Category: Face
Bee Balm
By now, it’s pretty obvious that I’m a sucker for clever and/or cute packaging. Bee Balm has that in SPADES. I saw it on insta and I had to order…
…and I might have gone overboard. I cannot STAND paying shipping…so I ordered enough for free shipping. Looks like everyone I know is getting some Bee Balm, too. I got 2 Honey, 2 Strawberry, 2 Peach and 1 Watermelon. They also came out with Pina Colada right after I ordered…but I need to use up some before I order more. Oh, and I ordered extra applicators in case I break or lose them.
The thing is – it’s just lip balm in a pot. I have been avoiding lip balm in a pot, because I hate sticking my finger in it and possibly contaminating it. Bee Balm solves that with a tiny little applicator held in the lid…and it looks just like a honey dipper! Why doesn’t all lip balm in a pot come with an applicator?
My only complaint is that they seem to be using the Kohl’s pricing model – always on sale for 75% off. I’ve only ever seen it for $5, supposedly on sale from $19.99. Sure, Jan. I concede that the “Buy 3, Get 1 Free” sale right now is a smoking deal – that’s $3.75 each! Go jump on this deal RIGHT NOW – https://mybeebalmco.com/ .
June 2024 Ipsy Bag – Sunny Days Ahead
I don’t remember picking GIRLACTIK Fruit Superfood Sugar Face Scrub, but I must have…because ipsy said that’s what I chose. I’ve used almost the whole tube…it smells divine, but the exfoliants are sharp and jagged – and WHATEVER YOU DO, don’t get any in your mouth. It’s nasty bitter.
Also in this month’s bag: Benefit Plush Tint in “Cream Puff” (this color is bad on me and it got on everything – gross product); Jazmine Cosmetics Brow Boss – Brow Styling Wax (What on earth would I do with this?); JLo Beauty That JLo Glo Brightening & Firming Serum with Niacinamide (oh, I know about this stuff – I think it aggravated my psoriasis); and Wander Beauty Mile High Club Length and Define Mascara.
It’s not an awful month, but it’s not great either. Am I considering canceling ipsy after a decade? Mayyyyyybe…
I subscribe to the basic ipsy bag for $14/month (recently increased from $13/month) and Icon Box (formerly Glam Bag X) for an extra $60/quarterly (recently increased from $43/quarterly). If you’d like to try Ipsy – click here. I’ll earn 250 points if you sign up through my referral link.
May 2024 Ipsy Icon Box – Patrick Starrr
No, not Spongebob Squarepants’ best friend…this is Patrick Starrrr with 3 Rs!
Patrick Starrr is one of the OG YouTube Beauty Influencers. If there was a Mount Rushmore of YouTube Beauty, Patrick would be up there with Nikkie Tutorials and Manny MUA. Patrick’s beauty brand, One/Size has grown steadily and honestly, it’s great to see more diversity in an industry that has been traditionally dominated by white women.
That being said, not all of the products worked for me. I wanted to love One/Size Turn Up the Base Blurring Foundation in “Fair 3” ($35), but it oxidized on my chin immediately and gave so much texture. The color match was great – but my skin is just not a good fit. It wasn’t as hellacious as the Charlotte Tilbury, at least…
I did, however, LOVE the One/Size Cheek Clapper 3D Blush Trio Palette in “Gworly Pop” ($38) – I love having a matte choice and a shimmery choice. I probably won’t use the cream…but never say never. I also like the One/Size Eye Popper Sparkle Vision Eyeshadow in “Everything & More” ($24) – it was one of my product choices. I usually stay away from liquid eyeshadow, but this one is blendable and beautiful.
My other product choices worked out as well: 5 SENS “Life of the Party” Eau de Parfum ($65) and Huda Beauty BOMBBROWS Microshade Pencil in “Medium Brown” ($17). This is actually the most precise brow pencil I’ve ever used – it’s almost “too” thin. I think I’d like to try a darker shade, though.
Also in this quarter’s box: Fenty Beauty Icon Semi Matte Refillable Lipstick in “Motha Love” ($20 for the case and $12 for the lipstick) – which was frustrating as fuck to put together; Kosas GrowPotion Fluffy Brow + Lash Boosting Serum ($48) – haven’t tried yet; and The Nue Co. Water Therapy Fragrance ($60) – a unique and masculine fragrance.
$319 worth of products for $74 – not bad!
I subscribe to the basic ipsy bag for $14/month (recently increased from $13/month) and Icon Box (formerly Glam Bag X) for an extra $60/quarterly (recently increased from $43/quarterly). If you’d like to try Ipsy – click here. I’ll earn 250 points if you sign up through my referral link.
Pamplemousse Rose Ulta Haul
I bought someone a birthday present…which I am not posting about…but is it bad that I kept the free stuff that came with it?
I mean, a few of the items were for me – Ulta Scented Foaming Hand Wash, Essence Pink Is The New Black Colour-Changing Lip & Cheek Balm, and a GIMME beauty Thick Hair XL Barrell Claw Clip (they sent the wrong fucking clip, but it still holds all my hair, so it’s fine).
I received a free 10 piece Clean Ingredients gift with my $70 purchase: belif The True Cream Moisturizing Bomb (LOVE this stuff); Live Tinted Hueguard 3-in-1 Mineral Suncreen Moisturizer Primer (I had been wanting to try this); Love Wellness bye bye bloat; Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Anti-Wrinkle Eye Treatment; Sunday Riley Auto Correct; Drunk Elephant Virgin Marula Luxury Facial Oil; Lanolips Tinted Lip Balm; fur Ingrown Concentrate (oooh, I have one RIGHT NOW); and Peach Slices Snail Rescue. Wow – I wanna try ALL of these…and I also got a free mystery gift. Inside the mystery gift: Donna Karan Cashmere Mist; Mugler Alien Goddess; Beekman 1802 Shine Control Gel Cream Moisturizer; Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen; Shiseido Clarifying Cleansing Foam; Kate Somerville HydraKate; Sun Bum Daily Body Suncreen Moisturizing Lotion SPF 50; Good Molecules Hyaluronic Acid Serum (I just finished off a full-size of this); and Peach & Lily Super Reboot Resurfacing Mask. More great stuff to try! I got to use a $3.50 off $15 coupon, too!
$679 to Diamond in 2025.
April 2024 Ipsy Bag – Welcome Home
The zipper pull is a fuzzy little peach and looks like a little tushy and I just want to SQUEEZE it…
I was excited to dig into my product choice this month – Chica Beauty Mini Fiesta Eyeshadow Palette. It’s a tiny 9 shade palette of earth tones, but with a pop of dark green and violet shimmer. It’s inspired by San Antonio Fiesta Week – I haven’t been since I was a kid, but this palette brings me there…
I’ve already used up the ODACITÉ Brightening Serum, Vitamin C and E + Hyaluronic Acid – it smelled wonderful. I’ve got maybe one use left in the Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream and Elizabeth Mott Vitamin C Cleanser. The only thing in the bag that I won’t use is the Billion Dollar Brows Billion Dollar Brow Lift – kinda need eyebrows to use brow gel.
A GREAT bag this month! Looking forward to next month’s Patrick Starr Icon Box.
I subscribe to the basic ipsy bag for $14/month (increased from $13/month) and Icon Box (formerly Glam Bag X) for an extra $60/quarterly (increased from $43/quarterly). If you’d like to try Ipsy – click here. I’ll earn 250 points if you sign up through my referral link.
Deep Hydration Ulta Haul
The last day of Beauty Steals, they had Fresh Rose Deep Hydration Face Cream for 50% off – $23 instead of $46. I jumped on that deal QUICK.
I also wanted to try Bum Bum Hair, so I ordered travel sizes of Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Joia Strengthening + Smoothing Shampoo and Conditioner. ($12 each) It smells SO GOOD and it makes my hair feel so soft – I need full sizes ASAP, so I can put these travel sizes in my travel bag.
I loved my Shhhowercap, but the vinyl lining was flaking into my hair and I had to throw it away. I decided to take a chance on a Kitsch Satin-Lined Shower Cap ($24) and I am not disappointed. The elastic doesn’t pop off my (rather large) head and the extended cap size hold ALL of my hair.
I was only able to use a $3.50 off $15 coupon…bummer.
$942 to Diamond in 2025…
March 2024 Ipsy Bag – Rewrite the Rules
March’s bag itself is adorable – I love the painted agate design and it’s fully lines and everything. The contents though…
I have no complaints with my product choice this month – Goldfaden MD Plant Profusion Night Cream. It’s creamy and smooth, with a luxe scent. It’s almost empty, actually.
The rest of the products are unlikely to be touched: Benefit Cosmetics Precisely My Brow Wax in “Shade 3” (you have to HAVE eyebrows to put wax in them); Jazmine Beauty Coastal Chic Shine Control Primer (ugh, another primer); Gloss Moderne Clean Luxury Radiant Polish for Hand + Body; and WingMe Cosmetics Mega Blending Brush 15 (ugh, another makeup brush). Ipsy needs to step it up!
I subscribe to the basic ipsy bag for $14/month (recently increased from $13/month) and Icon Box (formerly Glam Bag X) for an extra $60/quarterly (recently increased from $43/quarterly). If you’d like to try Ipsy – click here. I’ll earn 250 points if you sign up through my referral link.
Bum Bum Ulta Haul
When LaLa is in town, we HAVE to go to Ulta.
I *think* I was the one that introduced LaLa to Bum Bum Cream? We both LOVE Bum Bum Cream! We both grabbed the Sol De Janeiro Brazilian Bum Bum Jet Set ($30), which includes Deluxe samples of Brazilian Bum Bum Cream, Brazilian 4 Play Moisturizing Shower Cream-Gel, and Cheirosa 6 Perfume Mist. I need full sizes of ALL of these! Oh, and did you know that they make Shampoo and Conditioner now? It ain’t cheap, so I’m waiting for a sale or coupon before I try it.
I’ve been on a indie nail polish kick for the last several months, but I couldn’t pass up this Sally Hansen x Sesame Street 4 polish set ($10.99, down from $19.99), which includes 4 shades inspired by Big Bird (“Think BIG”), Elmo (“Elmo Love Hue”), Cookie Monster (“C is for Color”), and Oscar the Grouch (“SCRAM!”). I also picked up a Garnier SkinActive Mattifying Micellar Cleansing Water ($11.99). I hope it doesn’t suck.
Oh, and the weekend we went, Ulta was offering $10 off $50 or $20 off $100 – including PRESTIGE! What a smoking deal!
$1,006 to Diamond in 2025.
Fresh Ulta Haul
I know, I know…I have a lot of random moisturizers. But I wanted THIS moisturizer – Fresh Beauty Rose & Hyaluronic Acid Lightweight Moisturizer ($46). I also wanted to use my $10 off $50 coupon. I cannot remember if this was my birthday coupon or another coupon…but it was a coupon.
I also grabbed 2 Ulta Ultra Slim Brow Pencils ($10) – one in “Medium Brown” and one in “Dark Brown”. I needed them, but also “needed” a 9 piece Ulta gift with my $19.50 purchase. I thought the bag was quilted, but it’s this weird, puffy pantyhose material. Inside the bag: Ulta Beauty “Violet Hour” Eye Shadow Palette, Poreless Face Primer, Tinted Eye Primer, Shiny Sheer Lip Gloss, New Heights Lifting Mascara, Matte Lip Cream in a mystery shade, a makeup brush and a blender sponge.
$1,062 to Diamond in 2025.
First Ulta Haul of 2024
I know, it’s kind of hard to believe that I haven’t had an Ulta haul yet this year…to be fair, I ordered back on the 5th of February – I’ve just been busy with work, school, kids, a sick husband, excuses…so let’s get to it!
I am very easily swayed by the monthly Diamond Love List emails…When I showed off my new Drybar The Single Shot Round Blow-Dryer Brush ($108.50, down from $155), he gave me SO MUCH SHIT, since I spent so much money on the Dyson Air Wrap. My answer was that my child stole my Air Wrap and I am too lazy to walk all the way to her bathroom to get it…and my Revlon One-Step smells like burnt dog hair. And really, it was only $25.50 after using $83 of Ulta points…
I was talking to a girl in one of my MBA classes and she said that she would never buy a perfume without smelling it…hi, it’s me – I’m the one who does that, it’s me. I knew that I would LOVE Fresh Beauty Hesperides Grapefruit Eau de Parfum Rollerball ($29) before ever smelling it and I was right. It reminds me of my mom…
Lippies were 30%, so I loaded my cart: Flower Beauty Bitten Lip Stain in “Tempt” ($8.40, down from $12 – it’s very similar to the Colourpop Stain) and KVD Beauty Everlasting Hyperlight Vegan Transfer-Proof Liquid Lipstick in “Ghost Bloom” ($16.10, down from $23) for me; Makeup Revolution Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory x Revolution Brat Lip Gloss ($4.90, down from $7) and Makeup Revolution Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory x Revolution Lip Balm ($4.90, down from $7) for Lil. I also added in Hempz White Peach Rosé & Peony Herbal Shave Gel ($6.49, down from $12.99) because it was half off. A bit disappointing to use, as it wasn’t as slippy as the Caress Body Wash I had been using to shave.
I am deeply saddened that I didn’t get to a salon to use my $25 off beauty services coupon for another year of Diamond, but I did remember to use my free foundation coupon. This year, I chose Clinique Stay-Matte Sheer Pressed Powder Foundation in “01 Stay Buff”, a $39 value.
My $30 makeup purchase qualified me for a 4 pieces NARS gift, which includes NARS Climax Mascara; NARS Lipstick in “Inappropriate Red”; NARS Bronzing Powder and NARS High-Pigment Longwear Eyeliner in “Via Veneto”. I probably won’t use any of it. I also qualified for a free hair gift, but it sold out before I could place my order. Boo.
It’s so rare that I spend enough for the massive gift with purchases…this one required a $130 spend! Inside the HUGE satiny makeup bag: drybar DETOX Thickening Dry Shampoo (giving to my daughter, so I don’t have to buy her some); Urban Decay Glide-On Eye Pencil in “Whiskey”; Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate; Dear Klairs Supple Preparation Unscented Toner (there’s licorice root in it, I’m scared); e.l.f. Liquid Poreless Putty Primer; Hourglass Veil Translucent Setting Powder; Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base Primer; megababe Space Bar (I think I have 3 of these now); Lancôme Cils Booster Mascara Base (and 3 of these); Clinique Almost Lipstick in “Black Honey” (yasss, the one in my purse is almost gone); Eau Thermale Avene Tolerance Cleanser; philosophy Purity Made Simple Pore Extractor Clay Mask; Peach & Lily Glass Skin Face Polisher; Estee Lauder Nutritious Melting Soft Creme Mask; Andrew Fitzsimmons Restructuring 10-in-1 Leave-In Conditioner; NYX Epic Ink Liner in “Black”; Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder; Origins Checks and Balances Frothy Face Wash; Bondi Sands Self Tanning Foam (NOPE); Maybelline Sky High Mascara; La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Serum; Pixi Glow Tonic; Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen; Sol de Janeiro Bum Bum Body Oil; Sunday Riley C.E.O. Afterglow; Dermalogica Micellar Prebiotic Precleanse (precleanse? I ain’t washing my face twice); Living proof. Clarifying Detox Shampoo (but no conditioner?); and Good Molecules Niacinamide Brightening Toner. PHEW, that’s a lot of good samples!
$1,105 to Diamond in 2025…