Try These

 

1 // Bumble & bumble Tonic Lotion, $20.00

Ever since someone suggested this product to me through an Instagram message, I have been hooked. After a shower, I spray a generous amount of it onto my scalp & hair while my hair is still wet. Then I comb through it & let my hair air dry over night before styling in the morning. This product helps to combat the beating my hair takes from the flat iron & curling iron in addition to keeping it from knotting & tangling. The additional shine alone is worth the larger price tag for this item.

2 // Urban Decay All Nighter, $29.00

This setting spray is quite addicting because it works so well. I just blew through my first bottle and I am ready to reorder my next supply. Every morning, I can't resist adding a couple of sprays at the end of my makeup routine. I'll probably be a little bit more conservative with my next bottle. This product is great for long workdays or a special night out -- you're makeup will still look great when you leave the bar after last call.

3 // Smashbox Limitless - Long Wear Lip Gloss with SPF15 (I wear Infinite), $22.00

Big thanks to my Aunt B because she gifted me this lipgloss for Christmas; her note read "best lip gloss ever." She was right, I love this stuff. It's great on a bare lip or layered over your favorite lipsticks. Over time, I hope to branch out to try additional colors when I am able to splurge a little bit.

Skull & Glossbones

SKULL & GLOSSBONES

(Similar)

When you are seriously overdue for a manicure and wanting something nice, but neutral, then you will love this light gray from O.P.I.



Sampled Scent

CHLOE

2.5 oz Eau de Parfum Spray

This floral perfume with top notes of pink peony, freesia, and lychee is great for everyday. I like to spray it on the right side of my neck, my inner left elbow, and the back of my right knee before work. The fresh subtleness of the scent carries with you for the entire day. Purchase yours here.

Such Great Heights

 // 1/ Benefit's High Beam Highlighter // $26.00

*Dot + blend this product onto your checkbones & browbones for an instant glow + lift

// 2/ Essie's Chinchilly Nail Polish // $17.11

*A great granite gray neutral for your digits; will last all week + pair nicely with all of your outfits

// 3/ Clinique's Bottom Lash Mascara // $10.00

*This is one of those products that makes you think, 'why-didn't-I-think-of-that?' because this tiny brush is perfection for those hard to hit (& easy to miss) little lashes

Nice is Nice

NICE IS NICE // ESSIE

NAIL POLISH

The perfect summer polish that goes with every outfit. I stumbled upon this color when shopping at Target & now it's a new favorite. The color is subtle, but you'll still receive a lot of compliments on this one. It will surely be in heavy rotation for my digits this summer.

Seven Layer Cake

Photo: BareEscentuals.com

Seven Layer Cake

Bare Escentuals bareMinerals 100% Natural Lip Gloss, $15.00

Layered over a nude shade of lipstick (like Revlon's Super Lustrous in Sparkling Cider) or solo, this lip gloss has great lasting application and the perfect hint of pink. This week I will be scraping what's left in my tube for as many daily applications as the remnants will allow until I can order my next slice.

Sampled :: Glitz Blitz

Photo Credits: Marvelous Kiddo & Beso

This week I've worn the new Sally Hansen Salon Effects Nail Strips in 260 Glitz Blitz. They are pretty easy to apply. After a you've applied the strips to a couple of fingers, you start to get the hang of it. I still had more trouble with application to my right hand since I am right handed. The best part is that there is zero dry time unlike nail polish.

The strips are guaranteed to last up to ten days, but I noticed some chipping after as few as four days (mainly on my right pointer finger which is one of my most frequently used digits). The box is full of enough strips for two full applications, so I am eager to try my hand at these again and hopefully maximize the length of this at home manicure. Once I run out, the leopard print strips will most likely be my next choice (or these polka dotted strips by O.P.I though they're a little bit more pricey).



Givenchy's Play for Her

Sampled: Givenchy's Play for Her

*1 oz Eau de Parfum Spray, $49.00 // 2.5oz Eau de Parfum Spray, $81.00

Notes: Amyris Wood, Bergamot, Musk, Sandalwood, Sweet Pea, & Tiare Flower // Style: Surprising & Bold

Add this perfume to your collection just in time for summer. It has a bold floral scent with woodsy undertones that will add a fresh take on your morning routine.

Eyes + Scent

.1. Too Faced Lash Injection in Hot Chocolate

With this giant, full, bristled brush, you'll get great coverage on each lash. The drawback is that it plumps the lashes more than it lengthens them; after a few coats you will notice the mascara starting to clump. Later in the day it may flake off onto your cheekbones. I love the initial look after application if you don't overcoat, but this mascara doesn't measure up to Dior DiorShow; especially where lengthening & full day coverage are concerned.

.2. Paco Rabanne Lady Million

With a hint of orange & raspberry, this perfume is subtly intoxicating. My husband commented that it's his favorite scent I've ever worn which is impressive considering I've been through a number of perfumes throughout the course of our relationship.

Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance was inspired by the Regent diamond -- on display at the Louvre -- when designing the bottle. The full size bottle will be added to my wish list after I've used every last ounce of my sample. 

.3. Clinique All About Eyes

Apply this lightweight eye cream after exfoliating & washing your face in the evening to achieve noticeably refreshed lids. You may also use it in the morning as well to nourish your skin & better hold your makeup in place all day. 

I've only tried using it at night & loved the results; I've been scrapping every last bit out until I order in for a new one. I would suggest starting with the 0.5oz bottle to see if you feel the same way before investing in the larger size.

*Currently in Hong Kong; surprised to see that I could access Blogger. Gladly took full advantage, so I could share this post earlier than planned. 

Bare Escentuals bareMinerals Big + Bright Eyeliner

After falling into the monotony of using the same brown & black eyeliners for a while now, I am venturing out to explore other colors. While adding to my options, I decided to sample a brand of eyeliner that would be new to me.

I purchased this Bare Escentuals bareMinerals Big + Bright Eyeliner in Plum over the weekend; I've fallen hard for it since. Not only is the subtle color shift very flattering for my hazel eyes, but the product itself makes application so much easier. There is a very fine pencil tip of liner which is very creamy, so it glides on effortlessly; no more sharpening either because this pencil is retractable. On the other end of the pencil is a soft brush tip for smudging & blending (a great tool for those of us who can't seem to get perfect lines; just a daily reminder that I am an artist not a makeup artist).

The only downside is that at fourteen dollars this pencil is double the cost of most pharmacy brands. Plus now that I've tried one, I want the whole lot of them (Charcoal, Chocolate, Espresso, Intense Black, & Midnight). Thus officially making Bare Escentuals & my wallet frenemies.

[image: sephora]



Forget the Frizz

This week, I sampled Living Proof's Frizz Shampoo & Conditioner because boy do I need it with all of this crazy heat, humidity, & smog in Georgia [Oof!]. The key ingredient in this revolutionary technology is PolyfluorEster, which shields your locks from dirt & soil with an invisible shield. Said shield enables your strands to maintain moisture, so you may lengthen time between washes. After using both for two nights, I'm already hooked on this set; may make it my go-to summer shampoo. 

My Fruit Punch Vitamin Schtick is still getting plenty of lip service & as soon as I get a chance to sample other flavors, I'll be sure to report back.

Vitamin Schtick

Maybe y'all have seen this in your drugstore already, but I just stumbled upon the Vitamin Schtick (it's so good!). So far I've only sampled the fruit punch flavor, but it's my new go to lip balm & I am eager to try the other flavors. I am hooked on it already; the only drawback being that even though the smell is very potent, once on your lips, the flavor doesn't last very long. I'm convinced that Glaceau should produce Vitamin Water lollipops as their next venture (wouldn't that be a delicious way to get extra vitamins?!).

Also, I am happy to report that since stretching out my sample of Dr. Brandt's Pores No More Vacuum Cleaner, I've noticed reduced visibility of my pores. PNMVC also helped me combat the slight breakouts that developed while I was overseas. Given the price tag, I won't be purchasing a replacement bottle any time soon, but the next time my pores are in trouble I'll know to turn to this product for some resolution. 

[images via *teen vogue & *sephora]

S-S-Sampled :: Dr. Brandt's

Recently cashed in one-hundred Sephora points for a deluxe sample of Dr. Brandt's Pores No More Vacuum Cleaner which I tried for the first time over the weekend. After washing your face with your preferred cleanser, you apply a dime size amount of the pore cleaner to your t-zone for about five to ten minutes then rinse with warm water. My pores feel revived after one use of this blackhead buster, so I am eager to see some results after the week's worth of uses left in my gifted bottle. 

There is a bag full of small & deluxe samples in my bathroom that have been awaiting their own trial runs, so now a new category of posts (labeled S-S-Sampled) will be dedicated to documenting my favorites. I'll need some serious skin TLC when I return from the harsher elements of China; my skin always acts out while I'm over there (I leave tomorrow. Eek!).

[image via *sephora]