Beauty Review: Stila Holiday Brush Set

*Gift Idea*

Stila Holiday Brush Set

so pretty :)

Black Friday brought me a nice long weekend of shopping, and the cutest brush set ever! 

So Stila's Holiday Collection is always one of my favorites, but considering I don't really need a new eyeshadow palette, the minute I saw these brushes I was convinced! For $28 you get 5 great quality brushes that generally run in the $20 range and are the most gorgeous color blue that I'm debating painting my walls in it!  

Full length, top quality Stila brushes, this set includes the #4, 5, 24 and 33a +33b brushes. The kit is great if you want some all around brushes, or if you know someone who needs a few good eye (shader and liner/smudger) and face (powder, foundation, and concealer) brushes as a holiday gift. 

They are such a pretty blue, and the packaging is great for the special friend/mom/sister/aunt/cousin/roomie/you get the idea in your life :)

The set is available at Ulta and Stila.com for $28 and that is a really great deal. And for a bigger gift, it pairs well with any of Stila's holiday eyeshadow palettes and lipglaze sets (also major steals/deals!)

Ciao for Now, M

PS: In the month of December I will be putting *Gift Idea* in the heading if the post includes what I think is a great holiday gift idea :) Easy enough, huh?!

Birchbox Samples Review: November

birchbox finally came. 

super. late. as. per. usual...

So, I waited and waited and waited and finally got my birchbox in the mail for November. On the last week of the month. Thankfully, from what I've tried out everything seems amazing quality, and as opposed to last month, I am a totally happy customer :) ON TO THE SAMPLES!!

Here's what my box had inside after I swiftly ripped the top and tissue paper off :)

Looks EXCITING!!

MCMC Phoenix: This fragrance was actually not to my taste at all, it felt fresh but sultry, and although I don't go for sweet scents either, this just didn't feel like me at all. Nevertheless, a friend came by and picked it up and the box had a cute little poem thing on the back so overall I'd say it was nice, but not for me. Also, I'm getting a little bored of the fragrance samples considering I know what I like and birchbox isn't exactly going to convince me otherwise...what do you think? Are fragrance samples your favorite kind or do you think they are too familiar/overdone?

Oscar Blandi Texture & Volume Spray: This little spray bottle is absolutely adorable, and I use the Oscar Blandi Dry Shampoo so I was pretty excited to see a sample of theirs. I sprayed it on before flat ironing my hair and it gave me a small amount of volume, but didn't do any of the anti-frizz that it claims on the back of the bottle :( Not going to purchase full size, but it is nice to have when I need some volume quick.

Model Co Fibre LashXtend Black Lengthening Mascara: In retrospect I wish I had taken a pic of the wand for y'all, but it has this super cute mirror on the back (which I tried using and it works!) that got me all excited. It is a totally full sized tube, so score birchbox! But actually this mascara is awesome, it is super, super lengthening as promised, but if you need any volume or drama, this is not for you. I do like it for every day, although it isn't voluminous, it gives me long, unclumped lashes for a fresh daily look. Totally recommend if you've got full lashes but no length!  

Chuao Chocolatier Firecraker ChocoPod: YUMMERS! Do you remember the fizzy poprocks candy from your childhood? Ever wonder what it would taste like in chocolate? Well this chocolate was not only spicy, infused with chipotle, it had pop rocks in every bite that fizzled and popped for a fun surprise. It tastes great and the assorted pack at birchbox.com is like >$8. Recommend for chocolate lovers looking for something new. 

Smitten Ribbon Candy Cupcake Bath Bomb: LUSH, look out! This bath bomb is an adorable cupcake shape with candy looking sprinkles and smells sweet, vanilla-y and comes with a cheeky little "Do Not Eat" label in case you get too curious. I haven't used it yet but if I like it a lot, I'll do a comparison with the closest smelling LUSH bath bomb I can find :)

SHOES ON SHOES ON SHOES! 

Thanks birchbox for having so many awesome clothing company friends who will give you discounts for your customers! So the idea behind the card is to give it to a friend to use for $15 off a Chromatic gallerie pair of colorful flats and then it also has a $15 off code for yourself :) AWESOME. LOVE ME SOME COUPON CODES!!

Overall? Awesome box this month, and SUPER DUPER EXCITED FOR THE HOLIDAY BOX! Hopefully it comes before Christmas and I can share it with you guys before NEXT YEAR :) Woah, is it really so close?!

Ciao for Now, M 

BLACK FRIDAY HAUL!

so many savings! reviews to come!

BLACK FRIDAY HAUL!!

...so as you may already know if you've read any of my past few posts, I was so excited for black friday and cyber monday because to be honest, despite all the anti-consumerist rhetoric from friends/family/bah humbugs, black friday is an exciting time to spend with friends shopping and being out and about instead of sitting at home with a food baby and despaired over ALL THE LEFTOVERS! And doing your holiday gift shopping for family and friends (and let's face it, yourself!) is also convenient and much cheaper! Below is a grid of what I got from Ulta, Sephora, J.Crew Factory, Ann Taylor LOFT, Bloomingdales and Bath and Body Works.

Reviews of beauty products soon to come!  

Cotton cardigan
factory.jcrew.com

Marc by Marc Jacobs marc jacob
bloomingdales.com

J.Crew j. crew pants
jcrew.com

LOFT hat
loft.com

Stila
stilacosmetics.com

Butter london
nordstrom.com

14.5 oz. 3-Wick Candle
bathandbodyworks.com

14.5 oz. 3-Wick Candle
bathandbodyworks.com

14.5 oz. 3-Wick Candle
bathandbodyworks.com

Parisienne Eau de Parfum Spray- Women's Fragrance Perfume- Yves Saint...
yslbeautyus.com

Gift Ornament
bathandbodyworks.com

Hope you had a happy holiday! Reality to set in tomorrow...and working out/dieting :/ LOL.

Ciao for Now, M

BLACK FRIDAY, CYBER MONDAY DEALS AND STEALS!!

zomg. zomg. zomg, freaking. out.

INTO THE SAVINGS!!

J.Crew Factory:

40% off EVERYTHING (hit up the outerwear, super cute peacoats in different colors! oh, and don't forget the discounted cashmere and merino wool, ooo fancy! AND CLASSIC BALLET FLATS IN SUEDE AND LEATHER UNDER $50 that usually run for $110)

AND an additional 15% off if you order $100+, free shipping!! 

GO GO GO!

Victoria's Secret Pink: 

Pink Friday $25 Hoodie or Yoga Legging

Bras Buy One Get One 50% off!

MAC:

Mac Grey Friday, shipping code GREY and two new exclusive online products 

Jewel Mint:

Get 70% off your first piece (if you aren't already a member)

Lush:

Free shipping and $10 e-gift card if you spend $100+

Sephora:

$10 Deals (SO AMAZING GO SEE IT FOR YOURSELF, BEST EVERRR!)

Ulta:

Stuff is selling out like crazy, go check it out!

Forever 21:

 40% off lots of styles! 

GO GO GO!!! SO EXCITEDDD!!! SUGAR HIGH FROM ALL THE PIE!!!! 

Ciao for Now, M

Updates and Things

So I'm gearing up for Thanksgiving weekend and all I can think about is all the amazing savings and shopping I'll be doing on Black Friday, not to mention the beginning of the Christmas season! I've never been Thanksgiving's biggest fan, I just like being with my family and friends all the time sans turkey/stuffing/mashedpotatoes/carbss...

Either way, I will be doing some research this weekend and next Wednesday's post will be a listing of all the great Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals I think you guys should look out for/that I will definitely be visiting!!

Also, for all the twilight fans out there, Breaking Dawn part 2 was not only amazing, it was possibly one of the best trilogy/saga/series endings ever done. Oh, and wear waterproof mascara and bring tissues!

Until Monday,
Ciao for Now,
M

Ulta Haul + Beauty Reviews

I think I've been shopping too much? 

Training for Black Friday, obviously ;)

So I went to Ulta about two weeks ago now and I picked up three products I thought were worth doing mini beauty reviews on. 

Sexy Hair Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Tri-Wheat Leave In Conditioner 

So I've used this leave in conditioner every time I've washed my hair since I bought it, and although it doesn't smell very nice (it smells super natural, the way organic products tend to smell...it's hard to describe, but it isn't flowery or sweet or spicy or anything, it's just kind of clean) it has definitely made my hair shinier. The directions say to spray it on damp or just towel dried hair and comb through.


NYX Lip Gloss in #160 Tea Rose

I had been looking for a lip gloss that was between a berry and pink color and this lipgloss is just the right amount of red berry and sweet pink to wear everyday. It has the normal NYX cherry scent, and it is great alone or over a lightly tinted pink lip balm or butter.  

 EOS Lip Balm Alice in Wonderland Collection

EOS is famous for their egg shaped lip balms, and they have come out with this collection of Disney's Alice in Wonderland inspired balms in their famous egg packaging. The eggs have little Mickey Mouse heads embedded in the opening, and they come in three amazing flavors, Blueberry Potion, Watermelon Wonderland and Sweet Vanilla Nonsense. They look super cute together and who can say no to Disney inspired products?! I know I've been coveting the products in Sephora's Cinderella collection *sigh*...

So, I think I'm ready for Black Friday... :)

Ciao for Now, M

Bath and Body Works Small Haul!

B&B Works Small Haul

Candles Galore!!

Ahhh, nothing makes me feel more warm and cozy than a nice candle burning in a room, the smell permeating through the air! And since I love sweet, sugary candles, the fall and winter are the best times to buy candles! 

So I went to Bath and Body Works and picked up a couple of new candles, and I totally plan on picking up more considering the amazing coupons in the Holiday Gift Guide you get with every purchase during the holiday season! The deals are great and I'm really excited because the holiday scents are sooo yummy and sweet...

ON TO THE CANDLES!!

Cafe Au Lait

If I could only burn one candle for the rest of my life it would be Cafe Au Lait, from the Paris Amour collection that reappeared earlier this year (they released it last year as well, but this year used different packaging/labels) and is still available in some stores and online. I picked up two of these sweet, sugary latte scented candles in the 2 for $20 3-wick candle promotion. 

Frosted Gingerbread

Part of the holiday collection, Frosted Gingerbread smells like freshly baked gingerbread people (men and women lol) frosted in sweet vanilla frosting, ...and now my mouth is totally watering...

I picked one of the small candles up for myself, I couldn't really commit to a 3-wick just yet, I wanted to know what it smelled like burning, but I picked one up for a friend as well. 

Peppermint Mocha and Cinnamon Frosting 

Chocolate and Peppermint? A match made in heaven in my opinion! This Peppermint Mocha candle smells like a rich chocolate infused with a slight peppermint twist. Think the Peppermint Mocha at Starbucks! And because all mini candles are 2 for $5 I also picked up a Cinnamon Frosting candle which I will definitely be buying the 3-wick of because it is amazing. It has the spice of cinnamon with a mostly sweet vanilla note that just makes me want cupcakes and all that is frosted! It reminds me of the Frosted Cupcake candle, but with the spicy cinnamon it is perfect for the colder fall months :)

Let me know in comments below, what are your favorite holiday scents? What is your favorite Bath and Body Works candle? Any recommendations?! 

Oh, and are you following on Pinterest? should be ;) 

Ciao for Now, M

Black on Black on Black

Winter is Upon us...

Cold Weather Winter Fashion 

Nothing will ever be more classic, more on trend, and more stylish than an all black outfit, which is not just for goths anymore! With the right pants, casual tops, fierce accessories and sleek leather boots, black on black on black can be worn stylishly all winter long.

Below are my favorite black on black pieces. The pixie pants from J.Crew are a classic, sleek black legging pant, perfect for everyday with everything from silk blouses to baggy sweaters. The black studs from Juicy Couture are a nice alternative to their punchy pink studs. The Rebecca Minkoff wallet on a chain is the perfect size for a dinner out with friends on a cold winter night. And the tall Kors by Michael Kors riding boots are perfect with pants, dresses and jeans for fall and winter. For pops of color, take the entire outfit in black and accent either a bag, scarf or jewelry. 

J.Crew Pixie Pants 
jcrew.com

KORS Michael Kors Flat Riding Boots
scoopnyc.com

Rebecca Minkoff Wallet on a Chain Crossbody Bag
rebeccaminkoff.com

Juicy Couture Black Rhinestone Studs
juicycouture.com




Ciao for Now, M

Beauty Review: Chanel Coco Mademoiselle Touche Scintillante

Coco Mademoiselle Touche Scintillante Shimmering Touch

I was recently gifted this bottle of Coco Mademoiselle Touche Scintillante Shimmer Touch Fresh Body Gel (woo, that was a mouthful) and thought I'd do a review on it.

Firstly, this isn't your average perfume, but it also isn't a gel like it says on the bottle. The liquid formula has the same scent as the Coco Mademoiselle eau de toilette, but it is much more concentrated. The floral scent is further enhanced by the glitter that collects at the bottom of the bottle, which when shaken  isn't overpowering. I like that the glitter isn't overpowering, so it is wearable by day.

As for the packaging, it comes in Chanel's classic clean and simple packaging, with a clear bottle, square label and frosted cap. The bottle doesn't have a spritzer or anything, so it is just a pour top.
It looks gorgeous sitting on a vanity or dresser top :)

I'm not the biggest fan of Chanel fragrances, I prefer YSL's perfumes, but this is a great young scent, epitome of the floral scents. It's lovely :)

Ciao for Now, M

Nail Polish Review: OPI's Diva of Geneva

some fall sparkle

This polish by OPI is a gorgeous red with deep purple hints, and micro sparkle. I feel like it is the sparkle-version of Essie's Bahama Mama, which is another fall favorite! 

OPI's Diva of Geneva, 2 coats, left in lamp light, right with flash, natural light is closer to right. 

Ciao for Now, M

November Wishlist!

OMG. it's almost x-mas?! Let the gift shopping begin!

November's Wishlist: Ted Baker Leather Gloves, Wildfox Couture Baggy Beach Jumper, 
Marc by Marc Jacobs Nylon Backpack, J.Crew Quilted Coat, AllSaints Dansi Boots, Zara Scarf 

Ciao for Now, M

Halloween Lush Haul

small haul 

(I like how that rhymes)

So, I have survived Sandy and my classes start up again today, and it is Halloween! And don't think I forgot about the Lush Haul I promised! Well I didn't pick up much, considering how teeny tiny the Lush I went to is, and they didn't have much left of the Halloween collection :( 

Nevertheless, I am so in love with the products I picked up :)

Top Left Clockwise: Sultana of Soap, Twilight Shower Gel, Ocean Salt Scrub Sample, and The Enchanter Bath Bomb

Twilight Shower Gel

I was skeptical about this shower gel, as I am not a big fan of shower gels in general, particularly when Lush has such moisturizing and yummy smelling soaps. But on a whim, and perhaps a little shove from the Lush girl who helped me, I tried the gel in store and fell in LOVE. They only had the smaller size (3.3 fl oz) but I will definitely be looking for this in other Lush stores or buying it online. 

It starts by smelling like a roasting marshmallow, and then an actual wood burning fire. It has some rich spices, and a gentle lavender scent. It was inspired by the Twilight Bath Bomb, so I'll definitely be picking that up as well. It doesn't have any super moisturizing qualities, and the glitter has settled to the bottom so I haven't been doused in glitter, thankfully! 

Sultana of Soap Soap

Every fall I have to pick up a chunk of this soap, which is kind of like the most scrumptous oatmeal cookie ingredients without the oatmeal. It has currants, apricots and smells like a spicy orange which the website says is Bergamot, a fancy schmancy Italian orange. This soap has the most moisturizing lather I've ever felt. But I have to say, when you first wash all the lather off it will feel a little tight on your skin, like a really crappy soap bar, but after a few minutes, like while you're toweling off, you skin becomes super soft, like you had applied some magical lotion to it. And it smells the way fall is supposed to smell! Yummm!

The Enchanter Bath Bomb

This bath bomb is part of the Halloween collection, and it smells amazing!! There isn't much about this bath bomb that drew me in, but the scent is so fresh and citrus-y, I was super surprised it was part of the Halloween collection. It isn't as bright as perhaps a lemon scented soap or bomb, but the orange is dominant and I think it would be great on a sunny Saturday morning before an awesome shopping trip or errand running! The fizz is supposed to turn bath water orange then pink!  

Ocean Salt Scrub Sample!

So...for all the time I spent in that tiny Lush, the girl helping me helped me to a sample of Ocean Salt which was open next to the register. It is a great scrub, with a fresh ocean scent, but the sea salt is too harsh for my sensitive skin to use every day. It has a clean scent, but I prefer almond, green tea or apricot scrubs, and scrubs with finer exfoliants.

I'm back to my Monday, Wednesday and Friday blogging :) Hope you missed me! 

Ciao for Now, M