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Showing posts from 2014

BB Creams: e.l.f Studio BB Cream Review

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e.l.f's BB Cream is one of the heaviest coverage BB Creams I had ever tried. The product is thick and creamy, and can easily pass for a foundation. Even with the heavy consistency, it still blends into the skin beautifully.  RELATED POST:  BB Cream: Lumene Bright Now Vitamin C BB Cream SPF 20 It is a bit on the oilier end, so it is perfect for those with dry skin. Unfortunately I have oily combination skin, so I do need to set this with a powder, and even then I would need to blot my face with a blotting paper half-way through the day. Even so, I do enjoy how this product looks on my skin. The coverage is beautiful, dewy and not heavy.

Tutorial: Kat Von D "Innerstellar" Silver Moon Eye Look

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This is a perfect look for the New Year Celebration to come. It's bright, metallic and eye catching, but still mellow enough for those that enjoy looks more on the subtle-side throughout the year.  This look is created by using Kat Von D's New Limited Edition Eyeshadow Palette called "Innerstellar" . You can find this palette at Sephora, at $46.00. You can find my full review of this palette here, but in this post, I will be sharing with you on how I achieved this eye look, and which products I used.

Eyeshadow Palette: Kat Von D "Innerstellar" Palette Review

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Today I present to you, Kat Von D New Limited Edition Eyeshadow Palette. Isn't it beautiful! The moment I saw this come available at Sephora for VIB and Rouge members, I immediately placed an order.  After playing around with it a couple times, I have a few opinions formed about it and I would like to share it with you as well as swatches of each eyeshadow. 

Tutorial: Urban Decay Vice3 | Holiday Berry Eye Look

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Another look from the beloved Urban Decay Vice 3 Palette and this time I came up with a look that fits the holidays perfectly. There's something about the cranberry or berry colors that screams Holiday appropriate, so I knew I had to use the berry column (column #4) in the Vice 3 palette to do a Festive Themed look.

DIY "Photo Memories" Ornament (Gift for Someone Special)

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Happy Holidays everyone! Today I will be sharing with you a gift I made for someone special in my life. One of the greatest things in life is not only the people in your life, but the memories you share with them. So I decided to enclose a few photo memories into a clear ornament as a gift of treasured moments.

Beauty Review: Best Lip Balm Ever! Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm

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"THE ORIGINAL.THE BEST. AND STILL YOUR FAVORITE."                                                                                           -BURT'S BEES- THIS QUOTE SAYS IT ALL ABOUT HOW I FEEL ABOUT BURT'S BEES' "ORIGINAL" BEESWAX LIP BALM. I HAVE TIRED THE OTHER SCENTS/FLAVORS THAT BURT'S BEES HAVE TO OFFER BUT I COULD NEVER STRAY TOO FAR FROM THE ORIGINAL FOR LONG.

DIY Holiday Decor: Halloween to Holiday Tree

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I am absolutely in love with the way this tree came out! It is just so beautiful, and it screams "White Christmas". I have it on display right now in my living room with a few tiny presents, white reindeers, and a nutcracker. Everytime I look in that general area, it just brings a smile to my face. 

Mascaras: Jordana Best Lash Extreme Volumizing Mascara Review

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I first heard about this mascara from a fellow YouTuber, Lauren Curtis, and she raved on and on about it, that of course, I just had to see what the fuss was all about and since it was only $2.99, it didn't hurt the wallet.  And let me tell you, I LOVE THIS MASCARA!  This definitely made its way to my top five of Drugstore mascara. 

Winter Beauty Favorites 2014

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It still amazes me on how my skin changes with the season. I enjoy winter because of the Holidays, but I do not enjoy the bitter cold (as if the Bay Area gets extremely cold to began with...*sarcasm*) because cold weather means dry skin. The dry skin hasn't been too bad on my face the past couple of years, since I have my skincare routine down, but for my hands...it is truly brutal. Luckily, I have found some products that helped me along these harsh times, and today I would like to share them with you, as well as, other products I have been loving for the past few weeks. 

Nail Combo - Sinful Colors (Serena And Chloe & Let Me Go)

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Beautiful, beautiful combination. It is seriously the perfect holiday-nailcolor. In order for me to get this color, I had to layer two nail polishes together. **My sincere apologies about the state of my nails. The nails were ruined within a hour after application due to the fact I never give enough time for the polish to dry completely and I thought it was a great idea to do the dishes, but seriously, who has time to sit around for a few hours?**

Tutorial: "Freeze" Eye Look | Urban Decay Vice3 Palette

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Freeze is definitely the most unique shadow in the Vice3 palette for me. I just love how it is this shimmery, muted cloudy-gray blue. The color reminds me of how the sky looks through a stormy cloud. So I figured a shadow like this deserves something more than the usual looks I usually do...so I settled on a more dramatic look. So this is what I came up with.

Body Lotions: Yes to Carrots Body Moisturizing Lotion Review

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It's that time of the year again, when I do not like the weather very much because the cold weather makes my hands and cuticles all chapped! Sometimes there is nothing worst than a handful of painful hangnails or random cuts on your hands due to extremely dry hands. Also, for a person who has the worst memory to remember to put on moisturizer every night before bed (most of the time its due to laziness), having a winter condition like this is the worst thing ever! Luckily I have the best body lotion with me for this winter! I know it's a "body" lotion and not a "hand" cream, but it works just as great as a hand cream, and it is the Yes to Carrots Body Moisturizing Lotion. I have been a huge fan of this lotion ever since it came out. I remember those days working at Walgreens, and being all excited about this new line coming in. The company gave the store this Body Moisturizer as a tester, and I remembered using it every time I worked because I just love

Eyeshadow Palette: Urban Decay "Naked3" Eyeshadow Palette Review

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Today I will talking about the 3rd Love-Child in Urban Decay's Naked Line, the Naked3. It is the best of both skin tone worlds (Warm-Cool), so you can say that it is the in-between palette of the Warm-tone Naked Original and the Cool-tone Naked2. Although it is packaged similarly to its two older sister, Naked2, the shadows within the palettes is completely, uniquely one-of-a-kind. All 12 shadows are new-shades to the Urban Decay Line, and all 12 shadows has a rose-hued base, meaning each shadow has a romantic-rosey undertone that is sure to make any eye look eye-catching.

Eyeshadow Palette: Urban Decay "Naked2" Eyeshadow Palette

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When this palette was "new", the Naked2 was a must have because it consisted of 5 never-seen before eyeshadows (Booty-Call, Tease, Busted, Snakebite, & Pistol) & it also came with the "new" double-ended, cruelty-free Karma Brush, exclusive only to this palette. Now, the only thing special about this palette is the shadow, "Booty Call", exclusive only to the Naked2 (to my knowledge). So is this palette still worth purchasing? (In regards to if you still don't own the Naked2, of course.)

Eyeshadow Palette: Urban Decay "Naked" Eyeshadow Palette

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Geez, I have never realized how beautiful the packaging was until now, when I have it in my hands and can call this palette mine. I don't know why I didn't buy it the moment it became available, (it was cheaper then too, $48.00) but I am glad that I have it now.

My Library: The Mortal Instruments

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"My Library", is a new series that I will be starting on my blog where I will be sharing with you books/series that I have really been enjoying and would love to share with you. I simply love reading, and I love being taken into another world that is not my own and meeting and falling in love with the characters in the story. Books are a great way to escape to, especially when you feel the world you live in gets a little too much to handle.  Beautiful picture of the Characters from the inside of the cover page of  Book 6: City of Heavenly Fire. For my first post, I want to introduce to you a world that has completely captured my full attention since last May of 2013, and it is "THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS", by Cassandra Clare.

Review: Physicians Formula Organic Wear 100% Natural "CC" Curl + Care Mascara

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From all the "BBs" and "CCs" that have been coming out in the skincare department, to see a "CC" version of it in a Mascara was really intriguing. For the skin "CC" means Color Correcting, but for a mascara, "CC", according to Physicians Formula means Curl  + Care, and Physicians Formula is claiming that this Mascara does not only conditions your lashes, but it also curls them without the help of an eyelash curler, and it was this claim that caught my attention. Not having to always use an eyelash curler before applying mascara?! Heck yeah, I want that! So the really question is, does it really curl the lashes without having to first receive the help of an eyelash curler?

Mascaras: L'oreal Voluminous OutLash Butterfly Mascara (Waterproof)

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Yes, I bought this because it had the word "BUTTERFLY" on it. What can I say, I love butterflies. The packaging itself is sleek and cocoon-like. I'm sure it was an intentional design to resemble a caterpillar's cocoon phase. Like the cocoon,it is what's inside that is unique, and unlike any mascara I have seen on the market, L'oreal's Butterfly Mascara has the most unique wand I had ever seen. The question is, how does this new innovative wand perform?

Tutorial: Blue Royale | Eye Tutorial (Feat. Urban Decay Vice3 Palette)

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I am loving Urban Decay's Vice3 palette. There are just so many different looks you can do with it. For today's post, I will be sharing with you this beautiful regal look, inspired by the shadows Heroine & Lucky from the palette.

Fav. Fashion Find: Silver Pointed Heels

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I had a reason to get these! I love reasons that require me to go out and buy shoes. First of all, it makes me happy, and Second of all, you get to add something that is missing in your wardrobe. Win-Win, on all sides! So the reason I bought these elegant heels is for one of my best friend's wedding. I am one of her bridesmaids! And she wanted all of us to get closed-toe silver heels. I already spent a lot of money on the bridesmaid dress, and the plane ticket (I need to go to Kentucky for this), and the bridal & wedding gifts, so I knew I wanted something that is cute but reasonably priced. 

Tutorial: Urban Decay Vice3 : Smokey Cat Eye Look

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Hi everyone! I am having a blast playing with Urban Decay's Vice3 Palette. This is the first look on a few that I am planning to share with you all. I hope you like!

Eyeshadow Palette: Urban Decay - Vice3 Palette Review

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This is my first Urban Decay Vice Palette. I have always wanted one, but never got the urge to buy one until now. The selling point was the fact that this palette contain 20 NEW SHADES and if it weren't for that, I probably would have skipped it again this year, since it retails at $60, and there are other Holiday palettes that I could have gotten for a better value.

Urban Decay Naked Vault!

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I cried a little inside with happiness when I first saw this. I have been pining to buy the Naked and Naked2 palettes from Urban Decay ever since I bought the Naked3, and it seems that Urban Decay has heard my silent wish, and made it possible for me to buy it at a great value, along with many other things I was eyeing in their Naked line.  Look at this beauty!

Mascaras: L'oreal Voluminous Miss Manga Mascara Review

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"Manga" - This was what got me to buy this mascara. I grew up reading manga and adoring huge anime eyes (a reason why my own characters are drawn with huge eyes), and if this mascara can give me long, luscious anime lashes, than I just have to have this in my life. 

Halloween Party (DIY) Party Favors

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A great party is when everyone leaves happy and what better way to ensure your guests' happiness when they walk out the front door with a little treat in their hands! Today I will be sharing with you on how to make these amazing party favors for both kids and adults!

Halloween Party (DIY) Photo Props

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So what do people usually do at parties, especially Halloween Parties? Take pictures right? We all want to take shots of those memories for reminiscing later on and we all know that Halloween pictures are the best, but we also know that without fail each year, there will be those that come without a costume on.  So today I will be sharing with you on how I created these cool Photo Props, made especially with these costume-less guests in mind. It's easy, extremely affordable, and the memories will be priceless!

Halloween Party (DIY) Candy Corn Candle

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You can't throw a Halloween Party without light, how else will see each other's costumes.  Today I am here to share with you on how I made this Candy Corn Candle. It's cute and chic, it definitely captures the Halloween Spirit, and it will light up a room with an eerie glow. However, you may need more than one candle to get enough light to see comfortably. 

(BTM) Disney: Minnie Mouse Look

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Too be honest, I had the hardest time coming up with the background. I started out thinking I should create Mickey's Clubhouse and have the different characters be in the background, but the more I thought about it I realized that that would take me forever to finish, and I had about four weeks before the videos were to be uploaded, and one of those weeks was going to be spent in Kentucky for a friend's wedding, so technically I only had three weeks to finish everything!  So I created this blue polka-dot background inspired by the ribbon I chose for Minnie's bow instead. It was simple, cute and very Minnie! The next few things I had to worry about was the costume and the makeup. 

Disney: (DIY) Minnie Mouse Costume

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Minnie's Costume is actually extremely quick and easy to make! I was happily surprised that I was able to make all the pieces in a day and the outcome turned out the be extremely cute!

Disney: Minnie Mouse Makeup Tutorial

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I always wanted to do a Minnie Mouse look and I know that this will not be my last! I remember back in the day, Minnie has this sassiness to her that keeps Mickey on his feet. I prefer that Minnie versus the overly sweet Minnie of today, but even so I just love her look and I hope you enjoy my recreation of the look too (human version).

Behind The Making (BTM): Disney Snow White

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One of my favorite things to watch is Behind the Scenes or Behind the Makings of movies or videos on Youtube. I find it amazing how artist, writers, camera people, makeup artists, actors, basically everyone that is involved in creating a film, or short clip, can create nothing but an idea into a master piece that the public gets to see and enjoy. So I thought why not do the same, and share with you what went behind creating my Disney Snow White Look!

Snow White (DIY) Poison Apple & Red Bow

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When you think of Snow White, it's hard not to have the Poison Apple and her Red Bow Headband pop in your head. That and her iconic bob hair style is basically Snow White's trademark look. You can not have one without the other.  Instead of going out to buy an exact replica of the Princess's headband and a plain red apple, I decided to create my own. This way I can put my own twist to it and like a control freak I can decide how I want these two objects to look like. 

Disney Snow White Makeup Tutorial

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I was inspired to do this look by e.l.f Disney Snow White Collection that can be found at Walgreens or Drugstore.com . The minute I bumped into the display at the store, I knew I had to do a look on Snow White. So this is what I came up with. The costume itself is not the official Snow White costume, but a more modern version of it. And I happen to like this version more then Snow White's traditional puffy sleeves. 

Haunted Family Portrait

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This is probably the most spooky of the two frames that I made. I love the effect the holographic picture made with the bloody, full of guts mesh curtain. My ideal spot to hang this frame is over an altar of candles (preferably battery operated candles), away from the wall so that the frame can twirl slowly in circles, with more candles on each side (these candles will be attached to the wall). This way the light from the candles will cast enough light, as well as, shadow on the frame so that the on-looker will be able to see the shape-shifting images the picture provides. (Watch the video, to see what I mean by shape-shifting.) The guts are actually made out of hot glue and paint, but the effect is amazing! It really looks like guts, since the glue has a bit of shine to it, so the "guts" actually look quite juicy.

Spider Nest Frame

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For some reason, spiders terrify me, but at the same time they fascinate me and I find them creepily beautiful (not that I would ever touch a spider voluntarily). However, they are one of my favorite Halloween Creepy Decorations. If I want cute, I will stick to Candy Corn & Pumpkins. I really like how this frame turned out, especially the hot glue spider web. I also really like how this photo (on left) turned out too. With the poor lighting, and sharpened and tweaked the colors a bit with iPhoto  the picture came out spookily perfect! I think it would be so fun to make a few more of these, and decorate the house with other spider related decor. In the near future, I will definitely do a Spider Theme Halloween. Right now, this Halloween is more of a Haunted House theme and a bit of randomness added to it. Next October I will keep all my Halloween Videos in a more cohesive theme, so that I can have a masterpiece at the end to share with you guys!  

Hanging Skeletal Frame

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The vision I had in my head when creating this was the scene from the movie, "The Mummy Returns" (love these kinds of movies) where our heroes finds the oasis where the Scorpion King lies, and they are being chased by the natives that live there, who are these shriveled up little skeleton creatures. They look really creepy and they make these soft screechy sounds, and they are super fast! So imagine the terror of being chased by 50 of these little things. I wanted this frame to have that same chilling effect. As if the creator was a crazy voodoo practitioner that has gone over the edge of no returns, and these poor hanging skeletons are her victims where she likes to frame them up on display. 

Review: Smith's Rosebud Salve

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I would have never thought to buy this product if it weren't for my silly need to always get free shipping and I was only a few dollars away on Sephora's $50 minimum in order to get free shipping. So this Salve was literally an impulse buy, but it was a great impulse buy. I am not surprised that I ended up really enjoying this balm, due to all the raves I have been hearing online about it, and after researching more about the product's beginnings, I am even more interested in trying out more of their products. You can buy Smith's Rosebud Salve ( here ), at $6.00.

Review: L'oreal Revitalift Miracle Blur

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Blur...what do you think of when you say the word, "Blur" out loud? I think of haziness, unclearness, and that is what the Miracle Blur do to my pores and skin. It makes them hazy & unclear to the naked eye. It blurs everything out to make the skin seem a little bit more perfect. Can you tell that I really like this product? If not, continue reading to find out how this little sucker snuck its way into my skincare.

My LookBook: Summer to Fall Pieces

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This LookBook corresponse to my last Lookbook  "My Summer outfits". I just took pieces presented in the Summer video and changed things up so that they are more appopriate for the Fall Season. This is how I usually dress for Fall, casual at times, and girly at times.

My Jewelry Box: Favorite Nude Earrings

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Hi everyone! I thought it would be fun to share with you what's in my jewelry box. I will be posting from time to time jewelry pieces that I have been loving. They can be old or new pieces, and I will be sharing with you on the reasons why I love them so much and what kinds of outfits I pair them with.  For today, I would like to present to you my favorite nude statement earrings. A girl should have a great pair of nude earrings in her jewelry box. They can be a life saver!

Mascaras: Pur Minerals Big Look Waterproof with Argan Oil Mascara Review

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Can be purchased on Pur Minerals' Website for $20.00 This is probably one of the most waterproof mascaras I have ever tried in my life! So waterproof mascara lovers, if you want a resilient mascara that will last all day, this is the mascara for you. Even though it gets an A+ in the waterproof department, there are still some issues that I am not a fan of.

Tutorial: Naked3 Day to Night Makeup

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Look was requested by: Nicole Allen *If you have any requests for a certain look, or a review on a certain product, or a DIY, etc., that you would like me to do, feel free to let me know in the comments below!* Nicole told me that she wanted to see a look using Urban Decay Shadows, and I was happy to oblige since Urban Decay is one of my favorite makeup brands. Instead of just using eyeshadows from Urban Decay, I decided to make the whole look using mostly Urban Decay products.

HTTO (Head to Toe Outfit) #1: Forever Nude

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This is my favorite "Night Outfit of the Moment". This whole outfit is actually from Forever21! One of my favorite places to shop at, 1., because it is so affordable, and 2., they have great stuff.  Links to pieces that are still available: - Nude Crochet Lace Bodycon Dress $19.80 -C utting Edge Wedge Sandals $32.80 -Cascading Floral Chandelier Earring $6.80 -Multi-fingers rings ( Similar Style -$3.80 ) For the hair, I just straightened it and curled it at the ends.  And to find out how I did this makeup, here is the link to the post that shows you step-by-step instructions on how I did it.  I hope you like this new little series. I will try to upload a new "Head to Toe Outfit" every month, for now. Maybe in the near future, it can become a once or twice kind of thing. Right now, I think I can only handle it being once in a while kind of thing. =) Thank you for stopping by!  Happy Wandering! XO Alice

Forever21 "Love&Beauty" Makeup Sponges Review

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I was always curious about these kind of Makeup Sponges, ever since the Beauty Blender became a cult favorite among the beauty community, but because the actual "Beauty  Blender" is quite pricey, I never got the urge to go out and buy it & try it. So browsing through the Forever21 website (which I gotten into a bad habit of doing weekly), I came upon this set for $6.00 (give or take $0.80). I was so excited because they just looked so pretty, and it came in three unique shapes, so I placed a order. My first impression when I finally took them out of their packaging was how incredibly soft they are. The texture felt like a rubbery velvet, but doesn't have a lot of friction, so it doesn't drag on the skin like rubber would. However, the cuteness and the feel of the sponges is all I like about them.

My Makeup Collection & Storage (Aug 2014)

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This is probably the most popular video in the Youtube's Beauty Community. I know that I personally enjoy watching these kinds of videos very much (something about me being nosy). I also like seeing how others have their vanity set up and what they use to organize their products, and yes, I also love seeing how big their collections are. The makeup fanatics that have a bigger collection than I do makes me feel better about the size of my own collection, which I admit, is not small for an average person. 

Concealers: Boo-Boo Coverup Concealer

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I received this concealer in my Ipsy Bag Beauty Subscription , and to tell you the truth, I wasn't very interested in trying it until I read all the great reviews about this product. That's when I finally broke down and gave it a try... 

Concealers: e.l.f Essential Zit Zapper & Concealer Set Review

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Hello beautiful people, today I will be reviewing this kit I bought from e.l.f awhile back, and I finally believe I used it enough to know one or two things about it to share with you. So starting with the basics... ...This kit comes with three essential line products that can be bought individually. Each product costs $1.00 each, and the entire kit is $3.00, so it is not a better deal if you buy the kit. However, it is cheap enough that it won't hurt to buy the whole kit and I do not regret buying it.  Overall, it is a decent kit, if you have normal skin that is not sensitive and here are my experiences with these products.