Kat Stays Polished | Beauty Blog with a Dash of Life: November 2013

Urban Decay - The Great and Powerful Oz Glinda Palette

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Hey guys!!! Happy almost Thanksgiving! My parents arrived in town last night and I'm SOOO excited that they're here! They will be with us for a week and I look forward to all the yummy food my mom and dad will be cooking for me. =)

Anyway, on to today's topic! I have the Urban Decay-The Great and Powerful Oz Glinda Palette to show you. I'm sure most of you have already seen his as it came out almost 9 months ago. I snagged this baby for $24 on Urban Decay's website on clearance! There are still a few flt if you decide you want one!

I absolutely loved this movie and I loved Michelle Williams as Glinda. She as so perfect and pretty and I knew I wanted this palette as soon as I could afford it.

So this palette comes with a Get the Look card to tell you exactly how to achieve the gorgeous Glinda look. I have yet to try it but I'm sure I'll do it soon. Maybe while my parents are here...out to dinner...? =)

Here you get 6 eye shadows, a mini 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil and a lip crayon [pictured at the bottom of the post]. These are basically full sized shadows and 2 of them have 2 colors in them! You have 8 beautiful colors to choose from to create any "good witch" look you desire.

The colors are unbelievable pigmented and very beautiful. I did use a primer underneath of the swatches because I use a primer when applying my eye shadow.

If you've never used their eye pencils, GET TO IT! It goes on so smooth with no snagging. This does not budge an inch! Even just for this quick swatch I had to do a little scrubbing to get it off.

The lip crayon is subtle and natural so of course that's why it's in this palette. I love this color and it's something I could wear every single day.

I think I am obsessed with Urban Decay's makeup. I have bought 3 palettes in the past 2 months and I don't see myself stopping anytime soon. Are you like this too?

Let me know if you have this palette already. If you don't, will you be buying the last ones from UD's website for just $24????

brandbacker

Victoria Jackson - "No Make Up Make Up" Foundation Duo

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Hey guys! Are you ready for Thanksgiving??? Today I have a review of the "No Make Up Make Up" Foundation Duos from Victoria Jackson. I don't usually use foundations in a compact but this looked like it could be ok. It's got a really creamy formula so it's a breeze to apply.

Here is a little bit about Victoria Jackson:

Having achieved success as a Hollywood makeup artist, cosmetics entrepreneur and TV infomercial pioneer, Victoria Jackson prefers to think of herself as “a goodwill ambassador for makeup.” When women embrace self-confidence, she says, they learn the key to success, and liking who they see in the mirror is a powerful first step in that transformative process. “My personal philosophy has always been, ‘When you look better, you feel better. And when you feel better, you can change your life,’” says Jackson, who in the last dozen years has volunteered hundreds of hours at women’s correctional facilities, hospitals and youth support venues,

teaching inner confidence through outer beauty.

A recognized trailblazer in the cosmetics and infomercial industries, Jackson has racked up eleven of them for her eponymous line Victoria Jackson Cosmetics, which has enjoyed an astounding billion dollars in makeup sales, and continues to grow. Jackson has also reached thousands of women through her two briskly selling books: Redefining Beauty: Discovering Your Individual Beauty, Enhancing Your Self-Esteem (Warner Books, 1993) and Make Up Your Life: Every Woman’s Guide to the Power of Makeup (HarperCollins, 2000), a deeply personal account of her experiences in the business which she calls one of her proudest achievements.

An active philanthropist, Victoria’s newest charity is near and dear to her heart. The Guthy-Jackson Charitable Foundation is dedicated to funding basic science research to find answers that will lead to the prevention, clinical treatment programs and a cure for Neuromyelitis Optica (NMO) Spectrum Disease. More information about NMO and the foundation can be found at www.guthyjacksonfoundation.org.

Married to husband Bill Guthy of infomercial giant Guthy-Renker, Victoria Jackson is a proud mom of

three children and together they make their primary residence in Los Angeles.

- See more at: http://www.vmakeup.com/about#sthash.RbAF1bqa.dpuf

Let's take a look at the packaging and then we'll move on to the swatches.

The foundation compacts are tucked nicely inside a basic box. Once you take it out and open the compact, you have your foundation duo on one side, a mirror up top, and an applicator on the bottom. For my review, I used my stippling brush and swiped it a few times on both color. I had to mix these because the light was too light for me.

Victoria Jackson sent me both the medium tone and the tan tone to try. Since I get really dark in the summer [and live in Florida], I was worried that the medium tones were going to be too light for my skin. I found that the darkest of the medium and the lightest of the tan was good enough to not need bronzer.

Here are the swatches of each side of each duo plus a swatch of the two colors mixed.

Overall I really like this foundation. It blends nicely into my skin and it lasts all day. My face is generally oily so of course I had to blot throughout the day, but adding a setting powder to my face at the beginning of the day helps to keep my face nice and matte.

If you'd like to try this foundation for yourself, Victoria Jackson is offering my readers a 20% off discount! Just use code: BLOG2013 at checkout on their website! This is good until December 31, 2013.

*Product was sent by Victoria Jackson through the Brandbacker program. All opinions are 100% honest and my own.

popsugar

My Style with ShopStyle by POPSUGAR - We Shop Style

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Hey guys! As you can probably guess, this post is all about style! Have you seen any of the new ShopStyle ads on television yet? I have and I am here to tell you all about it! Take a look at one of the ads that are currently running:

ShopStyle is getting a new look and feel and POPSUGAR and I are excited to share the news with YOU! Starting in November, you’ll see ShopStyle advertising campaigns in major publications, on TV, and even taxi tops around NYC.

ShopStyle is a website that pulls together all the latest fashions, trends, accessories, and more and let's you browse everything in one place. Once you find your perfect style, it will link you to a place to purchase your new threads.

As a POPSUGAR Select Beauty Blogger, I get the chance to show you my style with ShopStyle. So, what's my style? Take a look below to find out!

My style is very simple. I love platform pumps and I don't like spending too much on them. Even though some of these are brand name, I got them for a great deal. When I'm not dressing in cute boots and sweater dresses, I love fun shirts with Hello Kitty or cupcakes on them. These are available at most stores with cute novelty tees. When it comes to me and makeup, I usually go for a very natural day-to-day look. The Naked palette pictured above only cost me $6.60 out of pocket -- again, I love high-end items at bargain prices! You also can't go wrong with textured polish - JulieG Holiday Frosted Gum Drops at $3.99 a piece. Lastly, my studded cowgirl jeans - retail $109. I got them BRAND NEW at the thrift shop for just $10.

My most favorite items on this spread are linked below for your convenience. Some things that aren't linked are either too old or are no longer available.

A variety of Coach purses and wallets [I have about 4 more bags]
Hello Kitty Graphic Tees
Urban Decay Naked Palette
Merona Women's Meg Chunky Heel Pumps - Leopard
Carlos Santana Platform Heels
Faux Fur Platform Ankle Boots
Short Sleeved Sweater Dress with Belt
Personalized Sanrio iPad Case
Penny Loves Kenny Polka Dot Platform Heels

My favorite item not available anywhere else in the world is the gold and jade jewelry from my both of my grandmothers. Combined, I have the most amazing jade and gold pieces that any girl could ever ask for. I got the tri-color jade bracelet for my birthday almost 10 years ago and the rest of it was given to me on my wedding day. I will cherish these pieces forever.

So, what do you think? If you're curious about any of the items not mentioned, let me know in the comments! I hope you'll check out ShopStyle and find something new for your wardrobe! Have fun!