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.

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!

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!

June/July 2017 Out of My Face

Here is what I used up in June! and July!

• Wen Cleansing Conditioner in Tea Tree 32oz
• Wen Cleansing Conditioner in Fig 32oz
• Wen Treatment Oil in Tea Tree Eucalyptus
• Wen Treatment Oil in Summer Tropical Paradise
• Wen Re-Moist Hydrating Hair Mask in Fig
• Serious Skincare C Clean Vitamin C Ester Facial Cleanser 16oz
• Serious Skincare Vitamin Ester Pads 60 count
• Serious Skincare A Force XR Retinol Serum
• Serious Skincare Glycolic Gommage 
• Serious Skincare Dermal Crepe Resist
• Serious Skincare Ultra Mare Pure Marine Infusion Concentrate Serum
• Serious Skincare 4 Million IU A Cream  XR SPF 30
• Serious Skincare Mega Force Liquid Exfoliannt
• Serious Skincare Pure Pep Fading Fluid
• Serious Skincare Reverse Lift Reverse Serum
• Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm
• philosophy Summer Grace Whipped Body Creme 8oz
• philosophy Falling in Love Summer Whipped Body Cream 8oz
• Andrew Lessman Friendly Flora 90 count
• Shiseido Facial Cotton 40 count
• Covergirl Queen All Day Flawless Foundation in Mocha Q835
• One 'n Only Argan Oil Hydrating Mask
• Nene's Secret Best Beauty Butter
• Degree Motion Sense Dry Spray in Daisy Fresh
• Neutrogena Clear Pore Oil-Eliminating Astringent
• One 'n Only Argan Oil Treatment
• Earth Therapeutics Hand Remedy
• Bath & Body Works Mint to Be Hand Cream

I'm on a roll using stuff up! Woohoo!

The only newcomers to the list are Degree spray deodorant and the two hand creams. I haven't used a spray deodorant in years. It was just ok. I don't plan on rushing out to buy it. I really enjoyed the Mint to Be hand cream! It only comes in a 1oz size, so I did use it up quickly. But with sales and coupons at Bath & Body Works. I may stock up on it since I am a hand cream snob. It has a nice refreshing scent and my hands felt really nice. I did not like the Hand Remedy. It was a random buy from Ulta when I was looking for a hand cream. It didn't do anything and it's very thin/light. It wasn't moisturizing and I don't think it made my hands look any better.

Let's see if I can keep this momentum going!

Shop My Stash Summer 2017 Edition!

Welcome to the Summer edition of Shop My Stash!

I'm kind of getting bored with these posts. They do help me go through what I have and rotate out my items. But then I'm like ok ok ok what are you using because you need to get this post up! That's not fun for me. Also sometimes I don't actually reach for the items I pull. For the most part I do but sometimes I end up reaching for other things. Plus life is in progress. I have another work trip coming up, house stuff to do, blah, blah blah! You know adulting. So I decided to pick out a bunch of items to use for June, July and August.

So here's what I playing around with this summer!

Shadow Play

Naked 1, 2 & 3

Vice Ltd.

I feel like I haven't shown my OG Urban Decay Naked Palettes any love in while. So Naked 1, 2 and 3 will be in the rotation for the summer. Have you heard that there's a new Naked palette coming out!!?!? It's called Naked Heat and it warm toned palette! *twirls* I also picked up the Vice Ltd palette via a blog sale. So I'll throw that in for some color.

Polish Play

First Row: Tiana, Cindy, Bar, Cece, Merida
Second Row: Zooey, Brita, Aurora, Finley, Dream

Ivy League, Twisted Pink, Violet Voltage, Lacey Lilac, The Real Teal, Pacific Blue 

With nail polishes for the summmer, I said ok I'm going to grab some Zoya nail polishes and be done. Then Sally Hansen popped in my head. Then I ended up with a whole heap of nail polishes.

Fragrance Play

I already knew that I wanted to play around with philosophy's summer scents for summer time!. It's only fitting right? I will be playing around with Summer Grace, Falling Love Summer and Sea of Love. I have the spray fragrances for Summer Grace and Falling in Love Summer. I'm debating if I want to pick up the Sea of Love spray fragrance. I'm also going to throw Wen's Summer Mango Coconut into the mix to get my coconut fix.

I will still do my Top 5 posts for June, July and August. I'm sure some other random posts will pop in my head to do.

So see you in September for another Shop My Stash post!!

May 2017 Top 5

Here's my top 5 for May!

philosophy Honey & Cream

I saw sneak peeks of this new philosophy scent on social media. I was curious but then forgot about it. It was included in the philosophy joyful bath & body 4 piece mega collection that was a Today's Special Value in April. They did a similar set like them last year with MEGA 64oz shower gel. Now I said that I would not get a set that had this much shower gel! Never say never right? HA! The value was ridiculous and it came with two super sized Glazed Body Souffles. You know these are my favorite body moisturizers. So I caved and did auto delivery. The Hone & Cream scent has "honey notes and light, fluffy cream". It just smells good. It's kind of calming as well. I'm sure at some point it'l be available at retail and you can give it a whiff.

philosophy Lemon Custard

I also ordered the philosophy super-size body souffle & body spritz set in Lemon Custard when I ordered Honey & Cream. I have raved about the shower gel last year. I had the Glazed Body Souffle in another set but I ended up returning it. So I jumped on this. The Lemon Custard scent has "lemon zest with a silky, smooth custard finish". This definitely a pick me up scent. The custard component mixes well with the Lemon. I reached for this on morning when I need that extra something to get me going.

Serious Skincare Continuously Clear Medicated Moisture Replenishing Cream

I ordered the Serious Skincare Over 40 Breakout Control Kit from HSN. I have been wanting to try the Continuously Clear line for a while. So I said why not with this set and grab some Vitamin C products as well. I've enjoyed the three Continuously Clear items but the stand out was the cream! This line has two moisturizer, this one and the gel. When I originally looked at this line I leaned more so towards the gel since I'm oily but I'm learning that oily skin still needs to be moisturized properly. When they explained the cream, they said they created for mature skin that needs moisture and the gel was more so for younger skin (teens and young adults) that don't need as much moisture. I thought that was a cool idea. Still I thought that the cream would be "too much" for my skin. Not the case at all and the cream is fantastic! I wasn't heavy on my skin and it didn't make me greasy. I was impressed by the ingredient deck which includes Retinyl Palmitate, Glycolic Acid and Hyaluronic Acid. I would definitely repurchase this on its own. I still my try the gel at some point to use as a daytime moisturizer.

Butter London Nail Polishes (Brown Sugar, Wallis, All Hail the Queen)

I mentioned in my May Shop My Stash post that I was having some chipping issues with the Butter London polishes I took to San Francisco. I believe the culprit was the base coat I was using. These three polishes I wore a lot through the month and I've continued using them into June. Brown Sugar got the most use. It's a opaque, copper shimmer with gold glitter. IWhen I first put it on, I wasn't too sure about it. Then I ended up really liking it and I received compliments on it. This may be my go to nail polish for the summer. Wallis is a unique shade that's a golden olive green shimmer. I used All Hail the Queen (holographic beige shimmering) in a recent nail post.

Juvia's Place Blush Palette Vol 2

When I saw on Instagram that Juvia's Place was coming out with blushes, I was super excited! I scooped this when they have a free shipping promo. By the time I ordered Vol 1 was sold out but I was able to order it via Hautelook. So it'll be in rotation soon. In these palette there are 4 matte blushes and two shimmer blushes. I have not worn the shimmer blushes on their own. I mix them with the matte blushes using them more so like a highlighter. The matte blushes are smooth and you can build the color on your cheeks. This is hands down my favorite blush palette that I've tried!

And let's throw in a couple of quick bonuses shall we? These are products that caught me by surprise.

Cafe Bustello Espresso Style K Cups

I stumbled upon this coffee on sale at CVS. One of my YouTube faves Jennifer Wan, has mentioned it in her vlogs, so I said why not. I was kind of leery since it said Espresso Style. But I was tickled that it says stands up to sugar and cream on the packaging. So I gave it a go and I really really like it! I do add sugar and cream to my coffee. Sometimes I can be heavy handed with the cream and my coffee can be too sweet. This does stand up to cream and sugar. It has a very nice flavor that's not too strong even thought it's an Espresso Style coffee. It gives me that jolt I need first thing in the morning. I need to try is as an iced coffee! *note to self*

Brows

Brows are something in my routine that at first I didn't really do.. Then I started doing them but I was never really "obsessed" with them like some tend to be. That's kinda changed over the last couple of months. Everyone raves about Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz. I've looked at it here and there but never have been moved to purchase it. Well that changed during Ulta's 21 Days of Beauty and Brow Wiz was on sale for $10 I think. I ended up getting two shades (Chocolate and Ebony) from Ulta's website. Both shades work for me but I like Ebony a little more. I have enjoyed using Brow Wiz and you can get a nice natural looking brow with it. Then I started thinking about the NYX Micro Brow Pencil that's a dupe. I tried it when it first came out but then I couldn't pick the right shade and I hadn't used a brow pencil that fine in a long time. So I gave it another try and I picked up the shade Chocolate. It is too light to use through my full brow. Then I remember people mentioned using a lighter shade in the front part of their brow because it looks more natural. I gave that a go and color me surprised, I liked the way it turned out. I used the NYX pencil through the first 1/4 of my brown and I used Iman's brow pencil through the rest of my brow. So yay brows!

There you have it. Let's see what June brings!

May 2017 Shop My Stash

Hellllooooooo!

Long tine no see! I am back from my work trip and I have some posts to catch up on don't I? Plus I have a bonus post of sorts that popped in my head while I was away. But first, here's what I'm playing around with for May.

Shadow Play

I went back and for on what eyeshadows or palettes to play around with and I drew a serious blank! Then I said let me play around with some single eyeshadows. These are mainly from Makeup Geek. I have a couple of eyeshadows from Anastasia and one from Obsidian that I think came in a Allure Box. I recently purchased some magnetic palettes from tarte that are very nice. Trying to decide if I want to purchase some more eyeshadows to fill this palette up. I have my eye on single eyeshadows from Juvia's Place.

Polish Play

Butter London nail polishes are on deck for May. I traveled with some of these and I was annoyed by the fact that there was some serious chipping going on. I'm thinking it's the base and/or top coat I was using. I've used these polishes in the past and never had chipping issues. So I'm going to pay close attention to chipping while using my regular top and base coats. If the chipping is still an issue then these are going in the trash.

Teetotal, Sprog, Wallis, Brown Sugar

Pistol Pink, All Hail The Queen, Lovely Jubbly

Fragrance Play

Drew another blank here on what fragrance to use. Then I decided on philosophy's Falling in Love.

Phew! Annnnnnd go!

March 2017 Shop My Stash

Here's an update to my February Top 5 post. I decided to return the Mally Eyes on You 4-Piece Collection that included the Ageless Eyes V.2 Eyeshadow Palette. After looking at it some more, it is very very similar to her Nude Attitude palette which I do own. Also I forgot to mention that I did experience fallout with the lighter shimmer shades which didn't bother me a whole lot. The Ageless Eyes palette is still a favorite for the month. It's just not a keeper in my collection.

Ok now on to March! Here is what I'm playing around with for the month.

Shadow Play

More new brands on deck! I picked up two Makeup Revolution palettes from Ulta. I have done some serious damage at Ulta recently. Oy vey. I came across the Ultra Eye Contour palette (left) and I was like ok this is a dupe for the Kat Von D Shade & Light Palette! I also picked up the New-trals vs Neutrals palette (right). I was poking around on Ulta's website (trouble trouble!!) and came across the You Had Me Aloha palette by Cargo (top) The colors spoke to me but I went back and forth on purchasing it because I do not need anymore palettes! Guuuhh!!! But as you clearly can see I caved. Let;s see if these are keepers.

Polish Play

For nail polishes this month, I pulled out some of the higher end nail polishes I have from Bobbi Brown (Twilight and Turquoise), Dior (Amazonia), Dolce & Gabbana (Mint) and Chanel (Black Pearl). I also pulled a couple from Sally Hansen (Spark in the Dark and Bare Hug) and one from Essie (Angora Cardi) that was all the rage this past Fall. I can't remember who did the post, but the claim was that this nail polish looks good on any skin tone. From there it was sold out everywhere. I recently just go my hands on it from Ulta. Sorry for the lack of nail posts. My nails have taken a beating. I've been trying to get them back in shape and they seem to be on the mend. So hopefully there will be more nail posts this month.

Fragrance Play

I mentioned Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy Sucre Eau de Parfum in my February Top 5 post. So of course I still want to play around with it some more. Cashmere Glow from Bath & Body Works is back. I also have the shower gel and body cream. Come the end of the month whatever I use up is what I use up. I'm ready to be done with this scent. Another new scent I recently picked up is La Nuit by Lancome. I've only worn it twice. So I need to give a good go to see if I'm going to keep it, Isn't the bottle pretty? Lancome is becoming another favorite for fragrance.

And here we go!

February 2017 Top 5

Hey. Hey there. How ya doing? Here's my top 5 for February!

Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy Sucre Eau de Parfum

Juicy Couture is becoming one of my new favorite brands for fragrance. I got this from HSN when it was at an event price and free shipping. I have two other Viva La Juicy scents (Viva La Juicy and Viva La Juicy Rose). What sold me on this one was the fragrance notes. They are:

Top: Brazilian gardenia, mandarin and red currant
Mid: Orange flower, jasmine flower, peach nectar and almond cream
Base: Cocoa bean, sandalwood, whipped cream and vanilla extract

They base note alone caught my attention. I'm a fan of sweet scents but not overly sweet and look at the bottle! Could this be any cuter. When I got it home I wore for a week straight and I LOVE IT! It's a fun and flirty scent. Next time you're out and and about, give this a whiff.

NYX Sweet Cheeks Blush Palette

I scooped this up from Ulta. Did I need more blush? Of course not but hey lol! I've been a fan of NYX powder blushes in the past. This palette is really nice and I like the shade selection. With some blush palettes, there are shades that are similar to each other. With this palette each shade is something different. Two of the lighter shimmery blushes I used as highlighters. The other blushes and nicely pigmented and show up nicely on my deeper skin tone. This palette will definitely come in handy for travel. Now I'm curious about the Strobe of Genius palette. Stay tuned to see if I pick it up. I probably will. *shifty eyes*

Origins Mask Out of Trouble 10 Minute Mask to Rescue Problem Skin

Two YouTubers I watch with a similar skin type as me (Nicole Guerriero and Kristina Braly) said that this mask had really helped their skin. So I was curious. I've looked at Origins skincare off and on but have never picked anything up. I made an exchange at Sephora and picked this up. When I put it on my skin, I said oh! I lik the smell lol. I'm weird and like minty/menthol smells. The scent is kind of soothing to me. Again I'm weird. It was easily to apply and rinse off. I can't stand masks that hard to put on and take forever to remove. When I removed it my skin felt soft and "looked" clean and bright. By that I mean, it brought all the gunk out of my skin. The next morning my skin looked even better. I used it a few more times just to make sure and had the same results. So I think I have found a mask to keep in my routine for when my skin starts acting up.

Mally's Ageless Eyes V.2 Eyeshadow Palette

I mentioned this palette in my February Shop My Stash post. I kept reaching for this palette during the month. It's a complete palette. I didn't have to pull in any additional shades to do an eye look. The dark matte brown is fantastic. The palette also has a matte black. Overall it's  neutral palette with some subtle pops of color. You can do a nice simple look or a dark and smoky look. The shadow quality is on par with Mally's other palettes I have tried. If you're looking for a new palette to play around with then check this one out.

Mally's More is More Mascara

A friend was nice enough to send me this mascara. I had seen it on QVC but really wasn't moved to try it since I'm stuck on Tarte mascaras. This mascara claims to give you the look of false lashes and I love it! The applicator is plastic and I tend to like plastic applicators more so than your traditional mascara wands. This mascara gives me length, volume and curl. It doesn't smudge on me and it's easy to remove. So score!

Sorry for the so so photos *head palm*. I have another camera I keep meaning to test out. I'll try to give it a go for the next go round. On to March!

February 2017 Shop My Stash

Hello February! I really didn't know what I wanted to play around with for the month. But then I got some new stuff and rediscovered some nail polishes. So here's what I picked out.

Eyeshadow Play (and a bonus cheek palette)

I had no clue on what eyeshadows I wanted to play around with for the month. I thought about playing around with my Milani single eyeshadows. Then I debated between a couple of palettes. My makeup play is still limited so I've been kind of uninspired. I've placed some orders and I have some newness which includes 3 palettes! *twirls*  I ordered the Mally Eyes on You 4-Piece Collection from QVC and the set included the Ageless Eyes vol 2 palette. This palette kind of reminds me of the LORAC Mega Pro 3 palette. From Ulta I ordered the Perfect Filter Shadow Palette in Golden Hour. I also go the Sweet Cheeks Blush Palette. Then finally I got the Urban Decay Full Spectrum palette mainly because it was on sale lol!

Polish Play

First I pulled Very Structured from Essie's Fall 2011 collection. Then I pulled out the rest and then I randomly grabbed other nail polishes. I'm still attempting to clear nail polishes out. -_______-

Very Structured, Glamour Purse, Case Study, Power Clutch, Lady Like, Carry On

Urban Decay Mrs. Mia Wallace, Ozotic 505, Covergril Emerald Blaze, Bondi Midnight Mystery, Bondi Starry Night

Fragrance Play

For fragrance I am going to play around with Wen's 613 and Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy.

A nice mix of products. I feel like these posts are becoming redundant. We'll see if I stick to them or try to change them up a bit.

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!

2016 Top.....

For 2016, I'm going to do a top 5 for each category for eyes, lips, face, skincare, nails and body! I'm toying around with don't one just for eyeshadow palettes. I got the idea when emilynoel83 did her 2015 favorites. She broke them up into categories and did a top 10. I am going to stick to 5 items. I'm not sure if  these posts will go up at the end of December or early January. I'm still planning on doing a Top 5 for December. Oye vey. So there's a lot going on. For this I need to make a good old fashioned list! Started writing before I snapped a pic. HA!

Let's see how all this goes! Stay tuned!

September 2016 Shop My Stash

It's September. It's really SEPTEMBER!?!??! Where has the year gone? Seriously. Oye vey. Here's what I am playing around with in September!

Palette Play

I'm going to play around with the The Nubian 2 and The Masquerade palettes from Juvia's Place. I've used them a bit here and there. I've had them for a while now but haven't really used them.

Insert rant: It's not really a rant BUT I would like to say that I knew about the Juvia's Place palettes BEFORE certain YouTubers found out about them and others are now on the "bandwagon". I'm excited for the additional business that Juvia's Place is getting but still.

Polish Play

Soooooo OPI has collaborated with Kerry Washington for the OPI Washington DC Collection! When I found about this collection over the summer, I said just take my money! There are 17 polished in the collection. 17! *wall slides and insert deep sigh*. Two of the polishes are exclusive to Ulta (Front Runner and Politically Polished). So I got the two mini sets and 4 full sizes polishes (Squeaker of the House, Suzi - The First Lady of Nails, Shh...It's Top Secret and Front Runner). I got the 4 piece mini set (shades included are: We the Female, Pale to the Chief, CIA = Color is Awesome Never a Dulles Moment) from Sally Beauty and everything else from Ulta. The 3 piece mini set includes: Inside the ISABELLEtway, Kerry Blossom, "Liv" in the Grey. I wasn't able to get Politically Polished but a friend of mine was able to scoop it in store and is sending it to me *twirls*. I will try and do some nail posts since this is recent collection and swatches on deeper skin tones seem non-existent online. I had to trim my nails down, so bare with me.

Fragrance Play

I'm going to show some love to the Lancome fragrances I own, La Vie Est Belle and Tresor. I'm also going to see I can use up the shower gel and body in Cashmere Glow by Bath and Body Works.

Out of My Face

Here's what I used up in August:

• Serious Skincare A Defiance A Force XR Retinol Serum Concentrate 1oz 
• Serious Skincare Vitamin A Retinol Pads 60 pads
• Harmon Face Values Hydrating Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes 
• Wen Cleansing Conditioner in Fig 32oz 
• Covergirl Queen All Day Flawless Foundation in Mocha
• Bobbi Brown Bronzing Powder in Milk Chocolate...FINALLY! Woohoo!
• philosophy Hands of Hope 4oz
• Ambi Even and Clear Daily Moisturizer with SPF 30
• Neutrogena Hydrating Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes
• Influance S3 Spray
• One n Only Argan Oil Treatment 3.4fl oz
• Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Cleanser
• Shea Moisture Manuka Honey & Mafura Oil Intensive Hydration Hand Cream
• Bare Minerals Bareskin Complete Coverage Serum Concealer - I didn't finish this but was ready to be down with it. So in the trash it goes

Sorry that the pics aren't the best. Need to figure out an alternative. The change in season is upon us and daylight is getting shorter Waaaaaahhhh!!! As always Google is your friend and I try to mention product names and where I got something/where it is available.

Let the play commence!

July 2016 Shop My Stash

Let the travel craziness begin! Some of these items I'm going to use when I am home in between trips. I have also set aside the makeup that I will be traveling with for my two trips. So I will mention those as well. Some are not pictured below. I've probably mentioned them in other posts and remember Google is your friend ;)

Palette Play

I'm only going to be home doing my makeup and few days here and there. So I decided to keep it simple and use the L'Oreal La Palette Nude 1 for eyeshadow. For my trips, I am traveling with the Urban Decay Naked Smoky palette, Tarte Tarlette Tease palette, elf Chocolate Dream eyeshadow and L'Oreal Infallible Gleaming Bronze eyeshadow.

Polish Play

Here I am going to mention the polishes I will be traveling with for both trips. For my first trip I am taking Essie's All Hands on Deck and First Timer. For my second trip I am taking OPI's Humidi-Tea and I'm Sooo Swamped!

Fragrance Play

I'm going to play around with two philosophy summer scents while I'm home. I'm going to use Amazing Grace Summer and Falling in Love Summer. I'll more than likely continue using these in August. For my first trip I'm taking Wen's 613 and Summer Mango Coconut fragrances. For my second trip I'm taking Bath & Body Works Cashmere Glow.

Out of My Face

Here's what I used up in June:

• Urban Decay De-Slick Makeup Setting Spray
• Serious Skincare A Force XR Serum Concentrate 
• Murad Hydro-Dynamic Ultimate Moisture 0.25 oz
• Josie Maran Whipped Argan Oil Intensive Hand Cream
• Covergirl Queen All Day Flawless Foundation in Mocha Q835
• IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Makeup  3-in-1 Makeup Melting Cleansing Balm
• BH Cosmetics BH Studio Pro HD Brown Pencil in Ebony
• philosophy Lemon Custard Bath, Shower Gel & Shampoo 16oz
• philosophy Purity 8oz
• Wen Tea Tree Cleansing Conditioner 32oz
• Wen Winter Cranberry Mint Cleansing Conditioner 32oz
• Wen Tea Tree Styling Creme
• HK Girl Fast Drying & Super Shiny Clear top Coat

I'm tired already thinking about all this traveling and what not. Oh and my birthday is thrown in there too. Deep breathe. Heeeeerrrreee weeeee gooooo!

June 2016 Shop My Stash

It is really June already? Yowza! Here's what I'm playing around with this month!

Palette Play

 

This month I'm going to use the Makeup Forever Artist palettes (Volume 1 Nudes, Volume 2 Artistic and Volume 3 Florals). I've been wanting to try these shadow since they were reformulated and relaunched. They are available in single eyeshadows along with these palettes. There are a TON of shades and I was getting confused on what to get. So the palettes are a good way to try them out, if you like the shade selections. Volume 1 I got via an exchange at Sephora. Volume 2 I got on sale at Sephora (it is still available online). Volume 3 was gifted to me by a friend. Two of the palettes have blush shades. Volume 2 has two blushes and Volume 3 has one blush.

Polish Play

I got the Julie G Cruise Collection via Groupon (Old San Juan, Rio de Janeiro,Tahiti, Canary Island, Santorini and Miami Beach). I used them when I got them but haven't reached for them recently. So I'm going to give them another whirl and decide if they are staying or if they are going.

Fragrance Play

I started reaching for philosophy's Unconditional Love towards the end of May. So I decided to keep on using it. It's described as a soulful loving warm scent. The notes in it are black raspberry, white lily and cashmere vanilla. If I lost all my fragrances, I would definitely repurchase. It's one of my favorites and my number one favorite among philosophy fragrances.

Out of My Face

I think I've been doing good at targeting products in my stash and using them up. I'm not going to list the stuff I toss/give away anymore because there has been quite a bit. Also it's a lot to keep track of. Here's what I used up in May:

• Eyeko Liquid Liner in Mocha
• CIoSYS Oral Rinse
• Beauty Secret Nail Polish Remover
• Duri Rejuvacote 
• Beauty Secrets Acetone Nourishing Professional Formula
• L'Oreal Youth Code Texture Perfector Serum Concentrate 
• Wen Replenishing Treatment Mist in Fig 16oz
• Wen Bamboo Green Tea Cleansing Conditioner 16oz
• Iman Brow Pencil
• Perlier Hand Cream
• Ulta Enriched Nail Polish Remover
• Duri Miracote
• Supersmile Whitening Toothpaste
• Supersmile Whitening Accelerator
• Biore Blemish Fighting Astringent 
• Wen Replenishing Treatment Mist in Tea Tree 16oz
• Wen Intensive Treatment Oil in Tea Tree Eucalyptus 4oz 

Play time go!

March 2016 Shop My Stash

A little out of order. I was all ready to post my Top 5 & more post for February. There's a lot going on in that post. So I need to give it another looksy.

Here's what I'm playing around with for March!

Palette Play

I'm still on a eyeshadow declutter kick. I've pulled out drugstore palettes that I have not shown any love to in a good while. I'm going to try and do 2-3 looks with them and decide their fate. I've already made some decisions on a few already.

Here we have:

• Maybelline The Nudces
• Maybelline The Smokes
• Maybelline Fall Temptation
• Maybelline Violet Femmes
• Wet n Wild The Comfort Zone
• Wet n Wild Vanity
• Wet n Wild Lust
• Black Radiance Downtown Brown
• Sleek Vintage Romance

Polish Play

I've decided to show Essie some love this month since I've been all over OPI, Zoya and Formula X recently. I've pulled out some of my favorite shades.

Here we have:

• Mink Muffs
• The Dive Bar
• After School Boy Blazer
• Carry On
• Sexy Divide
• Smokin' Hot

Fragrance Play

I've pulled out some philosophy fragrances (Amazing Grace, Pure Grace and Falling in Love) for the month.

Out of My Face

Here's what I've used up in February:

• Bath & Body Works Twisted Peppermint Deep Cleaning Hand Soap
• L'Oreal Infallible Makeup Extender Setting Spray
• NYX  HD Concealer in Nutmeg
• Mane 'n Tail Hoofmaker Hand & Nail Therapy
• Murad Clarifying Mask
• Bath & Body Works Pumpkin Cupcake Deep Cleansing Hand Soap
• Mally Beauty Face Defender
• CVS Pore Perfecting Toner
• Philosophy Shower Gel in Cinnamon Buns 4oz
• Murad AHA/BHA Exfoliating Clenaser 1oz

These are the items that I've tossed:

• Black Radiance Perfecting Eye Shadow Primer
• OPI Nail Envy
• Deborah Lippmann Ridge Filler Base Coat
• OPI Start to Finish (I may see if anyone I know wants it)
• Perfect Formula Manicure Booster
• Mally Evercolor Starlight Waterproof Eyeliner in Caribbean Sea
• Mally Evercolor Starlight Waterproof Eyeliner in Deep Olive
• Mally Evercolor Starlight Waterproof Eyeliner in Pink Champagne
• Mally Evercolor Starlight Waterproof Eyeliner in Midnight
• Mally Evercolor Starlight Waterproof Eyeliner in Espresso
• Mally Eyeliner in Lavender Chrome
• Mally Evercolor Automatic Waterproof Eyeliner in Black Navy
• Mally Evercolor Ultimate Waterproof Eyeliner in Autopilot Violet
• Mally Evercolor Ultimate Waterproof Eyeliner in Blue Streak
• Mally Evercolor Ultimate Waterproof Eyeliner in Shimmering Black
• Mally Evercolor Ultimate Waterproof Eyeliner in Navy
• Mally Evercolor Ultimate Waterproof Eyeliner in Express-O-Lance
• Mally Evercolor Ultimate Waterproof Eyeliner in Glide and Go Gray
• Covergirl Perfect Point Plus Eyeliner in Espresso
• Covergirl Perfect Point Plus Eyeliner in Black Onyx
• IT Cosmetics No Tug Silk Anti-Aging Waterproof Eyeliner

That's a lot of stuff. Phew! Onward and upward!