Surfing Sunday - August 8, 2010

Sorry for the lack of posts… I have been on vacation in Florida for a week and am actually leaving to go to the airport in an hour to get back home. I promise that I am going to post so much this week - in fact, I have a post that I’ve already written which is coming your way tomorrow!

Here are the great deals I’ve found for this week’s Surfing Sunday! I’m going to warn you now that this is quite a long post, although that is a good thing – it just means that I found a ton of deals!

Sephora.com –

• *Reminder for VIBs* Swag Bags are being given out to VIBs until today, so hurry and get yours! Check your email – you have to either print it out or show your code with a mobile device to get your bag if you choose to pick it up in store; or just enter the code given to you when checking out online. Also, VIBs earn DOUBLE POINTS with any Sephora purchase until today!
• Check out the full list of weekly specials here.
• Check out the Sale page here for some awesome deals!

These are only some of my favorite sale products from Sephora this week, since if I wrote about every product on the sale page that I want, I’d be sitting here all day!

1. The Waterproof Bronzing Kit – It contains 6 water-resistant products. It was originally $28, and is now $15. Even though the summer’s almost over (I’m so sad), I’ve been wanting to try out this kit since it has come out. With a price tag of $15, I can’t resist!
2. The Stila Collectible Travel Palettes “Road to Radiance – Across the USA” and “Pretty in Paris” - These palettes were once priced at $65, but have been marked down to $10! I love the colors in these palettes!
3. Stila Paint Your Pout Red Palette – The Talking Palette – I own nothing like this because I never wear red on my lips, but this palette makes me want to! It was originally $45, but is now only $15!

• For Beauty Insiders only: (this is on the weekly specials page, but I wanted to point out that it is just for Beauty Insiders) get a deluxe sample of Hourglass Film Noir Full Spectrum Mascara. This is a brand new mascara, so it’s your chance to grab it before anyone else! Enter the code “SPECTRUM” at checkout.

Ulta.com –

• Tarte is now offered at Ulta! To celebrate, Ulta has a new promotion – Free Shipping with any Tarte purchase when you enter the coupon code 53120 at checkout.
• Ulta is now offering 3 samples at checkout

bobbibrowncosmetics.com –

• Get free shipping with purchases of $65 or more!
• Choose 2 complimentary samples at checkout. See them here.
• Get two travel-sized minis: Extra Balm Rinse and Protective Face Lotion SPF 15 with any order when you enter the code TALENT at checkout. This offer is only valid until Friday, August 13, 2010.

Tartecosmetics.com -

• There is a Friends and Family promotion 40% off sitewide! If that’s not good enough, you get to choose a free gift! Click here to see the items which are 40% off.

Stilacosmetics.com -

• Click here for Stila's online warehouse sale! There are tons of great deals on this site!
• There is also free shipping for purchases of $50 or more

LauraMercier.com -

• Free shipping for purchases of $25 or over ending today at 11:59 CST, so act fast!

Lancome-usa.com -

• Free shipping and some great deluxe samples (check the offer out here) with any purchase of $45 when you enter the promo code AUGDELUXE2 at checkout. This offer ends today at 11:59 EST so act fast!

Nordstrom.com – Beauty

• It’s only $5 shipping when you spend $50 or more when you enter the code BEAUTY

Bloomingdales.com – Beauty

• Check out the fabulous gifts with purchase here.

saksfifthavenue.com – Beauty

• There are some awesome gifts with purchase over at Saks too! Click here to see them!

Hope you enjoyed this week’s Surfing Sunday! Please comment below if you know of any beauty deals that are not in this post! xoxo

Mix and Match Makeup's New Layout!!!

Sorry if you visited the site earlier today and things were all over the place... I did a major overhaul and changed everything around! Hope you enjoy the new layout!

Please let me know how you like it, and feel free to tell me if you have any suggestions! :)

NYX Giveaway Update

Update!

So, since Mix and Match Makeup didn't reach 25 followers by today (July 25,2010), the contest has been postponed until August 25th. If, by that date, Mix and Match Makeup reaches 50 followers, there will be a prize to be determined in addition to the $30 worth of NYX products!

For the rules of the giveaway, and to enter, please refer to the NYX Giveaway post. Good Luck! :)

Surfing Sunday

Here's this week's list of great online makeup deals!

Ulta.com –
- For this week only, get 20% off of your entire purchase! Use the coupon code 51194 to take advantage of this great deal! This offer is only available online.
- You can get $3.50 off of a $10 purchase on Ulta.com as well. Use the coupon code 49499!
***Remember, you can only choose 1 coupon code to use per order!***
- There are a bunch of free gifts with purchase available! To see the complete list, click here. My favorite is the 3-piece Benefit set you can receive with a $25 Benefit purchase.

Nordstrom.com –
- For the full list of Nordstrom exclusives, click here.
- There are sooooo many awesome gifts with purchase at Nordstrom.com. Check them out here.

SaksFifthAvenue.com –
- There are great gifts with purchase at Saks. See the full list here.

Urbandecay.com –
- There are a bunch of deals over at Urbandecay.com. Many of the deals are items for $5.00! Check out the Urban Decay clearance section here.
- You can get two Double Fatty Mascaras – 1 regular and 1 waterproof for only $29 (it’s worth $40). Check out the deal here.

- For other deals like the Double Fatty Double hitter, check out other gifts and sets here.

Benefitcosmetics.com –
- Get free shipping in the US with any $50 purchase on Benefit.com when you enter the code PRETTY50 at checkout.
- Get free international shipping with any $115 purchase on Benefit.com when you enter the code WORLD115 at checkout.
- There are a bunch of great items on sale! Check them out here.

MACcosmetics.com –
- Free U.S. shipping at MACcosmetics.com with any $50 purchase.
- This isn’t a deal or anything, but it is a reminder to check out your favorite MAC shades which are being discontinued. See the list here.

Tartecosmetics.com –
- There are some great Tarte value sets here.

- Check out the clearance section for some money-saving deals here.
- This isn’t really a deal, but I just wanted to inform you about the Limited Edition natural cheek stain “Ten”. Get it here before anywhere else!

BobbiBrownCosmetics.com –
- There’s a contest to win Bobbi Brown’s new Denim and Rose Collection here. One winner will win a $300 Bobbi Brown Gift Certificate AND the new Denim and Rose Collection, and 5 others will get other awesome prizes! Be sure to enter!
- Get free shipping with any $65 order. This will be applied automatically, so you won’t need to enter a code at checkout.

Hope you enjoyed this week's Surfing Sunday!

Feel free to leave me any comments or questions! :)

All About Lash Extensions!

I got the Xtreme Lash Extensions right before my 21st birthday, and I've had them on for a total of 2 months now. I've decided to compile a list of everything you need to know about extensions in order to help those of you who are contemplating getting them!

This is a picture taken before I received the lash extensions. As you can see, my lashes aren't that short, but they aren't ridiculously long.

This is a picture taken after I got the lash extensions. My lashes look A LOT longer than they were.

Here are some things that I've learned about lash extensions:

1. It takes about an hour and a half to apply the initial set of lashes - It's a big time commitment to get the lashes and maintain them.

2. It's a painless procedure - Your lashes won't feel any different once the extensions are on. You'd think they would feel heavy, but they feel as if nothing is on your lashes.

3. When the lashes get either initially put on or replaced, you can't get them wet for 48 hours - Be sure to wash your hair and shower before getting your lashes put on that day. Using a clear shower cap over your hair and eyes when you shower helps so you don't get your lashes wet by accident! You can also use goggles. This sounds silly, but it really works!

4. It takes about 45 minutes every 2-3 weeks to have the lashes "filled", or replaced - You have to commit to filling the lashes each week, or they'll fall out.

5. It's very EXPENSIVE! - It costs about $250 to get the initial set, which is about 40-60 lashes; and $75-$95 to get the lashes filled every 2-3 weeks. *Remember to check your salon's pricing - every salon is different.*

6. You don't have to use your eyelash curler at all! - I have a lot of lashes, but they're straight and don't have a natural curl to them. I found myself using my eyelash curler a lot during the day in order to ensure that my lashes were curled prior to getting extensions. I would even carry my eyelash curler in my bag when I went out at night with my friends! Needless to say, I am obsessed with my lashes being curled. When you have lash extensions, you should not use an eyelash curler as it can damage the extensions.

7. It doesn't affect your natural lashes or the lash growth - Don't worry, your lashes won't fall out, and nothing bad will happen to them after getting the extensions.

8. You don't have to wear mascara- You don't have to wear regular mascara or waterproof mascara in the pool or ocean, and your lashes will still look good after! You also don't have to worry about your mascara running.

9. You can't use certain mascaras if you feel the need to wear mascara - Most mascaras are oil-based, which means that the lash extensions will slide right off of your eyelash if you apply them. You should purchase the mascara made especially for the lashes, which is water-based.

10. You have to use an oil-free makeup remover - This is a relatively easy practice to get used to. All you have to do is switch to oil-free makeup remover pads.

11. You can't toss and turn in your sleep! - I move a lot when I sleep, so this was hard for me to get used to. You should sleep on your back since the lashes aren't hitting the pillow, which causes them to either bend in a weird direction, or fall off. Usually, my right eyelashes fall off more because I sleep on my right side.

12. They add a ton of length to the lash - As you can see from the pictures above, there's a dramatic difference in my lash length.

I hope this helps you decide whether or not lash extensions are the right choice for you! :)

Review: Urban Decay Naked Palette

I was super excited when I heard that Urban Decay was coming out with a new palette for Fall 2010! I knew it would be a great product because Urban Decay is one of my favorite brands... I know I can always rely on them for good quality makeup! This palette includes 12 shades, a double-sided eye pencil, and a mini Primer Potion. 5 of the shades are new, 7 are permanent, and 1 is a comeback.

As you can see, the packaging on the palette is absolutely GORGEOUS! It's a dark brown velvet texture, with gold lettering etched into the velvet. I feel like it's not as funky as the other palettes from Urban Decay that I own - it's very sophisticated, and really embodies the neutral eyeshadow shades found within it.

This photo was taken with the flash off. You can see that 10 of the shades are primarily neutrals and browns, with two grey/black shades in there as well. You can also see the double-sided 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil - the colors are Zero and Whiskey. Zero is a black pencil, while Whiskey is a reddish brown pencil, which is a new addition to Urban Decay's collection.

The two photos of the palette were taken with the flash on. You can clearly see which shades are shimmery and which are matte. For more information about the shades, refer to the pictures below! (Note: I feel that all of the colors are great as an all-over lid color with the exception of Virgin, which would be a great highlight)

These are the first four shades with the flash off (top) and on (bottom). The names and descriptions are as follows:

Virgin: (New) A frosty, creamy, very light beige. Great as a highlight color on your brow bone or on your inner tear duct.

Sin: (Permanent) A shimmery nude.

Naked: (Permanent) A tan matte.

Sidecar: (Comeback shade) A shimmery dark beige It was in the first Book of Shadows, but not sold separately.

These are the next four shadows with the flash off (top) and on (bottom). The shades are:

Buck: (New) A matte dark tan.

Half Baked: (Permanent) A shimmery light yellow-bronze. One of my favorite shades of all time :)

Smog: (Permanent) A shimmery tan-bronze.

Darkhorse: (New) A bronze chocolate brown with a subtle shimmer.

These are the last four shades. The shadows are:

Toasted: (Permanent) A shimmery light brown. It reminds me of a darker version of Sin.

Hustle: (New) A frosty, shimmery, dark brown. It reminds me of a darker version of Darkhorse. It's named after an Urban Decay Ultraglide Lip Gloss, Hustle.

Creep: (New) A black shadow with blue-silver shimmer.

Gunmetal: (Permanent) A dark grey shimmer.

One of the best things about this product besides, well, everything else I've mentioned so far is the fact that all of the shadows are full size. Normally, an individual Urban Decay eyeshadow is $17, so 12 of them would be $204! This means that you're saving $160!!! Technically, with the cost of the double-sided eye pencil and the mini Primer Potion, you're saving more than $160... how great is that?!

Ultimately, I believe that Urban Decay's Naked Palette is one of the greatest makeup purchases I have EVER made! It's great quality, the shadows are all highly pigmented, and the cost can't be beat! In all seriousness, everyone should have this product! Good job, Urban Decay! :) A++++++++

Note: The Naked palette keeps getting sold out on both urbandecay.com and sephora.com. I will definitely let you know when it's back in stock so you can get your hands on this awesome item! :)

Surfing Sunday!

Sorry I haven't posted since Monday... I've been super busy! I promise to make it up to you guys with tons of reviews on some great products such as Urban Decay's Naked Palette!

Here's a list I've compiled of some great beauty deals!!!

Ulta.com: There are so many offers, so don't miss them!

- With any $25 purchase online, you will receive a FREE Summer Beauty Bag, which comes in an airplane-approved Ulta bag and 8 samples. Be sure to add this to your cart with your $25 purchase, but BEWARE - if you add this to your cart, and you do not have $25 worth of products in your cart, you will be charged $25 for the bag! This offer ends on Saturday July 24, 2010!

- In addition to the 8 samples found in the FREE Summer Beauty Bag, you will be able to pick 3 free samples of your choice at checkout!

- There are many free gifts with purchase at Ulta.com - click here to see them all! Products range from Almay to Benefit to Murad!

- Get $3.50 off any $10 purchase when you enter the coupon code 44500 at checkout! Remember that if you have many coupon codes to use, you can only enter one... choose wisely!

Sephora.com: See the offer here

- Click the link above for a list of the Sephora weekly specials! Some include a Philosophy Miracle Worker value set, which you receive for $75 instead of the usual $125; a Sephora bronzer and blush duo for $30 instead of $42; and Korres Jasmine Shower Gel for just $6.50!

- Also be sure to check out the sale for some awesome products! Click here.

Urbandecay.com: See the offer here

- Urban Decay has lowered the prices on select products such as Smoke Out Eye Pencil, Loose Pigments, and Ultraglide Lip Gloss to only $5!!! I went crazy and bought almost every item listed (haha). Go check out this awesome deal!

Lancome-usa.com: See the offer here

- There's FREE shipping on all lancome-usa.com purchases until Thursday July 22nd, 2010! In addition, you'll receive free samples of Renergie Cream Anti-wrinkle and Firming Treatment and Effacil Gentle Eye Makeup Remover! This is a $34 value, and there's no product code necessary to receive these items!

- With any $35 purchase, you'll receive $38 worth of deluxe samples! Enter the code BASTILLE at checkout! The samples include: Dual Finish - versatile powder makeup, Color Design - eye shadow, and Hypnose Drama - volume mascara.

bhcosmetics.com: See the offer here

- Check out the link above for 3 different summer specials!

- Get 20% off the 120 palette when you enter the code SUM2ND at checkout! This offer expires on July 19, 2010 at midnight so act fast!!!

Nordstrom.com: See the offer here

- Click the link above for some great Nordstrom beauty exclusives!

- Be sure to check out the gifts with purchase as well! Click here!

Saksfifthavenue.com

- With any La Mer purchase, you'll receive a sample of the La Mer Moisturizing Gel Cream when you enter the code LAMER44

- For other great gifts with purchase, click here!

Bloomingdales.com

- Check out the gifts with purchase - click here!

Hope you all had a great weekend! xoxo

Movie Makeup Monday: "Despicable Me"-Inspired Eye Makeup Tutorial

I have been really wanting to see "Despicable Me" in 3-D this week (yes, I'm 21 years old, but I really like Disney/Pixar movies! haha), but have to wait until the weekend. This film has inspired me to do an eye makeup tutorial, which is primarily blue like those cute little minions' costumes, which you can see below.

I made this little guy, Mixer (for Mix and Match Makeup - get it?) on the "Minion Maker" which is here, so check it out!

This is a more muted version of the look, which you can wear during the daytime.

Here's the look:

- Remember to prime your lid with eye shadow primers such as Urban Decay Primer Potion (review here), or LORAC Behind the Scenes Eye Primer (review here).

- Apply NYX Eyeliner Pencil in Pearl White (review here) around your tear duct.

- Apply any black eyeliner to your waterline. I love Urban Decay's liner in Zero, since it really stays put for a longggg time!

- Apply Urban Decay eyeshadow in Shattered to your lid. Blend away any harsh lines. Also apply Shattered to your lower lash line.

- Apply a highlight color to your brow bone, such as Urban Decay eyeshadow in Polyester Bride.

I will definitely be wearing this look when I finally go see the movie... I'll be so cool in my 3-D glasses! (just kidding!) ;)

Hope you all are having a great week so far! Stay tuned for more reviews! xoxo

Review: Living Proof No Frizz Straight Making Styling System for Thick to Coarse Hair

If you read my last Sephora haul, you'll know that I purchased the Living Proof No Frizz Straight Making Styling System for thick to coarse hair (you can read my haul which gives an overview of the product here - it's in the first two paragraphs).

I was expecting the bottles to be a lot bigger - as you can see in the photos below, they were pretty tiny in comparison to my iPod and my hand. They were great for a trial, however, since they were so small. This kit would be fantastic for a vacation, since they are travel-size and are airplane-approved!

As for how the product treated my hair - I ended up loving it! The initial time I used it, I wasn't crazy about it since my hair felt straw-like. This was very odd for me, since my hair never tangles. I watched the "How to videos" about use the product, and it suggested to use a brush (view the "How to" videos here). The second time I used it, and for the rest of the time I used the system, my hair felt really good and didn't frizz as much in the humidity as it normally does, though it still did frizz a bit. I really liked the fact that it allowed me to not wash my hair as often, and I loved the smell - it's a citrus/orange scent.

Ultimately, I will definitely purchase the larger bottles, since I really like this product! :) This product earned an A -, because it didn't keep the frizz away completely. You can purchase the Straight Making System on Sephora.com here (a $34 value for only $25) , or on the Living Proof website here (a $48 value for only $39 + shipping).

Surfing Sunday!

So today is the start of "Surfing Sunday"!

"Surfing Sunday" is the day where I surf the web to find you good deals on makeup!

Here are some of the great offers I came across today:

Bloomingdales.com: See the offer here.

Bloomingdale's is offering a bonus offer with select products – receive a complimentary 5-piece deluxe sample kit with any $75 single or combined purchase of any of the following featured brands: Estée Lauder

Clinique, La Mer, Bobbi Brown, Jo Malone, MAC, Lab Series, Aramis, Michael Kors, Donna Karan, and DKNY.

The 5-piece deluxe sample kit contains: (1) Joe Malone London Lime Basil & Mandarin Cologne, (1) Bobbi Brown Lipgloss, (1) La Mer Moisturizing Cream, (1) Clinique High Impact Mascara, and (1) Estée Lauder Perfectionist Wrinkle Lifting Serum.

Macys.com: See the offer here.

There are so many free makeup gifts with purchase at Macy's! I didn't want to list all of them (there's a whole page of stuff), so check out the link above. Gifts range from individual samples, to sets of makeup, to handbags.

MAC.com:

If you purchase $50 worth of products or more, you will receive free standard shipping from MAC. You also have the option to upgrade to 2nd day shipping for only $5.00, or upgrade to overnight shipping for only $10.00. You don't have to enter an offer code - this will be done automatically! This offer is only available to U.S. addresses only, and this offer cannot be used with a gift card.

Nordstrom.com: See the offer here.

There are a few gifts with purchase available at Nordstrom. They are available for Bare Escentuals, Bvlgari, and Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare.

- With any Bare Escentuals purchase of $50 or more, you will receive an $18 mini buffing brush.

- With any Bvlgari men's fragrance purchase of $75 or more, you will receive mini eau de toilettes of AQVA pour Homme and AQVA pour Homme Marine.

- With any $125 purchase or more of Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare, you will receive five Alpha Beta Daily Face Peel two-step travel packets and a travel size Lift and Lighten Eye Cream. The total gift is worth $39.

Ulta.com:

There are sooo many deals going on at Ulta! I received a code in my email for free shipping on orders of $25 or more, which is 59031. This offer lasts until July 17, 2010. I also received a coupon code for $3.50 off any $10.00 purchase, which is 44500. It is important to note that only one coupon can be used per order, so make sure to choose wisely when you're checking out! These codes are also available on the website.

Sephora.com:

Sephora is offering 5 samples with every purchase, instead of the usual 3, until July 13, 2010 at 4pm PST. They come in a cute airplane-approved Sephora bag! Order fast because this special offer is ending really soon!!!

I hope you enjoyed the first of many "Surfing Sunday's"! xoxo

***Remember to enter the Mix and Match Makeup Giveaway to win $30 worth of NYX products!!!***