Benefit Stay Put Set (eye makeup trio) Review & Giveaway

I recently purchased the Stay Put Set from Benefit. This eye makeup trio has three different products in slightly smaller packaging so you can try them all out. It includes:

- 0.11 oz Erase Paste in Medium (regular is .15 oz and $26)
- 0.11 oz Creaseless Cream Eyeshadow in R.S.V.P. (regular is .16 oz and $19)
- 0.09 oz Stay Don't Stray (regular is .33 oz and $24)

My favorite item has to be the R.S.V.P. Eyeshadow. I've never really used cream shadows a lot, but this one has me hooked. As I've said before, I love natural makeup shades. R.S.V.P. is a pretty champagne color with just a little bit of shimmer. It's subtle but gives some really nice light shading. Like other cream shadows, it can be worn sheer or bold depending on how/how much you apply.




Cream Eyeshadow in R.S.V.P.



Stay Don't Stray worked well for me. I tried it with some more vibrantly-colored eyeshadow and everything stayed put for the day. I've also tried it as an under-eye concealer after reading some reviews about it and found it works fairly well for that too.

The Erase Paste brightener/concealer works well for me on other parts of my face, but I'm not 100% thrilled with it underneath my eyes. It might be that I need a lighter shade there. A tiny bit definitely goes a long way with this stuff!



Want to win your own Benefit Stay Put Set?

Win: Benefit Stay Put Set (Stay Don't Stray, Erase Paste in medium, Creaseless Cream Eyeshadow in "R.S.V.P.")

To Enter:

Like my brand-new Facebook page (Make sure to leave your first name + last initial as they show on Facebook so I can verify)


For bonus entries (leave a comment for each bonus activity completed):

Subscribe to my feedburner emails
Follow me on Twitter
Follow me via Google Friend Connect
Enter my Avon Glazewear Dimensions Lipstick Giveaway (ended 4/03)

The last day to enter the giveaway is Sunday, April 10th (04/10/11). I will use random.org to choose a winner and will contact him or her by email (please leave an email if it is not visible in your profile).


Note: I am not affiliated with Benefit in any way and did not recieve anything for this review/giveaway. All opinions are my own. It's just me, folks!

"Tanga Trash" - Mnemosyne's Mystery Box Reviews #1

I am a sucker for a good mystery box.



Look what came today! Tanga.com is one of those daily deal sites that will have a few items a day in different categories (t-shirts, games, magazines, jewelry, etc). To clear out old inventory, every now and then they offer "Tanga Trash" mystery boxes for a low price. Ever wonder what's in a Tanga Mystery Box? On March 8, Tanga offered a "Tanga Trash" Game & Toy mystery box and I was able to snag one.

The price: $5.99 + $4.99 shipping (I had $1 credit so I only paid $9.98 total)

The haul:



Sevi Eco-Friendly Mini Pull Along Toy, Horse ($20 on Amazon)



Kid Galaxy My 1st RC GoGo Fire Truck ($18 on Amazon)




and Cromlet ($16 on Amazon)


I was hoping to get at least one new game to try out, but I didn't expect over $50 worth of stuff! I don't have any kids yet, so the toys will probably either be gifted or (possibly) used here for future giveaways. The package arrived less than a week after I ordered and everything is in great shape. Thanks Tanga!

Avon Glazewear Review & Giveaway

My lips get dry really easily, and when they do it shows. Even with chapstick I don't always have perfectly even coloring, so I like to use tinted lipwear of some sort (lipstick, gloss, etc).

Lip gloss is okay, but I usually prefer a good lipstick if I need to wear it for a long time. It seems to last better and feel better long-term.

Oftentimes I don't want a lot of color, just something to smooth things out and provide some moisture protection. Enter Avon's GLAZEWEAR Dimensions Lipstick. I bought a tube of Nude Gold on sale around Christmas, and wow! It has just a little sparkle and the color is so close to my natural shade my husband didn't even realize I was wearing it at first.

Without anything on:



With Glazewear Nude Gold:





See? A nice, natural color that still adds the final polish on a look. This stuff also lasts well - I wear it to work and usually only reapply after eating something.

It's become my standard nude lipstick and I use it almost daily, so I figured I should probably order some more...and while I'm at it, I'll pick one up for a lucky reader!

Win: GLAZEWEAR Dimensions in "Nude Gold"

To Enter:

Follow me via Google Friend Connect and comment below

For bonus entries (leave a comment for each bonus activity completed):

Like my brand-new facebook page (two entries - comment twice for this one! Make sure to leave your first name + last initial as they show on facebook so I can verify)
Subscribe to my feedburner emails
Follow me on Twitter


The last day to enter the giveaway is Sunday, April 3rd (04/03/11). I will use random.org to choose a winner and will contact him or her by email (please leave an email if it is not visible in your profile).


Note: I am not affiliated with Avon in any way and did not recieve anything for this review/giveaway. It's just me, folks!

New free photo-manipulation site from Casio

Casio (the international electronics company) has launched their new Imaging Square website where you can play around and alter your photos. It's free for now, so it's worth checking out.

To celebrate, they're giving away 5 trips to New York City and 12 digital cameras. All you have to do to be entered is register for a free account on the new site.




The virtual painter works similarly to the filters in photoshop. Uploading and editing was really quick; it took me less than two minutes to go from this:



To this:



You can also cut out someone/something from one photo and add it to another using the dynamic photo option. Here's me as a mermaid hanging out with, well, me as a mermaid:



They also have it set up where you can make your gallery visible to others, so it can be a quick way to share pictures.

Since I have photoshop I probably won't use the site much, but it was pretty simple to figure out and would be really great with a few more features. I'll be keeping an eye out to see if they add more because again, everything was super fast and very easy to use!

Club Party Reviews - Rhapsody Music Service Free Trial

"Without music life would be a mistake."

~ Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche







This review is part of a series based on the nightclub-themed birthday party I held on 02/26/11. Over the next week or so I'll be posting several of the ideas and items that really helped make it a success!



What would a dance party be without great music? While planning out what we wanted to play for the night club party, we ran into a bit of a blockade: if we bought all of the songs we wanted, we'd have to pay a lot, which we'd rather not do. We didn't want to download them illegally. We also didn't want to use a dance radio service (even though I love Pandora) because of any commercials or songs we didn't want.

What to do? The answer: Rhapsody online music service. The cost? Zero (they offer a 14 day free trial), but we had such a good experience we might keep it if we throw more parties like this.

Rhapsody lets you create playlists and play music from their HUGE database. We were able to get every song we wanted, make multiple playlists, and even edit them on the spot or change songs.

We hooked up a computer to our sound system and Rhapsody worked like a dream. The songs buffered well and the music kept everyone dancing all night long!

Rhapsody is now on my must-have list for any party, and it should be on yours too!



I am not being compensated in any way for this; I simply want to let you all know about how great Rhapsody was for party music.

Funny Animals - BBC's Walk On The Wild Side

"Nighttime....Daytime!"

~ The Nighttime/Daytime Bird









This is a clip from the BBC show Walk On The Wild Side. They show short videos of animals in quick succession with voices dubbed over them for comedic effect. Groovy badgers, caffeine-addled owls, feuding giraffes and a wide assortment of other characters from the Animal Kingdom await.








There are several more clips on YouTube if you want to see more. I know I couldn't stop at just one!

Everyday Luxury - Lancome Hypnose Mascara {Giveaway}

I've always got an eye out for inexpensive everyday luxuries - those little indulgences that make me feel like I'm living high without breaking the bank. This is Everyday Luxury #2 - Lancôme Hypnôse Mascara
.

Having one or two really nice products in your makeup routine can help you feel (and look) glamorous every day. Often these makeup counter treats aren’t as expensive as you might think, especially if you consider how long they last.

Lancôme Hypnôse Mascara - $25 for a tube that usually gives at least six months of daily use for me




Close-up from a picture where I'm wearing the mascara - no eyeliner needed!



I’ve been a fan of Lancôme for over a decade now - their high-quality Dual Finish foundation has always been my one constant makeup splurge even if everything else was the cheap stuff. They often do a free gift or offer “purchase with purchase” specials where you can get a pre-set assortment of products for free or relatively cheap; this can include full-size lipsticks, eyeshadow pallets, mini perfume bottles or any number of other things. They almost always include a tube of mascara, usually their standard Definicils, and I used all of this to round out my makeup collection.

One time, however, the mascara was different - a new product called “Hypnôse”. After using it just a few times I was hooked. This mascara not only darkened, lengthened and volumized with only one coat, but it actually curled my lashes for me. It complements my eye shape extremely well, doesn’t smudge or flake, and looks perfect all day/all night. Since then it has been my mascara of choice, and though I’ve tried others, nothing tops my Hypnose.





Another close-up from another picture - again, no eyeliner!




Recently Lancome put out a new mascara called Hypnôse Drama. While similar to Hypnôse, Hypnôse Drama has a new formula that just doesn’t thrill me the way my regular Hypnôse does. Often when a line comes out with a “New and Improved” product, they discontinue the original; fortunately for me, Lancome decided to carry both!

Hypnôse Mascara - $25 at Lancome.com or check out your local Lancôme counter


Because I love this mascara and wish to share the joy, I am offering one lucky person the chance to try it. Enter below to win a full-sized Lancôme Hypnôse Mascara!

(Note: Lancôme is not sponsoring this in any way; I just love it that much and want to spread the word!)




To enter:

Tell me what shade you’d like if you won! The color choices are Brown, Black and Deep Black.

After you’ve done that, you can gain bonus entries by doing the following and letting me know in a comment(1 entry each):

Follow me on Google Friend Connect (on the right side of the page)
Follow me on Twitter
Subscribe to my feedburner emails



Be sure to comment once for each entry. I will use random.org to pick a winner. Make sure to leave me an email to contact you if you win if it's not visible in your profile! The last day to enter is this Sunday, February 20th (02/20/11).

Everyday Luxury - Handmade Caramels

I've always got an eye out for inexpensive everyday luxuries - those little indulgences that make me feel like I'm living high without breaking the bank. This is Everyday Luxury #1 - Handmade Caramels.




I love caramel. Unwrapping a buttery piece and savoring it slowly is one of my favorite small treats. Pair this with a relaxing bubble bath and I'm in heaven!

Of course, if you're going to indulge, you want to make sure you truly feel a little spoiled. While I enjoy supermarket caramels, for moments like this I go for my special stash of homemade sea-salt caramels.

Back in September I won some Fleur de Sel caramels made by TheCaramelJar from The Review Stew. These were amazing - they were sweet, salty, and melted in my mouth. The creator states that they work hard to be natural and eco-friendly - caramels are made from "all natural/organic ingredients" and were wrapped in natural parchment paper.





Fleur de Sel Soft and Chewy Caramels - 1lb in an Eco Friendly Wax Paper Bag ($17 + $5.65 shipping)



When I felt the urge to restock, I decided to try another seller to see how they'd compare. I went with DiedreWood. Also extremely good, these were firmer and slightly saltier. They were also less expensive. They were packaged for a little longer of a shelf life (hand-wrapped in plastic and shipped in a resealable bag), which works well for my "indulge a little at a time" attitude.





1lb Fleur de Sel Caramels ($14.50 + $5.65 shipping)




If you want just a little bit of caramel, you can also get smaller amounts for less from these and other sellers on Etsy.com. If they're anything like the caramels I've tried, however, you might regret not getting more!








P.S. - Be careful not to accidentally buy soap! Doesn't it look yummy?

Zardoz - the Sean Connery you never knew

"Stay behind my aura."

~ Zed, Zardoz









If you heard there was a movie starring a Bond-era Sean Connery that had often-fired guns, occasionally-naked women, and a score by an award-winning composer, you might find yourself semi-interested. If you then heard that Mr. Connery spent most of the film in what can best be described as an orange diaper, you might think you heard wrong.

Through the power of Netflix I was recently introduced to Zardoz, a 1973 movie set in the 23rd century. Since at that time he was riding high on James Bond glory, you might think that ol’ S.C. would have his choice of truly excellent acting opportunities. On the flip side, it definitely took someone with his skills to make this self-important, drug-trippy film come even close to working.

If you want a flick for your next bad movie night with friends, you might consider this one. There is plenty to laugh and talk about, and the social commentary it makes about the early 70’s is extremely transparent.

If you’re still not convinced, here are a few thoughts from our viewing (without giving any of the movie away):



- His genetic code is a jellyfish?
- Friend can rock the pink tights.
- So is drawn-on facial hair hip in 2293?
- Sean Connery isn’t very good at mime...
- “Needz”: the lolcatz have taken over the future!

Club Albee

"We're fools whether we dance or not, so we might as well dance."

~ Japanese Proverb

Last night we went out to celebrate before a friend leaves on a last-minute deployment. Club Albee has a nice little VIP area that’s pretty darn cheap (highly recommended if you’re with a group, both for seating and for the fact that it’s a bit cooler than the dance floor) and military is always free. I’d been there before but never with S.

The club has been open for a little over a year and is on the smaller side compared to some of the other OKC dance hot-spots. This could be good or bad depending on your tastes; I personally like the intimacy. The staff is quick, friendly and entertaining - lots of bartender tricks and drink specials. There are hookahs and cigars for those interested, but the club isn’t swamped in smoke.

DJ Saad (the owner) works with videos as well as music, and one of the best ambiance aspects of the club is the video setup on the walls that feels like it almost surrounds the dance floor. I would have preferred a little more techno and old dance favorites peppered in among the top 40, but overall the music was great.

S is the type that needs a few beers in him before he’s comfortable enough to dance in public, so we spent the first bit talking with the other people there to see our friend off. After a while we found our way onto the dance floor and time flew by. One of the best compliments I can give a place like this is that I had absolutely no idea how late it was when it was time to go.







The club itself obviously enjoyed last night too, and I like to think we were a cornerstone of the party. They posted this picture on their facebook page, and we’ve been playing “Where’s Waldo” to spot several of our friends in the shot. We ourselves eluded detection . . .