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.

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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:

IMG-2970 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.

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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!

IMG-3245 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:

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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! IMG-3231

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.

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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)!

2019 Annual Makeup Favorites — And One Big Fail!

Happy New Year!  I’m excited to share my 2019 annual favorites.  This year I’m breaking it up into two categories — Makeup and Skincare.

I love sharing my favorite makeup products.  I’ve included one in each category, and I will also lists some honorable mentions.  I usually don’t include products I don’t like, but I have one extreme fail this year that was a favorite on many people’s lists.  So read to the end if you want to know what foundation didn’t work for me at all!

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These are my favorite and most used products of 2019.  If I have reviewed or mentioned them before, I’ll link that post.

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Tati Beauty Textured Neutrals Vol. 1 Palette — I purchased a few new palettes this year and got a couple in PR that I really like. This one stood out to me because I really love Tati and wanted to support her, and I’ve never seen a palette laid out like this.  Gorgeous!

Honorable mentions are the Urban Decay Naked Reloaded Palette.  I used it a lot this year.  It’s such a nice, neutral palette.  A new one that’s a favorite is the Colourpop Going Coconuts palette.  I will be reviewing that one soon. And my favorite colorful palette is the Natasha Denona Sunrise palette.  It’s so gorgeous!    

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NARS Makeup Your Mind Eye & Cheek Palette — So this palette holds my favorite bronzer, Laguna and my favorite blush formula from the year.  I love all three of the blush shades in this — Luster, Orgasm and Dolce Vita.  Beautiful!

Looking back on my monthly favorites for 2019,  I really didn’t have many blushes or bronzers in there.  In November I purchased the Colorpop Pressed Powder Blush in Enchanted Mirror and the Milani Silky Matte Bronzing Powder in 01 Sun Light. I have been loving both of those.  I would love to find more favorites in these categories this year.

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Smashbox Photo Finish Primerizer — I purchased this in the spring Ulta 21 Days of Beauty, but just started using it in the fall.  I used it up in 2 months!  I will be purchasing again.  A primer I loved for the warm weather is the Touch in Sol No Poreblem Prime Essence.  I received it in a BoxyLuxe this year and loved how smooth it made my skin!

Catrice Cosmetics HD Liquid Coverage Foundation — This isn’t a new foundation, but it was new to me this year.  I love that it gives a natural finish with a nice coverage.  It doesn’t look like I’m wearing makeup. Honorable Mentions are the Pur 4-in-1 Love Your Selfie Foundation and the Urban Decay Stay Naked Foundation.  Both look so nice on my skin and don’t settle in my pores or lines.  I do need both of them in a darker shade, but I think they are nice, too!

Benefit Boi-ing Cakeless Concealer — This is one of the best concealers I have ever used!  It’s easily blendable and gives great coverage.  Plus it stays in place all day.  I do not have a runner up in 2019, because nothing compares.  Lets see if there’s a better one for me in 2020…

Urban Decay The Ultimate Brush Off Translucent Loose Setting Powder — I love the texture of this powder.  It sets under my eyes and all over my face flawlessly.  And it doesn’t sit in my pores and lines or look cakey.  I’m not a big fan of the packaging and hope they repackage it into a normal container without a brush.

Beauty Bakerie HD Flour Setting Powder is a close second.  I purchased it in the Spring Ulta 21 Days of Beauty and used it up in a few months.  I will be purchasing it again once I go through some powders I have.  It is light and doesn’t settle into pores.

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Essence Pure Nude Highlighter — This is an oldie but goodie!  I rediscovered this highlighter in 2019.  It can look soft and natural on or be built up to be blinding.  I do have a few other highlighters, but I don’t really love any other of mine right now.  I think I’ll try to find a perfect highlighter in 2020!

Thrive Causemetics Liquid Lash Extensions Mascara — What an amazing mascara! I alsways have the issue of my mascara smudging under my eye, even when I don’t put mascara on my lower lashes.  This is a tubing mascara, so it only comes off when I take it off with just water! Amazing! I also love the L’Oreal Unlimited Length and Lift Mascara.  It gives amazing length and builds up to be really voluminous.

Wander Beauty Frame Your Face Micro Brow Pencil — I got this in an Ipsy Glam Bag Plus. I no longer get that box, but I’m happy I received this brow pencil!  It is the perfect consistancy for me, not too soft or too waxy. Benefit Cosmetics Precisely My Brow Pencil Ultra-Fine Shape & Define is my runner up for brows.  It’s insanely pigmented, so a little goes a long way.  But it works so well on.  I love the micro pencils when doing my brows.

Pop Beauty Pout on Point Lip Liner — I have had this liner for a couple of years and it is almost out.  The color I have is Nude.  It’s not too creamy, so it stays on all day.  But it does glide on and blend like a dream!  I don’t have another lip liner I love as much, so I might have to make a Pop Beauty order soon.  I am always on the lookout for an amazing lip liner that doesn’t cost too much.

Iconic London Lip Gloss — I love this lip plumper!  The shade I have is Nearly Nude.  It’s lightly plumping and looks gorgeous over a lip liner or any lipstick. I don’t wear lipstick that much any more, usually just a lip liner with a gloss over it.  Although this is very nice, I am on the lookout for my perfect sheer gloss.  I need to use up ones I have before I will let myself try some more.

And now, my (probably controversial) fail for 2019:

L'Oreal Fresh Wear Foundation

L’Oréal Infallible Fresh Wear 24HR Foundation — Almost all reviews I saw for this last year were positive.  And there was a lot.  The only two reviews that weren’t as positive were ladies around my age that said it made them look like they were wearing foundation instead of just having beautiful skin.

For me, this foundation was just awful. It settled heavily in my pores and fine lines.  I tried so many different primers, serums and combinations of those to try not to look like a cakey mess when I wore it.  They didn’t work. Finally (before I gave it away), I had one day that I used an oil under it along with creams and primers, and it only looked slightly bad.  Almost passable.  LOL!  I gave it away after about 10 uses.

It was so sad because I was hoping to love it like so many others.  But I did find a perfect (for me) foundation, the Catrice one.

Did you try this foundation?  What did you think?

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I found so many amazing products in 2019!  I might have purchased too much, because I’m still working through them.  I still get BoxyCharm, BoxyLuxe and BoxCharm Premium, but I have got rid of my other subscriptions.  I am also going to try to purchase items I need in 2020.  And of course, a few I want.

Stay tuned for my skincare favorites of 2019 and I think I’m doing an annual Project Pan this year.