NOTD: Butter London 'Earl Grey'

Today's nail of the day is 'Earl Grey' by Butter London. This metallic gray has some pretty steely blue undertones that make it so fitting for this dreary NYC winter we're having. I like how smooth the application was on this nail polish (1 coat achieved full opacity) but it did begin chipping at my nail beds in just one day of wear.

Butter London is one of the more expensive nail polish brands out there at $15 a bottle, so it can be rather disappointing when the formula isn't quite up to snuff. I did enjoy this color immensely, however I think I can find a color dupe in a cheaper brand that won't chip so quickly!

xxSJ

Steph Reads: Red Rising by Pierce Brown

Steph Reads has gone digital!!! My sister and brother-in-law were flabbergasted that I hadn't converted to reading books on my phone or iPad and told me it was a cheaper and easier way to get my bookworm on. They live about an hour away from me by subway and I had nothing to read or study on my journey back home from their place.  My brother-in-law so kindly gifted me the digital version of Red Rising by Pierce Brown to read on my phone on my way home. Knowing very little about this book, I dove right in, and let me just say... I flippin' loved it.

This story takes place in the future where Earth is dying and the main character, Darrow, is working as a miner to find precious elements to make the surface of Mars habitable. Darrow is a Red, a color marking him as the lowest in a system of classes ruled by Golds, the elite super humans. Darrow's perception of everything is shifted when he learns one day that the whole system is a lie--Mars is habitable and has been for years. The Reds working underground are slaves promised a future of living on the surface with other classes that will never be realized. Teamed up with a group of rebels, Darrow infiltrates the Golds' academy and undergoes a series of tests to prove himself worthy of being a leader. The final test is a true battlefield where more players than just Darrow have their own agenda.

This book had everything. War, love, humor, acts of vulgarity, acts of violence... this sci-fi novel fulfilled every requirement it takes to be a page turner filled with gasp worthy moments. I haven't read a novel in a while that gave such vivid descriptions of the characters, setting, and time, which is why this novel is easily my favorite I've read in the past 2 years.  I definitely recommend this novel if you're into science fiction and are looking for something more adult than Hunger Games or Divergent. This book is part of a series and is currently in pre-production for a movie!

xxSJ

Check out my other Steph Reads posts!
The Guardian by Nicholas Sparks
Someday Someday Maybe by Lauren Graham
The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides
Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
The Husband's Secret by Lianne Moriarty
Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
What Alice Forgot by Lianne Moriarty
Uninvited by Sophie Jordan
Splintered by AG Howard
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Beneath the Glitter by Elle and Blair Fowler

Colour Pop Eyeshadows 'Sequin' and 'Tea Party'

Colour Pop is an LA based indie brand that touts bringing the latest trends to the beauty industry at affordable prices.  They currently sell eyeshadows, blushes, and lipsticks at $5-$8 a pop.  Their eyeshadows are known to be revolutionary in texture and feel so I decided to give those a shot and placed my order with Colour Pop!

My package arrived in good time in an envelope mailer with a personalized note to me along with my eyeshadows. Some people really like this personal touch but for me, I could take it or leave it. The shadows were in small cardboard boxes with a window to see the colors inside.  Shipping is free on orders above $30 and otherwise costs $5.  When you join Colour Pop's mailing list, you get $5 off your first order.

The containers themselves are pretty cute with 'ColourPop' printed on top of the clear window in a holographic print, and the white plastic definitely makes the colors inside 'pop.' The downside is since this eyeshadow is meant to be applied with your fingers, these containers get dirty rather quickly! There are instructions telling you to make sure to screw the caps onto these shadows tightly between uses as the shadow is prone to drying up. 

 The colors I chose are Tea Party, which is described as 'a versatile soft peachy pink with gazillion silver glitters and subtle hints of pale pink glitter,' and Sequin, which is described as 'a copper penny like shade with silver and gold glitter.' The texture of these shadows really is unique as they feel a little foamy and squishy to the touch. It is truly something you have to feel for yourself to understand! 

Sequin blew me away with how gorgeously it swatched. It is a pigmented shadow with beautiful metallic finish. It is a true copper color leaning more peach than red. This color is great for all my blue and green eyed gals out there!  I have to admit that I was hugely disappointed in Tea Party at first swatch. There is almost no pigmentation in this color that looks like it should show up as a bright peach. The glitter in this shadow is the true star and I think would work well as a finishing touch on an eye look to add some sparkle and shine rather than as the main focus all over the lid. 

Here is the card that comes with the shadows describing how to use these shadows. Colour Pop really stresses that these are meant to be used with your fingers in order to get the most bang for your buck. I do recommend these shadows for beginners since you don't need any tools other than the ones you were born with (fingas, baby!!) and they can really work as slap on and go colors.

I think I will enjoy these colors a lot more in the Summer time when I am looking to do more fun and simple looks. While testing these out, people definitely noticed the glitter and sparkles and I got a few compliments!

I do think that if these shadows intrigue you you should try them out! At $5 each, you don't have much to lose and people generally like these. In fact, Temptalia awarded these as the best budget eyeshadows of 2014!

Check out Colour Pop HERE! if you're interested in seeing what this brand has to offer!

xxSJ

Get down with your bad self: MAC Lipstick in 'Rebel'

MAC Rebel is an infamous MAC lipstick listed in its top 10 bestsellers.  As its name implies, this lipstick is a little bit out of the ordinary and certainly demands attention. 

Though 'Rebel' looks like a deep vampy purple in the tube, it swatches as a midtone fuschia color on the skin. It has a satin finish leaving it appearing glossy and a bit more toned down than if it was a matte or vivid. 

I find that this lipstick takes some working with to get a clean finish. In one swipe, it can appear a bit patchy and unkempt. I think to get ultra clean edges and full impact color, a lip liner may be necessary!

As with all MAC lipsticks, this has a pleasant vanilla scent and it wears well for 4 hours. It begins to fade starting from the middle so if you don't check the mirror often be warned! You may end up looking like you're wearing dark lip liner and no lipstick. 

I really love the way this color looks with my light features! I have to believe that the coloring works well across a wide spectrum of skin tones since this is a MAC Top 10 bestseller.  I think this is a lipstick that works great for the Winter and even as we transition into the Spring season.

This lipstick is $16.00 for 3g of product. If you're looking for a cheaper alternative to this pretty plummy fuscia, Wet n Wild sells a lipstick that is very similar to this called 'Sugar Plum Fairy.' That lipstick applies rather patchy and dry, however.

xxSJ

Tutorial Try-It: MakeupbyTiffanyD's 'Sexy Shimmer Date Night' look!

Tiffany D is one of my favorite youtubers because she does makeup looks that seem a little more achievable than your average beauty guru. She keeps it real with the highlighting and contouring and does tutorials creating looks that are actually wearable for an everyday woman! She posted this tutorial for a 'Sexy Shimmer Date Night' look yesterday that already has 33,000+ views. I chose to recreate this look because she uses shadows exclusively from the Naked2 palette which I actually own!

The products Tiffany used for this look were:

Naked2 palette (Foxy, Bootycall, Tease, Verve, Chopper, Busted, and Blackout)

NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencil in Milk

Stila Stay All Day Liquid Eyeliner in Dark Brown (I used the color Black)

Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara (I used CoverGirl Clump Crusher

Ardell Whispies False Eyelashes (I didn't use fake lashes!)

The Naked2 palette! Filled with cool toned taupes and grays!

Here is the look I came up with after following Tiffany's tutorial:

 Overall I love the way this look turned out! The shimmer on the lids was definitely noticeable but it wasn't as bold as a metallic shadow pressed all over the lid. I also love her idea to mute the silver shade Verve by packing the pinky beige shade Chopper all over it. As Tiffany says in her video, it keeps you from looking like a robot!

Even with out the false eyelashes I think this look has some impact and drama. I love it for a date night and I could easily add false eyelashes to glam it up in no time. I also like that she didn't add any eyeliner to the lower lash line but instead smudged the plummy color Busted along the lower lash line for a smoked out effect.

As far as creating wearable looks that still hit the mark on drama and intensity, Tiffany nails it! Check out her video tutorial where she shows how to create this shimmery look and where my screengrabs are from! It's only 6 minutes long!!

Hope you liked this Tutorial Try-It!
Check out my other ones!
Allison Anderson's Sweater Weather look
Jaclyn Hill's Bombshell Look

xxSJ

My Blush Picks for Valentine's Day!

With Valentine's Day fast approaching, I thought I'd share my blush picks for this romantic holiday! Whether you're spending the day with your significant other, some girlfriends, or with Netflix, I know I always have a good time getting dressed up for the occasion! Here are my recommendations for romantic, feminine colors to rock on Valentine's Day:

MAC Star Wonder is the prettiest blush I own. It is a mineralized skin finish and has the trademark marbling in the powder. It is a mix of light pink, plum, and gold which shows up on the skin as a dewy, gorgeous plummy pink. GAHHHHH so beautiful

NYX Peach is for my drugstore gals. This blush is super easy to work with as it is packed with color and ultra bright! All it takes is some blending out at the edges to give you a just pinched look.

MAC Dame is a muted pink that reminds me a lot of Star Wonder except with out the sparkle and shimmer. It is an effortless color that compliments a lot of different eye looks.

Tarte Dollface is the perfect pink color. With warmer undertones and a super sheer formula, this blush will be perfect to add just a touch of color to your cheeks. Wear this blush if you're going to go for a dark eye or dramatic lip!

Hope you enjoyed my Valentine's Day blush picks!  I love this holiday because whether or not you have a romantic interest in your life, surely you have some loved ones to celebrate because that's what this day is really about--LOVE!

xxSJ

The Beauty Blender: Why you need one now!

The Beauty Blender Sponge has taken the makeup world by storm! This little pink egg shaped sponge has caused quite a ruckus and it really begs the question: why? What is so magnificent about a plain ol' makeup sponge? Let me tell you a little somethin' about our friend bb:

Look at this cute lil guy! This bright pink sponge is a dense domed and pointed sponge that feels very firm straight out of its container. The magic of this sponge is when  you wet it! Running it under some water and squeezing out the excess makes the sponge blow up to twice the size and makes it feel like a little cloud in your hand!

Here's the size difference when you wet it. It's pretty neat! This soft little sponge makes applying foundation a breeze and blending your concealer in even breezier.

I like to either put product on the back of my hand and use the beauty blender to dab it all over my face and blend using dabbing and patting motions (don't sweep or rub the blender on your skin because then it will just pull product around instead of pushing it into your skin!). I've noticed a huge change in how my concealer looks by using this sponge to blend! It melts the product into my skin and the pointed tip makes getting into small areas around my nose and under my eyes so easy. It also absorbs any extra product (since its wet) so you aren't left looking cakey.  You can also use the blender and dip it right into setting powder to set your under eye area. So multi-purpose!

Since this product is a sponge, it will absorb some of your foundation and get dirty in a hurry. You can clean it right up with some regular old dish soap and it will look good as new. You can also purchase the Beauty Blender Cleanser Solid which Sephora sells for $16:

This is basically a little bar of soap inside of a plastic dish so you can take it with you while traveling and keep it sanitary. It also is great for makeup brushes and has become my favorite new method of cleaning! If you're still worried about germs or bacteria getting inside your Beauty Blender, plenty of people have cut open their little sponges to see if there is foundation or product built up inside and, surprise, surprise, there's none!  Only seek out pictures of cut up beauty blenders if you're okay with disturbing images... seeing someone take scissors to this expensive little guy can be a little shocking...

Sephora sells the Beauty Blender for $19.95 and it comes in different colors now if the pink doesn't tickle your fancy. I know $20 seems rather spendy for just a sponge, but I think this sponge has improved the appearance of my makeup by a lot and has replaced my need for other brushes! It is completely worth it in my opinion!

So if you're like me and feel this way about the Beauty Blender:

Go get yourself one HERE!

Happy Blending!
xxSJ