Happy Hauliday!

Merry Christmas everyone!  I hope you all had a lovely holiday!  There was some talk on Twitter this morning about how a few people don't like to see hauls of what they got for Christmas but I thought I'd share since I got a few beauty related items.  
My mother in law got me two gift boxes from LUSH!  She must have talked to my husband about what she should get me because you all know how much I love LUSH.
She gave me the Best Wishes Holiday Gift box and the Happy Christmas Holiday Gift box.

Contents of Best Wishes Holiday Gift:
Li'l Lush Pud Bath Bomb
Mr. Butterball Bath Bomb
Satsumo Santa Bath Bomb
So White Bath Bomb

Contents of Happy Christmas Holiday Gift:
Jingle Spells Bath Bomb
Snowcake Soap
Satsumo Santa Bath Bomb
Christmas Eve Bubble Bar
Cinders Bath Bomb
Karma Soap

Everything in both of these boxes smell amazing!  I love it!!


My sister in law gave me a bunch of goodies too!  She gave me Bare Minerals Lustworthy Lips & Lashes (mini mascara & gloss duo).  The lip gloss is super cute and smells like strawberries!  Yum!
She also gave me: 
ULTA Shower Smoothie in Berrylicious
ULTA Smoothies Body Swirl in Berrylicious
Stila Divine Shine: Kitten Lip Glaze & all over shimmer liquid luminizer
Viva la Juicy rollerball (my fav perfume!)

She also got me this super cute jewelry holder mannequin type thing.  Isn't that cute?!  Love it!

The in laws know me so well.  :)  They're the best.
Has anyone tried the Stila all over shimmer liquid luminizer?  Do you put it on your cheeks as a highlight?  The brush applicator is pretty big so I assume it's to cover a large area of your body like maybe your arms & décolletage.  Please let me know if anyone has tried this.  Thanks!


So I'm saving the best for last.  Are you ready??


Huz got me a new camera!!  I'm so freaking excited.  It has a dual LCD screen so I can take better FOTD's for you guys!  It's the Samsung TL220 that has 12.2 mega pixels and I can record videos in HD now.  I've been playing with it non stop.  

I decided to play around with my Make Up For Ever shadows and I came up with a bright magenta pink/purple smokey eye.  This could be a New Years look maybe?  I took a few pics of the look with just the matte shadows by itself then I added MAC's bright pink glitter to the outer corner.  You can't really tell from the pictures but it was super glittery IRL.

Finally, I was playing around with a few settings with the new cam.  Here are a few pics of me with Mochi & Chache.  I'm not wearing any makeup dun dun dun!

How about you?  Did you receive any beauty related products for Christmas?  If you hauled anything I'd love to check it out!  

LUSH and Sephora F+F Haul

On Halloween I went to my local LUSH store because they were having an event. I try to go shopping only during their events since I always walk away with a goodie bag & other freebies. I picked up a bunch of stuff for my bestie while I was there as well.  I bought one Satsumo Santa (bath bomb), two Gnome Name’s (bubble bar) & two Christmas Eve (bubble bar). I prefer bubble bars over bath bombs so I had to get two of each because they smell amazing! Since I RSVP’ed to the event I was able to pick an item out of a basket so I picked the Cobweb Bath Bomb (from their Halloween collection). Also, since I spent over a certain amount they let me pick out a bath bomb so I chose a Jacko Bath Bomb!


Inside the goodie bag I got a chunk of Demon in the Dark soap, Pied de Pepper, Mask of Magnaminty, Goth Juice Syling Gel & Tramp Shower Gel. I have way too much fun shopping at LUSH.

Here’s a pic of the goodies in my new white box I made.

The white box was super easy to make.  I love it.  I just need one more lamp. 

I also received my Sephora friends & family package.  I bought Benefit's Coralista & Thrrrob.  I also picked up a tube of Smashbox's O-Gloss.  I love this stuff!  It goes on your lips clear but reacts with your chemistry to create a unique shade of pink. 

I had a lot of fun testing out the new white box but I need another lamp.  The shadows are driving me crazy and one more lamp would pick up the true color of the products.  It would also help if I had a new camera but I'm saving up for that.  Hope you lovelies had a great weekend!  xoxo

LUSH Herbalism Cleanser

In my last HAUL post I forgot to mention I picked up Herbalism Cleanser.  This stuff is amazing!  Here is the description blurb from the website: LUSH. 

"Detoxifies and exfoliates oilier, problem skin


Herbalism has China clay to remove excess oil, ground almonds and rice bran to exfoliate away dead skin cells, sage, chamomile and marigold to soothe inflammation and rosemary and sage to banish nasty microbes. As well, the combination of the clay and rice bran leaves a matte finish to the skin. Some people who have used the Angels On Bareskin and found it too rich, find the Herbalism to be lighter. If you persist and use this cleanser every day, we guarantee results that are well worth the bother."

It smells earthy & clean and my skin feels so smooth after each use.  I take a pinch of the cleanser, place it in my palm, add a little bit of water and crush it up into a pulp.  Then I lather it onto my face & I can feel it exfoliating.  I inquired about the Dark Angels Cleanser however the lady that works there told me it can be too harsh for my skin since I have sensitive problematic skin. 
 
Because the ingredients of this cleanser are fresh it only has a shelf life of 3 months but I think I can use this in 1 month.  Lately I've been showing signs of irritation around my eye area when I wash my face and Herbalism is a vegan/organic product so this has been a warm welcome to my cleansing routine.  :)

Collective Haul

Last week on my lunch break I went to MAC to check out the new 2009 Holiday Collection called Magic, Mirth, and Mischief.  I'm so impressed with myself.  I only walked out with one item from the collection! :-D  I ended up getting the Devil May Dare Warm Eye Shadow palette.  I am a sucker for golds, warm browns, pinks & beiges.  All six shades are limited edition and the palette is $36 USD.  I always opt for buying palettes rather than buying single eye shadows since one MAC e/s is $11. 

I did get two more items that aren't from the Holiday Collection and it is Russian Red & a Cremestick Lip Liner in Red Enriched.  Russian Red is an intense bluish red with a matte finish.  It's gorgeous.  Red Enriched is an intense auburn color that goes perfectly with Russian Red. 

After I went to MAC I popped into LUSH!  When I go to the mall it's hard for me to only grab something from MAC & go.  LUSH & MAC are practically right next to each other and it doesn't help that I can smell the decadent scents from the MAC counter.  So, either the ladies of LUSH have amazing customer service or I seriously have a shopping problem.  The minute I walked into the store they recognized me and called me by my first name lol.  I love the ladies at LUSH.  They're so helpful & sweet.  :)

I ended up getting Karma Kream, Smitten, Shave the Planet (for the huz), Handy Gurugu, Lemony Flutter & So White bath bomb.  I get terribly chapped & dry hands in the winter so these hand creams are doing a great job of restoring the moisture.

They had a special promotion where if you spent over $45 you get to pick out a free bubble bar so I chose Candy Cane.  LOVE!!

So White smells AMAZING!  I don't want to use it.  I just want to keep it in my bathroom cause it smells so yummy.  It smells like apples ... mmm.  Candy Cane bubble bar smells like sweet candy.  :)  Both of these items are Holiday items so they're seasonal and not permanent.  :(  I need to get another So White before they're all gone!

Haul

Two nights ago bestie and I went out to dinner then decided to make a quick trip Sephora and LUSH. We both ended up buying the Kat Von D palette in Gypsy. ^.^  I’ve been eyeing Gypsy for a few months now and I never got around to buying MAC’s Photorealism palette (all greens) so I had to get this. The shadows have high pigmentation and they have awesome staying power. I wore it to work the next day and checked my makeup at 4.15 pm and it didn’t crease at all! I am impressed. The only drawback I found is they’re a bit chalky. When I used my 239 brush to pick up the color there was a lot of fallout in the palette so it’s not completely smooth but the payoff is worth it IMO.

After we shopped at Sephora I introduced bestie to LUSH! She had never been there before and I let her smell all of my favorite soaps like I Should Coco, Honey I Washed the Kids, Alkmaar, Porridge & Sultana of Soap (to name a few). She picked up a nice chunk of Rockstar soap & I bought another huge chunk of Sultana of Soap. I also picked up another MaBar Bubble Bar & Honey I Washed the Kids solid perfume. It's awesomeness.

Last month Hautelook had a huge Kevyn Aucoin sale. Dark red lips are totally in this fall so I picked up Leaharia (pinkish beige), Talula (coral red) and Poppia (basic red).
They’re gorgeous, creamy & moisturizing! On the Kevyn Aucoin website they retail for $23 but I got them from Hautelook for $9.20. Honestly, I didn’t order 3 lipsticks. I actually only placed an order for the two reds Talula and Poppia but they sent me Leaharia by mistake. Oops!

Moving on … I had a VIB coupon for Sephora so I placed an online order for YSL Rouge Volupte 19 Frivolous Pink which is one of their new shades. It’s a beautiful mid-tone pink with blue undertones. I also bought an Illamasqua lippie in Liv which is a matte, milky lavender pink. It reminds me of MAC’s Lavender Whip or Fashion Mews. Fashion Mews was a limited edition color that came out with the MAC Hello Kitty Collection and I regret not getting one. Illamasqua is a UK brand and it was only until a few months ago when Sephora started carrying this brand. I’m so happy I got this. I love it!

Hope you lovelies had a great week so far!  The weekend is almost here!  Yay!

Ultra Bland Cleanser

I have been using LUSH’s Ultra Bland Cleanser for two months now and I like it! However, I have both a rant & rave for this product. First off let me begin by giving you the background on the product.
From their website:

Ultra-gentle, thorough facial cleanser

This supreme facial cleanser, with magnificently softening rose water, peanut oil and beeswax cream, takes off everything you've plastered on and makes your skin astonishingly soft. It's a marvel. Ultrabland is not the simplest cleanser to use, but it's not that hard and it's definitely worth it. Smooth it on, then remove it thoroughly with a slightly damp cotton pad or face cloth. Gently remove until your skin feels soft and not oily.

Rant:
This product is supposed to be used as an all-over face cleanser. I tried doing this at first but it was very messy. Since I use liquid foundation, blush, powder, eye makeup & lipstick I had to use a lot of damp cotton squares to wipe everything away. After I wiped it all off I still felt the need to wash my face again with a mild cleanser like Cetaphil.

So if I don’t use this as a facial cleanser what do I use it for, you ask?

Rave:
I use this as my eye-makeup remover. In the past I would use Neutrogena’s eye makeup remover until it started irritating my eyes. My eyes would burn & sting and I was left with a red blotchy mess. But LUSH’s products are all natural & free from harsh ingredients so it’s very mild & gentle yet strong enough to clear away the gunk piled on my eyes. All I have to do is take a finger tip worth of product, rub it onto my eyes then clean it off with a damp cotton square, et voila! It removes my numerous coats of mascara, liquid eyeliner, eye shadow & it even removes waterproof mascara/eyeliner. Yay!
After I remove my eye makeup I stick to my regular routine of washing my face with Cetaphil or Clean & Clear facial wash. Overall, I give this product 5 stars.

I'm back!

Hello lovelies! I’m sorry it’s been so long since my last post but I’m back! Work sent me up to Eatontown, NJ for the week. I came home on Friday and I just want to do a quick update about what I’ve been up to these past few days. While I was up in Jersey one of the locals suggested we eat at Bobby’s Burger Palace. My coworker and I are huge Food Network fans and we adore Bobby Flay so we couldn’t pass this opportunity. I believe there are only four Burger Palace’s and they are in NJ, NY & CT.

I thought it was a sit down restaurant but it’s more of a casual dining deal. This was my burger and the locals were staring at me like I was crazy for taking a picture of my food. It was delicious with a side of sweet potato fries. I ended up buying a few jars of Bobby Flay’s burger rub, jalapeno sauce & fry sauce for the huz. Yum-o!

After work and dinner we’d go back to our hotel rooms and keep working. On our last night there we drove out to the beach & walked along the shops. When we got back to the hotel I was able to relax and do my nails while watching Grey’s Anatomy. :D
I used OPI’s new Suede Collection for Fall 2009. I used Russian Navy Suede. It’s ahhmazing! I can’t get enough of the matte finishes but now there is a suede finish as well! It’s smooth & it dries fast. OPI’s Suede line has such a unique finish and I can’t get enough of it. I used two coats on my nails but you could definitely get away with one.

Last weekend I stopped by ULTA to pick up dry shampoo. I’ve always been curious about it and I wanted to experiment with the options that are out there. I picked up TIGI’s Rockaholic dry shampoo & Big Sexy Hair’s Volumizing Dry Shampoo. I was determined to find out which one has more bang for your buck. I can only provide a partial review since I’ve only been using Big Sexy Hair for a week. This week I promise to use TIGI.
Here are a few differences so far:
Big Sexy Hair is 3.4 oz and I bought it for $16.95. It is a mineral & clay based dry shampoo that absorbs impurities, excess oil & product build-up while creating additional volume.
TIGI Rockaholic is 6.3 oz and I bought it for $18.95. The bottle only says that it will “absorb excess oils, make hair smell fresh & keep it rockin’ one more night”.

Here is my before & after pics. I used Big Sexy Hair. It smells great, it gave a fair amount of texture & volume. You can’t really tell from the pictures but I could definitely see a difference. I like it so far and I’d definitely purchase this again however it’s half the size of TIGI and it’s only $2 less. I’ll let you know next week which one I’d repurchase.

So while I was away I was desperately missing my bathtub time with LUSH. For those of you who don't know about LUSH it is a store that makes vegan products for the bath, shower, hair, face, body etc. Their soaps are all natural and doesn't contain any preservatives or harsh ingredients to irritate the skin.

I’ve already used a lot of what I hauled & unfortunately I didn’t snap any photos of what I hauled. Here is what I have left. I didn’t take any pics of the freebee’s I got from the events. I also didn’t take pics of the chunks of soaps because I want to leave that for another post.

I think this is called the French Kiss Bubble Bar? It smells amazing!

This is the bubble bar I used last night. It smells like roses & after you crumble it under the water there are little rose petals floating around.

Sunny Side Bubble Bar. This has a lot of citrus scents like orange & tangerine. It has a lot of gold glitter so I'll be using this on the weekends only. :) I mean seriously, who doesn't want to take a bath in glitter?

This is the Comforter Bubble Bar which has a lot of decadent berry scents. The description on the LUSH website is, "Velvety berry and cream bath parfait softens skin with lavish bubbles. Comforter bubble bar is perfect for pampering yourself after a long work week. Cypress and bergamot oils soothe skin while cassis adds a mysterious and seductive aroma."

I'm not sure what the name of the bubble bar on the left is but it smells amazing. The one on the right is Pop in the Bath Bubble bar. I love this scent. This is my second bar. It has a flowery & citrus scent & it makes your skin silky soft.

Bath Bombs "Pop one in a pre-run bath and watch it erupt in a mass of fragrant fizzing, gently scenting the water with natural essential oils."

On the left is the Sex Bomb Bath Bomb which smells like jasmine.

On the right is the Butterball Bath Bomb. It smells like vanilla & turns the water to milky white. This is supposed to be very moisturizing for the skin.

Massage Bars

After a shower or bath I usually like to use their massage bars to moisturize. It is made with moisturizing cocoa, coconut & shea butters.

On the left is Soft Coeur (The Honeymooner) Massage Bar. It is made with milk chocolate & honey.
On the right is the Heavenilli Massage Bar which smells like vanilla & jasmine.

When you purchase two massage bar you get a massage bar tin for free.

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! What are your favorites from LUSH? Do you have any recommendations of products I should try?