Mascara Makes the Moment #Bellimisa

Press Sample.  All opinions are my own.

Hello, Fireflies!

I keep most makeup much longer than the "rules" say to.  I'm not a germaphobe, and I'm not tossing anything until it no longer pleases me to keep it.  Or it smells funny.

...but, mascara is a little different.  My mom always harped on me to throw away my mascaras after 30 days, and sometimes I did, and sometimes I didn't.  But, they definitely have a shelf-life - old mascaras are teeming with bacteria, they dry out, get flaky or clumpy, and just look bad.  They are the one makeup product I will admit that needs to be replaced on a regular basis - which is why a mascara subscription like Bellimisa makes sense.

Mystic-al Airbrushing and More from #LuminessAir

Press Samples.  All opinions are my own.

Hello, Fireflies!

I can't believe I was ever scared of airbrush makeup.  I've been loving all the airbrush makeup I've gotten to try from Luminess, and it just keeps getting better.  I never thought I'd like a full-coverage foundation before, but Luminess Mystic is a game changer for me.

Fresh and Natural Face with Youngblood #YBCosmetics

Press Samples. All opinions are my own.

Hello, Fireflies!

When I hear the words, "mineral cosmetics," my first association is usually, "messy."  I avoided them for a long time because I didn't know how to use them, I didn't want to deal with the packaging. And, I was missing out.  There is so much more to Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics!

Airbrushed and Blue! #LuminessAir #YBCosmetics #LoracAlterEgo

Luminess Air and Youngblood mascara are Press Samples.  All opinions are my own.

Hello, Fireflies!

I love having fun with makeup, and I have to tell you, this was probably the most fun I've had in a while.  I was so excited to try my first airbrush makeup application, and blue colors are some of my favorite funky fun colors to wear.

Butter London - Shine Out Loud

Press Sample. All opinions are my own.

 Hello, Fireflies!

I have a lot of Butter London polishes that I've bought over the years.  I love the, well, buttery, formula, the fun colors, and the square packaging.  But I hadn't really delved into their new cosmetics line much.  So, when Butter London offered to send me a few things to try, I was cautiously optimistic - could they live up to the love I had for the nail polish?

My Oh Mia Adora!

Hello, Fireflies!

I love long lashes.  I love batting them flirtatiously, I love how they make my eyes look bigger and more dramatic.  I love how they look with a bold cat eye.  If you can't get the look you want with regular mascara, and you're not a fan of falsies, maybe it's time to try a lash extension system like Mia Adora!

One Direction Limited Edition Beauty Collection and Kits! #makeupby1D, #thelookscollection, #markwins

Product provided for review.  All opinions are my own.

Hello, Fireflies!

I have So.Much.Win to show you today.  Remember when I told you about the first One Direction kits?  These are so much better.  Buttery, soft shadows, UV-reactive glitters and lippies, and bright mascaras!  There's a lot of pictures, and swatches, too!

Influenster Spring VoxBox!

Hello, Fireflies!

I was lucky enough to be selected to receive a Spring VoxBox from Influenster.  I had such a ball playing with most of these things, and I can't wait to tell you about them!

Beauty Tuesday - Ellis Faas, and an inspired mani #TMSOrlando

Hi, Fireflies!

Out of allll the amazing things I saw at The Make Up Show Orlando, one of my favorites was the Ellis Faas booth.

In my blogger pack, I was given a sample of Ellis Faas mascara to try, but I couldn't leave without buying the 'Ellis Red' lipstick.  I was so impressed with both items, I knew they had to be my first review for you.. and I had to do an inspired mani!

I wanted to incorporate both the black mascara and the red lipstick, so I did a 'framed' mani using Finger Paints Black Expressionism and a red holo from Above The Curve called, Prototype Red.

Here's the bottle shot:  Above The Curve  Prototype Red and Finger Paints Black Expressionism.

On to the Ellis Faas lovelies - I dig the packaging.  Everything comes in these elongated silver bullet cases.

The end of the tubes tells you what the product is, though, so you don't have to open everything up to see what's what.

L101 is the Creamy Lips Ellis Red.  The applicator is a sponge, and the product comes out when you twist the barrel.  My only complaint about this packaging is that when I had this lipstick in my work bag, some of the product would invariably leak out of the sponge.  Fortunately, it's a thicker formula, so it didn't run anywhere, but I don't want to waste a drop!

Ellis Red mimics the color of natural blood.  The idea is, because everyone's blood looks the same, this color red won't clash with anyone's skin tone.  I find it very wearable, and have truly fallen in love with this color.  I find myself picking certain outfits just so that I can wear this lipstick.

The Ellis Faas mascara has also become my absolute favorite mascara to use.  The only downside for me is the extra-long wand.  If I'm not careful, I usually get a dab of mascara on my cheeks!  I'm pretty uncoordinated, though!

The formula on this mascara is the best I've ever used.  Not only does it cover well with no clumps, it feels amazing all day long.  My lashes never get crunchy or flaky.

At the end of a long day, my eyeliner is smudging, but my mascara isn't budging.  No dotty spots, no flakes.  Comes off with my makeup remover wipes!

Lipstick and mascara both by Ellis Faas.

On EllisFaas.com, the Creamy Lips retails for $35, and the mascara retails for $34.

Have you tried Ellis Faas?  What did you think?

Reviva Labs HypoAllergenic Mascara - Review & Mani

(thanks to Mina Slater for use of this image)

When last we visited the Reviva Labs, I showed you the awesomeness of the Seaweed Soap.  Today, I want to share with you the hypoallergenic mascara.

I started using this mascara after I noticed that my eyes were getting irritated after applying my other mascara.  I have pretty thick, dark lashes with a little bit of curl naturally, but I do like a mascara that adds a little length, and a lot of body.

Without mascara:

With the Reviva Labs mascara:

 Here's what it says on the tube about their product:

I really liked this mascara.  It did smudge a little on me, but to be honest, I've never found a mascara that didn't smudge a little.  I've been using this daily for at least a month, and I haven't had any irritation at all.  I love the way it feels and looks - no flaking, nice thickness, no clumps.

I don't like using oily makeup remover, so I tend to avoid makeup that is difficult to remove, like waterproof mascara.  This mascara removed pretty well with my makeup remover wipes and minimal rubbing.

This is my Reviva mascara mani!  I used OPI Black Onyx for the base, and then used a matte topcoat.  Then I brushed on Orly Glitz and more OPI Black Onyx for the 'eyelashes' on my fingers, and used Orly Glitz for the Reviva logo on my thumb.

I don't think of myself as needing hypoallergenic mascara, but I'm glad to have found this one.  What's your favorite mascara?  Are you looking to try a new one, and if so, would you give Reviva Labs a try?

This product was provided to the Beauty Bloggers of Central Florida for review, however, the opinions stated herein are mine alone and as unbiased as possible.
www.revivalabs.com