Shopping - ELF - Beauty School Line

Here's a little purchase I made on Eyes Lips Face online, they released a ton of new items in their Beauty School line, so I just had to order some goodies! :)
This will probably be my last ELF purchase for a long time, because I'm getting dangerously close to owning every item they have to offer.

China Glaze Urban-Night

Over a week ago I closed the car door on my thumb and I've been itching to paint my nails to cover up this hideous bruising.  So, I decided since my nail is half purple, why not try out one of the latest China Glaze polishes from the Metro collection.  This one is called Urban-Night from the Uptown collection.  It's such a fun shade, not only because I favor dark purples over any other shade of polish - but it's almost exactly the same shade of an eggplant!  And I LOVE eggplants!

This polish had a streaky, thin first coat but after applying the second coat it's completely opaque.  This mani photo was actually taken four days after application, so that explains some of the chipping you see.  In addition, my thumb was throbbing, so I skipped base coat and top coat.

*Product(s) were received for trial/review; these are my honest opinions

Krystal's July Birchbox Review!

 

I really dislike how Birchbox is delivering their boxes so late now, I know it's because they switched delivery companies, but I can still be upset right?  Anyways, it seems that I now get my Birchboxes at the end of each month rather than the beginning of each month as they originally started out doing.  Is it still worth it?  I think so.  Majority of my reviews on the samples are positive with a small percentage of products good enough to buy the full size, and with no spike in monthly fees it's still affordable!

Excerpt from the Birchbox Blog:

Birchbox’s staff happens to be overwhelmingly female (no shock there) so if we’re not talking about beauty, chances are we’re talking about fashion (or tech, or start ups…). We especially love when two of our biggest interests collide, which is why we’re exceptionally proud to be partnering on our July box with one of our favorite designers, Cynthia Rowley.

Here's what I received this month:
Ahava Mineral Hand Cream
Philosophy Purity Made Simple One-Step Facial Cleanser
Redken Shine Flash 02
Zoya Touch Collection Nail Polish in Shay
EXTRA - KIND Almond & Apricot bar

In case you didn't read my blog all about Birchbox, here's the link if you have any questions about it: What is Birchbox?

Ahava Mineral Hand Cream
I immediately put this hand cream near our bathroom sink for my BF and I to use.  Aside from the minerally-scent, it's a hydrating, smooth and non-greasy hand cream.  We've been using it every day and night and have been liking it, but I still find that my hands get dry through out the day, so the hydration factor does wear off.  I like the hand cream, but I won't be purchasing the full size because I don't care for the scent, and I have other hand creams that keep our hands smooth all day.

Philosophy Purity Made Simple One-Step Facial Cleanser
I was excited to use this cleanser as my staple cleanser ran out and I was in the process of ordering another one online.  This cleanser gets a lot of rave reviews as a gentle cleanser and can be used in many ways other than a facial cleanser.  I was able to remove my makeup and cleanse my face, but unfortunately it broke me out really bad.  I was surprised by the scent though, it was not very appealing, it almost smelt faintly of rubbing alcohol almost.  Overall, it's a nice cleanser, but I won't be buying the full size.

Redken Shine Flash 02
Honestly, I only used this product twice because the smell is just too offensive to handle.  I barely noticed a shine, but I did notice the stench stayed in my hair all day and it was so embarrassing to have stinky hair!  I definitely wouldn't recommend this or ever purchase the full size.

Zoya Touch Collection Nail Polish in Shay

I had my eyes on the Touch collection ever since Temptalia featured it on her blog weeks before the release, I even tried to hold back on pre-ordering the sampler set.  I was attracted to these polishes because CND got me into a nude phase, but realizing that nudes can look a little unhealthy against my skin tone, I decided not to buy into the Touch collection.  After trying on this Zoya polish in the shade Shay, I realized this nude is a very pretty nude, but it just didn't suit my style.  I posted this polish as a NOTD and a lot of people liked it, but in real life I felt like I didn't have nails.  The shade blended into my cuticles so well that it almost looked like I was nail-less from a distance.  The shade is pretty, but I won't be buying any of the Touch polishes.

EXTRA - KIND Almond & Apricot bar
This bar was SUPER delicious!  I ate it the night that I got my box, and it was sooo good!  I love dried fruit, nuts and chewy snacks!  I've heard a lot of people like the brand Kind, and this is actually my first time hearing of them, but I will definitely keep an eye out for this brand in the future.

Here's the video, hope you all enjoy!

Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Repair Moisturizer

When I frantically ordered a new bottle of my all time favorite cleanser, the Juice Beauty Cleansing Milk, I got a free sample packet of the Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Repair Moisturizer.  I was able to get 3 good uses out of this packet, and I really love this moisturizer!  It's a gentle, organic moisturizer that is supposed to repair DNA damage and boost new cell growth.  I don't really have any 'damaged' areas, but I used this on my face after my cleansing routine.  My skin is very sensitive and this moisturizer did not irritate it at all.  The moisturizer does have a slight tingly feeling, but not in a burning sort of way - perfect for my super sensitive face!  OMG!  And the scent... It smells like yummy, tart lemons!  [swooning]  It didn't even feel greasy or filmy by the end of the day - I haven't been wearing makeup for a few weeks, just my moisturizers.  The only negative thing I would say about this moisturizer is that the full size item is $65.00, that's pretty steep to me for a lotion.  If I could afford this moisturizer, I would definitely buy it and recommend it to people with sensitive skin.  It's hard to find a moisturizer that doesn't irritate sensitive skin types, and this one is definitely safe to apply even after an exfoliation session.

Product Description: A proprietary blend of fruit stem cells deeply penetrates the skin to repair DNA damage and encourage new cell growth to aggressively firm and eliminate wrinkles. Antioxidant-rich fruit juices, fat-soluble Vitamin C and plant oils hydrate and improve elasticity for lasting, advanced age defy results.

ELF Daily Brush Cleaner & Brush Shampoo

I've purchased a few of these cleaners and have yet to review them.  This review will be short and sweet because I don't have much time to type this out.  Pretty much, I've been using these cleaners since earlier this year, and these two bottles photographed are my second ones, back ups that I had purchased during a 50% off sale.

The daily cleaner spray is very gentle on my low end and high end brushes, it picks up layered on makeup with ease, I only need a few spritz per brush, and the fragrance is pleasant - not chemically or over powering.  The brush shampoo I actually prefer more than my baby shampoo, it's gentle, the fragrance is soft and it lathers very nicely, it also leaves my brushes soft and not dried out like some shampoos tend to do.  I personally don't put conditioner on my brushes because I don't like the idea of build up on my makeup brushes that touch my face, so it's great that these cleaners don't dry out my brushes.

For this review, I cleaned three brushes with different makeup mediums on them; eyeshadow, concealer and brow powder.  All three brushes were spot cleaned with the ELF Daily Brush Cleaner, and all three brushes are makeup free, clean, soft and ready to be used.  These cleaners are awesome, and for $3.00 each a total bargain!

TAG! Would You Rather

About a month ago, I read this tag on Christine's blog aka Makeup, Beauty & Fashion.  I've seen it on other blogs and youtubes ever since, and I've been wanting to do this tag ever since reading it on Christine's blog!  So, now that I'm getting back into blogging on my beauty blog, I thought a tag post would be a great way to ease back into it!

Hope you enjoy and I definitely tag EVERYONE because I would love to read your responses!

1) Would you rather lose all of your mascaras, eyeliners, lipsticks, and lip-glosses or lose all of your palettes and eye shadows?
This is an easy one for me - I would totally rather lose my palettes and eye shadows.  I most often reach for mascara, liners and lipsticks anyways - so giving up shadows is almost too easy.  Plus, I couldn't wear shadows without the finishing touches of mascara and liners.

2) Would you rather chop off all your hair or never be able to cut it again?
I've always threatened to chop off all my hair because of how frustrated my hair makes me feel, but I've only chopped it to a bob maybe 3-4 times in my entire life... and every time I cut it short, I quickly regret it.  So, I would definitely never cut it again because even now I'm anxious to get my long hair back!

My hair back in 2004

3) Would you rather have a coral cheek or a pink cheek?
I'd rather rock the coral cheek - my skin tone works better with coral than pink

4) If you had $1000 to spend, would you rather buy clothes or makeup?
Funny enough, I wouldn't spend it on makeup like many of you and even myself would assume.  I have a rather large collection of cosmetics, and barely any clothes (my dresser and closet aren't even full from my lack of clothing!).  I would most definitely buy myself heaps of super cheap clothes to broaden my attire :)

5) Would you rather apply lipstick as eyeliner or eyeliner as lipstick?
Hm... this is a tough one... I think I could handle eyeliner as lipstick.  But of course it would have to be colors other than black and brown, lol!


6) Would you rather only shop at MAC or Sephora?
Definitely MAC!  I don't find many things I like at Sephora, mostly because I love Ulta (they offer more sales and freebies!).  I already use a lot of MAC makeup and skincare products, so that wouldn't be a hard transition.

7) Would you rather only use one eye shadow color or one lip color the rest of your life?
I can easily use just one shadow color forever!  And if you're interested in that color - it would definitely be MAC's Swish; I've used it almost 24/7 back when I first bought it and I've used it as blush and highlight so it's definitely a shade I can use non stop.

8) Would you rather wear winter clothes in summer or summer clothes in winter?
Living in the Bay Area (CA), winter isn't as severe as it is in other states.  I've always worn tanks and flip flops all year round - but I definitely could not wear winter clothes in summer.

9) Would you rather have dark nails or bright nails all year round?
I think I'd rather see dark polish on my nails all year round, mostly because darks are pretty neutral to me - I can see myself getting sick of brights a lot quicker than darks, hahaha!

10) Would you rather give up your favorite lip product or your favorite eye product?
I wouldn't be happy if I had to give up my favorite mascara.  Even if I'm not wearing makeup but I still want to look polished, I'll just apply one layer of mascara and WALA! I look much more awake! :)  My lip products, I can easily do without.

11) Would you rather only be able to wear your hair in a ponytail or a messy bun?
Messy bun.  Didn't have to think much about that one.  Having long hair all my life I've always mastered the bun-do.  Plus, I have super straight hair and a ponytail just makes my big head stand out even more, hahaha!

I rocked messy buns back in High School!

12) Would you rather never be able to paint your nails again or never use lip-gloss?
Never use lip gloss - so easy!  I already dislike lip gloss the most out of all makeup products.  Back in the day (like in 2005) I was big on gloss, but that only lasted a couple years.

Touching up my gloss in 2005

13) Would you rather shave your eyebrows and have none at all? Or sharpie them in everyday?
I would definitely Sharpie them in.  Years ago I would say this, but because Sharpie now has a huge variety of colors to choose from and they have fine tip pens, I think I could use my artistic skills to sketch on some pretty realistic brows :)


14) Would you rather live without makeup or nail polish?
I don't think I would miss nail polishes as much as I would miss makeup - I've loved makeup since I was little and bought the play makeup from Toys R Us!  I can't imagine my life now without even one item of makeup.

ELF Studio Lip Stain

I have been wanting to try the ELF Studio Lip Stains for a long time, but I just never got around to picking one up.  During ELF's gigantic birthday sale, I picked up all the shades, and I must say, there are a few must-have shades for my collection.  Unfortunately though, there's a good portion of the collection I personally could do without.

The ELF Studio Lip Stains are $3.00ea and come in eight shades; Birthday Suit, Bombshell, Fashionista, First Date, Heartbreaker, Lucky Lady, Mysterious, Red Carpet.  The packaging is sleek as is most of the Studio line items, but I didn't care for how the two tubes twisted into the center piece because the corners didn't line up and it made it look cheaper in quality - this wouldn't prevent me from buying it, but in my drawer of lips products, these are the only ones that are crooked.  The closures of the product are nice and tight so I am hoping these don't dry out anytime soon because it seems very sturdy.

Some of the formulations were very thin and streaky and needed at least two coats to look opaque, whereas a few of them felt more like a cream gloss consistency - those I actually preferred more.  I only found that two shades were pigmented enough for just one coat of application; Bombshell and Red Carpet.  I did notice that a lot of these shades applied almost neon - my camera settings couldn't capture how bright they are; the brightest shades are Birthday Suit, Fashionista, First Date, and Red Carpet isn't neon but it sure is bright.  The clear gloss end, I was definitely not impressed with, but a gloss at $3 didn't have my expecting too much.  It's a thinner gloss that doesn't seem to last very long, and the applicator is very tough and almost removes the stain you are topping off.

Description: Achieve full coverage that lasts for hours with this long-wear formula. Enjoy silky matte color or layer on the moisturizing clear gloss for a shiny look. With key Vitamins A & E your lips stay smooth all day long.
Directions: Apply the Stain to bare lips and allow to dry for a matte finish. Apply the clear gloss on top of the color for a shiny effect and to moisturize the lips if needed. Remove with any oil or cream based makeup remover or cleanser.

LA Girl Indulge, LA Girl Inspire

As most of you know I have been feeling icky for the past few weeks, which has made beauty blogging almost impossible to do.  I really do miss posting everyday, but I have not been able to sit and photograph products or even do my makeup since a couple weeks ago.

blah blah blah :) I have been keeping up my personal blog though, so if you're interested in my life or my baby or my pregnancy you can check that out here: Life By Krystal

Now for my NOTD!
I had received these polishes a while back from LA Girl, and am finally getting around to trying them out.  The consistency of these polishes is pretty nice, very easy to apply and only needs two layers to be opaque.  The glitter polish is nice as well, not all goopy like some others I own.  It is packed with glitters so it's very easy to get a good coverage.

Base Coat: Ruby Kisses Base Coat
Top Coat: CND Super Shiny Top Coat

*Product(s) were received for trial/review; these are my honest opinions

Cult Nails Let Me Fly, China Glaze Oxidized Aqua

I have been rocking this manicure for 2 weeks, chips and all! I love blue polish, and this combo totally had me sold! I rarely keep a manicure on for this long, but the look and the lasting power of these polishes was just too good to remove.
I have 2 coats of Cult Nails in Let Me Fly with 1 coat of China Glaze Crackle Glaze in Oxidized Aqua

The Cult Nails polish is a gorgeous color even on it's own. And the formulation is perfect, so I can see why these bottles are $10 each!

The China Glaze Metal Crackle polish is so awesome! I wasn't a huge fan of the formulation they first came out with, it was thick, goopy and dried to a rubbery texture. This Metal collection is much thinner just like a polish should be, and doesn't have that rubbery feeling after drying. This collection has made me a crackle liker for sure!

Base Coat: Ruby Kisses Base Coat
Top Coat: CND Super Shiny Top Coat