Vaseline VoxBox

                                      

I was lucky enough to receive a Vaseline VoxBox from Influenster and Vaseline. As the months have started to transition into the cold dry winter I find my skin getting dryer and dryer. I notice that even after shaving with a moisturizing shaving cream or a conditioner my legs are still dry and rough. This VoxBox could not have come at a better time, the first time I used it I was pleasanlty surprised. I did not have to use a ton to get the moiturization I wanted. I used it on freshly shaven legs, after coming out of the shower; I let the lotion sink into my skin as I got ready and by the time it came time to get dressed my legs felt great. And they have felt even better with every use. If not for this Voxbox I may not have tried this lotion but I am so glad that I did because I am going to keep purchasing it. 

                      

       

This lotion is hydrating and it quenches my dry legs during this dry cold winter.

TLC VOX BOX

I was lucky enough to qualify for the TLC VOX BOX from Influenster and I am so happy that I did. 

With summer around the corner I received come great goodies that will definitely come in handy. 

I received Puffs to go pack. I am a big fan of tissues, especially these small on the go ones because I have a child. Come summer time my brood grows to three kids which means three times the boogies to clean everyday. 

Another great product if the Neo to go. 

I always have band aids and a basic first aid kit in my purse in case one of the girls get a boo boo and this will definitely be put to good use this summer. 

We received a bar of Ivory soap, which apart from helping keep us squeaky clean can be used to make fun soap shapes. 

The great things about this box is that it's also included great items for me. 

I suffer from fine lines under my eyes and I am looking forward to testing this out and seeing how it tackles them. 

We all the summer travel we do, it'll r jive to save some money on gas. 

I'm so excited to hit the store and pick this up. I'm a Ice cream fan and my house is never without some. I'm exited to try out this adult version. 

All items were received courtesy of Influenster for testing purposes. All opinions expressed are my own. 

Pretty Zombie Cosmetics Haul and Review

 

Pretty Zombie Cosmetics is a very small independent cosmetics company which sells liquid lipsticks. I first heard about it on Instagram, and have been following them closely until I finally caved in to bought the whole set. At the time of my purchase last month, each liquid lipstick cost $11  and a flat rate of $5 shipping. As of today, they have increased the price of them to $12. I have a lot to say about this company, and I will start with their customer service department.

 

When I placed my order for the whole set of liquid lipsticks I expected to receive a confirmation email stating that they had received my payment and that I would be getting more information about the shipping details in a future email. But I got nothing like that. I never heard a peep from them. After a couple days, I decided to email them about it, and they just told me that I would receive an email via PAYPAL regarding the shipping once they were done. And that was it. By the way, I never received that email from paypal. I never got anything at all. It was very disappointing.

 

 

As far as the actual lipsticks go, my complaints sadly don't end there. When I checked the liquid lipsticks, I could tell some of them were not completely full. ZomBettie, Pink Potion, and Blue Moon were all clearly not filled. ZomBettie even has a clear "window" where it is obvious that that the separation is occurring below the "window". When I put up a photo on Instagram, all they said was that they were sorry I was so disappointed. They have not offered to switch out the half-full lipsticks and its honestly disappointing. I don't think I will be ordering from them in the future.

 

As far as quality goes, they are pretty equivalent to other liquid lipsticks I have tried in the past. They aren't the most drying ones I have tried, but I have noticed so far that depending on the color it can be more or less drying. The pinks don't dry out my lips as much and the blue and purple ones did. Also, they tend to smudge and bleed even hours after the initial application. Which is not a problem I have encountered before. It is quite disappointing. But the places where it sticks, it will stick for HOURS. I left Potion #9 on my lips overnight and even until mid-day the color on the outer parts of my lips was still there.  I will have to wear these colors a little more, but so far it has been a very mixed feeling.

 

I don't know if I would recommend this company as a whole. I liked the colors, including the more out of the box ones, but they are very drying. They also are not as long lasting as I would hope they would be. So overall, I do not think knowing what I know, I would have ordered them. I would have tried another indie cosmetic company out there.

 

 

So without further ado, here are the lip swatches of all 8 colors. Plus, some photos of the lipsticks that did not come even close to full.

  There is also a video review that I did, as soon as it is done uploading I will add the link or embed the video at the end.

 

 

 

Pink Potion

 

Spellbook 

 Potion #9

 Purple Poison

 

 3 Witches

 

 ZomBettie

 

 

 

 Blue Moon

Black Cat

This is ZomBettie, you can clearly see that the separation is happening right at the bottom of the "window". Considering this color required two coats to get a decent application, it is sad that its not full.

 

 

Sephora Triple Action Cleansing Water

I've been on an endless hunt for the Sephora Cleansing Oil but no store seems to have it, so my local Sephora girl recommend this. She told me this was very similar to the Bioderma, it was gentle and moisturizing. 

I picked it up that day and have been using it everyday for the last month. I use a cotton round for each eye, and I love the way it dispenses.

It's gentle, has a mild scent and does not burn or sting the eyes. It leaves a slight oiliness to the skin but nothing too noticible. My only complaint is that it doesn't remove waterproof makeup that well but because I wash my face after removing my makeup it doesn't bother me. 

It's affordable and so nice to use on a daily basis. If you have a sephora store nearby I recommend going and checking it out. 

My eye makeup today: I was not wearing mascara 

I hold the cotton round on my eye for about 20 seconds then wipe off my eye makeup. 

It removes all of my non waterproof eye makeup. 

Life Update

Well it's been forever since I posted anything and I honestly miss it. But I've been exhausted and any free time I had I was dedicating it to my family. 

For the last few months we have been learning to live with a family members diagnosis and prognosis, it's been a roller coaster. For any of you out there that have dealt with a cancer diagnosis, you know it's not easy and it's never routine. 

We've had constant doctor and hospital visits, emergency room trips and sleepless nights where our concern and fear were greater than anything. We drive an hour each way for treatment and it's been a long few months. 

But I'm determined to post at least twice a week on here, I can use the distraction and peace I get from playing with makeup and all things beauty. 

I just ask you stick with us, we're doing the best we can. 

Thank you for your time and understanding. 

Until next time, 

Yess :) 

The Balm is on Hautelook

For my fellow TheBalm lovers out there make your way to Hautelook and take a peak at the selections they are currently offering, some of which are up to 50% off. 

If you find yourself in need of a referral to Hautelook feel free to let us know and we'll send you one. Either way, have some fun shopping. 

Until next time,

Yess 

Too Faced on Sale

If you haven't already make your way over to the Too Faced site and check out some of the great items from their holiday collection that are currently going for up to 70% off. 

Wet n Wild New Eyeshadow- I'm His Breezey

I love Wet n Wild eye shadows, if I am having a lazy day and do not want to hunt down eye shadows for a look I know that I can pull out one of the trios and I can look ready for the day. When I saw that Wet n Wild was coming out with new quints I was excited. I went to my local Walgreens and picked up a few, today I will be quickly reviewing the quint I'm His Breezey, which is the blue one.

I am weird, I love blue shadow but it has to be the right blue to make it into an eye look.

This palette at first glance looks amazing. The blues are vibrant and there is a nice soft powdery blue that can add dimension to a look; but that is where the good ends.
The Base shadow is powdery and chalky.
The brow bone shade is not pigmented, it took 3 or 4 passes to build up the color.
The eyelid shade is a nice vibrant blue but it is no where near as pigmented as it looks in the pan.
The definer shade is super patchy.
The crease shade has a lot of sparkle in the pan but the sparkle does not translate on the lid. The color also took a long time to build up to the desired intensity.

I palette retails for $3.99 in my area, and I was able to get it for $2.99 because it had a $1 coupon. I was really hoping that the eye shadows would live up to the expectation that I had, that they were in any way similar to the 8 pan palettes I know and love. Unfortunately these palettes perform poorly.

I had done an eye look with it but it was so patchy and the colors were so hard to blend together that I gave up on trying to make it work.

I am holding onto the palette for my daughter to play with and maybe for Halloween but I do not see myself using it all that much.

Until next time

Yess :)

Rimmel Stay Matte Foundation

I was really really hoping that this foundation would be the best matte foundation at the drugstore. I had extremely high hopes because I had read some rave reviews about it online, and even seen a video or two on YouTube that spoke so highly of it. I purchased it at my local Harmons for $4.99 after using a $1 coupon that was on the display. 

The foundation itself is a thicker formula, a very thick formula that does not glide onto the skin as nicely as some other matte foundations I have tried. The foundation itself clings to any dry patches that you may have so I recommend using a good thick moisturizer and letting it completely set before applying the foundation.

I also recommend a good primer, preferably something is oil controlling. 

The foundation claims to be "feather-light", that it "blends flawlessly for a natural looking all day shine control". They also claim that it "won't feel heavy". I have to disagree with these claims. You can defintely feel the foundation once you put it on. It does not provide all day shine control and it definitely feels heavy. The color match is okay but not he best. 

I used the foundation several different ways, with the Rimmel primer, with Benefit Porefessional, with Too Faced Primed and Poreless, L’oreal primer, Monistat Chaffing Gel, and finally the Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer. I also tried various mattifying powders on top; I even wore it without powder on a few days.

I wore it for two weeks and was consistently disappointed in the performance of the foundation. With any of the primers I tried I found that I had a ton of foundation breakdown on my nose and forehead within 3 hours; same thing happened with the powders. I was so disappointed that I was ready to give up but then I decided that I needed to try it with the Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer and I finally received the results I had hoped for. The foundation lasted a good 8 hours without it breaking down and without powder. It was amazing. But without this primer the foundation underperformed and I was not impressed.

Rimmel Stay Matte Primer

I have owned this primer since December 31, 2013. I purchased it at my local Harmons for $5.99 after using a $1 coupon that was on the display.
I have used it about 10 times in the last three weeks. I have worn it alone, with BB creams, matte foundations, lighter weight foundations as well as luminous ones to see how it truly wore. After trying it with my Matte foundations I was ready to just give up on it, I wanted to take it back to the store and call it a day on trying to make it work.
I apply most of my foundations with a flat top brush because I enjoy a more full coverage application of foundation; it’s something that works best with my super oily skin.

The primer claims to control shine for up to 8 hours, that it is lightweight, and minimizes the appearance of pores. I have to disagree with some of those claims. It does not minimize the appearance of pores, it is not a pore filler or a pore blurrer; it blends evenly over the pores but they look the same before and after application. It is very thick and better for people on the oilier side, I would steer clear if i had dry skin.

The primer did not keep me matte for 8 hours; with almost every foundation I tried it barely kept me matte for 3 hours. I was beyond disappointed. But I decided to give it one more try with my L’oreal Lumi Foundation because it is really luminous, and I was surprised by the results. Although it did not give me 8 hours of matte wear it did give me 3 which was nice. So I tried it with one more foundation, The Covergirl Stay Fabulous 3 in 1 Foundation and I was very happy with it. I found myself experiencing the promise of 8 hours shine free.

For the price I do recommend it as a drugstore foundation. I would advise to use it with non-matte foundations as it is harder to blend them over the primer. But all in all for $5.99 it was a great deal.

UltaMate Rewards

I received my Ulta flyer for the week starting February 2nd and was pleased to see they included a page explaining the new change from The Club at Ulta for those of us up here in the NE to the UltaMate Rewards Program. 

I asked one of the managers at my local Ulta yesterday about the points, for example of someone had spent $50 in January already does that automatically get grandfathered into the program once it starts on February 23rd. The manager at my Ukta said that they do, that once the program goes into effect you will get credit for everything you've purchased as of January 1st. 

And I was also able to find out that Ulta will be sending out a last rewards certificate for this quarter. So for those of you who like me have been spending this quarter and were looking forward to using that certificate towards a perfume, fear not. 

If I am able to find out anything else I will keep you guys updated. 

Until next time guys 

Yess :) 

Ulta Deals from last week :)

Hey guys, 

I had wanted to get this up earlier but I've been so sick the last week and it completely slipped my mind.

I ended up taking advantage of the Ulta skincare and makeup deal, the L'oreal eye deal, and the L'oreal hair care deal. 

I made out like a bandit, spending less than $20 for 8 products which to me is a bargain, especially considering that the primer retails for $18 on its own. 

I cannot find the bag with the L'oreal products and receipt but once I do I will upload a picture. 

On the folded bits of the receipt something curious happened, there was a point balance and points available section. My Ulta has only offered the Club at Ulta so I had never seen this, I'm hoping this means exciting news is around the corner for those of us who so not have the UltaMate clubs available in our area. 

Until next time guys, 

Yess :) 

NYC HD Color Trio in 781 Long Beach Sands

I received this trio in my Jolly Vox Box courtesy of Influenster and immediately it reminded me of my favorite trio from Wet n Wild. Initially I didn't feel it matched it enough to call it a dupe but with use I have found that they are close enough that when worn they look identical. Those of you who have a hard time finding Wet n Wild in your area but have NYC have a nice hidden gem to discover. 

The eye shadows are smooth and  pigmented. They are all shimmery so pack the color on before blending it out. I also found myself in need of a darker color to make my hooded kids appear more open, but that's the case with my trios. 

It retails in my area for $3.99 at walmart which is a fantastic deal for a nice everyday use palette. I really enjoyed it and it made for a quick daily eye. 

My biggest recommendation is to use a primer you are familiar with and love because it will prolong the wear time of the shadows. 

Until next time guys, take care. 

Yess :) 

I did receive this product for consideration and potential review. All opinions are my own, I have never been paid for a review. 

CVS Renewing Anti-Dark Circle Roller in Medium/Deep

I purchased this rollerball about a year and a half ago during the summer when it was super popular on YouTube. I decided not to invest in the Garnier one because it was $14.99 in my area which to me is way too much, so I opted to check out the generic store brand. The CVS brand one was $9.99 but with coupons and store sales it rang up at less than $4 which is just right in my opinion.

The formula of the roller is really thin, and it is pretty pigmented for being as thin as it is. When I first got it I hated it because the color match was off, it was summer and I was really tan. Now that I have lost all my color it is a much better match.

For 2014 I decided that I wanted to use up what I already have in my stash instead of just purchasing new things. I was searching through my concealer drawer and I found this little gem underneath some of my other rejects. I am so glad I pulled it out. The thin formula is so easy to blend in. The roller ball is really cooling on the undereyes and it is like a refreshing burst of hydration for that delicate skin. I have super dry undereyes but still wear full coverage concealer most days, I am glad to give them a much needed rest.

The concealer is a skin tone shade for me so it does not highlight, but personally I prefer to use a skin tone shade or something close to it than a highlight as my main concern is covering my very dark circles. This concealer covers the dark circles and makes my under eyes feel better overall. I would definitely recommend it. It also does not crease or settle in my fine lines (and I have plenty), and it does not need to be set as it sets to a soft powdery finish. 

If I find any sales or promotions coming up for CVS skincare I will keep you guys updated. 

I had been wearing it for 8 hours and it still looks good :)

Until next time guys, have fun with makeup you have forgotten.

- Yess :) 

Ulta Deal Almay

The last deal that I have for the week is an Almay one.
This deal becomes even better if you have any $5 off 2 coupons from Coupons.com in your coupon binder.

Once again it seemed as if the Ulta website was seriously lacking Almay products as every other one was sold out, but I was able to find a potential sale idea.

This sale is better in store as you have access to more variety  and of course it is nicer on the wallet. If you purchase the items shown in the picture you are looking at $7.99 for the mascara, eyeshadow trio and the makeup remover pads. Its a great deal.

Until next time guys, have fun shopping.

Yess :)

Ulta Deal- Organix

I will be heading to the store today to see if I can take advantage of this deal and I thought I would share my plan for taking advantage of this deal.
I like Organix, I a currently using the Morrocan Oil Shampoo and Conditioner and enjoy the smell and texture of the products. And when I saw this deal I thought maybe I should head out and see if I find a few more things I like.

This deal is best if you can head to the store to take advantage of it. The current deal is that if you purchase $12 worth of Organix items you get a free Kukui Oil. Most Organix products are marked down to $5.99 this week so you will have to buy 3 to qualify for the deal. For the deal mentioned above if you purchase in store you are getting 4 full size Organix products for $14.47 which is a fantastic deal.

Until next time guys have fun shopping and I will keep you updated on my own purchase. 

Yess :)

Urban Decay Anarchy Face Case

For those that were not lucky enough to pick up the Urban Decay Anarchy Face Case on the Sephora website when it was on sale for $29 there may be a chance for you to pick it up. I was recently in my local Sephora and they had about 20 stacked up by the register marked $29. So if this is something that you were thinking about picking up I recommend taking a trip to your local Sephora or giving them a call and asking if they have any in store.

If you are a fan of the old formula of Urban Decay eyeshadows then you will enjoy these. The glitter in them is a little on the chunky side but the colors and the eyeshadows are really beautiful.

Eyeshadows: Redemption, Fray, Vaporize, Provocateur, Revolt

Blushes and Highligter: Fetish, Quickie, Craze

 Super Saturated Lip Pencil in Scandal
24/7 Glide on Liner in Perversion

Have a great day,

Yess :)