jewelmint: bombshell bracelet

jewelmint is a subscription based website where personally styled jewelry is picked for you each month at $30. this is my first purchase; the bombshell bracelet from december. because i was a first time purchaser, i received my bracelet for 70% off, making it only $8.99!

 for more information, you may visit jewelmint <--here. the basics of what you need to know is that you're charged $30 (once a month *in the beginning) automatically unless you choose to skip the month, you may purchase additional pieces, & discount codes are available. my thoughts & opinions are stated below.

about the bombshell bracelet:

"Indulge your inner bombshell beauty with this bedazzled bracelet. Inspired by Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe, our 7 ½” wrist adornment includes an ultra glamorous mix of black acrylic cabochon stones, dazzling crystals, and ball bead detail. This statement piece combines feminine appeal and sizzling style because some like it hot!" - JewelMint

structure & quality:

it seems as if this bracelet would be a bangle type of thing (that's what i thought when i purchased mine). it's actually put together with little O rings at the top & bottom edges. it has a clam shell type of closure that has "jewelmint" engraved on it. each section moves freely so it's not stiff around your wrist. as for quality, i'd probably say it's ALMOST there. why "almost"? well, a while after wearing my bracelet to work, i noticed the closure is turning pink as if it's a cheap piece. nothing has happened to the rest of the bracelet so far (thank god!) but we'll see. the detailing is gorgeous, obviously. i've never had a piece like this.. i love it.

packaging:

jewelmint provides every piece they sell in these minty green boxes that open up like a clam shell with a magnetic closure. the box is wrapped with a removable (& reusable) bow. not only that but inside the box is a small black, velvet drawstring pouch with a small charm that also has the logo on it. pretty much anything that's made from them has their name on it. you can tell they REALLY put thought into the packaging... seriously.

final overview:

i really like what i've purchased from jewelmint for my first time. however, if i bought this piece for the full $30, i probably would've thought that it could've been better. it is a clean peice of jewelry & it's gorgeous. the closure turning pink totally threw me off. i was impressed with packaging but i feel like that's where half of the money is going.. it's a very pretty box & a very nice drawstring bag, c'mon. some of the things i saw on the website didn't look price worthy, you really have to choose wisely, unless you're into anything literally. i also wish they wouldn't show you the jewelry based off of their personality test (taken when you sign up). i've seen some things from other people that are sooo nice but aren't featured in my showroom. so, i'm hoping they'll have the jewelry available under tabs that categorize them by style or something.

stay happy, stay healthy & remember; YOU are beautiful! - em. <3

e.l.f brushes: review & comparison

it seems like walmart is now starting to carry e.l.f cosmetics! i picked 3 brushes from each line simply because a.) they weren't review worthy b.) they weren't needed (same thing as a lol) & c.) some brushes weren't available in their selection. i'm just going to keep this sweet & short because there isn't too much or too little to go on about these. for questions, you may contact me through e-mail or simply leave a comment below.

e.l.f essential line brushes

(3 out of 5)

pro's:

• $1 - great price & definitely affordable
• decent size (handle & actual bristles, not too small)
• some come with a plastic guard (hold shape)
• brush purpose labeled on handle (bronzing, face, eye shadow) & slightly indented to prevent fading
• density

con's:

• a bit of a jagged feeling at the ends of the bristles (un-even cut)
• not as soft as the studio line brushes
• instant shedding
• bristles aren't fully packed & protected to their potential (in the metal part)
• brush labels are in silver which may make it hard to read & not too distinct

e.l.f studio line brushes

(5 out of 5)

pro's:

• $3 - great price & definitely affordable
• great size (handle & actual bristles, not too big or small)
• some brushes come with a plastic guard (hold shape)
• brush purpose labeled on handle in white(very distinct & easy to read)
• density
• amazingly soft
• very even cut

con's:

• none. :)

essential line vs. studio line

& similarities

• which would i rather have? definitely studio line
• both lines are great & get the job done
• both lines (& e.l.f in general) are very affordable for pretty much anyone
• great for beginners in makeup & personal use, even a freelancer.
• studio line brushes are longer (handle wise) than the essential line
• studio line handle is a black, matte finish
• essential line handle is a white, pearly finish

tag: what's in my purse?

my purse: juicy couture scottie bling - baby fluffy bag

(the heart charms were added seperately. the key is what's on it already)

 

wine key, coke bottle caps for coke rewards, krazy glue cap, rae's driving school coupon, coach coin purse, quarter, aeropostale bailey perfume, maybelline fit me foundation, bath & body works vanilla bean noel hand sanitizer, sephora hello kitty makeup bag (contains vs beauty rush lip gloss, klenex & blotting papers), neutrogena lipstick, vs the hand cream, neutrogena lip gloss, walgreens chap-aid, vs beauty rush lip gloss



toys r us coupon (also other coupons that fold out), a note that reads "carbona stain remover, tampons, tweet #ETTips, brush roll", pens for work

tampon, pill case, monster diddy beats, keychains & 1 useless key

so that's pretty much it! lol. what's in your purse?

stay happy, stay healthy & remember; YOU are beautiful. <3 -em.

coming up!: a little bit of haulage.. can you guess what??

e.l.f. cosmetics small brush holder

i've been wanting a small brush holder for my nyx train case since i'm storing my mac brushes in the middle compartment (love this feature!). as i was looking, i found this e.l.f (eyes lips face) small brush holder. i thought it was nice & sleek & figured i could use it after taking a few measurements of my train case compartment width with my pinkey tip.



image used from e.l.f

price: i bought it off of drugstore.com where its $6 ($1 more than the price on eyeslipsface.com). plus shipping & handling, my total was $12.95. why? well, it was sold out on the elf website & i couldn't wait much longer! i signed up for the notice for when it'd be back in stock. of course as soon as i got my brush holder, elf sent an e-mail, notifying me that they were back in stock (BUMMER!).

packaging: the brush holder is 3" by 3" & 4" in height. it has a rubberized feeling (sort of like the NARS packaging). on one side only it reads "eyes lips face". keep in mind, this rubberized texture isn't finger print friendly so if you're not a fan of finger prints (who the hell is?) then you might not want this. i got this because it'll be covered up anyway, only exposing my brushes.

purchase: you can visit drugstore.com or e.l.f  *both links will take you directly to the product page*

stay happy, stay healthy & remember; YOU are beautiful. <3 -em.

tag: abc's of my life

just a little something for today's afternoon post.

if you haven't done this already, i tag you to do it! have a wonderful friday. :)

A. age

18 years old

B. bed size

full size, something like that.

C. chore you hate

probably laundry.. i hate when a white fades or something.

D. day

friday!! best day of the week to make money at the restaurant.

E. essential start to your day

another few minutes of beauty sleep. :)

F. favorite color

i'm pretty sure it's obvious, pink!

G. gold or silver

gold. my skin complexion, dark hair & eyes just go great with it

(even though i wear silver most of the time).

H. height

5 feet & an inch tall. (it counts!)

I. instruments

lol.. good times. "one time in band camp.." okay, flute.

J. job title

waitress, hopefully makeup artist, blogger

K. kids

zero for the next few years.

L. live in

connecticut.. nothing great. :/

M. mom's name

jackie <3 i love my mommy.

N. nickname

mimi

O. overnight hospital stay

i don't think i've ever had an overnight stay...

P. pet peeve

oh goodness.. i have many. to name a few: rude customers, rude customer service, walmart, nasty attitudes... uuuh just a bunch of stuff.

Q. quote from a movie

...none.

R. right or left handed

ri-ri-righty

S. siblings

1 brother, 2 sisters - all younger than me

1 step sister who's older than me

T. time you wake up

oh boy... afternoon, sometimes morning, night.

U. underwear

anything cute, majority is from victoria's secret (5 for $25!)

V. vegetables you dislike

barely any. i looooooove my veggies!

W. what makes you run late

i'm hispanic.. anything can make me late.

it's usually just me being sidetracked or taking my sweet ol' time.

X. x-ray you've had

my elbow when i was younger & i usually get my teeth x-rayed at dentist appointments.

Y. yummy food you make

haven't cooked in forever! soooo.. nothing.

Z. zoo

is a very fun place! :D penguins are the best.

urban decay: NAKED2

i'm going to add to the bunch of females & males who are just raving (or raveing?) about this palette. it's urban decay's most demanded palette. it was released in late 2011 & sold out over 5 times. i know because i was always missing out on it! i debated and thought about purchasing this palette because i figured it was just neutral colors & what not. but eventually, i gave in. everyone else has one (either the first one or second) so i wanted to see what all this rave was about. after a bit more researching, i realized this buy was'nt a bad idea at all.

value:

you get 12 full size eye shadows for $50 (price of the palette). now, if you buy just one of the shadows, it's easily going to cost you $17 alone! now more about the product, it comes with a mini sized lip junke in 'naked' which is supposed to give a plumping effect. i haven't tried it out yet. in the palette there's a double sided 'good karma' brush by urban decay. the flat side is good for packing on a color & using it for liner. however, i'm not too much of a fan for it. the fluffy crease brush is also not the best but it does the work when you're in a rush. if it was softer, i'd probably get a 4 out of 5 (it's currently a 3).

now for the shadows! the palette has a great variety of shades. i've seen many complaints about half baked being duplicated in too many palettes. my only complaint is that i wish there were some more matte shades. there are only 3 which are foxy (1st color), tease (5th color), & blackout (last color). every other shade has a satin or shimmery finish. overall, you get your highlights, your bronze, your greys, your taupes & black. not to mention that the mirror takes up the whole lid of the top part.

packaging:

this palette is great in packaging as it is all held in a tin casing with a snap closure. the inside is made of durable plastic (this is where the shadows, mirror & brush are held. materials are made in the usa & assembled in the dominican republic.

final thoughts:

the palette is perfect for many occasions, travel friendly, durable & most of all a great value. would i recommend it? absolutely. these shades are perfect for any skin tone.