#bblog – Page 11 – Forty, Flirty & Fabulous

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?

Take Care Of And Have Fun With Your Hair This Summer!

Hi all! Happy Monday! I hope you’re week has started off well. I’m on vacation this week and my daughter is is town, so I’m doing great!

I thought I’d feature some newer to me hair care I’ve been testing out lately. I have a fun array — shampoo and conditioner, hair masks and temporary hair color spray:

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Derma E Therapeutic Shampoo & Conditioner. It is the Scalp Relief line. ($22.50 for the set) — This doctor-developed, clinically tested formula works in four ways to gently cleanse, de-flake, soothe and nourish the scalp and hair. Using proprietary Therapeutic Psorzema® Herbal Blend plus healthful vitamins and botanicals, this shampoo calms a dandruff-prone, itchy, irritated scalp and refreshes the hair, from root to tip.

Both Shampoo and conditioner enriched with:

Therapeutic Psorzema® Herbal Blend (Neem, Burdock and Bearberry): replenishes a dry, irritated, scaling scalp, helping to promote optimum scalp and hair health.

Tea Tree and Menthol: help calm and cool itch on contact and help maintain scalp purity over time.

Salicylic Acid: penetrates to lift away excess flakes and surface buildup.

I love how these products calms my itchy scalp, but also really hydrate the hair. These products are nice for every day use, or once a week for a treatment.

John Frieda Wonder Drops Hair Masks ($3.49 at Walmart and select Grocery Outlets) — Four targeted hair masks that transform hair in a matter of minutes. Designed to treat hair suffering from frizz, fading, damage or dullness, each mask revives hair with a single in-shower application. Simply shampoo, squeeze out excess moisture and massage the Wonder Drops throughout wet hair.

Available in: Frizz Smoothing, Blonde Brightening, Damage Repairing and Vibrancy Enhancing

These are so affordable. My favorites are the Frizz Smoothing and Damage Repairing. They leave my hair very smooth and shiny.

KMS HAIR Style Color Stone Wash Denim

KMS HAIR Style Color Smoky Lilac

The new KMS Style Color Collection offers 9 tones of color from purple to blue to grey. The products are waterproof, pillow-friendly, and work perfectly with hot tools. Expect a flexible, ultra-thin film for a movable finish & even results on all hair colors that removes easily with shampoo, so you can rock pink highlights to a concert and have them washed out before Monday’s conference meeting. Available at KMS salons.

These are so gorgeous! My daughters have commandeered them, but they are beautiful for people of all ages who want a fun pop of color or dimension in their hair. They stay in all day and wash out easily!

What hair products are you using this summer? Let me know!

Allure Beauty Box July 2019

Hi all! I just received my July Allure Beauty Box. The Allure Beauty Box is $15 a month. And you receive deluxe and some full size products. Not bad!

Here’s the July box:

Huda Beauty Liquid Matte in AlluringFULL SIZE
Ouai Texturizing Hair Spray
Huda Beauty Samantha Lashes FULL SIZE
Kayali Vanilla Fragrance
TONYMOLY Intense Care Snail Hydrogel Mask
Too Faced Hangover Primer

I think this is a pretty good box. I really enjoy the Huda Beauty I’ve tried before. I don’t wear red lipstick or false eyelashes, so I gave those to my daughter. The Kayali fragrance is really nice, though. That’s a Huda brand as well.

I am excited about the Too Faced primer. I haven’t tried it before. I’m looking forward to using the TONYMOLY mask. It should be really hydrating.

This is the second month in a row that I’ve received a hair texture spray. I’m not sure what I’ll do with it, probably give it away.

This is such an affordable box and it always introduces me to new brands, which I like! This month, I only got a couple of items I’ll use. I’m hoping next month will have more products I’ll love.

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Do you get Allure Beauty Box? Did you get the same products this month?

IT Cosmetics’ and QVC TSV IT’s Your Skin But Better! Game-Changing Complexion Duo + Brush

Hi all! It’s time for a new IT Cosmetics and QVC Today’s special value! I LOVE IT Cosmetics and always get excited for the amazing deals they have.

This is good for today only, July 26th. Here’s what’s included:

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This is the IT Cosmetics’ IT’s Your Skin But Better! Game-Changing Complexion Duo + Brush ($49.98 plus shipping, $126 value) — This exclusive collection features a duo of #1 best-selling, award-winning beauty miracle—and a perfectly paired brush!

CC+ Cream with SPF 50+ is your one step for color-correcting full coverage and anti-aging SPF 50+ UVA/UVB physical sunscreen, plus it applies effortlessly with your included Heavenly Luxe Bye Bye Foundation Brush No. 22. Clinically tested to increase skin hydration and improve the appearance of skin texture, your breakthrough color-correcting cream instantly camouflages imperfections and won’t crease or crack!

Here’s more info on each product:

Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream with SPF 50+ — This multitasking beauty miracle is your one step for color-correcting full coverage, skincare and anti-aging SPF 50+ broad-spectrum sunscreen. It’s formulated with hydrolyzed collagen, peptides and hyaluronic acid, plus it’s suitable for all skin types—and helps give you better-looking skin!

Heavenly Luxe Bye Bye Foundation Brush No. 22 — Featuring a unique triangle-shaped brush head with Heavenly Luxe hairs, this innovative brush reaches every corner of your face—and is so easy to use, it does the work for you to help deliver an even application! Pairs perfectly with your included CC+ Cream with SPF 50+ and all your favorite color-infused skincare products.

What I think — I love this CC+ Cream! Since it’s a hybrid of makeup, skincare and protection, I can apply this in the morning after I wash my face and go! It looks flawless but it is also so good for the skin! And it has a really great SPF!

The brush pairs perfectly with the CC+ Cream. IT brushes are so high quality. The flat top triangular brushes work so well precisely applying foundation.

This is such a great deal! One CC+ Cream retails for $39, so to get two and a brush for under $50 is amazing!

Are you going to purchase Today’s Special Value? Do you like IT Cosmetics?

Ipsy Glam Bag Plus Review — July 2019

Hey all! It’s time for my July Ipsy Glam Bag Plus review! This is a $25 subscription box that will always include 5 full-sized items. And the items included are mostly luxe or higher end items. This is such a great value for the high quality items included.

I enjoy this subscription. Last month was my least favorite month, but I did receive a serum I love. You can see that review here. I was trying to decide if I would keep this subscription or BoxyCharm/BoxyLuxe. Read until the end if you want to see what I decided!

Here’s what I received for July:

Touch in Sol Pretty Filter Waterfall Glow Cream — $34 USD
Huda Beauty 3D Highlighter Palette in Pink Sand — $45 USD
PIXI BY PETRA Glow Mist — $15 USD
Naked Cosmetics 4 Piece Loose Pigment Set — $40 USD (approximate value)
IT Cosmetics Superhero Mascara Elastic Stretch Volumizing Mascara ($24 USD)

The total is $158. Pretty good for paying $25!

I didn’t take close-up photos of all of the products this month, so I’ll give my thoughts on those three. I am excited about the Pixi Glow Mist and Touch in Sol cream. I’ve been enjoying trying new skincare lately. I haven’t tried either of these before.

I have used the IT Superhero mascara many times and really love it! It lengthens and gives lots of volume!

Here’s close-ups of the color cosmetics I received:

I was very excited for this Huda Beauty palette! I haven’t tried Huda’s face products only her eye shadows.

This is so pretty! The highlighters are extremely pigmented. Here’s swatches:

The shades from left to right are Capri which is a cream, then the powders Santorini, Azores and Ibiza. Santorini is the best shade for my normal pale skintone, but with a little tan, the others will work as well! The powders are so creamy and easy to blend. I’m excited to use this more.

These Nake Cosmetics pigments really surprised me, they are gorgeous! They are very shimmery. I have swatches below. They were dry when swatched.

These are stunning! They don’t have names, but the numbers are SN-05, NN-01, SN-04 and SN-02.

When you wet these, they adhere better. Or, you can use a glitter glue. If you do wet them, they are VERY metallic! I like to use pigments every so often. So I will give these a go!

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I am very pleased with this month’s box! Last month was disappointing in that I only liked one product. But I like them all this month!

I’ve decided for now, I’m keeping this subscription and BoxyCharm. I’ve been enjoying some of the products each month from both boxes. I am kind of on product overload, but I am excited to see what products are included this fall and holiday season.

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

NARS Summer Lights Face Palette Review

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

I’m back with a face palette review! I gifted myself this gorgeous NARS palette for my birthday last month. It’s the NARS Summer Lights Face Palette ($59 USD) and it’s available online at Ulta.com.

Here’s closeup pics:

Gorgeous! I like the packaging. It is simple and elegant. It’s made from sturdy plastic and it has a nice mirror.

What I don’t like is that the shades aren’t printed on the inside of the palette. They are on the back. The shadow shades from left to right are Rainwater, Hibiscus, Papeete and Hei. The highlighter is Paper Flower and the bronzer is Destination Unknown.

Here are the swatches:

I’ve swatched the four shadows first, then the highlighter and bronzer.

The eye shadows are my favorite shades in the palette. They are nicely pigmented and very easy to blend. I can make a complete eye look with them. I put one of the left two shadows all over my lid. The brown matte shadow is nice in the crease. The darkest shade is perfect to deepen the outer corner, create a smoky eye or use under the eye.

The highlighter doesn’t swatch the best, but it’s really glow on. It can also be used on the eye. The bronzer is light, but it’s nice for a subtle bronze look and also as a transition shade on the eyes. I wouldn’t recommend it for deeper skin tones, though.

I also wanted to share the free gift I received with this and share a tip. If you purchase online from Ulta, the are frequently offering free gifts with purchase. I usually wait until one is available to shop online. The gift this time was a free Beauty Bag with any $30 online purchase:

The bag says Talk Beauty to Me, which is so cute! And it has all these great goodies inside. I bought this in June, but they are often doing cute gifts with purchase if you are thinking of placing an order with Ulta. Also, don’t forget their points program. I’m a Platinum member and there’s always fun deals.

I do really love this palette! I think it’s great for travel and easy summer looks. The quality is great, too! This is my first NARS palette and definitely not my last!

What’s your current summer palette? Do you have any from NARS?

BoxyCharm Subscription Box Review — July 2019

Hey all! I recently received my July BoxyCharm! I always watch for the spoilers so I basically knew what I am getting. But, there were a few different variations this month.

I’ve been subscribed to BoxyCharm for about a year and a half now and really enjoy it. Boxycharm is just $21 a month for 4-5 beauty items, most of them full-sized. It is a nice way to try new makeup and beauty tools.

My version is 4. This month I received:

Koh Gen Do Spa Cleansing Water Cloths — $17

Elemis Superfood Vital Veggie Mask – $35

Butter London Natural Goddess Eyeshadow Palette – $32

Luna by Luna Lip Gloss in Venus — $18

Luxie Brush Trio – $30

Box value — $132

This is a really pretty summer palette! I love the wooden packaging and the nice mirror. The shades are mostly shimmer and there’s a couple of mattes. I didn’t swatch it because I don’t know if I’ll keep it or give it away. I’ve recently purchased a few palettes and don’t really need another one.

I love the packaging and the handles of these brushes! So cool and summery! The brushes are 246 Precision Crease, 250 Large Eye Blending and 510 Foundation.

I enjoy Luxie brushes. I may keep these or give them away.

I am very excited about both of these! I’ve been wanting to try the Koh Gen Do wipes. I’ve tried items from this brand years ago and really enjoyed them. They are all natural and look very fancy!

I love the Elemis products I’ve tried, and I’m excited to try out this mask. Maybe I’ll do it Sunday. I’ve been bad about using masks lately and need to get back into them. This is supposed to nourish, smooth and brighten, for softer, smoother, more radiant skin. Yes please!

I’ve never heard of this brand before Luna by Luna, but I really like this gloss! It’s hydrating and so easy for a bronzey summer look! I have received so many glosses from boxes lately, but I do really like this one.

I think this is a pretty great box! I will definitely use the gloss, Elemis mask and face wipes. I’m still deciding if I will keep or give away the brushes and palette. But everything is so nice!

BoxyCharm is killing it lately! Do you get this box? What was in yours this month?

Skincare Sunday — DHC Urumai Review

Hi all! Happy Sunday! I hope you are having a great weekend! I’m back with another Skincare Sunday. I’m trying to do skincare related posts on at least a couple of Sundays a month.

I have recently received new DHC products for my honest review. I haven’t tried anything from this Japanese brand before, but I’ve heard good things!

I received the Urumai line, which is brand new and has just launched on July 1st. This collection contains a proprietary rice peptide complex comprised of two hydrolyzed rice proteins that work together to condition and deeply hydrate skin, plus enhance firmness. Yes, please! Here’s what I received:

Tapping the power of rice, this plant-based trio beautifully brings together urumi (moisture) + mai (rice) to promote a soft, smooth and supple complexion.

That sounds amazing, and isn’t the packaging elegant, even the shape of the soap is so gorgeous!

DHC Urumai Soap ($14 USD) — A botanical beauty bar created with a rich blend of natural ingredients. Lathers up into a creamy mousse to gently eliminate dirt and debris, dead skin and excess sebum. Deeply cleans to gently prepare skin for the next steps in your skincare routine.

What I think: I haven’t used a beauty bar in years to clean my face, so this was interesting! It lathers up to a nice foam and is unscented (all of these products are), but it does have a faint soap scent. It does clean nicely, but it took a bit of work to rinse off.

DHC Urumai Lotion ($25 USD) — An alcohol-free facial toning lotion that promotes vibrant, soft and beautiful skin. Created with rice peptides and sake, this pre-moisturizing toner combats damage from dryness and environmental stresses to revitalize the skin.

What I think: I love that this doesn’t contain alcohol or irritate my sensitive skin. It feels nice on the skin and is lightly hydrating. It does give a glow, which is nice under makeup.

DHC Urumai Cream ($29 USD) — A lightweight facial cream that promotes a beautiful complexion for all skin types. Formulated with DHC exclusive rice peptide complex, this hydrating cream unlocks the power of rice to help promote turnover and minimize the appearance of fine lines.

What I think: This is a very hydrating cream! I like this as a night cream, because it is pretty thick and moisturizing. It’s not greasy, but it does take a little bit of time to sink in. When I use this at night, in the morning my skin is glowing! I have notices that my fine lines have been reduced and that my skin is smoother.

I am really enjoying these products!

Purchase at DHCCare.com. And right now, they are having a deal that you receive free shipping if you purchase a full size Urumai collection products with the code URUMAI.

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Have you tried DHC skincare? What do you think of these products?

TARTE Unleashed Eyeshadow Palette & Travel-Size Big Ego Mascara

Happy Saturday! I hope your weekend is going well!

I’m excited to do this palette review today! It’s the TARTE Unleashed Eyeshadow Palette & Travel-Size Big Ego Mascara. I got it as a birthday gift a few weeks ago, and have been enjoying it!

This vegan and cruelty free palette is inspired by the animal kingdom and features earthy & tropical tones. Plus, it comes with a Travel Size Big Ego Mascara!

It is infused with Amazonian clay & mineral pigments for maximum blendability & wear. It features a mix of mattes & metallics in warm & cool tones.

The ingredients in the shadows include these Skinvigorating Ingredients:

Amazonian clay: Nature’s most perfect ingredient for better, longer, truer wear
Mineral pigments: Soothe & soften skin
Vanilla: A natural fragrance with rich antioxidant & anti-aging properties

Here’s photos of the outer packaging:

The packaging for this is gorgeous! It’s hard to tell, but the front of the palette is 3D when you move it around. It’s so cool. And it’s really sturdy packaging.

Shades:

Swan Song (pearl sheen)
Oh Deer (matte mauve)
Hippocritical (lilac shimmer)
Bear Necessities (matte dark brown)
Koalified (matte purple brown)
Toucan Do It (matte orange)
No Fox Given (matte burnt orange)
Iguana Love You (burgundy shimmer)
Irrelephant (light bronze shimmer)
Toad-Ally (turquoise shimmer)
You’re Lion (champagne shimmer)
Monkey Business (gold shimmer)
Camelflauge (matte brown)
Hawkward (pewter sparkle)
Party Animal (navy blue sparkle)

Swatches!

Swan Song, Oh Deer, Hippocritical, Bear Necessities and Koalafied. I love most of the shimmers in this palette (there’s one exception below). The mattes are nice, too, but Koalafied didn’t swatch too well. It’s nice on the eyes, though.

Toucan Do It, No Fox Given, Iguana Love You, Irrelephant, and Toad-ally.

All of these are as gorgeous on the eyes as they swatch! So pigmented and gorgeous!

You’re Lion, Monkey Business, Camelflauge, Hawkward, and Party Animal. The only shade I had trouble swatching was Hawkward. It’s really sheer, almost like a shadow topper. I tried to builcdd it up on my eyes and it didn’t work, it stayed sheer. All of the other shimmers can be built up to look very foiled on the eyes.

The mascara is really nice, too. I forgot to do a close up of the wand. It’s a fluffy hourglass shaped wand. It gives lots of volume and length.

I really do love this palette. The colors are so summery and I love the range of shades. I need to do some more looks with it, but I am enjoying it so far!

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Do you have this palette? What’s your current favorite summer palette?

Brand Review — RAD Soap Co.

Hi all! I’m back with a sweet-smelling brand review!

RAD Soap Co. is a natural skincare line made fresh in Upstate New York and inspired by hemp beauty. Using their RAD proprietary process and main ingredient hemp with botanical extracts to create the world’s best bar of soap.

The two soaps I have received for review are:

Moon Rock Body Bar — A Rad body bar infused with Activated Charcoal and Black Currant Oil to fight troublesome skin for a flawless complexion.

Toke Natural Body Bar — A Rad body bar infused with Hemp Seed Oil and the ultimate hippie’s scent of Sandalwood and Vanilla.

What I think: These both smell amazing! The Moon Rock bar is great for the summer. My skin gets oilier, and breakouts do happen on my body. This really helps. Plus, I love the scent!

The Toke Bar has a more natural scent — very hippie friendly! LOL! It’s very nice to keep in the bath as well.

RAD has also just launched their new bar soap club subscription. You can get one bar for $10, two bars for $20 and three bars for $25. Each box also includes two mystery gifts. You can also choose to have it delivered every one, two or three months. And finally, you can choose your soaps. So it’s very customizable.

Check it all out at http://www.radsoap.com

I really enjoy this brand! What bath and body brands do you love?