January/February 2018 Out of My Face

Hey. Hey there. How ya doing?

Here is my first set of empties for 2018. Not too bad huh for two months!

• Bath & Body Works  Exfoliating Hand Soap in Toasted Vanilla Chai 
• Serious Skincare Pure Marine Infusion Serum
• Serious Skincare Reverse Lift Firming Facial Serum with Argifirm
• Lancome Bienfait Pure Focus Matifying Moisturizing Lotion 
• Korres Ginger Lime Body Butter 1.69oz
• Vaseline Deep Moisture Vitamin E  Petroleum Jelly Cream 4.5oz
• Clark's Botanicals Deep Moisture Mask
• Wen Replenishing Treatment Mist in Tea Tree
• Andrew Lessman Friendly Flora
• Nene's Secret Gorgeous Gro
• Beauty Secrets Acetone Nail Polish Remover 16oz 
• Serious Skincare C Power Beauty Treatment 1oz
• Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid
• philosophy Whipped Body Cream in Falling in Love 16oz
• Serious Skincare Creamerum Body
• NYX Micro Brow Pencil in Chocolate
• Votary Super Seed Cleansing Oil
• Ashea Shea Butter Pomade
• One n' Only Argan Oil Treatment 

I think I've mentioned most of the items listed before. A newbie to the list is the Votary Super Seed Cleansing Oil. This is a pricey cleansing oil. A friend passed it on to me to try which was really nice because again this joker is pricey! It's around $60 or maybe even a little more. I found it on Anthropologie's website but it's no longer available. It did not feel like your typical cleansing oil. It's was a lot thicker and harder to rinse off. For the most part it did remove my makeup. I liked using it more so mixing with an exfoliating powder I have and using it on bare skin. You can use it like a regular cleanser. It was nice to try but I don't plan on purchasing a bottle.

There are a couple of other items that I could talk about but you will see them in my next favorites post. So I'll gush about them there.

See you in the next post!

2017 Top 5 + Top 3 Brands

When this post came to mind I said ok No waffling or trying something new. I'm sticking to top 10 items and top 3 brands! But then I said ok what's the top 10? I did like a lot of stuff in 2017 but I didn't want to list something for the sake of having 10 items. Then I said ok could I narrow down to 5 items since that's what I did all year. So I really put my thinking cap on and thought I about the 5 items that I felt that I reached for most during the year or something I really had to "force" myself to put away. So here goes nothing!

NYX Lip Liners

NYX lip liner in Espresso was the only lip liner I used fo a long time. Then I jumped on the Colour Pop bandwagon and I did venture out and explored other lip colors. Then I fell out of love with Colour Pop and went back to NYX and I'm staying with NYX. They are easy to sharpen and hold up nicely. NYX has a TON of lip liner colors. I tried several in the Suede Matte line. Club Hopper (deep purple mauve) is probably my number favorite and I wear it with reds, purples, pink and some nudes. I found Downtown Beauty (true brown), a lighter brown lip liner that works better with the nude shades I like to wear. Espresso (deep warm brown) will always will be in my stash. It's the best brown lip liner. And you can't beat the price of NYX lip liners and they are available at a lot of retailers.

IT Cosmetics Vitality Cheek Flush Powder Blush Stain

I mentioned these blushes in my June 2017 Top 5 post. There are only 4 shades in this blush line and it's the perfect mix of shades for any occasion/look. As I've gone through my stash purging items, these blushes I do not touch. They are staying in my collection. The pigmentation and staying power of these blushes are fantastic.

Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy Sucre Eau de Parfum 

I mentioned this fragrance in my February 2017 Top 5 post. This fragrance has stayed on my dresser and I have used on and off all year. I have a sample I got from Sephora just to keep in my makeup bag in my purse. If I had to pick one favorite of the year, this would be it. It a fragrance that's easy to wear and it's not overpowering. It's a fun and flirty scent that can be worn year round. If I ever did a purge of my frgrance stash, this one would be a keeper.

Urban Decay All Nighter Spray

This only got mentioned once in 2017 in a post and it was an empties post. I kept meaning to mention it in a favorites but just forgot. This was the makeup spray I used last year and it was GOOD! De-Slick used to my go to. I got a duo of All Nighter from Ulta (this is the old packaging) when I had a coupon. Every time I used it I was surprised how it set my makeup once I was done applying everything and how my makeup held up through out the day. Once I use up the bottle I have I'm tempted to try the Mattifying Setting Spray from Cover FX since a friend of mine raved about it. But we shall see about that.

Tarte Tartlette Palette

I didn't think I would have a palette favorite for 2017. I can't remember when I picked this up last year but it has stayed within easy reach. I've used it on it's own and paired it with other palettes. I think this is a great all matte palette. I also love the packaging. It's easy to travel with and store. Which has become a big factor in purging eyeshadow palettes from my stash.

Now for the brands!

NYX

This year was the year that NYX make a reappearance of sorts my makeup purchases and routine this year. I purchased palettes, blushes and various lippies. Early on in my makeup days, NYX was brand I checked out a lot and fell off from them. They have a nice variety of products at a decent price point. Their lip liners will STAY in my stash.

Tarte

This brand gets a lot of flack and I get it. I've been disappointed with them in their lack of color range in foundations, concealers and powders. They've added stuff here and there but for now they are still one of my favorite brands. Their Shape Tape concealer is still my holy grail concealer. A lot of their eyeshadow palettes are ones I constantly reach for be it daily makeup looks or travel.

Serious Skincare

This should not be a surprise since a bunch of their items are holy grail in my skincare routine. If you paid attention to my empties and top 5 posts then you saw a lot from Serious Skincare. It's a good no frills band and you can catch awesome deals. My hands down favorite item is the A Force serum.

And there you have it! Tried to keep this short and sweet since it is February and a little late to be talking about 2017 favorites lol!

Let's see what 2018 brings.

Palette Obsession: Urban Decay Smoked Palette

My obsession with eyeshadow palettes is real and I must get a handle on it LOL! There is on Tarte palette that has been on my wishlist for a while now that I probably will pick up. Any other "new" palettes I am seriously going to look in my stash and compare it to what I already have.

The Urban Decay Smoked palette is a past favorite.  I used to use this ALL the time! I've traveled with this palette. It was once an instant go to. I couldn't tell you the last time I reached for it. So I pulled it out today and did a look with Barlust and Backdoor. I loved how the look came out. I love the jeweled tones Rockstar, Evidence and Loaded. I wish had  medium brown or caramel shade bit's not like I don't have those shades in other palettes or single shadows. This in the main palette I'll play around with for the month. We'll see if it says it my stash.

Do you own this one? Do you love it? Is it a must have in a makeup collection? Let's discuss!

Operation Nail Polsih Clean Out is a GO!

I was debating on whether or not I'd get a shop my stash post up for January. Then I said ok pick a few items and go from there. I started reaching for nail polishes but I started reaching for a lot questionable shades. Next I said ok let's do this from a let's clear stuff out standpoint. So now operation clear out nail polish stash is in effect! My nail polish collection has really been on my mind lately. So I filled up this basket with various nail polishes from Milani (old school Milani polishes and newer Color Statement ones) and OPI. There's also a random polish from Covergirl and one from Glisten & Glow. So obviously more nail posts will come be on the way. So yay!

My "goal" I guess is to fit my entire nail polish stash (including base coats, top coats, other nail care items, etc)into the Better Beauty Case I got from HSN. It's the XL size. Right now it's way too heavy I think the stitching my come undone at the handles. I don't have a magic number in mind. I just would like a nice curated nail polish collection instead of  crap ton of nail polish. I'd hate to just toss them but I've given enough away to family and friends but we'll see what I do. I have a feeling that this is going the be hard but it will be done! It is time! I hope this all makes sense.

Let's get to it!

Bag of the Moment: JOY & IMAN Diamond Quilted Genuine Leather Satchel with RFID

Let's do a quick bag post. I'm on a roll today huh? LOL!

I picked this satchel from HSN. I felt like when I was Christmas shopping and got a gift for some, I also got something for myself. HA!

I got this when they had a Today's Special that was a crossbody bag. I saw this satchel and was sold on it. It was on sale for $79.95 when I picked it up. It's at the HSN price now which is not terrible and HSN sends out coupons and have promos all the time. It's the perfect everyday bag for me. It's like a small tote and holds everything I need from day to day during the week. I've been on the hunt for a quilted bag and the design of this one is quite nice.

Some of the reviews on this bag tickle me. People are complaining about the leather. For the price I feel like people need to calm down.  You're not going to get leather like Dooney & Bourke, Coach, Michael Kors, Kate Spade, etc for this price. People also complained about the lining saying it cheaper. Again for the price you'll get a leather bag but accents and other aspects of the bag will be cheaper. I think the lining is fine and easy to clean if I spill something in my bag. It's a decent bag and I'm eyeing the price to see if it'll go on sale again and grab the Cognac. People are a trip want caviar at McDonald's prices. Have a seat. *ends rant* LOL! I've bought my share of pricey bags along with inexpensive ones. The pricey ones aren't always perfect and the cheaper weren't aren't always terrible.

I've been holding on to the box that is was shipped in just in case I was going to return it. I can throw the box out now ;) There some other quilted items in the line I'm eyeballing to see if they prices go back on sale again. I should have gotten them when I got the satchel. *shifty eyes*

October/November/December 2017 Out of My Face

Let's talk about my last set of empties for 2017! There is a lot here! *pats self on the back* LOL!!!

• Mario Badescu Cucumber Cleansing Lotion
• Bath and Body Works Ulta Shea Body Cream in Amber Blush
• philosophy Amazing Grace Whipped Body Cream 16oz
• philosophy Shampoo, Shower Gel & Bubble Bath in Candy Cane
• philosophy Falling in Love Spray Fragrance .5 fl oz 
• philosophy Lemon Custard Glazed Body Souffle 16oz
• NYX Micro Brow Pencil in Chocolate
• Estee Lauder Matter Perfecting Primer .5 fl oz
• Serious Skincare Creamerum Evolve Cream/Serum Beauty Treatment
• Serious Skincare A Force XR (2)
• Serious Skincare Reverse Lift Serum
• Serious Skincare A Wash
• Serious Skincare Mega Force
• Serious Skincare Glycolic Cleanser
• Serious Skincare A Night Cream
• Wen Fall Ginger Pumpkin Cleansing Conditioner 16oz
• Wen Tea Tree Cleansing Conditioner 32oz
• Wen Fig Replenishing Treatment Mist
• Andrew Lessman  Healthy Hair, Skin & Nails 360 count
• Andrew Lessman Cranberry Benefits 60 count
• Covergirl Queen All Day Flawless Foundation in Mocha Q835
• iS Clinical Copper Firming Mist
• Serious Skincare Pure-Pep 30% Peptide Concentrate
• Skinfix Ultra Rich Hand Cream
• KeraCare Hydrating Detangling Shampoo 
• KeraCare Humecto Creme Conditioner
• Kate Somerville ExfoliKate
• One 'n Only Argan Oil Hydrating Mask
• One 'n Only Argan Oil Treatment
• Bare Minerals Mineralixirs Facial Cleansing Oil
• COSRX AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner

The iS Clinical Copper Firming Mist is a new product to me.This was given to me by a friend to try. At first I didn't think it was doing anything. The more I used it, the more I enjoyed. Not sure if it helped with firming but it did help control the oil on my face and foundation application. I mainly used it in the morning after toner. It's funny I thought that the spray was clogged because nothing was coming out. Then I was like uhhh hello you finished it LOL!!! I haven't decided yet if I will purchase a bottle.

Two other newbies to the list but not to me are the KeraCare Hydrating Detangling Shampoo and Humecto Creme Conditioner. This shampoo and conditioner I used years ago. I loved them and then got side tracked by other products. The woes of a product junkie. I decided to use them again when my hairdresser told me of a sale that JcPenney was having and I fell in love with these two products all over again. I haven't repurchased them yet but I will. I can tell a difference in my hair since I ran out. These two products helped keep my hair soft, hydrated and manageable.

The Bare Minerals Mineralixirs Facial Cleansing Oil is another new product to the list. It's a typical cleansing oil and I did like it. A friend gave this to me. I'm not sure if they still make it. It got all my makeup off and it rinsed well. Some cleansing oils I feel like you have to rinse FOREVER to get off. I didn't have to do that with this one.

And lastly let's talk about the COSRX AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner. When I first started using this I wasn't wowed by it and didn't think much of it. This is another product I grew to enjoy the more  I used. I was going to mention it in a top 5 post but kept forgetting. Here's the product description:

"COSRX AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner is an exfoliating fluid that effectively eliminates flakes and dull skin cells while preventing blackheads and whiteheads from forming. Infused with natural acne-fighting acids, AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner controls excess oil and sebum while nourishing and hydrating depleted skin with essential vitamins.

It does just that! This is an excellent toner and I feel it was a game changer for my oily acne prone skin. I also love how it makes my skin feel soft and supple too. Even though I have oily skin, it can become dehydrated so the right products are key for my skin. It's available at Ulta but you can find it cheaper on Amazon. I have some other toners to get through but I am definitely going to repurchase this toner.

And DONE!

I will definitely continuing doing these posts in 2018. I would like do them monthly but I don't really use that much up in a month. So we shall see how often these get posted.

December 2017 Top 5

Happy New Year! I was trying to get this up the last week of December but as you can see that did not happen. I'll try to keep this short and sweet.

Here's in my last top 5 to round out 2017!

Laura Geller Iconic Baked Sculpting Lipstick in Broadway Plum

In December, I went through my lip products like a bandit. I should have taken before and after pictures. This lipstick a friend sent to me. I couldn't remember if I liked it our not. So I put in the current rotation of lip products. This is a really good lipstick. It's nicely pigmented and does not go on streaky. Dark lipsticks like this can sometimes go on patchy which drives me nuts! The staying power on this lipstick is fantastic. With a normal day of eating, drinking, talking, etc it wore nicely. I didn't have to reapply but I did just because I wanted to lol. It also felt nice on the lip going on and throughout the day. My lips didn't feel dry or tight. And of course I love the color. It's deep aubergine. So this is a definite keeper for me. I may try another shade from the line. They are at Ulta woohoo!

MAC Stereo Rose Mineralize Skinfinish

This was my highlighter of choice for the month of the December. It paired nicely with the deeper toned pink and berry blushes I wore. It's limited edition but MAC stays bringing stuff back. So keep a look out if it strikes your fancy.

BH Cosmetics ItsMyRayeRaye Palette

I follow ItsMyRayeRaye on Instagram and I saw that she collaborated with BH Cosmetics and created a palette and brush set. When I saw the palette I instantly fell in love with the shade section. It's a 21 color eyeshadow, highlight and contour palette. I thought it was cool that it has face products in addition to eyeshadows. I try to support women of color influencers when they collaborate with brands. I ordered the palette from BH Cosmetics.The was the main palette I used for the month. The shadows and highlighters are very nice. I have not used the face powders yet. I went ahead and ordered the brush set from Ulta the other day. The palette is also at Ulta. I have a work trip coming up and have no idea what palette to take. I may take this one since it's a nice all in one palette and I'm not trying to take a bunch of stuff with me.

Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Full Coverage Foundation

This foundation was the main foundation I reached for in December. I hadn't used in a while and forgot how much I liked it. I think this foundation is better suited for me in the cooler months but I can get away with wearing it if it's not too hot outside. The coverage of the foundation is fantastic. You do not need a lot to get the job done and the wear time of it is excellent. I wear the shade Deep Honey I'm tempted to try the next shade up in Rich Honey to see if it'll be a better shade for me when the weather is more and I get a tad bit darker. We shall see.

Love by Chaz Dean Eau de Parfum

When I ordered the Wen December Today's Special Value from QVC, a sample of this fragrance was included. Wen fragrances are hit or miss with me but I was curious to try it out. Once I saw the notes of this of the fragrance, I knew I was going to like it. The top note are Acai, White Currant and White Grapefruit and they are blended with Plumeria ad Rose Blossoms. It also has Ceadarwood and Amber extracts which I love. It's a warm and inviting scent that is not overpowering.  It'll be available for purchase in February and I am definitely grabbing a bottle!

One product I didn't like this month is the Korres Sea Lavender Body Butter. I ordered the Korres Special Edition 10-piece Body Butter Gift Collection from HSN that had minis of the body butters. I said I could use as hand creams. Now I kinda wished I returned it but I gifted one of the body butters. Oh well. The Sea Lavender scent is very strong. It lingers and it kinda tickles my nose. So I don't know if maybe I'm allergic to something in the body butter. Also when I touched stuff the scent got on whatever I touched. So I'm not a fan.

And there you have it! Thanks for following my ramblings of stuff I like and didn't like in 2017!

Next up we're gonna talk about my last set of empties for 2017!