LORAC Love, Lust & Lace PRO Matte Lip Color Set REVIEW (Holiday 2015)

If you read my last post, then you know I was super disappointed by the Hard Candy lip set this holiday. This set by LORAC however...this gift set is a winner. For $24 you get three full size Pro Matte Lip Color pencils, one permanent shade and two limited edition shades. These lip colors retail for $16 each. I think this set is a wonderful gift, especially for those who like true matte lip colors without the drying discomfort that those types of products can cause. The theme this year is so pretty. I know some people aren't a fan of the blue but I dig it.

In this set you get two limited edition colors, "French Rose" and "Mulberry", and one permanent bestselling shade, "Pink Taupe". I think the color selection of this kit has been done quite well; you get a light pink and a nude and then a nice wearable holiday red color. I think a wide range of people will be able to get a lot of use and enjoyment out of the colors in this kit. That being said, they're not unique colors, so if you're looking to gift to a lip product junkie, this might end up being a bit redundant.

FTC DISCLAIMER: This set was purchased by me for review purposes. I am not affiliated with LORAC, nor is this a sponsored post. I don't receive any compensation for this post and, as always, all opinions are my own.

Hard Candy Wish For A Kiss Review (HOLIDAY 2015)

Spoiler alert; this set f*****g sucks. I'm actually offended that Hard Candy was able to waste my $4.88, what a joke. I know, I know, language and all that. But seriously, this gift set is literally trash, and that's where these glosses are going after this bloody review. Okay, okay, I'm never this negative about these things, ever. But this is a special occasion. So let's talk about brands cheaping the crap out on their holiday sets. Because what the actual hell is this shit, Hard Candy??

FTC DISCLAIMER: I, clearly, purchased this set with my own money. My thoughts and opinions are all my own. I'm not sponsored, nor affiliated with Hard Candy, and I receive no compensation for this review. Obviously. If I HAD gotten this for free, I would have honestly been even MORE offended that they actually wanted to waste my time.

What's in my overnight makeup bag! Pt. 2 - Brushes and Tools

Okay, I'm on a roll right now! This post is going to be what brushes and tools I took for an overnight stay and lemme tell y'all; this is wholly unnecessary. I was just tossing stuff in a bag at this point and there's a lot of overlap.

Again, I'm blogging entirely mobile, so apologies for these posts being a little rougher than normal.

FACE BRUSHES

1.) It Brushes For Ulta (I listed the lines each brush is from as well.)

---- 211 All-Over Powder - I love this powder brush, it's a bit pricy but totally worth it honestly. (Live Beauty Fully)
---- 108 Powder Wand - I love this powder brush too but this was a bit excessive, I didn't need both, lol. (Airbrush)
---- 101 Blurring Foundation - I love this brush with the foundation I brought, it's great for really buffing in liquids streak-free! (Airbrush)
---- 113 Soft Focus Blush - Really nice blush brush, applies pigmented blushes more sheer, so I usually use it with those. (Airbrush)
---- 116 Radiance Fan - Really prefer this brush when I'm using the Becca powders because it's small enough to be targeted and also doesn't over apply the highlight. (Airbrush)
---- Contour - This brush is only sold in a contouring brush set and I like it a lot for a stronger contour. And ya girl has a big, round head so you best believe I contour heavily and also daily.
---- 103 Blurring Concealer - I love this brush for underneath the eyes and also for blending out concealer around my nose. (Airbrush)

2.) Real Techniques Expert Face Brush - I like to use this brush to blend out cream contour since it's so small and dense. I don't really use it as a foundation brush anymore because it's so small and takes a while (again, I have a big face, lol.)

3.) Bare Minerals Flawless Face & Tapered Blush - These were a bit redundant BUT I do like using both of these. I prefer the Flawless Face brush for contour over any other use and I like the blush brush for less pigmented blushes.

EYE BRUSHES

1.) Real Techniques Base Shadow Brush - Only available in the eye kit, but I love using this brush when I foil shadows. It's fluffy enough that I can blend out the edges but has a nice shape in terms of applying wet shadow exactly where I want it.

2.) Tokidoki Blending Brush - This is just a standard fluffy blending brush that I got a long time again from a Sephora set. I love it, but it's no longer available.

3.) Japonesque 836 (MAC 217 dupe) - I don’t remember the exact name, sorry, but it's like "tapered crease" or something. I love the MAC 217 more but this is still a nice brush.

4.) It Brushes For Ulta - All of these brushes are from the Airbrush line.

---- 105 Blending Crease - Similar to the Tokidoki one except a little less dense.
---- 107 Blending Shadow - I don't know why I grabbed this brush...it's not my favorite blender honestly. It's a little too floppy and basic cut. It works in a pinch, however!
---- 112 Precision Shadow - I love this brush. It's basic BUT it gets the job done.
---- 119 All-Over Shadow - I use this brush as a browbone highlight brush. It's way too big for my eye shape to use as a shader brush but it applies highlight to the browbone really nicely.
---- 124 Precision Smudger - This is pretty much a pencil style brush and I like it for drop shadow on my lower lashline. Unfortunately it's really lost its shape as I've washed it a few times, so now it flares out a lot. :/
---- 125 Smokey Liner - I've been reaching for this pencil style brush over the previous one a lot so I didn't need to bring both!

MISCELLANEOUS TOOLS

1.) Beauty Blender - I use these to blend out concealer and foundation (just not THIS foundation lol) and to also apply my loose powder to my undereye concealer when I bake it. I love the original Beauty Blenders but the Real Techniques Miracle Sponge is also nice.

2.) Revlon Tweezers - They stay pretty sharp, actually.

3.) Japonesque Brush Cleaner - It smells like citrus wood polish. Also, I don't find this to be as effective as my usual MAC brush cleaner but it does dry pretty fast.

Okay, so this post ended up hella long, props if you read this all! I'll post the makeup portions tomorrow, tbh I'm about to crash!

What's in my overnight makeup bag! Pt. 1 - Skincare

Long time, no see! I'm staying overnight and I have nothing better to do, so might as well actually blog, right? This post is going to be entirely mobile (camera phone pics and Blogger app) so I apologize if it's not quite the usual quality I try to have on here.

So, let's talk about skincare. It's only overnight so I tried not to overload with the skincare (but since I *AM* working, I did not skimp on the makeup portion lol). This is going to be like mini reviews!

1.) Neutrogena Makeup Remover - I love that stuff and I decanted some into a tiny container. I just use regular cotton rounds.

2.) Simple Micellar Facial Wipes - I was so excited when I heard about these and frankly they're pretty disappointing. I love the regular micellar water from Simple but these wipes just do not remove much!

3.) Karuna Age-Defying Face Mask - I haven't actually used this one yet, it's just a sheet mask that I received as gratis (I work at Ulta) so I figured might as well try it now.

4.) Bliss Fabulous Foaming Face Wash - This is gratis as well, I'm going to try it out in the morning!

5.) The Body Shop Tea Tree Skin Clearing Lotion - Holy grail product right here, I LOVE this moisturizer and I've been having a few mini bumps here and there.

6.) Lancôme Génefique & Rénergie Lift - Really fond of the Génefique serum, and I'm trying to finish off the sample of my Rénergie Lift!

7.) Tony Moly Panda's Dream Cool Eye Stick - Moisturizing but not super heavy and also refreshing!

Things I skimped on: I didn't bring my beloved Clarisonic because it's just an overnight stay. Nor did I bring a toner. Oh well! These are my overnight skincare necessities! I completely forgot about my hair, go figure, I'm going to have to buy a brush and some dry shampoo in the morning. Next post will probably be my brushes and tools!

Smashbox BB Water SPF 30 REVIEW

I don't often do foundation and other base products reviews. It typically takes me a while to get them done, partly because I typically like to test them out with a variety of primers and powders to get a feel on how a product is going to function. But this is a foundation that I feel I have a grasp on after about a week of wear; every now and then a product is like that! For example - the Smashbox BB Cream is my HG product STILL. I purchased it way back when it first hit the market and I've repurchased several times, which, for me is INCREDIBLY RARE. I've loved that BB cream since the first use and I haven't looked back. Every now and then I feel like trying out one of those incredibly raved about Korean BB creams (especially seeing as how I, myself, am Korean) BUT then I remember that the Smashbox BB cream exists AND that I can use my discount on it, haha. So this BB Water had a lot of competition to beat out its prior incarnation.

Did it manage it? Click the jump to find out!

FTC Disclaimer: This product was received by me as gratis from my job. I am employed by Ulta BUT all opinions in this post are mine alone and do not reflect those of my employer. I am not affiliated nor sponsored by the company in question, nor have I received any monetary compensation for this post. As always my opinions are thoroughly my own.

Exuviance Sheer Daily Protector; the best sunscreen I've ever tried (REVIEW)

Let's talk about skincare today. I don't often do this because I consider myself to be a skincare n00b. In fact, I admit; I was TERRIBLE at taking care of my skin when I was a teenager. I broke every skincare rule in the books; I slept in my makeup, I didn't moisturize, and I never wore sunscreen. Now that I'm 27, skincare suddenly seems crucially important. I invested in a Clarisonic. I'm diligent about cleaning my makeup off. And I wear a daily SPF. Exuviance is a brand that I never had access to until working at Ulta. I'd heard of some of the bigger brands, such as Mario Badescu, Dermalogica, Philosophy, and Murad, but this was a new line to me.

Exuviance is a skincare line created by two doctors who are widely considered to be leaders in the field of cosmetic dermatology and who also patented the first glycolic peel. This sounds like the type of line for me! One of my biggest issues, and the main reason why I never wore sunscreen much as a teen, is the feel of sunscreen. It's usually that thick, white goop that has a strong smell and leaves that grayish cast on your skin and takes forever to sink into your skin. The other thing is that sunscreen should be reapplied every few hours...and let's be real here - who is going to do their makeup and then rub sunscreen all over their face in a couple of hours?

No one. That's who. Enter the Exuviance Sheer Daily Protector Broad Spectrum SPF 50 PA++++! (Speaking of "enter", if this is the type of product you think you'd be interested in trying out and you live in the US, definitely enter the Exuviance GIVEAWAY! 25 lucky people will win one of these babies...and this sunscreen retails for $42!)

FTC Disclaimer: I purchased this product from Ulta with my own money. My opinions are my own and do not reflect those of my employer. I am not receiving monetary or physical compensation for this post. It IS in conjunction with Brandbacker, which anyone can sign up for and take part in. My integrity is very important to me - I would not have chosen to make this post if I did not enjoy this product.

Circa Beauty First Impressions - Eyeshadow Trio & Lipsticks!

I have another Walgreens exclusive first impressions post for y'all! Circa Beauty is another "masstige" brand, sold only at Walgreens, similar to the Colour Prevails range (I posted about a couple nail polishes here). It's a pretty complete range for being so new; consisting of a decent selection of face, eyes, and lip products.

I opted to pick up three things because this brand is on the pricier side of drugstore; the shadow trio is $12 and the lipsticks are $10 each. This is not a full review; I've only had these for about three day now, but I will be posting an update and more comprehensive review after I've had a chance to fully play with these products!

FTC Disclaimer: I purchased these products with my own money. I am not affiliated with this company, nor am I being sponsored or compensated for this post. My opinions are, as always, my own.

Colour Prevails First Impressions - Nail Polish!

I want to start out this post by stating that I am a total nail polish amateur; I love the stuff and I buy it frequently BUT I am horrible at upkeep and application. So apologies in advance for my sloppy swatches! That being said I love trying out new lines, especially at drugstores. This range is upper level drugstore or masstige; prices are on the higher end of affordable. These polishes are $8 per bottle, which puts them at an Essie or OPI level, when you consider these bottles hold less product.

I always feel guilty when I buy brands that aren't sold at Ulta; I can justify my makeup hoarding by saying it's "product education" but I can't do that when we don't sell the brand!! :D That being said, my curiosity got the better of me and I splurged. I actually intended on only purchasing the cream polish in "All Nighter" but I love glitters and I loved the name of the second one; "Mr. Wrong", and I couldn't hold myself back! The Colour Prevails range is pretty substantial, featuring face, eyes, and lip products, along with the nail polishes, but as of right now I've only tried the polishes.

FTC Disclaimer: I purchased these products myself. I'm not affiliated with this company, nor am I sponsored nor being compensated in any form for this post. My opinions are, as always, my own.

bareMinerals The Color Compatibles REVIEW & FOTD

I am incredibly tardy to the party; this palette came out in May or June, and it's taken me a while, clearly, to post a review or anything about this palette. So why the hell am I even bothering to post a review now, you might be asking? Well, right now this palette is FIFTY PERCENT OFF. Yeah, you read that right; this palette, which normally retails for $39, is currently $19.50, exclusively at Ulta. Now, I'm not sure if this price is for in-store also, nor am I sure how long this sale will be going on for. But this palette is completely worth your money, especially for THIS price so do it up my friends.

(This post is photo-heavy and I will be using page anchors to make it easier to maneuver. The list of ingredients is quite long and I've placed it at the very end of the post for ease of reading.)

FTC Disclaimer: This palette was purchased by me for blogging purposes with my own money. I am not affiliated with Bare Escentuals, nor sponsored, and I am not receiving any type of compensation for this post. All opinions are, as always my own, and also do not reflect those of my employer.

Lipstick Queen Frog Prince First Impressions/Review

Lipstick Queen is a brand that I haven't delved too deeply in. I was so excited when my Ulta store first got it in store, bought six or seven things, and then promptly forgot about it for over a year. Which, in retrospect, is crazy because Medieval is one of my favorite casual red lippies ever. Sure, I joked about buying the $50 Velvet Rope lipsticks, but I've never bit the bullet.

However, when we got the Frog Prince display in, I was intrigued. Then my GM was telling about how, when she received it as gratis, it stained for 48 hours and didn't budge. Okay. I was sold. I am going to be typing this up in review format even though it is a first impressions post because if I continue to like it over the next couple of weeks I don't intend on editing this post. If, however, something crazy happens and I actually end up disliking this product, I will edit this post, add an ETA to the title, and update you. As of right now I really like this product.

FTC Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with this company, nor am I being sponsored nor compensated for this post. All opinions are my own and do not reflect those of my employer.

bareMinerals Work, Weekend, Wow Eyeshadow Palette REVIEW

I've been debating on picking up this particular palette for a while and finally bit the bullet! I accidentally sold myself on it while selling it to a customer, no joke. Considering the READY® eyeshadow 8.0 palettes are $40 for eight shadows and the duos are $20, getting seven shadows for $26 seems like a great deal. I always love the READY® shadows, I have amassed a decent chunk of them at this point, and I reach for them frequently. I just wasn't sure if I would actually use this, mostly because at this point I have so many eyeshadow palettes. Obviously, this didn't stop me!

FTC Disclaimer: This product was purchased by me with my own money. I am not affiliated with Bare Escentuals, nor am I sponsored, nor compensated in any form. All of the opinions in this post are, as always, my own, and do not reflect that of my employer.

J.Cat Beauty First Impressions - Eyeshadow & Liner

Recently, while processing shipment, we found an exciting endcap display - looks like Ulta is going to start carrying J.Cat Beauty. You might know them as the brand that does the cheaper OCC Lip Tar dupes; I've heard of this brand for a while on YT and I was super excited to find out we would be carrying at least a few pieces from the line.

Hopefully we can expand the product range in the future because there are some other products that I plan on picking up (like the blushes...hello, I'm a crazy cat lady and those blush/bronzers are cute as hell) and it's definitely convenient to pick them up while at work.

This is not a full-on review. I've only had these products in my possession for around a week and I do plan on picking up more products from this brand.

FTC Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with this brand, nor am I being sponsored nor compensated for this post. My opinions are entirely my own and also do not reflect my employer. This post is entirely mine.

NYC Satin Matte Lipsticks - FAIL

I got SO EXCITED when I saw these in Meijer. I have five of the original Expert Last lipsticks and I really love them! But I'm a matte lippy kinda gal, and when I saw the "satin matte" label, I freaked out because these are so cheap ($1.99 at most stores) and easier to find than the Jordana ones. This post isn't going to have a jump, sorry for the potential inconvenience! THIS IS NOT A REVIEW. It's more of a mini rant!


From L-R: "448 Smooth Beige", "449 Creamy Mauve", "450 Pure Coral", "451 Velvety Fuchsia", and "452 Red Suede".
The original lipsticks are creamy and smooth and comfortable, which is rare for a long-wearing product. Personally, I don't find them to last the full six hours as NYC claims, but they wear for about four hours if you're not drinking, eating, or chatting a lot. They wear off nice and evenly and don't leave that dreaded outer ring of color that some lip products can do. Overall, I really like everything about this formula except for the scent and taste (it's REALLY strong and the taste is...not good) and I was so excited to see a matte offering, plus the colors all looked great!

So, why the fail? These aren't effin' matte. Not even close. Newsflash N.Y.C., I know most of your lip products contain that frosty shimmer that I'm not into, but taking out the shimmer and having a cream formula does not equal matte. Basically, I almost want my ten bucks back, I feel cheated! I even let them dry down for twenty minutes to see if they'd mattify. Nope. And I know I should have expected this from the name "satin matte", right? Because the definition of "satin" is of or like satin; smooth; glossy. Here's the definition of "matte": having a dull or lusterless surface. What a bloody oxymoron, right? I was expecting the matte, all they provided was the satin. Bummer! Don't call something matte if it's not, basically.


From L-R: "448 Smooth Beige", "449 Creamy Mauve", "450 Pure Coral", "451 Velvety Fuchsia", and "452 Red Suede".
Beautifully pigmented colors. Beautiful color selection. They wear the same as the original lipsticks. I still recommend these shades, don't get me wrong! They're great and this lipstick formula is quite enjoyable and they're so cheap that...how can ya not, right? But don't buy them because you're expecting a shine-free, comfortable matte finish. These are basically an extended color selection of their original lipsticks, nothing new or matte to be found here at all. If you would like a full review with lip swatches and the whole production, let me know because I have the pics edited and saved. I would like to reiterate - These are not poor quality lipsticks; they're actually quite nice! But I bought these under the assumption that they would be matte, and not an extended color range of the original formula, which they are. So, yeah, I'm kinda bummed out. Buy these if you like the shades or the Expert Last formula, don't buy if you're wanting a nice matte finish!


From L-R: "418 Sugar Plum", "440 Creamy Caramel", "445 Coralista", "446 Smooch", "447 Forever Fuchsia", "448 Smooth Beige", "449 Creamy Mauve", "450 Pure Coral", "451 Velvety Fuchsia", and "452 Red Suede".


From L-R: "446 Smooch", "449 Creamy Mauve", Jordana Matte Lipstick in "Pink Passion", Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in "Elusive", Milani Color Statement Moisture Matte lipstick in "Matte Blissful", and Jordana Modern Matte lipstick in "Matte Tease". The last four are way more matte, whereas the first two look like the same exact finish.

Best of BECCA Kit - FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Okay, so this post should have been up on Friday when I first got this kit but I was slacking. This kit is, sadly, no longer available on Ulta's website, but I'm still going to post this first impressions because all of the products in this kit are permanent products, first off, and secondly, this kit might still be available in stores and if you see it, I highly suggest that you snatch it up, if blush and highlight products are your jam. BECCA is a brand that I've wanted to try since we first got it, but I just couldn't convince myself to take the plunge, since a lot of their best selling products are rather expensive.

This set is a great value; for $34.50, you get to try four best selling products from the BECCA line, all of which are well-coordinated and work well together. You also get two full size products, both of which add up to a $52 value. The two highlighting products are minis but they're so frosty and potent that I can't imagine blowing through them too fast. Combined, it's about another $16 value. For $68 you can try out four products, two of which are full size! Also, there is a free GWP right now; a deluxe sample Ever-Matte Primer with any $30 Becca purchase (offer valid 3/15/15-4/4/15 or while supplies last), which is a ten dollar value!

FTC Disclaimer: All of the products mentioned in this post were purchased by me, with my own money. I am not affiliated with BECCA and all opinions are my own, as always! I am not being sponsored nor compensated for this post.

Eye Heart Tarte Eye Essentials - FIRST IMPRESSIONS

The 21 Days of Beauty is going on at Ulta right now, and they always bring out some great kits from a lot of the prestige brands. I don't know if I plan on picking any more up, but I did get my hands on the two I had really wanted (this Tarte one being one of them!) and I wanted to get this post up ASAP! This is not an in-depth review. If you're interested in a full review on these products (the liners and mascara; this quad is only available in this kit I believe) then let me know! I've tried Tarte shadows and the Lights, Camera, Lashes! mascara before, but the liners are new to me.

This kit retails for $34 through Ulta. It should also be available in stores! The total value is $71, so you save $37! Plus, through April 4th (WHILE SUPPLIES LAST AT YOUR ULTA LOCATION), there is a GWP going on with Tarte; spend $30 and receive a free deluxe Brazilliance Face Towelette and deluxe Lipsurgence Lip Gloss in Flush, which is a $20 value, which means you can potentially get $91 worth of Tarte products for $34+ tax!

FTC Disclaimer: All of the products mentioned in this post were purchased by me, with my own money. I am not affiliated with Tarte and all opinions are my own, as always! I am not being sponsored nor compensated for this post.

Yves Saint Laurent Volume Effet Faux Cils Mascara - REVIEW (Influenster)

It has been a long time since I've gotten an Influenster box and BOY AM I EXCITED that it was this particular box. I've tried the YSL Faux Cils mascara before and it was a beautiful mascara...or it would have been if it didn't flake like crazy on me. That being said, this is a reformulated version and I was excited to be able to try it! Mascara is a tricky thing, and it's not my favorite product to review because it's so personal; even if you have the EXACT SAME LASH TYPE as me, you can still end up hating a mascara I absolutely love. It's actually ten times more difficult when you consider that this is a $32 mascara...and that's hella expensive. Add in the fact that I got it for testing purposes and this post is pretty challenging.

I've done many posts involving Influenster before, and I will link to them below. Basically, when you sign up, you can pick badges of interest and do activities within those badges. When Influenster has a program relating to your interests, you can receive products free of charge to test and review. It's social media based, so you will have the best luck if you have the full spectrum of social media (FB, Twitter, IG, Vine, YT, a blog, etc.) I've done a mini intro post here.

• Oral Aesthetics and College VB
• Holiday 2012 VB
• Uni VB

FTC DISCLAIMER: I received this product through the Influenster program for testing and reviewing purposes. I am not affiliated with Yves Saint Laurent and this post is unsponsored, nor am I receiving compensation, beyond the product to try. All opinions are, as always, honest and my own.

Also, before you click the jump, this post does contain wonky close-ups of my eye, so if those kinds of things make you uncomfortable, don't proceed!

January-March Empties!

Okay, okay, so that title is a lie; some of these empties are from as long ago as last July. I'm always torn between wanting to do a substantial empties post...and not wanting it to be ridiculous. This post is going to be ridiculous, sorry to say, because I really want to through out my trash, haha. So, basically, this is about four months worth of empties, give or take a bunch of things that I forgot about and just tossed.

I'm doing this in blog format because it will be way easier to scroll to relevant parts than in a long-ass video. I hope to never acquire this much trash again. I'm hoping to do one of these every other month, if it's interesting. (If all I have is a bunch of cotton and products that I've shown before, don't expect an empties post - I enjoy these types of things...but not when they're redundant.)