January 2018 Favorites & Empties Recap

It's been a couple of months since I've done a monthly favorites post. While this will be considered January's favorites and fails, this is really more like a "mid-Winter favorites" edition.


First, a quick note about my utter failure of the brand focus for January. You'll see the best of the best reflected here, but the concept is one I'm not loving. It turns out that the brand that I picked for January (Smashbox) doesn't excite me. I found a few new loves, but my new favorite product out of the bunch was a CCO pick which is discontinued.


Primers, Foundations, and Concealers:

1- Smashbox Photo Finish Primerizer (a new discovery), 2- Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer Pore Minimizing (rivals Benefit's Porefessional), 3- L'Oreal Magic Perfecting Base (does the job that I hope someday soon injectibles will take over), 4- Makeup Revolution Conceal & Define Concealer (a lovely drugstore concealer I've been reaching for), 5- Smashbox Studio Skin 24 Hour Waterproof Concealer (a fantastic discovery), 6- Guerlain L'Or Primer (is a HG, especially when paired with) 7- La Mer The Soft Fluid Foundation (I do love this, despite the price), 8- Kiko Skin Tone Concealer (is my favorite color corrector, sorry to see the local store closed), 9- Lancome Teint Idole Foundation (is too much on its own, but I've found an ideal mate in), 10- Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Oil (too much on its own but my new favorite mixing oil), 11- Too Faced Hangover Rx 3-in-1 Replenishing Primer and Setting Spray (perfect for winter), 12- Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer- Radiance (one of my new favorite discoveries, I just wish I didn't have so many radiance primers at the moment), 13- ColourPop No Filter Concealer (quite nice, just oxidizes a bit)


Powders:

1- Maybelline Fit Me! Loose Finishing Powder 05 Fair (the raves were real), 2- CoverFx Illuminating Setting Powder (is part of my project pan but I do like it under my eyes as it turns out), 3- Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Ethereal Light (my HG undereye powder), 4- MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural (my new HG)


Bronzer, Contour, and Brows:

1- Too Faced Sweet Peach Glow (the bronzer is outstanding on my pale complexion), 2- MAC Studio Sculpt Defning Bronzing Powder in Delicates (a new cool-toned favorite), 3- ELF Brow Kit in Light (multitasker-- I use the pomade on my brows and love the powder as a contour), 4- Benefit Browvo! Conditioning Primer (is something I love when I'm using it but always forget to repurchase), 5- Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Whiz in Medium Brown (no words necessary)


Blush:

1- Too Faced Sweet Peach Glow (has a lovely peach blush that leaves a healthy glow), 2- Smashbox Soft Lights in Prism (my absolute new favorite discovery and I'm gutted that the brand was foolish enough to discontinue it), 3- Physicians Formula Butter Blush in Plum Rose (a lovely nude blush only for fair complexions), 4- Clinique Cheek Pop in Nude Pop (one of my all-time favorites), 5- Chantecaille Cheek Shade in Blush (it's back in the philanthropy collection!)


Highlighter:

1- theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer (I'm sadly very late to this party), 2- Laura Geller Baked Highlighter in French Vanilla (a true favorite), 3- NYX Love You So Mochi Arcade Glam (a shockingly wonderful new discovery)

Eye Primers, Liners, and Mascaras:

1- Too Faced Glitter Glue (my go-to for glitters and shimmers), 2- Smashbox 24 hour Shadow Primer & Photo Finish Lid Primer (a wonderful duo of primers- one new, one an old favorite- that I've been enjoying), 3- Inglot AMC Gel Eyeliners in 77 & 78 (love these eyeliners and have been loving a teeny wing lately), 4- NYX Slide On, Glide On Eyeliner in Jewel (love this on the lower lash line with pinky looks), 5- NYX Metallic Eyeliner in Rose Gold (a great new Spring 2018 release), 6- Anastasia Beverly Hills Darkside Eyeliner (how did I ever live without this?), 7- Anastasia Beverly Hills Metallic Luster Liners in Liquid Silver and Liquid Gold (so lovely to use on a daily basis), 8- Urban Decay Subversion Lash Primer (my favorite lash primer to date), 9-Chanel Le Volume Mascara in Ultra Black (I'm so sorry to see my final tube done and gone. I love this so much)


Eyeshadow Palettes:

1- NARS Wanted Palette (Admittedly, this was an impulse purchase but the roses and pinks just called my name. Look for a full review from me soon), 2- LORAC California Dreaming Palette (this is new to me- I put it away, unused when I was able to nab it on sale. This seemed to be the perfect month to pull it out, and I'm thrilled), 3- NYX Love You So Mochi Palettes (these are the shocker of the spring for me so far. So, so good!), 4- Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette (I've been feeling rosy looks, so this came out to join the mix)

Lips:

1- NARS Audacious Lipstick in Anita (I was on a pinky nude kick this month and happy to pull this old favorite out), 2- Clinique Pop Lip Color- Nude Pop (this is in promo packaging but this is a lovely nude for daily wear), 3- Shea Moisture Luscious Lipstick in Tea Rose (one of my all-time cool-toned MLBB favorites), 4- Smashbox Be Legendary Lipstick in Primrose (my best discovery of the month), 5- Butter London Sheer Wisdom Lip Oils (Ballet Blush pictured but several shades are stunning), 6- By Terry Baume de Rose (any version- I used the original potted, original gloss, and tinted glosses), 7- Hourglass GIRL Stylo in Creator (another lovely pink), 8- NYX Butter Lipstick in Root Beer Float (my favorite discovery from the Holiday 2017 kit), 9- bareMinerals GenNude Liquid Lipsticks in Smooch and Slay (my two favorite shades of the line, this shows the types of colors I'm into this time of year), 10- NudeStix Intense Matte Lip & Cheek Pencil in Belle (finally, a great discovery from the Macy's box!), 11- Smashbox Always On Liquid Lipstick in Babe Alert (my favorite of the line), 12- Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb in Fenty Glow (this ended up on my lips just about every day. I'm obsessed)




Now, a quick note on my empties. I've been tracking my personal Project Pan on Instagram, but here's some analysis on the regular products I've used up- and the dollar value.

This didn't include any decluttered items, so it's shocking to see my monthly total over $900. I've decided to track these stats this year with the hopes of making my future spending conform with it. I know the bath/body will diminish once it gets warmer.

What have you loved or used up?

Anastasia Beverly Hills Prism Eyeshadow Palette for Holiday 2017

OK, friends. Buckle up, we're talking about an Anastasia Beverly Hills eyeshadow palette.

And unlike the last ABH palette I purchased, I'm actually going to talk about this one. Why yes, I do own the Palette That Shall Not Be Named. I chose not to post about it because of the drama it invoked.  In a small voice... and I like that palette, too.

Given the drama this summer, Prism arrived again with additional controversy. Would this be like Modern Renaissance or would this be Subculture Part II? Let's dig into this.

Prism ($42, 14 pans x 0.7g each) is another velvet-encased palette with 14 shades designed for holiday. This has mattes, duo chromes, and metallics. Unlike most of the other recent releases, this isn't a mostly matte palette.

I like how this looks as a whole. I wish ABH would move past its velvet packaging because it gets so dirty.

Let's talk formula. While writing this post, I have the last four ABH palettes (Prism, Subculture, Master Palette by Mario, and Modern Renaissance) sitting beside me as reference.

Something changed after the Master Palette, which has the MR formula. Prism and Subculture are very similar in formula, but having played with Prism for over a week I have a theory. I think Prism was pressed more than the initial batch of Subculture- which is what I own. The mattes were also the big issue in Subculture, and Prism is only 50% matte.

One quick note about the brush that's included- it's actually good, including as a nose contour!

OK, back to the colors in Prism. My camera was having issues with balance because of the contrast.

This gives me the feeling of gilded fabrics, velvets, and opulence- that's holiday in a nutshell.

Let's break these down into four parts. All descriptions are credit to Anastasia Beverly Hills.

Row 1

Lucid is "duo chrome white gold with pink reflect"
Eden is "ultra-matte coral pink."
Unity is "ultra-matte nude ochre"
Sphinx is "metallic warm bronze"

I found Lucid to be an interesting shade. It's got that wet feeling that the metallics in Subculture have- and it's way too strong for an inner corner highlight.

Eden is a pleasant surprise as a transition or in the outer crease. It's really pigmented and works well. It blends really nicely.

Unity is close to my skintone, so I use it to tone down other shades and blend things out. It's nice and pigmented.

Sphinx is nice, but I have so many nice bronzes so it's not unique.

Osiris is "metallic midnight violet with red reflect"
Sphere is "ultra-matte electric green-yellow."
Obsidian is "ultra-matte deep black."

Oriris requires a bit of finesse but I think it's lovely as a deep and mysterious lid shade.

Sphere is slightly patchy but blends well. It's an interesting addition to the palette.

Obsidian requires building. That's not a bad thing- ABH has a super black shade already (Noir) and this shade can be used to deepen anything else.

Row 2

Dimension is "duo-chrome silver-grey with pink reflect"
Parallel is "ultra-matte truffle"
Pyramid is "metallic yellow gold with green reflect"
Throne is "metallic blackened blue-green with multicolor reflect"

Dimension really pulled me into this palette. It appears as a lilac. I love these shades all over my lid.

Parallel is one of those gorgeous ABH mattes that are pigmented and blend like a dream.

Pyramid is your glitzy holiday gold that will make this palette a must-have for holiday.

Throne is stunning. I can't wait to really use this for evening. It's so beautiful.

Saturn is "ultra-matte terracotta"
Eternal is "metallic violet copper"
Lure is "ultra-matte ashy lilac"

Saturn is another one of those outstanding ABH mattes with all of the positives that are mentioned with that formula.

Eternal is a weaker shimmer, but it's buildable quite easily.

Lure reminds me of those lovely shades in MR that I adore.

I don't have any photos of this on my eyes to share, but I have plenty of thoughts.


This is not Subculture-gate Part II. I find Prism an interesting palette. There are warm shades, cool shades, neutrals, jewel tones... you've got everything you'd need (almost). I do think it's useful to have a few other mattes nearby to add in, but this is a great palette.

I'll be honest- I was nervous to order, but did since this is limited edition. Although I wasn't thrilled with my experience with ABH customer service, I did receive my palette in one piece. This is available via the usual retailers, and I highly recommend checking it out.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Sugar Glow Kit for Holiday 2017

I admit it: I'm relatively late to the game for the ABH Glow Kits. I missed out on the original few. I have the Nicole G, Sun Dipped, Moonchild, and Aurora Kits in my stash but wish I'd bought them from the beginning.

As much as I love these, I struggle to find the words to describe the products and their impact in fine detail. You've been warned.

OK, the basics. The Sugar Glow Kit retails for $40 and is currently available via the brand, Sephora, Ulta, and Macy's. I purchased mine from Ulta shortly after it launched. The Glow Kit contains four round pans that contain 7.4g of highlighter each- which is consistent with the previous four-pan Glow Kits. Like the others, this doesn't have a mirror.

The Sugar Glow Kit contains four shades that really work well for my fair skin. I like three of these so much that I may actually pick up a backup on sale so I can use without abandon. Let's dig into it.

Marshmallow is the lightest shade in the Kit.

The brand calls this a "white pearl." I spy a gold shift in this shade.

It's very pretty against my pale complexion and is more of a gleam on me than a metallic highlighter.

Next up, Gumdrop.

According to the brand, this is "duo chrome pink lilac."

This is one of my favorite shades- it mainly leans goldy pink on me although as a warning- there is some visible glitter.


The third shade is Butterscotch.

The brand describes this as "honey gold."

This is my least favorite shade in the Kit. It's a wearable gold for me, but a strong yellow gold.

The final shade is Starburst.

The brand describes this as "icy pink."

I call this my HG pinky nude highlighter. It can be subtle (left) or bling (right). This is incredible.


Here's a look at all four shades together- these pink highlighters really are some of my favorites. Normally I'm sad when I only have a testing item for an entire category in my weekly drawer but playing with just these for the past week was delightful.

I love the Sugar Glow Kit and find it to be so flattering on my skin. If you're extremely cool-undertoned and pale like I am, this is the Glow Kit for you. I'm honestly not sure how great this will be on medium and deep skin, so I'd recommend finding another set of swatches for reference.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick Set for Holiday 2017

Wonder where Sunday Dreaming went yesterday? I've been watching a lot of Kimberly Clark's AntiHauls lately and thought that I'd take a week or two off. Yes, I'll share my Ulta 20% planned purchase since that coupon landed in my inbox Sunday morning (psst... I usually take advantage of those to actually stock up on the essentials.) and my VIB Sale plans (and I didn't get invited to F&F this year for the first time in probably 5 years. It's ok, since I'm in the process of breaking up with Sephora anyhow). But not every week.

With that aside, I have picked up quite a few holiday items, notably from ABH and MAC. I'll bump some other reviews I had planned to show you the new stuff first.

Let's start today with the cutest of the holiday offerings, a trio of mini liquid lipsticks.

I think these are going to be a huge bestseller- not just because Sephora's pushing everything mini at the moment because of the value. These holiday kits are great for multiple reasons. First, you can just enjoy them yourself. Second, you can split them up as gifts to multiple people. Third, less waste. Regardless, these are great value.

This trio of minis retails for $25, and contains three shades: Dazed, Bittersweet, and Madison.They each contain 2.3g/0.08oz of product.

I can confirm these are larger than the GWP- take a look at what they look like, compared to a full-sized liquid lipstick and a GWP gloss.

Let's talk about the shades, and then I'll mention my feelings on the formula. I've been meaning to do a review of some of the popular liquid lipstick formulas. Look for that someday soon.

First up is Dazed.

This is the only shade that's been previously released in the trio. According to Ulta, Dazed is a "redwood."

This is a lovely, dark red that's not vampy. I think this is perfect for fall, and I can see myself reaching for it frequently.

Here's what Dazed looks like on my lips. One quick note on any of the swatches and lip shots- these dry completely matte. Since I was swatching back to back and didn't want to kill my lips by letting everything completely dry down.

That, and I swatched after work, which meant I had to rely on artificial lights.

Next up, Bittersweet.

According to Ulta, this is "swiss chocolate."

I don't eat chocolate, but this is a lovely brown. Here's a deep and beautiful swatch:

Unfortunately, this is one where the lights really lightened it up on my lips. 

Yep, a lot darker and more brown than my normal comfort zone.

The final lipstick is Hudson.

According to Ulta, this is "deep peach". I'm not sure if I agree with that entirely- it's more of a brown nude to me.

I guess I see peach as more of a spring color, an orange. This is straight up nude to me.

But a wearable nude.

Now that we've talked about all of the shades individually, I'll show a group swatch and let's talk about my overall thoughts.

Take a good look at those shades. I like them and find this to be really well curated set. I think its release in October is spot-on.

Is this Holiday? Hell no.

I see Fall. Specifically, I see November. I see leaves and Thanksgiving dinner and everything else. If ABH wanted a true giftable set, I'd like to see classic red, classic nude, and a vampy shade. That's holiday.

I like this formula- but only with the ABH lip primer. Otherwise it kills my sensitive lips (but that's normal for all but the bareMinerals liquid lipsticks). These last most of the day for me, and I think these are a great value. I know this is allegedly a giftable holiday set, but I'd recommend buying and loving right now. I just don't see these colors as being as perfect in late December-January. This is a great way to sample the formula with a trio is very wearable shades.