overall look            | From my Ulta haul the other day... these are some of the test results. I will show you all the hair products that I used as well as the new product I tested out. I will also show you all of the make-up products that I used including the new items I bought. I'll let you know what I liked and what didn't work so well. Please forgive the picture quality - took it with my webcam and they aren't the best but they will do for now. If you have any suggestions on what camera works best for things like this please let me know - thanks! BTW flower & blue tank tops are from Target :D ENJOY! hair  |
Yes... I know I use a lot of hair products! I blow dry and flat iron my hair so I like to have as much in between my strands and the heat as possible. I have thin hair that is naturally curly. I need a lot of product to keep it weighted down and straight as well as healthy from all the torture I put it through. Since my hair is so thin and fine, it gets oily extremely fast! I like to cleanse the roots to avoid build up as well as get that oily crud out of the way. Then I color treat and style my hair often so I like to use oils and conditioners to help the ends from splitting. I use a Chi Hair Dryer and a Chi Flat Iron.
eyes  lashes & Lips  |       eyes & cheeks  |
My review
Okay, so here are my thoughts on the Smashbox makeup kit I got from Ulta as well as the Hemp Thickening Cream. I did use some of my basics from my fave product list, but this review is mainly about the new stuff. ENJOY!
HAIR PRODUCTS
I love, love, love this Hemp Thickening Cream that I got - plus I found it on the clearance, even better, right!?! A little goes a long way and I could see an obvious fullness and volume at my roots with this product. I will use this in the future and recommend you try it as well. Doesn't stink which is a huge deal with hair products for me. I don't want stinky hair so it has to smell yummy for me to even buy it. Weird, I know, but that's me! Secondly, the price on sale was about $12 but I think it was worth it. I like to combine drug store products with higher-end products to make an overall look. So I can't really complain about a splurge for a product that works when I skimp on other things. Drug store shampoo and conditioner, healing oil, blow out cream, molding cream/putty. I even think it has helped with the oiliness of my hair, if that makes any sense. I don't find that it is as oily today as it typically is after a night of sleeping on it. Only thing I used that was different was the thickening cream so I am guessing that is what is helping it? IDK, I could be totally wrong but I for one like this products A LOT!
MAKE-UP
When I was in Ulta testing out the samples I came across this Smashbox Beauty Kit. It was about $40 which I thought was a steal considering the eye shadows alone, if I bought all the ones in the kit, would probably have cost more than the kit itself. I've been on the lookout for a neutral eyeshadow without a lot of shimmer. Something calm and basic for an everyday look. Bonus was I've also been looking for a new pink blush so this kit had everything and more. I forgot to use the primer but I have a similar primer by Smashbox that I've used before and I would suggest it if you are going to be taking pictures or needing your makeup to last extra long. I personally don't use it for an everyday item because it cost a lot and I don't think the outcome is worth the extra step and money. I have combination/normal skin that isn't dry and isn't oily so I don't have problems per say with my foundation fading throughout the day. I do however have issue with my eyelids... I find them to be rather large and oilier than the rest of my skin. So I do use a primer on those before I apply eyeshadow. I used the MAC's Paints in a neutral shade after applying my foundation and powder etc.
I liked the eye shadows that came in the kit. I thought that had staying power as well as the nice matte look with the slightest hint of a shimmer. They ranged from a dark to light mix of shades of brownish-pinks. There was a nice pearl color or the highlighting and a variety of colors to play up or down the overall look. Like I said, this was an everyday, simple look that I have in the pictures above. Just something that you can slap on before running errands or if you are running late for work. Quick and easy without looking or trying so hard.
For the eye liner that came in the pack - yuck! I did not care for it one bit! It didn't glide on or have a nice color to it. I use brown liner all the time but this wasn't a pretty shade of brown and the pencil itself was hard to use. I felt like I was having to press extra hard and coat over and over just to get a faint outline on my top lids. I would not recommend using the liner or buying it separate from the make-up kit. I personally think that drug store eye liners like the one I mentioned in my favorites work so much better and are so much cheaper!
As for the blush, lets just say I was disappointed. I had high hopes for this blush but it fell short of my expectations. I love blush! I Dolly-Parton-It-Up on an everyday basis! The more the better and most the time I have to remember to calm down with the blush before I get too carried away. This was a gorgeous color in the sample and packaging but that was about it. It came off very, very faint and translucent. Not the kind of blush I like to use, but if you like a light dusting of pink on the cheeks then you might like this product. I felt like I kept applying and applying and didn't see a result. But like I said, I like to overdo it sometimes so I prefer the MAC blushes because they appear on the skin as they do in the packaging. This blush felt like some false advertisement - it looks like a bright, cheerful looking bubblegum pink which I thought would pop against my olive completion. Wrong! It was barely there and I was extremely sad that it did not give me the results that I was looking for.
But on a happier note... I have recently discovered tinted balms and lip stains and have fallen in love! Normally, I am a chapstick (carmex) kinda girl but lately I have been lipstick obsessed! I didn't even look twice at the lip gloss that came in the package to be honest. I was like ahh whatever just give me the shadow and blush please! Surprisingly the lip gross was one of my favorite items from the kit. It was rather "sticky" but it is a gloss so I suppose it's suppose to be. The color looks a little different in the packaging than it appears on my lips, which was a good thing. It was a pretty pinkish tone that made my lips glisten. Smelt decent and didn't taste horrible (no, I did not do a taste test but I would of known if it left a funky aftertaste on my lips).
Overall I think the kit was well worth the $40 I spent on it. The eye shadows were wonderful and the lip gloss was terrific! Like I said I haven't used the primer but I am sure it is just as good as the other one I have from the same name brand. The eye liner was a waste of space in my opinion and the blush was a let-down. But, once again, I'd like to say that the blush is a pretty color and gives a faint dusting on the cheeks that might work for you but didn't work for me. If this sounds like something you might be interested in then I would say to check out the samples that Ulta has on display. I spent, I know, 30 minutes in the store looking for the perfect eye shadow kit. My poor hand was covered in smudges of shades and shimmers by the end of my journey. So I had a decent idea of what I was getting into before I made the purchase. I did buy some eye shadows and a cheek stick from NYX that I will be posting up next to let you know what I thought of those.
BONUS:
I went shopping at Wal-mart and got some new things that will be coming soon to my next blog. I will be out of town for a while so I don't know when I will get a chance to post it. I will probably bring them all with me so I can test them out while I'm gone and write the review when I get back.
HAIR PRODUCTS
I love, love, love this Hemp Thickening Cream that I got - plus I found it on the clearance, even better, right!?! A little goes a long way and I could see an obvious fullness and volume at my roots with this product. I will use this in the future and recommend you try it as well. Doesn't stink which is a huge deal with hair products for me. I don't want stinky hair so it has to smell yummy for me to even buy it. Weird, I know, but that's me! Secondly, the price on sale was about $12 but I think it was worth it. I like to combine drug store products with higher-end products to make an overall look. So I can't really complain about a splurge for a product that works when I skimp on other things. Drug store shampoo and conditioner, healing oil, blow out cream, molding cream/putty. I even think it has helped with the oiliness of my hair, if that makes any sense. I don't find that it is as oily today as it typically is after a night of sleeping on it. Only thing I used that was different was the thickening cream so I am guessing that is what is helping it? IDK, I could be totally wrong but I for one like this products A LOT!
MAKE-UP
When I was in Ulta testing out the samples I came across this Smashbox Beauty Kit. It was about $40 which I thought was a steal considering the eye shadows alone, if I bought all the ones in the kit, would probably have cost more than the kit itself. I've been on the lookout for a neutral eyeshadow without a lot of shimmer. Something calm and basic for an everyday look. Bonus was I've also been looking for a new pink blush so this kit had everything and more. I forgot to use the primer but I have a similar primer by Smashbox that I've used before and I would suggest it if you are going to be taking pictures or needing your makeup to last extra long. I personally don't use it for an everyday item because it cost a lot and I don't think the outcome is worth the extra step and money. I have combination/normal skin that isn't dry and isn't oily so I don't have problems per say with my foundation fading throughout the day. I do however have issue with my eyelids... I find them to be rather large and oilier than the rest of my skin. So I do use a primer on those before I apply eyeshadow. I used the MAC's Paints in a neutral shade after applying my foundation and powder etc.
I liked the eye shadows that came in the kit. I thought that had staying power as well as the nice matte look with the slightest hint of a shimmer. They ranged from a dark to light mix of shades of brownish-pinks. There was a nice pearl color or the highlighting and a variety of colors to play up or down the overall look. Like I said, this was an everyday, simple look that I have in the pictures above. Just something that you can slap on before running errands or if you are running late for work. Quick and easy without looking or trying so hard.
For the eye liner that came in the pack - yuck! I did not care for it one bit! It didn't glide on or have a nice color to it. I use brown liner all the time but this wasn't a pretty shade of brown and the pencil itself was hard to use. I felt like I was having to press extra hard and coat over and over just to get a faint outline on my top lids. I would not recommend using the liner or buying it separate from the make-up kit. I personally think that drug store eye liners like the one I mentioned in my favorites work so much better and are so much cheaper!
As for the blush, lets just say I was disappointed. I had high hopes for this blush but it fell short of my expectations. I love blush! I Dolly-Parton-It-Up on an everyday basis! The more the better and most the time I have to remember to calm down with the blush before I get too carried away. This was a gorgeous color in the sample and packaging but that was about it. It came off very, very faint and translucent. Not the kind of blush I like to use, but if you like a light dusting of pink on the cheeks then you might like this product. I felt like I kept applying and applying and didn't see a result. But like I said, I like to overdo it sometimes so I prefer the MAC blushes because they appear on the skin as they do in the packaging. This blush felt like some false advertisement - it looks like a bright, cheerful looking bubblegum pink which I thought would pop against my olive completion. Wrong! It was barely there and I was extremely sad that it did not give me the results that I was looking for.
But on a happier note... I have recently discovered tinted balms and lip stains and have fallen in love! Normally, I am a chapstick (carmex) kinda girl but lately I have been lipstick obsessed! I didn't even look twice at the lip gloss that came in the package to be honest. I was like ahh whatever just give me the shadow and blush please! Surprisingly the lip gross was one of my favorite items from the kit. It was rather "sticky" but it is a gloss so I suppose it's suppose to be. The color looks a little different in the packaging than it appears on my lips, which was a good thing. It was a pretty pinkish tone that made my lips glisten. Smelt decent and didn't taste horrible (no, I did not do a taste test but I would of known if it left a funky aftertaste on my lips).
Overall I think the kit was well worth the $40 I spent on it. The eye shadows were wonderful and the lip gloss was terrific! Like I said I haven't used the primer but I am sure it is just as good as the other one I have from the same name brand. The eye liner was a waste of space in my opinion and the blush was a let-down. But, once again, I'd like to say that the blush is a pretty color and gives a faint dusting on the cheeks that might work for you but didn't work for me. If this sounds like something you might be interested in then I would say to check out the samples that Ulta has on display. I spent, I know, 30 minutes in the store looking for the perfect eye shadow kit. My poor hand was covered in smudges of shades and shimmers by the end of my journey. So I had a decent idea of what I was getting into before I made the purchase. I did buy some eye shadows and a cheek stick from NYX that I will be posting up next to let you know what I thought of those.
BONUS:
I went shopping at Wal-mart and got some new things that will be coming soon to my next blog. I will be out of town for a while so I don't know when I will get a chance to post it. I will probably bring them all with me so I can test them out while I'm gone and write the review when I get back.
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