Smoky Eyes ♥ Valentine's Day Tutorial

I'll be the first to admit, this isn't really a Valentine's Day look (what exactly is a Valentine's Day look anyway?), but I thought it would be fun to throw out a more dramatic look. This one is definitely bold on the eyes and makes great use of the Lorac Pro Palette or the Lorac Pro to Go Palette. Hope you have a great time watching and leave me questions or comments down below!

p.s. I hope you all have a wonderful Friday whether or not you celebrate Valentine's Day. Even if you are in a relationship, let's face it, the best part of V-day is actually the day after when all of the candy goes on sale :)

Stila Palette for Sale

I don't plan on doing this very often, but sometimes I have an item that I don't want anymore, but it's barely used so it seems like it's better to see if someone wants it rather than throw it out.

That being said, I have a Stila In The Moment Palette that I would love to sell to someone who might want it. I've used it maybe 3 times and some shades haven't been used at all. It comes with the smudge stick, as well. This retails for $39, but since it's been used a few times, I'm asking for $23 (shipping included if you're in the continental US). Feel free to send me a message at bisousdarling@gmail.com if you're interested!

Birchbox : February 2014

Oh, Birchbox. You are seriously making me wonder why I ever decided to purchase an entire year of you at once. You see, before I bought a full year, my boxes, while sometimes underwhelming, were usually fantastic. Then, I took the plunge and every single box I've gotten since then has pretty much, for lack of better words, sucked. With those few sentences, let me walk you through what I got this month.

What I received:

• Beauty Protector Protect & Oil
• Coola Tinted Matte SPF 30 
• Ruby Wing Color Changing Nail Polish in Kitten Heels
• Smashbox Full Exposure Mascara
• Smashbox Full Exposure Palette (that shit you see above printed on paper)

My Thoughts:

This box was curated by Us Weekly and it's a shame, because I used to really look forward to my curated boxes since they were some of the best that would come out during the year. This box is just shitty on multiple, multiple levels. For starters, I got two things that are basically unusable to sample; the Coola and the Smasbox Eyeshadows. The reason that I'm saying the Coola is unusable is because there's essentially no product in the bottle; maybe enough for one application to the face. I know that Birchbox is a sampling box and that perhaps one use is considered a sample, but to me, I should be able to get a few uses out of a sample to decide whether or not I like it. This part isn't Birchbox's fault, but since I have acne prone skin, mineral sunscreens are kind of out of the question and I'm pale, so I doubt the tint would match. I'm not even opening this product, it's going straight into a trade/giveaway pile since I know I can't use it. 

Then... then there's the stupid Smashbox eye shadow card. This is technically considered my "beauty extra", so the value of this doesn't go toward the value of my box. However, I have to sit here and ask, what value? They hand these things out like candy for any product launch and they are terrible products. It's eye shadow... printed on paper. 

The other samples are fine, size wise, but not really my style. I already know that I don't like this Smashbox mascara; it's just not for me. I may still use it, I may put it in the trade/giveaway pile; these decisions have not yet been made. Also, in non-typical Birchbox fashion, they didn't put anything in a pillow pocket, so everything was just rolling around in the box when I received it. The cap to the oil was loose and now there is thin layer of oil on everything that came in the box. Also irritating is that the oil has no size listed on it, so I have no idea how much I am getting.

And last, but not least, god damned nail polish. I have gotten nail polish in three of my last four boxes and I'm sorry, but I really don't have much interest in color changing nail polish. I've been alive long enough to fully remember the color changing nail polish craze of the 90s and I didn't care then, either.

Can you tell that I'm disappointed? I feel like my Birchbox posts each month have simply become rant sessions. This box was bad enough on its own, but then to have everything coated lightly in oil is over the top; Birchbox will be receiving an email from me.

Monetary Values:

Beauty Protector Protect & Oil: $2.74 for .5 fl oz? (full size: 4 fl oz/$21.95)
Coola Sunscreen: $3.60 for .17 fl oz (full size: 1.7 fl oz/$36)
Ruby Wing Nail Polish: $5 for .25 fl oz (full size: 5 fl oz/$10)

Smashbox Mascara: $7.18 for .14 fl oz. (full size: .38 fl oz/$19.50)
Smashbox Eyeshadow Card: Jack

 

Full Monetary Value: $18.52

Final Thoughts: Birchbox. I kind of hate you right now and I sort of wish I could break up with you. However, I have this lease with you right now, so I guess I have to wait until that's up. Crap.

If for some reason, you still want to subscribe to Birchbox, you can follow my referral link here or visit birchbox.com

Weekly Posting Calendar : Update

Finally, here is the weekly posting calendar! I've decided that this is going to be the easiest way for me to get posts out on a regular basis and you guys will know what is coming every day. I'm going to break it down for you by day.

Monday: Product reviews! This will be a day for reviews on newer products and things that I've acquired. I am currently on a low buy, but I still have loads and loads of new things to review for you guys. 

Tuesday: New YouTube videos will go up every Tuesday (after this week since I'm filming on tonight to go up tomorrow). YouTube isn't restricted to only Tuesday, but you can expect at least one new video a week and they'll be posted on Tuesdays. This will be tutorials, hauls, general makeup talk, etc.

Wednesday: I left Wednesdays blank because I've allowed myself one day for laziness. If I have more things to post, I will definitely post them, but there is no structure for Wednesdays.

Thursday:  Throwback Thursdays! This is a day where I'll inform you guys on some of my favorite products that aren't so new, but still deserved to be talked about.

Friday: What is a FOTD? It's a Face of the Day and I think it's fun to show you all what I look like on a regular basis since the only time you're seeing my face is in tutorials. These will all include product lists as well!

But what about the weekends? Honestly, I do have a fairly busy life outside of this blog. I work a full time job, have a dog, friends, family, and a boyfriend and they all require my attention. I noticed that I don't really post on the weekends on a regular basis, so I'm just leaving them open as well. If I feel like posting something, I will, but I don't want to hold myself to making a post each weekend when I know that I won't follow through.

But there's more... I will also have monthly posts; things like Birchbox reviews, Monthly Favorites, and if I ever accumulate enough empty products, an Empties post.

Like I said up above, I think that this is the easiest way to hold myself to posting on a regular basis and it means that you guys will know what's coming for each day. That way, if you absolutely love FOTD posts , you know that you should definitely stop by on Fridays.

If you all have any suggestions or have something that you would also like to see each week, don't hesitate to leave a comment or shoot me an email, I love hearing from you!

EcoTools Airbrush Concealer Brush : Product Review

Brush reviews... something that is pretty much uncharted territory for me. My brush collection is a serious hodge podge; I buy things that feel good in my hands and everything else gets tossed to the side. I'm serious; I have tons and tons of brushes, but only a select few get used pretty much every day. For the purposes of reviewing this brush, I have been using it almost every day for the past two or three weeks.

I feel like I need to state this fact about me again, but generally speaking, I hate concealer. I don't know when or why I began this distaste for it, but it is very real. I just don't conceal anything on my face aside from my under eyes, however, to fully test this brush, I concealed lots of things (and my face had a really nice hormonal breakout, so I got to really test it out).

Like every EcoTool brush, this one has a bamboo handle, recycled aluminum ferrule, and synthetic bristles.  I picked this brush up for $5.29 at my local Ulta, but the EcoTools website has it for $3.99; but what I'm getting at is that it's incredibly affordable. I am somewhat picky about when I used synthetic bristles and when I don't, but since this is for cream/liquid products, it makes sense to use synthetic bristles.

There isn't any wiggle room between my brush handle and the ferrule, so it feels fairly well constructed, although I wouldn't be completely shocked if somewhere down the line, the two being to get a bit wobbly. The brush is fairly compact and the handle is a good length; not too long and not too short. The bristles are stiff enough to buff concealer in efficiently, but also not so stiff to be painful using it on your face. They are also very, very soft and feel nice on my skin.

So far, I bet this review is sounding pretty Goldilocks to you, isn't it? The handle isn't too long or too short, the bristles aren't too stiff or too bendy, they not sharp or too soft, etc. That's just it though, this brush is kind of like the perfect porridge for Goldilocks. When I use it to blend in my under eye concealer, it does pick up some of the product, but not too much, and blends it out into the perfect medium. 

So what's wrong with it? Well, honestly, nothing. It's a very good brush for the price point. I'm sure that if you're accustomed to nicer quality brushes that are made out of the softest animal hairs, then this is definitely going to feel like porcupine quills on your eye area. On the other hand, if you're used to E.L.F. brushes, then this is going to feel like a dream cloud on your face. Me though, I use a mix of brushes (meaning higher and lower price points) and my skin isn't overly sensitive to brushes, so it works pretty damn near perfectly for me. It's nothing that blows my socks off and I would tell everyone on the planet about, but if you're looking for a nice little concealer brush that's pretty affordable, then this is definitely your guy. 

If you're anything like me and you use a mix of high and low, then I would definitely recommend picking this up and trying it out. If you're used to high end, you might hate this, but for less than $5, you could also just pick it up and try it out; you never know, it might change your world.