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August 29, 2012

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.


August 26, 2012

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.

August 22, 2012

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?


August 20, 2012

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?

August 18, 2012

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 14, 2012

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:

What came in my box...


August 12, 2012

Beauty Blog Coalition Weekly Roundup


This week's posts from some amazing beauty blogs:

My New Tumblr

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

August 6, 2012

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?

August 3, 2012

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.

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