Makeup Mavens Round 6

photo credit to Allure.com

The Makeup Mavens present makeup you may have missed. This week there are delectable delights from the likes of Chanel, Shiseido, Le Metier De Beaute, Chantecaille and Becca. One Maven shares an interesting post on the link between beauty blogs and spending habits and another offers you the chance to win yourself a gorgeous cream blush.

Want to win yourself some Le Metier De Beaute? Hop on over to Hopelessly Devoted to Makeup for a chance to win a beautiful Poppy Creme Fresh Tint.

Are beauty blogs bad for the wallet? Lipstick Luvvies shares her thoughts on the subject this week, so pop on over to her blog to find out if they are friend or foe to the bank balance.

Lovesong for My Lipgloss introduced us to the newest additions in the Chantecaille range, Poudre de Perle and a new Compact Soleil shade. Check out her gorgeous swatches of Biwa and St. Barth's.

Are shimmery, coppery shadows your thing? If so, you need to visit Mookie On The Bench for a brilliant review on Shiseido's Hydro Powder Eye Shadow in Tiger eye.

Product Doctor fell in love with Chanel's limited edition Topkapi palette. Check out her swatches of the silvery taupe, gold and rich browns and you'll see why.

Raspberry Rouge discovered Becca's long lasting Eye tint's and shared a review and swatches of Baroque, a foolproof soft brown shade.

The Black Panties got to play with Le Metier De Beaute's Silk Road Eye Kaleidoscope. Head on over to see some beautiful swatches of gorgeous plums, purples and chocolate-y shades.

I hope everyone had a lovely weekend! Today, was my birthday and I had a splendid day with my family. I had a little pampering and makeup buying thrown in the mix for good fun! 

Take a Peek Inside My July Birchbox

So I received my first ever Birchbox yesterday in the mail and I was quite excited to tear into the box to reveal it's secret contents! I'm usually not one for surprises but I specifically avoided reading any posts on July's Birchbox because I didn't want the surprise to be spoiled. So if you are expecting a Birchbox and have yet to receive yours and you want to keep the contents secret exit out of this post now! *warning spoiler alert...*

Inside was a card describing all the contents featured inside, this month was extra special because Birchbox teamed up with esteemed fashion designer Cynthia Rowley by having her share with all of us some of her all-time favorites.

Here is what was included inside my July Birchbox:

• Ahava Mineral Hand Cream Loaded with Dead Sea minerals, this fast-asorbing cream heals dry hands without a smidge of residue. 3.4 oz. $20

• philosophy purity made simple one-setp facial cleanser - This perennial award-winner is pH-balanced to gently clear away dirt, oil, and makeup without drying out skin. 8 oz. $20, 16 oz. $32

• Redken shine flash - A must-have for all of Cynthia Rowley's runway shows, a weightless spray that imparts brillant shine. 4.4 oz. $17

• Zoya Touch Collection Nail Polish in Shay - Neutral gets a sexy makeover in this creamy, slightly metallic nude. It's being touted as the perfect accessory to summer's bright fashions. 0.5 fl oz. $8

• Extra Kind Almond & Apricot - Snack right with this wholesome bar- no perservatives or hard to pronounce ingredients.  Cynthia chose this snack bar because she says they are her favorites and you would be hard pressed not to find one in one of her bags at any given time. 

I don't know how this month's box stacks up to previous months, since this is my first I have nothing to compare it to, but I was overall happy with the contents. I especially like that this way I am forced to step out of my comfort-zone and am introduced to products that I would not normally gravitate towards. That to me is worth the $10.00 I paid for it per month.  I think if you are open to trying new products by having receiving samples and like to be surprised then Birchbox is right up your alley. I know I am already looking forward to August's Birchbox! 

A closeup of the Zoya Nail Polish in Shay 

For more information feel free to peruse the Birchbox website http://www.birchbox.com/ and sign up. 

Are you a Birchbox subscriber? 

12 Top Summer Essentials

I am not a fan of the heat, so summer is a struggle for me - is it October yet? I want to delve into all the fall makeup collections that have been popping up on beauty blogs. Alas, it's only mid-July so I rely on certain products to get me through the heat and the dog days of summer. I thought I would share (I'm thoughtful like that) my most relied upon products to help me stay beautiful despite oily hair, shiny skin, and stinky arm pits (sorry but I had to go there)!

Summer MVP's - Most Valuable Products

• BIC Soleil Sensitive Skin Razors - This is my go to razor when shaving. I think the fact that is comes in a cheerful sunny array of colors is a bonus. 

• The Art of Shaving Pre Shave Oil - I rub this on areas that are prone to knicks with a razor like my knees and around my ankle to stave off cuts. 

• Tend Skin Ingrown Hair Solution - When wearing tank tops we expose our armpits more and no one wants to see razor bumps. Tend Skin truly has eliminated razor bumps from my life - can I get a hip, hip hooray? 

• Oil absorbing papers - powder can be essential but I prefer blotting papers to not clog my pores while still fighting shine. 

• Dove Prescription Strength Deodorant - this is a no-brainer that we sweat more during June, July, and August so I rely on the prescription strength of this stuff to keep me smelling nice. 

• Skinceuticals Sport UV Defense SPF 45 - You can never be too careful in the sun and I like that this stuff goes on thick and is water and humidity proof. I even apply some to my arms, decollate, and arms. 

• Chantecaille Ultra Sun Protection SPF 50 PA +++ Is it a sunscreen, a primer or both? I like that this helps my makeup stay on longer and helps keep the shine that I normally get in my T-Zone at bay.

• Fresh Sugar Lip Balm with SPF 15 - an often overlooked area when it comes to sun protection is our lips. Can you imagine how painful sunburned lips would be - I'm cringing just thinking about it! Yet, lip gloss can actually reflect the sun's harmful rays. So baby your lips with some moisturizing lip balm with SPF already built in!  

• Dry shampoo by Ojon Hair - my hair naturally turns more oily as the temperature gauge shoots North, so to get me through the hump of washing my hair every day I like dry shampoo as an alternate. I only like to wash it every other day because the oils our hair produces is actually good for it. Washing too often can strip the hair of natural oils and make it oilier. I have been known to do the whole baby powder trick, but I could never master it. I would just end up with baby powder everywhere. I feel more mature and refined using this dry shampoo plus it also adds mad volume to my hair - bonus! 

• Aloe Vera Gel - Sometimes despite our best efforts we still manage to get sun burned. If you do nothing feels better than the instant cooling effect of Aloe Vera (store it in the fridge for added cooling benefits).  

• Kerastase Masque UV Defense Active- a protecting hair mask that deep conditions. It also helps perserve my hair's color while imparting lasting shine to my strands.  

• Summer is about having fun and wearing bold, bright colors  Le Metier De Beaute's nail lacquer Wango Tango is the epitome of a chic, yet "fun" color . I think this is an awesome color to wear when sporting your Tory Burch sandals. 

What is your #1 Summer Essential? 

Rouge Bunny Rouge When The Birds Are Singing Long Lasting Eye Shadow in Delicate Hummingbird Review and Swatches

This eye shadow is everything you expect from an eye shadow and more. It is gorgeous, blends well, is buttery soft, well pigmented, and lasts all day on your lid. Oh and did I mention how gorgeous this is on? Rouge Bunny Rouge describes this shadow as "cold, dusky sugar-frosted plum, iridescent with pink shimmer" - I couldn't describe it better myself. I love that the company chose the words "delicate" to name this shadow after all this is a fine eye shadow made with an intricate design. This is not my first taste of Rouge Bunny Rouge, I already own Solstice Halcyon reviewed here after owning that I hungered for more Rouge Bunny Rouge.

Delicate Hummingbird

A close up of Delicate Hummingbird

A close up of Delicate Hummingbird in low light with flash

The design on every Rogue Bunny Rogue shadow 

The Rouge Bunny Mascot

From the top left: Delicate Hummingbird, Electrifying Storm-Petrel (to be reviewed later), and Solstice Halcyon

Delicate Hummingbird swatched heavily three times 

Purple shadow comparisons

Purple shadow comparisons

I may own a lot of purple shadows but nothing that is an exact dupe to Delicate Hummingbird, in other words you need to own this if you consider yourself a fan of purples.

If you have yet to take the plunge down the rabbit hole, be warned for once you venture down you will not look at eye shadow the same again.

I'm already putting together another order to Zuneta because I am waiting with bated breath for more of these shadows.

Retails for $34.12 USD or 21£ and is exclusive to www.zuneta.com that ships internationally.

What is your favorite eye shadow color? 

What's in my purse?

Louis Vuitton Monogram Speedy 35

I am a huge Louis Vuitton fan, infact, all my purses are from the French Luxury so it comes as no surprise that my current purse is a Speedy 35. I love Speedies and I own three of them.

My Purse To Go Organizer Stuffed

I like to keep my purse well organized at all times and most evenings I go through my purse to throw away receipts, old gum wrappers, and anything else that doesn't really belong in there. One way I stay so organized is with the help of my purse organizer by Purse To Go. The size is not quite right for the Speedy 35. I purchased this while I was still using my old Speedy 30. I need to reorder a new larger one I just keep forgetting to do so (makes a mental note to look into this).

Inside my purse you will find more Louis Vuitton goodies such as my Louis Vuitton cosmetic case, my  Vuitton key pouch, my Vuitton coin purse, my zippy coin purse, and denim pouch. I also have my trusty iPhone, my Ray Bans, Advil bottle, Mason Pearson hair brush, and a cute little frog that is suppose to bring me good luck with money! As you can tell, I have a "thang" for luxury goods and Hello Kitty!  

My Multicolor Insolite wallet

Inside my Insolite wallet - I fell in love with the hot pink! 

I got my intials heat stamped inside my wallet.

My Hello Kitty goodies - a pad and pen, along with my iPhone and cell phone charm.

I guess I'm a little paranoid about bad breath - LOL! 

My Louis Vuitton Leather Goods (Starting clockwise : My monogram cosmetic case, my vernis key pouch in Bleu Nuit, my monogram coin purse, my denim pouch, my Insolite Multicolored wallet, and my vernis zippy coin purse in amarante. 

My Denim Pouch holds my key, my car is a push button so I can keep the key in my purse and never have to dig it out. 

Inside my cosmetic case - lots of Chanel Glossimers, blotting papers, mini mascara, Giorgio Armani lip stick (that I never use), disposable mascara wands good for grooming eye brows, Chanel powder, Bobbi Brown gloss, Nars lip gloss, Kevyn Aucoin lip gloss, and MAC lip liner.

My Aviator Ray Ban's - the epitome of California cool.

I hope you enjoyed taking a peak into my purse! I know I love seeing these types of posts and videos when perusing YouTube.

What purse are you currently using?