Wednesday, July 31, 2013

What's In My Makeup Bag? (as of July 31, 2013)

I decided to switch up my make up bag again. The products I chose last time just weren't doing it for me, especially the Olay BB Cream (which I'll do a complete review on toward the end of next month. I'm still going to be using it on and off until then, but I'm not happy at the moment). So I decided to switch it up! I'm going to try to make myself use this stuff for at least a month. We'll see.

I decided to use the same eyeliners and eye primers as previously posted (link above).

For my face products, I decided to really try out my some of my BB Creams (including the Olay one, which is not pictured). The L'oreal is tried and true. I just picked up the Ponds BB Cream today at Walmart (couldn't find it at Ulta, and Walmart is in the same shopping center) after hearing numerous great reviews. I'm almost out of the Too Faced Beauty Balm so I wanted to go ahead and finish that. And the Revlon BB is also a newer purchase (within the last three months), so I still want to try it as well.

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For my powder I chose two different options - The L'oreal True Match Gentle Mineral Makeup, and the Lorac POREfection Baked Perfecting Powder.

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I purchased the L'oreal True Match after running out of my Bare Minerals foundation and not wanting to spend as much on a powder foundation. I also did a lot of research and discovered that a lot of Bare Minerals girls like this as an alternative. So I picked it up, and I do really like it. I still want to repurchase my Bare Minerals, though!

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I kind of have a love/hate relationship with this powder. I want to love it, so much, but it is so unbelievably messy! I have tried so many different brushes and sponges, and it doesn't really matter. But I do enjoy the coverage it gives me, and it doesn't make me too shiny.  I definitely just want to play with it more, which is why it is in the bag.


Next I chose my eye makeup.
While I was at Ulta, unable to find the Ponds BB Cream, I remembered I wanted to pick up a couple more of the color tattoos because they were on sale for BOGO 50% off. I already had Bad to the Bronze, and today I picked up Barely Branded and Inked in Pink.

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I had to run outside and take some swatches, and then come back inside and take some more. I think these will be great alone, or used as a base. I actually have a Too Faced palette that a couple of the shades have some fallout, and I'm wondering if these might be sticky enough to help with that problem.

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(outside in natural light)

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(inside)

The colors are from left to right: Inked in Pink, Barely Branded, and Bad to the Bronze. I think Barely Branded will be a great base- it is really close to my skin tone!


For eyeshadow I chose three different palettes - two from Physician's Formula, and one from Too Faced.

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I have had these two for longer than I care to admit, and both of them have seen their fair share of use- I actually dropped the one on the right from about four feet up! I believe the one on the left is for Blue Eyes, and the one on the right is for Hazel Eyes. My eyes are actually green, but they change color. And also, I just really, really liked the colors in these. And the pigmentation on these is great! 

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I bought this palette at Ulta when it was only $20.00. I believe I also had 20% off. I really liked the blush and bronzer colors, which are perfect for my skin tone. I haven't played around a lot with the eyeshadows, so that's why I want to give it ago. And as you can see, I have tried the lipgloss, but it is slightly sticky, so I'm not sure how much I'll be using it in the future.


Lastly, mascaras.

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I kept the Cover Girl Last Blast Length from last time, and have put a reminder in my phone that on my next trip to Ulta, I need to pick up a new tube!
I wanted to keep using the Mally Volumizing Mascara I received in my Summer 2013 QVC New Beauty Test Tube. It should be slightly drier than the last time I used it, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed I like it a lot more!
Too Faced lashGasm is one of my absolute favorite mascaras! This is a tester I received as a gift-with-purchase I believe, but I have an unopened full size in my makeup container. It really gives my lashes great length, and separates. And I don't notice a lot of clumping or flaking.
I'm still forming my opinions on the Benefit They're Real! Mascara, so I wanted to force myself to use it to really give it a shot. This little tube was included in this year's birthday gift from Sephora.


I'm really excited to use all these products this month, and definitely expect to see some reviews on those BB Creams in the coming months!

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Clearail Acne and Marks Wash and Mask Review (and my struggle with acne)

Now let's talk about acne.

I have had acne issues for what is the better part of my life at this point. I remember starting to break out when I was in 6th or 7th grade, when I was about 12 years old. I am now 28, and am still struggling.

I break out pretty much whenever my skin feels like it- hormonally, if I'm not careful with skincare products, and pretty much every time I turn my head wrong. No joke. I almost always have some type of active break out.

Or, I did.
I got engaged February 2011. I had always struggled with acne, and wanted to have better skin for my wedding. Admittedly, I was not the best at always washing my face two times a day, and did not always remember to take off my makeup before bed.
I also took stock of the products I was using, and realized I needed a change.

So, I picked up the Clearasil Acne and Marks Wash and Mask to try out. I liked the idea of this product, because I love a good mask, and figured why not? I had over a year to try stuff out (We planned on getting married in May 2012)!

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(This is an almost empty bottle!)

The first time I put this on my face, I knew I had found a special product. First of all, it smells great- it doesn't smell medicinal at all, it's almost slightly fruity in a way. But it is not overwhelming. It is a good consistency, and is a light-blue/grayish color. The first few times I used it, I only used it as a wash. And while I didn't notice an immediate difference, I noticed subtle things. My skin started to clear up a bit. And then the big changes- the scars I have started to fade.
This in itself was a huge deal to me! I have quite a bit of marks from previous breakouts. I am very, very fair (I usually wear the lightest or second lightest foundation available), so those red marks definitely stick around. And in high school, I had a slight picking issue when it came to my face, which also created scaring.

Then I used it as a mask. And it was like the heavens opened up and light shined down and I heard beautiful music and angels singing. NO JOKE. It has been that good for my skin. It doesn't dry it out at all, and it has actually made some of my active breakouts shrink in size overnight!
The mask itself does not completely dry, but I usually leave it on between 7 - 10 minutes- I'll pluck my eyebrows, or brush my teeth, or just watch a YouTube video or two while I'm waiting. Then I usually rinse with warm water, and it comes off super easily.

I don't have any irritation with this product- I actually go back to it when I do have issues with something else I might be trying. I also will only use this product if I am having some break out issues. It just really clears everything up for me!

Obviously I still have some scaring, but it has faded so much in my eyes. And I still get active breakouts, but nowhere near as severe, and they do not last as long.


If you look around the internet, this product tends to have some mixed reviews. However, for my skin type and for my issues, it seems to be working wonders!
I got really worried recently they were going to be discontinuing this product because they stopped selling it where I usually bought it (Target), however, I have been able to find it at CVS, and they do sell it at Amazon
I also asked Clearasil through Facebook and they assured me they have no plans to discontinue. That's awesome.


I highly recommend this product!


FTC: I purchased this product with my own money. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Tresemme Platinum Strength Shampoo and Conditioner Review

Let's talk about my hair.

It's long. It's fine. It's oily on the roots and dry on the ends. It's colored from root to tip once every 6 to 8 weeks. And it's definitely damaged.
So when I heard so many people raving about this line of products, I had to run out and try them!

The Shampoo
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This shampoo makes the following promises: "This moisturizing formula cleanses as it fortifies, for hair with beautiful strength. When used with Platinum Strength Strengthening conditioner it repairs up to two years’ worth of damage in just 5 uses*, so hair stays smooth and healthy-looking."

This shampoo definitely gets my hair clean, I will say that much. I feel like it completely gets rid of any product build up, and also has strengthened my hair- I haven't noticed as much breakage since I started using this product.

 The Conditioner
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This conditioner makes the following promises: "This fortifying formula protects each strand against damage for beautifully moisturized hair that’s manageable and ready for styling. When used with Platinum Strength Strengthening Shampoo it repairs up to two years’ worth of damage in just 5 uses*, so hair stays touchable, soft and healthy-looking."

To me, the conditioner is the star of the show! It helps keep my super fine hair from getting super tangled, and along with the shampoo, I can tell it's strengthening and repairing some of the damage I've done with multiple uses.


The claim is that it repairs up to two years worth of damage in 5 uses. Okay, this is a little bit of an exaggeration, or at least it was for me. BUT, I did notice little differences here and there (not as much hair all over my counter and on the floor in the morning, less snagging and tangling, etc) within 5 uses, and after about 1/2 way through my shampoo bottle and about 1/4 of the way through the conditioner, I felt the claim held up! My hair feels healthier than it has in quite a few years.

I know some of you follow this blog and have seen some of the other things I've been using on my hair. But that's mainly work day stuff. On the weekends, I wash and go for the most part (unless I have something major going on). And on those days, my hair still feels soft, less tangled, and just overall looks very healthy. And stays clean LONGER. I do not notice oil building on my roots as fast when I'm using this shampoo, which is also a big deal, because I have very oily hair.

The other thing I love is that it didn't make my hair color fade. It does say color safe, but I never trust that labeling. But with this shampoo, my hair did not fade in the slightest. That's a huge check in the plus column!

I highly recommend this shampoo and conditioner combo, and will definitely be repurchasing!


FTC: I purchased these products with my own money.

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

How to make your own Nail Polish rings

Awhile back, I was browsing Pinterest for nail polish ideas, and started seeing Nail Polish rings and jewelry. I immediately thought to myself "Now that is something that I can probably do!" And I have a ton of nail polish! So I started researching online more about how to make Nail Polish jewelry, and came across this blog post on Sweeter Lemon's blog, explaining step-by-step how to make your own nail polish jewelry. Then I started researching where to buy the supplies, and I turned to Etsy.

I knew I would need both the settings and the cabochons, so I started looking for a seller of both, and found the shop RingEarringPendant. I purchased this set, which came with 5 ring bases and 5 cabochons.

Once I got the jewelry, I set out to make my first ring, and it didn't go well. I didn't let the polish dry enough between coats, and all in all, it was just a disaster, so I tried again, and I think it came out pretty well!

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(I used China Glaze Rare and Radiant for this ring.)

Now I am sharing how to make these rings with you! For me, I start mine in the evening when I'm just hanging out watching TV, let it dry over night, and then put it together in the morning, This ensures I don't mess up the polish in any way.

To start, I get my supplies together.

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For this ring, I decided to use one of my newest OPI polishes.

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 (You can find swatches of this polish on The PolishAholic's blog.)

I start off doing one coat that covers the flat side of the cabochon completely. This is the top of the ring. If you were to do something with more than one color (like a glitter of some kind), you would start with what you want to see, and then go from there (basically, opposite of how you would paint your nails). I am just doing one polish, so I don't really have to worry about that.

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As you can see, the first coat of this polish is extremely sheer, so I'm going to need quite a few coats to get it to look like I want it to! And, again, I'm going to let the polish dry completely before moving on to the next coat.

I think you get the gist of this process, so here are my photos of all the coats. And I tried to keep the coats as thin as possible.

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At this point, it was starting to look pretty good, so I turned it over to see what it would look like looking through it.

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This isn't quite what I was looking for, so I went for another coat.

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And one last one for good measure.

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Then I flip it over again.

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That's better! You can see around the edges are a little lighter, but that will be hidden when you put it in the actual base.

I put a topcoat over the whole thing, and then let this dry overnight.

The next morning, I went outside to check my ring.

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 I then put it into the base to make sure everything looks the way I want it to before committing to gluing it down.

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Looks great to me! You can't see any streaking, and everything looks good!

Now I'm going to glue it down. I personally like the E-6000 crafting glue. It is recommended to use this outside, and I would suggest doing your own research before choosing this glue.  The fumes are insane, and you definitely either want to use it outside or in an extremely well ventilated room. And on a surface you don't mind messing up. That's why I do it outside, and on a paper plate.

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You barely need any glue, at all. I actually kind of regret buying this huge tube. But I digress. You can either get a tiny bit straight from the tube, or use a toothpick to get what you need.

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As you can see, I barely use any. At all. Then super, super carefully, I pick up the cabochon, and put it glue side up into the ring base.

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I then turn it over, wait about 5- 10 minutes for it to dry, and then try it on!

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I really, really like the way this one turned out! And I really love making these, and definitely want to get some different bases and different sizes. I think it's a fun way to make a unique piece of jewelry (most likely, no one else is going to have exactly the same one as you), and also a fun way to keep a favorite nail polish forever!

I really hope this helped some of you! I'm going to be trying out some other fun crafty-type things and will definitely post about my experiences! I am not by any means crafty, so it might end up being a bunch of huge fails, but it might be fun and I might surprise myself, too!



FTC: I made these nail polish rings on my own, and am not in any way affiliated with the any of the brands mentioned, or the seller mentioned on Etsy.

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Book Review: Sisterland by Curtis Sittenfeld

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Description from Good Reads
Curtis Sittenfeld, New York Times bestselling author of American Wife and Prep, returns with a mesmerizing novel of family and identity, loyalty and deception, and the delicate line between truth and belief.

From an early age, Kate and her identical twin sister, Violet, knew that they were unlike everyone else. Kate and Vi were born with peculiar “senses”—innate psychic abilities concerning future events and other people’s secrets. Though Vi embraced her visions, Kate did her best to hide them.

Now, years later, their different paths have led them both back to their hometown of St. Louis. Vi has pursued an eccentric career as a psychic medium, while Kate, a devoted wife and mother, has settled down in the suburbs to raise her two young children. But when a minor earthquake hits in the middle of the night, the normal life Kate has always wished for begins to shift. After Vi goes on television to share a premonition that another, more devastating earthquake will soon hit the St. Louis area, Kate is mortified. Equally troubling, however, is her fear that Vi may be right. As the date of the predicted earthquake quickly approaches, Kate is forced to reconcile her fraught relationship with her sister and to face truths about herself she’s long tried to deny.

Funny, haunting, and thought-provoking, Sisterland is a beautifully written novel of the obligation we have toward others, and the responsibility we take for ourselves. With her deep empathy, keen wisdom, and unerring talent for finding the extraordinary moments in our everyday lives, Curtis Sittenfeld is one of the most exceptional voices in literary fiction today.
 


My Review
The book begins with an earthquake, and a sister's revelation about her sexuality. These things are not related. However, the family dynamic and the earthquake become intertwined as the story continues, and you quickly see that one can be used as a metaphor for the other. 

The book itself is about two twin sisters, Violet Shramm and Daisy "Kate" Tucker. It is about their father and their mother. It is about Kate's husband, Jeremy, and two kids, Rosie and Owen. It is about their close friendship with their neighbors and collegue of Jeremy's, Courtney and Hank, and their daughter, Amelia (who is slightly older than Kate and Jeremy's daughter, Rosie).
The book is secondly about both sisters being born with senses- they have the ability to see into future events and also see people's secrets.


We mainly follow Kate through the book, and her thoughts. We follow her through her and Vi's childhood, their dealings with their mother (who appears to suffer from depression), and their interaction with classmates. Kate learns early on her abilities can be used to predict the future, and while at a slumber party, some girls are playing with a Ouija board and she can sense they are not using it correctly, but have honed a spirit. A popular girl "uses" Kate for her abilities to try to get a boy to like her, and eventually, the girl turns on her. This causes Kate to disregard her abilities for a long time, and even "burn" her powers.

Vi, on the other hand, continues to use her abilities, and eventually is able to support herself financially by offering readings and spiritual guidance to others. She has a spirit guide she calls "The Guardian".

One day, Vi predicts an earthquake. She doesn't know when it will happen. Then Kate dreams and wakes up and senses the date will be October 16th. From there, the book follows them both on their journey to this date, and beyond. It also follows the family and friends through this prediction, and how they relate and react.

The October 16th date ends up coming and going with an "earthquake" of a situation. I won't ruin that part of the story, but I will say you may see it coming. There is a reason Kate thought of this as a day that things in her life would shake. Many, many things happen this day.

The book is very good at leading you from the past, to the present, and then slightly into the future. At times, I wouldn't realize exactly where in the story I was, but that is probably reader error and not a problem with the book itself.
 I will say I was confused at first when they called Kate the name of Daisy. I didn't get that they were one in the same character, but that confusion was solved within a couple of pages.

I do think this book either requires you to believe in the ability of senses, or at least be able to suspend your disbelief if you don't. I personally do believe that people have senses, so it was easier for me to follow Vi and the way she was than if I did not. I know a lot of the reviewers on Goodreads say that she is selfish, and a sociopath- I don't see her this way. I see her as having a gift, and not being ashamed of it. And not living her life hiding herself has made her unabashed in her attitude toward Kate and her life choices.
Kate chose to hide her gifts. I believe this is mostly because of her personal experiences using her gift, and also partly because her husband does not believe in the gift. Not that her husband is a bad guy- to the contrary, he is a great father, devoted husband, and a well-written character.

There is a sexual element in the story that cannot be ignored. Both girls have sexual experiences in their early teens, and sex plays a big part in the story. If that makes you uncomfortable, this may not be the book for you. But that is maybe five pages out of the 416 page story, that is really about family and relationships. If you enjoy novels about family dynamics, this is a book for you.
But if you're looking for a book with a warm and fuzzy ending, this is definitely not the book for you, and Curtis Sittenfeld is not the author for you. None of her books leave you feeling great when you're done reading them. But they do stay with you.

I definitely enjoyed this book, but I had a feeling I would- I have read and enjoyed the last three novels I have read by Curtis Sittenfeld, which are Prep, American Wife, and The Man of my Dreams. I gave the last three novels Four Stars on Good Reads, and that is what I am giving this book as well. Not in my top favorites list, but definitely worth the read!


You can purchase Sisterland here for Kindle, and here for a physical copy. Or you can borrow a copy from your local library!


FTC: I borrowed this book from my local library.

Friday, July 19, 2013

Extra Post: Allure Fall Beauty Box

Hello everyone! I don't usually do posts on Friday, but I heard about this box, and wanted to make you all aware!

It's the Allure Fall Beauty Box.

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It goes on sale on July 23rd (next Tuesday) at 12:01pm EST. I am in California, so, for me, it will be on sale at 9:01am.

The amount of products you get for $39.99 (plus shipping) is INSANE. And they are all full sized products. The products contained in the box are as follows (and I have placed an asterisk next the ones I am especially excited about!):

- Burt's Bees Revitalizing Lip Balm with Blueberry & Dark Chocolate
- Carol's Daughter Monoi Repairing Hair Mask*
- Cetaphil® Daily Advance® Lotion Ultra Hydrating
- Goldwell® StyleSign® Magic Finish® Hairspray*
- KMS® California HAIRSTAY anti-humidity seal
- Neutrogena® Oil-Free Acne Wash
- Neutrogena® Rapid Tone Repair Night Moisturizer*
- Neutrogena® TRIPLE MOISTURE™ Deep Recovery Hair Mask*
- Pixi Eye Bright Liner*
- Redermic® Eyes Dermatological AntI-Aging Eye Corrector – Intensive*
- Redken All Soft Argan-6 Oil*
- Redken satinwear 02 prepping blow-dry lotion*
- RoC® MULTI CORREXION® NOURISH Stress Repair Eye Cream
- Sally Hansen® Airbrush Legs® in Medium- Sally Hansen® Complete Salon Manicure™*
- Sally Hansen® Ouch-Relief™ Wax Strip Kit
- Sally Hansen® Salon Effects™ Real Nail Polish Strips in Laced Up*
- Sally Hansen® Complete Salon Manicure™ Cuticle Eraser + Balm*
- SATION Wine-y Happy People*
- Schick Hydro Silk®*
- Simple® Hydrating Light Moisturizer*
- Skintimate® Skin Therapy Sensitive Skin*
- Tibolli® Hair Oil*

As you can see, I actually want 16 of the 22 products listed, which basically pays for the box. The products I don't really care about are either something I can give away, or just not something I know much about at the moment but will learn about once I actually get the box and hold the product in my hands.

You have to order this box at the time it goes on sale- I believe the summer box sold out in about 15 minutes. This will be my first attempt trying to get this box, but hopefully I will be able to get my hands on one! If I do, expect an unboxing/first impressions post, as well as future product reviews!


FTC: I am not affiliated with Allure, I just wanted to share this opportunity!


























Thursday, July 18, 2013

Pinspiration: Lorac Pro Palette

To follow up on yesterday's post, I thought it would be fun to post some great looks I've seen on Pinterest using the Lorac Pro Palette.

First up is this amazing look by Rachel Whitehurst.

 

Her look, which you can read more about on her blog post here, is a beautiful Smokey Eye using the shades Mauve, Pewter, Deep Purple, and Cream.

As a side note, thanks to this pin I discovered Rachel Whitehurst's blog and I am now obsessed. Thank You, pinterest!


The next look is a day-to-night look, that I found two separate pins for.


 
   

I really, really like the night look, and it might make me try the gold shade a little more! I'm a little scared of gold eyeshadows, but it's always nice to try something a little different!


 

I love when bloggers go out of their way to do something like this! A pin and tutorial without extra clicks!


And, lastly, the most amazing pin I have ever seen.


 

I know what you are thinking. You're thinking "Ashley, this is not 'the most amazing pin that I'VE ever seen.' " Well, sure. But then, you click on it, and you see the most amazing, gorgeous series of photos with looks from the Lorac Palette on this imgur page. And she includes complete descriptions on how to achieve the looks! I have a feeling the next time I break out this palette, I will have this page open on my phone!


You can purchase your Lorac Pro Palette at Ulta, Sephora, and the Lorac website for $48.00.

FTC: I purchased this palette with my own money. This post does not contain any affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Lorac Pro Palette Review

The Lorac Pro Palette was something I had seen on hundreds of blogs, but could never seem to find it in stock in any stores. Everytime I went to Ulta with a little extra cash to spend, I would look for it, but it would not be there. So imagine my surprise when I went to my Ulta with a 20% off coupon in hand, and they had not only one, but they were fully stocked!

The women that work at my local Ulta are super helpful, and let me spend the time really comparing the palette with others, and asking all kinds of questions about this palette vs this other palette. Yeah, I'm that girl walking around with swatches all over her arm! I want to make sure I'm getting something I will use. And after some tests, I knew it was well worth the money!

Below are pictures taken by me- obviously this is a well-loved palette, and has been used. My pictures are by no means perfect, and quality is something I will be working on!


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(I definitely need to get a photo box, right? But for now, enjoy my shower curtain in the reflection.)

This palette contains 8 matte shades (on the top), and 8 shimmer shades (on the bottom). They are extremely pigmented- I barely have to touch a brush in a shade and I get full color payoff.


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(I really did try to clean it up, but the palette does not lend itself well to a clean up! But you can see, it is well loved!)

Starting from the left, we have White, Cream, and Taupe on the top row, and Nude, Champagne, and Gold on the bottom row. I usually mix white and cream for a highlight, and put the Nude or Champagne on the lid. I will say Champagne does have some fallout, but it isn't horrible and is only during application, from what I can tell. I have only used the gold a couple of times, but it is extremely deep and pigmented. Which is probably why I have only used it a few times.


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Next, we have Light Pink, Mauve, and Sable on the top row, and Light Bronze, Pewter, and Garnet on the bottom. I really wish I could take some better photos (From Head to Toe has some amazing photos!), because this is not doing that Garnet shade justice at all. The Light Bronze has quickly become my favorite shade in the palette for using on the lid, and I tend to mix that with the Sable in the outside lid or crease. I just think it's such a beautiful combo! I also like using the Mauve shade mixed with a little bit of the Sable shade on the lower lash line.


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And last, we have Espresso and Black on the top, and Deep Purple and Slate on the bottom. I feel like Slate is the shade that is very close or a near dupe to the Gunmetal shade in the Urban Decay Naked Palette. I have used the Black shade a lot for tight lining my upper lash line- it's just a great matte black! I also have used the Deep Purple for a smokey eye a time or two. And clearly, me and the Espresso shade are familiar- I use this on my lower lash line, and sometimes in my crease mixed with Mauve (I almost always mix Mauve with something else when using this palette).

Overall I have been very, very happy with my purchase. This is the only palette I took with me on a recent trip to San Diego to visit brother-in-law and sister-in-law, and I also took it with me on my husband and my anniversary trip to Gilroy. (Yes, ladies, my husband took me SHOPPING for our anniversary. Best. Husband. Ever!) I definitely think this is worth the price I paid, and I feel like it will last me a long time, even with regular use.

This palette also came with an eye primer that I feel is pretty good! I am partial to my Too Faced Shadow Insurance, but I feel like this is definitely a close second. However, if I had to choose which to repurchase, I would probably choose my Too Faced Shadow Insurance.

You can purchase the Lorac Pro Palette at Ulta.com (as well as other retailers) for $48.00.


FTC: I purchased this product with my own money. All opinions are my own.

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

What's in my makeup bag? (as of July 16, 2013)

I have a decent collection of make up. I don't have as much as some people, but I have options. Because of this, I keep my makeup stored in a plastic container set I got from Target (actually, it's two connected), and then I sort out what I want to use for the next couple of weeks. The reason for this is twofold (shout out to those that got this Friends reference!): 1) It forces me to "shop my stash", and 2) allows me to try out my stuff in new and fun ways.

(I'm not going to walk through this whole process every time I do an update, but this time I will!)

I start by completely emptying out my bag, and putting all my make up back in my container. That way, I can see everything I have before I decide what I want to use.


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(My empty bag- purchased from Avon ages ago and it has seen some things! And yes, I do this on my bed!)

I then look at my makeup and say "self, I think you have too much/not enough makeup."


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(I have eight magazines to read and a book to finish! I just got all of those magazines this week! Too much to read, not enough time to do it.)

As you can see, the plastic containers can either be completely empty or have that pink container. I believe the one I got at Target is a set of three, and two of the containers have the pink containers inside. I only use three with my makeup, the other is in my bathroom drawer holding ponytail holders and bobby pins.

Here's a closer look at what each container holds -


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The top container contains "extras" and samples, or stuff I don't use often. The bottom container is all Face Stuff- BB Creams, Powders, Primers, and Foundations.

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The upper left container is eye shadow palettes, the upper right container is single eye shadows and a couple smaller palettes, and the bottom container holds all my brushes and implements, and a mirror that has a regular mirror and a magnifying mirror.

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And the last container has blushes and bronzers in the top portion, and eyeliners and mascaras in the bottom portion. 

I almost always start picking out my makeup by looking through my single eye shadows and my eye shadow palettes- Eye makeup is the thing that takes me the longest in the morning and I like to play around.

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I decided to use some lower end palettes this time! I chose my NYX For Your Eyes Only Beautiful Green Eyes Only palette, my Wet n' Wild Color Icon Palette in Lust, my Cover Girl palette in Country Woods, and my Cover Girl palette in Tropical Fusion.
I tried to go for a little bit more color, and that Orange in the Tropical Fusion palette was specifically calling to me this time.

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For a single, I chose Clinque's Colour Surge eye shadow in iced mauve. I received this as a Christmas gift from a really awesome ex-coworker! I really want to try to play around with this more, I have barely used it, but I think the color is absolutely gorgeous.

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I recently started filling in my brows. I know. I use the NYX Eyebrow Cake Powder in Blonde. And I fill them in with my Mary Kay brush.

Next I pick my face products.

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I bought this Olay BB Cream in Fair to Light about twoish months ago, and I am still not sure how I feel about it. So I decided it's time to really commit to using it. In the bag it goes! I also put in my L'Oreal BB Cream in Fair. My friend Jeanette told me about this a few months back, and I am obsessed! The only way it would be better is if it had SPF. But alas, it does not. I put this in there just in case the Olay is still not working great.
For powder, I am going to use the elf Translucent Matifying Powder. And for a blush option, I chose the elf Contouring Blush & Bronzing Powder in Blushed/Bronze. Fun Fact: This is suppose to be a dupe to the Nars duo with Orgasm. I don't actually have Nars in Orgasm, but I have heard this from several people. I also don't use that bronzer for bronzer, it is far too shimmery. But I will mix it with the blush for a crease color if I'm having to do my makeup in a hurry!


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I also chose two other blush/bronzer options. I chose Wet n' Wild Mega Glo in Catwalk Pink and Avon Smooth Minerals in Rose Radiance. Catwalk Pink is an absolute dupe for the Too Faced Leopard Bronzer- I have tried this myself because I own them both. Knowing I don't have to pay that much money again for the Too Faced makes me super happy (but if it comes in a kit, like my current one did, I won't be upset!).


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Almost done, I promise! Next I chose my eye liners. I chose Tarte emphasEYES inner rim brightener, Ulta Automatic Waterproof Eyeliner in Black, and Avon Waterproof Glimmerstick in Brown Chocolate. The Tarte eyeliner was a splurge on my last 20% off trip to Ulta (where I also got my Lorac Pro Palette- review up tomorrow!), and it wasn't something I went in to buy, but now it is definitely something I can't live without. I know there are drugstore options that do the same thing, so once I use this one down a little, I'm going to start looking.
I pretty much only will use a water proof eyeliner, because I almost always only use it on my upper and lower water line. My eyes are extremely sensitive, and I have found I have better luck with the waterproof versions, or a longwearing version, like the emphasEYES.


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For eye primer, I always have out my Too Faced Shadow Insurance, which is my Holy Grail eye primer. I also decided to pull out my Too Faced Shadow Insurance in Candlelight. I need to play around with the correct way to use this product- I always feel like I'm not doing it right, for whatever reason.


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Next I choose my mascaras. And I added in my NYX Jumbo Shadow Pencil in Milk. The mascaras I chose are Cover Girl Lash Blast 24Hour in Black Brown (for those more natural days), Cover Girl Clump Crusher water resistant mascara in Black, Bare Minerals Flawless Definition Volumizing Mascara in Black, and Cover Girl Last Blast Length water resistant in Very Black. I really love all of these mascaras- there's not one I'm "trying" in the bunch- they are all tried and true! I really like using the Last Blast Length on my lower lashes, but also use it combined with the Flawless Definition Volumizing mascara.

Lastly I choose my brushes. They all need to be washed, so no pictures of those for now! But I use a mix of bare mineral brushes for my face, Mary Kay brushes, and crown brushes. I am looking to invest in some Sigma brushes soon, so if you have any recommendations, let me know.

I have two other palettes that are out all the time because they do not fit in my containers. They are the Too Faced Shadow Bon Bons Palette my sister-in-law gave me for Christmas this last year, and the Coastal Scents 74 Eye Shadow and Blush palette.

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These stay in a letter organizer I have for easy access.


So this is everything I'm using right now! When I decide to switch it up, I will make another post, but I try to force myself to use all of these products for at least two weeks!

If you'd like an individual review on any of these products, please let me know!


FTC: All but the products mentioned as gifted were purchased by me with my own money. All thoughts and opinions are my own.