January Empties

February 1, 2015February 1, 2015 / Kayla Hutchison / Leave a comment

I don’t think I have done an empties post in several months. I always forget to hold on to my trash.
I want to start doing them again, so if you want to go through my classy trash basket with me…keep reading.

I don’t have a super huge amount of trash this month since I have been trying out so many new things (my face is screaming at me to stop) but I do have several things to share.

1. Bed Head Rockaholic Dry Shampoo– This little puppy retails at $18, but I find that it’s on sale often at Ulta, and even on Zulily at times for $7.99 (like I would pay $18 ever). It’s my favorite dry shampoo that I have tried thus far. I know I posted about the Pssst dry shampoo, but I like the scent of the Bed Head one more. It has a nice orange scent and doesn’t leave white residue behind in my raven colored hair. I was afraid to finish it, but I just bought 2 more bottles of it at Ulta since the hair gods rained their blessings on me and I found 2 pink bottles of this dry shampoo for 97 cents each. Yep, you read that right. It was a great day.

2. Biore Deep Cleansing Pore Strips– I honestly go through these fairly often. I use pore strips on my nose probably once a week, and I typically use one on my chin once a week as well. I get really bad blackheads on my chin and nose, and these seem to help. I know some complain about the tugging and whatnot, but they have always worked for me. I feel like I have been using this brand of pore strips since I was in high school. My mom is to blame for my weird fascination with getting rid of blackheads.

3. Biore Self Heating One Minute Masks– I bought these awhile back out of pure curiosity. You’re supposed to rub this mask in circular motions on your face for 1 minute as it heats up and deep cleanses your pores. It heats up, alright. I honestly did not like the warmth in this mask. I felt like I was burning my face. However, it did leave my face feeling nice and clean. I finally used all of these up though. I will probably not repurchase these…ever. Sorry, Biore, I can’t take the heat.

I used up some makeup items! *does the beauty blogger dance*

4. Tarte “Lights, Camera, Lashes” Mascara– This mascara wasn’t as used up as it was dried out. Sadly, that happens to most mascaras it seems. I do like the formula of this mascara. It’s (well, before it dried out) a wet formula and actually gave my wimpy lashes nice length without it being clumpy. I may repurchase this one, I haven’t decided yet.

5. Elf Hydrating Under Eye Primer– this is a holy grail product for me. If I could have opened up this tube and scraped product out, I would have. It’s amazing! It’s hydrating and helps my concealer stay in place without creasing…it’s also $3. One of my absolute favorite beauty discoveries of 2014, and I always recommend this to anyone that looks like a Tim Burton character and wears a lot of concealer *raises hand.* I have already repurchased this, I can’t live without it.

6. Nyx HD concealers in “lavender” and “porcelain”– I go through these concealers very often. They’re my go-to concealers and this will probably not be the last time you see these in an empties post. I try out new concealers often, but I always reach for these. I’m so fair that I have to mix both to get a nice shade that conceals and brightens my under eye area, but at $5 each it’s okay. I will say that I feel these do not last very long, and that’s probably due to the packaging. I literally scrape product out of these and get every last drop out that I can. These two have just had enough, and are not on their journey to makeup heaven.

7. Olay fresh makeup remover wipes– I got these in my last Walmart beauty box. I love makeup wipes, so I was excited to try these out. Sadly, these disappointed me. They’re okay, but not the best I have ever tried. I felt like they didn’t remove a lot of makeup and I had to spend extra time washing my face afterwards. Definetely not something I will purchase on my own.

8. Neutrogena makeup remover wipes– these are my all time favorite remover wipes. I wish they weren’t on the pricier side ($6-8) but they’re worth it to me. They help me cut down on my skin care routine time, and when you have 2 kids that is actually a big deal. The sooner I can get my face cleaned off, the sooner I can sit down and read for a few minutes or whatever else. I will probably always go back to these and always repurchase them.

Welp, those were my empties for the month. Now I can throw them away and my boyfriend can stop giving my trash basket weird looks! 😀

Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Review

January 29, 2015January 29, 2015 / Kayla Hutchison / Leave a comment

So, if you’ve been on my page before you may have seen me in rage mode over these little shits. I’ve been looking for them everywhere and I finally found them at cvs. I didn’t even check the price when I found them, I just grabbed them and went.

Luckily, because my boyfriend works at CVS he gets a pretty decent discount and there was a promotion going on, so I got these at a pretty awesome price.

For those that have not seen this product yet, these are part of the new shimmer strips line that Phsyicians Formula released in 2015. I have seen several bloggers I follow rave about them so I’ve been hunting them down in my own city.

What draws me in with this product is a. the adorable packaging and b. the gel-cream formula. After trying (and becoming obsessed) with ColourPop I really like the gel-cream eye products. They tend to stay longer and crease less and can be used alone or as a base for other eyeshadows.

The packaging is so glittery gahhhh. Okay, moving on.

So, this is going to be one of those posts where I feel like everyone was so hyped about this product and I’m the lone one that’s a bit let down. Maybe I mysteriously got a bad batch? I don’t know, but it took me forever to get a good swatch of these while dry. I feel like the texture is a bit too hard. Once I did get a swatch, I realized these aren’t very pigmented. Yes, they are very shiny and shimmery, but they just weren’t what I was expecting.

Don’t get me wrong, they’re still very pretty, I was just expecting more pigmentation. Another thing I noticed about these are that the names of the colors are not on their individual pots. There’s a mocha shade, a rose shade, and a nude shade. However, one you throw the box away you’re forced to guess which one is the nude and which one is the rose shade. Kinda strange…

These are swatches of the colors. I love the colors, it just takes a bit of work to actually get the colors to show up well on my pale skin. From left to right: rose shade, nude shade, mocha shade.

It says on the package that these can also be used wet, and you can create a “gel” eyeliner out them. I don’t know about the eyeliner promise or if I will put that to the test, but I have not tried these wet yet.
My overall thoughts on these are that they’re okay. They’re pretty, but they didn’t blow my mind or anything. I can see myself using these as bases for shimmery looks, but maybe not so much as a stand alone product. Physicians Formula is pretty pricey in terms of drugstore makeup, so I would maybe wait for a really amazing sale to get these. I wouldn’t personally pay full price, and I’m glad I didn’t when I found them. If you have these as well, what are your thoughts on them? Have any tips on how to use them?

Anyone else tried any of the other new products from Physicians Formula?

Milani Rose Blushes

January 15, 2015January 15, 2015 / Kayla Hutchison / 7 Comments

Have you ever searched for a few things (makeup wise) so hard that when you finally find it…angels sing and your heart stops for a few seconds? Is it just me?

That could be embarrassing to admit, but I did that when I finally stumbled upon a display at Kmart with the new Milani Rose Blushes and there were blushes left! I will admit to maybe hovering over the display to block anyone else that might have also seen them and drooling for a few seconds.

Totally kidding.

This post is going to be less formal (okay, none of my posts are very formal) because I just want to admire the absolute beauty of these blushes.

They are so divine. I’m so happy that Milani decided to bring these back and make them permanent. I missed out on the first time they were out, but even if I had gotten some I probably wouldn’t have used them. Now I feel like I can admire and use them since they’re here to stay. I paid $7.99 per blush for these, which is a typical price for Milani. There’s also a shit ton of blush in these it seems. There were 3 colors in the display, and I only picked up 2. I don’t think coral colors flatter my skin tone well, so I left the last Coral Cove on the display for someone else. I am so nice.

I will say that I searched high and low for these babies. From what I have seen online, the displays only have 2 per color stocked, so if you stumble upon them…buy them. If you’re going back and forth on it, just get them because it takes stores a long time to restock things at times, especially during new releases.

This shade is “tea rose” and it’s a very matte pink shade. I think this is a shade that can be worn with both warm and cool toned looks, in my opinion. I’m no expert, so chances are I’m just saying that because I will wear it with any look no matter what.

This is the one I wanted the most, and it’s “romantic rose.” It’s a matte mauve color. I love rosy mauve colors. I typically wear brown shadows and bright lips on a day to day basis, so I feel mauve blushes kind of compliment that in a way for me.

These are the swatches with “tea rose” on the left and “romantic rose” on the right. They are incredibly pigmented. So, these blushes are not only gorgeous and affordable, they’re very pigmented and smooth to the touch.

Perfect product. Perfect luck. I am so happy with this find! I hope you all enjoyed this shorter review! It’s snowing a bit here in Tennessee, so I hope everyone is staying warm!

Tell me about your favorite makeup finds lately?

Wet n Wild Mascara Review

January 11, 2015 / Kayla Hutchison / Leave a comment

New video up on my youtube channel today! A review on a new wet n wild product that have been popping up in drugstores.

Watch it, like it if you like it, and maybe subscribe to me? If you have a beauty channel, tell me! I love making friends.

I also FINALLY found some cool products that are new to drugstores today, so make sure to follow my blog as well.
Hope you all are warm and toasty tonight ❤

Swatch Saturday: My Favorite Nyx Round Lipsticks

January 3, 2015January 3, 2015 / Kayla Hutchison / 1 Comment

Today for my Swatch Saturday post I thought I would switch it up a bit. Today I’m going to be showing swatches of some of my all time favorite Nyx round lipsticks. The Nyx lippies that come in the black and round tubes are the ones that retail for $4 on average, and are not the matte ones. These have a glossier finish, and are some of the only glossy lipsticks I will wear.

There are so many colors that it’s literally intimidating

But at $4 each (and they are BOGO 50% off often at Ulta) it’s okay to be intimidated and try them all. I’ve tried a lot out over the years. These are just a few in my collection, but they are the ones I reach for very often, some I reach for over my high end lipsticks for special occasions.

As you can see, there are two types of packaging. I have some in the older packaging and some in the newer packaging.

I’m going to go from the wrist out:

“Lala” (deep plum-ish mauve) “Penelope” (blackened plum) “Pluto” (reddish dark brown) “Chaos” (true red with blue undertones) “Snow White” (Deep Red) “Cocoa” (Brown with Mauve undertones)

Out of all of these, “Chaos” is my most used. Hands down. If you wear red lipsticks a lot, you need this lipstick in your collection. Trust me. It’s the only lipstick I have ever finished a tube of and needed to rebuy. I actually have a back up of this little baby.

Some of these colors, like “Penelope” and “Pluto,” aren’t very opaque, but I pair them with lip liners anyway so it doesn’t make a huge difference. Those are the only two that I have ever experienced patchiness with opacity though. They pair beautifully with dark lip liners of all sorts.

“LaLa” is a bit newer in my collection, but man this color is super beautiful. I’ve been on a plum kick lately because I feel it flatters my complexion and eye color (green) and I just want all the plum toned things.

I really enjoy these lipsticks though, and they’ve transcended several years of trying out way too many lipsticks. The packaging is very cute considering the price, in my opinion. Black and sleek…perfect. I also like that the names of these lipsticks are on the top, and there’s a small color swatch on the bottom. It makes storing them very versatile and easy.

Review: Physicians Formula Argan Oil Blush

January 3, 2015January 3, 2015 / Kayla Hutchison / 2 Comments

I was at Ulta a few days ago, mostly because I needed a few more dollars to become a platinum member (woot!), but partially because I wanted to look for some new products since many stores are setting out the Spring 2015 lines for some brands.

I came across this little beauty, which was actually on the ground. It hadn’t even been put on display yet. Like the actual display was on the ground. I snagged that shit, anyway. No shame in my game.

But I mean…LOOK. This blush is gorgeous! This blush was $13 at my local Ulta, which is pricey for a drugstore blush, but Physicians Formula never fails to amaze with their adorable packaging. I hope whoever comes up with the cute ideas gets raises all of the time.

The first thing I noticed about this blush was the beautiful scent. I opened the lid and it just wafted in my face like a bouquet of flowers. Such a fresh and pretty scent.
When I did a swatch I noticed the gold glitter on top is indeed an over spray, which is sad, but this blush is still so smooth and pigmented. This one is in the shade “rose” and it’s just a very pretty and everyday sort of pink blush. It doesn’t feel creamy, but it’s also not powdery. It’s that perfect and smooth texture that seems to glide on to the skin.

I’ve worn this once on my cheeks and it’s very pale skin friendly and gives a nice pink glow. If you’re into pink blushes, definitely look into this one. I know there’s at least one other shade, but I think I will wait for a sale to get that one and maybe the bronzer. I know that many CVS stores are just starting their Cosmetics resets (inside source aka da boyfriend works there and helps a momma out) and physician’s formula is on sale basically every other week there.

Now if I could just find those damn shimmer strips! I want them so bad, but my city seems to get everything last! My bank account probably loves the suspense, but I don’t.

First Impression: LaSplash Liquid Lipsticks

January 1, 2015January 1, 2015 / Kayla Hutchison / 1 Comment

Before I begin, I would like to say Happy New Year! I hope that everyone was happy and safe last night.

So, one of my favorite discoveries in the year 2014 was for sure matte liquid lipsticks.
They glide on without effort and stay on all day. Ultimate tool for the lazy makeup enthusiast.
There are quite a few companies that make liquid lipsticks, but probably one the most known is Lime Crime.
I like Lime Crime, but after reading some things I don’t feel ethically right purchasing anything.

And don’t take offense to that if anyone is reading this and and loves the company, it’s a personal decision, and one I just recently made after doing my own research. My tip to anyone is don’t take someone’s word for anything until you do your own research and come to your own conclusions.

I randomly stumbled upon this post on Instagram (hi I stalk beauty tags on there often, judge me) and saw swatches of some BEAUTIFUL shades by La Splash Cosmetics. And guess what? They were liquid lipsticks!

I dropped everything and went to their site and started drooling at the words “cruelty free” and “liquid lipsticks.” It was a Christmas Miracle! And get this…they’re $12 a color. Way cheaper than Lime Crime Velvetines, and there were 10% off codes all over the interwebs.

I ordered 2. That night. I have a bit of a lipstick problem…I see lipstick. I fall in love with lipstick. I buy lipstick. Meh.

Anyway, I think I ordered these on Christmas Eve and received them in the mail on the 29th. So, shipping was pretty quick considering the Holiday. My package also came with a cute Christmas card and a free gift! the gift was a mint balm, I’m guessing to prevent weird cracked lips that sometimes occur while wearing matte lipsticks.

The packaging is sleek. Nothing fancy, nothing cheesy.

I picked out the shades “Innocent Vixen” and “Untamed” because I have been wanting a liquid brown lipstick foreeeeeever now, as well as a beige-pink one. There were a few colors though, including a purple and a few reds.

My first impression of these are that they are incredible. Everything I look for and hope for regarding a matte liquid lipstick. They have a doe-foot applicator so the application was easy, and they dry quickly, but not too quickly.
I swatched these on my hand and washed dishes and had my hands in water about a million times and the swatches did not budge. I could see the water forming beads and rolling off my hand. This stuff is intense.

These are the swatches. Top is “Innocent Vixen” and bottom is “Untamed.” This was with me barely using any product, so watch out while applying. A little will go a long way.

I wore “Innocent Vixen” on New Year’s Eve, and this stuff seriously lasted all day through everything. I kissed da boyfriend, ate tacos, drank wine…nothing budged. Incredible lasting power. However, I wore “Untamed” the day before and it goes on a bit patchy and is not a build able color I found. I tried to put on another layer and it started to crack in some places, and my lips were fairly moisturized.

I’m not a fan of the balm that was sent to me. It has a pretty awful smell, in my opinion. It smells like crayons and plastic. Not pleasant. Other than the few cons, I really like these liquid lipsticks overall. If I had to suggest only one to people, it would be Innocent Vixen. It’s such a pretty nude. Note:

Swatch Saturday: Wet n Wild Liquid Lip Color

December 27, 2014December 27, 2014 / Kayla Hutchison / Leave a comment

I glance at these and have passed them up many times assuming they’re glosses. I’m not a gloss person. I wear it sometimes, but I prefer lipsticks because I hate sticky things on my face. However, I saw someone mention that these have a matte finish and I was instantly intrigued. So, while in Kmart a few nights ago picking up a few last minute presents (yes, I’m that parent, and no it wasn’t Christmas Eve) I decided to pick 2 more of these up since I already owned the red one. I actually forgot I owned the red one until I was looking for an affordable matte lipstick for my glittery holiday lip video. I think Jeremy (da boyfriend) got it for me because it was free at his store? Who knows. I own too many lip products to keep up with where I got them all. However, after seeing how matte the red one dried for myself I decided I wanted to try a few other colors.

Anyway, these were $2.99 regular priced in my local store, so these are incredibly affordable. And wow, these are super pigmented and do indeed dry matte. The first time I swatched these on my hand it actually stained my hand. So, be aware of that if you decide to buy these. They will require some work to get off.

These are the swatches of the 3 I have. From the bottom up: “Red My Mind,” “High Pitched Wine,” “Raisin The Roof”

Okay, who the hell came up these names? They made me cringe at the punny-ness and laugh at the same time.

“Red My Mind” is a very true red bright red. “High Pitched Wine” is a bit more brown than it is wine colored. I love that about it though. It’s probably my favorite one color-wise. “Raisin the Roof” is a bit deeper, but has obvious gold colored shimmer in it. It’s a very different and pretty color, in my opinion.
I will definitely say that these are worth trying, however, they can be a bit drying I’ve noticed. They are ultra matte, but kinda also ultra drying. I had to put on a few dabs of vaseline after applying “High Pitched Wine” because I felt like if I smiled my lips would crack. That’s really the only con I can think of regarding these lip colors though.

Unboxing and Review: Walmart Beauty Box and Lip Monthly

December 26, 2014December 26, 2014 / Kayla Hutchison / 2 Comments

I am currently subscribed to 3 different things. The Walmart Beauty Box, Lip Monthly, and I recently caved and decided to go back to Ipsy since I felt a bit lost without my glam bag.
I recorded an unboxing of both of the December Walmart Beauty Box and my Lip Monthly bag, but I wanted to post better pictures and swatches here.

First up: Walmart Beauty Box

This box comes every 3 months (once per season) and is technically free, but the $5 is shipping costs.
This was December’s Winter Box

Pretty decent amount of product for $5, in my opinion. The one thing not pictured is the Maybelline Dream Wonder powder, but honestly I think that was just a coupon (it had a $1 coupon attached). I’m never too fond of foil packet samples because let’s be real many of them end up in the weird black hole part of makeup drawers where foil samples go to die. Or is that just me?
There was a full sized lipstick in the box as well! It looks like it’s from the new Maybelline line it’s in the shade “Mocha Kiss” and it’s a very brown shade. I don’t know how much use I will get out of this, personally, but I will play around with it.

However, I am pretty excited to try everything else. I’ve never heard of a body BB Cream, but from what I’ve read on the sample bottle it looks pretty neat! Overall, I am happy with this box and it’s a cute little surprise every season for me. It does look like there are different boxes sent out depending on your age group, because I’ve seen another version of the Winter box on several blogs.

Second: Lip Monthly Bag

I’ve reviewed Lip Monthly before on this blog, and on Youtube and I will link both at the end of this post.
I’m still very confused about this subscription. I love the concept, and for the most part the products are awesome, but there is something a bit off about their customer service. I feel that they need an overhaul and need someone better marketing for them and handling customer service issues. I know that running a business is extremely hard (my parents did twice) but if you’re not willing/able to answer your customers concerns, no matter how rude or odd they may be, what’s the point in having a business? There’s my small rant on that matter.

With that aside, the products are so spot on if you’re a lip product lover. I loved every single thing in this bag, and that’s not common for me. The total value of this bag was $25 compared to the $10 I paid, so that’s pretty rad. I do hope that whatever is going on with Lip Monthly is just a bump in the road for them, because I do wish them every bit of success. I love the idea of a monthly bag catered to those that love trying out new lip products. I can already say that I have worn that Magnolia Makeup lipstick twice since getting my bag. It’s so dreamy. I’m rooting for you, Lip Monthly. I really am.

Swatches from left to right: La girl lip liner in “mauvelous,” NYC lipstick in “Mocha,” Magnolia Makeup Liquid Ultra Matte Lipstick, Milani Lipgloss in “Nude Touch.”

First Impression: Body Shop Honey Bronzer

December 17, 2014December 17, 2014 / Kayla Hutchison / Leave a comment

I will probably be doing a few mini/quicker reviews this week since this time of the year is very busy for me (and many others). However, I did want to talk about this little gem that arrived in my mail the other day.
I’m not a huge bronzer fanatic, mostly because most bronzers tend to make me look orange. I think this is a problem for many people with very pale skin. However, I’ve seen Essie from EssieButton talk about this bronzer a million times, and when I finally found it for 50% off and with free shipping on The Body Shop’s site, I decided to give it a try.

I got the shade light (duh) and it is indeed very light and very matte. That’s right, there’s no shimmer in this baby and that’s downright amazing. I applied this after I contoured my face using Nyx’s blush in “taupe” and this bronzing powder did not look orange, and it did not turn orange throughout the day. I went to a dinner/baking party last night and when I left 5-6 hours later I noticed my face still had a pretty nice (but very subtle) bronze glow to it.

I now see why Essie raves about this product so often.

Pros:
-Very suitable for pale skin
-Decent amount of product (11 g total)
-Beautiful packaging and presentation
-Long lasting
-No orange/red tones
-Matte

Cons:
-Price. It’s $20 regular price, which is higher, but the body shop has sales so often that it would be easy to catch it at a great price.

Overall, I’m very happy with this product and will continue to use it as my go-to bronzing powder for now during the Winter. I would definetely reccomend this to any other pale friend out there that struggles to find something that doesn’t look orange on their skin.

Thanks for dropping by and make sure to follow me if you want and talk to me and stuff 🙂