Alcone at Home

Nothing to Disclose

When I was at The Makeup Show NYC a few weeks ago I was introduced to a new business called Alcone at home that immediately caught my eye. 

For those of you that may not know, Alcone is a family owned business that started over 60 years ago as a pharmacy that sold products and supplies to professional makeup artists. After being on the retail end of the spectrum for half a century Alcone decided to launch their own makeup line, Alcone at home, which was designed with the everyday woman in mind. 

Swarovski Crystal lip gloss packaging? You had me at hello. 

Aside from developing their own products (which are fabulous. I'll have a full review coming up soon) Alcone at home developed what have to be THE CUTEST refillable magnetic palettes. The entire Alcone at home system was created to help makeup artists and consumers streamline their routine in the morning. By utilizing a refillable magnetic palette system I think they achieved just that!

I'm literally dying over the silver chevron palette... DYING. The palettes pictured above are also housed in a palette organizer which was developed with cramped spaces in mind. I had the pleasure of talking to Michele Gay, Co-Founder of Alcone at home, who explained that she developed these palettes and organizers after needing more space in her tiny apartment bathroom.

Since I was fortunate enough to be given early access to The Makeup Show I was able to take my time and talk to Michele about her brand and what it's about. Alcone at home is not only a makeup line but it can also be turned into a business of your own! You can sign up to be an Alcone at home "Artist" and then host parties to introduce the products to others. As an artist you'll receive 25-30% commission on all your sales and if you choose to lead a team you'll also receive a percentage of their sales as well. For more details on what it means to be an Alcone at home "Artist" please check out their website. They have tons of information! 

These makeup brushes seriously blew my mind. Remember when I mentioned that the entire organization concept was designed out of necessity due to small apartment bathrooms? Well, feast your eyes on this:

YES. That is a makeup brush INSIDE of a makeup brush! The handle on the Alcone at home brush separates from the ferrule to provide you with a small, easy to use brush. The entire brush set comes with 8 brushes but you'll only be needing to store 4. No awkward double ended brushes here! (because really, how do you even store those?)

I was fortunate enough to receive a few different products from Alcone at home and I am currently working on a review of them right now. I'll tell you this though: I like what I've seen so far! 

What do you think? Would you be interested in something like this? What do you think of the double brushes? Comment below and let me know!

Until next time :)

FTC Disclaimer: I am not being compensated in any way to write this post and all opinions are my own. Links included are not referral links or affiliate links. I am in no way affiliated with Alcone at home.

My Latest Rocksbox Is Here!

PR Sample Referral Links

I was recently invited to try out Rocksbox for 6 months courtesy of iFabbo and, to be honest, I was a little skeptical of this monthly subscription service. I'm not typically a huge jewelry buyer so when I found out that Rocksbox was centered around providing designer jewelry pieces I wasn't sure how I would like it. I'm so glad I tried Rocksbox, though, because I love it!

RocksBox is a membership-based jewelry styling service. Members pay a flat rate of $19/month to trial unlimited designer jewelry, sent in sets of three at a time.

• RocksBox sets are curated for you based on your style profile
• You can keep and wear your RocksBox pieces for up to 60 days
• You can return your set anytime and we’ll send out a new set of three right away
• You pay $19/month regardless of how often you exchange your box
• You can only return items in a set, not one at a time
• If you love an item you can buy it at the members price list on your packing list

Rocksbox members receive a 20% discount on the items from their box that they decide to keep. You can receive one box a month or you can receive one each week! 

This is the second Rocksbox I have received and I love all the items that I was sent! I received:

1) Dabney Necklace in Lapis by Loren Hope ($60 - Regularly $75)

2) Three Stone Drops in Aqua Druzy by Margaret Elizabeth ($126.40 - Regularly $158)

3) Pillow Party Bracelet by Urban Gem ($44.80 0 Regularly $56)

For me, personally, some of the prices are a bit high since I normally wouldn't pay this much for jewelry that I won't wear every day. I REALLY want the Dabney necklace, though, so I may need to wear it around for awhile and see if I love it as much as I think I do. Last month I received a wishbone necklace and at first I liked it but thought that I'd send it back. I ended up wearing it every day for a month and knew that it had to be mine. The best part is that it was only $30! 

Luckily, as a Rocksbox member you can receive credit towards jewelry purchases by referring friends to the service ($25) or by simply posting pictures of you rocking your pieces on social media ($5). How cool is that? 

If you're interested in Rocksbox you can sign up HERE.

 What do you think? Should I keep the blue necklace? I am totally obsessed with it!! I'm planning on wearing it to work tomorrow so I'm sure it will sneak its way into my Instagram at some point or another.

Until next time :)

FTC Disclaimer: The links provided in this post are referral links and I will receive credit towards future jewelry purchases if you sign up through them. Help me buy that blue necklace, haha! All opinions are my own :)

Julep Maven "Sail Into Summer" June 2013 Collection

Referral Links 

It's the 20th and you know what that means? It means that if you're a Julep Maven that you can sign in and select your colors for this month's box!

The 20th is easily one of my favorite days each month because I can't wait to see what new collection Julep has come up with. The Julep Maven June collection has a nautical, preppy feel to it and  I think the colors are gorgeous! 

(I opted in to receive the whole collection... I couldn't help myself!)

If you've never heard of the Julep Maven program before then keep reading! It is easily my favorite subscription service of all time and is the one I have stayed with the longest. 

For more details on the program click HERE. 

In a nutshell here's what you can expect:

1) The Julep Maven monthly subscription is $19.99 and includes 2-3 polishes. Sometimes there are also skincare items, hand/nail treatments, and makeup included.

2) During sign up you'll fill out a style profile and then each month Julep will suggest a combination of colors from that month's collection for you. But here's the best part: You can change boxes, skip months, or elect to upgrade to the entire collection! Gone are the days of not knowing what you'll get and whether or not you'll like it. With Julep Maven you can choose exactly what you're going to get and I absolutely love that freedom.

3) Each month you opt in to your box without skipping you earn "Jules" which are points that you can redeem for free nail polish, free monthly boxes, etc. It's like free money!

There are tons of other benefits/perks of being a Julep Maven. For your first introductory box you can use the code "PENNY" and receive your first box for just that - ONE CENT. Yep... that even includes shipping!

I'll be honest, the penny box is what hooked me. Julep nail polish retails for $14 per bottle but with the Julep Maven subscription you get the ultra-luxurious Julep polishes for WAY less than that. 

I'm a HUGE Julep fan! If you want to see what I've received in past Julep boxes (they always throw in super cute stuff & there is usually candy involved, haha) feel free to click on the "Nail Polish Swatch" tab on the left of this page :)

Until next time,

FTC Disclaimer: I won't lie - the links in this post are referral links and if you decide to sign up to be a Julep Maven I'll receive credit that I can use towards free nail polish. Just think of it as feeding my addiction :) All opinions are 100% my own. 

OFRA Window Palette Review & Swatches

Purchased By Me

Are you looking for an Urban Decay 15th Anniversary Palette dupe? I've got one for you right here!

The OFRA Window Palette contains 13 eyeshadow colors that might look mighty familiar to you if you're familiar with Urban Decay even in the slightest. I'll be honest - I only own the Naked 2 palette so I'm not super familiar but even I recognized this as a dupe when I first saw it. 

It's not an EXACT dupe since the Urban Decay 15th Anniversary palette contains 15 colors and the OFRA Window Palette only contains 13. I lined the colors up the best I could and it looks like the OFRA palette is missing dupes for the colors "Flow" and "Deeper" from the Urban Decay palette. 

Aside from the 13 dupe shadows the OFRA Window Palette contains a matte beige eyeshadow in addition to two blush colors and one highlighter: a berry toned tan, a soft coral pink, and a golden based highlighter. 

Lets discuss quality, shall we? These shadows are OUTRAGEOUS. So buttery smooth with amazing pigment. I was fortunate enough to talk to the Vice President of OFRA cosmetics who told me that they manufacture products for Urban Decay (among other high end brands) so I'm not surprised that these shadows are just as good as the "real deal."

NOTE: Just because OFRA manufacturers products for other brands does not mean that those brands are using generic "private label" cosmetics. It simply means that other brands may seek out OFRA to develop formulas, produce products, etc for them. There is a huge difference!

The OFRA Window Palette also comes in a magnetic, refillable palette very reminiscent of an empty MAC or Z-Palette. I love that the eyeshadow and blush are already depotted so I can move them around as I see fit. I've already moved the blush pans to another blush palette to make my collection more cohesive. 

The shadows are absolutely fantastic but the blush colors were a bit chalky and dry to the touch. I was also really surprised at the color once applied to the skin since they look much softer and easier to wear in the pan. Overall, though, the eyeshadow is the real reason why I purchased this so I'm not disappointed at all. 

I can't seem to find this palette on the OFRA Cosmetics website but I paid $18 for it at The Makeup Show NYC a few weeks ago and think it was a fantastic value! Apparently I wasn't the only one as I found out later that this palette sold out in just four hours!  Urban Decay dupe or not, this is definitely a fun palette to have and I'm so happy I snatched it up when I did.

What do you think? Have you tried anything by OFRA? Do you think this is a reasonable dupe for the Urban Decay 15th Anniversary Palette? Comment below and let me know!

Until next time :)

FTC Disclaimer: All products mentioned in this post were purchased with my own money. I am not being compensated in any way and all opinions are my own. 

Blot Out Offensive Shine + Oil Control Primer Review

PR Sample

Even though I don't have oily skin I was still really excited to receive Blot Out Offensive Shine Control + Oil Control Primer in my blogger goodie bag from The Makeup Show. Nurturing Force isn't a brand that I was familiar with prior to attending The Makeup Show but once I heard about Blot Out I was really intrigued and couldn't wait to review it for you all.

Blot Out Offensive is described as being an HD Primer that can be used on all skin types and complexions to help hold products in place for up to 14 hours. The first ingredient listed is "Aloe Vera Gel" which should make this product ideal for all skin types - even sensitive skin. 

To use this product simply use this as a primer before applying your foundation and move on with your makeup application. The consistency of the cream is smooth, non greasy, and sort of reminds me of the cold cream that our grandmother's all used. 

I don't have oily skin but do notice that I experience some makeup breakdown on my T-Zone throughout the day so I thought this would be the perfect product to keep my makeup looking fresh all day. I had great experiences while using it and it did help to hold my makeup in place but you know what else happened? I broke out like CRAZY. 

Now you all know that I have acneic skin to begin with but I was breaking out only where I applied the Blot Out Offensive (between the eyebrows, down my nose, and onto my cheeks) and I never have broken out in these areas like this. These blemishes were also very superficial and weren't like my "normal" breakouts.

I received two of these products so I decided to give one to my coworker who has oily skin so she could tell me how it worked on her. She loved it but guess what? She broke out, too! We were talking about this over dinner the other night and it was then that we both realized that we were breaking out at the same time, in the same areas, and that we'd both been using the Blot Out Offensive primer. I have since stopped using it and my blemishes quickly disappeared and haven't returned. 

Unfortunately this product didn't work for me (or my coworker) at all. It does work well and it performs exactly as described but unfortunately I can't continue to use it.

If you're interested in trying Blot Out Offensive Shine Control + Oil Control Primer for yourself it retails for $25 and can be purchased on the official Nurturing Force Website

Have you heard of this brand? What products do you like to use to combat makeup breakdown throughout the day? Comment below and let me know!

Until next time :)

FTC Disclaimer: This product was provided to me by the manufacturer for consideration. I am not being compensated in any way and all opinions are my own. 

Graftobian Banana Cream Pie HD LuxeCashmere Setting Powder Review

PR Sample Affiliate Links

I was recently introduced to this whole "yellow powder" phenomenon and let me just say - I'm not sure how I lived without it!

The Graftobian HD LuxeCashmere Setting Powder in "Banana Cream Pie" was designed to help neutralize red tones on lighter skin and add warmth and brightness to darker skin tones. I personally have warm/yellow undertones except for my face so this powder is absolutely perfect for me as it helps match my face to the rest of my body.

Banana Cream Pie is by far the most luxurious face powder I've ever used. It is similar to another face powder that is named after a popular fruit but, in my opinion the Graftobian Banana Cream Powder is much smoother and provides a flawless finish. 

The idea of a yellow face powder might seem strange but trust me when I say that you NEED it in your life. I personally like to use the Graftobian Banana Cream Pie powder all over my face but if you've got darker skin try using it under the eye, down the side of the nose, and up onto the cheekbones (the highlighting triangle, if you will) a-la Kim Kardashian. The yellow tone will help to illuminate your skin giving it a gorgeous highlighted effect without glitter that isn't shimmery at all.

I've also noticed that the Graftobian Banana Creme Pie HD powder is almost undetectable on my face after application. My skin never looks powdered but instead just looks flawless and smooth with a matte finish. While the color may look bizarre and chalky, once it is buffed into the skin (I like to use a Sigma F30 Large Powder Brush) the finish is absolutely fantastic. 

If you follow me on Instagram or Twitter and have seen my Face Of The Day posts then you've seen me wearing this - I've been obsessed since the day I received it! At first I thought "yellow powder is yellow powder" but I was clearly wrong!

You can buy the Graftobian HD Powder in "Banana Creme Pie" on the official Graftobian website where it retails for $22 USD. 

Have you tried any color correcting powders? What about the Graftobian HD LuxeCashmere Powder? Comment below and let me know!

Until next time :)

FTC Disclaimer: This product was provided to me from Graftobian for review consideration. Some links in this post are affiliate links where I will earn a small commission from any products purchased through them. All opinions are my own and I am not being compensated to write this review. 

MAKE Cosmetics Introduction/Overview (Pic Heavy)

I was so incredibly fortunate to be introduced to MAKE Cosmetics while I attended The Makeup Show NYC this year. Everything about this brand from their philosophy down to their packaging caught my eye so I made sure to spend some time at the MAKE Cosmetics booth learning about everything their brand stands for. I am so excited to share what I learned with you all!

MAKE Cosmetics launched in February, 2013 (yes! This year!) and seeks to change the beauty paradigm and is the first ever "for benefit" cosmetics brand. Encouraging creative self-expression as women all over the world use their products, MAKE introduces a new way of interpreting and celebrating beauty; through the lens of creative minds across a number of unexpected industries.

MAKE seeks to find and foster artistic, original thinking through collaborations with modern color artists ranging from film and design to music, gaming and art. They also celebrate up and coming makeup artists in an effort to showcase their talent! MAKE collaborations unite art, beauty and culture, take inspiration from surprising imagery and materials all while breaking traditional beauty rules. 

This is the part that made me immediately want to learn as much as I can about this company: A portion of each MAKE purchase (33.3%) will directly benefit the WE SEE BEAUTY FOUNDATION, a non-profit organization that funds women-led cooperatives in the U.S. by providing expertise and support to local communities as they work together to build and maintain worker-owned cooperatives.

How amazing is that?! 33.3% is HUGE! 

MAKE products are made in America at MANA Products, a company responsible for having incubated world renouned makeup-artists including Francios Nars and producing award winning formulas for over 35 years. With MANA's capabilities at the heart of every product, MAKE offers a full range of color cosmetics developed to outperform today's standards for multi-purpose, visually stimulating products.

 (You all know I had to take a picture of their blush. Let's get serious)

The core collection includes 220 products across multiple categories, ranging from eyeshadow, lipstick, mascara, and foundation to primers, moisturizers, and makeup removers - along will a full range of brushes and tools.

Now can you see why I'm obsessed with this brand? Like I mentioned above, I spent a good amount of time swatching their products and learning as much as I can and let me just say - THEY ARE AWESOME. One thing their rep explained to me is that what you see in the pan is exactly what you'll see on your skin and I can say from first hand experience that his statement was true. I swatched the electric blue eyeshadow in the first picture above and let me just say... it was the same exact color on my hand as it was in the pan after one swipe! Crazy!

Clearly I forgot to take a picture, though, so you'll just have to take my word for it :)

But in all seriousness, I am obsessed with this brand. Everything they stand for is so inspiring and their products really are fantastic. I'll have a full review on some of their latest releases up soon! 

MAKE Cosmetics can be purchased HERE and their products range in price from $5-$42. 

What do you think? Am I crazy for being so obsessed with a makeup brand? How do you feel about the MAKE Cosmetics philosophy? Comment below and let me know!

Until next time :)

FTC Disclaimer: I am not being compensated to write this post. All opinions and images are my own.