few it sold out before I could put it in my cart. 

After using it I can definitely see why!  This kit is amazing!  It comes with 6 different colors, 2 bronzers, one nude, one highlighter and one blush color.  There's 3 different palettes; light, medium and warm.  I went with the medium palette as my skin gets really tan in the summer and I wanted something I could use year round.  Obviously if you're fairer skin get the light which has more pink toned highlighters and if you have darker skin get the warm palette which has deeper colors.

The colors come out really easily and they blend really well.  You don't need to use much so I think I'll get some serious usage out of this palette.  

Check out my video to see it in action!

xo

Kelly

Bobbi Brown Nude on Nude Palette- Shimmery Look

I wanted to do a look using my new Bobbi Brown Nude on Nude Palette.  I went for a brown shimmery eye, trying to keep it shimmery but not over the top.  I also kept it muted with a nude lip.  I used my Obsessive Compulsive Lip Tar and my Anastasia Contour Kit.  Let me know what you think!

xo

Kelly

Mini Sephora Haul

I recently did a little mini Sephora haul, acquiring a few products I've wanted for a while but had thus far been able to control myself from buying.  However, my will power went to hell and I ended up purchasing said products.  It was a lot of stuff from Bobbi Brown, a lot of which I was actually really disappointed by and a few other products.  It's not too long of  a haul, there'll be another to follow, so check it out and let me know what you think!

xo

Kelly

Makeup Challenge Day 5: Sephora Eye Shadow

Today is my last day of part 1 of the challenge.  I will resume this again in a few weeks with some other brands but unfortunately other circumstances will be preventing me from filming these videos for a bit.  So, for my last challenge of part 1 I used my Sephora brand eye shadow.  Check out the look and my thoughts below!

xo

Kelly

Makeup Challenge Day 4: Bare Minerals

Today my makeup challenge of the day is my Bare Minerals eye shadow.  Now these shadows are a little more loose powdery so they will either stay on amazingly or not well at all.  Check out below to see!

xo

Kelly

Challenge Day 3: Mac

Hey!

Today I am doing my long-lasting eye shadow challenge using my Mac makeup.  Of course my money's on this, but I'm not using my paint pot primer so who knows!  Check out the look and my findings below!

xo

Kelly

Makeup Challenge Day 2: Urban Decay Naked

Today is Day 2 of my Makeup Challenge to see which eye shadow lasts the longest.  I decided to try my Urban Decay Naked Palette today to see how it would hold up to the challenge.  Check out my findings below:

xo

Kelly

Makeup Challenge Day 1: Smashbox Full Exposure Palette

For day one of my makeup challenge I decided to use my Smashbox Full Exposure Palette to see how long the shadow would stay on.  I’ve been impressed with the quality of the shadow and the pigmentation so I had fairly high hopes for it.  I don’t want to give any spoilers so check out the video below to see my thoughts!

If you want to see the look I'm wearing check out this vid!

xo

Kelly

Which Eye Shadow Brands Last the Longest: Challenge Rules

Hey!

So I am not good at re-applying my makeup throughout the work day, either I'm too busy to do it or too lazy to want to.  Either way by the end of the day I come home and am either impressed by my makeup's longevity or embarrassed that I allowed myself to look like that in public!  So I decided to do a 'challenge' if you will to see which eye shadow would last me the longest with no primers and no touch-ups.  I made a series of different videos using different brands and will post a different one each day.  Here are the rules I set forth:

Check back tomorrow for my first look!

xo 

Kelly

10 Beauty Tricks to Ease Your Morning Routine!

Just a few tricks to make your beauty routine easier!

1.) Place your eyelash curler under your blow dryer for 30 seconds before using.  This will help enhance the curl you get from it making your lashes more eye catching.

2.)  Saturate cotton swabs in your favorite perfume and carry them in a plastic bag in your purse for when you want to freshen up.

3.) Spray a little hairspray on a toothbrush and comb over any fly-aways you have.

4.)  Spray bobby pins with hairspray before using to give extra hold.

5.)  Mix old sparkly eye shadows with clear nail polish to create fun new shades.

6.) Once your mascara starts to get clumpy put it in a glass of hot water for 30 seconds and it will help to warm the formula so it applies like new.

7.)  Use an old mascara wand to apply baby powder to your lashes before mascara.  This will help to lengthen and fill your lashes, making them look extra full.

8.) Make your own dry shampoo by combining corn starch, water and rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle.  Alternatively, baby powder gets the job done as well.

9.)  Mix cinnamon and Vaseline together to create your own lip plumper.  You can also use colored balm to create a colorful lip plumper.

10.)  Add a few drops of rubbing alcohol to broken foundation/blush to reset it to solid form  Leave it overnight and in the morning voila it's like a brand new product!



xo

Kelly

How To: Winged Eyeliner

One of the more popular makeup looks currently is winged eyeliner.  You can create a gorgeous eye look without knowing the first thing about makeup as long as you know your eyeliner.  It's a really easy technique that with a little bit of practice and time you'll be able to do with your eyes closed.  I used to be horrible at it, always making the liner way too thick and making my eye look super tiny, but over time I got better.  So, check out my tips below to see what tricks I use to make applying winged liner easier and let me know what you think!  What are your tricks?

xo

Kelly

Winged Liner With Sexy Red Lips

So today I decided to do a video showcasing how to emphasize sexy red lips with a very simplistic eye.  I used very neutral shades and applied a winged liner to really keep the focus on my lips.  My next post will be a how-to of the winged liner so stay tuned for that!  Let me know what you guys think of the look!!

xo

Kelly