Beauty

“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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“Freshen Up for Spring” with Sasha Maks and Beauty Company

Posted on by Brandy Saldana

I was asked to make cupcakes for an event earlier this month for Sasha Mak’s Vintage spring trunk show hosted at the Beauty Company. I enjoy making cupcakes when I can, but it is always different when I am making them for somebody. I worry about whether they will be what someone was hoping for and if they will all arrive in one piece to be admired. I am happy to report that these were a hit not only because they were pretty, but also because of how they tasted!

I am always excited to see the vintage jewelry Sasha has on display, and this event did not disappoint! She styled guests with her pieces showing how they could be layered and take an outfit to the next level. I love how she mixed the gold collar necklace with a long chain necklace on Witty Fashionista style blogger Victoria. You can always buy some of her pieces on her website Sasha Maks Vintage. (Sasha also provides personal styling if you are interested in contacting her for her service here.)

With cupcakes, snacks, and gorgeous jewelry it seems like nothing else could make the night better, right? Wrong! There was also a braid bar, with hair stylists Alix Garcia and Katey Smith glamming all the ladies out with waterfall and french braids. Below, Alix is braiding the hair of Beauty Company owner Sherri Ziesche and my hair was braided by Katey.

I had fun hanging out with my friends, trying on some jewelry and getting my hair done at the Beauty Company. I love getting my manis and pedis at the Beauty Company since that is where I was introduced to Floss Gloss and I was excited to leave with a goodie bag that contained a few beauty samples. Among the samples were some bath salts from Sherri’s own line Ziesche Modern Apothecary. I am excited to use them since they are all natural, made locally (in SF) and smell amazing. 
Hope you enjoyed my short event recap and special thanks to Jennymay for taking such great photos. You can check out more of her work here. Thanks for reading and until next time,

Brandy
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The Wonders of STEAMCREAM

Posted on by Brandy Saldana

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by STEAMCREAM. All views and opinions are my own.

When I returned from my trip to Japan, I had a cute package waiting in my apartment from the lovely people at STEAMCREAM. When I saw the tin, I thought the Japanese Plum (Ume) and Bush Wabler (Uguisu) decoration was adorable! The name of the tin is ‘Ume Ni Uguisu’ meaning ‘a great match’ and I feel this is a really great match for me thanks to my love of the Japanese culture.

This was also a great match for me because I also was in need of some new lotion. I say I needed lotion, but STEAMCREAM is really a multi-purpose cream and I’ve been using it on my hands, legs, and face. The natural and vegan ingredients include: Oatmeal infusion, Orange Flower Water, Almond Oil, Lavender Oil, Organic Jojoba Oil, and Cocoa Butter.And, to make it even better, STEAMCREAM is freshly handmade in England in a completely reusable tin. 

The product, and ingredients, are cruelty-free and the packaging is environmentally responsible with its minimal aluminum design. This is definitely important to me as I want to be sustainable and it is important for me for things to be reusable. The art work on the tins are limited edition, which makes it exciting when thinking of what tin to get next! It makes a great collectible once it is used up thanks to its unique artwork to store jewelry or use to store office supplies (which I am excited to do!)

I’ve definitely fallen in love with the hydrating and softening effect of STEAMCREAM on my skin. There is no greasy feel or residue when it is applied. I’m still not sure how I feel about the light scent the cream has, but I think it is great that it isn’t overwhelming since I like to apply perfume everyday. The tin is also small enough to be carried everywhere, even on a carry-on (at 2.6 oz.) I know I’ll be taking it with me on m next trip Japan and not be worried about it opening up and making a mess in my bag. I can also take a few extra with me and they would make great gifts, or omiyage, for a host or friend.

STEAMCREAM is also only $20, which to me is very reasonable considering the product is handmade, eco-friendly, and uses natural ingredients. And if you are on the fence about trying it, you should now that free shipping is offered worldwide. I am hooked and if you are ready to try the wonders of STEAMCREAM you can shop from their site here. I loved the art for the Ume Ni Uguisu tin, but what will you choose? And what will you store in it when you have used it? Let me know if you’ve tried it or plan on trying it too! 
Until next time,Brandy| BLOGLOVIN | FACEBOOK |  INSTAGRAM |TUMBLR | TWITTER | 

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Crown Brush HD Set With Mirror and Tweezers

Posted on by Brandy Saldana

This post is sponsored by Crown Brush. All opinions expressed are my own.

When I go to Makeup stores, which is a pretty rare occurrence, I admit I do admire brushes and various types there are. I’ve seen other people use different brushes for applying powder foundation or for eye shadow but that’s as far as my knowledge goes as to what you can do with them. I think one of my favorite thing when it comes to seeing brushes is touching the bristles and comparing how soft they are to one another and that was one of the first things I did when I received this Brush Set with Tweezers c/o Crown Brush.

When it comes to makeup, I am not an expert. I certainly cannot tell the difference between brushes and what each one is good for, so it might come as a surprise that for my first Beauty post that I decided to share my take on Crown Brush’s HD Cosmetic Brush Set. But this seems to have been designed for someone like me in mind since each brush is labeled so you know what to do with it. The only item not labeled, but easily recognized, is the pair of tweezers that also comes with this set. The other Pro of this set for me is that it comes in a travel size case that can actually fit in most of my purses and could have easily joined me during my recent trip to Japan. And most importantly for me, the brushes are cruelty free and Vegan Friendly.

I used the Pro Powder brush to apply my Marc Jacobs powder foundation and felt it did a great job spreading it without needed to dip it back in for more product. I have not been able to experiment with the other brushes yet, but I did try out the tweezers. They felt very sturdy and I consider their quality to be like Tweezerman tweezers. I think it is a major plus that the set comes with a pair since I don’t feel it is common with other brush sets. I washed the brush since it looked dirty after the first use and I am not sure how frequently that needs to be done, but it looked good as new afterwards.

Overall, I liked the set and I am excited to see what I can do with the other brushes. Apparently they not only work with powders but also with creams and liquids. I may just need to start watching beauty tutorials on Youtube for inspiration- Let me know if you have any recommendations on a great tutorial.

If you are interested in trying out  the Crown Brush HD Cosmetic Brush Set or giving it as a gift you can find it on their site on sale for $27.95 here: http://bit.ly/19fuEGV. It comes in white/blue , purple, orange and now in red!  Hopefully you enjoyed my first Beauty product review and look forward to more.   
Until next time,Brandy| BLOGLOVIN | FACEBOOK |  INSTAGRAM |TUMBLR | TWITTER | 

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