BEAUTY STEAL!

Hey babes!
Every year Temptu does a sale for their Pro Member's friends and family! This sale just launched and I am excited to bring my readers (who are also my friends and family) this incredible deal! 25% off all temptu! If you have been wanting to try out a high quality airbrush machine, now is the time! If you are not interested in airbrush products you can still take part! Here are my top three favorite items from Temptu to use without the airbrush gun! (Sale info at the end of this article).


1 - Color True Lipstick
by far my favorite beauty item from temptu for everyday use! These colors are pigmented, long lasting, non drying, and creamy! I am in love with them (which might be why I own every shade!) They come in 12 shades and they are all matte. Temptu also has a killer gloss that can be applied over any lipstick to give it a long lasting shine without any stickiness!  Check them out here! 

2 - S/B Highlighters
I don't love the Temptu foundations unless they are applied with an airbrush gun. However the highlighters are awesome when applied with your fingers or a makeup brush. They last all day, give a healthy glow that doesn't just look sparkly, and a little goes a LONG way. Like one drop will do both cheekbones and your nose and cupid's bow. The duo pictured and that I am linking you to comes with two. One that is a light and bright highlighter (pearl) and the other that will give you a bronzy glow (champagne)! Check this sweet set out here!


3 - Invisible Difference Finishing Powder
This is hands down the best finishing powder I have ever used. It is completely matte, but it is not drying. A lot of dry skinned people can not use finishing powder, but with this one you really can! It will blur lines, wrinkles, large pores and other imperfections to give you are flawless look. It also helps to set your makeup to last all day long! It is a must for every single bride I work on! They have 3 shades Light 1 is completely invisible and great for fair skinned, or caucasians. If you have latin blood in you and a darker complexion than medium 2 is best (it looks pink in the packaging, but it doesn't look pink when applied). And if you are a a dark skinned beauty go with dark 3. All of these shades are VERY light! This powder is translucent so the medium and dark shade are slightly tinted to disappear on even the darkest skin. Check this amazing product out here!

Happy Shopping!

REVIEW: They're Real Push Up Liner

Packaging - 1 (bad)
Effectiveness - 2 (not very good)
Longevity - 5 (excellent)
Wear - 5 (excellent)
Variety - 4 (very good)
Overall:

I have a very love-hate relationship with these eyeliners. First of all we have the packaging. I actually like the outward packaging, but as you can see from the image below and to the right, the idea behind this packaging is that you can just draw on the perfect cat eye, while using a gel liner (as opposed to a liquid felt tip pen). But I feel like it doesn't work the way it supposed to. I just have a really hard time getting a clean nice line from this pen. Which is where the effectiveness aspect comes in. The sell with this liner is the packaging, which I don't think it very effective. The tip is flexible but the product dries super fast and is also VERY slow when you twist it up, so you always twist up to much and then you often have to squeeze some out and throw it away because it is all dried up.

However I do love the formula. The liner is a super smooth creamy gel. When I use it I just use a thin angled eyeliner brush to apply it instead of the pen. It stays put all day, it doesn't get on the top of my eyelid and it looks phenomenal after my other makeup has faded. They used to only have black, but now they have brown, purple, blue and green as well. I love all the colors! Even the green (which I was skeptical about at first) is really beautiful and wearable. That is how all the colors are. Most colored eyeliners are either and almost black version (a super dark plum or blue/black) or they are super bright and loud. These liners are the perfect shades. The purple for example (my personal favorite shade) is definitely purple, but it isn't super in your face, it is wearable and BEAUTIFUL! I am a definite fan! Overall I do recommend these, but I do not recommend using the pen it comes in. 

Beauty Subscription Boxes

There are like a million beauty subscription boxes out there right now. I wrote a post a while ago comparing Ipsy and Birchbox to one another, however since then I have had subscriptions to beauty Box 5, Beauty Con Box, the Allure subscription box and Boxy Charm. There are more coming out every day I swear! Even Walmart has their own beauty box now! Most people like the fun of getting surprise products every month, but they also want a good deal. Beauty Boxes can introduce you to products you wouldn't have tried otherwise and help you find your new favorite beauty must haves! I wanted to give my personal opinion on all of them! I have had at least 3 boxes from each of these brands now and I am canceling my subscription to all but one today! Find out which I am keeping at the end of the article.

This is one of the boxes I actually got

 Beauty Box 5
This was easily my least favorite box. I tried this one about a year ago, so since then it may have evolved. The company certainly advertises high end products now, however when I got the box I got a lot of cheap stuff. In my 3 months of subscribing I never got one high end brand. I got a few Sally Hansen Nail Polishes, some nail files, I got a chapstick brand lip balm in one of them. I think it is safe to say that the quality of the items I received were not up to snuff. Plus there was no

A box that they advertise

customization and the packaging was ultra cheap. Since then this box has gone up in price and advertises differently, so I am not 100% sure if they have stepped it up, however the reviews remain disparaging. After looking at some more recent unboxing videos it does look like their items have stepped up. They have several similar items to Ipsy, but Ipsy is $10 a month while the beauty box 5 is now $12.

Birch Box
Birchbox is one of the first beauty subscription boxes ever. You get a combination of high end and low end products. You can customize your Birchbox by telling them what kind of lifestyle you live as well as rating products you have received. Birchbox gets big points from me for having a really awesome rewards points system and great customer service. I personally prefer to get makeup in my subscription boxes, it is just more fun. Birchbox gives you are lot of fragrance (which is my least favorite to get personally) compared to all the boxes, and it also gives you hair and skin care often. I get that, because skin and hair care are usually universal, however I wish I got more of what I wanted. I also got a lot of nail polish, which I don't personally love. However it is only $10 a box so even after I stopped being obsessed with it, I kept it for a while because it was fun and cheap. But if you want a box with a lot of polish and fragrance, skin and hair care and a cosmetic every so often this is your box!

Beautycon Box

This box is my least favorite for sure. It is the most expensive box of them all at $35. A new Beautycon Box is created once every season instead of every month. Each box is curated by beauty professional or celebrity (like Bunny/Grav3Yard Girl, or Kandee Johnson) and is valued at over $150. These boxes have more than 8 products, where the other boxes never have more than 6 items. All of the other boxes have a lot of "deluxe sized" items (which is code for travel or miniature sized), with the occasional full sized item. This box had a lot of full sized items. However the other boxes have a lot of high end and indie brands. I was bummed to see a Neutrogena eye make remover, Benzac Acne treatment and an Olay moisturizer as full sized products in one of my recent boxes. All of those were in the same box and they are all cheap Walmart brands that contain ingredients I don't love. I may use the Makeup remover because I wash my face after using it, but the others I will get rid of. I felt like I had a lot of drugstore full sized products that Kandee Johnson would never really use (despite her being the supposed curator of the box). I also get a lot of NYX from Beauty Con, and while Nyx is a fun brand, it is a cheap one too. In the end I realize I got a lot of high end products throughout ALL the boxes but each individual box had more low end product than high end items. After I got each box I would look at it individually and I ask myself "If you saw these bundled together at ULTA for $35 would you buy it?" My answer was always no, because there were to many things I will never use. However Beautycon's Box has one redeeming grace and that is that once the box has released you can usually get it for at least one month, and as soon as you order it they ship it. So you can unsubscribe from the box and then every season wait one week after the release and then you can go online and see some people unboxing theirs and decide if the products in the box are worth the money to you. If they are you can go and resubscribe, snag your box and then quit again.

Boxy Charm

So one of the things that really sets Boxy Charm apart is the box has only full sized products in it! No foil samples or "deluxe sizes" or anything like that! They also only do high end items. Sometimes I get things that are a little weird, like once I got a hand cream, but it was like a $30 hand cream and it is amazing! This one is more expensive ringing in at $25 a box after shipping and it is monthly. This box has no customization, what you get is semi-random but everyone gets the same things for the most part. That is the feature that bothers me most. It's a $25 box and I can't even tell them I would prefer not to get nail polish or fragrance? I found there is at least 2 items in every boxy charm that are complete throw away for me. However my first Ofra Liquid Lipstick was from Boxy Charm and it is easily my favorite liquid lipstick brand on the market right now. But you get A LOT of nail polish and fragrance from Boxy Charm (at least once per month). In the end I am canceling this one because I suppose I feel like when I get a bummer box that doesn't have a lot of stuff I love in it, it is such a waste of money! I mean $25 is FIVE Little Caesars Pizza's! I have had a few "So Worth It!" boxes, but several boxes with a lot of throw away products I have never touched! If it had any customization factor, I would probably keep it.

The Allure Box
This one was on par with Boxy Charm for me. I will say I got some really high end stuff in this box! Some really kind of kitschy levels of fun stuff like a caviar infused eye serum. However the products in this box are not full sized, and you are not guaranteed high end products. If I had to choose between the Allure Subscription or Boxy Charm I would choose Boxy Charm for sure. They are also both about the same price point.

Ipsy
This one is my favorite. This choice is controversial, I have met people who agree with me and those who do not, however let me explain my reasoning. I like that I get a makeup bag with every month! It is just fun okay!? And I have given them to my nieces or used them when I give someone a few polishes as a gift, so they are also useful! Second, usually get smaller, sample or deluxe sized products in your ipsy. I would say once a month is the average amount that I get a full sized item. However I end up not using some items so I don't care if they are small or full sized, and frankly who needs 5 new beauty products a month? This kind of subscription thing is for beauty junkies and makeup hoarders, so do any of us really need any of this? If this new incredible moisturizer or hair spray is only a travel, as much as I would love it to be a full sized product it is okay, because I have like 12 hairsprays and 2 full moisturizers in my bathroom. Plus I am getting 5 more next month!

I do get a lot of NYX items from Ipsy and you are not guaranteed high end items with this subscription either, however it is $10! As I mentioned earlier with birch box, I like this one because it is cheap and fun. On months where I don't like anything in the box I might be bummed but it was just $10. When I have a month like that with Boxy Charm I am upset that I just wasted $25! One big bummer for me with Ipsy is that the rewards system is pretty lame, like way lame. But they are super great with the whole customization thing. You do have to go online to review your products every month (which racks up points) but after like 4 months I usually got products I loved! I rarely got fragrance or nail polish and they were sending me products in shades I like. When you sign up you do a personality quiz that really helps them decide if you should have more skincare or more makeup in your bag and then if the makeup you do get should be fun shades (blues and purples) or neutrals. The big differentiation between ipsy and birch box, is birch box has the better rewards program. Ipsy has the makeup bags every month AND they have more makeup than birch box. After being off Ipsy for a year I am starting up again! I miss it and I am ready to break up with expensive boxes! You can try Ipsy for yourself here! 


What do you think? What have you tried? What did you like? Tell me in the comments below <3

Kenra Platinum Dry Shampoo

 

Packaging - 5 (excellent)
Scent - 2 (not good)
Oil Absorption - 3 (average)
Lasting Effect - 3 (average)
Longevity - 2 (not good)Overall:

This product was such a let down for me! The salon world has been abuzz with the triumphant return of Kenra's re-imagined color and product line! So I picked up a couple of their products while at the beauty supply store and I have to say I was very disappointed. It packaging is sleek, sophisticated and sexy, I love it! It smells like Vanilla Ice cream, which would be good except it is so strong that the smell lingers for hours, and made me feel nauseous! It does absorb some oils, but it doesn't do a super good job and left a white residue in my hair every time I used it. It lasted for about 5 hours, and I felt I had to use a lot of product to see results, so you;'d have to repurchase often. I will not be purchasing this product again.

Featured Photoshoot!

I am not just a beauty blogger. Some of you know and some of you don't that I am also a licensed cosmetologist, an editorial and bridal hair and makeup artist and a salon manager! You can click here to see my main website, pictures of my work and more! Every so often I like to feature some of my recent work here! A little bridal inspiration for you! You can get details throughout the post! 

These stunning photos were taken by Engleby Images

My favorite thing is the flowers! These flowers are all wooden! Is that not incredible! The detail and gentleness of the floral work is so stunning and they will last forever (literally)! Check out Eco Flowers!  

I am obsessed with this dress, it is full lace which is in style, but the high rise neckline is unique and high fashion. The insane detail in the ornate beading throughout the gown also gives it a very high fashion feel and sets it apart from the other lace gowns we are seeing right now. The gown is from Gateway Bridal and Prom

Next time you are looking for a stunner orchard to do a photo shoot in, contact Manning Orchard! I appreciate them letting us use their space! 

And a big shout out to the stunner model, Kat Mead.

Will Hot Tools Damage My Hair?

So many things damage your hair! I got a message this morning from someone who wants to protect her hair and keep it healthy, but wants to straighten her naturally curly locks! The answer to this question (will hot tools damage my hair?) is in a word - yes. It will. The sun also damages your hair, shampooing with harsh sulfates can be very damaging and using to many heavily oils (like Coconut Oil) that will clog the pores and follicles on your scalp is also very damaging for your hair. But back to hot tools, they ALWAYS damage your hair, even blow drying does. However you can prevent this damage! Here are some dynamite products I recommend to keep your hair healthy.





Blow Dryer & Every Day Protection
As I said earlier the sun is damaging for your hair. UVA and UVB rays don't just hurt your skin! So protect your hair from yellowing, fading and drying out with a good sun protectant! All three of my recommendations for this also protect your hair from a blow dryer and pollutants in the air. I love multitasking products! I literally spray one of these on DAILY! Redken Pillow Proof Blow Dry Express Primer (Tall Left) is perfect for fine haired folk because it is light weight, while the Blow Dry Express Treatment Primer (Short Left) is a cream that is great for people who have frizz issues or super dry hair. Very similar to the Redken Spray primer is the KMS Quick Blow Dry Spray (Right), which is also light weight, smells good, and is long lasting! These products are not strong enough o stand up to hot tools though.



Thermal Styling & Hot Tools Protection
I could talk about this for days! I love thermal protectants and I own about 50 of them, haha! This is something I am passionate about. These products all protect your hair from the heat from both blow dryers and hot tools. So what's up first? Wella's EIMI Thermal Image (Left). This is a great standard light weight thermal protectant. It smells great and doesn't add shine. It's a standard heat protectant that just does the damn thing, and is best for normal or fine hair types. If your hair gives you a hard time about holding curl try the Redken Iron Shape 11. This product has a little bit of a starchy quality that reinforces hairspray helping your stubborn hair to hold your desired style. If you need something to fight humidity give TIGI Bed Head Straighten Out (right) a try! Not only does this product smell incredible, it is long lasting, easy to use, and it will keep your straight hair straight even in humid weather. This product is also great for those with dry hair because it delivers moisture but is a quick dry formula that will not harm your hair. If you want one that adds shine I recommend grabbing the Sebastian Trillant Spray.


PRECAUTIONS
There are a lot of products out there that say they protect your hair and either don't work or damage it! Cheap products from drugstores or Walmart are not going to protect you hair 90% of the time, so you are wasting time and money by buying and applying something that doesn't work.

Also be careful where you purchase your products. I highly recommend clicking any of the product names which will you take you to that product's company's website and information for that product. You can usually find a "Salon Locator" on the site and find a salon near you selling these wonderful items! When you buy from a salon you are guaranteed authentic product. You are also supporting local businesses, plus salons often have better deals than these other places anyways! On top of that a lot of places such as Target and TJ Maxx may be selling fake, diverted or expired items. You can read more about the realities of diversion and fake products here! Salon Professional Products are only guaranteed when bought in a salon! So be careful!

***Thanks to Tina for asking this question***

Kylie Lip Kit vs. Colour Pop Liquid Lipstick

A few weeks ago I got an email about what my opinion is on the accusations about Kylie Jenner's Lip Kit being the same as Colour Pop's and NYX Lip Lingerie. You can see my full post here. Basically to sum it up I feel like the main ingredients for any quality liquid lipstick is shared by both products, but that the large amount of ingredients found in the Colour Pop formula that are absent in the Lip Kit are cheap fillers that would make a big difference. But I had not yet tried a Colour Pop Liquid Lippy for myself. I had tried the NYX version and I KNOW that the formulas and textures are vastly different, however the Colour Pop formula I didn't know much about first hand. I have now tried it and I am ready to give you all my opinion!

So first things first, I was surprised by the comparison between the Kylie Lip Kit and the NYX Lip Lingerie, because while I fancy both, I feel that the NYX is more creamy in texture and a thicker overall formula like most liquid lipsticks, and the Kylie Lip Kit was more watery in a way that I hadn't seen before. However after trying the Colour Pop version I learned that it is WAY more similar to Kylie's in texture than most. They both have a very similar texture and feel when you put them on. Both feather like MAD, however the Lip Kit comes with a liner, and you can buy a matching one in Colour Pop, but that costs $5 more. And while that is still a lot less than a Lip Kit it isn't a fair comparison to say it's $6 vs $29. It is more like $11 vs $29.

As far as pigmentation they are equally impressive. While the formula is very thin it is highly pigmented so you get a high color pay off and have to use little product. Both also dry quickly and neither felt sticky on my lips, however the Colour Pop lip liners did not match the color as perfectly as the Lip Kit.

However for me the most important part of any lip product is wear. How often will I have to re-apply this stuff? If I accidentally leave the tube at home am I doomed? Well this is where the big line is drawn between these two products. The Colour Pop shades were weird, because they were super hard to get off, but they also smeared and transferred A TON. My husband calls my Colour Pop Lippies "Colour Stop" because he won't let me kiss him when I wear them and requested I don't buy any more of that brand. Even after hours of wear this product still transfers which also mean SMEARING! UGH! However the Kylie Lip Kit is not only easy to take off on my own when I am done wearing it (there is a little resistance but it comes off fairly easily) it also stays A LOT longer. I have yet to be able to eat and have it %100 in tact after a meal, but otherwise it looks amazing and is smudge proof.

So is the $18 price difference enough to be longer lasting and smudge proof? It is for me, but that's for you to decide. Either way I think between this post and my last, I have made my point.