Devine Designs Jewelry

This month's box I swapped out most of the products picked for me. Did I mention that you can preview your box before it ships and select other products to swap out? This is a good feature that Julep does have. I kept this nail polish selection which is called,"Nayely". It's a light apricot creme. Then I swapped out the next 2 products for these. Julep's "light on your lips" full coverage creme lipstick in "primp" , which is a neutral beige with pink undertones. I've got to admit that I just don't like some of the lip products that Julep is coming out with. The color is nice, but the lipstick smells like rancid oil. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about-like when a product goes bad. Their lipsticks could use some work. What they do a fabulous job at is the gel eye glider pencils . These are the most smooth pencils that do "glide on" and completely waterproof and smudge proof after about 30 seconds. T...

I recently found a discount for 30% off Milani Cosmetics that I couldn't pass up. So here's my "mini haul". ~Bella eyes gel powder eye shadow in "Bella Mandarin". It's a matte shade, kind of soft in color, and somewhat "dry/powdery". Not quite what I was expecting, but it will serve it's purpose in color. I got 2 "Brilliant shine" lip glosses- one in "Mai Tai"; a bright orange, and "Nude Touch", a beige with gold micro-sparkles. These glosses are a little sticky for my liking. They have the standard doe foot applicator. The Nude Touch one has a butter cream like fragrance, that I do enjoy, but the Mai Tai has none. I find that unusual, since I believe that these came from the same collection. FYI: I prefer the NYX butter glosses over these. NYX's are way longer lasting and a bit moisturizing. This was my favorite product in this haul. "Illuminating face powder" in "Beauty...

What a great set of brushes, and a great discount I got on them! I found a special on Ipsy for this set of 5 brushes, at half the price of retail. Forty dollars retail, I got mine for $20.00! For you packaging junkies; you'll love this hard boxed, top opening container that these luxury brushed come in. A great way to store them, or travel with. These are handmade synthetic brushes from Luxie Beauty . This is the Rose Gold Synthetic 5 Piece Detail Makeup Brush Set . A high quality set of long handled brushes with anti-bacterial coated bristles. The hairs in each brush are tightly packed, yet very soft. This set includes: Luxie #150, flat angled blender (see mine has been used, and since cleaned to a beautiful finish). This makes a great concealer blending brush. I use it to blend concealer around my eye area. Luxie #120, detail round blender- a tightly packed bristled brush, great for blending eye shadow combinations and the crease. Luxie #110, detail flat blender- I...

As promised, I'm back to review the last 2 products that came in my February Birchbox . ~ Juice Beauty Green Apple cleansing gel ~ A natural product made from certified organic ingredients such as: apple juice,lemon juice, aloe and other plant based botanicals. It claims to brighten and smooth the skin, reverse age spots, and cleanse and tone the skin. I can't say that I can give an unbiased opinion of this product, because I have tried some Juice Beauty products in the past and did not like the product line. Never the less, I used this cleanser for 1 week to give it a fair shot. The product is a watery, gel, and goes on the skin watery and thin. I tried scrubbing my face with a sponge and on alternate days,using my Clarisonic brush , and just didn't like the results of this cleanser. It does not foam, and does not leave the skin feeling clean or nourished, in my opinion. And I didn't see any results of brightening, although you might, after longer use of the p...

Julep Maven February box Luxie brushes ~Review coming soon!

It’s come to this. I’m way too tired trying to find balance in my life. After doing my last show this month has left me overworked, unsatisfied and full of questions about the future. Working a full time job, trying to work and run a business on the side which consists of doing live art shows and keeping an on-line store alive, plus keeping a relationship fresh and running a household---there just aren’t enough hours in the days, or weeks, or energy to master. I just don’t know how some folks do it. Keeping an on-line presence takes A LOT of time. From setting up a website, keeping it fresh with new products, promotion, blogging, social media attention; it’s a full time job in itself. What I’ve decided about art shows; maybe I’ve done my last. It takes so much time, money and effort, (physical and mental) to do them. Show fees are usually high, especially if you want to get into a good show. You must compete with other vendors/artists, not only in what you make, but, I’ve dis...

What I've tried so far: Marcelle Make-up remover for sensitive eyes ~ A clear, non-fragrant eye make-up remover. Smooths on easily, although it does seem to be a bit on the oily side. Reminds me of Clinique's "take the day off" remover, but a little oilier. A nice size for a trial sample. Supergoop CC cream with SPF 35 ~ It's suppose to be a "multi-tasking" cream that protects the skin from sun damage, acts as a primer and a foundation. It did nothing for me. I like to use a moisturizing product with the SPF included. This product does not provide moisturizing properties. For a foundation, this light/medium color I received, did nothing for my skin, and my skin felt a little dry after application. An all in one product? I'll pass. That's all that I've sampled so far. Maybe I'll do a part two later. Stop back!