Beautycon Box Fall 2016 Unboxing!

You guys, I did a thing. Well more accurately I didn’t do a thing, which led to me doing a thing. Ever had that? In my case, it has to do with the always cool Beautycon Box. For those unfamiliar with it, Beautycon is a makeup convention that takes place yearly in Los Angeles, New York, London, and Dallas. Along with the conventions, they also have subscription boxes curated by beauty gurus. There are 4 boxes a year, usually sent out by season.

Back in May I signed up to receive a box Bunny (aka Grav3yardGirl) curated, and had to decide between a seasonal or annual membership. Since I wasn’t really down to pay $99 at one time, I decided to go seasonal. Priced at only $29 per box, it just seemed more logical at the time. However, after Bunny’s Spring Box came Kandee Johnson’s curated Summer Box, and I couldn’t pass that up. After receiving my Summer Beautycon Box, I planned & meant to unsubscribe…you see where this is going?

Yepp, I forgot to unsubscribe. You can imagine my surprise upon opening my door & finding this perfect little package sitting on my doorstep! It was a good surprise obviously, as what makeup addict doesn’t like more makeup?

This year, the Fall Beautycon Box is curated by Angel Merino (aka MAC_Daddy) and MakeupShayla, both social media superstars in the beauty industry. The box’s total value is priced at over $100, which is a steal for only paying $30. There are 11 products in total, sponsored by brands like Jouer, Milani, Luxie, Ofra, and Sugarfina. Overall I was pretty pleased with the products included; there was only one that I unfortunately won’t be able to use. 😦 Let’s see what we’ve got!

Wow. That Luxie angled brush? Those beautiful falsies? A freakin’ pack of Sugarfina Sour gummy lips?! *Heart-Eyes Emoji*This box is amazing. One thing I kind of noticed comparing this box to the last one though, the Summer box seemed to be a little more cohesive; most of the products had a common theme or went together in some way. Kandee’s box was mainly focused on skincare, with a few makeup items here and there. With this one, I don’t see that level of cohesion. I’m not sure that maybe the fact 2 makeup artists collaborated for one box is what’s throwing the vibe of this box off, but honestly I’m loving it. Any box I get that has a makeup brush is an automatic win for me, and the stickers and little lipstick pin are so adorable! ❤ Here’s the list of what’s inside below, along with the art print & stickers included:

Interested in becoming a subscriber? Click the link here to find out more about a membership! ❤

Lush Cosmetics Christmas 2016 Line-Up

Back at it again with the Lush Holiday spoilers! Honestly, I’m not sure if y’all can handle the line-up this year; the cuteness & ingenuity is off the charts. There are quite a few favorites returning, some of them revamped a bit, and a lot of new ones sure to peak interest. One product that particularly caught my eye? A wearable shower jelly for your face that looks like Santa’s beard. How crazy awesome is that?? Lush always has the best seasonal products, and this year it’s no different. Stellar gift sets, returning favorites, new innovations, they’ve got the game on lock.

Amazing right? With over 50 seasonal products, this Christmas is going to be spectacular. There are a few fan favorites that aren’t returning this year; Cinders bath bomb & Celebrate lotion will be missed dearly. I’m so excited Salt & Peppermint Bark body scrub is coming back, I stocked up last year & I’m down to my last one! What products are you looking forward to purchasing this season? Let me know in the comments 🙂

Colourpop Ultra Satin Liquid Lipstick in “Molly”

Confession time: the main reason I purchased this lipstick is the name. We’ve all done it at some point, right? When a product’s name is so cheeky, clever, or just plain cool, you have to have it! That was exactly the case with this lippie in the shade “Molly”. For those unfamiliar with music festivals, this a very popular, uhm, “happy pill” that makes the music more enjoyable and the night a lot crazier. 😉 Luckily this is a beautiful shade, one that has become a favorite in my lipstick arsenal.

Colourpop’s official description for Molly: “You’ll be hugging all your friends in this mid-tone plum lilac”. The color profile is pretty spot-on, as this lipstick doesn’t really lean warm or cool toned, meaning there’s a good chance it’s flattering on all complexions. As with all makeup though, it doesn’t always look the same on every person. For me, it looked a little dustier, not as bright as it looks on Colourpop’s models. However, when Molly fades it leaves behind a bright, mid-tone pink stain. Personally I like when lipsticks leave stains, that way if you aren’t able to reapply the product your lips still have some color to them.

This is also one of Colourpop’s newer liquid lipstick formulas, The Ultra Satin Liquid Lipstick. Unlike their Ultra Mattes, the Ultra Satins don’t have a flat matte finish and aren’t as drying. Since they aren’t matte, they are slightly, and I mean veryyy slightly, tacky. As long as you don’t apply too much, you’re good on the tacky-factor! The formula applies nice and smooth, very pigmented. All you need is one swipe, it doesn’t appear patchy at all. Personally, I like the Ultra Satins better than the Ultra Mattes. The formula is a lot smoother, more moisturizing, and doesn’t flake off or fade in a noticeable way.

Final Thoughts: After wearing Molly a few times out-and-about, it lasted for a good 5-6 hours before starting to fade. However, it faded beautifully. When checking my lips at the 6 hour mark, they were just a pretty vivid pink instead of the plummy lilac I had on before. There wasn’t any patchiness, therefore it wasn’t in dire need of a reapplication. As said before, this shade has become one of my favorites. Click here to check out Molly on Colourpop’s site.

Ginger’s August Favorites: Focus on the Cheeks!

Let’s be honest, if you’re a ginger who is prone to passing out at any temperature over 90 degrees, you’re kinda happy when summer comes to a close and autumn rolls in. Since I live in Southern California though the weather won’t be THAT much different, but hey, it’s something! Goodbye sunburns & heat rash, Hello cool breezes & pumpkin spice everything. Actually who am I kidding, I’ll probably find a way to get sunburned in September. Pale Girl Problems, am I right?

NARS Blush in Goulue: Okay, so I feel a littleee bad about including this on my list, as not everyone can purchase it. It’s a VIB Rouge exclusive shade, meaning you gotta spend $1,000 a year to be able to purchase this bad boy! That or find someone to purchase it through, which gives off some black market makeup vibes, but honestly it’s worth it. This blush has a soft shimmer finish, giving your cheeks a nice, illuminated glow. Goulue is a mid-tone, rosey/berry shade. The pigmentation is incredible and it blends like a dream. What more could you ask for? If you’re a VIB Rouge and haven’t discovered this amazing exclusive product, you can purchase it for $30 through the link here.

Colourpop Super Shock Cheek Highlighter in Smoke N Whistles: Highlight & strobing, originally thought of as beauty fads, are definitely proving that they’re here to stay. Whether it’s the Anastasia Beverly Hills Glow Kit or Becca Champagne Pop, these glittery products have taken the beauty industry by storm. Colourpop, an indie brand that has become nearly mainstream amongst makeup addicts, makes some bangin’ highlighters. The texture is so unique, a velvety cream to a soft powder, and has insane pigmentation. Smoke N Whistles is a cool-toned pinky-champagne with silver shimmer. It has a pearlized finish, and is best applied with synthetic or duo fiber brush. Personally though, I apply with my BeautyBlender and it gives my skin an airbrushed glow. At only $8 a pot, the price point on this product is unbelievable. If you haven’t gotten a chance to try one of these shimmery beauties, head over to Colourpop’s site ASAP and pick one up here.

Lush Cosmetics Jersey Bounce Shampoo: Despite having thick hair, the summer humidity really took its toll on my poor locks, zapping away any volume my hair ever had. Thankfully, that’s where this miracle worker came in handy! Jersey Bounce is one of Lush’s newer shampoos, a lemony-gel filled with sea salt sure enough to give your hair some lift. Coarse sea salt deeply cleanses and gives loads of volume, while free-range eggs & honey condition and nourish your hair. Fresh lemon juice, Sicilian lemon oil, and Persian lime oil are added to give this shampoo a delightful citrus scent. After using Jersey Bounce a few times a week, I found my hair to be incredibly soft with a noticeable difference in volume. As opposed to Big, another Lush shampoo, Jersey Bounce has more conditioning ingredients and a little less salt. Big can be harsh on some hair types, just a heads up! Basically, this shampoo is staying in my life for a long time. ❤ Purchase it from Lush in the USA here and in the UK here.

Tarte Cosmetics Tartelette Palette: While I will always love my Urban Decay Naked palettes, the Tartelette palette has become a quick favorite of mine. It’s an all-matte palette (no shimmer!), with 12 shades ranging from mauves & plums to taupes & browns. Each shade has a buttery texture, incredible pigmentation, and is unbelievably easy to blend. Tarte makes many of their products with Amazonian Clay, the secret ingredient that makes these shadows magical. ❤ The packaging is a perfect mix of cute & chic, and the size is perfectly portable. Each row has 4 shadows, all of which coordinate with each other. While I have mixed and matched different rows, I still find it best to go with the layout. The shades in this palette tend to lean cooler-toned, while the shadows in the Tartelette In Bloom palette lean warmer. Priced at $45 as compared to a $54 Naked palette, Tartelette is actually kind of a steal! You can purchase it from Sephora, Ulta, and Macys.

Rosebud Perfume Co.’s Rosebud Salve: If you were to search through my purse a few months ago for a lip balm, chances are you’d find quite a few. EOS, Chapstick, Jack Black, even Vaseline! I’m a lip balm junkie. However, if you were to search now, you’d only find one product: Rosebud Salve. This little tin contains this fantastic goop that practically heals all skin ailments. Lips dry/chapped? Rosebud’s gotchu. Skin dry? No problem. Got a minor burn? This stuff helps take the sting out. Amazing! Not to mention it has a beautiful rose fragrance and a very slight pink tint, making it the perfect lip balm. Sephora and Ulta carry this salve for just $6, don’t sleep on it!

Now for some non-beauty related favorites; here’s what I’ve been obsessed with in August:

Stranger Things: I’m not even sure how I can describe the way this show makes me feel. Its a phenomenal new Netflix series, a perfect mix of scifi, thriller, drama, and nostalgia. Taking place in the 80’s, a small town in Indiana undergoes some serious issues when trouble starts brewing at a neighboring government laboratory. I’ve literally watched this entire series three times, and I’m really tempted to start it again.

Retro Video Games: While trying to get rid of some clutter in my garage, I happened upon a flimsy cardboard box simply marked “games”. Curious, I opened it and to my complete shock, inside was my Nintendo 64, 2 controllers, and dozens of games. Needless to say, I’ve been playing old school Super Smash Brothers & Pokemon Stadium almost daily. This was such an amazing find, it was like being transported back to 1999.

Frank Ocean: Fun fact; I used to be obsessed with Frank Ocean. Listened to Channel Orange everyday for months on end, fantasizing about meeting him, waiting for his next album to drop. And that’s where my obsession ended. Waiting for his album to drop. After being taunted for four years about his upcoming album, he FINALLY released it. While the petty side of me wants to say it’s trash and not worth the wait, his album Blonde is actually amazing. He is so lyrically talented, each song conveys different ideas and emotions. Favorite tracks: Nikes, Self Control, Seigfried, Ivy. As much as he frustrates me, I just can’t stay mad at Frank Ocean for long. ❤

Lush Cosmetics Halloween 2016 Line-up

Halloween products out now! 

Click here if you’re in the US, click here if you’re in the UK, here for Canada, and here for Japan. In another country? Click here to find your website.

 

Normally around this time of year the Lush Holiday list gets leaked, and this year it’s no different! Halloween time at Lush is truly a magical experience; the spicy patchouli & sweet vanilla fragrance of the classic Lord of Misrule bath bomb gives stores a wonderful fall scent, while the fruity-boozy Sparkly Pumpkin bubble bar adds an extra dose of cuteness to the decor. I must admit, last year I was a tad disappointed with the Halloween products, as there were very few options available. However, this year Lush really stepped up to the plate and brought out ELEVEN items, as opposed to last year’s grand total of five. Don’t worry, the favorites are still there along with some new goodies that look so freakin’ adorable!

Personally, I am ecstatic that Sparkly Pumpkin is returning, as I didn’t get a chance to stock up last year. By far one of my favorite holiday, perhaps even all-time, products, I’m tempted to buy a whole box-full of those beauties. ❤ So there you have it, Halloween 2016! Anything catch your eye? Let me know below! 🙂

Mani Monday: Pale Pink & Pearlescent Shimmer

Why hello Mani Monday, long time no see! What has it been, about 2 months since our last manicure update? Too long, that’s for sure. In my defense, I haven’t done my nails at all during that time because I had an…accident. While trying to open a bottle of iced tea, I managed to chip off half of my thumbnail; hurt so bad I started crying! So I’ve spent the last 2 months growing that baby back so I can cover it in a fresh coat of lacquer. 🙂

This Mani Monday was actually not chosen by me, but by one of my students. At work she asked me why my nails looked so plain, and told me I should make them light pink and sparkly. Since she is just the sweetest, I knew I couldn’t let her down. This very shimmery manicure is brought to you by Sephora’s Formula X nail cleanser and base coat, OPI’s Dear Diary, and LE Formula X polish in Life Is The Bubbles. Since a few of these are discontinued, I’ll post dupes below. Also, please ignore my horrendous cuticles and hangnails! I need to take care of those ASAP.

My nails look so pearly, I’m in love! ❤ What color are your currently sporting? Also, I’m open to taking requests! Leave me a comment below if you have any suggestions/ideas on what I should do next. 🙂

Formula X Nail Cleaner

Formula X Base Coat

Dear Diary Dupes: Daisy by Marc Jacobs, Pink Ribbon by Butter London, Ballet Slippers by Essie, Stop It I’m Blushing by O.P.I

Life Is The Bubbles Dupes: Fairy Dust by China Glaze, This One’s For You by China Glaze, Sparkle On Top by Essie

Sally Hansen Big Kwik Dry Top Coat