Liebster Blog Award

Back on Wednesday, May 25th, my good friend Avi of PurpleEyeDiamond awarded me with the Liebster Blog Award. THANK YOU, AVI!

It is said that the Liebster Blog Award started in Germany (probably) and is used to highlight smaller blogs that are less known. Blogs of less than 300 followers.

It is a blog that you accept with the intention of paying it forward. When you accept the award, you choose 3-5 other blogs that you feel are deserving of more subscribers and pass the award on to them.

You are not obligated to accept the award or to even pay it forward. I like to do this because it helps get the word out about other blogs that you might not have ever heard of. As I assume many of you do, I find blogs I want to follow by seeing them on the followers list on blogs I already follow.

Blogging is for fun and I believe that we are a strong community and enjoy helping out our fellow blogging buddies.

I chose to give this award to 5 other blogs that I enjoy reading and who I haven't yet given an award to. Check out these blogs:

1. Wendy of Love. Life. Beauty
2. Emily of Beauty Amplified
3. Kassandra of Pretty Addicitons Blog
4. Ev of Mozzarella & Make-Up
5. Amber of Lipgloss and Flipflops

You can also check out Avi's Liebster Blog Award post HERE.

I wish these bloggers (as well as all of you reading this) much success in your blogging endeavors!

Luv & Luk,
--L.

Swatches: E.L.F. Lipsticks

Since I got so many different things in my last E.L.F. haul, I thought that it would be better to divide my purchases into categories to make the whole process of viewing swatches a little more organized.

First, I will showcase the E.L.F. Lipsticks.

E.L.F. Lipstick
0.12 oz./3.5g
$1.00 each

Left to Right:
7701 Fantasy, 7703 Seductive
7704 Gypsy, 7708 Charming

Swatches with flash.
Left to Right:
Fantasy, Seductive, Gypsy, Charming.

Swatches without flash.
Left to Right:
Fantasy, Seductive, Gypsy, Charming.

Fantasy with flash.

Fantasy without flash.

Seductive with flash.

Seductive without flash.

Gypsy with flash.

Gypsy without flash.

Charming with flash.

Charming without flash.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS:

FANTASY:  Beige. Creamy. Lip balm feel to it. Very neutral color.
SEDUCTIVE: Light coral shade. Much more toned down than in the tube. Scary in the tube but really pretty once applied. Lip balm feel to it.
GYPSY: Pretty pink. Much more toned down than in the tube also. Very dry upon application. Almost like a lip stain.
CHARMING: My favorite in the tube. Not so much once applied. Very light. Neutral but more pink than Fantasy. Lip balm feel to it as well.

This was my first time trying these lipsticks. I honestly didn't know they existed. I think they are new! I'm not upset with the colors I got, it's just that the colors that you see on the website are not true to what you get in person. And you also need to apply heavily because they are very sheer. Maybe these swatches will help you decided which ones you want to get if you want to get any.

Do you want to buy any??

Luv & Luk,
--L.

♥♥ All products in this post were bought with my own money. I am not sponsored by this company. These are my own thoughts and honest opinions. ♥♥

Haul: E.L.F.

We all know I love E.L.F. and we all know that E.L.F. usually has some really great deals on top of their already low LOW prices.

I have already received an email from E.L.F. twice about getting 10 of their mineral eyeshadows FREE with a $25.00 purchase. I don't know why, but I never did take advantage of this sale. I have always wanted to try the mineral shadows but I guess I'd just forget about it and the coupon would expire.

Well, thanks to my friend, Lais, at Chica Bloggerista, who reminded me via Twitter that E.L.F. had the promotion again (and gave me the coupon code) I finally placed my order online.

I placed my order on May 19th and it shipped out on May 20th. It arrived at my home on May 27th but I was picking up my daughter from school so I was not there to receive it. The mailman did not leave it behind so I had to pick it up at the post office on Saturday, May 28th.

I was super excited, let me tell you. Here is what I got:

32 Piece Eyeshadow Collection
Net Wt. 1.1 oz/32g
$5.00

100 Eyeshadow Palette
Net Wt. 3.7 oz/110g
$10.00

Left to Right:
Natural Radiance Blusher
2301 Shy, 2302 Glow, 2303 Coy
0.7 oz./2.0g
$1.00 each

Contouring Blush and Bronzing Powder
Blushed and Bronzed
.28 oz./8g
$3.00

Left to Right:
Lipstick
7701 Fantasy, 7703 Seductive
0.12 oz./3.5g
$1.00 each

Left to Right:
Lipstick
7704 Gypsy, 7708 Charming
0.12 oz./3.5g
$1.00 each

Mineral Eyeshadow
Natural Mineral Makeup
Net Wt. 0.03 oz
$3.00 each
(Mine were FREE with $25 purchase with coupon code)

Left to Right:
Angelic, Flirty, Beachy, Glamorous.

Left to Right:
Golden, Confident, Socialite, Celebrity, Sassy.

Outside of the mineral eyeshadow container.

Inside of the mineral eyeshadow container.
Peel of tape to reveal a sifter top.

I only showed you 9 mineral eyeshadows because there was a mistake.
I ordered 1 x Outdoorsy and 1 x Flirty.
I got 2 x Flirty and 0 x Outdoorsy even though the invoice was correct.
I gave the extra Flirty to my sister.

Over all, I am really happy that I hauled this. I love every single one of the mineral eyeshadows as of right now. I have yet to swatch them but the way they look in the container are impressive. Super shimmery. They do carry matte ones but I am not a fan of matte shadows so much. I am just upset that I didn't receive my Outdoorsy mineral shadow. That is one of their new colors. Sad.

I had been after the 100 palette since they released it and now I can rest in peace since I finally have one.

I have only one repurchase here which is the blusher in Coy. That was my first E.L.F. blusher and I fell in love at first use. Perfect color for me. But I dropped it and it shattered into oblivion. I had to buy another.

And another must buy for me was the blush and bronzer duo. I have seen rave reviews on this and on so many YouTube vids and blogs that I just had to have it.

This was a very picture heavy blog post so swatches are still to come! Yay, something to look forward to.

Luv & Luk,
--L.

♥♥ Everything in this post was purchased with my own money. I am not sponsored by this company. ♥♥

My Favorite 10 Nail Polishes: Part Two

And finally, here come the other 5 nail polishes I compiled in my "favorite 10" nail polish category. As usual, I am late with this post. But I'm starting to think that you expect me to be running behind schedule. LOL.

Left to Right:
Wet n Wild Wild Shine Nail Color in 414A Red Red
Avon Matte Nail Enamel in Grey Cement
Avon Speed Dry Nail Enamel in S206 Electric Purple
N.Y.C. Long-Wearing Nail Enamel in 115A skin Tight Denim Creme
N.Y.C. Long-Wearing Nail Enamel in 109A Pink Promenade Creme

Swatches with flash.
Left to Right:
Red Red, Grey Cement, Electric Purple,
Skin Tight Denim Creme, & Pink Promenade Creme.

Swatches without flash.
Left to Right:
Red Red, Grey Cement, Electric Purple,
Skin Tight Denim Creme, & Pink Promenade Creme.

Red Red is my favorite shade of red that I have. It's such a true, classic red. Looks more orange in the pictures, though.

Grey Cement looks just like wet cement to me. No shine at all. Makes me want to write my name in it with a stick.

Electric Purple is a fun, flirty creamy purple. Has a lot of pink to it.

Skin Tight Denim Cream is such a fun name and such a pretty blue. True blue. More of a metallic finish.

Pink Promenade Creme is also a fun shade of pink. Very bright and girly.

Did you, Pretties, like this Top 10 type of blog post? I was thinking of doing some more. Maybe my next one could be Top 10 Lip Glosses? What do you think? Let me know!

Luv & Luk,
--L.

♥♥ These nail polishes were bought with my own money. These are my own thoughts and honest opinions. ♥♥

The ABCs of Me

A. Age: 29
B. Bed: Queen
C. Chore you hate: Cleaning the bathrooms...toilet and tub scrubbing, ugh.
D. Day: I love Sundays. Sundays are family days. Big family breakfast followed by a little shopping.
E. Essential start to your day: I must brush my teeth upon waking up. I don't feel right if I don't!
F. Favorite color: My favorite color tends to change. At the moment it is green. True Crayola green.
G. Gold or silver: Silver. I don't know why but I've never been a fan of gold. Don't own gold anything.
H. Height: 5 feet 2 inches and I love it. I have never wished I was taller.
I. Instruments: I don't know how to play anything but I always dreamed of playing the piano.
J. Job title: Avon Independent Sales Representative
K. Kids: 2 little girls. Madison Reese will be 6 in August. Zoe Jane will be 2 in October.
L. Live: Texas
M. Mum's name: Alicia. I wanted to name my daughter after her. Maybe Aleecia, Alysia...
N. Nicknames: In high school I got the nickname Lisafer comparing me to Lucifer because I've always been such a goody two shoes.
O. Overnight hospital stays: two 4 night stays when I had both my girls via c-sections.
P. Pet peeve: My pet peeve is that I have too many pet peeves! Chewing gum with mouth open. UGH!
Q. Quote from a movie: "I'm afraid of walking out of this room and never feeling the rest of my whole life the way that I feel when I'm with you." Jennifer Grey as Baby in Dirty Dancing. Favorite movie!
R. Right or left handed: Right. That means I'm smart. Left means creative. LOL. That's what I've heard.
S. Siblings: 3 older brothers, 1 older sister, and 1 younger sister. I'm #5 out of 6 kids.
T. Time you wake up: On weekdays 6:15 to get my daughter ready for school. On weekends, 7:00. My kids don't know how to sleep in late.
U. Underwear: I love to wear underwear!
V. Vegetables you dislike: Lima beans. I've tried to like them, I swear!
W. What makes you run late: Having 2 other girls in the family I need to get dressed and brushed. I have to start getting ready at least an hour in advance to ensure we are not late. Hate being late!
X. X-rays you've had: None.
Y. Yummy food you make: My family loves when I make them homemade fried chicken from scratch. Very unhealthy so I make it once in a blue moon.
Z. Zoo: Love the zoo. The closest zoo to me is about an hour away so that's good. I just wish it was a nicer zoo. I feel bad for the animals and would love to see them in better and more comfortable habitats.

This was a lot of fun to do. I originally saw this on Raven and the Rose and then on Lipgloss and Flipflops. Check them out to see their answers!

I would love to see you all do this tag. It was fun. If you decide to do this tag, leave me a link below so I can check it out!

Luv & Luk,
--L.

Swatches: Sally Girl Eyeshadow Singles

Last week I hit up a Sally's for the first time in a long time. The only reason I stopped by was because it was next door to a party supply store I had to take my sister to. I checked in for about 5 minutes and walked out with something.

I had seen these on another beauty blog and I was really excited to try them out. When I went to Sally's they were on sale: 6 for $5! Mix or match. Great deal! I am an eyeshadow girl so while they had mini lippies and mini nail polishes, all my chosen 6 were eyeshadows.

This is what I got:

Left to Right:
U208 Aqua, U337 Rose, & U358 Blue Marine

Swatches with flash, no base.
Left to Right:
Aqua, Rose, & Blue Marine

Left to Right:
V020 Auburn, V267 Glow Green, & V307 Electric Blue

Swatches with flash, no base.
Left to Right:
Auburn, Glow Green, & Electric Blue

Best part!
You can link all the eyeshadow singles and make
your own palettes!

All 6 eyeshadows for $5.00!
Great deal.

For my first time trying these out, I really do like them. My favorite shades are the Auburn and Glow Green. Especially Glow Green! Blue Marine has really pretty golden undertones to it. Aqua and Glow Green are matte. Rose, Blue Marine, Auburn are shimmery. Electric Blue has slight sparkles.

I had the intention of going back and getting another 6 for the same deal before time ran out but I forgot. Regular price is $0.99 a piece so that's still good. This sale was like buying 5 and getting 1 FREE.  Even for $0.99, I am still going to pick up some more. There was a fairly large selection of shades to choose from.

I'll let you, Pretties, know if I do pick up some more!

Luv & Luk,
--L.

♥♥ I bought these with my own money. These are my own thoughts and honest opinions. I am not sponsored by this company. ♥♥

Swatches: Avon Healthy Makeup Lip Cream SPF 15

On Tuesday I received my Avon order and I was excited to try out these new lip creams that they introduced in their Healthy Makeup line.

The lip creams are in the same tube as lip gloss and have the same doe foot applicator. What makes them a lip cream? I believe it's because it's like melted lipstick. It's thicker and creamier than a gloss.

I bought 3 different colors.

Avon Healthy Makeup Lip Cream SPF 15
.25 oz. net. wt.
Regular Brochure Price: $9.00 each

Left to Right:
Peachy Cream, Berry Pretty, and Merlot

Swatches with flash.
Left to Right:
Peachy Cream, Berry Pretty, and Merlot

Peachy Cream

Berry Pretty

Merlot

All the swatches were taken with flash. All swatches show the color after one application. I pulled out the wand and applied. I did not dip the wand again and apply a second coat but I think that the color can be built up and given a more intense hue.

The lip cream feels so creamy! Very moisturizing to my lips. Feels very smooth. Non sticky which is so great. They do smell but it's a really pleasant fruity smell. I can't quite put a name on it but I like it.

I am really liking these lip creams. I have already used all 3 shades since Tuesday. For now, the Peachy Cream shade is my go to shade because it is so light and neutral. Perfect everyday shade.

Do you, Pretties, like these? Anyone tried these yet?

Luv & Luk,
--L.

♥♥ I am an Independent Avon Sales Representative. I did buy these with my own money. I am not sponsored by Avon. These are my own thoughts and honest opinions. ♥♥

Urban Decay Naked Palette

I know, I know, I know! The Urban Decay Naked Palette is old news now. But I'm still excited that I just got mine this past Monday. Like I said on Twitter, I'm still that same little girl in school who, if I was lucky, got all the cool stuff the popular kids had months after the "in" thing was no longer "in". LOL.

Anyway, I know you have all seen this palette on someone's blog or YouTube video. This thing was everywhere. Thus was the basis of it's appeal for me. So of course, as soon as I started seeing this UD palette all over, I knew I had to have one. I am NOT a "high end" makeup wearer so I could never justify spending the $48 on this. I didn't have to. It was a gift.

So, my boyfriend was off on Monday and we did a little shopping at Bath and Body Works (he wanted some Wallflowers for the home) and then a special trip to Ulta just for me. Every time we pass by Ulta or are in the neighborhood, I always say, "Let's go to Ulta!" It always happens that he speeds up and says, "Oh, we just missed it. Next time."

I guess to him, going to Ulta is like me going to Best Buy with him. LOL.

But this time he said OK so we went in and browsed around. I saw the Naked Palette right away and was shocked to see it in person. It was like a celebrity!! I'm such a geek. But right next to it was the UD Deluxe Shadow Box. Oooh, now that one had the colors I drool over. Of course, I could only get one and I wasn't sure which one to get, so, I asked for the bf's opinion. He said the Naked Palette. OK. Naked it is.

After it was paid for, I started feeling buyer's remorse. On this day I was wearing my bright green glitter Wicked eyes and I all of a sudden felt a little uncomfortable. "So, you don't like it when I wear bright colored eyeshadows?" He said, "I prefer you when you were bright eyes." Confused I asked, "So, why did you pick the Naked one?" He said, "Because it was more expensive." We both laughed. Then he added, "They only had one left. You said it's hard to find. I can always get you the other one later." Aww, my heart melted. He listens to me. All those times that I rambled on and on about who had the Naked Palette and how it wasn't being produced fast enough, he was listening. How sweet.

I just thought that was a cute day for us and how on days like that day, he can make me feel like the greatest person in the world.

Well, here we go. Here are the pics of MY Urban Decay Naked Palette:

Urban Decay Naked Palette
$48.00 at Ulta

Left to Right:
Virgin, Sin, Naked, Sidecar

Left to Right:
Buck, Half Baked, Smog, Darkhorse

Left to Right:
Toasted, Hustle, Creep, Gunmetal

Left to Right:
Virgin, Sin, Naked, Sidecar

Left to Right:
Buck, Half Baked, Smog, Darkhorse

Left to Right:
Toasted, Hustle, Creep, Gunmetal

Mini Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion

Urban Decay Shadow Brush

All I can say is that I love the shimmer shades like Sidecar, Half Baked, and Toasted. Sooo pretty. The matte shades are just OK for me. I do love UDPP very much and my full size one is almost out so I'm glad I got a little back up one. I did not like the brush. I don't know why, I just did not like it. It's pretty and it's heavy, well made, but it made the application awkward for me. Didn't like the finished results with the brush.

I'm happy I have it but since I'm not much of a neutral eye kind of gal, I wish I had gotten the Deluxe Shadow Box instead. But I am happy I have it. I will use it. And it means even more for me because my boyfriend bought it for me with good intentions. He's a doll.

Thanks for bearing with me through this monstrosity of a blog post. I must have gotten carried away!

Luv & Luk,
--L.

♥♥ This was a gift for me, bought by my boyfriend with his own money. These are my own honest thoughts and opinions. ♥♥