The Blue Illume Whitening Toothbrush

 Hey all!

I always get asked how I keep my teeth white. Thankfully I have pretty good genes and never had too bad of issues with yellow or stained teeth, but still, I'm always interested in the newest whitening products that promise whiter teeth in a short amount of time.

I've tried professional whitening from my dentist and dreading sleeping with those trays in my mouth. I only probably went through with it a handful of times before I wanted to place the trays under my tires and run over them 100 times with my car. Some nights I jumped up out of my sleep with shooting pains through my teeth. Not fun at all.

Crest White Strips (the professional ones) work beautifully for whitening teeth, but I'd always make sure to avoid them during the winter because they caused my teeth to be very sensitive, especially on cold, windy days.

Recently I've been using Supersmile Toothpaste and I've definitely noticed when I use it that my teeth look brighter. The reviews are pretty mixed, but I've had pretty good results. The biggest plus is it doesn't make my teeth sensitive. 

I've never invested in an expensive toothbrush - I usually grab whatever is on sale for a couple of bucks. So, when I heard about the Sweden based Blue Illume toothbrush, a toothbrush that counteracts bacteria (the source of gum disease and plaque) and helps whiten the teeth, I was all ears.

Light Therapy has been proven to be effective for many different medical conditions, particularly in those who have issues with acne. The blue light damages and ultimately kills the bacteria, yielding in clearer skin. 

As for using blue light to kill the bacteria in your mouth, it sounds pretty legit, but does it really work?

Some of you may think this light is actually going to bleach your teeth, but it's unlikely the case. If your teeth are stained (due to coffee, etc) it'd be beneficial to a product that contains whitening agents to brighten up your smile.

Plaque build up is typically what will make your teeth appear yellow, so this brush may reduce plaque, and will help you get rid of it with daily use.

READ MORE! 

 Blue Illume Whitening Toothbrush

 Blue Illume Whitening Toothbrush

 Blue Illume Whitening Toothbrush

I've been using this brush daily, and I think it's a great concept, and a good brush. I have noticed my teeth have been looking a little whiter, but I've been brushing them more often than usual because well, this brush is pretty darn cool.

If it does indeed help kill the bacteria, it's much more effective than my normal toothbrush.

The overall toothbrush is a good size, with medium strength and does a great job cleaning my teeth.

I've only been using this for a couple of weeks, so I haven't seen the full benefits, but I'll report back in a month or so and let you guys know how it's working for me.

This brush retails for $21.95 and can be purchased at http://www.blueillume.net.

Stay tuned because I'll be giving a couple of these brushes away!

Sunday loves.

I'm having a laid back Sunday, and thought I'd do a quick post to show you a few of my recent purchases that I've been loving.

Hope you all have a wonderful Sunday!

Becca Flamenco Bronzing Powder has been my go-to bronzer for the past couple of weeks. As you can see, mine sadly broke, but luckily it's still perfectly usable without making a mess. The color is perfect golden bronze with the tiniest amount of shimmer. It's sheer, so you don't have to be shy with your application brush. Even when layered, the color is very natural and seamless. For a deeper bronze, I like applying it lightly over Chanel Bronze Universel (cream bronzer) to seal in the color. 

I was so excited when I spotted these Enzo Angiolini sandals at TJMaxx. I have the same exact ones in light pink/rose gold from a couple of years back and they were probably my favorite sandals I've ever owned. Not only are they totally cute, they have a short wedge - which for me is much more comfortable than completely flat sandals. I figured I can't go wrong with a charcoal version . They'll go with pretty much everything. They were $39.99.

Have you got yourself into the star trend? I've been seeing stars for several months now and never really cared for it. It's kinda growing on me now to an extent, so I picked up a black scarf with white stars (pictured above). I can't help but think it looks like I'm wearing a scarf from a children's store, but I'll just have to find the right outfits to pair it with. I purchased it from TJMaxx as well for $12.99.

I'm loving this plastic makeup organizer. I thought it'd be perfect for keeping my perfumes, skincare and some of my go-to makeup products. I love that it has a few small dividers where I can keep my lipglosses, rollerball perfumes and perfume samples upright for convenient use. Yet again, it was purchased from TJmaxx for $19.99. It could be found in their home department, located near the stationary, jewelry boxes and office items.

What are you loving right now?!

Review: KKCenterHK False Lashes!

KKCenterHK False Lashes

I'm a huge fan of false lashes. Maybe a year ago or so, I was wearing false eye lashes every single day. Some of you might think I'm nuts, but once you get started with falsies, it becomes an addiction (not a bad one of course!) I'd never wear a full-strip, because that's just too much for every day, but I'd snip those babies in half and wear them on the outer corners of my eyes, and they'd blend in perfectly with my other lashes.

They'd give the effect of larger, elongated eyes that looked uber girly. Just a little bit of liner and lipgloss and I was out the door!

Needless to say, purchasing eyelashes every other day was becoming way too pricey. Especially since I noticed a small price increase at my local drugstore on Ardell/Andrea lashes. It took about a week or two to get use to the way I look without lashes. For a whole week it seemed like something was missing from my face! Now I usually only wear lashes when I'm going out, and I want to look my extra best, which is much easier on my wallet.

If you're an avid reader of fashion and beauty blogs, you may have heard of KKCenterHK. I've seen reviews for their eyelashes featured on several of my favorite beauty blogs (MakeupbyLacy & HollywoodHeels to name a couple).

KKCenterHK is a company based out of Hong Kong that sells false lashes, makeup, wigs, nail products and accessories. It's a very popular site to purchase false lashes from because you can buy a large quantity at a low price.

I picked out two different styles: ES A562 and ES A601. So far, I've worn both styles and really like them. The bands are thin and very flexible, so they adapt well to the shape of your eyes and they feel comfortable after several hours of wear. Both sets retail for $16 for ten pairs, so it ends up being $1.60 a pair.

Left: Style #ES A562, Right: Style #ES A601

Here I am wearing ES A601.

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I don't think they look too unnatural. I'm sure if I applied black liner all the way across my lid, it would've blended in better, but I still think they looked pretty good.

I know many bloggers purchase false lashes in bulk off of eBay for much less money - I personally have only purchased lashes from eBay (from Hong Kong) once, and the particular ones I purchased were horrible quality (thick plastic, uncomfortable, etc), not to mention they took almost a month to finally arrive. I haven't been recommended to purchase from any particular seller, so until then, I'm going to stick to the lashes I know.

What I love about KKCenterHK is the amount of reviews out there for their lashes. It's so much easier to shop for lashes when they're shown on an actual face. If you browse Google, you'll find hundreds of reviews for different styles of the lashes they sell.

I was expecting to wait a few weeks for my package, but my lashes actually arrived in one week. I think that's amazing!

I'd definitely recommend checking out KKCenterHK for false lashes, and I'm sure I'll be purchasing lashes from them in the future!

If you were curious to know the breakdown of what else is on my face, here it is!

Face: 
MAC Prolongwear Concealer in NC20 (under-eyes)
Becca Compact Concealer in Sherbet (under eyes and on blemishes)
Neutrogena Healthy Skin Foundation mixed with Chanel Vitalumiere Foundation (60/40 ratio)
Ben Nye Neutral Set Powder (to set under-eyes)
Chanel Bronze Universel Soleil Tan De Chanel (applied around the frame of my face and on my cheeks)
Nars Mounia Blush (applied to the apples of my cheeks and blended up my cheeks)
TheBalm Betty Lou-Manizer Highlighter (across the top of my cheekbones)
YSL Touch Eclat #1 (applied to the inner corners of my eyes and along the bridge of my nose)

Eyes:
MAC Groundwork Paintpot (applied all over my lid and across my lower lash line)
MAC Quite Natural Paintpot (applied over Groundwork to deepen the color)
YSL Effet Faux Cils Cream Eyeliner (applied half-way across my top lashline)
Maybelline One-by-One Mascara
KKCenterHK Faux Lashes

Brows:
Maybelline Master Shape Brow Pencil in Deep Brown
Anastasia Clear Brow Gel

Lips:
MAC Pale Lip Erase
Illamasqua Fable Lipstick
NYX Megashine Lipgloss in Nude Peach

Where do you buy your lashes from? Every once in a while I'll spot lashes at my local Dollar Tree, and I'll stock up on them - or I'll buy a bunch of E.L.F. Dramatic Lashes at once since they're only a $1!

MAC Lickable Lipstick Review, Photos and Swatches!

 MAC Lickable Lipstick

MAC Lickable Lipstick ($15) is the newest pink that has been added to my collection. It's described on the MAC website as a bright, clean blue-pink. It's comparable to MAC's ever popular Girl About Town (described as a bright, blue fuschia), but it's a little less purple, so many reviews mention it's more wearable than Girl About Town. I thought it'd be similar to my recent fav - MAC Insanely It Sheen Supreme, but Lickable is more blue-toned, and Insanely It has a stronger rosy-red tone.

Lickable is a Cremesheen, so the formula is creamy, with good color payoff. It's semi-opaque, but can be built with a few more swipes for full opacity.

My obsession with bright pinks aren't quite over yet. Despite looking bright and intimidating in the tube, bright pinks lighten up quite nicely when mixed with lesser-intense, muted pinks. I pretty much mix MAC Creme Cup and Wet n Wild Think Pink with everything, and it always creates a more wearable pink that is sill vibrant.

I really like it and I think I'll be wearing it often. It's a very wearable bright pink that's not too in-your-face.

Do you own MAC Lickable or any similar shades?

Essence Get Big! Lashes Volume Boost Mascara Review

 Essence Get Big! Volume Boost Volume Mascara

Essence Get Big! Volume Boost Volume Mascara is one of Essence's newest mascaras. It claims to provide "density and abundance with every application" that won't clump or feel heavy on your lashes. The large brush design is said to reach even the tiniest lashes.

I've tried a couple of Essence's mascaras in the past - Lash Mania Mascara (meh) and their Multi-Action Mascara, which I actually think is pretty good.

They are very inexpensive - I don't think any of them cost over $4. So it's not a big investment if you wanna test out a few of them, or if you're just plain pressed for cash and don't feel like spending a lot on a mascara.

One thing I'm not crazy about is that the mascaras aren't sealed - I'm not sure if it's how they are sold everywhere, but at ULTA, none of them are sealed, and I'm sure people are opening them all day long, thus drying them out. Regardless, for a couple of bucks, I'm willing to give them a try.

I was drawn to the Get Big! Lashes Mascara because of the big honkin' tube and large, fluffy brush. For whatever reason, I'm drawn to trying out mascaras with huge wands even though they are typically ridiculously inconvenient to apply.

  Essence Get Big! Volume Boost Volume Mascara (wearing three coats)

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In my experience, mascaras that are labeled as "volumizing" mascaras typically have wetter formulas. I was expecting the same for this mascara, but it isn't very wet. I'm not sure if that's due to the mascara not being properly sealed, or if that's just the way it is.

I was really pumped for this mascara, and thought it was going to give me super big, volumized, faux-effect lashes. After applying one coat, the mascara looked extremely natural.

Several coats later, a decent amount of volume is achievable, but I was expecting much better. This mascara builds volume without much clumping, and provides no lengthening whatsoever. I know it doesn't claim to lengthen, so I can't really complain.

The results are nice for a standard mascara, not really a voluminous one.

On a side note, it keeps my lashes curled all day, which is always a plus. It also keeps them somewhat soft - no crunch. Additionally, it doesn't flake or smudge.

 Essence Get Big! Volume Boost Volume Mascara

Left: Three coats of mascara, Right: No mascara.

Three coats of mascara (eyes closed)

Three coats of mascara (eyes opened)
Not too impressive, right?

So it's no YSL Faux Cils, but it's still not too bad for $2.99. For the record though, I won't be repurchasing this mascara. I'll be testing out my other options! ;)

 You can find Essence at your local ULTA store or online at ulta.com.

I won a giveaway and I'm so psyched!

 

It's very rare that I enter a giveaway - and by rare I mean very rare. Almost never. The only giveaways I'll typically enter on occasion are the ones sponsored by Temptalia and Makeup and Beauty Blog.

For some reason I decided to try my luck and enter The Best Thing in Beauty's recent giveaway for an adorable Bobbi Brown Mini Shimmer Brick in the shade Sandstone.

I've been a long time subscriber of The Best Things in Beauty (I believe ever since I started my blog in '09 - she started a month before me!) and if you haven't stopped by her blog yet, I really urge you to. She's known as "Charleston Girl" and she is sure to keep you drooling over the newest high-end makeup collections and her lovely sunlit swatches. She is one fabulous woman with wonderful taste and a passion for beauty. What are you waiting for!? Go read! (click here)

Anyway, I really couldn't believe I won, and here comes my package in the mail yesterday morning!

Of course as generous and sweet as her, she added in a couple awesome extras. I'm so thankful and can't wait to try everything out!

Believe it or not, as big of a makeup fanatic as I am, I've never tried a Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick. I've always been curious, but since I own so several MAC MSF's that are on the shimmery side, I passed up ever purchasing any. I'm definitely not afraid of shimmer, glitter or frosty cheek products. There are some people that want nothing to do with anything that shines, but I love a matte blush just as much as I love a shimmer.

Sandstone (limited edition shade) contains five stripes of pure, glowy goodness. There is a lovely champagne ivory, golden tan, bronzed brown, copper brown and chocolate brown. All stripes are of course frosty and pigmented.

What's really great about Shimmer Bricks is that you can use the colors individually (on eyes or cheeks) or you can swirl them all together for a beautiful golden, tan glow. 

Bobbi Brown Sandstone Shimmer Brick

Bobbi Brown Sandstone Shimmer Brick

If you're wondering about the compact, it's actually metal - and yes, heavy! The compact has a very high-end look and feel. I'm sure you could even use it for a little paper weight.. haha! It has a magnet closure, which frankly, I'm quite obsessed with. This little compact was a Bobbi Brown exclusive back in 2009, so I'm sure they are very hard to find now.

Bobbi Brown Sandstone swirled together.

I'd like to thank Charleston Girl again for this awesome prize, and I can't wait to put it to use!

Have any of you tried Bobbi Brown Shimmer Bricks? Have any favorites?

Real Techniques Stippling Brush Review!

 Real Techniques Stippling Brush

I've been meaning to literally buy this brush ever since it came out, but I rarely ever go to ULTA. I've had the Real Techniques Blush Brush for a while now, and use it often to apply my powder blush. I've always been interested in trying the stippling brush as well considering Nic and Sam, or "Pixiwoo" (Sam - the creator of Real Techniques and sister Nic) are always using it to apply their foundation in their YouTube tutorials and their skin always looks flawless! I swear, when I'm on the computer, I sometimes just play their vids and minimize the screen and go about my work, just because I love their voices. Weird?

Nicola applying foundation with Real Techniques Stippling Brush (Image Credit)

The head is much shorter than the MAC 187 Brush and smaller overall in comparison to the Sigma F80 Brush (which I lost.. boo!!!) and the Coastal Scents Bionic Flat Top Buffer Brush. The size is probably the most comparable to the Sonia Kashuk Synthetic Flat Blusher Brush (I like this brush better).

The synthetic taklon bristles are super soft, and it's dense enough to stipple your foundation, but it's not super dense for those that like a somewhat dense (dense enough to provide good coverage), yet pliable brush. I think Sam did a fabulous job designing this brush as it's just perfect for applying foundation. The shorter bristles and smaller size make it perfect for covering small areas of the face.

You don't only have to use this brush for foundation - it's also useful for cream and powder blush, as well as bronzer. Because it is fairly small, you can apply color precisely to the apples of your cheeks.

 Real Techniques Stippling Brush

All of Real Techniques Brushes are cruelty-free!

This brush retails for around $9.99 at ULTA and it's worth every penny! (that's only my opinion, of course.)

For more information about Real Techniques Brushes, visit http://realtechniques.com.

What's your favorite brush for applying foundation?