Happy Halloween | Mermaid Inspired Make Up

 Happy Halloween!

... to all my fan-dabey-dosey readers! No surprise here that this year I've chosen to go a mermaid for Halloween! Am I going anywhere? No, but that doesn't mean I still can't celebrate the festivities and dress up! I may just go out and do some grocery shopping with this makeup on, haha! Halloween is the best because going all out with glitter and sparkle or scars and blood is completely normal! Last year, because of Hurricane Sandy, I didn't have a Halloween and neither did a lot of people on the East Coast, so I'm glad we get to have one and go all out this year! Wether you're going to a party, out trick-o-treating, or staying home tonight, I hope you all have a very happy and safe Halloween! 

What are you being on Halloween?

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LUSH UK Holiday Haul!

It's the mooooost wonderful time of the year! And by that I mean LUSH has finally released their holiday products for 2013! LUSH Holiday products are always so innovative, fun and sparkly! It's the only time I regress to my LUSH obsessed way and want ALL THE THINGS. I know I'm on a spending ban, but I really couldn't resist placing a LUSH order from the UK. I was introduced to LUSH around the holiday season and that's when I really fell in love with the brand! I guess it's a little tradition now every year to just ogle over their holiday products and have a deep lust for them! I only got some of the stuff I was really dying to try for now as these products haven't yet hit the stores in the US, and I didn't want to pay cray-cray shipping. Also, the bottled shower gels are so much cheaper in the UK than in the US so I just had to order a bottle or two of their holiday scents! I've had time to sniff and play with a few so sit back, relax, and have a look at some of the holly jolly goodies I got that you may want to check out!

Santa's Lip Scrub 

After being completely smitten with LUSH's Popcorn holiday scrub from last year (seriously, in my review you could practically hear me shouting), I just had to try their new one for this year. The fact that it was supposed to smell like Cola was an added bonus! I have tried it and I have to say I'm not too crazy about it. It's not as gritty as past scrubs I've tried from LUSH and it doesn't actually taste like Cola ): It took me a while but I figured out what it tastes like and that's the Cherry Chapstick- I used to eat it as a kid and the taste is exactly the same, haha! Don't shame me for knowing! It's not awful, and I will be happy to finish it now that it reminds me of my mental childhood, but Popcorn still holds top spots!

Whoosh Temple Balm

So this isn't exactly in LUSH's holiday range, but I was browsing the UK website to see what goodies they offered that weren't offered in the US and stumbled across this gem. It's a temple balm meant to sure headaches that smells like there ever so loved Whoosh shower gelly. It's citrusy and brightening and I love the smell! I get headaches a lot, but for some reason haven't gotten one yet to test this puppy out. Maybe it's that good? Haha!

Ponche 100mL Shower Gel

I missed out on Ponche last year because I actually didn't buy a lot from the holiday range aside from bath products. I also knew my mom was going to get me a big spanking gift box from them so I was surprisingly good. I'm glad it's back again so I can try it! Ponche is tequila and orange infused shower gel that really wakes up your senses. I love the scent and can't wait to use it for some much needed morning showers for 7 AM shifts at work!

Rose Jam 100mL Shower Gel

OH MY GOOD GOLLY GOSH. How do I even begin to describe this beautifully scented shower gel. I may just dedicated an entire post to this gem (capitalized letters and shouting, included) Rose Jam is a scent that LUSH just teases me with becuase it's ALWAYS LIMITED EDITION. It took everything I had to not buy the 500mL or even the 250mL. It's equal parts sweet, sensual, and floral- such an amazing mix. I'm already planning to buy the 250mL bottle when my ban is over (I could never finish 500mL, haha)

Shoot for the Stars Bath Bomb

I let myself try one bath bomb from all the really snazzy looking ones LUSH came out. The ever so enabling Amy from Paint Potted blogged about this guy and it was enough sweet-glittery goodness that I had to try it first! It smells just like the Honey, I Washed the Kids soap or It's Raining Men shower gel, which is one of my favorite scents! It's smells so delicious and I can't wait to throw it in the bath! I'll probably toss the whole thing because I need to see the spectacle that is LUSH, glitter, and bath fizz!

Abombinaball Bath Bomb

Abombinaball got sent to retro this year. He was probably the most underrated bath bomb when I worked for LUSH two holiday's ago. I felt so bad that I went ahead and bought one and fell in love! Look at this guy! Such a cute little abominable snowman face :) He smells deliciously of peppermint and vanilla- which is a great combination of scents! He practically comes to life in the bath because whatever faster fizzing they've got inside him pushes this guy around the tub like he's trying to run away, haha!

Snow Fairy Sparkle Bar 

Last, but certainly not least, is the Snow Fairy Sparkle Bar. SPARKLE bar. SPARKLE. I had to have it. I am a big fan of LUSH's glitter massage bars (Glitterbug being my favorite and I HATE THAT IT'S DISCONTINUED) I was so excited to see another bar of glitter! It smells just like the sweetly famous Snow Fairy scent. It melts SO quickly which actually puts me off a bit. I put my finger on the bar and it turns to a puddle, haha! It is gloriously sparkly though (there's a giant chunk of silvery-white glitter inside this little fairy) I love it, and I'll probably buy another when I run out because I can't resist the glitter! Also, just as a heads up, it's a lot smaller than you think it is! 

What LUSH holiday goodies are you waiting to try?

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NOTD | Mermaid Nails for Halloween

Quick post today guys! It's a super fun NOTD I've been wanting to attempt for forever. It's a manicure meant to look like fish scales or in my case, mermaid fish tail scales! In honor of Halloween being tomorrow I thought I'd give it a go and see how it turns out. If I do go out tomorrow in celebration of this amazing holiday, yup, you guessed it, I'm going as a mermaid. I really love the way my nails came out, although granted they do look much better zoomed out, haha. I think it looks better with just the line of sequins going down then with the whole nail covered. It was super simple to do, too! Just apply base coat, and then one coat of whatever polish you want to be the base underneath the sequins- I chose Essie's Turquoise & Caicos. When the first coat is done, layout a bunch of the sequins (I got mine from Sally's Beauty Supply store) and get some tweezers to make picking them up and placing a lot easier. Then, one nail at a time, paint a second coat and begin to place the sequins on the wet polish. I found starting at the cuticle and moving from side to side was the best way to place them! Continue doing that for each nail. They adhere really well and shouldn't move if the nail polish is dry! No need for a top coat, either. The decals really add a shine of their own! I hope my nails reminded you somewhat of mermaid scales, so I can feel a bit accomplished, haha! I can't wait to wear these out on Halloween or just to work!

Does this NOTD make you think of fish/mermaid scales? Are you rocking a Halloween mani for the occasion? What is it? :)

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Birchbox + Benefit #BrowWows Event

If you guys follow me on twitter then you'll know the one thing I complain about the most is the lack of events we have here in the States. I'm always so envious of all the amazing brands that host parties to celebrate beauty bloggers by letting them play with their products or have early access to some new ones. So you can imagine how excited I was when I got an e-mail telling me about an event that Benefit + Birchbox were hosting together, on Thursday! My expectations were high and I was bursting with excitement on the way over. My mom came with me and we were the first ones through the door. We were told to walk in, grab some bubbly and cupcakes (which looked delicious, but agh, I just couldn't, haha) and then just take a look at the products. The store was really tiny which became apparent as more of the guests started to arrive. It was really hard to walk around, but hey, I was optimistic. They offered free makeovers and brow services, which I was more than happy to partake in the latter- my brows were in need of some TLC ;D I was super excited because I've only heard good things about the brow bar and I was completely blinded by optimism because I didn't notice that a decent portion of my right eyebrow was removed! I couldn't believe it! I mean I know I didn't pay for the service directly, but yikes! After my eyebrows were done I was whisked away to get my makeup done, which I tried to politely object to because I loved the way it turned out when I did it, but alas, I was somehow plopped into the chair and the makeup artist went to work without even removing my previous makeup! Again, I was blinded by wanting to have a really good time so I was like "OH WELL!" 

When the makeup was done, and I looked caked like a cupcake, my optimism started to wear down. I had to pay for the event, which should have been a flag right away, but again, I was excited. A majority of that cost went to a credit you had to spend at the party, and you HAD to spend ALL of it. You couldn't spend under it, but they sure didn't mind if you went over =_=' My mom and I ended up having to spend $27 extra because of that silly rule. Don't get me wrong, I really like the products I got, but did I need them? Not really. Not at all. After all the services were done we were tossed to the side, occasionally being asked if we had picked out the items we wanted, and if we hadn't, we'd be left alone again. When the purchases were made, that was it. Nothing more was planned. No explanations or demonstrations of their new BrowWows product, which the event was based around. After the transaction was complete, we were pretty much ignored. We were in and then out in less than an hour. I was bummed and my expectations were completely shattered. I could've just taken that money I spent on a spot at the event to buy the ONE thing I did want if I wanted it. I didn't like that I HAD to spend the full $35 which def. meant I would be going over. It was just a very disappointing event that had me wishing I hadn't gone to in the first place. Is that harsh? Maybe a bit :/ I guess the bright side would be that this event made for some lovely pictures!

Have you ever went to a beauty event that didn't live up to expectations?

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Tarte Amazonian Treasures Collection | Sephora 500 Point Perk

Happy Friday, everyone! Today I'm taking a little break from my Disney Princess series because truthfully, I didn't have much time to put into creating a new look. The store I work at had it's grand opening which meant 11 1/2 hour shifts all weekend and after that I just wanted to rest. Also, apologies for yesterday's post. I posted because I thought I had to and that rubbish came out. It's a fantastic product so I may just rewrite it when I get the chance and re-publish it! Anyway, today I'm going to talk about a fantastic little set of Tarte products that Sephora was (and again, is) offering as a 500 point perk. It's the Amazonian Treasures Collection which features 5 deluxe samples of some of Tarte's most popular products! I'm not one to spend my Beauty Insider points, but there was no way I couldn't on this! I've had a chance to play around with these guys so I thought I'd do some mini-reviews on each. Right off the bat I can tell you it's well worth the 500 points!

• Pure Maracuja Oil | This is going to be a life saver during the cold, dry months for anyone with a drier skin type. It's a face oil that hydrates dry and acne prone skin without leaving it feeling greasy. It's amazing to put under foundation to have it apply evenly and without any dry patches. I've always wanted to purchase the full size but wasn't so sure about the $46 price tag (for 1.7 fl oz), but it might be well worth it! 
• Lights, Camera, Lashes Mascara | This mascara is apparently supposed to be a 4 in 1. Anything you could want in a mascara you'd get with this one! I love what it does to my lashes and I'm gutted that this little guy has already dried out. This is the second mascara to ever make me think about perhaps venturing into high end mascaras. I still have loads of mascaras to get through, but this one coats my lashes, separates, and curls so nicely that it might be the first I buy!
• Amazonian Clay Waterproof Cream Shadow in Shimmering Moss | I'm not one to buy cream shadows on the fly but I was excited to see this gorgeous olive shade in the mix of products! The cream blends evenly onto the eye when patted with the finger. On it's own it kind of a downer because it creases in a matter of minutes- beautiful color and it creates a nice, soft look, but what does it matter when it looks like shadow wrinkles on your eyes?! I'd suggest a heavy duty primer underneath it to keep a hold on that shadow. I don't see myself purchasing a full size of this, but I'll be enjoying the deluxe sample whilst I have it!
• Amazonian Clay 12-HR Blush in Exposed | I LOVED THAT A BLUSH WAS INCLUDED IN THIS SET. Seriously, if it's one product from Tarte that you NEED to try it's their blushes. Such a fan-dabey dosey range of colors and the formulation is amazing. It's a bit smaller than their full size blushers but the pigmentation is so great that you only ever need a little dab-dab to have the color show. The great thing about Exposed is that it's such a warm, almost mauve pink that you can use it as either blush or for a bit on contour and color! Love, love, love it!
• Amazonian Clay Finished Powder | If you guys, have been reading my blog for a while you know that I'm already a fan of this fabulous finishing powder. I have a very in depth review of it that you can read over here. This powder is excellent to set your foundation without making it look "layered" and cakey. The powder is translucent and silky which reduces the appearance of flakiness and dry patches- I'm all for it!!

I got this set maybe two months ago, but now that it's finally back in Sephora stores as a 500 Point Perk I highly recommend you take a look and think about cashing your points in. So many great products in very generous sizes- you can't take a chance and pass it up!

How often do you spend your Beauty Insider points? Ever find a gem, like this?

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Smashbox Blush/Softlights Duo

'Ello, everyone! How have you all been? Work has taken over my life even though I haven't been working everyday, most days, but not every day. When I get home I jump into my jammies, into my bed and just watch heaps of Once Upon A Time (which is an AMAZING show) So now that I have a spare second and have watched just way too many episodes, I thought I'd share with you my latest favorite cheek duo from Smashbox! This is another one of those 'one blogger's trash, is another blogger's treasure' products that Andrea from FromInsideMyCloset had sent to me! I'm not sure they sell this duo packaged like this any longer but I do know that they sell these two cheek products individually. The Smashbox Passion Blush and Shimmer Soft Lights duo is my absolute go to as of late. Passion blush is a matte rosey mauve that creates the look of a slight autumn chill mixed with the last of the summer heat hitting your face. It's a bit more subdued in opacity than the swatch on my arm. The Soft Lights in Shimmer is an excellent highlight to pair with the blush. It's not a gold or copper colored highlighter, which is what I'm rather used to, but more so a pinky-pearlescent shade. It's gives a nice radiant glow to the face that catches the light so nicely when smiling! It blends with the blush to finish off a seamless cheek. The pigmentation of the both of these is quite average and I don't mean to say that negatively. They're not overly pigmented which I like because any more pigmented and I think they might be a bit overpowering. The powder is soft, not buttery soft, but smooth to the touch- a powder or blush brush would pick up just enough for both cheeks! I would seriously recommend this duo if there is a way for you to get your hands on it, but if not, I'd really recommend taking a look at the blush! I've never used Smashbox products before but now I'm really interested in seeing what other shades they offer. Passion would be great for the autumn and winter months to create natural 'autumn-y' cheeks! I'm just glad I have this handy duo that I can carry around me :D

What's your go-to autumn cheek product?

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Even Mermaids Have Shopping Problems Update 03

Well, well, well, it's been a while since I've updated you guys on my spending ban, hasn't it? Although I'm sure if you follow me on twitter you shan't need an update, haha. Before I get into it all can we just take a moment to appreciate how cute I am in Chibi form? Look at those coot wittle kitty ears! N'awww! *ahem* The last time I updated you guys I was 21 days into my spending ban and now I've passed the half way point! I'm waaaaay passed the half way mark- I only have 38 days of my ban left! So how have I been doing? Eh, not so well. I feel like I had more money in my bank account before the ban and before my job. I haven't been spending a lot on beauty/clothes (although working in a relatively affordable clothing store made that part really hard) but I have been spending a lot on food whilst I'm at work. There's not really anything to eat in my house so I go to work on an empty stomach aside from coffee (coffee we have in abundance, haha.) Also, my shifts are nine hours long so I'm 100% likely to be hungry and need to buy something to eat since I can't wait to get home for dinner. So that's been eating (LOL, pun) at my wallet. I won't lie, did purchase a beauty bit here and there. I think it's only been two which is great for me, haha. I bought a mascara on my way to work because I forgot to put some on and didn't have one in my bag. Mascara is that one product I always need on and feel naked without it. I regretted it immediately. I was wearing thick liner and I'm sure no one would have noticed. Then I caved to the glorious packaging that was the Riri ❤ MAC collection at MAC. I only bought the one lipstick that I reviewed here if you missed it. It's glorious and I don't regret that purchase for a second! Aside from that, I've been fairly good. No wait, I'm lying. I just placed a LUSH UK order for their new holiday bubbly bits! LUSH Holiday is my crack. I can't resist it and I need a fix NOW. I can't wait till this ban is over, so uhh, yeah, expect a haul pretty soon *blushes*

I did also make two fairly big purchases this week but they are things I don't feel bad breaking my ban for. One was the Ariel and Eric LE Disney Fairytale Designer Collection dolls. I was up until 3AM for those babies. There are only 6,000 in existence around the world. The other big purchase was two spots for the Benefit+Birchbox #BROWOWS Event. I was invited and have never gone to an event like this so it was a rare opportunity I had to jump on. My mom agreed to come with me and things like this are always fun with my mom so I bought her space.

So that's it, a pretty big update and I haven't been the best at this ban. I'm a shopoholic at heart, but considering how many things there are out right now I'm surprised there isn't more that I've caved in to by. I'm gonna do my best to keep with the rules for these last few weeks of my ban to end on a great note. I may have drifted a bit off course, but I'm not giving up this time!

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Even Mermaids Have Shopping Problems: Rules Update 01 Update 02

Ariel | Part of Your World

Happy Friday, everyone! Are you excited for today's installment of my Disney Princess series? I hope so, because I am for two reasons, in fact! The first is that today I finally bring to you a look inspired by my mermaid friend Ariel from The Little Mermaid. She is my absolute and totally favorite princess of them all and not only because she's a mermaid. She's quirky, adventurous, and slightly misunderstood- which are things I related to a lot when I was younger and can even relate to now. If you're new to my Disney Princess series, it's pretty self explanatory at this point! I take inspiration from the various Disney princesses and create look inspired by them and their movies. I've done Snow White, Rapunzel, Kida, Belle, and Cinderella- you can click on each respective princess to see their look! For this look I was inspired by a lot of the oceanic themes, Ariel's shell top and scaly tale, and most of all her red lips and hair! I like to think I've really done Ariel justice, I really love how it came out and didn't want to take it off! Now the second reason I'm excited for this post is because it's a collaboration with the wonderfully talented Marvelle who blogs over at Blog of Shadows. Whilst I have this Disney Princess series going, she's got one for the month of October titled 'This Is Halloween' where she's created some magnificent makeup looks you can wear for Halloween; simple ones and ones where you can go all out. So we've teamed up today to bring you the mermaid princess, Ariel, and the evil sea-witch, Ursula. Once you're done here, you must go over and check out Marvelle's Ursula look! I say must because you'll be sorry if you don't ;) So if you're thinking about dressing up as Ariel or Ursula for Halloween, we've got your makeup covered! You can find Marvelle's look over here -> poor unfortunate souls. Here's what I used for Ariel:

On the eyes:

• NARS Smudgeproof Base Primer
• Sephora Ariel Storylook Palette Blue Lagoon Eyeshadow
• Urban Decay Deep End Eyeshadow
• Sephora Ariel Storylook Palette Caspian Sea Eyeshadow
• Sephora Ariel Storylook Palette Atlantica Eyeshadow
• NYX Light Green Eyeshadow
• Urban Decay Evidence Eyeshadow
• Urban Decay Tainted Eyeshadow
• MAC Shroom Eyeshadow
• MAC Aquadisiac Eyeshadow
• Make Up For Ever 303 Holodiam Powder 
• Rimmel Scadaleyes Eyeliner in Black
• MAC Blacktrack Gel Liner
• Make Up For Ever Smoky Extravagant Mascara
• Ardell 120 Demi False Lashes

On the face

• Benefit's The POREfessional Face Primer/NARS Sheer Glow Foundation/Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer
• Tarte Smoothe Operator Finishing Powder
• NARS Miss Liberty Blush/Benefit Hervana Blush
• MAC Redd Lip Pencil/CoverGirl Lip Perfection Lipstick in 305 Hot Passion

This look and editing my hair red really makes me wish I was a mermaid princess *sigh* Ursula? Can you hear me? I'll sell my voice to you for a mermaid's tail!

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