Once again, super impressed by this month's Glam bag. The bag isn't my favorite, but it's still cute...and I think these bags are great to regift! Let me get straight to the contents:
Starting at the left is the Smashbox Oil-Free Photo Finish Foundation Primer, which I have tried before. It has a very silky, silicone-type texture and claims to make your makeup last longer. I don't really notice a difference between when I wear it or not, but I shall keep trying. Next to that is the pixi Lash Booster Mascara. Umm...I don't really have trouble applying mascara and getting it all over my eye but this one is another story. It doesn't matter how hard I try or how careful I am, it ends up all over my eyelid. What the heck?! Plus it's doing basically nothing for my lashes...
The next two products (swatched) are the MICA Beauty Shimmer Powder in Bronze and the Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in 69. I feel like I can't pull off gold colors very well but this is very pigmented and goes on easily. The lipstick is also beautiful. Not only in color, but also the texture. Creamy yet stays on the lips without smudging.
The last product for this month is the Michael Todd Pumpkin Nutrient-Rich Facial Mask. This glycolic mask claims to do a whole list of things but I'd have to try it longer to really see benefits. So far I did notice that my skin feels soft and as if I just used my Clarisonic.
If the other Glam bag posts haven't convinced you to subscribe, maybe this one will? Talk to you soon!
Always stay happy and healthy! :)
Tschüss, Katharina
I haven't done a favorites post in a while because to be honest, I don't wear makeup consistently enough right now to be calling something a "favorite". However...there are some products that I just find myself going back to again and again.
ANNNDD there they are! Quite simple, but they do the trick for me! Let me start with the brush at the bottom. This is the Coastal Scents Classic Blender Natural and I absolutely love it! It does the job I want it to do (blending) and is so cheap. I'm not talking quality cheap- the quality s awesome- I'm talking change out of your pocket cheap. It's not even $3 and so far I honestly have no complaints!
Going to the top left, is the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Gel. Not saying I am an expert on brow gels but this has been the only one that keeps my brow hairs where I place them, and that has proven to be quite a feat. It has the hold of hairspray without the crispy feeling- even though I don't mind that too much.
Blush is not really my favorite part of makeup but I can't lie how I feel about this one. It is the bareMinerals Blush in t.t.y.l. and I love it. Swatched, it comes off as a very light pink but on the cheeks it is more rose colored. The thing I love most about this blush is that it isn't super pigmented...I know that may sound like a contradiction, but it makes it really easy to use. I think I use this blush about every time I apply makeup so that pretty much says it all.
The second swatch shown is the pop Beauty Pouty Pop Crayon in Rose Romance. This is not only a great nude color, but it's one of those lipstick crayons that you can apply with your eyes closed. I like pairing this with just about any eye look because it goes with everything.
Last but not least is a trusty mascara, the Rimmel Glam Eyes Mascara in Extreme Black. What makes this mascara so great is not necessarily the formula, but more the wand. It looks almost like a brush so it is really great at separating clumpy lashes. I like using it on my lower lashes as well, because it coats all of them evenly.
Those are just a few of my trusty favorites that I know will never do me wrong. Hope you got some insight in to my favorites that could possibly become yours!
Always stay happy and healthy! :)
Tschüss, Katharina
Another month- another batch of empties. Although most of the things I finished were large sample sizes, I feel they lasted long enough for me to form a good opinion on them. So let me give you the run down on what I liked and disliked.
One of the first products I finished this month is the Victoria's Secret Vanilla Lace Ultra Moisturizing Hand and Body Cream. I really enjoyed this rich cream, as well as the vanilla scent. I felt like this moisturized my body while not taking eons to soak in (I hate putting clothes on when lotion is freshly applied). Something I would definitely repurchase at $12, and most of the time there are some deals going on at Victoria's Secret so you can make it worth the money.
Next up is the Nivea Refreshingly Soft Moisturizing Creme. I was searching my blog to see if I have ever mentioned this...and I cannot believe I haven't. This is probably one of my best kept secrets! I use this as my nightly moisturizer since it is just a bit heavy for the day (on my oily skin). I sometimes struggle with dry patches so this keeps my skin feeling soft and absorbs into the areas that need the moisture. It also has a lovely "clean" scent that just makes me feel ready for bed. Cannot say enough about this- it also doubles as a body and hand moisturizer that I know people swear by!
Adding on to all the creams I have been using, one is the L'Oreal Collagen Moisture Filler. I got this delux sample for signing up for a grocery rewards card from Big Y and since I don't really need an anti-wrinkle cream on my whole face yet, I decided this would be the perfect eye cream. Did I really notice a difference...no, but then again I may not be the perfect candidate for a product like this. Also, I just didn't think it was moisturizing enough to use in that area since I did still see dry patches around my eye area in the winter. I only used this at night, and even though it lasted me a LONG time I wouldn't give it a go, again.
Moving on to something that I received in my Glam bag, I finished the NuMe Finishing Serum. I did quite enjoy this serum but once I looked up the price I wasn't as happy. This is a very thick hair serum that I used on my wet hair before blow drying. The small sample size lasted me about 2 months (I wash my hair every 3 days or so) so it went a long way, BUT I feel that the CHI Silk Infusion is comparable to this and much cheaper. I can find that for about $7 at TJ Maxx...and it gets the job done just as well.
One thing I really had an obsession with these past few months is chapstick- specifically finding the perfect one. The Softlips Lip Protectant/Sunscreen in Wildberry is definitely not "it" for me. I do enjoy the tingly feeling it left on my lips, but it seemed to me like it just sat on top of my lips and didn't even soak in. The consistency was odd too, somewhere in between a balm and a really creamy chapstick...I don't know but it just didn't work for me.
Last, but certainly not least, I was also very into keeping the heels of my feet soft. Between walking in flip flops all the time and the grittiness of the sand, I needed something to really soak deep into the skin and the Burt's Bees Coconut Foot Cream didn't cut it for me. Don't get me wrong, I don't have scaly looking feet, just a few dry areas, but it really did nothing. I even had it on overnight with socks to really work it in and I didn't notice much of a difference. I did like however, that it was a natural foot cream...but not something I'm going to buy again.
Hope this gave you some new products to put on your shopping list- and maybe some to avoid! Talk to you soon!
Always stay happy and healthy! :)
Tschüss, Katharina
One thing I absolutely love for the summer is shimmery eyes. Even if you do barely anything on the face and lips, a shimmery bronze eye can liven up your entire look! I tried some new products from Harmon/Face Values and came up with this look.
I found these products through recommendations from Melissa on YouTube (melmphs is her channel). The first product is the NYX Roll on Shimmer in Salmon- swatched on the left. This is exactly what the product name implies...it is a roll on glitter. Although I don't usually like to put straight up glitter on my eyes, this is not as chunky. It almost seems like there is a bit of powder shadow along with the glitter. The second product I ended up picking up is the L'Oreal Colour Riche Eye Shadow in Cuppa Joe. I can't say enough great things about this quad. First, it is all matte. That's right, a drugstore, all matte quad! WOO! The shadows are pretty pigmented (not comparable to Wet n' Wild Color Icon though) and feel very soft and smooth.
To get this look (the picture definitely doesn't do it justice), I used the third shade in the L'Oreal quad and buffed it into my crease very liberally. I then took it across the lower lash line, as well. I wanted it to be kind of darker in the outer corner, so I used the darkest color in the quad and concentrated that in the outer "v" area. I also brushed it a little on the outer third of my eye and the lower lash line.
Then I had to figure out the best way to apply this glitter. I found the least fallout came when I rolled the glitter on to my eyelid and then used a stiff eyeshadow brush sprayed with MAC Fix+ to pat it on the lid and spread the product out a little. Lastly, I used the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil in Whiskey in place of a gel or pen liner.
This look is super simple and doesn't take long at all. I love how glittery this look is and how great it would look with any eye color- not to mention that it cost about $10! I'll be sure to post more looks using the L'Oreal quad soon!
Always stay happy and healthy! :)
Tschüss, Katharina
My sister just knows me so well, and of course when deciding what to get me for my birthday, she instantly gravitated towards something makeup related. (I admit that my obsession has somewhat rubbed off on her- sorry, Luise). She picked out the Benefit The Bronze of Champions Total Bronze Kit for Eyes, Lips & Cheeks, which I haven't heard of yet but she said it has gotten great reviews.
I love the boxes that the Benefit kits usually come in because they can generally be repurposed for something else. The lid of the box includes a large sized mirror and some tips on how these products can be used.
The first product swatched in the top row is the Watt's Up! Highlighter in Soft Focus. I already have this from the Sephora birthday "present" and although I didn't get the chance to use it yet I know I will like it...sometimes I just have a tendency to enjoy powder highlighters better.
The next product is the Bikini-tini Creaseless Cream Shadow which is a light champagne gold cream shadow. It has a very creamy, almost gel-like consistency, which is something I am not used to from a long lasting cream shadow. I think this would look great under any shadow, but is suggested to be used with the Thanks a Latte! Longwear Powder Shadow (swatched top right). This is a beautiful taupey bronze color, which somewhat reminds me of Sidecar from the Urban Decay Naked Palette.
This kit also comes with a small version of the Hoola Bronzer, which I have already tried and enjoyed. This is a matte bronzer that is great for contouring (swatched bottom left). The last swatched product is the Hoola Ultra Plush Lip Gloss which is described as a "shimmering gold nude" in the tip booklet- and I definitely agree! It has a light apricot scent but nothing too bad.
Lastly, this kit includes a sample of the They're Real! Mascara and a small brush for contouring with the bronzer. Everyone has raved about the mascara and I can't wait to try it!
Hopefully this gave you some insight into this kit, if you were thinking of purchasing it. I think these are some great Benefit products to have and something like this is great if you wanted to try out two or more of them.
Always stay happy and healthy! :)
Tschüss, Katharina
The next two products (swatched) are the MICA Beauty Shimmer Powder in Bronze and the Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in 69. I feel like I can't pull off gold colors very well but this is very pigmented and goes on easily. The lipstick is also beautiful. Not only in color, but also the texture. Creamy yet stays on the lips without smudging.
