Skincare Sunday — G.M. Collin Skincare

Hey all! I hope you are having a great weekend!

I’ve decided to start a new series to run on Sundays called Skincare Sundays.  I am going to post something skincare related on (most) Sundays. I’ll focus on a skincare review or my skincare routine…it will just depend on what I have been using.

I have recently received a couple of G.M. Collin products for my honest review and I wanted to share what I think of them:

g.m.-collin-hydramucine-optimal-serum.png

G.M. Collin Hydramucine Optimal Serum ($60 USD) — G.M. Collin Hydramucine Optimal Serum instantly relieves dehydrated skin with a surge of moisture that penetrates deep into the skin. A combination of high and low hyaluronic acid provides moisture while an advanced hydrating formula prevents water loss, improves water circulation within the skin, stimulates ceramide production, and boosts skin’s ability to regulate moisture levels. Perfect for dry environments and colder months, G.M. Collin Hydramucine Optimal Serum plumps skin to minimize fine lines and restores a supple, hydrated complexion.

What I think:  I have been loving this for hydrating my skin this winter.  Hyaluronic acid is know for moisturizing and I feel that this does give moisture without irritating my sensitive skin.

Not only is my skin hydrated, it feels smoother and more plump.  I enjoy using this once or twice a day, at least in the evening.  So when I wake up, my skin is hydrated and plump.

GM Collin Sun Protection Cream Broad Spectrum SPF 60

G.M. Collin SPF 60 Mineral Sunscreen Sun Protection Cream ($32 USD) — G.M. Collin Mineral Sunscreen SPF 60 covers skin with a ultra-light sunscreen that will keep the skin optimally protected. With is SPF 60 this lotion protects from UVA&UVB rays that can cause skin damage including premature aging, age spots and dryness. Free from parabens, PABA, fragrance and color it is formulated with Titanium Dioxide and and Zinc Oxide.

What I think:  I use sunscreen every morning on my face.  It’s so important to use to keep sun damage to the skin at a minimum. This is a very lightweight sunscreen that I can layer with my skincare and under makeup.  I love that it is fragrance free and I love that the SPF is 60.  I feel very protected when I use this.

These can be purchased on Skin1.com & Select Spa Locations

What skincare are you using now? Have you tried G.M. Collin?

 

IT Cosmetics’ QVC TSV IT’s All About You! Your Customer Favorites Collection

IMG_E0026.JPG

It’s that time again! IT Cosmetics and QVC are having their March Today’s Special Value  IT’s All About You! Your Customer Favorites Collection.  It is a four piece collection that is a value of $187.36 and is going for $59.94.

I love IT Cosmetics.  It’s such a nice brand and the products have beautiful ingredients and amazing quality!  I think it’s gorgeous for all ages, but I think it’s perfect forolder ladies like myself.  The products contain anti-aging ingredients and their shades of color cosmetics are so lovely!

You can purchase this on QVC.com or buy watching and calling in.  It starts today, Saturday, March 9, 2019 at midnight (ET) and will be offered for one day only! As a reminder, each day, QVC picks one special item they believe shoppers will love, and offers it at an exceptionally low price from midnight (ET) until 11:59 p.m. (PT) that day.

Here’s a clearer photo of what you get:

image001 (10)

This exclusive four-piece collection features a NEW! brow-transforming essential, a lip-loving favorite in a new shade, an illuminating complexion must-have in new shades—plus a perfectly paired brush! First, create the look of your fullest, most natural-looking brows with the NEW! Brow PowerFULL Universal Volumizing Eyebrow Pencil. Use your included Heavenly Skin CC+ Skin-Perfecting Brush No. 702 to flawlessly apply your Supersize CC+ Cream Illumination with SPF 50+, then apply your NEW SHADE! of Je Ne Sais Quoi all over your lips for your most beautiful finish.

I have tried the wonderful CC+ Cream and brush before.  They are such a nice combo for dewy, hydrated skin.  And the size of the CC+ Cream is huge — 2.53-fl oz!  This will last a long time.

The Brow PowerFULL pencil is brand new.  It is universal for all hair colors, the unique triangular shape allows you to customize your application experience, from the finest line to a fuller-looking brow faster. Brow PowerFULL adheres to skin, covers gray, and looks like real hair!

I like the original pink Je Ne Sais Quoi Hydrating Color Awakening Lip Treatment, but it is a bit bright for my skintone.  This shade in Honey is a pretty nude shade and gives a nice, natural lip look.

This is such a great value!  Are you going to pick this up today?

BoxyCharm BoxyLuxe Subscription Box Review — March 2019

img_0087.jpg

Hey all! I received my second BoxyLuxe yesterday!  I’m so excited! I’ve been a subscriber of BoxyCharm for over a year. The regular BoxyCharm box is $21 a month. BoxyLuxe is a once-a-quarter upgrade option you can add to your existing $21-a-month Boxycharm subscription. So for an additional $28.99, you’ll get the Luxe items, and be paying a total of $49.99 for that quarterly box.

I really enjoyed my December box.  You can see that review here.  I saw the spoilers for this box, I just didn’t know what variations I would get.

The theme for this month is La Vie En Rose.  Here’s what I received:

IMG_0091

IMG_0109.JPG

I have tried this cream before.  It’s very nice, especially as a night cream.  It’s extremely hydrating without being greasy.  And my skin always looks beautiful the next morning after use. This is a great product to get in the box!

IMG_0116.JPG

These Moda Brushes are gorgeous.  And they are really soft.  They can be used for face powder, highlighter, bronzer — whatever I need them for.  I love getting nice brushes in boxes, so I will definitely use these!

IMG_0101 I have tried a few things from Wander Beauty, but I haven’t tried this mask.  I actually think they created this Rose Gold peel off mask for BoxyCharm. I’m excited to try this!  I’ll test it out this weekend.

IMG_0108

I knew I was getting a Becca Lipstick and was very excited.  But, I got the shade Chocolate — and it’s almost spring. I usually only wear nudes or lighter pinks, so this will not be used.  And, it’s disappointing because I wanted to try the formula, but I don’t want to use it just one.  I will give it away or sell it.

IMG_0098

This is the Cover FX palette.  This was created for BoxyCharm.  This is the Light-Medium shade.  There is also a Medium-Deep I believe. This is my favorite item in the box from my first impressions.  The packaging may not look like it, but it’s really good quality and it has a nice mirror.  The shades are all perfect for my light skin.  But…

Speaking of skin tone, BoxyCharm make an announcement that everyone should fill out the profile questionnaire so that we will get the correct shade for our skin tone.  But, I guess that they sent the incorrect shades to a lot of subscribers.  They did apologize, but they aren’t sending out a new palette, they gave the subscribers charms instead.  So hmmm. I’ll talk more about this at the end of the blog.

IMG_0094IMG_0095 So, this is the Morphe Day Slayer palette.  There were four different palette variations.  These others had purples, corals and pinks.  This one has oranges and browns.  It was the one I didn’t want because it reminds me of fall and it’s almost spring.

I will either keep this until fall and then try it out or give it away.

IMG_0105IMG_0106

These Deborah Lippman polishes look really pretty. The one on the left is Oh Donna, a sparkly rosy mauve and the one on the right is Modern Love, a classic mauve creme. I am going to use these, maybe even together, this weekend.

IMG_0100.JPG

These are very pretty, but I don’t wear false lashes.  So I might add these to my Instagram giveaway I’m doing when I hit 5000 followers (follow me @fortyflirtyfab to see that giveaway later, and my fun posts now!).

IMG_0102IMG_0104

I haven’t tried Iconic before, but they are a luxe brand. I am trying out some new brow products, so I don’t know if I’m going to keep this.  That’s why I’ve kept the seal on it.  I love brow pencils, but I’m sure this is nice. The color is Medium, but I’ve seen some photos and it looks pretty dark.  My brows are almost black, so it would be fine for me.

I just realized that I forgot to take a photo of the bag alone. You can kind of see it in the first photo.  It’s too lake to take one now, but I might tomorrow and if I do, I will put it here.  It is a really pretty train case style bag.

So that is a lot of products, whew! The total is $301.98 which is pretty great for spending $49.99.  I think this is a really good deal, if you don’t mind not knowing if you will enjoy the variations you get.  I’m glad I got the correct face palette, but I’m not going to use the lipstick or probably the eye shadow palette.  And I think it stinks that many subscribers can’t use their face palette (or not use it as intended.  It can probably be used for eyeshadows).

I will keep and enjoy the face palette, the brushes, the mask, polishes, train case and maybe the face cream.  I have so many right now, I don’t know if I will keep it.  The other products I will either giveaway or sell.

I have so much makeup and skincare right now, and I am also getting Ipsy Glam Bag Plus soon.  So, I think I’m going to give both of the subscriptions until June (which will give me one more month of BoxyLuxe, plus it’s my birthday month) and then I will choose which one to keep.  These are my only current subscription boxes, but I don’t really think I need both. But we will see…

Do you get BoxyLuxe or BoxyCharm?   What were your variations this month?

 

 

Skincare To Help Transition From Winter To Spring

Hi all! I hope you are having a great weekend!  It snowed again today, but I am hoping it’s the last snow of the season.  I am ready for Spring!

And speaking of Spring, I am looking forward to warmer weather for my skin.  The cold weather makes my combo skin so dry and flaky.  I have been trying new skincare (sent for my honest review)  that I have been loving for my winter worn skin!  They are from Burt’s Bees, Higher Education Skincare and Mamonde.  Here are the products I’ve been loving:

 

 

Burt’s Bees Hydrating Overnight Mask ($14.99 USD) Provides 24 hour moisture and leave skin looking refreshed and healthy. This is a thick cream.  The instructions say to apply a layer and leave on for 10 minutes, then rub the rest in and leave on overnight.  My skin did look very hydrated in the morning.

Remove oil and impurities with this Exfoliating Clay Mask ($14.99 USD). Made with Kakadu Plum and Vitamin C, this gentle exfoliator cleans skin while also holding in moisture leaving skin clear and soft.  This is gentle enough to use every day.

Detoxifying Clay Mask  ($14.99 USD) With the power of charcoal, Burt’s Bees created a mask that will remove dirt, oil and toxins that can clog pores and can cause skin to look dull. Infused with acai, the rich antioxidents will leave skin balanced and healthy-looking. This mask really deep cleans the skin.  I have to follow up with a moisturizer, but I do like that it cleans out my pores.

Available: Target, CVS and Walgreens Stores

Higher Education Skincare Cram Session Vitamin Infused Hydration Lotion

Higher Education Skincare Cram Session Vitamin Infused Hydration Lotion ($33 USD) -Loaded with vitamin A, C and E, this super hydrating lotion will fill your skin with the vitamins it needs during the dry weather. Cram Session is also made with melanin, which protects skin from blue-light emitted from digital devices.

I like using this in the morning, before makeup.  It smooths my skin so nicely.  It is very hydrating and helps with the dry patches on my skin.  I love that it contains vitamins and that it is good for my skin.

Mamonde Hydro Eye Gel Cream
Mamonde Hydro Eye Gel Cream

Mamonde Hydro Eye Gel Cream ($32 USD) — This eye cream is made with narcissus flower extract that will keep your skin smooth and hydrated. Its very nice for morning and night.  It is hydrating, but is also light enough to wear under makeup.

Available: Ulta Stores
What skincare have you been trying lately.  I’d love to know!

 

February 2019 Beauty Favorites

IMG_3080

Hi All!  Can you believe that it’s the end of February?  That means it’s time for another favorites post! I have been enjoying trying new products this month and have selected a few that I have been enjoying using.

Here are my current faves:

Urban Decay On The Run Mini Palette in Shortcut — I have been enjoying this cute little palette.  Although it’s small, it contains 8 shadows and I can create whole looks with just the one palette.  The quality is as good as my beloved Born to Run palette.  Love!

107 ONEOSEVEN Oil-In-Gel Cleanser — This is a Korean Skincare brand and I have been enjoying trying their products.  This cleanser is really cool.  It comes out a clear gel that you massage into your face to remove all makeup.  Then when you add water, it emulsifies and rinses off easily.  It completely removes my makeup and leaves my skin soft and clean.  I use this every night.  This would be the first step if you double cleanse.  I don’t really, I just use this, then a toner after cleansing.

Philosophy anti-wrinkle miracle worker primer — Wow!  I am loving this primer.  I smooth it over my entire face and let it dry.  Once it does my wrinkles and pores are way less noticeable.  It works so well under all of my foundations. My review of the new anti-wrinkle collection is here.

Higher Education Skincare Easy A Gentle Resurfacing Pads — I use these once a day to exfoliate my skin, usually at night.  But the pads are nice to use before makeup to smooth the skin.  They are very gentle on my sensitive skin.  Check out my review of this cool brand.

Nanacoco PRO. HD Pressed Blush in Shimmery Dusty Rose and Magnu-Matte Lip Crayon in Roasted Chestnut. This is a new brand to me.  I did a brand review here. The blush is a shimmery rosy shade and I love it.  It gives a pop of color and freshness in the cold, cold winter!  The lip color is a gorgeous mauvey-nude and although it is matte, it is not drying on my lips (I’m not a fan of drying matte lippies).  These are both so nice and are affordable, too!

Urban Decay Brow Blade and Brow Finish — I received the new Urban Decay brow products for review, and are really impressed with these two!  I use the pencil end in the Brow Blade to define my brow shape, then use the brush tip end to create hair strokes.  I seal it with the Brow Finish, and my brows look amazing all day long!

What products did you love in February?  I would love to know!

 

 

Philosophy Miracle Worker Anti-Wrinkle Line Review

Hey all!  I hope you had a great weekend and that it’s not too snowy where you are!

I recently received samples from philosophy’s new Miracle Worker anti-wrinkle line for my honest review.  I love trying anti-aging skincare, and philosophy has gorgeous products!

This collection was created to help counteract signs of stress on skin and fight wrinkles
faster! The claim is that these products will help counteract the signs of stress and in just two weeks, reduce the look of wrinkles.

Here are the products I received:

IMG_3012

anti-wrinkle miracle worker+ line-correcting moisturizer ($64 USD) — Silky texture melts into skin, smoothing fine lines and wrinkles, improving texture instantly and over time. formulated with a powerhouse wrinkle-fighting complex of peptides, hyaluronic acid, indian gentian extract and potent forms of vitamin c plus an innovative complex of saponins and enhanced hyaluronic acid to help counteract stress-induced damage on skin instantly.

This is such a nice product to wear under makeup. It absorbs instantly in my skin, as it is very light. It smooths my skin and I have notices that my skin texture looks better when I use it.

anti-wrinkle miracle worker night+ line-correcting overnight cream ($68 USD) — This overnight cream helps virtually erase the look of fine lines as you sleep, while recharging skin and helping counteract the signs of stress on your skin.  a powerhouse wrinkle-fighting complex of peptides, hyaluronic acid, indian gentian extract and potent forms of vitamin c an innovative complex of saponins and enhanced hyaluronic acid to help counteract stress-induced damage on skin silk tree extract to help support skin’s natural antioxidant defenses at night.

This cream is a bit more hydrating than the day cream, perfect for a night treatment.  It doesn’t feel greasy at all. I smooth it on at night and in the morning my skin is brighter and looks more even in tone.  I don’t have a lot of heavy wrinkles, but the ones I do have look less noticeable.

anti-wrinkle miracle worker eye+ line-correcting eye cream ($60 USD) — Clinically tested eye cream targets lines and wrinkles around the eyes while diminishing the look of dark circles and puffiness, so your eye area can look more ageless. Instantly the eye area feels comforted and deeply hydrated. this makeup-friendly, velvety formula is a powerhouse wrinkle-fighting complex of peptides, sodium hyaluronate, Indian gentian extract and potent forms of vitamin c + a retinol-like complex powered by alfalfa extract and coconut oil.

I use eye cream twice a day, so I love testing out new ones!  This helps with puffiness and eye bags in a few days and with longer use it helps with wrinkles and dark circles.  And I love that it glides right on without tugging the delicate skin around my eyes!

anti-wrinkle miracle worker primer+ line-correcting primer ($38 USD) — The multi-tasking primer helps blur imperfections, visibly fills in wrinkles and smooths skin for a more even makeup application. featuring a powerhouse wrinkle-fighting complex of sodium hyaluronate, indian gentian extract, tripeptide and a potent form of vitamin c.

I’m always looking for a good primer for my aging skin. This is a blurring primer, which I need for my pores and texture issues. It gives my skin a velvety finish.  Plus makeup applies so nicely over it!  I love that this helps fight wrinkles, too!

I’m so glad I’ve tried this line.  I’ve only been using it for a couple of weeks, but will continue testing it out. But so far, I recommend it for wrinkle fighting and anti-aging.

Have you tried philosophy skincare?  What are your favorites?

 

Ipsy Glam Bag Plus Review — February 2019

IMG_2977.JPG

Hi all!  I started back up with Ipsy Glam Bag Plus ($25 USD) in February. I subscribed in October and November.  It is a box that will always include 5 full-sized items.

I was very happy with my October box, but not so happy with November’s, so I cancelled. but thought I would give it a go again!

Here is what I received:’

IMG_2982

IT COSMETICS Your Je Ne Sais Quoi Complexion Perfection Face Palette

TARTE Dream Big Eyeshadow Palette

SON & PARK Beauty Filter Cream Glow

HANALEI Sugar Lip Scrub

FINDING FERDINAND Lip Stick in Nob Hill Red

IMG_2976IMG_2973

This is a complete face palette for those with fair to light skin (like me). I have tried this once since I’ve got it and really like the blush and bronzer.  I have the Bye Bye Pores powder in a compact and really like it.  The highlighter is pretty subtle, but I want to try to make it work.

IMG_3048IMG_3049

This tarte palette is very pretty.  But, I have all of these shades in other palettes, so I’ve decided to give it away or sell it.  It would make a really nice gift.  It’s also very compact, so will be great for travel.  I’m just not a fan of tarte shadows.

IMG_3058.JPG

I was very excited to try this cream.  Son & Park is a Korean Beauty brand, and I have been loving Korean skincare lately!  I have tried this.  It is highly fragranced, like perfume, which I am not a fan of.  But, I do like how it feels on my skin.  It makes my skin smooth and soft.  It’s not really glowy, though. It is really nice under foundation.  I am going to continue to use it.

IMG_3051.JPG

Oops!  I forgot to take a close up of the Hanalei Sugar Lip Scrub.  I do really like this.  It’s gentle and has a sugary-lemon taste.  It leaves my lips very hydrated!

As for the lipstick, I don’t wear red lipsticks, so I will be giving this away.  It’s a little irritating, because in the beauty survey for Ipsy, I put that I only wear nude lips.  This also came in a nude, so I don’t know why I got red!

This was a pretty good box!  I will use the IT palette, the cream and the lip scrub.  That makes the box worth it to me.  I’m looking forward to the March box!

Do you get Ipsy Glam Bag Plus?  What did you get this month?

 

Brand Review — Mamonde

Hi all! I hope you are doing well and are ready for Valentine’s Day tomorrow!  I am!  It should be a fun day with friends and family.

I have an amazing brand review today.  It’s a Korean skincare company called Mamonde. Here’s more about the brand from their website:

The Mamonde journey begins in the idyllic Mamonde Garden near Seoul, South Korea, where we cultivate and study our own flowers. We love flowers! From bud to blossom, our botanists unveil the secrets of flowers to capture their vital energy – at the heart of all our skin loving ingredients. Mamonde leads the way in fair-trade practices with programs designed to nurture, embrace and connect our local communities.

I love this!  I love using natural skincare because I know what’s going on my face is good for me.  Here are the items I received for my honest review:

IMG_2937.JPG

Petal Spa Oil to Foam Cleanser ($21 USD) — a transforming cleansing oil with a subtle rose aroma that transitions to a light, airy foam with water for gentle yet effective cleansing. Damask rose is known for its intensive hydrating and soothing properties and exquisite scent.

Hydrating Beauty Water ($23 USD) — This hydrating toner nourishes, soothes and hydrates skin. Infused with extracts from 100% organic damask rose. Multi-purpose beauty water helps prep, tone, soothe and hydrate skin.

Floral Essential Serum ($38 USD) — Formulated with a unique fermented honeysuckle extract, helps skin look firmer, more refined and revitalized. Honeysuckle’s ability to powerfully absorb nutrients keeps its leaves green, even through the winter. Mamonde’s unique honeysuckle flower extract is fermented one year to create an abundant level of antioxidants. Mamonde’s studies show that this special property helps improve uneven skin tone and dullness.

Floral Moisture Cream ($35 USD) — Formulated with hibiscus extract, this innovative, lightweight cream helps retain essential moisture, for a quenched, glowing complexion. Hibiscus trees bloom new flowers every day, some yielding up to 5,000 blossoms every 100 days. Mamonde studied this power of regeneration and hydration to help develop this moisturizing daily cream.

Floral Hydro Eye Gel Cream ($32 USD) — This is formulated with water-cycle technology, which rapidly and intensely replenishes moisture, locking it in to prevent moisture loss. Micro-molecular hyaluronic acid absorbs up to 1,000 times its weight in moisture, to help create smoother, more supple-looking skin around the eye area. The narcissus bulb stores ample moisture inside throughout winter, allowing its flower to flourish in early summer. Once bloomed, narcissus’ flowers are able to powerfully circulate hydration between multiple flower heads.

What I think:  I am really enjoying these products.  I remove my makeup each night with a balm or oil and I love this oil to foam cleanser.  It’s gentle on my sensitive skin, but removes my makeup completely.  And I love applying the beauty water after cleaning my face.  It hydrates so nicely and leaves my skin soft.  It has a soft rose scent, too.

I think my favorite product is the serum. It absorbs into my skin so quickly and softens. It’s also over three ounces, which for a serum, is a lot.  It will last a long time!

The floral creams are also really lovely.  The moisture cream is so light on my skin, not greasy at all.  Which I need!  I love using this at night over the serum.  The eye cream is so hydrating, too!  Hyaluronic acid is such an amazing ingredient to keep skin moisturized.

When I wake up in the morning after using these products, my skin is soft and glowy, but not greasy.  I do have combination/aging skin and don’t like heavy products.

I’m so glad I was able to try these products.  They are so hydrating and gentle, but they are really transforming my skin! They can be purchased at Ulta or us.mamonde.com.

Have you tried Mamonde?  Do you like using Korean beauty products?  Which brands are your favorites?  I’m always looking for more to try out.

 

 

 

January 2019 Beauty Favorites

Hi All!  I’m glad January is almost over.  It has been a cold, snowy month and I am looking forward to warmer weather.  Of course, we have to get through February, but it’s a short month.  Easy peasy, right?  LOL!

As I was getting ready to create this post, I realized that the last monthly favorites post I did was for October 2018!  I skipped November because I was so busy with work and holiday posts, and I skipped December because I was working on my annual favorites. Excuses, excuses!  I am going to try to do one each month in 2019.

My faves for January are:

img_2903

Laneige Bright Dew Original Essence ($55 USD) — This concentrated essence contains antioxidant rich Vitamin C , to help brighten the skin’s overall complexion. The formula also contains Pro-vitamin B5 and Beta-glucan to hydrate and soothe the skin. It feels so nice on my skin. It sinks into my skin and makes it really soft. And it doesn’t irritate my sensitive skin.  I have been using this without a heavy cream at night (I’m too hot at night for heavy products) and my skin is still soft and glowy in the morning.

Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask ($25 USD) — I’m really enjoying this mask. It’s a very hydrating night treatment. I feel super dry lately, because of the cold air. Sometimes I even wear this in the morning! I use a lot at night and when I wake up, my lips are still a little dry, but they aren’t cracked or flaking. And they do look nice and plump, which I love!

Derma E Firming DMAE Eye Lift ($24.95 USD) — This multi-action eye cream claims too visibly lift, firm and tighten the delicate eye area while smoothing crow’s feet. I really do see a difference in the firmness around my eye.  I apply it all around my eyelids and my top lid is so firm and has stopped drooping (I was started to get hooded eyelids)! And I find that it helps my crows feet.

Oxygenetix Acne Control Foundation ($76 USD) —  This has a natural to soft matte finish, but doesn’t looking drying on my skin.  It actually just looks like skin!  Just flawless, healthy skin!  I have been breaking out lately and I use this during breakouts. I do find it helps clear them up, but it also applies so smoothly over blemishes and helps conceal them so nicely!  This foundation wears all day.

Dermablend Loose Setting Powder ($27 USD) — I won this in a giveaway last fall and have been loving it ever since. It sets my skin with a soft matte finish.  It’s almost too matte for me, but I make sure I hydrate under my foundation and powder and I use highlight and spritz on a nice setting spray. Plus I use just enough to set my face, too much and it can look cakey.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Amrezy Highlighter ($28 USD) — Oh no!  It’s out of stock again.  I purchased this in the beginning of December (I think).  I bought it at Ulta with the Dose of Colors Friendcation palette.  The palette was half off plus I had a 20% off my entire purchase coupon so I threw in this highlighter to get free shipping!  It’s very nice.  It’s a little dark on my skin tone, so it’s more glowy than blinding on me.  But I like that look for every day.  It doesn’t emphasize my texture, which is amazing for ladies of a certain age!

Ulta Full Coverage Liquid Concealer ($9 USD) — This lightweight, creamy and super blend-able formula offers full coverage, flawless matte finish. The ULTA Full Coverage Liquid concealer contains special ingredients known to promote healing, concealing imperfections, and evening skin tone. Our formula wears beautifully, doesn’t cake or crease and offers long lasting wear.

Tarte Maneater Voluptuous Mascara ($23 USD) — Dress your lashes like you style your hair with this lengthening, curling and volumizing mascara. With a soft-flex brush and lightweight triple-black formula, it lifts lashes at the root, styles and fans them out to create amped-up fluttery fullness with no flaking or clumping. The custom molded brush features hundreds of flexible bristles to curl and coat lashes with even, intense pigment for 23x more volume powered by lash-strengthening jojoba and carnauba wax.

It’s funny that I don’t have an eyeshadow palette in here.  I have started Shop My Stash in January and I have two palettes I was using.  You can read about that here and the conclusion here.  I’m about to post my February Shop My Stash, and that will have three palettes! Stay tuned!

What were your favorites in January?

 

Shop My Stash January 2019 Results and Monthly Empties

IMG_2781

Hi All!  Can you believe January is almost over?  I’m ready for spring, so I’m okay with it!

I started a monthly Shop My Stash this year. Here is the link to the post from the beginning of the month.  I go over each product with photos.  I also link if I have reviewed them in the past.

I really enjoyed this and tried to use all of these products at least a few times to see how much I like them.  It’s fun to focus on products since I have so many (especially Eye shadows).

The products this month were Urban Decay Born to Run Palette, Tartiest Pro Glow Palette. Colourpop You Had Me At Hello Palette, Pretty Vulgar Blush in Hush Blush and two BUXOM Cosmetics PillowPout Creamy Plumping Lip Powder in Cuddle Me (Rose) and Cozy Up (Mauve Nude).

I probably used the Born to Run palette the most, confirming why it was my favorite palette last year (see my 2018 faves here). My challenge was to use other shades than the bronzes.  And I did!  I tried the blues, gray and purple shades.  I’m not a fan of bright pink eyeshadow, but I think I used almost all of the shades.  The quality is gorgeous!

I also loved the You Had Me At Hello Palette. It’s a plummy, reddish brown sort of palette with a bunch of beautiful metallic shades. I did a few varied looks with this.

The tarte contour palette and the Pretty Vulgar blush weren’t my favorites. I decided to choose them because I got them both in subscription boxes this year and I never really used them.  The contour palette is a bit dark for me, both the contour and the highlighters.  My skin is so fair right now that they really don’t show up. The blush is very powdery and so pigmented.  It’s too bright for me.  I think I am going to hold on to them and try them again in the summer.  Or I might just give them away to my daughter!

Th Buxom PillowPouts are really nice.  They are creamy, but are matte when applied.  I like to wear lip glosses over them. I’ll continue using them!

I also am going to include any empties in this post each month:

IMG_2899.JPG

This month I only had three — The Robin McGraw Revelation Live Life Lifted Neck Cream, Briogeo Don’t Despair Repair Leave in Mask, and Philosophy Purity Made Simple Eye Gel. I’ve been using the skincare since early fall and I got the Briogeo in a subscription box a few months ago.  I use neck cream morning and night (and eye cream, too).  This neck cream really firmed up my neck area, and the eye cream was super hydrating.  I definitely recommend them both.  I like the hair mask, but I just got the Briogeo Rosarco one and I like that one a bit better.  If you over use this one, hair gets greasy.

So I have chosen my Shop My Stash products for February and will be revealing those soon.  I’m enjoying this series so far!  Stay tuned!