** Makeup Tag! **

I love me some Tags, so when I saw that Brooke and Kendyl had posted this Tag on their blogs, I thought I'd get in on the fun! (click on their names to check out their blogs!)

I think Tags are fun, and they help you get to know a little more about the person who answers the questions, so I hope you read on to get a better glimpse into my obsession ;-)

Also, I *tag* all of you!! So, if you choose to complete this Tag and post it on your blog or YouTube, link back here and let me know, because I'd love to read/see it!

And here we go:

1. How old were you when you started wearing makeup?

Technically, the first time I wore makeup was when I was 3 years old and I dug into my mom's purse and put on her bright pink lipstick (hey, it was the 80s!). However, I didn't start to wear makeup on an everyday basis until I was 13 years old, and even then it was only lipstick and mascara.

2. How did you get into makeup?

I didn't fully "get into" makeup until I was in college, but all through my life I used to watch my mom and my grandmother get made up for work or everyday, and I used to be so excited on special occasions when they would allow me to wear a tiny dab of lipstick. As I grew up and started wearing makeup more and more, the excitement stuck with me, and the fun of it all is what keeps me going.

3. What are some of your favorite brands?

I do like a mix of brands and products, but I find that MAC, Too Faced, Tarte, Wet n Wild, CoverGirl and NYX make the products that really blend well with my lifestyle and what I need in a product.

4. What does makeup mean to you?

Makeup is a form of self-expression and creativity. Makeup is something that can be a bonding experience and just the smell of a certain product can bring back great memories. Makeup can change a person's outlook on life, change their attitude, and let them be exactly who they want to be. Just a little dab of lipgloss can make my day, sometimes!

5. If you could only wear 4 products on your face, what would they be?

Moisturizer, MAC MSF, a little bit of cream colored eyeshadow and tinted lipbalm

6. What is your favorite thing about makeup?

Pretty packaging! :-p

Really though, I love finding colors that complement my skintone and feel good when applied. I love it when all the products come together to give me a great look because it makes my day a bit brighter!

7. What do you think about drugstore makeup vs high end makeup?

I think it is all a matter of preference. I definitely think that some drugstore makeup brands have excellent ranges of colors and quality, and most of my collection is made up of drugstore brands. However, there are a few key pieces in high end products that I am willing to shell out for because they just work better for me.

8. What is one tip of advice you can give to a beginner?

Start out small, and don't feel like you need to wear a full face of makeup just to be "beautiful", because you don't. The fun is in the experimentation of finding colors that work for you, so start out with cheaper brands, and wear what makes you comfortable.

9. What do you think about the beauty community on YouTube?

Oh boy, here we go! I think that the beauty community, as a whole, can be a very educational and helpful place. There are some wonderful people on there, who really do want to help when others have a question or just to share their knowledge and experiences. However, most of those people (with the exception of a few "gurus"), are largely overlooked and don't get the credit they deserve because there are other "gurus" who are affiliated with companies, are more popular, and have more subscribers. If someone's video views are low, there is a very slight chance that their video will be seen when a product is searched for, simply because others have paid to have their videos featured. And then, unfortunately, their opinion gets lost in the shuffle.

It's also sad that there are so many people who thrive on leaving nasty comments on videos and trying to break others down. Personally, I'm enjoying the blogosphere a bit more :-) And, that's my rant! :-P

10. What is one makeup trend you never understood?

Dark lipliner and light lipstick. It always looked trashy to me lol

Thanks for reading!!

xoxo

*Disclaimer: All opinions are my own, and I am not affiliated with any of the brands mentioned. Thanks!

*** Wet n Wild Giveaway Winner! ***

Well lovelies, the time has come to announce who the lucky winner is of the Wet n Wild LE "Everything Under The Sun" Bronzer and "The Gilded Age" Eyeshadow Trio from my Birthday Giveaway!
First, though, let me say how honored I am that anyone is reading my blog at all, and that all of the entrants took the time to enter the giveaway! I really appreciate every single one of you and your support! And if you didn't win this time, don't give up because I have plenty of other items lined up for future giveaways! :-)

So, without further ado, I present the Giveaway winner...

***** Pretty J *****

(Janel)

Janel, congratulations, and please send me the following info to: bellaglambrunette@gmail.com by 5pm EST on Thursday, June 30th:

~Name, age and mailing address

If I haven't received an email with the info by 5pm EST on 6/30, then unfortunately I'll have to choose another winner, so don't delay :-)

Once again, thank you all for entering the contest, and for reading my little bloggie! I hope you all are having a wonderful day, and I'll talk to you lovelies soon!!!

xoxo

*Disclaimer: The giveaway was not sponsored by any brands/companies, and the prizes were bought with my own money. I am not affiliated with any of the brands/companies mentioned. Thank you.

MAC Bloggers' Obsession Collection

How cool is it that MAC just released their Bloggers' Obsession collection today???

Several popular beauty bloggers worked with MAC to create some beautiful eyeshadows and Lipglasses, and everything is on sale now. The products are available exclusively online (not in MAC stores or at counters), and unfortunately only available in the US and Canada (I sure hope they change their minds about that!).

The colors look absolutely gorgeous! When payday rolls around, I'm gonna try and snag some Lipglasses, so I hope they don't sell out! If you want more information, you can go here to look at all the yummy products and find out more info! Aaaand, Temptalia has some free shipping codes for MAC (free standard shipping), so jump on over there and grab 'em to save some money! :-)

So tell me, are you going to be purchasing any of these online exclusives? I'd love to know!

Thanks for reading, and happy shopping!
xoxo





*Disclaimer: Photo credit goes to: http://www.maccosmetics.com/whats_new/6311/index.tmpl
I am not affiliated with any companies/brands mentioned, and all opinions are my own. No one feeds my makeup addiction, and it is all paid for by myself. Thanks for reading the fineprint! <3

I'm A Bookworm...

Anyone who knows me can tell you that my nose is constantly buried in a book during my downtime, and that I'm always on the lookout for new books to read. I'm the type of person who absolutely cannot walk out of a bookstore without buying a book, even though I've got a list a mile long of ones that are waiting for me to read (I can hear them calling to me from my overstocked bookshelves as we speak!).

So, I know I can't be the only one out there like this, and if any of you are at all like me (even a teensy bit), then hopefully you'll appreciate the "Currently Reading" photo in my sidebar. I plan to update that regularly with the photo of the book I am currently reading, and by clicking on it, it will take you to Barnes and Noble's website, where you can find a synopsis, reviews, etc.

If you're reading a book that you think others will enjoy (or have read one in the past that you absolutely loooove), then feel free to leave a message below and share with us! :-)

Thanks for reading!
xoxo



*Disclaimer: Photo is not mine, and credit goes to: http://www.flickriver.com/photos/zsita/popular-interesting/
I am not affiliated with any companies mentioned, and opinions are all my own. Money spent on books was completely my own, and unfortunately this is another addiction of mine :-p

How Do YOU Shop?

Last night, while reveling in the fact that I had actually won an auction on Ebay (without someone outbidding me with 2 seconds left...grrrr I hate that!), I started to wonder about other people's shopping habits, specifically for beauty items.

In all honesty, my main goal when shopping is to save money, and get the best price possible. So, before I plunk down any dough on higher end cosmetics like MAC, Nars, etc., I always check to see if there is a sale going on, or any coupon codes for their website. Generally, I prefer to actually go to a store or makeup counter to pick up whatever beauty item of the moment that I absolutely must have. However, more and more, I have found myself ordering online (for the joy of that package arriving at my doorstep, perhaps?). I mean, it's more convenient, and I don't have to fight lines or traffic or a store being out of stock of the item...and more importantly, so I don't give my (wonderful) husband a chance to say "Why do you need more makeup again?" :-p

Now, after I check for those coupon codes or sales online, my next stop is...Ebay. I always check to see if a seller has my item for a better price. More times than not, I'll find the better deal with the item's official website, but occasionally, Ebay wins out for value. I know alot of people are leery about online shopping, especially on Ebay, but *knocks on wood* I've never encountered a problem. All the items I have bought off of Ebay have been authentic, and in great condition (and yes, I am very well versed in how to spot a fake- no 180 "MAC" eyeshadow palettes for me!); anytime I've had a slight problem with an item, the seller is always willing to refund or exchange an item, and even refund the difference if their price has gone down during the auction. Plus, Ebay has a protection policy in place for the buyer, where if the item you bought was in a worse condition than the seller advertised it for, or the item was a fake, you will be refunded (please check Ebay's site for more details on the policy). Luckily, I've never had to go down that avenue with any seller, and I've been buying items off of Ebay for about ten years now.

So, that brings me to my question: How do you shop for items? Do you strictly stick to going to the store, or do you prefer to get it online? Have you ever ordered things off of Ebay, or other discount sites? Was it a good experience, or have you been burned? Like I said, I've had very good luck with buying online, even on sites like Ebay or websites that sell discounted high end cosmetic items, but I realize that some people don't know how to spot the fake items that alot of websites are pushing.

Chalk it up to my sometimes nosy nature, but I would love to know your experiences and preferences when buying items, cosmetics in particular :-) Leave a comment below, or feel free to email me!

Thanks for reading, and I hope everyone has a wonderful Father's Day weekend!!!
xoxo





*Disclaimer: Photo is not my own, it was found here: http://www.classy-ebooks.com/images/ebay.jpg
I am not affiliated with any of the companies/brands mentioned, and all opinions are 150% my own. All items mentioned were bought by me, with my own hard earned money that probably should have been used on something more practical, but oh well...

* MAC Haul! Sized To Go & Surf, Baby! *

Hello my lovelies!

Due to several Free Shipping codes from MAC that have been arriving in my inbox lately, I decided to splurge a little and pick up some yummy items from their Surf, Baby! collection. Also, since MAC has released travel sizes of some of their most popular items, I also took the opportunity to try some products that I have been curious about. Will you share in my joy and excitement with me, now that the infamous little black box has arrived at my door? ;-)

First, let's start with the Sheen Supreme Lipstick:



Sheen Supreme Lipstick in Bare Again $14.50

 After looking at as many swatches as I could of all the colors in the collection, I decided to give Bare Again a try. Sorry that the lipstick looks a little wonky; it is so creamy that a little melted off when I tried it for the first time (even though I keep my apartment like an icebox lol).

Next, we have a few items from the Surf, Baby! collection:



(left to right) Strange Potion Lipglass, Mocha Satin Lipstick, and Krazy Kahuna Lipglass, all $15.50 each


Strange Potion is a relaunch from their Venomous Villains collection, so if you missed out on that, grab it now!

And lastly, two items from the Sized To Go collection that was just released:

(left to right) Fix+ Spray and Cleanse Off Oil/ Tranquil, both $10 each

I've heard so many wonderful things about the Fix+ spray that I thought this was the perfect chance to try it for myself. Also, I got the formula recommended for dry skin of their Cleanse Off Oil, since I wanted to find a gentler way of removing my makeup (sometimes wipes irritate my skin!).

I cannot wait to try out my goodies!!! Let me know if you would like me to review anything in particular, and I will try to get swatches of the lip products up soon!

So, now you tell me: Have you picked up any items from MAC's new releases? Any thoughts on the above products? Just want to say hi? Leave a comment below, and make my day!


Thanks for reading! :-)
xoxo






*Disclaimer: All photo credits go to me; all items were bought with my own money...all I got free was the shipping because of coupon codes. I am not affiliated with any of the brands/products mentioned, and all opinions are 100% my own. Thanks for reading the fine print!*

Just A Reminder

I am so pleased that my Birthday Giveaway of Wet n Wild's LE "Go For The Gold" summer collection is sparking interest and I am gaining some wonderful new followers! Thank you :-)

I do want to remind you lovelies that to qualify, you must be a follower of this blog and "like" the Facebook page. Blog posts, Facebook posts, and Tweets about the giveaway give you extra entries as well. All information needs to be put into a comment under the Giveaway post:
http://bellaglambrunette.blogspot.com/2011/06/birthday-giveaway-wet-n-wild-edition.html

If you have any questions, or there is information you would prefer to email me privately, you can do so at:
bellaglambrunette@gmail.com

Thanks everyone, and good luck!!!

xoxo

Birthday Giveaway! Wet n Wild Edition!!!

Well lovelies, my birthday is coming up in a few weeks, and to celebrate, I want to share the makeup joy with you and do a little giveaway!

While on a recent trip, I went into CVS and found Wet n Wild's Limited Edition "Go For The Gold" Summer collection, and I picked up an extra set of the eyeshadow trio and bronzer to give away to one lucky winner!

I know that it's been hard to find these two items, so in celebration of my birthday, all you have to do is read the details below to enter, and this set could be yours!

So, to enter, all you have to do is:

* Follow this blog

* "Like" Bella Glam Brunette's page on Facebook

(You must be both a follower of this blog and "like" the Facebook page for your entry to qualify; thanks!)

For extra entries in the giveaway, you can also:

* Post this giveaway on your blog

* Tweet about this giveaway

*Post about this giveaway on your Facebook page

So, to have your entries count, just leave a comment below with the following information:

* Google Friend Connect (GFC) name
* Facebook name

(and if applicable):

*Link to the giveaway post on your blog
*Link to the giveaway tweet on Twitter
*Link to the giveaway post on your Facebook page

This giveaway will go on until Monday, June 27th, and is open internationally. If you are under 18, you must have a parent/guardian's permission to enter. The winner will be chosen at random on Tuesday, June 28th and announced later that day in a blog post on this page. The winner will then have until Thursday, June 30th to email me the specified information, or another winner will be chosen...don't let that happen, so stay tuned :-)

So, thanks for reading, everyone, and good luck!!!

xoxo




*Disclaimer: Photo is mine. I am not affiliated or sponsored by any of the brands/companies mentioned. All opinions are my own, and all products mentioned were bought by me, with my own money.

Review: Philosophy Purity Made Simple One Step Facial Cleanser

On a recent trip, I found myself unhappy with the face wash I had packed, and needed an alternative (more on that face wash in another post). I didn't want to go to the drugstore and pick something out, so I was super elated when my hubby and I wandered across an Ulta store and I saw that they had a mini size of Philosophy's 'Purity Made Simple' One Step Facial Cleanser.

I had been hearing so many raves about this product, but never wanted to shell out the money to try it, plus my skin is very picky as to what products it will take to. But, I thought this would be the perfect time to just bite the bullet, spend the $10, and commence on the road to great skin, as everyone seems to agree this product will provide for you.

So, later that day (after hours of walking around in the hot weather and sweating up a storm), I went into the hotel bathroom, and washed my face for the first time with this product. As the instructions said, I used lukewarm water to wet my face and rubbed it in for a minute, to make sure I got a complete, deep down clean. Since I had read several stellar reviews on how this face cleanser eliminated the need for prior makeup remover and a moisturizer afterward, I didn't remove any makeup before I washed my face, and I gave my moisturizer the day off afterward, just to give the cleanser a chance completely on its own.

Let me say that the smell of the cleanser is wonderful; it's a clean, fresh lemon scent, which I love. After washing the cleanser off completely, I patted my face dry, and ran a piece of toilet paper across my face to be sure all my makeup was off. Good news, there was no sign of it left; score! But then, my face started to feel really tight, and alas, five minutes later, I looked in the mirror to find my usual dry spots appear, which was very sad. I have a huge problem with super dry skin, mostly in the winter, but in the summer I find that a little bit of moisturizer and the right cleanser will give me a slight reprieve. Well, this is not the right cleanser for that.

I absolutely loved the scent and the clean feeling it gave me, but if I see my dry patches after washing (with lukewarm water), I know that if I keep using it, it will make the dryness worse. How disappointing :-(

I did troop through it for the rest of the week, though, as the alternative was an even worse one. The result was much of the same, and even when I used my moisturizing lotion afterward, my skin felt tight and those patches were creeping beneath the surface. Also, I got a big, honking pimple on my chin...the type that is huge, hurts alot, and doesn't go away for about two weeks. I'm pretty sure I can attribute it to the cleanser, since I broke out along my forehead as well, though those spots went away immediately after I stopped using the cleanser and went back to my normal one at home.

So, lovelies, I'm sorry to say that Philosophy's 'Purity Made Simple' face cleanser did not do the miracle work for me that everyone else seemed to experience. I think it would work better on those of you who have normal skin (possibly oily skin), and who don't worry about dryness or breakouts. However, if you want more information on the product and its ingredients, here is the link to Philosophy's site:
http://www.philosophy.com/skincare-cleansers/purity-made-simple-product

The cleanser comes in five sizes:
3 oz. - $10
8 oz. - $20
16oz. - $32
24 oz. - $40
32 oz. - $47.50

and can be purchased online through Philosophy's site, and in-store and online through Sephora and Ulta (and possibly other beauty stores/sites; the ones above are just the ones I know for sure).

So, lovelies, leave a comment below and let me know if you've used this product and what your experiences were, whether you've found your own miracle face cleanser, or any thoughts in general :-)


Thanks so much for reading, and have a wonderful day!!!

xoxo









*Disclaimer: Photo is my own. All opinions are my own, I am not affiliated with any of the brands/companies mentioned, and all products mentioned were purchased by me, with my own money...no one is funding my makeup habit lol.

Memorial Day

I would just like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Happy Memorial Day! While alot of us are glad for the day off, and consider this to be the beginning of summer, we sometimes forget what this day is really about.

So, in the spirit of remembrance, I want to say THANK YOU to all the men and women in the military, past and present, who have given their lives so we can continue to enjoy our freedoms in our country, and many others. You will never be forgotten. Also, thanks and prayers go out to all those currently serving in the military who have given up their comforts and freedoms so that we can keep ours. We all hope and pray for your safe and speedy return home.

Thanks for reading, and please give your family and friends a big hug today!

xoxo







Disclaimer: Photo is not my own; credit goes to: http://www.collegefootballresource.com/blog/2008/5/26/memorial-day.html