Blog Sale

OK, so I've cleaned out my makeup drawers again, and found many things I either haven't used, or don't use often because I thought I liked them and found out they just weren't for me. If you are not serious about any of the products, please don't comment. Some of these products are collectors items or limited edition items.  I did my best with price markdowns. If you are not satisfied with the price of something or the way the sale is conducted then don't buy. Hope you see something you like! All items that are able to be sanitized are.

1. US and Canadian residents only. I've been having a lot of issues with shipping overseas. If you live overseas, and want to pay for flat rate USPS shipping, we can discuss the sale.
2. Comments are turned off. If you are interested in anything, you must email me at tknokitten@gmail.com with your paypal email address, we can discuss pricing that way as well. I will then send you a paypal request. You must complete the transaction in an hour, or it will go to the next person who asked for it.  First come, first served.
3. Shipping is $3.00 for the first item, and $.50 per additional item unless otherwise stated.
4. You MUST HAVE PAYPAL
5. I am not responsible for items damaged in shipping.

Urban Decay Book of Shadows Vol II

used a couple of times, primer potion and liners not included

$55

Shipping $6 SOLD

Urban Decy Alice in Wonderland Book of Shadows

Collectors Item

Used a couple of times

$65

Shipping $6 SOLD

Urban Decay Smoke Out Kit in Sweet Lucy

Never Used

$25

Stila Pro Artist Palette No. 1

Never opened, never used

Includes eyeshadows in Kitten, Prize, Sparkle, Grand, Lucky, and Moxie

$21

MAC Blush in Prism

$12

MAC MSF in Refined

$20 SOLD

MAC Eyeshadows

Love Lace SOLD and Cut to Fit

$9 each

MAC Paintpots

Indan Wood and Coral Crepe

$12 each SOLD

MAC Pigments (new packaging) full

Tan and Vanilla

$13 each SOLD

MAC Feline Eye Kohl $7 SOLD

MAC Lip Pencil in Whirl $7 SOLD

MAC Lip Pencil in Subculture $7 SOLD

Urban Decy 24/7 Liner in Oil Slick $13

MAC Shade Stick in Nurture

$10 SOLD

Face Primers full

Benefit That Gal $15

NARS SPF 20 $20

Too Faced Glamour to Go Palette

Never Used

$7 SOLD

Too Faced Shadow Insurance

used 3-4 times

$10 SOLD

Kat Von D Metal Orchestra Palette

$20

Tarina Tarintino Eyedream Hyershadow in Brooch

$14

Benefit Blush in Thrrrob

$18

NARS Blush in Angelica

$18 SOLD

Sephora Smokey Eyes Kit

Includes a liner and mascara

$20

Travel Size Bumble and Bumble Tonic

Never used

$3

Palladio Makeup Contest/Giveaway

I'm really excited that Palladio Beauty has decided to sponsor a Summer contest for my youtube channel.  The theme of the contest is "Summer Beauty".  What is your favorite look for summer?  What do you think shows summer beauty in terms of makeup.  Show Palladio and I your best Summer Beauty look for a chance to win some great prizes.  Upload a video response to the video below for a chance to be entered for one of three great prize packs or consolation prizes.  Palladio will be judging this contest with me so get those creative juices flowing.

VIDEO Contest:

1) 1st Place – A complete set of our Shadow Liner Crayons (12)
            Black Pearl
            Eclipse
            Silver Bells

            Icicle

            Olive

            Twilight

            Espresso
            Iced Coffee
            Moonstone
            Champagne
            Raspberry
            Blue Suede



2) 2nd Place – A “Summer Essential” Kit

            Goddess of Sun Mosaic Bronzer
            Terra Shimmer Strips Highlighter
            Bronzer Brush
            Bronzy Pink Tinted Lip Balm
            Brown Eye Ink

3) 3rd Place - A Palladio Makeup brush set (7)

            Powder

            Blush

            Bronzer

            Flat Shadow

            Blending

            Angle

           Smudge



10 Eye Primer Consolation Prizes for runner-ups


COMMENT Contest:
10 Random Prizes – Full-size Tinted Lip Balms

So what are you waiting for?  Either upload a video response to the video below or enter through the comment portion.  I can't wait to see your "Summer Beauty" or hear if you've tried Palladio or if you haven't which products look interesting to you.  Remember, you must be a subscriber to both my and Palladio's youtube channels.  Links are listed below.

Save 10% on all Palladio products at SallyBeauty.com from June 1st through June 30th! (Offer not valid at Sally Beauty Supply stores.)  Use code 555953

My Skin Care Routine

    I'm glad to say that I think I have finally found a skin care routine that works for me.  For years I have gone back and forth from one cleanser to another, one moisturizer to another in a never ending cycle of never really finding something that works well for my skin.  So I've decided to share with you what has been working for me.

    The first step for me is always makeup removal.  I had been using the MAC makeup remover wipes, but I always found they were sort of rough, which is not always a bad thing.  They were great for removing eye makeup, but I wanted something a little smoother on my skin.  I've discovered that I love the Neutrogena Makeup Remover Towelettes, especially the night calming ones. I usually only remove my makeup at night anyway, so no need to remove my makeup in the morning.  They have a wonderful lavender scent and have an extremely calming effect when I use them in the evenings.  They are gentle, ultra soft calming cloths for clean, fresh, makeup-free skin in one easy step. These wipes remove all traces of makeup with a calming fragrance that helps me unwind and prepares me for a good night's sleep, which we all know is a problem for me.  I don't do this in the morning, as I have no makeup to remove of course.

  After removing my makeup for my evening routine, I use a Lush Cosmetics cleanser. Depending on how my skin is reacting to the enviornment or my hormones, I use one of two that I have come to love.  If my face seems sensitive, dry, or unbalanced, I use Angels on Bare Skin.  The kaolin clay base deep cleanses while ground almonds gently exfoliate dead skin away.  It also contains rose and lavender which soothe and help balance out combination skin, and it's great for all skin types.  If my face seems oily or breakout prone on that day, I use Dark Angels.  Dark Angels is a soft black sugar scrub that feels quite exfoliating and chalky when I rub it into my skin. It contains black sugar and powdered charcoal to exfoliate and cleanse away excess oils. Rhassoul mud and vitamin-rich cold pressed organic avocado oil soften, moisturize, and nourish the skin, while sandalwood and rosewood oils soothe the skin. I don't always use a toner, but if I do, I use the Eau Roma Water from Lush if I'm using Angels on Bare Skin, or Tea Tree Water on the days I use Dark Angels.

    I use a face mask about 3 times a week, but I've used so many, it would be too many to list.  I have found my favorite one to be The Sacred Truth from Lush.  After my face is cleansed and detoxified, I use a moisturizer.  It is extremely important to moisturize your skin.  I had so much trouble finding a moisturizer that would do what I really wanted it to without it making me break out, be too greasy, be too light, or having an allergic reaction to it.  Thankfully I have found the Shiseido Pureness Matifying Moisturizer.  This is the perfect moisturizer for my combination skin.  I tend to have an oily T-zone and dry cheeks and forehead.  It's pH-balanced, improves the texture of my skin and helps reduce surface shine.  It provides wonderful hydration to skin and it protects the skin's natural moisture balance.

    The next step in my night skin routine is to use an eye cream.  I have always liked Philosophy's Eye Hope, however when I ran out of that, I decided to try Lush's Enchanted Eye Cream.  The area around our eyes is very sensitive and delicate.  This cream gently rejuvenates and soothes without causing any irritation. It livens up the eye area. I just dab the cream gently along the bone below my eye and around my eyes and eyelids right before bed.

    When I wake up in the morning, it's time to get ready for work again.  I can't go to work without a shower to wake me in the morning.  In the shower I wash my face with Fresh's Soy Face Cleanser.  I love the scent of this gentle cleanser.  It's for all skin types and is supposed to be fragrance-free but to me is smells of cucumbers. The gel formula instantly whisks away impurities, removes any excess makeup from the day before, and is safe to use on the eye area. It's also soap free and doesn't leave behind a film or residue. It preps my face for my primer, and makes my face feel clean and fresh...no pun intended.

   

What's your favorite cleanser or skin routine? Leave a comment letting me know what you do to take care of the gentle skin on your face to keep you looking clean and young.

The Body Kraze - New Bath Company - My Review

   OK, let me first say that I get offered to review products a lot lately.  I don't accept all offers, and I am always up front with companies by letting them know that if I am not fully satisfied with the company I will not review it.  Let me just say that this company has exceeded my excpectations.  The Body Kraze is a brand new bath and body company.  Their products are great.  All of the soaps I have tried leave a lingering scent on your body and are extremely moisturizing.  The thing that caught me off guard with this company is the size of their products.  They are HUGE!  The prices are great.  No more than $5-$6 for a bar of soap that larger than my whole hand.  The large bath bombs are larger than a softball!  They are called moisture bombs and are absolutely wonderful.  It is a great bath experience!  The only thing I did not like about the website was that there were no scent descriptions, but I have created a youtube video reviewing these products doing my best at describing the scents in my own way.  I may not be right, but this is what they smell like to me :) If you would like to take a look at the website please click on the banner below! 



Also here is my youtube video review!

NARS Sheer Glow Foundation and Primer

     So as many of you know, I recently purchased the NARS Sheer Glow Foundation.  I am ususally a MAC user when it comes to foundation, so this was an exciting purchase.  I had heard so many great things about this foundation from so many people, I decided to try it out.  Let me just say that I LOVE this foundation!  The first time I applied it, I was thinking to myself "No way is this going to work for the coverage I need."  I am used to using MAC's Studio Fix Fluid which is a pretty heavy foundation.  As many of you know, I'm not very young, but not old - hahaha, and I need a good amount of coverage.  However, I started applying it and realized the coverage was really great and a little goes a long way with this foundation.  It is also said to improve skin brightness, radiance and texture.  The product holds up all day for me, and I am so glad I bought it.  It's a  glowing, satin-finish foundation with sheer and buildable coverage. It also has skincare benefits and combined with the NARS Complexion Brightening Formula, skin is hydrated, more luminous, softer, and smoother. I think it's best to get color matched in a Sephora or any other place that sells NARS products as I thought that I would have been a shade or two darker than I actually was from looking at swatches online.

     At the time, I had also purchsed the Laura Mercier Oil Free Face Primer, and I began using the two together,  After about a week, I noticed my skin was getting an allergic reaction to one of the two.  Happily, it was not the NARS foundation.  I quit using the Laura Mercier Primer and began to use the foundation on its own.  My skin started to clear up immediately, so I feel as though this foundation actually helped to clear up my allergic reaction to the Laura Mercier primer.  According to the NARS website, this foundation hydrates for softer and smoother skin, is dermatologist tested, non-comedogenic, and fragrance free. I feel this actually helped to combat the dry patches that the primer had left behind. 

     So with that, I had to return the Laura Mercier, and get a different primer.  I had recieved the NARS Foundation Primer with SPF20 as a 100 point perk from Sephora around the holidays.  I had used this primer and loved it, but never bought it as I am always looking to try something new.  So I exchanged the Laura Mercier Primer for the NARS Primer.  According to the NARS website, this primer combines soothing and hydrating ingredients with a full spectrum of sun protection to create a natural-looking and long-lasting foundation application. The translucent, lightweight formula is designed to be applied before makeup or worn alone to prepare, nourish and hydrate skin, while helping to ease redness, reduce inflammation and improve the skin’s overall texture and quality.  Additional antioxidant protection helps to fight free radical damage. I really like this primer.  It keeps the foundation on all day and coupled with the Sheer Glow Foundation really makes a great finish to your skin.

So my questions for you are:
Which foundation do you use?
Do you use a primer and if so which one?
Have to you tried the NARS Foundations and/or primers?

Sigma Beauty on the Go Kit - Smokey Eyes

     Let me just start by saying that I absolutely LOVE Sigma Makeup.  In my dealings with the Sigma Makeup team, I have gotten great customer service, well crafted makeup brushes, and now beautiful makeup palettes. If you haven't tried Sigma's Beauty on the Go Kits, you are missing out in my opinion.  These shadows have wonderful color payoff and are extremely easy to blend.  I have all four Beauty on the Go Kits: Neutral Eyes, Smokey Eyes, Fun with Colors, and the Blush and Highlight Kits.  Let me just say that I was very impressed with these kits.  I wear my Neutral Eyes Kits almost daily, and get many compliments on my makeup.  "Those colors are so pretty! Where do you get those?"  I always tell my coworkers where they can find these great kits.

       I first heard of Sigma Makeup through youtube and immediately bought their complete brush set.  At that time, I did not have many MAC brushes (which I have bought since that time) and I was looking for a cheaper alternative.  Sigma seemed like a great option.  I ordered my first Sigma brush kit, and upon using them the first time to apply my makeup as I had been using cheaper brushes from the drugstore, I thought How did I apply makeup without these before!   I like that Sigma has named their brushes with the same numbers as the MAC brushes, so if there is a MAC brush you are looking for, you can probably find that same brush from Sigma.  I also enjoyed the fact that I could do more looks that were displayed by larger gurus, as most of them used MAC brushes.  So when a guru applied makeup and said "I'm using my MAC 224." I now could just grab for my Sigma or "SS 224" and create the same look.  Now let me say, the Sigma brushes are very dupable to MAC, but they are not exactly the same, and I actually prefer some of my Sigma brushes more than my MAC ones. I have many reviews on my youtube channel about Sigma Brushes if you'd like to take a look at the reviews.

     As many of you already know, you can buy any of the makeup kits and all of Sigma's brushes from http://www.sigmamakeup.com/.  I just recently received the Smokey Eyes Kit and the Fun with Colors Kit.  I have posted a review of the Smokey Eyes Kit and the Pink Sigma brushes, and have done a tutorial using both the Neutral Eyes and Smokey Eyes Kits which will be shown below.  The eyeshadows and blushes have great pigmentation and the color in the pan, is exactly what shows up on your eye!  I also find that with a little help from primer (whichever you choose), your look will last all day long.  The kits were sent to my by Sigma, but the Complete Brush Set, and the new Advanced Brush Set were bought by me.  I would continue to buy Sigma Makeup even if I were not sent products to review.

Contest Winner Video

Urban Decay's Alice in Wonderland Palette

If you've seen my last Sephora haul on Youtube, you know I purchased the coveted Alice in Wonderland Palette by Urban Decay.  When this palette was first launched, I held out thinking I have the Book of Shadows vol II so why would I need this.  As we all know, in today's society it is a strenuous battle of "wants" and "needs".  When shopping last weekend, I saw it in Sephora.  Yes, many of the colors are in the Book of Shadows vol II, and some are from the Ammo palette, but some were shadows I didn't have.  This is also a makeup collectors item, and the packaging completely drew me in.  The top of the palette opens up to reveal a beautiful pop-up scene of Alice walking through a forest of mushrooms.    For anyone who loves Urban Decay, Tim Burton, Disney, or Alice in Wonderland, this is an absolutely MUST have this palette.  But there are many of us asking the question: Which of these shadows are the ones I don't have? Here is a rundown of each shadow and its dupe:

(16) Eyeshadows:

-Underland (Flash)
-Alice (Painkiller)
-Oraculum (Baked)
-Queen (Last Call)
-Chessur (Chopper)
-White Rabbit (Polyester Bride)
-Wonderland (Maui Wowie)
-Curiouser (Grifter)
-Muchness (X)
-Mushroom (Mushroom)
-Midnight Tea Party (Midnight Cowboy Rides Again)
-Vorpal (S&M)
-Absolem (Homegrown)
-Drink Me Eat Me (Sin)
-Mad Hatter (Twice Baked)
-Jabberwocky (Oil Slick)
-Travel-size 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Zero and Flipside
-Travel-size Eyeshadow Primer Potion

The eyeshadows are wonderful.  If you haven't used Urban Decay before, be warned that none of these are matte eyeshadows. They all have a shimmer to varying degrees from very subtle to large chunks as in Midnight Tea Party.  Some people were complaining that these are best selling eyeshadows that are renamed and not new colors, but if you are someone like me, who falls in love with a particular shadow, why not have an extra?  Considering that most of Urban Decay's single eyeshadow run you about $18, you can get so many of them in this palette for $50.  The eyeshadows have wonderful payoff, and used with the primer potion, stay on all day.  I love the consistency of all of Urban Decay's shadows, so although this was an impulse buy for me, I am not regretting the purchase.  I love having all of my favorite colors in one place, easily accessable and ready to be used together.  I do wish that Urban Decay would have come out with some exclusive colors specifically for this palette, but overall I think it's worth the price, and I'm glad I bought it.

So my questions for you are:
What do you think of this duped palette?
Did you buy it? If so what do you think?
Do you own any of the other Urban Decay palettes? 

 

Shadows and Concealer Stay and Don't Stray

While shopping at Sephora this weekend, I picked up Benefit's new eye primer - Stay Don't Stray.  I've used this for three days, and I must say, I absolutely love it.  I do need to tell you though, I'm not sure this product will work for all skin tones.  It's a very light nude shade that I'm not sure would work for olive or dark skin tones.  On me it works fabulous, but I am very pale.  I usually always put concealer and then my MAC MSF under my eyes, so this helps that stay there all day.   I have noticed a dramatic difference in the staying power of my concealer under my eye area which is the place I need it the most.  Using this as a concealer primer is quite tricky though.  You need to make sure it is completely blended and that you use a concealer that is quite thin...I use the MAC Select Moisture Coverage Concealer under my eye area so it works out great with that.  It also works similar to Powderflage, brightening the eye area to minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

As a primer for your eyeshadows, it works quite well. My eyeshadows have been staying on all day, but I much prefer their discontinued F Y Eye as a shadow primer.  Shadows don't blend the same on top of the new primer, but they do stay all day.  All in all, I think this is a great product.  Your eyeshadows stay vibrant and true to color all day.  It also hydrates the eye area to lock in moisture, and fights signs of aging with Vitamins C & E.  It's also free of parabens, which we all try to stay away from.  It really goes on smooth and covers darkness and redness really well. 

Just a note about application.  This product comes in a cylinder with a pump dispenser.  Be careful when pumping out your product.  About half a pump is all you need for both eyes.  If you have any remaining, you can use it on areas that you will be applying concealer to keep your concealer on all day.

A Note About My Lush Stash

Many of my youtube subscribers have asked to see my updated Lush "stash/collection".  To be honest, I don't have as much as I used to.  I did accumulate tons of soap over the holiday sale when they were buy 1 get 2 free.  Most of the bath bombs and bubble bars, my family and I have used and are continuing to use up.  Needless to say I do love Lush (and may be slightly addicted LOL).  There will be parties at Lush that I will be attending in the future, but as I said, I will not be posting an updated Lush collection video.  When I was recently going through a bad anxiety spurt, I used up a lot of my bath products (bath bombs, bubble bars, lotions, and emotibombs).  I do have shower gels, but most of them are running low or are half full.  Their shampoos and conditioners I use just about every day, but I have been trying some new products recently as well.

I do get many comments about how lush expires, and how it's considered wastefull to have so much Lush, but as I stated previously, everyone in my household uses it.  The soaps often don't expire for over a year, and if well kept sometimes even longer.  I also often cocktail my Lush products, using more than one at a time.  I just wanted to address this repeated request from my youtube channel.  I didn't want anyone to think I was ignoring their comments.

Lush - Valentines Day & Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes

So, if many of you watched my last video on youtube, you saw the Valentines Day goodies I bought from Lush Cosmetics.  I love my Valentines Day products!  If many of you out there have not tried Lush, I suggest now is the time to do so.  Not only do they have new products for Valentines Day, but they also have a new kit out: Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes.  The kit is $25 and is a great deal for the products you get inside.  It's also a great way to try out many of the products that Lush sells that are not bubble bars, shower gels, bath bomb, or soaps.  Included in this kit (here in the U.S. as it is slightly different in the UK) is:

1 Fresh Face Mask (of your choice)

1 Shampoo Puck (of your choice)

1 Sample of Handy Gurugu hand cream

1 Sample of Lemony Flutter cuticle butter

1 Sample of Fair Trade Foot Lotion

1 Vitamin C Toner Tab

1 Mini Sugar Scrub

1 Mini Each Peach Massage Bar

1 Moiturizer Sample (of your choice)

 I chose for my face mask Catastrophe Cosmetic.  I love this face mask. It was the first face mask I had ever bought from Lush and continues to be my favorite although I have tried almost all of them.  It contains fresh blueberries which are rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals to reduce inflammation and act as a mild antiseptic. It's also packed with soothing chamomile, Irish moss and almond oil that work with calamine to revive your skin.  For my moisturizer I chose Celestial.  This moisturizer is one that I have not tried before as I have tried many.  It is supposed to be great for dry, sensitive skin.  It contains vanilla water and almond milk to moisturize and soften the skin and give it a beautiful soft scent. Fresh dove orchid extract is included in the mixture as it is traditionally used to reduce inflammation.  For my shampoo puck, I chose my favorite! Seanik...this shampoo puck is great for my limp, lifeless hair.  I would highly reccommend this for anyone who has thin, fine hair.  Lush makes this shampoo full of fine sea salt for volume and Nori seaweed to soften and nourish your hair. It also contains lemon oil to cleanse the hair and make it shine. The scent to me smells of lemon and mimosa blossom...very much like the ocean - crisp and clean.  The other products in the kits are also really great products.  You should definitely check this out. It is well worth the price.

The Valentines Day products are really cute and smell delicious!  The first product I picked up was the "Love Soap".  This soap is in the shape of a heart and smells of the sex bomb bath bomb.  For those of you who have never tried Lush or don't know what that scent is, it's a slightly floral scent of jasmine, clary sage and ylang ylang.  This soap also has a little glitter in it and lathers really well.

The Ex Factor Bath Bomb is shaped like a gingerbread man, except he's BLUE!  And he wears his heart on his chest.  Very Cute!  He will turn your bathwater a beautiful blue color.  This bath bomb is scented just like Lush's Butterball Bath Bomb - vanilla musk and ylang ylang.  It's a sweet scent that I absolutely love.  I was slightly disappointed that this one doesn't contain cocoa butter to moisturize your skin as the Butterball does, but I'm a sucker for holiday themed anything, so I couldn't pass this up.

The Magic Mushroom Bubble Bar is my favorite of all of the Valentine's Day products at Lush. For those of you who don't know what a bubble bar is or how to use it. It's a solid bubble bath.  To use this, you just crumble a piece of it (as I do), or the whole thing, whatever you prefer, under running bath water.  The bubble that this specific bubble bar creates are so soft, moreso than any other bubble bar I've tried from Lush yet which was surprising to me.  The Magic Mushroom has two different scents.  The top of it is scented with Lush's famous Yummy Yummy Yummy shower gel scent, and the bottom smells of vanilla.  It a great combination strawberry, honey water, almond oil, and vanilla.  It smells so good!

There are also a lot of great specials going on at Lush at this time. Each store may have different promotions and specials so check with your local store.  The U.S. website http://www.lushusa.com/ still has a few holiday products at buy 1 get two free sale.  Take advantage of the sales when you can!

Mascaras - Which One Do You Use?

One of my favorite makeup items has always been mascara.  I feel as if it's the finishing touch to your makeup.  Even on those days when I don't feel like making up my whole face, or if I'm in a rush, I always put on mascara.  So this brings me to the question: Are higher priced mascaras really worth the money we pay for them?  In my experience, it depends on the brand of the higher price mascara.  With drug store mascaras, it has always been hit or miss for me. With that being said, I'll give you a run down of my favorite mascaras - high end and drug store.

My all time love of mascaras right now is the Yves Saint Laurent Volume Effet Faux Cils Mascara.  In my opinion this mascara does it all!  It achieves an intense, dramatic lash look with one stroke. Its uses a Triple-Film Complex: a film-coating for intensity, a conditioning film for curve, and a fixing film for long-lasting effectiveness.  The brush applicator combines nylon fibers of varying diameters for volume enhancement.  I love this mascara, and when shopping in Sephora one day, I picked it up.  I was sad that my wallet had to take a dent at the $28 price, but to me every penny was worth it.  This is the mascara that I pick up the most often as it does everything in one stroke.

My next choice for high end mascara is actually a combination of two items.  I really love Urban Decay's Eyelash Primer Potion used with DuWop's Lash Venom.  These two eyelash products work great together. The Urban Decay Eyelash Primer Potion is a lengthening, volumizing, and fortifying mascara base.  If you use this product before your favorite mascara your lashes will appear thicker, longer, and stronger.  It uses the conditioning, fortifying, and thickening formula of Silk Protein, Panthenol, and Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein. I love to pair this with DuWop's Lash Venom. I like the Lash Venom on it's own as it provides extreme length without clumping.  The formula also contains vitamin E and an acrylic polymer that prevents smudging and flaking. The brush is made to optimize both pick-up and delivery, ensuring consistent performance with every application. Lash Venom gives your lashes instant fullness and a glossy, jet-black finish.  In conjunction, these two products give you the effect of false lashes when you really aren't wearing them.

Of course there are many more high end mascara that I use and like. Buxom by Bare Essentiuals is a great mascara, as is the Bad Gal Lash by Benefit. However, the ones reviewed above are way worth the price if I had to choose. I've been wanting to try the Dior Show Extase Mascara, and may treat myself to it the next time I am at Sephora.

So I bring myself to drug-store brands.  I have only found 3 drug store brand mascaras that I would like and repurchase.  One is the Covergirl Lash Blast.  This mascara is really awesome for a drug store brand.  I was actually very surprised when I used it as I had never had a drug store brand give me the effect I wanted before this one.  It gives you instant volume and lift. It's smudge proof and smear proof, and it's also hypoallergenic (which is good for those who wear contacts).  I love this mascara and plan to try the other varieties of it that Covergirl is beginning to offer. 

Two other drug store mascaras I reach for are both made by Maybelline.  The first is the Intense XXL® Volume + Length Washable Microfiber Mascara.  This mascara works alot like the UD Eyelash Primer and my Duwop Lash Venom combination, however with a little more clumping...so if you can't afford the higher end combo, this would be a great mascara for you.  It creates up to 60% longer lashes and 11X the volume. I feel the only downfall of this mascara is that the microfiber side of the tube tends to clump my lashes, so an eyelash curler is a must when using this mascara.  Another mascara by Maybelline that I use is the Lash Stiletto. I must say the brush on this mascara is great.  It grasps each lash and coats from every angle, while the formula is filled with Pro-Vitamin B-5 that conditions and smoothes for black-patent shine.  I would reccommend this mascara to anyone who is looking for a great drug store brand.

On that note there are many other drug store mascaras I have yet to try and would like to.  So my questions for you are:
What is your favorite mascara?
Do you prefer high end mascaras to drug store brands?
Do you think that the price of high end mascaras is worth it?
What mascara would you reccommend to your friends?

Hair Products - New Favorites!

Not too long ago, my Secret Santa sent me a great gift. She gave me a variety of CIBU hair styling products.  Let me just say "Wow!"  Now I love this stuff.  According to the Cibu website: Cibu shampoos, conditioners and finishing products add maximum shine and moisture to all hair types. Fine, straight, thick, dry, curly or chemically treated, Cibu's patented blend of Bamboo, Water Lily and Lotus Flower extracts and Vitamin B5 protect and nourish hair. And it smells so good!

So let me tell you what I have been using and loving.  One of my favorite things, one that I have been reaching for everyday I may add, is the Origumi Paste. This stuff is totally awesome.  It gives my hair volume and shine.  I use it on my damp hair, on the underneath and in the roots, to give my hair some lift.  I be careful not to use too much as it will weigh my hair down, but I've gotten that down to a science now.

Another product I've been using is the Miso Knotty Leave In Detangler. This is a gentle leave-in detangler that works great in my hair. After shampooing, I spritz it into my wet hair and comb through. It eliminates those little flyaways at the crown of my head and refreshes my hair. Sometimes, because I have fine, limp hair, conditioners can weigh it down. This product doesn't. It's great for when I want to skip a conditioner day.

I've also been using the Shang Hi Root Booster, Thickening Paste and Mousse Lee Foaming Volumizer. These are awesome products for fine, limp, lifeless hair like mine. When I use them, I apply them to my damp hair and then blow dry. What I like most about these products is that I don't feel like I have any product there. My hair is touchably soft, but volumized. Check out Cibu's website: http://www.cibuinternational.com/index.html

There are definitely products there for all hair types!