Recent Purchases, Repurchases, and Acquisitions

I think it's a good sign for my low buy that I don't have enough stuff for a purchase post AND a repurchase post. It's my birthday month and I was pretty restrained, as you can see. (Unlike last year...) Two of these products were sent to me for review, so I didn't even buy everything here! I'm super excited about everything, though.

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!

Holiday Anti-Haul

It feels like holiday releases start earlier and earlier each year, and there are more and more products to salivate over. However, I've tried to become more conscious of my makeup collection, not to mention my makeup spending. I know Anti-Hauls are super popular, but I still wanted to do my own. The fall sale season has mostly passed, but there are still a few Sephora and Ulta coupons around, so this list isn't too too late!

November 2017 Favorites!

As the year comes to an end, I find myself in a serious makeup rut. I've been doing the same look over and over - winged liner, rosewood lip, and a mostly nude blush. It's my go-to look, and it works for me, but not being inspired sucks. November's favorites are a few of the staples that I've been using while I try and work myself back into doing more varied makeup. These are all great products, and a couple are even new! (To me, at least, they've been out for a little bit.)

Recent Repuchases

There's always an emphasis on the new new in the beauty community - I fall victim to it as well. I love new items, but I also like hearing about staples that are bought time and time again. Here are my recently repurchased products - still technically a "haul," but a haul of tried and true products.

June 2017 Favorites!

Summer has started, and therefore my makeup has changed to be lighter to try and keep up with the humidity. My favorites from the last month have all been about getting the most out of the smallest amount of product, so I don't have as much makeup melting off of my face! (I don't do well in heat.)

June Sephora Play! Box

It's been a while since I discussed the monthly Sephora Play! box, so I decided to jump back in with June's box. The theme for this month was Summer Starters - all products to help keep your face and hair in check as the weather heats up (and where I am, gets bogged down with humidity.) Let's take a look at what I got this month!

Wishlist Wednesday!

Happy Wednesday! I wanted to try and organize my wishlist into something other than a nebulous list in my head, so why not make it a blog post? There's a bunch of stuff I'm always wanting, and then I forget about it...until I buy something different or see someone with the thing I wanted!  Hopefully, in a couple of months I can have some of these crossed off, or maybe the "need" of having them will have passed.

May 2017 Favorites!

Another month = more favorites! I went pretty crazy during the April VIB Rouge sale, and I fell in love with some of those products, and they've made this month's list.

Empties - Mini Madness

I really need to do empties posts more often! These are all my mini and deluxe sample empties from January through April. I get a lot of minis from Sephora Play!, promo codes, coupons, and point perks. I love minis, and I go through a lot of them!

This is not the nicest photo, I am sorry.

March 2017 Favorites!

Getting back into the swing of things - only a month late typing this up! (I've had the photo for ages though...) Let's just get to it!

February 2017 Favorites!

I've gotten SO many new things over the past few months, it's been a bit overwhelming. Because I have so many new goodies, I haven't had a chance to really give everything a full test yet. My favorites from February are some past staples, and some new products I haven't mentioned yet.

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!

September Sephora Play! Box

This month's play box was a bit disappointing, I'm not going to lie. I'm going to continue my subscription because I usually like at least one of the items, and I enjoy getting a box of goodies for $10 every month. But yeah...September wasn't the best month for this box, in my opinion.

Kat von D Studded Kiss Lipstick in Lolita II - Review

Lolita II is one of my favorite Kat von D liquid lipstick shades. When I heard it would be released as a Studded Kiss shade as part of the holiday release, I knew I would be picking it up immediately. For the limited edition release, two other liquid lip shades were released in the Studded Kiss formula along with Lolita II - Mother and Double Dare.

Kat von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Exorcism - Review

I was so happy to receive Exorcism in a gift swap this year! It's been on my wishlist since the shade expansion of the Everlasting Liquid Lipstick line in the middle of last year, and I was very excited to try it out.

Exorcism is described as "ripe blackberry." The shade is a deep berry, leaning more red than purple. The formula is the same as other Kat von D liquid lipsticks I've used - not runny, not to stiff. This shade applies extremely patchy - several coats are needed to get an even color on the lips. Unfortunately, when trying to even the color out, it deepens to the point where it's a blackened purple, completely different from an initial coat or in the tube. Additionally, this shade highlights flakes and imperfections on the lips.The lipstick dries down relatively quickly to a very matte finish. There really wasn't much of a scent.

Through a day of wear, there was not much transfer. The formula was not terribly drying, especially when paired with a lip primer. The lipstick does stain, a deep purplish shade that takes some scrubbing to rub off. I experienced no bleeding or feathering while wearing.

I really, really wanted to love this shade, but the patchy application is killing it for me. I'm happy to say that it wears and is not super drying, just like other Kat von D liquid lipsticks, but the patchiness is just something I have not yet come across in this line.

Pros:

• Not terribly drying
• Leaves a stain
• No bleeding/feathering
• Little transfer

Cons:

• Highlights flaws
• Patchy application
• Layering to correct patchiness changes the shade

Kat von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Exorcism - $20.00 for for 0.22 oz

Review - 1.5/5

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?

Kat von D Lolita Lip Duo - Review

Kat von D Beauty has been teasing this duo for ages. I immediately ordered it the day it came out, mostly because my Lolita had gone missing a while back, and I didn't want to buy another full size. I don't even remember which iteration I had - but now I have these two!

Lolita is listed as "chestnut rose." The shade is definitely on the browner side of a brown/pink combo. It's a mostly neutral shade, leaning slightly warm. On me, it pulls more brown than pink, but it doesn't look like a 90s super brown lip. Application was smooth, needing one swipe for full coverage. Drydown took about a minute, going from tacky to fully dry. While still tacky, applying more product is easy and it doesn't cause what is already applied to ball up or anything like that. I found that this shade transferred a little bit, but nothing horrible like a full lip print. The product did not flake off, and I did not find it too drying - but I wore a lip primer underneath. Around 3-4 hours I noticed cracks where lines in my lips are, but I was able to press my lips back together and "smoosh" it back into place. I had to reapply after eating lunch, but reapplication over what was left over looked good. 

Lolita II is a "terracotta nude." Much lighter and warmer than Lolita, the shade has much more orange to it. Like every Kat von D liquid shade I've tried, application is smooth, and the product is pigmented. I needed one swipe for full coverage, although the swatch shows that it might be a little bit patchy. I didn't experience patchy application on the lips, however. I was able to get a nice crisp line using the included doe foot, and the formula took about a minute to go from wet, to tacky, to matte and set. I was able to apply two coats with no issues. The lipstick has an inoffensive non-scent, just smells like a lipstick. Whatever scent is there fades quickly. After about three hours (and a cup of coffee) the lipstick was still around, but was cracking at my lip lines a bit. I was able to press my lips together to redistribute the product. There was no transfer onto my cup, though! 

Pros:

• Minis! Because who uses a full size?
• Smooth application
• Little to no transfer
• Dries fully matte
• No bleeding, feathering, or flaking

Cons:

• Can be somewhat drying. Pair with a lip primer for more damage control
• Cracks on lip lines, but can be redistriuted to look good again
• Needs to be reapplied after eating

Each of these is 0.10 oz, when a full size is 0.22 oz - so they're just shy of half of a full size each. 

Kata von D Lolita Lip Duo - $19.50 for 2 x 0.10 oz

Review - 4/5

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!

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