Tag: e.l.f.
Allure Beauty Box – September 2014
The Allure Beauty Box is kind of a big deal. It’s not a subscription box, but a gigantor box of full size beauty products that’s sold once a quarter. It’s $44.95 (plus tax and $10 shipping) for over $250 of stuff. This is the first time I’ve tried to get one and I got lucky and managed to snag one…even though they sold out in less than an hour!
Get a load of what was in this box: Aloxxi Dry Shampoo; Arm & Hammer Spinbrush Truly Radiant Battery Powered Toothbrush (I cracked this baby open this morning – it was AWESOME! It was like I just left the dentist. My husband and son use electric toothbrushes, but I had been resisting. I am now a firm believer.); Arm & Hammer Truly Radiant Toothpaste; BAN Total Refresh Cooling Body Cloths (weird); Burt’s Bees 100% Natural Lip Crayon in “Hawaiian Smolder” (So lip crayons are the “in” thing right now? I used it today and it actually looks natural on me – not nauseatingly pink.); Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser; Clean & Clear Advantage Daily Soothing Acne Scrub; Curel Rough Skin Rescue Lotion; Dove Deep Moisture Nourishing Body Wash (I’ll probably use this for shaving my legs); e.l.f. Studio Makeup Remover Cleansing Cloths; Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Renewal Oil Nourishing Styling Treatment (I used this after my shower – so soft!); Jergens Natural Glow + Firming Daily Moisturizer (This will probably be given away – I don’t need my ass to be browner or firmer); John Frieda Brilliant Brunette Color Protecting Shampoo (Brilliant Brunette is ALL I use!); John Frieda Frizz Ease Go Curlier Heat Activated Spray (I’ll break this out the next time I use curlers); John Frieda Precision Foam Colour Intense After-Color Conditioner (I just ran out of this); Make It Straight; Neutrogena Triple Repair Fortifying Leave-In Treatment; Organic Doctor Organic Dead Sea Mineral Bio-Plasma Mud Mask; Organic Doctor Organic Moroccan Argan Oil Restorative Treatment Conditioner; Organic Doctor Tea Tree Face Wash (I used this this morning – cooling and clean); Real Techniques Blush Brush; Redken Blonde Idol BBB Spray (I’m not blonde, but I’ll try it); Sally Hansen Miracle Gel in “Shock Wave” (SQUEE!); and TRESemmé 7 Day Keratin Smooth Heat Activated Treatment.
Dang…my fingers are TIRED! I’m gonna go play with my new stuff!
Lunchtime Score
Over the past week, I’ve started to see Instagram posts of people snagging Kat Von D stuff for super cheap at T.J. Maxx & Marshalls. You know I had to make a quick trip during my lunch hour…
I managed to snag a Kat Von D “Triple Threat Tattoo Liner” – a set of 3 black felt tip liners with different tips. For $6.99 – why not? I also got a 3 pack of e.l.f. Hypershine lip gloss for $2.99 – it’s a knock off of stila lip glaze, but at a fifth of the price. It’s a thinner formula, but it has decent staying power for about $1 each – score! I was shocked to see a few bottles of Julep polish mixed in with the rest – I picked up a bottle of Julep “Lexie”…not for myself, but for a very special “Lexie” that I know.
While I was out, I popped in to Big Lots to get Pop-Tarts for my kids – because they WORLD WILL END if they have to eat something that is not a Pop-Tart. I couldn’t resist digging through the bins of polish…I grabbed Sinful Colors “Holiday Rebel” – green and red glitter for Xmas – and Sinful Colors “What’s Your Name” – a black jelly with blue/purple duochrome shimmer. I’m so excited about that last one.
So…I will be hitting all the Marshalls, T.J. Maxx and Ross until my eyeliner thirst is satiated…
Product Review – They’re Real Push-up Liner
The sole reason I picked The Everygirl box for this month’s Birchbox was so I could get my hands on a sample of Benefit “They’re Real” Push-up Liner. I have a love/hate relationship with eyeliner and I’m still searching for “The One”. I’ve tried all kinds of pencils, liquids, markers and gels and I haven’t found the perfect eyeliner yet.
During my teens and 20s, I wore a fair amount of liquid eyeliner, often giving Robert Smith and Siouxsie Sioux a run for their money. I usually used the cheap stuff – like wet ‘n wild – but it served its purpose. I think I still have a bottle of e.l.f. liquid eyeliner stashed somewhere. I’ve had occasional good results with Julep’s Gel eyeliner and Laura Geller Baked Shadows, but not consistently good results. I’m looking for something that doesn’t require a game of eyeliner chicken and Q-tip cleanup.
How good are your plumbing skills? Are you skilled with a putty knife, able to spread a thin, straight line of caulk like a butt-crack-bearing pro? Or are you like me, smearing caulk everywhere, adding more layers to try to get a straight line and then suddenly…you realize that the tube is empty and the bathroom is only half done.
That’s how I felt the first time I used Benefit “They’re Real” Push-up Liner. The applicator is like a tiny putty knife and the gel eye liner squirts out of the tip. You smear it on your eyelid and attempt to smear it into a straight line. That being said, once I figured it out, it wasn’t hard to get a thin layer, but getting both eyes to match was – again – a game of eyeliner chicken. I ended up applying twice as thick a line as I wanted – I actually went to the grocery store like this – I looked like a Raccoon Hooker.
That being said, this is a pretty decent eyeliner. It lives up to the claims of being “lash-hugging” – which is the number one complaint I have with some eyeliners…visible skin around my eyelashes. I feel like I could master it with practice, although I feel more comfortable using a brush with gel eyeliner. I don’t feel like “They’re Real” Push-up Liner is worth $24, but I would be more likely to purchase a product like this if it was half the price. Come on, knock-offs!