Kiss Ever Pro Lash Starter Kit

Kiss Ever Pro Lash Starter Kit ($5.99), another product from my Influenster Voxbox (<- click to find out more). 

Now I am far from a lash beginner Boos. I have been wearing lashes for a very longtime. I wear light demi lashes to boost my natural lashes and draw attention to my eyes for a day look, and full thick lashes for more drama at night and on special occasions. 

Still I love this kit. The lashes in the kit are thick and dark,  if you are looking for something for daytime this isn't it, these are definitely full drama. Kiss lashes are high quality; if you take care of them, clean them with a decent eye make-up remover, and store them properly you will get quite a few uses out of them (certainly plenty to feel like you're getting your 6 bucks worth).

The glue that comes in the starter kit is latex free so no worries if you have any allergies and lasts all day. The lashes don't slip or come off at all.

The only downside for me was the applicator. It is just a pink pair of plastic tweezers that you are meant to grip the lashes with, but I prefer to use my fingers. I feel like using my hands gives me more control and isn't as scary as poking at my eye with a large piece of brightly colored plastic.

All in all, these lashes are well worth the $5.99 the lashes and the glue are both of high quality, the applicator is alright if you're into threatening your eyes with a good poking. The one negative I would say is that these lashes are full drama and if you are a young beginner you might want something a bit more natural.

Full Disclosure: I received these lashes free from Influenster and Kiss for the purpose of review.

Do you wear lashes Boos? Tell me about them.

NYC New York Color Individual Eyes Custom Compact

The NYC Individual Eyes Compact in Dark Shadows ($4.99) was one of the items I received in my Influenster VoxBox follow the link to see my unboxing video. I love NYC products, they make great quality cosmetics for drugstore prices. I already owned 2 other Individual Eyes compacts (Union Square and Central Park) that I purchased on my own. The palettes come with 4 complimentary colors and their own primer and illuminator. They are a frequent go to for me because I like to stay in bed as long as possible in the morning and having everything I need for a variety of eye looks in one compact saves me a lot of time (these work well for travel too). The custom compacts are also great if you are a smokey eye beginner because the insert clearly labels what colors are meant for your lid and which are for contouring in your crease.

Breaking it down:

The Primer - I am a brown girl and my eyelids are a darker complexion than the rest of my skin, so even when I'm not wearing make-up it looks like I have on brown eyeshadow. As a result I always wear a primer under my eyeshadow so that the color stays truer to the package color. I really only use drugstore primers and this is as good as any of the others I've tried. It evens out the color of my eyelids and helps keep my shadow in place all day. 

The Illuminator - Like the primer the illuminator is as good as any other drugstore illuminator. I pop a tiny bit of the white shimmer onto the inner corner of each eye just to keep them bright, especially when using smokey colors.

The Quad - NYC eye colors are VERY PIGMENTED. I love this because it doesn't take much product to get great color on the eye, especially when used in conjunction with the primer. Sometimes inexpensive eyeshadows can contain so little pigment that I have problems getting them to show up on my skin tone even with a primer. That is never the case with NYC. Usually with NYC eye shadows I have to make sure to use a light touch and build up color in order to get the natural look I like, otherwise it's easy to end up with too much color on. 

The colors in this particular compact were much darker than I am used to wearing, but are great for a night time smokey look. All for colors are shimmery with the heaviest sparkle being in the darkest black color. Again it is really easy to go overboard with this palette so tread lightly, but if you are going out for a night on the town and don't want to spend a lot on your smokey eye this is definitely the way to go.

Full Disclosure: I received this product free from Influenster and NYC for the purpose of review.

Do you own any NYC products? Tell me about them below.

Influenster Beauty Blogger VoxBox 2012

Hi Boos,

I was selected by influenster.com to receive their beauty blogger voxbox! The box was full of some AMAZING products. Watch my unboxing video above then come back here and check out my reviews of the products inside.

*As I write reviews I will edit this post to include links to each products page.

Lip Balm Face Off Week 7 - Final Round

So this it the final round of my lip balm face off. It has come down to Maybelline Baby lips vs. Bonne Bell Lip Blush. 

Baby lips review: It sells for $3.99, has a really nice fruity scent, good color that isn't too harsh, and lasts 4-6 hours.  Previous review: Week 4

Bonne Bell review: Retails for $2.69 and smells of sweet peaches. Has a soft but noticeable color that is really pretty and isn't overly shiny. It also leaves my lips soft and moisturized for hours.  Previous review: Week 1

I have to go with Bonne Bell as my overall winner. It is inexpensive, it has a sweet smell, a beautiful subtle color, and moisturizes well for a really long time. It is a great product at a great price and is readily available. I highly recommend it. Enjoy!

What do you think of our winner?  

Lip Balm Face Off Week 6

Round 1 Recap:

Maybelline Baby Lips in Pink Punch- It sells for $3.99, has a really nice fruity scent, good color that isn't too harsh, and lasts 4-6 hours. 

ELF Moisturizing Lip Tint in Nude- Sells for $3.00, it's minty, has a beautiful natural color, and lasts about 4 hours.

Choosing between these two brands is difficult. They sell for about the same price provided you buy the ELF in Target, if you have it shipped it will cost more.  They each deliver beautiful flattering color and each come in a wide varieties of colors so you are likely to find something that suits you. The ELF has a nicer texture going on, it's creamy a lot more like a lipstick than a lip balm. I prefer the scent of the Maybelline to the scent of the ELF, for me fruit punch trumps mint every time. The conditioning effect of the Maybelline is better. My lips felt softer and conditioned for longer with the Baby Lips than with the ELF. Honestly though no matter which of these you purchase I think you'll be happy. That being said I have to choose one so here it goes: 

So why did I choose this one? Fruit punch over mint, the longer lasting conditioning, and the availability. ELF is only sold online or in Target, but the Maybelline is available at any drugstore and even some super markets. 

Next Week: The Final Round Maybelline Baby Lips vs. Bonne Bell Lip Blush

Have you tried either? What do you think?

Lip Balm Face Off Week 5

This week starts round 2. Each of these tinted lip balms won their first rounds so here is a little recap about the details of each:

NYX - Retails for $3.00 and has a sweet strong fruit punch like scent. It is extremely pigmented and glossy more like a full on lip gloss than a tinted balm, it was a little heavy for my taste but the stain left behind is quite pretty and lasts a long time. Here is a link to the round one review for more detail if you'd like.

Bonne Bell - Retails for $2.69 and smells of sweet peaches. Has a soft but noticeable color that is really pretty and isn't overly shiny. It also leaves my lips soft and moisturized for hours. Here is the link to it's round one review for more information.

I have to go with Bonne Bell again! The NYX was too pigmented for my taste. When I wear a tinted balm instead of lipstick or gloss it's because I am looking for subtly and the Bonne Bell delivers that gentle hint of color. The NYX was also way too glossy, again a tinted lip balm should be subtle in my opinion and the NYX doesn't deliver that. Also the Bonne Bell is a great moisturizer. I hate the feeling of dry lips and will apply most lip balms frequently throughout the day, I didn't need to do that with the Bonne Bell. The moisturizing effect of the Bonne Bell lip blush lasted for hours my lips felt great the whole day. One thing that is disappointing is that neither the NYX or the Bonne Bell is labeled as containing an SPF which is something I do look for in a balm. For the purposes of testing I wore each balm alone, but normally when wearing a tinted balm that doesn't mention SPF I will also wear an un-tinted one that does contain SPF. Overall I am loving the Bonne Bell though.

Next week it's ELF vs. Maybelline.

Do you have a favorite tinted lip balm? Let me know in the comments below.

Lip Balm Face Off Week 4

The * by the MAC - My MAC lip conditioner is quite a few years old and is the one pictured. The review I will give is for that one. I do not know if the formula has changed at all. However, the price of $15 is for the current price for MAC lip conditioner which is smaller than the one pictured. I do not remember how much I paid for the one I have and it would have been in the old Irish punts anyway (I purchased it in Limerick). Here is what the newer one looks like:

The MAC: The texture of this is very greasy. It smears easily and has a tendency to get all over my face. It is very pigmented which would be great if it was only on my lips, not so good on my chin and in my philtrum. This is so greasy and shiny, as well as so heavily pigmented, I feel like I would like it more if I wore it with a lip liner like a conditioning lip gloss rather than a tinted balm. Then of course there is the price. MAC is not a drugstore brand. $15 is a lot for a tinted lip balm. I wouldn't have a problem with the price tag if I believed I was getting something special for the price, but honestly it is comparable to the Neutrogena I already reviewed for $8.99. Also, it lacks a sweet scent. There is something in the smells that reminds me of chocolate but it isn't a delicious smell. 

The MAYBELLINE: I love this lip balm. I wear it a lot. It is conditioning and adds moisture without being too oily. The pink punch is, obviously, a pink color and it is really nice. It has nice pigmentation noticeable but really natural looking. The fruity smell is incredible. This balm is a great for when you want just a little bit of color, but aren't wearing full make-up. 

OVERALL: Even though the MAC is an upscale brand I have to go with the Maybelline. The Maybelline offers a great product at a much more reasonable price, it's that simple.

Next Week Starts Round 2!!!

Sally Hansen Magnetic Nail Polish

I tried this out in the color Polar Purple. I LOVE IT. First, the polar purple is such a pretty shade of purple that even if it didn't do the magnetic thing I would wear it. Second, it is really easy to use. The cap of the polish is in two parts. The large cap you see in the picture is actually the magnet, the large part comes off of the top and under it is a normal polish cap. All you have to do is brush on the polish like normal and while it's still wet hold the magnet over it to create the design, the magnet lid has a small lip on it to prevent you from accidentally touching the magnet to your wet nail. I recommend doing one nail at a time otherwise the polish gets too dry to create the magnetic effect. Overall, it is a really quick way to get a nice design on your nail if you like nail art but are short on time. Finally, the quality is everything you would expect from Sally Hansen. It is a high quality product with a thick consistency and nicely shaped brush that makes the polish easy to apply. I will definitely buy other colors. If you have thought about purchasing this it is completely worth the $8.99.

I just want to mention that I received  this for the purpose of review from Sally Hansen and Influenster. 

Have you tried magnetic nail polish? Do you want to?

Lip Balm Face Off Week 2

THE NYX - The first thing I noticed is the scent. It smells really good, just like fruit punch. The second thing that stands out is the color. The reason I wear tinted lip balm is because I don't always wear full make-up and it's a nice way to add a bit of subtle color to my face so I can still feel pretty without a lot of make-up. I always feel like tinted lip balm would be a good way for a young girl to start trying out make-up, because it is so subtle. This lip balm however, is so heavily pigmented you might as well be wearing lipstick. I don't wear lipstick when I am not wearing make-up because I feel like, on me, it looks strange to have a strong block of color on my lips but not anywhere else. This lip balm left me with that strange look. Thank you is a really dark, in your face berry color - not subtle at all. The lip balm is also very glossy (which again just makes the color standout more). Balms always have a bit of gloss since they are made to add moisture, but this one is really shiny (although not shimmery - no glitter or anything). On the plus side it is not overly sticky or tacky on the lips the way lip gloss can be. An explanation of the 6-?hrs thing. The gloss wears away quickly, but the moisturizing effect of this product is really good. My lips stayed soft and feeling good for 6hrs. through eating and drinking. After 6hrs my lips felt like they could use more moisture, but the color was still really strong so I didn't re-apply. In a non-testing situation I probably would have just used a non-tinted lip balm to moisturize so as not to add even more color. The "?" is because the color acts like a lip stain. I put the balm on in the morning and when it was time for me to wash my face for bed my lips were still stained with the color, it was finally subtle but still clearly visible. So I have no idea how long the color actually lasts, because I threw in the towel and went to bed.

THE PALLADIO - Right off I was disappointed by the lack of scent. I know smell isn't crucial to lip balm, but most have one and it really starts to become something you expect. The tint in this one is really lovely. It is sheer and subtle, but noticeably pretty. I actually prefer this type of tint, it delivers that light naturally pretty color I look for in a tinted balm. It has a medium gloss nothing overly strong or shiny and isn't sticky. It also has a really long staying power. The gloss fades but the color stains and it left my lips tinted and moist for 6hrs. through eating and drinking. 

OVERALL: These balms are actually pretty similar. Very close in staying power and feel. Individually I would recommend both, and actually if you are a young girl or buying this for a young girl who is just starting to wear make-up I would recommend the Palladio because of the delicate color. Both are really moisturizing and leave your lips feeling great. However, despite the close race I do have to pick a winner and I'm going to go with NYX. The in your face color is a bit too much for my taste, but I went with NYX here because of the yummy scent that Palladio just didn't have and the cheaper price (I am a beauty on a budget after all.)

NEXT WEEK: E.L.F vs. Neutrogena

Have you tried either of these balms? What did you think? Leave a comment and let me know.

Lip Balm Face Off Week 1

This product is really great. It is inexpensive and leaves my lips feeling soft and conditioned for hours, even after eating. It is nicely pigmented and gives my lips the little touch of color I look for in a tinted lip balm. It makes me feel like I'm pulled together without the heavily made up look of lipstick or gloss. I also really loved the smell of this one, so peachy and delicious smelling, although the fact that this smells great isn't a surprise since Bonne Bell is the same company that makes the lip smackers I loved as a kid. My favorite were the soda ones like Coke, A&W, and Dr. Pepper.

I wasn't thrilled with this one. Within 30 minutes of putting it on my lips felt dry and tacky even though they were still shimmery. I wanted to constantly keep reapplying it because of the weird feeling on my lips. Honestly not having any lip balm would have been less annoying. When I removed the cap it looked as if this would have a deep pink color as well as shimmer but it didn't deposit any color on my lips only a really sparkly glittery shimmer. I feel like it was too shimmery, it is something that a small girl might love but as an adult it was too much. It did have a nice strong minty smell but that was really all I liked about it.

Bonne Bell was the obvious winner for me. It smells great, conditions well, leaves a nice color on the lips, and lasts for hours.

NEXT WEEK: PALLADIO VS. NYX

Have you tried either of these products? What did you think? Leave a comment below.

Hawaiian Tropic Review

Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration Lotion Sunscreen.

The Claims:
With its ultra-luxurious hydrating silk ribbons, Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration lotion sunscreen nourishes and pampers skin while providing broad spectrum UVA and UVB protection and 12 hour moisturization when out in the sun. Water resistant for 80 minutes.

Let me start by saying that SPF is IMPORTANT, even if you're a brown girl like me. Sometimes I forget that. I always remember to use SPF if I am going to spend any prolonged amount of time in the sun but it never occurs to me to use it if I am just heading out for an ordinary day (although I always, always, use a facial moisturizer with SPF. I am going to be 80 one day and I plan on having the skin of a 60 year old). Then recently I began to notice a pain and irritation on my left arm. We have been having a heat wave and the sun has been really intense, intense enough to give me a driving sunburn (that's why only the left arm - the one that hangs out the window). So even before my influenster box showed up I had placed a bottle of SPF by the front door, so I would forget to apply it on my out. When I found this in my VoxBox I replaced my drugstore SPF with this one.

1) The smell is the first thing you notice about this lotion. It smells like coconut and every time I put it on I could picture myself sitting on a beach. I don't know why that tropical scent immediately brings the beach to mind, but it does and it's divine. The smell doesn't linger too long though, which for me is a good thing. I hate when I am wearing a lotion or cream and I can smell its scent on my hands while I am eating or drinking.

2) As a 12 hour sunscreen its good. It was effective. I put it on everyday on my way out, the heat wave persisted but my burn didn't get any worse. In fact thanks to the protection of the sunscreen it had a chance to heal. The one I was sent is an SPF 30 but it also comes in SPF 12 and SPF 50. SPF 30 is plenty for a brown girl (the melanin in brown skin provides its own protection from sun damage) but if you're pale please choose the 50. My hubby is very pale and we normally keep an SPF 45, 70, and 100 around the house so he can choose one appropriate to our plans for the day. Stay healthy and keep your skin looking young by choosing a high SPF.

3) As a hydrating lotion it was surprisingly effective. I didn't expect much from the login aspect. Most SPFs are creams, but they don't absorb like lotions or offer any moisturizing effects. This one does. When I rubbed it on, it acted just like a body lotion. It was especially nice on sunburn. The skin on my arm was painful and had started flaking, the lotion aspect of this was instantly soothing to it. The lotion also left a beautiful light shimmer on my skin, that I imagine would look amazing on the beach with the sun glistening off of it.

4) $8.99 for a 6 oz. bottle. This is a good lotion for a good price. Most drugstores carry it, so it is easy to find and won't break the bank.

*Note: I didn't have a chance to hit the pool with the SPF so I can not make any statement about the water resistance claims.

OVERALL:
I really loved using this product. For me the selling point is the smell. I looked forward to putting it on everyday. I will definitely be buying a full size bottle once this one is empty.

Disclosure: Hawaiian Tropic and Influenster provided me with this sample for the purpose of testing and review.

What do you think? Leave me a comment below.

Sally Hansen Nails & Cuticles Hand Creme Review

According to the package this is a manicure creme, made with shea butter, that provides 24 hour moisture to soften hands, smooth cuticles, and condition nails. 

Right away I liked this product for 2 reasons: 1) Shea Butter. Shea Butter is my second favorite lotion butter (after cocoa butter). It both moisturizes the skin and seals in that moisture so it lasts. 2) Multi-tasking. I love that this is one creme for your hands, nails, and cuticles.

The claims:
1) 24 Hour Moisture that lasts through hand washing - Honestly, when I saw that written on the bottle I didn't believe it. I wash my hands a lot. My hands get washed after using the bathroom, while cooking, while cleaning, washing dishes, showering and more. My hands get very dry throughout the day, as a result I keep a bottle of lotion in my purse, on a table in the living room, in the bathroom, and in my nightstand. So to test the 24 hour claim I put away all my usual lotions and put this one on the table. When I put it on before leaving in the morning I was so tempted to throw the bottle in my purse, just in case. Surprisingly, 3 hours later my hands felt great. 5 hours later still good, 8 hours later I am still amazed, I went to bed stunned. The next morning, 24 hours later and my hands still felt soft. They were not as soft as when I first applied the creme but I definitely didn't have that dry, uncomfortable feeling that usually drives me to reach for my lotion. I re-applied but I didn't need to.

2) Soften Hands - This is one of the nicest hand lotions I have used. It has a fairly thick texture that absorbs quickly and left my hands feeling really soft to the touch but not oily. More important than soft my skin felt thoroughly moisturized.

3) Smooth cuticles and condition nails - As I mentioned I love that this is a multi-tasking product. I use my hand lotions as nail and cuticle creams anyway, so this product makes perfect sense to me. As a cuticle creme it is good. It worked to soften my cuticles but didn't seem to last as long as it did as a hand creme. I really wanted to put more on my cuticles before the 24 hours was up. It was the same as a nail creme, it was good in that it worked. My nails still feel strong and aren't peeling, but I for regular use I would re-apply it to my nails before the 24 hours was up.

Other points:
The smell is great. It smells of oranges when you first put it on, but the smell isn't overly strong and doesn't linger long enough to become irritating.

The price. $5.99 for a full size bottle. Sally Hansen products always offer great quality for a great price so this isn't a surprise, but it is good news.


Overall:
I love it and will definitely purchase a full size bottle. It is a wonderful hand creme, a good nail and cuticle creme, and for $5.99 it does the work of three products.

Disclosure: Sally Hansen and Influenster provided me with this sample for the purpose of testing and review.

What do you think? Leave me a comment below.