A Collective Post of Favorites!

Hello, Everyone!

One of my favorite beauty posts to read and favorite types of YouTube videos to watch is Monthly Favorites. It also happens to be one of my favorite posts to write! Unfortunately, I haven't written one since my August favorites! I would mean to compose one, and then next thing I knew, it was already the middle of the month, and I would think "Well, I'll just add it to next month's favorites", and here we are. Four months later. Yikes!

Today, I'm going to show you some of the things I've really been loving.

My favorite primer for the past few months has been the Make Up For Ever Smoothing Primer. I have large pores around my nose and cheeks, and this does a great job of filling those in! The trick is to pat the primer in to the skin, instead of rubbing it around,

I've been alternating between foundations for a while; going between the Rimmel London Lasting Finish Comfort Serum , the Maybelline Fit Me Matte & Poreless, and some samples of the new formulation of the Make Up For Ever HD foundation, I really want  to try the MUFE HD in the Stick formulation, but Sephora wouldn't give me a sample of that one. ;) I do have dry/dehydrated skin, and the Maybelline foundation still works well for me.

For concealer, my tried and true Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Concealer, has still been a favorite. I've been trying out two others to see if they're a "dupe" for this one, so look for that post soon! The UD concealer doesn't crease on me, has excellent coverage, and doesn't look drying under my eyes,

My eyeshadow primer of choice has been the Smashbox 24 hour primer (not pictured). It keeps my shadows from creasing and they look just as vibrant at the end of the day as they did when I applied them.

Out of the dozen or so eyeshadow palettes I own, I've found myself reaching for my Z palette full of Makeup Geek shadows. I can create any look I need with this palette. I have a mixture of all finishes, including some of the foiled shadows, which makes it convenient whether I'm doing a smokey eye or have five minutes to get a look together.

The only highlighters I've used since I got this palette, have been the Becca Shimmering Skin Perfectors in the Champagne Glow palette.  I've alternated Pearl and Champagne Pop, and I sometimes mix them.

I have absolutely loved the Stila Lash Stunner lash primer and the Huge Extreme Lash mascara for my upper lashes and the It Cosmetics Tightline mascara for my lower lashes. The Stila combo gives me amazing volume, which is what I'm always after. I have used the primer with other mascaras, and it's still wonderful.

The Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in Dark Brown has been my go-to pencil lately, and the Benefit Cosmetics Gimme Brow has been a life saver on days I haven't had time to completely sculpt out my brows. I received the deluxe sample size in a Birchbox a few months ago in the Light/Medium shade, but if I purchase the full size I'll need to go a shade darker.

Ever since I received the YSL Black Opium fragrance from Influenster to review, I've been loving it. It's everything I want in a fragrance. If you want to read more of what I think about it, you can view my review post here.

My go-to under eye setting powder is still the Nars Light Reflecting Pressed Setting Powder, which I've heard is being reformulated, which scares me! Hardly anything is ever reformulated for good! I have been using a new powder that may be beating this one out though...

My most used blush has been the Tarte Exposed blush, but it hasn't been the only blush I've been using. I'm a blush enthusiast, so I tend to use a different one every day. Exposed is a great, everyday neutral blush, though!

Some of my standout brushes have been from Bdellium Tools and Morphe lately. I reviewed five Bdellium Tools brushes here, if you'd like to take a look. The Bdellium 942 has been the perfect contour brush and the Bdellium 962, the perfect blush brush. From Morphe, I've adored the E8 for concealer and the M124 for packing eyeshadow on the lids.

The Urban Decay All Nighter Spray and the Smashbox Primer Water are daily staples in my routine. I also love Mac Fix+, but I recently ran out of it and back-to-Mac'd it. 

I didn't have any ride or die new lip colors or eyeliners lately, since I typically use a different one every day to rotate through my stash.

Thank you so much for stopping by and reading! What have you been loving lately?


*Some of the links above are affiliate links, but all opinions are my own.

Bdellium Tools-A Review!

Hello, Everyone!

Today I wanted to bring you a review that I'm very excited to write! I applied to the Bdellium Tools Review Program, and was accepted, so they sent me some brushes to try out! I've had them for a week and a half, but I wanted to test them thoroughly before reviewing them. I received these five brushes to review:

 While these were sent to me, I have purchased from Bdellium Tools in the past. I originally purchased the Studio 787 Duet Fiber Large Tapered Blending brush, the Studio 785 Tapered Blending brush, and the Studio 776 Blending brush. Yes, I have a blending obsession! I was looking to dupe some of my Sigma eye brushes with those three. Sadly, I was disappointed! The 787 is a mix of soft natural and synthetic mixed fibers and the 785 and 776 are all natural fibers. The 787 is very soft, but the other two were rough on my delicate eye area! I felt like they were scratching me! When I received this package from Bdellium, I was curious to try the natural fiber brushes the most to see if they were as scratchy as the eye brushes. Let's start from the top.

 Here we have the Studio 957 Precision Kabuki Brush ($16.50). This is said to be good for applying powder products, cream to powder, or mineral powders. It is a two tones synthetic hair brush, and is extremely soft. Personally, I have been using this for liquid foundations. I've tried it with light coverage to full coverage foundations, and it's wonderful! I usually use the Sigma F80 or the It Cosmetics Flat Top Kabuki for foundation, but I've been reaching for this one since I received it. It is smaller in diameter than the other two mentioned, and not quite as dense, but that's not a bad thing. I can get into trickier areas like the sides of my nose with this brush, and since it's not as dense, it's less likely to leave streaks. It's also easier to clean! I experienced no shedding with this brush.

 A close up of the 957 at a side view

A closeup of the 957 from a top view

 Next, we have the Studio 990 Angled Face brush ($19.00).

 I was really excited for this brush! MakeupbyTiffanyD is always raving about a Chanel brush that she loves, and (to me) this one's shape looks similar. It's said to be good for "whisking powder over the face" or to brush off excess product. To me? This is great to soften my contour, bronze up my face quickly, and (my favorite) to run my bronzer down my neck. This brush is so wide that it covers a large area in no time. You could also use it on your chest or shoulders if you wanted to. I do get a very small amount of shedding when I use the 990, and when I say "small" I mean one hair found on my face. It's usually a tiny hair, not even a full size bristle. Considering my less than stellar experience with the natural eye brushes, I expected this to be scratchy on my face or even irritate my skin. Thankfully, I can say that this is not the case! It's very soft against my skin and I've used it daily since I received it.

A close up of the 990 at a side view

Third in my line up is the Slanted 962 Slanted Blusher brush ($17.00). 

I have a few brushes that are shaped this way, but this one is amazing. If you have any Nars blushes, you are aware that the colors are sometimes sheer but buildable. I used this brush with Nars Doucer the day after receiving it and it picked up so much product that I had to buff out my blush! Doucer has never been that pigmented on my light skin, but this brush made it happen! I haven't used this as a a contour brush yet (and I'll explain why in a few minutes), but it has been my go-to blush brush! I do not experience any shedding with this brush. 

A close up of the 962 at a side view

Then there is the Studio 958 Duet Fiber Powder Blending brush ($17.00). This is, obviously, a great brush to lightly apply powder or blend out powder products. I've been using this to apply setting powder, and it never applies too much. It also doesn't pick up my liquid foundation on the brush, which I do notice with other powder brushes I own. I have had zero shedding with this brush. It's also the only duo fiber brush I received from Bdellium, but I can compare the quality to the duet fiber eye brush I purchased myself. These fibers are extremely soft, which makes using it a pleasure.

A close up of the 958 at a side view 

A close up of the 958 at a top angle

Last, but certainly not least, is the Studio 942 Slanted Contour brush ($11.00). 

 This brush is why I haven't tried the Slanted Blusher brush as a contour brush. This brush is amazing. It looks similar to the Sigma F40, but it's smaller and more dense. I have plenty of other contour brushes such as the Sigma F40 and F05, the Nars Ita brush, the small brushes that come in Benefit's Box O' Powders, and such. I can lightly dip this brush into whichever powder I'm using to contour and achieve perfect cheekbones immediately. My Ita brush doesn't even do that! Out of all five of these brushes, this one is my favorite! I've used it every day and I want a backup! I have a rounder face, and this brush helps me fake a slimmer, more angular face shape! I cannot stress how much I LOVE the 942! It also happens to be the least expensive out of the five reviewed here. ;) I do experience a tiny amount of shedding with this brush, but not every time that I use it. I'll find one or two hairs occasionally. My original Sigma F05 left black hairs everywhere when I used it and when I washed it. I quit using it because of that.

A close up of the 942 at a side view

I hope you enjoyed the review!! Even though these brushes were provided to me by Bdellium Tools to review on my blog, all of these opinions were my honest opinions. I was not paid to write the review; I only received the brushes. I do not have an affiliate link or a coupon code for you guys, but Bdellium does offer free domestic and international shipping on orders over $20! 

Thank you for visiting and taking the time to read my review!! If you've tried Bdellium Tools, let me know what you think in the comments below!

*None of the links above are affiliate links.

*The brushes were provided for review from Bdellium tools, but all opinions are my own. 

YSL Black Opium Perfume-A Review

Hello, Everyone!

I’ve really dragged behind in the last month, haven’t I?! It was a busy time; I had some doctor appointments, and just didn’t feel well. There was one week where I didn’t even feel like wearing makeup!! The horror!!

As you may have seen in previous posts, or on my social media, I receive VoxBoxes from Influenster from time to time of products to review. I recently received two boxes, and this is the first one that I would like to share with you!

 Influenster sent out the YSL Black Opium Fragrance (0.25 oz) to be tested, so let’s see what I think!

 First, let’s look at that packaging! It is stunning! It’s a blackened-gray color, with a textured bottle, and the cap pops off to use it. I believe the bigger sizes are sprays. I leave it sitting on top of my vanity so that I can look at it. The bottle I received is an adorable miniature size of the 1-3 oz bottles that you can purchase. Sephora and Nordstrom also carry a .33oz spray fragrance. The price on this ranges from $25 USD (.33oz) to $115 USD (3 oz) at Sephora and Nordstrom. Sephora describes this as “Fascinating and seductively intoxicating, the opening notes of adrenaline-rich coffee and the sweet sensuality of vanilla recline into the softness of white flowers for a modern, young, and vibrant interpretation of addiction” with notes of “Coffee Accord, Orange Blossom, Cedar Wood Essence, and Patchouli Essence”. I am not someone who is really into fragrance. I also do NOT like typical “female” scents that are candy sweet, or scents that are very florally. I actually prefer men’s scents, because I prefer that musky, masculine scent. For the longest time, I only wore a vanilla body spray, and I was happy with that. In all of the notes Sephora describes Black Opium to have; the most noticeable one, to me, is the Cedar Wood Essence. This smells very musky and woodsy to me, with hints of vanilla, which puts it right up my alley! If I had a full size, I would probably spray it a few places, but since this is one that I have to put my finger on the top and tip it over, I’ve been enjoying putting it behind my ears. I have put it on my wrists and the inside of my elbows, but when I put it behind my ears, I catch the scent every time I turn my head! On the bright side, I can make the bottle last longer by only applying it behind my ears! 

This scent doesn’t give me headaches, which is so nice. I’m not extremely sensitive to scents, but I have been known to hang my head out a window for fresh air when a guy at work had on too much cologne. 

I think if you have a chance to get this perfume, even if it’s just the .33oz spray, go for it! It is perfect for fall and winter (although I’m going to wear it until it runs out!). 

*None of the links above are affiliate links.

*I received this product complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes, but all opinions are my own.

August Favorites!

Hey, Everyone!

I'm a little late for my August favorites, but better late than never, right?! If you saw my Birthday Haul, you know I got quite a bit of new makeup right at the end of July. Well, some of that ended up in my favorites!

My favorite foundation (by far) was the Too Faced Born This Way foundation. I have it in "Sand" and "Light Beige" to match my tan, and my faded tan. I'm going to need to pick up "Nude" once we really get into Fall, though. I absolutely LOVE this foundation. Never before has a foundation made me want to throw out all of my others, and just buy different colors to match any occasion. This one does. It's supposed to make you look "born this way", and you can't detect it on your skin. It's a solid medium-slightly full coverage for me. I don't need a lot of heavy duty coverage, so this makes my skin look perfect.

For concealer, I'm including a repeat, the Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer, but this time in the shade "Light Neutral". If you want to see why I love this concealer so much, check out my May Favorites! 

My go-to bronzer this month was the Nars Tahiti Bronzing Powder in "Laguna". I have a deluxe sample size of "Laguna", and it's slightly darker and a touch cooler than this version. This one has a hint more warmth/orange to it. On hurried days, I used it to contour and bronze. There is a slight shimmer in this, but I can never detect it on my face.

The powder that I really enjoyed this month was the It Cosmetics Celebration Foundation Illumination in "Medium". I picked it up when I didn't have a powder to match my tan, and (for once) decided not to go with one that would give me a matte finish, I was really into a glowy look this summer, which is rare for me (even thought I have dry skin). Celebration Foundation Illumination gave a beautiful glow, no glitter on the face, and an extra bit of coverage. Keep in mind that this is a powder foundation, so I used it lightly over liquid just to set things. It could be used alone for full coverage.

My most loved blush this month was the It Cosmetics Ombre Blush in "Coral Flush". It's a matte blush, that you can really get four different colors out of. You can dip your brush in each individual color, or swirl all of the colors together. It is extremely pigmented, so fair gals beware when dipping into the brighter side!

I alternated two highlighters this month: "Audrey" by Gerard Cosmetics and "Opal" by Becca. They are both beautiful on the skin, and I used "Audrey" when I didn't want a "BAM! In your Face!" highlight, and used "Opal" when I did! "Opal" gives an almost wet look to the skin. I have it in a deluxe sample size from a Sephora promotion, but it shattered in transit, so I can't travel with it. I have "Moonstone" in a full size, but I think I need "Opal", too...

My definite most used eyeshadow palette this month was the Tarte "Tartelette" palette. I had to force myself to use other things some days. That's how much I love this. The formula is incredibly smooth and easy to blend. The colors are beautiful and extremely flattering. I used it on my younger sister when I did her trial wedding day makeup. She is the complete opposite of me (in complexion, eye color, and hair color) and it was still beautiful!

I didn't wear a ton of eyeliner this month, but when I did, I used the It Cosmetics No Tug Waterproof Gel Eyeliner in "Brown". It's a very dark brown, but not as intense as a black. This one also doesn't transfer onto my contacts like the black one does. It does a great job of defining the tightline and waterline!

For amazing lashes, I've sworn by the Stila "Lash Stunner" primer and Too Faced "Better Than Sex" mascara this month. I've used the Lash Stunner under a few other mascaras this month, and it made me love mascaras I didn't initially like. I've used (and loved) Better than Sex before, so this was already a win for me . Combine the two together? AMAZING.

A $2 eyebrow pencil may have changed my life this month. The Elf Instant Brow Lift is wonderful; especially for $2!! I have the colors "Neutral Brown" and "Taupe", and it seems to me that they run dark. I've been "outlining" my brows with the Neutral Brown and filling them in with Taupe. The point isn't so big that it's sloppy, but not so fine that it takes forever to fill them in.

For lips, my lipliner love this month was the Sephora Waterproof Retractable lip liner in "Mauve". This particular formulation is being reformulated at Sephora, so these have been discontinued. Hopefully, the new ones come out soon! It's a beautiful color and really does last all day! It also has a smooth, creamy formula. I can't imagine how they're going to improve it!

My lipstick love was Gerard Cosmetics "Vintage Rose". It's a perfect MLBB color, suitable for day or night. It can be used with a natural look or a smokey eye and look beautiful. It's a satin, but looks like a matte. I love it.

Lorac's Alter Ego Lipgloss in "Supermodel" was my gloss love this month. It's a peachy pink color that is beautiful by itself or over a lipstick or liner. I can detect a shimmer when I look at the color in the tube, but I don't see any glitter once I apply it to my lips. It just makes my lips look great!

Last, is the Mario Badescu "Facial Spray with Aloe, Herb, and Rosewater". This came in handy while we were in Atlanta! I've been using it any time my skin feels dry or as a cool down. It's a nice refresher mist, and smells like roses, which I love. This isn't a makeup setting spray, though. I use it before moisturizer or later in the day as a refresher.

Those were my favorites for the month! What did you love for the month of August? Comment below! Thanks for stopping by and reading!


*None of the links above are affiliates
*Some of the items mentioned above were previously sent to me as part of a prize package or from a customer service rep. All opinions are my own.

A Review on ESalon!

Hey, Everyone!

A few months ago, ThatGirlShaexo did a video featuring ESalon, and since she had a coupon code, I wanted to try it! Unless I'm going to do something drastic with my color, I usually color my own hair. I took Cosmetology for three years, so I'm pretty confident I won't totally screw it up. 😜 I had been coloring my hair a dark red for a while, but that is such a hard color to maintain. My natural color (which I haven't seen in YEARS) is a level 6, which is an ashy light brown. Personally, I prefer my hair dark, so when I decided to get rid of the red, I wanted to go to a level 2-3. When you sign on to ESalon, you take a quiz detailing the hair color you have and the color you want, as well as other details of your hair such as texture and condition. They also give you the option to email them a picture of the exact color you want. I emailed them a picture of the color I currently had, as well as a picture of the color I wanted. The next day, ESalon emailed me to say the color I picked was (in their opinion) too dark for me, and they adjusted it to what they thought was more flattering. ESalon did say that if I tried the suggested color, and didn't like it, they would send me my preferred color for FREE. Here was my package:

At checkout, you can add extras to your order such as gloves, hair clips, and a mixing bowl. I didn't order any of those since I already had the necessities, but you do have the option. This kit came with my personalized color, coloring brush, gloves, packets of shampoo, conditioner, hair mask, and two color applications. Depending on your hair length you'll use one or both during application. I was able to get two separate coloring applications out of this kit. If you've ever colored hair, this will look familiar to you, since it's the standard "mix the color with the developer" solution. I followed the directions (even though I usually do it my own way) because I wanted to be able to give a complete and honest review. Since I was coloring all of my hair a new color, I followed the directions for a full head. A few weeks ago, I re-colored and followed the directions for root touch-up only. I didn't have a good before picture, but here's the after:

Please excuse the makeup free face. 😉

My hair usually grabs color extremely fast, and if I'm not careful, I can end up with "hot" roots and darker ends. I was afraid that would happen since I was following directions to a T, but it didn't! I had even color from roots to ends! With the full head and the root touch-up, everything was even! No hot roots, no darker ends, and no patchiness! With the coupon Shae had (which I can't find anymore) I got the kit for around $15 after shipping, but without the coupon its $19.95 plus $4.95 shipping. It is a subscription, but you can choose your delivery schedule (three months, six months, etc), and you can skip whenever you'd like. If you're used to going to a salon, but don't like paying the salon price, this is a great alternative to try. If you usually buy boxed color, you may find this more expensive, but the quality is great. Plus, you have the advantage of customized color. You also get your own color consultant that you can talk with. I really think it's a great hair color option! 

If you've tried it, what did you think? 

*this item was purchased by me and all opinions are my own. 

*this is not a sponsored post. ESalon has no idea I'm reviewing their product. :)

Anastasia Shadow Couture World Traveler Palette-A Review

Hey, Everyone!

There's a whole lot of buzz going around right now over the ABH Shadow Couture Palette, so I thought I would put my opinion out there as well! I purchased mine from Ulta the day it released, but it's available at other retailers as well.

The packaging is really pretty, with a standard flip top and a black and gold design. There are twelve shadows, a decent size mirror, and a double ended brush on the inside.

There are four mattes, five satin/shimmery shades, and three metallic shades. I've been eyeing the color "Pink Champagne" ever since ABH released it, so I was thrilled that it was in this palette. I have the Amrezy palette, and Morocco is a repeat, but a beautiful color to have. There are some great shades in here, but there are some that aren't so great. 

The swatches above are in the same order as they appear in the palette. 

Let's start with the great shades. Pink Champagne is just as beautiful as I hoped it would be. It's a beautiful metallic that you don't even need to foil to get maximum color payoff. Soft Peach could either be a matte highlight or a transition shade, depending on your skin tone. Intense Gaze is beautiful and opaque, and Noir is the blackest black I've seen. Metallic is an opaque gold that has a hint of green to it. Fudge is not a bad color; it's a matte dark brown. Azure is an okay color, but not what I expected or hoped for. It doesn't translate as pretty on the eyes as it does in the palette. It seems to lose some of its "blueness" once you blend it out. Heirloom is the most disappointing, with a horrible color payoff, as you can see above. I was also disappointed in Bellini, Chic, and Spoiled. Those three had poor color payoff, as well. I know I could apply more layers, wet my brush with Mac Fix +, etc, but I don't always have the time to do that. 

For me, personally, there aren't enough colors in this palette to justify it, I already have Moracco, I have matte blacks, and I could just buy Pink Champagne as a single. There's just too many misses in this one for me! 

Thank you for reading, and I'd love if you'd subscribe!

*None of the links above are affiliates.

*All items mentioned were purchased by me and all opinions are my own. 

Atlanta Weekend Makeup!

Hey, Everyone!

Earlier this month, I wrote about my Birthday Haul; this post is slightly a continuation of that! The weekend of my birthday, my husband and I went to Atlanta as a gift from my in-laws. I had packed some makeup, but knew I would be birthday shopping right before leaving for the trip, so my makeup for the weekend was a mixture of new items and things I had already packed. I used a lot of different makeup items for those three days. I realize this. ;) 

If you read my birthday haul, you'll be able to spot what the new items are in this picture. The only actual foundation I used Friday and Saturday was the new Too Faced Born This Way Foundation, which I have in "Sand". It matched my self tan perfectly. On Sunday, since we were traveling home, I opted to use the It Cosmetics CC+ Cream in "Medium". I have the travel size since I needed a darker shade than the "Fair" and "Light" I already owned. I used one actual powder, the It Cosmetics Celebration Foundation Illumination in "Medium", and one setting powder, It Cosmetics Bye Bye Pores Pressed. I took two bronzers, the It Cosmetics Ombre Bronzer and a mini size of the Nars Laguna. I alternated two blushes, Mac "Warm Soul" and Kat Von D "Wish", and used only one highlighter, which was Gerard Cosmetics "Audrey". I didn't pack any eyeshadows, knowing there were two palettes that I wanted to pick up, so I alternated the Tarte "Tartelette" palette and the Lorac "Pro Palette 2". I used the Kat Von D Tattoo liner in "Trooper" on Friday night and the KVD Ink Liner in "Baudelaire" on Saturday, along with the Stila Smudge Stick Liner in "Stingray". The only eyebrow products I took were my ELF Instant Brow Lift pencils in "Taupe" and "Medium Brown" and my Anastasia Beverly Hills Clear Brow Gel. I only used one concealer, and that was the Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer in "Light Neutral". Because, yeah, it's the best concealer ever. For lips, I went between the Sephora Retractable lip pencil in "Mauve" topped with the Lorac Alter Ego lipgloss in "Supermodel" and the Alter Ego lipgloss in "Goddess". My primers of choice were the Urban Decay Primer Potion in "Enigma" and the Cover FX Illuminating primer.  For moisturizers, I used the Ole Henriksen Sheer Transformation, Josie Maran Argan Oil Light, and the Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment. For sprays, I used the Maria Badescu Facial Spray, Smashbox Primer Water, and the Urban Decay All Nighter Spray. I didn't buy any new makeup tools, so I took along my trusty Beauty Blender Pro, some Morphe, It Cosmetics, Sigma, Sonia Kaschuk, Bdellium Tools, Smashbox, and Mac brushes, as well as my Tarte eyelash curler. I also took my travel size Nars Ita Brush, but forgot to include it in the picture! Last, were my two hairsprays. I took the Kenra hairspray for maximum hold and the Living Proof Humidity Shield hairspray since I knew it was going to be hot. It wasn't as humid as Tennessee, though!  

Like I said, I know that is a lot of makeup for one weekend, but I'm okay with that. ;) With four kids, I don't usually have as much time as I'd like to spend doing my makeup, so with a weekend away, I took advantage and took my time to play! 

Thank you for stopping by and reading! I'd love it if you'd subscribe! :)

*None of the links above are affiliates.

*All items mentioned were purchased by me and all opinions are my own. 

YSL Touche Eclat Blur Primer and Perfector Review!

Hi, Everyone!

I recently received my first VoxBox from Influenster, and they included two new products from YSL to review!

 Inside my box were the new YSL Touche Eclat Blur Primer and the Touche Eclat Blur Perfector. I was sent a deluxe mini (.33 oz) of the primer, and a full-size Blur Perfector (.33 oz). The full-size primer is one ounce and retails for $52, while the full size of the Blur Perfector retails for $55.

Let's start with the packaging. The pale pink and gold is absolutely beautiful! It has such a classy and elegant look and feel to it. I've never purchased anything from YSL, due to the price, but I have had a few items on my wish list for a while! I obviously cannot comment on the packaging of the Primer since I only have a deluxe sample size, but the packaging of the Blur Perfector feels very sturdy, and has a great closure. It snaps closed tightly, so I'm not afraid of it coming open and being damaged in my purse.

First, let's talk about the Touche Eclat Blur Primer.

 The full-size primer comes with a pump, but because this is a sample size, it has a spatula applicator. It is described as being an "illuminating primer that blurs imperfections and boosts the radiance of foundation". 

 As you can see in the picture above, there are tiny flecks of gold glitter in this primer to provide the luminous finish. If you do not like glitter on your face, you may not like this. Indoors, this provides me with a pretty glowy finish, but in direct sunlight I can see the gold flecks on my skin. The consistency is the best part about this primer, though! It has a silicone feel to it, similar to the Smashbox Photo Finish primer, but it dries down to a velvety feel as opposed to remaining "slippery" feeling. I always feel like my makeup is sliding around on top of the Photo Finish, and the YSL Blur Primer doesn't make me feel that way. As the name suggests, I do feel like it does a great job of blurring my pores and the small lines under my eyes. It's also a great one to put in the areas where your foundation can tend to crease, such as your laugh lines or in between your eyebrows. I am enjoying it right now during the summer, but I may not use it as much come winter time when I'll be more into matte skin.

Next, is the YSL Touche Eclat Blur Perfector.

Once again, look at that packaging! Even the boxes are beautiful! The Touche Eclat Blur Perfector is a balm-to-powder product that is used to "soften the skins imperfections, while creating a subtle rosy glow effect". You can use it in different ways, such as alone to soften and blur the skin, to set your makeup, or later in the day to remove any oiliness. As I've mentioned before, I have dry skin, so this product idea is genius for someone like me! If you're familiar with the Mally Face Defender, this is a similar concept. It has a silicone, balmy feel to it, that when applied to your face with the sponge, reduces shine and the visibility of pores. One of the things I like better about the YSL Perfector over the Mally one is that once I apply the YSL, it dries down and I can't see or feel it. The Mally is supposed to be the same way, but I don't find that to be true on my skin. Mally's product has a slick, greasy feel to it, and even though it is invisible, I can still see a residue left behind, The Blur Perfector comes with its own small sponge and a velvety black pouch, with two pockets, so that you can carry it around with you, I love the way this performs, but I do have a few complaints. First, when I apply the Perfector over my makeup (to reduce shine or blur pores) it lifts my face makeup off onto the sponge. Which in turn, transfers my makeup from my face into the compact. I can imagine that in the long run, the compact will end up very dirty looking on the inside and could start to harbor bacteria.

All in all, I do think both of these products have some great qualities to them, and I will definitely continue to use them! I haven't experienced any reaction or breakouts from using either one of these, and I have used them both on a daily basis since receiving them.

If you've tried these, I would love to hear your thoughts! Please leave me a comment below and subscribe! Thank you for stopping by and reading!


*I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes, but all opinions are my own.

*None of the links above are affiliates.

My Birthday Haul!

Hi, everyone!

My birthday was on Friday 7/31, and I decided to treat myself and do what I love most; makeup shopping! My husband and I were going away for the weekend, so I had a limited amount of time in which to go by Ulta and Sephora. I actually made a list of the things I wanted to pick up most (yes, I'm a list maker), and managed to get most of what I wanted! While I was packing for our trip, I purposely didn't pack the type of  makeup I would be buying. For example, I knew I needed a new color of my UD Naked Skin concealer; therefore, I didn't pack a concealer.

Let's start with what I picked up from Ulta! I had a 20% off prestige coupon (I LOVE when these come around!), and wanted to take full advantage! Last year, I bought myself the Lorac Pro palette for my birthday, and this year I grabbed the Lorac Pro 2! I'm usually not a fan of cool toned shadows, but I've been drawn to them a lot these last few months, and I actually didn't own but two or three of them! I certainly didn't have any cool toned palettes! Another thing on my list was the Too Faced Twice the Sex mascara duo. For the price of a full size mascara, you get one full size and one deluxe sample. Then, thanks to the beautiful @coffeebreakwithdani, I knew I needed to pick up the new Stila Lash Stunner Extreme Lash Primer. I am a huge fan of lash primers, and she made this one sound amazing. A few days before, while browsing the "new" sections of Ulta and Sephora, I saw a new hairspray by Living Proof called "Humidity Shield" and thought that sounded wonderful for my curly hair. While at Ulta, I spotted the travel size and scooped it up! I had forgotten to pack an eye makeup remover, so I needed to grab one while I was shopping. I usually use the Kroger brand of the Neutrogena one because it's inexpensive and it works. Since I was in Ulta, I went ahead and grabbed the actual Neutrogena one, and it works fine. It does the job. I've been loving the Rimmel foundation that I mentioned in my July Favorites, but I also forgot to pack my moisturizer with sunscreen, so I picked up the travel size It Cosmetics CC+ Cream in Medium. That covered my sunscreen, moisturizer, and the need to match my self tanner. If you read my post about the Lorac Alter Ego Lip Set, you know how much I love those lip glosses. I picked up a new color while at Ulta; a pretty peach called Super Model. One thing that was not on my list was a new foundation, However, the new Too Faced Born this Way foundation sucked me in and "Sand" found it's way into my bag. If you purchased anything from Too Faced, you got a sample pack of three different shades of the Born this Way foundation, which is what you see in the bottom of the picture above. A last minute impulse purchase was the Mario Badescu Facial Spray. It was on an end cap of travel things for $5, and I had heard @emilynoel talking about it, so I grabbed it. I love all things rose scented, and this smells wonderful. The last thing from Ulta was my birthday gift! Platinum members get two gifts for their birthday; a $10 off coupon and the makeup item all other members get. July birthdays got a deluxe sample of the Urban Decay Perversion mascara. I've tried this one a few times, and I'm not a huge fan, but maybe it will work better over the Stila lash primer!

There were two things on my list that were out of stock at Ulta, so next stop was Sephora! As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, I needed a new shade of the Urban Decay Naked Skin concealer. The one I had was Fair Neutral, which is too light with my tan. Ulta was out of the shade Light Neutral, so I purchased it from Sephora. The other thing that was on my list and sold out at Ulta was the Tartelette palette. @makeupbymaci, who is the queen of photographing her eye looks, was telling me how much she loves this palette, and she uses it in so many of her looks, I had to have it! The Kat Von D Ink Liner Trio was the other thing on my list. I already have and love the shade "Trooper", and this trio comes with that one, a navy, and a brown. I used the navy Saturday night and loved it! Sephora is great about offering samples, and the sweet girl who helped me gave me a sample of the First Aid Beauty Triple Remedy eye cream and the Ultra Repair Cream Intense Hydration moisturizer. As I was walking by the clearance table, I spotted the Kat Von D blush in "Wish" (no longer available on-line) and two bronzers on sale for $11.99 each. The bronzers looked similar to ones I already own, but "Wish" had been on my wish list for a long time, so I was happy to get it more than half off! A few weeks ago, I noticed that the Sephora automatic, waterproof lip liners were on the sale page on-line for $7, but all of the colors were sold out. My Sephora in JCP had them on the clearance table for $5.99! I've mentioned "Petal" in a post before, and I love it. They only had one left, which I bought, and then I bought two each of "Mauve" and "Naked". The last thing I picked up was the Josie Maran Argan Oil Light. I've used the regular version before, and loved it for my dry skin, but I thought the light version might be better for summer time. And then this happened...

Yep. Hello, Rouge!

Thank you for stopping by and reading! 

*None of the links above are affiliates.

*All items mentioned were purchased by me and all opinions are my own, 

July Favorites!

Hey, Everyone!

I didn't do a June favorites because I had a lot of repeats from May, and didn't want to bore anyone! I have more than made up for it in July, though!

I had quite a few new makeup brushes that I absolutely loved this month. I used the It Cosmetics Wand Ball Brush to apply powder to set my makeup, and found it to apply just the right amount. It's fluffy enough that it doesn't apply so much that I look cakey. I think it would also make a great bronzer brush! I alternated the It Cosmetics Dual Airbrush Foundation/Concealer brush and the Flat Top Buffing Brush for foundation all month, and love them both! The flat top gives slightly more coverage than the Dual brush does, though. My favorite crease brush this month has been the Morphe Brushes E27 (currently sold out). I haven't even reached for my Sigma E40 since getting this brush. I even bought two. Yeah, I know. The Morphe Brushes M124 is a small, firm shader brush and is a GREAT brush to pack color on the lid! Last for the brushes is the Morphe Brushes MB23 fluffy brush. I'm sure this is meant to be a crease brush, but I've been using it to set my under eye concealer! I like the way it gets into all of the small areas that my usual brush can't.

A few months ago, I used some points at Sephora and got the Vita Liberata Luxury Tan mousse, but just tried it this month. I usually just rock the pale because I don't like to tan in the sun since I'm prone to hyper-pigmentation and really don't want to risk skin cancer. I've never self tanned, but after seeing so many people have great results with it, I really wanted to try it, Maskcara and thatgirlshaexo are the two that really pushed me to it, though, and I'm so glad they did! This particular tanner didn't have any weird coloring to it, and looked absolutely amazing! I love it!

I bought the Nars Light Reflecting Powder in the pressed version at the end of May, and this is THE BEST powder for setting under-eye concealer. EVER. I could pack this powder on, and it still wouldn't look cakey. It's translucent, and doesn't really add any extra coverage, but it makes everything look flawless. I would highly recommend picking it up!

A lot of You Tubers/Beauty Bloggers have been raving about the new Rimmel London Lasting Finish 25 hour foundation, and since I needed a darker color to match my self tan, I went ahead and picked it up. I don't know if it would last 25 hours, but it's still amazing! It has great coverage, lasts my entire work day, and doesn't have a flat finish. It has a very natural look to it; not matte, but not overly dewy. I love it. It's affordable and works really well. I'll need to pick up a color to match me when I'm not tanning!

I received the It Cosmetics Celebration Foundation (in the black packaging), but it was giving me a more matte appearance than I wanted, so I picked up the Celebration Foundation Illumination powder from Ulta. I swatched it months ago, but thought it looked too "glittery" and passed on it. This month, I've been all about the bronze and glow, though, so I picked it up. Even in sunlight, I don't see any glitter on my face; just a beautiful glow. It provides some extra coverage, and doesn't leave my face looking flat.

At the end of June, I got some new Mac goodies, and knew immediately that they were going to be favorites. I picked up the universally loved Soft & Gentle and Warm Soul. These are what started me on my "all things bronze and glowy" kick this month. I tried on Warm Soul at the counter, and then one of the Mac girls put Soft N Gentle on me and I was sold. I was having to stop myself wearing these everyday so that my Instagram posts didn't become repetitive and boring. Lol.

One of the promos Sephora was running earlier this month let you get a deluxe mini of the Fresh Sugar treatment balm and the rose tinted balm, and I've been loving the rose one. I actually had to hunt it down from inside my purse to include it in this picture. I was wearing only this on my lips a few weeks ago at Ulta, and a mom and her daughter stopped me to ask what I was wearing! They have a slick feel to them that I actually like, and are super moisturizing. The rose one has a hint of color, which makes it great when you're just looking for a small amount of color and a lot of moisture.

The little Sephora sample jar is holding the Perricone MD No Bronzer Bronzer, and it is amazing. My local Sephora is inside JCP, and they don't carry this in the store, so I've never been able to get a sample to try out. When we went on vacation, I was able to get this at the Sephora in Florida and I am so glad that I did! The full size will be mine!! It looks very warm/orange in the bottle, but doesn't translate that way on the skin. There's no shimmer or glitter in it, either.

The last two products are more new It Cosmetics products I picked up. I absolutely love this brand, if you couldn't tell! They released a new Ombre Blush in the shade Coral Flush, and knowing how much I love the one in Je Nais Se Quoi, I knew I wanted this one, too. While looking for the link to this, I just saw they have another new one called Sugar Plum!!! The Coral one is SUPER bright and highly pigmented, so I have to make sure to tap off the excess before applying it. Last, is the Eyelift in a Tube. It has the Bye Bye Under Eye concealer on one end, and a Hello Light brightener on the other end, and both have doe foot wand applicators. I got the color in Tan to match my tan, but it's working well when the tan starts to fade as well! When I'm not as tan, I can use it to correct dark circles, and then apply a lighter color on top.

That's all for this month! I'd love to hear what you've been loving this month! Let me know in the comments! Thanks for visiting!


*Some of the items mentioned were sent to me as part of a prize package, but all opinions are my own.

*None of the links above are affiliates.

What's On My Wishlist

Hey, Everyone!

I thought I would share what's on my wishlist right now. Some items have been on it for a looong time, while others are relatively new. I have a mixture of drugstore and high-end items on the list, so let's get started!

This nail polish has been on my list ever since Nicole from YoungWildandPolished posted it to her Instagram. It is such a beautiful blue!!

I've used up three sample packs of this face primer, and it blew me away. I will definitely need this once I've used up some of the other ones I own. I love it under matte foundations, and even under dewier ones!

Ever since getting a little more color to my skin, I've really wanted to try orange lips. I never felt that they would look right on my pale, cool-toned skin, but with a tan, I really want to try this one!

When I was on vacation, I got a sample of this bronzer from Sephora, and I LOVE it. It looks beautiful and blends amazingly!

I absolutely adore It Cosmetics brushes, and this is the next one I'd like to pick up!

Speaking of It Cosmetics, I'd love to try out this brow product! I fill my brows in every day, and I've heard great things about this!

I have this concealer, and it has already reached holy grail status, but I need a darker color. I currently have Fair Neutral, which is making me look a little ghostly!

Last year, I treated myself to the Lorac Pro palette for my birthday. This year, I'm going for this one!

I'd love to hear the items that are on your wishlists, and anything you think I should add to mine!

Thanks for stopping by!



*None of the links above are affiliates.

Metamorphosis by CoffeeBreakwithDani (&Colourpop)!

Hey, Everyone!

I received my Metamorphosis Be the Change quad almost a month ago, but I wanted to give it it's own review instead of mixing it in with my other Colourpop goodies. I mentioned in my last Colourpop review how Dani, from CoffeeBreakWithDani, was doing a second collaboration with Colourpop; this time with eyeshadows instead of lip products. This was my package when I got it. I did also get a new blush, highlighter, and bronzer, but I'm not including them in this post.

There are four shadows in the Metamorphosis Quad (hence the name "quad"), and they can only be purchased in a set, You can not buy any of them separately. Strength is a "soft peachy caramel" in a satin finish, Bravery is a "true medium brown" in a matte finish, Hope is a "radiant opal with pink, violet, blue, and silver duochrome" in a Sheer Opal finish, and Kindness which is a "warm red brown undertone with a gold, green, and blue duochrome" in a Sheer Opal finish.

(Hope, Strength, Bravery, and Kindness)

The Sheer Opal finish is (so far) exclusive to these two colors from Dani's collab. She designed them to be "transformers" (how many of you just heard Dani in your head say "robots in disguise"?), meaning they will transform any color you put under them. They are BEAUTIFUL. I know most people are going crazy over the shade Kindness, but my favorite is Hope. 

(Hope, Strength, Bravery, Kindness)

All four have the same consistency as all of the other Colourpop shadows (that not-quite-cream-not-quite-powder feel), and have great color payoff. I prefer to use Strength and Bravery in the crease with a synthetic fluffy brush, and I've tried the transformers over a few different bases, The first look I did with this quad was using Strength, Bravery, and Kindness. Strength and Bravery are in the crease and I applied Kindness over my Tarte Smolder Eyes in the shade Gunmetal. 

My next look was using the same colors in the crease, and this time, I used Hope over a Mally Shadow stick in Champagne. 

This was such a bright, beautiful look! 

The last one for reference, I once again used Hope, but this time I applied it over a Mally Shadow stick in Dusk. 

I have another picture on Instagram where I applied Hope over the NYX Slide on eyeliner in Purple Blaze, and it turned out really pretty, too! 

I have heard a lot of speculation on the similarity between Kindness and a few other popular eyeshadow colors from different brands. Below, I have compared Urban Decay Solstice, Kindness, and MAC's Blue Brown pigment.

As you can see, Kindness is not an exact dupe for either of these colors. While they all look almost identical in the packaging, you can see the differences in the swatches. Kindness doesn't have as much of a blue tone to it, and it isn't as opaque. Again, this is a transformer shade and isn't supposed to be completely opaque. You are supposed to be able to see the base you're using underneath. I absolutely love this quad, and am glad I picked it up! It is limited edition, so if you're interested in it, I'd grab it while it's available! If you don't follow Dani on YouTube, I'd suggest checking her out. She's such a bright, funny woman, and is a joy to watch. If nothing else, just watch her video where she explains the meaning behind the quad. 

Thanks for stopping by; I hope you enjoyed it!

*None of the links above are affiliates.

*All items mentioned were purchased by me and all opinions are my own.