March 2013 Ipsy Spoilers #1 & #2

Hello everyone! If you're an Ipsy subscriber and you're not interested in knowing what's in your bag ahead of time, don't read these "spoiler" posts! If you'd like to see what I've received in previous Ipsy bags as well as an explanation on what Ipsy is click the links: December 2012, January 2013, February 2013.

I, however, don't mind a good spoiler, especially when the first item seems to be well worth the cost of the entire bag!

• Sneak Peak #1: First of all, the theme appears to be "nautical" or "beach related," so I'd expect products that are very spring oriented, or maybe outdoor/travel related items. Usually Ipsy does five sneak peaks, one for each product. Making the first sneak peak what the bag/theme is indicates that we might only be receiving 4 items in our bags, but I can't be sure. Either way, if that's the bag below, it is so darn cute! I'm happy to finally be receiving a patterned bag.

Spoiler #1. Image from Ipsy's Facebook Page.

• Sneak Peak #2: This item is confirmed to be the GlamRX Mini Freestyle Palette! Not going to  lie, but I'm super pumped for this item!

Spoiler #2. Image from Ipsy's Facebook Page.

Though I am an Ipsy subscriber, I had originally signed up for the Ipsy website with an old email. I never subscribed with the old email, but I still receive some emails from them including, the "Please subscribe to us now, here's a teaser" email. Haha. I find it pretty useful for moments like these.

This image was taken from an email I received from Ipsy.

This palette will clearly be the star of this bag! The only thing I find confusing is that there is no mini version of this palette available on the GlamRX Website. The palette (full size?) is $16.50, and features two compartments, one that is an empty magnetic portion (as seen above) and one that contains powder, eyeliner, and lip balm. So I suppose we'll see what happens.

The remaining items are rumored to be:

• An eyeshadow pan from an unknown brand (could be put in the magnetic palette we're receiving!).
• Something in a spray/squirt bottle. Rumored to be Juice Beauty Hydrating Mist or Green Apple Moisturizer.
• Make up removing wipes, possibly LA Fresh travel lite makeup removing wipes.

Either way, if you've seen my wish list post, I've been dying for a Z palette, so a mini magnetic palette would be AWESOME to get. 

So excited! Hope you are having a great day!

Beauty Things I Suck At! Tag + a Crazy Face of the Day

I saw this tag going around youtube and thought, I'd like to do this one as well! All you are supposed to do is talk about the beauty related topics you aren't so good at. Most beauty bloggers are pretty darn awesome at beauty-related things, but we all have our weaknesses.

• Winged eyeliner: I've recently gotten into winging out my eyeliner from time to time, and I've gotten way better. So I'm actually fairly good now, but I used to have the worst trouble. I remember spending a half hour (at least) trying to do perfect winged eyeliner for prom! My only problem now is that I'm always convinced that the wings aren't even, like one is longer/thicker than the other. lol!
• Liquid eyeliner: Remember that prom story I just mentioned? I was using liquid eyeliner, which is why my winged eyeliner used to suck so bad (I use gel eyeliner now and the amazing Tarte double-sided eyeliner/smudger brush. It solved my problem!). I'm just not that great with liquid liner. It's just too darn wet for my taste. I'll make the perfect line and then I blink and it's all over my crease. Not cool. I haven't owned a black liquid liner in years since I prefer gel, cream, or pencil. I have one sparkly brown liquid liner from a Stila set that I like but rarely use since it gets everywhere! I always seem to forget to let it dry...such a fail! I am willing to try one again in the future, maybe even one in pen form (which I've never tried before). Perhaps I'll get one from Ipsy someday.
• Mascara w/ wet formulas: When a mascara formula is really wet, the chances of me applying it, blinking, and getting it on my crease is very good. I always forget since I don't tend to use many wet mascaras. 
• Curling my eyelashes: Ok, this one I don't actually suck at, but my confession is that I don't ever bother curling my eyelashes. I happen to think that my natural lashes look just fine with mascara only. My natural lashes seem to hold a curl on their own, as long as I have a good mascara. As a result, I just don't own an eyelash curler. And if it ain't broke, don't fix it!
• Putting on false eyelashes: This is another beauty related thing I don't bother doing. Like I said, my lashes look pretty good with mascara, so I haven't actually bothered with falsies. I'm pretty sure I would suck at putting false eyelashes on if I tried. I honestly just can't get past putting glue so close to my eye! As a contact lens wearer, I could see this going wrong in so many ways! lol.
• Uneven pencil liner thickness: My preferred way of applying pencil eyeliner is a noticeable line on my upper lash line in either black or brown and a barely there line on my lower lash line in a brown-ish color. I think it makes my eyes look more awake! Sometimes I feel like one eye's upper lash line eyeliner might be thicker or thinner than my other eye. Or sometimes I meant to do a very thin line and ended up with a much thicker line than I intended to. So many eyeliner problems, I swear!
• Liner in the waterline/tightline: And yet another liner issue. I don't think I'm necessarily bad at waterlining/tightlining, I just don't think it looks that great on me. Whenever I put black/brown in my waterline, my eyes just look smaller. And it's rather irritating to my eyes. Tightlining I've warmed up to, but I still rarely do it.
• Liquid foundation: I'm out of practice using liquid/cream foundations, and as a result, I'm just not an expert at applying it. Plus my skin seems to hate most foundations anyway!
• Cleaning my brushes: I hate cleaning brushes! And I hate how lazy I can be about it! Also, it seems to take me forever to get my brushes as clean as I like.
• Doing my hair in general: I hate doing my hair. Half the time I never do anything at all. This is sometimes a product of my laziness with my hair; the other is that I just don't enjoy doing it like I do with make up. My hair seems to look ok with air drying, and straightening a couple wonky pieces, so that's what I tend to do. I am good at cutting my bangs though. lol
• Putting on jewelry: I forget to switch out my necklace (I almost always wear a necklace) and put any other type of jewelry on. I always forget to put on earrings, and I'm not a huge fan of rings. So yeah, I just forget about jewelry in general.
• Being super fashionably dressed: I'm no fashionista, and this is not a fashion blog. I can look nice when I try to, but it's not my passion. I can dress myself, it's just not super trendy/stylish.

I was messing around with make up the other day, which meant I was trying out products with NO intention of leaving the house. Since I was washing it off soon after, I did not apply any mascara, brow products, or pencil/gel eyeliner. I also painted my eyes in two different color using the Urban Decay Vice palette.

Eye #1: I call this one "Pooping a Rainbow"

In all of it's rainbow poopy glory. Excuse my veiny eye; it's just what happens.

Lol at the double wing

For this look I used Noise, Vice, Rapture, Provocateur, Muse, Blitz, Junkie, and Anonymous. I also used NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencils in Milk (as a base) and French Fry.

Eye #2: This is what happens when your eyeshadow palette gives you a "Black (and Blue) Eye"

Punched in the face. Let's be honest, I just wanted an excuse to use Chaos (the bright blue color on my lid).

See my naked lashes aren't so bad!

For this look I used Chaos, Unhinged, Black Market, Occupy, Desperation. Penny Lane, Freebird, and Anonymous. NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencil in Milk was again used as base. Chaos is finicky so it needed the white base for a better POP of color.

So I basically used the entire palette except Jagged, Armor, Nevermind, Echo Beach, and Laced. 15/20, not bad. Haha.

Hope my crazy eyes didn't scare you! And that you're having a great day!

Disclosure: These products were purchased by me for review purposes. I was not paid or compensated in any way. All opinions are my own.

Lush Sex Bomb Bath Bomb Review

Today I'll be reviewing the first bath bomb I've ever tried, Lush's Sex Bomb. Lush is a cruelty-free brand that focuses on making hand-made cosmetics, including bath products, lotions, and more recently color cosmetics.

Image from Lush.

Lush's claims:

• "A must have for any romantic bath."
• Contains jasmine, clary sage, and ylang ylang that are "powerful aphrodisiacs known to relax you."
• "Soya milk makes the water milky, softening your entire body."
• This is Lush's best-selling bath bomb.

The bath balm itself is rather large, being slightly bigger than the palm of my hand (though I do have small hands lol). Most of the bath balm is pink with purple magenta veining separating it from a purple portion, which contains a real rose.

When you touch the bath bomb, some powder comes off on your hand, so I wouldn't go waving or throwing it around, though it's not crazy fragile. You can immediately sniff the bath bomb and get a sense of its jasmine nature.

Instructions on the bath balm include filling your bath tub with warm water and dropping the bath bomb in. Pretty self explanatory. So I plopped into the bath, put the bath bomb in, and watched it quickly fizz! Also, a cute rose popped out of the bath bomb! It was seriously cool watching the bomb fizz away, replacing the bomb with lovely bright pink water. The water was very opaquely milky pink, as well as being intensely moisturizing. At the time, I had used a Jacuzzi bath, so I was able to use the jets. The cool part was whenever the jets were on, the bath water continued to fizz up, further releasing the scent into the air. I was enjoying myself so much, I took a very long bath! When I left the tub, my skin felt more moisturizing than it did before my bath and the scent of Jasmine lingered on my skin long after. It didn't linger strongly, but I could smell it myself if I gave my arm a sniff.

The jasmine scent is positively lovely, and I'd highly recommend it to any jasmine lovers out there!

Pros:

• The jasmine scent is wonderful and lingers long after your bath is over on both you and your bathroom!
• It turns the bath a milky bright pink, but it doesn't stain the tub or leave a ring around it.
• The bath water is very moisturizing both while you're in the bath and out, though I wouldn't skip moisturizer.
• It's very luxurious feeling and a wonderful treat!
• Plus a rose pops out! Very cool and romantic.

Cons:

• I wouldn't call it expensive, but since a bath bomb only lasts you one bath, it would get expensive to shell out $6.65 per bath. Instead I would use this for special occasions or when you really need to relax.
• Although enjoyable, it's not a beauty product that noticeably changes your appearance, nor is it an essential.

Lush Sex Bomb. Check out that gorgeous rose!

Lush Bath Bomb, side view.

My pink bath water!

Beauty in the Breakdown:

• Brand: Lush
• Product: bath bomb
• Type: Sex Bomb
• Price: $6.65
• Where to get: Lush stores or Lush's website
• Package Quality (out of 5 stars): ***** (Technically it's just put in a bag, but the product itself could be called packaging, and it looks darn cute!) 
• Overall Rating (out of 5 stars): **** 1/2 (Very enjoyable, though not essential)
• Recommend: Yes
• Repurchase: Yes, I would if I was in the market for another bath bomb. Though I'd try a different Lush bath bomb out first before repurchasing. I want to try Dragon Egg next time, since I love citrus and it's supposed to make your bath glittery!
• Side Note: Cruelty-free and hand-made!
• Grade: A-

Disclosure: This product was given to me as a gift. I was not paid or compensated in any way. All opinions are my own.

February Collective Haul & First Impressions

Hello everyone! I've done some major hauling in the month of February, so I've definitely got to hold off any beauty spending for the next couple months. I'm not going to do any swatches on this post but rather do first impressions and individual reviews later on.

My Haul! Not pictured: Lush Sex Bomb.

From Target:

Maybelline Color Whisper in Pink Possibilities

Maybelline Color Whisper in Pink Possibilities

Maybelline Color Whisper in Pink Possibilities

First Impressions:

• What I paid: $5.49 
• Why I purchased: I own three Maybelline Color Whispers prior to this purchase, and I suppose I just wanted to round out my collection for the "soon to arrive" review. I now have a nude, a peach, a berry, and a pink!
• Description: Matte, creamy, sheer bubblegum pink!
• I love the formula on these lipsticks so far, so I wanted a bright pink that was still very wearable.

From Rite Aid:

3 Wet 'N Wild Megalast Lipsticks in Stoplight Red, Mauve Outta Here, & Wine Room 

Wet N' Wild Lipsticks in Stoplight Red, Mauve Outta Here, & Wine Room. 

Wet N' Wild Megalast Lipsticks in Stoplight Red, Mauve Outta Here, & Wine Room.

First Impressions:

• I paid $1.19 each since Wet 'N Wild was 40% off (normally $1.99 each)
• Why I purchased: My goal was to get the palette below, and I saw these and thought that for the price I couldn't go wrong! I wanted Stoplight Red because I've been getting into reds a lot lately, and it looked like a flattering one. Mauve Outta Here and Wine Room looked like colors I did not already have in my collection. These are all matte finish lipsticks, so I do think they could be rather drying, but it's nothing some lip balm underneath and a lip gloss on top won't fix!
• Description: 
• Stoplight Red: Matte, cool-toned, bright, true red
• Mauve Outta Here: Matte, cool, medium, purple-toned pink
• Wine Room: Matte, medium, burgundy, brown-ish berry wine
• Just looking to expand my lipstick collection a little bit! I'm still on the hunt for another shade called Sugar Plum Fairy, which is supposed to be a dupe for MAC Rebel.

Wet 'N Wild Silent Treatment Eyeshadow Trio

Wet 'N Wild Silent Treatment Eyeshadow Trio

First Impressions:

• I paid $1.79 since Wet 'N Wild was 40% off (normally $2.99)
• Why I purchased: I've been wanting Silent Treatment since I first purchased Walking on Eggshells (a GREAT neutral trio), so I decided to finally get it since it was on sale. I picked this one out specifically for the taupe eyelid shade, so so gorgeous! I love the Wet N' Wild formula; it's actually the only drugstore powder eyeshadows (other than NYX) that I will purchase. I'm a huge eyeshadow collector, so I have to limit myself to certain brands (especially ones that have the best formulas!).
• Description
• Browbone shade: shimmery pinky peach
• Crease shade: matte dark, plummy brown base with gold glitter
• Eyelid shade: shimmery mauve taupe w/ silver and purple undertones. A very complex, almost duo chrome type shade.
• I've been very good about only picking out certain Wet 'N Wild eyeshadows that I know I'll really use so I don't overload my collection. I'm so glad I finally got Silent Treatment! I love how the palette is very cool-toned, yet the peachy browbone shade adds a bit of warmth.

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Honey

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Honey

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Honey

First Impressions:

• I paid $5.49 since Revlon was 40% off (normally $8.99).
• Why I purchased: I have 4 of these already, and Honey was one I didn't have, but have been wanting. All the shades I have are fairly bold, so I wanted one that was neutral and easy to wear.
• Description: Dusty pinky brown mauve
• I love how these are such a hybrid product: part moisturizing balm and part long-wearing stain. The darker shades of these balm stains really do stain too!

Nivea Lip Butter in Vanilla & Macadamia Kiss

Nivea Lip Butter in Vanilla & Macadamia Kiss 

Nivea Lip Butter in Vanilla & Macadamia Kiss

First Impressions:

• I paid $3.99
• Why I purchased: I've been hearing how great these are on blogs plus I really love Nivea lip balms to begin with. Also, the Vanilla & Macadamia flavor sounded delicious!
• Description: Smells like a nutty cookie! Gives no color.
• I've been wearing this every night to bed and sometimes during the day. Review to come soon. Now I want another in Raspberry Rose!

From Lush:

Lush Sex Bomb Bath Bomb

Lush Sex Bomb

First Impressions:

• I paid $6.65.
• Why I purchased: I've never tried a bath bomb before, and I've heard such good things about the ones from Lush. I picked this scent since I love Jasmine!
• Description: Smells like Jasmine.
• I just used this, so I'll let you know in a review!

Lush Alkmaar Soap

Alkmaar Soap

First Impressions:

• I paid $5.18
• Why I purchased: Like I said I love Jasmine! I also have a sample of Lust (another Jasmine soap) that I got during Christmastime. Alkmaar is supposed to have a creamy formula, so I liked that concept!
• Description: "Mesmerizing jasmine and Verti vert lather into a cream to moisturize."
• I haven't used Alkmaar or Lust yet (using some other stuff up first), but I'm loving all the Jasmine-y goodness.

Lush Honey I Washed the Kids Soap

Honey I Washed the Kids Soap

First Impressions:

• I paid $6.05
• Why I purchased: This is Lush's most popular soap, and it smells delicious!
• Description: "Coveted caramel cream toffee soap."
• I love honey, so I figured this was an easy love.

Lush Sweet Lips Lip Scrub

Lush Sweet Lips Lip Scrub

Lush Sweet Lips Lip Scrub

First Impressions:

• I paid $9.95
• Why I purchased: I've never owned a lip scrub before, and I really wanted to try a Lush one. There was this popcorn flavored one during Christmas that I passed on, and I completely regretted it, especially since I didn't realize it was limited edition. This one smells and tastes like chocolate, and that's exactly why I chose it!
• Description: "Gently rub a little vanilla and chocolate sugar onto your lips to scrub them soft and smooth."
• I'd like to eventually try and make my own lip scrub when this is done. Maybe I can recycle the container and use it to store my future home made concoction!

From Inglot:

Inglot Empty 10 Pan palette

I purchased an additional empty 10 pan palette.  These are both of my palettes with 17 eyeshadows total. My preciouses!

First Impressions:

• I paid $16
• Why I purchased: I was ready to start another palette. Before this purchase, I owned a full 10 pan and 4 pan palette. Now I have one full 10 pan palette, one 10 pan palette w/ 7 pans, and an empty 4 pan palette. I've gotten very good at arranging these palettes by waving a large magnet over pans I want to pop out. That way I can rearrange the shades (which I basically do whenever I get a new shadow), as well as put a certain quad into my 4 pan for travel. 
• Description: Empty 10 pan palette aching for shadows!
• I'd like to eventually get 7 more eyeshadows and fill up all my palettes! 

3 Inglot Eyeshadows in DS 463, P 420, & P 412

Double Sparkle 463

Pearl 420

Pearl 412

First Impressions:

• I paid $6 for each eyeshadow.
• Why I purchased: Like I said I was ready to start a new palette, and these were some of the shades on my list!
• Description: 
• Double Sparkle 463: matte beige neutral base w/ gold glitter. Mt first of the DS formula! I think it would make a good all over lid color or highlight.
• Pearl 420: shimmery gray-ish mauve metallic. This is a very unique color to my collection. It's like a gray taupe w/ major purple, blue, and silver undertones. A great lid color!
• Pearl 412: shimmery light green with a gold sheen. I love light greens like this, and I think it would pair well with Pearl 419 (olive green brown). 
• I also wanted to get DS 461, a cool-toned matte taupe w/ gold glitter, but alas Inglot was temporarily out!

From Sephora:

Urban Decay Oz Palette in Glinda

Urban Decay Oz Palette in Glinda

Comes with 4 eyeshadows and 2 duo eyeshadows.

24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Rockstar

Super-Saturated High Gloss Lip Color in Glinda (same as Naked from the permanent line).

First Impressions:

• I paid $49
• Why I purchased: I'm a bit of an Urban Decay collector, and I really wanted to try the "build your own palette" system, but didn't want to pay $18 per eyeshadow. I thought this was a great deal, plus if I also got the Theodora palette I could mix the shades up for my own perfect palette! Plus most of the shades in Glinda are unique to my collection.
• Will review once I play w/ the shades more!

Urban Decay Oz Palette in Theodora

Urban Decay Oz Palette in Theodora

Comes with 4 eyeshadows and 2 duo eyeshadows.

24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Zero

Super-Saturated High Gloss Lip Color in Theodora (same as F-Bomb from the permanent line).

First Impressions:

• I paid $49.
• Why I purchased: At first I went to Sephora with the intention of getting only one palette and chose Glinda, since it was more unique to my collection. However browns, golds, and greens are basically my favorite shades to wear, so I went for it and also got Theodora. I love it so far, so no regrets!
• Review to come soon!

I'm definitely not spending anything for a while, though it does make me feel better that the Lush stuff was a Valentines' gift, and I had a Sephora gift card. Regardless, I'm going to try to concentrate on reviewing products, rather than buying them! lol.

Disclosure: These products were purchased by me for review purposes or were given to me as a gift. I was not paid or compensated in any way. All opinions are my own.

Nail of the Day-Metallic Style!

For this look I decided to do a "mixed metals" look, so I used Ulta High Roller on all the nails and OPI Crown Me Already on top of the accent nail.

Ulta High Roller is a champagne gold. It honestly looks neither gold nor silver, but somewhere in between. The formula is smooth, and lasted a rather long time as well! I got this for $1 when Ulta had a deal for 5 items for $5 during last Christmas time. It is still available all year round, though it's in a different bottle. If you're interested in this polish I would wait until a sale on Ulta brand cosmetics, and use an Ulta coupon on top of that for maximum value!

OPI Crown Me Already is a wonderful silver explosion, featuring shiny silver micro glitter and different sized hexagon glitters. It's opaque in two coats, so there is actually no need to place a base color underneath. I believe I found this on sale in a two pack at TJ Max. I'm not sure if it's still available, but I'm sure you could always try to look for it online.

Disclosure: These products were purchased by me for review purposes. I was not paid or compensated in any way. All opinions are my own.

Wish List February 2013

I need new make up like I need a hole in the face, but I wish for more anyway! I'd like to think that most of the stuff I'm wishing for is practical (except for the eyeshadow palette!). Don't worry, I'll explain what I mean, of course. :)

• Milani Even-touch Powder Foundation in 01 Shell

I took this picture at Target!

What the product looks like!

Ok, this one's a practical wish. I only own three different types of powder foundation, two high end and one drugstore. I'd love to try more, especially drugstore! The only powder foundation I own that is light enough for me right now is the one from Pur in Porcelain. While the color is ideal, the formula isn't as long wearing, so I'd love to find an alternative. This Milani one might be light enough! It also is pressed like Pur's (which I love) and contains a whooping 12 g/0.4oz of product, far more than the 8g I usually get. I haven't seen any blog/youtube reviews on this product as all, so I'd love to know what you think!

• Too Faced Boudoir Eyes Palette

Image from Too Faced.

This wish is not practical whatsoever! Haha! I do NOT need another eyeshadow palette, but this one is calling my name! I do own two Too Faced eyeshadow palettes (Romantic Eye and Summer Eye), but I'd love to own more. I know that the shades In the Buff, Satin Sheets, Birthday Suit, and Lap Dance are repeat shades from the Too Faced Naked Eye Palette, so if you have that palette I'd skip out on this one. Wow, with all three larger pans plus one of the smaller pans that makes the Boudoir Eyes palette way too similar to the Naked eye one! But, since I don't have the Naked eye one, and because I love the new shades in Boudoir Eyes better, I could see eventually getting this palette. Plus, the packaging is in a new metal tin, instead of card board casing. Such a good idea!

• Bareminerals Pressed Mineral Veil

Image from bareMinerals.

This wish is also practical, since I won't buy this until my Bareminerals Mineral Veil (the original one in the loose format) runs out. I mainly use mineral veil to set my under eye concealer, since it's the only thing that prevents concealer from creasing into my fine lines. I like the idea of a pressed version, so I can also use it for touch-ups. The only thing I don't know for sure is whether or not the pressed version will work the same as the original loose version. If it doesn't, I'll just buy the original again. Also the ounces on this product is really wonky. So the version I own from a long time ago was 0.47oz. The original version and the pressed version offers 0.3oz. So apparently, as time has gone on, the amount of product has significantly decreased! Kind of lame, just saying. It's still a lot of product, though, especially if it still works under my eyes!

• MAC Lipsticks-Plumful and Creme Cup

I actually don't own a lot of lipsticks in general (compared to other make up like eyeshadows), and I have hardly any high end ones, so that's how I can justify this wish! I also don't own much MAC at all.

Image from MAC.

Plumful is described as a "blossoming rose plum" with a "lustre" finish. I absolutely loved the color when I saw it on another blog, Temptalia. I know lustre finishes are supposed to be sheer, but this seemed like enough color was present. I also love plum shades in general!

Image from MAC.

Creme Cup seems like the perfect lipstick, a "light blue pink" with a  "cremesheen" finish. I've heard that this is a good pinky nude. Also, the cremesheen finish is supposed to be moisturizing, which is what I always like!

• Z Palette

Image from Z Palette.

Out of all the products I wish for, this is the one that is the MOST practical by far. I really want to depot a bunch of my single eyeshadows and store them in a Z palette (perhaps the large Zebra one?). First of all, I think I'd use my single eyeshadows a LOT more if they were all together in a palette. Secondly, I really want to depot my MAC eyeshadows (I own 8) and "back to MAC" six of them for a free lipstick or eyeshadow (the eyeshadow is only at free standing stores, I believe). I'm planning on asking for this for my birthday, and then the project of depotting can begin!

I hope you all are having a great day! Let me know what's on your wish list!

Skincare & Cosmetics Survey

Skin Care & Cosmetics Survey!

Skin Care:

Your skin type?

Combination to oily, but as I get older it's becoming more combination.

Which facial cleanser do you use?

I love Biore's Blemish Fighting Ice Cleanser. I've used it for years now, and it's best at taking off face make-up and really thoroughly cleansing your skin thoroughly. I especially recommend this for those who have oily and/or blemish prone skin.

Which moisturiser do you use?

I've been using the Olay Complete for sensitive skin spf 15 moisturizer (in a jar) for years. It doesn't make me break out, it moisturizes well, and it doesn't leave my skin greasy. It's also great under make-up.

Do you use eye cream?

I've just been using samples! I've been putting the Josie Maran Argan oil sample (that I received in the December Ipsy bag) on my eyes lately. I also have samples of the Clinique All About Eyes eye cream and the Benefit It's Potent eye cream. Both work great, but I'm not sure if I'd repurchase.

Do you suffer with spots?

Unfortunately, I still do. Not as bad as when I was younger, but it's now much more manageable. I go through phases where my skin is great or I have a couple troublesome ones. I did try some foundation samples (I tried out liquid foundation; I usually only use powder foundation), and I broke out like no other! Makes me very nervous to try any liquid/cream foundations!

Do you use SPF?

On a daily basis I have spf 15 in my Olay moisturizer, spf 18 in my Maybelline Mineral Powder Foundation, and spf 20 in my Bareminerals Multi-tasking spf 20 concealer (see review here). That seems to do it on most occasions; even outdoors I barely tan with that on! If I'm spending a lot of time outdoors I'll use a spray on sunscreen over my make-up (Neutrogena Fresh Cooling Body Mist Sunblock spf 45). It doesn't smudge my make-up or break me out.

Make Up:

Foundation?

I have 3 powder foundations I rotate between. I usually (and most often use) the Maybelline Power Powder Foundation in Classic Ivory. It has good coverage and stays put all day. When I'm very pale (like now) I tend to reach for Pur Pressed Powder Foundation in Porcelain. It has great coverage, but it doesn't wear as well as the Maybelline one. When I don't want to take the time to apply much concealer, I use Bareminerals Powder Foundation in Fairly Light. The coverage is great, and I like wearing it outdoors since I never burn when I have it on!

Concealer?

Concealer is my best friend! I wear it under my powder foundation, and it works amazingly well! For blemishes, I use the Maybelline stick concealer in light beige. It stays put all day, it's waterproof, and it never makes me break out. For under eyes, I use the Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Under Eye concealer in fair. 

False Eyelashes?

I actually never wear them! I'm pretty happy with just a good mascara.

Do you use eyeshadow primer?

Yes! Eyeshadow is my favorite, and it will definitely crease on me alone. I love Urban Decay Primer Potion the most! I also love the Maybelline Color Tattoos as a base. I actually don't wear a primer underneath these, since they stay put regardless!

Skin base?

I only use it when I'm having a long day or want to look extra nice. I have yet to purchase a primer, since I keep receiving samples or have them from a gift set. Right now I'm using Smashbox Dark Spot Correcting Primer, and I love it!

Favourite Eyeshadow?

Drugstore: Wet & Wild and NYX.

High-end: Inglot (first place!), Urban Decay (runner up), Too Faced, Lorac, The Balm, & MAC (only the good ones; I think they tend to be hit and miss!).

Have you ever had a mascara 'accident'?

Sometimes I have a problem with wet mascaras where I'll take the time to expertly apply it, and then I'll blink! And it's all over my eyes! It happens rarely (luckily!!)

You favourite lipstick?

Drugstore: Revlon Lip Butters, Revlon Balm Stains, Maybelline Color Whispers, and NYX Round Lipsticks

High-End: Tarte Lipsurgences and Clinique Chubby Sticks. I actually haven't tried a lot of high-end lip products.

Lipgloss?

Drugstore: NYX Megashine lipgloss (Beige and Nude Peach), C.O. Bigelow Mentha Lip Tint (Coral Mint)

High-End: Clinique Long Last Glosswear (Fireberry), Urban Decay Lip Junkies (Naked and Midnight Cowboy), Philosophy Marshmallows for Toasting, Be a Bombshell Lip Gloss in Hot Mess, and Too Faced Glamour Gloss in Pillow Talk. 

Blush?

Drugstore: NYX (Peach & Mocha)

High-End: Tarte (Dollface), The Balm (Frat Boy & Down Boy)

Your worst makeup disaster?
When I was younger I wore really bright eyeshadow (one color) without blending it in. Yuck!

Bright or natural colours?

I used to love brights, but now I prefer neutrals. I still wear both, I just stick with neutrals on a daily basis. I also love neutrals with a colored liner.

Which celebrities makeup is your favourite?

I like Olivia Wilde (like the Revlon ads)!

If you could only choose one make-up item to use for the rest of your life what would it be?

Concealer. I would be so sad though! :(

Do you ever go out without make-up?

If I'm not leaving the house, then I don't bother. If someone's coming over, the maybe, but probably not. I also don't if I'm running errands or briefly going out (I might put on a bit of concealer if I have a blemish but that's it). I also don't if I'm working out or swimming. Or if I'm too lazy (I used to wear nothing in the dorms for class because I'd wake up too late!).

Your favourite cosmetic brand?

Drugstore: Maybelline, NYX, Revlon

High-End: Inglot, Urban Decay, Tarte

I wanted to end this post by showcasing more of my mother's photography. This image is of Lembert Dome, a granite dome rock formation in Tuolume Meadows, which is a part of Yosemite National Park.

Lembert Dome of Tulumne Meadows, Yosemite. Photo credit: Michele Schwab

Valentine's Day Look- Romantic & Purple

Eyes in different lighting; featuring the Too Faced Romantic Eye Palette.

Peachy-pink lips using the Maybelline Color Whisper in Pin Up Peach.

Hello everyone! This is the look I actually wore on Valentine's Day, as well as being the last look in my little V-Day series. This look is traditional and quite girly, but also a bit dramatic. I focused on neutral purples for the eyes with black winged liner. The palette featured in this look is the Too Faced Romantic Eye Palette. The cheeks have a pink rosy flush, while the lips are a bit peachy. I am quite pleased with the look overall!

Note: Sorry this is so late, but I thought I'd post it anyway!

Here's the arsenal:

Products used for the look. 

Brushes that I used.

1) First I did my Complete Foundation Routine. Click the link for details!

Products used for face color (from left to right, up to down): Physician's Formula Happy Booster Glow and Mood Enhancing Boosting Blush in Rose, Tarte Amazonian Clay Bronzing Powder in Park Ave Princess, Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-hr Blush in Angelic (mini from set), Benefit Hoola Bronzer (mini).

Products used for face color (from left to right, up to down): Physician's Formula Happy Booster Glow and Mood Enhancing Boosting Blush in Rose, Tarte Amazonian Clay Bronzing Powder in Park Ave Princess, Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-hr Blush in Angelic (mini from set), Benefit Hoola Bronzer (mini). 

Physician's Formula Happy Booster Glow and Mood Enhancing Boosting Blush in Rose.

Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-hr Blush in Angelic.

Swatches (from top to bottom): Physician's Formula Happy Booster Glow and Mood Enhancing Boosting Blush in Rose, Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-hr Blush in Angelic.

2) I went full on romantic and chose the Physician's Formula Happy Booster Glow & Mood Enhancing Boosting Blush in Rose. It gives a pinky rose glow to the complexion with added shimmer. I used the ELF Studio Blush Brush to apply the blush to the apples of my cheeks, blending up toward the cheek bones. It can be a bold blush, so be sure to blend it out well!

3) I contoured the hollows of my cheek bones with Benefit Hoola Bronzer and the I on Beauty Powder Brush. I used the same brush to apply the Tarte Amazonian Clay Bronzing Powder in Park Ave Princess to my upper forehead, around my hairline, to the sides of my nose, and to my neck.

4) Now highlighter is definitely optional for this look, especially since the blush has some shimmer to it. But I decided to go for it anyway! I used the I on Beauty Blush Brush and applied the Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-hour Blush in Angelic to the tops of my cheek bones. It's a beautiful champagne shimmer, and it's more subtle than The Balm Mary-Lou Manizer Highlighter.

Products used for eyes (from left to right, up to down): Physician's Formula Shimmer Strips Custom Enhancing Eyeliner Trio in Warm Nude Eyes in the shade Copper, ELF Wet Gloss Lash & Brow Clear Mascara, Mica Beauty Gel Eyeliner in Black, Too Faced Romantic Eye Palette, NYX Dark Brown Eyeshadow, Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion, Tarte Lights Camera Lashes Mascara. 

Too Faced Romantic Eye Palette. I used the shades Cut the Cake, I Do, First Dance,  Bouquet Toss, Soulmates, Honeymoon, and Ever After.

Swatches (by column): Cut the Cake, I Do, First Dance,  Bouquet Toss, Soulmates, Honeymoon,  Ever After, Physician's Formula Shimmer Strips Custom Enhancing Eyeliner Trio in Warm Nude Eyes in the shade Copper.

Swatches. I wanted you to see just how gorgeous Honeymoon is!

Eyes open and closed.

Eye open w/ yellow-ish bathroom lighting.

Eye closed w/ bathroom lighting.

Eye closed w/ outdoor lighting. It's much easier to see the purple.

5) Now for the eyes! First, per usual, I primed all over my lids/brow bone  with my fingers using Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion.

6) First for the base color, I used the I on Beauty Eye Defining Brush to apply Cut the Cake (shimmery lilac) all over the lid.

7) Next I applied the matte I Do (grey-ish taupe) into the crease and faded up towards the brow bone with the ELF Studio Contour Brush. I wanted to create a cool undertone to the look.

8) I darkened the crease significantly using the matte First Dance (dark purple) with the ELF Studio Contour Brush.

9) First Dance was applied more heavily to the outer corner using the Stila #7 Brush.

10) All of the shades in the crease were blended out using the Clinique Blending Brush.

11) To further highlight and blend the remaining shadows, Bouquet Toss (matte cream) was applied to the brow bone with the Ecotools Flat Shader Brush. I also used the same shade to define the shape of the wing in the outer corners. I do this as a bit of a "clean-up" method, especially now that I'm winging out the liner.

12) Using the Ecotools Flat Shader Brush, Soulmates (shimmering creme white) was applied just under the eyebrows and the inner corners of the eyes as a highlight.

13) I lined the upper lash line with the Mica Beauty Gel Eyeliner in Black (from the February Ipsy Bag) using the thin liner brush from the Tarte Double-Sided Eyeliner/Smudger Brush. I winged out the liner slightly in the outer corner.

14) I extended the wing out slightly using the shadow First Dance and the Stila #7 Brush. This makes the wing look more intense, while giving it a purple "shadow."

15) Next, I lined my lower lash line using the Physician's Formula Shimmer Strips Custom Eyes Enhancing Eyeliner Trio in Warm Nude Eyes in the shade Copper. This liner is simply a base for the shadows applied on top.

16) I used the smudger brush from the Tarte Double-Sided Eyeliner/Smudger Brush to apply Honeymoon (shimmering antique gold) to the entire lower lash line. Using the same brush I applied Ever After (shimmering brown) to the outer half lash line only.

17) I applied the Tarte Lights Camera Lashes Mascara (edit: I actually used Benefit They're Real Mascara. My bad!) to both the upper and lower lashes.

18) I filled in my eyebrows with NYX Dark Brown Eyeshadow using the I on Beauty Angled Eyeliner Brush (not pictured). Then I combed out my eyebrows with a Spoolie Brush and set them in place using the ELF Wet Gloss Lash & Brow Clear Mascara.

Maybelline Color Whisper in Pin Up Peach 

Swatch of Maybelline Color Whisper in Pin Up Peach

Maybelline Color Whisper in Pin Up Peach on lips.

19) For the lips I applied Maybelline Color Whisper in Pin Up Peach. It's a warm pinky-peach shade  with a hint of gold shimmer.

Here's the completed look:

Outdoor lighting.

Hope you are all having a wonderful Friday! TGIF!

Disclosure: These products were purchased by me for review purposes. I was not paid or compensated in any way. All opinions are my own.