Easing back into blogging

Hello everyone!

It has been a very long time since I've last updated my blog, and I wanted to give you all a small update of what's been going on with me, and let you know why I've been on a major hiatus. 

I started my blog back in 2009, and for a few years, I pretty much dedicated most of my time to my blog. Writing was something that has always interested me, and of course, beauty is another thing that I have always loved. But I guess with any passion that one has, there are times where you can feel a lack of motivation, or inspiration, or even interest in something after it has become so routine in your life. So basically, for a while I lost interest in the beauty world and became a little more focused on other things in my life. And truthfully, I barely wear makeup anymore since I work from home. 

George and me bought a house a little over a year ago, and I dedicated a spare bedroom to be my office, but now that a year has flown by, I still haven't bought a desk for what was suppose to be my blogging sanctuary. With my personality, I'm very easily distracted, and I've been so focused on getting my home together, that it has been hard for me to focus on anything else. I'm a perfectionist by nature, and when something isn't finished, it will drive me nuts until whatever it is, is completed to my satisfaction. At the same time, there have been a lot of other things going on with family and friends (exciting things), so there are sometimes weeks that go by where I don't even get a chance to get on the computer.  

I guess now that so much time has passed, I don't feel as productive anymore, and I simply miss putting my camera to use and writing. And of course, I miss connecting with all of you!

 

I've received a bunch of messages from some of you that have been asking where I've been and if everything is okay, and I'd like to thank you so much for your messages! Everything is great, and I miss being connected to all of you. Hopefully some of you still stuck around, and I can't wait to start blogging again. I'm totally out of the loop right now, as I haven't kept up with the latest in beauty, but I'm getting back into it, and I'm really excited! I have loads of photos from months ago of products I was planning on reviewing, so I'll probably start off with those. If there are any new, amazing products out that I have to try, please share in the comments section! Also, if you have any ideas for posts, I'd love to hear them. 

I was thinking about incorporating lifestyle posts as well, such as home decorating, cooking, etc. What do you think? 

Talk to you soon!!

Natty

Sigma 20% Off Individual Makeup Brushes Flash Sale!

I know 20% off might not be a huge deal, but for Sigma Brushes it's a pretty big deal since there are rarely ever sales aside from the monthly 10% off codes. For two days, Sigma's brushes are all 20% off when you use the code BRUSHCRUSH at checkout. This does not include brush sets - individual brushes only. It's a good time to purchase back-ups of your favorites! I'm picking up a few!

Click here to shop!

Giorgio Armani #24 Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadow Review, Photos, Swatches!

Giorgio Armani #24 Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadow

Giorgio Armani #24 Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadow ($33) is a black with glistening copper and gold. When the colors mix together, it turns into a beautiful dark khaki/olive green. It's a fabulous color, and the type of shade that I gravitate towards, as it flatters my hazel eyes and warm skin really well. It's a bit of a chameleon color, as it shines differently depending on the lighting and angle. Sometimes the color looks like a glistening warm brown and other times it looks like a golden olive. In the sunlight, the golden hues really shine through. It reminds be a bit of MAC Gilt by Association Mineralize Eyeshadow, a shadow I frequently wore in the past.

I know these eyeshadows are old news, as they've been out for a couple of years and I don't hear much about them anymore, but recently, I went through my makeup stash and dug out shade #8 Champagne, and have been using it multiple times a week. Naturally, it sparked my love for this product again, and I wanted more. So, #24 became my newest addition to my makeup bag.

The texture of the eyeshadow is like a very finely milled pressed/compacted pigment. It's incredibly silky and blends effortlessly. My favorite application tool is my fingertip or an old-school sponge applicator, as they both pick up the most product and apply the product in an opaque layer. A small flat brush also works well, such as a small concealer brush. You can also dampen the brush and apply the product wet for an almost metallic finish.

Heavy swatch of #24

Swatched on my arm the color looks more brown, but on my lids it's a glistening khaki green!

Revlon Bold Lacquer Length + Volume Mascara Review & Photos!

Revlon Bold Lacquer Length + Volume Mascara

Revlon Bold Lacquer Length + Volume Mascara ($8) is a newer mascara by Revlon that provides length and volume and has lustrous black fibers so the result is super dark lashes with a hint of shine. It's available in water-proof and non-waterproof, as well as three colors; Blackest Black, Black and Blackened Brown.

In the past, Revlon's mascaras haven't worked that well for me. None of them provided enough length and volume for my liking. From all of the Revlon mascaras, Revlon Photoready 3D Volume Mascara performed the best, but still, it didn't replace my other Maybelline and Covergirl favorites. I've seen many bloggers using this new mascara recently, so I was really curious to try it out.

The mascara wand can totally make or break the mascara, and for this mascara, it's a win. No weird "innovative" shape, just a large fluffy tapered brush. I really love it. It's a good size for reaching all of the lashes, and it isn't too big to reach the smaller corner and bottom lashes.

The formula appears to be pretty wet and you can see the loads of shiny black fibers. It doesn't apply clumpy which is really nice, and it dries fairly quickly so you don't have to wait too long between coats.

The result with one coat is super pretty. It adds slight length and separation and makes the lashes look dark and noticeable. With many mascaras, one coat doesn't look like anything on my lashes. The formula builds really nicely and quickly, and by the second coat, my lashes look a bit longer and slightly volumized. It's not dramatic like some super voluminous formulas, but I really like the result. I don't think I'd apply more than a second coat, as the lashes can start to clump. It seems like the more I apply, the formula feels slightly sticky. I notice that when I blink sometimes my top and bottom lashes may stick together for a mili-second. Very annoying, but it can probably be fixed by applying a lash primer first.