Emily's blog giveaway

Emily from the blog "Cash or Charge?" is having her very first blog giveaway!
Check it out: http://closetofanaddict.blogspot.com/2010/03/first-giveaway.html

Manhandled Jewelry on Etsy

I recently found this great Etsy shop called Manhandled. Manhandled is a husband and wife couple that makes these really fun and kitschy pieces of jewelry! Some are pop culture inspired like old Hollywood movie monsters, The Wizard of Oz, and Twilight and True Blood. They have all sorts of cute earrings, button rings, and more. I just love the vibe behind the company, and I am so impressed by their jewelry pieces. I have all of the earrings above. I love The Frankensteins earrings, the Rosie the Riveter earrings, Funky Town earrings, and the There's No Place Like Home earrings. Their jewelry is well made. The images are clear and quality, and the earrings are well made and super cute!

I also really like the Edward and Bella earrings, and the Fangastia True Blood earrings. Cute, right? Love them! Perfect for any vampire lover on your shopping list ;) I know my best friend would love the Twilight earrings, and my sis would probably love the True Blood earrings. Manhandled offers great customer service, and they shipped the items to me super fast. I adore Manhandled Jewelry!

The Jewelry Dream Guitar Pick Earrings!

How beyond adorable are these earrings? I love these handmade guitar pick earrings from The Jewelry Dream is one of my favorite Etsy shops. Kayleigh, the creator, hand makes each piece of jewelry by hand. She has fun modern shrinky dink pieces, guitar pick jewelry, vintage pieces and more. Everything is really fun and cute. I got these super hot Guns N' Roses guitar pick earrings, and the Hot Pink lightning bolt earrings, shown above. She also makes these Beatles earrings and these sweet little Hello Kitty earrings. She makes necklaces too, like this Pink Resin and Guitar Pick necklace!

I also got these Butterfly Sequin earrings. They look awesome in the pic, but I think they're even cooler in person :) I love all of these fun designs, and I like that a lot of the jewelry pieces at The Jewelry Dream are upcycled from every day items and turned into one of a kind little treasures. They offer fast shipping too, which is always a plus. Check out The Jewelry Dream and let me know what you like from the shop.

Anatomicals

I recently tried out this super cute tongue-in-cheek beauty brand straight out of the UK, it's called Anatomicals. Their package is cute and slightly retro, and their products have fun names like "Snog Me Senseless Lip Balm" and "None of your Foul Mouth Breath Mints". Cute, right? Hilarious and fun. I got my hands on a bunch of their products and can't wait to try more! I actually love their bath/body line. The company has a really fun vibe about them, and that is what keeps me coming back for more. Here are a few of the products that I have from the Anatomicals line.

What a Complete and Utter Glosser: This gloss is sweet and smells so yummy! It's fruity and smells like sexy strawberries. I love the gloss appeal too.

No Old Bags Allowed: This is a eye de-puffing gel that helps to reduce unsightly undereye bags.

Stop Cracking Up: This lip balm is so soothing! I love the consistency and the feel of it on my lips. Smells fresh too.

Snoozers are Losers: This is insane! They're energy patches. Seriously. You slap one on your upper arm, and it's like an energy drink for the skin. Helps keep you alert and energized.

Puffy the Eyebag Slayer: I LOVE this!!! So cute. It's a gel filled eye mask that can be warmed up or cooled off to help soothe your eyes. It can be re-used, and it's just adorable, how could you *not* smile at this eye mask?

Zap Zap Zap! gets That Chap: How cute is this blemish stick?? It's a double ended want that contains a Day/Night formula for zits. Apply a little of the Day gel during your day, and the Night gel before bed and watch that pimple shrink! ;)

 Help the Paw: I love love love this stuff! This has all but replaced my other lotions. I love the thickness of the lotion, I adore the packaging, and I love the smell. It's light, refreshing, and smells of rich moisturizing butters with a hint of lemon. I need to buy stock in this stuff!

That's When I Fell for the Leader of the (Hair) Pack: This is a deep conditioning hair mask. Love it. My hair is dry most of the time, but this stuff conditions without weighing your locks down. I love the name of the product too! ;)

 Farewell the Scarlet Pimplehell: Haha, I love this name! Too perfect. Anatomicals, I adore you!! This is a mud facial mask that helps to cleanse the skin on your face without drying it or clogging pores, it can also help to get rid of or siphon away any oils and bacteria that may be lurking to cause...gasp...zits!

 

Snog Me Senseless Mints: These are cute! I love the retro tin packaging. These breath mints are sugar-free and they taste super yummy. The package is compact enough to fit in your jean pocket or your clutch handbag. 

Check out the Anatomicals Store where you can find product info, prices, and order some Anatomicals goodies. You can also check out their other products, I posted quite a few here, but there are still more I haven't tried yet. I. Need. More. Anantomicals.

Unfortunately for Americans(like me!), Anatomicals is hard to find in the US, but their products are very affordable, so US gals (or guys) can order from the UK Anatomicals online shop.

Geez, Anatomicals, I have a super huge crush on you. Your brand almost makes me wanna be british! ;)

Drops of Nature Revive - Moroccan Argon Oil

I am so in love with this stuff! I have underactive thyroid, so my hair is pretty dry, which is a pain to deal with. At least I have hair though! So I'm not complaining too much. I've tried a lot of moisturizing products, but I still haven't ever really found anything that works well with my hair. I've heard a lot about different Argon hair oils, so I decided to try the Revive Moroccan Argon Oil from Drops of Nature. This is where I'm going to start raving...

I love this stuff!!

This oil is so moisturizing! It smells a little like Eucalyptus, and it's very relaxing to breathe in. It comes in a pretty blue glass bottle with a dropper top. You get a lot of product in the bottle which is great, this bottle has lasted me nicely so far. You just need a few drops in the palm of your hand, then you spread the oil throughout your hair from root to tip. You can use it on wet or dry hair. I use it on my damp hair when I get out of the shower, then after I dry my hair I rub a little more throughout my hair. The Eucalyptus scent doesnt really stay in the hair, so if you don't like the scent, no worries there. This oil pretty much leaves my hair scent-free, which is great. Even my mom noticed a huge change in my hair! I love this stuff so much, I feel like it's actually helping my hair, not just weighing it down with oil. It's affordable too, you can get a bottle for $15!

I highly suggest this oil to anyone who wants nice healthy hair. Check it out at Drops-Of-Nature.com!

Simply Beautiful celebrates 100+ followers

Simply Beautiful is celebrating having 100+ blog followers! She's hosting a wonderful giveaway to win some neat prizes too. So stop by her blog to follow her, read her posts, and enter her giveaway if you want! :)


http://simplybeautifulyou.blogspot.com
http://simplybeautifulyou.blogspot.com/2010/03/100-giveaway-take-peek-and-enter.html

Libby's website!

Hey everyone, check out the gorgeous Libby's blog "Darling Makeup". Libby is a makeup artist and she has a cool blog and youtube channel. Check out her site and enter her blog giveaway she has up right now for MAC goodies!

http://darlingmakeup.blogspot.com

With Love, Bunny [store spotlight]

The first time I stumbled across With Love, Bunny was actually while browsing the popular online handmade marketplace, Etsy. Here's a little bit of background information on the founder of With Love, Bunny. Her name is Nikky S. Gustafson and she is AWESOME. She graduated from the Illinois Institute of Art with a Bachelor's Degree of Fine Arts in Fashion Design! Her inspiration for her creations started with vintage TV shows like The Brady Bunch and Three's Company (I can watch hours of re-runs of both shows) and then she used modern ideas and turned junk/discarded items into one-of-a-kind masterpieces! Each piece is truly original and EVERYBODY will want to know where you got your awesome necklace/handbag!

Nikky made me a custom necklace! How awesome is this?!


And a close up!


Here are some of her other pieces:

This is so freaking adorable.

I love this Gwen Stefani-inspired handbag! If you love it too, check it out!

Calling all Gaga fans!

Like Love it? Make it yours here.

This necklace is beyond awesome. I feel 10x more bad ass just by looking at it!

You can get your own here!

I think this one is hilarious, this would be an awesome conversation starter!

Get it here

These are just a few of Nikky's creations, there are many more to choose from and you can even custom order your own!

So where can you get some With Love, Bunny of your own?

With Love, Bunny [etsy store]

With Love, Bunny [official website]

With Love, Bunny Fan Page [Facebook]

With Love, Bunny [Myspace]

With Love, Bunny [Twitter]

-ashley

Hourglass cosmetics review

I first heard about Hourglass Cosmetics when one of their ligglosses were featured in a Sephora holiday catalog. The lip swatch shown in the catalog immediately caught my eye (and my interest!). Sephora shared "Siren" extreme sheen lip gloss to me, and now I am sharing it with you -that is, if you're not in love with Hourglass Cosmetics already! I'm also going to introduce Prodigy hydrating lip gloss in this review!

Extreme Sheen Lip Gloss in "Siren"
I LOVE THIS! The color is a perfect red infused with copper (or at least that's how it appears on my lips). The shine is stunning, the pigmentation is BEAUTIFUL. And the smell! I think it smells just like butter cream frosting! It seriously smells so good! I think this color would suit nearly every complexion. It's not overwhelming on my fair skin, and it complements my hair perfectly! It also looked great on my sister who has a very golden olive complexion. I imagine this would look amazing on deep skin tones as well. This is just a really beautiful lip color. I wear reds on my lips often, so I usually top my red lipstick with a bit of this gloss. However, "Siren" is pigmented enough to wear on its own. It feels very comfortable on my lips, not sticky or overly thick. This color = instant glamour.

Prodigy Hydrating Lip Gloss in "Pulse"
This is probably one of the most comfortable lip glosses I have ever worn. The color is a stunning golden pink! The packaging is unlike any other to the exent of my knowledge. It's super slim and very compact and doesn't take up much space! You could probably slide this gloss into the cell phone pocket of your purse, that's how small and thin it is! I think the package packs a lot of pigment for being so tiny! In the photo swatch, notice how pigmented this gloss is! I only used a tiny bit to show the color, and it's just so pigmented! I see myself using this shade very often during this Spring and Summer!

-ashley

Make Up For Ever review

I don't think I have ever met a MUFE product that I didn't like love. The pigmentation is amazing! Actually, I prefer the matte finish eyeshadows to M.A.C matte eyeshadows. For some reason, every M.A.C matte eyeshadow I have seems to fall flat, but I never have this problem with Make Up For Ever. Also, you get a lot more product than you do with M.A.C shadows! The colors are vibrant and a little bit goes a very long way!

Eyeshadow in Yellow Gold (#10)
This is such a gorgeous shimmery yellow! I love pairing it on the inner corners and as a highlight in the center of my lid when I usually do a shimmery green eye. I have noticed that some yellows can be extremely unflattering, but since is this is a very golden yellow, it adds a very beautiful light golden sparkle. I love bold and bright colors but I used to be somewhat hesitant about wearing yellows on my eyes, but this is a very safe shade of yellow. So this would be a great choice for somebody who generally wears neutrals but would like to experiment with brighter and bolder colors...also a great choice for those who love brights! It's a very pretty flattering golden toned yellow that I imagine would suit many skin tones!

Lipstick in Fluorescent Orange Pink (#203)
I have many bright pink lipsticks that I adore, and this is no exception! It's so moisturizing! Most highly pigmented lipsticks with great staying power tend to lack moisture, but this really defies that "standard"! It's a very bright and in-your-face rock star hot pink, but can be blotted down to a sheer bright pink flush. However, most of the fun in sporting such a fun bright shade is wearing it in its full intensity! Prepare to get many compliments while wearing this color. I love it and I have every intention of regularly wearing this color. I have similar shades, but part of its appeal is how comfortable it feels on your lips and how moisturizing it is! Some people dislike lipstick because of the generalization that lipstick looks and feels "heavy", but this doesn't feel heavy or uncomfortable at all! There are several other shades to choose from if such a bright shade isn't your "thing" but I do highly recommend this shade!

Swatches:

 (See how pigmented this eyeshadow is? I swiped the color with my finger only one time and swatched it on my hand, and it packed SO much pigment! I also swatched the lipstick lightly and heavily to show the maximum intensity of the color!)

Illamasqua cosmetics review

Illamasqua is a fairly new brand, still making a name for itself in the States and is proving to be quite a competitor for M.A.C! The pigmentation of the products and the color selections are very impressive!

 Lipstick in "Corrupt"
This color is described as a warm bright pink on the official website, and Sephora describes it as a matte hot pink. I'm a HUGE fan of bold lips and this lipstick is no exception. The lipstick is rich and creamy with beautiful pigmentation. The color is bold and sassy. This lipstick suits both warm and cool tones. I have neutral tones and it really perks up my fair complexion and it looks just as great on my sister who has very warm tones. In the photo swatch below, "Corrupt" and "Temper" are applied on her warm tones. I like to wear this with a magenta lipliner. With a single application, I'm confident that this color will last me for several hours! Due to the matte texture, you can wear it in all of its bold matte glory or gloss it up! I just adore Illamasqua lipstick! You can also find this fun color at Sephora!

 

Intense Lipgloss in "Temper"

This lipgloss is VERY intense as far as pigmentation goes. You only need a little bit to make a colorful and bold impact. I love this bright tangerine gloss, it's perfect for Spring and Summer! I imagine this color could suit both cool and warm tones. On the above photo swatch, it was swatched on a very warm complexion. I think this lipgloss can be dressed up or dressed down, perfect for a warm Spring/Summer day or for a night out! The texture is thick, but not goopy or uncomfortable. The smell is divine. It has a slight fruity smell that I adore. I think this lipgloss will last a long time, a little goes a long way! Orange and tangerine shades were all the rage on the runway in Fashion Week, and this color will make you feel like you're on the catwalk because it's so trendy and surprisingly wearable for being such a bold shade! If oranges aren't your 'thing', don't fret! You're bound to find a color for you, there are so many shades to choose from and Illamasqua also offers many equally sassy and sexy colors in the Sheer Lipgloss collection. I really love Illamasqua!

Power Eye Shadow in "Fame"

 I was surprised at how sheer this eyeshadow is! In the photo swatch, I layered the eyeshadow three times to achieve the color shown. I think the most accurate description for this shade is Granny Smith apple green. It's bright, it's fun, it's the color of Spring/Summer! Due to its sheer coverage, you can wear it as a part of your daytime or nighttime look! Greens and purples are my absolute favorites when it comes to eyeshadow shades, they really bring out the golden flecks in brown eyes! I think this color would look fabulous on every eye color: bringing out the very best from baby blues, gorgeous greens, heavenly hazels and bewitching browns! I also really like the packaging, it's a really sleek black packaging with a clear inlay on the lid! You can check out Fame eyeshadow at Illamasqua.com! 

-Ashley

*These product samples were provided for review. However, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Palladio Beauty Review

I heard about Palladio a few months ago and I was curious! They were kind enough to send me a few products to try out for myself, and to feature on my blog! I was so excited when it arrived in the mail, I opened the package and took in the beautiful sight before me:


Baked Eyeshadow in "Plum"
I loved baked eyeshadows because the color is always very rich and can be applied wet or dry! In the swatch, I applied this eyeshadow both wet and dry so you can see the difference! This shimmery purple hue brings out the gold in my brown eyes. I honestly think the pigmentation of this eyeshadow (when applied wet) is comparable to M.A.C Frost finish eyeshadow. It's such a pretty light, and luminous shade of purple! The color intensity is buildable, perfect for a sheer wash of color or applied heavily to a deeper hue. The shimmer is so gorgeous, probably my favorite aspect of the color. I love shimmery eyeshadows, they have the ability of catching the light in the most flattering of ways. Palladio also has baked eyeshadow trios!
Shop online at Sally Beauty for this item.

Baked Blush in "Blushin"
HG material! I think this blush has an uncanny resemblance to cult fave NARS Orgasm blush. The subtle golden shimmer makes this color extremely flattering. I imagine this color would flatter each and every skintone. I have very fair skin and this blush instantly perks up my complexion! This blush is very buildable. One application offers a very nice golden pink shimmer and you can easily add more to achieve a deeper flush. I use my E.L.F Powder Brush (excellent dupe of M.A.C 187!) to evenly distribute the color in the most flattering way. However, any blush brush will do the job!
Shop online at Sally Beauty for this item.

Tinted Lip Balm in "Golden Pink"
I love golden pinks: blushes, lipsticks, lipglosses...and now I can lip balm to that list! This lip balm is extremely pigmented! One swipe of this and I was quite surprised at how much golden shimmer this little tube of lip balm packs! The golden shimmer slightly reminds me of M.A.C Lipglass in "Nymphette". It's easy to O.D on golden shimmer so only one swipe is all you need! I imagine this tube will last me a very long time due to the pigmentation! It's very moisturizing as well! There are eight colors to choose from (including "Golden Pink"). I think each and every person can find their perfect match!
Shop online at Sally Beauty for this item.

Lip Stain in "Rose"
I LOVE this! With careful application, this resists feathering and smudging pretty well. In fact, I applied this one evening and when I woke up, my lips were still stained a gorgeous pinky red. I was surprised at how natural this lip stain looked. It didn't feel sticky when it was drying like I have experienced with other lip stains. The color is buildable to a deeper pinky red if you desire more color. I think this will suit every skintone: not too overwhelming for fair skin tones (like mine), and very natural looking and flattering for deeper skin tones. I really really like this lip stain. I love the ease of application: simply line your natural lip shape and then fill in! I didn't notice any dryness or discomfort that other lip stains have caused. There are six shades to choose from (including "Rose")! However, I think this one is very universally flattering and definitely worth a try!
Shop online at Sally Beauty for this item.

Lip Slix in "Vixen"
Everything about this lip gloss crayon is a winner for me: the color, the feel of it on my lips, the ease of application and the staying power. Even though it disappeared after eating and drinking, I could see a bit of the color left over. That's extremely impressive for such a glossy crayon! This color is a very pretty light berry color that is semi-sheer yet very buildable. One swipe deposits an impressive amount of color but you can layer it for more intense color. There are six shades to choose from (including "Vixen") and I hope to try the rest of them someday! This glides on very smoothly and it's so easy to apply. Like the other previously mentioned products, I can see this lip gloss crayon suiting all skin tones! One of the things I love so much about Palladio is how universally flattering the colors are!
Shop online at Sally Beauty for this item.

So where can you purchase Palladio products? You can shop online at Sally Beauty, or go to your nearest Sally Beauty store and check out Palladio in person!
To learn more about the brand, check out the official website.

Kimberdoll's Giveaway

 

The Awesome Kimber Doll is having a cute blog giveaway!

Go enter: http://kimber-doll.blogspot.com/2010/02/giveaway.html

125 followers for Chelsey's blog!

Chelsey reached 125 blog followers and she's having a giveaway to celebrate! Go enter:
http://chelistax3.blogspot.com/2010/03/125-follower-giveaway.html

Hey everyone, just wanted to check in and let you know that I have tons of great reviews coming up of brands that I can't wait to share with you all! You may have heard of them or it may be your first time hearing about them, but I'm sure you will LOVE them just as much as I do!

Upcoming Reviews:

Palladio
Hourglass Cosmetics
Illamasqua
Beaute Cosmetics
Makeup For Ever
Lipstick Queen

Now that Spring/Summer is coming up soon, I'm also going to be showcasing some really awesome online stores that carry adorable accessories and fashion items!

Check out the giveaway @ Nik's Beautiful Daze!

Hey everyone! Niki at Nik's Beautiful Daze is holding her first giveaway and she could use some more entries! Please check it out and enter to win a bottle of SkinMD Natural Shielding Lotion! The winter months are pretty rough on skin, so what better to way to combat winter dryness?

Read Niki's detailed review of the lotion and see what she thought of it!

and while you're at Niki's blog, why not enter to win the lotion featured in her review?

-Ashley