Moving! & Possible Giveaway?

My consistency has not been the best in the first third of the year, but I've been busy and to top it off I just found out I have to move across country. If you have followed my blog, you know that when I first started I was moving from the east side of the USA to the West. I moved from Tennessee to California. Now, in a matter of months, I will be moving from California to New York, which is a very big change for me! I've never even stepped foot in New York, so I'm nervous and excited! Aside from that, I still have been getting consistent feedback and views on my blog daily! I cannot believe it and it makes me feel good that there are people out there who want to share and learn with me! So, I am almost at the point of hitting 10,000 views on this blog and I think when I do I would like to do a small giveaway to commemorate! Any thoughts, suggestions, or requests would be appreciated! Also, if you have hosted a giveaway yourself and have any advice then I would love it hear it!

Keep on beautifying the world!

Love, Kaitie

Review: Lip Bar Holiday 2015 Collection

Pardon my 2 and 1/2 month blog break. It was unintentional. Between the holidays, being sick on and off, and then having inventory at my work, I was super busy! I'd like to report that I am fully recovered from the holidays. Though I was sick just this past weekend (the weather here is being crazy!), I'm on the mend! I'm feeling much better and though the weather can't make up its mind, it is getting warmer here -slowly! I also am happy to report that hard work pays off! Though my job spent a month and half preparing for inventory at my work, we did indeed improve from last year and were successful overall! So, now I'm ready to get back to blogging! I was very happy in accomplishing my goal in 2015 for blogging more than I did in 2014. I even started 3 other blogs! I want to blog even more in 2016 than I did in 2015 and I know I'm off to a rough start, but it's not too late! I'm going to catch up now!

I'm starting my 2016 blogging with a review from The Lip Bar. The lipsticks I'm reviewing are from their 2015 Holiday Collection. Unfortunately, the shades are not available anymore, but I feel this company needs more recognition! This is not my first Lip Bar purchase. I first heard of The Lip Bar on Hautelook a couple of years ago. I ordered some lipsticks in some unique colors. Most of those colors are discontinued now, but I love them. I may do a review with those later on. 

The story of The Lip Bar is amazing! The company is founded by Melissa Butler who was working in the corporate world of New York, but desired a more creative and colorful career. So, she started making lipsticks in her kitchen and now has a full line of lipsticks, lip glosses, and liquid lipsticks. The company also has a very cool truck that acts as a mobile shop! To top it off, she comes from my home state of Michigan! So, I have to try and support! - All the products are made to be vegan and natural, which is what initially drew me to the products. I am always in search of products that are natural and safer than what is normally found on the market.

[left to right: Crimson Wonderland & Frostbite in natural lighting]

Of the 2 lipsticks that were released this past holiday season, only 1 of them was actually new. "Crimson Wonderland" was actually released for the holiday season in 2014 and they brought it back in 2015. "Frostbite" was brand new for the 2016 holiday season. Both were released in November and I purchased them on a great Black Friday sale that they had! Originally, they were $25 a piece. I was able to purchase them for half off at $12 a piece. If you were lucky enough to catch their clearance price after the holidays they were $10 a piece! I just couldn't wait till the end of the holidays! To me, these just scream holiday party!

[swatches left to right: Crimson Wonderland & Frostbite in natural light]

Above are swatches on my arm of the shades in natural lighting and I think they are beautiful! They definitely are perfect for the holidays and very different from the company's normal lineup of bright and bold colors. These 2 are definitely more wearable and fit a lot of occasions.

 [wearing: Crimson Wonderland in natural light]

Crimson Wonderland is described as: "The perfect holiday red" and is suppose to have a semi-matte finish. To me, this is a cool toned red with a blue undertone. I also found this shade to be more of a satin then a matte. I do love the color though! The pigmentation is beautiful. The formula doesn't dry out the lips and actually does give some moisture too. The Lip Bar lipsticks boast about their ingredients; besides being natural and vegan, they also contain Vitamin E and Coconut Oil.

[wearing: Frostbite in natural light]

Frostbite is described as "semi-matte plum". To me, this a berry red shade in a satin finish. Like it's partner, this lipstick offers some hydration to the lips and does not dry out the lips at all. 

The packaging of these babies really sets them apart from other limited edition lipsticks released! The tubes look like the standard intricate design from The Lip Bar, but instead of having the matte black finish, they put these babies in a shiny gold finish. It was a nice touch. Not to mention the company has it's own tissue paper!

Final Verdict

The packaging and presentation is on point! I've always been impressed with how sturdy and beautifully designed The Lip Bar's packaging is for their lipsticks. The shades are beautiful, but honestly easily duped as well. What sets Crimson Wonderland and Frostbite apart are the fact that they're handmade and infused with good products for your lips. They're performance and pigmentation are great! The only issue I had with these is that they were advertised as a semi-matte and they're a satin at best. It's hard to have lipsticks be moisturizing and matte at the same time though. I'm personally fine with these not being semi-matte, because in the winter season I have problems with dry skin and lips and these help with that issue; I don't have to worry about having perfectly primed lips all the time when wearing them. Unfortunately, they're limited edition and the company is not making anymore. If you're interested I would wait until the holiday season, when I'm sure they will pop back up again and probably bring a new friend or two.

Update: I found that you can still purchase Crimson Wonderland here. It's at the full price of $25 and it looks like it's sold in the regular black packaging.

Review: Jeffree Star Cosmetics' 2015 Holiday Collection

It's been quite a busy time for me these past few weeks with the Holidays coming to an end, dealing with some family issues and work. I've not had as much time to blog or even rest, but here I am coming with a new review just in time for the holidays! I have the Velour Liquid Lipsticks from Jeffree Star Cosmetics' holiday collection!

***Scroll to the bottom of the page to read an overall summary of the review and skip the fine detail.

For those who may not know- Jeffree Star Cosmetics is an indie make-up company started by pop star, Jeffree Star. His launch of liquid-to-matte lipsticks, called Velour Liquid Lipsticks, have been a smash hit in the beauty community and are now sold at Beautylish and Morphe! The company has only been around for slightly over a year now since they launched on Black Friday of 2014 and this is the first holiday collection for the brand!

[left to right: Ho Ho Ho, Mistletoe, Drug Lord, Doll Parts]

There were 5 lipsticks originally released exclusively for the holidays. I was only able to get my hands on 4 of the 5, but best believe I tried my hardest to get all of them! The first time they were released I was at work, so I wasn't able to get my hands on them. The next release, I was only able to get 4 of the 5 and the final release sold out so fast that I failed to get the "Androgyny" which was the last shade I needed. But the show must go on! Each lipstick was $18 and that's the regular price of these Velour Lipsticks. The packaging was specially made white with rose gold accent, which differs from the normal bright pink packaging with gold accent.

[swatches of the Jeffree Star Cosmetics Holiday Collection]

Left to Right

• Ho Ho Ho
• Mistletoe
• Drug Lord
• Doll Parts

[shade: Ho Ho Ho in natural light]

"Ho Ho Ho" is described as a "fierce, deep toned red with hints of metallic red and purple". My personal take is that it's a deep, berry red with tiny flecks of purple and red glitter. I tried my hardest to capture the glitter, but to no avail, I could not get it to show up with my camera and using the flash didn't help either. Even when the lipstick is on the lips it is hard to detect the glitter, which is nice for those who are not into glitter and shimmer. However, I'm a fan of glitter make-up and I was hoping to finally have a liquid lipstick that had glitter in it, but this was not the case. It's a beautiful red and perfect for the holidays, but not the most unique or special color out there. If there was one color to skip in this collection I would say this is it, just because there are so many red lipsticks out there and most of us have one similar or probably an exact dupe. I almost skipped on this one at first, but when I couldn't get Androgyny I said "what the heck!" and bought it anyway. I certainly do not regret buying it though and I will wear the heck out of it! The color performs well and lasts me a good 8 hours if I'm not eating or drinking. This shade is super pigmented and only needs 1 layer for opaque coverage.

***I have the original red shade released from this collection that's called "Redrum" and I can personally vouch that "Ho Ho Ho" is much more cool toned and much deeper of a shade!

[shade: Mistletoe in natural light]

"Mistletoe" is described as "true Christmas tree green matte". It is definitely a matte green, but when I think of a Christmas tree I think of a dark green or an evergreen color. To me this is a true green. I love it! I know LA Splash has made green shades of matte lipstick before, but I'm not a fan of that company. To me, this is the first real green liquid lipstick on the market and of course only Jeffree Star is bold enough to go there! I sincerely am thrilled with this color and will be sad once it runs out, since it is limited edition, but I keep hope that it will make a comeback one day. This shade lasts pretty well. The most I have worn it without touching it up is 4 hours, but I did eat food at these times. Food will always wreck liquid lipstick, especially if it's oily. I personally experienced this shade to be well pigmented, but still needs about 2 or 3 layers for full coverage.

[shade: Drug Lord in natural light]

"Drug Lord" is described as a "matte white" and that's exactly what it is. This is the first ever matte white liquid lipstick on the market and while some shied away from it because of it's bold nature, I couldn't get my hands on it fast enough! I saw the sneak peaks over the summer from Jeffree Star's Instagram and from that moment I eagerly awaited it's release! There's so much one can do with a pure white lipstick! Everything from using it as a mixer to cosplay options - this was definitely something I needed in my make-up wardrobe. Because of its light-colored nature, it does take about 3 layers to get it opaque. I found it best to wait until this shade dries completely before adding more layers. A great tip for this shade and other lighter shades is to pat on color in areas that need more coverage rather than continuously slathering on more layers all over, as this will give a smoother finish and waste less product. Drug Lord will emphasize any dry patches or dead skin on the lips, so exfoliating to the fullest is a must with this lippie! Once this white has dried, it stays put! I hope Jeffree Star Cosmetics will release this again in the future, because when I run out I will definitely want more! In my personal opinion, this should be part of the permanent collection.

[shade: Doll Parts in natural light]

"Doll Parts" is described as a "cool toned pink". It is cool toned, but I was surprised at how mauve it is when I received it. All of the pictures on Instagram made this shade look much pink-er than it really is. I do have quite pigmented lips, which would help deepen the shade, but this in itself is definitely more of a browned pink, aka mauve. I do like it and it's great for an every day color. I have found myself wearing these to work parties I've attended with my finace, since it isn't too flashy for those black tie moments, but it doesn't have much of a holiday feel. It seems more like something that would be a regular release for this company, but it is still a nice shade. It's very pigmented and only needs 1 layer for opaque coverage! It stays put after drying and dries fast. Minimal touch-ups are needed.

Final Verdict

I have never been disappointed in Jeffree Star Cosmetics' Velour Liquid Lipsticks. The formula speaks for itself! They are pigmented and creamy. They do not dry out the lips and they stay put for up to 8-12 hours. They dry down matte like they're suppose to and look amazing. Not to mention the unique colors they come up with! - As for the holiday collection. I think it's a great first go at a holiday collection. It was a bit frustrating with the online ordering and the limited supply versus the number of people who tried to buy these. Even with the lipsticks being sold on 2 other sites it was still hard to get! However, that's the only bad thing I can say about the collection. The lipsticks themselves are all greatly pigmented and perform like champions! The only question you should have is: What color do I want?

Androgyny Update- It was announced on the final release date of this collection that Androgyny will be a permanent shade in the collection after so many were bummed that they could not get it and it sold out so fast! It will return in February 2016 in the regular pink and gold packaging. I will definitely be trying to get my hands on it!

Doll Parts update- It is a rumor as of right now that Doll Parts may be part of the permanent collection in the future. No dates or a future release have officially been announced, however.

Stock Update

• As of right now all holiday shades are sold out on JeffreeStarCosmetics.com. Drug Lord & Doll Parts are still listed on the site, despite being sold out. Mistletoe and Ho Ho Ho have been removed.
•  Beautylish still has Mistletoe in stock. All other shades are out of stock, but still listed.
• Morphe still has Mistletoe in stock. Doll Parts and Ho Ho Ho are out of stock, but still listed. Drug Lord has been removed from their listings.

Other Products Used:

• Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-hour Full Coverage Foundation - foundation
• MAC Prep + Prime Skin Smoother - face primer
• Too Faced "Shadow Insurance" - eye primer
• Tarte "Tarlette Palette" - brows
• Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Matte bronzer - contour
• MAC "Ocean City" - blush
• Too Faced Chocolate Bar "Salted Caramel" - crease color
• MAC Electric Cool eyeshadow "Super Watt" - all over lid color
• It Cosmetics Naturally Pretty palette "Love" - upper crease blend color
• It Cosmetics Naturally Pretty palette "Pearl" - inner eye color
• Tarte Tarlette Palette " Best Friend" - outer corner and crease color
• Tarte Clay Pot Liner "Black" - upper lid liner
• Tarte Lights Camera Lashes Closeup Liner - bottom lash liner
• It Cosmetics Hello Lashes - mascara
• Tarte Lights Camera Lashes Statement Mascara - mascara

Review: Josie Maran Decadent Bliss Holiday Set

Excuse my brief absence and sparse posts. As, I stated before, the holidays are a busy time in general, but it's exceptionally busy for those of us in retail!

I'm reviewing the "Decadent Bliss" 2015 Holiday gift set from Josie Maran today. It's available exclusively at QVC. This originally debuted as a Today's Special Value (TSV) for $69.96.

***Scroll to the bottom of the page to read an overall summary of the review and skip the fine detail.

FYI: QVC is an at home shopping channel that is available on cable and satellite services. The company also has a website where you can purchase all their current deals, recently aired products, and other inventory. A "TSV" is a 1 time only price of a product that is put up for 24 hours or sometimes a few days longer before the tv launch if it is in high demand. The price is usually quite discounted and they often offer "Easy Pay". (Easy Pay is simply the total price of a product, including shipping and tax, divided into equal payments through a certain number of months in which you have to pay it off. The number of months depends on the products and what QVC is offering.)

The gift set included: 

• 1.7oz bottle of Argan Oil (full size bottle)
• .5oz bottle of Argan Oil
• 8oz jar of Whipped Argan Oil (full size)
• 2oz jar of Whipped Argan Oil
• 5oz jar of Divine Drip (full size & new)
• 8.3oz bottle of Argan Cleansing Oil (full size)

I'd just like to note- As always, QVC products are packaged and arrive in good and safe conditions. They're always packaged so the products are not loose or shifting and there's no risk of damage. I never feel worried or scared to order liquid or fragile products from QVC.

For anyone who might not know, Josie Maran was a model who stumbled across the secret of Argan oil and it's ability to hydrate the skin well and help slow down the signs of aging. The Josie Maran brand is one of the few brands that actually offers pure Argan Oil and first press only Argan oil! It's also fair labor and fair trade. 

I was already a fan of the Josie Maran Argan Oil before I bought this set and it includes full size and travel size bottles. I had gotten a bottle as a gift and LOVED it! I saw a dramatic difference in whichever part of my body I used it on! It didn't matter if it was my face, body, or hair, because it all was improved by the oil. The only down side of using this brand is that it's $58 a bottle, which is significantly more than most brands on the market. However, like I said before, they supply only pure Argan Oil and only first press oil, but it's still a high cost. I've used other brands, but have yet to be as satisfied as I am with Josie Maran. So, when I saw this TSV, I had to jump on it! The total value of this set is $181, so snagging it at the TSV price was amazing, because the savings was far greater than half of the value!

This particular gift set debuted a couple of new things. The Argan oil is actually the only product in the set that is not new or altered. The world wide launch of "Divine Drip" was premiered in this set. Divine Drip is a combination of whipped Argan oil and honey. It's quite thick. Much thicker than the original Whipped Argan Oil. It has a slight yogurt-like scent, but it's not very noticeable. Once it is applied to the body there is no scent. 

As you can see from the pictures, it is too thick to simply just pick up with fingers without digging into it. The instructions read to apply to damp skin after a shower and I will agree that it is the best method. This is not a product that is meant to be used any time. Instead, this product is best used to lock-in moisture and repair damaged skin. This product would be great for those who have dry skin problems or problem areas like the elbows or knees where dry patches often occur. It will be a great product during the winter time and for those who put their bodies through harsh/drying conditions. I first applied this after a shower at night and when I woke up I noticed smooth skin and the rough patches on my knees were gone. It does not give the silky feeling of the original Whipped Argan Oil, but it does give smoothness, healing, and repairing properties to the skin.

The Whipped Argan Oil, which is a body butter-type product has been around for several years now. What is new about this product in this particular set is that it's now scented. Josie Maran debuted her "Caramel Apple" scent in this gift set and 3 of the products come with the scent. The big and small Whipped Argan Oil in both the original size and travel size were 2 of the scented products. The formula is the same and works wonders! It makes the skin feel like silk and can be used as much as needed all over the body. Unlike the Divine Drip, the skin does not need to be moist from water or bathing to use it. 

The scent is not exactly what most would initially think of with the title "Caramel Apple", but it is pleasing. It smells like Fresh Apple with subtle notes of caramel.

The Argan Cleansing Oil is not new either, but it is the third product that debuted in the set with the Caramel Apple scent. This is the first time I had ever tried the Cleansing Oil. It does not lather at all, which gives me a lot of relief. So many natural products on the market today claim not to have Sodium Laureth Sulfate in them, yet they have similar or other detergents in them which can bother the skin. When using this, I felt much better about my skin not be stripped or damaged. However, if you are use to having that lather, this might be a drastic change for you. The cleansing oil requires a bit more use of the product than soaps that do lather, because it doesn't foam and spread like the others. The oil leaves me feeling clean and smooth and it's really great for winter and times when the skin is dry. It is not overly oily though, so no oily residue is left behind and there's no worry about being greasy. 

As for the scent, I found it to be different then the Whipped Argan Oil. There's no Caramel notes in the Cleansing Oil, it's basically just a Fresh Apple smell. I like the scent, but it's not as advertised. The scent does only last while on the body. Once it's washed off the scent goes away, which I enjoy, since I tend to used scented lotions and perfumes afterwards and prefer not to mix scents.

Final Verdict

This is a great value! It's total retail value, if bought separately, would be $181. While it can no longer be purchased at the debut TSV price, it is currently only $10 more then the TSV price. It's on sale at QVC for $79.96 and available for 3 Easy Payments. They are having a lot of specials on and off weekly with 4-6 easy payments too, so look out for those if you're needing a little extra help this season with money. The products are exceptional and the quality speaks for itself. The scent is nice and something new to the brand, but an unscented option is available. I picked up the Auto Delivery option when I ordered it as a TSV and that means I'll be getting this same set but in different scents throughout the year. While I don't see that option available now, keep an eye on the QVC site throughout the year, because sometimes they have leftovers or a larger inventory of the Auto Delivery sets throughout the year that can be purchased separately. If you're looking for something to nourish the skin and body that is also safe and free from parabens and harsh chemicals, this is definitely a great natural option from a company that does not harm people to get their products to you. As the skin ages, it needs help locking in moisture and staying hydrated and Argan Oil is a great way to boost those needs! These products help with moisture and anti-aging without making you feel greasy and oily. This brand does not have values like this often, usually only about twice a year, so if you're a fan or wanting to try this out I would definitely suggest getting on it before the holiday season is over!

Review: Sugarpill's Pumpkin Spice

Normally, whenever I see a medical-looking cross, I get a queasy feeling. However, when it's colored pink and inside a heart, I feel elated! -It's the sign of a Sugarpill package!

I scroll through Instagram, daily -and by "daily" I mean like 4x's a day......sometimes more....... Anyway, as most of you beauty lovers know, Instagram is a great place for finding the latest news on cosmetics favorites! Sugarpill announced a knew limited edition eyeshadow coming out on their Instagram page and followed with swatches just hours later. The shade was called, "Pumpkin Spice", and it looked like metallic fall gorgeousness! The shade was officially released 2 days later only on their website and sold out by the end of the day. Trust me, I made sure to order mine the second it was announced. It was $12, which is the cost of a permanent Sugarpill pressed eyeshadow. While, I will say this was not the fastest selling item in history, like I said before, it did sell out by the end of the day.

I ordered my eyeshadow on November 4 and it arrived November 12. In the past, when I have ordered from Sugarpill, my package arrived in less than 7 days. I'm not sure if this was due to increase in sales or the fact that most of their staff headed to Sydney, Australia for IMATS Sydney, but it was longer than usual to get my eyeshadow. However, it wasn't out of the ordinary long, so I can't really complain. I'll also note that in every order I have received I have always gotten a free sample of one of their loose shadows and this time I did not. Again, not really sure why. 

[swatched in natural light]

The color swatches beautifully! The picture above is just 1 stroke! It is amazingly pigmented! The photo is in natural lighting.

Sugarpill describes the shadow as: 

[A] shade of rustic copper foil with warm golden flecks in a super saturated, rich and creamy formula that applies like butter.

The description of the color is accurate. It is a deepened copper with gold glitter in it. Although when applied, the copper color appears a little lighter than in it's pressed form in the pan. The application is not exactly what Sugarpill says it is though.

[lid color: Sugarpill's Pumpkin Spice]

I don't want to scare anyone away from this shadow, because the application just needs a little tweaking. First off, this shadow is almost what I would consider a "foil" shadow, although it's not quite as smooth as a foil. The shadow lifts onto a brush in pieces and the pieces themselves are like foil, but because it isn't seamless I can't actually categorize this as a Foil. Sugarpill as a company calls this a "metallic" shadow, but they don't list it as a Foil either. 

I recommend tapping off the access, because you will have some on your brush and not doing so may result in it falling onto the face. Next, I'd say this shadow is best pressed onto the eye first and then smoothed out. That's the method I found best in getting the best color payoff and being the most time efficient. Other than that, I have no complaints. Again, I don't think this shadow is unworkable, it just should be known that it doesn't apply quite like a regular shadow. In all fairness though, it's not a "regular" shadow. It is very much like foiled pieces pressed together with pigments and now just a powder.

The release of this shadow is odd to me, because it seems late. Not that November isn't still Pumpkin Season, but I feel like we could have gotten a lot more use out of this shadow (maybe even hit pan!) if they had released it in September or at least October. We're now heading into winter and the Holiday/Christmas season, so this rustic color is about to fade out of season. However, it's still beautiful and can still be used throughout the year, just depends on how one puts it to use. Sugarpill does list this as a "holiday" shadow, it just seems out of place in that sense to me though.

Final Verdict
This shadow is beautiful and unique. It's hard to find something quite like the formula or color on the current market and the fact that it's limited edition makes it even more appealing. Sugarpill delivers with it's super cute packaging, as always. The shadow is extremely pigmented and long lasting, even without a primer! I swatched the shadow on my arm and it took a bit of scrubbing to get off and there was no primer applied on it, although make-up remover takes the shadow off easily. The shadow isn't impossible to apply, but does not go on like "butter" as stated by Sugarpill; you need to pack it on and smooth it out after. Tapping off the excess before applying is also necessary, because the formula is chunky and lifts off on the brush in flecks. The formula itself is like foiled pieces melted together with pigments, which I find very unique. For $12 + shipping & tax, I feel it's a reasonable price. Anyone who is a collector will definitely want to pick this up. It's shimmery, but I honestly don't feel it's unwerable. This shadow could easily be used for every day use, as well as for special occasions. It would suit most ages too. 

The shadow is currently "out of stock" on the website, but does state that you can join a mailing list to get notified when it will be back in stock. So, if you're wanting this shadow make sure that you get on the list and stay glued to Sugarpill's Instagram or Facebook!