April and May Empties Reviews

Once again, a review of the products I have recently used up completely. I usually have all deluxe samples, but I finally got some full size finished this time!

Dot by Marc Jacobs body lotion – I loved this a lot more than I thought I would! It came in a set with the perfume, and it’s my favorite scent, but I thought it would make my body smell good but not moisturize as well. It actually was fantastic, and I was pleasantly surprised!

Mac Face and Body Foundation – technically this isn’t quite empty, but I was just so ready for it to be done, that I couldn’t force myself to keep using something I hate. I wanted a light and dewy foundation, that would still give me a good base for my blush and highlighter, but this foundation was too sticky for me – it just doesn’t dry down well, even with powder on top, and it disappears within a few hours. I much prefer Smashbox BB Water.

Clinique Pep Start Cleanser- I love this entire line! While I don’t usually like exfoliating cleansers because they tend to be too harsh, this one was actually okay for me and didn’t dry out my skin. This is definitely something I would purchase and use in the future.

Curel HydraTherapy Wet Skin Moisturizer – I think I got this in my Walmart beauty box, and I wasn’t impressed. You’re supposed to apply it to wet skin, and I really didn’t think it made a difference in my skin. I would rather just use regular lotion, if it’s going to give me the same results or better. Gillette used to make something similar that was AMAZING, and I don’t think anything will ever live up to that.

Cetaphil Mositurizing Cream – I really loved this moisturizer. I have SUPER dry skin, so I like a really heavy moisturizer at night, and this was great. It’s not something I would put on right before makeup, because it does take time to sink into the skin, but it’s perfect for someone really dry.

Skin&Co Face Toner – I’m gonna be honest, I still don’t understand the purpose of toners, and I think they’re made up as an extra step to add to the skin. I have tried several, and never found one that serves a purpose in my routine. I tried this for 2-3 weeks, putting it on after cleansing and before any moisturizer or serum, and it added no benefits to my skin. I have been dry lately, so I think it was drying me out, but I don’t know for sure that this was the culprit (although it’s the only new item I was testing at the time).

Glamglow Glowstarter Mega Illuminating Moisturizer – this was AMAZING. First of all, it smells great. It moisturizers and leaves your skin glowing, and it also sinks into the skin quickly making it great to use under makeup. I have never tried a Glamglow product I didn’t like, but also unfortunately haven’t purchased anything because it’s just too pricey. There’s no way I can justify $50 on a moisturizer, no matter how good, when I can get my giant jar of Pond’s for like $5.99.

Urban Decay Primer Potion – such an oldie but a goodie. I’ve only tried 1 other eye primer in my life, and I don’t see myself switching to anything else! This goes on perfectly, doesn’t dry out my eyelids, and my eyeshadow lasts all day anytime I use it. No complaints!

Aveeno Daily Moisturizer – honestly have no feelings about this, I was only able to use the sample 2 or 3 times, so I have no idea if it was working better than any other normal lotion.

Clinique Pep Start Moisturizer – LOVE! Once again, I love the whole Pep Start line, and I will definitely purchase this moisturizer when I need a new one. While I definitely need to moisturize twice a day, I need something light in the morning for underneath makeup. This works great for that, and leaves my skin feeling super soft. I don’t have to wait for it to dry before putting on foundation.

Perfumes – I’m trying to use up my samples. I have no idea how to describe scents and I’m not going to pretend I know how. I used up a really old Marc Jacobs Dot sample – which is my favorite scent ever. Then there was Citrine by Nest, which is ….citrusy? Very nice, and I actually would definitely purchase this when I need a new perfume. The last one is Stella McCartney Pop, which I liked, but not enough to purchase.

It has been way too long since I blogged! I have a nail tutorial and a review coming soon!

Sephora VIB Sale Spring 2017 Purchases

I have been saving my gift cards in anticipation for this sale forever! I have known I wanted to get some new makeup for my wedding for a while, and it’s a great idea to stock up when things are a little less expensive.

• Tangle Teezer Thick & Curly Detangling Brush – I’ve heard amazing things about this brush, and at first was super skeptical. I didn’t understand how it could be different than any normal brush. But it definitely is different, and so far I like it! It has extra long bristles mixed with short bristles, and they are thin and flexible. It feels kind of strange going through the hair, but detangles very easily. I haven’t tried it on wet hair yet, but I feel like it will do even better with that.
• Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in the shade Luminous Flush – this blush is GORGEOUS. I’m wearing it in this photo:
  
  I currently own one other shade of their blush (Mood Exposure). They apply and blend so smoothly, and the shades are beautiful. I tried the first one I bought during a makeover at Sephora, and when I saw it on my skin I knew I wanted to buy it. At first, I thought the shade was just the perfect blush for my skin, and none of the rest could be as great. Since then, I have tried 2 other shades of their blush and wanted both of them! I went with this one to wear for my wedding day.
• Smashbox Studio Skin 15 Hour Wear Foundation. I have said great things about this already, after sampling it I fell in love. It has about a medium coverage, but is easy to sheer out if desired My makeup truly did still look great after 15 hours. It lasted on me through work and exercise, and I didn’t need to powder or touch up. This is for sure my wedding foundation! I’ll be outside in July and I’m not afraid of this coming off at all.
• Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in the shade Lovesick – this was a 100 point reward. Her liquid lipstick formula is one of my favorites I’ve tried, so I was excited I was able to grab this one. I honestly have always hated how I look in pink lipstick, unless it has a brown tone to it, but this one looks pretty and I think it will be good for summer.
• Sephora V for Volume purple mascara. Unfortunately this one was a dud for me and I will be returning. I really like the idea of colored mascara, especially purple, but it doesn’t work for me. I think my lashes are naturally too dark, because it doesn’t show up at all, but the purple can somewhat be seen in the sunlight. It is a good mascara, it added a lot of volume, but it isn’t worth it for me to keep.
• Supergoop Defense Refresh Setting Mist SPF 50 – This is a repurchase for the one I’m out of. I have only bought the travel size so far, it’s pretty affordable and lasted me all spring last year. I do typically wear sunscreen underneath my foundation, but there are times when I’m going outside and want to put on more but don’t want to ruin my makeup. This is perfect for that! I haven’t found another product like this before, so I will definitely continue to rebuy.
• Devacurl Build up Buster Micellar Water Cleansing Serum – also a 100 point reward. I haven’t tried this yet, so no thoughts, but am planning to review as soon as I use it!

I’m happy with what I got this year! Did anyone else shop the sale? What did you get?

Ipsy April 2017

This month was definitely the cutest bag so far! I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but I think it’s so adorable. I want to find a way to attach a wrist strap so I can carry it as a wallet.

I got:

• Glamour Dolls x Lisa Frank Angle Blush Brush – retails for $5
• Ofra Cosmetics Rendezvous Blush – .14 oz – full size refill pan – retails for $12
• Defy and Inspire Nail Lacquer in the shade Paradise Island – full size – retails for $7.49
• Skin&Co Face Toner – 1 oz – full size is 6.7 oz and retails for $27 – sample worth $4.03
• Tony Moly Liptone Lip Care Stick – 3.5 g – full size – retails for $10

  Total value of products: $38.52

  This was not necessarily my favorite month for products, but how much I love the bag kind of makes up for it.

  I think the brush is really cool, and definitely one of those items that brings back the nostalgia. For a blush brush, it’s probably too small for my taste, but I can use it for contouring or bronzing just fine.

  I am not planning to use the blush, just because I have too many already, and will give this away to a good home. I will try the nail polish, but it’s similar to other colors I own, so I’m not super excited about it. So far I like the toner and lip balm. I don’t typically use toner, but I have started using it at a night and it makes my skin feel extra clean after washing. The lip balm is really smooth and nice, and I could see myself using it up quickly. Overall, a very so-so bag, but still some solid products I will use, and I will continue subscribing.

  Someone please let me know if you have any ideas for how to turn the zipper slider into a wrist strap!

 

 

March Beauty Empties

This month I have 6 empties.

• CoverFX Illuminating Primer – I really like this! I have dry skin so I love glowy primers. I think I like the Becca backlight primer more, but this is also really good, and something I would repurchase if I was in the market for a primer.
• GlamGlow Thirsty Cleanse – this is probably my favorite cleanser, but I’ve only ever had a few samples of it, and never purchased it because it’s just too pricy for me. It is super gentle, moisturizing, and smells amazing.
• MUFE Step 1 Primer – although I usually don’t go for something mattifying, I really like this. It’s super smoothing and I like that it has pigment in it to cover my redness. It is great for the days I want to be lazy – I just put this primer all over my face, with a little bit of powder over, and my skin looks good without much work. I ended up trading some other samples to get more of this!
• Urban Decay Perversion – while I love lots of mascaras, this one was right up my alley. I love long, thick lashes, and this gives me exactly what I’m looking for.
• Tarte Lights Cameras Lashes – one of my least favorite mascaras, as it just doesn’t add enough oomph for what I usually like. I used this for more “no makeup makeup” looks, but I wouldn’t repurchase.
• Bite Matte Creme Lip Crayon in the shade Aubergine – probably my proudest pan ever! I have never finished a full size lipstick, so this was my first. It took me a little over a year, and I probably wore it on average about twice a week. It’s a beautiful berry color, matte and super long lasting, but not as drying as a liquid lipstick. I LOVE this color and formula already have another!

Sephora Play! March 2017

This blog is late this month, but I still wanted to share what I got! This month I got box 469. There were 4 variations.

• Atelier Cologne Clementine California – 2g – full size 100 g retails for $130, sample worth $2.60
• Glamglow Glowstarter Mega Illuminating Moisturizer – .24 oz – full size 1.7 oz retails for $49 – sample worth $6.92
• Josie Maran Finishing Balm – .1 oz – full size .5 oz retails for $36 – sample worth $7.20
• Verb Ghost Oil – .57 oz – full size 2 oz retails for $14 – sample worth $3.99
• Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion – .06 oz – full size .33 oz for $20 – sample worth $3.64
• Benefit Watt’s Up highlighter – .08 oz – full size .33 oz retails for $30 – sample worth $7.27
• Full value: $31.62

  This month, unfortunately I was pretty underwhelmed. I already have a sample of the Finishing Balm and haven’t used it yet, because it’s such a weird concept, but maybe I need to give it a chance. The hair oil is okay, but nothing better than what I can get at the drug store, and I don’t like the smell. I am not planning to try the highlighter because I already have too many, so I’ll probably end up trading this.

  I was, however, pretty happy to receive the UD Primer Potion because I’m almost out of my full size, so this will last me a little longer before I need to purchase a new one. I also love all Glamglow products I’ve tried, and so far I really like this one! I have been using it all over my face on the days I don’t want to wear foundation. I don’t think I would purchase full size because it’s so expensive.

  This was one of my least favorite months so far, so I hope April is better!

Ipsy March 2017 – Sample Values and Mini Reviews

This month’s bag is gorgeous! I love the little card that came with it.

I got:

• Eyeko Fat Brow Liquid Liner .12 oz – Full size! – worth $22
• eva-nyc Mane Magic 10-in-1 primer 1 oz – full size is 6 oz and retails for $14- sample worth $2.33
• Neogen Coconut Milk Pure  Mild Cleanser .84 oz – full size is 16 oz and retails for $31 – sample worth $1.63
• Tarteist Quick Dry Matte Lip Paint in the shade Delish .034 oz – full size is .2 oz and retails for $20 – sample worth $3.40
• Skone blending brush  – worth $18
  • Total value: $47.63    Paid: $10

Mini reviews/first impressions: 

• Brow liner – really interesting and something I haven’t seen or tried before. I was really wary after swatching this because on my hand it turned out almost gray, but somehow on my brows it fills them in and blends with my skintone and my hairs and magically works really well. I’m going to keep trying this and maybe do a full review.
• Mane Magic hair primer – I sprayed this in my hair after washing it, when it was still damp. It smells AMAZING and gave my hair some softness and smoothness. I have really dry hair, and it did help in that department, but not as intense as using pure argan oil on the hair.
• Coconut Milk cleanser – I tried using it to take off makeup, and it didn’t get everything off, but as a cleanser after removing makeup I liked it. It’s definitely very gentle and my skin felt hydrated after I used it. Definitely something I will continue to use.
• Tarteist Quick Dry Lip Paint – I haven’t tried this formula before (I love the creamy lip paints), but so far I like it. It is drying, like all matte liquid lipsticks you will find, but I enjoy the color. It’s a mauve-y pink, and although I have a few similar colors, this is nice and I will definitely wear it. I’m a huge fan of liquid lipsticks, so if you are not, you may find this too drying.
• Skone blending brush – very happy with this! I can always use more eye brushes and this is really soft and blends nicely for the crease and outer corners of eyeshadow. I love getting brushes from ipsy!

  This month was definitely a win for me for Ipsy. I am much happier with my bags this time around than I was before I unsubscribed. From my experience, really narrowing down your survey is what’s best. Instead of selecting that I was interested in a lot of items, I chose 1-2 answers for each question and have stuck to getting the things I want most, rather than just things I kind of like.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance Mini Tutorial

The Modern Renaissance Palette has been around for a while now and has become a huge favorite throughout the beauty world. It is my every day palette, and my goal is to do a few posts with different looks using this palette. I find it to be very versatile, as you can go neutral, warm and deep, or soft and pink.

Here is a mini-tutorial of one of my favorite eye looks I have done with this palette.

I always use tempera as an all over base shade to set my eyeshadow primer, as power blends better with powder, and your eyeshadow is going to blend better if you have set your primer with a shade close to your skin color.

I used Burnt Orange as a transition shade in the crease and onto the lid, and Realgar in the outer corner. I deepened the crease with Red Ochre (you could also use Cyprus Umber instead), and then used Primavera on the lid and inner corner. I brought primavera and Realgar onto the bottom lash line to pull the look together.

With my eye fully open.

Full face.

I am wearing Maybelline Fit Me Dewey and Smooth Foundation, OC from the Gwen Stefani Blush Palette, Colourpop Brow Pencil in the shade brown black, and Colourpop Lumiere on the lips.

January and February Empties

I’ve always loved seeing Empties posts and videos, because I trust the opinions very much if they’ve used it enough for it to run out. I started saving my beauty empties, and although it’s not much, and most are deluxe samples, these are my empties from January and February.

Sephora Collection Outrageous Volume Mascara – I liked this mascara, but HATED the applicator. The wand doesn’t twist open, you just pull it straight out, and there’s nothing to stop the excess mascara from coming out. A lot of this got wasted.

Lancome Hypnose Drama Waterproof Mascara – LOVED this! It gave me a similar effect to Too Faced Better Than Sex, which is my all time favorite. If I didn’t have so many mascara samples to use up, this is something I would repurchase.

Becca Backlight Priming Filter –  I really liked how illuminating this is, and it made my skin look nicer immediately. This is something I will consider purchasing in full size.

Clinique Pep-Start Eye Cream – this became my all time favorite eye cream! It is super smooth, light weight, and moisturizing. It’s perfect for putting underneath makeup in the morning.

Batiste Dry Shampoo – I have to admit I probably got this more than a year ago and just now finished the bottle. I have dry hair, so it’s not often I need dry shampoo, but I would say this does the job pretty well. It is easy to distribute through my hair and easily soaks up the oil. I did repurchase this exact bottle in full size.

Bath and Body works Body Spray and Lotion
Kind of embarrassing to admit that I’ve had this body spray for so long, that I don’t think they’ve sold that type of bottle in years. I bought this sometime in high school, and literally wore it all through college. I neglected it for a while, and then made it my goal to finish it.

The lotion was a gift, and also something I was just trying to use up, and took me probably a year of using at least once per week. I don’t usually go for highly scented lotions, but this one smelled amazing.

Caudalie Vinosource Moisturizing Sorbet – I used this on my face underneath my makeup, and it worked well because it is so lightweight and sinks into the skin easily. Probably will not repurchase, simply because of price.

Gold Bond Ultimate Healing – I used this on my body and it does moisturize well, but it is pretty thick and doesn’t rub in as easily as others.

Suave Smoothing With Cocoa Butter and Shea – I really liked this! I used it on both my hands and body and I liked how smooth and light it is. This would be my choice to repurchase if I run out of lotions.

Burt’s Bees Naturally Nourishing – This was just okay. The smell wasn’t my favorite, and the formula was too thick for my liking. I would use it if I had another sample, but would not repurchase.

What have you used up recently?

Sephora Play! February 2017

Sephora Play! is a monthly box for $10. Each month you get 5 products, and a perfume sample. You also receive a card for 50 bonus beauty insider points if you buy something in store.

February 2017 Sephora Play! There are generally a few different box variations that get sent out, and this month I got box 575.

I like the bag, and the overall Valentine’s theme.

What I got:

• Marc Jacobs Divine Decadence perfume sample – full size retails for $97 for 1.7 oz, sample is .04 oz worth $2.28
• Nars Velvet Lip Glide in the shade Bound – full size is $26 for .2 oz, sample is 0.07 oz worth $9.10  
• Lashcraft Length and Volume Mascara – full size is $12 for .33 oz, sample is .094 oz worth $3.42  
• Origins GinZing eye cream – full size is $30 for .5 oz, sample is .17 oz worth $10.20
• Clinique Pep Start hydroblur moisturizer – full size is $29.50 for 1.7 oz, sample is .24 oz worth $4.16
• Too Faced Lip Injection Glossy in the shade Milkshake – full size is $22 for .14 oz, sample is .03 oz worth $4.71

Total value of this month’s box – $33.87

My quick first impressions:

• Marc Jacobs perfume – I always love his perfumes and this is no different. It has a vanilla-y scent and I can see myself using this sample quickly.
• Nars and Too Faced lip glosses – I was disappointed to get 2 lipglosses in the same box, because I’m not a gloss girl. The Too Faced one is a cream color, which I imagine shows up clear on the lips. I didn’t do a lip swatch because I plan to give it away. I did however like the Nars lipgloss, because it can be opaque on the lips, and shows up as a dark nude. I am going to try wearing this since my lips have been too dry for matte lipsticks lately.
  
• Lashcraft Mascara – it has a unique brush that I’ve never seen before. It is almost flat on one side, and wide on the other. I was able to start on the flat side and curl to the wide side to get a long, feathery effect.
  
• Origins Ginzing eye cream – it has a color to it, which has an illuminating effect under the eyes. It looked good after I applied it, but unfortunately gave me a burning effect in my eyes that I have never experienced with an eye cream before, so I will not be using this again!
• Clinique Pep Start moisturizer – I have tried this in the past and I really love the Pep Start line. This is good morning moisturizer, because it isn’t heavy and dries into the skin quickly, making it good to apply underneath makeup.

Overall thoughts: this was more of an off month for me. I wish they included a different type of lip product instead of 2 glosses, and I’m disappointed the eye cream burned my eyes. I will probably only be using 3 of the items regularly, but will be giving the Nars lip gloss a try and may end up wearing it more than I expect.

If you’d like to see more unboxings, reviews, and makeup looks, subscribe!

Ipsy February 2017

Ipsy is a $10 subscription in which every month you receive 5 products and a makeup bag.

Products:

• Dermadeli Rejuvenating Toner – not sure of sample size – full size is 4 oz and retails for $24.99 – I would estimate this sample is worth around $6
• Luxie 514 Blush Brush – (love this brand!) retails for $18
• IBY Beauty Highlighter in the shade Bubbly – full size – retails for $12
• Elizabeth Mott Whatup Beaches Matte Bronzer – .7 g  – full size is 8 g and retails for $25, making this sample worth $2.18
• NYX Butter Lipstick in the shade Ripe Berry – full size – retails for $6
• Total estimated value of this months bag – $44.18 – another month with great value!

  I like that I got 3 full size products this month. One thing I’m not as fond of with Ipsy is getting a lot of unknown or online only brands. I find the quality to be more hit or miss than well known brands, and I also find if I do enjoy something, I’d rather buy in store than having to repurchase online.

  I was super happy with the brush, and will definitely be trying the highlighter and bronzer, though just from swatching, the bronzer seems similar to other products I already own. I will use the toner, but didn’t find it to be anything special. I am going to pass on trying the NYX Butter Lipstick, because I have tried the line in the past, and am just not as much of a fan of sheer lipsticks. I prefer to use lipsticks that are fully opaque and long lasting. I will be passing it along, or trading it.

  Overall, this month was just so-so for me. It would have been more of a miss, but the brush definitely made a positive impact for me.

What did you get in your bag this month?