Blogiversary Giveaway Winner!

I would like to thank everyone who entered the blogiversary giveaway -- I loved reading over the comments to see what products have been working for you guys, so I could add them to my to-buy list.

Congratulations to the winner, Connu!

If you didn't win this time around, don't worry -- I'm already planning the next giveaway, so keep an eye out!

And thanks once again for reading the blog. I appreciate it more than I can say.

Review -- Kat Von D Esperanza Eyeshadow Palette

 Note -- Thank you to everyone who's entered the blogiversary giveaway! There's still time to enter if you haven't yet -- you have until Saturday at 11:59 PM EST. Good luck!


I don't have a ton of Kat Von D products, but whenever I purchase one, I am always pleasantly surprised.

I say 'pleasantly surprised' because I'll admit that when the line was first introduced at Sephora, I thought it was going to be pretty gimmick-y.

I can admit when I'm wrong -- Kat Von D has come up with quite a few standout products, so I'm always willing to give the line a try now.

In fact, I was seriously disappointed that I missed out on the Spellbinding Eyeshadow Palette that was released for the holidays last year.

That's why when I saw the Esperanza Eyeshadow Palette on Sephora's website, I decided that I'd bite the bullet and pick it up during a little shopping spree courtesy of Christmas and birthday gift cards.

Blogiversary Giveaway (Finally)!

 So back in February, the blog turned two years old.

Crazy, right?

Well, as a way of saying thanks to all of you who've been reading along during that time, I thought that a giveaway was in order.

And it's a pretty big one, so hopefully you're all pretty excited. 

The winner will receive:

(1) Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette
(1) stila in the moment eye shadow palette
(1) tarte Amazon Escape Amazonian Clay Eye & Cheek Palette
(1) The Balm Nude'Tude Eyeshadow Palette
(1) The Balm Balm Voyage Palette
(1) Urban Decay Book of Shadows IV
(1) bareMinerals Passionate for Pastels 4 Piece Color Collection (includes Ready Eyeshadow 4.0 in The Sweetest Thing, Flawless Definition Mascara, Sorbet Blush, and Marvelous Moxie Lipgloss in Go Getter)
(1) bareMinerals Enchanting Eyes Duo (includes Mini Prime Time Eyelid Primer and Ready Eyeshadow 2.0 in The Flashback)
(1) stila artful eye collector's edition palette vol 1 (includes eye shadows in oasis, glee, starlight, shell, and grace)
(1) stila artful eye collector's edition palette vol 3 (includes eye shadows in light apricot, umber, aquamarine, soft violet, and ocean)
(1) Make Up Forever Aqua Shadow Duo (includes Aqua Shadow Pencils in 28E and 20E)
(1) The Balm Instain Long Wearing Staining Powder Blush in Houndstooth
(1) tarte lights, camera, lashes! inner rim liner 
(1) Mally Evercolor Starlight Waterproof Liner in Sailor
(1) Mally Volumizing Mascara
(1) Maybelline Limited Edition Color Tattoo in Nude Compliment
(1) Maybelline Limited Edition Color Tattoo in Sleek & Spice
(1) IT Cosmetics Hello Lashes! Mascara
(1) IT Cosmetics Vitality Flush Anti-Aging Color Reviver Stain in Je Ne Sais Quoi
(1) IT Cosmetics Heavenly Luxe Flat Top Buffing Foundation Brush

There are a ton of fun goodies in this prize pack that I absolutely love, so I hope the winner enjoys them just as much I do.

To enter, just leave a comment below sharing what the best new makeup or beauty item that you've tried recently is.

Here are the rest of the rules:

No anonymous comments are eligible since I have to be able to identify each entry and I’ll need a way to get in touch with you if you win - and you must follow the blog (through Google, Bloglovin or the email list) to enter.

I'm using Rafflecopter to make the giveaway a little easier on myself, so while the blog comment is mandatory for entry, you can get additional entries by following me on Twitter, tweeting about the giveaway, and liking the Facebook page.

The giveaway is open to both U.S. and international readers. If you’re under 18, please get your parents’ permission to enter since you’ll have to give me your mailing address if you win. The giveaway will be open until 11:59 PM EST on Saturday, March 29, 2014.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck and thanks again for reading the blog! 

Product Alert -- upcoming bareMinerals More Than Meets The Eye TSV on QVC

In just a few days (March 22nd), bareMinerals has yet another TSV coming up on QVC.

And while this is more of "basics" kit in my mind, I had to go ahead and order it early because there were a couple of new products in it that had me intrigued.

You know it doesn't take all that much to get me excited about makeup.

The More Than Meets The Eye Collection contains 8 pieces:

• Prime Time Daily Defense Neutralizing Primer Broad Spectrum SPF 30
• Original Foundation Broad Spectrum SPF 15
• Ready All-Over Face Color in Elation
• 5-in-1 BB Advanced Performance Mineral Veil Finishing Powder Broad Spectrum SPF 20
• 5-in-1 BB Advanced Performance Cream Eyeshadow Broad Spectrum SPF 15 in Blushing Apricot
• Hydrating Lip Stain in Elation
• Angled Foundation Brush
• Flawless Complexion Brush

Review -- New Milani Products (Baked Matte Blushes, Coming Up Roses Powder Blushes, & Brilliant Shine Lip Glosses)

I've been picking up quite a few things at the drugstore these days because it seems like there are so many interesting new products out there.

And whenever I run into CVS, Walgreen's or Target for practical items like toothpaste or allergy medicine, I can't seem to bypass the makeup aisle.

Recently, my local Walgreen's expanded their selection of Milani products (they'd previously had a single end cap that never seemed to get restocked) and they had quite a few of the brand's new items that I'd been interested in checking out.

You can guess what happened -- I went a little crazy.

Review -- Tarte be MATTEnificent Amazonian Colored Clay Matte Collector's Palette

 I am a sucker for pretty makeup packaging.

I can admit that.

I like having beautiful compacts and bottles and boxes to set out on my vanity. Looking at them makes me almost as happy as putting on the actual makeup inside.

Maybe that makes me a little superficial, but don't we all like looking at pretty things?

But even with my obsession with lovely packaging, I wouldn't ever buy a poor quality item just because it came in an attractive case.

I mean, I love, love, love The Balm's packaging like nobody's business, but I love their products just as much.  That's why I pick up pretty much every new palette and item that they come out with.

When I saw Tarte's new be MATTEnificent Amazonian Colored Clay Matte Collector's Palette, with its gorgeous purple sort of seashell inspired compact, it was love at first sight.

Product Alert/Mini Review -- Maybelline Dare to Go Nude Spring 2014 Collection

Note -- I have to apologize yet again for the recent lack of posts. These days, I'm having photo issues. I usually take my photos outside because the lighting in my house is atrocious for photography (if anyone is into photography and can recommend some good lights or light bulbs for pictures, I am all ears!). But our backyard and deck is still covered with some snow, so that's not an option right now. 

The areas inside the house that seem to get good light are all areas where a certain naughty puppy can get to easily and Charlie has run off with a tube or two of lipstick the past couple of days when I tried to take some photos. (Fortunately, no lipsticks were harmed.) I was able to take some pictures today while the little guy was in the yard -- I must apologize, though, because they're probably not the best quality. I still wanted to get this post up while the products mentioned are still in stores so hopefully they'll suffice. 

Hopefully, we've seen the last of snow around these parts, so I should be back to my usual photo set-up shortly. 

Oh, and I haven't forgotten about the two year anniversary giveaway that I mentioned a few weeks ago. I'm waiting for an item to come in the mail, but I think it should be here sometime next week, which means the giveaway post could be up as soon as then.  Keep an eye out!

 

I’ve really started to hate the limited edition collections and products that so many makeup companies put out these days.

Because there just seem to be so many of them, one released right after another, so it’s really just nothing but a way to sucker people into buying items that they might not necessarily purchase just because you’re telling them that they can only get it for a limited time.

It’s good marketing, I guess, but seriously manipulative.

Now, I say all this and I’m pretty much the biggest sucker going because I always seem to fall for it.

Which is why I’ve been stalking drugstores in my area for the new Maybelline Dare to Go Nude Limited Edition Spring 2014 collection.