January 2017 Top 5

Hey there!

This year these posts will be my top 5 favs for the month only. I may throw in a bonus fav but that's it. Any surprise products or products I don't like will be separate posts. I want to do these as I come across stuff instead of waiting until I'm ready to do my top 5 post. Make sense?

So here's my top 5 for January!

Covergirl Queen All Day Flawless Foundation in Almond Glow

I know, I know. You're probably like this foundation again lol. I'm still loving this foundation but I've been playing around with a new shade. I first took notice of Almond Glow when CKey Beauty used it a video. I guess we're around the same complexion shade, so I said hmmm. I forgot about it but then when I went to a Helmart (Walmart) that had a bunch of the shades, I picked up Almond Glow and Spicy Brown. Almond Glow is a bit more warmer than Mocha (my ride or die shade) but it's not as warm as Warm Caramel which I have tried before. Almond Glow has been working for me. It blends into my skin nicely and it's a really good shade match I think. I've already ordered another bottle from Amazon. I'll stick with this shade for the rest of the winter and maybe early spring. It may work for me year round like Mocha. I'm wondering if this foundation is being discounted. It's getting harder and harder to find in stores and online. I've tried finding out via social media and I haven't gotten a response. I may try to contact Covergirl directly. Stay tuned.

philosophy Glazed Body Souffle in Fresh Cream

This has been on my list to try. I got this in duo from QVC. I was actually on wait list and didn't think it would ship. So while I was waiting, I ended up ordering another set that included Fresh Cream and two other scents. I ended up returning the set and then the duo was shipped to me. This cream feels very luxe on the skin but it's not heavy. It makes my skin soft and keeps is nicely moisturized throughout the day. I definitely that need during the cold and dry winter months. Also Fresh Cream pairs nicely with a ton of different scents I wear. I did do auto delivery and it's one I will definitely keep.

Bobbi Brown Bronze Tortoiseshell Eye Palette 

I pulled this palette out to use in addition to the Bare Minerals eyeshadows for the month. I've only use one Bare Minerals eyeshadow! It's time to let some of them go *sigh*. Back to Bobbi. I haven't been doing my makeup everyday due to some schedule changes. When I have put on makeup, I have reached for this palette over and over again. It's a nice neutral palette. It has a nice dark matte brown which I enjoy and the other colors are easy to throw on the lid and go. I've been using the Banana shadow as a brow bone highlight and it's super pretty. This was limited edition but you may luck up and find it on a blog sale or it may be re-released.

Chapstick Medicated 

This was a random purchase I made trolling the lip balm section at Helmart (Walmart). I have used this on its on day and night. I've also used it under various lip colors and I have really been enjoying it. It's goes on smoothly and my lips feel super smooth and soft. This is from the Chapstick website:

"Some days, it takes a little more to get your lips looking and feeling their healthy best. That's what ChapStick® Medicated is all about. It quickly soothes the pain, hydrates with moisturizers and seals in moisture with a light, protective barrier to help heal severely dry, chapped lips."

I haven't had any pain from severely chapped lips so I can't speak to that but I still agree with this! So another score for Chapstick!

Serious Skincare Olive Oil Replenishing Body Oil

This is the same bottle that I mentioned back in March. I have been reaching it for a lot this month and as you can see it's almost gone. I have another bottle ready to go. I really like how soft and moisturized my skin feels after applying it. Also the scent is very calming especially at nighttime. I'm hoping I can catch another deal when Serious Skincare is back on HSN.

And there you have it. Nothing too overly exciting I guess. I have quite a few things I picked up in January that I will add to the rotation. So let's see what February bring!.

2016 Top 10

Ok I lied again lol!

I mentioned my grand plans of how I wanted to do my favorites for 2016 with a top 5 in different categories and ummmm yeaaaa...

I've had some stuff going on that really hasn't allowed me the time to my 2016 favorites in categories. Then I really didn't have 5 absolute favorites in each category. I didn't want to list stuff just to have five items in that category. I started to get frustrated. I was all over the place as usual. This is supposed to be fun and easy for me. I had to regroup and said ok let's just do a top 10 like I did in 2015.

So here are my top 10 favorites for 2016.

Urban Decay Naked Smoky Palette

This is probably the palette that got the most use in 2016. I traveled with it and kept it in easy reach when it was at home. You can do a variety of  looks with this palette from a barely there neutral look to a dark and smoky look. And it has a purple shade. I mean come on! LOL! I just think it's  very versatile palette with good quality eyeshadows.

tarte Tarlette Tease Palette

This is another palette that got a lot of love from me in 2016. It's an easy palette to use. I like that it doesn't have a ton of shades and that all the shades pair nicely together. Heartbreaker is the shade that I have gotten the most use of it. It's the perfect matte brown shade for a one shade look.

Laura Mercier Artist Palettes

I mentioned in August that I contemplated on sending these two palettes to Glambot.  I'm glad I didn't. I have constantly reached for these two palettes. I've used them on their on or paired them with other palettes. Especially if I need some darker shades. I also like that the packaging is slim and compact. It makes them easy to store and travel with. So it's safe to say that these are definite keepers in my stash.

tarte Shape Tape Concealer

This concealer right here is holy grail! I got it for giggles based off of all the hype I had heard on both YouTube and Instagram. It is well deserved hype! This concealer has awesome coverage and the u staying power is phenomenal. I originally picked it up in Deep to use under my eyes. More shades have been released and I picked up Rich to use on the rest of my face. I enjoy both shades. If you are looking for a new concealer, I highly recommend this one. It is pricey but you can catch it on sale and you a ton of product.

MAC Taraji P. Henson Collection

I rarely loose my mind over MAC collection nowadays. Well I lost my mind over this collection. I picked up 2 of the lipsticks and both MSFs. I was tempted to pick up backups of the MSFs. Not like I really need backups. These items were in heavy rotation for a good while. The lipstick (Strip Me Down) is a very pretty nude and you can have some fun pairing it with different lip liners. The MSFs (Highlight the Truth and Taraji's Glow) are pigmented and blend nicely onto the skin. I also like that this collection didn't have a TON of items like some MAC collections. Hopefully they'll do another on with her in the future since this one was so popular.

Buxom Full-On Lip Cream in Hot Toddy

I first mention this back in July and I just mentioned it again in December. It has gotten a lot of use on its own or with other lipsticks. Buxom glosses are my absolute favorite lip glosses because they give you more than just some color on your lips. They are conditioning and good for your lips. Hot Toddy is a good everyday shade. It's described as toasty nude and it's super pretty on. If you're looking for a new nude lip gloss to try, pick this one up.

LORAC Alter Ego Lipgloss in Secret Agent

I first mentioned this gloss back in March when I got it from Ulta on sale along with  Jet Setter. I have reached for Secret Agent the most. Secret Agent is described as a plum brown. Whenever I've worn a purple eye look, I instantly reach for this gloss. I've always had trouble finding the right lip color to wear with a purple eye and this pairs nicely with a purple look. I've also reached for this gloss when I don't know what to put on my lips. On me it's a nice nude shade that goes nicely with my skin tone. I pair with Colour Pop's liner liner in Too Lips.

Serious Skincare Vitamin A Line

If you've been following my Shop My Stash posts. then you would have noticed items from this line showing up a lot. I started using the line around June and I have enjoyed every item I have used. It has really been a game changer for my skin. It has helped smooth out and clear up my skin. If I had to pick only one item to stick with then it would definitely be the A Force Serum. If you're looking to incorporate Vitamin A into your skin care routine then I highly recommend the Vitamin A line from Serious Skincare. The items I have picked up have been from HSN.

philosophy Purity Made Simple Mask

I picked this mask up back in March from Sephora and it has been my go to mask. It is easy to apply and remove. You only have to leave it on for a couple of minutes. Once I remove it my skin is so soft, bright and clean. It does not have that tight feeling an my skin does not feel dry after removing. This is a product that will remain in my skincare arsenal.

philosophy Pure Grace

I got my hands on Pure Grace back in June from QVC and I have continued using it. It an easy fragrance to wear. It's a no frills scent. You just smell nice and clean. Also for me it's a calming scent. It's a scent that I'm plan to keep within easy reach.

And a non-beauty bonus fav is Beyonce's Lemondae! I mentioned this back in May and I'm STILL rocking out to it. It's just that good and definitely my album of the year.

I was going a separate post on my top brands for the year but I'll just throw it in right here. My top 3 brands for 2016 are tarte, philosophy and Serious Skincare. No surprises here.

Not a bad list if I must say. I probably could have added 5 more products. I tried to keep it short and sweet. Thanks for following me along, commenting and sharing. Let's see what 2017 brings.

December Top 5 & More

Here's what was going on in December for all things beauty and we have a couple of non-beauty items too. Let's get to it!

Top 5

Trish McEvoy 24-Hour Eyeshadow and Liner Duo - Smokey Quartz and Topaz

I purchased this duo from HSN. The duo is currently sold up but the shades are available individually for purchase. I scooped this duo up when I had a coupon. I was tickled by the fact  that Mally Beauty has shadow sticks with the exact same names. I don't know who came out with theirs first. Smokey Quartz is very similar between the two brands. Topaz is different between the two brands. Smokey Quartz is described as a shimmering raisin and Topaz is described as a shimmering golden bronze. I LOVE Topaz! It's a bronze shade that not too warm and doesn't run red. When I first got these I swatched them on the back of my hand and the staying power was absolutely crazy! I washed my hands several times and these jokers would not come off! I was shocked. When I wore them on my eyes the staying power was good especially since I have oily lids. So I highly recommend these if you can catch them on sale or if you have coupon code. There aren't a ton of shades. So I may check out the others at some point.

L.A. Girl Pro Face Matte Pressed Powder

A friend was nice enough to pass on to me the three deepest shades available in these powders. I have Toffee, Chestnut and Cocoa. Toffee is the shade I use all over to set my face. Chestnut is on the warm side. I've used it to set my under eye concealer and I was surprised by how much I liked it for that. Cocoa is the deepest shade and I figured it would be too dark for me to use to set my face right now. I may be able to use it during the summer months. Looking at it, the shade kinda reminded me of Bobbi Brown's Bronzing Powder in Chocolate that was my holy grail. So I said let me use it as a bronzer/contour and I really it for that. These powder have given the Black Radiance powsers that I have raved a run for their money. These can also be use on their own for a "soft radiant look."  I have not tried them on their own yet but I'm looking forward to it.

Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Opal

I got this little guy from Ulta as a freebie with an online order. It's so tiny and cute! For some reason I thought that Opal wasn't for deeper skin tones. So I never really looked at in store. Opal is described as a golden opal pearl and it is so pretty! When I put it on my cheeks I was like oh hello glow! It's not an extreme highlight. It just gives a nice glow to the cheekbones and wherever else you put it on the face. So score for this freebie! It should last me a while.

Lip Combo - MAC Whirl Lipstick and Buxom Hot Toddy

I mentioned Hot Toddy back in July as a favorite. I thought I had previously talked about Whirl but I guess not. MAC's Whirl lipstick is a matte and it is described as a dirty rose. To me it's more of a warm brown shade. Or it appears that why against my skin tone. It's one of MAC's lipsticks that everyone talks about. A friend was nice enough to pass it on to me. It has been a lipstick that I reached for a lot lately because it's so easy to wear and goes with just about any eye look. Recently I have been pairing a lipstick with a gloss for later in the day. In the afternoon I don't always want to reapply my lip color. So I've been reaching for lip glosses with some color and that are conditioning for my lip. Buxom Lip Cream fit the bill! Buxom's Hot Toddy is described as a toasty nude and pairs beautifully with Whirl. If you're looking for a new nude lip combo to try then check these two out.

Buxom Full-On Lip Polish in Krystal

This gloss had been on my wish list for a while before I got my hands on it. It had been discontinued, so I took to eBay to see if I could find one. Then I lucked up and found a Buxom set with this included. I've used it here and there but recently it was just sitting in my basket. Since I've had more no makeup days than wearing makeup days, this is what I have thrown on my lips and I love it. I'm already a fan on the Buxom glosses. This is just nice for some shine on your lips, along with hydrating and treating your lips. When I run out of this I hope I can find another one. Buxom needs to stop playing and add it back to their line up!

Bonus fav - Bruno Mars 24K Magic

I've been good all year sticking to five favorites but why not add an extra for December! I loovvve me some Bruno Mars and I picked up his new one 24K Magic. I have been playing it non-stop in my car. I'm kinda bummed that it's only 9 songs *shrugs*. The two songs I have been playing on repeat are Chunky and Versace on the Floor but I enjoy the entire album. I so want to go see him in concert. Maybe I can make that happen this year.

Yays!

Turkey Haymakers Hill Tea in Sweet

I randomly picked this up from Safeway when it was on sale. I've picked up multiple bottles since then. It's different. It's not overly sweet and tastes really good. It has ginger, honey, molasses and vinegar in it. The vinegar part is interesting to me. I don't taste it. I do taste the ginger and I like it. I think I saw a lemon version that I may pick up next.

Boos!

L.A. Girl HD Pro Concealer

This isn't a total fail but more of I'm not sure about it. The same friend sent me the pressed powders alos sent me two shades of this concealer in Toffee and Fawn. I feel that these two shades may be too light for my skin tone. I did make them work and used them with the Pro Face Matte Pressed Powder in Chestnut. So it didn't look bad but I feel like it was a lot of "work" to make them work. If that makes any sense. I don't like my makeup routine complicated. I just want to apply the products and keep it moving.. If I'm comparing this concealer with other inexpensive concealers I've tried then I'd say go for the NYX HD or Maybelline Better Skin concealers. I know these L.A. Girl concealers have a cult following but they're just not my cup of tea. I may try the deeper shades, if I ever see them when I'm out and about in stores. Otherwise I have other concealer favorites that I enjoy.

Trish McEvoy No. 9 Blackberry & Vanilla Musk 9 Eau de Parfum

Yea so this was an impulse buy from HSN. I was getting some Christmas gifts and this was on sale for $85.50 (original price is $135) and on free shipping and said what the hey. It's 3.4 fl oz so you're getting a lot of product. I got it, gave it a sniff and thought this is just like philosophy's Falling in Love which is one of my all time favorite fragrances. I  noticed that over the course of the few days I wore it that the scent didn't last. I was like ooook. So I took to the internet and read reviews and saw people commenting on the staying power. I also saw others saying that it's similar to philosophy's Falling in Love. So after some thought I decided to send it back. This is pretty pricey even at the sale price I purchased it at. You can get a Falling in Love set with multiple items and layer the scent vs what you'll spend on this fragrance. Plus I don't have any issues with the staying power of Falling in Love.

Reading

I'm a nerd and I track how many books I read each year. My whooping grand total for 2016 was 35 books. I'm used to reading way more. Dah well. It happens. *shrugs*

And there you have it! Let's see what January brings.

January 2017 Shop My Stash

Happy New Year! I'm going to continue with these posts for 2017. I'm still on a clear out my stash kick. My hope is that posts will help me go through my stash, use stuff and then make some decisions on what can go. We shall see. I'm running out of ideas on what to do with the stuff I don't want anymore. So here is what I'm playing around with for the month.

Eyeshadow Play

I didn't really play around with the Bare Minerals eyeshadows I took out last month. So I'll use them and probably add some other to the mix. These shadows are ones I really want to clear out of my stash. Once I clear out the ones I don't want anymore, I have no idea what to do with them.

Polish Play

I've been trying to figure out what I want to do for nail polish this year. The idea popped in my head to go through my stash by brand. So that's what I'll do and you make see a brand for a few months at a time. I am going to start with Essie. Some of these colors aren't "appropriate' for the current season but I don't really care *shrugs*.

Tour de Finance, The Lace is On, Under the Twilight, Navigate Her, Vested Interest, Resort Fling

For the Twill of It, To Buy or Not To Buy, Cocktails & Coconuts, Cashmere Bathrobe, Ole Caliente, Find Me an Oasis

Fragrance Play

I'm going to continue using Living Grace since I had the whipped body creme that almost done.

Kinda boring but dah well. Even though I'm trying to stick to using what I have in my stash doesn't mean something new won't pop up here and there *shifty eyes*.

Let's go!

December 2016 Out of My Face

Happy New Year! 😎

I've been toying around with posting empties in a separate post. Some stuff I use up I don't necessarily talk about in other posts. Also  my feelings may change about a product as I use it that may have been a past favorite and such. So there you go. There may not be a post every month. Depends on how much I use up in a month. Some of this stuff takes forever to use up!

So here are my empties from December!

• Serious Skincare A Force XR Serum Concentrate 1oz
• Wen Treatment Oil in Tea Tree Eucalytptus 4oz
• Serious Skincare Olive Oil Body Butter 4oz
• Serious Skincare Glycolic Cleanser 16oz
• Serious Skincare 4 Million IU A Cream XR 2oz
• tarte Maneater Mascara 
• Skinfix Ultra Rich Hand Cream
• Serious Skincare Vitamin C Ester Pads 60 count
• Wen Replenishing Treatment Mist in Tea Tree 12oz
• Serious Skincare Pure Pep Cream Riche 
• Wen Replenishing Treatment Mist in Winter Vanilla Mint 6oz
• Neutrogena Clear Pore Oil-Eliminating Astringent
• Serious Skincare Mega Force Liquid Exfioliant
• One 'n Only Argan Oil Hydrating Mask 

Everything on this list I have mentioned before in past posts and they'll stay in my rotation. There are two newcomers on the list. The first newcomer is the Skinfix Ultra Rich Hand Cream. I got a small bottle of their Daily Lotion in one of the Allure Beauty Boxes. I left it on my desk at work and used it on my hands. I really liked it and was curious if they had a hand cream. I hopped on to Ulta's site and sure enough they had one. It's only $9.99, so I said what the hey. This is a really good hand cream! I've already purchased two more tubes. It has a nice thick consistency but it's not too thick. I doesn't have a scent that lingers or tickles my nose. It feels so good and makes my hands super soft and moisturized but not greasy. If your'e looking for a hand cream then check this one out. Now I'm curious about other products in the line. The second newcomer is the Serious Skincare Vitamin C Ester Pads. I think I got these in a larger Vitamin C kit from HSN. I've used them here and there but not on a consistent basis. I've been wanting to incorporate Vitamin C into my routine since it's a powerhouse skincare ingredient. I really enjoyed using these pads. They are a nice size, nicely saturated and do not leave a sticky film on my skin. I definitely noticed my skin looking brighter, smoother and I felt like I had less breakouts. I have already ordered more.

And there you have it!