October 2015 Favorites

Could this be more late? Probably. But November hasn't ended yet so it's not toooooo late to put this up!

1. Real Techniques Duo Fiber Face Brush - I love this brush for finishing powders. It has that stipply end, so it doesn't pick up too much product, and deposits it nicely. I use it the most with my Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder, and my Guerlain Meteorites. Unfortunately, this brush came in a limited edition set last year, BUT there's another version in the RT Duo Fiber set!
2. Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation in 51 Vanille Clair - This has been my go to foundation lately when I need a little bit more coverage, but not quite full coverage. I also mix in a pump of Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Pearl, which really helps with a natural looking finish. I find that this stuff lasts most of the day on my skin, and applies beautifully with a damp BeautyBlender. Unfortunately, it can be a little bit harder to track down in the US, but can be ordered online from ASOS!
3. Benefit Roller Lash mascara - Okay. I usually will avoid Benefit products like the plague. I find the packaging gimmicky, and the products to be underperforming for the price. I was curious about their new mascara (even though I hated I'm Real...) so I picked up this mini as a 100 point perk from Sephora. I love this! The mascara separates, lengthens, and gives a little bit of volume. I'm going to test the brush with a different formula to see if its just the brush, or if I really need to shell out for the whole deal. It is a little pricy, especially for a mascara. But I really like it so far. Best part, it doesn't flake!
4. Kat von D Studded Kiss lipstick in Cathedral - I don't think I've done a full review on this lipstick, but I've reviewed some other Studded Kiss shades. In general, I'm a fan! This one is a matte "coco rose," and is one of those "my lips but better but also a little darker?" shades that is perfect for fall. This is a great one to pair with a bold eye, since it's neutral but will make you look put together. 
5. Haus of Gloi Pumpkin Queen perfume oil - This is my favorite indie fall scent. My bottle has aged a year, and it is wonderfully complex, better than when I first got it. It isn't an overwhelming pumpkin scent (which I also love!) but the pumpkin is there, mixed with peaches and bright fruit scents, and hay. It's a seasonal scent from Haus of Gloi, so it isn't available at the moment. It seems to be one of their regular autumn scents, so if it sounds like your type of thing, definitely keep an eye out! (I may or may not have ordered like five whipped soaps in this scent. It's that good.)

I've already got this month's favorites settled, so it won't be so late! Let me know what you've been loving lately, I always want to find new things!

VIB Rouge 20% Off Sale Haul

So, as you can see, my Rouge sale haul was very conservative. I'm currently involved in like three gift exchanges, plus with Christmas around the corner, I really didn't want to pick up any ideal gifts that I may receive. I really wanted the Kat von D Mi Vida Loca palette, but it was sold out. I'm not pursuing it, since it clearly isn't meant to be. My coupon did not go to waste, however, as a friend was in from the UK and I let her use the coupon because really, what timing!

Of course, the two items I did pick up were things I cleary don't need. I have a ton of powders at the moment, but I always hear really great things about the Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder. I wanted to get the smaller size, but alas, the store I was at only had the large! (I didn't order online since I was leaving on a trip and didn't want an appealing Sephora box outside my door all week.) I'm really loving the powder so far. It's silky and a little goes a long way. It's also helping keep the shine at bay for longer! But some credit may need to go to my new primer, Givenchy Mister Mat. I've gotten so many new primers lately, but I'm really liking this! It glides on easily and foundation doesn't clump to it, unlike some other matte primers I've been using. I'm slowly testing it with all of my foundations, and so far, so good! (Really, as long as it works with YSL Teint Touche Eclat, I am happy.)

I'm really glad I didn't go overboard with the sale this time around. I honestly have SO MUCH STUFF that I don't need more. But I've been working these into my current lineup, and I am very very happy with my choices. What did you pick up at the sale - did you go all in, or keep it simple?

Even MORE Korean Skincare from Jolse and RoseRoseShop

My new obsession is skincare, if you couldn't tell. This past year I have really fallen down the Korean beauty rabbit hole! I recently placed an order from Jolse, as well as got in on a group RoseRoseShop order.

Sheet masks! These are all from RoseRoseShop. Also pictured is a sample of the Benton Steam Cream, I got a pack of 10 sample foils.

• Tosowoong Deep Sea Water mask - I fell in love with the Tosowoong masks I picked up in my last huge haul and saw that a lot of people liked the Deep Sea Water as well. These masks are supposed to add moisture and soothe the skin. I've used one already, and had no bad reaction, so good stuff so far! These came in a ten pack.
• Tonymoly I'm Real masks in Rice and Seaweed - Ten packs of each of these as well! Rice is for clear skin, and seaweed is for skin purifying. I've tried one of each (Seaweed is being worn as type this) and they're not bad. I also have and love the Red Wine ones. These have a stronger than might be liked alcohol scent...may not be the best for someone whose skin isn't alcohol friendly. The fit of the masks is a little wide, but the eye openings actually are pretty good for me.
• Etude House I Need You Pomegranate mask - I really love the Pomegranate ones of this line, they make my skin bright and quell any redness, and make my face feel fresh. Only three of these in my order.
• Innisfee Green Tea hydrogel mask - I love green tea masks, I'm getting into hydrogels, and Innisfree is usually pretty good to my skin. Can't wait to try these! I got two of these masks (who gets one?!)
• Benton Snail Bee High Content masks - I got a few of these from a friend and was HOOKED! I'm a little sad that these come in packs of eight and not ten, but I have so many masks I'm sure I won't notice. I use these when my face feels like it's going to act up, or after it has acted up, and it really helps get rid of redness. These masks have bee venom and snail secretion, two ingredients that my face seems to like. These are also alcohol free! I'm sure my skin appreciates the break.

Now onto the bigger items! The Cosrx items and sponge are from Jolse, while the Mizon cream was from RoseRoseShop. The Banila Clean It Zero was from Amazon, picked up a replacement when I got some sunscreen!

• Etude House Konjac Sponge - My old konjac was old and tired, so I got a new replacement!
• Cosrx Ultimate Moisturizing Honey Overnight Mask - I'm really getting into propolis products, and this sleeping mask has 85% propolis! I haven't opened it yet, but I'm really excited to try it. I had to decide between the Rice mask or the Honey mask, but I heard this one works better for oily skin.
• Cosrx Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser - This is the entire reason I ordered from Jolse. Cosrx released this cleanser last month, and I ordered it after reading this awesome review on Fifty Shades of Snail. I was out of cleanser too, so thankfully it wasn't just an excess product I didn't need! (Unlike 99% of the things here.)  I'm liking it so far, and I think the low pH combined with my pH adjusting toner are really letting my actives get their jobs done.
• Mizon Black Snail All In One Cream - My ride or die moisturizer is the Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel. I love it. HOWEVER - now that I'm using actives more often, I want something to really seal in the moisture I get from all my other products. I had samples of the regular Snail All In One and it wasn't heavy enough. I heard this one was more moisturizing, so I decided to try it out. So far so good - no breakouts while patch testing and my face does feel more moisturized after using actives. 
• Banila Clean It Zero - Just a replacement! This does a nice job of getting my makeup off. The one I got was not as solid of a balm as my first one, this one was a little melty. No matter, as it still works!

So there you have it, my new obsession. At least it's focused on helping my skin! Have you purchased any skincare recently? Any Asian skincare? I'd love to hear about it!

Arcana McNaughty Nog Perfume Oil - Review

I hate reviewing products that are no longer available, simply because it isn't cool that I may rave,and there's no chance to even consider picking it up! But I like talking about indie scents, so I'm here anyway with last years Arcana exclusive for the Rhinestone Housewife - McNaughty Nog. I'm pretty sure I ordered the last bottle that was available from the shop last month, and I'm really happy to have it in my collection.

McNaughty Nog is described as eggnog, Arcana's beloved yellow cake note, rum, fresh milk, nutmeg, and a drizzle of toasty caramel. Straight from the vial, the initial scent is warm cinnamon and nutmeg with caramel and cake. It seriously smells like freshly made French toast, and it is soooo good. On the skin, the nutmeg shines with a backing of creamy caramel, and a hint of apple. After drying, that wonderful French toast from before has returned. This perfume doesn't remind me of egg nog, really. It's more warm baked goods and caramel. The lasting power on this was great - I smelled it for over 9 hours throughout the workday. The throw was a bit larger than general wafts from gesticulation, I felt like I was tucked in between two pieces of challah bread drizzled with vanilla and caramel. It isn't the best thing to wear when you're trying to diet, but I'm seriously glad I got this bottle!

Arcana McNaughty Nog perfume oil (limited edition) - $20.00 for 5 mL

Review 5/5

Perfume oils work differently for different people due to skin chemistry. This is my experience with this perfume oil, which may differ for you!

Kat von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Mother - Review

Kat von D released a whole slew of new shades for her Everlasting Liquid Lipstick line earlier this year. This formula is hands down my favorite liquid lipstick formula (as evidenced by prior reviews of Double Dare, Bown n Arrow, Bauhau5, and Berlin), so I snatched up a bunch of shades. Mother is one of the new releases, and in the teaser pictures that were out for MONTHS, it was referred to as 'Selektion,' which was then changed for obvious PR reasons. (If you aren't aware, it's a term used by Nazi Germany. Name change is fully understandable when put in that context.) But I digress.

Mother is listed as a dusty mauve pink. This shade is a cooler leaning pink, with a hint of dustiness. It's still quite a bright shade. Personally, I'm not a fan of how I look in cooler lip colors, even though my skintone is somewhat neutral (leaning a little warm.) So I'm torn on whether or not I dig this shade (on me, personally. On others, it looks great!) The formula is just like all of the others, a slightly creamy liquid. It applies smoothly and easily using the doefoot applicator attached to the lid. The scent is a slightly paint-like lipstick scent, nothing offensive and it fades right away. This shade is a bit less pigmented than others in the line, and I needed two coats to get a solid color on my lips. The lipstick dried quickly, in about a minute. However, I was able to add my second coat with no problems, which is nice.

I am a fan of this formula because it usually isn't overly drying, when paired with a lip primer. However, Mother dried out my lips. I did wear it with a lip primer, and a new one at that - the Colourpop lip primer. I normally use MAC Prep and Prime Lip, and I wondered if it was the primer not being up to my high standards, but I have worn other liquid lipsticks with the Colourpop primer with no problems, so I am resigning to the fact that Mother was just more drying. Additionally, Mother settled into lip lines and cracks on my lips, meaning I had to reapply to get it to stay looking good. On the flip side, no transfer or bleeding/feathering, as expected from the Kat von D formula.

I mentioned it earlier - I'm torn on Mother. First it was just the shade not being my usual thing (I'm sure if I wore cooler tones more often I wouldn't mind it!) but the additional shortcomings of this shade compared to others in the line leaves me feeling a bit lukewarm towards it.

Pros:

• No bleeding/feathering
• Dries quickly
• Does not transfer
• Scent dissipates quickly
• Smooth application

Cons:

• Drying, even paired with a lip primer
• Settles into cracks and lines
• Not opaque with one coat

Kat von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Mother - $20.00 for 0.22 oz
Review - 2.5/5

Platinum Perk Coupon and Points - Ulta Haul!

Ulta has one of the best rewards programs - the points you accumulate can be used towards merchandise. They often have point multiplier promotions, which lets you rack up points quickly. I like to hoard my points until a 20% coupon valid on regular and Prestige cosmetics comes around, so I can haul hard with no money out of my pocket. Ulta recently had a coupon soooo...here's what I picked up!

• Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade in Ash Brown - I jumped on the dipbrow bandwagon when it first started, and have had a pot of Dark Brown for over a year, with a bunch left. However, ABH released an extension to the shade range earlier this year, including Ash Brown, which I thought would be an even better fit. I've been waiting MONTHS to finally get my hands on this! My old pot must be dried out, since I was not prepared for how soft and smooth the new product would be.
• SheaMoisture Fruit Fusion Coconut Water Weightless Hair Masque - What a mouthful! I wanted to get something as a deep conditioner for my hair, and this sounded wonderful. I really like my SheaMoisture clarifying shampoo, so I'm really excited to try this.
• Becca Radiant Glow Collection - I've had this sitting in my cart since the day it came out. I've been wanting a pressed Moonstone highlighter, so I decided to get the set with the mini, since the full size is absolutely massive! (I have a full size Rose Gold, and it is huge.) This set comes with a mini pressed Moonstone, a mini Opal liquid, a mini Under Eye Brightening corrector, and a full size Beach Tint Lip Shimmer Soufflé in Raspberry/Opal. The eye brightener jar is super teeny, which makes it difficult to get a brush in, but it really does brighten! I love Moonstone, and the lip tint is nice as well.
• Too Faced Hangover Rx Primer - Everyone seems to be putting coconut water into everything. I'm not a fan of the beverage, but I love putting it on my body! This primer is supposedly hydrating, and helps less blendable primers (ahem, Becca Ever Matte...) spread more easily. 
• Too Faced Candlelight Glow Highlighter - Highlighters are my new thing, end of story.
• Ulta Crystal Nail File - I like crystal nail files, and I really needed a new one. Now I have two - new one for home, old one to keep at work!
• Maybelline Brow Drama Sculpting Mascara in Soft Brown - I really want to buy Benefit's Gimme Brow, but I don't want to spend that much! I'm going to play with this brow mascara in the meantime.
• Scunci Hair Ties - I was out, so why not get them with my points???
• Urban Decay De-Slick Setting Spray - I've been out of this stuff for months, but I didn't feel like shelling out for it. I love this setting spray. I use it after Fix+ to actually set my makeup. I get oily, so I buy the De-Slick one, though a lot of people swear by All Nighter.
• Alterna Bamboo 2-in-1 Volumizer - I love Alterna volumizing products, so I decided to try a new one! This cream is supposed to add a bit of texture as well, which my hair desperately needs.

I also picked up the Lorac Unzipped palette, but that came separately (due to realizing I had more points, and then a shipping mishap...) I'm excited to try it! Have you gotten anything awesome with Ulta's reward system?

Collective Sephora Haul

So instead of making a post for each Sephora purchase (because let's face it...there have been a few!) I decided to make a collective haul post for the past month or so. Holiday sets have come out, the Friends & Family sale went on...so let's take a look!

There are a few items not pictured here. I bought a few gifts, and some are set aside and a secret, while others are enroute to their recipients. I also got a package of Shiseido cottons (that I immediately tore into...) and a bottle of Cinema Secrets brush cleanser. I had picked up a bottle of the Sephora cleanser that is similar, but it just didn't measure up. Glad that I was able to get the Cinema Secrets again.

• Bite Beauty Best Bite Remix - Every year, Bite Beauty puts out a holiday set in a little tin. The past two years they've done sets of their High Pigment Lip Pencils (which I love!) so I was happy to see that thy switched it up for the Matte Crayons this year. There are four shades, three new and one from their general collection. I gave the Aubergine from this set to a friend, as I already had a mini. I was also happy that they didn't reincarnate Pomegranate for this set into a matte, because honestly everyone is sick and tired of Pomegranate, we all have five of them we can't unload, just stop it, Bite.
• Make Up For Ever Step 1 Skin Equalizer Mattifying Primer - I've been in the market for a new primer, and the new-ish MUFE ones come in small sizes, so I picked up the mattifying one. I have a super mini of the smoothing primer which is nice, so I figured why not? This primer is a little difficult to spread, like the Becca Ever Matte primer. It does keep me pretty matte when paired with a non-dewy foundation. I'll be doing a full review of this in the future.
• Boscia Tsubaki Oil and Green Tea Hydrogel Masks - If you've been following me blog for any amount of time, you've probably seen a post with some Asian skincare in it. This is just me getting more masks for my hoard. I like Boscia products, but they're a little pricey (especially considering how much cheaper ordering from Korea is...) so I got these two masks to try with the coupon I had.
• Verb Volume Spray - My tried and true Alterna Bamboo spray was running out, so I decided to try something new. I haven't yet given it a test drive, but I've heard good things and I'm excited!
• Guerlain Holiday Meteorites - I have a tin of REGULAR Guerlain Meteorites that I reach for often. So since I have those, I wouldn't need these, right? Wrong. The holiday set that was released this year has mini stars in it. Also, the packaging is like a wonderful snow globe. They're quite sparkly, but I'm about that life, so I like these.
• Sephora Collection Bright Future Gel Serum Concealer - I won't lie, that is a ridiculous mouthful of a name. A friend asked me to send her one of these, so I was like of course, and I will do a little one for you, one for me while I am at it. I originally picked up shade 02 which was not good for me, at all. So I have shade 03 here to try next! I don't think it'll give my NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer anything to worry about, though. This concealer is a little thin from what I've tried. I can't really judge it though, since I wasn't working with the right shade at all. I'll definitely be reviewing this once I use it more!
• Kat von D Lolita Lip Duo - This product has been teased for months, and it finally was released last week. I immediately ordered it the moment I woke up. My full size Lolita went missing months ago, and I never replaced it. (I have a mini Studded Kiss Lolita...but that is completely different.) I can't wait to try both of these, I don't remember which iteration of Lolita I originally owned. Supposedly there's going to be another release,OG Lolita, in the future. I love Kat von D's liquid lipsticks, so just sign me up.
• Bite Beauty Kir Royale 250 Point Perk - Bite Beauty did a series of 250 point perks from August-October. I wasn't interested in the first two shades, but I jumped on Kir Royale. The set includes a mini lipstick, mini gloss, and small mirror. I feel like it is perfect for the 250 point mark, as you get two makeup items and a small additional item to make up those extra 50 points. I love Bite products, so I'm happy I snagged this and I can't wait to try it!

Not too bad, all things considered. Especially as this was all spread out over the course of a couple of months! What is bad, however, is that I already have a cart going for the upcoming VIB Rouge sale! Did you pick up any holiday or limited edition items recently? 

Arcana Pumpkins Crave Treats perfume oil - Review

I got into indie scents last fall. Fortunately for me, I've found a ton of great scents in the past year. Unfortunately, I now know about a ton of scents I will never be able to get my hands on due to just being oblivious to the world of indie scents. Arcana's Pumpkins Crave Treats was one such scent. However, it was brought back this fall, and I promptly snapped up a bottle!

As you probably already know, I'm a sucker for pumpkin scents. I also love a good gourmand. Pumpkins Crave Treats seemed right up my alley, and I'm so happy I was able to snag a bottle to try! Pumpkins Crave Treats is described as rum-laced caramel, cane sugar, pumpkin custard, and delicate, vanilla-infused marshmallows. The first whiff from the bottle is sweet caramel and pumpkin. Wet on the skin, the pumpkin is front and center, with a lingering mix of pumpkin pie spices in the background. The pumpkin is definitely a more creamy scent than a spiced pumpkin, think a light pumpkin pie filling. The scent did not morph much upon drying, the creamy dessert pumpkin lingered the entire time. I was able to detect this scent for around 5 hours after applying, before it faded down closer to the skin. The throw is not huge, but not small. You'll definitely smell like a pumpkin dessert to anyone standing nearby.

I'm SO happy I was able to get a bottle of this, it was everything I dreamed of when I first heard about it. Then again, Arcana is rarely a disappointment for me. 

Arcana Pumpkins Crave Treats perfume oil (limited edition) - $18.00 for 5 mL

Review - 5/5