✿Sample Society | September 2012 Review✿

Wow, I feel like it's been forever since I've been on my own blog. I have been so busy, that getting time to sit down and type out my thoughts has been impossible. Even now, I feel like there are so many other things I should be doing than this.

BUT.... I promised to get this review out this weekend and this probably the only time I will get to do this.

Anywho... I have gotten to try out all of the products, and overall, I am pretty impressed. So, let's get into it.

Sample Society Product Review for September

 

CellCeuticals Extremely Gentle Skin Cleanser Deluxe

This cleanser is amazing! It is a clear, unscented gel cleanser.

It is very cleansing and EXTREMELY moisturizing. I actually used this against my Neutrogena Naturals cleanser and they both did a wonderful job at cleansing, but the Cell Ceuticals leaves this moisturizing feeling. At first, it felt like a film, as if I couldn't wash it off, but then I quickly realized that there was nothing there, just very soft skin.

There only down side is the consistency. It is a bit viscous, so it comes out of the tube really quickly, so make sure to use little pressure when pouring it out and at an angle, and not straight down, otherwise, you'll pour out way more than you need. A little goes a long way.

I don't know if I would repurchase this. It is very moisturizing, but I don't think that quality is worth the cost. If it could be used for acne prevention as well, then we'd be talking.

Borghese B Gloss, Fiore

This lip gloss is nothing to sing about, but it's not bad either. It's no better than anything I already have. It is a decent sized sample, the color is very opaque and really pretty. I actually wear this over my Revlon Lip Butter in Creme Brule, to add some color, as that lip stick is very nude.

I really like the color. The only thing is that it is very thick. The cool part though is that it is not sticky. Many thick glosses tend to be sticky, but this is not. I don't feel it glides on as well as other lip glosses, but once it's on, it's good to go.

Ahava Purifying Mud Mask

This mud mask is pretty awesome! At first, I didn't think it did anything. I definitely felt that it did a great job at cleansing. I noticed immediately that when I would wipe my face down with toner, it would come out clear, which rarely happens, even after I've thoroughly scrubbed and washed my face.

The thing that really pushed it over the edge is the reduction in black heads. I don't have very many blackheads, so it wasn't noticeable at first, but after the 2nd use, I noticed my face looked different, and I couldn't tell what it was. After the 3rd use, that's when I noticed, I had NO black heads. Honestly, I thought the mask did nothing, but it really is 'clearing' and really does clean your pores. Great product! I am actually considering buying the full size of this.

Diptyque Fragrance Sample

This scent is confusing. Lol. When you first spray this perfume, it is quite floral, and reminds me of an older generation. I actually didn't like it.

But after it had settled into my skin, and you could no longer see the wet drops of the perfume, it lightened up and turned into a very mild sweet scent, and I really really loved it. I have worn it quite a bit since I've gotten it.

I will say, however, that I would not repurchase this, mostly because of the cost. If it weren't so expensive, I would really enjoy this perfume.

Stila Cosmetics Smudge Crayon

I got this color in umber, and honestly, I'm not a fan of the color. However, if I ignore the color, the consistency and formula is awesome! I am actually planning on repurchasing this in a black and brown, and maybe other colors. It works well as a base, and it was small enough to use as an eyeliner.

However, I didn't wear this often as an eyeliner, because the shade was too close to my skin color and would almost make my eyes look as if they were irritated. I think in a different shade, it would look much better.

Overall Review

So that is it! I really enjoyed the products. Just from this one box, I am impressed and thankful I signed up. I have been watching Birchbox videos for the month of September and I don't regret cancelling it. Yes, they got a full sized nail polish, but I was not impressed with the colors, and everything else they got weren't very impressive, and small, as usual. Really, the nail polish was probably the only thing. It just proves how frustrating Birchbox was for me. They would give you 5-6 products, but I only liked or wanted 1-2 items, and the rest of the 3-4 products were junk. I didn't use it, didn't try it, and tossed out many of it. A lot of times, I only tried it for the purpose of reviewing it. Sad, I know.

Anyway, sorry about the rant. I have just been frustrated with that subscription. I hope you guys go and check out Sample Society. I am in no way getting anything out of promoting them, I just feel really good about this subscription and can't help but want to share my enthusiasm!

If you want to see more tutorials, hauls, reviews, have any suggestions or recommendations, please send me a message, send me a tweet, post on my Facebook or comment below! Thanks for watching!

♥Get Ready With Me | Going Out Collaboration with SeantaMarie♥

As many of you know, my birthday was this past Monday, the 24th! My hubby and I had already planned on going out to dinner and dancing with friends, and so I had always planned to film my going out look.

Then a week before, the awesome SeantaMarie contacted me, asking if I wanted to do a collab video! What better than do this going out video with her. After talking, we decided to do it, Get Ready With Me style. So glad we did, because there was way too much to do a tutorial.

However, if you want a broken down, step by step tutorial on anything from this video, let me know, and I can do it.

So... here we go! This was filmed a few days before and not on Saturday, the day of the actual party. However, the actual pictures were from the 22nd! Had such a blast. I was sweating up a storm at the end of the night though. lol

♥Get Ready With Me | Going Out Collaboration with SeantaMarie♥

Items Mentioned in the Video

• Clinique Clarifying Lotion 2
• Philosophy Take a Deep Breath
• Relvon PhotoReady Concealer Stick in Medium
• L'Oreal TrueMatch Luminous Foundation in W6
• Sonia Kashuk Stipling Brush
• L'Oreal TrueMatch Pressed Powder Foundation in W7
• Urban Decay Primer Potion in Original
• Rimmel London Brow Pencil in Black Brown 004
• Crown Brush Angled Liner Brush
• L'Oreal Infallible 24 hour Eye Shadow in Liquid Diamond 996
• Crown Brush Eyeshadow Brush 
• L'Oreal Infallible 24 hour Eye Shadow in Bronzed Taupe 890
• Sephora Crease Brush (travel)
• L'Oreal Infallible 24 hour Eye Shadow in Smoldering Plum 556
• Crown Brush Pencil Crease Brush
• Crown Brush Small Eye Shadow Brush
• L'Oreal Infallible 24 hour Eye Shadow in Iced Latte 888
• Crown Brush Eye Shadow Brush (travel)
• Maybelline EyeStudio Gel Eyeliner in Blackest Black
• MyGlam Eye Liner Brush
• Sephora Lash Curler
• Maybelline Illegal Length Mascara in Blackest Black
• Milani Baked Blush in Berry Amore
• Crown Brush Angled Blush Brush
• eos Lip Balm
• L'Oreal Color Riche Caresse in Sheer Linen 181
• L'Oreal Infallible 6 Hour Lip Gloss in Blush
• Urban Decay All-Nighter Setting Spray
• Conair Hair Clips
• Conair Wide Tooth Comb
• Conair 1-1/4 inch Curling Iron
• L'Oreal Non-Aerosol Hair Spray

If you want to see more tutorials, hauls, reviews, have any suggestions or recommendations, please send me a message, send me a tweet, post on my Facebook or comment below! Thanks for watching!

✿Fall from Florida & New Blog Background✿

So if you follow me on Instagram, you've already seen this picture. This is Fall in Florida. Bright blue skies, a few clouds, green grass and palm trees.



Our backyard first thing in the morning

The weather doesn't change much here. It gets a little less humid and the temperature goes down but it's still in the 80s during the day and 70s at night.

But even though we don't get the changing of the leaves or the empty trees and the slight yellowing of grass, I still love Fall. I miss the color changes of Colorado! This will be my second fall here in Florida and it is definitely not the same.

However, for my own enjoyment, I have updated my blog to reflect the times. Hope you enjoy the new background for the next few months!

What's your favorite part of Fall?!

Just before a rain storm takes over the bright skies

♥Sample Society | September 2012 Unboxing + Why I Cancelled Birchbox♥

On Friday, I came home to my very first Sample Society box. Long story short, I cancelled Birchbox for the Allure/Beautybar.com Sample Society subscriptions. Sample Society is $15 and includes a one-year subscription of Allure Magazine.

So far, I am so excited and happy I switched. I love my samples and I highly recommend this subscription service.

Sample Society | September 2012 Unboxing

 

Items Listed In This Unboxing

• CellCeuticals Extremely Gentle Skin Cleanser Deluxe 2 fl oz  ($35, 6.7 fl oz)
• sample = $11.67
• Borghese B Gloss, Fiore- Deluxe Sample, 0.16 fl oz ($18.50, 0.21 fl oz)
• sample = $14.10
• Ahava Purifying Mud Mask Deluxe Sample, 0.9oz ($30, 4.4oz)
• sample = $6.14
• Diptyque Fragrance Sample, 0.06 fl oz ($120, 3.4oz)
• sample = $2.12
• Stila Cosmetics Smudge Crayon, Deluxe Sample, 0.01oz ($22, 0.04oz)
• sample = $5.50

Box cost $15, samples combined is worth $39.53. I am really looking forward to trying out all of these products the next few weeks! If you are interested in the full review, follow me on Facebook or Twitter, and I will be posting it here on my blog in the next few weeks!!!

If you want to sign up, here is the link: www.beautybar.com/SampleSociety/LandingPage.qs

If you want to see more tutorials, hauls, reviews, have any suggestions or recommendations, please send me a message, send me a tweet, post on my Facebook or comment below!

Thanks for watching!

♥Nail Tutorial | Super Easy Splatter Nails♥

I actually did this nail tutorial the same day I did the color explosion nails, so this is quite old. I have been pretty bad about avoiding voice overs as they aren't as easy are just editing. It's hard to find a quiet place to record without dogs barking or random sounds.

Originally, I did this as a back to school nail design, but it is so late, I'm just leaving it as a regular easy tutorial.

Hope you guys enjoy! As usual, you can use whatever colors you want!!!

Super Easy Splatter Nails

Items Used in This Tutorial

• Base Coat - OPI Nail Envy Nail Strengthener
• Nude Nail Polish - Essie Tie The Knot
• Pink Nail Polish - Sinful Colors Soul Mate
• Blue Nail Polish - Sinful Colors Why Not
• Green Nail Polish - Sinful Colors Innocent
• Purple Nail Polish - Sinful Colors Fig
• Orange Nail Polish - Sinful Colors Clementine
• Top Coat - Seche Vite Fast Dry Top Coat
• Tooth Pick
• Non-porous surface (I used scotch tape on paper)
• Nail polish remover
• Nail art brush

All the pictures below were taken with artificial light.

 

If you want to see more tutorials, hauls, reviews, have any suggestions or recommendations, please send me a message, send me a tweet, post on my Facebook or comment below! Thanks for watching!

♥TAG | 10 Products I Would Repurchase♥

I saw this for the first time from missglamorazzi and was immediately drawn to do this myself. I searched to see if any of my other fav gurus had done it, and they hadn't. My first reaction was to ask all of them to do it, because I wanted to see what they would pick, but instead decided to do the video myself and tag them.

I really hope they do it, even if they don't reference me or do a video response. Either way, I really loved the idea of this.

The idea of this tag is that if for some reason, whatever it may be, all of your makeup disappeared, what 10 products would you repurchase to start up your collection again. You can pick whatever 10 items you want, but I went with what I would need to do my entire face.

Hope you enjoy!!!

TAG | 10 Products I Would Repurchase

Items Listed in the Video

1. Sephora Perfecting Cover Foundation in Mat Tan 35
2. Sephora Matifying Pressed Powder Foundation in Mat Tan 35
3. L'Oreal Magic Lumi Concealer Corrector Stick in Medium
4. Rimmel London Eyebrow Pencil in 004 Black Brown
5. L'Oreal Infallible 24 Hour Eye Shadow in Iced Latte
6. L'Oreal Infallible 24 Hour Eye Shadow in Bronzed Taupe
7. Stilla Waterproof Eyeliner in Carbon Black
8. e.l.f. Blush in Tickled Pink
9. L'Oreal Color Riche Caresse in 181 Sheer Linen
10. L'Oreal Infallible 6 Hour Longwear Lip Gloss in Blush

Lovely Ladies I'd Like To Tag

alhsander	http://www.youtube.com/user/alhsander
alishaology	http://www.youtube.com/user/alishaology
ashlayschannel	http://www.youtube.com/user/Ashlayschannel
brandilovesbeauty	http://www.youtube.com/user/brandilovesbeauty
cherylestacio	http://www.youtube.com/user/cherylestacio
emilynoel83	http://www.youtube.com/user/emilynoel83
hollyannaeree	http://www.youtube.com/user/hollyannaeree
itsjudytime	http://www.youtube.com/user/itsjudytime
kendallsplace	http://www.youtube.com/user/KendallsPlace
missjenfabulous	http://www.youtube.com/user/MissJenFABULOUS
mommytipsbycole	http://www.youtube.com/user/mommytipsbycole
onelovebeautyblog	http://www.youtube.com/user/OneLoveBeautyBlog
seantamarie	http://www.youtube.com/user/SeantaMarie
shrutishekar	http://www.youtube.com/user/shrutishekar
thelisamoniqueshow	http://www.youtube.com/user/TheLisaMoniqueShow

If you want to see more tutorials, hauls, reviews, have any suggestions or recommendations, please send me a message, send me a tweet, post on my Facebook or comment below! Thanks for watching!

✿Sally Hansen Insta-Dri verus Seche Vite✿

If you've been following my nail tutorials, you know I have been using Seche Vite from Day 1! I adore it, best top coat I've ever used.... until recently.

I'm not sure if it's just a bad batch, as I did buy it from Amazon (old stock), or if it just doesn't mix well with certain Sinful Colors, but it's been having major shrinkage issues! MAJOR shrinkage. At first, it's not that noticeable, but then it starts cracking and peeling and then it becomes an ugly mess.

My first bottle of Seche Vite didn't do that, but then again, I wasn't using Sinful Colors all that much. I'm not sure what it is, but I wanted to try something out. I read a few blogs, did a ton of Google searches, even got some tips on Instagram and Facebook.

There are 4 different top coats I want to try out, but the easiest one to find and the cheapest was Sally Hansen Insta-Dri. I bought it from Walgreens and took it home and immediately tried it out on the exact same polish, applied it the exact same way as I did with Seche Vite to test them out, even did one nail in SV to compare the two side-by-side (did not take a pic and I regret that now).

So, here goes....

Sally Hansen Insta-Dry verus Seche Vite

Even though this specific batch of Seche Vite has shrinkage issues, it is still better than Sally Hansen Insta-Dri.

CAVEAT: I've only gotten shrinkage with Sinful Colors and nothing else. Everything else has been perfectly fine.

 

	SALLY HANSEN INSTA-DRI	SECHE VITE
Touch Test	30 seconds	30 seconds
Smudge Test	2 minutes	2 minutes
Bedsheet (Imprint) Test	FAIL after 2 hours of being 'dry'	2 minutes
Harden Test	12 hours+	2 hours at most (didn't actually time this, just tested it after a couple of hours)

 

TABLE DEFINITIONS

Touch Test

The touch test is when your top coat is no longer tacky, where you can lightly tap with your index finger to 'test' if it is dry.

Smudge Test

This is slightly more pressure than the 'touch test' where you press down and swipe your nail to see if the polish smudges.

Bed Sheet Test

This is essentially testing the ability to imprint onto the nail. Have you ever painted your nails in the evening, it's been a few hours since you've painted them, they are dry and seem great, but you go to bed and wake up and you have little imprints of your bed sheets all over your nails?! This is the bed sheet test.

Harden Test

This is the true test of how good a nail polish or top coat is, at least for me... this is when you take the tip of your thumb nail or the corner of a desk and press straight down into the center of the nail to see if it imprints, dents, smudges, scratches or chips. This test has always proven why high end nail polishes can justify costing so much, because some of these polishes don't need a top coat and can resist this type of defiling!

Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Recap

The Sally Hansen dried to the touch in 30 seconds as it states on the bottle. I was pretty impressed with that. I didn't get any bubbling or streaks. It did fill some of the 'imprefections' of the polish, but it wasn't as 'smooth' as Seche Vite. *Note: Seche Vite is very thick, but the thickness allows it to fill in ridges and bumps and helps provide a nice smooth top coat, which can make the worst manicures look amazing!

I had put Sally Hansen on a few hours before bed. It held up through the evening, but in the morning, I definitely had imprints on my nails. I chose NOT to fix it and go the day with it. It did eventually harden as the day wore on, and I was able to try the harden test (even though it failed the bed sheet test), and it held up, but it was more than 12 hours after the fact, and I had already had many other imperfections, so this test really didn't matter at that point.

OVERALL COMPARISON

Sally Hansen Insta-Dri is a good top coat if you are looking for fast drying. However, it is not as durable as Seche Vite. Although my Seche Vite has broken my heart by causing shrinkage (for some polishes), I would still rather use my Seche Vite. I returned the Sally Hansen and will be looking at new top coats this upcoming weekend. I may have just been spoiled having Seche Vite for so long, but this is my honest opinion. I hope this comparison review has been helpful!

If you want to see comparison reviews, have any suggestions or recommendations, please send me a message, send me a tweet, post on my Facebook or comment below! Thanks for reading!

♥GIVEAWAY | Crown Contour Blush Brush♥

As you guys know from Facebook, I finally got my HauteLook order and I have all the items to do my giveaway. This giveaway isn't for anything in particular, just a small giveaway as another thank you for subscribing and following me.

Many of you have been very dedicated followers and I couldn't be more thankful!

HauteLook Haul & Giveaway

Haul Items Mentioned in This Video

• Crown Brush - HauteLook Exclusive Special Edition 12-Brush Set ($25.00)
• Crown Brush - 88 Matte Eyeshadow Palette ($13.00)
• Crown Brush - Contour Blush Brush ($6.50/each)

These are the discounted prices that I had paid via HauteLook. I don't have the original prices available.

Giveaway - Brush, Blush & Palette

Crown Brush - Contour Blush Brush
e.l.f. Blush in Twinkle Pink and Tickled Pink
e.l.f. 32-piece Eyeshadow Palette in Warm and Cool

• Must be a subscriber to my YouTube Channel
• Must be 18 or older, or have parents permission
• Must comment on the video saying "Enter Me" as well as your preference on which palette and blush you prefer.
• You may enter once per day, for the two week period

This giveaway ends on September 21st, and the 1st and 2nd place winners will be announced on YouTube. You will need to direct message on YouTube to claim your prize. You will have 48-hours to message me, otherwise I will select a new winner. As mentioned in the video, the 1st place winner will get to choose their preferred palette and blush, and the 2nd place winner will get what is left over.

Giveaway Rules - Color Club Nail Polish

Color Club All About Color Nail Polish Set

• Must follow me on Instagram and Twitter, @brainstobeauty
• Must be 18 or older, or have parents permission
• Must comment on the giveaway picture on Instagram saying "Enter Me", and you must include your YouTube username and Twitter handle so that I can verify you've followed the rules.
• Only comment once, additional comments will be deleted

This giveaway also ends on September 21st, and the winner will be announced on Instagram and Twitter! You will need to direct message me on Instagram or Twitter to claim this prize. You will have 48-hours to message me, otherwise I will select a new winner.

THANK YOU FOR SUBSCRIBING!!!

Again, thank you all for being such amazing subscribers and followers. It has been a blast making videos for you guys. I hope you enjoy them as much as I love making them!

If you want to see more tutorials, hauls, reviews, have any suggestions or recommendations, please send me a message, send me a tweet, post on my Facebook or comment below! Thanks for watching!

♥Julep Maven | September 2012 Unboxing♥

Hey everyone!

Got my Julep Maven last Friday, but it was the day my hubby bear was flying back from California from a business trip, so I didn't get a chance to film it. I finally filmed it, but I had also filmed a bunch of other videos that I felt needed to be posted first, so this kind of got pushed to the side for a few days.

This month, I stuck with my assigned profile, Classic With a Twist. I didn't really want the nude/taupe color, but I really wanted the black and the black mascara.

September 2012 Julep Maven - Classic With A Twist

Picture taken from Julep.com

What's In My Box?

• Brandt - Classic with a Twist: opaque off-black crème.
• Sophie - Classic with a Twist: chic truffle mushroom crème.
• Julep American Beauty Volumizing Mascara, jet black. Lash growth enhancement ingredients and micro-fiber applicator seperates, conditions, and plumps individual lashes for a thick and gorgeous finish.

 

So this months product was awesome! I really like the mascara. I've only used it twice, but so far, so good. I am not a fan of the taupe, in fact, it is actually darker than it looks in pictures, so I like it even less, but I really liked the mascara and black polish.

 

How to Sign Up?

If you're not already signed up, you can take advantage of a great deal!

Get your first JulepMaven box for $0.01!
 

Please visit this website to get started:

http://julep.com/?r=22033592

At checkout for your first box, enter COUPON CODE: COLORS4ONE or PENNY

Thank you guys for watching! Please let me know if you liked the swatch at the end, and I can do that for up coming boxes!

♥Makeup Tutorial | "Back to School" Natural Makeup♥

Today, I want to share with you a very natural makeup look that I wear quite often on the weekends. I got a request to do a very natural, light makeup look, which was perfect, since I do it anyway. This look is so simple, it doubles as a quick 'back to school' look.

This look takes me about 5 minutes to do. It gives a nice natural look without looking like you're wearing little to no makeup.

"Back to School" Natural Makeup

 

Items Used in This Tutorial

• Revlon Photo Ready Concealer Stick
• Sephora Collection Matifying Compact Foundation
• Crown Brush Travel Powder Brush
• e.l.f. Blushes in Tickled Pink
• Rimmel London Eyebrow Pencil in 004 Black Brown
• Maybelline Master Drama Eye Liner in Midnight Master
• Sephora Lash Curler
• L'Oreal Colour Riche Caresse in 181 Sheer Linen

If you want to see more tutorials, hauls, reviews, have any suggestions or recommendations, please send me a message, send me a tweet, post on my Facebook or comment below! Thanks for watching!

♥Favorites | August Favorites + FREE Bun Maker♥

This is my very first favorites video. I got a request from a few of you to do this video, and I'm pretty excited about it, because there are quite a few things I've discovered over this last month that I love.

If you want to read the full review on the makeup items, I actually did a review on a previous blog post:
http://frombrainstobeauty.blogspot.com/2012/08/august-collective-makeup-review.html

August Favorites

Items Listed in This Video

• Conair Bun Maker - $3.49 (00:19)
• Sephora Lash Curler - $16 (02:28)
• Sephora Collection Matifying Compact Foundation - $20 (03:43)
• L'Oreal Colour Riche Caresse in 181 Sheer Linen - $7.99 (04:37)
• Revlon Lip Butter in 005 Sugar Frosting - $6.49 (05:18)
• Express Lip Gloss in Caramel Drop - $7 (06:39)
• NYC Metro Quartet Eye Shadow Quad - $3.99 (07:28)
• e.l.f. Blushes in Twinkle Pink and Tickled Pink - $3/each (08:23)
• Wet N Wild Idol Eyes Creme Pencil in Pixie - $1.49 (sale price) (09:24)
• L'Oreal Infallible 24 Hour Eye Shadow in 888 Iced Latte and 890 Bronzed Taupe - $6.99 (10:34)
• L'Oreal Studio Secrets Magic Lumi Concealer in Medium - $10.99 (12:43)

Free Bun Maker Rules

There really aren't many rules for this.

1. Be a subscriber to my YouTube channel
2. Enter the comment "I want the bun maker" in the comments section of the video

I'll select a winner Wednesday night. I will try to direct message the winner on YouTube. I will also post the winner on my Facebook and Twitter. You don't have to follow or like, it's just an easy place to post. 

If I have time, I will also do a bun maker tutorial and announce the winner. But if I don't, just look out for it on Facebook/Twitter. I will also try to add the winner on the down bar of this video, so please check back on Thursday to see who the winner is! 

If you want to see more tutorials, hauls, reviews, have any suggestions or recommendations, please send me a message, send me a tweet, post on my Facebook or comment below! Thanks for watching!

♥TAG | Whats In My Bag♥

I filmed this a few days ago, in preparation to clean out my bag and switch out into a new one, and it was so full, it took me 33 minutes to film all of it. I cropped it down to about 17 minutes, trying to cut out as much of my blabbing as possible. I apologize again about it being so long.

Apparently, I carry around a ton of stuff. Now that I think about it, I wish I had weighed my bag so see what kind of craziness I was lugging around.

Hope you guys find this video as entertaining as I did going through it.

What's In My Bag?

Purse Mentioned in This Video

My purse if the Coach Poppy Signature Sateen Tote. Everything mentioned in this video was purchase with my own money. The Anastasia lip gloss was free as I had mentioned, but it was free using my Sephora points, it wasn't given to me.

If you want to see more tutorials, hauls, reviews, have any suggestions or recommendations, please send me a message, send me a tweet, post on my Facebook or comment below! Thanks for watching!