Stila Giveaway!!! **CLOSED**

  Hey everyone! Today I'm super excited because... I'm having a giveaway!

  Over a month ago I bought some Stila makeup at Costco. I've been using everything and I love it all! Well, I just went back to Costco and saw the same set. I was struck by a brilliant idea - I bought it again to give away to one of my lovely readers!

In this picture - me (finally! wearing lululemon tank and hollister cardigan), the prize, my new coral-pink walls! You like?

Rules
1) You must be a follower of my blog to enter - because I want this to be a gift to a follower. :) It's easy and free!
2) You must be a) 18 or over, or b) have a parent's permission (so I can ship it to you).
3) Just leave a comment on this post and you're automatically entered!
4) Only one entry per person. I won't give you bonus points for linking to this contest from your blog, though that would be nice!
5) This contest is open internationally and I will pay shipping!
6) Contest closes August 1st at 12:00 AM PST. I will choose the winner using this website by numbering off the comments and then generating a random number.  So if I had 6 comments, I would generate a number between 1 and 6, and the corresponding comment would win!

Prize
Now the fun part... your prize! One lucky winner will receive, in an unopened package, all authentic Stila makeup:
 -an eyeshadow trio, including three eyeshadows: lamé (bright yellow), chloe (chocolate brown), and kitten (gold/pink, Stila's most famous product!), all with finely milled shimmer
-a double-ended eyeshadow brush #30, one side for lid/highlight and the other for crease/outer v
-lash visor waterproof mascara in black
-smudge pot (combination cream eyeshadow/gel eyeliner) in black (note: not full sized)
-.10 oz. sample of 'one step' foundation in medium (doesn't look like much, but has lasted me 5 applications and still has plenty left!)

Click 'read more' to see pictures and swatches of my copies, plus an eye look using the products! Good luck!

Love, Val

Outfit of the Day! (6.22.2010)

Hello readers! I'm off to the MAC counter at my local Macy's in a few minutes (!! my first MAC trip ever) but I thought I'd give you a quick outfit of the day - or OOTD - before I'm off.

   This is my typical summer wear! A cute, floral tank (brand is h.i.p., bought at Nordstrom) paired with denim shorts (Vigoss Jeans, Nordstrom) adds just enough cute to casual wear. I added a gray jacket with three-quarter length sleeves (gift, I believe the brand is 'Lady Hathaway') so I can adjust to any possible weather. Topping it off is a gold floral necklace (Target), black sunglasses (CVS), and of course a strawberry popsicle! (I like Dreyer's and Trader Joe's.) I'm also wearing dark gray Havaiana flip-flops!

Picture taken with my new MacBook Pro! Pretty decent quality for a webcam pic, no?

Hope you liked! Nars/Benefit/Sephora/MAC haul coming soon!

Love, Val

Review: CoverGirl Smoky Shadow Blast

Hello lovelies! Sorry I've been gone so long, the last few weeks of school were brutal, and then I was a camp counselor for a week. But now I'm free to blog as much as I want!
So, I went to CVS a few days ago and picked up three things. Two Revlon ColorBurst lipsticks in 'soft nude' and 'peach' - I love them both!! Then, on my way out I saw CoverGirl's Smoky Shadow Blast, and I picked it up as well because I thought a cream eyeshadow would be nice for summer.

The color I chose is called 'Purple Plum.'

The 'gimmick' here is that you can easily achieve smoky eyes by applying step one (the rounded side) all over your lid, and step two (chiseled) into the crease and upper lash line.

This is going to be a long one, so please read my entire experiment/review after the jump!

Final Score: 1/5 Stars

Haul coming soon! Thanks for reading-

Love, Val

Dramatic Purple Eyes

It's finally here... my first makeup tutorial! This eye is shimmery, dramatic, and vibrant - it'd be gorgeous for a night out.
(Sorry I don't have step-by-step pictures - my computer deleted them - I will have them next time!)

All shadows are Urban Decay, all Urban Decay is from their Summer of Love kit.

1) First I primed my eyes with Urban Decay primer potion in Sin to intensify shadows and prevent creasing.
2) Next, with my lid brush, I put Maui Wowie (shimmery gold/silver) all over my lid, packing it on for a vibrant color.
3) I then took a crease brush and applied Smog (velvet chocolate brown, my favorite!) into the crease, creating a rounded shape.
4) Next I created an outer V with Flash (vibrant matte purple), adding a beautiful pop of color. I also took an angled brush and applied Flash two-thirds of the way in the lower lash line.
5) Lastly I put Chopper (shimmery copper) in my inner corner to brighten the look.
6) I thinly lined my upper lash line with MAC PenUltimate liner in RapidBlack, my waterline with Urban Decay glide-on liner in Bourbon, and applied two coats of CoverGirl LashBlast Volume mascara for dramatic lashes.

Here's one last picture-

I've made that one my Blogger profile pic! What do you think?

So, that's all for my first tutorial! Let me know what you think of it in a comment, and I'll have more soon!

Love, Val

P.S. The liner is my first MAC product ever! A gift from my generous grandma :)

May Favorites

What I've been loving this month!

Makeup

• Dulce Cosmetics Baked Powder - I've been loving matte finishes for May, contrary to my love of all things dewy in April. Some days I'll just apply concealer and this powder as a 'foundation.'
• CoverGirl LashBlast Volume - My new favorite mascara!!
• Rosebud Strawberry Lip Balm - Whenever I want a natural lip I just apply a lip balm like this, or a clear gloss. This balm has the best strawberry scent.
• Maybelline Dream Mousse Blush in Soft Plum - Who knew mousse blushes could be so fun? Next I want to try some cream blushes for summer.
• L'Oreal Lash Serum - Made my lashes noticeably longer and thicker. Review soon?
• Benefit Hoola bronzer and Nars Orgasm Blush - Read my 'Sephora Haul' to see why I love them! :)

Hair

• Joico K-Pak Reconstruct Shampoo and Conditioner - Makes my hair really soft, shiny, and healthy-feeling.
• Wearing my hair naturally! I've been loving showering in the morning, scrunching my hair with Paul Mitchell's texture cream, and letting it dry how it pleases.

Nails

• Essie Nail Polish in Mint Candy Apple - It's a gorgeous light blue/green, almost Tiffany color; I got a ton of compliments on my nails. Also, it's in for summer!

All for now. What are you loving for May?
Love, Val

Sephora Haul!

Hi girls! Oh, my, goodness, I LOVE SEPHORA!! The last time I went I was 10 and only interested in their nail polish. I went Saturday, and I had to restrict myself to three things. I probably spent a half hour in there trying out everything, and I mean everything! So without further ado, here it all is. (And I am 110% satisfied with my purchases!)

First, I'll talk about the Urban Decay Summer of Love kit. I knew I wanted something from Urban Decay, as I'd never tried the brand before, and I was about to buy the single eyeshadow in 'Chopper' for $17. However, then I saw the Summer of Love kit! For $24, it includes four eyeshadows, an eyeliner, and their famous primer potion in Sin. The pigmentation of everything is AMAZING! The eyeshows are fabulous, the eyeliner glides on beautifully, and the primer potion intensifies any eyeshadow times ten.... needless to say, I love it all. :) And FYI, none are full sized, but hey I can repurchase if I run out!

Eyeshadows in Flash, Maui Wowie, Chopper, and Smog; 24/7 Glide On Eyeliner in Bourbon; Primer Potion in Sin.

Next, a bronzer! It's almost summer, and bronzer is definitely a must. I've heard great things about this Hoola bronzer by Benefit. First, let me just say the packaging is adorable, and it comes with a cute little brush... which I will probably not use, and it sheds, but it's convenient if I'm going to throw this into my purse. I tried it out, and I love it! Not orange, not muddy, but the perfect matte brown that will make you look beautifully sunkissed. It applied wonderfully, and this bronzer will become a part of my daily routine.

Finally, my first Nars purchase ever! It's their blush in... you guessed it, Orgasm. It's probably the most highly acclaimed blush ever, though I've heard all of the Nars  blushes are great. The reviews are correct, this peachy pink blush gives me the perfect flush, that 'I just woke up like this' glow. Finely milled gold shimmer adds a subtle sheen. This is also a new part of my daily routine! :)

The color is actually a bit darker than it appears in this picture.

  Can you tell I'm super excited?? Anyways, I've learned that Sephora is my new heaven, and now I know what to ask for for my birthday... Sephora gift card! Next time I will have to get Benefit's primer and High Beam, as well as more Nars blushes, a multiple, and a lip gloss. *Guilty smile*
  Anyways, I'll stop rambling now! Talk to you all later!
  Love, Val
  P.S. You want it, I'll do it! Help me out and comment me with requests!

Drugstore Dupe: Stila's 'Kitten'

Hi girls! So I was looking through my eyeshadows the other day, and my Stila trio was right next to my CoverGirl trio. I realized then that Stila's color 'Kitten' (their most popular shade!) looked practically identical to the lightest shade in CoverGirl's trio (in 110 shimmering sands). Both shadows are a beautiful soft frosty pink with some shimmer. Here's a couple photos so you can decide for yourself:

Stila on the left, CoverGirl on the right.

(Sorry for the green blob  in the second pic - it's my lamp. Also, my fingers are not red, the lighting is weird!)

As you can see in the swatch, the colors are similar, though Stila's is more gold, CoverGirl's more frosty. Also, the Stila shade of course has better pigmentation. However, on my lids I can't see a difference, so I'd say if you're lusting after Kitten, try out CoverGirl next time you're at the drugstore.

Buy Stila's 'Kitten' here ($18); buy CoverGirl's trio '110 Shimmering Sands' here ($5).

All for now! Let me know if you like and want more 'drugstore dupes'! :)

Love, Val

P.S. In case you're interested in the trios - a couple more pictures after the jump.