In other news, I moved to Boston this week! Stela, Anisha, and I no longer work at the same company. I’ve joined a great company in Boston called SCVNGR as their Promotions Design Lead. You can read more about my big move on mine and Anisha’s blog. Stela and I will still be working on myCosmeticBag together – just remotely, of course.

And, I received some samples last week so I will be reviewing them as soon as I get this server situation resolved.

Some other random posts:

• Beauty Wash Cloth (5)
• Makeup Substitutes: Part I (4)
• Smashbox Photo Finish Primer (3)
• Makeup Organization 101 (6)
• Monistat VS SmashBox Primer (7)

Determined not to waste my money, I gave it some more thought and wondered if my “Express Finish” is drying the coat too quickly for this topcoat. To test out my theory, I pulled out my typical hot pink Orly’s nail polish. This time around, I didn’t wait till both hands were done before putting on the topcoat. I painted one hand and immediately put on the topcoat to ensure that it’s over a wet coat of polish. So far, it’s been good!! It’s day two and my nails haven’t chip yet. I’ll be counting down how many days before my nails start chipping. Oh yeah, and this time around I didn’t even bother to put on a base-coat. I just put on two thin coats of nail polish and then the Orly’s Won’t Chip Topcoat.

Update:

OK, it start chipping on Day 5. Not too bad.

Some other random posts:

• Cargo EyeLighter Eye Brightening Stick (0)
• Free Makeup Give-Away! (20)
• Makeup Substitutes: Part I (4)
• POTW: Tarte Clean Slate Face Primer (2)
• POTW: Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner (8)

As I’ve gotten more mature ( -_-), I’ve started using more and more body lotion to keep my skin hydrated and moisturized. I usually keep a bottle of lotion in my room, car, and on my work desk.   Recently I got a hold of this new product called (seed)+ Grape Seed Enriched Nourishing Body Lotion, (“Invigorating Citrus Blend”) and it is quite nice. I dislike watery or thick lotion… For me, it has to have a perfect consistency and do a good job of keeping my skin feeling hydrated. If I have to re-apply every two or three hours, that is a big FAUL in my book. (seed)+ has perfect consistency. I’m not sure if the consistency will stay the same after a couple months of use though, but I especially like the fact that I feel like I just got out of the shower after using it on my skin. I think lotion should make you feel refreshed and clean, not oily or gunky.  The best part is that it’s natural.   

If you are looking for a refreshing body lotion, give (seed)+ a try.

Introducing SEED, An Innovative Collection of Seed-Based Body Care Products That Harnesses The Power Of Nature To Enhance Your Natural Beauty.

The SEED story begins with co-founder Rebecca Gournay’s search for the most potent ingredients to enhance your daily body care ritual. She found the answer inside a grape seed.

Each tiny little grape seed is naturally rich in Vitamin E, a potent mix of antioxidants, and beneficial  essential fatty acids, all known for healthy skin benefits. The result is a collection of products bursting with effectiveness that not only feels good, but is good for you too.

As a bonus, SEED also goes beyond just nurturing your skin – the line is also kind to the planet.  All SEED packaging is recyclable and/or biodegradable. Plus, unlike most skincare items, all products and packaging in the SEED collection are made in the United States so you cut down on your carbon footprint.

www.seedpowerbodycare.com

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(For a complete list of colors, check them out on their website here.)

To test these liners out before purchasing, I swatched a few on the back of my hand and let them set for about 30 seconds. Then I tried rubbing off the product. It would not budge! I was quite impressed. I also really loved the color payoff. With just one swipe I was able to get a rich, saturated color. Not only that, these pencils really do glide on, as their name suggests.

These are my go-to liners when I’m in a hurry in the mornings. I have a good color selection (and there are still many more colors I want), I know these will glide on effortlessly, and I know they will last throughout the day. I do, however, notice one minor problem—while the liner on my top lid stays put throughout the work day, the liner on my bottom lid does smudge a tiny bit by the end of the day. It’s not too noticeable, and I do think that this can be prevented by applying a primer first, like Urban Decay Primer Potion. My lids do get oily throughout the day, which is probably why a little bit of smudging occurs. If I’m not lazy in the morning, I apply UDPP first and don’t notice any smudging at the end of the day.

While I love bold, bright colors and absolutely love the range of colors these pencils come in, I do think they have a good selection unique colors without being too bold or obnoxious. For example, Rockstar (a deep eggplant color) is a great alternative to black. It’s dark enough to be a subtle color, but less harsh than black, and yet it’s still edgy. Keep in mind, I do work in an office, and even though we have casual attire, I’m not willing to go totally crazy with colors at work!

Overall I am extremely satisfied with these liners. I plan to purchase all the colors eventually!

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I can only describe my experience with using this “Hydrating Formula” as being comparable to splashing water in my face. Only – depending on your water – it can actually make your skin dryer. That’s not the case with this product… it kept my skin feeling replenished and nourished all day. I have been using it every day for the past two weeks and I can feel and see a noticeable improvement in the quality of my skin.

Would I recommend this product to any of my friends? Absolutely!

Want to read about what other women and young ladies are using in their daily makeup routine? Join myCosmeticBag’s Makeup and Beauty Community Forum!

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The biggest reason is because I can use something as heavy as MAC’s Studio Fix Fluid foundation but apply a very small amount of it to my face, and use the 187 brush to spread it over the entire area of my face. What this means is I can make my foundation last for months longer than I usually could, and I can have sheerer coverage even while using such a heavy product. I literally just turn the bottle of foundation upside down while the cap is still on, and then after I set it upright again and open it, I gently dab the 187 Dual Fibre brush along the edges of the bottle neck.  When I say “gently dab,” I mean the only amount of foundation there should be on the brush is a few DOTS.

This prevents my face from looking too cakey or artificial. It also blends the foundation in better with the natural color of my skin, so even if I, for some reason, find myself with a shade that is two or three shades different than my skin, I can still make it work if I have to. That actually happened to me when I mixed up “NC” with what was supposed to be “NW” and I was sent a shade of foundation that was meant for someone with Anisha’s brown skin. (Anisha will kill me for this, haha.) Still, while using my trusty 187 Dual Fibre Face Brush, I was able to use this mismatched foundation for months.

After I apply liquid foundation, I usually finish with a layer of MAC’s Mineralize Skinfinish powder in Medium Dark, to give myself a nice natural glow. I can use this same brush, even if I’ve already used it with my Studio Fix Liquid foundation.

I highly recommend this brush to anyone who uses foundation or powder because it’s essentially like having two brushes in one, and makes your makeup expenses A LOT more cost effective. I probably saved myself upwards of 90 dollars a year with this brush, because I no longer have to replenish my foundation supply so often.

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I’ve recently installed a forum for myCosmeticBag, located at forum.myCosmeticBag.com to encourage our community to discuss beauty and cosmetics, as well as to just get to know each other better! Show your support for myCosmeticBag by joining and posting on the forum!

I’m using a basic theme for now (as I am for the blog), but I’m still planning on designing our very own look and feel for both sites. I just gotta find time between work and… well frankly, more work. Haha. I hope you guys will continue to be patient with me while I try to finish the design – Hopefully I can get this done in the next two months.

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• Makeup Organization 101 (6)
• Video Blog: Hello, from Chrissy! (1)
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Stela recently posted about her mishap with Hautelook’s shipment of Vincent Longo merchandise. I don’t think she ever posted a followed up on the whole situation, but eventually she decided to just keep the damaged products since she could still use it. She let me try out her Lipstain Lipstick in Parlour Pink, and I just fell in love. This lipstick is the perfect color for me, and it comes on so smoothly – not thick like most lipsticks. I loved it so much that I had to get it in the same exact shade for myself!

The texture of this lipstick feels like silk on my lips and has a very pretty sheer color that lasts practically the whole day. But I love the feel of this lipstick so much that I find myself reapplying during the day when I don’t even have to. If you don’t mind spending a little extra money, I definitely recommend this to anyone looking for that perfect lipstick.

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Bobbi Brown’s Gel Eyeliner comes on like… for lack of a better term: grease. It comes on smoothly and most times I only need to slowly apply one layer of it to get the results I want. With other liners, I usually have to go back and forth on my eyelid to make sure I don’t miss any spots and that the thickness is consistent. With this gel eyeliner, I can apply it quickly in the morning without worrying about error.

Now my next concern was that the liner would smudge, seeing as how easily it came on. Well, not to worry folks! I’ve been wearing new colored contacts which irritate my eyes and sometimes makes them water, but even after an entire day of battling with my contacts, Bobbi’s gel eyeliner stayed exactly as it was in the morning with absolutely no smudging at all!

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• POTW: Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream (3)