I am now an Avon Representative!

I'm officially an Avon representative! If you're a follower of my blog, then you know this is a longtime coming. I've been a fan of Avon and their products for years. Growing up my mother was an Avon representative and she's partly the reason I became hooked on the brand and their products.  Over the years I have tried a number of products and found many that just work wonders for me - from body care, to skincare, to makeup and even household items.  I am quite excited about this new venture and seeing where this takes me!

If you're interested, feel free to support me and my business. My specific online store is as follows: www.youravon.com/shannonmcintosh. Using this link you can order products which will be delivered right to the comfort of your own home - while the link can also aid as a referral tool for you to begin your own Avon business!

BzzAgent Campaign: Neutrogena Nourishing Long Wear Makeup

I was super excited when I saw this BzzAgent campaign pop up in my inbox. Typically with BzzAgent I tend to get more food and household BzzCampaigns … so whenever I get a beauty product campaign, I jump for joy. Okay, so maybe not literally … but it IS exciting!

Around the time I was sent the invitation I had seen the Neutrogena Nourishing Long Wear Makeup displays popping up in my local pharmacies. Walgreen’s and CVS more specifically as those are the 2 pharmacies I tend to frequent the most. I truthfully didn’t give the display much attention since I have yet to use any Neutrogena foundation and they are one of the higher priced drug store foundations.

Initially finding swatches of the shades online was troublesome. So after going to a number of websites I went out on a whim and decided to go with the fresh beige shade. I had my fingers crossed that the shade would be correct because for anyone whose ever tried to order foundation online you know the struggle is real. Some companies have a really bad habit of showing product color squares which are SO far off from what the true color is that it’s like batting into the dark.  So far the color seems to be a pretty good match for my skin; at first it looks a tad light until it’s worked in.

I will be giving this a trial run and will be sharing my thoughts as I use it a little more.

$3.77 CVS NYX Haul!

I popped into a local CVS because I had a few coupons I wanted to use up before they expired. Initially upon browsing through the “new beauty” section in the store I was bummed. The particular store was pretty cleared out of new displays and the few that were there weren’t of interest to me. Rounding the corner to leave the store I spotted a fresh, brand new NYX display!

Reading Nouveau Cheap’s website I knew NYX displays were anticipated to begin popping up in my area, but more than likely around April/May. Low and behold this store was up in times so I went to town. I haven’t used any NYX products in the past but I’ve heard so many great things about the line that I grabbed the items that I’ve heard about and wanted to give a try.

I scored a fabulous deal because I had a number of coupons I stacked in this transaction. I had a 20% off from when I got my flu shot in-store, two $5 ECB’s and two separate $4 off CVS coupons.

This here is what I picked up:

-          NYX Roll On Shimmer – Almond

-          NYX Butter Gloss – Éclair

-          NYX Butter Gloss – Tiramisu

-          NYX Butter Gloss – Vanilla Cream Pie

-          NYX Dewy Finish Setting Spray

Haul: Revlon Matte Balms & Lacquer Balms

Many thanks to the couponing community on Instagram for posting this DD-deal (double dip deal) for Walgreen’s Saturday night. About 2 weeks ago I purchased my first matte balm (haven’t opened that one yet) for $6.99 but thanks to this deal and some register rewards I only paid $3.01 for ALL 8 of these!  How so you ask?

Well, Revlon at Walgreens  (primarily at early activation stores) was ringing up 40% off as well as Buy 1 Get 1 50% off. So it was essentially $5.39/ea for the 1st & 2.69/ea for the 2nd. Inside the Walgreen’s coupon booklet (found in-store) there is a $2 Walgreens Revlon coupon and once scanned it takes $2 off each and every Revlon lip product in your transaction.  So with that it made the first balm $3.39 and the second $0.69 – so truthfully it was $4.08 for both.  If you had the $1 off Revlon manufacturers coupon from the Sunday paper, you would’ve paid even less ($2.08 for 2)  Unfortunately I did not have any manufacturer coupons, but I did have register rewards so that helped me out a ton.

So after my register rewards (for many of my free Nature Made vitamins I had purchased last week) I only paid $3.01 out of pocket for all of these! Talk about an amazing deal!

Here are all the shades I picked up:

Matte Balms:

• Striking
• Elusive
• Showy
• Standout
• Complex
• Sultry

Lacquer Balms:

• Ingenue
• Coy

QUESTION:

Have you tried any of the Revlon Matte or Lacquer Balms?

Haul: Practically free Vitamins & Makeup

I frequent the posts by fellow couponers on Instagram to see what deals are popping up in stores. I admit, my coupon game can be pretty snazzy, but I don’t have all the time in the world to seek out deals on my own – so that’s where the internet becomes a great tool.

Last week instagram and the couponing blogs were going bonkers because Nature Made vitamins were on sale, where if you bought two you paid less for the 2 than you would’ve if they were buy one get one 50% off.  The great thing also was that with each 2 bottles of vitamins you were awarded 3,000 register rewards ($3 equivalent) – without there being a cap on how many you could purchase.

Now if you take vitamins daily, like I, this sounds like a great deal … but to spend $10-18 to get $3 back, well, isn’t quite worth it.  But what made it worth it? Well the $5 off Nature Made coupons which were available in the Walgreen’s diabetes magazine. We were able to pair up $5 coupons on each bottle of vitamins (unless the equivalent total was $8 – then you could use a $5 and a $3 coupon).  I was able to get a number of vitamins completely free (B-12, Vitamin C, D3, etc.) the other vitamins I got I paid $2 for and got $3 back on my Rewards card.

After coupons, I only paid $7.30 for all the items pictured (the Elf Evil Queen kit was on clearance for $4.99 – but was originally $9.99). Talk about a great deal!

Sephora Haul

This is a little bit of an older Sephora haul … but better late than never!

When I had popped into Sephora I noticed they had a few more shades of the Kat Von D Lock-It Tattoo Foundation in stock.  When the line first launched and I finally got into Sephora they were completely wiped out and had been wiped out for more than a month.  Finally during this visit they had one option available in the medium.  I tried the tester on my skin and thought it was the wrong shade because I felt the yellow-undertone medium was more my shade.  The sales associate that was there felt this was my exact shade … so I took her advice and purchased it.

Then on the way to the checkout I spotted this fragrance sampler box.  The Prelude to a Kiss box includes 5 “Sephora Favorites” where the box was $20 and contains sample size perfumes for testing. Once I decide what scent is more up my alley, I can bring the little card inside and pick up a roller ball of my choice.  What really pushed me into purchasing this was the fact that Flowerbomb was one of the options.  Within the box the following fragrances are available: Chloe L’eau de Chloe, Gucci Guilty, Ralph Lauren Romance (which I own), Tocca Colette and Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb.

QUESTION:

Have you tried any of the products mentioned above?

Haul: Wet n Wild - Going in the Wild Palette

I was browsing Instagram and Facebook a few weeks ago and saw a blogger posted a photo of a nude Wet n Wild eyeshadow palette.  Staring at my phone, I literally said “Whaaaat?”  I ended up googling the palette name and found out it was a limited edition spring palette – which apparently is very hard to find in stores.  My local pharmacies haven’t gotten them yet, but after going onto Nouveau Cheap’s blog I found a sighting map.  A lot of the sightings happened at grocery chains not in my area – but I noticed a few people had mentioned their local Christmas Tree Shop had the palette.

That put the hunt on – I started calling all pharmacies and Christmas Tree Shops in my area.  Every single one of them for days said they did not have the limited edition palettes.  Then on a whim a week later I decided to go shopping and I had to get a few things near the Christmas Tree Shop so I decided to take a peak.  After browsing where the limited edition displays would be, I was bummed – then walked down the Wet n Wild product aisle and nearly squeed.  There, sitting on the shelf was a single Going in the Wild palette.  Into my cart it went and off to the check out I went with all my purchases.

Now if I could only get my hands on the nude palette my life (haha) would be complete!

QUESTION:

Have you spotted the new Wet n Wild limited edition Spring Forward palettes in stores?

Received my L’Oreal Magic Skin Beautifier BB Cream

I was invited to take part in a review of the L’Oreal Magic Skin Beautifier B.B. Cream by SheSpeaks.  I opted into the program and received my BB Cream last week.  I was quite excited to try this because out of the drug store BB Creams out there (not including the Garnier) the L’Oreal is the one that many people rave about, particularly for those with combo/oily skin.  I requested the shade medium because typically when it comes to BB Creams medium is typically the proper shade for my skin tone.  The L’Oreal BB Cream is supposed to prime, perfect, hydrate and correct skintone. 

I am going to be using this and posting a full review with my thoughts on the product in the next week or two.  So keep an eye open for that!

QUESTION:

Have you tried the L’Oreal BB Cream?  If so, what were your thoughts?

SPOTTED: Neutrogena MoistureSmooth Color Sticks

Apologies for my absence, I’ve been terribly tired as of late and the thought of typing at the computer was just draining.  The past few days I’ve crawled into bed and immediately passed out.  My body is trying to fight off some sort of cold which is starting to rear its little ugly head.  But … anyway, onto my posting.

Earlier last week I popped into CVS to pick up some things and in doing that, it meant I had to browse around the store.  I’ve seen a lot of YouTube postings about new drugstore items so I wanted to see what my CVS had.  I was surprised they didn’t have a whole lot out yet, but this was one of the newer displays that I hadn’t seen anyone talk about yet.  The product reminded me of the Revlon Just Bitten balms so I was immediately intrigued.

This is the Neutrogena MoistureSmooth Color Sticks display, which features 8 different shades, which range from lighter to darker.  Quite a nice selection if you ask me.  I will say I like that the caps on these are clear so you can see the actual color of the product – whereas with the Revlon you had to judge by swatches online and/or the cap color (which was slightly different than the color payoff of the product).  At my particular CVS these were $9.29/each but with CVS sales, coupons, etc., you may be able to get a better deal – as pricing and deals vary store to store.

The shades in this collection are as follows:

-          10 Juicy Peach

-          20 Fresh Papaya

-          30 Sweet Watermelon

-          40 Bright Berry

-          50 Warm Caramel

-          60 Soft Raspberry

-          70 Plum Perfect

-          80 Rich Raisin

Shannon’s Belated Avon Haul

First – my apologies as this is an older haul.  The photos have been sitting on my camera waiting for me to post and I’ve been neglecting them as I’ve been going after the more recent photos lately.  But neglect aside – this is an Avon haul/purchase I had made.  For a while I was obsessed and ordering Avon every 2-weeks when a new campaign arrived.  Since I haven’t been given a new campaign book I haven’t purchased anything in a while.  Which reminds me … I need to contact my Avon representative.  But enough rambling aside here’s what I picked up:

-    Avon Nail Pro+ Nail Polish -  Jade
-    Avon Nail Pro+ Nail Polish -  Sunshine
-    Avon Nail Pro+ Nail Polish -  Lagoon
-    Avon True Color Eyeshadow Quad – Caribbean Sunset
-    Avon Ultra Luxury Lip Liner – Chocolate
-    Avon Ultra Luxury Brow Liner – Soft Black

Swatches: Wet n Wild Shimmer the Night Away

This is Wet n Wild’s limited edition 8-pan palette Shimmer the Night Away.  This is one of the 3 new limited edition palettes (well, really 2 new since one is a re-release under a new name).  This is the purple palette.  I admit I was hesitant to purchase because purples aren’t really my favorite shadows – they usually contrast against my skin tone and make me look like I have a black eye.  I did pick it up because my Walgreen’s was having all Wet n Wild products on sale with a buy one get one 50% off deal.  So of course, I bought the first palette for $4.99 and got this one for $2.50.  I felt the price was justifiable to pick it up.

I will say I was not particularly wowed by the color payoff on this palette.  Sparkle ‘Til Morning is SO gorgeous, pigmented and wearable that this just fell flat for me on the love-o-meter. The darker shades pop more whereas the purple – even the blue tend to fall a little flat.  Sorry to say – but I’m not a terribly big fan of this palette.

Swatches: Wet n Wild Sparkle ‘Til Morning

This is Wet n Wild’s limited edition 8-pan palette Sparkle ‘Til Morning.  I have to say out of the limited edition palettes that came out this year; this has to be my absolute FAVORITE!  It’s so gorgeous, pigmented and such fun sparkly colors that can be worn all year long.  These retail for $4.99 but are usually on sale buy one get one 50% off at Walgreens.  I BELIEVE these limited edition 8-pan palettes are only available at Walgreens – but don’t quote me on that because my CVS does not sell Wet n Wild (tear).   Do note these swatches are without a primer.

If you are not familiar, the palette includes two separate “instructional” shades but you can switch it up if you’re feeling fancy.  As with most Wet n Wild 8-pan palettes one side is more colorful while the other is more of a neutral look.  Personally I completely LOVE this palette it’s just perfection.

Shannon’s Thanksgiving Eye Look of the Day (EOTD)

I was a total procrastinator on Thanksgiving.  My boyfriend and I had dinner with my mother earlier in the day and we were going to my boyfriend’s aunts for his side of the families Thanksgiving celebration.  I didn’t do my makeup until about 2 hours before we were supposed to leave (total procrastination moment!).  I wanted something subtle so I was going in a toss-up between a few of my palettes and decided to go with the Wet n Wild Comfort Zone palette.  I used the left hand side of the palette. I basically followed the “instructions” of the palette – lid color all over my lid, crease in my crease, brow bone on my brow bone and definer at the very corners blended out with the crease shade.  Super simple and fool proof!

The products I used to create this look:

* Wet n Wild Comfort Zone palette

* Urban Decay Primer Potion – Sin (I know not photographed I had put it down but couldn’t find it in my rush to take a photo)

* Urban Decay 24/7 Glide on Pencil in Zero

* L’Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes mascara (top & bottom lashes)

NYC Individual Eyes - Dark Shadows (Swatches & Mini-Review)

I received this NYC (New York Color) Individual Eyes in the shade Dark Shadows from Influenster in part of their Beauty Blogger Voxbox.

These complete palettes come with a cream primer and illuminator as well as four complimentary shadows.  To help the user create the “perfect” eye look there is a diagram on the back of the palette explaining where to put each shadow, while the plastic insert over the shadows advise as to where they go as well.  It’s a perfect all-in-one palette for a beginner or even someone who’s either on a budget or wants a palette that has everything together for easy travel.

This particular Dark Shadows palette has the following shades available: white, silver, gunmetal grey and black.  There’s also a cream illuminator (white) and a primer base (nude).  The shadows have a bit of glittery shimmer to them, but it’s no where near overwhelming or even moderately overwhelming.   I would say the color pay off is pretty stellar for a product that retails for $4.99.  I own the palette which is geared toward brown eyes (it has a cranberry/plum shade in it – gorgeous!) and I’ve used that many-a-time when I don’t want to have to go through what I have and want something that’s almost “fool proof”.

I would say the Dark Shadows palette isn’t for everyone.  Some just don’t look great with silvers, while others aren’t comfortable with such “bold” eye looks (particularly if you’re more of a neutral kinda gal).  Overall, I would say if you’re in the market for an all-in-one palette check out what NYC has to offer – they offer some pretty standup products for the price.

FREEBIE: Aveeno Ultra-Calming Make-up Removing Wipes

I was offered a Klout Perk by Aveeno, so I opted in.  I ended up receiving this full-size package of Aveeno Ultra-Calming make-up removing wipes.  I was surprised by the size of the pack as I was expecting to receive a deluxe sample pack, but the package contains 25 wipes.  I have seen these at Target for around $7 a package.  I personally have not tried these yet, but they do have a nice subtle scent to them.  I do happen to like scented makeup removing wipes, but sometimes I find the scent can all together be overpowering and linger on your skin.

Are you interested in what Klout is?  Well, Klout is a website that measures your social networking influence.  You link your facebook, twitter, google+, linkedin, etc., to it and it measures the rate of individuals you influence on a daily basis.  Based on your Klout score, you are offered certain perks which fall under categories (food based, beauty related, extracurricular activity, etc.).  You are then selected to participate in perks based on your score.

Disclaimer: I was given a free product or sample because I'm a Klout influencer. I was under no obligation to receive the sample or talk about this company. I get no additional benefits for talking about the product or company.

Mary Kay – Thanks a Million Facebook Sweepstakes

About a month or more ago I entered a Facebook sweepstakes hosted by Mary Kay.  They were thanking those million followers who had them liked on Facebook and by thanking the followers they offered up a giveaway to those who were selected.  I apparently was selected and wasn’t aware because I received a package in the mail.  I opened it and inside was a 1 fl oz. of the Mary Kay Foundation Primer!  I have used this in the past at a Mary Kay party and it’s a pretty nice product.  I think I may have a full-size bottle buried in my makeup container.  This does give your face that flawless finish and a blank canvas to apply your foundation (liquid or powder).  It works well with both and I feel it does make my makeup stay on longer.  Since I do have oily skin, my makeup tends to wear off over the day (especially if I’m touching my face which I have a horrible habit of doing).  But I feel the primer helps keep it in place a little longer.  Another great thing about it is, it does have SPF 15 in it so that does reduce a step in your skincare routine by using this.

FOTD & OOTD – Anniversary Look!

 

 

This is my face of the day AND my outfit of the day from Monday! It was my anniversary so my boyfriend spent the day together doing whatever that just happened to fall into place. Stress free and entertaining!

For makeup I went with something light with a neutral smoky eye. I grabbed my Wet n Wild Comfort Zone palette and used the left hand side, basically just following the shades in order of how they were listed. I really loved how this look came out.

Products I used:


Face:
- Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles Treatment Concealer
- Garnier Skin Renew Miracle Skin Perfector B.B. Cream
- Milani Minerals Compact Makeup
- Tarte Smooth Operator

Eyes:
- Urban Decay Primer Potion
- Wet n Wild – Comfort Zone palette (left hand side)
- Milani Easyliner for Eyes - Espresso
- Maybelline Lash Stilettos –Soft Black

Cheeks:
- Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Blush - Cherub

Lips:
- Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter – Pink Truffle
- Elf Hypershine Lip Gloss – Berry Cherry

It’s been SUPER chilly here as of late and since I knew the BF and I would be doing a lot of walking outside and spending the day with one another doing a number of things I wanted to be comfortable. I’m big on comfort, so I went with a pair of flare jeans and one of my flowy tops that I had picked up at Kohl’s. Typically I wear leggings with this top but since it was too chilly for leggings, I paired it with my jeans. Since its so low cut I wore one of my grey tank tops that I had picked up during a recently haul at Big Lots. For shoes I went with my black zipper front flats that I had picked up at K-Mart for a whopping $6 on the clearance shelf!

So there you have it my outfit of the day AND face of the day from Monday!

QUESTION:
Do you have and/or use any of the beauty items mentioned above?
Would you wear the outfit I chose to wear?

Images are mine do not take or use. Thank you.

Review & Swatches: Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circle Treatment Concealer

I will be reviewing and showing swatches of Maybelline’s Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circle Treatment Concealer.

I purchased this concealer a while back after hearing rave reviews about how fantastic it was. I actually purchased it at Rite Aid when they were having 50% off all Maybelline products, so not only did I get this for half price, I also had a $2 or $3 off any Maybelline product manufacturer coupon, so I paid less than $2 for this product. Quite the steal! I will admit when I purchased this it sat in my bin of new products to try for a few weeks. After using this, I wonder why I waited so long to try out this gem! Please note the price I paid for this in no way reflects my feelings about this product – because once my bottle does run out I will be repurchasing (whether that be full price or otherwise). Now onto my review:

PACKAGING:
The product is packaged in a small sturdy plastic marker shaped container, the very tip of the product having a micro-fiber rounded tip. The tube itself holds 0.2 fl. oz. of product. The plastic top covering the applicator is easily removed by pulling upwards. To get the product out of the container you simply hold the neck (the red part) of the bottle and twist. If it is your first use, you twist and twist and twist but I promise it eventually does come out! After the first use the product comes out with ease, one twist and a swipe and you’re pretty good to go.

PRODUCT:
This is available in a number of different shades: Fair, Light, Medium, Honey, Neutralizer and Brightener. This product applies like a dream under the eye. It’s very smooth to the touch and blends in flawlessly. It does give my eyes a bit of a brightened effect, concealing my dark circles and lightening up the area. I use this under my foundation (mousse or mineral), but it can be used over your foundation if you have a container of Instant Age Rewind that directly matches your skin tone. I have seen guru’s on YouTube use this over their foundation and it looked just fine because the product was a direct match for their skin tone. I do not use the neutralizer or the brightener because my dark circles are not terribly out of control – but Maybelline does suggest using a neutralizer if you have extreme dark circles. You can use the brightener shade based on how the formula applies to your skin tone. Personally, in my case, a brightener would make me look crazy (the product already gives me a sheeny/glow) – so I skip it. It does a very good job at concealing any under eye shadows/circles and does not feel heavy.

PRICE:
This typically retails for $9.99 (Walgreen’s, CVS), but the price can go up or down based on where you shop. Target and Walmart typically sell these for $7.94 in store and online. If you have a coupon or are able to purchase this during a sale at any store you may very well get it a lot cheaper.

OVERALL:
I would highly suggest this to anyone in the market for a good under eye concealer. I have oily to combination skin so I was a little concerned because I really didn’t want my under eye area looking like an oil slick – but I have to say it does not do that! Granted I have been using this product in the fall and winter months, so the weather has not been obnoxiously hot, but I feel this would hold up even when worn in the heat. Maybelline suggests the product be applied using the applicator tip, blending in an outward motion, with the excess wiped off with a tissue. I actually apply the product to my under eye with the applicator and use my fingertip to lightly pat it onto my eye gently smoothing my fingertip over it to the outer corner of my eye and with any excess I bring it down to the lower socket of my eye (gently patting/rubbing) and I have even brought this up to my inner and outer corner. I wear glasses (which tend to showcase dark circles if you have any) and it makes my eye area look flawless.

Have you tried the Maybelline Instant Age Rewind dark circle eraser?
Do you have an under eye dark circle treatment that you use?

Note: I swatched this on my hand and I have a birth mark on it. It does not reflect a dark circle because I would hope no ones dark circles were that dark. But as you can see in the blended photograph it’s muted the appearance of the birth mark.

Images are mine do not take or use. Thank you.