Category: Makeup

 
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October Ipsy Bag – Beauty Candy

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My ipsy bag is here…later than ever.

This is the first bag that I’ve gotten that I’m totally BLAH about the contents. There were a lot of great products this month – Figs & Rouge, Smashbox – I just didn’t get any of them.

October’s theme is “Beauty Candy” and I received Ayres Patagonia Body Butter (Rosemary to match the shower gel in my Birchbox?); Épicé International Purifying Exfoliant; ModelCo VOLUMEYES Extreme Eyes Mascara (2 ModelCo Mascaras in one month?); Nicole by OPI Nail Polish in “On a Gilt Trip” (I finally received a polish in my bag!); and noyah lipstick in “Deeply Mauve” (this actually looks like a cool color).

I find it interesting that my ipsy bag very nearly duplicates some of the the scents and products in my Birchbox. Food for thought…

If you’d like to try Ipsy – click here. I’ll earn 250 points if you sign up through my link.

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October Birchbox – Fanfare

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It’s here! It’s here! I’ve been seeing people’s boxes on Instagram for a week!

October’s theme is “Fanfare” – celebrating all the new shows and stuff coming out. Technically, I was watching The Walking Dead a few nights ago and I was actually watching Nail’d while I was doing my nails tonight – shhhhhhh…

Birchbox offered a product choice again this month – I chose Mally High Shine Liquid Lipstick in “Petal to the Metal” – full size! I also got dr. brandt pores no more vacuum cleaner (Excited – I hate my pores); Essentiel Elements “Wake Up Rosemary Shower Gel” (STRONG SMELLING); a sample vial of Harvey Prince “Petaly Noir” (Maybe all of Harvey Prince’s fragrances smell like old lady – This one actual reminds me of Bath & Body Works “Black Amethyst”); and ModelCo POWERLASH High Impact Black Mascara.

Another great box!

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.

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I Want Dry Hair and Fleek Eyes

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All I needed were bread crumbs and tortillas…and well…

I couldn’t resist the $1 off Milani Coupon – I picked up another Milani Baked Shadow in “Intermix”. It’s a shimmery copper cream color.

I also picked up a cheap Conair Shower Cap in the most old lady looking flower pattern I could find. (I heard this rumor that men find shower caps irresistible. Like if a dude sees you in a shower cap, he is overcome with a passion he cannot control…an ANIMAL, if you will.) No, seriously…I just wanted to keep my hair dry when I take a shower.

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Following in My Footsteps…

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While the boyfriend is away…the BFFs will play.

We don’t usually go to the mall, but when we do – we Sephora. (And Nordstrom Rack and Victoria’s Secret and Bath & Body Works and you get the picture…) I have been hearing about lots of Kat Von D on clearance lately, so I was ecstatic to find the Esperanza Palette on clearance for $19! To be honest, I am more in love with Kat Von D’s packaging than the actually makeup, but I keep buying it anyway. I used this palette this morning and it faded quite a bit by lunch, but there was nowhere near as much fallout as the Chrysalis Palette. I’m going to try it with a primer next time.

I asked a girl who worked there if they carried Atelier there or if it was only online and she looked at me as if I asked for Jean Nate. Seriously? I am not a fragrance snob by any means, but really? I guess I need to hit Neiman Marcus to get a sniff…

I was smelling rollerballs and I happened to pick up Stella by Stella McCartney. Holy Fucking Shit – it’s the rose I’ve been looking for. I had my BFF smell it and she said, “It smells like you.” (Notice that she did NOT say it smelled good.) Of course, they were out of the rollerball. I wasn’t smitten enough to blow $52 on the bigger size, so I figured I could just order it online…but the website is also out of stock. I guess I’ll keep looking…

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While I was rooting through the clearance bin, I wasn’t exactly paying attention to what my child was doing. I could see her right beside me in my peripheral vision, so I didn’t think anything of it. I grabbed 2 of the Esperanza Palettes and went to show my finds to my BFF. My child did not follow. I went back to get her and she was balls deep in applying makeup. To be fair, I think she was applying NARS blush when I found her, so she appears to have very expensive taste in cosmetics. I wonder where she got that from? I hope she didn’t get face cooties…

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September Beauty Box 5 – Balancing Act

My BFF and I felt like we weren’t just getting enough samples in the mail, so we both signed up for Beauty Box 5! It’s $12/month, $30/quarter or $99/year for 5 beauty product samples. I signed up for the 3 month pricing, because I wanted to check it out first. My BFF signed up first and gave me a code to get the August box free!

September’s theme is “Balancing Act”. I received a Nicka K New York Eyelight Crayon in “Violet”; 2 foil packs of Natural Style by FUBU Deep Conditioner & Co-Wash; Sally Hansen Toe Spacer (Ugh, another pair); a bottle of My Beauty Spot Nail Polish (color not labelled, so I’ll call it Gunmetal?); and Revlon Bold Lacquer Mascara in “Blackest Black” (plus a $1 off coupon).

August’s theme was “Radiant and Remarkable” I received yet another Pur~lisse “Pur Protect SPF 30”; La Fresh Travel Lite Facial Cleansing Wipes; Nancoco Lip Gloss in “First Kiss” (SO DAMN PINK); a foil pack of Novex Brazilian Keratin; and a bottle of Style Essentials Nail Polish (again, no name on this one – white and aqua glitter).

Although there are a few Dollar Store Brands (Style Essentials, La Fresh, My Beauty Spot for sure) in the boxes, I am not freaking out yet. I’m pretty annoyed by polishes without names – what the fuck is up with that? I’ll give it a few more months and see what else pops into the box. Ipsy and Birchbox have me spoiled!

If you’re interested in trying Beauty Box 5, let me know and I’ll get you the code for a free box that I got. Their referral program isn’t live yet, so I cannot beg for referral yet!

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September Birchbox – Fresh Paint

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I feel like I had to wait FOREVER for my Birchbox this month. I am not mad at Birchbox – I am mad at the mail people. I’ve noticed a trend that I get my Julep, ipsy and Birchbox 1 or 2 or 3 days after my BFF – and she lives LITERALLY 10 minutes away. My mail people are loose butthole.

I picked the regular box option this month instead of the curated Fashionista box, since I already had most of the products in the curated box. September’s theme is “Fresh Paint”. In my box: Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Starter Kit (This is just weird – I am excited to try it!); Macadamia Professional Healing Oil Spray (I am becoming a hair oil connoisseur); RUFFIAN Nail Lacquer in “Naked” (YES!); Temptu S/B Highlighter in “Champagne Shimmer” (hmmmmmm…); and Yu-Be Moisturizing Skin Cream.

This is a really high value box – so lucky this month! I also love the special box it came in – definitely keeping it.

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.

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September Ipsy Bag – Street Style

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I was so psyched to get this month’s ipsy bag. Not only did my BFF and cousin receive theirs DAYS before I did, I had forgotten what was actually in my bag until I opened it.

The theme for September is “Street Style” and it has the cutest bag I’ve received yet – pewter vinyl with tough metal studs. the contents, however, may be the lamest that I’ve received yet: Crown Brush Infinity Shadow/Crease Duet Brush (I am actually MOST excited about this brush); NYX Hot Singles eye shadow in “Asphyxiation” (Sparkly Midnight Blue – not sure about this one); Pacifica Natural Waterproof Eye Pencil in “Fringe” (I need another brown eyeliner like I need a hole in my head, but I’ll give it a spin); Briogeo “Don’t Despair, Repair” Deep Conditioning Mask (it’s for hair?); and Cailyn Art Touch Tinted Lip Gloss in “Basic Instinct”.

I really wanted the Be A Bombshell “Smooth Criminal” Powder that my cousin Jess got! She was nice enough to give me the lowdown:

My review of Smooth Criminal Powder: So, I have had it on since 6am, it is now 12:15pm and skin still looks nice and feels great. Yes I can tell it has slowly come off but it looks better than a normal day. Putting it on was easy, used a small powder brush, I think it was a bare minerals one, just tapped off the extra and put it on over my foundation and before blush. Freaking face felt like silk!!!!!!!! And it looked like I had “instagram filtered” my face when I was done. LOL! I like it, great for humid weather, keeps you from getting shiny. BUT……….. In the winter when it starts to get cold and you may need to make sure to moisturize.

I also wanted the Pacifica fingernail polish instead of the eyeliner. My BFF gave me hers though – “Red Red Wine” – because she would never use it. Score!

If you’d like to try Ipsy – click here. I’ll earn 250 points if you sign up through my link.

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Fuck Traffic, Go Shopping

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Right as I was packing up to leave work, my husband called to tell me that the highway was backed up – huge wreck. Sigh. When the going gets tough, the tough say “fuck traffic” and go shopping.

My backdoor route to avoid the highway conveniently brought me right past my Ulta – imagine that! The main reason I wanted to drop by was to pick up a new Zoya Remove+, but of course they are still out. My second choice was Orly Bonder, suggested by Angie as an excellent base coat. We shall see…

Although the clearance section has dwindled, I still had to look. I was excited to find Sparitual “Citrine” Luminary Matte Top Effect for $2.97. I was even more excited when it rang up for $1.49, especially since I paid $12 for “Opaline” several months ago!

Finally, I decided to try eos lip balm in “Blueberry Acai”. Erin raved about eos the last time we had a traffic chat, so I figured now was the the time. I was skeptical of rubbing that huge knob all over my lips, but it felt SO GOOD. I thought I would end up smearing it all over my face like Steve Buscemi in Billy Madison, but it only went on my lips.

The $3.50 coupon is back – I hate those 20% one item coupons! I’ll probably hit another Ulta tomorrow to look for my Zoya Remove+, plus Butter London polishes are 2/$15 tomorrow!

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Allure Beauty Box – September 2014

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The Allure Beauty Box is kind of a big deal. It’s not a subscription box, but a gigantor box of full size beauty products that’s sold once a quarter. It’s $44.95 (plus tax and $10 shipping) for over $250 of stuff. This is the first time I’ve tried to get one and I got lucky and managed to snag one…even though they sold out in less than an hour!

Get a load of what was in this box: Aloxxi Dry ShampooArm & Hammer Spinbrush Truly Radiant Battery Powered Toothbrush (I cracked this baby open this morning – it was AWESOME! It was like I just left the dentist. My husband and son use electric toothbrushes, but I had been resisting. I am now a firm believer.); Arm & Hammer Truly Radiant Toothpaste; BAN Total Refresh Cooling Body Cloths (weird); Burt’s Bees 100% Natural Lip Crayon in “Hawaiian Smolder” (So lip crayons are the “in” thing right now? I used it today and it actually looks natural on me – not nauseatingly pink.); Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser; Clean & Clear Advantage Daily Soothing Acne Scrub; Curel Rough Skin Rescue Lotion; Dove Deep Moisture Nourishing Body Wash (I’ll probably use this for shaving my legs); e.l.f. Studio Makeup Remover Cleansing Cloths; Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Renewal Oil Nourishing Styling Treatment (I used this after my shower – so soft!); Jergens Natural Glow + Firming Daily Moisturizer (This will probably be given away – I don’t need my ass to be browner or firmer); John Frieda Brilliant Brunette Color Protecting Shampoo (Brilliant Brunette is ALL I use!); John Frieda Frizz Ease Go Curlier Heat Activated Spray (I’ll break this out the next time I use curlers); John Frieda Precision Foam Colour Intense After-Color Conditioner (I just ran out of this); Make It Straight; Neutrogena Triple Repair Fortifying Leave-In Treatment; Organic Doctor Organic Dead Sea Mineral Bio-Plasma Mud Mask; Organic Doctor Organic Moroccan Argan Oil Restorative Treatment Conditioner; Organic Doctor Tea Tree Face Wash (I used this this morning – cooling and clean); Real Techniques Blush Brush; Redken Blonde Idol BBB Spray (I’m not blonde, but I’ll try it); Sally Hansen Miracle Gel in “Shock Wave” (SQUEE!); and TRESemmé 7 Day Keratin Smooth Heat Activated Treatment.

Dang…my fingers are TIRED! I’m gonna go play with my new stuff!

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September Julep Maven Box – The Art Walk Collection

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Okay, so I’m finally reaping the rewards of Julep’s change of shipping partners. I got my box today, although I was a bit envious that my BFF got her box 2 whole days ago!

September’s box is called “The Art Walk Collection”. I’m not exactly sure what that means, but it was a different mix of colors than the last few summer boxes – more fall colors. The beauty product I picked was the Plush Pout Lip Crayon in “Magenta Plum”. I mixed it up with the polishes again. I picked Boho Glam “Mary Lee”oxblood satin – and Bombshell “Kirby”silver jagged glitter top coat. I kind of wish that I added on It Girl “Ana”white jagged glitter top coat – but maybe I’ll get to pick it up later…

I also used some Jules to add on Julep’s 3rd anniversary polish, “Queen Anne”lilac confetti microglitter. It’s super sweet.

Not a Julep Maven? CLICK HERE to join! Get a special 4 piece Welcome Box with code CITYLIGHTS!