March Wish List 2013

With a new month comes a new monthly wish list and this time I've got my eyes on a lot of great goodies. Spring is right around the corner and I figure its time for me to start stocking up for the warmer weather to come. I've been really into pastels, especially pinks, and lots of shimmer!

March Wish List 2013 by lipstickndlace

1. Benefit Fine One One ($30) - I've been hearing about this product everywhere! It's a cream stick with three different shades; a pink champagne highlight on top, a sheer watermelon blush in the middle and a soft coral blush on the bottom. You're supposed to swipe it on the apples of your cheeks, blend with your fingers and it'll give you an instant pop of color. I'm a little bit on the fence about this because I can't imagine everyone's cheek size to be the same and I think I might get bored of the same color combinations but it seems very travel-friendly and it might be worth giving it a shot.

2. Too Faced Boudoir Eyes ($36) - So this isn't exactly a palette of spring shades but the sexy sultry shadows were too beautiful to resist. I've been trying to experiment with darker shades lately and I think these shades might work very well with my complexion and monolids. They're dark but not too dark and I'm a sucker for purples.

3. LORAC 3D Liquid Lustre in Diamond ($16) - It's a shimmery liquid that you use to put on top of your eyeshadow to give it more sparkle and I've been looking for a way to get very shimmery lids. Enough said.

4. Essie Nail Polish in Lovie Dovie ($5.10) - I want some new pink polishes for the spring and I saw this on Heart, or ThatsHeart on YT, and it looked so cute. If anybody has anymore spring polish shades to recommend, be sure to leave it in a comment below!

5. YSL Glossy Stain in Rose Vinyl ($34) - I've always been intrigued about these YSL Glossy Stains and I think it's about time I finally give one a try. I was thinking about trying out a rose pink shade but if anybody has any other shades to recommend, please do.

6. Tarte EmphasEYES Inner Rim Brightener ($19) - While I do really want this product, since I don't have any shades to brighten up my inner rim, I'm not sure if it's worth $19. I'm thinking I can find a drugstore dupe for it but my eyes tend to tear a lot during the day and I'm afraid a drugstore brand won't hold up and I don't like touching up my makeup too much.


P.S. I've changed my Instagram handle to Ellehearts92, so don't be confused! I'm slowly making the name change.

January Favorites

I didn't even realize it was already February until I looked at my calendar today, and you know what the beginning of a new month means: monthly favorites! All my favorites from the month of January were products that I brought with me on vacation. They've certainly been pushed to their limits since while I was on vacation I was running around, out for over 12 hours a day and I didn't have much time to stop and reapply makeup.

January Favorites 2013 by lipstickndlace

1. Laura Mercier Shimmer Bloc in Golden Mosaic ($40) - I got a sample size of this product from the In The Glow set I bought from Sephora and decided to bring it with me since one half of it has contour shades and the other half has highlight shades. I used this product the entire time I was on vacation to highlight and contour and it worked perfectly. However, if you don't like any kind of shimmer in your highlighting and contouring products then I would skip this since it does have a hint of shimmer in it.

2. Too Faced Lashgasm Mascara ($21) - I got this full sized product as part of my Too Faced Shadow  Bon Bons ($42) set and reviewed it along with the shadows and Shadow Insurance here. I mentioned how it impressed me in my review and it impressed me once again while I was on vacation. It's perfect for lengthening and defining your lashes. It also stayed put all day and didn't smudge.

3. Urban Decay Naked Palette ($50) - Do I even need to explain why this made it onto my favorites this month? It's my go to palette for traveling since it has all the warm neutral colors I love and could possibly need while I'm away. It's an oldie but a definite goodie, and if you don't have it, I highly suggest getting it!

4. Sigma Mrs. Bunny Essential Kit ($120) - Okay, I know the picture is not of the Mrs. Bunny Essential Kit but rather the Mr. Bunny Essential Kit, but you'll have to excuse that since for some reason I couldn't find the Mrs. Bunny set when I was creating this favorites set. Anyways, I finally purchased Sigma's synthetic Sigmax brush set and I brought it with me on vacation and loved it! The brushes are so smooth and soft, and they apply makeup wonderfully.

5. Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzing Powder with Real Cocoa ($29) - I also got this as part of the In The Glow set from Sephora and I brought it with me on vacation since it was a smaller travel sized version and I had heard great things about it. I used it the entire time I was on vacation and I absolutely loved it. It really does smell like chocolate and it gives your skin this nice hint of color.

6. Maybelline Baby Lips Moisturizing Lip Balm in Cherry Me ($2.97) - I believe this has showed up on my favorites list before and it's back on because this was the only lip product I used while I was on vacation. It's so easy to apply and it gives a nice hint of gloss and color. It's also very moisturizing so I was able to get a good color on my lips and hydrate them at the same time! The product also conveniently fits in my boyfriend's pockets so that was a plus as well. If you want to know more, I wrote a review here.

November Favorites!

I'm a few days late but here are my favorite beauty products for the month of November. I decided to go with a different approach on sharing my favorites by creating a set on Polyvore. If you don't know already, Polyvore is a website where you can create and share collages of beauty products, fashion items, and much more. If you're already a Polyvore member, you can follow me here and I'll follow back. Now onto my favorites!

November Favorites 2012 by lipstickndlace

1. Too Faced Shadow Bon Bons Set ($42) - This set by Too Faced comes with 12 beautiful shadows, a travel-sized version of the Candlelight Shadow Insurance and a full-sized version of the Lash'GASM Mascara. I purchased this product about three weeks ago and I've been using it nonstop ever since. I think it would make a great gift for the holidays to friends, family or even yourself! If you're interested in knowing more, I wrote an in-depth review including swatches of all the shadows and reviews on the primer and mascara as well.

2. Tarte LipSurgence Matte Lip Tint in Exposed ($24) - I got this Tarte LipSurgence as part of a 5 piece LipSurgence Collector's Edition set that I had included in my Sephora VIB 20% Off Haul. My favorite LipSurgence out of the set at the moment is the Matte Lip Tint in Exposed. It gives this great pinky nude color to your lips and lasts for a really long time.

3. bareMinerals READY SPF 15 Touch Up Veil in Translucent ($22) - I also purchased this using my Sephora VIB 20% Off and while I was skeptical at first at it being any different from the loose powder version I already own, it turns out that I like this one much more. It sets my makeup perfectly without any "cakeiness."

4. Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Sassy Mauve ($4.99) - I hauled this in my recent Target & Lush Haul and even though I only got it a little over a week ago I already know this will be my go-to lipstick for the Winter. It's the perfect mauve shade that works great with any outfit or look.

5. NYX Cosmetics Powder Blush in Mocha ($6.00) - I purchased this as part of a set on Hautelook a little over a month ago and it has quickly become my favorite Fall/Winter blush. It's a matte mid-tone pink shade that gives you a nice warm glow. Also, the color payoff is amazing!

6. LUSH Ocean Salt Scrub ($21.95) - I cannot explain how much I am in love with this product. I got a few samples of it back in September during one of my LUSH hauls  and I've been using it once a week ever since. I've almost run out of the two samples I got and I just had to purchase the full-sized version. I've started using this product twice a week to slough off any dead or dry skin cells and it leaves my face looking radiant and refreshed. I also love how it smells like the beach!

I hope you enjoyed this haul and let me know if you like this new way of presenting my favorites. I find it much more organized and aesthetically pleasing than the typically messy and dark photos I usually take.

Review: Too Faced Shadow Bon Bons Set

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I'm pretty stuffed from the weekend so I figured I'd just sit in bed and type up this much anticipated review. If you recall, the product that I was most excited about from my Sephora VIB 20% Off Haul was the Too Faced Shadow Bon Bons Set ($42). I had never tried a Too Faced product before and figured this set would be a great introductory product to the brand. Included in the set was: 1) Twelve Eyeshadows, 2) Too Faced Shadow Insurance Candlelight Eye Shadow Primer, and 3) Too Faced LashGASM Mascara.

The overall packaging of this product is beautiful, which can be expected from any Too Faced product. All the products come in a lavender felt box with gold writing. When you open the box there is a mirror cutout and all the products. I really like the packaging but I wish it was more travel-friendly because I would totally bring these shadows with me on vacation if I could.

The Shadows:

The twelve eyeshadows are roughly the size of a quarter, which is a good amount and I can see them lasting me for quite a while. I'm not sure how deep the pans are but according to the Sephora website they are .03 oz.

The shadows are all very neutral shades, but they include some wearable colors like purples and pinks. They're highly pigmented and mix and match very well to create a lot of different eye looks. You can follow the included guide or make your own shadow combinations.

The shadows apply on to the lid very easily and blend together beautifully. With the help of a primer they stay on all day and don't smudge, however the color does fade a bit as the day goes on but there's still a very good amount of color there and it just ends up looking like a softer eye look.

The Individual Shades:

Vanilla - A slightly beige-ish white that I like to use as an all over the lid color or as a highlighter. It's color payoff is probably the worst of the twelve but since it's a light shade and isn't supposed to be a stark white I can't really complain.

Cut The Cake - A lavender with silver micro-shimmer that looks very pretty all over the lid.

Framboise - A deep metallic purple that I like to use either all over the lid or in the crease.

Coffee Bean - A matte dark brown, it sort of looks like the color of coffee. I like to use this as a liner or crease color.

Peach Fuzz - A light peach with gold glitters that I like to use as an all over lid color or as a brow highlighter. It's very glittery and very pretty!

Hot Cocoa - A bronzed brown with gold shimmer. It looks wonderful all over the lid.

Candy Rose - A pink with silver micro shimmer. Very pretty and don't worry, it doesn't make you look like your eyes are irritated!

Lovey Dovey - A deep bronze shade with some pink undertones. It's another metallic shade and I love using it as a liner. It looks very sexy when smoked out.

Nude Beach - A sandy gold glitter. You definitely have to be careful of fallout with this one because it's extremely flaky. It's gorgeous however, all over the lids.

Cinnamon Sugar - A gold metallic shade that is beautiful all over the lids.

Marzipan - A dusty beige-ish brown. Probably the second worst shade in terms of pigmentation but it's great in the crease and can be used to tone down the other shades.

Licorice Latté - A brownish black shade with gold glitter. I haven't been brave enough to use it as anything but a liner shade but I can imagine it would go great as a smoky eye look.

LashGASM:

This mascara comes in a plain black tube but the writing and designs on it are what makes it look so pretty. I had never considered trying this mascara before but I figured since it was included in the set, why the heck not? I didn't know a lot about this mascara but it definitely impressed me.

The brush is made of short rubber bristles that easily separate and define all your lashes. The inside of the tube, where the stopper is to wipe off excess mascara, is very tight so it definitely takes off any excess. If you have problems with clumping or messy lashes then this mascara would be perfect for you.

The mascara also helps to lengthen your lashes a bit but I believe it's main focus is to define. I like to use this to define my lashes first then use a lengthening mascara to get incredibly dramatic length. It stays on all day and doesn't smudge or give you raccoon eyes.

Too Faced Shadow Insurance Candlelight Eye Shadow Primer:

I had always been a UD primer potion kind of gal but I think I've been converted. My eyes are very dry and sometimes the UD primer potion accentuates the dryness in my eyes by clumping around any dry skin. This shadow somehow moisturizes the dry areas around my eyes and soaps up the oil on my lids at the same time. If you have drier skin around your eyes I'd recommend the Too Faced Shadow Insurance, but if your eyes are very oily then I'd suggest UD's primer potion.

I'll probably be buying a full-sized version of the shadow insurance once I use up this trial size because it's really great. The shade that was given in the set is a champagne shimmer that reminds me of Stila's Kitten shadow. There's also a translucent shade if you're not interested in a primer with color.

Overall, this set was totally worth the money to me and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who's into neutral shades. If you or whoever you're looking to purchase this set for likes UD's Naked and Naked 2 then they'll definitely like this set. It has similar shades in terms of beiges and browns but it also includes fun shades of pinks and purples.

Sephora VIB 20% Off Haul!

My fellow Sephora VIBs would know that this past weekend was the VIB exclusive 20% off sale. I try to wait all year long for this deal to come out before I buy anything I want from Sephora that I don't need right away. I hope my fellow VIBs enjoyed their 20% off as much as I did because there were some real nice goodies out in stores this year!

1. Urban Decay De-Slick Oil-Control Makeup Setting Spray Travel Size ($12) - I currently have the UD All Nighter Long-Lasting Makeup Setting Spray in the 4 oz. size and I love it. It really helps to keep my makeup looking good all day. However, since I first purchased it my skin type has slowly changed from normal to combination and I seem to have developed the problem of a very oily T-zone. I wanted to try the UD De-Slick Oil-Control Makeup Setting Spray to see if it would keep my makeup lasting longer and control the oils on my T-Zone. Luckily, I spied this travel size version hiding in those boxes at the checkout line and thought it was a sign from the makeup gods. I have a vacation coming up in January with my boyfriend and I had wanted to try this product anyways so I quickly grabbed it for it was the last one!

2. Tarte LipSurgence Collectors Set ($34) - I just tried looking for this set on Sephora's website and it seems it's already gone! I had been eyeing this LipSurgence set for about a month now because I had always wanted to try a Tarte LipSurgence but could never decide on one color. The shades included in this set were: Sweet, Elite, Exposed, Escape and Enchanted. They're all great colors for the Fall and I've been wearing them on my lips ever since I got them.

3. Murad Skin Perfecting Lotion - Blemish Prone/Oily Skin ($33) - I'd been searching for a new face moisturizer for months now since my skin type changed from Normal to Combination Oily and I finally found one I like! This moisturizer was recommended to me by one of the skin experts at the store and when she said it caters to blemish prone and oily skin I was sold. So far I've been really enjoying it and I've noticed my skin isn't as greasy as it would be hours after I apply it.

4. MUFE Full Cover Concealer ($32) - I know this was on one of my wish lists though I'm not sure which one, but anyways, I finally got it! I'd been in desperate need of a face concealer and this one works like a charm. It covers all my blemishes and redness like no other concealer I've ever tried.

5. BareMinerals READY SPF 15 Touch Up Veil ($22) - So I've never had my own pressed setting powder, I always used my mom's, and I finally found it time to buy my own. This product is basically a pressed powder version of the loose powder BareMinerals Mineral Veil and since I like that one I figured I'd like this one as well. It turns out though, that I like this one much more! I'm not a huge fan of loose powders because they're so messy and I like how I can take this pressed powder on vacation with me in January.

6. Boscia Pink Peppermint Blotting Linens ($5) - I have the Green Tea version of these and while I like the quality of the sheets, I can't stand the smell. So I figured this pack would smell much better and boy was I right. I like these a lot better and I'm considering stocking up on them!

7. Too Faced Shadow Bon Bons Set ($42) - This was the product I was most excited about purchasing. This is the first Too Faced product I've ever purchased and I'm glad I did because it comes with 12 beautiful shadows, a primer potion and a mascara. So far I'm really loving this palette because it comes with very pretty neutral colors like purples, pinks and browns. I'm hoping to do a review on this set very soon so keep your eyes out!

What have you recently bought from Sephora? Are you a Sephora VIB as well?