theBalm Put a Lid On It Eye Primer

I used the card as a reference to show the size of the sample.

I received this sample of the soon to be released theBalm Put a Lid On It eye primer in my Birchbox and thought it deserved its own blog post..

 

. I want to start out by talking about the other eye primers I have and use. My "go to" eye primer is Urban Decay's Primer Potion, which is kind of thick but works well and keeps creases away for the most part. I have also used Too Faced Shadow Insurance, I own it in Candlelight. This eye primer is not as thick as the Primer Potion but they work the same I think. Many people prefer one over the other, usually Shadow insurance over Primer Potion, but I cannot tell the difference other than consistency. I have also owned Mary Kay, .Mark, Elf, NYX, and many other eye primers. Too Faced and Urban Decay's are better than all of those, though NYX is a good contender. 

Now on to the item at hand. I squeezed a bit of this out of the tube to see the consistency, how eyeshadow applied on it, if it creased, etc. It has the strangest feel to it, almost like oil but it dries and you can't tell its there. I really, really hated that at first but then I realized how light, thin, and unnoticeable the application of this product was. I then put a strip of this, Primer Potion, and Shadow Insurance on my hand and applied several different eyeshadows over it to see how they swatched. I used a super bright teal, black, pink, and champagne. I thought this would be a good range of color to test. (If I had a better camera I would have taken pictures of the swatches in a heartbeat but I fear you wouldn't be able to tell the difference with my phone camera.)

First I swatched the Primer Potion and the Shadow Insurance. They, of course, help the color pop and apply more evenly. Then I applied all four colors on the Put a Lid On It and oh holy lord I have never witnessed anything so amazing in makeup as this primer. The colors applied like they had a white base, they popped so much more than with the other two primers. They also applied like a dream. The application was SOOO smooth I couldn't believe my eyes. I also had to use less product with theBalm's primer than the other two because it just grabbed on to the shadows so well. 

I really thought from the consistency of this primer I would hate it but I am buying this as soon as I can because this is the most amazing product I have ever used in the way of primers. I really hope this product gets a lot of hype because it deserves that and more. Every time I try a new product from theBalm I am blown away. They are such a solid company and they make amazing products. This is going to be my go-to eye primer from now on!

It's not available at www.thebalm.com yet but it is available on the Birchbox website, Birchbox Shop-Put a Lid On It for $18!!

xoxo

-Kenzie

Birchbox January 2013

My Birchbox for this month

 fresh. Lotus Youth Preserve Face Cream- I got two packets of this so I had my friend come over to try it with me. We did a face scrub and mask before we used this so our skin was fresh and clean. This soaked in really well and really did leave my skin feeling moisturized. It also smelled like cucumbers so it really felt like a spa day! I can't say through one use if this was life changing or amazing, but it was nice and it did its job.

 Harvey Prince Skinny Chic- I have received another Harvey Prince perfume in a previous Birchbox (Eau Flirt) and LOVED it. So I had high expectations for this one. It definitely wasn't what I was expecting but I really did like it! It has notes of apple, mint, lotus blossom, grapefruit, white cedar wood, and amber. It's very light but fragrant. Also the sample was a great size. Usually you get the vials or a spray bottle. This one was a spray bottle but it was twice the size of any other perfume sample I've gotten! So this will last me a little while!

Alessandro Nail Polish in Blue Lagoon- I'll just start out by saying I LOATHE this nail polish. It's ugly, the polish is thick and weird to put on. I wish they would have given me ANY color but this one. It's like a darker, washed out cornflower blue. I will never wear this and I feel it was a total waste in my Birchbox. The bottle looks cheap and I just don't like anything about it save the fact it dries very quickly, which is nice.

Sorry for the state of my nail, I know its horrible haha. But this is the color I got. It's a little darker in person, the flash washed it out a bit. Not that it matters much...its hideous...

theBalm Put A Lid On It Eye Primer- This is a whole other beast to tackle. I'll be making a separate blog post about that and insert the link later.

 Ojon Damage Reverse Instant Restorative Hair Serum- I've gotten this as a sample from Sephora and loved it. You have to be careful not to use too much or your hair gets really oily and gross. As far as hair serums/oils go I really prefer Shu Uemura's Art of Hair Essence Absolue Nourishing Protective Oil. I received a sample of that in my first Birchbox and FELL IN LOVE. It's rather expensive though ($68) so I have yet to buy it but one day it shall be mine, oh yes, it shall be mine! Back to Ojon though, this is a great, cheaper alternative to the Shu Uemura product!

Overall this was a pretty good Birchbox. Again, I really wish I would have gotten a different color polish, but 4/5 is pretty good I think. :)

https://www.birchbox.com/ 

xoxo

-Kenzie

Sephora freebies!

After Christmas I made a Sephora purchase and got a couple freebies. I thought they were worthy of their own blog posts haha.

Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer SPF 15

I hear about this face primer all the time. I have always wanted to try it but was hesitant because its SOOO expensive! ($52 for 1oz!) So when I saw this was up for a 100 point purchase I jumped at it. The bottle is actually a nice size, I'll get a lot of use out of it. The formula is so nice, it glides over your skin and really blurs everything. It doesn't drastically change your skin but it does do a good job making your skin a smoother surface for your foundation. My foundation also went on super nicely over my trouble spot, the dreaded T-Zone... My makeup looked smoother and more natural but I got really good coverage. I also didn't feel like I had a ton of makeup on! I also thought the SPF was a nice added bonus.

If you really want to try this there is a smaller size, 0.33oz, for $18. That's still kind of pricey but if you are in need of a great primer this might be it for you!

BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector SPF 25+

Every time I shop anywhere online I use Ebates for cash back and coupon codes. At this time Sephora didn't have a lot of good coupon codes so I chose to get a deluxe sample of this BECCA product. I have never tried anything from this brand and know little about it. The sample was in Opal, it's supposed to be used as a highlighter or you can mix it in your foundation to give your face a glowy effect. I didn't expect much out of this because I knew nothing about it but I was pleasantly surprised! The product is very creamy and its a BEAUTIFUL color! It's a much more pronounced highlighter than most of the ones I have but I really love it! I was also surprised by the size of the tube! I expected it to be at least half the size it is. This is going to last me for quite a while, which is good because I honestly won't buy the full size since its $41. Given this is a beautiful product that is really pricey compared to most other highlighting products.

Overall these were great freebies of expensive products I would not have tried otherwise and I'm glad to have them both!

L'Oreal Product Review

Products I got: Voluminous Million Lashes Mascara and Color Caresse Gloss Stain in Coral Tattoo

 I was at Walmart the other day with friend and as per usual I HAD to go in the makeup/skincare section. Its like a compulsion. There are several drugstore products I wanted to get but I had a budget to stick to so I picked up these beauties. L'Oreal is my favorite drugstore brand ever. I have never used a product of theirs and not liked it.

I recently watched a video on youtube, by Glamlifeguru, that was a 3 part drugstore makeup haul and she talked about these glossy stains. They are supposed to be a dupe for YSL's glossy stains which are all the rage right now. I have never tried them because they are $32 each, which is crazy! (even for me!) But L'Oreal owns about 30 makeup brands, including YSL so its not surprising they came out with this. 

I was a bit skeptical at first, I mean the only lip product I have found that is super amazing and different are OCC's lip tars. When I got home I put this on to see how it applied. It was smooth and I really like the size and shape of the applicator. It felt nice on my lips too. It's glossy but not sticky, smooth and pigmented but not heavy. I am also a sucker for anything coral colored and this was a beautiful color for my very fair skintone.

I left this on for the rest of the night. I ate, drank, talked, etc. Before I went to bed I looked in the mirror to see how it wore because I could still feel it on my lips. IT HADN'T BUDGED ALL NIGHT! It looked exactly the same as when I had put it on! It was still glossy and the color was all there. I touched my lips and my lips didn't feel like there was a lipstick or gloss on. It's hard to explain this lip product. I suppose all you need to know is it's amazing and I am going to buy every color they put out once I have some money, they are that amazing...

These are $7 at Walmart and come in a nice range of colors from nude to red to pink to plum, etc.

I am still on the search for my "holy grail" mascara...perhaps I'll find it at the castle AAAAAAAHHHGGGG...(I really hope someone gets that...) I digress. I have used Eyeko, Urban Decay, Lancome, Benefit, Covergirl, Maybelline...I could go on for days. Many of them were ok but didn't do everything I need. I want a mascara that separates, defines, lengthens, plumps, and is SUPER black.

I had heard good things about L'Oreals Million Lashes and Voluminous mascaras. I decided to stick with the gold theme and pick this one up. I like the brush, its a plastic one with lots of lash grabbing bristles. They brag about a mechanism in the tube that makes sure the "perfect amount of product" is on the wand every time and I have to give them credit for that! I only had to wipe product from the tip, something I'm accustomed to.

This is pretty black, it has a slight grey tinge, but it definitely darkens my lashes. It separates really well and coats evenly. No clumpy lashes with this mascara! It doesn't make my lashes look fuller or longer. It's a nice every day mascara but my search for the perfect mascara continues...

This is also $7 at Walmart.

All in all these are both great drustore products. I ADORE the glossy stain and the mascara is really good quality. These are definitely some things to pick up for a bargain price!

Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation

So I want to start off with my skin, because for me the way my foundation looks directly correlates to my skin. I have the most awkward skin and I don't know anyone who has the same problems I do. I am combination but not regular combination. My skin is SUPER dry in my t-zone, it gets flaky and gross, but then it will be oily at the same time. As I get older the pores on either side of my nose get larger and more and more pores in my t-zone are clogged. I've been looking for a skincare solution to my ailment but for now all I can do is cover up. because my skin is so freaking awkward I have a hard time finding foundation that doesnt look gross on me. Everywhere else on my face beside that central area is fine and foundation looks great there but the makeup on my nose will look dry and flakey, either side of my nose will look cakey, and my forehead will look oily. It's just a mess.

So on to the foundation. I was skeptical about trying this because of my skin, not the product. Urban Decay is my favorite makeup brand and I love all their products. I was just worried this foundation would look bad because of my skin. I also bought this not knowing my shade which was nerve racking! So I didn't get my heart set on this foundation being amazing for me.

This is $38 at Urbandecay.com, Sephora, and Ulta. I got it in shade 1. I actually went off Vintageortacky's foundation shade. She is a shade lighter than me usually and she uses shade 0.5 so I got 1 in the hopes it would match.

Now to start with the praises, lol. The shade I got matched my skintone perfectly which was great by itself. This foundation is a strange consistency for me. Most of my liquid foundations are kind of thick. This is thin but not watery. Its strange and I can't really describe it. It applies beautifully and has very nice coverage, medium I'd say. And its buildable so if you wanted full coverage that could be achieved. It actually covered all my problem spots really well. The bridge of my nose still got dry, but I expected that and it wasn't because of the foundation. It made my skin look so naturally even and smooth.

Another big point was the price for me. I go through foundation pretty quickly so paying $38 for foundation is a huge thing for me. The most I had ever paid before this for foundation was $24 for a Clinique one. So I was putting a lot of confidence in Urban Decay and it was well placed. A little of this stuff goes a long way so this bottle will last me a while!

Overall I am way impressed and this does live up to the hype. They also have a great range of color so I think everyone could find their perfect shade. Its not too matte or too dewey so it would work for most skin types as well. It's well balanced and totally worth checking out!

xoxo

-Kenzie

Amazingness---Makeup Your Mind: Express Yourself Cheeks

Set Packaging

Products in set

 I have always wanted to buy NARS products but never have because they are so pricey. Their blush in Orgasm and Bronzer in Laguna are their most famous and coveted products. I don't have very many blushes and the bronzer I use isn't the greatest. Since I had the money I figured why not and bought this set. I told myself "If I don't like it I can always return it!" Well this is not going back to Sephora....EVER!

This set contains:

Blush duo in Orgasm and Angelika (each bigger than half size)

Bronzer in Laguna (full size)

The Multiple in Copacabana (full size)

The multiple in Copacabana

  The Multiple in Copacabana is an amazing highlighter. It gives such a natural sheen to the skin. It's not an obvious highlighter. It makes my skin look like its just naturally glowing, bright, and beautiful. Its a pale pearl so it goes amazingly with my pale skin but I think it would look beautiful on any skintone!

Blushes in Orgasm and Angelika. Bronzer in Laguna.

When I first got in to high end makeup the first blush I heard about was Orgasm by NARS. Literally everyone says its amazing so of course I wanted to try it. I only own a few blushes and haven't found one that is my absolute favorite. Oh lawdy I have it now! Orgasm is a blush that, like everyone says, would suit ANY skintone. It's the most beautiful peachy color with gold shimmer. It's SUPER pigmented, all of these products are, and I had to use a light hand. My blushes arent nearly as pigmented as this one so I was used to applying it more heavily. Angelika is a cotton candy pink with glitter. It's so girly and amazing! This duo is perfect for this kit because they are pretty universal colors!

The bronzer I use right now is a Rimmel one and it does the job but its not super pigmented and I'm just not satisfied with it. I was really worried that Laguna would be too dark for my skintone. I also am used to using a matte bronzer because I use it to contour so I was worried the gold shimmer would look strange. I was completely wrong! Laguna is so perfect I literally gasped when I put it on. A little goes a loooong way, I had to diffuse it with some powder because I put on WAY too much hahahaha. It is so beautiful and natural looking, it really made my cheekbones stand out and my face have some color in it!

This is the perfect cheek set. Every product would suit every skintone and they all go together beautifully. What I love most about these products is they look so natural on your skin. They accent your own features and make them stand out and it doesn't look like you have a ton of makeup caked on. It makes your natural beauty shine through. This is by far the best makeup set I have ever bought and I will continue to buy NARS products, even though they are a splurge. I am so impressed and happy with this purchase and on top of the quality the price is amazing! This set was $75. The bronzer is $34, a single blush is $28 and the multiple is $39. So you save some money and get a bunch of amazing products! NARS will be a staple in my makeup collection from now on!

NARS set at Sephora

Hauls!

 I had a bunch of money from Christmas so I decided to buy makeup I never buy because It's too expensive and add to my MAC collection! I'm going to make posts about them individually but I thought I would throw this up so you guys have something to gawk at while I make the posts haha!

Sephora-
Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation
NARS Makeup Your Mind: Express Yourself Cheeks Set
Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer
Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Deluxe
Samples-Coach Poppy and Poppy Flower, Bvlgari Jasmine Noire, Boscia Oil free Nightly Hydration

MAC-
Primped Out Lip Look Bag
2 Eyeshadow Refill pans
Eye Makeup Remover

I also got another Z-palette to condense my makeup! 

Blog posts coming shortly, XOXO

-Kenzie