New Do New You!

          Recently I've been in a bit of a hair funk. I went pretty blonde back in June and haven't touched it since then.... I'm lazy and cheap! So my hair has been looking pretty damaged and brassy. So being the procrastinator that I am, I decided the end of them semester when all the work/ studying starts piling up was the PERFECT time for a hair shake up. I had been toying with the idea of going a whole lot shorter and just touching up the color, something a la Taylor Swift in the Shake it Off video or I LOVED Lo Bosworth's new short and sassy cut, however after the half mullet I was pretty scissor shy.

 

Well I plucked up my courage and headed to the salon and trusted my brand new hair dresser and came out looking like a whole new person! My hair dresser was super confident and made it really easy to trust her, so when she said going lighter would just damage my hair more, I just decided to go with whatever! I ended up going about 3inches shorter and a color I didn't expect but absolutely love. Maybe my bad hair curse has been broken? All I know is I know who I'm going to for my next haircut!

Before

After!

What do you think? Quite the change huh?

Rose Gold Stole My Heart

From the moment I pressed the confirm purchase button I have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of the most beautiful makeup brushes in the world! Am I the only person who obsessively tracks packages? I think I checked the progress about three times a day... I was excited, don't judge! My obsessive browser refreshing was relieved earlier this week when these beauties arrived at my doorstep! The Zoeva Rose Gold Makeup brushes are finally mine!

I had been waffling for about 2 months (yes months), about wether or not I needed this set but really they are just too pretty not to own!

Opening this package, it just oozed luxury. The set came in a leather pouch with a rose gold zipper inside of a sleeper bag or dust bag as some call it.

All I want to do is run these over my face they are that soft! I'm loving the angled cheek brush and silk finish brush.

I really love the design of these brushes, the rose gold (obviously), the handles are thicker and feel very sturdy, they're shorter as well compared to my MAC and Sigma brushes, and I really love the Zoeva motto on the end of the handle as well! I think it's such a nice touch.

In My Glory, Soap & Glory!

Well I'm finally here with my Soap & Glory review! A bit of a long time coming I know, but I wanted to make sure i'd given the products enough of a test time so I could give you an honest opinion. So my mother and sister went to Africa about a month and a half ago and they stopped over at Heathrow Airport. So being the beauty addict I am, instead of a souvenir tshirt I requested a list of Soap & Glory products I couldn't get ahold of in the States. From my list of 5 I got the two most important on the list! The Ultimelt hot cloth cleanser and the No Clogs Allowed self heating deep detox mask (what a mouthful THAT name is!).

First up is the Ultimelt,  and let me say this is my favorite of the two. Put this baby on, massage it into your skin on a full face of makeup and it literally melts it away! I have been loving this to take off my makeup at night and i'm about 1/2 way through the tube already. I'm seriously concerned about how I'm going to go about getting another bottle of this since I'm already addicted.

I was wearing the Bennifit They're Real Mascara in the day these were taken and that stuff is notoriously difficult to get off... as you can tell by my raccoon eyes The Ultimelt was up to the job! I also found that my eyelashes were softer after using this cleanser. Not what they market it for but I was happy with the side effect. I was really happy that this didn't break me out as that had been happening with most cleansers I had been trying and my skin felt really clean and soft after this.

Now the No Clogs Allowed, I was really excited about this for the self heating part of the mask. It really is warm! The tube says to shake the mask before applying which I found a little difficult as it is a pretty thick product and in a tube so not exactly conducive to shaking. However I did what I could! The mask comes out a light green color and is a weird texture. It's chalky and grainy and a bit lumpy.

I could feel the mask heating when I first applied it to my skin, I paid close attention to my nose to get at those pesky blackheads when smoothing it on for the first time. Next you wet your hands and scrub some more! The mask heats again and is supposed to turn blue to let you know when to stop but i haven't seen that happening. It really buffs away dead skin and after this is off my face feels like a baby's bottom!! Overall a great product as well! I'm not going through it as quickly as the Ultimelt because I only use it once or twice a week.

Soap & Glory really need to get their act in gear and sell the full line of products in the States and Canada! I was in New Brunswick a few days ago and hit up Shoppers thinking I'd be able to find some but they have the same products Sephora has here. Needless to say I was disappointed.

NYX Butter Glosses

Ok people I think I may be in love.... with a lipgloss. Not just one though, an entire line of lip glosses! And as you can probably deduce from the title, they are the NYX butter glosses. I first purchased the Creme Brûlée shade from ULTA and from the moment it touch my lips I was hooked and had to grow the family. As of this post I am the proud owner of 5 shades: Creme Brûlée, Fortune Cookie, Peach Cobbler, Maple Blondie, and finally, Red Velvet.

These are the newest additions to the family I instagramed after purchase

These glosses really do live up to their name. They are super buttery and are extremely pigmented, not sticky at all and for a $6 gloss they last really well! The darker shades are almost like a lip stain in lasting time.

From top to bottom: Red Velvet, Peach Cobbler, Maple Blondie, Creme Brûlée, Fortune Cookie

From left to right: Fortune Cookie, Creme Brûlée, Maple Blondie, Peach Cobbler, Red Velvet

Now it isn't all sunshine and roses with these. Formulation wise i'm in love but I am not a huge fan of the Fortune Cookie color. I find it too pale and it really washes me out. I've been trying it over different lipsticks but because it is such a thick and creamy formula it really isn't working. But one out of five isn't bad right? I am really excited to grab some more colors and expand my little Butter Gloss family!

L'Oreal Voluminous Butterfly Mascara

    I picked this L'Oreal mascara at ULTA right after I got back from South Carolina. Initially, I hate to say, I got sucked into the marketing which is why I picked it up. However, after using it  for a few weeks... I'm in love! It has a really unique wand, it looks like a butterfly wing... Gee i wonder how the product gets it's name? This baby really does it's job though! They longer bristles on the outside really lengthen and volumizes the outer lashes creating an almost flash lash look. But in a really natural way, confusing I know. The wand is rubber with a really flexible head and is great for getting the base of your lashes to volumize but the bottom of the wand has shorter bristles which i like to use to coat my bottom lashes.

    I didn't get a water proof version because i HATE trying to get it off at night but this stays on all day, doesn't flake, and holds a curl really well. Over all L'Oreal gets an A++ in my book!! And you have to love the price too! Drugstore mascaras are my fav, anything under $10 is worth it in my book!

Pre Mascara

After Mascara

         As you can see my lashes are visibly more voluminous, lengthened, and curled. I'm literally in love with this mascara!!!!

PS. Please ignore my unruly eyebrows... I have an appointment to get the waxed!