CoverGirl Lip Perfection Lipsticks | Fairytale, Smitten, Darling: Review + Swatches

Before I say anything else, you need to know that I love these lipsticks. Though I haven't tried many of the CoverGirl products, I can honestly say that these are some of the best lipsticks I've ever tried, drugstore or high-end. They are crazy pigmented, super creamy, and there's a pretty sizable array of shades. Until you actually try some of these out yourself, me telling you how smooth they are won't really sink in, but trust me... they're amazing! They retail for about $6.99 to $7.99.

From left to right (in all pictures): Fairytale, Smitten, Darling

These are definitely my favorite drugstore lipsticks (even above the Revlon lip range). They're just so pigmented and smooth (which is all I can ask for in a lipstick). Note: The lipsticks are all a little brighter in person than they come up when swatched in a picture.

Have you tried any of these CoverGirl Lip Perfection Lipsticks? Which shades should I check out?

e.l.f. Studio Blushes: Review + Swatches

If any of you have head of e.l.f. before, then you probably know they're a huge sensation. From beauty gurus to your average consumer, I've heard practically everyone talk about e.l.f. Though they're a hit or miss company for me, I adore their studio blushes. For only $3 each, they won't break the bank either.

From left to right: Pink Passion, Mellow Mauve, Candid Coral, and Gotta Glow.

Though these blushes can be a tad chalky (specifically the highlight shade Gotta Glow), they're more than worth the $3 price tag. They're quite pigmented and there is a good variety of shades (from brights like Pink Passion to muted shades like Candid Coral). I also love the sleek, NARS-inspired packaging.

Have any of you tried the studio blushes? What are some of your other favorite e.l.f. products?

NOTD: Chevron Nails

I'm a huge fan of the chevron print that everyone's been obsessing over this year. However, I rarely wear prints when it comes to clothing, so I opted for these fun chevron nails today! The idea came directly from a video by sarahbelle93x. To get the chevron nail decals, check out this etsy shop. The yellow nail polish is from Butter London and it's in the shade Cheeky Chops. The other polish is Nicole by OPI in the shade My Lifesaver, from the Justin Bieber collection. The best thing about the decals is that they were super easy to use. However, make sure that your nail polish is at least semi-dry, because I've found that they go on smoother, the drier my polish is.

What do you think of the chevron accent nail? How about the color combination?

August 2012 Birchbox!

With Back to School right around the corner, the August Birchbox focused on creating a little Beauty School Supply Kit, filled with beauty essenials. They also partnered with Pencils of Promise, an organization that works to provide all children with quality education. Birchbox is donating 15% of all proceeds in the month of August to Pencils of Promise to help build a new school.

Birchbox is a $10-per-month subscription service that sends you 4-5 deluxe beauty samples every month. This month, my box had 5 products and also included a little Beauty School booklet, containing tips and tricks on the basics of beauty.

Schick Hydro Silk Razor- Though this wasn't a terribly exciting product, it's useful and a necessity for most of us. The Schick Hydro Silk Razor has 5 blades and is meant to help moisturize, while shaving. It also came with two Schick coupons. Full size- $10

Beauty Fixation Lipstick Touch-Up- This was one of my favorite products! These are basically cotton swabs, filled with makeup remover. Though they're intended for cleaning up the lines of a bold lipstick, they're also good to clean up any other makeup areas, especially if you're on-the-go! Full size- $5

Sumita Brow Fix- I love this little pencil! Basically, this brow base is designed to clean up the brow area and disguise any tiny hairs and discoloration around the brow. It's a concealer-like product and is a super pigmented, light flesh tone. Full size- $11
Juicy Couture Viva la Juicy La Fleur- This was a tiny sample (as nearly all perfume samples are), but it smelled wonderful. If you've smelled any of the other Juicy scents and liked them, then you'll probably like this one, as well. This is meant to be a follow-up to the original Viva la Juicy scent. It boasts mostly fruity and floral scents, so it's definitely a girly fragrance. Full size- $70, Sample size- $1.40
GLOSS Moderne High Gloss Masque- This is a hair masque designed to add a lot of gloss and shine to your hair. I haven't tried this out yet, but it looks promising. Full size- $39, Sample size $4.88

Price of box- $10, Value of box- $32.28

Though nothing in this box was really out of the ordinary, I think i'll get use out of all of the products and I love when I can use everything in a box. If you haven't already checked out Birchbox, make sure to do so! For only $10 a month, Birchbox is decidedly my favorite beauty box.

Have you all tried out Birchbox? Did you get anything different in your box? If so, link me to your post about your Birchbox, I'd love to see what you got!

TheBalm Betty-Lou Manizer: Review + Swatches

When I first heard about theBalm, I was intrigued. They have adorable names for their products and everything I've tried from them has been high-quality. The Betty-Lou Manizer (see what I mean about the adorable names?) is designed to be an all-in-one bronzer, eye shadow, and all-over shimmer.

On the left you can see it swatched straight from the powder and on the right you can see it blended. As much as I love the pigmentation and color of this, it's just not right for a bronzer. If you're a medium-dark shade, the color probably wouldn't be too dark for you, but it's way too shimmery for contouring or even all over the face. If you've got darker skin, this would be a pretty highlight (when blended properly) and it makes an absolutely gorgeous eye shadow. This retails for $24 and you get .3 oz in the compact.

Have you tried any products from theBalm? Are you as in love with the quality as I am?

What's In My Purse?

In case y'all didn't know, I'm a really messy person. I've been messy ever since I was a kid and keeping things organized is definitely not my strong suit. My room is always a disaster and my purse is no exception. For a more detailed look into my purse, you can check out my What's In My Purse? video, but for now, I'll just give you the gist of it. FYI, I use a black satchel from Olsenboye that I studded myself back in January.

Beauty products:
-YSL Rouge Volupte Lipstick (13 Peach Passion)
-NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream (Tokyo)
-Maybelline Baby Lips (Pink Punch) & (Quenched)
-MAC Lipstick (Viva Glam Nicki)
-Tarte Lipsurgence Natural Matte Lip Tint (Lucky)
-Rock The Arts Lip Balm
-EOS Hand Lotion
-Essie (Nice is Nice)
-Essie (Navigate Her)
-Physician's Formula Happy Booster Blush (Warm)
-Revlon Lip Butter (Cotton Candy)

Random stuff:
-Looking for Alaska by John Green
-The Perks of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
-Betsey Johnson sunglasses
-Banana Republic glasses
-Kenneth Cole Reaction Wallet
-Headphones
-iPhone
-Dark Knight Rises movie ticket
-Keys
-Hair tie
-Tea Forte Minteas
-Mini hair brush

There's also a few receipts and random little things in the purse, but you've essentially seen it all. What's in your purse?

Beauty Blogazon Weekly Roundup 8/10

Emily Hudspeth, hair design and makeup artist: Getting polish remover (and other beauty products) for FREE from CVS! To celebrate, I did a fun crackle manicure that will be great for college football season.

Lola's Secret Beauty Blog: Looking for the perfect "golden-laced pink-peach" blush for a natural glow- then look no further than Youngblood's Crushed Mineral Blush in Sherbet! This is a real stunner!

Cosmetics Aficionado: NYC Summer Crush is a palette that screams tropical with it's warm pink, orange, yellow, and purple colors, but how does it perform?

adore-a-polish: In this post Kristina breaks down to the bare necessities in what she brings on her theme park adventures.

Midnight Manicures: brings you two beautiful unique polishes from the China Glaze Bohemian Luster Chrome Collection, No Plain Jane and Deviantly Daring.

Confessions of a Sarcastic Mom: Confessions of a Sarcastic Mom brings you several polishes from Layla Cosmetics

TheFabZilla: Tight lining the eyes can be intimidating. TheFabZilla shows you her technique in 3 easy steps.

Ishah x Beauty: Olympic Fever abounds, check out my Olympic themed nail art for this month's Polish Days.

Phyrra: Phyrra tells you how to go Back to School Gorgeous! They're budget friendly, too.

GlitterPukee: GlitterPukee talks about the awesome Aussie cosmetic line Eye of Horus. The products are perfect for anyone with sensitive eyes. They are waterproof but super easy to remove. Want more? Great swatch photos are just a click away!

Ooh La La Polish: Looking for an easy & fun nail art challenge? Check out the "My Favorite Things" challenge at Ooh La La Polish!

Lisa's Nail Obsession: Simple, yet modern, and it goes with everything. The Tutti Frutti Stripes Nail Design.

the passenger element: Why I had to cancel by Glossybox Subscription (spoiler: unimpressive)

Pinked Polish: Wanna see a Scandalous Polish??? Melissa at Pinked Polish, Tried it on Tuesday

Beauty Product Review: Want big, bright eyes? Find out how I get the look with Smashbox's Brightener!

Polarbelle: See the Layla Cosmetics booth at Cosmoprof 2012 and all the beautiful items that Polarbelle experienced.

My Newest Addiction Beauty Blog: Laura loves Lhasa! This week's Taupe-tastic Tuesday features the beautiful shade by NARS.

Liquor, Lube and Lipstick: How did I get over my aversion to wearing "vampy" colors? By wearing one with glitter, of course!

Aly Loves Lacquer: Aly Celebrates Her 20th Birthday with Freehanded Cupcakes

makeupmaniac16: Too Faced Smokey Eye Shadow Collection: Review + Swatches

Mani Curiously: Looking for that perfect red polish? Check out E's ode to butter LONDON's Come To Bed Red!

Stephanie Louise- All Things Beautiful: Ready for fall? Here are the swatches of Zoya's Diva collection complete with the MUST HAVE FeiFei!

Liesl Loves Pretty Things: Liesl loves China Glaze Bohemian collection! Check out the possible Lippmann Sugar Daddy dupe here.

Beauty Binge: Beauty Binge declares Christmas in July when she reviews the July Glossybox!

Gorgeousskin: Urban Decay's Naked Skin Foundation- was it love or not so much?

Beauty Info Zone: How much can you spend on one face? Find out what Marcia from Beauty Info Zone spent on her face in the Makeup Wars.

Love my Nails: Cute nail polish art that's both simple and chic!

Makeup Chronicles: Until 8/13, get a free gift from e.l.f. when your order is over $20!

Mama Fashionista: Mama Fashionista takes a look at some of the newest (and most extravagant) innovations in nail polish. 18k gold leaf and black diamonds, oh my :)

A Little Polish: Looking for a great nude polish this Summer? Check out Stephanie's favorite here!

Samarium's Swatches: Sarah from Samarium's Swatches is celebrating her Blogiversary by having a Giveaway!

MakeUpMom123: Awesome August Giveaway! Three Great Prizes Including an Indie Nail Bundle, Make Up Bundle & Amazing Hair Care Bundle. Enter Today!

beyond Beauty Lounge: At home facial peel

Shades Of Beauty, Inc.: NOTD: My own Mermaid's Tail...Orly Royal Navy & Essence Choose Me

Beauty by Miss L: Miss L from Beauty by Miss L tried loose nail art glitter for her manicure for the first time.

Adna Cosmetic: How to get the golden look for summer

Captivating Claws: Are you a glitter-lover?? If yes, you'll love these beauties from Shimmer Polish!!

The Glossy Pages : Evie Evan takes us on a Concealer Crash Course

Baking Beauty: Are you looking for some new makeup, but you're short on cash? Baking Beauty highlights the weeks best beauty coupons.

Media Maven: Media Maven helps you to achieve a flawless back-to-school beauty routine in 5 minutes flat!

Amber Did It!: Amber shares a metallic gradient manicure

DeyiMizu: Look fresh with a simple Champagne Gold FOTD

Patty and Goldie's Day Off: Come explore the Whimsical by Pam nail polishes