cosmetics – Page 23 – Forty, Flirty & Fabulous

Anastasia Beverly Hills Soft Glam Eye Shadow Palette Review

I know I’m a little late to the game on this, but I basically always am. I didn’t get Modern Renaissance until last December!

I purchased Anastasia Beverly Hills Soft Glam a few weeks ago. I have been on the fence about this, because I like variety of the shades in my eye shadow palettes. I like to be able to create many different looks with one palette. I thought this might be a little boring.

When I saw this in person, I thought it was gorgeous! The shades are so pretty and, very soft glam!

Swatch time, first row:

From left to right, the shades are Tempera, Glistening, Orange Soda, Rose Pink, Sultry Bronze and Mulberry.

This row is Dusty Rose, Fairy, Burnt Orange, Sienna, Rustic, Cyprus Umber, and Noir.

The shades swatch so well because they are creamy and so pigmented. It is a lot like the Modern Renaissance formula. There is a bit of kick up in the pan, but not a lot of fall out on the eye. They are long lasting, too.

The only thing is that I seem to be creating the same look, even when I wear different shades. I use a matte transition, a matte in the crease and on the outer edge of the eye, then a shimmer in the middle and inner part of eye. It’s pretty, but getting a bit boring.

I will keep this palette for neutral, everyday looks and I am happy to have it. I do like Modern Renaissance better.

Do you have Soft Glam or any ABH palettes? What do you think and which is your favorite?

I still need to review the ABH Prism, my Too Faced Life’s A Festival palette (that one will be next) and more. I also just purchased two BH Cosmetics palettes and got one free. Those should be arriving this week. So much to review! Plus, I did a drugstore haul, have some PR products to review and just got my FabFitFun box. I’m a busy lady!

I hope the rest of your weekend is amazing! Tomorrow is a check in on my current project pan. See you then!

My 50th Birthday Beauty Wish List!

You saw is correctly, I am turning 50 this month! It feels unreal, but I have decided to (somewhat) embrace it! I’ve never done a wish list or a products I’m interested in buying post, but I thought this might be fun!

First, from my Sephora loves list:

Tatcha The Silk Canvas Protective Primer ($58 USD) — This is a “velvety priming balm of pressed silk that smooths and makes makeup last longer while keeping it out of skin, helping to prevent clogged pores and breakouts.” It is currently out of stock at Sephora. It is very expensive for a primer. But, I have huge pores, especially during allergy season, and I’ve heard this is excellent!

Other Tatcha products I would love to try is the Bestsellers Set or just the Luminous Dewy Skin Mist on it’s own.

Benefit Cosmetics Blush Bar Cheek Palette ($58) — This cheek palette includes Benefit’s new Gold Rush warm golden-nectar blush, as well as the iconic Hoola matte bronzer, the bestselling Dandelion brightening baby-pink blush, and more. With shades to flatter all skin tones, this must-have palette has everything you need to contour, bronze, brighten, and define your features. It comes complete with a soft powder brush, mirror, and Benefit’s signature Tips & Tricks.

I think this is beautiful and I think these shades will be perfect for summer. Macy’s is currently having a 10 days of Glam sale I blogged about here. On June 8th Benefit’s boxes of powders — including ones in the palette — will be half off. So I might pick up a couple there.

Fenty Beauty Bomb Baby Mini Lip and Face Set ($23 USD) — I have still not tried anything from Fenty! It’s crazy, because I really like Rihanna and think the line looks amazing. This is “a must-have set of FENTY BEAUTY’S most coveted luminizers for the face and lips in travel-friendly sizes for killer radiance on the fly.” This sounds amazing for summer! I love highlighter and lip gloss. I think I might pick this up when I go into Sephora to get my birthday gift.

In the future, I would love to try Fenty’s foundation and maybe some of their other products. Any suggestions???

Next are some picks from Ulta that I need:

Sky’s The Limit

Lock & Key

Dose Of Colors Block Party Single Eyeshadow ($20 each) — The shades above are:

Sky’s the Limit (soft brown base w/ icy lilac reflects)

Shell We Dance (pink champagne base w/ platinum reflects)

Lock & Key (medium brown base w/ gold reflects)

I know that $20 for a single shadow is steep, especially in the age of affordable palettes with lots of shades to choose from. But I have seen makeup tutorials on YouTube with these and they are so gorgeous! I would love to try one or two.

Physicians Formula Online Only Butter Collection Box ($29.99 USD) — Escape to the beaches of Brazil with Physicians Formula’s Butter Collection – an assortment of Physicians Formula’s most sought-after, skin-loving products.

Limited Edition Butter Collection Box includes:

Butter Bronzer (bronzer) (0.38 oz)
Butter Blush (natural glow) (0.26 oz)
Butter Highlighter (pearl) (0.17 oz)
Limited Edition Body Butter (0.5 oz)
Butter Paradise Eau De Toilette (0.5 oz)

There’s another set sold at Walmart for less than half the price of this, but you

Morphe Laura Lee’s Favorite Brush Collection ($54 USD) — This is available at the Morphe website, not Ulta. I have been eyeing this for a few weeks. The selection has brushes that I would use daily. It inclused 11 brushes chosen by YouTuber Laura Lee.

Now, of course this isn’t all of the makeup that I want, these are just splurges that I would need to save up for. I’m also interested in some fun brand new eye shadow palettes like Laura Lee’s Nudie Patootie, Dominique Cosmetics The Latte palette and one that is launching tomorrow, Lunar Beauty’s Life’s a Drag.

So that’s my big 5 0 birthday wish list! What makeup are you wanting this year?

Macy’s 10 Days of Glam!

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Macy’s is having a huge beauty sale event called 10 Days of Glam, which starts in stores and online today, May 31st through June 9th! The event includes a selection of products that are on sale for the entire ten days, as well as select 50% off Beauty Offers which will change daily.

Click here to see the deals for each day. Here are some products that look amazing to me:

Smashbox Spotlight Highlighting Palette

The Smashbox Spotlight Highlighting Palette ($35.00, Sale $17.50) — This is still on sale for a few more hours online, so grab it if you want it! It comes in two shades, Pearl (shown) and Gold. They include 3 complementary highlighting shades that range from subtle glow to mega sparkle.

Tomorrow Clinique Liquid Facial Soap, 6.7 oz is on sale from $17.50 to $8.75 and the Benefit they’re real! lengthening mascara is one sale from $24 to $12.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Subculture Eye Shadow Palette

On Saturday June 2nd the Anastasia Beverly Hills Subculture Eye Shadow Palette is on sale from $42 to $21! I might pick that one up. It’s the only recent ABH eye shadow palette that I don’t have. I’ve heard the controversy, but I really like the colors and would love to check it out!

Probably the other two I’m super interested in is 8 different shades of Benefit’s Box of Powders are on sale from $29 to $14.50 and

MAC In The Flesh x 15 Eye Shadow Palette

MAC In The Flesh x 15 Eye Shadow Palette is on sale from $65.00 to $32.50! I haven’t tried MAC eye shadows since the ’90’s, but I bet the formula is still amazing! The colors are very nude, but pretty!

Are you going to check out this sale? Visit the Macy’s sale page and let me know what’s caught your eyes!

May 2018 Beauty Favorites

May has flown by! It was a busy month, and I am looking forward to lazy summer months! June is my birthday month, and it’s a big one (drumroll please) … the big 5 0!

That is crazy to think about, but I’m looking forward to a new decade to explore! My birthday is June 10th, and this weekend I think I’m going to do a birthday beauty wish list. No one buys me makeup, but it won’t hurt to put it out there! Maybe I’ll buy mystelf something nice.

On to my May faves! This month, I have loved the following gorgeous makeup:

Flower Beauty Light Illusion Liquid Foundation ($13.99 USD) — This foundation is medium coverage, which is what I like! I mix two shades Ivory L2 and Nude L3 for my perfect shade. It feels very weightless on and gives me a natural finish. I wouldn’t say its dewy or matte, just looks like my skin, but way better!

Cover Girl Lash Blast Volume Mascara ($8.99 USD) — I received this in a gift with purchase at Ulta. I haven’t used it in years, and realized how great it still is! I usually go for lengthening mascara, but this one gives me length as well as the promised volume. And it doesn’t flake or smear!

Anastasia Beverly Hills Soft Glam Eyeshadow Palette ($42 USD) — A day to night palette with fourteen shades, including essential mattes and glam shimmers. I just bought this a couple of weeks ago, and it is really growing on me. I seem to be doing the same look over and over with it, which isn’t like me at all! But, I’m hoping to try more looks and hopefully I will find it more versatile than I think it is! I will be reviewing this very soon (plus the Too Faced Life’s A Festival Eye Shadow Palette I keep saying I’m going to review!).

ColourPop Ultra Blotted Lip in Love Bite (pinky nude) and Ultra Glossy Lip in Just Surfed

(warm beige gloss drenched in silver and pink glitter) $6 each. These are from the ColourPop and Eva Gutowski collaboration. I can’t wear matte lipstick alone because my lips get to dry, but with a gloss over it, I love them! This looks gorgeous together and lasts for hours! I need to pick up more Ultra Blotted and Glossy Lips stat!

Physician’s Formula Butter Bronzer ($14.99 USD) — I bought this a couple of months ago after giving into the hype, and I’m so glad I did! At first, the scent was a little strong for me, but I am used to it now. The color is gorgeous and applies so smoothly on. It’s the only bronzer I am currently using.

What are you loving this month? Anything new and fun, or something that you have rediscovered?

Sol de Janeiro Glow Oils and Brazilian Kiss Lip Butter Review

Since it’s been in the 90’s in Kansas City for the past couple of weeks, I have been getting ready for summer beauty-wise. I have been thinking up summer makeup looks and other beauty products that I love during the hotter months. I haven’t started self-tanning yet, so when I received these goodies from Sol de Janeiro, I thought “these will help me glow without the mess of sunless tanning!”

I received (for my honest review) the new Glow Oils in Copacabana Bronze and Ipanema Sunset and my favorite lip balm, the Brazilian Kiss lip butter.

Sol de Janeiro has just released two Glow Oils ($35 USD). Copacabana Bronze has a subtle bronze tint with golden shimmer to warm and illuminate the skin. It is infused with the signature Cheirosa ‘62 Bum Bum Cream fragrance, leaving skin deliciously scented with notes of pistachio and salted caramel.

I like this oil a lot! The bronze color gives my skin a sun-kissed glow. It’s so pretty and shimmery, not glittery. It also deepens my skin tone a bit so I don’t look as pale. It is a little sticky and doesn’t sink into my skin unless I use a small amount and rub it in really well. Also, the bottle doesn’t have a pump and I have to pour it in my hand.

Ipanema Sunset has a translucent champagne shimmer to create a romantic sunset radiance. It is infused with the new tropical dream Cheirosa ‘77 fragrance, with romantic notes of pomelo, wild fig, and Brazilian gardenia.

This give my skin a light shimmer and a super pretty glow. It also looks so hydrated. This oil sinks into my skin better than the bronze oil and doesn’t leave it sticky.

Both oils have different scents. The bronze oil has the same fragrance as Sol’s Bum Bum cream. It’s sweet and spicy, but a little too strong for me. I like the Sunset oil’s scent a little better. If you don’t like strong fragranced oils, these probably aren’t for you.

Brazilian Kiss Cupuaçu Lip Butter ($18 USD) nourishes lips for a soft, supple feel. Powered by a blend of extraordinarily nourishing cupuaçu butter, antioxidant powerhouse açaí, and super-conditioning coconut oil, it leaves lips traced with a Brazilian caramel scent.

I tried this for the first time last year. It’s so amazing! It has a caramel and nutty scent which is so warm and yummy. And it’s creamy and hydrating.

Get Summer Ready With Beauty Essentials

As I write this getting ready for summer post I’m having a little laugh, because it’s already in the 90’s in Kansas City. And it doesn’t look like it’s cooling down!

So are you ready for summer beauty? I find that what I need right now is hydration. The heat and my allergy meds are drying me out! Here our my current faves (that were sent to me for my honest review):

Erborian Pink Perfect Crème ($39 USD) — This is a primer that helps to minimize the appearance of pores with a blurring, soft-focus effect. Enriched with camilla japonica seed oil, skin looks smoother with a subtle glow—and is prepped for makeup application. I like that I can wear this on it’s own or with a bit of powder on top for hot days that I don’t want to wear makeup.

Purchase at Sephora and sephora.com

LAVANILA Laboratories Healthy Body Butter ($19 USD) — These 100% pure Shea & Cocoa Butters are velvety smooth and instantly absorbed into the skin resulting in deeply hydrated, luxuriously soft skin. Each blend has powerful antioxidants and essential oils for long-lasting hydration. With super soft scents and a non-greasy formula, prepare for the ultimate indulgence. Available in four variations/scents, including: Pure Vanilla, Vanilla Coconut, Vanilla Grapefruit and Fragrance-Free. I love Vanilla Grapefruit and Vanilla Coconut for the summer.

Available at Lavanila.com

Curél Hydra Therapy Wet Skin Moisturizer ($7.99 – $10.99) — This unique moisturizer is activated by water on freshly-showered skin and penetrates deeply into the skin’s surface to heal dryness for soft, healthy skin you can only imagine. After showering, apply on wet skin, then towel dry off. It leaves skin so soft!

Available at all mass retailers & drug stores nationwide

LAVANILA Healthy Deodorants — The Elements Collection ($14 USD) features fresh, energizing deodorants where health and wellness collide, inspired by some of the core elements of nature: air, water and earth. These aluminum-free, healthy deodorants are infused with carefully curated blends of pure essential oils to awaken our connection to the Elements and the immense power within them.

Purchase at Sephora.com

If you’d rather use a roll on, try Ban Roll-On Antiperspirant Deodorant, Purely Gentle ($10.58 on Amazon for two) — With a new, gentler formula, Purely Gentle provides 24 hour protection against underarm perspiration even for those with sensitive skin. The roll-on glides on smoothly providing instant freshness, transforming hot, overworked skin to smooth and refreshed.

Purchase at Amazon

It is essential to have dry shampoo in the summer! John Frieda Luxurious Volume Volume Refresh Dry Shampoo ($6.99 USD) — Give your hair an uplifting boost and touchable body that lasts while you’re on the go with just a spritz of this dry shampoo. The revitalizing formula instantly refreshes, revives and restores limp locks while getting rid of dirt and oil for hair that feels clean, healthy and light.

Purchase at ULTA and food, drug and mass retailers nationwide

What products do you like to use in the summer?

Ricky’s Cult Crushes May 2018

This is my first Ricky’s Cult Crushes subscription box. I was on the waiting list for a couple of months, so I was excited to receive the May box! It is currently $11 a month and will increase to $14 in June. You can sign up for the waiting list for the June box at Ricky’s NYC Cult Crushes.

I keep getting updates about shipping from them and saying that they don’t have the Bioderma micellar water to ship out, but I got mine last week.

Here’s what was it the May box:

This is my favortie Micellar water. It cleans really well and leaves skin hydrated, but not greasy (Garnier, I’m looking at you!). This size will be nice to take on vacation.

I haven’t tried this before, but I will use it. It smells like soap, a very clean sent of course. I have some clothes that I need to get stains out of, so I will be trying it soon.

Next up is a liquid highlighter by JCat. The shades vary in the box, and I got Crystal Sand. Here’s a swatch of it first applied, then blended:

It’s pretty, but I probably won’t wear it. It has an oily feel to it and it doesn’t teally dry down. I think the best use would be on the body. I’ll probably give it to my daughter. I think she will enjoy it.

Now I have been using this since I got the box! It’s a balm with papaya and other ingredients. It smells like strawberries and feels so hydrating on the lips. I go through balms quickly all through the year, but even more so in the summer. And this has a lot in it. Plus the tube is really cute. It’s a win win for me!

This little brush set is really cute. It’s perfect for traveling. The brush heads are big enough to be used for contour and highlight if needed. They are soft and densely packed. I don’t know if I will keep them or pass them on in a gift. We’ll see.

So this was a decent first box for me from Ricky’s Cult Crushes. There’s no real wow product, but I do like the pure paw paw and the micellar water. I think I will try one more month to see if I keep the subscription.

Are you subscribed to Ricky’s Cult Crushes? What do you think of the subscription? Have you got yours yet this month?

New Pur Cometics Products For Spring and Summer

Pur Cosmetics are one of my favorite brands. They always are releasing new, fun and innovative cosmetics and skincare. I received these new products for my honest review.

This weekend, if you shop on their website you can get 50% off the whole site (except for the mystery bag). I am going to give the retail price of these items, but they will be half that this weekend with the code MEMDAY50 on purcosmetics.com.

I have wanted this as soon as it came out, so I’m excited I got to try it! It’s the 4-in-1 Blush Book ($36) — This is such a cool palette. It is huge and has four full sized blushes in it. The pans are removable so they can be used in a z-palette. My shade called Passionate came a bit broken, and it’s worse now. I have to be careful of the palette, I can’t throw it around! But it’s a pretty color and I still use it.

The blush is formulated with vitamins and botanical extracts and is long-wearing. Each pan has 3 complimentary shades. You can use them separately, or swirl them together. Here’s swatches of each pan swirled together:

From left to right is Honest, Passionate, Determined and Loyal. I find myself reaching for Honest and Passionate, but Loyal is gorgeous, too! I have to have the right makeup on to use that one because it’s shimmery and bold. Loyal is pretty, but a little deep for my skin tone. I think there is a shade for almost every skin tone in this palette. The blush formula is very smooth and blend well.

This is a tiny eye shadow set called On-the-Go Eyeshadow Palettes ($14 USD). You get both the Day and the Night palettes. They are small, you can see the scale in the below photo as I hold the Night palette in my hand.

This is the Day palette. This feels more cool toned to me, but there are a couple of warm shades in it. This is very work appropriate

The Night palette is very warm toned. This can be used to create a really dramatic evening look with the bottom row, but the top row can make a nice day look too.

Here are my swatches:

This is the Day palette. As you can see, the two shimmery shades are not showing up well on my arm. But they do look nice on the eye.

These swatched better, and also look nice on the eyes. The formulas of these eye shadows are very butter and pigmented. There is not a lot of kick up in the pan or fall out on the eye. They blend well, too.

I think these are very travel friendly and so affordable. Plus, if you get the set on sale this weekend, it will only be $7!

Now, to apply this fun makeup, I use the Essentials Brush Set ($39 USD). These brushes are very soft and densely packed. The packaging and handles are a little industrial for my taste, but they are pretty cool looking.

Do you like PUR Cosmetics? Are you picking up anything during the sale this weekend?

IT Cosmetics It’s Your Most Beautiful Skin Today’s Special Value on QVC

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Hey IT Girls! There’s an amazing IT Cosmetics and QVC Today’s Special Value on now. It’s called the IT’s Your Most Beautiful Skin! Life-Changing Skincare Collection and it gives you the power to experience your most beautiful skin—and to look in the mirror and see everything that is right.

This Today’s Special Value is scheduled to debut on QVC Friday, May 18^th, 2018 at 10 pm (EST), but is being offered now here for presale. The price is $69.95 and $3 shipping. The value is $193.50! This is only until the end of the day on May 19th.

This exclusive four-piece collection features two IT Girl skincare must-haves, plus one new game-changing innovation that delivers life-changing results as well as a revolutionary brush that pairs perfectly with it! While new Bye Bye Foundation with SPF 50+gives you the power to say “bye bye” to traditional foundation, the Heavenly Luxe Bye Bye Foundation Brush No. 22 reaches every corner of your face to deliver an even, streak-free application. Also included is Bye Bye Under Eye Eye Cream, your solution for a smoother, brighter-looking eye area, and Bye Bye Lines Serum to deeply hydrate your skin and visibly erase the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles for younger-looking results!

Includes 1-fl oz Bye Bye Foundation Full Coverage Moisturizer with SPF 50 in Fair, Fair Light, Light, Light Medium, Medium, Neutral Medium, Medium Tan, Neutral Tan, Tan, Rich, Rich Honey, or Deep
1-fl oz Bye Bye Lines Serum
0.5-fl oz Bye Bye Under Eye Eye Cream; shipments arrive approximately every 90 days for three years
Heavenly Luxe Bye Bye Foundation Brush #22

I have tried the Bye Bye Lines Serum and Eye Cream. They are both amazing! The serum sinks right into the skin and make my face feel so smooth. The Eye Cream is hydrating without feeling heavy. I haven’t tried the Bye Bye Foundation, but I think it looks amazing!

Are you going to pick up this set? What IT Cosmetics products have you tried?

BoxyCharm Subscription Box Review — May 2018

My May BoxyCharm arrived a few days ago. It came much earlier this month. I’m always excited to receive it!

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

Here is what I received:

Pur Cosmetics Sculptor Highlight & Contour Palette ($30 USD)

Aesthetica Cosmetics Pro Brush Series: 3-Piece Eyeliner, Brow & Spoolie Brush Set ($45 USD)

Aesthetica Cosmetics Brush P12 Brush ($27 USD)

CoverFX Blurring Primer ($38 USD)

Pretty Vulgar The Ink Gel Eyeliner ($24 USD)

Beauty Creations Matte Lip Gloss in Sweet Heart ($10 USD)

The value of this box is amazing — $170! It’s BoxyCharm’s 5th birthday and they really gave a high value box!

This Pur Cosmetics contour palette is so nice! It smells like chocolate, which is fun. I did swatch this (all swatches are below), but then gave it to my daughter. I didn’t keep it because the contour is way too dark for me, and I have plenty of highlighters. It did swatch nicely though.

I really like the brand Pur Cosmetics. And I have a review of some of their new products coming soon!

We get brushes in almost every BoxyCharm. I don’t use all of them, but I will use these. The P12 is so soft, and is nice for bronzing or blush. I’ve haven’t played with the eye trio yet, but I will. I am excited to try them with the new liner!

This Cover FX primer is my favorite item in the box, and is worth getting this box! It has a light tint and is dimethicone based. It claims to “blurs the appearance of pores, fine lines, and other imperfections for ultra-smooth airbrushed skin.”

A little of this goes a long way. It does blur my pores and makes them appear smaller. It’s really nice under my Flower Beauty Light Illusion foundation!

This little ink pot liner is so cute! And it holds a lot of product! I have swatched it and it glides on very easily. I am going to play with it soon on my eyes. I usually don’t wear black eyeliner, but it’s fun for going out. Plus, the pot is too cute not to keep out on display.

I have’t tried anything from Beauty Creations before. This is called a Matte Lip Gloss in the shade Sweet Heart. But, it’s basically a liquid lipstick. This color is too bright for me, so I gave it to my daughter.

Here are the swatches:

From left to right, the eyeliner, the matte lip gloss, and the Pur contour palette.

So this month was a win for me for the primer alone. I am really loving it. I will also use the brushes and I’ll try the eyeliner. I gave the lipstick and contour palette to my daughter who will love it. So it is a successful box for me!

There are already a couple of spoilers for the June box. We’ll get the colorful Alamar Cosmetics eye shadow palette and a Sol de Janiero product. I’m excited for both!

Do you get BoxyCharm? What was your favorite product this month?