NYC HD Color Trio in Long Beach Sands - Influenster Jolly VoxBox

The NYC HD Color Trio in Long Beach Sands was featured in my Jolly Voxbox, complimentary of Influenster.

I love that it is a trio, and all three shades can be combined for a cohesive eye look.

The top shade is meant for the browbone, the middle shade is meant for the lid, and the bottom shade is meant for the crease. I personally would use the bottom shade on the lid and the middle shade in the crease, but that's just me.

Here is my eye with the middle shade all over my lid.

Here is my eye with the bottom shade added to my crease and the top shade added to my browbone. The colors are very neutral and don't show up very well on my eyes. They lack pigmentation.

I did a few quick swatches on my fingertips. As you can see, the brow highlight has decent pigmentation, as well as the darker brown color. However, the bottom shade, a tan color, lacks pigmentation and doesn't add much to your look.

Overall, I am impressed with two of the shades, but I thnk the third one needs some work. I would love to try some other products from NYC to compare the quality.

Ipsy December 2013 - "Celebrate"

I received my Ipsy bag a bit later than normal this month. I got it on the 17th as opposed to the 14th when I normally get it. I wasn't super happy with the contents when I saw my Glam Room, but I'll get into specifics about the products.

The contents:

POP Beauty eyeshadow trio: I received this trio in the neutral colors. Some other subscribers received a smoky eye trio. I haven't opened this because I have a trade set up for the Be a Bombshell lip crayon from last month in the color Shameless. I received Hot Damn (bright red), but Shameless is a beautiful pink berry color. This trio looks very nice, but I already have three other neutral palettes, and I'm getting Naked 3 for Christmas. 

Be a Bombshell The One Stick in Girl Crush: This is a stick for eyes, cheeks, and lips, but I will only use this as a cheek highlight or blush. On the lips, it's extremely chalky and has a horrible texture. I might try it on the eyes, but I don't think it would look that nice. 

English Laundry perfume samples: These samples came halfway gone because they spilled during shipping. After reading some other subscribers' blogs, I've noticed that almost everyone's spilled. I emailed Ipsy and they are sending me Benefit's Benetint as a replacement. 

Ardell natural lashes: I've heard this is a good brand. I don't use lashes often, but maybe I'll try them on New Year's!

J.Cat The Big Lip Pencil in Caramel Mocha: I love this lip pencil! I wish it were a twist-up, but instead I have to sharpen it. The other color option was red, so I'm extremely thankful I got this color. I have too many red lipsticks! This is a beautiful neutral color.

Overall, not a bad bag. The bag itself is classy and well-made (unlike previous bags) and I enjoyed it. I'm not sure how much longer I'll subscribe though. I usually don't end up with the variation that I want. 

Giveaway Prize from Mom's Got Mail

Today I received a giveaway prize from Jennifer at Mom's Got Mail! I won the November end of the month giveaway, consisting of hand cream, The Balm's Stainiac, and two pieces from BaubleBar. She even threw in a few extras, including the November 2013 Ipsy bag. 

Here is a peppermint hand cream from Ulta, an eyeshadow quad also from Ulta, Stainiac, and a lipstick from Ulta. 

My first BaubleBar pieces...

So pretty! I love them and I think they go together well without being over the top. I will definitely wear these for Christmas and New Year's Eve. 

Here is the bracelet on my arm! Ignore my crazy socks. ;)

A huge thanks goes out to Jennifer! I really appreciate the prize. It was like a Christmas present!

Influenster's Jolly VoxBox 2013 Review

Hurray! My second Influenster VoxBox has arrived, and I got a chance to check out each of the products before I wrote this review. I am very pleased with this box, especially considering it's my second box of freebies in two months! I previously received the Varsity VoxBox, which contained NYC lipgloss, Airheads Extreme Bites, Tide PODS, Clearasil face wash, and Kiss nail stickers.

This box was supposed to have a "Naughty and Nice" theme... I'm not sure I quite get that theme, but I am happy with these products nevertheless. 

And on to the contents...

Here's a closer look:

First up is duck tape from the Duck brand. This is a mini roll in a blue and white floral print. I used it to give my phone charger a makeover. I will also use it for packages and other craft projects.

Retail: $3

This single pack of Puffs tissues is a great addition to my purse. I always find myself in need of a tissue while I'm out, yet I don't have one on me. These will be great because they have lotion in the tissues themselves, so my nose won't get irritated.

Retail: $0.49

Next up is the Rimmel Show Off Lip Lacquer. This is basically a liquid lipstick. The color payoff is amazing and opaque. The color I received is Luna, and it is a beautiful peach color. I will definitely use this up. My only complaint is the weird cucumber smell and strange applicator.

Retail: $5.49

This is the NYC HD Color Trio eyeshadow in Long Beach Sands.This is one of those products that has instructions for where to use each shade, whether it's on the brow bone, crease, or lid. I already have so much neutral eyeshadow, but I really like the colors.

Retail: $2.99

Finally, my sweet tooth had something to be excited about! These Skinny Cow chocolates filled with peanut butter cream are delicious. I have tried the caramel version before, and these are just as good. The peanut butter is a bit salty for me, but I love them otherwise. This box contains 6 packs of 3 candies each. I've already eaten 3 packs... oops.

Retail: $3.99

Overall, the Jolly VoxBox was a great box, and I am very happy that I received it. I look forward to continuing to use these products and review them on my blog and other social networks.

Disclaimer: I received these products complimentary of Influenster. The opinions are my own.

The Jolly VoxBox is Coming!

Earlier today, I received an email from Influenster confirming my place in the Jolly VoxBox program! I had to send it to my parents' house because I will be on winter break until mid-January. I hope it comes before then. They are supposed to be shipping this week, I believe, so I should be getting a shipping notice soon.

I checked the "Cheat Sheet" section and here are the products that will be in the program.

Product
Rimmel London Show Off Lip Lacquer
NYC New York Color HD Color Trio Eye Shadow
Ducklings Mini Rolls
Puffs
Skinny Cow Candy

I think this will be a pretty good box. I am hoping the lip lacquer is in a color that is unique to my collection, because I have a lot of lip products. I also have a lot of eyeshadow, so hopefully those are some fun colors, too.

As far as the duck tape, I don't really use it, but I like to craft, so I'm sure I can find a use for it on Pinterest.

The Puffs tissues will be used up, obviously. They will be good for my purse.

And finally, the Skinny Cow candy. I am sure it will be pretty good because I've enjoyed the brand in the past.

Well, there you have it! The 2013 Holiday VoxBox! I will blog about it when I receive it.

Beauty Box 5 Review - November Review

I was recently given the opportunity to review Beauty Box 5, which is a $12/month beauty subscription. The November boxes that I have seen did not contain these products, but I am still excited to try everything out!

The contents:

Every Beauty Makeup Remover Pads:

This package contains 5 pads. You just add water and then they act like makeup/face wipes. I am looking forward to trying these out tonight.

Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion:

I've used plenty of samples of this lotion, as well as several full size bottles. It is a basic moisturizer, and I will use it up.

H2O Oil-free Marine Moisturizer:

I have many face lotion samples, but I have been wanting to try this brand since it was featured in Ipsy and I didn't receive it.

BellaPierre Mineral Powder:

This powder came in Storm, which is a pretty light gray color. This is the only product that was actually featured in the official November Beauty Box 5. I saw many people get a blue color, and I'm so happy I didn't because I already have a blue loose eyeshadow from Ipsy. One blue mineral shadow is more than enough for me.

Nubar Nail Polish:

This nail polish is in the color White Tip. I really don't like it at all. It's white, but almost like an eggshell white... there is something off about it, like a grayish tinge. I don't like this, but I will give it a try anyway. It also appears to be free of any harmful ingredients.

Disclaimer: I received this box complimentary of Beauty Box 5 for review purposes. The opinions are my own.