Physician’s Formula “Butter Bronzer”

Can we talk amazing bronzers for a second?!

This one tops the list. I knew this baby would be a hit when I picked it up and could smell the wonderful smells even through the packaging. Imagine your favorite tropical vacation wrapped up in a powder. I’m not kidding. Think warm summer day on the beach with your feet in the ocean dowsed in sunscreen sipping a blended drink… yup, that’s the one. To top it off the formula is so rich and buttery that it practically melts into your skin. It is also gluten free, oil free, paraben free, and cruelty free. Too bad the price isn’t also free, but at just over $10 you really can’t go wrong.

It does come in two shades at the moment. If you are very fair I would recommend the lighter one, though I do find the darker one isn’t all the dark so to all my medium skin tone girls out there, don’t let that scare you.

Pick it up today, I’m sure you will absolutely love it!!! XOXO

Ipsy Review – February 2017

If you are unfamiliar with Ipsy, it is a ten dollar a month beauty subscription service. You can sign up here to get five deluxe or full size samples sent to you in a unique beauty bag every month. I have been a member for well over a year now and can say that it is so fun to play around with a set of new and customized products. It’s a perfect way to build your makeup, haircare, and skincare collection.

Here is what I got this month!!!

NYX “Butter Lipstick” – Lippies are my favorite!!! I got the shade Lifeguard, which is not a full on red but more of a deep magenta. The satin finish on this is amazing. It is super moisturizing and comfortable on the lips. I will definitely be on the look out for more of these babies in different shades.

Luxie “Rose Gold Blush Brush #514” – When I started getting back into makeup a couple of years ago, I bought myself a (cheap) brush set off of amazon. Since then, I have been upgrading brush by brush so I was super excited to get this! I love Luxie because it is a cruelty-free brand and is great quality. This brush has synthetic bristles and is in a small dome shape. It is meant for blush, which for me works perfectly.

BeFine “Gentle Face Cleanser” – This cleanser, while a good product, wasn’t my favorite. I do like that it is vegan with all natural ingredients and has a nice minty scent. However, my preference is to use a face wash that has scrubby beads in order to really feel like my skin is getting cleansed. This is more of a smooth texture so I likely won’t be using it regularly, but do love the brand. (Here is a tip: Keep products you won’t use in a small basket in your bathroom to put out for when you have guests over!)

Elizabeth Mott “Whatup Beaches Bronzer” – I LOVE this bronzer!!! It is so soft and silky with the perfect matte formula and the shade is on point. My only complaint is the tiny little pan it came in, but I am debating getting this in a full size because I love it that much.

 Winky Lux “Diamond Complexion Powder” – And last but not least a… diamond powder?! Apparently this powder has finely crushed diamonds in it and while I am skeptical at that, I do like this a lot. I have been using it to set my under eye concealer and that’s been working out great. It gives a little extra coverage than my normal loose translucent powder.

Ipsy Review – January 2017

Pacifica – Blushious Blush – Besides lippies, blushes are my favorite item to find in my bag! I got the color Wildrose and while it isn’t a shade I would normally go for, I do like it, for winter especially. There is a really pretty sheen that makes this blush super unique.

Purlisse – Blue Lotus Mud Mask – Nothing beats a good mud mask. I plan to save this sample for traveling, when my skin typically needs a little bit more love. The size makes it really travel friendly and I have loved this brand in the past so look forward to trying it out.

It Cosmetics – Bye Bye Undereye Concealer – This concealer is supposed to illuminate your under eyes and double as an anti-aging product. I can totally see what they were going for, but for me personally it didn’t quite work out. I found that it actually brought more attention to my under eyes in a non-flattering way. I’ll stick with the regular Bye Bye Undereye concealer because the coverage is still amazing.

Temptu – Matte Primer – I have been enjoying this primer quite a bit! It’s great for everyday priming around the perimeter of my face, though I do go in with a separate pore-filling primer to take care of my stubborn t-zone area. The only thing I don’t really care for with this product is the smell, which is chemically.

theBalm – Matte Bronzer – Talk about an item I was excited to see! This is a cult favorite and I got the shade Bahama Mama. It is on the cooler tone side and pretty dark for my skin currently, but I think it will work well for me in the summer months… ohhhh summer 🙂 .

 

This month was a definite hit for me!!! Recently I have only been excited for one or two items in my bag, but January was good to me. I see myself using all of the items except the concealer, which I plan to pass along to a friend. Click here to sign up for Ipsy, it’s something I look forward to each and every month, XOXO.

September Favorites

Essence Sun Club Matte Bronzing Powder

I have been to Ulta twice this month to get color matched on new foundations and each time I have been recommended a shade that is too light. Needless to say I needed a little extra bronzing this month and this one was a life saver. Pretty much nothing beats a coconut fragranced face powder, am I right?!

Smashbox Photofinsh Pore Minimizing Primer

Don’t underestimate the power of a high end primer! This was my first and I love what it does for my skin… fills in pores and evens out the texture. I don’t use it on my whole face, just the parts that need a little extra love like my t-zone and areas that I have scarring from acne.

Essence Sheer & Shine Lipstick

I tend to have a heavy hand with makeup. I also tend to LOVE vampy lip shades for fall. Enter this product!!! There is literally no way you can overdo it with this lipstick and you will always get a nice, deep shade. It gives off a your-lips-but-better vibe with a sheer wash of color that is easy to build up and super comfortable to wear.

The Gifts of Imperfection

I featured this on my Fall Reading List post a few weeks back as a book I wanted to read up this season. Well, it was not at all difficult to get through! I’d recommend this book to anyone looking for inspiration in their own well-being. Brene Brown has a way of explaining her fascinating work on living a Wholehearted life in easy to relate to ways.

Old  Navy Striped Boat-Neck Tee

Picture this long sleeve tee with cozy black leggings, knee high boots, a warm wooly scarf, and Starbucks in hand. I mean, could it be anymore seasonly appropriate?! I got it in red, too :).

Ipsy Review – August 2016

Could the bag this bag be any cuter?! For those of you unfamiliar with Ipsy, it is a ten dollar a month beauty subscription. You get five deluxe or full size samples shipped to you in an adorable bag. Join by clicking here if you are interested!

Now on to the good stuff…

Marc Anthony – Nourishing Argan Oil of Morocco Deep Hydrating Treatment

Repeat offender! I was super disappointed to see this included in my bag because I have gotten it before and didn’t love it. I’m probably the only person on the planet who doesn’t like the smell of argan oil, but that is the reason I don’t use this product. I’ll be passing this along to someone who may like it more than I.

Jelly Pong Pong Cosmetics – Neapolitan Palette

Pigmented shadows and I can totally create a full look using these shades. Overall I am impressed at the quality of these and think it will make a great travel product, especially.

Ciate London – Paint Pot in “Dangerous Affair”

Love!!! This is such a perfect color for the upcoming fall season and I have been wanting to try this brand for forever and a day. I have heard some amazing reviews about Ciate and can’t wait to try this little baby out!

IT Cosmetics – No Tug Waterproof Mini Gel Eyeliner

If  you are looking for a creamy, easy-to-wear, glide on black liner then I would  recommend this one hands down. It stays put all day, even on the waterline, and does live up to the claim that it won’t tug at your skin. It also goes on matte plus is easy to remove with a wipe.

Beaute Basics – Three Tone Bronzer

While these shades are a bit on the darker side, I’ll be saving this little guy for next summer when I really want to bronze it up. I think it would make a really pretty shadow as well.

April Favorites

Elf – High Definition Undereye Setting Powder

Sometimes I never know how much I love a product until I run out of it. I then go into the great debate of repurchasing or trying something new. I ran out of this recently, tried a few different powders in my collection (nothing I had could compare), and wound up repurchasing this in April. This powder perfectly sets concealer, brightens up the skin, and is so inexpensive.

Maybelline – The Blushed Nudes

The shades in this palette are gorgeous, wearable, and work so well together. Pigmentation is not as strong as it could be, but it’s a great palette if you are looking for your makeup to be a bit less bold. There are also tips for blending shadow combos on the back of the packaging, which I found super helpful!

Rimmel – Natural Bronzer

I had never used an actual bronzer until I picked this baby up a few weeks ago… now I don’t want to put it down! I use it mainly in the hollows of my cheeks, temples, and top of my forehead. I now understand why a cool-toned matte bronzer gives the most natural look.

Flower Phone Case

Confession… this is not the exact phone case I fell in love with this month. I (like all females everywhere) got sucked into Target’s dollar section recently and found the cutest flower case for my phone and now can’t find it anywhere online to share! 😦 This one is comparable though, a clear case with a flower print. Super cute and perfect for spring.

“Yes Please” by Amy Poehler

What’s not to love about Amy Poehler?! She is so funny, such a great role model for young women, and has tons of great stories to share in this book. It’s a really fun, funny, and quick read that I would recommend to anyone looking for something light-hearted to pick up.

Ipsy – March 2016

It’s that time of the month where a pretty pink envelope got delivered to my door!

Ipsy is a monthly beauty subscription bag. You can sign up here to take a personalized quiz and receive 5 deluxe-sized samples in a cute new bag every time. It’s a great way to try unique brands, use different products, and collect items that you may not pick up on your own. And for only $10 a month, the price is right!

There is a pretty wide variety of items offered every month and each subscriber gets a customized group of them based on the personalized quiz. Here is my review the products I got this month.

 

March 2016 theme is “Hello Spring”.

This is the bag I received, which I am IN LOVE with…

And these are the items that came inside…

Beau Gachis Paris – “Eyebrow Brush”

Ipsy must have read my mind this month because this was on my To-Buy-Soon-List. This brush has soft, but firm bristles that work well for applying powder-based eyeliner. And now I have one angled brush for brown powders and one for black!

Starlooks – “Luxe Longwear Eye Pencil”

Another item that was on my To-Buy-Soon-List! This liner is smooth to go on and dries matte. However be careful with applying, the product itself seems easy to break off.

NYX – “Liquid Suede Cream Lipstick”

Although I don’t love the shade I was sent (“Soft-Spoken”), I do love everything else about this liquid lipstick. It is a very comfortable wear, not drying in the slightest. I will definitely be looking into buying this in a different shade.

Be A Bombshell – “Baked Bronzer”

For my skin tone, this bronzer works best as a highlighter or face shimmer product. It is very subtle to show up on the skin, but gives a nice overall glow to the face.

Marc Anthony – “Nourishing Argan Oil”

My hair has always been on the frizzy side so this product will be a fun one for me to try. I don’t typically reach for Argan scented products but this one smells fantastic!

My Rating: 

Great items this month and by far the cutest bag I have ever received! There was a good mix between products that I needed to pick up anyways and products that I wouldn’t have picked out myself but am excited to try. I do wish that the lipstick and bronzer came in shades more aligned with my preference, but can see myself using them from time to time. Overall I’m happy, XOXO.