NYX Haul $60 for $30

Total Beauty is running a deal for $60 worth of NYX products for $30. This deal is running for the next two days. So snatch it while you can. I thought about hanging on to mine for a little while but I couldn't resist. If you've been curious about NYX, now's your chance to try out at a discount. NYX cosmetics are cruelty free.

I chose two big ticket items (at least by NYX standards) and a few smaller items instead of just loading up the small stuff. I had a tough time getting right below $60. So the total for this order was $62.25 with free shipping. Out of pocket I paid $32.25 for all of these goodies.

• The Curve $15 Felt tip eye liner with an ergonomic shape. I can't wait to try this out. I'm always looking for ways to get that perfect wing.
• HD Studio Photogenic Foundation $15 Nude Is a lightweight foundation that smooths and brightens. It is supposed to be a dupe for the MUFE foundation. 
• Single Eyeshadow $4.50 Frosted Ocean  I'm always on the look out for the perfect dark blue to use in my crease. I have a go to blue/gold look I use when I wear one of my costumes but I haven't found the perfect crease color yet. I hope this is it.
• Nail Polish Salon Formula $4 I've never tried any of the NYX nail polishes and usually when I do a haul like this with a big discount, I try to cover all the categories. This is described as black with red flecks of glitter. I definitely don't have something like this in my collection already.
• Rouge Cream Blush $6 Boho Chic This is hands down my favorite cream blush and definitely one of my favorite blushes overall. I've hit the pan on the one I have now. It won't be long before I crack into this one. This is also one of the prizes in My Giveaway.
• Extra Creamy Round Lipstick $4  Tea Rose  This formula is very creamy. I wanted to pick up something lighter for Spring.
• Slide on Pencil $8  Pretty Violet These are one of the more expensive items in the NYX line. They are also widely considered a dupe for the UD 24/7 liners which retail for $19. I don't have a purple liner. I'm not sure when I'll use it this but it's pretty.
• Wonder Pencil $4.50 Light  This is a new product from NYX. It's supposed to coneal, brighten, and line. Works great on the waterline.

So I decided to throw together a look using a lot of these products and as many NYX products as I could. I'm about to go meet a friend for Sunday brunch. I didn't want anything too heavy. It's definitely Spring here in Las Vegas.

Face: 

NYX HD Foundation Nude

Cover Girl Olay Concealer Balm Fair

MUA Matte Perfect Loose Powder Translucent

Cheeks:

NYX Cream Blush Boho Chic

Eyes:

NYX Wonder Pencil on the waterline.
NYX Loose Pearl Shadow Sky Pink Pearl

NYX Pin Up Tease Mascara Review

Lips:

NYX Creamy Lipstick Tea Rose

Tools:

Beauty Blender

Real Techniques Stippling Brush

e.l.f. Studio Contour Brush

Brief Update & Giveaway

I know I've been pretty silent so far this year. I've been working hard on my goals for this year. I was also hard at work rehearsing a dance that my troupe performed last week. Now that's out of the way. I might actually get some blogging done. I'm really getting into my Arabic studies though and I'm having a serious Mass Effect relapse. So after my normal bellydance schedule, studying Arabic, and saving the Universe, oh yah and working full time+  there isn't much time (or motivation) left.

Since the response was so positive to my post about How Belly Dance Changed My Life I decided to share a new video. This is just a fun dance we put together for this event.

January 18th marked the one year anniversary of Bat An Eyelash. To celebrate, I'd like to offer a giveaway of a few of my favorite products. Open internationally.

Pardon the phone picture. My camera decided to be a jerk.

• Macadamia Healing Oil Treatment I love this stuff. My hair isn't very dry or damaged so this just adds a nice shine. It smells divine!
• Maybelline Studio Gel Liner in Charcoal I use this mainly in my waterline.
• Revlon Lip Butter in Raspberry Pie I'm a sucker for berry shades.
• NYX Blush in Pinched One of my favorite blushes. It's considered a dupe for NARS Orgasm. I have both and I tend to reach for this more.
• NYX Cream Blush in Boho Chic My favorite cream blush! I'm wearing it today actually.
• MUA Heaven & Earth Palette Oh MUA please come to the USA! This palette is so fabulous. I keep buying them for other people when I make a MUA order.
• EOS Lip Balm in Sweet Mint This is always in my purse. 
• OPI Nail Lacquer in Bubble Bath I tend to only wear neutral shades on my fingernails. This is the perfect neutral.
• Tea Tree Oil Foot Repair Balm I keep this by my bed and try to remember to use it every night. It is really moisturizing and my feet don't look as awful.

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December Ipsy 2012 Bag

This is my second month being resubscribed to Ipsy. Overall I liked this month but I wasn't amazed.

December 2012 Ipsy Bag

• Mirabella Be a Bombshell Lip Gloss in Hot Mess This looks more orange in the tube than it actually applies. I haven' tried to wear it yet. 
• Mai Couture Highlighting Papers I just think these are weird. I can't ever see myself really using them.
• NYX Loose Pearl Shadow in Sky Pink Pearl I love NYX products and I actually have a Loose Shadow already in a blue. I was hoping for silver. I wasn't really thrilled to see pink but this is definitely a workable pink for a neutral look. It's not like a bubblegum pink.
• Mirabella Primer for Face and Eyes I'm always up to try out a new primer. 
• Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil in Zero  I already have one of these from the set of mini eyeliners I bought on Hautelook a while back. So I was hoping we'd get different colors.

The bag itself is a good size and color. This would be great to put your brushes in for travel. I like that there is so much variety in the style of bag each month now. When I first subscribed they were all pretty similar. This bag was good but I wasn't blown away. I still haven't used anything from last month's bag either. I think I may finally be sampled out.

100 Followers! Thank you!

When I started this blog back in January, I thought that maybe a few of my friends and family would read it. I never dreamt that so many other people would start reading it! Sometimes I don't have as much time to devote to my blog as I'd like to but it inspires me and pushes me to know there are people out there reading this and enjoying it. I love all of your comments and feedback.

In appreciation of hitting the 100+ follower mark, I'd like to send out a small thank you gift. I've chosen the e.l.f. 11 piece Studio Brush set because I think it's a good basic set of brushes. Many of these I use everyday. These are also fully synthetic and vegan friendly. The set includes: Eyeshadow "C" Brush, Small Smudge Brush, Small Angled Brush, Small Precision Brush, Contouring Brush, Concealer Brush, Blush Brush, Complexion Brush, Angled Foundation Brush, Powder Brush, and Fan Brush.

I'm also giving away my two favorite colors of the NYX Xtreme Lip Creams. My reviews of those are my most read posts. I'm giving away Buttery Nude and Absolute Red. NYX products are cruelty free.

You can read about them here and here.  I know NYX isn't a brand that is easily accessible to everyone. So I wanted to spread the love.

This will be open to my international readers as well. Winner will have 48hours to respond. If a response is not received, a new winner will be chosen. I really hope one of my actual readers wins this so you will not find a "Tweet About This Giveaway" or "Blog About This" option. Of course, if you feel like sharing it you can . :)

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July Favorites

My day to day makeup routine hasn't changed much since June. I'm still wearing minimal makeup because it's hot.  So this month  thought I'd share a few products that I use every day that are sort of my unsung heroes.

Estee Lauder Powder Brush I got this from my mom years ago who got it as a GWP.  I love this brush for  applying powder. The bristles are soft and don't shed. I've been using this for years.

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Light. This is a little pricey at $29.  I've had this for a couple of years but didn't start using it every day until this year. So it should last for a while. I use this to set my foundation or BB.

Smith's Rosebud Salve I keep this beside my bed and apply to my lips before going to bed. It does a great job of keeping my lips hydrated throughout the night. I sometimes use this on my elbow as well. I have a tendency to prop my left elbow up on my desk and rest my chin in my hand. This makes the skin on my elbow rough. :(  I need to start using this for my cuticles more.

NYX Pin Up Tease Mascara This is my new favorite mascara. If you haven't read my review you can check it out here.

Day of the Dead Hot/Cold Soothing Pad My sister made this for me when I was having my gall bladder removed. Then I would microwave it for a few minutes and put it on my shoulders to alleviate the pain of the gases from the laproscopic surgery leaving my body. I rolled my ankle really bad a few weeks ago and I've been keeping this in the freezer so I can prop up and ice my ankle. Thanks Weaz!

Review: NYX Pin UP Tease Mascara

Some of you may recall that before I went on my no-buy, I was on the search for the perfect mascara. I picked up NYX's Pin Up Tease mascara when they were having a NYX sale. It typically retails for $6 from NYX. It's described as "Features a smudge-free formulation that adds major curl to the lash as it coats them with sexy, vibrant color. Hard bristle combs help separate lashes and shape their curl. Part of the Boudoir Mascara Collection, seven distinct NYX mascaras featuring unique formulations and wands."

 The wand is very curved and definitely stiffer than other mascara wands I've used. 

 I have to say that I'm in love. The formula is neither too wet nor too dry. You don't have to scrape a big gob of mascara off the end.  With one or two swipes, my lashes are longer and have a definite curl to them.

Bare Lashes

2x Swipes of NYX Pin Up Tease Mascara

Bare Lashes

2x Swipes of NYX Pin Up Tease Mascara

I find this doesn't cause any dark circles. It may flake a little if you rub your eyes a lot. It provides a nice soft and full looking lash without getting chunky or fake looking. My lashes still look great after an eight hour day at work.  NYX cosmetics are Cruelty Free.


Bat's Rating: 10. I really can't find anything I don't love about this mascara.

April Favorites

I haven't been wearing as much makeup this month as I usually do. I've also been trying not to buy anything makeup wise unless I really have a need. I really need to use up some products and samples. I've been somewhat successful so far.  Two of my favorites this month came from my March Birchbox

• MAC 217 Brush I had quit using this for awhile in favor of the MUG Crease Brush but I've been reaching for it a lot lately. This is a great brush fir getting into the crease or blending. I've had mine for years and it's held up nicely.
• Harvey Prince Yogini Perfume There was a sample of this in my Birchbox last month. I loved it so much I had to order the full size bottle. The light, clean fragrance features top notes of purifying sandalwood, refreshing grapefruit, and sensual Egyptian myrrh. Subtle cues of golden amber, incense, and star jasmine.
• Kerastase Elixir Ultime Was also from my Birchbox last month. This mixture of hair oils is lightweight. The scent is a bit herbal but the shine payoff is great! If I could get the fragrance of the Oscar Blandi Jasmine Oil serum and the effectiveness of the Kerastase in one serum I would be a happy Bat indeed.
• Almay Oil Free Eye Makeup Remover I've long been on the hunt for an eye makeup remover that I liked. I've tried the Clinique Take the Day off and MAC's makeup remover. Neither compares to this drugstore find. It removes eye makeup easily.
• NYX Blush in Pinched I love the cream blushes from NYX that I have so I picked up Pinched when Ulta was having their NYX sale. It's a perfect peach color for summer with just a hint of shimmer.

What are your April favorites? Is there anything you can't wait to try in May?

NYX Xtreme Lip Cream in Bonfire and Absolute Red

Awhile back I raved about how much I loved the NYX Xtreme Lip Creams. So I bought two more. I'm not one of those people that goes and buys every color in a collection but I really do like this formula. It is exactly between a lip gloss and a lipstick, gets a decent amount of wear time, and a little product goes a long way. They are also only $6.

Bonfire is a medium pink color and Absolute Red is a cool toned red. Bonfire is much more pink than I could capture in my photos today.

Natural Lip Color

Bonfire

Absolute Red

These shades are both very much on trend for the neutral face bold lips looks of Spring.  Of the four I have, Absolute Red is the most fussy. I did experience a little bit of bleeding and smearing. It would probably be best to wear it over a lip liner. It does have the most staying power of all the shades though.

I'm a big fan of NYX in general but I really believe they nailed it with this formula. Who knows I may wind up owning them all anyway.

Bat's Rating: Still a 9. Long wear for a gloss, great pigmentation, great value.

March Favorites

I mixed up my usual makeup quite a bit in March. I've been really trying out some new products this month.

• Inglot Eye Shadows In love with the smokey eye palette I put together from my Inglot Mini Haul. Cool toned grays look great with my blue eyes and cool toned fair skin.
• e.l.f. Stipple Brush I've been using this for applying cream blush and I love the amount of control I have. I can go subtle or really build up layers for a bolder look. Soft synthetic bristles.
• Benefit POREfessional Primer My new favorite primer. It really minimizes the appearance of pores and is long lasting. If only it were unscented it would be the best primer ever.
• NYX Extreme Lip Cream in Bonfire I'm a big fan of this formula. This is a nice bright fuchsia for Spring.
• NYX Cream Blush in Boho Chic Applied lightly is a nice pink glow. Builds up nicely. Smooth and creamy. It lasts about eight hours before it starts to fade.

February Favorites

I know I'm a little late in doing this. The month of March crept up on me even with that extra day thrown in there!  I've been so busy at work that I've been neglecting my blog. boo.

February Favorites

• Ulta Nail Lacquer in Goddess Is a sheer pink/gold champagne color. It adds just the right amount of shimmer

• Maybelline DreamLumi Touch Highlighting Concealer in Ivory:  This is a pretty good color match for me. Applies smoothly and blends easily.  Just the right amount of brightness under the eyes.

• Milani Minerals Blush in Luminoous A soft pink/peach color. Looks great on the apples or the backs of the cheeks. The compact comes with a built in mirror and brush. I used the brush for the first time the other day. It's very soft and picks up a good deal of product. 

• NYX Xtreme Lip Cream in Buttery Nude:  I've already rave about this in my review.  I'm still reaching for this several times a week. 

Review: NYX Xtreme Lip Creams

I picked up two of the NYX Xtreme Lip Creams when they were BOGO at Ulta.  NYX describes them as "It's not lipstick, nor is it gloss. It's like nothing you've experienced before. It's liquid lipstick that goes on with full Xtreme color and intense shine." I have to say the texture is somewhere between a lipstick and gloss. It's creamy and soft and glides easily. These are a tad small at .023oz but I've found a little really goes along way.

NYX Xtreme Lip Creams

These come in eleven shades. I picked up Buttery Nude and Natural to try out. 

L to R: Buttery Nude and Natural

Here's how they look on my lips. 

Normal lip color

Buttery Nude

Natural

Overall, I love the texture of these. They are also pretty moisturizing. At first I thought I'd like Natural more than Buttery Nude but the more I wore Buttery Nude the more I liked it.  I've been wearing it quite frequently since I bought it.  I like Natural but I think it is a bit too nude for my tastes. I'm going to try to layer it with something else to see if it grows on me. I'm definitely interested in trying out more shades of these especially Bonfire and Absolute Red.Bat's Rating: 9.

You can find these at NYX Cosmetics or Ulta for $6.00

My Glam February Bag

For those of you unfamiliar with it MyGlam is a monthly subscription service for makeup and skincare products. When it debuted it appeared that it was more geared to makeup but the last two months have seen a shift in that.  The February bag was my first experience with MyGlam.  These wound up shipping out later than they originally said they would. It was supposed to be a "Valentine's Day Themed" bag. I got my on the 17th.  Many other bloggers already received their bags and MyGlam released what was in them so there was no surprises really.

• X Out Shine Control Oil free moisturizer with a mattifying complex I don't have oily skin so not sure how I'm going to use this.
• NYX Roll on Shimmer NYX's shimmering powder that can be applied to they eyes, face, and body. Mine came in Light Blue Traded my Light Blue with one of the gals from Makeup Talk for Onyx.
• Premier Dead Sea Cinderella Mask Luxury skincare ruck in life-enhancing minerals from the Dead Sea waters. Used the moisturizer. It's ok but not amazing
• Freeman Facial Mask Sachets Easy to use skin perfecting masks. Mine came in Goji Berry. Actually made my skin feel dry.
• NuMe Professional Styling Tools and Hair Extensions $100 gift cared  to use on styling tools or extensions only.
• Ghiradelli Chocolates in Milk and Dark.

There are also special offers from X Out and NYX if you go to their sites and make a purchase of one of the included products. Now I know I only paid $10 including shipping but I'm a bit underwhelmed. I chose MyGlam because it was supposed to be more of a makeup service. I'm pretty set in my skincare routine but I'm always interested in different makeup products. This month there is one makeup product. I love NYX products but I'm not really sure how I'm going to use this Light Blue shimmer outside of a belly dance performance look. I'll give the other masks a try but they are not products I really see myself purchasing in the future.

I'm going to use the NuMe gift certificate but the cheapest flat iron they have is $115. I can live with a $15 flat iron. I know some people have gotten high shipping rates from them. Mine came out to $12. So a $27 flat iron altogether. At the  very least, I can use it to depot eyeshadows.

The bag itself is a good size but mine smells so bad and is really not my style. Unless one of my friends wants it, it's going in the trash.

So overall a bit underwhelmed by the samples in MyGlam. I didn't even feel it was worth the effort to make and upload a video about. If next month follows along the same lines, I'll definitely be cancelling. There are just too many  subscription services out there to keep one that doesn't excite or inspire.

Ulta and CVS Haul

So I told myself I was just going into Ulta to get my points from my last purchase and pickup UD 24/7 in Perversion and one or two things from they NYX section. I also needed to the nail polish I bought last time but my Mom liked it so much I gave it to her. I just needed to go in CVS to return some blush (Maybelline FitMe blush sucks btw). What is it they say about the best laid plans of mice and men?

The Haul:

• Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eyeliner Perversion
• NYX Mechanical Lip Pencil  Plum 
• NYX Mechanical Lip Pencil  Nude
• NYX Hi Def Photo Concealer Green
• NYX Xtreme Lip Cream Buttery Nude
• NYX Xtreme Lip Cream Natural
• Lancome Bienfait Multi-Vital Teinte Natural
• Ulta Nail Lacquer Steppin' Out  
• Ulta Nail Lacquer Goddess
• Ulta Nail Lacquer Freshwater Pearl
• Ulta Nail Lacquer Dance Teal Dawn
• Maybelline DreamLumi Touch Concealer Ivory
• Maybelline Color Tattoo 24hr Cream Gel Eye Shadow Tough as Taupe
• Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Top Coat
• Sample of Lancome Teint Miracle Foundation Buff 4C

Ulta products are still buy two get two free. My CVS still has a good selection of the Color Tattoo shadows. Most everywhere else is sold out or only has purple. Word has really gotten around about that one being the dud in the batch. 

NYX Round Lipsticks Doll & Peach

I finally got around to test driving my NYX lipsticks from My Ulta Haul.

NYX describes these as "our classic lipstick for all-year round. The mineral-based emollient formula offers a beautiful velvet texture, saturated color and it resists wear and smudging. It’s your go-to lipstick."

I picked the colors Doll and Peach. Both shades gave me about three hours of wear without applying a lip liner beneath. I had better results if I applied a lip balm first. But hey it's the desert. They glide smoothly. They can smear a little bit so be careful. They also tend to transfer if you're eating or drinking anything.  Overall though they can't be beat for the price ($3.99).  So you can experiment with different colors without making a huge investment. I'm just starting to branch out and try different lipstick colors. Before my lipsticks were either red or red.

NYX Round Lipstick in Doll

Doll: I would describe Doll as more of a mauve color. I've heard it described as pinkish berry shade. I wouldn't call it a totally matte shade. It has a tiny bit of sheen but is not glittery.

Doll Swatched

Doll is fairly opaque in one pass. I found it to be slightly more long lasting than Peach. It also stains a little bit more than Peach but overall staining is moderate. Bat's Rating: 7.5

Peach: I'm really not sure why they named this shade peach. It doesn't look like any peach I've ever eaten! The color is very similar to Doll. Peach is a little bit more pink shifted and shimmery.

NYX Round Lipstick Peach

It applies very sheer. I'd definitely recommend pairing this with a lip gloss. It lasts for about two hours of wear. Bat's Rating: 6.5

NYX Peach Swatched (daylight)

NYX Cosmetics can be found online at NYX Cosmetics.  You can also by them online or in store at ULTA

Ulta Haul

Here's my Ulta haul from Sunday. I finally gave in...

Urban Decays' Naked 1 Palette, Urban Decay Lip Junkie in Wallflower, NYX Lipsticks in Peach and Doll, and Ulta Nail Polish in Goddess.  I've been thinking about the Naked palette for a long time. I'll do a look with this soon. I need to play around with it a little first. I had a sample size of Wallflower and I loved it. It's smooth and long lasting and I love the color.  I'm trying to explore more lipstick colors and at $3.99 a pop how can you resist the NYX lipsticks?  Some of them have gotten really good reviews. I didn't find the two shades I was looking for but we'll see how Peach and Doll test out.  Finally, Ulta Nail Polish in Goddess to replace my China Glaze Temptation Carnation which seems to chip on me a lot and has a weird texture.  I don't really wear nail polish all that often though. We shall see how that goes.