february favorites

hi guys!! sorry this post came up so late. my work project is taking off and as soon as i get home, i just want to veg out. so sorry that this took a while just for a few measly items! ~Lin-chan ^.~

baby face, sable, barcelona beach, havoc

1. eyeshadow trifecta: makeup geek baby face, barcelona beach, ulta sable -- i probably mentioned this combo on here before but these are still my go-to's. these three shadows have been the basis for pretty much every eye look i've been doing lately. i use baby face on the browbone, apply sable in the crease upward close to the browbone, and barcelona beach in the crease. then i'll apply either an inner corner highlight type shade or just my main shade across the whole lid.
2. makeup geek havoc -- i love pairing this with the three shadows mentioned above. ugh it's so good. these photos do not do this shadow justice, because it's so freaking difficult to photograph. so here's a sad attempt of me trying to capture the gorgeousness of this shadow.
3. lamora beauty flat top kabuki brush -- i received this brush for christmas and i've been really enjoying using it! i think that this is a great, inexpensive alternative to the sigma F80, at about $11. i haven't been using it quite as frequently as i used the beauty junkees flat top kabuki, which basically died after 4 months of continuous use, so i'm not sure how long this one will last me, but we'll have to see!
4. estee lauder advanced night eye repair (not pictured) -- i forgot to grab this for the photo, but for whatever reason, i've been enjoying this eye "cream". this has more of a silicone-y primer texture and feel to it, and i don't really know if it's giving me supah amazing benefits or not...but i've been enjoying using it! haha.

review: influenster target dry spray voxbox

 

hi guys! this took me forever and a day to throw together, but here we go! at the end of january, i received another influenster* voxbox containing two dry deodorant sprays from dove. and now i'm finally making my review of them! ~Lindsay-chan ^.~
dove [women's] dry spray in cool essentials

1. this is actually my second dove spray deodorant, the first being the "beauty finish" one, which i purchased on the idea that i liked the solid deodorant of that scent and never tried spray deodorant before, so why not give it a shot? and i wasn't super happy with it, partially because the scent wasn't the same. the deodorant lasted well throughout the day, but....
2. the major issue i have, which i'm not sure if this is for all aerosol body sprays or just the dove spray deodorants -- is that i'm having major reactions to the aerosol-ness of them. like i can't even be in the same room i used it in until it airs out. the aerosol-y smell it leaves makes it difficult to breathe or just makes me want to gag. does that make sense..? probably not, but that's been my problem while using both of my dove spray deodorants and teh paul using his. even putting clothes on and then spraying it on under clothing did not help. it alleviated some of the gag-reflex issue, but i still had to close off any rooms we used it in until the smell dissipated.
3. which brings us to the "cool essentials" flavor. i didn't have any issues with the scent, i thought that it was nice and fresh. it did not make me think of cucumbers as the photo kind of implies. it did last very well throughout the day (the scent and keeping me dry), but i can't say for sure that this will hold up well in the summer months, especially in louisiana heat and humidity. but for the cooler months, it's not too bad.
4. repurchase? no

dove men+care dry spray in extra fresh

1. on one of the occasions that target offered men's 'beauty' boxes, they included dove men's "clean comfort" dry spray. teh paul was reluctant to use it at first, but eventually it grew on him to the point where he repurchased another to take on his italy trip last summer, and later the solid version of this scent. 
2. the "extra fresh" scent, i'm not as much of a fan of. i feel like the scent fades super fast and it's not anything special. he's ok with either of these scents--i guess because he's a guy and doesn't really care, and 'yay free deodorant', so he hasn't really said much about this one.
3. repurchase? maybe, but more likely the clean comfort scent

#trydry #target

disclosure: I WAS NOT COMPENSATED FOR THIS POST, HOWEVER I DID RECEIVE A SAMPLE FOR MY REVIEW. ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN AND NOT INFLUENCED IN ANY WAY. ---- and not only that, i purchased a men's and woman's dove spray deodorant for us to try prior to receiving these.

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february empties

hi guys! february has flown by and now it's time for another empties post! ~Lin-chan ^.~

1. sonia kashuk eye makeup remover
2. kat von d tattoo liner in trooper
3. loreal brow stylist plumper in medium/dark
4. it's a 10 plus keratin
5. simple cleansing wipes
6. clinique clarifying lotion 3
7. loreal voluminous miss manga rock mascara
8. covergirl the super sizer mascara
9. tony moly aloe sheet mask
10. aveeno positively smooth shave gel
11. nip+fab glycolic fix treatment pads -- 5 pads to try out isn't really enough for this product. toward the end, my face kept breaking out, but i'm not sure if it's a purging because this product is working or if it hated it...because i only had 5 uses.
    repurchase? no
12. indie lee brightening cleanser -- this was an ok cleanser. i'm not sure if it was really brightening or not because i didn't really use it consistently.
    repurchase? nah
13. tony moly broccoli sheet mask -- this felt really nice after coming back home from chicago. the scent was unoffensive and pleasant and my skin felt great after using it.
    repurchase? maybe
14. tony moly makgeolli sheet mask -- this mask has the most freaking familiar scent in the world and i cannot place it. like 80s or 90s salon product...or something. it's something my mom used to use and i don't know what it is. like, i like it because of the nostalgia factor, but i can't place it.
    repurchase? nah
15. soap and glory flake away scrub -- i think i had this before in a mini a long ways back and i thought it was only ok then too. not really sure what compelled me to repurchase it. but anyway, it went way too fast. mostly because i like lots of harsh granules and this wasn't enough. (it was a lot more abrasive than the scrub of your life)
    repurchase? nah
16. soap and glory smoothie star breakfast scrub -- this was a very nice scrub. it's a bit thick at first, but once it warms up, it spreads out nicely and it's the abrasive texture that i like!
    repurchase? yes
17. fleur de bees lip balm -- this just got old and bleh. so i decided to toss it. it was a pretty nice lip balm, and i've got another from them somewhere.. this is locally made by a lady who sells honey at the local farmer's market.
    repurchase? nah
18. boscia detoxifying black cleanser -- this is a pretty nice charcoal cleanser. i thought it worked pretty well, but for the price, you may as well buy the biore or michael todd.
    repurchase? nah
19. briogeo rosarco milk leave in conditioner -- this stuff smelled weird, kind of chemically but not totally, and didn't feel like it was doing anything.
    repurchase? no
20. jesses girl liquid eyeliner -- this is a pretty good eyeliner for the price. i like the brush tip on it, but it was pretty wet in application. eventually it dried some and wasn't too bad to apply. but now the bristles are stuck together, haha.
    repurchase? maybe
21. olay makeup remover wipes -- i don't really like how these smell--first off, and secondly, they burned my eyes despite the waterproof mascara claim. as far as removing waterproof mascara, i don't typically wear any and it was only ok at getting my non-waterproof mascara off. i ended up finishing these for swatches.
    repurchase? no
22. mayfair body cream in sea lily jasmine -- got this in a recent target box. this little tube lasted one pass on my arms and legs, and a few times as hand cream. this is such a good lotion, and i love the scent!
    repurchase? yes

makeup graveyard

1. maybelline color tattoo shadows -- it's a sad day when you realize you're tossing half of your collection of these because they've dried up! i might buy a couple more in the future, but there's so many other new things to try right now.

[not pictured]

1. clinique acne solutions clinical clearing gel
2. soap and glory rich and foamous body wash -- this stuff was good but not on the same level as their other body washes. full body, this one took 10-15 pumps on a shower pouf to actually foam up and spread to my liking. otherwise i liked the scent, but it's not worth it if i have to use half the bottle every time i take a shower
   repurchase? nah

february hauls

hi guys! so the end of february has arrived.............BUT my birthay's coming up! w000000t! also, i've included a few last minute things i picked up before my chicago trip last month that didn't make it into my pre-scheduled end of month posts. ~Lindsay-chan ^.~

pre-chicago trip:
ulta: tony moly sheet masks in avocado & aloe, body shop body butter in tangerine, prestige cosmetics total intensity eyeshadows in pewter & on the prowl, maybelline fit me concealer in 10
walmart: loreal brow stylist plumper in medium/dark

total intensity pewter, on the prowl; ulta elegance, and bermuda sand

post-chicago trip:

sephora: benefit dallas blush, kat von d tattoo liner in trooper, nails inc nailkale base coat; points: estee lauder advanced night repair eye--love this stuff!

1. ulta: got a $5 off $15 ulta products coupon, and their shadows were buy 2 get 2, so i got 2 more shadows in sable, elegance, and bermuda sand, ulta brush & sponge cleanser mini
2. target: biore baking soda scrub and pore cleanser, olay makeup remover towelettes
3. amazon: etude house my beauty tool -- this was actually on my birthday list, but teh paul got it for me for valentine's day...along with a replacement trashcan lid...how romantic? LOL.

sephora: tarte rainforest of the sea eyeshadow palette --- buy all of the recent tarte palettes!

sand, mermaid, seashell, wave, abyss, reef, starfish, cove

february 2016 ipsy bag

hi guys! february's IPSY BAG* has arrived! (theme: pretty in #ipsypink) i love how the stylists took pretty in pink themed photos! loved that movie! ~Lin-chan ^.~

here's my impressions:

1. smashbox photo finish primer oil (.13oz--mini, ret. $42 for 1oz [$5.46]) -- i'm not sure how i feel about this.... even though i know that oily skinned people can get benefits from certain oils on their skin.........this still doesn't make me more inclined to using it. this concept weirds me out. i do like the scent of it, it's very aromatherapy-like but not super strong. trying some on the back of my hand, it does seem to take a bit to absorb, which kind of sucks because i'm not for waiting around. it does leave an oily-greasy look to the skin.
• likelihood to repurchase: probably not. super expensive too.
2. luxie beauty flat definer brush 221 (full size, ret. $12) -- you guys know i super adore my tapered blending brush (205) that i bought a second one, right? this brush is very nice. it's flat with a nice stiffness that would be great for eyeliner or using eyeshadow along the lower lash line. i like!
• likelihood to repurchase: maybe
3. naked cosmetics mica pigment in sierra nevada (.05oz--full size, ret. $14.99) -- this is such a pretty color! so me! i'm not huge into loose pigments, so i'll probably press some of this at a later time.
• likelihood to repurchase: maybe
4. vintage by jessica liebeskind sparkling lip gloss in pink sequin (.14oz--full size, ret. $21) -- i was skeptical at first when i saw this, but now i'm a believer. omg. there is a definite reason why this lil baby lip gloss is $21. i absolutely hate, more like despise..all sticky lip glosses. this one is not. it feels super balmy and thick. there's no scent, and it's got a tooooon of sparkle. the brush applicator picks up wayyy more than you need and applies it like a dream. for anyone who missed out on mac's viva glam miley lipglass, this is basically the nude version with the same amount of crazy gorgeous sparkle. see my swatch comparison below.
• likelihood to repurchase: maybe
5. mor emporium classics hand & body lotion in candied vanilla (1oz--mini, ret. $32 for 11.8oz [$2.71]) -- i've always wanted to try a mor lotion! this absorbs super fast, feels a bit thin, but it does relieve the skin. it's kind of interesting. it has a very artificial vanilla lip balm type of smell to it. the scent's not super strong, which is nice. i'll have to let you know about this one.
• likelihood to repurchase: probably not
6. redeemed points: burts bees facial cleansing oil (1oz--mini, ret. $15.99 for 6oz [$2.67]) -- i actually redeemed this to give to T to try. cleansing oils (and other face oils) still kind of weird me out. so since she likes the garnier one, why not try burts bees too?
• likelihood to repurchase: no
7. 8-bit love letter ipsy bag -- this is really cute! 
8. card with company info/discount codes
1. luxiebeauty.com: 30% off purchase, code: ipsy30 (exp. 3/31/16)
2. nakedcosmetics.com: 30% off purchase, code: ipsy (exp. 3/31/16)
3. vintagecosmetics.com: 30% off purchase, code: ipsy30 (exp. 3/31/16)
4. perfectformulas.com: 15% off purchase, code: ipsy16 (exp. 3/31/16)
1. ps i love their clear and pink gel coat polishes! they're the best!
5. modelcocosmetics.com: 20% off purchase & free shipping, code: ipsy20 (exp. 3/31/16)
6. chella.com: 25% off any chella lipstick pencil, code: lipstick25 (exp. 3/31/16)
7. jerseyshoresun.com: 50% off purchase, code: ipsy50 (exp. 5/31/16)
8. thebalm.com: 20% off purchase, code: ipsy20 (exp. 2/29/16)
9. trustfundbeauty.com: 20% off purchase, code: ipsy20 (exp. 3/31/16)
10. drbrandtskincare.com: 20% off purchase + free gift, code: ipsy20+GIFT (exp. 4/1/16)
11. bellapierre.com: 25% off purchase, code: ipsycheeks2016 (exp. 3/31/16)
12. bathhousesoap.com: 10% off purchase, code: ipsy (exp. 4/1/16)
13. josiemarancosmetics.com: 30% off purchase, code: ipsyjmc (exp. 3/31/16)
14. nymbrands.com: 20% off purchase + free shipping, code: ipsy2016 (exp. 4/30/16)
15. pauladorf.com: 20% off full size baby eyes enhancer, code: ipsybabyeyes (exp. 3/31/16)
16. myamazinghairsecrets.com: 20% off purchase, code: ipsy (exp. 3/31/16)
17. trestique.com: 30% off purchase + free shipping on $40+, code: ipsyinsider (exp. 3/31/16)
18. seraphinebotanicals.com: 30% off purchase, code: ipsy30 (exp. 3/31/16)
19. ulta.com: 25% off cake beauty purchase, code: ipsy2016 (exp. 3/31/16)
20. purebrazillian.com: 20% off purchase, code: ipsylove (exp. 3/31/16)
21. target.com: 20% off skinfx products online, code: skin20 (exp. 4/1/16)

approximate product value: ~$59

sierra nevada (swatched wet), pink sequin, (mac viva glam miley cyrus lipglass)

pink sequin

top: pink sequin, bottom: viva glam miley

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