Modern Mom Insiders: Sheer Cover Review!

I decided to try the Sheer Cover products for the first time during a time when I had a full acne breakout! I have acne prone skin, so it's hard to find makeup products that cover my problem spots. I received such an amazing 'starter kit' for this campaign, here's what was inside:

Mineral Foundation

• Sheer Cover Base Perfector Primer  - I was really turned off by the smell of this primer, it's very perfumey and prefer my primers to not have a scent, or maybe it's something I am just not used to! It starts out being really silky smooth, with borderline oily, but dries very silky smooth. I'm terrible though at telling if Primers actually work. I will say that overall my makeup look for the day DID stay on nearly my entire 9 hour work day. The only areas that I noticed that didn't stay was around some acne spots. 
• Sheer Cover Perfect Shade Mineral Foundation - I requested the Light/Medium shade. My biggest issue I had was the coverage. For me, personally, I need a foundation that is going to give me a lot of coverage, especially during my acne breakouts. I don't think this was terrible and the concealer was a great help to covering, but I unfortunately need a lot of coverage! 
• Sheer Cover Concealer & Brighten Trio -  This was probably my favorite thing in the entire set! I LOVED that there were two different shades and a highlighter included in the compact! It really makes things easier and something I would definitely throw into my purse whenever I need to cover up. It covered my acne spots for the most part very well! 

  

  Concealer Trio

• 4 Piece Brush Set - This apparently was a bonus gift, which was awesome because I am always in need of some new brushes! I LOVE the concealer brush. Wasn't a huge fan of the foundation brush, but it's also not the worst thing I have used for foundation. 
• Sheer Cover Sun-Kissed Bronzing Minerals - Honestly, I don't really know much about bronzers. I don't know how to really apply them (makeup newbie?) and when I watch Youtube videos I always think I could never have it look that good. I did really like the shade though, it wasn't something that was too crazy and I thought it worked well for my skin the one time I did try it! I hope that I create a better relationship with bronzers in the future. But, usually bronzers are last on my list of coveted items. 

  

  Bronzer

• Sheer Cover Lengthening Mascara & Lash Extending Fibers -  This worked just okay for me. I wonder if it was the fact that I used Younique's 3D Lash Fiber mascara pretty recently that using any other kind, might have a hard time living up to that one but I wasn't entirely impressed with this. Once again, it wasn't horrible and did give me volume, but nothing to write home to mom about. 

It was way more than I was expecting, but super excited to try it out! I've never really gone too far into mineral based makeup, but am always willing to try. I would give this a 4 out of 5 stars because after looking at the untouched AFTER photo I realized it worked pretty good, better than I thought in person! And, I'm sure, when I don't have an acne breakout, it would work even better, so am willing to try it again when I don't have a gigantic zit on my face. =\

Don't forget to enter to win a Year's Supply of Sheer Cover from ModernMom.com here:

http://www.modernmom.com/contests/sheergiveaway/

Memebox #23: Girl's Night Out

Memeboxes are popping up all over, everywhere on Youtube and blogs, so naturally I HAD to check it out for myself. It's not a subscription, it's just specially themed boxes that are available to purchase whenever they are offered. They have so many unique themes, but really wanted to get one that would be more makeup based. So, I chose Girl's Night Out. This box costed me about $30 - normally it's $23, but then you pay the shipping of $6.99 to get it to you. I know I had a coupon code that I used, so this was definitely under $30, and although a bit pricey for my typical purchases, the value of this box came to $119!!! And every single brand was new to me, but that didn't surprise me since it's 'Korean Beauty.'

These remind of me OPI products! I really enjoyed my shades that I got, particularly the black shade on the right! I prefer darker shades almost all year round, but once and a while I will get a lighter shade that I'd really like. I didn't swatch these because I was unprepared and had already a fresh coat of a polish!

I wish I was good at putting on fake eyelashes. These may just sit at the bottom of my makeup drawer for a very long time, until my practice pays off and I get better at it. I don't know how to judge whether or not a fake eyelash product is good or not, but that's probably just because I don't have much experience with them.

I LOVED the Liquid Eyeliner! It had a great feel when I did a swatch of it, a little just okay on the shade, but sometimes I love something totally different. I like bright eyeliners or your typical black, but this green is sort of out of my box! It also had great staying power. The swatch on my hand didn't easily come off with soap and water! You had to work to remove it! Which is another great quality to an eyeliner - you want it to stay put!


Not sure how I feel about the Hair perfume, lol. Sounds interesting to me, don't think I've ever had hair perfume in my possession before! But that's just another reason why I love boxes that provide me with something I've never owned or a new brand, and this is an example. Looking forward to trying this out and getting a better impression.

Love the Dual concealer, too! It looks pretty light, but that's me - pretty light toned right now. The Summer sun doesn't do much for my face when it comes to getting some color. But, I can always use a concealer! I seem to go through it enough!


My second favorite thing, was the lipstick. I am a HUGE lipstick fanatic lately. It's bad. So, naturally I was so happy to see this bright pink shade and do enjoy the shade when swatched, so this is definetely something I would wear on a daily basis!

Lastly, we have this perfume scent. Normally, I am not a huge fan of perfumes, and I literally have a satchel of sample vials from beauty boxes, but mainly I don't wear perfume a whole lot anymore. I am not really sure why because there are some great scents out there, but it's just been a while since I woke up in the morning and thought to spritz myself. I get ready in 30 mins, not much thought goes into it some days. Maybe I will start wearing it again, because I enjoy this scent! Ashley approved! :)

I really loved this box. SO much that I went nuts and bought 3 more Memeboxs, that aren't released for a while! One is a Pink Edition, Halloween, and something else. LOL. I need to stop, seriously. But, it's SO fun.

Purex Insiders: Dial Coconut Water Refreshing Mango Body Wash + Giveaway!

There is not much wrong that can be done to a body wash, in my opinion. The worst thing I feel could happen would be that I'd absolutely hate the scent. Which has happened. I'm not a huge fan of straight up vanilla scents. It makes me think of those body sprays and then it makes me think of high school when I used to douse myself in that kind of stuff from Bath and Body Works. Purex Insiders recently sent me a bottle of Dial's new Coconut Water Refreshing Mango body wash to try and write a review on. Although, never a fan of mango flavoring, scent is a completely different thing. Here is what I loved about this new body wash:

1. The smell. It smells sooooooooooo good! The mango was the most obvious sniff, but once you really used your nose you could pull out the hints of coconut in there. I also applaud the new scent combo - coconut and mango isn't something I've seen before. I love when you get different combos or scents that aren't you typical ocean waters or something like that.

2. Thanks to the nifty information sheet that came with the body wash, I learned how coconut water is "a leading trend known to be rich in antioxidants and electrolytes that help provide replenishing hydration. Mango is known for being nutrient rich and adds a touch of tropical freshness."

3. It's a whole line! It comes in a foaming hand wash, bar soap and one more scent of body wash minus the mango!

4. It does what it says. It left my skin feeling smooth and what I assume hydrated! It had a great lather, which is something I like to see in a body wash.

I'm so happy that I get to giveaway a free product coupon to 2 readers! Enter the giveaway below to win one! Expires 9/30/14! :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway The Dial brand provided me with a sample of Dial Coconut Water Refreshing Mango body wash in exchange for a product review. However, all the opinions shared here are my own. 

MunchPak - August 2014

Beauty boxes aren't my only favorite kind of subscription boxes to get in the mail, food ones hold a special place, too. I've heard a little about Munchpak through a couple of other Youtubers, but otherwise not a whole lot. The unboxing videos were amazing enough to get me shell out $21 to try it for this month. I am a loyal Love With Food fan, but am always up for trying something new, especially when it comes to food. The difference between Love With Food and Munchpak, besides the price, is that Munchpak gets a lot of treats from other countries, which I think is awesome! A lot of the products I received in this box weren't in English, which makes it a kind of gamble sometimes when you take that first bite, yet so exciting!

Contents:

So as you can tell, you do get a lot of yummy snacks! I will say that so far I've LOVED the Ki-Ki fruit chews! They were so good and I ate them in a day! I've heard of only a few products from this box and that's probably the coolest part of the box - getting products you've never heard of! And, just yesterday, Munchpak posted on their Instagram some changes that are coming, one including an information sheet explaining more about products, which is great, because some of these aren't in English! Would be great to know what everything is and where they come from!

Updates coming, according to Munchpak's Instagram:
A few updates coming this month... PayPal - Currently customers can purchase a gift using their credit card or PayPal. Later this week, we will implementing Paypal for subscriptions. Soon you will have the option to have your payment automatically deducted from your PayPal account! International Shipping - Is expected to be ready and complete by the end of this month. Add something to drink to your order - All these snacks must make you thirsty! Soon you will be able to add some coffee or tea to your delivery (more drink options coming this winter). Preferred/Non-Preferred Snacks - Do you like chewy and sour snacks but dislike crunchy snacks that are spicy? We are adding even more options so we can create the perfect box of snacks, just for you! Also, by popular demand, we will soon be including an insert in each box that will include details on where you can find out what the heck everything is that came in your MunchPak.

I purchased this box with my own money. ;)

August Allure Sample Society Box

I remember when I was first getting into the 'beauty box craze' - well over a year ago - I always heard the name Sample Society, but for some reason, based off the contents of past boxes, it just never struck me as a box to try out. Apparently though, as of last month, they revamped their boxes. I saw last month's box preview and debated back and forth on whether or not I should buy it. The Laura Mercier highlighter was what was pulling on me to go for that box. Well, I didn't go for that box, but did go for the next one! What hook line and sunk me? The sneak peak #2 of the Too Faced Melted lipstick! I honestly didn't care what else was there, I just wanted that lipstick and paying $15 was amazing to me considering one Melted lipstick cost $21...but...then, I got the box...and I'm probably the only one slightly disappointed...First, I will show you the contents and then explain.

Love the new, bright red box. I'm a forever sucker for cute, bright, fun packaging, and looking at their old packaging this a huge step up!

Contents:

• Ciate Paint Pots nail polish in the color Cha Cha Cha
• Oribe Surfcomber Tousled Texture Mousee
• Too Faced Melted Liquified Long Wear Lipstick in Melted Peony
• Kate Somerville Dilo Oil Restorative Treatment
• Jane Iredale Longest Lash Thickening And Lengthening Mascara in Black Ice

Looks like a great box, right? Well, it is. BUT, my thing was that I wasn't expecting deluxe samples for everything. I know this is almost entirely MY fault for having way too high of expectations. When, I saw the sneak peak of the Too Faced, I just automatically assumed it would be full size, mainly because I never knew there was a mini version out there. Don't get me wrong, I love the mini version, because I would love ANY size of Melted, but I just wasn't even thinking that way. Even down to the Ciate nail polish, I just wasn't expecting a mini version.

I do really love the booklet that comes with the box. It's very well detailed and really explains what each product is and what it does. For example, I had NO clue what the Oribe was or what it did, so it was nice that this booklet laid it out for me, by telling me it "Helps thickens and adds piecey texture without sacrificing shine or softness." Thanks, Allure! :)

I am really torn .... mainly because I wanted this to be something a bit more. I wanted it to WOW me and it just didn't, but it didn't suck either... I want a box that has SOME full size products.  I have 6 boxes coming this month alone, and being the first time trying this box, I needed it to stand out in order to keep on paying for it! I may stay for Septembers to get a better idea, but these boxes add up, so have to be picky!

One Direction's New Makeup Line: The Looks Collection Review

I was pretty excited to get accepted into this campaign from BrandBacker! My first campaign with them and it was a great one! While I am not an One Direction fan, I am a huge makeup fan! This is their first journey into makeup (and no, it's not makeup for men, like my sister asked) and have come out with three looks in The Looks Collection. The Collection I received was "Up All Night" or to me, The Blue Collection. They have two other collections, "Take Me Home" (the yellow collection) and "Midnight Memories" (the red collection. I would have been pleased with any collection, but blue was the one I was hoping for most!

Each kit comes with a mascara, an eye shadow palette, nail polish, lip gloss, lip stick, eye crayon, and stencils! It also has inside the tin a mini-tutorial on how to use some of the products and the names of each product because they are not on the product themselves (besides the eye shadow palette). 

Up first, is the blue eye crayon named Stand Up. Just like they said it's a chubby eye and body crayon that glides on smoothly and can be worn as liner, shadow or body art. I am a big fan of wearing blue on my lids, mostly as eyeliners, so this is a lovely color for my style. This worked great for blending or being a base to the eye shadows. 

The first of the two lip products is the bright, pink lipstick called 'I Should Have Kissed You.' I'm personally on the fence about the color, not sure if this is a color I can easily pull off, being that I am 27. I feel like someone a tad bit younger than myself could wear it well. Sadly, when I went to use my lipstick the first time, it literally popped out of its holder onto the floor. I put it back in, but was loose and made it difficult to apply, but it still worked how it was supposed to.  The second lip product is a lip gloss that is described as an EN VEDDETTE Liquidlights UV Glow Gloss in the color 'Taken.' It's a neon pink with shimmers and has a nice smell to it - something sweet like cake or cupcakes, lol. I'm a huge fan of the wand that came with the lipgloss. It makes application go on real smooth and the gloss itself isn't really sticky! 

The eyeshadow palette comes with 5 different shades - More Than This, Up All Night, Save You Tonight, Gotta Be You and Another World. My favorite two are the Save You Tonight & Another World blues! They have a creamy texture to them and the two blues seemed pretty pigmented. I had to really build up More Than This, but I'm pretty sure that's meant to be a highlighting color. Up All Night was a color I could do without, the texture (mainly because of the glitter) wasn't my favorite and I'm not a huge of that kind of eye shadow, but it adds to the fun of the palette. 

The nail polish in the color 'Na Na Na' was a beautiful color! Love this shade in general. I would describe it as a turquoise with hints of green! The best results I found was applying 3 coats to get a great pigmented color ! As far as chip resistance, I'm on day 2 and out of my 10 fingers, I'd say 3 are noticeably chipped, and that's with a top coat applied. This color makes me think of the ocean and Summer. My one complaint about this nail polish was the awkward square cap of this nail polish. Never before have I used a nail polish with this sort of top, so maybe it was my lack of experience and everyone else finds it super easy, but it was at times frustrating to maneuver to paint my nails. Not a fan of this type of packing, and chances are I'd probably avoid all nail polishes that come like this simply because of this reason.  

Then there is the Little Black Dress mascara, that is a carbon black volumizing formula. I thought it worked great on my lashes! No real complaints! I enjoyed the size of the wand that they had! It's a personal preference that they be skinny! 

As an added bonus, they included a fun stencil set. I would never wear these for fun, but I'm sure those hardcore One Direction fans would have no issues! 

Overall, I was really impressed with this collection. I would love to check out the other two to see those shades! At this time, I have no idea how much these collections will be just that it's "offered at affordable prices!" Check out below for release dates on when you can expect to see this collection hit stores! :)

<---- My look! ;) Not a pro, just had some fun with it! Would be fun look for a night out! 

DISTRIBUTION:
The line will be available worldwide starting in the U.S. 

US RELEASE DATES:
Macy's - August 11th
Stage Stores – August 25th
Dillards – August 25th
Beauty Brands – August 25th
Lord and Taylor - August 25th

*International release dates TBD. We'll keep you posted!

Check them out on Facebook: MakeupbyOneDirection

This post is powered by Brand Backer! Thank you to Markwins  & Brand Backer for sending me a free sample to review and share. All opinions are my own.