Deborah Lippman Polish in Wicked Game

I have been wanting to try a Deborah Lippman polish for a long time as well as wanting a metallic polish. For a long time I thought I was going to purchase the Ciate polish in oil slick, but ended up getting this polish during the Barney's Bag event. I can't say much for wear time as I just applied it yesterday, plus I use a gel top coat so my wear time will always be exponentially longer than if you just use a standard top coat. I can say that it is an amazing color that pictures just cannot capture. It is a purple metallic polish that looks green, blue, or grey depending on the light. I think it might even have hints of copper in there as well. It is an outstanding polish that my manicurist was oohing and ahhing over the entire time (though she tends to love most of the polishes I bring in, thank you glossybox).

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Isn't it just to die for? This polish can be purchased at Barney's or Ulta or online at either of these retailers (though I'm sure there's a lot of other retailers for this).

Rachel's First Giveaway

Last Friday I allowed everyone to comment what ideas they had for a giveaway. Well, one was emailed to me and I LOVED the idea. So congratulations Jilliann, I am using your idea. Her idea was to create a sample box, much like Glossybox or Birchbox, with my favorite items in it. I love this idea so much. The box will be a surprise, however I promise there will be a few full sized items in there and the box will be worth at least $50.

This is my first giveaway, so there might be a few kinks to work out in the beginning. I hope everything goes smoothly however. Let me know if there are any problems I need to work out.

Edited to add that this is only open to residents of the United States...sorry.

For your chance to win, just fill out the rafflecopter form below:


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cle de Peau Luminizing Face Enhancer

I had decided that I was going to purchase the Guerlain Meteorites in the pressed powder compact form, when I saw this. I let the sales associate put it on my face and I was sold. This has quickly overtaken my meteorites in my daily routine. It has to be the single best finishing powder I have ever experienced. This product comes in pastel (shown), gold, and another new color for Spring 2013 that I'm not sure what its called.

To start with, just look at the compact. It is incredible. Like all Cle de Peau items, you can purchase the powder in refill form to save a few dollars, which is what I tend to do. However, this compact was so incredibly gorgeous, I felt it was necessary. Every time I take this compact out I am reminded how luxurious and light reflecting the product is before I even open it up. On a side note, I am glad I got this compact because of the brush it came with. I have never used the included brushes with any of the products I have ever purchased. Even the nice brushes that have come with compacts can never compete with the brushes I own. I would have purchased this brush separately. It is incredibly soft, I mean Tom Ford brush soft. I just love how it feels against my skin. It is also dense enough to pick up just the right amount of product without picking up or applying too much. Can you tell how much I love this product? I just wrote a paragraph on it without ever talking about the actual powder!

The only description on this product is that it is an "exquisite highlighting powder that uses innovative light-diffusing technology to define contours and illuminate your complexion." I have found that if you look very close at your face, there is "glitter," however you have to be nose to mirror to see it. It just overall makes your skin glow. Just like the meteorites did, where its an unexplainable change, you just look better, but this makes your skin even brighter and more glowy. I tried to capture what this does to your skin, and failed. I couldn't even get a good swatch of this because its is barely detectable on your skin. I can say that darker skinned beauties will like the gold one better as it imparts a subtle golden glow to your skin as well. It is really quite beautiful. 

I would absolutely recommend this to anyone, especially those who love Guerlain's Meteorites. I am in absolute love with this product. 

This can be purchased anywhere Cle de Peau products are sold (Barney's, Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, Nordstrom, etc) or online at any of these retailers. 

February USA Glossybox

This month glossybox accidentally sent me 2 boxes instead of 1! They did that last month as well, but both were the same box, so I didn't share. These were actually different!

(2) Bvlgari Eau Pargumee Au The Blanc soap

(2) Da Vinci Cosmetics Shimmer Powder (one in a pink shimmer and one in a bronze)

(2) Evologie eSystem Duo Pack Intensive Blemish Serum and Stay Clear Cream

Lisi Liquid Line Eyeliner (Bronze)

Lisi Sheer Sparkle Lip Gloss (pink)

(2) Nail Rock Nail Wraps (one is black and white stripes and one is all gold with the British flag)

Glossybox is a monthly subscription service that is $21 a month and can be purchased from http://glossybox.com

Sue Devitt Defining Eyeliners

I received a full sized Sue Devitt eyeliner in black in my Barney's Love Yourself Bag, however I had purchased a Sue Devitt eyeliner in silver that I had never reviewed, so I figured I would review them both at the same time. I have to tell you all, this is most definitely my favorite eye crayon on the market right now. The liners are highly pigmented, incredibly soft (almost to the point that it is difficult to use the black eyeliner as you only have one shot at it instead of a few swipes back in forth in the harder ones), it smudges amazingly, and it stays put all day! I also have a special place in my heart for eyeliners that don't need to be sharpened.

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The silver eyeliner was 2 swipes across while the black was one swipe, that is how pigmented it is! I also love that the silver eyeliner is an actual metallic silver. I have never seen an eyeliner that is an exact dupe for this. 

These are described as, "inspired by our star product - eye intensifier pencil - the new defining eyeliner is an ultra thin, twist-up pencil designed to create a precise line in vibrant colors for an intense look. Its unique formulation hydrates while defining, glides on smoothly in a soft, velvety texture, while locking in color that is long-wearing, transfer resistant, water resistant and smudge proof. Hyaluronic filing spheres and nylon-12 lock in moisture, and expand and contact with facial expressions without creasing. No Sharpener required."

This product literally does everything the company claims it does. It really is an amazing eyeliner. The only fault I have with this product is that it doesn't come in more colors! It comes in a teal color, a red color, this silver, black, and brown. Sue Devitt also makes a fat eyeliner pencil, but its a pencil that needs to be sharpened and I prefer my eyeliners to be skinny. However, they contain the same great formula, so if that is your style those come in quite a few colors. I think the teal will be my next purchase.

These can be purchased from Barney's or http://www.suedevittbeauty.com.

Barney's Bag Event Haul

Hey there everyone! I never posted the goodies I received from the Barney's Love Yourself Bag Event. I'm sorry I never posted the bag, I mentioned in my last post that I was in DC for a conference and I pretty much rushed out to go there after receiving my package and at this point the bag has been disassembled (and my mother took some goodies from the bag home with her), so it won't get posted. I am however going to review the products I purchased and the full sized gifts I received. I will most likely review my favorite items from the bag as well. For some reason the Rodin lip balm I purchased never made it to this image. I purchased that too and will review that as well. I am going to start banging out these reviews today. So stay tuned...=)

First Giveaway

Image found on google images

Hey there all. I apologize for not being around this week, but I was at the American Academy of Forensic Science Conference in Washington, D.C. this week and was unable to post. However, in an effort to both make up for my absence, and celebrate my 100th post, 50th subscriber, and 10,000 page views, I want to host a giveaway. My main problem is coming up with something to give away. So, I'm going to let you choose. Give me some ideas in the comments section and I'll choose what gets the most votes or what I decide I like best (if everyone chooses something different). I'll have this giveaway up and running by the beginning of next week, so you have till then to decide! =)

The Beauty Blogazons Weekly Roundup: February 16

• Beyond Beauty Lounge: How to clean & dry your makeup brushes .
• Confessions of a Sarcastic Mom: Check out an orange gloss and a lip pencil Destany got from Sephora!
• Lola's Secret Beauty Blog: If you are looking to add retinol into your skincare routine, then Lola's Secret Beauty Blog enthusiastically recommends FutureDerm Time Release Retinol 0.50!
• Adore A Polish: Check out Kristina's updated daily makeup essentials.
• Emily Hudspeth, hair design and makeup artist: Must Have Products for Winter Beauty.
• Ishah x Beauty: Think nail art is too hard? Anyone can do it with this easy tutorial using metallic markers!
• TheFabZilla: Do you wear glasses? TheFabZilla got some tips for ya!
• Lacquer Buzz: A dreamy pastel baby blue. Illamasqua Caress is perfection!
• Cosmetics Aficionado: MAC Ronnie Red lipstick is a hot seller, enter to win this sold out lipstick!
• Très Beau Glamour: Looking for a nice makeup look for Valentine's Day that utilizes purples and pinks? Check out Nay's "Spontaneous Love" makeup tutorial; a beautiful night time look for that special day.
• Pinked Polish: Six Swatches from the New China Glaze Avant Garden Collection!!!! In LOVE!!!!
• Liesl Loves Pretty Things: LIesl loves OPI Euro Centrale! Check out one of her favorite shades and why you need that wierd gold one.
• Makeup Demon: Photoshoot and makeup idea for Valentine's day.
• My Newest Addiction Beauty Blog: Laura from My Newest Addiction Beauty Blog reviews Anastasia Beverly Hills Bold and Beautiful Kit!
• The Glossy Pages by gloss48: Share your favorite, hard-to-find/indie products with gloss48!
• Rachel's Makeup and Skincare: Rachel tries out La Licious Bath and Body Collection in their new Valentine's Day Scent and finds she is in love!
• Mama Fashionista: Jump Start your Spring Routine with L'Occitane!
• Love At First Site!: J.Lo.'s look at the Golden Globes. Do it yourself!
• SoFlaJo: Happy Valentine's Day Loves!
• Beauty Professor: Forever a nude lipstick lover, The Beauty Professor tries Dolce and Gabbana's Mandorla, the perfect blend of beige and pink!
• Cult of Taupe: Can Hard Candy Fox in a Box Blushes hold a candle to Benefit Boxed Powders?

Up & Coming Beauty Bloggers Weekly Report

  

Lola of Lola's Secret Beauty Blog showcases how she stores her lip products in a special by request post.

Rachel from Rachel's Makeup and Skincare tries out La Licious Bath and Body Collection in their new Valentine's Day Scent and finds she is in love!

Olivia of The Unknown Beauty Blog has a fabulous giveaway featuring Luscious Argan Oil products from Eden Allure!

Rola's Fountain of Youth is now on Instagram, go see what she has been loving and doing lately!

Lindsay of The Beauty Think Tank shows off an oldie but a goodie in MAC Illegal Purple nailpolish, perfect vampy tips for Valentine's Day!

If you would like to be featured in a future Up & Coming Beauty Bloggers Weekly Report, please e-mail Lindsay at beautythinktank(at)gmail(dot)com!

MAC Matters (February 2013): Build A Core Collection with $21 per month

Hey there. This is  new blog series that was originally started by Pammy Blogs Beauty. I decided to jump on this bandwagon and do this series with her. You can see her original post here and follow her series as well. You can check out my January purchase here.

The idea of this series is to take the $21 a month one would spend on a beauty subscription service (Pammy chose to cancel her current subscription, I am choosing to opt into this as a "new subscription") and instead use it to buy Mac products in an effort to build a core collection of Mac items.

These are the rules (borrowed with thanks from Pammy):

Goal: Build my core MAC Collection using an average of $21.00 per month.

• Purchase at least one item a month: If the item is under $20, I can save the remainder for the next month. While there are many items priced under $20, there are plenty that are over the $20 range that I can save for. 
• Do a monthly blog post to share what I got! My goal is to continue this series for 12 months to see what kind of core collection I can build! 
• To coordinate with my "Build a Core MAC Collection" purchases, I will also be posting "MAC Matters: From the Stash" reviews! These "stash" items are MAC items that I love that are already in my makeup collection. Some months, I will be "saving" my $21 to go towards a bigger MAC purchase. This is when you will likely see the "stash" posts. Or, I might include a "stash" item mini review within my "Build a Core MAC Collection" posts because if you are reading this because you want to build your own MAC collection, you might enjoy reading about what I am already using and loving! 
• If this series is popular, I will repeat the series with another brand upon completion of 12 months with MAC.

You can see Pammy's last installment (January) here.

 Check out what I got for February! 

Another Mac eyeshadow. This color is Stars N Rockets. I actually got this one to go with last months blue. When I was in Mac in January looking at colors, the nice sa showed me how these two look layered and it is a phenomenal smokey effect! 

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This color is a purple with a blue sparkle/iridescence in it. It's a complex color that is kind of hard to describe. Mac describes this color as purple with pink pearl. I don't usually wear this on its own, but it looks quite lovely layered. Especially with dark blues! I think next month I am going to purchase a 4 pan palette to put these 2 colors in. I might even perhaps purchase a 3rd eyeshadow. This new palette might almost be complete already! 

This product, like most Mac products, was $15, which leaves me with $37.50 for February.

Anyone have any cool suggestions on what to buy in March or other future months? Feel free to share in the comments.

Mac cosmetics can be bough in a Mac boutique, Mac in Macey's or on http://www.maccosmetics.com.

La Licious Bath and Body

I was sent to try these great bath and body products from La Licious' new sent for Valentine's Day. All of these products have a sugary sweet scent derived from citrus, rose, and vanilla. To be honest, the scent was too much on the sweet side for me, however I have found that I love these products so much that I use them anyway. The great news is that there are 10 different scents (sugar reef, brown sugar and vanilla, coconut cream, lily mango, passionfruit lime, island guava, peppermint, coffee bean, and tabitian flower), so I'm sure there is a scent that could please everyone! 

My favorite of the entire collection is the Whipped Body Soap. It feels like velvet when you put it on your skin and it only gets silkier as it lathers up. It is one of the few body soaps I have used that really leaves your skin smooth and moisturized. Best part? This is an all natural soap! It is also paraben, preservative, and sulfate-free. It also contains coconut oil, and safflower seed oil to retain moisture and help maintain skin elasticity. 

The other shower product is the Sugar Souffle Scrub. Upon opening this product I was met with something I don't think I have encountered with a sugar scrub before; it was all mixed. Like it wasn't sugar in a sea of oil. Upon further investigation I found that it states on the bottle how it is whipped together so that mixing is not required. This scrub uses a non-abrahsive, gentle, and all natural formula to exfoliate, hydrate, and smooth skin. This contains coconut oil, honey, sweet almond oil, and vitamin e. 

There are two moisturizers in this line. A body butter and a body oil. The body butter feels like the whipped body soap. It is luxuriously moisturizing and feels like velvet. It absorbed really nicely without much effort (I had the thicker lotions that leave a filmy residue if you don't seriously work it into your skin) and left my skin feeling moisturized all day. This contains Aloe Vera, cucumber, safflower seed oil, shea butter, and vitamin e. It's no wonder it is so moisturizing. 

The body oil was also incredibly moisturizing (I just prefer more traditional lotions to using oils on my body), but for those who like body oils they are in for a treat with this. Not only is this oil great for moisturizing after a shower, but this can also be used as a shave cream, eye makeup remover, hair conditioning treatment, or cuticle cream. Something not even listed that I thought of that is great for Valentine's Day, why not a massage oil? I love multitasking beauty products. It makes me feel like it was money well spent. This product never made my skin feel greasy and was quick absorbing. The main ingredients in this are coconut oil, macadamia nut oil, soybean oil, sweet almond oil, and vitamin e. 

These are definitely products to check out. They also sell lip butters, which is next on my list. If these products can make my body feel soft and smooth, I can't wait to see what it can do for my lips. 

These products can all be purchased from http://www.lalicious.com/

*Products sent for my consideration.

Bergdorf Goodman Samples

Yesterday, I went to NYC in an effort to escape the 30 inches of snow in Ct. As of yesterday the state was still half shut down due to the slow process of getting rid of the snow. It's supposed to snow again on Saturday, pray for us. haha I went to Barney's to select items for the Bag Event and to see if I could gather any more intel on the Bag event and after wandered into Bergdorf Goodman to play with Le Metier de Beaute's new spring lip glosses (I meant to take pictures for you all, but totally forgot - I apologize and I will see if the sa will send me some). I didn't really get anything, but I walked out with quite a few samples. The most generous was by far the AmorePacific counter. Those lovely ladies gave me 4 deluxe sized samples and quite a few foil packets.

Not only are these very generous samples, but look how cute the little container is! I also got some Revive, Le Metier de Beaute, and Tom Ford. I also played with some Chanel eyeshadows and the sa gave me her card with the information on it (thats the random card in the center). I'm going to have fun playing with my new toys and I'll let you know my thoughts in the coming weeks. 

The Beauty Blogazons Weekly Roundup: February 9

• Confessions of a Sarcastic Mom: Check out the new Milani COLORStatement Lipsticks orange and reds... and find out which are Destany's favorites!
• Makeup Demon: Foods & drinks for glowing skin.
• Midnight Manicures: Spring is in the air with Jessica's Custom Nail Colours It's A Girl Thing Collection.
• Ishah x Beauty: You change up your makeup, your hair colour, why not your eye colour too? Check out one of the newest trends from Korea with the beautiful, natural looking Royal Vision Macaron Brown Circle Lens.
• Très Beau Glamour: With only a few days left, Valentine's Day is slowly approaching. If you're in need of a nice, simple look that has a pop of color and still looks neutral check out Nay Denise's tutorial for her second Valentine's Day look! You won't regret it.
• Lola's Secret Beauty Blog: With a mad love of quality skincare products, and ever on the lookout for new treats, Helen from Lola's Secret Beauty Blog has compiled a list of products that she currently craves!
• Beauty Fiends: Julia at Beauty Fiends has been testing out Mario Badescu's Drying Lotion. Find out if it works!
• TheFabZilla: See what TheFabZilla says about Wet n Wild Fergie Lipsticks!
• Love At First Site!: A few words for the wonders of Caudalie's Divine Oil.
• Beyond Beauty Lounge: Inexpensive DIY nail polish desk and storage.
• Never Gonna Give You Up: Kara does a Half Moon mani for a Nail Art Challenge.
• Polishy of Truth: Tara at Polishy of Truth premieres a brand new Elevation Polish (to be released February 7th) in addition to the current top-selling Elevation Polish!
• Cult of Taupe: Is Tarte's Clean Slate 360º Creaseless eye primer the answer to Crystal's prayers?
• Mama Fashionista: Attention all Curly Girls and members of Team Natural! Quinn shows you what Oyin Handmade's Hair Dew can do for you!
• Lisa's Nail Obsession: What color of polish are you seen in most?
• The Passenger Element: WetnWild's Mega Last lipstick swatches.
• My Newest Addiction Beauty Blog: Laura from My Newest Addiction Beauty Blog incorporates blue into her everyday makeup routine!
• Lipgloss Break: Lipgloss Break picks out her favorite Valentine's Day beauty gift sets.
• Rachel's Makeup and Skincare: Rachel shares her thoughts on Le Metier de Beaute's Peau Vierge Tinted Luminizer.

Up & Coming Beauty Bloggers Weekly Report

Lola of Lola's Secret Beauty Blog has a Dupe Alert! for Burberry's Lip Glow in Pink Sweet Pea.

Olivia of The Unknown Beauty Blog has an excellent step by step tutorial for applying eyeshadow with emphasis on contouring!

Elizabeth of Love.Life.Beauty reviews Origins High-Potency Night-a-mins cream.

Harriet at Little Miss Student Beauty tells us her favourite lipsticks for Valentines Day!

Rachel from Rachel's Makeup and Skincare has information on Step-Up gifts being offered at next week's Barney's Love Yourself Beauty Bag Event.

Lindsay at The Beauty Think Tank shares her opinion of the Physicians Formula BB 3-in-1 Beauty Balm Concealer.

If you would like to be featured on a future Up & Coming Beauty Bloggers Weekly Report, please contact Lindsay at beautythinktank(at)gmail(dot)com.

Barney's Love Yourself Bag Event - Feb 2013

This is the first picture I have of the bag. I was told there are much more things in the bag then what is here. The only thing I know for a fact that is in here is a deluxe size soft touch shadow pencil from nars and it looks like (from the picture) there is a Sue Devitt eye pencil, a Deborah Lippman nail polish, a sample of By Terry, some sort of deluxe sample from Malin and Geotz and make up remover wipes from Koh Gen Do. It also looks like theres products from Chantecaille, hourglass, and much much more!

I have some awesome information from my favorite Barney's Sales Associate, Sasha! As you all hopefully know by now, the Barney's Love Yourself Beauty Bag Event is starting this Tuesday (it was actually originally scheduled for the 13th, but I just heard word it is being moved up to the 12th), as such I thought that as soon as I heard news on step-up gifts, I would let you all know. Well the word is out and I was given permission to release this information to you all! I don't have all the brands yet, but I figured I would share what I have as of now.

For those of you unaware of this event: if you spend $200 in-store or online at Barney's, you will receive a cosmetic bag filled with Barney's favorites.

Alora - 8 oz Arancia Diffuser with a purchase of 2 16 oz diffusers
By Terry - Deluxe sized samples of Serum de Rose and Baume de Rose with a $350 purchase.
Cle de Peau - Full sized lip balm with $500 purchase.
Chantecaille - Nano gold energizing face cream (5ml), Retinol body treatment travel size (30 ml), Flower infused cleansing milk (8ml), Faux cils mascara mini, vial on card (frangipane), and a pink wallet with a purchase of $250
Fresh - Deluxe sample of Hesperides EDP, Soy face cleanser, Creme Ancienne and Sugar lip advanced treatment in fresh logo cosmetics bag with $100 purchase
Hourglass - A deluxe size sample of mascara or primer with $100 purchase.
Koh Gen Do - A deluxe size Gommage Spa Gel in a makeup bag with $120 purchase.
Kiehls - (sorry I don't understand the acronyms, however there is a gift with purchase for $85 and $125)
La Mer - Deluxe cream, serum of choice, body lotion, and eye cream with a $350 purchase
Deborah Lippman - Full size Whatever Lola Wants with $75 purchase or an Ecofile with a $50 purchase
Nars - Full Size Laguna Body Illuminator with a $150 Purchase
Radical Skincare - Choice of 3 Deluxe Samples with $300 purchase, 5 with $500, or a full travel pack with $1000
Red Flower - Italian Blood Orange little flower candle with $30 purchase
Revive - Silver Revive Bag with .5ox Sensitif day Cream, .5oz Firmatif Neck Cream, and .2 oz intensite volumizing Serum with $400 purchase or Full Size Gentle Cleanser with a $600 purchase
Serge Normant - 15 unites of Dry Shampoo with $50 purchase
Sonya Dakar - Omega 3 Repair or Red Grapefruit Wash with $175 or an Ultraluze Jet Set Kit with $500
Sunday Riley - A lip color with $100, a bag with travel Juno with $200, or a full size Primer with the lip color with a $250 purchase
YSL - a "plush" bag with deluxe samples of eye cream, lip gloss, foundation, and fragrance with $225 purchase.
Tatcha - Single Mask and Deluxe Eye and Renewal Creams with $250 purchase

Show some love to my favorite Sales Associate Sasha. She works the Nars counter at the Barney's on Madison Ave in NYC. Her number is 212-833-2008 and she would be happy to assist you in your Bag Event purchases! =)

I was also told that Nars is having a special event during the bag event - they are having their international lead makeup stylist, Uzo, come for their spring collection! This event will be held on Saturday the 16th.

Le Metier de Beaute Peau Vierge Tinted Luminizer

Taken from Le Metier's Website

I recently made a visit to the Le Metier de Beaute counter in Westchester and received a deluxe sized sample of this treatment (hence no image). It is a much smaller bottle of the original treatment, but I wanted to review it none the less (I also figured it went along with my series the past few weeks of reviewing foundations). Funny enough, I just did the calculations and my sample bottle contains .34 fl oz while the actually size is 1.0 fl oz, which means that my sample bottle is a little under 1/3 the size of the original bottle. That is one heck of a sample size!

This product is meant to not only give your skin some light coverage and luminosity, but is also filled with skin care benefits that are meant to benefit you in the long run. Le metier states, "this tinted treatment formula is the first and most effective of its kind, combining the known anti-aging benefits of Retinol with cutting edge Syntoc Acti technology clinically proven to be 20 times more effective at delivering active ingredients into the dermis layer of the skin than traditional topical applications. Light-diffusing pigments help fade away lines and instantly impart a renewed radiance and healthy glow to the skin, with SPF 20 to guard against the damaging effects of the sun. Applies as a sheer gossamer wash for a flawless luminous finish." This product comes in three shades, though because it is so sheer one would probably be able to wear any of the three (I know I have NC15 skin and I can wear both shade 1 and 2).

I have not been using this long enough or consistently enough to review the actual skincare properties, however I like that they are there. I can attest to how lovely this makes your skin look. When my skin is looking great I can wear this on its own. It is very light coverage, but it makes your skin look amazing. It is a bit sparkly, but I don't think it looks like you have a disco ball coming out of your face. When my skin is a bit more finicky, I can wear this layered underneath a heavier foundation. The luminosity shines through and still makes me skin look radiant. Le metier recommends that you don't use a primer underneath this as you want this to be in direct contact with your skin. Using this formula as a primer works just as well as any other primer I have tried. I keep debating back and forth whether I plan on purchasing a full size when I finish the sample as its on the more expensive side at $125 a pop.

This can be purchased anywhere there is a Le Metier de Beaute counter in stores or online at Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Saks, or http://www.lemetierdebeaute.com

USA Winter Luxebox and USA December Glossybox Review

So now that I finally have my January glossybox, it was time to review December's box.

Ecru New York Cosmetic Hair Care - Acacia Protein Oil - $30/1.7 oz

This multi-tasking elixir provides superb conditioning and moisturizing while reducing drying time, eliminating frizz and mending split ends. Protect your hair against heat damage with this restoring and smoothing hair serum.

Don't get me wrong, I love hair serums and oils. I use argon oil every day in my hair and have loved passed oils given in glossy boxes (and other boxes), but this I did not like. It did not reduce drying time and it made my hair feel greasy (so I guess it did condition and moisturize and eliminate frizz). I forgot what it was called, but the oil given to us in September I loved so much I actually bought, this I have used twice and now will most likely be thrown out. Not a winner.

Forest Essentials Luxurious Ayurveda - Madurai Jasmine and Mogra Bath and Shower Oil - $22/6.8 oz

This after bath and shower moisturizer is a seductive blend of essential and all-natural oils formulated to leave your skin smooth with a subtle, seductive scent. Apply this oil on wet skin to seal in moisture. 

This product I liked. Because of the Jasmine it actually smells a bit like the Rodin oil (though far less luxurious). It isn't too greasy and does absorb pretty quickly into the skin. I'm also pretty sure I received a full size bottle of this stuff. Not my favorite bath oil as in I probably wouldn't repurchase, but not terrible either. It is moisturizing and I do enjoy the scent.

Heartland Fragrance Co. - Bath Salts - $10/30 oz

Indulge in healing aromatherapy with these 100% pure Epsom bath sales. Treat yourself to a full body boost with these herb-infused accents in your bathing routine. Use weekly to dramatically reduce tension and refresh your skin.

These smelled pretty good and came in a pretty large bag. I don't really use salts when I bathe (I prefer bath bombs and  the like), but these weren't terrible. Theres supposed to be a lot of amazing properties to bathing with bath salts. Made my skin feel soft, not a whole lot more to say about these.

Oscar Blandi - Pronto Dry Heat Protectant Spray - $23/4 oz

A dry spray protectant enriched with keratin proteins and paraban free. This product is your best defense against heat styling and hot tools. The unique formula strengthens and protects your precious tresses, enhances shine and ensures a firm hold - prepare for fabulous hairstyling.

I actually like Oscar Blandi stuff. I'm pretty sure this exact item was recently in birchbox, so I can imagine those ladies who received this again weren't too thrilled. I on the other hand liked this. I can't really attest for heat protectant as my hair stands up to the heat well enough, but it did make my hair shinier and held onto my style for a bit longer (I mean I shower every day anyway, but it lasted all day without frizzing).

Pleats Please by Issey Miyake - Eau de Toilette - $92/3.4 oz

A fashion forward fragrance inspired by world renowned designer Issey Miyake's iconic Pleats Please ready wear line. Enjoy the effervescent, sensual, and addictive notes which embody the essence of joy, femininity, and elegance. 

I really wish that subscription boxes would stop sending perfume samples. I like my perfume and will most likely not purchase yours. It is one of the reasons I cancelled my birchbox. With that said, this isn't a terrible fragrance and I have worn it a few times. I know that many others were really excited about this being in their box. I would have rather received just about anything else.

Zoya Nail Lacquers - $8/.5 oz

These uniquely ornate nail lacquers will transform your nails into jewels. The long wearing and toxin-free formula will keep your nails sparkling all season, and looking their glossy best.

I used glossy boxes zoya storm on all the nails except the accent nail which I used Luxeboxes Essie in Leading Lady. I liked this polish, it was very pretty and quite on season. It was a lovely black with white glitter in it.

Jewelmint - Various styles - $29.99

Inspired by the runway, vintage jewelry and on-trend celebrity style, Jewelmint.com offers a versatile jewelry collection each month and recommends pieces that match your personal style. 

I don't really like costume jewelry, so I gave this ring to my mother. I just feel bad because I gave it to her before I took a picture of it and you can't really see it in the original pictures. Oh well, I don't really think it was any great loss.

Considering how much I disliked the fall luxebox, I was really pleasantly surprised by the winter one. I used pretty much all of the products in here and some of them (such as the kabuki brush) I use everyday.

Eyeko Mini Skinny Brush Mascara

The dispersed bristles and slim design of our Skinny Brush grab and capture the shortest lashes to lengthen and extend. Use eyeko skinny brush mascara for perfect luscious lashes. 

I really liked this product. I loved what it did for the lashes. It lengthened them and thickened them without making them clumpy. They were lush and dark and wonderful. The only thing I wasn't warned about was the fact that this is a waterproof formula. I don't like nor use waterproof formulas. I ended up giving this to a friend, but had it not been waterproof this might have been my new favorite mascara.

Essie Nail Lacquer in Leading Lady

Get into the holiday spirit this season by decorating your nails with Essie's latest holiday collection with this supreme deep red with glitter. Free of DBP, toluene, and formaldehyde.

You can see the image of this nail polish above. It was a lovely red sparkle. It is simply a gorgeous color. I love this polish and will absolutely use it again and again.

Orland Eye Contour

A treatment specially designed to provide true biological rest for the fragile skin around the eyes.

This stuff burns for a few seconds after putting it on, but I can defiantly see the difference. It brightens and plumps up the skin under the eye. I just can't believe how expensive this is (and ultimately the price of the sample)! I might have recommended this to my mother if not for that.

Marc Anthony Beach Spray

Create natural, effortless, beach hair worn loose, soft, and wavy with this Marc Anthony Beach Spray.

I'm going to be perfectly honest, I have not used this nor the Marc Anthony Curl Defining Lotion (seen below). I wear my hair straight nearly every single day. I might try these out in the summer where I am more likely to let my natural hair out, but not now. I even wrote on their survey that I wear my hair straight so I am not particularly sure why they sent this to everyone.

Marc Anthony Strictly urls Curl Defining Lotion

This alcohol-free, lightweight, non-sticky formula enriched with Vitamin E and Vitamin B binds to the curl strands to create definition, while leaving your curls bouncy and soft.

Donna Karen - Woman

The strength and softness of woman is expressed through creamy notes of orange flower than delicately wrap the confident signature core of Haitian vetiver and sandalwood.

As stated above, I am not a fan of receiving perfumes in subscription boxes. However, this is an exception. I mostly hate them because they give you these tiny vials that I can get as samples anywhere.  This was an absolute deluxe sized sample (its the oddly shaped bottle all the way to the far left in the image above). It smelled really good as well. I gave this to a friend who loved the scent and was very appreciative!

Kerastase Cristalliste Lumier Liquide 

A weightless serum with a radiant shine that will leave the hair shiny, smooth, and soft to the touch.

I did not like the sample size of this. It was house in the sample size tubes one usually finds for perfumes. I did like the product. It did all the things the glossybox one promised. It made my hair lush and shiny, moisturized, and frizz-free. I might consider purchasing this in the future.

Loose Button Kabuki Brush

A kabuki brush that works with many different types of makeup, delicately made to accentuate every feature.

This was perhaps my favorite item out of both boxes. Oddly enough, I don't own a kabuki brush, and as such this was a welcome addition to my brush family. I now use this brush almost daily. I absolutely love this thing!

Loosebutton USA was only available for a promotional period and is no longer available to purchase in the states (one can still get the Canadian one if they live there). Glossybox is a monthly subscription box that is $21 a month and can be purchased from http://www.glossybox.com/

USA January Glossybox

Well it's only February 5th so better late then never right? I finally got my Man Repeller Glossybox today. So here is what I received!

Estee Lauder Sumptuous Extreme Multiplying Volume Mascara

Fresh Umbrian Clay Mattifying Serum

Le Metier de Beaute Replenishing Daily Solution (love this stuff)

Narciso Rodriguez for her Eau de Toilette Spray

OPI "Can't Let Go" Liquid Sand Nail Lacquer

Sebastian Professional Potion 9

Tarte Glamazon Pure Performance 12-hour lipstick in Fierce

Glossybox is a monthly subscription service that is $21 a month and can be purchased from http://www.glossybox.com/ 

The Beauty Blogazons Weekly Roundup: February 2

• Ishah x Beauty: Ishah tests out the new Flower Cosmetics Kiss Stick High Shine Lip Color in Nude Narcissus. Is it the beautiful creamy nude she hoped for?
• datyorkLOVES: HTF Max MakeUp Cherimoya Devil's Kiss NVC001 Nail Polish Swatch and Review!
• TheFabZilla: Are these Wet n Wild Fergie eyeshadows worth all the hype? TheFabZilla spills the deets!
• Polarbelle: Does the idea of washing your beaded nail art down the sink make you sad? Polarbelle shows you how to make a resuable beaded nail sticker!
• Lacquer Buzz: Mihaela tries nail studs for the first time and loves them!
• Lola's Secret Beauty Blog: If you are hopelessly tempted by taupe eyeshadows- then check out these Taupelicious Treats!
• Mama Fashionista: See how Julep is helping Quinn achieve one of her beauty resolutions!
• Pinked Polish: Tiger Stripes featuring an AWESOME polish, ORANGE you glad you aren’t a TIGER!!!!
• Never Gonna Give You Up: Kara hosts a nail polish Giveaway. 10 prizes up for grabs!
• Harajuku Girl FL Beauty: Curious about high end Asian Skincare products? A new site, Peach and Lily will help you sort it out.
• Emily Hudspeth, hair design and makeup artist: Get out the door fast with this 1 minute makeup look!
• Rachel’s Makeup and Skincare: Rachel shares her top five favorite lipsticks of the moment!
• The Convenient Beauty: Starter kit ideas for makeup beginner.
• Skin, Bones, and Nails: Awesome spring colored skittle nails with freehand art.
• Cult of Taupe: Get ready to dazzle with four gorgeous gold shadows from BFTE.
• Love At First Site!: Best 12 of 2012… No1. Clarisonic Mia. A review.
• Beauty by Miss L: This week Miss L did another sweet & cute manicure.
• Midnight Manicures: GlossyBox made a touchdown this month with “The Man Repeller” box. See the products that Jeanie is cheering about!
• Très Beau Glamour: Looking for a bold and highly pigmented blush palette? Coastal Scents has come out with a NEW blush palette that is perfect for Valentine’s Day and much more!
• Lisa’s Nail Obsession: What is a girls’ best friend? In this case bling!

Up & Coming Beauty Bloggers Weekly Report

Lola of Lola's Secret Beauty Blog reviews Alba Botanical's Natural Very Emollient Body Lotion.

Jeneille of Beauti by Jinjer swatches all of her extensive Nude lipstick collection.

Harriet at Little Miss Student Beauty shares her tips on how she thickened her fine hair!

Rachel from Rachel's Makeup and Skincare compares Burberry's Velvet and Luminous foundation. Which did she like best?

Olivia of The Unknown Beauty Blog wants us to sweeten our cheeks with Manna Kadar Sweet Cheeks!

Rola from Rola's Fountain of Youth had Random Sightings of Spring 2013 Makeup Displays and the colors are gorgeous!

C.Jazmyne reviews both Loose and Pressed NARS Light Reflecting Loose Powders.

Lindsay at The Beauty Think Tank talks about finally purchasing YSL Rouge Pur Couturs Vernis a Levres Glossy Stain in Pourpre Preview.

If you would like to be featured in a future Up & Coming Beauty Bloggers Weekly Report, contact Lindsay at beautythinktank(at)gmail(dot)com.