Give-Away Still On!

ok so the give-away is going to end December 14th and I wanted to extend it because there are only 6 people entering so far!!! I know you guys can do better than that! Think of it as a Christmas present if you win....and to the people that already entered...I love you guys! Thank you so much for your support!

to enter, click here which will open up another tab and take you to the rules and what not. Thanx guys! best of luck to yah!

Christmas Wishes - Book Edition

Hey there! I wanted to do a couple of these kinds of posts where I talk about what I want for Christmas. Partly because I wanna share with you guys and give you some ideas and partly because I don't wanna forget my wishlist! There has been so many books I have been wanting!!!! FYI- be prepared: Meet Makeup will be taken over to do Christmas gifts hauls, Christmas gift ideas, etc. What ever else I can think up! I am not sure if you guys know that Christmas is my absolute favorite holiday! And this is exactly why. It inspires me to be creative in every which way: parties, presents, blog posts, decor, fashion, makeup, food. I mean anything I can think of I try to make it Christmas oriented...so yeah. Hope you guys are gunna love it! Dont worry tho, because I do have a review or 2 coming up and also a cyber monday haul too. I also have a FOTD coming up as well...soon enough I am hoping to find the time.

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen- (novel) we actually just watched this last night and in a lot of ways it reminds me of The Notebook. I cannot say it tops The Notebook but it is pretty similar so if you haven't seen this movie, you need to! As soon as the movie was over I knew i had to read the book next.


The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks- (novel) I have seen the movie a million times but I have never read the book so I really want it- I am positive it is going to be amazing.


Dear John by Nicholas Sparks- (novel) Same author as The Notebook and me and by bf love this movie. And I cry every. single. time. It is so freaking sad, that I have to be in a mood to watch it but I cannot wait to read the book.  Also, have you guys heard the soundtrack? It is amazing as well.


Million Little Pieces by James Frey-  (novel) I have read My Friend Leonard by him as well and it is my favorite book to date. I read it in a matter of 2 days. My Friend Leonard was seriously a book I couldn't put down and I always hear people say that about books and couldn't truly relate until I read this one. This book is really good about love, hardship, addiction- it is a must read. My Friend Leonard is the sequel to Million Little Pieces so I will be reading it backwards. Oh well.




Queen Pin by Jemeker Thompson-Hairston and David Ritz (novel) I heard about this from Makeup by Mel from Youtube and she said it was a good one. As she mentioned this is about drugs, sex, & violence and is a true story. Right up my alley- sounds like an excellent read.


Nars Makeup Your Mind-(makeup book)  Dont think I need to mention what this is about. We all want this one.


Lauren Conrad Style Guide- (fashion book) I always loved Laguna Beach & The Hills but I was always team Kristen. Nowadays, Lauren Conrad is one of my favorite (affordable) designers so I think I would really love this one. You can get her clothes at Kohl's btw.


Barefoot in Paris by Ina Garten- (cooking) If you have ever watched Barefoot Contessa on Food Network then you will know of Ina. Her show is the only cooking show I can sit through and keep me interested. The name Barefoot Contessa was actually adapted from a '60's movie about the culture in Paris, among other things that I have no clue about lol. But yeah, I want her cookbook.


Fabulosity by Kimora Lee Simmons- (style/how-to)I really just love her. She is so glamorous from her clothes to her homes that I want her book. What beauty blogger wouldn't?


Ur Infinite Power to be Rich by Joseph Murphy- (financial) I have read (a few times, actually) Smart Women Finish Rich by David Bach and I seriously learned so much on how to save and spend money. You too can be a shopaholic and actually save money for retirement and vacations, so as far as Smart Women Finish Rich goes, I highly recommend it. Even if your a boy, I think it is still perfect. Too much to explain in this little paragraph but it will give you worksheets to tailor your spending and what not and to help you figure out what is important to you and it also helped me turn my dreams into goals by putting every detail on paper and mapping it out for me.

Twilight-(novel)  I haven't read this yet but everyone I talk to tells me that I must! So yeah, I wanna read it. Although, this isnt at the top of my list. Have any of you guys read it?

Birchbox , Thanxgiving, & Black Friday Steals oh my!

November Birchbox
wow, am I late on the b-box post? yes. I have been working so much and getting ready for the holidays, I haven't even had time to think about a birch box! So im here a couple hours before I gotta go to work to tell you about it

since I started getting my birchbox in april, Alex has been eying it saying "i should sign up" and never does. So I ordered her one for Christmas! they dont have the option to gift a 1 month subscription so what I did was opened another account and left it open until she gets her box. If she decides she wants to continue, we can transfer the subscription to her and if she doesn't want to, then I will simply cancel it. I think its a great and extremely cheap gift.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Hydra-Full Gloss in Sugar Pink

I can understand why I got this in my box. Anastasia is known for her brow products and she wants to branch out and I do love the gloss as you know I love pink lip products to death. I just wasn't feeling the applicator...It doesn't even have a doe foot. It is almost like the little sponge thing feel off of the stick so I wasn't liking that too much. If I was going to purchase a full size that would be something I would wanna look into.

you can barely tell that there isnt a brush or a doe foot on the applicator, but their isnt. And it is rather small, so I can pop this in my apron at work and go to town all night long. 

Supersmile Professional Whitening Toothpaste 
that is apple flavored....interesting. It does taste like apples, and I have only used it 2x so I am not sure if it is going to whiten, lets hope so! The only thing about it is that it doesn't foam up! I like that in a tooth paste just like I do in a body wash. You wouldn't feel as clean if your body wash didn't sud up. It's the same concept for the tooth paste and this one doesn't foam up....

Chuao Chocolatier 
 Firecracker Chocpod Haven't tried this yet but says chipotle, salt, & popping candy so this sounds amazing!

Zoya Polish in Holly
 I love how all the Zoya polishes are named after girls and I love that this is named Holly. quite fitting for Christmas This is the best thing in the box- beautiful deep green color with fleks of really fine glitter. I cannot wait to wear this during Christmas!.....eff that, this is going on my nails asap! (:

Harvey Prince Eau Flirt
The description says it all. You can really smell the top note of citrus. I am not one for citrus scents but this one isnt bad at all. I also smell the floral note too. It has a pumpkin note, and maybe that's that spicy note that I cant put my finger on. I am just not used to pumpkin perfume I guess! It smells lovely though- flirty is a great way to describe it.  it's energizing, flirty, floral, & a bit spicy. Great day time perfume I think.

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{{post continued after I got off of work:}}

Daily in's and outs:

-So I am actually cooking here tomorrow! Well technically today, as it is 2:30 am. Turkey, Homemade mashed potatoes (the only way to go), carrots, green beans, & asparagus, & for dessert pumpkin cheesecake! we are also got a bottle of wine. It's gunna be me and Phil my boyfriend, and my mom once she gets off of work. My dad is also working and lives like a half hour away so its lookin like the 3 of us

-I ordered some Candles by Victoria for the first time last night and also vowed that that would be my last candle purchase until they are all gone! not to mention Kohl's is having 50% off candles on black friday...oh well! and there candles are amazing! burn slow and smell delicious

-I am going shopping at midnight on thanxgiving. I have checked out all of the sales and im going to go to Kohl's (50% off of Vera, Lauren Conrad, Elle, apt 9, jewelry, etc.) afterward, im going to go next door to Ulta to get the 2 for $19 Benefit box powders, and yes you read that correctly.

-Other notable black friday sales: $20 for a down comforter at Kmart & $10 for reg. comforter (any size!). $5 for a conair hair dryer at Dollar General.

check out all of the black friday ads here

So Happy Shopping & Happy Thanxgving everybody!!!!! Eat a lot, Socialize, Shop, and Drive Safe!

What are your plans for Thanksgiving??

xoxo Erica

Contouring & Bronzing

I wanted to talk about ELF's blushing/bronzing duo initially, but once I started swatching & comparing it to other things. I think I detected some sort of dupe!

Elf Blushing/Bronzing Duo

This baby was $3 and it's a pretty big palette for the price! I bought it off of eyeslipsface.com and I have been using it ever since then. Like I mentioned in Oct Favs, it is highly pigmented! Remember to use a light hand and tap off your excess!

Bronzer- I am pretty fair and I feel many tones that are darker than me can pull this off, and also couple lighter than me as well- this is a pretty dark bronzer. I love this because it is matte, and not shimmery, which is perfect for contouring. Shimmer brings light to the place you apply it and I want to create more of a shadow effect when Im contouring, and not a highlighting effect. This color doesn't have an orange tint to it, as most bronzer's I have seen can have. You will notice in the swatches it a true brown, which I am likin'! Nice change compared to the others I have

Blushing- It is a pretty blush alone, but I like to use this with the bronzing side as well. With my angled face brush from Sigma, I dip in into each color 2x and then tap off the brush 4x. Hey, it works for me and im not too sure why this particular ritual does but what-ev's. I love doing this because I am so fair that it tones down the bronzer and makes it a more of an orangey tone as opposed to brown. It's really easy to mix and match to your perfect color if you wanna take this route.

When I use the duo the way I just mentioned, I like to go right above the hollow of my cheeks, and a little below where my blush would usually go. I find that this actually flatters me much better anymore for some reason, try it out with any bronzer you have- who knows, you might love it too!

efl duo: left: bronzer side right:blush side

Laura Gellar Blush n Brighten in Honey Dipped

Even though this has a shimmer in it, it works for me. This does have an orange tint to it which can be used for more than just contouring because of that- I sometimes like to dust it all over for a glowy finish.

Dupe

 Mixing Elf's blushing and bronzer duo together is extremely comparable to Laura

Gellar's Baked Blush N Brighten in Honey dipped. However there are a few difference's. As you can see, the Blush N Brighten does have some shimmer to it, and is more dimensional than the Elf duo mixed. I also think this has something to do with the baking process from cream to powder. 

left: Blush N Brighten right: Elf duo mixed together

Physician's Formula Cashmere Bronzer:

This is a much much lighter bronzer. If you are the lightest of light shade, this would be your bff - I love this bronzer because of that, in the dead of winter this is the bronzer I usually need to contour. This past fall, I have been using it over my foundation to boost up my complexion a bit. It is for the most part a matte powder with the slightest detectable shimmer to it that I never noticed until I did this blog post. If you are a darker tone, I think this would make an interesting highlight. Something I need to remember to try once I am tan again.

whats your favorite bronzer to contour it? 

what about your favorite to use all over your face to brighten it up? 

let us know in the comments! 

dont forget about the giveaway!!!

xoxo Erica J

First Christmas Haul! (decor/gifts)

Hey guys! I am starting early this year, how about you? We didn't get to put a tree up last year, so next week Im throwing it up!  This holiday season is going to be really special! First of all, we are having thanksgiving here at my house and im also going to go for a fondue/game/gift night her at my house too. That's not the only thing though....I am getting my puppy! Alex's (bff) dog Precious had her puppies and they should be ready to go a couple weeks before Christmas!! It's going to be my puppies b-day/christmas/home coming all in one and I can not tell how exited I am!

Tis the season

We went to wal-mart and here's what I purchased- not any make-up either! what kind of Bblogger am I?!?!

this beautiful baby was $2 and yes it was worth it for me lol! It's such an eye catcher, yah no? and this bulb has inspired me to create a new tradition: buy a new special bulb every year! I encourage the rest of you to do the same!

I am re-doing my tree- our tree is kinda all over the place so I wanted to center it this year by adding similar colors, and newer ornaments, & be a little matchy, matchy...not too matchy matchy tho! Dont you think these pair well with my disco ball pictured above? Oh yeah, I grabbed these for $1 at DG guys, not wal-mart

Ok so like I mentioned, I am getting my dog soon and this is her Christmas present! She will be getting plenty more, as she will have basically nothing (considering she's only been alive for 2 weeks) but I think im going to make another tradition of getting her something special every year- this is her special present. It's a charm for her necklace!....I mean her collar lol. it was around $5 

I am re-doing a desk I have for a makeup station of sorts. Her's the mirror I got for it for $10- I has 2 sides and one side is magnetized, perfect for plucking brows. 

Here's the color I am painting the desk- cant wait! I will be showing all of that stuff on my personal blog: the process and how-to's so be sure to check over there for the finished results!! http://MeetMissJackson.BlogSpot.com

did you guys like this kinda Christmas haul? I'll be hauling and decorating many more things in the next few weeks so I think im going to do more posts like this! For decor and updates on my pastel desk re-make, check out my other/personal/non-beauty blog! http://meetmissjackson.blogspot.com

Have you guys started shopping and decorating? Let me know in the comments! i wouls love to see a Christmas Haul from you guys! 

Have you guys checked out my give-away?

xoxo, Erica

Erica's October Favorites

Sigma small tapered blending brush E45: Out of the 4 brushes I bought last month, this one is my favorite and the most unique brush I have thus far. I love that it is tapered because it fits perfectly into my crease. You can place the color where you want it precisely, because of the finer tip. You can also blend it out because it is tapered. Press a little harder and more bristles will hit your eyelid, making this brush an easy blender as well, making it a 2 in 1. I dont use this strictly for blending, I would rather use my Sigma blending brush. If you so wanna apply precisely and then blend it a bit, this is your brush! Review will be coming for this brush! Too much to say in a favorite's post!

 Here it is in comparision to Elf's Duo Fiber brush

Physician's Formula Shimmer Strips "For Blue Eyes"- Even though I do not have blue eyes, and i would have preferred the "for brown eyes" one because I love purples, this palette works for me.  Just because it says "for {your non-eye color here} eyes" dosen't mean you can't wear it! Im on to your marketing ploy, Physician's Formula! I know you guys know that, so I dont even hafta explain! I only wish there were a couple of matte shadows in there, but I have a few matte shadows, so im good to go. The palette is still awesome, even w/out the matte colors. I swear every time I use the silver one, it looks like a did the foiling technique..I didnt even have to try that hard! With a primer, they do not crease and I can make it thru an 8 hour shift with shadow mostly in tact by the end of it (as long as my eyes dont water!! any suggestions?) great pigment, great formula (haha), great shadows.

I love using these 4 color together: from left to right: 1) outer v. 2) crease. 3) lid & inner corner. 4) blending color for outer v

I also love using these 3 together: 1) crease 2) blending crease 3) lid, outer corner

Nyx Round Lipstick Narcissus I have raved about this here, complete with swatches and details- I am in love with the color (and scent/taste) making it my absolute favorite lipstick to date...However, because the lipstick is so soft, it rubs up against the container making it really messy and not very "on-the-go" worthy- Nyx needs to work on that! Otherwise it is the greatest lipstick there is! It makes me sad that I cant throw it in my apron and use it at work- boo!

Radiance Enhancer in Spotlight - again: Review, Swatch, & Comparisons here 
In a nut shell, I like to use this as a highlighter on my face. I love that it is subtle enough to be a highlight (once buffed in) but also very pigmented. The end result leaves a perfect shine to highlight. I also do use powder's to highlight but since I have been experimenting with cream ones I have noticed such a difference. The powder gives off a different sort of highlight- something much less subtle-and not quite as reflective-  than cream.  I apply this with the brush on the end of it, and then buff in with my fingers.

Contouring Blush & Bronzing Powder in Blushed/Bronzed by ELF- A light hand is required, as this packs pigment. I like to dip my angled contour brush (from Sigma- they are clearly my favorite!) in to each side twice, tap off the excess twice (it's my ritual, and it works lol) and then go in above where I should contour and below where I should apply blush. I love using it that way- it's shines a whole new light on contouring for me! I have fairer skin- I think this is a good color, and even people who are a couple tones lighter and also darker than me can pull this off. Review along with swatches, comparisons, & the like coming soon on this baby! only $3! Love using this with the highlighter I just talked about!

there's my fav's for October (my b-day month!) dont forget about my give-away people! I think I am going to extend it into December so you still have plenty of time!

Jewelry Haul

hey B-bloggers! If you entered in my Giveaway then you will know about a place called Glitter. I love their cheap little jewelry - I usually get rings and key chains and when I went shopping for you guys, I picked up some other stuff for Christmas as well! I just wanted to show it off, hope you enjoy

I think im going to keep to Owl tho. I gave my bff Alex my other pink/silver owl I bought so I think it's justifiable! It was for the give-away but it broke, so I didnt wanna give you some banged up freakin ring, haha

the polish im wearing is Blue It by Sally Hansen which I will be posting a NOTDay or week soon with that color and another for the "accent" finger!

and yes, I plugged my give-away 2x in this short post and I think it's safe to say I am becoming shameless about it! If you haven't checked it out you should! All you have to do to enter is follow & comment! Easy enough for some free elf & bath & body works stuff!

that's about it! short one! As always, Thanx for reading guys!

xoxo, Erica J (:

Bath & Body Works Haul!!!

I LOVE B&BW and it seems like everyone else does around this time of year too. Here's my haul:

Cinnamon Sugar Donut Candle - I got the medium size for $5! It is usually $10 but since they are getting the new Christmas candles in, most fall candles were 50% off! I have actually burned this last night and I am burning this tonight, and even though I do wait until all of the top layer of wax is burned until I blow it out- with this one, it wasn't possible! It really bummed me out - I hate when I can't get the full use out of my candle. 

*** Extra Review **** So, today I bought a candle warmer/burner just for this one (cinnamon sugar donut) and I noticed that with a burner, the candle releases the scent 10x harder then it would just burning the wick- notes I would have never caught before w/out the burner, I smell really well. Def. a great investment for me, and I highly recommend! They have them for $5 at K-Mart. 

With the candle burner, Cinnamon Sugar Donut smells just like the name suggest's, and it can also be mistaken for pancakes. - I am in love with both the candle and the burner! Didn't think I was into cinnamon scents until I burned this puppy.

Marshmallow Fireside Candle $10 for a medium. This unfortunately wasn't on sale. On the bright side of that, that means they will be keeping it around a little while longer! Yay! This is my absolute favorite candle!!! It is the perfect mixture of sweet marshmallow's and spicy fireside (their other candle named Fireside, that is). Like I have said before: if your not too keen on more spicier/earthy scent's, this is a perfect scent to transition to. Try. This. Out. Your not going to regret it! I wanna try this on my burner, but if I do that, wick will get buried into the wax once it dries. Then I will never be able to burn it again! Just an fyi- but then again I dont think im getting all the notes when i burn just the wick- 

4 for $20 on Wall Flowers & Scentportables

***Another quick review*** When I first went to B&BW I picked up a Scentportable. I had it in my car for 3 whole days and didn't smell a thing. I read the directions probably every time I got in my car because I was convinced I had it in wrong. When I went to take it back, the girl at B&BW told me I had it in correctly. So end result, these things suck! I dont mean to be a hater because I love Slatkin & Co. just thought I should give you a heads up to save your money!

Wallflowers- These on the other hand smell awesome. We have a 2 bedroom house and I plugged this in into the upstairs bathroom. You can smell it from downstairs by the steps. I also love the actual wall flower. It is so cute! It is a Christmas collection, but since it's just a star I can use it all year. I also like it because it is a night light...Not the best pic, but what-ev's I think you guys get the point.

The scents I got were Marshmallow Fireside (surprise, surprise)- Love the scent. Love the owl decor. Cute.

Sensual Amber- Just an amber scent- This was a really nice scent and since I couldn't find another one I wanted this as my last pick.

Aromatherapy Night Time Tea- It actually smells like tea. This one isn't overpowering like the Marshmallow Fireside and Candied Sugar Plum ones (which I actually like the overbearing scent to them!) I like this one a lot better than the lavender vanilla night time scents they have-- so much better! If your like me & love night time tea, and aren't fans of those vanilla lavender scents, I think you will love this. The B&BW website describes this scent as having "Cedarwood and Orange Essential Oils". I dunno, honestly. lol         

Candied Sugar Plum- This one seriously smells like candy. I can definitely smell the plumy note and a little bit of a berry note. I also smell an apple note too, because it is comparable to the Winter Apple one - not exact, just similar.  

3 for $5 mini's!

Winter Candy Apple - This smells like a cooler apple scent. Instead of a warm baked apple, it's more of a crisp, tart apple scent. They describe it as "spicy w/ cinnamon" on B&BW'w website, but I cant say I agree. Maybe a little time on my candle warmer and she'll be cookin with cinnamon!

This is my last resort candle, I had to choose one more, so I chose this one. For me, this candle is more chocolate than mint. I haven't burned it yet, so the mint may pop out once I burn it, keep that in mind. 

there discontinued the mini candles! what?!!!?!?! oh hell no bitch! I guess they are some sort of fire hazard - I dont care, they are cheap and delicious! ):

 So there's my B&BW haul....which is all candles....and I have been watching candle hauls for like an hour....and a blogged about another candle here a couple days ago. I am in a candle kinda mood, I guess, lol. Welp, Im outtie. have a scent-filled day!

Just a reminder about my Giveaway! If you love ELF & Bath & Body Works like me, then you going to love my giveaway! All you have to do to enter is follow and comment!

Meet Makeup's First Contest!

I have been wanting to give back to you guys for some time and what other time would be a good time to do it then when I hit 100 + followers?!

Thank you guys for all of your support!! I never thought my blogging would have improved and came to what it is today (: thanx guys-I dont have alot of money but I do what I can for you guys, so I really hope you guys love your prizes!!! I know I do!

I dont think a give-away can really express my gratefulness! Blogging for me has become a passion and for all of you that take time out of your day to read what I have to say about beauty products and the like- *big hugs*! A lot of you even go a step further and comment, which makes me a really exited girl (: I read every. single. comment. I cannot thank you guys enough for all of your kind words! Your the best!

p.s. the butterfly ring in the above picture broke so I went and picked up the key chain you will see once you scroll down some more

Here's everything I will be giving away:

4 ELF Eyeshadow Duo's and an Eyeshadow Brush - This is one thing I wanted to keep, hahaha!! I Love, Love, Love ELF stuff, & these color's look so creamy and beautiful. When deciding on what to get you guys, I knew these would be a hit! I dont think there isn't one makeup lover out there that wouldn't appreciate these shadows! I took them out of the box to photograph them only! I didn't stick my little paws in there to swatch them (even tho I wanted to because they look so pretty!) I have some ELF shadows and I am very pleased with the color payoff so these are going to be great.

here they all are close up:

((I also ordered some ELF brushes and I am also pleased with their brushes. I haven't had any issues with shedding and they are all very soft. I know this brush will not be an exception))

ELF Lip Gloss's- Again, wasn't sure exactly what colors to give away, and when I seen this gift set, I realized I can see myself wearing all of them! I hope you guys will enjoy them! All of the color's are so festive for the holiday's coming up! There is a bubbly red, some pinks, and even a gold color!

Heart Key Chain- I have one myself, and I love it. There is a place in the mall near me (Southern Park Mall, actually) called Glitter where they sell accessories really cheap & I always love going in there for cute little stuff like this.

B&BW Anti-Bacterial Hand Lotion in Vanilla Bean Noel & Pink Sugarplum - I thought these were neat because they were antibacterial and also a lotion! I went to get you guys my favorite mini candles but they are dis-continued!!! can you believe it???

Rules:

-Subscribe to Meet Makeup.

-Leave your E-Mail address & Name

-Leave your Blog Address- That's for you guys! Someone on my blog may want to visit yours, so link, link, link!

-Tell me your favorite post from Meet Makeup, or what you like about Meet Makeup- or if there's something that you dont like or think I can do better on, please tell me! Constructive criticism & praise are equally important for growth and to make me a better blogger! feedback basically.--------------------------------- All of this = 1 point

Extra's  

(if you decide to do any of the following, tell me what you did and how many points it equals, it would be so helpful!)

-Tweet about my give-away! Linking your tweet to this post, of course. I will need your twitter address also. 2 points

-Put give-away (with first picture posted) in your side bar. Tell me your blog address. 2 points.

-Blog about the give-away and leave me the link as well- 3 points

.you can qualify for 8 points.

I wanted to also let you guys know that  If you do win, please blog about it and tell me your favorites!! 

Giveaway is only open to my American girl's im so sorry! Next Give-Away it will be International -I just cant afford shipping ): be sure to come back after this give-away closes because im saving up for my UK/Aussie (or any other country) beauties, k girls?

Giveaway Ends December 26 at midnight!!

Best of Luck to you all (: 

xoxo, Erica