Skincare – Forty, Flirty & Fabulous

April 2020 Beauty Favorites

Hi all! I hope you’re well and staying safe.

Below are my beauty faves for April. As usual, If I have reviewed them before, I will include the link, if not, I will link to where you can purchase:

I had a pretty good mix of skincare and makeup this month. I have been wearing a lot of makeup, because I have been doing a palette a day challenge on Instagram (fortyflirtyfab) where I used a different palette each day. It’s been fun and exhausting! I will be posting my final update soon.

Here’s a close up of the eyeshadow and face palette:

The face palette it the PUR x Trolls World Tour Top of the Charts Face Trio. It’s very fun to use. The blush is my favorite as it really brightens my sad, pale face. LOL!

The Natasha Denona Mini Retro Eyeshadow Palette is fairly new, but I want to include it because it’s amazing! So pretty! I haven’t reviewed it yet, but I’m bringing back my 20 in 2020 palette reviews next month and will be reviewing it soon!

I received the L’Oreal Bambi Eye Mascara and the MAC Extra Dimension Skinfinish Highlighter in Double-Gleam in a giveaway from Youtuber Jessica Braun (she’s fantastic). Both of these are amazing. The MAC highlighter is natural and so pretty on and the mascara separates and lengthens my lashes. Love!

I picked up the Tarte Travel Size Timeless Smoothing Primer in my fall Ulta Points Haul. I just started using it, because I finished the pore filling primer I was using. I do love this. It works very well. I might have to pick up the full size eventually.

I received the Cure Natural Aqua Gel to review on Instagram. It’s a peeling gel, so you apply it to your skin, let it sit for a minute, then rub your face. The dry skin balls up and rinses away. It exfoliates it off and leaves skin soft and smooth.

Derma E is one of my favorite skincare brands. The products are affordable and so effective. This is the Skin Restore Advanced Peptides and Collagen Serum. I ran out of my neck cream and have been using this to firm my skin. It’s so lovely. It feels amazing on and does firm my skin.

This is the second bottle (first full size) of the Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Pink Juice Moisturizer I’ve had. I received it in my December Boxycharm. I love using it in the morning under makeup.

I can’t believe it’s almost May. I hope you had a great month at home, and that May is better for us all!

Small Beauty Haul From Target and Sephora

Hi all! I hope you’re all well and staying safe.

I have a little haul to share. I made a couple of orders — one with Ulta and one with Sephora during the recent sales. Here’s what I picked up:

From Sephora I picked up two Urban Decay palettes half price! Plus, I got the Tatcha and Youth to the People deluxe samples with my Sephora points.

The Sunday Riley set was on sale during the Ulta 21 Days of Beauty. I also picked up some soaps, and got free shipping when I purchased the skincare. I haven’t tried it yet.

These are the Ont The Run Mini Palettes in G-Train and Bailout. I have the pink and blue/brown toned ones and I wanted these two. They were on sale for $12.50 each! I should have got the last one, Highway Queen (oranges), but I’m sure I will pick it up later. I love the formula of these palettes.

This is Bailout! Gorgeous browns and purples.

G-Train is warmer and has a couple of gorgeous greens! I will hopefully be swatching and reviewing these soon. And I’m sure I’ll be using one or both of these this month in my daily Shop My Stash (check out my Instagram @fortyflirtyfab).

This is the Sunday Riley Flash Fix set. It has the Good Genes All-In-One Lactic Acid Treatment and the Ceramic Slip Cleanser. I haven’t tried it yet, but it looks really nice.

For my Sephora points, I got two duos — the Youth to the People Adaptogen Deep Moisture Cream and the Superfood Antioxidant Cleanser. I also picked up the Tatcha The Deep Cleanse and The Water Cream.

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Have you purchased anything online lately? What have you picked up?

Shop My Stash March 2020 Results and Monthly Empties

Hi All! I hope you are all doing well and staying safe. I’m back with my February Shop My Stash results! I enjoy dipping into my collection and using products I haven’t used in a long time, or just haven’t given much of a chance.

My rule with this is if I don’t like the item after the month, I will move it out of my collection to make some room and let someone else enjoy it! You can check out my first Shop My Stash post for March.

These are the gorgeous products I used this month. And I did so well in using all of these, even though I was mostly at home and was not going out! I love applying makeup almost everyday. It makes me feel put together and like myself.

Before I go into how my month went, I wanted to say I’m switching it up just for April. Since I’ll be at home all month, I’ve decided to do a different Shop My Stash. I am going to use a different eyeshadow palette every day. I’ll be posting the palettes I’ve used every few days with swatches of the shades I used. I think this will be fun and a great way to use some of my palettes I’ve been neglecting.

So back to March. I used the Steve Laurant liner a few times. I kept forgetting about it, LOL! I do really like it. I did use both the Urban Decay Vice Lip Chemistry shades a lot and enjoy that product. It’s so different. It goes on almost matte and light, then it turns a bit deeper and glossier. I have the two lightest shades.

Here are the palettes I used:

I kind of forgot about this palette, too. I used it a few times, but kept reaching for other blushes and highlighters. I think I’ll keep it through the summer and if I don’t reach for it I’ll pass it on.

You can probably tell from how messy this Sigma Enchanted palette is, that I used it a lot in March! I really like this one, especially the shimmers and metallics. My favorite shimmers are Budding, Moonglade and Plume. The pinks and roses are so gorgeous! I am absolutely keeping this palette!

Here’s another keeper, the bareMinerals Gen Nude Eyeshadow Palette in Neutral. Such a gorgeous everyday palette. I can create a full look with this, either all mattes or with one of the shimmers on the lid.

So I am keeping all of these products for now.

On to my empties:

I had ten empties this month. I’m pretty proud of that. Staying at home, I’ve really been digging into my products. I have been consistent with my skincare, too!

I received the Kate Somerville Kx Active Concentrates Bio-Mimicking Peptides Serum in my February Boxycharm. I used it only on my neck and chin in the morning and evening. I really noticed firming in that area. I would purchase this again but it is $98! So…not right now.

I used up two toners — the Pixi Milky Tonic and the Skinfood Peach Sake Toner. I liked both of these. The Skinfood primer was probably my favorite, because it’s so refreshing. The Pixi Milky Tonic is hydrating. I would purchase these again.

I also used two mists. The Derma E UPLIFT Skin Beneficial Mist Mood Enhancing and the Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe, Cucumber and Green Tea. I enjoyed both of them and would repurchase.

I used up the Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm. I like it, but I just started using the Farmacy Green Clean and I like that one more. It’s a smoother texture. I wouldn’t purchase this one again.

My last skincare items were a deluxe sample of the Amazing Grace lotion. Amazing Grace is my signature scent and I love it! And the DHC Urumai Cream is very thick and hydrating. It’s perfect for the winter, but since we are heading into warmer weather, I’ll be using a lighter lotion.

My two makeup items are the Urban Decay Brush Of Loose Powder and my favorite Mascara, the Thrive Causemetics Liquid Lash Extensions Mascara. I would repurchase both, but I am good on powder and mascara right now. I’m really trying to use up what I have right now.

So, although I was at home most of the month, March was pretty good beauty-wise. I hope you stick around for my fun palette-a-day April (or whatever I decide to name it)!

March 2020 Beauty Favorites

Hi all! I hope you’re well and staying safe.

Below are my beauty faves for March. As usual, If I have reviewed them before, I will include the link, if not, I will link to where you can purchase:

I had a pretty good mix of skincare and makeup this month — plus a perfume!

Here’s a close up of the eyeshadow and face palette:

This is the Viseart Paris EDIT Eyeshadow Palette. I picked this up at the beginning of the month and love it! I can create cool and warm tone looks and every shade is stunning! This is my first Viseart palette and I am so impressed with the quality. It’s tiny, but I love that it has so many shade in it. I will definitely be purchasing another palette from Viseart in the future.

This is the Stay Naked Threesome Bronze, Blush and Highlighter Palette in Naked and it’s such a nice face palette. It’s compact enough that it’s perfect to travel with (someday). I love having my bronzer, blush and highlighter in the same palette. So convenient!

This is my current favorite skincare. The Derma E Vitamin C Gentle Daily Cleansing Paste helps to reduce the appearance of uneven skin tone, revealing a radiant and beautiful complexion. I also like using it as a mask.

The Tonymoly Vital Vita 12 Synergy Ampoule is infused with Niacinamide, Adenosine and the exclusive Vita-12 multi-vitamin compound that uses nanosome technology that provides 12 types of vitamins (A, B1, B3, B5, B6, B8, B12, C,E,F,H) combined to create a highly effective multi-vitamin blend. I use it in the morning to brighten my skin and love it! It’s light and sinks right in.

I received the Nuria Defend Triple Action Eye Cream from an Allure box last year. It’s very hydrating and feels nice on my eyes! It claims to remove the appearance of dark circles, reduce the look of puffiness, and improve fine lines. The skin around my eyes do look nice and smooth.

The Pixi Collagen LipGloss is my current favorite lip balm. It is enriched with Botanical Collagen and Peptides and hydrates and softens while helping to create smoother, fuller looking lips. I like using this before I do my makeup so my lips are nice and hydrated when I apply lip products.

I’ve had this since last year, but I’ve just really starting using the beautyblender RE-DEW Set & Refresh Spray. It’s such a cool product! It refreshes makeup, extends wear and adds a boost of hydration. This has a very fine mist nozzle, and it doesn’t disturb makeup. I like how it blends my powders into my makeup so I look really natural.

And my last favorite of the month is a perfume! It’s the Jen nifer Lopez Promise Eau de Parfum. I have been loving this fragrance. It’s so nice for every day, plus it’s a little bit glamorous!

Have you tried any of these products? What are your favorite products from March?

Walmart Beauty Box Review — Winter 2020

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Hi all! Happy Wednesday!

I’m here with a review of the Walmart Beauty Box. It’s a $5 quarterly subscription box. This review is of the Winter 2020 box. Here’s what I received:

Avena Hand And Body Lotion — (11.91 for 17 oz)
Degree Women UltraClear Antiperspirant Deodorant Dry Spray Black+White Pure Clean ($4.97 USD 3.8 oz)
NYX Makeup Crew Duo — Soft Matte Lip Cream and Soft Matte Metallic Lip Cream — both in the shade California
Neutrogena Cleansing Facial Wipes, Individually Wrapped ($5.97 for 20 ct)
Color Club Nail Polish in It’s Complicated

Here are the products up close:

I think it’s nice there’s a deodorant in the box. This did work a little bit for me, but the spray made me cough, so I stopped using it.

The lotion is fine. It just smells like lotion. But it will be nice to take in my purse if I need it.

This is an interesting duo. It’s the same shade in different finishes — matte and metallic. It’s a nude pink and is really pretty. I tried the metallic on and it was nice!

The polish is a pretty deep pink shade for spring. And the single cleansing towelette will be nice to pop in my purse. I’m a big fan of Neutrogena wipes.

I think this is a pretty nice box. It has some useful items and some fun ones to. I do think they should put out the seasonal boxes at the beginning of the season instead of the end.

Do you get Walmart Beauty Box each quarter? What did you get in your Winter box?

Skincare Sunday — Global Beauty Care Masks Review

Hi all! Happy Sunday! I hope you are doing well and staying safe.

So what to do when your home on Sunday? Why, masking of course! I was recently sent some fun products from Global Beauty Care.

GBC is a fun and affordable skincare company that specializes in creating “impactful, award-winning, high-quality products, in elegant yet eye-catching packaging. Using advanced technology and quality ingredients, GBC has created a full line of innovative skin care products to help repair, replenish and refortify your most visible organ- your skin!Their extensive product line appeals to customers of all age groups.” (https://globalbeautycare.com/our-company/)

I also want to add affordable! Here’s close ups of what I received:

Metallic Wash-Off Masks ($10.99 USD) – These masks are so fun to use! I received a pack with the following three masks:

Pore Minimizing Blue Marine Algae + Eucalyptus + Aloe Vera Metallic Wash-Off Face Mask. Blue Marine Algae helps to even out your complexion, cleans deep down in your pores, detoxifies, and hydrates your skin. Eucalyptus helps in destroying bacteria clogging the pores. Aloe Vera helps to soothe & moisturize the skin.

Calming Dead Sea Salts & Minerals + Baking Soda + Diamond Metallic Wash-Off Face Mask. Dead Sea Salts & Minerals help to draw out dirt and impurities from your skin and helps peel away dead skin cells. Baking Soda has antibacterial, antifungal, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. Diamond helps provide skin brightness and clarity.

Nourishing Algae + Tea Tree + Seaweed Metallic Wash-Off Face Mask. Algae helps exfoliate skin & deliver powerful anti-oxidant protection. Tea Tree helps to control oil & acne prone skin. Seaweed is rich in nutrients, and is known for its soothing and smoothing effects.

I have multi-masked and used all three of these. They are all unscented and aren’t irritating. My skin looked amazing afterwards! Soft and smooth. I recommend all of these. GBS has other masks at well so you can find ones that would be perfect for your skin type.

Collagen Hydrogel Lip Masks ($8.99 USD) — This moisture-rich formula contains Collagen proteins and essential fatty acids. These ingredients help revive skin elasticity and minimize the appearance of fine lines & wrinkles. They help to lift, firm and tone your skin. Just one treatment will leave your lips feeling smoother & softer, looking younger & more radiant!

Is so much fun to use! It’s a berry colored gel mask that smells lightly of fruit. After use, my lips did look a bit smoother and fuller.
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I really enjoyed these products! What are some of your favorite masks?

Freshen Up With Self Care Beauty Products!

Hi all! Happy Saturday! I hope you are doing well and staying safe.

Since I’m staying home for the time being, I thought it would be fun to test out some self care items I have recently received for my honest review.

I have been enjoying testing these out. Here’s more info about each product:

Ban Purely Gentle Roll-On Deodorant ($10.58 for 2-pack at Amazon.com) — This deodorant claims to give 24-hour odor and wetness protection. It did last a long time for me and has a unique, non-irritating formula that glides onto skin clear and is less likely to leave white marks under arms and on clothes.

John Frieda Day 2 Revival Dry Conditioner $9.49 USD at CVS.com) — This cool product detangles, defrizzes and adds softness and shine to unwashed hair. A hydrating acai & avocado dry oil blend reignites shine without leaving a heavy or greasy residue or weighing hair down. And it smells so nice!

Daily Concepts Daily Lip Scrubber ($6 USD) — The Daily Lip Scrubber is a silicone lip brush that allows gentle exfoliation and circulation for plump, smooth and soft lips. The handle and the finger hole are designed for convenient use and easy application. It works as the perfect stimulator to increase blood circulation and to remove dry skin.

Multi-Functional Soap Sponge Mother of Pearl ($8 USD) — Clarifying, exfoliating, radiance enhancing, dual purpose soap sponge perfect for clarifying skin. This innovative and multifunctional design is soap infused with a sponge. You can see in the photos that one side is soap and the other is a sponge. It’s perfect for exfoliating face or body depending on your comfort level. There is also a charcoal version ($8 USD).

I am glad I got to try all of these products and I will continue to use the.

What are your favorite or newest self care products?

BoxyCharm BoxyLuxe Subscription Box Review — March 2020

Hi all! I just received my March BoxyLuxe. I’m always so excited to receive this box. I been subscribed to BoxyLuxe for over a year and have been a subscriber of BoxyCharm for almost three years.

The regular BoxyCharm box is $25 a month now. BoxyLuxe is a once-a-quarter upgrade option you can add to your existing $25-a-month Boxycharm subscription. So for an additional $24.99, you’ll get the Luxe box, and be paying a total of $49.99 for that quarterly box.

I saw the spoilers for this box, I just didn’t know what variations I would get. I did get to pick some of the items I would receive, which I really liked.

The theme for this month is Pretty Edgy. My version is 8. There’s an interesting mix of makeup, skincare and accessories this month. Here’s what I received:

BoxyCharm Hello, Charmer Palette — $39
NARS Powermatte Lip Pigment in Give It Up – $26
Sol de Janeiro Double Treat: Brazilian Bum Bum + Coco Cabana Cream Duo — $15
ZAXIE by Stefanie Taylor Play It By Ear Pavé Hoop Earrings — $32
Becca Cosmetics Skin Love Glow Glaze Stick — $28
Invisibobble The Original Traceless Hair Ring — $8
Murad Hydro Dynamic Ultimate Moisture for Eyes — $70
PMD Clean Smart Facial Cleansing Device in Blush — $99

The total is $317 and I paid $49.99. Not bad!

I love Sol de Janeiro, but these are so tiny. They are great for traveling and throwing in a purse or bag.

We got two choices this month. My first choice was this Murad Eye Cream. I haven’t tried anything from Murad for a few years. I love eye cream and am looking forward to testing this out!

The PMD cleansing device is the big ticket item this month. It is a sonic cleanser like the Foreo. I had one of those and liked it so I’m looking forward to trying this.

The glow stick is a pretty gold. I don’t know if I’m going to try it. I don’t usually wear cream face products and I don’t usually wear gold highlight. Hmm. I might pass it on.

And I will pass on the lip product. I wear nudes and light pinks and this magenta is way too bright!

I will use the invisibobble, although it’s not very exciting.

The Zaxie Earrings were my second choice. I’ve just started wearing earrings again and these are so pretty on!

Wow! This is so much prettier than I thought it would be. Honestly, when I heard Boxycharm was creating their own palette, I didn’t know what to expect. I’ve already used it once, I did a natural look with Spoiler, Cup of Joe, Sneak Peek and Popup. It was very pretty, but then I decided to top it with Swipe Up, which is beautiful!

I am definitely keeping this and will be reviewing it with swatches.

I’m pretty happy with the box this month. I will be keeping and loving the palette, cleansing device, eye cream and earrings. I will keep and use the body lotions and hair ties. I will probably pass on the highlighter and lipstick.

Do you get BoxyLuxe? Which products did you receive this month?

Skincare Sunday: Derma E Vitamin C Skincare

Hi all! Happy Sunday! I hope you are having a great weekend.

I’m back with another Skincare Sunday featuring Derma E. I’m lucky to receive their monthly influencer packages. I received some gorgeous products from their Vitamin C line for my honest review.

About this line, Derma E’s website states, “Vitamin C is one of the most powerful nutrients in the world, its antioxidant properties are essential for our overall health and well-being. So it’s not surprising that Vitamin C can have those same transformative effects on the appearance of our skin—creating a brighter, smoother and younger look that glows with the signs of good health.”

Here’s a close up of the products:

Vitamin C Gentle Daily Cleansing Paste ($13.95 USD) –This Vitamin C cleansing paste helps to reduce the appearance of uneven skin tone, revealing a radiant and beautiful complexion. You can also use it as a mask, which I have and really like. It leaves my skin smooth and clear.

Vitamin C Bright Eyes Hydro Gel Patches ($24 USD) — Brightens, hydrates, and improves the appearance of the under-eye area by intensely moisturizing with antioxidants and phytonutrients.

Vitamin C Concentrated Serum ($24.50 USD) — This fast-absorbing, high-potency serum penetrates deeply to deliver antioxidant protection and essential hydration. I have only used this a few times, so I hope to have a full review later.

Yes, the eye gels are gold speckled! So fun. And they feel amazing on. They smooth the eye area so nicely.

I love Vitamin C products, and am so exited to use these more. There are other products from this collection on Derma E’s website here. And happily they are cruelty free, vegan, gluten free, soy free and recyclable.

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What do you think of this collection? Have you tried any Derma E products?

Shop My Stash February 2020 Results and Monthly Empties

Hi All! Happy Saturday! I’m back with my February Shop My Stash results! I enjoy dipping into my collection and using products I haven’t used in a long time, or just haven’t given much of a chance.

February may be a short month, but I did get lots of use out of most of these products! The shades were perfect for February and I enjoyed using them!

I made sure to use every shade of the ABH x Carli Bybel palette. I really have enjoyed testing it out more. It’s a good palette. The mattes blend well and I really love a few of the shimmers. I do wish that most of the shimmers didn’t have glitter in them, but they are pretty nonetheless. I also still think Jode and OA are so similar and I wish they both weren’t in the palette. But, I can make some nice everyday looks with this and will be keeping it.

The formula of the Dose of Colors Eyeshadow Palette in Marvelous Mauves is so creamy and pigmented! This is a really gorgeous matte palette. I wore it alone and with shimmers from the Carli Bybel palette (especially Aura). I like this alot and will be keeping it.

I wore the blush and highlighter many times this month. They are the Nanacoco HD Pressed Blush in Shimmery Dusty Rose and the Makeup Geek Highlighter in Lit. They are beautiful together! I love them both and are keeping them both!

The Milani Keep It Full Nourishing Lip Plumper in Soft Rose is pretty, but it’s darker and more pigmented than I usually like in a gloss. I’m going to keep it for now and we’ll see if I reach for it.

On to my empties:

I had ten empties this month! Mostly skincare and body care.

I already have backups of the Pixi Retinol Jasmine Cleanser and the Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Pink Juice Moisturizer. I love both of those products! Products I would repurchase are the MAC Fix+ (this was coconut scented), the Farmacy Honeymoon Glow and the StriVectin Peptight.

I got the QMS eye cream from a Boxycharm and liked it. It’s very expensive, though, so I wouldn’t purchase it again. The Julep Boost Your Radiance Oil is nice, but I haven’t purchased from them in a while, since they ended their Maven program. And the rest of the products were from my The Body Shop Advent Calendar. I loved them and might be purchasing them in the future!

Another successful Shop My Stash on the books! I had so much fun with these products and am looking forward to a new batch of makeup in March!

Do you shop your stash or have a project pan going on? I will be doing my first quarter project pan update at the end of March.