Favorite Music Friday: Bon Iver

Some of you may know Bon Iver as the awkward, folk-country boy that took home the Grammy Award for Best New Artist over what many thought was Nicki Minaj's. Others may know him as a contributor on the Twilight Saga New Moon soundtrack. And others may not have any idea who I am talking about.

Well Bon Iver (Good Winter in french) is a folk band formed by Justin Vernon. After a band AND a relationship breakup, Justin moved back home to Wisconsin to spend a winter in a cabin in rural Medford, WI. In that cabin is where the genius of Bon Iver began. He didn't plan on writing music, but it just happened. He used his experiences to write his debut album For Emma, Forever Ago. The CD screams heartbreak, love, loss, and every emotion a person can feel. His voice is very wooly but a high-pitched falsetto. It is full of emotion and power. 

I think my appeal to him also has to do with his awkward, stocky country boy persona. To see the inner emotions and soft side of such a grizzly guy. A guy that no matter the amount of fame still lives in his blue-collar hometown. And to hear such sweet, soft falsettos from such a masculine guy just makes me shiver. 

The song Im sharing, Wash, is from his sophomore album Bon Iver, Bon Iver. The CD is much more layered and processed but not in a bad way; just not in a log-cabin-isolated way. Even if you do know of Bon Iver, I hope you enjoy.

Have a great weekend!

MyGlam: March 2012

I received my MyGlam two days earlier than expected! Granted, MyGlam ruins the surprise of the bag with 20 million reveals beforehand so it is a bit hard to not peek at the contents before hand.

Don't know what MyGlam is? MyGlam is a once a month beauty subscription service that delivers premium beauty samples to your door. The creator of MyGlam, Michelle Phan, is a YouTube beauty expert that wants to share her favorite items with the world. The bags are delivered in the cutest reusable beauty bags. Once you join you will take a beauty/preference quiz that will help the girls choose the best products for you. The products range from beauty, skincare, hair, body, nails, and more. Every month you should also expect to receive full-sized products. MyGlam costs $10 a month, and your bag will always be valued above!
Click here to join MyGlam.

March 2012, Say Goodbye to Winter!
This month's bag is all about saying goodbye to winter and the skin woes that go along with the dry air. The products are to help repair and restore your skin and hair just in time for a bright and dewy spring! Last month a few bloggers went to MyGlam headquarters to help give feedback on what they are doing right and wrong. As many of you know, the MyGlam facebook is always in constant uproar. Complaint after complaint and a lot of negativity. I understand where it comes from, but it is soo much! I feel anxious when I am on their page! The girls talked about improving the quality of the brands and the products. Obviously, this bag was already planned by the time they visited, but the bags just keep getting meh and meh-er. 

Information Card:

Products:
Keracolor: Color Enhancing Leave-In Treatment in Natural
This leave-in treatment is especially designed to enhance, protect, strengthen, and hydrate all hair types.
Full Size: 5.5oz ($38.00)
Size Received: 0.17oz ($1.17)
I've never heard of this brand before, and I know a lot of hair products (used to work in an upscale hair salon). It seems like the internet also doesn't know it well, as the company is mostly associated with MyGlam. Keracolor is a company that only sells color enhancing leave-in treatments; they have different colors, as well as the Natural that I received. The treatment is formulated to magnify your natural hair color while nourishing and restoring the dimensional highlights in your hair. The product works by depositing color on the hair shaft, that lasts until you re-shampoo, adding depth and luminosity. It is infused with keratin to strengthen your hair, is enriched with a CET complex to enhance, protect, strengthen, and protect hair. The product is split into two pouches, but you blend once you want to activate the product. I'm a little iffy about using this since I do not color my hair and I like my hair color as is. Who knows how my hair will react to it? I'm already so happy with Joico K-Pak Revitaluxe that I dont need a product to give me that just left the salon feeling.
eta: Many people have been saying that this caused their hair to feel have a chlorine damaged effect, crinkly, and greasy. I will NOT be trying this.

3Lab: Perfect Cleansing Foam 
This creamy concoction cleanses completely without causing dryness or irritation. 
Full Size: 4.4oz ($50.00)
Size Received: 3.4oz ($38.64)
This is the product that I wanted to receive but now that Im looking at the ingredients and the description I'm not too sure if it is for me. Vitamin E microbeads stimulate circulation, green tea extracts purifies, whereas lipids, shea butter, and sodium hyaluronate hydrate leaving a healthy, youthful glow. The first ingredient is Mystiric Acid which is found in palm/coconut oils and helps to moisturize and hydrate. Im not quite sure I need THAT much moisture! I can just picture using this and breaking out like mad. Do I really want to apply shea butter on my face? The website does say it works for all skin types, but Im so scared to try it out. Has anyone tried this product? Thoughts?
One thing I have to add, it says on the side of the bottle 'Official BeautyFix Selection.' Almost like the DermStore sold all of the samples found in this bad to MyGlam for super cheap. Not cool.

Murad: Eye Lift Perfector
Increase skin's firmness by 50% as in as little as 15 minutes. Firming and luminating complexes address dark circles, both instantly and long-term. 
Full Size: 0.06oz ($35.00)
Size Received: 0.015oz ($8.75)
There was no description of the product on the little info card, thanks MyGlam. I used the description on the MyGlam website. I received a Murad product in my BeautyFix Season 13 Kit (Absolute Bronzing Boost) and absolutely love the product! However TEEENY this sample may be it is 1/4 of the full-size product. But the full-size has a controlled pen tip that doesn't make you waste any product. Either way this will be enough for 3-4 uses and hopefully I can get a feel for the product. I'll store it in a airtight bag as to not waste any drop!  This is a tinted concealer that hides flaws while perfecting skin tone that lifts, hydrates, and depuffs while minimizing dark circles. It has a lot of great reviews and people are raving that it stops make-up from looking cake-like and hides dark circles better than a heavy concealer.
eta: Ugh. No luck, it was the exact same color as my skin, so it did not work to conceal.

Pur-lisse: Pur-Protect SPF 30 Essential Daily Moisturizer
This moisturizer delivers reliable broad-spectrum UVA/UVB protection plus rich hydration thanks to a couple of exclusive complexes, vitamin E, soy protein, and calming antioxidant white team. Skin is left calm and smooth.
Full Size: 1.7oz ($55.00)
Size Received: 0.14oz ($4.53)
Again, no description on the card... I really like the pur-lisse company philosophy and ingredients. All products are vegan and cruelty-free and they use natural plant, vitamin, and peptide extracts in their products. The moisturizer contains lupine peptides that nourish skin, blue lotus flower that is used for detoxifying skin, white tea to destress and repair damage, soy proteins that help skin retain moisture and produce collagen and elastin, and seasilk that reduces fine lines and firms. Whew! Plus it apparently is light-weight and absorbs quickly. I love that it is a middle of the road SPF. I don't want to stay white, I just want to be protected. But for such an expensive moisturizer, Im not very likely to buy even if I like it.
eta: eh, I used it tonight. It felt very greasy and heavy. My skin still feels greasy to the touch. It felt like sunscreen when applying and how it absorbed. I would not use this moisturizer again.

DermStore: $25 off purchase of $50 or more
Once again, MyGlam marketed this as a gift card. If there is a minimum purchase it is not a gift card!!! You enter it in the coupon box not the giftcard box. It really irritates me that they think this is considered a deluxe sample. Im not asking to sample a beauty website, I want to sample products! The whole point is to pay my monthly fee and get the samples, not have to shell out even more. After all that, Im still going to use it. I received the same coupon with my BeautyFix subscription and I already used it. The store is slow and glitchy, but they do have a ton of products. As mentioned, I may buy another Murad product, or maybe Ill buy some essie or butter London nail polishes.

MyGlam: Classic Crease Brush & Case
Well this smells awful. It smells like it was manufactured the day before they sent it off in a sealed bag. You know that chemical, fake leather smell. The case is magnetic, which is kind of nice. The brush is HUGE for being a crease brush. I mean it feels like a pretty nice brush and it is very soft. I also confirmed with MyGlam that the brush is synthetic. MyGlam representatives did not know what they were talking about. I did a 'hair' test and it smelled and burned like animal hair. THIS IS FROM ANIMAL HAIR! From the giant case it seems like there will be more brushes to come in the future... I like the idea of including brushes, but their own brand? So weird. Again, I want to sample products that I can re buy in the future!

Total Value of my March MyGlam bag: $53.09 + (coupon and brush/case)
It may have a good value, but most of it is the cleanser that Im unsure about...
Im very close to canceling and may do so before the April bag ships. I feel the MyGlam bags are not what I expected and the multiple DermStore, Guthy-Renker themes of the bags makes me wonder how they are choosing products.

What do you think of the March MyGlam? Are you satisfied with the products and samples? Have you tried the 3Lab Perfect Cleansing Foam? Let me know in the comments below! If you dont get MyGlam and are interested, click here to join!

Beauty Army: March 2012

Now in their third month, Beauty Army has set up an awesome 'badge program.' The badges include a referral program (3 friends = 1 free month), discounts in their store (5 surveys = 15% coupon for their store), and membership bonuses (every 3 months = $10 off a purchase of $50 or more). The coupons expire a month after they are issued. All around pretty awesome!

Don't know what Beauty Army is? Beauty Army is a once a month beauty subscription service that delivers a GORGEOUS kit of premium beauty samples to your door. So how is it different from any of the other services out there? Well you get to CHOOSE your samples. Each month based on your preferences (long, thoughtful style quiz that can be changed at any time) you will receive 9 products to choose from. From those you get to pick 6. The products this month ranged from beauty, skincare, hair, body, and more. Some of the products you can choose from are full-size items. Beauty Army costs $12 a month, and your kit will always be valued way above!
Click here to join Beauty Army.

March 2012
I was very excited for March 1st to come around so that I could select my March Beauty Army samples. Sadly, I was very, very disappointed in the selection. There was many repeat products and brands, ALL skincare (no hair, nail, or makeup),  and a few samples that I've already received with different services. When I retook the style quiz I kept getting the same products over and over, no matter how much I changed my profile! Im fine with skincare, but don't offer me 4 moisturizers and 3 sunscreens  and little to no other options! I was very close to closing my account, but I talked to customer service and they were able to help me pick products I was interested in. But even so Im not over the top excited about my samples like I have been in the past.

Information Card:

Products:
Babor: Anti-Stress Anti-Jetlag Cream
Bon voyage tired looking skin! Rebalance sensitive and irritated skin with this natural active moisturizer.
Full Size: 1.7oz ($72.00)
Size Received: 0.5oz ($21.18)
This is a really nice sample, it is a glass jar! It feels very luxurious. The cream itself is a very lightweight, thin cream that smells nice (it reminds me of the lotion my mom wears, so I especially like the smell). Stress, lack of sleep, and long journeys to relieve irritate skin. It relieves it by calming the skin, restoring the skin's balance, strengthen skin barrier function, maintaining natural defense mechanisms of skin, and soothes redness. This cream includes natural anti-stress relievers, such as: ginger, chamomile, and peptides. It provides 24 hour protection. Since I am always stressed and never get sleep this is the perfect cream for me!  Even just swatching this on my hand made my hand feel cool and relaxed. This can be applied morning and evening after cleansing. I'll report back on my findings!

Control Corrective: Redness Relief Serum
This botanical-based serum hydrates and provides relief to redness prone skin. Goodbye sensitive or rosacia prone skin, hello relief!
Full Size: 1oz ($48.00)
Size Received: 0.1oz ($4.80)
I did not have any luck with the Control Corrective  moisturizer I tried last month, but this serum is solely for redness relief. It uses botanical extracts plus skin-balancing vitamins to reduce 'trans epidermal water loss,' which helps to strengthen and balance the skin. It says to keep this cold in the refrigerator for the best results, which is a great idea! Extra soothing and cooling on my poor red, splotchy skin. I desperately need any relief and nothing has worked to reduce my redness, so maybe this will be the ticket! The serum can be used twice a day under moisturizer. I'll update you with any results.

M.A.D. Skincare: Redness Rescue
Eliminate redness with one application of this gentle, beautiful smelling and cooling lotion.
Full Size: 1oz ($32.00)
Size Received: 0.13oz ($4.16)
See a trend? I recently received many M.A.D. Skincare samples for free, but this one was not part of my free sample kit. This isn't really a lotion, but it is a blue colored gel. The lightweight gel allows skin to feel calmed without being greasy. The formula includes water lilly extract, soothing peptide complex, oat derived extract, and hyaluronic acid, which are all used to minimize redness and reduce discomfort. Im really excited about this one. It is definitely cool to the touch on my skin. It can be used day or night. I used it last night before bed and I am happy to report that my redness was waaay down!! Im so excited. I wonder if it will completely eliminate it if I use it regularly! Hope!

Mama Mio Skincare: Shrink to Fit Cellulite Cream
An incredibly effective cellulite-blasting serum set in a richly moisturizing cream. Double whammy; smooth 'orange peel-free' legs wrapped in soft, toned, nourished, FIT skin.
Full Size: 3.4oz ($56.00)
Size Received: 1.7oz ($28.00)
What a generous size sample! I received a cellulite cream sample from Vichy as part of a trade, but then when I saw the packet size, there is no way I'd ever see results even if it worked! This is more than enough to test it out and to see if it really will zap away my cellulite. I must say I have very little cellulite, but no matter how in shape I get there is a patch that won't go away! Once I completely finish the Strivectin-SD's stretch mark cream from last month I will be taking this for a test drive. The package says to effectively remove cellulite you need to kickstart the circulation; this is packed with cellulite busters, circulation stimulators, and antioxidants. It looks like the formula includes: caffeine, horsetail quinoa, and seaweed extract (plus their TM fat reducer products). It's funny because Mama Mio even warns users that this is not a one hit wonder, you have to stick with it to see results. I'm terrible at remembering to apply/take anything consistently, but hopefully Ill remember!

Cover FX: Eye Prep
Eye primer for concealer, foundation, and eye shadow application. Instantly smooth fine lines and creases to enhance color blending.
Full Size: 0.67oz ($43.00)
Size Received: 0.16oz ($10.27)

I have a few fine lines around my eyes, but what I really got this for was to eliminate creases and create an even layer for applying my concealer. I have a lot of trouble with my concealer applying smoothly, ever crease and dry spot is just accentuated. The bottle also states that it helps to reduce inflammation, under eye darkness, wrinkles, and puffiness. Now it has a lot to live up to! The primer is a lightweight, white cream that applies with the same consistency and texture as a moisturizer. This is a pretty good sized sample to try it out. But the bottle is deciving and there is only a quarter of it full. To think it is a fourth of the full-size product, not sure I'd spend $40 on so little primer!

eta: It works pretty well to eliminate creases and not let my makeup sink into any lines. I feel my eye makeup looks better than it has in months! 

Babor: Cleansing Duo (HY-OL & Phytoactive Base)
A unique cleansing duo. Removes impurities throughly while gently moisturizing your skin with these unique 2-step cleansers.
Full Size: 2 bottles (HY-OL 6.8oz and Phyto 3.4oz)  ($60.00)
Size Received: 2 bottles each 0.34oz ($4.00)
I chose another Babor product since Im always looking for new cleansing products. This is a two step cleansing method. First you apply the HY-OL cleanser which is a hydrophilic (water loving) plant-based cleansing oil that is suitable for all skin types. Water soluble cleansing oil will leave no oily residue and removes all oil and water soluble impurities without irritating sensitive skin or causing any tightness. The Phytoactive Base is used in conjunction and helps to invigorate and refresh dry skin. The company makes different phytoactive bases depending on your skin type (normal, sensitive, combination, and reactivating). You apply 4 'pumps' of the HY-OL and then on top add 2 'pumps' of the base. Then massage into skin until a milky emulsion forms and then rinse off with cool water. It's a bit odd that the formula isn't combined, but there must be a reason. The system has some great reviews from people who have dry/acne prone skin. Which seems to be my skin! I have dry skin and acne all within my T-zone. So I'm excited to try this one out.

Total Value of my March 2012 Kit: $72.41
Now that I've taken time to look at the products, reviews, and how-tos I am more excited than I was initially! These products may not be the most exciting, but they are all targeted towards my major skin problems. Im hoping one or more will be the answer I'm looking for!


What do you think of the products I selected? Have you tried any of them? What did you select in your Beauty Army kit? Let me know in the comments below!
If you don't get Beauty Army, click here to join!

Birchbox: March 2012 (Teen Vogue)

I officially made the switch to a yearly Birchbox subscription. I'm so excited to of the prospects of another year of these lovely little boxes.

Don't know what Birchbox is?
Birchbox is a monthly subscription service that delivers a little, heavenly box of premium beauty samples to your doorstep. Each month you will receive 4-5 samples (sometimes even full-sized products) and generally a goodie (energy booster, granola bar, etc). The samples range from make-up, polishes, skincare, body, hair, and fragrances. All from luxury, quality brands. Every month is a surprise, but the samples picked for you are based on a survey you fill out letting the gals know your style and skin-type. Birchbox costs just $10 a month, and your box will always be valued way above!
Click here to join Birchbox.

March 2012, Box #2

This month Birchbox teamed up with the beauty editors at Teen Vogue to bring us party-ready products.
You had a choice to opt-in or out of the Teen Vogue box. I chose to open a second account so that I would get my regular box and a Teen Vogue box. Yeah I have a problem. I confirmed by phone that my accounts were correctly opted in and out, but somehow I still ended up with 2 Teen Vogue boxes. I wasn't the only one who had their boxes messed up. Some people opted-in and still got regular boxes and vice-versa. Birchbox would have avoided all of the issues if they had made the option not an email link but a physical location in our profile. And even better, made it possible to receive both boxes on a single account. So currently options are to keep the box, return it for a refund, or maybe I'll be abel to trade it for a regular box with someone who wants it. Either way, too much of a headache for something that should be fun.

     I scratched the top of the box while I was trying to open it...woops

Information Cards:

Products:
Annick Goutal: Petite Chérie
A blend of fresh fruity notes and musk, this French fragrance is the definition of understated chic.
Full size: 1.7oz ($85.00)
Size Received: .06oz ($3.00)
The packaging says this perfume is a sexy floral menage of peach, vanilla, fresh grass, and musky rose. It smells so fresh and crisp. The peach is definitely the top note and is very strong, but once it starts to settle you can smell the grass and the sweetness of the rose. It actually smells quite lovely, but it reminds me of Herbal Essence Shampoo. That shampoo is so fragrant and I can smell it miles away on anyone who uses it. Not a bad thing, but do I want to pay $85 to smell like shampoo? It would be a great fragrance for a spring day spent at the park or when you are headed to the farmer's market with friends.

essie: luxeffects nail polish in a cut above
Layer this glittery top coat onto any polish for an eye-catching look.
Full size: .46oz ($8.00)
Size Received: Full-size! .46oz ($8.00)
I haven't actually ever tried an essie's nail polish. I can get Chanel manufactured Gap nail polish for $4 with my employee discount, so I tend to just buy Gap nail polish. This top coat is fun and flirty. The color is the cutest pink that will really look good against any nail polish color. Im really excited to pair it with my dark, plum red nail polish. It will turn any boring manicure into glitz and glam. There is both small and large sparkles in the nail polish, but mostly the large sparkles. It takes a bit of work to get the sparkles to spread evenly, but it is doable. Im not the most glittery gal, but I'll add his to my tips or to a few nails every so often to add that extra sparkle. 

Shiseido: Pureness Oil-Control Blotting Papers
These mattifying tissues are coated with transparent rice powder to leave your skin perfectly shine-free.
Full size: 100 sheets ($18.00)
Size Received: 10 sheets ($1.80)
It seemed like not many people wanted to get this sample, but I was hoping that I would get Box 2 so that I could try these! I was so excited when I opened my box and saw them. I live in DC which has the most humid summers ever. Think Florida humid. The humidity lasts most of the year. Im the type of person who can handle heat, but not humidity. Going out during the summer is just a gross mess for me. My hair ends up slick and my face shimmering like I spread castor oil on it. Yeah, yeah, using tissues work, but having these ready in my purse will save me a trip to the overcrowded bathroom. These will get rid of excess oil, reduce the shine, and not leave any residue! 

tarte: LipSurgence lip tint in amused
This long-lasting stain adds rich pigment and is designed to boost the moisture level in your lips. 
Full size: .1oz($24.00)
Size Received: Full-size! .1oz ($24.00)
The packaging says 6000% increase in lip's moisture content. Uh, I don't know if I am buying that. It is a very soft, glossy formula; but that much moisture...don't think so. Amused is a hot pink color, but it is very sheer. It gives just a little more color pay off as the birchbox colored jouer lip gloss. I do like the color, but I would have liked it more if it was more opaque. It is formulated without: parabens, mineral oil, petrolatum, phthalates, sodium laurel sulfate, or synthetic fragrances. I have no idea what some of those are, but I guess that is good. The more natural, the better. And it even has the cruelty free bunny on the side of the packaging. The irritating part is that when I went to try it out on my lips the entire tip almost cracked off. I can still use it though, I just have to be careful. I contacted birchbox and they gave me 100 BB points for the issue. 

eta: The more I use the product, the more I fall for it. At first it was a bit too sheer for me, but when I wore it out I got so many compliments and only need to reapply once the entire night. And it did stain well, even if the gloss effect wore off I still had a pretty, pink tone to my lips.

twistband: Hair Tie
Give your ponytail a makeover with these colorful, snag-free elastics.
Full size: 12 pack ($18.00)
Size Received: 1 tie ($1.50)
This is the second time that Birchbox has had these hair ties as an extra. I don't understand why anyone would pay $18 for 12 hair ties!? They do nothing for my thin, limp hair. I need to use baby, clear plastic elastics for hair ties. I have to wrap this around my hair 4-5x to get it to hold. But what I do like is the color. The last one I ended up wearing on my wrist when I would wear my hair down at work. That way if I was moving a lot of boxes I could swiftly put it up. But it is just a piece of pretty elastic tied together...Why feature this twice!? I'd much rather packets of tea or music downloads.

ModCloth.com $10 coupon
Included in this month's box was a $10 off any purchase $75+ at Modcloth.com. I have been a fan of ModCloth for years and have many cute blouses and dresses from the website. They have a little bit of every style: boho, indie, trendy, preppy, etc. I love that most of the clothing has a twist that makes it special. They very rarely have coupons, so I may need to take a look around. Although, at this moment I dont' see myself using this. Right on the coupon they say to share with friends. So if you want to get the discount, use the promo code: MODPROM.

Total value of my March 2012 box:$38.30
Not a bad value, but the majority of that value is my broken tarte lip tint. Let's hope Birchbox helps me out. I think I would have liked the box a bit more if I knew I was still getting my regular box, but alas life does not alway work out how you want it to.


What do you think of my March Birchbox? Did you opt for the Teen Vogue box? How does my box compare to yours? Let me know in the comments below!
If you don't get Birchbox, click here to join! 

Review: Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Shadow Pencil Stash

The minute I saw HauteLook was having an Urban Decay deal I knew I would be spending big bucks. I picked up a few items including the 24/7 Glide-On Shadow Pencil Stash Set. I've heard amazing things about the entire Urban Decay 24/7 line and couldn't resist adding these gorgeous colors to my collection.

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Shadow Pencil Stash

Juju all over eye, Rehab as thick liner beneath black eyeliner, and Sin in crease/highlight

Sin all over eye, Rehab on inner half of eye, and Clash as thick liner beneath black eyeliner

Review:
I originally bought these just to buy them, not really knowing anything about the product or any reviews. Yes, I know I have an online shopping addiction, but I'm so thankful that I do!  I was drawn to them because of the brown/gold colors which tend to be my favorite eye color. Urban Decay describes these as a jumbo, more versatile version of their popular 24/7 Glide-on Eye Pencils. The original pencils are much thinner and more geared for lining. Whereas the shadow pencils can be used for all-over eye color but still can be sharpened to a precise point for lining. The shadow pencils are normally sold individually but I received a bought a set of 5 shades. The only differences between the set and the normal shadow pencils are that the set pencils weight .022oz less (22% less) and they come with plastic, clear caps vs plastic, metal-finish caps. 

The Pencil stash includes 5 pencils:
     -Clash: bright turquoise with silver sparkle
     -Delinquent: dark puple with bright purple sparkle
     -Rehab: shimmer reddish/brown taupe
     -Juju: frosted shimmer taupe
     -Sin: shimmer champagne

What I love is that the colors that glide on are exactly what you see on the packaging. They are so true to color it isn't even funny. Often with gold,s you may buy what you think is a soft taupe but ends up with a red/bronze. I was worried that I wouldn't have any use for Clash, but it is so fun to use as a liner or to add a pop of color at your tear duct. Delinquent is a very, royal purple. It is deep, but the sparkle adds the perfect amount of glitz. It'd be another great liner or as added contour in the crease line.  My favorites are as I expected, the golds. Rehab is a reddish brown taupe that is not too dark that it couldn't be used as an all over eye color. Juju is my favorite of all the colors. It reminds me of the 2nd lightest cube in The Body Shop Shimmer Cube, which was my first real eyeshadow purchase years and years ago. Sin is a well known shade from Urban Decay, it can be found as a potion primer, in the NAKED palettes, the latest Book of Shadows, and the list goes on. And the shadow pencil version of the shade does not disappoint. It is such a beautiful champagne! The color will compliment any skin color and brighten your eyes.

So the colors are perfect, but how do they apply? The name says it all. They truly glide on in an instant. The formula is creamier than I could ever imagine. But feels as light as can be without any awkward sticking. You barely need to use any pressure to have perfect, even application. Plus, they are opaque with one swipe. The pigmentations is absolutely incredible, the colors in the swatches are from one just one layer without any primer. To get that kind of color pay off from most eyeshadow it takes layers, good brushes, wet application, etc. Not with these. On my lids the color is just as intense.

What I love most about these shadow pencils is that they are waterproof, crease proof, and smudge proof. I did a 24 hour swatch test and they held up to the challenge! They lasted through an entire day on my arm, an entire night's sleep, and only started to fade when I was in shower with the water directly on the swatches. I had to scrub to actually get the color to fully wear off (although, they easily are removed with eye makeup remover). I couldn't believe it! What you may not believe is that I took the photos of the bottom eye look (using the teal Clash) at the end of a 15 hour, humid day! No primer, no smudge, barely any fading, and still shimmering just like when I applied. The only issue with the staying power is that if you want to blend and layer shades you have to act QUICK! UD sells a special blending brush made for these pencils, but Im too cheap. I found it easiest to just use my fingers to help blend. The stay power is more important to me due to my crazy schedule and the few minutes I have to get put together.

I may have found my new favorite eyeshadows. These are easy to travel with, take up little space in my growing makeup collection, and no need to worry about fading or fall out. Every day I've been grabbing the pencils. Im in love.

Individual 24/7 Glide-On Shadow Pencil's retail for $20 and are available in 12 colors. Take a look at the colors at: www.urbandecay.com

The 24/7 Glide-On Shadow Pencil Stash retail for $34, but is currently on sale for $12 on the UD website. Get it while it lasts at: www.urbandecay.com

The bottom line: Gorgeous, shimmery colors; Creamy, smooth application; Highly pigmented; Water, crease, and smudge proof; Very little fading; Color lasts for hours and hours; Quick and easy application. 5/5