Christmas 2014: What I Got for Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope that your holiday is going great. I am sorry that I haven't been able to blog in a while I have been busy helping my mother who just had major back surgery. We faced a couple of obstacles, but everything is back on course now. We also opened an amazon store which you can find all your beauty and health care needs at just go to http://www.opalescentreflections.info
I hope that you find that site helpful and I hope that you find all the beauty needs you are looking for!

I had a wonderful Christmas, my mom didn't feel up to doing much of the holiday this year, so my brother and I decided it would be a big help to her if we picked up where she left off. We finished the shopping, wrapped the gifts, did the meal shopping and cooking it was so much fun. I did however release that I need to appreciate my mom a little more. Christmas this year  was that much more special as we got to have my niece and nephew here with us. Christmas is so much more fun when there are kids present. I also have to say thank you to my family for all the wonderful gifts.

As for my gifts here is what I got:

CROWN BRUSH PRO SET:

I am going to put this one on a separate blog! I love them that much!

BOBBLE WATER BOTTLE AND FILTERS:

From my brother I got a water bottle. It's called a Bobble. I have had one of these before and I love it. This bottle has a water filter that is attached to the lid and it purifies your water as you drink. The water tastes 100 times purer. It is also BPA free!  This is not only better for your health, but much better for the environment. One filter is equal to 300 bottles of water. That is a great way to recycle.  If your interested in getting one of this Bobbles you can get it at www.waterbobble.com I can't thank my brother enough, being as I have a lap-band,  I am supposed to drink a ton of water and I need to drink more. My brother has motivated me to drink more water and continue to live a healthier life. He also gave me a refill pack of the filters. I have no choice but to drink more water now!


From my mom I got a ton of wonderful gifts. They are all beauty related, which makes me happy and they are all meant to help build my pro make up kit. These are all first impressions I will have full reviews up after I use them more.  Here we go:

THE BALM MEET MATT(E) NUDE:

I have wanted this palette for a while. Let me start by saying The Balm packaging is the best! I have their palette the NudeTude and I love it, This palette is so much better than I thought it would be. The palette includes nine shades and they are all matte. The colors are  all natural and basic. Perfect to have in any makeup collection. The shade that I am most happy about is Matt Singh it is the perfect crease color. This color reminds me alot of the Semi-Sweet color in the Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette. The palette includes warm and cool shades. It is just the perfect staple matte palette.

COASTAL SCENTS REVEALED PALETTE:

This palette includes 20 shades and is said to be comparable for the Naked 1 and Naked 2 palette. One thing I have to say is that when I tried it, I found the matte shades to blend a little better then the Naked palettes. The palette includes five mattes (one is a cream highlight shade and then there is a matte black.) This palette includes everything you need for a daytime to night time to party or special occasion looks.

COASTAL SCENTS REVEALED 2 PALETTE:

This palette includes 20 shades as well and includes 7 mattes. This palettes is said to be comparable to the Naked 3 palette. The shades are all on the pink to cranberry scale in color and I find it to be a gorgeous palette. I did a look with the palette last night and I found it to be incredible. I love the matte cranberry shade. I used it in the crease and it made the prettiest cranberry smoky eye. Again the matte shades are amazing, super easy to blend, and they apply so well. Little to no fall out!

4 PIECE PRO BLENDER PUFF SPONGE SET:

I have never owned a Beauty Blender, but I do own the Real Techniques one (which I love) and the SOHO one (which I didn't like). This set of four sponges I thought would probably be like the SOHO one that was extremely hard and when it was wet it was no better, but these are surprisingly soft and they get better when wet. You can find these at our amazon store link above for around $12.00 which is amazing compared to the $19.99 you can spend on one Beauty Blender. Again I have never had the Beauty Blender and I look forward to trying it, but at 3.00 a spongy have to say these are well worth their money.

PHYSICIANS FORMULA NUDE WEAR GIFT SET:

This is one of my favorite gifts.. you get an amazing trio of the best Nude Wear palettes and you get an amazing brush and makeup back that has an adorable rose gold bow as the handle. Again this is a first impression, I will have a full review up or a quick review as it is limited edition! The one thing I can say is that I wish they would leave the gold sparkly over spray off.

THE BALM HIGHLIGHTERS in MARY-LOU MANIZER & CINDY-LOU MANIZER:

I haven't got to try these out yet I just got to swatch them... and they are beautiful on the hand. I can't wait to try them on the face. I do think that Cindy-Lou Manizer maybe a little dark for a highlighter, but I may be able to use it to enhance blushes or contouring not sure yet,but I can't wait to use them.

COASTAL SCENTS CAMO QUADS:

These are a must have in any collection I am just going to go a head and say that now. I got all 4 of the shades... they have light, medium, dark, and the color corrector one. I used them already and I love how creamy they are and they are pigmented. I have already used the dark one to contour my face. I love it.

Well that's it for the gifts that I unwrapped, I will be doing an Ulta Haul after I get the rest of the stuff and that would be considered for Christmas as I bought it with Christmas money I got from my grandma. I am also going to be doing my December favorites and my 2014 favorites. Thank you all for taking time to read this leave comments of what you got for Christmas and I hope you all have a good holiday season. I hope that you had a good year this year, let me know what you are looking forward to in the new year!

Mirabella Cosmetics Review

While in cosmetology school I was introduced to a cosmetic line called Mirabella. This is an amazing cosmetic line. I have tried their eye shadows, lipsticks, lip glosses, concealers, blushes, and powder foundations. If you are a make up artist or just someone who loves make up I recommend you give this brand a try. If you would like to learn more, let's get started.

Eye Shadows:

I had the pleasure of trying 16 of the eye shadows that came in my school kit. I found them to be highly pigmented, creamy, and so easy to use. There were a couple of the shadows that had a little bit of fall out, but all in all they are amazing to work with.

Gilded: Is a creamy white color with a gold flex. Satin finish.

Tone: Is a matte shade that actually matches my skin tone. I use this on my eyelids first to conceal any discoloration on my eyelids.

Poppy: Is a champagne shade with a hint of light pink. It has a satin finish.

Decor: Is a more of a golden champagne color with a satin finish.

Canvas: Another matte shade that is really close to my skin shade. I love to use this in my crease.

Sienna: A darker brown that is a satin shade with a gold glitter. You don't really see the gold glitter when you start blending them out on the eyelid/

Bark: Is the perfect chocolate brown color with a matte finish, perfect in the outer V.

Warm 2: This is the warmest shade in the palette, it is a matte finish. This color reminds me of cinnamon. This is a perfect crease shade, that will warm up any look!

Chill: Chill is a sheer shade that is iridescent. In my opinion this shade is the least pigmented shade that I own.

Sorbet: Is a light pink with a gold shimmer, in certain light it gives a peachy glow. I actually love this shade.

Lulu: A rose pink with a gold sheen. This one is highly pigmented and has a little fall out, but it is still a gorgeous shade for any skin tone.

Guava: Is a lighter version of Lulu and has a little more gold to it, they both have a satin finish.

Semiformal: This is my #1 favorite of the palette. its a medium brown with gold shimmer that lends to a bronze shade. I love this shade it is so pigmented, creamy, and blends better than others!

Vintage: Is a burgundy plum shade that has a sheen to it that is gorgeous. It is a satin finish that is simply gorgeous for any fall look.

Cultured: Is a matte plum shade that is the perfect transition color for when used with Vintage. I love how easily Mirabella's matte shades apply and blend.

Shadow: Is a matte dark coal gray. This is an essential shade for any collection. It helps to make the most beautiful smokey eye. This one does have a little fall out, but not bad.

Mirabella.com has some of these shades not all of them. If you are interested they are $10.00 a pan. You can also find them on Amazon.com for varying prices.

Blushes:

The blush is amazing!The four that I have are all matte. They apply so easily to the cheeks. Very pigmented, so you may need to tap your brush off! I love this formula of blush. Now I got mine in a palette with my eye shadows and powder foundation, but they sell their blushes in duos for $30.00. They have four duos at the moment to pick from, but I really think they are worth the money!

Pure Pressed Powder Foundation:

This foundation comes in five different shades and they are creamy and they blend into the skin. I like that depending on your skin tone one of the five will work for you. You can get a 0.28oz compact for $39.00, this should last you for a long time!

Pretty and Provocative Lipsticks:

These lipsticks are so creamy and beautiful on the lips. They claim that they stay put without bleeding! I have worn them on several occasions and not had the need to reapply them. They are $22.00 a piece and they come in five different shades. My favorite is Fever, it is my favorite red lip.

I hope that you found this helpful. If you have any questions  please feel free to email me or leave a comment below! If you have tried these lipsticks please let me know, comment below! Please don't forget to follow us and let us know what you think of our blog and how we are doing! Thank you so much!

Face of the Day 11/17/14---- Wet N Wild Comfort Zone

For this face of the day I used my IT cosmetic CC+ creme, and I used NYX blush in Mauve, Becca highlighter in Moonstone, Urban Decay eyeliner in Perversion, Calvin Klein mascara (the one you get from ulta for your birthday),   Hard Candy in 3 X a charm for the contour, Marvelous Moxie lip gloss in Rebel, L’Oréal lipstick in Mauved, Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette (salted Caramel color for the crease), Urban Decay Naked palette ( the shade Virgin on the brow bone), and Wet and Wild’s Comfort Zone. ( I used the bottom right shadow on the eye lid blended toward the crease).

Lipstick Tag (by Amanda)

As I was watching YouTube I saw a lot of people doing Lipstick Tags or Lippie Tags, so I decided to give it a try myself..... DISCLAIMER: I am in no way bragging or showing off, I own a lot of make-up as I am a Make-up artist that makes sense. I also like to collect it. With that being said let's get started.

1.) How many lipsticks do you own?
I own roughly 119, some of them have been in my collection a while, I am going to be doing a cleaning out my collection series soon. Then that number should go down a bit.

2.)What was your first ever lipstick?
I think it was a Wet N Wild 99 cent lipstick I don't remember the color but I know it would have been a light pink. It may have also been a Bonne Bell? Long time ago....

3.) What is your favorite brand of lipstick?
Maybelline Color Sensational Lipsticks are my favorite, they have so many colors, and finishes available. They are affordable and comfortable on the lip! Did I mention I love the pigmentation?

Maybelline Color Sensational Lipsticks

4.)What is your most worn lipstick?

NYC Expert Last Lip Color in color number 411 Snowcone. This is my very favorite everyday light pink lipstick. I have repurchased it 6 times. This lipsticks are comfortable on the lip, they have good pigmentation. The one problem I have with them is there staying time. The color may last a couple of hours before you need to touch it up again. 

NYC Expert Last Lip Color #411 Snowcone

5.) What is your favorite finish?

I like the look of the matte lipsticks, the Wet N Wild matte lipsticks are good, all matte lipsticks seem to be a little drying on the lip, quick tip apply a EOS lip balm or a Maybelline Babylips underneath and it will help with the drying feeling! 

6.)What was the last lip product you bought? 

NYC City Proof Twistable Intense Lip Color in #010 Nolita Neutral

7.)How many lip products do you currently have in your purse?
I have 5.... of that 5, 2 are lipsticks, 1 is an EOS, and 2 are lip glosses.

8.)How do you store your lipsticks?

I have a make-up trolley that I got in Cosmetology school and I use the first drawer to store my lipsticks!

9.)What lipstick do you use to rock a red lip?

I use the Mirabella Lipstick in Fever. Very creamy, pigmented lipstick that also stains the lip and last a long time without budging. This is a more true red lipstick.

Mirabella Lipstick in Fever

10.) What lip products are you currently lusting after?

Lipstick Queen and Lime Crime, I want to try out some more high end lipsticks, and see what the difference is. I would also like to try the NYX matte lipsticks and the Maybelline Color Sensational Lipsticks that are matte. 

Well that is that. Thank you for taking your time to read this blog. If you have any questions or ideas for future blogs please leave a comment below. Also if you have a blog or a vlog, I tag you to do this tag. If you don't have a blog feel free to leave your answers in the comments below. I tag my co-blogger and sister Katie to do this next. As always please like this blog and don't forget to follow us so that you'll see our upcoming blogs and chances to enter the upcoming giveaways!!!!! Thank you for your time! We appreciate it!

Urban Decay Vice 3 review

I usually write out my reviews, but this time I thought it would be fun to try something different! My review is a video.... please click on the link and enjoy. If you have any questions or have any ideas for upcoming blogs please leave us a comment. As always don't forget to hit the follow button! I really appreciate all of your time and thank you so much for stopping by!

Urban Decay Vice 3 Review: http://youtu.be/hxXU2G7ZCVI

Face of the Day November 13, 2014= Stila Magnificent Metal Eye Shadow

Today I want to start a series called Face of the Day. I am going to do a look that I do each day and explain how I did it.  In this look,  it’s a dark Smokey eye with gold, this eye look will work on any eye color.

          

Let's get started!

1.) Prime the eye using Urban Decay's Primer Potion Original                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

                                                                                                   

2.) For the crease I like to use my Physician's Formula matte quad called Classic Nudes I also use the lightest shade for my brow bone... for the eye lid I use Roasted from the Smashbox On the Rocks palette. If you would like you could use Marzipan from the same palette for the brow bone. I also used Salted Caramel from the Too Faced Chocolate Bar. The way I started the look I took  the  Physician's Formula Crease color and placed it in the crease and used a fluffy crease brush to soften the hard lines. I then take Marzipan on the brow bone, this acts as a highlight and softens the crease color. Take Roasted and place it on the lid. I take the same fluffy brush and lightly blend Roasted into the crease. 

3.) Then for the best part of the look: I used the Stila Magnificent Metal Foil Finish Eye shadow in Vintage Black Gold. To apply this shadow first apply the liquid eye primer on the lid, I place it on top of the Roasted. I let it set for a couple of seconds. Then I use my finger to pat on the eye shadow. Once you have it evenly distributed on the lid, I take the same fluffy crease brush and using a little of the Salted Caramel I blend the Vintage Gold lightly into the crease.

4.) For the rest of the face I used my Maybelline Fit Me concealer and foundation. Then I used the Fit Me powder to set it.

5.) For the blush I used NYX Mauve and for the highlighter I used Too Faced Candlelight Glow. With the highlighter I used the lighter color on the upper cheek bone and lightly on the forehead, down the nose, and on the chin. I use the pink side of the highlighter on the apples of the cheeks. It gives the cheeks a nice glow. 

6.) I line my eyes with the Rimmel Scandaleyes Kohl liner in Black. For the lashes I used the Bare Minerals Flawless Definition Mascara and the L'Oreal Miss Manga mascara.

7.) For my lips I used Wet N Wilds 903c Just Peachy matte lip color.

For a side note I only used 5 make up brushes...

 Mirabella Powder Brush

Mirabella Blush Brush 

Mirabella Crease Brush

Elf Eye Shadow Brush

Elf Crease Brush

I really hope you enjoyed this look, I will be posting tomorrow's F.O.T.D. around the same time, I will try to have it up a little early! Thank you for taking your time to read this. If there is anything you'd like to see please comment and let me know and I'll get it done! Please subscribe, I appreciate it! Thanks again!

Urban Decay Vice 3

For tonight's blog I thought it would be fun to do it a little differently, so I made a video.

If there is a product that you would like to see reviewed please leave a comment. Also don't forget to like and start following us for more! Thanks again! XoXo