Restorsea Revitalizing Eye Cream- My New Favorite Eye Cream!/ Beauty Bar Allure Sample Society Box

Helllllo world!

I've been waiting a few weeks before doing this post because I really wanted to make sure that I love both this product, the Restorsea Revitalizing Eye Cream, and the monthly subscription box, Sample Society.

So, for the past two months, I have been subscribed to Allure's Sample Society beauty box, which you can get via BeautyBar.com for $15 a month and holy macaroni is it WORTH it! This is what came in my September 2014 box. Take a look at the beauties!

 Summary (Allure Sample Society):

- $15 a month for the Allure Sample Society at Beauty Bar's website
- You get quality products EVERY month, rarely a hit or miss kind of subscription...unlike some other ones...
- Each month that you order a box (you can cancel anytime!) you receive a code to get $10 off of a $50 purchase!
- Sign up for Sample Society here and use my referral code "THIS1939" for a discount on your first order!

(My new obsession)

For me, this is a no brainer. For $15, I received a full size Restorsea eye cream, Givenchy Dahlia Davin sample, Lorac POREfection primer sample, Tarte Brazilliance face wipes, and Alterna Caviar Protein Hair Cream. Alone, the total of these products is well over $100, but I was especially excited about the Restorsea Revitalizing Eye Cream because I had heard so many great things about the company, but I had never had a chance to try any of their products. This is where I'm going to give my opinion about the eye cream.

Restorsea Revitalizing Eye Cream

 Summary:

- Innovative eye cream using Restorsea's Vibransea^™ complex

- Leaves under eye area feeling luxuriously soft and absorbs makeup much better

- Hefty inital price of $85, but a little goes a long way and this will last you guys for a while

- You can find it here on Restorsea's website for the full size for $85, or you can sample it with the travel size here for only $28!

(I love the green and blue color choices for the logo!)

First off, take a look at it's adorable and sleek packaging! Their main logo is that of an infinity fish logo, which is also a number 8 on it's side. In the Chinese culture, the number 8 reflects fortuity and good fortune. You can read more about the company and it's remarkable main ingredient, the Vibransea complex, which "...is anchored by Aquabeautine XL®, a natural enzyme salmon release into the water at birth enabling them to safely emerge from their eggshells", right here. Moving on, let's take a look at the actual vial and the cream, itself.

 

(I just love the weight of this little vial! The base is glass and the top is a sturdy plastic)

 ("Use under eye area morning and evening")

 (Seriously the cutest logo EVER!) 

Here's what the website had to say about the many benefits of this amazing eye cream: 

• Minimizes the appearance of crow's feet
• Reduces puffiness
• Brightens dark circles
• Ophthalmologist tested
• Clinically tested
• Hypoallergenic
• Dermatologist tested
• Ophthalmologist tested
• Suitable for even the most sensitive skin
• Will not clog pores
• NO: parabens, PEGs, phthalates, silicone or mineral oil

Guys, I'm seriously obsessed with this eye cream. It does have a scent to it, but it is very light and pleasing. It has almost a hint of citrus and oat or mint to it that just makes me want to sniff the jar all day. Anyways, to use this eye cream, I would take a very small amount and gently rub and pat it under my eye and just to the side, where crow's feet wrinkles tend to form. Now, when I first used it, I did feel a tingling sensation under my eyes, but it didn't irritate me and I was happy to feel it going to work instantly. Like the website will tell you, this feeling did pass over time and now, I no longer feel anything but refreshed after using the eye cream.

(The cream itself, used daily and still SO much left!)

The team at Allure described this cream as being "more wet" (that may not have been the exact wording, but I do remember it being something about wet) and thinking...uh, what?? Now that I have tried it, I totally get what they mean. Not only does it do the job of moisturizing under the eye, but it doesn't absorb so quickly that it leaves the under eye sticky or dried out, but rather this luxurious dewiness. It does eventually absorb, but not instantaneously, which I prefer. I use the eye cream in the morning with my facial moisturizer, after my face has been washed, and before I go to bed, when my makeup has been all washed off. I didn't take a before and after picture, but I have been using eye creams for quite some time now, but I did notice that under my eyes feels softer and my concealer applies more smoothly and doesn't crease as much.

I hope I can get my hands on some more Restorsea products to give them a review because I love this eye cream so much, but I implore you to at least pick up the travel size for yourself and give it a shot! Your eyes will thank me and you can kiss those crow's feet 'bye bye'! Until next time... :) 

Peace and Love, 

Farrah

My Return to Beauty Blogging and a Review on LimeCrime Velvetines

Helllllllo world!

It's been a little over a year since my last blog post, and I am happy to announce my return to the world of blogging. These past two years have been so busy with wedding planning, but I am now officially a Mrs!

I must say that wedding planning was the hardest thing I have ever done, but my wedding was such a blast and I got to marry my best friend. Since getting married, and working out my anxiety issues with a wonderful therapist, I decided to make the crazy leap from education to beauty and cosmetology. As I am trying to teach myself the art of makeup, I will also be doing reviews on some of my favorite beauty and skincare products to help out any newbies, such as myself. I look forward to hearing comments and tips from all of you darlings! Let's get to it!

LimeCrime Velvetines

 Summary: 
- Long-wearing, cruelty-free, vegan liquid lipstick
- Transfer-proof, dries matte- but doesn't dry out your lips
- Price is $20.00 (totally worth it!!) here on LimeCrime's website and here on Urban Outfitter's website
- Colors available are Red Velvet, Pink Velvet, Suedeberry, Utopia, Black Velvet, Wicked, and Salem


Oh my goodness, y'all! If you do not have a Velvetine liquid lipstick from LimeCrime, you are really missing out. Retailing at $20.00, I can see some of you getting scared, but don't be so quick to run. While the price may be higher than you might initially like, you are really paying for the quality of the product, and high quality makeup products mean you don't need as much, so they last longer. Also, while LimeCrime rarely has any sales or coupons, you can always get it here at Urban Outfitters online store and use their store coupons or deals on the price, although their packaging is not nearly as cute as LimeCrime (take a look at it from my recent Utopia order!).

Initially, I was so hesitant to buy a LimeCrime Velvetine because of the alleged controversy surrounding the company, but after hearing so many rave reviews of the product and getting a look into LimeCrime creator Doe Deere's wonderfully colorful life via her Instagram, I thought I would give their cult classic, Red Velvet a try.

I mean, guys and gals, look at that red! It's the perfect red, not too blue and not too orange (in terms of cool and warm). It compliments every skin tone, is ridiculously opaque and pigmented, and the application is so smooth. I don't even use a lip liner when I apply it, but you certainly can (Lining your lips with a lip liner will decrease bleeding or fading of the color!). After a few seconds, the liquid will dry matte, and although it is not 100% transfer proof, I would say it around 98% transfer proof, which is more than most matte lipstick colors can boast. Surprisingly enough, it also doesn't dry out your lips, either. Here are another few looks with me rocking my cruelty-free, vegan Red Velvet, and seriously, I have never gotten as many compliments on my lips as when I wear Red Velvet.

                     (With the beautiful and hilarious Mercedes Javid (aka MJ) from Shahs of Sunset!)

                   (Met the extremely talented and lovely beauty vlogger Nura Afia at the Lumiere Laser Center opening event in Quincy, MA!)

Here's a look at their latest color Utopia, a vibrant orchid, that I just could not resist or wait for! I ordered it as soon as I got the email for it!

If you don't have a Velvetine, do yourself the biggest favor and pick one up! I can promise you won't regret it! I can't wait to get my hands on the rest of them! :)

Peace and Love,

Farrah <3

Mary-Lou Manizer Review

Hello world!

Hope everyone is having a marvelous Wednesday and enjoying the hot weather (at least, the hot weather in the Northeast)! I have heard a so many great reviews on The Balm Cosmetics's Mary-Lou Manizer aka The Luminizer, so I knew I had to try it out for myself. Lucky for me, Hautelook was having a sale on some of the Balm's great products, so I knew I had to snatch one up for myself! Here she is:

Summary (Mary-Lou Manizer aka The Luminizer):

- Highly pigmented, so a little goes a long way.
- Can be used as a highlighter/shimmer/eyeshadow
- Price: $24.00 on The Balm Cosmetics's website. Get it here!

My experience:

So at a first glance, the compact looks slightly dark, maybe darker than a highlighter. Take a look:

Seeing this, I was a little nervous, thinking how can I use this as a highlighter? That's when I decided to test it our on my hand, just to see how much of a shimmer I would get. Amazingly, this is what I got, and you will notice how fair-skinned I am, so take that into consideration, too! Looky:

So, forgive how scaly my hand is, but look at that! Isn't it beautiful?? I used a highlighting brush to apply it on the tops of my cheekbones and down the center of my nose (to make my big shnoz look smaller) and found that this highlighter was so pigmented that I had to use a clean makeup brush to swipe a bit of it off my cheekbones. I've never had to do that with any other powdered highlighter. It did apply really smoothly though, and I didn't notice any scent, which I also enjoyed. I haven't tried this out on my eyelids yet as a shadow, but I do think that this would also be great in the corners of the eyes.

At this price, I don't know why you aren't rushing to get your hands on one! Not only is it affordable, but will look beautiful on all skin tones. Let me know what you think if you get one! Until next time!

Peace and Love,

Farrah <3

Julep Nailpolish/ Apologies

Hello world!

Ok, I really have to apologize for my lack of posts. My fiance and I have been trying to plan our wedding and let me tell you- it SUCKS. The amount of money, coupled with the many details that go with finding a venue, really almost drove us to eloping. We finally found our venue and the only date they had available for us is Friday, June 13th! That's right, pals. Friday, the thirteenth. Now, comes the task of getting evvvverything else ready for the big day. Any tips/suggestions/advice would gladly be heard!

Ok, so, enough of that, here's the scoop on one of my new favorite brands- Julep. Julep is a company on the rise for their superior nail polish and beauty products. The fact that they are "4 free", which means they do not contain formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, toluene, or DBP, is not only amazing for your nails, but better for our environment! Tell me that doesn't make you automatically a little happier? So, I had heard a lot about them through my monthly beauty box subscription, Birchbox, so when they offered a specialty box in affiliation with CEW and there was a Julep nailpolish in there, I knew I had to try it! Here is the color I received in my box, named "Liz."

Summary:

- Fast-drying, chip-resistant, highly pigmented color
- Prices discounted further through Maven beauty program (month to month subscription that can be skipped when desired)
- Prices: range depending on styles, but generally nail polish starts at $14. You can buy "Liz" and others here!


When I used this nail color, I didn't use a primer or a top coat. I used two coats and literally, my nails were dry in about 5 minutes. I'm the type of gal that always needs to use the loo as soon as I'm finished painting my nails, which is why I almost never have a perfect manicure unless I've gone to a nail salon. On my life, no smudge, no chipping, no nothin'! The color stayed on my nails perfectly for about 5 days until I started to see some wear. Julep suggests painting the edges of the nails and under the nail a bit first to extend the time before wear starts showing. I think if I try that next time, I will be even happier. Even so, about a day after trying "Liz" on, I signed up to be a Maven, took the style quiz, and ordered my first monthly box! I'll do a review as soon as it comes in! Until next time...

Peace and Love,

Farrah <3