Tag: cruelty-free

Subscription box look

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This year I decided to cancel my boxycharm subscription so I can focus on the products I have, including all the products I’ve received via boxycharm and Ipsy; the only two subscriptions I’ve had for several years.

I am keeping my ipsy subscription because you can skip months and I like the sample subscription.

Using January’s products and a palette previously received in Boxycharm I came up with this look

I know what you’re thinking and you’re right. I never do my hair.

The Ace Beauté Scarlet Dusk palette came in the January 2020 boxycharm box but I hadn’t used it at all so I pulled it out for this look. The a Kevyn Aucoin mascara came in the Boxycharm premium May 2020 box.

I like the formula of Ace Beauté’s shadows and I have a palette that I purchased on my own. The shadows apply pigmented and are easy to blend. Using a glitter primer I was able to apply a shimmer shade (Hibiscus) without having to wet my brush.

I think the Kevyn Aucoin mascara is ok. I like it but I wouldn’t pay full price for it. The brush is small with tight bristles that seperates lashes nicely and with a couple of layers it made my lashes look nice.

From Ace Beauté’s website

The January ipsy bag came with a blush and highlighter and blush, along with some face masks, a color correcting cream and a hyradte and glow oil. I didn’t think to use the color corrector but I did use the highlighter and blush.

I was surprised at how much I liked the Ciaté London Glow to Illuminating Blush in Matchmaker. Overall I have not been impressed with this brand so I didn’t have high hopes, plus I prefer matte blushes but this was a nice blush. The pigment is perfect for a blush and it isn’t glittery.

The highlighter is Catrice Luminous Highlighter in Lumi and it gives a beautiful wet highlight look.

I haven’t used the other products I received in the ipsy bag but I’m happy about the products I received.

I liked being able to use the products in my bag and enjoyed shopping my subscription box stash for this look.

Morning must haves

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It’s officially heater season and with it comes dry skin and a runny nose for me.

Fortunately I’m not having to worry about people seeing my flaky skin but it’s still a concern so I’m doing everything possible to protect my skin.

With all the skincare I have, I probably overdo my routine but I do have some staples I stick to:

Saturday Skin 10% Glycolic Acid + Pore Control Compkex (gifted) : helps refine and smooth skin’s appearance. I use this 4-5 times a week

Peach & Lily The Good Acids Pore Toner : an exfoliating toner that’s gentle enough for daily use. It’s designed to wipe away dead skin cells and has ingredients to keep your complexion clear, which is perfect for mask enduced acne.

Innisfree My Lip Balm : this is a mousse texture balm that instantly hydrates your lips. I apply this right after toner and leave on while I finish my skincare routine and makeup.

Fresh Beauty Black Tea Kombucha Facial Treatment Essence (gifted) : this is for smooth, luminous skin and makes my skin feel instantly hydrated.

Saturday Skin Wide Awake Brightening Eye Cream with Avocado (gifted) : helps with dryness, dark circles and puffiness. This adds instant hydration to my undereye area.

Tatcha Serum Stick: a concentrated treatment and touch up balm. I use this on my chin, my eye socket area and between my brows. These are my driest and most wrinkled areas so I figure they require the high intensity stuff

Laneige Water Bank Hydro Essence (gifted) : help with dryness, dullness, uneven texture and oiliness. This is described as “an essence that drenches the skin in esencial moisture” and that’s exactly what it does.

Saturday Skin Pretty Pop Probiotic Power Whipped Cream (gifted) : helps with dryness, fine lines and wrinkles. This is a great moisturizer that doesn’t leave my skin feeling oily and is lightweight.

Are any of these part of your morning routine? What are your must haves?

Rust eyeshadow palette

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Happy Black Friday if you’ve gotten up, or will get up, in hopes of finding all the good deals.

I’m a little sad to say there isn’t really anything that has captured my attention this year. It could be because I still have so much unpacking to do that adding more boxes seems like too much, lol.

For today’s look I used the Melt Cosmetics Rust palette. These gorgeous colors are perfect for fall looks and the quality is superb.

The colors I used were (in order): Erode/ Rust/ Mar/ Rott along upper and lower lash line

The shimmers are all beautiful, even though I much prefer the mattes in the palette, but I wanted to use something brighter.

For the lid I used Colourpop Super Shock Shadow in Campfire; part of the collaboration with RawBeautyKristi.

I was able to use Rott on a flat definer brush as eyeliner and I loved the effect it had.

For my highlight I used the Jaclyn Cosmetics highlighter quad. I used the Colourpop lippie stix Beeper and CP CA Love lux lipstick.

How was your week? Are you doing any shopping this Black Friday or Cyber Monday?

Morphe 18B look

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I intended to have this up Friday but, I forgot >.<.

My plan is to post at least every Mondays and Fridays and sometimes Wednesdays. Check back Monday to see if that happens! Lol

For this look I used the Morphe 18B, Making Bank, palette

This is an 18 pan palette that comes in a cardboard palette and has a mirror. It’s no longer available but it was an $18 palette that I probably purchased on sale.

Overall, I enjoy Morphe eyeshadows. They are a bit on the dry side, you can see how dusty the upper left olive color is, but I find them easy to work with.

  • Colors used

I love the way the crease colors blended together with the yellow and olive to lighten up the look but the star is the bottom right color. I applied the color over NYX glitter primer on the inner 2/3rds of my eyelid. It doesn’t look like much in the pan but it has a duochrome finish that shifts color depending on how the light hits it. This look reminded me why I love Morphe shadows so much.

  • Face makeup used

I used my standard Essence Lash Princess mascara and this face trio by Pop Beauty that I got in a Boxycharm pop-up sale. The bronzer and blush look shimmery in the pans but when you apply them they have a nice finish, not shimmery or glittery and it doesn’t emphasize texture.

  • Morphe 18B shades: Check Please/ Cash or Card/ Jackpot/ C-Note/ Make It Rain/ Bazillionaire/ Rake It In/ Deposits
  • Beauty by POPSUGAR Trio Time Face in Coffee Break
  • Essence Lash Princess Scultped Volume

MOTD Natasha Denona Zendo Palette

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The new Natasha Denona Zendo plan is so pretty and perfect for a quick look!
This is one of the smaller $25 palettes and the quality is still there.

The palette has two mattes, one that you can use in your crease as a transition shade diffused up to your brow bone and a slightly darker matte that you can build up to darken the look.

Natasha Denona Zendo Palette

I used the darkest shimmer, Stark, in the outer V to smoke out my look and the green shimmer shade, Stripped, in the inner and center area of the lid over the NYX Cosmetics Glitter primer.

I did have some slight fallout, most of which I was able to brush off but I did end up with a few specks of glitter here and there.

I loved how this came out and how long it last throughout the day. I would definitely recommend this, especially during the Sephora Holiday sale or Black Friday sales

Colourpop Sandstone

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Here’s another colourpop look!

The Sandstone palette may be just another neutral with a yellow but I still love it!

Available on Colourpop’s website as of 10/16/2020

This palette has 4 mattes, 7 mattes that have glitter particles and 7 metallics/shimmers.

I find that these particular mattes that have the glitter through them apply with more of that glitter on the lid that previous versions have. I’m ok with it so I actually still apply these as if they were just mattes.

  • MAC paint pot in soft ocre
  • Vortex in the crease to brow
  • Oasis in crease, keeping it lower
  • Canyon Loop on outer half of lid and into lid
  • Big Butte in outer third of lid and softly into crease
  • Templeton in the outer edge, in a V shape with a tighter brush. Then take a fluffier brush to blend it out and slightly blending it into the crease
  • Pueblo on lid – dip brush into color, spray with setting spray then apply to lid
  • Blend between Pueblo and outer lid colors
  • Lower lash – Canyon Loop, Big Butte and Templeton
  • Desert Sky in the inner corner, dip brush into the color, spray and apply
Brushes used, you can see the different densities

Colourpop Green/Teal SSS look

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I can’t remember when it was but, I purchased the Colourpop “Is This Real Life” Super Shock Shadow vault when it first released. First, because I’m a sucker for vaults and second, I really enjoy the formula. However, because it was a “limited edition” release (it’s since been abatible two or three times again) I hadn’t really touched the set.

For reasons we won’t speak of (oops), I finally started using the SSS in this collection

Look of the day

For the eyes I used: Colourpop Candy Castle – Rainbow trail in the crease as the first color and Lord Licorice to blend after I applied the SSS

From the vault I used Left on Thread and Take me Higher SSS

I was impressed that even after so long the SSS were creamy and color rich.

Have you tried the formula? What are your thoughts?

Do you have a certain makeup item you don’t use out of fear of using it up?

Morphe 35C

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I told myself I didn’t need or want this palette but here we are.

I personally love most of Morphe’s palettes and this one is no exception. Even though it is much cooler toned than I’m used to, I still find this easy to use and combine colors with.

Morphe 35C

Full list of products used:

Tatcha Silk Canvas Primer
Natasha Denona Magic primer
Sunday Riley Juno Face Oil
Mamonde Floral Hydro Cream
CYO Cosmetics Foundation
Measurable Difference Concealer correction
Maybelline Age Rewind in 112
Laura Mercier Loose setting powder in translucent
Almay loose setting powder in 200 Light
Morphe 35C Cute Shoes/Total Mood/My Pleasure /Thx It’s New /Fashionably Late
Lower lash: Call Me Gorg/On You
OFRA Pink Lady very lightly layered over a lighter pink blush
It Cosmetics Humble (matte)

How do you feel about Morphe palettes? Do you have this one?

Monday Makeup Vol 1

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When I started my blog I started with the intent of using it to list everything I used on my face in case anyone was interested. Then I realized how time consuming it is and didn’t do it, lol. Now that I have more time I figure I’ll give it a go and try to establish a habit.

Skincare: Tatcha Water Cream and Indigo Cream, Dr Jart+ Tigar a grass Color Correcting Treatment
Primer: Joah Beauty Pore De-activator and Instant Prime Activator
Base: Covergirl Full Spectrum in FS 110
Blush: base is Get Leid SSB topped with Kiko Milano Square of miracles
Bronzer: Chanel bronzer base (discontinued) topped with Kiko Milano Sweet Honey
Concealer: some super light Morphe one I can’t find at the moment (oops)
Powder: WNW Photo Focus Loose setting powder in banana
Eyes: Colourpop Fortune for this eye look: Ben/ Mo Problems / Fortunate /Strike It /Stacks /Trove
Mascara: Essence Forbidden Volume (don’t love)
Brows: Nyx Fill & Fluff in Espresso
Lips: Armani Lip Maestro in 101

Henné Organics

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I received a lip trio from the brand Henné Organics to try and here are my first impressions

I like the sleek and simple packaging. All of the products close with a satisfying “click” that makes you feel like everything is staying tightly sealed and fresh.

The serum lid twists off and the serum is applied with a nice 24k plated metal roller ball. What I liked best about this is that it applied easily and did not get stuck as some of these types of products tend to do. It doesn’t have a heavy oily feeling and it has a berry scent that reminiscent of a berry candle. The scent is a bit strong for my liking but it fades away after application. This is meant to “help firm the lips and reduce the appearance of lip lines” but is not meant to replace a lip balm.

The balm was surprisingly soft, but that could have been because of the heat when it arrived, and also felt very nourishing and hydrating. It has a slight coconut scent, but it’s the real coconut scent, not the usual artificial almost piña colada scent.

The lip tint has the slightest color, the one I received is in Intregue, perfect for a light touch of a black cherry tint of color. It also has a nice coconut scent leaves the lips feeling hydrating and is available in four shades.