Review: Anastasia Beverly Hills Lash Genius

Hello, my Pretties!

Back in May, I was contacted for a possible partnership with Anastasia Beverly Hills and an opportunity to review their latest product, Lash Genius.  Of course, I had heard of Anastasia Beverly Hills, especially when it came to their eyebrow products.  I had never tried Anastasia Beverly Hills before because for me, they are high end so this was the perfect chance for me to own it.

I emailed them back ASAP and soon I got another email sharing even greater news for me.  Not only was I going to receive the Lash Genius but also their limited edition See and Be Seen makeup kit.  Fantastic!

I have lots of pictures to share with you so lets get to it, shall we...

Anastasia Beverly Hills
See and Be Seen, Lash Genius, and Promotional 3D Viewmaster

Anastasia Beverly Hills Lash Genius
NET WT. 5.5 g/0.19 Oz.
"Instantly waterproofs any mascara."

"Lash Genius: Lash Genius will retail for $21 when it hits stores this May.  This product is a first of its kind and will instantly waterproof and protect your everyday mascara. Lash Genius will also help to promote lash health by not making lashes brittle and easy to break or pull out like most waterproof mascaras tend to do.  Lash Genius can be used on false eyelashes locking in applied mascara and creating a luxurious, refreshed, more natural look.  Lash Genius will also help to hold the false lashes on and make them look more natural like real lashes."

♥♥ Taken from my invitation email from Summer at The Confluence. ♥♥

Wand

DIRECTIONS FOR USE:
Carefully apply one or two coats on top of mascara to waterproof and refresh.  To remove, must use waterproof eye makeup remover.


Watch AnastasiaBeverlyHill's YouTube video here: LASH GENIUS Waterproofing Tutorial-WATCH IT WORK!

MY REVIEW:
Right now, I am totally loving Lash DNA Mascara in Jet Black by Smashbox but it smudges on me like crazy!  I wear contacts, so every so often I get a teary eye and my mascara runs.  Not a pretty look.  So when the opportunity came along to try a product to waterproof any mascara, I was more than thrilled.  I love everything about my Lash DNA for the exception that it likes to travel but now with Lash Genius, I can wear it daily and not have a care in the world...contacts and all.  I even tested it out by wearing it to the pool last week.  I got splashed in the face like crazy and my mascara stayed on my lashes.  THANK YOU, Lash Genius!  I couldn't have come up with a better name.

The only bad thing about this has nothing to do with the product itself.  I was told in the email that I was going to receive a collectible book as part of this exclusive offer but my book did not come in the shipment.

SIDE NOTE:
I do not wear false lashes so I did not test out this product on false lashes.

And here I am wearing Lash Genius over my Smashbox Lash DNA.

My lashes still look fresh and natural.  The formula is light and clear.  Does not add bulk or clumps.

This, in my honest opinion, is a wonderful product.  How sweet is it to make any mascara in your arsenal waterproof when you want it to be waterproof?  I mean, I don't usually like purchasing waterproof mascaras because they are harder to remove, but right now being summer and all, I think wearing waterproof mascara is called for on some days.  Being from Texas, the heat here is incredible and sweaty days are inevitable...but then again, so are days in the pool!

LASH GENIUS can be purchased HERE.  Make sure to visit http://www.anastasia.net to check out all that Anastasia Beverly Hills has to offer!

Thank you to The Confluence and Anastasia Beverly Hills for allowing me to participate in this blogger appreciation program!

Stay tuned for my review on the See and Been Seen makeup kit coming up shortly!

Luv & Luk,
--L.

♥♥ All Anastasia Beverly Hills products mentioned in this post were sent to me free of charge for review purposes.  All statements made in this post were my own honest opinions.  ♥♥

Victoria's Secret Beauty Rush Luminous & Sparkling Shadows

Hello, my Pretties!

Quick little post for y'all tonight.

My older sister made another donation to my Makeup Orphanage and handed me over seven Victoria's Secret Beauty Rush Shadows--five Luminous Shadows and two Sparkling Shadows.

Allow me to introduce you...

Victoria's Secret Beauty Rush Shadows

Left to Right:
Deja Blue (S), Emerald City (L), Tons of Plum (L), Jet Set (L),
Goldblinger (S), Plum Passion (L), and Money, Baby (L).
S=Sparkling Shadow L=Luminous Shadow

Swatches without flash over foundation.

Swatches with flash over foundation.

Just by swatching them, I liked them.  They are very smooth and soft so there is some fallout.  I forgot to take a photo of the applicator but it has a built in sponge tipped applicator on the wand.  It's convenient.  You can't get your eyeshadow seamlessly blended out using the enclosed applicator but you can apply it easily and effortlessly to your lids and then do it like I do and use your fingertip to blend it out.  That works for me.

I will use these in an upcoming look soon...I hope.  The colors are pretty, don'tcha think?

Luv & Luk,
--L.

♥♥ All items mentioned in this post were given to me as a gift from my sister. ♥♥

LuckyDuckyLoves 100 Follower Giveaway Winnings

Hello, my Pretties!

Since I kind of went on hiatus from my blog this year, I totally forgot to share with you all a giveaway that I won hosted my Joann of LuckyDuckyLoves!  This was back in January!

I have been using my winnings so much. She did a wonderful job picking out really fantastic and usable prizes.  Here is what I won:

Photo property of Joann.

Here you can see her original blog post: LDLoves 100 Follower Giveaway!!!
Here you can see where I won: The WINNER of the 100 Follower Giveaway!

My prize arrive January 24, 2012.

Here was everything I won
and a sweet handwritten card.

I was so excited and honored to have won that I never even noticed that she had forgotten to include the NARS Pro Refining Primer pictured in her giveaway photo.  But sweet Joann went out of her way to send it to me anyway...along with a couple of other goodies that I will share with you later.

Benefit Bad Gal Lash Mascara
(Travel Size)

I am a mascara fanatic and I loved this one.  The brush is so huge!  LOL.  I have been wearing this daily and it's practically all dried up now but I'm using up every drop of this stuff.  I really enjoyed how it made my lashes so much longer and I thought they looked fuller too.

Pacifica Color Quench
Natural Moisture Lip Tint in Blood Orange

Fingertip swatch.

Loved, loved, loved this!!  Like seriously, I loved this.  The smell was divine.  The texture was creamy and smooth.  The color left behind on my lips was perfection.  How had I never tried this before?  I'm stumped.  This is the best lip balm I have ever tried!

Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter in
080 Strawberry Shortcake.

Fingertip swatch.

This is my first Revlon lip product since I was in junior high!  LOL.  Seriously.  I was so happy to win this because back in January, these were the talk of the town.  Everyone wanted these.  I did too but never bought one...and then I won one!  Even better!  The texture is so nice.  Very smooth.  Very soft and glossy on my lips.  The color is very light and works well when I want a minimal makeup look.

Pacifica Hawaiian Ruby Guava Body Butter.

Fingertip swatch.

Again, another Pacifica product!  Again, another ah-mazing product!  I am in awe at how I had never heard of Pacifica before.  I love the smell of this one too.  So tropical!  I still have some of this left.  I have been using it sparingly.  I don't want to finish it!

E.L.F. Studio Blush in Pink Passion.

In the pan.

Swatch.

This is such a bold and intimidating color in the pan but it is so pink and so pretty!  I had just seen this on a blog post and the way it looked on the blogger's face was beautiful.  I wanted to buy it (but didn't) and then I won it.  See, I told you Joann picked out some great prizes!

Wet n Wild 8 Pan Palette in Comfort Zone.

All 8 shadows are gorgeous.

Swatched with flash.

Swatched without flash.

OMG, I don't even have to tell you how badly I wanted this.  As a matter of fact, this palette was the main reason why I entered.  I never enter giveaways but I had to have this!  I had been wanting this for a long while but my local stores were always sold out.  I know why!  I mean, look at these shadows! BEAUTIFUL!  My favorite is the last one, 4th shade on the bottom row.  It's a brown/blue duochrome.  It kills it's so perfect! I have been using this at least 3 times a week! If I had kept up with my monthly favorites posts, this would have been a favorite since January!

Well, that's all folks!  I apologize to you all for posting this awesome experience so late...five months late.  And I extend a special apology to Joann because she did an amazing job picking out these prizes and sending me the one item she forgot with other goodies to make up for it.  She didn't have to but she did.  She is such a beautiful girl with a beautiful soul and spirit.  I adore her!

Until paper and pen meet again!

P.S. I will show you all the NARS primer and extra goodies soon!

Luv & Luk,
--L.

♥♥ All items mentioned in this post were won by entering a giveaway hosted by fellow blogger Joann of http://www.luckyduckyloves.blogspot.com/ ♥♥

Haul: Avon SuperShock Eye Liners

Hello, my Pretties!

Today I am bringing you some swatches and a mini review of Avon's SuperShock gel eye liners.  These have been around for a while now but I had never purchased them for myself but I did sell plenty of them.

The two most popular shades among my customers were Flashy Brown and Blackened Metal.  But you know me, once I decided to finally purchase these, I just had to get all four shades that Avon offers.

Avon SuperShock Eye Liners
.141 oz. net. wt.
Brochure Price: $7.00

In the Avon Campaign 14 Brochure, these gel liners sold for $7.00 a piece or buy one get one FREE.  I love Avon and their steals and deals!

This is what Avon has to say about these liners:
"Glide-on gel lines your eyes with precision."

Metallic Teal
Product No.: 462-220

This metallic teal shade was the shade that I was most anxious to try.  Y'all know I love me some bright eyes yet I have never really been a fan of colored eye liners before.  I tend to stick to black on a regular basis.  Even wearing brown eye liner is a stretch for me.  But hey, I was intrigued by this color.  So pretty and perfect for summer!

Flashy Brown
Product No.: 461-682

This shimmery brow shade I felt would be the most flattering on me.  It is brown but not boring.  The shimmers keep it fresh and summery.

Burnished Copper
Product No.: 461-678

Right off the bat, I knew this borderline copper/gold shimmery shade was going to be too light for my tan skin...at least for use as an eye liner but I did purchase this with the intention of using it as an eyeshadow base.  Yup!  I love wearing anything copper/bronze/gold on my eyes!

Blackened Metal
Product No.: 462-268

And of course, I had to buy the black!  Black is my signature eye liner of choice!  This one was a surprise when I took it out of the box.  It is speckled with tiny glitters.  In the brochure, you think it's verging on matte black.  I thought it was lovely!

Swatches.
On forearm. No base. No primer.
L to R: Blackened Metal, Burnished Copper, Flashy Brown, and Metallic Teal

Here is the moment of truth.  The swatches.  I usually swatch on my forearm with no base, primer or foundation.  Pure bare skin.  The swatches are really pretty.  And to my surprise, Burnished Copper and Flashy Brown were my favorites.  Blackened Metal and Metallic Teal lacked in the wow factor for me.

After one swipe with a baby wipe.

I did a quick swipe of the liners once they had set with my fingertip and they did not budge!  Not a single smudge at all.  I was very impressed.  Perfect!  


In the above photo, I tried to remove the eye liners with a baby wipe. 

A lot of the time, I remove my makeup with baby wipes.  I did one swipe of a baby wipe here and not much color fell off.  That's good...

After three swipes with a baby wipe.

And this is my forearm after three swipes with a baby wipe.  The darker shades are still visible.  Makeup remover is a must for these liners!

MINI REVIEW:
I have been using these liners almost on a daily basis.  But...BUT not as eye liners.  In my very own honest opinion, these gel liners are not as pigmented as I would have liked for a liner.  But they are amazing as eyeshadow bases or even stand alone eyeshadows!

I usually use Burnished Copper and Flashy Brown as stand alone eyeshadows.  They last all day!  I only apply a thin layer of E.L.F. Eyelid Primer ($1.00) underneath and I am set all day.  Amazing!  I used Blacked Metal underneath a black eye shadow for a smoky look and it was perfection.

To sum it all up, I love these Avon SuperShock Eye Liners but for use as an eyeshadow base or even a stand alone eyeshadow.  These were not as pigmented as I would prefer for an eyeliner but I hate to discount an item because it didn't work for me in the manner that it was intended for.  Think outside of the box sometimes and you might find a new use for something!

PRODUCT: Avon SuperShock Eye Liners
SIZE: .141 oz. net. wt.
PRICE: $7.00 each
AVAILABLE: http://avon.com/
MY AVON e-STORE: http://lmartinez2920.avonrepresentative.com/
                                     BUY SUPERSHOCK EYE LINERS HERE!

By the way, it feels wonderful to be back to blogging.  I know I have said that before and then I disappear again but I do mean it.  I love blogging and even if I only blog one post a month from now on, I will never stop blogging!

Luv & Luk,
--L.

♥♥ Products mentioned in this blog post were purchased by me with my own money.  I am an Independent Avon Representative but that does not sway my thoughts on these products.  These are my own and honest opinions. ♥♥

FOTD: Peony

Hello, My Pretties!

Yesterday I posted on some new L.A. Colors goodies that I purchased at my local Family Dollar.  One of the items I bought was a new 3 Color Eyeshadow Palette in Peony.  This trio consists of a bright sunny yellow, a bright hot pink, and a bright royal blue.  You know me and bright eyeshadows, I just had to try it out ASAP.

I busted it out this morning and this is what I did with it:

Face 

FACE PRODUCTS USED:
Avon Healthy Makeup Mousse Foundation in Medium Beige
Milani Minerals Compact Makeup in True Beige
Avon True Color Blush in Classic Aura

Eyes

EYE PRODUCTS USED:
Boo-Boo Coverup
NYX Eyeshadow Base in White
L.A. Colors 3 Color Eyeshadow Palette in Peony
E.L.F. Mineral Eyeshadow in Enchanting
E.L.F. Mineral Eyeshadow in Celebrity

Eyes part 2

MORE EYE PRODUCTS USED:
Garden Botanika Lash Primer
Smashbox Lash DNA Mascara in Jet Black
Avon Dual Ended Eye Liner in Blue-Turquoise

Lips

LIP PRODUCTS USED:
NYC Liquid Lipshine in Nude York City
L.A. Colors Lipstick in Cherry Red

To create this look, I first applied the Boo-Boo Cover Up all over the eyelids to cancel out the blue veins that show through.  I then applied a thin layer of the NYX Eyeshadow Base in White to the lid only to help the eyeshadows stick and stand out.

I applied the Peony eyeshadows to my lids only as they appear in the palette.  Yellow on the inner corner, pink in the middle, and blue in the outer corner. As rule of thumb for me, TONE DOWN--USE BROWN, I applied the matte finish E.L.F. Mineral Eyeshadow in Enchanting to my crease to mellow out the brightness just a bit.  For a brow highlight, I used another E.L.F. Mineral Eyeshadow this time in a shimmery beige, Celebrity.

To balance out the look somewhat, I added color to my lower lash line in the form of eyeliner instead of more eyeshadow.  I used the Avon Dual Ended Eye Liner in Blue-Turquoise.  The turquoise shade went on to about 2/3 of the lash line and the blue on the outer 1/3.

To finish off the eyes, I applied one coat of Garden Botanika Lash Primer and two coats of Smashbox Lash DNA Mascara in Jet Black.  My favorite mascara of the moment.  I love it.  Love it!!

I had first decided on just using the NYC Liquid Lipshine in Nude York City alone.  It looked fine.  Less color on the lips to make the eyes be the focus of my face.  But then I thought it looked too bland.  It is not set in stone that if you wear bright eyes, you must use a nude lip.  Do what you want!  So I took out my new L.A. Colors Lipstick in Cherry Red and applied it on top of Nude York City.  Turns out that was a good idea.  The lip is still toned down but with a slight wash of red color.  Lovely.

And so there you go!  A nice, bright makeup look to go along with this nice and bright day we are having today.  I am feeling good and I hope that you all are as well.  Let's have a happy day!

Luv & Luk,
--L.

♥♥ All items mentioned in this post were purchased by me with my own money for the exception of:
1. Garden Botanika Lash Primer
    This was given to me free as part of the Influenster VoxBox Program.
2. NYC Liquid Lipshine in Nude York City
    This was given to me free as part of the Influenster VoxBox Program.
3. Smashbox Lash DNA Mascara.
   This was given to my by fellow blogger Cathy. ♥♥

Haul: L.A. Colors

Hello, My Pretties!

DO NOT ADJUST YOUR COMPUTER SETTINGS--it is I with a new blog post for you!  Can we say HIP HIP HOORAY?!

For those of you wondering where I have been, let's just say LIFE got in the way...

I cannot believe I went so long without updating my blog.  Please believe me when I tell you, I have missed this and I have missed all of you!

Let see how this goes.  I feel a little rusty...

So, today I hit up Family Dollar because I was looking for some gift wrap for my baby sister's birthday present which is on Mother's Day this year, May 13th, and I just happened upon some new (or new-to-me) L.A. Colors goodies.  It's been at least 2, close to 3 months, since the last time I bought makeup so I could not resist.

Here is what I got:

L.A. COLORS

L.A. COLORS
3 Color Eyeshadow Palette
CES442 Peony
0.19 OZ (5.5g)

$1.50

Fingertip swatches.

Inside wrist swatches on bare skin.

L.A. COLORS
3 Color Eyeshadow Palette
CES445 Sunflower
0.19 OZ (5.5g)

$1.50

Fingertip swatches.

Inside wrist swatches on bare skin.

L.A. COLORS LIPSTICK
LIPC406A Mauve Glaze
0.14 OZ (4g)

Fingertip swatch.

$1.00

L.A. COLORS LIPSTICK
LIPC409A Cherry Red
0.14 OZ (4g)

Fingertip swatch.

$1.00

L.A. COLORS LIPSTICK
LIPC414A Petal
0.14 OZ (4g)

Fingertip swatch.

$1.00

So, for $6.00, I got 6 eyeshadow colors and 3 lip colors.  That is a good deal to me!  I love the dollar store and I love L.A. Colors!

FIRST IMPRESSIONS:

3 Color Eyeshadow Palettes:  I do love each and every color.  I think the trios are well coordinated but I do not think they work well as a brow highlight color, lid color, and crease color.  I think using all three shades for those three purposes is too much.  I would definitely use all three colors in a single eye look but I just cannot see anyone of these six shades to make a good brow highlight color.  The texture is soft.  The Sunflower palette was much, much softer than the Peony palette but I believe that is because the Sunflower palette contained so much more shimmer than the Peony palette.  As for pigmentation, it's really good.  The pigmentation is much better in the Sunflower palette than the Peony palette.  I thought the bright colors in the Peony palette were fantastic but they swatched a little less than great.  Not bad at all, though!  Maybe with a primer or a base, these just might stand out so much more.  Packaging is alright.  It's simple, easy to open and thin.  Over all, I am happy with these. There were several other of these palettes to choose from so I am so tempted to go back and pick up a few more!  Stay tuned!

Lipsticks:  There were also several of these lipstick shades to choose from but I think I picked up the three that called out to me most.  The others were either too dark or too light.  But I think I did good in picking up a red, a pink, and more of a neutral shade.  My favorite of the three is Mauve Glaze.  Right up my alley.  I was really impressed with how red Cherry Red turned out to be.  It's more of an orange-red and I actually like it.  It's too bold for everyday use, so let's see what special occasion is around the corner.  As for Petal, I love the name, the color I'm not so sure about.  The lipstick itself if pretty, the fingertip swatch even looked good, but on my lips, that's another story.  It looked too frosty on me.  I think this one might still get used.  I hate buying makeup and not using it.  The texture of these is nice and smooth.  Goes on easily without any tugging.  These do not feel dry at all, very creamy, actually.  As for smell, I think they were aiming for a vanilla scent.  They smell sweet.  I did not like the packaging at all.  The clear plastic tops are hard to open and I do not like it when my lipsticks cannot retreat into the entire length of the tube.  When the tops of my lipsticks stick out, they always get nicked on the cap when I'm taking it off or putting it back on.  But I guess where a lot of these companies save money, and are able to charge you less per item, is in the cheap packaging.   Over all, I do like these lipsticks.

So, here you go, my beauties.  My first blog post since March 22nd!  I am so excited to be back.  I hope that this will be one of many new blog posts to come.  I have also abandoned my YouTube channel but I have plans to go back.  One thing at a time!

I do hope you enjoyed this post!  I'd love to hear what you think!

Luv & Luk,
--L.

♥♥ All items mentioned in this post were purchased by me with my own money. ♥♥