Urban Decay Naked Basics Eyeshadow Palette Review, Photos, Swatches

The Urban Decay Naked Basics Eyeshadow palette was released very recently and has been advertised as an all matte palette. The palette is $27 and you get six full sized eyeshadows. This doesn't come with any primers or brushes like the other Naked palettes. I don't mind this though because it helps make the palette cost less money. Some of the colors are exclusive to this palette and some you can find elsewhere. For the month of December, I currently running a giveway of this palette. 

Naked Basics Palette

Top 5 Holiday Red Nail Polishes

Being that is is the holiday season I wanted to share with you some of my favorite red nail polishes to wear during this time of year. I picked my to 5 that I currently own. I'm excited to wear this especially during Christmas. I promise to do nail of the day posts as soon as I wear all of these colors. 

Favorite Holiday Red Nail Polishes

New Items Added to Blog Sale

I just wanted to let everyone know that I added a lot of great stuff to my blog sale today. Some of the brands include T3, Julep, Revlon, Tarte, Chanel, Nars, Burberry, Michael Kors perfume, Z palette, Uni palette and so much more. I have some great stuff so feel free to check out my sale items here.

I hope that everyone is having a nice weekend and getting ready for the holidays. Also if you have not yet entered my December giveaway there is still time to enter. I am giving away the new Urban Decay Naked Basics palette. 

xx
Meredith

What's in My December Birchbox

December's Birchbox theme obviously revolves around the holidays. They changed the typical brown box and it made it very festive for the holidays which I thought was a nice touch. The product in this box are supposed to help us look and feel our best. They also let us know that they have online videos on gift wrapping and ways to upcycle old Birchboxes. So here is what I got in my December box. 

December Birchbox

November Favorites

I want to apologize to you all for taking the past week off from blogging and also for putting up my November favorites so late. I do have some great favorites from November though so I still think that they are worth sharing. Also I purchased a lightbox and was playing around it with it but I don't think I'll be keeping it since I didn't think that the came out that amazing. I cannot wait for when I get more daylight to take outdoor pictures.

November Favorites

Deborah Lippmann Brick House Nail Lacquer Review, Photos, Swatches

Deborah Lippmann Brick House is a rust color with an almost metallic finish. Brick is the perfect way to describe this color as it has red and orange undertones to it. The color is beautiful on the nails and is what I wore on Thanksgiving. The color is very unique to my collection and don't have any dupes for it. I also think that this could work well on a lot of skin tones.

November Empties

For my November empties it seems like I went through a ton of candles and also a lot of makeup which is extremely exciting to me because we all know how hard it is to get through makeup. I think a lot of times we finish a products at the same time for some reason. I don't know if any of you notice that happens to you too. I haven't been using as many samples so I will probably have less empties each month but I still finished quite a bit.

December Giveaway: Newly Released Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette

December 2012 Giveaway

Image courtesy of urbandecay.com

I have a great giveaway for December. Urban Decay recently came out with a new palette called the Naked Basics palette. It literally just came out today November 29th and I ordered one for you all to have a chance and win. Of course I picked one up for myself too. This is the palette of the moment and one that everyone is talking about. The value is $27 and I believe it is only available right now at urbandecay.com. 

Favorite YouTubers of November

nikkirothbeauty
Nikki works at Sephora so she really knows her makeup. She does amazing tutorials and is comes across super down to earth in her videos. I love watching all of the knew things that she finds and she finds great stuff since Sephora is always getting in new goodies. Her hauls are really amazing and I'm always wishing I worked at Sephora too. Here is her most recent video:

Cyber Monday Deals, Coupons, and Sales

3floz.com: 25% off entire purchase with code CYBER12, 11/26 only

Aesop: Free ground shipping on orders of $60 or more through 12/16

Bath & Body Works: 25% off entire site with code CYBER2012, 11/26 only

Beautybar.com: $20 off $100 or $40 off $200 +free shipping with code BBCYBERMONDAY, 11/26 only

Body Shop: 50% off entire store + free shipping at $30, 11/26 only

Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare: 25% off entire purchase with code CYBERMONDAY. Spend $50 ore more an receive a free Active Vitamin D Serum Oil. 11/26 only

EcoTools: 50% off sitewide +free shipping

Giorgio Armani: 20% off + free shipping on order of $75 or more, 20% off + free shipping + choice of 6 samples on orders of $125 or more, 11/26-11/30 with code CYBER12A

Folica:  $25 off orders over $75 + free shipping wituh code TURKEYDEAL, 11/26 only

L'Occitane: $10 gift card with any $50 or more purchase with code GIFT10, 11/26 only

Lancome: 20% off with code HEARTS, 11/26-11/30

Laura Gellar: 20% off everything plus free standard shipping, 11/26 only

MAC Cosmetics: Free Overnight Shipping, 11/26 only

MOR: 40% off with code CYBRMND, 11/26-11/27

Nars: 20% off with code NARSFF2012, 11/26-11/27

Murad: $25 off $100 purchase with code CYBERMONDAY, 11/26 only

Sephora: Free mystery sample bag with $25 or more purchase with code UNDERWRAPS, 11/26 only

Tarte: 25% off + free shipping on order of $40 and up with code CYBER, 11/26 only
Urban Decay: 50% off select eyeshadow palettes +free shipping over $50, 11/26 only

YSL: 20% off with code CYBER12, 11/26-11/30

This is all of the information I have about the sales. If you know about any others or find any information to not be correct please let me know. If I find out about others I will add to this list.

xx

Meredith 

Nail of the Day: Revlon Copper Penny

Today's NOTD is from Revlon and is called Copper Penny. This is a great shade to wear around Thanksgiving time and in the Fall. I really think that Revlon makes great polishes and this is no exception. The color is a copper metallic shade with no glitter. These are priced very well for drugstore polishes and I don't have any dupes for this color in my collection.

Nars Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer SPF 30/PA+++ Review & Photos

After falling in love with the Nars Sheer Glow I knew that I wanted to try out the Nars Tinted Moisturizer as soon as it came out. I've owned this for quite a while now so I should be able to give you a pretty good review of the product. I tend to like to wear tinted moisturizer on the weekend and foundation for work during the week. Nars Pure Radiant retails for $42 for 1.9 oz. 

Nars Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer SPF 30/PA+++ 

Inglot Cosmetics Giving Thanks This Thanksgiving

I recently came across on Instagram someone posting about this Inglot sale. I will try and post sale information as I get them. This is all that I have heard about the Inglot sale so far. Starting at 3 a.m. EST on November 22nd they are offering 20% off your total purchase at www.inglotusa.com. The sale ends 3 a.m. EST on November 27th. That's all I know so far on this sale. If anyone has any additional information or knows of any other good deals please feel free to share them. 

xx

Meredith 

New Urban Decay 30-Shade Eyeshadow Vault

I was recently searching the Sephora website and came across this new palette from Urban Decay. It is called the 30-Shade Eyeshadow Vault. It retails for $270 but you get 30 eyeshadows. If you are an Urban Decay junkie this is an amazing deal but if you already have a lot of their palettes you may want to pass on this one. It's not for everyone because it is pricey but its something worth looking more into. This is available I believe only at Sephora.com. 

 

What's in My November Birchbox

Since Thanksgiving is coming up, Birchbox focused their November box on giving thanks, giving back, and giving treats. They included in this month's box a reusable gift envelope that can be filled with a treat to give to someone special. I really like that they added this. In addition they are supporting this month, The Art of Elysium which is a non-profit that encourages actors, artists, designers, and musicians to dedicate their time to kids who are struggling with various medical conditions. I really like that Birchbox works with charities. So here is what I got in my November box.

TAG: Four or More

I've seen some YouTuber's recently doing a tag called four or more which is where I show you all of the beauty items that I have four or more of. The tag was started by itskeerstin. Check out her YouTube channel here.  I think that this will help you get a better idea of some of the products that I really enjoy. The only rule that I know of for this tag is that you cannot include things that came in sets. Some of the stuff I just went crazy buying and was obsessed with at the time. I am only showing you four of each but for many I have more than four.

I love the NYX lipglosses. They are a great price and I find the formula not sticky but lasts a good time on the lips. Some people don't like the smell but I don't mind it. I would purchase more of these in the future.

Under-Eye Concealing Combination

I got the idea to do this post from Sandra. .Her blog is 15 steps, then a beauty blog. I'm sure that most of you already subscribe to her blog but if you don't I highly suggest you check her out. Most people probably use one concealer, I use three. I use a corrector, concealer, and brightener. I don't have dark circles but these three steps I just think make my under-eyes look the best. If I am in a hurry I might just do concealer but on a daily basis I do these three steps.

My Current Morning Skincare Routine

My Current Morning Skincare Routine

Beauty Bar Friends & Family Holiday Sale Code

Beautybar.com is having their Friends and Family sale from November 16-November 19. If you spend $100 you get $20 off and if you spend $200 you get $40 off with code BBFF20. In addition you will also get free shipping. Plus if you use ebates you will also get an additional 5% back which makes this an amazing deal. They have some great brands, ship pretty quickly, and have amazing customer service. I highly recommend checking out their site. Happy Shopping!

xx
Meredith

Sephora VIB Haul Fall 2012

I picked up a few things from the recent VIB 20% off sale. Some I purchased online and some things I purchased in store. I tend to like to buy things to try them out and typically will always bring a few things back that I don't love. I have too much makeup not to love things I keep. I think I have a good selection of skincare, hair care  nail polish, and makeup. No perfumes because I have like 5 bottles that I have to go through so I am officially on a perfume no buy for quite a while. I also decided not to pick up backups of anything. Backups are not going to be in my vocabulary anymore. I plan to buy things as I finish them. I want to declutter and this will help to do that. 

Tarte Holiday 2012 Fantastic Foursome Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush Enthusiast Set Swatches, Photos, & Review

Before the Sephora VIB sale ends tonight I wanted to share with you the Tarte blush set that I picked up recently. If you can still get your hands on it, it's a great deal. If you are trying to decided between this and the LipSurgence set I would get this. I love Tarte's blushes and didn't find any dupes for any of these colors in all of the 30 plus blushes that I have. 

Tarte LipSurgence Holiday 2012 Collector's Set Swatches, Photos & Review

Before the Sephora VIB sale ends I wanted to share with you all two of the Tarte holiday sets that I picked up. This post will be about the LipSurgences and the next one will be the blush set. I picked up this limited edition set last year at Sephora and really fell in love with it. It's just too good of a deal to pass up. One LipSurgence sells for $24. In this set you get 5 for $34 which comes to $6.8 for each month and even less with the 20% off. These have in them Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Peppermint Oil, and Jojoba Seed Oil which really is great for your lips. They are free of Parabens, Sulfates, Synthetic Fragrances, Petrochemicals, Phthalates, GMOs, and Triclosan. 

Nail of the Day- OPI Warm & Fozzie

Today's NOTD is a limited edition polish from OPI called Warm & Fozzie. I picked this up last year with the OPI Muppets Collection and am so glad that I have it my collection. It's so perfect for the Halloween/Thanksgiving time because of it orange undertones. It's a really unique color and extremely hard to capture in photos.

Sephora 20% VIB Sale 2012

Mac Lipstick Collection Swatches, Photos, and Review

My Mac lipstick is currently small but ever growing. With the Back to Mac program it's hard not to want to buy their lipsticks. They aren't as crazy priced as many Sephora lipsticks and they have such a great color selection. I currently have 4 lipsticks that I am going to share with you all today.

Left to Right: Syrup, Sweetie, Hue, and Costa Chic

Butter London Exclusive Friends & Family 30% Coupon Code

Enjoy 30% off at Butter London for their annual Friends & Family sale. Now through November 7th use code FRIENDS12 at checkout. I've had my eye on Disco Biscuit and Knees Up. Do you plan on picking up anything?

xx
Meredith

Must Haves in Your Handbag from nycmakeuplover1

October Favorites

Favorites post's are always a challenge for me. Unless I am buying new stuff I struggle to find new favorites ( and I try not to buy a ton of new stuff a lot). I think if I shop my stash more in the future this might help but currently I am trying to use up some of the same things. I have a mix for October of skinare, nailcare, makeup, and of course a Bath & Body Works products.

October Favorites

November 2012 Giveaway

I have a great giveaway for November. I picked up for Breast Cancer Awareness month this special Clinique set. I also picked up two new drugstore products which may be limited edition but I am not sure. I got a beautiful Loreal infallible for you guys and a new Revlon Colorstay Ultimate Suede lipstick. In addition to all of that I have also been collecting for you all of my mascara samples. I have some very high end ones. so if you love trying out new mascaras then this giveaway is for you. I think there is something for everyone here. The value of this giveaway is over $45 USD. To enter the givewaway visit my giveaway page here. 

Left to Right: Laura Mercier Full Blown, Chantecaille Faux Cils, Benfit Badgal lash, Fresh Supernova, Lancome Hypnose Dolls, Lancome Hynose Drama, Stila Forever Your Curl

October Empties

So I swore last month that my empties each month grew bigger and bigger. People kept telling me they couldn't believe how much I had used up. Well I think that last month being such a huge month is why this month is much much smaller. I've also not only been trying hard to use things up but I've only started a project declutter. I just simply have too many "things". I save tend to buy things when they are on sale, to have backups, etc. From this point on I am stopping this. I will buy what I need at that time and if that means spending a little bit more money in the long term but having less clutter in my apartment I think it will be worth it to me. I'm excited about this and I'm sure you will see more on my blog sale because of this.

October Empties

New Items Added to Blog Sale

I just wanted to let everyone know that I added some fun new stuff to my blog sale and I am also running a special deal if you spend $25 or more that you can get one free item up to a $5 value. I am always adding new things so always check back to see what I have added.

Some of the new stuff includes Ojon, Wen, Korres, OCC Lip tars, Bath & Body Works, Algenist, Clinique and much more. Happy shopping everyone!

Visit my blog sale page here: http://nycmakeuplover1.blogspot.com/p/blog-sale.html.

Favorite YouTubers of October

These are some of the YouTuber's that I want to highlight this month. I've found a few new people this month which is always exciting. I always wonder if I am going to run out of people to highlight but month after month I still have new favorites. These are my favorites for October.

myhousewifelife
This is a channel that I really watching because Jen seems just very down to earth. Lately she has been doing a log of vlogging videos which I enjoy watching. She is super organized and I just love seeing how she decorates for each season, about her workouts, her healthy eating. She just has a lot of really great ideas for staying organized, healthy, and fit. She also will do hauls, beauty box reviews, and other fun stuff. Here is her most recent video:

What's in My Influenster Beauty Bloggers VoxBox 2012

I was recently contacted by Influenster to qualify for the Beauty Bloggers VoxBox. Influenster is a program where you fill out survey's on their website and can quality for badges. Depending on your badges you may quality for different boxes. These boxes are always free and are only sent to "influencers" and those who share feedback on the products that they share. This is my first ever VoxBox and was so excited to get it because it makes me feel more part of the beauty blogger community. I'm excited to share with you all my thoughts on the items in this box. 

Beauty Blogger VoxBox 2012

Dior Amber Diamond Powder Shimmer: Swatches, Photos & Review

Dior Amber Diamond is one of those cult favorite product's. It's one of those products that everyone talks so much about that many often wonder if it's worth the hype. I think most people are hesitant about purchasing this because of its high price tag. Dior Amber Diamond doesn't come cheap at $44 USD for .35 oz. You do get a lot of product which so that helps a bit. Amber Diamond has 5 separate colors that are described as Ivory, Champagne, Tan, Bronze, and Peach. Sephora describes it as, "These five micro-shimmering tones set off sparks of brilliance, highlighting your complexion. The ultra-fine, super-blendable formula virtually fuses with your skin for a sheer, radiant luminosity."

Dior Amber Diamond

Project X Pan Update

I posted about my Project X Pan about 3 weeks ago. I said I wasn't going to buy anything until the Sephora Friends & Family. For the most part I didn't really buy anything except maybe one MAC lipstick which was pretty good for me. I wanted to update you all with what I used up and what I still have left. I have been trying really hard to work through the products that  listed in my previous post. Click here to see my original post. 

What I Started with 3 Weeks Ago

Sephora's Personal Beauty Advisor is All About You

As a Sephora VIB, I received an email last week thanking me for being a loyal VIB and inviting me to experience a dedicated 90-minute PERSONAL BEAUTY ADVISOR (PBA) CONSULTATION ($125 VALUE). This one-on-one session includes a custom makeover, personalized skincare routine, and more. Although I have been a VIB for a while I was not familiar with this service. I had to speak with my store's PBA whose name is Emily Branska at the 711 Lexington Avenue store in NYC.

Private Consultation Station at Sephora

Nail of the Day- Sephora by OPI Under My Trench Coat

Today's NOTD is Sephora by OPI's Under My Trench Coat. This is one of the few nail polishes that I have from this brand. This is an amazing neutral color and I've had it on my nails for quite a while which means that I've really been enjoying it. These nail polishes sell for $9.50. That could be part of the reason why I don't have so many. This color is described as an opaque light grey khaki with metallic gold. The shimmer is super faint but it's there in the sunlight. This is a just a great go to neutral that will go with everything and can really be worn year round. 

No Tricks, Just Treats: Tarte 20% Off Coupon Code

Tarte made some changes to their website recently and in trying to promote their new site I guess decided to send out a 20% off coupon code. It's amazing that they are doing this since it doesn't look like the Sephora Friends & Family is happening. So that's the good news. The bad news is that I couldn't get the code to work on some of the holiday stuff. I ended up picking up 3 things and used ebates to get an additional 4% off. I also got 2 deluxe samples which was pretty cool. This sale is only through October 21st so I would check it out since Tarte has great makeup.

MAC Pro- Now Available Online to All

MAC announced today that they will be selling all of their pro products now online to all consumers at maccosmetics.com. Prior to this you could only buy pro products at a pro store or with a pro card online. If you are a huge fan of MAC this will be super exciting news for you. I'm excited to explore more some of MAC's pro line as I'm sure that they have some great items. Check out temptalia.com for some of her favorite MAC pro picks.

Ulta Friends & Family 2012 Coupon Code

Since it doesn't look too hopefully for Sephora Friends & Family, I wanted to let you all know that Ulta is also having their Friends & Family sale now with 20% off. There are some exclusions (most of the stuff I want is excluded from coupons) and this is an online only coupon but this is still a great option if Sephora doesn't work out. The sale runs through Saturday, October 20th.

Laura Mercier Artist's Palette For Eyes: Swatches, Photos & Review

Laura Mercier recently launched at Sephora the exclusive and limited edition Artist's Palette for Eyes. The palette retails for $48 USD but is an $88 value. The palette is a dozen eye shadow colors, hand-selected by Laura Mercier, in shimmer and matte finishes. The top row features a range of dark to light shimmer shades in Chocolate, African Violet, Sable, Guava, Cameo, and Sunlit. The bottom row includes light to dark matte finishes in Vanilla Nuts, Plum Smoke, Cafe au Lait, Coffee Ground, Deep Night, and Rich Coffee. I had originally picked up a single in African Violet but ended up returning it when this palette came out.

What's in My October Birchbox

So this month Birchbox contacted me to see if I would be interested to opt-in for the Goop box instead of the regular Birchbox. I wasn't sure what to do but decided to choose the Goop Birchbox. Goop was founded by Gwyneth Paltrow in 2008 to share recipes, fashion, travel guides, wellness tips, cultural notes, and more. I figured I might get some good high end products with this box so that's why I decided to get it instead of the regular box. Read on to find out what I did end up getting in my box.

What's on My Sephora Friends & Family Wishlist

I want to apologize for my lack of posting over the past few days. I had been away traveling for work and didn't have the ability to post while I was away but I'm back now and excited to get back in the groove. I would like to also address some questions that I am getting about the Friends & Family sale. A lot of people have been saying that it will only be given to employees. I don't work for Sephora so I don't know for sure how it will work. I'm hoping that we will have access to the code. If I am able to access a code that I can share with you all I promise to do so. Because I do shop in Sephora so much I am friendly with some of the staff so we shall see what happens. Let's just hope that they are nice enough to share it with everyone. Another option is that a lot of times people who get the code will share in online. That may be an option as well. Let's just hope for the best and wait and see what happens.

Nail of the Day-Essie Chinchilly

Today's NOTD is Essie Chinchilly. This is an Essie color from a few years ago but I believe it is permanent. This is a great classic Essie color. I know a lot of people have it in their Fall favorites. It's very work appropriate and I think it would look great on most people. The color is what I would call "Greige" or a grey/beige color. I love this color and even painted the walls in my apartment this color but in a much lighter version.

New Maybelline Color Sensational High Shine Gloss in Raspberry Reflections-Swatches, Photos, & Review

Very recently Maybelline launched a new product in their Color Sensational line. The Maybelline High Shine Glosses are available in 12 shades and have a very wide color range. I purchased the one in Raspberry Reflections to try out. I couldn't be happier with my choice and I'm excited to tell you why in this post. 

Maybelline Color Sensational High Shine Gloss in Raspberry Reflections

Urban Decay Friends & Family Sale 2012- 20% Off Coupon Code

Starting tonight at midnight, Urban Decay will start its Friends & Family sale. The sale ends on 10/13. To receive the 20% discount enter code FFHOLIDAY12 at checkout.

Depotting MAC Eyeshadows

I recently purchased two limited edition MAC eyeshadows that I wanted to depot as I prefer my eyeshaodws in a palette. Depotting means taking the eyeshaodw and removing it from the plastic container so that is is just in pan form. You can buy eyeshadow in pan form from MAC but not typically when it is a limited edition eyeshadow. I was extremely nervous about depotting these as this was only my second time depotting MAC eyeshadows and also because they are limited edition I couldn't buy them again if they broke. Everything luckily worked out and I am going to explain in this post how I depotted them and what you will need.

Boscia's Fight Against Breast Cancer

Boscia is doing a very generous thing by offering to donate 100% of their net proceeds from the sale of their Balancing Facial Tonic to the Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation during the month of October. I really love this toner a lot so I think if you are interested in trying this out you should because you will also be donating to a really great cause. The toner is $24 and can be found at www.bosciaskincare.com

 

September 2012 Maybelline Color Tattoo Giveaway Winner

Congratulations to the winner, Life According to the Intern who has won the two limited edition Maybelline color tattoo eyeshadows. 

Thank you to everyone who entered. The winner was selected today through random.org as you can see below from my screenshots of those who had entered the contest. I will also announce this on Twitter as well and will notify the winner via Twitter.  Best of luck to everyone in future giveaways. Please check out my current October giveaway with a Limited Edition Sephora Blush sampler.

Nuxe Reve de Miel Lip Balm Review & Photos

Nuxe Reve de Miel Lip Balm ($19 USD for 15 g) is described as a concentrated lip balm to help nourish, repair, soothe, and protect lips. The main ingredients in this balm are honey, plant oils, shea butter, and grapefruit essence. I picked this up after hearing so much hype about it and can't wait to share with my thoughts with you on this product. I picked mine up on the Birchbox website with my Birchbox points. 

Sneak Peek of New Sigma Makeup Coming Soon

For Fall 2012 Sigma will be launching some new and exciting makeup. They haven't announced the exact launch dates yet but once I find out I will let you all know. In addition they also recently announced that they will be opening their first store ever in the Mall of America. This is pretty exciting for all of you Sigma lovers. If you live near the mall you are very lucky.