Category: Makeup
Platinum Perk – Benefit Goof Proof Brow Pencil
Ulta Platinum has it’s benefits. Literally.
I was pleasantly surprised to get a surprise from Ulta in the mail yesterday. It was a product from Benefit’s new line of brow products, launching June 24th. Once I figured out how to get the box open, I found a Benefit Goof Proof Brow Pencil in Shade 3. Cool!
I tried it this morning. The tip is an oblong diamond, similar to the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Definer or Hourglass Arch Pencils that I have. Performance was similar and Shade 3 matched well enough, but it wasn’t a perfect match. At $24, it’s more expensive than the Anastasia, but cheaper than Hourglass. I lean towards the Anastasia Caramel as my favorite anyway.
I’ll definitely continue to use this pencil, but I don’t know that I’ll be buying it.
Amazon Beauty Box – May 2016
Amazon is going all out, putting itself into the Beauty Box game. First the Luxury Box and now this box…
This box was a bit more – $9.99 – and has drugstore brands…BUT…instead of giving me $10 off $50 like the last box, this box automatically put a $9.99 credit into my account. Of course, I can only use it on beauty products, but it will be much easier to use.
Inside the Amazon Beauty Box: L’Oreal Voluminous Mascara in “Black”; Garnier Whole Blends Repairing Shampoo & Conditioner in “Honey Treasures”; Fekkai Brilliant Glossing Shampoo & Conditioner (I haven’t tried this before, but I love the other Fekkai samples I’ve received in the past); L’Oreal Brow Stylist Sculptor in “Brunette” (Interesting); L’Oreal True Match Lumi Cushion Foundation in “Nude Beige”; Black 15in1 Miracle Hair Treatment; and Mineral Fusion Lengthening Mascara in “Graphite”.
Lots of L’Oreal to try, but some other good stuff, too. Thanks, Amazon!
Sephora Play! May 2016 – The Forces of Nature
Sephora Play sent out a redesigned box for their 9th month. Instead of an inner box in a cardboard wrapper (like Birchbox), they sent out a standalone box (like Julep and Beauty Box 5). Instead of the tiny magazine, the product insert is now a folded one sheet. (There’s still the Play! Pass, good for 50 extra points on your next Sephora visit.) They’ve also moved away from numbering their boxes – no mention that this is box 9 on the insert.
May’s theme is “The Forces of Nature” and comes with a cute muslin pouch that says “Let’s beauty together”. Inside the pouch: Atelier Cologne “Orange Sanguine”; Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair Deep Conditioning Mask (I’ve gotten this in boxes a few times and they’ve changed packaging to a tube instead of that annoying tub – thank you); Tarte Tarteist Lip Crayon in “Latergram” (nude); Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche Lipstick in “Kimchi” (bright pink); Origins Maskimizer Skin-optimizing Mask Primer, Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask and Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask (oh, how I love masks); and Korres Wild Rose Advanced Brightening Sleeping Facial.
What a dynamite box – I’ll use it all…probably tonight and tomorrow.
If you haven’t signed up yet – now is the time. This is by far the best subscription box I get every month. Sephora Play is only $10/month. You can sign up at sephora.com/play.
My First Black Moon
This past week was one of a few firsts – my first Jeffree Star lippies and now…my first Black Moon Cosmetics lippies.
I was turned on to Black Moon…again, by Sally. As a small brand, they also have cyclical restocks, meaning you have to pay attention to get the colors you want. A big restock happened on May 13th and I had my order placed within minutes. It took just a week to get here, received it yesterday. The packaging is beautiful…and not just the lippies themselves. They come in a fancy box with an illustrated inside and glittery tissue paper…and a thank you note!
I selected “Selene” (a beautiful deep plum with a gorgeous soft purple pearlescent sheen) and “Wrath” (the perfect combination of mauve with a hint of pink and a touch of brown). Like Jeffree Star, the lippies are $18 (click here to see the whole range). The formulas are not runny like Jeffree’s, but are more like a mousse texture – similar to Julep’s It’s Whipped Lip Mousse. They go on and stay on.
“Selene” is a pearly plum and very dark on me (husband said too dark). “Wrath” is very similar to Kat Von D “Lolita” on me – my holy grail color. That means I might not need to buy Jeffree Star “Androgyny” when it restocks…bullshit, I’ll totally be buying it anyway.
OH! And I’ve found the perfect way to remove these tough lippies! I dip a cotton ball in Peter Thomas Roth Pink Bombshell Lip Balm and it wipes right off and leaves my lips moist and hydrated. I definitely give it an A++ for preventing shredded, dry lips.
Allure Beauty Thrills – May 2016
As a pleasant surprise, Allure Beauty Thrills offered a pre-order several weeks before the May box went on sale. They offered all three of this year’s boxes for $199.95, with free shipping. That’s a $20 premium compared to buying each box separately…but without the hassle of making the tiny ordering window – guaranteed boxes!
I was a bit worried when I lifted the box – it seemed WAY lighter than previous boxes. When I opened the box, it even seemed less full – lots more bubble wrap and paper. But there are plenty of products…they’re just smaller. Inside the May box: Hask Macadamia Moisturizing Shine Oil (I have SO many HASK vials); Burt’s Bees BB Cream in “Light Medium” (I bet this stuff is good) and Burt’s Bees Lipstick in “Magenta Rush”; ChapStick Total Hydration 3 in 1 Lip Care in “Coconut Hydration” (this shit is the BOMB – I used up the last one…who EVER uses up a chapstick?); Arm & Hammer Truly Radiant Battery-Operated Spinbrush (I already have one from another box, so I gave it to Lily) and Truly Radiant Clean & Fresh Toothpaste; Aveeno Absolutely Ageless Intensive Renewal Serum; Completely Bare Calm Down Ingrown Hair, Razor Bump & Redness Eliminator (perfect for summer crotch rash); Caress Mystique Forever Body Wash; Compeed Blister Cushions (I need these – I have a few shoes I’ve been avoiding); Coppertone CLEARLYSheer FACES SPF 30 (Definitely going to try this while out fishing this weekend); Degree Women Dry Spray in “Daisy Fresh”; Not Your Mother’s In A Heart Beat Blow Dry Accelerator; Pureology Pure Volume Style + Care Infusion (the tube is the weirdest ever – an inner layer and outer layer); Redken Beach Envy Volume Wave Aid (yup, more of it); Rituals Magic Touch Body Cream (that sounds almost TOO sexy); scünci Everyday & Active 3x Stronger Braided Elastics (LOVE these); Simple Skincare Micellular MAKE-UP Remover Wipes; Sonia Kashuk Double-Zip Clutch (It’s HUGE); Tangle Teezer Original Detangling Hairbrush (I’m gonna be chasing Little Orphan Lily around the house with this); TIGI Bed Head JOYRIDE Texturizing Powder Balm (the fuck?); and VersaSpa Gradual Tanning Face Moisturizer (a whole lot of NOPE).
I feel like I’ll be using more of the stuff in this box than in past ones…now all I have to do is sit back and wait for my August box to arrive.
Sephora 2 in 1
I’m going to kill 2 birds with one stone and post about a trip to Sephora AND a Sephora shipment.
Over the weekend, I persuaded my husband to drop me off at Sephora, in between an eye doctor appointment, torrential downpours and a stop by Academy to get fishing licenses. He actually parked the car, instead of circling the parking lot. Maybe next time, I can get him to come in (yeah, right).
I just wanted one thing…my free rollerball. As I expected, I chose Tory Burch Jolie Fleur Rose.
I browsed briefly, but nothing else caught my eye. They had several of the half-price Urban Decay lipsticks, but I didn’t bother. No money spent on this trip!
I didn’t bother, because I knew I had one coming…I chose Urban Decay Matte Revolution Lipstick in “1993” ($11). Mostly because it looks like my kind of brown…but also because 1993…1993 was a wild year for me – 17.I’m fairly certain that 1993 was the last time I was single for an extended amount of time…enough said.
I was far more excited about the new 500 point NARS “The Rules Box” (which is already sold out). I wanted to get NARS “Orgasm” Blush in my hot little hands…Also in the box: NARS Audacious Mascara, “Chelsea Girls” Lip Gloss and Pro-Prime Smudgeproof Eye Shadow Base (been looking for a new one). I’m about to get NARSed out!
For my regular threee samples, I got Pinrose Treehouse Royal (a single use foil pack); Too Faced Glitter Glue Glitter Eye Shadow Primer (curious about this one); and GlamGlow Supermud Clearing Treatment.
Just $11 spent here…and $151 to Rouge!
My First Jeffree Star
I feel like I am finally a real girl now…with real girl makeup! Jeffree Star Cosmetics is supposed to make the absolute BEST matte liquid lipstick on the market…sorry Kylie K. I had to see for myself.
Upon Sally’s highest recommendation, I set an alarm on my phone last Tuesday, so I could make it to Jeffree Star’s restock at 2PM CST. (His stuff is constantly out of stock, but he has been having weekly restocks). I ordered 2 Velour Liquid Lipsticks ($18) – “Celebrity Skin”, soft brown nude with a peachy undertone, and “Gemini”, terra-cotta warm-toned nude. They got here today…just 6 days.
As soon as I ripped open the box today…I had to gently set my lipsticks down and go to my son’s choir concert. AFTER the concert, I ran to the bathroom to apply “Celebrity Skin” while my husband cooked dinner. It went on smoothly, but I noticed an odd odor. it was…root beer! “Celebrity Skin” smells like a root beer float! It dried down almost immediately and wasn’t sticky at all. It even made it all the way through 2 avocado crab quesadillas – this is some good shit, man!
Although paying shipping costs causes me physical pain, I could find no way around it – $5.95. There’s another restock tomorrow…I’m so tempted.
Oh…and my fingernails match the bottles!
May Ipsy Bag – Destination Chic
For the first time…I think EVER – I will be using every single product in my “Destination Chic” ipsy bag this month.
Inside this month’s bag: Pacifica Natural Mineral Coconut Eye Shadow Trio with “Skinny Dip”, “Crush” and “Lovely” (lovely neutrals); Hanalei Lip Treatment (I need this for my recent matte lip obsession); Formula 10.0.6 Pores Be Pure Skin-Clarifying Mud Mask (I love me some mud masks; the tube says this formula was invented in 1933 – O RLY?); Aurora Gel Effect Nail Polish in “Old School Pink” (That is fucking PINK); and Smashbox X-Rated Mascara (Maybe I’ll try this tomorrow – my Benefit Roller Lash was done and I threw it away this morning).
And the bag…so flippin’ cute. It’s not a normal zipper bag – it has a single snap – and I love the little landmarks all over the bag. Perfect for summer travel. I believe blue and purple bags were also sent out…but look how well the product colors coordinate with my bag!
If you’d like to try Ipsy – click here. I’ll earn 250 points if you sign up through my link.
Target Beauty Box – May 2016
$10?!?!?! What happened to $5 and $7?
May’s box seems a little pricey compared to more recent boxes…but when I cracked it open, I could see why – lots of products…and higher end products. Inside the “Spring Fling” box: Andalou Age Defying Night Repair Cream (I’ve never heard of this brand…all I can think of is “slicing up eyeballs, oh, oh oh, oh”); Laneige Water Bank Moisture Cream (I have a couple of these stored up, but I love them); L’Oreal Paris Colour Riche Lip Pen La Lacque in “Lacquerized” (bright red); Clairol Hair Food Kiwi Dry Shampoo (hmmmm…); Derma e Firming DMAE Moisturizer; Egyptian Magic All Purpose Skin Cream (weird); CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser (perfect for my travel bag); Burt’s Bees Facial Cleansing Oil (I’m thinking this will work great with my Clarisonic); and L’Oreal Paris Sublime Bronzing Towelettes (can I get a “fuck no”?).
As always, I got 5% off with my Target Red Card and a coupon for $3.50 off any beauty purchase of $15.
May Birchbox – Naturally Radiant
Once again, I was drawn to this month’s curated box – “Naturally Radiant”. You’d think I’d like getting surprised every once in a while…but if the sample choice isn’t as good as at least one product in the curated box, I’ll pick the curated box every time.
These are the products that will make me naturally radiant: Benefit Cosmetics Hoola Matte Bronzer (um, I don’t use bronzer, but let’s just pretend this is brown blush?); ModelCo Lip Lacquer in “Creme Brulee” (interesting color); COOLA SPF 30 Organic Makeup Setting Spray (I need to get on the setting spray bandwagon); Davines LOVE Smoothing Shampoo & Conditioner (a repeat from last September; a deluxe shampoo and a single use packet of conditioner KILLS me…especially when it is a spendy brand that I love – when I win the lottery, I’m switching to Davines); and CLEAN Blossom Eau de Parfum (not bad, but not my favorite).
All in all, an AWESOME box. I don’t ever see myself cancelling Birchbox…
If you would like to try Birchbox, click on my referral link – https://www.birchbox.com/invite/5453f – I’ll get 50 points if you join.