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Maui Moisture Hair Care

You know when a product’s packaging is just so pretty you NEED to have it? Well, Maui Moisture’s packaging is exactly that. One day we were perusing Ulta and came across these hair care products. There were various ranges from dry hair to color treated hair. We got the Color Treatment and Sea Minerals Shampoo, and the Heal and Hydrate Shampoo and matching conditioner. After using these shampoos and conditioner for a couple of weeks now, we both pretty much have come to the same conclusion. 

Both of us thought that the ideas of this range were good and intriguing, which probably was the point of the brand; to release something new. Overall, we thought that the product was not for us. Maybe it could work for other people, but these products were not for us. We both thought that the shampoos were okay, but not great or worth the price. They retailed at $8.99, which isn’t too bad, but considering you could buy a cheaper alternative like Pantene or L’oreal, we were not too impressed. After a few uses we both came to the conclusion that the Color Treatment Shampoo left hair feeling greasy and rather quickly after washing it. Although, the conditioner was not terrible, we think that for the price point, it wasn’t worth it. We understand that the brand may be more “natural,” but it did not do anything beneficial. We think that the products smell good and they look nice on the shelves in terms of packaging, but overall think they are not worth it.

Instead, we reccomend the Total Repair 5 Restoring line from L’oreal ranging from $4.99-$6.99, or the Pantene Expert Intense Smooth line priced at $4.99. These products are definitely better options if you’re looking for something on a budget!

- sam + natalie 

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Is this BB cream really #instaready?! Check out our latest review of @physiciansformula new BB cream now!

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#instaready #beautyblog #makeup #blogger #bbcream

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Honest Review; Physicians Formula Super BB Cream

Not too long ago, the affordable brand, Physicians Formula came out with a new BB cream. #InstaReady is written on the front of the bottle and it immediately caught my eye on the shelf. I mean who doesn’t want to have an awesome Instagram ready look, right?!

The BB cream retails for $14.99 at Ulta, making it pretty affordable. This cream is supposed to absorb all of your skin’s oils, but not the moisture, so it gives you a balanced semi-matte finish. The cream also has an SPF of 30 in it, which is a nice added bonus. 

This product has many good aspects as well as some negatives. It is perfect for summer because it’s very lightweight and feels nice on the skin. It doesn’t feel heavy at all and you don’t even really notice you are wearing it. The coverage I would say is a light to medium. iIt helps cover up redness but does not conceal everything. The cream is very easy to blend and looks very natural. 

One of the biggest drawbacks about this product is that there is currently only two shades to choose from. Yes, you heard that right…TWO! Light & Light-Medium. This turns off a lot of people from purchasing because they simply won’t be able to match their complexion and skin tone. Another issue is the product will fade as the day goes on especially if you are sweating.

Overall, this BB cream is a good product and it is priced affordably. There are some minor changes that could be made to make this product more desirable, but in the meantime,  I would not necessarily recommend the BB cream because of its lack of shades, and inability to last throughout the day. There are definitely better BB creams out there, but if you are of a light or light to medium complexion, and love Physicians Formula, I’d say go for it. If you want a bigger shade range, I’d look into another brand’s BB cream. 

- sam

#physiciansformula #beauty #blog #makeup #drugstore #beautyblog

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Tarte: Skin Twinkle Volume II Lighting Palette

Being makeup lovers, obviously we love highlighters! We both recently purchased the Tarte Skin Twinkle Volume II Lighting Palette and really enjoy it. There are 4 highlight shades included in the palette, ranging from a lighter shade to a deeper bronzy shade: daylight, skylight, spotlight, and candlelight.

The highlighters are each 5 grams, but a little bit goes a long way! The product itself is creamy and blends easily. Because they blend easily, you won’t be stuck with that line of highlight, but instead a nice blended glow. We both like the variety of the palette especially because we both have different skin tones. While Sam has a lighter complexion, I have a bit more of a golden complexion, yet the palette works well for both of us, so the different color options are great to have. The lighter colors may be a better fit for lighter skin tones, but still work on deeper tones, they would just be a bit more blinding. The darker colors are great as well, offering more options for any look!

The palette retails for $42, which isn’t too bad for 4 beautiful highlight shades. It also smells like vanilla, which is an added benefit! The mirror is super clear, and the front packaging is gorgeous. In comparison to the Becca highlights, I would definitely say these are more subtle. While they do give off a glow, they are a softer highlight, or dare I say more “natural,” which is nice to have in your collection for those days you want a more subtle glow.

- sam + natalie

#beauty #tarte #highlighter #beautyblogger

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Honest Review; Jaclyn Hill Palette

Is it worth the hype? 

Back in June, youtuber Jaclyn Hill released her first eye shadow palette that she created alongside Morphe Brushes. Once the announcement was made, thousands and thousands of dedicated fans were so excited for the palettes release. There is no question that the shades and range of eyeshadow colors are beautiful. This palette offers tons of different looks that someone can put together. There are your basic neutrals, warm tones, shimmers, mattes, and some beautiful pops of color that are incredibly pigmented. To get 35 amazing shadows for $38 is a steal. 

Not only did Jaclyn'a palette sell out within the hour on its release date, it also sold out the second time around as well. They also plan on restocking it to release again on August 22nd 2017 at 8am PST/11am EST. This means the palette must be good right? After watching numerous reviews before the release from YouTube beauty bloggers, the feedback seemed pretty positive. But with positively there’s always going to be some negativity. Some youtubers showed that the swatches were not pigmented at all. While others complained the colors were too similar to each other. Never less, we were both  already set on purchasing the palette and were fortunate enough to snag them the first time around. We had to test it out for ourselves as soon as we both got it. After playing around with the palette for the past month and a half we’re both still confused about how some youtubers got such bad swatches. Maybe they just wanted views and intentionally swatched poorly, or maybe they got that one dud. The world may never know.

However, after receiving and using this palette, we have developed our own honest opinions. The shadows in this palette are buttery and extremely pigmented, while also having great color options and variety. We are both very happy with our palettes and are consistently amazed whenever we swatch it or use it. Overall, are are in love with the Jaclyn Hill x Morphe palette and would reccomend it! You will get 35 amazing shades and won’t regret it!

- sam + natalie

#jaclynhill #palette #beautyblogger #morphebrushes #beauty

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Check out our first blog post on Sephora, Rewards & Points! 💅🏼💄#beautyblogger #sephora #makeup

#beautyblogger #makeup #sephora

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Sephora Point System; WTF??

Being the crazy makeup enthusiasts we are, we find ourselves shopping at Sephora very often. Sephora implements a points system for every purchase online or in store. For every dollar spent, you acquire one point (unless there is promotion where you can earn  2X, 3X or 4X the points). 

There are three levels someone can be: Beauty Insider, VIB or VIB Rouge. A Beauty Insider is what people start off with when signing up for rewards from Sephora. A VIB has to spend $350 per year, while a VIB Rouge member has to spend $1000 per year.  Of course spending more money at Sephora means more rewards/benefits, so the higher the status the more you are offered. These can include free makeovers, free shipping, etc. However, the level you are does not necessarily transfer over to earning better or bigger samples. 

After you accumulate 100 points (which isn't hard to do at Sephora), you are given the option to redeem your points for a product. Sounds great right? All that money spent and you get something for free!? Yes, but not exactly. A hundred dollars of spending at Sephora gets you a mini sample of a product. The sample is extremely small and it takes you a hundred dollars to get it! 

If you decide to save your points then you might have a chance at getting a better reward...potentially. The next step up in Sephora’s rewards tier is having 250 points. So more than double the amount you needed for the first reward. These rewards can be pretty similar to the 100 point rewards, currently the only difference is that these rewards aren't necessarily just makeup and skincare products, but instead they sometimes offer bags or perfume samples in slightly larger sizes.

The next tier up is the 500 point rewards. If you redeem these you usually get a bag of samples including about 5-6 different products from one brand. So now rather then getting one mini product you get multiples of them for spending 500 dollars. Good deal? 

Once you pass the 500 point mark things start to get tricky. The rewards do get better but more often than not sell out almost immediately. For 2500 points they offer gift bags of high end brand products with what looks like mini samples but you get much more and probably bigger samples. But....they seems to always be  sold out. 

If you are a true Sephora shopper and somehow spend 25,000 or 50,000 dollars you can redeem your points for VIP events and hotel rooms and some pretty cool things. But as said before, you have to spend thousands and thousands of dollars for a trip that costs nearly that. These trips usually sell out immediately as well. 

In the end, we think the Sephora point system could definitely use some serious work but hey at least we get something right?!

- sam + natalie 

#beauty