I have returned! With a bit of a Sephora haul and my opinions on the products I purchased.
Showing posts with label skincare. Show all posts
Showing posts with label skincare. Show all posts
A Belated Haul and Product Review
I have returned! With a bit of a Sephora haul and my opinions on the products I purchased.
My Move Into Minimalism 03: Project Pan Update and Good-Bye to You
It has been an extremely crazy, busy month or so. It seems that every weekend has been packed full of events to the point that I've been completely swamped and overwhelmed.
Despite all of this, I've been faithfully keeping up with my Project Pan items, and I have made exciting progress in working through these products. Additionally, I finished up and decluttered a few more products that I thought I'd include in this post as well.
Boxycharm 11.15
So I've been negligent in sharing what I've been receiving in my Boxycharm the last couple of months. Honestly, I have been going back and forth trying to decide whether I should keep my subscription to Boxycharm or if I should cancel it. I've been talking so much here on my blog about trying to minimize the amount of things I own, and it just feels as though having a monthly subscription box packed with products that I don't necessarily need to own or even wish to own seems counter-intuitive to that decision. So I may very soon be cancelling my subscription to Boxycharm.
We shall see. As for now, I just received this month's box in the mail today, so I thought I'd share what it included and my initial thoughts on the products.
September and October Favorites
It's been far too long since my last post. Even though I haven't been very active here on the blog, I've been trying out some new things and rekindling my love for long-time favorite items. So without any further ado, here a my favorite things from the months of September and October.
Good-Bye to You 02: Skincare Edition (and a little makeup)
It's been quite a while since I posted another edition of Good-Bye to You; where we take a look at all my trash and I give some wordy opinion on each product. I probably won't be so wordy this time around, because nobody has time for that. Am I right?
Let's dig in...
April Favorites
Another month long past, and it already feels like May is over as it is. Let's talk about some of my favorites from the month of April.
Damage Was Done 01: Sephora VIB Rouge's Beauty Before Brunch Event
I'll be honest and admit that I have spent far more on skincare and makeup over the last year than ever before. Thanks to my #feelingspendy bouts, I reached VIB Rouge status before the end of 2014. It's actually ridiculous that I spent that much on just makeup...and skincare, especially considering that I could have used that money for other things, like a new phone or camera. As they say, hindsight is always much clearer.
But let's be real: I clearly didn't learn, because I did some major damage to my wallet over the weekend.
March Favorites
It's that time again! A new month has begun, which means it's time to talk about my favorites from last month. I tried a few new things this month, and deepend my appreciation for continuing favorites.
Let's get started...
January Favorites
January is already over and done with, so once again, it's time to share my favorites from the past month. Let's talk about them, shall we?
It's a Bad Habit, Babe
Let's talk about a bad habit I have.
Like most people these days, I have a lot of anxiety. I'm not unique, I know. And like most people who suffer from anxiety, I have little nervous habits that are a sure tell. Restless legs, lip or nail biting, skin picking, hair twisting, finger tapping, ect.
Boxycharm Swag 01.15
I received this month's Boxycharm box over the weekend. Although I haven't had the opportunity to use all of the products extensively, I'm pretty pleased with what came in my box this month.
Here's what I got...
December Favorites
Another month has come and past. Another day, not here to last.
Okay, enough corny poetry, I'm going to be talking about the things I really enjoyed the most during the month of December and why.
Let's get started!
Okay, enough corny poetry, I'm going to be talking about the things I really enjoyed the most during the month of December and why.
Let's get started!
August/Summer Favorites
So we're already a week in to September. Time is moving by far too quickly! I am quite looking forward to fall and to some relief from the heat. I am totally a fall/winter weather girl because I cannot stand being hot and sweaty, it's awful.
Well, even though I'm late with sharing my August favorites, I wanted to still blog about these items because they were really favorites of mine for the majority of the summer. So, this is more of an account of August AND Summer favorites.
Makeup
Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Bronzer and Primed & Poreless Powder- I really fell in love with these products from Too Faced. The bronzer is the perfect shade for contouring and bronzing, plus it really smells like chocolate. I absolutely love the way it smells. The Primed & Poreless powder is a really fantastic translucent setting powder. It's so soft and smooth, making it feel very lightweight on the skin. This has been THE most perfect powder for setting my concealer and mattifying my T-zone. It keeps me matte for hours, which is quite a feat when it's so hot and humid. Even when I feel my grossest and sweatiest, my skin looks nice and my makeup stays in place.
Revlon Lip Butter in Candy Apple- This lipstick has been so nice to wear the last few weeks, in fact I've almost worn it every day since purchasing it late July. It's such a lovely shade of redish-pink, and it goes on quite sheer, so it's not too bright or overpowering. The formula is very smooth and almost hydrating as well, so it doesn't dry my lips out like a matte lipstick would. I've really enjoyed it.
Skincare
Yes to Tomatoes Clear Skin Daily Clarifying Cleanser- This gel cleanser has been really helping keep my breakouts controlled. I still get a few deep, big pimples here and there, but I think they are mostly hormonal. But as far as the typical little groupings of breakouts, those have calmed down since using this cleanser the last few months. It's very gentle as well, it doesn't dry my skin out the way cleansers with salicylic acid do. I'm hoping continued use of this with the occasion use of my new Mario Badescu cleanser will really help to control and eliminate my breakouts completely.
Boscia Luminizing Black Mask- I got this sample size mask when the Sephora at JCPenny's was having a special on skincare products. I've gotten three uses out of it so far, and I really do enjoy it. It leaves my skin feeling really clean, tight, and smooth. The smell is also really pleasant. I'm considering purchasing the full size of it.
Daiso's Facial Scrubber- I saw this interesting little rubber facial scrubber as Daiso Japan and thought it would be good to use along with my facial cleanser to help remove dead skin and really clean my pores. I love the way it feels on my skin, it's not as sharp and pokey as some brush bristles, and I really feel like I get a good cleanse after using it.
Clothes
Cotton On's Plain Black Tee and BDG's Black and White Polka Dot tee- As mentioned earlier, I cannot stand when it's hot, so I try to wear the lightest weight things as possible. So these two tee shirts have been staples for me this summer, they are sooo sooo light weight and comfortable to wear. They are both just a touch large on me, which is so great because they don't cling to me whatsoever.
Gap's Denim Polka Dot Chambray Button Down- I've had this button down for a while, but I have really come to appreciate it this summer. On nights where it's still warm but a lot cooler when the sun goes down, this has been so great to throw over tee shirts as almost a light weight jacket. I think it adds a lot of depth and style to a simple tee with shorts.
Forever 21 Jellies- I've had these sandals for almost two years now and they are still going strong despite the fact that I've worn them everyday for the past four months. I'm really impressed by the quality of these. The day they break or are too worn out, I just might cry.
Entertainment
I read a few books in August, but they didn't make my favorites cut. What I've really been enjoying is rewatching House on Netflix. Even though the show gets pretty predictable after a few episodes, I just really like the characters and the banter between House and everyone else. My husband and I also watched Jurassic Park a few weeks ago, and I still react the same way to it as an adult as I did when I first saw it at age seven. I just love that movie so much, so it was a lot of fun to watch it again.
Those are all my favorites for not only the month of August but the summer as a whole. Now I'm really looking forward to fall weather and getting to wear big sweaters while sipping hot chai lattes.
Well, even though I'm late with sharing my August favorites, I wanted to still blog about these items because they were really favorites of mine for the majority of the summer. So, this is more of an account of August AND Summer favorites.
Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Bronzer and Primed & Poreless Powder- I really fell in love with these products from Too Faced. The bronzer is the perfect shade for contouring and bronzing, plus it really smells like chocolate. I absolutely love the way it smells. The Primed & Poreless powder is a really fantastic translucent setting powder. It's so soft and smooth, making it feel very lightweight on the skin. This has been THE most perfect powder for setting my concealer and mattifying my T-zone. It keeps me matte for hours, which is quite a feat when it's so hot and humid. Even when I feel my grossest and sweatiest, my skin looks nice and my makeup stays in place.
Revlon Lip Butter in Candy Apple- This lipstick has been so nice to wear the last few weeks, in fact I've almost worn it every day since purchasing it late July. It's such a lovely shade of redish-pink, and it goes on quite sheer, so it's not too bright or overpowering. The formula is very smooth and almost hydrating as well, so it doesn't dry my lips out like a matte lipstick would. I've really enjoyed it.
Skincare
Yes to Tomatoes Clear Skin Daily Clarifying Cleanser- This gel cleanser has been really helping keep my breakouts controlled. I still get a few deep, big pimples here and there, but I think they are mostly hormonal. But as far as the typical little groupings of breakouts, those have calmed down since using this cleanser the last few months. It's very gentle as well, it doesn't dry my skin out the way cleansers with salicylic acid do. I'm hoping continued use of this with the occasion use of my new Mario Badescu cleanser will really help to control and eliminate my breakouts completely.
Boscia Luminizing Black Mask- I got this sample size mask when the Sephora at JCPenny's was having a special on skincare products. I've gotten three uses out of it so far, and I really do enjoy it. It leaves my skin feeling really clean, tight, and smooth. The smell is also really pleasant. I'm considering purchasing the full size of it.
Daiso's Facial Scrubber- I saw this interesting little rubber facial scrubber as Daiso Japan and thought it would be good to use along with my facial cleanser to help remove dead skin and really clean my pores. I love the way it feels on my skin, it's not as sharp and pokey as some brush bristles, and I really feel like I get a good cleanse after using it.
Clothes
Cotton On's Plain Black Tee and BDG's Black and White Polka Dot tee- As mentioned earlier, I cannot stand when it's hot, so I try to wear the lightest weight things as possible. So these two tee shirts have been staples for me this summer, they are sooo sooo light weight and comfortable to wear. They are both just a touch large on me, which is so great because they don't cling to me whatsoever.
Gap's Denim Polka Dot Chambray Button Down- I've had this button down for a while, but I have really come to appreciate it this summer. On nights where it's still warm but a lot cooler when the sun goes down, this has been so great to throw over tee shirts as almost a light weight jacket. I think it adds a lot of depth and style to a simple tee with shorts.
Forever 21 Jellies- I've had these sandals for almost two years now and they are still going strong despite the fact that I've worn them everyday for the past four months. I'm really impressed by the quality of these. The day they break or are too worn out, I just might cry.
Entertainment
I read a few books in August, but they didn't make my favorites cut. What I've really been enjoying is rewatching House on Netflix. Even though the show gets pretty predictable after a few episodes, I just really like the characters and the banter between House and everyone else. My husband and I also watched Jurassic Park a few weeks ago, and I still react the same way to it as an adult as I did when I first saw it at age seven. I just love that movie so much, so it was a lot of fun to watch it again.
Those are all my favorites for not only the month of August but the summer as a whole. Now I'm really looking forward to fall weather and getting to wear big sweaters while sipping hot chai lattes.
Love, Little Mouse
Collective Summer Swag Haul
It's not often that I go completely crazy and spend a ton of money on just beauty products...but this summer I have been doing that quite a bit. I'm blaming it on all the amazing beauty bloggers/youtubers that I binge watch everyday. I have to be honest though, it doesn't take a lot to get me to want to go shopping for clothes and makeup as it is, so seeing people use products that I can't seem to live without is not a good influence on my spending habits.
Anyway, over the last month I got several things at Ulta, Sephora, and drugstores that I've been wanting to try and I'm very pleased with.
 |
| This is a crazy amount of things! |
I love, love, love the bins by the registers of Sephora with all of the
mini and trial size products. They get me every time. One of the things I
saw and wanted to try was Hourglass' lip gloss in Iconic. It is a
really beautiful, matte red. I love it. I was also really excited to see
a mini compact of Stila's Convertible Color blush in Peony, I had to
grab the little duo.
Revlon's lip products are all so
very near and dear to my heart. I picked up two really fun, bright
shades of the Just Bitten Kissable balms, two lipsticks in darker, fall
shades, and a really fun, bright sheer red for
everyday.
I'm absolutely in love
with The Balm's Mary Lou-Manizer, which I actually got for only $15 on
Amazon, with free shipping. That was really exciting.
Walgreen's was having a massive sale on all makeup lines, so I got a lot of products from Wet n Wild and Maybelline. I love the blush and shadows from Wet n Wild, I'm so pleased with the quality and price. Sadly, I honestly regret purchasing both shades of the Maybelline concealer, I really should have only bought one, or none. I'm planning on giving the lighter shade to a friend since I haven't used it at all.
I purchased the L'Oreal pressed shadow pigments in Amber Rush and I absolutely love it! It is a beautiful shade of rose gold. I purchased that and the NYX jumbo eye pencil in Milk from Target.
Here are swatches of all the Revlon lip products I purchased...
From top to bottom: Lovesick, Rendezvous, Candy Apple, Choco-licious, Raisin Rage
I love all of these shades, I think they're really beautiful.
I purchased some trial sizes of Mario Badescu skin care products to try out. I really enjoy the cleanser so far, though I haven't seen much of a change in my breakouts. I'm going to give it more time. I have really been enjoying the facial spray with rose water, and have been using it to set my makeup. It feels really refreshing and light on my skin.
I was using a trial size of the Lavanila deodorant and I decided to get the full size of it because I really love the way that smells and feels.
Lastly, but not least, this pleasant roller ball perfume by Pacifica in Island Vanilla. This smells so beautiful and lasts for a really long time. I have been using it as a base before applying my Marc Jacobs Dot.
While this is certainly a boatload of purchases, I didn't get everything all at once, so I don't feel as bad about having spent the money over a period of a few weeks.
Love, Little Mouse
July Favorites
I went a little spend-crazy June and July, so there's been quite a few new things for me to try out. This collection of items are things that I have been really loving and reaching for a lot throughout the month of July.
Body...
Red & White Tee-I absolutely cannot stop wearing this white and red striped shirt, I have been pairing it with as many outfits as possible. It's by Abercrombie and Fitch, but I found it at the thrift store on sale. It doesn't get much better than that.
Argan Magic Body Butter- I picked up this body butter at TJ Maxx and it quickly became my new favorite lotion. It is really moisturizing, the texture is whipped and reminds me of Fluffernutter. The best part is that it smells like Piña Colada. It's hard not to want to eat it.
Marc Jacobs Dot- I have always believed that I was the kind of girl who would never buy perfume. That changed after I got a little sample of Marc Jacob's Dot. I really love the scent. It is so light and refreshing, it smells a little like strawberry and watermelon juice. I love it. I'm saving up to buy a larger bottle.
Formula X polish in Incandescent- This is a really pretty shade of cantaloup-coral-orange. It's been a really good summer color. I've been using some polish with tiny flecks of gold glitter over it for my accent nail and I think it pairs really nicely.
Sinful Colors polish in Endless Blue- This is a really striking, intense shade of bright royal blue. I absolutely love it, I can't get enough of it.
Face/Makeup...
Tarte Clean Slate Poreless 12 hr Primer- I love this primer. I have tried many different primers from various brands, but I really love the way this one feels on my skin the best. It does not cause me to break out. I don't feel like I'm wearing a mask when I have it on. It really does an excellent job keeping my makeup from melting or disappearing from off my face.
Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Fearless- I have many colors of the Tarte blushes, but I seem to be reaching for Fearless the most. I really like the natural flush it gives my cheeks. Some of the other shades I have tend to be too bright, but this shade always looks perfect.
Lorac Pro Palette 1- I use this palette pretty much everyday. Every shadow color is absolutely beautiful and they all work so well together. The color payoff is fantastic, and I love how easy it is to blend these shadows out.The colors I probably use the most are Sable and Mauve.
Kat Von D. Tattoo Liner in Trooper- This is my new favorite, absolute-must-have eyeliner. The price is reasonable, the formula is really pigmented, it is water resistant, and the brush applicator is THE best thing for liquid liner ever. This liner has made cat-eye flicks so much easier and precise for me. I will never go back to a felt-tip applicator.
Sephora's Mineral Powder brush (#45)- This brush is so soft and gentle, does an excellent job helping build up to really good medium-full coverage with mineral foundation. It has been so much nicer to apply my makeup everyday since purchasing this brush.
Books...
Sherlock Holmes by Sir Aurthur Conan Doyle- I started reading Sherlock in June, but wasn't able to devote as much time to reading it as I would have liked to. I only just finished it about a week and a half ago. It's quite a large book, with several novels and many shorter stories. I absolutely loved it! I started reading Sherlock expecting it to be engaging and well written, mostly due to my love for the hugely successful BBC series, with it's modernized retelling. I was not disappointed whatsoever. The wit, mystery, and characters of these stories are so enthralling and entertaining that I feel a large void in me now that I've read them all. I'm going to have to purchase the complete collection for myself to read again and again at my leisure.
Food...
Ramen- I have been craving ramen non-stop. It doesn't matter how hot it is outside, ramen is always appropriate.
That's quite a lot of favorites! I will not be spending nearly half as much as I did in June and July, so hopefully the list will be a bit shorter and easier to compile.
Love, Little Mouse
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
