MARCH BEAUTY HAUL!!

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I thought it would be nice to do a haul of some of the beauty products I’ve purchased over the past couple of weeks. I am always watching tutorials and beauty hauls on Youtube and I find some of them quite useful. It’s interesting to see what products people are enjoying. Here are some of my most recent purchases:

• Pond’s Cold Cream – I use the Pond’s Cold Cream as a cleanser for my face and follow-up with Pond’s Wet Cleansing Towelettes. Both are good for cleansing as well as make-up removal. I also use Pond’s Dry Skin Cream to moisturize my face. ($9 for 9.5 Oz. in CVS)
• Nail Polishes – As some of you may have noticed, nail polish is my newest obsession! I’ve purchased just a few that I’d like to tell you about.

1. Re-Fresh Mint by China Glaze – This color makes me want to go get a cup of mint chocolate chip ice cream! It’s a cream color with a very light green tint. If you are looking for an even cheaper version of this color, Sallie Hansen has it in Mint Sorbet. ($5, Sally’s Beauty Supply)
2. Gunmetal (310) by Sally Hansen (Xtreme Wear) – This color is a frosty dark grey that makes me feel a little dark and edgy and yet feminine and sophisticated. ($2, Target)
3. Blue Me Away (04) by Sally Hansen (Xtreme Wear) – This color reminds me of blue tropical skittles! It’s comparable to Sephora’s “Slushied” from the Glee Collection, but much cheaper. ($2, Target)
4. Zulu by NARS – This color is a very dark (almost black) green. It makes me think of dirty money! I’ve never seen a green quite like this, which is why I paid so much for it. ($16, Lord & Taylor)
5. Sticky Base Coat by Creative Nail Design – As mentioned in one of my previous posts, this base coat is supposed to prevent peeling and chipping. The verdict is still out on this one, but I will definitely let you guys know how I like it and if it actually works! ($9, Ulta)

• Mac Mineralized Skinfinish in Deep Dark – Because I don’t particularly care for foundation and I don’t need a lot of coverage on my face, this mineralized powder makes my skin appear even without looking too caky or too made up. Loves it! ($27, Mac Cosmetics)
• Framboise Attraction 3 Blush by Sephora – This is the first blush I’ve ever tried and I am loving it! It is a very subtle pink blush that adds just enough color to my face without looking overdone. ($12, Sephora)
• The Falsies Volum’ Express by Maybelline – While I love expensive mascaras, the fact remains that drug store mascaras are just as good if not better! I love Falsies, Million Lashes and Voluminous Mascaras so I rotate all three. ($5, Target)
• Lipsticks – I just recently started wearing lipstick. I am normally a gloss girl, but since I discovered that Mac has a “Back to MAC program,” I’ve been returning my six empty Mac containers in exchange for free lipsticks. Here are my two newest ones:

1. Girl About Town Lipstick from Mac – Very pretty fuchsia color.  (Free with 6 empty containers, Mac Cosmetics)
2. Myth Lipstick from Mac – Myth is somewhat of a pale beige that is perfect for a nude lip. ($14.50, Mac Cosmetics)

• Mac Select Cover-Up Concealer – I have a few dark spots on my face that I like to “conceal” prior to putting my Mineralized Skinfinish powder on so I use this concealer to do so. ($16.50, Mac Cosmetics)
• Mac Dazzleglass Lip Gloss – Since I’ve already dedicated an entire post to dazzleglass, I won’t go into too many details about it here. I will just tell you which ones I purchased recently: Boy Bait, Like Venus and Date Night. ($19 each, Mac Cosmetics)

If you all decide to try any of the products mentioned above, please be sure to email me at clutchez@gmail.com and let me know how they work for you. Gracias!!! XOXO

KREATIVE TOUCH by Kim

I used to frequent a boutique (Via Chic) near the Baltimore Harbor that had some of the most unique accessories I’ve ever seen. Unfortunately, they sold their space a few years ago and I have yet to find such original pieces…until now.

Kimberly Thorne (pictured to the left) of Kreative Touch has only been designing earrings for three months, and she is already a force to be reckoned with. In December 2010 she visited an expo where she purchased a pair of leather earrings, and thought to herself, “I can make these.” Kim purchased the materials and began to experiment with various looks and before she knew it, the earrings were selling themselves! Check out some her earrings below:

The ones in the middle (in the picture above) are my favorite! I actually ordered a pair recently and I love the way they look on. Her earrings are all made of leather and come in a variety of colors, shapes, sizes, and materials. The ones featured in this post aren’t nearly as many as she has in production right now so be sure to contact her so that she can show you what she has in stock!!

Because this is a new venture for Kim she doesn’t have a website yet, but you can contact her at Kreativetouch4u@Gmail.Com if you’d like to purchase her earrings.

Crackle Glaze

As promised, I wanted to tell you guys about my experience with Crackle Glaze. I love it!! Pictured below is the Black Mesh Crackle Glaze on top of Sexy in the City. Mistakingly though, I painted my pinky and ring fingers with a regular black polish (Liquid Leather by China Glaze) before I realized that it wasn’t the Crackle Glaze. Lol…Obviously, the bottles look very similar. Either way, I love the way my nails turned out…Take a peek below:

 

One quick tip is that you should wait until your base color is completely dry before applying Crackle Glaze. Also, it initially looks a little dry, but once you put a top coat on top of it, it will be ultra shiney and both the base color and the Crackle Glaze will pop even more.

Secondly, I’ve recently spoken with a manicurist who told me that Creative Nail Design is the best brand to go to for base and top coats. To ensure that your polish lasts, try the Creative Sticky Base Coat and the Creative Super Shiney Top Coat!! Please let me know how these work for you, I will certainly be trying them as well…Smooches!

Style Event at the LOFT: March 10th and 12th

Anyone who knows me knows that I absolutely love Ann Taylor LOFT!! It’s more affordable than Ann Taylor but just as sophisticated. Right now they are promoting the Super Six Essentials for their Spring collection, which include:

1. The Blouse
2. The Fresh Tee
3. The Leg Lengthening Trouser
4. The Cute Cropped Pant
5. The New Cardigan
6. The Dress

What is not included in this list are super cute jackets, which are a must for Spring. The three pictures above are my favorite looks from this collection. I adore the dresses, jackets and cropped jeans, which can all easily be mixed and matched.

To futher promote their Spring line, the LOFT will be having a style event in stores across the country on March 10th or 12th. Check their website at http://www.anntaylorloft.com to find out when the store near you is having their event (either Thursday or Saturday of this week). Refreshments will be served and you will have the opportunity to check out all the items mentioned above as well as the rest of their Spring collection. Lastly, today is the last day you to save 30% on full-priced items in the store as well as online! Happy Shopping!!

*All pictures provided by Ann Taylor Loft.

Jeanius Collection Spring 2011

Mac Cosmetics has recently released their Jeanius collection.  It is a denim inspired collection of beautiful blues and indigo with a hint of pink. The collection includes eye shadows, lipsticks,  blush, lipglass, and nail lacquer. Check it out below:

To order these products, visit: http://www.maccosmetics.com.

Images from http://www.Temptalia.com