February 2016 Favorites

Happy Leap Day! Another month over, which means another month of favorite products!

1. Haus of Gloi Body Emulsion - Haus of Gloi is somewhat known for their pumpkin butter, which is available in their seasonal scents as well as general catalogue scents. However, I prefer their lighter body emulsion. The lotion, though light, is still very moisturizing and absorbs quickly. My bottle is labeled with their unscented version, but it's actually First Blush - my favorite Haus Valentine's collection scent! I dumped a sample vial of perfume oil into the lotion and shook it up, and it came out perfectly! I'll definitely be doing this with other scents I need a lotion of.
2. MAC Face and Body foundation - I'm not trying to brag, but my skin has been really good lately. Like, really good. So I decided to pick up a lighter foundation to just help with any light redness that may come up, instead of using it to cover imperfections. MAC Face and Body is very, very light coverage - exactly what I was looking for. It's very liquidy and applies easily using a beautyblender. The coverage is buildable, and since it's so light, it doesn't get cakey. I've really enjoyed using it, although sometimes I need to mix in a bit of liquid highlighter since it can be a little flat.
3. My Scheming Mandelic Acid sheet mask - My first My Scheming mask - I received this as a gift from a friend, it didn't work out for her. Her loss is my gain, because I LOVE this mask! My skin is so hydrated and BRIGHT after using this, not to mention free of redness! The mask is silk and so clingy, it fits very well. They're a bit fragile but I am excited to see what other masks My Scheming has to offer! (I may or may not have ordered a sampler set - whoops!)
4. Make Up For Ever Artist Shadow in I524 (Pinky Beige) - Since I'm really boring, I tend to do the same eye look a lot - warmish smokey eye with a shimmery lid. I'm always looking for new shimmery lid shades, and I picked up this one this month and love it! I'm a huge fan of the MUFE Artist formula, they're wonderfully pigmented and blendable. This shade has an iridescent finish, and looks wonderful alone or layered on top of a matte shadow for a bit more sparkle. I apply this with a flat brush just in case there's some sparkle fallout.
5. Sulwhasoo Overnight Vitalizing Mask - This mask...I hate that I love it. I hate it because it's ridiculously expensive ($52!) for something you put on your face at night and gets rubbed all into your pillow. I love that it was gifted to me - I couldn't spend that type of money on this sort of thing. But what I love the most about it is how soft and radiant my skin is in the morning. I know that there's a ton of skincare out there that works just as well as high end stuff for cheap...but this sleeping mask is the real deal. It's light yet very moisturizing - it sinks in to my skin quickly which means less mask on the pillow. It's scented - lightly floral - but not overly so. (Unlike the Too Cool For School sleeping pack...) I mentioned that my skin has been looking super great lately, and I don't want to credit this...but I recently started using it nightly and the effects are there.

A lot of focus on my skin this month! It's really paid off - I'm enjoying makeup even more now that I have a beautiful canvas to work with! Hopefully March brings more spring-y colors to next month's favorites.

Beautylish Haul!

So I needed to pick up a new pot of gel liner, and as you may or may not know, Inglot's gel liner in #77 is my favorite black liner. Of course, I hate paying for shipping, so I needed a few more items to reach the free shipping threshold on Beautylish...and this is how I wound up with this fantastic mini haul!!

As I previously mentioned, Inglot gel liner in #77 is my favorite black gel liner. I've used a few others, but Inglot takes the cake. It's smooth, ridiculously pigmented and rich, and doesn't budge. No really, it doesn't budge on me unless I scrub at it with a makeup wipe or take a cleansing oil to it. The formula glides on, allowing for perfect winged liner. The gel is a very rich, warm black that I find preferable to liquid liner which can seem thinner, in a way. The size is also ridiculously generous - my old pot dried out way before I had even used half of it. It can be revived easily using Inglot Duraline or a similar product, but it was time to retire my old one.

I decided to pick up the Wayne Goss #18 brush because out of all the brushes I own, I only have one other flat brush to pack color onto the lid. (It's an old Sephora Professional brush. I'm talking like 6-7 years old! It's a great brush, though!) I have small eyes and therefore small lids, so the #18 fit my needs. I had heard some talk about how the brush was a bit too "pokey," but after several uses, I can say that it is not so for me.

Unfortunately, as large as my collection of colored eyeshadow is, I cannot resist picking up a new shade when the opportunity arises. It's a problem, I admit it. (This is even more true for green and aqua shadows.)  Sugarpill Chromalust eyeshadow in Hug Life made its way into my order, and I love it! Sugarpill's loose shadows make fantastic colored eyeliners when mixed with something like Inglot Duraline, and that's exactly how I broke this one in. I've yet to be disappointed by Sugarpill, and I hope that keeps up. I definitely plan on wearing this one through spring and summer.

The last product I picked up was OCC Lip Tar RTW in Black Dahlia. I have this shade in the original lip tar packaging, so I probably didn't need it in the new doefoot applicator packaging, but the heart wants what the heart wants! I haven't used it yet, but I'm excited to see if I fall back in love with the lip tar formula with the new applicator.

I can't wait to put all my new things to good use - until the next haul! (Just kidding, I use all of my babies always!)

Haus of Gloi Valentine's Haul! (it's all First Blush...)

Last year, I did my very first indie perfume review. That scent was Haus of Gloi's First Blush, from their Valentine's collection. As a quick refresher, First Blush has notes of Tahitian vanilla bean, white tea, lavender and peach. In other words, it's lightly fruity and slightly floral perfection. I fell in love with the scent, but I had only ordered a bottle of perfume oil, and a mini sugar scrub. Haus of Gloi has been becoming more and more popular, with more and more releases getting cleaned out. Which is amazing for them, but it makes it harder to get the things you want! This year, I got snowed in on release day, but managed to snag all the goodies I wanted when I finally sat down to order. Here's the damage:

• First Blush Hair Oil
• First Blush Whipped Soap (2x)
• First Blush Sugar Exfoliant (2x)
• Aether Body Emulsion
• First Blush Perfume Oil sample
• Rose Gold Lip Tint
• Chamomile Oak Butterbomb

I HAD wanted a Pink Champagne butterbomb, but I'm happy to have even gotten one at all! I liked the pumpkin one I picked up in the fall release, so hopefully this is just as nice. The whipped soap formula from the Haus is pretty high on my list of favorite whipped soap formulas, so I made sure to stock up. (I did not make the mistake I made with my fall order...where I bought five Pumpkin Queen whipped soaps. No ragrets.) I prefer the Sugar Exfoliant to the Haus Bubbling Scrub, so I made sure to get two of those. I really like the hair oil, and I needed a lighter scent than my wintery Cozy Sweater one. 

Instead of the ever popular Pumpkin Butter, I bought a full size bottle of the Body Emulsion. The emulsion is lighter and sinks in much more quickly than the heavier butter, which I prefer. As an added bonus, the emulsion comes in a squeeze bottle, which (to me) is better than the scoop out tub. Unfortunately, Haus of Gloi only releases their seasonal scents in the Pumpkin Butter formula. To try and get my First Blush lotion fix, I picked up a perfume sample and dumped it into the lotion bottle. To me, it seems like the perfect amount of scent for the amount of lotion, and I've been using it often! I can definitely see myself picking up another bottle or two of the body emulsion to keep myself stocked.

I did notice that this year's First Blush scent is a little different than last year's. It isn't bad in any way, and I still love it, and it could be that my perfume oil has aged a year...but the scent is a tiny bit different. I still recommend it, though! First Blush is a lovely springtime scent, and I'm very glad I loaded up!

Mini Memebox Haul! (Featuring illi Cleansing Oil!)

I'm really trying to be better with my spending this year, which means either destashing products and buying new things with that money, or only replacing items. My Banila Clean It Zero cleansing balm was about finished, so I decided to pick up a new cleansing oil. I decided on the illi Total Aging Care Cleansing Oil. I had heard good things over from Fifty Shades of Snail, and I'll basically buy anything that Fiddy recommends because she has good taste. This oil is currently out of stock on Memebox, but I'm sure it'll be back!

The oil comes in a pump bottle, which is much more convenient than the Banila balm I had been using, which you needed to scoop out of a tub. It's a fairly light, runny oil. I massaged two pumps worth onto my face, rinsed, and then followed up with my usual second cleanser (Cosrx Low ph Good Morning Gel Cleanser - what a mouthful!) The illi oil had a light, herbal yet floral scent (I am new to hanbang items, but this was not as medicinal as I had feared!) I was able to rinse off the majority of the oil with just water, and after the follow up cleanser, my face was super soft. Unfortunately, it was not strong enough to take off my eyeliner - Kat von D Tattoo liner. The Banila wasn't able to crack the defenses of that liner or the Inglot gel liner I use, so I'm not overly disappointed. Overall, I'm happy with my new cleansing oil!

Since free shipping for Memebox is $35, and I HATE having to pay for shipping (the oil was $25!), I added on the Cosrx Acne Pimple Master Patch packet in, since I've been wanting to get them for a while. They're definitely an add on item at $5, so if you need to make free shipping...but I digress. I rarely have monster pus filled zits, but I hear these are like the magic cure. I have yet to try them on a big pimple, but I have high hopes!

...I also got the Etude House Lovely Etti Hair Band, because it is adorable and now my skincare and sheet mask time is a little more whimsical. As a bonus, Memebox sent over a Tosowoong Pure Aloe Mask. They must secretly be keeping tabs on me, because I love the Tosowoong sheet masks! The Aloe mask smelled very fresh and green, like a cucumber (or a freshly whacked off aloe leaf, I suppose, never encountered one!) My face felt fresh and plump afterwards, so no complaints here.

It's strange how such a small box with necessities (okay, the REASON for the purchase was a 'necessity') can bring so much joy. I look forward to using the new cleansing oil more, with my new kitty ears as well!

Jeffree Star Velour Liquid Lipstick in Celebrity Skin - Review

If you haven't noticed, liquid lipsticks are some of my favorite products. I like the fuss free idea of liquid lipstick, since the best ones are applied and stay put. The really good ones dry down without sucking all the moisture out of the lips as well.

Jeffree Star liquid lipsticks have become quite popular - so much so, that I had to wait a while to catch this shade in stock! I have a few others on my list to try that won't be in stock for a few weeks, but I'm happy to play with this one in the meantime. I picked mine up from Beautylish with a few other items.

Celebrity Skin is a "soft brown nude with a peachy undertone." The shade is definitely on the browner side of peach, but it isn't a straight up brown - there is definitely a lighter element to it lending it to be a very nice nude. It definitely isn't a pink leaning nude, though, so if that's your preference, this shade wouldn't be for you. Like most liquid lipsticks, this comes with a doefoot applicator. However, this doefoot is slightly curved, leaving a short portion on the bottom, and a longer overarching curve to assumedly fit the curve of the lip. I have no issues with this applicator, as the end is a small tip, allowing for the corners of the lips to be reached. When applying, the product is smooth and applies evenly, one coat is usually enough to get full true to tube color. But when applying...the product smells. It smells like straight up paint. It fades pretty quickly after drying, but still...not fun. The product dries to a fully matte finish in about a minute. Applying another layer on top of a dry layer does not cause issues, either!

I have worn this with and without a lip primer, and the product was not overly drying either way. I experienced no bleeding or feathering, and had very little transfer when using a cup. However, after eating, there was some more transfer, but the majority of the product stayed put. I did experience the color sinking into lip lines a bit, but pressing my lips together to redistribute fixed this right away.

If you're able to get ahold of this shade in one of the very hyped restocks, I definitely recommend it. I really like the formula, it's up there with the Kat von D liquid formula in my book. (Aside from the smell!) If you aren't able to catch this one soon, it IS a permanent shade, so there's no need to worry.

Pros:

• Pigmented
• Applies smoothly
• Lasts forever!
• Relatively non drying
• Very little to no transfer if you don't eat!
• No bleeding or feathering.

Cons:

• It does not smell good. Period. Can't even fluff this, it is not a nicely scented product.
• Some transfer after eating, especially anything greasy/oily
• Consistently out of stock, and restocks are hyped to high heaven.
• A little bit of gathering into lip lines, but it is easily redistributed by pressing the lips together.

Jeffree Star Velour Liquid Lipstick in Celebrity Skin - $18.00 for 0.19 oz

Review - 4.5/5 (it smells SO bad.)

January 2016 Favorites

New year, new favorites! I know I've been slacking a bit, but I wanted to get my favorites out as close to on time as possible.

1. Haus of Gloi perfume oil in First Blush - I'm not really one to stick to seasonal scents (I've been wearing pumpkin scents through the holiday season...) but I was so happy to revisit First Blush as Valentine's Day approaches. It may be because Haus of Gloi launched the collection again a couple of weeks ago, and I loaded up on First Blush scented everything. For me, this scent is a perfect springy blend - light peach and soft florals. I'm still working through my first (now wonderfully aged!) bottle, but I will definitely be ordering another when this one is through. (I also have a full review here.)
2. Stila eyeshadow in Kitten - As much as I love bold looks, my go to look is still based around neutrals. Kitten is perfect on the lid - a soft bit of shimmer really brings a "boring" neutral look to life. Stila's single shadow formula is smooth and blendable, it can be foiled for a more intense effect, or blended out for an all over shadow look. Whenever I don't feel like thinking, I reach for this.
3. Chikuhodo P-3 Highlight brush - I picked up this brush in my last Beautylish order, and I absolutely love it. I use it every single day to apply my highlight. The brush is angled so it can be used to apply precise highlight, and then flip the brush to blend it out. The bristles are soft - I had heard about the Passion series being scratchy but I haven't experienced any scratchiness. I've also washed the brush and there's been no dye or bristle loss. I'm really, really happy with this brush!
4. Too Faced Candlelight Glow - Speaking of highlight...I've been reaching for this one a lot. It's more of a soft, glowy highlight than an intense highlight (think Becca pressed powders.) The two sides combined is what I usually use for my highlight. Unfortunately, I got this right before they reformulated, so I can only speak for the old formulation. This blends out nicely, and I find it perfect for an everyday highlight. Not to mention it's a huge amount of product and will probably last forever.
5. Kat von D Metal Crush eyeshadow in Thunderstruck - It took me a while to track down this shadow, as it was sold out online. I got the very last one in my local Sephora, and it had to be dug out a drawer. It's hard to find and for good reason - it's an amazing eyeshadow! Thunderstruck can be used on the lid, on the inner corner, as a highlight - it's amazingly versatile. The shade is neutral enough to be integrated into a work safe neutral look, but can be built up for a bolder effect. The formula applies beautifully and blends out like a dream. The pan is huge, too. A little goes a long way with this, and I'll be reaching for it for quite a while!

I'm happy to have started off the new year with amazing products in my collection. What have you been using and loving lately?