Showing posts with label Holiday 2014. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Holiday 2014. Show all posts

Great Last Minute Drugstore Beauty Gifts

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Great Last Minute Drugstore Beauty Gifts

There are only a few days left until Christmas! Yikes! This is the time that I'm wrapping gifts for under the tree, and making sure I don't need any more gifts. If you've found that you need a few more gifts for someone, and want to buy something beauty related without fighting the crowds at the mall, I have some great ideas for you! While I've said drugstore in the name of this post, I kind of use that as a catch-all term referring to the price point. Really I've included gift ideas from drugstores, mass market/big box stores (Target and Walmart) and even grocery stores (a few of these options are easy to find at Whole Foods). Happy Shopping!

1. Makeup Brushes: Every beauty junkie loves more brushes, and it is actually pretty easy to find good brushes at this price point. You could buy a few for a stocking stuff or a full set for a much larger gift. My favorite brands for brushes are Sonia Kashuk (Target), Flower (Walmart), ELF (Target, Walmart, some drugstores), Eco Tools (pretty much every where) and Real Techniques (Target, ULTA). Not all of these brands have big brush sets available in stores, especially ELF.

A few of my absolute favorite brushes from those lines are the $1 Essential Eye Brush from ELF (I own about 10 of them!) and Sonia Kashuk's smudge brush (the ELF smudge is pretty good too).


2. Eye Makeup Must Haves: A lot of my favorite eye makeup products are found at this price point, and it would be a lot of fun to open a gift and find fun new mascaras to try out, great shadow palettes and different colors of liners.

My favorite lines are listed in the graphic, but here are a few of my favorites from these brands:

CoverGirl: All of their mascaras are great, the Vivid Impact and Liquiline liners have some great colors

L'Oreal: Any Carbon Black mascara is a great buy! I especially like the Butterfly Mascara because of the unique wand. The Color Riche shadow quads are great, and I love the Infallible loose shadows. The gold and silver Infallible Silkissime liners are really pretty!

NYX: Their shadow palettes are the winners here, they have a huge number of options with quads all the way up to large palettes. They're all a good pick!

Maybelline: All of the mascaras are good (except the Manga, I hate that one!) and the Nude Palette pictured above is a great shadow palette!


3. Great Bags: I'm always on the lookout for a good makeup bag, they seem to only last a few years since they get dirty. For travel I really love to have a plastic lining, so if things spill they won't get all over my clothes. As well, I'm a strange one that needs all of my bags to match. So, I buy an entire set at once! That gets pricy, so I buy mine usually at Target. The Sonia Kashuk bags at Target are my favorites (look next to the SK makeup for them), though they have some other brands usually in an entire bag area with other brands that also has great options. If you're at Walmart look next to the Flower Beauty makeup. I just got a bag from Flower and it's great! I'll be looking at Flower the next time I need to replace all of my bags.


4. Fragrance: Kind of obvious, but there are always great fragrance deals during the holidays. I don't have any particular recs, just run around smelling everything in the store!


5. Bath and Body: Who doesn't love pampering bath and body products? I'd grab a basket and fill it with fun bath products. Be sure to include a cute poof, a back brush and even exfoliating gloves are perfect for including. I like to have a body wash, a scrub and a great moisturizer. Olay and Dove have great body washes that are super moisturizing. Burt's Bees (everywhere), Jason (Whole Foods) and Alba Botanica (Target, Walmart, Whole Foods) all have more specialized products like body butters, oils and scrubs.


6. Mask It Up: Not everyone is as big of a fan of masking as I am, but if you know the giftee likes masks then it is fun to fill a basket with great ones! I always include the Queen Helene Mint Julep Mud Mask, and if you're at Target then definitely grab the hydrating one pictured above from Boots. Otherwise, I just wander the skincare area and grab ones that look interesting. The Freeman single use ones (they come in a packet you tear open and cost about $2?) are perfect for this gift!


7. Mani/Pedi Faves: Most of my go-to products are found at this price point, though they can be hard to track down. I love Orly Bonder basecoat (look for alternatives from Sally Hansen), Seche Vite top coat (Sally Hansen and Essie have good alternatives), and Sally Hansen cuticle remover. Sally Hansen also has great manicure tools. My favorite polishes for great colors that last are Essie, Sally Hansen, L'Oreal and CoverGirl.


Most of these ideas come prepackaged or if you're grabbing products you could easily put them into a gift bag or fun basket! Let me know if I missed anything in the comments. Do you have a great drugstore beauty gift idea you could share?


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Giving Glam: Last Minute Beauty Stocking Stuffer Ideas

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Giving Glam: Last Minute Beauty Stocking Stuffer Ideas

This time of year can be stressful with all of the shopping, party planning and expectations of a perfect holiday season. Luckily, it can be easy to find great products to pamper yourself or friends and family. All of these products are available at Sally Beauty, and they're perfectly sized to add to gift bags or use as a stocking stuffer! They also have other great gift ideas.

1. Beautique Gel Eye Pencil: This is a creamy eye pencil that goes on easily and smudges for that perfect smoky eye! After a minute or so it becomes smudge free and lasts all day. I'm a sucker for navy eye pencils (shown here), but the Rose Gold is also very pretty.

2. Sally Girl Blush & Shimmer: It isn't available on-line, but you'll definitely want to hunt this little one down in your local store! The size of an eye shadow, this product has both a blush and a shimmer. You can use just the shimmer as a highlighter by using a small (probably eye shadow sized) brush. Or use both together, which is my preference. I use a small blush brush to get a higher concentration of product on my cheeks, then change my brush for something larger for an all over lighter application. The small size means this is perfect for your makeup bag or travel.

3. Face Secrets Animal Print Eye Shadow Applicators: While I once automatically threw out the little foam applicators in my makeup, lately I've been hoarding them. They're convenient for touch ups on the go, and yes, even nail art.

4. Face Secrets Animal Print Kabuki Brush: This one retracts down into the handle and has a top, it is perfect to carry when you're on the go!

5. Swissco Blue 5 Piece Pedicure Set: Pink glitter. Yes.

6. Biotera Invisible Dry Shampoo: Why is a travel sized dry shampoo so hard to find? This one is perfect for your 3-1-1 bag, soaks up oil and adds volume all while staying invisible in your hair. Perfect.

7. Heel To Toe Feels Like New Foot Softener: I've been using this on my feet (under socks) at night and it really is helping soften and moisturize my dry feet!

8. Heel to Toe Aromatherapy Invigorating Foaming Foot Soak: When I have time to do a full spa pedicure at home, I love this foot soak! It only takes a few minutes, has a really refreshing smell, and it helps get the dead skin off of my feet. It only takes about 5 minutes to work.

9. Beyond Belief Enchanted Dream Hand and Body Lotion: This lotion smells great and is super hydrating without being greasy.


Sally Beauty is holding a Give Glam & Get Away Sweepstakes! You could win a 7-Day Caribbean cruise for two with Princess Cruises. To enter, buy any product in-store or online using your Sally Beauty Loyalty Card and get an automatic entry, enter online, and if you refer a friend by sharing online, and your friend enters, you’ll receive a bonus entry! The sweeps run between 12/1/14 and 12/31/14.


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10 Luxe Beauty Stocking Stuffers (Under $35)

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10 Luxe Beauty Stocking Stuffers Under $35

Let's face it, we all want to be pampered and given luxurious things, or just buy them for ourselves! But, super high end luxury items, even the more affordable "gateway" beauty products, are often out of our price range. (And yes, even for me. And I'm a doctor.)

But, there are some great finds under $35 from those brands! Can't afford a $4,000 purse from Chanel? Try a lip gloss. Want to feel like Victoria Beckham with her huge Hermés bag collection? They make a perfumed soap that's in the affordable price range even for us mere mortals.

There are a lot of great finds, and while I'm only showing 10 of them in this image, I'm giving you a few great options below. They're all small enough to work as stocking stuffers. Who's fancy now? You, with the Chanel and Gucci stocking stuffers!

1. Perfumed Soap
Here's the Hermés Eau d’orange verte Perfumed soap, and there are similarly priced soaps from Chanel with their Number 5 and Coco Mademoiselle scents, and Dior's Miss Dior Silky Soap.

2. Shower Gel
Even if you aren't a bar soap person, you can splurge on a luxe item! Chloé 'L'Eau de Chloé' Shower Gel

3. Perfume Roller Ball
There are a ton of rollerballs from luxury brands. It's a great way to try out a new fragrance or take your favorite with you when you travel. A few options: Balenciaga Paris 'B.Balenciaga' Rollerball, Jimmy Choo Eau de Parfum Rollerball

4. Mascara
Yes, there are some amazing mascaras at lower price points. But that isn't what we're after here, is it? Try: Le Volume de Chanel, Diorshow Mascara

5. Lip Gloss
I'm a sucker for a good gloss, and there are some great high end glosses that I want to take everywhere with me!
Gucci Lip Vibrant Demi-Glaze Lip Lacquer (in 160 Iconic Gucci Red), Dior Addict Gloss, Burberry Lip Glow Natural Lip Gloss, Chanel Rouge Allure Colour & Shine Lip Gloss

6. Lip Stick
This is probably the most classic way of giving a luxe beauty item, though if you're giving it away try a classic color or a more forgiving translucent lippie like Chanel's Lipshine.
Try: Chanel Rouge Coco Shine Hydrating Lipshine (shown in Monte-Carlo), Yves Saint Laurent 'Rouge Volupté Shine' Lipstick

7. Eye Liner
Eye liner isn't usually something that most of us think of splurging a lot on (aren't all black liners the same?), but it really can be worth it! I've been lusting after this Chanel Or Blanc Stylo since I first saw it on Mostly Sunny's Blog. It has just the right amount of gold and shimmer to really be a great accent! Gucci's Impact Long Wear Eye Pencil comes in a few vivid accent colors that are hard to duplicate elsewhere.

8 & 9. Nail Polish
Some of the most iconic nail polish shades out there are from luxe brands (like Chanel's Vamp).
Try: Chanel le Vernis Nail Color (shown in Phenix), Diorific Nail Vernis (shown in Gold Equinoxe), Yves Saint Laurent 'La Laque Couture' Nail Lacquer, Tom Ford Nail Lacquer, Dior Long Wear Nail Lacquer

10. Candles
This is a great way to up your hostess gift game! Diptyque Limited-Edition Spice Candle






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Top 10 Tuesday: The Best Holiday Beauty Limited Editions

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Top 10 Tuesday: The Best Holiday Beauty Limited Editions

Today for Top 10 Beauty we're sharing our favorite limited edition beauty items for Holiday 2014! I have to admit that I cheated a bit for today's post. I went over (I have 12 items) and I kind of shopped for myself.... These are the items that I have my eye on right now, though there are a few things that I already have and they are so amazing that I think everyone should have them!

1. Clarisonic Mia 2 Sonic Skin Cleansing System
I know what you're thinking... the Clarisonic isn't Limited Edition! Well, technically, that Turquoise color is, so it counts! There are a bunch of Clarisonic sets out right now, and if you don't already have a deep cleansing brush then you need to check it out! I just got the Clarisonic Sonic Radiance Brightening Solutions Set, I'm really excited to see how it helps me deal with my melasma from pregnancy. But, the Mia 2 is the best place to start if you haven't tried the Clarisonic yet.

Set includes:
• Mia 2 Sonic Skin Cleansing Device
• Sensitive Brush Heads
• Protective Travel Case
• Full-size Refreshing Gel Cleanser (it works with any cleanser, this is a nice one though)


2. Urban Decay Full Frontal Lipstick Stash
I have a lot of lipsticks that I don't really wear already, but I really love this formula. Plus, they're mini! Perfect for stashing in your pocket or purse.

Set Includes:
• Mini exclusive Revolution Lipstick in Ladyflower (bright rose pink), Crush (hot pink), Illicit (sheer baby pink), Gash (deep red with tonal shimmer), Liar (pinky brown nude), F-Bomb (classic red)
• Full-size 24/7 Glide-On Lip Pencil in Ozone (clear)


3. Trish McEvoy Sexy 9 Blackberry & Vanilla Musk Duo
I recently declared this one of my favorite fragrances, but I'm out of my spray and the lotion is to die for! On my Christmas list for sure!


4. Dior Deluxe Holiday Palette
I've somehow never tried Dior's shadows, and lately I just can't stop looking at their palettes! This big one is perfect for travel, it has two completely different looks for day and evening.

Palette includes:
• Six Eyeshadows
• Two Lip Colors
• Blush
• Shimmer Powder


5. Dior Holiday Eyeshadow Palette
If the other palette is too big, I also really like this one with just 4 shadows.


6. MAC Studio Brush Kit
MAC always puts out some great travel brush sets, and this year this is the one I'll probably buy. Many of my facial travel brushes need replacing and this one has a great powder brush, a great foundation brush and the 224!

Set includes:
• 129 SE Powder Blush Brush
• 190 SE Foundation Brush
• 224 SE Tapered Blending Brush
• 213 SE Fluff Brush
• 209 SE Eyeliner Brush


7. Trish McEvoy Power of Makeup Planner Collection Timeless Beauty
I keep saying that I'm going to buy one of these makeup planners and I haven't done it yet. Someday!!

Collection includes:
• Makeup Planner Leopard
• Eye Base Essentials in Bare
• Full-size Intense Gel Eyeliner in Black
• High Volume Mascara
• Instant Eye Lift
• Two Makeup Wardrobing Pages
• Eyeshadows in Taupe, Linen, Delicate Pink
• Glaze Eyeshadow in Lavender Glow
• Eye Definers in Emerald and Hamptons Nights
• Dual Sunlit Bronzer
• Blush in Natural
• Deluxe travel-size Translucent Finishing Powder
• Essential Pencil in Model’s Choice
• Deluxe travel-size Beauty Booster Lip Gloss Broad Spectrum SPF 15 in Brightening Pink
• Pencil Sharpener


8. Bobbi Brown Mini Eye Palette
8 really pretty shades! This one is a Sephora exclusive.


9. Kate Somerville Simply Glowing Set
I really like ExfoliKate (my original ExfoliKate review), and I ran out just before my pregnancy. Now that I've delivered my baby girl, I can use it again! This set is the same price as the ExfoliKate alone, but has a gentle cleanser and the Dilo Oil I've been wanting to try out!

Set Includes:
• 2 oz Gentle Daily Wash
• 2 oz ExfoliKate Intensive Exfoliating Treatment
• 1 oz Dilo Oil Restorative Treatment


10. Drybar Big Hair Don't Care Holiday Kit
I really want to try out the products in this set, but if you're in the market for a great dryer this looks like a good one based on the specs. And the entire set is the price of just the dryer alone, so it's a good deal!

Set Includes:
• Buttercup Blow Dryer
• Lil' Lemon Drop Detangler To Go
• The Full Pint Medium Round Brush
• 1.7 oz Texas Tea Volumizing Shampoo
• 1.7 oz Texas Tea Volumizing Conditioner
• 1.7 oz Texas Tea Volumizing Hair Spray


11. Bond No. 9 New York Bon Bon Eau de Parfum Box
Over in my favorite fragrances post, there were quite a few Bond No. 9 fragrances! The Bon Bons are a great travel size, you can buy a 9 Bon Bon S or 18 Bon Bon Set.


12. NARS Virtual Domination Cheek Palette
This is a great facial palette, highlighter, Laguna bronzer and multiple blushes all in 1 spot!

Palette includes:
• Miss Liberty Highlighting Blush Powder
• Blush in Sex Fantasy (pale lavender pink), Deep Throat (sheer peach), Final Cut (peach coral)
• Laguna Bronzing Powder (brown with gold shimmer)






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Early Holiday Gift Sets To Snap Up Now!

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Early Holiday Gift Sets To Snap Up Now!

Just like the decorations in your local mall, beauty brands are releasing their limited edition holiday sets earlier and earlier! In the last few days I've gotten a ton of emails showcasing these sets, and I wanted to show you the ones I'm most excited about (before they sell out!) I think some of these are heading my way from PR to review, and I'm planning to buy a few things as well. Watch for reviews as soon as I get things in!


the best holiday 2015 lipstick and lipgloss sets to buy as gifts
Lippies

I love big lippie sets. It's a great way to try out new formulas or to get a big wardrobe of lip products for a steal. I also have found that it's the only time you can actually buy mini sizes of many lip products. Why would you want a mini? For travel. For keeping in your pocket. For those of us that need to keep 14 lippie options in our purses and want to save a little space.

1. Tarte Kiss & Belle Deluxe LipSurgence Lip Set
This is a big set of Tarte's LipSurgence Lip Tintes and Lip Glosses, in new limited-edition shades. They're in "deluxe" sizes, meaning smaller than normal minis that are easy to slip into a pocket.

Included:
• 4 deluxe LipSurgence lip tints: dreamy (cool raspberry), alluring (mauve), innocent (warm nude), dainty (pink)
• 2 deluxe LipSurgence matte lip tints: eternal (pinky nude), fancy (plum berry)
• 2 deluxe LipSurgence lip glosses: kiss (light pink), belle (raspberry)


2. Too Faced Melted Kisses
This is a cute collection of the new Too Faced Melted Lipsticks (see my review), which have been really popular since their release. I found them to be a bit too dry for my lips (or vice versa really, I need more moisture for a lippie to look good), but I do like using this formula as a lip stain, and the intense shades are ah.maz.ing on all women of color especially, check them out on my friend Melody's blog, Cosmetically Challenged. This set has 4 "deluxe" sized minis.


3. Urban Decay Full Frontal Lipstick Stash Set
Again, mini lippies, but these are roughly 3/4 sized, so "extra" deluxe sized. There are 6 shades included: Ladyflower (bright rose-pink), Crush (hot pink), Illicit (sheer baby pink), Gash (deep red w/tonal shimmer), Liar (pinky-brown nude) and F-Bomb (classic red). I've found that this formula is definitely well pigmented, but my favorite thing is how hydrating the formula is, so it applies smoothly even to my dry lips. There's also a 24/7 Glide-On Lip Pencil in Ozone (clear) that you can use to keep the lipstick in place without feathering.


4. Too Faced Under the Mistletoe
I'm a big fan of Too Faced's La Créme Colors, they're hydrating and flattering. This set is one that I'm definitely planning to pick up, it has 3 of their best selling shades, but with shimmer added! Included: Naked Dolly, Marshmallow Bunny and Spice Spice Baby


amazing new eye shadow sets fall 2015
Eye Shadows
These are the two new purely eye shadow palettes (there are more multi-use palettes below), and while they aren't for holiday, you'll want to consider getting them!


1. Urban Decay Vice 3
I love UD's shadows, and this palette is full of new ones! 20 of them. Fun pops of color and neutrals. I need this one.

Truth (pale pink-nude matte), Dragon (bright metallic green shimmer), Vanity (smoky metallic eggplant w/multidimensional micro-glitter), Alien (pink-peach w/golden shift), Last Sin (champagne shimmer w/silver micro-glitter), Undone (pink-beige matte-satin w/subtle floating tonal pearl), Freeze (metallic medium blue w/multidimensional micro-glitter), Lucky (metallic bronze), Alchemy (deep fuchsia satin), Angel (light taupe w/silver micro-glitter), Downfall (warm light brown matte), Heroine (deep navy blue w/subtle floating tonal pearl), Reign (rich brown satin), Bondage (deep, smoky burgundy shimmer), Defy (smoky taupe satin), DTF (taupe matte w/subtle floating pearl), Brokedown (metallic golden brown shimmer w/gold micro-glitter), Bobby Dazzle (metallic white w/pale gold micro-glitter), Sonic (metallic red-copper) and Revolver (soft black satin w/subtle floating iridescent pearl).


2. Urban Decay Naked Basics 2
I already own Naked Basics 2, I need to find time to edit the pictures I took so I can share them with you, but it's really worth getting if you use Urban Decay's Naked2 palette, it works perfectly with it! It's similar to the Naked Basics Palette, but slightly cooler. You don't really need both.

Skimp (pale nude satin), Stark (nude-pink matte), Frisk (warm gray matte), Cover (muted red-brown matte), Primal (muted brown matte) and Undone (deep, smoky brown matte).


The best eyeliner sets
Eye Liners
I always end up with at least one new eyeliner set around the holidays, usually from Urban Decay, but Laura Mercier also makes great sets and I admit I'm hoping that Elizabeth Arden does one with their Smoky Pencils as well. It's a great chance to try out new colors and expand your comfort zone, trying out a dark grey or a purple liner instead of your usual black or brown can really add a lot of pop to your look!


1. Urban Decay Black Magic 24/7 Glide-On Double-Ended Eye Pencil Set
This is perfect for travel or just to have a lot of eyeliners in a smaller space. UD has a lot of different versions of "black" and each of these liners has a "black" on one end and a more colorful shade on the other end.

Zero + Demolition (zealous black cream + deep brown matte), Black Velvet + Smoke (rich, smoky black matte + deepest gray matte), Perversion + LSD (blackest black matte + navy shimmer w/bright turquoise micro-sparkle) and Black Market + Tornado (charcoal black satin + dark eggplant pearl).


2. Urban Decay TEN 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil Set
The only liner shade that you've seen before in this set is Perversion, UD's blackest black. The 9 other shades are exclusive to this set.

Perversion (blackest black matte), Glitter Rock (metallic pink w/pink multidimensional sparkle), Moonspoon (metallic gray w/silver sparkle), Vacancy (bright metallic teal), Faint (warm taupe matte), Gonzo (electric blue matte w/tonal shimmer), Smokeout (rich taupe-black satin), Mugshot (light metallic taupe w/slight pink shift), Stargazer (soft metallic gold w/dimensional sparkle) and Voodoo (bright metallic purple w/dimensional sparkle).


3. Tarte All Eye Need Skinny SmolderEyes Eyeliner Set
I've never tried this Tarte liner, but I've heard it blends easily and lasts all day! The set includes 5 of their best selling shades: onyx (black), bronze agate (bronze), smoky quartz (grey taupe), peridot green (olive green), plum tanzanite (dark plum)


Best holiday makeup gift sets and palettes
Whole Look Makeup Sets

1. Too Faced Beauty Wishes and Sweet Kisses
This is a great little palette with three shadows (they're duplicates from the Chocolate Bar Palette), Chocolate Soleil Bronzer, Snow Bunny Luminous Bronzer (super pretty shimmer!) and La Crème Lip Gloss in Naked Dolly. This is everything you need to create a great look, so it's perfect for carrying around for touchups for for a quick trip out of town.


2. Tarte Chic to Cheek Amazonian Clay Blush Set
I love Tarte's Amazonian Clay Blushes! The colors are always flattering, and while they're great for a subtle glow, they last all day. This set has 4 limited edition shades: amour (candy pink), classic (soft apricot pink), prim (plum nude), daydream (rosy pink).


3. Tarte Tres Chic Park Ave Princess Contour Palette
Whether you want to try out contouring and need to just easily buy everything you need in one spot, or you already contour and want an easy to grab palette, this is a great option. This one palette has Amazonian clay matte waterproof bronzer in Park Ave Princess, Amazonian Clay Blush in Posh (pale pink), and Amazonian Clay highlighter in champagne gold.


4. Too Faced La Belle Carousel
This is a set I definitely want! The carousel has 6 separate sections, so you can pull them apart to share or keep for yourself. (ummm.... keep!) I love that there are a 3 shadow trios (the shades are mostly old, but they're remixed with new friends from other palettes), 2 blush/bronzers and one side also has a deluxe tube of my favorite Better Than Sex Mascara.


5. Too Faced Everything Nice Set
I just got this in the mail and it is amazing! I'm going to be recommending it to everyone.

• 20 Eye shadows in Turtle Dove, Dream On, After Hours, Fawned of You, Knockout, Paper Roses, Kindness is Free, Mauvelous, Be You, Secret Lovers, Heaven, Shiny Happy, Honey Pot, Don’t Settle, Girly, Totally Fetch, Live it Up, Too Glam, Head Over Heels, Chocolate Moon
• 2 Bronzers in Chocolate Soleil and Inner Light
• 2 Blushes in Papa Don’t Peach and Sweet Pink
• 3 mini Gold glitter Cruelty-Free Teddy Bear makeup brushes
• Better Than Sex Mascara (deluxe sample)
• Pink glitter zip bag
• Step-by-step, how-to Glamour Guide



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