Have You Tried This Yet? Sean John Empress Fragrance

Greetings!

Besides cosmetics I am a lover of all things fragrance.  I believe that the next best thing to having a great face is to always have a pleasant scent, they're both complementary, you could have one without the other but why smell bad but look good, makes no sense, right?  Right.  I obsess over the next great scent and I admire fragrance collections held by men and women, especially older women.  Older women just seem to know what type of scent exudes class, sexiness, and mystery.  Anytime that I can take a spray at my mother's collection I make sure that I'm taking notes so I know just what to look for the next time I'm at the counter. 
Today I bring you an eau de parfum that has kept me immersed in grandiose thoughts of power, want that same feeling?  Here it goes.....

Sean John Empress has been on the scene since the summer of 2011 and I was so excited to get the female counterpart to I Am King, the cologne for men in the same line.  I always thought that I Am King was delectable on a man and before it was released I knew I had to have it.  Luckily for me while I was in DC for the summer my "connect" got it for me about a week earlier than its expected release date.  I almost didn't want to wear it because it was so pretty and smelled so intriguing, but alas, I must.

The sizes available are 1.7 ounces and 3.4 ounces ranging from $45 to $70 at high end retailers, such as Macy's, Nordstrom, and Dillard's, typical, nothing new here.  I got the 1.7 ounces since I'm trying to be reasonable in my usage.  It does have a pop top, pop top meaning that you can just pop it off in order to expose the spray button to use.  The packaging is simple but pretty epic, I'm a sucker for gold packaging and this is no different.

Now for the smell, this is where it gets complicated.  How does one describe a scent??  Well, let's just say this, the smell is powerful, not powerful in the sense that it smells too strong, oh no, powerful in that when you walk into a room people will realize it and want to flock to you.  Men will eagerly follow the route to you to talk to you.  Women will stop their conversations in order to find out who you are.  Kids will be alarmed and remain silent when you pass.  Yup, it's THAT serious.  It's a sexy demure that comes with this perfume and that alone is reason to get one for yourself.

The fragrance notes consist of vanilla, sandalwood, and peony, all that contribute to an oriental fragrance, the types that I normally go for.  If you're a fan of these kinds of scents, go for it and get you a bottle or two ;).  Valentine's Day is around the corner.......here's a way to feel even sexier when you're out on your date.  

What do you say?  Yay or Nay? 

New Kid on the Block--Maybelline 24 Hour Tattoo Eyeshadow

Greetings!

By now I'm sure you've heard of these babies and I am no different.  When they first came out I was interested but as they started to pop up on my favorite bloggers sites I became even more interested and got one, then I got two, then that lead me to getting one more.  That's really not how I wanted it to be but when you go to 5 Walgreens, 2 CVS' and a WalMart (not on the same day) because every stand has been ramsacked then it happens. :(

Needless to say I'm happy with the ones I have and I'm still contemplating on whether I should get two more, Audacious Asphalt and Too Cool, if you have those let me know if I should get them in the comments :). 

There's not much to say about these yet because I have yet to use them on my lids, that'll change this week and I'll let you all know how it goes.  I have heard them being compared to MAC's paint pots, we'll see......that's a loud claim that I'm skeptical about. 

Enough of the yapping, here are the goods:

Left to Right: Painted Purple, Tough As Taupe, Bold Gold, Fierce & Tangy

Upon swatching I do notice that these are really creamy, no scents, and are kind of hard to wipe off, I guess that's why they're 24 hours tattoos.  I'm with it! 

Do you see any colors that suit your fancy?  My favorite is Tough as Taupe!  :)

What's Blacker than Black?

Greetings!

It's hump day again and you know what that means! :)

This week I decided to go for a universally flattering nail color-black.  I forgot just how simple and chic this color is on the nails, what makes it even better is if it's REALLY black.  In the past, I would always use what you may call a "pale" black.  What I mean by this is that it would never be a true black but instead a very streaky and thin black.  Well, that was years ago before I knew any better and now I'm here to tell you that I've seen the light, and it is super!

The nail color is from the Wet N Wild Fast Dry Line available at Walgreens.  Within one stroke of this polish I knew that this would be love.  Turns out that this is supposed to dry faster than other polishes in their nail polish lines.  I really can't vouch for that since I've only tried this one and because I ALWAYS give my nails up to 30 minutes to dry.

The name is kind of strange though.  I mean I get it but then again I don't.  Ebony can also be used when referring to the color Black.  But where in the world did 'Ebony Hates Chris' come from Wet N Wild?!  Not that it matters but it is an educated observation, lol.  It took me two coats to get this opacity, no streaks, nada.  I did notice that it gets clumpy during application and that required that I shake it in between coats.  I'm not a fan of thick polish but hey, I have a simple remedy for that (post coming soon).  ;)

To switch things up a bit I opted to go for silver tips this week.  For this I used Milani's Nail Art in 'Art of Silver'.  Super easy way to add a twist onto the basic solid nail color.  I think it came out great.  And if you were wondering, CVS is having a BOGO 1/2 off sale for some Milani products this week.

There it goes for the week ladies!  What say you??  Yay or Nay?

*I was not compensated for this post and the items featured were purchased by me with my own funds.  I am not a representative of this company or its brand.*

Gimme Those Lips Milani!

Greetings!

Thank goodness it's Friday!  I really hope that you ladies enjoyed this week and did all that you could to make it worthwhile.  Now on to the deets of the day.  How many of you love a good lip?  I mean a bangin' lip?  Don't be shy, because I've got five lip colors that you will GAG for honey!  After this post you'll be strolling up and down your local drugstore trying to look for these colors for you, your mama, AND your cousins too!  Shout-outs to OutKast!  There I go, off on a tandem......

The lip colors that I've come to share with you all are from Milani Cosmetics, a cosmetics brand that I have fallen in love with over the past year and a half.  I was first introduced to Milani Cosmetics when I was a freshman in high school using their XL Bronzer in Half Tan as an all over face powder.  Since then I have restocked about three times, it's THAT big.  Hey, go big or go home!

Now these lipsticks are nothing short of amazing, they are all creamy and very pigmented, and for those of you that like a creamy finish, yeah, they've got that too.  And to make things better I would venture to say that out of the five about three of them are dupes for some of your favorite MAC lipsticks. SCORE!

On to the topic at hand:



First off, let us talk about this packaging.  I'm in love, I love gold packaging.  :)  It is sturdy and reminds me of a luxury brand packaging with the Milani imprint and the matte and shiny combination.  Job well done Milani!  On the bottom is a sticker with the name of the color that is also the color of the lipstick.

Look at all that goodness!  But wait, there's more.  Here are the swatches:

Rose Hip is definitely one of my favorites because of its opacity.  One swipe will literally give you the coverage that you need and more than one will give you those pouty and bright lips if you're of that bold nature.  ;)  This color doesn't stain and even if it did, I wouldn't mind.  It lasts about three hours on me before I need to reapply.  I have heard it being compared to MAC's Petals & Peacocks from the Liberty of London collection which is limited edition.  Here are swatches and reviews courtesy of Temptalia.

Milani-Rose Hip

Creamy Cocoa is my least favorite because it is so frosty.  However, I do find that it works beautifully as a layering color for orange lipsticks.  It lasts for up to three hours as well.  From the top of my head I would say that this can compare to MAC's O, though O does seem more bronzey in appearance.

Milani-Creamy Cocoa

Magenta Madness is a lovely color, of course I may be biased as purple is one of my favorite lipstick colors to wear.  This swatch is a very good representation of the color as I feel it picks up the duochhrome aspect to it.  I can pick up a hint of blue which makes well for a great layering effect or just a great bold lip!  This one stains out of all and leaves a raspberry color on your lips as a result.  I would say a great dupe for this is MAC's Violetta, I have to see it for myself though, I guess we all know what post is coming up next.  LOL

Milani Magenta Madness

Mandarina is a gorgeous color!  In case you didn't know orange is always hot for the spring and summer months, so if you're trying to get a jump start on your spring makeup arsenal go on and purchase this color.  This lasts for three hours before it begins to fade.  This color can be a little streaky upon application but to remedy that issue I usually use a towel to blot and then reapply - problem solved.  I would compare this to MAC's Morange and Neon Orange.

Milani-Mandarina

And last but certainly not least is Grape-Tini, I purchased this one on error because I thought it was Madly Magenta, when it came in the mail instead of returning it I figured it'd be used like a tinted lip balm.  As you can see the color is very light and more glossy than the others (I had to swipe alot before getting it to this color).  It lasts for about an hour before it fades out, the color isn't too bad but let's keep in mind that I prefer bolder lip colors and I'm not too fond of sheer colors.  If you are of the latter mindset purchase this, it has tiny flecks of gold in it that I think make the color stand out a little more.

Miani-Grape-Tini

For the price and the pigmentation I would definitely recommend these lip colors to the masses!  They typically will run you between $5 and $7 whether you get them from Milani's website, Cherry Culture, or your local drugstore.  I do look forward to purchasing some more in the future because of their performance.  There was a slight synthetic scent when I first got them but I don't smell it anymore. It could be because I've gotten used to the smell or that it has disappeared.  I thought that you all should know that.

So what do you think?  Yay or Nay?  Tell me in the comments!

*All these were purchased by me with my own funds and I am NOT being compensated for this post.*




Emeralds Can Be a Girl's *New* Best Friend

Greetings!

How many times have you heard "diamonds are a girls' best friend"?  Well, move over diamonds, emeralds are taking over.  Uh...........not quite, emeralds are pretty but I like my diamonds.  LOL  If you're like me and can't afford either you can always settle on Emerald Express from the Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Fast Dry Nail Color line.  I happened on this nail color while at my local Target, lucky for me they were on clearance for $2!!!!  I picked up seven colors, five for me and two for ma dukes.  ; )   Now, you already know that I stan for Sally Hansen nail colors and this one is no different, especially this time since it has a jewel tone/almost duochrome effect.

Here it is:

Isn't she pretty?  Sally Hansen takes the cake this week with a gorgeous emerald green jewel polish.  I will say that I did expect to see some blue on my nails as I can see some blue in the bottle.  :/   I still love the color!  If these are still available, I'd say go out and get you one, or two, or several!  : )   Check your Targets first just in case the clearance sale is still going on otherwise I'm definite you can find these at your local drugstore.

What do you think?  Yay or Nay?  Tell me in the comments!

My Low Key Obsession with Face Primers--Revlon Edition

Greetings!

I'm pretty sure that if you ask any person that is obsessed with makeup that they will be able to tell you what product that they just can't get enough of, no matter the brand, consistency or its effectiveness--they just must have more of it.  Now, obsessing over makeup is one thing but fawning over a particular makeup product is another.  This product is normally the product that we consistently sought out despite our growing collection and will always continue to go after it.  Mines happens to be face primer.  Let me explain....

When I first started out with makeup I never wore face primer because I figured that there was no use to it.  That was until I was introduced to the powers of Milk of Magnesia (that's another post) and I was hooked.  The use of face primer aids in neutralizing the face palette for even distribution of foundation or powder and it can also prompt you to use less foundation because it will go on smoother with it.  At the current time of this post I have about six primers in my possession and I'm sure it will continue to grow once I find the "next best face primer." 

A couple of weeks ago I trekked to my nearest Ulta for no particular reason (this is how I end up spending money that I shouldn't) since I was in the area I figured, "Hey! Why not!?"  While browsing through the aisles I noticed a new product from Revlon--a face primer!  Needless to say I was getting not one but TWO since it was buy one, get one half off.  One is a color correcting primer and the other a perfecting primer.  The purpose of a color correcting primer is to neutralize any discoloration or hyperpigmentation of the skin before applying makeup or when used alone in addition to what it is already supposed to do.  The perfecting primer is supposed to diminish the appearance of pores and fine lines.

Hmmmmm......I know you're wondering, what do they look like and are they good? 

Take a look:



Revlon PhotoReady Color Correcting Primer



Revlon PhotoReady Perfecting Primer

 

Side by Side

As you can probably see the correcting primer is pink (on the left) and the perfecting primer is white (on the right).

Here are some swatches of the products:

Straight out of the tube

Product rubbed onto the skin

I think it does a really good job so far.  If you are already familiar with Revlon PhotoReady products, in particular the foundation, then you know that there are tiny shimmer apparent and these primers are no different.  It isn't a problem for me especially since you can't see it as you can tell in the above photo.  It does leave a matte finish other than the light shimmer and DOES NOT leave a white cast on your face.  Something that is almost typical in face primers but seems to be changing in the beauty industry.  The price is fairly reasonable coming in at $12.99 but with a BOGO and the usual coupons from Ulta you can have each for about $8 apiece.  These are also available at your local drugstore.

I have worn the perfecting primer only once but I want to wear it longer and come back with a more thorough review.  Expect the same with the color correcting primer as well.  : )  I hope that you all find some use for this post as you go out and venture on finding your favorite primer.

*These products were purchased by me and these opinions are mine.*

What do you think?  Yay or Nay?

Petra Can’t Get Any Better Than This!

Get it?  No?  Hey, well, I’m laughing. LOL 

Today I come to you with a new nail color, Zoya-Petra, now this one is definitely a fall color for those days when you want the color wrapped around your coffee mug to really make a fashion statement.  When I first looked at the color in the bottle I figured that it would be a grey colored finish but to my surprise it turned out to be a mixture of colors.  On the nails it looks more like a bluish-grayish color and add a little bit of purple when the sun or a camera flash hits it.  I love colors like this because it adds dimension, perhaps making stubble fingers look longer and leaner.  

With Camera Flash

Natural Light

Petra is from Zoya’s Smoke Collection from fall 2011, so I’m pretty sure that you can still purchase this at your favorite nail polish retailer.  I was gifted Petra from a blogger friend of mine that shall remain unnamed for fear that yall go and ask for your own Petra!  LOL  

It took me two coats to achieve this cream finish and I am thoroughly pleased with the outcome.  I used China Glaze Top Coat for the glossy finish.  

What do you think about this gorgeous fall color, ladies?  Yay or Nay?

How To Remove Cotton Stubble from your Cardigans

Ever purchased a brand new cardigan, you wear it once or twice, then you have to wash it and then BAM!  You’re left with the dreaded cotton stubble under the arm and along the sides.  This cotton stubble can also result from you carrying your purse, how could a necessary item cause so much unnecessary outcomes?  Life and times of women.  Well, I’ve found a solution for that problem.  Take a look see at what I’ve come up with.

Items that you will need:

Lint Roller

Stubby Cardigan

Shaving Razor

 

 

This technique is REALLY simple, all you have to do is lay the cardigan on a flat and hard surface, take the shaving razor and with short strokes "shave" the cotton stubble off.  In between doing this you take the lint roller to remove the stubble off.  Don't  be surprised if you find some of the cotton gets on you, just shake your shirt and you will be fine.  :)   

Now here's how my cardigan came out after the work:

And there's an easy and simple way to eliminate the fuzz.  I hope this helps you all, any questions?  Let me know in the comments!