DAISO!!!!!!!

     For as long as I can remember, I have loved variety stores. Dollar stores, local pharmacies, gift shops, etc. They're just amazing for finding things you wouldn't expect for cheap. Plus, little know fact, an independent pharmacy can order almost anything skin related,(not high end obviously) and have it to you in about a day. So if there's a particular product you like and can't find it, give 'em a call! You never know. Anyway, I went to Seattle a few weeks ago and got to visit one of my favorite little shops, DAISO. Daiso is a Japanese "dollar" store where most items retail for only $1.50 or $2. I actually went to two different ones since there are none in the state where I live. I found all kinds of unique goodies and couldn't resist taking a bunch home!!

Stocking Stuffer and Beauty Gift Ideas!

     It's getting to be that time of year again!! The holidays are upon us and Christmas will be here before you know it!!  Soon the question on everyone's mind will be, What do I get so-and-so? I go through this every year and it helps to get ideas from other places so I thought I'd put together a fun little list of beauty items and stocking stuffers for the makeup lover on your list! My family is not big on expensive gifts so most of these items are fun and won't break the bank.

Major Mascara Review!

 

      Whew!! I got a little carried away with this post. I was only going to review two new mascaras that I spotted at Fred Meyer the other day and of course, had to try, but I also wanted to show you two that I wear often as well. So I did four. You're welcome. The two I bought were Maybelline's Lash Sensational and from their Great Lash line, Real Impact.  I had recently read some posts about a new mascara that was out and I thought it was the Lash Sensational, but it was only after purchasing that I remembered the new one is by Covergirl and is called Lash Bloom, not Lash Sensational. Oh well. I'll just have to try it too! The two favorites that I've been using lately are Ulta's Twisted Volume and Revlon's Lash Potion. Read on for more info and swatches! ;) All the photos below show the mascara on the left and my natural lashes on the right. All mascaras were swatched with two coats and the shades are all Blackest Black, except for the Ulta mascara which is Jet Black.

Aeveka Skincare Repairing Micro Facial Scrub Review

     A few weeks ago I won a bottle of Aeveka Repairing Micro facial scrub from one of my favorite bloggers, Macarons and Mischief . I was so excited!!! I rarely win things, and I remember thinking how perfect this product was for me when I entered, so it was an extra special treat.

November Ipsy Glam Bag Review

     It's that time again!! The November Ipsy Bag is here, yay!! *cue applause* My bag arrived extra early this month but due to some time constraints and some health issues, I wasn't able to review it until now. Read on for my thoughts!

Maybelline The Nudes Palette Review

   

     First off, let me say, Happy Veteran's Day! Thank you to those of you who have served and protected this country. The freedoms we have did not come free, they were dearly won by those who have gone before us and are protected now by those who currently serve. Veteran's Day is in honor of those who served our country in war and I hope we never forget that. Regardless of your political opinion, I hope we can all take a moment today to remember those in service to our country.


On to the review!

     I'm admittedly a little late getting on board with this one. Do you ever see something and get really excited about it but when someone says something negative it changes your mind? You wait for months before you try it yourself and then kick yourself for not getting it sooner. No? Oh, just me then... This was how it went for Maybelline's "the Nudes" palette. I just bought this palette about 2 weeks ago and after I opened it, I thought to myself, "Why did you wait so long?!?!?!?!" For some reason I got caught up in other people's negtaive or so-so reviews and I didn't think it was worth it. And maybe for $10.99 it wasn't. But for $6 something on sale I'd thought I'd give it a try. Also, some of my favorite eye shadows are a duo called "Browntones" and a trio called "Almond Satin." When I remembered that those colors were all from Maybelline, I was even more excited to try this palette. So read on!!

Giveaway Update

 

      I had a comment tonight from a new Instagram follower who was having trouble getting her entry in, which makes me sad since so many of you have tried to enter! Fortunately, the giveaway does not end until Friday and I've changed a few things to make entry easier and give you all more chances. I suspect that if you use a AdBlock service it was interfering with the pop-ups for the giveaway. Rather than having you fuss with turning that off, I removed the requirement for verification AND opened up the giveaway for once daily entries, rather than just once for the whole contest. I hope this helps!!!

Thank you all for your patience and I hope that everyone gets a chance to re-enter!!

10th post giveaway!

All right you guys, as promised, here is my first giveaway!!  I'm pretty excited to share with you some of my favorite things!

Read on to see more details and how to enter!

BeeFriendly Skin Care Review + a Giveaway!

     Let's start with the fun stuff first!! Since I just realized this is post #11, that means I've reached 10 posts!! And I'm kind of excited about that. I really appreciate everyone who takes the time to read this little blog of mine and I love reading your comments, they are the highlights of my day!! In celebration, I wanted to do a giveaway. Now, considering I just realized I hit 10 posts and had this idea this morning, I haven't decided what to giveaway yet, but I promise you'll love it. The giveaway will go live on Sunday, Nov. 9th around 9am PST and will end on Friday the 14th at 6pm PST. Contest is open to residents of US and Canada.  Look for an update on how to enter and the prize coming soon!! Thank you so much you guys!

Now, on to the review!

Sonia Kashuk Makeup Brush review!

Whew!!  What a crazy week last week was!!  It seems like forever since I posted but I guess it's only really been 8 days...Still soo long, wow!! I usually try to do major post prep over the weekend but this last weekend was just crazy! Having three different activities in addition to the usual responsibilities, plus getting sick is a bit much for this girl. No wonder I'm exhausted. Fortunately, I have something fun to share with you!

A while ago I was perusing for a new face brush. I use mostly liquid foundations and while it is easy to just smear it around with my fingers, it's not very professional and it wasn't giving me the look I wanted. I have the e.l.f. studio powder brush which works pretty well but tends to absorb a lot of product. Enter the wonderful world of Sonia Kashuk!

I had previously purchased the smaller eye shadow brush pictured above, the Pointed Blending Brush #109 from her Core Tools collection. I loved it so when I spotted the Synthetic Buffing Brush I was intrigued. I'll be honest though, I'm kind of a bargain shopper. Unless something is dirt cheap, I won't buy it right off. I like to read reviews and see what other people think of it. And then find a coupon. =) 

This brush retails for 12.99 at Target and I had a coupon for $3 off a $15 beauty purchase, So I basically bought it and got free makeup remover wipes. (I was out.) So it was kind of on sale but not really, ha ha.  But I really wanted to try it! Most reviews i read raved about this brush and claimed it gave them the beautiful finish they were looking for. And I have to agree!!  

     About the brush: The synthetic buffing brush has a dome shaped head with synthetic bristles. It is recommended for use with cream products but I found once I dotted my liquid foundation on, this brush works amazingly to blend it out. In addition, even though I usually have to clean my e.l.f. brush daily when I use it for foundation the Synthetic Buffing brush lasts a good three days or more before I feel like I need to clean it. It absorbs significantly less product than my other one. Win win!.  

     One dilemma I usually have is that it is difficult to use big brushes around my eyes. I have prominent veins in my eyelids and dry skin everywhere so the foundation helps to conceal the veins and prep my eye shadow. I also like to make sure there are no hard edges in my foundation and I don't want to have to change brushes. This doesn't seem like much to ask but my experience with other brushes seems to differ. Often I have to go back and blend with a different brush or try to use the same brush and poke a bristle into my eye. I had no trouble with this brush though! The soft bristles and the dome shape fit perfectly into my eye socket so I was able to blend out under my eyes and around the inner corner around my nose seamlessly. No prickly bristles here!!! 

I have to say, I'm very satisfied with this brush. Maybe I'm not used to using nice tools or this brush really is that good. It does everything I ask it to do and it hasn't shed a bristle yet. It's soft yet dense enough to blend without streaking or picking up too much product. If it came in a travel version with a shorter handle I would totally buy a second one. I may get a second one anyway because it does takes a full day to dry and I want to use it all the time. Or just to use to blend out dry product like blush and powder. For $12.99 its a steal. 

Have you tried Sonia Kashuk products? What are your favorite face brushes? Any others you would recommend?








***Disclaimer: All items mentioned in this or future posts have been purchased by me, at my own expense unless otherwise noted. I am not affiliated with or sponsored by any company or brand so you can be assured my opinions are mine alone. My opinions are based on my own experience and independent research.