Thursday, March 20, 2014

Pomegranate Punk Makeup Look

Today I was feeling a bit daring. I went for this bold mahogany or "pomegranate" color. On my lid I used the Maybelline Color Tattoo in Pomegranate Punk; I absolutely LOVE the color tattoos and have for a very long time. I applied the red rusty color over top of it to set it. Then, I applied "Naked" from my Urban Decay Naked Palette, which is a matte brown, in my crease. Normally, I don't go for a red look on my eyes but I actually really like how this came out. What do you think??


Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Ipsy Box March 2014

Ipsy is a monthly beauty and makeup subscription box. Each month you get full size or deluxe-sized products, plus a cute makeup bag. This is my first month subscribing to them so let's take a look at what I received!


The Subscription Box: Ipsy 
The Cost: $10 a month (free shipping)
The Products: Full size and samples of makeup and beauty products. (Plus a makeup bag!)
Ships to: US and Canada


Marvelous Moxie Lipstick in "Get Ready": 1.5g ($7.50) I love Bare Minerals so I am really excited to try out their lipstick. I normally go for more bold colors and looking out their website, this lipstick comes in so many fun colors, I wish I would have gotten a different color to play around with. 

Be a Bombshell "Bora Bora" Eyeshadow Quad: ($16) Full sized eyeshadow? Yes, please! I haven't tried the Be a Bombshell brand yet so I'll have to let you all know what I think. As for the colors themselves, they are really bright and seem to be pigmented well. However, I don't think these colors really go well together to complete a full look.


Nicole by OPI Roughles "On What Grounds": 0.5g ($7.99): I love getting a full sized nail polish! Especially from OPI. I love this color (it reminds me of those chocolate easter eggs with flecks of color in them). However, I am not loving the texture. I'm not a fan of textured nail polish, even though I painted my nails well, it looks as if I bumped into a million things before they dried. 

Pixi Beauty Flawless Beauty Primer: 12ml ($3.60):  Again, another product I've never tried and I'm really excited to try out a face primer because I currently do not use one!


 Cost of box: $10
Value of my box: $35.09 + makeup bag

Great value and LOVE the size of the products. I definitely cannot wait for next months :)




Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Classic Smokey Eye Makeup Tutorial

Hello again! Todays look is the classic smokey eye! I have a video tutorial going up on this soon so stay tuned. This look is quite simple, just requires a lot of blending. On the lid, I used a Coastal Scents Silver Glitter Pigment and set it with a white/cream color from my Ben Nye Palette. In the outer corner, I used a range a light gray to black starting with the lightest gray and blending in the darker colors as I went.

Sunday, March 16, 2014

Navy & Teal Eyeshadow Look



Hi there! Today's makeup is a dramatic blue smokey eye. All the eyeshadows I used were from my BH Cosmetics Day to Night palette. This palette is amazing for playing around with colors. I used a bright navy on the lid, a muted blue and gray in the crease, black in the outer corner and teal on my lower lash line. I completed the look with Ardell false lashes and some black eyeliner. I had so much fun creating this look and loved how it came out, but it might be a bit too crazy for me to wear out at night--what do you think? Let me know!


Saturday, March 15, 2014

Romantic Smokey Eye with Pop of Color


Todays makeup incorporates some color! All the colors shown are from my BH Cosmetics "Day to Night" palette. A gold/beige on the lid, pink in the crease, and purples in the outer corner and lower lash line. I used a purple liner from Urban Decay and Ardell 'natural' false lashes. Feel free to draw inspiration from this look and use whatever eyeshadow colors you already have! 

xo,
Courtney




Thursday, March 13, 2014

Dark Cat-Eye With Neutral Eyes

I hope you all are having a wonderful day so far! Here is my makeup look today. I really love this one and  may do a video tutorial soon to accompany it. For my eyeshadow, I kept it simple with my Lorac Pro Palette ("Cream" on the lid, "Taupe" in the crease, "Nude" as a highlight). And then used a combination of liquid liner (L'Oreal Telescopic) and pencil liner (Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On).


Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Gold Liner Eye Makeup

Todays makeup is a neutral eye with a pop of gold liner. I recently picked up this Covergirl Flamed Out  Shadow Pencil in "Gold Flame"and decided to have a little fun with it while keeping it natural. On the lids I used my Urban Decay Naked Palette "Sin" and a touch of "Half Baked" on top. In the crease I used "Buck".


Quick, Natural Makeup (Naked 2 Palette)

I've decided to start blogging my daily makeup looks (on the days I actually wear makeup that is…) and here is a look I wore yesterday. Its very simple, neutral and uses only shadows from the Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette. If I have a video tutorial to accompany the look I will be sure to include it!


Tuesday, March 11, 2014

St. Patricks Day Treats!

Hello all! Recently, I made some "St.Pattys Day" inspired desserts since March 17th is quickly approaching. I had a video to accompany this post and I deleted it on accident (boo!) I still decided to post the pictures and share the recipes with you all! Let me know if you try them out :)

Party Mix
Ingredients:
  • Popcorn
  • Peanut
  • Chocolate Chips
  • Pretzels 
  • White Chocolate
  • Green Food Coloring
  • Green M&M's
Directions:
This one is really simple!
  • Layer pretzels first on a baking sheet.
  • Pop popcorn and evenly layer it on top of the pretzels.
  • Melt white chocolate and add green food coloring. (If you are using regular white chocolate you may need to add a little olive oil to it to keep it from thickening)
  • Drizzle over popcorn and pretzels.
  • Quickly add your toppings so it all sticks together. I used peanut, chocolate chips, and green m&m's to give it a little color.
  • Once the chocolate hardens break them up and you can put them in cute little bags for your friends and family!

Chocolate Dipped Oreos & Strawberries
Ingredients:
  • I used the mint Oreos since the center is green (and they taste JUST like Thin Mints!)
  • Strawberries
  • White Chocolate Chips
  • Green Food Coloring
  • Sprinkles
Directions:
Again, another easy one!
  • Melt the chocolate chips (you may need to add a little oil to keep it from thickening)
  • Add green food coloring
  • Dip half or the entire Oreo and Strawberry into the chocolate
  • Add sprinkles if desired!

Thin Mint Oreo Truffles
Ingredients:
  • Mint Oreos
  • Melting Chocolate / Chocolate Candy Bark
  • Icing, Sprinkles (for decoration on top)
  • Cream Cheese
Directions: 
  • Break up Oreos into a food processor and blend until all chopped up.
  • Using a hand mixer, mix Oreos with cream cheese until it is to a consistency where you can roll them into balls.
  • Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes
  • Roll into one inch ball and place on a cookie sheet with wax paper. Stick back into the refrigerator for another 15 minutes
  • Melt the chocolate and then use a fork to dip the Oreo balls into it. Place back on the cookie sheet for it to harden.
  • Use icing or melted white chocolate with food coloring for icing.

Saturday, March 1, 2014

Yuzen Box: Spring 2014 Edition

Hello! Today I have another subscription box unboxing / review for you. I've been loving subscription boxes lately and this is definitely one of my favorites! Here is what I received in the Spring 2014 subscription (blue) box.  




The Subscription Box: Yuzen
The Cost: $33 a quarter
The Products: Eco-friendly products to nourish the body and soul


Even the packaging is gorgeous! 


Sumbody Bathmelt – Value $5.50
Sumbody Sum Fizzer – Value $5.95
I'm weird when it comes to baths--I believe the last time I took one, I was about six. I might actually have to overcome my "fears" and take a bath soon (bring out the bleach!) thanks to these awesome products I want to try. 


Balanced Guru Body Balm – 1 oz Value $12
Something for your face, hands, and body. Both hand and body cream are very moisturizing. I love how this box gives you a little bit of everything and not just five hand creams...


A little nervous to try this. Love dark chocolate..cherries, not so much. 

Cost of Box: $33
Total Value: $59.45

Final Thoughts: If you're looking to treat yourself to a spa day, this is the perfect box for you! High end products, fantastic sample sizes, and beautiful packaging. My favorite thing is that you are always guaranteed a box valued over $50, so you don't have to worry about getting your moneys-worth!