#flatlay – Page 8 – Forty, Flirty & Fabulous

BoxyCharm BoxyLuxe Subscription Box Review — September 2019

Hi all! I received my September BoxyLuxe! This is my fourth one. I’m so excited! I’ve been a subscriber of BoxyCharm for over two years. The regular BoxyCharm box is $21 a month. BoxyLuxe is a once-a-quarter upgrade option you can add to your existing $21-a-month Boxycharm subscription. So for an additional $28.99, you’ll get the Luxe items, 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 All Access. There’s a good mix of makeup, skincare and hair care this month. Here’s what I received:

Spongelle Mani Pedi Treatment–$18
Clean Skin Water Bottle Infuser –$17.95
STILA Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in Patina Shimmer — $22
IGK Hair Mistress Hydrating Balm — $29
Tarte Clay Play Face Shaping Palette — $45
Sutra Beauty 32mm Clipless Curling Iron — $65
Glow Recipe Pineapple-C Bright Serum –$49
Dr. Brandt Hydro Biotic Recovery Sleeping Mask –$52
Hank & Henry Beauty Liquid Liner in Blickity Black — $20

Total — $317.95! That’s so good for spending $49.99.

Here’s a closer look at the items I received:

I’m not the biggest fan of sleeping masks because they can be heavy and sticky. I’m not sure if I will keep this one or give it away.

The Pineapple-C Bright Serum was one of the items I chose. I’m almost out of my current Vitamin C Serum so I’m excited to have a new one to try. I have tried this a couple of times already and it does give a nice glow.

Everyone received the Mistress Hair Balm. I’ve tried this and am enjoying it. It smooths my frizzies and leaves my hair soft and shiny.

I haven’t tried the curling iron yet. This is an item I got to choose — it was between this and a brush set. I’ve never tried a clipless curling iron before so I’m curious to see how it works.

These two items were another variation I chose. I have never tried an infuser water bottle before, so that will be interesting. And, I love Spongelle products!

Every charmer received the eyeliner in black and the lipstick in one of three shades.

I don’t wear liquid eyeliner, so I will pass this one along. I love the lipstick shade. It will be pretty for fall.

I know this palette has been around for a while. It was a variation. At first I wasn’t blown away by this, but I decided to keep it. I’m recently starting to get into matte shadow looks and I like these shades a lot. I think it will be perfect for fall.

I’m pretty happy with this box. I will use almost every item. The only products I probably won’t use is the eyeliner and the sleeping mask. As good as that is, I think the only item I am really thrilled about is the serum. I really loved my June BoxyLuxe because I loved every item in the box. I’m hoping I’m more excited about the December BoxyLuxe!

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

Shop My Stash August 2019 Results and Monthly Empties

Hi All! I’m back with my August 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 August.

I am very happy with all of these products. I used them all a fair bit, and really enjoyed them.

Here’s photos with the palettes open:

I have decided to keep all of these products as I got good use out of them this month and I really like them all.

The Benefit Hoola bronzer worked for me when I had a tan. I’m kind of letting it fade so it’s becoming too dark for me. The Galifornia blush is so pretty, great for summer looks. I’ll keep these and give them a try again in the future.

The Em Cosmetics Infinite Lip Cloud in French Nude is so gorgeous. I wore it on it’s own and with a gloss over it and I like how it looks both ways.

Here are the palettes I focused on this month:

I used this Huda Beauty Coral palette a few times this month and really enjoyed it. The two shimmers are so gorgeous, and I enjoyed using them with the browns and coral mattes. This is a very nice quality palette.

The BH Cosmetics Desert Oasis palette was my most used one this month. I really love this palette and tried to use most of the shimmers in it, because they are just so stunning. I love how the mattes Canyon and Dune are larger pans because I did use them with almost every look. I also used the highlighters as highlighters and eye shadows.

I’m really happy with the products I used and had so much fun with my makeup this month. Now on to my empties:

Last month I had a ton of empties, but I still think I did pretty well this month. It’s mostly skincare with one hair care and one makeup item.

I will definitely repurchase the Lancome Cils Booster and the Pixi Glow Tonic Cleansing Gel. I really love both of those products.

I can also see myself repurchasing the Klairs Everyday Sun Protector SPF 50, the Laneige Bright Dew Original Essence and the L&I Apothecary Rose Facial Toner .

I also enjoyed the Briogeo Rosarco Milk.

I am not a fan of the heat, so I’m happy that summer is almost over. I love fall!

What products do you love to use out of your stash?

August 2019 Beauty Favorites

Hi all! It’s almost September, which means it’s time for my August favorites!

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

I have really been into skincare the last few months, and I have been continuing trying out new skincare and loving it!

I also have been loving a few makeup products, and some of them have been favorites before:

These are the skincare products I’ve been enjoying this month. I purchased the Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Pink Juice a few weeks ago. It’s so refreshing! It’s a bit sticky, but works nicely under makeup.

The Skin & Co Truffle Therapy Face Toner is amazing! It tones my skin and gives me a glow, but doesn’t irritate my sensitive skin. I’m almost out of it. You can purchase it and other amazing items from Skin & Co here, and by using my code LORENA20, you’ll get 20% off your purchase! It is an affiliate code, so I will get something if you do buy!

I am also loving the Pixi Beauty Retinol Eye Cream and the Emma Hardie Lift & Sculpt Firming Neck Treatment. The eye cream smooths the area and really helps with fine lines, and the neck cream firms my neck!

I believe I’ve had the beautyblender Bounce foundation in my favorites before this year. I had a lighter shade. This is 2.5 and it’s my summer shade. I have fallen in love with the foundation all over again! It’s so long wearing, even in the summer heat.

I have also had the Urban Decay Brow Blade and Brow Finish in past favorites, but have been using them again recently and love the look they give to my brows. I prefer more natural browns, but I can get a more dramatic look with the Brow Blade if I want.

The Em Cosmetics Infinate Lip Cloud in French Nude is in my August Shop My Stash I don’t usually wear liquid lipsticks, but I really love the formula of this one. It feels really light on, but it does dry down matte. And luckily, it’s not drying on. I really love the shade, too!

I purchased the NARS Summer Lights Face Palette in June as a birthday gift to myself and have been enjoying using it. I have used all of the shades. The bronzer is a little light, but it’s a gorgeous transition shade for the eyes. The highlighter is very glowy and the eye shadows are very pretty.

That’s my August favorites. Bring on September! What have you been loving this month?

Allure Beauty Box August 2019

Hi all! I just received my August 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 August box:

Primera Alpine Berry Water Cream
Nuria Defend Triple Action Eye Cream (full size $40)
Erno Laszlo Multi-Task Eye Serum Mask
Benefit Cosmetics They’re Real! Lengthening Mascara
Laritzy Liquid Beams in Topaz (full size $22)
MakeUp Eraser MakeUp Eraser The Mini in Black
Cargo Essential Lip Color in Palm Beach (full size $22)

This is such an affordable box and it always introduces me to new brands, which I like! This month, I received three full sized items. I will use everything except fr the lip color, which is too bright for me. I may pass along the Laritzy liquid beam to my daughter.

I item I’m most excited about is the Nuria eye cream. It looks really nice.

—————————————————————————————————————-

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

Ipsy Glam Bag Plus Review — August 2019

Hey all! It’s time for my August Ipsy Glam Bag Plus review! This is a 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 have pretty much enjoyed this subscription. I usually only use a couple of the items I receive each month, and so I’ve been debating keeping it. Unless I get tired of it, I think I’ll keep it until at least the end of the year.

Here’s what I received for August:

I realize this is a lot of products for an Ipsy Glam Bag Plus — I got three add-ons this month. Those are the top three products and I’ll talk about them later. Here’s what I received in my basic box:

Total — $204.50 — Wow! That’s an amazing value for a $25 box.

They usually have a little booklet, but this month it was a fold out card. It does give details of all of the products I received.

The product of these three I’m most excited about is the Purlisse Blue Lotus Moisturizer. I am almost out of my current SPF moisturizer, so this came at a great time!

I have quite a few peel off masks I’m not using, so I will probably gift this one away. I do want to try other products from Hey Honey. It looks like a great brand.

I have been wanting to try the foundation. The shade is Light which might be a little dark one me normally, but it might be a good summer shade.

These brushes are gorgeous! I’m excited to use them. From top to bottom is 10F Concealer, 65EM Mini Shading, 105E Pencil, 15E Angled Brow and 35EM Mini Tapered.

I LOVE the handles! It’s like a mermaid icicle! LOL!

I am so glad I received this gorgeous palette! I’ve used it a couple of times already and love it. I’ve never tried a palette from TheBalm, I’ve only had a small sample of the Mary-Lou Manizer highlighter. I was going to swatch it, but forgot, so I’ll do a palette review for it.

These are my three add-ons this month! I usually don’t do add-ons, but these were $3 each and I have been wanting to try the Coco Cabana Cream and the Thrive Causemetics Mascara. So far, I am LOVING the mascara. It’s a fiber mascara so it doesn’t smudge.

I might try the gorgeous Pixi blush or I might save it for a giveaway…we’ll see!

————————————————————————————————————-

I’m really happy with this month! Last month’s box was also good, so I’m on a roll!

I’ll use the palette, the brushes and the moisturizer. I might try out the foundation and will probably give the mask away. I am also happy with my add-ons.

Do you get Ipsy Glam Bag Plus? What did you get in your box this month?

BoxyCharm Subscription Box Review — August 2019

Hey all! I recently received my August BoxyCharm! I always watch for the spoilers so I basically knew what I am getting. There were a couple of different variations this month. Read on to find out what I got (and if I got the variation I wanted)!

I’ve been subscribed to BoxyCharm for almost two years 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 2. This month I received:

Wander Beauty Glow Ahead Illuminating Face Oil ($42)
Ace Beauty Glimmer Eye Shadow Set ($25)
Tarte Big Ego Mascara ($23)
Becca Cosmetics Hydra-Mist Set & Refresh Powder ($39)
Steve Laurent Lip Liner in Chic ($15)

The total of this box is $144. Not bad for only paying $21!

I have been wanting to try this since it came out! It’s a powder that contains water. A lot of people say that it feels wet when you apply it. To me it just feels really cooling. I have tired it. I find that it’s not great for under the eyes, it cakes up. But a light layer can set the rest of my makeup and it looks really natural. I’m going to continue testing it out, it’s so much fun to use!

This oil and the powder were two items I think everyone will get this month. I already have a few oils I’m not using, so I will probably give this away. Plus, I think it has shimmer or glitter in it and I don’t enjoy that in my skincare.

So the big variation this month was either this mascara or the Peach & Lily Glass Skin Refining Serum (which is what I wanted). I did get a deluxe size of this mascara with the tarte Unleashed palette I recently purchased. It’s okay. It gives a lot of volume, but it smeared badly under my eyes. So I will be giving this away and I am envious of those who received the serum!

The top photo is the nude lip liner and the bottom are shimmery shadows. I’ve used the lip liner a couple of times. It’s pretty hard, so I hope it will soften up. I do like the shade.

The shadows I received are in the shades Iced Latte and Cotton Candy. They remind me of Colourpop Super Shock Shadows. The texture is the same. Here are swatches of these products:

The shades of these eye shadows are so pretty! My only issue is that there is a lot of glitter in them. I don’t know if you can see that, but here are specks of glitter in each one. While I love metallic eye shadows, I’m not the biggest fan of glitter in my shadows. I’ve worn the pink one (Cotton Candy) and it is gorgeous on. My only issue is that I have glitter all over my face. Next time I wear them, I’ll put on a glitter glue first and see if that helps. If not, I’ll pass them along to my daughter.

This was an okay box for me. Not as good as the last few BoxyCharm’s I received. But I will use the powder — it kinds of makes the box for me. I also will use the lipliner and hope it gets softer and I might continue to use the eye shadows. The face oil and mascara will be given away.

What did you get in your BoxyCharm this month. If you got the serum — lucky dog!!!

I’m really looking forward to my BoxyLuxe in September. I hope it’s as good as the June one.

New Pixi Beauty Skintreats — Retinol Collection and Zero Zit

Hi all! I hope you are having an amazing week!

I’m back with some amazing skincare! I was sent new fab Pixi Beauty for my honest review.

Pixi just released a new Retinol Collection which contains a unique time-released retinol. This allows the products to be used by even those with sensitive skin. That is perfect for me. I would love to use more retinol, but I have sensitive skin.

They have also released Zero Zit which is Pixi’s first ever blemish solution to launch in the U.S.

Here’s more about the products:

Retinol Eye Cream ($22 USD) — Formulated to improve elasticity, smooth & protect the delicate skin around the eye area.

Retinol Jasmine Lotion ($24 USD) — Lightweight yet deeply moisturizing, this antioxidant-rich milky-lotion is the perfect daily moisturizer for a youth enhancing effect. Formulated with vitamin A, jasmine oil and peptides to renew, smooth and deeply nourish.

Retinol Jasmine Cleanser ($18 USD) — Creamy moisturizing cleanser enriched with vitamin A (retinol), antioxidants and ceramides removes all impurities for smoother, firmer and more radiant looking skin.

Zero Zit ($24 USD) — A lightweight gel-formula spot treatment with sulfur & salicylic acid to control oil & treat the blemish … but it also has aloe vera which makes it super soothing and moisturizing on the skin.

Overnight Retinol Oil ($24 USD) — This exquisite oil blend helps to restore skin plumpness and improve the appearance of fine lines and pores.

Retinol Tonic ($15 3.4 oz) — This potent youth preserving tonic features a unique time-release Retinol to help rejuvenate the skin for a natural glow. Powerful antioxidants and botanicals replenish the skin for a smoother, softer appearance while soothing sensitive skin.

What I think: I am excited most about the retinol products. I want to start using it more in my skincare routine, but my skin is very sensitive. These products are amazing for sensitive skin!

I have tried the retinol tonic before and it’s gentle, but leaves a really pretty glow. The night oil absorbs quickly and a little goes a long way. The cleanser is very creamy and is so hydrating. It’s a good evening cleanser.

My favorites are the eye cream and moisturizer. They are both really hydrating without being greasy. I have noticed that the eye cream smooths and firms the eye area. I only wish the products had a jasmine scent the them, since a lot of them have jasmine oil in them. I love the scent of Jasmine! But these all are very lightly scented if they have a scent at all, and that’s nice for those who can’t tolerate scented products.

I also have tried the Zero Zit on a breakout. I just applied it to the affected area for a couple of days and it did seem to work. Plus, it didn’t dry out or irritate my skin.

————————————————————————————————————————–

Have you tried Pixi Beauty Skintreats? What are your favorites?

Beautyblender Essentials for Summer

Hi all! How’s your summer going? Mine is going well. It has cooled down a bit in Kansas City, which is so nice!

I was recently sent some amazing summer beauty products from Beautyblender for my honest review. I love this brand and the original Beautyblender is one of my favorite beauty tools!

RE-DEW Set & Refresh Spray ($30 USD) — This do-it-all mist refreshes makeup, extends versatility to existing formulas and easily adds a boost of hydration whenever needed. 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.

The Original Beautblender ($20 USD) — Get a flawless blend with the award-winning, premier edgeless, reusable, high-definition cosmetic sponge applicator, in classic pink. The exclusive aqua-activated™ material provides an airbrushed application and absorbs minimal product, so your favorite formula lands on your complexion, not your sponge.

Selfie Shield™ Broad Spectrum SPF 38, Dry Oil Primer ($32 USD) — This totally invisible, quick-absorbing dry oil helps both protect and prep skin with no residue or cast–no matter your skin tone. The feel-good formula offers multi-spectrum protection from UVA, UVB and HEV (high energy visible) light to help fend off damage from both the sun and your tech devices. I love how quickly this absorbs in, but it also gives an extra layer of hydration when that helps when I wear a more matte foundation. It’s really nice under the BOUNCE foundation.

BOUNCE Liquid Whip Longwear Foundation ($40 USD) — Available in 40 blends. The shade above is what I’m wearing since I have a bit of a tan (I’m pretty fair normally) is 2.50. My normal shade is 1.50. This is full coverage. It’s not supposed to look heavy on, but I need to make sure I am well hydrated before I use it. I have combination skin. It does look very natural on when I am moisturized and use a light layer. It has a pretty soft matte finish.

Have you tried any of these Beautyblender products? What do you think?

Shop My Stash — August 2019

Hi all! It’s August! 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.

Here are the palettes opened:

I chose eyeshadow palettes that are very summery and shimmery! I have a little bit of a tan now and love bronzes, corals and golds! Plus, I think my skin tone is tanned enough for deeper bronzer!

BH Cosmetics Desert Oasis – 19 Color Shadow & Highlighter Palette is so beautiful for summer! I bought it last fall and need to use it more. It’s mostly shimmers, but I like how two of the mattes are larger sized, since those are shade that are used a lot. On the right hand side are highlighters. They also make gorgeous eye shadow shades!

Huda Beauty Coral Obsessions palette. I received this in March from Ipsy Glam Bag Plus and I think I’ve used it once. So, it’s time to give it a go! The shades are gorgeous and I’m excited to try it out.

Both of these are from Benefit, the Galifornia blush and Hoola bronzer. These are both perfect summer products. I’m usually too fair for the bronzer, but I think it will work now that I have a tan. The blush is really summery, too!

Em Cosmetics Infinite Lip Cloud in French Nude. I recently reviewed these. I really like this shade. I don’t wear matte lipsticks that much, so I though I would give this more use.

I’m excited for this August Shop My Stash! I can hardly wait to get going on creating some new looks!

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.

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?