Showing posts with label Maybelline. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Maybelline. Show all posts

Thursday, August 13, 2015

Empties #7: Products I've Used Up + Mini Review

More empties! I am doing really well with using up products, especially some that I know are going to expire or that I don't really care for. By the time I end up posting this, I will already have a few more empties to go into the next post! I may be able to do one of these a month at this rate.

Then I accidentally overwrote the bottom part of the post and I don't feel like doing it again because no one is going to read it anyway.


Bath & Body Works Candles in Honolulu Sun, Hawaiian Hibiscus, and Georgia Peach: I loved all of these scents, but I have to admit that I'm really sick of Honolulu Sun. I had the soap and hand sanitizer in addition to the candle, so I was happy to see this one go. I have a ton of candle backups, so there are more to be burned other than these ones. Would I repurchase? Right now, I'm done with all these scents. I wasn't a huge fan of the Hawaiian Hibiscus because I thought it would be the same as the hand sanitizer that I liked. 


Missha Creamy Latte Chocolate Cleansing Foam: I've talked about this cleanser before and my love for it. It just smells so good. I don't think you need an expensive cleanser because most of them clean the same, but it is nice to have a cleanser that you like to use. I still have a strawberry one that I haven't opened, but I will be using that soon! Would I repurchase? Probably during a sale where I can buy a few things, but I have plenty of cleansers that I'm rotating through right now. 

Anosa Tea Tree Herbal Toner: Before I rediscovered Benton and found Paula's Choice, I was a huge fan of Anosa toners. This is one of the two toners that I had and this was my favorite because I was big into tea tree products. Would I repurchase? Not anytime soon because I prefer Paula's Choice skincare, which is easier to find in the states.

Mizon Snail Repair Eye Cream: I had this eye cream forever. It's a huge jar for something that is just an eye cream. I have some face creams that are in jars of similar size. This was honestly nothing special to me, but I did like it at first. Would I repurchase? No. I have plenty of other eye creams that I would rather use.

Clinique Turnaround Overnight Radiance Moisturizer: I really liked this for a thicker nighttime moisturizer. I do like Clinique as a brand, but I find them more on the pricey side. I kept using this to use it up because it was almost gone, but I definitely prefer this in the winter when my skin is drier. Would I repurchase? Probably when it gets cooler out again but I would more than likely try to get it on sale.

It's Skin Power 10 CO Effector: This Korean brand makes one of the favorite serums. I really like these for the day because they aren't too heavy. I started with the VC Effector and decided to try a couple others. This one was heavily scented for some reason, so I didn't care for this one as much. Would I repurchase? I definitely prefer the VC Effector to this one and I wouldn't buy this one again.

Sulwhasoo Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Eye Cream: I wanted to try this because I really loved the Concentrated Ginseng Renewing cream for the face. I like that the eye cream came in a tube because eye cream in pots are usually terrible to use because it gets difficult to apply. The full


Skin79 Super Plus BB Cream: I think this is the saddest empty. Because of the packaging, I didn't even realize I was running out until the last pump. I really like the whole line of Skin79's BB Creams, but this one might be my favorite because it's so low maintenance. Would I repurchase? I definitely will be buying another, but I have so many BB Creams that I want to use up one or two before I indulgence in this.

MAC Skin Base Visage: I'm really surprised that this primer lasted as long as it did. It is also housed in similar packaging as the Skin79 BB Cream, so I never knew how much was left. I had a love/hate relationship with this primer, but it was ultimately just okay and I did think it was overpriced. Would I repurchase? No. I'm over this primer and on to other ones. I have a couple different ones on my list to get.

Maybelline The Falsies Volume Express Mascara: This mascara is probably one of my favorites from the drugstore, but this one had just been hanging around in my makeup bag begging to be thrown away. I really like the spoon brush on this mascara. Would I repurchase? Probably at some point.

Inglot Matte Gel Eyeliner in #85: I really loved this gel eyeliner, but I found that it got old and dried up. I can't tell you how many years I've been holding on to this sucker. Probably at least four. I felt that it was time to get rid of it. Would I repurchase? Probably not. I like the black one, but I don't use the colors too often.

Smashbox Photo Finish Primer: I finally finished the last of this primer and I managed to also lose the cap. I used to use this all the time back when it was the only other primer I owned. I have a few others that I've been reaching for, but I do really like this one. Would I repurchase? Not any time soon, but only because I have a backup full size and a trial size that I got in an Ipsy bag. I think I'm all set for now!


Alpha Hydrox AHA Souffle: I feel like it's been a bit since this has appeared in my empties. I've moved on to Paula's Choice for my acids, but I do want to work through my back ups of this. I did like it when I used it, but I prefer the Paula's Choice line. Would I repurchase? Not anymore.

Bath & Body Works Beautiful Day Fragrance Mist: This was a nice scent, but I got sick of it pretty quickly. I don't think it's something that I would buy again and I'm glad I didn't get this scent in any other forms. Would I repurchase? Nope.





Thursday, March 5, 2015

February Monthly Favorites

I wasn't prepared to do this post, obviously. I threw away one of my favorite products because it was empty and completely forgot to include one of the blushes I wore all month. Oh well. It's not super important. The world won't end because I don't want to take more pictures of my things. Besides, I feel like most of these things are repeats anyway. 


Missha Pomegranate Fermented Cleansing Foam: I bought this during the Missha Thanksgiving sale, but I tried to use up the chocolate cleansing foam first. I went back and forth with those these month and I really liked this cleanser.

Benton Aloe BHA Skin Toner: This is my holy grail toner. My only problem is that sometimes it is difficult to get at a good price on eBay and the shipping takes a few weeks. I usually have to order something else with this in order to get a good deal, which is what I ended up doing this time around. This toner has been absent from my skincare because I've been trying out other ones, but I always go back to this one.

Benton Snail Bee High Content Essence: Another one of my favorite Benton products. Benton makes really nice skincare with great active ingredients that usually aren't found in American products. I use this after my daytime ampoule for a little added moisture. I really like this in the summer because it's nice and lightweight.

Missha Time Revolution Night Repair Science Activator Ampoule: I feel like this has been a staple in my favorites posts. This is my holy grail ampoule and night treatment and I will always repurchase and currently have a backup ready to go just in case I run out.

It's Skin Power 10 VC Effector: I love this stuff, but I feel like every time I post about it that my bottle is almost empty. I've gone through almost two of them and I just ordered another and two different varieties from the same line. My bottles don't last as long as the Missha Time Revolution and sometimes I don't even use this every day.

Mizon Returning Starfish Cream: This is a new item that I haven't posted about before. I bought this to replace my Tony Moly cream that I had been raving about. This cream is nice and thick, but feels like a gel when you rub it in. I really like the texture and my skin hasn't been flaky since I started using this on a nightly basis. 


Skin79 Super Plus BB Creams in Green and VIP Gold: I've been using these two BB Creams again all month. I'm actually starting to get worried that I'm going to run out soon. I hate that you can't tell how much is left, but compared to another one from this brand that I don't use as often, they're starting to feel lighter. I might start mixing these with something else.

MAC Skin Base Visage: I've really been enjoying this lately, but I think there's another primer that I want to start using instead. I just dug through some makeup that I forgot existed, so I might try to rotate some things. I noticed that this makes my foundation or BB cream pill up a bit if I don't let my moisturizer set under the primer or even let the primer set. It does work pretty well though, and I think it's almost gone.

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser: I've been going back and forth with this concealer, but it's my favorite. I haven't included this in a favorites post for a couple months because I've been trying new things, but I keep going back to this because it blends perfectly.

Skinfood Salmon Dark Circle Concealer: This is one of the other concealers I've been going back and forth over. It really depends on how long it takes to do my makeup. If I have time to really let my moisturizer set in and then apply primer and foundation and then let that dry down, then I'll use this. I actually prefer the coverage and color of this concealer to the Maybelline, but that one is lower maintenance and it blends better. This is just so creamy that sometimes and blends away my foundation and I'm left with a ring of blotchy concealer around my eye area and it looks bad. 

beautyblender Sponge: I've been loving my beauty blenders even more now that I've been setting my makeup with them. I've always dipped the point into powder and set my under eye area, but lately I've been dabbing my entire face with a beauty blender covered in powder. I found that sometimes I didn't hit all the areas I needed to set with a brush and that my foundation would do this weird peeling thing if I half assed it with my setting powder.


For these, I'll be going clockwise starting at 12 o'clock and ending in the center.

theBalm Mary Lou-Manizer: I can't stop with the golden highlights. I feel like I'm really going to be using this one and the Bobbi Brown one all summer too. Sometimes this can be a little heavy if I use the wrong brush, but this highlighter looks so good with a light hand.

Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Copper Diamond: I've been using this nonstop since I purchased this around the holidays. I'm so glad I love this as much as I do because it was definitely a pretty penny. I love this highlighter so much and I really hope that Bobbi Brown releases other nice ones so I can add another one to my lineup.

MAC Adored Mineralize Skinfinish: When I wasn't feeling a golden highlight, I would spring for this powder. This skinfinish gives a opalescent pink glow and I really liked using it in conjunction with Pink Sprinkles, which is the pink MAC blush included in this picture.

MAC Extra Dimension Bronzer in Aphrodite's Shell: I think I've used this pretty much consistently since purchasing it almost a year ago. I really like this color for a pale girl bronzer, although I do tend to use a darker color in the summer. I think I'll be using this for a couple more months and transition into a darker bronzer color.

MAC Pink Sprinkles: Originally, I bought the other Simpsons blush color because I liked the packaging, but I did want this one too. I'm glad I got both blushes because the other one will be a nice color in the summer, but this one is nice year round. I'm really finding that I love the blushes I've purchased and I enjoy rotating them every month.

Estée Lauder Nude Nuance: I didn't use this blush after slipping it into a palette because I broke it when I was taking it out of the plastic clam shell packaging. I was so pissed that I just really never used it. Well, I love blush. It's definitely the shade that I've been loving, like the NARS blush below that I've been using. 



NARS Luster: I've really been loving this blush from the Joie De Vivre palette. This shade is one of those that looks like nothing in the pan but really transforms on your cheeks. I was going to reach for Angelika, which is one of my favorites and right next to this one, but I reconsidered. Then I found that I wanted to use this blush instead of trying something new.


Versace Bright Crystal Absolu: This has been my favorite perfume since I purchased this bottle. I feel like I've already put a little dent in the bottle, so I may try to use different scents during the next month. I've accumulated so many because I have a problem, so that won't be difficult. I'm going to try to use my other fragrances because I don't want to run out of this one! 

Escada Moon Sparkle: I've also been loving this scent. It's so nice and fruity, but it doesn't last as long as I'd like. I feel like I've also made a dent in this one, too, so I might try to avoid wearing this one too and save it for summer.

Vera Wang Princess: I'm actually shocked how much I've used of this perfume already. I didn't realize that I wore it nonstop this month after finally getting my bottle. I can't believe it took me so long to finally purchase a full size bottle and I also keep a small atomizer of purple liquid to touch up. I love this so much, but I don't think of it as a summery scent, so I don't think I'll wear it once it starts warming up. We'll see! Maybe I won't avoid this perfume and see what happens, considering I've already worn it once in March already!

Thursday, January 8, 2015

December Monthly Favorites

I feel like I didn't really have a lot of favorites this month. Part of that is because I didn't really pay attention to which blush colors I was using due to the fact that I was trying to rotate my NARS colors. I have a good idea of the colors I ended up reaching for even during rotation, but nothing truly stood out to me this month. Because of that, I just added a ton of cropped blush pictures from all the ones I loved this month.


Missha Flower Bouquet Skin Fresh Cleansing Oil in Cherry Blossom: This cleansing oil has seriously changed my life. I'm not even exaggerating a little bit. My makeup comes off so much faster with this than a makeup wipe or even makeup remover. This takes off everything. I just rub two to three pumps of oil all over my face and eyes and use a cotton round to take it off. The best part? My eyelashes. I seriously think this has made them a little longer and thicker because I have less issues with them now.

Missha Super Aqua Pore Correcting Toner and Super Aqua Hydrating Toner: I've used this interchangeably for most of the month. Generally I use the pore one at night and hydrating one in the morning. I like both of them. They're not my holy grail toner, which I will at some point repurchase when I use more toners up, but I do like them and my face feels clean and not stripped when I use them.

Missha Creamy Latte Chocolate Cleansing Foam: This is so good. So good. It smells great and my skin never feels tight after washing my face. I hope Missha isn't discontinuing this because it's no longer on the website. I think that could be because of the large and long sale they just had because many things aren't on the site right now.


Tony Moly Intense Care Snail Cream: I have a decent skin type. When the weather is normal, so is my skin. I don't feel like I'm oily or dry in any spots. Until December and winter roll around and all of a sudden it's like, fuck you! You're dry! Dry, dry, dry. Patches of dry skin. All the dry skin. Mostly around my mouth area and mostly a couple hours after I've applied makeup. The dryness is still happening, but this cream has definitely toned it down.

Cocoa Pink Junkett Cream Conditioner in Caramel Popcorn Balls: Holy crap this stuff is amazing. My shower smells great while I'm deep conditioning my hair, which is never a bad thing. I usually leave this on for at least 10-15 minutes while I shower and shave. Next time Cocoa Pink has a sale, I'm skipping the other conditioner I used to buy and just getting this. Way worth the money.

Mentholatum Acnes Cleanser: This cleanser is from a SaSa order I placed maybe a month or two back. I really like this cleanser, although I started using it less when I got the Missha cleanser. I use this when I feel like I might need a little extra from my skincare and this don't smell like some cleansers can.

Missha Time Revolution Night Repair Science Activator Ampoule: This is my holy grail night serum, which I think I've mentioned before. This just works for me, I don't know how else to really explain. It's great. I'll continue to buy multiples when Missha has sales and I'll pretty much cry if they discontinue this.

It's Skin Power 10 VC Effector: I've been using this daily as my morning serum. It has vitamin C for brightening, which is definitely something I need in the winter. It also makes my skin feel moisturized without feeling sticky, which is also something I need in the winter. It doesn't hurt that this smells really nice and citrusy.

Benton Snail Bee High Content Steam Cream: This is definitely one of my yearly favorites and the wear and tear on the tub shows. Along with my Tony Moly cream, this is one of my most moisturising products. I'm almost out and I need another, but the packaging changed to a tube. I get that it's more hygienic, but I feel better knowing that I can scrape every last bit out of a tub and get my money's worth.


beautyblender Sponge: I feel like this isn't a surprise any more. I've replaced my Real Techniques sponge with the real deal and I'm not going back. I've been rotating these two blenders, even though I managed to tear the bottom of one of them. I still have another two pack from a sale, but I feel like these will probably last at least a couple more months. I've been using only a beauty blender to apply my foundation, concealer, and under eye powder.

Smashbox Photofinish Foundation Primer: I've really used only this primer since I bought it a few months back. Every so often, I'll use the drugstore equivalent one that I have but it just isn't the same. 

Make Up For Ever Smoky Extravagant Mascara: This isn't actually as expensive as I thought. I considered buying it when I last shopped Sephora online, but I have so many other mascara sample sizes that I need to get through first. The travel size is $12 and is more than half the size of the full one, so I'd consider it.

NYX Butter Lip Balm in Parfait: I got this in my Ipsy from December and I've used this since I got it. I don't really wear this out as a color, but more as just a balm. I like using this at night because it's thicker and more moisturizing. The color is nice, but I usually just wear lipstick if I'm going somewhere and this is too colored if I don't have makeup on.

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser: I think I may be out of things to say about this concealer. I almost want to switch this out, but I just love it so much.

MAC Face and Body Foundation in N1: This is the first foundation I've ever had to repurchase. That's saying a lot. Look. There's nothing left. I can't even believe it. Sadly, even though I just bought another bottle, I think I may need to shift this to the backburner because my skin is getting too dry to wear this.


theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer: I finally got this highlighter and it was one of the three I didn't put down this month. It's so pigmented that I actually needed to sheer it out a bit and apply with a nice fluffy brush. This golden color is what I've been loving lately.

Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Copper Diamond: Another highlighter I've been using all month. I've been lusting after this forever and I finally bought it in early December. I'm beyond pleased with my first Shimmer Brick and I'm sure I'll end up getting another if the color looks right to me. This is even more pigmented than Mary-Lou, so I had to use a light hand with it.

Tarina Tarantino Neopolitan Lane Blush: I bought this a few months ago and loved it. Then I forgot about it until I used it one day and I kept using it this month. It's one of those colors that looks blah in the pan but really looks nice on your face.

MAC Extra Dimension Bronzer in Aphrodite's Shell: Yep. Back to this little babe. I can't help it. This is my perfect bronzer shade, especially when I don't have time to blend out NARS Laguna. I hope I never run out or that MAC releases this again.


NARS Laguna Bronzer: When I wasn't using Aphrodite's Shell, I was using this. I use Laguna when I want to contour or when I want a more bronzed look. This is my larger pan of Laguna from the Virtual Domination palette, but I also have two smaller pans in my Joie De Vivre and Guy Bourdin palettes.

Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Bashful: This Tarte blush got a lot of use this month because I really wanted to use my holiday palette. I didn't neglect the palette on purpose, but I did have a ton of NARS blushes to use last month.


Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Embraced: This is a little darker than I remembered it being, so this blush ended up being more high maintence. I really like the way it ends up looking, though, so I keep reaching for it.


NARS Gaiety/Mistinguette: Two different blushes in two different palettes, but they look the same. This is actually Mistinguette from Guy Bourdin, but I've been using Gaiety from the Joie De Vivre palette also and it looks the same.


NARS Angelika: This one again. I really like this blush more than I thought I would. I initially thought this was going to be my least favorite in the blush palettes because of the glitter, but it doesn't come off really strong on the cheeks. Perfect.


NARS Devotee: And the last highlighter I've been using all month. Love it. I brought the Guy Bourdin palette with me on vacation and I really only used this highlighter that week. I'm loving the NARS highlighters.

Saturday, January 3, 2015

What's In My Bag | Christmas Vacation | Makeup

Here's the makeup portion of my bag from my Christmas trip. Obviously this is more exciting than skincare, so I will go into slightly more detail even though I'm sure I've talked about most of these things at least once.


I've talked about everything in this picture. The Smashbox primer is the only thing I use under my makeup. Maybelline Age Rewind Concealer is in my favorites post every month, along with my MAC Face and Body Foundation. I haven't needed to use my Innisfree concealer stick lately, but I took it with me just in case. My Beauty Blenders are the only way I apply my foundation and concealer. Both these MAC powders are pretty much my holy grail powders - the studio sculpt and mineralize skinfinish natural. 


I rarely talk about the brushes that I use on a day to day basis. I use a mix of Sigma, MAC, and Real Techniques brushes for daily makeup. I use a bronzer/contour brush, a blush brush, a highlighting brush, and brush to blend my blush and contour out, and a powder brush to set my makeup.

 
I brought my favorite mascara and eyeliner at the moment, the Make Up For Ever Smokey Extravagant mascara and the Noir black eyeliner. I've been loving my Shiseido lash curler and Inglot Pearl 450 for my brows. I also have my MAC brow brush that I use with that color.

I took along mainly nude lipsticks because I didn't want to have pink and red while in a casual family setting. I wore all five of them, two of them are Tarte, two are NYX, and the last is the Make Up For Ever lipstick from the birthday set from Sephora.


I didn't want to have to think about my blush colors, so I just brought along two NARS cheek palettes. I figured there was plenty of color choices between the two of these so that I could have some variety without going nuts over 25 different blushes. I also forgot to add my Innisfree powder in my last picture, so here it is.


And then I also forgot about these because they were hanging out in my purse. I've been loving this NYX Butter Lip Balm, so I had to pack that. I've been back and forth with my Supergoop! CC Cream. I really like it for light days, but I think I'll really start wearing the hell out of it once warmer weather hits.

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

November Monthly Favorites

I feel like my favorites this month consists of mostly cheek products and skincare. There's also a few repeats from previous months. This month also flew by and I think that's because I posted my favorites so late last month.


ElishaCoy Vita Capsule Cleanser - I love using this with my Clarisonic. You can see from the way the sun is shining through the bottle that it's almost gone. I really like this cleanser. It was one of my first cleansers I ordered when I starting using Korean beauty and skin care products.

Mizon Snail Repair Intensive Ampoule - My skin starts getting drier when it gets cold out, so I make sure to add an ampoule to my day and night routine. This is between a liquid and a gel that is similar to like an argan oil meant for your face. I just pat it into my face and it absorbs quickly. I really like this one, but I have a different one coming in the mail to replace this one when it runs out.

Secret Key Multi Cell Night Repair Ampoule - This is my night ampoule. I really like this, but it pales in comparison to my Missha ampoule that I'm going to start using again when I finish this one. I just like that it leaves my skin feeling moisturized at night after using it. 

Indie Lee Brightening Cleanser - I got this in my Ipsy bag last month and it's basically the only thing I've used from that bag. I really liked using this in the morning because it made my skin tingle. I wouldn't buy it though because I'm sure it's pricey. It was nice while it lasted though.

Nature Republic Herb Dressing Gold Honey Cleansing Cream - I usually stop using makeup wipes in the winter because I need the extra moisture. This is basically a cold cream where your makeup dissolves but it leaves it feeling moisturized.


Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer - I somehow overlooked this last month. This is the only face primer that I've used for the last two months. I really love this and I'm sorry I didn't jump on the bandwagon sooner.

MAC Face and Body Foundation in N1 - I think you're tired of reading about how much I love this foundation. I've already repurchased because I'm almost out. I haven't been using anything else, but I just started mixing in my Supergoop! CC Cream.

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser - This is another product that keeps going strong! I tried to use other concealers under my eyes, but nothing compared. I'm addicted.

Beauty Blender Sponge - I'm a convert. I love this sponge so much more than I ever liked my Real Techniques one. This is just perfect and the only way I apply my foundation now. I can ever get past the price because I bought two of the pairs for 20% and I'll probably get the mini ones with my Sephora gift card.

Innisfree No-Sebum Mineral Powder - This is the only translucent powder I've used to set my makeup and I hadn't realized how much I loved it until it was almost gone. Now I have to use something else while I wait for another container of this to come from Korea.


Bath & Body Works Triple Moisture Body Cream in Pumpkin Latte & Marshmallow - I jumped on the pumpkin train late, so I'm really glad to have picked this up. I wasn't even going to buy lotion when I went to get some fall candles. I use this at night mostly because the tube is too big to carry around. I'd even consider buying other scents in this formula.

MAC Studio Sculpt Powder in Light - Still loving this to initially set my makeup so my foundation doesn't move around under my blush and bronzer. It just looks so natural. If I'm not doing a full face, I just set my foundation with this and I'm good to go.

Noir Eyeliner in Black - This is just perfect and I love it. Best black eyeliner I've ever used! Enough said.

Make Up For Ever Smoky Extravagant Mascara - I wanted to hate this mascara. The brush is huge and I'm sure it costs $35 for a full tube. Probably not that much, but close. I don't even want to look it up. But I love this mascara. And I hate that I love it because...it's expensive.

Darac Beauty Sifted Blur Complexion Perfector - It took me a little while to like this powder, but now I use it all the time. I mainly use this powder to blend out my blush and contour because it's a very finely milled powder that doesn't seem to add any extra color.


NARS Ita Kabuki Brush - This brush seriously changed my makeup life. No matter what brush I used, I could never contour. The NARS Ita makes it so easy to contour that I can't imagine not having this brush. I'm glad I got it for a discount because I definitely don't think anyone should pay $55 for a brush. 

Vincent Longo La Riviera Sun Face and Body Bronzer in Beauty Sin - This has really been the only bronzer I've been using all over my face. I don't think contouring is for an every day face, so when it's early I just bronze up my face with this because it isn't super dark.

Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Achiote - I didn't think I was going to get much use out of this blush because I thought it was a summer color, but I was wrong. I found myself reaching for this blush almost as much as my NARS palettes this month.

Benefit Hoola Bronzer - I've been using this to contour a lot, but I noticed that it was really patchy on me today and I had to do some clean up before leaving the house. I guess you could say I have a love hate relationship with this bronzer because it makes my contour look really nice...but only on one side of my face.

Deep Throat (top) Final Cut (bottom) Laguna (Right)

NARS Blushes in Deep Throat and Final Cut: I've been reaching for this palette a lot this month too, and these are the two blushes that have gotten the most use. Deep Throat is also in another NARS palette that I use and I know I've dipped into that one as well.

NARS Laguna Bronzer - When I wasn't using Hoola to contour, I was using Laguna. The main reason I even bought this palette was for the jumbo size of Laguna, even though I already had two smaller Lagunas in other palettes.

Albatross
Devotee
Hungry Heart Duo II

NARS Highlighters in Albatross, Devotee, and Hungry Heart Duo II - I'm lumping these together as one because I've used them equally for the most part. I'll swatch them all in my NARS palette post because I know they all look similar, but they're different. I think I used Devotee and Albatross the most but mostly because I didn't have Hungry Heart as long as those two.

Orgasm
Angelika
 NARS Blushes in Orgasm and Angelika - My Joie De Vivre palette came with both of these blushes and I received that one first. I thought I was going to hate the sparkle in Angelika, but it's very minor and most of it comes off the brush before application. Orgasm is supposedly a cult favorite and it's a good thing I like it because I have three pans of it thanks to my palette addiction.

I know there are others that I used this month, so I'll just lump NARS blushes into a category of their own. 

Sunday, November 9, 2014

October Monthly Favorites

Favorites post! I feel like I had a lot of favorites again this month, and some of them are repeats because I haven't stopped using them. I'm sure I'll have a few different ones next month because I've used up a few products in this post. 


Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque - I've only been using this for two weeks, but I love it so much that I had to include it in my favorites. Two weeks is long enough, don't you think? I've used this four or five times and have also used this as an overnight spot treatment. It smells so minty and awesome and I bought it on sale for less than $4. The best part is that my nose just looks so clean. I can't think of any other way to describe it. 

Baviphat White Grape Lifting Yogurt Cleansing Foam - I thought I was going to kill this cleanser because it was running low in the beginning of the month. I've used this pretty much every day and night and there's still a teeny bit left in the tube. I'll probably cut the top off to get the remaining at some point. This is just the creamiest cleanser and I love using it with my Clarisonic.

Nature Republic Soothing and Moisture Aloe Vera 90% Toner - I bought this a couple months back in a SaSa order where I purchased a ton of toners. I replaced last month's favorite toner with this for no particular reason. I had just noticed it was sitting in my travel makeup bag from vacation in August and I left it on the side of the sink so I could use it. It's probably my most moisturising toner and I love it.

The Body Shop Tea Tree Skin Clearing Toner - Yep. Another toner. I was having some skin issues earlier in the month and I swear by tea tree for clearing up my skin. I used to hate this toner because I was spoiled by my holy grail tea tree toner by Lush. I wouldn't use this all the time because it has the tendency to dry my skin and I always follow it up with another toner.


Baviphat Lemon Whitening Sleeping Pack - I use this every night before I go to bed. Sleeping pack is just a Korean name for an overnight mask. It has the consistency of a thin lotion and it smells like lemon. The whole purpose of this product is to lighten the darker spots of the skin. Since I was breaking out near the time of the month during last month and this month, I've been consistently using this to lighten my darker scarred spots and I feel like it speeds up the healing.

Paintbox Soapworks Avast! Sorbetto - Sorbetto is a body scrub from Paintbox Soapworks and my favorite scent is Avast! The scent notes include coconut milk, cardamom, coffee beans, and musk. This is a repeat purchase for me as I bought the entire scent line last year as well. This scent is from the summer seasonal offerings from Paintbox Soapworks, which is an indie brand that sells only on Etsy. I also have the soap, solid scent, and lotion in this scent. Sorbetto is my favorite type of scrub, indie, drugstore, or high end.

Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief - I got two mini sizes of this gel lotion with a gift set last month. I've already finished one of the minis and I did purchase a larger size because I love it. I use this every morning after my SPF because I feel like it helps everything absorb into my skin better and my foundation primer doesn't pill up as much with this underneath it.

Clinique Turnaround Overnight Radiance Moisturizer - This also appeared last month and I've yet to stop using it. This moisturizer is usually what I use after my AHA and retinol and before my sleeping pack if I'm really tired and don't have time to use a bunch of products. If I'm using other things, it's usually sandwiched in there somewhere. 

Alpha Hydrox AHA Souffle 12% Glycholic Acid - I seriously credit this little product for turning around my skin. AHA is supposed to be really important in skincare and since I've added this, I've seen a difference. I always make sure I have enough on hand and it's the one thing I don't mind buying advance backups for because I know it will get used. I use this every morning and night and try to limit other acidic products because I like this the best.

Skinfood Black Raspberry Eye Cream - I usually use more than one eye cream just because. This is the cream I use after my Clinique eye cream because this is much more moisturizing. I like the herbal smell it has, which I suppose is weird because it's labeled as black raspberry. Skinfood has always made some nice skincare and I haven't found anything from the brand that I like more than this.


MAC Face and Body Foundation in N1 - Yes, this little baby is still going strong. It does provide lighter coverage than I need sometimes, which is why there are a couple other foundations sitting next to this one. It's perfect, really. I wish they still made the 3oz bottles because I'm going to need to repurchase this soon. I haven't found anything makes my skin have a nice finish like this one does. So worth the $27 because it contains more than all the other foundations I own.

Illamasqua Skin Base in 2 and 3.5 - I bought shade 2 to mix into my MAC Face and Body, but it's a bit lighter than what I was looking for, so I also bought shade 3.5 to mix in. I can use shade 3.5 by itself or mixed with Face and Body and the finish is really nice. I don't get the same effect as the Face and Body, but if I just mix in a little then it doesn't mess around with the finish. When I do a paler face in the winter, I'll probably add in more of shade 2, but I've mostly been using shade 3.5 and I love them so far.

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser - You can actually see how much of this I used from last month and it looks like a lot! I seriously haven't used anything else under my eyes and I love the way this blends out.

Clinique High Impact Mascara - I've had a love/hate relationship with my eyelash curler this month because the pad keeps coming out of the base. I actually don't mind my eyelashes with this mascara even if I don't curl them. That's saying a lot because I don't usually go without curling my lashes if I'm going to wear mascara.

Innisfree Mineral Stick Concealer - I seriously swear by this concealer stick. I don't even know why I stopped using it. I think when we moved that it somehow got lost in the packing and I magically discovered it. This just blends into my skin like magic and I love it more than my expensive concealers.

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide on Eye Pencil in El Dorado - I don't know what it is, but I've been really loving gold eyeliner on my lower lashline. I'll wear a black liner in my lower waterline and draw this around the tear duct and under the lashes and it just gives a little bit of shine without being super noticeable. The best part is that this fades gracefully after many hours and the shimmer doesn't get all over my face.

Noir Eyeliner in Black - Hands down, best black eyeliner that I've used. I pulled Urban Decay Perversion out of my makeup bag when I got this in my Birchbox. This liner seriously lasts all day on my waterline and clings to my lower lashline like nobody's business. The best part? I don't know where it goes! There's always a little less liner on my waterline when I get home, but it doesn't settle under my eyes like Perversion did. It's perfection.


Tarte Pin Up Girl Blush Palette - For the most part, when I was going to wear blush, this was what I reached for. The three colors that I wore the most were Embraced, Bashful, and Irreplaceable, which are the top two colors and the second to the bottom. I wore all the colors, but those were the ones that got the most use.

MAC Aphrodite's Shell Bronzer - I think at one point I said I stopped using this for another bronzer, but I couldn't go without it. You can see that my wave pattern is fading even more. I just really love this bronzer. It's the perfect color for me when I don't want to be too bronzed, and it is getting colder out and the time for pale skin is now.

Tarte Amazonian Clay Bronzer in Park Avenue Princess - This was the bronzer that I kept using in place of Aphrodite's Shell. I love this bronzer, but I think it's a little dark for the winter. I wish I had bought this sooner so I could have used it this summer. I've used it a lot this month, but I think it's shifting to the back of my organizer already because it's a little too dark at the moment.

Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Exposed - The pattern on this blush is already starting to fade away, which is saying a lot. It takes a ton of uses to make that go away. I love this color. It's been the perfect fall nude cheek this month. I have accumulated a lot of other blushes recently, though, so this might fade away if I go for a brighter cheek.


Inglot Eyeshadow in Pearl 450 and DS 494 - Since dyeing my hair a darker burgundy color, I had to find something new to color in my brows. I love this little three pan palette because it holds my shadow colors that I used to shade in my eyebrows and a highlight shade that I barely use. I first go in with the purple, DS 494, and define the shape and then go over it with Pearl 450 to color match my hair. My brows last all day with these colors and always look nice.

MAC Studio Sculpt Powder in Light - There used to be a really defined pattern in the powder when I first bought it, but you can barely see it anymore. I use this to set my foundation in place so that when I use blush and bronzer that it won't move around underneath. I love this because it doesn't even look like I used a powder to begin with.

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Light - I've been trying to use this more because my powder has unglued itself from the pan and doesn't like to say in there. I do like this for a lighter makeup look and it sticks to the areas of blemishes that don't like to hold foundation. I just like it because it helps my makeup look more flawless.

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Lightscapade - This is probably one of my favorite highlighters ever. I had a couple other MAC ones, but I hardly ever use them unless I'm in a rush and grab the wrong one. It doesn't show up in the swirled colors, but rather just a nice glow. I love it.

Innisfree Pink Beam Mineral Pact - I'm sad to say that I dropped this a week or two after I got it, but the powder was soft enough that I was able to press it back into the pan for the most part. This is what I use to set my undereye concealer. It's meant to be used as a highlighter, but it doesn't show up too pink under my eyes and it just brightens them. If I'm running late, I'll also add it to my cheeks, but I like it mostly for a glow under my eyes,

Monday, September 29, 2014

September Monthly Favorites

I have no idea if this is a lot of products for the month because I've never really done a favorites post before, but these are all the things I've loved this month. There are a few more things I wanted to include, but since I just started using them within the last week or so, I didn't think it was fair. If I continue to like those things then they'll definitely be included next month.


First up, I have blushes and bronzers. 

MAC Aphrodite's Shell - I've used this bronzer almost every day this month. This was something I regretted not picking up from the Alluring Aquatic collection...and then I bought it for $10 less on a buy and sell group on facebook. This is by far one of the better bronzers that I've used and I've kind of gotten the hang of bronzing thanks to this.

MAC Sea Me, Hear Me - Once again, something I regretted not buying from Alluring Aquatic and then purchasing elsewhere. I used this the beginning of September and most of August. I love the color and sheen of this blush. It does have to share the spotlight since I have enough blushes to not use the same one every day.

MAC Pink Sprinkles - I bought this Simpsons blush after Sideshow You and ended up using it more than Sideshow You. Even though I did love both the Simpsons blushes, I feel like this one was a better color for the month. I love all my blushes, so it's hard to pick favorites since they can't all be in a post.

Estée Lauder Peach Nuance - Admittedly, I didn't use this too much this month but I love it so much. I loved it the minute I opened the package. Is love at first sight a thing for a blush? I realize I've only owned this for like, 2 weeks, so I'm completely jumping the gun on this one. But it needed to be here. Because it's fabulous.

Sigma F50 Stippling Brush - I'll be frank about this one. I got this brush for free. Sigma sent me it as a free when I ordered three eyeliners that I dislike so much and can only locate the most hated one. I don't own any other Sigma brushes, but I've always wanted to buy some. Anyway, this is the most perfect blush brush in my life. I had been using an angled blush brush, but I decided to go back to this one when using a super pigmented blush. It's great at diffusing out the color so that it's perfect. I want to buy a million or another one, but it's $26 so...no. I'll just wash this a bunch. It doesn't hold color since the hairs are so wispy.



MAC Face and Body Foundation in N1 - Let me first say this: I have not used another foundation since buying this. I've tried mixing it with other foundations and BB Creams, but I haven't used anything else. It's not heavy on the skin and it gives a nice, natural finish. Everything else I've use makes my face look like I have makeup on and it breaks up at some point during the day. I've currently been mixing in Illamasqua Skin Base, but I can't consider that I favorite since I've only used it three times. The only downside to this foundation is that I think I'm going to plow through it. It's on the watery side so I have to use a bit more to cover my face. But you get 1.7oz and the standard foundation is usually 1oz, so I think that will balance out.

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser - This is the pink brightening shade. Sometimes I'll use this alone and other times I'll dab it over another under eye concealer. I don't think it really covers up, but it does a good job concealing darkness and brightening. It doesn't settle in my eye creases and if I'm feeling brave, I don't have to set it with powder. I also like the foam applicator. It's supposed to be antimicrobial and I prefer this to the brush style clicky pens. 

Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer - This is what foundation dreams are made of. I also have a Maybelline version of this primer, but I feel like this is just better. The Maybelline one will pill up on my skin a little bit if I use it too close to when I applied moisturizer, but this one doesn't. I'll probably buy another or a larger size when I run out, but it seems like it's going to last a long time. I just love that it makes my face feel smooth and that smoothness translates into my foundation also feeling smooth.

Tony Moly Panda's Dream Goodbye Dark Eye Corrector - This isn't a concealer, although I thought it was when I purchased it online. It's a white lotion based primer, similar to the feeling of MAC's Prep+Prime. I do like using this under my eyes for a little more slip and moisture during the under eye concealer process. I feel like my concealer holds up better when I use this.

Innisfree Mineral Stick Concealer - This is something I rediscovered when I was going through my makeup organizer. I was starting to fall in love with MAC's Studio Finish concealer when I found this and I like it better. It's a perfect match for my skin and it covers dark spots really well. It's also less messy than a liquid concealer or a cream concealer. I also love this to carve out my uneven bottom lip when I wear a dark lipstick. 

It's Skin Babyface Soft Bright Eye Stick - This is another concealer I rediscovered by accident. I was rushing to pull my Innisfree stick from the organizer I have my concealers standing it and this one came out instead. I didn't really have time to look for the other one, so I just used this. It also covers up dark spots well and I think it's neck and neck with my Innisfree one because I can also use this to brighten. It isn't straight pink like the Maybelline, but it's just pink enough to match my skin.

MAC Dirty Blonde Brow Gelcreme - This is basically the only thing that I put on my brows every day. I'll comb my brows into shape with a spoolie, apply this with light strokes with my 208 or 266, and then comb out the extra product. Sometimes I'll top this with a red powder if my hair is really bright or with a tinted brow gel if I just need a little more hold. This is excellent. I'm surprised I hated it at first, but now I'm in love.


Baviphat White Grape Lifting Yogurt Cleansing Foam - I was going through a box of skincare when I rediscovered this cleanser. I really like using this with my Clarisonic because it's nice and creamy. I'll sometimes mix this with a light salicylic cleanser, but I mostly just use it on its own. I'm sad that it's almost gone, but I have so many cleansers I need to use up that I can't repurchase right now.

Mario Badescu Drying Lotion - This is seriously my knight and shining armor. I just dab this on any breakouts I have at night and they're usually reduced in the morning. The only downside is that this is pink, like calamine lotion, so it's definitely not discrete at all. It also isn't a miracle worker, but it does help. 

Clinique Turnaround Overnight Radiance Moisturizer - I've used this every night since getting it and I love how moisturizing it is. I'm also wondering if this is what cleared my skin up this month since I haven't really been using any acne products, but I don't think that's what the purpose of this moisturizer is.

Paintbox Soapworks Clean Slate Emulsifying Facial Scrub - I only use this in the shower a couple times a week because it's a little rough and I don't like taking it off with a washcloth because of the sugar grains. It's basically a polish for your face and it leaves my skin nice and soft after I use it. It also has really great ingredients like tea tree, and I love tea tree.

Anosa Tea Tree Herbal Toner - Speaking of tea tree, here's another. I use toner twice a day and I prefer and recommend Asian style toners. American toners are drying and strip your skin. These toners just add that little bit of extra moisture and don't dry out my skin.