COVERGIRL Blastflipstick Buzz Campaign!

I am really enjoying being a Buzz Agent. One of my latest campaigns is for the Covergirl Blastflipstick lipsticks!



I can't say that I am in love with them. They are a terrific idea. My problem: The taste. I can't hardly wear it with the horrible waxy cheap crayon taste that tickles the back of my throat.
The colors don't look bad, and they mix together ok. They are a bit drying - not the most moisturizing lipstick for sure. Some of them feel gritty due to the glitter in them. Some colors also stain pretty badly.

I really want to like Covergirl, but most of their products haven't changed since I was a teenager and their new products have yet to impress me. I really hope that BuzzAgent winds up with more widespread makeup brands for their kits. But, I am glad that I can share my honest opinions with you! And honestly, I'd give these a D. The actual lipstick design makes applying to the lips a bit difficult. The only reason I wouldn't give it an F? It's a really good concept. They just didn't pull it off in my honest opinion.


Here is a video of my first impression:


Here is a video of some live swatches


And here are swatches of the colors that came in the kit.

Stunner, Vixen, and Minx

These products were sent to me free for review by Buzz Agent.
Check out Buzz Agent here: https://www.bzzagent.com

Starlooks Starbox Demcember - Palette Swatches!

So for December we got an awesome palette with 15 full sized eyeshadows in plenty of colorful colors!
I of course did a video!

And then I also did swatches!

The box and palette!

The colors are great and the shadows are very pigmented and smooth. I noticed that the shimmery shadows are much smoother than the more matte shades but the pigmentation is certainly there. I LOVE how the incorporate the color wheel into this palette! For someone who loves art, it's like a bonus!

With Flash

Without Flash

Bottom Row - lightest colors

Middle Row

Top Row - Brightest colors

No Flash - All swatches.

I can't wait to start doing some looks with this awesome palette!

Worldreader

Ok, so my last Smiley360 posts were just me sharing some of the things I have been able to try through the website. This one is for a great cause though. Please check it out - I don't actually receive anything free for this mission. I just get smiles for accomplishing the tasks.

Please go vote on facebook!

Worldreader: Vote for #worldreader to win the American Giving Awards 2012 http://bit.ly/U7DwbJ *Please remember the FTC requires you to mention that you received a free sample courtesy of Smiley360 when sharing.

If you want to join smiley360 I would be happy to email you an invitation! Leave a message below!

Advil® Congestion Relief

I have yet to receive my package. Do you think I need to have a cold to use this? lol.


Advil® Congestion Relief: Thx Pfizer and #AdvilCongestionRelief for my free sample. Receive a $2 off coupon http://on.fb.me/YfOIWo *Please remember the FTC requires you to mention that you received a free sample courtesy of Smiley360 when sharing.

V8 V-Fusion® Energy at Safeway

V8 V-Fusion® Energy at Safeway: Thx Safeway & V8 for my free #VFusionEnergy! Sign up for Just For U and save $1 off at http://bit.ly/NABOQK *Please remember the FTC requires you to mention that you received a free sample courtesy of Smiley360 when sharing.

My thoughts - It gives you some energy, but has that nasty energy drink aftertaste. :( -Sarah Jane

Dailybreak

Dailybreak: I tried Dailybreak.com through Smiley360! You can join the fun and win rewards at http://bit.ly/O3cxhb #Dailybreakmission *Please remember the FTC requires you to mention that you received a free sample courtesy of Smiley360 when sharing.

Burt's Bees Intense Hydration Update!

Awhile back I received my Burt's Bees Buzz Kit and I was super excited to try out the products they sent me! I love being a Buzz Agent, not because I get "free stuff", but because I get to try new products and share my experience and opinions. I feel the more opinions you find on a product, the better informed you can be before you buy it!

Anyway, I have loved the products I received and even purchased the eye cream to try out as well.

I am still loving the face wash. It definitely does not remove eye makeup and remover is necessary as I said in my previous post. I do love how it foams slightly and rinses off cleanly, leaving smooth hydrated skin. It is not overly hydrating and it doesn't leave any kind of film behind.

The mask soaks into the skin nicely and I really like how it leaves my skin feeling soft, again without residue or a greasy feeling.

I used one of the samples of the day cream. A little goes a long way. I have combination skin and I learned putting it just on my cheeks works best. I do get an oily t-zone which is more prominent when I use all of the products together. If you have very dry skin, this whole line would be perfect for you.

I am still loving the night cream. I do wake up with a bit of oiliness, but that doesn't last past a morning face wash. I love how both lotions soak right in leaving soft skin and no greasiness.

The Eye Cream is  again, something I purchase myself, but I did use the $3 off coupon from the back of the face cream sample. The tip of the tube is like a silicone or rubber with a cross or x type opening where the product comes out. Like with the other products you don't need much. It's another great creamy, non-greasy product from the line. I tend to use this at night only as my eyelids also tend to become oily throughout the day.

This has been overall the best line of products from Burt's Bees. I won't say it's perfect for me with my combination skin, but it's a great winter regimen and I think all the under $20 price range for each product is reasonable.

Note: I did receive all the products free with the exception of the eye cream. All opinions my own.
check out bzzagent.com!

Laura Geller femme fatale collection! (Limited Edition)

One of my most wanted makeup brands has been Laura Geller, specifically the baked products. I purchased my first Balance-n-Brighten from Haute Look because this isn't the cheapest brand out there. I realized though, that it is worth every penny of the full price!

I saw this femme fatale kit on Ulta for $39 and jumped on it! Most kits with full sized products run into the $60 range. This kit contains:
Balance-n-Brighten - Medium (Full Sized) $33.00
Blush-n-Brighten - Roseberry (Full Sized) $31.00
Baked Smokey Plum Eyeshadow trio (in a lacey compact!) $39.75
I-Care Waterproof Eyeliner - Purple Paradise (Full Sized) $18
Light Beams Ultimate Shine Lip Gloss - Passion Fruit (Full Sized) $17.00
This was the lest expensive kit for the value that I have ever seen.
$138.75 worth of product for $39!

The box looks like a laced corset. It came with a great little booklet.

Top: Balance-n-Brighten, Blush-n-Brighten, and Eyeshadow palette Bottom: Lip Gloss and I-care eyeliner

Up close on the eyeshadow palette!

Left to Right: Starlet Pink, Aubergine Dream, and Plum Smoke

Everything opened up!

Left to Right - Top: Eyeshadow trio dry - I-care eyeliner in Purple Paradise. Bottom row is shadows swatched wet.

 While reading the booklet I got some tips about using the Balance-n-Brighten wet for fuller coverage. As you can see below, they really mean it when it starts as a cream and is baked to a powder. It looks so pretty and smooth wet!

Top - Lip Gloss in Passion Fruit. Left to Right: BnB in Medium Dry, then wet. BnB in Roseberry dry and wet.

Just look at the shine on the Balance-n-Brighten and Blush-n-Brighten when used wet!

I am so saving my money for more Laura Geller baked collection. The quality is as amazing and so worth the full price, but she always has great sets.

Do you have any Laura Geller products? If so, what are your favorite?

Makeup Challenge Feat. TheBalm NudeTude

This is a bit late as I already posted my video, but I do have pictures with the different looks I came up with!
Here the images!

Here's the pictures!

I was singing along to a song here. lol

Hope you enjoyed!

Burt's Bees® Intense Hydration with Cleary Sage

Buzz Kit Time! I received some awesome products to try from Burt's Bees!



In my kit I received the Face Cleanser, the Hydrating Mask and the Night Cream. I also received samples of the day and night cream to give to my friends. I did use one of the day cream samples for myself and used the coupon on the back to get $3.00 off of the eye cream.

After about 4 days of using the products, I notice that my skin is much softer and my makeup applies so much better now that the colder weather has set in.

Note: I have sensitive skin, rosacea and combination skin. 

The face wash is a creamy one with a little bit of foaming action when wet. I have noticed it does remove my makeup very well, but a separate eye makeup remover is important. It does not do a very good job with leftover mascara. It doesn't dry out my skin, but leaves it very clean and soft.

The face mask felt a little tingly when I had it on. It's basically a very thick cream mask. It does help to hydrate like the other products, but so far I haven't seen anything too special about it.

The night cream and the day cream feel a little similar - as does the eye cream. The night cream is a little thicker. A TINY bit goes a LONG way. They are very non-greasy. They soak in quickly leaving smooth hydrated skin. The Night Cream comes in a jar. The day cream has a convenient pump. The eye cream has an interesting rubber tip that dispenses the product.
I will insert a picture of it soon.

Overall I am really liking these products. I have about the same amount of t-zone oiliness as usual, so I don't think it's a problem there. As I use the products further I will see if it becomes an issue or not.

Great products for dry skin - I am loving this kit for Fall/Winter. If it keeps working this well, I will purchase this line next Winter. I don't think it would suit my Summer skin. I am also guessing I won't have to purchase new lotions before the Spring as a tiny bit really does go a long way. Totally making them worth the $10 - $20 price range of the products.

~Note: I was sent these items for free in my Buzz Kit as I am a Buzz Agent. This is my honest opinion - I am not being paid.

e.l.f. NYC Baked Eyeshadow Palette

I purchased the e.l.f. Baked Eyeshadow Palette for $10 from their website. It seems e.l.f. is finally breaking into the baked market. I can't say I am too impressed with the blushes I purchased, but I will save that for a review after I've tested them further.

I have not yet worn the shadows yet, but from swatching I can tell a primer is very important. Wearing them wet would be the other best option.  There are 10 colors in all. The NYC palette is a cool palette. They also have a California palette that is warmer.

The first four shadows are very light and frosty. Perhaps from the photo below you can see the stripe down the middle where the shadow is over the primer.

No Primer - Primer - Wet

The next four are the fifth shadow from the top row and the first three on the bottom. The darker colors have a bit more depth to them when applied wet. The brown is a beautiful chocolate color as long as it is over the primer or applied wet.

No primer -  primer - wet

The last two in the palette are a sparkly black and a blue. When wet the blue has a purple hue to it. However, the wet blue stained my finger and my hand! I don't think I will be using this one wet.

No primer - primer - wet

Red stain on my finger from blue shadow

Can you see the red stain under my middle knuckle where I swiped the wet blue shadow?

Overall, I think it may be another decent e.l.f. product. They are a bit dusty and sparkly and fallout is certain.
For $10 - That's a dollar a shadow - I suppose it will do.

Makeup Challenge - Feat. Wet n Wild

Another makeup challenge filmed. I used two 8-pan palettes from Wet n Wild (Petal Pusher and Comfort Zone). I also used the blush in Pearlescent Pink - which I decided is not a good fall color.
Here are some pics I took during my time using this set of products!

Palmolive Fresh Infusions First Look

I have finally qualified for a VoxBox from Influenster! Guess what it is from the title? Yup, Dish Soap! And it's yummy smelling dish soap at that! I received these products free and plan to give one to my friend to try. I'll update later on the grease fighting ability! So far hopes are high as I like the Palmolive brand and love the smell!

The Lime Basil is my favorite scent so far! That's the one I'll start using right away!

Have you tried the new Fresh Infusions soap? Let me know your thoughts!

NOTD: Essie Nail Polish Miss Fancy Pants

One of the items I recieved in my Loose Button American Luxe Box was the Essie Nail Polish in Miss Fancy Pants. The color is great with a one coat application. I have to say, nail polish doesn't last very long on my nails but it's holding up pretty well with normal tip wear.

 One coat of polish, no top coat.

A great fall color! I love the gray, purple, taupe color.

Sally Hansen Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips

I received the Sally Hansen Salon Effects Nail Strips in my first American Loose Button Luxe Box.
I was able to use one set of strips for both hands due to my short nails. This leaves me another set. Application was a little difficult but basically it's like putting stickers on your nails.

Salon effects kit applied to my nails.

A great lace pattern.

Almost immediately I noticed some of the edges wanted to curl up. I applied a clear coat to try to prevent them from peeling off. However after about 2 days one did peel off, damaging my nail. I gave them one more day as another started to peel off and decided to remove them I am not sure how they are supposed to last 10 days.

My ruined nail from the polish peeling off.

I still have another chance to try them out, but I am not really looking forward to trying again. I knew there was a reason I just couldn't bring myself to purchasing this product on it's own. For the price, it really is not worth it. I'd rather save up and have my nails done professionally. Or just stick with standard polish.

Influenster's New Look!

Influenster is a website where you can influence people with your reviews, videos, blogs, pretty much any social media outlet out there. The cool thing is, you also get to try stuff. I have not been an Influenster for very long, but I should have some new dish soap on the way to me. (Yes, dish soap. People need to know how well even dish soap works. - or doesn't work.)

Visit Influenster and sign up. It's free!

The great new thing is that you can earn tons more badges than before. You can also get badges more specific to what items you like to use and review. This is great as you can show where you are most influential as well. The more badges you get, the more likely you are to get VBoxes. (Boxes of goodies for you to test out and review.)

The site is much more easy to navigate through and it's easier to see what your goals are. The more goals you accomplish the higher your Influenster score.

With my limited experience with Influenster, I can't saw a whole lot more, but I can keep you updated!

Let me know if you are an Influenster by commenting below!

Nail of the Day featuring BarryM Mushroom

BarryM Mushroom Nails and Nicole by OPI Love in your Life accent

 I received my first BarryM nail polish in a swap earlier this year. It's fall and time to start enjoying it! It's called Mushroom. It is quite opaque and you can get away with one coat.
I decided to use Nicole by OPI in Love in Your Life as an accent. I find it difficult to get the heart glitter out and there is too much clear polish to even get enough pink glitter. You really have to use multiple coats to get good glitter coverage.

My short nails with the lovely polish on them!

Have you tried BarryM polishes?