HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE, Part 2: Perfume Gift Sets

Hey everybody! So if you didn't already know, I'm going to be doing a Holiday Gift Guide series where I'll be giving you ideas on what to get the special people in your life for Christmas! I know sometimes it can be kind of tricky to figure out what to buy, so I hope that this will help you in some way!
My Holiday Gift Guide series is going to be separated into 4 different catergories:
-Holiday Makeup Palettes and Gift Sets (I've already done this one, click the name to see it!)
-Perfume Gift Sets
-Gifts For Men
-Stocking Stuffers

Today's Gift Guide is going to be on Perfume Gift Sets. I've combined a list of 8 different perfume gift sets, all of which are scents that I am fond of/are popular scents. There are so many scents to choose from in the world of perfumes, so I hope this will give you an idea of some really great ones!

Holiday Gift Guide Series, Part 1: Holiday Makeup Palettes and Gift Sets

Hey everybody! So it's finally the Holiday season, which means it's time to start buying your gifts! I know sometimes this time of the year can be stressful for many reasons. One of those reasons is usually not knowing what to buy! For the occasion, I'm going to be doing a Holiday Gift Guide series where I'll be giving you guys ideas on what to buy for the special people in your life!
The series will consist of:
1.) Holiday Makeup Palettes and Gift Sets
2.) Perfume/Cologne Gift Sets
3.) Boyfriend/Husband Gifts
4.) Stocking Stuffers
*I also might do an "Electronics" gift guide, if you guys would want that! (Leave a comment if you do!)

Today's Gift Guide post, is going to be on this year's Holiday Makeup Palettes and Gift Sets. I have 11 options to show you and all can be found at all Sephora stores (some may not be at Sephora inside JCPenny) and on Sephora.com.

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HUGE MAC SALE at BeyondTheRack!

Hey everybody. I just wanted to make a quick blog post to let you guys know of an awesome sale that's going on. I usually don't post about sales, but as I was checking my email today, I noticed one from BeyondTheRack about them having a huge sale on MAC products. This includes limited edition products as well. I thought I'd let you all know since MAC never goes on sale!

So if you're interested, check out the sale while it lasts. The sale will be going on from Dec. 7-10 and products are selling out fast.

Click H E R E to go to the sale!

Here's a little sneak peak at the sale :)

Happy shopping!

Victoria's Secret Fashion Show Makeup +Video Tutorial

Hey everybody! So unless you live under a rock, I'm sure you all know that the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show is tonight (December 4th, 2012). I absolutely love watching it every year and always love how naturally beautiful and glowing the models look! Their makeup artists do such a great job accentuating their features and making them look so naturally beautiful (as if they aren't already..) So I really was excited, now that I have a YouTube channel, to recreate their look. I've been looking at backstage photos and behind the scenes interviews to get a good idea of what kind of makeup was applied, what products were used, tecniques, etc. for the last couple weeks, so here's what I came up with! I hope you all enjoy!

Everyday Fall Makeup Tutorial (VIDEO)

Hey guys! I uploaded another tutorial on to my YouTube channel that I would like to share with you all! One of my most popular posts on my blog is a picture tutorial that I did using the Naked 2 palette, so I've been wanting to come up with a different look that I can show you guys how to recreate using that palette!
It's a look I've been wearing everyday lately and it's a great everyday look for the Fall!
I hope you all enjoy! Don't forget to subscribe to my channel as well! I make videos regularly now!














PRODUCTS USED:
MAC Painterly Paint Pot
MAC Kid e/s
Naked 2 Palette
-Bootycall
-Chopper
-Foxy
-Verve
-Blackout
Essence Gel Eyeliner
Covergirl Lash Perfection Mascara
Maybelline The Falsies Mascara
NYC Sunny Bronzer
MAC Blush in Eversun
NYX Lip Pencil in Nude Beige
Loreal Color Caresse Lipstick in Sheer Linen

Winter Beauty Tips and Tricks!

Hey guys! I don't know about you guys, but it has gotten pretty cold outside where I live! Winter is right around the corner and it's only going to get worse! In the colder months, our beauty regimen has to change a bit to accommodate the cold weather! Our skin and hair gets dryer, which can get pretty frustrating! For the occasion, I've come up with 7 beauty tips to keep your nice and moisturized through the cold weather season! I hope this helps you out and maybe you'll learn something new!

If you have any cold weather tips or tricks to add to this, go ahead and leave them in the comments below!

Purple Holiday Makeup Tutorial! +VIDEO

Hey guys! I'm back to share my newest video with you all. Thanksgiving is right around the corner so I wanted to do a Holiday makeup look that was appropriate for any Turkey Day festivities you might be attending, but that would also be fitting for any Holiday event you may be attending.

I chose to go with shades that had a gold shimmer/sheen to them and used purples because I thought they would be great for the holidays!

I hope all enjoy this and don't forget to subscribe to my channel!










PRODUCTS USED (in video):
MAC Painterly Paint Pot
MAC Quarry e/s
Inglot DS 494 e/s
MAC Beautiful Iris e/s
Inglot Matte 318 e/s
MAC Vanilla Pigment
MAC Gesse e/s
Essence Gel Eyeliner
Covergirl Lash Perfection Mascara
Maybelline The Falsies Black Drama Mascara
MAC Refined Golden Bronzer
NYC Sunny Bronzer
MAC Azalea Blossom
NYX Lipliner in Natural
Loreal Color Caresse Lipstick in Violet Chiffon

ON THE REST OF MY FACE:

Revlon Colorstay Whipped Foundation in Medium Beige

Dermablend Concealer in Almond

Maybelline Dream Lumi Concealer in Radiant

Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder

Makeup Forever Aqua Brow in #25 Medium Ash

Clinique Concealer (for brows)

TUTORIAL: Demi Lovato X FACTOR Inspired Makeup

Hey guys! I posted another tutorial on my Youtube channel. This time it was inspired by the beautiful, Demi Lovato. If you've been keeping up with X Factor, I'm sure you've noticed that her makeup and hair always looks AMAZING. So I took one of my favorite looks that she wore and recreated for you all!

I hope you enjoy it! Also, please don't forget to subscribe to my channel. I'll be posting videos regularly now :)

PRODUCTS USED:

FACE:
Revlon Colorstay Whipped Creme Makeup in Medium Beige
Boots No. 7 Intelligent Balance Mousse Foundation in Blonde
DermaBlend Smooth Indulgence Concealer in Almond
Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder
NYC Smooth Skin Bronzer in Sunny
MAC Refined Golden Bronzer
MAC Pink Swoon Blush
MAC Soft and Gentle MSF

EYES: 
MAC Painterly Paint Pot
Inglot Matte 318 (matte white)
MAC Cork (mid-tone brown)
MAC Brun (dark, matte brown)
MAC Black Tied (black with glitter) (glitter does not transfer)
Essence Gel Eyeliner
Loreal Telescopic Mascara
Maybelline The Falsies Black Drama
Makeup Forever Aqua Brow in #25

LIPS:
NYX Nude Beige Lip Pencil
MAC Hue l/s
ELF Glossy Gloss in Pink Candy

**I also want to apologize for the brightness. I have since figured out a new filming set up, so this won't be a problem anymore. Please bare with me until my next video. Until then, I hope you still enjoy the video <33

Loreal Color Caresse Lipstick in Violet Chiffon (My Favorite Fall Lip Color!)

So lately I stubbled upon a fairly new line of lipsticks and have completely fallen in LOVE! I'm talking about the Loreal Color Caresse Lipsticks! At least I think they're lipsticks... they're actually more of a Revlon Lip Butter type of deal where they have the feel of a balm and the pigmentation of a lipstick. I only have two so far, one of which I'm reviewing for you all today, but I cannot wait to repurchase more! I want the entire collection! Today I'm going to be reviewing one that has become my favorite lip color for the fall: Violet Chiffon.

According to the Loreal Paris website, "Ready to shine bright? Our #1 best selling lipstick is now available in 16 gorgeously glossy shades. Color Caresse by Color Riche is formulated with our revolutionary Lightfeel system to deliver a feather-light finish without being sticky or heavy. 100% color, 0% compromise."





The packaging of the Color Caresse lipsticks is to die for! It's so glamourous and looks like a high end lipstick! I love the square design and the fact that you can see the lipstick shade on the exterior as well.
It is in a twist-up tube like most lipsticks, but is thinner than most. It is also very secure when closed!




The formula of this is like I mentioned before, very similar to a Revlon Lip Butter. The texture is smooth, creamy, and has a lot of slip to it. I'd definitely say they were very moisturizing (I don't have to apply a chapstick beforehand) and not sticky at all either! Unfortunately, it doesn't have the best staying power. I find that within an hour, the glossiness of it goes away and you're left with a light stain of the shade, even with the lighter shade. I like that it leaves behind a stain because then you don't have to reapply. Violet Chiffon leaves behind the most beautiful berry stain after it has faded away, so the fact that the initial finish isn't long lasting doesn't bother me at all!

To get them to last longer and leave behind a darker stain, I apply the lipstick as usual, then blot off. This leaves behind a stain already and then I proceed and apply another layer of the lipstick. When it wears off naturally throughout the day, the stain will come out closer to the actual lipstick now!

The pigmentation of these is incredible. I've tried two of the lipsticks from this range, one dark (the one I'm reviewing now) and a nude one, both are incredibly pigmented and to be honest, I was shocked! Because these are so moisturizing, it gives a sheer layer of color, so I wasn't expecting to have the intense color pay off that it did! The pigmentation is what truly won these over for me.




The average price of a drugstore lipstick is usually between $5-7, this fall just a tad above that retailing for about $8-9. Considering the quality of these lipsticks, I think it's worth every penny!
I found mine at Target, but they should be available at any drugstore!

Wearing Loreal Color Caresse in Violet Chiffon 

(note: it comes off as pink in the photo, but is more purple in real life-my lighting was horrible! For a more accurate swatch-visit this blog post by Beauty Fashion Fitness!)

Stain left behind after Violet Chiffon wears off

Swatch of Violet Chiffon

I'm absolutely in love with the Loreal Color Caresse Lipsticks! They are creamy, moisturizing, have amazing pigmentation, and though they don't last long, they leave behind a nice stain! I've been using them like crazy lately and I can't wait to buy more! I've got my eyes on so many more shades! This is definitely a lipstick I would recommend to all of you guys! They have a huge shade range, so there's definitely a shade that would work for everyone! If you'd like to check out some more photos of this lipstick in particular as well as some other lipsticks in this collection, definitely check this review from one of my favorite bloggers, here! (linked above as well for better swatch of the lipstick).

New Video On My YT Channel: Get Ready With Me!

Hey everyone! So one of my favorite videos to watch on YouTube are "Get Ready With Me" type videos. If you don't know what those are, they're basically just a video where you watch someone getting ready. Normally, they're sped up with music in the background. It's different than tutorials, because you're not teaching how to do something or taking time to show products.
Anyways, I decided to do one myself! It was very easy to do and I had a great time putting it together for you guys, so I hope you enjoys! Make sure to let me know if you'd like to see more videos like this in the future!








PRODUCTS USED:
Bare Minerals Prime Time Foundation Primer
MAC Brun e/s
Clinique Concealer
MAC Painterly Paint Pot
Inglot Matte 318 e/s
MAC Cork e/s
MAC Kid e/s
Urban Decay Busted e/s from Naked 2
Urban Decay Blackout e/s from Naked 2
Wet N' Wild Brulee e/s
Essence Gel Eyeliner in Midnight in Paris
Revlon Colorstay Whipped Creme Makeup in Medium Beige
Boots No. 7 Intelligent Balance Mousse Foundation in Blonde
Dermablend Smooth Indulgence Concealer in Almond
Maybelline Dream Lumi Highlighting Concealer in Radiant
Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder
NYC Sunny Bronzer
NYX Pinky Blush
Covergirl Lash Perfection Mascara
Maybelline The Falsies Black Drama

REVIEW: Denman Hair Brushes

I don't know about you guys, but for me, when it comes to hair I'm about as lazy as they come. I could easily spend an hour on my makeup, making sure it's completely flawless, and then go to do my hair.... and with a sigh, throw that ish up in a messy bun and call it a day. But then again, my love of the effortless messy bun may be due to the fact that I have SUPER uncooperative hair. It's flat, thin, long, never wants to hold a style, and my bangs... don't even get me started!

It wasn't until I was introduced to the Denman Hair Brushes that I realized how something as simple as using different hair brushes to do different things can make a difference and help you actually STYLE your hair! Who woulda thought hair brushes do more than just .... brush.... hair. Or maybe I'm just an amateur ;)












Denman Classic Styling Brush

• Close-set pin pattern and anti-static rubber cushion allows for maximum grip and control for smoothing and shaping
• Pure rubber base provides the right amount of tension in combination with the heat from the hair dryer
• Smooth, round-ended pins penetrate the hair safely for gentle styling without damage
• Resistant to heat and chemicals
• Hygienic and durable

$8.99-$14.99 (depending on size)

Denman Hyflex Vent Brush

• Unique Chevron vents allow warm air to circulate directly to the root level to decrease drying time
• Smooth, ball-ended pins for comfort styling
• Ergonomic handle for balance and control
• Widely spaced, free flow pin formation allows for safe detangling and adding volume
• Suitable for short to medium length hair
• Hygienic one-piece molding

Originally $12.99, currently on sale for $8.99

Denman Volumizing Brush

• Anti-static rubber pad provides maximum control during blow-drying
• Smooth, round-ended pins for gentle, snag-free styling
• Helps to detangle thick hair and is especially suitable for maintaining naturally curly hair
• Hygienic and durable with resistance to heat and chemicals
• Free flow pin pattern
• Made in the United Kingdom

$8.99-$12.99 (depending on size)

Denman Large Paddle Brush

• Air-cushioned rubber pad for gentle control
• Ball-tipped nylon pins for comfortable styling and maximum comfort
• Staggered pin pattern follows the contours of the head
• Ergonomic design for balance with a textured non-slip handle
• Ideal for scalp massages
• Hygienic and durable with resistance to heat and chemicals
• Made in the United Kingdom

Originally $15.95, currently on sale for $11.95

Denman Thermoceramic Hot Curling Radical Brush

• Ceramic coated barrel evenly distributes heat
• Offers more consistent drying and curling
• Minimizes heat damage and eliminates bacteria
• Created with a tri-fold handle for comfort and easy rotation
• Barrel is secured to brush handle with a rivot, increasing its durability

$12.99-$19.99 (depending on size)

Denman Head Huggers

• Concave brush profile ‘hugs’ the contour of the head
• Allows the crimped bristles to penetrate to the root of the hair for maximum styling performance
• Wider barrel ends prevent hair sections from sliding off during blow drying
• Narrow mid-section of barrel provides greater tension for optimum grip and control
• Ceramic-coating dissipates heat across the surface area of the heat retaining barrel
• Prevents hot spots
• Enables Smooth, damage free styling

$10.49-13.49 (depending on size)

I'll be honest, I don't use all of these brushes. Why would I need to? But are, however, a select few that I use on a regular basis. The ones I don't use, my sisters and mom use and they like them. The ones I love in particular are:
The Classic Styling Brush: I like this one for simply brushing through my hair, especially when it's knotty because I feel like it's gentle on them and doesn't pull out too much hair.
The Vent Brush: I like using this brush to brush my hair when it's wet. When your hair is wet, you don't want to brush with a brush that has a lot of pressure because your hair is more suceptable to damage when it's wet. This brush, since it has wide openings between the bristles, glides through my wet hair without snagging, pulling, or breaking off.
The Hot Curl Brush: I use this to blow dry the lengths of my hair (not the crown) and I like it because as it states in the description, it provides less heat damage. It helps dry my hair with more volume and adds a bit of a curl to it, which I like.
The Head Hugger: I use this one true to it's purpose, to hug my big ole' head! I use this when I'm blow drying my roots to give a lot of volume and lift in the crown of my head. When held vertically, using vertical sections of hair and blow drying from behind the hair to give volume from behind, it really works amazingly and truly does fit to the roundness of your head!

All in all, I think the Denman Brushes are amazingly quality and are extremely helpful in all hair styling situations. The brushes mentioned also come in different sizes, to fit all hair lengths and types. These are a must have if you're in the market for a new hair brush, whatever the purpose may be. I think hair stylists or freelance hair stylists definitely need some of the Denman Brushes in their kit especially!  They have tons of other brushes for other purposes as well, so don't forget to check them out.

Denman Brushes can be purchased on Folica.com.

These products were sent to me for consideration by Folica.com. This does effect my opinion in any way. This is my 100% honest opinion based on my personal experience, as always!