Lips

May 2016 Favorites

by

Pardon the screwy schedule and format this month – we’ll be back to normal next month!

May 2016 Favorites
1. Real Techniques Retractable Lip Brush $7 / 2. St Tropez Tanning Mitt, $6
3. Arm & Hammer Essentials Fresh, $3 / 4. Coconut Acetone , $5

rtlipbrush I can’t say if this is the, “best lip brush ever,” because frankly, it is the only one I’ve ever owned. That said, it makes applying F-Bomb and other bold colors a breeze; you can line with the thin edge and fill in with the flatter side. At $5.49 and usually on sale BOGO 50% off at Ulta, it’s a steal.

sttropezmittI mentioned that it is tanning season, so my St Tropez self-tanning mitt has been getting weekly use. I actually need to get a new one! I’ll never go back to applying by hand.

 

armhamdeoDeodorant isn’t a glamorous thing to talk about, but it is important and with the weather warming up, what better time? I waffle back and forth between this ultra-inexpensive, aluminum-free (so it’s only a deodorant, not an antiperspirant) one and this slightly more luxurious Lavanila one. I’m on my 3rd stick. This clear solid stick is a unisex fragrance – not feminine or, “pretty.” By its nature it is strong but fades quickly enough not to offend.

cocoacetone

Yeah, I thought coconut scented acetone polish remover was too good to be true. I ordered it because my usual stuff was out of stock. I am pleased to report, however, that it does leave a pleasant coconut aroma behind! That said, please don’t get all sommelier on the bottle – it is acetone, and it does smell like acetone. More importantly than its novelty fragrance, though, is that it works. I’ll definitely repurchase. I decant mine into a pump-top bottle for easier use

What did you love last month?

Lipstick Is My Vice

by
Lipstick Is My ViceUrban Decay Lipstick is my Vice

The title of this post isn’t true. Lipstick isn’t my vice. I enjoy what I enjoy, but I’m definite an eye rather than a lip girl. I didn’t realize it at the time but when I bought F-Bomb for $11, it was because UD is killing the Revolution Lipstick line in favor of their Lipstick Is My Vice / Vice Lipstick line which launches June 5.

It feels, to me, like we lost the Revolution line too soon. After a long time without lipsticks from Urban Decay, many of us rejoiced when the Revolution line came out. They gradually added mattes and sheers to the line to cover a lot of interests when it comes to lipcolor. Well, like so many Game of Thrones characters, their life was cut short.

It isn’t all bad, as I found looking at Temptalia’s swatches. The shades we’ve come to love are staying, with a (supposedly) new and improved formula. There are 100 lipsticks being released, and 74 of them are brand new shades. Furthermore, they will be priced to compete with MAC’s lipsticks – only $17 a tube down from $22 for a Revolution lipstick. Let’s hope a drop in price does not equate to a drop in quality. Additionally, they are revamping many of the lip pencils out there – so if you’re a pencil pusher, that should be good news for you, too.

Get the $11 Revolution Lipsticks while you can from Sephora, Ulta, Macy’s. They are selling out.

Urban Decay F-Bomb Revolution Lipstick

by

I love red lipstick, but I usually don’t take the time to wear it. I only owned one – Kat von D Foiled Love lipstick in Adora (which is beautiful, but requires careful application as the formula is a bit dry). When Ulta and Macy’s lost their mind and started selling Urban Decay’s glorious Revolution lipsticks for only $11 I took to the ‘tubes and compared Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in F-Bomb, 69, and Bang. I ultimately picked up F-Bomb and haven’t looked back.

Urban Decay F-Bomb (Revolution Lipstick)Urban Decay F-Bomb Revolution Lipstick

I thought for the longest time that Ruby Woo (MAC) was going to be the next red in my arsenal – and while it may still join the ranks, I couldn’t argue with half off (due to the new Lipstick is my Vice line) and how much I love the formula of the Revolution lipsticks.

Urban Decay F-Bomb is so true. I’m so thrilled to own it – it’s going to be flattering (for me, at least) regardless of if I have color from self-tanning or am as pale as a polar bear. But now for the important part – swatches.

Read more

May 2016 Haul

by

Alright, I was supposed to be on a No Buy through June. I screwed that up. But we all benefit!

I wound up getting a promotional thing from eBates – on top of that day’s 8% cash back from Macy’s, there was a $25 back on $100 spent on Cosmetics. That’s easy. Responsible? Questionable, but I decided to treat myself because these last several months have kicked. My. Ass. Then, I had a gift card to get my brows waxed at Ulta (another great experience with Benefit) and had some extra, so I got something silly and gimmicky for fun. Here’s what’s new from my May 2016 Haul:

May 2016 HaulMay 2016 Haul

Read more

Products I Love But Don’t Always Use

by

Just because a product is good, or even great, doesn’t mean I’m always up for exerting the effort to use it. I could easily title this post, “Products I Love But Don’t Routinely Make Time For…Because Sleep.”

Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade

Dipbrow, for instance. Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade is fantastic. I’m still a loyal user, but I don’t use it daily. I simply don’t always have enough time, or bothers to give, to sit there in front of a mirror sculpting my brows with a brush. It is possible to use this product in a hurry, but I’m usually seeking a different look.

sephoraserum

Sephora Teint Infusion Ethereal Natural is so gorgeous. The finish is wonderful. It is not, however, remotely forgiving to the smallest hint of atypical texture – be it dryness or flaky skin. It requires me to pay a little more attention to my skin before use and during application; not a bad thing, I’m just not always up for it.

 

udfbombRed Lipstick (any). I love reds and close-to-red shades; they’re bold and empowering. That said, I usually wear MLBB shades for two reasons – one, they’re flattering and two, they’re effortless. You have to be trying to mess them up, right? But red (like UD F-Bomb or even bold, close-to-red pinks like UD Catfight) requires attentiveness. Depending on your poison, you may or may not need lip liner, but applying without a mirror is out of the question. KvD Foiled Love Lipstick in Adora (now discontinued, but I believe Adora is available in the Studded Kiss formula now) is life, but I can’t slap it on haphazardly running out the door.

 

Products I Love But Don't Always Use

Pigments are delightfully fun! I only own four – three from NYX, and Rushmetal from MAC (from that whole Glambot thing). Anyone who has ever used loose pigments can tell you, however, that there is no such thing as, “really quick,” with them. Application takes more steps, fallout is a thing, cleanup of your workspace will always be a thing. I only really end up using these for special occasions as a result.

Maybelline Gel Liner

 

Gel liner is my favorite, but most days, I’m using dark eyeshadow to define my lashline. I need at least three minutes to apply it, more if I’m doing something, “fun,” like wings or flicks.

I really enjoy all of these things, but in my normal, run-of-the-mill, day-to-day life I can’t pull it all off. I’ll often do one of these things on a weekday, but being as that I wake up at 5:45, I’m desperate for all the sleep I can get!