Let's Talk: Birchbox and Ipsy

Hey Guys!

I signed up to receive birchbox and ipsy subscriptions about 6 months ago. I absolutely LOVE getting the beauty samples each month and it is something I look forward to. It is like opening a present every single month!

Each program is only $10 and you get about 5-6 products to try out. ipsy is full size products usually and birchbox is sample size. birchbox usually has more body and hair products, where ipsy is usually just make up.

Here is what I got in each one:

Birchbox
Juice Beauty: Stem Cellular Repair CC Cream
Kerastase: Nutritive Nectar Termique--Protect
ModelCo: SHINE Ultra Lip Gloss
Thymes: Naia Body Lotion
Tymes: Lotus Santa Body Lotion


Ipsy
Urban Decay: 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Black
Mai Couture: Highlighter Papier
Mirabella: Primer for Face and Eyes
NYX: Loose Pearl Shadow in Mocha Pearl
be a...bombshell: Hot Mess Lip Gloss

Watch the video below to see the products I got in both of mine for December.

Pre-Holiday Shopping Haul!

This past week I did a little shopping at Ulta and Target. I went to Ulta to look for the holiday gift sets and see if there were any good deals on them. And I ended up getting a few spa products too! At Target I bought a mix of beauty products!

Watch the video to see what I bought:

Here are the two holiday beauty gift sets I bought.

Urban Decay "Smoked" Eyeliner set

Stila "All Is Bright" Lip glaze set

What types of holiday sets have you found this season? What good deals have you got on beauty products?

Matte About You!

I love a good manicure. Who doesn't? I knew as soon as I heard of Essie's "Matte About You" that I would need to try it. I like that it has a unique finish that leaves room for imperfection. This manicure can be done quickly and there is no worry of "smudging" the look.

I applied 2 coats of OPI nail polish in Lincoln Park After Dark. I let that dry for about 5 minutes and applied 1 layer of Essie's "Matte About You". It dried instantly and my nails feel really hard/strong. The finish is amazing! So smooth!

Here is a picture of my finished look.

As you can see, the polish dries well and looks very chic. I like that the polish does not budge when you touch things, even after a few minutes. This is great for when you are in a hurry!

I found some other pictures of inspiration on Pinterest that I thought were cute for matte nails. Perhaps I'll give one of these a try in the near future! 

Jewel tone polish

Matte Velvet polish with gold accents

French Tip with Matte polish (My Favorite!!)

Also, found some more inspiration for nails that includes a little glitter!

How cute are these "marble" nails. Apply a coat of glitter between color coats. 

And last, a tried and true favorite. Light pink with gold glitter.

What do you think about Matte polish? Have you tried it? What other trends are you trying on your nails?

Everyday Makeup Tutorial

So I wanted to share with you all my first video that I created for my youtube account. It is an Everyday Makeup Tutorial. I use this look almost everyday for work, visiting family and friends, and just when I don't have any where in particular to go.

I hope you enjoy this video!