Wantable Intimates Unboxing November 2014

So here we are again with another a Wantable Intimates unboxing. This month was a new experience since I didn't receive underwear, or a babydoll or socks...This month I received two pajama sets! At first I felt a bit cheated only getting two items, but when I thought about it the box costs $36 per month and the PJ's I received totaled to $88 in value. So I saved $52 dollars if I were to purchase these on my own. So let's look at these two new items...

The first PJ set is brought to us by Nouveau. It's called the Dot PJ Set in Lilac.

Retail: $39.99

It has a cute camisole top that is made with a soft cotton material. The edging is a deep plum netting and gives these PJ's a feminine touch. The polka dot pattern make these PJ's fun and girly. It comes with a standard pajama pant that has an elastisized waistline. Unfortunately these pajama bottoms are a bit big and because they don't have a drawstring They fall right off my my hips. So instead of having a pull PJ set I have a new tank top.

The second pajama set was made by real Underwear and it's their Microfleece PJ Set in Red.

Retail: $48.00

This cute little gift wrapped pajama set is a bright red and is made of a fairly thick and soft fleece material. The top is a long sleeve in solid red that is lined with a cute heart and snowflake sweater pattern.

The bottoms are also fleece typical pajama pants with a drawstring. They look super soft and very warm! I don't think that I'll actually be wearing these to bed since they look like they'll keep me super warm and I rather be cool when I sleep. So they look like they'll be my go to lounge wear for the holidays.

I tried to find the links for you to purchase these pajama set's yourself and unfortunately I didn't have any luck. I found one of the company's but not links to these specific sets.

www.realunderwear.com (Makers of the fleece PJ set)

Come back next month to see what my next box reveals and if you'd like to see my first impression of this box please watch the video below. Thank you!

Naked 3 Tutorial - The Voice Gwen Stefani Inspired Look and Giveaway

I have very little time to watch TV between work and YouTube but when I do it's usually the Voice! I absolutely love the group of judges they brought together this season and I am so inspired by the group of singers on the show.

I've been so excited every week to see what Gwen Stefani would be wearing and last week I saw her sporting an incredible makeup look. She wasn't wearing her signature red lip or very obvious winged liner. It was a softer version of the cut crease and a natural lip. Everything about her usually edgy look was just a bit softer and all together beautiful.

Here is my take on the look she wore during the Top 12 Perform show.

I used the Urban Decay Naked 3 palette with it's rosy tones to achieve this look. It's has a very soft light lid and a deep crease and outer corner. I kept the lips natural and just a bit deeper than my natural color.

If you'd like to re-create this look here are the ingredients I used:


Foundation: Urban Decay Naked Skin - in shade 7.0
Powder: It Cosmetics Bye Bye Pores Translucent Powder
Bronzer: The Balm Cosmetics - Bahama Mama Bronzer
Blush: Face Atelier Ultra Blush - in the shade Tangerine
Highlighter: The Balm Cosmetics - Mary-Lou Manizer
Brows: Anastasia Beverly Hills - Brow Dip - in shade Chocolate
Eye Shadow: Urban Decay Naked 3 palette
          Lid - Dust
          Crease (Transition Color) - Nooner
          Crease (Cut Crease) - Factory
          Crease (Outer V) - Darkside
          Brow Highlight - Strange
          Lower Lash Line - Factory/Darkside
          Tear Duct Highlight - Dust
Mascara: Too Faced - Better Than Sex Mascara
Lashes: Ardell Demi Whispies
Liquid Eyeliner: Kat Von D Tattoo Liner - in shade Trooper
Pencil Eyeliner: Marc Jacobs Highliner Gel Eye Crayon - in shade Blacquer
Water line Pencil: L'Oreal Silkissime - in shade highlighter
Lip Liner: Ulta Automatic Lip Liner - in shade flesh
Lipstick: L'Oreal leMatte Colour Riche - in shade 403 No Matte-R What
Lip Gloss: Revlon Ultra HD Lip Lacquer - in shade Rose Quartz
Setting Spray: Urban Decay De-Slick Setting Spray

This look is something I can see myself wearing to work as is or going even darker in the crease for a night out. It's a look that can be worn on any eye shape and every color can be changed out for others to really customize this look to every skin tone.

I have grown up listening to Gwen Stefani, loved her fashion line, her bag and shoes. She's such a fashion icon and she does it in such a way that anyone can adapt her pieces into their looks. I hope she'll be on the Voice for more than just this season!

Now onto the giveaway...I wanted to start off my holiday giveaway spree with a great palette. Not only can anyone wear the shades in this palette...but everyone seemed to want to. When I held my last giveaway and asked what everyone's favorite nude item was, this palette was entered SO MANY times.

So here is it up for grabs. To get your entry in, see this makeup tutorial step by step  and to see all of the rules for the giveaway please visit the video below:

Happy Holidays!

Fall Day to Evening Look - Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette

Hi Lovelies! Today I'm bringing you a look that starts off with an everyday makeup look. My last posting went into how to achieve a simple daytime look featuring orange and brown for the fall. Today I'm showing you how I took that look and turned up the drama for the evening.

Here is your list of ingredients:
Foundation: Urban Decay Naked Skin - in shade 7.0
Powder: It Cosmetics Bye Bye Pores Translucent Powder
Bronzer: The Balm Cosmetics - Bahama Mama Bronzer
Blush: The Balm Cosmetics Blush - in the shade Cabana Boy
Highlighter: The Balm Cosmetics - Mary-Lou Manizer
Brows: Anastasia Beverly Hills - Brow Dip - in shade Chocolate
Eye Shadow: Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette
          Lid - Creme Brulee
          Crease (Transition Color) - Semi-Sweet
          Crease (Outer V) - Cherry Cordial
          Brow Highlight - Champagne Truffle
          Lower Lash Line - Candied Violet
          Tear Duct Highlight - Champagne Truffle
Mascara: The Balm What's Your Type Mascara
Lashes: Eyelashes.com #145
Eyeliner: Kat Von D Autograph Liner - in shade Immortal Love
Lipstick: Revlon Ultra HD Lipstick - in shade Petunia
Lip Gloss: Revlon Ultra HD Lip Lacquer - in shade Pink Ruby
Setting Spray: Urban Decay De-Slick Setting Spray

The whole idea behind this is working with the makeup you've had on all day at work and simply building upon that to help you get ready for all of the fun  that comes after work. The only thing I removed from the daytime look was the lipstick which had already faded since the last application. It's very easy to bring one palette (with a mirror), a few brushes, some false lashes, lip stick and gloss and you're good to go. Bring colors to the office that are a bit deeper and have a more shimmery appearance. You can be party ready within minutes!

Let that hair down and leave all of the work behind...

If you would like to see the steps I took to achieve this look please watch the video below:

Fall Daytime Look Tutorial - Orange and Brown

So last weekend I set out to do some early Christmas shopping and was loving the cool fall weather. In honor of the fall I decided to base my look around the oranges and browns that represent this season so well. So enjoy this warm and cozy look.

To get this look I used the following ingredients:

Foundation: Urban Decay Naked Skin - in shade 7.0
Powder: It Cosmetics Bye Bye Pores Translucent Powder
Bronzer: The Balm Cosmetics - Bahama Mama Bronzer
Blush: The Balm Cosmetics Blush - in the shade Cabana Boy
Highlighter: The Balm Cosmetics - Mary-Lou Manizer
Brows: Anastasia Beverly Hills - Brow Dip - in shade Chocolate
Eye Base: NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil - in shade Milk (Lid)               
Eye Shadow: NYX Nude Matte - in shade Dance the Tides (Crease Transition Color)
                      Ardency Inn Pigment - in shade Tangerine (Outer 2/3 of  Lid)
                      Inglot Rainbow Eyeshadow Pan - in shade 107R the mid-tone brown (In Crease)
                      Inglot Rainbow Eyeshadow Pan - in shade 102R the burnt orange (In Crease and Outer V)
                      Colour Pop Eyeshadow - in shade Bandit (Lower Lash Line)
                      NYX Nude Matte - in shade I Have a Headache (Brow Highlight/Inner 1/3 of lid)
                      Mascara: The Balm What's Your Type Mascara
Eyeliner: Kat Von D Autograph Liner - in shade Immortal Love
Lipstick: Revlon Ultra HD Lipstick - in shade Primrose
Lip Gloss: Revlon Ultra HD Lip Lacquer - in shade Sunstone

This was a really fun quick and easy eye look to get me out the door and still allow me to play up my eyes with this simple autumn color palette. It's so warm and natural looking even with the strong Tangerine lid.

My next video will show how to take this daytime look into the night so stay tuned for that look too! I appreciate you stopping by and hope all of Mai Makeup Junkies like this look.

To see the steps I took to create this Fall Daytime look please click the video below:

Favorite Fall Things Tag - 2014

Hiya Lovelies! Today I decided to share with you a few of my Fall Favorites. This tag was created by Lindsey Hughes and I loved the questions she thought up. To see the questions and answers for this tag keep on reading...

*I did provide links to as many of the products as I could find to make it easier for you to locate. It doesn't mean it's the exact place I purchased my own and you might find it cheaper elsewhere but I wanted to make sure you could find it. Enjoy!

- Fall Beauty Faves -
1. face product - My choice is the Naked Skin Foundation. I where the shade 7.0 and love this product so much! It is light weight and evens everything out without it looking like I'm wearing anything.
2. cheek product - My choice is Cabana Boy blush by The Balm Cosmetics. This is a dusty berry shade that brings a lot of warmth to my face without getting muddy or oxidizing throughout the day.
3. eye product - The obvious choice to me is the Ardency Inn pigments I just found a couple of weeks ago. These pigments are super saturated and highly pigmented. The color options available caters to all  tastes and there are multiple finishes available.
4. hair product - I chose my It's a 10 Miracle Leave-in Product. This leave in conditioner helps my color treated hair feel like virgin hair again. I damaged my ends by bleaching to achieve an ombre effect and this conditioner leaves my hair feeling soft and hydrated without weighing it down. The smell is amazing and it helps to tame flyaways. 
5. fragrance / candle - The White Barn Candle Company's Leaves candle. You can find these at Bath and Body Works only during the fall and the smell instantly brings me back to this time of year no matter when I burn it. It's a lovely fruity smell and has a crisp clean scent. If you are looking for potpourri this is not the candle for you.
6. nail polish - I love my Julie G nail polishes and specifically during this season I love my Elegant Edge polish. This cranberry polish fits the season so well and is the perfect hue to wear for Thanksgiving (which I will be doing). The plus is that these polishes are only $3.99 at RiteAid or Jesse'sGirlCosmetics.com.

- Fall Fashion Faves -
1. trendy clothing item - I don't go much with the trends when it comes to clothing since I like more retro or classic looks so when it came to choosing this item I instantly thought of the two skater skirts I picked up. Specifically the houndstooth skater skirt I got form Rue21. This skirt was only $16 and it fits like a dream. It stay in place and because it is made of sweater material it hangs well. I don't worry about this skirt flying up. It also came in Black (which I also purchased) and the shape is more trumpet than a-line which suits someone without hips just fine.
2. comfy clothing item - My comfy clothing item is a heather grey shawl collared cardigan I picked up from Nordstrom Rack. It's made by H by Bordeaux and the fabric is sweat pant material. Its the most cozy sweater I own and if I could wear it all of the time I would. Although it is over-sized I still find that it is cut in such away that it still gives me a shape. I did try to find this sweater online and had no luck. Sorry!
3. shoes - My favorite fall shoe had to be the Nine West boots I picked up at Ross. I have a hard time finding boots and these are not only comfortable but they have a good amount of stretch in the fabric which allows them to get up and over my huge calves. LOL. Although these boots look high they are actually easy to walk in all day long. I recommend these for travel as well. They go on and come off easily with the zipper on the inner part of the boot shaft. I love these!
4. accessory - Scarves...every shape...every color...ever style! I have so many scarves and actually knit them myself at times. I think they add a little something to an outfit that seems boring or plain. It also says a lot about a person's personality when you look at the print or how they tie it. I just love adding these to my fall looks.

- Fun Favorites -
1. Halloween or Thanksgiving? Thanksgiving by a slight margin. I love Halloween and the costumes and of course the MAKEUP, but I love Thanksgiving since my family always gets together. It's a great time to catch up, play games, laugh and tease. We also get to eat which I will never complain about.
2. Favorite festive food and/or drink - Thanksgiving Stuffing and my Auntie Debbie's Potato Salad made by my Auntie T.
3. What's the happiest part about fall for you? Knowing that this time of year is gearing up for the holidays and the time spent with my family and friends. We all live such busy lives and we can tend to take each other for granted most of the year, but during this time of year we make each other slow down and enjoy it. I truly appreciate that fall allows my family to start switching gears and reminds us why we work so hard all year long.

4. Who do you tag?

• Sam Schuerman
• Beauty by Edwina
• Sarah Logan Kim
• Hey GorgeousXXX
• Carli Hawkins
• YOU!

I hope you enjoyed my Favorite Fall Things Tag and I hope you do it as well and let me know what your answers are. If you'd like to see the items I listed and my spontaneous responses please watch the video below.

Mahalo! Aloha Nui Loa!

The Balm Nude'Dude Clean & Natural Tutorial

Hello Friends! I can't believe it's been two weeks since I put up my The Balm Nude Dude Palette Review and Giveaway and that it's been over a month since I started YouTube! 

Thank you so much to everyone who subscribed to my channel via the giveaway. I really appreciate the love, support and encouragement I've received from everyone. It's truly amazing that something I love to do is reaching so many people and that I'm able to make so many friends with the same insane obsession with makeup as I do! I hope that the giveaway winner is super happy with their palette and that everyone will enter into the giveaways I have planned for the next few weeks!

I also wanted to extend a special thank you to everyone for being so sweet and encouraging to me but to others who entered into the giveaway. I love that the community I'm building here with you guys are the type of people who lift others up and not tear people down. There's already so much of that in the world and I'm glad that the friends I'm making on here are good hearted and kind. I really want to give you all a huge thank you for that!

So to make sure you all really get to see this palette at work I have come up with a Clean and Fresh Makeup Tutorial.

To get this look I used the following ingredients:

Foundation: Urban Decay Naked Skin - in shade 7.0
Powder: It Cosmetics Bye Bye Pores Translucent Powder
Bronzer: The Balm Cosmetics - Bahama Mama Bronzer
Blush: The Balm Cosmetics Blush - in the shade Cabana Boy
Highlighter: The Balm Cosmetics - Mary-Lou Manizer
Brows: Anastasia Beverly Hills - Brow Dip - in shade Chocolate
Eye Base: NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil - in shade Milk (Lid)               
Eye Shadow: The Balm Nude'Dude Palette
          Lid - Faithful
          Crease (Transition Color) - Feisty
          Crease (Primary Color 1) - Flirty
          Crease (Outer V) - Friendly
          Brow Highlight - Fearless
          Lower Lash Line - Funny
          Tear Duct Highlight - Fabulous
Mascara: The Balm What's Your Type Mascara
Eyeliner: Kat Von D Tattoo Liner - in shade Trooper
Lip: Revlon Ultra HD Lip Lustre - in shade Strawberry Topaz

This look is basically a play on my usual eyeshadow routine I use for work each week. The shadows in this collection are very buttery and pigmented. It was really easy to find similar colors to use that are a close match to those I use from my LORAC Pro Palette. If I wanted to deepen this look and make it more dramatic after work it's really easy. I just need to bring those more dramatic shadows and a pair of false lashes and I'm ready to go out!

I hope you like this look and give it a try. If you do please send me at picture and tag me @makeupmaiworld on instagram. If you would like to see how I put this look together please watch the video below.

Thank you for reading this blog post! Also, remember to be kind to one another and find one thing about yourself that you truly love and play that up today! Aloha Nui Loa!

Quick and Easy Autumn Nail Tutorial - Autumn Leaves

Living in Southern California doesn't expose you to much of the Autumn season so I thought I'd bring the Autumn to my nails. With this easy fall leaves nail art anyone can have their very own piece of Autumn. The look is basically an abstract fall leave placed at the tip of the nail to give a french manicure like feeling.

To see how this came together see below...

Ingredients I Used:
Base Coat - Beauty Secrets Ridge Filler , sold at Sally's Beauty Supply
Nail Polish - Julie G Nail Polish in Liquid Metal, Sugar Rush, Gift Wrapped
Top Coat - Julie G Top Coat Jet Set
Tools: Toothpick or Dotting Tool

Here's how I did it:

 Step 1: Apply Base Coat - Beauty Secrets Ridge Filler...I love this base coat! It fills in those ridges and pits in my nail and dries clear rather than cloudy. It also is a great base for the polish to adhere to.

Step 2: Using a toothpick or dotting tool, create the outline to your fall leave. I placed dots of polish starting at the middle of my nail and worked out towards the end. I connected each dot together with a small line which dipped in slightly.

Step 3: Using either your dotting tool or nail polish brush fill in the leaf outline all the way to the end of your nail. You have now created the base of your leaves.

Step 4: Using the toothpick or dotting tool again you will need to outline your leaves with a contrasting nail color. Begin with the tops of your leaves and then draw a vein through the middle of the leaf. Don't forget to add a few smaller veins coming off of the main vein to give it a more leaf-like appearance.

Step 5: Seal in the whole design with a quick drying top coat. I used the Julie G Jet Set. This top coat will help to blur any lines that aren't even, it will give the nail a beautiful shine and it'll help your manicure looking newer, longer.

This look took about 15 minutes from beginning to end. If you try out this design please email me a picture at makeupmaiworld@gmail.com or tag me on instagram @makeupmaiworld

If you are interested in purchasing nail products from the Julie G nail line click on the link below:

https://www.jessesgirlcosmetics.com/

To see a step by step of this design please watch the video below:

Memebox Unboxing: Sam Schuerman Collab Box Review'

I'm so excited to be able to bring you the following review. I have been eagerly waiting by my mailbox for this package to come in and finally the wait is over! My Samantha Schuerman X Memebox finally arrived! Yay!

I have received a number of Memebox's and if you are not familiar with them they are a K-Beauty Box company. They are not like the traditional subscription box companies where to sign up and each month they send you the standard box and you pay a standard fee. With Memebox you must go to their website and choose the box you'd like to have sent. Each box has a specific date they will begin shipping them out so if you'd like them early you'll need to choose expedited shipping and if you are patient (which I'm not known for) you can pick the standard shipping. They don't just have a single box available each month but instead they have a huge selection of personalized boxes ranging from beauty, to skin care, color inspired boxes and even like with this one, Beauty Guru collaboration boxes. I have never been disappointed with a box from this company!

I have been subscribed to and have watched Sam's videos for years. She is actually one of the first YouTubers I ever watched and I was immediately sucked in and loyal to her channel based on her genuine personality and reliable real life beauty tips. She didn't care that people were making comments about her imperfections but instead she embraced them and helped others like myself do the same. It is largely because of her channel that I thought I could also follow my passion and start creating YouTube content.

So when Sam announced that she was collaborating with Memebox I was super excited and now here I am bringing my box to you.

The first thing you notice is how totally Sam this box is. It's pink...It's fun and It's playful. It completely suits her personality.

When opening the box I remember why I love Memebox so much. Look at the number of items you receive and their sizes! This is not some sample filled subscription box!

Included with the box are their standard informational cards. This month you receive two since Meme also included a quick bio on Sam and also because there are 7 full size products chosen to be included in this box. According to Sam's video she was given the opportunity to shop the Memebox website and research what she most wanted included in this box. I believe she did a great job giving the buyer variety. There's a bit of makeup, there's a bit for skincare and there's a bit for hair. It's a very well rounded box and I'm really surprised that the value far exceeds the $23 price tag.

Let's take a look at those FULL SIZE items included in this box:

1. RiRe Lip Manicure 3.7g (Retail Price $18)
Color options are 09 Brick Red, 10 Wine Burgundy, 11 Pink Brown

In the box you are randomly given one of the three lip color choices. In this case I received #11 Pink Brown which is a beautiful deep rose color. The lip color is applied with the doe foot applicator included and once it sets does not move, flake, or smear. This stuff stays put and required a makeup wipe in order for it to come off of my hand after swatching it.

The only con I can see about this product is the applicator size. It is a bit stubby but that can be remedied by using my lip brush with this product. The actual formulation itself is wonderful. It's a creamy lip product and although it dries matte it does not feel drying. I loved this product so much that I ran to eBay to purchase two other colors. Click the link below if you'd like to give this product a try.

RiRe Lip Manicure on eBay

#2 RiRe Pigment 3 Set (2.5g x3ea)
Includes 01 Snow White, 04 A-Pink, 05 Club Burgundy
Retail Price: $13 ea

The next product included in Sam's box are actually 3 eye pigments by Rire. I was really shocked to see that I would not just get one of the color choices available but all three. So that bumps up the number of items you get in this box from 7 to 9. That's an amazing deal. The pigments were packaged in the standard sifter jars below.

But that's where they stopped being standard. Each of these pigments are unique.

Snow White has a beautiful silver bell appearance. It's a chunkier pigment and swatches like a silver snowflake. It's a beautiful color that if used carefully would be a great lid color, brow highlight or inner corner brightener.

A-Pink has the same chunky glitter finish as Snow White but instead it has a great rose gold finish. When swatched it looks like a glittery copper penny. It'll be perfect for those family dinner and holiday parties coming up.

The last pigment included is Club Burgundy. This is my favorite out of the trio and has such a beautiful foil like finish. The color is a warm cranberry and rather than being glittery this pigment is butter soft and has a gorgeous sheen. I can see this being worked into many holiday looks.



Here are the pigments swatched:

From Left to Right: 05 Club Burgundy, 04 A-Pink, 01 Snow White

#3 Secret Key - New Premium So Fast Hair Booster Hair Pack 150ml
Retail Price: $24

The description says that this So Fast Booster Hair Pack restores the protective layer on dry or damaged hair and reduces the hair's porosity by 100%. This hair pack makes dry and damaged hair look and feel like virgin hair and increases the hair's resistance to breakage while healing, protecting and preventing further damage.

This is a hair repair conditioner that is used in the shower after you have shampooed. I have not yet had a chance to use this product but will do so in the near future to give you my thoughts. The packaging is nice, I always like in shower items that dispense from the bottom so you aren't doing the shaking dance and the smell was light and clean. I'll keep you posted on how well the product does in repairing and restoring my color treated hair.

#4 M.Daida Butter Cream Lip Mask 20ml
Retail Price; $13

This Butter Cream Lip Mask feels and smells so good. If you are not put off by the smell of cocoa butter you will love this product. This reminds my of Palmer's Cocoa butter and makes me want to eat it! The product comes in a small jar and looks a lot like a Lush refrigerated face mask. The product is very creamy and when applied to the lips it feels very moisturizing. The product absorbs into the lips and leaves a slight reside on the surface. I do feel a cool sensation in the few minutes it's on my lips and when I wipe the product away as instructed my lips feel amazing. I don't believe it has a plumping effect but the restorative properties of this product will be great through this winter.

#5 Youngwoosa I Love You
Oh Thank You Green Tea Seed Essence 40ml
Retail Price: $54

The product is described as being packaged in the form of a gift towards a precious one. It's infused with a Jeju island blend of organic green tea see and 7 different kinds of herbal extracts. It's supposed to instantly relive and replenish moisture to sensitive and stimulated skin.

The product is contained in this glass bottle and is dispensed with a dropper like many serums out there. That's where the similarities end. This product is lightly botanical in smell...clean and fresh. The product itself you would think would be gel like but rather it is very watery. When trying this out I felt like the product ran away and absorbed instantly. It looks like you will have to be quick this product when applying and it might take more than you are used to in order to apply to the entire face. I haven't had enough time to tell if it holds up to its claims but I will let you know in a future blog post.

#6 Holika Holika Sweet Cotton Clear Powder in Mist 65ml

Retail Price: $8

This facial spray amazing. You would think that due to the name and packaging that the product would smell of candy but instead it is very clean and lightly floral in smell. The mist claims to lock in your make up, keep it fresh looking and not allow it to melt down in the first couple of hours after application. I have used this product and find that the mist is nice and soft. It's doesn't over saturate your skin or move the makeup already in place. The smell is nice and light and hardly noticeable. My skin did feel hydrated after a light misting and did not dry sticky or tight. I do appreciate that the bottle is nice and compact and will be perfect for travel.

I'm going to continue using this product through the holidays to see how it holds up to the heat of the indoors and if there is any shine picked up in those family pictures we'll be taking. I'll keep you posted.

#7 Too Cool for School Play Cheek Angel Blusher 02 Sweet Peach
Retail Price: $14

I loved packaging of this product right off the bat. When I unboxed this blusher it looked like a small lunch pail or hat box and then to find that sweet orange sherbet blush color under the lid I was so happy. I was hoping that since the description said it was highly pigmented that the product would show up on my tan skin but that was not the case. Instead I found that this "blush" makes a wonderful highlighter. There is a beautiful warm sheen to the product and it give such a nice soft glow. Also included with the packaging was a powder puff that inserts into the underside of the pot. It's a cute touch but one that will probably not be used unless there is an emergency. I was really happy that even though this product didn't work out as a blush it will definitely double as a highlighter. 

Click here to visit Sam's Channel

This is the last product that was included in Sam's box and I must say I was a little sad that it came to an end. Don't get me wrong I was really impressed by the number of products and their full sizes. I just wished the fun would never stop. It's like when you open that last present on Christmas and know you'll have to wait until next year to be able to enjoy the same feeling. I thoroughly impressed by the products chosen by Sam given that she couldn't actually hold and look at them. Making these choices off a website is tough but I think she did an excellent job. There's something for everyone in this box and you can't beat the price of $23!

If you want to check out the Memebox website please click below.
http://us.memebox.com

If you'd like to see my first impressions of these products, please watch the video below. Thank you as always!

Ardency Inn: Manuka Honey Enriched Pigment First Impression and Tutorial

A little over a month ago I was watching YouTube with my best friend and she told me about this Beauty Guru by the name of Tati and how wonderful she was. I was seriously planning out how I wanted to launch my channel so I pulled up her channel and I was hooked! During her Sephora Haul: New Favorites and Regrets (Click here to watch it) she talked about these new pigments from a company I hadn't heard of...

Ardency Inn is a new cosmetic company based out of New York. This delighted me since NYC is definitely one of my favorite places to visit and also because it is a brand based in the USA. I do love to support those companies based here since we've lost so many to overseas production and globalization...that'a topic for another time...Anyhow when looking into the company I found that they are deeply rooted in the NYC music scene and have developed different lines of products to go along with each. 

Check out their website for more information on the company and other products they carry.

So what do I do? I run out and try to find these products for myself. I checked my local Sephora and since it's located within a JCPenny I was pretty sure they wouldn't carry them. I then checked the Sephora website only to find that most of the colors I would buy were out of stock. So the next step was to see which Sephora's near to me had it in stock and the nearest to me was still a good 40 minutes away in traffic (I do live in Southern California so there's always traffic!) Feeling a little defeated I went to Hollywood this past weekend to see Big Hero 6 (Which was amazing!) and I literally stumbled upon the Hollywood and Highland Sephora.

This store was massive and I almost passed out from happiness by finding a full stocked Ardency Inn display. The only thing that dimmed my happiness at all was the price of these pigments. Each pigment is $21.00 (misquoted the price in my video) and that meant that even though I was shopping during the VIB sale I would have to limit the number of pigments I purchased. I settled on the shades below. 

From Left to Right: Royal, Peacock, Vintage Gold, Punch, Tangerine

First we have Royal which is a deep purple with a slight satin sheen. 

Second is Peacock which has a Blue Brown duo chrome finish. This color appears as though the iridescence of a peacock feather was blended into a liquid metal.

Next is Vintage Gold which is a shimmery deep gold with tiny bright gold glitter pieces. It has a beautiful aged patina and reminds me of a gilded picture frame.

The fourth color is Punch which is this vibrant deep pink. It's not a true hot pink but is a deeply saturated peony pink. It's a beautiful matte pigment!

The final color is Tangerine which looks just like it's name says. It's a bright orange matte pigment which swatches true to the pan color.



Below are swatches I did of these pigments. I found that each has a very buttery texture and every last one swatched true to the color seen in their pots.

Left to Right: Peacock, Vintage Gold< Royal, Punch, Tangerine

I was truly impressed with the consistency of these pigments and love the fact that I get the pigment payoff without the mess that usually accompanies pigments. Traditionally you see pigments in pots or jars and they are a loose particle consistency. That can lead to fall out and mess. With these pigments you get the creaminess and color saturation of a pigment with the ease of an eyeshadow. Do be warned that the packaging does state that a few of these pigments should not be worn near the eye in the USA. Take that warning as you will and use those colors sparingly near your eye.

The product packaging is great. The pigments come with 1.7G of product in each pot and the packaging is sturdy and light weight. You could easily depot these pigments and place them into a customized palette for ease of use.

My only con in regards to this product is the price point. I do appreciate that these pigments are excellent quality and saturation, however the price point does not make it accessible to many makeup lovers. I do recommend finding one or two of the shades you love most in this collection and splurge as these are really worth it. 

This is the look I created using a few of the pigments.

Ingredients for look are:

Foundation: Makeup Forever Matte Velvet + in shade 060.
Powder: Tart Smooth Operator
Bronzer: The Balm Cosmetics - Bahama Mama Bronzer
Blush: Napoleon Perdis Colour Disc - in the shade 80
Highlighter: The Balm Cosmetics - Mary-Lou Manizer
Brows: Anastasia Beverly Hills - Brow Dip - in shade Chocolate
Eye Primer: MAC Paints - in shade Unlisted
Eye Base: NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil - in shade Electric Blue (Lid)
                 NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil - in shade Purple (Lower Lash Line)
Eye Shadow: NYX Nude Matte - in shade Dance the Tides (Crease Transition Color)
                      Ardency Inn Pigment - in shade Peacock (All over Lid)
                      Ardency Inn Pigment - in shade Royal (In Crease and Outer V)
                      Ardency Inn Pigment - in shade Royal (Lower Lash Line)
                      NYX Nude Matte - in shade I Have a Headache (Brow Highlight)
                      Ardency Inn Pigment - in shade Punch (Lower Lash Line and Inner Corner)
Mascara: Too Faced Better than Sex
Eyeliner: Kat Von D Tattoo Liner - in shade Trooper
Lashes: Ardell - Natural Demi Wispies
Lip: Revlon Color Stay Moisture Stain - in shade 025 Cannes Crush

To see the steps I took to create the eye look I came up with using these Ardency Inn Manuka Honey Enriched Pigments please click the video below: