My Last Sephora Play! February

I cancelled my subscription tom Sephora Play! because I have a ton of makeup that I need to use up and it was sending me repetitive products two months in a row. I decided that I would rather just buy my own beauty products when I run out than keep getting samples that I might not enjoy. I feel like when I am choosing my own products, I do a ton of research and almost always love it or like it at the very least. I plan on subscribing to Audible. The first month is free and after that, $14.99 a month for any audiobook that they carry and the book is mine forever on my account. I plan on downloading the books to my computer storage, in case they ever go out of business. I plan to listen during my workouts and $15 isn’t really too much to spend a month on a book any way. I used to buy 2 books for $20 practically every month.

Sephora Collection Rouge Matte Lipstick in Rebel Chic 1g $2.33

This lipstick is currently being discontinued at Sephora since the full size is on sale for $7 now. It is a nice wine berry color that looks really good sheered out. It is actually a wearable color for me, but it takes a bit of blotting.

Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Let’s Go Crazy 1.8 g $20

This is 75% of a full size. I am very happy with the brand and color which is a bright pink. It is the perfect Summer color. I wish I would have gotten a lipstick and a gloss or something, instead of just two lipsticks. I will use this for sure, but probably after I finish my Kat Von D Pool Party Liquid Lipstick, that is a color that I would buy in a full size once finished. Nars has some controversy about not being cruelty free now. Not sure I would actually buy anything from them.

Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Eye Colour in Rosegold 1 g $17.40

Again, this is 3/5ths of the full size. It is in a pretty shade that I will get a ton of use out of, but will not purchase as it is not CF. It is a very decent cream eye shadow and I love using it for day looks. I like simple eye looks and this takes 5 minutes for both eyes to be done. I love doing my makeup on my days off and work at home days. The only day that I do not wear any makeup is on Sundays to give my face a breather. I still wear lipstick though!

Perfume Sample: Atelier Cologne….AGAIN

Seriously this is like the fourth time this brand has been featured in my bag. I want a sprayer, not a dabber! I have to use up one of my reusable sprayers, so I can dump these dabbers into there. Some of them do smell good layered. I just hate having these sitting in my samples stash. Number one thing I hate about beauty boxes has got to be the perfume samples. If I want one, I would get one at the beauty counter.

 PTR Firm X Peeling Gel 15 ml $7.20

I think peeling gels are a gimmick, plus I got a peeling gel in January. Plus, I got a caviar stick in January in a different color. This box is SO repetitive. I really don’t care about peeling gels. I will use it to use it up, but I would not purchase one myself. I like liquid chemical exfoliates and physical ones best. I have never saw improvement in my skin when using a peeling gel. I just don’t see the hype.

Belif Moisturizing Eye Bomb 5 ml $9.60

Again, in January, I got an eye cream too. This is the reason why I cancelled. I had two months in a row with the same type of products in it. I also decided to go CF and Sephora itself isn’t CF. It sends CF and non-CF products. I didn’t want to buy anymore non-CF items anymore when I can help it. Right now, I have one non-CF product in my shower right now. Most of my skin care, hair, and body care are CF. My makeup is still a mix of things, but I no longer buy non-CF. I make mistakes sometimes, because I am human. I am making a conscious effort though to be CF, a minimalist, non-consumerist, and just overall a more healthy person.

I have a LOT of changes going on in my life right now. I am going back to college, my work dynamic is changing with working from home and doing Saturdays, blogging regularly, Dean and all of his needs and challenges such as school worries, my dad’s impending foot surgery, learning how to drive by getting my permit again, and trying and failing to keep the house in order. I am in the midst of consigning a ton of clothes, because I have been exercising and losing more weight. Also, Dean’s closet got cleaned out and I have those clothes as well. I am going to be dividing the clothes into seasonal piles and try to get as many done as possible.

Also, I found a whole plastic tote filled with my old slimmer clothes. It is like finding money or getting extra makeup that you didn’t pay for in your Sephora order. I am so happy and will be trying on all these “new” clothes to see if I can add more clothes to my closet. Let’s be honest, I don’t have much that really fits me anymore and I am constantly consigning and thrifting. I love losing all of this weight and getting down to my pre-pregnancy size, but I don’t have to cash to buy much clothes replacements. Hence, where the consignment money comes in to buy new clothes. The circle of life.

With Love,

 

 

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Sephora Play: January

I am super late to the party in showing what I got for my January Sephora Play box. I thought better late than never and I love knowing the cost breakdown of my boxes. I got box #587 and I have yet to see anyone else get the same box as me. This happens 1/2 the time with my boxes. So, I might be lucky with getting some rare boxes and I do like and will use everything inside my box this month. I have learned so much about my makeup preferences and what I like through this subscription box. I now know to give reds away, because I never look like myself in them. I also know I have too many eye pencils. I prefer lighter shadows eye shadow anything black or really dark does not go with my deep set hooded eyes. I know how to do eye makeup for my eye shape. It’s been a really great 2017 learning about myself in beauty terms.

I like the theme of January, even if it is very overdone. Everything in my box is supposed to enhance or renew a better version of you. I have two makeup items that are very natural looking to enhance your features and I have 3 skin care products. My bonus product is a hair product and I am so happy to not have another perfume sample to use up this month. Those little tubes stack up fast!

Gloss Moderne Clean Luxury Masque

I never heard of this brand, but I am happy to have another hair mask to try. I love doing hair masks once a month when my hair starts feeling a bit dried out. I hope it does a good job of moisturizing. Not all hair masks are created equal.

Boscia Exfoliating Peel Gel 1 fl oz $6.80

I was in need of a good exfoliant, so I am happy to now have a decent sized sample in my collection. I have dehydrated oily skin, but in the winter, I tend to get flaky on the areas of my face that are usually oily. I am also getting closer to my 28 birthday (I will be turning 26 this year) and I hear that every 7 years, your skin changes a lot. It is definitely being more dry lately, but I think it is because of the cold weather. I need to drink more water to try to balance out my skin more.

GlamGlow Supercleanse Cleanser 0.5 oz $3.20

I love GlamGlow, but they are not cruelty free. I will not buy any of their amazing products, but I will continue to use what gets sent to me. I love the Youthcleanse clay to foam cleanser, so I have high hopes for this one as well. I will use this once I am done with my current cleanser. I only wash my skin at night with a double cleanse, so this would be good for the first cleanse to get rid of dirt and makeup. I usually follow up with a more moisturizing cleanser or a face mask.

Clinique Pep-Start Eye Cream 3 ml $5.30

This eye cream is so expensive when you get so little. I will never have to buy eye cream again, because I keep on getting them in my boxes. I like getting eye cream in boxes though. It helps me determine which ones I would actually buy. I will spend the $30 or $40 on eye cream as long as there is 0.5 oz of product in it. Night eye cream actually works on my fine lines and wrinkles. For the day, I want something really moisturizing to keep my concealer from looking dry and flaky. Eye cream also lasts FOREVER, because you only need a little dab of it for both eyes.

MUFE Artist Face Color B302 Blush $5.75

The top swatch is the blush that I will be using as an eye shadow. It is a nice peachy color that would look pretty in the Spring on the eyes for a simple glow. It is so buttery smooth and pigmented. It also blends out like a breeze. I will look into getting some eye shadows from this brand. Hopefully, their eye shadows are just as good as their blush.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Lip Gloss Kristen 0.07 oz $8

I love this medium brown nude on me. It isn’t too dark and it looks very classic on my lips. It looks like I am wearing liner, but that is just my regular lip color on the edges. It looks so beautiful on me. It is a thick feeling gloss that isn’t sticky. I really love this gloss formula, but I have way too many glosses to buy any more.

The overall price of this box is the lowest I ever got at $29.05, but I absolutely love the variety that I got and look forward to trying out everything. I love it when I get more skin care than makeup and I really hope next month continues that trend.

With Love,

December Sephora Play!

The last box of the year and it came on December 23rd. Seriously. I usually get my box from 10-20. I feel like it took FOREVER! Okay, I’ll stop complaining. lol. I really do love the Sephora Play subscription that I get every month. Some months are better than others, but overall, I think you get good bang for your tenner. I might not use everything immediately, but I am happy to try everything that I can. I am rotating through my makeup collection and making it a big priority next year that if I don’t love something, I give it away. If it is too old, throw it out. If I’m not loving it, it isn’t worth the effort to use it up or pan it.

I love the bag! It is very cute, but I really don’t have a need. I usually just donate these bags away to be recycled and proceeds goes towards a local charity. I’m actually going to be using my card, because I am hitting up Sephora. I want to buy something during the 20% off sale and possibly cash in some points.

Drybar Triple Sec, 0.35 oz for $2.17

This is a 12th of the full size, so to me it seems like a tiny sample. I would have at least liked to have seen a half of an ounce for a hair product. This will probably only be a couple of uses. I have to use a lot of dry shampoo to soak up the second day oil in my hair. It gets oily super fast. I think it smells nice and I cannot wait to use it once I use up my Not Your Mother’s dry shampoo. So far, I really love the Amika Perk Up dry shampoo for my hair. I don’t have to put a ton in and it really works.

Stella McCartney perfume sample

I love that this is a natural rose scent. I’ve been really into rose scents lately. I would love to receive a foil packet instead of a perfume every other month though. I haven’t gotten one yet and I would really like to. I have too many perfume samples at the moment since I’m trying to work through a bottle of perfume.

Clinique Pretty Easy Liquid Eyelining Pen, 0.34 g for $7

I’m going to say that this is a third of the full size, since I cannot find how much is in a pen anywhere. I look forward to using this when I don’t currently have an eye liner open. I am trying to use up a black and glitter eye liner. I’m pulling it out in January, so we shall see if it is still good or not. I’ll be blogging about my makeup clearing journey, so you guys won’t miss a beat. Subscription bags are great, but if I don’t like it, I’m not going to be keeping them around anymore.

Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Eye Colour in Matte Au Natural, 1 g for $17.40

This is more than half of a full size! It is pretty close to a full size and way more than half. I am very pleased with the amount of product in this one. This is a nude color that I will be using all of the time. I actually prefer to work with cream shadows, so I am excited to try this out in my January rotation. If it wears nicely on my eyes, I will be very happy. Eye shadow creases on my hooded eyes like crazy, especially creams. I had a hard time getting rid of the swatch so I have high hopes for this one. I would work this on the lid and crease and pop a bright eye shadow on the lid.

Caudalie Vine[Activ] Energizing & Smoothing Eye Cream, 0.16 fl oz for $13

This is a third of the full size of eye cream, so I am happy that it is a really decent sized eye cream sample. It takes me a while to go through eye cream. I almost never need to buy it, because these samples carry me throughout most of the year. I am curious about this brand, but I feel like the beauty world is over it. I’d like to try more of it. I really love the beauty elixir, but I can buy a Smashbox Primer Water for less and get more. I feel like they are overpriced and trying to be luxury.

MUFE Artist Rouge Creme Lipstick Fuchsia Pink, 0.04 oz for $7.34

Another generous size for being a third of the full size. This lipstick is super soft. While I love the purple pink color, the bullet is already being smashed around inside of the tube. I would not buy a full size of this. I will be pulling it out in the spring and summer, but this really isn’t a winter color. I would have appreciated a soft pink or a winter berry.

$46.91 is the total value of this box. I would give this box 3 out of 5 stars, because of the great value and I’m not excited for the lipstick and the black liner. I am excited to see what the next year brings to the Sephora Play! box. I have been really happy with the items that I have received this year. I plan on going through my collection soon and getting rid of the samples that I didn’t enjoy.

With Love,

November Sephora PLAY!

I’m very late with my Sephora Play this month. I could have blogged about this last week, but I never got a round to it. I’ve been very busy, but that’s not the entire reason why. November and December is a very busy time for me with working overtime, meeting with ABA worker for Dean, Christmas, and of course, Dean’s birthday. Blogging has taken a bit of a back burner for me. I’m hoping to have more time for blogging, because I really love it. Taking the time to write a post during my lunch has helped a lot. I really look forward to it now, when I can squeeze it in.

The bag is okay, but I really wasn’t thrilled with what I got in my box this time around. Sephora had been doing so well and this box was a let down to be honest. I mean, it was bound to happen. I can’t always get the best box. The theme is Survival of the Chillest. I didn’t think that all the products went with the theme. A red lip is not chill. That’s high maintenance at least for me.

Burberry My Burberry Blush

I love the fresh floral fragrance, but I don’t think that it is that unique. I would not purchase this. It is a nice fragrance though, it’s just not for me. I will use the sample up and enjoy it. Who knows? Maybe by the end of it, I’ll want to buy it.

Marc Jacobs Velvet Noir Major Volume Mascara 0.17 oz $13

I’m not totally mad at this. It is a luxury brand and half the full size. I just wish that it wasn’t a mascara. I would have preferred a lip product or an eye shadow OR SOMETHING. I will still use it and appreciate it, but I’m not excited about it. It’s yet another mascara to add to my collection of unopened tubes. I just opened a MAC sample, so maybe when I’m done with that one, I’ll open this one. I have like 6 tubes now? I could use a sample mascara break.

Philosophy Purity Made Simple Pore Extractor Mask 5 ml $2.34

This is such a small sample. I probably only have 1 to 2 uses in it. I think Philosophy is alright as a brand, but since they test on animals, I’m not going to be buying this. This is a meh product for me, because it is so small and I won’t be buying from the brand. I’m happy to try out a mask though, because I do mask about 3 times a week. I have oily, acne prone skin most of the time. Clay masks are a necessity for me. During the year, I use hydrating masks as well from all the products that I use to dry out my skin.

Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo 0.75 oz $3.06

 

I’ve used a reviewed this product HERE. I am super happy to have another one of these on hand. Although, I haven’t been using dry shampoo recently since I got my hair cut. I look forward to using this and getting back into the dry shampoo mood. I’ve been washing my hair every other day. Now, I’ll be able to go 1 day longer. The shorter my hair is, the more often it needs to be washed. When it was long, I only washed once to twice a week. I’m washing my hair three to four times a week now. I’d like to go down to two to three washes and this will help me get there.

Farmacy Honey Drop Lightweight Moisturizer 10 ml $9

This is a 5th of the full size, which I think is generous for a face cream. It is close to a half of a fluid ounce. It has cool little honey beads in it to give your face extra moisture. This is a really unique face cream, but I’m definitely a no more than $30 face cream girl. Face cream takes me a long time to use up. A 2 ounce jar takes me 6 months of better. I don’t want to spend a ton on face cream. To be honest, I’m more likely to spend the $30 on a night cream than a face cream. I’ll probably go back to Simple or Cetaphil when I’m done with what I have.

Sephora Rouge Cream R04 The Red 1 g $3.12

Eh. I’m not a fan of how I look in red lipstick. I guess, I haven’t found my shade yet. I’m glad it’s just a mini. I’m going to just wear this around my house. I find it drying on the lips, so when I put this in my December makeup bag, I know I’ll be reapplying it often in order to get rid of that drying feeling on my lips. I tested it out today and I’ve had it on for an hour before touching up. I just had products that make my lips feel dry. If it’s a color I like, I add a gloss, but I just want to use this red up. I need a vampy red or a berry red. A true orangey red like this one doesn’t look good an neither do the pinky ones.

I would give this box 2 out of 5 stars. I love the Amika dry shampoo and I’m only half excited for the mascara and face cream. I hope December brings a better bag or at least more interesting products that are new to me. I just feel blah about this bag. Nothing truly excited, except for a product I know I like and have considered buying the full size off. This is a good way for me to finally decide to put it on my Love’s List or not.

With Love,

Sephora Play October

Another month has come and gone and this one is almost over. I received my Sephora Play late this month. Maybe it had to do with customized foundation color? I’m not sure if it’s my color, but I’m going to try it out. If it doesn’t work out, I can get a new sample in store with my Sephora Play! card, which is fantastic of Sephora. Everyone is guaranteed a good foundation color, even if it isn’t your perfect foundation formula. Well, as long as that brand in that foundation has a color to match you to. Have you guessed the theme yet for this month’s Play box? It is Complexion Companions.

I really love this month’s box contents, but I don’t care for the bag to be honest. I thought that all of the products went with the theme. Sephora seems to be getting better at doing these themed bags. I got two items from the same brand in this box, but they are completely different products, so I don’t mind it that much. But come on Sephora! You have tons of brands and I get two from the same brand? Must have had too much samples from that brand. That’s really the only disappointing thing in this box: that I got two samples from the same brand. I absolutely LOVE everything though.

Chanel Gabrielle

I read Stella’s blog and she wrote about buying this perfume. I can say that this is a beautiful and sweet adult fragrance. It is floral, but sweet. It isn’t musky. It is the perfect day time scent and very office friendly. I wear perfume everyday and I can see this one being a go to staple. When I need to buy a Spring scent, I would consider this one. I need to get myself down to four bottles of perfume: one for every season. This would be a perfect Spring scent. It is fresh and light. I really love it.

MUFE Ultra HD Skin Booster Serum, 0.15 fl for $15.38

I am very surprised at the value of this sample. The full size is a little more than double this amount. That seems like such a small amount for a full size worth $41. I would never send that much for less than 0.5 fl oz of serum. I spent $40 on the Sunday Riley UFO that was 0.5 fl oz of oil and I considered that expensive but worth it. I am already using a hydrating serum right now, but as soon as that one is done (which will be pretty soon), I will be testing this one out. I feel like hydrating serums are very basic. I will probably just repurchase the one that lasted me several months and was very cheap.

Becca First Light Priming Filter, 0.2 fl oz for $7.60

Another expensive brand that I have been dying to try. I say Lizloveshermakeup on Youtube rave about this product and the fact that it is purple has me hooked. I’m so shook to be able to try this out. I haven’t found a primer that I am in love with yet, so maybe this one will be the one? It’s hard for me to find makeup products to be my holy grails. Preferences change all the time and my skin changes as well. Things I used to love, no longer it the bill. Plus, I’ve gone cruelty free, which really restricts my options. I’m pretty sure Becca is cruelty free, so if I love it, I’ll purchase it. Once I’ve gone through my other full size primer. Samples, I can go through, but I need to get my full size out of the way in order to buy another.

Cover FX Custom Enhancer Drops in Moonlight, 2.8 ml for $7.98

Another product that I am super stoked to try. I’ve tried other things from Cover FX, but what I really wanted to try was this highlighter. It is a nice bronzy pink shade and I am so excited to wear it. I want to get the little volt set of all of these mini ones. It blends out like a dream and you can make it look subtle or beam in your face. I like to go a little more subtle for work, but glowing on the weekends. It will be a great versatile liquid highlighter in my collection. If I really love it, I’m going to buy their unicorn shade. Although, I do hear that the full sizes tend to dry out. I’ll stick to buying the smaller size if I really am impressed by this one.

MUFE Ultra HD Invisible Cover Foundation in R230, 5 ml or $6.45

I feel like this will be a good match, even though it is lighter than my Sephora match which is R250. This was the featured product of the month that everyone should have gotten in their bags. I am happy with the shade. In the bottle it looks more on the pink side. I have a yellow undertone, but I like more rosy to neutral foundation colors on me to tone down the yellow in my skin. I like to look healthy and have a good glow. Yellow is very sallow and I don’t need a yellow foundation to emphasis that. I am using a sample of a cushion foundation right now. I will use this to see the color match, but I probably wont break it out until December to use on a consistent basis.

Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder, 0.12 oz for $4.56

Another product that I was excited to see in my bag due to all the Youtube hype. Basically, I was excited with everything in my bag this month. I have run out of all my loose powders, so I am going to be putting back my ELF color correcting finishing powder in cool and putting this bad boy in my cabinet. I am a huge fan of loose powder, even though it is very messy at times. I still love a pressed powder, but loose powder seems to suit my preferences better at the moment.

$41.97 is the grand total of my bag. While I don’t think it was the most expensive bag, I believe one of my bags hit over $50 in the past, I am the most excited about the products in this bag than any other I have received before. It is quadruple the value that I paid for and the fact that I can use every single product on the daily makes this a 5 out of 5 for me hands down. I look forward to what the next two bags have to bring for me in 2017.

With Love,

Sephora Play! September

I am not going to lie. I was a bit disappointed with what I got in this Sephora Play. Nothing really wowed me. I did get some exciting brands, but not the items that I would have wanted from that brand. I will still use everything that I got, but I hope next month will bring an exciting product or two. The theme was Fall Into Beauty and I have to say, I really love the bag this month and I’ll be using it for my monthly beauty bag for this upcoming month at least.

The red polka dots on the Play! Card are very reminiscent of Minnie Mouse for me. How can you not love that bright silky hot pink bag though? It’s an ultra girly color with such a cute saying on the front.

My free perfume sample had two perfumes from Clean in it. I wish I could have gotten a foil sample instead, which Sephora will now be doing in addition to the perfume sample. You will either get perfume or a foil packet. I am personally all for the foil packet. I have too much perfume to begin with without having all these samples around.

Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner in Intense Black 0.25 ml for $11

This is half of the full size making this a generous sample and I am excited to try this out. Everyone loves this eyeliner. I just wish I could have gotten a full color instead of black. I have too many blacks and I tend to use colored ones more often than black. I don’t even use eye liners that often either. I have a different liquid black eyeliner that I should use up first, but I look forward to the day that I can try this one out. I can practice my cat eye or just line my waterline. It will be used eventually.

DevaCurl Melt Into Moisture Matcha Butter Conditioning Mask 1.5 fl oz for $6.75

I will have to wait until I use up my Lush hair masks, but this one does sound promising. My hair has been getting curlier since I’ve stopped coloring it a year ago. Gosh, I cannot believe that it’s been a year and 4 months since I bleached my hair. Now, it is a brassy mess and blonde is too much upkeep for me right now. I intend on chopping off most of the blonde. Once I’m all my natural hair color, I will see what I want to do with it. I’m thinking temporary washout color for when I need a boost. I’ll probably will get to trying this out next year. I think I still have like 6 uses out of each Lush hair mask that I have remaining that will go bad if I don’t use them. I use them GENEROUSLY and they still lasted like two years.

Belif The True Cream Moisturizing Bomb 10 ml for $7.60

I was so excited about this until I looked at the back and saw just how little product would be in there. I still want to try this out immediately. My skin has been flaking like crazy these past few days, because I left a face mask with sulfur on for too long and it dried out my skin bad. It could have been from my retinal moisturizer, but I only used that twice every other night and I didn’t show any signs of sensitivity. I’ll be only using that mask on my nose for now or use it for only 10 minutes on the T-zone. I’m hoping this moisturizes my flaky skin and that it stops peeling soon.

Benefit Gimme Brow #3 1 g for $8

This is a third of the full size, so between this one and the other one I have, I have a full size gimme brow. I don’t really do my eye brows, but I have been because I have it. I don’t need to buy a brow product. I have naturally thick brows. I need to get them reshaped, but otherwise than that, they are in really good shape. I will use this up after I finish my opened tube. I don’t care for this product, because I really don’t need it. Only waxing will shape my brows. I have too much eye brow rather than too little.

Laura Mercier Velour Lovers Lip Colour in Happy 0.09 oz for $21

This is almost a full size and totally worth the $10 price tag for the box. I was scared at first that it was going to be super pigmented, but it is very buildable. You can do a sheer wash of color or full on glam demonstrated by my swatches. It is such a pretty color and I will be pulling it out for the holidays. I might even wear it at work since it’s such a friendly formula. It has a semi matte look and feels comfortable on the lips. I always put a balm underneath my lip sticks, so it may not be as comfortable if you don’t prep with a balm before hand. I love the subtle metallic finish. It is more of a shimmery effect than a metallic one. I find metallic colors to be unflattering for the most part.

The value of my September box is $54.35!! I think this is one of the highest valued boxes, but I feel meh about it. I would give this box 2 stars. I’m really only excited for the lip stick, but I gave another star for the value of this box. Sephora Play is a worthwhile subscription to me. I get beauty treats every month for $10 and build up my makeup collection for cheap. If I had a daughter, I would get this for her. It’s great for beginners or for the beauty adventurer that loves to try out everything without breaking the bank.

With Love,

August Sephora Play!

I am extremely happy with this month’s Sephora Play box. I feel like the subscription just got better and I got products in my shade. They actually took my skin tone in mind and chose a perfect match. this leads me to believe that Sephora Play is getting more personalized or at least they are looking at what you put as your skin tone to give you a decent match when they send out foundation or concealer samples. The theme this month is The Innovators, but I don’t think that any of the stuff that I got is really cutting edge beauty. I would just say that they are popular brands.

Apparently, the brand Makeup Geek is very upset that Sephora used that phrase on their bags. I guess, they weren’t really thinking, now were they? I didn’t even think of that brand though, when I saw the bag. I mean, it’s just a saying. Maybe they should have said Makeup Junkie. I don’t know people get so worked up over these things.

BeautyBlender Micro.Mini for $9

I’m happy to give this mini sponge a try. I’ll probably use it to bake under my eyes. Honestly though, I could have done without it. I’m not crazy about Beautyblenders. I bought one in the beginning, but I wasn’t really impressed. It fell apart on me by month 3 and I didn’t want to spend a twenty to get another. I will use this for my concealer and baking under my eyes though. It might be very useful for that or be too small and be a pain. I’m happy to try it though. Also, this little sponge almost makes up for the whole value of this box. That’s one expensive sponge!

Hourglass Vanish Seamless Finish Foundation Stick in Shell, 0.04 oz for $7.66

I am so exited to try the new Hourglass foundation stick. It has been years since I have used a foundation stick. Like 10 years ago long. This seems to be a really good color match for when I lose my summer tan. I only tanned a couple of shades from being outside so much this summer with Dean. I’ll probably be more tan next year when he can last longer in the sun. Although, there is not a ton of product in here, it is enough to try and see if I would like to purchase it as I am in the market for a foundation. Although, the full size of this is only a quarter of an ounce.

Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue 1.5 ml for $2.28

This perfume isn’t sweet enough for my taste, but I will use up the sample. I wouldn’t purchase it though. I wish I got the Kat Von D ones, but it’s a free sample.

Kat Von D Lock It Concealer Creme in Light 3 Warm, 0.065 oz for $7.59

I have two concealers opened right now, so I’m not going to open this one until I use up my Nars one. I use my Nars one during the work week and my Smashbox one on the weekend. I haven’t worn any eye makeup for the past two weeks. I just haven’t felt like it, since we’ve been going swimming a lot. I’m happy that I got this concealer, because I want to try something that is fuller coverage. What I have doesn’t cover my veins under my eyes. Hopefully, I’ll be able to crack into this early next year.

Caviar Anti-Aging Miracle Multiplying Volume Mist, 1.4 fl for $9

I am always willing to try something to give my fine, limp hair some volume without weighing it down or making it look greasy. It says you have to blow dry after using it. If it doesn’t work without blow drying, then I’ll just use this to smooth my flyaways when I’m doing a bun or ponytail. I haven’t found anything that works to give my hair volume yet. I will be so happy if it works. I only blow dry my hair in the Winter time. Maybe, I’ll save it for then and give it the old college try.

Lancer The Method: Polish, 0.5 oz for $5.93 (based on the 8 oz)

The pamphlet states that this contains pumpkin! I love pumpkin! I want to try pumpkin everything. This sounds similar to the PTR pumpkin enzyme mask. I cannot wait to try it. I’ll currently using a Biore exfoliater in my shower right now, but when that’s done, I will use this one. I cannot wait to see if it smells like pumpkin pie. It is really expensive though. I don’t think I would ever purchase this. I’m more liking to get the PTR, but since they are not cruelty free, I need to find other options.

The total value of my box is $41.46 including the perfume sample. That is 4 times the value! I am so happy with this price point and the items seem more generous this time around as well. I am keeping this subscription for sure. I want to try a face mask subscription. Does anyone know any good ones?

Also, I’ve been deleting pictures off of my blog again. I try to delete old pictures and usually nothing from this year. WordPress doesn’t give you a whole lot of free space. Next year, I’ll probably will deleted everything older than 2017 besides my animal pictures. I use those a lot.

With Love,

Sephora July Play

I just got my play box in the mail yesterday and I am really excited to share what I got with all of you. I really like the variety of products in this box and that it isn’t all just one type of product. This is actually one of the best boxes that I got from Sephora and I know that I probably say that every time I get this box. I can already tell you that I give this box 5 stars, because I will be using everything. I really like it when I can use every sample in my box. It makes me believe that it was really made for me.

I love the bag this month. The pink checkered design is very cute and it actually looks like something a mature person might tote about. I thinking about putting cough drops in this bag for at work. It’ll make it look cute. I love the theme this month of Beauty Staycation. This bag has everything so you can look effortlessly beautiful at home or anywhere you go this summer. I just think all the items actually fit with the theme!

Atelier Cologne Perfume: Orange Sanguine

This perfume smells like fresh squeezed oranges. I’m glad to have gotten this sample since it smells nice, but I really prefer perfume samples with a sprayer. I just find it hard to dab on perfumes without spilling a little bit of it.

It Cosmetics Superhero Mascara = $6

I’m happy to have another mascara to sit in my drawer. It takes me a while to finish a mascara since I only wear it on the weekends/days off from work. I really enjoy using mascara and I don’t go by the three month expiration date. I use it for 6 months to a year or when I feel like the formula isn’t working like it used to. If I don’t like the mascara, it’s an empty. Mascara is the one makeup item that I will throw out if I don’t like it in my lashes. If it smears easily or gives me a ton of flaking, it has to go. I can deal with some flaking, but that is it. I prefer a dry mascara and not a really wet one. This has a lot of good ingredients, so I’m hoping it’ll be a good one.

BareMinerals Gen Nude Matte Liquid Lipcolor in Swag = $9

This is a my lips but better lip color and is a little more than half off the full size. I am very happy to have received this in my box and I love nude colors like this one. It is very effortless and I can just throw it on and now that it looks good. It is a forgiving color and perfect for my light skin, especially nowadays, I tend to pull more pink than yellow in my skin tone. I’m telling you, having a baby changes everything.

Briogeo Rosarco Milk Reparative Leave-In Conditioning Spray = $2.25

I like the scent of this brand’s products and I always use a detangling spray or some other similar product after I get out of the shower on my hair. My hair tends to get dry and tangle, so it needs a lot of moisturizing treatments. I am trying to get through two other sprays/lotions currently, so I am going to put this aside to try at a later time. I wasn’t impressed with this brand’s hair mask. It wasn’t moisturizing enough for a hair mask, but I used it as conditioner. Hopefully, this has enough moisture for me, otherwise I will just use it to spray down my hair before and after getting out of the pool.

MILK Makeup Cooling Water = $2

I am most intrigued by this product here by MILK. I am happy to finally have a MILK product. I am interested in trying this gel moisturizer during the summer. I’m not in love with the FAB moisturizer that they sent last month. It has too much of a sheen for my oil skin, but I think this one will be perfect for me. It is $24 for a little over an ounce, so it isn’t too expensive if I end up loving it. It won’t be enough moisture during the winter, but I will put it on my love’s list for next summer if I end up liking it.

Boscia Charcoal Pore Pudding Intensive Wash-Off Treatment = $9.50

I cannot wait to try out this mask! I need to make room in my medicine cabinet for this one, so I won’t be using it any time soon. I have a lot of minis in my morning and evening skin routine right now. Once I use up some of the stuff that I have in there, I’ll be able to add this in there. I love doing masks and I do a mask about three times a week if not four. I’ll use a 10 minute mask if I don’t feel like putting in too much time into it. I haven’t tried anything from this brand before, but their products are not too pricey. If I like this mask, I could see myself buying it. Only after I finish up most of my masks though. I have like 12 face masks in tube/jar form. I have a problem, I know.

The total value of my box this month was $28.75. That is almost three times what I paid for it! Each month is always an amazing value and I will be using everything from this box. The mascara won’t be used for a while, but that is from how slowly I use up mascaras. It’s not the makeup’s fault. On another note, I have some exciting posts going up this coming week. Stay tuned everyday for a new post in July. After July, I’ll probably go back to posting about four times a week.

With Love ❤

June Sephora PLAY!

I really liked that Sephora did something different from their store brand design on the play cards. This beach design is very festive and true to the June Theme: Summer Starters. All of my products fit with the theme of an easy breezy summer. I will be using everything that I received in my box this month. The past two months, I have set one thing out of each box aside, because it wasn’t something that really fit for me.

I will tell you up front now that my box is a 5 out of 5 stars, because I will use each product. It gets 4 personal stars for me, because two products I’m just meh about. Still will use them though. This box just doesn’t excite me that much.

Benefit The Porefessional 3ml for $4.50

This is a small sample, but a little goes a long way. It is a pore filler and not meant to be used all over the face. I use this on my chin, forehead, nose, and the pores that are around my nose on my cheek area. I tend to have large pores in these areas. I like the way this makes my face look, but I am unsure that I would buy a full size. I’m still looking for that holy grail primer for my face. I feel like primers just don’t do that much for me. Maybe, I haven’t found the right one yet.

IGK Rich Kid Coconut Oil Gel 15ml for $2.70

This hair product smells nice and you put it on wet hair and let it air dry. I am all about air drying my hair, so I couldn’t be happier with this sample. I am currently using a split end mender, so I’ll probably not use this sample for a bit. I will definitely use it though,  because this is the kind of product that I like for effortless hair that has texture without a blowdryer. Maybe someday I’ll have time to heat style my hair again. Once in a while would be fun. I enjoy balmy leave in hair treatments rather than cream. I feel like cream makes my hair shiny/greasy looking, but balms really absorb into my hair.

Ouai Rose Hair & Body Oil 9.2ml for $2.90

This has a sweet, floral rose scent that I really enjoy. I am using this strictly as a body oil, because I am very picky about the oil that I put in my hair. I have a ton of hair products right now as well. I’m on a nobuy for hair products specifically. I’m fine with using this as a body oil for after the shower or bath. I can see this being really luxurious. Maybe, I’ll add some to the bath and soak in it! The ideas are endless, but I think I might just stick to using it as a body oil the old fashioned way. 🙂

F.A.B. Coconut Skin Smoothie Priming Moisturizer 0.34 for $5

This moisturizer is tinted and I haven’t tried it yet. I’m almost done with last month’s moisturizer, so this one will be tested soon. I’m going to see how well it performs as a primer as well. Moisturizer is not that exciting to me, but I love trying out skin care. I’m not mad at it. I like that this is a decent sized moisturizer sample. It is almost half of the size of the travel version. FAB is also supposed to be gentle on the skin and since I use a lot of acids on my skin, I really like that about the brand.

Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium 1.2 ml for $2.80

I really like this perfume. It is sweet, candy like but musky as well. It isn’t powdery at all and smells familiar to me like I have smelt this scent before. It smells like B&BW Twilight Woods!!! I thought this smelt very familiar. I will be buying this in the full size. I really like Twilight Woods for the fall and B&BW no longer makes the scent. I’m so glad that I found a dupe, even an expensive one. It’s about $100 for a full sized bottle, which is not that bad. I’ve seen worse and I’m too in love with the scent to care.

Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in K-Dub 3ml for $9

I didn’t think that I would like this liquid lipstick, but I actually really enjoy the color. It is long lasting and I don’t think that it is overly drying on the lips. It fades on the lips as it wears throughout the day and at the end of the day, there was still lipstick to remove. I’m adding this lipstick to my project pan, because I want to enjoy it all summer long. It is a summer color for sure. I like that it lasts all day without touch ups through eating and drinking. It is also transfer proof. I can wear lipstick and kiss my little boy, too. I will buy this lipstick in a nude shade, when I have used up some more stuff in my stash. I love the formula and the drying is something that an overnight lip treatment can fix. I notice no lasting drying effects with this lip stick.

My box totals $26.90, rounded up to $27. That is over double of my subscription box. I am very pleased with the value and the selection of products.

With Love ❤

Sephora Play: April 2017

I am super excited for this month’s mostly skincare box.  I am a skin care fanatic, so I am not complaining about this box. I’d rather have more skincare than makeup any day. I know there has been people complaining about the lack of makeup, but two out of five were makeup related. I don’t think the box was too unbalanced. I recieved this box during the week. I always seem to get it on the third week of the month, which gives me less than 14 days to use my extra 50 points card. If they took the cards online, then it wouldn’t be a problem. I haven’t used the card once, because the closest Sephora is an hour away. It’s only worth it if I am going clothes shopping, which I am doing next week. Expect a huge clothing haul and another small Sephora haul next weekend.

I have to admit that I’m not a huge fan of the bag. I decided to use this bags to hold little gifts for the people I work with. One might be promoted to supervisor, so I might add a couple of goodies to this bag and give it to her for congratulations.

Daisy by Marc Jacobs 1.2 ml for $3.86

I really like the scent of this perfume on me and I would consider buying a full size if I couldn’t get my hands on the Donna Karen perfume that I want. I’m not sure that the perfume is selling anymore. Just did a quick search and Macy’s still carries it. I still will consider this perfume though. I would like to have just four perfumes, one for each season. I might bend the rules and get this one though. I need to finish up a few perfumes first. If I finish 6 this year or close to it, I will buy a perfume during the November Sephora sale.

Sephora Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover 25 ml for $3.75

This eye makeup remover is really affordable! If this works well and doesn’t sting my eyes, I will be repurchasing it. I am always on the hunt for a good eye makeup remover that I don’t have to really rub or tug at my eyes with. I’ve been using my Garnier micellular water, but I need something a bit more heavy duty. Hopefully, this doesn’t irritate my eyes and actually works to remove stubborn mascara.

Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench Hyaluronic Cloud Cream 7.5 ml for $8.13

So far, this is the most expensive item in the box and I am really excited for it. I love light weight moisturizers. Right now, I have a day and night cream that I don’t really like by Derma E. They are way too heavy for my skin that I only use both at night. Once I’m done with the Glam Glow illuminating moisturizer that I use all over my face and make sure to powder, I will crack open this baby and see if it is light as a cloud but very hydrating. I enjoy Peter Thomas Roth products for the most part. I just think that most of his products are overpriced and that only his masks are really worth it.

Make Up Forever Aqua XL Eye Pencil in M-10 Black for 0.01 oz for $5.25

This is a fourth of the size of the full size, which is very generous for an eye pencil. I will not be using this, so I did not swatch it. Anything I don’t like/want from my subscription box that is makeup, I will be selling to this company that I heard about through Youtube. You send them at least 10 makeup products that is on their list (mostly brands sold at Sephora) and they tell you the low to the highest that you can get for your items. You send it in a prepaid envelope and wait for the check in the mail. It is that easy. You aren’t going to get the best price for your new/gently used makeup, but at least, it’s something. I don’t need another black eye liner. I have to many and I don’t use eye liner, because I don’t have a sharpener. Really need to pick one up at the store next week. I still need to go through about 10 that I own though. I also don’t like black eye liner. I much prefer a color. I only use black in my water line.

Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer 0.25 fl oz for $8

I haven’t tried this primer yet, but I love silicone primers to fill in my pores. I only use primer in my t-zone, where my makeup wears off. This will last me a couple of months of use, I think. I don’t wear makeup everyday, but I love to just minimize my pores everyday. I always use a primer like this and my face looks much smoother. I enjoy trying out new stuff, but I have like three primers before this to use up. I have two illuminating ones, so I might still crack this one out earlier if I want a more matte look. I have been loving the dewy/glowy look lately. I’m surprised by how much I love the glam glow powdered down. Still won’t purchase that, but if this Smashbox doesn’t break me out, I would buy it.

Kate Somerville ExfoliKate 0.25 fl oz for $12

I’ve been wanting to try something from Kate Somerville for a long time (hello goatmilk moisturizer) and I am so glad that I received this in the box. I love to use an exfoliating cleanser in the shower, so that’s where this sample will live. I only wash my hair twice a week, which is the perfect amount of times to use this product a week. It is a green cleanser that smells like green tea and mint. This is such a pampering product and the one that I am most excited for.

I really loved this month’s box and I believe that this one had more value than last month due to the focus on skincare. I hope next month has an SPF product in it. I will have to dig through my products to find some facial SPF or I will need to buy some. May is almost here and I use SPF from May to October. So, 5 months out of the year, I wear facial SPF like actual spf. Most of my products have spf in it. I want to buy and SPF spray for the face. I think that would be cool.

This box was worth $40.99. That is such an amazing value! I am happy with 4 out of 5 products, so this month only gets four stars instead of 5. It is still amazing. I am just not happy with the eye liner, if it was in a different color, I would have saved it. I am putting it in my to sell pile though.

With Love,