Apr 28, 2012

April Favorites! (2012)

I figured I would get a bit ahead of schedule with this post since it is only a couple of days until May 1. I have bought quite a few random makeup items and I can't actually think of any products I regret buying. 

At the end of March, I bought the Herbal Essences Hydralicious Featherweight Shampoo & Conditioner with low expectations. Not only do they smell amazing, but they also keep my hair from getting greasy throughout the day (I have an oily scalp and I was having problems with my hair looking unwashed by the time dinner came around even though I wash my hair every morning). Anyway, I am amazed with the shampoo and conditioner and the price was even more impressive: $3 at Walmart. Normally I am a Target girl, but the closest Target to my college is twice as far away as the closest Walmart, so of course when I am stuck at school for the weekend, I shop at Walmart if I am in need of anything.

Another product I enjoyed this month was the Too Faced Tinted Beauty Balm (in the shade Vanilla Glow). It's actually too dark for my skin tone and it has shimmer in it (which anybody with oily skin would detest), but if I set it with a matte powder that is close to my skin tone, my skin looks amazing. I'll probably wear this more once it gets close to summer, but for now I just wear it on days when I want minimal coverage and sun protection (it has SPF 20).

I have used the Maybelline One by One mascara (in Very Black) before, but I repurchased it (the same day I bought the Herbal Essences shampoo & conditioner) and I love the look it gives my lashes. It doesn't weigh them down after I've curled them. I am actually going to be buying a waterproof mascara soon (for the summer) and this is one I am considering.

I have had the EOS lip balms for a while (since Christmas) and I have been using "Passion Fruit" for the past couple of months. It keeps my lips smooth and that's all I can really comment on since it's just a lip balm.

I don't quite remember when I bought the Covergirl LineBlast 24 Hour Liner (Enduring Black), but I wanted to try it because of the felt tip. I've never been crazy about liquid eyeliner, but I thought this one would be worth the try. It's very simple to use and it has nice pigmentation as well. It has lasted all day on me every time I've used it.

I don't know why I've been on such a Covergirl kick, but I purchased one of the trios I first bought when I was getting into makeup a few years ago. This one is in Cafe au Lait and it gives me a nice and natural look. I wish the darkest shade was a bit more pigmented, but for less than $5 it is great. I haven't used the applicators the trio came with, but I think I will to see if that helps the color payoff.

If anybody wants a full review of anything I mentioned, please let me know in the comments!

Apr 27, 2012

Spring Cleaning!

Although I have posted videos of my makeup collection, I have had this desire to clean out products I don't use on a regular basis. It's difficult to do that while I am away at college, but I did a bit of spring cleaning this past weekend.

Most of the things I ended up throwing out were bath/body and hair-related. Now I only have three body lotions: two at school (Olay Quench Daily Lotion and the St. Ives Naturally Smooth Body Lotion) and one at home (Olay Ultra Moisture Lotion with Shea Butter). I can't even remember how many other body lotions I used to have, but these are all lotions that aren't sticky and none of them have ever irritated my skin, so I thought it would be fair to keep all three of them until I finish them off.

I also only have one shower gel at home and one body wash at school (I had at least six because I wanted to stock up for college, but I ended up getting a rash from the brand I had purchased from). Neither of the ones I still have are bad (one is by Softsoap and the other is by Nivea), but I really want to simplify my routine, so I am now looking for something different. 

As far as makeup products are concerned, I threw out my Revlon Colorstay eyeliner because it was drying up (the lid cracked... probably because my makeup bag is less than sturdy and I traveled with this eyeliner a LOT). I also parted with some lip products that have expired. I plan to buy more lip products because now I have next to nothing left.

As for foundations... it's difficult for me to part with a foundation, even if it doesn't match my skin or last as long as I'd like it to. I didn't get rid of any of my foundations. I definitely have some I won't repurchase, but hopefully I can work with the foundations I have.

I gave some of my blushes to my grandma as she knows a lot of people who don't mind being given gently used makeup. The Hard Candy one I had (I think the shade was Living Doll) was so bright and while it looks nice on some people, it made me look like a clown no matter how lightly I applied it.

Update (5/13): I am now cleaning some face products out of my collection because I have so many foundations. I will make makeup purchases sporadically throughout the summer, but my goal is to NOT spend too much money on makeup... we'll see how that goes ;)

Apr 3, 2012

March Favorites! (2012)

Another month has come and gone. Every month I have the full intention of creating a "Monthly Favorites" video or even blog post, yet I get caught up in life and then the post/video never follows. However, I finally remembered this month. If you want a full review on any of these products (aside from anything I've already reviewed), just comment below or send me a message on my YouTube channel.

In March, I felt myself wearing less face makeup and focusing more on my skin. I hate to admit this, but I think I overdid it with the Clarisonic. I still think it's a great tool, but I will be using it less often than I used to (once or twice a week with a gel cleanser for deep exfoliation). It's getting warmer, so I feel that my future favorites will consist of lots of SPF and as many waterproof or water-resistant products as possible. But that's just a prediction.

As for a non-beauty related favorite, I'm going to follow what many other people are saying: The Hunger Games! I think the book series is very well-written and I enjoyed the film.

  1. Maybelline Illegal Length Mascara
  2. Too Faced Glamour to Go Palette (colors pictured below)
  3. Maybelline Color Tattoo Cream Eye Shadows (all of the colors, but particularly Bad to the Bronze)
  4. LAVANILA Pure Vanilla Eau de Parfum roll-on (my boyfriend loves this on me)
  5. Neutrogena All-in-1 Acne Control Daily Scrub (I was surprised that I liked this as much as I did)
  6. Rimmel Match Perfection 2-in-1 Concealer & Highlighter (125 Fair)
  7. Neutrogena All-in-1 Acne Control Facial Treatment