October 2018 Beauty Favorites

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Hi all!  It’s November!  This year has gone by so fast!  Soon it will be Christmas.

I have a few items I’ve been using almost every day in October. Here are the items and links to my first review or post about it:

IT Cosmetics Secret Sauce ($68 USD) — My skin has gotten so dry lately. This moisturizer is thick and hydrating, perfect for colder weather! The skin-loving, powerfully potent secret lies in the Secret Sauce™ Fermented Complex: 7 clinically advanced, penetration-enhancing fermented ingredients that help to increase absorbency and maximize the ultra-hydrating, anti-aging benefits of Secret Sauce™. Also featuring anti-aging peptides, hydrolyzed collagen, hyaluronic acid, vitamin C and licorice root, Secret Sauce™ is perfect for all skin types and reduces the look of discoloration, lines and wrinkles. I used this at night and in the morning my skin is soft and glowy!

BECCA Under Eye Brightening Corrector is a full-coverage creme that color-corrects the appearance of under-eye darkness. It is infused with ultra-fine, light-reflecting illuminators. I like this a lot. It’s just the right shade to go under my eye, it’s a little bit lighter than my skin tone. It helps cover my dark circles and give us a bit of a glow. This was a favorite earlier in the year, but I’ve been using it again and love to apply it every day under my concealer.

Wunder2 Wunderkiss Gloss Lip Liner ($11.95 USD) — This liner is created to be used with  lip gloss! The liner is very smooth and easy to use. The claim is that it can be used to  create a beautiful, long-lasting lip contour that keeps your lip gloss in place. I find that it does just that.  My gloss looks fresh for longer. Available in 3 shades — Nude, Rose and Berry.  I love the Nude.  I have been trying to use up three Lorac glosses in my current Project Pan, and this lip liner helps them stay on longer and my lips look more polished.

Urban Decay Elements Eyeshadow Palette ($52 USD) — Inspired by the elements – Air, Earth, Fire and Water – a constellation of unique colors orbit around Luna, an ultra-iridescent transformer shade. The 19 new multidimensional pigments include bright mattes, holographic shimmers and molten metallics. This is gorgeous and I’ve been testing out these shadows. It’s perfect for fall and holiday looks.

Morphe High Impact Highlighter in Extra ($14 USD) — At first I wasn’t the biggest fan of this, but I really like it now. The color is gorgeous, it’s a lustrous peachy gold. Just a little goes a long way with this.  It’s very intense!

Physicians Formula The Healthy Foundation SPF 20 (LC1) — This is full coverage, but it looks natural on. I don’t have the correct shade, I purchased it online and I guessed on the shade.  They all looked pretty dark on the Ulta website so I bought the lightest shade.  It’s just a bit light for me.  I will purchase this again in a darker shade.

Have you tried any of these products?  What are your faves from the month?

 

 

 

I Won a Giveaway!

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Hi all!  Sorry for the dark photo above, but I wanted to share the amazing giveaway I won from YouTuber Allie Glines.  She has a really fun e-magazine called the Afterparty.  It’s $3.99 a month and you can check it out here.

Allie has a giveaway each month and all subscribers are entered.  And I won for September.  I just receive  my prize and thought I would share.

I received:

Influencer by Brittany Hennessy                                                                                           Capture Your Style by Aimee Song                                                                               Dermablend Original Loose Powder                                                                                     Thrive Causemetics Lashed in Kristy                                                                                         Olay Whip Active Moisturizer                                                                                                       Too Faced Melted Matte Liquid Lipstick in Drop Dead Red                                         Lancome L’absolu Lacquer Lipstick in Smile and Shine                                                 Morphe X Jaclyn Hill The Vault Collection

I’m excited about all of these prizes, but especally the books and the Vault.  I have been wanting to read more books on social media and I have been thinking about picking up one of the palettes to test the formula, but couldn’t decide which one. Here’s a photo of all four palettes:

 

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The palettes are (clockwise) Armed and Gorgeous, Dark Magic, Ring the Alarm and Bling Boss.  I have tried all of them once except for Dark Magic.  I like them okay, but they take some blending to get a nice look.  I am going to keep playing with them and then do a review.

Have you tried any of these palettes?  What do you think?

I am so excited about my prizes and want to thank Allie Glines for the fun giveaway!

 

 

Eylure x Thalia Collection Faux Lashes

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Eylure’s latest collab is with The Queen of Latin Pop, Thalia! The NEW
Eylure x Thalia collection features lash and brow products that mirror
Thalia’s personality: fun, vibrant, gorgeous and sexy. Featuring faux
mink and airy lashes, brow pencils and brow palettes, these
innovations will add a gorgeous pop to any eye look. This is an ULTA
exclusive.
I don’t usually wear fake eyelashes, but I decide to play with one of these.
Here are the styles:
Power Play – $7.99
Girl Boss – $7.99
Lady T – $9.99 (Faux Mink)
City Cool $9.99 (Faux Mink)
I tried City Cool because it’s 3/4 length and I thought it would be easier to apply (and I wouldn’t have to trim them). These were fairly easy to apply.  If I was going to wear lashes out, I would have to practice more, though!
This were wispy and flirty on, but since the band doesn’t go all the way across, it’s important to line with black liner. The band on these are fairly thin and they feel pretty comfortable on.
All in all, I recommend these lashes.  They are affordable and come in some great styles (Eylure has lots of other sizes, too).
Do you wear false lashes?  What brands do you like to wear?

Urban Decay Elements Eyeshadow Palette Review

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Hi all! Happy Saturday!  I’m so glad it’s the weekend.  And the weather is beautiful in Kansas City today.

I had to return a foundation that didn’t work for me at Ulta, so I exchanged it for this beautiful palette (and a 20% off coupon).  This palette is $52, but with coupons or sales coming up, you could get it for less!

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Here’s the inside of the palette.  There are 19 shades. Here’s some info from the Ulta website:

Inspired by the elements – Air, Earth, Fire and Water – a constellation of unique colors orbit around Luna, an ultra-iridescent transformer shade. The 19 new multidimensional pigments include bright mattes, holographic shimmers and molten metallics.

Shades include:

  • Silver Burn (smoky purple w/ pink iridescent sparkle)
  • Electric Air (pinkish silver w/ iridescent micro-glitter)
  • Tectonic (chocolate brown w/ iridescent micro-sparkle)
  • Volcanic (bronze metallic)
  • Earth Bound (forest green satin w/ tonal micro-shimmer)
  • Hex Remedy (bright purple w/ iridescent sparkle)
  • Fool’s Gold (metallic gold w/ tonal sparkle)
  • Antidote (soft warm nude)
  • Dream Weaver (bright pink matte)
  • Ego (soft pinkish-purple w/ blue micro-shimmer)
  • Fortune Teller (metallic pink-red w/ green 3-D sparkle and shift)
  • Moon Rock (metallic copper w/ iridescent sparkle)
  • Secret Keeper (bright green satin w/ gold shift)
  • Luna (white shimmer w/ iridescent micro-sparkle)
  • Lioness (smoky burgundy satin w/ bronze sparkle)
  • Elemental (sienna matte)
  • Heavy Water (bright metallic teal)
  • Sapphire Dream (bright navy blue metallic)
  • Fire Starter (deep red w/ gold micro-shimmer)

Here as swatches:

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Sapphire Dream, Electric Air, Antidote, Secret Keeper, Earthbound, Elemental.  Elemental and Antidote are two of the three mattes in the palette and I use them with a lot of different looks.

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Volcanic, Lioness, Fire Starter, Dream Weaver, Ego and Heavy Water.  I’ve been doing a lot of bronzey looks and Volcanic is gorgeous on the lid.  Ego’s also another one of my favorites.  Heavy Water is beautiful but I haven’t tried it yet.  Maybe I’ll use it for holiday looks.

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Fortune-Teller, Silver Burn, Fool’s Gold, Moon Rock, Tectonic, Hex Remedy and Luna. These are the inner circle shades and they really call to me!  So beautiful.  I love purples and bronzes, and that gold looks amazing on the lid!

What I liked: The packaging is gorgeous!  The out box and the compact itself is well made.  The palette has a large mirror and is easy to open. I love the shades.  I picked it up for the purples, but the other shades are beautiful, too. The mattes are easy to blend and the metallics are creamy and really pigmented.

Not so much:  I haven’t tried all of the glitters, but I put Silver Bullet on my lid in the morning, and by evening all of the glitter was gone.  It just looked like I had a smokey eye at the end of the day. I did use a glitter glue.  The same with Tectonic.  I’m going to keep trying these out.

I do recommend this.  Especially if you can get in on sale. I do like the Urban Decay Born to Run palette more, but I will use this for glam holiday looks.

Have you tried the Urban Decay Elements palette?  What do you think?

Ulta Fall Haul!

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HI all!  After Ulta’s 21 Days of beauty, which has a lot of higher end makeup deals, they had their more affordable products on sale in their Fall Haul.  I picked up few and got some great deals!

I got:

BH Cosmetics Desert Oasis – 19 Color Shadow & Highlighter Palette

Maybelline SuperStay Matte Ink Lip Color in Driver

MEMEBOX I Dew Care Mini Meow Trio

Ardell Duo Brush-On Dark Adhesive with Vitamins

Physicians Formula The Healthy Foundation SPF 20 (LC1)

Clinique Dramatically Different Hydrating Jelly — I got a free deluxe size w/any foundation purchase

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BH Cosmetics Desert Oasis – 19 Color Shadow & Highlighter Palette — Ulta had their BH Cosmetics palettes on sale for 40% off and I had my eye on this one.  It was released in the summer, but I think it works as well in the Fall.  It has mostly neutral shades with some pops of blue.  BH’s shadows are such great quality.  This blends so well and the shimmers and metallics are so buttery!  I will be reviewing this.

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MaybellineSuperStay Matte Ink Lip Color in Driver.  I’ve been wanting to try this.  The shade is pretty, but this is pretty drying on my lips.  I usually don’t wear matte liquid lips, but I wanted to try this formula.  I can wear it, but I need a gloss on top.

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MEMEBOX I Dew Care Mini Meow Trio — This is such a cute little peeling mask trio!  The masks are all shimmery and are so fun to use.  I have tried the purple one because it is meant to be hydrating!  It did leave my face moisturized, but also made my pores look smaller!  I still have to try the other two, but so far so good!

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Ardell Duo Brush-On Dark Adhesive with Vitamins — I haven’t tried this yet, but I picked it up because I have a few sets of lashes, but no glue.  I don’t wear lashes, but it I do decide to try them, I have glue!  I do have a lash review coming up, so I need to try them out!

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Physicians Formula The Healthy Foundation SPF 20 (LC1) — I got this foundation on sale and got a free Clinique Hydrating Jelly.

I think I’ll review the foundation, too.  So far, I really like it.  Since I did purchase online, I guessed on the shade.  They all looked pretty dark on the Ulta website so I bought the lightest shade.  It’s just a bit light for me.  So if I buy it again, I would have to go just a bit darker.

So that’s my fun Fall Haul!  I got everything on sale and paid about $40 for all of this and tax. That’s a pretty good deal!  Did you pick up anything from the Fall Haul?

 

 

Maybelline Super Stay Multi-Use Foundation Stick Review

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Hi All! I hope you are having an amazing weekend!  I’m back with a foundation review.  I don’t review a lot of foundations, because I only have one face!

I was so excited to get the  Maybelline Super Stay Multi-Use Foundation Stick for my honest review.  I’ve been wanting to try this!  Here’s a close look at the shades I received:

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These are 110 Porcelain, 120 Classic Ivory, 130 Buff Beige, 220 Natural Beige, 312 Golden, 330 Toffee, and 360 Mocha. You can probably tell that I have been using 120.  It’s a really good match for me.

Here’s  close up of the stick and sponge:IMG_2249

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And here are a few swatches:

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The Maybelline New York Super Stay Multi-Use Foundation Stick ($11.99 USD) allows you to perfect the ‘no-makeup’ makeup look by offering a lightweight formula to create a flawlessly natural complexion.

This foundation is easy to use, I just swipe the stick on my face and blend in with a brush or sponge.  It gives a natural look, I’d say it’s a medium coverage. I did try to blend with the sponge end, but it’s really rough and I didn’t care much for it, even when I wet it. It will work okay in a pinch, though.

I also want to say that darker and lighter shades can be used for concealer, highlighter and contour.  They are so creamy and blend out really well!

I have to say that the only con in this foundation, besides the sponge, is that there is not a lot of product. It’s only .25 oz or 7 g.  I do know that stick foundations can’t carry a lot of product in them, but if they removed the sponge there would be more room. I have used it exclusively for a couple of weeks, and there is only about half of the stick left.  I am saving it for a trip I’m going on soon because I know it will travel so well!

I can say I will probably purchase this again, but  I do hope they change up the packaging and add more product!

The Maybelline New York Super Stay Multi-Use Foundation Stick is available now at mass market retailers in 16 shades.

Have you tried this foundation?  What’s your favorite stick foundation?

 

Think Pink! Brands Giving Back for BCA Month!

Hi all!  It’s Friday!  I hope you’re having a great week!

I thought I would cover some cool beauty brands that are giving back for BCA month this year.  If you purchase these beautiful products, the brands donate part of their proceeds from to this important cause.

C'est Moi Beauty Luminary Lip Crayons
C’est Moi Beauty Luminary Lip Crayons

C’est Moi Beauty Luminary Lip Crayons ($9.99 USD) — The EWG-verified beauty brand C’est Moi is donating 20% of the October proceeds from all their lip products to the American Cancer Society.

C’est Moi’s easy-to-use lip crayons deliver velvety application and perfectly pigmented color, plus a nourishing formula with a creamy, consistent texture designed to make your lips appear soft and smooth. Apply sparingly for a subtle look, or generously to make a statement—either way, your lips will feel as beautiful as they look! Available at www.CestMoi.com.

BELLA SCHNEIDER BEAUTY Detoxifying & Rejuvenating Self-Heating Mask
BELLA SCHNEIDER BEAUTY Detoxifying & Rejuvenating Self-Heating Mask

BELLA SCHNEIDER BEAUTY Detoxifying & Rejuvenating Self-Heating Mask with Cranberry, Grapeseed Oil & Linoleic Acid ($58 USD). Bella Schneider Beauty is donating 20% of the October proceeds from their Detoxifying & Rejuvenating Self-Heating Mask with Cranberry, Grapeseed Oil & Linoleic Acid to the American Cancer Society.

Regenerate your skin with this unique self-heating active face mask. Heating dilates pores, purifies and makes key ingredients penetrate instantly. The result? Totally cleansed and bouncy, healthy skin. Anti-oxidant rich cranberry, hydrating yet light grapeseed oil and linoleic acid replenish your skin nutrient reserves and reduces fine lines and dryness; Purchase at www.LaBelleDaySpas.com.

The Better Skin Co._s Limited Edition Pink Gold Amaze Balm
The Better Skin Co.’s Limited Edition Pink Gold Amaze Balm

The Better Skin Co.’s Limited Edition Pink Gold Amaze Balm ($36 USD) — The Better Skin Co. is donating 100% of the October proceeds from their Limited Edition Pink Gold Amaze Balm to the Young Survival Coalition.

Nourish your skin with Ultra Rich Amaze Balm and it will love you. Oil of Coconut, Avocado, Sunflower, Evening Primrose and Sea Buckthorn create a silky-smooth slip. Shea Butter, Lanolin and Beeswax assist in creating the creamy goodness that will excite and satisfy your skin. Scented with a hint of grapefruit, Amaze Balm is all kinds of AMAZING! Once you try it, you’ll become obsessed with keeping this thickly textured moisturizer in your arsenal of beauty must-haves this fall.Use it as needed, when needed; Available at www.TheBetterSkinCo.com.

Baby Foot Pink Ribbon Box
Baby Foot Pink Ribbon Box

Baby Foot Pink Ribbon Box ($25 USD) — The original foot peel, Baby Foot, is donating 20% of the October proceeds from their PINK RIBBON BOX to the American Cancer Society.

Say goodbye to rough, dry, cracked soles with Baby Foot, which removes unwanted dead skin from your feet. Slip the booties on for one hour while your skin absorbs its unique formula designed to exfoliate. You’ll start to see your feet peeling within 3 to 7 days after your treatment, leaving feet super smooth. Purchase at www.BabyFoot.com.

Do you have any good recommendations for BCA month? Have you purchased anything fun that helps the cause?

Rimmel London Magnif’Eyes Products For Rich Fall Looks

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Hi all! I hope your October is going well! I recently received some fun Rimmel London eye products to test and review.  They are the Magnif’Eyes Palette Crimson Edition and the Magnif’Eyes Double Ended Shadow + Liner.  These are both great for creating fun fall looks!

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This gorgeous palette retails for under $8! It is really pigmented and the colors are very on trend! Rimmel has actually extended their popular 12 pan Magnif’Eyes Palette Collection with 4 NEW styles. They are Crimson, Electric Violet, Jewel Rocks and Wow. The full range of Magnif’Eyes Palettes has 9 different styles to craft endless looks.

 

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Here are my swatches.  They  swatch nicely and perform well on the eyes. You can make a complete pink, red or brown look with this, or mix and match the shades. I do have a lot of palettes in this shade range, but I like that this is affordable.

I also find the mattes really blendable, which is nice.  The shimmers need to be wettened by setting spray to really show up on the eyes.  You can also use your fingers.

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These are the Rimmel London Magnif’Eyes Double Ended Shadow + Liner.  This retails for around $6.50. You can create an easy look by using the line end to line your waterline and shape your eye.  Second, shade in the shadow all over lid and smudge out using your finger. The long lasting formula claims to be waterproof, crease proof and transfer proof.

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The shades I have left to right is Pink and Purple Rain, Kissed by a Rose Gold and Dark Side of Blue.

I am in LOVE with the first two shades!  The shadows dry down really fast and do not budge!  The liners take a little more time to dry, but they dry down completely, too. I don’t wear a ton of eyeliner, so a lot of times I like to use the shadow to add shimmer to an eye look.  I dab it on my eye and lightly tap it in.  You can make a fast faux halo or cut crease with these, because they are so opaque.

I do recommend both of these Rimmel London products.  They are affordable and are of great quality!

Availability: Mass retailers and drugstores

Have you tried either of these products?

Ipsy Glam Bag Plus Review — October 2018

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Hi all!  I’m so excited that I received my first Ipsy Glam Bag Plus ($25 USD) –October is the first month for the Glam Bag Plus.  It is a box that will always include 5 full-sized items. The first month has six items but I believe each month after that will have 5.

I had looked in my Ipsy account and saw what I was getting.  At first I wasn’t that excited, but the more I looked, the more I got excited for it!  For $25 a month, this is such a good bag!

Here is what I received:

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Each quarter, Ipsy Glam Bag plus subscribers will get a premium makeup bag in addition to their 5 items. (That means you’ll receive a box of 5 beauty items every month, but a glam bag only once every 3 boxes.) This one is a soft pink color and has burgundy accents.  It’s really nice quality.

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I don’t wear liquid liner or do wings.  If I wear a liner I like to smudge a brown or plum liner on my lash line.  I don’t wear black because it’s too harsh on me.  So I’ll probably be giving this to my daughter.

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I enjoy tarte mascaras, but I haven’t tried this one yet.  It claims to define lashes without clumps.  And you can build up to lengthen and volumize. I’m looking forward to trying it!

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This is one of the products I was really excited about!  This is an exfoliating mask that is supposed to be gentle.  I do have sensitive skin and hope it works well for me.

I have never tried Morphe makeup before, and have just one brush from the brand. So I was very excited to try this.  I’ve tried it a couple of times and am trying to figure out if I like it. It’s very metallic and shows texture.  I do like the color, though.

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This was another item I was looking forward to trying.  I haven’t tried anything from this brand either.  This is so hydrating and the shade is beautiful! This is a total win!

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This is an item I wasn’t really excited for and i was thinking of giving it away — and then I saw Andrea Matillano swatch this on You Tube.  And I changed my mind!  It is gorgeous.  I am hoping to review it and I will swatch it if I do.

So, maybe I wasn’t as excited when I first saw what I was getting, but I really liked this box! I will keep the eye shadow, mascara, mask, and lip butter.  I might keep the highlighter, or give it away and I will giveaway the eyeliner.  And I will keep the pretty bag!

Did you get Ipsy Glam Bag Plus this month?  What did you think and what did you get?

BoxyCharm Subscription Box Review — October 2018

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Hi all! I received my October BoxyCharm this week.  I always watch for spoilers so I have an idea what I’ll be getting.  And I was pretty excited for it. I am still waiting to be taken off of the waiting list for their larger box called BoxyLuxe.  Hopefully I’ll be off for the December BoxyLuxe (it’s every three months).

Regular Boxycharm is just $21 a month for 5-6 beauty items, most of them full-sized.  It is a nice  way to try new makeup and beauty tools.

This month I received:

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I’m really happy with this box! I got items I wanted to try.

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I love the Superhero mascara!  I have used it many times before and love how long and full my lashes are when I use it.

I don’t think I’ve tried anything by Kat Von D before.  It’s not really a brand that appeals to me. But I was looking forward to trying this.  Here’s a swatch:

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The shade I received is Bow N Arrow.  On the Sephora website it’s described as a fawn nude.  That’s accurate I think.  The color is a bit dark on me, but I kind of like it for fall.  I’m trying to decide if I will keep it or give it to my daughter.  I don’t wear matte liquid lipsticks often, but I do like them under lip glosses.  So i will keep trying it and see.

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I was so excited about this Brigeo leave-in mask!  I just used up my leave in conditioner, and now I don’t have to run out and grab something!  I’ve used it and it makes my hair so soft!

I have not tried the mask yet.  There is a tube of the peel of gel and two lace masks in it.  My skin has been really sensitive lately, so I’m going to wait to try this. It looks really cool, though!

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Look how pretty this palette is! I think this is really fun for October and Halloween. The face shades are so pretty and the shades are very dramatic!  I’m trying to decide if I want to keep this or give it to a friend for the holidays…hmm.  I just have so many palettes right now!

So the verdict on this box is it’s very good!  Much better than the last few.  I will keep the mascara, briogeo spray, lace mask and maybe the liquid lipstick and palette.  Pretty good!

I’ll be reviewing my Ipsy Glam Bag Plus soon — and it’s pretty great, too!  October is a great month for my beauty boxes!

Did you get BoxyCharm this month?  What did you get in your box?