My First Rocksbox - First Impressions, Review, Photos and Discount Code!

My First Rocksbox

Rocksbox is a brand spanking new membership-based jewelry styling service. I know, another membership site, but Rocksbox is a bit different from the rest. As many other membership sites, you start out by taking a style quiz (or style profile) and based on your selections, a stylist will handpick items for you that should fit your own personal style.

In your Rocksbox, you will receive designer jewelry - (3) items to be exact to trial for up to 60 days. So unfortunately, all of the goodies aren't yours to keep permanently, but if you are interested in purchasing any items you received, you can with a 20% off member discount. What's really cool is that if you don't like your items, you don't have to wait for the month to be over. Just send the items back in the enclosed padded envelope and you'll be sent an alternative package. The amount of items for you to try each month is unlimited, and you will only be charged the one-time monthly fee of $19.

I wasn't sure what to think about borrowing jewelry, but once I received my box I quickly changed my mind.

Here's what I found in my little box:

• CC Skye Enamel Pave Dome Ring ($195 retail price)
• Viento Tooth Pave Necklace ($120 retail price)
• Gamine Sarah Dagger Charm Earrings ($59 retail price) 

I'll be back soon!

Hey Everyone!

I just wanted to give you all a quick update and let you know why this whole week has gone by without any new posts.

About two weeks ago my aunt (who lives with my family) went to the hospital for pains she was having, as well as some other minor things. They did a series of tests on her and among some of the problems she was having, she was diagnosed with colon cancer. This past Monday she had surgery to remove the cancer, and thankfully it didn't spread to any of her other organs. So all of this week has mostly been spent in the hospital with my aunt until she recovers. She's doing really well and we're hoping to have her back home as soon as possible.

I asked for prayers on Twitter on the day of my aunt's surgery, and I really appreciate all of your kind responses. Thank you so much!

Hopefully I should be posting again this week.

Talk to you all soon!

xoxo

MAC Large Duo Pro Palette Review with Photos!

MAC Large/Duo Pro Palette

MAC Large Duo Pro Palette ($25) is a new double-sided pro palette that accommodates two inserts. It has a see-through lid/divider so you can view all of your shades at once while keeping them secure and protected. What's cool about this palette is that you can customize it any way you want. For example, you could turn it into an every-day palette and put blushes, bronzers, etc on one side and eyeshadows on the other.

All of the inserts are sold separately, and they all retail for $9 each. You have the option of purchasing a 15-eyeshadow insert, 6-blush insert, 12-customizable insert (usually for cream foundations, concealers, etc) and 24-customizable insert (for lipsticks and other cream products).

So, if you were to purchase the palette and two inserts, it would cost you $43.

I never use the inserts on any of my palettes, so I took the route of skipping purchasing any inserts for the time being to see how I like the palette as is.

The palette itself is slightly shorter in length than the old style palettes and almost three times the height. Some may find it to be bulky, but I love the fact that the palette is deeper than the old palettes, so there are no issues closing it, unlike the older MAC palettes. It shuts with a magnetic closure, which is really nice.

The old palettes held 8 blushes side by side with no divider. What dissapointed me about the duo palette is because it's slightly shorter, it doesn't hold 8 blushes nicely and uniform like the old palette. Nevertheless, it does hold 8 blushes with a little shifting around.

If you have nails, the clear middle divider is easy to lift up. Sometimes I have trouble with it, which can be slightly annoying, but you can just tilt the palette to get the divider to swing to the other side.

Step by Step: How to Bleach your Eyebrows!

How to: Bleach your Eyebrows

Bleaching my eyebrows was always a part of my regular beauty routine back when I had blonde highlights in my hair or when my hair was a lighter shade of brown. Everyone has their own preference and opinion about matching your eyebrows to your hair color or just bleaching/coloring the eyebrows in general (some like it, some don't), but when done properly, it can really enhance your look.

My eyebrows are very thick, coarse, dark, naturally high arched, non-symmetical (meaning they don't match) and grow quick. Or in other words, nightmare brows. So, I usually have a hell of a time getting them to match every day.

Because I have quite a bit of filling in to do, they can sometimes look too harsh, dark or obvious. I also think that when my brows are super dark, it can create too much emphasis on them, taking away from other features of my face. When they're lighter, the emphasis is taken off my brows and creates more emphasis to my eyes and lips.

In this post, I'm going to briefly go over how you can achieve lighter eyebrows in some really simple steps.

Tools Needed: 

• Facial Bleach (I'm using Sally Hansen Creme Hair Bleach for the face)
• Spoolie (or a clean cosmetic wand)
• Vaseline (optional)
• Purple Shampoo or Hair Toner (optional - I'm using Clairol Shimmer Lights Shampoo)

My Eyebrows before and after bleaching them. 

Nars Lola Lola and Night Fever Eyeshadows Review, Photos & Swatches!

Nars Lola Lola and Night Fever Eyeshadows

I recently purchased a couple new Nars eyeshadows to add to my forever growing collection. Like I need any more eyeshadows, right? Well, after these I'm probably done one for a while.. don't quote me on that though.

I'm all about simplicity on most days, so I love a good eyeshadow single that can make me look quickly polished without the help of any additional eyeshadows.

Nars Lola Lola Eyeshadow is described as a neutral brown with shimmer. It looks copper/brick toned in the pan, but once swatched, the color is more muted and neutral. It definitely has some soft reddish tones (no yellow-orange) mixed with silvery/gray pigments, so it doesn't lean warm.

It's actually more unique than it appears. The slight shimmer/frost really pulls this shade together and makes it a really pretty, elegant shade. It's a nice shade for any eye color, but I'd think it would look especially nice on blue and green or hazel eyes.

The eyeshadow itself is super soft and pigmented and blends like a dream. I've been wearing it alone on  my lids and lower lash line for a soft daytime eye. I like that it's not super intense and has a softness about it so it's a shade that I can wear every day.

Nars Night Fever Eyeshadow on the other hand is a super dark and intense shade that I thought would be a great eyeliner shade. Night Fever is described as a black with red pearls. Pretty Simple. It's a super dark, matte black filled with fine red shimmers.

It's one of those shimmers that disappears when you wipe it, so to get the shimmer to show up, you have to pat the eyeshadow on as opposed to sweeping it. If you sweep it on, you'll only get a matte black. It doesn't transfer well when applied dry, but applied on top of a base (preferably a sticky one), it really helps the shimmers stick. They also show up when applied wet, but regardless, if you want the shimmer to stick, you need a creamy base and you have to dab it on.

Truthfully, I think it's too much work and I'd recommend skipping this shade all together. MAC Beauty Marked Eyeshadow and NYX Sensual Eyeshadow are both similar alternatives for a lower price.

To see these two shades in action, check my previous post where I'm wearing Lola Lola on the lid and lower lash line and Night Fever on the outer corners.

My Face of the Day.

Haven't posted one of these in ages! This is pretty much my usual makeup look using all products that I use on a regular basis. I don't wear false lashes often, but I recently ordered some Red Cherry Lashes and I've been wearing them almost every day because I love them so much! Strangely, my eyelashes are almost non existent as of lately and I'm not sure why. I think since I've begun using Covergirl Clump Crusher Mascara, I've lost all of my lashes. (This happened to me when I was using Covergirl Lash Perfection too - good mascaras, but for whatever reason, they pull my lashes out) So I've been resorting to falsies for the time being and I purchased the Ardell Brow & Lash Growth Accelerator treatment I used in the past to grow my lashes back.

I've had a few questions regarding my eyebrows because they are lighter than they were before. I bleach them every three weeks using Sally Hansen Creme Hair Bleach and I've switched to a lighter shade in my Make Up Forever Aqua Brow. I really like the way they look now.

Products Used-

Face
Le Metier de Beaute Peau Vierge (tinted luminizer, skin treatment and spf - used as a base)
MAC Pro Longwear Concealer NW25 (applied under my eyes)
Guerlain Parure Extreme Foundation #3
NARS Laguna Bronzer (applied all over the face)
NARS Oasis Blush (applied to the cheeks)
MAC Superb Extra Dimension Highlighter (applied to the highest points of my cheeks for shine)
Ben Nye Neutral Set Powder (applied to my undereyes and t-zone to set foundation)

Eyebrows
MAC Spiked Eyebrows Retractable Crayon (used to shape my brows)
Make Up Forever Aqua Brow #15 (used to fill my brows in)
MAC Girl Boy Brow Set (tinted brow gel)

Eyes
Nars Lola Lola Eyeshadow
Nars Night Fever Eyeshadow
Red Cherry #82 Eyelashes (my new favorite lashes!)
Covergirl Lash Blast Fusion Mascara

Lips
MAC Soar Lip Liner
MAC Insanely It Sheen Supreme Lipstick (very lightly dabbed on my lips)
Nars Super Orgasm Lipgloss (my new favorite lipgloss!)

*Nars eyeshadows not pictured.. oops!

I'm working on a post as we speak on the Nars Eyeshadows I used in this look - it should be up in a couple of hours!

Ulta 21 Days of Beauty 2013!

Ulta 21 Days of Beauty 2013

It's that time of year again! Ulta Beauty is hosting their bi-annual 21 Days of Beauty event at Ulta stores. The event will showcase Ulta's Spring and Summer trends, as well as provide makeup and skincare consultations and demonstrations from several brands in order for you to find the perfect products to suit you. There's also of course special offers and my favorite part of it all - the "Beauty Steals" which features a new product every day. The event will start March 10th and will be ending on March 30th. Appointments for each event are recommended, so make sure to visit your local ULTA store and sign up!

Continue reading for the full calendar of events-

Week 1 Events

SUN: 3/10
bareMinerals
Learn how to get flawless natural beauty with bareMinerals best sellers
Lorac
See how one palette can give you 3 gorgeous looks
Philosophy
Recapture hydration to eliminate wrinkles

MON: 3/11
Stila
Learn how luxurious complexion starts with perfectly prepped skin
Dermalogica
We'll give you a skin analysis and match you with the perfect skincare regime

Physicians Formula Super BB All-in-1 Beauty Balm Concealer Review, Photos, Swatches!

Physicians Formula Super BB All-in-1 Beauty Balm Concealer

Physicians Formula Super BB All-in-1 Beauty Balm Concealer ($12.95) is new twist-pen style concealer that's a part of the Physicians Formula Super BB line. The line consists of a BB Cream, concealer and powder that are all designed to perfectly compliment each other. The BB concealer is said to diminish the appearance of dark circles, puffiness, imperfections, blemishes, redness and uneven skin tone.

Physicians Formula Super BB Concealer is available in two shades: Light/Medium and Medium/Deep. I purchased Light/Medium which I'd consider to be around the MAC NC20 coloring. It's peachy toned, so it's ideal for covering up under eye darkness.

The consistency is very thin and creamy. If you're familiar with MAC Select Moisturecover Concealer, it has that similar thin, wet consistency, but creamy to the touch.

One quarter of a twist provides enough product for one eye. I apply it directly from the brush to my undereyes and then lightly pat the product with my finger tips to blend. Patting works best with this concealer as opposed to wiping to provide the best coverage. The product diffuses into the skin without much of a trace. It has a healthy, dewy (not greasy) finish much like the BB cream.

The coverage is light and can be slightly built, but not up to much. With two layers it can be built to a light-medium, but still fairly sheer. It never fully reaches what I'd consider to be medium coverage.

It doesn't completely camouflage my under eye darkness, but it does slightly lighten them up. Since I like a pretty opaque undereye coverage, I usually apply my regular concealer prior to my foundation and then after my foundation I like applying a brightener - something like YSL Touche Eclat or MAC Prep & Prime Highlighter. Sometimes I use a lighter concealer, and this seems to work pretty well for that. It's not opaque enough to do major brightening, but because of it's thin consistency and blendability, it's ideal for layering since it will never look thick or cakey.

It doesn't settle in my fine lines and it feels lightweight on the skin.

Here's the before and after of one layer. You can see from the after photo that some darkness is still visible and you can faintly see my sun spots.

Physicians Formula Super BB Cream Review, Photos, Swatches!

Physicians Formula Super BB Cream

Physicians Formula Super BB Cream ($14.95) is a new all-in-one "miracle" multi-tasking cream that combines a hydrating moisturizer, light foundation and sun protection so you can simplify your morning beauty routine.

BB Creams (or beauty/blemish balms) are hugely popular because of the versatility of the product itself. You don't need a moisturizer, serum, primer, sunscreen or foundation because most BB creams do it all for you. Depending on the BB cream, it can treat blemishes/acne and provide anti-ageing. The coverage is typically light, but there are some pigmented formulas out there.

The Physicians Formula Super BB Cream is actually the first BB Cream I've ever tried. Quite honestly the sale tag at CVS and the holographic letting on the tube sealed the deal for me. (I'm pretty easy to please.)

Physicians Formula Super BB Cream is available in two shades: Light/Medium and Medium/Deep. I chose Light/Medium because it looked a little warmer than Medium/Deep. It's a little light for me, but definitely workable with some bronzer.

The consistency is thick and super creamy, so it blends really easily on the skin. Most of the time I apply the product with my fingers as I would apply a moisturizer and work it into my skin until blended. Then if I need any additional coverage, I'll apply a little extra product on a buffing brush and build the coverage wherever needed.

The coverage is light, but it builds really well to a medium coverage. It covers and perfects just about everything on my face unless I have a really red blemish, I might need extra concealing.

It provides a dewy (not oily) finish to the skin. I usually use a light setting of powder and I'm good for most of the day. With the creaminess of the product I'd almost expect it to crease after a few hours (around my mouth and such) and get oily, but it doesn't at all. It stays perfectly in place. (I have very normal or balanced skin for reference).

Here I am wearing Physicians Formula BB Cream, my brows filled in, tiny bit of mascara and a little lipgloss. My typical morning face.

Weekly Poll Results - What's One Item of Makeup you Can't Leave your House Without Wearing?

What's One Item of Makeup you Can't Leave your House Without Wearing?

I'm sure all of us beauty fanatics alike have become sort of accustomed to the way we look with makeup, so when we aren't wearing something in particular, we feel a little.. well.. naked. I remember a time period where I wore false eyelashes (snipped in half.. nothing crazy) just about every day. Then when I stopped, it took some time adjusting to the way I actually look without false lashes because to me without false lashes, it always looked like there was something missing on my face.

There's also the times where I had really over plucked eyebrows. I barely let anyone see me without my eyebrows colored in. I use to apply She Laq (discontinued product by Benefit to seal your makeup) to my brows at night so I'd wake up with my brows still filled. Only to wash my face and fill them in again. I guess we all go through phases.

Whatever it may be - maybe the greatest concealer ever or a really good mascara, many of us have that one item of makeup that we need to get through the day.

So the question was, what is one item of makeup you can't leave your house without wearing? (Or at least would prefer not to leave the house without wearing.. haha!)

The Results Are:

Foundation, Tinted Moisturizer or BB Cream - 73 votes (18%) 
Concealer - 37 votes (9%)
Mascara - 93 votes (23%)
Brow Filler - 18 votes (4%)
Eyeliner - 27 votes (6%)
Eyeshadow - 5 votes (1%)
Bronzer or Blush - 10 votes (2%)
Lipstick, Gloss or Balm - 41 votes (10%)
I can't choose only one! - 55 votes (14%)
I can get away with wearing no makeup at all! - 30 votes (7%)
Other - 0 votes (0%)

This poll is based on 389 votes.

The number one answer is mascara!

I'm having a hard time choosing, but I know that when I'm about to go run errands and I have no makeup on, I almost always need to conceal my undereyes because they're naturally reddish purple. My second next important thing is filling in my brows, and then mascara. I could very well go without a foundation if I have a concealer on many days, but since I can only choose one, my answer would be foundation.

How about you? What would you choose?