Katie Marie, Author at From My Vanity

Ebates: How to Get Paid for the Products you Already Buy Online!

September 10, 2014 Katie Marie 7 Comments

For those who’ve been following me a while, you might remember that I’ve talked about Ebates before on my blog (here), but that was nearly two years ago. So I thought it would be good to revisit this topic.

Especially now that I’ve been using it for a while and I can share with you if it’s really worth the hype. 🙂

What is Ebates?

It can easily be summed up just by repeating their logo…

If you want more detail, I can do that, too. 😉 When you sign up for an account on Ebates, you discover that they link to TONS of different websites. Many that you already shop online for. (My personal favorites? Yep, Sephora…Ulta… 😉 And when you go through Ebates before you order, they will give you a percentage of that order back to you.

In cash!

Pretty sweet, right?

How Does Ebates Works?

It’s a three step process. Nice and easy. 😉 All you do is, before you place an order, go to Ebates.com…

and…

And there you go! Shop as you would usually do. Two or three days after you place your (Sephora) order, you will see the cash back amount (varies from store to store, depending on percentage) in your Ebates account.

How easy is that?!

About Ebates Special Deals

It varies, but Ebates always has some sort of deal going on. As you can see on the home page, they always have a themed ‘Double Cash Back’ going on. This week is really sweet, as it’s all fashion related! 😀

And they also have a Daily Double Deal that changes every day (duh, katie, that’s what daily means!), so it’s always fun to see each morning.

How Much Does it Cost to Sign Up?

Nothing!

Not a penny! 🙂

How Does Ebates Pay You?

It’s up to you, but you can have it sent to you via check or give them the email that’s connected to your PayPal account and they will deposit it that way. Easy-peasy. 🙂

How do I sign Up with Ebates?

Ebates has a referral program for all of their members. So if you want to sign up, just click my link and it will take you straight to the page. Typically Ebates gives you a $5 bonus for referring someone, but they also do run specials on that, too. 😉

If you don’t like using someone’s referral links, then feel free to just type in ‘www.ebates.com’ in your web browser. No problem. 🙂

Oh, and if Ebates ask you ‘who referred you’ just include my email address — legacy1993(at)gmail(dot)com.

So, what are you waiting for? Sign up and start saving money on stuff you already order online!

Question for My Readers: Do you have an Ebates account? How do you like it? Isn’t it nice to get a big chunk of change every few months?? 🙂

PIN IT! SAVE IT!

This post is not sponsored in any way. The thoughts are 100% my own. I shared this information because I honestly enjoy using this website and think you might, too. There are referral/affiliate links included in this post.

The Safe Lands Series Comes to a Climatic Conclusion in REBELS (Book Review)

September 8, 2014 Katie Marie 8 Comments

This past week I was stuck on a airplane for several hours. I wasn’t flying with my (totally amazing!) husband, so I decided to get in some reading to help the time pass quickly. And, boy, did it pass quickly with this book!

I haven’t posted a book review in forever, but I hope my new beauty followers will enjoy it nonetheless and maybe discover a new book to add to their wishlist. 🙂

About Jill Williamson

Jill
Williamson is weird, which is probably why she writes science fiction
and fantasy novels for teenagers. She grew up in Alaska with no
electricity, an outhouse, and a lot of mosquitoes. Thankfully it was the
land of the midnight sun, and she could stay up and read by the summer
daylight that wouldn’t go away. But the winter months left little to do
but daydream. Both hobbies set her up to be a writer.
Her debut novel, a medieval fantasy called By Darkness Hid, won an EPIC Award, a Christy Award, and was named a Best Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror novel of 2009 by VOYA magazine. Jill has since published twelve books.
Jill loves working with teenagers and encouraging them to respect
their dreams. She speaks and gives writing workshops at libraries,
schools, camps, and churches. She lives in Oregon with her husband, two
children, and a whole lot of deer. Come visit Jill on her Facebook
author page or on her website at www.jillwilliamson.com, where adventure
comes to life.
– See more at: http://www.jillwilliamson.com/press-kit/#sthash.VNH0UMj2.dpuf

Jill Williamson is a chocolate loving, daydreaming, creator of kingdoms
and the award-winning author of several young adult books including the
Blood of Kings trilogy, Replication, the Mission League series, and the
Safe Lands trilogy. She lives in Oregon with her husband and two
children and a whole lot of deer. Visit her online, where adventure comes to life.

More About Jill Williamson…

Website / Facebook / Twitter

About Rebels: Book 3 in the Safe Lands Series

The remnant of Glenrock has been scattered. But they are not beaten yet.
The Safe Lands have long kept secret from their people what it means
to be liberated. Mason and Omar are about to discover the truth.
Levi doesn’t want to give up on his brothers, but when Jemma is
captured and becomes the Safe Lands new queen, Levi’s best option is to
take up the role of The Owl that Omar began, leading the rebels in their
quest to overthrow the government.
But will The Owl be enough to safe Jemma? Will Ciddah be able to
deliver Shaylinn’s babies safely underground without the help of a
surgeon? And will Mason be able to keep Omar from dying as they search
for a way back?
If only they could unite their efforts, together they could expose
the Safe Lands lies to the people. But if they fail, they will surely
die.
– See more at: http://www.jillwilliamson.com/the-safe-lands/#sthash.w9zFwGlq.dpuf

The remnant of Glenrock has been scattered. But they are not beaten.

The
Safe Lands have long kept the true meaning of Liberation secret from
their people. But after being sentenced to Liberation themselves, Mason
and Omar soon discover the truth.

Levi watched his brothers’
public sentencing and tries to hold out hope they are still alive, He is
forced to focus his attention elsewhere, however, when his new wife,
Jemma, is captured and made the Safe Lands’ newest Queen. His only
choice to save Jemma may be to take up Omar’s old role of undercover
vigilante, leading the rebels in their quest to overthrow the
government. But will Levi’s new role be enough?

Meanwhile,
Jemma’s sister, Shaylinn, is ready to give birth to the “Safe Lands’”
children … but not even Ciddah is sure they can be delivered safely in
the midst of a rebellion. And Mason must face the fact Omar’s illness
could be fatal.

If they can all unite their efforts, together
they may be able to expose the Safe Lands’ lies to the people. But if
they fail, they will all surely die.

Where you can purchase Rebels…

From the Author / Amazon

My Review:

I read the first book, Captives, and was completely ‘captivated’ by the world that Jill Williamson created in front of me. When the adventure continued in Outcasts, the intensity of the plot continued to mount with every page. It ended with a pretty significant cliffhanger, and ever since then I’ve been so curious and anxious to find out how this series ends. Finally! The last book, Rebels, released earlier this month and I’ve already flown threw its pages.

Wow, what an adventure! There are a lot of characters in The Safe Lands series — starting with the three main characters, brothers Levi, Mason, and Omar — and each one of them had their own little suspenseful adventure going on throughout the book. Surprisingly, Jill Williamson was able to weave them all together so seamlessly, I never felt confused or lost amid all the different events going on in different character’s lives.

While this book is marketed
as a young adult novel, I personally feel that the many sexually
suggestive aspects of the book makes it for an older audience. And not
necessarily only for adults — things are only eluded to and never
outright said or explained — but definitely not appropriate for
preteens or young teens. Again, this is just my personal opinion, but
know that sexual undertones are sprinkled through the book.

Throughout the series, the mystery of ‘Liberation’ has always been looming — and much to my surprise and delight, the mystery is finally uncovered. I’m not sure what I had guessed Liberation might be, but I wasn’t expecting what Mason and Omar discovered.

Williamson created such a unique– but realistic — dystopian worth in the Safe Lands series and writes in such a way as to completely submerge her readers into the moment. And while there were hero’s and heroine’s, none of them are perfect. I loved how the author kept it so realistic in this regard. The characters experience heartache, temptation, lust, addiction, fear, and shame, just like anyone would if they were thrust into this world. Yet, at the end of it all, we see the Lord bring characters like Omar from the depth’s of despair to walking on the clouds of promise.

The whole series brings such a strong feeling of hope and redemption, I think whoever reads this series will take away something special. I highly recommend the whole series!

I
reviewed this book for the author. It was not required
that I give a positive review, but solely to express my own thoughts and
opinions of this book, which I have done.

LORAC’s Fall 2014 Collection includes PRO Matte Lip Colors (Makeup Review)

September 5, 2014 Katie Marie 5 Comments

Before I launch into today’s review, I wanted to make sure you knew that I’m running a giveaway for this product on my blog right now. Go here and enter to win the same color that I received for review below!

I received the product below from the company.

About LORAC‘s PRO Matte Lip Colors

Retail Price: $16

Go PRO with LORAC PRO Matte Lip Color! This velvety-smooth, matte lip
color is infused with anti-aging antioxidants of Acai Berry,
Pomegranate, Grape Seed Extract and Vitamins C and E to help nourish and
protect your lips. The PRO tip hugs the curves of your lips with
precision and control while the weightless, PRO formula easily glides on
with a long-lasting, matte finish. PRO Matte Lip Color comes in an
array of highly-pigmented, buildable, rich colors from natural nudes to
vibrant hues for a modern, matte lip in any shade you desire.

My Review of Lorac’s PRO Matte Lip Color

First Impression & Packaging:
I love matte colors. Whether it’s mattifying face powder or matte eyeshadows…I just prefer the mattes over sparkles and shimmers. Several of the matte lipsticks and lipcolors that I own are so drying, I can only wear them when my lips are really well moisturized and not flaking (which isn’t often). Because of this, I was eager to put LORAC’s Pro Matte Lip Color‘s to the test and see if they would be any different.

Product & Application:
While this has the pigmentation of a lipstick, it’s shaped like a jumbo-sized retractable lip liner. I like the sleekness of the product, as it enables me to get a really precise application on my lips.

The cap does a little ‘double-snap’ when you close it, and I learned the hard way that you have to make sure you hear both snaps in order to ensure it’s closed. I didn’t hear both snaps the first time I threw this into my purse, and the cap ended up coming off and coloring my wallet a pretty mauve for me. 😛

One swatch of Mauve

Major Likes & Dislikes:
My favorite aspect of this product is that it looks matte, but is not drying at all! My lips have been really dry lately, but I’ve been able to wear this lip color and the application still looks smooth and flattering on me.

I wish this retractable lip pencil came with a sharpener somehow, as I really like the pointed tip that the Pro Matte Lip Color came with when I initially received it. After so many applications, however, it rounds out and isn’t pointed anymore. It still gives a pretty precise application, just takes a little more work for me.

Final Thoughts:
I really, really like this product! It gives a very matte appearance on the lips, but doesn’t feel drying at all. The price is really reasonable for being a high end product, so you can’t complain there. In short, I highly recommend you check out these LORAC Pro Matte Lip Colors the next time you go into Ulta. Especially if you like matte lip colors (which appears to be trending right now).

Question for my Readers: Do you like matte products? Or are you a sparkles-and-shimmer kind of girl?

~ PIN IT ~

I
received one or more of the products mentioned above from LORAC in the hopes that I would mention them on my blog. Regardless,
this does not guarantee a review or feature on my blog. I only share information that I think will be useful for my
readers and I only recommend
products I have personally used.

Get to Know Me: The Beauty Blogger Tag

September 3, 2014 Katie Marie 3 Comments

I am a long-time follower of Beauty Broadcast — both her Youtube channel and blog — and I came across the Beauty Blogger Tag she did on her blog last year.

I’ve always loved to read tag blogs and videos, and I thought it’d be fun to do a tag on my blog. 🙂 The questions are fun, and it’s a neat way for you to get to know me a little bit more.

So let’s get this started!

The Beauty Blogger Tag

1. Is your hair naturally curly or straight? My hair naturally likes to be frizzy and have one funky wave. If I am able to put some hair oil in it, I can usually manage to tame the frizz and calm the way a bit, but I usually have to bring out the flat iron to really solve the problem.

2. Do you dye it yourself or go to a salon?

I’ve never died my hair before. 🙂 No particular reason why…I just haven’t found a color I felt worth coloring my hair for. I think I’ll probably eventually color my hair, but who knows when! 🙂

3. Do you wear the same style everyday, or do you change it?

Typically, around the house, I’ll just put it up in a ponytail. But when I go out — either church, shopping, or visiting friends — I do like to change up how I wear it. My go-to styles are straightened, curly, braids, and half-up, and when I have time I will try new and fun styles. If you’d like me to do more hair or makeup tutorials, let me know in the comments below!

4. Do you do your own mani/pedi or go to a salon?

I’ve gone to a salon before, but I normally do my own manicures at home. And I always do my own pedicures….haven’t gotten those professionally done yet. 🙂

5. How often do you change your nail polish?

My manicures usually only last a couple of days (I’m hard on my nails), and when I am in the groove to have color on my nails, I’ll try a new color every week.

6. Do you polish your toes in the winter or just the summer?

I paint my toes all the time — I don’t know why…I just don’t like to have naked toe nails. So whenever I take my polish off, I typically repaint them the same day. Though I do give them a break in the winter, when I know I’m going to be wearing closed toed shoes for several weeks. That way they can breath a bit. 🙂

7. How long does it take for you to put on makeup?

Ekk! Do I have to admit to this one?? If I am taking my time (and I enjoy doing my makeup routine, so like to take my time) I could probably take well over an hour. But if I have to get ready in a hurry — say I have to leave the house in ten minutes — then I can get ready in that amount of time. It’ll just be very minimal on the makeup: foundation, maybe some eyeliner, and mascara. So, yeah, I can adapt if needs be…but I prefer to take my time and enjoy the process. 🙂

8. What do you do first? Face or eyes?

Well, I apply primer to my face, but once that’s on, I always do my eyes. I like to be able to get all the color on the eyes and do my wings before I apply foundation — that way if any shadow falls in the process, it’s an easy fix. Then I’ll do my foundation and finish my eyes by applying mascara before finishing the rest of my face.

9. Do you collect makeup or just buy what you need when you need it?

Hmm…I would say I’m somewhere in between those two. I know I have more makeup than I absolutely need (I have several palettes, a couple foundations), but I don’t consider myself a collector. I, personally, don’t like to own a product and not use it. So while I like variety and being able to choose different products each day as I apply my foundation, I don’t like owning so much makeup that I don’t use them.

10. How often do you wear false eyelashes?

Never. I’ve only applied them once, and didn’t care for the feel or look of them. Maybe I’ll delve into that sometime in the future…but for now, I’m happy with the eyelashes that I have.

11. Do you do a full face of makeup everyday?

I don’t wear makeup every day. But when I do, I typically like to do a full face of makeup. Unless I don’t have time, then I’ll do whatever I am able to fit in. But, yeah, typically I am a full-face-of-makeup kind of girl! 😉

12. Do you wear makeup when you’re home alone or with family?

Not all the time. On occasion, if my skin is doing well and not freaking out too terrible, I like to apply makeup before my husband comes home. He always likes when I “do my eyes up” (as he says) for him. 🙂

13. Will you leave the house without makeup?

I do…but usually (unless my face is doing really well — i.e. no red breakouts or large hyper pigmentation spots) I don’t like to. I definitely feel more confident and presentable with at least a little foundation on. 🙂

14. How many high-end products do you have?

Uhh….I’d guess between 5 and 10. (Yeah, I’m too lazy to go count them up right now…sorry :-/)

15. Do you plan your OOTD every night or decide when you’re getting dressed?

Usually I decide them as I get dressed. Sometimes I will plan ahead, but more often I’ll just decide in the moment.

16. How often do you change your handbag?

Uhh, almost never, lol! I’ve been using the same purse since the beginning of the year. I need a new one, for sure, but I haven’t found a replacement that I like yet. Still hunting!

17. What time do you wake up and go to sleep?

Yikes, that varies! Put, on a normal week, I wake up at 5:30am and get in bed between 9 and 10.

18. How often or when do you workout?

Once I got settled into my new home after being married (to my AMAZING husband!), I started getting into a workout routine. If I have the weekday mornings to myself, I’ll workout every morning. Weekends I take a break.

19. Left handed or right handed?

This girl is right handed! 😉

20. How tall are you?

Last time someone checked, I was 5 feet and 2 inches. 🙂

21. Do you speak any foreign languages?

No, unfortunately. I used to be able to sign American Sign Language very well, but I haven’t done it in over 2 years….so I couldn’t talk fluently anymore. (Yeah, I consider ASL a different language 🙂

22. How many pets do you have?

Currently, none. The house we are renting at the moment doesn’t allow pets. As for the future…we shall see!

23. How often are you on Blogger?

I write a new post on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, but I am on Blogger every day. Either working on a new post or answering your comments. 🙂

24. Do you read comments posted on blogs?

Yes, I do! On my own blog (of course) and on other blogs that I follow. If the post I am reading interests me, I almost always check out the comments to see what other people are saying and maybe leave one of my own.

25. Do you keep a list of products to try as you see other posts?

Yes, I sure do! And that list is ALWAYS growing! Oh dear…

26. How did you come up with your blog name?

Well, I knew that my blog was going to be about beauty and makeup, but I always wanted to be able to talk about skincare and hairstyles as well. So I wanted a title that could encompasss all of that.

I was staring at my vanity table one day, looking at my makeup, hair care, and skincare products when it hit me. My vanity holds all those things! And since, essentially, everything that I talk about one here will have come from my vanity…..that’s how the name was born!

27. What kind of camera do you use for your photographs?

I am really bad at knowing my cameras…but I know it’ a Canon. And on the front it says ‘PowerShot ELPH 13015’, if that helps anyone know what kind of camera it is. It isn’t anything fancy, but it takes pictures well enough. 🙂

28. How often do you clean your house?

I clean my house on a daily basis, but if you’re talking about deep cleaning (like the bathrooms, floors, and carpets) then I do that once a week. And more often, if I am seeing things that are looking dirty. 🙂

29. What’s your favorite color?

Definitely brown!! I just love all the different, warm, beautiful shades of brown! And I also love purple. 🙂 As you can tell from my wedding colors.

30. Do you swear?

No, I don’t. The Lord said not to take His name in vain, so I stay far away from that. 🙂

31. What are you doing with the rest of your day?

Well, since it’s 7:30pm at the time that I am writing this post…the only thing on my to-do list is to take a shower, get ready for bed, read a book, and go to sleep. 🙂

Well, that was fun! I really enjoyed doing this tag — and if there are any other beauty tags that you would like me to do, please leave them in the comments below and I will work on that. 🙂

As for who I tag…the beauty bloggers are…

Elle — ElleSees

Stephanie — The Fantasia

Laila — Townhouse Palette

Allie — LunaVida

Catherine — Catherines Loves

Ali — Ali in Bloom
Tianna — Storybook Apothecary

If you don’t follow these ladies already, you really need to! I am an avid fan of their blogs and love to see what new post they have up. Go check them out, and let them know that they are tagged to do the Beauty Blogger Tag! 😀

Question for My Readers: How long does it take YOU to do your makeup in the morning? If you had all the time in the world?

The Nude ‘tude palette from The Balm has some sultry colors (Makeup Review)

September 1, 2014 Katie Marie 5 Comments

Over the weekend From My Vanity hit 1,000 followers! I am SO excited to have hit such a big number — I would never have thought my blog would be anywhere close to having so many awesome readers, but I am so happy and thankful that it has.

I hope to put together a fun giveaway as a thank you to you all 🙂 Not sure when I can do it, I am going to be doing a lot of traveling in September, but hopefully before too long. So be on the lookout for that. 🙂

Love you all!

I purchased the products with my personal funds.

About The Balm’s Nude ‘Tude Eyeshadow Palette

Retail Price: $36

This amazing palette consists of 12 beautiful shadows that make wearing
nudes sexy! These satiny smooth colors can be applied naturally, i.e.
“let me slip into something more comfortable” or beautifully layered.

The wide range gives you light highlighters as well as brazen bold
shades that work to add definition and emphasis to your lids. Nude`tude
allows you to dramatically dress up your eyes—if nothing else!

There are 2 different types of palettes you can get: the ‘Naughty’ or the ‘Nice’ palette. BOTH VERSIONS OF THE NUDE`TUDE PALETTE CONTAIN THE SAME EYESHADOW COLORS.

My Review:

First Impression & Packaging…
First off, let me start by saying that I purchased the ‘Nice’ version of this palette. 🙂 The neutral colors in this palette really attracted me, as did the pretty shimmery finish of the shadows. Not all of the shadows are full of shimmer, but I’ll get into that in a minute. The palette itself is beautifully packaged and has a magnetic closure. I love the look of it!

Product & Application…
All of the shadows are really smooth and have nice pigmentation. As you can see from my swatches (and these swatches are without any primer underneath them), they are pretty pigmented. With a primer underneath, these colors really pop and show up well on your eyelid.

As I mentioned, not all of the colors have shimmer in them, thankfully. Sultry, Sexy, Serious, and Sleek are all really pretty matte shades. The black color in this palette isn’t a very intense black and I usually end up reaching for a different matte black or darn brown to get a really dark outer crease to complete a look I am doing.

Major Likes & Dislikes…
I like that all of the colors are natural — hence the name of the palette, Nude’tude (As if that’s not obvious, Katie, really…) Personally, while I love adding shimmer or color to my look, I still stay in the safety of the more natural colors like the pinks, browns, and greens. Nude’tude gives me all those colors in beautiful pigmentation, making this aspect a major like for me.

I think my only dislike is that the darker colors blend out a bit, making them not as dark as I typically like. You can build it up to a suitable level, but for me it’s just easier to use the black in my LORAC Pro to Go to get the job done quickly.

Final Thoughts…
While I am glad that I own this palette, I don’t think I would consider it a ‘must have’ to add to your collection. If you want a palette with neutral colors and don’t want to spend $50+ on any of the Naked, then I would definitely recommend you purchase this palette instead. But if you already have one of those palettes — or have a bunch of smaller neutral palettes from the drugstore (like the ones from Physicians Formula or Wet n Wild) — then I don’t think this palette is a must for your collection.

I used Stand-Offish, Sultry, Sleek, and Serious

It really comes down to if you want to buy this palette. The colors are soft and pigmented and you can create some pretty looks with it. I know I am glad I bought it and have it in my collection. I’ve only tried 2 or 3 products from The Balm, but I am looking forward to trying many more in the future.

Question for My Readers: If you were to purchase this palette, which one would you want to buy the most — the ‘Naughty’ or ‘Nice’ palette? Why?

I purchased the products mentioned
above with my own personal money. I was not compensated in any way for
posting this review. I only recommend products that I have used
personally and believe will be beneficial for my readers.

BoxyCharm has You Hitting the Beaches (August Unboxing)

August 27, 2014 Katie Marie 4 Comments

Today I’m really excited to share a BoxyCharm unboxing with you all. Never heard of BoxyCharm? No worries, I’ll explain (and get you hooked!) below. 😉

Warning: this post is picture heavy!

What is BoxyCharm?

BOXYCHARM is an online beauty subscription that surprises you each
month with name-brand beauty essentials. Our goal is to enhance your
current cosmetic collection by delivering trendy and popular beauty
items right to your front door. Our beauty experts have years of
experience in the health and beauty industry and are dedicated to
selecting the essentials that they know you will love. Each month, you
will receive a beautifully crafted box with full size and luxury size
beauty items.

Let us do the work! BOXYCHARM removes the hassle of picking the right
beauty products. The beauty items are carefully selected to promote
creativity and glamour. Your BOXYCHARM also includes a card with a
description of the beauty items received, keeping you savvy and excited
about your new items. It’s also a great idea for a gift! Our BOXYCHARM
can be delivered to your friends and family for any special occasion. So
what are you waiting for? Be charmed!

And just to add, it’s $21 a month and you get 5 full size products.

BoxyCharm sent me August’s box in the hopes that I would feature the contents in a blog post. I’m not paid to write this post and none of the links are affiliate — I just think this is a really awesome subscription box that you really get your money’s worth out of!

Stick around till the end of the post and I’ll break down how much this box is actually worth!

What’s Inside of BoxyCharm’s August Box?

Your products come in this cute box that has a printed ribbon and bow around it.

Each box that BoxyCharm sends out has a special theme to them. As you can see, August’s theme was all about the beach. 🙂 So it’s all about the bronzed and beautiful look. Let’s see if the product’s live up to this expectation!

And don’t forget to stop and appreciate the sweet message on their box 🙂

Packed with the product is this fun white and gold shredded paper. 🙂 As you can see, I received 5 FULL SIZE products in my box. They all were from brands I hadn’t heard of before, but looked like great quality.

The first thing I pulled out from the box was this makeup brush. It’s from Morphe Brushes and it’s they’re Powder Brush and it retails for $19.99. So, right there, this first product is almost the same price as the box itself (and we still have 4 products to go!)
The brush is very soft, though I’m not sure yet how it will work on applying bronzer…which is the next item in the box!

This product is called OFRA Cosmetics Americano Bronzer and is a pretty, powdery bronzed color.

(I apologize for this swatch not being so bright…I’ll work on it!) As you can see the bronzer appears to have just a little bit of shimmer/sparkle to it. I’m curious it see how this looks when I apply it on my skin. This bronzer retails for $35.

The third product I pulled out of the box was also from OFRA Cosmetics and it was their Eyeliner in Green Go.

This product retails for $13 and is a beautiful hunter green with shimmer.

This swatch was only once on my arm, and as you can see it looks really pretty. Not sure how I am going to use this eyeliner (I tend to just use black liners), but I look forward to trying!

Next up is the ModelCo‘s CHEEK + LIPS Cheek & Lip Tint in Rosy Red. I have never used a cheek stain before — I do use and love my cream blushes — but I am looking forward to trying this one out.

This product has really cute packaging — I love it! This full size product retails for $13.

So when you first squeeze it out, it looks like the picture above. Then…

As you blend it out, it has this jelly-ish texture and looks very bold and bright red. But…

Once you fully blend it out, it leaves your skin with this beautiful, natural summery blush. You only need the teeniest amount (I used too much in the swatches above), so this 0.04 oz tube will last you a very long time!

And the last product in the BoxyCharm’s August box was Tarina Tarantino’s Conditioning Lip Sheen!

This is one fancy lipstick, let me tell you! You wouldn’t believe how heavy-duty this tube feels when you hold it in your hand. It just feels high quality!

This full-size conditioning lip sheen retails for $22.

I love the feel of this lip sheen on my lips. It’s very velvety and smooth. And the color is perfect!

And that was all of the product’s in my August BoxyCharm box! 🙂 Did it hold up to it’s theme of Beach Babe? I think so! The bronzer, cheek tint, brush, and lip sheen are definitely perfect for the beach. The eyeliner doesn’t stand out to me as being ‘summery’, but it’s still pretty!

I love my BoxyCharm box and can’t wait to start using the products!

Let’s do the math!

OFRA Cosmetics’ Bronzer – $35

Tarina Tarantino Lip Sheen – $22

ModelCo Cheek & Lip Tint – $22

Morphe Powder Brush – $19.99

OFRA Cosmetics’ Eyeliner – $13

TOTAL = $111.99

Wow! So you’re paying $21 and you get 5 products that add up to over $100. That’s so impressive!

If you’ve never heard of BoxyCharm, I would encourage you to check them out! There are many subscription services out there, but I like that this one is at a reasonable monthly rate and gives you several products that are full size!

Question for My Readers: Do you want to see a makeup look where I use all of these products on my face?? Have you heard of BoxyCharm before today? Does it interest you?

I
received one or more of the products mentioned above from
BoxyCharm in the hopes that I would mention them on my blog. Regardless,
this does not guarantee a review or feature on my blog. I only share information that I think will be useful for my
readers and I only recommend
products I have personally used.

I only share information that I think will be useful for my
readers and I only recommend
products I have personally used. – See more at: https://frommyvanity.com/#sthash.o2HfZzJD.dpuf

I only share information that I think will be useful for my
readers and I only recommend
products I have personally used. – See more at: https://frommyvanity.com/#sthash.o2HfZzJD.dpufee

Maybelline Color Tattoo Leather Collection – is it Worth Getting (Makeup Review)

August 25, 2014 Katie Marie 5 Comments

It’s Monday, y’all!

I always get so excited at the start of another week. I truly enjoy working on From My Vanity and love putting these posts together for y’all. 🙂

Now let’s dive right into the review for today!

I purchased the products with my personal funds.

About Maybelline Eye Studio® Color Tattoo® Leather Collection…

So rich. So creamy. Only our cream gel eye shadow formula gets the look of couture leather so right.

Dare to wear Maybelline Color Tattoo leather 24HR long wear eye shadow.

– Ink technology creates 24HR wear shadow for our most intense, long-lasting color saturation.

– Cream eye shadow formula glides on without creasing and keeps color vibrant.

– Leather Lush with a creamy touch

My Review:

First Impression & Packaging…
I was really excited when I saw that this line was coming out, as I am a die-hard fan of matte colors. Not that I don’t like sparkle or shimmer — I do, on occasion — but my go-to type of eyeshadow is definitely matte. This new addition to the Color Tattoo collection is packaged just the same as the original colors.

Maybelline Color Tattoo Leather Collections Creamy Beige Eyeshadow Review

I bought the colors Creamy Beige and Vintage Plum from my local drugstore, as I knew these were two colors that I would use frequently. I was really excited to try out Creamy Beige, as it looked like a color that would be perfect to wear as the base to my eyeshadow.

Product & Application…
I was rather surprised when I found out that these two shades both swatched and applied differently from each other. As you can see in the picture below, Creamy Beige came off very rich and pigmented, whereas Vintage Plum was rather patchy and sheer.

I just swatched them both once on my arm. But just from that I knew I was going to like the Creamy Beige a lot more than the Vintage Plum. I’ve had the chance to try these both out on my lid over the past few weeks — both alone and with power eyeshadows on top. I definitely love — and constantly reach for — the Creamy Beige. On almost a daily basis! It’s just a great color to use as a base for my eyeshadows. And since (for me) it is just a few shades darker than my natural skin color, it suits me well for those natural eye looks.

The Vintage Plum comes off patchy (like in the swatch) but if you blend it in, it won’t have that patchy look anymore. Though it will be sheer. It still works well as a base under eyeshadows, though, and prolongs the staying power of my eyelooks — so at least I will still get use out of this product.

Major Likes & Dislikes…
The lasting power on both of these are great. I typically have oily eyelids and if I don’t have a primer underneath them my eyeshadows won’t last half the day. But I’ve used Creamy Beige under my eyeshadows (without a primer) and when I take my makeup off at night my eyeshadows still look as pigmented as when I first applied it!

A definite dislike would be the Vintage Plum. I like using purple in my eyeshadows (that was the color I used for my wedding eye look), so I was hoping this would be a rich base that would enhance the purple. But, as you can see from the swatches, it doesn’t apply well. And while you can blend out the patchy-ness, it leaves the color very sheer. I am able to build it up suitably, but it just takes extra work.

Final Thoughts…
From my experience (with just 2 out of the 5 colors), this looks like a hit and miss collection. The Vintage Plum is nice, but I don’t feel it gives off enough color to
be worth buying to wear under your purple eyeshadows. I, personally,
would just use Creamy Beige and then good, pigmented purples on top to
get a purple eyeshadow look.

(As if you can’t tell yet…) I definitely highly recommend you purchase the Creamy Beige. I think any woman would benefit from having this color in their collection, especially if you have a darker skintone. It works great for those natural, every-day eye looks. And even if you go for dramatic and colorful, it will still work great as a base and ensure that the look you worked so hard to blend to perfection will last all day long.

Question for My Readers: I’m trying to make my reviews more short, to the point, and not quiet so lengthy as I typically do that. Would you like that? Do the long reviews turn you off? Would you appreciate my reviews to be more concise? (I know this review wasn’t all that short, but I was reviewing two products 😉

I purchased the products mentioned above with my own
personal money. I was not compensated in any way for posting this
review. I only recommend products that I have used personally and
believe will be beneficial for my readers.