Tuesday, November 30, 2010

MARY KAY CREAM LIPSTICKS



I bought two of these back early this fall for a give-a-way for you guys. I put them away and almost forgot about them until I was packing the NV Beauty Bag for my first anniversary give-a-way! I had this little sample, so I did swatches from it so you can see them! **The ones in the give-a-way are brand new, never opened!**

Before I get to the swatches though, I want to talk about the packaging! I love it! It's the same as NARS. I really like the way the feel! As you can see, it says "thank you" in many languages. How cute is this? The reason for this is earlier this year, when you purchased these limited edition lippies, Mary Kay donates $1 to end domestic violence---very cool!!  These colors and packaging were LE, so you can't get them anymore!!
I bought Inspiration and Compassion!  I went ahead and put on the Confidence to show you, though it's not part of my give-a-way. They were $14 each. You can still purchase MK Creme Lippies for $13. Hmmm...I just looked that up. So unless there's been a recent price increase, they were charging an extra dollar and that was the money they were donating. Hmm...still glad they donated, but why did we have to pay? Oh well...moving on...




These felt really nice and creamy! I just have the samples, which I only put on for the pictures, so I can't really review these for you. If you've tried these, please let us know how you liked them!


FTC Disclosure: I purchased the lipsticks for the give-a-way with my own money. I was not paid to put them in my give-a-way. I have never accepted money in exchange for a review. I am not affiliated with Mary Kay.




Thursday, November 25, 2010

ONE YEAR OF NV'IOUS BEAUTY GIVE-A-WAY!!!! **CLOSED**

I was going to wait until the first of December to announce this...but I'm too excited to wait! I had to share this with you now! I'm so thankful for all my followers, what better day than Thanksgiving to announce my next and BIGGEST give-a-way??

I can't believe it's been one year next month that I first started NV Beauty! It has been so much fun and I have "met" some really great people from this experience. I am really grateful to all the people who not only follow my blog, but comment and have tried to get to know me! Your comments really do make my day!

To show my appreciation, I've been hard at work getting some of my favorite companies to donate items for a huge give-a-way! (And you guys know I love to give things away!)


And here are the goodies! There will be at least 25 winners!! Maybe more! Prizes are valued at over $300!




The prizes are as follows:

Sedona Lace is offering two palettes: One 88 palette and One 120 palette--winner selects palette they want! Retail value: $18.95-$28.95 each. Two winners. International shipping.

Tilvee is offering a bottle of the Argan Vitality Oil! Retail value: $27.99. One winner. USA only.

Kohana Skin is offering a Wild Ginger Alaea Salt Scrub! Retail value: $18.00. One winner. USA only.


Honey Cat is offering a box of chocolate bath melts & a bath fizzy! Retails for $25.00 & $10.00. One winner. USA only. 


Dead Sea Premier is offering their Instant Stretching & Revitalizing (Lifting) Mask & various samples of other products ! Retails for $124.99. One winner. USA only.

Folica is offering the Solia 1 ¼” flat iron & a full bottle of our Sedu Anti-Frizz Polishing Treatment! Retails for $84.99 & $35.00. One winner. USA only.
Free Beauty Events is offering an assortment of Cover Girl Cosmetics! Retails around $6-$8 each. Three winners; one level 1 in Tru Blend, one level 2/3 in Tru Blend, and one level 4 in Tru Blend. USA only.


Vapour Organic Beauty is offer their Allure Magazine award winning Aura Multi-Use Blush-Stain in the color Enchant! Retails for $28.00. One winner. USA only.


Nicobella is offering the delicious Vegan Chocolate Truffles in an assortment of flavors. Retails $13.50. One winner. USA only.

SJ Creations is offering their Sugar Cookie caddy set and $5 gift card with Cranberry Spice hand soap! Retails for $9.99 & $5+. USA only. 15 winners!!



I will also personally be donating a nice beauty package myself! It includes items like Revlon PhotoReady foundation in 007 Cool Beige, Revlon age defying moisturizing concealer, Revlon powder brush Colgate Wisps, Graftobian High Def lipcolor Fashion palette, Soap & Glory Sexy Mother Pucker, E.L.F. Dramatic Lash Kit, 2 Mary Kay lipsticks (Compassion & Inspriation), L'Oreal Ever Pure Moisture Deep Restorative Masque, NYC eye shadow quad, a super cute handbag hanger and it's all packed in the cutest red, faux animal skin makeup bag from AVON. If I can shove anything else in there, I will!! Depending on where you live and how much it will cost, I will try to send this internationally. Again, leave your country and I'll check to see if I can swing the shipping costs!!


Now here's the technical stuff....



The Rules:

* Publicly follow this blog.

*Leave a comment on this post telling me which 3 products you'd like to win most. Please leave your email address as well so I can contact you. **If you pick the Cover Girl makeup, I'll need to know which level you are light/medium/dark.**

*Because not all companies are willing to ship internationally, you must specify where you live .  =( Sorry.

*You can enter once a day if you like, but each comment must say something different.



Extra Entries:

*Follow me on Twitter (tell me your twitter name with the comment)

*Like "NV Beauty" on Facebook (tell me what name you" like" with in the comment) **Please make sure you click on this link to "like" the right page.**

* Follow one of the companies who's donated to the give-a-way on Twitter or "Like" them on Facebook. Tell me in the comment which ones you did and with what name so I can verify! **each company you "like/follow" will earn you one extra entry.**

*Do a blog post about this give-a-way! (leave link below)

*Tweet about this give-a-way! (be sure to tell me your twitter name!)

This give-a-way ends on 12/11/10, midnight EST!!


Thank you again to my wonderful followers! Thank you for such a great first year! Thank you for all the kindness, friendship, comments, and tips! I really do enjoy blogging and I'm so happy that you all have embraced me!

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

40 BEAUTY QUESTIONS TAG

I haven't done a tag in forever, so I thought I'd do this one that's been going around forever now! I tag EVERYONE, so please leave me your link!!


SKINCARE

How many times do you wash your face daily?

Twice, but I usually just use a cleansing towelette in the morning since I'm always running late!!


What skin type do you have? (dry,oily,combo)

Usually dry, but sometimes I'd have to say "normal". I am never oily.


What is your current facial wash?

AVON's ANEW Reversalist cream cleanser---love it!


Do you exfoliate?

Yes, with dry skin, I can't avoid it! I use ANEW CLINICAL Advanced Dermabrasion System.

What brand do you use?

I use mostly AVON, though I have been sent some fab products in the last year for review, but I always go back to AVON!
What moisturizer do you use?
ANEW Reversalist night/day creams.


Do you have freckles?

Yes, lots! I love freckles! Who doesn't?

Do you use eye cream?

Yes, every night. I think they are really important!! And of course, it's from AVON.

Do you or did you have acne prone skin?

Nope, I got lucky with fairly decent skin.

Did you ever have to use Pro-activ?

Nope. Never needed it.

MAKE-UP

What foundation do you use?

I use lots of different kinds. I love Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse, Revlon ColorStay, AVON Healthy Makeup--smooth formula, Face Atelier, Laura Mercier, and Vapour Organic Beauty Atmosphere Soft Focus foundation. Is that too many? *lol*

How about concealer?

I swear by Benefit's Erase Paste, though it does get a little cakey under the eyes sometimes. I'd love to try Bobbie Brown & Eve Pearl's though!
Do you know your undertone color?
Hmmmm....I guess I should know this huh?
What do you think of fake eyelashes?
I think they are fab, but I have only worn them a few times. I have a hard time putting them on still!

Did you know that you are supposed to change your mascara every 3 months?

Absolutely! 

What brand of mascara do you use?

I usually wear CoverGirl Lash Blast, but lately I have been LOVING real Voluminous in Carbon!


Sephora or MAC?

I don't have much from MAC, so I'm going to go with Sephora.

Do you have a MAC Pro-card?

Obviously not. I'm NO pro! Just a beauty product fan!


What makeup tools do you use in make up application?

Brushes--Sedona Lace, Sigma, E.L.F., AVON. Sponges and Q-tips.


Do you use make-up base/primer for the eyes?

Always – either Urban Decay Primer Potion!


For the face?

When I remember to, I wear mark. Primed for Perfection or AVON's Magix primer. I don't notice them actually helping makeup stay longer, but does give a smooth canvas to put foundation on.



What is your favorite eyeshadow (color or shade)?

I have so many favorites! This is the hardest questions so far! I love MAC's Satin Taupe.


Do you use pencil or liquid eyeliner?

Usually, none! I'm not very good with eye liners! Whenever I do wear it, it pretty much always runs off my eyes. If you have one you love and you think I should try, leave it in the comments.


How often do you poke your eyes with an eyeliner pencil?

Rarely, especially since I hardly wear it.


What do you think of pigment eyeshadows?

I don't have any pigment shadows, but I do have loose shadows. Is that the same thing?? I thought pigments were much stronger in color...anywho...they seem messy and hard to work with. 


Do you use mineral makeup?

I have many mineral eye shadows and blushes that I love, but I don't really care of mineral foundation. 


What is your favorite lipstick?

AVON's Never so Nude.


How about lipgloss?

LuMesh's Magily and CoverGirl's Freedom of Peach!



What is your favorite blush to use?

Oh goodness! I love blush! I love NARS Orgasm, my Sedona Lace 28 Blush palette, and for cream blush--I LOVE Graftobian cream blushes!!

Do you buy your makeup on ebay?

Nope.

Do you like drugstore makeup?

Yes, I do!


Do you go to CCO's? (cosmetic company outlets)

Never been---I wish there was one near me!

Did you ever consider taking make-up classes?

I think it would be a lot of fun!


Are you clumsy in putting on makeup?

Maybe when putting on eye liner!


Name a makeup crime that you hate?

Over plucked brows or foundation that doesn't match. Ugh!


Do you like colorful shades of makeup (lipstick,eyeshadow) or neutral ones?

I love neutrals really. I'm a busy, working wife & mom of two little girls. I like a lot of the brighter looks, but where would I wear them? Ya know?


Which celebrity always has great make up?

I am not a fan of her so much (not that I dislike her either) but I think little Miss Miley Cyrus has fab makeup!

If you could leave the house using just ONE make up item, what would you use?

I guess some good powder, like Graftobian.


Could you ever leave the house without any makeup on?

I can, but I don't like too! =) It depends on where I am going. I would never go to work without it.

Do you think you look good even without any makeup on?

I think I look alright w/o makeup, but my skin tone is just so uneven!! If I didn't have these dark circles around my eyes, I would rock a naked face more.

In your opinion, what is the BEST makeup line?
I don't think there is ONE best makeup line. 


What do you think of Makeup??

I love it!

Monday, November 22, 2010

TILVEE ARGAN VITALITY OIL


Tilvee Eco Ethical Skincare creates innovative all natural products that are a divine experience for the skin being rich in super fruits, potent antioxidants and nourishing essential fatty acids without the use of toxic chemicals of any type.

Our tag line is "Eco Ethical Skincare" and we take that commitment seriously. Tilvee is passionate about green business practices and using ingredients that support sustainable, organic and fair trade agriculture.


A specialty oil for all skin types known to balance sebum production, improve elasticity & protect cell fluidity - 93% Organic Ingredients



WHAT IS IT:
Our Argan Vitality Oil contains pure Argan Oil from the nut tree in Morocco. Antioxidant & EFA rich, it reduces the appearance of fine lines & wrinkles while promoting supple, youthful looking skin. It reduces redness associated with rosacea and eczema. Gentle enough for all skin types this revitalizing oil can be used for dry, wrinkled, rosacea prone skin or oily, blemished, scarred skin. It also can be used to strengthen nails and revitalize split ends.

ARGAN OIL:
This ecologically and economically important tree in Morocco is harvested only by the women and is known there as "Liquid Gold". The women of Morocco have been using the oil for centuries to revitalize their skin, hair & nails. It nourishes the skin with nutrients that maintain healthy hydration & collagen production. It also revitalizes and improves skins elasticity.



I have been using this Argan Vitality Oil for about a month or so now. You can use it on your dry/oily/mature skin, body, nails and hair. It is amazing! There's been a lot of buzz going around about Argan oil and I had to give it a try.

I mainly use it on my face at night instead of a moisturizer. It feels great! Not "oily" at all. It does make my face quite shiney at first...but after it is absorbed, my skin just feels baby soft. And since I've got dry skin normallym, this is so important to me! Dry skin is more likey to wrinkle, so I moisturize A LOT! *lol*

I love that this comes in a pump and all I need is half a pump to moisturize my whole face. I even have enough left over to do my cuticles too! The scent is really nice too. It has lavender, vanilla, lime, bergamet, and yiang yiang in it as well. It has a nice, light citrus scent to it. I don't really pick up on the lavender or vanilla--which is fine by me! I'm pretty tired of those scents anyway!

When I first got this, I thought I was going to run out quickly because this is just a 1 ounce bottle. Wrong! I've been using it for over a month and I have hardly put a dent in this baby. This will last me a really long time. When I'm done with this, I'll definately be purchasing another bottle! If you want to try this out too, check out the boutique! Everything ships internationally!!


FTC Disclosure: I was sent this item for review. I was not paid to write this. These are my honest thoughts.

Sunday, November 21, 2010

FROM CHICPARIS WTIH LOVE...

Last month I recieved a few items for review that for one reason or another, I couldn't get to. So I had my lovely friend & follower, who I'll refer to now as Chicparis, help me out!  She has tested these out throughly and here are her thoughts...

"Nicole,

I wanted to let you know how pleased I am with the samples you gave me of Danu Moisture Mama shampoo and conditioner.



I really liked the gentle cleansing of the shampoo and because I have fine hair I am always a little unsure of conditioners. These seem to be perfect. My hair was shiny and soft but not too soft to hold an easy curl. I have this short hair and it 'falls' during the day quite easily if I use too much "softening" product. So far so good!!! I also really like the clean non- perfumy scent of both the hair products.

***When two salon-owning mothers were awakened to the caustic nature of the hair products they used every day—damaging to the environment and potentially even to people—they embarked on a mission to develop a better-performing, safer, natural line of products. Behold the fruits of their labor: DANU hair care products; specially-formulated to outperform leading products on all hair types including serious protection for color-treated hair. All DANU products are dye, paraben and sulfate-free, made of ingredients that heal, protect and nourish hair naturally.***



.

The skin cream and cleanser were really nice as well. Definitely felt very very good on my skin which is pretty sensitive to perfumes and many other cleansing products. The scent was nice as well...again not too perfumey but clean and uncomplicated. The cleanser felt really good and did a great job with my Clarisonic brush...it felt very gentle which is a big plus for my sensitive skin.

***La Ishá is the first all-natural skin care company devoted to the anti-aging beauty needs of women over 35. Founder Sharon Gnatt Epel created the line in response to alarming research showing that women have unknowingly been poisoning themselves in order to look good. The phthalates in many beauty preparations are now linked to breast cancer and birth defects, and synthetic chemical preservatives are thought to be the second most common cause of skin irritations. La Ishá believes that women shouldn’t have to sacrifice their health to stay beautiful and is committed to developing safe, high-performance, natural anti-aging skin care that really works!***

Thanks so much for letting me try these great products. I really enjoyed using them!

To Health, Wealth & Beauty both inner and outer!

Chicparis"
 
Thank you Chicparis for such a great review! If you all have tried these products, I want to hear about it! Please leave comments below! You can find these products in the NV Beauty Boutique!
 
 
 
 
FTC Disclosure: Products were sent for review. No one was paid to write this review. All opinions are honest.

Saturday, November 20, 2010

VAPOUR ORGANIC BEAUTY PART 2

Hi everyone! I'm back with another Vapour Beauty review! This time I'm showing you their multi-use blush stain in Impulse & the Aura Multi-use in Spark.


Check out these gorgeous shades!


These are multi-purpose, which is great when you are traveling or just like to save money by not having to purchase a bunch of different products. You can use both of these on your cheeks, lips, and eyes for a pop of color. At first, I was worried that Impulse would be waaaaay too much for my fair skin! But you can make it very sheer and it looks quite nice!

Here's the swatches of both:


And here's how they look blended out:


I really enjoy both of these products! I think they colors are great! And they are 70% certified organic (other 30% is organic, but aren't certifiable ingredients) I feel really good about putting these on my skin.I have used both of these on my cheeks and lips, but not on my eyes. I don't wear any colors even close to this to use as a base, so I can't speak on that. I do find that I have to set my cheeks with powder for it to have staying power, but I usually do that anyway. As far as wear on my lips, I'd say it's not great for long term wear, but it is ok when you've got time/desire to reapply through out the day.

I can't believe I didn't talk about the packaging in the first part of my Vapour Organic Beauty review! I really love the packaging! It's a really pretty, sparkley blue plastic stick--for most items.  I think they are awesome for travel, as you won't worry about them breaking and they are a good size. I have to say that a few of them, after I've dialed it up and back down, the product didn't go back down. So I had to use my fingers to push it down. So that's a bummer, but no deal breaker for me.

You really get so much in these sticks, it will take me forever to use this up! I definately think they are worth the price of $28 a pop.

You can find many Vapour Organic Beauty products in my NV Beauty Boutique! Please check it out for amazing Holiday present ideas for that makeup lover in your life!

I will soon be announcing my next give-a-way! It's going to be amazing! As you may have noticed, NV Beauty is about to have it's first anniversary! Yeah! So for the last month of so, I've been contacting some of my favorite suppliers/brands asking them to make a donation! I think you all will be really excited about this as well! More details to come....

Until next time, Stay NV'ious!







FTC Disclosure: I was sent these items for review. I was not paid to write this. This is my honest opinion.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

HAIRDOS OR HAIR DONT'S?

"This VibraliteTM modacrylic fiber 22" Clip-in Straight Extension from HairUWear adds volume to shorter hair and short hair transforms to luxurious below-the-shoulder length hair in MINUTES. Now any woman can easily and affordably change her length and/or add volume to her own hair with HairDoTM Synthetic Clip-in Hair from Jessica Simpson and Ken Paves."

I really wanted to try these for a while now. I log on to Folica ever day and lust after these! I've seen these recommended by a few youtubers I trust so I thought they would be worth checking out. Now, I am not complaining about my hair what so ever! I've got thick, fairly long dark brown hair---which I like very much. =D I just thought it would be fun to have a little more length instantly!

Here's how it comes:

It comes gentley tied down so the hair doesn't get matted. It is hard to tell from online what the colors are going to look like, so I picked Dark Chocolate. I've heard that the brown ones look more realistic than the blondes. I thought this one looked pretty natural, as my hair is quite shiney.



And here's some shots with the hairpiece on! It was really easy to put in. I read a million reviews on this and a lot of people thought the piece/cap is a little big for their head. I'm going to have to agree with that. It's not so big on me though that it looks odd, in my opinion. In other words, I think it's one of those things you notice but no one else would.



So as you can clearly see..this is not my color!! I really need to Midnight Brown. Other than that...as I mentioned earlier, my hair is quite thick, so this piece looks rather thin mixed in with my hair. For someone who has normal to thin hair, I think this would be perfect. I think if I took this to a hair dresser, they could cut layers in it and make it blend much better. I do with they had a "thick hair" option though. *Sigh*

It seems depending on how the hair is laying, it can look great or a hot mess. Again, I think if I had it cut it would blend better. It was also hard for me to take pictures myself because the hair is so long! (Which I love!) The length is wonderful and I wish my hair was this long already! But it was really fun to try this anyway, even if it wasn't perfect. I do want to try the 23" Wavy hair piece in Midnight Brown. When I do, I'll be sure you let you know how it goes. Does anyone out there have this? What did you think? What do you think of hair extensions in general?

You can buy these from Folica for $79.00. It comes in 16 shades!




FTC Disclosure: I was sent this by Folica for review. I was not paid to write this review. This is my honest opinion. Folica sponsors NV Beauty with products to review, not money.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

LuMESH LIPGLOSS

"Shine, Care & Plump...
everything your lips could ask for in one unique product. The first gloss to combine color, vitamin and plumping agents. Thanks to a concentration of ultra nourishing and plumping ingredients, lips revel in absolute comfort, with a non sticky formula and lasts for hours.

LuMESH Cosmetics is an innovative makeup line geared towards women of all ages and ethnicities. Lu’s Latin background became her inspiration to create a diverse yet minimal color line that would compliment all ethnicities. LuMESH embodies simplicity and the freedom for any woman to find the perfect shade that matches her skin tone. LuMESH offers practicality, guidance, and the essential multi-functional products to simplify your life! "



I have been SO excited to share this product with you all!! I'm totally a lip gloss girl! I'll take gloss over lippies any day. I usually rock Cover Girl gloss, my favorite is Freedom of Peach and has been for the last year. I've tried many other brands, including MAC and other drug store ones, but Cover Girl has had them beat, in my opinion.

I was sent these two glosses for review and consideration to add to the NV Beauty Boutique a while ago. Initially I thought the colors were fab and was looking forward to trying them out, but not having high expectations.

I first tried Magaly. It is a nude-ish color, much like the shade of my own lips. Here's what it looks like on me:


I love this one! I have reached for this nearly every day since I got it! I think this would look great on anyone. It looks pretty shimmery in the tube, but as you see, there is no shimmer or frost in this. It's just a beautiful shine!

Here's the second color I got, Min on my lips:


This is a really pretty pink color. It reminds me of Barbie! I haven't worn this too much, but I do like it! I also think this pink would look great on many skin tones!


PROS:
•shine and highly pigmented
•vitamin infused, (nourishing and conditions)
•keeps hydrating lips even after the product has worn off
•mirror on packaging for convenient application
•many shades suitable for all skin tones
•fragrance/taste free
•non-sticky, yet serious staying power
•mild lip plumper that feels cool on your lips and doesn't irritate my lips
•never leaves that white yucky junk on your lips!

CONS:
•price, $24 for is a little pricey BUT you do get a good amount...so, does that really count as a con? *lol*


As you can see, I think the pros far outweigh the cons and I'll be purchasing this when my samples run out!! This is my new HG of lipgloss. Usually drug store glosses are ok for me, but this stuff is really awesome! I like this more than my MAC glosses too; MAC glosses are super sticky in my opinion.
You can find all 5 shades of LuMESH lipglosses in the NV Beauty Boutique!



FTC Disclosure: These were sent to me for review. I was not paid to write this review. I am affilated with LuMESH. This is my honest opinion. I would not endorse a product I don't believe in.