September 2013 Empties!

Hey everyone! I went through a ton of products this past month so I'm not going to ramble and get into what I've used up! There's a decent mix of products, so I'm really happy to have used up so much.

Starting off with skincare, I finally used up a Paula's Choice 2% Beta Hydroxy Acid Lotion. This bottle lasted me well over a year, for sure. My husband and I got our own place back in July of 2012 and I was already about halfway through the bottle. I used this at night after I toned my face and I just love how this helps my skin. I have incredibly large pores that get clogged easily, and this stuff works miracles in helping them stay clear. I'm currently using the gel version of this and like it a bit better for my oily skin.

The next product I used up is the Philosophy Hope in a Jar Oil-Free Moisturizer for normal to oily skin. I liked this, but didn't love it. To me, it's a basic moisturizer that felt hydrating on the skin, but didn't make me feel like a greaseball. I didn't notice it doing anything special for my skin, but it didn't have any negative effects either. I probably won't repurchase this in the future.

My last skincare product I used up is the Freeman Facial Brightening Paper Mask in Rose. I used this the Friday before my wedding, and I have to say, this is the most awkward mask I have ever tried! Since it's a sheet mask, you take it out and place it on your face, but there are holes for your eyes and nose. The eye holes were way too small and not placed far enough apart and it burns like a mother if you get the liquid too close to your eyeballs. I didn't even notice any brightening in my skin. This was in the September Ipsy bag, and while it's awesome we got these face masks, they're so not worth it in my opinion.

I used up a Suave Keratin Infusion Smoothing Shampoo. I really liked this shampoo. It smells amazing and makes my hair feel so soft and clean. It's really inexpensive if you buy it at Walmart. I probably paid only $3 or $4 for this bottle. I'm currently trying to finish up the conditioner that goes with this. I always go through shampoos way before conditioner. I probably will repurchase this sometime in the future.

Next up is the Dove Refresh+Care Invigorating Dry Shampoo. This dry shampoo is complete crap! Seriously, this did absolutely nothing for my hair. It just made it feel greasier and dirtier and I just hated it. The smell is atrocious as well. Like an old lady's perfume. Nasty, don't waste your money! I only used this up because I hate to waste product. It was painful having to use this and I'm glad it's gone.

Next up we have some vitamins. I used up a Nature Made Multi Complete. I honestly don't know how effective taking vitamins is, but I didn't notice a difference in anything when taking these. I still take them pretty much everyday because I'm used to it.

I also used up a Natural Factors B12 chewable vitamin. My mom actually got these for me to help with energy. I honestly didn't notice any difference in my energy levels at all. I'm not sure if you have to take these every single day to be effective, but I only took one when I really felt tired and needed more energy. 

Well I finally used up a Dove Ultimate Go Fresh Deodorant in Cucumber & Green Tea scent. I say finally because it seems like it takes forever for me to use up a deodorant. I promise, I use it everyday! To me, deodorant is nothing special and I just buy what's on sale. I do like how this smells though, so that was a plus.

I used up a Neutrogena New Hands Restorative Hand Treatment. I didn't like this stuff at all. It doesn't feel moisturizing and it burns really bad whenever I put it on. Even though this stuff lasts forever, I won't repurchase.

I used up a Colgate Total Pro-Shield Plus Sensitivity Toothpaste. I'm not too picky with toothpaste, but I do usually have to buy the kind for sensitive teeth because it feels better to me. 

I'm obsessed with the Bath & Body Works hand sanitizers and the one I used up is in the scent Snow Frosted Apple. This one smells so amazing and whenever I had a co-worker use it, they loved it too. I think this is a Christmas scent, so I hope they bring it back this year.

The next product is a Soho Beauty Sponge. I'm throwing this away because it's terrible and now that I have the Beauty Blender, nothing can compare to it. This one is such bad quality, it falls apart when you wet it. Good riddance to this!

I used up a little sample of the Lancome Cils Booster XL Super Enhancing Mascara Base. I really liked this stuff a long time ago because it made my lashes look alot longer. Now, I don't really care for mascara primers but I do have another one of these to use up plus an E.L.F. one, so once those are used up, I probably won't repurchase any.

The final product here is the bareMinerals Lash Domination Volumizing Mascara. I absolutely hated this, so technically this isn't an empty because I'm throwing it away. I only used it about 4 times and it clumped on my lashes every single time really bad and it's a super wet formula. I don't know why this is getting such rave reviews honestly. 

If you made it to the end, then you're awesome! I know this is a long post, but I told you guys I went through a ton of stuff! Hope you guys don't mind :)

What did you use up in September?

September 2013 Favorites!

Hey everyone! It's the end of yet another month, which means it's favorites time! This month wasn't too exciting for me in the product department, so most of the products featured today are repeat favorites. Here goes!

Philosophy Purity Made Simple has been my nighttime cleanser for a little while now. I absolutely love using this with my Clarisonic as it makes my skin feel super clean, but not overly clean, if that makes sense. When I wear a full face of makeup, I always remove it first with a makeup remover wipe and this just takes off anything else the wipe may have left behind. I remember using this when I was a teenager because my mom used it, and I hated it. I love it now, probably because my skin is different than when I was a teenager.

My second favorite has been the Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser for Dark Circles Treatment Concealer in the Brightener shade. I used this on my wedding day and loved how it made my under-eyes look so bright and awake. I definitely needed it then because I hadn't gotten good sleep the past few nights. I'll definitely repurchase this when I run out.

I've also been loving the Philosophy Eyes Wide Open Instant Refreshing and De-puffing Eye Gel. Again, this stuff has worked miracles with me not sleeping. It actually does take away any puffiness I have and makes my eyes look better. This is great in conjunction with the Maybelline Brightener. I had purchased this at Sephora ages ago, but I don't think they sell this by itself anymore, at least not on the Sephora website. I can only find it in a set, which is a bummer because I don't want the set, just this eye gel. 

The Lorac Pro Palette should come as no surprise for a favorite this month. I used this palette on my wedding day and I couldn't believe how many compliments I received. People were even asking me if I had my makeup done for the day (kinda cool!). I did it all myself and I made a post about the makeup I wore here if you wanted to check it out. I love this palette and totally fell in love with it again after my wedding. It's just so versatile with the matte and shimmer shades so you can create numerous looks with this. Definitely worth the money.

My last favorite is the Maybelline Illegal Length Mascara in Blackest Black. Again, I used this on my wedding day for my third coat of mascara. This is the stuff that ultimately gave me the look I wanted with my lashes. I feel this mascara actually rivals my beloved bareMinerals Flawless Definition Mascara. If you've read my blog for a while, you know how much I love that mascara, so for this one to rival it, that's pretty amazing!

Those are my favorites for September! I know I've mentioned a few of these products before, but just fell in love with them again after my wedding. It feels good to bring out products that I hadn't used in a while, then remember how much I really do love it :)

What were some of your favorites?

I Love Fall Tag!

Hi everyone! Jasmine over at The Happy Sloths tagged me to do the I Love Fall tag, and I'm super excited! Fall is probably now my favorite season. I love the changing colors of the leaves, the weather is still nice, but it's not too cold and it's just beautiful. So here are the questions:

1. Favorite Fall lip product?
I'm not really one to change up my lip products from season to season, but I do use more darker berry toned lip glosses during the Fall. I don't have a particular favorite, but bareMinerals has some awesome lip glosses!

2. Favorite Fall nail polish?
I bought this OPI nail polish sometime last year called Vampsterdam. It's this really dark, almost black color that has hints of dark purple and burgundy in it. It's such a beautiful color, and I just love it

3. Favorite Fall Starbucks drink?
I'm typically a frappucino girl year round, but occasionally I'll get a pumpkin spice latte if I'm in the mood for it

4. Favorite Fall candle?
Any pumpkin scented candle from Bath & Body Works. Seriously, amazing stuff right there!

5. Favorite Fall clothing item or accessory?
Well, I'm not really a fashionista, but I do have some boots I get out for work for Fall and Winter

6. Haunted house, haunted hay ride, or haunted corn maze?
I've never done a haunted corn maze or hay ride, so I guess haunted house by default. Although, I haven't been to one of those in years and I don't really plan on it either for some reason

7. Favorite Halloween movie?
Does the Nightmare Before Christmas count? To me, it's a Halloween and Christmas movie in one :)

8. Favorite candy to eat on Halloween?
I don't do the whole trick-or-treating thing anymore, but I love anything with chocolate. Honestly, stick a whole bunch of different chocolate things in front of me and I'll eat it

9. What are you dressing up as for Halloween?
It depends if my job is letting us do anything that day and if I'm scheduled. I'll probably just do my usual hippy outfit with jeans and a tie-dye shirt

10. What is your favorite thing about Fall?
Honestly, I just love the changing weather from ridiculously hot to comfortable, I love the food and I love how it feels like new beginnings

People I tag:
Blushing Antics
Mail4Rosey
Natalie Loves Beauty
Small Budget Beauty
The Beauty Milk

Honeymoon Haul! Cosmetic Company Outlet, Kmart, Walmart, Walgreens

Hey guys! Today I'm going to be sharing with you what I purchased while away on our honeymoon! There were outlets about 15 miles away from the hotel we were staying at, and of course I had to take advantage of that. Also, anywhere I go, I have to find a Walmart or some kind of drugstore. I know, I'm weird. Anyways, let me show you what I got!

So when I was looking up what stores were on the outlets, I saw there was a Cosmetic Company Outlet, so I had to go in there. I was never in a store like that before but have heard of them, so I was definitely curious to see what they had. I went in and I told the lady working there that I had never been in a store like this before. She was very nice and basically said that the brands they have are sold at 20% to 50% less than the original price. They had a decent amount of brands sold there. MAC, Elizabeth Arden, Smashbox, Origins, Bobbi Brown and Bumble & Bumble are just some of the brands they carried. I looked around for a bit and ended up with two MAC products.

The first MAC item I picked up is a Powder Blush in the color Peony Petal. Now before I bought these items, I should mention that I only own two other MAC items, so I know pretty much nothing about the brand. I did have to do some research on the items I purchased and from what I've looked up, this blush is from the Tres Cheek Collection from Spring 2012. I'm assuming that means this was limited edition, unless they re-promote the color somewhere down the road. Anyways, I love this color so much! It's like a baby pink, but just a hint darker. The picture above makes it look a bit darker than it is. When this was out, it cost $20. I paid $14.75 before tax. I don't think that was too bad of a deal. 

The second MAC product I picked up is an Extra Dimension Eye Shadow in the color Warm Thunder. From what I looked up about this, it comes from the In Extra Dimension Collection, also from Spring 2012. Again, I'm assuming this was limited edition and it cost $20. I paid $17.50 for it. Still a bit high compared to the original price, but I'm not complaining too much. This color was described on the Temptalia website as a dirty silver grey. I agree with that, but my eyes also see some blue in it. It's very faint, and could just be my eyes, but I definitely see blue. I think it's really cool that you can find products like this at these cosmetic stores. It may be from an old collection, but for someone who knows nothing about this brand, It's pretty darn awesome!

We then went to Kmart on a different day, just kind of looking around really. I haven't been in a Kmart since I was little, so I was definitely curious to see what it's like now. I knew they had a cosmetics section, so of course I made a beeline there. I saw the Wet N' Wild area and was stoked to find the single Eyeshadows they have! My Walgreen's doesn't carry them, and the Rite-Aid near me only has like 5 colors. This Kmart had, I think, all of the colors, which if I remember correctly was around 15. I've been looking for these two shades because Emily from Beauty Broadcast raves about them, especially the color Nutty. I got Brulee as well because they were actually having a buy 1, get one 50% off sale, so that brought one of the shades down to just $1. Total steal! If you have a Kmart near you, I highly recommend you check it out for makeup.

I kinda went a little shampoo/conditioner crazy at Walmart. The reason why is when I got my hair done for my wedding, the girl said I had really fine, dry and damaged hair. I agree with her honestly, but I had gotten a haircut just a few days prior, so it does feel way better than before. Anyways, she was giving me all these tips and tricks to try (which I already do, but listened to her anyway) so I figured I'd get different shampoo and conditioner. I picked up the Tresemme Platinum Strength Strengthening Shampoo and Conditioner. The bottle says it repairs up to 2 years of damage, so we'll see what happens. Both of these bottles cost $4.48 each.

I also picked up a Pantene Anti-Breakage Shampoo. A co-worker of mine loves this shampoo so I figured I'd give it a try eventually. This bottle was only $3.78. Once I got home and checked my closet with all my hair and body products, I realized I have enough shampoo and conditioner to last me for probably over a year. It may be a while before I start using any of these as I want to use up the products I've had longer. 

I went to Walgreen's last and felt the need to pick up some nail polish for Fall. These Sinful Colors Shine Nail Polish with Gel Tech were on sale 2 for $4, or they're originally $2.99 each. The burgundy color is called Mirror Mirror and looks alot lighter in the picture than in person. The second color pictured is called Shine Divine and is a really pretty dark teal color. This also looks alot lighter in the picture than in person. According to the Sinful Colors website, the Gel Tech technology formula provides opulent, rich color and a brilliant shine finish and they also say it's 5 times more glossy than a patent leather shoe. I was going to paint my nails with something else soon, but may try one of these instead. 

I had a $2.50 off coupon for a Revlon Lip Butter, so I picked up the color Candy Apple. I only have two other lip butters, and I definitely think they're nice, so I'm slowly building up my collection. 

When I was wandering around Walgreen's, something told me to go over to the clearance section and dig around in the bins. I'm so glad I did because I ended up finding some L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadows in the colors Strawberry Blonde, With A Twist, and Dive Right In. I've been hearing Sam Schuerman on Youtube talk about Strawberry Blonde in quite a few of her videos. I know for sure that color is limited edition, so I'm also assuming the other two colors I picked up are limited edition as well. These were marked down to $4.99 each from originally $8.49. 

Well that's my haul! If you're tired of hearing about my wedding my now, promise this is the end of all the wedding themed posts. I may bring it up occasionally, but hey, who wouldn't when they just got married?! Anyways, I hope you liked what I got, so let me know in the comments if you did!

Wedding Day Pictures + What Makeup I Wore!

Hey everyone! Since I'm finally back from my honeymoon and settled in at home, I thought I'd take the time to show you all some pictures that were taken with my camera that day. I did have a photographer there taking professional pictures, but I won't have those in til at least next week. Anyways, here are a few pictures!

This is one of my favorite pictures of us!

I'm not too sure what was going on here, but I guess David was just being his usual nerd self

Supermodel status (not really). Also, notice the arch in the back? Yeah, it was a windy, but beautiful day

Now I look like a nerd!

I love this picture too. The VW bus is my dad's. It's his baby :)

Another one of my favorites. My dad actually got his picture taken! Miracle of miracles!

The best close-up I could find of my makeup. Looks a bit worn as this was taken a bit later in the day

Makeup I wore:
- Primer: Makeup For Ever HD Primer
- Foundation: Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3 in 1 Foundation in shade 805 Ivory
- Concealer: Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser for Dark Circles in shade 60 Brightener. I just used this underneath my eyes, didn't use concealer elsewhere
- Powder: Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder in shade 001 Transparent
- Eye Primer: Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion 
- Eyeshadows used: Lorac Champagne from the Pro Palette all over lid just up to the crease, Urban Decay Naked from the original Naked Palette blended into the crease, Lorac Sable from the Pro Palette blended slightly into the crease just to darken it up a bit, Lorac Garnet from the Pro Palette blended into the outer V and lower lashline, Lorac Cream from the Pro palette as highlight underneath the brows, Urban Decay Virgin from the original Naked Palette as inner corner highlight.  I completely forgot to fill in my brows and realized that halfway through the reception!
- Eyeliner: Lorac Espresso from the Pro palette blended into upper lashline, Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Eye Pencil in the color 001 black in the upper and lower waterline (This stuff is really waterproof too! I got a bit teary during the vows and this didn't smudge at all!)
- Mascara: First coat, I used the Wet N' Wild Megalength Waterproof Mascara in the blackest black color. Second coat, I used Maybelline The Rocket Mascara in the blackest black color. I wasn't happy with how those two coats looked so I ended up using Maybelline Illegal Length Mascara in the blackest black color last. After that coat, I got the thickness and length I wanted
- Bronzer and blush: Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzing Powder blended in the hollows of my cheeks and a bit blended onto my forehead and jawline, Milani Baked Blush in the color 01 Dolce Pink
- Lips: I always put a lip balm on before I do anything, then on top of that I used L'Oreal Colour Riche Balm in the color 218 Rose Elixer. I topped that off with Philosophy Raspberry Sorbet Flavored Lip Shine
- Setting Spray: Skindinavia Bridal Makeup Finish Makeup Setting Spray. Honestly, I used this after I used my face primer, but I totally forgot to use it after my makeup was finished. I think it still looked pretty nice though by the end of the day, surprisingly. 

Phew! That's alot of makeup for what I normally wear. It took me a good 45 minutes too. I didn't wanna mess up or anything. I'm very happy with how it came out though. Not too shabby for someone who picked the colors as I was going ;)

This or That Tag

Hey guys! I got home just a few hours ago from my honeymoon, so forgive me for not posting for what feels like forever! To get back in the swing of things, the lovely Katie tagged me to do the This or That tag. I've seen it around before, so I'm excited to be able to do it now!

MAKEUP

1. Blush or bronzer- I'm still a newbie with bronzer so I'll have to go with blush
2. Lipgloss or lipstick- I gotta go with lipgloss. I was never a fan of lipstick and I'm still not for some reason
3. Eyeliner or mascara- Definitely mascara. I typically don't wear eyeliner on a day to day basis
4. Foundation or concealer- Probably concealer. I only use concealer under my eyes basically everyday if I'm wearing makeup that day
5. Natural or colored eyeshadow- Can I say both? I am more of a natural girl on a regular basis, but I do love playing with color alot as well
6. Pressed or loose eyeshadow- I honestly don't have a preference. Pressed is definitely less messy, but when I started out using makeup, the bareMinerals loose eyeshadows were some of my very first eyeshadows, so I can't hate on loose eyeshadows
7. Sponge or brush- For foundation/concealer, definitely my beautyblender. It's been a godsend to me. I do use brushes for everything else though

NAILS

1. OPI or China Glaze: I have to admit, I don't really care for either. I went through a phase where I loved doing my nails and bought so much darn nail polish, and now it's just sitting around. I should probably put it more to use. If I had to pick a brand, I'd probably go with OPI
2. Long or short- Short
3. Acrylic or natural- I've never had acrylic before and never plan on trying it either. It ruins your nails, so natural by default
4. Bright or dark- Depends on my mood. I guess I'd usually go for light, unless it's Winter, then dark
5. Flower or no flower- Not really sure what this means, but if it's talking about nail decals, then no flower

BODY

1. Perfume or body splash- Usually body splash even though I don't use it everyday
2. Lotion or body butter- Depends on the season for me. When it's cold and nasty outside, I have to use body butter because I get so dry. In the Summer, I can get away with lotion
3. Body wash or soap- Body wash
4. Lush or other- I've never tried anything from Lush yet. I usually like to use the Philosophy shower gels or the ones from The Body Shop the most

FASHION

1. Jeans or sweatpants- I'm always going to say sweatpants. I can't stand jeans
2. Long sleeves or short sleeves- Probably short sleeves
3. Dress or skirt- I'm obsessed with dresses
4. Scarves or hats- Neither. I don't use either of those
5. Studs or dangling earrings- I don't wear earrings, so I have to say neither
6. Necklace or bracelet- If I had to pick, probably necklace. I don't wear accessories normally
7. Heels or flats- Flats all the way man
8. Cowboy boots or riding boots- neither
9. Jackets or hoodies- I usually like zip-up hoodies
10. Forever 21 or Charlotte Russe- I have to go with neither. I used to love Charlotte Russe, but their clothes now are terrible so I don't shop there anymore. I've never liked Forever 21

HAIR

1. Curly or straight- I have some natural wave to my hair, but I usually don't curl or straighten my hair
2. Bun or ponytail- ponytail
3. Bobby pins or butterfly clips- Neither? I don't use bobby pins or butterfly clips
4. Hairspray or gel- Yuck! Neither. It was funny because the girl who did my hair for my wedding sprayed my hair like crazy because my hair doesn't hold a curl well, and my hair felt like a helmet. I couldn't wait to wash it
5. Long or short- I like long hair more
6. Dark or light- For me, I honestly like both. I've made a promise to myself though that I'm not coloring my hair ever again. Even though I don't use heat on it or do anything bad to it, it's so damaged and dry so I want to repair it as much as I can
7. Side swept bangs or full bangs- For me, neither. I have a ton of cowlicks in my hair and I have like two up front, so bangs don't work for me
8. Up or down- I wear a ponytail every single day of my life. My hair was down for my wedding, and that was the first time in years that I wore it down. I don't like fussing with my hair

Random

1. Rain or shine- I love sunny weather! Granted, I'm paler than anything so I try to stay safe, but I hate rain with a passion
2. Summer or Winter- Definitely Summer. Winter drives me nuts and I can never wait til it starts getting warm again
3. Fall or Spring- I'm starting to love Fall more and more. All the pretty leaves turning colors, the pumpkin foods and drinks, all the Fall Bath & Body Works handsoaps and candles. Just amazing
4. Chocolate or vanilla- I'm a chocolate girl through and through!

I hope you all enjoyed this tag! I won't be tagging anyone specific since I never know who has done tags or not, and I don't like bugging people, so if you haven't done this tag, feel free to do it and let me know! I'd love to read it :)

Potential Wedding Day Makeup!

Hi guys! I had a little bit of time between cleaning my house and getting wedding stuff together to write up a post of the makeup I'm thinking about wearing for my wedding day (in 2 days!!). I'm such an indecisive person so I feel like I'm bringing a bunch with me, but at least I have a few options! So let me show you what makeup I might be wearing!

I'm going to start off with primer, face makeup and my setting spray. I'm bringing a sample size of the Makeup For Ever HD Primer. The primer I'm currently using day to day isn't that great, so I wanted something a bit better. 

For foundation, I'm using the Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 Foundation in the color 805 Ivory. This foundation is pretty great. I'm going to be using this along with my Beauty Blender so that should help me create a flawless base to start things off. 

Now for concealer I'm bringing the Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser in the Brightener shade and the fair shade. I'm undecided which one I'll use, which is why I'm bringing both with me. I may end up using both or just the brightener. I haven't opened up the Brightener, as you can tell, but that may help me look more awake.

For my setting spray after my makeup is finished, I'll be using the Skindinavia Bridal Makeup Finish Setting Spray. I have yet to use this as well, but I hear so many good things about these sprays, so I have faith it'll work for me. It does say it lasts for up to 16 hours, but our wedding is probably only going to go on for about 4 or 5 hours at the most.

Now for what I'm using on my eyes. I forgot to picture it, but I am bringing the Lorac Pro To Go Palette with me just in case I need it. I did a haul post here if you want to see pictures of it. For eye primer, I'm going with my trusty Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion. I've been using this particular tube for so long, I honestly don't even know. I may have to try and de-pot it soon because I've had it so long and it's getting a bit difficult to get product out. 

First, I'm bring the Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette. The only reason I'm really bringing this is because I've been testing out what I should use for my eyebrows. To be honest, I never fill them in but since this is a big day for me, I'll be using the color Naked2 mixed with a color from the original Naked Palette (I'll say which one soon!).

I will also be bringing the Lorac Pro Palette. I've been loving this palette so much lately, and you can do so many different looks with all the shadows. I'm not sure if I'm doing a completely matte look, shimmery look, or a combo of both yet. Heck, I may even mix shades here with the Naked Palette.

Finally for palettes, I'm bringing the much talked about and loved Urban Decay Naked Palette. I also have the Naked2 Palette, but this shade has the color Naked, which is the other color I'm mixing with Naked2 from the Naked Basics Palette for my eyebrows. I don't have a picture of the colors from the Naked Palette, but there are a bazillion different reviews online, so definitely look it up if you want to know the colors.

The little tube in the middle of the Pro Palette and Naked Palette is the Chella Eyebrow Defining Gel. I'll be using this to set what I did with my eyebrows. I've actually enjoyed using this on its own too. It's helped keep my eyebrows in place when they feel a bit unruly.

These are the cheek products and face powder I'm bringing with me. First off, for bronzer I'm bringing my little size of the Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzing Powder. I'll be using this to contour with. I compared this to the bronzer in the Lorac Pro To Go Palette, and they look very similar in color, but when I swatched them, the Lorac one is a bit darker. Since I'm still a newbie with bronzers, I'll be sticking with this one.

For my face powder, I'll be using the Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder. I should've included this in my face products, but oh well. I tend to forget things sometimes. I love this stuff and have I think two backups. I just hit pan, if you can tell, so this has lasted me quite a while. Definitely my favorite setting powder for my oily skin.

I'm bringing two different blushes because of course I can't decide which one I like better. The first one I'm bringing is the infamous NARS Orgasm blush and the second one is the Milani Baked Blush in Dolce Pink. I've only used this a small handful of times, but everytime I use it, It looks so beautiful on my skin! For me, it could also be a highlighter so I wouldn't need a separate one. 

For mascaras, I'm bringing a few different options. I'm bringing an eyelash curler with me (sorry it's not pictured!) because my eyelashes can be pretty straight naturally. The first mascara I'm bringing is the Wet N' Wild Megalength Waterproof Mascara in Very Black. I'll be using this first on my lashes to help with keeping my lashes curled.

Then I'll be using either the Maybelline Illegal Length Mascara in Blackest Black or The Rocket also in the darkest black shade. I can't tell what it says on the bottom since the print is so small, but I always get the darkest color in any mascara. 

Lips were a challenge for me. I have so many different lip glosses, balms, stains and whatnot. I tried on so many different combinations and didn't want anything that looked too bright or anything that made me look like a ghost. I finally went with the L'Oreal Colour Riche Balm in the color 218 Rose Elixer and I'm topping it off with Philosophy Raspberry Sorbet Flavored Lip Shine. I have to admit, I went with this Philosophy product because it tastes good, and when our officiant says, "You may now kiss the bride," he won't have to kiss anything nasty. 

Well that is everything! I honestly can't believe how indecisive I am with these products. I thought it would be easy, but when you're a beauty blogger with a massive amount of products, it can be difficult to choose. Anyways, if you guys have some insight on what to use, let me know in the comments! 

Talk to everyone again soon!

September 2013 Ipsy Bag

Hey guys! I finally got my Ipsy bag in the mail and wanted to post what was in my bag before I get married on Saturday. I can't believe it's only in 3 more days! It's incredible how fast time went by. I'm also thinking of putting together a post of what makeup I'm considering wearing for my big day, so let me know if you want me to write up that post! Anyways, let get into what I received this month!

I'm loving this bag so much! I love the blue color and all the different prints on it. So beautiful!

The first product I received is a NYX Single Eyeshadow in the color Cryptonite. Now, I love NYX eyeshadows alot. They're very nice quality for the price. I have to be honest though and say I'm not the biggest fan of the color I received. It's like a greyish black color with shimmer in it. I'm more of a neutral girl, but this will probably be good for smokey looks.

Then I received the Elizabeth Mott It's So Big Volumizing Mascara. I'm not too happy with this honestly. I've read reviews on this and basically all of them are negative. I have tons of mascaras to go through before this though, so it may be a while until I get to try it out.

I then received the J.Cat Beauty Fantabulous Lipstick in the color Honeycrisp. I could have done without this product in my bag. I've never really been a lipstick girl, plus this color is pretty bad for my fair skin. It'll just make me look sick.

I also got the Starlooks Kohl Eye Pencil in the color Obsidian. Alot of people say you can never have enough black eyeliner, but if you're like me and hardly ever wear eyeliner, it's just gonna sit in your collection. I did swatch it and it felt nice, but if I do wear eyeliner pencil, I typically go for Urban Decay or the Rimmel Kohl pencil.

I'm most excited about these babies! When I saw on Ipsy's site that I was getting a Freeman mask, I honestly was only expecting one, not three. Buy hey, I ain't complaining! Anyways, these are the Freeman Beauty Facial Paper Masks. I got a hydrating mask with Blue Agave, a purifying mask with Star Fruit, and a brightening mask with Rose. I plan on using the brightening mask on Friday before my wedding! 

Swatch of eyeliner, lipstick and eyeshadow

That's everything I received! I'm not overly excited about this month's bag aside from the masks, but I will say that there are some decent products in here. If you want to subscribe to Ipsy, click here. It's only $10 a month, plus shipping in some areas, so you really can't go wrong. Most bags are usually at least worth double than the price paid!

If you subscribe to Ipsy, what did you get in your glam bag?

Sunday Social

Hey everyone! I know I've been terrible at blogging lately, and I'm so sorry about it! I've been dealing with wedding planning stuff and it seems like there aren't enough hours in the day for all the things I want to do. Please forgive me, once the wedding and honeymoon is over, I'll get back to a normal writing schedule. For now, I'll do a Sunday Social. Here are the questions this week!

1. What is the name of your blog?
Skin Stuff by Katy

2. What do you love most about blogging?
I love skincare and makeup and I love having the creative freedom to write about what I love. I've also come across so many awesome blogs and people from it

3. Why did you start blogging?
I started blogging because I had been watching beauty videos on Youtube for a long time. It's been kind of a dream of mine to do beauty videos, but I was incredibly shy so I started a beauty blog instead. I do have a few videos up on Youtube actually, but they're horrible quality, and my old laptop doesn't work right now, so I can't even film anything

4. What is something you'd want to tell someone just starting out in the blogging world?
I still feel like a newbie myself with my blog being only a year old, but don't focus on numbers, just write about what you love and the rest will follow eventually

5. Biggest blogging learning experience you've had?
For me, it was actually not to focus on numbers. When I started my blog, I wanted to have a ton of followers in a short amount of time, and while some people do have success like that, it typically won't happen overnight. I've learned to just keep writing about what I love and if people like what I write, great! If not, then oh well. It's no big loss. I still love what I do regardless :)

6. What are three blogs you love?
This is such a hard question! I love so many different blogs it's difficult to pick just three, so I'm not going to!

HAUL! Sephora, Amazon & Walgreens

Hey everyone! I know I've mentioned a little while ago that I was going to do another spending ban, but there are some decent sales at Walgreen's right now and I always find something from Sephora, whether it be in-store or online. After my honeymoon is probably when I'll start the spending ban. So, let me show you what I got!

My purchases from Sephora were done on two separate days and the first day I bought the Lorac PRO To Go Eye/Cheek Palette. I saw Emily From Beauty Broadcast talk about this on her Youtube channel, comparing it to Ulta's version of this. Theirs is just eyeshadows. This palette gives you some extras!

You can tell from the first picture that this folds down pretty small and is about an inch or so thick. Once you open it you can see the different eyeshadows, cheek colors and bronzer.

These eyeshadows are gorgeous! They're also completely different that the regular Lorac PRO Palette. The top row of colors are the shimmer ones, and the bottom row is all matte. I think these are great shadows if you want a neutral look without having to bring a massive palette or a bunch of single eyeshadows. 

I love the color of these blushes! The Coral color reminds me a tad bit of the Nars Orgasm blush but without all the shimmer. This blush is still a bit shimmery though, just not as much as the Nars one. The Pink color is matte and it seems like a color that would go well with any skintone. The picture makes the Bronze look lighter than it does in person. I'm a little worried about this because I'm so pale and I don't want it to look muddy on me. I haven't tried anything in this palette yet, but if I like the bronzer, then this is the palette I'll most likely be using for my wedding. It's got basically everything I need! 


I also forgot to mention that the day I bought this, you got a Stila Lip Glaze deluxe sample in the color Kitten with a $25 purchase. I forgot to picture it, sorry!

Now the second time I went because I had renewed my VIB status with a previous purchase, so I had a 10% off coupon to use. I only have a Sephora inside JCPenny near me, so they don't have as much of a selection as a regular store. I did find a few goodies though!

I've been dying to try the Urban Decay Moondust Eyeshadows since they came out. I had originally wanted the color Diamond Dog, which is a dark brown color with white-gold sparkle. They didn't have it, so I went with Zodiac, which is a smoky black with blue-green shift and blue-green 3-D sparkle. I actually used this today, and holy cow is it amazing! This is one of the most intense eyeshadows I've tried and the color payoff is nuts. I barely had to tap my brush in the product, it's that good. I definitely want to get more, and I'm keeping my eye out for Diamond Dog!

I've also been wanting to try one of Stila's eyeshadow palettes for ages! Originally, I had wanted the one that had more neutrals in it, but I always hear that it's very similar to the Naked Palette from Urban Decay. I already have both of them, so I went with this In The Moment Eyeshadow Palette. I've been loving purples lately and these shades look lovely. There are still some neutral browns and whatnot, which is fine. I'm a neutral girl if I had to pick between that or color. I'm excited to play around with this!

I was watching one of Melissa's, or Melmphs on Youtube, videos and she was doing a video on setting sprays. This Skindinavia Bridal Makeup Finish Spray made it to her top three, and literally right after I watched the video, I ordered this off of Amazon. I had heard of Skindinavia setting sprays before, since they do the Urban Decay Setting Sprays, but I had never tried them. I figured since I'm getting married, and it's an outdoor wedding, I'll need my makeup to stay put and my skin to stay matte. I have yet to try this as I am waiting til my wedding to use it, but I may do a review on it afterwards and see if it lives up to the 16 hour wear claim!

A sale started at Walgreen's this week where certain Wet N' Wild products were on sale. It kinda might not make sense, but products that were $3.99 were $3, products that were $2.99 were $2, and products that were $1.99 were only $1. Also the Wet N' Wild Fergie Collection was 25% off. Hope that all made sense! Anyways, I was hoping to look for the newest limited edition eyeshadow trio collection called Tough Girl, and I saw them in a corner on a shelf. Honestly, if I wasn't looking hard enough, I'd have missed them. The limited edition trios I got were Zero Dark Fifty and Soldiers in Charms. These palettes have also been seen in packages with a mascara. My Walgreen's did not have those, just the trios. They have a trio with browns that look amazing, but sadly, I did not find that one. 

I also picked up the much talked about Walking on Eggshells trio. Everyone and their mom talks about this, but I didn't have it in my collection, so now I can test it out and see what all the hype is about! These trios usually cost $2.99 each, so like I said above, these were dropped down to $2. Not a bad deal if you ask me!

I finally got to pick up the Coloricon Bronzer in Reserve Your Cabana. I can't tell you how many times I looked at this and passed it up. With the current sale bring this down to $3, I figured I'd give it a try. It does look very light to be a bronzer, but with my skin being so pale, it just might work for me. If not, I may use it as a face powder or highlight.

Then I picked up the Fergie To Reflect Shimmer Palette. There's no name for the color, but it's the lightest one that I plan on using as a highlight or a shimmery eyeshadow color. The other ones I saw looked brown and more like bronzers with shimmer to them. With the 25% off sale for the Fergie line, this cost me $4.49. This typically retails for $5.99.

Last but not least, I purchased some mascaras. I swear, I'm a mascara junkie! I can't get enough, and I'm on a mission to find my Holy Grail mascara. It hasn't been easy, I tell ya! Anyways, the green tube is the Mega Protein Mascara in Very Black. This little baby only cost me $1! If I end up not liking it, it's no big deal honestly. 

The purple tube is the Mega Length Waterproof Mascara in Very Black. I have to admit, when I looked at the package to write down the name here, I didn't realize I had gotten the waterproof one. I haven't used waterproof mascara in a very, very long time mainly because it's hard to remove and I'm just not a fan. Anyways, this cost me $2, and I will still try it out, probably for my wedding since I'll probably be crying and look like an ugly mess.


Well, that's everything! Sorry if this post is super long, I tend to go on tangents when I'm talking about things, especially things I like! 

Have you tried any of these products? If not, does anything appeal to you?

Winner of my 1 Year Blogiversary Giveaway!

Hey guys! My giveaway ended yesterday and a winner was picked via random.org! Congrats to Amy over at Small Budget Beauty! I've already sent an email out to her and she has 48 hours to respond back. If she doesn't, a new winner will be picked.

Review: Perlier Lemon Crackling Body Water

*Disclosure* I was sent this product complimentary from iFabbo for review purposes.

Hey guys! So today I'm bringing you a review of a very interesting product that iFabbo sent me to try out. It is the Perlier Lemon Crackling Body Water. I had done another review on some Perlier products here if you want to check it out. Anyways, onto this body water!

This is definitely one interesting product. I had no idea what a crackling body water was and of course I had never heard of anything like it before. What it is, is it's basically like this gel moisturizer that comes out as a foam but immediately starts crackling and turns into the gel. When rubbed into the skin, it's still crackling which is a pretty neat sensation. I used this on my arms as I had gotten a bit of sun and thought it would feel refreshing. It definitely does feel refreshing and very cooling on the skin, but it's not as moisturizing as I'd like. 

The smell of this product is heavenly! I love anything citrus-y or lemon-y so the scent was right up my alley. The scent doesn't last long at all though, which I don't mind, but because I do love the scent, I typically don't mind if they linger. I do like how this applied evenly and it didn't make my skin feel sticky at all. It seemed like it would when you first rub it in, but it goes away almost immediately. 

Perlier has a special offer here where you can get $5 off any Perlier purchase at HSN.com by using promo code ifabbo5.  

What do you think of this product? Have you ever tried it or something like it before?

I also want to remind everyone about my giveaway! It ends in 4 days, so make sure to check it out!

August 2013 Empties!

Be prepared guys, this past month I went through a ton of products! I honestly don't know how I did it but when I looked in my empties bag, it was practically full! Before I ramble on too much, lets see what I used up!

Starting off with hair care and body care, I used up the Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Shampoo. Now I won't take full credit for using all of this as my fiance was the main person to use it, I just helped him use it up since he started using something new! I probably finished off the last quarter of the bottle. This shampoo smells amazing, as does all Garnier shampoos and conditioners do, but it made my hair feel dry. I felt like I had to load up on the conditioner after using this stuff. I won't repurchase.

I used up another set of The Body Shop Banana Shampoo and Conditioner. I've talked about this numerous times and did a review post as well raving about them. I still like these, but I think I got bored of using them to be honest. They're still very nice, but I probably won't repurchase for a while, mostly because of the price. Luckily, these were the last bottles I had of these in my closet so I can move on to something else!

Now for body care, I used up the Neutrogena Body Clear Body Wash. I liked using this when I got breakouts on my back and chest (nasty, I know). I honestly don't know how well this works because body washes aren't on your skin long enough to have any effect so the ingredients go down the drain before they're given a chance to work. It also smells very chemically as well, which I'm not a big fan of. I probably won't repurchase this.

The last body product I used up is the Philosophy Pineapple Coconut Shower Gel. I've talked about these a ton as well, and everyone knows how much I love Philosophy shower gels. This stuff smelled amazing and made my skin feel soft and clean. I will always love these shower gels!

I used up a decent amount of skincare as well! The first product I used up is The Body Shop Seaweed Pore Perfector. I had this little bottle for ages and just always forgot to use it. I decided to finally use it up because it was just sitting in my bathroom. I don't really know how to describe this stuff. I guess it's basically a treatment gel to shrink your pores, but this did nothing to shrink mine. My pores are like craters anyways, so it's hard to find a product to help reduce them. I definitely will not repurchase this.

Next, I used up the Philosophy Purity Made Simple One-Step Facial Cleansing Cloths. I did a review on these as well so I won't go too much into detail about them. I generally did like these for removing my makeup, but the new packaging has 15 wipes less than the package I had so it's not that good of a deal anymore. Not going to repurchase because there are too many great drugstore options.

I also used up one of the wonderful The Body Shop Aloe Calming Toners. Again, I've talked about this product a bazillion times and still love it as much I have before. Will always repurchase!

Finally for skincare, I used up the Bliss No Zit Sherlock Purifying Cleanser & Toner. I used this cleanser at night and it was alright, but I felt like it burned my skin when I used it most times. I'm not sure why as I can't really tell from the ingredients what would irritate me. I know I won't repurchase this.

Now for a few miscellaneous products. I used up a Bath & Body Works Anti-Bacterial Foaming Hand Soap in the Black Cherry Merlot scent. This stuff smelled absolutely amazing! I actually enjoyed washing my hands with this stuff. I have tons of the B&BW handsoaps so I won't repurchase for a while.

Next I used up The Body Shop Skin Primer Matte It. I don't feel like this mattified my skin at all and it didn't help my makeup last either. I have difficulty finding a good face primer for my oily skin, so I'm still on the hunt!

The last product I used up is an On10 Lip Balm in a Cherry Chocolate scent. I'm not picky with lip balms and I did like this. It's got an SPF of 15 which is great for daytime use and it smelled awesome. I have so many lip balms as a backup so I don't need to repurchase any for a very long while!

Phew! If you made it til the end, you're so awesome! I'm incredibly happy I was able to use up this much. I even re-organized my closet with all my beauty stuff and was shocked to see some space! I have stuff in my bedroom though that will fill those spaces ;)

Remember my giveaway is still going for 5 more days! If you're in the US you can enter, so check it out if you haven't yet!

What did you use up in August?