Author: Courtney Salinger

UNM’s Draft & Table serves up a ‘World of Beer’

Courtney Salinger 38 Comments

Also Published in the New Mexico Newsport

By Courtney Salinger

University of New Mexico students asked for it and they got it: New Mexico’s first ever tap room on a college campus.

The idea of a campus taproom was first proposed in 2016 — partly as a nod to the booming beer industry in New Mexico. The proposal sparked petitions leading to the UNM Regents approval.

The new establishment, Draft and Table is located in the Student Union Building (SUB), and opened its doors to UNM students and faculty just over a month ago. The tap room currently sells draft beers from both local and national breweries, non-alcoholic beverages, and food such as street tacos and flatbreads.

UNM’s Draft & Table, located in the SUB. Photo by: Courtney Salinger

“I enjoy the tap room. It’s a cool place to come and hangout, do some work, drink beer, it’s nice,” said UNM student DaShaun Vahn. “The people who work here are very friendly, so I enjoy it.”

UNM faculty have already taken advantage of the SUB’s newest development by incorporating the tap room into course curriculum, like the geography department’s World of Beer class.

“We are in this big topic right now which is engagement with our local scene,” said World of Beer course instructor, Maria Lane. “Every class we have two brewers come in and tell us what’s going on locally and that has just been awesome.”.

World of Beer class guest speakers, Angelo Orona from Craft King Consulting and Gabe Jensen from Bosque Brewing, along with course instructor, Maria Lane. Photo by: Courtney Salinger.

Lane’s World of Beer curriculum explores the historical, cultural, and regional geographies of beer. Each class features a guest panel of sommeliers and entrepreneurs in the beer industry. Representatives from Draft & Table, along with other local breweries, have made visits to Lane’s class.

“We’ve got an incredibly high density of award winning brewers in this city and the quality of beer is very high,” Lane said. ”I think Draft and Table has done it in the right way… They’ve been really thoughtful of how to make it a place for socializing and welcoming for students of all ages.”

World of Beer course instructor, Maria Lane. Photo by Courtney Salinger.

According to the Brewers Association, New Mexico brewers produce over 116,000 barrels of beer each year. That’s a total of 2.4 gallons per legal adult, ranking New Mexico 23rd in the nation.

The Beer Serves America organization recently studied every U.S. state for how beer affects the economy, ranging from tax revenue to economic impact. New Mexico’s beer industry generates $87,840,300 in business and personal taxes and $60,205,500 in local and consumption taxes. Nationally, the beer industry pays more than $63 billion in taxes (see infographic)..

Infographic

Infographic from beerservesamerica.org                               

To learn more about the World of Beer class, you can follow them on Twitter @BeerGeography.

You can follow Courtney Salinger on Twitter @lookinfresh23.

Retailer’s Fashion Trucks Attracting Business from College Students

Courtney Salinger

By: Courtney Salinger and Jennifer West

Aerie, a chain store that sells loungewear, casual wear, shoes, and accessories for both men and women, drove their truck to the University of New Mexico on September 17 and 18, 2018. The Aerie truck came to sell clothes and accessories and promote new merchandise, such as their new Real Me collection, which is a lingerie collection. The fashion truck parked between UNM’s Student Union Building (SUB) and the Zimmerman Library and was full of students. Aerie was giving away popcorn to students and also set up a sack toss game for students to enjoy. Associates were inside and outside of the truck to be ready to help customers when needed. These fashion trucks coming to campus makes shopping easily accessible to students while keeping the store in business by making additional sales on campus.

“It’s easily accessible and you can get a feel for it and maybe they’ll want to go get more” says Iris Gonzales, a UNM student and Aerie employee, talking about how trucks coming to campuses can encourage more students to visit the store and how the store is now easily accessible to students.

UNM student and Aerie employee, Iris Gonzales. Photo by: Courtney Salinger.

Aerie provided 40% off of merchandise when students sign up to be a rewards member of Aerie and made a purchase from the truck. In addition to the discount, every order over $75 received a free Aerie yoga mat. Merchandise prices range from $10 to $75.

The Aerie fashion truck visited UNM on September 17 and 18. Photo by: Courtney Salinger.

“It’s pretty nice, especially with the 40% off. I think a lot of people used to go to Victoria’s Secret but now Aerie opened up, it’s cheaper and has a lot of really cute stuff, so I would say yeah, people are willing to go visit Aerie in the mall after seeing the truck,” says UNM student and Aerie truck customer, Jaylynn Bulsterbaum.

“I think it’s really nice because a lot of people have the college kid budget and a lot of us don’t have the money to spend it on the more expensive stuff, so the price point and the 40% off is actually really interesting to me.” says Kylie Dorsey, a UNM student and Aerie Truck customer. Dorsey says that if the store continues to provide discounts, she will be more persuaded to check out the store knowing that she will save more money as a student. Dorsey also says that it is possible that more stores will send out trucks to come visit college campuses more often if it does well and if it positively affects their business by getting more sales and customers. “They’re going to possibly realize that the student community is a really big community and that if they can give us discounts, they’re going to get more business.” says Dorsey.

This is not the first time a fashion truck has stopped by the University of New Mexico. Victoria’s Secret’s PINK, which also sells loungewear for women, has had University of New Mexico as a stop on their bus tour. PINK also came to the campus again on Thursday October 4, 2018 to promote their merchandise.

The Aerie truck featured an activity where students can sit down to make do-it-yourself roller balls for the Bright Pink charity, which helps support women with breast and ovarian cancer. “The roller balls are a really good incentive for students too. People seem to be enjoying it, even if they only donate a dollar.” says Gonzales.

Bringing fashion trucks to college campuses can be a way for a company to promote the store by getting the students interested to visit the store or their website to purchase items. Fashion trucks on college campuses are also able to easily connect with college students by bringing the store to the students instead of having students come to the store, which makes it convenient for students when they have spare time on campus.

The American Mobile Retail Association worked with California Lutheran University for the 2nd year to conduct a national survey about the mobile retail industry. The survey provides information such as the yearly gross revenue and the ownership percentage for the mobile industry.

Survey on the mobile retail business industry

by American Mobile Retail Association

Wealth and investment manager, Credit Suisse, reports that within five years, 20% to 25% of malls will begin to shut down.

To learn where Victoria’s Secret or Aerie’s next campus visits are going to be, check out their facebook pages.

You can follow Courtney Salinger and Jennifer West on Twitter at @lookinfresh23 and @JenniferLWest97.

Albuquerque’s Newest Gym Touts New Way of Working Out

Courtney Salinger

Also Published in the New Mexico Newsport

By Courtney Salinger and Jennifer West

Marissa Lopez and her mother Kristy Garduno, are two of the owners of Albuquerque’s newest gym, Body Mass Foundation, hope to change the way people make healthy gains — with “no rules.”

Body Mass Foundation, BMF, opened Aug. 26 and is located on the first floor of Cottonwood Mall, across from Conn’s and the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory.

The “no rules” approach allows gym members to “slam weights, bring food and drink into the workout area, and to just have fun,” said Lopez, whose family owns the company. Body Mass Foundation is a family run business, consisting of Lopez; her father, her brother, and her mother.

Gym poster in Body Mass Foundation at Cottonwood Mall in

Albuquerque, New Mexico. Picture by Jennifer West

Lopez said it all started when her father, Arthur Lopez, was frequently attending a gym and came up with the idea to open up his very own gym. Lopez said her father did not like the rules in other gyms and they were always full of people.

Her younger brother came up with the gym name, Body Mass Foundation because he liked how Body Mass is another term for body weight and Foundation is like the structure of a workout program.

According to Lopez, all of her family members help run  the gym,but her father is the main boss because he prepared and opened the business. He also handles  the money and orders equipment.

Workout equipment in Body Mass Foundation gym at Cottonwood Mall in Albuquerque, New Mexico, picture by Jennifer West

Lopez described working with her mom as “awesome, but it’s hard at the same time because we are together 24/7 anyways.” Lopez said co-managing with her mother meant not getting along well some days, but that overall she enjoys the time they spend together.

Garduno, described working with her daughter as “a challenge,” because Lopez tends to  exercise during work time. But Garduno said she loves being able to work with her daughter. Lopez says that her and her mother are closer now than they were before.

Garduno said the family’s goal for the gym is to keep their members happy and to make people  feel comfortable working out. “We don’t discriminate and we don’t have all of these rules like other gyms that make people feel uncomfortable,” Garduno said.

The monthly gym fee is $19.99, with no contract or sign up fees. That’s a competitive price compared to similar gyms like Defined Fitness, which charges $39.99 per month.

Lopez said she hopes to expand the business into a bigger space within Cottonwood Mall or possibly its own stand-alone location. The family is currently working on collaborating with gym supplement store, GNC, and Monster fitness clothing. To help promote the business, the family has a booth in the mall located across from Boba Tea, where they dress up in BMF and Monster merchandise,pass out fliers and hold raffles for prospective customers.

To learn more about Body Mass Foundation Gym, visit their Facebook page and website.

You can follow Courtney Salinger and Jennifer West on Twitter at @lookinfresh23 and @jenniferlwest97

Hello Kitty Cafe Truck Makes a Stop in ABQ

Courtney Salinger

The Hello Kitty Cafe Truck made its way to Albuquerque on March 3rd, at the ABQ Uptown Shops.

The Hello Kitty Cafe Truck was stationed in between Frost Gelato and the California Pizza Kitchen. People were lined up since before the 10am opening, ready to purchase merchandise and food from the truck. Attendees were dressed up in their cutest Hello Kitty themed outfits.

Attendees were filled with excitement to see what the truck had to offer.

Hello Kitty Cafe Truck Employee, Jenny Avila, shown selling merchandise. Photo taken by Courtney Salinger.

Hello Kitty Truck Cafe Attendee, Shirley Hill, standing in line to purchase merchandise. Photo taken by Courtney Salinger.

“I want to buy whatever they have left, I’ve heard that they sold out of a lot of stuff… This is how I regularly dress, so I just like went into my closet and got my favorite dress… I was super excited for this event… I’ve been like stalking it on the internet for like ever now and I’ve just been planning on traveling to go see it, but it came here,” said Shirley Hill, Hello Kitty Cafe Truck attendee.

The truck offered Hello Kitty themed food and merchandise.

Items from the truck ranged between $3.00 to $36.00. The food menu consisted of a Hello Kitty bow shaped water bottle, petit fours, macaroons, a cookie set, and a pocket pie. Merchandise items included; a t-shirt, a bow handle mug, a keychain, a bunny bow, a 32 ounce stainless steel thermal bottle, and an 18 ounce stainless steel thermal bottle.

“I think it’s pretty cool, I’ve never seen anything like this before, so the opportunity presented itself to just help them out and I thought it was cool… I love Hello Kitty,” said Jenny Avila, a Hello Kitty Cafe Truck employee.

The Hello Kitty Cafe Truck is an extension of the Hello Kitty Cafes located in southern California.

So far, there are two locations, a third cafe is on the way. According to the Hello Kitty Cafe Truck website, the first truck launched at the Hello Kitty Con 2014. Now, there are two trucks that roam the country.  

UNM student and Hello Kitty Cafe Truck attendee, Alli Thompson, showing off her Hello Kitty themed outfit for the occasion. Photo taken by Courtney Salinger.

“I’m really, really excited… I’m a huge fan of Hello Kitty… I’m also here for the J-Fashion meet, which is a meet-up of people who are interested in Japanese fashion,” said Alli Thompson, a UNM student and Hello Kitty Cafe Truck attendee.

Rabbit + Hare set up a Facebook event page, concerning a J-fashion meet up at the Hello Kitty Cafe Truck.

A J-fashion meet up is when people convene and dress up as their favorite japanese characters. Rabbit+Hare is an Albuquerque based wig company, that specializes in cosplay and fashion. Cosplay is dressing up as one’s favorite character from a video game or movie.

The Hello Kitty Cafe Truck is trademarked by Sanrio.

Sanrio is a Japanese based company that specializes in the production of Hello Kitty and similar Japanese characters. Hello Kitty was created in 1974. In 2014, Hello Kitty celebrated its 40th anniversary with the production of the Hello Kitty Cafe trucks. Since then, the Hello Kitty Cafe Trucks have been wandering around the United States, spreading joy to all the boys and girls, and adults everywhere.

The truck stayed in Albuquerque until 8pm, selling out of everything.

For upcoming locations and more information about the truck, follow The Hello Kitty Cafe Truck on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. 

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Top Golf and Urban Air to Hit ABQ

Courtney Salinger

Also in New Mexico News Port

By: Courtney Salinger and Taylor Rains

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Over the next two years,  popular entertainment chains TopGolf and Urban Air will swing into town.

With this Albuquerque residents can start to see new, fun, and interactive entertainment venues hit the scene. This could bring more business and traffic through the city.

 


Screenshot of Topgolf’s tweet announcing an Albuquerque location/Topgolf

Top Golf features different games surrounding golf, dining, and drinks. The company is set to open in spring of 2019, located at Montano and I-25. Top Golf will replace the location of Albuquerque’s The Beach waterpark, which closed down in 2004, due to poor health inspections.

Urban Air Adventure Park is a trampoline park which features basketball, rock climbing, indoor skydiving, virtual reality, a warrior course and battle beam, a kid’s area, a roller coaster, a cafe, and much more. The company is set to open sometime this year, off the Pan American freeway.

Albuquerque currently has two main entertainment venues, Dave and Busters and Main Event.

Dave and Buster’s offers a sports bar, dining, and video games. The company opened its doors to Albuquerque in 2014. Dave and Buster’s tends to receive new game options every couple months, with Wednesday’s being half price on all games.

Main Event offers bowling, video games, laser tag, billiards, gravity ropes, and dining. The company has been in Albuquerque for two years. Main Event plans to continue expanding throughout the country.  

Dave and Buster’s has a curfew for citizens younger than 18, which is open until midnight. For 21 and older, they are open till 2 a.m., depending on the day of the week. Otherwise, Dave and Buster’s, Main Event, Urban Air Adventure, and Top Golf close around 1a.m.  

Audri Sanchez provided us with a pamphlet with Main Event’s core values on the back/Taylor Rains

General Manager of Main Event Ronnie Prieto is not intimidated by the competition as he knows that they have more to offer, he said.   

People enjoy it (Main Event) so much more because they come with more than just one attraction such as golf or trampolines, Prieto said.

“We have an arcade, it’s a family establishment, and on top of that it is a full restaurant and a full bar. And we also have a bowling alley,” he said.

Prieto thinks with the new attractions, Main Event might see a dip in business and activity but since TopGolf will be right across the street, he’s guessing everyone will end up at Main Event anyway, he said.

“I honestly think it will help us. Think about it, there will be long waits and everyone will come over here. And on top of it, we’ve been the number one center in the company for all of last year. It’s what Albuquerque wants,” Prieto said.

Terra Gelinas, a student at UNM, thinks that having more options available to residents will not only give people more to do, but it could also better the economy for New Mexico, she said.

“I think having it come here will expand in what people can do for fun and have economical benefits for another place people can spend money at,” Gelinas said.

While Gelinas thinks expansion of entertainment opportunities is a good thing, she said she likes Main Event because it provides something new and exciting to do.

“I like that they have options for adult friendly events because they are open much later and it’s another thing to go do on a weekend night… I like the two story laser tag because it’s different than anywhere else in town… It’s nice being able to order food and drinks at the bowling area as well because it’s a little nicer than other bowling alleys,” Gelinas said.

Gelinas did voice concern in regards to the incoming business Urban Air as opposed to Top Golf as she said there are already a few trampoline parks that seem to compete amongst themselves.

“Adding a third may be difficult to make a profit, whereas Top Golf is going to be the first one in Albuquerque,” Gelinas said.

 

Screenshot of tweets showing community excitement/Taylor Rains, Courtney Salinger

In addition to each attractions that these companies bring, they also hold fundraising capabilities and offer parties and special deals for big groups. Most of the companies offer rentable rooms and dining areas for any special occasions.

 

UNM to Enforce New Freshman Residency Requirements

Courtney Salinger

Also in The Daily Lobo

By: Courtney Salinger and Maria Gomez

The University of New Mexico-Main Campus’ freshman retention rate is 80 percent, making it higher compared to the nationwide average of 71 percent, according to College Factual.

However, UNM’s graduation rate of first-time/full-time students is lower, with a four-year graduation rate of 15 percent. First-time/full-time students in the UNM class of 2012, were less likely to graduate on time. After six years, the graduation rate was 47.8 percent and by 2016, 54.7 percent of this class had completed their degree, according to College Factual.   

(Graph of UNM-Main Campus first-time/full-time graduation rate compared to nationwide rate. Source: Collegefactual.com)

With hopes to increase success for first-year students, UNM is requiring all incoming freshman to live on campus for one year, beginning the Fall 2018 semester. There are five exceptions to the live-in requirement, including students who live within 30 miles of main campus and students who will be at least 20 years old at the start of the academic year.    

“We believe very strongly that freshman students in particular really do have a much higher success rate when they have their first year living on campus,” said Teresa Ortiz, the Residence Life/Housing operations manager.

Students living on campus have easier access to campus resources and events, she said.

“They’re close to class, tutoring, professors’ office hours, the dining hall is right here for them and there’s a lot of activities and programming for the students that live on campus,” Ortiz said.

“This helps give them a connection to campus, so they feel that they are apart of things — they’re not just coming to school, leaving and going back home,” she said.

Roughly 1,900 students are expected to live on campus this upcoming fall semester, according to Ortiz.

“When we last looked at some statistics about students living within the 30 mile zone that were freshman that weren’t living with us, there was only about 300 that weren’t, so we can definitely accommodate those,” said Ortiz.

In order to accommodate incoming freshmen, previous deluxe singles created to give one student more room are being converted back to double spaces to make sure that no student who’s chosen to live on campus gets left out, according to Ortiz.

UNM Police Detective Alfredo Bouquet said the UNM Police Department are not looking to make changes to their security based on the Freshman Residency Requirement.

“At this time I have no information that there’s going to be more officers or security hired,” Bouquet said.

UNM is an open campus, allowing students and the public to come and go off of the property as much as they want at any time.

UNM police are always patrolling on foot, bikes and cars, Bouquet said. There aren’t a lot of incidents on campus in regards to personal safety, most issues are related to property crime.

“For the most part, I am going to say the campus is relatively safe,” he said.

Adam Biederwolf, the Assistant Director of Associated Students of UNM Lobo Spirit, thinks the Freshman Residency Requirement is beneficial for students but shouldn’t be mandatory.

“I think it can be beneficial for freshmen to have to live on campus just because they’re surrounded by so many resources on campus and I feel like their grades will reflect that in a positive manner,” Biederwolf said. “However, I just think it’s wrong to force incoming freshmen to live on campus because some freshmen might be uncomfortable with the environment.”

 

 

Too Faced Cosmetics’ “Glitter Bomb” Palette, Detonate or Dismantle?

Courtney Salinger

Too Faced “Glitter Bomb” Palette

Call the bomb squad because Too Faced cosmetics’ “Glitter Bomb” palette is sizzling. Too Faced released a brand-new glitter eyeshadow palette. When I first saw the palette on Too Faced founder, Jerrod Blandino’s Instagram, I was in shock. Blandino teased a gold glitter pic on his page. First of all, I love glitter. I love Too Faced. I love gold. I loooove writing about things that I love! I started seeing pictures around the social media scene about a new glitter palette from Too Faced. Put two and two together and behold, the “Glitter Bomb” palette.
Too Faced’s newest palette entails a black exterior with “Glitter” lettering. Each letter features a different color of glitter and moves within the palette every time you shake it. The words: “Too Faced” and “Bomb” are engraved in gold.
The “Glitter Bomb” palette features 8 glitter shadows and 2 base shadows. “Fairy Dust” is a very subtle pink with a white flip. “Confetti” is a light purple shade. “Hot Damn” features a deep purple shade. “Glitter Goals” consists of a black and purple duo chrome color. “Rose All Day” is a light pink shade. “Work It” features orange and gold glitter with a red shift. “Ok, It’s On” consists of true gold glitter. “Splash” entails a blue glitter shade with a green shift. The two bases consist of pure white and black shades. The white base is used to brighten the shadows. Whereas, the black base is used to darken the shadows.

Using “Work It”

When I first used this palette, I tried the shadows dry with a regular shading brush. The shadows appeared to be light in color, almost sheer. Also, the glitter didn’t last all day. The amount of disappointment I felt after trying these out almost led me to return the palette altogether. But, I decided to give it another try. This time, I used NYX’s glitter primer as a base. The glitter managed to stay on longer but the color still looked sheer. Ok, after this, I was certain about getting my money back. Then I thought, third time’s a charm, right? So finally, I tried using the shadows wet. I sprayed some of my highly coveted “Photo Finish Primer Water” from Smashbox onto the back of my hand. Using a flat eyeshadow brush, I dipped the brush onto the back of my hand and into the palette. As I rubbed my lids with the brush, I was in amaze! The colors popped and the glitter was bright. There was no fallout and the shadows lasted the whole day.

Using “Oh, It’s On!”

Overall, I think this palette works well if you use it wet. There’s too much fallout and the colors don’t pop if you use it dry. I found the darkening base to make more of a difference than the brightening base when it came to enhancing the shadows. The assortment of colors are unique and pretty…. Who am I kidding, anything sparkly will cause any makeup lover to holla! So, imma leave my money with Too Faced and keep this glistening palette in my collection. Ok? Ok.
The palette retails for $45 and can be purchased through Sephora, ULTA, and Too Faced’ website, just to name a few. The launch of the “Glitter Bomb” palette comes with a new line of “Melted Latex” liquid lipsticks.

Spree Time at Forever 21

Courtney Salinger

Newness alert!! I recently hit up Forever 21 for some fresh new threads! School had just ended and summer has begun. I drove over to campus to return my textbooks and later decided to meet up with a friend for lunch. Panera Bread enticed my cookie addiction, so we met up there. Of course, Panera Bread is located in the mall! So, we were persuaded to take a lovely stroll through one of my favorite shopping destinations; Forever 21!

“Millennial Pink” High-Neck One-Piece

As soon as you walk in (depending on which opening of the store you enter), you see the swim section. So many one piece’s!!!! I had to pick one up!! I went with this “millennial pink,” cross back one piece. The cut is a high neck with fish netting just above the chest. The chest piece reads; “mermaid” in a shimmer, copper, foil finish and has padding built in. One thing that’s cool about this particular piece of swimwear is that the material has spf 50+ in it! 😲 Super super plus when looking for a swim piece because it adds that extra protection from the sun. You can wear this by itself to swim in, or add some jean shorts with it to make an outfit. This one-piece retails for $19.90.

Tiger Head Muscle Tee

Next, we moved over to the indie, hipster vibe room. I normally don’t find anything in this area, but it’s always worth a little look 😃, and I’m glad I did! 😉 I found this muscle tee with two embroidered tiger heads on each side of the upper chest. I loved the vibes from the tigers staring at each other, I had to have it for that gym life! The fit is a little boxy, just knot the bottom of it to show off those natural curves. This tee sells for $14.90.

Sheer Black Mesh T-Shirt with Blue and Green Reflects

We were walking in between rooms and I noticed this sheer black mesh t-shirt with green and blue reflects sitting on one of the racks getting ready to be put on the sales floor. I picked it up off the rack and I just knew I needed it in my life. I thought of so many different ways to wear it and style it with, I just knew that we were meant to be together! The shirt itself is very light and airy. It can be worn with a black bra and some black jeans, as a cover up over your swimwear, or even layered over a black or white cami. This t-shirt retails for $10.90.

Front and Back of White Lace Crop Top

Lastly, my friend and I walked over to the basics and clearance room. You always gotta hit up the clearance section guys. You never know what you’re going to find in there. As I was walking in between the racks of organized sale pieces, I crossed paths with a strapless, sleeveless, white lace crop top. The back of the top is laced with white string. When I saw this, it was only $7.99, I was like “the more the merrier!” I’m already buying these other really nice pieces of clothing, but after running into this crop top, I figured it was too cute and good of a deal to pass up. The price of this crop top was originally $17.99.

You guys! Forever 21 had some really cute new stuff! Of course, I couldn’t buy the whole store!! But the items that I managed to grab were some of my favorites from what I had saw. It’s the end of the semester, hard work needs to be rewarded!! Go all out and shop till you drop!!

   

“Treat Yo’Self”

Courtney Salinger

What’s fresh at ULTA?!?! Spring is here! When seasons change, fashion and beauty looks change. When a new movie comes out, new makeup themed palettes are created. (Hint, Hint 😉) New products are being packaged and sold! The theme here is new, new, new! So, what did I buy for my latest ULTA Beauty haul? Let’s take a peak!

First off, we have Lorac’s newest collection; Disney’s Pirates of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales Collection, which features the latest installment of the movie franchise. This collection features an eyeshadow palette, a cheek palette and dual ended lipsticks. I bought the eyeshadow palette and the cheek palette. The ULTA that I shopped at didn’t have the lipsticks in yet. The eyeshadow palette comes with 18 shades, a mirror, and a mini black eyeliner pencil. The cheek palette comes with 6 shades; 2 matte blushes and 4 highlighters. The cheek palette fits inside of the eyeshadow palette, in a secret compartment. I figured, I HAD to buy both of them. As a gift with my Lorac purchase, I received a mini sample of the Light Source Illuminating Primer. The eyeshadow palette runs for $52, whereas, the cheek palette is $30. Stay in touch for an upcoming review of this collection, coming up real soon 😊.

Next, we have a few new items from ULTA Beauty’s line of products. At the time of my purchase, ULTA had a sale going on; buy two ULTA Beauty products, get the third free. I took advantage of that and bought; the 3-piece liquid lipstick kit, the bronze gel eye liner, and the rainbow highlighter. The lipstick kit features three metallic liquid lipsticks; a red, a gold and a berry. This kit runs for $16. The bronze gel eye liner isn’t new, I just wanted to try it and was what I saw when it came to choosing three items for the deal. The eye liner is $10. The rainbow highlighter is really pretty. I have another rainbow highlighter from Forever 21 that’s comparable, but this one from ULTA swatches golden hues and is creamier. ULTA’s highlighter retails for $10.

Buxom recently launched limited-edition shades of their super popular lip-creams. I had never tried Buxom, prior to this purchase. As soon as I saw the diamond sitting on top of the bottle, I knew I had to have it. So cute! I bought the shade; “Blushing Margarita,” which is a pretty nude. Buxom’s lip products are known to plump lips. As soon as I put this on, my lips started tingling and looked fuller. I am so obsessed with this product, that I’ve been using it every day. This product sells for $21.

Tarte cosmetics launched a rose gold clay pot, which is an Amazonian Clay Waterproof Liner. This product retails for $21. The pigment is super smooth and creamy, it swatches pink with silver glitter.

Too Faced Cosmetics introduced their newest collection; Natural Love, which features and eyeshadow palette, melted matte liquid lipsticks, highlights and brow pencils. I bought a melted matte liquid lipstick in the shade; “Wicked.” “Wicked” is a deep forest green shade. These lipsticks sell at $21 apiece.

Sun Bum creates sun care products. I’m obsessed with their lip balms! Each lip balm has spf 30, aloe vera and vitamin and ranges in different scents.  My favorite scent is Key Lime. These lip balms sell for $3.99 each.

Lastly, we have a Capelli New York set of 2 chokers. One choker features a string daisies, the other consist of white lace. These retail for $4.99.

As the saying goes; “treat yo’self!” Hauls don’t come often. It’s always fun and therapeutic to spoil yourself from time to time.

Dear Diary…

Courtney Salinger

Goodies!

Valentine’s day has approached us! Boxes of chocolates are bought, bouquets of flowers are given, reservations are made, and most importantly, fun and pretty Valentine’s Day beauty looks are created! I just so managed to get my hands on the newly and highly coveted; “Kylie’s Diary” from Kylie Jenner’s Valentine’s Day Limited Edition Collection, which I will be wearing for the occasion.

I first got a glimpse of the eyeshadow and blush palette from Kylie’s snapchat. She teased her newest collection over her Snapchat, back in January. When I first laid eyes on “The Diary Palette,” I just knew I had to have it! The bright pink shade, “Love Potion,” sold me!

Burgundy Smoky Look

The “Limited Edition” collection released on February 2 at 3pm. I waited about an hour after the initial launch time to actually check the website because I was in class. When I searched kyliecosmetics.com, the bundle, the minis and the “Head Over Heels” Lip kit were completely sold out. That’s ok! I really wanted the diary! As I added the diary to my cart, I looked around and read descriptions of other products, just to make sure there wasn’t anything else that I really wanted. I was close to getting the “Valentine” Lip Kit, as well, but realized that I have something similar to it. I ended up checking out with only the diary.

“Kylie’s Diary”

“The Diary Palette” cost $54 and included free shipping after you spend $40. Overall, I dished out $54, which is pretty standard for a higher-end eyeshadow palette. You do get a bonus because this palette includes two blushes. I had never made a Kylie Cosmetics purchase, prior to ordering the diary. So, I was pretty excited!

 

Pinky Pinks Look

I waited a little over a week for my Diary to come in. When I received the black box in the mail, I was overwhelmed with cheer and excitement! This was my first time purchasing from Kylie, so everything was very new to me. As I opened the box, I noticed that the box was all black, had the signature “Kylie” logo on the inside of the box, along with white dripping detail along the inner top layer of the box. The box included a handwritten note with holographic eye detail on the back of it and “Kylie’s Diary,” which was wrapped, and my confirmation papers, of course. The note read; “Eye couldn’t wait to share my new eyeshadows with you. Eye hope you adore the as much as eye do! Eye Love You.” And then she concluded with a smiley face.

As I opened the Diary, I noticed that it weighs pretty heavy, and consists of a good size. The front of the packaging entails red glitter “Kylie’s Diary” writing and shiny white hearts with red shiny trimming around the sides. The back of the packaging has the big “Kylie” writing logo along with the writing; “Pressed Powder Palette.” Below that, the names of the eyeshadow shades and blushes are shown, along with ingredients and specifics of the makeup.

“Heart Eyes,” “Romance,” “Loves Me Not”

When you take out the palette from the packaging, the same red glittered; “Kylie’s Diary” wording is on the front. There’s red glittered lining on the spine of the palette. When you flip it around, the wordage says; “XOXO, Kylie.” Below that, is “The Diary Palette,” featuring the names of each shade and again the specifics of the makeup.

As I opened the palette, I was just in amaze! The palette looks even better in person! On the left side, we have a square mirror along with the “XOXO, Kylie” wordage. And again, the shiny white hearts. On the right side, we have 6 eyeshadows and 2 blushes. Starting from the top left corner, we have, “Bae,” “Heart Breaker,” “Make Me Blush,” “Sweet Like Candy,” “Love Potion,” “Be Mine,” “Heart Eyes,” “Romance” and “Loves Me Not.” The Blushes are called “First Date” and “Virginity.”

“Bae” is a holographic, icy-bluish, with a hint of grey, shimmery shade. “Heart Breaker” is the perfect light shimmery pink. “Make Me Blush” is a shimmery mix of purple and grey. “Sweet Like Candy” is a coral pink shimmer with gold sparkles. “Love Potion” is a satiny hot pink shade. “Be Mine” is an orangey pink coral matte shade. “Heart Eyes” consists of a purple maroon matte color. “Romance” is a brownish shimmery shade with hints of red and purple. “Loves Me Not” consists of a bluish, purple, grey, lavender matte shade. “First Date” blush is a soft matte orange shade. “Virginity” blush is a soft bubblegum pink matte shade.

“Sweet Like Candy,” “Love Potion,” “Be Mine”

After swatching the shades, I was so impressed. The colors are beautiful and well thought out. I like the mix of mattes, shimmers, and satin. I love every color! One of the first looks I tried, I used the shades; “Sweet Like Candy,” “Love Potion” and “Be Mine, along with a mix of both “Virginity” blush and “First Date” blush. So, the whole second row of the palette. I started off with that orangey, pink coral matte shade, “Be Mine.” I colored my whole eyelid with it. Next, I blended in the coral pink shimmery gold shade, “Sweet Like Candy,” all over the eyelid. After, I took the satiny hot pink shade, in “Love Potion,” and blended that into my outer corners for definition. Then, I took a clean blush and blended those together to create a pinky orange sunset! Finally, I lined my lower lash line with “Be Mine,” to tie everything together. I added Benefit’s “They’re Real” mascara on both my top and bottom lashes and lined my waterline with NYX’s “Faux Whites” eye brightener in “seashell.” After I finished my eyes, I tried the blushes! I started off with the pink blush, “Virginity,” then I added the orange blush, “First Date,” to incorporate the balance between the pink and orange hues on my eyes.

The second look I created was more of a burgundy smoky eye look. First, I covered my eyelids with “Heart Eyes.” Next, I added “Romance” on top of “Heart Eyes,” and blended that all over the lids. After, I brushed on “Loves Me Not” on the outer corners of my eyes to give some definition to the look. Then, I lined my lower lash line with both “Heart Eyes” and “Romance.” Finally, I blended all the colors together to get this rich and fresh burgundy look.

After looking at the finished products, I noticed that the colors are very easy to apply. The shadows blended nicely and really popped. The colors were very vibrant and they lasted all day, with no creasing. I noticed that these colors really made my eye color pop! They really brought out the gold in my eyes, and brought the light to my eyes, which I love! The blushes are very subtle and easy to manage if wanting to go from a sweet look to more dramatic.

Overall, I am impressed with the colors and creativity of this palette. The pigment is so fresh and bright. I just love it! The blushes are very easy to blend into the face and are very buildable. Like I said before, this was my very first Kylie Cosmetics purchase. After this write-up, I will probably be buying more stuff from her. I was very pleased with the outcome of my purchase!