Easy, Everyday Makeup Routine

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Hey guys! This post was meant to go up yesterday, but you know, life happens sometimes. Anyway, I'm getting into the habit of doing my makeup more often. Since becoming pregnant, I honestly didn't care one bit about makeup and didn't wear any for the longest time. I wanted to start wearing it again just to help feel more confident, even though I feel like a bloated whale. I have a pretty easy, go-to look when I don't want to really think about what I'm doing, and I wanted to share it with you. 

I usually start off with my eyes, so these are the products I used:

- Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze
- Urban Decay Naked2 Basics
- Lancome Color Design Sensational Effects Eye Shadow (these are usually in a gift with purchase set)
- Urban Decay 24/7 Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner in Perversion
- Urban Decay Perversion Mascara
- Urban Decay Supercurl Mascara

For the face, I went very light since it's so incredibly hot here lately:

- Sonia Kashuk Radiant Tinted Moisturizer in Fair
- Rimmel Match perfection Concealer in Fair

Lips:

- Sephora Ultra Shine Lip Gloss in Pin Up Pink

I'm super happy with this look, and yes, there is no blush pictured, because I really didn't think I needed it! One of the perks of pregnancy is the supposed "glow" everyone says you get. I never really noticed a glow until very recently, but I'm not complaining! I also do switch out brands and whatnot, but usually keep the look about the same. I'm a neutral girl to a fault, and I really need to step out of my comfort zone more!

What do you use in your everyday makeup routine?

Review: Urban Decay Vice 4 Palette

Hello everyone! If you know me, you know that Urban Decay is one of my favorite brands ever, and I collect the Vice palettes that come out every year. They came out with their Vice 4 palette for Holiday 2015, and today I bring you my review of it!

Here is some info on the palette from Sephora:

What it is:
A limited-edition palette packed with 20 gorgeous, never-before-seen shades, a huge mirror, a double-ended brush, and a chic bag.

What it does:
Urban Decay created Vice4, loaded with 20 gorgeous shades of their iconic Eyeshadow. It features a huge mirror, a double-ended brush, and a coordinating bag. This palette channels the darkly alluring, dimensional hues of an oil slick—inspired by their vintage shade name Oil Slick. These shades are filled with rich, deep jewel tones in a wide range of finishes—from velvety-smooth mattes and shimmering metallics to shades infused with micro-glitter. Each Eyeshadow in Vice4 is formulated with Urban Decay’s own Pigment Infusion System™, a proprietary blend of ingredients that deliver rich, velvety, blendable color that lasts and sparkle that stays in place.  

Taking a look at the colors, you can see just how pretty they are. I expect nothing less from Urban Decay by adding in those bright shades, but also some neutral ones as well. The double ended brush this comes with is alright, but I don't see myself using it. I love the bag the palette is housed in, as you can use it for a nice sized makeup bag for travel, or you can just keep the palette inside it for protection. 

Swatches of top row, L to R

Bones: Oyster satin with pearl
Grip: Taupe matte with iridescent micro-glitter
Deadbeat: Black satin with micro-glitter
Beatdown: Deep metallic violet with blue micro-glitter
Pandemonium: Metallic plum with iridescent micro-glitter

Swatches of second row, L to R

Framed: Light neutral, matte satin
Fast Ball: Metallic peachy pink with micro-glitter
1985: Metallic fuchsia with fuchsia micro-glitter
Underhand: Burgundy-brown satin
Harlot: Metallic lavener

Swatches of third row, L to R

Discreet: Soft dusty mauve matte
Grasshopper: Metallic emerald with green micro-glitter
C-Note: Frosted green with micro-glitter
Arctic: Bright teal with tonal sparkle
Robbery: Deep metallic brown-gunmetal

Swatches of fourth row, L to R

Bitter: Reddish brown matte
Flame: Bright orange with gold micro-glitter
Low: Brown matte with iridescent micro-glitter
Crowbar: Black with golden metallic pearl/micro-glitter
Delete: Deep chestnut brown matte satin

So, you can clearly tell by the shade name descriptions that they had a blast with micro-glitter. Usually, I don't mind that. But in all honesty, it kinda put me off to this palette. While swatching all the colors, I had so much fallout that I was pretty shocked by. Putting a brush in the colors kicks up product as well. While I still love Urban Decay as a brand, part of me thinks that they're lowering their quality lately, especially with holiday releases. I don't know if it's just me and my personal tastes changing or what, but if these shades didn't have as much glitter in them, I would sure love them more. Deadbeat, Pandemonium and Flame are beautiful shades, but they're some of the worst in the palette with the glittery fallout. I'm a fan of UD's matte shadows in general, so I have no complaints about the ones in this palette; Framed, Discreet, Bitter and Delete. The colors that I have loved the most are Underhand, Harlot, Robbery and Bones. 

For this palette being $60, I honestly expected a bit more from Vice 4. The colors are undeniably beautiful, and there are some real good ones that are easy to work with. Part of me regrets buying this palette, even though I'm a collector. 

I guess the main questions are, is this palette worth it, and do you need it? I hate to say this, but my answer is going to be NO to both questions (unless you're a crazy palette collector like I am). Maybe I just need to use it more to make a final decision but I truly feel like for the high price tag, it could be better. If you do want this palette, I purchased mine from the UD website, but it also is on the Sephora site.

What are your thoughts on the Vice 4 palette?

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?

July 2015 Empties

Hey guys! I'm fairly unhappy with the amount of products I used up (or didn't use up really), but if you read my favorites post where I posted my life update, I didn't really care to do much makeup/skincare wise. I managed to use up a few things, so lets see what I have!

The first used up product is the St. Ives Oatmeal & Shea Butter Body Wash. I originally bought this for my husband when he was having itchy skin issues, but decided I wanted to try it out for myself because it smelled so good. This stuff is amazing! It feels incredibly hydrating for being such a foamy body wash and it was super inexpensive too. We will definitely be buying this again once the stash is used up. 

Next up is one of the Foaming Hand Soaps from Bath & Body Works in the scent Berry Sangria. This scent is heavenly, but my husband and I both prefer to use the soaps with the scrubby bits in them. I'm slowly trying to use up all the foamy ones I have, but if this scent is still available in the scrubby one, I will buy it again. 

I like taking the Nature Made Fish Oil softgels because my husband isn't a fan of seafood and doesn't really like the smell of it either, so I don't cook it much. To still get the health benefits, I take a fish oil supplement, and this one has DHA in it which is said to help with heart health. I have another bottle of this, but I bought a different brand that I'm currently using. 

These are the last few bits! I used up the three mascaras I had been rotating. Too Face Better Than Sex, Lancome Grandiose, and Urban Decay Supercurl. I loved all these for different reasons. Too Faced is amazing overall, it lengthens and volumizes my lashes like no other mascara has and it's probably my favorite out of these three. Lancome for me is more lengthening than volumizing overall. Urban decay is the one I used if I got some clumps in my lashes because it's incredibly separating. I did also post reviews of the Too Faced mascara here and the Lancome mascara here. Out of these three, I'd probably repurchase Too Faced Better Than Sex.

I finished up a little baby sample of the L'Occitane Shea Hand Cream. This stuff is amazingly hydrating on parched, dry hands. I've been having a dry spell with my hands lately and you only need a tiny bit of this to get the job done, so it lasted a good while. The full size of these hand creams are pretty expensive though, so I probably wouldn't repurchase unless it's in a gift set or something.

The final product I used up is the e.l.f Therapeutic Conditioning Balm in the scent Orange Creme. I featured this in last month's favorites here and I completely fell in love, especially with the scent. The only gripe I had with this is it didn't take long for me to use up. Honestly, I probably used this up in about 3 or so weeks. I do love me some lip balm but I only really used this at night before bed. I think this is only $1 so it's no big deal, but I'd rather use something that will last me a little while. 

What did you use up in July?

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?

May 2015 Ipsy Bag

Hello everyone! I received my Ipsy bag in the mail yesterday, which for me seems late. I usually get them pretty early and have it in my mailbox before I get the tracking code email. This time was different, but I'm actually happy with what I got, so that makes up for it!

The theme this month is called Jetsetter, so I guess it's based off travel-friendly products. I'm not a big travel person, but I will probably get use out of everything here. I think the bag is adorable this month! Ipsy sent out different designs on this canvas style bag, and mine says, VIP: Very Important Products. So cute, and I will most likely use this if I ever go anywhere, or just keep it in my purse. 

The first product I got is the Chella Eyebrow Color Pencil in the color Tantalizing Taupe. The color seems a little bit dark, but I think I can work with it. I don't typically use brow pencils, just clear gel to keep them in place, but I will give this a go and see if I like it. 

Next up is the Luxie Beauty Tapered Blending Eye Brush 205. I can never get enough of blending brushes, and this one feels so stinking soft! I can't wait to wash this and see if it's good. 

The Tarte Amazonian Clay Double Detox Facial Mask was a product I redeemed my points for. For such a tiny container, this cost me 500 points. I will probably only get 1 use out of this, so it better be a miracle worker for my skin!

Next is The Organic Pharmacy Double Rose Rejuvenating Face Cream. You all know I'm a skincare freak, so I can always use a good moisturizer. It says it's for all skin types but with it having shea butter and jojoba oil, it may be greasy for my oily skin. I will use it for sure, but probably only at night. 

The Not Your Mother's De Ja Vu 'Do Style Extender didn't seem that interesting at first. However, it comes in a red apple and berry scent, which is heavenly and I think I can just use it as a leave-in conditioner. It says it's supposed to block humidity and repel dirt and oil, so I'm definitely intrigued to see if it actually does that. 

The last product I received is the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Lip Pencil with 2 bonus samples of the Revolution High-Color Lipgloss. I love Urban Decay as a brand, but never really got into lining my lips. I'm definitely curious to try it out and I'm a lipgloss girl, so the little bonus samples were a nice surprise. 

Overall, I'm incredibly happy with this month's bag, even when I thought I wouldn't be. I can't wait to try everything and see what next month's bag will be like! If you're not subscribed to Ipsy, you can do so here with my referral link. You get 4-5 deluxe sized samples, with the occasional full-sized product, for only $10 a month plus shipping for some. Like I said, I'm surprisingly really happy with what I got, and I think Ipsy is just great. There are some months that are meh, but they typically make up for it at some point! 

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

April 2015 Empties!

Hello everyone! It's time to look through my trash and see what products I was able to use up in April. I think I used up a fair amount of products, and it's such a rewarding feeling seeing it all. 

The first product I used up is the Philosophy Purity Made Simple Facial Cleansing Gel & Eye Makeup Remover. This took forever for me to go through since you only need a tiny bit to get the job done. It was an amazing cleanser for taking off makeup and overall cleansing. I probably would repurchase, but I have so many cleansers to go through right now. 

Next up is the Mario Badescu Special Mask for Oily Skin. Unfortunately, when I went to use this, it was all dried up so I had to dump it out. I'm saving the little pot though as I'm sure I'll find a use for it eventually. The Aloe Moisturizer was alright. It felt nice going on the skin, but it never really sunk in and made me feel greasy after a while. The drying cream was also a dried up mess and unusable. 

I wasn't much of a fan of the Sephora Supreme Cleansing Foam. It smelled really strongly of flowers and didn't clean the best either. I'm glad it was a sample size that I got through quickly.

The Pangea Organics Facial Cleanser was alright. It was super liquid-y but it did clean my skin nicely. I can't remember where I even got this little sample, but it lasted me quite a while.

Both my husband and I used the Pantene Sheer Volume Shampoo. He's not picky and neither am I really. This was good. It cleaned my hair nicely and left it soft and fluffy. 

I used up sample packets of the John Frieda Luxurious Volume shampoo and conditioner while staying at my Mother-in-law's house during Easter. I really liked this alot. The duo made my hair feel so soft and it looked amazing once it was all dry. I'd consider buying full sized bottles once I use up what I have.

I have to throw out the Radha Beauty Argan Oil. It smelled funky when I received it for review, and it smells even worse now. I don't know what is wrong with it, but I have to toss it. I feel bad though because I only used it a few times and I did like what it did for my skin and also my hair when I used a tiny bit. 

The Philosophy Peppermint Hot Cocoa shower gel smelled so amazing and made my whole house smell good after I took a shower. You all know my love for Philosophy shower gels, so I won't ramble on about how amazingly awesome they are. 

I finally was able to use up the Juice Beauty Hydrating Mist. I hated using it by directly spraying it on my skin as it burned my eyes like hell, even though they were closed. It was much better just spraying some on a cotton pad and swiping it on my skin. It didn't do much for me though. I still am obsessed with The Body Shop's Aloe Calming Toner and nothing really comes close to it. 

Last few products! I absolutely loved the bareMinerals Firming Eye Treatment. It made my eye area feel so soft and hydrated, but it wasn't heavy at all. I only used it at night and when I woke up in the morning, the skin around my eyes felt really nice. 

The product next to it is the Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm Balm in the Black Tea & Blackberry scent. It got lots of love from me as it usually was the one I brought with me to work. I loved this stuff. It made my lips feel nice and hydrated and it's a great base for drying lipsticks. 

The last product is the Urban Decay Complexion Primer Potion. This stuff was like magic for my pores! Seriously, it covered them up so I could put on foundation or concealer and not have to worry about my pores looking like massive craters. I would most definitely buy the full size once I use up other primers. 

What did you use up last month?

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?

Review: Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer

Hey everyone! Today I'm going to be reviewing the Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer that I had gotten during the Sephora VIB sale. I did some major damage with that sale and I do plan on reviewing alot of what I bought. Let's get into it!

Description of product taken from Sephora's website:

This concealer from Urban Decay lets you cover imperfections without looking covered up. It’s easily blendable and buildable, giving you even coverage with a luminous, demi-matte finish. Ultra-lightweight, this high-tech liquid formula never settles into fine lines, and it melds on for a no makeup look while full coverage in an instant.

This concealer is enriched with Matrixyl 3000, which contains peptides to support the skin’s youthful appearance and elasticity, and Japanese green tea revitalizes and helps reduce the look of fine lines. It’s infused with Litchiderm™—derived from lychee fruit—which protects against dehydration, while sodium hyaluronate helps the skin attract and retain moisture, resulting in a brighter-looking complexion.  

This stuff sounds like a miracle, right? Well, I don't think it is. First off, the shade range is pretty bad. There are only 2 warm and 6 neutral shades. I picked up the lightest shade called Fair Neutral, which is still a little yellow for me. I need something more cool as it's better for my pale skin. The plus side is that it is fairly brightening and it does cover up my dark circles pretty well, so the coverage is good. However, even after applying it with my Beauty Blender and setting it right away with powder, it creases within 10 minutes and it applies patchy. I don't know why, because I always moisturize well, I prime beforehand, and I use my Beauty Blender. I've used this everyday since I got it, and every single time it's been patchy and has creased almost instantly. I have to check myself in the mirror constantly before I leave for work to fix it and as the day goes on, it makes my under eyes look dry and dehydrated. I also have to mention, this stuff smells exactly like nail polish remover. I don't know why, but it's so overpowering and I find that really bizarre.

You would think that a brand like Urban Decay would bring something out that's amazing because I had yet to try something of theirs I just straight up didn't like. This also is a $28 concealer, and that's incredibly expensive for what I think it is. Even with the extra 15% off, I say save your money and get something else. I love Urban Decay as a brand. Their eyeshadows are my favorite, their eyeliners are amazing and their setting sprays are great as well. I really think they missed the mark with this concealer. I will find a use for it because I don't like returning makeup, but I will never, ever repurchase.

Have you used this concealer before? If so, what do you think of it?

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?

February 2015 Empties

Hi guys! Today I'm going to be showing you all what I used up in February. I know I keep beating a dead horse, but with being so sick last month, I'm really surprised with all the products I have. Some of it is just really old stuff that had to go, but that still counts!

Starting off with vitamins/supplements, I first used up the Life & Food Garcinia Cambogia Supreme supplement, which I did a review on here. This was supposed to be a dietary supplement for weight loss and improving your mood. It didn't help at all with weight, but that was expected, and I did notice a bit of improvement with my mood. I also had a bit more energy but nothing to write home about. I wouldn't buy this for myself.

Next up we have the Nature Made Vitamin D3. I take these supplements because I'm a vampire and hate the sun (not really, but you get the point), and I always hear the sun is a great source of Vitamin D. Since I am super pale and burn very easily, I do try to avoid being outside when it's sunny as much as possible, so that's why I take these vitamins. I currently have a huge bottle of these right now that I probably won't go through for a while. 

Then we have the InstaNatural Phytoceramides Youthful Skin Formula, which I also have a review on here. In all honesty, I did notice a difference in my skin while taking these. It felt softer and more youthful. Even though I'm only 26, I did notice a big difference. This Winter has been horrible to my skin, so I've been doing all I can to it to keep it soft, hydrated and flake free. These really were pretty awesome. Would I buy myself though? Not sure really. The skincare routine I have right now has been working pretty well for me lately. 

The TopCare Gentle Dandruff Shampoo is the Wegmans brand version of Head & Shoulders. It's exactly the same thing! Seriously, it looks the same, smells the same, and feels the same. Plus, it's way cheaper. This bottle is only about $3 but they often have sales and coupons, so I got this bottle for I believe under $1. I only used this occasionally when I had an itchy scalp, and this will be what I purchase for the rest of my life for dandruff. 

I used up the Colgate Sensitive toothpaste, and to me, this was good but it wasn't anything special. It didn't do anything great, but my teeth didn't feel sensitive while using this, so it did its job. I'm currently using a store brand sensitive toothpaste that I think is pretty darn good, and it's cheaper too!

I finally used up the Bausch & Lomb Advanced Eye Relief. I had been using this for ages, but it was great stuff and was super inexpensive too. I have gone back to my trusty Similasan eye drops which are more expensive, but they're just my favorite and it's hard to stray away from them. 

I used up quite a bit of skincare stuff and I used up the Philosophy Spiced Gingerbread Cookie hand cream. Holy crap does this smell just amazing! It literally is a spiced gingerbread cookie in a tube and it was surprisingly really nice. It was hydrating and kept my hands feeling good even after washing them a few times. The scent also lingered, which to me was a big plus. This came in a holiday kit Christmas 2013 I think.

I used up the InstaNatural Moroccan Rose Water, which I did a review of here, along with their Skin Clearing Serum. I'm still using the serum and that's about half way gone. This rose water was amazing. I put some on a cotton pad mixed with my Aloe toner from The Body Shop and it just made my skin feel extra hydrated. I'm kinda sad this is gone, but I may repurchase once I go through my stash a little. 

I used up the Boscia Pore Purifying Black Strip, which is just a strip you put on a wet nose, wait for it to dry, and gently take it off. I have to say, I find these more satisfying to take off than the Biore pore strips I always used. Since this is a dark strip, you can see all the gunk better, and boy was there alot of nastiness that came out of my pores. I loved it, but these are expensive. This particular one came in a 500 point perk from Sephora with a bunch of Boscia products. 

I got a sample of the GlamGlow Supermud Clearing Treatment in a skincare sampler pack, and I truly didn't find this to be as amazing as everyone says. I didn't like the Youthmud mask they have either, and this one is a bit better, but it's not life changing. The hydrating mask they have is phenomenal and I will always repurchase that. I don't know why people love this particular one so much. 

I also used up the Korres Wild Rose Moisturizer. I used up another baby sample I had and didn't like it. I still don't like it, but used it up because I hate wasting product unless I have a bad reaction. This just wasn't my cup of tea. It doesn't really sink into the skin well, and the rose scent is a bit overpowering. 

Finishing up a makeup product is really hard, but I'm pleased to be able to get rid of a few things! I first used up the Korres Vitamin E Face Primer. I loved this because it felt more like a moisturizer than a silicone based primer, which I desperately needed. I feel like it did make concealer/foundation go on better, but it didn't really do much for longevity. 

I had to throw out the Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion in the Eden version. I'm not sure where this sample came from, probably with a palette, but this stuff is just not good at all! I was shocked because I love the original Primer Potion, but this made my shadows crease within just a few hours. I even tried to keep using it by setting it with powder, using the tiniest amount possible and everything I could think of. Nothing worked, and my shadows still creased. After about 10 uses, I decided I had to just get rid of it. 

I also had to get rid of the Covergirl & Olay Simply Ageless Eye Concealer. This was discontinued, but I loved how it had an eye cream type product mixed into the concealer shade. When I first used it, it was great. As time went on, it wasn't applying evenly and it would eventually make my under eyes look dry and cake-y. I hadn't even made a good dent in this, but it has to go.

I'm also so sad to be getting rid of the Urban Decay Sustainable Shadow Box Palette. I had mentioned in a post over a year ago that I think this was my first ever Urban Decay palette, so there is a bit of nostalgia associated with this. I used it a ton back in the day, but the screw on the side broke off on the bottom, so the lid comes off, and the palette itself has been unglued so it's just falling apart. Part of me wants to keep it for the nostalgia reason, but the logical part of my brain says throw it away. I haven't even used it in I don't know how long. If you could let me know in the comments what you think I should do with this, please do as I really am on the fence with throwing it out :/

Now I bought this Profusion Sultry & Neutrals palette over 2 years ago and only used it maybe twice. I was going through my palettes, pulled this one out, swatched it and was immediately horrified at how bad the quality is. Seriously, this stuff is not pigmented at all! It was only $5, which is a great price, but with Wet n' Wild being around the same price but better quality, it's just sad. In the trash it goes! I wouldn't even give this to a friend it's so bad.

What did you use up in February?

February 2015 Favorites

Hey everyone! I'm so glad February is over and March is here! February was a rough month for my husband and I. We both got the flu hardcore and we both also had car troubles costing us a small fortune to take care of. It's safe to say I'm happy to see a new month with hopefully better days ahead. Anyway, it's time to share some of the products I was really enjoying despite being on my deathbed for a week. 

The first product I have to share my love for is the Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief. This was practically my savior once I was feeling better enough to start taking care of my skin again. Being sick made my skin horrendously dry and it was flaking so bad. I started using this morning and night, but now I'm only using it occasionally when I feel my skin needs it. After using this for a couple days, my skin was back to normal. This bottle is just a deluxe sample that I probably got as a gift with purchase. 

Next up we have the Smashbox O-Gloss. This is a baby sample that came in a Sephora lip kit, but this past month I've been using it nearly everytime I go to work! This is a gloss that's supposed to turn your perfect shade of pink, and it really does. At first it starts out clear, then as you rub it onto your lips, it turns the prettiest shade of a light berry-pink, at least on me it does. It's also incredibly hydrating and not sticky at all. This is probably one of my favorite glosses I've ever used, and I will most likely buy a full size at some point. 

Next we have the Radha Beauty Intensive Youth Eye Gel.  I did a review on this here, and I really flipping love this stuff! It's definitely a gel formula, but it's one of the most moisturizing gels I've come across. It just glides on the skin perfectly, and I've really seen a positive difference since using this.

The Urban Decay Supercurl Curling Mascara has been amazing for me. The wand is curved and has rubber bristles, and I just love it when I'm having a natural/light makeup day and just want a little something on my lashes. It doesn't make them va-va-voom or anything, but it separates and lengthens really well for me. 

The Tarte Tartelette Palette was definitely my go-to in February. I plan on doing a review very soon of it, but I've fallen in love with matte shadows all over again because of this little baby. The colors are beautiful, they blend easily and look stunning with my hazel (mostly brown, but they turn green) eyes. 

My last favorite is the Lorac Behind the Scenes Eye Primer. I had to get rid of another primer I was using (you'll see in my empties soon!) because it just was not working for me. This is a sample that I probably got with one of my Lorac Pro palettes, but it's a generous size that I think will last quite a while. A little goes a very long way.

What were you all loving in February? 

Also, I want to remind everyone that my Borghese giveaway ends tonight! It is for US residents only, but make sure to get your entries in before it's too late!

January 2015 Empties

Hi everyone! It's time for me to share what I used up in the first month of the year. I have to say, I'm pretty impressed with everything I used up, and I'm going to be trying really hard to make a dent in my beauty collection for 2015. Lets see what I've used up!

The first product I used up is the Bath & Body Works Moisturizing Hand Soap in the Fresh Picked Strawberries scent. I'm more of a fan of their hand soaps with the little scrubby bits in them and this one didn't have those. I didn't really care for this hand soap because it smelled a bit perfume-y to me and my husband didn't really like it either. Glad to see it gone!

I then used up the ZenWise Labs Hair Growth Vitamins. I was sent his product from BrandBacker to try and I did a review of it here. I'm still sticking to my original thoughts on this, and that is it did help with growing my hair, but not with the thickness or new growth. My roots are showing like crazy now, so if you just want your hair to grow out faster, this product will help with that, but it won't help with making it thicker. 

I used up a Degree Expert Protection Deodorant in the scent Linen Dry. I got this at Big Lots and it was pretty cheap, probably around $1 or $2. I liked how it smelled and this is supposed to release scent when it detects motion, and I did notice as I moved around I could smell it, which didn't bother me at all. 

I used up quite a bit of skincare, so woohoo on that! The first product is the Peter Thomas Roth Aloe Tonic Mist. This toner is alcohol free and fragrance free, so it reminded me of my beloved Aloe Calming Toner from The Body Shop.This stuff is alot more expensive, but it worked the same at TBS toner, so I'll keep repurchasing that one for quite a while. 

I used up a little baby container of the Josie Maran Argan Oil. I used this over moisturizer if I needed extra hydration and I also started using one drop in my foundation/bb cream. I got that idea from Wayne Goss on YouTube and that changed my life honestly. I don't think I'll do that trick in the Summer, but in the Winter it's great. It helps my foundation go on better and it makes my skin look flawless. 

I also used up another baby container of the Juice Beauty Oil-Free Moisturizer. I remember I took this little tube with me on my honeymoon over a year ago and just wanted to finish it up since it still had about 4 days of use left. It smelled and looked fine though, so no worries about that!

I finally ran out of the little tube of the GlamGlow Thirstymud Hydrating Treatment mask. I did a review on this here, and I have to say, this is a Holy Grail product for me now! I can't not use it after I use a clay mask that's drying. I have a full size of this and will continue to repurchase despite it being so darn expensive. It makes my skin feel just amazingly soft and supple. 

I used up The Body Shop Aloe Protective Serum, and I mixed this into moisturizer in the morning to add some extra hydration to my skin. I still love this product as it calms my skin but gives me the little boost I need this Winter. 

I was happy to finally finish up the Philosophy Help Me Retinol Night Treatment. I will say, I think it did help my skin a little bit, but this stuff smells so strange! It's not like it was too old to use strange, but it just wasn't my cup of tea. It was a bit drying too so I had to follow up with an extra hydrating moisturizer. 

I used up my morning time moisturizer from The Body Shop, the Tea Tree Sin Clearing Lotion. I absolutely love this stuff for my oily, acne-prone skin, but in the Winter it's really drying, so I used the Aloe Serum above mixed in and that helped out alot. This gel type moisturizer is definitely a Summer time moisturizer.

Now for a bit of randomness. I was so excited to finally use up the Massive tub of The Body Shop Shea Body Butter. I had been using this since last Winter and probably around the second week of January it was gone. I don't really use body butters in the Summer as I'm not as dry. Once in a while I will, but I usually stick to light lotions then. These body butters are no joke though, they hydrate your skin like crazy and this one smells so clean and fresh. 

The Almay Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover Pads were pretty awesome. I used one for each eye at night when I removed my eye makeup and I had no problems taking off mascara or dark eyeshadows. Occasionally these did sting my eyes a little bit, but it wasn't terrible and I always washed my face thoroughly after removing makeup. 

I got the Figs & Rouge Hand Cream in the scent Rose Berry in an Ipsy bag, and I loved how this stuff smelled. It had way more berry than rose which I'm fine with, but I have to be honest, this isn't hydrating at all for me. I think it actually made my hands drier. I still used this when I was at work just so I had something, but most days when I got home, I had to put on a thicker hand cream to help my hands feel better. 

The Urban Decay B6 Vitamin-Infused Complexion Prep Spray came in a 500 point perk from Sephora. I think this is the most gimmicky product. It doesn't do anything special for my skin and acts no different than other makeup sprays. I will never buy a full size of this.

I have two mascaras here, the Pop Beauty Smoky Lash Kapow!!!, and the Bobbi Brown Everything mascara. The Pop one was just dried out so I couldn't use it, but the Bobbi Brown one was fantastic! It made my lashes look amazing, but the only downside is it smudged on me. If it didn't smudge, it would be perfect in every way. 

The final product I used up is the Tarte Clean Slate Creaseless Eye Primer. This is a white liquid-y primer that was just okay for me. It didn't really make my shadows last any longer and I still got creasing by the end of the day. There is still nothing that compares to the original UD Primer Potion for me.

What did you use up in January?

Remember I have my Borghese giveaway going on until the beginning of March, so there's plenty of time to enter! Also, I have my blog sale as well :)