L'Oreal Influenster VoxBox

Recently I got this stacked VoxBox from Influenster to try out a bunch of makeup products from L'Oreal, which particularly focused on lashes. It came with two eye shadows, eye liner, a mini brow kit, Voluminous mascara primer and Voluminous mascara.

Makeup-snob in me wasn't expecting much. Besides my coveted e.l.f. $2 liquid eyeliner, drugstore brands don't often make it into my bag. I was out of state for a couple of days visiting my mom, so I figured it would be a good time to try these products for a couple of days when I figured I wouldn't have to be out in public much (Oregon, versus San Francisco on a daily basis).

First up was the eye shadow duo. I used the light on my brow bone & the darker on my lid & crease. The shimmer slate actually had amazing dimension - It looked shimmery where I wanted it to, but also appeared matte in my crease where that would be more ideal. It reminded me of some of my favorite Too Faced eye shadows - which is one of my favorite eye shadow brands. 

The brow kit seemed pretty light for my skin and hair - as my natural hair color is dark brown. I ended up bleaching the top part of my hair about a week after I received this VoxBox though, so it ended up working out perfect - and I've been using this on a daily basis since!

I have mixed feelings when it comes to mascara primers. Maybe it's because I'm not used to them, or I'm picky with my natural eyelashes, or the fact that Makeup Forever Smokey Extravagant is still my #1 mascara for over a year and a half now. The primer was slightly more thick then I would have liked it to be, but it DID do a great job of making my lashes appear fuller, which is always a plus, no matter how full your lashes already are naturally. 

I would definitely recommend trying the eye shadows and Voluminous primer & mascara. I'd probably like to try out some more eye shadow colors to see if they have similar effects, and this is now the #2 drugstore brand mascara I would buy - Rimmel London made me a fan of their Lash Accelerator Endless a couple of years ago.

All products I receive from the Influenster VoxBox program are free to me for testing purposes. I enjoy sharing my both good and sometimes brutally honest negative reviews with all of my readers. 

Feel free to message with any questions!

Yours in health and happiness,

Samantha Marie 

Skin Prep Reviews: Benefit, Urban Decay, Clinique, Clarins

I totally did save the best for last...

Here are some of my favs of the past few months: 

Clinique Stay Matte Oil Free Makeup 

Neutral, Dry Combination to Oily

I don't normally wear full coverage makeup like most foundations, so when I tried this I kept that in mind. Although it's not something I would personally wear on a daily basis, many could or would, and this would be something I would wear if I wanted a little more coverage than my normal I'm-a-manager-at-a-gym look. It wasn't too thick & blended in nicely. Clinique has actually been one of my favorite brands (normally in skin care) since I was pretty young. If you have sensitive skin or your skin breaks out easily, it's a great brand to turn to.

Urban Decay Naked Skin Beauty Balm SPF 20

Pretty impressed with this! Did have a bit more coverage than I was expecting for a BB cream, but Urban Decay is a strong makeup brand so it makes sense. The SPF is a little low for my preference - I usually aim for 30+ - but I liked it overall. The sample I had was pretty small, but I would definitely like to try it again.

Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch

A little thick for my preference, but does an excellent job of doing what it says. Use alone or as a primer, and be sure to blend in smoothly. If you want to feel secure in your primer lasting all day or night in possibly a warm environment, this is a great choice.

Benefit - The Pore Professional

Really saved the best for last! This is it. Stock up on this by the cases. It's so good, feels so nice on your skin, does such a nice job in the morning, or night, with no makeup, a little makeup, more makeup... I felt like I was in a constant battle of wanting to use it all the time & keep putting more on, but afraid of running out of it before I was ready. This might just be crack for your face.

Super Sample Week on Natural Beauty and Body

Hi All!

I will be moving in less than 2 months and I have a couple boxes of samples that I've tried & tested, but have yet to review! The price I pay for working overtime, going to school, and still being a procrastinator.

This week I'll be reviewing over a dozen products for hair, skin, makeup, and body. Here's what's in store:

Alterna Caviar Replenishing Moisture Shampoo and Lengthening Hair & Scalp Serum, Number 4 Reconstructing Masque, and Splat Hair Chalk

 

Suki Exfoliating Foaming Cleanser, Mereadesso All-In-One Moisturizer, Arcona Cranberry Gommage, and Juara Candlenut Body Creme

Benefit the Pore Professional, Clinique Stay Matte Oil Free Makeup, Urban Decay Naked Skin Beauty Balm SPF 20, and Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch

Tomorrow we will start with the Boscia Black Mask Review!