Ipsy April Bag

I am a little late with Ipsy's April bag... I am really sorry about that! I received my bag on the 15th, so I have had a lot of time to play around with all of the products. The theme of the April bag is "Beauty Rocks!" I LOVE the theme, but disappointed in the bag itself. I think that the concept was good, but the end result came off as being kid-like. When it came to the products, this was another bag that I was very happy with all of the products!

Urban Decay - 24/7 Velvet Glide-On Eye Pencil
All subscribers received the Urban Decay 24/7 liner... thank goodness because Urban Decay is one of my favorite brands. This was the product that I was looking forward to the most and I was not disappointed! We received the liner in the color Black Velvet and it is one of the blackest and darkest liners that I own... and I love black liners! The 24/7 Velvet Pencil glides on and is very smooth and precise. I also love that even though you can blend it, it dries up to become water proof. I will definitely buy this eye pencil again when I use it up.

Coastal Scents - Eye Shadow Brush
Okay, when I checked my Glam Room and saw that I was getting the Coastal Scents Eye Shadow Brush in Medium I was a little disappointed. This is because I already received this same brush (yes, same brand and the same size) in another Ipsy bag. But then I thought to myself that I use this brush every day and I love it. You can never have too many brushes! The bristles on the brush are soft, not stiff, and collect the right amount of shadow each time. This is a great brush from Coastal Scents and I completely recommend it.

Elizabeth Mott - pop! Goes the Shadow
I love, love, love the eye shadow from Elizabeth Mott! The description to the shadow says that it is creamy, which I do not agree with... but it is still a great product. I really like this shadow because the color is gorgeous (Champagne), it is easy to use (it builds up and blends easily), and it is creaseless. This is an overall great product and looks great on a date night.

dr. brandt - Microdermabrasion Skin Exfoliant
The Microdermabrasion Skin Exfoliant has a great lemony scent and left my skin very soft and smooth. This product is supposed to diminish the appearance of fine lines, acne marks, and skin discoloration. I like this skin exfoliant, what I don't like is the $78 price tag that comes with the full size. I feel that even though I really liked the product, there are alternatives out there that work just as well at a better price. With that said, I am happy that I received this dr. brandt product to try out.

Starlooks - Luscious Longwear Lip Pencil
Those of us that received this longwear lip pencil received it in the color Naked. I was scared when I saw the color... I was afraid that it would wash out my face. When I swatched the lip liner, I was very impressed, it applied very nicely and smoothly and the color had a hint of pink. I have to say that when I applied it to my lips the first time, the top broke off! I did not expect that, but I just sharpened it and I make sure to have my lip moisturizer on before I apply the lip pencil. The color looks FANTASTIC on! I like to fill my lips with this Starlooks liner and apply a clear or light pink gloss on top for beautiful lips.

Overall this was a great bag. I will give it a 4.5 out of 5. I did not give it a 5 because of the dr. brandt exfoliant. Even though the exfoliant is nice... I cannot wrap my head around why it costs $78 and I personally would not pay that for it. Since this is not a product that I cannot live without, I will not pay the hefty price for it. As I mentioned before, there are other brands that have a similar product with a better price tag. Other than that... I really liked all of the products.

Well lovelies, I hope that you enjoyed this post.

Until next time.

If you would like to join Ipsy... here is my link: http://www.ipsy.com/r/12a3.

xoxo

Qttie1

Ulta's 21 Days of Beauty

I think that I was very good when it came to Ulta's 21 Days of Beauty. The deals were amazing and I could have gone absolutely crazy with all of the great products! I must have looked at the ad 5 or more times, per day (yes, I was that obsessed with their deals). By the 3rd day, I narrowed it down to 3 products that I HAD to buy.

Too Faced - Sweethearts Perfect Flush Blush
I have been wanting this blush since it came out. The blush went on sale on a Friday and of course I had to work... so my hubby did me the biggest favor and showed up to Ulta when they opened and bought it for me (isn't he the best?)! The Sweethearts Flush Blush has shimmery specs in the 3 different pinks that make up the blush. The name suits it perfectly, it give you the perfect flushed look... great for spring and summer. Retail value of the blush is $30, Ulta special was $15.

Smashbox - Photo Finish Foundation Primer
You know how I feel about primers... but I love Smashbox (they did my makeup for my wedding) and I do like this primer. I actually see a difference in my makeup when I use it. It looks and feels like gel (a little sticky), but it leaves the skin feeling soft and smooth once it has settled. Anything that helps your makeup last longer without touch-ups is a great buy! Retail value for the primer is $36, Ulta special was $18.

Benefit - Show Stoppin' Steal
Benefit is one of those amazing brands that I absolutely LOVE every product that I have ever tried! This was definitely a "Show Stoppin' Steal." The kit brought 3 wonderful products: a lipgloss, lipstick, and an eyeshadow. The value of the kit is $54, Ulta special was $18.

     Ultra Shines Lip Shine in Wild Child - This lipgloss is definitely glossy and shiny and in a beautiful pink (you know I love pink). For some reason it reminds me of orchids.

     Full Finish Lipstick in Lady's Choice - The lipstick is a nude-ish pink and goes on very creamy. It looks absolutely beautiful on and lasted pretty long without reapplying.

     Velvet Eyeshadow in Dandy Brandy - This eyeshadow is a brown/bronze color and is highly pigmented. Yes, it feels very velvety and looks gorgeous on. I wore it on Saturday for a smokey a eye.

bareMinerals - 6 Piece Starter Kit
I was not planning to buy this, but I got an e-mail from Ulta while waiting for the store doors to open (yes, I got there 15 minutes before opening). This is another brand that I have heard great things about, but have never tried. I took a makeup class last year and the teacher raved about this brand and how good mineral foundation is. This 6 Piece Starter Kit is perfect for travel or vacation. I bought this in Medium Beige and it includes a foundation, matte foundation, concealer, mineral veil, a foundation brush, and a concealer brush. This deal was amazing because I could try the products at a very reasonable price before I purchase the full size. The retail value for this kit is $20, Ulta special was $10.

I spent a total of $61 for products valued at $140! I am excited with everything that I purchased and love all of the products. I cant wait for the next 21 Days of Beauty (I need to start saving now).

Did you get any deals? What was your favorite purchase? Did you try out any new brands?

xoxo
Qttie1

Tarte Colored Clay 7 Piece Collection from QVC

About this time last year I went to Sephora to ask about the Tarte BB cream that I was reading about in beauty blogs. It just happened to be that they had a Tarte makeup artist doing makeovers (the mall had a lot of different events going on, including an appearance by Dr. Oz). The artist was amazing and I fell in love with the brand. So imagine my surprise when I was lying sick on the sofa and switching channels and found that QVC had a Tarte special! I had been wanting to get their CC foundation since the makeup artist used it on me and try their CC primer since I saw it in the store and this Colored Clay Collection included both products. After about 20 minutes of contemplating whether I should purchase it, I decided that I couldn't pass it up. Also, the hubby telling me to get it made my decision that much easier! Plus... they were offering a payment plan (3 easy payments), who could say no?

Here is what the Colored Clay 7 Piece Collection includes:

CC Primer

The CC Primer is a color corrective primer stick. The purple counteracts with the dullness in the skin and the green counteracts with the redness in the skin. It is very easy to apply and you can blend it easily with either a brush or your fingers. You can see the difference in you skin immediately. The retail value of the CC Primer is $34.00.

CC Liquid Foundation

This full coverage CC foundation has SPF 15 (perfect for the Florida sun) and is extremely light weight. I love it because not only does it fell like I am NOT wearing foundation, but it leaves my skin feeling super soft. I got this in the shade medium and it is absolutely perfect. A little goes a long way with this foundation, so don't put too much on the brush. The retail value of the CC Foundation is $39.00.

Bamboo Brush

The collection brings a bamboo foundation brush. The bristles are extremely soft and feels great on the skin. The Tarte brushes are of great quality and pick up just enough product. The retail value of the brush is $30.00.

Bronzer Blush

The bronzer blush looks absolutely beautiful on! The blush works well with all skin tones and again... a little goes a long way. I used the blush lightly on Saturday for a sun kissed look. The retail value for the bronzer blush is $27.00.

Lipsurgence Lipgloss

This Lipsurgence lipgloss came in the color True Love, which is a beautiful raspberry shade. The lipgloss felt thick when I swatched it on my hand, but felt nice on the lips. It is very build-able, sparkly, and glossy. The retail value is $19.00.

Colored Clay Eyeliner

The colored clay eyeliner came in your classic black (can you ever have enough black eyeliners?). The eyeliner goes on smooth and dark... absolutely gorgeous! The only issue I came across is that it didn't last too long on my water line and it smudged after some time. The retail value is $19.00.

Lights, Camera, Lashes Mascara

The mascara included in the collection is Tarte's best selling Lights, Camera, Lashes in black. This is a great volumizing mascara that made my lashes look amazing! I have heard great things about this mascara and can't believe that it has taken me this long to try it! This has definitely become one of my favorite mascaras! The retail value for Lights, Camera, Lashes is $19.00.

Makeup Bag

The makeup bag is pink (I love pink!) and extremely big! It holds everything in this collection and a whole lot more! It will definitely come in handy for vacation time. The retail value for this bag is $15.00.

In total, Tarte's Colored Clay 7 Piece Collection (8 including the bag) is worth $202.00, but QVC's special price was $65.96! The 3 easy payments made the deal even more incredible. Every product included is of great quality and worth every penny. This has become one of my favorite purchases. So, go out there and get some Tarte products and let me know what you think! If you already own a Tarte product, what is your favorite product? What do you think I should try out?

xoxo

Qttie1

Hello

Hello Lovelies.
I wanted to do a short post on what I will be working on this weekend and a few things that I am looking forward to in the next week. This weekend I will be working on posts for my April Julep Maven box (the colors are fun, bright, and gorgeous), my Tarte order from QVC, and my purchases from Ulta's 21 Days of Beauty! Let me tell you that the Ulta deals were amazing, but you had to act quick!

A few things that I am looking forward to (in order of when they will be happening):

1. Tomorrow the Ipsy Glam Rooms will open! So far I am loving all of the products from the sneak peeks (come on Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliner). Plus, I did a surprise subscription for my mother and she is finally off of the waitlist. I can't wait to see her expression when she gets her first bag.
2. 3 day weekend!
3. The hubby and I will be going to the Barrett Jackson Car Auction/Show on Friday.  Last year we had a blast, so I can't wait! Me and my classic cars.... :o)
4. Writing my blog posts... of course!
5. The hubby and I are planning to go watch Captain America: The Winter Soldier in 3D on Saturday (after his jam session).  Chris Evans and Sebastian Stan... need I say more?  Actually, I have always been a Marvel Comics fan, so they're the icing on the cake!
6. Starting next week I will be taking a Photoshop class at the local high school, which should be a lot of fun.

Last but not least, I wanted to mention that I received an invitation to attend the premier of Draft Day at a local movie theater. I took my dad with me because I thought that he would enjoy this football movie. The movie stars Kevin Costner and Jennifer Garner (there are a lot of other big actors) and it is absolutely fantastic! I am not a big fan of movies that are too dramatic, romantic, or depressing. I don't like most "chick flicks."  This movie had it all, most people laughed, cried, cheered, booed, and at the end clapped. You have love, pain, happiness, etc. Yes, the movie is about the NFL Draft, but you don't have to be a football fan to appreciate it. For me, it reminded me of when my co-worker's son got drafted by the Baltimore Ravens (yes, he played with them when they won the Super Bowl). The players and families go through a lot of emotion and this film shows it. Plus it shows how easily decisions can be changed and made. Draft Day is a definite must see. 

If you want to know more about the movie, click here... Draft Day.

                                              

And now... my countdown begins!  Have a great day!

xoxo

Qttie1