Organic Makeup Girl

I was warned but decided to join WOW anyways. And so, the saga ensues…

Being a member of Work Out World is akin to torture. Once you belong to this gym all of their sneaky little business tactics become wildly apparent. In case you are considering a membership, here is a list of things that should to deter you from joining:

1. Group Classes (such as Boot Camp) are taken off the schedule and reinstated as programs that require payment (which, I should add, is more than double a monthly membership fee)

2. All of the saunas have recently closed (until further notice)

3. It is nearly impossible to cancel a membership (you must send a form via certified mail, enter a cancellation period, and hope that your cancellation request is granted all while you continue to pay their monthly fee)

4. The facilities are often packed during peak hours; it is difficult to find space in classes, and equipment to use

5. You must now create a username and password on myWow to log in and get class schedules (they were previously available online)

6. Although bringing a guest to workout is an option included in your membership, this is truly just a sales pitch and gym tour, which is really inconvenient and has led to many missed classes (also, your guest’s license will be held hostage while you workout)

7. Parking at most of the locations is difficult to come by during peak hours as well (which is not fun during inclement weather)

8. All customer service requests are handled online (forget about speaking to anyone in person or on the phone)

Don’t let them lure you in. Jersey can be strong without the trap of WOW.

I enjoyed Birchbox for the first few months. The mix of makeup, haircare and skincare products seemed appropriate. I was receiving the typical 4-5 samples per box and was content. However, when I opened up my latest box I was really disappointed to discover a granola bar. Sorry Birchbox, I don’t think that a granola bar qualifies as a “deluxe beauty sample.” The other products in the box were mediocre, nothing truly riveting. As a result, I canceled my subscription and I have to say, I’d definitely be reluctant to recommend Birchbox to anyone.

I HAVE found another little obsession, however, and it is also $9.99 per month. Although it is not beauty-related, it is awesome. It is called rdio. Check it out if you like music. :)

x0,

Katie

If you love love love to try out new products, continue reading! If you continuously purchase your standby or go-to products, continue reading! Birchbox is GREAT for everyone! So, I saw a tiny article in a magazine about Birchbox and was immediately intrigued. Here is the deal: you get 4-5 sample beauty products conveniently mailed in a pretty little box to your doorstep 1x per month for a $10 (per month). Incredible!!!  As soon as I read this, I fled from my comfortable little tanning spot on the deck to my laptop where I logged onto  http://www.birchbox.com/ and signed up.

My very first birchbox arrived with  my mail yesterday.

Reasons why I am already loving birchbox:

+ the birchbox arrived earlier than I anticipated (was supposed to get it on the 10th, it came on the 8th! *However, this might not always be the case depending on where you live!*)

+ the products within are well varied (from makeup products to skincare)

+the packaging is adorable (such a treat to break into a little gift for no reason at all!)

+so far, the products within are of impeccable quality

So, you might be wondering, what actually came in the box?! A total of 5 products: Laura Geller Blush-N-Brighten Makeup, a perfume sample of Kate Spade Twirl, a sample of Weleda Smoothing Facial Lotion in Wild Rose, Molecular Mist by Sircuit Skin Cosmeceuticals (This sounds way too scientific!… What do you think?), and two Deborah Lippmann lavendar nail lacquer remover finger mit packets. I am enjoying the blush/bronzer and perfume sample so far. I am trying to pace myself and not test out all of the products in one day, although I am tempted to. :)

Bottom line with this product: if you are not signed up, you are missing out! It is an awesome deal and at $10.00, quite the steal! Haha, so lame, I know… :) Sign up and then let me know what you think @ http://twitter.com/0rganicmakeup

x0,

Katie

This is the Urban Decay Lip Love Honey-Infused Lip Therapy gloss in Failbait. I purchased this online at http://www.urbandecay.com/. Lip love costs $16.00 and it comes in 5 shades: Drizzle, Failbait, Lolita, Stung and Taunt.

The gloss provides the lips with a subtle tint which makes it great for everyday use.  The product smells of honey and tastes like it too!  It is moisturizing and lasts for a decent amount of time (although I find myself reapplying frequently because I love the smooth, moisturizing effects of this product).

Some of the contents of this product are listed right on the tube! It contains Apricot Kernel Seed Oil, Millet Oil, Vitamin C, Jojoba Oil and honey.

Urban Decay Lip Love is a great product but I wish that it was a little less expensive. Sixteen dollars will get you 0.34 fl oz, which is not very much, especially if you use it as frequently as I do!

This product is perfect for anyone who wants a moisturizing product that provides a little bit of color and an amazing shine on their lips! If you are a honey hater, perhaps try a different Urban Decay lip product, like Lip Junkie. (For the record, I am not a huge fan of honey but I don’t mind it in this gloss – it is really pleasant and sweet!)

I would repurchase this product in the future but probably in another color. I am really enjoying Failbait but I Lolita and Taunt are on my wish list! :D

You can purchase Urban Decay Lip Love here: http://www.urbandecay.com/lip-love-lip-gloss/300,default,pd.html or at Sephora.

x0x0,

Katie

Follow me! http://twitter.com/#!/0rganicmakeup

So many great things can be said about this product! Before I get to them, let me start off by explaining exactly what this product is because you have never seen anything like it before. Seriously! This is a moisturizing lotion that is oil-free with SPF 15.

Initially, when squeezed out of the tube, the lotion appears white. However, when it is rubbed and blended into the skin, it adds an incredible glow, and offers an effect similar to the results you might get from using a tinted moisturizer.

I love the results that I get from using VitaZing and in my opinion, my skin looks more radiant when I use this instead of my other face products. So, you might be wondering, what is so special about VitaZing?

1. It is an awesome substitute for foundation. The lotion goes on smoothly, blends in  completely and provides a great base for additional makeup.

2. One lotion fits all skin types. Anyone can use this lotion! VitaZing eliminates the necessity to match your skin to a foundation. This is especially important to me during the summer months when I tend to need foundations and face products that are a bit darker to suit sun-kissed skin.

3. A little goes a long way. You do not need a palm full of VitaZing to achieve a pretty glow! Dot the product on cheeks, chin and forehead, blend in with you fingertips and you are good to go. 

4. You skin will look like it is literally glowing. In my opinion this is perfect for anyone who cannot get outside! It will make you look like you just returned from a sunny vacation.

5. SPF 15 is a plus.

6. Oil-free formula makes it suitable for all skin types.

7. It is moisturizing without being too heavy.

8. Light, fresh scent that is invigorating and pleasant.

You can purchase this at Origins (I bought mine on 5th Ave in NYC,) Macy’s, or online at http://www.origins.com/index.tmpl.

x0x0,

Katie

Follow me twitter:  @0rganicmakeup :]

Essie nail polishes are my favorite! I love that the brand is now “big 3 free” (which means their nail polishes are not formulated with toluene,  formaldehyde, or DBP). The polishes in the image above, from left to right are: fiji, e-nuf is e-nuf, turqoise and caicos, topless and barefoot, and big spender.

Fiji: Looks best with a tan. I like to put on 3 light coats of the polish. It is a beautiful, opaque pink.

E-nuf is e-nuf: Perfect coral! It goes with everything. In terms of application, 2 coats is all you need.

Turquoise and caicos: Fabulous for feet. Like fiji, it looks awesome with a tan.

Topless and barefoot: Opaque, neutral & amazing. It is the perfect nude. Use 3 light coats.

Big spender: This color is great for both a manicure & pedicure. It is my favorite Essie polish!

On my shopping list: Too Too Hot

x0,

Katie

Quality brushes are essential to the application of makeup (unless of course you prefer your fingers, which is perfectly acceptable). I am sure we have all experienced the horrors of cheap brushes: stray bristles on your face, “scratchy” bristles, sparse bristles, etc. The range of brushes available is astonishing, ranging from incredibly inexpensive to ridiculously pricey. I have found that price is not a great indicator for quality when it comes to purchasing brushes. For example, E.L.F. makeup brushes sell for $1 and their eyeshadow brushes are awesome! Another example of cheap (in terms of price) brushes are EcoTools – these brushes are made of sustainable bamboo and have the softest bristles that I have ever encountered. BareMinerals brushes are a bit more expensive but also excellent. Sigma brushes are awesome too, a full set of brushes can be purchased for less than $80. Sigma brushes are a great starting point in building a brush collection – they offer a great range of products at a modest price.

Although I have a decent collection of brushes, I found the Sigma Complete Kit to be a necessary purchase for me because it contains every type of brush for the application of eye and face makeup. (I purchased this kit with a coupon. I always check http://www.retailmenot.com/ when purchasing online – the second it takes to look up a promotion code is worth it because it can yield great savings). So I received a total of 12 brushes:  Small Angle E65, Medium Angled Shading  E70, Large Shader  E60, Pencil E30, Large Angled Contour  F40,  Large Powder F30,  Duo Fibre  F50, Foundation F60,  Concealer F70, Tapered Blending E40,  Eye Shading  E55,   and Eyeliner  E05. The brushes came in a classy black mesh drawstring  pouch. I also received a free gift (every purchase over $30 gets one!), which is an E25 travel size brush. There was an insert with the brushes too which contains information on brush cleansing (it is absolutely essential to clean your brushes).

I am impressed with the quality of these brushes and am already enjoying them! This set can also be purchased with a brush roll (for an extra $20). This was not necessary for me because I prefer to store my brushes in decorative mugs. This is a matter of preference, if you would prefer a roll, go for it, at the very least it will allow you to travel with your brush set.

I think that investing in good brushes is a necessity! If you are willing to purchase quality makeup, splurging on great tools and brushes to use in conjunction with your products is definitely essential.

If you are interested in Sigma products, check out their website: http://www.sigmabeauty.com/Default.asp

Let me know what you think!

xx,

Katie

I finally got a NAKED palette! This Urban Decay Palette has been really difficult to get a hold of – they have been sold out since the summer. I purchased mine on the Urban Decay website, at http://www.urbandecay.com/index.cfm. I checked back almost daily to see if it had been restocked and one day it had been! I was so excited that I immediately purchased it. The palettes sold out again but I am sure they will be restocked soon.

So this is what the palette looks like: It contains 12 eyeshadows, a mini original primer potion, and a double sided eyeliner. At $48, it is a GREAT deal! The eyeshadows are highly pigmented and long-lasting. This neutral palette is great for creating a smokey eye, a natural eye or experimenting with single shades. The shadows range from matte to shimmer and the versatility is a very nice feature of this product.

I adore Urban Decay & this palette! If you are interested in reading more about what I think of Urban Decay products, click here: http://organicmakeupgirl.com/review-urban-decay-stardust-eyeshadow/

xx,

Katie :]

LUSH products are fabulous!  In this LUSH haul I am going to describe some of the products that  have been recently purchased. Some of the products are repurchases and others are new to me.  If you want to check out a previous Lush haul of mine, click here: http://organicmakeupgirl.com/lush-haul/.

So this time I purchased 3 Winter Bath Bombs, 3 Stepping Stone Foot Scrubs, 1 Ultrabland Cleanser Cream and 1 You’ve Been Mangoed Bath Melt. The total cost of the purchase was approximately $40.

Bath Bombs are awesome for creating a scented bath. I usually use 1 bath bomb per every 1-2 baths. Bath bombs are luxurious! If you are new to LUSH I think that bath bombs are a great place to start. I recommend trying Butterball.

The Stepping Stone foot scrub is a repurchase for me. I am not a huge fan of pampering my feet – I leave that to the lovely ladies at my nail salon but I make an exception for this product. The food scrub feels incredibly good while you are using it and leaves your skin smooth and scented.  It is a great time to get into this product because we are on the brink of flipflop season! Also, this foot scrub feels amazing post-workout!

The last two products – the Ultrabland Cleanser and You’ve Been Mangoed Bath Melt were initially sent to me as samples with a previous purchase. I loved both of these products so much that I absolutely had to get the full size! (Another awesome fact about LUSH: They send you two free samples with every purchase!) The You’ve Been Mangoed Bath Melt smells summery and leaves the skin moisturized (I only use a little piece in the tub because I try to make it last!). The Ultra Bland Cleanser is the best eye makeup remover I have ever found.

The two samples I received with this order: Banana Moon Soap and Queen of Hearts Soap. I have not used either of these yet but I am excited to! I am usually not a fan of banana scented products but so far both of these soaps seem pretty impressive.

My LUSH tips for you:

• If you are going to purchase a massage bar or solid shampoo bar, definitely invest in a tin (they are inexpensive and reusable)
• Use the samples that you get as hand soap by the sink
• Display your LUSH products in your bedroom or bathroom, not only do they smell lovely but they also look pretty (I use a bowl but I like the idea of using a cupcake tree to display them)

I love LUSH! My next order has already been placed!  :) Check out http://www.lushusa.com/shop/ and place your own order. Let me know what you think!

xx,

Katie

Some new Zoya nail polishes arrived today! I am so excited.

The colors are (from left to right): Sabrina, Ali, and Audrina. They were $7 a piece plus shipping & handling.

I am wearing (3 coats of) Sabrina on my nails right now – it is a gorgeous neutral pink. It is great for work because it looks professional but it is also pretty for anytime.

Zoya Ali is a matte neon pink. A shiny topcoat is a must for this polish if you are not into mattes!

Zoya Audrina is reminiscent of Essie Big Spender for me. I love it and this will be my staple spring color.

Check out my previous Zoya nail polish post at http://organicmakeupgirl.com/zoya-nail-polish/. Purchase Zoya nail polish online at http://zoya.com/.

xoxo Katie