A Thing of Beauty

Beauty, Fashion & Lifestyle Blog

elf Studio Blush~Candid Coral, Review

For $3, these blushes are quite nice. But they have one flaw: since they’re so sheer, they all tend to look the same. So really, you only need to buy one. They’re each a little different, but unfortunately, that little difference won’t show up well on your face.
This one, Candid Coral, isn’t really much of a coral color. What it really is, is pink with golden shimmer. The golden shimmer does transfer to the face, so it gives a really nice, pinkish golden flush which is perfect for the summer.

The packaging is the same, a nice solid black plastic with the mirror as always.
The Pros:
It’s only $3, and I really like the golden glitter. It adds a nice touch for summer.
The Cons:
It’s pretty sheer. I know that it was designed to be sheer, but it would be nice if it had some more pigmentation.

The Bottom Line:
9/10
My only problem is that it’s just a tad too sheer. But other than that, it’s a lovely color!
You can find elf products at elf.com, or at most Targets.

Maybelline Eyeshadow~Cinnamon Spice, Review & Swatch

I’ve actually had this for about a year, and when I first opened it, I hated it. No love for cinnamon spice.  But a few days ago, I found this in the back of my eyes drawer, put it on my eyes, and loved it. It has an effect similar to that of Woodwinked from Mac (I’ve never tried it, I’m just comparing it to pictures that I’ve seen) and it made my eyes pop!
The color itself is shimmery and can have quite a bit of fallout if you’re not careful. It has an okay color payoff-it’s pigmented. But for the $3 I paid for it, it’s not bad!
The Pros:
It’s such a beautiful brown! It has nice pigmentation, and you can find it for under $3 at most stores.
The Cons:
There is a bit of fallout due to the glitter and shimmery bits in it. But if you really work it into the brush, it’s not that bad.
Over Benefit Stay Don’t Stray, swatched darkly to show up on camera
 The Bottom Line:
9/10
For being a Maybelline eyeshadow, it’s quite good. And if you’re looking for a more budgeted version of some Mac browns, I would definitely check it out!
*For the swatch in the picture above, I swatched it really darkly so that it would show up on camera. In real life, it’s not quite so dark or so reddish-brown

Organix Acai Berry Avocado Shampoo, Review

I love this brand of shampoo to no end! I bought the red one a year ago, and loved it, so I repurchased, but decided to go with the purple packaging because I love anything that’s scented berry. And this has quickly become my absolute favorite shampoo! It comes out a purple color with a consistency like any normal shampoo, but the biggest difference for me is that it’s sulfate free. I’m very vulnerable to sulfates, as they really dry my hair and skin out, so this was the perfect solution. It still lathers up nicely, and it’s organic, which earns it an A in my book!
The Bottom Line:
9/10
It could be a little more moisturizing, but it’s a pretty good shampoo!

ELF Mineral Eyeshadow in Earthy & Outdoorsy, Review

Originally submitted at EyesLipsFace.com

Bring a touch of natural beauty to your eyes with these soft, translucent shades that add subtle highlights for daytime or increased drama for night. With key vitamins A, B, C & E these eyeshadows hydrate and minimize the appearance of fine lines. Available in an array of light-reflecting colo…

Eyeshadow

Beautiful!

By Beautiful Stranger from The Midwest on 5/15/2011
5out of 5

Pros: Highly Pigmented
Cons: Cheap Compact Case
Describe Yourself: Natural Style
Skin Tone: Fair

I bought this on the clearance section at my local store because I’m not normally a person who wears green eyeshadow (I’ve got brown eyes & hair), but since it was so cheap, I thought why not? I have never tried an ELF eyeshadow before, from any of their lines, but I’d read good reviews, and now I’d like to add to them. I received Outdoorsy and Earthy in my kit, along with the mineral eyeshadow brush, and I decided to swatch Outdoorsy on the back of my hand just to see if I’d like it. I picked up the tiniest amount on my finger and when I rubbed it on the back of my hand, the color just spread out and I had to go wash my hands because the color is SO pigmented. Outdoorsy is a VERY dark green color, so the color swatch depicted on this site is not the greatest. It’s got a nice shimmer to it, and it is the exact color I’d picture of a forest. So beautiful! As for Earthy, it’s a lot lighter than depicted in the color swatch here, and it has gold flecks shot through it, making it the perfect color companion to Outdoorsy. All in all, I’ve found my new favorite eyeshadow line! I have never used more pigmented or smooth formulas and I’m very impressed. It’s affordable, but unfortunately, not easily accessible as I can’t order off this site. But, I’ll always keep my eyes open for ELF Mineral kits at my store! Definitely try these out(:

Urban Decay Lipstick in Rush, Review & Swatch

I remember when, many moons ago, it was the day of my freshman homecoming-my first dance ever-and my mom asked if I wanted to go to Sephora to pick out some makeup. Not even knowing what Sephora was, I readily agreed because who doesn’t love shopping, and my parents were paying.
This, along with a few Sephora eyeshadows and powder foundation, are the first “highend” products I’ve ever owned, and most likely the last (sooo out of budget now). And it sucks too because I really like this lipstick.

This particular shade is a really nice nude for me. My lips are naturally a few shades darker than a red (yeah-insane pigmentation) so for me, this is pretty much the same color as my lips. But what I really liked was the application. It was so smooth going on, and I remember through the night I wore it, it didn’t feel heavy or drying at all. It evened out the color on my lips nicely and gave me a subtle sheen <3
The color itself is a little bit darker than the picture above, and there’s a little shimmer, but it’s not really noticeable on the lips-just a really pretty, subtle sheen. It wasn’t streaky going on at all which is always a bonus.
The Pros:
It’s such a gorgeous nude if you have more pigmented lips. It’s also a really smooth, beautiful application. There’s also a really nice shade range to choose from.
The Cons:
It does have a slight smell, but I got over it soon. The price is a little out of my budget, but it’s not to the extreme.
The Bottom Line:
8/10
This lipstick was good, but for only having tried 3 lipsticks in my life, I don’t want to be “oh Wow, this is SO great!” when I haven’t even touched the field. But for now, I’m really enjoying it. Have you tried and of Urban Decay’s lipsticks? Let me know what you think below!

Outfit Of the Day~May 13

Sorry for no posting for the past 24 hours…I blame it on Friday the 13th 🙁
What I’m Wearing:
~Hot pink cardigan from TJ Maxx
~This tank from Kohls – it’s embroidered but you can’t tell in the picture
~Unknown stretch belt
~Polka dot skirt from H&M (I bought it last summer)
~Lei strapped heels
~My new vintage Dooney & Bourke bag!!

I simply adore the bag! A new thrift store just opened up where I live
and I swear that they have the cutest vintage bags!
I hope everyone’s had a lovely week <3
xoxo

Rimmel London Lasting Finish Blush in Winter Glow, Review

 // not sponsored
So you know when sometimes you’re really excited to try a new product, and then…it ends up being the biggest fail ever? This was definitely one of those products. I picked up this Rimmel London Lasting Finish Blush with such high hopes that it would be the perfect winter blush but it was utterly disappointing. And it wasn’t just the formula or the color, it’s just an unfortunately product all the way around.

[Read more…]

Sinful Colors: Let Me Go, Review & Swatch

My absolute favorite nail polish! This is such a beautiful silver, blue, lavender, swirly color! It does come out more pink and more sheer when it’s on my nails, but it still such a beautiful color. I love how it changes color and there is the slightest shimmer when you catch it right in the sun!
You can really see all the different colors and how they change in the light in this picture! J’adore!
You can buy Sinful Colors nail polishes here at Walgreens for $1.99

How to Organize Your Earrings

I’ve been searching for a solution to my large amount of earrings for a while now and thank goodness, I’ve finally found a way to solve all of my problems! It’s tough to organize your earrings in one place because they vary in size so much, from small studs to large hoops. I don’t recommend just storing earrings in a drawer because they can get tangled and broken easily, so hanging them is the best way to go. But if you don’t have a large budget, this is the perfect solution for you!
How to Organize Your Earrings

This is a standard mesh pencil cup that I picked up for $2.99 and it’s so easy to hang all of your earrings from it. It saves space and it doesn’t break the bank which makes it a great option to organize your earrings. And, can I just mention that I haven’t lost a single earring since I switched to this storage solution? It’s perfect!

I’d love to know, how do you organize your earrings? Let me know in the comments below!

Thanks for reading,
Kelly xoxo

Burt’s Bees Radiance Night Creme, Review

I have a little .25 oz sample jar of the Burt’s Bees Radiance Night Creme with Royal Jelly from this Burt’s Bees kit, but there’s also a full size version here, a 2oz size for roughly $17.
This jar is pretty large for a sample size so I’m rather impressed. I’ve been using it for 2 weeks now and am only about 1/4 through which is very good. It’s a solid glass jar with a screw on cap that can be screwed very tight so the product stays fresh.
As for the product itself, it’s a white, creamy color with a creamier consistency than most of the moisturizers I’ve used. There’s a very prominent shimmer to the product, hence the ‘radiance’, but it doesn’t transfer to my face at all.
As for the actual moisturizing, it does a good job. I know that before I used this product, my skin was very dry due to the weather and now it looks healthy again. I don’t feel oily at all, my skin just feels…normal.
My only problem is the smell-it can be very overwhelming. It’s very floral, and the first time I put it on, I had to go wash my face to get it off. But after a few uses, the smell didn’t bother me as badly.
The Pros:
I love the faint shimmer, and my skin feels so lovely after using it. I also love the fact that it’s so natural, proving that you don’t need all the chemicals to feel healthy.
The Cons:
This is pricey. It’s a bit out of my budget, which is why I bought the sample kit to try it in. The smell is also very irritable, but easy to overcome.
The Bottom Line
8/10
I would have gone higher if it weren’t for the fragrance. It’s definitely something Burt’s Bees could improve on! If you’re looking to try this, definitely look for the Radiance sample kit online or in stores because for the amount of product you’re getting for around $10 is a great deal, especially if you want to try them out before you go full size!
Ingredients
Water, sweet almond oil, glycerine, tapioca starch, cholesterol stearic acid, lecithin, palmitic acid, royal jelly, hops extract, rosemary leaf extract, horsetail extract, pine tree cone extract, lemon bioflavonoids peel extract, orange peel oil, lemon peel oil, ylang ylang  flower oil, beta carotene, vegetable oil, fragrance, glucose, lactoperoxidase, glucose oxidase, sodium chloride, xanthan gum, sodium borate.