YouTube Made Me Buy It!

I don't know about you, but I love watching YouTube beauty videos by people such as Emilynoel83, KathleenLights, and MannyMUA. It is so nice to be able to see demos of products before buying, as well as swatches and tips. Each of the three YouTubers mentioned above have inspired me to make various purchases, both high-end and from the drugstore. So far, they have all been right on the money. Let's get into my purchases.

Colourpop

Colourpop is demonstrated and reviewed all over YouTube. You cannot find Colourpop in stores, but their website is super easy to navigate and they do provide a decent amount of info in their products.  Not to mention, the price is a steal at just $5 per shadow, lip pencil or lippie and other products for just a few dollars more. 

Wisp Super Shock Highlighter blended with fingertips

I picked up a highlighter and a couple of eyeshadows my first purchase. I detailed these Colourpop products here. As you can see in the swatches above, these products rock.

Gerard Cosmetics 

Gerard Cosmetics also is a well-known brand amongst the YouTube community. Their prices are more high-end, however. 

I picked up a liquid lip color from Gerard Cosmetics. This color is a collaboration with MannyMUA. He did an awesome job with this brand in coming up with this gorgeous pink nude that will look good on most skin tones. This retails for $20 and I used a coupon code to get it at a discount. 

E.L.F. Cosmetics

I wasn't really familiar with this brand at all until I saw Emilynoel83 mention it. I love what this company is doing with cosmetics. The quality is high-end but the prices are not. A lot of E.L.F.'s products can be dupes for high end makeup.

I have also made a lot of other E.L.F. purchases since and honestly find that their products really are comparable to more expensive brands. They offer a subscription box service every other month for $21 + $4.99 shipping, promising that the products are all worth at least $40. I will post my next E.L.F. Play Beautifully box, so keep an eye out for that.

Benefit

Benefit is a high-end brand that sells their stuff  both in stores and online. Their products are recognized by many different people since their items are sold in stores. MannyMUA has raved on about Hoola.

The only Benefit product I picked up was the Hoola bronzer for $28 at Ulta and it has quickly became my holy grail contour shade. I can see this working with light to medium skin tones. It is worth every penny at $28 because you get a lot of product and the color is gorgeous.

Boxycharm

This subscription box service is the best one out there, in my opinion. For $21 per month you get 4-5 full-sized beauty products, which is nice since most subscription boxes consist of mainly samples. I did my research, I watched many unboxing videos to really get a feel for what the various services offer. This one seemed to have the best items to try out and the last box was valued at $138. 

Makeup Geek

Makeup Geek is a top quality company created by the makeup geek herself, Marlena Stell. You can find her products talked about scattered all over YouTube and the beauty community and she herself posts videos regularly. Her prices are reasonable and her products are of professional quality. I picked up the Beaches and Cream eyeshadow single to add to my z-palette for $6 and shipping was really reasonable at $1.99. What a great skintone shade!

Z Palette

If you watch YouTube beauty videos, you have probably seen the Z Palette. When you buy single shadows from Mac or Makeup Geek, for instance, you need something to put them in. That's where the Z Palette comes in. It is slim in size, so travelling with it is a breeze. I picked up a small pink one to have a place for my Makeup Geek shadows from Amazon for $12.60. It holds 9 standard-sized eyeshadows. There are larger Z Palettes available as well that hold more. If interested, here's a direct link to the one that I purchased.

So, there you have it. I know this was long and so I thank you for making it to the end. I had a lot of stuff to cover. I will update you from time to time with other YouTube Made Me Buy It posts. It was a lot of fun putting all of this together. Till next time!

Want free makeup? Check out Influenster! I just recently joined myself and I'm having a great time with their app. I recommend trying it out since it is free of charge and I've seen YouTubers who have received free makeup from the company, so it's legit.

Follow

Follow Me on Bloglovin!

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Free Makeup?

I'm all about a good deal and if it's free, I'm all on board! So, I heard about this subscription box-like service that sends their members free products to try and review called Influenster. It costs nothing to join and to be a member either on their handy app or via their website.

Influenster is unique in the way they have their system all set up. They want you to review products, answer questions, and post pictures of products. You can also plug in your social media accounts for added points. The key is to review as many products as possible. That's the easiest way to rack up points. Points help you become eligible for a free Vox Box. Every so often (monthly?) Influenster decides who gets free Vox Boxes and ships the out free of charge to them.

It's important to stay active on the app or website if you want to receive free products. This is not an out of reach situation. I've seen many YouTube videos featuring Vox Boxes, so yes, they do come through with free products. It is important to respond to the survey they send you via email letting you know they are considering you for an upcoming Vox Box. I received a survey within a few days of being a member with them. I will keep you posted on whether or not I get a box and what all is inside it.

If you are interested in checking out this fabulousness, click here. Let me know if you already are a member in the comments below.

Connect with me!
Twitter and Instagram: dnadunham

My First Colourpop Order and Review

I recently got on the Colourpop bandwagon and made my first purchase. I chose to just pick up a few things to try out so I could see if I liked the brand. I got a highlighter and two eyeshadows, all from the Super Shock line.


These three things are to die for. What gorgeous colors and the products themselves were of superior quality. Loads of sparkle and glow are packed in these and the price is right at $8 for the highlighter and just $5 per eyeshadow.

The consistency is somewhere between spongy and like Play Doh. The colors are totally buildable, too. I found all three to be easy to work with. They are best applied with your fingertips and can be easily removed with makeup remover or soap and water. You can also apply these with a synthetic brush. So let's get into the nitty-gritty of it all, shall we?

Superstock Highlighter

The Colourpop Super Shock Highlighter in Wisp is such a beautiful gold champagne color. The Colourpop website has this to say about Wisp: "Lemme wisp-er in your ear, tell you something that you might like to hear, wait till you see our Golden champagne with highly reflective hues of gold duo chrome finishes." The duo chrome finish is what adds that extra punch to this highlighter. For extra intensity, this is best applied with your fingertips. This is not an overwhelming highlight at all, either. This is my favorite highlighter of the moment. If you are interested in purchasing Wisp, visit Colourpop here.

Super Shock Eyeshadows

This line of eyeshadows is nothing short of amazing. I already have started a wish list with several more. I absolutely love the way these apply and last throughout the day. I definitely recommend using a primer under it as you would for any other shadow. This will help prevent creasing as well as keep it in place all day. Applying the Super Shock shadows with your fingertips is the best way to get the intensity that you desire, from a light veil over other shadows or deep and stunning with loads of sparkle and glitz all on it's own. You will want to blend out the edges with a fluffy brush. Other Colourpop shadows can be applied with a brush, but again, your fingers are best for these babies. When you are all done using a Colourpop product, you must tightly close the lid or it will dry out. Now, on with the two colors I ordered.

I ❤ This is such a cool, versatile color of Colourpop's Super Shock line. You can layer this over other colors for an added bit of glam or wear it by itself. Colourpop describes this shadow as: "Cool-toned silvery taupe with multi-coloured glitter, this shadow will be your new BFF, day or night. Our fearless leader loves this shade SO MUCH that we naturally had to name it “I Heart This!” I couldn't have described it any better. I have a feeling this will become a treasured favorite of mine. If you want to try I ❤ This for yourself, you will not be let down. You can find it here .

So Quiche has such an amazing duo chrome effect of pinky violet and gold, which looks fabulous on the olive green background. I love how duochrome looks and this is not only my first Colourpop order, but also my first duochrome purchase. I'm thrilled to have such a stunning shadow to work with. Colourpop says : "A soft olive with a highly reflective gold and pink violet glittery duo chrome metallic finish…there are no words in the dictionary to describe this. Not even urbandictionary.com .  Aka: this shade is hotter than hot – the F**king Queen of shadows." Yaaassss! Pick yours up here.

To wrap this up, I just want to say that I'm over the moon in love with these things and cannot wait to place another order. Their customer service is exceptional, which is important to me as a home shopper. They have gained a customer for life.

Want free makeup? Check out Influenster! I just recently joined myself and I'm having a great time with their app. I recommend trying it out since it is free of charge and I've seen YouTubers who have received free makeup from the company, so it's legit.

My Beauty Evolution

Back in middle and high school, I always wore a full face of makeup every time I left the house. Now, keep in mind, ladies, that was back in the late '80s and early '90s. The application style of makeup was different. I loved makeup and creating natural looks.

Me back in 1991

Fast forward 25 years later...I have been out of the full face makeup game, only using quick and easy "mom makeup" to get the job done. I used stuff that multitasked. Powder foundation was great because it took care of coverage AND setting powder, for instance. But my little one is no longer little and now I can put my focus back on makeup. She's into makeup as well, so now I can share my love of makeup with her.

2014

YouTube has been an invaluable resource, I watch beauty videos daily. Some of my favorites are emilynoel83, mannymua733, kathleenlights, lustrelux, desiperkins, and jaclynhill. I also am subscribed to a ton of others. I've learned to contour like a pro and how to properly apply winged eyeliner. Those are things I didn't do before. I loved colored eyeliner and had every color of the rainbow back in the day. My brown eyes especially popped with teal. Now I see beauty gurus saying how brown eyes look good with blue-based eyeliners. I'd say I have more guts to try bolder looks now.

No matter what your age is, you can always freshen up on things you are interested in and learn more. I have totally dived right in and have picked up a bunch of new products. I plan to do a haul and review-type post soon. I'm waiting for my Colourpop order so I can post. I have a load of new stuff that I have fell in love with, and so yeah, I want to share this with you.

What are some new products you have picked up lately that you love? What's your ride or die products? What's your evolution of makeup story? I'd love to hear from you. Comment below!

Follow me on Twitter: dnadunham

Instagram: dnadunham

Intro & October Boxycharm

Hi guys, my name is Amy and I'm a wife and mother of a teenaged girl who decided to start a beauty blog. We live in Virginia and we love animals. We have two dogs (a Great Dane and Corgi mix) as well as two cats. We are also huge Washington Redskins fans.

My husband Danny and I at Redskins Training Camp 2014

I love beauty, makeup, and skin care, so it made sense to blog about it. I'm making somewhat frequent purchases and so I cannot wait to share with you guys all of my great finds. So let's get started!

October 2015 Boxycharm
When I opened this box, I was so excited to dig in! Everything in the box was black, it all looked so mysterious. The box is appropriately titled Faces of the Moon. 

The first thing I grabbed was the Palmetto Derma Rejuvenating Antioxidant Mask.

This product is valued at $64 and it is a high-quality clay mask that smells like a spa. I tried it out that evening and it felt great on my skin as it had a slight tingle. And my skin felt nice and soft after.

The next item I pulled from the box was the Cult brand nail lacquer in the color Boneyards and it sells for $12.

I had to try this out right away because I had been on the lookout for a nice fall grey and I love it. It glided on smoothly and 2 days later (when the above photo was taken) I'm chip-free, which is a miracle for me.

Then I found the Bellapierre Cheek and Lip Stain in Coral and retails for $19.99.

I swatched it and it seems to be a pretty color. I'm not big on cream blushes, but I'll be a good sport and give it a try.

Next, we have the Doucce's Punk Volumizer Mascara in Black and sells for $24.

I wasn't going to open it yet but wanted to provide a pic of the wand for you. It looks fun!

Lastly, the Lord & Berry Line/Shade Eyeliner in Very Black and retails for $18.

Seems creamy for a wooden pencil. I have a ton of black eyeliners, so I'll pass this on over to my mom.

Boxycharm costs $21/month with free shipping. You get full-sized products, no samples here. It's a fun surprise each month.

The total retail value of everything in this month's box is $137! What a great value. I feel that Boxycharm is the superior of all the beauty subscription boxes. You can check them out for yourself by going to https://boxycharm.com/refer/Amy-RWGCYBVL

Well, my first blog post is complete. Now I can breathe! Thanks for stopping by, I hope to see you again soon.