Review: Anastasia Beverly Hills Self-Made Eyeshadow Palette

Hello everyone! I have so many reviews that I need to catch up on, and today I'll finally be sharing my thoughts on the Anastasia Self-Made Palette. I purchased this a couple months ago, and I was excited to get my hands on it. It's gorgeous!

Here is some info on the palette from the Ulta site:

This limited edition, fashion-forward eye shadow kit is the ultimate makeup artist's palette. Fourteen shades - ranging from a neutral taupe to obsidian black - deliver intense color, so you can create an endless array of custom looks.

The packaging is your standard cardboard with a textured fabric piece that encases it. On the palette I picked up, the little piece that says the name is crooked which makes my OCD go insane, but I'm just weird. It might not bother most people. 

You get a nice sized mirror on the inside and, like the description says, 14 different shades that are really gorgeous. I'm not a fan of brushes that come in palettes, but this one is decent enough. 

Shade names and their description:


- Pink Champagne (rose gold with a titanium finish)
- Metallic Plum (dark plum with a metallic finish)
- Self-Made (deep bronze with a satin finish)
- Witchy (khaki gray with a sparkle finish)
- Blush (light beige with a duo chrome pink finish)
- Blossom (lilac pink with a metallic finish)
- Buttery (buildable beige with an ultra-matte finish)
- Deep Purple (amethyst purple with a titanium finish)
- Treasure (ultra-light Champagne with a metallic finish)
- Hot & Cold (rum brown with a metallic finish)
- Sherbert (ultra-light peach with a velvet finish)
- Isla (sea foam green with a duo chrome gold finish)
- Spirit Rock (galaxy black with a sparkle finish)
- Hot Chocolate (rich, cocoa brown with an ultra-matte finish)

As you can tell, there is a good shade range along with different finishes for many different looks. I apologize that some shades don't show up well due to my super pale skin, but I only really had a little trouble swatching the shades Blush, Treasure, and Isla. They all swatched a little patchy but blended out nicely. I'm obsessed with the shade Pink Champagne, and if there is a single of that shade available, I'd buy it in a heartbeat. It looks so metallic and foiled on the lids, and it's really pigmented. The only shade I can use as a transition is Sherbert, even though it's a little warm for my liking, but Hot Chocolate can be used to deepen things up a bit. Since I am pretty pale, I have to be careful with the darker shades in this palette. My only real concern is the lasting power of these. I always prime my eyes and set that with a translucent powder before going in with eyeshadow, because I've noticed that helps tremendously with creasing on my oily lids. Within about 4 hours, I notice that these shadows crease on me slightly. That's a bummer too because I also have the Tamanna Palette and don't have that issue with it. Besides the slight creasing, this palette is so versatile and beautiful! 

It also only costs $35, which is a steal if you ask me. When I purchased this, I had a 20% off coupon for Ulta that was good on high-end brands, so I got a pretty amazing deal on this! It is still available on the Ulta site if you're interested in buying it!

What do you think of this palette?

Review: Keranique Volumizing Shampoo & Conditioner

*Disclosure* I was given these products to review thanks to iFabbo. All opinions are 100% honest and my own, like always

Hey everyone! I feel like I've been getting a ton of shampoos and conditioners to try out lately. It's kinda cool because I've been trying to take really good care of my hair more since it's a bit more dry than usual. Today's review is going to be of the Keranique Volumizing Shampoo and Conditioner duo. 

The shampoo is said to: 

- Promote microcirculation
- Strengthen and thicken hair
- Reduce buildup and blockage

The conditioner is said to:

- Decrease breakage
- Seal split ends
- Control frizz
- Light, volumizing formula

The shampoo tingles as you massage it onto your head, and it also foams up quite a bit. The directions say to leave it on for 1-2 minutes before rinsing, then apply the conditioner. The conditioner is very lightweight and rinses out easily. Both products have a nice minty scent to them. 

That being said, I can't say at all that this is a good product. After one use, my hair was so dry and brittle, it was hard to even run my Tangle Teezer through my hair. I air dry my hair, and once it was completely dried, it was awfully frizzy. The tingly sensation from the shampoo, I quite like, but the conditioner needs more moisture to it to actually do something. Since I don't like wasting product, I will use this duo up, but I'll use it sparingly, so it'll take me probably a year to get through it all. Even though I was sent this product for free, I can't lie to you guys by saying it's amazing, because it really isn't. 

If you want to learn more about these products, you can do so here, but I'd be wary about purchasing. 

What shampoo and conditioner do you like?

Review: Divas never Age Hyaluronic Acid Serum + Vitamin C

*Disclosure* I received this product complimentary for review purposes thanks to Tomoson. All opinions are 100% honest and my own, like always

Hey everyone! I have another skincare review today of the Divas Never Age Hyaluronic Acid Serum. You all know I've been loving hyaluronic acid for my skin for a while now, and love trying out different serums with it to see what my skin likes. 

Here is some info of the product:

Our DIVAS NEVER AGE® Hyaluronic Serum is the best of the market simply because we used the purest ingredients and put together a formula that gives you the best of everything that you can hope for: HYALURONIC SERUM + VITAMIN C + VITAMIN E + POMEGRANATE + GREEN TEA. This combination of exclusive ingredients and Natural Antioxidants will PLUMP & HIDRATE your SKIN, REDUCE & PREVENT WRINKLES, MINIMIZE DARK SPOTS, and RENEW & TIGHTEN SKIN.

Divas Never Age began with a vision of beauty products that would not only improve women's skin, but that would offer the sensual experience of the divine feminine using sublime layers of natural ingredients known for their specific qualities.

We wanted to create spirit-warming products that make women feel good about themselves without compromising quality and effectiveness. We have a deep respect for our beloved planet and Mother Nature.

Our promise to you is simple: We will only use ingredients that are pure and of the best quality for you in the spirit of Divus - the Divine Woman - fulfilling that vision while respecting the Earth that we all inhabit together.

The Hyaluronic Acid + Vitamin C Serum is your basic clear serum. The very first thing I noticed about this serum is the scent. Man, is it perfume-y! I have no idea which ingredient is in this that makes it smell like that, but it's very overpowering. I muddled through it, and started using it every morning, underneath moisturizer. While I can say that this does help to hydrate my skin and make it look brighter, I feel like this is breaking me out. Since I started using this, I'm noticing more and more eruptions on my face everyday. Nothing else in my skincare routine is different (other than testing out eye cream currently), but I'm going to continue using this and see if anything changes. If it doesn't within the next week or so, I may just throw it away. I also notice after using this that my face gets really itchy in my lower jaw area, it's kinda strange. 

Other than the itchiness and the possibility of this breaking me out, It's not bad if you can tolerate the scent. It can be a bit much for my sensitive nose, but some people may like it. You can find it here on Amazon for $36.95. 

What serums do you like using?

The Body Shop Black Friday HAUL!

Hi everyone! I was on the fence about Black Friday shopping this year, because the last 6 holiday's I always had to work at my retail job, and it was always a nightmare. After I left my job, I vowed to never step foot in a store on Thanksgiving or Black Friday, but I did end up doing some online shopping at The Body Shop. Nothing else really interested me beauty wise, so I'm happy that I didn't spend too much!

The Body Shop had a deal where if you spent $36, you could get a tote bag filled with products for just $35. Looking at the products that came in the tote bag, I thought it was completely worth it. Here is the list of products that came in the bag:

- Honeymania Soap
- Mango Lip Butter
- Satsuma Shower Gel
- Shea Shower Cream
- Drops of Youth Concentrate
- Shea Body Butter
- Mini Wild Argan Oil Rough Scrub
- Satsuma Body Polish
- Hemp Hand Protector

All of that, for $35! I couldn't believe it! The Hemp Hand Protector and Body Butter alone is $40 combined, so to have all these products for such a great price was fantastic. Also, aside from the Argan Oil scrub, every product in the tote bag is full sized. 

They also had a sale where certain products were 3 for $36, so the products I chose to buy were a Coconut Body Butter, an Aloe Calming Toner, and the Vitamin E Overnight Serum-in-Oil. I can never have enough of their body butters in my collection, you all know how much I rave about the Aloe Toner, and I had never tried the Vitamin E Serum, but figured it would be good at night when I like the extra hydration. 

I'm so happy with everything here! I don't normally use bar soap products, so I'm probably going to give the Honeymania soap to my husband, but everything else will be put to good use by me eventually!

Did you do any Black Friday Shopping?

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Review: Vivant Skin Care Wink Eye Rejuvenation Cream

*Disclosure* I was given this product to review thanks to Tomoson. All opinions are 100% honest and my own, like always

Hey guys! Today's review is going to be of the Vivant Wink Eye Rejuvenation Cream. I had never heard of the brand before, but apparently it's been featured in several magazine publications such as Cosmpolitan, Teen People, Allure, Redbook, among others. I was then really excited to give this a try, since I'm always on the hunt for a good eye cream. 

Here is some info on the product:

A high-performance formulation of antioxidant and free radical-fighting ingredients, Wink combines Vitamin A with Oligopeptides, caffeine and grape seed oil to soften fine lines, lighten dark circles, and reduce puffiness. This concentrated, age-defying formulation also leaves skin looking brighter, giving the skin a more youthful appearance.

Ingredients to note:

- Vitamin A: diminishes the appearance of wrinkles, fine lines and crow's feet and protects against further photo aging and free radical damage
- Oligopeptides: stimulate the production of naturally-occurring collagen, hyaluronic acid and elastin
- Kojic Acid: lightens the skin and prevents pigmentation
- Caffeine: brightens dark circles and eliminates puffiness around the eyes
- Aloe: an anti-inflammatory agent that leaves the delicate eye area soothed
- Oat extracts: soothe the skin, locking in moisture and further protecting the skin
- Grape Seed Oil: helps tighten the skin and is a potent antioxidant and hydrator with anti-inflammatory properties

The Eye Rejuvenation Cream is light pink in color and it's lightweight, but hydrating. It's a tad bit difficult to blend in at times, but I just try to be patient and keeping tapping it into my skin, since you never want to rub the delicate eye area. Once it's applied, I can immediately feel the skin around my eyes becoming more hydrated, and when worn overnight, I wake up to skin that just feels good and looks brighter. I'm not necessarily sure how this does with wrinkles since I don't have any, but I do still have to deal with my dark circles, which for me are hereditary and very hard to get rid of.

Overall, this eye cream is very nice. It has a price tag of $57.50, here on Amazon, which is a bit high, but I always say spend a little more on skincare than makeup. I've been using this religiously at night, and am happy with how the skin around my eyes feels. Would I purchase this myself? Maybe. I do have a bunch of eye creams to use up, as well as some I still have yet to test out and review, so we'll see what happens once those are all gone.

Does this Vivant Wink Eye Rejuvenation Cream sound like something you would like?

November 2015 Empties

Hi everyone! It's time, once again, to share with you all of the products I used up in November. I'm so happy with everything I was able to use up, and I'm even more happy that there are a whopping 25 products! That's got to be the most I've ever gone through in a month. This might be a long one, so grab a snack and a drink and lets see the products!

Starting with a few miscellaneous products, my husband and I both used the Head & Shoulders Total Care Shampoo. Even though this says it's for men on the bottle, I used it anyway because I do occasionally get dandruff, and this brand is really good with helping it go away. 

Next up is the Hershey's Honey Body Butter. I ended up just dumping out the product in the container because it had separated and smelled a bit funky. 

I adore the L'Occitane Hand Cream, and the one in this particular tube is my favorite. This is a smaller size that came in a kit a while ago, but this hand cream makes my hands feel so soft, and it smells very nice too, sort of like a light baby powder scent. 

You all know how much I love the Philosophy Shower Gels, but the Gingerbread Girl one I didn't care for. It smelled fine, but there are shimmer particles in this that was kind of odd to me, and it didn't necessarily clean very well either. I never thought I'd see the day where I didn't like one of these shower gels!

I take a Biotin supplement daily, and the one from Natrol is pretty good. It's the maximum strength version with 10,000 mcg, which can upset alot of people's stomach, but I was fine taking this as long as I ate breakfast first. I'm starting to notice alot more that my hair is growing faster, it looks healthier, and I had family comment that it looks thicker as well, but I don't notice that honestly. 

Now for some makeup, which is a rare occurrence in an empties post! I decided to just get rid of the e.l.f. Everyday Eye Palette because most of the shadows have broken and I don't really like them, along with the BH Cosmetics California Collection trios. I got both from Ipsy, but really wasn't happy with them. The Lancome Colour Focus Palette most likely came in a gift with purchase, but I don't like these colors and I've had it for many years, so in the trash it goes. 

The Marbella Permanent Eyeliner Pen was fantastic while it lasted. It's very black, goes on nicely, and lasts all day long. The only downside is that it literally is almost permanent. I always had such a horrible time trying to remove it all from my lashline at night and could never get it off fully, which I didn't like at all. It finally dried out on me, so it's time to officially say goodbye. 

I also used up the Mirabella Perfecting Loose Powder. I got this in an Ipsy bag so long ago, and just now used it up. I loved this powder to set my under-eye concealer. It helped it last longer, but didn't look cakey or make me look like an old lady. 

Time for a whole lotta skincare! I finally used up the Simple Refreshing Facial Wash Gel. This was my nighttime cleanser, and I loved this so much! It's so gentle, has no scent, and takes off every last bit of makeup (minus the eyeliner mentioned above. That stuff doesn't go away!). It's amazing when used in conjunction with my Clarisonic, and once I use up my hoard of cleansers, I'll most likely purchase this again. 

I still have some deluxe sizes of Dermalogica products left, but I managed to use up the Multi-Active Toner and the Skin Prep Scrub. The toner is alright, but nothing to write home about. The scrub on the other hand, holy moly is this intense! The scrubbing grains are made of corn meal, which isn't harsh for me, but it sure does get off any bit of dry skin you may have. 

I had to throw away the Super Hand & Cuticle Cream because I'm pretty sure mold was growing inside the bottle. The product had changed from a white color to yellow and it smelled nasty, so it's going nowhere near my skin.

I really enjoyed using the Oz Naturals Hyaluronic Acid Serum. Even though I have pretty oily skin for most of the year, it can get very dehydrated, so serums with hyaluronic acid in them work miracles for my skin without making it more oily. 

I had used up some Ipsy points to get the Tarte Amazonian Clay Double Detox Facial Mask, and I don't know how I feel about this honestly. It had enough product inside for just one use, which was a complete waste of points used, and I didn't expect it to have grainy bits in it. It tingled quite a bit on my skin, but once I worked the mask into my skin when I rinsed it off, my skin was very smooth. I don't think they make this product anymore though, but I could be wrong. 

I also have both of the RevivSerum TelomErase Serums used up. I reviewed these here, and I honestly think that this is such a pricey product for what it is. The samples I got were so small, but if I had gotten a full size to try out more, my opinion could be different. 

I used the bareMinerals Purely Nourishing Moisturizer at night, and I absolutely loved it! It made my skin feel soft and hydrated, but it wasn't greasy at all. I had a hard time finding these products for a little bit, but it looks like Sephora does still carry some products!

If you have a sensitive nose to scented products like I do, stay away from the Shiseido Urban Environment UV Protection Cream SPF 40. This smelled so strongly of perfume, I almost threw it out after using it for the first time. It also made my skin look very, very white, if that was even possible, and if I didn't blot off the excess with a shine sheet, I'd get asked if I was feeling alright. 

I finally used up the Amara Organics Total Repair Eye Gel. This took forever to go through because I've been testing out a bunch of new eye gels/creams lately, but I did like this. It's a bit too light for the colder months coming up, but it's awesome for Summertime use. 

Finally, we have some samples I was able to use up. The BioRepublic Cucumber Breeze Soothing Fiber Mask wasn't too bad honestly! I'm normally not a huge fan of sheet masks, but this one did make my skin feel soothed after using a detoxifying mask that made my skin red and irritated. 

I love Fresh products, but not the price of them, so any samples I can snag, I'm always happy. The Black Tea Firming Overnight Mask was heaven sent when I went through a dry spell with my skin. Having really cold weather one day, then unseasonably warm weather the next makes my skin freak out, and this helped to really make it feel nice and supple. I was able to get a good three uses out of the little packet. 

I'm not a huge fan of the Grace line of products from Philosophy, but the Pure Grace Foaming Bath and Shower Cream really surprised me. It really just smells clean, that's the best way I can describe it. If I didn't have a massive amount of shower gels/creams to go through, I'd buy a full size of this in a heartbeat.

If you made it here to the end, you're awesome! I know that was alot to go over, but I feel so proud of myself for using all this up. 

What did you use up recently?

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November 2015 Favorites

Hey guys! I can't believe it's already December. I know everyone and their dog says how fast time flies, but this year really flew by for me. I have a few favorite products to share with you from the past month, so lets see what I was loving!

The first product that I've been loving is my Philosophy Lip Shine in the Peppermint Bark scent. I adore these lip shines because the scents they have are just incredible, but they don't taste that great. This particular scent just smells so amazing and gets me in more of the holiday spirit. It also makes my lips look and feel more hydrated and plump. 

Next up we have the Caolion Premium Hot & Cool Pore Pack Duo. This dual phase mask is probably one of the best masks I've tried for my skin. I want to do a full review of this, but it makes my skin look so calm and clear, and my blackheads are almost nonexistent after I use this!

Next up is the First Aid Beauty Daily Face Cream. I've been using this at night, and I have to say, this makes my skin feel so much more hydrated when I wake up in the morning. Occasionally I wake up with a few dry flakes on my skin, but not when I use this! It's soothing and hydrating, but not so hydrating to where I look like a greasy mess.

A rediscovered favorite is the Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3 in 1 Foundation in the shade 805. This foundation is just incredible. It's actually light enough for my super fair skin, it helps to keep my oils at bay, and it also gives pretty nice coverage. I wore this foundation when I got married, and it lasted threw tears, laughing and just everything that day. When I run out of other foundations I have, I will no doubt repurchase this. 

My last favorite of November is the Pur Cosmetics Eye Polish in the shade Suede. I was very kindly sent the entire 6 shades that are available, but this shade in particular is just so beautiful. It's got some gold shimmer flecks all throughout, which made my hazel eyes pop. I do have one sort of downer with this, and that is I have to layer a shadow on top of these to help prevent creasing. If I wear them on their own, I get creasing within a couple hours, and that's with using a primer underneath. Other than that, I highly recommend trying these out. I do have a full review of the range here.   

What have you been loving this past month? 

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