My Top 10 Favorite Drugstore Products

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Hey guys! I don't think I've done a post like this on the blog before, but I wanted to share with you what my favorite products to buy at the drugstore are. The best of the best, in my opinion, and what I can't live without. I have a mix of hair and skincare, but the majority is makeup. 

1. Aquation Gentle Moisturizing Cleanser - I had done a review of this along with a couple other Aquation products, but this cleanser is my favorite out of the bunch. It's amazing at removing makeup at night, it hydrates the skin without making me feel greasy, and it just makes my skin feel so good. I always go in with toner and moisturizer after using this, but I can tell that my skin is absolutely loving this cleanser. 

2. L'Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte Foundation - I had purchased this a while ago after hearing some pretty amazing reviews, but put off trying it for the longest time. I picked up the shade 101 Classic Ivory, which was surprisingly hard for me to find at the time. It's like there wasn't a place in the display for it, but I eventually found it at Walmart. I am beyond impressed with how this foundation applies and how well it keeps my skin shine-free. It sort of reminds me of the Make Up For Ever Mat Velvet+ foundation, but much cheaper. 

3. Batiste Dry Shampoo - If you're a regular reader of my blog, you know how much I adore Batiste. I've tried quite a few of their scents, but the Tropical scent pictured is my ultimate favorite. It smells like coconut and the beach, and it's wonderful. It makes my hair feel so much cleaner when I haven't washed it in 3 days, and never builds up to feeling gross like other dry shampoos can. It's the best and there are usually sales going on, which is when I tend to stock up. 

4. Milani Baked Blush - This is probably no surprise, since everyone talks about Milani Baked Blushes, but these are just fantastic! The shade pictured is called Dolce Pink, and it's my favorite one. I wore it on my wedding day and it gives the prettiest shimmery, healthy pink glow to the skin that I can never get enough of. 

5. Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder - This is an old favorite that I will always go back to when I use up other powders. I have quite a few powders in my collection, but this is most definitely my all-time favorite. It keeps me shine-free and never looks cakey. I usually pick up the Transparent shade, but they do come in a range of colors. 

6. Colourpop Super Shock Shadows - Now you can only buy these on the Colourpop website, but at only $5 for each eyeshadow, they're such a steal! The shade pictured is called La La and it's a pretty coppery bronze shade that looks gorgeous over the Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze. If I could buy every shade of these shadows, I totally would. 

7. Wet N Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow Trios - My love for the WnW eyeshadows trios is massive. I don't own too many, but the ones I have are so gorgeous and the shadows are super pigmented. I have to say though, limited edition trios are not as good as the original ones, and I'm not sure why. Pictured is Silent Treatment, and it's my favorite that I own. They make for such a pretty, cool-toned look that I like to wear for date nights. 

8. NYX Butter Glosses - Again, these are old favorites that I typically use when I have no idea what I want to wear on my lips. There's a huge shade selection, but the one pictured is Cupcake, a bright pink shade that's perfect for Summer. These smell like vanilla and I have quite a collection of these in my lip stash. 

9. Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Concealer - You all had to have seen this one coming! This is my all-time favorite concealer ever. Seriously, I always want to kick myself for trying something new, and sometimes more expensive, only to find that this one is still way better. I usually get the Brightener shade, but I have used Fair. I think the Brightener shade works so much better at masking my dark circles, and the Fair shade is good for spot concealing around my face. 

10. Covergirl Mascara - I honestly have yet to open this Covergirl Clump Crusher Mascara, but I had to picture something in place of my beloved Covergirl The Super Sizer Mascara. I used my one tube up ages ago and haven't repurchased yet, but I miss it terribly. The Super Sizer makes my lashes look fake and I always get complimented when wearing it. It's probably my favorite mascara out of the drugstore that I've ever tried, and I've loved quite a few. 

What are some of your drugstore picks?

March 2016 Ipsy Bag: Hello Spring

Hi everyone! I just got my Ipsy bag in the mail today, so I figured I'd take pictures while I still had enough light and share what I got! I was excited for my bag this month after looking at sneak peeks of what I would be receiving. So lets see what I got!

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The theme this month is Hello Spring, and the bag I received is pretty, but not something I'd normally go for. I heard there were different colors to the bags being sent out, and mine is just meh. I'll probably end up giving it away. 

The first product I got is the Vera Mona Lotus Eyeshadow in the shade Clover. I'm sorry I didn't think to open it up and show the color, but it's a very pretty, shimmery peachy coral shade. It seems like a perfect color for Spring, and I can't wait to play with it!

Next up is the Marc Anthony Nourishing Argan Oil of Morocco 3 Day Smooth Perfect Blow Dry Smoothing Cream. Dear lord, is that a mouthful! Anyway, I feel like I've gotten Marc Anthony products in the last few bags, so I'm a bit over it, but I will give this a go. It seems like I can use this as maybe a leave-in conditioner, so hopefully I'll like it. 

I was so excited to find out I would be receiving a NYX Liquid Suede Cream Lipstick, and three different shades were sent out. I ended up with the ridiculous shade Pink Lust. I got so excited, I had to try it on right when I opened the bag, and I hate to report that I so don't like this at all! I look like a cartoon character with this on, and it's dry and flaky. It could be user error on my part, and I may have put on too much. I'll play around with this and report back. 

I had heard of the brand Me me me very briefly in the past, but had never tried anything from them. Getting brushes in my Ipsy bags always makes me happy, and I got their Loose Powder Brush. I don't know if it's just me, but this brush seems awfully small to be a powder brush. I'd probably use it for highlighting or setting concealer under my eyes. It is a very soft brush, and I'm happy to add it to my ever growing brush collection. 

The last product I received is the Pixi Beauty Blush Duo in Rose Gold. I've tried a few products from the Pixi brand and haven't been let down much. This duo looks so freaking beautiful and perfect for my skin tone. I haven't swatched it yet, but I cannot wait to play with it! 

That's everything I got! Other than the NYX product being a possible dud, I'm very happy once again with everything. If you want your own Ipsy glam bag, I'd love it if you used my referral link here! every month you receive 5 deluxe sized, and at times full sized products, for just $10 a month, plus shipping for some. These bags are usually pretty amazing, and I learn about new brands I had never heard of before. 

If you're already subscribed to Ipsy, what did you get in your bag?

What I Got For Christmas/ My Birthday HAUL!

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Hey guys! I hope everyone who celebrates had an awesome Christmas, and has a very happy New Year! December is always an odd month for me because my birthday is on the 8th, so presents that are given to me nowadays are for both that and Christmas, which I'm honestly fine with! Since I'm now 27 (hooray for being in my late 20's now...not!), I never really ask for certain presents anymore. I prefer either gift cards or cash so I can get something I know I'll enjoy and use. I also do treat myself to some things because, why the heck not?! So today I'll be sharing with you what I ended up getting with my birthday/Christmas money!

I had gone to Walgreen's hoping to find new products that I've been hearing about, but had zero luck. They did however have a major clearance sale going on, so I took some time browsing. I picked up the Wet n Wild Fergie Take on the Day Mattifying Powder that was on clearance for just a couple dollars. I'm hoping this is decent, but with it being marked down, it's probably getting discontinued. 

I also picked up one of the Megalast Liquid Lip Colors in the shade Red My Mind. It's a beautiful shade in the package, but that's it. It's an awful formula and flakes off my lips almost immediately after applying it. Luckily, this was just over $1 on clearance, and now I understand why every shade in this line was marked down. 

I've never tried the popular Wet n Wild lipsticks that everyone talks about, so I picked up the shades Smokin' Hot Pink and Cherry Picking. I always thought these were $1.99, but at my Walgreen's they were $2.49. No big deal really, so if I end up liking these, I'll probably buy more!

Burt's Bees wasn't on sale at all, but if you bought 2 of their lip balms, you got 1,000 points so I got the scents Honey and Coconut & Pear. I love lip balms, and Burt's Bees makes some great ones. 

Next up is Sephora! I had gotten the VIB Rouge giftcard in the mail for $25 off of a $50 purchase, and my mom also gave me hers to use as well, so I placed 2 separate orders, but lumped everything together. On one of the orders I had to buy hair ties because I wasn't quite at $50, but somehow I lost them already.

Anyway, I ended up getting the Philosophy Holiday Handbook hand cream set, which has the scents Cranberry Medley, Fresh Cream and Raspberries & Cream. I purchased a set of these last year as well and love them, so when I saw they had another set this year, I knew I had to have it. Fresh Cream is such a light, but amazing scent and I'm very happy to have it in hand cream form!

I have no reason to be buying more eyeshadow palettes, but the Too Faced Chocolate Bon Bons is one I just had to have! I had been hearing about it for months, thought the packaging was adorable, and the fact that it smells like chocolate always seals the deal. I have the other two chocolate bar palettes as well and color selection wise, I think I like this one the most. 

Kat Von D has been killing it with her makeup line within the past year, and everything I've tried so far, I've loved. I bought yet another Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in the shade Bauhau5 and a Metal Crush Eyeshadow in the shade Raw Power. You all know my love for her liquid lipsticks, but I've been dying to try out the Metal Crush Eyeshadows. I was torn between this and the shade Thunderstruck, but went with Raw Power because I love my burgundy's!

The birthday gift this year came from Nars and it included a Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in the shade Cruella, a Satin Lip Pencil in the shade Rikugien, and since I'm VIB Rouge, it came with an extra little sample of their Larger Than Life Eyeliner in the shade Via Veneto. I hear that both of the lip pencils and the eyeliner are great, so I'm excited to try them out!

Last but not least, I made a trip to Ulta. My lovely mother-in-law gave me a giftcard, and my dad gave me some birthday money. I also had the coupon for 20% off, which was good on everything I purchased! I had seen a review on YouTube of the Stila Trust in Love Gift Set, which includes an eyeshadow palette, a deluxe sized lip glaze, and a deluxe sized sample of their HUGE Extreme Lash Mascara. The wand on the mascara reminds me so much of the Too Faced Better Than Sex, which is probably my favorite higher end mascara, so we'll see if the Stila one compares. 

Real Techniques was on sale, so I picked up two of their Shading Brushes. I don't have these yet in my Real Techniques brush collection, but I love the size of these and think they will be good for applying shadow to my hooded lids. 

I've decided I wanted to delve into the world of lip liners, so I went a little ham with what I bought. I ended up buying three Essence lip liners in the shades 15 Honey Berry, 07 Cute Pink and 08 Red Blush. These babies were only $1.49 and with the coupon I had, it made them super inexpensive. I always hear good things about these lip liners too, so I have high hopes. I also purchased two other lip liners, one from NYX in the shade Cabaret, and one from Rimmel in the shade Rapture. The Rimmel lip liner was marked down to clearance, which may mean it's being discontinued. 

Next up is a new Revlon eyeshadow palette called Not Just Nudes, and the one I purchased is Romantic Nudes. They had another one that seemed a bit more warm toned, so the purple-y mauve-y pink shades in this stood out to me more. I love how drugstore brands are coming out with eyeshadow palettes, so I hope this is decent quality. 

The last product was the birthday gift from bareMinerals, and it's a Marvelous Moxie Lipgloss in the shade Birthday Babe. I don't think I've tried these glosses before, but I love the color of this, and it isn't very sticky either. 

That's everything from my birthday and what I got for Christmas! Did you get any makeup/beauty goodies that you're enjoying?

October 2015 Favorites

Hey guys, and Happy November! I'm so glad that October is over because I had a pretty rough month. If you read this post here, you know I was in the hospital and it's been quite the journey feeling normal again. Since I'm still trying to feel somewhat like a normal person, I don't have many favorites this month. I was lucky if I could manage putting on some mascara and lip gloss occasionally. I do have a few things to share with you, so lets get to it!

Since I didn't really care much about doing my makeup in October, I focused mainly on taking care of my skin. I started using the Origins GinZing Energy-Boosting Moisturizer when I ran out of the other one I was using, and holy cow do I love this! First off, it smells like a lovely field of oranges. I'm a huge fan of citrus scented products, but I can also safely say that this is quickly becoming one of my favorite moisturizers. I'm thinking it deserves its own review shortly. 

The next product has changed my skin in more ways that I can count. Shiseido very kindly sent me this product to try (which will also get a review soon!), and it's their Ibuki Multi Solution Gel that is said to help with roughness and visible pores, and it's got a Salicylic Acid treatment. Every night I use this, I wake up with skin that looks literally perfect. Seriously. My pores look like they shrunk to almost nothing, and my entire face looks clear and smooth. It's honestly a miracle. 

When I did feel like putting something other than lip balm on my lips, I had two go-to's. the first one was a NYX Butter Gloss in the shade Peaches and Cream. Even though I don't normally go for peachy shades, this one has just a little bit of pink to make it wearable for me, and it helped me to look more alive when I felt like I was dying. The second lippie is from theBalm, and it's their Meet Matt(e) Hughes Liquid Lipstick in the shade Commited. I received this in October's Ipsy bag, and I surprisingly really like it! It's not a shade that I would pick out for myself, but I'm truly surprised at how flattering it looks, especially with my pale skin. It's got a mauve-y tone to it that's a bit rosy, which I feel makes it more wearable. It does sort of dry out my lips, but as long as I prep them well, I don't mind it!

Those are my few favorites for the month! Here's to hoping November is a good month where I feel better and healthier everyday! Also, what were some of your favorites from October? I'd love to know!

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?

September 2015 Ipsy Bag

Hey guys! It's been quite a few days since my last real post, and I'm sorry for that! I actually started up my own YouTube channel (you can see my first video here!), and I'm considering focusing on that maybe a little more than the blog. Maybe. I'm still figuring out exactly what I want to do. Anyways, a couple days ago I received my Ipsy bag for the month, and of course I have to share what products I got. 

The theme this month is Face Fashion. I think the bag everything came in is super cute too! It's actually a bag I can see myself using, and it's a bit wider than previous Ipsy bags. I just like the style of it for some reason. 

The first product I received is the Crown Brush Oval Concealer Brush. I already own a couple brushes from Crown, and they're not awful quality, but they're not great either. I typically use a Beauty Blender for concealer now, so I may save this for putting on eyeshadow bases. 

Next up is the tre'StiQue Mini Matte Lip Crayon in a shade called Nantucket Nude. I feel like this is going to look horrendous on me with my fair skin. It's a shame because swatching it, it feels nice and creamy. I just look bad in nude colors.

Next is the Not Soap, Radio Revitalizing Hand/Body Lotion in the scent The Phoenix. To me, this smells really perfume-y and it makes me sneeze. I haven't tested it out, but I'll probably try it just to see if I have other reactions to it. 

Finally, a product that I'll use, for sure! It's a NYX eyeshadow trio that looks like it was made special for this Ipsy bag, which is pretty neat! The pigmentation isn't that amazing, but I'm sure with a primer it'll be fine. 

Lastly, another darn nail polish *sigh*. I don't know what else to do to get them to stop giving me nail polish! I feel like I get one in every other bag, and I've specifically graded any nail polishes badly in hopes they'll stop sending them. But, it is Formula X, and the shade I got called Ignite is pretty. I just don't wear nail polish regularly, so all the bottles I have are sitting there, probably very sad. 

If you aren't subscribed to Ipsy, you can do so here via my referral link! It only costs $10 a month, plus shipping for some, and you get usually 5 deluxe sized samples of beauty products sent to you every month.

If you're already subscribed, what did you get this month?

Ulta & Sephora Haul!

Hey guys! I've had a few products set aside to do a haul post for a little while now, and today I'm sharing with you what I purchased! I went to Ulta because I had a 20% off coupon to use, and I only got one item from Sephora, but it's an exciting one in my opinion!

I didn't NEED dry shampoo, but I was wandering down the aisles and saw that Batiste had little sets with a mini travel sized dry shampoo, for the same $7.99 price tag! I don't really travel for long periods of time, but if I end up going somewhere for a couple days, the little cans are perfect. You all know my love for Batiste is very strong so I got my favorite Tropical scent, then decided to try out the Cherry scent. Even if I end up not liking the smell of Cherry, I won't care because this is hands down the best dry shampoo I have ever tried.

Nyx typically has some amazing lip products, and I already have one of their Intense Butter Glosses in a shade name I can't remember, but it's a fuchsia pink color. I wanted to get some colors that were good for Fall because 95% of my lip product collection are shades of pink. I ended up with the shades Toasted Marshmallow and Spice Cake. While both of these shades are incredibly pigmented and gorgeous, I had a hard time applying these without looking like I was drunk. Maybe I'm applying too much, but these are really hard to work with. The colors are so pretty though, so I'm willing to work with them more. 

Since I was on the hunt for more Fall shades to add to my ever growing lip collection, I decided to try out two of the Revlon Super Lustrous lipsticks in the colors Cherries in the Snow and Plum Velour. Believe it or not, but these are my first ever Super Lustrous lipsticks! I'm sure I've said this before, but I always hated lipsticks until about 2 or so years ago. Now, I'm really into them and want more, lots more. 

The product I got from Sephora is a Bite Beauty Matte Creme Lipstick in the shade Elderberry. This is from their limited edition Frozen Berries collection and boy is it stunning! I even put this lipstick, along with the two Revlon lipsticks, in my favorite Fall Lipsticks post, which you can see in action here. This shade is incredibly vampy for my fair skin, but I love it. It takes a bit of working with the product to make it look nice, but it's totally worth it. The other little Bite box was a 250 point perk with a little baby lipstick and lipgloss.

Is there anything you've hauled recently? I'd love to know what else I need to try out!

April 2015 Favorites!

Hey guys! I know everyone and their dog says this, but I can't believe how fast this year is flying by. Seriously, We're almost half way through the year already! Anyways, I have some favorites today to share with everyone. April was a good month with beauty products, so it was hard narrowing it down. Lets see what made the cut!

The first product is the Urban Decay All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray. Holy moly, this stuff is amazing! It really does keep whatever makeup is on my face looking nice for a really long time. I can do my makeup in the morning for work and by the time I get home, it still looks nice. I also love how it feels on my skin, it's very refreshing and cooling.

Next up is the Kat Von D Shade + Light Eye palette. I had been wanting this ever since I knew it was coming out. I picked it up during the VIB sale Sephora had last month, and I'm so happy I bought it! All of the colors are beautiful and I will be doing a full review of this soon, so I won't blab on about it right now. 

I just posted my review of the Marc Jacobs Style Eye-Con No.7 palette in The Lover here, and it's safe to say, I'm a fan. I will probably be buying another one of these palettes at some point, but I absolutely love this particular one I picked up. 

Next we have Bioderma. I have been hearing about this stuff for ages, but we couldn't easily access here in the states, until now. The website Beautylish is carrying Bioderma, so when it officially launched I decided to order some. I'm so glad I did because this stuff really lives up to the hype! I do want to review this as well, but a short one is it takes off makeup like a dream and feels lovely on the skin. Great stuff!

Lastly, we have two lip products. The first one is the Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in the shade Berlin. These bad boys are no joke guys! They're incredibly pigmented, have great staying power, and don't feel too drying. These are definitely worth the $20 price tag. The second lip product is the NYX Butter Gloss in the shade Cupcake. I love these Butter Glosses and this shade is such a beautiful, bright pink that's perfect for this warmer weather we finally have.

What were some things you've been loving in April?

Ulta & Sephora VIB A Love Note Haul!

Hey everyone! As you all may know, Sephora is having their A Love Note sale! VIB Rouge's and VIB's can get 15% off their purchase through the 21st of April, and Beauty Insiders can get 10% off from April 17th through the 20th. I also purchased a few things from Ulta when they sent out 20% coupons to Platinum members, so I figured I'd share what I got there as well! 

I'll start off with the few things I got at Ulta. I just had to pick up some Batiste Dry Shampoo in the Tropical scent, because that's my all-time favorite. I had never seen it at my Ulta store before, so I was pretty excited to be able to pick up another one. 

I also wanted to try out the new-ish NYX Intense Butter Glosses, and I decided on the color Funnel Delight. It's this beautiful bright fuchsia color, and I think it'll be perfect for Spring and Summer. 

When L'Oreal came out with their La Palette Nude palettes, my eyes went straight towards the second one. The Nude 1 palette is more warm, which is still really pretty, but I gravitated more towards this one, and I can't wait to play with it.

Now for the products from Sephora! I don't have an actual Sephora store close to me, so I had to go to my Sephora that's inside JCPenny. Soap & Glory are no longer going to be sold in Sephora, so all the products they had were discounted. I'm pretty sure I had never tried the Hand Food Hand Cream before, and with the discount it was under $4. The scent seems a bit strong to me, so I hope I like it!

Bite Beauty is a brand that I'm really intrigued by, but I do find their products to be expensive. I have purchased a few things of theirs, and have liked what I tried. They came out with Butter Cream Lipsticks and I picked up the shade Rosewood, which was also the last one they had! It's such a beautiful mauve-y berry color and I'm excited to try it. I do wish they had a better color selection though, because most didn't seem very wearable for my fair skin. 

The last thing I picked up in-store is the Sephora Favorites Summer Obsessions kit. I had originally saw this posted on a blog and knew I had to have it. It comes with a Beauty Blender Pro (black one), a deluxe size of Benefit's Watt's Up, a full size Nars Lip Gloss in Turkish Delight, a deluxe sample of Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Fearless, A deluxe size Tarte Light's, Camera, Splashes waterproof mascara, A deluxe size Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Bronzer, and a 1 fluid ounce bottle of Urban Decay's All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray. For $39, minus the 15% discount, you honestly can't beat the price. The Nars lipgloss by itself retails for $26 and a Beauty Blender is $20. If there is only one thing you get, it's this kit, which is a Sephora inside JCPenny exclusive.

This is everything I bought online, and yes, I know I have problems. Anyway, I had always wanted to try out the Marc Jacobs Style Eye-Con No. 7 palettes, and this one in particular called 220 The Lover, showed up on the site after I had made my wishlist and it also is saying it's limited edition. The color scheme is just so beautiful together and I think they would look beautiful for Spring. 

A palette that was on my wishlist was the Kat Von D Shade + Light Eye Contour Palette. I'm so happy I got this because the colors are stunning, and I'm also happy I skipped out on her contour palette and waited for this. I plan on doing a review of this, hopefully soon!

I also have been wanting to try Kat Von D's Everlasting Liquid Lipsticks for a long time. I'm not really one for matte lipsticks, let alone a liquid version, so I think that's why I waited so long. I ended up getting the colors Berlin (left) and Bachelorette (right) and I don't know what took me so long! I've already tried them and I must say, these are super pigmented and I find them drying, but you do have to put them on dry lips with no lip balm or anything or else it will be super sticky and come off on everything. I want to do a review on these as well because I really am super impressed when I thought I wouldn't be. 

You all know I love me some Urban Decay and I decided to pick up one of their Moondust Eyeshadows in the color Ether, which is a beautiful light purple with pink sparkle. I have another one of these and I think they're really pretty. I'm happy to have another one in my collection. 

I was also really curious about the Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer. I got the lightest color called Fair Neutral, and I feel on the fence about this. I haven't tried it yet, but it smells odd, like paint thinner or something. I did want to use this under my eyes, but now I'm kinda afraid to for that reason.

The last product I picked up is the Kari Gran Naked Lip Whip in the scent Peppermint. This is on the new products page and if you know me personally, you know how much I love my lip balms.This was $15, which is kinda pricey for a lip balm, but it smells like York Peppermint Patties and it's got nice packaging, so I think it's worth it. It seems like a nice, thick balm too so that will definitely help my dry lips out. 

That's everything I got! If you want reviews of anything, please let me know! I'd be more than happy to give my opinion once I test things out. 

Is there anything you're picking up/have picked up during this sale?

March 2015 Favorites!

Hey guys! It's time for me to show what products I've been loving in March. I was so sick yesterday when I wanted to get this post up, but it's only the 2nd, so no big deal really. Anyways, lets see what products I have to share. 

The first product is the Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay, which I already did a review on here. If you already read the review, you know how much I love this stuff! It makes my skin look and feel so nice and it's probably my favorite mask I've ever used. Also, it's super inexpensive too!

Next up is the Hard Candy Glow all the Way Ombre Baked Blush in the shade Punch, which I did a review on here. That's a mouthful of a name, but it's an awesome blush! I love the shade on my fair skin, but in my review I did say it doesn't last through a full work day. I don't mind that personally, but for only $7, it's not a huge deal to me.

The Revlon Colorstay Moisture Stain in the shade India Intrigue has been my go-to colorful lip shade. It hasn't really felt like Spring yet here, so I wanted to add a bit of color to my makeup, and this is great. It's a beautiful berry-ish pink shade and I love it. I have a few of these and did a review on another shade called Barcelona Nights in September of last year.

Kat Von D Tattoo Liner in Trooper, where have you been all my life?! You guys, this makes eyeliner so stinkin' easy, and I'm still a newbie with eyeliner. I usually hate putting it on, mainly because I suck at it, but this eyeliner is amazing. I can do a wing without messing up, and that's saying something. I'm thinking of doing a review on this soon. 

The last two products have been my go-to neutral lip when I wasn't using the Revlon stain. The first product is the NYX lipstick in the color Ceto. I'm pretty sure I got this in a previous Ipsy bag and initially wasn't impressed. However, when I top it off with the Starlooks lip gloss in the shade Guilty Pleasure, it makes a beautiful combination! I also think I got the gloss in an Ipsy bag and again, wasn't too impressed. It just goes to show you can't really judge something until you try it!

What products have you been loving?

March 2015 Ipsy Bag

Hello everyone! I got home late last night from work and my wonderful husband had my Ipsy bag package waiting for me on my side of the sofa (he's adorable like that). I did open the bag, but it was late, and I was pooped, so I didn't get a good look at the products until this morning. 

The theme this month is called Floral Fantasy, and I quite like the bag the products came in. it's very Spring-y and has a vinyl feel to it. 

The first product I received is the Boo-Boo Coverup Concealer in the medium shade. I'm all for trying out new concealers, but this shade is just too dark for me. I may be able to mix it with something else, but I don't really want to have to do that. I'll still give it a go sometime and see if I can make it work. 

The next product is the Dr. Brandt Pores No More Anti-Aging Mattifying Lotion. You all know I love my skincare and always want to try new things. I'm definitely excited to try this out closer to Summer, but as I'm writing this, I'm noticing the bottle I have barely has any product in it! I held it up to the window and it's not even half full, only about 1/3. The product is sealed so I can't blame that on leaking, but it's disappointing that I won't get as much use out of this like I was expecting. 

We have another skincare product from Pur-Lisse Beauty and it's the Pur-Delicate Gentle Soymilk Cleanser & Makeup Remover. I will definitely get use out of this, but only at night since my skin will start to get more oily as it warms up outside. This product is filled up all the way ;)

Next up is the NYX Butter Lipstick in the shade Hunk. I love NYX and I already have a couple of these butter lipsticks, but this is just so dark! It's not a very Spring-like color, but it also might not work for my skintone. We will see. I was hoping for the pink shade they were also sending out.

The last product I received is the Vintage by Jessica Liebeskind Illuminating Face Highlighter. I'm not the biggest face highlighter person (I glow enough usually), so I will probably just use this as an eyeshadow. It's a beautiful pink shade that I think will look nice. 

Overall, I'm happy this month! I wish the Dr. Brandt product was filled up but I can still use it. For just $10 a month, plus shipping for some, these bags are awesome. If you want to sign up, you can do so here with my referral link!

If you already get Ipsy bags, what did you receive this month?

Review: NYX Butter Lip Balm in Parfait

Hey guys! Today's post is going to be a review of the NYX Butter Lip Balm in the shade Parfait. I received this in my December Ipsy bag and have been really enjoying it. 

The packaging of the NYX lip balm is just like a standard twist up lip balm container. I was excited to try this lip balm because I love their Butter Glosses and have a ton of colors, but I hadn't tried the balm version. 

I love the color I got! NYX describes this color as a fuchsia with blue undertones. That's perfect for me because I prefer cooler colors and pink is my favorite color. This lip balm feels so smooth and wonderful when applied to the lips. The color payoff is pretty good too but the staying power is just okay. The color lasted on me for about 3 hours. 

The color doesn't seem to come off as bright as it looks in real life, but you can still see it. This lip balm is pretty hydrating too, but once the color wears off, I do feel the need to reapply. 

These NYX lip balms come in 8 shades and only cost $4, which is a pretty good price. I'm not sure if I would purchase more only because the color selection isn't that great in my opinion. Hopefully they expand the line more because I do love how they make my lips feel, and I have no problem reapplying it when needed. 

If you want to sign up for Ipsy, you can do so here! Ipsy bags only cost $10 a month, plus shipping for some, and you get deluxe sized samples sent to your house every month!

Have you tried these Butter Lip Balms before? If so/not, what do you think of them?

December 2014 Ipsy Bag

Hi guys! Today's post is going to be the very last Ipsy bag I receive this year! I honestly can't believe how fast this year went, and I know everyone and their dog says that. I swear time goes by faster, the older you get. Anyways, the theme of the bag this month is called Thinking of You. Lets see what I got!

I love the adorable little bag the products came in! It's so cute and I can definitely see myself carrying it around in my work bag or purse if I'm going out. 

The first product I received is the Swissco Electroplated Eyelash Curler. Now, I could've done without this as I don't need an eyelash curler, but this one seems alright. It does feel a little cheap when I'm holding it, but I have yet to try it on my lashes and see if it works well. 

Next up is the Beauty Without Cruelty A.H.A. 3% Facial Cleanser. I love me a good cleanser and I was so excited when I saw I was getting this. Normally I don't like AHAs, I'm more a BHA girl, but this is only a cleanser, so I'm sure it will be fine. It smells nice and light too!

Then I received the PIXI Fairy Dust in the shade Brightening Bare. This is just a loose pigment that looks like it can be used as shadow or a cheekbone highlight. I am curious to try it and see if I like it. PIXI products haven't been my favorite honestly. 

Then we have the Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes 4-in1 Mascara. I tried this mascara ages ago but I can't remember if I liked it or not. I was excited to see that I would be getting this so I can try it out again. It always gets good hype in the beauty world. 

The last product I received is the NYX Butter Lip Balm in the shade Parfait, which is the shade I was most interested in. I'm obsessed with NYX's butter glosses, but have not tried the balm version, so I'm pretty happy to be able to try this out. 

Overall, I'm very happy with this month's Ipsy bag! Instead of the lash curler, I probably would've preferred the eye cream that other people got. Oh well, I'm still happy and this month redeemed itself a bit for me. 

If you want to sign up and get your own Ipsy bag, I'd love if you used my referral link to sign up! It only costs $10 a month, plus shipping for some, and you get awesome products sent right to your doorstep every month. It's definitely been my favorite beauty subscription service. 

If you already get these bags, what did you think of yours?

Ulta Haul!

Hey everyone! I did some shopping at Ulta recently, online and in-store. I picked up a few goodies so I wanted to share them with you!

These products are purchases in-store when I went shopping with a friend a couple weeks ago. The first thing I picked up is the Organix Quenched Sea Mineral Moisture Surge Treatment. Now, you know I love the Coconut line within this brand and alot of their products were on sale. This jumped out at me since I'm trying to take better care of my hair more. I hadn't really paid attention to this particular line so I did look it up online after I purchased it, and it's gotten some bad reviews. I'm still going to try this out, but I am wary now. Luckily it was on sale for about $5, so hopefully it won't be a huge loss if I don't like it. 

I also picked up two of the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponges. Real Techniques was BOGO 50% off that day, and I love these beauty sponges alot so I picked up two. I think these are honestly really nice dupes for the Beauty Blender, although I do use both. I figured I'd just buy some more of these since they were on sale. 

The last product I bought is the Tree Hut Shea Sugar Body Scrub in the Coconut Lime scent. This little jar was at the checkout area and it was just so darn cute, plus it smells like coconut, so I couldn't pass it up. 

Ulta recently had a 40% off sale on a few of their brands they carry, so naturally I had to buy some things online. I got a good deal on these too. I had a bunch of points to use toward this purchase, plus I had a $3.50 off a $10 purchase and there was free shipping at $25. After all the discounts and everything, I only spent just over $20, including tax! Woohoo!

Anyway, the first product I got was the Physician's Formula Shimmer Strips Custom All-in-1 Nude Palette for Face and Eyes in the shade Natural. I've heard some pretty good things about this little palette and I think I'm mostly going to use it for eyeshadow. I have pretty oily skin, so using highlighter on my face typically doesn't look too good after a couple hours. 

I also got a Sexy Booster Sexy Glow Bush, also by Physician's Formula, in the shade Rose. I honestly thought the packaging was adorable and it was only about $7 on sale, so I thought I'd try it.

An Ulta haul would never be complete without buying some Nyx Butter Glosses. I picked up the shades Cupcake, which I've wanted for ages but is usually sold out, Peaches and Cream and Red Velvet. I love these glosses so much, they're probably my favorite glosses in the drugstore. Also, at only $2.99, who can pass up a deal like that?!

I added another Revlon Colorstay Moisture Stain to my collection and the color I got is called India Intrigue. It's a really pretty berry/pink color but I have yet to try it out. 

Let me know if you'd like reviews of anything here! Also, have you bought anything lately?

Ulta Haul!

Hey guys! I know, another haul. I was trying out a spending ban, but failed miserably! Ulta was having a 40% off sale on some different brands, and there was a palette that I wanted since before it came out. Plus if you spent $60, you got an extra 300 points, which is pretty awesome. Anyways, lets see what goodies I got!

Thanks to Kate Spitz' review, I was dying to get the Lorac Pro 2 Palette even more so than I had thought. I'm obsessed with the original palette, so naturally I had to get this sometime, and while Ulta was having a sale with extra points, I figured it was time. I have yet to play with the colors, but I plan on doing a separate review and possibly some looks. 

Now I mentioned a few of the brands sold at Ulta were 40% off so I had to take advantage of that sale. Neutrogena was one of them and I did buy their Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover. Sorry it's not pictured, I forgot! It's pretty much my favorite eye makeup remover next to the Lancome Bi-Facil. That stuff is mucho expensive, so this is a great alternative!

I really wanted to try the L'Oreal Voluminous Miss Manga Mascara pretty much since it came out as well. I think the idea behind it is so cute and I've heard mixed reviews so I'm excited to try it and see what I think. I didn't really NEED this since I have a ton of mascaras to use, but I may bust this open sooner than some of my others I have. I had a code for 20% off of one item and this was the item that got the extra discount.

I was curious about the NYX Butter Lipsticks even though I'm not a huge lipstick girl. I ended up with the colors Cotton Candy and Fizzies. Alot of the colors were sold out so it was slim pickings, but I'm still excited to try these. I hear good reviews overall, so I have high hopes. 

I definitely had to pick up another one of the NYX Butter Glosses and I ended up with Peaches and Cream. Again, alot of these were sold out and the one I really wanted was so I chose this instead. I haven't tried this particular one yet, but I'm already a huge fan of these glosses. 

The last product I purchased is the NYX High Definition Photo Concealer Wand and I got the color Fair. I've heard good thing about this concealer and I'm always looking for a good one. With the discount it only came to $3, so even if I don't like it, it's not a huge loss. 

What are some things you hauled recently?

June 2014 Ipsy Bag

Hey guys! A few days ago I received my Ipsy bag in the mail, and I was really flipping excited for this month because I always look in my glam room before I actually get the bag in the mail. I'm probably weird to spoil what should be a surprise, but I just like to see what I'm getting beforehand. Anyways, onto the bag and goodies!

So apparently the bag was designed by Rebecca Minkoff, and I really actually like this bag! It's cute and Summery and I can see myself carrying this around with me. I'll be honest though, I don't really care if something is "designer" or not, but this is a pretty bag! Onto the products!

The first product I received is the Marc Anthony Dream Waves Beach Spray. I could honestly do without this because I don't do much with my hair, I just put it into a ponytail basically everyday. I haven't tried it, but the only thing I like so far is the smell. Holy coconuts does this smell delicious! Reminds me of The Body Shop's coconut body butter. LOVE!

Next up we have the Ole Henriksen Truth To Go Wipes. I was so ecstatic to get these because I've always wanted to try them. If I'm not mistaken, Fleur from FleurdeForce on YouTube raves about these. If she likes them, then I probably will too!

Then we have another awesome product, a NYX Butter Gloss in the color Eclair. I already have 5 of these babies and I prayed that I didn't get one I already had. Luckily I don't have this particular one, and I'm thrilled to add another to my collection! These glosses are fabulous and I want pretty much every color they have.

Be a Bombshell is starting to get annoying for me. I've received plenty of their products in past Ipsy bags, but I'm a mascara hoarder lover, so it doesn't hurt to try out another, right? I will say though, the smell is pretty pungent, like plastic overload. Kinda turns me off, but I'll save it for when I feel like trying it out. 

The last product I received is the Jesse's Girl Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner. I can't tell you how excited I am to try this! I've seen this given out in other bags before, but I was never lucky enough to get one, until now. I can't wait to try this out, it seems really black and also easy to use.

Swatch of NXY gloss and Jesse's Girl eyeliner

Well that's everything I got this month! Ipsy has totally redeemed itself for me this time, and unless the next few bags really are terrible, I'm staying subscribed for quite a while! 

If you want to receive awesome products like this every month, sign up here! It's only $10 a month, plus shipping for some.

If you're already subscribed to Ipsy, what did you receive in your bag?

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?