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.

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. 

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,

Favorites and Flops: September 2014

I had a few pictures for this post, but they turned out horrible and I don't feel like re-taking them. I'll edit them in later. Although it's not like anyone but Reggie reads this blog anyway, so she probably won't even care that I was too lazy to re-take them. ANYWHOO.

Favorites:

Briogeo Don't Despair, Repair Hair Mask
I got this in my first Ipsy bag (which I haven't reviewed yet; I will, I swear, I've just been so far behind!), and I was really really impressed with it! It has a very very slight coconut smell to it, and it goes a long way for such a small jar. I've already used it three times and I have maybe two more uses in my original jar. I traded for a backup on eDivv because I loved it so much!

Whish Shave Crave Shaving Cream (Acai Grapefruit)
Okay, so it's kind of weird that I love this shaving cream so much. I got it in my Birchbox and I have been so obsessed, I traded for a backup on eDivv for this one, too. First, it's really moisturizing. Compared to my standard Skintimate, it's ridiculously moisturizing. It smells incredible, and it really gets my legs smooth. I found that I didn't get cuts as often, either. I will say that it's tough to figure out if you've missed spots, but paired with a really nice razor? I'll take it. Any day of the week and twice on Sunday.

Just Release Me Eye Makeup Remover by Philosophy
So I had some Sephora points I needed to use (from like, years ago. Years, you guys), and I was looking for something to spend a little bit of money on so I could also redeem some points. I didn't have an eye makeup remover, and decided to try this one out. I love Philosophy products, and this was no exception. It works incredibly well. I can fill up 5-6 cotton balls of eye makeup, on both sides, and still be getting eye makeup. When the cotton ball shows up clean, it's a pretty safe bet that my eyes don't have any makeup anymore. It's oil free, which is great, and it's huge for the price. I got mine on sale for $12, but Ulta sells it for $18. Not bad, not bad. I will recommend that if you use it, you should wash your face or take a shower right afterward because it can be a little... oily isn't the right word, but it leaves a residue. A makeup remover wipe would be better for touching up.

Benefit Gimme Brow
I've been getting my brows done at Ulta lately, through the Benefit brow bar. This introduced me to Benefit products, and Benefit gimme brow. I'm strawberry blonde with way, way light eyebrows. I've never done anything with them before other than shaping/waxing, but this is an awesome product. It's teeny tiny, but it will probably last me ages. I only need one dip to swipe both of my eyebrows (it's a mascara like wand for application) and I'm good to go. It's nothing dramatic or fancy, but it fills in my brows at a light spot and I really enjoy it.

Noir Cosmetics Long-Wear Eyeliner
The best eyeliner ever. Hands down. It legitimately stays on all day. It goes on smoothly. I don't feel like I'm poking myself in the eye when I put it on. It's a nice jet black. I don't know what else to say about it besides um, best eyeliner ever.


Flops:

Lush Honey Vanilla Lip Balm
Everything about this is kind of disappointing. My boyfriend hates the smell (that's half of my opinion, if he likes the smell), the texture is strange, and it tastes odd. I'll finish it, because it mildly helps my lips, but I'm disappointed with this purchase.

LAQA & Co Lip Lube
I got this in my Birchbox. The coral color was beautiful and I liked the texture of it! However, it left the worst colored patches on my lips in the dry areas. Maybe I need a lip primer underneath. I did try using a light lip balm underneath and the color wouldn't stick. I guess I just need to find the right combination of products to use with this lip color.

Wet n' Wild H20 Proof Liquid Eyeliner
I will give them this: It was H20 Proof. For sure. It was very hard to manipulate, however, You can read more about my frustrations in the Rosie the Riveter #TBT post, but I won't repurchase this. I will use it up, no doubt, but I won't repurchase it. Ugh.

Aveeno Clear Complexion Daily Moisturizer
So, I have a confession. No, not the Usher style confession. But, I used to be really lax about moisturizing my face. I had dry skin to the extreme, and nothing seemed to make it better, so I just kind of gave up until I found something that worked for my face, which is the Benefit total moisture face cream. The whole Benefit line is much more gentle on my face than this crap was. I'd been using it for a long time, trying not to waste it even though I had something better. So, I took it to my boyfriend's place and used it there. Um, wow. The breakouts. I had a breakout after one day of using this. To be fair, it is on the older side, but for an acne-prevention moisturizer? Sucktastic.


I'm hoping October will bring more enjoyable favorites and less flops. But September was my first full month of makeup addiction, so I'm sure I'll have many more to post come November!

Subscription Addiction: August Birchbox Excitement!

So my August Birchbox didn't look just like that, but holy crap, was it awesome! It was my first month of Birchbox, and I was so, so pleased! There were some clear hits, and some clear misses, but overall, it's the best value for my needs right now, and seems to be the most consistent. So, without further commentary, here we go!

Subscription Box: Birchbox

Description: Each month, you'll receive a selection of samples that we’ve tried (and retried) ourselves. We source our samples from both well-known brands and emerging gems. The women’s subscription includes everything from skincare to makeup, as well as fun non-beauty extras. The men’s subscription delivers top-tier grooming products in addition to lifestyle accessories ranging from hip socks to tech accessories.  

Pricing: $10/month.

Referral Link: Here

Product #1: Catherine Malandrino Style de Paris Fragrance
I am not a fragrances gal. The most I do is slather on some Bath & Body Works Moonlight Path after a shower or spray the tiniest bit of knockoff Victoria's Secret perfume before I go out. This fragrance was so... flowery. And not in a light way. It was kind of musky and heavy. Not for me. I traded it on eDivv for some eyeshadow. I'm sure it will work great for someone, just not for me.

Product #2: K6 Skincare Clean Antioxidant Facial Cleanser
This product is vegan, which is always interesting. It had a clean smell to it, but a very light one. There wasn't a lot of lather to this product, which is okay for me. It didn't burn or sting my eyes when I used it. It felt nice on my skin. I needed to use a little extra moisturizer when I got out of the shower because this was a bit drying, but once I used the products from my normal moisturizing routine, it was a little better.

Product #3: LAQA & Co. Sheer Lip Lube Pencil | Bees Knees - Coral
I am excited about the color, for sure! It was a beautiful coral color which I was terrified would be too orange. But after consulting with a friend sitting next to me when I opened it, and confirming that it wasn't too orange, I wore it. I love how it applies, and I love that it's not outrageously sticky. However, my lips were dry one day and I looked like I was eating Cheetos. The color stuck to the dry patches on my lips. I'm experimenting a bit with chapstick or lip balm in combination with this, because I like it a lot and would like to use it much more, but my lips happen to be dry on a pretty regular basis.

Product #4: Noir Cosmestics Long-Wear Eyeliner
This stuff is the best. It applies so easily and it doesn't take scraping to get it to glide on to your eyes. It doesn't come off easily, which is the point, but using the right eye makeup remover makes all the difference. It's smooth and it lasts! It's a little darker than I would normally go, but I like the jet black color. It gives me more of a dramatic look when I have my glasses on, which are dark, thick black frames.

Product #5: Whish Shave Crave Shaving Cream - Acai Grapefruit
Between this and a product in my September Birchbox, Grapefruit scents are WHERE IT'S AT. God, I loved this shaving cream. It's already gone. It moisturized my legs well, and it smelled incredible. It didn't lather like a Skintimate type shaving cream, but it was so effective when paired with the right razor (not a disposable one). I wish it stuck to my legs just a touch better, but this is definitely my favorite product so far from a subscription box!

This was absolutely worth my $10. I would never buy the $100+ perfume, but the rest of the products were useful and at the very least tailored to my needs, whether I liked them or not. Birchbox did a fantastic job for August!