Pages

Tags

review (8) tips (8) foundation (7) eyeshadow (4) eotd (3) eyes (3) green (3) mac (3) pixiwoo (3) quick tip (3) tutorials (3) avon (2) bb cream (2) eye looks (2) holiday (2) lipstick (2) makeup (2) mascara (2) matte (2) primer (2) purple (2) reviews (2) summer (2) 8 bit cosmetics (1) DIY (1) Lancome (1) Q&A (1) QA (1) Valentine's Day (1) allergens (1) aromaleigh (1) artist (1) basics (1) beauty balm (1) beauty box (1) beautybox5 (1) blush (1) bridal (1) bronze (1) brown (1) brows (1) brushes (1) budget (1) chapped lips (1) china glaze (1) chocolate (1) coastal scents (1) color (1) concealer (1) coupon code (1) drugstore (1) dry skin (1) face (1) fallout (1) glimmersticks (1) gold (1) grooming (1) gurus (1) haul (1) how-to (1) invisalign (1) irritants (1) korea (1) lanolin (1) lengthening (1) liner (1) lingo (1) lips (1) looks (1) mardi gras (1) matching (1) maybelline (1) meow cosmetics (1) messy (1) metallics (1) mineral makeup (1) mon ennui cosmetics (1) multi-tasking (1) nail polish (1) nails (1) not recommended (1) oil-free (1) pigments (1) pink (1) pixi (1) powder (1) pro tips (1) questions (1) real techniques (1) realtechniques (1) sanitation (1) science (1) series (1) service (1) shadow (1) shape (1) shields (1) simple eye (1) skin79 (1) snail (1) spf (1) stick foundation (1) subscription (1) terminology (1) tinted moisturizer (1) too faced (1) toothpaste (1) tutorial (1) unboxing (1) undertone (1) videos (1) wayne goss (1) wearable (1) wedding (1) winged liner (1) yes i'm whining (1)

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Chapped Lips Mystery Solved

So this is not a big deal, but every since winter, I've been dealing with constantly chapped lips. I know you're not supposed to lick them, and I cut out using anything with mint in it because I know I can be sensitive to that, but STILL chapped lips. It was bad enough I hadn't even worn lipstick in months because it looked like crap when I did.

Eww, right?
[Photo credit]


I thought maybe it had something to do with me wearing Invisalign and had pretty much given up and decided to live with it when I stumbled across some information linking toothpaste ingredients to chapped lips.

EUREKA!

Since getting the Invisalign, I've been brushing my teeth like 4 times more often daily because you have to brush every time you eat or drink something (other than water). Normally, brushing a normal amount, my toothpaste wasn't an issue, but suddenly being exposed to it more was irritating my lips.

Solution: I bought some toothpaste called Squigle. Stupid name, I know, but it has no SLS (sodium laureth sulfate - same thing you want to avoid in shampoos if you have colored hair) and doesn't use some other ingredients that can be irritating also.

After using the new toothpaste faithfully for over a week now, I think I can confidently say my lips are on the mend finally.

I am looking forward to rocking a bright summer lip soon!

[Photo credit


Want more? I'm on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and soon YouTube!:


Twitter: @ninjaGlamour
Instagram: ninjaGlamourMUA
http://www.facebook.com/ninjaGlamour
http://www.youtube.com/ninjaglamour


Monday, July 22, 2013

Unboxing: BeautyBox5 July 2013

Welp, sorry to say it, but BeautyBox5 was a bummer again this month. I am definitely not going to resubscribe after my 3 mo trial is over*. 

THIS month (July 2013), I got a full-size "Made in China" rebranded bright red lipgloss (Be A Bombshell, shade is "hot mess" 3g size), $1 worth of antibaterial wipes (LA Fresh, 8ct), 2 nail polish remover wipes (srsly, wth?), a foot pumice stone (already have two) and a deluxe face serum sample.

BeautyBox5 says the lipgloss is worth $14 retail, but it's exactly the same thing you see on eBay from China retailing for ~$1 ea. The formula is unscented and unflavored. It doesn't seem terribly pigmented, but the swatch did stain my hand slightly - guessing this is due to the D&C Red dye in the ingredients. I wouldn't ever purchase this product for myself because cosmetics made in China are NOT cruelty-free. China actually *requires* animal testing, booooo.

The foot pumice retails for $8.99. I already have two of these, but I guess I could replace one of them with this one and call it "for sanitary reasons". I usually pay way less than $8.99 for these, so wondering if the higher price means this product has some special feature? It's pink, btw, which some people might love - my other ones are gray and not so cute. 

The full size of the serum (.85fl oz) is supposedly $158, which I'd never pay anyhow. The sample is .25fl oz, so if I have my mathstimate correct, that's about $45 worth of product by their reckoning. I guess if you were really into the face serum then this month's box would be totally worth it, but I'm really not crazy about skincare samples because you never get enough to know if the product works or not anyhow. The serum claims results after 28 days, but the sample isn't going to last that long, so.....?

Oh, there was also a $10 off coupon for MyNameNecklace.com, which I will never use. They do have items as low as about $20 on their site, so this coupon could save you about 50% on some items. If you're interested, coupon code is GIFTBOX and is valid until September 1, 2013. This is not a unique code and I have no affiliation with the company.

Will post photos of the items if anyone is interested, just leave me a comment.

Do you have beauty subscriptions you actually like? What are they? I could seriously use some pointers because my luck has been horrible. Only one I have liked so far is Ipsy**, despite them getting a rocky start originally with the GlamBag.


Want more? I'm on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and soon YouTube!:






*Disclaimer: I purchased the BeautyBox5 subscription with my own money. No compensation is being granted for reviews.

**Affiliate link

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Q&A: Should I put foundation down my neck as well as on my face?

Today's Q&A received from a Facebook fan:

Q: "Should you put foundation all over your neck as well?"

A: In my opinion, only in certain situations:

  1. If your face and your neck are naturally very different colors. In some cases, fake tan can help here better than foundation though. Dusting on a bit of bronzer on your neck with a fluffy brush is also an option if your neck is a lot lighter than your face.
  2. If you are wearing something with an exposed neckline and you tend to get red/blotchy in that area (like me). Just be sure to use a transfer-resistant formula so it doesn't get on your clothes.


Otherwise, your foundation should be a good enough match that it's not necessary to carry it down your neck. Foundation should be tested on your jawline to make sure it matches both areas fairly well, and blended well around the jawline so you don't have the dreaded "foundation mask". 

Hope that helps and I'd be happy to go shopping with any of my local clients if you're having trouble matching! I totally don't trust the sales clerks since they've sold me the wrong color SO many times. I don't sell makeup, so I have no incentive to give anything other than an honest opinion. :)