1.17.2014

Crown Brush Set | Review

*Disclosure: This post contains a review of products sent for my consideration on behalf of a company (iFabbo). All opinions contained within are solely my own and not influenced or affected by the receipt of complimentary product(s). No affiliate links appear in this post.*


Good Morning/Afternoon/Evening to you - wherever you may be!

Today I have a review of a nice Crown Brush set that I received through iFabbo. I'm really excited about this one, as I've been looking at purchasing some Crown Brushes lately, so this was a great way to try them out before committing to any additional brushes. Did I find any must-haves within this set? Read on, and I'll share my thoughts!



THE DETAILS

::: Crown Brush Professional HD Set w/Mirror and Tweezer {Set 525}
::: Available at Crown Brush online store
::: $27.95 for six brushes and a tweezer within a mirrored brush case
::: Made with high-grade synthetic fiber
::: Vegan friendly
::: Perfect for applying high-definition cosmetics, liquids, creams and powders

THE PICTURES

*Click to enlarge and see images in their full glory*

{Crown Brush Pro Powder Brush}

{Crown Brush Tapered Blush Brush}

{Crown Brush Deluxe Contour Brush}

{Crown Brush Crease Blender Brush}

{Crown Brush Detail Liner Brush}


THE OPINIONS

First of all, you'll notice there isn't a close-up single picture of the fourth brush in the set - the Chisel Shadow brush. That's because I've been using it every day, and took the photos pre-brush cleaning, so I didn't want to take any close-up shots of my less-than-clean brush. But it's proof that I love it!

Besides how much I've already loved up my chisel brush, I have nothing but good things to say about this set as a whole. The case is cute, even though orange isn't a favorite color of mine. I don't know that I'd really use the mirror or the tweezers, since I have my go-tos for both. It's a handy set for traveling, fitting easily in a purse or weekender bag. Each brush is soft, sturdy, and appropriately dense/stiff for the specific type. I sincerely *love* this set! Full disclosure though: I don't have a diverse collection of makeup brushes to compare these to. I use mostly Real Technique brushes, with a few Eco Tools and ELF brushes mixed in. I would say these Crown Brushes are on-par with my favorite Real Technique brushes, and the quality/style of the brushes/bristles are similar to my Eco Tools brushes. The Chisel Shadow brush is my favorite of the bunch, but I also get a lot of use out of the Pro Powder brush and the Crease Blender brush. I would definitely purchase more Crown Brushes in the future!

Stay Fabulous!








#CrownBrush

11.24.2013

Perlier Imperial Honey Body Butter - Review

*Disclosure: This post contains a review of products sent for my consideration on behalf of a company {iFabbo}. All opinions contained within are solely my own and not influenced or affected by the receipt of complimentary product(s). No affiliate links appear in this post.*

Good day, all!
It's the afternoon here, and a Sunday afternoon at that — usually bittersweet, as it's a day off of work, but it also means tomorrow is Monday. :\
I realize I've been MIA from this blog for the past few months, and perhaps at some point I'll write a post that explains the reasons behind this absence. But in lieu of those details, I'd rather get right to the point of this post: to review the Perlier Imperial Honey Body Butter!

I was sent this product on behalf of iFabbo, and have had a few weeks now to try it out for the sake of this review. My final thoughts are going to be split into two parts: the product's performance, and the more subjective aspects like the scent.

THE DETAILS

::: Perlier Imperial Honey Body Butter — 6.7 fl. oz.
::: Sold at HSN.com and retails for $40.00 {plus shipping/tax}
::: Product features — Formulated with the honey of black bees and royal jelly; nourishes skin with moisture; leaves skin pleasantly scented with the sensual notes of honey and oriental woods; and is perfect for year-round use.
::: Ingredients — Aqua (water), butyrospermum parkii butter (butyrospermum parkii (shea) butter), theobroma cacao butter (theobroma cacao (cocoa) seed butter), ethylhexyl palmitate, persea gratissima oil (persea gratissima (avocado) oil), behenyl alcohol, PEG-40 stearate, stearyl alcohol, dimethicone, glyceryl stearate SE, pentaerythrityl distearate, stearic acid, mel (honey), simmondsia chinensis oil (simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil), cetyl alcohol, royal jelly, parfum (fragrance), phenoxyethanol, carbomer, imidazolidinyl urea, sodium hydroxide, tetrasodium EDTA, BHT, methylisothiazolinone, coumarin. Made in Italy.

THE PICTURES





THE OPINIONS

PRODUCT PERFORMANCE
This stuff is truly amazing. Simply from an effectiveness standpoint, the Perlier body butter nourishes, softens and lasts a *long* time on your skin. I didn't know what to expect when I received this product, as I had never heard of the brand nor had I read any reviews of the body butter in any of the blogs I follow. So this was really a new one for me. And I was really impressed with how awesome my skin felt — both immediately after applying, and six hours post application. Smooth like a baby's bottom, indeed! I tested it on my feet, since I don't really have issues with dry skin anywhere on my body. Sometimes my feet may get dry though, and I was definitely able to tell a difference after using this body butter. I would wear this all day, every day, if it wasn't for the scent. Which brings me to the second half of this review...

SUBJECTIVE THOUGHTS
I've read other reviews of this particular product and scent that have been nothing but positive, so it would seem I'm in the minority in the fact that I *hate* the scent. I can't even describe what this smells like to me — almost like honey that's been burned and tossed with garbage. Yeah. It's that disgusting to me. Hence why I only tested on my feet, where I couldn't really smell it once my socks and shoes were on. And that's unfortunate, since the product itself is so wonderful. I'd wear it day and night if it was a different scent. But this just didn't work for me. As soon as I applied it to my feet, I had to wash my hands quickly to get rid of the lingering scent, which made me slightly nauseous. I feel bad that my experience with Perlier was kind of ruined by the scent, but that's my honest opinion. However, that's why I've separated this review into performance versus subjective opinions, because I know the scent will appeal to some. If this came in a fresh, delicate scent, it would probably be a new favorite for me, hands down.

FINAL NOTES
I won't discount this product just based on scent — it's really an amazing body butter, and is probably perfect for people who love the smell of honey {and it's a strong honey scent}. The scent just isn't for me, and that's disappointing because of how much I loved the formula. I'll be keeping an eye out for similar products in different scents though! If you're a fan of honey scents, this could very well be your next favorite body product!

Have you tried this product, through iFabbo or otherwise?

*SPECIAL DEAL FOR YOU!*
Take $5.00 off your Perlier order on HSN.com by using the promo code IFABBO5 at checkout!

Stay Fabulous!

8.08.2013

My Style Picks | ModCloth Dresses



*All opinions within this post, as always, are solely my own; I was not compensated in any way for my honest thoughts.*

In an attempt at doing something a little different, I wanted to share some of my favorite things that are fashion-related. After recently making a purchase through ModCloth {and loving it}, I decided to focus on ModCloth dresses today!

First, here is a picture of the dress I purchased. It's the Dashing at Dinner Dress, and I got it on sale for $33.99, plus a 20% discount during a recent promotional event. However, I just noticed that it's currently on sale for only $23.99, with sizes small through large still available. That's a great deal!


{ModCloth Dashing at Dinner Dress}
I bought this dress to wear to a good friend's wedding, which is on August 17th, so I don't have pictures of me wearing the dress yet. It did come with a black belt {shown wrapped around the hanger in the picture} to wear at the natural waistline, which to me really brings the whole look together. I bought a pair of Steve Madden nude heels to wear with it {the Steve Madden Getta}, and I'm still looking for the perfect jewelry. I usually only wear a necklace *or* earrings {unless I'm wearing stud/small gem earrings}, so I need to find either a necklace that complements the lace details of the dress and the modest scoop neckline, or some statement earrings to kick it up a notch. I'd love to pair the dress with something in a pop of color to contrast the subdued black and nude of the dress, but I'm not sure which color would work best. Thoughts?

Quality-wise, the dress arrived in pristine condition, with strong seams and no visible snags or anything. The material and overall construction is quite nice, especially for the low price. I'm very interested in trying more ModCloth dresses after this! It was shipped in a cute box that had the words "Pleased to meet you - now let's have some fun" printed on the inside, along with a mod print on the inside of the rest of the box. Small details, but really great for branding purposes. It also reached my home in less than a week from the day I placed the order, which I always appreciate. :}

Speaking of more ModCloth dresses, I also put together a "wish list" of sorts that I'd like to share, with some dresses that I consider must-haves and would love to purchase in the future. All images are directly from the ModCloth website.


{Scenery at Sunset Dress - I love the gathered details}


{As a Matter of Refract Dress}

{Interviews at the Party Dress}

{Coach Tour Dress}

{Linger a Little Longer Dress}

{Starlight Hearted Dress}

{Color Me Glad Dress}

{Coquette in Rosette Dress}

{Cupcakes and Candles Dress}

As you can see, I'm obviously a big fan of fit-and-flare designs, along with A-line silhouettes. They seem to fit my body type the best, and in my opinion, they're rather flattering on just about anyone. My two favorites are the strapless dresses, Linger a Little Longer and Scenery at Sunset — I love the gathered bodice and gorgeous flowing skirts. They seem like they'd be extremely comfortable, and easy to accessorize. What do you think? Do you see any you absolutely love? Have you shopped at ModCloth before?

Stay Fabulous!


7.31.2013

Mint Mani Featuring I Love Nail Polish

Good Morning All!

I originally planned on posting this a few weeks ago, when the blogging world came together to honor the life of the beautiful Talia Joy Castellano. The "Mint Manis for Talia Joy" concept was started by Nicole at Nail Polish Wars, wherein people from all over the Internet - from YouTube to blogging to Instagram and Facebook - posted mint manis in Talia's memory. Since I believe it's never too late to show support for someone who fought so hard, for so long...I decided to share my mani today, as I liked how it turned out. Having said that, I got a little too impatient and took these pictures before I cleaned everything up - so please excuse any and all imperfections. :}

Products used:
:::  Seche Vite Base Coat
:::  I Love Nail Polish - A Touch of Mint {two coats}
:::  Wet-n-Wild Fergie - Flossy Flossy {glitter accent}
:::  Seche Vite Top Coat




Just a quick note about "A Touch of Mint" from I Love Nail Polish — this color is AMAZING! I wish I would have thought to take a macro shot of the color, as it has a subtle shimmer and sparkle that really makes it the perfect mint color. I'll have a full review of all the I Love Nail Polish products I recently purchased, but in the meantime, just know that I'm VERY impressed.

Stay Fabulous!


7.26.2013

Zoya Lisa NOTD and Random Swatches

Good Afternoon! It's a pretty dreary Friday here in the midwest, so I decided it was time to brighten things up with some nail polish. :}
It's no secret that I love Zoya products. I would say my entire nail polish collection is comprised of at least 65% Zoya-brand polishes. Below I have a handful of random colors that were purchased early this year, along with a mani/NOTD featuring one of my favorite red nail polishes ever: Zoya Lisa.

::: Brand - Zoya
::: Website - ArtofBeauty.com
::: Items Purchased - Zoya Lisa, Neeka, Gemma, Dharma
::: Price - Individual nail polishes are $8/each + shipping

Zoya nail polishes, as I've mentioned in past posts, are relatively easy to work with and have decent coverage {though that varies from color to color}. For these specific colors, Lisa and Neeka were virtually perfect after only a single coat! Gemma needed at least two in order to even everything out, and Dharma needed at least three to get rid of the visible nail line, though it wasn't completely hidden when you looked closely. I would buy Zoya Lisa over and over again, as it was such an easy color to use {and it lasts!}

Here are the pictures! Click to see them in all their detailed glory.

{Base Coat: Seche Vite; Two coats of Zoya Lisa; Top Coat: Seche Vite}

{Zoya Lisa, Dharma, Gemma and Neeka}

{Photographed under an OttLite for color accuracy}

{Neeka has a great scattered sparkle, while Gemma has a fantastic violet/blue shift!}

{Dharma has a delicate blue shift, and Lisa is a fabulous, shimmering metallic red}

{Another view of my Zoya Lisa mani - still working on technique :) }

Any favorites out of this bunch? Obviously Lisa is my must-have polish, but I also love the purple/blue shift to Gemma - it was definitely something I didn't have in my collection already. I'm hoping to edit and post more NOTDs in the near future, as I have quite a back-log of images to work through.

Do you have your eye on any particular nail polishes right now? I still want to grab Zoya Storm, and at least one textured polish just to give the fad a try. :}

Stay Fabulous!