Wednesday, August 26, 2015

September Q & A

Last week I asked for suggestions for September blog posts you guys wanted to see, and overwhelmingly you all responded that you wanted to do a Q&A. So here's your chance...


Ask me any question your heart desires and I will do my best to answer them all in a blog post next month. Your questions can be beauty related or personal, I will leave it up to you. Ask them either on this blog post or on my Facebook, which I will link below. 


And don't forget to hit that button in the upper right hand corner that says "Follow" so you won't miss your question being answered once the blog post goes live :)

-Sammi Cupcake


Ipsy September sneak peek

Ipsy September Sneak Peeks


#1: Our first look
It looks like a NYX eye palette and Glamglow flashmud treatment. 

#2: The bag


#3: The theme


#4: Official sneak peek #1


I'll continue to update this post as we get more sneak peeks for September! It looks to be a good month, so far! 



Saturday, August 22, 2015

Rock this look: Pin up

Rock This Look

"Pin up girl edition"



So I totally love how this look came out! I tried "strobing" for the first time which, let's not lie to ourselves, is just highlighting! But I think I look shiny in the best way possible. For this look, I chose a neutral eye with a bit of gold accent (winged liner of course) and a super bright red matte lip. Most of the products I used are Colour Pop because well..they are AMAZING! Here are the Colour Pop products I used:

  • Lips: Ultra Matte in shade "Succulent"
  • Highlight: Lunch Money
  • Shadow: Get Lucky

Well, I think that's it for today. I think I'm going to make this a series I do once a week with different looks. I hope you guys like the series, and let me know if you want to see any specific looks :) You are the best readers a girl could ask for. Don't forget to hit the follow button on the upper right hand corner of the page if you haven't already. We'd love to have you around!

Sammi Cupcake



Brainstorm

So I'm sitting here on a Saturday night watching Andy Griffith, playing with my makeup, and brainstorming ideas for next months blog topics. I was thinking it would be pretty neat if you guys (my cupcakes!) suggested topics you would like to read about next month.

Here are a couple ideas I had:

  • On trend fall lipstick colors for 2015
  • Makeup (or personal, if you guys care to hear) Q & A
  • ColourPop fall line swatch/review
Let me know if those sound like something you'd care to read about, I'd love to hear your feedback! And please do feel free to comment any ideas for a "beginning of fall" blog topic you'd be interested in. 


Thursday, August 20, 2015

Jamberry review

Jamberry


First off, huge thanks to Becca for sending me this awesome Jamberry kit. I have never, ever tried Jamberry before and I was super stoked to get this kit in the mail! So let's get down to my thoughts!

The process took me a good 30 minutes from start to finish. I applied them using the method called "Jamberry "cold" application and baggie method." Here is the process I followed to apply mine:
  • Push back your cuticles and use the Jamberry nail prep wipe.
  • Match the correct size nail wrap to your nail. Use tweezers to remove the wrap. (Tip, if you touch the wrap with your finger the oils will be make the wrap unusable.)
  • Cut the wrap down the approximate length of your nail and position it onto your nail.
  • Using a cuticle pusher (or similar tool) gently apply pressure to the wrap to help with the bonding process.
  • Put your finger inside a plastic baggie, and apply the heated rice pack on top for about 30 seconds. 
  • Trim and file down excess wrap.
  • Apply heat once more just to make sure it is bonded well to the nail.
And that's it, rinse and repeat. To be honest, I didn't have high hopes for this product working but I was pleasantly surprised. The nail wraps are a lot thicker than the ones you buy in stores, and I believe this is a good option for growing your nails out. Mine are pretty long right now and I feel like the wraps will help protect my nails from breaking. (And look super cute in the meantime.)

I have only had the wraps on 24 hours but so far they have held up well, and I have cleaned the house...done laundry...all those Mom duties. I will come back in a week and edit this post to let you know how they are doing, but I like them a lot so far! If you'd like to try Jamberry for yourself, please visit Becca's Jamberry store by CLICKING HERE

Until next week,




Friday, August 14, 2015

August Contest Winners

And the August contest winners are....

For the Fortune Cookie Soap fall box
JENNIFER C! Check your email because Fortune Cookie Soap has contacted you about your prize. Congratulations!!




The winner of the Fortune Cookie Soap from the fall box is 
PAULETTE HAIR! I will be sending out your cookie within the next week. Congratulations! 

Thank you all so much for entering. Please join me in congratulating our winners and make sure you follow this blog. Who knows, the next contest winner could be you!! :)




Birchbox vs Ipsy [August]

Birchbox vs Ipsy


Birchbox

  • Supergoop! Forever Young hand cream [Appx. $2] SAMPLE
  • Coola Makeup Setting Spray [Appx. $7] SAMPLE
  • Beauty Protector Protect & Detangle leave in conditioner [Appx. $5] SAMPLE
  • LAQA & Co lip crayon [Appx. $6] DELUXE SAMPLE
  • Harvey Prince Hello perfume [Appx $6] SAMPLE
This box contained 2 items I will use (the perfume and Coola setting spray), and all sample sizes. 
Total bag value $26


Ipsy


  • Starlooks eye liner pen [$19] FULL SIZE
  • Marc Anthony argan oil of morocco [Appx. $5] DELUXE SAMPLE
  • Clear Clinic clear spot treatment [Appx $9] SAMPLE
  • Hikari cosmetics lip gloss [$13] FULL SIZE
  • AILA nail polish [$17] FULL SIZE
This bag contained 3 products I will use (the eye liner pen, spot treatment, and lip gloss) and I got three full sized items and only 2 samples, plus the cute houndstooth bag!
Total bag value $66 (If you figure the bag itself at $3 which is what I've normally seen them go for)

So yeah...per usual, Ipsy dominated. The retail value of Ipsy is nearly three times higher than the retail value of Birchbox, plus I got more items I will use in Ipsy AND most of my items are full size. Both subscriptions retail for $10. Birchbox really needs to step up their game. 







Thursday, August 13, 2015

ColourPop silver metallic look

Hey cupcakes! Today I'm bringing you a new makeup look using ColourPop cosmetic products. I hope you enjoy!


This look is very out of my comfort zone but I like it! It's silver metallics on my eyes with a nude lip.  It's created with ColourPop products almost entirely. The two shadows I'm using are these two:

 
Liberty                                                   Deck   

This is the highlighter I'm wearing:

Lunch Money

And finally this is the lip stick I'm wearing. It's an ultra matte.
Midi

I hope you all enjoyed this look and are having a happy Thursday! Don't forget, visit Colourpop.com if you like any of these products, and use code "THANKSBABE" for $5 off your first order. 






Sunday, August 9, 2015

ColourPop Neutral Swatches

Neutrals 


I ADORE ColourPop shadows and yesterday my husband gave me my birthday gift (which was ColourPop shadows) so I finally have enough to do a large neutral swatch for all my cupcakes! I hope you guys enjoy the swatches. Comment below and tell me if you own any of these and which are your favorites!


  • Cop A Feel-matte-creamy beige
  • Hanky Panky-matte-taupe
  • I Heart This-no finish-silvery taupe with multi-colored glitter
  • Plunge-pearlized-beige with a golden sheen
  • Get Lucky-metallic-true gold
  • Birthday Girl-no finish-medium brown with gold and bronze shimmer
  • Nillionaire-metallic-bronze with gold and multicolored glitter
  • 3-metallic-silvery bronze with multi-colored glitter
To get yours, visit ColourPop.com and use code"THANKSBABE" for $5 off a first time purchase. 




It's my BIRTHDAY!

Today I am mourning my twenties as I turn 29. I can safely say 28 has been my best year thus far, so maybe 29 won't be so bad! This year, well...2 months ago to be exact, I started this blog. In just two months over 14,000 have visited this page and that is the best birthday gift I could ever ask for. I love what I do.

My husband threw a birthday dinner for me yesterday with our families and I got some pretty amazing stuff! My mother in law got me a Polaroid camera and some cute new clothes, my parents got me a tank top from NYC and a mani/pedi, my husband got me a bunch of ColourPop products I've been wanting, my brother and sister in law got me tickets to a show I've been wanting to see, and my sister in law and her husband got me a batman cup, zombie car decal, and a gift card. I feel very spoiled and loved!

So this post is somewhat relevant, I took a picture of my makeup look I wore to my birthday dinner.



Here's a list of the products I am wearing:
  • Dr Jart dis-a-pore BB cream
  • Physicians Formula translucent mineral powder
  • Tarte blush in "thankful"
  • ColourPop highlight in "lunch money"
  • IT cosmetics brow powder 
  • ColourPop shadow in "Birthday Girl" 
  • LA Girl shadow (natural palette, darkest shade)
  • Jesse's Girl liquid liner pen
  • Tarte "Lights Camera Lashes" mascara
  • Stila lipstick in "Beso"

The only product I used I have a complaint with is the lipstick.  It was all over my sandwich I ate, my straw, my husband, and my face. I should've worn ColourPop "Creeper" but I wanted to try something new. From now on I'll definitely stick to my ColourPop for dinners...and you know, everything else in life.


Thanks for taking the time to read this and thank you to everyone who has wished me a happy birthday! It definitely has been :) If I can call in one more birthday favor, if you aren't already, please click that "follow" button on the right hand side and follow this blog. 

-Sammi Cupcake



Thursday, August 6, 2015

Fortune Cookie Soap fall box giveaway!

I just received an e-mail from Shannon of Fortune Cookie Soap and I have some very exciting news for all my cupcakes! I am hosting a give away with Fortune Cookie Soap and the winner will get a FALL SOAP BOX! (Valued at $19.99) I've included a photo of my fall soap box (if you click it on it, it'll take you to my review with more info) To enter, log in to the app below either through your Facebook or email, then complete the steps to enter. (The more entry options you complete, the more chances you have to win!) Also, it is not required to enter this contest, but I sure would appreciate it if you followed this blog. You can do so by clicking "Follow" on the right side of this page under my bio. This contest will end August 13 so get your entries in! I wish you all the best of luck.



a Rafflecopter giveaway

August Giveaway

Give Away




It's a rather uneventful day so I thought what better day to do a give-away on my blog?? I am giving away this Fortune Cookie soap featured in the fall soap box themed "Old Hollywood." The fortune cookie soap is "dressed to kill" scented. Fortune Cookie Soap describes this scent as red wine, vanilla, apples, and spice. 

So how do you win this great prize? Simple! Look on the right of this blog under "about me" and hit "follow," That's it! August 14th a winner will be chosen from the list of people currently subscribed to the blog. Good luck to you all :)







Tuesday, August 4, 2015

ColourPop Ultra Matte Review

I got my order of ColurPop Ultra Matte lippies today...they are EVERYTHING. I am so impressed with the formula and staying power. They are so vibrant and have an amazing color payoff. "This thin and lightweight formula glides onto the lips smoothly and leaves SUPER intense pigment-rich colour with a bold, ultra matte look. It's very long wearing and completely kiss proof. Available in 25 shades!" says ColourPop. I am definitely sold on these. They will be perfect for fall!  Here are the three I ordered this time, but I surely intend on making another order in the future!


  • Midi- soft neutral beige. This shade is a perfect nude for me! Much to my surprise, it is my favorite of the three I ordered.
  • Succulent-neon orange red. This shade is really fun, playful, and bright.
  • Creeper-classic true blue red. Creeper is a true red that will transition well into fall. 

For only $6 each, these are a steal! To get yours, visit colourpop.com and if you are making a first time order, use code THANKSBABE for $5 off. Hugs, kisses, and cupcakes...

Sammi Cupcake




Monday, August 3, 2015

Target Beauty Box

They are back again...the Target beauty boxes! Act fast, cupcakes! These boxes sell out super fast!


CLICK HERE TO GET YOURS


Monday Freebies 6.0

Time for me to do my little part in making your Monday better! Click on the photos below to be directed to some beauty items at the best possible price...FREE!

Creme of Nature shampoo 




Miss Haus BB cream & skin care sample




Nurture & Nourish lotion 




Wild Herb Soap 



And finally, I'd like to direct you to the Avon sale page to check out all the great deals being offered such as any 2 lipsticks for $10.99, Avon makeup brushes 2 for $10, and Avon skin so soft buy 1 get one half off.  Click the button below to see all the sales!


Enjoy and I hope these freebies have improved your Monday even just a little bit!  To keep seeing awesome Monday freebies such as these, please click one of the two buttons highlighted in the photo below. It helps me out a great deal! 


Sammi Cupcake





Saturday, August 1, 2015

August Avon review

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I have partnered with Avon with the goal of preventing, fighting, and eventually curing breast cancer. This month I was sent two products to try out. The items I received were "Avon Dew Kiss: lip dew" and "Avon Ultra Luxury brow liner" in the shade dark brown.  I currently do not have any Avon products in my line up of beauty products but I was pleasantly surprised when I gave these products a try.

(In this photo I am wearing both products)


Avon Dew Kiss Lip Dew

This is a great lip balm if you are just looking for something moisturizing with no bells and whistles. It's not tinted but it does provide a great shine and my lips were noticeably more moisturized after just one days use. My only complaint is the odd perfume scent chosen for this product. To me, it was sort of off-putting to apply to my mouth and the scent is pretty strong. I plan to keep using this while I'm applying my makeup to provide some extra moisture then removing to apply my lipstick. 

Avon Ultra Luxury brow liner

I was very pleasantly surprised by this product. Currently I use "It Cosmetics Brow Powder" and I found this very comparable for a fourth of the price. It was expecting it to be sort of waxy like most pencils are, but it was like a powder in pencil form. For $5, this item is definitely worth trying. 




This button is clickable and takes you to an Avon e-store where a percentage of your sale will go to end breast cancer. It would mean a lot to me if you guys used that button and tried some of the amazing products Avon has to offer, while also walking hand in hand to prevent, fight, and cure breast cancer. 


Sending hope to the fighters, peace for the survivors, and prayers for the taken.
Sammi Cupcake

**DISCLAIMER: I received these products complimentary from Avon for testing purposes, however you can trust that I have given my 100% honest opinion. -SC**

Fortune Cookie Soap "Old Hollywood" fall box review 2015


Hey cupcakes! I have been given the privileged of doing an early review of Fortune Cookie Soap's fall soap box themed "Old Hollywood." Their subscription soap box mails every three months (seasonally). The cost of the soap box is $19.99 comes eight sample items from that seasons launch AND a $10 off coupon code to be used on their e-store. This subscription is by far my favorite of all the ones I get. Let's get into what we got this month!


  • "Famous" wax tart. [Warm amber, wild orchid, fluttering white cotton, sundried herbs] I love the cute little gliterry star shape of this wax tart and it smells AMAZING. It's a very sophisticated floral scent. Very feminine. 
  • "Tommy Guns & Baseball Bats" whipped cream.[Hot apple pie, cinnamon, nutmeg, warm brown sugar, and marshmallow fluff]  For as complex as the scent description is, I honestly just get the marshmallow. If you liked "Krispy Kreme" you'll love this one.
  • "Glitz & Glamour" OCD hand sanitizer.  [Wet moss, polished woods, creamy vanilla]I really enjoy this scent. It's a light woodsy smell with a hint of vanilla. This could easily translate as a unisex fragrance in my opinion.
  • "Pearls and Girls" perfume oil. [Vanilla, wild jasmine, and juicy pear] First of all I love the cute packaging they sent the perfume oil in this time. The predominate note in this fragrance is jasmine, but you can definitely pick up on the pear as well.

  • "Scandal" bath powder.[Creaking woods, wind blown leaves, rose thorns] One of my favorite fragrances of this collection. It just smells like fall. It's a gorgeous scent that makes you feel like eating a pumpkin pie and jumping into a pile of leaves.
  • "Hollywood Dreams" shampoo bar. [Brown sugar, graham crackers, apple butter, nuts, and maple]  I don't like this one...at all. It smells exactly like apple spice oatmeal. In a shampoo this scent just doesn't work for me.
  • "Dressed To Kill" fortune cookie soap. [red wine, vanilla, apples, and spice] It smells like warm apple cider to me. My fortune reads "Play it Sam. Play 'As Time Goes By'."
  • "American Royalty" pomade. [Rose milk, honey, tobacco, caramel, and mandarin] This one is my FAVORITE. It is very similar to a scent from the "Winter is Coming" collection called "The Hound" which was my all time favorite scent. This has a bit more of a smoke smell, but it is fall perfection.
So that's it guys, Fortune Cookie Soap did an amazing job on this fall box. The scents mesh so well together and will, without a doubt, have you counting down the days 'til fall. If you haven't signed up for their box, CLICK HERE to sign up now. I'm not sure if you can still get the fall box, but trust me...you want to be subscribed to this soap box. This is my third box and I've yet to be disappointed. I love you all, and don't forget to "follow" me to stay in the loop on all things beauty!

-Sammi Cupcake

**DISCLAIMER: I received these products complimentary from Fortune Cookie Soap for testing purposes, however you can trust that I have given my 100% honest opinion. -SC**