4Ever Magic Cosmetics: A Preview of My Favorite Eyebrow Gel Kit

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Trick or Treat Yourself this Halloween with Yubi Beauty

We are *thisclose* to Halloween, and I am so excited about it! Costumes for the kids have long since been ready, I picked up final accessories for my own today, and the house is decorated. I had all these great plans to really spookify my house this year, but time ran away with me, and I discovered a lack of outdoor outlets at my new house. I've managed to scramble and get the pieces I needed to get everything to work, but seriously though, WHY would you not have a single outlet outdoors? This is going to have to be remedied ASAP if I want to have lights up for the Christmas holiday season. Until then, let's enjoy Halloween for a bit, shall we?

Press Sample

After a rough week and finally seeing some success, I live by the mantra "Treat Yo-Self". Given that Halloween is about treats, mixed with the occasional tricks, what could be better timing for this post! While attending Cosmoprof North America this summer, I became acquainted with Yubi Beauty. Named for the Japanese word for "finger" Yubi is an innovative makeup brush system that incorporates elements of a makeup brush with the ease of application with your own fingers. I'll have my buddy Hector demonstrate. And yes, I am that person that names everything!

Simply slide your index and middle fingers into the Yubi device and the plastic backing will hold it securely to your fingers. This allows you to apply makeup naturally to your own face, rather than handling brushes, which can be awkward for some, or using your fingertips, resulting in patchy, uneven application and product messing up your hands. The Yubi is the answer for convenient, mess-free makeup application that can be done anywhere!

I prefer the coverage of brushes most of the time, so the Buff Brush in particular is my most used attachment. This device may be small, but this baby is packed with 275,000 vegan bristles that are oh-so-soft! Densely packed, this attachment works great at not only applying my foundation, but I can also use it to apply my serum, moisturizer, or even for the gentlest manual exfoliation to the face while washing! Even better, I can start my skincare process with this tool and move on to the next without having to wash between steps or switching over to a new one. Now that is some serious beauty on the go! I also really like this particular tool to rub bronzers and highlighters onto the rest of my skin. You want dressed up shoulders? This attachment is perfect for it!

If you prefer to use a sponge when it comes to your makeup application, Yubi has you covered with their Blend Sponge. After you've completed your initial skincare steps with the Buff Brush, simply pull the tab upwards at the base of the brush to release it from the Yubi Beauty device. The Blend Sponge readily pops into the open slot so you can jump right in blending your foundation. I'm very particular about sponges and dislike a lot on the market as they absorb so much product, but this sponge is actually quite nice! While some of my foundation is absorbed, most of it stays on my face, letting me actually USE more of my makeup rather than having it end up in a sponge that gets washed and rinsed down the drain.

Both the Buff Brush and the Blend Sponge wash easily with warm water and a gentle soap. As I mentioned above, I've even used my Buff Brush while washing my face, so that helps to keep it clean too! If you are hunting for a gentle cleanser for your Yubi (and eye brushes too, for that matter!) Yubi Beauty offers a Deep Clean cleansing solution that is free of dyes, harsh chemicals and perfumes. This is for weekly deep cleaning. I will note the final ingredient is Rosemary Extract. I cannot detect the scent of rosemary in this cleanser, but those that are sensitive or allergic to it should proceed with caution, if not avoid it altogether. Yubi Beauty also offers One, Two, Fresh, a spray for daily quick cleaning. This dries remarkably fast, a feature I appreciate for those days when I discover I have to quick touch up a section of my face after I've already cleaned my Yubi.

I have really enjoyed trying out the Yubi Beauty brush device! As much as I love to sit down and spend a lot of time working on my makeup, there are just as many days where I need to get my face done quickly. These work perfectly to get my makeup in place, and the final result is gorgeous! Yubi Beauty has several options when it comes to purchasing the device. If you know you're only going to want to use the Buff Brush or the Blend Sponge, you can purchase that my itself. If you're like me and tend to mix it up from time to time, you can purchase a set of the holder with each attachment. Also, you can buy replacement brush and sponge heads should you lose one, need to replace your sponge (you really should every three months), or just want an extra around the house or in your desk at work. I love to use makeup brushes, even the traditional paintbrush style, but there is just something so comfortably familiar about the Yubi Beauty device that makes me want to use this above all other makeup brushes. The compact size and ease of use is an extra bonus that I can appreciate, especially while on the go! It's no wonder it was a Time Magazine winner for best invention!

Are you familiar with Yubi Beauty? How do you like to apply your skincare items or foundation? Is this something that would appeal to you? I'd love to hear from you!

Until next time, dear readers, have a wonderful night!

XO!

Helpful Links

Store: LoveYubi.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/YubiBeauty

Instagram: www.instagram.com/YubiBeauty/

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Wednesday, October 9, 2019

Harmony Proteins: Mixing up a Magic Collagen Brew for your Hair, Skin, and Nails

We already know that what you put inside your body is going to have an effect on the way it behaves, including our skin. We drink our minimum of eight glasses of water a day and are sure to consume lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, but have you given any thought into consuming collagen supplements? As we enter our 20s, our bodies start producing about 1% less collagen each year. This may not sound like a lot, but the effect is cumulative, and that means a lot when it comes to the most abundant protein in your body! Collagen provides strength and structure to your body, and the most obvious is our face as it starts to wrinkle and our joints start to give us issues. What if there was a magical brew to help combat these issues? Even better, what if this wasn't something magical and can be picked up from your local Walmart shelves? This is where Harmony Proteins comes in!

Gifted by the brand

Harmony Proteins offers easy, on-the-go collagen solutions, now in six delicious flavors. I'm partial to Dragon Fruit, although Watermelon and Blackberry come close behind. Dragon Fruit also includes 114mg Green Tea Caffeine Extract, so you can skip your morning cuppa joe in favor of this to help give you the extra boost you need to start your day. Watermelon and Blackberry do not contain caffeine, so those that are sensitive or need to avoid it later in the day (like yours truly), can opt for these options. These are also available in Crisp Apple, Asian Pear (with added probiotics to help those prone to stomach issues), and Honey Lavender (with added melatonin to help you relax and drift off to lala land).

Each Harmony Proteins Collagen Boost package includes either 5 or 6 individual portions that can be ripped open and poured into your water. These are great for adding to water bottles when on the go: pour in and shake; or consume from the comfort of your home by pouring into a glass of water and stirring. You can even add these to your favorite smoothie recipe for a subtle change in flavor and all the added benefits of collagen!

Harmony Proteins isn't the only collagen brand on the market, but they have a few key differences that appeal to me. Their collagen is sourced from cows that are pasture-raised and grass fed. Also, the flavors are all natural- no artificial flavors or sweeteners are found here! Harmony Proteins does not use preservatives or other artificial chemicals in their products, resulting in a clean and natural product to help improve your skin, hair, and nails, and maintain healthy joints.

Bottoms up! I'll drink to that!

I've started drinking the Dragon Fruit flavor with the added caffeine instead of my morning coffee, and my body is thanking me for it! I normally have to add a lot of sugar to my coffee to make it remotely palatable for me, and I really don't need the extra sugar in my diet. Harmony Proteins has made it easy for me to get the extra boost of energy I need in the mornings without the added sugar, all while providing me with the collagen boost my body needs. My mirror appreciates the delayed onset of wrinkles, and my bad knee definitely has noticed an improvement!

If you are interested in added collagen supplements to your diet, Harmony Proteins is a good brand to consider. It offers all the benefits I want from collagen in delicious flavors. If you're not the best at consuming your minimum of eight cups of water, the tasty flavors may even help you get one of those glasses in without issue!

Harmony Proteins are currently available for purchase at Walmart stores. They can be found in either the beauty or tea aisles depending on your particular store. Use the handy Store Locator to find the store closest to you!

Until next time, dear readers, have a wonderful day!
XO!

Helpful Links

Website: www.harmonyproteins.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/harmonyproteins

Instagram: www.instagram.com/harmonyproteins

Twitter: twitter.com/HarmonyProteins

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Friday, September 20, 2019

Transformed into a Goddess with Ella+Mila: I'm one Dreamy Ultra Goddess!

With the weather dropping this week to just under triple digits and remaining so for the next ten days, it appears as though fall is finally in the air here in Arizona! We may not be getting much by way of changing leaves and wind-chilled days throughout the season itself: I find it to feel more like fall around here late in December, but that doesn't mean I don't relish in the traditional autumnal hues. Warm reds, burnt oranges, and rich plums catch my fancy. I may not be seeing much of them in my environment outside, but I will happily bring them into my makeup routine! For today's blog post, I wanted to share two products I am currently obsessing over and show that these colours truly can be wearable for day to day life. Ready? Let's jump on in!

Press Sample

Ella+Mila is not new to the blog as I've shared posts on some of their lipsticks and nail lacquers before throughout the past couple of years. I've watched the brand progress from being focused on nail polish only, to branching out to lipsticks, and now to adding in even more cosmetics and body products. Named for the adorable twin daughters of one of the founders, this brand is a must try! The brand is cruelty-free and utilizes more environmentally friendly ingredients, not to mention avoiding some of the nasty chemicals we should be staying away from as much as possible. I have been obsessing over the Ella+Mila Ultra Goddess Palette and Creamy Lips in the shade Dreamy recently, and I think many of you will fall in love with them as well!

The Ultra Goddess Palette is geared towards those that enjoy warm tones. It consists of six eyeshadows, a blush, and a highligher, making it a great palette to carry while traveling. I may own a lot of makeup, but I do not like to schlep around multiple tubes and enclosures while flying. Having a palette that can do a lot for me as well as be multi-purpose is a must for me. The pans for the blush (Sweet Peach) and highlighter (Glow Up) are larger so you know they aren't technically eyeshadows, but that doesn't mean you can't use them as such. Alternately, the eyeshadow in Fire makes for a glorious blush if you want something more intense while Bold will make for an incredible highlighter on darker skin tones.

I have a couple looks to share with you, but since I wore the lipstick in both of them, let me share that quickly first.

As I've already mentioned, I've reviewed some of the Ella+Mila lipsticks previously, but Dreamy is a new one for me. This particular shade comes in the "Creamy Lips" formula with a delicious Dulce de Leche scent. It applies with a doe foot applicator to a smooth and creamy finish, as implied by the name. It does not dry down on the lips and transfers while kissing, eating, or drinking. This will have to be reapplied throughout the day if you want to sport this gorgeous shade on your lips.

I snapped this photo outside on a sunny afternoon, so the sun is skewing my skin and this shade a little more pink than usual. Due to the nature of the formula, it isn't exactly a buildable lipstick, but the colour payout is lovely, and just look at that shine!

Dreamy generally pulls more peach with a subtle pink undertone on me, although those with a different skintone may observe more of the pink on them. To say I am obsessed with this lipstick is a major understatement. You know those memes about having a ridiculous number of a single type of product but always grabbing for one? That has been me with this lipstick lately. The formula is comfortable on my lips, and this shade is just so wearable! It is extremely rare for me to replace lipstick shades when I empty them, but I suspect this will be one of those times.

Now let's get to some fall-ready looks!

Hi! It's me!

Shades used:

Not Basic

Fire

Slay

Bold

Sultry

Glow Up

I used both Sweet Peach (very light application) and Glow Up as my blush and highlighter respectively. I also wore Dreamy on my lips.

The Ultra Goddess Palette is a little biased towards your warm red and copper shades, but that doesn't mean you HAVE to create a look with them on your eyes. Check out the following look.

Shades used:

Not Basic

Edgy

Sultry

Glow Up

I wanted my lips to be a little more nude in this look so I started off with a light tan lipstick first before lightly topping off with Dreamy to add back in a subtle touch of colour.

Again, I used Sweet Peach blush, this time with a heavier hand, before using Glow Up as my highlighter.

*************************************

This was my first experience with the palettes from Ella+Mila, and I am a fan already! The colours are pigmented nicely without being "too much", build up nicely when wanted, and blend out well. I haven't had any issues with the shades fading throughout the day- my makeup looks good all day long! The Ultra Goddess palette retails for $29 and can be picked up here.

While the Creamy Lips formula isn't new for me, the shade Dreamy is, and I found the colour to be the perfect fit for the name! It has found its place at my makeup prep station, alternating with my purse, as it is the perfect colour for day-to-day wear. I definitely need to pick up a second tube so I can have one in both locations at all times! It retails for $14 and can be found here.

Ella+Mila can be found in many Target stores (not my closest ones, boo hiss!), although I have only seen their nail polishes in stores where I have come across the brand. Anyone else like to visit Target while traveling, or is that just me? I may have a problem! If you happen to see any of their cosmetics items in store, please let me know!

Are you a fan of warm-hued palettes? Does your makeup taste change with the season, or do you wear whatever you want, whenever you want? Have you tried any Ella+Mila products before? If so, what were your favorites? I'd love to hear from you!

Until next time, dear readers, have a wonderful day and enjoy the weekend!

XO!

Helpful Links

Store: www.ellamila.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/empolish

Instagram: www.instagram.com/ellamila/

Twitter: twitter.com/ellamila

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/ellamilapolish/
YouTube: www.youtube.com/EllaMila

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Wednesday, September 4, 2019

Want Affordable Sparkled Eyes? Check out the Glo Glitter Eyeshadows by Sistar Cosmetics

With so many cosmetic releases and brands to choose from, it is easy to feel overwhelmed and your bank account a little tight when you are trying to keep up with the latest trends. As a beauty blogger, I definitely understand wanting to pick up all the things as well as having to skip out when it comes to reigning in our beauty budgets. Thankfully, I know I can stretch my dollar a little further with Sistar Cosmetics and still have quality products to enjoy!

Press Sample

I had reviewed several items from the brand earlier this summer, and I am back this evening with their Glo Glitter Eyeshadows. These liquid eyeshadows are reminiscent of the popular Stila variety at only a small fraction of the price.

At the time of this posting, there are currently 7 shade options and a primer to help keep these locked into place. I saw Sistar Cosmetics teasing on their social media earlier today that there will be more shades coming out soon. There are a few gaps I would love to see filled with this formula, so I'm keeping a close eye on their IG page for a future announcement on more colours!

Indoor lighting

This collection of colours are a perfect fit for those hot summer days we've been having lately! As you can see, most fall predominantly in the warm shade category. As a warm-toned girl, that works for me, but I would love to see more cooler options join the product lineup. I have also included a swatch of the primer by itself. The dry down is lighter than my skin tone, but it isn't going to completely cover up a base eyeshadow look like a concealer would, just as an example. Another difference is this primer wears like iron- I have to use a really good makeup remover to get it off! That's not a deal breaker for me, especially since it really does allow the shades of the Glo Glitter Eyeshadows to pop more!

Sunlight

As for the Glo Glitters themselves, I had mixed feelings depending on the shades. While Ambitious, Bright Bronze and 24K had pretty respectable colour payout, I didn't get as much colour or sparkle as I would have liked from the rest. I used the flat doe application direct out of the tube and patted onto my skin for these swatches. The dispersal of the glitters wasn't as even as I would have liked, but this can easily be chalked up to my application technique.

I wanted to go outside my normal comfort zone with these, both in application technique and even shade preference. I opted to use 24K to complete my look.

Because the flat doe-foot applicator is a little on the wide side, I opted to use a bent eyeliner brush to remove the Glo Glitter from the applicator and place onto my eyes. Using this technique gave me more control than the Glo Glitter's applicator would allow, although using the bent liner brush was new for me. While I need to get a little more practice with that, I was quite content with my final look.

I wore this look all day, and I was rather impressed with how well the 24K Glo Glitter stayed in place! There were a couple stray glitter pieces that had fallen either onto my eyelid or under my eye, but that's something I would expect from a glitter product in general. Removal was easy too! I simply soaked a cotton pad with makeup remover, placed it a couple seconds on my closed eye, and wiped away. I then washed off the few remaining stray glitters with the rest of my makeup.

If you are a diehard fan of the Stila Glitter & Glow line, the Glo Glitters by Sistar Cosmetics may leave you wanting more. Just comparing my experience here with the few Stila shades I own, the Sistar isn't quite as pigmented, so you'll have to build up another layer if you like the intense glittery looks.

One major advantage of the Sistar Cosmetics Glo Glitter Eyeshadows is price. While Stila's are priced at $24 per tube, the Glo Glitters are only $8.99 each. Even if you do end up having to add a second layer in some cases to build up the effect, you're still going to save some money with these. I'm not personally a fan of the super blinged out look, so the more subtle effect some of these will give with a single layer is far more my style. The lower price point is also nice for when you want something like this for occasional use or you're trying out a colour you normally wouldn't wear. For only $9, I am happy to jump outside my usual comfort zones!

The Sistar Cosmetic Glo Glitter Eyeshadows are definitely worth checking out and adding into your makeup routines! The colours are beautiful and you can't beat this price tag! The current shade selections will carry you perfectly from summer into fall, but do keep your eye out for an official announcement on new shades! While I have no idea what to expect, I'm hoping to see more cooler options, and I would love to see a few darker shades, especially in a duochrome!

On a slightly different note, Sistar Cosmetics was at Cosmoprof North America this summer, and I did pop by their booth. They had not yet received all of their items for display when I was there, but I did get a peek at some gorgeous metallic lip glosses that should be launching soon. I'm excited to see what all they have coming out!

Have you used any products from Sistar Cosmetics? If so, what have been your favorites? I'd love to hear from you!

Until next time, dear readers, have a wonderful night!
XO!

Helpful Links

Store: www.SistarCosmetics.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/SistarUSACosmetics

Instagram: www.instagram.com/SistarUSACosmetics

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