May Favorites

For some reason, I have a ton of favorites this month ranging from skincare to makeup to hair care. I used some really great products this month, and I can’t wait to share them all with you!

Maybelline Color Tattoo 24 hr Eyeshadow in the shade Caramel Cool

This was from their nude spring collection, and it’s the only one I picked up from that collection. It’s a beautiful bronzy gold color that looks great all over the lid for a simple look or just on the inner corner with a darker color in the crease and outer v area.

Not Your Mother’s Lock Luster Oil Treatment

I bought this last year sometime and had totally forgotten about it. But I’m glad I rediscovered it! It’s an oil treatment for your hair that’s infused with argan and macadamia oil, so obviously it smells amazing, and it makes your hair really shiny. You only need like a dime-sized amount, maybe less, for your whole head, so it’ll definitely last me for a while. I’ve been really impressed with the products I’ve tried from this brand so far.

Victoria’s Secret Love Spell Refreshing Body Mist

I got this in a combo pack with a body wash and something else for Christmas a few years ago, and it just sat in my closet forever. Then I decided to pull it out again last week and remembered how much I loved it! It doesn’t last all day like a perfume would, but I just love how it smells. I think Love Spell is one of their best known and loved scents, and I can definitely see why.

  

Milani Baked Blush in the shade Luminoso

People have been talking about this blush like crazy, and now I see why! The swatch above is kind of heavy, and I didn’t blend it in just to make sure you could see the color right, but it blends beautifully into the skin. It gives your face kind of a lit from within glow, and I don’t even wear bronzer sometimes with this because I don’t feel like I need this. Since I have more pink undertones, I feel like it takes me a little bit longer to blend than perhaps someone with yellow undertones, but I still really like it.

NYX Primal Colors Eyeshadow in the shade Hot Pink

Gah, I love this eyeshadow. I’ve been coveting the Urban Decay Electric palette for a while now, and then I saw that NYX came out with these Primal Colors eyeshadows, which are all neon colors, so I got super excited. I absolutely love this eyeshadow! It can go on really light or you can build up the color, so I think you can achieve a wide variety of looks with it. This has been one of those colors for me that I’ll just pop in the center of my lid if I want to add a little something to whatever eye look I just created, and I think it works great for that.

Elizabeth Mott pop! goes the shadow in the shade Champagne

I got this in my Ipsy bag last month I believe, and it’s great! This is perfect as a highlighter on your browbone or on your cheeks and other parts of your face as well, and I also like to use it on the inner corner of my eye. It’s just a beautiful color that’s very pigmented and it lasts all day, so I’d highly recommend it.

NYX Chunky Dunk Hydrating Lippie in the shade Berry Mojito

I talked about this in a recent mini-haul post, but I just love it. Sometimes I’ll just apply it lightly for a wash of color, but you can also build it up to get a more intense look. These feel pretty hydrating, and they have a bit of a staining effect on the lips (and my hand after I swatched it). I wasn’t crazy about the other colors in this line personally, but this color has been working out just great for me.

NYX Butter Lipstick in the shade Razzle

 This is another great lip product that I talked about in that same mini-haul post, and it also has a bit of a staining effect, which I really like. This is a bright pink, not purple like the color of the tube suggests. This is just a great lipstick, because of both the color and the formula, for spring and summer.

Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara

This is another product I had forgotten about and rediscovered. I’ve been using the Maybelline Rocket Volum’ Express almost every day for mascara now for over a month, but then I decided to bring this one out again, and I’m glad I did. It doesn’t give as much definition as the Maybelline mascara, but it is a bit darker and more intense, in my opinion.

May Empties

I didn’t end up using too many products this month, but I still thought it was worth doing a quick little post, so here we go!

Equate Beauty Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover

I’ve used this many times before, and I think it does a pretty good job of removing my makeup, even stubborn mascara. However, I’ve recently tried a new eye makeup remover from Maybelline, the waterproof version of Clean Express! line, and I find that I like that much better. I’ve used it for a few weeks now, and I think it removes stubborn makeup more easily than this Equate one, and both are great values for the price.

Soap & Glory Clean On Me Creamy Moisture Shower Gel Crème

This stuff is great! It’s very moisturizing and creamy, as the name suggests, and it has a light clean scent to it, similar to the Hand Food Hydrating Hand Cream I also have from this brand. I feel like it does a good job of just making me feel clean, and I really like how it smells. Once I run out of my other soap in the shower, I’ll maybe look into getting the full-size version of this.

Origins GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream to Brighten and Depuff
I liked this eye cream but I didn’t love it. I used it in the morning before moisturizer, and I did feel like it brightened my undereye are because it had almost like a pearlescent quality to it, but I didn’t think it helped depuff at all. It’s not like I have super puffy undereyes, but if I got less sleep than usual, you could definitely tell and I don’t think this product helped as much as it claimed it would. I don’t think I’ll be getting the full-size version of this anytime soon, but it was nice to try something from the Origins brand, as I’ve heard a lot of great things about it.

Sephora Instant Nail Polish Remover

I’ve included this in my favorites posts in the past, and it’s just so good. I’ve had this one for probably like seven or eight months I think, and now it’s starting to get kind of blah. I know that you can just pour acetone nail polish remover in here and it will revitalize it in a way, but I don’t have any of that at home right now. So I think I’ll just stick with the regular nail polish remover and some cotton pads, at least for now, but I really do think this is a great product that everyone should try. It removes stubborn, stuck nail polish, especially glitter polish, very quickly and with less mess than maybe normal nail polish remover in a bottle and a cotton ball or pad.

May Ipsy Bag

 It’s time for my May Ipsy bag! In case anyone isn’t sure what Ipsy is, it’s a $10 monthly subscription service for beauty and makeup products that come in a different makeup bag every month. You usually get four to five products a month, and typically at least one or two are full-size products, so I always feel like I’m getting the best bang for my buck with it. Click here to sign up and give it a try! The theme of this month’s bag is Fresh Picks. Be sure to check back next month for a review on these products!

 

Eva NYC Therapy Session Hair Mask

What Ipsy says: The Therapy Session Hair Mask deeply conditions, repairs and strengthens dry and damaged hair. Argan Oil nourishes and revitalizes, while Keravis Protein drastically increases hair’s strength and elasticity. The results are hydrated, soft and manageable hair.

What I say: I love trying new hair products, especially masks, so I’m excited to give this a try! It has Argan oil in it and it smells heavenly. Also, this is a pretty good sized product, which is exciting.

Calvin Klein endless euphoria

What Ipsy says: Refreshingly light and radiant, endless euphoria Calvin Klein translates the provocative fantasy of the iconic euphoria fragrance into a sunlit daydream filled with cherry blossoms and an air of sheer sensuality. A new dawn of euphoria arrives with the introduction of endless euphoria, a statement-making innovation on the signature that debuts an entirely original design and juice. endless euphoria sparks the rich sexiness of the signature with a fresh infusion of modern sensuality to create a newly addictive spin. Irresistibly alluring, the fantasy blooms with an uplifting feeling of ecstasy that knows no limits.

What I say: I also love trying new perfumes, so I look forward to wearing this over the next few weeks. I think my mom has used this perfume in the past, and it smells really nice.

Jersey Shore Sun® Sans Tan Anti-aging Sunscreen

What Ipsy says: The Jersey Shore Sun® Sans Tan Anti-aging Sunscreen contains non-nano, anti-aging, certified organic ingredients, including vitamin E (non-GMO) & vitamin D3 which can be deficient in individuals avoiding the sun. SPF 35 provides broad spectrum protection which prevents premature aging and helps to prevent health risks associated with prolonged exposure to the sun. Top rated & recommended for safety, stability and excellent UVA protection, by The Environmental Working Group. Named ‘Summer Must Haves’ in 2013 by PETA Living.

What I say: Now that Fargo has decided it’s time for summer and we just skipped right through spring, sunscreen is quite important. I’m sure this will definitely come in handy, and it’s a good size to just toss in my purse.

Pacifica Mineral Eyeshadow Duo in the shade Duo No. 2 (Moonbeam and Unicorn)

What Ipsy says: The Pacifica Mineral Eyeshadow Duo are coconut infused mineral eye shadows that are a perfect addition to any makeup collection. Packaged in a beautiful travel ready recyclable container, these exclusive duos are customized just for ipsy! These shades can be found in the Pacifica Mystical and Charmed Palette. Smooth application with gorgeous color pay-off.

What I say: I think this is a full-size product, which is great, but the quality of the packaging and the shadows leave much to be desired. The lighter color swatched okay, but the dark purple took quite a few swipes to make it stand out. I’ll give it a shot on my eyelids, but I don’t have high hopes right out of the gate. Also, the top of the packaging snapped off the first time I opened it. It snapped right back on, but still, it’s inconvenient.

Avène Thermal Spring Water

What Ipsy says: Known for its long history in treating atopic dermatitis, the Avène Thermal Spring Water is the only thermal spring water bottled directly from the source and packaged in a sterile environment to guarantee purity and maximum skin benefits. Its unique composition is proven to soothe inflammation, itching, redness, general sensitivity and post-medical and aesthetic procedure irritation as it softens, protects and purifies the skin. Avène Thermal Spring Water is recommended by dermatologists worldwide.

What I say: I think this is the product that intrigues me the most. I’ve never used any type of water spray on my face before, and you can apparently use it for a wide variety of things, so we’ll see what happens! I’m very curious about this.

I Joined Brand Backer!

Hey guys! Happy Hump Day!

I recently heard about a new website (well, new to me) called Brand Backer, and it seems really cool! It’s a site for bloggers and brands to connect so brands can get their products some exposure and bloggers can try out the products and write about them. You can sign up for free, and once the company has verified that you are a blog owner, you get accepted.

There are a handful of opportunities up right now, and I believe they’re updated every few days or so. Once you read about an opportunity (which is sort of like a quick review of the products different brands want bloggers to write about), you request to participate. The brands then choose bloggers from those who requested to participate, and only the chosen bloggers get the samples, or whatever the case may be, to write about on their blogs.

If I ever get chosen to participate in an opportunity and I write about it here on my blog, I’ll be sure to specify that I did not purchase the products myself and I’ll mention the brand that sent them to me. I’m not sure how beneficial this will be in the long run, so I’m just gonna try it for a while and if I’m not liking the services or just the site in general, I’ll stop. I just thought it’d be fun to try out different products I may not be able to get where I live, but if it doesn’t work out for one reason or another, I’ll keep you guys updated so you know where I stand.

Have any of you guys used this site before? What was your experience? Are there any other sites out there like this that you like?

Inject Some Happiness into Your Tuesday

I’m gonna do something a little different today for my post because sometimes life just gets messy. Stuff happens. Mistakes occur. Maybe you’re just having an off day. Once in a while we all need a little pick-me-up or a reminder that life is good and so are we. If any of that is resonates with you right now, this post is for you!

Mini Ulta Haul

Hello everyone, and Happy Monday!

I went to Ulta about a week or so ago, and I picked up the Naked 3 palette (which I have since returned, sadly). While I was there, I also picked up a few products from NYX because they were buy one, get one 50 percent off and I had a coupon for like $3 off a $10 purchase. In case you can’t tell from previous posts, NYX is probably my favorite drugstore brand. And they normally have some good sales on the products, too, so that always helps. Anyway, here we go!

NYX Chunky Dunk Hydrating Lippie in the shade Berry Mojito

These are relatively new from NYX, and it’s their version of a lip crayon basically. I was drawn to this color because it looked kind of like a cross between pink and purple, which is very on trend right now. These are very moisturizing, and they have a bit of a staining effect on the lips, so the color seems to last for longer than I expected. I wasn’t crazy about the other colors in the range, so I probably won’t pick up any more of them, but I really like this color and the formula of these.

NYX Butter Lipstick in the shade Razzle

It seems like everyone has been talking about these lipsticks lately, so I figured I should try one out. There are a ton of colors in this range, but most of them were similar to shades by other brands that I already own or they just weren’t a good color match for me. But I love this one! It’s pretty bright, so it’s perfect for summer, and you can apply it lightly to just get a nice wash of color. The formula is great, and it also has a bit of a staining effect on the lips.

NYX Butter Gloss in the shade Strawberry Parfait

First of all, these smell really flipping good. Secondly, the formula is really nice in that it’s not sticky at all and you get good color on your lips from it; it’s not too sheer. I like to wear this one by itself just for a nice simple look, but it’s also nice to layer it over the other lip products above, or really anything. I’ve layered it over a couple different products, and it looks nice over all of them since it’s just a light mid-tone pink color. These glosses are really nice, and they smell super good, so it’s just a win-win.

(From top to bottom) Swatches of the NYX Butter Gloss in the shade Strawberry Parfait, NYX Butter Lipstick in the shade Razzle and the NYX Chunky Dunk Hydrating Lippie in the shade Berry Mojito

NYX Blotting Powder in the shade Light

I think this is a relatively new product from NYX as well, but I could be wrong. I’ve been wanting to try their Stay Matte, Not Flat powder, but my Ulta is always sold out of the lightest shade, which would be a good color match for me. Anyway, I thought I’d give this a try and so far I like it. It’s not amazing, but it does work well for touchups throughout the day. It comes with a little NYX pouf to apply the product, and there’s a good size mirror as well, which is also nice.

Confession Time

Hey guys!

Sorry for my absence for a couple of days, but I just wanted to take a little break since I’ve been so busy with my new job and just life in general, so now I’m back and feeling very refreshed! Over the past weekend, I did something I’ve been wanting to do for a very long time: I bought the Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette.

Normally I couldn’t justify spending more than $50 on one thing, but I love Urban Decay so much and I ended up returning a lot of things to Ulta, so I rationalized that I only spent about $20 on the palette this weekend.

I was so psyched to use it! I love pinks and brown shadows on my eyelids, I love Urban Decay and I know they make great palettes. What’s not to like?!

Well…I’m sorry, but I really don’t like this palette. In fact, I kind of hate it.

I love the packaging and the brush that comes in the palette, but I don’t like really anything else about it. I feel like the shadows aren’t as high in quality as the Vice or Vice 2 palettes, the pigmentation just isn’t there (which is my biggest problem with this palette) and the lighter colors all kind of look the same on my lids (or they just don’t show up at all).

As disappointing as it is, and as excited as I was to buy this, I will definitely be returning this. I really wanted to like it. I tried applying the shadows different ways and with different bases, but the problems didn’t go away (sometimes they just got worse).

Have you guys tried this palette? What are your thoughts? Were you disappointed or did you really like it?

My Summer Beauty Wishlist

There are so many new, amazing products that have come out recently from a variety of brands for spring and summer, and I kind of want them all. Clearly this isn’t possible, unless I were a millionaire, but a girl can dream, right? I’ve seen a few other people do posts like this, so I thought I’d do a post of some of the items on my summer beauty wish list so I could (not so secretly) covet a bunch of new products that I probably won’t be able to afford for quite a while. So, in no particular order, here they are!

Urban Decay Electric Pressed Pigment Palette, $49

Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette, $54

SEPHORA+PANTONE UNIVERSE The Eye: Radiant Femme Artistry Set, $48

Too Faced  The Chocolate Bar Eye Palette, $49

Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra 24H, $45.50

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush, $35

Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupté Shine, $35

I’m sure my list could go on and on and on for pages, but I’ll stop there. What products are you guys coveting? Have you tried any of the products mentioned above? Do you like them?

My Favorite Hand Creams and Lotions

Hello, all! Hope your week is off to a great start.

As I was cleaning out my purse last night, I realized I had two hand creams and lotions that I absolutely love, so I thought I would share those with you! I know winter is pretty much over, but that doesn’t mean we don’t get dry skin in the spring or summer times. These are both light with fresh scents that work amazingly, so give them a try!

 

Soap & Glory Hand Food Hydrating Hand Cream

I got this deluxe sample size from Sephora, and I love it! It’s a thicker formula, but it blends easily and beautifully into the skin. It has a light, fresh, powder scent to it, and it’s not overpowering at all. My hands feel moisturized for hours after I apply it, and once I run out of lotions I’ll definitely look into buying a full size, if not just a bigger size.

Pacifica Hawaiian Ruby Guava Body Butter

I got this deluxe sample in my Ipsy bag a few months ago, and I love it! It’s just perfect for summer because the scent is Hawaiian Ruby Guava, which is just so fruity and amazing. I know you can use this on other parts of your body as well since it is a body butter, but I’ve just been using it for my hands because they tend to get dry quickly. When you first apply this, you can definitely smell the fruitiness (is that a word), but once you rub it in and it soaks into your skin, you don’t notice the scent as much. My skin feels moisturized and smells so nice whenever I use this, and I saw that the Ulta here in our town recently started selling some products from this brand, including other scents of body butters, so I’ll definitely check them out in the future.

What hand creams or lotions do you use or would you recommend for others? Have you tried the ones I mentioned above?

OPI Liquid Sand Nail Polishes Review

Hello, all! Hope you had a great weekend. On Thursday a Homegoods and Marshalls opened here in my town, so over the weekend my boyfriend and I ventured over to check out both stores. There’s some great stuff in there! I can’t wait to go back and check them out again soon. For now, the only thing I bought there was a set of nail polishes from OPI because it was such a great deal! I love OPI nail polishes because they’re such good quality, and the colors are so gorgeous.

These two polishes came in a set on clearance for $7.99, and normally OPI polishes are $8 or $9 a piece, so I couldn’t pass this up! They’re both Liquid Sand polishes, which means they have a rough texture and you can’t apply a top coat or it’ll mess up the formula. I own one other Liquid Sand polish, and I love it so I was excited to try out other colors.

This was the set they came in, and they’re full size, which is such a good deal! I put two coats of each color on my nails, and I love how they look together. I think if I had to do one by myself, I’d pick the silver color called It’s Frosty Outside over the black color called Emotions, but they’re both beautiful on the nails.

Here’s a photo with flash. The one I took without flash didn’t turn out as well, and then my phone died. Sorry! Anyway, I think this gives a good look at the polishes. They look multi-dimensional since they’re the liquid sand formula. I’d recommend these to anybody looking for a good new polish for sure.

Have you guys tried any Liquid Sand polishes before? What are your thoughts?