NOTD: Essie Stones n' Roses

Today's nail of the day is from a new polish from Essie in the color 'Stones n' Roses.' As the name suggests, this polish is a rosey peach color with a  bit of a gray undertone. I think its a rather flattering pink as we transition from Winter to Spring! This color was quite thick and pigmented and was easily opaque in 2 thin coats. The polish wore well for 3 days with no chipping before my pointer fingers started to chip at the edges.

I recommend this polish if you're looking for a neutral peach!

xxSJ

Sample Round-Up! Hourglass, Ole Henriksen, Sunday Riley, Soap & Glory, bliss, and Altchek MD

Altchek MD DePuff Eye Pads
Price for full size: $20 for 10 treatments
Sample Value: $2 for one treatment
I wore these eye pads for 30 minutes as the instructions indicated. They were definitely cooling to my under eye area, however, one side of the pad was very sticky and held on to my skin in such a way that it gave me a bit of a headache. I could feel the pads on my undereyes with every eye or facial movement and I felt them tugging on my skin. Perhaps they would be more comfortable if you wore them while taking a nap. I would pass on these.

Ole Henriksen Foaming Milk Cleanser
Price for full size: $26 for 6.7 oz
Sample Value: $.19 for 0.05 oz foil packet
This white cleanser lathered up nicely on my skin and felt pretty moisturizing after removing. I felt it did a good job of cleaning my skin of any left over residue or dirt and it smelled quite herbal. This packet was only enough for one use so my feelings are not strong one way or another about this product.

Soap & Glory Make Yourself Youthful Rejuvenating Super-Serum
Price for full size: $25 for 1 oz
Sample Value: $2.50 for 0.1 oz foil packet
This stuff had a very strange, jelly like texture that made it feel very odd to rub into your skin. I didn't feel very moisturized after using it and I found it pilled up on my skin rather than rubbing in all the way. It did smell pleasantly like grapefruit, but unfortunately that was the only redeeming quality.

Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer
Price for full size: $52 for 1 oz
Sample Value: $8.32 for .16 oz vial
This ultra luxurious face primer by Hourglass I find to be a little difficult to work with but with amazing results if you can get the application right. This thick white cream feels really nice applied to the skin as it is less oily feeling than other primers on the market. It is not as moisturizing as the MUFE primer.  I find that if you apply too much of this product, your makeup tends to sit on your skin rather than blending in nicely and leaves you with a bit of a caked look by the end of the day. If you get just the right amount of product, though, it makes your skin look absolutely flawless and blending turns into a dream. I recommend sampling this product to see if it works for you!

Sunday Riley Start Over Active Eye Cream
Price for full size: $75 for 0.68 oz
Sample Value: $7.61 for .068 oz foil packet
This eye cream had a gel like consistency to it and was a bit thinner than eye creams I've used in the past. I did enjoy the moisturizing effects it offered, however I found that this thin product managed to travel up to my eyes and caused them to burn all 3 times I used it! I'm passing on this product in the future.

bliss Grapefruit Aloe Body Butter
Price for full size: $29 for 6.7 oz
Sample Value: $4.33 for 1 oz tube
I've been loving using this body butter as a hand cream to heal my chapped hands in this cold, Winter weather. The scent is quite strong but really pleasant (as long as you like grapefruit!) and I would definitely recommend this product if you have dry skin!

Total value of samples: $24.95

This week's samples were overall not as exciting to me as last week's. I loved the body butter from bliss and the Hourglass primer is a great product when you know how to use it...otherwise, I had some misses this week. Oh well! That's the purpose for trying out different products--to see what works!

xxSJ

BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed in 'Opal'

I recently received Becca's Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed in the color 'Opal' and have been trying it out with the most skeptical of eyes thinking to myself, can this product really be THAT good? Well, yes, ladies and gentleman. It can be.

Becca's line of highlighters exploded in the past couple of years made famous mostly by Jaclyn Hill on Youtube. These highlighter powders are somehow creamy to the touch and go on your skin effortlessly giving you a luminous and lustrous glow I thought only to be achievable by professional makeup artists on photo shoots. 

The sleek little compact is made of a brown rubberized plastic with a brushed metal top and Becca tastefully stamped into the design. Closed, it looks like a little UFO! Open, it looks like heaven. The compact comes with a large, high quality mirror on one side and is filled with 8g of beautiful product on the other. 

The color Opal is described as a 'golden opal pearl' and I find it has quite a bit of a purpley peach tone to it.  Here is the compact compared to my other powder highlights, Becca's Rose Gold and Mary Lou-manizer by The Balm: 

Top left: Opal, Top Right: Rose Gold, Bottom: Mary Lou-manizer

As you can see, Opal nestles right in between the super light gold champagne color of Mary Lou-manizer and the more vibrant Rose Gold. All three powders are ultra soft and give fantastic color payoff with just a light dusting, but I think Becca's powders take the cake as far as being creamy smooth to the touch. They also last all day on my skin.

L to R: Opal, Mary Lou-manizer, Rise Gold

I recommend this product if you're looking for an amazing highlighter. I think these highlighters are mature skin friendly as long as you have a delicate touch. They will breathe life into dry skin as well as accent dewy skin beautifully.  These highlighters are $38 for 8g of product which is definitely steep, however, keep your eyes on websites such as Hautelook and Overstock.com for when you can find these products heavily discounted!

Check out this product on Sephora's website HERE!

xxSJ

NOTD: Formula X for Sephora 'Out of Sight'

L: 'Essie' After School Boy Blazer; R: Formula X 'Brazen'

Today's nail of the day is an effects top coat by Formula X for Sephora. It is a gold fleck top coat named 'Out of Sight,' and it is seriously AWESOME! This polish has a ton of different sized gold flakes suspended in clear polish. The flakes range from being small specked glitter size to being as big as you see on my nails in the picture above.

As with most glitter nail polishes, you do not have much control over where on your nails the glitter falls. You can try different methods to make sure it gets distributed evenly but you can run the risk of making the polish too thick and susceptible to chipping or peeling. I put two thin coats of the polish over two coats of whatever polish I think would pair well with gold and this top coat makes my mani last forever!  I did try this top coat just at the tips of my manicure once but it made the ends of my nails thicker and easily chipped off within a day.

Also to note is that since these flakes are not all uniformly shaped, sometimes they don't lay perfectly flat on your nails and can leave little bumps or rough parts. As long as you're okay with that and you won't incessantly pick at it, then this polish is a good choice for you if you're looking for a unique and fun top coat.

Formula X for Sephora polishes are $10.50 each at Sephora. Check them out HERE!

xxSJ

Sample Round-Up! Laura Mercier, Peter Thomas Roth, First Aid Beauty, Origins, and Boscia!

Laura Mercier Foundation Primer 'Radiance'
Full size: $20 / 1 oz
Sample Value: $1.40 for 0.07oz foil packet (3 uses)
This primer was a peachy nude color with some iridescence to it. I thought I would like this under my foundation as a subtle glow but I didn't actually notice its effects. I noticed this also made my foundation ball up and rub off around my hairline and temples by the end of the day. I'm passing on this in future samples and as a future purchase.

Peter Thomas Roth Cucumber Gel Mask
Full size: $52 / 5 oz
Sample Value: $10.40 for 1 oz tube (1 months worth)
This green gel was rather intimidating in the tube but once applied to my face it was ultra moisturizing and cooling. This week has been particularly cold in NYC so I used this face mask to cool my wind burned skin, particularly my nose and chin.  It was intensely hydrating and corrected my facial flakiness within the 10 minutes I had it on. It rinsed off easily with a splash of water. I recommend trying this product out.

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream
Full size: $30 / 6 oz
Sample Value: $0.30 for 0.06 oz foil packet (4 uses)
This cream felt so wonderful on my skin.  It made my skin silky smooth and immediately corrected dry patches on my chin and nose. My skin sucked this stuff up so fast but the after effects lingered for the whole day leaving my skin moisturized and perfect looking all day! It smells wonderful too. I highly recommend this product based on this sample.

Origins Ginzing Refreshing Eye Cream
Full size: $30 / 0.5 oz
Sample Value: $10.20 for .17 oz tube (1 months worth)
I have tried this pearly peach eye cream before and have loved it in the past. I love this small sample just as much.  This little eye cream adds brightness to your undereye and immediately de-puffs leaving a hydrated and awake looking eye area. I really enjoy this product and would recommend snatching up a sample whenever available since this stuff is pricey!

Boscia Purifying Cleansing Gel
Full size: $28 / 5 oz
Sample Value: $5.60 for 1 oz container (1 months worth)
Though I found this cleanser to be a bit drying for my skin, it worked wonders in calming down a stress and hormone-related breakout on my chin and jaw line.  I immediately felt a difference after lathering this product on to my skin in the shower (it starts as a slippery gel but lathers up quickly to a gentle foam) and I definitely recommend trying this product out!

Total value for 5 samples: $27.90

Not bad, am I right?
4 out of the 5 samples this week were incredibly enjoyable for me to try out and 3 of them (the FAB moisturizer, the Origins eye cream, and the Boscia cleanser) were must-trys in my opinion!

Remember to try your samples out instead of forgetting about them or throwing them away! You just might find a new favorite buried within the foil packet gold mine ;)

xxSJ

Bite Luminous Creme Lipstick Duo: 'Pepper/Cafe'

Bite Beauty is a brand with an interesting take on makeup. They formulate their lipsticks with all edible ingredients to ensure that what you're putting on your lips is safe enough to get into your mouth! Bite Beauty comes out with lipstick duos from time to time which are mini versions of their famous Luminous Creme lipsticks on a double-ended retractable container. I got the mini 'Pepper/Cafe.'

Pepper is a dusty rose.

Cafe is a muted peachy pink. 

 The lipsticks glide effortlessly onto the skin and are quite pigmented given their neutral hues.

Here are the colors compared to my other Bite Beauty lipsticks. I have quite a few neutrals but I think this duo really rounds out my collection nicely as far as nudes are concerned. 

L: Pepper, R: Cafe

These lipsticks glide on easily and since they are teeny, they are very easy to apply straight out of the tube. I think they last for quite some time on the lips given how moisturizing they are, and they don't emphasize dryness or fine lines. 

Look how tiny these guys are! I love these because they are so small and fit in my pocket, purse, backpack... where ever I need them to go! The neutral hues make them work appropriate with out the need for constant checking in mirrors or touch-ups to ensure your makeup hasn't gone haywire.

These tiny lippies sell for $14 each on Sephora. Get em while they last because rumor has it, Bite Beauty is phasing out their luminous creme lipstick line!

Check out my review of the Musk/Lychee duo HERE!
Check out my review of the Fig/Date duo HERE!
Check out my review of Fig lipstick HERE!

xxSJ

NOTD: Formula X for Sephora 'Zing' and 'Blast Off'

Today's nail of the day is this awesome neon blue from the Formula X for Sephora line! It the color 'Zing,' and it is the most perfect electric blue color.  I topped this fun color with Formula X's 'Blast Off,' which is a fun black glitter top coat suspended in a clear base. 'Blast Off' has multi-sized hex shaped glitters as well as bar glitter to spice things up a bit.

This color applied easily and was opaque in two coats. This mani lasted for 3 days, chip-free. I recommend using a base coat with neon polishes because they will stain your nails!!

Formula X For Sephora costs $10.50 on Sephora.com.

xxSJ

bareMinerals 'The Happy Place' Eyeshadow Quad

I fell in love with bareMinerals eyeshadow formula after trying out the gray toned quad in 'The Truth.' I recently came to own and love another quad of theirs, 'The Happy Place.'

'The Happy Place' eyeshadow quad has 4 shades inside: Peace: a muted apricot, Imagine: a rose gold, Exhale: a smoky taupe, and Euphoria: eggplant.  The shadows are housed in a rubberized plastic container with a full size mirror on the inside of the compact.  A small dual ended sponge tip applicator is also included. The palette is $30 for 0.21oz of product. 

The colors are honestly a dream to play with.  Peace is a lovely transition color to swipe all over the eye area to begin your makeup look or to buff into the crease to make blending easier. Imagine is an INSANELY beautiful Rose Gold/copper color that leans super warm. It warms up my whole face when I put this on! Exhale is a wonderful color to blend into the crease or outer v, as is Euphoria. I was initially worried that this color combination might not go so well together but I had no reason to fret. 

These shadows are easy to blend, easy to apply, and the combo provided to you is full-proof to create an entire eye look with. I can't find a fault in this product! 

Check out this quad if you're looking for a full eye look in one easy to reach for compact. You won't be disappointed in the quality, price, ease of use, or the look you end up creating with these gorgeous colors! 

Check out this palette HERE!

Take a look at my post on 'The Truth' eyeshadow quad here!

xxSJ

Sample Round-Up! Glam Glow, Smashbox, Clarins, Living Proof, and more!

Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer
Full size cost: $36 for 1 oz
Sample value: $9 for 0.25 oz
This primer has a very intense 'slip' to it when applied to the face. It almost feels like an oily film when you put it on your skin. This of course allows your foundation to glide on effortlessly and smoothly, however I really don't like the feeling this gives me. Rather than feeling like my skin is moisturized, it makes me feel like I have a thin, impenetrable layer of oil on top of my skin. I would pass on this sample or purchasing this product in the future.

Omorovicza Thermal Cleansing Balm
Full size cost: $110 for 1.7 oz
Sample value: $4.53 for .07 oz
This black balm is made from Hungarian moor mud and is apparently very fancy... it is supposed to be able to remove all make up while deeply cleansing your pores. I tried this out in the shower and it immediately made me feel like I had a layer of butter on my face--as I was rubbing this in I felt my skin had a film of very soft and cushiony cream on it. It smelled very fresh (like clean linen with oranges on top?) and felt very luxurious to use. Though it felt very good on my skin, once I rinsed the product off, I did not see or feel lasting effects. I got two uses out of this sample.

GlamGlow Brightmud eye treatment
Full size cost: $69 for pack of 12
Sample value: $5.75 for 1 treatment

This stuff is interesting! The 'mud' definitely looks muddy complete with little particles in the light orangey-brown mixture. You are supposed to apply this product liberally to your entire eye area, wait 3 minutes, then wipe it off with a tissue. I had to use some water and a towel to get all the stuff off of my skin and to be honest, though this felt very good and cooling on my eyes, I did not see a brightening effect. I think this product would work to depuff eyes since it is cooling, but otherwise I think it is insanely expensive for not much end result.

Living Proof Full Thickening Cream
Full size cost: $15 for 1.8 oz
Sample value: $1.42 for .17oz foil packet
This stuff smells SO GOOD! I tried this cream out on my damp hair leaving my roots alone, as the packet suggested. Unfortunately my hair looked quite oily by the end of the day and I didn't notice much extra volume or thickness (though my hair smelled amazing for the whole day!). I have another use out of this foil packet but I won't be using it up.

Clarins Super Restorative Total Eye Concentrate
Full size cost: $83 for 0.53 oz
Sample Value: $31.32 for 0.2 oz tube
I really like this stuff! It smells VERY strongly of roses, so if you're not into that then I would pass. Otherwise, I used this at night before bed and in the morning before moisturizing and it made my eye area feel very moisturized, awake, and I think it decreased the appearance of my under-eye circles. I want to try a different product before making an $83 splurge (I AM only 24 so it seems silly to invest in expensive eye creams at this point in my life), but I would recommend trying this luxury sample out if you get the chance!

Total value of all samples: $52.02

What the heck?! Over $50 for some random products I pulled out of my sample bag?? This just goes to show you:
a) beauty products are flippin' expensive, and
b) you should use up your samples! There's a lot of value in samples and its so fun to feel like you're living the life of luxury by nonchalantly using a $5 eye treatment on a whim.

Hope you enjoyed this week's sample round-up!!

xxSJ

NOTD: Essie 'Chinchilly'

Today's nail of the day is Essie's 'Chinchilly,' a very sophisticated gray color with a cult following.  This polish is awesome as far as understated neutrals. It is easy to apply with full opacity in 2 thin coats and lasts chip free for up to 3 days on my nails. I love wearing this color in the Fall and Winter as it matches the mood of the sometimes dreary or snowy days. This polish goes with any outfit and will give your mani an urban chic vibe!

Essie nail polishes are $8.50 each and can be found on Amazon and at most drugstores!

xxSJ

Lorac 'Unzipped' Palette

My boyfriend surprised me this Christmas by giving me the Lorac 'Unzipped' palette. I have never mentioned this palette to him (and my long term lusting after it), but he said after much research, he decided this palette was the most 'Steph.' So sweet :) The guy has got a point though! The Lorac Unzipped palette is a no-fuss palette filled with rosey and warm pinks, browns, and burgundies.

The packaging is sturdy cardboard which closes with magnets. The palette is super thin and includes the 10 shades with no wasted space for a brush I'll never use. My one gripe is I think the mirror inside the palette could be a bit bigger! 

Undercover is a matte white with pinky tones to it. It is really pigmented and easy to place all over the lid and as a brow highlight. 

Unbelievable is a deep satin rose gold with purple smoke to it.

Undiscovered is a pure pale gold that shows up great on the lid for some sparkle.

Unreal is a gorgeous shimmery pink.

Unattainable is a satin mauve color with a taupey hue to it.
Unconditional is a mauve matte color that I've been using mostly as my transition in the crease.
Uncensored is a satin brown color which is warmer on the skin than it looks in the pan.
Unspoken is a matte brown color, nice for deepening up the crease.

Unbridled is the superstar of the palette in my opinion. It is a deep matte burgundy with crazy pigmentation. 

Untamed is a satiny brown with purple undertones and lots of sparkle.

Swatched on my arm above are the colors from left to right, top row first, then bottom row. The colors all are buttery soft with excellent color payoff. 

Here's a look I did using only shadows from this palette.  This is a more dramatic eye with thick black eyeliner, but I also used this palette to create softer eyes and pushed 'Unbridled' into my lash line for some soft smokey liner.

This palette is so gorgeous and great for anyone looking for a pink-hued neutrals palette. I think it is similar to the Naked 3 palette but I find more inspiration when looking at this palette than I do at the Naked 3. This palette is $42 for 10 very wearable eye shadows and can be purchased on Amazon, at Kohl's, Ulta, or loraccosmetics.com.

Check it out on Amazon Here!!

xxSJ