Rimmel London Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation Sneak Peek!

You may have heard of Influenster.

If not, allow me to explain.  Influenster is a website that you can sign up for by invite and plug in your social networking sites.  The more klout you have on different sites, the more likely you are to qualify for influenster boxes of free products!  I have a few more invites so if you would like to join let me know in the comments and mention your social sites, blogs etc. so I can check them out!

This Influenster Voxbox is a sneak peek of a product that has yet to hit shelves.  Rimmel London is releasing their Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation this January.

I received the shade Ivory 100 which is a perfect match.  Rimmel London Stay Matte comes in a 1 fl oz bottle.  The shade on the outside changes to show you the color inside.  The purple top is actually matte and easy to grip.  

Rimmel London describes their product as:

"A feather light, oil free formula with an airy mousse texture that won’t feel heavy or greasy. Delivers all day shine control and blends flawlessly for a natural looking matte finish. Minimizes the appearance of pores. The weight is over – finally, shine has met its matte."

To test the foundation I took some before and after shots to show how effective it was. 

On the right I have no make up, zilch, I know it's horrifying.  On the right I have a thin layer of Rimmel London Stay Matte over my face and some Urban Decay Primer Potion on my eye lids.

To see how light and airy it is check out this Vine I made showing how easy it is to blend and how well it hides pores.

How crazy is that transformation!  All of the redness in my face is covered up except on my lips where I want some color.  The circles under my eyes were covered as well as any blemishes or marks like the mark I have right below my lip or the one right above the apple of my cheek.  Best of all the shiny T zone I have is completely mattified, no shine here!

To complete the look I finished off my face with my makeup routine including a little blush, bronzer, some eyebrow shaping, lips, eyeshadow, mascara and eyeliner.  

What do you think?  Will you be picking up Rimmel London Stay Matte Mousse Foundation when it drops this January or will you bow out?  If you're not into Rimmel London what is your go to foundation?

November Ipsy Glam Bag 2013

November Ipsy Glam Bag time!  

This months bag is really cute!  It is a metallic gold snakeskin print with a pink zipper across the top.  Instead of a toggle their is a wrist loop at the zipper.  While I do think this is a really cute bag it's not really my style.  The last time my ancestors were hunting wild animals in the jungle was....never.  I'll probably save it to give away as a gift!

I got a crazy amount of stuff in this months bag.  Included are a Nailtini nail polish, Bombshell Lip Crayon, BH Cosmetics Eye Shadow, Pixi Bronzer, Em Cosmetics Lipstick, Benefit Mascara, Starlooks Eye Liner and Kitsch Hair Ties.  Typically Ipsy includes five items in their glam bags and here we have eight!

Kitsch Hair Ties in Bollywood: $9.99 full set of five

Benefit Bad Gal Lash Mascara: $8.00 mini (4g)

The five Kitsch hair ties and mini Benefit Bad Gal Lash Mascara were both extras for me this month!  Kitsch creates yoga style hair ties and headbands in some really cute prints and designs.  Bollywood is inspired by textiles and shades from India. Benefit's Bad Gal Lash is awesome so far!  The brush is very large and has a gorgeous deep pigment.  It lengthens my lashes extremely well. I had some points saved up and redeemed for both items.  That still leaves an extra item in my bag this month which is a gift from Michelle Fawn!  Her new Em Cosmetics launched recently so the lipstick is a gift from one of Ipsy's founders.  Thanks Michelle!

Bombshell Lip Crayon in Hot Damn: $14 full size (2.5g)

This lip crayon is vibranttttttt.  Vibratingly vibrant which didn't even really show up in pictures as much, but believe me it's red.  It is a twist up crayon full of microglitters.  

On the lips this shade has a nice pigmentation.  It is not very moisturizing.  I did have slight feathering on my upper lip as well.  I did like the pigmentation but the microglitter was not incredibly noticeable   

EM Cosmetics Lipstick in Hug Me: $16.50 full size (3.5g)

I was excited to try Em Cosmetics since I heard about it's launch.  Hug Me is a nice nude shade in the tube.  I've always wanted a nude lipstick since I'm super pale and it could give me a cool whitewashed wall effect.

Hug me applied very smoothly.  It is part of their sheer line and applies that way.  Unlike Hot Damn this is extremely moisturizing. However, I didn't find that this lasted very long.  I was reapplying after a half hour. :(  

Nailtini in Champagne: $13 full size (.5 fl oz)

Nailtinis are often included in Ipsy bags.  I'm not sure how much I like Nailtini.  I can't find them anywhere in the real world and of the colors I may like half of them that I have received.

Champagne is a sheer, pearly, light gold.  One coat was not enough so I went for three to get a more clear color.  I'm not too crazy about this shade on my skintone. 

Pixi Beauty Bronzer in Subtly Suntouched: $8 mini (3.2g)

The full sized Pixi Beauty Bronzer is larger and comes with a kabuki brush for application found at Target.  This mini size was not available anywhere that I could find so the $8 price tag is an estimate.  Can we talk for a minute about the packaging on this?  The green outside is rubbery and easy to grip, kind of how the outside of an EOS lip balm feels.  It's fun to rub.

I'm excited to use this bronzer.  It is hard to find cool toned bronzers but that is what looks best on me.  This bronzer in Subtly Suntouched is a very cool color.  It is great for winter palettes and looks!  I love that this bronzer does not have a lot of shimmer that other bronzers may have.  Since I used my bronzer for contour it can be very distracting when it is glittery.

Starlooks Gem Pencil in Topaz: $14 full size (2.4g)

Just looking at this pencil I was kind like, ehhhh.  But, then I opened it and my eyes melted out of my skull.  The shade of this is bright, glowing silver.  The metallic sheen of it catches the light extremely well.  

Application of this was so smooth.  The pigment was so bright.  Think of all the amazing winter looks you could create with this on your eyes, either as an eyeliner or as an eyeshadow shade.  I am so surprised but this may be my absolute favorite product in this months bag.  

BH Cosmetics Galaxy Chic Baked Eyeshadow in Aphrodite: $2.00 full size single

BH Cosmetics game out with a palette called Galaxy Chic.  For Ipsy they broke the palette down into singles and included a full size single shade from the palette in each bag.  You won't be able to purchase singles of this anywhere if you like the shade you'll have to purchase the whole Galaxy Chic palette for $22.95, currently on sale for $14.95!

My Shade is Aphrodite.  A burnt pink shade with lots of shimmer.  I wanted to like it but pink is just not my color for eyes.  It came across as more of a blush than a shadow!  Actually now that I think of it I do rather like this shimmery shade as a dewey blush.  I may just start using it that way!

This months bag was so much fun!  I received over $85 worth of products in this $10 little bag!  Over $65 if you don't included the two extra products I redeemed for.  My favorite products this month were the Starlooks Gem Pencil, the Pixi Beauty Bronzer, the Benefit Bad Gal Lash Mascara, and the Kitsch Hair Ties.  I also liked BH Cosmetics Eye Shadow in Aphrodite but used as a blush instead of an eye shadow, Bombshell's Lip Crayon in Hot Damn is a beautiful pigment but had no moisturizing effect and feathered slightly, Em Cosmetics Lipstick in Hug Me is a pretty shade and very moisturizing but does not last long at all.  Finally, the only product I didn't like this month was the Nailtini in Champagne.  

Signing up for Ipsy is easy and there is still time to get this very bag if you sign up soon!  Just head over to Ipsy here and take their style quiz.  The quiz will match you with products for your preference and shades.  It is only $10 a month for five products, some full size and occasionally mini sized.  Each month coupon codes are included for that months products so you can get a great deal.  Ipsy is also a great option as a holiday gift!  Who wouldn't love a three month subscription to Ipsy, it's the gift that keeps on giving! I'm actually getting a subscription for my little sister for her birthday in December. You can cancel your subscription at anytime without penalty if you want to stop receiving glam bags.  

Here are this months coupon codes:

Em Cosmetics: 30% off any purchase using the code ipsy30

Be a Bombshell Cosmetics: 40% off and a free Coco Delight Lip Gloss using code ipsy40

Tini Beauty: 50% off and a free eyeliner with purchase of $25 or more using code ipsy4glam

Pixi Beauty: 25% off any purchase using the code BronzePixi

Starlooks: 40% off any purchase using the code IPSY

BH Cosmetics: 20% off Galaxy Chic Palette using the code ipsy20

Glam Glow Mud: 30% off any purchase using the code IPSY

Cailyn Cosmetics: 30% off any purchase using the code IPSY30

HSI Professional: 50% off any purchase using the code IPSY50SS

Beauty Online Supply: 30% off any purchase of Kiss or iEnvy lashes using the code IPSY

Lorac Little Lace Palette in Smolder

Looking haute with HuateLook!  Who doesn't love a good deal?  I love snagging premium brands at fractions of the price.  My haul today was a palette from Lorac...this is actually my first time trying Lorac but I'm pretty familiar with the brand.  My broke ass just usually can't afford it.   

Imagine my surprise when I saw a Lorac palette on Hautelook for just $12!  I snapped it up lickity split.

I have a love affair with lace.  If something has lace on it, I must have it.  I'm like a zombie, but instead of brains I survive on a diet of lace and will kill and/or rip people apart to get to it.  When I saw that the Lorac palettes available were exclusive Hautelook Little Lace Palettes in Smolder and Ravish I scooped up Smolder....had I had funds available I would have gotten Ravish too, but alas.  

  

Smolder is an adorably small palette with a maroon base.  The top panel is mirrored with a black lace overlay printed on top.  Ravish comes in the same case but has warmer toned shades. 

When I say small I mean small, like the size of my palm.

I still don't think you get how small so here it is next to an Essie bottle.

I immediately fell in love with the shades in Smolder.  There are nudes and grays with one deep royal purple.  All of them have shimmer or glitter except for a matte mauve-peach color.  My major dislike about this palette is that there are no names for these shades......anywhere.....at all.  No names online, on facebook, on Hautelook, on Lorac, on other blogs...nadda.  The crazy names are my favorite part!  So, I'm just going to give them my own names as to differentiate them for you, the reader.

Starting on the left we have; Sparklepuss, Glow Worm, Pow Pow Gunmetal, Invisopeach, Little Jack Horner, Warp Drive, Cocaine and Pringle…..I couldn't think of a name for that last one so Pringle, Pringle sounds right.

Sooo if you think I mauled myself and put my badly bruised self up on this post you are mistaken.  I'm still trying to learn how to take eyeshadow swatches and I haven't quite gotten the hang of it yet....sorry....I shouldn't have even posted this.  It's really bad.  Regardless, it's Sparklepuss through Warp Drive.

More proof of my horrible swatching!  This is actually Cocaine and Pringle.  Cocaine doesn't even show up here but it did slightly for my eyeshadow look below.  Pringle is more visible but this still isn't really accurate.  

I am getting pretty good at shadow though!  I managed to use all eight shades somehow in this look.  I used Cocaine on the tear duct, Glow Worm on the inner lid, Pow Pow Gunmetal on the middle lid, Warp Drive on the outer lid and up through the eye crease,  Invisopeach above the crease, Sparklepuss on the inner brow bone, Pringle on the outer brow bone and Little Jack Horner on the water line.  Also pictured is Urban Decays' 24/7 Eye Liner in Zero and Rimmel London Lash Accelerator Endless Mascara on my lashes.

I was pretty impressed by how beautifully blendable these shades were.  Cocaine and Invisopeach were a bit hard to see but all the other shades were strongly pigmented.  Little Jack Horner had to be my absolute favorite.  the color has a beautiful purple glow and went on in one brush stroke.  Glow Worm was another superlove.  The shimmer it pics up is opalescent and beautiful.  Aside from the two very sheer shades my other issue was some heavy fallout on the darker shades like Warp Speed and Pow Pow Gunmetal.  It was bad.  Like snowfall on my cheeks bad.

Overall for the price of this cute little palette and some really nice quality shades I'd rate this palette a B.  If Cocaine and Invisopeach were more pigmented and the fallout wasn't so heavy it'd be perfect.  

To sign up for Hautelook and get some great deals you can go here to get an account.  It's totally free to sign up.  Hautelook works by releasing limited time, super sales on some really nice products which you can snap up.  You'll have to be quick though!  Items are limited and sales only last a few days.  

Silent Echo Giveaway!

A few weeks ago I created a design to celebrate the book release of Silent Echo by author Elisa Freilich.

In collaboration, we have brought you a chance to win some amazing prizes!

The giveaway is international.  Anyone in the world could win!  Entering is easy, simply enter your email into the rafflecopter widget.  The sole reason for your email will be to contact you if you win and this information will not be used for anything else.  That's it!

There are two ways to earn extra entries by sharing the contest on twitter and commenting on any of the Silent Echo blog posts, both are optional!

The prizes will be a signed copy of Silent Echo, a false press on set of Silent Echo inspired nails hand painted by me, OPI DS Classic, OPI Midnight in Moscow and OPI DS Coronation.  Remember, OPI DS colors are infused with diamond dust and typically priced higher than regular OPI shades.  Plus, this prize pack is pretty priceless since you're getting a signed copy of book by the author!

What are you waiting for?!  Enter in the widget below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Update:  the contest is now closed!

The winner of the giveaway is Amie W!  Stay tuned for the next giveaway when my blog hits 100,000 views.  Right now we're up to 96,967!

October Ipsy Glam Bag 2013

This months theme is The Art of Beauty.  The bag is white with deep pink zipper detail and writing.  "Love of beauty is taste.  The creation of beauty is art." is scrawled on the bag.  The quotes a little cryptic and pre teen-ish, but I'll go with it for the art theme. :)

My products this month are be Delectable Hand Cream, La Fresh Eco-Beauty Oil-Free Face Cleanser Wipes, Zoya Nail Polish, Buxom Full On Lip Polish and Sexy Hair Blow Dry Gel.

Zoya Giovanna: $8.00 (.5 fl oz) full size

Ipsy's bff status with Zoya is one of my favorite things in the world.  This is the third FULL SIZE Zoya I have received in an Ipsy bag.

I am always enamored with Zoya.  It's one of those brands I don't have a lot of and I don't know why.  Zoya is consistently fantastic, I think I just have a hard time finding a place to buy it near me.  Anyone else have this issue?

Zoya Giovanna is a stunning emerald green metallic.  This shade is brand spanking new, originally designed as a shade for the Zang Toi autumn winter 2013 runway show.  Oh Ipsy, you give me such nice things.

Buxom Full On Lip Polish in Dolly: $10.00 (.07 fl oz) mini size

I am a big Buxom fan.  Their Buxom Lash Mascara gives me spider leg lashes....but in a good way!  It defines and lengthens each lash without getting clumpy.  I was thrilled to try their lip polish.

I've decided that I'm not too big on lipstick.  I have weirdly shaped, lopsided lips and deep thick colors enhance the lopsidedness.  Glossed or anything sheer works great for me though.

Buxom Full On is called full on for a reason.  This stuff Tingles...with a capital T....for hours.  It plumps nicely which is a necessity with my thin Irish lips.  Seriously, I think for my birthday this month I'm asking for lip injections.

The consistency is sticky but not overly sappy.  I definitely saw a plump effect from this gloss.  Dolly is a beautiful color that has a slight sparkle and tint.  It's instalove.  I've been shopping online for which shades I am going to pick up on my next Sephora trip.

Sexy Hair Blow Dry Volumizing Gel: $5.00 (1.7 fl oz) travel size

Sexy Hair is another brand I've received a lot of in Ipsy bags.  The Sexy Hair Blow Gel is an alcohol-free gel that thickens hair while adding volume. It also helps retain moisture so your hair never feels dry.  Use it on damp hair, blow dry and feel the plump.

I felt that I had some nice height when I used this.  This gel does make your hair feel crusty but of course you're not going to get hold without a glue effect.  The 'crustyness' isn't obvious by looking, really it's only touch so unless you're going out where you're sure that your date will be running his fingers through your hair, you're good!

My only problem with this product is that you need a lot to go through your hair from the roots.  If you've got long hair like me a bottle this size will last you about two uses.

La Fresh Eco-Beauty Oil-Free Face Cleanser Wipes: $5.99 (10 wipes)

I am not familiar with the La Fresh brand but I am always excited to try new things.....and I can always use makeup remover/cleansers.  These wipes cleanse the skin and detoxify.  Added bonus, the wipes themselves are biodegradable and compostable.

I felt these removed my makeup pretty well.  Other than that, I didn't find that these really stood out from other cleansing wipes.  They're good to have on the go or on a long night when I don't have the time to wash my face.

be Delectable Hand Cream in Strawberry & Cream: $2.50 (2 fl oz) travel size

I've been getting more into lotions.  Previously I never really used the stuff but hey, it gives you that awesome feminine smell that guys love so much and gives your skin something to drink.  With the winter cold and dryness almost here I'm making sure to be on top of my lotion game.

be Delectable Hand Cream in Strawberry & Cream smells like Strawberry Shortcake and Yoplait had a baby.  It is a dead ringer for what strawberry yogurt smells like.  My boyfriend actually asked me if I had put yogurt on my hands when I asked him to take a whif.  Yes darling, I moisturize in foodstuffs.  I soak in it in the tub making me the Elizabeth Bathory of yogurt. No, it's this lotion!  

Really though, you probably shouldn't eat this stuff.  It's full of shea butter, coconut oil and aloe vera to keep your skinn smooth and nourished.  Added bonus is it's great for cuticles!

Overall I was very pleased with this months Ipsy bag.  There wasn't anything included that I didn't like!   The Buxom Full On Lip Polish and Zoya Nail Polish were probably my two favorites. I got just over a $30 value which is great considering it's only $10 a month!  You can sign up for this fantastic subscription service by going here and taking Ipsy's beauty quiz which will match you with five great products each month (sometimes more!).  It's not much cost to you and you get to try new and exciting items that you probably wouldn't have gotten your hands on otherwise.  Diehard Ipsy for life!