End of 2016 Empties

I'm trying to track actually using up products, so I began saving some empties from the end of 2016. Throughout the rest of the year I hope to have more items that I've used (there's a distinct lack of sheet masks here!) but I wanted to get started with what I had.

Hoarded trash from last year!

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!

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation - Review

A few weeks ago I posted my Bourjois haul and this is the final product I'm reviewing - the Healthy Mix Foundation! I've been wanting to try it for a while, so I'm glad I finally got my hands on it.

I got this foundation in the lightest shade they have, Light Vanilla (#51). The Healthy Mix foundation comes in 8 shades - not the largest shade range by far. The darkest shade is something that I would match to someone with a medium skintone, so darker ladies are out of luck with this line, unfortunately. The bottle has a bunch of claims for the foundation, such as 16 hours of a flawless and radiant complexion. There are also some fruits on the bottle, for the "fruit therapy" included. The foundation is enhanced with apple, melon, and apricot to enhance and improve the skin.

The bottle has a pump top, which is great! I used two pumps for my entire face, applying with a beauty blender. I was able to get nice, even, medium coverage using the beauty blender - my freckles were still visible. I wore this foundation over a combination of Becca Ever Matte Poreless Perfecting Primer and NYX Q10 Renew Skin Serum. The foundation played nicely over this primer combo. The foundation had a natural finish, and I set with a bit of translucent powder to help with oiliness throughout the day. Without powder, I could see the foundation being more dewy than natural, but I need powder. I wore this on several occasions, using powder before foundation and after, and just after foundation to see how the oil control would be. I also set with MAC Fix+ and Ben Nye Final Seal.

Throughout the day, I did not notice any oxidizing of the foundation. Oil control was better on days where I double powdered (under and over foundation) but I still got a decent amount of oil throughout the day, so this isn't the best foundation choice for staying matte if you have oily skin like I do. However, for a night out and wanting a natural finish, this foundation is a good choice. At the end of my 9 hour workday, I didn't see the foundation completely breaking down on my face, but I was able to easily wipe a little of it away with my finger.

I'm glad I finally got to give this a shot! I'm going to keep it around and give it another try when the heat and humidity isn't building up - now isn't the best time to be trying out natural finish foundations for me. I'm glad the shade was a decent match, although it would be nice if there were more shades available at this price point.

Pros:

• Did not oxidize
• No scent
• Decent color match
• Did not sink into pores or highlight any imperfections

Cons:

• Not great for oily skin :(
• I wouldn't say it held up for 16 full hours...

Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation - £9.99 for 30 ml

Review - 3/5

Bourjois Rouge Edition Aqua Laque in 01 Appêchissant - Review

I reviewed my other Aqua Laque shade last week, so I didn't want to wait too long before reviewing the other one I got in my recent Bourjois haul!

Shade 01 Appêchissant is somewhere between a coral and a nude pink. The applicator is a doe foot, which has a pretty small tip that is great for getting the cupid's bow of the lip with the product. The formula for this shade seems to be a bit thinner than the 04 shade that I reviewed previously. There is a distinct fruity scent that does fade after application. This shade has more of a balmy gloss finish than the super high gloss finish of the other shade I reviewed, but it still looks great. The gloss is pigmented, requiring only one layer of product to get color.

I wore this over a lip primer, and did not experience the product to be drying. Unfortunately, the glossy finish did transfer off onto cups, etc. and needs to be reapplied frequently to stay glossy. Since this shade is somewhat close to my natural lip shade, I couldn't honestly tell you if there was a stain left behind. After the gloss wears off, the product feels balmy on the lips, and is quite comfortable. I experienced no bleeding or feathering with this, and I did not pair it with a lip liner.

I actually liked the thicker formula that shade 04 seemed to have over the thinner formula of shade 01. Both were non sticky and both transfer, but I felt that since 04 was thicker, the gloss stuck around a bit longer than 01. I still really like the product, especially for the price (considering my ideal product is the YSL Glossy Stain and that costs some serious $$$!) These are really light shades, perfect for spring and summer.

Pros:

• Pigmented
• Easy to apply
• Does not feather or bleed
• Comfortable to wear
• Non sticky

Cons:

• Definitely scented
• Gloss wears off
• Needs to be reapplied frequently to keep glossy finish
• Thinner formula

Bourjois Rouge Edition Aqua Laque in 01 Appêchissant - £8.99 for 0.26 oz

Review - 3.5/5

Bourjois Rouge Edition Aqua Laque in 04 Viens Si Tu Roses - Review

Since I'm a big fan of the Bourjois Rouge Edition line, I had to jump at the chance to have a few of a new Aqua Laques sent to me in my recent Bourjois Haul that was facilitated by the lovely Pigmented Lips.

Viens Si Tu Roses is a raspberry red pink shade with a very glossy finish. The formula is a little thicker than a YSL Glossy Stain. The product comes with a doe foot applicator, and the gloss formula goes on smoothly. The gloss is quite pigmented and very, very shiny. There is a slight fruit scent that does fade after application. I wore this with my usual lip primer underneath, but with no lip liner. There was no bleeding or feathering. The formula felt light and mildly hydrating, not drying at all.

Since the formula is super glossy, it does transfer easily. The product left a stain on the lips, and the remaining product felt like a balm on the lips after the gloss transferred off. If you want the super glossy look all day, you will have to reapply more frequently. 

I liked this product a lot. It isn't on the YSL Glossy Stain's level by any means, but it's definitely a cheaper alternative for those looking for a similar product and not wanting to drop that sort of cash. Unfortunately, Bourjois is a little harder to come by if you're in the US (Walgreens is starting to carry it, though!) so you'll need a friend to send it to you if you want this specific product. (Or you know, order from Boots, etc.)

Pros:

• Pigmented
• Leaves a stain
• After gloss fades, has a balmy feel
• No bleeding/feathering

Cons:

• Gloss transfers
• Gloss fades fairly quickly

Bourjois Rouge Edition Aqua Laque in 04 Viens Si Tu Roses - £8.99 for 0.26 oz

Review - 4/5

Bourjois Haul and Swatches!

When Boots has 3 for 2 deals and your friend in the UK offers to mule some things over for you, you jump at the opportunity! Here's my recent Bourjois haul:

I had been wanting to pick up the Healthy Mix Foundation for ages, so I made sure I got it! I got the lightest shade 51 Vanille Clair. I also got two of the new Aqua Laques, which are from the Rouge Edition line. I picked shades 01 and 04. 

The Aqua Laques are really interesting - they're not as pigmented as a Glossy Stain, but they are very glossy, which I like! The foundation looks neutral enough to be a match, I hope it works out. Be on the lookout for reviews soon!

Review - Bourjois Color Edition 24H in Petale de Glace

I am slowly entering the world of cream eyeshadow. I usually reach for the traditional pressed powder eyeshadow - easy to work wit, easy to blend. But when I am sent a cream eyeshadow as pretty as Petale de Glace, I must set my preferences aside and work on using new things!

The Color Edition formula is a "cream to powder," so after my blending issues with the Charlotte Tilbury Colour Chameleon pencil, I decided not to put a base eyeshadow down, and just use this on top of my eye primer (NARS Smudgeproof.) The shadow glides on pretty effortlessly, and I was able to blend the edges out enough to use some other powder eyeshadows in the look. However, if I did not blend right away, it was more difficult to blend after the eyeshadow had 'set' for a bit. So long as you work quickly, blending is not a huge problem.The eyeshadow did not crease over the span of 9 hours, and I did not notice much fading of the color.

Bourjois Color Edition 24H in Petale de Glace

Hand swatch - one swipe on top, two on bottom.

Pros:

• Large amount of product
• No creasing or fading
• Smooth application

Cons:

• Can be difficult to blend if not done right away

Bourjois Color Edition 24H in Petale de Glace - £6.99 for 5g

Review - 4.5/5