Two Year Blogging Anniversary, Plus a Giveaway!

Wow, guys! Can you believe it? Today is Bows and Curtseys' two year anniversary! I guess it's a good sign that the time has gone by so quickly. This blog is my baby, and I love what I do. Every aspect of blogging is amazing to me. I love that I have a source where I can express my creativity, and share it with the world. Blogging has brought many amazing opportunities my way, and it has introduced me to so many wonderful people. I have learned a lot along the way, and it's been a blast! Of course, I would not be anywhere near where I am today without the love and continued support from all of you! I am so grateful to have such a loyal fan base from all over the globe. Thank you, all! Also, a special thank you to those of you who were there since the very beginning. I had NO idea that I'd be where I am today. It's still so surreal to me. Enough with the ooey-gooey stuff, let's celebrate with a GIF party!

So in order to celebrate and thank you guys, I will be hosting a very special giveaway sponsored by FAUX Lash and Glamour Doll Eyes! To tie in with the theme of this giveaway, there will be TWO lucky winners! 

Each winner will receive the following:

FIVE pairs of FAUX Lashes
Handpicked by yours truly! These are among some of my favorite luxury lashes. Prize includes: Alexia, Renee, Violet Noir, Vixen and Sasha Lashes.

Glamour Doll Eyes Bloggers Collection
Prize includes: Calypso, Going Green, June Bug, Mackinac, Morocco, Nymphette, Obscure, Soul Sisters, Southern Lace, Sparkler, Super Nova and Lexington. Click here to read about each shade!

Eyeshadows are full size (2-2.5 grams of product in a 5 gram jar).

These prizes are a combined value of $144!

RULES AND REGULATIONS
Open internationally. There will be a total of two winners. Winners will be notified within 48 hours of the giveaway ending. If the winners have not responded within these 48 hours, another winner(s) will be chosen at random. Open to all ages. If under 18 or legal age, please have parental/legal guardian permission and consent. Only one entry per person, per household. Please enter all mandatory entries correctly. All mandatory entries will be verified by me. Cheaters will not be tolerated and will be disqualified. If any entry is not correct, it will be void. Thank you, and good luck!
_____________________________________________________

To enter, all you need to do is fill out the Rafflecopter entry form below. Please make sure you have read the rules and regulations carefully and thoroughly before entering! The more entires you complete, the higher the chance of winning! The giveaway begins May 15th, 2013 at 12:00am PST and ends May 22nd, 2013 at 12:00am PST.

Thank you for everything, and best of luck!

A very special thank you to FAUX and Glamour Doll Eyes for sponsoring this giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream Review + Swatches

Not too long ago, I was shopping at Urban Outfitters when I decided to stumble upon the makeup and accessories section (dangerous area, everything is so cute). I squealed a tiny bit when I came across these lip creams by NYX and I just couldn't resist purchasing the 3-piece set. NYX has been a makeup line that has consistently come out with amazing and affordable products, and NYX eyeliner was my holy grail back when I was in high school. I've heard nothing but positives things about these babies, so I thought I'd give them a try.

NYX states: "It's not a lipstick, nor is it a gloss. It's like nothing you've experienced before.  It's lipstick cream that goes on silky but looks soft matte." I have to completely and wholeheartedly agree with that statement! These are unlike anything I have in my makeup collection and it was instantly love at first swipe.

This set was priced at $12.00 USD, which is a total bargain! A single one is valued at $6.00 USD, so you basically get one for free. Woohoo! The tube packaging contains 6.5g/.23oz of product inside. 

The NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams come packaged in a typical lip gloss tube and have a traditional doe-foot applicator, which I prefer for liquid-y lip products. The first thing I noticed upon applying these, is the delicious smell. They smell like vanilla cupcakes! If you typically like scented makeup, then you'll love these. If not, the scent might bug you a bit, but it fades away once it's on your lips. What I love the most about these is how amazing the formula is! I usually stay away from matte lip products because my lips have an annoying tendency to chap, and we all know matte will make dry lips stand out like a sore thumb. But these are unique. They are sooo lightweight and creamy, but they dry matte! I couldn't get over how awesome these feel on my lips. They continue to feel smooth and creamy throughout the day. And just look at that amazing pigmentation!

 The colors are absolutely beautiful and universally flattering. The staying power is superb as long as you don't  eat. These lasted me a solid 4-5 hours without having to touch up, all while staying smooth and creamy. I did not notice any weird taste with these, nor did they dry out my lips. If you have dry, cracked lips, I suggest using a lip scrub (my favorite is the Bubble Gum Lip Scrub from Lush) and follow up with your favorite lip balm (my favorites are the EOS ones).

TOKYO is a soft, bubblegum pink. Great nude for fair-light skin tones.

ANTWERP is a yellow-based pink, almost coral color. This shade is my favorite!

ADDIS ABABA is a bright fuchsia that looks great on everyone. This was the least pigmented of the bunch, but it still packs a punch!

Overall, these are great for the price, and the quality is outstanding. As you can see from the swatches, they are super pigmented. If your lips are like mine, naturally red, then that's a huge deal, especially when it comes to nude shades. I just love the finish and formula of these, and I cannot wait to purchase more! I NEED a red one! I love how comfortable the wear is too. Looks like a lipstick, applies like a gloss, but looks and feels like neither! If you are near an Urban Outfitters, definitely look for these and give them a try, you won't regret it! If you don't live near an Urban Outfitters, try nyxcosmetics.com, or Ulta!

I hope you enjoyed this quick review and swatches. Have you tried these out before? What are your thoughts and what shades do you recommend I try next?

Take care!

xx

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Geometric Glam

A few days ago I was hanging out on Tumblr when I came across this image of Kat Von D sporting a gorgeous lightning bolt inspired eyeliner makeup look. I immediately fell in love and I had to recreate it on myself ASAP, but with my own twist, of course! I love how clean and sharp her application was, and I knew that it was going to be a challenge, but I'm pretty content with the turnout! I especially like the illusion of an almost normal looking liner when the eyes are open, but then you get that intense, angular cut liner when you blink. To add to that rock-star-esque vibe, I decided to pair this bold liner look with even bolder pyramid-studded lashes. Also instead of a red lip, I opted for a vibrant, neon pink. Go big or go home!

FACE:

• Cover Girl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 Foundation in Classic Ivory
• L'Oreal True Match Super-Blendable Crayon Concealer in Fair/Light W1-2-3
• Tarte Smooth Operator Amazonian Clay Finishing Powder in Translucent White

EYES:

• Lime Crime Eyeshadow Helper
• Urban Decay Eyeshadows in Foxy and Walk of Shame on lids and brow bone
• Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Venus on tear duct
• Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Faint in crease and lower lids
• Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Crave to darken and define crease and lower lids
• NYC Bronzer in Sunny to blend out Faint and to add warmth
• Wet N Wild Liquid Liner in Black
• Makeup Geek Eyeshadow in Corrupt to set and darken liner
• FAUX Lashes in FAUX+DEV

CHEEKS:

• NYC Sunny Bronzer
• ELF Studio Blush in Pink Passion
• Benefit Watt's Up Highlighter

LIPS:

• OCC Lip Tar in Anime

Are you a fan of the graphic liner look? I sure am. It's loud. fun and different, without being too dramatic. I think it's sleek and sexy! Another thing I love about this type of look is that you can go as simple or as loud as you want, and you can pair it with any lip color of your choice. 

I hope you are all doing well! Take care!

xx

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New Makeup Geek Eyeshadows - Swatches and Review!

A few weeks ago I was sent some new eyeshadows from one of my favorite indie brands, Makeup Geek. If you've read my previous review on their shadows, you'll know how much I adore their makeup, so I was undeniably excited to try these new shades out. Needless to say, I was far from disappointed!

Here's a simple everyday look I put together using the new shades! I used Cosmopolitan all over my top and bottom lids, Frappe and Hipster in the crease and Simply Marlena to blend out the crease shades. I also used Corrupt (matte black) on the lower lash line and a tiny bit in the crease to add more dimension.

Some or all products shown in this post may have been provided by the said brand(s) for potential review and/or use. For more information, please read my DISCLAIMER.

As much as I love loud and bright colors, I'll always have a special place in my heart for natural/neutral colors. It's what I wear on a daily basis, and they look great on everyone. I also love how neutral colors can go from day to night almost effortlessly. These new colors are luscious, extremely pigmented and they definitely are high in the quality department; all with a tiny price tag! Many other bloggers and vloggers have compared MUG eyeshadows to MAC eyeshadows, and I'm going to have to agree on that. The quality is superb, and for a fraction of the price of a MAC eyeshadow. The Makeup Geek eyeshadows are priced at $5.99 USD each for the pan, and $7.99 USD for the compact. The pan weight is 1.8G / 0.064 oz. MAC eyeshadows weigh in at 1.5 g / 0.05 US oz, and cost a whopping $15.00 USD. You do the math!

The swatches below are applied on bare skin (no primer).Click images to enlarge.

Cosmopolitan

Product descriptions from Makeupgeek.com:

Just like the drink, this chic rose gold shade is sure to become a quick classic. The stunning color is always in style and the shimmery finish makes it the perfect addition to your eyeshadow collection. Adorned with small gold flecks for added style, this impressive color is perfect for a refined soft look in the day, or a paired up with darker shades for a sultry, hot look at night. No matter where or how your wear this impressive color it’s sure to be one that everyone will love.

The Bottom Line:
Rose Gold with gold flecks and a shimmery finish

My Thoughts: 
This shade is hands down my favorite of the bunch! It is such a rich color, and it just screams elegance! It reminds of a darker version of their eyeshadow Cinderella. Glides on like butter and lasts all day. This would look amazing against green eyes.

Graphite

An exquisite color to add to any collection, this dark grey has small silver flecks and a shimmery finish. The remarkable pigmentation and creamy texture makes this easy to apply and looks great regardless of whether you are teaming it up with lighter shades for a wearable day look, or smoking it out for an intense, dramatic sexy look.

The Bottom Line:

Light graphite grey with flecks of silver.

My Thoughts:

This is a must have shade in everyone's makeup collection. Silvers are so versatile and work well with most skin tones. This is more of a medium silver in my opinion, but it's still gorgeous nonetheless!

Frappe

Named after one of our favorite guilty pleasures this medium maple brown color will have you coming back for more. The matte color has a creamy texture and glides on smoothly and evenly for a stunning finish. Ideal for the summer months for a soft wash of color or paired up with a darker shade for a perfect brown eye. This also makes a great transition color for darker skintones.

The Bottom Line:

Medium maple brown matte

My Thoughts:
I really wasn't expecting to like this shade, but I was surprised! It's very smooth and pigmented for a matte shadow. Not chalky at all, which is great! It can also be used as a warm bronzer, and also as an eyebrow shade for someone with a warm hair color.

Hipster

If you want to be part of the hip crowd then this dark sand shade is perfect for you! This elegant shade has a slight shimmer to it that’s perfect for adding a pop of dimension and shine to your look. This color is ideal for a day at the office, or pairing up with your favorite cool tones to warm them up. No matter where you wear it or what you wear it with this color is sure to make you look Hipster Chic!

The Bottom Line:
Dark sand and light taupe tan with slight shimmer.

My Thoughts: 

I love this eyeshadow as an all over shade for those days you just want a simple and easy look on the go. It's a great medium toned taupe with the right amount of shimmer that is flattering on anyone and everyone!

Simply Marlena

The perfect addition to our collection, and sure to be your new go to pink! This stunning matte pink color has a slight purple undertone with hints of gold flecks to give it that personal Marlena touch. The rich color and smooth texture allows the color to apply effortlessly and look amazing. This is the perfect pink for channeling you inner girly-girl.

The Bottom Line:

Rosey pink with purple undertone and gold flecks

My Thoughts:

What a gorgeous shade for the spring and summer! It's sweet and soft with the perfect amount of punch without going overboard. It's a mostly matte shade (there's slight gold flecks in there) but it's not very noticeable once it's applied on the skin.

If you're in the market for some quality eyeshadows and you aren't looking into breaking the bank, then definitely give these a try if you haven't already! This is a great way to build your makeup collection and start your own custom palettes, especially for a makeup artist that is just starting out. You get a great variety of shades, textures and finishes, and the best part of it all is that it's so affordable! Of course, the quality is amazing and the staying power of these are phenomenal. Makeup Geek eyeshadows are among some of my favorites in my entire makeup collection.

Make sure to check out their store over at www.makeupgeek.com/store.

Take care!

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Anastasia Beverly Hills Review and Swatches - Brow Genius Kit and Covet Waterproof Eyeliner

Hi again! A few posts back, I showed you all the amazing HyperColor Brow and Lash Tints from Anastasia Beverly Hills. Today I have a couple of more products from the brand that I want to share! As you might already know, Anastasia Beverly Hills is well renowned for their eyebrow products, like their Brow Wiz Pencil and the Brow Duo Powder. Recently they released a new two-step eyebrow product call the Brow Genius Kit, as well as the new Covet Waterproof Eyeliner. 

*DISCLAIMER*: Some or all products shown in this post may have been provided by the said brand(s) for potential review and/or use. For more information, please read my DISCLOSURE.

 The Brow Genius Kit comes packaged in a sleek black box with a rose gold printed logo. So chic! The contents include one Brow Wiz Loose Powder (I have the shade Medium Brown), a double ended tool with an angled brush on one end and a spooley brush on the other, and a tube of Beauty Genius Clear Waterproofing Gel. 

Pro tips from Anastasia.net: 

Get long-wearing waterproof brows by mixing a pinch of BROW WIZ LOOSE POWDER with BEAUTY GENIUS waterproofing gel. 

Swipe the brow brush along one side of the Beauty Genius applicator to collect the clear waterproofing gel. 

Mix Beauty Genius and Brow Wiz Loose Powder together to form a paste. Anastasia prefers the mixed paste to look like cake frosting – not too watery or too firm.

Fix by using the brush to fill in your brows. 
The waterproof formula dries quickly, so we suggest cleaning the brush with waterproof eye makeup remover when finished. 

Tip: Beauty Genius can be used to waterproof any loose powder eyeliner or eye shadow formula. Do not apply to pressed powder directly as it coats the area applied, sealing it from further use.

BEAUTY GENIUS CLEAR WATERPROOFING GEL 
dermatologist tested 
ophthalmologist tested 
hypoallergenic 
paraben free 
fragrance free 

BROW WIZ LOOSE POWDER
dermatologist tested 
hypoallergenic

By mixing the brow powder and the clear gel, you can achieve flawless looking brows that will last all day and night. You get a paste-like consistency that allows you to take complete control on how you want your finished brows to look. I was really impressed with this formula and the results. I actually didn't have very high hopes for it at first because I have been doing my brows a certain way for so long, that I was doubtful I'd find something else that would work for my sparse brows. I was very pleasantly surprised with the turnout, and they really did last all day long without any smudging or fading. The color is just right for my brown/blonde ombre hair too. Score! The only minor thing that I do not like, is that it can get a bit messy, especially if you're going to mix the two inside the cap (which I don't recommend). You end up wasting a lot product that way, and it gets inside the grooves of the cap. Instead, I'd use a stainless steel mixing palette. Ben Nye and Cinema Secrets make great ones. Also, make sure to keep the little brush around! It may be small, but it does a great job and creating sharp lines.

Currently, the website has Medium Ash and Brunette available for $24.00 USD.

Everyone needs a waterproof eyeliner in their makeup collection! Whether you have watery eyes, or are planning to spend a day at the poolside, you simply cannot go wrong with a waterproof formula. What I usually look for in a waterproof eyeliner is one that is pigmented, glides on smoothly, lasts all day, but comes off easily with makeup remover. This liner did most of those things. I really like the formula and staying power, but the pigmentation isn't a perfect 10. The shade is Noir (black), but it's more of a dark charcoal to me. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but you should be getting what's labeled. I usually set my liner with a black shadow, so it looks super black on me anyway. Besides that though, this is a gorgeous liner that will last through even the chessiest of chick flicks! 

The rubber grip is a nice touch which helps those that aren't blessed with being graceful with their eyeliner applying techniques. I also love that you don't need to sharpen this liner. All you need to do is twist and go! I have uber sensitive eyeballs and this liner didn't irritate me one bit!

COVET WATERPROOF EYELINER NET WT. 0.4 g / 0.01 Oz. 

Covet Waterproof Eyeliner comes in five beautiful shades: Noir, Astral, Azure, Steel and Vert. They are available over at www.anastasia.net for $19.00 USD each.

If you are a fan of Anastasia products, or if you've been looking for a new brow and/or eyeliner, then you should give these a try! Yes, they are a bit on the pricey side, but you'll definitely be paying for a high quality product. Or if you're just in the mood to splurge, then go for it and let me know what you think! Take care, and I'll see you soon!

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