Fall Inspiration

September 21, 2016September 20, 2016 ~ styledmuse ~ 31 Comments

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Happy Wednesday! Does anyone else have a hard time getting into the fall spirit when it’s 90 degrees outside? In the morning we have to turn the heat on, but in the afternoon we switch the AC back on. When can I just leave the windows open and enjoy the fall breeze?

My favorite way to get in the fall spirit is by buying pumpkin coffee, fall candles (hello, Bath and Body Works!), and shopping for fall outfits. To help you get in the spirit with me, I decided to do a roundup of some of my favorite items for fall! Of course, boots will always be in style during the fall and winter months. My favorite boots to wear are the ankle booties. The open toe ones are perfect for transitioning into fall, while the over the knee boots are perfect for chilly days that you can always wear during the winter months. I pair the OTK boots with a bell sleeve dress. Bell sleeve dresses and tops are huge this fall.

One trend that won’t be going away anytime soon (and I’m so happy about!) is off the shoulder tops. This off the shoulder sweater is perfect for fall and winter. Just pair it with leather leggings or white skinnies. Blanket scarves are also back again this year! They are so warm and cozy, and are perfect to wear with any fall outfit.

A few colors that will be on trend this fall are olive and burgundy. I’ve also noticed a lot of dark nail polishes, like this dark purple “Kimono-onover” polish from Essie, and dark lip colors like this YSL lipstick in “Dark Pink”.

What are some of your favorite fall trends? Let me know in the comments! As always, thanks for reading!

Valerie

Sephora Play Review

September 15, 2016September 15, 2016 ~ styledmuse ~ 2 Comments

Happy Thursday! Did any of you watch American Horror Story last night? Let me know what you thought! I’m excited to see what this season brings.

There are so many subscription boxes out there! Ipsy, Birchbox, Sephora play… which one do you join? I have tried SO many of these. If you are interested in Ipsy and Birchbox, see my review of them here. I decided to try out Sephora Play for a couple months. I will show you what I got in each one for July and August, and let you know what I thought.

July:

Contents:
1. Nest Fragrances: Citrine
2. First Aid Beauty Skin Rescue Deep Cleanser with Red Clay
3. Ouai Wave Spray (excited to use this!)
4. Smashbox Photo Finish Pore Minimizing Primer (not pictured, I used it all as soon as I got it! I love Smashbox primers)
5. Beautyblender Blotterazzi (so awesome!)
6. Too Faced Soleil Matte Bronzer in Chocolate

August:

Contents:

1. Make Up For Ever Artist Shadow in I-544
2. Urban Decay Perversion Mascara
3. Clean Reserve Blonde Rose (In love with this scent! I may have to purchase the full size.)
4. Lancome Energie De Vie Smoothing & Glowing Liquid Care Moisturizer
5. Caudalie Resveratrol Eye Lifting Balm
6. Sephora Collection Contour Eye Pencil 12hr Wear Waterproof in Flirting Game

First of all, it was really hard to get off the waitlist for Sephora Play. I think I waited about two months before I received an e-mail, saying I was finally off the waitlist. Sephora Play is $10 a month and you get 6 samples, whereas Ipsy and Birchbox you only get 5 samples at $10 a month.

I’m not going to review every product I received (if there is a specific product you want reviewed, let me know!), otherwise this post would be extremely long! But how awesome is it that they sent a Beautyblender? The first box was well worth the $10 with that alone!

Every month, your samples come in this cute draw string bag. They are easy to reuse as a makeup bag, or a dust bag for your jewelry while traveling!

One thing that I really love about Sephora Play is that they send you a “Playbook” that includes a list of all the items you received, plus details about each item and how to use them. Attached to the front of the book is a “Play Card” that you can take to your local Sephora to get tips from the associates and also get 50 extra points if you make a purchase!

So far I really love Sephora play. Each item I have received is something I could use everyday. If I had to chose between Ipsy, Birchbox, and Sephora Play, I think I would still choose Ipsy. Only because I get mostly makeup products from them, and they tend to send full size items. The only full size item I have received from Sephora Play is the Beautyblender (which I’m still amazed about!). But, it has only been two months, so we will see what happens next month.

Have you tried Sephora Play? What did you think about it? Let me know in the comments below!

Thanks for reading!

Valerie

The Estée Edit Review

September 13, 2016September 13, 2016 ~ styledmuse ~ 6 Comments

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Happy Tuesday! Does anyone else think Tuesday’s are the worst days? After you spend the weekend relaxing, you are usually pretty well rested for Monday. But once Tuesday hits, you a worn out again, and realize how far away Friday is. I hate it! What always puts me in a better mood, is new makeup. Especially being able to review it. I was so excited when I found out Influenster was sending me four products from The Estée Edit, including Beam Team Hydrate + Glow, The Barest Lip Color, Pore Vanishing Stick, and Flash Illuminator. Here is what I thought:

Beam Team Hydrate + Glow:

The Beam Team Hydrate + Glow is a double duty Illuminating Hydrating lotion with a flip cap at the end that contains a touch-on shimmer concentrate. The hydrating lotion is what I put on first, before my primer. It does a great job of hydrating your skin, while also leaving a subtle glow. I have it on in the photo above (I know it’s so hard to see it!). My face also didn’t feel greasy or oily afterwards, which is a huge plus for me! I have very oily skin, so I have to be very careful which moisturizers I use. (I will share a blog post in a few weeks, showing you my skin care routine that helps with oily skin). I used the shimmer concentrate at the very end of my makeup routine to add a little extra highlight. I have to say, it really didn’t show up very well on my face. It was a little bit of a disappointment.

Pore Vanishing Stick:

I had a lot of you asking me what I thought about the Pore Vanishing Stick. I tested it out for a few weeks before I decided to write this review. After applying the Beam Team Hydrate, I applied the Pore Vanishing stick on my face where I have large pores (my cheeks and nose). Keep in mind, I have VERY large pores. This product did minimize them quite a bit. The box says you can wear this alone as a primer or over makeup. Since I have very oily skin, I wore this and my regular primer at the same time, to give extra coverage. After I applied this product, I applied my Photo Loving Primer from NYX, and it almost made my pores completely disappear under my foundation. I was very impressed. I think this is my favorite product out of the four that was sent to me!

Flash Illuminator:

The Flash Illuminator is a high impact highlighting cream that instantly illuminates skin while providing skin care ingredients like Hyaluronic Acid. This is perfect for highlighting and strobing. I was really worried about using this, since I’m so used to powder highlighters, not cream. But this is probably my new favorite highlighter. I applied it over my foundation at the stop of my cheek bones, to give that perfect highlight. Also, keep in mind that a little bit of this product goes A LONG WAY. Which I really love, because this bottle will last you awhile! Just use a little dot, dab with you fingers, and blend with a beauty blender.

The Barest Lip Color:

I have to say, out of all the products I was sent, this was my least favorite. But do keep in mind, that I am VERY picky with lip products. The color has to be perfect, not a gross texture, and it NEEDS to be long lasting. I usually stick with matte liquid lipsticks. Hello, Colourpop! If you follow me on Snapchat (valzors), you saw how many lip shades I have from them, haha. I completely cleaned off my vanity and reorganized my makeup!

With this lip color, the color just did not look good with my skin tone. The box says you can apply a little for sheer coverage, or layer for full on color. But it looked the same on me both ways. I think the color was just way too dark. It also says it is a lipstick/lip balm hybrid, but I only got a lip balm vibe from it. It is also not long lasting at all, it wiped completely off with the swipe of a paper towel.

Have you tried any of the products from The Estée Edit line? Which is your favorite? Let me know in the comments below! Thanks for stopping by!

Valerie

All products received complimentary for testing purposes from The Estée Edit. All opinions are my own.

Bloom VoxBox

June 5, 2016 ~ styledmuse ~ 1 Comment

Happy Sunday! Is everyone having a great weekend? I spent my Saturday in St. Louis at the Cardinal’s game! It is seriously my favorite place to be. Today I am grocery shopping and getting everything organized for the work week.

I received the Bloom VoxBox complimentary from Influenster with all these amazing products! I’m going to review each one and let you all know which ones I liked and didn’t like. Keep in mind that I let you know my honest opinion about each product. If I don’t like it, you WILL know. Haha! Now on to the reviews:

Cutex Advanced Revival Nail Polish Remover Pads: These are amazing, especially for traveling. The package says you can use it for 10 fingers or toes. Well this pad is SOAKED with nail polish remover, to the point where you could do all of your fingers and toes and also your friend’s fingers and toes haha! Totally worth purchasing.

Secret Outlast Xtend Invisible Solid: I always tend to have problems with Secret deodorant. Every time I use it for long periods of time, my armpits start to itch and burn. Since this was different from the normal Secret deodorant, I decided to give it a try. Unfortunately, I still had the same problem. I gave it to a friend, and she didn’t have any issues. I guess it just depends on the person. I will stick with my Dove deodorant.

SinfulColors Nail Polish: Influenster sent me the blue glitter polish seen in the first photo of this post. But since I’m not super into glitter polishes, I used my Kylie Jenner collection nail polish by SinfulColors. I absolutely love this color! It’s perfect for this season. I painted my nails on Memorial Day weekend with this polish, and it still looks amazing! It is long lasting, especially when you put a top coat over it. I suggest using Essie Gel Setter top coat.

Sunbelt Bakery Granola Bars, Oats & Honey: When I get home from my full time job, I usually work on my blog before I start cooking dinner. During this time, I’m usually in need of a snack to hold me over until dinner, which tends to be fruit or cookies, haha! I know, so healthy. After trying this granola bar, I think this will be my go to snack. It tastes so good, and is a lot better for me than cookies!

Not Your Mother’s Plump For Joy: If you are looking to add volume to your hair, I highly suggest this. When I went camping last weekend, I took a shower and decided to put this product in my hair instead of straightening it (It’s okay, I was in a camper, not a tent, haha!). Once my hair was dry, it had SO much volume. But it was kind of uncontrollable volume, so I suggest styling it like you normally do instead of just putting the product in your hair and leaving it be.

NUXE Huile Prodigieuse Multi-Purpose Dry Oil: I absolutely love this stuff! If you have fly away hairs, just put a small amount into your hand and smooth them away. If you have dry skin, apply a small amount and massage into the dry area. I love how you can use it for literally everything. The downside? It’s $29 a bottle. Like, whoa. I’m sure there are similar products out there that do the same thing (coconut oil maybe?). If I come across anything, I will let y’all know.

Which of these products are you eager to try? Let me know in the comments below! As always, thanks for stopping by!

Valerie

All products received complimentary, thanks to Influenster. All opinions are my own.

Kylie Lip Kit Review

April 22, 2016April 22, 2016 ~ styledmuse ~ 4 Comments

Happy Friyay! I decided to start your weekend off with a review of the popular Kylie Lip Kit. I managed to get my hands on this one in Koko K. Keep in mind, these sell out within 15 minutes every time they are added to the website. In order to snag one, you have to literally sit on your computer at the exact time they are posted, and hit refresh until it pops up, and quickly add it to your cart. I learned the hard way after failing the first couple times. But is it worth the hype?

The kit comes with a lip liner and matte liquid lipstick. Both are exactly the same color, so when you apply the liner, you cannot see a difference. I have worn it with and without the liner and it looks the same both times.

I really love the formula for the liquid matte lipstick! Once applied, it dries within one minute. I put this lipstick to the test by applying it in the morning to see how long it lasted after eating, drinking etc. I was actually really surprised how long it lasted! After taking a drink from a water bottle, I didn’t even have any residue left on the bottle!

The price of the Kylie Lip Kit is $29, plus you have to add $8 for shipping. To me, that price is really high. I know you are getting a lip liner and lipstick, but like I mentioned before, the lip liner is pretty pointless. If this price is not in your budget, then I suggest getting one of the Ultra Matte liquid lipsticks from Colourpop! You cannot beat a long lasting matte lip for only $6! Plus they have over 40 colors.

Overall, to me the Kylie Lip Kit is not worth the hype. Yes it lasts awhile, but you can get exactly the same thing cheaper and not have to worry about stressing to make sure you are on the website at the right time.

What did you think about the Kylie Lip Kit? Let me know in the comments! Also, let me know what you would like to see reviewed next!

Valerie

YSL Rouge Pur Couture

October 1, 2015October 1, 2015 ~ styledmuse ~ Leave a comment

I am so happy to say I was chosen by Influenster to review ANOTHER YSL VoxBox! In the VoxBox this time, is 2 Rogue Pur Couture lipsticks. One red shade (09 Rose Stiletto) and one pink shade (19 Fuchsia).

According to YSL, “In one stroke, get luxurious, rich color that dresses the lips with intense hydration and antioxidant care. With its signature, couture jewel-like packaging, this lipstick symbolizes edgy style and ultimate feminine strength.”

The perfect lipstick for me is one that has vibrant color, stays on while eating and drinking, and doesn’t feel gross on my lips (I know it’s weird, I just hate that slimy feel!). So to put this lipstick really to the test, I wore it while I went out for my friend’s birthday. My color of choice was Rose Stiletto. I really love this color. Its not too light, and its not too dark. My boyfriend isn’t a fan of dark lipstick, and he said he actually liked this color (and this is the first time he has ever said anything about liking my makeup). After a night of eating a burger and drinking beer, this lipstick was still going strong! Yes, it did fade a tiny bit, but not extremely. I was really surprised! To top it off, I could barely tell I was wearing anything on my lips. They did not feel slimy whatsoever.

I highly recommend this lipstick, and I am so excited to wear Fuchsia this weekend! You can purchase the lipsticks HERE. They have so many colors!

Have you tried the YSL Rogue Pur Couture lipstick yet? What did you think?

XoXo Valerie

All products received complimentary thanks to Influenster

Naked Smoky Palette

August 31, 2015August 30, 2015 ~ styledmuse ~ 2 Comments

Happy Monday, ladies! I hope everyone had a great weekend. I have to say, I was a little on the fence about the Urban Decay Smoky Palette. I was SUPER excited when I first got it in the mail (like, I was afraid to use it, and couldn’t stop looking at it).

My little sister is like a makeup genius (follow her on Instagram! @midwestbeauty15), so of course I needed to get her opinion as well. I had her come over to my place and do my makeup for me for the fall tunic photoshoot, and of course made her use the Naked Smoky Palette. She loved the colors and how pigmented it was. But the first thing she said to me was “this does not blend well at all”. I did agree with her after trying to blend it all together. But then I told her to use a different eye shadow brush, instead of the one it comes with. After that, it blended perfectly (see photos below)!

I decided to use the palette on friday, and give the brush it came with a try again. Of course, I had to same issue. My suggestion is to use your own eyeshadow brush, because other than that, I seriously love this palette. I really love the colors of the eyeshadows. Creating a smoky look is my favorite thing to do, and I love that it comes with a look book of different smoky eyes you can try yourself.

The Smoky Palette is a bit on the pricy side, but like I said before, the colors are really pigmented, so It doesn’t take much to get the color you want, which will make the palette last a really long time. It’s a great investment!

I linked the Smoky Palette HERE. I’m also linking a few eyeshadow brushes that will work perfectly with it, HERE (less expensive, one I used) and HERE (more expensive, high end).

What do you think of the Urban Decay Smoky Palette? Let me know in the comments!

XoXo Valerie

Ultra Matte Lip

August 13, 2015August 13, 2015 ~ styledmuse ~ Leave a comment

Happy Thursday, loves! Can you believe it’s almost the weekend? I have had the worst cold for the past 5 days, and am finally starting to feel better. I literally did nothing all weekend because I felt like my head was going to explode, which means I wasn’t able to shoot any outfit photos. So this week I am going to review a few of my favorite products, and show you guys some of my makeup staples! Including products that I use on a daily basis and you need to have in your makeup bag.

I have been searching for a lipstick that is “kiss proof” for a LONG time. I was beginning to lose hope, then I discovered ColourPop Cosmetics, and their new Ultra Matte Lip. This stuff is seriously amazing. I put it on yesterday at 11:00am, and after eating and drinking all day long, it was still on, vibrant as can be at 8:00pm!

The Ultra Matte Lip comes in 33 different colors. The colors I bought are Lychee (top, violet color) and Sundae (bottom, pink color). The colors I would love to have eventually are Donut, Succulent, Buds, and Koala.

Application tips:
-Exfoliate your lips before you apply the product (it will look smoother)
-Apply with a lip brush (the applicator it comes with works great, but its hard to line the outside of your lips with it)
-Have makeup wipes handy to remove (like I said, this stuff stays on, which means it won’t come off with just water)

This is a lip color I am going to start using a daily basis. Have you tried the new Ultra Matte Lip? Let me know in the comments below!

XoXo Valerie