My NYE Nails

Ermahgerd, two posts in one day?! Perhaps the Mayans intended for the world to end on the 31st instead of the 21st! Ah, I kid, I kid. I just finished my nails for the day, so I wanted to share because I liked how they turned out :)

I started off with China Glaze It's a Trap-eze! from their recent Cirque du Soleil collection. I painted them a couple days ago with Sally Hansen Double Duty Strengthening Base and Top Coat, and they've held up quite well. To add some bang for this evening, I put Wet n Wild's Hollywood Walk of Fame from the Fergie collection on top. And then, I took pictures!

DISCLAIMER: All products mentioned were purchased by me for my own personal usage. I am not affiliated with or compensated by any of the companies mentioned. All opinions are my own and always honest!

Enter Cliche Happy New Year Title HERE ;D

Another year has passed, which never ceases to baffle my mind. I truly don't know where the time goes, but it certainly goes by way too fast.

2012 was a great year overall. I am very blessed and extremely thankful for everything in my life. I have two jobs that I find fulfilling and challenging, and both are always rewarding. I have such a loving boyfriend that I celebrated my 5 year anniversary with this year. I also have a great family and pets, both of which I love dearly. I am truly blessed, and incredibly thankful.

I hope you all have a wonderful New Year's Eve and that 2013 brings you wonderful things to come!

Thanks for being here to read my little blog :)

December Favorites 2012

Even though we are only halfway through December, I thought it would be fun to share some of the products I can't put down for the most wonderful time (or, shall we say, 'month') of the year!

It's certainly no secret how I adore indie products, and I'm like a broken record swooning over seasonal indie collections. So it's no surprise that the majority of my favorites are from winter collections from indie e-tailors! So let's get the ball rolling, because I have a lot of stuff to say, haha!

Bath & Body Favorites

Winter can really take its toll on our skin, making it dry and lifeless. (Wait, why does that sound like a commercial? LOL, I promise it's not!) I have been loving Haus of Gloi's soft bubbling scrub to rejuvenate my dull, dry skin. I've been using one of the Halloween scents (Spider Silk), but I just ordered and received Hearth bubbling scrub from the Yule collection. I have been using Hearth in place of Spider Silk ever since because it's so close to Christmas, and I wanted to use a festive scent :D I absolutely adore HoG's bubbling scrubs- they are scrubby enough to combat dry skin patches, but they don't leave your skin feeling weird or greasy. It leaves my skin so soft, and of course, smelling nice! I love how the water from my shower really brings this product to life.

I also like to use HoG's whipped soap as a body wash and shaving cream. I'm currently using the Hearth scent, but I have a backup of Three Treasures for when I run out since I go through whipped soap like there's no freaking tomorrow.

Above: Hearth Bubbling Scrub on top of Hearth Whipped Soap.

Perfume Favorite

There are a lot of beautiful scents with winter collections this year, so this was a hard choice. However, I cannot deny that I have been reaching for Smell Bent's Ice Station Zebra the most. I did a review on it here: http://brighteststarofall.blogspot.com/2012/12/smell-bent-ice-station-zebra.html . It really just smells like Christmas to me and makes me happy!

 Above: Smell Bent Ice Station Zebra

Above: Smell Bent Ice Station Zebra. I've used a lot so far!!

Eyeshadow Favorite

I never knew about the wonders of Aromaleigh before they went under new management. Therefore, I was never able to purchase a color I've been drooling over for over a year- Twinkling Lights. I've spent an embarrassing amount of time sighing over swatches and stalking eBay and Amazon to no avail. I didn't think any colors from the past would reappear on the Aromaleigh 2.0 website, but I almost had a heart attack when I saw Twinkling Lights back on there for this season. It was sold out last year, so I nabbed 2 full size jars immediately! And I am so glad I did! I've been wearing Twinkling Lights almost every day since I got it in the mail. It's such a perfect Christmasy green color with pink sheen and absolutely packed with pink sparkles. I adore it!

Above: Aromaleigh Twinkling Lights swatched on clean skin over DGC Glitter Glue

Nail Polish Favorites

There are usually pretty good options for holiday nail polish collections. However, I have absolutely never seen anything like China Glaze's Party Hearty. I did a post on it where you can see it on my nails right here: http://brighteststarofall.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-elusive-china-glaze-party-hearty.html . It is so beautiful, really Christmasy, and sparkly! I love how there are a lot of different festive colored sparkles in different sizes. Now that indie polish is gaining a following, I bet there are some other good options for awesome colors like this- which is totally awesome!

I also like China Glaze's Twinkling Lights. It is also very beautiful and festive. Twinkling Lights only has small sparkles in it as opposed to different sizes like in Party Hearty. It really is pretty though. I am wearing it now over China Glaze's Mistletoe Kisses. Party Hearty is from the 2010 Christmas collection, and Twinkling Lights is from the 2011 Christmas collection.

Above from L to R: China Glaze Twinkling Lights, China Glaze Party Hearty.

If you've made it through this entire post, you deserve a gold medal! Thanks for stopping by, and have a very wonderful day!

DISCLAIMER: All products mentioned were purchased by me for my own personal usage. I am not affiliated with or compensated by any of the companies mentioned. All opinions are my own and 100% honest!

Solstice Scents Snowshoe Pass Review

Hey hey! So, today I have another perfume review. Solstice Scents released their winter collection on Saturday, 12/1/12. I ordered a full size perfume in Snowshoe Pass, and a whipped soap in the same fragrance (though I'm just reviewing the perfume for the sake of time).

Okie dokie, let's get into the fun stuff, shall we? I'll begin with Solstice Scents' description of Snowshoe Pass, because it will surely surpass my words! This description is from http://www.solsticescents.com/SNOWSHOE-PASS-PERFUME_p_351.html

SNOWSHOE PASS
White Amber, White Musk, Vanilla Accord, Peppermint Cream, Cold Winds

A chilly white blend of an ethereal snow blanket and cold winter winds, Snowshoe Pass combines pale white amber, delicate and smooth white musk, a sweet touch of vanilla and a faint whisper of creamy cold peppermint. The result is a unique take on a winter scent inspired by heavy snows and desolate rural regions. On cold sniff and initial application a creamy peppermint note is detectable as a top note, though it is a careful addition that takes a backseat to the other notes as it wears on the skin, ultimately receding entirely. There is just enough peppermint to enhance the coolness of this plushly white blend. The other notes swirl together to evoke not only a snow covered landscape that may only be traversed with snowshoes and a pioneer spirit, but the calm and intense silence after a snow deep in the wild.

Can we pause for a moment and appreciate that delightful scent description?

Geez, I don't even want to try now. Haha. Okay, let's have a picture-infused intermission. :)

Photo Credit: Solstice Scents

http://www.solsticescents.com/SNOWSHOE-PASS-PERFUME_p_351.html

 

 

 

 

Above: My bottle of Snowshoe Pass. The packaging was amazing. It came with festive colors of crinkley paper, these two vintage bells, and a clipping of an evergreen tree. So festive and adorable!

My take on Snowshoe Pass:

 

Snowshoe Pass, above all, brings the color white to my mind whenever I sniff it. It is so beautiful, unique, and really sexy- a very awesome take on a winter scent. The scent description on the website is spot on about the peppermint being prominent immediately upon cold sniff/initial application; but it quickly runs away to the back to let the white musk and white amber notes become the stars of the show. The vanilla accord is a wonderful addition to this scent, and it really balances everything out.

Snowshoe Pass makes me think of a classy winter tea party in a breathtaking vintage house in the middle of nowhere. While the guests have their tea, snow falls outside, creating a fresh blanket over the already white-with-snow landscape.

Snowshoe Pass is extra awesome, because the 'white' I get when smelling it really reminds me of snow; and it's the only snow I'll get this year :( At least I don't have to shovel it!

Also, the silage is absolutely fantastic, like with all my Solstice Scents perfumes. It's really nice to smell great for hours without having to reapply the product!

I think it's worthwhile to mention that the TAT is absolutely phenomenal with this company. Even though I ordered my products the night of a huge winter release and live all the way across the country from the Solstice Scents wonderland, I got my products 4 days later (and one of those days was a weekend day). Angela is seriously a magical princess.. She makes the greatest perfumes ever, and ships them right away. She's also super sweet and always replies to my messages when I have any comments or questions.

If you so desire, you can also be the proud owner of Snowshoe Pass! Head over to http://www.solsticescents.com to get a whopping 10mL roller ball bottle for just $14 USD. It's a steal, I tell you!


Thanks so much for stopping by and reading! Stay warm, happy, and smell pretty!

DISCLAIMER- All products mentioned were purchased by me for my own personal usage. I am not affiliated with or compensated by any of the companies mentioned. All opinions are always my own, and always 100% honest.

 

Smell Bent- Ice Station Zebra

Lately, I've been looking for a Christmasy perfume to wear. I heard about a fairly new indie perfumery called Smell Bent through hottiemcnaughty. Smell Bent recently released a holiday collection called Holiday Happening. I decided to order a rollerball of Ice Station Zebra.

Perfume description from Smell Bent:

"howling arctic winds, cracking ice, frozen earth, and crisp evergreen buried under a drift of snowy
musk"


My Perception:

Ice Station Zebra is a perfect wintery scent. It is so crisp, like a snowflake melting by your nose. The evergreen adds a special Christmasy kick that is ever so lovely. Once the perfume is dry, the notes that stand out to me are the evergreen, musk, and a very slight sweetness that balances everything out. It is a delightful blend that I really enjoy. It's definitely not for everyone, but it's a lovely, icy blend perfect for what my heart has yearned for this holiday season!

Scroll down if you'd like to see the pictures of Ice Station Zebra!


Stay Warm and Happy!

Rachel


DISCLAIMER: All products mentioned were purchased by me for my own personal usage. I am not affiliated with or compensated by any of the companies mentioned. My opinions are my own and always 100% honest!

A Darling Girl Christmas Story Swatches!

I recently purchased the Christmas 2012 collection from Darling Girl Cosmetics, which is inspired by A Christmas Story and approprately titled A Darling Girl Christmas Story. I ordered the petit set, and it came in the mail yesterday. It is so beautiful that I wanted to share it with all that would care to see it!

There are 12 eyeshadows in this collection, which is awesome in and of itself. Be still, my heart! I truly adore holiday collections from indie companies, and DGC always seems to have extensive and beautiful holiday collections.

On with the swatches! Since there were 12 colors, I swatched them in two groups of 6. All of these colors were swatched over Darling Girl Cosmetics Glitter Glue on clean skin. :)

Above from L to R: Blind Ralphie, You'll Shoot Your Eye Out!, Electric Sex, The Flagpole Incident, Fra-gee-lay, and Fa Ra Ra Ra Ra Ra

 

Above from L to R: Blind Ralphie, You'll Shoot Your Eye Out!, Electric Sex, The Flagpole Incident, Fra-gee-lay, and Fa Ra Ra Ra Ra Ra

Above from L to R: Pink Nightmare, F-Dash-Dash-Dash, Red Ryder, Triple Dog Dare, Soap Connoissour, and Tapestry of Obscenities

Above from L to R: Pink Nightmare, F-Dash-Dash-Dash, Red Ryder, Triple Dog Dare, Soap Connoissour, and Tapestry of Obscenities

Above: The adorable jars each of the shadows were housed in. They have the infamous Christmas Story lamp on them and are adorned with the name of the collection. Love it!

As you can see, the colors in this collection are incredibly beautiful! My favorites so far are Tapestry of Obscenities, Red Ryder, The Flagpole Incident, Electric Sex, and Pink Nightmare.

Pertinant Information:

I just wanted to post a couple things about Darling Girl Cosmetics for your guys' convienence. DGC will be closed from around December 10th to the new year. That being said, if you want to purchase any of these colors with the cute Christmas Story logo on them, you'll need to do so before December 10th. After December, the collection will still be available, but it will have the original DGC packaging. I know the packaging isn't a big deal to everyone, but I just wanted to throw it out there because I read it on the website. :)

The DGC eyeshadows come in full and petit sizes. Full sizes contain 3/4 tsp of product in a 5 gram jar, while petit sizes contain 1/4 tsp in a 3 gram jar. Both sizes have the Christmas Story packaging for this collection (as long as you grab it in December). You can also purchase the full and petit sets for this collection. I purchased the petit set for $27.00, though it was originally $30.00. The full sized set is $70.80, and $63.72 while it's on sale. I checked earlier this morning, and both sets were still on sale.

Everything I swatched and discussed today can be viewed and/or purchased at www.darlinggirlcosmetics.com


I hope you guys are staying warm and having a wonderful week!

Disclaimer: All products mentioned were purchased by me for my own personal usage. I am not affiliated with or compensated by any of the companies mentioned. All opinions are my own and 100% honest.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hi everyone! I just wanted to wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving full of laugher, love, and happiness! Though I have a tendency to be quite the cynacist, I am truly thankful to be alive and have such amazing people in my life. I even have the best pets I could ever ask for! I am thankful my hamster had babies in March, because my 3 little boys bring me great happiness even after the most stressful days at work. I am thankful for my cat, V, who always keeps me smiling, laughing, and shows me unconditional love. I am thankful for my boyfriend, who keeps my heart beating every day. I can't believe I was lucky enough to find someone who has such a beautiful soul and that truly loves me unconditionally with all my strengths and flaws alike. I am truly a lucky lady, and if I died tomorrow, I would die with a smile on my face and with no regrets in my heart.  Even if you do not celebrate this holiday, I hope you all have a wonderful day!

The elusive China Glaze Party Hearty!

Hello there! It's been cold outside (which is saying a lot, because I reside in a desert that seems to be sweltering 85% of the year), and I guess the weather has instantly made me in the mood for Christmas. We got some classic Christmas lights for the new house we're renting. I am super excited, as there wasn't much we could do to decorate when we lived in the apartment. I also got some candy cane rope lights, so those should be fun!

Another Christmasy thing I did was paint my nails Party Hearty from the China Glaze 2010 holiday collection. I have held onto this polish with my dear life, as it was extremely hard to find! I've also babied it with polish thinner. It's seriously one of my absolute favorite nail polishes, and I am so grateful and lucky I was able to find it. All the beauty stores were sold out (even the gift sets had been stripped of Party Hearty- WTF?!), but I happened to stumble in Sally's beauty supply one afternoon- and ONE Party Hearty had been restocked. The Angels sang from heaven, and I bought that lovely, elusive bottle of polish before it was gone (which would have been not much later than that second, I'm sure). So, that's my story, and here's the polish! It really IS Christmas in a bottle!

           Above: China Glaze Party Hearty

Stay warm out there!

Rachel

Disclaimer: All items mentioned were purchased by me for my own personal usage. I am not compensated by or affiliated with any of the companies mentioned. All opinions are my own and 100% honest. 

Manor Collection: Library by Solstice Scents

While hunting for Halloween collections from my favorite indie companies, I stumbled across something special. Solstice Scents, a lovely company that creates some of my favorite perfumes, has an amazing fall collection this year. I was excited to learn that the collection is based on Manor, which just so happens to be my favorite perfume in the entire universe. You can read my blog post dedicated to Manor here: http://brighteststarofall.blogspot.com/2012/04/solstice-scents-review-manor.html?m=1

The perfumes in the Manor collection are all based on specific rooms in the manor (and as an awesome bonus, they're designed to be layered with their inspiration, Manor!). The perfume I'm going to be reviewing today is Library.

One of the great things about Solstice Scents' perfumes is the fragrance's ability to take me on a journey, and Library is no exception. Library really takes me to an enormous, vintage, breathtaking library- a library that would most definitely be found in the Manor. Library consists of a wide array of notes that make it incredibly special and profoundly realistic to its title. I smell everything that should be in an exquisite library: leather-bound books with dust-filled pages, a roaring fire,  an oversized chair that has been freshly polished, and beautiful wooden floors and shelves. It's absolutely magical. I imagine it's what Belle was inhaling when the Beast showed her his immensely magical library.

I'm the first to admit my scent descriptions aren't anything special, so I'll provide the website description of Library from http://www.solsticescents.com


LIBRARY

Leather Bound Books, A Carved Rosewood Mantle, Dying Fireplace Embers, Wood Wainscoting, Cedar Shelving and Aged Paper

NOT TO BE USED BY WOMEN WHO ARE PREGNANT OR NURSING.

Twenty oils are combined to evoke the character of the exquisite library of the Manor.  Ample wood shelving displaying countless works, primarily bound in leather, is found on all four walls of the library.  A fireplace on the west wall features an intricately carved rosewood mantle and heavy dark wood wainscoting adorns the walls beneath the book laden shelves.  Dying embers impart a soft smokiness in the room and the scent of aged paper and a worn brown leather armchair melds with the rich leather and wood notes.

Library begins as a robust woods and leather (brown and black) scent with strong smoky overtones on initial application but after a few short minutes it begins to soften into a realistic and complex fragrance that contains elements you'd expect to experience in the fine personal collection of the Manor.  Library contains a blend of sandalwood EO and FO, agarwood, nagarmotha EO, choya loban attar, guaiacwood, Virginia cedarwood EO, leather, copaiba EO, benzoin EO, rosewood EO, Plai EO, western red cedar EO, rhododendron leaf EO, osmanthus attar and fragrance oils.  The dry down features a combination of woods, leather, embers, dust and brittle paper with a rich lemony-rosewood finish. 

Photo Credit: Solstice Scents

I have been wearing this perfume on a daily basis. While I am still in love with Manor, Library is quickly scooting its bibliophilic way into my heart. I'd classify this as a masculine scent, though I personally believe girls can wear it beautifully. I'm a strong believer in wearing what YOU like, not what society tells you you're supposed to like! My boyfriend has taken a couple rolls of Library, and it smells great on him too.

I have tried layering Library with Manor, and they smell divine as a team! I'd recommend that combo for anyone who wants to add a bit of femininity to the wonderful Library.  It's also a great way to simply have fun with your perfume! Library is available at http://www.solsticescents.com

Thank you guys for stopping by, and have a beautiful Saturday!

-Rachel

DISCLAIMER: All items mentioned were purchased by me for my own personal usage. I am not affiliated with or compensated by any of the companies mentioned. All opinions are my own and absolutely honest!

Black Rose Minerals Halloween Collections and Swatches!!

Hello there! Recently, Black Rose Minerals (http://blackroseminerals.com/) released two new collections for Fall 2012. A Collection of the Perverse is based on Edgar Allan Poe's amazing, yet haunting, poems and stories. I've always been an avid Poe fan, so this was so exciting for me! I even got to visit Annabelle Lee's final resting place in Charleston, SC with my aunt. The graveyard Annabelle is buried in is really overgrown because that particular church believes we are reincarnated as the elements around us (such as the grass, weeds, trees, etc). Anyway, I'm going off topic, so let's move on! The next collection BRM released is the Not Another Zombie Collection, which is based on the one and only Rob Zombie! A lot of the shadows are derived from the array of colors on Mr. Zombie's albums. So let's get right into the pictures and swatches, shall we?

Above: My eyeshadows were housed in this riddiculously cute mummy bag adorned with black and orange Halloween ribbon. Rosa also inculded candy, Halloween erasers, a very sweet thank you letter, and a stamped mini envelope full of Halloween stickers, confetti, and eyeshadow samples. Indie companies FTW!

Above: The top view of the eyeshadows I ordered. Colors from L to R: Red Death, Haunted Palace, Premature Burial, Sinister Urge, Demonoid Phenomenon, and Demonspeeding

Above: Bottom view of the eyeshadows. Colors from L to R: Red Death, Haunted Palace, Premature Burial, Sinister Urge, Demonoid Phenomenon, and Demonspeeding

Above: Open jars of the eyeshadows. Colors from L to R: Red Death, Haunted Palace, Premature Burial, Sinister Urge, Demonoid Phenomenon, and Demonspeeding

Above: Eyeshadow swatches. Each color is swatched over Darling Girl Cosmetics' Glitter Glue. Top row from L to R: Red Death, Haunted Palace, and Premature Burial. Bottom Row from L to R: Sinister Urge, Demonoid Phenomenon, and Demonspeeding

Above: Eyeshadow swatches. Each color is swatched over Darling Girl Cosmetics' Glitter Glue. Top row from L to R: Red Death, Haunted Palace, and Premature Burial. Bottom Row from L to R: Sinister Urge, Demonoid Phenomenon, and Demonspeeding



Shade Descriptions via http://www.blackroseminerals.com

Red Death: Ever fancy a masquerade? Be sure to pick the right one, you may end up at one where death is inevitable. But perhaps it does not matter as one cannot escape death. It does not matter how much or how little money one has as death does not discriminate. This scarlet is loaded with red sparkles, the oozing blood that the red death brings. And gold sparkles for the fanciness that one must dress to impress at a masquerade. Good color coverage both wet and dry, though wet brings out a slight metallic sheen, A sticky base will help keep those sparkles in place.

Haunted Palace: Imagine that an inanimate object can instill such an iciness, such dread that you become lost in it.....
You are walking down the street minding your own business with music blasting through your headphones. You just happen to glance up and are hit with a sudden pang of gloom. This house sits there exhuming its air of melancholy that just enraptures you in dread.
This blue grey captures that dreariness, but we hope that anyone getting lost in your eyes is driven mad in a good way. With just a touch of pink sparkles. Sheer when dry, wearing wet or over a sticky base will deepen the blue grey just a tad and make those pink sparkles pop.
Premature Burial: Slowly your eyes are fluttering open after a deep sleep. You open your eyes to complete darkness and a musty dirt smell. You cannot move very much. Your hands go up feeling all around you. You are in a box! Your worst nightmare has come to life. You start to breath in hard, panic sets in. You scratch up and splinters get in your fingernails, blood trickles down. You flail in that confined space screaming and breathing heavily. Why can't anyone hear you? You scream and scream and before you know it you are in a deep sleep again.
Do you have a fear of being buried alive? It is not an unlikely fear you know? Just in case you are you can take precautions. This earthy brown glistens with pink and gold sparkles. The pink for the blood under your fingernails. You will panic and end up scratching your casket. The gold for the bell you may have installed just in case such a thing came to pass. Can't you just smell the musty earth around you? Good color coverage both wet or dry. A sticky base will hold those sparkles into place.

Sinister Urge: A light blue with a red sheen. Inspired by the album cover, which has different shades of blue, green and red lettering. We're all sinners here! Good color coverage wet or dry, but wet will bring out the red sheen.

Demonoid Phenomenon: Imagine the soft glow of the setting sun behind the smoldering ruins of the city. You watch as it all falls apart and can't help but think its such a beautiful color...A deep rose bordering on soft red. Lavender and blue sparkles give it a slight sheen in certain lights. Good color coverage wet or dry, though we will bring out a slightly deeper color. A softer hell on earth.
Demonspeeding: A light murky green with yellow highlights. Just a touch of green, lime and orange glitter. Can be sheer dry, wet will bring out a bit of a metallic sheen. A sticky base is best.

Holy shit, these colors are absolutely fucking breathtaking. They're pigmented as can be, complex, sparkly, and have awesome themes. This is my second order from BRM, and I couldn't be more satisfied. I love how Red Death has beautiful gold sparkles that actually show up when applied over a sticky base. And Sinister Urge is seriously to die for. I didn't capture its complexity in my swatches, but it is beautiful beyond words. In my opinion, Sinister Urge is comparable to the Arcane Magic line by Fyrinnae based on its beauty and complexity. I already wore it all over my lids, and the beauty translates onto the actual eyelid. I want to try Demonspeeding and Demonoid Phenomenon as a duo when I do my makeup tomorrow. :) I think they'd go perfect together.

If you'd like to check out any colors from A Collection of the Perverse or Not Another Zombie Collection, just head over to http://www.blackroseminerals.com

If you'd like to learn more about Black Rose Minerals, including my first experience with them, please head over to my other blog post here: http://www.brighteststarofall.blogspot.com/2012/04/focus-on-indie-black-rose-minerals.html

Thanks so much for reading, and have a fabulous day!

DISCLAIMER: All items mentioned were purchased by me for my own personal usage. I am not compensated by or affiliated with any of the companies mentioned. All opinions are my own and 100% genuine.

Fabulous for Fall: MAC Azealia Banks Yung Rapunxel Lipstick

Hi! Today I have an exciting product to share with you guys. I was lucky enough to hear about the release of it the very night it hit the website; which is great, since it sold out almost immediately. I'm usually one to have the very worst luck with LE and HTF products, so I was very thankful to purchase a tube of MAC's limited edition Azealia Banks lipstick in Yung Rapunxel. I was nervous about how it would look on my ghostly skin, but it actually looks really nice on my lippies!

Onto the swatches!

Above: MAC Azealia Banks lipstick in Yung Rapunxel

Above: MAC Azealia Banks lipstick in Yung Rapunxel

Above: MAC Azealia Banks lipstick in Yung Rapunxel swatched on my hand with no primer

As you can see, the lipstick does not apply as dark as it looks like it would- but I find that rather charming because it's not over the top. It's also buildable, so you can get it pretty damn dark if you'd choose to do so. I really think this is a perfect color for fall. I usually just get lipstick from my Back to MAC exchanges, but I'm glad I bought this one. It is only available online and in New York, so if it does happen to get restocked or if you live in New York, I'd jump at the chance to purchase this bad boy. I've also heard you can call MAC counters in other states and have them ship a product to you, so maybe you could try to call the NY,NY MAC counter. I believe they'd charge shipping, but so does the website, so you'd be paying an extra 5 bucks either way. I believe this lipstick was 15 dollars, and ended up being $21 after tax and shipping. I purchased this product here: http://www.maccosmetics.com/product/shaded/9812/310/New-Collections/Azealia-Banks/Lips/Lipstick/index.tmpl

Let me know what you guys think of this color, and/or what your favorite fall lipstick is! As always, thanks for reading! It's truly a pleasure to have you here! :)

 

DISCLAIMER: All products mentioned were purchased by me for my own personal usage. I am not affiliated with or compensated by any of the companies mentioned. All opinions are my own and 100% genuine.

Cocoa Pink Halloween Release!

Hello there! First of all, I'd like to apologize for my lack of updates. My cat decided it would be fun to chew through my laptop charger, so now I'm invading my boyfriend's desktop to update my BLAHg.

In other news, yesterday was my 26th birthday! My boyfriend and I had a really chill day, then went to the strip later on. We walked around, I won 5 bucks (woohoo!), and he bought me the cutest sweater on the planet. Then we went out to dinner at Blueberry Hill. I had a perfect day, and I am so blessed to have him in my life. I can't believe our 5 year anniversary is next month!


Now onto the stuff y'all are actually here for! ;)  Cocoa Pink released their Fall/Halloween fragrances on September 1st, so I ordered 5 perfume oils and my favorite hair treatment.

 

 

Above: Soul Mate conditioning hair treatment and the perfume oils I ordered (which were housed in lovely red and pink organza bags).

 

 

 

 

Above From Left to Right: Soulmate conditioning hair treatment in Black Cat in the Pumpkin Patch, Black Cat in the Pumpkin Patch perfume oil, Fear of Halloween Perfume oil, Fear of Ghosts perfume oil, Fear of Pumpkins perfume oil, Fear of Witches perfume oil, Argan Therapy creme conditioner in Pumpkin Porridge (free sample). and Bubbling Scrub in Pumpkin Fried Ice Cream (free sample).

Above From Left to Right: Soulmate conditioning hair treatment in Black Cat in the Pumpkin Patch, Black Cat in the Pumpkin Patch perfume oil, Fear of Halloween perfume oil, Fear of Ghosts perfume oil, Fear of Pumpkins perfume oil, Fear of Witches perfume oil

Above From Left to Right: Soulmate conditioning hair treatment in Black Cat in the Pumpkin Patch, Black Cat in the Pumpkin Patch perfume oil, Fear of Halloween Perfume oil, Fear of Ghosts perfume oil, Fear of Pumpkins perfume oil, Fear of Witches perfume oil

Scent Descriptions from http://cocoapink.net/pages.php?pageid=6

Black Cat in the Pumpkin Patch ~ Imagine the bestselling scent “Black Kittens” with a splash of sweet pumpkin! This is unexpected, original, and quite amazing!

Fear of Halloween (Samhainophobia) - The tooth ache inducing candy at the bottom of old worn pillowcases and plastic jack o lanterns! Sweet tarts, candy corn, assorted lollipops, melting chocolate and wild raspberry chewing gum.

Fear of Ghosts (Phasmophobia) - Glowing marshmallow orbs and smoky vanilla spectral mists swirl aimlessly around an old bonfire in the Crisp October night air – Fresh vanilla puffed marshmallows, toasted marshmallows, hints of bonfire smoke among scattered sharp grains of white rice to ward unwelcome spirits away.

Fear of Pumpkins (Cucurbitophobia) – Sweet pumpkin entombed inside soft pale cupcakes topped with whipped buttercream frosting next to a frightful blend of sugared pralines and pumpkin bread.

Fear Of Witches (Wiccaphobia) – Warm baked bread fresh from the oven, gentle wisps of bonfire smoke drifting through the frigid autumn air and smooth buttery caramel sprinkled with coarse black sea salt is your best bet in keeping them at bay.



I'm really happy with my Cocoa Pink goodies. This has been the third jar of Soulmate I've ordered, as it works wonders with my damaged-ass hair and makes it feel like it's actually healthy. Plus, I love that I can order it in any scent that's available for the season. I would have saved myself a lot of money and disappointment had I discovered this product sooner! I use it with the Princess Poo shampoo, and I think it's a great combination for my hair. I tried both the samples from my order, and I'm really impressed with the Argan Therapy Creme conditioner. I've used it in my last two showers, and I really feel like it works great. It makes my hair incredibly soft and managable. Cocoa Pink definitely blows my mind when it comes to their hair products! The bubbling scrub sample I received is good too, and I'd say it's comparable to Haus of Gloi's bubbling scrub.

I am still testing out each one of my new perfume oils from this haul, but I'd have to say my favorite so far is Black Cat in the Pumpkin Patch! I'm already a fan of Black Kittens, so the addition of pumpkins just makes a great scent even better!

All items mentioned can currently be found at http://cocoapink.net/home.php

Thanks for taking the time to read my post. I hope you're all having an incredible week and a lovely September.

 

 

DISCLAIMER: All items in this post were purchased by me for my own personal usage. I am not compensated by or affiliated with any of the companies mentioned. All opinions are my own and 100% genuine.