Hey loves!

I'm back with a review for you guys.  I have been meaning to work on this one for quite some time now, and I'm finally getting around to it.  I have put myself right on a low buy list, so pretty much everything I'm going to be reviewing on here will be things that are already in my collection.  My plan is to get back into project panning that way I can work through my massive stash (only to go on another spree around Christmas).  I know I can't resist all the releases that happen around Christmas, but until then I'm going to shop my stash as much as I can.  Of course I'll still be keeping up with new releases, and if something really catches my eye I might just go for it.



Like I mentioned above, I have had this post on my list for quite some time.  I actually placed my order from Bleach London last summer, in June I believe, when the brand launched their makeup line.  I heard about the brand launching the makeup line prior to the launch since I follow Lou Teasdale, the celebrity hair and makeup artist, behind the launch of the makeup side of Bleach.  If that name sounds familiar, the you may be a fan of One Direction.  Lou was the hair and makeup artist for the boys through the entirety of the band, and she will occasionally work with Harry Styles these days.  Her sister Sam Teasdale, and friend Alex Brownsell founded Bleach London with their focus on hair color, and if you check out their website you will definitely see their adventurous color line. 

Quickly I'm going to mention a few things I remember about the launch of the makeup line.  I definitely recall the website taking quite a bit to load, but once I was able to get through things ran fine until I went to check out.  I was able to add everything I wanted to my cart; however, once I got to the point where I would need to put in my card information nothing would load so I just quit trying after a few attempts.  At the time, international shipping from the UK to the states £20, so I went ahead and added a bunch of different items so I would be able to get a good handle on the brand.  Not to mention their prices are rather affordable.  I was able to get through on the check out the next day without any issues.  The other thing I remember about the website was how confusing it was to order their eyeshadows.  Since the website was being rather glitchy, and images and descriptions weren't quite showing up correctly I was having to guess on colors I wanted which isn't exactly the worst thing in the world.  In the end I ordered two matte shadows, one metallic eyeshadow, three highlighters, and two lip kits.

Remember how I mentioned that I ordered in the summer?  I knew shipping would take a bit since the items were coming from London, and since the brand was new; however, I never imagined how long it was actually going to take.  I received the two lip kits in August after I received an email from the brand needing my address because of a system error.  After that, I had to wait around another month for the rest of my order to arrive; however, I am happy to state that everything I ordered arrived in once piece.

Let's talk about the lip kits first, shall we?  You can see the packaging of both of the kits above.  I have to say that I love this packaging the most from the brand.  Each box has an image of lips that are wearing the color of the kit.  The lip kits are currently available in 8 colors for £12 each, and each of those kits come with a small lip pencil and a liquid lipstick which match.

As you can see to the left, the two kits I purchased were "I Saw Red", and "Rosé".  "I Saw Red" is a vibrant warm red that I saw on Lou Teasdale and immediately wanted it on my lips.  That is such a strange statement for me since I really don't reach for bright reds very often, but when I do I want one that is going to stay in place.  As for Rosé, I was expecting to be a little less pink, but regardless I wanted to try out a color I would be more likely to reach for on the daily.  The formula is far from the worst I have tried; however, the pencil is definitely on the stiff side and the liquid lipstick can lean a bit on the dry side.  I wasn't really surprised by any of these things, since liquid lipsticks always dry my lips out.  I'm also terrible about exfoliating my lips before wearing them so they will definitely show every flaky bit on my lips.  One thing I realized while I was looking around the website to write this post is that Bleach London also offers hair dyes in some of the same shades, such as "I See Red".


As I mentioned above, I also grabbed three of the four highlighters offered by Bleach London.  The highlighters, or "Legal High Lights", from left to right in the above photo are Blullini, Rose, and Berwick Street Floor.  As you can see Blullini looks white in the pan, but when it is applied to the skin it is actually a pink highlighter.  Of the three highlighters Blullini is definitely my favorite because the other two are full of a chunkier glitter.  I believe the fourth highlighter offered is a gold version that is similar to the other two I purchased, and Blullini is the only one offered by the brand that is a finer powder.

You can see the swatches of the three "Legal High Lights" I purchased to the right, and yes I know I spelled Blullini wrong in the photo.  As you can see in the swatches, and like I mentioned above, Blullini is a color shifting highlighter that appears white in the pan, and pink when the light hits it.  Rosé is by far the most wearable shade for me since it is a beautiful rose shade that has a golden shift with the glitter, and Berwick Street Floor is an orange tone with a golden shift with the glitter in it.  I love to use Berwick Street Floor as an eyeshadow for myself; however, I feel that if you have deeper skin than me I think that it would look fantastic as a highlighter.  All three of these highlighters along with one other shade, Golden Shower (appears to be a gold highlighter similar in texture to Berwick Street Floor, and Rosé) are all available on the Bleach London website for £4.50 each.


Above you can see the three eyeshadows or "Louder Powders" I ended up purchasing in my little haul from Bleach.  Two matte shadows, and one metallic.  Overall I'm incredibly happy with the three shades I ended up with considering I was essentially shooting blind on what I was going to end up with.  The matte brown eyeshadow on the far left is "B 3ma" which is a shade I personally love to use as a transition shadow, or even by itself when I am having a particularly lazy day.  The second shadow is "ISR4sh" which is a color I don't have a ton of in my collection.  I don't really wear red eyeshadows very often, but I do like to have a pigmented red when I go for it and this one definitely fits that bill.  This shadow, and all other products from Bleach London, is a vegan eyeshadow.  Now if you know anything about red eyeshadows, typically the red pigment comes from carmine which is not a vegan product.  Sometimes it is hard to find a pigmented, vegan red eyeshadow so it is great that this is an option on the market. 

The last eyeshadow I purchased was "GP4me" which is a metallic "Louder Powder".  You cans see in the swatch to the side that it is a deep taupe-grey that has a multicolored shimmer through the shadow.  I love the look of this shadow all over the lid with just a bit of the brown shade through my crease for a quick look that really looks like I tried harder than I did.  The fallout from this shadow is really just upon initial application for me, so I pack a little bit more powder under my eyes before I apply the shadow and wipe away the fallout with the excess powder.  As for the other two shadows, they are densely packed in the pan and don't have much fallout, or powder kickup when you run your brush around the pan but pick up just fine and apply well and blend easily.

Bleach London Small BYO Palette £8 holds 9 eyeshadows (photo: Bleach London's website)

The "Louder Powders" are available in 33 different shades for £3 each, and the "Metallic Louder Powders" are available in 6 shades for £5 each.  You can purchase a magnetic palette from Bleach London's website as well, and fill it with the shadows.  The large BYO Palette is £10 and fits 28 eyeshadows, or the small BYO Palette is £8 and fits 9 shadows. 

Overall I love my products from Bleach London, and love the branding of the company.  Even with the crazy shipping time, and wondering if my order had gotten lost I completely understand since it was an initial launch of this branch of the brand and there had been a ton of build up and excitement leading up to the launch.  I eventually received all of my products and they were all in one piece so I am completely happy.  Bleach London sent out the products as they were available, so I received my products in two different shipments a few months apart.  Be sure to check out Bleach London's website for some really great, affordable products for hair and makeup.  If you are in the UK you can book an appointment right from their website, and check to see if their products are in a shop near you. 

I hope you guys found this useful.  Like I mentioned above, I have placed myself on a low buy for this year because I went so crazy buying things around Christmas last year, so many of my reviews on this blog are going to be of products I have hanging around (if I'm honest it's products I have been meaning to review for a long time).  Have you tried anything from Bleach London?  If so let me know your favorites! 

Hey guys!

I was approached by Vegas.com to share some tips and tricks I would use to keep me looking great day to night in beautiful Las Vegas.  A few months ago my girlfriends and I made the decision that we are going to travel to Vegas in the spring for several days for my bachelorette party (can anyone say Hangover movie?) so I decided that this would be a great collaboration to share some of our plans and give you some tips for keeping your makeup looking fresh and appropriate day to night!

During the day in Vegas there are many things to do outside of the casinos, which you can see on Vegas.com's attractions page.  With this in mind, I am planning on keeping my makeup fairly simple during the day.   My girls and I are most likely to choose to go on a tour of the city or even go on a desert chase in dune buggies instead of finding something inside to do all day, so let's talk about a look simple look that would hold up in these conditions.


While I was choosing products to use for this look I tried to find products in my collection that would give me a variety of options without having to pack a million products since I will be flying to Vegas in the spring.  As you can see in the photo above I have pulled out my Maybelline Lip Gloss palette for my lip product.  This palette is great for traveling since the palette contains everything from nudes to reds which you can mix and match to create even more shades.  I also pulled out some E.L.F. palettes which are great for travel since each pan can be popped out and placed into any of the other palettes, and each palette contains a large mirror.


For both looks I am going to share with you, my basic face makeup is exactly the same which makes it very easy to transition your look from day to night.   The first product I am going to share in the Shea Moisture Primer which is essential for making your makeup last all day long.   This primer can be found at Ulta for $15.99 and feels very similar to a moisturizer as opposed to a silicone primer.  The next item in my routine is the Hard Candy GlamoFlauge concealer.  Any concealer you prefer will work; all we want to do is conceal any red spots on the face before we apply foundation.  Typically I always grab a second concealer that is a peach or pink tone to conceal the dark circles under my eyes.   This will help to keep you looking fresh and awake all day long.  The peach concealer I chose for this look is the NYX Dark Circle Corrector in Light/Pale.  The foundation I chose for my look is the Tarte Amazonian Clay Foundation in Ivory.  This foundation is really great for my oily skin because it stays all day long without breaking down along my nose until very late in the day.  For a long day sight seeing in Vegas this is the type of foundation that is going to be necessary for my oily skin.   Finally the most important step for me is to set my foundation.  I have been reaching for the Coty Airspun Loose Powder in  Naturally Neutral for years now, and I have found that I don't have to touch up or powder my face again until late afternoon.  For traveling I'm not sure that I will choose to pack a loose powder, so it is likely that I will pack the CoverGirl Clean powder instead.   The last item in the above photo is the Lorac Behind the Scenes Eye Primer.  This primer is an absolute necessity for keeping my shadow from creasing and fading away.


The next items in my list are the E.L.F. palettes.  Above you can see I have three different palettes pictured; however, when I pack to travel I always pop out different pans to mix and match and create the perfect custom palette for my week away.  This technique helps me keep the number of items I pack down while still giving myself enough variety.  The above palettes are the bronzer palette (left), the blush palette in light (middle), and the illuminating palette (right).


For both my daytime and night time looks I used the AmpliMascara to give my lashes a nice dark coat of mascara.  Obviously for the daytime look I used only a couple coats, but for the night time typically I add a couple more coats on top of the mascara I have had on all day long which helps to make a fresh look along with providing more drama to the look.  Once I am finished with the entire look I always use a setting spray, and the one I have on hand at the moment is the Maybelline Master Fix Setting Spray.  This will help make the powders we applied on top of each other meld together and look less cake-like.   Like I mentioned above I also chose to use the Maybelline Lip Gloss Palette which allows me a ton of variety in color and the ability to mix colors to create new ones.


Now let's talk about each look I chose to create for my Vegas looks.  Above is the day look I created (please forgive me for my crazy hair; however, I can't say that it would look much different during a day adventure in Vegas).   For this simple look I used all of the face products I mentioned above for something that would last through going riding through the desert or even driving sports cars.  For my eyes I used Scenic City Cosmetics' Whiskey on the entire lid and Scenic City Cosmetics' Coke & Whiskey on the outside corner to provide a little dimension.   To keep things fairly light I chose to use a brown liner to line my lid and my waterlines.  For the liners I chose a jumbo stick from Milani (the name has long been sharpened off of it, so please forgive me for that), and Sephora's gel liner (waterproof formula) in Caffine Buzz.  I applied a couple coats of mascara and I chose the light mauvy nude gloss from the Maybelline palette (second color in the palette).


Now let's compare my look for the night on the town seeing shows such as Cirque du Soleil Zumanity at the New York New York (which my girls and I plan on seeing), or any of the other shows you may choose to see.  There are other great shows to fit anyones needs, check out some of the great Las Vegas deals on Vegas.com for more options!  To keep things simple the best way to transition your look from day to night is to simply touch up the face products that need to be touched up (foundation, concealer, and definitely powder) then to add a deeper shadow to the eyes.  For my look I chose to use Scenic City Cosmetics' Coke & Whiskey all over the lid.  Remember I used this same shadow just on the outer corner of the eye before, so for a night full of seeing shows, and some drinks with my girls, I decided to use this shadow all over for a little darker look.  I was also inspired by the colors of the desert, so I layered Scenic City Cosmetics' Cherry Cola in the center of the lid along with Scenic City Cosmetics' Whiskey in the very center.   To amp up the depth of the look I chose to use a black liner on the water line and along the upper lashes along with a few more coats of mascara on top.  For lips I chose to mix the two red shades in the Maybelline palette to provide a bit more interest to the look.  If you prefer to have something a bit more subtle you can always keep the same mauvy nude lip color that I used for the daytime look.


Above are the three shadows from Scenic City Cosmetics that I used in the looks I showed.  From left to right: Coke & Whiskey, Whiskey, and Cherry Cola.   When you pair these shadows with the Lorac Behind the Scenes Eye Primer they will last all day long through any of the activities you may choose in Vegas.   After all what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas!

Remember to check out Vegas.com  if you plan on making a trip out west like we are.  Just from exploring their website you can purchase hotels, airfare, tickets to shows, tours, and plan weddings all from their website.  Should you need more assistance you can chat with a Vegas insider right on their website.   Believe me when I say that my girls and I will be using the website as we plan our trip in the spring!

What are your tips for transitioning your look from daytime to night time?

Hey guys!

I hope everyone is having a great week so far!  I am going to share the products I have in my empties bag.  I honestly can't remember the last time I emptied out this bag, so there are products in here that I finished up a long time ago.  I don't think I need to say it, but I am ready to get this junk out of my way before I start packing to move in the next month or so.


White Rain Shea Butter Body Lotion: I picked this lotion up from Dollar Tree back before Christmas.  I really liked this lotion.  It was a pretty thin formula, but it absorbed quickly into the skin and I could feel the immediate effect of it.  The scent of the lotion is just barely there and will not compete with any other scents.  I would definitely pick up this lotion again if I can find it at Dollar Tree.

 Bath and Body Works Fragrance Mist in Midnight Pomegranate: This packaging is obviously really old.  I picked up six of these body mists on a buy three get three sale about six years ago now and I am finally down to the last one.  This particular scent is not my favorite.  It is too strong and it gives me a really bad headache, but as you can see it is down at the bottom and it is time for me to let it go.  I won't pick this scent up again; however, I'm sure I will get more fragrance mists from Bath and Body.

Ennce Beauty Lotion in Neroli and Sweet Orange: This is the second tube of this lotion I have used up.  I have found it at Dollar Tree several times, but I haven't really looked for it recently.  This lotion is also a thin consistency and it absorbs into the skin quickly.  The scent of this one is pretty strong, but it is refreshing.  I would pick up tons of these if I can find it again, and I would pick up the matching body wash as well.


Neutrogena Pore Refining Daily Cleanser: I absolutely love this cleanser!  I have oily skin, and I found that this left my skin a little on the tight dry side, but it was exactly what I needed.  Originally I picked it up because I thought the pore refining claim could help minimize the large pores I have on my face; however, that is just not the case.  It left my face so clean, and when I used it twice a day I found that it actually helped clear up my acne.  I have finished up two bottles of this cleanser and as soon as I finish up a couple more cleansers in my collection (hoard) I am going to buy this one again.
Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Smooth:  I picked this up by complete mistake.  I wanted to try the Aussie 3 Minute Miracle treatment that everyone talks about (I believe it is the hydrating one with the blue label) but I grabbed this one instead.  This was nothing special, and I honestly felt that it didn't do anything for my hair.  I would be willing to try the hydrating mask, but I won't pick this one up again.

Borghese Fango Active Mineral Micellar Cleansing Water:  Borghese actually sent me this cleansing water quite a while ago along with a facial oil.  This was actually the first micellar cleansing water I tried, and to be honest I really don't like it.  I used it to take off a bit of my makeup before a cleanser and it left tons of product on my face.   Also the product itself left a residue on my skin so I couldn't use it just to cleanse my face prior to makeup.  I love the bottle, so I will be keeping it for toners but I will not purchase this product again.


Becca Ever Matte Poreless Priming Perfector:  I really loved this primer and will certainly pick up another tube eventually.  The primer itself is different than any other in my collection.  It comes out of the tube similarly to the silicone ones on the market like the Smashbox primers, but as you rub it in it will really dry out and start to drag if that makes any sense.  I always applied the primer in small sections at a time.   It really helped to smooth things out on my face before I went in with foundation, but I don't think it really helped with controlling the oil on my face.

L'Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte Foundation in 102 Shell Beige: Everyone talks about this foundation and it is for a good reason.  Overall I felt like it wore really well on my oily skin and did not look incredibly cakey; however, the color is a little off for me.  I will most likely pick this up in the next shade down and try it out again for the hot summer months.


Better Homes and Gardens Wax Melts in Tranquil Garden Spa:  I just wanted to toss this in really quick.  These are my favorite wax melts so far.  I typically gravitate toward cinnamon apple type of scents because they are warm and not overpowering; however, I heart Tati from Glam Life Guru talking about these wax melts and sniffed them at Walmart one day and immediately picked them up.  This scent is so nice and calming.  It almost smells like a little sweeter version of laundry, and it really made my house smell clean.


Garnier Skin Renew Anti Dark Circle Roller in Light Medium: I think this is the third tube of this product that I have gone through.  I really like the cool roller ball under the eye, and the color of the concealer itself is just right for my skin tone.  I always use these on days that I don't feel like putting on a full cake face of makeup, and I usually end up using them all over blemishes.  I will certainly pick up another tube of this.

Maybelline Superstay Better Skin Concealer in Light: This concealer just isn't what I wanted it to be.  The shade is just too yellow for my skin, and it creased like crazy under my eyes.  Overall I just didn't like this concealer and I didn't like the way it applied to my skin.  I will not pick this one up again, but I will pick up the Maybelline Fit Me concealer instead.

Nyx Above and Beyond Full Coverage Concealer in Fair:  This is the second jar of this concealer I have gone through.  I really like the coverage this provides, but I don't really like using it under my eyes.  This particular shade is a little on the pink side which is perfect for me; however, Nyx has ons of shades of this concealer including several corrector shades available.


Milani Multitasker Face Powder in Light/Medium: I really liked this powder and the shade was perfect for my skin.  I went through it way too fast, but it worked well and I would pick it up again.

Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder in Creamy Natural: I have gone through at least three of these powders now, and I will continue picking them up.  It is the right shade for me, and it is just the right texture.  I wish the packaging was a little more sturdy because I have cracked the lid on every single one I have owned, but the powder is so cheap that I don't really care in the end.  If you prefer translucent powders I know they have one that everyone talks about, but I prefer the colored version to add just a little more coverage.

ELF HD Powder: This is a stark white HD powder, and it is not my favorite.  The powder is really finely milled and it really just ended up going everywhere.  The powder left a noticeable white cast on my face, and it wasn't very flattering.

Neutrogena Shine Control Powder with Rice Protein Complex: I have mixed feelings on this powder.  Overall I liked it for touching up in the afternoon; however, I felt like it really caked up with the oil on my face.  I really don't think I will pick it up again.


Maybelline The Rocket (non waterproof formula):  This is my favorite first coat mascara.  I have gone through at least four tubes now, and I am half way through my current tube.  I don't really like this mascara right when I open it, but about a week or two after the tube has been opened it is perfect.
Wet n Wild Mega Length Mascara: I really like this mascara combined with Maybelline The Rocket it really makes my lashes really long and still separated.  This wand is a little flimsy, but the spikes on the wand really helps to keep the lashes separated and not clumpy.  I will be picking up another tube of this soon.

Maybelline Great Lash Lots of Lashes: I picked this mascara up a long time ago when I was looking for a good mascara for my lower lashes.  The wand on this is shaped a bit like a tear drop and I thought it would help to get the lower lashes without a ton of effort.  Overall it was just difficult to use and the mascara wasn't even good for the top lashes.  I have had this tube laying in the back of the drawer for too long and it was time for it to go!

CoverGirl Super Sizer Mascara: This was sent to me by CoverGirl months ago before the product even launched, and at first I liked the mascara, but the wand really bothered me.  It just wasn't a quick mascara for me to use in the morning and I felt like my lashes turned into a giant clump.  I hear lots of great reviews on it, but I just didn't like it and will not pick it up.  I know that the wand is meant to be turned as the mascara is applied; however, I prefer a full wand so I can put the mascara on quickly.


Rimmel Scandaleyes Retro Glam Mascara:  This mascara wand is massive and I found that it was really difficult to use.  The wand is shaped in an hourglass and I found that it was completely unnecessary and I just don't understand it.  I have had this sitting in a drawer for a long time as well, and it was just time for it to go.

Revlon Lash Potion Grow Luscious Mascara: This mascara actually came in a kit around Christmas one year and it has been sitting in the bottom of a drawer.  I used it for a while after I got it and just didn't see anything with it.  The formula was way too wet when I first opened the tube and I found that my lashes became one huge clump.  The packaging on the mascara is so pretty, but I just don't think I will ever pick it up.

Tarte Lights, Camera, Flashes!: I honestly have no idea where this mascara came from.  I think it had to be a gift from someone at one point because I know I haven't purchased a Tarte mascara.  The wand on this crazy.  It is really big, so it is hard to apply to the eye, and the spikes on the actual wand are just too long.  The first time I used this mascara I stabbed my eye and it was really painful and the mascara really didn't do anything for me.

Jordana Best Lash Extreme Mascara:  This mascara is really great and it is so cheap too!  The formula is a little too wet when the tube is first opened; however, about a week later it becomes perfect.  Unfortunately I cracked the lid on mine about a month after I bought it and mine has dried out completely, but I will buy another tube soon.  The wand is the perfect size and it is full of short natural bristles.  Combining this mascara with Maybelline the Rocket provides a really nice full look to my lashes that isn't incredibly clumpy.

I cannot tell you how excited I am to finally have this junk cleared out!  That's one less thing I will have to worry about moving in the next month, and when we get settled I will have a fresh empty bag to begin filling again.

Hey guys!



I have a review of the Borghese Eclissare makeup line.  Borghese actually sent a lovely package at the beginning of February that was filled with all of these items.  It was completely unexpected, so I want to say thank you to Borghese for this.  It truly means a lot to be included in press kits as a small blogger!