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There’s a new hair oil coming soon from Birchbox! (Beauty Review)

January 10, 2014 Katie Marie 17 Comments

Have you ever heard of Birchbox? It’s an awesome monthly subscription box that sends you new (or just-released) products to you at so that you can try new things at an awesome, low price! Well, I was given the opportunity to review a product that hasn’t even been released yet! I was super-excited to get to do this! I’ve heard such great things about Birchbox and am thrilled to try out one of the products that they offer on their website (or, in this case, will soonΒ offer! πŸ˜‰

https://www.niawigs.com/collections/u-part-wigs

So when the box arrived, I opened it to find a new addition to the Beauty Protector line that Birchbox sells on their website! This new product is called ‘Protect & Oil’ and it’s an Argan Oil for your hair. The Beauty Protector line’s moto is, “Never sacrifice condition for style” and the back of the bottle reads…

Keeps hair healthy, shiny, and happy. Beauty Protector Oil will guard against UV rays and heat, while it’s smoothing and strengthening qualities work tirelessly.

My Review…

The Packaging…
Beauty Protector did an outstanding job with the packaging for this new product. It’s in a beautiful black rubberized bottle with gold writing and designs. It has a little black pump handle on the top that allows you to get just the right amount of product out at a time. Not only do I not need to worry about this bottle breaking, but it’s also mess free and the pump assures me that I’ll be able to use every last drop of this amazing argan oil!

The Product…
I’ve been hearing a lot about Argan Oil recently and the magic it can do to your hair. Which made me even more excited to review Beauty Protector’s Protect & Oil, since I’ve never had the chance to use Argan Oil on my hair. πŸ˜€ The first thing I noticed when I used it was the fragrance of the oil. I don’t know what fragrance they use in this oil…but, wow, it smells amazing!! Every time I go to use Protect & Oil, I have to smell it. I can’t but a firm finger on the type of fragrance, but it reminds me of cotton candy! Sugary and sweet…the smell instantly sold me on this product! Haha, I know the argan oil will do wondersΒ for my frizzy hair, but any time you can find a product that works great AND smells great…you’ve struck gold!

I’ve only been able to use this product twice since receiving it early this week, but I can already see the difference it makes on my hair. Usually, when I let my hair air dry, it’s super frizzy by the time it has dried. When my hair was still damp from my shower, I used two pumps (I have long hair) of this Protect & Oil and distributed it evenly throughout my hair. When my hair finally dried (it usually takes a while!), I could see the difference right off! It wasn’t as frizzy any more and the ends didn’t look as bad (I’ve got some split ends”. It looked really healthy!

The oil isn’t a thick or sticky oil and I am easily able to distribute it throughout my hair. It doesn’t leave my hair looking greasy or shiny at all. For those of you who are not aware of the amazing benefits, Argan Oil is very hydrating to hair and rich with a lot of vitamins and nutrition that your hair needs. If you have damaged or unruly hair, look into Beauty Protector’s Protect & Oil!

Major Likes & Dislikes…
I’m sure you guessed this, but my major like about Protect & Oil is the smell! Oh my goodness! I wish I had a candle that smelled like this! It almost smells edible! πŸ˜€ I also really like the effects of Protect & Oil on my hair. Not only do I use it after washing my hair, but I also use it to add just a little shine to my hair when I’m styling it. And also a good amount on my ends to keep them healthy. πŸ™‚ Honestly, there’s nothing negative about this product. I’m not sure the price of this, but it’s really good size bottle for hair oil — 4 oz.

Final Thoughts…
I love Protect & Oil! It smells amazing, makes my hair look amazing, and I can’t wait to see what the long-term results do for my hair! If you have damaged or frizzy hair, this will do wonders for it, giving you beautiful styles and healthier hair.

https://www.niawigs.com/collections/straight-lace-wigs

I received this product from Birchbox in order to review. It was not required that I give a positive review, but solely to express my own thoughts and opinions of this product. I only recommend products and/or services I have personally used or experienced and that I believe will be good for my readers.

Uncategorized Beauty Review, Birchbox

Goody Athletique has done a fabulous job creating Ouchless headbands! (Product Review)

December 20, 2013 Katie Marie 10 Comments

Today’s the last review for Influenster’s Violet Voxbox! I hope you’ve enjoyed seeing the new goodies and will keep an eye out for these winners (like today’s review) when you go shopping next. πŸ™‚

If you missed any reviews, just click the links to go read my review on them — Unboxing/First Impressions, Not Your Mother’s Clean Freak, SoyJoy Fruit Bar, Sally Hansen Triple Shine Nail Polish, and Montagne Jeunesse Clay Spa Masks.

About Goody Athletique Ouchless Headwrap…


Goody AthlΓ©tique provides hold and comfort so you can be physically active and strong in body and mind.

Ouchless Quick Dry Headwraps


Moisture-wicking fabric keeps you cool and dry

Reversible design gives you two looks in one 




My Review…

How it Wears…
For those that don’t know me, I really enjoy wearing headbands. They’re quick and fun and keep my hair out of my way. The only major problem I always have is that I get really bad headaches behind my ears when I wear them for any length of time. So I put Goody Athletique Headwrap to the test and wore it all day…and never felt a headache at all!

This really thrilled me, as did the fact that, because of the Velcro in the back, I was able to wear it to fit my head perfectly and it never started slipping. The color I got to review was in black, so I’ve been able to wear this on MANY occasions — it’s really easy to glam this up or just use it to keep all your hair out of your face on a regular day.

Major Likes…
That it doesn’t give me ANY headache!! I am so thankful to have finally found a headband that I can wear without having to take it off mid-day because of the headache I have.

Major Dislikes…
None really….the band IS pretty wide, so I wouldn’t have minded if it was a bit thinner. But maybe I just have a small head. πŸ™‚

Final Thoughts…
This is a great headband to have in your collection! I know this is geared toward women who work out (it’s supposed to soak up sweat and such), but I’ve loved it just as a way to style my hair for any given day. πŸ™‚ Two thumbs up from me!

I received this product from Influenster for free in order to review. It was not required that I give a positive review, but solely to express my own thoughts and opinions of this product, which I have done. I only recommend products and/or services that I have personally used or experienced and that I believe will be good for my readers.

Uncategorized Beauty Review, Influenster, Product Reviews

A neat idea behind the Montagne Jeunesse Clay Spas masks (Skincare Review

December 19, 2013 Katie Marie 7 Comments

I hope y’all have been liking these reviews every day. Next week I will resume my normal schedule of posting only on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. If you have any other suggestions or recommendations, you know I love to hear from you! Just leave me a comment below! πŸ˜€

About Montagne Jeunesse…

Breathe life back into skin with intensely invigorating and revitalizing Dead Sea Minerals. We’ve harvested the oceans nutrient rich Seaweed and Kelp right from the source – A satisfying boost for thirsty skin and then some!

Start your new weekly skincare regime with Montagne Jeunesse Clay Spas, three NEW ground-breaking face masques that deliver a unique, enhanced cleansing experience. Specially sourced clays are infused into natural bamboo fabric making deep cleansing your skin quicker, easier and more convenient than ever before – creating a whole new type of face masque, a world’s first in face care!
Places you can connect with Montagne Jeunesse…
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest

My Review…

First Impression…
I’ve always enjoyed doing a mask on a weekly basis for my skin. I can tell the difference in my skin — masks help keep my acne from getting bad and just all around gives my skin a very lively and fresh appearance. I was thrilled to get a Montagne Jeunesse mask to try in my Voxbox. I hadn’t heard of this company before, but sheet masks are becoming pretty popular and I haven’t tried one yet. πŸ™‚

Application…
The directions were pretty easy to follow — just pull it out of the package, unfold it, and place it over your face. Well, the first problem for me was that the face sheet was way too big for my petite face! Which posed a very big problem when I was trying to make sure my face was all covered with the sheet and still be able to see out of the mask. πŸ˜› Let me tell you, it was quiet a comical picture that was staring at me from the bathroom mirror! πŸ˜› But, before that, the biggest thing that turned me off about this product was the smell. I got the Red Earth Clay Spa in Pomegranate…and I now know that I do not like the smell of pomegranate! After I finally got it situated on my face, I was very near gagging from the overpowering smell as I waited out the ten minutes.

Major Likes & Major Dislikes…
I think I’ve already mentioned, above, what my major dislikes were. I really don’t mean to sound totally negative about this product — those were just two big issues I had with this mask…and they are a big part of this mask – the size and smell. There were some positive things I can say about this mask, though. For one, it was very refreshing on my skin. I wouldn’t say it left my skin totally moisturized afterwards (I still applied my night time moisturizer), but it felt very soft and clear. I felt like it toned down the red, inflamed areas of my face very nicely and, since using that mask, a lot of areas on my face that looked like they were about to get a really bad ‘acne outbreak’ have cleared up. πŸ™‚ So this is a major plus for me — I’m always battling acne.

Final Thoughts…
I can’t say I loved this product, or that I would even use it again. If they came in different sizes — for petite girls like me πŸ˜‰ — I would definitely give these masks another try. Just not anything with pomegranates in it!

Do I recommend this product? If you have a more average-size face (that sounds weird saying it that way, lol!) and don’t have a dislike for weird-smelling things on your face, I would definitely recommend you give one a try! They aren’t very expensive, so just purchasing one to test out on your face — see how your skin reacts…and how YOU like it — would be a good idea. πŸ™‚

Question for Readers: Have you tried one of these Montagne Jeunesse masks?? Did you like it? If you haven’t tried one of these before, what masks do you use in your skin care routine? Please share with me in the comments below! πŸ™‚

I received this product from Influenster for free in order to review. It was not required that I give a positive review, but solely to express my own thoughts and opinions of this product, which I have done. I only recommend products and/or services that I have personally used or experienced and that I believe will be good for my readers.

Uncategorized Beauty Review, Influenster, Skincare Review

This is ‘Not Your Mother’s’ Clean Freak Dry Shampoo! (Beauty Review)

December 17, 2013 Katie Marie 9 Comments

The first product I’m going to review (from the box of products I received from Influenster) is the dry shampoo from Not Your Mother’s.

About Not Your Mother’s Clean Freak….

Get that perfect hair (and the perfect guy!) before all the other girls. Expect more room on your social calendar because this salon formula dry shampoo will have you and your hair ready for a night out on the town.

Absorbs excess oils
Cleans without water
Light matte finish






My Review…

First Impression…
I like the packaging of ALL Not Your Mother’s hair products, and Clean Freak
is just as eye-appealing. I love how the can is mostly white but with the grassy look at the top it really adds something unique. I just think the packaging looks so high end. πŸ™‚ As I said in my post yesterday, this product was the one I was the most excited to try…so, of course, it’s the one I’m going to review on here first. πŸ™‚

The Product & Application…
The nozzle on this can is really perfect — I love how it sprays out and really gives you a strong stream, but not too much product, in my opinion. It’s very misty and, when I used it, it didn’t leave any white residue in my hair. Which I was very thankful for! πŸ™‚ The smell for this product is really hard to put a finger on…(I’m really bad at naming scents)…but it’s kind of close to an air freshener scent….but not the kind of air freshener I like. Haha! πŸ˜› It is pretty strong when you first spray it, but it goes away very quickly and doesn’t linger in your hair at all. So not a big deal for me. I sprayed it at my (very oily) roots and after letting it sit for a minute, I used a brush to make sure it was dispersed throughout my hair. The oily-ness was instantly gone! It gave my hair a very matte, fresh look that I want when I have 2 or 3-day old hair.


Major Likes…
The best part about this dry shampoo was that it didn’t make my hair feel all cakey/dirty. Usually, with the dry shampoos I’ve used in the past, after I use them my hair feels really heavy, cakey, and…just all around yucky. It’ll looks clean, but it’ll feel dirty. But! With Not Your Mother’s Clean Freak
, it doesn’t do that! Even now — a day after I used the dry shampoo in my hair — my hair still feels great. Not really oily, either! This is a great bonus for me, since I personally don’t like washing my hair every time I shower — it’s healthier to let your hair several days before washing. So, all that said, the fact that this Clean Freak
not only made my hair look clean, but feel clean to, made me fall in love with this dry shampoo!

Major Dislikes…
It would have to be the smell. While it isn’t bad…it is pretty weird when you are using the stuff on your hair. I am really thankful that it doesn’t linger more than a minute or two. With this kind of smell, though, it might not bother some people. It might just be a quirk of mine. But even though it doesn’t smell the greatest, I still plan to use this bottle up and purchase this for my use in the future. The smell doesn’t last long and the results of this product is awesome and does last long. πŸ™‚

Final Thoughts…
If you haven’t guess — after reading all my remarks above — I really, really like this product and highly recommend it! The smell is the only slight draw-back to this product — if Not Your Mother’s fixed that, this would be an instant holy grail of mine. πŸ™‚ In comparison with my previous experiences using other dry shampoos, Not Your Mother’s Clean Freak
is the best I’ve ever used!

I received this product from Influenster for free in order to review. It was not required that I give a positive review, but solely to express my own thoughts and opinions of this product, which I have done. I only recommend products and/or services that I have personally used or experienced and that I believe will be good for my readers.

Uncategorized Beauty Review, Influenster, Product Reviews

What’s In My Mailbox? Influenster!

December 16, 2013 Katie Marie 8 Comments

It’s been a little while since I’ve had anything show up in my mailbox to share with y’all, but this past week I got another box from Influenster to review called the Violet Voxbox. πŸ™‚ Because of my temporary break from blogging the last two weeks (explained in a post here), I’m a little bit behind in reviewing the items I got in the box. So this week it’s going to be exclusively “Violet Voxbox Reviews”.

For those of you who don’t know about Influenster, it’s a “…community of trendsetters, social media masterminds, and educated consumers who live to give opinions of products and experiences.” When you are active in the Influenster community (sharing reviews and thoughts on products), Influenster invites you to participate in exclusive Voxbox programs where they sent out a box filled with things to try and review.

If you are at all interested in joining, please let me know in the comments below and I will be happy to send you a personal invite to join! πŸ™‚

The neat part is that you don;t have to have a blog or YouTube channel in order to participate. If all you have is Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, you can still join in on the Voxbox’s and review your products through those social medias. πŸ™‚

Okay, so enough of an introduction! πŸ™‚ Let’s get into this Violet VoxBox!

For my Voxbox, I opened it to find it packed with several different items. πŸ™‚

– Goody Athletique Ouchless Headwrap, Adjustable

– Not Your Mother’s Clean Freak (Dry Shampoo)



– SoyJoy Baked Whole Soy & Fruit Bar



– Montagne Jeunesse Red Earth Clay Spa


– Sally Hansen Triple Shine Nail Polish in Make Waves




So let’s do a quick rundown of my first impression of all these products…

Goody Athletique Ouchless Headwrap…
I was really happy to receive this in my voxbox. I enjoy wearing headbands — they’re easy, but still looks like you did something to your hair — but the problem I always have with wearing headbands is that I get a bad headache behind my ears and a little below the occipital bone. So I was all up for trying a new type of headband to see if I can find one that doesn’t give me a headache when I wear it. (I’ll inform you of whether this gave me a headache or not in my review of this headband later this week. Stay tuned! πŸ™‚

Not Your Mother’s Clean Freak…
For me personally — since I am all about the hair after going through Cosmetology school — this was the item I was most excited about getting in my Violet Voxbox. πŸ™‚ I have only tried one other product from the Not Your Mothers line, but I loved that one and so am thrilled that I get to try something else from that line. These bottles are the perfect size to try something new — and to use if I go on a trip, too! πŸ™‚

SoyJoy Baked Whole Soy & Fruit Bar…
I think it’s so fun when they include some sort of food in the Voxbox. (My favorite was when they sent chocolate!! πŸ˜‰ I’ve actually never tried anything by SoyJoy in the past. This bar looked yummy and healthy, so I was intrigued to try and see if it tasted as yummy as it looked. The problem I always have when I get food to review is to decide when I’m going to try it. Haha! Call me weird, but I just like to ‘review’ them and try them at a time when I would normally eat something like that — in this case, when I would normally eat a snack. πŸ™‚

Montagne Jeunesse Red Earth Clay Spa…
This was another product I was excited to receive! With my acne-prone skin, I really like doing mud masks to help keep any bacteria purged from my skin so it doesn’t give me acne. I’ve never tried this sort of sheet-mask before (I just use a clay powder I mix with water), so I am really curious how this is going to be. I plan on using the mask tonight, before I go to bed, so we shall see how well it works! πŸ™‚

Sally Hansen Triple Shine Nail Polish…
Last, but certainly not least, was this nail polish. For those who know me, they know I always enjoy painting my nails, so I was thrilled to get another bottle to add to my collection — and I didn’t have this type of color before, so all the better. πŸ™‚ If you follow me on my Instagram, you know that I’ve already used it to great a winter-themed nail art. So far I’m loving how shiny it’s staying. The real test is to see how long it goes before it starts chipping. My nail polish ALWAYS chips quickly, so I’m hoping this TripleShine by Sally Hansen will withstand the test of time on my nails. πŸ™‚

Well, there you have it! Those are the products I got last week. Stay tuned to tomorrow’s post, as I will be reviewing one of the items I’ve just mentioned.

Question for Readers: Out of all the products I received, which are YOU most intrigued about? πŸ™‚


I received this product for free from Influenster in order to review. 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. I only recommend products and/or services I have personally used or experienced and that I believe will be good for my readers.

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Uncategorized First Impressions, Influenster, What's in My Mailbox

I’m Back! (With Pictures! ;-)

December 13, 2013 Katie Marie 10 Comments

Greetings everyone! I know I’ve been gone longer than I had at first told y’all…but I promise there was a good reason for it. And I’m going to explain why below. πŸ™‚ Since it’s been over 13 days since I’ve really been on the computer, I’ve got a good amount of catching up to do — but I promise to be back in full swing next week. πŸ™‚

So, as those of you who read my previous post (here) knew, my fiance was coming into town the first week of December. Which is why I took a break from blogging — this is the last time he will be able to visit until the wedding, so I wanted to enjoy every moment I had with him while he was here. πŸ™‚

Because he is trying to save up leave for my wedding (and my brothers wedding 2 months after mine), he was only able to plan a 8 day trip down here. I was so excited, as you may imagine — I hadn’t seen him since August (when he came and proposed) and those 104 days between visits was VERY long!

We had a few things planned for his visit, but mostly we just wanted to be together most! And that’s what we were able to do. πŸ™‚ During that time my friend Kait did a photoshoot with us. All the pictures turned out SO well and I really enjoyed the whole experience. Dan and I went with my brother and his fiance — lots of fun with those two!

Oh, and by the way, we also confirmed our wedding date and did a bunch of planning together while he was here. So it’s all official, I’ll be getting married…

April 26th, 2014

So, moving on, his 8 day trip went by far too quickly. Saturday morning arrived and I was gearing myself up to say goodbye to him…when he found out that his flight was cancelled!

CANCELLED!! πŸ˜€

With all the strange weather we’ve been having down here — getting warm, then cold, then warm again — the plans were iced over and a lot of flights got cancelled that day.

So, after Dan spent MANY hours on the phone that Saturday, he got another flight that left 6AM Tuesday morning.

πŸ˜€

This was a huge surprise and blessing! πŸ˜€ I was stoked at the thought of getting two more WHOLE days to be with him! They went by pretty quickly — time always flies when you’re having a good time, lol!

Tuesday morning came around and I woke up VERY early with my dad to take Dan to the airport. We got there, said our goodbyes, and Dad and I drove off. I remember thinking, when we left, that I should’ve hugged him just one more time…one moment longer…

Us posing with Aaron& Rachel (June Wedding)

Anyway, so we’d almost got all the way home when Dan called us and said his flight was cancelled!

Again!!

I am not joking! So we turned around and I tried to recover from the emotional rollercoaster ride I felt like I was on as we drove back to the airport to pick him up. His newΒ flight wouldn’t leave until Wednesday afternoon. This unexpected delay is eating into his leave time, but we are resting that in the Lord’s hands and will trust in Him to know how much leave time we need for the coming weddings. πŸ™‚

And so, now I have pretty much caught you up to date — his flight Wednesday afternoon wasn’t cancelled and he left on time. I made sure to get in the extra hug, too! πŸ™‚ The countdown until I see him next has begun again…

134 days to go.

Lord willing, it will pass swiftly — and in the meantime I will enjoy my family while I am here with them and start planning a wedding ceremony that will, I pray, both glorify God and honor my parents. πŸ™‚

I hope y’all enjoyed looking at the pictures from our engagement shoot. For those of you who follow me on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter, you’ve probably already seen them. If you don’t follow me on any of these places yet, I encourage you to! I often post about things I don’t mention here on my blog. πŸ™‚

Oh, and as a quick P.S. to this post, yesterday I was officially done with Cosmetology school! All I have to do now is make an appointment to go in and take my boards exam to be licensed as a professional cosmetologist in Florida! Yay!!

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Uncategorized Announcements, News

Studio Gear has come out with a Smokey Eye Palette for the Holidays! (Beauty Review)

November 29, 2013 Katie Marie 11 Comments

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Today I’m really excited to bring you this product review for Studio Gear’s Holiday Smokey Eye Palette. let’s dive right in!

PLEASE NOTE: This product is currently available for the special introductory price of $25 at the Studio Gear website only! And to make that even sweeter, Studio Gear gave me a coupon code to share with my readers for 10% off of your purchase. Use code: SGHOLIDAY at checkout

(*hint hint* This palette would make a great gift this Christmas season! πŸ˜‰

The Brand…

Founded by industry veterans Steve Rohr and John Avolio, Studio Gear Cosmetics is a prestigous cosmetics brand featuring a full collection of professional makeup brushes, revolutionalizing complexion formulas, and a wide selection of color products for the eyes, cheeks, and lips. Since 1996, Studio Gear has been on set at hundreds of professional photo shoots, in the beauty departments of Bloomingdales, Macy’s, Dillard’s, HSN and ULTA, and also in the everyday woman’s makeup bag. This is a line created true to the concept that every woman deserves professional, high quality cosmetics at a reasonable price.
Connect with Studio Gear:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StudioGearCosmetics

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SGearCosmetics

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/studiogear

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/studiogearcosmetics

The Product…

Be radiant on any occasion with this sultry, shimmery palette of dramatic shades – perfect for creating a classic smoky eye look, with a hint of unexpected golden glimmer. This collection of four complimentary eye shadows with matching blush deliver several day to night options that are both seductive and wearable. With pure color, pigment-rich formulations, you’ll be sure to smolder all night!

Includes white, silver, gold, and coal eye shadows and a perfect pink blush. 

This palette is available on our website and at select ULTA BEAUTY locations (starting in December).
My Review…

This is what the cover of the palette
looks like after you slide it out of the
protective casing

First Impression…
The packaging is really nice – very compact and visually appealing. (Another reason this palette would make a great gift for someone. πŸ˜‰ The palette has a strong magnetic close to it, so once you let it fall closed you don’t have to worry about it accidentally opening. The step-by-step instructions that they include inside is really handy, especially if you are a beginner with eyeshadow or you are gifting this palette to someone who is a beginner.

The selection of colors for this palette was very “holiday appropriate” with the gold, silver and sparkles. I could totally see someone using this palette to make a beautiful, sparkling smokey eye for a Christmas Eve event. The blush was totally matte, but it did have some very tiny, subtle shimmer in it. As I said above, very appropriate for this holiday season. 

Without Eyeshadow Primer

The Application…
Okay, so I first swatched these colors on my arm without eye primer and wasn’t too impressed, honestly. The colors did show up, but not very pigmented at all. And the glitter shadows (Frost and Glimmer) showed up more as just glitter than eye shadow. However, with that said, I did go back and swatch these on top of a primer (picture below) and was very pleased with how well the colors showed up that time. The glitter shadows had a lot more color in them. They show up really well when applied with a brush on the eyes, but I prefer using my fingers to apply it as I feel I get a more pigmented, richer application. 

The colors lasted very well on my eyelids. Let me say, though, that I tend to have very oily eyelids and any eyeshadow that I put on without a primer will crease, no matter what. But with a primer, these shadows lasted as long as I’d expect them to and about how long my other eyeshadows last (that are from LORAC, Wet n Wild, Physicians Formula). 

Please Note: These eyeshadows were swatched on my arm. I have a light/medium olive skintone, so these eyeshadows would definitely show up (especially the gold) if you have a lighter skinetone than I do. πŸ™‚

With Eyeshadow Primer

Major Likes…
Out of all the eye colors in this palette, I found that I really liked Platinum the best. It was a beautiful silver that matched a lot of my outfits. And when I used that along with the Coal shade, I was able to get a great smokey eye. I personally prefer the darker eye looks, so this palette is right up my alley. 

As for the blush, I’ll be honest and say that I initially thought I wouldn’t like it — it had a glittery/shimmer finish and since I have pretty oily skin, I usually stay away from shimmer as it makes my oiliness look worse. I use a very light hand when I apply this, but I was really surprised and pleased with the results. It gave my cheeks a very nice, natural glow to them. And since this palette is meant for the holidays and to use with a smokey eye, I can imagine having a blush with some shimmer would be really good for an evening event — to help keep the glow in your face, even in dim lighting.

Swatch of the blush. Very pretty!
No primer of any kind.

Major Dislikes…
I stated this before, but I’ll mention it again — I’m not a fan of glitter. I enjoy some shimmer in my eyeshadows on occasion, but don’t like the chunky-looking glitter that I see in some shadows. So, as you may guess, I wasn’t as big a fan of the Frost and Glimmer shadows as someone who liked glitter might be. I noticed that out of all the shadows, the glittery shades would start to loose the pigmentation first, leaving the lids with just a glittery mess. This is not something I enjoy – at all – and so I find that I tend to leave these two colors alone, for the most part. 

That’s really all that I have to say for dislikes. The colors weren’t super vivid/pigmented, but with a primer I was very pleased with the color payoff. 

Final Thoughts…
All in all, the Holiday Smokey Eye Palette is a very nice palette to give to someone this season. And with the special introductory price of $25, I’d say this palette is very well worth it! Especially if you (or whoever you might gift this to) is more into glitter than I am. With that said, the regular retail price ($40) seems kind of high for a palette with 4 shadows and a blush — especially when the pigmentation isn’t totally out-of-this-world. So, make sure that if you want to buy this palette, buy it NOW while it is on sale! I have no idea how long the introductory sale will last…but don’t miss it!

And don’t forget — use the coupon code SGHOLIDAY when you checkout to get 10% off your online order!

Also Note: I just saw that this palette is given as a free deluxe gift with all orders made over $50 on Studio Gear for the month of November. So now is REALLY the time! πŸ˜€

READERS: What do you think? Is this something you’d give as a gift? Or get for yourself to use this holiday season? 

I received these product from StudioGear for free in order to review. It was not required that I give a positive review, but solely to express my own thoughts and opinions of this product, which I have done. I only recommend products and/or services that I have personally used or experienced and that I believe will be good for my readers. This post is sponsored by BrandBacker.

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Uncategorized Beauty Review, BrandBacker

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