theBalm Eyeshadow Swatches

Yesterday I posted a giveaway for a Hot Ticket nail polish and Balm Shelter lip gloss that were a part of my Black Tie Kit that I recently bought, and today I bring you swatches of the other items.

• Shady Lady Eyeshadow in Caught in the Act Courtney and Shameless Shana
• Overshadow Shimmery Mineral Shadow in No Money, No Honey
• Hot Mama! Shadow and Blush

I've been wearing all of these for the past few days and I love them all.  I've only used Hot Mama! as a blush, but it's a gorgeous pink/peach color that would look great on the eyes as well.  Just a light dusting along my cheekbones is enough; the color payoff is quite nice.

I'm really loving the Overshadow Mineral Shadow because it's so glittery and gorgeous.  It's definitely a "fun" shade, a light gold. I like to use it along my brow bone and in the inner corners of my eyes.  It's in one of those jars that has the three small holes inside, though, which I think are messy and kind of annoying.  I'd prefer the pressed format, but I guess most mineral products aren't packaged that way.

Lastly, the Shady Lady shadows.  Caught in the Act Courtney (top) is a deep, warm brown with flecks of gold glitter, and Shameless Shana (bottom) is a rust-brown/gold shimmer.  I like both of them because they're appropriate enough for work, but they're still really fun to wear.  Since they came in a set that was meant to be used all together, they obviously layer perfectly over each other.

Bottom Line: I'm so glad I was able to snag this kit for only $13 (at Marshalls), because I think theBalm products are excellent.  I'm happy with the color payoff on the shadows, and they have pretty good staying power -- although I've only worn them with eyeshadow primer, so I'm not sure how long they last without.

TheBalm Giveaway! [CLOSED]

I bought a Black Tie Kit by TheBalm at Marshalls the other day because I wanted the blush and eyeshadows that were included, but two things I definitely don't need more of are lip gloss and red nail polish.  Therefore, I'm giving them away to one lucky reader!

If you've never heard of TheBalm, they're an awesome cruelty-free company.  I really like every product I've ever tried by them; I feel that they're very high-quality.  The two prizes pictured above are Balm Shelter Lip Gloss in "Pin-Up Girl" and Hot Ticket Nail Polish in "Better Off Red."

Entering is simple, just use the Rafflecopter form.  There are no mandatory entries, but the more you do the better your chances of winning.  This giveaway is open to US residents aged 18+ and will end on Thursday, May 31st.  Winners will be contacted via email.

Urban Decay Book of Shadows IV Review and Swatches

My BOS IV is here!  There probably isn't a soul in the world (who is interested in makeup, that is) that hasn't already seen a million swatches of the Urban Decay Book of Shadows IV, but I can at least give my opinion and insight on the palette.

I snagged the palette for only $24 ($31 after tax and shipping) from Hautelook, which made me really happy because it retailed for $63 when it was first released.  The Hautelook sale is long over, but you can find these in the sale section of UrbanDecay.com for only $29 right now.

I read a few reviews before deciding to get the BOS IV, and they were pretty mixed.  Some loved it, some felt that it didn't live up to previous palettes.  My opinion lies somewhere in between -- I've never owned any Urban Decay shadows before, so I like it a little better than some others may simply because it's my first experience with the brand and I'm excited about it.  I really like Urban Decay because they're cruelty-free.  But I can see where some others who have more experience with the brand might feel that it was less-than-stellar, because the color payoff on some of the shadows isn't as nice as I was hoping for.

Here are all of the shades.  As you can see, my "Midnight Cowgirl" shade is chipped; the palette arrived damaged like that.  I could have returned it for a refund, but I don't think I could have gotten an exchange so I figured I would just keep it.  What I liked most about this palette is the variety of colors.  There are some gorgeous neutrals, as well as some fun and bright shades.  For only $30, I couldn't pass it up.  The palette also comes with travel-sized Supercurl Curling Mascara and Eyeshadow Primer Potion, and a full-sized 24/7 Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner.  Oh and it came with a mini-speaker and a card with QR codes on it that had tutorials.  I don't have a smartphone (I know, I'm practically prehistoric!), so I can't access the tutorials, and the speaker is nothing special (sound quality kind of sucks).

Check out my swatches and more info behind the read more.

April Conscious Box Review

It's that time of the month again, the time when I tell you how much I loooove Conscious Box!  If you've never heard of this service, it costs $19 a month ($12 for the box, $7 for shipping) to have a box packed full of eco-friendly and socially conscious products delivered to your door.  And it is the greatest box EVER.

The theme for April was "Earth Day," as you can tell from the card on the top.  One thing I like is that each month features a different nature photo on an index card, which I remove and use as decorations in my cube at work.  On the reverse side of the picture is a paragraph or two describing the month's theme.

Opening these boxes each month always brightens up my day.  I check the tracking information every day, and when I know it's been delivered I'm in a weird sort of anticipation all the way home from work.  Maybe it's a little weird to get so excited about a package, but I just really enjoy getting mail and opening up something fun.

This box was the greatest one yet (since December, when I started receiving boxes).  It was packed with stuff--it weighed 1.8 lbs!  Last month's box was pretty much all edible things, so I liked that the products this month spanned a broad range of categories.  I've listed the items and have more up-close photos behind the "read more."

• Visit Conscious Box and learn more about them
• Connect with them on Facebook and Twitter

Tips for Starting a Blog

I know I'm fairly new to the blogsphere (I started this blog last November), but ShannonRByrd812 tweeted me a few days ago and asked for advice on how to get started in blogging.  I figured that writing up a quick post with how I got started might be helpful to some, so here goes!

1. Know your niche
Figure out what your interests are, and what you would really like to blog about.  For me the choice was easy, because I love trying out new cosmetics and skincare.  I decided to start a beauty product review blog so that I could share my insights with others.

2. Choose your platform
I chose Blogger because I liked the tie-ins with Google Friend Connect and Google Analytics.  But there are some drawbacks; a few months ago my Google account was temporarily suspended and I had a mini panic attack when I thought I was going to lose my blog forever!  I think that the other most popular service is Wordpress, which I've heard allows for more customization.  Play around with a few sites and see what fits you best.  You can also always host your own domain if you have web knowledge.

3. Don't start a blog just to get free stuff
Yes, sponsored posts are definitely a great perk of blogging!  But if your only motivation is to get free stuff, then I have a feeling that you won't be as successful as you'd like to be.  I love writing as much as I love shopping, which was a second motivator for me.  I won't lie, I love trying products for free, but companies are looking for genuine, honest reviews from invested bloggers, not just someone who wants a free bottle of lotion.

4. Be honest!
If you choose to start a review blog, it's imperative that you provide completely honest reviews.  You aren't doing anyone any good -- not for your readers nor for the companies you may be reviewing for -- by providing dishonest information.  I've read a few posts where bloggers write only one or two paragraphs saying "This is great, I love this!," which leaves me thinking, okay, but I still have no idea whether or not I would want to buy this product!  Be detailed, but not overly-so (no one wants to read posts that are 3 pages long, either), and provide the pros and cons that you see fit.

A few other miscellaneous things:

• Giveaways definitely help develop your readership.  People love to win free stuff, myself included!  You might need to front the cost for some prizes on your own in the beginning to build up your followership (companies like to sponsor blogs with lots of followers and high statistics), but that's not always a big deal.  I was involved in a $650 cash giveaway that only cost me $5 to participate in!
• Get to know other bloggers!  Having affiliates and friends in the blogosphere goes a long way.  You want people to read your blog, right?  So wouldn't it only make sense for you to return the favor by reading someone else's?
• Utilize social media.  Tweet, post on Facebook, use Pinterest, Google+ ... there are so many social media outlets these days!  Take the time to learn how to use them to your best advantage.
• And most importantly...have fun!  Blogging should be a fun hobby, not a chore.

I hope this post was helpful, feel free to leave questions here or on Facebook as well!