#alamarcosmetics – Forty, Flirty & Fabulous

Boxycharm Subscription Box Review — February 2020

Hey all! I have just received my February BoxyCharm! I love receiving this box each month.

I’ve been subscribed to BoxyCharm for two and a half years now and really enjoy it. BoxyCharm is now $25 a month plus tax for 5 full-sized beauty items. The value is at least $125 each month.

The only subscription boxes I’m currently getting is this box, BoxyLuxe four times a year and the new BoxyCharm Premium. I think Boxy has been doing an amazing job curating their boxes lately.

The theme this month is Adore. My version is 47. This month I received:

Alamar Cosmetics Complexion Brush Trio – $36
Kate Somerville Kx Active Concentrates Bio-Mimicking Peptides Serum — $98.00
Ciaté London Everyday Vacay Coconut Scented Translucent Loose Powder — $22
Qveen Matte Liquid Lip Satin in Wifey — $17
Pretty Vulgar Faux Reals Extreme Volume Mascara — $23

These are gorgeous! They are very soft and seem to be of good quality. I really enjoy the Alamar eye brushes I have, so I’m excited to use these!

The serum was my choice this month. I love anything that smooths and firms my skin. I will be testing this out once I’m done with my current firming serum.

The powder is okay. I already have a Ciate powder in my stash that I got from a Boxycharm. It’s a different name then this one but it looks like almost the same thing. I’ll either save it for later or give it away.

These are my least favorite products this month. I don’t wear liquid lipstick and haven’t heard of the brand Qveen. I will pass it on to someone else.

I like Pretty Vulgar and have tried a few things in my Boxycharm, but I haven’t found anything I love yet. I have tons of mascara, so I’ll either throw this in my stash, or give it to one of my daughters.

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The box this month was okay for me. I am loving the Kate Somerville serum and the brushes and will use those. I might use the powder and mascara, or I might give them away. I will definitely give the liquid lipstick away.

Do you get Boxycharm? What did you get this month?

Shop My Stash July 2019 Results and Monthly Empties

Hi All! I’m back with my July 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 July.

One product is already gone. The Colourpop Super Shock Cheek in Spoon was waaay to glittery for me. I tried it once and gave it away.

On the other hand, I used the heck out of the Buxom Lip Creams! I wore one with a lip liner almost every day! I still have a ways to go to use them up, but I want to use them up by the end of the year. I will be keeping these!

Here’s photos with the palettes open:

The Maybelline Lemonade Craze palette was my most used palette this month. I forgot how good it is! My favorite shade is Strawberry Lemonade because it is so shimmery dry, but very metallic wet! My least favorite is Main Squeeze because it’s so glittery. I wore it once and had glitter fall out all over my face. I guess you can use a glitter glue with it, but I don’t like to bother with it.

I am definitely keeping this palette because you can make so many different looks with it!

This is the Alamar Cosmetics Reina Del Caribe Vol.1 Eyeshadow Palette.

I got this last summer. I haven’t used it a lot before this. I used it a few times this months and I like it. The top four shades seem very summery and the bottom four are very fall-ish. The shades I used the most are Coco-taxi and La Costa. When I did use this I paired it with the Lemonade Craze palette.

Since I didn’t reach for it a lot, I don’t know if I will keep it. I might try using it in the fall and see if I use it more.

On to my July Empties:

I think this is the most empties I’ve had for one month! I’m pretty proud that I have used all of these up!

My favorite products here that I will repurchase when needed are the Mamonde rose toner, the Beauty Bakerie powder, the MAC fix+, the Urban Decay All Nighter spray and the L’Oreal Unlimited Length and Lift Mascara. They are all amazing products!

I won’t repurchase the Andalou face wipes or the Colourpop mascara. Neither of these products impressed me. The wipes didn’t really remove all of my makeup and the Colourpop mascara was so thick and goopy. And it made such a mess when I removed it.

The other products were all very good and I may repurchase if I run out of skincare. I have a lot now I am using and testing out, so I shouldn’t have to purchase new skincare for the rest of the year! LOL! I’m getting more in for review, too.

This was a really successful month for my Shop my Stash and for empties. I really used most of the products a bunch and I had a lot of empties.

Do you do a Shop my Stash? How’s it going?

Shop My Stash — July 2019

Hi all! It’s July! It’s time for a new month and a new Shop My Stash! I’m always excited to play with new (again to me) products that I either haven’t used in a while or haven’t used much at all! My goal is to get more use out of the products I have and to see if they are something I want to keep.

We are fully into summer now, and I wanted to choose summery products that would be fun to use:

This is the Alamar Cosmetics Reina Del Caribe Vol.1 Eyeshadow Palette. I received this in a BoxyCharm last year. It’s so pretty, but I haven’t really used it since last summer. Although it does look like a summer palette, the mattes would be nice in the fall, so I need to remember it this year!

This is the Maybelline Lemonade Craze Eyeshadow Palette. This is another palette that I haven’t used since last summer.

I really like this palette. The mattes blend well and the shimmers can be built up and made metallic with a little setting spray. I’m looking forward to playing with it and making pretty summery looks!

I forgot to take photos of the individual glosses and highlighter. But here are the swatches.

From left to right is Buxom Full-On Lip Creams in White Russian, Dolly and Hot Toddy. The highlighter is ColourPop Super Shock Cheek in Spoon.

I love the Buxom lip creams, but I have neglecting them due to receiving new glosses this year. I want to give these some love and since I’ve had them over a year, I would like to start using them up.

The ColourPop highlight is nice, but a little glittery. We’ll see if I like it enough to keep it after the month!

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I’m excited about my Shop My Stash this month! Are you doing a Shop My Stash?

May 2019 Beauty Favorites

Hi All! May is almost over — can you believe that we are almost half way through the year?

I don’t have as many favorites as usual this month. I’m still suffering through allergies and haven’t been wearing as much makeup. Plus, I think this is the first month I don’t have an eyeshadow palette in my favorites!

Here are my faves for May. If I have reviewed them before, I will include the link, if not, I will link to where you can purchase:

Being that my eyes were so irritated this month, skincare and face products were really important to make me feel human!

Two face palettes helped me with a flawless complexion. The are the Smashbox Cali Contour palette and the Alamar Cosmetics Colorette Blush Trio in Light. The Cali Contour palette was in my May Shop My Stash and I used it almost every day I wore makeup. It’s so good! I received the Alamar blush palette in my May BoxyCharm and really love it! So glowy and pretty!

For skincare, I was loving the Gulsha Ultimate Rosewater Spray and Pixi Beauty Glow Tonic Cleansing Gel. Both products helped my skin glow (in a good way) during allergy season. The Gulsha spray smells amazing and is so refreshing. I use it after cleansing and toning in the morning and night. The Pixi cleanser is so nice. It smells amazing and cleans my skin without stripping it. And it gives a healthy glow.

I tried a new foundation and cleanser that I am really enjoying. The e.l.f. 10hr Camo Concealer in Light Beige and the Wet n Wild Photofocus Stick Foundation in Soft Ivory. The foundation is one of my new favorites. It covers so well and blends in easily, and it doesn’t settle into my pores and fine lines! I’m turning 51 (yikes) in June and need a foundation that does not enhance signs of aging. I think I’m going to by a darker shade for the summer (if I decide to self tan). The concealer is so nice too. It blends in so well. Plus both products are so affordable.

When I wore mascara, I’ve been enjoying the Urban Decay Troublemaker Mascara. It’s very black and gives lots of volume. I received the Laritzy Lip Gloss in Vibe in my May Allure Box. I really love this gloss! The shade is the perfect nude!

What were your favorite products in May!

BoxyCharm Subscription Box Review -September 2018

Hi all! I received my September BoxyCharm this week. I wasn’t as excited as I usually am. I don’t know if you’ve heard that they have released a larger box called BoxyLuxe. On the day it released, I got up early and tried for 5 hours to subscribe. I didn’t get it and am on the waiting list for December’s BoxyLuxe (it’s quarterly). So, I’m a bit salty towards BoxyCharm right now and am trying to decide if I want to keep the subscription.

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:

I just want to say that I’m not going to swatch any of these because I will be giving most of it away to friends…

This Laura Geller baked blush is in the shade Tropic Hues. It’s a pretty shimmery coral/pink. I think this would be really pretty in the spring/summer seasons. I have tried Laura Geller blushes before and they are very nice — light and shimmery.

I love LORAC lip glosses. They are so comfortable and not sticky at all. I haven’t tried their liquid lips. I wear nudes and pinks, so this isn’t for me, but I have a friend who will love it!

The eyeliner has a tiny pizza cutter like roller on the applicator. This is to roll it on your eyelids. I am not an eyeliner expert, but I tried this and it’s really hard to use! I’ll see if my daughter can figure it out.

This is the Pretty Vulgar Nightingale palette. It’s a cool toned, smoky palette. I think this will be really nice for fall and winter! I have these types of shades, so I will be passing it on, but it’s pretty and the packaging is fun!

This is the one item I’m keeping out of the September box. I LOVE theses brushes! The green handles are fun and the brushes work really well. I have already used these. I really enjoy getting quality eye brushes!

So, I think this is a nice box. The items will make great gifts. I think I may be on product overload, though. I think I’m going to keep BoxyCharm until December to see if I get the next BoxyLuxe.

Do you get BoxyCharm or did you get BoxyLuxe this month (lucky)? What did you think of the September box?

BoxyCharm Subscription Box Review — June 2018

My June BoxyCharm finally arrived! I have been waiting for it because this month’s box is so amazing!

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:

I was excited to try these Luxie Brushes. I have some travel Luxie eye shadow brushes I’ve received in another BoxyCharm. I haven’t use them yet, but they are pretty. I think I’m going to try these tomorrow.

I don’t wear false lashes. I’ve tried them years ago, but I didn’t really know how to apply them. I like how wispy these are. I’m going to hold on to them and maybe play around with them.

This smells amazing! It’s such a cute little container. It is a very hydrating, but not greasy cream. Very nice for the summer.

This eye pencil is okay. I’m not the biggest fan of pencils you have to sharpen, plus when I swatched it, it wasn’t very pigmented. I put this in my giveaway pile.

I also put the Ofra lipstick in my giveaway pile. It’s too brown for me. But I really do love their lip formula.

This is the item I was most looking forward to this month! These colors are so pretty. The top 4 are shimmers that can be used wet or dry and the bottom 4 are mattes.

Here are swatches:

The shimmery shades swatch the best, they are so gorgeous! The mattes (of course) don’t swatch as well on my arm, but they blended on my eye really nicely. I think this is gorgeous for some amazing eye-catching looks this summer. I also think it will got into fall nicely, too.

So this month was a win because of the Alamar eye shadow palette. I will also keep the lashes to try out, the brushes and the bum bum cream! The eyeliner and lipstick will be given to a friend. I think this is the most I’ve kept from a BoxyCharm!

Did you receive June’s BoxyCharm? What did you think?