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?

Target 12 Days of Beauty

Happy Boxing Day to those who celebrate- or, Day After Christmas to some of you, or December 26th to others. I'm going to continue with the rest of my Advent Calendars.  Next up, Target's 12 Days of Beauty- which retailed for $15.

I'll admit that this was a bit flimsy- see how the doors all wanted to rip off? This was an assortment of makeup, skincare and haircare.

Here's a closer look at the doors:

They each come with some info on the product, and some tips from Target's Beauty Advisers. I thought this was a nice touch.

Just as a warning, they made it quite clear what's inside on the back:

To make it easier on you...

Day One: Maybelline Great Lash Mascara
Day Two: elf Lip Exfoliator in Mint
Day Three: Hask Argan Oil Cream
Day Five: Pixi Glow Tonic
Day Six: Vichy Mineral 89 Face Moisturizer
Day Seven: NYX Bright Idea Illuminating Strip in Lavender Lust
Day Eight: Nexxus New York Humectress Intensely Hydrating Masque
Day Nine: Honest Beauty Everything Organic Facial Oil
Day Ten: Real Techniques Beauty Sponge
Day Eleven: Eyelure No. 31 Eyelashes
Day Twelve: Pacifica Sea Foam Complete Face Wash

I thought the products were really nicely sized

This is the only calendar that gave me a full-sized sponge and lashes, so that made it different from the rest- and somehow quite the value.

I like this calendar, and I may repurchase next year. I've always wanted to try the Pixi without investing, and between the Eyelure lashes and RT sponge you've almost got the value back. It's nice to see a range of Target brands.

These are also very generous samples- well, done Target!

NYX Lippie Countdown Advent Calendar 2017

Merry Christmas to those who celebrate! I'm happy to be sharing another of my advent calendars for Holiday 2017. Let's go drugstore with this one- this year's advent calendar from NYX Cosmetics.

Last year's calendar was also 24 days but was 12 eyeshadows and 12 lipsticks. I honestly didn't get much use out of any of it- but I was ready to try this year's version.

Welcome to the NYX Lippie Countdown, which originally retailed for $65- but was again an Ulta Black Friday deal for $29.99. NYX's lip line is so diverse that it was awesome to sample a bit of all of them.


Here's the contents of the calendar:

Now, here's a closer look at them, by day:

Day One: Matte Lipstick in Eden
Day Two: Liquid Suede in Soft Spoken
Day Three: Simply Vamp Lip Creme in She Devil
Day Four: Lip Lingerie in Push Up
Day Five: Soft Matte Lip Cream in Paris
Day Six: Butter Lipstick in Seashell
Day Seven: Intense Butter Gloss in Berry Strudel
Day Eight: Butter Gloss in Creme Brulee
Day Nine: Matte Lipstick in Up the Bass
Day Ten: Lip Lingerie in Corset
Day Eleven: Soft Matte Lip Cream in Sao Paolo
Day Twelve: Matte Lipstick in Indie Flick
Day Thirteen: Liquid Suede in Vintage
Day Fourteen: Butter Lipstick in Root Beer Float
Day Fifteen: Butter Gloss in Raspberry Tart
Day Sixteen: Lip Lingerie in Embellishment
Day Seventeen: Simply Red Lip Cream in Russian Roulette
Day Eighteen: Liquid Suede in Stone Fox
Day Nineteen: Soft Matte Lip Cream in Copenhagen
Day Twenty: Matte Lipstick in Shocking Pink
Day Twenty-One: Lip Lingerie in Exotic
Day Twenty-Two: Intense Butter Gloss in Tres Leches
Day Twenty-Three: Butter Gloss in Sugar Cookie
Day Twenty-Four: Butter Lipstick in Ripe Berry


Now, let's look at the contents a bit closer.

There are four matte lipsticks:

I've tried two of these so far- Eden and Up the Bass. Believe it or not, I've never tried the formula before.

The three Butter Lipsticks are a bit more mellow- and more my speed.

I keep reaching for Root Beer Float over and over- I have a feeling I'll be purchasing a full size before the year's up!

There are three Butter Glosses. I already love this formula.

Creme Brulee is my favorite by far.

The two Intense Butter Glosses couldn't be more different.

I think you all know which one I favor.

I wasn't impressed by these Lip Lingeries. Look how they swatch.

The Soft Matte Lip Creams were uneven as well.

Two of the three perform well.

Luckily my full size Paris performs better than this- and I didn't own the others before now.

The Liquid Suedes performed better.... but these aren't my colors.

Although the formula worked better, these are unique shades.

Lastly, there were two stick lipsticks.

They're nice, but they do move around.

Pros: Unlike last year, these are all lip products- and these are all generously sized.
Cons: Box spoils the surprise on the back (they're in order) and on the panels- you know the color family and finish just by looking at that day's door; I found the liquid lips to be really hard to swatch.

Would I buy this at full price ($69)? Nope. But did I find it a value at $29.99? Yes, unequivocally so.

I've already worn a number of the items in this set and look forward to pulling them into my lip wardrobe in 2018. I've counted at least five I'm pretty sure I can use to completion.

NYX Beyond Basics Holiday Kit 17

Confession: I was trolling for a new palette at Ulta recently during the 5X point multiplier (I have something in mind for my 20% off coupon and I want to combine with as many points as possible to lower the price.). I was literally frustrated, and this attacked me in the leg.

So, I brought it home.

Say hello to the NYX Beyond Basic Holiday Kit- Version 17 ($20, in-store only at Ulta but online here at NYX Cosmetics). According to the brand's website, there are two versions of this kit.

For your $20, you receive three items- a six pan eyeshadow palette (same size as the Lingerie palette if you're curious), a black Matte liquid liner, and a Matte Liquid Lipstick in Nude Rose.

I'll be honest, I haven't had much time to play and test this because I got it 48 hours before the allergic reaction on my eye. So this is more of a swatch overview in case you'd like to pick this up as a last-minute gift.

For me, the six-pan shadow palette is the star. There are five mattes and a lone shimmer.

The six 0.04 pans are only numbered. It's worth noting that the brilliant magenta is marked as a pressed pigment that's not eye safe.  This usually means that there's a non-FDA approved dye involved. It's also worth noting that there's an explicit waterline warning because this contains carmine. So, don't use this on the waterline.

These shades just look like this time of year, don't they? Here's how they look swatched:

That creme is almost the same as my NW15 skin, that's why you can't see it. I'll get a lot of use out of this and will be sure to report back once I've thoroughly tested it.

To pair with the palette, you receive a Matte Liquid Liner. This looks to be close to full size, if not equal.

It's got a brush tip, and will be pulling this into my rotation in 2018.

Lastly, there's a Matte Liquid Lipstick in Nude Rose in the kit. I've not seen this formula on their site, or in a NYX store before. It's close to a full size though.

Admittedly, I didn't let this dry down before taking the photo, but it's representative to the color. With my furnace now running all the time, I have to be careful with drying items on my hands. Nude rose is a nice warm nude that I'll be happy to try once it gets a little warmer and my lips a little less chapped.

This is a fun little stocking stuffer- I know we're up on it in terms of holiday shopping, but there were plenty of years where I worked until the 21st, shopped for 14 hours on the 22nd, drove home to my parents' home on the 23rd, and wrapped the 24th. So I know there are still people shopping. These kits appear to be in-store at Ulta but online from NYX. I think it's a nice little value for sure.

Two New NYX Releases: In Your Element Lipsticks & 3 Steps to Sculpt

During Ulta's recent Fall Haul event, I picked up items from two recent NYX collections. These don't have anything to do with each other, but I just wanted to pair them for the sake of simplicity.

Let's start with the newest release- the limited edition In Your Element Collection.

I picked up three of the lipsticks ($9, 4g/0.14oz each) the first day of the Ulta Fall Haul sale. In full disclosure, I swatched and decided to pass given the price point the prior day at a NYX store. But at $6ish each, I was in. (Side note: I see that price hike and perhaps working with influencers is pricing NYX out of its core customers.)

I also went back later and swatched more shades but stayed with my original 3 selections.

Let's start with my selection from the Metal Collection (each of the six palettes have three lipsticks)

I was really feeling Fall despite it being 93 the day I purchased this.I picked up Glossy Deep Berry.

If you're looking for the gorgeous packaging to be reflected on the tube, sorry to disappoint.

These are black with holo writing (yes, it actually is- don't come for me). Nicer than the average NYX tube but not stunning like the palettes.

OK, back to Glossy Berry.

It's quite pretty- and screams Fall. I know I have a few similar shades in my stash, but I couldn't resist this formula.

Here's how Glossy Berry swatches on my hand:

And here's how it looks applied to the lips- no foundation, lipliner, or other tricks (as usual) in my photos.

Top: Direct studio lighting, Bottom: Ambient room lighting

I think this is a shade I'll reach for often this fall. I'm not sure why I've never previously gravitated towards NYX lipsticks, but this is just lovely. And although I think $9 is steep in general, it's still well placed at the drugstore, price-wise. It pulls a lot redder on my pigmented lips, but I'm digging it. Now, if it would be cool enough to rock this.

Next, let's go to the Air Collection.

Sigh. I knew I shouldn't do it, but I picked up Matte Rose.

It's lovely warm matte pink lipstick.

There's nothing wrong with this. In fact, it's really pretty and I'll be reaching for this starting in about January a lot. I think we've established that these pinks are my weak spot when it comes to lipstick.

One caveat about these mattes- they're really like satins. They're not matte matte (which I love).

It's just lovely, right?

Here it is on my lips:

Top: Studio lighting Bottom: Ambient Lighting

Here's the deal. I love this shade, but I own so many of these. I often use the blog as an excuse to enable my bad purchasing habits. I'm so happy to have this, but I'm going to tuck it away until after Christmas because it's winter/spring color for me. I find the formula to be really pretty.


Let's wrap up with my selection from the Fire Collection. Spoiler alert: it's my favorite of the three.

I selected the only color to have sold out as of Wednesday at my local Ulta: Matte Mauve.

Like the Matte Rose, it's more of a Satin than a true matte-which is glorious in my opinion. I also question the naming of this as mauve. Trust me when I say this isn't any mauve I've ever known. If you're ordering blind, you need to be acutely aware of this.

Here's a swatch of non-mauve mauve:

Can we agree that's a brick-terracotta color not mauve? It's glorious for fall though.

Here's a lip shot in studio lighting:

And an "in the wild" shot when I was wearing it out and about in natural lighting (iphone photo).

In that photo, I also applied over foundation-covered lips. And yes, it looks more matte.

When I was in the sun, however, the gleam showed up. Sorry for the angle, but I was actually trying to capture my highlighter and eyeshadow not my lipstick!

This is a new staple shade for me this Fall and it's the winner of the collection. I'd buy this at regular price.

I find these non-matte mattes to be really comfortable and highly recommend the formula. With 18 shades, you're likely to find your new favorite somewhere in there!

If you're looking for me to do a review of any of the In Your Element palettes, that won't be happening. They're a hard pass for me for multiple reasons. The packaging is beautiful, but $30 for a NYX palette is absurd in my mind. Even on sale I didn't want to reward that large of a price jump. More importantly, I wasn't impressed by the formula. Had I bought one of them, I wouldn't have touched it ever again. If I were to ever do an anti-haul, this would've been at the top.

Next up: 3 Steps to Sculpt Trio ($11.99)

This came out a couple of months ago, but I still consider this to be a relatively new release.

I swatched this at a local NYX store and was really impressed by the quality but I didn't need any new contour kits. The next day, this went on sale at Ulta. So off my money went. You receive 3 5g/0.18oz powders in the trio. They're nicely sized for a precision brush.

There are 4 different kits- Fair, Light, Medium, and Deep. I've got the Fair kit here to show you.

 

I've been on a contour purchasing kick as of late. This is the only one that has a highlight (and the highlight is the letdown of the three).

Let's go to the swatches, and then I'll talk about my experience wearing this.

Left: Studio, warm light. Right: Artificial, cool light

The reason why I'm showing two sets of swatches is that the truth to the naked eye lies somewhere in-between.


Let's start with the low point of the three- the highlighter. It looks pretty in the pan but it's chalky and glittery. I'd never wear it on my cheeks; I've used it in the inner corner a few times when I had the palette out already. To be honest, I'd have liked the trio better if this was a duo without it.

If I'm going in terms of worst-best, next up is the contour. The first two times I wore it, I thought I ruined my contour. It's extremely pigmented and quite warm. As a fair person, I prefer a very cool contour.

However, I've come to enjoy it and have figured out how to make it work. I either do it under some tinted finishing powder (to help diffuse) or use the tiniest bit. Two or three quick dabs (like Subculture-soft dabs) will more than do an entire contour; I do one at a time and build with a Wayne Goss Face Brush. (It's also lovely in the crease as an eyeshadow.)

My favorite product in the trio is the matte highlighter. Nope, I don't use it as a highlighter but the powder is delightful. I've been using it as a non-shimmering undereye setting powder. It's glorious for that. I don't crease with this powder, which is a rarity. I'd rebuy an entire palette of just the matte highlighter.

This is one of two contour palettes/duos (ironically, both from the drugstore) that I can see myself grabbing for travel because they're multitasking powders. If you overlook the chalky, glittery highlighter it's a great value.

Bottom Line: NYX is stepping it up as of late. I'm interested, but not liking the price creep I see going on.