Favorite New Products of 2018

It's the end of another year! I've sort of slacked on posting, time got away from me after I came back from my honeymoon. I wanted to recap my favorite new things of 2018 though, as I really enjoyed a lot of new releases! I'm only including new releases and not items that are new to me in the interest of keeping the list relatively short. (Though I did get into some older products like the Stila Glitter & Glow eyeshadows and Klairs Rich Moist Soothing Serum.)

August 2018 Favorites!

Better late than never, right? Life has been busy, and I took photos for my August favorites but never wrote the post!

February Empties & Reverse Rouge Check In

February is over, meaning I get to purge last month's trash! I used up a bunch of products this month, I'm pretty proud of myself. I still have a huge backlog, but every little bit helps! There's a good mix of makeup, skincare, and haircare this month. I've also got my totals towards the Reverse Rouge Challenge further on in this post!

Lots of trash!

Final 2017 Purchases & Reverse Rouge Challenge for 2018

New year, new goals! I'm one of those people who does New Years Resolutions, I'm not ashamed to admit it. One of my goals for 2018 is to spend less and be more mindful of what I do spend. But before I talk about that, I wanted to share my last few purchases of 2017!

Sephora Play! - The Iconic Edition

In mid-June, Sephora released a VIB Rouge exclusive Play! box. The description of the box promised a set of all luxury brand minis for the price of $20. In general, I like my Sephora boxes, so I decided to go for it - $20 for some high end goodies sounded like a good deal to me! Of course, the package arrived while I was on vacation, so I had to wait to rip into it. However, I'm super pleased with my purchase!

November 2015 Favorites

As promised, my favorites for November are on time! I'm excited to share the products I was most fond of over the month. I have some new items, and some tried and true staples from my arsenal of products. I don't like using new items every month for my favorites, because I find a lot of times an item will be mentioned as a "favorite" and then will never be mentioned again...was it really your favorite? But I digress. Here are my choices!

1. Lorac Unzipped palette - I am way late to the game on this palette. Tons of people rave about it, and I just didn't feel I needed it. To be fair, I just didn't want to spend money on another palette. I picked this up with Ulta points to circumvent feeling guilty. I am so, so glad I got my hands on this palette. The formula for these shadows is the same as the Lorac Pro palettes. The shadows are a little soft, but blend beautifully. If you're a fan of neutrals, rose golds, and rusts, this is the palette for you. It's a really great autumn palette, and I can see myself using it year round.
2. Givenchy Mister Mat primer - I picked this up in my modest VIB Rouge sale haul in the beginning of November. This is hands down the best mattifying primer I've used, and I have tried many. This tops the list mainly due to how smooth the application is. A lot of others I've used need a bit of work to get them smooth on the face, and too much touching or product causes it to ball up or be patchy. This one glides on beautifully. It is pricy, however, so I'm not sure how often I'll be replacing it.
3. YSL Black Opium perfume - I have been hoarding samples of this scent(I have three now, I think?) and using it nonstop. I've even added a mini spray vial to my Christmas list as well. (If you follow this blog at all, you'll realize more perfume is the last thing I really need...) This scent is light, slightly floral, slightly sweet, and feminine. I was shocked checking out the notes, as one is patchouli, but it doesn't smell like patchouli at all...and that's one of the notes I actively try to avoid. It's a sweet, strong scent, but doesn't lean towards that sickly sweet like Aquolina Pink Sugar. It's quite sophisticated, and I know a lot of people have started wearing it lately. Definitely check it out if you come across it!
4. Benton Snail Bee High Content Mask Pack  - I picked up even more of these masks in my recent skincare haul. I turn to these masks when I have something brewing under the skin, or redness I can't handle any more. This mask helps take care of those right away, while leaving my skin lightly moisturized. The mask has a fresh scent, and even has little eye flaps in case you want to get you eyelids in on the sheet mask action. The best part is these are alcohol free, so if your skin is sensitive, you don't have to miss out. I also have the Snail Bee High Content Essence, which I apply right after! (After I drain the packet of serum and smear that all on my face, as well!)
5. Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence - This is my HG sunscreen. I was recently on a trip to the Caribbean and I came back the same shade that I left thanks to this. I even used it on the rest of my body after a breakout from another sunscreen. I still want to try other sunscreens, but I am glad I can fall back on this one should I need to. It's light, absorbs quickly, does not leave a white cast, and leaves a slightly matte finish to boot. If you're in the market for a chemical sunscreen, I highly recommend checking this one out!

Let me know what you were loving in November! Maybe I'll end up loving it, too.

August 2015 Favorites!

This past month I've really been trying to focus on my skin, and the products I've been reaching for a lot reflect that. Since it's been so humid out, I figured I might as well roll with dewy skin - no way I was staying matte!

1. YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat foundation - I love this foundation for many reasons. It applies beautifully, smells so nice, and looks like skin! The downside is that it isn't cheap. ($57 for 1 oz.) The coverage is sheer, but can be built up a little bit for more coverage and still not look cakey. For reference, I use two pumps of shade B20 mixed with a pump of B10.
2. Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Liquid in Moonstone - Can I just say that I love the smaller size squeezy tube? Becca also offers this in a pump bottle that's about the size of a foundation. Moonstone is a wonderful pale gold that is the right mix of glow and sparkle. It isn't full on GLITTER, and is great for the cheekbones, cupids bow, and brow highlight. I like to apply this right on top of my foundation for the most natural effect.
3. Becca Beach Tint in Fig - I have this in a mini version from a Beach Tint duo I picked up a while ago, but I will end up buying the full size when this is out. The Beach Tints have a nice scent, and can be applied over foundation to give a subtle wash of color, or can be built up for a more defined cheek. I like to use a light wash of color to achieve a natural shade that sinks into the skin.
4. MAC Eyeshadow in Shroom - I've had this eyeshadow for ages, and it's lasted so long because I really only use it as an inner corner or brow highlight. This shadow is great to add a subtle wash of shimmer that doesn't scream HIGHLIGHT!
5. Kat von D Tattoo Liner in Mad Max Brown - I've been loving brown liner lately, and I love the KvD Tattoo Liners! I've used this for wings, or just to get a close line by the lashline to emphasize my eyes a bit. This liner is great for summer humidity because it just doesn't budge. I also like the fact that brown is a little more natural on me than a black liner, so it isn't as harsh.

Now that fall is coming, I can't wear to break out my darker lipsticks and dramatic eye products. Can't wait to see what I'll reaching for in September!

Review - YSL Rouge Volupte lipstick in #34 Rose Asarine

So I've really been trying my best to get a couple of posts up a week, and I've been staying on top of it! What I have not been staying on top of, however, is making sure I put up content I had planned and taken pictures for months ago. Today I'm reviewing a YSL lipstick I picked up a month ago. Reason I'm reviewing it? I wore another YSL lipstick and remembered I had taken photos for this one. Anyway...

Wrist swatch of Rose Asarine

YSL Rouge Volupte lipstick
in #34 Rose Asarine

I've recently become a big fan of YSL lipsticks. I'd even dare to say that they have some of my favorite formulas (Rouge Volupte and Rouge Volupte Shine.) (I will never forsake you, Bite Beauty, don't you worry!) For how much you end up paying for one of these lipsticks, the fomula better be spot on. I have found all the ones I've tried to be pigmented, smooth, and non-drying. Plus, the packaging feels and looks pretty damn luxe.

Rose Asarine is a cooler toned hot pink. When applying, I found that the first swipe gave true to tube color, and it could be built up to be more intense. Application was smooth directly from the tube, and I did not feel the need to go in with a lip brush. The lipstick has quite a bit of slip to it, but not TOO much slip. When applying, there is a HEAVY synthetic fruity scent that fades (though not entirely!) but it doesn't taste like anything. The lipstick did not feather or bleed, but I did pair it with a lip primer and a lip liner. The formula did not dry out my lips one bit.

For longevity, I find that the lipstick did transfer a bit onto my teacup, but faded evenly throughout the day and left a nice stain. I only needed one swipe to build the color back up. 

Pros:

• Highly pigmented
• Smooth application
• Non drying
• Luxe packaging

Cons:

• VERY heavy scent upon application, if you are sensitive to scents, you may want to pass on this formula.

YSL Rouge Volupte lipstick in #34 Rose Asarine - $35 for 0.14 oz

Review - 4.5/5