Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Press Release | Fill Your Stockings With Breakups to Makeups



The perfect pocket-sized present—now available in English and Spanish!

New York, NY (November 18, 2014)   Breakups to Makeup, known for its smart and chic accessories featuring cosmetic-related slogans, announces an exciting addition to the holiday market with the introduction of Breakups to Makeup compacts.  Measuring in at just about two inches, these compacts feature classic Breakups to Makeup catch-phrases, such as “I May Not Be Perfect, But My Makeup Is”, and “This Is New York City: Our Makeup Needs To Look Good”.  Ideal gifts for any makeup enthusiast, these pocket-sized compacts include a magnifying mirror on one side and a regular mirror on the other.

Along with the introduction of the compacts, Breakups to Makeup will be expanding its campaign by also announcing the first of many products to be presented in Spanish.  Launching the campaign in Spanish will be a compact featuring the best-selling “Amor Me Crio Lipstick Me Salvo” or “Love Raised Me, Lipstick Saved Me” slogan.  Breakups to Makeup plans to ultimately make all of its signature products available in both English and Spanish.

“As makeup artists, makeup is our form of art.  It is our outlet and our release.  No matter what we are going through in life it is the reason why we get out of bed.  Makeup is a true form of art that let’s us not only express ourselves, but also makes others happy,” says Breakups to Makeup founder Angelique Velez. “Personally, going through difficult times in my own life (ahem, a breakup), makeup literally saved me and served as my outlet to devote my time and energy.  Many people don't understand that makeup to us is not "just" a product, but our creative outlet.  I wanted to spread this message in a quirky way, hence the birth of B2M.”

Breakups to Makeup compacts will retail for $10 USD, and will be available starting November 18, 2014 on www.breakupstomakeup.com and select retail outlets and virtual aisles throughout the US.
Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Kat Von D Studded Kiss Lipstick Set - Swatches & Review


Sigh. My wallet is going to hateeeee me. Have ya'll seen this year's holiday sets and exclusives? I'm legit drooling over so many. *cough* I'm looking at you Smashbox Double Exposure Palette *cough* Personally, I love holiday sets because they're a fab way of trying out products you've always been interested in or wanted to try out.

I've been dying to try out Kat Von D's Studded Kiss Lipsticks for the longest time. Kat always comes out with the most insane colors and finishes but sometimes I'm a little nervous to commit to a full size. When I spotted this holiday set, I ordered immediately! 

The Kat Von D Studded Kiss Lipstick Set includes nine 0.04 oz lip shades including four reds, three statement colors and two classic colors in metallic, matte and shimmer finishes. Each is infused with Vitamin A, C and E and has a nice creme brulee scent. The packaging is totally badass with a black studded finish!



Agatha is a matte pale peach nude. Bachelorette is a matte reddish fuchsia. Wonderchilde is an iridescent neon lilac. Countess is a matte hot orange red. Sexer is an iridescent fluorescent pink. Hexagram is a matte blood red. Adora is a metallic golden red. Mötorhead is a matte black cherry. Lovecraft is a matte mauve pink.

Out of this entire set, I only had issues with two of the nine lipsticks. Agatha clinged to every single dry spot on my lip. I definitely recommend exfoliating before using that one. Wonderchilde was a bit of a bummer. It was a bit more sheer than I thought it would be and was a bit patchy. The rest of the lipsticks were an absolute dream to work with. Both Adora and Sexer (metallics) were way smoother on the lips than I thought they'd be given the finish. Besides Agatha, the mattes weren't drying nor did they cling and settle into my lips. My top three faves would definitely be Bachelorette, Motorhead and Lovecraft. Which ones are yours?

Kat Von D Studded Kiss Lipstick Set | Buy ($39)
Monday, November 17, 2014

Hair | Holiday Hair with Infiniti Pro by Conair Curl Secret & Conair 3Q Brushless Motor Dryer


This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.

Hi dolls! Is it me or when the holidays come around, do you take extra time with your hair and makeup because you know you're going to be photographed too? Especially now being a new mommy, these photos are extra-special because they're "firsts" for our new baby. His first Thanksgiving, first Christmas. The pressure is on to look cute so in twenty years, I can look back at them and not gag at what I was wearing or how my hair was done. Kidding. Kind of. Let's be realistic though. Being a new mom doesn't really allow me much time to get all dolled up nonetheless style my hair so lately I've been looking for products that give me the "Yeah, I totally spent an hour getting ready." without the hour actually being spent.


Inspired by the fact that I have about 30 minutes (if I'm lucky and my fiance is around to watch Hunter), I've come up with two super easy-peasy hairstyles that won't make you grimace at your pictures looking back in twenty years.

The Fastest Blow Out Ever | You Will Need:

  • The Infiniti Pro by Conair 3Q Brushless Motor Dryer
  • Conair Professional Round Brush
  • Heat Protectant
  • Volumizing Mousse
I started off with damp hair and sprayed my fave heat protectant in it. If you like volume (I mean, who doesn't?), run your favorite volumizing mousse through your hair as well. Then, taking the Infiniti Pro by Conair 3Q Brushless Motor Dryer, I dried my hair to about 75% which took about all of two minutes with this thing. It's that fast! Then I sectioned my hair and pulled the top half up and out of my way with a banana clip. Taking the bottom half, I split it into four sections about 2 inches each. 


Taking my Conair Professional Round Brush, I took my hair at the root and started to blow dry just the roots. Then taking the round brush in one hand I spun my brush down and away from my face and with the other hand, blow dried it. Once you've done your entire hair, I like to set with a lightweight hair spray and ta-da! All done! 


The Infiniti Pro by Conair 3Q Brushless Motor Dryer is my answer from the hair gods when it comes to time-saving. Proven to dry equivalent to 2000 watts and up to 70% faster dry time even at a lower temperature so it doesn't harm your hair. It's also pretty quiet (about 40% less noise than your normal blow dryer) which is great when there's sleeping babies and dogs that hate blow dryers in the same house. The coolest thing about this dryer is that it's brushless and uses magnets and electronics to drive the motor.

Curly Side Hair | You Will Need:

  • Infiniti Pro by Conair Curl Secret Curling Iron
  • Conair 90 Pack Bobby Pins
I started by heating up my Infiniti Pro by Conair Curl Secret Curling Iron to the high setting and set the timer to 8 seconds. The lower the amount of time, the looser the curlers so if you set it to 8 seconds they'll be the loosest curls and 12 seconds will be the tightest curls. It took about 30 seconds to heat up but the solid red ready light will let you know. Brush through your dry hair and make sure they are no tangles. Then split your hair and put the top half up with a banana clip. Position the Infiniti Pro by Conair Curl Secret Curling Iron so the curl chamber is facing your head (it says it on the iron so you don't get confused). Take a section of 1-1 1/2 inch of hair and place it into the hair guide. Close down the handles and let the hair be drawn into the curling chamber. Hold until the beep becomes rapid (depending on which timer you set it to) and then let go to release the curl. Continue until your entire head is done. 


Once your hair is curled, I like to rake my fingers through to break them up a little and create some volume. I then took my hair and pulled it to the side and secured it with about three Conair Bobby Pins. Lastly, I took a piece from the opposite side, twisted and pulled it back and also secured it with a bobby pin. Finish off with some hairspray and a bright red lip and you're set!



The Infiniti Pro by Conair Curl Secret Curling Iron is a new mommy's dream! It's exactly what I need to get gorgeous curls in a matter of seconds. It's heats up within a minute. It's incredibly easy to part my hair in 1 - 1 1/2 inch sections (I don't recommend using anything thicker) and allowing the hair to be drawn into the curl chamber. It's 3/4 inch tourmaline inside the curl chamber for smooth, consistent curls every single time. Depending on the certain timer setting, I get curls within seconds that hold all night long! 

You can find both the Infiniti Pro by Conair Curl Secret and the Infiniti Pro by Conair 3Q Brushless Motor Dryer at Walmart in the hair care aisle. 

How will you be doing your hair for the holidays? :)

|| #heartmyhair #collectivebias
Monday, November 17, 2014

Mommy Time | Quickie Pedicure with Amopé Pedi Perfect


This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.

Since becoming a new mommy and a stay-at-home mom (double whammy!), I've found myself often picking cuddle time over shower time and really any "me" time in general. I love, love, love spending time with my son but lately my biggest indulgence has been to hand Hunter over to my fiance or mom (I'm a bit of a baby-hog, I'll admit it.) and take an hour to do my own thing whether it be an at-home pedicure or actually doing my hair.


Naturally, I like to fit in as much as I can into one hour so I've come up with a quickie pedicure that takes 20 minutes at the most:

1. Take it off. Remove your old nail polish. Or if you're like me, remove that little polish that's left of your summer pedicure that hasn't chipped away yet.

2. Exfoliate. This is a huge one! My feet are always dry since I like to walk around barefoot all the time. I've been using the Amopé Pedi Perfect which is an awesome new gadget I picked up at Target to buff away dead skin and leave my feet feeling nice and smooth. No joke, it took off months of dead skin in minutes the first time I used it!



  

3. Lotion up! Lather those feetsies up with a nice, moisturizing lotion. I've been using the new coordinating Amopé  Pedi Perfect Daily Moisturizer with the Pedi Perfect gadget for baby-soft feet. This has a nice scent, soaks in fast and leaves behind no greasy residue. Optional: Apply lotion and cover with socks overnight for extra-softness.

4. Polish it off. My favorite polish colors for fall are a nice deep red, a super sparkly glitter or a gorgeous nude. Don't forget to finish it off with a nice top coat!


(I swear that's not skin! It's paper towel from drying it off!)

Amopé is Portuguese for "love your feet" and is a new brand enabling women to "respect their feet" and enjoy every step! I found both the Amopé Pedi Perfect gadget as well as the lotion at Target in the feet care aisle, not the beauty aisle.

  
Currently, there's two special promotions going on at Target for these products:
- Purchase one Pedi Perfect and receive a $5 Target gift card (11/9 - 11/22)
- Use this coupon and get 10% off your purchase (11/2 - 11/22)

What's your favorite way to pamper yourself? 

#RespectUrFeet #CollectiveBias #Shop
Thursday, November 13, 2014

OCC Pro's Picks Portables - Lip Tar: Test Tube x 12 Set - Review &Swatches


PHEW! Say that headline ten times fast, huh? I'm loving all the holiday sets coming out this year and this one from Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics is no exception!
The OCC Pro's Picks Portables Lip Tar Test Tube Holiday Set comes with twelve 0.08 ounce bold lip tars in matte and metallic finishes and a full-sized lip brush. 

The set includes:
  • Interlace | (matte) Palest peach creme
  • Zhora | (metallic) Peach with pink shimmer
  • Annika | (matte) Pale neutral peach
  • Cha Cha | (matte) Pale tangerine
  • Grandma | (matte) Clean, classic coral
  • Vintage | (matte) Deep burgundy
  • Harlot | (matte) Neon popsicle red
  • Nylon | (matte) Neon bubblegum pink
  • Hoochie | (matte) Vibrant magenta
  • Digitalis | (matte) Pink-tinged lavendar
  • Sebastian | (matte) Plum-toned taupe
  • Iced | (metallic) Pure white frost
 L-R: Interlace, Zhora, Annika, Cha Cha, Grandma, Vintage, Harlot, Nylon, Hoochie, Digitalis, Sebastian and Frost

You know that saying, "Though they be but little, they are fierce." (or something along those lines...) That's these babies to a tee. OCC Lip Tars are insanely pigmented and a little drop goes the longest way. You can probably get about 25-30 uses out of each of these small tubes. Cray, right? As always, I recommend using the brush it comes with to apply. It just makes it so much easier and it already comes with it, so why not? The brush is small and precise and perfect to work with these formulas.

My three favorites from the set are:
Harlot

Digitalis

Sebastian

Which is your favorite?

OCC Lip Tars | Price: $59 - Buy
* PR Sample
Monday, November 10, 2014

Holiday || Man Guide With Kohls


Holy Kris Kringle, guys! The holidays are officially upon us! This year, I've partnered up with Kohls and with the help of my fiance am bringing you a top five holiday gift guide for that special guy in your life.


Now, my fiance is a tough cookie to shop for. Not only is he pretty picky but he's the kind of guy that likes so many different things, you almost don't even know where to start when it comes to buying him a gift. Thankfully, Kohls has their own gift idea page for these tough cookies. From watches to clothes to fun toys from the Man Cave section, there's a little somethin' somethin' for just about every type of guy out there.

Together we've come up with five things we think every dude would like to see under the tree:

  • Caravelle New York Men's Stainless Steel Chronograph Watch  | ($99 - on sale) - The fiance says, "Every guy needs a nice watch for a night out. It's a masculine piece that goes with anything - without breaking the bank! The blue face inside a dark frame makes it unique without overpowering." 
  • Dockers Leather Trifold Wallet | ($28 - B1G1 1/2 off) - "What man doesn't need a leather wallet? Perfect for those stacks of money we hide from our wives." He's hilarious, ladies and gentlemen. Comes with multiple card slots as well as a double pocket for your money and receipts. 
  • Totes Whistle Key Finder | ($20) - Okay. I picked this out! Lose your keys? All you have to do is whistle and an alarm will chirp so you can find your them. SO genius! I know my fiance will absolutely love this. This comes on a key ring with a built-in LED light and an on/off switch to silent for public/quiet areas/whistling conventions.
  • Rock & Republic Quilted Faux-Leather Moto Jacket | ($119 - on sale!) - Whether your guy is into hiking, biking or books, putting this jacket on makes you feel like an instant B.A. - and who doesn't want that wrapped up in a box for the holidays?
  • Urban Pipeline Plaid Flannel Shirt in Ahoy Navy PR | ($19.99 - on sale!) - Layered under a henley or over a tee, a flannel is a staple for a guy's closet! This one comes in ten different colors.

What's on your guys wish list? 

Kohls | Shop / Gift Ideas
* Sponsored
|| #KohlsManGuide

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