Wet n Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow Trio

Yesterday I was at RiteAid looking through the Wet n Wild display, when I discovered the Color Icon Eyeshadow Trios. There were multiple trios to choose from with a variety of color combos. Each one comes with an eyelid color, crease color, and browbone (highlight) color. They were inexpensive ($2.99) so I decided to buy one to test out. I picked the trio "Silent Treatment".

Front and back of packaging. 

Here are the shades up close. The eyelid shade is a shimmery taupe color, the crease color is a black with gold glitter, and the highlight is a sheer pink champagne shade.

Swatches of each shadow.

When I swatched these I was pleasantly surprised. They were very velvety and had strong color payoff.

I used the trio for my eye look today and didn't add any other shadows.

This is how it came out before adding eyeliner and mascara. The trio made an amazing smokey eye!

I'll admit, I wasn't expecting it to turn out so well. 

Here's the completed look. 

I really think this trio is awesome. It's small enough to fit in a purse, clutch, or makeup bag and the quality is excellent, especially considering the low price. I really want to go back and get a few more of these trios. 

Have you tried a Wet n Wild trio? Which one?

Disclaimer: This is not a paid or sponsored review. All opinions are my own honest opinions.

In My Bag: Lip Products

How many lip products do you carry in your purse? 

I carry 9 lip products in my bag at all times. I like to have a variety of color as well as finishes. I always need to have options on-the-go!  I try to keep lipstick, lip gloss, and lip balm with me wherever I go. Color and moisture are very important.

The one product I use daily and must have around at all times is my Burt's Bees Replenishing Lip Balm with Pomegranate Oil. It keeps my lips smooth and hydrated and I adore it's fruity scent. 

Another favorite among the bunch is my MAC Angel lipstick, which is a popular pink color. I can't go wrong with this lipstick.

How many do you carry and which is your favorite?

Beauty Posts of the Week

Check out the latest posts from these great beauty blogs of the Beauty Blog Coalition.

• Clarisonic has just released a new Acne Cleansing Set. For more information, and a chance to win your own, head over to Blushing Basics.
• NARS re-launched their Eyeliner Stylo line with new colors and formula. The Stepford Witch reviews and swatches these for you!
• Retrodiva's Beauty checks out Neutrogena's new Shine Control primer, foundation, and powder. See if it really does keep the shine at bay.
• Cosmetically Challenged has chosen her favorites from the China Glaze Bohemian Collection. Did any of your faves' make the cut?
• Alison of the Advice Sisters wants to tell you why she's in love with Dimitri James (not actually the MAN, whom she's never met, but definitely his SKINN Cosmetics). The Perfect Palette is your perfect travel companion.
• Destany at Confessions of a Sarcastic Mom thought she was losing her mind recently when she forgot the Deborah Lippmann True Blood nail polish she was wearing was scented...
• Emily Hudspeth is Bringing the Beauty to You! Getting great deals and having great hair are 2 things that most girls love. See these great L'Oreal products that Emily scored and how she liked them.
• Do you wear makeup to the gym? BeautyTidbits shares her opinion on troweling on cosmetics before a workout session.
• Connie from Mimi's Mani's shares the anti-aging benefits and her love for Dalton Cosmetics.
• Making Up the Midwest found the perfect yellow nail polish just in time for the transition to fall!
• Stephanie Louise- All Things Beautiful swatches the 4 new shades from the Maybelline 24 Hour Color Tattoo line for fall...which are must-haves?
• Discover an arsenal of beauty goodies that will keep your look bullet proof and that travel well! Mama Fashionista shares her tools for Beauty On The Go!
• Who doesn't love a good beauty bargain? Christina from Curls N Pearls shares her latest makeup counter savings discovery.
• Grab the men in your house! LuminousLacquer's fiance shares his thoughts on August's BirchBox Man!
• TheFabZilla discovers an eye makeup remover that's natural, paraben-free and cruelty- free from an organic food store. Find out if it's a yay or nay.
• The Beauty Professor took the recently-released Kat Von D Lock-It Tattoo Foundation on vacation...read all about her pleasant surprise!
• Glitter.Gloss.Garbage is giving away two Eclos Anti-aging skincare sets!
• BeautyJudy swatches and reviews the summer collection of a new, fashion-based nail polish brand, LVX.
• Rie from Nails and Noms would like to introduce you to Takko Lacquer, a new indie polish brand that has a gorgeous range of shimmer, jelly, and duochrome polishes!
• Lipgloss Break and Alberto VO5 are giving away a huge hair care prize package. Enter to win!
• Make Up For Ever hits the spot with their lasting lip colors, Aqua Rouge. Beauty Info Zone has two of the these beauties to share with you.
• Blushing Noir swatches the new Make Up For Ever Aqua Rouge to prove that a hot red lip CAN last all day!
• Scottish Beauty Blog caught up with amazing Ana Cruzalegui and her team backstage at this year's Edinburgh International Fashion Festival and what a makeup extravaganza it was!
• Fall calls for dark, rich hues! See how Phyrra used Manic Panic Voodoo Blue & Purple Haze to change her hair for Fall.
• Ro's Raving about Fevour Cosmetics, a new mineral cruelty free cosmetics line.
• Lola from Lola's Secret Beauty Blog has found THE Holy Grail face oil- Sponge Ladi Avokanto is heavenly, Cruelty-Free, and a healthy must-have miracle worker in a bottle!
• Oh So Lacquered tries her first Sephora by OPI polish and is completely obsessed with this turquoise glitterfest!
• Sheila from Painted Ladies takes you on a tour of the mascaras featured on the blog recently. Which mascara is the best?
• Is your hair dry and unruly? Then the new Smooth Lock line from Redken might just be for you. Pammy Blogs Beauty tames her long, dry, highlighted locks with this great new line!
• Laura from My Newest Addiction Beauty Blog swoons over the holo sparkles in an Island Girl nail polish.
• Starting blogging but don't know what you should do? Cosmetics Aficionado shows you 5 blogging changes you can make today.
• Ashley from Peek & Ponder shares a frosty purple eye makeup look and shows each step it took to create it.
• Have you tried Pomegranate nail lacquer yet? Nidia at Lit from Within does her interpretation of the 'claw' nail art with Blue Screen of Death and Cyberspace.
• Miss L from Beauty by Miss L reviewed Institut Arnaud Youthful Radiance Day Cream SPF5 that is for women in the age of 25-35 who wish to fight against the first signs of ageing.
• Polarbelle finds a vacation in a palette with the NYX Be Free Palette; nearly everything you need in one box.

Big Waves With Hot Rollers

The other day, I wanted to add some volume and wave to my hair with minimal effort on my part. Curling my hair with a curling iron or wand can take forever and sometimes I just don't want to deal with it. I decided to bring out my hot roller set to achieve the style I wanted. I bought this Conair set years ago. 

These are some of the rollers and clips.

The whole set came with different sized rollers and clips to hold them in place. (It comes with more than just 3 clips, but as you can see, there are spots to warm up the clips too!)

So I started with my normal straight hair. I made sure it was brushed and tangle-free before putting the rollers in my hair.

It took me around 10 minutes to put my hair in the rollers. I realized I have a lot of hair and it didn't want to stay clipped! I let the rollers cool completely and then let my hair down. It didn't take long at all.

The result! My hair is full of body and big waves. I like using hot rollers every now and then. My arms don't get sore doing it and it's pretty quick.

How do you like to curl your hair?

Gold Shimmery Nails

What's on my nails right now? A shimmery gold shade from OPI, called Glitzerland. It's from the Swiss Collection (Fall 2010). I love to wear this color for summer and fall.

This is a gold that glows. It's a very shimmery but smooth formula. I also like to wear this color on holidays because it dresses up my nails.  In the picture above, I have 3 coats of polish on my nails.

Each coat is very sheer.

What's your favorite gold polish?

Smokey Purple Frosty Eye

I was playing around with makeup (surprise, surprise) and I started to create this smokey yet frosty look. I took pictures along the way so you could see how it was done. I've listed the products I used down below as well. This is how it turned out...

Products Used

PRIMER

UD Primer Potion (Eden)

SHADOWS

From UD♥NYC palette

Midnight Cowboy Rides Again

Psychedelic Sister

Rockstar

Perversion

Uzi

From Naked Palette

Virgin

EYELINER

Eyeko Skinny liquid liner (black)

Urban Decay 24/7 liner (Zero)

MASCARA

L'oreal Power Volume 24H

My first step was priming my eye with primer potion so the shadows would last without creasing.

Then I used a bright purple shade (Psychedelic Sister) for the center of my eyelid. For my inner corner, I applied Midnight Cowboy Rides Again, which is a sparkly champagne pink color.

For the outer corner, I added a deep purple color, Rockstar, and blended it up into my crease. I brought it down to my lower lash line as well. 

Next, I blended Perversion, an intense matte black, into my crease. In order to create a more silvery shade, I added Uzi (a super sparkly white shadow) and blended it towards my eyebrow. Yes, the glitter gets everywhere!

I also added more Midnight Cowboy Rides Again to my inner corner area to capitalize on all of the frost and glitter going on already. (Why not?!)

After everything was blended, I added a thick black line of liquid liner to my upper lash line.

I lined my lower lash line with UD 24/7 liner in Zero and then swiped on a coat of my favorite mascara (L'oreal Power Volume 24H). Finally, I added some dramatic lashes to complete the look.

For the highlight I applied Virgin (a natural light pink  shade) right under my brow.

This isn't a typical look that I wear day-to-day. It's a little dramatic for me but how often do you get to layer on the glitter and black eye shadow? Not often enough! It was even more glittery and frosty in person. I love to have fun with eye shadow!

How did you like the step-by-step pictures and descriptions of this post? 

Do you like how the look turned out?

August Birchbox: DDF, Juicy Couture, Schick

This month, Birchbox gave us essential products for our beauty supply kit. They included a little booklet that has some great tips and beauty info along with a chance to help build a school. All month, Birchbox is donating 15% of proceeds from the Birchbox Shop to Pencils of Promise. They hope to build a school in Central America. 

You can also donate here:

pencilsofpromise.org/donate

What came in my box...

Beauty Blog Coalition Weekly Roundup

This week's posts from some amazing beauty blogs:

• Enter Mai's first Birthday Giveaway to win the Limited Edition Sugarpill Cosmetics @#$%! Eyeshadow .
• It doesn't matter old you are, Hello Kitty is for the young at heart."Kitty's" created a fragrance, and it arrives in truly cute kitty fashion. The Advice Sisters gives you the scoop on this adorable (and wearable) fragrance.
• Retrodiva's Beauty has decided on her look for the fall - and it's very unusual for her. It's all neutrals with a retro twist. Check out Anastasia of Beverly Hills' She Wears It Well palette and all the looks Retrodiva was able to re-create.
• If you love high quality multitasking products that are gorgeous and a joy to use- then behold Le Métier de Beauté's Créme Fresh Tint for Lip and Cheek in Poppy & Mystique! Lola's Secret Beauty Blog LOVES these!
• This week on Emily Hudspeth, hair design and makeup artist's blog, its been all about nails. We are wrapping up the week with a give away from Julep, the nail polish sample box. Enter to win a sample box from Julep!
• Need summer hairstyle ideas? TheFabZilla shows you this quick and fun hairstyle called "The Spiral".
• Confessions of a Sarcastic Mom spotlights some of the gorgeous polishes from various Layla Cosmetics collections.
• Phyrra is giving away a $100 Too Faced Gift Card!
• Midnight Manicures brings you a dazzling baby girl nail art manicure using It's So Easy Nail Art products.
• Can't get enough of neutral palettes? Check out the new Anastasia Beverly Hills She Wears It Well eyeshadow palette over at BeautyTidbits.
• The Nail Network shares swatches of the stunning new OPI DS shades for fall, Luxuious and Indulgence!
• Wait until you hear about the new nail polish brand, LACC, La Couleur Couture, that Polarbelle found at Cosmoprof 2012!!
• NYX Cosmetics has introduced a new approach to eyeliner - ergonomics! Check out BeautyJudy's review and swatches of The Curve Liner.
• Ashley from Peek & Ponder shares her review of the She Wears It Well eye shadow palette by Anastasia.
• Laura from My Newest Addiction Beauty Blog has fallen in love with another taupe, NARS Lhasa!
• Oh So Lacquered falls head over heels for Orly Preamp.
• Connie from Mimi's Mani's shares some eyeshadows with anti-aging ingredients for her aging eyes!
• Stephanie Louise- All Things Beautiful is ready for fall nail colors! Here is Zoya's Diva Collection. I promise you'll want AT LEAST one!
• Beauty Info Zone has two giveaways this week. Come see what goodies you can win.
• REVIEW: Salon Grafix Conditioning Cleanser. Shades Of Beauty, Inc blog asks, do I need to spend the money on WEN by Chez Dean?
• Sheila from Painted Ladies shares three simple steps to smooth, callus-free feet in the latest Breaking Down Beauty.
• Check out Miss L´s from Beauty by Miss L eye makeup look done using only blue from MAC Dynamic Duo 2 and Blackout from Urban Decay Naked 2 palette.
• Making Up the Midwest gets a little messy with her spilled paint nail tutorial!
• Summer may be drawing to a close, but beauty trends are still heating up. Check out The Lacquered Lady'smust-have summer beauty products.
• Short nails can be cute nails! Check out this easy dotting tool manicure at Cosmetics Aficionado.
• Sarah from Scottish Beauty Blog finds out how to get flawless makeup with Laura Mercier's national makeup artist, Chris Howells.
• BB Cream is a huge beauty trend these days, and Christina from Curls N Pearls decided to give the Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream a try. Was she sold on it? Check out the review here!
• Pammy Blogs Beauty is Too Faced's "Beauty Blogger of the Month" (Level 3) for August 2012! Come check out the announcement post and a $25.00 Too Faced Gift Card Giveaway!!!
• Head to Spontaneous Chick to find out why she loves Cristophe hair products and findout if they're right for you.
• Get golden eyes this Summer!
• Don't let becoming a sweaty mess keep you from getting your workout done! Mama Fashionista shares some beauty essentials that will help you keep it together!
• Need a lift? Check out GG Gatsby's Over-the-top Root Lift Spray!
• Are you an AVEENO Active Natural? Hello Dollface wants you to learn more about it and enter to win some cool gardening tools!
• Olympians aren't the only ones sporting gold right now. Check out Blushing Basics for tips on what golds are available for you.
• Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim 2013 continues to steam up the beauty scenes with innovative hairstyles and thanks to TRESemme's Matthew Curtis, from the UK -- Elite Socialistas grants you access to these sexy hair trends -- haute off the runway!
• Brooke from BlushingNoir dives into the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale and surfaces with an exclusive Chanel Quad! See how to apply a neutral, smoky eye with Rives!

My New Tumblr

Peek and Ponder 2.0

You may have seen me mention Tumblr a couple times between my blog posts and twitter. I created a Tumblr recently as an addition to this blog (don't worry, this blog isn't going anywhere!).

On my Tumblr you'll find:

• Extra pictures related to my existing posts on this blog
• Sneak peek photos of things I'll be writing about
• Answers to your questions (ask me anything!)
• and a few random extras

You can follow me on there or just check on it from time to time. 

Check it out - I just posted a couple sneak peek pictures of my July Birchbox!

Other places to find me:

Facebook page: Peek & Ponder

Pinterest: missaf23

Twitter: @missaf23

My Current Mascara

Mascara is a product that I like to explore across multiple brands. When I pick a random one to try it's usually a drugstore brand (I do my research before splurging on high end brands). L'Oreal has been one of my top choices for drugstore mascara and this is one I hadn't tried before.

It's the L'Oreal Voluminous Power Volume 24H Mascara
in Blackest Black

When I first brought this home, I eagerly opened the package and started to apply it to my lashes, only to find it was the waterproof formula! Don't you hate when that happens?! Sometimes the 'Waterproof' label is so inconspicuous that you don't notice it. I went back to get the normal formula and have been using it for a couple weeks now. Read on to find out if I liked it....

The Tube - the words 'blah' and 'boring' come to mind. I'm a fan of pretty packaging and am always more drawn to the brands that use bright color and cute shapes. If I like the way it looks, I'm more likely to buy it. 

I chose this mascara based on it's claims: "new formula with collagen spheres", "15x more impact", "24 hours of volume"......sold!

The 'mega' brush - I like the shape of the brush and the bristles. It's a really big brush, but it works well and separates my lashes while adding volume. It's a little more difficult to use on my lower lashes though.

The formula - I give it an A+ based on formula. It's not dry, so it doesn't take long to build up, but it's also not super wet. My lashes don't feel crunchy or clumpy. It's suitable for sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers (which is me!). I feel that it does everything it claims to do and makes my lashes really stand out. My lashes are intensified without that spidery look. 

Overall...

I love the effect it gives my eyelashes so I will continue to purchase. I may not be a big fan of the packaging, but that won't stop me from using a nicely-formulated mascara. The price (around $7.95) is very affordable.

What's you're favorite mascara?

Anastasia 'She Wears It Well' Eye Shadow Palette

Anastasia has a new palette - She Wears It Well! It was inspired by makeup of the 1930's and contains 9 eye shadows. They include shimmer and matte shades that are crease-free and illuminating. The shadows can be applied wet or dry for different levels of intensity. The range of color offered in this palette is perfect for creating looks from natural to smokey.

The shadows come in a pretty, yet sturdy compact that also includes a mirror and a dual brush for application.

Shades: Trophy, Glow, Latte, Foxy, Sunset, Frosting, Almond, Onyx, and Toffee

The palette retails for $34 from Sephora or Anastasia's website.

Since I was sent this palette to review, I was also given face chart cards in order to recreate looks that use the shadows. Here is this look I recreated from one of the cards...

"Night Owl - A Knockout Smokey Eye"

This palette has beautiful, pigmented colors and is a perfect size to bring along in your bag. The price is great for the quality and amount of shadows you get, plus the dual brush that can be used for your entire look. This is a luxurious product and Anastasia is a great brand so I think this purchase is worth it!

More pictures can be found on my new tumblr Peek and Ponder 2.0.

Disclaimer: I was sent this product for review but that does not affect my opinion of the product. This is not a paid or sponsored post. No affiliate links were used within this post.