Subscription Addiction | Boxycharm Backup - March 2015

Honestly, in opening this one, I didn't even remember what I thought of it. It was that point in the semester where I had 400 things due at once, and I was working 14 hour days, and I was so freaking exhausted that I didn't remember a single thing from March.

March 2015 Boxycharm: Lucky Charm

Product #1: Oscar Blandi Dry Shampoo Spray
I want to try this. I really do. Dry shampoo is frustrating for me, because it doesn't usually work on me. But I will give it an honest and fair shot before I write it off as "it sucks" like every other brand I've ever tried. Plus, Oscar Blandi is a pretty awesome name in beauty, so it's not like this isn't quality stuff.

Product #2: OFRA Eyeliner in Navy
Am I boring if I just don't see a use for eyeliners that aren't brown or black? At least not in my life, at this point. I've seen it swatched, and it's less of a navy and more of a royal blue, which is just too intense for me. I'm passing this on to someone else.

Product #3: LVX Nail Lacquer
This nail polish needs 2-3 coats, and it's super streaky. I'm really not a fan. It's possible that someone else may enjoy it, but I'm not usually a huge fan of the Boxycharm nail polishes. It's just the truth. So, I'm 'meh' about this.

Product #4: Tarte Tip Surgence Lip Tint in Charmed
I love Tarte products, and this one's no different. People say it's a little minty, and I can see that, I suppose. I just like how it's really hydrating and it's wearable. It's a wearable shade that I can pull off and I don't have to fight feeling whiny or disappointed over a simply unwearable shade.

Product #5: Previse Nutrify Skin Type 1-6 Universal Tonic
I haven't used this yet. Universal things scare me, because they're usually not good for my skin. I don't say that to be like, 'Oh, my skin is more special than yours', but everyone is different. I have super-duper dry skin. If I have wicked dry skin, obviously it's not going to react the same to this tonic as someone with oily or combination skin. So, I'm hesitant, but I will report back.

Subscription Addiction | Boxycharm Backup - January 2015

Well, you guys, I've made it to this year in Boxycharm. Let's dive right in!

January 2015 Boxycharm: Celebrate in Style

So when I got this box, I remember being disappointed. Looking back, That's still pretty accurate? I mean, I guess some of these things are nice to have, but I'm not sure how much use I will get out of some of them. I'm not usually this "meh" on Boxycharm as a whole, but the stretch I went through at the end of the year-beginning of 2015 was disappointing.

Product #1: Beauty For Real: The Perfect Pencil
This lip pencil says on the box that it is the only lip pencil you'll ever need. Well, nah. It's a little dark (a brownish burgundy?), and I tend to wear brighter shades of lipstick and lip gloss than this. Not that it's not needed or wanted... but semantics, right? It's a nice shade if I were to wear something darker. But for right now I'm a little hesitant on when I would use it.

Product #2: Beauty For Real: True Color Lip Cream in "Always There"
Pros: This has a flashlight and a mirror on it in case you need to apply lip gloss in the dark. The lip gloss goes with the lip pencil, which is nice. It seems to stay well and it is very pigmented.
Cons: It's a little dark for my taste. It has a flashlight and a mirror on it in case... see, I think it's a little gimmicky. So it's a pro and a con. It's very sticky.
So as you can see, I'm unsure about this. The value of this lip gloss alone is more than the box itself, so yeah. Good value. We'll see if I use it.

Product #3: Mirabella Face Prime
Mirabella is a brand Boxycharm has included before, and I haven't tried the other product yet. But I will say that I like that they included a face primer. I don't have a full size face primer besides this one, so I will be sure to give it an honest shot before I hate on it. I like my Smashbox primer a lot, but I will put this one to the test.

Product #4: Pur-Lisse Skin Sparkle Flash Tattoos
W H Y. Just... why. I won't use them. They're under a bed or in a drawer somewhere, and I meant to put them in a "give away" box. They're not cute, and I don't do fake tattoos. They're like tribal-y looking while also being like fake necklaces, or something? I don't know. But I'm almost thirty. That isn't going to be a thing.

Product #5: Tarte Maracuja Bronzing Serum
I haven't tried this yet. I'm saving it for the summer, specifically because I don't need to be bronzed in January. It mentions it's for my face, but I'm terrified that it's going to make me look like I'm going out trying to dress up as Beyonce and not realizing that it's incredibly insensitive to do skin makeup that way. I will try it in an inconspicuous spot before I try it on my face, to see how much bronzier I will be.

So overall, this was probably my least favorite box. But I will say how excited I was to try some of the newer products in the other boxes. So I didn't give up hope on Boxycharm, with good reason!

Empties #5 | Products I've Used Up + Mini Review

I really felt like I used up a bunch of products in a short amount of time, but my last empties post was almost two months ago. I'm actively trying to get rid of a bunch of things because I recently hauled a ton of stuff from Bath & Body Works and Sephora and Nordstrom during sales. When I get around to it, I'm sure I'll post a haul.

Haus of Gloi Pumpkin Butter in Ghost Puffs: I've had this little jar hanging around for two years and it was time to finish it up and get rid of it. I love the scent, but I'm trying to downsize and I wasn't even using it. I haven't ordered from Haus of Gloi in over a year because of the increasing difficulty of ordering. Would I repurchase? I would possibly consider it, but I have a couple Cocoa Pink scents that rival this one and I prefer the feel of those lotions.

Cocoa Pink Voluptuous Body Butter in Blood Orange Cotton Candy and Bing Cherry Coconut Frosting: I know I've mentioned that Cocoa Pink makes some of my favorite body butters. I've been trying to get through a few scents only because I have so many and I know some of them are starting to get old. These both moved with me and are in the older style packaging. I like both of the scents and I think they're permanent. Would I repurchase? I constantly repurchase Cocoa Pink body butters. I do prefer the Coco Mango formula, so I have more of those. I want to try other scents, so I probably won't get these again.

The Saem Snail Trio #1 Cherry Blossom: This is a hand cream from a Korean brand that I ordered from KoreaDepart with a few things over a year ago. I really liked this hand cream while it was around and the packaging is super cute, of course. Would I repurchase? Probably not, but I would definitely consider using the snail for a different lotion because it is adorable.

Paintbox Soapworks Sorbetto in Little Paper Umbrellas: I feel like it took such a long to work through this scrub. I think I was using something else in the shower until I realized that this scrub has a recommended shelf life of three months once opened and I'd been using it off and on since August. I really love Paintbox Soapworks scrubs, but they're a little on the pricey side to ship. Would I repurchase? Currently, no, but only because I just purchased two pots of scrub from Cocoa Pink and seven scrubs from Bath and Body Works. I think I have enough scrub!

Cocoa Pink Shine Sweetie Conditioner in Black Cherry Upside Down Cake: I needed to use this up because there was only a couple squirts remaining in the bottle. I prefer to use my Junkett Creme Conditioner, also from Cocoa Pink, but I didn't want to waste this conditioner. Would I repurchase? No. I like Junkett better and I'm really sick of this scent.

Benton Aloe BHA Skin Toner: This is by far my favorite toner that I've found. I think this is my third or fourth bottle of this stuff. I'm definitely going to continue purchasing this, but I know I need to use up the multiple toners I tried to replace this with. Would I repurchase? 100x yes. I still have another bottle that I'm working through, but I'm currently trying to get through a few others so I'm not moving with several extra bottles of toner that are half empty.

Missha Super Aqua Pore Correcting Toner: I was really hopeful that I would love this toner, but it was just okay. I was glad that I got it on sale, but I ended up using it to wipe down my skin after using a facial cleansing oil. Would I repurchase? On sale, probably. Otherwise, I have other toners that I like better.

Mizon All In One Snail Repair Cream: I've had this tub of cream for such a long time. There are quite a few things that I remember buying while I was in my old apartment, and this was one of them. I did really like this cream. I think it is one of my favorite products from Mizon. Would I repurchase? This is definitely something that I would like to buy again. I'm waiting until I move to place an order from Korea because I've missed the cut off date. I don't want to miss a package by chancing an order that may not arrive before we leave.

It's Skin VC Effector: This has appeared in my empties and favorites posts quite a bit. I think this is my third go around with this ampoule and I know I've talked it to death. Would I repurchase? I already have another ready to go, but I also decided to try two different varieties from the same line. I've been using those instead and I like them so far.

Hera Age Away Intensive Eye Cream: This was part of a sample box that I was trying to get through. I think I may have posted a moisturizer from the same set a few empties back. I'm trying to downsize some things before we move and I have far too many eye creams, so I started with the smallest ones. Would I repurchase? It took too long to use this up, so probably not. I have enough skincare now and I know what works for me. Hera is also a bit out of my price range.

Clinique Repairwear Laser Focus Eye Cream: I think this was a sample or a gift with purchase from Nordstrom. This is just another eye cream that I was trying to get through because it's been sitting in my cabinet for a few months. I didn't really care for this one as it tends to get this weird clumpy texture under my eyes. Would I repurchase? Nope. Not my favorite eye cream and definitely not something I love from Clinique.

Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes! Mascara: This was a sample that I received from Sephora when I made an order around my birthday in September. I finally got around to using it a couple months ago and I hated it, so I tossed it in an old makeup bag and it dried out. I think I hated it less the more it dried up, but it still isn't a mascara I would ever buy. I have another sample from Ipsy and I'm considering just tossing it or giving away because I'm sure that one sucks too. Would I repurchase? Hell no. This is an expensive mascara and probably the worst I've ever used.

MAC Sheer Select Pressed Powder in NC5: I feel like I hit pan on this ages ago. I moved with this powder last year and we've been through a lot. After I had a bit of pan showing, I dropped it outside and the whole powder loosened around the edges. It took a couple more months of use for the entire powder to break apart. After that, I just tossed the crumbly mess and saved the compact so I can Back To MAC for a lipstick. Would I repurchase? I probably will. I had purchased a different MAC powder to replace this one back in September, but it isn't the same type of powder.

My Beauty Diary Pearl Powder Sheet Mask: This is one of those weird looking sheet masks that I use when my face needs a little extra moisture. I feel like I always forget to save the packaging for these, but I use them often enough. Would I repurchase? I went nuts and bought a ton of boxes of ten with SaSa had a huge sale last year. I don't actually need to buy any more of these.

Korres Quercetin & Oak Anti-ageing Anti-wrinkle Eye Cream: I bought this as a small add on when I made an order through All Cosmetics Wholesale at the end of the summer. It was okay. Just another eye cream that I needed to use up. I do like the tube packaging that it comes in. Would I repurchase? This was a cheap eye cream, but I feel like there are others that I like better that I would rather spend a few more dollars on instead.

Garnier Nutrisse Nourishing Color Creme in Pomegranate and Hot Tamale: This is another thing that I always throw away. I usually use Garnier when I dye my hair and these are from the last two times that I dyed my hair. I was cleaning my bathroom and these two boxes were kicking around. Would I repurchase? I used to use Hot Tamale a long time ago and Pomegranate is a color that I usually use. This time around, I'm planning on using something different. I will eventually go back to my Garnier colors though.

March Monthly Favorites

I know. I know. I haven't posted in forever. But that's okay. This is the monthly favorites post and one of the only posts a month to even matter. I think I may need to post some recent buys and I will have an empties post coming up soon.

Benton Aloe BHA Skin Toner: Oldie but a goodie. This is my favorite toner and I'm already halfway through this bottle. I think because I've been using only this toner that I might start using some others that are almost gone so that I can get rid of some things before we move.

Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe, Herbs, and Rosewater: I've had this kicking around for a few months and I've used it off and on. I had been using Fix+, but I like this to take away the powdery look on my face and it's much less expensive than the MAC one. The only thing I don't care for is the strong smell, but it does go away.

Clinique Acne Solutions All-Over Clearing Treatment: I've been mixing this with my Benton Snail Bee Steam Cream that should have probably been in this post, but was forgotten. I think the benzoyl peroxide in this helps keep my skin clearer than salicylic acid.

Skinfood Milk Shake Point Makeup Remover: This is a dual phase makeup remover that I end up using daily. When I ran out of my Missha cleansing oil, I opened a new one that doesn't take off my mascara and also burns my eyes. What I've ended up doing is not even using the cleansing oil and I've just been using one cotton pad of this to take off all my makeup. I'm sadly almost out of this and may have to just try another different cleansing oil. 

Missha Super Aqua Fresh Cleansing Milk: This is not the cleansing oil I was just talking about, but it's the same thing. It doesn't take off my eye makeup at night, but it's a great waterless cleanser for the morning. I used this when my skin was really dry and I didn't want to strip it with soap. I also use this as a hand cleanser when my hands are dry since it is like a lotion.

Mario Badescu Glycolic Foaming Cleanser: I've been using this cleanser off and on since I bought it in the summer, but I really liked it this month. I felt like I had been wearing more makeup and this cleanser really deep cleans and chemically exfoliates. I try not to use it more than 2 or 3 times a week because I don't want my skin to get irritated.

Skin79 Super Plus BB Creams in Green and VIP Gold: I should have included my beautyblender again this month, but I took pictures quickly and forgot. I just want to reiterate that I'm super surprised that these are still around. I honestly don't know what I'm going to do when these both run out, so I'm not complaining. I feel like nothing else blends like these BB Creams, but I know I'm going to fall back on my Face & Body foundation in a month or so. I've also been loving the green one under my eyes because it's a lot lighter and blends really nicely under my eyes.

MAC Skin Base Visage: I keep thinking this is also going to run out. I'm waiting for my skin to be ready for a silicon based primer and have been using this for a couple months now. I really like it, so I'm not complaining. I've been putting this on immediately after my moisturizer and then waiting for everything to dry down a bit and I've been pleased with those results. 

L'Oreal Voluminous Butterfly Mascara: This mascara has been so good to me that I haven't even touched the YSL mascara I received from Influenster. I love the brush and the mascara keeps a curl without being crunchy and isn't too difficult to remove at the end of the night. I know I need to move on once I run out, but I'll definitely repurchase this at some point and see if it contends with the MUFE mascara I also loved.

theBalm Mary Lou-Manizer: I wanted to branch out on highlighters this month because I had only been using this one and the Bobbi Brown for as long as I can remember, but this sits in the front of my organizer. I really like this highlighter for when I'm feeling a strong golden look. I even wish it was a little less pigmented sometimes.

MAC Lightscapade: This is an all time favorite highlighter of mine. I had been using a lot of pink blushes, as you'll see in the next images, and this gives a beautiful pink iridescent glow. I have talked about this before, but I love it. This is the original release of Lightscapade, which gives more of a pink iridescence than the newer releases that come off more beige.

Darac Beauty Sifted Blur Complexion Perfector: I hadn't used this in a couple months and then I used it with my beautyblender to set my under eye concealer. In just a couple weeks, I hit that pan in the middle and now I'm considering purchasing a backup because the brand doesn't exist anymore. I've been setting my entire face with this powder and a damp beauty blender and it is perfection. 

MAC Golden Bronzer: I've been using Golden instead of Aphrodite's Shell because I wanted to branch out a bit and this has more apparent shimmer. You can kind of tell from the pan that the rings are starting to show, so I may end up hitting the pan on this bronzer soon. I've only ever done that with face powder and this is in limited edition packaging, so I don't know how I feel about it.

Vincent Longo La Riviera Sun Face and Body Bronzer in Beauty Sin: I was really enjoying this bronzer this month because I was trying to use other products. I don't know if this is going to be my summer color because of how light it is, but I do like how it blends and I already have a dip in the pan.

Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Achiote: I really love the color of this blush. It's really effortless and just a dab is all you need. The color blends really nicely into bronzer. I love all of my Tarte blushes, but I actually think this one is my favorite.

Estée Lauder Peach Nuance: I love this blush more and more whenever I use it. I feel like I would use it more if I had just ponied up the extra cash to buy this in a compact and not just a loose pan. I never regret wearing this color and the gradient makes it easier to blend. 

NARS Albatross: I hadn't touched this highlight in so long that I almost forgot what it looked like! I was really digging the yellowish sheen it gave me and it was a nice change from pink or gold.

NARS Hungry Heart: This was another highlight I reached for all month that I didn't use for a bit. I was really into glitter for part of the month and this is a really glittery highlighter. I ended up pairing it with glittery blushes because why not be overkill?

NARS Angelika: This is one of the glittery blushes I wore this month and I've talked about this color before. The color itself is really flattering and the glitter doesn't come off really strong, which is why I like pairing it with a glittery highlighter to amp it up.

NARS Super Orgasm: I haven't talked about this blush before because I've barely touched it. For some reason, I didn't think I would like it because of the chunky glitter. The glitter doesn't translate on the skin as much as it looks like it would and the color is a nice peachy pink. I really loved this blush this month, but I think I'm taking a break from the glitter bomb cheeks.

Prada Candy L'eau: I was skeptical about getting Prada Candy, but I really love the L'eau version, which is the EDT. I wore this scent a ton this month and I only ordered it in the beginning of the month. I'm surprised by how much is gone and this is only a 2.7oz bottle. I may need to cool it on this scent and use others. I've been trying to wear them all evenly, but who am I kidding?

Burberry Brit Sheer: Burberry Brit was another scent I saw everyone raving about, but I didn't care for the notes. The Sheer version, however, was another thing. I really love this scent. It's crisp, clean, and fruity without being overkill on the sweet or smelling like laundry. This was another scent I wore a ton this month.

Marc Jacobs Lola: I'm still on the fence, but I might like Lola more than Oh, Lola! and that's saying something. I originally bought Oh, Lola! in the 3.2oz because I thought I would love it. I do like the scent, but I bought Lola in the smaller 1.7oz bottle because I didn't think I would like her as much if at all. I read reviews saying that if you liked Lola, you wouldn't like Oh, Lola!, so that worried me. I ended up buying this smaller bottle used on eBay, like with Oh, Lola! However, I ended up loving Lola and wore it a ton this month.

DKNY Be Delicious Fresh Blossom: I think I may have mentioned it somewhere, but I actually prefer Fresh Blossom to the Red Delicious that I bought a couple months back. I wore this at the end of February and through March. I really like that it has the perfect balance between being sweet and floral and this actually happens to be one of the scents I get complimented on the most at work.

January Monthly Favorites

I feel like most of these items aren't new at all, but I think some of them have actually not been featured yet. There's actually a few staples that are missing from the month's list. I don't have a favorite concealer, toner, or mascara. I'm almost out of a couple of these things and I think I might be able to do another empties post even though I just posted one!

Missha Flower Bouquet Skin Fresh Cleansing Oil in Cherry Blossom: I talked this up last month and I haven't been using anything else to take off my makeup. I think this will only last me about another month, so it's a good thing I decided to buy a couple different cleansing oils from Missha.

Missha Creamy Latte Chocolate Cleansing Foam:  Another item from last month's post. I've been using only this cleanser for the most part and I'm starting to get to the point where I'm worried about running out.

Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief: It's been awhile since this showed up in any posts, which is strange since I haven't stopped using it. This is my last step of my morning skincare because my primer and makeup just apply better after this. It's definitely one of my favorite gel type moisturizers.

Missha Time Revolution Night Repair Science Activator Ampoule: I can't say enough good things about this ampoule. It's my favorite and my holy grail ampoule. I will forever continue to purchase this as long as Missha makes it.

It's Skin Power 10 VC Effector: I just about killed this bottle, which is why I'm glad I ordered another one when it was half gone. I'm thinking of trying a different type in the line, but for now this is my go to in the morning.

Mizon All In One Snail Repair Cream: This is an oldie but a goodie. When I ran out of my Benton Steam Cream, this was sitting in my cabinet and I decided that I needed to use it again. This is a nice light cream, so it's different than the Benton. I think I may end up using both now.

Tony Moly Intense Care Snail Cream: I've been using this to combat my dry winter skin. This jar is almost empty and I have something different to replace it with. I did enjoy this cream quite a bit, but it was pricey and it is now time to move on. I hope I won't miss it too much because I really did love it.

MAC Skin Base Visage: I needed a moisturizing primer to deal with my dry skin. Ever since I ditched the Smashbox primer, my skin has stopped peeling under my makeup in my dry problem spots. I definitely can't use this in the summer because it makes me a little oily and my makeup slides around, but this has been perfect for winter skin. 

Skin79 Super Plus BB Creams in Green and VIP Gold: These used to be two of my favorite BB creams and also my first two Skin79 ones. VIP Gold gives a little more coverage but tends to pull a little grey on me. I usually mix these two together because the Green one is moisturizing and is closer to my skin tone, so it tones down the grey from VIP Gold. I've used this pair for over a year off and on and the canisters are much lighter than my other two Skin79 BBs, so I'm wondering how long before I run out.

ElishaCoy Time Capsule BB Cream: This BB cream gives me more coverage than the Skin79 and it doesn't pull grey on me. That said, it gives my skin more of a makeup feel because it does cover more. I like my face to look more natural, but if I have something to cover than this is what I've been using.

Covergirl NatureLuxe Gloss Balm in Marble: I had to look this up online to see what it was because there's only a color label on the bottom. I was going through some drawers of makeup and found this balm and figured I would use it. Turns out, I really like it and it's discontinued of course.

NYX Butter Lip Gloss in Tiramisu: I wanted to try these glosses but I'm not a huge fan of lip gloss. I always end up buying them and then they get stashed away, like my MAC lip glasses and Revlon lip glosses. I actually like this just for moisture because it isn't sticky. This color barely shows up and I wear it around the house and sometimes to bed because it's just a film on my lips. The fact that it smells like cake doesn't hurt either. I had to restrain myself from buying 5 more when Ulta had them on sale.

MAC Fluidline Brow Gel Creme in Dirty Blonde: I've been more into natural brows and not my usual red ones. I generally coat my brows with red powder and then top it with this because the color looks nice. I've always loved the formula of this gel and I feel like I can get a much better, sharper shape with this than a powder.

(MALIN+GOETZ) Mojito Lip Balm: I got this in my Ipsy bag earlier this month and immediately loved it. I've been wondering if I should get a full size, but that tube won't have the slant tip applicator and some of the ingredients are a little sketchy looking. For now, I just really like this gel based balm.

MAC Blackline: I don't remember where I was digging when I found this liner, but I forgot how much I love it! It's black, but it's also gold. And magic. It doesn't wear as well on my waterline as the Noir liner does, but I do prefer this when I'm looking for a bit of flair.

Clockwise from top: Sea Me Hear Me, Mighty Aphrodite, Copper Diamond, Mary Lou, Aphrodite's Shell

MAC Sea Me, Hear Me: I bought this back in I think June or July when the Alluring Aquatic collection had been out for a month or two. I ended up having non-buyers remorse and got this from a seller in a facebook group. I'm so glad I bought it, because I loved this shade this past summer and I recently decided that it was a good color now. I might rotate my blushes because I noticed that I don't use some of them, but this was great this month and I really love the color and packaging.

MAC Mighty Aphrodite: This blush has been with me for years. I think it was one of the first MAC blushes and I bought because it was from the Wonder Woman collection. I just remember that I was living in Salem at the time and didn't own a lot of makeup, never mind a lot of MAC. That was one of my favorite MAC collections of all time and this is one of my favorite blushes. I tried rotating through my shades this month and kept going back to this one.

Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Copper Diamond: This was included in last month's favorites, and for good reason. I really love this highlighter. I try to wear something less intense with a darker blush or bronzer combo, but I've also started with my excuse to not wear this every day because I don't want to ever hit pan on it. You only need a tiny amount though, so I don't think I'll plow through this highlight.

theBalm Mary Lou-Manizer: Another intense highlight that I loved last month and into this month. I think this one is a bit more opaque than Copper Diamond, but it also blends out a little better. I think I like Copper Diamond more than this one, which I guess I should considering that it cost three times more than Mary Lou here. A little goes a long way and it doesn't take much to look like the 90's disco ball glitter trend threw up on your face.

MAC Aphrodite's Shell: I think I have to dig through my favorites posts and see when I haven't included this bronzer. This shade is just effortless. It's the perfect pale skin bronzer and I never feel like it gets too heavy, no matter how many times I swirl my brush in the pan. I have a few bronzers, but I always go back to this one. I don't know why I bothered to buy other shades. Probably come summer I'll use the others because most of them are too dark for the winter. No one looks sun kissed with three feet of snow outside.

NARS Devotee: I had to include this hot mama again because I used the crap out of this highlighter this month. I really do wear a full face of makeup five days a week, so I need a little variety. I feel like three highlighters isn't overkill in a post when you think of how often I wear makeup. I may need to update my picture of this pan because the hetchmarks have started fading more. I think this may be my favorite NARS highlighter of the four I own.

NARS Goulue: This month I left my Guy Bourdin palette on top of the stack and used this blush and Devotee quite a bit. I did think this was too dark for my liking at first, even though I was sure this would be my favorite blush in the palette. After learning to go lightly with this shade, I think it really is my favorite in this palette.

Tarte Breathless: I wanted to continue getting use out of my holiday cheek palette, so I picked this color to try out and I kept going back to it for a more natural cheek. This is generally a blush I would wear with a dark lip so that my face wouldn't compete with my lips. It does look kind of like face powder in the pan, but it totally transforms on the cheeks.

Versace Bright Crystal Absolu: I found it. This is my perfume. I've been trying out different scents because I really want to wear perfume and not just lotions that smell like candy. I found a sample of this that had been tucked away from a Nordstrom order and I just kept going back to that little spray. Well, I realized that I had been spritzing it on every night to go to work and that my sample was almost gone. I almost died when I realized that the 3.2oz bottle was $110 online, so I did some digging and found it for $60 on Overstock.com. I used a 10% off coupon and with my SwagBucks points that I collected over the holidays, I managed to score a $25 gift card. This sounded like a great deal to me, so I scooped up this bottle and one other perfume that isn't quite a favorite yet that I'll talk about in a haul. This is my first "grown-up" perfume purchase and I seriously can't tell you the last scent I bought. I used to really like the Britney Spears perfumes. I think I have a small bottle of a Hilary Duff perfume from high school and also a teeny tiny bottle of Vera Wang Princess that is so small it doesn't even have a sprayer. I think this will be a favorite for a while and it has definitely been a gateway drug into finding more perfumes that I like.

Lips of the Month | December

I feel like I have a lot of variety in my lipstick post this month. I had a few new things to try out and I'm still digging more matte and satin finishes for the most part. I also went away for a bit and didn't bring any bold colors with me. In a couple pictures, my hands are all in the way because I had to hold my liquid lipstick applicators so they didn't get everywhere.

Matte 424, Matte 421, Matte 426, Eden, Pink Poinsettia, Girl About Town

From top: Matte 424, Matte 421, Matte 426, Eden, Pink Poinsettia, Girl About Town

Matte 424: Inglot Matte Formula. I really like this color, but I think I'll like it even more in the summer. I've been trying to wear corals and oranges lately, but it just isn't the season. I should probably stick with my reds and dark berry colors before winter ends.

Matte 421: Inglot Matte Formula. This swatches like crap because it's so dry, but it just glides on if you have a touch of balm over your lips. Inglot makes really great matte colors and I'm glad I decided to try some.

Matte 426: Inglot Matte Formula. I think this was the driest of the three Inglot colors I wore this month. It was a little dry on my lips because I didn't expect it, but I added a little lip balm and it was fine. This color also drags a little, but I can get over it because I like it so much.

Eden: NYX Matte Lipstick. I really like the color of this red. It's very pigmented, but I can't remember if it was long wearing. I feel like I need to touch up most of the NYX lipsticks, but I love the formula of them so much that I don't mind.

Pink Poinsettia: Tarte Amazonian Butter Formula. I've been pleasantly surprised with this line of lipsticks, but I do find that I need to reapply fairly often. My favorite part about wearing one of these lipsticks is the really nice minty smell that lingers.

Girl About Town: Amplified formula. Limited edition packaging from the Manish Arora collection. This is one of my favorite darker pink lipsticks. I really like the way it applies and I don't mind having to touch up a bit because the amplified formula is really great.

Candy Red, Adore It, Adora, Viva Glam Cyndi, Berry, All of Me

From top: Candy Red, Adore It, Adora, Viva Glam Cyndi, Berry, All of Me

Candy Red: Tarte Amazonian Butter formula. This didn't really pull red on my lips as much as it did a pinkish red. I still liked the color, but it probably isn't a lipstick I'll wear all the time. For this formula, I plan ahead and try not to wear it on days when I won't get a chance to touch up or reapply.

Adore It: Glaze Formula. Limited edition from the Adoring Carmine holiday set. This color and formula are just okay in my book. I do regret buying this lipstick, but I got it pretty cheap on eBay so I guess that's fine. Glaze formulas used to be my favorite a few years ago, but now I'm not a huge fan.

Adora: Kat Von D Foiled Love Liquid Lipstick. This is a discontinued product that I found in TJ Maxx while holiday shopping, so naturally I had to buy it. I already liked the stick version of Adora, but this is better because the lasting power is so much stronger. This liquid lipstick stays all day and because of that, I bought a few more. Love it.

Viva Glam Cyndi: Lustre formula. Limited edition from one of the yearly MAC Viva Glam collaborations. This lipstick came out with Viva Glam Lady Gaga. I used to really love this lipstick. It was very hard to find because I started out with my makeup obsession and using MAC right about when this lipstick was being discontinued. Someone ended up sending it to me from an old Livejournal group and we lived happily ever after. Just kidding. I kind of hate this lipstick now. It might be because it's getting old, but I'll compare the code on the bottom and see if I have older ones. It's half used up because I loved it so much, so at least I don't feel bad. It's also a lustre, which I'm not a huge fan of anymore.

Berry: Love & Beauty by Forever 21 Creme formula. I got this in an Ipsy bag and immediately wrote it off because it was from Forever 21. I ended up wearing it to work one night because it's actually a really nice holiday red. For a Forever 21 lipstick, I'm really impressed. I think I'll actually wear this again and I might look into Forever 21's makeup line.

All of Me: Manna Kadar Lip Locked. I got this in my Birchbox in December and it was really the only thing that I tried. This is a cross between and stain and a gloss. The color is pretty decent, but I don't know how I feel about the formula. I definitely won't purchase a full size.

Addis Ababa, Bachelorette, Red Balloon, Beranice, Euro Trash, N9

From top: Addis Ababa, Bachelorette, Red Balloon, Beranice, Euro Trash, N9

Addis Ababa: NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream. This is just a really nice pink in the usual matte lip cream formula. I know I've said it before, but I'm head over heels for the Soft Matte Lip Creams. I own I think about 10 or so of them and I haven't come across any that I don't like.

Bachelorette: Kat Von D Everlasting Love Liquid Lipstick. This is the most recent formula that Sephora currently sells. If I didn't have a Beauty Insider voucher and a gift card, I wouldn't pay $19 for a liquid lipstick. Well, I don't know. This is pretty good. This is the first of three colors that I own, but I would consider getting at least one other color that was sold out when I shopped online at Sephora. It's worth noting that this liquid lipstick lasts ridiculously long and I'm going to insert a picture of the staying power.

Boom. I used my cleansing oil that takes off even waterproof eyeliner and mascara, so I was surprised that the lipstick stained my skin so bad. You can kind of see how my arm is a little stained from the other colors I just tried to take off, but I really needed to scrub with another pump of cleansing oil.

Red Balloon: Amplified formula. This has been one of my favorite MAC lipsticks since I bought it almost a year ago. I really like this color and I don't think it's something I would only wear during warmer weather because it isn't too summery. I also have been really loving the Amplified formula lately.

Beranice: Kat Von D Foiled Love formula. This is another lipstick formula from Kat Von D that has been discontinued that I found at TJ Maxx. The color reminds me of Adora, so I'm glad I don't have a full size of that one. I really wish I could have found more of these lipsticks, but judging by eBay, it's because people are buying them up and reselling them at really high prices.

Euro Trash: NYX Matte Lipstick. I wasn't sure about this lipstick at first. It's a little brown. I did try it on at one point and then I tossed it in the back of my lip drawer. I pulled it back out because I needed a handful of neutral colors to bring on vacation with me and this fit the bill. It's still a little brown, but I don't hate it.

N9: Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Natural Lipstick. Sephora lists this color as being copper pink. It's nice. It's a neutral color. It's also really small because I got it for free in the Sephora birthday kit. I took it with me on vacation because I didn't know when else I was going to wear it. I wish I could have picked a different color, but this one wasn't bad.

Sweet Peach, Angelic Nude, Whipped Caviar, Show Orchid, Toying Around, Hellbent

From Top: Sweet Peach, Angelic Nude, Whipped Caviar, Show Orchid, Toying Around, Hellbent

Sweet Peach: Tarte Amazonian Butter formula. I was just hanging around with family and such so it didn't matter that the lasting power wasn't fantastic. I still love these lipsticks. The smell is fantastic and the colors are really nice. I think this might be my least favorite color of the five shades I have, but it was still nice.

Angelic Nude: Tarte Amazonian Butter formula. This is my favorite nude lipstick. I don't think I've ever had a nice creamy nude lipstick. There are a few NYX lip creams that are nude, but those are matte. This is just really nice. I'm surprised to find myself saying that this might be my favorite of the five shades that I own.

Whipped Caviar: NYX Matte Lipstick. I bought this on a whim because I needed another color to get a buy one, get one 50% off deal when I was first buying NYX lip products. I like this color more than Euro Trash, which is what I chose to buy instead of this one in my first order. I'm glad I got this one too because it's different and I actually prefer this color.

Show Orchid: Amplified formula. This is one of my favorite MAC lipsticks and I know it took me too long to buy it. It has a bit of an iridescence to it, which I really love. I will continue to wear this color all year long.

Toying Around: Amplified formula. This is unfortunately a lipstick that I don't want to wear until Spring rolls around. I just felt like my face looked funny when I was wearing this color. I think I'm going to file this color away for a couple months. It's one of my favorite colors and formulas, but it's just not for winter.

Hellbent: Kat Von D Foiled Love Liquid Lipstick. I hate that these were discontinued! I really loved this color. It's completely matte and transfer proof, but it has glitter in it! So I wore it on New Year's Eve for the worst restaurant shift of my life and it lasted through the entire night. I even slept in all my makeup and this lipstick was still on the next day when I woke up! It had barely faded at all. I seriously never sleep in my makeup, but it was just so late and I didn't even mean to do it. I just closed my eyes for a minute and seven hours.


Round up!

MAC Lipsticks: 6
Amplified: 4
Lustre: 1
Glaze: 1

NYX: 4
Matte Lipstick: 3
Matte Lip Cream: 1

Kat Von D: 4
Foiled Love: 1
Foiled Love Liquid: 2
Everlasting Love Liquid: 1

Tarte: 3

Inglot: 3

Other Brands: 3

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.

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.