Makeup Favorites

Hello again, 

Today I'm sharing some of my fave makeup products with you guys!

Before I start, let me say I'm usually not very adventurous when it comes to my makeup. For years, I was stuck on a retro/pinup look, and I wouldn't do my eye makeup without lining my upper lid with liquid liner. My life is a bit hectic these days, and I have no time to create a perfect cat eye on a daily basis. So I've settled into this 5 minute makeup look.

This lovely palette by Tarte inspired me to write this post. Behold...ALL. THE. GLITTER. Keep reading to see what's inside....

First, I use Elf BB Creme. It's very inexpensive, and goes on a bit thick at first because of the sunscreen. But once it soaks into my skin, it's perfect. 

ELF BB Cream

Next, I use Make-Up Forever's Full Cover Concealer. It's one of the few concealers that will disguise my dark under eye circles AND doesn't settle into my wrinkles. 

Make Up Forever Full Cover Concealer

To set my look and even out my skin, I use NYX Stay Matte But Not Flat. On it's own, it's not quite the coverage I'm looking for, but with BB cream it is perfect. 

NYX Stay Matte But Not Flat

I usually use whatever light bronzer I have lying around to do a light contour under my cheekbone. I found this Lorac bronzer at TJMaxx and it works great. 

LORAC TANtlizer (new packaging)

For blush, I use this Wet n Wild Coloricon blush in Pink. My package is currently broken to bits, so I'm using a stock photo, lol. It's a beautiful, pinky peach with a bit of shimmer. 

Wet n Wild Coloricon Blush

Speaking of Wet n Wild, I'm digging these cheap little makeup brushes I found at Five Below. 

Soooooo... here is the inside of that lovely Tarte pallete. It is named Love, Trust, & Fairy Dust. I purchased it online from Sephora as a birthday gift to myself. The colors I use the most are Giggle, Whimsical, Flitter, and Gossamer. It's not a glitter explosion as the packaging might suggest. I find these colors very wearable, and romantic. 

Tarte Love, Trust, & Fairy Dust Palette

I have non existent eyelashes, and have a tough time finding a rad mascara. Soap and Glory's Thick & Fast Extensions Effect Mascara was my favorite until I discovered Thrive's mascara via a Facebook Ad. I know, it's lame as hell, but I'm a sucker for a good Facebook Ad. Thrive mascara doesn't smear or run in the Florida heat and humidity. It is a buildable mascara with little fibers to make your lashes look awesome. 

Thrive Liquid Lash Extensions Mascara

I like to give my brows a bit of definition and color, and NYX's Tinted Brow Mascara in Brunette works well for me. 

NYX Tinted Brow Mascara

Finally, onto lipstick. I don't have time for lipstick touch ups during the day, so I like a rosey liquid lip that I can put on and forget about. I've been using Sephora's Cream Lip Stain Liquid Lipstick, and it works well for me. But, I have read that not all Sephora brand products are all cruelty-free, and I am working on moving all of my beauty products in that direction. So, I will be on the hunt for another great liquid lipstick. 

The first swatch is Vintage Rosewood, the second is Marvelous Mauve. 

Last, but certainly not least, is this NYX Setting spray. It works as well, if not better, than the more expensive brands.

NYX Makeup Setting Spray Matte

Well, here are a couple of pictures of my mug with a full face of the above makeup. 

Thanks for stopping by!
Adrienne 

Mrs. Mia Wallace

Hello Again!

How many of you were obsessed with the movie Pulp Fiction when it premiered some 20 odd years ago? I was just a babe in the woods, a mere 18 years old when this film was released. From my first viewing of Pulp Fiction, I was in love. Quentin Tarantino made an true American classic: stylish, violent, smart, funny, with exceptional dialogue and an awesome non-linear timeline. I had never seen or heard anything like it. I've watched it several times over the years, and we even viewed it again this Christmas. Hey, I think it is the perfect holiday film! 

A little background on one of my favorite characters, Mrs. Mia Wallace. Mia is the wife of gangster Marsellus Wallace (played by Ving Rhames), who asks his employee Vincent Vega (played by John Travolta) to take her out on the town while he is away. They visit Jack Rabbit Slims, a retro joint where waiters dress as 1950s icons. Buddy Holly (played by Steve Buscemi) takes their "bloody as hell" burger and "$5 shake" orders. Mia insists they enter the dancing contest, and they of course win. After dinner, they take a trip to Vincent's dealer's home after she mistakes Vincent's heroin for cocaine, and nearly ODs. What saves her life is a giant needle full of adrenaline to her heart. Well, it's not family fare, but it is amazing piece of film.

The music, look, and dialogue of the film is very inspiring. Style wise, Mia takes the cake. Mia sports a black bob, red lips and dark nails (that I am fairly sure is Chanel's legendary "Vamp" color). She wears a black jacket, white fitted button down top, cropped black pants, and a sultry attitude.

(Source)

Needless to say, I was beyond thrilled to see that Urban Decay released a Pulp Fiction Mia Wallace inspired makeup collection! Take a look at these beauties! I just ordered the eyeshadow palette and nail polish, the lipsticks are sold out. (This post was in no way sponsored by Urban Decay. I simply lost my mind when I saw these items!)

In other Pulp Fiction news, it looks like we will be getting these Minimates Pulp Fiction "Vince and Mia's Night Out" toys in our Twisted Heroes store come October! You bet I will be keeping one for myself. 

I'll leave y'all with the original trailer. Thanks for stopping by!

Adrienne 

July Ipsy Bag

Hello Again!

Yes, I know we are several days into August! But I wanted to share the goodies I received in my July Ipsy bag.

1) Big Sexy Hair Weather Proof Spray 

2) Pouty Pop Crayon

3) BH Cosmetics California Collection Eyeshadow Sample

4) Benetint

5) Coola Tinted Moisturizer

I've received these Big Sexy Hair Spray products in my Ipsy bags before. They seem to do a decent job at holding my hair in place, but I wish I had received the Soy Renewal Beach Spray instead. I am on a constant search to replace the John Freida Beach Waves spray that was discontinued several years ago. I've had zero luck finding a product that compares. This cult classic sells on eBay for around $50-80 dollars a bottle. THAT'S how fabulous it is. I have no clue why John Frieda stopped discontinued it, or why they refuse bring it back. OK, end of my rant!

I've blogged about my obsession with coral, so it should be no surprise I was happy to receive this punchy color. It is a bit bright, but I tone it down with a bit of neutral lip liner. 

Please excuse my potato farmer hands in these photos. I am well overdue for a manicure of some kind! 

This BH Cosmetics palette was lovely, if a bit bright for me. I need to figure a way to incorporate that pretty purple eyeshadow into an evening look. Does anyone have any smokey eyeshadow tutorials they would like to share?

I've been a fan of Benetint by Benefit for quite some time. It is a rosey lip and cheey stain, that truly stays on and smells like roses. 

This Coola mineral sunscreen was OK, though the coverage seemed a bit too sheer for my taste. It was also a shade too dark for this pasty girl.

Well, that brings to an end my July Ipsy Bag review. I do enjoy receiving these little beauty nuggets every month!

Thanks for stopping by!

Adrienne 

Pinup Girl Essentials Giveaway! Featuring MAC's Russian Red Lipstick

Hello Again!

Are y'all ready for summer? I sure as heck am! To celebrate the warmer weather, I am hosting a Pinup Girl Essentials Giveaway on my blog!

There are 3 items every pinup girl needs: a killer red lipstick, a rad pair of cats eye sunglasses, and a lovey hair flower.

Take a look at the goodies the winner will receive:

 Brand New Tube of MAC's Russian Red Lipstick 

Forever 21 Sunglasses

Lola's Lovelies Hair Flower

I am excited to share these items with one lucky winner! I myself wear hair flowers, cat's eye sunnies, and MAC's Russian Red on a regular basis. Pinup/retro style can be empowering, and is always fun :)

To enter, please follow the instructions via the widget below. Please note, you must follow What Lola Wants via Google Friend Connect (widget located in upper right sidebar) AND Bloglovin' to enter. This giveaway is open to international readers :)
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Thanks for stopping by, good luck!

Adrienne 

My First Vlog: Spring/Summer 2013 Plus Size Fashion Haul

Hello Again!

I made my first vlog, y'all! Here is a brief Spring/Summer Fashion Haul by yours truly. 

Vloging is not an easy task! How do You Tube Bloggers do this on a daily, weekly, even monthly basis?  I found myself tripping over my words, making strange faces, and wanting to set my tripod on fire. That said, I have a few more vloging ideas, so perhaps I will eventually get the hang of it! Subscribe to my You Tube channel here.

Let me know what ya think! Feedback is always appreciated.

Adrienne

May Ipsy Bag

Hello Again!

I generally forget to review my Ipsy bags, but the May products were pretty fabulous and deserving of a blog post. Here we go!

 This month I received:
1) St. Tropez One Night Only Instant Glow Body Lotion 
2) Nume Finishing Serum
3) Juice Beauty Reflecting Gloss
4) Zoya Nail Polish in Neely
5) Yaby Concealer Refills

Let's start with the St. Tropez One Night Only Instant Glow Body Lotion . I am skeptical of most fake tanners, especially those that wash off with soap and water. But I was feeling brave and decided to give it a whirl. This lotion gives such a lovely glow! Best of all, it didn't rub off on my clothing! We'll have to see how it stands up to the humid Nashville summers :)

Next up is Nume Finishing Serum. This stuff seemed to work OK on my color treated, dry hair. But, I'm not sure it's worth the $29 (for a full size) price. 

On to the Juice Beauty Reflecting Gloss. (notice my dry, comic-book-sorting-hands, and the messy background. I'm super professional). This gloss has a nice, sweet scent and is organic and cruelty free, which is a big deal to me. I do wish the gloss had been a tad less sheer.

I truly loved the Zoya Nail Polish in Neely! I'm generally a coral/pink/red polish kind of gal, but I threw this on my fingernails one night, and it lasted for 3-4 days without chipping! That is unheard of for me, since I am super rough on my hands. I need to try more Zoya polishes, that's for sure!

Finally, we have the Yaby Concealer Refills. I was so underwhelmed by this that I didn't even bother to take a separate photograph, haaa haaa. Seriously, I haven't given this product a try as of yet and it might be wonderful. I will update this post as soon as I do.

As I mentioned before, I was quite impressed with this month's Ipsy bag. The bronzer and polish are my faves, and alone are worth the $10 subscription fee!

Also, don't forget that Google Reader is going away this Summer (I'm not sure about Google Friend Connect, but that's another story). For blog updates, follow along via Bloglovin'!


Thanks for stopping by!
Adrienne 

*Please note, this is not a paid product review. I purchase a monthly Ipsy subscription and like to share my beauty finds with my readers :)

Ipsy vs Birchbox: January Sub Box Review

 Hello Again!

It's time for another sub box review! I mean to post these monthly, but generally forget until the month has passed me by.

Ipsy and Birchbox  give you the chance to try out some rad new beauty products for a fee of $10 a month. I've subscribed to both for several months now, and am generally pretty excited about the goodies I receive.

Here are the contents of this months' Ipsy bag:

1)Nailtini Nail Lacquer-This is a gorgeous, rich red nail color. I will be doing a retro manicure with this color in the near future!

2)Josie Maran Pure Argan Oil-I am an Argan oil junkie. My dyed and fried hair needs it so! I've used several different formulas, and this is definitely one of the best. It can also be used as a skin moisturizer!

3)Big Sexy Hair Play and Spray Volumizing Hairspray-I haven't played around with this yet, but it sounds promising.

4)Pacifica Tuscan Blood Orange Body Butter-The best body butter, ever. It smells divine, and is rich enough to soothe my Winter chapped hands.

5)Soho Concealer Brush-The perfect brush for concealer, or filling in eyebrows.

I was thrilled with this months' Ipsy box. The body butter and Argan oil alone were worth the $10 monthly fee! I like the variety of products, and Ipsy's tendency to give full size products in their bag.

In my previous Ipsy vs. Birchbox post, I stated I would be cancelling my Birchbox in the near future. Not because Birchbox isn't fabulous in it's own right, but because it wasn't the right fit for me. Well, I am a bit of a procrastinator, so the cancellation hasn't happened as of yet. Here are the contents of my Birchbox:

1)Ojon Damage Reverse Instant Restorative Hair Serum-I haven't gotten around to trying this serum, but it sounds amazing!l

2)Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentrè-A rich cream that doubles as a makeup remover.

3)Aerie Shimmer Fragrance-A light, lovely scent.

4)Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner-A fab, felt tip, liquid eyeliner. I might purchase a full size one in the future, since it has great staying power.

5) LÄRABAR® über-A yummy, salty-sweet energy bar.

I do like Birchbox's selection of high end beauty products. These are items I have heard of, but generally wouldn't try because of the cost. It feels good to give them a whirl!

Overall, I am more of an Ipsy girl, but am still hesitant to cancel Birchbox. Decisions, decisions....

Have a good one!

Adrienne

Giveaway: Urban Decay Vegan Palette-CLOSED

Hello Again!

Up for grabs is one Urban Decay Vegan Palette! I love all things Urban Decay. Their eyeshadow is highly pigmented and has great staying power. This little palette even comes with their 24/7 eyeliner and some of the magical Primer Potion! I especially love that this palette is 100% cruelty free :)

To enter the giveaway, please follow instructions via the widget below. This giveaway is open to international readers as well.

Please note, you must follow What Lola Wants via Google Friend Connect in order to enter this giveaway.

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Good luck!

Adrienne

Ipsy vs. Birchbox: October Sub Box Review

Hello Again!

I am very late in reviewing my October subscription boxes! But, I was fairly impressed with the boxes last month, and wanted to share goodies I received with you.

Let's start with my October Birchbox.

Here is what I received:
Eve Lom Cleanser & Muslin Cloths
Amika Nourishing Hair Mask
Luna Lemon Zest Bar
Chantecaille Faux Cils Mascara
DDP Advanced Micro-Exfoliation Cleanser

I have used most of these products and enjoyed them. The DDP Cleanser is a nice exfoliant, the mascara gives me lush lashes, and the Luna bar was yummy.

I've been feeling rather "ehhh" about the last few Birchboxes I received. They are beautifully packaged, and generally have some nice skincare items. But, I don't feel that they are necessarily geared towards me. I am in like, but not love, with my Birchboxes. But, this one was a bit better than the previous.

Next up is my first Ipsy box/bag (formally known as My Glam Bag):

Here is what I received:
Coastal Scents Eye Shadow
The Balm " What's Your Type" Bodybuilder Mascara
Be A Bombshell Eyeliner
Mirenesse Lip Bomb Glossy Lacquer Stain
Couture Color Pequi Oil Treatment

I was quite impressed with my first Ipsy bag. First, I loved the Bombshell/Pinup concept, and the bold, feminine products. The Be A Bombshell Eyeliner was long lasting, though the felt tip was a bit thick for my taste. The Balm mascara was lush and lengthening. I've used the Couture Color Oil Treatment a few times, and it leaves my hair very soft.
Plus, with Ipsy, you receive a mini bag each month! I found the chevron stripe bag quite snazzy.

My favorite item from Ipsy was the Mirenesse Lip Bomb Glossy Lacquer Stain. The color is very highly pigmented, goes on glossy, and has the great staying power of a lip stain.

The Coastal Scents eyeshadow was really the only "ehhh" item. The colors are pretty, but the item didn't seem to fit with the Bombshell concept.

So, obviously I am partial to Ipsy. I might give Birchbox one more month (yes, I said this a few months ago), and stick with Ipsy for now.

How many of you subscribe to beauty boxes? What have been your experiences?

Have a good one!
Adrienne

Essie Fall 2012 Polish Set Giveaway!

Hello Again! 

Are y'all ready for Fall? I know I am. To get you pumped for the upcoming season, I am hosting an Essie giveaway for my rad readers!

Up for grabs is an Essie Fall 2012 Mini Polish set. Included are 4 mini polishes in the following colors: Stylenomics, Head Mistress, Skirting the Issue, and Don't Sweater It.

If you would like to win this polish set, please enter via the widget below. Please note, you must follow the blog publicly via Google Friend Connect in order to enter this giveaway. This giveaway is open to international readers.

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Good luck!
Adrienne

My July Birchbox

Hello Again!

Yes, I am a bit late with this subscription box review, since it is now August.

How many of you ladies subscribe to Birchbox's monthly beauty box? I started receiving mine back in May. Honestly, I wasn't that impressed with my first two boxes. The choices were interesting, but some of the items seemed a bit random to me (blue glitter eyeliner anyone?).

I decided to give the monthly subscription one more go, and I am glad that I did! Here is what I received:
Birchbox partnered with Glamour magazine this time around. The theme for July was our five senses, and using them to fully experience Summer.

 I received:
1) Larabar Uber Nut Roll.-I found this roll to be super yummy and filling.
2) Jouer Luminizing Moisture Tint-I tried a bit on my skin, I like the clean feeling and light coverage.
3)Oscar De La Renta Live in Love perfume sample-Not really my kind of scent, but not bad.
4) Bamboo UV Fade Proof Fluid-I can't wait to try this on my ever-fading red hair.
5)A pair of Glamour ear buds-Very cute and useful.

 6) I also received this Stila lip glaze that I forgot to include in the pic. It is a great neutral color!

In my opinion, I feel like Birchbox is a good deal for the $10 monthly subscription fee. You receive quality, name brand products (occasionally they are even full size). Overall, I am happy with this Birchbox and will continue on with my subscription. For you Birchbox subscribers, how do you like the boxes thus far? Does anyone subscribe to Glossybox?

Adrienne

New Giveaway: Stila Not So Nude Palette-Closed

Hello Again!

I am very excitied to offer this giveaway for the Stila Not So Nude Palette! I picked up two of these makeup palettes at Ulta a bit ago; one for me, and one for my sweet readers. I've been using it nonstop ever since.

The kit includes 6 eyeshadows (Sugar, Fawn, Barefoot, Buff, Mink, and Dolce), all over shimmer Kitten, and a lip/cheek color, Lily. I use Buff, Fawn, and Kitten on my eyes daily, and the sultrier colors for evenings out on the town.

If you would like to enter to win this amazing palette (and you know you do!), please follow the instructions on the widget below. Please note, you must follow the blog publicly via Google Friend Connect in order to enter this giveaway. Follow the widget for 3 extra chances to win! This giveway is open to international readers.

The winner is-entry #25, Rebecca Ullrey!

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