EmbraceYourFace

Let's #Playon

2014-09-17T17:08:00.001-07:00

So I received my Playtex Sport Fresh Balance complimentary from @Influenster to testing purposes.

As a very active female I find this product wonderful. It has odor shield, the applicator doesn't pinch and I have no leakage. I like that I can use this product and not have to worry about an embarrassing incident. It really does let you #Playon

New #VitalityVoxBox Via #Influenster

2014-08-24T19:55:00.001-07:00

Ok, so today I finally received my new VoxBox from Influenster! It was supposedly delivered over a week ago according the USPS. I think they out it in the wrong box because it literally just showed up yesterday.

Anyways, there are some pretty good items in here. We got:

FirstDegree Burn Cream

PlaytexSport Fresh Balance Tampons

Softlips Cube

PureLeaf Sweet tea

Bikini Ready Energy Gummies

Elizabeth Arden Flawlessfuture caplet serum

I'm going to try them all out and then I'll be back w my reviews! Bye Y'all!

New #TLCVoxBox

2014-06-03T16:06:00.001-07:00

So... I got the new #TLCVoxBox and I love it!! I got a Neosporin TO Go, a bar of Ivory soap, Avon'd Anew Reversalist Wrinkle Smoother, and Puffs plus Lotion Travel size.

First, off, I was seriously needing some Neopsorin because my son had just fallen down and scraped his knee. It's a cute travel size w a spray feature that will clip on to our baby bag so I absolutely love this! Next, the Puffs, who doesn't need Kleenex when you have kiddos? LOVE these as well!

The next things I haven't tried yet but will. Ivory Soap, haven't used it in years but will definitely give it a try. Also, Avon Reversalist face lotion. Let's see if this helps w my fine lines and such!

I also received a Shell rewards card! Who doesn't love saving on gas? And lastly, Breyers Gelato Indulgence coupon for a free one! Can't wait to try that out! Sounds yummy already!

Boots Botanics Ionic Clay Mask #powerofplants

2014-03-04T15:06:00.001-08:00

So I received the Boots Botanics Ionic Clay Mask Shine Away for Influenster complimentary for testing purposes. Well, it didn't start off good. I went to open it and it was like liquid! It squirted all over my clothes! I don't know if it's supposed to be liquid but so far, I'm not impressed and hope it comes out of my new sweater and jeans! :/

My J'Adore Voxbox

2014-03-04T13:10:00.001-08:00

Ok, got this new J'Adore VocBox recently and I must say, this thing is packed! It has so many great products! We have Frizz Ease 3 Day Straight flat iron spray, Hershey kisses, Vaseline Spray Lotion for men, RedRose Teas, Boots Botanicals Ionic Clay Mask, and some Kiss lashes. I can't wait to use these items!

My Dove VoxBox

2014-03-04T12:08:00.001-08:00

Ok ladies and gents! Just got this new VoxBox in the mail recently! I wanted to give it time to review. This box contains 1 Dove advanced care nourished beauty anti-persprant deodorant. Upon opening, it smells pretty good. A kind of citrusy clean smell. I like it, let's just hope w use it doesn't smell like rotten citrus. I like the size of the applicator, its a larger size and goes on nicely. It goes on smith and seems soft and creamy. It seems to have a good amount of product in the time, 2.6 oz. In a few more weeks I'll come back and tell you what I think after using it for a bit!

Thanks!

Beauty On A Budget

2012-09-03T19:53:00.002-07:00

I think its about time to revisit some areas of my life. I have lately been thinking of all the money I have spent on makeup, and let me tell you, it's ridiculous ! I have been thinking of ways to trim my budget in every department. It's not just about the money but my whole thought process on want vs. need, which seems to be coming down to less is more. As most of my friends know, I'm pretty careful with my money. Even that seems not good enough. I know there has to be ways to trim even more.

I don't want my stash to look like this at the end of every month.

I am thinking of buying no new products for the next 60 days, or every time I get the itching to buy, throw that money in a jar and tally it up at the end of the month.

So far I'm starting with all the pigments I have and the empty 26mm tins laying around, and I think I shall press them. Pigments are so messy, beautiful but messy. None the less I feel the need for a little project. I think with the wide array of colors I have, I truly would not ever need to purchase another eyeshadow in my life. I do so love eyeshadow. The eyes can be dressed up so pretty.I walk into MAC and I swear I hear angels singing ! lol

Pigments however are so inexpensive and with such a wide array of colors. The only reason people I think don't buy them as much is because of the impracticality of using them. It's not easy for women to bust them out and use them like a compact.

I will keep you posted on my project(s) and tell you all about them.

Question: What are some of your money saving tips when it comes to cosmetics? I am not an expert so I could use all the help I can get !!! lol

EOTD

2012-03-22T08:09:00.001-07:00

So lately because of my friends reactions to my eyeshadow, I will be posting my Eye of The Day. I will also be taking requests so if anyone has any ideas feel free to let me know what they are!

EOTD

2012-03-12T15:06:00.001-07:00

5 New Beautiful Inexpensive Palettes..

2012-03-11T12:02:00.000-07:00

Hello....

Ok so lately I have been staying away from Hi-End brands and trying to find dupes for them at a cheaper cost. I think I have found the solution. These palettes can be found at several online companies (albeit some may have some drama it seems within the YouTube community). You can find that these palettes come from a parent cosmetics lab in NY named Lady Burd. This lab physically makes the product and then a middleman is able to work with them on the labeling etc. and purchase them in bulk. Now some people find this to be unethical but what some people fail to realize that is common practice in the business community. We see famous people like Britney Spears, Justin Bieber, The Kardashians releasing perfumes which they nor their "people" actually made. They work with labs to get their desired results and its a Win-Win solution. It costs thousands if not millions to develop labs and distribution centers and this cuts down costs and maximizes profits for both companies. All sorts of companies do this which I learned in school so I was not so outraged when hearing this. I think it's better in the long run for the consumer as these companies with the same product have to be competitive in their pricing, usually around $20-$25. You can find these products at several companies:

Manic Panic

Ruthless Cosmetics

Scandalous Cosmetics

Medusa

Cliche

Forever Glamorous

Bitchslap Cosmetics

KupCake Kutie Cosmetics

The only thing I would do is research the company before buying anything and do what you feel most comfortable with.

This is palette number i13A

This palette is mostly matte colors and I love the 3 highlight colors in the second row. I especially love the dark blue #4 on the top row. It reminds me of Plumage from MAC. I think this palette can create some great color combinations with the 2 oranges on the bottom row. The 2 browns in the second row can be used at crease colors to blend quite well. The bright blue/teal #4 on the bottom row reminds me of Cool Heat, while the purple next to it reminds me of Vibrant Grape.

This is palette number i12A

This palette has wonderful colors. The purplish pink #1 on the second row reminds me of Stars and Rockets while #4 on the bottom row reminds me of Shadowy Lady by MAC. The 3 greens all #5 in their rows are gorgeous !! Great dupes for Steamy or Tilt. #1 on the last row is also a great dupe for Hepcat.

This is palette number i10A

This palette was the one I was most excited about because of the bright colors ! Although I have strayed away from bright, bold colors lately I was loving these colors when I saw them online and they did not disappoint ! The yellow is a great dupe for MAC's Chrome Yellow with better payoff and not as chalky. The #3 blue eyeshadow on the bottom row is a great dupe for Deep Truth by MAC. The #4 shadow in the second row is a beautiful gold color and can be switched out with Gorgeous Gold.The #1 eyeshadow in the top row reminds me of Vex by MAC but not as duochrome.

This is palette i09A

This palette is great in that it has colors from every spectrum. The #1 eyeshadow is my favorite !! It reminds me of Pagan but prettier and brighter. I wore this one with a brown/black crease and got stopped several times yesterday from people inquiring about it. This palette also contains some repeats from the previous palettes, all the 3rd eyeshadows are repeats. This one contains a black which can be essential in creating depth in the crease. The Grey above it is beautiful with a little shimmer.

This palette is wonderful as well. It also carries some repeats as the previous palettes. The #2 eyeshadow in the second row is the GORGEOUS one that is like Bitter/Pagan from MAC. The #5 eyeshadow in the 3rd row is like Plumage and the one above that reminds me of Deep Truth. However, I still love this palette.

I think in my next post I will be putting up swatches and give a more in depth review of each palette as I use them more. I mostly compare them to MAC shades as that is what I know best.

Thanks for stopping by !!!

Alison

How NOT to Have Your Concealer Crease

2012-01-05T15:31:00.001-08:00

A few quick tips on how to keep your concealer from creasing

All About the Nails...

2012-01-03T16:00:00.000-08:00

Hello Lovies,

I have discovered nail polish in a crazy way !!! I have fallen in love with it all over again. I feel like I never truly appreciated it or something. LOL I have discovered blogs and whole websites that do nothing but talk about it and I have gotten so excited over it! I'm like a kid in a candy store these days and I wanted to share some of my favorites with you. Now the ones below are from the Kardashian Kolor Kollection.

Kendall On the Katwalk

Listen To Your Momager!

Kim-pletely in love

Disco Dolls

Ok so Kendall on the Katwalk at the very top is a beautiful, blue, sparkle with lots of glitter. The first time I wore this,I had it on over the next one down Listen to Your Momager! and it did not chip ! As a matter of fact, I could't get it off. The glitter is blue and purple and very small, not chunky at all.

Kim-pletely in love is a pretty, pretty baby pink. It's that perfect shade of baby pink (however with baby blue duochrome glitter) I was searching for, the only problem is you have to apply atleast 3 coats for it to be opaque.

Disco Dolls is not a color I would normally go for, it's a gold color glitter but it was too pretty to leave behind. I put it over a red/wine for a cascading effect from the tip up. It has red, green, silver and gold pieces of glitter that are round and of different sizes which makes for a cool effect.

Well thanks for stopping by and be sure to subscribe !!!

Alison

Smashbox Haul

2011-11-03T13:40:00.000-07:00

So I was in the PX, which is an Army store that has basically everything and came across several kits for Smashbox. I am usually a MAC girl because I like simplicity and how compact everything pretty much is with MAC, however, I thought $17 "Why Not?".

The Try It Kit comes with a small foundation Photo Finish Primer, a small Photo Finish Lid Primer, A Limitless eyeliner in Fig, Lip Enhancing Gloss Illume, and a Hyperlash Mascara in Blackout.

Smashbox Try It Kit-$17

Life is Your Set Kit-$20

The next thing I got was the Life Is Your Set Kit. These eyeliners are AMAZING !!!!

Limitless Eyeliner in-from top to bottom-Sapphire, Espresso, Emerald, Gold and Black

From L to R-Sapphire, Espresso, Emerald, Gold, Black and Fig

As you can see, there are faded eyeliner swatches above the new swatches. I swatched these TWO days ago and after several showers and ALOT of handwashing, they are STILL there !!! The only one that faded was Gold. I attribute this to the fact that Gold is extra creamy but because of that I'm thinking it will make a great base. These photos do not even begin to capture how beautiful these are, especially Emerald.

Smashbox Click You're It Holiday Eye Palette

These are 20 beautiful colors and for only $42, 15 eyeshadows and 5 creme eyeliners.They are close in size to the MAC eyeshadows but for about $2 each !!! Can't beat that !!! The colors are pretty good for the price too. Some are a little chalky and you may get some fall out but over all a great bargain. I will be doing a tutorial soon on some these.

Below are tutorial cards that come with the palette. They fit into a slot next to the mirror and are quite nice looks.

Stay tuned for the upcoming swatches, reviews and tutorials using these products !!

Thanks for stopping by and have a beautiful day !!! :)

FOTD-Very Neutral Eye

2011-10-27T14:26:00.000-07:00

This is a very neutral eye. All products are by MAC. First I used Painterly Paint Pot as my base applying with my ring finger. I then used the new This & That mineralized eyeshadow. I applied the darker shade all over the eye w the 239, next I applied the lighter shade to the arch of my brow and the inner tearducts using the same 239 brush. Next I went in with the 239 turning it and using just the edge to apply Showstopper/Brun eyeshadow to the crease and lower lash line. I also used these colors to fill in my eyebrows w a 266. On my lips I used Oak lipliner and Blankety lipstick. On my cheeks I applied a mix of Ambering Rose and Peachykeen with a 188. I lined my eyes with Stubborn Brown eyeliner pencil. I applied a highlight to the tops of my cheeks in Shell. My foundation is Studio Sculpt in NW30. Last but not least I applied two coats mascara and Viola, It's all done.

All about brushes..what do they do, why, etc..

2011-10-24T15:07:00.000-07:00

So this is in response to my girlfriend Tanida's www.youtube.com/naturallytee1 interest in brushes. She was telling me that she really was not that informed on brushes and needed the low down. I have been procrastinating on doing a blog and a YouTube channel (www.YouTube.com/EmbraceYourFaceTV) but since I told her I would here it is...

Close
219, 239LE, 239, 217, 217, 226, 224, 190, 188, 187, 187, 187ES, 187 ES

The 219 is a pencil brush. It can be used to sweep color under the eyes or to do a cut crease if you wish. It is also good for applying color into the crease in a < for a more defined application.You can also use it to deposit color into the tear duct or use it to highlight the brow.

The 239 is a flat brush used for packing powder onto the lid. They work very well for this and I would hate to live without them !! The application for eyeshadow onto the lid is patting it or packing it. You do not sweep color onto the lid, as you will get fallout and not a lot of product onto the lid, which you want for longevity of the product.

The 217 is a wildly popular brush and is a domed shaped brush and used for the crease.. It is smaller than the 224 or 226 and I use it allll the time.

The 226 is a domed shaped brush used to sweep color into the crease. I use this to apply my medium range color or backdrop color. It has a broad range and is not used to define the eye. I use this to define my face as well as my nose.

The 224 is a little smaller than the 226. They can both be used to blend your color out when using a gradient color to have a seamless blend.

The 190 is a foundation brush with synthetic bristles. Synthetic is used with liquids because natural fibres will absorb alot of product. I don't really use this that much anymore because I am always using my 187's. It's a little hard to clean as well and I like to wash my brushes alot-as you can tell.lol

The 188 is a tapered blush brush. I really like the way that it deposits onto the cheeks. The tapered shape is ideal for being able to sweep the blush onto the cheek and towards the hairline. Most people apply blush to the "apple" of their cheeks and this is not exactly the best way to apply blush in my opinion but that will be another post.

The 187's are duo fiber brushes. They are used in several ways. I use the long thin ones to apply my liquid foundation. This is my favorite brush to do so. The 187ES is shorter and has more bristles. I also use them to apply highlighter on my cheek bones and to apply powder to my entire face. One of these, the second one, is actually a Crown Brush and I actually prefer it to my MAC brush.


Eyes-From top to bottom-224, 226, 217, 217, 239, 239LE, 219

Close-ups of the eye brushes.

Face Brushes-From left to right-187ES, 187ES, 187, 187, 188, 190

Close-ups of the face brushes.

I have left several brushes off of here that I use but just wanted to get the "basics" down. You do not have to use MAC but these seem to be the most popular and what I started with. I also like Crown Brushes www.crownbrush.com these are less expensive and do the job quite well especially if you do not want to shell out $19 and up per brush as is the case with MAC brushes. I also hear alot about Sigma brushes www.sigmabeauty.com but I have yet to purchase any. I even own E.L.F brushes and Sonia Kashuk brushes which I purchased at Target and have had for several years and they are holding up quite well.

I hope this was informative and helpful in your quest to learn about brushes and the unique jobs that they do and why. Leave me a comment should you have any questions or feel that I forgot anything.

Have a beautiful day ! :-)

Hello All..

2011-10-23T16:49:00.000-07:00

I first want to introduce myself. My name is Alison and I, like alot of you, love makeup. I am a Army wife and mother first and foremost. I will be talking about everything makeup related and I will be happy to answer any of your questions. I am self taught and I am still learning so I will be happy to hear from you in regards to any suggestions, comments, and ideas. I have been a little slow in starting my blog and my YouTube Channel at www.youtube.com/EmbraceYourFaceTV because I am really nervous but here it goes anyways.... LOL I will be starting out with what I have in response to my girlfriend Tanida's-www.YouTube.com/naturallytee1 request for information on brushes, how they are used, what the difference is, etc. We will just go from there. I already have a long list of ideas and will be doing some hauls and how-to's.

We have just been stationed at a new Army base so I am still unpacking so bear with me as I am sure to fumble through these in the beginning. I have TONS of ideas and I am excited to share them with you. I have purchased all my products and anything discussed is only MY opinion. Please be respectful when posting comments on here and I will be sure to do the same when I check your page out as well. Should you want me try out a new product or have any questions please leave me a comment and I will respond as soon as I can.

Thanks for stopping by and hope to chat with you soon. :-)