Collective Makeup HAUL! Big Lots, Sephora & Ulta

Hi everyone! The past few weeks I did a bit of makeup shopping, and I wanted to share with you what I purchased. I'm trying to be good right now because the Sephora VIB sale is coming up next weekend for Rouge members, and I have a feeling I'll be splurging a bit. I plan on doing a wishlist for the event that should be up hopefully by tomorrow or Monday/Tuesday, so stay tuned! Anyway, lets see what goodies I have this time!

Starting off with the things from Big Lots, the first product I found is Body Raves Fresher Than Green Detoxifying Wipes. These are said to be infused with Aloe and Cucumber with Green Tea and they remove makeup, dirt, oil and environmental toxins. I snagged these up because they were only $2 and you get a whopping 60 wipes in a package. That's an incredible deal and if I end up not liking these on my face, they'll be fine for swatches. 

The next two products I was so excited to see and they're the Maybelline Eyestudio quads in Sapphire Stylist and Spirited Seas. The packaging for Sapphire Stylist says it was limited edition, but I have no idea what collection it's from, and Spirited Seas says "New", but it was probably discontinued for whatever reason. The price of these were incredible so brace yourselves. They were only $2.20 each! I couldn't believe it! In the drugstore, these quads are around $10, so just over $2 for each was amazing, and no one stuck their grubby hands in them either!

The last two products I found were shades from the discontinued Maybelline Color Whispers line. I found the shades Lust For Blush and Coral Ambition. I absolutely adored this line when it came out because the formula feels like a very hydrating gel. I have about 3 or 4 other shades, so I'm excited to have these in my collection now! Lust For Blush was $3.50 and Coral Ambition was $3. 

Next up is a couple things from an online order at Sephora. I was browsing Instagram a little while ago (I'm @Skinstuffbykaty there if you want to follow me!) and someone had posted about the Make Up For Ever Metal Palette being an awesome dupe for the Z Palette, at a much better price. Z Palettes are typically over $20, and this baby was just $14! I had also gotten a 10% off code to use on this purchase, so that brought the price of it down to $12.60. It was out of stock when I initially went to look it up, but I signed up to be notified when it came back, so I snagged one right away once I got the email. This palette is freaking fantastic! Seriously, it holds so much more product than the Z Palette and the price is incredible. The only downside is that it is heavy because the entire palette is metal. That doesn't bother me, and I'm officially converted. I've even switched my Makeup Geek shadows over to this already. I highly recommend picking one of these up! 

The next product I picked up is the Kat Von D Studded Kiss Lipstick in the infamous shade Lolita. The liquid lipstick version is always sold out, but for some reason, this lipstick looks like a prettier color to me. I have yet to try this as I want to review it, but I have to say, this smells like a vanilla cupcake, and that makes me very happy. 

I had cashed in 250 of my Beauty Insider points for the Bite Beauty Lip Lab Trio in Kir Royal. This was October's Limited Edition trio, and I knew I had to have it since it's a beautiful burgundy/berry/fuchsia color. I love Bite Beauty more everytime I try other products from them, and I'm slowly building up my collection. 

Last up is Ulta! I had received a 20% off coupon in the mail a couple weeks ago for Platinum members, and it was good on EVERYTHING! There were just a few exclusions, like Dermalogica, Lancome, the Benefit Brow Bar and one or two others. I had my eye on the Too Faced Star Dust Palette by Vegas Nay, but kept telling myself I didn't need it and had so many colors like what's in the palette, in my collection. As I kept seeing rave reviews on blogs and YouTube, I had to check it out for myself. This truly is such a stunning palette in person! While I probably have many similar shades already, I got sucked in. It also comes with deluxe sizes of Better Than Sex Mascara, Shadow Insurance, and a Glamour Dust Glitter Pigment. I figured since I got 20% off, why the heck not?! #TreatYoSelf

Anastasia Beverly Hills is one of those brands that everyone and their dog talks about, but I really haven't tried much. I do love her clear brow gel, and I also have the Tamanna eyeshadow palette. I've never tried her famous brow wiz and I have not a care in the world for her liquid lipsticks or glosses. However, after seeing pictures and swatches of this Self Made Palette on Instagram, I knew it had to be mine. Do I need another palette? Not at all, but I feel like she has some really nice eyeshadows for an amazing price. This retails for $35 and with the 20% off, it came down to just $28 before tax. Not too shabby for 14 different shades in one palette!

The last product I picked up is the NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream 3 piece set that has the shades Monte Carlo, Copenhagen, and Transylvania and retails for $11.99. I saw this set online but with different shades, and in-store they had three different sets. I was drawn more towards this one as I'm trying to broaden my dark lip horizon. I haven't tried Monte Carlo or Copenhagen yet, but Transylvania is just such a gorgeous color, yet it's kinda difficult to work with. It goes on a bit patchy and you have to layer it to get it to look nice. I also feel like I maybe need to invest in a lip liner for shades like this. I still feel like the set is worth it, and the price is great. The Soft Matte Lip Creams retail for either $5.99 or $6.99 individually, so it's like you get one free in this set. Also, with the 20% off coupon I had, it really wasn't bad at all.

That's everything! I feel really happy with this haul honestly since I got things I had been wanting for a little while now. Is there anything you've purchased recently?

Fall Inspired Makeup feat. Colourpop La La

Hey everyone! As promised in my last post, which was a review of the Colourpop Shadow in La La, I'm bringing you a full makeup look inspired by the changing season. Fall is probably my favorite time of year. The weather is perfect, the leaves are pretty, and I always feel it's the time for a life change. Here is the look I did!

Face
-Make Up For Ever Step 1 Skin Equalizer Smoothing Primer
-Make Up For Ever Mat Velvet+ Foundation in shade #15
-Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser
-Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder
-Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder
-Essence Silky Touch Blush in shade 10 Adorable
-Pixi beauty Bronzer in shade Subtly Suntouched
-Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed in Champagne Pop

Lips
-Bite Beauty Luminous Creme Lipstick in shades in Fig and Date
-Juice Beauty Lip Gloss in shade Pink (It's not very pink, more mauve-y)

Eyes
-Lorac Behind The Scenes Eye Shadow Primer
-Urban Decay Naked Palette: Naked in crease, Toasted in outer Corner and smudged on lower lash line
-Colourpop Super Shock Shadow in shade La La all over lid
-Clinique Quickliner For Eyes Intense in shade Intense Black Honey, smudged on upper and lower lashline
-Lancome Definicils High Definition Mascara and Covergirl The Supersizer Mascara

Overall, I really, really love how this look turned out! I was considering going dark with the lip, but I decided to go neutral as I wanted the eyes to be sort of the focus. By the way, I'm LOVING the Mat Velvet+ foundation! Expect a review in the coming weeks.

Do you have a certain makeup look you like for Fall?

Review: Make Up For Ever Artist Palette Volume 1 - Nudes

Hi guys! Quite a while ago I purchased the Make Up For Ever Nude Artist Palette, but hadn't gotten the chance to really test it out until recently. I figured I'd let you know my thoughts since it is still available for purchase at Sephora. 

Here is a description of the palette from the Sephora site:

What it is:
A collectible, eye shadow palette with nine must-have Artist Shadow formulas in neutral tones.

What it does:
This palette features the coveted, easy-to-use Artist Shadow formula for endless eye looks—ranging from beautifully natural to highly artistic. With its advanced gel-powder formula blended with ultra-fine pigments, each nude shade leaves a smooth, even finish that leaves lids ultra-saturated with highly blendable, lasting color. The shades are organized in trios so you can effortlessly create chic, natural, and smoky looks. This palette includes an illustrated, step-by-step application techniques by MAKE UP FOR EVER’s founder and creative director, Dany Sanz, to help you sweep on a number of eye-catching looks. 

The palette itself is made of very sturdy cardboard, that is a bit on the heavy side. The design of the palette is very user friendly, has a nice magnetic closure, and a generously sized mirror. The eyeshadows are the exact size of a quarter at 0.06 ounces, and you get 9 neutral colors. 

I'm a neutral girl at heart, so this palette spoke to me. However, I don't really feel that they're anything spectacular color-wise, but they are nice if you're strictly into neutrals. The color numbers are on the back of the palette, but on the Sephora site, you can see the shade names which you will see in swatches below!

I went from left to right from the palette with these swatches, and they are:

- I-528 Pearl
- I-514 Pink Ivory
- ME-512 Golden Beige

- S-556 Taupe Gray
- D-562 Taupe Platinum
- ME-644 Iced Brown

- S-102 Onyx
- I-544 Pink Granite
- D-652 Celestial Earth

The letters correspond to the finish of the shadows. I is iridescent, ME is metallic, S is satin, D is diamond, and M is matte, but there are no matte shades in this palette. The shades Taupe Gray and Onyx don't look like they have a sheen on the eye though, so for me they perform like a matte. If I'm not mistaken, you can find these shades in single pans as well if you only like certain colors. However, those singles are 0.07 ounces, which is insanely close to what these are, and they cost $21 unless you put together a little duo or trio, then the price goes down slightly. This palette costs $42 but has a value of $136. That to me, is really amazing considering you're getting only slightly less product here compared to the single form. 

I really, really like this palette alot! The shades are buttery soft, pigmented and beautiful on the eyes, they blend well, and they last a long time as long as I use a primer (I have oily lids, so keep that in mind). I do like the color selection, but some of them look very similar when swatched, so I wish there was a bit of a different variety. I'm just so impressed with this formula and I recommend getting a palette rather than the single pans because the price difference is insane to me. They have one other palette that has bright shades, which I'm tempted to get, but I know I won't pick it up as much as I would a neutral palette.

Have you tried any MUFE shadows? If so, what do you think of them?

Sephora HAUL!

Hi guys! I'm not sure if I mentioned in a previous post, but a couple weeks ago, before my last day of work, my husband took me out shopping. He said I should treat myself a little before I left work since I most likely won't be buying anything for a while (it's not like I really need anything, but ya know, I'm hopelessly addicted). I went to a few different stores that day, but did some damage in Sephora, as usual, and of course I have to show you what I got! I also may have made an online order as well...

Alright, this is the stuff I bought in-store. Yeah, it's alot, but it's all products I've wanted to try for a while! The first product is the Peter Thomas Roth Irish Moor Mud Purifying Black Mask. I've already tried this, and I definitely plan on reviewing it, because it's simply amazing! Expensive, but totally worth it. This mask is supposedly purifying, refining, decongesting and hydrating, so it's great for a bunch of skin types. Keep your eyes peeled in the coming weeks for a review. 

Next up is the Bobbi Brown Corrector in the shade Porcelain Bisque. I've never tried anything from Bobbi Brown, but have been dying to try something of hers for years. As you may have heard me talk about before, I have really bad dark circles under my eyes thanks to genetics. Of course not being able to sleep well most of the time doesn't help either, so I always need help in covering them up. I'm so excited to be able to finally try this out!

I also purchased the Boscia Charcoal Pore-Minimizing Hydrogel Mask, which I already reviewed here. I bought this because I read about them online and thought they looked interesting, so I had to try it out that night. To shorten up the review, I just wasn't a fan, but I did like that a sheet type mask finally fit my face right! 

I also decided to pick up the much talked about Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder. I hear about this so much on YouTube and wanted to know what the fuss is about. I have yet to try it, and I will do a review on it if you would like one!

The last two products I picked up in store are from Make Up For Ever. The first one is the Step 1 Skin Equalizer Smoothing Primer, which I have heard pretty good things about. The second one is the Mat Velvet+ Matifying Foundation in the shade 15. I was so torn on shades 15 and 20 and I wished there was something in between. I ended up going with the lightest shade which I can probably darken a bit with setting powder or mix it with something else. 

This is the online order! I actually did 3 separate orders because there were some really good coupon codes for deluxe sized samples, and you can only do 1 code per order. Not to rant, but being a VIB Rouge, I wish they let us do more than one code because obviously we spend enough money, but doing separate orders is kinda annoying. Anyways, the products I purchased are the Tarte Limited Edition Amazonian Clay Eyeshadow Palette V1, the Urban Decay Afterglow Blush in the shade Quickie and the Caudalie Instant Detox Mask. I wanted the Tarte palette because there were a ton of Tarte items on the sale page and this was only $26. The Urban Decay blush just seemed like such an interesting color, but I have yet to try it. The Caudalie Mask has gotten a ton of awesome reviews, and I always love a good mask. 

Now for the samples, I got the Belif The True Cream - Aqua Bomb, a Make up For Ever Artist Plexi-Gloss in the shade 202 (a 100 point perk), a L'Occitane Divine Youth Oil, an Origins Clear Improvement Charcoal Mask (one of my all-time favs!), an Origins Original Skin Renewal Serum with Willowherb and a Fresh Sugar Lip Polish.

Well that was a good haul if you ask me! It's pretty obvious now that I don't need anything else beauty wise, so until I find myself another job, the hauls are going to be at a minimum (if there are any at all!). If there is anything specific here you want to see a full review on, please let me know!

Is there anything recently you picked up?

Another Ulta & Sephora Haul?! + A Life Update

Hey guys! So yet again I have another haul to share. In my defense, Sephora sent me a 10% off code for making it to VIB through 2016 (still working on maintaining Rouge status!), and Ulta was having free shipping with a $35 purchase. It's normally $50, but I didn't really feel like spending that much, so I waited. Lets get into the goodies!

Starting with Ulta, Batiste was on sale buy 1, get 1 50% off, so naturally I got my favorite Tropical scent. I know I had picked one up in April, but to me, you can never have enough dry shampoo!

I can't remember if I ever tried the Nivea A Kiss of Milk & Honey lip balm, or if I even have one in my lip balm stash. Either way, I've heard good things about this particular scent, plus I needed to add something inexpensive to get to free shipping. 

Next up is quite a few of the Montagne Jeunesse face masks. These are only $1.99 at Ulta and I don't believe I've ever tried them. I picked up a Mint Choc Chip mask, a Creamy Coconut mask, and three of the Hot Spring Sauna masks since those seemed the most interesting. 

It Cosmetics brushes are so stinking awesome but they can be kinda pricey. I already have a foundation brush of theirs, which is really nice, but I do prefer to use a Beauty Blender with my foundations/concealers at the moment. The brush I got this time is the 105 Airbrush Blending Crease. This brush is so soft I even made my husband feel it and he thought it felt really nice too! I can't wait to wash this bad boy and give it try.

Oh Sephora, you complete me! I don't know what it is, but Sephora gets me all the time. When they sent me the 10% off code, I told myself I wasn't going to use it because I didn't need anything. Of course I didn't listen to my brain! I picked up the Sephora brand Total Purify & Cleanse Gel. This is supposed to be really nice for oily skin as it helps to really clean your skin and remove makeup. I'm pretty excited to try it out because Sephora brand skincare is decently priced. 

Belif is a brand that I had talked about in one of my VIB sale posts and it's a brand that I'm really starting to learn about and love. I decided to pick up their Bergamot Herbal Extract Toner. It says it's good for normal/combination skin so I may wait to try this until it gets closer to Fall. I get really oily in the Summer, so I need more mattifying products to help combat it. 

My splurge for this purchase is the Make Up For Ever Artist Palette Volume 1-Nudes. Sorry I don't have a picture of the colors, but they're your basic neutrals which you all know I love and can never get enough. I've been wanting to try out their Artist shadows for a while, but they are pretty expensive. The palette is only $42, but it's got a value of $136! I definitely plan on doing a review on this, but I have to play around with it a bit.

I can safely say this is my last major haul for quite a while! The reason for that is, I made the decision to leave my job at the end of May. It was hard, but I'm very blessed to have an amazing husband who supports my decision 100%. He was the one to actually really push me into giving my notice, since he was tired of seeing me so upset all the time. I won't go into details, but I've just been very unhappy there for a long time, like for years, and I've been there for a total of 5 years. It was just getting harder and harder going in, trying to fake being happy, and people can tell when someone truly isn't happy. Anyway, my last day of work will be May 30th and I'm just so excited. I don't have any plans really on where my life will take me at the moment, but I do know that I want this little blog of mine to become something bigger, so definitely expect way more posts from me! My posting schedule will either be a post daily, minus Sunday, or a post Monday through Friday. Please let me know what YOU guys want, and I will do my best! Thank you to all the amazing people who take the time out to read my blog and support me. It truly means the world and it's what keeps me doing what I love, so thank you, thank you, thank you!

Little Sephora Haul

Hey guys! I have a tiny little Sephora haul to share with you today. I love Sephora but I've been really good in not spending a ton of money there lately. I heard somewhere, can't remember where, that in April there is going to be a VIB event, but I could be wrong. If there is, I'm definitely going to be buying some things I've had my eye on. Lets see what I got this time!

Ok, so I'm going to start with the samples. I don't normally show the samples I get but when I placed my order, they were giving out 5 samples instead of the usual 3. I ended up getting the Make Up For Ever Step 1 Skin Equalizers. It came with 4 different primers, a mattifying primer, smoothing primer, hydrating primer, and a redness correcting primer. I can't wait to try these out. I also got the Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Peel, which I'm kinda nervous to try because it's an extra strength formula. I have sensitive skin, so we will see what happens. I got the Dr. Brandt Pores No More Pore Refiner Primer. I have so many samples of these, but honestly have yet to try them! I've heard amazing things about the Tarte Maracuja Oil, and I may have another sample of this hiding somewhere, but I'm not sure. I've been really into oils lately, so I'm excited to try this. The last sample is the Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in the famous color Opal. I'm not normally a highlighter kinda girl, but I was curious and got lucky getting this sample. 

Onto what I bought! I picked up the Anastasia Beverly Hills Clear Brow Gel. I have a tiny sample of this that I think I got in an old Birchbox, and I just love it. I panicked the other day because I thought I lost it, which is what prompted this purchase. I searched and searched, and I found it hiding in a shopping bag. This brow gel is like hairspray for your brows. It is $22, which is insane for a brow gel, but I don't do anything else to my brows. I just like to keep them in place with gel, and so far, this one is a major winner in my book. 

I picked up one of the TokyoMilk Dark Femme Fatale Lip Elixirs in the scent Cherry Bourbon, which has a mixed scent of Cherry Brandy, Whiskey, Aged Wood and Clove. It smells AMAZING!! It's very adult smelling, if that makes sense. Definitely not your bubblegum, citrus, or typical sweet scent of other lip balms. I have a couple other of these lip balms in different scents, but I haven't tried them yet. I need to get a move on that!

The last product is a sample of the Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Natural Lipstick in the shade N45, which is a beautiful red. This was offered from a code if you spent $25. It's an adorable size and the color is nice too, but I haven't swatched it or anything yet. I've never really delved into the Make Up For Ever line, so I'm hoping I like this.

That's my little haul! Let me know if you'd like a review of anything, and if there is anything you picked up recently! :)

Cyber Monday/Birthday Haul!

Hey everyone! I finally got all my orders in that I had placed during Cyber Monday, and I also did some birthday shopping on Tuesday. My actual birthday was Monday the 8th, but my husband and I were both off Tuesday, so he took me to the Willow Grove Mall where there is a Cheesecake Factory for lunch. Of course I had to take a trip to the Sephora there. I do have a little rant though, so bare with me! I have to say, while lunch was amazing, shopping wasn't all the fun. The employees at Sephora were so damn rude and unhelpful and I felt pretty uncomfortable. Also, I went to Victoria's Secret to use up the secret rewards card I had and I don't know what was going on, but they only had one person ringing while probably close to ten people working on the selling floor. Now I'm no expert, but I do work retail. When you have a long ass line of people waiting to be rung up and only one person ringing, don't you think someone would come help the poor girl get through the line?! Honestly, it was unbelievable and I feel for the girl doing it by herself! It's not always easy! Anyways, thanks for reading my rant and here is everything I got! It's a long one, so get cozy.

I really wanted to place an order on Milani's website because they were having a 50% off sale on everything. I've been dying to try some of the Bella Eyes Gel Powder Eyeshadow, so I bought 8. The colors I got are Bella Cappuccino, Bella Taupe, Bella Ivory, Bella Bronze, Bella Champagne, Bella Caffe, Bella Purple and Bella Chiffon. If you want reviews of these, let me know! I didn't do swatches for this post since it's a long one. 

To get free shipping you have to spend $25, so I decided to try out their Eyeshadow Primer. I think EmilyNoel on YouTube likes this stuff, and I always trust her opinion. I also wanted to try out their Baked Blush in the shade Delizioso Pink. Shades like this always looks nice on my fair skin, and their blushes are great to begin with. 

Bath & Body Works had decent sales going, but I primarily only wanted to get the handsoap my mother-in-law loves, which is the Cucumber Melon, and you can't get it in-store anymore but I did find them online. They're not pictured because I already have them put away to give to her for Christmas. Their 3-wick candles were also on sale, so I picked up 4. 
-Apple Spiced Toddy, which pretty much smells like Leaves
-Stress Relief, which is eucalyptus mint
-Homemade Cookies
-Cinnamon Caramel Swirl, probably my favorite of the bunch

I didn't really think Ulta's online deals were that special, but they were having free shipping with only a $25 purchase. I decided to buy the Real Techniques Nic's Picks 2014 Brush set. This set comes with a Duo-Fiber Face Brush, Cheek Brush, Angled Shadow Brush, Base Shadow Brush and an Eyeliner Brush. I'm already a huge fan of Real Techniques, so I'm sure I'll love this set. 

Lorac had a little eyeshadow palette for only $15 and it's their Champagne Dreams Palette. The colors look beautiful in the palette, but I have yet to try it. 

I placed a rather large BH Cosmetics order, but two items aren't shown because they're gifts for a friend. Of course I have to treat myself as well, so I picked up the 10 piece Sculpt and Blend Brush Set. To me, these look like Sigma brushes, and I honestly like BH brushes, so I'm curious to see if these are nice or not. 

Me being the palette freak, I bought two. The Dark Rose Eyeshadow, Blush & Liquid Eyeliner Palette was only $10, so I figured I'd give it a try. I also picked up the Wild Child Baked Eyeshadow Palette. I love baked eyeshadows, so I'm gonna guess these are pretty good. It only cost $7.50 so if I don't like it, it's not a big deal. 

The last product from BH is their Studio Pro Matte Finish Pressed Powder and I got shade 205, which for me is the perfect color. I'm excited to try this as I only paid $4.50 for it!

I heard about the Stila Cyber Monday sale on a blog and thought I'd go over and take a look. Apparently the products on their sale page were between 50%-70% off, and I was shocked to see two palettes on there. The In the Garden and In the Light palettes were only $20 each. I also picked up their Brighten & Correct Concealer in the shade called Tone. I'm assuming these products are being discontinued  or already have been because I don't see them on the site anymore.

Last up is Sephora. These are a combination of Cyber Monday and birthday shopping and the first thing I truly wanted to get my hands on is the new Kat Von D palette called Innerstellar, and it's flipping gorgeous! I definitely want to do a review on this bad boy. I say that with everything and never do it, but this one deserves a review with how pretty it is.

Then we have the Sephora Collection 2-in-1 Eye Makeup Remover Gel. This was only $5 and I only got it to get up to $50 so I could use my $20 off a $50 purchase coupon. Hopefully it's alright. 

I picked up the Boscia Detoxifying Black Cleanser because it just seemed intriging. This is what I picked up in-store where I felt super uncomfortable. I would've shopped more, but I had to get out of there. I can safely say I'll be doing most of my shopping online from now on!

The Sephora Collection VIP Pass Eyeshadow Palette was just too adorable to pass up! It was only $10 and you get 8 neutral shadows that are perfect for travel or everyday use. 

A co-worker of mine raves about how much she loves the Eyeko Black Magic Mascara, but I saw a little duo set of it along with a tinted Brow Gel for only $15. I'm always on the hunt for a good mascara, so we shall see if it's as great as I'm told!

The birthday gift this year is from Makeup Forever that comes with a mascara, lipstick and eyeliner. I haven't even opened this yet, but honestly, I haven't tried much from Makeup Forever. Hopefully I like what's inside the box!

Lastly, I cashed in 500 points for the Clinique Eyes To Go set they have. It comes with a makeup remover which I already know I love, All About Eyes eye cream which I also already love, High Impact Mascara is also a love, Lash Building Primer that I have not tried yet and a Quickliner For Eyes Intense. I was excited for this because most items I know I already love, so it never hurts to have backups in mini form!

Phew! That's everything! I definitely did some damage this month and I also placed another order from The Body Shop a couple days ago that I'm waiting for as well, and also Ulta. I think my resolution is a no buy for a while!

Is there anything you've hauled recently?

October 2014 Empties

Hey everyone! I used up so many products in October, especially skincare, so I'm just gonna get right into it.

The first product I used up is the Colgate Optic White mouthwash. I thank everything that is holy this is used up. I hated this so much, it burned and didn't make my breath feel fresh at all. Hated this stuff!

The next product is a good one, and it's The Body Shop Satsuma Shower Gel. This product smells like heaven. I swear everytime I use this in the shower, it makes my whole house smell like oranges. I'm a huge fan of The Body Shop's shower gels and will always have one or two backups in my closet. 

Next up is a Hair, Skin & Nails supplement by Spring Valley. I like taking these supplements to help take care of my hair, but I notice a huge difference in the health of my nails the most. 

Then I have a small tube of L'Occitane Hand Cream. This hand cream contains 20% shea butter so it's ultra hydrating. I liked using this before bed so it could sink into my skin. My hands are really starting to dry out now, so I can already tell I'll be going through hand cream like crazy. 

I definitely used up quite a bit of skincare and the first product is the Hydroxatone AM/PM Anti-Wrinkle Complex moisturizer. This took me ages to use up because I used it at night and I did alternate between different moisturizers. This stuff is pretty heavy, but I didn't break out from it, which was nice. I did a review of it here and it was sent to me from iFabbo.

The next product I used up is the Boots Expert Sensitive Gentle Refreshing Toner. I think I may have put this in a monthly favorites, but don't quote me. I did like this toner alot. It was very inexpensive and did feel good on my skin. I don't know if I'll repurchase only because I'm so attached to the Aloe Toner from The Body Shop. 

Next I used up the Garnier Moisture Rescue Refreshing Gel-Cream Moisturizer. I don't like this stuff at all. It doesn't do anything for my skin and the scent is too overpowering for me. 

I've decided to throw away the Proactiv Mild Exfoliating Peel. I was going through my closet and saw this in there. I was actually going to use it then saw when it expired. In the trash it goes!

The last skincare product is the Own Firming Silk Concentrate. I did a review on this here, and now that it's all used up, I can say that I would not repurchase it. It was nice while it lasted. I mixed it into my night time moisturizer for extra hydration, but it did feel a little oily on my skin. 

I loved the Smashbox Full Exposure Mascara. It lasted for close to a month and made my lashes look nice. All other mascaras pictured were drier than the Sahara so in the trash they go. The mascaras are Pop Beauty Smoky Lash Kapow!!! (yes, it really has 3 exclamation points at the end of the name), theBalm What's Your Type? "The Body Builder", Make Up For Ever Smoky Lash, Korres Provitamin B5 & Rice Bran, and two of the Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes. All of those were just so dry and un-useable.

Now finally some makeup products! The first product is the Pixi Flawless & Poreless Primer. I didn't find this particularly amazing. I think it did help foundation/concealer go on a bit nicer, but it didn't really do much for my pores or oily skin. I do have another one of these to use up though.

I finally used up my Maybelline Age Rewind Dark Circle Treatment Concealer in the color Fair. I love this stuff so much and will always repurchase once I use up some other concealers. I think this is one of the best concealers for my dark circles. 

I also finally used up my Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder in the Translucent shade. This took me so long to use up since I don't use alot and mostly used it under my eyes. I love how fine this powder is and how it keeps my skin looking nice and shine free for a while.

I'm sad to say it's time to get rid of the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge I've been using. It had started to get tears in it and little bits were coming off when I was using it. Even though this is way less expensive than the Beauty Blender, it doesn't hold up as well as the Beauty Blender. I've been using my Beauty Blender longer than I was using this Miracle Complexion Sponge and it's holding up so much better. 

I used up this tiny sample of the Chella Eyebrow Defining Gel that I received in an Ipsy bag. I actually did really like this. I don't do much with my eyebrows, so some gel to tame them a little is fine with me. 

The last product is the La Fresh Travel Lite Makeup Remover Wipes. This little package came in either an Ipsy bag or an old Birchbox. I used these because I couldn't find a large package of wipes and they kinda sucked to be honest. They didn't remove makeup well, so I mainly used them to clean up swatches. Even then they didn't clean well. 

What did you use up in October?

April 2014 Empties!

April wasn't that great empties wise. The few months prior were much better, but I still want to show you what I did end up going through! Lets get to it!

These first items I didn't actually use up, they broke and basically were not usable anymore. The first product that broke is the NYX Mosaic Powder Blush in the color Dare. I received this in an Ipsy bag and to be honest, I didn't really like it. I used it a few times and it just wasn't the right color for me. I was going through my makeup drawers, saw this was busted and didn't really care. I'm glad I could free up some space though!

I had already posted about this from my last Ipsy bag, and this Elizabeth Mott Pop! Goes the Shadow in the color Champagne was sent to me already broken. I did email them and they said they were sending a replacement, but they sent a BH Cosmetics trio THAT I ALREADY HAD! I thought I was getting a replacement of this, but it's whatever. I'm honestly not too happy with Ipsy right now, so we'll see what I get in this month's bag. If I'm not happy again, I'll probably be cancelling and look for something different!

I purchased the LA Splash Cosmetics Illuminating Highlighting Eyeshadow in the color Exposed probably over a year or so ago. I can't remember if I already posted about this, but when I was checking out at Ulta, the girl who was ringing me up accidentally dropped this eyeshadow. I didn't think much of it at first, but when I got home, it was completely shattered. I was kinda upset, but I bought this on clearance for probably $3 or $4, so I still wanted to use it. I actually loved this eyeshadow as an inner corner highlight! It made my eyes look so bright and awake, but I figured it was time to get rid of it because it was fairly messy with it being broken.

I used up a little sample of the Makeup For Ever High Definition Primer. I used this primer on my wedding day and was really happy with my makeup look. I'm not sure what happened, but I didn't like this towards the end of its days. It didn't feel great on my skin and made my foundation look patchy. Definitely won't be purchasing this, ever.

I'm throwing out the Maybelline Mineral Power Powder Foundation in the color Classic Ivory light 2. When I first purchased this, I kinda liked it. It matched my skin and felt like any other mineral foundation I tried. When I went to use it one time, it looked so orange and nasty, I decided it was time to get rid of it. While I did enjoy this, I much prefer the bareMinerals Matte powder foundation. 

I finally used up the On10 lip balm in the Orange scent. I love these lip balms so much and I really wish Sephora would bring them back. I had purchased two sets quite a while ago of these during Christmas, and they're just great. They make my lips feel soft and hydrated, and they smell amazing!

This is a weird empty, but I used up a Super Kelp supplement. The main reason I used this was because I feel like I've had a sluggish thyroid and kelp has one of the highest sources of iodine, which is said to help with thyroid issues. Honestly, I probably have to see a doctor about it because I've been gaining weight like crazy, yet I don't eat alot and I'm pretty active when I'm at work since I'm in retail. That might've been TMI, but hey, it's all good. All in all, I didn't notice any difference while taking this, but before I do see a doctor, I'm going to try some natural remedies first.

I used up my beloved Hemp Hand Protector from The Body Shop. I've talked about this before and it's my favorite hand cream, especially in the Winter. This stuff is amazing if you work retail, in a restaurant, or a hospital/doctors office since you have to wash your hands a ton. This stuff lasts through multiple hand washings and you don't even need alot for it to work. Amazing stuff right here!

Last empty I have is The Body Shop's Spa Wisdom Polynesia Lime & Coconut Shower Gel. I purchased this when it was on clearance because it smelled amazing! That's really the only thing I liked about this shower gel. It had little scrubbing bits in it which did help with some exfoliation, but it didn't seem to clean very well. I love alot of their other shower gels and creams though, so I'll definitely repurchase them sometime in the future!

That's everything I used up! I'm starting to use up alot of little samples I have now, so I hope you guys don't mind if I feature them in these empty posts! What did you use up last month?

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 ;)

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!

Ridiculously Large Beauty HAUL! Part 2- The Body Shop, Sephora, Walgreen's, Sally Beauty & Sigma

Hey everyone! This is part 2 of my huge haul, and I really think I did some major damage! I honestly think I'm going to put myself on another spending ban very soon because I really gotta start saving my money! Anyways, this is gonna be a long post, so get some popcorn and lets get onto the goodies!

First up is The Body Shop. They were having a deal online where everything was 40% off, plus I'm a Love Your Body member so I got an extra 10% off, then I had my 4 point gift, which was an extra $15 off my purchase! I got all these lovely things for very good prices with all my deals! The first thing I picked up is the Absinthe Purifying Hand Cream. I wanted to get this because it was a new product that came out and of course I love trying new products! I'm honestly not sure if I like it. I'm obsessed with their Hemp Hand Cream because of how moisturizing it is and how long it lasts, even through numerous hand washings. This hand cream is much lighter and the smell of it isn't that great. It sinks into the skin very fast, but doesn't feel that moisturizing. I'll have to try it out a bit more to give a proper review on it. 

The next thing I got is the Shimmer Cubes Palette 23, which is an eyeshadow quad. I absolutely adore these little palettes! I have another one that I bought when I worked at The Body Shop about 4 years ago, and I still haven't made a dent in it. I seriously think these quads will last for the rest of my life!

I also got another one of their Cocoa Butter Body Butters. They were having a sale where certain body butters were only $10 instead of the usual $20, and this scent is one of my favorites! I have lots of body moisturizers to use up, so I didn't go crazy buying a ton of these body butters.

Then I got two of their new Flavoured Lip Glosses. The one on the left is Coconut, and on the right it Cocoa. I'm sure you all know how much I love coconut and cocoa scented/flavored things, so the purchase of these are totally justified. Plus, they were only $6 with the 40% off, so they weren't a bad deal either!

The last product I got is their Loose Face Powder in the color 01. I'm not entirely sure why I purchased this, but the reviews on the site are amazing. Every review gives this product 5/5 stars saying it's lightweight and gives a matte appearance to the skin, which is what I'll definitely need this Summer! I'm excited to try it out given the good reviews it has!

Now right after I made my last Sephora purchase, I got an email with a 15% off coupon for VIB's. That always happens to me! I always buy something, then right after I get a coupon or some other deal comes out! So of course my head thought that I had to buy more things, and the first thing I got is the Soap & Glory Flake Away Body Scrub. I can't wait to try this! Soap & Glory products are really amazing and I've never tried this particular body scrub before, so I figured I'd try it with the 15% off. I have to say, the smell of it is a bit overpowering, but as long as it doesn't linger very long, I'll be good.

The next thing I got is the Sephora brand Daily Makeup Brush Cleaner. I spot clean my brushes after I use them everytime. I don't know if that's bad for them, but I'm so weird about bacteria and whatnot, so I have to make sure my brushes are clean when I use them. This is my favorite daily brush cleaner. I'm currently using the one from E.L.F. and I don't mind the actual cleaner, but the bottle doesn't spray right, so I had to pour it into one of these containers because it sprays out the liquid better. You'll probably see the E.L.F. bottle in an empties post soon, even though I just used up the Sephora one.

The next product I got is a nail polish. Now I know I've been buying nail polish lately, but I've been getting way more into doing my nails, so I'm experimenting a little. This is from the Sephora X brand in The Pearlescents collection. The color I got is called Privileged and it's the prettiest dark burgundy color! I haven't tried this yet, but the reviews coming in of this nail polish are pretty positive so far!

Then I got a lip balm from the brand TokyoMilk and it's a Femme Fatale Collection Lip Elixer. I got the scent Coco Noir No. 60 which is described as, "Dark Rum, Maraschino Cherry, Sweet Milk and Cocao Bean." This seriously sounds like something I could eat for dessert or make as a drink! There are five other scents as well, but this one stood out the most.

Then I just got the Makeup For Ever High Definition Primer as a 100 point gift. I'm a little disappointed with how small this is for 100 points honestly, but hey, if it works, I'll be happy.

Onto Walgreen's! Now these things weren't bought all at once, I got them on three different shopping trips. The first thing I picked up is the Almay Oil-Free Makeup Remover Towelettes. I'm getting more into removing my makeup with a wipe first instead of just going in with my cleanser and Clarisonic. I haven't tried this particular brand's wipes yet, but Almay is a good brand, so I'm sure I'll like them. 

Then I picked up the Almay Get Up & Grow Mascara in Blackest Black. I've heard Emily from Beauty Broadcast go on and on about how much she likes it, and Almay was on sale, so I figured I'd try it. If Emily likes it, then I'm sure I will too!

Now I said that Almay was on sale. It was buy 1, get one half off, plus if you spent $15, you got like 4,000 points, so I picked up this to get to the $15. I remember my mom mentioning that she likes these Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover Pads, and she's got such sensitive eyes. I have pretty sensitive eyes too, but not like hers, so if she likes these, then I know they're good!

Then I picked up the much talked about Nivea Lip Butters in Caramel Cream Kiss and Vanilla & Macadamia Kiss. They were on sale for only $1.99 each and I haven't tried these yet, so because they were on sale, I decided it was time to jump on the bandwagon. 

I also picked up two Wet N' Wild Megalast Nail Polishes because Wet N' Wild was buy 1, get one half off. These are only $2 to begin with, so I was pretty happy to see a sale on the brand. the Two colors I got are Candy-licious (left) and On a Trip (right). I've heard alot of good things about this nail polish, so I'm excited to try them out!

Then I got two more Wet N' Wild products when I went at a later date because the brand was still buy 1, get one half off. I finally decided to try one of their blushes in Pearlescent Pink, and I also got one of their eyeshadow trios in Silent Treatment. I have one of the eight color palettes, but this is my first trio!

Next up is Sally Beauty! I had only been to a Sally beauty once before, but it was one that wasn't close to my home. I wanted to go to the one near me and see if it was any better because when I went to the one farther from me, I wasn't impressed. I have to say I'm impressed now! The first item I picked up is Hair Chemist Macadamia Oil Deep Repair Masque. I bought this because for some reason my hair is so incredibly dry lately and I need something to make it soft and healthy again. I really hope this does the trick. 

I was really excited to see that all their nail polishes were buy 2, get one free! You could mix and match between brands but I stuck with China Glaze. I only have one nail polish from this brand so I wanted to try out more. I picked up one of their Fast Forward Top Coats, and the colors I got are Love's a Beach and Seduce Me. I wanted the infamous Flip Flop Fantasy, but that slot was totally empty and I didn't bother asking if there were more hiding somewhere. I love the bright neon pink color of Love's a Beach. I may use that very soon!

My final purchase was from Sigma! This is my first ever experience with Sigma, and I'm already super impressed! I picked up and E35 Tapered Blending Brush, which you can see I've already used (and love!). Then I got the P88 Precision Flat Angled Brush, which I was so excited to try! I've been looking for a good brush to blend the concealer under my eyes, and this brush is AMAZING!! I've already used it a handful of times and I love how it works. I plan on doing a separate review post of this, that's how much I love it! The last brush I bought is an E55 Eye Shading Brush. Every beauty guru I watch has one of these and likes them, so I wanted to give it a try. When you spent $35, you got a free gift. I wasn't sure what to expect for the gift, but I received and E05 Eyeliner brush. I haven't used this yet, as I've been using the angled eyeliner brush from Sephora, but I'm sure once I use it, I'll like it! This is probably my most exciting purchase since it's my first ever Sigma purchase. I want to get some of their palettes in the future and definitely more brushes!

Phew! If you guys made it this far, I seriously love you! I'm sorry this was such a long post, but I was so excited with everything so I had to share! I know I said above that I'm going to be putting myself on another spending ban very soon, and I definitely will be! Seriously, I bought all this stuff within the past month and I know that's bad considering I have a part 1 to this haul! I'll keep everyone updated on when I start the ban...

Has anyone done some beauty hauling lately?