Beauty, Skincare, and a bit of Lifestyle
With Christmas only days away, I’m sharing a eyeshadow look with you that is perfect for any holiday parties you have planned. 🙂 Thanks for checking it out, gals!
Easy, Pink 3D Liquid Lustre Eyeshadow Tutorial
[Read more…]
I know just about EVERYONE is posting about the many Black Friday deals, so I almost feel like this post will be in vain…but I do want to share a few with you all today. These are the beauty-related Black Friday Sales that piqued the most interest for me.
If you want a complete list of Black Friday beauty deals, I would recommend visiting NouveauCheap’s list. She’s amazing. 🙂
My list is not extensive, but they are some of the top ones I would recommend you checking out! 🙂
10 Black Friday Deals Happening NOW!
Sephora
This is the one we’ve all been waiting for! Sephora keeps their Black Friday deals VERY close to their chest until the actual day. The biggest savings are on their $10 Beauty Deals. From Makeup Forever, to Bite Beauty….there are dozens of sets to choose from. And the value of each set ranges from around $15 all the way up to $34.
Also, don’t forget to see what free deluxe sample you can get free with your order. I’ve never seen so many to choose from as there are up on the website right now!
Laura Geller
If you’ve been eying some of her products, NOW is the perfect time to try them out. Use the code FRIDAY25 to get 25% off of any order. Or, if you’ve got a lot of things in the cart and it totals over $100, use the code FRIDAY30 to get 30% off your order. And if your order is over $50, you get free shipping.
E.L.F.
While they do have a BLACKFRIDAY code you can use to get a “Buy One, Get One Half Off” sale, I think there code CYBERMONDAY will get you the most savings. In order for this code to work, add $70 worth of products into your cart, then type in the code, and — BAM — it should bring the total down to $35 and you will get free shipping along with that. Pretty sweet deal, don’t you think?
Too Faced
Now is a great time to try out their Better Then Sex
mascara! If you
purchase one of them, you can get 50% off another item on their site.
The biggest deal that I am really tempted to snag is their Natural at Night palette
— regularly $35, it will be only $15!! Now that is a sweet deal!
FOREO
If you aren’t familiar with them, they’re famous for their iconic
LUNA™ range. And they’ll be kicking off Thanksgiving weekend today (starting at
8:00am PST sharp) by offering various discounts of up to 30% off on all
purchases at FOREO.com. What’s the catch? Each offer will
only last a maximum of two hours, so getting in early is a must! Visit mineallmine.foreo.com to learn about FOREO’s special offer and how to attain and redeem the promo codes.
Paula’s Choice
I’ve enjoyed many skincare products from Paula’s Choice. If you have very senstive skin, or have been wondering why your skin is reacting to different products, this is a website you NEED to check out!
But, anyways, for Cyber Week they’re 15% off everything and FREE shipping at PaulaChoice.com! (Valid 11/25 at 9pm PST – 12/07 9pm PST. Cannot be combined with other offers. Free shipping applies to US + Canada only)
LORAC
Y’all know I have a BIG love for all things that LORAC makes, so their Black Friday sale especially caught my eye. For the big day they are offering 25% off their site. That means you can get the Pro or Pro2 palette for only $31.50! Also, on all orders you will get free shipping AND an eyelash curler. No matter the size of your order!
Ulta
As usual, they’ve got a lot of great deals. Several of them are already sold out, so go HERE to view their ad. They keep it updated on what is out of stock.
At the time of writing this post there is still the Butter London sets of polishes that are only $15 (regularly $30) and Big Sexy Hair products that are only $6.99 each (regularly $17.95).
But, like I said, check out the ad I linked above to see what’s still available.
BH Cosmetics
Save up to 75% off on their website right now! From palettes to brushes….you’re sure to find a great deal here. Have you been eying the That’s Heart palette
? You can get TWO of them for only $9.95. That’s a steal!
They have so many great deals, I really can’t go over them all here. So be sure to hope over and check them out!
The Body Shop
The biggest thing I’m excited for is their limited edition tote bag. It’s not just any tote bag — it’s filled with some of The Body Shop’s most popular items. So the deal is, if you spend $30 on other products, you can get this filled tote bag for an additional $30. It might sound like a lot, but this tote bag values at $125, so you’re saving a good chunk of change right there!
That’s all I have for you today! Go shopping and have fun!
And I’ll be back on Monday to share the with you 10 Cyber Monday deals that I wanted to make sure y’all are aware of.
Out of the five different holiday gift sets that LORAC has brought out this season (that I have seen), I have three of them to share with you today. 🙂 I was fortunate enough to receive them just yesterday to try out and share some awesome pictures with you gals. This isn’t my official review, but just some initial thoughts and close-up pictures to see if they’re worth the price. 🙂
I am not a hoarder — as my hubby, I throw out anything that’s not useful (especially product boxes). But with these boxes….I honestly am going to have a hard time throwing them away. They’re so pretty and they feel so special! Good job, LORAC!!
The Details: LORAC rules this season with The Royal Lip Lustre Creme Set. Give your lips the Royal treatment with our luxuriously creamy and delightfully smooth Lip Glosses that are loaded with antioxidants of Acai Berry, Pomegranate, Grape Seed and Vitamins A,C & E to help protect and
soothe your luscious, regal pout. This Royal family of Lip Lustre Cremes comes complete with 6 magnificent, high-shine shades that are fit for a Queen. Own the throne with The Royal Lip Lustre Creme Set!
Colors included are…
Empress – exclusive Pink Mauve
Princess – exclusive Pink
Enchanted – exclusive Peach Nude
Reign – Berry
Crown Jewel – Cherry Red
Tiara – Nude
My Initial Thoughts: The first obvious perk to this set is that it’s the least expensive out of the three I’m mentioning today and you receive the most products. I like that this set covers just about the whole color wheel when it comes to mandatory lip colors. From nude, to pink, to red, to mauve…it’s all here in this collection.
I noticed that three of these colors are exclusive. If you’re a collector and a lip junkie…than that’s instantly a major plus to this collection. I got excited when I saw that this was a lustre creme lipgloss. I love creamy lip products! But while this lip product is very pigmented, it still has the sheerness and feel of a regular lipgloss. I was a bit disappointed that it wasn’t like a liquid lipstick. But for lipglosses, these are great products. They have a really nice smell to them, too. Not overpowering, but definitely a fruity fragrance. Call my weird, but I love for my lip products to smell fruity!
THE BOTTOM LINE: If you’re a lip junkie…you really can’t ask for a better deal. It’s like getting these six glosses (regularly $15 each) for a little over $4 a piece. That’s a crazy deal — that’s cheaper than some drugstore lip glosses! Need I say more? 🙂
The Details: LORAC rules this season with The Royal 3D Liquid Lustre Set. Give your eyes the Royal treatment with our pastel, princess-inspired,
long-lasting, shimmering top coat. These shades can be applied over eye shadow or worn individually on eyes and cheeks for luminous, prismatic, 3-Dimensional sparkle and shine. Own the throne with The Royal 3D Liquid Lustre Set!
Colors included are…
Opal
24K
Rose Quartz
Amethyst
My Initial Thoughts: I saw Tati from Glam Life Guru talk about LORAC’s 3D Liquid Luster set last season and was really intrigued. (Side Note: If you’re not watching Tati’s videos….stop now and go subscribe to her channel. She does awesome makeup reviews!) While you know I am a big “matte shadows” fan, I do like some sparkle in my life every now and then. So I’m really excited about this collection.
It was really hard to try to get these liquid lusters to show up in pictures, but just take my word for it — they’re 100% more beautiful in person. 🙂 And keep in mind that this is also without any shadow underneath them. If I review these in depth on my blog, I will share pictures of my eyes before and after applying these liquid lusters. I think this set is really beautiful — and you’re getting a great value for the price! The only thing I can not vouch for is how well they hold up throughout the day and if they crease. But since I’ve heard Tati give these a thumbs up more than once in her videos, I’m pretty sure they’ll do great.
THE BOTTOM LINE: It’s a great set, for the price, especially if you’re all about the eyes. 🙂 The one drawback I noticed is that some of these colors are rather similar. Different, but very close. One idea to consider would be to purchase the gift set for yourself and 3 friends. (If you don’t like having excess makeup, that is. 🙂
The Details: LORAC rules this season with The Royal PRO Eye Collection. Give your eyes the Royal treatment and go PRO with products that are fit for a Queen. The Royal Pocket Pro includes Gold from the original Pro Palette, Cocoa from the Pro Palette 2, and an exclusive pro shade in Ivory, all in our velvety-smooth, long-lasting formula. Own the throne with The Royal Pro Eye Collection!
Items included are…
Royal Pocket Pro Eyeshadow Palette – exclusive
Front of the Line Pro Liquid Eyeliner
Pro Mascara
My Initial Thoughts: The practical side of me definitely comes out when I view this palette. Since mascara and eyeliner are products that everyone needs and goes through rather quickly, Mrs. Practicality instantly piped up and said “Totally worth the money!”. And she’s right. 🙂 I’ve gone through a Front of the Lines Pro Liquid Liner in the past, and loved it. I had it in the color Brown, so I’m excited to see how pigmented and dark their Black is. I’ve never tried out their mascara or the pocket palette (of course, lol), but this 3-piece collection is just a few dollars more than purchasing a single liquid liner. So…yeah, that’s a pretty good deal.
And the pocket palette looks very promising! As you can see in the swatches, they’re very creamy and pigmented — in tried-and-true, Lorac Pro fashion. 🙂 So I honestly don’t see myself not liking this palette. I like that it only has 3 shadows. I think this will come in handy when traveling. The colors are very neutral and could make a complete eyelook by themselves if needed. I can’t wait to use it — especially CoCoa and Ivory, since I don’t own the Lorac Pro 2 palette.
THE BOTTOM LINE: If you’re a practical gal — or buying a gift for a practical gal — than this is definitely the gift set for you. It has products you will definitely put to good use and also an exclusive mini palette. 🙂
Question for My Readers: If you were to purchase one of these gift sets….which would you pick? Or if you have already purchased a gift set from LORAC’s 2014 Holiday gift set, which set did you buy?
I received one or more of the products mentioned above from Lorac Cosmetics 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 and liked.
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!
About LORAC‘s PRO Matte Lip Colors
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?
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.
In celebration of rebranding my blog, LORAC was kind enough to send me a few of their new lipsticks to try out and give away to one of my awesome subscribers!
The lipsticks they sent are from their newly-released PRO Matte Lip Color pencil line. I was really intrigued when I read about these lipsticks, as they have a matte finish (I prefer that over shimmery) and come in a twist-up tube as opposed to a typical lipstick bullet. This really goes well with their whole “Pro-To-Go” theme — twisting up this skinny tube of lipstick makes applying it a dream!
But I’m getting a bit ahead of myself. Let’s take a closer look at the product line before we go on.
About LORAC PRO Matte Lip Color:
So when I received these products, as per the usual, I popped them out of their boxes and swatched it. LORAC sent me the color Mauve — a really beautiful matte color!
Now, I’ve only had the opportunity to wear this lip color once, so this post will not be my review of the product. That will come later. 🙂 But so far, just from the swatch and wearing it once, I am really loving this product!
I think my favorite aspect is that it’s really thin and twists up, which makes applying this to my lips really easy. For me, easier than a regular lipstick bullet.
So, if you would like to win your own LORAC PRO Matte Lip Color…now is your chance! 🙂
Rules: Since this giveaway is a celebration of rebranding my blog from Legacy of a Writer to From My Vanity, it’s going to be all about connecting with my updated social media handles! This giveaway is exclusive to GFC followers of my blog — and if you aren’t a follower yet, you can do it right now at the top, right side of my blog. 🙂 USA entries, only. If you are younger than 18, please get your parents permission, as I will need to know your mailing address. This giveaway will run for 3 weeks and end at midnight on September 10th, 2014.
So, now that that’s all over, enter away!! 😀
I
received one or more of the products mentioned above for free from LORAC. Regardless, I only recommend
products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my
readers.
Today, as promised, I have the last review for the batch of products that LORAC sent me a few months ago. I’ve really enjoyed trying this brand out, and am really impressed and pleased with their products — even found some favorites to add to my makeup routine! 🙂
For those who might want to find out what other makeup products I reviewed for LORAC, here are the links below.
Get UNZIPPED and unleash your natural beauty with LORAC’S universally flattering nude eye shadow palette. Create unlimited head-turning looks with the MINI Behind The Scenes Eye Primer for long-lasting color and 10 ultra-rich, shimmering and matte shadows in a super sexy, nude palette. LORAC: UNZIPPED, UNCENSORED and UNBELIEVABLE!
My Review…
First Impressions…
I’m honestly not a very into pink — I tend to go for darker, more neutral colors. But While this palette definitely is on the pink and rosey side of the color wheel, there were still some darker colors in the palette, and I was excited to try it out. When I swatched it for the first time, I was impressed with the pigmentation and buttery-softeness of all the shadows! As you can see for yourself in the pictures, all the colors show up really well. I didn’t apply primer underneath these swatches, either — I just applied one swipe on my arm of each color.
The Packaging…
The thing that I liked the most about the LORAC Unzipped Palette
is how slender and sleek it is. It’s really compact and has a strong magnetic closure – so no worries about it accidentally opening on you. 🙂 The palette is decorated in a very attractive way, with a neat gold zipper that surrounds the palette — it isn’t raised or anything, but still really attractive, sleek, and shiny. For having so many large eyeshadows in this palette, I think it’s really compact and very travel-friendly. Not only will it be secure during your travels, but you can get a light, every day look as well as a darker, smokier evening look. Very versatile!
 |
| Eye Look using Unreal and Unbridled |
The Product & Application…
As I already mentioned, the shadows are all very soft and almost have a ‘buttery’ feeling to them. They kind of remind me of the Wet ‘n’ Wild Color Icon trios…but better! 🙂 It’s really easy to create a simple but attractive look in just a few moments – like this eyelook on the right – or create a more elaborate evening look.
There can be a bit of fall out with these shadows, if you really try to pack it all on at once. But I found that when I build up the colors with thin layers, there isn’t as much fall-out. Either way, the fall out doesn’t me at all, as I always do my eye makeup before applying foundation.
Major Dislikes…
Nothing really stands out that I don’t like about the Unzipped Palette
. I do wish it had it’s own black color in the palette — it does have a dark maroon shade, but no black. And for me, I usually like to have my outer V to be really dark. So, for travel, I always feel like I need to include a black eyeshadow along with this palette in order to have a complete look. But this is just for me, personally — you might find that the dark maroon color in this palette is perfect for what you like.
 |
| Eye Look using Undercover, Unreal, Untamed, and a black(not included in palette) |
Major Likes…
I like a lot of things about this palette, from the compact design to the large size of the eyeshadows. The pigmentation is great, as I already mentioned. Oh, and I also really liked the names of the shadows in the Unzipped Palette
.
Starting at the top left and ending at the bottom right — “Undercover, Unbelievable, Unattainable, Unconditional, Unbridled, Undiscovered, Unreal, Uncensored, Unspoken, and Untamed.”
Final Thoughts…
This palette is a great one to have in your makeup collection. It has all different hues of rosey neutrals that you can use for a variety of different looks. I’ve heard it compared to the Naked3 palette, and while I haven’t used the new Urband Decay palette, I do know that this LORAC Unzipped can give me looks just like the ones the Naked3 palette gives. 🙂 So if you don’t have a palette that focuses on neutral pinky colors, the Unzipped Palette
is a great way to go!
I received this product from LORAC 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 like.
Good Friday afternoon, everyone! I hope your week has gone well, and I’m sure y’all are looking forward to the weekend like I am. 🙂 February is going by soooo quickly, it’s crazy to think that there’s only one week left in this month.
So for today I’m featuring another LORAC product review. 🙂 These have been really fun and I’ve really enjoyed putting all these products to the test. For reference – and those who are new to my blog – below are the links to the LORAC products I’ve reviewed in the past few months. 🙂
Crazy enough, I only have one more review to bring to you next week, and it’s for LORAC’s Unzipped palette, so be sure to stay tuned! I know when I did my First Impression’s post, I also received the foundation. Unfortunately, something happened during shipping and the foundation leaked and the pump was broken. But! I hope that these past reviews have given you a good feel for LORAC’s products and their quality/performance, even without the foundation review. 🙂
So, enough talk, let’s dive right in!
About LORAC Behind the Scenes Eye Primer…
Get LORAC’s Behind the Scenes Eye Shadow Primer and all eyes will be on you! This gentle, lightweight, oil, fragrance and paraben-free formula keeps your eye shadow picture-perfect from daytime to Prime Time. Created by Celebrity Makeup artist Carol Shaw to be used Behind The Scenes on photo shoots and on the Red Carpet, this unique eye shadow primer easily glides on for crease-resistant, silky-smooth color that lasts!
My Review…
First Impressions…
I received a deluxe sample size of this product (0.19 oz compared to the full size tube of 0.53) with the Unzipped palette. I was really excited, as the few drugstore eye primers I’d tried in the past never held up on my super-oily eyelids. So I was all about putting this product to the test, even if it was just a deluxe sample size.
And if you think about it, even with a deluxe sample, it still gives you a LOT of uses. You only use a pea-size on each eyelid — I’ve been using this eye primer almost on a daily basis for the past 4 months, and there’s still a lot left in it. So I’m totally happy with the size, and that it comes with the palette when you purchase it on the LORAC site.
The Packaging…
As a disclaimer, let me again mention I only have the deluxe sample size, not the full-size one you can purchase from LORAC. But they appear to be very similar — the full size just being bigger. 🙂
So, all that being said, I really like the packaging! It’s a squeezable tube with a small opening at the top, which makes it easy to only dispense the exact amount that I’ll need. The tube is really sleek and visually appealing, I think. The top also twists on really tight, which is nice to know that it won’t dry out or leak or anything. 🙂
The Product & Application…
As I mentioned it above, I have incredibly-oily eyelids. If I ever put on eyeshadow without primer, there will be major creases on my lids after only an hour. I’ve tried primers from Elf, mark., Essence, and L’Oreal before this one, and none of them held up that well. They did make my eyeshadows last longer, but only a few hours. And for me, when I do my eyes, I want them to last from the time I put them on (usually mid morning) until I take them off at the end of the night. So some days that can be around 12 hours! And the ones I’d tried just didn’t work.
And then I used the LORAC Behind The Scenes
Eye Primer.
And I haven’t used any other eye primer since! This product is so great! It varies just a little bit, depending on the quality of the eyeshadows I put over it (for example, if I use a cheaper, not as pigmented brand, it might only last 8 or 10 hours. But when I use the LORAC eyeshadow colors on top of this, my eyes last for more than 12 hour — without creasing! And my eyeshadow still looks as pigmented as when I first put it on that morning.
This fact totally sold me on this product. It has carried me through so many long, busy days keeping my eyes looking as fresh as when I first applied it. For me, I’m really all about the eyes when I do my makeup — I love taking the time to make them look just the way I want them. So for me, a primer that will last is really important — there’s no way I want to put all that energy into a dramatic eye look for it to last only a couple of hours. This primer is outstanding for me!
Major Dislikes…
I honestly can’t think of any. I love everything about this product! The price is slightly high — $21. But LORAC is known for being high-end and, really, when you think about it, it isn’t really that bad. You get 0.5 oz of product, and so far my 0.19 oz has last me 4 months and counting. Well worth the money, in my eyes, to spend $20 once a year or so. 🙂
Major Likes…
That it lasts for hours! I know I’ve already said a ton about it, so I won’t go into any more detail. 🙂 The product itself is more of a lotion-y texture and feels nice when you smooth it over your eyelids. I really like that the primer isn’t think or cakey — the Behind The Scenes
almost melts into your skin.
Final Thoughts…
I’m pretty sure this goes without saying — after reading my review so far — but I LOVE this product! Everything about it is outstanding! There’s no smell to this product (I forgot to mention), and a little bit goes a long way. Oh, I forgot to mention, I think LORAC has so many cute names! (like Front of the Line for their eyeliner, and now Behind the Scenes for their eye primer.) It’s really neat and, maybe I am weird, but I enjoy using products with fun names. 😀 If I am ever putting on my makeup at the beginning of a long day, Behind The Scenes
I received this product from LORAC 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 like..
