September/October 2017 Shop My Stash

Since it's already September is just about over *head palm*, I'm going to combine September and October. I'll also mention what I've been reaching using for the most part for September so far.

I had been thinking about what I wanted to play around with since towards the end of August for the month of September. Toyed around with a few things but nothing stuck with me. The main thing I wanted to start doing this month is tackle my nail polishes. I've gone through my makeup quite a few times but hadn't really touched my nail polishes. For eyes I randomly reached for two past MAC favorites and I did pick up the Butter London palette I mention in my Denver Top 5 post. For fragrance I have one that I want to try to use up this month if possible.

So here we go!

Shadow Play

I picked up the  Butter London + Pantone Color of the Year Eyeshadow palette on sale from Ulta. I have not used it yet. So we shall see if I like it or now. I've also pulled out my two MAC Extra Dimension eyeshadows that are past favorites (Havana and Rich Core). I also pulled out my tarte Tarlette palette. Trying to decided if I'm going to pick up the Tarte in Bloom palette and I wanted to see how it compare to the new all matte Milani eyeshadow palette that recently came out. Then there's supposed to another tarte palette I think it's called Toast due out. I've seen sneak peeks on Instagram and it's pretty. I've also be on a Mally eyeshadow stick quick. They're nice to pair with powder shadows but they are so awesome on their own. My Juvia's place palettes may make an appearance as well.

Polish Play

I was going to tackle my nail polishes by brand. I was going to start with Essie and I did take a bunch of Essie nail polishes out. I've worn three and now I'm like meh. This basket has all my Essie nail polished and most of my OPI nail polishes. The above picture is an old picture of the basket. I've had it for a while now and it's coming apart. This is what started my whole "let's go through my nail polishes and get rid of some". So for now I'm just going to randomly reach in here and pick nail polishes to use to see if they are keepers.

Fragrance Play

I have some Bath and Body Works scents that I want to try and use up (Beautiful Day, Amber Blush and Be Joyful) along with philosophy's Amazing Grace Whipped Body Creme and Spray Fragrance.

Kinda boring *shrugs*.

For 2018, I'm thinking about switching this post to towards the end of the month and talking about what I actually reach for during the month. I think that may be better since I'm losing steam on picking out select items and using them for the month. We shall see.

Next up should be my Top 5 for September!

Current Music Musings

Haven't talked about music in a while. These are some songs (new and not so new) that get turned up real loud in the car or I seek out and listen to with my headphones on.

The Weeknd - I Feel It Comimg

I have an on and off again feelings for The Weeknd lol! The video is kind of weird but I do really like this song. It has a nice groove that I can't help by vibe to.

DJ Khaled - Wild Thoughts ft. Rihanna, Bryson Tiller

Santana's Maria Maria was my ish back in the day. When I heard this, I was like ooooh!

Linkin Park ft Jay-Z - Numb/Encore

When I heard that  Chester Bennington committed suicide I was heartbroken. I've always been a fan of Linkin Park. I randomly grabbed an old mix CD (yes CD) that I had the Encore mashup. I played it loudly and on repeat in my car.

Jazmine Sullivan x Bryson Tiller - Insecure

I heard this on the radio and I said wayment that's Jazmine Sullivan! I LOVE me some Jazmine Sullivan! When I got to work I took to YouTube and have been listening to this since.

What have you been listening to lately?

August 2017 Top 5

No babbling. Let's just get to it.

Laura Mercier Eye Art Artist's Palette

Even though I pulled out my Urban Decay Naked palettes to play with for the summer, I still played around with other palettes. Every now and then I pull out one of the twoLaura Mericer Artist palettes I have. This has been a favorite in the past and I have traveled with it multiple times. This was the second one that was launched and it's still available at Sephora. My last makeup purge I got rid of the majority of my Bobbi Brown palettes. I think that both brands are similar when it come to eyeshadows but I think Laura Mercier's shadows are a tad better. Also I like the shade selection more so that what I had in my Bobbi Brown palettes. My go to eye look with this palette was Truffle on the lid, Espresso Bean in the outer corner/crease and Fresco under my brow bone. All three eyeshadows are matte. You can wear this eye look with  just about any lip and cheek color combo. I've you are a brown and purple eyeshadow lover then this is the palette for you. It's pricey palette but I feel that it's worth the price. The shadow quality is very good they are easy eyeshadows to use and they blend nicely.

philosophy Candy Cane Shampoo Shower Gel & Bubble Bath

For some reason I was legit obsessed with mint, tea tree, eucalyptus, etc items in August. I probably could have done post just on them. The one that I enjoyed the most is philosophy's Candy Cane shampoo, shower gel & bubble bath. This is generally available around holidays and I got in November of last year. I think I have found my holy grail shower gel! philosophy shower gels are a long time favorite and I thought Fresh Cream would be the one that I would eventually use as my regular shower gel. Well now Candy Cane is it! It has nice fresh peppermint scent that now too overpowering but enough to pep you up in the morning or calm you in the evening. I picked up the 32oz from QVC. When it becomes available again I am definitely getting two. I'm tempted to take it out of my shower now so I can use up some other shower gels I have lol.

Bath & Body Works CocoShea Cucumber Foaming Scrub

I was in Bath & Body Works picking up some hand soaps and I noticed some new body scrubs that I saw in an email. I picked up the CocoShea Cucumber Foaming Scrub. When it comes to body scrubs I don't like ones that's too abrasive but  don't want it feel like I'm using a shower gel. I really enjoyed this one. It's just abrasive enough and the cucumber scent it nice. My skin feels super soft after using it. When I use this one up I want to try the CocoShea Coconut Body Buff next.

MAC Ronnie Red Lipstick

When I pull out lip products to play around with I always pull out a red lipstick. MAC's Ronnie Red was in rotation for August and I forgot just how much I like it. It is a fantastic red lipstick. It's a brightened pink-red with blue undertones and it's matte. It's a very flattering red lipstick. It wears very nicely throughout the day and it doesn't dry out my lips. The only downer is that it was limited edition. If MAC every brought this one back, I would definitely get another one.

Julep Super-Size Oxygen Nail Treatment Kit with Bag

This was a QVC TSV in August. When I saw it, I was curious. I paint my nails twice a week and I really don't let then "breathe". So I was intrigued by the Take a Breather Oxygen Nail Treatment that gave your nails a hint of color but also treated your nails. The two with color in the set are Sheer Pink and Sheer Ivory. The Be Strong Oxygen Nail Therapy is clear and I did use it as a base coat with other nail polishes. I used the items for about two weeks and I really liked them. My nails did look better. My favorite item in the set is the cuticle oil. It has a nice light scent. The oil over all is light but it absorbs quickly and it is not runny. I also like that it's a roller ball delivery system. The one item I did not care for is the nail file. I think OPI's crystal nail file is much better. An auto deliver options was available and I did order it when it was available and I think it's one I'll actually keep and not cancel.

September go!

Top 5 - Travel Edition (Denver)

Happy Monday all and Happy Labor Day to all my US folks! I so do not want to go back to work tomorrow. Dah well. Let's talk about Denver and some favorites shall we?

I wasn't expecting much going to Denver. Usually when we travel for work we peg some restaurants to go to and maybe some sites to see if we have the time. But nothing really came to mind since I've never associated Denver as a "food city" and there wasn't anything I really wanted to see. Well let me tell you Denver has some good food! Even the food at the hotel I was staying at was really good. Downtown Denver was pretty nice with a lot of shops, restaurants, and people playing music. The view of the mountains was pretty as well. I will say being at a higher altitude did a number on me while I was there. I was like oh I'll be ok. Yea not so much. I didn't sleep well, I had very bad headaches and I felt like I couldn't get hydrated. So if you ever travel to Denver take the necessary precautions and drink LOTS of water.

As always I try not to take a lot of beauty stuff but then I'm gone a week. So it is what it is once I pack it all up. Here are the five items that stuck out the most.

NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Let's Go Crazy

First of all I love the name of this lippie. Shout out to Prince. Let's Go Crazy is definitely in my top 5 of Prince songs. I think I got this as a point perk from Sephora. It is described as a vivid pink. NARS lip pencils are very nice. They are not drying on the lips and wear nicely. Since it's NARS they are on the pricey side. I would love more colors but the price gives my pause. These lip pencils are $27?!?!!! So whenever I can grab a deluxe sample size with points I jump on it if I like the color.

philosophy Microdelivery Wash

This stays in my travel bag and I use it as am morning face wash. This is a long time favorite and I have been debating if I want it back in my routine on a regular basis. I don't know if it was because of the drier air in Denver or just the stress from traveling or the meeting but my face was like YES the week I used this. It really helped smooth out my skin and in turn my serums and moisturizers absorbed into my skin nicely. My foundation application was also very nice. Getting that layer of dead skin off your face is major key to any skincare routine. If you're looking for a face scrub that is not abrasive then this is the one you want to try. You can catch some nice deals on the various sizes so keep your eye out at various retailers.

Butter London + Pantone Color Of The Year Nail Lacquers 

I go these polishes some time ago from Ulta and hadn't used them. I don't see them on Ulta's site anymore so I guess they've sold out. But looks like they are still available on Buttler London't website and on sale. When I got them I was kinda annoyed by the fact that these are the normal full size Butter London polishes and I paid the normal full sized price. I was going to return them but that's a hassle in itself. So I kept them. I picked up Greenery (vibrant, yellow green crème), Caramel Cafè (warm caramel brown), Rich Gold (warm golden shimmering beige). All three are very nice. My favorite of the three is Rich Gold. I think I may have found my holy grail gold nail polish. It's not super bright which I like and it very flattering on. I'll get a post on these up in September. There's also a palette in this collection that I've had my eye on. Let's see if it ends up in my hands.

NYX Perfect Filter Shadow Palette in Golden Hour

I went back and forth, round and round and everything in between on what doggone palette I was going to take with me. It was very annoying! I really need to decide on set eyeshadows, blush and lippies that I will take with me when I travel. We'll see if that actually happens. I don't know how I decided on the NYX Golden Hour Palette but I was happy with my choice. I also took the 4 matte NYX eyeshadow (mention in my June 2017 Top 5 post). They are good companion shadows for this palette. I mentioned this palette back in my February 2017 Shop My Stash post. I thought I had mentioned this as favorite. Guess not. If you're look for an inexpensive warm neutral palette check this one out. The shadow quality is very nice and I enjoy the mix of shades in this palette. Also you can catch NYX on sale at various stores, so you can get this for less than the list price of $19.99. I picked up another Perfect Filter Shadow Palette that's a perfect Fall palette. So stay tuned for that.

Mario Badescu Cucumber Cleansing Lotion

When I used up my favorite Neutrogena toner this was next on my list to use. I got this in a giveaway with a bunch of other Mario Badescu items. I had never tried anything from the brand. When I was packing up my skincare items a thought came to me. Maybe it isn't a good idea to take a new skincare item. What if I have a reaction???! I was like well whatever, we'll go with it. I did not have any issues and really like this cleansing lotion. It smells really nice and feels refreshing on the skin. Here are the claims from Ulta's website:

"Refresh and re-balance combination, oily skin. Natural astringent and skin-softening properties found in cucumber extract help minimize T-zone shine while nourishing skin with essential vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. Oily skin gets the cooling, clarifying cleanse it needs to look healthy and revitalized."

I can say a big YEP to this. Would I repurchase this again? Most definitely. I have quite a few toners on hand now (don't know how that happened *shifty eyes* lol!!!) so I don't really need to repurchase the Cucumber Cleansing Lotion right now. But when it's time I will get another bottle.

And here's the view that I had from my room.

My next work trip will take my to Florida at the end of October. So we will see what that brings.

Next up my top 5 for August. Slowly getting back on track here. Slllowwwllyyyy!