Makeup

YSL Mascara Volume Effect Faux Clis Review

Posted on by Brandy Saldana

I was lucky to be chosen by Influenster to test out the Yves Saint Laurent Mascara Volume Effect Faux Cils in a recent Voxbox. I was pretty excited since the Yves Saint Laurent  brand represents elegance and high-fashion to me. I have always admired the packaging of the make-up, especially for the lipsticks, but I could never bring myself to splurge on it. Getting the chance to try out the mascara and its remastered formula changed my mind about the beauty line and to consider trying out other products.

At first glance, I am already in love the packaging. The tube is a nice gold with the simple YSL logo. The brush is nice and thick with various sizes of bristles, ideal for adding volume to your lashes. My eyelashes are pretty long, and I noticed they looked fuller when I used this mascara. 

My favorite mascara is the  Marc Jacobs Volumizing Mascara , but the YSL Mascara ties with with that mascara since it does provide volume and since the mascara is not clumpy. They also last a long time, even when my eyes are wet. I’ve noticed that when I was my face, neither of these smear or drip down, which is a nice bonus. I have not taken any photos (that I can remember) wearing the YSL mascara, but it is on my to-do list and I will note it in blog post if I am. This mascara also comes in 6 shades, but I am a big fan of the black.

I loved the mascara so much that I decided it was time to splurge on some of the Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupte Shine lipsticks I had been eyeing for awhile. I became a VIB member at Sephora almost 6 months ago and had a 15% off coupon I was able to use on these earlier this month. I am pretty obsessed with these colors and enjoy the candy smell that comes off of these lipsticks. Pigment is a lot lighter than I expected, but these are pretty different from the usual Givenchy Rouge lipsticks I use. I don’t know why I ever doubted whether it would be worth it, but thanks to Influenster I was able to experience some dramatic and luxurious lashes and finally get myself some new lipsticks.
What are your thoughts on YSL Mascara? Will you be splurging or do you have a go-to mascara already? Let me know! 

Brandy| BLOGLOVIN | FACEBOOK |  INSTAGRAM |TUMBLR | TWITTER | 

Disclosure: I received the YSL Mascara complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own

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The Gift of Beautiful Brows – Billion Dollar Brows Best Sellers Kit Review

Posted on by Brandy Saldana

Holiday shopping being over with, it is time to take advantage of items on sale that didn’t quite make it under your tree this year. One of my favorite things to buy once sales are over are makeup kits exclusively for the holidays. They are typically a great stocking stuffer, but they are also a great for you to try out a new brand of makeup for a great value.

Case-in-point, I had a chance to try the Best Sellers Kit by Billion Dollar Brows. Billion Dollar Brows is a company I have heard of before but never ventured into trying out their products. I knew of their Brow Boost, which helps grow out thin eyebrows, but I have always had thick/full eyebrows, so I never needed to use that. Now that I have bangs I never really pay attention to how they look except for the occasional reshaping. I was pleasantly surprised by the Best Sellers Kit because it came with items I could actually use for my thick brows.

The Best Sellers Kit promises to “work with all hair colors and skin tones,” but I would also add it works regardless of how thick (or thin) your eyebrows are. This kit comes with 5 pieces at a $73 value for only $34.99 and include: The Universal Brow Pencil, Brow Duo Pencil, Smudge Brush, Brow Gel and a Sharpener.

Here is a breakdown of the pieces and what their functions are as described by the Billion Dollar Brows’ website:

Billion Dollar Brows Universal Brow Pencil – a unique product that will set you free from the headache of finding cosmetics that match your hair color. Universal Brow Pencil is a mechanical, self-sharpening pencil which goes on smooth and natural for all hair colors and skin tones.

Billion Dollar Brows Brow Gel Clear – an effective formula that will lock in your look, giving your eyebrows a long-lasting, radiant glow while keeping them perfectly in place all day. It’s the perfect finishing touch for giving your brows a polished, perfectly manicured look. Plus, it is a guarantee the Brow Gel never flakes. 

Billion Dollar Brows Brow Duo Highlighter – an amazing and unique two in one highlighter and concealer. With this innovative pencil you can get picture perfect brows. Brow Duo Highlighter allows you to highlight your brow bone to add gorgeous definition and warmth. Works with any skin tone. Plus, for those on-the-go touch ups, a handy universal concealer to the opposite end of the pencil. 

Billion Dollar Brows Smudge Brush – an essential item for applying Brow Highlighter. This flat, synthetic brush is the ideal mate for applying creamy cosmetics like our Brow Duo Pencil. Get your smudge on!

Billion Dollar Brows Pencil Sharpener – perfect for your Duo Highlighter.

Overall, the kit was a great value with some very useful products. My favorite was the Brow Gel because I know one of my bigger issues is having slightly messy eyebrows, but the gel keeps everything in its place. It was also light and did not feel super sticky. The Universal Brow Pencil was also very easy to use. The Brow Duo Pencil (concealer/highlighter) I have not had a chance to use yet since my eyebrows are in need of some tweezing before I decide to highlight their shape. The holidays can get busy, so I am hoping to find some time to shape them before New Years Eve. 
You can find the kit at Billion Dollar Brows website http://billiondollarbrows.com and you can enjoy Free Shipping since your order will be more than $30. Take a look at their other great products as well.

Brandy| BLOGLOVIN | FACEBOOK |  INSTAGRAM |TUMBLR | TWITTER | 
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Billion Dollar Brows and Brandbacker. All opinions and views expressed are my own.

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Paula Dorf Aztec City Eye Color Palette and Teal Mascara Review

Posted on by Brandy Saldana

My daily makeup routine includes moisturizer, mascara, a sweep of neutral eye shadow, lipstick and powder foundation. I have been thinking of trying different types of eye shadows and learning how colors should be layered, it felt like it was perfect timing when the opportunity to try out Paula Dorf’s Aztec City Eye Color Palette and Teal Color Mascara came up.

Since I don’t know a lot about makeup, I was not sure exactly what to expect from Paula Dorf makeup. It turns out it is a pretty famous brand known for its unique “trick” products such as “Transformers.” This shadow palette works as eye shadow, but can also transition and be used as liquid eye liners. All it requires is the moistening of  the angle side of the double-ended brush that comes with the palette, dabbing the brush into a color of your choice, and applying it as you would an eyeliner.

My first impression of the palette and mascara packaging was sleek and professional. The palette has a mirror and fits in my Truffle bag, so it is something I can easily travel with me. The colors of the palette are  mix of professional and flirty shades that can easily transition from a day at work to a night out. The colors are inspired by a mix of the dessert and city. The colors, once applied, are not as highly pigmented, as you can see from my swatches. The beige almost blends too well with my skin, which makes it a great base. The dark brown is highly pigmented, so you would not need to apply too much of it. It makes for the best eyeliner that I would use out of all these colors.

I am pretty happy with the palette, and I am looking forward to playing around with the colors more to try to come up with my own eye look. Knowing that the eye shadows can be used eye liners is also a major plus. For a beginner with makeup, or someone looking for a more professional palette, this is one I would recommend.

Along with the palette, I had the chance to try the Teal Color Mascara. I have never tried any colored mascara, and the only other color I knew it came in other than black is blue. I was a little skeptical about the product because I wasn’t sure I wanted that color to be standing out from my eyes. Apllying it, I felt I layered two-three coats, but didn’t notice too much color. Removing the mascara afterwards, I noticed the color a lot more. I felt it was a really subtle color, so it could be great for someone experimenting with different looks, but not for someone expecting highly-pigmented mascara.
You can find view and purchase the Aztec City Eye Color Palette here. As an added bonus, you can also try out the Paula Dorf Teal Color Mascara free with purchase.  Enter the code TEAL at checkout for your own Teal Mascara so you can try it out for yourself!

Brandy| BLOGLOVIN | FACEBOOK |  INSTAGRAM |TUMBLR | TWITTER | 
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Paula Dorf and Brandbacker. All views and opinions are my own.

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“Up All Night” Make Up by One Direction Review

Posted on by Brandy Saldana

Disclosure: I received makeup to sample from BrandBacker and Markwins International, but all opinions are my own.
I recently began experimenting with beauty products, so when I was given the opportunity to try out a new makeup collection by One Direction, I had mixed feelings about using it. I was psyched to try out new makeup, but what would a boy band know about makeup? Well, that question made me ask Google and I found out they already had makeup out as well as perfume, so this isn’t the boy band’s first time venturing into the world of beauty. (I will come out and admit right off the bat that I have listened to a few of One Direction’s songs, but I don’t even know all of their names except Harry Styles, because come on, who doesn’t know Harry Styles?)
The makeup came in a collectible tin, and there are 3 available named after their albums. I was sent the “Up All Night” Looks Tin and it has a removable plastic sleeve with the boy band and their signatures.  The “Up All Night” tin came with: the Little Black Dress mascara, Na Na Na teal nail polish, Taken pink liquilights glow gloss, I Should Have Kissed You lipstick, Stand Up Navy eye & body crayon, 5 eye shadow palette with colors More Than This, Save You Tonight, Up All Night, Gotta Be You and Another World. The set also included One Direction doodle stencils.  
My first impression of the kit was that it featured really bright, make up colors that are fun, but not what I am used to wearing everyday. I like to have fun with my clothes at work, but makeup is an accessory that I never want to have too much of. Some of the colors on the eye shadow palette as well as the lip colors seem like they are more appropriate to wear to go out at night, but I was able to incorporate a few of the eye shadow colors for everyday wear. They lasted all day, especially a few of the ones I tried with sparkle.  liked that I could wear the Little Black Dress mascara everyday. My eyelashes are pretty long and the mascara adds just the right amount of definition and gave the right amount of volume. It earned extra points for being fairly easy to remove at the end of the day too.
Out of all the items in the set, my favorite was the mermaid teal-green nail polish named Na Na Na. I shared a photo yesterday on instagram showing off the pretty color that this nail polish. I needed to apply 3 coats because it was slightly thinner than other polishes, but it dried really fast. I loved the color and experienced no chipping on the first day I had it on. 
The eyeliner was new for me, having only used liquid before. I had never seen a big crayon like the one in this kit before either, but I like that it is versatile and can be used on your body as well or as a dark shadow. The color is very rich and bold, and I wore it a few times for attention on my eyes. I am not sure if I would ever use the doodle stencils on myself with this body crayon, but it might be fun to try them out with my 9 year old niece. 
I was a little overwhelmed by the lipstick and liquilights glow gloss in the set. At first I was in love with how girly the colors were. Now in retrospect, I would have preferred the “Midnight Memories” tin only because of the more classic red lip colors. The Should Have Kissed You lipstick was a little too pale for my skin tone, and was not as smooth too apply nor long-lasting. The Taken liquilights glow gloss is very intense. It is easy to apply and is sickeningly sweet. It is practically liquid sugar on your lips. The sweet smell was a little too overwhelming at one point to me, but the color was great and it took awhile for it to fade. I might want to try out the two lip products together to decide whether I like them or not, but out off all the items I did not like the lipstick too much.
Overall, I would rate this makeup set as 3 out of 5. It is in a reusable collector’s tin, has products with clever names based on song titles ( or so I am told), and features some pretty trendy colors. It would make a great gift for any One Direction fan, but would not be ideal for someone who prefers subtler makeup. If you’d like to get your hands on a set, here are the scheduled released dates for participating department stores:
Macy’s – August 11thStage Stores – August 25thDillards – August 25thBeauty Brands – August 25thLord and Taylor – August 25th
You can also like this Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/MakeupbyOneDirection for more news and other makeup tutorials as well as announcements for when they are available at other stores. If you happen to snatch up one of these limited edition tins, don’t forget to share your beauty looks with the hashtags: #thelookscollection #makeup1D and #markwins so other 1D fans can discover this makeup set.
Hope you enjoyed my review and until next time,Brandy| BLOGLOVIN | FACEBOOK |  INSTAGRAM |TUMBLR | TWITTER | 

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