Monday, May 18, 2015

May 2015 Ipsy Glam Bag Unboxing

I have been waiting on this bag!!! I peeked at my Glam Room the other day. I needed to know what was in store this month. And I have to say that I am not disappointed with these products in the slightest.

Ipsters are Jetsetters this month!


Our makeup bags are super cute. They're made of a natural kind of muslin material. The inside is a bright lime. Ipsy partnered with Breakups to Makeup for this month's bag design.


Briogeo Rosarco Milk
We got a leave-in conditioner this month. I never have to buy haircare products thanks to my subscriptions, and I get to try out so many new products and brands. I love that aspect of this bag. This conditioner has rose hip, coconut oil, argan oil, and hibiscus leaf antioxidants to "Nourish, Repair, Renew". I can definitely smell the hibiscus and coconut in it. Hopefully it leaves my hair feeling amazing.


Amie Naturally Kind Morning Dew Matte-Finish Moisturiser
I may be the most excited about this particular product. I have oily combination skin. If you've been reading my blog for a while, you'd know that. I'm especially oily in the warmer months, and there are only a handful of products that really help me control my oil. I really hope this works for me. I need something a bit more powerful than what I've been using.


Bellá Pierre Cosmetics Gel Eye Liner in Ebony
This was a huge surprise! I normally would be a bit less excited to get another product from Bellá Pierre or an eye liner, but this puppy is legit! It goes on super duper opaque. It's probably the blackest eye liner I own. When it sets, it does not budge, either. I cannot wait to see how this wears on my waterline.


Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Lip Pencil in Ozone
The big ticket item for this month was this lip liner from Urban Decay, but it's not what you would expect. It's a clear lip liner to help keep your lip color from feathering. I know I tend to have issues with really creamy products bleeding from the corners of my lips, so it'll be cool to see how this works. They also included 2 samples of the new Revolution High-Color Lipglosses in the shades Failbait and Bittersweet.


Luxie 206 Tapered Blending Brush
I received a brush from Luxie in a previous Ipsy bag, and I really love that brush. I always get excited about getting new brushes. You can literall never have too many, especially if you're lazy like me and only get around to washing your dirty ones once a week. Just like the last brush, this one has super soft hairs, a cute pink handle, and a pretty bronze ferrule.


Luxie Eye Shadow Pan in No. 181
I redeemed some points last month for this eyeshadow. I am so glad I did. I wasn't aware that Luxie even made shadows. This one is shimmery pinky peach color. It feels really soft and doesn't have a ton of product kick up in the pan. Pigmentation on it is lovely. This would make a gorgeous all over lid color or an inner corner highlight.


If I could choose differently...
I would have loved to get the Cailyn lipgloss or the Glam Glow cleanser. But Ipsy chose products for me this month that I know I'll really enjoy.

Price Breakdown:
Briogeo Conditioner - 3.92
Amie Moisturizer - 0.78
Bellá Pierre Liner (FULL SIZE!) - 14.99
Urban Decay Lip Liner - 13.33
Luxie Brush (FULL SIZE!) - 12.00
Luxie Shadow (FULL SIZE!) - 6.00
Total: 51.02$ USD

Kiss, Kiss.
-A

Friday, May 15, 2015

The Purge: Highlighters and Bronzers

This is one declutter that I've been putting off because I absolutely love my highlighters, and I'm pretty attached to some of my bronzers. I know I have to go through my entire collection, so it had to be done. I am beginning to have a slight obsession with highlighters. You'll see that later.

I have fewer bronzer than highlighters, so I want to start with those. My very first, most used, most loved bronzer is from Milani. It's the Baked Bronzer in 06 Golden. It has some shimmer to it, but not a ton. I love this, and I'm definitely keeping it.


I have two elf products to show you. The first is the elf Essentials Bronzer in Bronzed. It's a bit lighter than the one from Milani, but for only being 1$, it is really smooth and easy to blend. I'll keep it for now. The other is actually a Mineral Foundation in the shade Deep. This I use to contour. I love it a whole lot, so I won't be tossing it.


From Pixi Beauty, I have their Bronzer in Summertime. I believe this is the darkest bronzer they make. I adore the packaging, but the product is a way too light for me. #byefelicia


I have the Mary Kay Bronzing Powder in Medium-Dark. I've had this for about a year and probably only used it 5 times. It is super pretty, and the swatch of it is not how it looks on the face. Still mine!


Last, I have the Black Radiance Artisan Color Baked Bronzer in Blackberry. I freaking love this! I really wish there were more of these available in stores. I use it to contour even though it has shimmer to it.


Starting Number: 6
Ending Number: 5

I have a single loose highlight. It's the Loose Powder in LSP4. I hadn't started using it until recently, and it is so glittery! I've only used it when I wanna be super dramatic with my makeup.


I have two pressed highlighters, both from The Balm: Betty and Cindy Lou Manizer. I originally purchased Betty and after falling in love with it got Cindy. Both of these are the kind of highlight you need a very light hand for. I love them both.



As for baked highlighters, I have 3. The first is actually a blush from City Colors in the shade Coral. It was too light to use as a blush, so I started using it as a highlight. From elf, I have Blush Gems. It is sooooo pretty! I can't believe I didn't buy this sooner. My newest highlight is MAC MSF in the infamous Soft & Gentle. I have been sleeping on this! I never bought it because it was so expensive, but my lovely boyfriend got it for me. Never giving this puppy up!




Finally are my cream/liquid highlighters. First up is The One Stick from Be A Bombshell. The idea of this was really great, but it is such a hassle to apply. I can't keep this anymore. I barely use it. Next up is Fallen Angel from Starlooks. The color of this is gorgeous. You do have to build it up for it to be a strong highlight, but that may just be because I have darker skin.



This last highlight is my absolute favorite. It is the Glowing Complexion Illuminating Cream from City Color. It's kind of like the BB Illuminator from Gerard Cosmetics where you can use it as a highlight or an illuminating primer or mix it with your foundation for a more dewy look. It is super blingy on the face. I have to put this on underneath my foundation so that it isn't too powerful.


Starting Number: 9
Ending Number: 8

So I definitely thought I would get rid of at least 2 more products, but that's ok. I'm still losing 2 things that I just won't use. I still have a few more parts of my collection to go through, so come back to see the rest.

Kiss, Kiss.
-A

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

BH Cosmetics Wild At Heart Baked Eyeshadow Palette Swatches

Welcome to another eyeshadow palette swatch. Today we're obviously looking at the BH Cosmetics Wild At Heart Baked Eyeshadow Palette. I reviewed the Wild & Free palette recently, but I got these at the same time. I'm just finally getting around to playing with this one because I wanted to see how well I liked the other.



I loved the packaging on the Wild & Free palette, but I like this color and design so much better. The purple snake skin is way too cute. This palette comes with 9 baked eyeshadows that, just like the packaging, have a berry color scheme. At first glance, I'm really drawn to the shadows at each top corner. After swatching, I can't stop looking at the center purple and the bright pink in the bottom corner. I am stoked to create some looks with this palette.




Kiss, Kiss.
-A


Sunday, May 10, 2015

All Gone!: Hair Care & Body Care

It's so exciting when I get to go through my trash! I'm so happy when I finish a product. I've been saving these things up for a while, and I finally feel like I have enough to show you guys, so let's jump in! Whether or not I would repurchase will be indicated in the product photos.

Starting with haircare, I have three rinse out products. From one subscription box or another, I ended up with 2 hair masks: Novex Brasilian Keratin and Hask Argan Oil. I enjoyed them both. I have a few of the Hask masks as backups. I got 2-3 uses from each packet, and my hair feels super soft after each use. I like the Hask one better, though.

My regular conditioner finally ran out, as well. I used the entirety of the larger bottle of the Pantene Relaxed & Natural Dry to Moisturized Conditioner. This is not the first bottle of this I've used. I used to love this line of products, but now only use the conditioner since finding other products that work better on my hair. The scent is great, though.




Moving on to leave-in hair products, I finally finished travel sized products that I've had forever! I don't tend to put a ton of product in my hair, so it's not that surprising. I have 3 Sexy Hair products: Soy Renewal Beach Spray, Soy Tri-Wheat Leave in Conditioner, and Spray Clay. I was completely addicted to the Leave in Conditioner. I alternated use of the other two depending on the level of hold and texture I wanted to add to my hair. I'm not huge on hairspray, but this one was alright. It did what it said.

I finished one hair oil from Dove: the Pure Care Dry Oil. For being such a small sample, it lasted a very long time. I would apply it about twice a week to the ends of my hair or where ever it felt really dry. It didn't have a very impressive smell, but it didn't smell bad at all. I've come to really love hair oils.

The first of 2 "Riley products" that met their end is the Meijer Kids! Hair Detangler. My daughter is mixed and has fine, wavy hair that tangles incredibly easily. I've had to use detangler on her hair ever since it was long enough to comb. This was super cheap, and it did a good job of loosening the knots in her hair. The only drawback to it is the film it left.


I have two empty body washes! The first was mine. I have always loved Bath & Bodyworks. This one was the Stress Relief Body Wash & Foam Bath in Eucalyptus Spearmint. It smelled soooooo good! I need to go buy like 10 more of these. This was the first time I'd tried out this scent, and I loved it. Riley finished the Scooby-Doo Body Wash in Ghostly Grape. She says her favorite thing about it is Scooby-Doo. She's totally in love with Freddy Jones.


So I go through a lot of lotion. I mean A LOT of lotion. I wash my hands a lot at work, and I keep lotion with me. Most of these are travel size. From the drugstore, I have Olay Quench Ultra Moisture Body Lotion, Nourish Organic Coconut & Argan Body Lotion, and 2 of the Jergens BB Body Creams. I hated the Olay lotion. It was too thin and left a weird residue. Nourish Organics didn't mesh well with my natural scent, but the Jergens I adore!


From BBW, I have a full size bottle of Forever Sunshine, and 3 travel size bottles of Secret Wonderland, Apple Blossom Citrus, and Country Chic. Forever Sunshine is my fave of the bunch. I finished 2 specialty lotions: Mitchell and Peach Hand Cream and OPI Avojuice Skin Quencher in Mango. I hated the Mitchell and Peach. It got lumpy like a week after I opened it and it left a really thick residue on my hands. It was gross.



Thanks for checking out my trash! Come back and see what else I'm throwing away.

Kiss, Kiss.
-A

Friday, May 8, 2015

First Impressions: Head & Shoulders Moisture Care Line

I am a Bzz Agent, and one of the products I recently received was the Head & Shoulders Moisture Care Co-Wash, Dandruff Shampoo + Conditioner, and Scalp Soother. I've used the entire set once, so far. It smells really great! That is something that's really important to me for a shampoo and conditioner to have. My hair smelled really good afterwards. I used the products as directed, and in the shower, the shampoo lathered well, but it did dry out my hair. I assume because of the active ingredient, the co-wash isn't as rich as I wanted it to be. I have dry, brittle hair. It didn't provide all the moisture I needed.

Once I towel dried my hair, I tried out the Scalp Soother. The tingle of the peppermint feels absolutely amazing on a freshly washed head. It didn't leave any sort of residue or odd feeling to my hair, and the smell of peppermint went away as the tingle faded. So far, the Scalp Soother is my favorite part of the trio.




With this being the very first time I had used it, I didn't use anything but these three products. Bzz Agent sent me these products free of charge for review. These are my honest first thoughts.

Kiss, Kiss.
-A

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

The Purge: Single Eyeshadows

I finally bought a magnetic palette to put my single shadows in. I was going to start depotting them, and decided I might as well go through them and get rid of the ones I don't use anymore.

I have a no name shadow from Forever 21 that I know I shouldn't keep. The color is really pretty, but the quality is not there. It really lacks pigmentation. One that I know I'm keeping is Chocolate Kiss from Mary Kay. It is such a pretty shade.


These Next 2 are from NYX. The first is called Nutmeg. I use it occasionally. It isn't ,y favorite shimmery brown, but it isn't my least favorite. The other is called Purple. Easy name, right? This one I like more than Nutmeg, but I'm keeping both.


My two Maybelline singles are a bronze and a green. The bronze shade is called Copper Craze, while the green is called Antique Jade. I picked these up on clearance at Meijer about a year ago. I love the green shade way too much.


Also from Maybelline is a super old baked shadow called Mocha Mirage. I think they still sell this shade. I've used a lot of the bronze side, and that's part of why I kept it. Both sides are really pretty, though.


I've got two lovely Pacifica shadows that I got from previous Ipsy bags. I like all three shades. One pan is a duo with no name. The single shadow is called Ethereal. In the pan, Ethereal looks a lot like the lighter shade from the duo, but that one is an iridescent purple and Ethereal is more of a champagne.


My newest two eyeshadows are from elf and The Balm. I'm keeping these to see if I'll love them as much as I think I will. elf's shadow is called Coffee Bean, and The Balm's shadow is Fit from the Nude Dude palette.


Last are my only two Starlooks singles. Starlooks makes professional quality makeup, and believe me, it is amazing. I especially love Tan Glow, but Traffic Yellow is so unique. I have to keep them both.


Starting Number: 13
Ending Number: 11

I only got rid of two of these shadows, but it's still less than I had before. I'm pretty proud of myself for finally going through and depotting most of these, as well. See you next time.

Kiss, Kiss.
-A

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

April 2015 Ipsy Glam Bag Unboxing

Welcome back, my fellow makeup lovers! Today is one of my absolute favorite posts that I do: the monthly Ipsy Reveal! I've been getting this bag for 2 years now, and I still love it. It's only 10$/month, and you always get at least twice your money back in awesome beauty products.

Beautifully Bohemian is this month's inspiration.


To be honest, this isn't my favorite bag. I can see a lot of girls really liking this, but this basket weave pattern isn't really something I can incorporate into my style. I'll see if the little one wants this.


Pandora's Makeup Box Blush in Pink Carnation
I've always wanted to try out this brand! I saw it on someone's YouTube page like 2 years ago and died over the packaging. It is absolutely adorable. I looks like makeup for the free spirit. It's just a single pan, so I'll have to keep it in it's plastic case unless I want all kinds of nicks and gashes, but the color is really pretty and looks great for all skintones.


Crown Brush C224 Oval Concealer Brush
While I really enjoy getting brushes in my subscriptions, a concealer brush isn't my first choice. I like Crown products, and this one doesn't disappoint. The bristles are soft and a good length. I'll probably use this as a flat shader crush instead of for concealer. We shall see.


Olive Natural Beauty Oats & Honey Lip Balm
I swear we get a billion lip balms thanks to monthly subscriptions. I will never run out. This is a certified organic product, which I like. I can't attest to the texture or moisturizing ability, because I know I won't be opening this for a long while because of the bucket of other lip balms I own. But being made from olives and being organic is a great combination for me. I love olive products, and it can't be bad if it's organic.


The Balm Nude Dude Mini Eyeshadow in Fit
The Balm is one of my favorite brands. I own tow of their eyeshadow palettes and a few of their cheek products. I love that we get to try out another of their eyeshadows. Even in mini size, the packaging is amazing! This shade is right up my alley. I wear bronze shadows all the time. I'm excited to add this to my collection.


Elizabeth Arden Beautiful Color Moisturizing Lipstick in Red Door Red
A full size lipstick, this is! FULL SIZE! I've never tried anything from this brand before, even though I've walked past the counter at Macy's a zillion times. I'm not a huge fan of this packaging, but it does remind me of a Tardis, so I can't complain that much. The color is a blue based red, mixed with a bit of pink. I'm not sure how this will look on my. but I'm sure as hell gonna make it work somehow!



Price Summary:
Pandora's Blush (FULL SIZE) - 14.00
Crown Brush (FULL SIZE) - 7.45
Olive Lip Balm (FULL SIZE) - 5.95
The Balm Shadow - 3.75
EA Lipstick (FULL SIZE) - 25.00
Total: 56.15$ USD

In all honesty, this was a much better bag than I thought it would be. I wasn't sure I would like all the products, especially the red lipstick. The value is really great, and I got 4/5 full size products. That's amazing!

Kiss, Kiss.
-A