July Ipsy Bag

Hi guys!

My July Ipsy Bag is here! Let’s see what I got!

Pixi Tinted Brilliance Balm in Unique Pink

Balm? Yes. Tinted? Not really. If the color doesn’t show up on my paler-than-pale hands, there’s no way it’s doing anything to my lips. A major disappointment and not something I’ll use, especially because it smells minty.

Pur-Lisse Essential Daily Moisturizer

I’m so unadventurous with moisturizers. I’ve been using the Daily Grace Bar from Lush since I got it back in March, and I don’t want to go anywhere else. I’ll either throw this in my swap bin or save it for some day when I’m in need of a moisturizer and have no other choice.

Clear Clinic Vanished Clear Spot Treatment

I’m actually really intrigued by this product. It has a doe-foot applicator, which is not something I’ve seen before in a spot treatment. My current dermatology treatment has been working pretty well, but every so often it would be nice to have a little help. It’s a small sample, but I actually think, with the way my skin has been behaving lately, it’ll last me a long time.

Models Own Nail Polish in Red Sea

Of course I’m really excited about this. Sparkly and red. My only regret is that I didn’t have it in time for the Fourth of July.

Bare Minerals 5 in 1 BB Advanced Performance Cream Eyeshadow in Barely Nude

Even though I love my Julep Cream Eyeshadow as a base, I’m interested in this. I wish I had gotten literally any other of the 10 colors that exist, but that’s okay.  It’s a pretty nude color with just the tiniest bit of shimmer, and it’ll most likely work excellently on the days that I want coverage but not a lot of makeup.

So that’s my July Ipsy Bag! I’m kind of half and half on it. It’s definitely an improvement over my past couple of bags. I hope the trend continues on this path!

May 2014 Ipsy Bag

Hi guys!

Today I have my (late) May Ipsy Bag. I figured I should post about this one before my June bag shows up!

First of all, I'm obsessed with this bag. I love anything trees/leaves, and it's canvassy and very "green" feeling. I love it.

Inside my bag, I received Hang Ten Classic Sport 50 SPF sunscreen, Pacifica Mineral Eyeshadow Duo in Celestial & Opal, Coastal Scents Classic Blending Brush, Olive Natural Beauty Lip Balm, and Pur~Lisse Moisturizer.

I have similar feelings about this bag as I had about the April bag and my Influenster Voxbox. I'm just meh. I like the eyeshadow and that's about it. I have moisturizer and lip balm that I'm obsessed with right now, so I'm in the mood to try anything else. I already received a blending brush, and I still haven't touched the last sample of sunscreen I got from ipsy.

I've seen spoilers from June, though, and Rebecca Minkoff designed the bag, so I'm kind of really excited about it. I also saw a Nyx gloss, so I think June will be much better. Be on the lookout for that soon!

May Favorites

Hi guys!

I'm going to be playing catch up here for a while, so bear with me that everything's a month old. Hopefully I'll be posting pretty regularly for the next couple of weeks. After that things might get spotty.

Today, though, I'm here to share my May Favorites. I tried a lot of new products this month that I absolutely loved. Let's jump in!

Too Faced Natural Eyes Palette

I got this in my PopSugar Box last month, and I've been using it every day since. The colors are so pigmented, but pretty and natural (my favorite) and ridiculously easy to blend. I'm not sure I ever would've picked this up on my own, so I'm glad it worked out this way. I think this is my first encounter with Too Faced, and I'm not disappointed!

Dial Greek Yogurt Vanilla Honey Body Wash

This was a favorite that definitely grew on me over the month. I love it because it's moisturizing, but not super thick. Plus, it smells really good. It was a good transition body wash for me this month as Maine slowly pulls itself out of winter and into spring (finally!)

Lush Full of Grace Serum Bar

I'm now on my second one of these and more in love than ever. It's just perfect. Moisturizing, but great for use under makeup as well. It lasts a pretty long time (my first I took me just under 3 months to use up), and I really enjoy the different application. No more trying to get the last little bit of product out of a bottle!

The Body Shop Vitamin E Nourishing Night Cream

Holy soft skin, Batman! Seriously one of the most moisturizing, skin-softening products I've ever used. I only use this in certain areas, especially wherever I'm going to put my acne cream. It makes my skin amazingly soft, and doesn't leave me feeling thick or greasy.

Hard Candy Glamoflauge

I finally ran out of my discontinued Covergirl & Olay concealer, so I decided to bite the bullet and try this. I'd been wanting to for a while, and I was not disappointed. While I don't use it under my eyes (new favorite coming next month for sure!), it does a fantastic job of covering anything else from dark spots to blemishes new and old to redness. A little goes a LONG way, so I will basically never run out of this tube. Bad for the company, lovely for me.

And I think that's it! I fell in love with so many things this month, I'm probably missing some, and I already have some products I started using toward the end of the month that I know will be June favorites. Can you believe it's June already? I can't. This year has flown by, and I know the summer will go by fast.

April 2014 Ipsy Bag

Hi guys!

I have my April Ipsy bag to show off today! This month's theme was Beauty Rocks!

In my bag, I received the following:

Cover FX Mattifying Primer with Anti-Acne Treatment

Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner in Black Velvet

City Color White Gold Shadow and Highlight Mousse

Demeter Roll On Perfume in Jasmine

Mary Kay at Play Lip Gloss in Teddy Bare

To be honest, the only thing I'm really excited about is the mattifying primer. I was more excited about lip gloss, but I tried it on Sunday, and it's ridiculously sticky.

Not the best bag this month, but it's the luck of the draw.

Two Radiant Orchid Products

Hi guys!

Today I just wanted to share with you a quick look at two of my favorite Radiant Orchid products.

Both of these came from emilynoel83 on Youtube's suggestions, and I'm loving them both! I'm kind of falling in love with both orchid flowers and the color.

The first is the L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow in Burst into Bloom

I'm not usually a colorful eyeshadow person because the colors that look good on me (blue and green) are not necessarily the ones you want to use on your eyes. I love this color, though. The shadow is ridiculously creamy and fairly pigmented. It's the perfect amount of beautiful color without it being over the top and hard to work with. 

As a base, I generally use my Tini Beauty cream eyeshadow in Violette which I got in my February ipsy. I've been looking for a shadow to use with it, and I'm happy to say that I finally found a great one!

The other product is Sally Hansen's Complete Salon Manicure Nail Polish in Punch Drunk

I haven't actually worn this yet, but I will be in the next few weeks. It is such an awesome, bright, in-your-face color. I'm totally digging getting out of winter colors and into spring and summer ones!

That's all I have today! If I find any more awesome Radiant Orchid products, I'll be sure to let you guys know! I'm feeling and Ulta/Sally Beauty trip in my future!

March Favorites

Hi guys! It's time for another favorites post! Let's see what I've been loving this month!

1. Boots Botanics Ionic Clay Mask

I did a full review on this already, and it's really just amazing. I've been looking for so long for a mask to do what this one does, and I got mine for free! It really doesn't get any better than that!

2. Lush Lip Service Lip Balm

I picked this up at the very end of February while visiting Alex, and it quickly became a favorite. It's incredibly hydrating, and even after it's worn away some (or I've had it on overnight) it doesn't feel thick and uncomfortable like some lip balms. Plus, who doesn't love all natural products? Unfortunately, I lost mine at the theater this past Friday, so I need to make a trip to Portland to get another one!

3. Pop Beauty Eyeshadow Trio in Naturally Bare

Save a couple of days, this trio is all I've been wearing this month. I love natural looks, and this trio makes that happen with the smallest amount of effort. It's also just so travel friendly that it naturally wins out over my bigger palettes for short trips.

And that's kind of it! It's been such a busy month, I haven't had a whole lot of time to try new products, but I hope to change that this month! Stay tuned!

PS As you may have noticed, I did something stupid and lost a ton of pictures on my blog. I'm hoping to fix those ASAP, but it may take me a little time. Thanks for bearing with me!

February Favorites

Okay, so this is late, I know, but I was using some products that I really liked in February, so I figured there was still time to share them!

Sally Hansen Cuticle Eraser and Balm

I started using this again in February because it has been a rough winter on my skin. My regular body butter wasn't cutting it for my cuticles, so I brought this back into the mix. It takes some getting used to (at least for me) in terms of having it on, but I put it on right before I go to bed and wake up with my hands looking so much better.

Faith Aromatherapy Tahitian Monoi Anti-Aging Scrub

This came in the January Ipsy bag, and even though I didn't get a sample, I used the coupon code to buy the full size. I had never used a body scrub, and I really like how exfoliating AND moisturizing it is. The only thing I'll say about it, though, is that if you're going to use it before you shave either do it a day before or invest in some razor cleaning stuff because it clogs up your razors really badly. And mine are far too expensive for that to be okay with me.

Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser

I went to the dermatologist in February to try and get my skin under control, and one of the things I realized was that with my new routine, I was using way too many drying products on my face. So, I switched to Cetaphil, and I'm really liking it. It doesn't have the same excitement as my previous routine, but it gets the job done without killing my already tortured skin.

NYC In a New York Minute Top Coat

All the credit goes to Nouveau Cheap for this one. My Seche Vite just wasn't helping me out anymore, so I took a risk and tried this $1.99 top coat from NYC. And it's kind of amazing. It's nothing crazy in terms of keeping chipping at bay, but it does a better job than my more expensive brand.

Nyx Love in Paris Eyeshadow Palette in Parisian Chic

I love my neutrals, you guys. And I love this palette. Do I probably have enough neutral eyeshadows? Yes. But this one is my favorite as far as "fancy neutrals" go. I use my Pop Beauty eyeshadow trio on a daily basis, but when I'm going out and want to step it up a bit, I go for this palette.

That's everything I loved last month. I kind of had a back to basics month, and I'm totally okay with that!

February 2014 Ipsy Bag

It's my favorite time of the month again! Ipsy time!

This month's theme was: The Look of Love!

In my bag, I got:

Zoya Nail Polish in Dot

This is the third Zoya polish I got from ipsy, and I'm totally okay with that! I actually wanted the other color that people were getting in bags (Odette), but I decided to wear this as an accent nail this week (you'll see on Friday!), and I'm kind of loving it. It's a good basic neutral. Pretty and girly, but not in your face so.

POP Beauty Plump Pout Mini in Fuschia Freesia

This has kind of a weird smell in the tube (and for a little bit on your lips) but it gets better. It, too, is pink and girly, and it's a really nice color. I'm not a huge lip gloss girl, but I like having a variety for when I do decide I want to wear one.

Tini Beauty Eyetini Cordial Cream Shadow + Base-in-one

When I swatched this on my hand, I had high hopes. Unfortunately, I experimented with it just a little on my eyes, and it sheers out really badly. It's a beautiful color, but I don't think it's going to be good for anything but a base for a purple powder shadow which I am now on the lookout for!

skyn ICELAND Fresh Start Mask with Ice Age Mud

I'm not a big fan of foil packets, but I do love a good face mask. I ended up trading my last ones away because I was worried about my skin handling it poorly, but I think I'll give this one a try!

J.Cat Eyelashes & Eyelash Glue

This is the second pair of J.Cat fake eyelashes I've received from ipsy, and I'm not the least bit excited about them. I don't wear fake eyelashes!

I'm kind of 'meh' about this bag. It's not bad, and I'm looking forward to using four out of the five products, but there's nothing I'm crazily excited about. I would've liked some of the other products that were options this month like the blush, the First Aid Beauty face wash, or the Pacifica Lotion.

December 2013 Ipsy Bag

Merry Christmas Eve everyone!

Today I have my December Ipsy bag to share with you.

This month's theme was "Celebration." This bag looked like this:

And in the bag I got:

Nicka K nail polish in Classic Taupe

I love nail polish, and I've been super into neutrals lately. I'm excited about this, even if I won't get to try it for a few months.

Nyx Extra Creamy Lipstick in Ceto (546)

I'm not really into lipstick, but this seems like a pretty, wearable color.

Pop Beauty eyeshadow trio in Naturall Bare

This is what I'm most excited about. I was really hoping to get the Naturally Bare trio, and I'm really looking forward to trying it out.

Be a Bombshell The One Stick in Flustered

This is quite a color! I'm interested in it, but I'll have to be careful with it. It's really bright and pigmented which is great!

I was also supposed to get a Mirabella eyeshadow brush, but I realized it wasn't in my bag. I'm not too worried about it, though.

What do you think of this month's bag? I'm really excited about it!

Hope you guys have a great day!

November Favorites

I canNOT believe it's already almost December. It's blowing my mind, you guys. I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving. Now it's time for some things I've been loving this month. It's been a good month for new products!


1. Maybelline Mega Plush Mascara

I decided to try this mascara out after liking it's look in a Youtube video, and I was not disappointed. I'm in love with how lengthening and soft it makes my lashes look. Side note: I thought for a long time that I was unhappy with every mascara I tried on my left eye. This month I figured out it's my eyelashes, not the mascara. My left eye is seriously whack in terms of what my eyelashes do. 

2. Olay Fresh Effects Cleansing Wipes

I picked these up after running out of my favorite Forever 21 ones. I've been presently surprised. These are wet enough for me, and they're soft, but they're also slightly textured which means they have excellent scrubbing power for getting rid of waterproof stuff. I'm actually enjoying trying out a bunch of different brands of these.

3. Clean & Clear Spot Treatment

I've found I tend to become immune to acne spot treatments pretty easily, so I end up with new ones every time I run out. This one is doing well. The only complaint I have is that doesn't play nicely with my moisturizer. No matter which order I put them on it, the spot treatment beads up and rubs off. Annoying, but not impossible to deal with.

4. Peace, Love, and Juicy Couture perfume

After lusting over this perfume for more than a year, I finally caved and bought myself a bottle at TJMaxx. I'm so in love with this perfume. It's different, and I like that. It's rich and kind of bohemian, and I love it for the cooler weather. Still feminine, but musky and unique. 

5. Wet 'n Wild Comfort Zone Palette

I've kind of rediscovered this palette recently, and I really just think it's perfect. I don't use the right side at all, but I've been using the left side pretty much non stop for the past few weeks. The colors are pigmented, but easily blended and just a beautiful, natural look. Definitely one of the best that I own.

What products are you guys loving? Have anything special on your wish list for Christmas?