Tag: Tarte

October 2020 IPSY Glam Bag Plus Unboxing

.Reading time 7 minutes.

Hey hey, it’s MJ.

            How is it already half way through October? There is no way that that is true but here we are and I mean this is my favorite time of year it starts to cool down and the leaves start to change, I know it’s like the most basic white girl thing to say that my favorite season is fall but it is. I also love Halloween but the not so spooky versions. 

            The choices this month felt more diverse so I am hoping that that trend continues as we move through the rest of the year and beyond. 

The Bag:

            On the front is like what I would call a zodiac wheel or an all seeing eye but it’s surrounded by makeup items and I really like it, I think that the Glam Bag is similar and I wasn’t sure if I would like the draw string bag but I actually am really liking it. 

            The back says ‘you’re magic’ and I thought that was the cutest thing. 

What did I get?

Lovecraft Beauty Basic Rituals Eyeshadow Palette:

            I love this palette it is the perfect Halloween palette for quite a few darker looks. I also love the packaging and the holographic moth on the front because it all feels very Halloween and I can get behind a brand that sticks to their theme. The pigmentation isn’t bad on any of the colors even the white which is not a shade that I have many of. So overall pretty great little six pan palette. This was their first choice for me, I didn’t even pick this and it’s great.

Tarte Shape Tape Setting Powder in Translucent:

            I just love saying “shape tape” in funny voices and I cannot tell you why but this was their other choice for me which is a pretty great product to get, I don’t use setting powder all that often because I just setting spray and go. I love Tarte though and that is really not a secret so having another option for when I do use setting powder is never a bad thing. 

The Balm Cosmetics Autobalm Grl Pwdr Cheek Palette:

            I need to stop swatching while I am typing because I am just covered in eyeshadow and cheek products. I like the two shades of blush in this and the bronzer, the highlighter is a little dark for my complexion but I am not complaining. I like The Balm and the pigmentation is pretty great on this one as well. I like the little travel palettes that I have been getting because it means that I can carry them a lot easier to travel with and still have choices on what I put on my face. 

Skin&Lab B Plus Calming Cream:

            K-beauty for the win, I picked this one because I have been focusing more on skin care in 2020 because I have had the time to do so, it only takes a pandemic to really develop good skin care routines. I can’t really tell you much about this one without trying it but it claims to use B5 vitamins to calm the skin and regulate sebum levels and that all sounds great to me. 

Thrive Causemetics Brilliant Eye Brightener in Aurora:

            I love Thrive, their mascara is my favorite, there are plenty of posts on the blog about that one. I have one of the other eye brighteners and I really like it but that’s in shade Stella which is a lighter champagne this one is more of a rose gold champagne and it’s a beautiful shade. 

            Overall my Glam Bag Plus this month was amazing, I really enjoyed it after having like two months of just okay bags. I feel like this post is kind of short and I don’t know if that’s a good or a bag thing but here we are either way. 

            If you want to see what else I have gotten this year you can! January, March, April, May, June, July, August, and September!

            Hope everyone has a great start to the week and I will see y’all in a few days with another post!

            -MJ  

What Was in My September 2020 IPSY Glam Bag?

.Reading time 9 minutes.

Hey hey, it’s MJ,  

            So getting this bag this month was an adventure, I know with COVID and everything else that’s going on shipping times are messed up which I get but my problem was that I got an update saying it was delivered after not having much to go on with tracking and so I went over to my mail box and it wasn’t there. Now this is not the first time this has happened because there is a building with the same number on the next street so my packages have sometimes ended up there when we get a new carrier. This was one of those times so I went to the post office, my local post office is great they are always really helpful (shout out to the Bentonville, AR post office!) and it was in my mail box the next morning. 

The Bag:

            Like the Glam Bag Plus this month it was a corduroy which again made me feel like I was in the nineties and I am never upset for a little bit of nostalgia, it was two tone one side the same maroon as the Glam Bag Plus and the other a mustard yellow which was giving me major 90’s vibes because I think I had a pair of pants this color in like first grade and the bag is nice and soft. Also it looks very much like Gryffindor colors so I wasn’t mad about it.

What products did I get? 

Benefit Cosmetics The Porefessional Hydrate Primer:

            This product is one of those that people swear by, I like Benefit but I don’t buy a lot of it because it’s just one of those brands that I haven’t really explored, their Roller Lash mascara is one of my all-time favorites for mascara so I know that they make good stuff. Porefessional is just one of those products that I have heard about for years just never tried, so here I get to try this teeny tiny little sample and see what I think about it. I did try it out on my hand and it soaks in quickly and that part of my hand feels really hydrated so maybe I will start using primers again because of this product, who knows only time will tell. 

Pūrlisse Beauty Youth Glow Vitamin C CC Cream in Fair:

            Normally BB and CC Creams and foundations from subscription services are a crap shoot for me because my skin is so fair so when they say fair sometimes it’s still too dark or the wrong undertone for me. This one isn’t a terrible shade match but man under the flashlight from my phone it is shimmery, it’s almost like a highlighter, I know it is a “glow” product but it’s a little much for me. Maybe when applied and things go onto it it’s better but we’ll see.

Realher Confidence in My Glow Highlighter:

            It’s beautiful, I love the packaging and the shade, I have never heard of the brand but I love it so much and I have only swatched it once. It pigmented and I love highlighters so having one that I like as much as I like this one already it’s kind of great. I don’t know what else I can say beyond that because overall the effect of the packaging and the product has absolutely sold me on it. 

Tarte Big Ego Mascara in black:

            I don’t use a lot of Tarte’s mascaras, I have used Maneater and Lights Camera Lashes and they are both great. The brush is almost as long as the tube and figure eight shaped to an extent which usually tells me it’s volumizing so I will give it a try because I don’t think I have ever received or bought anything from Tarte that I don’t love. 

P/Y/T Beauty Day-To-Night Cool Eyeshadow Quad:

            I like the fact that there is a guide and the shade names on a plastic insert, normally with quads like this you don’t get those but it’s a great addition to tell your customer where they should put the shades for a day look and a night look. Most of the shades are decently pigmented, I feel like when I swatched the shade “coffee run” I didn’t get much out of it but it is the all over color so I wouldn’t expect a hugely noticeable color pay off with that because it is supposed to blend in a little more with the eye lid. The rest of the shades though are beautiful and lovely neutral shades that I really like. 

            So that was my bag for this month, I feel like my post for this one isn’t super informative but it’s been one of those months where I have been distracted by some things and I have been waiting for this bag to show up, literally I usually have it about a week before a post like this goes up but this one goes up on Sunday, I got the bag on Friday and I am writing it Saturday morning so it was cutting it a little close to me having to switch it with my other post for this month but here it is.

            Do you subscribe? Did you get any great products this month? General thoughts? Let me know in the comments. 

            If you want to read any of my other openings for my Glam Bag this year, you can! January, March, April, May, June, July, and August.

            I hope everyone had a great week and has a great start to almost October, I’ll see y’all with another post on Wednesday.

            -MJ

Makeup Prep and Finishing Roundup

.Reading time 9 minutes.

Hey hey, it’s MJ, 

            Trying to get two posts in a week and that means that I actually have to write blog posts, that’s a good start, right? So here we are in August truth be told I have not worn makeup since about April because time isn’t real anymore and I don’t leave my house so here I am talking about makeup when I haven’t worn any in quite some time but here we are anyway. 

            This is for sure a more of a what I have kind of post as opposed to a what are my favorites kind of post but I will still tell you my favorites as I go.

Primers:

            I don’t use primer very often, I did use a color correcting primer from NYX for a really long time, I don’t so much anymore but when I do put on a full face I will put a primer on to help everything stay where it’s supposed to be. I also normally wear primer in the fall, winter, and spring but during the summer, it’s just too much when it feels like 100 degrees outside and you just don’t wanna. 

            I have a bunch of tiny primers because of my IPSY Glam Bags so while I took a picture of them I am not really going to talk about them because there are so many (10 to be exact). 

Ciaté London Watermelon Burst Hydrating Primer:

            Got it last month in my IPSY Glam Bag plus and I am excited to have a go at it. I like watermelon so we will see how I feel about it. 

Touch in Sol No Pore Blem: 

            I have used this one several times and love it, it’s just a really light primer with rose water and I really like Touch in Sol as a brand because that is also my current moisturizer and I love it so much. 

Dr. Brandt Pores No More Luminizer Primer:

            I like Dr. Brandt’s products and having this in the wings is a great thing. I don’t really have much to say about it because I haven’t gotten the chance to try it but I am excited to. 

Concealers: 

            I use concealer every time I put on makeup because I just look tired at all times so having concealer is really important to me. 

            There is a reason that I am not a huge fan of every shade being the same name and then they are vastly different colors, like both of mine are fair and they are vastly different shades. 

Tarte Shape Tape in shade Fair:

            This is the one that I am currently using and I really like it, it is worth the hype that surrounds it. This is one of the lightest shades and I really need to get their shade porcelain but I think when I was at Ulta they were out of it and so that was unfortunate, when I am tan this shade is great but in the dead of winter it’s too yellow.  

Colourpop No Filter Concealer in Fair 02:

            This one is my absolute makeup bag staple, it’s like a seven dollar concealer and I love it so much. It’s a lighter shade than the Tarte one so it does match my skin tone better with my foundation on.

Setting Powders:

Coty Air Spun in Translucent:

            I love this one, it just smells good and this is the one I use the most frequently of the two that I have. It is also a huge size for under ten dollars 2.3 OZ at Walgreens for like eight dollars so you know you cannot go wrong with it. 

Ciaté London Extraordinary Translucent:

            Much smaller but I got in an IPSY box so I cannot complain. I feel like most setting powders are roughly the same so I can’t really say that there is much difference in my opinion but it’s honestly not something I would buy on my own.

            Setting Sprays: 

Colourpop All Star Setting Spray:

            I am almost out of this one because it is the one I use every day when I wear makeup. I love it a lot but I do have to have a towel up on me because it does spray out all over the place. Yea, it’s a spray so of course it’s going to do that, but I would buy it again.

Urban Decay All Nighter Settign Spray:

            Other favorite, smells like cinnamon. I got a sample o this a while back and I bought a travel sized because I liked it so much and I am again running out of my other setting spray. I use the little size of this at my parent’s house so I guess I have two favorite setting sprays. 

            So I have a lot of random things in my makeup bag for prep and finishing for my face and I felt like I just needed to dump all of them into one place and here was the most logical place to do it. 

            Do you guys have any favorites when it comes to prep and finishing with your makeup? Any that you love that I should give a try? 

            I will see y’all with another blog at the end of the week! 

                        -MJ

What was in my May 2020 IPSY Glam Bag?

.Reading time 7 minutes.

Hey, hey it’s MJ, 

            I am trying to keep a schedule on blogging, as we can all see from my posts this month it’s not going well. I am trying, I really am but let’s be real life is crazy at the moment. 

The Bag:

            Like the Glam Bag Plus this was also an ombre, this one however was a pink to yellow and much larger than the one in the Glam Bag Plus (it would have made more sense in my head if they switched them but I’m not in charge of things). I do like the bag though, it’s pretty basic with a top zip but I like it. 

The products:

Yensa Skin on Skin BC Concealer in Fair Cool:

            When I opened this it almost pressurized on the inside so a bunch of product just kind of leaked out so I got to try it without really having a choice to do so. It’s about the right shade though it is just a little dark for me, so hopefully during the summer it might be close to the right shade because even though it’s a cool tone it is still a little too yellow for me. I love the packaging though so that is one upside to it, I like concealers but they are hard to match in a subscription service like this. 

F.A.R.AH Brushes Long Blender (25EL) Brush: 

            I like how the brush looks but I am at this point of, do I need any more brushes? The answer to that is no, I know that it’s easy to throw a brush in and call it done. It’s an IPSY exclusive which is cool but it’s a basic eyeshadow brush. Cruelty free and vegan so I can’t be mad and it’s a nice brush to shove in a makeup bag to go because it’s decently packed but not too fluffy and not too dense. 

First Aid Beauty FAB Pharma Arnica Relief & Rescue Mask:

            I like First Aid Beauty it’s a great brand that I don’t use very often but probably should use it more. It is an anti-inflammatory mask so that is exciting for me. It’s a leave on mask so that is also exciting because at this point the only masks that I really want to take the time to remove are sheet masks. It has a lot of benefits that I am all for in a facial product so I am excited to give it a try. 

TheBalm Cosmetics AutoBalm Pic Perf in St. Charles Ave: 

            I have an AutoBalm palette and I really like it, this is not a shade I already have so that was exciting and it’s a nice neutral brown so I was excited about that. I have a problem with single shadows though for the sheer reason that I have to remove them from their packaging to put them in something else if I don’t want to carry around a bunch of tiny shadow containers. I wish that companies would put them in containers that are easier to remove the product from because with this one I will have to do some major excavation and hope not to break the shadow pan if I ever want to take it out. I like the shade though and that’s really all that matters. 

Tarte SEA Jelly Glaze Anytime Lip Mask in Strawberry Jelly:

            It smells like strawberries and it is very small. I like the packaging but I rarely ever use lip treatments, some sugar scrub here and some lip balm there but pretty much nothing else. I also don’t like the feeling of jelly like items on my lips I avoid lip gloss (I did not before college but I do now) I don’t like when my lips stick together or feel sticky, it’s not a feeling that I like. I will give it a chance because I love Tarte but this was kind of the odd outlier in my bag this month. Maybe I’ll like it, who knows.

            Overall I liked the bag this month, it wasn’t the best and it wasn’t the worst so I don’t have much to complain about. If you want to see what else I have gotten this year check out January, March, and April. 

            Do you subscribe? Did you get any favorite new products this month?

            I’ll see everyone in a few days with a new post!

            -MJ 

April 2020 Glam Bag Plus Unboxing

.Reading time 7 minutes.

Hey hey, it’s MJ, 

            April has pretty much flown by even in quarantine and as I am writing this it’s like the 16th so hopefully as this is being posted maybe we will be able to reemerge into the world but who knows. 

            Let’s talk about what I got in my Glam Bag Plus this month though, like I said in my regular Glam Bag Unbagging this is a bright spot in my month. This month instead of a box the items came in a bubble mailer like the regular Glam Bag, they actually sent out a survey about it asking our opinions and I think it’s fine but I worry about the recyclability in my area where the box was recyclable pretty much everywhere/

The Bag:

            Like the Glam Bag this month it has the same floral pattern but it is a more muted minty green with a zipper around about 75% of the bag itself, that makes it a little hard to zip but over all I really like the idea of the different bags they are coming out with.

The Products: 

Ciaté London Triple Shot XXL Mascara in Black XXL:

            Mascara is one of my staple products and I am always in the market for a new good formula. Now this one claims to be a fiber formula so that does worry me a little bit; in the past with other fiber formulas I have had the fibers dry and get in my eyes and my eyes are sensitive to just about everything getting in them so I am hopeful that this one doesn’t have the flaking problem. 

Céla Crème Rose The Very Best Cream Rose:

            I love the packaging, it’s just really pretty, my one issue with the packaging is the thickness of the tube, it’s not very thick which for a lotion that has a hinged cap that makes it a little tricky to close, you have to be careful with it. The other scent notes besides rose are jasmine and peach. It does smell amazing and it soaks into the skin rather quickly so you don’t feel like you are caked in something. This one is for sure an exciting product even though I never need more lotion but I always loving getting it.

Tarte Tarteist Double Take Eyeliner in Black:

            Again, eyeliner; this is getting ridiculous on the amount of months I have received eyeliner, all black and all liquid which I don’t use. The only saving grace of this eyeliner is that it is double ended so it has a gel/pencil on one side which was the eyeliner that I grew up using, all pencil all the time. I think I used exclusively Maybelline’s gel/pencil eyeliner in middle and into high school. So this one is more up my alley so I might use this one but that leave the question of what to do with the other end of the dual ended eyeliner and what do I do with the rest of the liquid liners I have received, get it together ipsy, I never review eyeliners well.

Girlactik Beauty Jello Gloss Balm:

            I have been trying to figure out where I had heard about this brand and it was in a Tati video on YouTube. I love trying out new balms and I love the simplicity of the packaging on this one. It goes on like a balm and feels like a mixture between a gloss and a balm and for once I am not mad about it. It looks like a translucent pink in the tube and I am actually a huge fan of it. It’s one of those products that is a really good multitasking product and I am looking forward to using it more.

Sunday Riley Martian Mattifying Melting Water-Gel Toner:

            I chose this one, I really did because if they give me the option of a Sunday Riley product I will pick it. Sunday Riley is one of those brands I have coveted for such a long time and now I am using various products in my skin care routine. It doesn’t smell great but I think that’s because of the clay in it so it’s fine. A little goes a long way with this product and I am excited to incorporate this into my skin care routine on a regular basis as I do not currently use a toner. 

            So overall I really liked my Glam Bag Plus this month, even the eyeliner, that’s right even the eyeliner. 

            I’ll see everyone in May hoping that we are getting back to normal here soon, stay safe stay healthy!

            -MJ

MJ’s Top Beauty Products of 2019

.Reading time 9 minutes.

Hey hey it’s MJ, 

            Welcome to 2020 all, I can’t believe that the 2010’s are over I did so much growing up during that decade, graduated high school at the beginning, two Bachelor’s degrees by the middle and a Masters closer to the end. It’s been a crazy decade of ups and downs and moments that I can’t forget while some I would like to. One thing that I really got into in the 2010’s was beauty, skin care, makeup, and the lot. I did a top beauty of 2018 so I figured I would continue the trend again this year. 

            I made a promise to myself to be more accountable with content this year but some days it is harder than others to come up with content when your brain is pulled into 37 different directions but I’m trying, I really am.

            Disclaimer: If the photos look familiar, I took them from my other posts if they have been in posts previously! 

            So what were my favorite beauty products of the last year. 

            Thrive Causemetics Liquid Lash Extensions mascara: This has been my go-to mascara for the last several months, I love it so much! I can’t speak more highly of it, it sticks to the lashes and it doesn’t flake off. It has been my holy grail mascara in the latter half of this year. It’s a little on the pricy side but it is so worth it! 

            Colourpop No Filter Concealer in shade Fair 02: I have gone through so many concealers in the last few years since concealer came into my life, this one is both cost effective and absolutely amazing, I really enjoyed it throughout the year because it has pretty great coverage and lays down really well over foundation. I have already bought a new one and I just finished my other tube so I am looking forward to cracking open the new one when I am finished with my Shape Tape

            Korres Wild Rose Vitamin C Brightening Sleeping Facial: I got this in a FabfitFun box this year and I use it all the time, it smells amazing and keeps my face feeling moisturized and hydrated. I am a huge fan of it, this is for sure something I would buy again because it seems to get along really well with my skin.

            Ahava Hydration Cream Mask: I got one of these in a FabfitFun box and an ipsy box, one I sent to my best friend because I loved mine so much that I wanted to share the love. I really like Ahava and I have for years. This is one of those masks that you can either wash off after a few minutes or leave on all night, I prefer to leave it on all night for some intense overnight hydration.

No joke as I was about to take this picture I spilled my entire essential oil diffuser all over a bookcase so that was fun.

            Love Beauty and Planet Sea Salt and Bergamot Shampoo and Conditioner: I found this really late in the year and not only does it make my hair smell amazing but it also has left me feeling like my hair stays cleaner longer and I have been through so many different kinds of shampoo over the last few years. 

            Tarte Shape Tape in Fair: So this was the other concealer that I tried this year, I really like this one as well though it is of course more expensive than others I have tried in the past. It has great coverage and staying power so it is something that I use most days now that I have run out of my Colourpop concealer.

            Jeffree Star Velour Liquid Lip in ‘?’: Summer mystery box exclusive and I love the color and the formula is so great. I feel like I didn’t have a lot of cosmetics products this year but this is for sure one of those products that I love. I don’t know what else to say about it that I haven’t said in a few posts this year including its unboxing and my late summer makeup look. 

            Living Proof No Frizz Nourishing Styling Cream: I got this in my summer Fabfitfun box but it was a late year favorite as well, I have been using this and my hair feels so much better, like so much better over the last several weeks. It also smells absolutely amazing and doesn’t leave my hair feeling greasy or dirty. 

            Aveda Damage Remedy Daily Hair Repair: Again another hair product that I loved this year and received in a Fabfitfun box as well. I kind of gave my hair the year off from everything, I didn’t dye it much and I didn’t get it cut either in all of 2019. (yes I know that’s not great for my hair to not have it cut or trimmed but life got in the way.) But this is a really good product for damaged hair and I find myself reaching for it after every time I wash my hair.

            I am looking forward to new beauty products in 2020, I actually already have my list started for next year because I know there were other products I loved but I didn’t write those down so I don’t make the same mistake moving forward through 2020.

            Did you guys have any favorites of 2019? 

            I’ll see everyone next week (hopefully) with another post or two! Have a good weekend!

            Bye!

                        -MJ

What Was in My December 2019 ipsy Glam Bag?

.Reading time 6 minutes.

Hey hey, it’s MJ, 

            So it’s almost New Year and I cannot believe that the year and decade is coming to a close. It’s so hard to even fathom that this year has gone by in what feels like the blink of an eye, this will hopefully not be my last post of the year but I am preparing myself for the upcoming 2020’s.

            Now like I said in my Glam Bag Plus unboxing I wasn’t super jazzed about either of my bags last month and I took a much needed hiatus to get my head on straight. 

            Onto the main purpose of this post though, what I got in my December ipsy Glam Bag. First lets discuss the bag, it is very similar to the Glam Bag plus but this one features a top zip but is the same material as the plus was. Silver, nothing too amazing or mind blowing and that is fine. 

            What did I get though, that is probably more interesting than the bag it all came in. 

Belif The True Cream-Moisturizing Bomb

            Not a brand I have heard of to be honest, though that is one of the reasons that I love ipsy, it introduces me to new brands and I have been exposed to some great ones over the almost two years I have been subscribed. I am looking forward to giving it a try, it claims to be a light weight moisturizer that lasts for 26 hours, that is quite a claim and I don’t know if I will ever be able to test it but here’s hoping.

Jolii Cosmetics Luxe Crème Matte in Lavanda

            Normally this shade would not be something that I would like from looking at the tube but wearing it, it is so pretty. I am always looking for a good matte liquid lip even though I have so many already. I don’t exactly when I am going to get a chance to use it but I am hopeful that it will be soon. 

Phase Zero Make up Shimmer Eyeshadow in Nude Newbie

            This is an amazing shade; it already is something that I know will look good in the inner corner of the lid and according to the insert it can also be used as a highlighter which I can understand because it is the same shade or something very close to some of the high lighters that I already own and it comes in a nice condensed little package. 

Glam Up Firming Pomegranate and Refreshing Peppermint Sheet Mask Set

            I love sheet masks though I haven’t done one in a few months now and I need to get back into doing them because I miss my skin feeling the way it did after I was finished with them. I have had a pomegranate mask before but peppermint promises to be a new experience and I am looking forward to it when I eventually get around to using them in the hopefully next several weeks. 

Tarte Amazonian Clay Waterproof Bronzer in Park Ave. Princess

            I love Tarte, I have loved Tarte for years, they have some of my favorite eyeshadow palettes and their formulas are great. I have never used one of their bronzers before though so I am really hopeful with this product and it’s actually the right shade for my complexion especially as we enter the cold harshness of the winter months. I am always on the hunt for good bronzers that are the right shade for me and this one has me hoping that it is everything that I am used to with Tarte’s products. 

            So last Glam Bag of the year and that is also hard to believe. I really enjoyed all of the products in my Glam Bag and I can’t wait for what comes with the new year and ipsy. If you want to read about the rest of my Glam Bags this year, you can, that is the beauty of a blog! January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, and October. (sorry there is no November)

            I will see everyone with my next post in a few days and i hope everyone has a great end of the year!

Happy New Year!

            -MJ

A Late Summer Makeup Look

.Reading time 8 minutes.

I have been holding onto this post for a few weeks now and I don’t know why I just haven’t posted it. I have been in one of those moods where nothing creative is coming out of my body and while I want to post, I just don’t know some days what to post.  

            It’s hard to write a makeup look in a blog post, it really and truly is, this is one of those things that would be on YouTube but I haven’t posted on my YouTube Channel in over a year. I want to get back into that as well but I still have some things to work out before I do. 

            Now why did I decide to do a makeup look today in blog form? I don’t know I took over half an hour on a look so I figured why not now. It was a look that I was actually really proud of so I am going to share it. Is it going to have pictures? Maybe, one I am not good at makeup photography, not even a little bit and I didn’t take any pictures with really good lighting. 

            This is literally a post made to companion my Makeup Bag Refresh in a way because I used a lot of those products in my look. 

            Okay so what did I do, color correcting primer (NYX Photo Loving Primer in Green) as well as my usual basic foundation, (Urban Decay All Nighter Liquid in shade 0.5) I have found that more high end foundation doesn’t break me out, I also used concealer (Tarte’s Shape Tape in Fair) I did use a setting powder (Coty Air Spun in Translucent) 

            I did my eyebrows with Rimmel Born This Way in Medium, put on highlighter from Morphe in shade Extra if this was more of an evening look I would have used more highlighter but this was a day look so I played the highlighter down. I also used Jeffree Star Velour Liquid Lipstick in ‘?’ which was an exclusive in the summer mystery box. I don’t actually remember which mascara I used but I think it was Thrive Cosmetics Liquid Lash Extensions mascara. As well as a setting spray which is one of my favorites at a really great price point Colourpop All-Star. 

            I feel like this eyeshadow look was what I was most proud of, I have gotten a lot better at eyeshadow over the last few years and this is one of those things that I have really tried to get batter at while I have gone on my makeup journey. Like it doesn’t look as good as it did in real life, the lighting is not great. I did use the Morphe Nature Glow palette (which I love). The one thing that I really love about this palette is that there is an insert with all of the shade names which makes it so much easier to use! 

It is a lot more saturated in real life but the lighting in my bathroom is awful, I need to get a better light but I didn’t have time after putting the look on to get the ring light out. Also I have no mascara on in the picture but it did go on afterward, I promise.

            I used six different shades, I used the shade Popular all over the lid and up toward the brow bone, it is a nice shade with a little bit of shimmer that is a good base. (I would use an eyeshadow primer for a more long wear application).

            Next I used shade Step Up on the outer two thirds of my eye and into the crease, I build up like that I know other people do their eyes different but this is how I do it. I followed that with shade Seriously on the outer third of the lid and also into the crease and under the lower lash line as well. I used the shade Power to darken up the outer corner and dragged it up into the crease on the outer side of my eyeball just a little bit.  

            I did a few glittery shades as well; I would wear this look anywhere because it is a great late summer early fall natural eye look. First glittery shade I used was Pop in the center of the lid, again I would use a little bit of concealer there and do a really nice cut lid next time I did it. I also popped shade Clear into the inner corner of both eyes and I called it a day. 

            I loved this look, I really like doing my makeup so I love the opportunity to be able to play with my makeup a little bit more than usual. When I wrote this post it was 105 with the heat index so I must say the makeup held up to the heat and I was really excited about it. 

            I’ll see everyone next week with another post, have a good rest of the weekend and great start to your week!

            -MJ 

August ipsy Glam Bag Plus Unboxing

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I should stop missing a full week when it comes to posting because I have been promising myself since January but it’s been one of those years.

            I got my Glam Bag Plus a few days ago and I have been sitting on writing this post since then, I loved my box this month though so let’s dive right in. 

It Cosmetics Bye Bye Foundation Full Coverage Moisturizer in Fair

            I was a little skeptical about anything that is “foundation” or in this case a tinted moisturizer because the shade I use is usually the lightest most brands make because I have really fair skin. I also have found that I need a cool or neutral undertone because I have more of a red undertone. This shade is not a bad match; I have had worse but it is a little too yellow undertone for me but because it is a tinted moisturizer it can be used more sparingly unlike a full coverage foundation.

Tarte Dream Big Eyeshadow Palette

            I wanted this palette so bag when it came out and I never bought it so having this come in my glam bag was really great. It is going to replace my To-Go palettes because it is a nice small neutral palette and like most of Tarte’s palettes it smells great and I cannot describe why or what it smells like. Tarte has some of my favorite palettes even though I don’t have many but the Tartest Pro palette is one of my all-time favorites. 

F.A.R.A.H Brushes Show Me Magic Eye Brush Set

            Okay, these brushes look like crystals on the bottom and I love them so much, I don’t need more brushes really but I love brushes. This set is made up of various eye brushes so that’s really nice and they are so interesting looking that I can’t resist them. They are super soft and I have another F.A.R.A.H brush that I got in a glam bag last year and I really like that one so I can’t imagine that these will be any different. 

Ahava Hydration Cream Mask

            I got this product in my Winter FabfitFun box and I love it, I have used it a few times now and my skin loves it. I put it on right before bed and leave it on all night. You should only use it once or twice a week according to the packaging so it is not and every night moisturizer. If you want to read more about my feelings about this product click the link above in the paragraph for my initial opinions. 

Pūrlisse Blue Lotus Essential Daily Moisturizer SPF 30

            I got three different kinds of moisturizers in this box but I am not upset about it, Pūrlisse is a brand I only know for skin care and I have so far liked the skin care products I have tried from this brand. I don’t want to rip open the foil seal to actually smell it but I Googled what it should smell like and it came up with “fruity” so I guess we will see when I actually open it. I really hope it doesn’t have a strong smell because I don’t like strong smells in skin care. 

            The box overall was great and I love having the ability to try out new things and also get these items at a really steep discount. If you want to read about the other Glam Bag plus boxes I have gotten since May, you can! Just click on the month: May, June, and July. 

            I will see everyone on Saturday! 

            -MJ

Makeup Bag Update/Refresh

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So I posted a blog post a little over a year ago with my makeup bag essentials or my wedding makeup go-to’s and I have since updated what I carry around. Now I have also done a travel or To-Go beauty post and that can be subbed in as well if you don’t want to check a bag if you are flying to an event. Some of the things have remained the same, I am not that versatile but I have found new things over the last year or so that I have swapped older products out for and I think that a refresh on your makeup bag is necessary every so often. As seasons and styles change you need to move with them also it depends on what you are wearing to the event, I am going to say that usually I go for a neutral/natural look when it comes to eyeshadow when I am going to events that are more professional or even personal, I am not going to a club I do not need neon eyeshadow no matter how much I want to wear some acid green eyeshadow like the Tokidoki one I had back in the day, legit it was their shade called I think Soya and I remember loving that brand so much back in the mid to late-2000’s. I saved up for it so I could buy it at Sephora and I don’t know why I picked that shade because I didn’t wear it very often. 

            Seriously for events that don’t involve a lot of glitter avoid a lot of glitter!

            So let’s dive right into the bag then, I am not going to talk about tools because those haven’t really changed and let’s be honest everyone uses their makeup brushes for what they want and they have their favorites so if you want to know about my tools, they are in my makeup bag essentials post. 

            I am going to start with base makeup, my foundation hasn’t changed it is still the Urban Decay All Nighter Liquid Foundation in shade 0.5, I really want to try their new Stay Naked foundation and eventually I will because I feel like Urban Decay is my go to for foundation and it has been since I started wearing makeup. (I like Makeup Forever as well but I haven’t used it since I was in college and I dropped it on the floor in my apartment. It went everywhere luckily the bottle was mostly empty.) 

            My primer also hasn’t changed I still use NYX’s photo loving primer in green to balance out the red in my face, though the All Nighter does cover the red really well. 

            The things that I have switched out are concealer and I have added setting powder, the setting powder I have is Coty Air Spun but for a makeup bag I use Tarte’s setting powder that I got in my May Glam Bag last year. I have used it in the past when I had no idea how to use makeup so it was a natural choice to include here. 

            My concealer game has changed, I still love my Naked Skin concealer but that is up in my makeup bag at my parent’s place, I have moved on to Tarte Shape Tape, like the rest of the internet. I will say this it does make my face a little tight in the application areas but it makes your skin look great. I also have been using Colourpop’s No Filter concealer and I have been absolutely obsessed because it is under $10 and it works so well.

            On to face so blush bronzer and highlighter, my bronzer still hasn’t changed, I am still working with Hoola from Benefit because I don’t wear a lot of bronzer but when I do I put it on in all the wrong places and then look stupid. 

            Blush has changed though, I got an Anastasia blush trio last year and I have found that I like having multiple choices for blush or the option to mix two different shades and get a great look out of it. 

            Highlighter has also changed, I still would probably bring my Urban Decay highlighter quad but I also like the single pan options as well and I have Morphe’s highlighter in the shade Extra and Colourpop’s highlighter in the shade Might Be because I like them both and again like having options when it comes to my look.

            Eyes is probably the area that has changed the most and that’s understandable because eye trends change so quickly and there are always new eyeshadow palettes and mascaras coming out.

Eyeshadow is one of those things that you can love one day and hate the next but I found that having a larger palette with a lot of neutral shades has done me really great so I switched to the Morphe Nature Glow palette because it’s 35 shades and you can add in pops of color from other palettes if you want or bring a few single pan shades from your favorite brands to add some variation to your look. I also usually include the Tartelette Toasted Palette as well because it is a smaller version of a neutral palette and I have been loving it for years.

            Mascara, I still like to carry two around with me but this year it is too travel sized items, Doucce’s Maxlash and Benefit’s Bad Gal Bang which I found myself using a lot this year. Bad Gal Bang though takes longer to dry that I have noticed so be careful. Still wear glasses so I don’t wear eyeliner and also I don’t want to look like a death metal raccoon by the time I’m done trying to get the wings even.

            Eyebrow products are still the same, I found Rimmel’s Born This Way years ago and I haven’t been brave enough to really try anything else. 

            Lips are easier for me in a way because I just pick a few nude shades and run with it, one of them I just got but it has already found its way into my makeup bag and that is the Jeffree Star Cosmetics Velour liquid lipstick in shade ‘?’ it came exclusively in the summer mystery box and I am obsessed with it. The other shade is Eddie Funkhouser Twisted Kisses in the shade Kiss Me Twice and I got this one in my November Glam Bag last year. I also carry around a lip scrub and I have one from Tree Hut Beauty that I have been loving for the last year so it was the natural choice. 

            Last is setting spray, I have two or three that I use but this is a travel size of the All Nighter setting spray from Urban Decay and it so good. Believe the hype, it’s great if you want a matte look all day. Colourpop’s All-Star is also great if you are looking for a more budget friendly option! 

            So that’s my update, my refresh, and my current makeup bag collection. 

            Do you have any holy grail products that never leave your makeup bag? I would loe to know about them!

            I will see everyone about mid-week with another post!

            -MJ