Thanksgiving Look plus show off of new goodies at simply kendra!

Thankgiving look using golds and orange shades

New things up on the website! www.simplykendra.com

Hey guys and gals. Just wanted to put up a little post to let you know I haven't forgotten my blog! I have just been busy with everything and this seems to be my last priority. I have been adding lots of goodies to the website. I added some body glitters and what I call Glitter affixer. Its kinda Awesome! Remember the blog I wrote about how to foil your eyeshadow with water? Well Glitter Affixer is a foiling medium that takes the guess work out of everything. It does have water in it but also contains glycerin which is a humectant that draws in water and keeps your eyeshadow more intact plus I threw in a little Vitamin E to keep your delicate skin around your eyes nourished. I opted to put this in a Lip gloss like container but put it in small eye dropper like bottles to insure sanitary measures. I am super proud of it and at 5.00 a bottles that's going to Last FOREVER its quite a steal!! I have also been working on some lip glosses and will soon be coming out with a finishing powder veil so look out for that soon! In other news my husband is done with his cancer treatments,now we just have to wait until Dec 27th to see if it was all worth it. You can read our story at http://www.sinuscancer.blogspot.com. I can't believe the year is almost gone. Its so crazy! It hasn't been the best year, I am hoping next year it will get better! Well my dears just wanted to share that will all of you. I need to desperately do some reviews for you guys I have lots of goodies that have been building up from birchbox every month that I just haven't gotten around to trying.(birchbox is a monthly beauty sample subscription http://www.birchbox.com) Love you all!
xoxo
k

Diseased and Infected Halloween Makeup Tutorial

Halloween Jersery Shore Style :D Snookie

Sigma Naughty in Black Travel Brush Review and Giveaway

** From the Sigma Website***

The Travel Kit Naughty in Black contains seven essential brushes to achieve a flawless look on the go. Take Naughty in Black to your favorite travel destination or keep it in your purse for a quick touch-up during the day or an evening out on the town. All brushes are individually stored in a stylish metallic black clutch equipped with a convenient pouch to carry all your must-have makeup items.

Clutch dimensions (closed): 7 x 4 inches.
Face brushes: 5 inches total
Eyes/concealer brush: 4 inches total

I recieved these brushes in record time and they were really nicely packed. I really liked the black clutch they were in it also has a zippered pouch in it making it easy to throw in a few products perfect for travel!

Brushes in this kit:

 

Pencil - E30 - Precise application of color on the crease, outer corner, and upper and lower lash line. Also ideal to smudge out pencil liner. Natural bristles.

LOVE this Brush!!!!! Perfect for getting into the corners!!!

Tapered Blending - E40 - Rounded and tapered top. Specially designed to apply and blend color on the crease. Natural bristles.

This is now my favorite Blending brush, this brush really does make blending simple instead of a chore!

Eye Shading - E55 - Soft and dense with a rounded finish. Can be used to apply pressed or loose eye shadows and pigments. Ideal to build intense color on the eyelid. Natural bristles.

         I thought this brush was PERFECT for picking up loose pigments!!

Large Powder - F30 - Very dense with a rounded top. Ideal to apply powder products on face and body. Natural bristles.

Nice Powder Brush

Large Angled Contour - F40 - The angled shape makes this brush ideal to apply blush or contour shades. Natural bristles.

The only problem I had with this brush was the bristles were a little wild and I had a problem with fallout even after washing and shaping the brush

Foundation - F60 - Can be used to apply liquid or cream foundation. It is also recommended to apply moisturizers and conceal large areas. Synthetic bristles.

I don't really like using foundation brushes but found this worked really nicely with applying contour!

 

Concealer - F70 - The rounded, tampered, flat shape makes this brush ideal to conceal the under eye area. It is also recommended for a precise application in small areas. Synthetic bristles.

         This worked perfectly and also made a nice eyeshadow brush as well!

All in All I was very impressed with Sigmas Naughty in Black Travel Kit and would highly recommend it for purchase!  Sigma was also kind enough to let me have a giveaway  of 1 kit which can be found on my facebook page for Simply Kendra under the Discussion Tab! Please Follow all rules there! Winner will be chosen when 1000 fans are reached!

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Simply-Kendra/133362496686557

xoxo

k

Metastatic Melanoma

Ok my loveies I am so sorry I haven't been blogging here lately but do you remember my last blog urging you to use sunblock and do you remember how I told you about the story of my husband having Melenoma? Well I am so devasted to say that  his Melenoma is back and has Metasized in his sinus cavity and lung I honestly had no idea this could happen again let alone in these places, its super rare to have sinus cancer let alone a Melenoma there... less than 1% . He is currently being treated at MD Anderson they are using Biochemotherapy.  This is a HORRIBLE cancer and the prognosis is normally poor BUT we are at the BEST hospital in the WORLD and thats just not my opinion, thats a fact. I ask for all your prayers and if you are able we would appreciate any donations as Chris is not recieving any kind of compensation or disablity. If you would like to read more about our journey please come follow my new blog entitled The Cancer Diaries or if you would simply like to donate please click HERE. I love all you girlies and all my readers.

xo

k

Sunblock? Yes Please!

For all you sun and tanning bed worshipping mamcitas out there I thought I would share a few pictures with you of folks who didn't bother with sunscreen and went straight for the baby oil.  I beg you put on your sunblock this summer and anytime your outside even when its cloudy, the clouds only block out the heat you feel on your skin not the rays. You don't want to look 50 when your 30 years old and most importantly you don't won't end up with Skin Cancer. My husband developed Melanoma 2 years ago and we were very lucky to catch it early. As soon as the dermatologist called and said it was Malignant melanoma she called MD Anderson in Houston and we were there 2 days later. He had a tumor right behind his ear that needed to be removed immediately as it was close to his brain and his lymph nodes his mole only popped up 2 weeks before.. You don't think it can happen to you but it can and I love you guys and gals and I want you to stay healthy and beautiful as long as possible! xo
  
I do not own any of these pictures*


Don't get me wrong I love leather when it comes to bags and shoes but this is just a little too much...


 I don't even know what to say....


 Ouchie Kim




  This is what Basal Cell Carcinoma looks like..


  See the damaging effects? This man is suffering from extreme Hyperpigmentation. The sunburns we get when are young effect us when we are older the most!



Just because your skins looks ok to the naked eye that doesn't mean the damage isn't already done. Try looking at your face under a blacklight and see whats there or go to your local Esthetician and let her do a skin scan on you. You might just be surprised.









So Please where your sunscreen or sunblock so you wont end up looking like this. :) Ok? Ok.
And what if the damage is already done? Well its done..  but you can start taking care of your skin now by always moisturizing and applying something with an SPF in it. Wear big hats in the sun, wear coverups while you aren't swimming and always check out any suspicious moles that might arise especially ones that are dark and irregularly shaped, get to the Dermatologist immediately because skin cancer can come on fast and can be deadly.

Organix Renewing Moroccan Argan Oil Hair Shampoo, Conditioner, and Penetrating Hair Oil Review

Well it seems everywhere you turn recently Argan Oil is the product of the moment. So I asked myself what the heck is Argan Oil and Where does it come from? So I did a  little investigating and learned some interesting facts I would like to share with you. Argan Oil comes from the Kernels of  the Argan Tree which mainly thrives in  Morocco. Predominately found in the desert, the Argan tree's oil is said to have anti aging qualities and is used in a number of skin care creams and beauty products but is mainly bottled as Oil for Food. It also has been said that this tree has been around since the Tertiary Period which was roughly 1.6 million years ago! The Argan Tree also lives as long as 200 years... Wow.  Ok so now that you and I have both learned some new and fascinating facts I will tell you my latest thoughts on Oranix's Argan Oil line. BTW I have dry thick curly hair and my opinions are based on my hair type.

Lets start with the Shampoo:
First and Foremost let me tell you that this Shampoo does not lather up alot, which is a GOOD thing. It is sulfate free so that means it does not have a bunch of detergents like Laural Sulfate  that actually strips the life out of your tresses. You want a sulfate free shampoo especially if  you dye your hair alot and of course most of the time your hairdresser is not going to tell you this because well quite frankly they need you to come back sooner than later for a root touch-up.  Now besides this factor, did I think this shampoo was all this and a bag of chips? Not really. The fragrance is very light and it didn't leave my hair feeling as smooth as I hoped it would, it makes me wonder the actual percentage of Argan Oil they actually put it this shampoo. I would give it a 3 out of 5 stars. It comes in  a rather small bottle at just 13 oz and retails for around 7.00.



Now on to the Conditioner:

  Well I thought the conditioner would be a little bit better than the shampoo and I was right.. to an extent. It was VERY thick so I was happy about that because these dry curly tresses need a good heavy conditioner. I left this in about 3 minutes before rinsing and I must say for the consistency it didn't leave my hair as soft as I though it would not to say that my hair wasn't soft I just didn't notice a difference in this from other conditioners in this price range I have tried.  This also makes me think back to the  shampoo and wonder actually how much argan oil this contains.. hmmm But nonetheless I give this conditioner a 3.0 out of 5 stars. It also comes in a 13 oz bottle and was priced at                                                      around 7.00



Now for the Penetrating Hair Oil:

Well was I pleased? Yes indeed. The smell was light and it left my hair feeling smooth and hydrated. This was actually the only thing I was going to pick up to begin with and then read on the back it works best with the shampoo and conditioner ( I am such a sucker) but I was pleasantly surprised and am happy that I picked this up. Now does this work better than than your more expensive brands such as the original Moroccan Oil ?

No it didn't. But seeing the Original costs 30.00 for 3.4oz's and the Organix's version costs 6.50 for 3.3 oz's I really didn't expect it to.  But I give this product 3.5 out of 5.00  and its quite possible I will repurchase this again in the future.


Bonus Review: One 'n Only Argan Oil Curl Cream

Now I recieved a free sample of this from Sally's last week and was excited to try it the full size is 10.00 for a 10 oz bottle. I used it yesterday instead of the Organix's oil after I got out of the shower. First thing I noticed was the smell.  Not horrible but not a clean smell.. it smells kinda like a musky perfume. But I applied a few pumps anyway. Its extremely thick and I only needed just a little. I noticed right away it was very greasy and then decided to look at the ingredients (shame on me for not looking at them first) Well this product contains Mineral Oil and Petroleum which in my opinion aren't exactly things I want to see in my hair products.. After letting my hair dry I noticed no results such as shine or curl definition. The only thing I am left with is my normally frizzy/curly hair that now smells like perfume I would never wear. Would I buy this. You guessed it, no I would not. Nor do I give it a good score. I would only give it 1 out of 5 and thats mainly because it was Free :D

Now I hope you enjoyed reading my argan oil reviews and if you follow my blog regularly and read my blog from a couple of days ago about this weeks favorites, i am happy to announce I picked up the full size of the Cavier hair treatment and I also picked up a Fekkai Glossing Cream. Now get this.. I ordered these from Ulta and the the Glossing Cream in the full size is is 4 oz and is 25.00 but the travel size in 2 oz is 9.00...You do the math. Needless to say I picked up the travel size. Oh and right now Ulta is having their spend 25.00 and get 15 samples free sale!


xoxoxo

k

Summer War Paints

Products of the Week Caviar Shine Boost and Mr.Pumi Bar

Recently I was able to Sample Caviar Shine Boost. Its a glossing treatment that supposedly keeps your locks shiny and vibrant for a week. I received just enough for one treatment in a recent sample sent out by Ulta and I must say.. me likey.  Not only has my hair been healthy and shiny looking for the last 3 days it feels great! I have noticed lots less frizz and I do believe I am in love. The full size bottle is 25.00 but as you only use it once a week and you don't need alot( I have ALOT of hair almost past the middle of back and it didn't take alot to work its magic) so I bet the bottle will last months! I am super pleased and will be purchasing the full size soon!

Product Description from Ulta

Description

Caviar Shine Boost adds silky shine and recharges haircolor in 3 minutes. It prolongs color vibrancy and reflects light to reveal a luminous, radiant glow. Lightweight formula that is never heavy and gives salon worth shine without chemical damage to the hair. Solves the challenge of maintaining salon glossiness between color services.

Directions

Shampoo & condition hair. Squeeze out excess water. Apply Shine Boost to wet hair from root to tip. Leave on 3 minutes (or up to 5) and rinse off. For best results use 1 to 2 times per week.


Next I just so happened to be in Sallys Beauty and I was just picking up a couple of things and while checking out I noticed a display for a Mr. Pumi Pumice Bar. Seeing it was under 2.00 and that sandal season is upon us I decided it was something that I needed. So I picked it up in pink and went on my merry way. That night I decided to take a bath and brought Mr. Pumi with me. (only if my husband knew!) ha.  Not only did this pumice bar smooth my feet perfectly but it took less than minute to feel like my feet had just come from a 40.00 pedicure. I looove this thing! Forget all those dangerous sharp tool basically meant to "shave" the bottom of your feet. Get a Mr.Pumi bar! I give it 5 stars allll the way up!

Anyways I just wanted to share a couple of products with you that I think are worth trying out!


Allll my love! xoxo

Hey Everyone :D Life and Stuff

So I feel so Ashamed I haven't been blogging like I should but I have been super busy! This past weekend I attended the Makers Fair I have a vid uploaded here if you wanna check out the details. I had such an awesome time and had so much fun catching up with my friends Mandi and Connie who helped me out alot. I have been doing lots of shopping and recently found out about this  online store called 599fashion which everything is only 5.99 yayyyy! I ended up getting some cute things from them and encourage you to check it out! http://www.599fashion.com/  i just can't pass up anything Cheap. I seriously love a good deal and they have plenty!
In other news I think I am in love with this fragrance called Lolita Lempicka



I received a sample size bottle of it from ulta and needless to say it was gone by the next morning. I think I am going to have to fork out some cash and get a bottle. I loooooovvvvve it!

I also have really been feeling like I am in a funk. I need to do something  drastic like chop off all my hair and dye it green or something. Does anyone else ever feel that way? LOL  I don't know what i am going to do but I gotta do something! I actually need tolose some weight everytime I watch one of my youtube videos here lately I swear I cringe.. ACK!   Ok enough about weight I don't feel like getting depressed. In other news I have been on a Giveaway spreeeeee on facebook! I really started off doing most of my promoting of simply kendra on youtube but really like how I feel I can connect more with everyone on Facebook.  Just in the past month I have gained almost 300 fans and it has been so Awesome getting to know everyone! I have two giveaways that end tomorrow 5/5/2011 at 9:00cst and will be holding a 500 fans giveaway after I announce the winners from the 300 and 400 fans contest... I feel like I need to make this one extra special. So I think I have something in mind, we shall see!

In my non Simply Kendra online life I have recently adopted a new cat and have gained a new puppy. So as usual its always a zoo here at my house. I think until I actually have a real human child, I will just keep adopting furry children.  I really would like to one day  make something in my line of cosmetics that some or all of the proceeds go to an Animal Organization. Hopefully I will get to the point in my business soon that i will be able to make donations and give  back, its something that I just feel like I need to do.

Anyways I guess I am just rambling now :)

Thanks so much for reading and I hope you have a wonderful day

xoxoxo

k

Fake Bake Gel Review

Beauty survivalist part 2

Texas Avenue Makers Fair Shreveport la

Ulta and Hot Topic Haul and Mini Review

Plus Size Swimsuit / Swimwear Review Alwaysforme.com

300 fans Giveaway on Facebook! Get your second entry in here!

Well looks like Simply Kendra has hit 300 fans on facebook and hence its Giveaway time! How exciting is that? To join in on the fun you must be a facebook fan http://www.facebook.com/pages/Simply-Kendra/133362496686557

From there check out the Discussions tab and read  all the rules and then follow them!

To get a second entry in you must follow Simply Kendra here on Blogger and then just comment beneath  this  Blog Post "Second Entry"
Also don't forget to leave your name as it is on facebook!

Giveaway Ends May 5th at 9 cst and 3 winners will be chosen at random!
Good Luck my loves! xoxo

Dewey Glowing Spring Skin

Getting ready for the Makers Fair! Making eyeshadow and Lip balm

Well today I decided it was time to start preparing for the Makers Fair in Shreveport at the end of the month Since I have to premake jars I decided I needed to make some bigger batches of eyeshadow, I figured about 1/4 cup each, on my website I say I make up small batches and well when I mean small batches I mean SMALL I normally only keep enough eyeshadow on hand to fill a 3-4 jars and I keep  it in bags, but now that my business has picked up I really needed to do this anyway. That and I am not going to have to constantly make up a little batch 2-3 times a week.


Guess what color this is?

Jersey!

What about this glittery concoction?

Princess Fluffybutt!

I finished about 18 jars today all my greens purples and pinks!

If you notice on the second stack 3rd jar down I have a new color named Krista(named for my sweet green eyed sister who just so happens to also be a St, Patricks day baby) I hope by the end of the month to have this released on my website http://www.simplykendra.com/

Take a closer look

How pretty is that? Worn on the eye it's a pretty jade/jewel green. Gotta love Green which if no one has noticed is my absolute favorite color!


Next I started making lip balms! So far I have tootie (sugared strawberry) Toasted (Marshmallow) and Date Night (sweet popcorn)  Here are some pics of me making Date Night


Getting my Ingredients ready my soy wax, shea, cocoa, and olive oil

Fresh off the stove nice and melted!

Adding a little Mica for a yellow tint

Freshly poured in tins

I can't even tell you how yummy my kitchen  smelled! :)

Here is a sneak peak of  a picture for Tootie I took today for my website.

Well my loves I just thought I would show you what I was up to today! Oh and this is my 100th post!!!!  Yay me!

Thank you all for your support and love I appreciate you so much!

xoxoxo

k

Testing New Foundation for Spring Maybelline FIT and Loreal True Match Review

So in the last couple of weeks I have noticed everytime I put on my foundation it literally looks like a white mask! When did I get some sun? I have no idea, but regardless I hit the drugstore and decided to check out some new ones. Well I ended up coming home with 2 bottles in which I have never tried either
Loreal True Match and  Maybeline FIT

The Following is from the Maybeline Site

Product Details Maybeline FIT

Why You'll Love It

It's makeup that fits you.

• No oils, no waxes, no nonsense
• Natural coverage that leaves skin the way it was meant to be…fresh, breathing, natural  
• Exclusive translucent base and lightweight pigments allow skin's natural highs and lows to show through
• Non-comedogenic, dermatologist-tested

For Best Results

Apply smoothly and evenly to your face and blend with your fingertips.

My verdict:
 well first off I actually bought this in the shade 130  Buff Beige, I can't believe I have something that doesn't say Light/Ivory/porcelain ha ha.. The color I would say is in ALMOST match to my skin I probably could have went with one shade down but nonetheless It's pretty close. I like that has a light spf and the fragrance isn't bad. It's a perfect consistency, not too watery, not too thick. I found this to be very blendable  and it layers on nicely. The finish is dewy which will be nice for spring looks.  The cons: I feel this foundation is best for us girls with dry skin and I have a sneaking suspision if you have oily skin this isn't going to stay on more than a couple of hours without a touch up.  Also if you need to some major coverage I would steer clear of this and go with a thicker foundation like Maybeline Dream Mousse.
I paid around 7.00 bucks for this product and would give it about 3.8 out 5



Loreal True Match:


Information from Product Page:
With patented color technology, this makeup precisely matches your skin's tone and texture. Formulated with Precise Match Technology, so you can control coverage and fine-tune it. Micro-fine optical pearls diffuse skin's imperfections while moisturizing glycerin, vitamin B and vitamin E nourish your skin. Ultra-pure formula contains no fragrances or pore-clogging fillers, so all you see is beautiful, radiant, flawless skin.

• With vitamins A & C, wheat germ and grape fruit extract
• Keeps your skin nourished, protected and healthy
• Oil-free, all day wear for all skin types
• Clean, true shade with a natural finish
• Light to medium coverage
• Non-comedogenic and non-acnegenic
• Dermatologist tested

My Verdict:
 Well I also bought this in Beige, W3 Nude beige to be exact. What I did like about this initially is the color its Almost a match but not perfect I actually think I could have went up a shade on this one, they really should have just called it nude. First off I have to say I don't like the scent it reminds me of playdough for some odd reason. It also is VERY thin. Too thin in my opinion.  I didn't find it all good for covering any redness but then again I didn't put on more than two layers so it might, I will test it further in the next couple of weeks. One good thing I can say it is super blendable and the shade selection is outta control huge so I am sure their is a perfect shade in the mix for any and all skin tones.

I paid around 10 dollars for this product
I would give this a 3 out of 5



The best news is I tried mixing the two together and the shade is perfection! Yay! Have any of you used either of these products? What are your opinons?
So I hoped you found this blog atleast halfway informative and in the meantime Happy Foundation Shopping!


xo
k