March 2019 Hit List

Here are my March favs!

Anastasia Beverly Hill Sultry Palette

Anastasia Beverly Hill is a brand that I've tried here and there but then I end up returning the items or giving it away. To me they're are an instahype brand which is not necessarily a bad thing. It's just a brand I never really took to. The only reason I picked up this palette was because it was on sale. I ended up grabbing it from Sephora. First glance it's pretty but I wasn't expecting much. The more and more I used it the more I enjoyed it and the really liked the looks I did with. I rarely use all the shades in a palette. I've used all of them but one. I used this as an everyday palette and it wasn't too much on my eyes for daytime. If you can snag this on sale, I say go for it. I'm tempted to get the Soft Glam palette.

tarte Tartelette Toasted Palette

I'm still going through my stash and purging items. I pulled this palette as a potential get rid of item. I have the other two Tarlette palettes and the main reason at first for keeping this one is to have "all of them together". It sat in my basket and I wasn't reaching for it. Then I finally started playing around it and really like it. During the warm palette craze I got this and the Urban Decay Naked Heat. When I was deciding which one to keep I went with the Toasted palette. The mix of shades in this one spoke to me. I use all of the shades and not just a few here and there. I like that it's a compact palette and it's a complete palette. I don't have to reach for something else to do a complete look. If you're looking to spend a little more on a warm palette to add to your stash then I recommend this one.

Morphe Brush M173 Mini Buffer Brush

I've purchased quite a few Morphe brushes over the last few months. I was looking for some replacement brushes and didn't want to pay a lot and Morphe fit the bill. I picked up the Mini Buffer Brush to use with my under eye concealer. The reviews on it are really good. But when I got it home I instantly thought this isn't going to blend my concealer out. I thought it would be too stiff. Well it's not and it blends out my under eye concealer beautifully. I've tried with multiple concealers and haven't had any issues. So score! I may grab another one. You can't beat this price. Forgot to snap a pic of it. Whoops LOL!

Urban Decay Vice Lipsticks

I pulled out a bunch of Urban Decay lippies to play around with for March. I've raved about the Urban Decay Vice Lipsticks in previous posts. They are definitely in my top 3. favorite lipsticks. The three shades I wore the most in March are Nighthawk (brown red), Cherry (deep wine berry) and Gash (deep red). The staying power of these shades is fantastic. I really didn't need to touch it up throughout the day but of course I did just because lol! And I just realized that Cherry was a favorite last month! I really want to keep in the rotation but I'm going to put away for now. It may come back out. Warm temperatures be damn! I wear dark lippies year round!

MAC Boom Boom Bloom Collection

MAC isn't a brand I really keep up with. Most of the time my friends tell me what's going on and what I should check out. I think I saw this collection on Ulta's website and was intrigued.  These shades are right up my alley. There are only two item left on Ulta's site but you can see the full collection on MAC's site. I ended up ordering the palette (Kabuki Doll), two lipglasses (Heartmelter - midtone rosey pink and Cherry Mochi - warm raspberry pink), a lipstick (Frambose Moi - raspberry pink) and the Fix+. The packaging is super cute! I haven't used a couple of the items but what I have used I have enjoyed. My favorite item is the Heartmelter lipgasss. I reminds me of Secret Agent from LORAC which is a favorite but Heartmeleter has a more pink to it. If these colors are your jam then check this collection out.

ELEMIS Pro-Collagen Super Serum

I have reached for this serum so much and used it up quickly! The one that I don't like is the packaging only because I can't tell how much product I have left lol! I have raved about the moisturizer in this line but I think I'm liking the serum more! I snagged a duo on auto delivery from QVC when it was a Beauty Steal. During the day sometimes I use just one pump during my a.m. skincare routine and it doesn't not make me oily and my foundation application is so good! It absorbs in the the skin nicely. I feel like my skin is nice and plump but also smooth. In the evening I really like using this after doing a mask or peel that leaves my skin feeling a little tight. Two pumps of this along with with water moisturizer and I'm good to go! This is pricey but I love what it has been doing for my skin. So it's a keeper in my skincare rotation.

L'Occitane Intensive Hand Balm

I've ordered 3 L'Occitane sets from QVC since the beginning of the year *head palm*. One of the sets I ordered is the L'Occitane Ultimate Moisture Collection. I've always been a fan of their hand creams. They are so lux! I've never tried the Intensive Hand Balm and it was included in the set I purchased. During the presentation the on air guest said use this at night before you go to bed. So I keep it by my bed and just before I settle in for the night I slap some on my hands and they feel so go! There are so soft and don't look dry. I use this during the day too but I use it mostly at night. If you're look for a real treat for your hands this is it! I think this is the most luxurious hand cream I have used.

A nice mix of items for March. I have work travel coming and my blog mojo is still blah. So we'll see if I get posts up for April. I have been posting my monthly empties on Instagram as well. I used to post my favorites. I may start posting them again there. So follow me along there since I think this blog may becoming to an end. Or may be on pause for a bit.

TTFN - ta ta for now!

March 2019 Out of My Face

Here's another month of beauty trash! I was hoping to have used up some more skin care items. Oh well. Still a good amount of stuff so woohoo!!

• Revlon Kiss Exfoliating Balm in Sugar Mint
• NYX Micro Brow Pencil in Black
• NYX Micro Brow Pencil in Espresso
• Lancome Monsieur Big Mascara
• Covergirl Super Thick Lash Mascara
• Covergirl All Day Flawless Foundation in Q835 Mocha
• Nivea Essentially Enriched Body Lotion
• Palmer's Olive Oil Olive Hairdress
• No7 Nourishing Cleansing Balm
• Mielle Organics Mongongo Oil Hydrating Conditioner
• Mielle Organics Mongongo Oil Exfoliating Shampoo
• philosophy Fresh Cream Glazed Body Souffle
• Serious Skincare A Force XR
• Jamaican Mango & Lime Jamaican Black Castor Oil in Coconut
• Jamaican Mango & Lime Jamaican Black Castor Oil in Eucalyptus
• Elemis Pro-Collagen Super Serum Elixir

Not a bad bunch of products! This is really like a game every month. Let's see what I can use up in April!

February 2019 Hit List

Hi, hey there, hello!

It seems like I blinked and February was over. Then I went back and forth on what to include in this post since I had swapped items out to start using different products for March. And now we're at mid-March *head palm* So here are my favorites from February.

Urban Decay Vice Lipstick in Cherry

A friend was nice enough to pass this along to me. This was released with the Naked Cherry palette. It is described as deep wine berry. I have way too many lipsticks in this of shade. Berry shades are my favorite. Urban Decay cream lipsticks are fantastic. They are easy to apply, wear nicely on this lips and don't dry out my lips.

philosophy renew with hope & purity super- size 4-piece skincare kit 

If you've been following me along for a while now, you would have noticed that skincare has become a thing for me. I've picked up stuff and had stuff passed along to me. In trying this and that, philosophy has stayed in my mind. I said if they did a nice basic set for QVC then I would definitely get it. Guess what? They did! I picked up the philosophy renew with hope & purity super- size 4-piece skincare kit from QVC. It doesn't get much simpler than this. You have a cleanser, serum, moisturizer and peel. The only product I hadn't tried is the peel and I love it. It's super easy to use and the results of bright and smooth skin are so good. Using this set was like coming home. Purity and the renewed hope moisturizer are past favorites. The serum I've used before but at the time I was new to serums and didn't think it was doing anything for my skin. Now I really enjoying it. I like doing a nice elaborate skincare routine with a bunch of steps but sometimes I just want to keep it simple. The only items I needed to add are an eye cream and SPF. I've added other products here and there and they've placed nicely with this kit. Of course I opted for auto delivery and I'm so glad I did. I don't see myself canceling this one.

Morphe Fluidity Full-Coverage Concealer

Curiosity and the price is what got me to pick this concealer up from Ulta. I looked at the shades and the shade description for C4.45  (rich with peach undertones) is the same as the shade I use in tarte's Shape Tape (Deep) for under my eyes. When I got it home I swatched against Shape Tape and they were pretty much spot on to each other. The Morphe concealer is not a thick as Shape Tape which I like. It makes it easier to blend. I don't have serious under eye issue so I don't have a lot to cover up. Some reviews I read complained about the coverage not being enough. For me it's fine. Overall I do  like the concealer and the price is phenomenal compared to Shape Tape. I went back and picked up another shade C5.15 (deep with neutral undertones) to use on my face. This shade is a little lighter that the Shape Tape shade I use (Rich) but once everything is blended out and powder is added, it works out fine. I'll continue to use but I can't say right now if I'll abandon Shape Tape for it. If you're looking for a good inexpensive concealer then check this one out.

Zoya Nail Polish

I hadn't used any Zoya nail polishes in a while so I grabbed a bunch and really enjoyed using them. Two favorites were Pasha (soft, pale, taupe-kissed beige nude with silver frost and the barest hint of silver microglitter.) and Jem (dark, red-toned purple with subtle gold and fuchsia flecks).

Lancome Long Time No Shine Loose Setting Powder in Deep

Here's another item a friend passed along to me.  I have some nice friends. I didn't really need another powder since I was still loving the Cover FX  Perfect Setting Powder in Deep. I decided to give the Lancome powder a go and I really like it. I may like it more than the Cover FX powder *gasp*. I've alternated between the two and I like how my makeup looks with the Lancome powder. It has a little more color to it, it mattifies my skin and my makeup looked fresher at the end of the day. I can't wait to see how this powder works as the days get warmer. I just might ditch the backup I have of the Cover FX poweder. We shall see!

And there you have it. Not too bad. Now let's see if I can get my March favs up in a timely manner. HA!

February 2019 Out of My Face

Happy March!

I swear February flew in and flew right back out!

Here's what I used up in February.

• Vaseline Intensive Care Cocoa Radiant Body Gel Oil
• Creme of Nature Argan Oil Style & Shine Foaming Mousse
• Dove Advanced Care Invisible Deodarant
• Proclaim Shea Butter
• Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm
• Elemis Pro-Collagen Super Serum Elixir
• Catherine Jinn Pro Bio-Placenta Essence
• Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy Viva la Body Cream
• philosophy The Present
• Serious Skincare Glycolic Gommage
• tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes
• Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner in Demolition
• Maybelline Total Temptation Brown Definer in Deep
• Revlon Kiss Exfoliating Balm in Sugar Mint
• The Body Show Tea Tree Squeaky Clean Scrub

Not too bad. I didn't think I used this much stuff up. Woohoo!

Let's see how much beauty trash I'll have at the end of March.

January 2019 Hit List

Hola!

I had the bright idea of doing weekly favorites and as you can see that did not shake out LOL! Here are my favorites for January. There are quite a few past favorites and you'll see that they are well used. Let's get to it!

Laura Mercier Artist Palette

If you've been following me along then you know that I have mentioned this palette many times. I've traveled with it a TON! It's just so good. The matte brown shades are everything. Cafe Au Lait and Coffee Ground together is my go to look when using this palette. The shimmery brown (Chocolate) is a favorite and the matte navy blue (Deep Night) is hands down my favorite navy blue eyeshadow. Not like I need a backup of this or any palette but if this was made available again, I would seriously consider getting another one.

Mally Beauty Nude Attitude Eyeshadow Palette

This is another past favorite that I reached for a lot in January. It has a good mix of shades that are great for everyday and any occasion. It's easy to throw a look together with this palette. I believe it's laid out in quads but of course you can use it however you'd like. The only thing I don't like is the packaging. It's bulky and I wish is was slimmer in design. Then I would definitely travel with it.

Bobbi Brown Blush in Desert Pink

During one of my makeup purges, I had my Bobbi Brown blushes out to get rid of then I came to my senses. Don't ask me what I was thinking. I've used these blushes so much. I've used them on a regular everyday basis and I've traveled with these blushes. The one I used consistently throughout the month is Desert Pink. It is described as a soft natural pink and it is the perfect pink blush. It looks like nothing in the pan. It also looks like it would appear ashy on my deeper skin tone. Trust me it's not. If you're looking to splurge on a blush, I recommend getting an everyday color that you know you're going to use from Bobbi Brown. I really want a red blush from the line. *shifty eyes*

Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe, Herbs and Rosewater

I mentioned this facial spray in my last hit list post. I'm still enjoying and reaching for it January. I was on Ulta looking at his other facial sprays but said no no no! Use up the sprays you have first girl! It's been the final step in my evening skincare routine and I just love the extra dose of hydration. I haven't tried it my makeup routine yet. We'll see if I add it in.

Mascara combo - Julep Length Matters Mascara and Tarte Tarteist Mascara

These two mascaras are past favorites. Each one on its on perform nicely. Together these two create lash magic! The Julep mascara give nice length and you can kinda "style" your lashes with it. The Tarte mascara is really pigmented black mascara that gives you volume. A big thumbs of for this mascara combo.

MAC Lip Liner in Chestnut

After loving MAC's Nevermore lip liner and falling out of love with NYX's Espresso lip liner, I decided to give Chestnut a go. It is described as an intense brown. I'm not sure about intense but I do like it. It goes on smoothly, there's no tugging and it's creamy. I would definitely repurchase it. I have my eye on a couple more MAC lip liners too.

Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel

A friend was nice enough to pass this on to me. I've had it for a while and just got around to using it this month. I have loved everything that I've tried from Elemis and this is no exception! It's a cream exfoliator. I was confused by this lol. Most exfoliators I've tried have had some form of beads or physical component to them. This does not but it performs like it does! I love that it's not abrasive. When I rinse it off my face is smooth and bright! So winner winner chicken dinner!

And for a meh item.

I mentioned the Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask as a past favorite in my July 2018 Hit List. Lately it's gone from a yay to a nope! It doesn't seem to keep my lips moisturized and I've also been getting a white film on my lips which is a BIG NO! So I don't know if it's gone bad or I just can't use it during the winter months. The two Revlon Kiss Balms I've been using (Exfoliating and Tropical Coconut) are still performing for me and both together are way cheaper that the Laniege so I'll stick with these for my lips.

And there you have it. Short and sweet.

On to February!

Amazon

Happy Friday good people!

I just wanted to pop in real quick and share a post from one of my favorite bloggers. She did a post on Amazon and some things you need to be aware of while shopping especially for personal care products. Check it out and if you've had a similar experience be sure to leave a comment.

Table for Two - My PSA to You About Buying Products on Amazon

January 2019 Out of My Face

Helllloooo there! Off to a slow blogging start this year.

How ya doing? New Year off to a good start? I feel like January was super long! Let talk about some empties!

Here is what I used up in January!

• Serious Skincare Serious-C3 Plasma C Clean Cleanser
• Serious Skincare Vitamin A Retinol Pads
• Serous Skincare Phyto Pumpkin Facial Scrub
• Elemis Peptide 4 Night Recovery Cream-Oil
• Elemis Gentle Foaming Facial Wash
• Drunk Elephant Shaba Complex Eye Serum
• Vaseline Cocoa Butter
• Simple King to Skin Facial Wipes

Not too bad. I said I was going to do these monthly this year instead of combining two months. I really want to see what I'm using up month to month. I'm really determined to use up what I have and spend less this year. We'll see who that goes.

Let's see what I use up in February!