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!

Surprise Haul | Makeup from Reggie!

So I've been stressed out to the max lately. Basically I am either always working, sleeping, or in school, and I barely have the energy to play with my makeup. But Reggie was so sweet to send me a care package full of stuff that I can't wait to try! It quite literally made my day so special that day, and I hate that it has taken me so long to haul!

Okay! So let's get started on one of my favorite things in this package!

The Balm Nude 'Tude Palette

From top to bottom: Serious, Sexy, Sophisticated, Selfish, Stubborn, Sassy

From top to bottom: Sleek, Silly, Seductive, Sultry, Stand-offish (can't really see it), snobby (can't really see it)

These shadows are gorgeous. I think Sophisticated, Sexy, Sultry, and Stubborn are my favorites at the moment. I will be sure to post some looks with these now that I have some more time! This palette is GORGEOUS and I can't thank you enough, Reggie!

Sincerely by Harvey Prince

Humans, I have found my perfume designer. Harvey Prince stuff smells incredible. This and Hello have both been awesome, as has Ageless. I don't love this as much as I love Hello, but this is PERFECT for spring and summer! It's got a floral scent to it without being too perfumey, and I don't smell like the elderly woman who lives next door to me. It's not overpowering, but it's smell-able. Love.

MAC Lipstick in Fresh Salmon

This is actually much more pigmented than the picture shows.  I adoooore this shade. I will be wearing it a lot. For real. How pretty is that? It's the perfect blend of peachy and salmon and pink, without being too orange and without being Barbie Dream House Pink. Very, very pretty.

Pacifica Eyeshadow in Ethereal

That is the most gorgeous color right there. It looks great on my eyes, too. I haven't used it a ton, but I love it. Plus, I love Pacifica products in general. I'm trying to incorporate cruelty free products into my regimen, and this is a great way to do it. Pacifica products are ones I've never been disappointed in. This didn't disappoint, either!

Starlooks Lip Gloss: Guilty Pleasure | The Balm Lip Gloss: Read My Lips

Top: Starlooks Guilty Pleasure
Bottom: The Balm Read My Lips Lip Gloss

These colors are so pretty! They're right up my alley! The Balm one was actually one I received in my Birchbox for February (Which I'll get to posting eventually), and I liked the color a lot. They're a tiny bit sticky for my tastes, but I may mix them with something else to get that goop to go away. The colors are too pretty to waste!

Coastal Scents Revealed 2 Palette Samples

I feel like a turd because I can't find this to swatch individually (the hazards of living with a cat and a part-time dog who love to knock things off desks...), but I remember loving it. I did receive the Revealed 2 in a Boxycharm (which again, I'll get to posting eventually), and I have adored it. I will be using these samples up post haste. Once they're found. Probably under a bed or a nightstand. Doesn't mean I didn't love them.

Coastal Scents Liquid Eyeliner

I have never been a liquid eyeliner gal, but I love Coastal Scents, so this may be the product to convert me! I'm so excited to give it a shot. I've wanted to branch out a little with my makeup as well, so that will be the perfect way to do it! 

Benefit Fake-up Concealer

I have wanted to try this for sooooo looooong, and I finally get the chance to do so! I will get right on it, and I'm ashamed that I haven't yet. It's the perfect size for me to decide if I love it or not, and I'm so stoked to experiment. Very very pumped.

So, this was a really nice package to come home to that day. It's a late haul, but it's so appreciated. It made my day and continues to make my day when I use one of the products in it. So, thank you Reggie, for your kindness and thoughtfulness! 

Subscription Addiction | Boxycharm Backup - December 2014

It has been an age since I reviewed a Boxycharm. So I will do that now. I have 5-6 months worth of products still sitting in their boxes for the most part because I've been so busy. But that changes now. Let's start from the beginning, shall we?

December 2014 Boxycharm: Jingle Belles

So I remember this box being hit and miss. There were a couple of things in it that were 'meh' for me, but there was a clear hit in there as well.

Product #1:  Coastal Scents Revealed Palette
I am now the proud owner of a gazillion palettes, and I love it. For real, though, I do. The Revealed palette is gorgeous. To save on the ridiculous amount of pictures, I won't swatch the colors, but it's got tons of pretty browns, golds, and burnt colors in there. Some are glittery, some are not. There's a pretty good variety on them, and I've loved all the Coastal Scents items I've tried before. Their palettes are usually very good and the pigmentation on their shadows is usually right there. So I'm excited to give it a shot.

Product #2: Lina Lashes Luxury Mink Lashes
This was a nice value for the box, but I don't wear fake lashes. I just don't. I'm sure they're cool for someone who wears false lashes, but not for me. Just... a miss. A $30 value is really nice for someone who's into lashes, though.

Product #3: Mistura Beauty Solutions Retractable Beauty Brush
Retractable brushes aren't my thing. There's just something about them that I don't dig. I like the stability of my RealTechniques brushes, and even my BareMinerals brushes. But I will say that this one is very soft, and it's again, a great value for the box. Boxycharm doesn't play around for $21/month. This was a $19.99 value in and of itself, So it's something worth trying, for sure.

Product #4: Be a Bombshell Lip Product in Tango
I don't hate it. But I'm not sure about it. The lipstick wasn't damaged when I opened the box, but I opened it today to swatch, and the entire lipstick fell out. I can live with it, but I'm disappointed. It's a little bright for my taste, but I will definitely give it a go. I need to branch out. And I generally like Be a Bombshell products, so I'm sure this one won't be any different.

Product #5: Eva NYC Hairspray
I don't use hairspray. So this one was kind of a bummer for me! Not really into this one. I'm sure I can pass it along to someone who may want it though.


Overall, this was a great box. Not everything was super duper amazing, but I will definitely get some use out of the products and the value is IN.CRED.I.BLE. So, I'm excited.

April Monthly Favorites

I feel like the month of April was so long that I can't remember everything that I liked. There was just so much crap that I used in the beginning of the month and I don't know where March ended and April started. I've either used these things for most or all of the month or closer to the end of the month because it was so long. I also feel like I had a lot of no makeup or minimal makeup days, so that isn't helping. 

I've been in a pretty consistent skincare routine, so I'm getting bored of posting the exact same things that I use every day in every week or every month. That means maybe I'll post a skincare routine and maybe a daily makeup routine or something. I don't know if that would be interesting at all.

Shisheido Perfect Whip Foam: This has been my cleanser of choice lately, even though I've been trying to use up some others. Recently I decided to push this into the back of my cabinet because I really do need to use up things. I really like how thick this cleanser is and I prefer to use this with my Clarisonic because it's harder to lather up with my hands.

Lioele Multi Seaweed Gel: I had a sample of this eons ago and after I chose to purchase a full size, I stopped using it. So it sat in a box for a few months until I rediscovered it a little over a month ago. I've slowly started replacing my Clinique gel cream with this in the mornings. I'm actually finding that I prefer this over the Clinique one and this was only about $12 and there's a lot more product in the tub. This absorbs into my skin much quicker and I feel like it will be a summer favorite.

Missha Time Revolution Night Repair Science Activator Ampoule: Yes. This again. It's my favorite ever. Blah blah blah. What else can I say about it other than this one is almost gone?

MAC Prep+Prime Skin Base Visage: I've honestly continued to use this because there isn't another primer that I can even reach for right now. Everything else is still sucking the moisture out of my skin, but this is just a standard. I'm actually surprised that I haven't run out of this yet. In a couple weeks, I'm sure I'll need to use an oil control primer and I don't want to have to save this for next year because I'm sure the expiration is coming up.

Skin79 Super+ Triple Functions BB Cream in Green: I've been favoring this one over VIP Gold because I've been using other foundations this month. Mainly this has been an under eye concealer and brightener because it's on the lighter side. Now that the weather is warming up, I've been using slightly darker bronzers and don't need my foundation to be so light.

Illamasqua Skin Base in 02: This is not something I can use on its own. The foundation itself is too thick for my skin and I prefer to mix it into my MAC Face and Body when I want a little more coverage. I also have this in a darker color that I'll probably end up using in a month or so.

MAC Face and Body Foundation in N1: Yup. This one is back. We had a enough warmer days that I could wear this foundation, but then it got cold again. I really love this foundation, so I had to toss this in the post. I can't wait to wear this foundation on a regular basis, but I may have discovered that VIP Gold from Skin79 is perfect of its own for a light makeup day. 

It's Skin Under Eye Brightener: When I needed a little under eye pick me up, this is what I used. I've been using this instead of my Maybelline one and I think I actually prefer it. I think I say that every time I switch up products though. Maybe it's just because this blends a little better into my foundation because of the texture.

MAC Sideshow You: This blush was from the Simpson's Collection and it was the only other thing I purchased from it. I was really feeling this blush color and out of the three blushes, this is the one I wore the most. I definitely wore more blushes than these three, but Sideshow You overshadowed most of them.

Tarina Tarantino Feathers: When I wanted just a light pop of color with a bronzed look, this is the color I would go for. The color is nicer on my face than it is in the pan and it blended in nicely with my bronzer.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Diffused Heat: This was a new item for me and I'll probably do a collective haul at some point. I really like this blush, but I've only been using it for the past maybe week and a half. I received this before my Sephora items, so I felt fine including this if I didn't include the Sephora stuff.

NARS Laguna: I have to say that by the time the end of the month hit, I had stopped using this bronzer in favor of Estée Lauder. I really like this bronzer, but now I think I have a couple that top it. I love that it is included in every one of my NARS blush palettes just so I don't necessarily need to pack an additional bronzer. It blends out so nicely and it isn't orange, so I can use it with my Ita brush and contour.

Estée Lauder Amber Bronzer Sienna Earth Powder: I really needed to start using this powder because I had neglected it for a long time. Although it leans a little orange when the color is blended together, it looked nice on my skin. The packaging is also really sturdy, so this is a bronzer I wouldn't mind traveling with.

Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess 01 Light: This is seriously a huge bronzer. I really like the color of this powder and the shimmer isn't overpowering. I was glad to know that I wasn't getting a matte bronzer when I ordered this online. I know I have too many bronzers, but I really love this one even though I only used it during the last bits of April.

NARS Miss Liberty Highlighting Blush: This is basically a glitter highlight. The base adds just a slight touch of champagne color, but it is packed with multicolor shimmer particles that obviously don't show up in the photo of the pan. I rocked this for the beginning of the month until I bought the newest highlighter in my collection, which sadly isn't the newest when I'm writing this.

Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Beige: I wasn't going to buy this, but Nordstrom had Bobbi Brown on sale for 20% off, so that was good enough for me. I probably wouldn't buy a shimmer brick for full price, but 20% off is great. I love this highlighter. I might have to compare it to my other highlighters because I feel like I go for the same colors. I use the top two colors the most, but when you swirl them all together, it gives such a beige golden glow. It's the perfect companion to bronzer. One of the girls I work with told me that my highlight was like "Wah-bam," so at least someone agrees with me.

Darac Beauty Sifted Blur Complexion Perfector: I use this powder to set my under eyes and my entire face. You can tell that I've plowed through the powder when you compare the photo to last month's favorites. I'm trying to not use so much powder, so I may try to cool it with this one. There's another powder that will definitely be in my favorites next month that I've moved on to for setting my under eyes.

I also need to do a Bath & Body Works haul, but there's just so much stuff that I need to photograph because I spent an absolute ton of money. I know I didn't even need half of the things I bought, but the Forever Sunshine lotion in the picture is already almost gone. For real. I'm trying to consistently use lotion after showering because the weather is getting nicer and I don't want dry skin if I can wear short sleeves. 

I've been loving Beautiful Day and Love & Sunshine body mists. I keep one in the bathroom for reasons and one in my gym bag so I don't smell like socks after working out. I like the little body mists because I can carry them around and not worry about a bottle breaking. I also like that they're cheap and the scent isn't too strong. The last thing I want is to smell like Versace when I'm dead lifting with a bunch of guys. That's not exactly the image I'm going for. 

I also bought a bunch of hand sanitizers, mainly to keep in my apron pocket at work for after I handle money or for a quick fix after wiping down tables. I also keep one in my bathroom so that my hands are always clean while I'm doing my makeup or skincare. I do bring my phone in the bathroom with me, so I want to make sure my hands aren't germy because I definitely touch my phone and don't want to immediately touch my face. Honolulu Sun is the one I keep with me at work and it smells like a Piña Colada. It's almost gone!

I've also been keeping a small lotion in my apron pocket because serving dries my hands out. I've always meant to keep lotion on me, but I don't have a ton of smaller ones that absorb quickly. I have five different scents in the Aloe Gel Lotion, but Kauai is my favorite and I even bought a backup because I feel like I'm going to finish that off quick.

Vera Wang Preppy Princess: I wore this mostly in the beginning of the month when it was still chilly out. I kind of feel like the scent is a little too strong for warmer weather, so I started wearing other scents. I do like this perfume a lot, but I'll probably get even more use from it during the fall and winter. 

Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Fresh Sunshine: I definitely prefer this limited edition release of Daisy Eau So Fresh to the original. It's a little less floral and a little more fruity, which is my preference. The only fault I find in the perfume is that it doesn't last long at all. This is definitely one I have to carry around with me, although I've been really bad about that lately because I need to fill all my atomizers and that takes time. I love everything else about this perfume though and the bottle is so pretty.

Escada Born in Paradise: I can just tell that this isn't the last time this scent will be in a favorites post. I can pretty much guarantee that this will be in at least one more post because this perfume is the perfect summer scent. It smells like coconut and it actually lasts a pretty decent amount of time on my skin. I like that it sort of matches my trend of island scented lotions so it makes it easier to pair other things.

Versace Bright Crystal Absolu: Still my most used and most loved perfume, and not just by me. The picture isn't a very good indicator, but I've used quite a bit of this perfume. There's a guy I work with that associates me with expensive perfume, this one being the one he likes on me best, and calls me Gucci Girl even though I've told him this is actually Versace. I did just finally buy a Gucci perfume though, so I guess I don't need to correct him anymore.

My Free Ulta Makeover!

So, back in March, I was at Ulta getting my hair cut. As I do. And the woman at the desk asked me if I had heard about the free makeovers they were giving. No, I hadn't, but you bet your butt I want to hear more! Apparently it was Pur Minerals who was sponsoring it, and there were going to be a ton of makeup artists coming from other cities to do this free event. They were by appointment only, and I snatched one of those up.

The experience was interesting. The woman who did my makeup was a little strange, and kept commenting on how dry my skin was. She said it over and over, and wanted to know what products I used. She said I was the youngest person she had ever seen with such dry skin. So she recommended this moisturizer. It does help. I use it after my Benefit toner lotion at night and it works really well.

She also sent me home with an eyeliner/eyebrow pencil, which is really nice! Apparently it's discontinued by Pur Minerals so I don't even know what it's called. But it's a twisty pencil thing and it works quite well as eyeliner, which is what I mainly use it for.

I will say that I was glad she didn't cover my freckles. She told me "You're twenty-six, and freckles are only going to be freckles for so much longer; in a few years we'll be calling them age spots." But I think that does a disservice to me as a fair skinned Irish girl who has had freckles for as long as she can remember. 

I do wish she would have told me the name of the lip color she used; it looks so pretty and I wish I still had it. But she was older and she was talking a lot about her son and daughter-in-law, so I didn't want to interrupt.

Overall, it was a good experience. I think with a different makeup artist, I would have had a different look, but the natural look is what I was going for. I just wish I left with a little more education on the product and on the technique. But, it was free, so I can't complain, I guess! 

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.

Show and Tell | Makeup Brushes

This is not my entire collection of makeup brushes, but these are the brushes I keep where I do my makeup and I rotate between most of them. Some of these brushes I use every day and others I use only when I need them.

My beautyblender is what I use to apply my foundation and setting powder, so I'm going to consider these like a brush. I haven't used a brush to apply foundation in about a year and I don't think I'm going back.

My NARS Ita brush is one of those brushes that doesn't get used often. Sometimes I wonder if it was a mistake to purchase this brush, but I do use it when I feel like contouring. The only problem is that I don't have a specific contour powder that I like on myself, so I end up just bronzing instead.

The MAC 109 was a brush that I never used after buying it because I didn't like it. I bought it in conjunction with something else, so I was mad that I didn't care for it. Then, I decided I was going to use it for highlighter since it was a good size. After a bit, I found a better brush to highlight with and it fell to the wayside again. Something made me pick it up to use with bronzer instead of contour and I've been using it every day since.

This angled brush is what I use for a more contoured look with bronzer. Lately I've been favoring my 109 for any type of bronzing, so I haven't been using this as much. I think I may try applying blush with it because I see that on youtube.

I used to just apply powder with my Real Techniques Large Powder brush, but lately I've been using it to blend out my blush and bronzer. The shape really allows everything to be blended out nicely.

The Sigma f30 Large Powder used to be when I used for blended out, so I decided it deserved to be mentioned. I haven't reached for this lately, mainly because sometimes it sheds little black hairs on my face that I are difficult to get off. 

I only use the Bobbi Brown Face Blender brush when I my blush or bronzer is way too heavy handed or dark and I need to blend it out without my entire face looking streaky. This is a denser brush than The Sigma or Real Techniques, which is better for blending away than diffusing the color. 

I have two Sigma f50 stippling brushes, which are both used for blush. There's really no rhyme or reason as to which one is used, although I tend to use the black handled one in my NARS palette because the brush is a little smaller and works better in those pans. 

I use my Real Techniques setting brush to highlight and I prefer to use it that way than setting my undereye concealer. I find that the brush even diffuses Mary Lou-Manizer, which is my heaviest highlighter. 

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.

Empties!

Just got through a LOT of empties!

Harvey Prince Ageless Body Wash: I loved this stuff. It smelled like pomegranate and I loved it. I was so sad it was so small. I'm on a makeup freeze right now so I can't really buy any more, but it was delightful and I would absolutely repurchase it.

Suave Almond and Shea Butter Shampoo: I've had this for.ever and it's just "meh". I don't love it, but I don't hate it either. It's cheap and it cleans my hair. I love the smell of it, though. I feel like I smell yummy after I use it. It doesn't do anything volume-wise that the others don't, but I'll probably repurchase.

Redken Body Full Shampoo: When my sister was the receptionist at a hair salon, she used her discount to get me some of this shampoo, plus it was on sale. I have one backup left, and it's pretty good! It doesn't have much of a scent to it, and it doesn't clean any better or worse than other shampoos. But I did like it. I can't justify spending all that money on expensive shampoo, but it does what it's supposed to do. I did notice a bit more volume with this shampoo, but not a ton.

Epice Purifying Exfoliant: I know this was supposed to be exfoliating, but I felt like it was scraping my face with every use. It wasn't gentle at all. I hated using it and kept it at my boyfriend's place to use it all up. Not a huge fan of it at all. I won't repurchase it.

It's a 10 Miracle Leave in Product: This stuff is awesome. It makes my hair feel soft and shiny and it's definitely awesome. I'll repurchase it when I have a bit more money to play around with. I have other leave-in products to use up in the meantime, but this is liquid gold.

Briogeo Don't Despair, Repair Hair Mask: Love this! Have a backup of it, thank goodness. It's incredible. It makes my hair feel really soft after I use it, and it doesn't take a whole lot to make a difference. It smells fresh, and it doesn't weigh my hair down.

Okay, that's not as many empties as I thought, but it's some. I've got to start using some more up.

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!