December Couponing

I participated in some great deals for the month of December. Here is my haulage:

Sephora

$15 off of $50 or more coupon - purchased Too Faced A few of my Favorite Things palette. The palette retails for $56, and with the coupon I paid $41. Sephora mailed the coupon to me as a thank you for being a Beauty Insider. Some girls that spent more money at Sephora this calendar year received $20 off coupons. I did not hear of anyone receiving more than that. I guarded that little coupon with my life as it burned a hole in my pocket until the date that it was eligible for use! I have a thorough review of this palette coming up. 

Ulta

$5 off of $10 or more coupon  - purchased 2 Real Technique sponges (comparable to Beauty Blender) at $5.99 each, so I basically paid 99cents for one of the sponges. The associate allowed me to keep the coupon, so of course that meant another trip to Ulta. 

$5 off of $10 or more coupon - on my second trip to Ulta, I purchased two Real Technique shading brushes (for eyes) at $5.99 each, again receiving one of the brushes for 99cents. This time I went to a different Ulta where I was unable to keep the coupon.

20% off of all items (excluding high end brands) coupon - purchased Real Technique setting brush for $7.99. Thus I saved about $1.60 on the brush. (Nothing to get excited about but I felt that I needed to make the most of the coupon which was combined with the offer described below)

10% off of high end brands (excluding Urban Decay Naked palettes) coupon - I was so excited that a very friendly Ulta associate found for me the last Lorac Pro palette set in the store (it was always sold out online and in stores)! The individual palettes were completely sold out as well. The individual Lorac Pro palette retails for $42 and includes an eye primer. The set that I purchased retailed for $39 and included the full size palette along with an eye primer and a liquid eyeliner! To sweeten the deal, I received $3.90 off so that was a definite win for me!

As usual, I also got some great deals at Target but nothing new or interesting so I omitted that portion of the haul from this post. 

My overall savings for beauty purchases at Ulta and Sephora this month total to approximately: $30.50. I walked away with 2 palette sets, 2 blending sponges, and 3 brushes - all for less than $100!

If you have any questions or tips about couponing, please leave them below. I would love to hear about any holiday sets that you may have purchased.

Introducing Monthly Empties - December

I love to see what people have used up during a particular month. When you are a person guilty of having too much stuff it is sooooo intrinsically rewarding to get to the bottom of a container! This is also a quick way to give you guys product reviews for items that you may have considered purchasing.
Here is what I have used up in the month of December:

MAC Graphblack Technakohl Eye Pencil - I somehow lost the crayon part of this liner. It fell out somewhere and I am not sure how that happened. Nonetheless, I had it for a long time before it finally gave up the ghost. I was not a fan of this felt tip liner. It dried out quickly, it does not apply smoothly, and it smudged very easily, even if you set it with eyeshadow. I do not intend to repurchase this product. 

SheScentIt Pomegranate Conditioner - I purchased this product online at SheScentIt.com. I absolutely love this conditioner. It smells yummy and it leaves my hair really soft and conditioned. I like to use this conditioner in the summer because I wash my hair with "conditioner only" at least two to three times per week during those muggy months. When I use the "conditioner only" method I usually rinse my hair, then apply the conditioner and let it sit under a shower cap for about ten minutes while I'm in the shower or while I'm preparing to take a shower and then rinse it thoroughly and continue with life (adding a leave-in conditioner, etc.). It is always over 100 degrees here in Texas during the summer so I usually wear my hair in a bun or ponytail. I plan to repurchase this product but there are other conditioners that I need to use up before doing so. 

Pura Body Naturals Chocolate Hair Smoothie - I received this deep conditioner in a product swap from one of my online natural hair friends (we call each other curl friends). This product is available at the company's website and other online natural hair boutiques. This product smells exactly like milk chocolate, which I enjoyed, but it was just okay in terms of performance for me. I used it both under the steamer and under a shower cap to deep condition. It did not have any adverse effects on my hair and I would not label it as an underwhelming product. However, I do not intend to repurchase this product as I feel that I have other deep conditioners that perform better.

Donna Marie Dream Curling Cream - I love this product and I did a thorough review of it in another post. I purchased this product at donnamarie.com.  I definitely plan to repurchase this product but there are other curl creams that I need to use up before doing so.

SheaMoisture Moisture Retention Shampoo - this is my Holy Grail shampoo! I have repurchased this product several times and I have used it for years. This is one of the only shampoos that I use. I use this product once per week, and a bottle of this lasts me a long time, as a little goes a long way. This product is absent of harsh surfactants that are drying to kinky/curly hair, however it does foam if you are one of those people who have a hard time adjusting to sulfate-free products because of the usual non-foaming properties. This shampoo also has a very strong floral perfume-like scent that does not linger. This moisture retention product lives up to its name as it leaves my hair soft and manageable after use. While I am raving about this shampoo I have to say something important here. The way your hair looks after you have washed, dried, and styled it, is determined by what you do from wash to style. The entire hair care regimen is important. If you use a drying shampoo, prepare for rough, thirsty, less defined hair. If you don't follow your shampoo with a conditioner or if you don't use a conditioner that is appropriate for your hair needs - once again prepare for bad hair days ahead. If you use a styling product that has drying ingredients or that does not agree with your hair, then you will not get the desired styling results. It took me a while to learn about styling products but I found my shampoos and conditioners very easily. You and your hair may not like everything that I rave about so don't get frustrated if you try something that I love and you don't have similar results. Return the product until you find something that works for you. If you are still learning about hair care, I recommend that you buy your natural hair products locally at stores like Whole Foods, Target, Walgreens, Wal-Mart, and vitamin shoppe, where you can return them fairly easily. I have worn my hair natural for a few years so I have learned about the ingredients that work best for my hair and I purchase products accordingly, so it is easier for me to find products that I love online. If you are new to haircare, getting into the habit of reading ingredients before purchasing products will save you so much money and storage space. I do not buy any hair products from the traditional beauty supply store, as those products are usually filled with synthetic ingredients that do not work for my hair. I find that products with organic ingredients work best for me. I buy SheaMoisture products at Target and Walgreens and I recommend this shampoo for all hair types and textures (natural, relaxed, etc.)

Pura Body Naturals brazil loc oil - I received this product as a gift from one of my online hair care friends. This oil is very light and can be used on all hair types and textures. I really liked this oil. I used it for hot oil treatments, and for extra moisture after applying my leave-in conditioner. I would repurchase this oil but there are other oils that I need to use up before doing so. This product can be found on the company's website. 

Marie Dean Peach Honey Syrup Deep Conditioner - this is a very pricey deep conditioner at $22 per 8 oz. It smells amazing and has a honey scented dessert-like smell. It has a thick, creamy consistency. It moisturizes my hair very well. I  would repurchase this product on sale but not at regular price, as I have an equally expensive deep conditioner that I prefer to indulge in from time to time. Overall, this is a great conditioner but I have less expensive ones that work just as well. 

Mac brush cleanser - this is my Holy grail brush cleanser. I purchased this product at the MAC Cosmetics counter. I have had this cleanser for months and tried to use it sparingly, but since I started picking up more freelance jobs it has ran its course. I have tried other brush cleaners, but of the ones that I have tried this one is the absolute best. It works well to clean your brushes when you're doing makeup for a large group and are in between clients. This cleanser thoroughly cleans and disinfects the brush and dries it very quickly. I also use it as my daily brush cleanser at home, as I only deep clean my personal brushes (with dish soap and olive oil) once per week or every other week depending on frequency of use. I have already repurchased this product and I do not plan to ever be without it, unless I find something comparable in price that works better. 

December Favorites - Product Edition

Here are my favorite items from the month of December. This post is long overdue and it's almost time for January favorites. I have already started working on that post so that I'm not so behind next month. Nonetheless, enjoy!

Urban Decay Perversion Eyeliner - I purchased this liner as part of the Urban Decay Ocho loco set. I use this one most often. This is the perfect creamy, jet black eye liner. Perversion is pigmented, glides on smoothly and it is easy to use in both your water line and on your eyelid to create a winged liner effect if desired. This is one of the smoothest, most gentle liners that I own. Sometimes I even use Perversion in my crease area to add dimension to an eye look, as it blends easily. This product can be found anywhere that Urban Decay products are sold and it retails at $19 when purchased alone.

Mac Indigo liner - I received this liner as a gift from one of my Instagram friends. This eye pencil is perfect for your water line and I love it for everyday looks. When placed in the water line it shows up like a black shimmer, kind of like the Chanel stylo yeux eye pencil in black shimmer. It reminds me of the color navy blue, where you personally know the item is blue but it is not as obvious to others, making it the perfect way to slightly glam up your daily beauty routine.  I believe that this liner is discontinued, however, you can probably find this indigo eye pencil at your local CCO (Cosmetics Company Outlet). 

Real Techniques Expert Face Brush - I love this brush for applying cream products. This is the only brush that I use to apply my Mac studio tech foundation, which I wear during the day. It helps me to blend the product seamlessly and it is super soft! If  I did not start building my brush collection with MAC brushes several years ago, I would have began with Real Techniques. These are quality, affordable brushes and I like most of their brushes that I own. Stay tuned for a full post about purchasing makeup brushes.

Elf Mineral Primer - for years Mac's Prep and Prime primer has been my go-to product. I discovered this ELF primer during my November haul and I have been wearing it with nearly every makeup look. It helps to prepare my face for foundation and helps to keep my makeup matte during the day. The product has a clear, serum-like consistency and it feels like a dry powder once applied to the skin. I recommend this product for oily skin types and for those with sensitive skin. I have very sensitive skin and in the past Mac's Prep and Prime was the only primer that I could wear without irritation, until I discovered this one. I am purchasing another bottle of this primer to add to my freelance makeup kit. 

Lorac Pro Front of the Line Liquid Liner - I shared with you guys back in November that I was looking for a liquid liner. I tried a few drug store products but I discovered that they dried out too quickly, had a brush that was difficult to work with, had formulation issues, irritated my eyes or just left much to be desired. This product came in the Lorac set that I purchased at Ulta during the holidays. I absolutely love this liner! Front of the Line is intense, dries matte (I hate wet formula liner), super easy to work with regardless of your eye shape or the size of your eyes. This product is for everyone, however, I specifically recommend this liner for ladies with small eyes, hooded eyes, sensitive eyes, and beginners who are afraid of liquid eye liner. 

Mac Nightmoth lip pencil - I have worn this liner with almost every single lipstick during the autumn/winter season. In the pic below, I paired it with Mac's Smoked Purple lipstick and it was a winning combination! I have used this liner with nearly every color from reds to pinks to purples to nudes. It is one of the most versatile lip pencils in my collection and if you are looking to start or expand your lip liner collection this one is a must have. You can look for dupes as well but Mac liners are the only ones that I prefer. I find that a lot of drugstore liners lack pigmentation and are not as creamy as Mac liners. Your lips are amongst the thinnest skin on your body, so be gentle with them and treat them well. I do not recommend that you cut corners by applying rough products that do not apply easily. I have an upcoming post about where to save and where to splurge when it comes to makeup products, so stay tuned. 

Mac Smoked Purple lipstick - When I posted a picture wearing this lipstick on Facebook and Instagram last month, I received several compliments and questions about where to purchase. This is a Pro product from MAC Cosmetics so it is only available at Mac Pro stores (we do not have a PRO store in Houston) or you can purchase it online at maccosmetics.com. This lip product goes on matte and I found it easy to apply. It is pigmented and it appears the same on your lips just as it appears in the tube, true to color.

Thank you for allowing me to download with you about my favorite products from the month of December! I hope that you found this review helpful. If you have any additional questions or comments please feel free to leave them below. 

December Favorites - Client Edition

We are nearly done with January and I am just now posting my monthly favorites from December! If you follow me on Instagram (@chaneldior1913) you have already seen these photos. Nonetheless, here are some of my favorite before and after shots from some of my December clients:

 

The camera gave horrible flashback from her brows so I had to fix those with additional blending but she was rushing to a holiday party, so we did not have time to take more photos after the touch-ups. Nonetheless she looked gorgeous!

I had the pleasure of doing this beauty's makeup twice in the month of December. She was headed to another holiday party. We used MAC Studio Sculpt in NC50 as her foundation.

She was headed to a birthday party. I used Mac Indianwood as a base for her eye look. 

She was headed to the Beyonce concert. We used a red lip color from Nars (from her personal collection) and paired it with Mac's cherry liner. We also used MAC Studio Sculpt in NW43 as her foundation.

 

Please feel free to leave questions or comments below. For inquiries please email me at jarfullofglam@yahoo.com. 

Tune In Tuesday - Blood, Sweat, and Heels

(images courtesy of BravoTV.com)

Blood, Sweat, and Heels chronicles the adventures of six budding urban career women in New York. Yes, another "reality" show of forced interaction between a group of minority women. However, this show focuses on women on the rise, rather than women who are career wives that meet each episode at a restaurant or club to throw drinks at each other, like we have redundantly seen over the past few years. Below, I will give you guys my perspective of the show/personalities in case you've slept on it or you're still deciding whether to watch.

Melyssa Ford: 

"the clueless realtor"-  Single, former music video model/tv personality, resident of Manhattan beginning a new career as a real estate agent. On the show, Melyssa struggles with issues of overspending. She also expresses frustration of being nearly 40 years old and struggling with the concept of career and professionalism. The show follows her journey to deciding on how she will continue to earn a living, as she expresses a refusal to return to the entertainment industry, and attempts to rediscover her true passion. 

Mica: 

"the wild card" - Former model, owner of a New York based modeling agency. Mica has a subservient live-in boyfriend, Terry, of 1.5 years. She also has a pet chinchilla whom she named after Barack Obama but affectionately calls 'Rocky' and feeds him Cabernet from a wine glass. Mica drinks excessively and often loses control when drinking, and the group fears that she has issues with alcoholism. She opens up to the group about her relationship issues, as she speaks of meeting Terry while he was deceptively in a relationship with his live-in girlfriend of 20 years. Mica is loud, funny, and has tons of personality. She is the friend who is always ready to entertain and you can always depend on her to have a cocktail with you whenever you need one, and she is normally the one who provides the liquor. She speaks about previously struggling with racial identity, and on an upcoming episode she will open up about family issues. 

 

Demetria: 

"the urban feminist blogger" - Brooklyn resident, relationship expert, natural hair diva, author, blogger, and fashionista. You have probably seen her as a previous contributor on Essence.com and I distinctly remember her from an episode of 'Let's Talk About Pep' where she gave relationship advice to Pepa from Salt-N-Pepa. I was intrigued by Demetria's style and beauty even back then but I did not remember to start following her as I intended after watching the show. On BSH, we have the opportunity to meet Greg, Demetria's live-in fiancé. The couple seems like they have lots of fun together, however, I am not a fan of the way Demetria "downloads with Greg" regarding her intimate conversations with the girls. Demetria is portrayed as the outspoken member of the cast. We all know how outspokenness usually plays out amongst a group of women, and I am here for it! On one episode the Brooklyn blogger declares to a group of insecure women "if you have to investigate a man to find out if he is cheating on you, then you don't trust him and you shouldn't be in a relationship with a person that you don't trust." She also says that she has never called another woman to talk about a cheating boyfriend because "if I gotta call another woman about my man, that's her man. If I have to call her to see what my man is up to, then that's her man". I could have passed her the offering plate through the television!! She is already one of my favorite personalities. I will probably download her book, titled after her blog, 'A Belle in Brooklyn'. She is also preparing to release a second book, titled 'Don't Waste Your Pretty'. 

 

Daisy:

"the blabbering Christian" - Single, style expert, tv personality, originally from Los Angeles. On one episode Daisy proudly claims that she is "not abstinent, not celibate, yet not sexually active...sometimes". She resides in Brooklyn and often makes references to Christianity as she often refers to Jesus as her boyfriend. She is over-dramatic, loud, talkative, and has a large personality. She is the girl that cries on first dates. She is the friend that you cringe around because you're not sure what embarrassing thing she will say or do next. On one episode I was not a fan of the way she intentionally organized a group event as a way to address an issue that she had with Demetria, whom she considered a long time friend. I think it is cowardly and immature to wait to confront a person in a group setting, but we will save my personal conduct beliefs for another conversation. On BSH, Daisy also opens up about previous issues with her father and their newly budding father-daughter relationship. We will watch Daisy balance a career that demands a bi-coastal lifestyle and navigate life in New York while attempting to remain true to her personal values.

 

Geneva:

"the up and coming entrepreneur" - Single, fashion/entertainment writer and brand consultant. Geneva was recently hired as brand manager for Uptown Magazine. She is originally from Detroit and says "Uncle Sam comes for my life in New York" as she faces financial struggles with student loan debt while trying to pursue her dreams of entrepreneurship. She has a close relationship with her mother, whom she relies on for financial support when she is unable to meet financial obligations. I was shocked to learn that Geneva is in her 20's (she was 29 during the taping of the show). She is the youngest of the group of women and a great example of accomplishing many accolades in your 20's! She also opens up about past relationship woes and it appears that she may find herself dating again on future episodes. 

 

Brie: 

"the class act" - Conservative, practical, level-headed, and ultra feminine. The native New Yorker is from a privileged background. Her family owns a successful real estate development company. If she did not look drastically different from me, I would have thought that I was watching myself on television on an episode when she said "I don't usually trust people to make me a drink that I didn't see them make" and was very persistent about Mica's beau Terry taking a sip first to show that the contents of the cocktail glass were harmless. Brie says what she is thinking in a tactful manner and she believes in dealing with issues privately. She is also one of my favorite cast members. As of episode 3, we have not seen many details regarding her personal life, but I hope we will learn more about her as the season continues. 

Though I most identify with Brie, minus the privileged background of course, I think that all of us can identify with various characteristics from each of these women. We have all had conversations with our friends that are similar to those highlighted on the show. We have all had similar struggles with self-control, relationships, friendships, career choices, family issues, etc. The show is very empowering, as each woman is well-educated and has taken ownership of her passion/career. The show also paints a positive picture of the modern career woman as she struggles to balance career, family, internal struggles, friendships, and relationships - in 4 inch heels! I also enjoy looking at the ladies' hair, fashion choices, and makeup. This show airs on BravoTV on Sundays immediately following 'The Real Housewives of Atlanta'.

On this past Sunday I live tweeted during the show using the hashtag #bloodsweatheels and it was great to interact with other fans of the show. Follow me on twitter @chanelgloss and join the conversation about the ladies of Blood, Sweat, and Heels, and other random things that I rant about during the week. Additionally feel free to leave your thoughts in the comment section below. I would love to hear what you all think of the show and don't forget to tell me your favorite cast member!

FOTD and Too Faced Joy To The Girls Palette Review

I featured the Too Faced Joy to the Girls palette for today's look. I have used this palette twice. I will list the products used first, and the review for the limited edition holiday palette will follow.

Here is what I used:

Eyes:

Brows: MAC Pro longwear concealer in NW40 and MAC penultimate brow pencil

Mac painterly paint pot to prime lids

Transition: MAC MSF Deep Dark, Mac texture, swiss chocolate, and folie eye shadows 

Lid: Too faced Joy to the Girls palette colors - mulberry and sugar plum
Inner Corner: Too Faced Cheers
Crease: MAC Shadowy Lady and Fig 1
Outer V area of eye: Urban Decay perversion liner blended out with Too Faced coal
Under Eye - Too Faced sugar plum and yule log

Urban Decay Perversion in waterline

Face:
Elf Mineral Primer

MAC Studio Tech Foundation NW43

Mac prep and prime highlighter in bright forecast

Mac Pro longwear concealer in NW40

Ben NYE banana powder to set concealer
MAC MSF Deep Dark to set foundation
ELF Turks and Caicos as contour
MAC MSF Scene to be Scene as highlight

Rimmel shimmering bronzer in Sun Kiss applied all over to add additional warmth to skin

Mac nightmoth lip liner

Mac Smoked Purple Lipstick

 

I had to use a lot of colors on my eyelid to create the look that I desired, I will tell you why below.

 

Too Faced Joy to the Girls Review:

I did not initially plan to purchase the Too Faced Joy to the Girls palette because the online reviews were negative. Most bloggers complained that the shadows were too sheer. I also noticed that the color payoff was not as great once applied to your lid, as it is when swatched. Nonetheless, the palette was an impulse purchase for me. I went to Ulta in search of other items and saw and swatched the Too Faced palette and I knew that I would not rest if I didn't buy it. 

Here is what I love about it:

Packaging - beautiful! So aesthetically pleasing. I love mint and gold!
 

Features shades unique to my collection - the stars in this palette are the gold/ bronze shades. I did not have any shadows that were those hues and that had the color payoff that I experienced from the bronze/gold shades in this palette, so that alone sold it for me. 

Cons:

There are always cons in life!
 

Lack of Versatility - The versatility in the palette lies in the shimmer shadows. The matte shades featured in this palette are all very similar in color, thus I had to reach for my custom Mac palettes for transition colors to complete my look. There are two white shadows and a powder blue shadow that I would possibly never use. However, the Too Faced palette does feature a matte black, and a matte black shade is practically a necessity for me!
 

Fall out from shadows - I experienced tons of fall-out when applying my eye makeup. However, there are few shimmer shadows that are unaccompanied by fall-out, thus it comes with the territory.

Poor Color Pay-off - The bronze/gold/black shades were the only shades that I felt had great color-payoff when actually applied to the lid. I had better luck using the other shades with a wet brush. I also had to layer other eye shadows over the Too Faced shadows to create the desired shade. I was most excited about the purple shimmer (sugar plum) but it was so sheer that I had to use matte shadows from my collection to add depth to my look.

Packaging - Although I love the aesthetic properties of the palette, the palette was difficult to open and close and the tab used to access the shadows fell off during the second time that I used the palette, so I exchanged it.

The Bottom line:
 

Aside from the mishap with the packaging and the poor color payoff, the deal breaker for me was that this palette features four very similar pink shades, in addition to three shades that I do not use at all (powder blue and white), and there are only 15 colors in the palette. The palette features a full-size mascara as a bonus, but I was not crazy about the plastic bristles of the mascara wand.  If you are deciding on a final last minute limited edition palette before they are gone forever, I would not recommend this one as the one! Too Faced makes great products and stellar palettes, however, this was not one of my favorites from this season.

 

 

 

What palettes have you purchased lately? Please leave responses/questions/feedback below. If you have questions about my natural hair, look out for a post on the hairstyle in this picture. If you would like additional information please email me at jarfullofglam@yahoo.com

 

 

FOTD - featuring Urban Decay Ocho Loco 2

Hello JFOG readers! I hope you all enjoyed your holidays and I would like to wish everyone a happy new year! This FOTD (Face of the Day) post is way late! I resolve to do better in 2014! I wore this look on my way out one night last month. I decided to feature the Urban Decay Ocho loco liners. The look was really easy and quick. These liners have become my go-to product when I want to look glam but I'm on a time budget. I am in love with these liners. This look lasted all night even though I was dancing and sweating and wiping my face, the liners did not budge until I washed my face. They are also easy to remove with a normal face washing routine. Ocho Loco is a limited edition Urban Decay set featuring 8 full-size liners. I purchased the set at Sephora back in November. It is sold out on the Sephora website, but if you are interested you may be able to find it in some Sephora stores or on the Ulta website. I featured the set in my monthly favorites for November, so you can have a look at the colors by clicking on that post.

Products used:
Primed face w/ benefit Porefessional
Groomed brows w/ MAC Penultimate & MAC Pro Concealer in NW40
Used MAC Indianwood paint pot on eyelid
Contoured eyed w/ Mac texture and cross cultural
Created colored wing w/ UD Deep End layered over UD Mars
Lined waterline w/ UD Perversion
Lined under eye w/ UD Deep End and ultraviolet
Foundation: Nars sheer matte - Macao
Passionately Tempting blush
Mac Shape the future MSF as highlight and contour
Lips: Mac Night moth liner and Rebel lipstick

 

 

Please feel free to leave questions or comments below. For additional information, you may also email me at jarfullofglam@yahoo.com.