September Wantable Box - Image Heavy

*All products were sent to me for testing and review, completely complimentary, from Wantable. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Hello everyone! After jealously eyeing all the subscription boxes other bloggers have been posting about recently, I was so excited to be asked to share Wantable and the September Wantable Box with you!!

If you've never heard of Wantable before you really need to check it out. It is an amazing subscription box that costs $36 a month. Not ready for a subscription? That's fine too. Wantable thought of everything. You can order just one box for $40, just to see if you like it first. Sound a bit pricey? Well, think about this. Each box is packed with full-size products hand picked just for you based on your answers to their customer quiz. Answer the questions honestly and that's 4-6 full-size products that you know you're going to love! This values the boxes between $80 and $100! AND each box comes with tips and tricks on how to use these products to the best of their abilities. Still not sure? Take a look at my box and decide for yourself.

I kinda loved opening the box flap and seeing this. I don't know why, but it just struck a cord for me. Like opening up a whole new world of beauty, and I guess in a way I was.

The insert tells you all about the boxes. Wantable has the Makeup Box (seen in my review), an Accessories Box (with 3-4 boutique jewelry pieces), a new Intimates Box (said to have camis, panties, socks, and more), and if you hurry you can pre-order their limited edition Ultimate Halloween Makeup Box filled with tons of products from Cinema Secrets!

First looks. I never look at inserts until I've browsed the products first. What's inside the box? What's it gonna be??? I love the surprise! Let's find out!!

This is Taupeless from Be a ... Bombshell Cosmetics. I was oddly excited about this lip gloss and used it right away! I am a huge fan of lip gloss, but pretty much the most I can get away with is nude gloss. My lips are just naturally very red and tend to turn most colored lip glosses really odd colors. This was perfect. It went on nicely, added a hint of color and shine to my lips, and lasted a long time without getting sticky and tacky.

The next thing in the box in Manna Kadar Hi Def Mattifier. I was really excited to try this, and it exceeded my expectations ... which admittedly were rather low. I've tried to find a finishing powder like this many times but always seemed to come up with something with sparkle or glitter to it. This is exactly what I've been looking for - a very simple matte powder that leaves a nice and smooth overall finish.

This is the only thing I was unsure about in this box - the Michael Marcus Refillable Eyeshadow Compact in Flawless. While taking the quiz I said I loved the lighter, more nude shades of eyeshadow, but I didn't exactly mean this.

As you can see, this looks almost exactly like my current face powder. Trying it, it did blend completely with my skin tone, but left behind a flawless finish. With this in mind I may try using it as a concealing powder later.

The last full-size item in the box is Laqa & Co nail polish in Nookie!

Nookie is a stunning shade of hot pink. It's actually a bit darker in person than shown here. But the best thing?? This is one coat with NO top coat!! If the entire Laqa line of polish is like this I am seriously hooked!

The promo code they included in my box might just be getting some major use! The code is good for $10 off $30.

The only product included in the box that wasn't full size was this. The Lise Watier Ombre Souffle Supreme eyeshadow. The card shows all 6 shades available in the souffles. I got samples of Sunrise Peach and Vert enchante (exactly the shades I would have chosen for myself). These are pretty awesome and really are whipped like souffle. They are so easy to apply with your fingertips. A little different than I expected but this is neither good or bad ... just different.

The small amount I used mostly just left a really shimmery hint of color behind. This gives me the idea that this small sample will last a long time for me.

And finally, here is the insert we skipped earlier of everything in the box, the retail value of each item, and the tips and tricks by Wantable stylists.

Ready to see how I used the products in this box? Plus some of my own products ...

I'm not a makeup artist or a model ... but I like it! :)

Products Used:

Dickinson's Witch Hazel: used to clean my face before anything else!

Neutrogena Shine Control Primer

L'Oreal Infallible 24H Laquer Liner in Blackest Black: Yes, I use this before anything else (except my primer). I am far from an expert on liner, and I've been known to screw it up many times. It's just easier to clean up if I do screw up ... or use my eyeshadow to hide shaky lines.

Mary Kay Mineral Cheek Color in Golden Copper: This is my all time favorite blush (as if you couldn't tell by the scratched and scraped container). It also lasts forever since it's so highly pigmented. It only needs a very small amount on a brush to add a blush of color to my cheeks. More in the winter hides the splotchiness from the cold perfectly too!

Lise Watier in Sunrise Peach and Vert enchante

Michael Marcus in Flawless (not shown): I used this on my brow bone and to blend the edges of the Souffle eyeshadow.

Revlon Lash Potion

Be a ... Bombshell in Taupeless

Manna Kadar Hi-Def Powder

I hope you enjoyed this box as much as I did. Thanks Wantable! :)

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*All products were sent to me for testing and review, completely complimentary, from Wantable. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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Autumn/Winter 2013 Makeup Trends: Berry Lips

Wine-hued, dark lipstick is nothing new for Autumn but this season it's back with new textures, finishes and formulas. In some cases, such as at Byblos, lips were precisely painted in a deep plum shade whilst eye make up was kept nude. At Prada a purple lip stain was softly dabbed onto lips to create a wearable, effortless look. I love this trend because it suits all different skin tones. If you're not brave enough to try dark lipstick a good place to start is with a gloss or balm. Purple toned lipstick can be a toughie to pull off , but lightly applied with fingers they become a whole lot more wearable. I've chosen six berry-beautiful shades to help you decide what lipstick you'll be rocking this A/W.

You''l notice that all the lipsticks mentioned are from the highstreet. I think highstreet brands are extremely good when it comes to creating high quality, on-trend products at affordable prices, giving highend brands a run for there money. Did you hear Mac have increased the price of their lipsticks AGAIN? Think i'll be sticking to good old drugstore makeup!

Rimmel Kate Matte '107' (�5.49) This was my first dark lipstick purchase. After seeing so many bloggers look great in this i plucked up the courage and haven't looked back since. The formula is matte so it can be quite drying. I use my Lush lip scrub before applying this and finish with a layer of lip balm. 

Revlon ColourStay Ultimate Suede '035 Backstage' (�8.99) The newest edition to my plumy lipstick collection. These aren't as nourishing as the Revlon Lip Butter, but they do last longer. 'Backstage' is an intense blackcurrent red. When you first apply this it does feel a little sticky but after 20 minutes it dries to a suede finish. The 16 hour claim is a bit far-fetched, around 5 hours before needing to re-apply isn't bad!

Collection Volume Sensation '4 Plum Perfection' (�2.99) In the tube this looks like a frosty finish, however once applied to the lips it has a creamy effect. This applies really smoothly and has great colour pay-off. Perfect if you want to try the berry trend on a budget.

PUR Minerlas Lipgloss Sticks 'Berry Pretty'* (�16.00) These lipgloss sticks are ridiculously easy to apply, no mirror necessary for application. They provide a moisturising splash of colour. As you can see from the swatch above it leaves a subtle berry tint and they apply super smoothly. The vitamin E and natural oils help to hydrate lips too. These are quite pricey at �16.00 a pop but they are paraben free, don't test on animals and contain no nasties. Available from Marks & Spencer here. 

L'oreal Colour Riche '325 Feeric Fushia' (�8.19) This glides on smoothly and has a rich, shiny formula. The shade is a dark red with purple undertones and subtle flecks of shimmer. Looking at this against the other lipsticks, the packaging looks really expensive!

Revlon Just Bitten Balm Stain '005 Crush' (�7.99) A nourishing balm with a hint of stain is probably the best way to describe these. There's a lot of comparisons to the Clinique chubby sticks but i've never tried them. I have the shade 'Crush' which is a black cherry colour. I love that this applies sheer but can be built up for a more intense colour. 

Hopefully this has given you some vampy lipstick inspiration, next week there will be an a/w lipstick tutorial :) I'll also be posting a lot more Autumn 2013 beauty trends! What are your favourite berry shades? 

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back to basic essential beauty

I like buying beauty products, it's a bit of an unhealthy addiction really. Most days i have a 'go hard or go home' approach to beauty - primer,foundation, highlighter,multiple concealers, two mascaras, blusher,bronzer oh and all the brushes! Sounds awful, but i weirdly look forward to doing my full routine! However some days beauty isn't fun and I just go back to basics.

Sometimes, beauty is boring. I don't buy deodorant based on it's fancy packaging, i buy it because i need to and probs wouldn't have any friend if i didn't. Toothpaste and mouthwash are monthly re-purchases for me but they don't get my heart racing like a new foundation (omg have you seen the new Bourjois Happy Light foundation?!). I wanted to share with you my beauty essentials - ok, so they aren't very exciting but these products DO work and i reach for them (nearly) every day. 

Oral B Precision Clean Brush Heads x4

I invested in an electric toothbrush this year and i haven't looked back since. I much prefer using this now to manual brushes, these do make your teeth feel so much cleaner. I pick up my brush heads from Amazon as they are a lot cheaper online then in shops. 

Revlon Quick Dry Base Coat

With a new colour on my nails each week they need protecting with a base coat to prevent staining. I picked up this one from Revlon recently because it dries quickly and has a nice thin brush. 

Wilko Cotton Buds x 300

I've blogged about these before, 39p for 300 in the Wilkinson baby section - can't go wrong with that!

Listerine Stay White Mouthwash

I never really used to use mouthwash but i'm trying to up my teeth cleaning routine. Stay White from Listerine does what it says on the tin. My teeth get white spots on them after using this so it must be doing something!

Mitchum Advanced Control Roll-on

My current deodrant of choice which works fine for me. I have no favourite when it comes to anti-perpsriant, but i want to try the Sure one that you put on before bed next. 

Boots Clean Off Nail Polish Remover 

The.Best.Nail.Polish.Remover.Ever. Seriously, this stuff is good & it's so in-expensive. 

Lidl Cotton Pads x120

I'm not fussy when it comes to cotton pads, i don't care if they are quilted, double faced or made from natural fibres hand-picked by fairies- i just use them to pour on toner so i don't want anything fancy. I have no idea if they are any better or worse than other brands but they do the job nicely. 

What are your everyday essentials? 

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Disney Challenge: Tangled

Hey everyone! Sorry for dropping off the face of the Earth. My slight cold turned into a full blown cold and has me still sniffling, sneezing, and coughing. In an effort not to fall behind in the Disney Challenge, I've decided to skip The Lion King and simply come back to it at the end of this challenge. I've also decided to keep today's mani for Tangled very simple.

Like I said, I kept today's nails very simple. One of my favorite parts of the Tangled movie was when Rapunzel finally saw the lanterns in person. The absolute awe and amazement on her face is priceless. So I tried to recreate what she saw. I used Revlon Enchanted, Rimmel I Lilac You, Petites Color Fever Periwinkle and China Glaze First Mate for the night sky background. Then I used a very small piece of sponge to dab on some of the flakies from Essie Shine of the Times. I think these flakies create the perfect lanterns!!

For those of you who haven't seen the movie, this is the scene I attempted to recreate. :)

Up next in the Disney Challenge: 101 Dalmatians! I already have this one sketched up. :)

Up next on the blog is another mani for the Time Periods Challenge. This one Imperial China. I'm stumped on this one. :(

Goodbye April. Hello May!

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Time Periods Challenge: Ancient Greece

Ever feel like there is so much to do and not enough time to do it? I feel like that a lot lately. It's the reason for all the late night posts. I just can't seem to get ahead, but I am really grateful not to be behind! I would feel 100 times worse if I was behind. So, today's post is another Time Periods Challenge mani. We're on Ancient Greece now.

I decided on a Greek wave mosaic. Like the Greek fret, the ocean-like wave pattern was very common. Another common feature in Ancient Greek art was the pebble mosaics. It was something the Greeks pretty much perfected.

I used a base of Revlon Waterfall and then created the waves with Sephora by OPI Read My Palm. Once the waves were completed I started layering blue/green sequins over them, using clear polish to attach them when my base color dried. This is a design that will take a while as each sequin has to be added one at a time so that they touch or even overlap a little.

With thing heating up around here there are a few things I forgot.

Things I forgot over winter:

• The heat causes my polish to bubble as it dries
• The heat slows dry time, meaning I can't get away with rushing to add a second coat.
• A fan too close while I'm doing my nails causes the polish to dry out quickly on the brush turning it thick and tacky.
• The heat sometimes causes my fingers to swell, which means I'm not as dexterous as I need to be for both painting my nails and for taking pictures ... especially for taking pictures.

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Pastel Gradient with Born Pretty Store Studs

Hello again! Gradients seem to be the thing for me lately. I think it's the coming of Spring and Summer; I'm just preparing! So I dug out the most pastel colors I own for a pretty and feminine spring gradient � a little early, but it would be perfect for Easter.

Those most pastel colors I own just happened to be Sally Hansen Pink Blink, Petites Color Fever Creme Blue, and Revlon Enchanting. I decided to try a makeup sponge with this gradient instead of my usual eyeshadow applicator. I like the smooth fade between colors, but I didn't like the extra work it took to get the colors built up. I also thought it was beyond time to break out my Born Pretty Store gold metal studs. I received these by mistake with an old order and they were nice enough to let me keep them while also shipping out the ones I did order. It's been too long since I played with these studs. ;)

I'm thinking it's also been too long since I ordered anything from the Born Pretty Store. I forgot how awesome their nail decorations are! And they've come out with so much more since my last order. I'm dying for the hearts ... and the squares ... and the stars ... and ... well, I think you get the idea! I'll definitely be ordering something. 

You can use the code MLE10W21 at checkout for 10% off your order if you decide to purchase something from the Born Pretty Store too!

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Revlon Nearly Naked foundation review

This doesn't sound great, but i love foundation. Now you've probably got an image of my with a full face of make up a la Jodie Marsh. It's not like that, promise! The effortless no make up look is my favourite and I love the way the right foundation can completely transform the way you look. Make up applied so skilfully that it looks like your wearing nothing - that's genius. So when i hear Revlon are launching a new foundation called Nearly Naked, naturally i'm intrigued. I've been testing out this foundation all week so lets get down to beauty business.

I opted for the shade 'Shell' which is one of the lighter colours with a yellow undertone. Revlon have ten different shades in this collection so hopefully something to suit most skintones.


I do like the look of this product, i always prefer when foundations come in glass bottles. The only thing that really niggles me about the packaging is the fact there is no pump, what are you playing at Revlon? It's always a challenge in the morning to pour out the exact amount on the back of my hand & things can get messy.

On my first application i used my fingers so i could feel how it went on. It has a very thin, almost gel texture which melts into the skin and blends nicely. The coverage is light-medium. It doesn't cover spots or dark circles so I think this foundation will be best for those good skin days. The finish looks very natural, once applied it looks dewy but soon dries to a semi-matte finish. I have normal/combination skin and i didn't need to use a powder to set it. Below i've compared the shade with my Revlon Colourstay. Both shades are very similar but i would say 'Buff' is slightly lighter than 'Shell'. Both are very good matches for us pale ladies.

Overall, I like this foundation but I'm going to save it for the summer months when i want a lighter coverage. This will be great for people who don't like the feeling of wearing foundation or want to achieve a natural look. I actually prefer Nearly Naked to other foundations i have been trying lately like Maybelliene Fit Me and L'oreal Lumi Magique. For now i'm sticking with Colourstay but i think Revlon have created another great foundation.

Revlon Nearly Naked retails for �8.99 and is available for Boots and Superdrug.

What are your thoughts on Nearly Naked, let me know if you have any questions! :) x

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Feeling Girly With Revlon

In my continuing attempt to be unique this Valentine's Day I decided to dig out my recent Revlon purchase. I've used the new Revlon Enchanting a few times, but I never got around to using their new glitter I was so excited about. So here is a shot of Girly over Enchanting.

I'm really fond of this combo. Girly is a light purple/pink sheer base with purple, light pink, and fuchsia glitter. There are also some small holographic pink and purple glitter tossed into the mix. Overall, it really does make for a soft and girly mani.

What wasn't girly was my hair yesterday. Some of you will remember my adoration of The Freckled Fox's Posh Faux Hawk in my Blogs to Love Friday #1 post. Well, I went and did it! I am nowhere near an expert at doing my hair. Usually it's either straight and down, up in a ponytail, or curled in the off chance I'm not feeling lazy. Like I said, I'm no expert. Far from it. But I don't think I did too bad for my first try. I dressed in the cute striped top you see with some black skinny jeans and gray heeled cowboy boots; I love how this new hairstyle added some edge to the outfit. I will definitely be trying this again.

I also took a picture once I took my hair down. I felt like a true child of the 80s. :)

Here's hoping Valentine's Day comes soon because I am running out of unique V-Day mani ideas. You should want Valentine's Day to be over too because I have some really awesome St. Patrick's Day polishes that will be for sale in my Etsy Shop next week. I will be posting swatches after V-Day. If you can't wait, you can get a preview (and help name one of them) on my Facebook Page.

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I Give You My Hearts

Continuing with the Valentine's Day theme, the mani I bring you today is another of my attempts to use colors other than the standard red, white, and pink ... though I do seem to be using a lot of pink with my recent manis. :)

When I first started with Sally Hansen Pink Blink and Revlon Enchanting, I was told this looked like an Easter mani. I lost some of my confidence at that, but I rallied and finished this mani as I had planned: with a line of hearts down the middle of each nail using the opposite color. Personally, I think it turned out really well for trying something slightly nontraditional!

If you're not comfortable using colors other than red, white and pink for Valentine's Day, this mani will work just as great with any combination of those colors! You could even use them all if you want, using pink and red on opposite nails and finishing with white hearts or use pink and white on your nails with red hearts. Maybe even spice it up with your own color combo! Be traditional or be daring, but whatever you choose: have fun!

A bit of real life news: I entered my adorable pup, Shiloh, in the World Spay Day 2013 Pet Pageant. The pageant runs until March 15th, and you can vote once per day in each category. I would love it if you would give Shiloh's entry a look and give her a vote if you think she deserves one. It will ask you to login or create an account to vote. If you click 'create an account to vote' you can then select to vote with Facebook. Thanks!!

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Candy Coated Collection � Lollipop Princess

The only polish from this collection inspired by a character and not a location. Lollipop Princess was inspired by Princess Lolly, resident of the Lollipop Woods and princess of Candyland.

Update: This polish and the rest of the collection are now up for sale in my Etsy shop.

  

Lollipop Princess has pink, purple, and yellow hex glitters. And, since every princess needs some bling, small purple holo glitters.

I'm going to have to try to get some better pictures. The colors are slightly off in this close-up and in the bottle picture.

Lollipop Princess over Wet n Wild I Need A Refresh-Mint.

In an effort to really showcase the holographic glitter I layered one coat of Lollipop Princess over Revlon Enchanting with a black accent nail. I think I caught the holo at just the right angle and light to make it flare. Mostly I caught the bright blue flares but it also turns a white/purple and a bright pink. You can see one small flash of pink on my pinky nail.

I have been dying to see this glitter matte since I first mixed it up so I decided to add a layer of NYC Matte Me Crazy. Wow! I don't ever want to take this off!!!

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S is for ...

I was really inspired this weekend; I've really missed doing nail art! This is actually a design I sketched up and then realized that it worked perfectly for S in the ABC Challenge.

S is for ... Spring Scene.

You should be expecting this by now, but I used my eyeshadow applicators and Revlon Garden and Sinful Colors Exotic Green to create a leafy texture as a base. The white picket fence came next, hand drawn with a nail art brush, and the flowers were started with a dotting tool and finished with a nail art brush.

With recent temperatures reaching into the single digits, I'm really longing for some flowers!

Be on the lookout tonight for another ABC Challenge mani as I finally get caught up. :)

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Rite Aid Haul

I was very lucky to visit Rite Aid yesterday as I was told they were switching out their stock, trading old polishes for new ones. The old stock took a huge drop in price and were placed in a clearance bin! I seriously cannot resist a sale, and I grabbed nearly every polish I could get my hands on.

Here is my complete haul. On top of the sale polishes I grabbed four others.

Here are all the clearance polishes.

First up are the polishes I paid full price for. In the center is Sally Hansen Breezy Blue and Pink Blink. On the ends are Revlon Girly and Enchanting.

Girly and Enchanting are new shades from Revlon. I vow to buy more of these new shades because they are so, so pretty. I chose Girly first because I'm a sucker for glitter, especially glitter suspended in a pinky purple-ish base. Being a fairly sheer base though I knew this glitter would need some undies. That's why I picked up Enchanting and Pink Blink. I think Girly will look gorgeous over both!!

Seriously, look at that glitter!! How can you possibly resist??

The first things I found in the clearance bin were $0.74 Color Fever petites in their rounded bottles. I had color fever and picked out all of these! Peach Blush, Periwinkle, Creme Blue, and Vintage Gray.

I also picked out the three square bottles of Color Fever. These ones in Potion, Seashell, and Raspberry Ice. I'm loving Raspberry Ice in the bottle, but am unsure just how great it will look on my nails.

I found two CQ next. I removed the original $3.99 price tags since they covered the front of the bottle. Silver Taupe looks a good deal lighter in person and seems to be an actual shade of taupe when not placed next to such a light color as Pearls.

Last but not least are these three Scherer Chameleon polishes in Tiny Dancer, Fandango, and Mist. They are all so very, very pretty!!

What do you think of my haul? I think I'm going to need a bin for all my untried polishes soon. The list just keeps getting longer.

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