Category: Makeup
Sugar Strawberry
I cannot believe I paid $33 for a fucking face wash.
Fresh Sugar Strawberry Exfoliating Face Wash ($33) is a new product and it’s not exactly what I expected. I was expecting a cloying fake strawberry scent, but it was a natural raw strawberry smell – very subtle. The scrub has two different sizes of sugar crystals – it’s very refreshing. The grapeseed oil leaves my face hydrated, but not greasy. I am still not sure I’ll buy it again – $33 goddamn – but I do like the product.
I also picked up another new skin product – Sephora Collection Hemp Mousse Instant Mask ($7). It’s supposed to target blemishes, but I used it and couldn’t really tell if it did anything. Oh, and it vaguely smells like pot, which is weird.
As usual, I stopped by the Sale page…I picked up a Sephora Collection Luster Matte Long-Wear Lip Color in “Magenta Luster” ($3, down from $16). I feel like I got this formula in a Play! box and liked it?
I used a promo code to get a set from Tata Harper – Regenerating Cleanser and Resurfacing Mask. I only got ONE of the free samples I chose at check-out – the Glow Recipe Avocado Sleeping Mask – and I cannot wait to try it. I was so annoyed that a sample was missing, that I contacted customer care. They did give me 200 points, so I guess I shouldn’t complain too much.
$741 to Rouge status in 2020…
Sephora Play! May 2019 – Beauty BFFs
I am INTRIGUED by the name of May’s fragrance sample – Viktor & Rolf Salty Flower. I know, I know – I need to grow up. I usually like citrus scents, but I haven’t decided how I feel about this one. It’s got a hint of orange, but it’s buried underneath a powdery, old lady smell. I’ll have to wear it a few times to really decide.
Also included in this month’s “Beauty BFFs” box: Benefit Cosmetics BADgal BANG! Mascara (a decent mascara); Smashbox Always On Matte Liquid Lipstick in “Stepping Out” (reminds me of NYX Soft Matte Metallic in “Cannes”); Sol de Janeiro Copa Cabana Cream (smells so good that I want to drink it); It Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Eye Cream (bahhhh); and Alterna Haircare Caviar Anti-Aging Restructuring Bond Repair Leave-in Heat Protectant Spray.
A good box, with a wide variety of useful products.
Sephora Play is one of the better subscription boxes with consistently high-end products. Sephora Play is only $10/month. You can sign up at sephora.com/play.
May 2019 Ipsy Bag – Daydream
Oh wow, a full sized, five color eyeshadow palette in this month’s ipsy bag! It’s the Pacifica Beauty Island Life Eyeshadow Palette. Ipsy has a new product selection option now – kind of like Birchbox – and apparently, I picked this palette. Good job, me. I missed the product choice window for next month though – boo.
I already grabbed the F.A.R.A.H. Brushes 22E Shade & Blend Brush for my travel makeup bag. Normally, a dual-ended brush would annoy me, but it’s perfect for a makeup bag.
Also in this month’s, “Daydream” bag: Illamasqua Hydra Veil Primer; Inmo Velveteen Dream Eyeshadow in “Super Bass” (this brand is new to me, and the color is intriguing); and Papa Recipe Eggplant Clearing 5.5 Cleansing Foam (oooh, eggplant).
This is the highest value ipsy bag in a while – and the bag itself is the cutest in years. You know my favorite color is glitter!
If you’d like to try Ipsy – click here. I’ll earn 250 points if you sign up through my link.
May 2019 Allure Beauty Box – Smooth Sailing
Ooooh, a box full of summer pampering products!
I was thrilled to see Laneige Water Bank Moisture Cream in this month’s box – I love this stuff…the rest of the box…um….
Also in this month’s box: St. Tropez Self Tan Purity Bronzing Water Gel, with an application mitt (not a chance I’ll be using this); ModelCo Eyelites Metallic Eyeshadow in “St Barts”; Laritzy Cosmetics Lip Gloss in “Vibe”; Lue by Jean Seo Erase Cleansing, Exfoliating and Brightening Powder (seriously, is this for laundry?); and Nunzio Saviano Anti-Frizz Sheets.
I kind of feel like the box is bullshit this month…Allure, you are on notice!
Oh, the clutch is orange this month. Um, what am I gonna do with all these fucking clutches?
The Allure Beauty Box is $15/month, but they give you $5 off your first box. They also offer an option for $150/year – a savings of $30. Sign up via my referral link.
April 2019 Ipsy Bag – Bloom
Oh ipsy, you give me months and months of great bags…and then you confuse me with a bag of bizarro products.
The only mainstream brand included is tarte – it’s a sample of tarte base tape hydrating primer. It must be a new product? I’ll give it a spin I guess.
Also in this month’s super cute lemon bag: Law Beauty Essentials 100% Vegan Nail Polish in “PURRRRPLICIOUS” (fooled me with a bottle that is an exact dupe of Butter London’s); Vasanti Contour Eyeshadow Brush; Jelly Pong Pong Cosmetics Lip Oil in “Watermelon” (it’s like a watermelon Jolly Rancher); and 111SKIN Y Theorem Repair Serum Nac Y2 (I do not understand the name on the tube – I am doing the best I can).
If you’d like to try Ipsy – click here. I’ll earn 250 points if you sign up through my link.
Sephora Play! April 2019 – Winning Beauty
April is spilling into May, BIG TIME. Oops.
April’s Sephora Play! theme is “Winning Beauty” – and I tend to agree, based on Urban Decay Perversion Mascara in “Black”, which is one of my favorite mascaras and happens to be the one I am using currently.
Also in “Winning Beauty”: Peter Thomas Roth Cucumber Gel Mask Extreme Detoxifying Hydrator (I feel like the product is over-named); Youth to the People Adaptogen Deep Moisture Cream (it’s made of fungus, hrmmmm…); It Cosmetics Brow Power Universal Brow Pencil in “Universal Taupe” (I feel like it is too light for me, but have not had a chance to try it); and Sephora Collection Triple Action Cleansing Water.
Instead of a fragrance, this month’s bonus is a card sample of Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm. Ugh, I don’t feel like cleansing balms work on my skin – but I’ll give Clinique a chance.
Sephora Play is a reliable subscription box with high-end products. Sephora Play is only $10/month. You can sign up at sephora.com/play.
Fanny Pack Haul
I never thought I’d see the day that my children would be fighting over a fanny pack!
I really try NOT to buy things just for the “gift with purchase”, but there was a little bit of that in this purchase. A $20 NYX purchase gets you a Coachella hot pink NYX Fanny Pack with NYX Pore Filler and NYX Matte Finish Setting Spray. I was gonna use it myself, so I could be like my bestie Sally…but Lily is BEGGING to use it for Frightmare next weekend. My son says he wants it too, but I think he is just being annoying – I’ll probably let Lily “borrow” it. Good thing I am IN LOVE with all four lippies that I picked up – no guilt. The NYX Soft Matte Metallic Lip Creams were on sale for $5, down from $7. They are my absolute favorite NYX formula – I picked up “Rome” and “Budapest”. I’ve been alternating them the past few days. I also tried out two of the new lippies. NYX Glitter Goals Liquid Lipstick in “Cherry Quartz” was a bit pricey at $9, but worth it. It starts out matte, but turns to glitter with friction and wear. It lasts well. NYX Line & Load All-in-One Lippie in “Ride or Die” was $8 and a genius product. It’s a super thin doe-foot applicator that alllows you to line your lips with precision and it DOES NOT BLEED. I need this in red – ALL red lipstick bleed on me.
So…last week, I found out that my son was scrubbing his face with a toothbrush (not the one he uses in his mouth – ew). I freaked out and ordered him an Ulta Advanced Cleansing Rotating Facial Cleansing Brush ($12.50, on sale from $25) and replacement heads ($4, on sales from $8). I mean, if I was rich, I would’ve bought him a Clarisonic like mine – but he can rough it with the Ulta version. Lily was bugging me for some bobbie pins the other day, so I added some of those, too. All Ulta Skin was on sale, so I added a few Single Use Face Masks to my cart ($1.50 each, down from $3) – a Calming Rose Sheet Mask and a Soothing Calamine Mud Mask. I used the Calamine Mask yesterday and it was wonderful. It applied like a regular mud mask, but it didn’t dry down like a normal mud mask – it stayed flexible and felt almost hydrating.
Did I forget to mention a few bottles of Zoya Remove+? My Holy Grail…
No order is complete without a freebie bag. The coolest thing in the bag is the Real Techniques Travel Sponge Case – I’ve just been throwing my Beauty Blender into my makeup bag like a savage! Also in the freebie bag: Sun Bum Revitalizing Dry Shampoo; Carol’s Daughter Hair Milk; OGX Argan Oil of Morocco Dry Shampoo; Vichy Liftactiv Supreme Anti-wrinkle and Firming Correcting Cream; Wunder2 Wunderkiss Essential Lip Scrub; Tweezerman Browmousse (weird); Maybelline MasterPrecise All Day Liquid Liner; L’Oreal Pure-Clay Cleanser Detox-Brighten (m y favorite one); and wet n wild Megaglo Highlighting Powder in “Royal Calyx” (interesting – a blue highlighter).
On top of all the freebies and gifts with purchase, there was that 20% off coupon. I’ve just one or two more orders to get to Platinum status – $64. I’ve also managed to accrue another $33 in points. Diamond Status isn’t out of the question this year…
April 2019 Allure Beauty Box – A Masterful Selection
This month’s Allure Beauty Box is curated by Beauty YouTuber Carli Bybel. I’ll be honest – she is not really in my orbit. I’ve never watched her videos, nor could I pick her out of a lineup. Her selections are fairly generic – she one of those “Copper Eye, Nude Lips” gurus.
I cannot say that I am disappointed though – there’s a lot of value in this month’s box. I’ve been curious about Natasha Denona since I started seeing her $129 palettes at Sephora. No shit – $129 for a 15 pan palette. I received Natasha Denona Mono Shadow in “124k Bronzage” – and I admit, it applies beautifully and is very pigmented.
Also in this month’s box: Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick in “Pure Hollywood” (a little light for my taste, but it looks pretty good combined with a slightly darker lip liner – I used Kat Von D “Lolita II”); Luxie 231 Small Tapered Blending Brush Rose Gold (I really like Luxie brushes); Laura Geller Inkcredible Waterproof Gel Eyeliner Pencil in “Brown” (looks good combined with the “Bronzage” eye shadow); and Briogeo Farewell Frizz Blow Dry Perfection & Heat Protectant Creme.
The one product I will NOT be using: Vita Liberata Phenomenal Organic Tan Infused Cloths. Nope.
This month’s box also included a scratch off card with a sneak peek of the brands included in next month’s box: AmorePacific, Laritzy, Lue by Jean Sea, No6, St. Tropez, Laneige and ModelCo.
Oh, and this month’s clutch is CLEAR. They sure do keep me guessing.
The Allure Beauty Box is $15/month, but they give you $5 off your first box. They also offer an option for $150/year – a savings of $30. Sign up via my referral link.
Rebel Rose
I waited and waited and WAITED for the new wet n wild beauty Rebel Rose Limited Edition Collection to hit Ulta, but only the individual products are carried, not the box sets. I cannot figure out how Ulta decides which boxes to carry. They did not get the Midnight Mermaid or Goth-o-Graphic boxes, but did get the Fire & Ice Dragon box and the Flights of Fancy box. I added all of the products to my basket and it was around $90. Ew, no. A week later, WnW was BOGO 50% off and it went down to $60-something, which was only slightly more than the full box set. I had heartburn about it, so I let my cart sit…and the very next day, the wet n wild website had a 40% off everything sale – that clinched it. I was able to get the full box set for $35.99, down from $59.99 – and free shipping!
There are two layers of products in the Full Rebel Rose box. The first layer is skincare: Photo Focus Rose Multi-Use Oil (smells divine and light on the face), Photo Focus Rose Toner, Photo Focus Rose Primer Serum (reminds me of the Farsali Unicorn Serum, but FAR more affordable), Perfect Pout Jelly Balm (another black gloss that turns into your own perfect pink – I like this one on me better than the essence ones), and Perfect Pout Lip Scrub (this is NOT even comparable to Jeffree’s scrubs – not tasty and very greasy, very disappointing).
I have been LOVING the products in the makeup layer of the box: 3 Color Icon Eyeshadow Quads – “Bed of Roses” (my favorite, with rose gold shimmer), “Secret Garden Rendezvous”, and “House of Thorns” (I tried with the dark green eyeshadow and looked like my husband slugged me); Color Icon Cream Blush (remember your mom’s cream rouge? This is like the black color change version); 2 MegaLast Liquid Catsuit Matte Lipsticks – “Kiss of Death”, a dark maroon, and “Deviant Damsel”, a dark navy; and 2 MegaLast Liquid Catsuit High-Shine Liquid Lipstick – “Petal Poison”, a dusky pink and “Bud Romance” a dusty purple. I am shocked to REALLY like the high-Shine lipstick – they stay on until about lunchtime, which isn’t bad. Oh, and I cannot forget about the brushes – a Rose Eyeshadow Brush and a Rose Blush Brush. Honestly, the Eyeshadow Brush is poorly designed. Every time I use it, I stab myself in the eyelid with the leaves on the rosebud. It’s a shame, because the brush itself is wonderful.
Oh, and a Foundation Sample bag – 6 shades of wet n wild PhotoFocus Foundation to try out, plus MegaLast Liquid Catsuit Matte Lipstick in “Sea Seduction”, which I already have, but oh well.
The Rebel Rose Full Collection Box is still available on wetnwildbeauty.com for $59.99, no longer on sale. You can also buy the Rebel Rose Skincare Collection Box for $24.99 or the Rebel Rose Makeup Collection Box for $39.99. Even though I wasn’t able to get Ulta points from the purchase itself, I was able to put the purchase on my Ulta card, which will get me a few points.
1/21 Days of Beauty
It’s that time at Ulta again – their 21 Days of Beauty Sale. It’s rare that I find deal that interest me during the 21 Days of Beauty, but I wanted to give Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz a try at half price ($10.50, down from $21). This time, I got “Chocolate”, a darker shade than my previous “Soft Brown”. It’s been a few years since I’ve used Brow WIz and my base hair color is a biot darker than it was then. Now that I’ve gotten used to the richer, thicker Ulta Brow Pencils, I actually like them better than the ABH. Who knew that a cheaper product would be better?
The Essence Lipsticks were an impulse buy, but at $3.49 each, they were a steal. Not even that much – they were BOGO 50% off. Essence Kiss the Black Sheep is a black lipstick that turns baby pink and Essence Kiss the Flamingo is a pink lipstick that turns…more pink? Kiss the Flamingo does have a more coral tone and I feel like it lasts longer on my face than the Black Sheep.
Still no free samples with online orders. I’m waiting.
$122 to Platinum status for 2020.