Estee Lauder's Double Wear - Stay-in-Place Eyeshadow Base Primer Review

I started wearing mineral makeup and I just couldn't get it to stay put all day.   It would go everywhere when I applied it and then it was crease within a short time. I imagine that lots of people have this trouble as well. Eyeshadow base was told to me to be the answer. As a long time lover of Estee Lauder products - especially their eyeshadows and blushes - I figured I would add this eyeshadow base to my order.

My Review: I absolutely love this stuff! It covers all the veins and such on my oily eyelids and stays put for over 24 hours. I can even sleep in my eye makeup and it stays put and doesn't budge at all. Usually my eyeshadow creases in a few hours due to oily lids. It works great with pressed shadows, roll on shadows from Sue Devitt and loose mineral shadows. It even holds your eyeliner in place like glue. You get a lot in the jar and you don't need much to cover your lids. For pressed shadows be sure to let it dry before applying eyeshadow on it. For loose shadows let it be almost dry then apply the loose shadow to it. You need to use a good makeup remover to remove this. Your normal face wash that should remove makeup won't work.

The price is good at $ 20. I feel it works better, lasts longer and at a better price than some of the other eyeshadow bases out there.

FORMULA FACTS

• Dermatologist-tested
• Ophthalmologist-tested
• Fragrance-free

I have since tried Urban Decay's Primer Potion because it was on promotion. The UDPP doesn't work well on my oily lids and you can't get out most of the product due to the type of packaging it is in. Estee Lauder's Stay-in-Place eyeshadow base is in a container with a screw top lid. It is easy to get the right amount you want. It doesn't dry out due to the screw top lid.

This lid primer works great with both loose and pressed eye shadows. It also works great with creme shadows.

Cover Girl Lash Blast Volume Very Black Mascara Olympic Edition Review

Covergirl's Lash Blast mascara in all varieties has been overly hyped since their inception .  The good thing is that all variations of Lash Blast have been excellent and live up to all the hype.  I purchased this time around an economy pack of 2 - Lash Blast Volume in Very Black.  This is probably my 7th tube of this particular mascara.  The tubes are white instead of orange due to them being a part of Proctor & Gamble's Limited Edition Olympic Line.  I find the white tubes very nice as I am not a big orange lover.  Plus they stick out in my makeup bag as most of my other mascara tubes are black or dark colours.

This mascara promises "mega volume" and boy does it deliver.

The brush has nice varied lengths made of orange plastic spikes.  The brush is smaller at the tip to get to your inner eye area and get those smaller lashes more easily.  The rest of the brush is nicely distributed to get each and every lash you have, whether on your upper or lower lash line.  The brush makes getting the lashes easy and quick.  You can put on multiple coats of clump, flake free mascara fast.  The application is very even.

I will definately be purchasing more tubes of CoverGirl's Lash Blast's Mascaras.  I love it in Very Black.  Very Black makes my eyes pop out when I put on a nice application of it.  This mascara adds volume and fullness to your eyes.  I have a few short lashes on the bottom and when you apply this mascara you cannot tell which ones are the short ones.  It resists smudging and flaking.

I prefer CG's Lash Blast mascaras to any high end mascara.  The only other mascara I find to be equal to this one is the Clinique High Impact Mascara Deluxe GWP size, NOT the regular size tube.

I toss out my daily used mascaras every 3 months from opening.  This keeps away bacteria and from them drying out and flaking.  When they dry out and flake the mascara doesn't really do it's job anymore.  Be sure to replace your mascara often.  Healthy eyes is much better than saving $ 10.

MoonaLisa February 2013 Easter, Ostara, Spring Order

I decided to place another MoonaLisa order.  I was late the site's launch party for the first day's sale.  I am not a fan of having to wait two months plus to receive my order.  I understand that things are handmade and she sends out based on a known order but I digress.  There was a couple scents I wanted in the detangling spray.  It really works on my dry, long curly hair.  Makes my hair manageable in the morning.  I saw lavender scents and couldn't resist.  Boy did I try though.  I looked at the site again today and saw three more scents I want in the detangling spray:  Strawberry Marshmallow,  Peach Paradise and Snozzberry Fizzy Lifter.  Each bottle lasts about 2 months.  If I am able to add to my order during the next launch I could complete my year for detangling spray and be done with it.

Here are my two orders:

Qty Item Options Price 1 Spray-In Detangler - 4 oz. Item # 29520743 Option: French Lavender $7.95 USD 1 Spray-In Detangler - 4 oz. Item # 29520749 Option: Lavender Shortbread $7.95 USD 1 Hair Conditioner (NOT WHEAT FREE) - 4 oz ~ Item # 29517827 Option: French Lavender $7.95 USD 1 Hair Conditioner (NOT WHEAT FREE) - 4 oz ~ Item # 29517824 Option: Bali Cloud $7.95 USD Amount  $31.80 USD

Qty Item Options Price 1 Spray-In Detangler - 4 oz. Item # 29520638 Option: Strawberry Marshmallow $7.95 USD 1 Spray-In Detangler - 4 oz. Item # 29520746 Option: Peach Paradise $7.95 USD 1 Spray-In Detangler - 4 oz. Item # 29520752 Option: Snozzberry Fizzy Lifter $7.95 USD 1 Scrubs!~ Non- Parfait Item # 29623727 Option: Lemon Sugar Cookie $9.95 USD Amount  $33.80 USD

Last night - Wednesday, Feb 13, I was able to get a second order in for the scents that I wanted in addition to the lavender scents I got previously.  I also saw the amazing scented Scrub, non parfait and had to get that one as well.

Moona's Site Descriptions:

Spray-In Detangler - 4 oz.

A scented leave-in detangler with conditioning ingredients forming a protective layer over the cortex where the cuticle cells have broken away, which creates a protective layer or coating over these rough edges. The protective coating it creates also reduces static electricity.

Hair Conditioner (NOT WHEAT FREE) - 4 oz ~

CONTAINS A WHEAT PROTEIN!
4 oz.  This is a rich and silky deep conditioning for Dry or Damaged hair.  Also suited for normal hair.

It contains good for your mane ingredients like: Panthenol, Wheat protein, Silk Amino Acids and Avocado oil.

Ingredients: Water, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearamidopropyl Dimethlamine, Dimethicone, Avocado Oil, Ceteryl Alcohol, Ceteareth-20, Panthenyl Ethyl Ether, Silk Amino Acids, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Panthenol, Citric Acid, DMDM Hydantoin, Disodium EDTA.

Scrubs!~ Non- Parfait:

Moona's sugar scrubs are made from scratch with all natural ingredients, with a small amount of bath cream from a base added. This scrubby sugar scrub is NOT a parfait! Just scrub! :)

Ingredients for this scrub are: cane sugar, sweet almond oil, whipped shea butter or cocoa butter, coconut oil, my 4 in1 gel, rosemary extract, grapefruit seed extract, vitamin E, essential oils, fragrance and bath cream.

Offered in a clear plastic jar with black lid and weigh in at about 9.5 oz.

Scents:

Peach Paradise:  Sweet peaches in syrup doused with creamy coconut milk. (Drive Thru Moo)

Bali Cloud:  EOs of Sweet Orange Peel, Ylang Ylang and FOs of Sandalwood and Creamy Vanilla. A mix of my Orange Cloud and Bali scent, because Moona gets so confused which is which, she decided to mix them together instead. This scent is like fresh peeled oranges with a sweet woody background. They smell wonderful and relaxing! The Ylang Ylang is hardly detectable in this scent and only enhances the sweetness of the fresh orange smell. (Drive Thru Moo)

Snozzberry Fizzy Lifter: Snozzberries smell like Snozzberries ;) Juicy red and purple berry blend with effervescence and a teeny touch of a secret floral , just a tad to give it enough freshness, but barely detectable.

Look for a review of the order in a couple months once I receive my beautiful smelling box of goodies!

Red Dragon Apothocary - February's SoapScription and 2 orders Review

Red Dragon Apothocary has become my latest Favourite E-tailer!  I cannot get enough of their products.  Their beaded items are gorgeous and made with such care.  The soaps are divine and the owner, Eva is such a doll.

I got my lovely package from Red dragon Apothocary for February's SoapScription and 2 orders that I made with them.  1 through their Etsy store before they opened their new Store and another through TopHatter for an auction lot.

What I got in each "order":

• Soap of the Month: 2 bars of Just Peachy Goats Milk Soap
• Red Dragon Apothocary Etsy  order:  Proud as a Peacock Car Dangle, Spa Soap Whipped Soap With Dead sea Salt in Mardi Gras (4oz) and Eye of the Peacock Beaded Keychain
• TopHatter Auction: Gilded Tarot deck and companion book

SOAPScription Order:
The 2 bars of Just Peachy soap smell just like fresh, ripe peaches.  This is a scent I love for the Spring and Summer.  It is fresh and juicy and yummy.  Both bars came wrapped in pretty wrapping with a nice label on the front and the ingredients listed on the back.  The soaps are in boxes so that they don't get crushed or crumble.  The soaps as you can see in the picture are rectangular and have a raised dragon design on the front of them.  So whether you display them wrapped in their boxes or in their shrink wrap they look pretty.  You can smell them before you unwrap them.  They nicely scent your room. I would repurchase this scent in other products Red Dragon sells.

Etsy Order:
The Proud as a Peacock Car Dangle is hand beaded and oh so pretty.  I have it in my car dangling from my rear view mirror.  It makes me smile when I look at it.  The blue gem at the end of it is very pretty as well.  It has a true peacock feather that bring the dangle to life.  I love the colours.  The dangle is made with a gold wire.  The hand beading is very intricate and will not come apart.  The ring at the top to hang from is the perfect size.  It is big enough to fit over your mirror but small enough to not make it hang too low.  


The Eye of the Peacock Beaded Keychain is so delicate and gorgeous.  My favourite colour is blue!  This hand beaded keychain is all in various shades of blue.  The blue and aqua medallion is a good size.  It is the focal point of this beaded work of art.  The wire it is beaded with is of good quality.  There is ribbons to add flash and 2 beaded tails.  The ribbons add depth to the beaded work.  They are in blue, black, silver and aqua.  It is about 2 inches wide and 9 inches long.  It's a pretty good size.  I have a 4 hook key holder by my bedroom door and it looks great hanging from it.  Not that I don't want to use it as a keychain but I think it is perfect for a decoration to my room.  

I also received a Spa Soap - Whipped Soap with Dead Sea Salt in Mardi Gras Scent (4 oz).  It was freezing today so it is frozen as you can see in the picture but it smells really good.  It makes me think of what Mardi Gras would smell like in theory.

The site's description is:  Mardi Gras: A festive and fun fragrance that begins with fresh citrus top notes of grapefruit, orange zests, and tangerine; middle notes of strawberries, apples, pears, rose petals and jasmine; with sexy bottom notes of vetiver, white musk, and ylang ylang.  I can smell each of the fruity notes with a hint of smokiness.  It is not a powerful smoky/musk scent as I don't care for that sort of scent but it brings the fruity notes down a notch from being overly sweet.   It is a fun scent.  I look forward to using this whipped soap once it thaws =).  The scent comes alive once thawed.  It is still fruity with a very citrus smell to it.  The smoky/musk scent remains subtle and as a way to calm the fruity notes.  It is very lovely.  Nothing like a gourmand scent.  A nice change of pace.  Would be lovely in a perfume.

The whipped soap has a lovely texture.  It is light and fluffy but has the dead sea salt in it to purify your skin.  It makes the skin smooth and soft.  I am in love this soap.  It is made of goat's milk which is great for people with sensitive skin or have skin irritations.  Many nutrients are in this whipped soap due to the goat's milk and dead sea salt

I would definitely repurchase their whipped soaps.  I see that they have made a whipped soap with sugar in it.  I am going to give that a try during my next order.

TopHatter Auction:

I decided to get another tarot deck and companion book.  I am still going slowing through my Mystic Dreamer Deck but thought this one was pretty cool looking.  It is the Gilded Tarot Deck.

Item Description: 

"Most Tarot decks with really spectacular designs are really just art collections. The Gilded Tarot transcends this limitation by having some of the most strikingly beautiful art on any Tarot deck, yet follows the Rider-Waite-Smith model. The result is a unique deck that any person with some Tarot experience will find instantly familiar and usable. This deck can be used with any Tarot system or book. The colors are deep and intense, almost metallic. They draw you in and will have you staring at the images repeatedly. But this is more than a deck to look at, it's a deck to use! The Gilded Tarot Companion, a full book by Tarot expert Barbara Moore, is included with this deck. It's a complete introduction so that even a beginner can use this deck right away."

The companion book is also by Barbara Moore who did the other deck I have.  Being so new to Tarot I figured it would be good to be consistent with authors.  The deck is very colourful and "flashy".

Over All Review:
I LOVE everything I got!  Customer Service is fantastic.  Shipping is very fast.

MoonaLisa End of the World Mayan Collection - Winter - December 2012 Order Review

My December Winter Moonalisa order is HERE!!!  Let's review what I ordered, shall we?

Qty Item Options Price 1 4 in 1 Gel - 8 oz Item # 26231157 Option: Winter Porridge with Apple Strudel $10.95 USD 1 Spray-In Detangler - 4 oz Item # 26231802 Option: Winter Porridge with Apple Strudel $7.95 USD 1 Hair Conditioner (NOT WHEAT FREE) - 4 oz Item # 25832583 Option: Candied Violets $7.95 USD

Qty Item Options Price 1 4 in 1 Gel - 8 oz Item # 25819305 Option: Marzipan Corn Cake $10.95 USD 1 End of the World Mayan Collection ~ Holy Ka'kau' ! Item # 26230344 Option: Holy Ka'kau' - Hydrating Mister $14.95 USD 1 Hair Conditioner (NOT WHEAT FREE) - 4 oz Item # 26078019 Option: Marzipan Corn Cake $7.95 U

As this is my second order from Moona I wanted to try a few other kinds of products.  I am always looking for better products for my thick, curly, dry hair.  In my previous, September 2012, order I purchased a Spray-In Detangler.  This time I wanted to try her conditioners and get a second Spray-In Detangler.

Click Read More for Scent and Product 
Reviews and Pictures

Euro Bangles - Seller on Tophatter: TSM Review

I have now got over 400 euro beads and you can only interchange them so many times.  I give them to my mom and friends as well.  I bought these bangles so I can design some bracelets and try and sell them on Top Hatter.  

"Item Description: These silver bangles are perfect for your euro bead creations.  Quantity:  4"

I received my 4 euro bangles.  They are perfect for me.  They are for smaller wrists and when you put the beads on they fit!  I have such a time finding bracelets and bangles that fit me.  I have tiny wrists that are child's size.  

I think these may be silver plated as I do not see 925 stamped anywhere on them to show they are sterling silver.  That is disappointing as it was not stated in the item description.  I do not feel that I would purchase from this seller again:  TSM, named Tiffany.

They are super shiny but being plated I don't know how long they will stay shiny.

If you are selling silver plated items they are supposed to be described as such per the TOS of Tophatter.

Overall Impression:  Quick shipping but misrepresented item.

The Mystic Dreamer Book and Tarot Deck Review - Seller VTWiccan

I bought this tarot deck and book for fun.  I was curious and I find that learning something new that has meaning to others gives insight into the way they think and act to some degree.  Plus the pictures were really cool on the card.

I got this set from TopHatter during the Meta weekly Sunday night auction.  The seller is VTWiccan.  The seller's name is Jennifer and she is very sweet.  She is always present during all her auctions where she has items listed so you can ask her questions about her items and even tarot.  She sent the set the following morning and I received it very quickly considering Canadian Post is not known for speed or efficiency.

"Item Description:  Imagine strolling through a dark wood, the silver moonlight bating your path in an etheral glow.  Now is the time to call upon your intuition and explore hidden realms of imagination and creativity.  What secret messages do your dreams hold?

Acclaimed tarot author Barbara Moore presents an essential introduction to card-reading, insightful interpretations of each card's significance, and introspective questions to guide your journey.

Perfect for both traditional and intuitive readings, the Mystic Dream Tarot invites you to enter a mystical world of personal exploration.  Contains deck and book."

The package included the exact same item she had listed.  It was in perfect condition, plastic wrapped and no bent edges.  She even included a purple altar cloth as a small gift.  I imagine it is something you would lay down on the table before you do a tarot reading.

The Mystic Dreamer set is very informative.  The book is great.  It explains the basics of tarot reading and what spreads to use and how they are read.  The rest of the book is explaining the meanings of the 78 tarot cards included in the set.  The cards are a nice size.  They have gorgeous pictures on them.  The cards are not flimsy and are perfect for handling and shuffling without bending.  They are somewhat glossy and have a pretty look to them.  As a beginner I am pleased that I purchased the set.  Jennifer had even said to me when I asked about this set during the auction that it was great for beginners who know nothing of tarot.  It will fully explain its use and how to read the cards.  She also said I could ask her any questions I may come across in the future.

Bottom Line:  Great product, Awesome seller and quick shipping.  I would definitely purchase from VTWiccan/Jennifer again and again.  She also sells bath products, books and items on her website and etsy.

Check out VTWiccan's Etsy store for handmade items and Website for other items.


Design on the Back of the Cards

Deck Details:  The Mystic Dreamer Tarot

Number of Cards in Deck:  78

Size of Cards:  4 1/2" x 2 3/4"

Included with Deck:  A 211 page companion book by Barbara Moore, entitled "The Dreamer's Journal"

Major Arcana:  The Fool, The Magician, The High Priestess, The Empress, The Emperor, The Heirphant, The Lovers, Chariot, Strength, The Hermit, Wheel of Fortune, Justice, The Hanged Man, Death, Temperance, The Devil, The Tower, The Star, The Moon, The Sun, Judgement, The World

Suit Names:  Wands, Cupes, Swords, Pentacles
Court Cards:  Page, Knight, Queen, King


Haus of Gloi Absinthe Sugar Exfolliant Scrub Review

I love when I find a new e-tailer that I just love!  I placed an order from Haus of Gloi and love every item I received.  I am falling in love with sugar scrubs and buying them like crazy.  I ordered from HoG Bubbling Scrubs in Vice, Twice is Nice and Olde Cider Haus.  I also ordered Sugar Exfolliant Scrubs in Lavender and Sugar and Absinthe.  Today I will be reviewing the Sugar Exfolliant Scrub in Absinthe.

I am not a big fan of earthy scents.  When I opened Absinthe I was not pleased with the scent in the jar.  It did not smell like the glycerin soap I received from Summer ScentSations in Absinthe.  Instead this smelled earthy and manly, so not something I want to smell like.  I prefer gourmand, light floral, sweet, citrus or fresh.  This was none of those.

This scrub has sat in my bath and body bin since early December.  I have been using all my other scrubs instead.  The Lavender and Sugar scrub is to die for.  It is great before bed when you want to relax and unwind after a long day.  It has a medicinal lavender to it, not a sweet scent, but I digress.

Deco Tape Review

Do you do crafts?  I have been wanting to try crafting.  I put all my pictures in ablums but maybe some cute cut outs and decorative tape would bring all the pics together and make the albums look decorative.
So I decided to find out what ll the fuss was about with Deco tape.  So I bought this auction lot on Top Hatter.

Item Description: This lot is for 10 assorted rolls of deco tape. These tapes are awesome for scrap booking, card making,  identifying personal items, wrapping gifts, decorating packages, etc. Each roll is approx 300 cm long and approx 1.5 cm wide. Tape rolls are randomly selected. 

I received these in the mail and they are pretty cool.  They are small but for scrap booking and wrapping gifts will be perfect.  They are super sticky and will stay on the albums once applied.
If you like cute tape and decoration you should buy some deco tape.  They will make plain gift wrap look extra cute.  My neice's birthday is next month and these will spruce up her gift once wrapped.

What would you use deco tape for?

Red Dragon Apothocary SoapScription Review for my January Box

Once a month for January, February and March I will be receiving 2 bars of soap for the 3 month SOAPScription I won at a Top Hatter auction held on the first Sunday of January's 8pm auction.  The lot  was sold by Red Dragon Apothocary.  I have been wanting to win a soapscrption of their's for months now but the auctions are usually at 10pm on Sunday and I am unable to attend at that time. 

The 3 month SOAPScirption includes 2 bars of 4-5oz goat milk's soap for the 3 months and a surprise gift during your birthday month.  The bars of soap are hand wrapped in decorative sparkly paper with pretty labels.  The scents are relevant to the month they are sent out in.

I received my January box today and boy was I surprised with the package I received.  The shipping box was wrapped in red paper.  Inside the box was 2 wrapped boxes of soap, two cards including a coupon code to use for my next etsy purchase from their store and a $ 20 gift certificate to use in conjunction with the coupon code.  I almost didn't see the gift certificate in the box and threw it out into the recycling bin but I noticed that the paper wasn't the same colour as the box and pulled it out and so pleased I checked the box again.  That would of been sad to of thrown out.  I have already placed an order at her etsy store and used my GC.  

The scent for this month is Eucalyptus Mint.  Scent Description:  A bright, refreshing blend of mint, citrus and ginger with clear notes of fresh eucalyptus and jasmine. Fresh cut mint leaves add a little extra to this invigorating blend.  It is the perfect scent for the weather that the GTA gets: cold, crisp and windy.  The soap is very therapeutic if you have a cold.  Eucalyptus is wonderful if you are congested and have a runny nose.  The mint isn't so strong that it is overpowering of the eucalyptus.  When you use this soap it doesn't make you smell like a pharmacy.  The scent perks up your senses and makes you smile.  It clears your head and makes it easier to think.  This is not a scent I would normally pick for myself but am so glad it was sent to me.  I see myself using this soap in my rotation during not only the cold months but also warmer months.  It is perfect for year-round.

The soap is make of goat's milk so it is very moisturizing and creamy.  Red Dragon Apothocary's soaps do not contain coconut oil.  Their soap's descriptions state:  Goat Milk soap is great for people with dry or sensitive skin, or conditions such as eczema and psoriasis. Goat milk contains alpha hydroxy acids which help make skin smoother and younger looking. Goat milk is very moisturizing and won't dry out your skin. The milk contains natural emollients, vitamins and triglycerides that are beneficial to all skin types. A mild soap with creamy lather! 

The soap has a raised dragon design on the top of it.  It is rectangular shaped and came in a hand wrapped box.  It would be perfect to give away as a gift.  Due to the dragon design and the non feminine scent this bar of soap would even be appropriate to give away to that special man in your life.

The soap lathers nicely and makes your shower smell like a beautiful day at the spa.  I have some dry areas; elbows, knees and tops of my hands.  After 1 use of this soap those areas are smoother and less itchy and dry.  I can't wait for my February box to get here!

Tips on keeping your bar soaps lasting longer:  Keep them in a well drained soap dish and allow them to dry between uses.  I have bought soap savers that are hand croched bags made of cotton.  I hang them at the back of my shower on the top of my conditioner bottle so the wet soap can dry out.  When soap bars are left in standing water they turn mushy and waste away.  Pus no one wants to use a mushy, slimy bar of soap.

If you are looking for Tarot Readings by Red Dragon Apothocary on Etsy please click on the link.