31 October 2013

China Glaze Afterglow

Hump day is over, and it's almost the weekend! Today, I have for you lovelies, a gorgeous nail polish from China Glaze. I've never tried China Glaze nail polishes before this, and I have to say, I'm quite impressed with the brand so far. They have a wide selection of shades to choose from, and the price is pretty darn good at $3.99. 

The shade I'm going to share with you is called Afterglow. I have to be honest, I fell in love with the name, and then the shade. It's a beautiful sheer, holographic pink. In different lighting, it will appear a peachy, light pink, or a holographic blue. You could compare it to the color on the inside of a shell. I think it's gorgeous.
The formula is really nice. It goes on smoothly with no clumping, and it's not too thin. I used two coats and topped it off with Seche Vite Top Coat in the photo above. I've been wearing Afterglow for a few days now, and so far there is no chipping. If there is a bit of chip wear, I can't tell, because the color is too sheer to notice. Cherry Culture usually has China Glaze nail polishes on sale at $3.99, with the original price being $4.20, and of course I took advantage of the 40% off sale! Total steal! I'm wishing I purchased more shades, but I'll wait until next time. 

Do you have Afterglow? Or any China Glaze nail polishes? What do you think of sheer shades like this one?

Like what you see? Follow me :)

28 October 2013

Fall Date Night Makeup and a Surprise

Did you guys notice what date it is? It's almost November! By the end of this week, we will be 7.5 weeks closer to Christmas. Exciting!!!

If you haven't noticed already, my profile pictures have changed! I've updated my look to a fresh-faced profile that hopefully makes me look a little closer to my age and more professional as well. I really like it, and I just want to say thank you for all the lovely comments you have been sending me about it. Thank you!!! Mwah!
Today' I'm going to share with you how I achieved this fresh, fall look. It's pretty simple, and that's what I like about it. Guess which palette I used! Yup. The Estee Lauder Duo in Raisins. heeheehee
Here's the video for how I created this look that has become my go-to look when I can't think of anything to do with my face. Mmmhhhmm. :)


For my loyal readers, as an intro into the month of Thanksgiving, I want to give something back to you. Remember how I said that I may pick up another Estee Lauder Duo in Raisins for a possible giveaway? Well, I did in fact go out and get another one. Just for you. One of you will have the chance to win this lovely palette. Can we admire its beauty one more time, please? You can view my full blog post about Raisins here
If you'd like a chance to win, just enter through the Rafflecopter below.

Standard Rules:
Giveaway is open internationally.
Giveaway will run from October 28-November 2, 2013 12:00 AM Pacific Time.
Must be 18 years of age or have permission from parents/guardian to enter and receive prizes.
A Beauty Moment is not responsible for the package after it has been handed over to the mailing service.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Disclaimer: I did not receive compensation for this blog post or this product. I purchased the prize with my own money, because I just love it so darn much! :)

26 October 2013

Zoya Nail Polish in Neve

It's Friday, Friday, dunadundun on Friday, Friday!!! I don't know the words to that song, and even though it's quite terrible, I can't help but sing it on Fridays. I wasn't sure what to blog about today, but then I remembered that I didn't share my latest mani with you lovelies!

I received Zoya Neve in my October Ipsy Glam Bag, along with some other products. If you'd like to see that post, you can do so here.

Zoya is a brand that I've never tried before. I've heard good things about them, but we don't carry that brand on island, at least not that I know of. Also, nail polish shipping is heavily regulated so...it sucks. Haha. Anyway, Zoya is said to make the world's longest wearing natural nail polish and nail care treatments. Their products are also free of nasties.

Neve is a beautiful sapphire blue jewel tone. It shimmers in the light, and is honestly one of the most gorgeous nail polishes that I own. However, I am pretty partial to blues and jewel tones anyway. I've received several compliments on this nail polish as well. 

The formulation is smooth and easy to apply. To achieve full opacity, I applied two coats and topped it off with Seche Vite Top Coat. The lasting power was around four days before it started chipping. 

At $8.00 per bottle, I'd say Essie has a strong competitor. You can purchase Zoya Nail Polishes at Zoya's website. Unfortunately, I can't find any other known retailers that carry Zoya. Maybe you could share in the comments if you know where to find these gems! :)


Do you have a shade like this in your collection? What are your thoughts? 


Like what you see? Follow me :)

24 October 2013

I'd like you to meet Yuen, the cutie, from The Craziest Paradigm

This month, I was able to host Yuen Lim as my exclusive advertiser. Yuen blogs over at The Craziest Paradigm, and when I first started following her months ago, I fell in love with her blog title. It's definitely something unique and special, just like the girl behind the blog. :)
Rust & Stardust
The Craziest Paradigm can be described as:
A fashion, beauty and lifestyle blog run by a girl that dreams of the world. I like glitter, cupcakes, flowers, books and am a Potterhead! Bits of everything and anything - do stop buy and take a look (:

Yuen's blog posts for October consisted of wish lists to lust after, quirky fashion posts, and so much more. My favorite of her posts this month has to be her OOTD// Avada Kedavra. Yes, Harry Potter fans, you read that right. She names some of her outfit posts after Harry Potter spells! Being an HP fan myself, I really love it!
Photo courtesy of The Craziest Paradigm

If you don't already follow Yuen's blog, I suggest you head on over to see what she's all about and show her some love. I'm sure you'll love her! :)

Be sure to enter our current GIVEAWAY where you have a chance to win an Infinity Ring, Geometric Statement Necklace, and A Large Ad Space for November on A Beauty Moment! 

Thank you for reading, and if you'd like to advertise on A Beauty Moment, feel free to check out my ad packages here

23 October 2013

Campus Book Rentals, Operation Smile, and a Giveaway

This is a special post for my fellow college students. If you're currently a college student in the United States, whether it be as an undergraduate or a graduate student, I have something for you!

I was contacted by the lovely Angela from Campus Book Rentals, and if you haven't heard of them, allow me to share their cause with you. Campus Book Rentals is one of the pioneers of the "textbook rental movement." They've been around since 2007 providing textbooks to college students at affordable rental prices.


Why am I partnering with them? I went to college as an undergrad for 7 years. That's a lot of textbooks that I had to shell out money for. Because my major was in Business Administration, my books were more expensive than books for the other majors, though I'm not quite sure why. Each business book cost me AT LEAST $150.00. It wasn't until my last few semesters that I started looking to the internet to get my books. I even turned to international versions of textbooks, because they were SO much cheaper. Now, as a graduate student, I know better than to purchase a textbook unless I absolutely need to. For instance, if I need a book for more than one semester, and it's cheaper to buy it, then I will. However, for the most part, I know I will be renting.

Operation Smile.
The best part of Campus Book Rentals is that they are partnered with Operation Smile, an amazing children's medical charity organization dedicated to healing children's smiles. They provide free surgeries to children for cleft lip, cleft palate, or other facial deformities.
I've heard of Operation Smile and admire what they do. As a mother and as someone who knows a baby that needed surgery for her cleft lip, this cause is very close to my heart. With every textbook rental, Campus Book Rentals donates a portion of the proceeds to this wonderful organization.

There are other perks too, of course!
  • Save 40-90% off of bookstore prices.
  • You can highlight in the textbook.
  • Flexible renting periods. Keep the book as long as you need to.
  • Free shipping both ways.
  • Anyone can rent textbooks, even if you're not a student.
  • Option to buy the book after renting it. You'll only be charged for the remainder of the book's cost.
Want to see how it works? Check out this video.

As if that isn't enough, Campus Book Rentals has a new program called Rent Back. Basically, you ship your books to Rent Back, they rent out your textbook to other students, and you get paid. 

How cool is that? I'm going to see if I can get in on this, because that sounds like a really good deal to me. 

Giveaway.
Alright, on to the giveaway! Campus Book Rentals was kind enough to provide a $50 voucher to one of my lovely readers. This voucher can be used towards any book rental on their site for the next semester. OR you can choose to receive $25 in PayPal Cash as your prize. It's up to you! We college students need all the help we can get, am I right? 

Rules: 
  1. Open INTERNATIONALLY. If the winner is from outside the US, you will receive the PayPal cash. If the winner is from the US, you will be able to choose which prize you would prefer.  
  2. You must be at least 18 years old or have permission from your parent/guardian to enter and receive prizes.
  3. You don't need to be in school to enter. 
  4. This giveaway will run from October 23, 2013 - November 7, 2013 12:00 AM Pacific Time.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

22 October 2013

Harley Quinn Halloween Makeup Tutorial

October will soon be over, and since it's almost Halloween, I thought I'd do one more tutorial to celebrate. This look is a recreation of Harley Quinn by Julia Graf. If you don't follow Julia, she is an amazing makeup artist, and I've been a fan for years.

My recreation isn't exact, and I did change some things to make it easier for myself. However, I'm really happy with how it turned out. The first time I tried it, I totally messed up, and was discouraged from trying again, but I pushed myself off my bum and got to work.



How do you like this look? And my new background (yay!)? What will you be for Halloween?

Like what you see? Follow me :)

21 October 2013

My Imagination Station | Dream Office

I'm a dreamer, I must admit, and I am not ashamed. One day, I want to be able to teleport. For now, however, I'll stick to dreams that are actually attainable, like creating my own dream office. Sometime in the near future, I'd like to be able to do my work in a place I love to be. Where I can be whatever I want to be. There won't be mold in the corners and termites flying around late at night. The Little One will be able to walk around to his heart's content. The neighbors won't be just one wall away. That's the dream, my friends.

Photo courtesy of PBTeen

I was surfing through Pottery Barn Teen recently, and it's honestly one of my favorite sites to go when I need some inspiration. They have my style down, and I can always find a thing or two or three that I love. The prices are crazy, but I'm just there for inspiration anyway. If I had the cash though, no doubt I'd drop it in that store. The photo above has a nice set up, and I love that it's in front of a window for natural light. Here are some pieces that I would love to have in my dream office.



What items would you like to have in your dream office/workspace? 

Like what you see? Follow me :)

18 October 2013

Ipsy Glam Bag | October 2013

It's Ipsy time again! I can't say I was too excited about the October Ipsy Glam Bag, because I honestly don't think you can beat Urban Decay deluxe samples... BUT it's not too bad of a bag, so I'll share it with you all, and you lovelies seem to like these posts. I thank you kindly for reading them :).

October 2013 Ipsy Glam Bag

This month's theme was "The Art of Beauty", and the makeup bag containing the products has "Love of beauty is taste. The creation of beauty is art" printed on the front. The bag itself is quite simple - all white with fuchsia print and zipper.


Ipsy subscriber brands and perks for this month are listed on the back as always. 


In the bag, I received:
A packet of 10 LA Fresh Eco Beauty Oil-Free Face Cleanser Wipes, $9.99 for 30 wipes. (Cost for sample: $3.33)
A Coastal Scents Classic Shadow Medium Synthetic Brush, $2.49 full size. (Received full size)


Travel size Big Sexy Hair Blow Dry Volumizing Gel, $5.00. (Received full travel size)
Bella Terra Mineral Cosmetics Mineral Shimmer in Emotion, a shimmery purple, $14.99 for 2.5g. (Received 2.0g, $11.99)
Zoya Nail Polish in Neve, a sapphire blue metallic, $8.00 full size. (Received full size)


Total cost of products: $30.81
Cost of Ipsy Glam Bag: $10.00
Savings: $20.81

Personally, the only things I like in the bag are the shadow brush and the nail polish, because you can never have too many brushes or nail polish, right? Plus, the Neve is such a gorgeous shade! The others I have no use for. I don't use makeup wipes, I don't blow dry my hair nor do I own a blow dryer, and the mineral shimmer may have carmine in it... if you don't know what carmine is, go here. *shivers* Some people don't mind carmine in their cosmetics or their food, but I would prefer mine to be without it.

Ipsy... not too happy this month again, but I guess it's ok since the products I DO like account for the cost of the bag. Phew!

What do you all think of this month's Ipsy bag? I always love your responses. :)

Like what you see? Follow me :)

17 October 2013

Lipstick Sandwich | Rimmel Lasting Finish Kate Moss Lipstick #10 and Sleek True Colour Lipstick in Cranberry

Phew look at that title! It's quite a mouthful, but hey, I didn't name these products. Tonight, I'm going to share with you my autumn lip preference, and even though we don't have autumn around here, I still really like autumn colors. I think deep reds are really pretty, don't you?

Summary of my thoughts on Rimmel Lasting Finish Kate Moss Lipstick #10
#110 is a bright, glossy red that is reminiscent of pin-up style lipstick. 
The packaging is a slim, lightweight black tube with Kate and a heart printed on the cap. The cap clicks into place, but it isn't the most sturdy packaging. 
The formula of the lipstick is smooth, creamy, and glides onto lips easily. It's glossy, but because it's such a bright, pigmented shade, it lasts longer than a lighter color would. I would say it lasts around 3-4 hours and leaves behind a nice stain. 
At $5.49 at Ulta and most drugstores, you really can't go wrong. 


My thoughts on Sleek True Colour Lipstick in Cranberry
Cranberry is a deep berry red, a perfect vampy color for the autumn and winter seasons. 
The packaging is a short, oval, black case with a sort of velvety suede finish (the only words I can use to describe it, lol). The odd shape is kind of cute, and it's so small! Perfect for throwing in my makeup bag. 
The formulation of Cranberry is matte and glides on smoothly. It does drag a little because of the texture, but if you apply a bit of balm before, application will be smooth. It lasts quite a while because it's a matte finish at around 4-5 hours, and it leaves behind a nice berry stain. 
Sadly, Sleek does not carry this shade anymore. Similar shades would be Cherry or Mulberry. At $6.49 on the Sleek website, it's at a similar price point to the Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipsticks.


I applied a nude lip liner and then Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick in #110 all over my lips. Then I patted on Sleek True Color Lipstick in Cranberry on top to deepen the color. I really liked the result, hehe.


Oh yeah, it's also perfect for Halloween :). 
There's a video for this lovely little spider look, if you'd like to watch it. I would love it if you left me a nice thumbs up :).


What do you think of my lipstick sandwich? Have you tried these lipsticks? 

Like what you see? Follow me :)

16 October 2013

What's in My Travel Makeup Bag


I don't remember if I shared this video with you, but I did a What's in my travel makeup bag video last week. I'm not really a traveler, nor have I gone to many places, but I do enjoy it. A break from the everyday routine is always nice. So here you, go! 


What do you take with you when you travel? 

Like what you see? Follow me :)

15 October 2013

My Casetagram for My iPhone 5

I hardly ever win anything. Ever. But when I do, it's usually unexpected. You know the kind when you forgot you entered in the first place? Yup. That. The beautiful Ellie, from Ellie's Ramblings, hosted a Casetagram giveaway in August, and yours truly won the prize, which was a $40 credit to design my own case. Yay!


That's me! Anyway, I was able to design a case for my iPhone 5, and I already knew what I wanted to add to it. Photos of my family, of course! I rarely ever share photos of my family, simply because I want to keep that part of my life private for the most part. But we'll make an exception this time. :)

My apologies for this really grainy photo. I couldn't get my camera to focus...

Casetagram did a great job with the case. It's a clear, plastic case with a texture that I can't quite describe. My little one likes to scratch it, because of the sound it makes. He also likes to look at the photos of himself and us, lol. The photos are aligned neatly on the back, and on the side, Casetagram has embossed their logo discreetly, so it's not distracting at all.

Overall, I'm really happy with the case, and even though it took a really long time to arrive (around a month or so), I'm not complaining. 

I'd like to thank Ellie, once again for such a great giveaway, and to Casetagram for doing an amazing job with my order. 

Do you have  personalized case for your favorite gadget? 

Like what you see? Follow me :)

14 October 2013

Win Cute Jewelry and an Ad Space from The Craziest Paradigm and A Beauty Moment

It's mid-October, and my-oh-my, Christmas is almost here! Today, I have for you a cute giveaway from Yuen from The Craziest Paradigm. She is my exclusive advertiser this month,  and I would really love it if you head over to her blog and show some support. Also, enter this fun giveaway!

Prizes:
Infinity Ring (your choice of gold, black, or silver)
Geometric Statement Necklace
Large Ad Space on A Beauty Moment for 1 month

Stock images

Aren't those the cutest pieces of jewelry? I'm really loving cute, statement pieces this year, so this is quite a treat. Too bad I can't enter, lol! 

Giveaway Rules:
Runs from October 14 - November 1, 2013 12:00 AM Pacific Time
Must be 18 or older or have permission from your parentes to enter the giveaway and receive prizes. 
This is an INTERNATIONAL giveaway. 
Enter via the Rafflecopter below.
No giveaway accounts accepted (inactive accounts used only for entering giveaways). 
A Beauty Moment is not responsible for shipping out prizes. The Craziest Paradigm will provide prizes. 
Thank you! Good luck, everyone!


a Rafflecopter giveaway
The giveaway has ended! Thank to everyone who entered! There are other giveaways running so have a look around and try your luck!

Our winner was chosen via Random.org, since Rafflecopter was giving me a major headache.... very disappointed in that service at the moment. Hopefully the get that fixed. Anyway, in case it happens to you, just use Random.org and it will choose a random number for you. Then you can view your entries from Rafflecopter and find the matching number. Then you have your winner! :)

13 October 2013

Autumn Long Walk Home

Happy Sunday! Another slow day on the blogosphere. I believe everyone is out and about having lots of fun. We just came home from spending some time out in some of the malls, so now it's rest time.

I have another cute little outfit to share with you all. This outfit I put together is so much like my real style, and I can't stand that I can't wear this, because I would look RIDICULOUS here. It's like wearing something like this to the beach... ugh. Can you imagine the looks I'd get - they'll think I've lost it. Haha! Anyway, what do you lovelies think? Yay? Nay?

Like what you see? Follow me :)

11 October 2013

International Shipping Tip | Package Forwarding

For those of you who follow me on Twitter, you'll know that I gripe about how certain US companies don't ship to Guam, where I'm from. Guam is a US territory. We pay US taxes, follow US laws, we have the same President, etc. Why they don't ship to Guam is beyond me. A bit frustrating, but let's move on. 

I have quite a few readers from the United Kingdom and Australia among other countries (Hi, everyone!), and since I shared this "tip" with one of my UK blogger friends, Gemma (Miss Makeup Magpie), I figured why not do more research and share my findings with you all. Beware. There is a lot of information... 

How do I get packages shipped to me from places that ONLY ship to the US mainland? Well, I use a package forwarding service. 
How it works: The basics.
  1. Sign up at the package forwarding site and receive your US mailing address c/o the forwarding company. 
  2. Go shopping!
  3. When checking out, input the forwarding address given to you by your forwarding company in the SHIPPING Address field (not the BILLING Address field). Make sure to add the address to your PayPal account as well.
  4. Place the order.
  5. Notify your forwarding company that you are expecting a package (if necessary).
  6. Your forwarding company will send you an invoice of the shipping cost and any fees. 
  7. Read it through, and pay for it.
  8. Your forwarding company should send you a confirmation of shipment when your package has been shipped and any tracking numbers (if available). 
  9. Wait for your lovely package!
When searching for a forwarding company, be sure to read the FAQs and Terms before you decide. Ensure that you understand the way it works, and what you need to do when using their services.

I found four (4) major forwarding companies to share with you all. No, they did not pay me or anything. They don't even know I'm writing this. I used the same information through all sites:
  • Package Weight: 5 pounds 0 ounces
  • Shipping from: US
  • Shipping to: United Kingdom or Australia (chosen as samples)

Bongo
Shipping cost: 
US to United Kingdom - $39.59 + $5.00 per box
US to Australia - $39.67 + $5.00 per box
EU to US - $43.20 minimum + $5.00 per box. It's more sensible to purchase 10 pounds weight ($66.60) of products than 1 pound ($43.20). 

Features:
Package storage up to 21 days.
Able to consolidate packages into one (1) package. 
Can ship from EU to US.  


MyUS
Shipping cost: 
US to United Kingdom - $52.52
US to Australia - $60.79 

Features:
Free repackaging service and package consolidation (set it up in your settings). 
Free storage for 5 days for Standard Members, and up to 30 days for Premium Members.
No fees stated.

Shipito
Shipping cost: 
US to United Kingdom - $47.07 + $8.50 per package 
US to Australia - $58.07 + $8.50 per package

Features:
Assisted Purchasing - If a store (Sephora, Beauty.com, etc.) will not accept your "out of US" credit card/bank card, Shipito will purchase the items for you and ship them to you. Read more here
Virtual Mailbox available - $10/month or $50/year
Free storage for 90 days.
Individual Package Accounts - Free, No Consolidation Available, One Package at a time only.
Virtual Mailbox Accounts -  $10/month or $50/year, $2 Consolidation Fee/package, 18 Cubic Feet of Storage.


Aloha Forwarding
Shipping cost: 
US to United Kingdom - $66.85 + $4.00 per box + $5.95 handling fee (minimum)
US to Australia - $74.95 + $4.00 per box + $5.95 handling fee (minimum)
US to US Territories - $16.85 +$4.00 + $5.95 handling fee (minimum) (Priority Mail Flat Rate boxes are cheaper than calculated weight boxes)

Features:
Ships to US Territories, Alaska, Hawaii and APO Adresses
Repacking service $4.00 per invoice.
Forwarding request must be made prior to package arrival at Aloha Forwarding. A fee of $5.00 per package will be assessed if no forwarding request was made. 

As you can see, there are a lot of things to consider when shopping for a forwarding company, but when you find your match, it'll be such a relief, because you can now shop almost ANYWHERE in the US. Yup. I've just endangered more wallets. Sorry... lol.

Was this post helpful? Do you use a forwarding service? Would you use one? Your thoughts? 

Like what you see? Follow me :)

10 October 2013

Giveaway | Coach Ashley Signature Carryall Bag

Hello, lovely followers! I have another giveaway for you all, and it's quite the prize, especially if you love Coach products. NYSavingsSpecials is giving away a lovely Coach Ashley Signature Carryall Bag. If you fancy yourself a new handbag, try your luck by entering! Sorry, international readers, this is a US only giveaway. :( 
Ash B @ A Beauty Moment is not responsible for this giveaway. Any inquiries should be sent to NYSavingsSpecials
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hosted by:

Co-hosted by:



You can be the lucky winner of a 
Coach Ashley Signature Carryall Bag 
Value $358 


Details:

Dates  October 10 12:01am  to November 17 11:59pm

US Resident Only

All entries are optional



Disclaimer: A Beauty Moment  is not responsible for the awarding of the prize.  Host is responsible for prize fulfillment.  If you have any questions about this giveaway, please email the host at nysavingspecials@gmail.com

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
UA-40051127-1