Ipsy Bag Review

September 2015

So, I recently switched from Birchbox to Ipsy. It had nothing to do with me being unhappy with the service. I was just starting to get some duplicates, and I wasn't really enjoying what I was receiving anymore! I definitely could have changed up my beauty profile, but the allure of getting something new was too much. So, I switched to Ipsy. I noticed they had more of the popular high-end brands, like Tarte, Too Faced, etc, which I liked. So, here we are...

This month, I got the Nyx shadow trio, argan oil, hand cream, brow gel, and a matte lip pencil!

Shadow Trio

ipsy x Nyx Shadow Trio: The black is matte, while the cream and brown shades are shimmery. Swatching this with my finger to my arm, I was certainly not impressed. The shades were not pigmented whatsoever. However, once I was using my brushes, some primer, and my lid, they showed up quite a bit better. Still not ridiculously pigmented, but it's definitely a nice little palette for fall.

Matte Lip Crayon

 tre'StiQue Matte Lip Crayon: Below, I have on the matte lip pencil and, obviously, the shadow. The lip color didn't really work for my skin tone. In person, it's a bit more peach, and I'm just not a fan. It didn't help that I had chapped up lips. Real cute!

Argan Oil

Octavio Molina Hair Argan Oil: I love argan oil. I'm that girl that takes a good hour doing her makeup, then typically doesn't even brush her hair. To be fair, doing makeup is almost therapeutic for me. I'm too lazy, and basically over it by the time I get to my hair. However, I have really long hair that I don't like cutting. Argan oil definitely helps my fried, crispy ends! This one doesn't smell nearly as good as some of my other ones, but it performs just as well!

Tinted Brow Gel

Elizabeth Mott Queen of the Fill Tinted Brow Gel: I really wasn't expecting to like this much, and I think I'm still up in the air about it. It only comes in two colors, either a blonde or brown. The blonde is a good color to tone down my slightly-darker-than-they-should-be brows, so that's a plus. I'm just used to my Dip Brow, so maybe I'm just biased. Anyone with black brows won't be able to use this, though, as it doesn't come in black!

Ultra Repair Cream

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream: If you're looking for something that smells pleasant, keep on looking. It's not that this stinks, but it sort of smells like baby cream. Like, baby butt cream, ya know what I'm talking about? But, I mean, if you're in need of some intense moisture and you don't mind the smell, go for it! It's extremely moisturizing. It took a while for it to absorb fully into the skin, but eventually it did. It wasn't too oily while it was absorbing, so that's a plus!

Sorry this is pretty short and lacking more photos!

What did you guys get in your bags or Birchboxes!? Let me know in the comments below!

ColourPop Haul #1

*Heart Eyes Emoji*

Have you ever bought something thinking, "this is going to look awful on me," but you just had to know? I can't tell you how many times I've done that. Especially when something is only online, and I can't swatch it. This also makes me just ridiculously nervous. Which is why I just now got around to trying out ColourPop products. 

Where have I been?!

If you haven't heard of them, let me give you a little run down. The site, ColourPop, offers a variety of products from liquid lipsticks, normal lipsticks and lip pencils to eye shadows, blushes, and highlights. All for under $8. No, that's not a typo. So, we're calling this "Haul #1" because I just got done ordering 7 more items from their fall line. Stay tuned for that.

Swatches

So, let's talk about these shadows for a minute. These are only $5, and they're quite pigmented and really good quality for that price! Envy comes out as a gray with purple glitter. I'll most likely be using these over black. Already have, and it looks wonderful! If you look at the photo two down, you can see how Envy looks in the pot.  I'll certainly be using Chipper as either an inner corner highlight or lid color. And, basically, Effect will pair really nice with Chipper, so that's exciting! Yay, coordination!

All the swatches are one good circle around the pot.

That highlighter. Guys, it is so buttery and creamy and just so soft. Like, so soft. It certainly has a more champaign tone. In the order I just did, I'm getting what looks like a pure white one. For the summer, this champaign highlight was perfect with my skin tone, but it's time to get pale! 

Orders come with personalized notes! There's nothing I love more than personalization. I'm sure they get tons of orders, and to write each person a note is just really cool. 

Liquid Lipsticks

Truth be told, I've been eyeing Anastasia's liquid lipsticks. I just haven't gotten around to buying one yet. These are only $6! Crazy!! They certainly stayed on for longer than 8 hours, and didn't budge. There was a small amount of feathering by the time I took them off, but nothing to get upset about. They are extremely drying, so moisturize those lips before you put them on!

Zipper

This is what I ordered and thought I'd look awful in! But, I feel like it certainly fits my more grungey side, and I love it.

Tulle

The bottle is certainly a bit deceiving. I feel like when it's applied, it's much darker than it looks, but I'm 100% ok with that. It's definitely a red with an almost brown undertone.

If you can't tell, I'm very pleased with the items I got from ColourPop. I'll definitely be getting some more liquid lipsticks sometime soon! 

Leave me some recommendations in the comments below if you have a favorite!

Anastasia Beverly Hills

Shadow Couture Palette Review

Hello, there! It's been a bit since we've spoken! We (the boyfriend and I) had a few personal things going on, and I needed to direct my attention to that. However, I'm certainly back, as I've been buying makeup like a madwoman.

I recently, on my lunch break, picked up this gorgeous palette. Ulta is literally too close for my wallet's safety. I was really close to becoming a platinum member, so clearly, I needed to get something. Right?! Isn't that how that works?

So, I picked up this palette, and I love it. It has some great shades, and a combination of matte and shimmer shades. Some of the shimmers are actually more like glittery, but I'm ok with it. When you spray your brush with a finishing spray, it looks so so pretty!

Swatches

 Here are some swatches of the palette. The shades match up with the palette. These are so pigmented. I do have a primer on my arm, but that's really just because I'm so pale, and I wanted the lighter shades to actually show up. Besides being extremely pigmented, they also have amazing stay power. My shadow didn't crease at all, not one bit. Let's be gross for a minute, I didn't take my eye makeup off before I went to bed, and guess what? I woke up with perfect makeup. The shadows had faded a bit, but they were still clearly there.

Let's be real here, Anastasia never disappoints.

In the picture below, I'm using Morocco and Fudge in the crease, Bellini and Chic on the lid.

I haven't been bold enough to use Azul yet, but I'm really excited to get into it and get out of my comfort zone. Definitely recommend this palette if you're looking for something new with fun colors! For $30, it is certainly worth it.

I'm debating on whether or not I want to start a YouTube channel. Would anyone even care if I did?! I don't think I have much of a "following."

Let me know in the comments below. (:

Tarte Energy Noir Palette

True Life: I'm Obsessed with Fall Makeup

Seriously, though, I'm obsessed with fall everything. 

Oxblood, flannels, vampy lips, vampy eyes, porcelain skin, combat boots, black skinny jeans, crunchy leaves, cool breeze... Need I continue? Have I gotten it across that I live for fall?

Tarte's new fall palette is this gorgeous Energy Noir clay palette. Take a deep breath, because I'm about to gush about how perfect it is. Preface: I love Tarte.

Let's get some swatches in here.

Look. At. Those. They're so pretty. Look how well that highlighter goes with the blush! *sigh*

Ok, so let's break this palette down. The top left six shades are all eye shadows. 4 matte shades and 2 shimmer shades. The bottom 2 left rectangles are shadow liners. Obviously, the large one is the blush, and the rectangle under that is the highlight.

Shadows

The shadows are really pretty. In the matte shades, there's a white, a nice grayish shade, a deep brown, and a lilac mauve. All these shades are highly pigmented and really true to color. I think I've used 3 of these shadows in a look already, and they are so easy to blend. If you've used the Tartelette matte palette, these mattes are to par with those. They're wonderful.

The two shimmers are in the center, and I'm in love with them. Charged Up has different hints when you're in different lighting. It looks like a nice gray shimmer, but in the swatch it almost looks like a taupe-y nude. Up to Slate does the same thing. It's a silvery purple shimmer. Both of these are so creamy and so easy to blend into the mattes.

I personally don't feel like they have any more fall out than other shadows.  They just go so well together, and I can't handle it.

Liners

These are also matte, clearly. I actually haven't used them as liners. I've blended that Power Plum into my outer corner, though, and it's wonderful. They do feel a little drier than the shadows, so I think if you wet an angled brush, they'd make a perfect subtle or deeper liner. Definitely something you could build on. 

Blush

This blush is gorgeous. Gorgeous. It's so, so highly pigmented. You only need a tiny bit to get it done. I feel like it has a hint of mauve in it, which is perfect for fall.

Highlighter

I've only recently become a highlighter fan. Like, really recent. Maybe 2 months ago. This one is more on the champagne side, and it just compliments the blush perfectly. I currently have a tan (ugh!), but once I get back to my lighter tone, I think it'll look perfect. As I'm just starting to like highlighting my face, I'm not on board with "strobing." BUT I bet this shade would be great for it this summer, because it's really pigmented, creamy, and just really bright when applied.

Unfiltered photos of me using the palette.

All over the lid and up to the brow bone: Stone Unturned

Transition shade: Misty Mauve

Inner and outer corner: Dark Drive & Power Plum

Center of the lid: Charged Up

Blush on the cheeks.

The palette is currently for sale online, at Ulta, Sephora, and Tarte (obviously). It's supposed to be hitting shelves on the 23rd, this Thursday.

What are you ladies thinking? Anyone going to pick it up?!