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?

Too Faced Unicorn Survival Kit for Holiday 2017

I know it's Viseart Friday, but I'm struggling to schedule in all of these holiday kits so consider this a bonus post to get through Holiday 2017. Believe it or not, I'm scrambling to get all of the Holiday releases up before Thanksgiving... that's how much I have to review!

I purchased the Too Faced Unicorn Survival Kit within the first few days of its launch. Currently listed as a $26 Ulta Exclusive that has $48 in products, I decided just to give it a try. I'm usually a sucker for these affordable kits.

I have thoughts. Lots of them.

The three-piece kit comes inside of a cute holo makeup bag with unicorns on it.

Now, let's look at the trio of products.

First up, a deluxe sample of the Melted Latex in Unicorn Tears. It's 3ml in size.

Here's a few things to keep in mind. First, I only dabble in the unicorn makeup. Second, I've never tried the Melted Latex Formula. Third, I haven't played with this color in general.


I was happy to see that the same wand that I liked from the Melted Mattes was kept for the Melted Latex.

 So, it's a blue-based, thick gloss- with some purple hints.

I was shocked at how grey it looks on my hand there. Needless to say, I had a feeling it would look awful on my lips.

Unfortunately, I was right.

So, this is a bust for me. I think it's too sticky and thick to be used like the Milk gloss as a transformer. It is what it is, but it's not right for my life. Glad I didn't purchase a full sized product to make that mistake.

Next up, the product that made me feel the saddest of all.

Say hello to the Unicorn Tears highlighter. This sweetie weighs in at 2.5g, and is called a "mystical highlighter."

It's beautiful. It's a light blue and has a unicorn imprinted on it.

But it came broken.

That's after I attempted to fix it.  This is stunning and beautiful... and broken.  It's got that lovely blue duochrome highlight that's similar to the holiday Becca highlighter and the NYX Prismatic highlighter. It's freaking perfect on me.

But it's so soft that it crumbled. That makes me so upset...

It's beautiful but hard to use because it continues to crumble on me.  Sigh.

Now, off to the classic Unicorn Tears lipstick.

This deluxe sample weighs in at 0.05oz and is the least problematic of the group. It's also the classic. Take a look at this photo to see the hidden shimmer.

It's is one of the favorite that I've shot in quite some time- you can really see the glitter embedded in the formula.

So, does it translate?

Here it is on my hand:

And after I got rid of that swatch, I was left with light blue glitter all over my hand. Fun!

I tried seven different times to get a decent photo of it on my lips, but consistently failed. Given how long this product has been on the market, I gave up.

So, it is worth the $26?  For me, no. My favorite product is crumbling, one of the lips can be finessed, and the other's a hard pass for me. However, it would make a really fun holiday gift for any number of people.

October 2017 Favorites

Much like September's favorites, I'm going to try to keep it simple here. I was all over the board in terms of testing new products this month (I hope the diversity of posts- and the frequency- was a tipoff to that.) Consider this the best of the best.

Eyes:

Eyeshadow: Quite unexpectedly, Tarte Clay Play found its way into my heart this month. I find it such a quiet but reliable friend that can rescue most looks gone awry. I also became obsessed once again with putting highlighter on my eyes- in this case, Fenty Beauty Trophy Wife. I've been looking for the perfect gold for years and this is it. I haven't talked about it in this space yet, but my Inglot Eco Palette was a go-to. Marc Jacobs The Lolita continues to be that go-to when I don't know what else to do.

Eyeliner and Mascara: I'll continue to give a written nod to the perfect ABH trio of liners that are the foundation of my work. I continued to enjoy my Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes Precision Longwear Eyeliner and the Stila Huge Extreme Lash Mascara.

Cheeks and Face:

Blush: I got in a rut this month. I think Fiona Stiles Soft Cheek Veil in Valley was on my cheeks all but a few days, and Physicians Formula Butter Blush in Plumrose the other days. It was a neutral month, ok?

Bronzer: I finally finished my Physicians Formula Butter Bronzer this month, and I remembered why I love it. L'Oreal Glam Bronze continues to lurk around.

Highlight: I don't remember what I was wearing before it came into my life, but aside from the days when I was testing something else, MAC Whisper of Gilt has been my BFF. I get it, y'all.

Contour: Kat Von D Shade and Light palette. Enough said.

Primers: I wore quite a few, but nothing's fab enough to shout out. I have a quiet routine, but I'm not going to write the same thing every month.

Concealers and Correctors: I'm trying a new concealer that I'm not yet ready to shout-out... wait for the review.

Foundation: I discovered a new HG foundation this month- Inglot HD Perfect Coverup Foundation. Look for a full review soon. I also rediscovered how much I enjoy MAC Studio Fix Foundation, which is a true classic. An old HG, Chanel Perfection Luminere Velvet, just wouldn't stop jumping into my hands in the morning.

Powders: I rotated through a few powders this month. After taking the sifter off, I rediscovered just how good NARS Soft Velvet Loose Powder in Flesh is. I also continued my love affair with MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Light, RCMA No Color Powder, and Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Ethereal Light.



Lips:


I'll be honest, I've been playing with holiday releases for most of this month (for example, all 6 LORAC kits), so I don't have any favorites! I'm looking forward to giving my lips a break in November!

Nails:

I  pulled out some classic shades this month- Chanel Rouge Noir, Chanel Atmosphere, and Chanel Particuliere.

That's it- it's a light October because of all of the testing.  I'm doing something different this month- an entire month-long everyday makeup drawer. Wish me lujck.

September 2017 Favorites

I love doing my monthly favorites... I hope that they're fun for you to read as well. I've been testing so many new products that I've tried to keep my favorites streamlined. Any links are to previous reviews that I've done on the blog for your reference.

Eyes:

Eyeshadow: I really kept reaching for three palettes this month- Natasha Denona Lila Palette, PUR Trolls Palette, and LORAC Mega Pro 1. I'd expect these three to keep popping up from time to time. I'm also still a huge fan of all of the MAC Girls Palettes.

Eyeliner and Mascara: Other than my favorite trio of ABH liners, I also reached for the long-discontinued Chanel Perle de Lune and was thrilled to bring the Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes Eyeliner back into my life via the Ulta sale. Nothing like keeping it simple.


Cheeks and Face:

Blush: Dose of Colors Blush in StateMint brought me back down the rabbit hole into old habits. Chantecaille Cheek Shade in Bliss found its way back into my drawer, and I purchased a full-sized version of Tarte Paarty. When I wasn't wearing a light pink nudey blush, I was also wearing Natasha Denona Blush Duo #15.

Bronzer: I've been reaching for two bronzers- both from the drugstore- this month. I'm so close to finishing my Physician's Formula Murumuru Butter Bronzer in Light Bronze and L'Oreal Glam Bronze 01 is my cool-toned go-to.

Contour: I feel sort of like I'm cheating since I only bought this halfway through the month, but Catrice Prime & Fine Professional Contouring Palette has been my go-to since I purchased it when I want an effortless contour. I've been testing other products, but I love this little guy. Look for a full review soon.

Highlighter: I wasn't very committed to highlighters this month. Fenty Beauty Metal Moon and Becca Prismatic Amethyst probably found their way onto my cheeks the most frequently.


Lips: 

Basics: I continue to worship Anastasia Beverly Hills Lip Primer, as it now allows me to comfortably wear matte liquid lips. I've also been using up my Fiona Stiles Ultra Luxe Nourishing Lip Balm.

Lipstick: I'm still fairly boring when I'm reaching for lipsticks. Hourglass GIRL Stylo in Peacemaker and Bobbi Brown Lipstick in Uber Beige are still my go-tos.

Liquid Lipstick: I discovered how much I like two formulas this month. Too Faced Melted Matte Liquified Lipstick in Freshly Baked ruled my daytime looks, whereas I've been playing with Dose of Colors Matte Liquid Lipstick in Berry Me at night. I can't wait for it to cool enough to wear it out during the day.

Lip Gloss: It was all about Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb in Fenty Glow this month. Period. End stop.


Base Products:

Primers: I've been trying to finish primers this month, so the only constants are my Too Faced Hangover Rx 3-in-1 spray- which is a must, the L'Oreal Magic Base to fill in some fine lines, and the Milk Makeup Blur Stick.

Concealers: Tarte Shape Tape. Any questions?

Foundations: I rediscovered how much I love the Chanel Perfection Luminere Velvet foundation this month. I continue to enjoy La Mer The Foundation (tell me if you'd like my thoughts), It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC Cream and bareMinerals Complexion Rescue Hydrating Gel Cream.

Powders: I forget why I stopped using Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Ethereal Light under my eyes. It's one of two powders (the other being the NYX one I talked about yesterday) that set my eyes this month). In terms of all-over powder, it's been either the Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder or MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Natural.


Nails:

Color: I'm going back to my roots here. I had one of a few shades on my nails most of the month. Thanks to Glossybox for bringing Morgan Taylor Magician's Assistant into my life. I've also been loving some CVS finds- Pop-Arazzi Pewter Perfect & Staying Up Slate. I also pulled Chanel Alchimie out for the few days it was cool (Side note: whoa, that's digging in the archives to find that post!). I also put China Glaze Pearl Jammin' on my nails as soon as I purchased it (there's something fresh about muted pastels in fall).


Skincare and Bodycare:

Skincare:  I ran out of Drunk Elephant C-Firma Day Serum and my skin showed it almost immediately. I now have a $80 staple in my routine. I also continue to enjoy First Aid Beauty Coconut Smoothie Priming Moisturizer.

Bodycare: I rediscovered my love for L'Occitane's almond line this month. In particular, I've been loving the L'Occitane Almond Milk Lotion. In the shower, I fell in love with Le Petit Marseillais Shower Gel in Mandarin and Lime.


That's it for my beauty favorites- but I'd love to share a few non-beauty items with you as well.


Non-Beauty:

Style-wise, I've been loving the combination of my Sam Edelman Felicia Flats, and will be picking up other colors. These come in wide, which is wonderful. I've also been wearing my Longchamp Large Le Pliage Tote on a daily basis.  This might be TMI, but I've discovered how lovely the Delimira Womens' Plus Size Maternity Bras are. I'm not pregnant, nor have I had a baby recently. However, I am a thirty-something who is naturally "blessed". Those bras give me nighttime support and actually help ease some of my back pain.

What have you been loving this month?

Too Faced I Want Kandee Collection

Call it the power of suggestive advertising and excellent product placement. I was planning to skip the new Too Faced x Kandee Johnson collab collection (exclusively at Ulta and TooFaced.com), but I got sucked into swatching and playing with the collection since it was the first thing I saw walking into Ulta.

Well done, Too Faced. Ya got me.

Although you likely already know, there is one eyeshadow palette, one cream highlighter, one banana powder, one liquid liner, and four melted matte liquid lipsticks in the collection.

I will say that I actually restrained myself to two selections: the Too Faced I Want Kandee Melted Matte Liquid Lipstick in Freshly Baked ($21) and the Too Faced I Want Kandee Candy Liner ($18).

Let's start with the Melted Matte liquid lipstick. One of the reasons I picked up this product is because I've been side-eyeing the line every time I go to Ulta. I've wanted to try it but didn't like the lighter shades. Freshly Baked seemed to exactly what I was looking for.

With the Too Faced Melted Matte Liquified Matte Longwear Lipsticks, you get 7ml/0.23fl oz of product. It also comes with an angled applicator.

Notice the small details that are different from the permanent collection- like the cap itself.

Now, let's talk about Freshly Baked. I feel incredibly guilty sharing this with you since intermittently it's sold out on Ulta's website- but it was still available at my local Ulta in-store. Freshly Baked is a MLBB matte dusty rose according to the website.

I agree.

This whole collection is totally scented like candy.

Here's what it looks like on my lips, freshly applied:

I also decided to give the formula a wear test. Here's my first check-in on my iphone:

It does look lovely in flat outdoor light, right? This is totally an office-friendly shade- something I was looking for!

Next, I decided to play with eating and drinking. This does transfer a bit:

Yes, that's my laptop and blog in the background.

After drinking, it still looked pretty darned good. And not just because it's close to my natural lip color.

Now, the ultimate test- does it hold up to eating? I decided to put it up against a formidable foe- Chipotle.

And the results? This is blurry but you get it. I'll also mention that I could taste something sweet on my lips while I was eating. Interesting.

Fail.

Still, I really like the formula, it didn't kill my lips, and it held up pretty well. I could manage this with a single reapplication at lunchtime at work.

So, in summary- this lipstick didn't kill my lips (but the ABH primer probably helped a ton). Does it hold up to drinking? Yes. Chipotle? Hell no.

I'm toying with picking up Sweet and Sour, the orangey-red shade. I'll also be unafraid to try the rest of the line now!

Now, let's talk about the other product I picked up The I Want Kandee Candy Liner Black Licorice Liquid Eyeliner.

You get 3ml/0.1fl oz of product in the liquid eyeliner.

Real talk time. I suck at winged liner- and at liner in general. I could blame that on my hands being a bit unsteady, or on the fact that my eyesight is so poor that without glasses I'd be considered legally blind. But no- time to woman up and just say that I suck at it. I've been working at it though.

Normally I hate brush-tip liners. But it's the shape of this one that pulled me in.

This is supposed to make winged liner easier. I need anything that would make it easier for me.

I played with this for a few days, mostly right before I was ready to take off my makeup. It took a bit, but I think this is a great liner. It did improve my wings.

Here's a swatch:

It's quite an inky black, so I wholeheartedly approve. It also doesn't bleed on the eyes, either. One warning: it's not matte; it's quite shiny.

Bottom Line: I'm quite happy at my impulse purchases, and these formulas are great. I won't be as apprehensive to purchase Too Faced special collections in the future.

As a bonus, here's an iphone collection swatch on my hand in Ulta when I was debating between products: