MAC Archie’s Girls Haul

March 5, 2013 by 31 Comments

I ordered several items from MAC’s most recent themed collection, Archie’s Girls, right when it launched in early February 2013.  I actually received this haul in the mail a month ago, but kept putting off pulling together this blog post for some reason.  I still wanted to share my haul with you because I ended up ordering a few extra goodies for a corresponding giveaway.  More info on that in a bit!

I love how MAC split the collection into two, one side for Betty and the other for Veronica. I used to read the comic books you could buy at the grocery store when I was younger from time to time.  This is a great nostalgic collection with some fun colors!

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I was most drawn to the blushes and beauty powders in this collection.  After reading reviews from my favorite beauty blogger, Temptalia, I decided to buy all four.  I think these will make great blushes for spring!  I purchased the Pearlmate Face Powders (the ones shown in the photo with the little hearts) in Veronica’s Blush (left)  & Flatter Me (right).  I think these will be nice light touch blushes with a bit of a sheen to them.  The actual powder blushes are Prom Princess (left) & Cream Soda (right).  They’re both very different, just like Veronica and Betty!

I also decided to pick up three of the collection’s lip products, including the Lipglass Lip Gloss in Strawberry, the Satin Lipstick in Betty Bright (left), and the Matte Lipstick in Ronnie Red (right).  I don’t own any lip shades quite like these so I thought they’d make a nice addition to my collection.  Plus, who can resist the too cute packaging?

I decided to pick up a few of these items for two of you to win in a blog giveaway as well.  MAC’s special edition launches sell out notoriously fast because of the hype surrounding them.  I figured it was best to pick up some extra goodies right after the launch while they were still available so that I could share with two of you!

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So, what could you win?  There will be  TWO winners who will each win the Pearlmate Face Powder in Veronica’s Blush, the Matte Lipstick in Ronnie Red, and the Lipglass Lip Gloss in Strawberry Malt, as pictured above.  (I took a photo of my own personal products to show you.  The winners will win products that have not been removed from the boxes).

As usual, this giveaway is open internationally and there will be TWO winners.  If you are under the age of 18 you must have parental permission to participate.  This giveaway runs from now, March 5, 2013 until next Tuesday, March 12, 2013 at 6 PM.  The winners will be announced on this blog post later that evening.  I will contact them directly as well.  I’m using Rafflecopter for this giveaway.  Follow the directions on the widget below to be entered to win.  Good luck!

*** GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED ***

Congrats to Annefleur & Nichcole P. on winning my MAC Archie’s Girl Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*I am not affiliated with MAC Cosmetics.  The prizes offered were purchased by me.  All opinions are my own.*

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DSLR Camera Accessories Haul

January 25, 2013 by 10 Comments

My big Christmas gift from Don this year was a Canon Rebel T4i, a DSLR camera (he gave me the 18-135mm IS STM lens kit).  I had been coveting this beauty since its release in the spring of 2012 and thought it would be a nice camera to learn on.  It is no coincidence that the gift of this camera coincided with the launch of this blog.  I hope to pursue the art of manual photography for blogging in the future.  For the time being I am just enjoying the auto features while I get used to the feel of the camera and play with things like lighting, angles and color contrast.  Don also gave me a special pancake lens that Canon had introduced with the T4i, the EF 40mm f/2.8 STM.  STM stands for STepping Motor and refers to the focusing mechanism of the lens, which in this case is specially deisgned to reduce auditory autofocus noise when in film mode.  I decided to purchase an additional lens and some basic accessories through Amazon a couple of weeks ago to add to my new camera.

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First thing on my shopping list was to buy a lens I have been hearing about in the YouTube community for some time now, the Tamaron AF 17-50mm XR Di-II f/2.8 LD SP Aspherical (IF) Zoom Lens for Canon DSLR cameras.  So many of the beauty gurus I love to watch who film on Canon Rebel cameras use this specific lens.  After reading myriad positive reviews on the internet about its merits for not just filming, but all-around shooting, I decided to splurge on it.  Lenses do not come cheap and purchasing one is a serious investment!  I have been playing with it for about a week now and already love it.  I’m excited to attempt filming on it as well.

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As a YouTuber, I am well informed on the importance of having a backup battery and charger for your cameras.  I have an extra set for the camera I use to vlog on, a Canon Powershot Elph 300 HS, as well as my video camera, a Sony Handycam HDR-CX150.  Having the extra batteries is crucial for long filming shoots or when I’m out all day vlogging on the go, not to mention absolutely essentiel when traveling.  I think having a backup battery and charger is worth the extra money.  The ones I already own have come to my rescue countless times over the course of my YouTube career.

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Lastly, I knew I needed a proper bag to house my new camera and keep it safe while at home and on the go.  At first I thought I should have a camera bag, and I spent a lot of time researching the many options available.  I reached out on FB and Twitter to get your input and received so many wonderful recommendations (big thanks to all who contributed!).  Camera bags come in all shapes and sizes with all sorts of bell and whistles you can customize to suit your needs.  I started to feel overwhelmed by all of the options until I followed a viewer suggestion to look into Crumpler products.  These camera pouches offer the padding and security of a camera bag without being an actual bag.  This appealed to me immediately since I am quite new the the world of DSLR cameras and am not sure what my camera bag needs are as yet.  I figured having a Crumpler pouch would be a good start, since I can easily fit it into my carryon bag and larger purses.

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I decided to go with the Haven in the medium size, described on the Crumpler website as “a portable padded protector for all things photographic, it instantly turns any bag into a camera bag – and back again – with pick up, plonk down ease.”  It comfortably holds my camera, two lenses (one big, one small), the charger, an extra battery, SD cards, and cords.  I like that the tough exterior fabric is water resistant, while the inside is lined in a soft fuzzy fleece.  It has just enough padding to cushion its contents well, while avoiding excess bulkiness & weight.  It also comes equipped with two removable velcro dividers, allowing you to customize the interior organization.  I traveled with my new Haven this past week when I was in LA & Disneyland.  It easily fit into my Vera Bradley 17″ Roll-Along Tote carryon for air travel as well as my Longchamp ‘Le Pliage’ Large Tote for daytime excursions.  The Haven suits my current needs perfectly!

I am very pleased with my new camera and the first accessories I chose to purchase for it.  I’m always interested in your input about “all things photographic” so please feel free to share your thoughts with me.

*I am not affiliated with any of the brands mentioned.  All items mentioned were purchased by me with the exception of the camera and 40mm lens, which were gifts from my husband.  All opinions are my own.*

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The Current Custom/Exit Art Haul

January 7, 2013 by 49 Comments

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I have purchased several pieces of jewelry from The Current Custom (an online branch of Exit Art, a store that sells specialty jewelry, art, & household goods) over the past few years, including my favorite gold & rose gold Cuff Bracelets and cutie patootie Sydney Evan Owl Necklace.  I like the jewelry that The Current Custom sells, which includes high quality, beautiful pieces with everyday functionality.

I placed an order the day before Cyber Monday (November 25, 2012) to take advantage of a 20% off coupon code for the Labradorite on Gold Link Chain necklace and Sterling Silver Cuff Bracelet set.  I’d been eyeing these pieces for awhile and waited for a good sale to invest in them.  Since I’ve ordered from The Current Custom in the past I knew it would be some time before I received my order.  A few weeks went by with no sign of my package or word from the store.  I emailed to inquire about my order’s status and received a brief email back from Exit Art owner Debbie that they were “putting orders together and [my] package will go out soon.”  I was assured that an email would be sent once my package shipped.  That was on December 10, 2012.  Two weeks later as we were gearing up to leave for Utah I still had not received my order or a status update.  I finally got my package today (January 7, 2013) with a postmark of January 3rd.  It took exactly 6 weeks for my order to get to me.

Now, I am generally not one to fuss, but 6 weeks with virtually no communication on the store’s part as to my order status or expected delivery time does not seem like good business to me.  I would have never heard from the store if I hadn’t sent an email to them first.  They did not send another email once my order shipped contrary to what was told to me.  Had they given me some notice that the pieces I ordered would take some time to get to me that would have been more than acceptable.  I understand that sometimes jewelry pieces must be ordered from the supplier and can be patient if given some notice.  It’s not as if I ordered these items for a time sensitive gift.  Consider if I had purchased some items as Christmas gifts.  One would think that one month is enough time to order and receive something for the holidays.

I don’t mean to rant, because I really do like The Current Custom and would like to support this business.  I admire the jewelry offered on the site and will probably make future purchases from there.  I will certainly enjoy my new jewelry pieces as stunning additions to my collection.  Just be warned that it could take a very long time to recieve an order with very little communication on the store’s part.

*All items shown were purchased by me.  I am not affiliated with The Current Custom or Exit Art.*

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