Redbook Beauty Bash, New Friends & My E.L.F. Cosmetics Haul

Happy Friday Everyone!

So sorry I've been MIA these last couple of weeks. It's been a wild month at work; and, on top of that, I caught a miserable cold. But I'm now feeling better. Unfortunately, work is still crazy but I'm used to the madness! LOL

Last Saturday, I attended the Redbook Beauty Bash in New York City. It was a gorgeous spring day and the event had a great turnout. I purchased my ticket online; and with the $10 admission, I also received a goody bag filled with some nice products, including a full-sized lipstick from Revlon, a bottle of Cetaphil moisturizer, and an eye shadow duo from E.L.F.!

There were many stations set up where you could get complimentary services, including mini manicures, eyebrow shaping, hand and back massages and mini makeovers. As you can probably imagine, there were long waits for all of the services but everyone was having a great time chatting over snacks and a cocktail (or two).

I decided to get a mini makeover at the E.L.F. Cosmetics station. While on line, I met Allison, who does marketing for E.L.F. We had a great time talking about beauty and makeup. They also had two professional makeup artists doing great eye looks. I received a fabulous dark blue smoky eye look. Nancy, the makeup artist, took the time to explain the technique step by step and answered all my questions. When she was done, Nancy was kind enough to give me her card; I look forward to touching base with her in the future. Nancy has an impressive history in makeup artistry; she graduated from the Sorbonne in Paris and has worked with many music artists and television personalities. She is currently an instructor at the Make-Up Designory (MUD) school in New York and Los Angeles. Nancy's website is http://www.nancyspraguemakeup.com

A huge shoutout to Allison and Nancy...I really loved meeting both of you!

I made note of the products Nancy used on me and ordered them from E.L.F.'s website. She used E.L.F.'s cream and powder shadow duos in "Blueberry". She also used a liquid liner pen in Black. E.L.F. cosmetics are incredibly affordable - most of their products cost only $1 - that's right, a buck! :) I basically went hog wild and ordered several shadows (creme and powder), a mineral lipstick and a blending brush. I also received free shipping! I placed my order last Saturday and received it on Wednesday this week...can't get any better than this.

Here's a photo of what I ordered:

Can you believe I bought all this for only $13???

I'm looking forward to trying out these products and plan to do a review in the next couple of weeks. In fact, an E.L.F. giveaway may be in our future! LOL

So, that's the latest for now. Stay tuned for more reviews and updates soon!

Until next time,

Liz :-)

5 Products I Regret Buying

Hi everyone,

Lately there's been a tag going around on You Tube - it's "Products I Regret Buying". Judging by the number of videos I've seen posted, I think it's safe to say we've all had this experience at one time or another. Personally speaking, I've had many. Here are the five I wished I never purchased:

1) Revlon Double Twist Mascara: OMG, where do I begin??? I'm sorry ladies, this has got to be the WORST mascara ever made. I wanted to throw it away the second I opened the tube. When you pull the wand out of the tube, all you get is a massive clump of mascara all over the brush. You can barely see the brush through all that mess. I checked out many reviews posted online and on YouTube and was really sorry I didn't see them before buying the darn thing. In fact one of my favorite YouTube reviewers, Lisasz09 provided the most adequate and honest review of the bunch. You can check out Lisa's review here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--RNX7c98WQ

2) Cover Girl Smokey Shadow Blast in Purple Plume: I reviewed this product in January and was very disappointed. The two colors were lovely but had ZERO staying power. Within a couple of hours the color had faded and because of the creamy consistency, I experienced a lot of creasing. (I didn't photograph it here; right after my January review I gave it to my friend's daughter; she didn't care for it either. LOL)

3) Physician's Formula Organic Wear 100% Natural Origin Bronzer: I was in CVS a couple of months ago and noticed that several Physician's Formula products were 75% off. I picked up the shade "Healthy Glow Bronze Organics". The color was OK but on the skin it looked too shimmery for my taste. But, the real problem was that it smells awful. It's difficult to describe; but to me, it smelled like the product had gone bad. Someone told me she had a similar experience with another PF product. I could actually smell this product on my skin...not good.

4) E.L.F. Studio Contouring Blush & Bronzing Powder: I had a mixed reaction to this product. I bought it mostly for the bronzer; however, the blush color was quite pretty...it reminded me a little of Nars Orgasm. I found the bronzer to be too dark for my fair skin; and despite trying various brushes with it, my face looked splotchy and dirty. I simply could not get an even application.

5) Rimmel London Lasting Finish Pro Polish in "Violet Metal" & "Marine Blue": Let me first say this is a semi-regret. I bought these polishes during a recent BOGO sale at CVS. The shades are gorgeous! For a drugstore brand, the formula's great and has pretty good staying power. But, here's my gripe...I have a major issue with the brush...it's way too wide and squarish which can make application messy, especially on smaller nails. You need a lot of patience (which is not my forte) when applying this polish. After much deliberation though, I decided to keep the polishes. I'll just take them with me to the nail salon where I'm sure they will do a much better job with application. These colors are just too pretty to give up! :-)

So there are my five product regrets. I could easily add on to this list but figured I should quit while I'm ahead! I'd love to know what your product regrets are. Feel free to post your comments below.

Until next time!

Liz :-)

My February Top 3 Favorites!

Hi everyone!

Well February has come and gone...can you believe it? In just a couple of weeks spring will be here! (And, in my opinion, not a moment too soon!)

I'm excited to share my February Top 3 Favorites. I've picked three products that have given me great results over the last few weeks and I would highly recommend them to anyone!

Here they are:

Neutrogena Acne Stress Control 3-in-1 Hydrating Acne Treatment: I recently discovered this salicylic acid acne treatment after using the corresponding toner for a while. Since I was a teenager I have had issues with stubborn acne and have tried many prescription products. Once I hit my 30s the problem subsided but every now and then (usually around that infamous time of the month) I get a minor flare up. Neutrogena makes several acne treatment products but I decided to try this one because of its claim that it hydrates and softens the skin. When I tried other product lines, I noticed they did work but there was a price: dry, flaky skin...not attractive! So far, I have been using this product every morning and night for almost three weeks and I've had no dryness or redness. My skin feels soft, not irritated. Plus, most importantly, my skin is looking clearer! This product works great on its own but for added benefit, I suggest using it in conjunction with the toner.

This product retails for $7.99 and can be found at all major drug stores.

Murad Anti-Aging Moisturizer SPF 20: This moisturizer is part of Murad's Hydrate/Protect line which is good for normal to oily skin. On Sephora's website this product is described as "a lightweight, multifunctional treatment that optimizes hydration, regulates oil production, improves collagen levels and guards against UV damage." My skin is oily and I've always had issues with finding a product that lightly hydrates while at the same time provides sun protection that won't break me out or cause excess oiliness. I think I've found it with this product! My only issue is that I wish it had a higher level SPF, especially now that summer is coming.

This product retails on sephora.com for $46...a little pricey but I think well worth the splurge.

MOROCCANOIL Oil Treatment: This product has gotten major buzz in all the major magazines. My good friend told me how well it worked for her so I just had to try it. I actually purchased it around the holidays, used it twice and didn't care for it. It made my hair too oily and flat. When I told my friend about this, the first thing she asked was "How much oil are you using?". I told her about a dime's worth which didn't seem like much. She started laughing and said I was using way too much. I actually only needed 2-3 drops! Aha! So a few weeks ago I started using it again and now I really love it! I have fine hair that gets frizzy at the first sign of humidity. It's best to use this product on wet hair before styling. After I blow it dry, my hair looks healthy, shiny and it feels s0000 soft! Plus, it helps keep those fly-aways at bay!

This product is primarily sold in salons but some drug stores are starting to carry the line. Check out http://moroccanoil.com for salons in your area. The 3.4 oz bottle retails for $39 but I was able to find a salon that carried the .85 oz size for under $20. Given how little you need for an application, a bottle will last you a very long time!

So there are my February favorites. Hope you will give any of them a try!

Until next time!

Liz :-)

NYX Giveaway - We Have A Winner!

Hi everyone,

I am so excited to announce that we have a winner in the NYX giveaway!

The winner is Shaim!!!

Congratulations!

Shaim, thank you so much for entering and for following my blog. I will contact you via e-mail to get your shipping information.

Ladies, more giveaways are coming! Stay tuned to my blog for additional chances to win and as always, for more product reviews.

Until next time!

Liz :-)