FREE SAMPLES!!!: Minerals by Bee

Get your free sample pack from Minerals by Bee. Just pay shipping ( my charge was $2.35)
You will receive 4 of the 6 types of samples listen below.

1. Fruit Enzyme Peel - Mint green, crème textured peel exfoliates without granules or abrasives. Combined proteolytic enzymes and salicylic acid soften the skin and dissolve excess buildup. Special blend of essential oils support circulation and purification.
2. Fine Polish Facial Beads - an effective, but gentle creamy scrub which contains rice bran to absorb oil, along with salicylic acid and papain to exfoliate.
3. Eyebright Anti-Puffiness Gelee - reduces eye puffiness, lifts and firms & rich in antioxidants.
4. Sugar Smoothie Body Creme - blended with sugar cane extract, Mango and Shea nut butter to leave the skin smooth and twinkling with a subtle glow.
5. Shimmer Eye Shadow (1 random color) - 100% mineral perfect for sensitive skin.
6. 2ml (.07oz) perfume sample (random scent - please indicate preference during check out) - long lasting fragrance with NO alcohol, contains 30% pure perfume oil in a silk base with aloe and vitamin E.

http://www.mineralsbybee.com/free-sample-kit/

Weekly Review: All-in-One Makeup sticks

     I was staring at my pile of products left try out and feeling a little overwhelmed! The thought of trying out 6 weeks worth of facial cleansers, 8 brands of lipstick, 5 brands of jumbo eye sticks, 4 blushes and more unidentified samples had me going a little insane, but the SHOW MUST GO ON, 1 experiment at a time and I'll write about each and every product I try!
     This weeks review is about all-in-one sticks. These are makeup sticks that work for cheeks, lips and eyes.

     First up is NARS's Multiple ($38 at Sephora & NARS counters and store)-I have heard a lot of hype over this product. I had a chance to see it used at the Sephora seminar and I was intrigued by it. The idea of this kind of item is not new. The color I picked was 'Malibu'. It's the type of color that looks good on a variety of skin tones.
Being NARS, it was silky and creamy, but I feel like I needed SO MUCH for the pigment to show up on my skin. I added more and more to bring out the pigment and the result was a VERY natural look.
There was sheen on my lips and eyes, with a tiny bit of color on my cheeks. Overall I felt this product was nothing special. I was all for spending the price asked for this item, thinking that this product would obviously be worth it. I'm glad I got a sample size for a fraction of the cost.
     I expected the color to be more pigmented, but I had to keep adding additional product to make the color pop up giving me a clue that it might not be all it's cracked up to be. If you want a VERY natural, almost invisible look, then this it for you...but there are 2 other products I will talk about here, that might make you reconsider it.
 
ELF all over stick ($1, eyeslipsface.com)- I have used this product before, I bought it last year, but used it only as blush. I like the color because once blended, it gives a natural flush. The smell of the stick is a sweet orange scent, it's not bad, but I can do without it. I used it for the first time on my eyes and lips and it worked fine. I knew I had to be careful about how much I used b/c I did not want to come out too pink. Compared to the NARS stick, you do not need as much. There is a slight shimmer to the stick, which I don't mind. I would rather spend $1 on this that the $38 to get a similar look with the NARS stick.

 








Lastly we have the Glossy Stick by Mirenesse ($26, mirenesse.com)- I got this in my birchbox
 (a beauty box I will review next week). I love the color, it's 'Glossy Kiss' and nice red/orange. Really it's for lips and cheeks, but what the hell!, let's try it for eyes too. Like the other sticks it's soft, goes on smooth, but it's more matte once applied to the face. It's VERY and pigmented. After my previous experience with the NARS item, I got over zealous and may have applied more to my cheeks than I'd liked. I fixed it easily extra blending. I liked the pop of color and paired it with a dark brown eye liner (just like I did with all the other sticks). The pencil shape made it easier to apply to lips and eyes. I would used this stick again, but on my lips only. I LOVE it as a lipstick! The color would even go well from day to night.

Any questions or comments about the above products are more than welcome! Stay tuned for more reviews and information...Until then ,TTFN!

BEAUTY SWEEPSTAKES FROM ULTA & SEPHORA!

https://ulta.promo.eprize.com/beauty/
- Spa weekend in Arizona
also chances to win instant prizes everyday until July 17th.

https://www.facebook.com/Sephora/
-3 day trip to LA for 2 and a$1000 shopping spree!
also 6 other great runner up prizes!

$1 *GEM*

This week's $1 *GEM* comes from my trip to Family Dollar.
    This lip gloss is by L.A. Colors and it cost me a merger 60 cents! only because it was on clearance. The normal retail price is $1.
     IMMEDIATELY after I bought it I tried it and was pleasantly amazed!
The color is altered beige. It looks peachy in the bottle, but on my lips it's clear and natural.
     The gloss is thick and non sticky. It also lasts a long time, I think it's practically waterproof too. I was drinking from a bottle and a straw and it was still on for a few hours.
      In my opinion, it's comparable to the Smashbox gloss I reviewed a couple months ago. They are similar in color, texture and consistency. the L.A. Colors lipgloss has slightly more lipgloss in the tube than the Smashbox one.
The shine on this *GEM* is just enough for me. It doesn't make your lips look or feel greasy. The Smashbox gloss is shinier, but it does contain glitter and this contributes to the extra shininess.
      Did I forget to mention it's a moisturizing lipgloss?! and it totally lives up to the moisturizing part!
      Other great selling points are: it's cruelty free and last 2 years from the time of opening.
                        
                   This lipgloss is a must have! For the price it  can not be beat!

Beauty News

     I recently had my first visit to 'Family Dollar' and I was WAY too excited! We do not have many of them in my area and none conveniently close to me, so when I got to see one, I just had to go in! The fate of beauty research depends on it!... more so that's what I told myself. Needless to say I got some great $1 *GEMS* I can't wait to try. I already have one ready and waiting for you!
     Or course I have a review this week...I actually have 1 more product to try tomorrow to complete my experiment and already the results are surprising! 
(This post so far has a lot of exclamation points.)

Now on to sales.

     Only 2 weeks left (June 29th exactly), for Sephora's 'Sweet 15' sales and event. So if you haven't taken advantage of there special of their items $15 or under. At some Sephora locations they will be holding an event celebrating the 'Sweet 15' on the 29th.

Ulta has the same sales as last week and they will be in effect until the 29th also. *Use those $3.50 coupons*

Walgreens
BOGO 50%- L'Oreal and Revlon
25% off Bio Oil

CVS
*If you have a CVS card you can print out a coupon for $5 off a $30 purchase, but it expires on 6/24* 
BOGO 50% -L'Oreal and Roc
40% off  Physicians Formula

Rite Aid
BOGO 50% Revlon, Maybelline shawdows & liners, Covergirl face products, Almay eye makeup, Neutrogena lip & eye, Simple, St. Ives, Noxema and Dove.

How I do my Makeup- Mineral Powder

In this "limited series" (that's what I'm calling this...sounds dramatic) the second installment is how I apply my makeup using mineral powder foundation. Most of the products I used in this application were by ELF. This is my go to application! I'm comfortable with it, I'm comfortable with ELF's colors and products so that's why I used it for this post. I have other mineral makeup, but I didn't want any hiccups, so I stuck with what I know.

This is the end result.

I went for a light, natural look b/c I had to run out for a little while and didn't want to look silly with an overdone full face, wearing yoga pants and a My Little Pony t-shirt.








I'll save you the pic of my real before picture. I posted it in the first installment. The pic below is after all the color correcting and concealing using the MUD corrector and Coastal Scents concealer as before. I also gelled my eyebrows with the Anastasia gel.

 

Next, I used the powder. I need a mix of Toffee and Almond. Depending on the time of year I'm always using at least 1 of these colors or a combination of the 2. Right now I'm using more Toffee, b/c of my slight tan, and a little Almond. By January I might be using Almond as my sole color.  It's normal for this to happen to everyone!

Back to the process! I was using ELF's makeup kit that comes with 4 powders/bronzers, 4 blushes. 8 lipsticks and 40 eyeshadows, so I do not have specific names for the other colors I used. I'll review the kit later and highlight the ones I have experience with.

I used a dark pink on my cheeks after I applied the foundation. It's a very light dusting, concentrating on the apples of my cheeks and sweeping up toward my hair line. I also filled in my brows.

                                                                                      blush- looks lighter

                                                                                         b/c of the flash

 

I used 3 colors for my eyes. This is my standard application. I used 1 base color all over up into the crease. This color sometimes serves as my highlight and the other two colors are for main color and contour. I apply the 2nd color all over my eye lid and apply the contour color to my crease. Always blending  the colors for a seamless look. The pic below shows the base color  applied all over up into the crease.

  

   



 

I used dark brown eyeliner, the same one I used on my brows, to line my top lashes. I smudged it up and out into the corners and into my lash line.

Then, I applied ELF Mineral mascara to my top lashes and VERY lightly on my bottom lashes.
I finish the look with ELF Mineral Tinted lip balm with SPF in Rose.

Overall, this look is light and gives you just a hint of color.
Ideally you could use any colors to achieve this light finish. Besides mauve-ish colors, I like using browns, coppers and golds and mixing my matte colors with my shimmer colors.

Stay tuned for the next installment where I use a dual finish powder. Not sure what dual finish means? I'll explain it all next week. Until then TTFN!

$1 *GEM*

This weeks $1 *GEM* is brought to you by Wet n' Wild.
It's actually the eyeliner pencil I used with the Jordana eyeshadow in last weeks $1 *GEM*
I saw it on a display and decided "WHY NOT!" how many sky blue eyeliners do you actually see out there in the world  and what would you use it for?




Why I like this liner:

• It's soft, not waxy and smudge-able.
• It's a regular sized pencil, not a half sized like other affordable products.
• The color! It's sky blue for those 'blue' looks, but also looks good with light greens and teals. It has a shimmer. It is also light enough in color to work with a silver or lavender look.
• This color can also be used on the waterline to make eyes look bigger instead of using a white or flesh colored liner.

CHEAP (nearly free) SAMPLES!! Lumiere Cosmetics

I found a new mineral makeup site that will send you 8 baggies of make up, in the colors of your choice.
For the 8 color kit the price is $4.00!
You can chose from the various shades of powder foundation, blush and eyeshadow. 
Each sample is about 1/4 teaspoon which should be enough foundation to do your face AT LEAST couple times.
I ordered mine less than a week ago and they have already been shipped.
The site has a color guide so you can pick what color/colors are right for complexion.

http://www.lumierecosmetics.com/products/Try_Me_Sample_Baggie-360-43.html

Beauty News 6/16-6/22

So I was looking over my bag 'o things to try and it's pretty full! I better get on my grind and tell all you beautiful people how things work and what to spend your hard earned money on.

First sales for this week!
Sephora has the same deals for their "Sweet 15" that I posted about 2 weeks ago. These deals will run until the 29th.

Ulta has lots of sales so PLEASE check the sale page for all of their items. To entice you, here are a few available. BOGO 50% on Real Technique tools (these brushes are sexy), Ecotools, Nyx and Prestige.

Rite Aid
BOGO 50%- L'Oreal skincare, Various sunscreens, Revlon, Covergirl and Maybelline lip and nail

CVS
BOGO 50%- Trim tools and Essence of Beauty tools, Milani, Olay, St. Ives, Aquaphor, Noxema, Simple and Maybelline

Walgreens
BOGO 50%- Revlon and Wet n' Wild

That is all for now, my weekly review should be up shortly along with my $1 *GEM*.

FREE LUMENE SAMPLES....Why it pays to be nice!

I went to the Lumene website and wrote them a very nice letter about how great I thought their products were and asked if they had anything similar to one of their products that has been discontinued. They responded by mailing me a bunch of samples.

In the picture there are 6 of each sample
-eye cream
-wrinkle cream
-5 minute miracle moisturizer ( most excited about this product)
-bb cream
-1 sample of the C+ cream and serum
and a $2 coupon off any product.

If you two would like to receive samples from this company  too, go to their website and click your country of origin. At the bottom of the main page is a 'contact us' section, click the link that says feedback, which will lead you to a form. On the drop down menu  of the form, go to "feedback/product reclaimation" and fill in the info. Don't forget to tell them how AWESOME they are in the note section!

How I do my makeup-BB cream

So I'm over here writing about beauty and makeup and I have never told you how I make myself up. I use different techniques, because I'm always trying new products, for a good reason of course! Since it's summer I wanted something easy and light, so I figured a BB cream would be just that. It saves steps b/c it's a moisturizer, sunscreen and makeup all in one. I washed and applied Lumene C+ drops before I started.

                                                      AFTER                          BEFORE   

 

To get the above look I used Maybelline BB cream in medium and applied it all over my face with my fingers. I sometimes use a stipple brush, but I cheated :) I also used a brow gel by Anastasia.

color corrector        covered with

       applied         concealer and blended



  Next I applied MUD deep brown color corrector and Coastal Scents concealer. I put the color corrector under  my eyes and directly on my dark spots in my chin area. I also filled in my brows with an dark brown eyebrow pencil.                                          

 

I wanted to use fun funky colors so I used a palette I created from Micheal Marcus. I got it for a steal at the Makeup Show, but the retail value of each shadow is about $15 a piece, but the shadow tin is a generous size. (about the size of a half dollar). The woman working the booth said she had her tin for 3 years.

 

Top: "Intoxicating" covered my entire lid up to my brows,

but concentrated on the lid area (I added more of this color

at the end for extra saturation and 'pop' :)

 

Middle: Then "Insatiable" was blended into the crease from the

 inner to outer corner. (very rich color! only used a tiny bit)

 

Bottom: "Envy" was blended into the out corner area.

 



My palette- the picture does not do it justice! And considering the colors it's surprisingly versatile.

 

 I added an Olive eyeliner by Ulta to the top lash line and a dark brown liner by LA Girl to the bottom lash line. Below is the complete eye, including L'Oreal telescope mascara...BUT before I added the mascara I realized I forgot the blush!

                                               

 

 

I mixed 2 blushes, both by ELF 'mellow mauve' which I wear all the time and 'candid coral.'

I used the coral all along my cheek bone and concentrated a little of the mauve on the apples of my cheeks.

 

 

After I apply all my makeup EXCEPT the mascara and lipstick, I will spray my face with a fixative, if I need to, just for extra long wear. 

 

My lipstick is actually a mixture of 2 lipsticks ( with all the mixing you see I was feeling EXTRA creative this day) The base color is Wet n Wild matte lipstick in 'Bare it All' then I topped this with  L'Oreal infallible lip color in 'Hibiscus.'



 

 

 

Overall I like the BB cream application it's great for spring weather, especially when it's not too humid. The humidity on Monday caused me to look extra shiny/oily after only a couple hours outside. Knowing that it was rainy, I should have used a powder or dual finish powder application instead. In the pictures it might look like I was shiny already, but I assure you it was just the flash from my camera.

 

If you have any questions about the products used of the techniques I will gladly answer them. Thanks for reading. TTFN!

 

FREE!! Nurigene 5 piece skin care set ($50 value) UPDATED

I just visited the website and the coupon is no longer valid because this item is out of stock
:(  SORRY


I do not know anything about this company yet, BUT I will always be willing to try something for FREE!!!

Just Click the link below and add the kit to your cart. Then enter the coupon code. 
you may be charged for shipping and handling.

http://shop.chachabee.com/product-p/01-nur-007.htm

 Coupon Code:
 wrinklesarehistory

Beauty News 6/9-6/15

Hello there beautifuls!!
I'm just enjoying the onset of summer with a heat wave, of course.
As usual I will give you all the beauty sales at your local stores and online. Unfortunately there won't be a lot of buying for me this week :( but there is some stuff out there you may want to grab.

Ulta
2 for deal on Ulta products- you can get 2 products for $6, $8, $10 or $15
With any $35 purchase of Benefit cosmetics, get 4 free gifts *side note* their fake up concealer is on the top of my must have list!
Lastly...
When you purchase any Bare Minerals foundation, get eyeshadow for $10
Don't forget to check out there SALE page with more great deals.

CVS
BOGO 50% off Rimmel, Neutrogena cosmetics and Maybelline and you can use the 20% off coupon on 1 item found in the weekly flyer

Walgreens
BOGO 50% off L'Oreal,
20% off of Dove, St. Ives, Ponds and Simple products

Rite Aid
BOGO 50% off Maybelline, Revlon, Almay, Covergirl lip and nail, Clearasil, Biore, Jergens, Curel and Rite Aid renewal skin care products.
40% off Neutrogena cosmetics

Later this week I hope to share with  you my daily makeup routine. I switch up what I use, because it is so hot/humid now.
Also I'll have a review, another free sample and of course another $1 *GEM*

$1 *GEM*

This weeks $1 *GEM* is from my trip to the dollar store again. It's also from Jordana, but this on is a pressed eyeshadow. The color is called "Turquoise and Caicos" and I picked this color because it was eye catching. I applied it using a NYX eyeshadow brush. The shadow is soft but doesn't kick up any dust when applied. The eyeshadow went on smooth and is actually very pigmented. It layers and smudges beautifully.
I tried 2 looks that are actually very easy to do. When in doubt or in a trouble spot, BLEND, BLEND, BLEND!




         Products I used to create the looks below 

 

The first look (in addition to the eyeshadow):
Elf Mineral mascara $3
Wet n Wild eyeliner in Sky Blue $1
Elf Shimmer eyeliner in Turquoise $1

1-apply the shadow over my entire lid and into the crease. At the outer corner blended up and on an angle.
2-line my upper lash line with the shimmer pencil and stretched the line up and out to meet up with the eyeshadow, creating an elongated cat eye. Smudge ONLY the part of the pencil line on you lash line.
3-gently lined my lower lash line with the shimmer pencil. Lightly smudge that along the lash line.
4-line the water line and line next to the cat eye portion with the Sky Blue pencil.
5-apply mascara to all lashes.


 Second look:
Elf Mineral mascara $3
Elf Kohl pencil in Black $3

1- apply shadow to entire lid blending out all the way up to the browbone and into the inner corner by the nose. I can be a light application now, because you can always add more.
2- using the kohl pencil line the top lid near the lashes and draw a line right in the crease from outer corner to the inside.
3-using the smudge tool found on the end of the kohl liner, smudge the lines by gently rubbing the tool back and forth along each line. Using the kohl pencil, more black can be added in the corner for a more dramatic look.
4- reapply shadow on eyelid ( if necessary for the extra POP) and line water line with kohl liner.
5- apply mascara to all lashes.

 

MAD Minerals FREE samples!

You can receive free samples from MAD Minerals by sending a self addresses stamped envelope to:

MAD Minerals, LLC
P.O. Box 333
Marydel, MD  21649

Full details on their sample program can be found here: http://madminerals.org/pages/sampleprogram.htm

Color Corrector Review and Cheat Sheet

Color Corrector is usually a mystery. It's scary to some people because who in their right mind wants to put blue, red, lavender, yellow or green on their skin?  I am about to give you a crash course in color correction.

Blue/Green can be used interchangeably. These colors both counteract red spots. Which color you use on your skin all depends on you skin tone. If you have a fairer skin tone, the green would be better because it's usually pastel and lighter in intensity. If you have an olive, medium or darker skin tone blue would be ideal because of the heavier color intensity.

Lavender is used to cover green. Usually veins on fairer skin tones.

Yellow is used to brighten dull skin complexions and on complexions with more yellow undertones can cover dark circles.

Red/Salmon/Pink are also used interchangeably. These colors cover dark spots/ areas. Once again the color you pick depends on your skin tone. Fairer complexions would use the pink, medium/olive ( sometimes darker) complexions would use salmon and medium, med. deep and darker ( sometimes olive) complexions use the red.

ALL OF THE CORRECTORS MUST BE COVERED WITH CONCEALER

You may be asking yourself, why can't I just use concealer? You can, but you will still probably see the discoloration showing through. Using the color corrector is the first step in creating a flawless face. In addition, you would use less concealer on the problem areas, eliminating the cakeyness and heaviness of the makeup in areas where we already have problems. For example, most of us have darker under eye circles and a heavy makeup application in this area will just me use look older.

So now you're asking, how much MORE time is this adding to my current makeup regimen?
Only a few seconds and I usually apply it with my fingers.

Now for the review.

I used the red corrector for my dark acne scars and the darker area by the inner corner of my eyes. You only need a tiny bit of an corrector you use.
Here are the 2 I have tried

Deep Brown Corrector by Makeup Designory (MUD) $18- When I saw this used I knew it was for me! The color is very concentrated, it resembles more of a red orange lipstick. By using a tiny bit, it neutralizes the discolorations. I use it almost everyday. Since it's a cream it's easy to apply and blend into the skin and covers effortlessly. Even when I blend my concealer there aren't any remnants of the red showing through. MUD makes great quality makeup and this tiny pot should last a long time.

Red Corrector by Coastal Scents $3.95- I bought this as a test to see if it was actually as good as the MUD product, even though it is a liquid. The liquid can be hard to navigate because you have to blend it in more and it's harder to control than a cream. Overall it works the same as the MUD product be neutralizing my spots. I let the product set for about a minute before I apply my concealer. Because of it's consistency I don't want it moving around into other areas and making my entire face too red. The red does spread around a little bit, but I control that my using separate sponge applicators for my concealer and foundation.

I think if the Coastal Scents corrector was a cream it would be just perfect. The MUD corrector is great and I think it stands out because of it's consistency. If your are looking for other color correctors. Coastal Scents has a color corrector palette (does not include red) for about $5. NYX has pots of color correctors for about $6 each. They do not make a red, but they do make a salmon.

If you have any questions, please email me! I'll be happy to answer them.

Urban Decay Makeup 65% off at Hautelook

Hautelook is having a great sale, but their shipping is $10.95 flat rate.
However, if you add the cost of shipping with the price of the item it's still cheaper than regular cost.
Items are going fast so have a look.

http://www.hautelook.com/invite/ATURPIN990

Look in the beauty tab for the urban decay sale. It ends tomorrow at 8am PST.

Groupon for "YES" products!!

http://www.groupon.com/deals/yes-to-carrots-com-san-Francisco

There are 2 Groupons:

$10 for $20 worth of products

                       or

$20 for $40 worth of products

BEAUTY NEWS 6/2-6/8

After an exhaustive search I was able to find my YES to Grapefruit products. I chose this out of all the YES products because it helps get rid of dark spots. You can find the entire product information on www.yestocarrots.com
I'll give you that review in a week or two.

At Sephora and Ulta the same sales as last week apply this week. So if you missed anything you hav 1 more week to get it.

Walgreens
BOGO 50%- Covergirl, Neutrogena and Revlon lip,eye and tools

CVS
BOGO 50%- Revlon, Neutrogena, Almay, Olay, Cetaphil, Clearasil, Roc and Nuance
Essential Beauty Cosmetic Brushes Buy 2 get 1 free

Rite Aid
BOGO 50%- Covergirl, L'Oreal, Eucerin and Olay
Revlon 40% off
Physicians Formula bronzers are BOGO FREE!