Here I have a monthly subscription box to share with you! It's called Starlooks Starbox! What it is, is you pay a monthly payment of $15 and you receive 3-4 FULL SIZE makeup/beauty products from the Starlooks line delivered to your doorstep! I received Novembers Starbox (pictured above). This month was dedicated to getting that "prime look". It's a look that all skin tones can wear. They did their best to make this a semi-cusomizable box to match your skin tone. Even if it wasn't meant to be matched with your skin tone, these colors look great on everyone!

     The first thing I took out of this box was an eyeshadow quad! I was impressed with this quad not only because of the beautiful universal colors but just the sheer fact that I got FOUR eyeshadows. Other subscription boxes usually give only 4-5 tiny samples never mind a whole quad! The colors I got are Rusting(top left), Midnight in Mongolia(top right), Coffee Bean(bottom left) and Void Echo(bottom right). 

     Right away I tested the colors out and was impressed with how satin and pigmented they were with on rub of a finger on the pan. I can see why they chose these colors because they can be used together in many different looks or even alone for a simple look and look good with any skin tone and any outfit! Versatile! There were two satin shadows, one matte and the darker one seemed to have a little more glitter in it. Check out the photo below for the swatches. The only thing I wish was that the pans had magnets on them so they wouldn't fall out of the compact. I noticed it because I opened it to fast one day and the pans went flying.

     Along with the shadows, I received a beautiful nude Tender Gloss Lipstick in the color Pearl. What's a Tender Gloss Lipstick? It's a moisturizing lipstick with a sheer coverage that combines lipstick and lip gloss in one! I thought this was brilliant! Usually I'm using a lipstick and then putting gloss over it anyways because some are to drying. This applies very smoothly and is nice and creamy/glossy on the lips. This color is great for day or night! Another versatile product! You can see in the photo above how it has a little bit of sheerness to it and in the photo below you can see the beautiful color actually on my lips! This was my favorite item in the box.

     This months box also came with a little surprise. What you see above is a 3-in-1 mascara guide. This weird looking tool helps prevent you from getting mascara on your perfectly done eyeshadow look. It's actually a really great idea because I can't tell you how many times I've messed up my eyeshadow but rushing with my mascara and getting it on my eyelid or under my eye. Also, on the bottom part of the guide it has a brush like end where you can separate and get rid of dreaded clumps!

     I couldn't be more pleased with this November Startbox. For only $15 it's a steal! Decembers box is going to be even better!! It's a $99 value for only $15! Sounds like a great gift idea if you ask me! Preorder your December Starbox by calling (949) 679-0679 or visiting www.starlooks.com!

     Are you into mineral makeup?! What about loose eyeshadow pigments? If you like either and/or both your gonna want to check out Lumiere Cosmetics. They are a great shop online with tons of great options for pigment color choices and they offer both matte and shimmery shadows! 
     I received 6 colors, pictured below, in sample jars to share with you. I didn't get any matte ones so I can't vouch for those ones (sorry), but I can tell you about these colors below that pack a ton of pigmentation. They all have shimmer in them and the pink one is more chunky and glittery! Before I get into the colors themselves, I do want to say their website has a great design to where you can click on the color family you want, like blues, pinks, greens etc and it just makes it that much easier to find a color that you are looking for!

     In the swatches above, I rubbed a little Too Faced Shadow Insurance on my hand and then just made a swatch with a cotton swab. These are all with one little dip into the jar and rubbed quickly on my hand. P-i-g-m-e-n-t-a-t-i-o-n! These little jars I can guarantee you will last me months and months! Such a little amount goes a long way with these because they are soft and glide on with ease. You can also mix up the pigments you get to create a custom color of your own! You want even more intense pigmentation, you can use these wet to make them pop even more! This is why loose pigments are my favorite to work with.
     I have used these for quite some time now and they do have long staying power with average fall out while applying, just like any loose pigment. The colors blend smoothly and reflect the sun when outside making your shadow look even more gorgeous! I hope I have introduced you to a great brand that should be sold at all stores in my opinion! If you are interested in trying Lumiere Cosmetics loose pigments, they have large 2 gram jars for $8 or a 1 gram jar for $5. If you are interested in trying more than just eyeshadow they do have a section on their website called "Custom Sample Kits" where you can pick and choose what you want to try before buying a full size! I love the quality of these shadows along with their price so I am going to purchase some sample baggies of more colors that are on sale right now for .01!!!

   

     AVON!!! Oh how do I love all the constant new colors and products that they come out with. It seems like there is always something new to try which keeps it kind of exciting! I was offered a chance by a sweet AVON Unit Leader, Cristin Miller Coffman, to try out the new Glimmersticks Chrome Eye Liner! As pictured above, I have one in "Flashy Steel", a beautiful blue gray color. 

      These come in six different colors to choose from and they are all very pretty! They are waterproof, smudge proof, retractable and self sharpening. It is also said to last up to 12 hours of wear.  In the picture above it looks more like a purple shade, but for a more real representation of the color please check out the swatch below. 

     This eye liner has a pearl like finish to it with reflects light a little bit which gives it that gorgeous shine/metallic look that you can see in the swatch above.  When applying this it goes on super smooth and is perfect for smudging. This particular color for me is to light to wear as just an eyeliner, so I have ben smudging it into my black eyeliner or putting it on the waterline. When putting this on my waterline or even above/on top of my black liner, it gives me that more "awake" look, so I love this especially on days where I am tired and it shows. It gives my eyes a little sass!
    Another way I have been putting this chrome liner to use is using it as a shadow and even an eyeshadow base. It is long lasting and is great for those times when I don't want to deal with powder eyeshadows that can make a mess on your face from fallout. It also has just a little amount of stick so that eyeshadow grips onto it if it's being used as a base. And as for a base and liner, I have to say I am really impressed with the staying power of this pencil. I have been wearing it a few days the past couple weeks and I love the fact that all day at work it actually stays on my upper lid. On the waterline, as most liners it stayed for a while but needed to be reapplied.

     For only $7.00 each (and usually there are sales) I think it's a great deal. I will say though if you like a bold BRIGHT liner, then these may not be for you. The color payoff is pretty but I know some girls who like a really vibrant liner and I wouldn't put these in that category. Although for everyday wear, I would say it's great! Plus if you have a couple of the other colors (pink, violet, burgundy etc.) I can imagine the fun looks you could create!
Just be careful, as with any twist up liner, don't push to hard or twist up to high because it can break easily because the formula is a nice soft formula.

Check our Cristin's Facebook page if your interested in starting to sell Avon or interested in making a purchase!

 
" EMANI was established in 1998 with one simple purpose in mind; to provide a line of clean cosmetics that meet and exceed the high standards of the professional makeup industry and at the same time, promotes a healthy complexion for all women. "

If you look to the left of the above picture, you can see the beautiful rainbow effect in the silver logo. This is a picture of the eyeshadow compact. 

 "We believe that women should not have to sacrifice their health in the name of beauty.  At EMANI, we have devoted time to studying the human skin and the full impact that EMANI products will bear on women’s health. By using the naturally occurring minerals, organic extracts and pigments, and by keeping our products free of talc, paraben, gluten and harsh chemicals, we at EMANI have created a line of non-comedogenic, nature-based makeup that not only works with your skin and supports its natural vitality, but also feels luxurious and looks glamorous with beautiful finishes that are long lasting. "

The above two pictures are the same trio in different light. 

The three shadow lightest to darkest. Swatched in one stroke on my arm. No primer or base. 

Left- Lightest color all over    Right- Bare

Left-Lightest all over, Middle shade, on lid and crease    Right-  Lightest all over

Light pink all over. Middle shade (red/maroon) in crease and on lid. Darkest shade lower lashline and outer V details.

Added black liquid liner. Smudged the darkest shadow over the liner to soften. Mascara on top and bottom lashes. 

     Trios! I love love love trios! Especially ones like this Emani Minerals one.  Trios are one of my favorite shadows to collect just because they usually for the most park come with three colors that go beautifully together and can create a quick simple look. The trio I have here is in #401 Tantalizing! A blend of a light color for the highlight, a medium brown for the lid and the darker brown for the crease and creating added depth to a look. You really can't go wrong with a neutral trio. Personally I think everyone should have at least ONE natural eye trio in their bag because you can use those colors with any outfit.

     One of the key things about this shadow is just the care that's put into them. To make them great for sensitive skin by taking out all that stuff that can be harsh on your skin. Not only that but I loveee that they are not for testing on animals. I was impressed that they are even PETA Certified. They really took out the bad that a lot of other brands have in their products and made a beautiful silky shadow trio that is very wearable. Below are swatches without primer!

     They show up so pretty even without a primer or any type of base! They go on very smooth and are not chalky, AT ALL! Usually the lighter shades of trios can seem chalky or just lower quality (reason why, I'm not sure) but this one I had no chalkiness to it which was great. Although the lighter shade here did have to be built up a little bit to get a lot of color, but that typically goes with any light color shadow. Since this has been sitting right next to my mirror, when I'm running late for work I just grab this and every things right there and I'm not worrying about making sure I don't look like a clown and not match my clothes.

     In the picture above I have the all the shadows in the trio on my eyes. No others! Such a pretty look that goes with any skin and eye color. I'm in love <3  You can pick your own up for $20 and also check out their other trios for other colors!

     I love finding Independent Companies on Facebook that make pigments of all sorts of colors. It's just something about them not being some big branded company, you can just tell there is more love and time put into these products.  Speaking of finding companies online, I have been a Facebook Fan of Femi Cosmetics for quite some time now.  She was super sweet and had sent me the items above to test and share with you guys!! I was beyond excited because every time she posts a picture of a new color she made I instantly enlarge it to see the great quality and pigmentation it has.
     Here is what she sent in that super cute bag above: 5 pigment eye shadows and a jar of her lip glaze in Cotton Candy. Below is some swatches I took WITHOUT a primer or a base!! The pigmentation of these is to die for!  I literally just dipped my finger into the jar and rubbed on my hand.... I was so impressed with the pigmentation that came off, that I didn't need to use my white NYX Jumbo pencil to make the color more vibrant.
    What I also really enjoy about these is the super soft texture. They almost glided onto my eyelid and was super easy to blend together with each other and with other brands. I did a little 'blow' test too. That's when I rub it on my hand and blow on it to see if there is a lot of pigment that just easily blows away, this didn't move. That means it has some good staying power! I think I'm in love. <3 and I'm not exaggerating. Okay, not IN LOVE with the eyeshadows but I do love them a lot! The only one thing I would change is to have some sort of designed label/branded sticker on the tops of the jars, or even on the bottom. Right now they are a white sticker with hand written labels.

Here are some swatch photos!

     Just look at the shimmer and silkyness to those colors! The lip glaze has a consistency like a depotted lipstick. I  found it to be super moisturizing with a buildable color. So I could apply it lightly for a slight shine or make it thicker for more color. Love having that kind of control. I strongly suggest you 'Like" her page, show her some love and support and try her pigments, I promise you will not be disappointed!

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Femi Cosmetics E-mail: femicosmetics@gmail.com