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Holiday Gifting Made Easy with tarte bow & go 24-piece collection #BowandGo

November 18, 2013 by Kim S. / blog, Miscellaneous / 8 Comments

tarte bow and go 24 piece collection QVC.com v2

It’s that time of year again! With the holiday season being just around the corner, one of my favorite cosmetics brands, tarte cosmetics kicks off the season with an affordable holiday gifting option, the tarte bow & go 24-piece holiday collection. The tarte bow & go 24-piece holiday collection is available today, November 18, 2013 ONLY on QVC’s Today’s Special Value priced at an affordable $49.98 or $16.66 each piece!!! That’s a bargain compared to the suggested retail price of $248.

The tarte bow & go 24-piece holiday collection contains a 16-shade Amazonian clay eye shadow palette to create stunning, sultry eyes, four LipSurgence(TM) lip cremes, two smolderEYES(TM) Amazonian clay waterproof eyeliners, and two lights, camera, LASHES(TM) 4-in-1 mascaras. Add the perfect finishing touch to any look with brand new shades of LipSurgence lip cremes to give you velvety rich color with a hint of peppermint. Infused with skin-vigorating ingredients like Amazonian clay, olive esters, and vitamins A and E, your look is sure to keep up with you throughout the season.

Each set is housed in beautifully packaged gift boxes and even includes a luxe gold tone ribbon for effortless bow & go™ wrapping! The tarte bow & go 24-piece holiday collection is the perfect gifting option for family, friends, co-workers, to treat yourself, or all of the above. The tarte bow & go 24-piece holiday collection allows you to affordably give the gift of beauty to any beauty lover allowing them to create an endless array of looks for the holiday season and beyond.

I will post swatches of the tarte bow & go 24-piece collection shortly, so keep check back.

Where to buy: Purchase at QVC.com item #: A237579

Price: $49.98

Available: November 18, 2013 (Lip cremes & eye shadows are exclusive to QVC until 12/18/2013)

Will you purchase the tarte bow & go 24-piece collection?

Disclosure: Product provided for review consideration.

Review: LUSH Dreamwash Shower Smoothie to Soothe Irritated Skin

November 13, 2013 by Kim S. / blog, Reviews / 9 Comments

When the weather gets colder, one of the first things that tend to suffer is my skin; my skin, at times, becomes dry and irritated. While perusing the LUSH Cosmetics website, I came across the LUSH Dreamwash Shower Smoothie. Now, I’ve tried other LUSH products like their bar soaps, shower gels and jellies, conditioners and massage bars, but never their shower smoothies. Before I get into my review of the LUSH Dreamwash Shower Smoothie I’m going to provide a little background information on what I learned about them.

What is a shower smoothie?

A shower smoothie is a soap that looks and feels like a soft, creamy, whipped lotion that are meant to be rubbed all over your wet body – face excluded – to give you soft, conditioned and lightly scented skin. Currently, LUSH has about 5 shower smoothies: Dreamwash, Gumback Express (online ONLY), Turkish Delight, Creamed Almond and Coconut, and Lime. Each of the smoothies serve different purposes, but, for the most part, they are all designed to condition and moisturize as you cleanse your skin, making it the perfect option for winter cleansing.

What does the LUSH Dreamwash Shower Smoothie Do (Source: LushUSA.com)?

Sore skin no more: Instead of running from the shower, sensitive, sore skin will be calling out for Dream Wash.
Not just for bug bites: We love calamine for its calming and soothing effects.
Cool and the gang: Aloe Vera gel has a long history of use to soothe wounds and irritations.

My Thoughts:

The LUSH Dreamwash Shower Smoothie contains all of the ingredients to soothe irritated skin: aloe vera, lavender, rose, tea tree, calamine and chamomile. Boy do I remember calamine lotion from when I was a child sick with chicken pox. The LUSH Dreamwash Shower Smoothie looks just like calamine lotion, just thicker.

The Dreamwash goes on smoothly, but, to me, it doesn’t lather too well. That’s fine for me since I know lather doesn’t always equal clean. After rinsing the LUSH Dreamwash off of my skin, my skin feels squeaky clean, but not stripped. It’s also left soft.

Let’s get to the scent. If you’re turned off by herbal-like or medicine-like scents, this just may not be for you. It definitely takes getting used to. I like that it doesn’t linger too long after you shower. If it had lingered, I don’t think I’d use it too often.

Would I recommend:

The LUSH Dreamwash Shower Smoothie is a good addition to your winter body care routine, especially if you suffer from dryer skin and/or eczema. I’ve read that the LUSH Dreamwash Shower Smoothie is great for people who suffer with eczema, and I can see why – the calamine, aloe, and tea tree are great for soothing and disinfecting. If you’re worried about sulfates and paragons, the LUSH Dreamwash Shower Smoothie is free of those ingredients, which is definitely a plus for me. The price point, $22.95 for an 8.8 oz jar is steep if you’re on a budget, but, what price would you pay to have non-irritated skin?

One more thing, I love to use LUSH Body Conditioners like Ro’s Argan Conditioner after showering for soft, supple, smooth and moisturized skin.

Have you tried any of the LUSH Shower Smoothies? Which one should I try next?

Disclosure: Product provided for review consideration. All opinions are my own and are 100% honest.

Review: Neutrogena Makeup Remover Hydrating Cleansing Towelettes

November 12, 2013 by Kim S. / blog, Reviews / 10 Comments

Description (Source):

Ultra-soft conditioning cloths offer you superior cleansing and makeup removal while hydrating and soothing your skin, giving you all the care your skin needs in one simple step.

These cleansing towelettes dissolve all traces of dirt, oil, and makeup—even waterproof mascara. Plus, they leave skin feeling soft and conditioned with a blend of replenishing hydrators and skin-soothing cucumber and aloe extracts.

Use daily for skin that looks and feels clean, soft, soothed, and hydrated.

Cost: 25 Pre-moistened towelettes/ $6.99

Ingredients:
Water, Isonyl Isononanoate, Pentaerithrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Isostearyl Palmitate, Hexylene Glycol, Aloe Vera (Aloe Barbadensis) Leaf Extract, Cucumis Sativa (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Glycerin, Carbomer, PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Sucrose Cocoate, PEG-4 Laurate, Sodium Hydroxide, Dehydroacetate Acid, Benzoic Acid, Iodopropyl Butylcarbamate, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance.

My thoughts:

First, I’d just like to state that I love makeup remover/cleansing wipes. They’re great for on-the-go cleansing, and for those lazy late nights when you’d just rather get into bed instead of removing makeup and washing your face.

I have had good results using the Neutrogena Makeup Remover Hydrating Cleansing Towelettes. Prior to testing these out, I was using another brand of makeup remover towelettes that was effective, but, it broke out my skin after every use. I also used liquid makeup removers, but, as I stated previously, the towelettes just make makeup removal easier.

I like the Neutrogena Makeup Remover Hydrating Cleansing Towelettes because with one wipe, I can remove all of my makeup, even my waterproof eyeliner and mascara! Also, it’s gentle and the pre-moistened towelettes with glycerin and the soothing extracts of cucumber and aloe help calm and add moisture to the skin. I also like that Neutrogena Makeup Remover Hydrating Cleansing Towelettes are soft, and are not harsh or abrasive on the skin.

There are things to keep in mind that you may or may not like about the Neutrogena Makeup Remover Hydrating Cleansing Towelettes. Although the towelettes remove all makeup, it does leave behind a residue. It’s not as sticky as when I’ve used my MAC Makeup Remover Wipes, but, it’s there. I’ve found myself wanting to either wash my face after, even though Neutrogena says you don’t have to, or I’d have to use my Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Rose Water and Aloe on a cotton pad to remove the residue. Also, the first thing I noticed when I opened the packaging is the scent. It’s a light floral scent that you will either love or hate. I don’t know about you, but I prefer my skincare products to be unscented. The same floral scent is found in their Ultra Gentle Hydrating Cleanser, which I am currently testing. So far, so good!

What’s great about these wipes, isn’t just the price, which is between $6.99-7.99 depending on where you purchase it. I’m into products that are paraben-free, and unlike the other wipes I’ve used, the Neutrogena Makeup Remover Hydrating Cleansing Towelettes contain no parabens.

I wish the Neutrogena Makeup Remover Hydrating Cleansing Towelettes came in larger quantities.

P.S. You may want to store these wipes in an ziploc bag to prevent them from drying out. I go through wipes pretty quickly, so I do not have that issue.

Neutrogena Makeup Remover Hydrating Cleansing Towelettes

Have you tried the Neutrogena Makeup Remover Hydrating Cleansing Towelettes?

Disclosure: Product provided for review consideration. All opinions are my own and are 100% honest.

Get Your Holiday Shopping Started at The Makeup Show Holiday Pop Up Shop!

November 11, 2013 by Kim S. / blog, Miscellaneous / 0 comments

The Makeup Show Holiday Pop Up Shop is back just in time for you to start or finish your holiday shopping, or pick up some items for yourself or your makeup kit.

The Makeup Show Holiday Pop Up Shop is an exclusive luxury sample sale that introduces all the makeup must-haves and beauty secrets to the masses at discount prices! We’re talking discounts of up to 50% off off at over 40 top beauty brands like Make Up For Ever, Kevyn Aucoin, Stila and more!

The Makeup Show Holiday Pop Up Shop takes place Saturday, December 7, 2013 from 11am to 6pm and on Sunday December 8, 2013 from 10am to 5pm at Metropolitan Pavilion, 123 West 18th Street, 4th Floor, NYC 10011. Tickets are $25 each day, and can be purchased HERE

Pamper yourself while enjoying a cocktail and shopping all the trends we see on the runways, red carpet and favorite celebrities. The Makeup Show Pop Up Shop is the perfect place for everyone to shop sales of over 40 beauty brands at discount and sample sale prices.

Below is a sneak peek of what you can find at The Makeup Show Holiday Pop-Up Shop:

MAKE UP FOR EVER Pro will be offering a curated selection of best-selling and cult favorite products, perfect for filling up your makeup kit and even better for holiday gift giving. All products will be offered at a 50% discount. Purchase 3 or more of the same product and enjoy 60% off, and 5 or more of the same product to receive 70% off.

Armour Beauty is set to showcase a limited edition holiday trio of lip-glosses at show only prices! This trio consists of their three most popular shades in Marilyn, Barracuda and Stardust. Other products in their collection will be reduced up to 50% off!

Ellis Faas will help you give the gift of ‘stay-all day lips’ with their offer of ELLIS HOT LIPS for only $21 (retail value of $35) and ELLIS Mascara will also be discounted at $20 (retail value of $34.)

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics will be offering six of their popular Crème Colour Concentrates in an exclusive show set, along with application brush for only $85.00 (a $142 value)!

Stila Cosmetics will be offering their Artist Signature Set at 30% off, an exclusive discount found only at The Makeup Show Holiday Pop-Up Shop

Additional discounts and holiday sets will be offered by all The Makeup Show Holiday Pop-Up Shop participating brands including: Beauty So Clean, Mario Badescu, Smashbox, Crown Brush, Embryolisse USA, Temptu PRO, INGLOT Cosmetics, Naked Cosmetics, Tweezerman, and more.