HARPER’S BAZAAR

All posts tagged HARPER’S BAZAAR

WINTER NAIL SHADES AND WINTER BEAUTY SURVIVAL TIPS: NAUGHTY OR NICE?

Published November 14, 2014 by thebeholdingeye

Ahhhh, Thanksgiving is almost upon us and then we’ll be catapulted into the frigid Winter months in the blink of a masacara’d eye. I love the changing of the seasons and, as every fashionista knows, with each change of season comes new trends. What better way to incorporate some winter trends into your wardrobe than with a few new nail colors? Budget-friendly and lots of fun, too.

But, before we dive right into the glorious new nail shades, let’s take a look at what you can do to keep the skin and cuticles of your hands and feet at their twinkling best, whether you’re roasting chestnuts on an open fire or dashing through the snow in a 1-horse open sleigh.

First of all, I happened upon a product a few years ago that seriously forever changed my hand and foot care routine. It’s not glamorous, the name of it is a bit giggle-inducing, it’s perfectly affordable, and it is my winter skin savior.

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Feel free to giggle. Seriously. I giggled like a school girl the first time I saw it, but its claims were so amazing that I decided to purchase a small travel-sized tin.

Readily available at mass chains such as Walmart, Target, etc., or even at your local neighborhood pharmacy, Bag Balm will keep your hands and feet so amazingly hydrated and smooth that you’ll ditch those more expensive treatments and become a devotee as well. It has the consistency of Vaseline (a staple for some), yet I find the results are much more immediate. One night with Bag Balm and you’ll definitely be ready for Santa Claus coming to town.

Bag Balm can be purchased for well under $10 at pretty much anywhere you pick up your other beauty necessities.

Oh, and while you’re snapping up your Bag Balm, there are two more items you’ll want to grab to use in conjunction with it.

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Yep, plain white cotton socks in whatever style you prefer. Slather the Bag Balm on your feet (paying particular attention to the areas between your toes and your heels), and then slip a pair of these over your feet. They not only prevent the product from being transferred onto your bedding, they help the Bag Balm to penetrate through the dry skin of your feet even more intensely. It’s like a not-so-glamorous spa treatment for your feet.

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And while you’re there, grab a pair of plain white cotton gloves for your balm-drenched hands as well. Again, any kind or style that catches your pretty little eye. I like the idea of these disposable ones but reusable ones that can be laundered are an equally good choice. As with your feet, except using a smaller amount, slather Bag Balm over your hands and cuticles, apply the gloves, and let the magic happen while you’re sleeping. In the morning, remove the gloves, wash your hands (always using a mild soap, especially during winter months), and be amazed at the difference in how they feel…Hydrated and supple, without a spot of dryness in sight.

The Bag Balm treatment done 1-2 times a week on hands and feet will have your skin and cuticles hydrated and healthy-looking all through the harsh winter months. I even do it a couple of times per month in summer months, too, just to keep everything smooth and supple. In between Bag Balm treatments, nightly moisturizing with your usual hand and foot creams will be even more effective.

Now that we’ve covered the practical aspect of how to keep those fingers and toes sparing us from entrance onto the Island of Misfit Toys, let’s take a look at some UH-MAZING winter colors courtesy of our friends at Julep. What better way to showcase new colors than with soft, smooth and well-manicured hands and feet?

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Ilsa, Sawyer, and Joanne are most assuredly earning a place in my nail collection. Gorgeous shades and totally versatile, perfect for the office, home, or even a quick kiss under the mistletoe.

Also from our friends at Julep, here are some additional products to assist with winterizing your beauty routine for the upcoming months that you may wish to try incorporating into your regimen:

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Whether you’ve been naughty or nice, these are the perfect holiday treats for you…And also hit-of-the-party stocking stuffers for those fashionistas on your gift-giving list as well.

If you’d like to snap up a couple of those awesome new shades for winter or check out other winterizing beauty tools and products Julep offers, here’s a link to their page. Oh, and did I mention you do not have to subscribe to Julep to make purchases? Commitment-free shopping that won’t break the holiday budget!

JULEP POLISH COLLECTION: http://www.julep.com/shop/nail-polish.html

And, as always, feel free to follow me on the following social media. Later this week we’re expecting arrivals by Ipsy, Lip Factory, Lip Monthly, Sample Society, and possibly French Box (I’m already having palpitations just thinking about French Box…OOOH LA LA), so stay tuned for more!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Beholding-Eye/683364698413511
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheBeholdingEye
Instagram: https://instagram.com/thebeholdingeye

Until next time, stay beautiful!!!

GLOSSYBOX NOVEMBER 2014: SECOND SNEAK PEEK!!!

Published November 11, 2014 by thebeholdingeye

Alright, my lovelies, I have decided to crawl out from my sickbed and share this little Tuesday evening surprise with you…It’s Sneak Peek #2 from our friends at Glossybox.

Let’s jump right to the good stuff, shall we?

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“Are you ready to turn back time?

Juice Beauty’s Green Apple Age Defy Moisturizer will be in every November GLOSSYBOX.”

And here’s a quick look back at the previously-announced sneak peek into the November box:

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Looks like November is shaping up to be pretty fantabulous, Glossybox!

“Cheers, Glossybox!” (yes, my shot of Nyquil does count as a toast).

If you’d like more information on Glossybox and maybe snag your own subscription, here are some links to get you started:

WEBSITE WITH REFERRAL: http://www.glossybox.com/referal?CI=MTIxNDg0
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/GlossyBox.com

As always, feel free to follow what I’m up to on the following social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Beholding-Eye/683364698413511
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheBeholdingEye
Instagram: https://instagram.com/thebeholdingeye

Until next time, stay beautiful…

GLOSSYBOX UK: NOVEMBER 2014 FIRST SNEAK PEEK!!!

Published October 31, 2014 by thebeholdingeye

And again irony reigns supreme on this lovely All Hallowed Eve. After receiving my October Glossybox this morning, they have now released their first official sneak peek of what I’m told is the UK November box…and it looks promising, my British lovelies!

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Guaranteed in each November box is a full-sized Burt’s Bees lip shine, as well as a full-sized Lollipops Paris kohl eyeliner.

OoOoOoOoOo…I’m excited already for you UK subscribers. Nothing gets my little black heart pounding like the description “full size,” so I’ll definitely be looking forward to an equally spectacular USA November box!

If you’d like more information on Glossybox and maybe snag your own subscription, here are some links to get you started:

WEBSITE WITH REFERRAL: http://www.glossybox.com/referal?CI=MTIxNDg0
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/GlossyBox.com

As always, feel free to follow what I’m up to on the following social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Beholding-Eye/683364698413511
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheBeholdingEye
Instagram: https://instagram.com/thebeholdingeye

Until next time, stay beautiful…

GLOSSYBOX OCTOBER 2014 UNBOXING: KEEP IT OR KICK IT?

Published October 31, 2014 by thebeholdingeye

Happy Halloween from our casa to your casa. Don’t forget today is the big day for the Rafflecopter drawing of the winners for the Big October Beauty Giveaway, so stay tuned!

The second box we had the pleasure of unboxing today was the October offering from Glossybox. Glossybox did pretty well last month, what with the OCC Lip Tar and a few other goodies, so we were curious to see what this month might bring and whether it was perhaps worth keeping or kicking it to the curb for the new year.

Let’s see what awesomeness the October box might (or might not) bring.

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Well, look what we have here…Not in the actual Glossybox but in the shipping box is a $40 coupon for Hello Fresh, which is one of those trendy businesses that creates recipes, gathers ingredients, and delivers them to you for preparing the chosen meal in your own kitchen. Okay, this is BOMB. Seriously, if I lived in a big city, I’d be all over this baby; however, living out in the middle of orange groves with the nearest “big” (snort) city about 50 miles away, I’m somehow guessing Casa Beholding Eye will not be in their delivery range. I do, however, fully intend to check and put this to good use if by some miracle of transportation we are in their delivery range.

RETAIL VALUE: $40.00

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Glossybox has the prettiest boxes, really aesthetically pleasing and sturdy, too. Very simple and classy.

Now for the important stuff…the contents!

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Well, this looks promising…anything that starts with a full-sized Tarte product is probably going to be a winner in Casa Beholding Eye. Woot!!!

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This is the Tarte Power Pigment in Flush. It’s by Tarte. It’s a lip product. It’s full-sized. It’s a home run. Need we say more?

RETAIL VALUE: $24.00.

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Next up is a full-sized (way to go, Glossybox, we’re impressed, and that ain’t no easy feat!) bottle of Proganix Repair Reparative Oil + Anti-Breakage serum. This product claims to contain all sorts of awesomeness to treat dry, damaged hair, repair split ends, and “addresses” frizziness. Hmmm. “Addresses” frizziness? Is that anything like actually “controlling” frizziness? If so, we’re in…In for a penny, in for a pound.

RETAIL VALUE: $11.99.

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Next by Nails Inc is Westminster Bridge Matte Top Coat. Okay, we’re seriously looking forward to trying this. If it works well, this has the potential of doubling our nail lacquer collection because matte colors can look vastly different from high gloss colors. And this product is also full-sized. Love it!

RETAIL VALUE: $10.00

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Vince Camuto…Widely renowned for his UH-MAZING shoes, it’s nice to see he’s branching out into other fashion arenas. This fragrance, Amore, is in the prettiest little bottle and, although sample sized, is just perfect. Bonus points: It smells DIVINE.

RETAIL VALUE: Approximately $10.00.

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And the last item in the box is something we’ve been curious about trying. It’s a full paper face mask…you know, being Halloween, so you can rock the Michael Myers look whilst beautifying your skin. This one is by Sesha and it is their Cell-White Brightening Mask. It says it is designed to refresh and invigorate dull-looking skin with brightening ingredients like mulberry extract and vitamin C. Sounds good to us…BOO!!!!!

RETAIL VALUE: $9.00.

TOTAL RETAIL VALUE: Approximately $105 (for which subscribers pay $21/month)

Okay, we’re impressed with Glossybox this month, no ifs, ands or buts about it. There’s not a single product in here we won’t use (and probably love). No question about it, we’ll be keeping Glossybox around for another month to see what November holds.

If you’d like more information on Glossybox and maybe snag your own subscription, here are some links to get you started:

WEBSITE WITH REFERRAL: http://www.glossybox.com/referal?CI=MTIxNDg0
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/GlossyBox.com

As always, feel free to follow what I’m up to on the following social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Beholding-Eye/683364698413511
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheBeholdingEye
Instagram: https://instagram.com/thebeholdingeye

Until next time, stay beautiful…and stay tuned for later today when Rafflecopter chooses the winners of the Big October Beauty Giveaway. Believe it or not, we’re as excited as you are to find out who the winners are!!!

GLOSSYBOX SEPTEMBER UNBOXING: DOES IT MAKE THE CUT…PLUS GIVEAWAY!

Published October 6, 2014 by thebeholdingeye

Well, today’s mail call brought my first Glossybox, a monthly subscription box sponsored by Harper’s Bazaar touting a monthly assortment of their cream of the crop samples.  I’d been watching unboxings of Glossybox for awhile and sat on the fence for awhile.  Costing $21/month (the same as my much-beloved BoxyCharm), it just didn’t seem to pack the bunch of BoxyCharm.  However, being as BoxyCharm is predominantly makeup and Glossybox also contains high-end skincare products, I decided to give it a try for a couple of months and see if it passed my own personal bar for a subscription.

So, here we have it, the September Glossybox.

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Lovely presentation and the box is really lovely, and I’m a sucker for black and white combos.

Okay, let’s get this lovely box ripped open and dive on in.

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I should point out that large full-sized BB cream by Boscia is a bonus item I got for subscribing and not part of the monthly subscription. Which is good, because they sent me the color “BRONZE.” Yeah, my lily white skin is going to pass this product (which is supposed to be UH-MAZING, but definitely not my color) along to someone who can give it a good home. FAIL, Glossybox, right out of the proverbial gate…or box, as is the case here.

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(RETAIL VALUE: $38…Or ZERO, in my case)

Okay, let’s get to the regular subscription box items. First up is this OCC Lip Tar. I won’t lie, I was hoping for Black Dahlia but received Authentic. Le sigh…I won’t call this a fail yet, though, as I understand the color doesn’t apply nearly as Jack-O-Lantern orange as it appears in the tube and is a great mixer for other colors, plus it *might* fall into my love of nude/taupe/brown lips that I prefer, if applied with a very light hand.

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(RETAIL VALUE: $18)

Next up is a luxe skincare treatment from Vichy, their Liftactiv Night. I love trying new skincare products and this sample is large enough to give it a try for about 10 days, so I’m happy about that.

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(RETAIL VALUE: Approximately $12 – Full Size is 1.69 oz and $50).

Okay, now let’s take a look at the lovely Essie nail polish in the color Madison Ave-Hue. A little late in the season for this color and, while I would have preferred something a bit more Fall-friendly, I can see wearing this in a few (short) months when Spring is once again upon us.

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(RETAIL VALUE: $8.50)

Next in this box of mixed wonders is a very nice sample size of Bulgari Eau Parfumee Au The Blanc Conditioner. It smells wonderful (as do the Bulgari fragrances I’ve sampled). That being said, I’ve never had much luck with perfumed conditioners actually WORKING besides adding a temporary fragrance to my hair. I’ll try to go into this one with an open mind simply because, being Bulgari and considering the price for a full size of this product, it better be out-of-this-world FANTABULOUS.

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(RETAIL VALUE ABOUT $15 – Full size is 6.76 OZ AND $45)

And last item up is a sample size of the much-ballyhooed Benefit Cosmetics They’re Real mascara. I’ve actually read mixed reviews about this product. Some users immediately loved it and made it a holy grail, whilst others gave it more of a ho-hum review. I guess I’ll find out for myself now that I can give it a try. It’s going to be hard to top my favorite mascara, Too Faced Better Than Sex, but I’ll go into it with an open mind.

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(RETAIL VALUE ABOUT $5 – Full size is 0.3 oz and $23.00)

So, there we have it, the September Glossybox.

Would I choose Glossybox over Boxycharm, if I had to choose? NO. WAY. NO. HOW.

Will I give it another month to see if it gets better? Ummmm…Not sure, but at this point I’m thinking probably. Although a new subscription box, New England Sack, just launched and it’s spendy…I may cut Glossybox sooner to make room in the budget for NES. I’m obsessed with New England and that box just sounds custom-tailored for me. Well, that and the French Box, which should be arriving in the next week or so.

Okay, my lovelies, that’s it for this Glossybox review. If you’d like more information on Glossybox, here are some links for you to check out.

WEBSITE: http://www.glossybox.com/referal?CI=MTIxNDg0
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/GlossyBox.com

And feel free to follow me on the following social media and be sure to enter the big October Beauty Giveaway (link at end of this post!):

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Beholding-Eye/683364698413511
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MrsMorelion
Instagram: https://instagram.com/thebeholdingeye

ENTER RAFFLE HERE: a Rafflecopter giveaway

Until next time, stay beautiful, and good luck to all who enter the giveaway!

(Please note that the giveaway will only be available for US and Canadian residents, otherwise postage would be cost-prohibitive…Thanks for understanding!)