Rachel Knows... e.l.f. Lip Balm SPF 15 Swatches!

I can't decide if I like these or not. They are decently pigmented for a lip balm. They glide on like silk, they do a decent job at moisturizing, which is the main reason, usually, people buy lip balms and they have SPF 15 which is a major plus. The reason I can't decide if I like them or not is because they have peppermint oil in them. It makes them smell wonderful, but for me, it makes my lips tingle and every time I swallow I can taste it. I am just weird about being reminded constantly that I have something on my lips. I just want to put some lip balm on, have it relieve the dryness of my lips and for me to forget that I ever put it on. With this product I can't do that. If it were scent free, flavor free and didn't make my lips tingle I'd used these every day, because it give the perfect amount of color to my lips without the sticky shininess of lip gloss. If you don't mind the tingly feeling or tasting the peppermint then I'd recommend that you pick up all of these colors. They are a really great product.

Rachel Knows... e.l.f. Matte Lip Color Swatches!

These matte lip colors from e.l.f. are pretty nice. They are matte so of course they are a little more drying than regular lipstick, not too much though surprisingly. If you want tons of moisture and a shiny finish, then you'll want to skip this or just do what I do and add some clear lip gloss on top of it. I'd also recommend trying my D.I.Y. Lip Scrub before using this lipstick because it definitely shows the dryness on your lips if there is any. I kind of like the matte aspect of it though, because it seems to last quite a bit longer than regular lipstick. These once again surprised me. I always order e.l.f. products not expecting much and then they pleasantly surprise me more times than not. They have wonderful pigmentation, they don't have a scent and they don't have a taste. Most lipsticks just taste HORRIBLE to me and I can't stand it. For $3 a piece, I don't think you can beat the Matte Lip Colors.

This is e.l.f.'s description of their Matte Lip Colors:

This convenient jumbo sized lip pencil creates exact color application with twist up ease so you never have to sharpen. The pigment rich color glides on effortlessly and easily to provide long lasting matte color. The enriched Vitamin A, C & E formula moisturizes and hydrates lips for beautiful healthy looking lips.


Rachel Knows... Zoya Hot Lips Swatches!

These Zoya Hot Lips glossy lip balms are amazing!!!! They are SO pigmented. They aren't sticky at all, they don't really have a taste and they smell amazing. I know I just said I didn't like scents in my last post, but these are about the only lip glosses with a scent I can stand. It smells just like "Love Spell" from Victoria's Secret, my most favorite body spray ever. If you're looking for something that has as much pigmentation as lipstick, but also moisturizes then this is what you're looking for. I still can't get over the pigmentation on these guys. Just scroll down and stare at Entourage and Disguise! They are beautiful!

This is Zoya's description of their Hot Lips glossy lip balms:

Zoya Hot Lips Lip Gloss is a revolutionary combination of lip color + therapy in one easy product. Zoya Hot Lips Lip Gloss applies like silk and has a sweet scent and flavor. All Zoya Hot Lips colors are free of parabens.

· Snowsicle - shimmering crystal clear gloss

· Luck - shimmering light rose gold

· Flirt - soft nude cream

· Boudoir - medium mauve nude cream

· Entourage - shimmering medium cherry red

· Disguise - medium blue red cream

Here are the swatches!

Rachel Knows... e.l.f. Mineral Lip Gloss Swatches!

I really like these lip glosses. I quit using lip gloss many, many years ago because they all seemed like they made my lips tingle or they tasted like some cheap imitation of a fruit or vanilla and I just got tired of that. I just wanted something that was quick, easy, gave my lips some color and didn't smell or taste like anything. Enter e.l.f. Mineral Lip Gloss. These guys are pretty pigmented, not uber sticky and most importantly to me they don't have a scent, a taste and they don't make my lips tingle. It just doesn't get any better than that in my book. They're only $3 dollars so you can get pretty much buy every lip gloss that e.l.f. sells for the same cost it would take to buy one high end lip gloss that does pretty much the same thing. I really like e.l.f. for being so cost effective and for being good quality. This is one company where the price doesn't match the quality of the product in a good way and I love them for it.

This is e.l.f.'s description of their lip gloss. I think it is pretty accurate: The soft and silky formula glides onto lips to create a luscious shine without feeling sticky or tacky. The sheer tint of color is the perfect hue to give you a beautiful and natural glossy look. Infused with Coconut Oil and key vitamins A & E to protect and moisturize your lips. All our mineral makeup is 100% mineral based with no parabens, no preservatives and no chemical dyes.

Here are the swatches of all of the e.l.f. Mineral Lip Glosses that I own. Enjoy!

Rachel Knows... Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Shadow Pencils w/ Swatches!

You know how they say ignorance is bliss. It is so true. I thought it was normal for eye shadow to completely disappear about five minutes after applying it. I thought it was normal to have to put about fifty layers of it on for it to show up at all. I thought it was normal for it to crease and bunch. I had been looking for a cream shadow in a tube with a wand, like I had in high school that was soooo easy to apply, for a while. I couldn't find any that had good reviews and that weren't riddled with parabens. That is when I stumbled upon these bad boys. I didn't even have to dip a wand into a tube it was just, there, ready for me to use. When I first bought these I got them off of Hautelook for really cheap. I wasn't expecting much, but from the first moment that they touched my eye lid I was in love. They were the silkiest, most buttery, softest things I'd ever felt. On top of all of that after I was done applying them they DID...NOT...BUDGE! I felt like the heavens had opened and doves had flown out my ass. Okay, it wasn't that dramatic of a moment, but I was like, "Whoa. THIS is what quality eye shadows must be like." I wore it that day and ran many errands for the wedding, looking at venues in the heat, trying on dresses; eating doughnuts and when I came home my eye shadow looked just like it did when I first put it on. It was amazing. I can't recommend these enough. You have to go to Urban Decay and find your favorite go to eye look and get it in these pencils immediately. I command you to. I don't really, but if you did that you'd have your favorite look in the most compact, longest lasting sticks that you can throw in your purse or pack for a trip. You probably don't even need to keep them in your purse because I don't see anyone needing to touch these up, ever, unless you happen to get caught in a rainstorm, but the rain is made out of waterproof eye make-up remover or if you fall in a pool filled with waterproof eye make-up remover or if... I think you catch my drift. Now, on to the swatches of the colors that I own.

P.S. Remind me to check the dang websites of the make-up first to find out if any of the colors I'm taking pictures of are discontinued. This is the 2nd daggum time I've been totally finished and then realized that a color is discontinued.

· Delinquent - Dark purple with bright purple sparkle

· Rehab - Taupe

· Sin - Champagne
 

· Clash - Bright turquoise with silver sparkle

Rachel Knows... Urban Decay Eye Shadow Swatches!

These eye shadows are all from defunct palettes from Urban Decay. I'm kind of glad that these palettes aren't for sale anymore because I forgot to take pictures of them until after I'd swatched all of the colors and I just wrecked them and made the eye shadows look horrible. I was so embarrassed to have to put them up, but now I don't have to because they don't exist! Yay! Ha-ha! The colors are all still available as single eye shadows though, so these swatches may help you in your decision in deciding what colors to buy. Unless it was just a rumor, I heard that all of these colors were made from the reformulated eye shadow formula, so they should be exactly like the single colors you'd buy or like the new colors from any palettes that come out in the future. I've been very dissatisfied with my pictures and the way they've turned out lately, but I'm such a perfectionist that I don't think I'd ever be satisfied with my work. Here are all of the Urban Decay eye shadows that I own at the moment. You can purchase your own at www.urbandecay.com. I hope someone finds this helpful! :-D

 

• Gunmetal - Dark metallic grey with silver micro-glitter
• Cobra - Black with gold micro glitter
• Baked - Rich bronze
• Bender - Forest green metallic with gold micro-glitter
• Gravity - Deep Violet with multi-colored micro-glitter
• Lost - Medium Metallic Brown
• Hijack - Deep Metallic Teal
• Midnight Cowgirl - Warm sand with multi-colored glitter
• Sin - Champagne
• Midnight Rodeo - Taupe with silver glitter
• Bust -  Pale sable brown
• Zephyr - Natural Pearl
• Woodstock - Saturated Deep Pink
• Verve - Oyster
• Suspect - Pale Golden Beige
• Darkhorse - Deep Mocha

Rachel Knows... Nail Polish Dupe List! *Updated*

As I was swatching my nail polishes the other day I stumbled upon my first dupe. It is a good one too, because as far as I know one of the dupes is a limited edition. Zoya's Tobey and OPI's If You Moust You Moust are pretty much identical. If you have found that you have really fallen in love with If You Moust You Moust, then have no fear about not being able to wear that color again once it becomes sold out because Zoya's Tobey will totally fill her shoes. Take a look!

Rachel Knows... CM Beauty Tattoo Cover Kit.

When I was at David's Bridal picking up my wedding dress and veils they had a new little something up by the register that wasn't there last time. If you've read any of my blogs in the past you may have seen where I have a tattoo that I hate and wish wasn't there. Well, as I was checking out, I spotted a Tattoo Cover Kit in Fair/Medium by CM Beauty. I couldn't buy it fast enough. When I got it home and opened it up, it had the teeniest, tiniest bottles of Leg Magic in Light Beige and True Beige in the kit. The kit cost $30. Stores know what they're doing with the placement of impulse buy inducing products. I'm sure they've had a million girls just like me with tattoos that they hate and want to cover up for their weddings, come in there, see the kit, have to have it and immediately shell out $30. Was it worth it for covering tattoos? I dunno. I haven't tested it on my tattoo, because I don't think I'm going to need it. The back of my dress, my hair, and veils all conceal my tattoo pretty well. My mom and I decided that we'd try and conceal her heart surgery scars. I don't think she needs to conceal them, but she wants to, so I told her I'd help. I tested the kit out on one of the scars on her leg where they had to harvest a vein for her bypass surgery, a mole and patch of discoloration she's had since the surgery. Do I think that this kit covered her scar any better than regular concealer, foundation and powder? Not really. I think you could acheive the same look with stuff you already have, so I wouldn't recommend shelling out $30 on this kit. Here are the steps and the pictures to show you how it looks. You can decide for yourself if you think the kit is worth the price.

Rachel Knows... Low Calorie Taco Soup!

The long awaited Taco Soup recipe! I personally went and got the correct ingredients and the right amounts for it to be accurate. Another thing I found out that Jeremy had been doing was he'd been leaving out the garlic. No wonder it always tasted pretty bland when he made it! :-X He was hesitant at first of me taking pictures. I promised I wouldn't take any of him and he loosened up. He went from wanting me to not take any pictures to saying, "Okay. I'm ready for the next picture." He wanted me to take a picture after each time he dumped something into the pot. Ha-ha. Here is the delicious recipe that I found on Pinterest, here, made by my Jer-Bear!

Rachel Knows... OPI gelcolor! Plus, removal update!

 I'd heard about CND Shellac about a year or so ago from All Lacquered Up. When I started planning my wedding I knew I wanted to have my nails done so they'd look nice in pictures. The only downside was that A. I always manage to mess up and smudge my nails after I paint them. B. I knew that I would manage to chip my nail polish somehow before the wedding and C. I just didn't want to spend part of my wedding day at a nail salon. That is when I started thinking about this product and how it would be perfect for my wedding because I could do it a few days in advance and not worry about it chipping or getting messed up. My sister-in-law is a part of a group on Facebook of diehard Zoya nail polish fans but they're all just nail polish fans in general. She told me to ask them on there about their opinion on CND Shellac. I asked them and several people answered, but they told me that the actually preferred OPI gelcolor. This was convenient for me because the nearest place that did CND Shellac manicures was more than 40 minutes away. The closest salon that did OPI gelcolor manicures was less than 10 minutes away. Everyone gave me advice about how to get the best looking manicure and they also told me that it would be a good idea to get a manicure at least once before the wedding to make sure that the manicurist would do a good job with the application. I went in on Saturday and got my OPI gelcolor manicure at Music City Nails in Nashville, TN! I chose Pompeii Purple. To me it doesn't look purple at all. It looks like a medium fuchsia with very fine bluish glitter than you can only see when the light hits your nails just right. It's a really beautiful color. The whole thing was a really fun, quick and easy experience. I couldn't believe that as soon as I was done I was scratching my head and tapping on my rock solid nails. They were totally dry and smudge proof. It was a maniracle! Hehe. See what I did there? It was just about as pleasant of an experience as you could have. It didn't even smell strong. I'm very sensitive to smells, so that was a quadruple plus in my book. She didn't exactly tell me every step she was doing, but I noticed she first brushed a PH balancer onto my nail. Then she put on a base coat. I think I cured that under the UV light for 30 seconds, but I could be wrong on that one. Next, she did the first coat of color. Thirty seconds of curing under the light and I was ready for the next coat. Thirty more seconds to cure that coat and then the top coat. That also had to cure for 30 seconds. She finished everything off by misting alcohol onto my nails to remove any residue and to make the nails shine and boy did they! It truly is a remarkable product. I'd totally recommend this for all types of women. If you're a true nail polish fanatic you probably won't like this though. This is more for women that want nice looking nails without acrylics, drilling, damage to their nails, length added or any of those things. I have to say I have wanted to change the color about 50 times since I got it on. I want to see how long it will truly last and look good though so I'm not taking it off until I really have to. I'm on day 6. My only peeve is that maybe the manicurist didn't get close enough to my cuticles. I think that is something you should make sure is done. If you don't get close enough to the cuticle then your nail growth becomes visible much sooner than it should. I see the color itself lasting for the two weeks, but I'm afraid there is going to be such a gap between the color and my nail bed that it will be far too noticeable to let it go for the full two weeks. Other than that I have absolutely no complaints! I think everyone should go try it just once. It is a really fun experience. Notice the distance from the cuticle as the pictures progress. The quality of the color is still there though even after six days.

Rachel Knows... Forty Eight Brain Numbingly Frustrating Zoya Nail Polish Swatches.

I don't think I've been this frustrated by something like this in a long time. I mean for goodness sake, they are freakin' nail polish swatches. I just feel like I couldn't for the life of me get a good picture. When I would get a decent picture the colors on the screen wouldn't look remotely like the colors in real life. I took a total of 173 pictures over the past two days to get swatches of my forty eight Zoya nail polishes. When I finally figured out how to make the colors look halfway right on the screen, I forgot to label the damn things on the wheel and it took forever for me to compare the swatches I didn't label to the ones I did label. On the ones that I did label I didn't do three coats on some of them, so the ones with three coats were darker than some with just one or two coats and I have so many similar colors that it made one nail color in three coats look a darker one that I'd just done one coat with and yada yada. This just became brain numbing madness. Brain numbing madness over freakin' nail polish swatches! Not brain numbing madness over a new mathematical equation I created or the cure for cancer or anything else on Earth that makes a difference, but nail polish swatches. Ha-ha! Someone better look at these and buy the hell out of some Zoya nail polishes, so I can at least say, "Well, I helped a decent business gain a customer." Anyway, like I said it was almost impossible for me to make the colors on the screen match the real life color. Then I got to thinking about how you reading this probably have your screen set to a completely different setting than me so it won't even look like what I worked so hard to make it look like more than likely. I tried to not be as obsessed with perfection after I had that realization, but I think it just frustrated me that I couldn't figure out how to exactly tweak it with the right settings to make it look right to me. Oh geez, okay here are the freakin' swatches. Enjoy! Lol!

Rachel Knows... Fake Bling vs. The Real Thing.

Okay. I can finally reveal my secret. I have no secrets other than this one because I can't keep them. I hate secrets and I'm horrible at keeping them. The only reason I kept this one was because if I didn't, then there wouldn't be a point to even wear the secretive thing. Since I first got engaged 4 years ago, I have been wearing a fake ring. I got so many compliments on it and everyone said it was the sparkliest "diamond" they'd ever seen and that it was just perfect. Well, it was perfect. It was perfectly fake. It wasn't just your old run of the mill CZ though, it was a top o' the line CZ. All the way from Hong Kong. I wanted something realistic and simple. Something that didn't scream, "HEY! I'M FAKE!" So I chose a 1 carat round solitaire white gold ring. I don't even remember how I stumbled upon this website, but I knew it was where I was going to get my ring from until we could save up for a real one because it was the only place I found the perfectly sized, perfectly simple ring. The company is called Carat and they have stores all over the place over seas. This is the ring I've been wearing for the past four years. My 1 carat Carat ring. The price has gone up about $100 from four years ago. It has held up fantastically. It isn't scuffed up. The white gold isn't worn away. The stone isn't dirty or cloudy. I wore this ring everyday, all day long. I washed my hands with it. I bathed in it. I did crafts in it. I painted my nails in it. I painted my room in it. I kept it looking nice with this free tube of Diamond Dazzle that I got. It really works!

Rachel Knows... Zoya Nail Polish!

My all-time favorite nail polish company is Zoya.

They have awesome colors, they don't use scary chemicals and they have promotions on Facebook all of the time to completely get you addicted to their amazing products. Ha-ha! I love the fact that they are so customer oriented. They really have gained a name for themselves simply by being so great to their fans on Facebook. That is how I got addicted to them. They'd have random giveaways, free shipping practically all of the time, promotions out the ying-yang to save you big bucks and they have a new program where they will just give you "Share the Love" points simply by signing up for a Zoya Account. The minute you sign up you have a coupon for a free bottle of nail polish just waiting there for you. How amaze balls is that? I mean how many other nail polish companies do you know that do that. They never send you e-mails or harass you which is a big pet peeve of mine. In fact they don't contact me at all and I'd half-forgotten I had an account with them, until I signed in to see the last time I'd placed an order and I realized I had 301 "Share the Love" points enough for a free nail polish! How exciting!

Rachel Knows... She's pullin' a Ben Harper, with her own two hands aka how to build a raised garden bed and grow vegetables in it.

Well, maybe I am not the one pulling the Ben Harper, because Jeremy built the raised bed and planted the vegetables, but I have watered it many times with my "With my Own Two Hands" (I love this song.) so maybe that counts. Ha-ha! I didn't get pictures of Jeremy building or planting the garden, but I got pictures of the plants finally blooming or budding or sprouting. I'm not hip to the gardening lingo. I'm not sure where Jeremy got the plans for building the raised garden bed or I would link back to it so they can have the credit. He just can't remember where he got the plans and each link I click doesn't look like what he built. This is the closest one I could find, but it doesn't have the supports in the corners like Jeremy's does and it is cheaper because it is untreated wood. It sucks I don't have pictures of each step, but it really is extremely simple that I don't even think pictures are necessary. As I read his directions though, I had many questions for him about why he didn't do it a certain way to make it easier and he just kept getting frustrated at me asking the questions. (I think because he didn't think of it at the time and he realized it would have been simpler had it done it the way I was suggesting. That's beside the point. :-X) I also found something online that is pre-made and it costs the same thing and it takes no tools, so he was kind of bummed when he saw that. Lol. This is a lesson for most men though. Always double check with your lady to make sure you’re doing it the easiest way. If you want to make it yourself though, here are the directions.

Rachel Knows... A-Z o' me!

A-Z of Me

A. Age: 26
B. Bed size: King
C. Chore that you hate: All chores. Ha-ha. Folding, dusting and toilet cleaning are pretty equally hated.

D. Dogs: I have 2 dogs. Max, my 6 year old Bichon Frise and Lily, my Shih Tzu.

E. Essential start to your day: Checking e-mail and taking my Thyroid pill.

F. Favorite color: It has been a three way tie my whole life: Pink, Purple and Blue

G. Gold or Silver: I love the color of Silver better, but the tarnishing of it has made me swear it off forever. So I choose Gold. White gold is the best of both worlds though if that was a choice

H. Height: 5’1.5”
I. Instruments you play: Piano, clarinet, recorder (Doh!) and if someone would buy me a drum set I just know I'd be a rock star on them. Ha-ha
J. Job title: Stay at home dog mom. :-X
K. Kids: Just my dogs at the moment.

L. Live: Nashville, TN. Only place I've ever lived!
M. Mother’s name: Ruth
N. Nicknames: Rach, Sis, Rach Face (I've never been called Rach Face. I call Jeremy Jer Bear and we were trying to think of anything that rhymed with Rachel or Rach and face was about as close as we could get. Ha-ha!)
O. Overnight hospital stays: None so far. Hopefully none for a while, knock on wood!
P. Pet peeves: I have a lot. It isn't good. Ha-ha.
Q. Quote from a movie: "My lips hurt real bad." Napolean Dynamite. I don't remember movies at all. I have to watch them about 50 times to even remember one little line. I'm not even 100% that's exactly what he says. I think it is though.
R. Right or left handed: Right.
S. Siblings: One older brother.
U. Underwear: Yes, please? :-/
V. Vegetable you hate: Peppers. Those are vegetables right?

W. What makes you run late: Just being me. I'm late everywhere. I don't mean to. I literally start getting ready about 4 hours before I have to be somewhere and I'm still late. I don't get it.

X. X-Rays you’ve had: A ton. I actually just got some taken on my ankle and knee 4 days ago because I hurt them and had to go to the hospital.

Y. Yummy food that you make: My mini pizzas are delicious. Yum, yum, yum!
Z. Zoo animal: Tigers, any monkey species and polar bears.