Holiday Gift Guide: Unboxing Benefit's 2022 Advent Calendar

Here is our first Advent Unboxing for the 2022 Holiday season:

Benefit 2022 Advent Calendar

The perfect February palette!

I've been a big fan of Natasha Denona's eyeshadow palettes for a few years now, so when she launched the LOVE palette right before Valentine's Day I had to try it out. It has mattes, metallics and a few cream to powder shades that I absolutely adore. They are creamy to the touch, blend magicly, and have a great staying powder on the lids. See what look I came up with, along with swatches of every shade, below:

Things you don't think about...

When we decided to adopt and become foster parents, we knew that we could get children with different ethnicities than us, and that could bring new challenges we've never had to deal with before. We quickly learned when we adopted our first son that hair and skin care for African Americans is very different. My son struggled with eczema horribly for years to the point where his face and scalp were cracking, bleeding and pussing. We saw countless dermatologists, allergists etc. We tried so many wholistic products, natural products, oils, bleech water baths (doctor prescribed; I know it sounds awful), creams, washes, balms. You name it, we probably tried it, but nothing seemed to work for more than a few weeks.

Thankfully at almost 5 years old he has mostly outgrown his eczema, but the dry scalp remains. Someone suggested using hair product with tea tree oil because they have a bacteria fighting property. I know tea tree oil is used in combatting acne, and I've had success with this myself, so why not try it on his scalp? Around the same timethat this was suggested to us a company reached out to me asking if I'd like to try their tea tree shampoo. Coincidence? I think not!

I've been using this on B for the past few weeks and we've been able to let his hair grow a bit because his scalp isn't as dry under his hair. We formerly had to buzz it every few weeks to keep the dry skin at bay. We've also added coconut oil to his daily hair care regimen, and those two together seem to be working splendidly. He keeps saying he wants to grow his hair and get braids like his sister. :)

P.S. Try their free samples program!!!

If anyone else has hair or skin product suggestions for kids who suffer from eczema, please leave them below. We are always looking for products that work!

Youtube Made me!!!

If you're anything like me, you enjoy filling your free time with Youtube videos. I'm guilty of watching the funny animal videos, the "men try it" videos which are hilarious, and of course, the beauty tutorials and reviews. Because I've spent so much time on Youtube, it has influenced some of my shopping decisions. To find out what, check out the video below:

Bright Eye Makeup Tutorial Featuring Smashbox Covershot palette!

Tutorial: Duochrome eye makeup, using Makeup geek shadows

Hi Guys!

It's been awhile since I posted a makeup tutorial on here, so I wanted to show you how I got today's creation. It's a multi-duochrome shadow look. I used 6 duochrome shadows from Makeup Geek, as well as some of their mattes, along with almay brown liquid liner, loreal feline mascara and ardell fashion lashes. I hope you enjoy, and as usual, please visit my other videos on my YT channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/melindajoyful/videos/

Upcycled CFA challenge

I accepted the upcycle challenge from chick-fil-a moms group to turn an empty soup bowl into something new. 

We often need better ways to store things, and I have more makeup items than I can can't so why not turn it into something useful for holding makeup brushes?

I turned it into a makeup brush holder to show off my pretty sonia.kashuk Spring 2017 brushes from target. I glued on some pink rhinestones to add a girly touch. the rhinestones were from target dollar bins too. I love how it turned out!
 #chickfilamomsdiy #chickfilamoms

Products that "Give You Chills" in the best possible way

As we head into Fall, that means cooler weather is coming, and I dread it. So I wanted to find something fun to focus on, so I wanted to come up with a list of products that "give you chills" because they are just that awesome! Below are just some of mine. What are yours???

1. Laura Geller Blush n Brighten; Laura Geller Blush-n-Brighten starts with a radiant blend of liquid pigment that is baked for 24 hours to create a soft, creamy powder. This formula treats your skin to a nourishing blend of antioxidants and anti-aging properties while creating a beautiful, glowing complexion. It has a marbled pattern so you get the perfect color combination of bronze and blush with the swirl of a brush!

2. NARS Orgasm Blush: Peachy Pink With Golden Shimmer. This is the perfect peach with gold undertones. I have light skin, and this just makes me look glowy and radiant!

3. Stila Liquid Lipsticks!!! These are one of my favorite liquid lipstick formulas, and my two current favorite colors for cooler weather are: Ricco and Dolce. They're gorgeous!!!

4. Looxi Beauty Shadows, especially their Aurora line and their shimmers. They are beautiful. I've featured them in a few makeup videos lately (youtube.com/user/melindajoyful) and many eye looks. These are just some of my favorites for Fall:

5. Charlotte Tilbury Swish and Pop Blush: They created this product to give you the "love glow", like when you're in love. It's a great idea; the perfect healthy flush. It has a darker circle and lighter so you can have a light amount of color, or build and add the deeper color. It's a great idea. While it may look like a bullseye, it's a great idea!





















.... More to come!!!

Fall Halo Eye Tutorial

So I love the Fall. It's my favorite time of the year for a few reasons:

1. My birthday is in the fall, so it's a time of celebration
2. The leaves change colors
3. The weather cools
4. I can start wearing boots and sweaters again
5. I love Fall colors, especially in makeup - berries, oranges, olives!

So I've been creating a lot of fall makeup looks lately, and am loving it! Here is just one of the tutorials for getting a fall halo eye look. Berries and browns at the corners and olivey gold in the center. Check it out!

24K Premium Gold Collagen Face Masks - Worth the Hype???

I've been hearing about and seeing these face masks EVERYWHERE. They're blowing up on social media. All the big beauty gurus on youtube have been talking about/posting about them. There are the black head masks, the purifying masks and the collagen masks. Some are just for the under eye area, just for the nose, or the full face. There are so many varieties.

This is one beauty band wagon I was hesitant to jump on as mud masks have irritated my skin in the past, but these are not mud masks. After trying an under eye collagen mask that I got in one of my beauty boxes, I was itching to try more! Thankfully I had a chance to purchase these 24K premium gold collagen face masks at a discounted rate to try out!

About the Product

• Professional High Quality Facial Mask for Spas, Beauty Parlours and treatment at Home. Used by beauty experts around the world!

• Look Great Everyday Everywhere! Innovative 10X Absorption Technology with "4 in 1" Treatment. Whitening, Moisturizing, Pore Minimizing & Anti-wrinkle.

• 24k Gold Collagen Crystal Mask for Deep Tissue Rejuvenation and Collagen Renewal Mask

• Perfect for rehydrating dry, damaged skin, leaving facial skin smooth and firm

• Collagen face mask enhances collagen synthesis process, which can combat the effects of aging and overexposure to sunlight. Pack of 5 high quality masks

I had a chance to try these, and you can find my review below:

 


Buy them here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A87R0C0 BOTTOM:

Palette BINGO

For those of you who know me, know that I love color and having fun with it. Recently a bunch of beauty bloggers and youtubers have been playing palette bingo. It's a really fun way to experiment with color combinations at random. I even had my 3 year old son help me with picking the numbers.

You choose a palette with many colors, and assign a number to each color (88 color palette, 1-88) and write each number on a piece of paper. Drop all pieces into a cup/bowl, and pick 5. Those are the colors you have to use in your eye look. You can use any additional products needed to pull the look together, but you must use those five!

Check it out, and let me know if you play!!!

Contouring & Baking your Face...What??? :) Yes, its a thing!

Two new hot beauty crazes right now are contouring and baking you face? This is not an autocorrect issue, I really meant to type "baking your face."

Contouring is darkening the parts of your face you want to push into the background, and highlighting the parts you want to bring to the foreground. This helps your face look sculpted.

Baking is letting powder sit on your face, especially the areas you've recently used concealer on, and let it bake into the moisture, leaving a smooth surface when it's done. After about 5 minutes dust off remaining product and voila!

I hope you enjoy!
Remember to head over to my youtube to like, subscribe and check out other beauty video by yours truely ;-)

Timeless Skincare

What is Timeless Skincare?

It's a skincare company that offers all-natural, paraben-free, and pure concentrations for your skin’s health and healing. Timeless Skin Care specializes in skincare products that are anti-aging and, well, timeless. Their skincare formulations are made with pure ingredients that have stood the test of time to deliver well-being and comfort for all skin types. Timeless Skin Care’s natural skincare line contains powerful ingredients like hyaluronic acid to help reduce wrinkles, minimize the appearance of scars, and treat acne. Their formulas are created with better ingredients at a lower price. At Timeless Skin Care, they use only powerful and proven ingredients, and no fillers, so that you get just what you need for timeless beauty. Their natural skincare products are never tested on animals. Timeless Skin Care’s line of serums, pure oils, refill formulas, and facial creams is perfect for those who want to create timeless beauty without a lot of fuss, and without harsh chemicals. They care about your skin, the environment, and animals. In effort to bring timeless beauty to all life on the planet, they have created cruelty-free and all-natural Timeless Skin Care products with these things in mind.

I recently had a chance to try their hyaluronic acid serum 100% pure. It says to mix two or three drops with your daily moisturizer and then applying in the morning and night, which I've been doing for the past 3 weeks. I have also been using it on my hands and lower arms since they show signs of aging and scarring too, and I've seen the most improvement on my arm. I had a mole removed about 5 months ago and the scar was red and mean-looking, and after using this on my arm for the past few weeks, it's fulled to a muted dusty pink color and is barely noticable. Hooray! Being part Irish, I frequently have things removed leaving ugly scars, so I'm grateful to find something that helps diminish these. I can't wait to try other products by Timeless Skincare!

 I even featured this product in my morning moisture routine youtube video, which you can see here:
(head over to my youtube to like and subscribe. Thanks!)

 

Head on over to their site to check out the products for yourself: http://www.timelessha.com/

I received products for review but all opinions expressed are 100% my own!!!

Swissvita Eye Lift Cream

 

Product Description

• A YOUNGER-LOOKING YOU: Swissvita Micrite 3D All Use Eye Cream contains ingredients that are backed by many scientific studies. This eye lift eye cream has components known for their revolutionary healing effects. They also help increase collagen levels to keep skin younger-looking.
  
  SAY GOODBYE TO DARK CIRCLES: Periorbital dark circles are common to people who lack sleep or are tired. Age and genetics are also some of the reasons for getting these unsightly shadows under your eyes. No matter, our uniquely formulated product is known for visibly reducing the appearance of dark circles. It brightens and targets signs of fatigue around eyes and diminishes puffiness.
  
  ERASE EYE WRINKLES: Improve skin firmness and elasticity with our high performance eye cream. Contains multiple active ingredients that nourish and heal discolored skin, fine lines and wrinkles. This natural skin tightener enhances your skinÕs biochemical properties, giving you an eye-lifting, youthful effect that makes your skin look younger and healthier.
  
  SAFE TO USE: For your safety, this product adheres to the strictest standards of consumer regulations. This 3D all-use eye cream was made with your utmost safety in mind as it is additive-free, alcohol-free, sulfate-free, fragrance-free and paraben-free. We took out the dangerous chemicals found in many other eye cream products, so you are ensured when applying to your skin.
  
  INTELLIGENT PACKAGING: This product comes in an aluminum sealed package for your protection. Plastic containers are not used to ensure the quality of the product, prevent the risk of product contamination and to maintain the effectiveness of the active ingredients. The container is also tested to withstand high temperature. Easy to use. Just open the cap, squeeze a sufficient amount on your fingers and apply generously on desired areas.

Application: Use 3D eye cream every morning and night after toner. Take a pea-size and apply onto skin around eyes, tap with light pressure or massage gently with finger.

I tried this ointment for a few weeks and I have mixed feelings about it. It comes out very quickly from the tube, and the lid doesn't screw on easily, so it creates a messy tube nozel which I'm not a fan of, however it does absorb quickly and doesn't affect my makeup application which is a plus. I haven't noticed any noticable improvements in my wrinkles or skin quality, but plan to continue using and see what happens. You'd have to try it for yourself and see what you think.

Learn more or buy it here: http://www.amztk.com/eye-lift

#eyelift #eyecream #eyegel #Swissvita #wrinkles #darkcircles #eyefirmingcream #eyefirming #eye #lift #skincare

Spring Formal Fashion

With the warmer weather comes the desire to get outside, enjoy the warmth, and finally add skirts and dresses back into your wardrobe. I know I enjoy being able to wear my skirts to the park, and my dresses to church or on date nights with hubby.

If you're engaged or soon to be engaged this is the time to start hunting for bridesmaid dresses nz of nzdresses or mother of the bride dresses. My girls were super flexible when I was picking out my bridesmaids dresses so that was great, but sometimes you have a large group of girls with varying body types and opinions, so a one stop shop like  this helps find something for everyone. It also helps when your girls are in different locations. They can see the selection online. Convenient shopping like this makes planning so much easier.

If you are high school age, this is also the time to start thinking about formal or prom dresses. I remember searching store after store for the perfect dress only to be disappointed each time. If I had found a site like this I would have known what styles are out there to pick from before I started my search. 

Or if you are attending a special event or just want something to feel glamorous, I would definitely check out this site. From black to white and every color in between; they have it. From mini, to knee, to full length, to tea length, there are lengths for everyone.  If you're like me and don't want to show too much skin, or prefer a more sultry look, there are many options for all preferences. They have formal dresses, bridesmaid, prom dresses, little black dresses and much much more [including bedding sets and accessories].

These beautiful dresses and so many more can be found here: http://www.nzdresses.co.nz/. 

I was compensated for this post, but all opinions expressed are 100% my own.

Bella & Bear Kitten Brush Set Review

About Bella & Bear:

"We care about our customers, now we know this is easy to say and hard to live up to but we believe in Bella & Bear and we believe in our products and our service.

We  follow a simple philosophy of treating people exactly how we want to be treated and you get to see this happen each and every time you shop with Bella and Bear.

Our products are all tested by us in everyday use before we even think about bringing them to market, if we sell it we  use it  ourselves and we know when things are working and when they are not.

Quality is important to us and we prefer not to sacrifice quality to reduce prices, it’s just not the way we operate and because of this we offer a 100% money back guarantee on all of our products."

I truly believe this to be true. I had ordered the Kitten brush set through Amazon and it never made it to me. I tried to contact Amazon but they weren't able to help me, so I went to Bella & Bear. They tried to work with Amazon, but in the end, Bella & Bear sent me a replacement set since Amazon would not. They do really care about their customers, which is rare today! Anyway, check out the quick unboxing video  [give it a minute to load, it can be slow] below before I get to the review...

The @bella_andbear kitten brush set unboxing video. Link to my review in my instagram bio. Check it out!!! 😍 #bellaandbear #kittenbrushset #bellasndbearkitten #beautyreview #beautyblogger #makeupbrushes

A video posted by 💄👗 Melinda 💅🏻🎨 (@melindajoy926) on Mar 4, 2016 at 8:38am PST

As you can see it comes in a very cute mint and pink box. These are some of my favorite colors right now, very trendy! Once you open the box, you find a nice zippered case containing your brushes AND a brush guide. I found the guide helpful. While I've been doing my makeup for years, I can't say that I was using the right brush for the right purpose in the past, so this helped a great deal. And since they aren't labeled with the brush's job, just the cat name, it helped me figure out which to use for what!

Check out my review video below for more of my thoughts...

 

As you can see I was a fan of these brushes, with a few minor exceptions. I loved how soft the brushes were, and how easily they picked up product. The kabuki and tapered highlight brushes were my absolute favorite. The kabuki was so soft and spread the liquid foundation like butter! The tapered highlight brush packed the product onto my cheekbones beautifully, similar to how I packed it on with my finger but with much less mess.

The things that I didn't care for were the fact that two of the brushes had bristles falling out on my eyes as I was using them. Have you ever had a cat hair in your eye before? I have 2 long haired cats, so believe me, it's not fun. I don't even want to think about getting a brush bristle in my eye. Ouch! I feel like some fallout is natural and even unavoidable, so I'll give these brushes a few more weeks of use before I make a final conclusion, but all in all, I really enjoyed using this brush set. It has already replaced some brushes I had previously used by Sigma, Morphe, MUA Cosmetics and Sephora...just saying. They definitely hold their own in the ring with the big dogs!

To find out more, or to purchase, visit: http://www.bellaandbear.com/

I received this set for review all opinions expressed here are 100% my own!

CARGO COSMETICS

Cargo makes my ALL time favorite blush, TONGA. It's this beautiful nude looking mauve tone, which is perfect for my light skincolor. I haven't found a color like this in any other brand's collections. I think this color would look good on almost anyone! I also really like that their blush and single shadows come in metal tins, which provide extra protection from breakage.

I had a chance to try out the purple shadow called Shanghai. It's this irridescent purple with brown undertones. I liked this color, but didn't love it on my skintone, but perhaps I needed to blend it with other colors to really love the look. I do, however, love that it's almost a duotone shadow with warm chocolately undertones with the cool purple color. I'm obsessed with duotone shadows right now. I love all the options they give you!

...and finally, I had a chance to try out the Venice Enchantment shadow palette. As you can see it has some really beautiful warm colors with a hint of shimmer. I especially loved the burgandies and golds, so that's what I decided to use in this look. While the colors are beautiful it took several coats to build the color up, so not as buildable as others I've tried, but still a nice palette. 

Check out the tutorial for this look:

GIVEAWAY: ChapStick

Information about ChapStick®products:

From the makers of a lip care brand you know and love, ChapStick® Classic Range soften and protect lips, leaving them silky and smooth for every day wear. It’s the one that made ChapStick®

America’s favorite lip balm, and it has remained a beauty staple since the brand’s inception more than 100 years ago, continuing to protect and moisturize lips every day! Keep it Original, toss in fun fruity flavors like Cherry and Strawberry, or keep it fresh with Spearmint; these ChapStick® Classic Range varieties are perfect for ever day wear.

Provide your lips with a little extra TLC using ChapStick® Medicated. Whether you are feeling under the weather or just need that extra boost of hydration, ChapStick® Medicated quickly soothes and seals in moisture with a light, protective barrier to help heal dry, chapped lips.

Winter or summer, quench a thirsty pout and protect your lips with ChapStick® Moisturizers. Delivering an ultra hydrating formula, with ingredients, like Aloe and Vitamin, and fun lip-locking flavors, like Green Apple, Vanilla Mint, Raspberry Crème and Original, say hello to delicious hydration for lips!

ChapStick® Sun Defense offers a conditioning formula, including sun protection with SPF 25, defending skin all year long. Winter, spring, summer and fall, ChapStick® Sun Defense prevents and temporarily protects chafed, chapped or cracked lips.

Aloha! Treat your lips to a refreshing and fruitful getaway with tropical inspired, fresh fruit flavors reminiscent of warm weather and an island breeze with ChapStick® Tropical Paradise Collection.  Mix it up with Mango Sunrise or soak in Aloha Coconut.

Aloha Coconut will be available exclusively at Walmart stores nationwide while Mango Sunrise will be available at mass retailers and drug stores nationwide.

I've been a big fan of ChapStick for years now. I use it every night before I go to bed and wake up with soft lips. I also love using the mint and fruity flavored balms when I'm out. They keep my lips protected from the Sun and add a little shine!

Check out their pages here:

o   ChapStick® website: http://bit.ly/1NR21t3

o   ChapStick®  Facebook: http://on.fb.me/1Yz11NQ

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o   ChapStick®  YouTube: http://bit.ly/1MGCT8i

WIN IT: Win a set of Chapstick products

HOW TO ENTER:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The ChapStick® product, information and gift have been provided by Pfizer Consumer Healthcare

SMASHBOX COSMETICS

Smashbox is a brand of cosmetics that I've been using for the last year or two, and they make some products that I absolutely adore, and others that I don't feel hold up to the competition. One of the products that I love is their photo ready primer. I've tried about a dozen primers in my time and this one works the best for my skin type. It's not greasy ot slippery and helps the makeup stay put! One of the other products I love is their brow tech pencil and brow  tech shaping powder. The pencil helps you get the shape you want and the powder helps to darken the color in just the right places! 


One of the products I don't feel is as effective is their loose powder. While it comes with a handy "shaving" container that shaves off enough powder for you to use at one time, I can't usually spend the time to grind my powder out of the container, so I need something loose and ready to go, not something I have to wind. However, if you want a neater loose powder option, this is definitely the way to go! I don't mind the mess. :-P 

One of the other products that I found myself using more than I expected was their primer water. On the mornings when my moisturizer just wasn't cutting it, I would spray on Smashbox's primer water a few times for an extra dose of hydration and priming. I also LOVE the smell. It's not flowers; just refreshing!

Below you'll find all the ways I used Smashbox cosmetics in my looks. I especially enjoyed using the L.A. lights blendable lip and cheek  color. I used it often!!!

LORAC COSMETICS

I've had a chance to try a handful of products by LORAC and it's a brand that I would feel comfortable suggesting all of the products I've tried so far. I haven't found a product I haven't liked yet! 

I own the Lorac Pro Metals palette which is all metallic shadows, which I absolutely adore, and recently added the Pro Mega2 shadow palette to my collection. Their palettes have small amounts of each shadow which is a downfall, but their shadows cover the lid with just one coat, so you don't need much. A little goes a long way. The pro mega 2 palette has so many colors: matte, metallic and shimmer.

With so many colors, it can be hard ot decide which to use in a look. I like to mix things up daily with different colors, so this is like Christmas to me. :) A make up artist's dream! I created the eye looks below using this palette, but so much more can be done with it!

They also have this line of products called "porefection." Get a poreless-looking silky-smooth finish and achieve complexion POREfection. I've been using their POREfection concealer and it covers well and goes on so smoothly that it's one of my go-to concealers, and I recently tried their POREfection foundation and am a big fan. It has SPF 20 which I really like, so I can wear it in the warmer seasons when I'm outdoors more without worrying about sun damage on my face. The foundation is creamy with medium coverage and spreads well. It isn't caked or too thick to buff into the skin. It's a really nice formula!

I've also had a chance to try a few of their blushes and they are very pigmented. Again, a little goes a long way. Below are photos using Lorac baked blush:

For more information head on over to their website: http://www.loraccosmetics.com/

Many thanks to Lorac for the opportunity to try out these products. All opinions expressed here are 100% my own.