Starlooks - May 2014

WANDER

The last of my May beauty subscription reviews! Hooray! Hahaha! I meant to have this posted on Friday, but I had a whole nail-in-tire-rush-to-tire-store-stuck-in-traffic-wait-for-two-hours-before-serviced-wrong-rim-put-on-car-low-tire-pressure-light-still-on type of day. Was that a long enough description? ::giggles:: Today I spent the day with family and then had a wonderful evening out with the Hubby, I have MISSED THAT MAN! We just saw the movie Edge of Tomorrow and it was amaaaaazing! I highly, highly recommend it!

Ok, so now that we have had our little catch up ::pours some more tea and coffee, one lump or two, love?:: Let's jump into my May Starlooks Starbox review!....

"Sometimes the sun shines hot, but the wind still blows a little cold…  and this is the time when you start getting the itch for adventure.

May is the month when the hot weather rolls in, which means time for glowing bronzed skin, sunny highlights, and nothin’ but sexy, relaxed attire. Summer is when you’re allowed to color outside the lines. You’re even permitted, sometimes required, to just leave all your baggage at home and run wild, without any inhibitions or restrictions.

Roam the open road, explore your freedom, see the world, and express yourself." - starlooks.com

I'm not a huge Summer fan, but I DEFINITELY am a relaxed attire, coloring outside the lines, see the world type of person! I was very intrigued by the box when I received it, it's shaped so differently than what is usually sent! Here's what I received...

 I received: an eyeliner, a face powder, makeup remover spray and lotion towelette

Ooooooo, isn't this fabulous looking! Some larger items this month, I see why we needed a bigger box!

IRIDESCENT LOOSE POWDER

in LSP2

"Your 'one-stop-shop' for that ideal face and body glow, imperative for every summer look, and flexible for any skin tone. A little goes a long way, so dust lightly onto any area of the face or body that you want to enhance with a luminous and/or bronzed sparkle. We recommend the cheeks and shoulders. " - Starlooks May 2014 Starbox card

I received their Translucent Nude Mineralized Powder in my April 2013 Starbox and I absolutely love it! It was a makeup staple for me for several months, so I was super excited to try out another one of their face powders. 

   

It comes in a twist-top jar with a white applicator puff inside, as well as a sifter to control product application. I've never been a huge fan of applicator puffs, other than that I feel so fancy using one. Teehee. I much prefer to buff in with a makeup brush, than just to pat on. I feel like I can control the application better this way and can blend out if needed. 

  

As you can see, the product has quite of bit of nude-ish gold shimmer! It really is quite gorgeous to look at in the light! I'm very happy with the sifter in the jar. I've had some sifters that do an awful job of distributing the product out, either it comes out too slow and I'm having to slap the back of the jar or I've had to be so gentle and careful with handling it, as the powder will go everywhere!

  

Isn't it lovely? The bottom swatch is a single swipe (using my finger) and above is about four to five swipes. It's just so warm, glowing and Summery! As shimmery as it is, I was surprised at how soft the powder is, you can hardly feel it with your fingers. It blends so softly, can be built up well, as you can tell from the photo above) and this shade really came out very natural on my skin tone, which I was surprised about, since it looked a bit warmer than my own.

     

This product is just gorgeous for multiple applications. You can brush it over your cheekbones for a sun-kissed glow, you can lightly blend it over the entire face for a soft glow, blended well out, you can apply it over your collarbone....I mean, it's just screaming Summer Goddess to me! 

The look can be as subtle or as shimmery as you'd like it to be. I like to use soft, loosely packed powder brush to dust it on and blend, add, etc. until I'm happy with the layer of shimmer. One thing to note, it doesn't seem to give a complete list of the ingredients on Starlook's website. They do mention that it has jojoba oil, mica and titanium dioxide, but that's all. So, although it's amazing on face and body, I would not recommend using this on the eyes as it does not list whether or not it is approved for use there. 

As much as I absolutely love the effect this powder gives on my skin and the glow, it does not have the best staying power. Even with a setting spray applied over it, the shimmer will fade fairly quickly. By the end of the day, I could not tell it was still on the skin at all. I would say it gives a nice glow for about 4-5 hours tops. I still would recommend it, though! It's perfect for giving your face a gorgeous, healthy looking glow. I will certainly be using mine frequently! My only major complaint in regards to this product, isn't really the product itself, but the way Starlooks presents the shades on their website. I can see that there are six shades - LSP1, LSP2, LSP3, LSP4, LSP5 and LSP6 - however, there is no explanation as to what the shades ARE, what skin tone they're for, if there's more or less shimmer in them, etc. All you get is individual photos of each shade/finish in a loose pile on a white background, but so many of them look too similar to really tell what they are. I would LOVE it if they had color descriptions! Pretty please, Starlooks!

EYE PENCIL

in Exit to Eden (J228)

"Spring/Summer is the time to break out the color! In May, we're taking it a step further and urging you to color outside the lines. Use this pencil to add accents to your inner eye corner and under your bottom lash line! When the sun shines down on your eyes, the color pop from underneath will leave them all dazzled!" - Starlooks May 2014 Starbox card

Colorful eyeliner? Gimme, gimme, gimme! There's such a special place in my heart for bright, eye-catching eyeliners. Wait till you see how stunning this one is!

  

The packaging is standard for their pencil eyeliners, a wooden pencil that's black on the outside with a black cap, tipped at the end with the shade of the product. This shade, Exit to Eden, is an amazing mossy green with a subtle iridescence and gold microshimmer.

The formula is nice, a very soft, smooth texture that applies well without pulling the skin and can be built up for a bit more pigmentation. The microshimmer is apparent even in lighter application in a thinner line, or when blended out slightly.

I was very impressed with it's staying power, especially when comparing it to a few other Starlooks eye pencils I own. I wore it on several occasions, but one in particular was a rougher day for eye makeup. I taught two dance classes, and stayed at work for over 10 hours and by the end of all that, it had barely smudged and the color still looked almost as fresh as when I first applied it! (Used with a setting spray). It only smudged under my bottom lash line, which is a very common problem for me since my eyes get watery very easily, but the liner stayed perfect on my lid!

With a great formula, good pigmentation, fantastic staying power and such a gorgeous color, this pencil is a fabulous addition to makeup stash! I would love to own a purple, blue, and black that were similar to this!

 GENTLE CLEARAWAY

MAKEUP REMOVER

"Our Clearaway formula removes makeup effortlessly, yet it's still Gentle enough for all skin types! It's conveniently sized so you can take it anywhere, and it's equipped with an easy-spray pump for mess-free application." - Starlooks May 2014 Starbox card

I actually already HAVE this product! I've owned this remover for...whew...over a year now? It is a MUST HAVE for any makeup lover, as it does wonders for removing your makeup.

The remover contains 8 parts water and 2 parts oil, making it very gentle, but still very efficient in removing any product. Always be sure to shake up makeup removers with similar formulas, as the oil and water need to be evenly mixed to work as well as it should.

Haha, so these photos are actually old, as I was intending to write a review on this product waaaaaay back when I first started my blog, but it was set aside in my post "vault" for so long that I had forgotten about it! I do love the photos, though, so I decided to use them for this post!

Here we have four sections, each section containing three different product swatches of the most difficult formulas to remove. The squiggly black line is my toughest black eyeliner, that has fantastic staying power and sets to a matte finish. The teal swipe is a cream eyeshadow, that sets really well, as well. The black fibrous looking swipe is a waterproof mascara that has small volumizing fibers.

I waited about 30 minutes before I tried to remove each product, making sure they had set completely on the skin. As you can see, wiping with my hand just faded them a bit. Wiping with water just spread the product out a bit. Using a makeup wipe (one swipe) did remove about 2/3s of the products, but when I used the Starlooks spray, let it sit for a minute, then used a tissue, nearly 95% wiped almost cleanly off! 

The best way I've found to use this remover is to spray it on your face, then add an extra spritz on the eyes (eyes closed, of course!) and let it sit for a few minutes to break up all of the makeup formulas. After that time, just use a makeup remover towelette to clean off the whole face and the makeup just slides right off! The Starlooks spray does wonders for waterproof mascaras, tough to remove eyeliners, you name it, it's fantastic! It's fragrance free, doesn't irritate my eyes (and I have sensitive eyes), and doesn't leave any oily residue after I wipe it off. THE BEST! If you wear a lot of eye makeup, especially tough to remove ones, I highly recommend purchasing this product!

SPA TOWELLS

BODY LOTION TOWELETTE

"Surprise! Starlooks has partnered with Spa Towells to bring you a sample of the first ever moisturizing body lotion towelette! Don't let giant bottles of body lotion clutter your beach bag or purse! Instead, bring your Spa Towells to refresh and moisturize your skin anywhere, anytime - especially after a long day in the sun!" - Starlooks May 2014 Starbox card

Such an intriguing product, and certainly nothing I've ever tried before! It came at just the right time, too, as I was able to take it with me on my Chicago trip!

   

The sample I received contained a single towelette. As you can see, it's quite large! It certainly contained enough product to wipe down nearly all of my body! (My hands are very big, don't let the towelette fool you, it's huge). One thing I was very surprised about was that it's very wet feeling, rather than lotion-y. Here's a list of all of the ingredients in it:

Purified Water, Aloe, Almond Oil, Safflower Oil, Jojoba Oil, Glycerin, Stearic Acid, Polysorbate 40, Cetyl Alcohol, Avocado Oil, Tocophenol Acctate, Retiml Palmitate, Ascorbic Acid, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA, Methyl Paraben, Propyl Paraben, Fragrance, Triethanolomine

I really love seeing so many skin softening ingredients, so many oils and Tocophenol Acctate, as well as the Ascorbic Acid, a form of vitamin C. The fragrance, however, is quite strong and maybe a bit too much for me. It has a mix of a baby powder fragrance, plus a floral edge. I also don't particularly like that it's so wet feeling. It DID, however, soften my skin substantially! I rubbed it over my legs, on my elbows, shoulders, hands and they continued to feel soft for at least 24 hours after application. While I do agree that it's very handy to just toss one of these packets in your purse, I think I much prefer an actual lotion than something that feels like a wet wipe. 

I do think it's a great traveling product though! Especially if you have major problems with dry skin, maybe you're going to the beach and you want to keep your skin super soft after swimming in that salty ocean water. I don't know if I'd really recommend it, though, as the cost averages to about $1.50 per towelette, which only really has a single use because it'll dry out. Good for emergencies, but I wouldn't constantly purchase.

WORTH AND PURCHASE:

1) Iridescent Loose Powder in LSP2 - $21

2) Eye Pencil in Exit to Eden J228 - $12

3) Gentle Clearaway Makeup Remover - $15

4) Spa Towells Body Lotion Towelette (single) - $1.50

Total Paid for Box:  $17.68

Total Worth of Box:  $49.50

Great worth this month! Nearly $50! I'm very pleased with my eyeliner, it's great to have another makeup remover and not pay full price for it and even though the loose powder is a little pricey, I still love it. I feel like the towelette is a bonus, too, so really there's nothing in this box that I'm unhappy with! Great month Starlooks!

 

FINALE

So for my finale I wanted to do something Summery, easy, fresh and bright. Something that would be great for traveling, a road trip, flight, and that would be good for day or night! Oh my, that rhymed ::giggles:: 

I started with a liquid foundation, concealer where needed, then a matte finishing powder lightly dusted all over.

I actually AM wearing the Iridescent powder, but you can NOT see it in the photos. I wanted to add more, but when I looked in the mirror, I already had enough on that I didn't want to add more, because I had to go to work right after! (Yes, yes, I know, needing a better camera, it's on my Honey-please-next-big-gift list, haha!) You can see the glow a bit more on my nose than my cheeks! I blended it a bit on my cheeks, chin, nose and forehead.

For the eyes I began with Urban Decay's Primer Potion in Original, then NYX's Jumbo Pencil in Milk blended all over the lid. I then worked in a soft dove grey eyeshadow all over the lid, towards the inner corners of my eyes and blended lightly up towards the eyebrows, as well as under my bottom lashes. Then I blended a soft off-white shadow on my brow bone for highlighting, then a soft taupe in the outer 1/2 of my crease. I used the Exit to Eden eyeliner for a simple, short winged liner on my lid, and under my bottom lash line to completely surround my eye. 

I finished the look with some mascara, brow powder for my brows, soft cool contouring and clear lip balm for my lips.

    

Soft, hazy, and great for warm Summer days, with just enough pop of color! Super easy and super quick for your traveling needs. Now where's my bag? I feel another trip coming on!

      

Well that's it for May's Starlooks Starbox review! I hope you enjoyed it! Thinking of trying out Starlooks Starbox for youself? Please do use my referral code to sign up! Just CLICK HERE and it'll get you started! For every sign up with my referral code, I get a free gift box! If you sign up for Starlooks Starbox you can share your personal referral code for a customizable gift box as well!

    

Starlooks Starbox is a monthly beauty subscription box for $15 plus $2.68 for domestic USPS First Class shipping. Each monthly box contains 3-4 FULL SIZED pieces of Starlooks brand makeup plus some fun little beauty extras! Past Starboxes are also available for purchase for $25 each while quantities last. Starlooks also gives their subscribers a free Birthday Box ALONG with the monthly Starbox during the subscribers birthday month! What are you waiting for.....you know you want to sign up!

     

 

 Happy Makeuping! ::goes off to pack a suitcase::