Review: Glamglow Thirstymud Hydrating Treatment

Hey guys! Today I'm going to be reviewing one of my new favorite masks right now, the Glamglow Thirstymud Hydrating Treatment mask. I've really been enjoying this mask quite a bit lately even though I've only used it a few times.

The packaging is a beautiful blue color that reminds me of crystal clear ocean water. I love it and it makes me want to use it even more because of it. This 1.7 ounce size typically retails for $69, but there is now a 0.5 ounce size for $19 if you want to try it out before splurging on the big size. I ended up getting this size at Sephora in the Glamglow Gift Sexy kit. That was $69 and it also came with two smaller sizes of the Youthmud and Supermud treatments, so those were essentially free! You can find Glamglow at many different stores, but my preference is Sephora.

Here is a description of the product along with some of the ingredients in this, taken from the Sephora website:

THIRSTYMUD™ uses the newest, most advanced, and extreme hydration active technologies. It moisturizes, restores, replenishes, and calms the skin. Dewdration™ boosts and locks in moisture for a dewy and youthful result while HydraPack™ leaves skin with an instant silky, soft, and supple feel. GreenEnergy™ smooths and energizes the skin, giving you a healthy-looking, glowing complexion 

-Dewdration™: A blend of actives containing hyaluronic acid and citric acid for deep hydration; boosts and locks in moisture for a dewy, youthful look.
-Hydrapack™: A blend of actives containing botanimoist, moisturizing sugars and acids from apples, oat bete glucan to soothe and calm the skin, and hydraclay to trap and retain moisture in the skin.
-GreenEnergy™: A blend of actives containing raw honey and ginger root for radiance and detoxifying; coconut provides immediate skin conditioning.
-Teaoxi Olive Leaf: Delivers naturally moisturizing linoleic acid.  

The description and ingredients make it sound so fancy, and to be honest, it kinda is! I absolutely love how hydrating this feels on my skin. It smells like coconut too, which is a plus for me! I typically use this mask after I've used a clay mask, or a mask that helps with breakouts, oil and the like. I just feel like this puts good moisture back into my skin after the other mask takes it away. I will say though, I personally feel a slight tingle when I apply this, and it's either because my skin is sensitive or it's the ginger root in this. There are different directions on how long to leave it on for, but I've been leaving it on for 20-30 minutes and removing it with a warm washcloth. You can use a thin layer and leave it on overnight and it also says you can use it before you get on a plane during travel to help prevent dehydrated skin. Since I've been using this in conjunction with other masks, I do notice that my skin has been looking better and more clear. If I do have breakouts, they're gone the morning after doing my mask routine. I only use masks once or twice a week depending on how my skin is, but you can use this mask on its own 2 or 3 times a week, or as needed. I find this mask to be great for any skin type and you honestly don't need alot of product to get the job done, so it could last a while if you don't use it too often. I'm still using a little sample size I have and probably have another use or two out of it. 

Obviously you can tell I love, love, love this mask. I will continue to use and repurchase this product, especially since Winter is coming and my skin hates Winter.

Have you tried this mask before? If not, does it seem like something you'd like to try?

Fall Face Feat. Lorac Mega Pro Palette

Hello everyone! Today I wanted to show you guys a nice Fall inspired look I did using the Lorac Mega Pro Palette. It hasn't really been feeling like Fall this week since it's been a bit warm, but it's cooling down by the weekend! I used the products shown above and I must say, I'm very happy with how the look turned out!

Since I knew I wanted to use liner and shadow on the bottom of my eyes, I did my eyes first, then went to foundation, and back to the lower eyes. The first color I used is called Sepia and I ran that all through my crease. I then took the color Apricot and patted that all over my lids. For some more definition, I took the beautiful shade called Merlot and used that on the outer corners and ran it a bit through my crease. For a highlight, I used a combination of Cream and Vanilla. For once in my life I used eyeliner, and the one I used is by Urban Decay and it's their 24/7 liner in the color Corrupt. I also used that on my lower lash line. I did also use Perversion to tightline and used a bit on my waterline. I just forgot to picture it! To blend out the eyeliner on my top lashline, I took a color called Maroon, and slightly blended it out. To blend out the lower lashline, I took a combination of Maroon and Merlot and smoked it out a bit. For mascara, I used my new found favorite, Lancome Grandiose, which I did a review on here if you want to check it out!

Onto the rest of the face. For foundation, I mixed some of the Clinique Stay Matte Oil-Free Makeup in the color 02 Alabaster and mixed it with the Sonia Kashuk Radiant Tinted Moisturizer in the color Fair. I had to mix those two together because the Clinique foundation is actually too dark for me, so the Sonia Kashuk tinted moisturizer helped out with that problem. To blend it all out, I used my trusty Beauty Blender. For concealer, I ended up using two different ones. I first applied the Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer in the color 125 Very Fair. It looked a bit yellow for me so I then applied the Rimmel Match Perfection Concealer & Highlighter in the color 125 Fair. Once I blended all that in with my Beauty Blender, everything was good! I topped off the foundation and concealer with the Mirabella Perfecting Loose Powder, which is just a translucent powder. For blush, I used a Tarte Amazonian Clay blush in the color Adventurous. This came in a holiday kit, so I honestly don't know if they sell it regularly. 

The lips are definitely what surprised me! I didn't think a full on dark, berry lip would go well with this look, so I took the Too Faced Melted Lipstick in the color Melted Nude, which did look a little dark on me. I decided to then use the Starlooks Lip Gloss in the color Guilty Pleasure, which added a bit more pink to the look and also made it look less matte. 

Here is the final look! I definitely love how this turned out but I'm so not used to seeing myself with liner on the bottom. Have to get used to that. Otherwise, I really like the color scheme of everything, and the nude/pink lip looks great to me!

Swatches of eyeliner & shadows used in order of application. Sepia, Apricot, Merlot, Cream, Vanilla, Maroon

Swatches of blush, lipstick & lip gloss

What do you guys think of this look? Do you switch up your makeup routine was the weather changes?

Review: Life & Food Garcinia Cambogia Supreme

*Disclosure* This product was sent to me complimentary for review purposes. All opinions are still 100% honest and my own!

Hey everyone! Today's post is a little different. I was contacted for a promotion to be sent a dietary supplement type product called Garcinia Cambogia Supreme by the brand Life & Food. I'm always wary about products like this, but I wanted to try it out as it did seem to be a little better for you. Lets see what I thought!

First of all, it comes in this giant bottle of 180 capsules. There are different directions on how to take them. You can take 2 capsules once a day, 2 capsules twice a day for maximum strength, and for best results take the capsules 20-30 minutes before a meal with 8 ounces of water. I've just been choosing to take 2 capsules once a day, usually after I eat breakfast. 

For me personally, the capsules are kinda big. I tend to have issues if I take vitamins that are larger. I have to put them on my tongue just right and take them with coffee, not water, just so they go down normal. Otherwise, they get stuck in my throat and I have coughing fits. Anyway, the ingredients in these are pretty good if you ask me.

-Garcinia Cambogia Extract that contains 80% hydroxycitric acid. That's supposed to be the ingredient that helps with weight management. Taken from the Amazon website, "studies show HCA in Garcinia can help inhibit glucose absorption as well as promote a balanced, lighter mood by boosting Serotonin levels without the jitters." I found this important because in all honesty, when I was a bit younger, I did take take some weight loss pills. All in all, they didn't work and they made me feel so jittery, like I had drank a whole pot of coffee in 10 minutes. Not a good feeling, plus they didn't work at all with weight. 

-Potassium is a natural diuretic, which helps to eliminate water weight.

-Calcium is said to increase the body's natural fat burning metabolism

-There is also come Chromium in it which is said to help metabolize carbohydrates and regulate blood sugar levels

There are no fillers, binders or artificial ingredients and there is no milk, egg, shellfish, peanuts, wheat, soy, sugar, lactose, fat or cholesterol in these capsules. 

So now I guess the big question is, does this thing really work?! (Grav3yardgirl reference anyone? ;))

In all honesty, I do feel like it has improved my mood a little bit and at times after I take the capsules, I do feel slightly more energized. The effects seems to last a few hours for me, but then I go back to my normal, tired self (working retail does that to you!). With weight loss, I don't think it's done a thing. I don't own a scale, so I only weigh myself whenever I go to my mother-in-law's house, which is every few weeks. I've been taking these for almost a month now, so I thought I would see some improvement in that area, but nope. Now granted, I'm not a beacon of health and the last thing I want to do after working for 8 hours is exercise, but my diet isn't terrible either. I very rarely have fast food, don't drink much soda and I cook dinners at home regularly. These "diet pill" things shouldn't be taken as the main way to lose weight. Obviously I'm not a doctor, so if you do want to try something like this, definitely talk yours and see if this is right for you. The main key is to have a balanced diet and exercise.

If you do feel like this product could be beneficial to you, you can find it here on Amazon for just over $20 and it is Prime eligible! There is also a 90 day guarantee where they will either refund or replace the product if you're not happy with the results. 

What do you think of a product like this? Would you try out dietary supplements?

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Sephora Friends & Family Haul!

Hey guys! Sephora is doing their friends and family haul through the 29th of this month, and I was very lucky to get a code for 20% off my order! Now I honestly don't know if everyone gets codes for this event, or if it's because I'm a Sephora affiliate. Anyways, this purchase finally made me a VIB Rouge member and I'm so excited! So lets see what I purchased!

The first thing I knew I wanted to get was the First Aid Beauty Cheers to Fab Skin set. It comes with their Face Cleanser, Facial Radiance Pads, Ultra Repair Cream, Ultra Repair Lip Therapy and the Eye Duty Triple Remedy. I had originally wanted to just get the Eye Duty, but then saw this kit for $48. I figured this was a much better deal, plus I get to try out a few other products from the brand. Unfortunately, as of today (October 23rd) this product says it's permanently out of stock on the website :(

Next up is a double pack of the Urban Decay All Nighter Long-Lasting Makeup Setting Spray. One 4 ounce bottle normally costs $30, but this is a double pack of 4 ounce bottles for only $39. With the extra 20% taken off, you can't beat it! I honestly have never tried this particular setting spray, just the De-Slick for oily skin. I always hear good things about this one though so I have high hopes! This duo says it's limited edition, but it is still in stock!

Next is the VIB Rouge welcome kit, which has a mini tube of Bite Beauty lipstick. I totally forgot to take a picture of it, but it's just a red color. 

Then we have the Sephora Collection Super Smoothing Lip Butter. If you know me, you know I'm a sucker for lip balms/treatments/butters. I just can't help myself. It was only $8 and it's pink, so how could I resist?!

Now for something just too cute for words, the Tony Moly Bbo Bbo Lip Balm in the scent Blueberry. Can we just talk about how adorable the packaging is?! That's what sold me to be honest. I saw Tiffany D talk about one of these in a video and I thought it was flipping adorable. There is also a honey scent, but I have a ton of honey scented lip balms. 

Next up is a total splurge, and it's the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette. This bad boy is $58 but I figured with 20% off, it was reasonable. The powders are gorgeous, but I do have yet to try them. I have a blush of theirs that I also have yet to try out, but this brand always gets amazing reviews, so I'm excited about this.

I've never really bought anything from Anastasia Beverly Hills before, and I saw the Tamanna Palette for only $29. Unfortunately, this palette also says it's permanently out of stock, which stinks because the colors were gorgeous. I will probably end up reviewing this sometime, but since it's out of stock now, I'm on the fence. 

I can never live without the Sephora Collection Daily Brush Cleaner. I spot clean my eye brushes after every use because I have super sensitive eyes and have to be careful with them. This stuff is amazing and lasts a long time too, but it never hurts to get a backup while I had a discount.

The last product is also permanently out of stock (boooo!) and it's the Too Faced Melted Kisses set. It comes with 4 smaller sizes of their Melted Lipsticks, Melted Nude, Melted Peony, Melted Fuchsia and Melted Berry. I've been wanting to try a color or two from this line and when I sw this set for $25 and you got 4, even though they're smaller, that's alright! It gives enough product to where I'll be able to tell if I like them or not. 

I'm so grateful I was able to get a 20% off code to use, and I'm happy I was able to get some of the holiday sets before they sold out! I will link to any of the products I can still find for you guys if you want to purchase anything! :)

I also can't wait for the VIB sale they're going to have sometime in November! I know everyone gets some code for a certain amount off on your purchase, so that's exciting!

Has anything from Sephora caught your eye recently?

Review: Lancome Grandiose Wide-Angle Fan Effect Mascara

Hello everyone! Today I have a mascara review today, and it's the Lancome Grandiose Mascara. I've been hearing some pretty good reviews, along with a few indifferent reviews. I've tested it out and I'm ready to give my thoughts!

The description that I found on the Sephora site says:

What it is:
A first-of-its-kind mascara that provides access to all lashes for bigger, brighter eyes.
What it does:
This revolutionary, Swan Neck™ Wand Mascara provides exceptional length, lift, and volume to all lashes. It features Lancôme's first patented wand, which works with the shape of your face for the easiest application, and the curve of the wand mixes the mascara with each twist open, allowing for formula that stays fresh longer. The specially designed, elastomer-molded brush perfectly deposits formula on each lash, while smaller bristles effortlessly coat even short lashes from root to tip for ultimate volume. The ultra-black, smudge-free formula features Lancôme’s rose cell extract, which nourishes and smooths lashes while providing infinite buildability. This high-gloss, clump-free mascara leaves lashes fanned out with maximum length, and it is designed with long-wearing, flexible polymers, which allow for easy removal. 

I have to say, the packaging of this mascara is just beautiful. I love the shape of the tube, and the rose detail in the cap is amazing. You can tel they put some good thought into packaging, but what makes it unique is the wand itself.

As you can see, the wand isn't in the typical straight form, it's got a neat curve to it. It's supposed to help with the ease of applying mascara and getting the hard to reach outer and inner corner lashes. It's a rubber bristle brush, which I particularly like. I find it helps to coat my lashes more evenly.

Now for some pictures of my eyeball!

I did a very neutral eye look so that you could see my lashes. As you can probably see, my lashes aren't that amazing. I wish I had Tiffany D's eyelashes so bad, but hey, that's what mascara is for! My lashes have a bit of a natural curl to them, but they're very light and barely noticeable. 

This is with one coat of mascara on non-curled lashes without primer. I'd say there's a big difference here! The mascara curled my lashes really well and deposited color evenly. When using the brush, I do find there's a bit of a learning curve to it as you do have to turn the wand different ways to get all the lashes. I do still struggle a bit with getting the very outer corners of my lashes without getting mascara everywhere, but I get that with every mascara I use. I do feel like this gave me really nice length but maybe not the best volume.

Overall, This mascara is a winner in my book. I'm alright with not having a ton of volume as long as there is length. It doesn't get flaky on me but I do notice a few smudges by the end of the day, but I attribute that to my oily skin. It also removes very easily with makeup remover. This mascara costs a whopping $32, but like I said in the beginning of my post, I got it at a discount because of work. I've honestly never really been so excited for a mascara to come out until I heard about this. I find it to be so unique because of the wand and the packaging is really just beautiful. It also only comes in one color, black, but it's very dark which is great. You can find this mascara at Sephora, Lancome's website and department stores where there is a Lancome counter.

What do you think of this mascara?

October 2014 Ipsy Bag

Hey everyone! My Ipsy bag came a little late this month, this past Friday actually. I was just busy all weekend and I can now get to showing you all what I got! I have to say, I'm impressed this month!

For the actual bag the products come in, I love the color! Teals are beautiful. I'm just not a fan of the pattern. I don't really see myself using this bag for anything honestly. The products are what's important!

The first product I received is the Ecru New York Acacia Protein BB Cream Beauty Balm for Hair. I've never heard of this brand before but I had heard of bb creams for hair. I'm definitely looking forward to trying this since I colored my hair a burgundy/auburn color and I want to maintain the health of my hair. 

Next up is Epice International Purifying Exfoliant. I can always use a good exfoliant and with the colder weather coming up, this will come in handy. 

Then I got a Starlooks Lip Gloss in the color Gulity Pleasure. I think the color is great for Fall and compliments my fair skin nicely. When I swatched it however, it did feel a bit sticky. I haven't tried it on my lips yet, but I hope the stickiness isn't too bad once applied. 

I also got a Jessie's Girl Mineralized Baked Shadow Powder in the color Plum Frost. When I swatched this, I was surprised at how pigmented this shadow was. I know this brand is sold in the drugstore, but I was pretty impressed. It's definitely a beautiful color that I can see myself using.

Next up we have a Figs & Rouge Hand Cream in the scent Rose Berry. I have heard of this brand before and it comes out of the UK, which is pretty neat. I'm glad I got a little hand cream because I can take it to work with me and have it not take up too much space in my work bag. It does smell very nice too but I have yet to test it out on my hands. 

Now this sixth product is one that I had used my points for and it's the Eyetini Eye Cordial Cream Shadow Tint & Base. I wasn't too happy that I didn't have many choices when picking out what I wanted, but I had some points expire and I didn't want to lose any more. Believe it or not, I actually really like this product! I used it as a base under eyeshadow and it looked pretty, had good pigmentation, and also made my look last all day! 

Swatches of lip gloss, eyeshadow & eye base

Overall, I'm highly impressed this month! The last couple months were a little meh, and I did consider cancelling my subscription. This bag has totally redeemed itself for me as it has a nice mix of skincare and makeup. 

If you want your own Ipsy bag, use my referral link here! It's only $10 a month, plus shipping for some, and you get a good range of products sent to you every month!

Small(ish) Beauty Haul

Hi guys! Today I have a few beauty bits to share with you all that I've purchased recently. I placed a small Sephora order and also bought something from Amazon, and it's pretty exciting!

First up is the Sephora order. All this month on the Sephora site, they're having this little memory game challenge, where you can gets codes for either 1 of 3 deluxe samples, an extra 150 beauty insider points, or 10% off your order. I tried for days because I wanted the 10% off code and I finally got it! I decided to buy the GlamGlow Gift Sexy Mask kit. It comes with a full size of the Thirstymud mask, and two smaller containers of the Supermud and Youthmud masks. This kit did cost $69, which is typically the cost of one mask by itself. I've been loving the Thirstymud mask so much and wanted the full size, so I was glad to see this set and with the extra 10% off, I'd say it was worth it. 

I also decided I wanted to get the Urban Decay Pulp Fiction palette. As you probably know, Urban Decay is probably my favorite brand of eyeshadows, and their palettes are amazing. At first I didn't want this palette because it's a basic neutral, which I have plenty of. I then saw TiffanyD's tutorial on YouTube using this palette, then I wanted it. When I purchased this, it was actually marked down to $16 from the original price of $34. I think it is still available, and if I can find it, I'll link it in this post. It is definitely a basic neutral palette, but I think it looks really nice. 

*Angels singing* I got the Lorac Mega Pro palette!!! I saw so many teasers of this, and thought that the colors were gorgeous but didn't need it since I have the Pro 1 and 2. However, the day it came out, Lorac was posting that it was selling out super fast and it had only been released for a couple hours, but Amazon still had their stock. I then thought, "Okay, I need this now!" So off I went to the Amazon site, and placed my order. 

This. Is. Stunning! At a whopping $59, I was cringing a little after I bought it, but once received in the mail, that went away. These colors are just so gorgeous, and are the same great quality of the Pro 1 and 2. The first two rows are matte, and the bottom two are shimmer. I've already done some looks with this, and have gotten quite a few compliments as well. Definitely money well spent here! Also, this sold out in I think about 4 hours on the Lorac site as well as Amazon, and Amazon only restocked it once and that sold out super fast.

Let me know if you want reviews of anything! I'm not sure if I want to review the Mega Pro palette, only because it's completely sold out and limited edition. If anyone wants a review though, please let me know!