Favorites - April 2016

How is it May already?  It seems like just a few minutes ago it was the holidays.  I’ve still been trying to use up my collection, and with that I haven’t run across too many outstanding products this past month.  However, a few items have jumped out at me.

• Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Stress Control Triple-Action Toner – While making my way through my collection, some things did not agree with my skin and totally broke me out.  My standard spot treatments weren’t touching it, so I decided to try out this toner that we had picked up for the kiddo a while ago.  OMG, watch out!  This is insanely strong, but it cleared up my skin within about 2 days.  What do you do to combat breakouts?
• Taylor Swift Taylor Perfume – I rediscovered this in my stash this month and have used it repeatedly since.  I put this on from the rollerball in the morning and it lingers all day.  Fragrantica describes it as “a sweet, floral-fruity fragrance with a woody base”.  Personally, I love the longevity of the sweet scent; it almost acts like aromatherapy to keep me smiling.  Have you had a go-to fragrance this month?
• Mally Pro-Tricks Lip Palette (not available on website, search here) – When I got this at a Master Class with Mally (hopefully I’ll get a post out eventually), I wasn’t overly thrilled.  I don’t usually like lip palettes, especially since you have to use a lip brush with them.  Then I tried it.  This lipstick is so creamy and opaque!  I even tried out the darkener and it worked great.  I look forward to using it more.
• Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Custom Eye Enhancing Eyeliner Trio for Brown Eyes – I have been loving this eyeliner this month (you’ll actually see one of them in my empties this month).  The purple is a decent purple for being drugstore, although not my favorite of all time.  The espresso, however, is amazing.  It is a super dark brown, and I have never found anything better for the waterline.  I truly have to scrub with makeup remover at night to get it off the waterline it stays so well.
• Ink Master – OK, so I know this isn’t a beauty product, but I have been obsessed with this show this month, and before I had a beauty blog I blogged about TV, movies, and books.  I have watched the entire series while keeping up with the current season.  If you don’t know what it is, Ink Master is a tattoo competition on Spike TV airing on Tuesday nights.  They also have a show where they bring back people who weren’t happy with the tattoos they received to confront their artists, Ink Master Revenge.  I can’t get enough of watching these talented artists share their skills with the world.

What were your favorite products this month?

Birchbox - April 2016

Birchbox teamed up with Rifle Paper again this month to give us a beautiful box, and filled it with organic and all natural products.  The box itself is beautiful, even if it isn’t my typical style.  The same sort of goes for natural products; it’s not that I am against them, I don’t go seeking them out.

I like the selection of products this month.  I think there’s a good variety, with hair care, face care, fragrance, and more than one makeup sample. (yay!)  I also love the idea of the mini face palette.  In the past, when there has been a set with more than one product, I’ve typically only received one part of it.  This time, I get to experience all three pieces.  (Again, yay!)

On to the samples:

• Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Mask – This is a hair mask, which I don’t use a lot of.  I will probably use it at some point, but I don’t know how soon I’ll get to it.
• Aquareveal Satin Bright Soft Water Peel for Face – My skin can be sensitive, so I don’t use a lot of face peels.  This one is supposed to be fairly gentle, so I might give it a shot.  If you’ve tried this before, what do you think about it?
• Burt’s Bees Tinted Lip Balm in Hibiscus – This isn’t a bad tinted lip balm, but it isn’t my favorite.  In fact, I own this exact one already, so I’ll be passing this on.  The biggest problem I’ve had with Burt’s Bees products (until I used the newest lipsticks) has been in the taste and scent.  This one smells like old school makeup, Play-Doh, and wax.
• Au Naturale Mini Face Palette in Lively (trio here) – This trio consists of Sangria Lipstick, Palermo Blusher, and Ivory Shadow.  I love that I get to try 3 makeup products in a single sample.  I know not everyone likes it, but I usually prefer using cream products over powders, so this little trio is a fabulous idea.  The shadow is the perfect shade to double as a highlighter, so it’s even more multifunctional. Unfortunately, on first try, these were all really sheer and required multiple applications to get it to show up, and even then it wasn't quite what I wanted.  Do you use any cream makeup, or solely powders?
• Tocca Florence Eau de Parfum – I’ve had ups and downs with Tocca fragrances, and this one was OK.  I've actually received this before and was one from this brand that I kept, but I will be passing this on because I still have the other sample.  I know some people are very against receiving fragrance samples in their boxes, but I don’t mind either way.  I’ve found some great perfumes this way, but I’ve also experienced some huge duds.  Which side are you on?

I also decided to add on a Birchbox Plus item for the first time this month.  This is when subscribers can add select items onto their box at a discounted price and have them delivered at the same time as their monthly box.  I was drawn to the Triple C Beauty Bar Mirrored Charger, figuring that both an extra portable charger and an extra mirror are always good things to have.  At first I had some concerns because it didn't come with my box like they originally said it would.  However, after going back and forth with customer service and both sides doing some investigating, everything was satisfactorily resolved.

Overall, this wasn’t my favorite box, but it wasn’t a complete wash.  I did like some of the items, and will try out some new ones to see if I can find a new product.  Sometimes, boxes that I think will be duds wind up being some of the best, so I’ll see how this turns out in the end.

How was your Birchbox this month?

Note: Birchbox link is my referral link.

Ipsy - April 2016

I love the bag Ipsy picked this month!  The kiddo isn’t the biggest fan because, according to her, she doesn’t like the more canvas-like bags.  I don’t know what she’s talking about!  This bag, with its swirly, watercolor, almost tie-dye design, is gorgeous.

The contents this month are pretty good too.  Two makeup items, a nail polish, a hair treatment, and a brush made a great mix of products.  I also like that that there are brands here that know I love and others that I’ve never tried before.

 

This month, I received:

• Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair! Gel-to-Oil Overnight Repair Treatment – This hair mask will be tricky for me.  A lot of times, I use hair masks like intense conditioners.  This one, you can’t really do that.  You’re supposed to wear it to bed and keep it on overnight, putting a towel down to protect your pillow if needed.  I worry about how well that will work with how I sleep.  If you’ve used this, do you have any tips?
• Adesse Organic Infused Gel Effect Nail Lacquer in Irina – This is such an interesting color, especially for spring.  It is somewhere between lavender and light cool grey.  There’s something on the bottle that I can’t quite tell what it is; it’s colored, but it doesn’t look like the product leaked.  I haven’t been doing my nails much lately, but this is a color I’d definitely pick.
• City Color Highlight Trio – I was so excited to see this in my bag this month!  I love highlighters, so it was even better to get 3.  I’ve used some City Color products before and have been impressed with what I’ve tried, which surprised me a little because I found them at the dollar store.  I’m looking forward to using these, not just as face highlighters but also as eyeshadows.
• Tarte Lipsurgence Lip Crème in Wonder – I love Tarte, and I’m a fan of these.  I have learned that I sometimes have to use a lip liner with these, especially with the darker colors.  And I don’t know why, but the minty scent and tingly nature always surprise me when I use these.
• Crown Brush C427 Tapered Duo Fiber Brush – I like getting brushes in my Ipsy bags.  I don’t have an over-abundance of brushes, so this helps round out my collection.

 

How was your Ipsy bag this month?

Note: Ipsy link is my referral link.

Empties - March 2016

This was a big month for lip products, and makeup in general.  I rarely use up any makeup, but to use up 2 lip balms in one month has never happened before!  I also tried a lot of skincare, and even found a fantastic drugstore moisturizer.

I also decided to combine the Giveups into the individual sections rather than having a section of their own; we'll see how that goes for a few months.  Let me know what you think by shouting out in the comments below.

Makeup

• Benefit Air Patrol BB Cream Eyelid Primer – Sample from Ulta.  This isn’t the best eye primer I have, by far.  I much prefer Too Faced Shadow Insurance and Urban Decay Primer Potion to this.  It didn’t seem to have the same staying power or give the same intensity to my shadows, particularly powdered shadows.  Purchase: No.
• Benefit Posie Balm – Full size.  I had gotten a sample of this before, and from that very small amount decided to get the full size.  It’s an OK lip balm and stays for a decent amount of time even though it is a softer stick.  However, this color can barely be seen, and it has a very strong flower/rose scent.  Considering these are $18 each, they’re not worth the price.  Repurchase: No.
• H&M Liquid Eyeliner in Bronze and Gold (similar) – Full size.  GIVEUPS.  I originally picked these up because I wanted to grab a gold eyeliner like mentioned in the Hunger Games books.  Unfortunately, these burned my eyes as they dried down.  I was able to get some really nice looks using combining these two, so I may have to look into better ones in similar colors.  Also, H&M has reformulated their (I believe) entire makeup line, so things might be better now.  Repurchase: No.
• LUSH Santa’s Lip Scrub (similar) – Full size.  This was originally in a LUSH kit I received for Christmas 2014.  This smells great but was kind of difficult to use.  It was hard to get the scrub out of the jar and then have it stay on my lips long enough to scrub.  Also, it wasn’t the most exfoliating scrub I’ve used.  Purchase/Repurchase: No.
• Pixi Shea Butter Lip Balm in Comfort Clear – Full size.  This is a fantastic lip balm.  It lasts for a long time, has a mild vanilla mint scent, and is relatively inexpensive (more than a ChapStick, less than Fresh Sugar).  The tinted balms are good too, but this is my favorite.  Repurchase: Yes.
• Tarte BB Tinted Treatment Primer in Fair – Full size.  This may make a decent primer, but I didn’t like this as a BB Cream.  Because it had a silicone texture, I definitely had to set it with powder or my hair would stick to it all day long.  Repurchase: No.
• Ulta Cream Eye Shadow in Shimmering Topaz – Full size.  GIVEUPS (sort of).  This is the first cream eyeshadow I ever hit pan on.  I used this all the way to the edges and then some, but then it dried out.  This is a great cream shadow, though it is a dupe for the Maybelline Color Tattoo Metal eyeshadow in Barely Branded.  Repurchase: Maybe (already have Barely Branded to use first).

Face Care

• Bite Lush Lip Wipes – Full size (1 of 5 from set).  This was originally in a Bite kit I received for Christmas 2015.  It’s basically a smaller wipe that is supposed to be used specifically for removing lipstick.  Aside from having a nice, fresh, slightly fruity scent that I would associate with Bite Beauty, I don’t know why I’d spend extra money on these.  Purchase: No.
• L’Oreal Age Perfect Hydra-Nutrition Golden Balm – Magazine sample.  Wasn’t a huge fan of the scent, and it was a heavy cream (hence the word “balm” in the name).  Purchase: No.
• L’Oreal Revitalift Volume Filler Re-Volumizing Cream – Magazine sample.  This might make an OK primer, but not what I was looking for as a moisturizer.  Purchase: No.
• Neutrogena Make-Up Remover Cleansing Towelettes – Travel size from Ulta.  HG product, just in travel size.  Repurchase: Yes (already have full size).
• Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream – Travel size from Target Beauty Box.  This smells so fresh, and I actually see a bit of a difference in appearance when I use it consistently.  One of the best face creams I’ve used, high end or drugstore.  Purchase: Yes (Already have full size).
• Olay Regenerist Luminous Tone Perfecting Cream Moisturizer – Rippy packet.  Not bad.  It has the same fresh scent as the Micro-Sculpting Cream.  I did just buy the other, and might want to try a few more samples of this one before committing to it to see its effects (or lack thereof).  Purchase: Maybe.
• Perricone MD Face Finishing Moisturizer – Sample from QVC (gift).  I don’t understand why brands make face products floral scented.  It seems like most high end brands do this with their face moisturizers.  It wasn’t even the greatest moisturizer.  Purchase: No.
• Simple Micellar Make-Up Remover Wipes – Full size.  I love the Simple Micellar Water, but really didn’t like these wipes.  I found that they just didn’t remove my makeup well.  I actually got so frustrated that I went back to using my Neutrogena ones and finished these up by cleaning swatches.  Purchase/Repurchase: No.

Skincare

• Ala Moana Hotel Body Lotion – Hotel sample.  Standard hotel sample.  Purchase: No.
• BBW Shower Gel in Pink Chiffon – Travel size.  I used to love this scent, but now there are others I prefer more.  I’m also not a huge fan of the BBW shower gel anymore; I feel like it dries me out. Repurchase: No.
• BBW True Blue Spa Fragrance Free Shea Butter Super Rich Hand Cream – Full size.  This was a decent unscented hand cream.  It was very rich, being good for extra dry skin, and being unscented worked out well when scented products were not feasible.  Repurchase: Maybe.
• Marietta Massage Bar in Fresh & Clean – Hotel sample.  Standard hotel bar soap.  Purchase: No.
• Philosophy Shampoo, Shower Gel & Bubble Bath in Raspberry Sorbet – Small full size (6 oz).  I received this in a kit as a gift, with another shower gel and two lip glosses.  I really enjoyed not only this formula but also this scent, much more than other products from Philosophy.  Purchase/Repurchase: Yes.
• Soap & Glory Scrub of Your Life – Travel size.  I originally received this in a gift kit.  I love this scent and love the scrubbiness.  Unfortunately, this contains microbeads, which I’m trying to avoid in the future, so I won’t be getting this again on purpose.  Purchase/Repurchase: No.
• TonyMoly Banana Hand Milk – Rippy packet from Birchbox.  OK hand cream, but not my favorite.  Luckily, my coworker will take any I get of this.  Purchase: No.

Fragrance

• Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium Eau de Parfum – Sample gift.  Not a favorite.  Purchase: No.

Hair Care

• Beauty Protector Protect & Treat Treatment Mask – Sample from Birchbox.  I’m not a huge fan of hair masks, but this worked ok as a conditioner or before swimming.  Purchase: No.
• Garnier Triple Nutrition Fortifying Shampoo and Conditioner – Rippy packets.  Not bad.  Standard hair products.  Purchase: No.
• Jane Carter Solution Revitalizing Leave-In Conditioner – Travel size from Target Beauty Box (page refreshes each month when new box is available).  This wasn’t my favorite leave-in conditioner, but it did the job better than many.  It had a bit of an odd scent which I didn’t like.  Purchase: No.
• L’Oreal Volume Filler Thickening Shampoo and Conditioner – Rippy packets.  Just OK.  Purchase: No.
• Pureology Smooth Perfection Cleansing Condition (Ulta) – Rippy packet from Ulta.  I was pleasantly surprised by this, but not enough to rush out to get it.  May change my mind if I try more samples.  Purchase: No.
• San Francisco Soap Company Milk Shampoo – Hotel sample.  Clarifying shampoo from hotel.  Purchase: No.
• Tigi Bed Head Dumb Blond Reconstructor – Full size.  This is one of my favorites for dyed hair.  It is super hydrating, and will moisturize hair no matter how dried out or damaged it is.  It did become difficult to use it all up because it only comes with a pump and the end couldn’t be pumped up.  (The corresponding shampoo will follow next month.  I always seem to use up full size conditioners first.)  Note: It looks like they just re-did this product.  I don't know if it's a whole reformulation or just a repackage, but I love the new packaging.  Repurchase: Yes.

Other

• BBW PocketBac in Best Friends Berry Friendly and Hawaiian Pink Hibiscus – Full size.  These are both nice scents, and ones I would consider again if they were available and once I run out (which may take forever!).  Repurchase: Product – Yes, Scents – Yes.
• Degree MotionSense Dry Spray in Shower Clean – Full size.  This is OK, but it doesn’t seem to last as long as other deodorants on me.  Maybe it’s the format, spray vs. solid, but I don’t think I’ll get this again.  Repurchase: No.
• Sephora Makeup Sponge – Full size.  I picked this up trying to find a less expensive version of the BeautyBlender.  Unfortunately, this was NOTHING like a BeautyBlender.  This sponge was almost solid and had almost no bounce at all.  Well, you could almost compare it to a rubber bouncy ball; that would be a better comparison than to a makeup sponge.  Repurchase: No!

Note: Birchbox link is a referral link.

Favorites - March 2016

I didn’t have an overwhelmingly outstanding month makeup-wise.  I mean that by the true definition of the word: not much stood out to me way above others.  Maybe it’s because I’m still in my push to use things up, but most of what I used was pretty mediocre to good, but not overwhelming.

The few that did stand out are as follows:

• Lipsmackers lip products: I’ve used two different types this month, the standard lip balm and the more gloss-type with a doe-foot applicator.  Both last forever and thoroughly moisturize my lips without being sticky.  I love so many flavors, especially of the balm, but the strawberry is probably my favorite of the glosses.  The balm is one of my HG products.
• BareMinerals 5-in-1 BB Advanced Performance Cream Eye Shadow – I received 3 of these for the holidays, and just pulled them out again this month.  They make a great base for a full eye look, but also work wonderfully if I’m just throwing some eyeliner on.  You can really alter your look by how thick you apply the color; I’ve really been enjoying using a very light layer of Divine Wine just with eyeliner.  If I’m going to use it as a base for a more complex eye look, I’ll usually go for the Soft Linen (almost exactly my skin tone) or Blushing Pink.  I have found, though, that I don’t like how these blend with each other.  I prefer to stick with just one of these and mix in other shadows.

So, that’s it.  That’s all that jumped out at me this month.  Hopefully more will tickle my fancy next month.  Then again, hopefully I’ll have more opportunity to wear a full face of makeup next month as well so I can use more products.

What really stood out to you this month?  Is there anything you think I really need to try?

Ipsy – March 2016

March’s Ipsy was all about Spring.  There were actually 2 bags this month with an inverse color scheme of each other: one mostly blue with pink flower outlines, the other mostly pink with blue flower outlines. (I got the blue with pink outlines seen above) While the design doesn’t overly thrill me, it’s not the worst I’ve seen, either.

I love makeup, so I absolutely love when my subscription boxes are heavy on makeup samples.  Ipsy definitely kept me satisfied this month!  Out of the 5 samples, 3 were makeup.  Then there was 1 tool and one body product.  Not only that, but just about everything was full size this month.  Overall, this was a really good bag!

On to the products:

• Margaret Dabbs London Super Shiner Buffer – This is a full-size nail buffer that seems to be pretty decent.  It’s a little irksome to me that it doesn’t fit well into the bag, but that’s the price for being a full-size product.
• Nourish Organic Rejuvenating Rose Hip & Rosewater Body Oil Mist – I’ve liked the few other products I’ve tried from this brand before, so I’m interested in this one.  The kiddo pointed out that it says in the name that it’s a mist, but the sample came in a tube, so I won’t get the full experience of how this product is truly supposed to work.  Also, based on past experience with products from this company, oils in tubes can be a messy scenario.
• Pixi Beauty Blush Duo – This is beautiful!  I wouldn’t call both of these blushes, because one is definitely light enough even on me to be a highlighter, but the swatches look gorgeous.  I do wish the lid was a flip-top instead of a screw-off for convenience purposes, but it seems to be a very secure lid so I’m not overly concerned.
• Vera Mona Eyeshadow in Clover – This seems like a beautiful eyeshadow, and a multitasking product at that.  It’s a shimmery pink, so it could probably be used as a shimmery blush or highlighter as well, depending on your skin tone.  I’m a little surprised to see a pink eyeshadow; so many people don’t like them.  I seem to be one of the few who will use pink eyeshadows routinely; mixed properly with other colors, especially purples, they don’t make me look sick like others claim.  (It looks like this is normally one color that comes in a palette, but I don't see it sold separately on their website.)
• NYX Liquid Suede Cream Lipstick in Kitten Heels – This bright red matte liquid lipstick is a gorgeous formula.  It is definitely not transfer proof, but it also never claims to be.  It reminds me a lot of the Rimmel Matte Lip Velvets in texture when they go on, or even the NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams, but it dries down more.

Again, I am so happy with this month’s bag.  This is probably one of the best product-wise I have gotten in a long time.

What did you get in your Ipsy this month?  Did you get any of these same products?  Were you happy with yours or could it have been better?  Shout out in the comments!

Note: Ipsy link is my referral link.  If you haven’t joined yet, you should give it a try!

All products link to the company's website when possible, but they can all be purchase through Ipsy as well.

Birchbox – March 2016

I’m actually going to get this out in a timely manner this month J

This month, Birchbox chose a theme of Ladies First to celebrate International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month.  The box itself is beautiful with its muted geometric pattern, and the products inside seem to be a good mix.

• Parlor by Jeff Chastain Volumizing and Texturizing Shampoo and Conditioner – I do tend to use the shampoo and conditioner samples.  Not thrilled that the conditioner is in a rippy packet, but I’ll deal.
• Juara Radiance Enzyme Scrub – I’m so glad I got a face scrub this month.  It’s been a long time.  Not a huge fan of enzyme ones, but I’ll give it a shot.
• Clarisonic Sonic Radiance AM Skin Illuminating Cleanser – Again, I’m glad that I got a face wash because it’s been a while since I’ve been able to try a new one.  This one is supposed to be best when used with a Clairsonic brush system, which I don’t have and don’t plan on getting on advice of my dermatologist.  At least it can be used alone.
• Trestique Mini Shadow Crayon in Aspen Pine – I’ve used one of these in another color that wasn’t the best, but this one seems to be much more pigmented in the swatch.  It is one of the most interesting colors I’ve ever seen.  It’s sort of a dark olive green that looks almost black, with the green is enhanced by a gold shimmer.  I look forward figuring out a look using this color.
• Cartier Baiser Vole Eau de Parfum – Not always the biggest perfume sample, but it is nice to receive one every now and then.  Unfortunately, I don’t really like this one, but I have found some favorites this way.

  

So, overall, not the best, but not the worst box.  The samples were all a decent size, and because there was a perfume sample I got 6 this month.  Yay for more samples!

How was your Birchbox this month?  Did you get any of these products?  Of course, all of the products mentioned above can be purchased through the Birchbox store, and I have linked the company's webpage specifically for that product when available.

Note: Birchbox link is a referral link