Birthday Haul 2015

Last month I turned 30.
Along with all my other birthdays, since I'm signed up for quite a few rewards cards, I was drawn into having Birthday Savings at a lot of different places, as well as receiving giftcards.

Here's what I got from...

Sephora



I got the Nars lip pencils as a Birthday Gift from Sephora for being a Beauty Insider.
I also treat myself on my birthday every year to something else from Sephora since I'm already there, and decided to get the Too Faced Natural Eyes palette. It is now one of my favorite palettes I have ever owned, and I find myself using it almost every single day. All the colors are so wearable for my skin tone, and are just gorgeous.
I also picked up a new Urban Decay eyeshadow in Lost, and it goes quite well in my Urban Decay palette.



I purchased Sin either last year or the year before (I honestly don't remember), and it was so lonely. Now it has a buddy, and they look beautiful together.


Ulta


A couple of friends of mine gave me giftcards to Ulta for my birthday, so I decided to use them to get some things I had my eyes on, but never bought with my own money.
The CoverGirl mascara was kind of a dud- it's definitely not up there with my favorite mascaras, or even ones I just tolerate.
The foot scrub and foot balm were a couple of products I had been eyeballing, and when I went in they were BOGO 50% off, so I decided to try them and give myself a pedicure. Okay, a pregnant girl giving herself a pedicure is like the funniest thing, ever. If only you guys could have seen me. I will say both the scrub and the balm worked great, and I'm definitely glad I have them for after my pregnancy, but for now I will either ask my husband for help or leave it to the professionals.
The Morrocan Oil Mask is something that is so incredibly hyped that I just had to give it a try finally. I had been holding out to see if maybe I would receive it in a subscription box, but no such luck. I now know that it's definitely worth the money, and I can see myself saving rewards points to purchase this in the future.
The Eucerin hand lotion is something I always have at my desk at work. It's non-greasy, and unscented. And incredibly moisturizing.
The Covergirl Ink It eyeliner is another thing I've heard a lot about, and even though I didn't really need a new black eyeliner, I bought it. And I'm glad I did- I really enjoy it. It's very black, and does not go anywhere.
And, finally, cotton pads. I bought these because I knew I was getting the Marcelle eye makeup remover in my February 2015 Birchbox, and I didn't have cotton pads.



This is my second Ulta purchase in the month of February. It was only after I bought everything above that I remembered I get a birthday gift with Ulta, but it doesn't come until your actual birthday. So, this year, they gave away that eyeshadow palette (which, okay, that's fine, but I really liked the CKOne Mascara from last year and wish it was a higher-end brand product), and since I'm a Platinum Member I also received $10.00 off anything. I combined that with about $20 worth of rewards dollars, and purchased the Matrix Oils you see above. I had received samples of them from the girl that does my hair at Ulta, and they are pretty great.
I also got a sample of the itCosmestics Universal Brow Pencil from an email coupon- it was free with any purchase.



Overall, other than that Covergirl mascara, I'm pretty happy with all of my purchases. I've been really careful lately to truly think about what I'm buying before I buy it, and if I'll actually use it. I actually impulse buy a lot less now that I do a couple of subscription boxes, and I actually research everything I buy before I buy it, at least in terms of cosmetics. With the kid on the way (and the cost of daycare in the front of my mind all the time), I know I need to watch my dollars as carefully as possible!


FTC: These products were either purchased by me with my own money, with giftcards provided by friends, as birthday rewards gifts for being signed up for loyalty programs, or as a gift-with-purchase. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Ulta Haul #1

I decided to place an order at Ulta.com- the Naked2Basics had just come out, I needed a new thing of Too Faced Shadow Insurance to have as a back up (plus, it was 1/2 off that day, thanks to Ulta's 21 Days of Beauty!), and there were a couple of other things I wanted to get with my $3.50 off of $10.00 for the month.



I am almost out of my Biore Charcoal Cleanser, and that is now a must-have item for me, so I had to pick it up. I also wanted to try the Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Body Wash because I've heard it's great for dry skin, and my skin has felt super parched. I also picked up a black eyeliner from Ulta. It's not waterproof, and the one I'm used to is, so I'm reserving judgement on it until after I open it, but I'm not opening it until after my other one is used up.

And I almost always opt to get the variety sampler, and this is what I got. I just put it with my other samples I get like this, to try out "one day".


I am intrigued by the Deodorant Wipe, though.


FTC: All products have been purchased by me with my own money.

Perfect Palette Tag

I've seen this around YouTube and I thought it would be a really fun tag to do!


1. Best Packaging


I have to give it to the Naked Basics. I love that the mirror stays in place. I love how sleek it is. It's not always easy to open, but I do wish more of my palettes were like this, basically because I can set it on a table and it will stay open.


2. Best Color Payoff


It's a tie between my Lorac Pro Palette, and my original Naked Palette. I feel like the color payoff on both of these is really true to pan.


3. Most Versatile


This definitely goes to the Lorac pro. I can create any look I want with this palette- from super neutral to dark and smoky. Anything I want to do, eyes wise, I can do!


4. Best for Traveling


This is also a tie! If I need to go somewhere, these are the two palettes that I want with me. It's not that the Lorac doesn't have enough mattes- it certainly does! But between the two, I have a mirror that can stay open, and enough of a mix of mattes and shimmers that I can do any look I need to!

5. Biggest Regret


This is also a tie. I may lose seriously blogger cred, but I don't get the love with the wet 'n wild  eyeshadow palettes- at least not this one. I get crazy fallout, the shades are chalky so they don't blend well- I just don't get it! I really need to just purge this out of my collection. I'm willing to try some of the other wet 'n wilds because this could be a fluke, but I regret buying this.
The Cover Girl palette I mainly got for the green and blue, and now I have better quality makeup that I don't absolutely need a white base to get absolute color payoff. I would have to layer so much eye shadow on my eyes to get close to the shade in the pan that it just wasn't worth it. 

6. Best Color Names


Of the palettes I have, it has to be this palette. I think Too Faced really does come up with the funnest names! The names of this palette include Cut the Cake, Hot Cocoa, Lovey Dovey, and Licorice Latte, to name a few.

7. Least Used
I think it's safe to say that my least used is also the ones listed under "biggest regret". I don't use those much because I'm not into the color payoff or the fallout. I really just need to trash them.

8. Most Used, Most Loved, Desert Island
The Lorac Pro! It's listed in several categories, and I am just so in love with it. It's the only palette I own that I can actually see having to replace the whole thing because I will have run out of virtually every shade. There isn't a single shade I dislike in this palette, and all are pigmented and flattering shades for my skin tone. I can get any look I want (as I said above), and I never worry about not being able to come up with one look using ONLY this palette (I usually have to use more than one if I'm using any other palette I own). Overall, this is the palette I will go back to.  


I Tag: Jenna and Allie, specifically, and any of you that want to do it! If you've already done this tag, please feel free to leave a comment to the post or YouTube video, and I will definitely go check it out!


FTC: All products were with purchased by me with my own money or received as gifts. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Top 10 Makeup Products I Can't Live Without

About a month ago, I posted a "Top 10 Makeup Products I Can't Live Without", but it was a guest post by my sister-in-law, Jenna. I have never actually done my own.
After about a month of thinking about it, I have finally decided on my own Top 10.


1. The Lorac Pro Palette



As of this post, this is my absolute, cannot live without it, don't know how I never had it before, palette. It has every single shade I need to do all of my eye looks. It's the one I pack when I go places. And to be honest, when I don't have it in my makeup bag, I miss it. A lot. It has both matte and shimmer shades, and it's just the perfect palette, in general.


2. Too Faced Shadow Insurance



I never do my makeup without an eye primer, and this is my go to. As you can see above, I even have a backup. This is what I use when I do my makeup for any type of occasion where I know I need my eye makeup to stay put. I wore it on my wedding day. I wore it to my high school reunion. I wear it in the hot, 100+ degrees days of summer. My eye makeup NEVER creases when I wear this under it, and I never have to worry that it will do so. It really is a product I cannot, under any circumstances, live without.


3. Ulta Waterproof Automatic Eye Liner (specifically in black)



I know everyone goes on and on about the Urban Decay 24/7 liners, but this is really my holy grail liner. It is so black, and it never goes anywhere other than where I put it. It glides on super easy on the water line, and really stays put there. And it's cheap- at the most, it costs me around $8.00, but Ulta almost always has some type of bogo deal on all of their branded products. If you're still looking for that great, very black eyeliner, I recommend at least trying this one.


4. BareMinerals Original SPF 15 Foundation in Fairly Light



I did live without this product for a few months, and now I'm not sure how. Yes, my L'Oreal powder foundation is good. But there is just something special about the way this goes on, and the way it matches my skin so flawlessly. And the way it never seems to cake up on my skin, even if I do go a little overboard. I can never see myself being without this product again.


5. NYX Eyebrow Cake Powder



I didn't really start filling in my brows until about a year ago, but it really does make a big difference. Even if all I do it put on a little mascara and fill in my brows a bit, it makes me look so much more put together. And this kit really matches my eye brows well- I tend to go dark blonde when I dye my hair, and for the first couple weeks, I can use the darker shade, and for the last couple of weeks, I mix the two.


6. Too Faced Lashgasm Mascara



When I was thinking about my list, this is one of the first products I thought of. It's not a mascara I use all the time, but it is a mascara I will always repurchase, and always want to have on hand. It really thickens and lengthens, and never flakes on me. And it never clumps. It's pretty much the only mascara I own that I don't need to have a spooly to run through my lashes to de-clump them a bit. It is pricey, but completely worth it.


7. Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette



I thought long and hard about this, but this is a must-have for me. It's surprisingly versatile, and has the best matte black (and yes, it is better than the one in the Lorac Pro Palette) I have ever used. All the shades are super creamy, and go on like butter. If all my other palettes just disappeared, I would replace the Lorac Pro first, and this second. And it would be enough for me.


8. Urban Decay eyeshadow in Sin



I choose the Lorac Pro over my Naked palette, but this shade is one I cannot see myself never having. It is the perfect shade for my skin tone- it matches beautifully. It goes on smooth. It's my go-to color when I'm having trouble deciding what else to wear. And right now, it's the only palette color I've loved enough to go out and buy a full size of.


9. Physician's Formula Mineral Wear blush in Pink Glow



Ahh, this blush. I get so happy every time I see it in my makeup kit, because it is my absolute favorite. It gives my skin the perfect flush, and still looks natural. And a little goes a long way. If all my blushes disappeared, this would be the first one I would replace, because it looks good with every single eye look I have worn with it.


10. Urban Decay All Nighter Long Lasting Makeup Setting Spray



I went out and bought this the night of my high school reunion because I was out. That is how much I cannot live without this product. Do I use it every day? Of course not! But on those days/nights where I really need to make sure my makeup stays put, this is all I use. It really does work.



I feel like this would be something fun to do maybe once a year or so, to see how much things change- because I feel like every time I try a new product, it becomes something that could be a product I can't live without. At one time, I did not own anything above, and now I would grab all of these things first. And, funny enough, I could do my makeup with all of these products and get a complete look (other than lips- I'm not really a lip product junkie so I don't have one I can't live without).

What are some products that you can't live without??


FTC: All of the above products were either purchased by me or a gift. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This post does contain Amazon affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.

2013 Holiday Palette Wishlist

I'm sure by now most of you have seen the new holiday offerings makeup companies are enticing us beauty lovers with, and I am no exception to that! There are so many wonderful palette's available, and here are a few that I am coveting.

I've already talked about the Tarte Gorgeous Getaways Palette, and that should definitely be mentioned on this list, as it's high up on mine!


I really like the options for the Too Faced Palette, A Few of My Favorite Things



I really love the color options, and the fact that there are both matte and shimmers.


I think this would be really great for someone that wants to try a few of the Benefit products (like me- I don't have many!)


The Little Love Potions kit is perfect for someone that may be on a budget and not sure about purchasing these products out-right, but would probably love the opportunity to try them and see if they are worth the hype!


I'm also interested in the Benefit Luve It Up palette



It's a pretty basic-looking neutral palette, but it is definitely high quality (I checked it out last time I was at Ulta), and if you are a neutral loving girl like me, it would get a lot of use.



On the drug store end, you really can't go wrong with an ELF (eyeslipsface) palette.



Sometimes the quality can be a little hit or miss, but this would be perfect for a beginner!

And I'm not 100% sure this is a holiday release, but I wouldn't mind seeing it show up in my stocking- the Sonia Kashuk Jewel of an Eye palette.



So pretty!!!



What is on your wishlist for the holidays this year?



FTC: This post contains amazon.com affiliate links. Please see my disclosure page for more information.