Beautiful Lagoon

A site about feeling beautiful

My Glam Classic Crease Brush and Case Review March 31, 2012

Filed under: General — slagoon @ 6:43 am
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During March, MyGlam’s bag contained a single eyeshadow crease/blender with a neat faux leather case.  Some complained about the smell, but to me it went away after one day out in the open.  The brush is fairly nice, I’ve used it for blending a few times and it is soft and pleasant.  The hairs are not coarse. I like the details that the company put with the MyGlam embossed in the case and the silver painted name.

The brush head is full but not too full.

 I know there are a lot of companies that will create custom brushes for companies, but I think this might have been a crown brush because when I compared the head to the blender brush they had on Hautelook the other day they looked nearly identical.  Its just a guess though.  My value estimate is based on that guess as well.
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Will I buy it again? Since they don’t really sell the brushes through MyGlam
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Will I finish the sample? Again it doesn’t really pertain to this, but I have already added the brush to my daily arsenal.
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Sample Size Value $8.00

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FTC Disclaimer: Not affiliated with nor compensated by MyGlam or any of the brands included in the bag. Items purchased by me for my own personal use. For more information please review my disclosure policy.
 

Tarte LipSurgence matte lip tint review March 30, 2012

Filed under: Makup,Review — slagoon @ 7:25 pm
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Today I bring you Tarte LipSurgence matte lip tint in “lucky”.  This is a bubblegum pink color.  I was super impressed that this was a full sized item in my birchbox.  I was also impressed to find a taste item in my box. I really do like my tarte cosmetics.  I’m not much on matte lipsticks but I figured I’d give it a try.

So how does it perform? The matte highlights every single imperfection of my lips, but it is not as bad as some of them.  The color lasts for a good 3-4 hours if I don’t eat anything or drink anything.

For what it is, I think its pretty good – but it is not the product for me. I will use it but not super frequently and when I do it will get some sort of gloss over it.

Before                                                                                          After

 

Sample Size 0.08 oz
Full Size 0.08 oz
Full Size Price $24.00
Sample Value $24.00

Will I buy it again? Probably not, I’m not huge on matte stuff

Will I finish the sample? I’ll use it as long as it makes sense.

FTC Disclaimer: Not affiliated with nor compensated by Birchbox or any of the brands included in the box. Items purchased by me for my own personal use. For more information please review my disclosure policy.

 

Indie Lee the Daily Moisturizing Oil in Vanilla Citrus Review March 29, 2012

Filed under: Review,Skincare — slagoon @ 7:49 am
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Today I bring you Indie Lee the Daily Moisturizing Oil in Vanilla Citrus. This oil is really nice light oil. It smells like lemons and vanilla ice cream.  The oil is nearly instantly absorbed into the skin.

I’ve never used a moisturizing oil before  and I wasn’t sure I was using it right. It seems everyone who sells moisturizing oils expects people to already know how to use a moisturizing oil! Geesh! Finally after 6 pages of googling I found one site that explained how to use it – since oil is a better sealant than moisturizer it is suggested that you use these sorts of oils while the skin is moist (like right after a shower) or after you use a light moisturizer, that way it seals in moisture.

My skin is a true combination – my noise and lower forehead are oily, my cheeks are normal, and  under my lips, around my nostrils, and between my eyebrows are dry!  From what I’ve read these moisturizing oils are really only good for dry/damaged skin.

I’m not sure about other moisturizing oils but this one worked just fine on my skin even though its not primarily dry or damaged. My skin felt good, radiant even.  I don’t know if this is something I’d actually purchase regularly, but for the occasional use it is pretty great.

Will I buy it again? Maybe, but it will not be an addition to my daily regimen.

Will I finish the sample? Absolutely!

Here’s the breakdown:

Sample Size: 0.25 oz
Full Size: 4 oz
Full Size Price:  $28.00
Sample Value: $1.75

FTC Disclaimer: Not affiliated with nor compensated by Beauty Army or any of the brands included in the kit. Items purchased by me for my own personal use. For more information please review my disclosure policy.

 

stila Smoky Eye Shadow and Kate Spade New York Twirl March 28, 2012

Filed under: Makup — slagoon @ 4:15 pm
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Today I bring you my two biggest disappointments of my March Birchboxes.

In the Teen Vogue Birchbox I received Kate Spade New York Twirl which is a fragrance I have received previously on my other account.  I did not like it then and I still do not now.   I know that it has some initial fruity scents but after it lingers all I smell from it is musk…which I do not like.  As I’ve mentioned before I do think that Birchbox would do well to ask us about our fragrance preferences..I have consistently disliked the fragrances they have chosen for me. Oh well, the rest of the samples usually prove delightful so I won’t complain too much.

In the standard Birchbox I received still Smoky Eye Shadow sample.  This was a disappointment because it was a cardboard sheet with one use of shadow to it. These are the sorts of samples I have received from Sephora in the “3 free samples with order” or from the companies themselves.  It is strictly one use and if you mess up you don’t have enough to redo the sample. I’d much rather get a  itty bitty pan where I have a chance to use it 3 or 4 times and play with it  I don’t expect full size products in a sample box, but I do what samples I can actually try.

Now luckily, I am familiar with still and the longevity of their shadows and the normal texture, so I can vouch that these are nice eyeshadows. The First color is Kitten, which is their version of Urban Decay’s Sin but with a little more of a shimmer – I already have a full size of this one that I purchased a few months ago.  Then is an olive green/gray/taupe shimmer called Diamond lil.  From what I can tell it is a nice color that would be a perfect transition between Kitten and ebony (the black color. Ebony is a matte black. I personally prefer the texture of Urban Decay’s Blackout but this one is not bad, and again it is fairly hard to tell from the tiny sample; it might be better in a pan.  I think this look would be nice and glamorous and easy to go from day to night by just adding a little more black.

Would I buy it again? Twirl – no, Stila – probably but not because of this sample but because I know and like the brand.

Will I finish the sample? Twirl – I already discarded it, Stila – I nearly finished the sample with just swatching it. so there isn’t enough left to do a look with.

Sample Breakdown:

kate spade new york Twirl
Sample Size 0.05 oz
Full Size 3.4 oz
Full Size Price $80.00
Sample Value $1.17

stila Smoky Eye Shadow
Sample Size 0.005 oz (maybe less)
Full Size 0.9 oz
Full Size Price $45.00
Sample Value $0.25

 

3Lab Perfect Cleansing Foam Review March 27, 2012

Filed under: Review,Skincare — slagoon @ 4:01 am
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Today I bring you 3Lab Perfect Cleansing Foam from March’s MyGlam Bag. This cleanser is supposed to perform a number of functions: clean, stimulate circulation, purifies, and moisturizes.

Know what? It actually does all of that.  Increadibly, after using this cleanser my skin felt great, I even felt like I didn’t need to put on moisturizer, but my skin did not feel oily (of course I put on moisturizer anyway).

This cream, when it hits air, instantly seems to create a sort-of-foam.  It stays mostly as a cream, but it ends up getting a porous texture. I think the photo sort of shows that…

It also has these really neat little beads (which you can see in the final photo – they are the little orange dots) in it that are made of vitamin E (according to 3Lab) that sort of POP when you rub them into your face.  I think those are likely my favorite part of the whole experience. 

Sample Size 3.4 oz
Full Size 3.4 oz
Full Size Price $50.00
Sample Value $50.00

Would I buy it again? Quite likely – its really neat and it seems to do a good job – but I’m going to use up what I’ve got first!

Will I finish the sample? Absolutely

FTC Disclaimer: Not affiliated with nor compensated by MyGlam or any of the brands included in the bag. Items purchased by me for my own personal use. For more information please review my disclosure policy.

 

Essie Luxeffects – Set in Stones and Color Club Neon Nail Polish – Lava Lamp March 26, 2012

Filed under: Makup — slagoon @ 6:47 am
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Today I bring you two nail polishes I received from my two March Birchboxes, First the Essie Luxeffects in Set in Stones and Color Club in Lava Lamp. 

I’ve owned a number of Essie polishes before, but never a glitter.  This one was really nice – it is pretty much opaque with 3 coats, which I can’t get with most glitters.  The color is all different sized silver hex glitters in a clear base.

Next I bring you Color Club’s Lava Lamp – it is BRIGHT orange – love it.  The cream is nice and applies evenly. In 2 coats I had full opacity. This is my first ever color club polish, and I now understand what all the hype is about.  I cannot wait to wear it in real life instead of just on my practice wheel.  As soon as my ASK challenge is over *sigh*

Finally I decided it would be neat to put the two together.  I love it. What do you think?

essie® Luxeffects Nail Polish – Set in Stones
Sample Size 0.5 oz
Full Size 0.5 oz
Full Size Price $8.00
Sample Value $8.00

Color Club Neon Nail Polish – Lava Lamp
Sample Size 0.25
Full Size 0.5 oz
Full Size Price $8.00
Sample Value $4.00

Will I buy each again? I will continue to keep purchasing Essie, and I will now be on a lookout for Color Club.

Will I finish my samples? YES!!!

FTC Disclaimer: Not affiliated with nor compensated by Birchbox or any of the brands included in the box. Items purchased by me for my own personal use. For more information please review my disclosure policy.

 

Babor Anti-Stress Jetlag Cream – Review March 25, 2012

Filed under: Review,Skincare — slagoon @ 5:11 am
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Today I bring you Babor Anti-Stress Jetlag Cream, another item from my March Beauty Army Kit. This item seemed pretty luxurious. This cream is intended to help reinvigorate skin, moisturize, and keep the body’s biorhythms in sync.

This white thick cream has very little scent – which I appreciate in a face cream – and the little bit of scent is quite plesant. While the cream is thick it spreads easily and evenly. A little truly does go a long way.

I find it refreshing compared to my normal moisturizer, but I honestly don’t see any other real benefits from it. It is nice but it is quite expensive.  Here is the breakdown:
Sample Size: 0.5 oz
Full Size: 1.7 oz
Full Size Price:  $72.00
Sample Value: $21.17

Would I buy it again? Probably not – its really expensive and I don’t see double the benefit of what I’m currently using.

Will I finish the sample? Yes – it is quite nice.

FTC Disclaimer: Not affiliated with nor compensated by Beauty Army or any of the brands included in the kit. Items purchased by me for my own personal use. For more information please review my disclosure policy.

 

Oscar de la Renta Esprit d’Oscar Eau de Parfum Deluxe Rollar Ball March 24, 2012

Filed under: General — slagoon @ 3:44 am
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Today I bring you the Oscar de la Renta Esprit d’Oscar Eau de Parfum Deluxe Rollar Ball from March’s Sample Society Box. Normal perfume samples seem to be about 0.05 oz in either a tiny atomizer or one of the ones with the cap you pull off and wipe against your skin.  Not Sample Society – they provide a wonderfully sized roller ball.  I really appreciate having a nice sized sample, especially of perfume since I tend to make the bottles explode when I have to pull the caps off.

So, what about the scent? It is a citrus and floral scent – to me it reminds me of Pure Poison, but a bit stronger in the acidic citrus part.  For me it is not a scent I like.

I had a friend over the day I had tested this and asked her – and she LOVED it.  The fragrance has happily found a new  home.

Sample Size: 0.1 oz
Full Size:  1.6 oz
Full Size Price: $76.00
Sample Value: $4.75

Would I buy it again? No
Will I finish the sample? No, buy my friend will!

Again, I really have to say “hats off” to beauty bar and their sample society – I hate perfume samples, but at least this one would have been useful had I liked the scent.

  

FTC Disclaimer: Not affiliated with nor compensated by Beauty Bar Sample Society. Items purchased by me for my own personal use. For more information please review mydisclosure policy.

 

Grandma Stelle’s Hand Wash March 23, 2012

Filed under: Skincare — slagoon @ 4:11 am
Tags: ,

From March’s standard Birchbox I bring you Grandma Stelle’s Hand Wash. It is  a green gel that has a similar texture to nearly any other hand soap out there – think softsoap. This smells kind of neat, like minty apple – and it cleans fairly well too.  I don’t think it is far superior to a generic hand soap that you can purchase at any grocery store, but it is nice and does its job.  If you particularly like the scent of it, then it might be worth getting the soap.  For me, it is not enough of an improvement over my normal soap to make me interested in spending $20.00 on it.

Sample Size 2.0 oz
Full Size 13.5 oz
Full Size Price $20.00
Sample Value $2.96

  

FTC Disclaimer: Not affiliated with nor compensated by Birchbox or any of the brands included in the box. Items purchased by me for my own personal use. For more information please review my disclosure policy.

 

Hunger Games Nail Polish – Capitol Colors by China Glaze

Filed under: Makup — slagoon @ 12:01 am
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Yay – Hunger Games comes out right now! So in honor of what I am certain will be an awesome movie, I will show you my swatches of my new China Glaze Capitol Colors.  Yes, I know, there a bazillion reviews of these colors – but I still wanted to share.  Unfortunately because I am taking part in the Ask Nail Challenge, I really can’t put them on my nails – but I can show you them on practice circles! yay.

Click the break to see more!

(more…)

 

 
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