#tartecosmetics – 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!

Shop My Stash April 2020 — Palette a Day Challenge April 5-9

Hey all! I hope you are safe and doing well!

I’m continuing my April Shop My Stash challenge. This month I’m doing something different. I’ve decided to used a different palette every day. I thought this would be a great way to use more of the palettes in my stash and would get me to wear makeup each day. It makes me feel a little bit better. It has been a bit challenging wearing makeup everyday, though!

April 5 — Tarte Unleashed Palette

April 6 — Pixi Beauty Eye Effects palette in Rosette Ray

April 7 — Colourpop My Little Pony Palette

April 8 — Elf Bite Sized Palette in Rose Water

April 9 — Colourpop Flutterby Palette

I forgot to include the Pixi palette in the group shot, but I do have it below:

I got this palette last year for my birthday. I haven’t used it in a while, but loved the look I created.

I used the shades Swan Song, Oh Deer, Hippocritical, Camelflauge and You’re Lion. Such cute names! I love the soft, natural look I got with these tones.

Here’s the Pixi palette! It is such a gorgeous natural palette. I thought it would be good for Monday, the start of the work week. Even though no one can see me, I’m still working 8-4 M-F and like to at least feel professional. LOL!

Not the best swatches. The shades I used are Mushroom, Glow, Ice, Plum and Mocha. They looked gorgeous on my eyes, though!

This is pretty, but I used it and decided it’s just not for me. In my normal shop my stash, I declutter items that I decide I don’t want to keep. And I think I’ll do that for this challenge as well. I didn’t care for the look I created with this and so I passed it along to my daughter.

Sorry this is blurry! I used the shades Butterscotch, Flutterbye,
Starshine, Firefly, Princess Sparkle and Applejack. I know my daughter will love it!

This Elf palette is so gorgeous, and it’s only $3! I want to purchase more, but every time I try to get the ones I want on Ulta.com, they are sold out. That’s okay, I’ll eventually get them.

So pretty, especially the shimmers! I used all four shades— I don’t think they have names. I’ll be wearing this all spring and summer for an easy look.

My favorite color is purples, so I love purple and mauve shadows! I just had to get this one because of the shades and the beautiful packaging.

The shades I used are Lush, Wild Wing, Made to Last, Getaway and Sunflare. I wore this on Thursday, which is my weekly Zoom Meeting for work. so I wanted a pretty, but subdued look. These shades were perfect!

I have been posting these each day on Instagram, if you’d like to check it out and follow me! It’s @fortyflirtyfab and I would really appreciate it. It’s been a lot of work, but fun. I’ll be posting all through April. I’ll be posting my next round up in a day or two.

BoxyCharm Premium Review – February 2020

Hi all! I’ve just received my February BoxyCharm Premium! This is a fairly new subscription from BoxyCharm. It’s a little more products than the regular and a little less than the BoxyLuxe. Here’s the details:

It’s $35 a month
6-7 beauty items a box
$175+ Value
You get to pick one of the items
The items will be different from BoxyCharm/BoxyLuxe – you can subscribe to both with no product overlap.

I’ve been receiving this box since it launched last November. The products I received are:

Karity Picante Palette — $29
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush — $40
Faccia Skincare 24K Gold Foil Moisturizer — $100
Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Ultra-Fine Mist — $28
Korres Body Butter in White Blossom — $32
Tarte Double Duty Beauty Base Tape Hydrating Powder — $30

My total this month is $259 — Amazing for a $35 box!

This is the item I chose this month. It was between this and a hair straightener. The photos I saw of this made the palette look so bright, but in real life it’s a lot more wearable. I’m excited to test it out!

I’m very excited about this blush! I don’t have any Hourglass Cosmetics products and I’ve heard their blushes are gorgeous. This is in Dim Infusion – A subdued coral blush fused with Dim Light to add warmth. I’m trying it out soon! I’ve been sick the last few days and haven’t been wearing makeup, but I have lots of new makeup to play with, so I’m getting up and putting makeup on!

This is the skincare I received. I love Glow Recipe and am looking forward to use this mist, but I’ve never heard of Faccia Skincare before, but I’me game to try this spendy face cream. I have a few moisturizers open right now, but I’ll put it in my stash for later.

I have heard good things about this Tarte primer. I love all types of primer, so I will use this, too.

The packaging of this Korres Body Butter is gorgeous. It’s very floral, but I will keep it in my office and use it when I need some hydration.

I am quite happy with this month’s BoxyCharm Premium! I plan on using everything that I got in the box this month! Amazing! Next month’s Premium is all Fenty Beauty products and I’m looking forward to that box as well!

I also just received my regular BoxyCharm for February and will be reviewing that in a couple of days.

Do you get BoxyCharm or BoxyCharm Premium? What did you get this month?

Shop My Stash — November 2019

Hi all! It’s time for my November Shop My Stash! I’m looking forward to the holidays.

I’m always excited to play with new (again to me) color cosmetics 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.

This month I have chosen products that I have barely used, if at all. I really don’t know if I like them. I’ve decided that I really need to go through my collection. I’m going to declutter in January, but I need to figure out if I want to keep some products or pass them on.

Here are the palettes open:

So pretty! I’m excited to really test these products out!

This is the Tarte Clay Play Eye & Cheek Palette Vol. II. I received this in my September BoxyLuxe. It looks like there’s a couple of versions of this palette. Mine has eye shadows and contour, the one on the tarte website has the exact same shade names, but the bottom row is a bronzer, blush and highlight.

I think this will be perfect for matte eyeshadow looks and I’m looking forward to trying out the contours. It also smells like cocoa. Yum!

It Cosmetics Superhero Eye Transforming Anti-Aging Super Palette– I love IT Cosmetics, but I haven’t really played with their eye shadows a lot. These are so pretty. The shades are nice for everyday wear.

I was only going to have one eye shadow palettes in my Shop My Stash this month, because I have purchased a few new palettes, and I know I’m going to want to use those when I get them. But, since the tarte one is all mattes, I thought I should use one with shimmers and color.

Huda Beauty 3D Highlighter Palette in Pink Sand — I received it in my July Ipsy Glam Bag Plus. I keep forgetting about it. So, I thought I would really give it some use and see how I like it.

And finally, I have a couple of lip products. The top on is the Becca Champagne Cocktail Lipgloss. I received this in a Becca set I purchased on QVC in February. It’s a really pretty berry shade, which will be perfect for this time of year.

I purchased the Profusion lip liner in a kit with a matte liquid lipstick and shimmery gloss. I didn’t care for those, but I did keep the lip liner because I love the shade. It’s called Imagine. It’s a nice pinky nude.

Here are swatches:

Sorry this is blurry. I do really like these shades, and I’m looking forward to using them!

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I am going to be using these as much as possible this month. I’ll let you know how it goes at the end of the month.

Do you do a Shop Your Stash?

Shop My Stash October 2019 Results and Monthly Empties

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

Unfortunately, I was sick for the last two weeks or so, so I didn’t wear makeup all month,

My most used products were the eyeshadow palettes and the essence highlighter. I used each palette a few times, the same with the highlighter.

The essence highlighter is so gorgeous! It can be worn sheer for a soft glow or built up to really shine!

I already let go of the Laura Geller blush. It was too dark for my skin tone, and it’s too old. And I have to say that I’m not really a fan of the Colourpop lipsticks, especially the Blur formula. It is pretty drying on my lips and the Creme formula isn’t much better.

Here’s photos with the eye shadow palettes open:

I really do love this Natasha Denona palette. I created a pretty pumpkin spice look with the orange and yellow shades a few times and also really love the red and purple shades. I am definitely keeping this beauty!

I love this Huda Beauty Smoky Obsessions palette, too! I create really pretty everyday looks with the brown mattes and the lighter shimmers. And the black and silver made a fun Halloween smoky eye! I love the quality of these shades and will be keeping it!

I think this is the first month this year that I’m getting rid of more than one item! I guess that’s good because my collection has really grown this year!

Now on to my empties:

As usual, my empties are mostly skincare, but I do have two makeup items. I’ve had my Tarte Shape Tape for over a year, and it’s finally empty. I might purchase it again in the future. It’s a nice concealer, but I have a few I’m using now and probably won’t need to purchase a new concealer well into next year! The Flower Beauty Seal the Deal matte spray is okay, but smells like perfume, so I won’t purchase it again.

I used up two cleansers. Skin & Co Whipped Cleansing Cream and Dr. Brandt Yogurt Cleanser. The Skin & Co cleanser is amazing at removing makeup and it so hydrating. I would purchase it again. The Dr. Brandt one was okay. I got it in a BoxyCharm. It’s expensive so I wouldn’t purchase again.

For the rest of the skin care, The Skin & Co Truffle Toner is amazing — so cleansing and hydrating. I would purchase again (and if you want to purchase from https://skinandcoroma.com/ and use code LORENA20, you’ll get 20% off your order!).

The StriVectin Neck Cream is lovely and so is the Mamonde eye cream!

October was quite a month. Since I was sick for over half of the month, I’m glad it’s over and I’m looking forward to November. Bring it on!

Giant Ulta Points Haul!

Hi all! I recently turned in my Ulta points and did an amazing haul! I got the items above and this advent calendar:

The Body Shop Online Only Essential Advent Calendar ($70 USD) — I can’t find this on the website anymore! So sad! It’s really cute and smells amazing! They still have the more expensive one. The Online Only Deluxe Vegan Advent Calendar. It’s $110. You can purchase it here.

Here’s the calendar open. I’m excited to open this in December!

Here are close up pics of the other items:

The pink bag was a gift with purchase. It’s full of a bunch of deluxe samples.

And I’ve been wanting the recent Anastasia Beverly Hills collabs. The top palette is the Carli Bybel palette and the bottom one is the Jackie Aina palette. I will be doing full reviews of both (and the Tati Beauty palette which I just ordered today)!

From the top is the Tarte Travel Size Timeless Smoothing Primer ($19 USD). Tati Westbrook talks about this all of the time, and I’ve decided to try it out. And I love that it’s in a mini. I always use a pore filling primer over a hydrating one. I’m using up a couple now, but I will try this out once they are used up.

I have also heard a lot about the new Benefit Boi-ing Cakeless Concealer ($22 USD). I purchased it in the shade 2, which may be too light for me. I probably should have got shade 4. But that’s okay, I’ll give it a go.

I picked up two items from Catrice — the Lip Treatment ($7.99 USD) and the HD Liquid Coverage Foundation ($10.99 USD). I love a good lip treatment and I have heard amazing things about the foundation. I picked it up in 020 Rose Beige. I haven’t tried it yet, but I’m hoping it’s an okay match to try. Of course, since I got it all with my points, it’s FREE MAKEUP! It’s not the end of the world if the match for that and the concealer isn’t perfect. I can always mix them with other products.

The other products I got are the Morphe X Jeffree Star JS4 Fly High Brush ($10 USD), Morphe Highlight & Contour Beauty Sponge ($8 USD), The Ordinary ”Buffet” ($14.80 USD) and the Peter Thomas Roth Mask MashUp ($25 USD) which is unfortunately no longer on the website.

I’ve been sick, so I haven’t really tried anything out yet, but I might wear makeup tomorrow to try somethings out. This is my largest points haul yet, and I’m so excited about it!

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Have you used any Ulta points for free makeup? What did you get?

BoxyCharm Subscription Box Review — October 2019

Hey all! I recently received my October BoxyCharm! This month there were so many different variations.

I’ve been subscribed to BoxyCharm for over two years now and really enjoy it. BoxyCharm is now $21 a month for 4-5 beauty items, most of them full-sized. Next month, in November, it increases to $25 a month. The value is supposed to be a little more, though. There is also a new BoxyCharm Premium starting in November. It’s $35 a month for 6-7 products. I haven’t decided if I want to try that one yet. I might cancel my Ipsy Ultimate (review to come), and get that instead.

My version is 39. This month I received:

Touch in Sol Pretty Filter Glassy Skin Balm–($32)
Iconic London Lip Plumping Gloss in Nearly Nude–($26)
Dose of Colors Eyeshadow Palette in Marvelous Mauves–($32)
Tarte Pro Glow Liquid Highlighter in Stunner–($29)
Illuminati Black Cosmetic Sponge–($21)

Total — $140 — great for paying $21!

I am in love with this box! Probably one of the best ones I’ve gotten in a long time. The Touch in Sol balm was the item I chose this month, so I’m excited to use it. I’m already using the lip gloss and it’s beautiful — not sticky at all. I don’t think I’ve noticed plumping, but it’s minty and nice.

I’m really looking forward to trying the Illuminati sponge. I’ve never heard of the brand before, but it’s soft and I wonder how it will feel once wet. I’m going to hold on to it for when I need a fresh sponge.

The only product I may give away is the Tarte highlighter. I don’t really wear liquid highlighter.

My favorite item of the box is definitely the Dose of Colors palette. I’ve been wanting to try one of their 5-pan palettes. Here is a close up of the palette:

So pretty! And the shades are so smooth. Here’s swatches:

All of these shades swatched really nicely. I’m excited to use it!

I’m very happy with my box this month. Next month will be a more expensive box and it’s also supposed to be worth more. I’ve seen a couple of spoilers and it looks like it will be a great box!

Do you get BoxyCharm? What did you get 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.

July 2019 Beauty Favorites

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

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

Like last month, I don’t have a lot of color cosmetic favorites. I’ve been really into trying out new skincare.

In my last month’s faves, four of the products were from my June BoxyLuxe. It was such an amazing box! None of these products are from my July subscription boxes. I did like some of my Ipsy Glam Bag Plus this month and couple of Boxycharm products. I am still testing them out, so maybe we’ll see them in my next month’s favorites.

These have been my favorite skincare this month. Two are from Skin&Co Roma. I reviewed them here. The Whipped Cleansing Cream is amazing! My skin instantly looks smoother after washing. I’ve never had a cleanser improve the appearance of my skin before. I also love the serum. It’s creamy and sinks right into the skin. It also instantly hydrates and I love it!

You can purchase Skin&Co Roma items 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 also reviewed the DHC Urumai Cream this month. It’s a beautiful hydrating cream that I love to use at night. It hydrates all night and when I wake up my skin is soft and glowing.

I purchased some The Ordinary skincare from Ulta a few weeks ago. This is my first time trying products from this brand and I am enjoying them! I’m especially loving the Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5. At first I thought it might be breaking me out, but it wasn’t. It’s very hydrating, but a little sticky, so I apply it after toner and layer on other serums (like the Skin&Co Roma one above) so I don’t have sticky skin when I go to bed. It really helps in hydrating and plumping up my skin.

These products are a bit more makeup-y. I purchased the MAC Prep + Prime Fix+ in Creamy Coconut during the Ulta 21 Days of beauty spring sale this year. I love purchasing staples like sprays. primers and powders during the sale. This was half off! I started using it when I ran out of my regular Fix+. It works the same, it just has a soft coconut scent.

I got the NYX Pore Filler primer last year. I just used up my Cover FX pore filling primer so I’m giving this a go. It works pretty well to fill in my pores. I use a more hydrating primer, then this one in my t-zone.

My favorite recent purchase is the PÜR 4-In-1 Love Your Selfie Longwear Foundation & Concealer. I haven’t reviewed this yet, but I might do a review soon. Would you like to see that? I can say that this foundation works so well for me. It is full coverage, but melts into the skin and looks so natural on. The shade I have is LP4. It’s a little light for me now, because I have a bit of a tan, but will work will for fall and winter.

My Buxom Lip Creams are in my Shop My Stash for July. This is the shade Hot Toddy. I have been wearing them a lot, especially this shade. They are so shiny and just a little bit tingley.

Last but not least is a fun new palette. My friend Angie gave me a gift card to Ulta for my birthday, and I picked this up! It’s the Tarte Unleashed Eyeshadow Palette. I love the shades in these — the names are so fun! And it smells amazing!

Have you tried any of these? What products have you been loving in July?

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?