Find Me On Social Media

Showing posts with label Nail Polish. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nail Polish. Show all posts

Thursday, April 2, 2015

March Beauty Favorites!!

Welcome back, beauties!

I'm so sorry I haven't posted in a few days. What a slacker! That's why I wanted today's post to be a collection of products that I can talk about. This is my first time doing a monthly favorites blog, and we'll see how it goes. If it does well, I will certainly do one at the end of every month!

I cannot believe March is already over, I feel like it was just March first! Needless to say, there have been so many products that I've purchased and tested throughout this month. Here are my favorites that I have been obsessed with, and using consistently throughout this entire month!





This is the first time I've also provided you all with direct links to purchase these products. I used links from Ulta Beauty and Sephora, but you can shop around and find them in other places as well! 

First, I'll start with the most used product: The It Cosmetics Naturally Pretty Vol. 1 Matte Luxe Transforming Eye Shadow Palette! 

I just love this palette. I've owned it for about a year now. It's always been a go-to palette, and especially within the last month, I've pretty much used this every day. I love the colors. They're very fresh and spring-like to me. It's a beautiful mix of pinks, brows, mauves, taupes, and your little pops of color like the Violet and the Noir. The palette itself is SO versatile. I cannot even begin to tell you how many looks you can create using these 14 shades+ Transforming Pearl. 

The shadows themselves are anti-aging silk-infused matte shadows, but the fun thing is, you can mix the Transforming Pearl shadow with any of the mattes, and it turns the shadow into a soft pearl! The shadows are Talc-free, Paraben-free, fragrance-free, Sulfate-free, and cruelty-free! 

They hold Hydrating Age Reverse and Prevent Complex. They're infused with Peptides, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Silk, Anti-Oxidents, and Drops of Light Technology. They do not crease, they do not crack, and they do not settle into fine lines! That's quite a bit of goodness, right?! :) 


I just truly love it! The colors are beautiful. The photo does not do them justice. It's a bright, fresh look for any eye color. Perfect for Spring and Summer time! 

The palette runs for $48.00 at Ulta Beauty. A little pricey, but I definitely stand by this product. I've used some of these colors daily for a year now, and I'm not close to hitting pan on any shade!

Next up, I'll talk about the Mally Beauty Perfect Prep Poreless Primer, from my fav makeup guru, Mally Roncal! 


I just love this primer! My aunt had gifted this to me in September for my birthday, so I've obviously owned it prior to shooting the Rachael Ray show with Mally in December. I use this product daily. I own a few different primers from different brands, but I'd say this primer is definitely my every day go-to buddy. 

It's so weightless, so smooth, and I love that it doesn't turn me into a greased chicken! I have a strong dislike for greasy, slimy, slippery face primers. Yuck! That's why I was so happy when I discovered Mally's! 

It minimizes fine lines, wrinkles, and pores. It has the slightest, slightest shimmer to it that gives you a brightened glow-from-within look. Another aspect of it that I love: it doesn't dry you out! I hate primers that suck the life and moisture out of your skin. this primer is actually hydrating. It definitely keeps my makeup in place all day. 

Bonus secret: You can apply this primer after you perform your nightly skin routine to lock all of the moisture and products in! This is definitely a great primer to use as your beginning step in your makeup routine, and as the final step after your skincare routine. I love it! 

It runs for $35.00 for 1 oz. at Ulta Beauty! 

Next up, we have the It Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye!
(For whatever reason, my tube flattens on the side. In order to allow you see see the tube, I had to hold it for you! Ignore my un-manicured nails)


I was also gifted this product from my aunt about three weeks ago and I've been loving it ever since! 
I had always seen this product being sold on QVC, and it's always received rave-reviews. I wanted to give it a try! I couldn't be happier. I use the shade Neutral Medium, definitely a forgiving shade. 

This concealer is heavenly. I have struggled for SO long with concealers that crease and crack. I'd set them, I'd apply less, I'd apply more, I'd blend like crazy, and they always creased! Until I found the Bye Bye Under Eye Concealer, that is! This product does not crease on me. At. All.

It's completely full coverage, with a beautifully hydrating and creamy consistency. Not only is it great at concealing dark under-eyes, but it's also great for concealing any blemishes, dark spots, and imperfections. You could even use it as an all over foundation if you want! It's award-winning, anti-aging, infused with Hydrolyzed Collagen, vitamins C and K, and diffuses the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

I also just HAVE to rave about the lifespan of the product. For $24.00 at Ulta Beauty, you get a .28 fl.oz. tube. The tube is huge! You only need such a small amount, it blows my mind every time. I only squeeze a teeny tiny, freckle-size amount on the back of my hand, and I can conceal my under eyes, and blemishes with just that little squeeze. This... I cannot rave about it enough. It amazes me. It gives a whole new meaning to "a little goes a long way." It's well worth $24.00 to me! I think I'll own this forever! 

Next up, the Urban Decay Naked Skin Ultra Definition Powder Foundation! 


I only purchased this product about a week ago after seeing a beauty vlogger talk about it, but I've been loving it so much, I decided to throw it into my favorites post! 

This foundation is so lightweight and feathery, yet it gives such great/beautiful coverage. It doesn't even feel like you have foundation on, but I can definitely see a major difference in my skin! It comes with a little sponge (I personally never use those sponges that come with powder foundations, I use a Kabuki brush to buff it into the skin.) I feel buffing it in gives you a more natural/even/your-skin-but-better look. There are a tone of shades to choose from! I am in Fair Neutral because we remember that I am Casper's sister. 

It's a demi-matte full coverage foundation. And it definitely, definitely lasts all day! The long wear is amazing with this product! It has a velvety formula that allows it to be build able. This foundation can be applied wet or dry using the sponge, though I'm satisfied with applying it dry, I don't believe I'll ever try applying it wet. It doesn't leave your skin looking dusty or cakey, it just lays beautifully on the skin. I'm so pleased! 

It is formulated with coated micro-milled powders, and it diffuses light to blur the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. And also, it's Paraben-free!
This product runs for $36.00 at Sephora. It also comes with a full-size mirror as well as a protective pouch! (Shown in photo above.)

We're almost done here, haha! Three more products to rave about. Annnnnnd GO!

The Josie Maran Argan Creamy Concealer Crayon



In my latest haul , I talked about how I had purchased two different shades of these concealer crayons as a part of Josie Maran's new contouring campaign. I admit that I haven't really been using the lighter shade for any concealing or highlighting duties (I promise I will start), but I have been LOVING the darker shade for some quick contouring on the cheek bones! 

I purchased Medium 2 as my contour shade, and it works beautifully. All I do is draw one line right on the cheek bone, and simply blend out with my fingers! It's so quick and easy. Be on the lookout for a contour and highlighting post using the Argan Creamy Concealers. Once I start using the lighter crayon again, I'm going to make a post about that within the next few weeks! 

The Argan Creamy Concealer Crayons are $20.00 at Sephora. It's a great price for the product. Since the crayon is infused with %100 pure Argan Oil, you're receiving essential amino acids, fatty acids, hydration, and benefits galore! Plus, the product itself will last you a very long time.

Next up, I wanted to mention a perfume that I've just been loving. Philosophy Loveswept!


I mean, let's just talk about the bottle itself. Is that not gorgeous? I love it! 

I just love this scent. It's very fresh and light, and very romantic. I guess that's why it was named Loveswept, haha! I think it's just a beautiful scent, and I've really been loving it. I received two compliments while wearing it just yesterday! 

I own the 2fl.oz. bottle that runs for $48.00 at Sephora. They have several different sizes, smaller and larger, and you can definitely find this perfume in a gift set at QVC! 

It is described as "sparkling lightness meets a beautiful spring bouquet." It has warm, sensual notes of Bergamot, Blue Violet, Lotus Blossom, Pink Jasmine, Purple Passion Fruit, Skin Musk, Creamy Amber, and White Cedarwood. 

It's just a sparkling, dazzling, and romantic scent! I really love this scent, as well as many other Philosophy scents, so I wanted to share with my fellow fragrance lovers looking for a new scent for Spring!

Finally, I wanted to share a little nail care product that I've been loving this past month. The Perfect Formula Pink Gel Coat!

This is a nail strengthener and brightener with tint of pink that gives your nails a beautiful natural glow, shine, and pink tint, while strengthening them and providing them with essential vitamins and nutrients that help your nails to grow healthy and happy! This is a Protein- rich and Keratin-rich formula, infused with an optical brightener that filters out the dull-yellow appearance of nails. It brings out the natural color of your nail beds (hence, the pink tint) and it makes the whites of your nails appear whiter. 

I love this product! It's really helped my nails grow tremendously, and I know that they will not break when I have this product on keeping them strong and beautiful! It's worked wonders for my nails, and I highly recommend this for anyone with weak, dull, short nails!

It's Paraben-free, Sulfate-free, Synthetic Fragrance-free, Phthalates-free, GMO-free, and Triclosan-free! Not only is it amazingly beneficial for your nails, it's also free of all of those icky chemicals that are present in most nail polishes. 

This product runs for $30.00 at Sephora for a 0.6fl. oz. bottle, but can be found in gift sets at QVC!

So there you have it, my March Favorites! I hope you enjoyed, and I hope you'll give one of two products a try. Let me know if you will! And share with me YOUR March favorites! :)

Until next time, stay beautiful!
Christina Bracco
xoxoxoxo

For PR inquiries, comments, questions, suggestions, please email: Christina.f.b@aol.com or fill out a Contact Form in the sidebar!

This post was not sponsored.

INSTAGRAM <---- CLICK HERE AND FOLLOW!!

TWITTER <---- CLICK HERE AND FOLLOW!!

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Beauty Haul: Sephora, QVC, Kiko, NYX, Urban Decay, Makeup Forever, Josie Maran, Coastal Scents!

Welcome back, beauties!

Today's post is all about a mini haul that I did over the weekend.

Though, I'm not sure what constitutes a HAUL and a MINI HAUL.

I think I may have a mini haul. What do you think?

The Coastal Scents Revealed 2 Palette is not pictured with the rest of the products because I received it from Amazon the day after these photos were taken. Originally, I was not going to include it in the haul, but changed my mind last minute :)

I kept myself, and my wallet, very busy this weekend. Some of these products are things I have already used and just needed to replenish, while others are first time purchases. 

We shall start at Sephora. It seems as though every time I go into Sephora for something specific, I come out with more than necessary. Does that happen to you? 

Side note: While writing this, I've just realized that these are the first Urban Decay products I've ever purchased. 

I went to Sephora to purchase Urban Decay's Heavy Metal Glitter Liner in the color Distortion. I had heard a lot about this liner, and I've been really into sparkles lately, maybe due to the holiday's (?) I don't know, but I wanted to give it a try. And so far I am loving it! It just adds a fun little extra pop to your eyes. What I find great about this product is that it has multi-purposes. You can wear it on it's own, with shadows, as a liner, over other liners, or you can throw it all over your lid if you're feeling extra sparkly. I have a swatch of it below! But I really recommend it. It runs for $20.00 at Sephora. 


Next, I purchased the Urban Decay Anti-Aging Eyeshadow Primer Potion in a "Travel size"
Seriously, don't you just LIVE for the bins along the checkout line of Sephora? I always find such goodies there. I bought a "travel" size of this eyeshadow primer because I was previously using another eyeshadow primer that I really disliked, so I wanted to start small to be sure that I liked this before I bought a full size. I've yet to use it, but I've heard great things, so I'll let you know how it goes! Also, I know, I know. "You're 22. You don't need anti-aging." But due to my always wearing eye makeup and tugging on my poor lids to remove it, I figured I'd give them a little extra help. The primer is photographed above, I didn't think the primer needed its own photo, haha. The travel size runs for $13.00 at Sephora.

Finally, I was VERY happy to finally purchase the Makeup Forever Rouge Artist Natural in color N9 (Copper Pink). I had first tried this product when I received it back in September for my birthday gift from Sephora along with the Makeup Forever mascara, and fell in love with it!
The difference between my mini sample and the full size

 I use this color ALL the time. I just love it. I have been trying to get my hands on it for such a long time, but it was always sold out both online and in stores. Finally, this weekend, I spotted the LAST one all the way in the back of the display and snatched it as fast as I could. This color is such a beautiful cool copper tone, but not too dark or brown. It has such a slight hint of pink to it. It has a slight shine, and is very hydrating on the lips. It doesn't leave them dry. I believe this color would work with all skin tones. A big plus! It runs for $20.00 on Sephora. 

Here's a wonky swatch of the Makeup Forever N9 lipstick and the Urban Decay Heavy Glitter Liner in Distortion. SO beautiful!!

Next, I'll move on to QVC! 

So, last week Josie Maran was on QVC with a Today's Special Value that I just HAD to purchase, and it arrived over the weekend! 

For those of you who don't know, a Today's Special Value (TSV) is an amazing deal on an amazing product or kit at a discounted price for ONE DAY ONLY. We all know from my previous post about Josie Maran Argan Oil that I love all of her products. I was sold. 


Josie Maran Argan Oil Pure Complexion 5 Piece Collection!!

This five piece collection was to live for. They're all full sized products, one is even a supersize! 

If purchased separately, this 5 piece collection would come to $213.00. As the TSV, it was being sold for… wait for it… $69.96. SAY WHAT?! How could you resist?! 

Now, before diving in, I will say that since the TSV price is no longer, the price went up to $76.96. Only a few more dollars. Still an amazing deal if you ask me!

Okay, so what do we get in this amazing collection? 


This collection includes:
  • A full size bottle of 100% Pure Argan Oil
  • A full size bottle of the Josie Maran Argan Cleansing Oil
  • A SUPERSIZE bottle of the Josie Maran Argan Matchmaker Serum Foundation 
  • Foundation brush exclusive to QVC until April 1st, 2015
  • Full size Argan Color Stick in Love: An exclusive shade to QVC
I was very excited about this collection, because it has products that I needed to replenish, and products that I've been wanting to try, but haven't yet. 

I will not go into the important benefits of Josie Maran's 100% Pure Argan Oil again. To read my in-depth post about that, click HERE: ARGAN

I've yet to try the Cleansing Oil, but I've read countless reviews and heard countless testimonies about it. All good things! I'm running low on the current cleanser I am using, so once I officially run out, I shall switch to this cleanser and let you know how I like it :)

Can we just talk about the Matchmaker Foundation + brush. I've yet to use the blush, but I purchased the foundation on its own at Sephora. The difference between the full size and the supersize in this kit is amazing.
The left is the supersize from QVC, the right is the regular full size from Sephora

You can only get the supersize in this specific collection. 

The great thing about this foundation is the magic of it. As it says in the name, it is a "matchmaker foundation." It goes on white, and as you blend it in, it melts into your skin and color corrects to match your skin tone. It's amazing! Another great thing: There are only 3 shades for every single skin tone in the world.
  • Fair/Light
  • Light/Medium
  • Medium/Dark
Just like that, everyone is covered. Due to the color correcting pigments, only 3 shades are needed. 
I really enjoy this foundation. It provides full coverage, and it's build-able without caking due to its serum texture. It's very easily blended, and feels very lightweight on the skin. And because it contains 100% Pure Argan Oil, it keeps your skin moisturized throughout the day. YES! On its own, the regular full size goes for $42.00 at Sephora or QVC. 

Finally, the Argan Color Stick in "Love." I've been wanting to try the Josie Maran color sticks for a while! I have the Argan Infinity Lip And Cheek Creamily Oil in a few colors and love them. This Color Stick has multiple purposes! You can pop it on your cheeks and just blend it in lightly with your fingers, or you can apply it to your lips as a lip color. The color is just a beautiful mauvey pink and it smells yummy too. (But please don't eat it.)

All in all, I seriously recommend this kit to anyone who wants to try Josie Maran products and get a great deal!

Next, I purchased the NYX Dewy Finishing Spray from Target. I really love this finishing spray. I've purchased it before, but was running low, so I stocked up. It is photographed in the first picture. There's not much to say other than that I love to set my makeup with this when I'm finished applying. I love a good dewy finish, girl yaaaaaas.

Next up, we've got two nail polish's from Kiko Makeup From Milano. A Kiko just recently opened in my local mall, and I really love this store! Their products are pretty good quality, and great dupes for many more expensive brands. 

I was looking for darker pinkish colors that I could wear in the Fall/Winter, because all of the pink polishes I own are Spring/Summer pinks. Way too bright for this time of year. 

I should just state this now: I am a nail polish hoarder. I live for nail polish. I change it up constantly, and I own way too many. That being said, I love Kiko polishes! They've got a great selection,  and they're very pigmented. You can get away with one coat. They dry quickly and don't chip easily. Most importantly, they're around $4-$5 dollars, I can't remember exactly. Way cheaper than other brands, and just as good of quality! I highly recommend them.

Left: 317/ Right: 375

And finally, I purchased the Coastal Scents Revealed 2 Palette.


Love the packaging!!

 I haven't tried any of the shadows out yet, since I just received it in the mail yesterday, but I'm very excited! (Thank you, Brittany, for the suggestion!) I haven't even swatched it yet, because it's so pretty I'm not ready to taint it, haha!  But the colors look beautiful, I'm loving it. I love any great palette that has both matte and shimmer shadows! I'm so excited to try these. And I got it for $19.00 on Amazon ($20.00 if you include tax.) All of those shadows for $20? Don't mind if I do!! 


That was a lot to absorb, right? It was a lot to write, haha. But I hope I sparked your interest with some products! Let me know if you're going to give any a try! Also, if you have any products that you recently purchased that you've been loving, I'd love to hear some recommendations! :)

I hope you enjoyed this haul. I enjoyed writing it!

Until Friday, stay gorgeous! 

Christina Bracco
xoxoxoxo

For PR inquiries, comments, questions, suggestions, please email: Christina.f.b@aol.com or fill out the Contact Form on the side of the blog.

TWITTER <---- CLICK AND FOLLOW ME HERE!

INSTAGRAM  <----- CLICK AND FOLLOW ME HERE!

FACEBOOK  <----- ADD ME HERE!