Pan That Palette Update: theBlam Nude'tude

Hey guys! Back in February, I started doing a pan that palette challenge, where I wanted to start panning theBalm's Nude'tude palette. I tried my hardest to use the palette every chance I got, and it was fun for a while seeing what I could do with it. 

To start, here are the pictures before I started the challenge:

You can see I did get a little use out of it before the challenge, but not alot. This was a palette that I just didn't care for much, but I did end up falling in love with it!

Here are the pictures after a little over a month and a half of use:

So, it's safe to say I didn't make much progress. I do think I made a good dent into the shades Sassy and Sultry, but only because Sassy was pretty much a highlight and Sultry is the only transition shade. Selfish also got a decent amount of use. 

I don't know if the whole panning thing is for me honestly, especially with palettes. I just have so many in my collection, and I do get bored easily using the same thing over and over (hooray for short attention spans!). 

I have to hand it to all the professional panners out there, it's not easy! While I think I'm going to give up this pan that palette challenge, I do definitely want to start rotating the palettes that are in my collection right now, instead of just letting them sit and collect dust. I just started doing the 100 Days of Makeup challenge on my Instagram, where I do a makeup look everyday for 100 days. That doesn't always include a full face, it can also be just an eye look, or a lip look I particularly enjoy. I've been getting alot more use out of the makeup I have lately, and I'm close to finishing up a bunch of products too, and that makes me very happy since I'm in decluttering mode. 

Be sure to follow me on Instagram here if you want to keep up with the makeup looks I'm doing! 

Have you ever done a project pan challenge? If so, how did you not go crazy?! (Seriously) 

February 2016 Favorites

*Some links contain affiliate markers*

Hey guys! Another month has passed, and it's time for monthly favorites. I haven't worn much makeup to be honest, because I was trying to focus on my skin. I've been battling a few breakouts, dehydration, and just overall blah-ness with my skin this past month. I have a few things to talk about, so lets see what I loved!

Paula's Choice is a line that seems to be getting more attention these days. I've been using Paula's Choice products for many years, and have quite enjoyed everything I've tried. The Hydralight Healthy Skin Refreshing Toner is absolutely incredible for my skin these days! Because it's been so fussy lately, I've been trying everything to help it calm down, and this toner makes my skin breathe a sigh of relief. Seriously, it's hydrating, but doesn't make me oily, and it helps to get rid of any extra dirt left on my skin. I'm glad that Paula's Choice is getting noticed more, because it's a great brand. 

You're probably thinking why I have theBalm Nude'tude Palette in my favorites. If you read my Pan That Palette post, you know I'm trying to use this as much as possible because I was never a fan of it. Well, now that I'm making it a point to use this more, I've kinda fallen for it. I knew that would happen! It's definitely got its good points, but it's still not my favorite palette of life, so I'm gonna continue my quest in using this baby up!

Next up is the Shiseido Ibuki Gentle Cleanser. I reviewed this along with a few other skincare products here, and this was by far my favorite out of what I reviewed. I love how squeaky clean this makes my skin feel, but it doesn't make it dry and parched. I definitely can't use this everyday though, otherwise I will dry out. Using it 2-3 times a week keeps my skin feeling clean and fresh, and I'm very tempted to buy a full size, even though it's very expensive. 

My last favorite is the Covergirl Oh Sugar! Balm in the shade Taffy. I received this in an Influenster box, and I freakin' love this stuff! I compared this to the Fresh balms that are over $20, and there are many people who say they don't compare. If you ask me, I say they're quite comparable, and they're a heck of alot less money than the Fresh balms. Oh Sugar! smells like Fruit Loops, the color is sheer, but build-able, and it's one of those products you can put on and not have to think about. I love it, and want more. 

Those are the few favorites I have this month! Let me know in the comments what you were loving last month!

Sultry Valentine's Day Makeup

Hi guys, and happy Friday! I'm sure you all know that Valentine's Day is only two days away. I'm honestly not a huge fan of Valentine's Day, and my husband and I don't do anything special. Why take a certain day to say "I Love You" when you can just say it everyday?! Anyway, this year, like every other year my husband and I have been together, we won't see each other most of the day. He has obligations for school, so that means I get to sit on the couch, by myself, possibly eating some chocolate and watching YouTube.... Ok, that will most definitely happen. I was playing around with makeup the other day and if you read this post here, you know I'm trying hard this year to pan theBalm's Nude'tude Palette. I decided to use it, and lo and behold, I really love how the look turned out and thought it would be perfect for a Valentine's date, or if you're like me, a date with my couch ;)

Shadows used from the Nude'tude palette:

- Sultry: as a transition through the crease
- Sexy: all over lid shade and blended on lower lashline.
- Silly: outer third of the lid and blended through the crease a bit
- Sassy & Stand-offish: Combined the two as a brow bone highlight and to blend out harsh lines. 

You have my husband to thank for the pictures here because I took probably close to 20 different pictures, and couldn't choose which ones I liked. Bless his heart, he helped me, and I think he did pretty good! The rest of my face is really easy too. I only have a bit of concealer under my eyes, around my nose and on my chin, powder to set the concealer, a rosy pink blush on the cheeks, and very natural lips. To finish the eyes, I tightlined both the upper and lower inner rims with a black eyeliner and then applied two generous coats of mascara. I wanted the eyes to be the main focus which is why I kept the rest of the look as simple as I could. This is pretty dramatic for me since I very rarely wear eyeliner, and I never put eyeshadow on my lower lashline. Otherwise, I think it turned out nicely!

Let me now what your plans are for Valentine's Day!

Pan That Palette: theBalm Nude'tude

Hey guys! I have been really thinking about doing a pan that palette challenge for myself for quite a while now. I've been reading blog posts and watching YouTube videos of people doing project pan challenges, and I was finally inspired by a very lovely girl on YouTube named Jacquelyn and her channel is called FortWorthFamous. She does all kinds of beauty videos, but her panning videos are pretty neat. I've only been subscribed to her for under a week, but I've been watching her videos like crazy lately! She's the one who made me have an ah-ha! moment in realizing that I have so much makeup that hardly gets used.

I've also realized that my palette collection is pretty outta control, and I have yet to hit pan on any shade in every palette I own. I've decided it's time for me to challenge myself and see if I can totally use up an entire palette. I was going through my collection thinking of which one I wanted to pan, and thought that I wasn't going to be able to do it because I love so many different palettes and would be sad to completely use one up. 

That's until I saw my theBalm Nude'tude Palette hiding underneath my loved palettes. I've ranted in a past post of how disappointed I was with Hautelook, where I purchased this palette, and that when I got this in the mail, it had already looked used to me with fingerprints. I was immediately put off, but sanitized it, and decided to try it out. I honestly wasn't impressed and have probably only used this palette under 5 times. If I used this up completely, I wouldn't miss it. The mirror is also broken as you can see, so I want it gone asap. I'm setting out the intention to pan this palette completely in 2016. 

I have no idea how long it will actually take me to completely use this up, but if I can use it up by the end of the year, I'll be happy. I will continue to use different palettes for review purposes (I have quite a few I still need to do reviews on), but this is the palette I want to continuously reach for. I will still be doing my monthly empties posts because I use up different products every month, and every month is always different in the amount I'm able to finish. 

I also want to do updates on how I'm doing with my Pan That Palette challenge, so I'll be posting close-up pictures, like the ones right above here, every month on the progress I've made. Since we're already almost half way through February, I probably won't do an update until the beginning of April. The pictures shown above are what the shadows look like as of right now. Wish me luck!

Have you ever done any kind of project pan chellenges? Let me know! I'd love advice or words of encouragement! 

January 2016 Ipsy Bag: All Eyes On You

*Ipsy link is an affiliate code*

Hi guys! Today I'm going to be sharing with you all what I got in this month's Ipsy bag. It came just a couple days ago, which is early for me honestly. This month was a good one, and the theme is All Eyes On You. 

I think the bag everything came in is so cute! It's got a vinyl feel to it, and the back of it is a pretty blue color. The zipper is at the top of the bag, which I definitely appreciate. 

The first product I received is a travel size of the Skyn Iceland Glacial Cleansing Cloths. I love the Skyn Iceland brand and am currently using a cleanser of theirs that is pretty darn good. I can always use wipes like these. 

Next up is a City Color Eyeshadow Trio in Falling Leaves. It comes with a matte burnt orange, metallic bronze and a champagne highlight color that look pretty nice, but I have yet to swatch them and see how good they are. City color isn't really a brand I've dipped my toes into. 

Next is a Lasting Smiles Lip balm in the scent Peppermint Creme. I love lip balms and have a stash of them that will probably last me for the rest of my life. The cool thing about this brand is that for every one of these lip balms sold, it helps to fund cleft surgeries for children. Every 1,000 sold helps out one child. 

Then we have a Tre'StiQue Mini Matte Lip Crayon in the shade Florence Fig. This is a beautiful color and I'm pretty sure I've gotten one of their lip crayons in a previous bag before. This brand makes some nice products though, so I don't mind having another one!

The last product I received is theBalm Mr. Write(Now) Eyeliner in the shade Jack B. Bronze. I've tried a few theBalm products and haven't been too impressed honestly. The eyeliner I got is broken and fell out when I first opened it, but it's still usable, so I won't bother contacting Ipsy Care about it.

That's everything I got! Not too bad for just $10 a month, if you ask me. If you want your own Ipsy bag, I'd love it if you used my affiliate code here. Like I said, it's just $10 a month, plus shipping for some, and you get typically 5 deluxe beauty products to try. Occasionally you'll get a full size product, which is pretty nice!

If you're already subscribed, what did you receive?

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!

October 2015 Ipsy Bag

Hi guys! I finally received my Ipsy bag for October this past weekend. Seeing which products I was getting beforehand, I was actually pretty excited this month! Until I got my bag in the mail that is. I had redeemed points last month to get a certain product, and they sent me the wrong one! 

I'm not a huge fan of the actual bag everything came in. One side is gold, the other is black. The theme this month is Alter Ego.

The first product I received is the Royal & Langnickel Medium Eye Shader Brush. I've never tried anything from this brand before, but the brush I got is incredibly soft, and it's pink! I can never have enough brushes, so I'm really happy to have gotten this. 

Next up is the Beauty Without Cruelty Fragrance Free Hand & Body Lotion. This truly is fragrance free, which I'm actually happy about. My allergies have been going nuts lately, and it's being triggered by certain fragrances. This has shea butter, jojoba, and kukui nut oil in it, so it's great for hydration. My sad, dry hands will definitely appreciate this!

I'm so excited to have received the it Cosmetics Hello Lashes 5-in-1 Mascara! I love it Cosmetics as a brand, but have never tried this mascara. I've heard good and bad things about it, but I'm excited to give it a try!

Next is the Nourish Organic Pure Hydrating Argan Face Serum. I've gotten this brand before in previous Ipsy bags, but honestly haven't tried them yet. This is said to be for normal to dry skin, and my skin is already drying out with the colder weather we've been having. This will probably be put to use in the coming months!

The last product I received is theBalm Cosmetics Meet Matt(e) Hughes Long Lasting Liquid Lipstick in the shade Committed, which is a pinky nude color. I was super excited to try out this little sample, and it doesn't disappoint. I tried it right when I got this bag in the mail, and I love the color and how it applies. It is pretty drying though, but I typically expect that from liquid lipsticks. 

Now, the product they sent me for redeeming my points is the BellaPierre Gel Eyeliner in the shade Ebony. While this is a decent eyeliner, it's not what I had redeemed my points for! I had to go back and check what I did originally get because I know I didn't pick this, and I was pretty confused. What I had redeemed them for was a blending brush from Luxie Beauty. I got one of those in a previous Ipsy bag, and absolutely love it. When I saw it was available for 500 points, I snagged one. I don't know what happened, but I got a little mad seeing an eyeliner instead of the brush I wanted. I already emailed them about it, and they did say I'll get a replacement, but who knows if it will be the brush I wanted. I've never had this issue before!

Anyway, that's everything in this month's bag! Despite being sent the wrong product for redeeming my points, I'm happy with the products this month. I was on the verge of cancelling honestly, but I'll give it a few more months. If you want to get Ipsy bags for yourself, you can sign up here! It costs $10 a month, plus shipping for some, and you get 4-5 deluxe sized samples of beauty products!

*Ipsy link is a referral code. I get points to redeem for product, if you use my link to sign up!*

April 2015 Ipsy Bag

Hey everyone! I'm really excited that my Ipsy bag came in the mail yesterday, and I hadn't even gotten a tracking code. Weird, but that's happened before! This month's theme is called Beautifully Bohemian, and I'm excited for this one.

I love the style of the bag this month! It reminds me of a thin weaved basket, which probably sounds strange. I love the strips of color added and I can definitely see myself using this bag in everyday life. Onto the products!

First up, we have the MicaBeauty Eye Primer. I'm always on the hunt for a good eyeshadow primer, and this one says it's waterproof so hopefully it's good for Summertime use.

Next, I got a theBalm Nude Dude Eyeshadow Single in the shade Flirty, which is described as a shimmering golden violet color. I'm a fan of the brand, but it's not my favorite. I'm an eyeshadow junkie though, so I will have use for this I'm sure. 

I'm actually really excited for this next product. It's a blush by the brand Hikari in the shade Tango. It's a beautiful peachy pink shade and I'm pretty sure this is a full size product. In that case, this by itself costs $15, which is pretty darn cool!

I've heard of Klorane products before but never tried them. When I saw I was going to be receiving their Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk, I was really excited! I love dry shampoos since I don't wash my hair everyday. I'm hoping I can get decent use out of this can because it doesn't feel like it's filled very much. 

The last product I received is a JulieG Nail Color in the shade Damsel. I don't really like getting nail polish in subscription bags, but this color is right up my alley. Since Spring is finally here, I've been in the mood to do something with my nails, and this bright pink color seems perfect. 

Overall, I'm really happy with my bag this month. I feel like I got a nice range of products and they will all get used at some point. 

If you want your own Ipsy bag, you can sign up here! It only costs $10 a month, plus shipping for some, and you get 4-5 deluxe sized sample products with an occasional full sized one, like the blush above!

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

October 2014 Empties

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What did you use up in October?

September 2014 Empties

Hi guys! It's time for some empties and this will probably be a long one because I used up a decent amount of products. Here we go!

First up is a can of Batiste Dry Shampoo, and this is the one with a hint of color for light and blonde hair. I didn't mind the color of this, which was a light yellow. It rubbed into my hair fine and left no strange color. I love my Batiste and will always repurchase, but probably not this one.

The next product I used up is the Garnier Fructis Hydra Recharge Fortifying Shampoo. I didn't use up this whole bottle myself, I had the help of my husband. He's not picky with shampoo, but I did like this. It definitely made my hair feel really clean and it smelled really nice too. I always like shampoos and conditioners from this brand so I'll always repurchase at some time or other.

Next up is a conditioner I've been tying to finish for probably a year or so, and it's the Pantene Sheer Volume Complete Therapy Conditioner. I don't know why this took so long to finish, but I didn't need alot at all to make my hair feel hydrated. This definitely made my hair feel so nice and less tangled. Worth it for how long it lasted, but I was so over it when it was gone!

I also used up the Organix Nourishing Coconut Milk Conditioner that also took me ages to use up. This conditioner is really good stuff. It's very thin and liquid-y though so at first I thought it wasn't going to work well. Boy was I wrong! This left my hair feeling so soft and made it smell so darn good! I would repurchase once I use up my stash. 

Oh look, mascaras! I gotta admit, alot of these were just dried up and I couldn't use them. The two Buxom Lash mascaras I've had for I don't even now how long, so they gotta go. The Benefit Badgal Lash I used once, but it seemed off to me. I used it before and liked it, but this tube just wasn't the same. Funny story about the Fresh Supernova mascara. The first time I went to use it, I got one eye done and loved how it turned out. Then the wand proceeded to fly out of my hand onto the carpet. Needless to say, it had hair and dust all over it so I had to toss it and find something else to use. I absolutely hated theBalm's What's Your Type? mascara in "The Body Builder". It did nothing for me at all. I was so in love with the Sephora Atomic Volume mascara and I got a good 3 weeks of use out of it before it started to dry out and not work as well. 

The next product Is actually one I'm throwing away because the color is hideous and it's the Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Ultra Lipstick in the color Brick. It's a horrible brick red color that makes me look so sick. This came in a gift with purchase so I'm not worried about throwing it out.

Then we have a Jouer lip gloss and the color is called Birchbox Pink. This obviously came in a Birchbox, but I haven't been subscribed to them in about 2 years, plus this smelled funny, so out it goes!

The bareMinerals Prime Time Eyelid Primer was pretty nice, but my shadows creased on me most days I used it. It wasn't terrible, but enough to be annoying. I did finish all of this and got a little over a month's worth of use out of this little sample. 

I'm just throwing away the J.Cat Beauty Sparkling Cream Palette. This glittery creamy mess is just not good and no one should ever use it. 

Onto some random bits. First up is a foaming hand soap from Bath & Body Works in the scent Coconut Cove. I absolutely loved this scent, obviously because it's coconut. I have about 20 different scents of these soaps because I always stock up during sales. 

Next up is my favorite contact solution, Renu Fresh. I know I've said before, but this is the only brand that doesn't burn my eyes when I put my contacts in, so I can't really buy anything else. This stuff isn't cheap either, so I'm learning to wear my glasses more just to conserve a bit.

I was sad using up this Crest Sensi-Relief Toothpaste, because it was so good! This has to be one of the best toothpastes that have helped my sensitive teeth and gums. This isn't cheap either and I did buy it at Walmart when I had a $1 off coupon to use. Normally I think it's a little over $4, which to me is high. I always feel like I shouldn't pay that much for something like toothpaste. I will repurchase eventually if I don't find something better, or cheaper.

I used up the Body Shop's Tea Tree Skin Clearing Toner, which I've been a fan of for years. I love this stuff in the Summer especially, because it's awesome for oily skin. It keeps my skin clear and fresh and I feel it helps with my breakouts. 

I used up my first EOS lip balm and I think the scent is either strawberry or raspberry. It never says on the packaging what scent it is, so I really am guessing. In my truly honest opinion, I think this stuff sucks. I didn't find it moisturizing at all. If anything my lips were drier making me use it constantly. I do have a few more of these lip balms in my stash, but I don't know if I want to just throw them out or not. 

Next up is another product from The Body Shop, the Elderflower Unperfumed Eye Gel. I loved this so much in the Summer because it felt so cooling and nice on hot days. It really has no scent either which for me is nice since I tend to have sensitive eyes. 

I was really sad when I used up this little sample of the Jouer Lip Enhancer Conditioning Lip Treatment. I think I got this in a Birchbox as well, but this seemed good to use. I absolutely loved what this did to my lips. It made them plump and feel so hydrated and lovely. I'm tempted to buy a full size of this honestly but I have plenty of lip balms/treatments to use up first.

The last product I used up is the Almay Oil-Free Makeup Remover Towelettes. I'm on the fence with these. I liked them but I didn't love them. They did seem to remove my makeup well, but they left a bit of a film on my skin and stung my eyes occasionally, which was odd. 

Phew! That was a doozy! If you made it til the end, tell me what you all used up last month! :)

Large Beauty HAUL! Drugstore.com, Paula's Choice, Hautelook, The Body Shop & Ulta

Hey everyone! Yes, I know it's been ages again since my last post. I really hope you can forgive me! Work's starting to get crazy with the holiday's coming up, I've been feeling a little under the weather and I've been having issues with my back. It's weird too, I can't sit, stand or lay down for too long or my back hurts more. Anyways, today I bring you a haul post! Now, I didn't go and buy everything in one shot. I purchased all this within the last 3 to 4 months, and I do have a Sephora VIB haul coming up as well once I get my package in the mail! So, lets get into what I bought!

 First up we have products I purchased from Drugstore.com. As you can tell above, I went a little Batiste crazy! This is definitely my all-time favorite dry shampoo and I have yet to find anything better. I purchased the Clean & Classic Original, two of the Coconut & Exotic Tropical, Floral & Flirty Blush and Cool & Crisp Fresh scents. Back in April, I was given the opportunity to try out Batiste for the first time and I picked the Tropical scent. I reviewed it here if you want to check it out. 

These products also came from Drugstore.com. The St. Ives Timeless Skin Collagen Elastin Moisturizer was literally only about $3. I wanted to pick this up because since it's gotten so cold here, my skin is drying out pretty bad. I'm hoping my skin doesn't get too much drier because I have other products I want to use up before I open this up. 

I also purchased the Boots Expert Sensitive Gentle Refreshing Toner. As you all may know already, I'm in love with the aloe toner from The Body Shop. That toner is a bit pricey for me at $12.50 and the Boots toner was I believe just under $5. I'm hoping this is just as good or better than the aloe toner because I don't feel like spending alot of money on a toner is necessary. 

Then I purchased the Norwegian Formula Hand Cream in the fragrance free version. I've never tried this hand cream before, but my hands are also drying up with this cold weather, and I've heard alot of great things about this product. I do have other hand creams to use up, but I have a feeling I may go through those pretty quickly. 

I've been wanting to try the Garnier Skin Renew Anti Dark Circle Roller for a long time now. I've heard decent things about this product, and I do have pretty bad dark circles, so I have hope for this. I'm excited to try it out!

I then bought a few products from the Paula's Choice website. I actually purchased the Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Gel from Skinstore.com but I'm lumping it in with the other two. I'm in love with this product and I've talked about it before. Holy Grail product right here!

I've been wanting to get another toner from Paula's Choice since I had tried one quite a few years ago. I decided to get the Hydralight Healthy Skin Refreshing Toner for normal, oily to combination skin. I can't remember if this is the one I tried years ago, but I do remember liking the one I did try. 

I also wanted to buy another one of my favorite masks, and that's the Skin Balancing Oil Absorbing Mask. This used to be called the Skin Balancing Carbon Mask, and boy is it amazing! I did a review on this a long time ago, close to when I first started my blog. The review is here if you want to read it. I'll have to warn you, it's not the best review ever but hey, everyone starts somewhere, right?

Next up we have products from theBalm that I purchased from Hautelook! Now I know I did a post here about how disappointed I was with Hautelook, but I reached out to them and everything turned out amazing, which I had also talked about here. Anyways, I ended up buying the TimeBalm Skincare White Tea Juniper Oil-Free Face Moisturizer. I've never tried any skincare from theBalm before and figured I'd give this a go. Plus, it was pretty inexpensive on Hautelook.

I also purchased the Put A Lid On It Eyelid Primer. I've heard many, many good things about this eyeshadow primer so I'm excited to try this out and see what all the hype is about.

The final product I got from Hautelook is the Down Boy Blush. I totally forgot to take a picture of the color and do a swatch, but there are many reviews and swatches on the internet of this blush. I picked this color because it's a pretty baby pink color that I think would look nice on my fair skin.

I also did some damage on The Body Shop website! They were having an awesome 40% off sale, plus I'm a Love Your Body member so I got an extra 10% off, plus I had some points saved up and got an extra $15 off that. I made out pretty well! I wanted to try out a bunch of the new Honeymania line that's out, so I picked up the Body Butter, Body Scrub, two of the Lip Butters and a Shower Gel. When I opened up the Body Butter, I was pretty shocked at the smell. To me, it smells like organic, raw honey. I was expecting something sweeter smelling honestly, but it's not terrible. I'm very excited for the scrub because it's in a creamy base, just how I like scrubs to be.

I also picked up two Aloe Protective Serums. These serums are amazing, I love putting a bit mixed in with my daytime moisturizer for some extra hydration, or using it as a regular moisturizer in the Summer. The last product I got is the Aloe Eye Defense. This is an awesome gel-type eye cream that feels so amazing when you put it on, and it gives me just enough hydration.

Finally, we have a purchase from the Ulta website! They were having an awesome sale where certain brands were 40% off, they were offering free shipping on a $25 purchase and then there was a code for $3.50 off a purchase of $10 or more. Again, I feel like I made out well. I decided to try the Almay Oil-Free Gentle Eye Makeup Remover. I actually forgot about buying this until I looked through all the stuff I bought. I was worried about running out of eye makeup remover when I start my spending ban, but now I feel like I'll be ok. I've never tried this before but I think it'll be alright. 

I also decided to try out the NYX Matte Finish Long Lasting Setting Spray. I've heard plenty of good things about this setting spray and I'm excited to try it!

I haven't really heard much about the Neutrogena Healthy Skin 3-in-1 Concealer For Eyes. I can always use a good concealer for my dark circles, so I have high hopes for this product. 

And finally, we have NYX Butter Glosses! These babies came to just over $2 each after all the discounts. I ended up getting the colors Vanilla Cream Pie, Apple Strudel, Strawberry Parfait, Maple Blondie, and Merengue. Those are the colors from left to right in the picture. Again, I forgot to take pictures of swatches, but I'm sure there are plenty online. I'll be honest, I don't really get the hype with these. Yes, the color selection is great and they feel nice on the lips, but they're not as amazing as everyone makes them out to be, and I get that dreaded white line around the center of my lips when they dry. I'd purchase more of these when they're on a good sale, but they're not anything to be hyped up about. 

Phew! That took a while! I hope I didn't bore you and that you liked this post! I'll have one last haul post hopefully put up by the end of the week, and that's it for a while. It'll be spending ban time. What do you think of these products?

My First and Last Experience With Hautelook

I have a rant today guys. I placed my very first order with Hautelook on May 3rd, and my package just came today. I had ordered this Nude'tude Eyeshadow palette from theBalm, which I was really excited for. I also ordered a blush from theBalm in the color Downboy, which I was also very excited to try. Like I said, my package just came today, so I've been waiting for quite a while. I open up the box all happy and whatnot, and they never sent the blush! I got pretty upset about that and thought maybe I got an email or something saying they had too many orders and I wasn't getting one and would get a refund. That would be all fine and dandy but I got no email, no nothing and my credit card was charged for the full amount. 

After getting upset about not receiving my blush, I open up the palette because I had heard so many amazing things about this. After I open it up, I notice little prints of something on most of the colors. I'm not sure if you can tell from the picture, but in person the colors Sassy, Selfish, Sophisticated, Sexy, Serious, Sultry, Seductive, Silly and Sleek all look tampered with. I don't know if it's finger prints or what, but I'm not a happy camper right now. 

I would call customer service, but they're not available on weekends, so I sent an email hoping to get things straightened out. I know I probably won't get an answer til at least Monday, but I'm hoping they'll at least refund me for the blush. My receipt says final sale and that everything is non-returnable, which I understand, but it's a bit upsetting because I was so excited to try both items, when one never came, and the other looks used. It's pretty safe to say I won't be ordering anything from Hautelook again. Ever.

Have you had any good or bad experiences with Hautelook? 

November 2012 Ipsy/Myglam Bag

Hey guys! I got my Ipsy glam bag in the mail yesterday so I wanted to share with everyone what I got.

This is the bag everything came in. I actually kinda like this because I'm a fan of brown. I will say though, because I've gotten these bags for a little while now, I just have them piling up and not being put to use. Maybe I'll start using them to take to work or something.

This is one product I was pretty excited for. It's nail polish by Nailtini called Millionaire. It's so pretty! There are tons of gold flecks in it with touches of blue and green flecks. I think it'll be pretty by itself or layered over a white polish.

Next I got an eyeliner from a brand called Starlet and the color is Chocolate. I really like softer eyeliner colors because they're not as harsh as black. I don't use eyeliner too often so I'm not sure if this will just sit in my collection or if I'll get use out of it. I'll definitely give it a try and see if I like it. Swatching it on my had was fine, so hopefully it'll be easy putting on my upper lash line.

Sorry the quality of this is bad. I have a swatch of this coming!

 I was sort of excited about this product. This is an eyeshadow from theBalm Meet Matt(e) eyeshadow palette in the color Matt Batali. To me, it's just a basic gray-ish, taupe-y brown color. This may go well with the eyeliner that came in the bag.

I was very excited about this product! I'm obsessed with the Buxom lip glosses that bareMinerals has but I've never tried the Marvelous Moxie lip gloss before. This is in the color Dare Devil and I think this is a very pretty color for the holiday season. It sheers out very nicely when I swatched it on my hand too so it's not very dark at all.

This was the either or product. I'm so sad I got this! I wanted the Benefit they're real mascara! Instead I got this Chella eyebrow gel. First of all, I don't care much about my eyebrows. I barely do anything with them. Plus this stuff smells like nail polish remover to me. It's pretty nasty. I know for sure I won't be using this. I've wanted to try that Benefit mascara for I don't know how long and I was so hoping I'd get it. Oh well, I'll hold out buying it since I have tons of mascara to go through.

Swatches of eyeshadow, eyeliner and lip gloss

Well that's everything I got in this months bag! I wasn't super impressed because of the stupid eyebrow gel but hey, I can't get everything I want, right? I'm sure next month will be better.

I'm curious to know, who got the eyebrow gel and who got the mascara?

October 2012 Ipsy/MyGlam Bag

Today I'm going to be sharing what I got in my Ipsy/Glam bag. First of all, this company used to be called MyGlam, now they're called Ipsy so I guess when I post future bags I'll just called it an Ipsy bag. I was pretty darn excited to get this bag because I always look up the hints they give out on Facebook and figure out what I'm getting, so here it is!

The bag the products came in

The wonderful products!

So the first product I received is by Mirenesse and it is a Lip Bomb that says it's a glossy lacquer stain. I'm pretty excited by this because I'm obsessed with lip glosses and this is a nice neutral nude pink-y color that seems like it will go nicely with my fair skintone. I don't see a name for the color, it just has the number 9 on the bottom.

Next I received the Be a Bombshell Eye Liner in the color Onyx. I'm not a big fan of liquid eye liners only because I don't have much experience with them. I've tried a different one before and my hand was so shaky putting it on, it looked like a 5 year old drew on my face. But I guess this product gives me more reason to try and experiment again.

This next product I was most excited to receive! It's from Coastal Scents and it's just four dime sized eyeshadows in the colors Rosy Pink, Gunmetal, Elven Silver and Light Pink. Now you can't see in the picture, but I was a little disappointed because the silver color was a little broken. It's like a piece of the top was scraped off somehow, but I'm okay with it now because it's only a tiny amount that was broken. These colors look sooooo pretty though! I love the rosy pink and gunmetal colors the most.

The next thing I got is a Pequi Oil Treatment that's for your hair to restore softness and shine. Now I've never tried a hair oil before so I'm not sure if I'll like this or not. My hair right now isn't dry or damaged and it's actually pretty fine so I always think oils will just weigh my hair down more. I'll still try this though just to see how it works. I might wait til it gets a lot colder because that's when my hair gets the driest.

The last thing I received is from theBalm Cosmetics and it's the What's Your Type? "the body builder" Mascara in just a regular black color. I'm pretty excited for this too because I love trying new mascaras and I've actually heard a lot of good things about this. 

I also got a little card with all the products names on it and extra discounts if I place an order with any of the brands from this bag.

Well that's my bag! Overall, I'm happy with it. Again, not the biggest fan of hair oils but I will definitely try it. I'm still so excited over the eyeshadows and mascara! I can't wait to try them! This is also by far my favorite beauty subscription service. I used to be subscribed to Birchbox but didn't like over half of the boxes I got, and I was with them for a little over a year. Oh well, Ipsy is really amazing in my opinion :)

What beauty subscription services do you like or recommend?