Sephora and Drugstore Haul

March 25, 2016Leave a comment

Greetings dumpling-faces!

You guys are familiar with how I do things on here by now. I buy some crap from the drugstore or Sephora, or Ulta and I talk to y’all about it. Sometimes, (I’d say about 30% of the time) I end up returning things. I have begun to realize that lots of people have anxiety over returning things and I am here to tell you – IT’S OKAY! If you are spending over $1 on a meekup item and don’t like it, TAKE IT THE F BACK. Why keep a $9, $20, $38 lipstick that makes your teeth look yellow? Most drugstores, like Walgreens and Rite Aid have a money-back guarantee. Keep your receipt, take it back, tell them it made your teeth look yellow and you’re done. They don’t care about the reason if you have your receipt. Same thing at Ulta and Sephora. ALSO, the lovely thing about Sephora is YOU KEEP YOUR POINTS. Yes. I have racked up over 500 points in just 6 months because I buy things, try them out and return them if they aren’t exactly what I want. Nobody should pay over $20 for a sub-par makeup item that they’ll never use. It is a sacrilege, if you ask me.

Sorry for the rant and on to the haul!

Drugstore Items:

Covergirl Supersizer Mascara

Like, duh. You guys new this was coming after my not-so-good experience with the Marc Jacobs Velvet Noir. So happy to have the magic potion back on m’lashes.

Sinful Colors Nail Polish in Vacation Time

Sinful Colors NP is $1.99 and sticks around longer than OPI, Essie, Butter or Deborah Lippman. It stays chip-free for about 4 days which is NUTS. I have pretty much every color that suits me and I was delighted to discover this color, which is basically Kylie Jenner lips as a nail polish.

Eco Tools Deluxe Fan Brush and Custom Coverage Buffing Brush

These pups were buy one get one 50% off at Ulta and I have been DYING for a fan brush lately. I see everyone applying highlighter with a fan brush and while I would love to order one from Morphe, this one was $8 and right it front of me. So far, I really love the fan brush – it is super soft and applies highlight exactly how I want. The buffing brush is just aight tho – the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush is much better if you ask me.

Elf Blending Brush

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I watched Kathleen Lights do a video where she used this brush and I immediately knew I wanted it. I looked at the Elf website and it was out of stock, so I tweeted the company as I usually do. NO REPLY. Then, I went to Target over the weekend and noticed a huge display of the new Elf skincare products and figured I would mozy over for a looksie. Elf did bring out a whole new range of things, all at $6 mark but sadly, I didn’t see the blending brush. I walked over to the Elf section and was just perusing the usual things when I spotted the brush in a weird, low location! I literally squealed in the makeup aisle.

Maybelline Better Skin Concealer

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If you read my recent post on my favorite concealers, you know this one takes top honors. This is my second tube and I am obsessed.

Sephora Items:

Sephora Gradual Self-Tanning Face Water

I found out about this stuff via the internets and am REALLY glad I found it, because it is awesome. During the winter months especially, I like to sport as much of a face-tan as I can get away with. Due to my ghastly complexion, this means most self tanners are totally out of the question because they are MUCH too dark. Also, applying a thicker self tanning lotion to the face always leaves me feeling gross. I LOVE this stuff because it is just like using a toner. I use a cotton round to dispense a tiny bit of product and apply it directly to the areas of my face that I would using bronzer (sides of the forehead, hollows of the cheeks, etc.). I use it in the morning and at night until the desired color is achieved, and for me, that took about 5-6 applications.

Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder

I have been wanting to try this stuff FOREVER but Sephora has been sold out FOREVER. Initially, I wanted to try the baking technique with it, but I really don’t think baking is for me…I am dry and have fine lines. I feel like we should leave the baking to the youngins. However, so far I reallllly like setting my under eye concealer with this, using a flat foundation brush. It really is brightening!

My Favorite Concealers

March 17, 20161 Comment

Today, we are discussing a product that is very near and dear to my heart.

Concealer!

Oh, concealer – what would I do without you?

For me, concealer is mainly used as an under-eye product. I tend to rely on my foundation to do the heavy lifting in terms of coverage and evening out my skin tone, and I rarely use concealer on my face unless I get a zit or something. This is not to say however, that I do not NEED concealer on my face because one could easily argue that I do. I have freckles and a few serious age/sun spots that could definitely constitute massive concealer use, but pancake-face is a serious offense in my book and one I am not looking to commit. My face is flawed, I have a snaggle tooth and a droopy eyelid, but guess what? It’s okay.

That being said, the hard-core Scandinavian-ness of my pale skin and probs not-so-stellar diet means I have under-eye circles. Not bags. Just dark, purple-ish tones under there, and really, they aren’t horrible. A nice concealer usually does the trick for me, but as I get older, I have found that certain ones settle into-fine lines, crease on me or, horror of horrors – dry out. Thus I have unearthed what I feel to be the best. Or at least, the best for me. And here. They. Are.

DRUGSTORE

Gold Medal: Maybelline Better Skin Concealer

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This earns the gold medal for being such a great all-around product. It is brightening, hydrating, provides good coverage and best of all – doesn’t crease. It is like $8 and is probs my favorite concealer right now, even more than the high-end ones. It doesn’t have CRAZY coverage like the Bye Bye Undereye or the Mac, but it is SO easy to apply (doe-foot wand as opposed to a squeezy tube or pump) and blends out like a dream.

Silver Medal: Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Concealer

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This one is such a great concealer. The packaging is truly innovative and pretty fun to use. The consistency of the product is nice and thin and blends out awesome. It doesn’t have the best coverage, but if you don’t have crazy undereye circles, you would absolutely love this one.

Bronze Medal: Sonia Kashuk HIdden Agenda Palette

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This little palette from Target is awesome because it has three different shades and then a nice setting powder. The reason I don’t re-purchase this too often is that I tend to only go through one of the shades and it seems a bit pointless to buy the whole thing for only one shade. The formula, however is very nice. They are creamy, rich and provide great coverage.

HIGH-END

Gold Medal: Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer

This is truly an amazing undereye concealer and performs much the same as the Better Skin one mentioned above. It might be a bit more coverage, but I still like the Maybelline one better because it STILL LOOKS GOOD at 5 pm when I get off work. Also, this one is almost $30, which means I can’t rampantly repurchase as I’d like to.

Silver Medal: It Cosmetics Bye Bye Undereye

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This stuff packs a SERIOUS punch. It has intense coverage and is awesome for the following circumstances: a.) hangovers b.) daylight savings time c.) staying up too late watching Girls. The formula is very thick and takes a bit of work to blend out. I like to use my ring finger especially with this one, because the warmth from my hand heats up the product and makes easier to blend. I really love this concealer, but it can be a bit much for everyday use.

Bronze Medal: Mac Pro-Longwear Concealer

What holds me back from absolutely loving this concealer is the packaging. The formula is super thin but gives CRAZY good coverage. However, I find the tiny little pump to be quite challenging. I either pump out waaaaaay too much or not enough. I tend to use this one in the same situations that I would use Bye Bye Undereye for, or when I am going all-out glam. I love applying this one with a beauty blender and find that a little goes a long way. Again, I just love this stuff but it isn’t super easy to work with.

Marc Jacobs Velvet Noir Mascara Review

March 11, 2016March 11, 20162 Comments

What up baes.

I was sent the Marc Jacobs Velvet Noir Major Volume Mascara as part of the Influenster program, which I have mentioned a few times here. I was overjoyed to receive such a bougie mascara, as y’all know I am a ride-or-die drugstore mascara girl. I wear about 10 coats of the stuff (no joke) on a daily basis which means I basically fly it. I’d say dry shampoo, mascara and Milk Duds have the shortest shelf-life in my midst. Plus, there are SO many awesome drugstore mascaras, spending $30 on one tube at Nordstrom is just silly.

But this was free. And luckily, I don’t love it and therefore, will not be tempted to re-purchase. Here’s the run-down.

Packaging and Wand

I lurrrv Marc Jacobs packaging! The black and white, sleek, shiny boxes – I die. The packaging of this particular mascara is also quite fun and edgy and I actually really like the wand. It is a nice size and the bristles grab alot of product, which I am a fan of.

Formula

It is a fairly wet formula, and I tend to like drier mascaras. It does pack some volume right off the bat, but the more I built it up, the worse the unevenness became. It started to clump on me and just didn’t go on super smoothly. I really do not understand where the velvet noir comes into play…I guess it was decently black but nothing shocking.

Staying-Power

This mascara flaked on me, which is why I really didn’t like it that much. By the late afternoon, I felt I needed to top it off with something else to remedy the patchiness.

OVERALL

I am a HUGE advocate of waiting to judge a mascara until it has been open for a couple of months and has had a chance to breathe (much like a fine wine). So really, I should wait for another week or so to really judge this baby. And perhaps I’ll follow up with a rave review a week from now. But guys. The Covergirl Supersizer is my holy grail, all-time favorite mascara and it costs $7.49 at Freddies. BOOM.

Younique 3D Fiber Lashes Review

February 2, 20161 Comment

Hey beauties!

A couple months ago, my good pal Orejeona sent me a few things from Younique. She sent me a couple of lovely pigments, a sample of cream eyeshadow and then their famous Fiber Mascara! YASSS.

In the way of these lash extension-type mascaras, I haven’t really been a huge fan. I had previously tried the Too Faced Better Than False Lashes and determined that it was actual GARBAGE, hence why you could get it for $8 at any Nordstrom Rack. I was under the impression that the idea (while a good one) just couldn’t work.

Well you guys, I was wrong.

The Younique Moodstruck 3D Fiber Lashes mascara definitely worked for me. As I mention in the video, it IS another step, but the end result is easily worth the extra effort.

In regards to the cream shadow, I am also a fan! To achieve the below look, I simply dabbed a tiny amount all over the lid and buffed out the edges with a slightly darker shade from my Stila In the Light Palette. Sooooo beautiful and sparkly!!

Annnnd the hand swatch:

Right now, Orejeona is having a party over at her website if you want to order now! If not, the products are always available for purchase here.

YSL Rouge Pur Couture Voxbox

October 13, 2015October 12, 2015Leave a comment

I totes hit the mother load with this Influenster Vox Box.

When I heard I was receiving TWO YSL lipsticks for FREE I am not kidding, I squealed. Like a little piggy. Did you know that ANYONE can join influenster? You just link up all of your social media accounts, they send you surveys and then mail you products if you qualify. It is amaaaazing and I feel stupes that haven’t done it forever.

I was among 2,000 people to receive two YSL Rouge Pur Couture Lip Colors in two shades.

The first color is #9 Rose Stiletto.

The second color is #19 Fuchsia

My thoughts?

I am SUPER impressed with the overall quality of these lipsticks. Both shades are very pigmented, creamy and comfortable to wear. They last well for being a lipstick, (about a 2-hour wear) and the packaging is totes bougie. While they come at a hefty price tag of $36, I feel like this is what you’d expect from YSL. If you are committing to a $36 lipstick, you probably a.) don’t care because you’re kinda rich b.) are splurging and treating yourself to a luxury item or c.) are so obsessed with the packaging and YSL brand that you simply don’t care about the price.

I fall more into category B. For special occasions (weddings, giving birth, haha) I would totally spend 36 bones on a beautiful lipstick, but this would be a CALCULATED, premeditated purchase. I wish I was the kindof lady who could waltz into Sephora and casually toss lipsticks in my basket that cost more than an outfit at Forever 21. But sadly, I am not. I’m the $1.99 Wet’n’Wild lipstick connoisseur who thinks twice about adding guac at Chipotle and buys greeting cards at the Dollar Store. That’s just me.

Beautiful lipstick – stunning packaging – and VERY happy these babies were free 🙂

Thanks YSL! Thanks Influenster! Thank you, baby Jesus.

Drugstore Beauty Haul

October 6, 2015October 5, 20152 Comments

Hi ponies!

Lately ~~I’ve been, I’ve been losing sleep~~ (MAN that song is stuck in my head) I have been aboard the money-saving train. In fact, I’ve been the conductor. I’ve been chugga-chuggin’ past the $30 lip balms at Sephora and beautiful wine-colored nail polishes at Nordy’s. Instead, this little engine has been making stops at Walgreens, Targs and of course Marshalls. My fuel? Items that satiate both my face AND wallet! And here’s what I’ve found:

Maybelline Better Skin Concealer in Light

I recently ran out of my beloved Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in Vanilla, but decided to go with a cheaper option. This foundation gets really good reviews and I had also heard good things about the concealer. It provides pretty great coverage, is hydrating and doesn’t look cakey or settle into fine lines. I would highly suggest this stuff for undereye or brightening purposes only. I would NOT recommend this stuff for covering redness or breakouts. Also, there are only three shades but the lightest one seems to be a great match for me!

Maybelline Fit Me Pressed Powder in Porcelain

Apparently, this powder is a dupe for Mac Emphasize (a Jaclyn Hill fave). I have never tried Emphasize, as it is a pro-product and not available in regular Mac stores. So far, I do like this powder. It does have a very slight shimmery effect which is PERFECT for setting under-eye concealer.

Covergirl Supersizer Mascara in Very Black

I sung the praises of this mascara in my Summer Favorites post. I absolutely adore this mascara. It is hands down, the best drugstore mascara I have tried, especially as a stand-alone product. Usually, I combine 2-3 different mascaras to attain the look I want, but this mascara looks wonderful all on it’s own!

Calgon Bubble Bath in Hawaiian Ginger

Y’all KNOW I love me some Lush – but is that sh*t expensive or what? Shelling out $7 for a bubble bar is a fun treat every once in a while but I realized the prudent choice was to get a big ol’ bottle of honest-to-goodness bubble bath. And LEMME TELL YA, finding straight-up bubble bath was no easy feat. Sure, there was plenty of Mr. Bubble or Disney Princess bubble-gum options for kids (which I am not opposed to necessarily), but what about the adult options? I found plenty of bath gels but ZERO bubble-bath options. Then I went to Rite Aid and discovered a couple different options from the Calgon range. If you have known me for long then you are WELL aware of my affinity for cotton candy body splash. I kept a bottle at the end of the bench of every volleyball game. I was delighted to find this enormous bottle of bubble bath in hawaiian ginger for a mere $4.27. What a steal you guys!

The Body Shop Bathing Milk Polynesia Lotus & Frangipani

Before I went to Rite Aid, I first tried Marshalls for some bath-time products. ALL I FOUND was “bathing milk”. Which, like, is kinda gross, really. i don’t want to picture pouring milk into the bath…curdling…(gag). Anyweeeez, I found this one from the Body Shop for like $6 and figured I would give ‘er a go. It smells nice but I don’t think it is particularly moisturizing.

My Summer Favorites

September 18, 20153 Comments

Hey girl heyyyy.

NBD just my natural lashes

It’s been just ages since I wrote down my monthly faves so I figured I’d just bundle it all up into summer. And… HERE THEY ARE. Also, as a side note: I auditioned for a community show choir and I got in. YES. I am a 31-year-old woman who thinks she is on Glee.

Meekups

Covergirl Super Sizer Mascara

I know I have made some pretty hefty claims about certain drugstore mascaras bein’ the bees knees but this one seriously takes the cake. And the macaron, too.This mascara is super black, it is lengthening, separating and creates beautiful definition. It also holds a curl. I will be hoarding this stuff in case they discontinue but I hope they nevvvvver do.

Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed in Champagne Pop

I LITerally have people stop me at work to tell me I look like I am glowing. I just freaking radiate when I wear this and I KNOW IT. It is hands down, the most beautiful highlighter I own and probs in existence. The texture is like nothing I have ever felt – sooooo buttery soft and creamy. This, my friends, is a show-stopper and completely worth the hefty $38 price tag.

Covergirl Shimmering Sands Eyeshadow Trio

I have been reaching for this eyeshadow trio all summer long and NO JOKE have worn this exact trio since high school (shoutout to my homegirl Lacey because she was the one who discovered it!). The colors are absolutely perfect together and the light pink shade is so lovely in the inner corner. They blend awesome together and are really pigmented – not bad for $5!

Benefit Hoola Bronzer

I have hit SERIOUS pan on this stuff and for darn good reason. This is just such a great contour shade for us pale girls. The perfect balance of bronze mixed with a dash of shadowy taupe. I love it.

Hair/Beauty

Dessange Color Correcting Creme

My hair was such an atrocity this summer. I got some color in that just doesn’t jive with me and then I tried to fix it with a few streaks from an at-home kit. I have been using the treatment on the right (pictured above) to combat my serious case of the brassies and lemme tell ya – this goop delivers some INTENSE purple. It looks like paint. I apply it all over my head and let it sit for about 10 minutes. When I rinse, the water runs purple for about 5 straight minutes but I love how much it helps brighten-up the blonde.

Body Shop Atlas Mountain Rose Eau De Toilette

I nabbed this at Marshalls a while back and have fallen in love with it. The smell is def very rosy but since I enjoy the same things as 87-year-olds, it smells great to me. Also, a random thing I love about this product is the way it mists out of the bottle. It is such a wonderfully fine, wide mist and I love it so much.

Benefit Bathina Body Oil Mist

I’ve had this for over a year and have just now grown obsessed. After a shower and a fresh shave, I spray a little of this on (maybe 3 sprays per leg) and it smells soooooooooo good and makes me feel so opulent and bourgeois. My skin feels amazing but definitely NOT oily. It is a very tough feeling to describe and it may not be for everyone but I am just addicted!

Randoms

CHIPOTLE

I have been obsessed with Chipotle for awhile now. I’d say since I moved to Portland, although I def had it in Redmond too. What I cannot get enough of, is their GD salty, limey chips. It’s like crack for basic white girls. Everyone loves this place because you can be all, “I am totes healthy because Chipotle is like fresh and sh*t.” But really, if everyone found out it had like 922345234 calories per bite everyone would STILL eat there.

The Walking Dead

TV STILL — DO NOT PURGE — Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes and Norman Reedus as Daryl Dixon – The Walking Dead _ Season 5, Gallery – Photo Credit: Frank Ockenfels 3/AMC

I pretty much love Daryl. Alot. Also, Michonne is quite the awesome badass. I just finished Season 5 and am now moving onto Fear the Walking Dead. Gahhh! RIIIICK!

Saying “you guys” when only talking to one other person

I implore you to try this the next time you are one-on-one with someone. Like if you’re at H&M with your friend and you say, “Oh my God you guys this skirt is only 13 bucks!” Its funny because it’s just her and shows how excited you are. Right!?

Ok that’s it. What are y’all loving lately?