Review: Lioele BB Cream

December 12, 2014 / Kayla Hutchison / 1 Comment

Another item on my (getting shorter) list of things I’ve been searching for is a nice BB Cream that actually matches my skin tone. Many lines of BB Creams will say “Light/Medium” but lean more towards medium skin tones and have very warm undertones. Which is fine, but I am extremely pale.
So, I started reading reviews and watching videos and decided to give the Lioele Beyond the Solution BB Cream a try since I didn’t see too many negative things about it. I have never ever tried any line of Asian skin care.
I ordered it off prettyandcute.com for 30% off, but this can also be found on Amazon for around $14-16.

It comes with a pump, which is fantastic. I am all about face products with pumps. When I first pumped this onto my hand I noticed it is very thick. Not at all like a normal BB cream texture, which is nice if you like full coverage like myself. If not, this might not be an ideal product for you.

I don’t know if this product changes to match your skin tone, but I added a pump of manic panic dream tone just in case. I applied it with a damp real techniques sponge and it applied very easily and blended very well into my skin. The color was spot on, and it seems to have a very neutral undertone instead of a warm one, which was also nice. The only thing that bugged me was it has a bit of a floral smell at first (I thought) but once I applied it I couldn’t smell anything anymore.

This BB Cream lasted very well on my face and did not look cakey or anything as the day went on. That’s always a fear of mine with anything that is fuller coverage that I’m trying out for the first time. It felt light on the face as well. It also did not change colors throughout the day as well. I wore this for about 10 hours the day I tried it, so it is long lasting.

My overall review:
Pros
-Fairly affordable (not drugstore, not high end)
-Easy to Apply
-Long Lasting
-Neutral toned
-Does not break my skin out, and it did not dry my skin out
-Comes with a pump

Cons
-Smells a bit weird at first
-Still not my exact shade, and I need to use Manic Panic dream tone with it

This isn’t a pro or con so I didn’t know where to place it, but this BB Cream is very thick and is a medium/full coverage. This could be a pro or con depending on the person. I do like this BB Cream though and have used it several times since my initial application.

BH Cosmetics Dark Rose Palette

December 11, 2014 / Kayla Hutchison / 2 Comments

This was actually a cyber Monday treat that just arrived in the mail today. BH Cosmetics was having a sale where this palette was $8.95 + I found a 10% off code and I got back 15% through ebates. This is a limited edition palette, so when I was able to get it for that price I was very happy! I love BH Cosmetics to begin with, and everything about this palette is so alluring to me. The colors and the packaging…it looked perfect.

Shipping was a bit delayed for BH Cosmetics, but they did say on the website before ordering that shipping could be delayed, and that was fine. However, when this came in the mail I seriously opened it up before anything else and immediately started admiring it and playing around with it. The inside is so beautiful! This palette is pretty big, and there’s a pretty decent amount of product in it. There are 12 eyeshadow colors, 3 blushes, and 1 liquid eyeliner that come in this set. I was excited that this came with a liquid felt tip liner instead of a pencil. I tend to just throw pencils away or gift them. I’m a liquid/gel liner kind of gal.

These are swatches of all 12 eyeshadows. The glittery ones aren’t as pigmented, but for the most part they are all very smooth and pigmented! Very impressed with the quality of these shadows. I’ve had my eye on this palette since it came out, but didn’t buy it in fear that the colors might have been too random. However, once I saw the review that Dani from CoffeebreakwithDani did and the look she created I was sold, and from there I knew that it would go on sale. EVERYTHING on BH Cosmetics eventually goes on sale for 50% off or more…just wait. That’s my friendly brand tip of the day.

Anyway, once I started playing around with these colors on my eyes (one look for one eye and another on the other eye, duh) I realized all of these colors truly do compliment each other, strangely enough. I absolutely love the brown shades and plum shades in this palette.

These are the swatches of the 3 blushes that come in the palette. I love that there are both warm and cool options in terms of blushes. I wear cool toned blushes myself most days, so the third mauve type color will probably be the one that gets the most usage from me!

This is a look I created using the palette. The only color I didn’t use from the palette was the tranisition shade which was “creme brulee” by makeup geek. That’s my only con to this palette…there’s not a true transition shade unless you lightly use one of the matte shades as one. Anyway, I used the shimmery champagne shade all over the lid and on my brow bone as a highlight, the darker matte brown in the crease well blended and the shimmery dark brown shade in the outer v blended into the crease as well. I used the matte purple shade on the bottom lash line as a “pop” of color to the look. I have the matte mauve shade on my cheeks (it’s not very pigmented) and I used the liquid eyeliner to create a cat wing. It was very easy to use, surprisingly. Overall, I’m very happy with this palette and can’t wait to play around with it some more 😀

Swatch Sunday: Random Lippies

December 7, 2014December 11, 2014 / Kayla Hutchison / Leave a comment

I have quite a few lipsticks that I have bought over the past few weeks that are beautiful and blogworthy, but I didn’t buy enough of each line to really justify doing a whole post about each. So, I’m doing a lipstick swatch “dump” of sorts.

First up, I bought 3 LA Girl Creme lip colors to try them out. These retail for $4 each on average.
As you can tell, the packaging is a bit cheap and can get pretty messy. However, for the messy packaging the product itself is very creamy and applies smoothly. The colors are opaque. I normally don’t like many creamier formulas, but these are nice.

Left to Right: Promise, Amour, Kiss & Tell
I’ve been reaching for Kiss & Tell a lot over the past week. It’s such a beautiful brown with red tint to it. It looks superb paired with a dark red lip liner.

This is a photo taken the other day of me wearing “kiss & tell” with a deep red underneath. Love this combo.

Next, these teeny Kat Von D lippies were my second Black Friday snag while shopping online on Sephora. I didn’t need them, but I have a weakness for MINI things I couldn’t help it.
There’s not much to say about these because I already own two of the studded lipsticks and an everlasting liquid lipstick. I love the formulas of both of these lines. Both of these were $10 and for Kat Von D anything, that’s a steal. Even though I didn’t need these, no regrets. No regrets

Berlin is a matte darker rosy shade. I will probably be reaching for this come Spring and Summer. Lolita is a matte brownish nude shade. I own Lolita in the liquid form as well and it’s my favorite color of life.

Last, I have a couple Nyx lippies. I have “Whipped Caviar” from the Matte line (Kylie Jenner dupe, supposedly) and “Pops” from the butter line. I love the formulas of basically any Nyx line of lipstick. Super affordable, super opaque, super super.

Bottom swatch is Whipped Caviar (matte) and top is Pops (butter)

I will say that the matte one wears very comfortably on the lips as well as the butter one. The butter lipsticks seriously apply like…butter. Can you tell I am all about the brown/mauve nudes right now? I am stocking up while there are so many out because this is my go-to shade all of the time. If you’re very fair, I would suggest trying out the mauve/darker nude trend because I find it to be such a flattering way to wear a nude without it washing me out. That’s a totally personal opinion though and I can understand why some are tired of hearing about the “Kylie Jenner” lip.

I’m honestly ready to start finding some Marsala shades in my collection right about now. I’m not ever one for trends, but the last few color trends have been shades that I love already and work with often on an everyday basis.

I hope you all enjoyed my quick swatch sunday post with all of my random lippies. Have a gorgeous day!

First Impression: Ben Nye Powder

November 13, 2014 / Kayla Hutchison / Leave a comment

My first impression today is about a powder that I am constantly hearing about that I decided to finally try. I have heard from several beauty bloggers that Ben Nye’s luxury powder in “Cameo” is the perfect undereye and setting powder for very pale skin.
I got a 1.5 oz container of this powder off a trusted seller on ebay for $12 shipping included. Sounds like a lot for 1.5 oz, but a little bit of this powder goes a long way.
Let me just say that I am in no way affiliated with this brand before I begin…this powder is AH-MAI-ZING. I put this on over my under eye concealer and it legitimately looked like I was blurring my imperfections out.
You know that photoshop technique where they “soften” faces to make them look a bit blurry and make pores magically disappear…yeah…this powder does that. I am not even kidding.
Ben Nye is a brand that sells a lot of theatrical makeup if I’m not mistaken. So, it would make sense that their powders would blur imperfections a bit since stage performers are sometimes in very harsh lighting.
Like I mentioned earlier, a little bit goes a long way with this powder. My favorite way to apply it is to sift a bit into the lid (yes, it’s a sifting type powder) and put my damp real techniques sponge in it and dab it under my eyes and a little on my face to set everything. You could also use a brush, of course. I like to apply powder with a damp beauty blender because it blends everything together and doesn’t make my skin look cakey, which can be a problem with skin types that tend to dry throughout the day rather than get oily.
It unites my makeup together? It blurs and it unites. Makes sense, right? I’m trying, folks. It’s hard at times to properly describe a powder in words because it’s not a color like pink or red. It’s just a powder.

This shade is for pale skin. I know that Ben Nye “banana” has been talked about forever now because of Kim Kardashian, but banana shaded things will not look right on pale skin, unless that’s the look you want. If that’s the look you want, rock it, but if you’re looking for the shade meant for pale skin then cameo is it. It’s white. Like…white. It doesn’t look white on my skin (or maybe I am just that pale) but in the container it is white, but it’s not fully translucent on the skin.
This powder did last all day and did not oxidize at all! I am so impressed with this powder, and probably will not be buying anymore for a long time. If you find a great thing, stick to it until something prettier comes along, right?
I would recommend this powder to anyone that is struggling to find a setting powder that won’t oxidize, but don’t want to spend loads of money trying out new powders (I kinda did…oops).

Swatch Saturday: Too Faced Melted Kisses

November 8, 2014 / Kayla Hutchison / 5 Comments

To address the elephant in the room…yes, that is pet hair on the scarf. Joys of huskies that shed EVERYWHERE before Winter.

Back on topic, I’m sure that some of you have already seen this cute little holiday/gift set floating around on blog sites and youtube. With good reason, it’s adorable. I only own one of the Melted lipsticks myself (because they’re $21 each) but I LOVE it, so when I saw that this set of 4 minis was coming out for $25 I knew it was on my list of holidays sets that I “absolutely need to own.”
First off, the packaging is so cute, as is most things that Too Faced makes. However, my box was kind of damaged when I got it 😦 I ordered mine from HSN because I was able to use a 20% off coupon and get free shipping, and I’m guessing the box was squished a bit along the way. The actual products were not damaged, and I do intend to keep this set, so all is okay in the world for now.
There are 4 deluxe “travel” sized products that come in this set. Melted Nude, Melted Peony, Melted Fuchsia, and Melted Berry.

Swatches bottom to top: Nude, Peony, Fuchsia, Berry

Overall, I am happy with all of these shades. I find that the Melted Lipstick line from Too Faced is amazing. Very creamy, yet matte, and long lasting. That’s judging by the color that I already own in Melted Fig, which I wear fairly often. The only colors that I do not see myself using often are nude and fuchsia, but brown nudes tend to look odd against my pale complexion, and pinks are generally not my thing. I do like Melted Peony, though. It’s a very subtle pink that I think would pair amazingly with a darker nude lip liner.

This set is cute and affordable and is could be a “I’m beautiful and deserve it” gift, or can be used several ways as a Christmas gift to beauty lovers that you may know. You could give the whole set to someone, or purchase this set and other sets and create amazing goodie bags for people. I may end up purchasing another and making several gifts out of them, or I may pass on the nude and fuschia shades to my mom. 🙂 I know this set was on Sephora, I’m pretty sure I also saw it on Ulta (if you want rewards points) as well as on HSN with free shipping and probably on the Too Faced site if it hasn’t sold out yet. I do recall looking on Sephora last week and seeing it sold out, so I’m not sure if it’s still sold out on their website or not. It is a pretty popular holiday set right now along with their Everything Nice palette, so I would say if you want it…get it. Toofaced.com is actually having their friends and family sale and everything is 20% off when you use a code! Oh, and it’s on beauty.com as well!
What are some holiday sets that you are looking at this season? Any recommendations for me to look at?

Let’s Talk about Amazing and Affordable Face Products

November 3, 2014 / Kayla Hutchison / 1 Comment

Personally, when I watch videos and read blogs by my favorite beauty bloggers I catch myself day dreaming about high end products. I can’t be the only one. The products that I want to try out, but sadly can’t afford right now thanks to life and kids. Not that it upsets me at all. I love my life and kids with all of my being.
I do know that I am not the only one that is constantly looking for amazing and affordable makeup products though. Too many times I catch myself thinking that if I had more higher end products my makeup would look flawless, but then I remember that it’s truly about finding what’s right for you and how you apply it.
So, I want to do a few blogs about amazing and totally affordable makeup products, starting with some of my favorite everyday face products. Of course, these are just what works for me and my face, but I hope that everyone that reads this either finds a new awesome product to try out or that they take away a few tips on finding these products for even cheaper than they already are.
I will also include a separate picture of swatches for the blush, highlighter, and bronzer at the end of the post.

Wet n Wild blush in “Pearlescent Pink” – Holy grail blush. I use this blush almost everyday. That’s why the packaging looks kind of dirty. It’s the perfect shade of pink for me and has the slightest hint of shimmer. It’s so beautiful, and a shade that would work on many skin tones. These retail alone at around $3 most retail stores, which is incredible by itself, but I find these on sale so often at CVS and Walgreens. Wet n Wild also releases coupons in the newspaper often, so if you’re a coupon clipper (raises hand!) keep an eye out for them. I have scored so many free Wet n Wild products stacking sales with coupons.

LA Girl Pro Concealer– if you follow many youtubers and bloggers, chances are you have heard others raving about this very product. It’s so amazing and I just got it myself a few months back. I have horrible dark circles due to being extremely pale and having allergies, and this concealer covers my under eye circles and doesn’t look caked on. I use the lightest shade, obviously. This concealer retails for $5 on the la girls website, but I found mine for way cheaper on ebay. I got 3 tubes for $7.
Quick Ebay tip– when buying makeup always make sure you’re buying from a well known buyer with great feedback. Sometimes people are awful and sell fake products. There are a lot of great sellers on there that do sell the real deal for real cheap.

Nyx Matte Bronzer– This is a newer addition to my collection. I have searching for what seems like forever for a flattering contour shade for my skin tone. I typically use Nyx blush in “Taupe” which is amazing as well, but I wanted to switch it up a bit. This line has different shades for different skin tones, so naturally I picked out the shade called “light” that is supposed to be for lighter skin tones. It is a nice bronzer for light skin, maybe a bit on the warmer side for my liking, but a light hand while applying can easily fix that. The packaging is also very sleek and pretty.

Nyx Matte Finishing Spray– This has been in my possession for awhile (can you tell by the makeup all over the bottle?) and I love it! It’s perfect for everyday matte makeup looks for me when I want to set my makeup, but I don’t want to use up any of my Urban Decay spray.

Wet n Wild Highlighter– This is from the Fergie line in the color ‘Rose Champagne.” It’s so beautiful and affordable. It’s a champagne color with a hint of pink. Super flattering on fair skin. There is so much product in this for the price. I would recommend anyone try this if they are as obsessed with highlighters as I am. I hope the dewy skin look is here to stay.

Nyx Eyebrow Gel– I know this is technically not a “face” product, but eyebrows are a must for a complete face look. I’ve been using the black shade from this line for awhile now, and I love it. I still tend to reach for my dipbrow pomade most days, but if I am wanting a very bold brow I reach for this one. It takes the smallest amount of product to do both eyebrows, and it applies so easily. I use an angled brush to apply it. This product does set quickly, but it also stays ALL DAY. It’s an awesome and ridiculously affordable product that I would recommend to anyone to at least try.

Nyx HD concealer in “Lavender”– I use this concealer probably everyday. Usually I put this on under my foundation to cancel out the darkness under my eyes. I also use it to lighten up concealer if it’s a bit too dark. It serves multiple purposes, and costs $5. Amazing. Highly recommend for anyone with intense dark circles or is extremely fair and has trouble finding a light enough concealer.

BH Cosmetics Studio Pro Powder– If you follow my blog you have probably seen my first impressions post about this powder, if not I will link my review post of it at the end. I haven’t had this powder long enough to say it’s a staple yet, but it is a great powder for the price. BH Cosmetics has sales constantly on their site, and this powder tends to be about $7 on their site most days. My tips for using this powder are to use the elf powder brush (the studio one with the flat top) and just pat it into the skin if you’re using it to set your foundation or concealer. It works for me. I find that when I sweep powder across my face in a typical swirly motion it can kind of stick to dry spots easier. But do whatever works for you 🙂

Elf Acne Fighting Foundation– This foundation is something that is on my face often. I LOVE this foundation, and I mention it often in my “face of the day” posts. It’s supposed to be blemished skin friendly, but besides that it is also very full coverage and extremely affordable at $6 on the eyeslipsface website. I will say that if you have very fair skin and you don’t have a white mixing agent like the manic panic white dream tone foundation that you may want to hold out on buying it until you have both. The lightest shade on me is a few shades too dark, and I have a to use 2-3 pumps of white to get it to my exact shade, but it’s still an amazing foundation if you’re looking for a less expensive full coverage foundation to add to your life.

Elf Mineral Face Primer– The one in the picture is the green toned one, but I also have the plain clear toned mineral face primer. I use the green one on an almost daily basis because it’s supposed to correct red skin. I naturally have a bit of red in my skin on my cheeks, and this helps to correct it a little. Aside from that, it’s $5 (I think) and can be found on elf’s website or in many Target stores. This primer feels amazing on the skin, and the ingredients do not break my skin out whatsoever.

Swatches from bottom to top: Wet n Wild “pearlescent pink,” Wet n Wild “rose champagne glow,” and Nyx Matte Bronzer in “light.”

Last tip for saving money, especially with all of the holiday things coming out- use ebates. I love this site. You get cash back for online shopping through their site. Example: I recently got 4% cash back on a Sephora purchase online, and 7.5% back on BH cosmetics. If you do a lot of online shopping please create an account through them. I think you get a check or paypal credit every 3 months for what you’ve earned…don’t quote me on that though.
Anyway, I hope this blog has been somewhat enjoyable or helpful. If you’re interested in any other affordable products I have in my arsenal, please feel free to make requests on what you may want to see me focus on.

BH Cosmetics Powder review: https://kaylahutchison.wordpress.com/2014/10/26/first-impression-too-faced-cocoa-powder-and-bh-cosmetics-studio-pro-powder/

Target Fall Beauty Box Review

October 29, 2014 / Kayla Hutchison / 1 Comment

I typically miss out on the sample and beauty boxes Target releases and every time I am a sad panda. So, when I was browsing and saw that they had released their fall beauty box and they weren’t sold out I immediately ordered it. I was beyond excited when this pretty box arrived in my mailbox today and I couldn’t wait to open it up and see what was inside and show you all!
Let me begin by saying this box was $7 shipped to me. I have a Target debit card though, so I don’t know if shipping costs would apply to anyone without a Target debit card. I personally judge beauty boxes/subscriptions by what’s inside, if I like the products or at least most of them, and if the overall value exceeds what I paid for the box. If I’m paying $7 for a sample box and the products inside are worth less or just a little more than what I paid for the box itself, I feel kind of ripped off.

Inside the box:

First thing I noticed about this box was the beautiful coupon it came with. I love coupons. The cool thing about Target coupons is that you can stack their store coupons with a manufacturers coupon and use cartwheel (mobile app) on top of it creating an amazing deal. I’ve scored free and really cheap makeup many times stacking coupons and cartwheel offers.
The next things that caught my eye were the full sized Nyx Jumbo Eye Pencil in white and The Loreal Colour Riche Lipstick in “Blushing Harmony.” I use the jumbo eye pencil almost everyday as an eyeshadow base, so I was pretty excited to get another one of them, because having extras of things I use on an almost daily basis is never a bad thing, in my opinion. The Colour Riche lipstick is also beautiful. “Blushing Harmony” is a very deep rosy nude glossy type of lipstick. It’s not a very sticky formula though. It’s also not matte or a long wearing liquid lipstick. It can be worn alone or on top of lipstick. The value of the eye pencil is $4-5 and the gloss $8-9 so those two products alone made me feel like I got my money’s worth with the coupon.

Next thing I noticed was the set of nifty BB cream cushions. Laneige is a Korean brand and these BB creams are exclusive to Target and have a high SPF. The estimated value of this is between $14-15 and there is are light, medium, and dark cushions as well as the SPF cushion. I’m extremely excited about this particular sample. I have been trying to find a BB cream that just “wows” me for the longest time now, and getting a sample that has several different skin tones in it is amazing. Many beauty and sample boxes tend to only include one shade, and we all know people come in very many different colors and we are not all one shade. The light shade will obviously be the one I try. I will probably gift the others to friends or family.

Fekkai Salon Blow Out Dry Shampoo (1.7 oz) This is not a full sized product, but the value of it is still about $8, and dry shampoos always make me happy. I feel like they probably make anyone with hair and a life happy. I can’t and don’t wash my hair everyday. Even before I had kids, it just makes me hair brittle and dry if I wash it constantly. I can’t wait to try this one out.

Loreal Paris Elnett Hairspray (2.2 oz) This is valued at around $2 for the sample size. I know there are still so many bloggers and hairstylists that use and swear by this hairspray. I have even heard my mom talking about it when she talks about the Aqua Net glory days of big hair. I have never gotten a chance to try it out for myself though because I am partial to my Vidal Sassoon hairspray or my Garnier anti humidity hairspray. However, if I like this little guy I may switch it up.

Overall, from what I have researched the total value of this box is around $38, which is over 5 times what I paid at $7! I feel this was definitely worth it, personally. I haven’t received any box/bag from a subscription service that has had that valuable of a box compared to what you initially pay in so long. It gave me a bit of hope in some weird sense. Haha. This box is a one time purchase, but I will totally be on the lookout for the next one they release. I hope it’s soon! If you have received this box as well, please feel free to comment with your own thoughts and overall opinions.

Face of the Day/Quick Halloween Idea

October 28, 2014 / Kayla Hutchison / Leave a comment

I know that not everyone procrastinates, but some people do. I am doing a “face of the day” post today that will double as a quick Halloween idea for anyone in a rush this Friday. It’s not exactly a “Halloween” look for me since I love pin up and rockabilly makeup and fashion. I will include products used, a quick hairstyle (hair is not exactly my forte) and a few outfit ideas. I hope you all enjoy ❤

I am doing a more Rockabilly type of styling today, but this look can easily be a vintage pin up look if you curl your hair and wear a vintage fitting (think cinched waist, flowers etc) dress or pencil skirt. I chose this look to do as a "last minute" look because typically many people have the items and makeup needed on hand or can find very quickly and for very cheap last minute.

Rockabilly makeup is typically very matte. The eyes, the face, and the lips…matte. So, you're going to want to possibly exfoliate and moisturize very well before starting this look. I also put on lip balm before starting on anything because matte lips can be super drying.
Products used to create my look today:
Anastasia Dip Brow in “Ebony”
Nyx Jumbo eye pencil in white- used as an eyeshadow base
Too Faced Natural Eyes Palette- Heaven all over the lid and Cashmere Bunny in the crease
Physicians Formula eye booster pen (holy grail product) in ultra black
Red Cherry Lashes in #605
Wet n Wild Mega Length Mascara on bottom lashes and to blend false lashes
Body Shop tea tree face primer
Elf acne fighting foundation in “porcelain” with 2 pumps white manic panic mixed in
La Girl HD pro concealer under the eyes
BH Cosmetics Studio Pro powder to set and further mattify look
Kat Von D blush in “Essex”
A little bit of Nyx matte blush in “light” to contour a little, but not too much
I wanted to give a little bit of dimension on my face, so I used the Mary Lou-Manizer highlight on the very tops of my cheeks
Nyx Matte finishing spray to set everything and make the look last
Nyx soft matte lip cream in “Monte Carlo”

There are so many different ways to style this look, which is why I love it so much.
If you’re in a hurry, you can do the “poof” thing with your hair and place a bandana in it. You could pull it back into flowers, curl it, do victory rolls if you’re daring. It’s honestly up to you and your preferences. Personally, if I am in a hurry I love how a cute bandana and earrings pulls the look together instantly.

Here are some more ideas. These are all things I already own. As you can tell, the possibilities are almost endless. If this is a look you want to recreate one day, or even for Halloween, be creative. Interpret it as you wish.

Subscription Fever: Lip Monthly

October 24, 2014 / Kayla Hutchison / Leave a comment

Last month I decided to cancel both my beauty box and ipsy subscriptions because the samples I was receiving from both were merely piling up and ending up in a tiny sample landfill. I stumbled upon a relatively new subscription service called Lip Monthly, and decided to give it a try since I am a lip product addict. Lip products of any sort are probably the few things I get ridiculously excited for when it comes to subscription services.

It’s $10 per month and they say they will send 3-4 full sized products and 1-2 sample sized products. I was automatically intrigued just from reading that. So, I used a coupon code (will link at the end) and got my first box for $5 and started the subscription. The reviews I had watched seem mixed. Most seem to either love Lip Monthly or hate it. However, it seems that’s how the cookie crumbles with most subscription services. You can’t please everyone.

I received my tracking info last Friday and received my bag on Monday. So, shipping time seems to be about average.

These were the products that came in my bag. From what I have seen on instagram and youtube, this was the standard bag for everyone with a few differences like maybe their eyeliner pencil was a different color. The bag came with a card, but the prices were not beside the products so I can’t tell if I got more than my money’s worth in terms of product value. It looked like there were 4 full sized products and 1 sample sized, the sample being the lip scrub.
The J Cat lipstick in my bag is actually defective. I opened it and can’t even swatch the product because the lipstick is broken in half on the inside. I will have to email them about that, so next month I will update about their customer service. However, I can tell the color isn’t going to be for me. The one thing that does upset me a bit about this subsciption already is that they sent out the same color lipstick to everyone. When it comes to nudes, one color does not fit all. This color probably looks stunning on people with darker skin tones…it just makes me look dead. It looks like, well, my skin.

There was a purple shimmery lip tiny (balm?) that came in the bag and it smells pretty nice. Much like grapes if you’re into grape flavored things. There was also another chapstick that I have actually tried before (and like) from another subscription that smells like cherries. I’m not too sure what the point of sending two balm/chap stick type products is? The shimmery one doesn’t exactly compliment the weird nude tone lipstick, and I am not one to put on balm on top of more balm.

The last full sized product was a LA Girl eyeliner, which I like. LA Girl is a product I have talked about before and I have been wanting to try a few more of their products. The color I got was a very pretty blue color. I’ve been digging the blues lately since I have been playing around with black lipstick, and I have a few blue lipsticks so the eyeliner will double as a lip liner for me since blue lip liners are hard to come by.
The sample product was a lip scrub. It seems like your typical lip scrub. The smell is…okay. It smells natural, and the ingredients seems to be all natural as well, so that’s a plus.

Overall, I am neither over the moon or extremely disapppointed in this subscription for the first month in. I will give it a few more months, because I know they are newer and I can’t base it on the first bag I get. I would like to see a bit more of a theme with this subscription. It seemed like they tried to make a theme, but it just didn’t come together well. An option for individual profiles to ensure great product selection for each person would be nice as well. Not everyone is the same skin tone, and not every lip color is going to be suitable for everyone. I’m sure there are people that love the lipstick in the bag, but I can tell despite the defect in the product that it will make me look like my lips have disappeared, and that’s not what I am going for when I wear a nude lip color.

September Empties

October 5, 2014 / Kayla Hutchison / Leave a comment

Wanna go through my trash with me? I promise some of the things are pretty cool! I will start from the top left corner and make my way to the bottom.

Cover FX acne clarifying primer- I received this deluxe sample in an ipsy bag I don’t even know how long ago. I kinda kept putting off trying it because I assumed since it has salicylic acid in it that it would dry my face out. I was so wrong. This stuff was amazing, and I did see a difference in my face in terms of breakouts! I squeezed the life out of that thing. I wish the full sized product wasn’t so expensive

Tone soothing body wash- this was a sample I got in the mail and I used it just to try it and throw it away. I was pleasantly surprised at how fresh it smells. I like fresh body wash smells with no fruity scents, and this one does not have a fruity scent.

Natural Style deep conditioning treatment- This sample came in my beauty box 5 last month with another hair treatment, and I am probably going to end up buying the full sized product. I love the way this made my hair feel super soft the next day without weighing it down or making it look greasy.

Barefoot exfoliating scrub- another product I got in a subscription box of some sort. I wasn’t too impressed with this exfoliating scrub. It smells nice and fresh, but it’s not very exfoliating? Just feels like a body wash with beads.

The Body Shop Tea Tree Face Mask- this is actually my second time using this mask and I LOVE it. Seriously, next time you’re at The Body Shop or Ulta pick one up. They are tingly and fresh feeling, but don’t leave your face feeling dry and dehydrated. I have noticed a difference in my skin the next day if I use this mask at the beginning of a breakout.

Dove Oxygen Moisture shampoo and conditioner- more samples! I’ve been pretty bored lately since one of our cars bit the dust (rest in pieces, junk car) so I have been trying everything I’ve been meaning to try. These came in a walmart beauty box that a friend recommended to me, and I actually like it. Dove isn’t normally a brand I reach for, but the smell of these was nice and left my hair feeling fresh and soft.

Vitabath body wash- I got this in a beauty box 5 box a few months back, and looking back I remember why I put off trying it. It’s cherry scented. Maybe it would be nice for others, but I hate the smell of fruity body washes. Other than the awful (to me) scent it felt like your typical everyday body wash. Nothing special about it.

Aussie Moist Shampoo and 3 min miracle deep conditioner- This is actually a normal everyday product for me. I love the scent of Aussie products and even more so I love how they make my hair feel. I use the 3 min miracle deep conditioner instead of the moist conditioner because I only wash my hair once per week, twice max. So, that little thing lasts me on average a month (I have super thick and long hair) and the shampoo on average lasts me 2-3 months. This is a staple for me though and I would recommend it to anyone with frizzy, curly hair.

Lady speed stick deodorant- also another staple for me. I have about 1 million as back ups in this since I coupon and got a ton for free. I love it. It’s not overly scented and keeps me dry, even when I am cleaning or running errands.

Ulta warm vanilla sugar body scrub- another product that I tore the top off of so I could squeeze the life out of it. I love this stuff. It’s a body scrub that foams. That’s right, it foams up. It’s an actual scrub so it does exfoliate the skin and smells like vanilla. This was always my go to scrub if I was having a bad day and just wanted to feel soft and pretty during a hot shower. I may cut the top off and try to get the rest out…
cheap girl problems.

Burt’s Bees sensitive skin makeup remover wipes- yet another staple in my routine. These are the only wipes that remove my makeup without burning my skin or breaking me out. I received a ton of coupons for this product just so I could stock up on them. My love for them is that real.

Frank’s all natural body scrub- I saved this one for last since it will probably be the one thing I talk about the most. This was a new product for me, and I tried it simply because so many bloggers were raving about it. I wanted to see what the hype was about and also see if it was any different from homemade coffee scrubs. Yes, it is so different from homemade coffee scrubs. The product itself arrives in an envelope that you just open and use. It’s not dry, but it’s not wet. It smells amazing! Mostly like coffee, but there’s a faint orange smell to it as well. I usually shampooed and rinsed my hair and then turned the shower off and scrubbed this in and waited for 10 mins. It made my skin feel so soft! I am seriously so impressed with this product, and I can’t wait to purchase another pack of it. It lasted me about a month at using it 2 times per week, which is how long it says it will last on the website. Definitely worth the $15 if you’re looking for a product to pamper yourself with sometimes. We all deserve to feel pampered.
Warning: There are a lot of sexual innuendos on the packaging (I love them, personally) and this stuff does easily get into your hair and is a bitch to clean out of your shower. The first time I used it I thought someone had crapped on my shower curtain. Still worth it.