I'm a bad, bad, blogger :( and new e-mail address

Hey guys,
I don't know how many of you still read this, but I am sorry I have been absent from blogging for a while.
I had a lot of personal stuff come up and happen, mix that with being in school full time and it gave me little to no time to update or post on my blog.
I promise, now that it's summer, I will be posting more and have lots of new content to read about.
As always, PLEASE e-mail me if you have any questions or comments.
I have CHANGED my e-mail address to: SRL5045@yahoo.com - so you can send anything there.

I will be updating shortly.
Thanks guys,
- Samantha

Cool Toned Smokey FOTD

Hey guys!
So today, I had NO idea what I was going to do with my makeup, but I wanted to try something a little different. I applied for a makeup artist position at this super trendy salon in South Beach, so I hope I get the job!

Sorry the pictures suck, I left my camera at the boyfriends house and I had to use my Macbook for the camera. OOPS! Oh and sorry no full face pictures, I couldnt get my entire face to look good with the camera I was using!


Face:
Mac Studio Fix Fluid NW25
Mac Select Concealer NW25
Mac MSF Medium Deep
Mac Mineralized Blush in Pleasantry

Brows:
Mac Brow Pencil - Stud
Anastasia Brow Powder - Brunette
Mac Brow Set - Clear

Eyes:
Mac Cream Color Base - Luna
Mac Pigment - Frozen White
Mac Eyeshadow - Silver Ring, Tilt, & Carbon
Mac Reflects Gold
Urban Decay 24/7 Eye Pencil - Zero
Mac Liquid Liner - Boot Black
Diorshow Unlimited - Black

Lips:
Urban Decay Lipstick - Lovechild
Mac Lipglass - Starlet Kiss (mixed with a little bit of Reflects Gold)

So, yeah - I love this look and I think it turned out amazing. I have been addicted to using Mac Reflects Gold for the past week. It is so versatile! Anyways, let me know what you think!
- Samantha

FOTD & News

Hello guys!
It's been a while, but I'm still alive and kicking.
Who's excited for the hello kitty collection? I am.

FOTD:

Face:
Boscia Toner & Moisturizer (which I love btw)
Smashbox Photo Finish Primer
MUFE Mat Velvet +
Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer Duo
Mac Pressed Blot Powder
Nars Bronzer - Laguna

Brows:
Mac Brow Pencil in Stud
Anastasia Brow Powder Duo in Brunette (I think?)
Mac Clear Brow Set

Eyes:
UDPP
Mac Paint Pot - Blackground
Mac Vanilla Pigment
Urban Decay Eyeshadow - Half Baked
Mac Eyeshadow - Carbon
Mac Feline Kohl
Diorshow Unlimited Mascara - Black

Lips:
Mac Dazzleglass - Date Night


I really like the way this turned out, its a really good look for when I go to work and to go out.

I'll post more tomorrow, I have SO much work to do, it isnt even cute.

Love and miss you guys!
- Samantha

Hair Product Review!

Hello kiddos,
For those of you who know, and many of you do, I work at a hair salon, and have INCREDIBLY damaged hair. I went from being a heavily highlighted blonde, to being a platinum blonde, back to a brunette, and now a brunette with platinum panels - and if you could only imagine how damaged my hair is, it's disgusting.
Anyways, we recently got the entire Sebastian line at my salon, you know, that line for old ladies that has the famous Shaper hairspray? Yeah, well they've done a total overhaul on a ton of products, changed the packaging, and made some amazing new products, one of which is the shampoo, conditioner, and deep conditioner that I am currently using.
BEHOLD PENETRAITT!
Penetraitt consists of 3 products: a shampoo, conditioner, and deep conditioner. I use the shampoo and conditioner when I wash my hair and then once a week I use the deep conditioner in place of my regular conditioner and in a week I have noticed a HUGE difference in the quality or integrity of my hair. Where my platinum panels are is so damaged, frayed and fried, so when I would wash my hair before it would stay wet for HOURS just because of how fragile and torn apart my cuticle was, now, I wash my hair with this stuff and it dries almost normally, which is a sign that it is repairing my damaged and abused hair.
The scent of these products is clean and not overpowering and it doesn't make me sick, which is nice since I am SO picky about scents. the bottles are cheap, $13 for the shampoo, $14 for the conditioner, and $18 for the deep conditioner - but that's just at my salon and not taking into account that I get a 40% off discount on those prices. It is worth ever penny, I swear by this stuff.
My hair looks and feels way healthier than it actually is and it makes my hair shiny and easily managable and stylable. (Stylable? Is that even a word?...)
I HIGHLY reccommend this product if you have damaged hair, espcially if you have chemically processed your hair to oblivion like I did. Even the stylists at my salon complement me on how healthy my hair looks compared to how it used to look.
I have never been a true believer in the differences from shampoo to shampoo - to me it was really all the same, but after using this stuff I dont know if I will ever look at a shampoo or conditioner the same way. Damn you, Sebastian for spoiling me so good!
Go out, get your little hands on this stuff, it's incredible, and DEF. let me know how it works for you! beautyreview@aol.com
I want to know if others are getting the same results as I am and I haven't found any reviews for it online yet. So try it - and let me know how much you absolutely love it!
- Samantha

Oh, and before I forget, they also have a line of shampoo and conditioner called "Drench" for dry hair and "Light" for normal to fine hair. I've heard nothing but good things about them from the girls at work who have been using them on themselves and clients, so if you are in the market for a really good new shampoo and conditioner go check those out!

Fragrance Review: Gucci by Gucci

Hello lovelies,
I told you guys I would be back after the graduation, and here I am. Overall, it went pretty good, a lot of things that he and I should have talked about - we didn't but thats ok. Some things are just better left unsaid or untalked about :)
Anyways, I decided that since it is getting a little chilly out, mind you, I do live in South Florida so chilly is anywhere below about 70 degrees, regardless, it is cold. So, I decided to go and purchase a new perfume. I had been wearing a whole bunch of different scents, mainly Princess by Vera Wang, Betsey Johnson, and as tacky as it may be, Supermodel from Victorias Secret - but they all seemed a little bit too summery and fruity/sweet for this weather, so I decided to go with something different.
To your right, my friends, you will find Gucci by Gucci, which I have fallen in love with. Truthfully, I think that Gucci by Gucci smells very sophisticated (and I am FAR FROM sophisticated) and mature, almost too mature for me, but I love it anyways.
From Sephora:
Notes:
Guava, Pear, Tahitian Tiare Flower, Musk, Honey, Patchouli.
Style:
Beautiful. Confident. Influential.

Even though the top nots are Guava and Pear, it doesn't smell overly sweet or fruity in the least. It actually, to me, smells more ambery and warm rather than fruity and exotic.
I agree with Sephora that it is a confident scent - and it seems to last all day on me, even though it is an Eau de toilette. The prices range from $65 - $85 for the spray, and I think it's worth it, since it seems to last throughout the day.
I know this is a short post, but Im still SO busy with school, but if you are in the market for a more wintery perfume, maybe you should head over to your nearest Sephora and give this one a sniff. I am not a cerial perfume purchaser, meaning I rarely buy the same perfume more than once, but this one I can definatly see myself going back for a second bottle.
Toodles!
- <3 Samantha

I'm still alive - I pinky promise

Hello lovelys,
I swear, I am still alive, it's just my Midterms week so I've been swamped with more papers, exams, and projects that you can imagine.
So, come tomorrow, I will be good to go, and I have some exciting things coming up. I'll give you a slight teaser:

Foundation Reviews - Mainly MUFE and Chanel
Concealer Reviews
More gorgeous FOTD's
Hair Product Reviews
Etc...

So get excited.
Also, just a heads up, I will be out of town next week from Wednesday until Saturday. Me and my gay are driving a whole 8 hours up to Parris Island, South Carolina to see my ex graduate from the Marine Corps. boot camp! Should be a pretty fun roadtrip... but I'm not entirely sure on how the rest of the trip will go. You better believe I will pose pictures of all the ridiculous roadside attractions that Graham and I will be stopping at.

Love ya, mean it!
- Samantha <3

FOTD, Duh.

Hello loves,
I'm still mighty proud of myself for continuing to keep up with this. As always keep the questions and comments coming. You can always e-mail me at: beautyreview@aol.com

Anyways, on to the FOTD. I have been having a hard time finding the motivation to do anything dramatic since I get up so early for classes and I have work most days, but today, I awoke bright and rejuvenated... thanks to a little friend called Lunesta.

Face:
Smashbox Color Correcting Primer - the green one for redness, eww!
MUFE Mat Velvet + in 55
MUFE Full Coverage Concealer in 4
Mac MSF Natural in Medium Dark
Nars Bronzer in laguna
Mac Mineralize Blush in Pleasentry

Brows:
Mac Brow Pencil in Stud
Urban Decay Brow Box in Brown Sugar
Mac Clear Brow Set

Eyes:
Mac Paint Pot - Bare Study
Mac Pink Opal Pigment
Mac Silver Fog Pigment
Mac Knight Divine Eyeshadow
Mac Carbon Eyeshadow
Mac Blacktrack Fluidline
Mac Feline Kohl Power
Mac Wolf Pearlglide Pencil
Mac Zoomblack Zoomlash

Lips:
Mac Slimshine in Intimidate
Mac Clear Lipglass


I'm hoping I'll have time for another post before I go to work today, but I'm just not sure.
<3 - Samantha

I'm really not thrilled with this FOTD, but I'll post it anyways...

Hey guys! I've been pretty good at keeping up with this, even though I am SO SWAMPED with my classes and work. I'm pretty damn proud of myself, I must say.
So, I thought I would bring back some stuff from the Heatherette collection, since I went crazy and bought everything and I am still obsessed with it, especially trio 1.
For this look I happened to use trio 2, which isn't my favorite color palette, but I thought I would use it anyways. It was just sitting in my vanity all by itself begging for me to play with it, so I gave in.

Here's what I used:

Face:
MUFE Mat Velvet + in 55
MUFE Full Coverage Concealer in 4
Mac MSF Natural in Medium Dark
Nars Laguna Bronzer
Nars Orgasm Blush

Eyes:
Mac Artifact Paint Pot
Mac Bare Study Paint Pot
Mac Heatherette Trio 2 - all colors
Mac Nocturnelle Eyeshadow
Mac Fluidline in Blacktrack
Mac Feline Kohl Power
Mac Zoomlash in Zoomblack

Brows:
Urban Decay Brow Box in Brown Sugar
Mac clear brow set

Lips:
Mac Syrup Lipstick
Mac C-Thru Lipglass mixed with...
Mac Starlet Kiss Lipglass


These colors don't really look too good on me, but I just had to mess around with it. Usually, as you all know, I go for something really dark and smoky, but today I just decided to have some fun.
Well, that was a fun break, now I am off to the library to do some more work for school. I practically live there, I should start having my mail and bills sent there. Haha.

- Samantha

Mac Suite Array Review!

I pinky promised you all I would do a formal review on the new Suite Array eyeshadow duo's... and I am! Yay!
Anyways... I was looking at reviews for the eyeshadows online before I actually wrote this, and a lot of people are complaining about the consistency of the new shadows. I have to say that I didn't think they were too bad - if you know how to work with them.
To your right, there are some swatches. These were done over some Urban Decay Primer Potion (UDPP for you noobies). I used a Mac 239 brush, and didn't really go out of my way to pack them on. As you can see, they are pretty vibrant. I also did some swatches of the new Pearlglide eyeliners. The top left is called "Sweet Liason", the top right is called "Smoke & Ash", and the bottom right is called "Blue Zone", even though I think it should be called "Purple Zone" or something... but anyways. The colors are pretty pigmented, but they do go on a little sheer at first. The finish on these is really nice and different. They have sort of a matte finish with some sparkle to them. Not the kind of sparkle that a 12 year old would wear, but the kind that kind of catches the light and makes your eyes twinkle. I did a smokey eye look using the "Smoke & Ash" duo that I am thinking about posting on here at some point soon, and overall I really liked these shadows.
"Smoke & Ash": The silver side of this is a very bright cool silver with flecks of glitter. The black side of this is a soft black that can be layered for more intensity with flecks of glitter as well. This is the perfect duo for a smokey eye, especially if you are new to the whole makeup thing since they do go on relatively sheer at first. This one id probably my favorite.
"Sweet Liason": This is a really nice neutral set, I think. The larger side is a cream color with a HINT of yellow with flecks of glitter, which the smaller side is a deep rich chocolate brown with flecks of glitter. I am not a neutral eyeshadow lover, but somehow this really caught my eye. (Ok, maybe it was that my MUA at Mac is AMAZING and knows what to say in order to get me hooked... but we can just pretend that I was the one who noticed how gorgeous it is) The lighter side is a nice highlight as well as a lid color, and the brown makes a nice contour color. I actually used the brown as a lid color with carbon in the outer v and crease... but there will be a FOTD for that look in the near future as well.
"Blue Zone": This is a silly one. The colors are really way more purple than blue, but they are nice colors anyways. I can't really see any justification for why I bought this one, simply because I have a million other colors that look similar, but the finish is what got me. The lighter side is a really soft lilac and the darker side is a more intense blueish purple with flecks of glitter. I like this duo, but I can't really see myself using is on a regular basis.
Also in the swatch in the lower left corner, you see the new Pearlglide eyeliners. I LOVE these. I bought "Fly-By-Blue", "Black Russian", and "Wolf", which is how they are in order on the swatch above. I am an eyeliner junkie and I love glitter in small doses as well, so these were the perfect new little friends for me. The glitter is not crazy noticible, but it still gives the eyes something new, even though it is on the subtle side. These go on incredibly smoothe and are easily blended into the lashline or wherever your little heart desires.
Overall, I really enjoyed this new release from Mac. I know they have been coming out with a TON of new collections, but I have somehow managed to pass on some of them, for example, Cult of Cherry.
If you are interested, the entire new collection as well as a new collection called Emanuel Ungaro, is online now or you can find it at your local Mac store or counter.

<3 - Samantha

I promised I would get more into this, so HERE!

Hey guys! I decided to change my makeup before I went to work today, and this is what I came up with!
Face:
Smashbox Color Correcting Primer (the green one)
MUFE Mat Velvet+ in 55
MUFE Full Coverage Concealer in 4
Mac MSF Natural in Medium Dark
Nars Blush in Orgasm

Eyes:
Mac Paint Pot in Bare Study
Mac Paint Pot in Rollickin'
Mac Eyeshadow in Phloof!
Mac Pigment in Pink Opal
Mac Eyeshadow in Carbon
Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Peace
Mac Pearlglide Eyeliner in Black Russian
Mac Kohl Power Eyeliner in Feline
Mac Fluidline Eyeliner in Blacktrack
Fresh Supernova Mascara in Black

Brows:
Mac Brow Crayon in Spiked
Urban Decay Brow Box in Brown Sugar
Mac Brow Set in Show Off

Lips:
Mac Lipstick in Hollywood Nights
Lancome Color Fever Gloss in Volcanic Pink



I also did some haulage the other day for the new Mac collections. I like the Suite Array eyeshadow duos, even though they've been getting some bad reviews online. I should do a formal review sometime tomorrow or today, hopefully. This is what I got.
MUFE Mat Velvet + foundation in 55
MUFE Full Coverage Concealer in 4
Mac Pearlglide Eyeliners in Black Russian, Wolf, and Fly By Blu
Mac Kohl Power Eyeliner in Feline

I didn't take pictures of the Suite Array shadows that I bought because I'm waiting to do a review on them, and because I forgot. Haha.

Love you guys!
- Samantha