Beauty – Page 8 – Forty, Flirty & Fabulous

Anastasia Beverly Hills Norvina Palette Review

Hi All! I’m excited to be reviewing the new Norvina palette by Anastasia Beverly Hills. This palette was created by Anastasia’s daughter Norvina.

“I have always wanted to create a palette that embodies my spirit. I’m a dreamer at heart and get lost in my own fantasy world daily. It’s a whimsical place that leaves you feeling carefree. If I had to explain how these colors made me feel, I would say “happy”.” – Norvina

I was so excited when I first saw this palette! Purple is my favorite color and I thought it was so gorgeous! I have a few ABH palettes, and I noticed that this one has more glitters — which I love!

The packaging of this is the soft velvet of all of the ABH palettes. It’s pretty, but does get dirty really fast.

The inside has a large mirror and comes with a double-ended brush that is good quality.

Shades:

Dreamer (metallic pink champagne)
Base (matte eggshell)
Summer (metallic foiled golden topaz)
Soul (matte wisteria)
Wild Child (duo-chrome frosty pink w/ a magenta shift)
Incense (matte dusty terracotta)
Rose Gold (metallic rosewood)
Love (matte mid-tone cool pink)
Celestial (duo-chrome plum w/ a violet shift)
Volatile (matte warm charcoal)
Dazzling (duo-chrome cool-tone bronze w/ a violet shift)
Eccentric (matte dark burnt orange)
Drama (duo-chrome aubergine w/ a cool bronze shift)
Passion (matte deep garnet)

Here are swatches:

These are the metallics and shimmers — Dreamer, Summer, Wild Child, Rose Gold, Celestial and Drama. They are all gorgeous. Wild Child is the hardest one to work with because it’s really sheer, I had to build it up in the photo. Drama is more of a matte with glitter.

Here are the mattes — Base, Soul, Incense, Love, Volatile, Eccentric and Passion. You can’t really see it in the photo, but Base, Soul and Love all have a little shimmer in them. I still use them in my crease and on my lid, but they are a bit shimmery. The other mattes are pigmented and a little powdery like normal Anastasia mattes.

There is kick up in the pan on most of the shadows in this palette. But all of the Anastasia palettes I have do this, so I’m just careful while applying.

So I have been using this for about a week, and honestly am still deciding how much I like it. It isn’t as bright and fun as I had hoped, but it is a really pretty neutral palette with a few pops of purple. And I have created natural glam and smokey eye looks using it.

I will keep playing with it and I think it will transition nicely into the fall months.

Have you picked up the ABH Norvina palette? What do you think?

Gorgeous Lippies for National Lipstick Day on July 29, 2018!

Today is National Lipstick Day! It’s time to wear your favorite lip product — or maybe buy a new one!

I thought I would spotlight some of my fave lip products. Need some ideas? Lipstick-Method-In-The-Madness-Lipstick

Lipstick Queen Method In The Madness Lipstick

Lipstick Queen Method In The Madness Lipstick ($25, on sale today for $17.50) Lipstick Queen invites you to experience the magical chaos of Method In The Madness as swirls of ultra-luxe creamy hues combine into one bold lip color of its own.

Featuring several uniquely stunning shades, this rich and hydrating formula is infused with vitamin E leaving lips soft and supple to the touch.

The entire Lipstick Queen brand is on sale today for 30% off at Ulta. Also check out another fave, the Nothing But the Nudes collection each shade is $16.80 today!

Rimmel London Lasting Finish Lipstick

Rimmel London Stay Glossy 3D Lip Gloss

Rimmel London Stay Satin Liquid Lip Color

Rimmel London has amazing lip products!

Lasting Finish Lipstick ($4.99) — Intense long lasting color for up to 8 hours wear. +25% color impact, smooth creamy texture and all day comfort

Stay Glossy ($3.99) –These are high shine lip gloss. Gorgeous alone or over a lipstick.

Stay Satin Liquid Lipstick ($4.99) — A new vivid satin liquid lip color with superior color payoff! High-intensity color that delivers a bold satin finish in one stroke,lasts up to 8 hours and is comfortable on the lips. Available in 14 bold shades

maybelline-superstay-matte-ink-lipstick-800x435 — Maybelline SuperStay Matte Ink Liquid Lipstick

Maybelline has some of the best lipsticks out there! The SuperStay Matte Ink Liquid Lipstick is a hit and is on sale today at Ulta!

This liquid lipstick features a unique arrow applicator for precise application and is available in a range of super saturated shades. It features a flawless matte finish, highly-pigmented color and is a long-lasting, saturated matte.

Select Maybelline lip products are on sale today for 30% off at Ulta.

Define your glossy lip look with our ‘first of its kind’ WUNDER2 WUNDERKISS GLOSS LIP LINER ($11.95) to be used specifically with your favorite lip gloss! Use our unique glossy formula on the outside of the lips to create a beautiful, long-lasting lip contour that keeps your lip gloss in place. Available in 3 shades to perfectly complement the WUNDERKISSLip Plumping Glosses, create the most precise & perfect pout with gloss-rich lips.

What are your favorite lip products? And what are you wearing today for National Lipstick Day?

My Current Summer Faves!

Summer is flying by this year! It has been a long, hot one. My youngest daughter starts high school in a couple of weeks and my middle daughter goes off to college. It’s crazy!

This summer I have been loving the items below. They include a cute quotation book on friendship, Biotin chews to help my skin, a fresh new summer perfume and fun holographic nail polish:

The Joy of Friendship: A Thoughtful and Inspiring Collection of 200 Quotations ($12.50 USD) — The greatest gift in life is friendship. The Joy of Friendship celebrates these all-important relationships by exploring the nature of friendship, how it forms, and how it endures. From childhood friendships to lifelong best buddies, it is the friendships we build along the way that defines who we are and what our lives are about. As Aristotle said, a friend is “a soul living in two bodies.” The Joy of Friendship collects this and other wisdoms to help you better appreciate those who make your world a better place.

NeoCell Biotin Burst Brazilian Acai Berry 30 Chews ($11.96 USD) — All natural formula bursting with delicious flavor. Acai Berry for protection from free radical damage. Having beautiful and radiant skin has never been so easy- or so delicious. NeoCell Biotin Bursts deliver high absorption beauty nutrients in delectable, gourmet soft chews.

I’ve been taking these for about a week. I like the berry taste and the fact that they are chews instead of pills. They are fun and easy to take. My skin has been looking pretty clear lately. I don’t know if it’s too early to see results, but I will continue to take them!

Philosophy Pure Grace Endless Summer ($49 for 2 fl. oz EDT) — summer is a state of mind—and a new limited-edition fragrance. This fragrance celebrates the sultriest of seasons with delicate layers of iced lychee, exotic pomelo and warm musk, conjuring calm and a carefree sensibility with a single spritz.

I have been loving this during the summer. It’s citrusy and fresh at first, then the musk gives a sultry finish. I received this in a set that includes a body lotion, but the set doesn’t seem to be on sale any more. You can get the perfume still. And I definitely recommend it!

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The gorgeous nail polishes shown above are The Morgan Taylor Lacquer Platinum Collection.

The claim for this is that it embraces pure excess with rich textures, effects, and an extended-wear formula.

“With Platinum, we wanted to give the wearer an indulgent experience by creating shades, effects, and textures straight from their wildest dreams,” explain brand namesakesMorgan Haile and Taylor Daniel.

These are so gorgeous! I love all of the shades, but especially Disco Days, a mint green and Glow all Out, a rosey coral shade. They wear best with a top coat.

What new summer products have you been loving?

BoxyCharm Subscription Box Review — July 2018

I received my July BoxyCharm later than usual this month. I receive this box each month and really like it.

Boxycharm is just $21 a month for 5-6 beauty items, most of them full-sized. It’s an amazing way to try new makeup and beauty tools!

This month I received:

I didn’t take individual photos of the products this month. This is was so late that I thought I would just get it posted!

I think this is an okay box. I will use the Tarte mist. I love setting sprays and skincare mists and this is a combo of both. It has a really nice mister and and herbal scent.

I am also testing out the dr. brandt eye gel. I do see that it instantly helps the dark circles under my eyes. You use it after eye cream and before makeup.

I will also use the Wander Beauty mascara. I am waiting to open it because I already have enough mascara open. And as we all know, mascara’s only good for about 3 months. But I will be trying it in a month or so. I like the claims that it curls and gives volume.

I will be giving away the Note blush and the Chella eyebrow product to a friend or family member. The blush is too orange for me and the eyebrow product is too light.

Although there was nothing too exciting this month, it was well worth the $21!

Do you get BoxyCharm? What did you get this month?

New Summer Products From H2O+ Beauty

Hi all! This is the second part of my recent H2O+ Beauty review on new products. I received these for my honest review.

I really like H2O+ Beauty because the brand is built on the philosophy that effective skincare doesn’t need to be complicated. And they have leveraged the hydrating power of pure water. I love that the products are natural and I have really enjoyed the skin care and body care products I have used.

Here are the products I received:

H2O+ Elements Jelly Cleanser ($20 USD) — This is such a fun cleanser! It contains Argan Oil and Pearl extract and transforms from a bouncy jelly texture into a foam. It has a clean scent and doesn’t dry out my skin.

H2O+ Oasis Smart Tint LipColor ($12 USD) — A self-adjusting lip color that complements all complexions with a custom shade. I use the darker side for a soft blush shade, and the lighter side for a layer of shimmer. This is so pretty! And it’s a perfect light look for summer.

H2O+ Waterbright Massaging Eye Roller ($28 USD) — A massaging rollerball that helps reduce dark circles and puffiness of the delicate under eye area. The gel is cooling and hydrating. It features Pomelo, Snowflake Flower extracts and caffeine to helps reduce dark circles and puffiness while illuminating pigments instantly brighten my skin.

H2O+ On The Move Rollerball Fragrance ($18 each) — This is a water based fragrance that hydrates skin and adds a hint of shimmer. The two scents are:

Teak Rose — The light yet exotic wood fragrance showcases bergamot and orange blossom highlighted by aromatic rose and finished with dry notes of golden amber.

Lemongrass Vetiver — The alluring sparkling lemongrass scent features clean citrus notes of lemon, heightened by a ginger freshness and tempered by fresh grass.

I think the Teak Rose is my favorite, it’s kind of a smokey-rose scent. It’s fresh and sultry. The Lemongrass Vetiver is okay, it is a fresher scent, but not my favorite. These are fun to wear, especially if you like shimmer in the summer. And it’s nice that you can take these on the go.

Have you tried any new H2O+ Beauty products? Which ones are you favorites?

H2O+ Beauty Coconut Verbena Body Collection

Hi all! I was excited to receive a bunch of new H2O+ Beauty products! The products I am reviewing today are an amazing smelling bath and body collection. The H2O+ Beauty Coconut Verbena Body Care Collection features Verbena Extract, Coconut Milk, Coconut Water, and Vitamin E to nourish and soften skin.

Here are the products I received for my honest review:

H2O+ Beauty Coconut Verbena Foaming Body Exfoliator ($10 for 6 oz) – A foaming scrub that transforms skin from dry and rough into silky and luxuriously soft just as the gel transforms into a foam as you lather. Coconut Oil and Verbena extract combine with Coconut shells to gently exfoliate, buffing away dull skin and leaving you with an all over glow. This gives a pretty vigorous scrub. I love that it foams. It leaves my skin so soft and smooth. Perfect before self-tanning.

H2O+ Beauty Coconut Verbena Body Wash ($18 for 12.2 Fl oz) — These Coconut Water enriched suds feature Coconut Water, Vitamin E and Verbena extract, cleansing and refreshing skin. I love the scent of this whole collection, it’s so fresh and bright! This is a really bubbly body wash and works well as a bubble bath!

H2O+ Beauty Coconut Verbena Body Butter ($22 for 8 Fl oz) — This features Coconut Milk and Verbena extract, to nourish and soften skin. It’s very hydrating and is softly scented. It’s really nice to use after the bath. I love layering my fragrance!

H2O+ Beauty Coconut Verbena Shimmering Body Moisturizer ($18 for 5 Fl oz) — And speaking of layering scents, this fun moisturizer transforms from a foam texture into an oil as it melts into the skin. It’s infused with Coconut Oil and Verbena extract. I like that it’s not greasy. It does leave a shimmer, which I don’t usually wear, but I know one of my daughters will love this!

Over all, I really love this collection. The scent is perfect for the summer and the products are really hydrating.

Have you tried H2O+ Beauty? What products do you like from them?

Beat The Heat With Fun Summer Products!

Yes, it’s still summer and it’s still HOT! And I have more amazing summer products to share!

I received the following products for my honest review:

NaturaBrasil A cai Body Scrub ($25 USD) — this is a gentle way to slough off dry skin after being at the pool or beach. Or, before self tanning. And, it smells amazing! This scrub has natural açaí seeds and sugar, as well as moisturizing shea butter and olive oil.

Love Sun Body SPF 30 Lightly Scented ($32 USD) — This is a 100% natural mineral sun screens. It is very lightly scented with tiare & vanilla. It’s kind of hard to detect the scent. It claims to absorb with a matte finish that doesn’t feel sticky. It is VERY thick. And white. I have to really rub it in to get the matte finish.

Certified by EcoCert Cosmos Natural and is recipient of EWG’s highest ranking. Love Sun Body is available in two sizes and scents at Credo, Amazon and lovesunbody.com.

Cricket’s wide tooth Ultra Smooth Coconut Conditioning Comb ($6.99 USD) helps gently detangle wet hair and is great for pulling a hair mask through to the ends. Coconut oil and keratin protein are baked into the plastic of the comb which also helps to smooth and de-frizz from the summer humidity. Available at Target and Ulta.

My favorite products of this bunch are these bright Morgan Taylor Lacquer:

This is a celebrity nail tech favorite and has 130+ phenomenal colors that are available at Ulta. These are perfect for pedis or manis this summer!

These shades are Girls Love Buoys (on my nails and in my hand), Tokyo a Go Go, Orange Crush, Go For The Glow and Gotta Have Hue. These are so bright and gorgeous, but they don’t last long, so make sure to use a bottom and top coat!

What are your current favorite summer beauty finds?

Keep Your Makeup Fresh in The Heat With Urban Decay and Wunder2!

Hi all! It is HOT in Kansas City. Every. Day. It has been since mid-May. And it is a challenge keeping my makeup looking fresh and staying in place.

I was sent these amazing products from Urban Decay and Wunder2 to test out for my honest review. And they were tested in the heat and humidity!

Urban Decay Chill Cooling and Hydrating Makeup Setting Spray ($32 USD) — I love anything that will cool me down in the summer time! This spray features cooling time-release Temperature Control Technology that actually chills the surface of your makeup – to keep it looking gorgeously just-applied for up to 12 hours. Developed in an exclusive partnership with Skindinavia, UD’s groundbreaking, tested formula holds foundation, eyeshadow, blush and concealer in place.

I use this for days that I know I’m going to be out in the heat and I want my makeup to stay in place. It feels cool going on, but not cold. It’s a very pleasant feeling. The sprayers on the UD mists are all so good, and aren’t harsh at all! This has become a summer essential for me.

Urban Decay De-Slick Oil Control Makeup Setting Spray ($32 USD) — This spray mists on weightlessly to control oil, deflect surface shine and keep skin looking beautifully matte. High-tech ingredients help keep foundation, shadow and blush from smudging, sliding or fading – so you hardly ever need to touch up.

This is great for days that I know I’ll be out in the heat for a prolonged period of time and that the oil is coming. I don’t reach for it as much as I do the Chill spray, but it does work and helps keep my makeup on my face.

Urban Decay All Nighter Waterproof Setting Powder ($34 USD) — I love a good setting powder and I was excited to try a water proof one! This weightless powder claims to instantly makes any foundation totally waterproof for a mattified complexion that lasts all day, no matter what. This high-tech formula blurs pores and imperfections and blocks shine, without dulling your inner glow. Your luminosity shows through while the powder keeps moisture out.

I agree with the claims that it mattifies but doesn’t look dry on my skin. That’s important to me as I age, and the fact is my face isn’t oily. But it does get greasy in the summer when it’s so hot and humid. The combo of this and the Chill or De-slick setting spray really keeps my makeup in place all day!

Wunder2 Super-Stay Liner ($14.95 USD) — Wunder2 24-hour wear Super-Stay Liner’s ensure that after just one application, your look will stay set and picture perfect from morning to evening! Waterproof and smudge-proof, the highly pigmented and easy-glide pencil eyeliners are a must-have beauty staple that create a perfect, full lash line or a playful, colored look that glide on with ease. Super-Stay Liner’s are available in the three collections of ‘Essential’, ‘Metallic’ and ‘Glitter’ finishes to complete any makeup look depending on your mood.

These shades from left to right are Glitter Aubergine, Glitter Pink and Metallic Rose Gold. I swatched these, waited about a minute, then rubbed the swatches vigorously. Then I took the photo. As you can see, they didn’t budge!

All three of these shades are perfect for summer looks, but I really love the Aubergine on my top lid and the Rose Gold on the bottom. They look amazing together. And they really glide on smoothly. Honestly, I probably will give the Pink one to my daughter, because I won’t reach for it. But it is pretty.

What products are you using this summer to beat the heat?

Project Pan April-June 2018 Final Results

Hi Everyone! I’m at the end of my 2018 second quarter Project Pan. This ran from April-June. This is the second one I’ve ever done, and I plan to do two more this year.

I’m pretty much enjoying these. I think I was more in to it in the first one. I used up products right away and even added in more. And I used all of them up! You can see the wrap up for my first Project Pan here.

So in this Project Pan, I used almost all of the products up. Here is the link to my first post of this quarter’s pan so that you can view the info on the products.

But, here are the products I didn’t use up:

The two products I didn’t use up were my ColourPop Super Shock Shadow in Reversible and Maybelline Fit Me! Loose Finishing Powder in 10 Fair Light.

The shadow is almost gone, but it’s really crumbly now, so I am going to toss it. It is very pretty, though. The Fit Me! powder has been going strong for months! I have been using it almost exclusively, too. I think it’s almost out now. I would repurchase the powder. I think the shadow is discontinued, but I’ll buy more Super Shocks!

And of the products I panned, I would repurchase everything if I run out of my current skincare and makeup. I have so much right now, so we’ll see.

So I call this a successful Project Pan! I got through some skincare, hair care and a little bit of makeup, too! I’ll be announcing my next quarter pan in about a week.

Have you done a Project Pan? How did it go?

June 2018 Beauty Favorites

I can’t believe tomorrow is July! June (and the first half of the year) has just flown by! That means it’s time for my June favorites!

Since this was my birthday month, I got a lot of new products. Most of them I haven’t used enough to include in my favorites, but a few I instantly loved!

I loved two hydrating sprays this month, the Smashbox So Chill Coconut primer water and the Pacifica Crystal Power Hydro Mist. They both smell so nice and I like using them before makeup and for refreshing during the day. The Pacifica one is a bit lower in price, but the Smashbox one is my fave. It smells so amazing!

I bought the Fenty Beauty lip gloss in a set with a highlighter. The highlighter is pretty, but not really a shade I wear, it’s kind of peachy. But the gloss is amazing! It gives such a pretty shine and it’s sticky or goopy. I wear it almost every day either over lipstick or alone.

The NARS Orgasm mini blush was my birthday gift from Ulta. I’ve never really tried this and I love the shade. It’s shimmery and a coral-pink shade, which is perfect for summer.

The TATCHA The Silk Canvas Protective Primer was the item I’ve been wanting the most. It glides on and blurs my pores and fine lines. Plus it looks amazing under makeup and helps my foundation last. I don’t use it every day, because I want to make it last, but I love how I look when I do.

PIXI Beauty Jasmine Oil Blend smells amazing! It smells just like fresh jasmine flowers. I love this at night. It contains a jasmine flower extract, evening primrose and grape seed oil. It is so hydrating and it calms my red skin. In the morning my skin is bright and smooth.

My last favorite is Jergen’s Natural Glow Wet Skin Moisturizer. I’ve been using this in the lighter shade (which is in my shower), but I’m ready to go darker and use the medium to tan one shown. This is SO easy to use. You put it on when your skin is wet and pat it dry with your towel.

What are your faves for June?